ic Gathering Like Clouds (IC)

[Electra]

Wander watched approvingly as Cobalt Templar gave the monster a solid, brain-rattling hit with his giant fist, and even smiled as Midnight took out the Madrigal Martinet with grace, efficiency, and style. It looked as though the fight was going to be over quickly. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye she saw Nightmare Doom moving, heard her speak. It was obvious that Corbin was her target, and for a moment Erin saw him now as he had been, new and barely tested, pulled into a situation way over his head by his own heroic nature. With barely a thought, Wander shoved the end of her bat between two scales, using it to vault across the giant head and over Cobalt Templar, right into the path of the black and red energy blast.

The blast took her full in the chest and for a moment she was free-falling, not even trying to catch herself as her entire body seemed to freeze, inside and out. Even her heart and lungs went still, creating a panicky sense of pressure and suffocation that almost overwhelmed the sensation of falling. Finally, after what was only a couple of seconds but seemed like an hour, she dragged in a breath and cleared the spots from in front of her eyes. She got her legs underneath her at the last second, managing a safe, if hard, fall to her knees that had her leaning heavily on her bat to stand up again.

[Avenger Assembled]

As Wander fell, the battered monster staggered as it was hit from all sides, snapping great and blasphemous tentacle-jaws at everyone as it tried to find purchase in a world as alien to it as its own might have been to the assembled heroes! In better times, they might have been able to calm its rage, but not now when they themselves were facing so many terrible enemies! The great monster gave a howl that seemed to come from every orifice at once, and lunged finally after Changeling, toppling off-balance as it struck and missed the agile sword-wielding heroine. Thrashing in the sand with mighty limbs and warped tentacles all at once, tangled together and writhing around, it tried to pull itself back to its feet.

[Fox]

Wraith turned her head to watch the magic fly through the air, a little insulted that she was being ignored and a little angry that someone else took a hit from her target. She narrowed her eyes, unceremoniously taking advantage of the mad villain's distraction by melting both arms into a single, heavy limb and whipping it in a circle clear back around her body to slam into its target like an oversized horizontal flail.

She frowned down at her, splitting her arms back apart and then glancing back up at Edge. "....I am sorry, I do not think she will listen to sense."

[Avenger Assembled]

"We can't just leave this monster here!" called Edge to the others, nodding in satisfaction as Wraith efficiently disposed of the enemy spellcaster. When Wander was back on her feet, he relaxed briefly and went on, "Hit it hard and fast, and we can knock it back to the dimension from where it came!" He concentrated as he spoke, the sky over their heads beginning to darken as clean, powerful magic scorched the clouds. "Let's show the Terminus how to take out the trash! Young Freedom; friends to the end! We can do this! Take out the monster and then we go home!" he called, his voice ringing out to all the worlds of the Terminus. "And then we-hey, look, the cavalry!"

Descending through the clouds, he could just make out four figures on Wyldriders: the space bikers of the Terminus were arriving just in time! "Hey, you want to give the Dethroners and their friends a ride!?" he called as they got closer. "Just let us take care of this one hideous monster for you!" he went on, the sky darkening even further as he spoke, storm clouds casting an eerie haze beneath the red sky.

[Avenger Assembled]

A massive bolt of electricity bounced from one cloud to the other, way up in the sky, before it erupted downwards into the monster in an enormous CRACKABOOM, outlining pseudonatural flesh in actine white haze as the great beast gave a terrible howl. "This world may be in the Terminus!" called Edge, "but it still doesn't like monsters showing up and wrecking the place! Lucky break for us...bad break for you, you abomination of abominable magic!" He pumped his fist, cheering on his friends as they went for the great beast too. "Let's deal with this sucker and go home! Eve has CAKE waiting for us! Maybe chocolate!"

[KnightDisciple]

CT flew back from the monster as his friends rallied against it, the final foe on this field of battle. He let his larger form fade away in the light breeze, the flames simply peeling off of his body until he was back to his mere normal size. He felt his hair stand up under his armor as Edge played with the lightning. Getting a sense of what his team leader was about to do, Cobalt Templar conjured a weapon from the ether once more.

The fire swirled for a moment, before coalescing in his arms in the shape of a large, heavy cannon of some sort. Sparks floated in front of it, drifting into its dark maw, before they started to swirl, as if drawn in by a whirlpool. He was clearly waiting for something, his eyes cast slightly skyward, watching the light show in the clouds. Then, suddenly, a huge bolt roared down from the heavens, and Templar's eyes snapped to the point of impact. The huge weapon was at his shoulder in an instant, and he sighted down its length for a moment before pulling the trigger.

From the muzzle flew a cone of compact, spinning fire, almost like the tip of a drill. It flew unerringly through the air at incredible speed. Just as the last sparks were fading from where Edge had struck the beast, this new blow struck the creature's hide, burning at its unnatural flesh with renewed vengeance.

CT just held his construct ready, in case he needed to fire another shot at the terrible creature.

[Aoiroo]

She looked at Edge and smiled,

"I absolutely agree, this world needs no more creatures of such vile disposition in its borders,"

Comparitively to the creature she was pretty much an insect, but she still had her bite. As it was assualted she moved back and got close enough to position herself on it's feet. She pushed her whole weight into it as she stabbed down yelling,

"Return abomination, to the foul pit thy were spawn!"

It looked like an impressive and passionate display, but it was clear there was not much damage to be done. Though enough so to attract the monster from the attack of the others and to slow it's reactions.

[April]

With her feet planted solidly on the mutated Gigantosaur's neck, and one of the beasts myriad tentacles grasped firmly in hand, Sage felt like what she assumed an an American bull rider felt. She was aware of the danger her little stunt put her in but she wasn't overly concerned; truth was she was much, much more excited than afraid. She would admit, where she questioned later, that she was having fun.

--Agreed,-- Sage thought across the mental link, inclining her head slightly at Midnight from her place on the monster's back. --Let's end this.-- Still gripping the tentacle, Sage leaped off the creature while her psychic blade forming in her hand glowing a steady orange. She only fell so far before swinging back up onto the creatures face, landing in a crouching perch on top of it's muzzle, driving her blade downward.

[Fox]

Wraith could see Edge and Cobalt Templar building up to something big; she imagined they'd need that kind of firepower, too, considering the size of their new foe. For a moment she thought of just sitting back and watching the fireworks - after all, she didn't have any big, glowing energy attacks to throw into the mix. What she did have was an endless supply of sharp things, though.....

She made a beeline for the creature, arms lengthening and thinning until they were practically long, flexible razor blades. She didn't stop for even a moment when she reached the monster's foot, either: she went straight up, claws on her hind legs digging into its flesh as she moved and flowed up its side, arms slicing and digging as she went - a razor and a blender in one running across the thing's body.

Against a foe so large and so tough, her strikes didn't amount to much on their own - but as she pushed away from the thing and let herself fall back to the ground, she looked up with grim satisfaction at the large sections of hide flayed and made bare, a tough skin made raw. she mused to herself as her back hit sand and the others piled their own attacks on the creature

[Electra]

Between the stilted and stuttering beat of her heart and the moving-through-water drag on her muscles, precious seconds elapsed before Wander could pull herself together for another shot at the monster. Luckily, Sage was right there in the monster's face, distracting it and leaving it open for a clear shot. She looked at the expanse of flayed skin that Indira had just made, and had her target. With a great effort, and looking oddly as though she were moving in slow-motion, Wander drew back her bat, spun it, and drove it as hard as she could against the monster's broken scales and already-buckled hide, even as lightning and fire rained down from above.

[Avenger Assembled]

Beset by the power of Young Freedom, the monster shattered a dozen ways at once: blasted to pieces by lighting, shattered by celestial fire, hammered down by bat and limb, blinded by feint and trick; with a great roar and magnificent flash of light, the twisted monstrosity caved in on itself as the energies suffusing its body overwhelmed first the pseudonatural radiation that held its flesh together, then the magical energy that had summoned it to this dimension in the first place. There was an eye-searing flash of light in ten thousand impossible colors, and a roar that shook the heavens in a voice that howled and shrieked impossibly at once, and then the monster began to fade from existence entirely! The swirling vortex of energy where the creature had once stood fell forwards and nearly crushed Wraith before shimmering away like a cloud of smoke blown away by a strong breeze.

Breathing hard, Mark looked around and realized they'd done it! The monster was gone, the Hounds were still out, and the cavalary was on its way! The three Overriders who he'd originally met came swooping down like avenging angels, the lead carrying her would-be boyfriend on the back of her bike. "C'mon!" yelled Hard Mama as she and her two friends gathered Young Freedom up onto their big Wyldrides. "Not gonna leave people I owe a liftdebt to right off!" She and her two allies, a dark-skinned man and pale-faced bald woman, both in the metal and leathers of space bikers, looked none the worse for where for their little sojurn as victims of mind control, albeit a little abashed.

Before they reached them, Mark did something he'd only have done for a true friend. "Before we go, sports fans, I think Midnight has a few words for you, the viewers at home." He tossed the mic to Midnight.

[Gizmo]

Striding in Edge's direction on the sand, Midnight caught the microphone out of the air in one hand, bringing it up to his masked face in a single, confident motion. "We win. Annihilists lose," he intoned to the thousand worlds watching and listening. His voice, echoing through the filter in his mask and steeled with resolve rung with the certainty of retribution as the air, stirred by the Wyldrides overhead, whipped about him. "Get used to it." With that simple message, the black clad hero pressed a control on the device, cutting the transmission.

Tossing it back to Mark, he turned away before twisting something on his belt. The morphic molecules of his temporary armor fell from his dress shirt like oil sliding over water, the electrical current holding them in place removed. Immediately inky mist began to rise from his exposed forearms, the onyx flesh there slowly regaining its usual pale complexion. Lifting the chin of his mask to expose his mouth and nose, he made a disturbing retching sound, holding up his other hand in a forestalling gesture to reassure the others as he spat out a considerable amount of viscous tar-like liquid that was only vaguely recognizable as blood. As a subtle wisp of mist rose from the small puddle itself, Midnight pulled his mask back over the lower half of his face and cracked his back mightily before rubbing his arms until the involuntary shaking brought on by the prolonged electric shocks subsided.

Turning back to the others, he nodded tersely, walking away from the stained sand. "Have to retrieve Night Cycle's wreckage, too, he mentioned casually, ignoring his rather unpleasant display. "See what I can salvage. Disarm any damaged munitions."

[Electra]

Once the transmission was cut, Erin allowed herself to sink to the ground for a moment, folding her legs under her as she waited for her autonomic nervous system to catch up with the rest of the world. By the time Trevor was finished gagging up his overdose of Midnight Mist, she was starting to feel more normal, shaking off whatever magic nasty Nightmare Doom had hurled at her. She headed over to Midnight, sheathing her bat as she went, then trying to adjust and smooth out the remnants of yet another ruined civilian outfit. "Is Redbird okay?" she asked. "I saw what Madrigal did to the Cycle. She deserved to be knocked out just for that." Frowning, Erin looked towards the battlefield for the remains of the vehicle, ready to help pick up the pieces.

[Avenger Assembled]

As Erin and Trevor worked on the Midnight Cycle, the unconscious bodies of Madrigal and her Hounds began disappearing, one after the other, in a shimmer of Terminus transportation energy. Worriedly, Edge glanced up at the sky as he put his hands on the Overrider driven by Hard Mama's dark-skinned male companion. "That can't be good...I guess someone close by was watching, and somehow I bet they weren't fans." He was a little out of breath, but feeling good for all that. Giving his friends their private moment with the broken machine, he called to the others. "Everybody find a buddy and make sure they're on board with the evacuation by space motorcycle! When we get out of here, we'll be going fast!"

Custos had swooped down to rejoin the others by now, giving the Wyldriders a brief look of consternation before Max reassured them. "Don't worry, guys, it's okay, gargoyles can breathe in space."

[KnightDisciple]

Corbin couldn't help but sigh in relief as the huge terror from another universe disappeared in a swirl of light and sound. His weapon winked out of existence, and he waited until Trevor had killed the broadcast to express his appreciation for their victory.

"Haha! Way to go, everyone!"

He calmed down a bit when he saw Midnight poking at the remains of his bike after...clearing his throat. He slowly walked over, stopping a couple of feet away. He politely cleared his throat, figuring that a hand on the shoulder might lead to a broken hand at this moment.

"Hey, uh, sorry about the bike. You want some help keeping all the parts together? I can make a bin or platform or something. Just let me know what you need. Hopefully we'll be able to get moving a bit quicker that way."

He cast a concerned glance toward the disappearing enemies; he wasn't so callous as to consider trying to kill them when they were down, but a part of him wondered if there would be continuing trouble in the future from this merry little band of murderers.

[Avenger Assembled]

With the sad remains of the Midnight Cycle gathered up, Redbird as sorrowful as anyone else at the loss of her steed, the space bikers and their Young Freedom passengers sped off into the red skies of the Terminus at first supersonic, then superliminal speeds, the heroes catching a quick glimpse of the orbiting black sphere that must have been the control hub for the Hounds' broadcast before zipping away into the cold red dark of Terminus space. "Hard Mama and I have been talking," said Max, shooting a look back at his erstwhile lady friend before turning to address the heroes on the other bikes, the big man himself having taken a position behind his lady on the bike, "and we're going to take you back to the Silver Tree. The Furions have a gateway back to Earth-Prime."

"We owe you a lifedebt," said Hard Mama, looking rather more subdued than before, albeit still flintily determined as she spoke to the heroes, not minding the idea of letting the Wyldride handle itself in the spaceways as they cruised through silent space, dimly-lit planets with no suns, and the drifting space debris of the Terminus. "All of you. Maybe you didn't see us as our best today, but you damn sure will the next time we meet," she said determinedly. "And we _will_ meet again."

The Terminus was an eerie place, even at warp speed, the space around them devoid of stars and life, with only that eerie reddish glow coming from everywhere providing illumination. Of the planets they passed, most were dead or burning; the living planets in the Terminus, explained one of the Overriders, the balding woman carrying Changeling and Sage, Custos flying along in the bike's superluminal wake, weren't places free people generally wanted to visit. The exception was the Silver Tree, the shining home of the Furions, even though it was usually a place the Overriders preferred to (at best) visit rather than stay.

As the heroes approached the Silver Tree, swooping past a massive humanoid head at least as large as the planet Earth, it was instantly clear how it had gotten the name: the blue-green jewel they approached was wrapped around in a nest of silvery tendrils like the branches of a pine tree, each large enough to reach across a continent, glowing with energy bright enough to chase away the forces of the Terminus but a comforting welcome to warriors of life like Young Freedom and their allies.

[Electra]

Not far from Hard Mama and Max, Wander sat center seat between one of the Overriders and Midnight, trying to keep an eye on everything at once. It was strange not to be riding behind Trevor on a motorcycle after all their adventures together, but Erin quickly forgot that in the greater strangeness of the bleak universe they were traveling through. She was glad to have his arms around her waist and his chest against her back, even as she worried a little that he was more injured than he would admit to. At least the fight was over now, and they would all have a chance to heal up and be okay.

Looking at the blasted worlds of the Terminus sent a chill deep inside her, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. These were the lucky ones, after a fashion, ones that hadn't been pulled into the Doom Coil and utterly obliterated like her own world. She pushed the thought away, but the coldness remained, like it was sinking into her bones,into her heart. It was just space travel, she told herself, and the sickly red destructive glow that covered everything. It was a horrible place, in a universe of horrible places.

Her first sight of the Silver Tree swept all that from her mind for a moment. "Wow," she murmured aloud as the branches of the tree seemed to unfurl around them, casting away the red darkness with shining silver light. Except, she noticed abruptly, on her own skin, which still glowed with a dull mottled red and black, as though it was coming from inside her.

[Gizmo]

Well versed in the realm of stoicism, Midnight was not one to complain aloud or let irritation get to him. Riding on the back of a flying motorcycle while someone else piloted, his own bike shattered into charred salvage and having to hold onto his girlfriend just to stay securely upright, however, was just about the final straw. The indignity of it all was only marginally blunted by his hand-to-hand victory and worsened by the intensely disturbing scenery of the Terminus as they sped past. Indeed, it was enough to make the young man silently press his lips into a thin line behind his mask.

Resting against Erin's back, he gradually became aware of her heartbeat growing slower. Intimately familiar with her usual rhythms, even after the trying battles of the day, his attention was roused. The faint chill radiating through her clothes soon had his own heart racing faster and once the pure light of the Silver Tree made the malevolent glow visible all thoughts of his own discomforts were extinguished. "Healer, now," he demanded of their Overrider chauffeur in a terse bark that offered no room for debate. "Faster or I'll kick you off and drive myself." Simultaneously, his thoughts were firing urgently over the mental link he shared with Eve regardless of distance. I need everything Etain noticed or inferred about Nightmare Doom's magic, quickly.

[Fox]

"I do not like this place very much," Wraith tentatively mused as she looked around during their ride back. She had never been around space as much as she'd liked - her parents were never rich enough to afford their own ship, after all - but she'd been off her planet more than enough to be deeply unsettled by the...emptiness of it all. Even in space, so aptly-named by the humans because it was full of space, there was supposed to be...more than this.

The Silver Tree was also unsettling, though for entirely different reasons. She could certainly appreciate the beauty of it, but there was some instinct deep in her Kinigosi mind that couldn't shake the feeling of a planet-entangling plant being a terrible, dangerous thing. She tried not to think about it.

[KnightDisciple]

Cobalt Templar was having a blast riding through space, even if part of him knew, intellectually, that he had to rely on someone else for his speed. It was one of the greatest thrill rides of his life. He had to push down the selfish thoughts about how it'd be even better if he wasn't hauling a load.

'Trevor put a lot of love and time into this bike. Having it get wrecked like this sucks a lot. Not like it's that heavy for me anyways...'

His thoughts drifted for a short while, his gaze flitting over the eerily beautiful scenery; as much as it was one giant tapestry of tragedy, there was a strange sort of beauty to parts of it. He idly shifted the straps on the giant not-quite-coffin-shaped box on his back as he glanced back at the bike a short distance in front of him...

Just in time to hear Midnight shouting threats at the driver while Wander was glowing in a decidedly unhealthy manner. His eyes widened for a moment before narrowing, his teeth grit in determination.

"Faster, huh?"

He pushed himself as fast as he could manage, trying to catch up to the bike completely. When he was close enough, he'd call out to his friends, and the driver.

"Any way I can help out here?"

[April]

Now that they were leaving Eve was doing her level best to forget the Terminus, the twisted individuals they fought as well as the monstrous creature from wherever it was from. Instead she tried to focus on the positives, they were alive, they gained a few allies and they dealt another blow against the Terminus. It was proving difficult, however, and the telepath knew she'd be putting brush to canvas again to exorcise another memory.

It wasn't the words that shocked Eve from her reverie--rather it wasn't just the words--but it was the sense of urgency that translated across the mental rapport she shared with her best friend, and surrogate brother, Trevor. She called up everything she could recall Etain saying, which wasn't much, and started feeding it back across the mental connection while she opened up another with her girlfriend.

--Etain,-- Eve thought to the dark haired illusionist, --Trevor needs some information, I'll link you both.--

[Aoiroo]

Etain was caught up in the extent current of activity and excitement as it was. Truthfully though, she really just wanted to return to earth. It was much clearer there, too many magical forces surrounded her, too many pulses of negative energies, the swirl of the energy that reclaimed the monster, the view of the worlds around her, dying, writhing, twisting. Even the beauty of the sanctuary really was not something she wanted to look at for very long. She had grown used to seeing less, and as such it made her bury her head and keep to her self as she was taken with the overriders. When she felt the link to Eve though she did look up. When she heard who was requesting it, she turned her head towards Trevor, and by extension, Wander, her eyes focusing on her and her eyes growing,

Ohh, ohh dear.

She thought instantly, before leveling her thoughts to the more productive,

Information, yes, well, okay not well, not well at all as it is about Nightmare Doom, or her magic that is. It is tainted and twisted, entropic and eldrich, two energies never meant to meet rought by the insanity and insatiable appetite of that vile sorceress. It corrodes all it touches, in her it was the mind, and Erin.

There was a pause in her thoughts as she breathed in,

Her body. She, she is dying, slowly, slower much more then most humans who would have already succome at this point, so we have a chance, but we need to act quickly. She needs to be purified, I cannot do so, but we can find, really need to find something pure, strong, very potent indeed. It needs to remove as much of the taint as possible for her to be safe.

[Electra]

Erin raised her hands and stared at the mottled energy beating under her skin like a sluggish pulse. Somehow the light of the Tree made it look even more alien. Maybe it was the magical effect, or the events of the day already, or perhaps just the life she led, but overhearing her own death sentence on the mental link brought no panic, not even really that much surprise. --Not a great prognosis-- she mused over the link. --I suspect the Furions aren't going to be crazy about the idea of exposing any power source they might have to potential contamination by double-evilness energy. Do we have any other options?-- She took a deep breath, willing her suddenly-sluggish body to pick up the pace a little bit.

[Avenger Assembled]

he thought to the others through the link, remembering stories he'd heard about the Silver Tree from his father.

Midnight's 'driver' didn't hesitate; he glanced back once, caught sight of Erin, and the Overrider and his cargo dived towards the planet below, followed quickly by his fellows. Up close the Silver Tree was a massive work of incredible beauty (at least for humanoids), a tremendous work of natural engineering bigger than anything anywhere near Earth-Prime, looming tremendously large as they zoomed into its silent, warm embrace, for a moment suffused by the warm glow from the country-sized limbs that warmly protected the entire planet. Down below on the planet's surface, set in a jewel-like continent of deep azure forests and rolling purple hills, in the shadow of magnificent diamond-tipped mountains, they could just make out something like a big glowing lake, big as Lake Superior perhaps, with a small island in the center.

"Silver Tree or not, we'll stick around and make sure they take care of you," said Hard Mama with a glance back, pursing her lips. "I've seen what Nightmare Doom's spells can do. That's murder if it's not fixed." She gunned her engine and they seemed to fly just a little faster towards the surface. "Let's RIDE!"

[Gizmo]

"Not planning to ask," Midnight told Wander aloud, his voice steely even through the filter of his mask as he squeezed her shoulder with one gloved hand. Everything Redbird had told him about the Furions had been glowing praise and his own experience with Red Falcon had been nothing but a positive first impression, but this was not a situation in which he was open to debate or delay. --Thank you, Miss Maher. Furions should be willing to help; we've earned a favor,-- he sent across the mental link to the group as a whole. --If not, I'll insist. Comes to that, Templar will have to get the rest of you clear.--