ic The Desert Calls Its Own (IC)

[Supercape]

"Time to make our move!" hissed Pitch, creeping forward. The truth was, she was neither fast nor silent with her disability, but she just hoped Tazel was making enough of a racket to compensate for that. 

 

"Inside!"

 

She gripped her cane and motioned for the Motley crew to enter the Church. She had a momentary pause to wonder if the hellhound she had under her spell would or could enter the ground. 

 

Only one way to  find out...

 

"Nikki, when we are in, we shall take your lead. We need to destroy, or seal up, whatever mischief you left here. If we can't do that, then we need to raze this place and whoever is after it....and I am very interested to know exactly who these people are..."

 

What's happening out there, Tazel? Singing and Dancing and Bonfires? I have a feeling they are bringing out more than bullets and guns...

[Tiffany Korta]

The Hellhound stopped at the threshold of the church and buried it’s nose under it’s paw. Something that would look cute if the infernal beast wasn’t as large as a car. Nikki true to her word was unconcerned with the church, which was in remarkably good shape.

“I don’t think Spot going to be of any more use, it might be worth sending him back where he can’t do any harm.â€

She stopped at the altar and actually took a few second’s to shop her respects. the she took her bag off her shoulder and began to pull out a variety of strange looking materials.

“I need to perform a ritual to align the dimensional interfaces, it will take a few minutes at least. You might want to shut and bar the doors, it should be able to hold out Old Shuck himself.â€

Tazel voice came through weakly and had none of his normal sarcasm.

 

I’m a little busy right now Mistress. But you can tell that woman that her previous boss is here.

[Supercape]

Carmen was not surprised at 'Spots' reluctance to enter the building. 

 

"Well then, my little friend, I think its time for you to go home" she said, and tapped the beast with the Cantos cane on the nose. She was not harsh about it, the creature, it seemed to her, was just some dullard predator, a pawn. Still, she no longer wished to risk the bonds on it. 

 

"Away with you" she commanded, as the Cane's goats head sang a horrible latin verse in a hissing screeching voice, and the Creature bounded away. Carmen hoped it was back to the infernal planes it had come from. 

 

She turned back to Nikki in response to Tazel's words in her head. 

 

"Nikki, our mutual friend outside is playing merry havoc as I commanded, but he would like to inform you that your previous boss is here. And that doesn't sound like good news to me..." she said, her voice trailing warning and giving the eye to Axel and Rachel. 

 

"In fact, it sounds like all hell's gonna break loose..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Nikki pause for a moment in her preparation and gave out a very human curse word.

“Infernal doesn’t really have proper curse words, it’s not really a necessity. Now words that curse well that’s a different manner. Best to get Tazel to retreat as much as I dislike the old imp I don’t want him to get hurt, jeep should be a safe place for him to retreat to. Will focus attention on us though, specially when I start the ritual.†She pointed to the window’s either side of the door

 

“They both open enough to look out of. Whilst the sanctuary will stop her getting in but not the Mercenaries. If you can slow them down for a few minutes...â€

She then returned to laying out her ritual materials. Axel gingerly pushed the window opened with his shotgun and looked out.

 

“Your demon is making one hell of a light show out there. You got a plan for this one Missy?â€

Edited June 29, 2013 by TiffanyKorta

[Supercape]

"Yeah. Not catch a bullet..." muttered Carmen giving Axel a look. She half wished she was carrying a weapon herself, but she knew she could summon fire, smoke and steel to match any firearm. 

 

Tazel, get out of there...back to the Jeep...as fast as you can. 

 

Run!!!

 

She pushed back the mixed feelings she had for the imp to the back of her head. Right now, she needed to stay focussed. 

 

"Nikki, you best get cracking then. I doubt we have much time..." she said to the mysterious woman. 

 

"Axel, Rachel. This isn't going to be nice. Or easy. Without Tazel firing me up, I'm vulnerable..." she explained. 

 

"Lets take up defensive positions...there...and there..." she pointed. "Fire at anything that comes in, spare your ammunition, we may need it. Let me provide the main firepower, you take positions on the sides, pick of the stragglers with some crossfire. Rachel, I'm sorry to get you wrapped up in this. This is going to get ugly..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Rachel gave a slightly nervous smile.

“Are you kidding I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Can’t say I’d want to do this everyday.â€

She gestured to Axel and made her way towards the massive oak doors and began to push them closed.

“Luckily for you I’ve played a few shooter’s in my time. These doors should stop all but explosive’s and we should be able to stop them.â€

 

Axel took the hint and helped Rachel to close the two door and baring it, it looked like someone had planned for this place to hold off an assault.

[Supercape]

Tazel, what is happening out there? how many mercenaries are there?

 

She considered Axel's words. 

 

And...err...they wouldn't happen to have a howitzer or anything would they?

 

She wouldn't put it past them. 

 

With a few over turn pewters for cover sheer peered at the door and strained her ears for the sound of gunfire, voices, or anything. She could feel the sweat on her body, and it was cold. For all her encounters with demonic forces, being caught up in a firefight with mercenaries, and without Tazel bubbling up inside her was a new experience, and one that flooded her body with adrenaline. 

 

Damn them! I'm not going down! she yelled to herself. 

 

"Nikki, you better close this thing up real quick. And then, you can tell me all about your old boss..." she said, pointedly.

[Tiffany Korta]

There was silence and true darkness here in the middle of nowhere there was no light, it seemed Tazel had taken out the bases light. The church was light with the soft flickering glow of the large smelly candles that Nikki was using in her ritual. It probably wasn’t worth inquiring what the candle’s were actually made off.

From outside the church there was sound’s of people moving in the darkness, it was impossible to judge how many exactly but it couldn’t be more than half a dozen. They seemed to be taking a positions some distance away amount some available, possibly artificial, cover overlooking the church.

[Supercape]

"Why are they holding back...?" asked Carmen to herself, her companions, and nobody in particular. 

 

"They have us pinned down. We are sitting ducks...what are they doing..." she muttered. She swallowed a dry mouth and mopped a wet forehead. The adrenaline was making her feel almost giddy. 

 

The smell of the candles, for some reason, didn't help either. 

 

She edged forward, ignoring the hissed warnings of Axel, and sidled along the wall as quietly as possible, keeping cover. 

 

"You there!" she shouted at the mob - if it was a mob - outside. 

 

"What are you waiting for? the second coming?" she asked. 

 

For some reason, that wasn't entirely out of the question...

[Tiffany Korta]

There was the sound of movement in the darkness suggesting that more of the troops were moving up to in front of the church. They move with an almost eerie silence it was probably thanks to modern technology but with demon’s you could never really tell.

“They seemed to waiting for something or someone Missy, maybe there calling up there Big Guns.â€

As if to answer Axel’s musing there was the flaming glow of one of the Hellhound’s moving up to where the troops were hunkered down. It probably wasn’t Spot but with Hellhound’s you could never quite tell.

 

The Hellhound crouched down on the hindquarters ready to launch itself towards the doors of the church.

Edited August 11, 2013 by TiffanyKorta

[Supercape]

"That's not good..." muttered Pitch. 

 

"Howitzer's or Hellhounds. Its the same principle. We got incoming!" she said to her team. 

 

"Nikki, whatever you are up to, I think you better get your ass in gear, before we get chomped up, spat out, and barbequed. Possibly at the same time..." she shouted to her as emphatically as possible. "This church ain't going to be standing for long...."

 

She backed off a few steps, pulled back her hand and envisaged the endless chains, steel and fire of the Infernal Forge, a mindless dimension of molten metal and smoke that never stopped angrily spinning, melting, and forging. 

 

It was, she realised, the arcane equivalent of cocking a shotgun. She half wished she had one of those too...

 

"Take cover..." she said, crouching down. 

[Tiffany Korta]

The hellhound with a sudden burst of speed flew towards the door, only to stop and collapse to the ground a few inches from the door as if it suddenly hit a solid barrier. The creature just fell into a heap with a whimper and didn’t seem to be moving.

“See I told you the blessing’s were good. Shouldn’t take much longer now.†Nikki was now surrounded by a pink light that gave the church a strange eerie glow.

 

They could hear the whispers of the mercenaries outside unsure what to do now there blunt force had failed them completely.

[Supercape]

"That's good..." commented Pitch, smoking away behind what she hoped was a sturdy column. 

 

Perhaps too good?

 

"So, what the hell is with the pink light?" she asked, not looking directly at Nikki - keeping her eyes peeled at the door to the church. 

 

Perhaps it was the church itself. She hadn't been in one in...well...forever? Perhaps it was the itch down her tattoo'd spine that seemed to crawl in an uneasy way. 

 

Perhaps she was just used to being Paranoid when it came to demons. 

 

Perhaps she was just tired from the walk, tired from the pains that ran down her leg. 

 

Perhaps...perhaps...

 

Tazel, you twisted tongue she called out mentally to the little demon. If you have anything to say about your friend here, you better say it soon. Because something big is going down...and If it turns out badly for me, it will turn out badly for you, too...

[Tiffany Korta]

“It’s the forming dimensional nexus, and it’s almost done so I need to concentrate. Unless you’d like a visit to Shrimp World.â€

As she spoke the light began to intensify filling the church with more light, and probably illuminating quite well everyone's position. There was also a tiny whine just at the edge of human hearing.

The whine wasn’t helped but this strange feeling that Pitch had, this weird kind of mystical itch that she couldn’t scratch.  That couldn’t be a good thing at all.

 

She on her way to you right now. And I don’t think she’s happy.

[Supercape]

I didn't think happiness was on the cards today...Answered Pitch, clenching her fist and ejecting smoke from her palm. 

 

Damn this. For all Tazel's utter maliciousness, he lived in her both physically and mentally, and he was a sort of twisted confident. 

 

Talk about having a devil on your shoulder. She should be so lucky to get off that lightly. 

 

She crouched down, eyes peering out into the dark starry sky of the desert. Normally she could see just fine even in pitch blackness, if Tazel was bubbling up from her stomach and into her eyes. Right now, it was a black for her as anybody, although she could see the signs of shadows and activity. 

 

She had no faith in any benign deity streaming down love and justice to the world. But right now, in that church, with Rachel and Axel caught in the crossfire of her life, she felt her cynicism wavering. 

 

She made a quick cross sign. 

 

For what comes next...

[Tiffany Korta]

The pink color glowed until it was almost painful to view as it seemed to fill the entire church. Then there was a bright flash.

Then they were somewhere else a seemingly featureless white void the area they were in slightly cold as if they were standing in a freezer. Beside them was a bulky cryogenic units, covered in strange rune’s in a variety of tongues. Within the unit a Middle Aged Asian man who looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Four other unit’s were placed out an equal distance for each other forming a pentagram. Standing beside Pitch was a rather confused looking Tazel.

“Sorry it took so long but I thought it was best to bring everyone, lucky for you that you two share a sympathetic link...â€

Nikki looked down at the man next to them and touched the glass, she looked genuinely both saddened and joyed to see the man again.

“Each of them is still alive just at the moment before there soul is forfeit. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do enough good that they’ll be free of there contract’s and be able to move on.â€

She paused a seemed to gather her composure.

“Well the good news is that they haven’t accessed this place yet, time can flow differently here so we should have plenty of time to do what we need. The bad news is that the doorway back to the church can only be closed by going back through the portal. Closing the door behind you if you will. I can’t ask you to come back with me, if you want there are four other doorways to choose from. That one will take you to Freedom City, or there’s Xi'an China, Znamensk Russia, Silbury UK or Nazca Peru.â€

 

She pointed to each cryogenic pod in turn as she spoke.

Edited August 25, 2013 by TiffanyKorta

[Supercape]

Pitch examined the runed chambers one by one. 

 

"These people. They entered into a pact? with you?" she asked slowly. Whatever residual distrust she had of Nikki, she felt it crumbling, despite her ingrained distrust. 

 

Never trust them. Never. 

 

She shook her head, slowly from sadness, and the fast to clear it. 

 

"And now you are..what? buying them out with good deeds?" she asked. "Well, there is a first for everything..."

 

She brushed one of the chambers with her fingers, feeling the cold ages. 

 

A smile brushed her lips. 

 

"I don't think you going back there alone is a good idea. If you are trying to save these souls, then I am going to save them with you!" she grinned, to Tazel's dismay. 

 

She turned to Rachel and Axel. 

 

"Guy's, you have been a blast, but I don't want you getting in the crossfire today. This is for me and Tazel to deal with. You best go back to Freedom City..."

[Tiffany Korta]

“They entered with a pact with my bosses, I was just sent to watch their investment. I choose another option, which is why I’m here.â€

Axel stepped forward was about to say something but Rachel interrupted him.

“He’s going to say some macho bull about sticking together and how he and your dad would do things in the past. He not wrong but we’ve gotta be smart about this, I’m not out to get myself injured but I also want to help.â€

Nikki gave a little smile and looked at them all.

“I wish I have people as loyal as you do, you're lucky to have friends like these.†she looked thoughtful for a few seconds.

 

“We have to go through the door to close it, but there’s a little bit of leeway on where we turn up.†she gave quite a wicked looking grin.

[Supercape]

"Well your bosses will sure have a bone to pick with you" answered Pitch, letting the hint of a chuckle escape from her lungs. She really didn't envy Nikki - although truth be told, if Nikki had done what she implied, she would be pretty close to Pitch in the Demon's Black Book of People to Get. 

 

Pitch opened and closed her fist in vexation, holding the Cantos Stick firmly, her fingers drumming on the goats head. 

 

"Look guys, I appreciate your loyalty. And even your macho talk. But bullets will fly. And possibly other things..."

 

Her ears pricked up as she heard Nikki. 

 

"Now that might help" she smiled. "We can catch them by surprise. Yeah, I'll be honest. I don't just want to avoid these devil-cultists. I want to destroy them. One less set of jumped up dabblers to worry about in the world..."

[Tiffany Korta]

“I’ve never been in there good books for a very long time. Maybe when we have more time I can fill you in on all the details. From what I gather most people there are mercenaries, I more interested in getting rid of the the demon in charge of this all.â€

She walked over to the only spot she hadn’t gestured to earlier where it would probably return them to the previous location.

 

“It currently set to return us to the church I can refocus it to move use about 5-10 meters but it’ll be a bit of a blind chance. I’ll need to go last to seal everything behind us it’s a powerful portal so it’ll only stay shut for a year and a day. So that would be a good time for a reunion.†she gave one of her charming smiles.

[Supercape]

"A year and a day. It's a date" replied Carmen, wondering what to make of Nikki, but knowing she would be there. 

 

"And next time, Ill ditch the motorcycle and bring a tank. Come to think of it, you can bring the tank. You seem to have a trick or two up your sleeve, and I'm sure Axel will enjoy playing with it" she smirked. 

 

"Now, my little problem is our mutual friend Tazel. You probably know he doesn't like the hallowed ground of churches much. If we end up back in one, he is likely to get ejected. Which is unpleasant. Especially if he is in me. So I guess he isn't firing me up this time..." she said.

 

"That ain't so good. Without the little devil, I bleed like anybody else, I'm not as strong. But I guess them's the breaks. Whenever you are ready!" she smiled, half grimace. 

[Tiffany Korta]

The portal began to flare back into life with a wave of Nikki’s hand this side of the portal there seemed to be a lot less effort and time involved in it’s forming.

“Well I could always put the lot of you behind the troops and come out of the church as bait? What does everything else think?â€

Axel wasn’t much help he seemed quite enamoured with the idea of getting his mitts on a tank, Rachael seemed to be paying a little more attention and also looked a little guilty.

“Well I snagged these before we came out.†he held up a couple of what looked like smoke grenades

 

“I thought they might be handy, the way Axel talks about you trouble seems to follow you around.â€

[Supercape]

"Smoke gets in your eyes" sang Carmen. 

 

"Well that was a good catch, Rachael. Those could sure come in handy" she acknowledged, giving the woman a wink and a smile. 

 

"Tazel, its time for you to hop back inside. And no talking about it..." she commanded, voice firm. Of course, the fiery demon would like nothing better than to disobey, but the chains that bound him were all but unbreakable. Such was the nature of his kin. As Carmen inhaled deeply, the demon was sucked right back into her body, transofrming her once more into Pitch, full of angry smoke and fire. 

 

"That's much better" roared Pitch, her eyes glowing. 

 

"Ready when you are, Nikki. I have a lungfull of hellfire ready for our friends..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Against all the rules of physics, though not magic, the night glowed with darkness. In the centre of this illuminating darkness stood the source of all this trouble. Whilst Nikki had taken care to craft a subtle bend of people to create a beautiful visage s/he, for they refused to take a gender, was a brutal merging of stark angular features. In some ways it was a beauty of a different type. S/he was rarely spoken of on Earth but the few mentions called the demon Tadyofyla.

Flanked by the rest of the mercenaries s/he strode towards the church with a cruel purpose. S/he halted where the other mercenaries had taken cover seeming uncornered by any harm that could befall her.

At that very moment the heavy wooden doors of the church were flung open, as if they weighed nothing, and Nikki threw her hand out wide as in greeting.

 

“I’m back!â€

Edited November 10, 2013 by TiffanyKorta

[Supercape]

She's back?

 

Pitch fingered the smoke grenades and wondered. She still didn't know who Nikki was. Tazel apparently did - or at least thought he did - but he wasn't talkative on the subject. And was hardly to be trusted anyway. And what exactly was Nikki up to?

 

Pitch was not at all as confident as Nikki, although her own smoking form was impressive in its own way. Still, she had no love for bullets or mortars - or whatever else the mercenaries were packing. 

 

She followed suit, nevertheless. Stopping at the doors of the Church, feeling Tazel squirm inside. She could go no further without ejecting the demon in a most uncomfortable manner. 

 

Instead, she smoked away, and hissed at Nikki. 

 

"What are you doing? I don't want them killed...."