RocketLord Posted February 8 Author Posted February 8 (edited) The STORMCROW Charlie stares around. It is happening so far, everyone acting together. He fights to keep a smile off his lips. Everyone is working together perfectly, whether they mean to or not... but this isn't the time to fall bask in the success. They're not done. Not yet. Casanova is held down by Nightscale. Shift is still holding the Conqueror Worm. Paper is ready. Multi-Girl and the zombie woman are holding back the Conqueror Worm's Puppets. And the rift. Charlie honestly doesn't know everything about the weird place that Shadowborne is connected to, but its not a good place. Is it smart to throw the Conqueror Worm in there? Do they have any choice? More puppets are coming in. No, they don't. "Paper! We need to get the Conqueror Worm wrapped up! Stop him from fighting back! Multi-Girl, Zombie Girl: Hit the worm with everything you got! Nightscale, do not let Casanova near that portal! Shift! One shot! Get him into Shadowborne's rift!"" Stormcrow pauses, then... "Guardians: Go!" Edited February 8 by RocketLord
Spacefurry Posted February 9 Posted February 9 Paper From the corner of his eye, Paper caught the Worm’s movement. Sheets of paper swarmed to shield him, but it was a hair too slow and the explosive attack actually drove him back a foot. He gritted his teeth and sneered at the monster of a man. More puppets appeared, pouring out of doorways to swell the teeming masses. Multi-Girl, Shadowborne, and the girl calling herself Ghule were managing to hold them at bay. But for how much longer could they? On 2/8/2024 at 10:55 AM, RocketLord said: "Paper! We need to get the Conqueror Worm wrapped up! Stop him from fighting back! Multi-Girl, Zombie Girl: Hit the worm with everything you got! Nightscale, do not let Casanova near that portal! Shift! One shot! Get him into Shadowborne's rift!"" Stormcrow pauses, then... "Guardians: Go!" Paper shot a glare at Stormcrow and looked away. “I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job.” He grumbled even as he turned away, rolling his eyes. His attention falling on the zombie puppeteer. The pool of paper that had once been a dinosaur stirs and swarms. The paper easily slipped around the puppets to swarm around Shift and the Conqueror Worm. Suddenly cords of paper exploded from the amassing paper to twist around the thing that was once a man. They writhe and twist, shaping into binding chains as they continue trying to completely ensnare the Worm.
RocketLord Posted February 10 Author Posted February 10 GM "No." The Conqueror Worm sees the tear. He realizes what is going on immediately. "I cannot be contained. The dark forest will not be enough." Despite his words, he does not sound as sure. Once more, he places a hand on Shift's chest, a burning sensation starting to shoot through her system. Chump, for his part, steps back, out of the way of the Conqueror Worm, and instead moves towards Nightscale.
Lone_Star Posted February 11 Posted February 11 Ghule Vik fights with the fury of a Valkyrie as she bashes the thralls with her bo(ne) staff, hopping over Multi-Girl's duplicates as she fights alongside them, sweeping the legs out from under thralls so her dupes can knock them out. It felt right somehow, working alongside the redheaded duplicator. She gave one of her dupes a thumbs-up as they simultaneously punched another thrall. But there were more, always more thralls, and in greater numbers than the two of them could handle. As more flooded into the room, Vik starts to lose hope... Not now! I just met these guys! On 2/8/2024 at 9:55 AM, RocketLord said: "Paper! We need to get the Conqueror Worm wrapped up! Stop him from fighting back! Multi-Girl, Zombie Girl: Hit the worm with everything you got! Nightscale, do not let Casanova near that portal! Shift! One shot! Get him into Shadowborne's rift!"" Stormcrow pauses, then... "Guardians: Go!" "You got it! C'mon, Red, let's go!" she said, gesturing to Multi-Girl as she races towards the Conquerer Worm. She whirls the bone staff in front of her, knocking thralls out of the way, and uses it to vault the remaining distance. "Hey, asshole," she says with a ####-eating grin on her face. "This party's over." Her bone staff crumbles to dust, and is quickly replaced by wickedly-sharp claws emerging from her fingertips, which dig into the worm's shoulders. "RED! GET HIM, NOW!!"
RocketLord Posted February 12 Author Posted February 12 GM Casanova struggles under the weight of the massive dragon, but he is nowhere near strong enough to actually push Nightscale off him. "Let go!" he finally screams, directing a massive flash of purple-white psychic energy directly at the dragon in an attempt to push him off, to hurt him enough that he will finally let go. As Ghule rushes to Shift's aid, the Puppets swarm. Multi-Girl is still holding them back for now, but despite the heroes' efforts, it is only a matter of time. The Conqueror Worm does not react to the damage that Ghule does in her attempts to help. Not visibly, at least. Does a being such as him even feel pain? Does he even care? He does seem to care about the what the heroes are trying to do, which he can clearly see by now. He pushes against the paper that binds him as Shift holds him down, threatening to break it and the android hero. He falls silent, merely beginning to exert an ever increasing pressure.
Thevshi Posted February 12 Posted February 12 Multi-Girl Bernadette's duplicates where helping keep the pressing horde of the Worm's followers at bay, at least for the moment when she heard Charlie yell out about helping Shift get the Worm through the shadow portal Murine had opened. Ghule followed the directions, running over to help Shift with the struggling Worm, calling for Bernadette to join as well. Pulling herself away from an attempt by a couple of the mindless horde trying to grab her, the Irish teen leapt over to the scrum landing just nearby and stepping forward to grab one of the Worm's arms firmly, looking at Shift and Ghule, she said, "On three" as she prepared to help toss the villain through the portal. Meanwhile her duplicate continued fighting against the pressing horde, striking out against them to continue to buy the rest of the team more time.
Nerdzul Posted February 15 Posted February 15 Luke smiled triumphantly as he sensed the Worm faltering bravado, when the rest of the team began pushing him into the darkness. He was about to dash toward Shift and the trapped supervillain, to offer his considerable strenght in support and drag the villain in the shadow that he belonged to, but Chaz words brought him back to the fact that he was indeed still holding Cas in his claws. "Soon..." He grinned as his attention turned back to the telepath trapped by his grasp. In truth, it wasn't very heroic to get revenge on a fallen foe, but he would have to gather all of his self control not to do so with the man that kidnapped the woman he loved. He gritted his teeth as the psychic unlsaught washed over his mind. He resited it, barely, growling angrly as the energ assaulted his brain. "Not now... I am busy..." While squeezing Cas a bit in retailation was certainly tempting, there was no time for that. Perhaps he could not assist with the portal, but the least he could do was try to buy time for his friends in containing the onslaught of the puppets. He flew as short distance, far enough that his companion won't be affected and then used the winds generated from his wings to try and knock down as many of the Worm victims as he could.
Heritage Posted February 19 Posted February 19 Shift Pol saw the portal waiting for their dreadful foe. With but a thought, she formed a set of bracing arms to extend down to the floor, locking her in place. Then she shifted part of her nanomass into two powerful hyraudlic pistons. With all her might and focus, she launched the Conquerer Worm at the portal, praying that her rapid-fire calculations were correct.
RocketLord Posted February 19 Author Posted February 19 GM Time slows to a still. Everything happens in slow motion. Shadowborne's portal to the Schattenwelt sparks and bursts with dark energies, held open and unable to affect the world at large only by her will. The Puppets fall over, tumbling around as Nightscale's gust of wind keeps them away. Ms. Scorpion screams in frustration, unable to escape her bindings. Paper constricts the Conqueror Worm, keeping him from moving. Even then, cracks begin to form. Toxin stirs on the ground, slowly climbing to her feet. Multi-Girl pulls at the Conqueror Worm's arm. Beside her, Ghule digs her razor sharp bone fingers into the Conqueror Worm's shoulder, pulling Stormcrow shouts wordlessly, pointing towards the portal. Shift's form changes and shifts, her nanomass changing to the form she needs. With all the might that the Young Guardians can muster together, they hurl the bound and constrained Conqueror Worm towards the portal, towards the darkness. Chump turns away and starts running towards Nightscale... and Casanova. And the Conqueror Worm? As he flies through the air, his expression rapidly changes from shock, to pure rage, his face splitting into a grotesque vision as he falls into the darkness. Inside, he breaks the bonds that hold him, and even as he falls away, he changes direction, surging towards the portal, reaching ever further...
Kaede Kimura Posted February 20 Posted February 20 (edited) Shadowborne Aoife joins Charlie in his cry, primal and triumphant as she swept her arms back, drawing the shadows that were linking the two realms together back to herself, severing the two worlds from each other once more. As the tear seals itself shut once more she takes a ragged breath to steady herself, her disused voice box sore from the exertion it had suffered this night. She wraps her shadows around herself again, the partial transformation comforting, and soothing as her throat vanishes into unfeeling shadows. "Is it over?" She croaks at the same time Muirne asks the question in her head. Unseen beneath the swathe of darkness she smiles as she looks at the others, her friends, united once again. Edited February 22 by Kaede Kimura
RocketLord Posted February 20 Author Posted February 20 GM The Conqueror Worm reaches. It comes ever closer. Closer. The portal begins to close, the darkness inside almost threatening to spill out as the Conqueror Worm's outstretched hand reaches towards reality again. And then, the darkness is gone. The Conqueror Worm's Puppets drop to the ground, unconscious, and Sebastian Shields, Casanova lets out an earsplitting psychic scream. Pain, loss, nothing... There is nothing. Whatever Sebastian once was, seems to be gone. Torn away when the connection was forcibly closed. The effect is immediate. Everyone is paralyzed, frozen in their tracks, unable to do anything but watch as Chump pulls Sebastian from Nightscale, gently holding his friend for a moment... and then he takes off. Running, leaping, disappearing into the night. By the time the group begins to regain the use of their bodies, he is long gone, and the Puppets around them have begun to stir as well. So has Toxin and Bluebird, while Ms. Scorpion curses up a storm at the thought of being left behind.
Spacefurry Posted February 20 Posted February 20 (edited) Paper Paper kept a grip on his paper as The Conqueror Worm struggled. Even as the bogeyman tumbled into the darkness of the portal he tried to hold on, but The Worm finally snapped his bonds and Paper fell back onto the floor. He stared into the portal, watching as the monster they struggled against reach out to save itself. For a moment, he thought it just might but then, at Shadowbourne’s command, the portal began to close and seal. Suddenly a psychic scream washed over him and Paper clutched at his head. And like that, it was over… Paper sat on the ground panting. A laugh escaped him, then another. The next moment Paper leaned his head back, laughing. After a moment the laughter tapered off and he just stared up at the ceiling. Right now, he could care less right now that Chump had made off with Casanova, that Ms. Scorpion was still pinned to the wall, or that they were surrounded by a crowd of unconscious people who were going to have soooo many questions. “Not every night to fight the bogeyman and win.” He said to no one in particular as he closed his eyes. Edited February 20 by Spacefurry
Thevshi Posted February 20 Posted February 20 Multi-Girl Bernadette had done all she could to help Shift toss the Conquer Worm into the portal Murine had created. The Irish teen grinned with satisfaction when the creature flew into the darkness beyond, but the grin faded when he broke free from Leon’s bindings and started to try to come back through the portal. Thankfully Murnie slammed it shut first, and the connection with his puppets and Shields appeared broken. The redhead clutched at her head when Shields released his psychic scream, allowing Chump to get him free from Luke and carry him away. When she was able to move again, Bernadette bent down to rest her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, dismissing all the duplicates she had summoned as she did so. She glanced over toward Charlie for a moment, back in town and in a new costume as well. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but knew she should not, especially not here. Standing back up, the redhead shook her head slightly. "What a bloody day, first Quirk, then this mess."
Lone_Star Posted February 21 Posted February 21 (edited) Ghule Vik could only look on disbelief as the Conquerer Worm was hauled into the portal, resisting with all of his considerable might. And then…it was over. Wow, this feels…amazing. Is that what these guys feel all the time? This joy quickly turned to pain as Shields’ psychic scream echoed through her body and mind, and she was soon paralyzed with the rest of them, unable to move, much less act. Vik gritted her teeth and seethed in anger. That absolute ####er is getting away! When she could stand up, she stumbled to her feet and made an attempt to chase after them, though she knew that was a foregone conclusion. She instead paced around, breathing hard, and jerked her wrists violently to deploy her bone-claws, then retract them, again and again. “So, we’re going after that ###hole, right? I’m gonna kick his ### so hard, he…” she says, continuing with a highly improbable and painful bodily threat. “But I won’t kill him. Ohhh no. He’ll have to live with it.” Edited February 21 by Lone_Star
Spacefurry Posted February 21 Posted February 21 Paper Paper lulled his head to the side, watching Ghule as she paced and cursed rather colorfully. He tilted it back up and closed his eyes again. “I like this one…*huff*…Can we keep her?” He joked, managing a small chuckle while nodding towards the girl.
Kaede Kimura Posted February 22 Posted February 22 Shadowborne Aoife rocked back on her heels as the psychic scream ran through her, looking to her friends as Chump ran with her captor. She wanted to go after him, hunt Cas down like the animal he was, she wasn't feeling as... merciful as the Zombie Queen. Merciful did not feel like the right word, but Aoife didn't know English well enough to come up with an alternate word. Huffing an amused breath at the odd direction of her thoughts she stumbled over to where Leon lay to slump down and lay on her back, relieved tears beginning to flow as she tasted freedom after a year of servitude. "Thank you." She rasped, as the tears cut hot lines from her eyes to get temples. "I- Thank you all."
RocketLord Posted February 22 Author Posted February 22 The STORMCROW They're doing it! They're actually doing it! As they all work together to get the Conqueror Worm into the portal, to defeat him and then... he is almost free. Coming for them. Stormcrow is already reaching for his weapons, ready to do anything he can to get him back in, but Shadowborne closes the portal, at the last possible moment. The grin that is spreading over his lips freezes as the psychic scream washes over them all. Even with all the mental training that the Raven put him through, Charlie feels himself crumbling under the weight of the scream. Chump and Casanova are gone when he comes to. The rest of them are still there. That's good, at least, even if he's sure that more than a few of them are pissed at him. The Zombie Girl is shouting about what she wants to do to Casanova, and he can't really blame her. Jumping down from the container he had been standing on, Stormcrow approaches her, securing the Crow's Claw he had readied to throw back into his belt. "We're gonna have to find him first, and everyone here needs help first." He looks around at everyone. "I know I've been away for a while, but thank you, everyone. You did great."
Heritage Posted February 24 Posted February 24 Shift As a synthetic being, Pol is completely oblivious to the psychic scream, and looks around in confusion as the organic creatures all wince and clutch their heads. Her mechanical body reconfigures itself into a bipedal humanoid frame, and she walks over and gently puts a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Is everything all right, Stormcrow? I think we won."
Nerdzul Posted February 25 Posted February 25 Luke heart was racing in his chest as Shift and the rest of the team dragged the freakin' Conqueror Worm into a portal conjured by his girlfriend. "F- Yeah." He shouted as the monster was dragged into the darkness, hopefully forever (Although those types always found a way to come back for the sequel, he was confident of that). Now perhaps, the exultation was a bit out of place coming from between the fangs of a bus-sized dragon, but whatever right? He didn't have time to ravel in the team triumph that the psychic scream scattered his though and when clarity returned, Cas was gone. He angrily roared his frustration away, he couldn't just escape... not after what he had done to... yet... there were more pressing matters. One in particular. He rushed toward the woman he loved, dragonscales being shed while on the way, the last few steps being made wearing his human form again. "Hey... you did it you know?" He smiled softly as he caught Murine tightly in his arms. "Thank us? Freakin' thank you... You did this..." His gaze sought to meet Muirne own as he gently wiped a tear from her cheeks. "Everythin is gonna be alright."
Spacefurry Posted February 25 Posted February 25 Paper Leon sat up and regarded Muirne. He gave her a grin and offered her a fist to bump before his roommate could descend upon her. “Hey, it’s what we do.” On 2/22/2024 at 1:13 PM, RocketLord said: The STORMCROW He looks around at everyone. "I know I've been away for a while, but thank you, everyone. You did great." His grin faded quickly as he glanced at Charlie. Looking away Leon climbed to his feet, dusting his pants off as he did. Wordlessly he swept a hand and the scattered remains of paper around the room swarmed and gathered into a neat stack in his hand. “Well then, I’m bored now.” He glanced at Luke and gave him an obviously forced smirk. “Don’t wait up for me. I think I'll go cause a little trouble of my own. You can have the apartment to yourselves.” Leon gives his friend a wink and turns to head out of the warehouse, a vague wave to the others as he walks away.
Thevshi Posted February 25 Posted February 25 Multi-Girl Bernadette had looked over at Charlie as he thanked everyone, giving him a small smile. There was a part of him that wanted to go over and talk to him, but there were still a lot of emotions swirling around in her head about seeing him again not to mention what they had all just gone through (and what she had had to deal with only hours earlier at school), so she chose to wait. If he was actually back now, maybe they could find another time to talk. The redhead started over toward Murine and Luke as well, glancing at Leon as he suddenly seemed cold and distant. "Yer girlfriend is a bit upset over some stuff from earlier today," the Irish teen called over to Leon, "you should give her a call." She then gave Murine a friendly pat on the back of her shoulder and a warm smile, before turning to give the other redhead girl and Luke some space.
Lone_Star Posted February 27 Posted February 27 On 2/22/2024 at 12:13 PM, RocketLord said: The Zombie Girl is shouting about what she wants to do to Casanova, and he can't really blame her. Jumping down from the container he had been standing on, Stormcrow approaches her, securing the Crow's Claw he had readied to throw back into his belt. "We're gonna have to find him first, and everyone here needs help first." He looks around at everyone. "I know I've been away for a while, but thank you, everyone. You did great." Vik calmed herself down, and she cleared her throat. "Well. That's what I would do if he were still here, anyway. But, that's not an option, soooo..." She gives Charlie a thumbs-up, proud of all of them. She was proud of herself for the first time in maybe ever. "Yeah! We did kick ass, didn't we?" It felt good to help. Certainly, she felt like she was making a real difference - her previous forays into superheroics ended in failure, or she didn't feel like she was doing much. Stopping kids from stealing candy bars at the local 7-11 wasn't really helping, but this. This felt like being a real superhero. Her face fell when she realized she likely wouldn't see them again. Or maybe it was more that they wouldn't want her around if they knew her better. Ah well. Easy come, easy go. Still, it was a shining moment for her. "So, I guess I'll see you all around!" she waved at everyone as she walked away.
Spacefurry Posted March 1 Posted March 1 Paper Leon paused at Bernadette’s words, glancing back at her over his shoulder. He gave her a grateful nod and started walking again, already digging his phone out and hitting speed dial. “Hey love.” He said into his phone, even as a motorcycle of paper shaped itself. He glanced at Vik as she exited the warehouse, watching her walk off. “Ya, little birdie told me you had a bad day.” Paper formed into a helmet in his hand. “Ya. Sure. Wanna sneak out and meet up at the Nation Pancake House?” He mounted the paper bike “Cool” Soundlessly the teen rides off into the remaining night.
Kaede Kimura Posted March 1 Posted March 1 Shadowborne Aoife wiped helplessly at her tears as the others left. She didn't like this, the strange pain as the liquid forced itself from her eyes. She hadn't experienced this before, and Muirne was similarly indisposed as Luke wiped at her tears. Choking back a sob she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, unable to hold back from softly sobbing. "I- I want to go home." She said softly. "Please Fýrdraca, can we go?"
RocketLord Posted March 2 Author Posted March 2 GM Time passes, and the A.E.G.I.S. arrives to take care of the people that had ben injured and to contain the area. A breach like this, even contained, is something to be taken seriously. Some heroes are gone by the time A.E.G.I.S. arrives, others might not be. After letting the others know that he would be in touch, Stormcrow disappeared. The Conqueror Worm's puppets slowly awaken. They remember little of what happened, but they all feel tainted, violated to their core. No one escapes the Conqueror Worm's touch without a mark. Bluejay, once a promising hero, the daughter of a Claremont vice principal, is all but catatonic. She moves, she responds, but she refuses to take any action. Is she in control? Is she controlled? She cannot know. Not after this long. Toxin is angry. Where Bluejay seems to have given up, she is pissed off, angry at the world, and right now, especially angry at the A.E.G.I.S. crew that is bringing her in for questioning, as they try to figure out what actions she took willingly, and which she did not. Ms. Scorpion is taken into custody. Ranting, raving, swearing revenge against everyone and everything. Clearly far more unbalanced than she were before. She is taken away by A.E.G.I.S., yelling all the way, even as they attempt to offer her medical attention. Chump and Casanova are gone. Whatever might be left of Sebastian Shields are keeping them hidden, untraceable. Or maybe they are just that far gone. For now, the day is won. The Young Guardians stand triumphant. The Conqueror Worm is conquered. Everything is fine and resolved. Everything is over. --- The near future Eddie Fell doesn't like it. He doesn't like it at all. Everything was supposed to be over. Everything going back to the way it used to be, just him and his buddy hanging out, taking care of each other, keeping each other safe. He even got them an apartment while his buddy got better and got back to normal. Got a job to take care of them, plenty of food in the fridge and everything, and still... It just isn't working out like Eddie hoped. Eddie is leaned against the door frame by the bedroom. His friend is in bed, still out of it. Staring up at the ceiling with open eyes, without seeing anything. Eddie doesn't like it. He doesn't like it at all, but who can he go to for help? Things are supposed to be fine now. Everything is supposed to be back to normal. "... and the angels, all pallid and wan..." His friend is muttering that poem again. That terrible, terrible poem. "...uprising, unveiling, affirm..." Eddie looks at the bent police badge on the kitchen desk for the hundredth time this day. All he has left of his dad, and he let it get to this. What would his dad have done? Would he have tried to stop his friend? "... that the play is the tragedy, "Man,"..." As Eddie Fell watches, a sudden realization comes over him, when he sees Sebastian Shields close his eyes for the last time... "... and its hero..." A stranger's eyes open, where once was Sebastian Shields. Eddie Fell decides that today is not the day to live up his nickname. Chump turns and runs. "The Conqueror Worm."
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