Darkness Rising IC

[alderwitch]

Nodding for Dead Head to grapple with the large monster, Phantom put her back to his and readied a bolt of crackling energy for whatever leapt from the shadows.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head returned Phantom's nod, then shambled carefully towards the massive twisted shadow.

As he approached, he let out a high-pitched staccato whistle. "Heeeere poochy poochy poochy. Who's a big fella? Who's a big fella? You is! Yes you is! You just wants to gobble us up, don't yous! Yes you does!"

[Avenger Assembled]

Keen fighter that he was, Jack soon recognized this enemy. He'd fought this enemy before, grappling with it in some of the greatest struggles of his life. He let her see him, to recognize him and see the true nature of her enemy, before he struck. "Knew I'd find you here somewhere," he said, slipping from the shadows before Phantom. It would have been easy to stay hidden and attack whatever had them on edge, but not very professional. Truthfully, he hadn't seen anything anyway. "Guess I shouldn't drive. Situation?"

[angrydurf]

As Avenger emerged the shadows around the group thinned, Dead Heads taunting words reached Atlas' ears just as the giant rounded the corner nearly colliding with his fellows.

As the shadows fled it became clear that some force had tried through trickery to turn them against one another. Phantom could feel the gate way to the shadow dimension close just as Avenger emerged from the shadows. It seemed that its deception uncovered their enemy had chosen to retreat for the moment.

[alderwitch]

Phantom let the power fizzle and she grinned at Avenger, her teeth flashing white in the shadow of her hood, "You always drive. I think the shadow dogs have retreated for the moment. How did you get into the shadow realm in the first place?"

She asked the last curiously, her head cocked to the side under her hood. "Dead Head made mention of Samedi and I think he might be a force behind this as well from all that I have seen."

[Geez3r]

Atlas stopped himself just shy of bowling over the rest of his team mates, causing a somewhat amusing moment while he tried to regain his footing without squishing anyone. "Don't sneak up on a guy like zat. Vell I know vhere ve can go to find out. Back zat vay zere appears to be a giant sort of ritual room. Don't head in zough, I zink it is trapped."

[angrydurf]

As Atlas led them back around the corner and down the short hall both phantom and Deadhead could feel the powerful necromantic emanations coming from the room in question. Atlas was correct the room was trapped and would drain the life force of any who entered, it was also somehow cloaked form mystic senses as they could barely notice it until they were within a couple yards or so, magic of this power would normally be felt by every sensitive in the city.

It was difficult to make out but to phantoms trained eyes the inscriptions around the bodies below were prepared to be raised as some unholy army of the dead. The amount of power required for such a spell however was significant and even the power emanating from the room would be insufficient, without closer investigation however she wouldn't be able to tell more.

[Dr Archeville]

"Sooo..." Dead Head drawled out, "if this thing drains th' life force of anyone what enters it... presumably t' power up whatever unnatural hexcraft's been laid out... would me goin' in there do nuthin', or would I overload it an' make all sorts of super-zombies? 'Cuz if me bein' there won't affect it none, I can just hop in and start erasin' them marks an' breakin' them circles."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Have similar abilities myself. Suggest we work as a team," said Avenger, giving Dead Head a level look. "I go in, and if I'm uninjured, you follow me. Phantom and Atlas can stop us if something goes...awry." It actually made more sense to send in Dead Head first, Jack mused, since he was pretty sure he could take the shovel-wielding zombie if the situation called for it. But he was no coward to send the other man out ahead of him, even if he wasn't a man at all. If no one objected, Avenger did indeed go in first.

[Dr Archeville]

"Jes two problems wit' that, mah undead brother," Dead Head quickly replied. "If'n anything happens to me, not much loss; I've only been in this city fer a week, an' y'all barely know me. But if'n anythin' were t'happen t'you, then she" he pointed to Phantom, "is gonna be powerful upset. An' besides," he cocked his head back to Avenger, "if'n this thing makes any undead what enter it enslaved t'the one who made it, then ah think we'd all rather fight me than you. I may be near-impossible t'put down, but ah'm also near-impossible t'miss. You go rogue, we'd be lucky t'see you before ya tear our throats out."

Before objections or protestations could be voiced, Dead Head took up his shovel and stepped in. As soon as his booted foot first hit the other side, a thought flashed across his mind.

"'Course, it's entirely possible that, if Samedi is th' one behind this, he foresaw mah involvement, an' knew I'd volunteer to go first, an' so set it t' activate once ah entered...."

[angrydurf]

As Dead Heads words rang ominously across the cavernous room he felt the power in the room reacting to his presence but not in the manner he had expected. The necromantic energy flared to life sickly green flames leaping from the runes and sigils bathing the room in an eerie glow as all normal light was snuffed out in an instant. Dead Head could feel the energy seek him like lightning to ground and then felt the very fiber of his being shaken by the sudden influx of power seeking a home.

Outside the room the others could see the runes flare to life and the energy course across the floors and ceilings as it channeled into Dead Head. Phantoms senses detecting the stored energy suddenly discharging as it finally found a home, hopefully Dead Head was strong enough to hold that kind of power.

[alderwitch]

"No, wait!" Phantom said but a moment too late as she unravelled the meanings of the runes, "Oh, no!"

She dashed into the room, cloak flaring out behind her. Her gloved hands hovered over Dead Head, only an inch or so over his skin but she didn't risk touching him yet. She spoke quickly to the others, "All that energy they were gathering is in him now. DeadHead, don't do anything. If you accept the power, Samedi can infer a deal."

She drew back her gloved hands and muttered, "We'll have to draw it out and put it in something. Avenger?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger made a small noise, rather like a cough. "Do what you have to do," he said to Phantom, glad he trusted Taylor. He wasn't at all sure that he liked where he was going, but it more than beat the alternative of letting that unholy magic permeate their friend there. "Trust in you is absolute. But not in me. Atlas, be ready."

[Dr Archeville]

The power filling Dead Head was nearly overwhelming. He felt he could raise anyone from the dead... no, everyone from the dead! No, better yet, kill everyone, then raise them as zombies like himself! No more fear, or pain, or suffering, or fatigue, or sickness! After everyone was dead, the world could truly live!

No! Without life, there would just be stagnation -- fear and pain and suffering are what drive humanity, and removing those would condemn mankind to a gray emptiness!

"Help... me...."

[alderwitch]

Phantom stripped off her gloves quickly, although it took some effort to peel the tight leather off. She said matter of factly and quickly. "I'm going to have to use myself as the converter. It may or may not stop my heart but worst case scenario, I'll be up again in about a week or so."

As there wasn't time for any real ritual, Phantom reached her bare hand up and slipped it between the layers of cloth covering Avenger's throat, her fingers wrapping around the back of his neck and her thumb over where the pulse would be. If, of course, he had one.

"Breathe," She instructed him firmly, knowing he usually didn't. "This should burn the power out. It will only be temporary. I'm so, so sorry."

She reached out with her other bare hand, not hesitating as her warm fingertips found the same place on Dead Head's dessicated neck. Her lips were twisted down but with worry not disgust. She pressed her thumb into the junction of his neck and jaw and it was like a circuit closing.

From the runes, to Dead Head, through Phantom and into Avenger. Phantom's cowled head bowed with strain, her breathing rasping as her body struggled to keep up with the damage caused by tapping into the realm of the pure necromantic. The hand against Dead Head went cold and white, the fingertips blue tinged while the skin against Avenger's neck burned with fever.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Arrgh!" Jack had thought he'd be able to take whatever she was doing, but not this! He gave a yell and tore off his mask, bizarre crimson shapes and patterns visibly playing out beneath his skin, crawling and spreading inside his face like a growing cancer. He gasped, and realized with a sudden, fierce shock that he was breathing, hot oxygen pouring into his lungs as they crinkled open wide, heart pounding in his chest as blood pounded through his body. He stifled a scream, not wanting to break Taylor's concentration, as he flexed his fingers wildly, digging them into his palms to distract from the terrific sensations of life pounding through every nerve.

[Geez3r]

Atlas had a plan for these sort of situations, perfected during those long and hard Russian winters. It was "stand back and shut up". It had worked pretty well so far and he didn't see reason to mess with that plan now. Especially when all this freaky stuff was going on. So he distanced himself from the group, nervously rubbing his hands back in forth, for one, feeling utterly helpless.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head felt that much of the phenomenal necrotic energies had ebbed from him, but not all. He could still keep this power, if he just reached up and put his hand around Taylor's wrist and pulled her away, breaking the circuit... or, better yet, around her neck, and tore out her dainty little throat. Then he could remind Avenger of how much pain life entailed by throttling him. Atlas would be trickier, but he is large, which means he had large guts to rip and tear and-

NO! He would not be an instrument of Samedi's vile will!

[angrydurf]

As Phantoms Hurried attempt to siphon the excess energy distracted the trio Atlas noticed a moment too late the lengthening shadows and flickering of the torches on the walls.

Suddenly bursting forth from the shadow real a large pack of jet black almost smoky mastiffs struck at Taylor circling to lunge at the mage from all directions before the largest lunged in with a vicious bite.

Moments later the shadows coalesced into a almost frail looking man in a top hat and somewhat tattered tuxedo a skull emblazoned upon his dark features. With a gesture the shadows leapt out and pulled at the giant Russian trying to root the powerhouse to the ground.

[Geez3r]

Although he was too slow to stop the initial attack on Phantom, he was able to put himself in harm's way for when the pack leader attacked Phantom. The shadow hound's magically enhanced teeth only drew a superficial amount of blood from the wound on Atlas's arm. Before he could take a more proactive approach however, the shadows around him began to encircle his body. They were trying to hold his body back, but he figured out their plan of attack quick enough that they weren't able to get a solid hold on him. "Ve got company!" shouted Atlas, not sure if the three of his teammates were in any condition to register the attack as he himself began to struggle against the shadows binding him.

[angrydurf]

Samedii Cackled menacingly, "Fools, you would sell your pathetic existence to only delay the inevitable." He gestured and more tendrils of shadow branched out of the walls to gather around Atlas. He shouted a command to the pack and they slowly circled the heroes as they faded from sight cloaked by the stretching shadows hauntingly filling the chamber.

[Geez3r]

Atlas strains against the shadows and tears them asunder. "You are going to have to try better zan zat. You vill find zat ve are quite tenacious." Taking a step forward to guard his friends from Samedi, Atlas lets lose a devastating thunderclap, slamming against Samedi.

[angrydurf]

Samediis eyes went wide as atlas flexed and tossed off the bonds so easily and left completely unprepared for the thunderous blast of Atlas's attack. The voodoo villain rocked back on his heels and slumped against the wall behind him as the shadows propped him up and infused him with renewed vigor.

The walls and ceiling and supports fared little better. Chunks of stone began to tumble from the ceiling and cracks spider-webbed outward as the shock wave slammed into the sides of the cavern.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head's eyes went wide when he saw the damage Atlas inflicted on the cave, and the realization that the place would come down at any minute.

This would be the quickest way to take out the summoning chamber. And make the remains unusable for Samedi's plot, since corpses that've been crushed by tons of rubble can't easily be animated. Atlas could probably survive the collapse, but Avenger and Phantom? Not gonna risk it, and if not for me coming in here they wouldn't have been caught off-guard, so I gotta fix this.

Dead Head knew Samedi could flit from shadow to shadow, and he himself had done so a few times before, too. But could he send others through the shadows, out of here and to safety?

Or he could just send them to the shadowlands, and leave them there for Samedi's pets to feed on! Atlas alone surely held enough blood to feed whole clans of vampires!

No! He would get them to safety, and he would hold Samedi down here while the cavern collapsed around them both.

Atlas, Avenger and Phantom all felt an eerie coldness around them, and a slight dimming of their vision....

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger threw up his arm as the field of energy washed over them all, a rock seeming to fall right through him...but surely that was a trick of the light as the wash of Dead Head's power came through over all of them, pulling them away from certain death.