ic Egyptian Escapade

[Supercape]

GM

 

"<Infidel! Die! The Crocodile King will Kill you and kill you until you die!>" screamed the man who dropped his gun. Instead, he pulled his sharp and curved sword, and gave a furious swing at Foreshadow, who was simply to fast for the man. 

 

"<Infidel! You shall be but cracked bones in the mouth of the King! May he sup your marrow!>" shouted the other one. 

 

Crack crack crack crack crack!

 

The bullets spat out at point blank range, the crocodile cultist spraying, and, appropriately, praying. Bullets flew through the air and into the dawn. 

[Thevshi]

Well they certainly do stink.  Perhaps there is a correlation.  Synapse replied through the mental link she still had up with Foreshadow.  When one of the guards opened fire with his sub-machinegun, the Englishwoman was glad that she had told Professor Zaki to move around the corner and out of sight.  She was also thankful for the man's rather poor aim.  While she had confidence her telekinetic forcefield would take the brunt of a bullet, she still preferred not to test that.

 

Deciding the man with the firearm was the most immediate threat, Synapse sent a blast of red psychic energy at the man's mind.  The blast struck the man's mind, but he was somehow able to resist with seemingly no ill effect.

[Brown Dynamite]

Erick quickly swung his escrima sticks towards the cultist armed with a submachine gun.  A series of carefully aimed strikes throught the man's body hit their mark.  Before finishing up the assault with a blow right to the man's chin.  His head snapped do the side before falling flat against the door. < "Ouch, wouldn't want to be him.  Or you.">
 
Foreshadow turned his attention towards the second cultist.  Spinning his body to face him head on and then launching out a front kick.  The kick met its target directly in the chest.  Knocking the air right out of the man.  As he folded over it became readily apparent he wouldn't be standing back up.  I think we're in the right place.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The machinegun fire had echoed through the dark halls yonder, a noise that could not have been ignored by any inside. It was dark, with the faintest glows of dim electric lights. A building that called to mind the drab, functional cold war offices that the pair of heroes had found in Russia. It was not hard to imagine that the concrete walls had been erected by those very same Russians. 

 

It was hard to see, but not completely dark. There were corridors and halls, all concrete, and drab.

 

In the distance, there was the sound of water, and some ominous splashing...

[Thevshi]

Well, it had been pretty obvious we were on the right track, but good to have some solid confirmation. Dee mentally replied to Erick as she looked back over her shoulder. "It is clear to come back out now Professor." She stated out loud.

But as she moved forward after Erick, there was the splashing sound from deeper in the building. Hopefully that does not mean we will yet be taking a swim. Dee mentally stated as she took out a flashlight to help her and the professor navigate down the halls of the old building.

[Brown Dynamite]

Here's hoping.  If there's a correlation to be worried about.  It's ending up smelling like these guys.  Erick mentally called back.  Knocking both men out did nothing to ease the smell that Dee had pointed out.  Although, his nose attested that it had already noticed the scent before it was mentioned.

 

<"Don't dilly dally professor.  The bullets may have stopped for now, but I don't think we're going to be out of the clear any time soon">  It was good that the children had left before the commotion began.  The professor had enough people willing to squeeze a trigger finger in his direction.  He followed the path of the flashlight a faint smile appearing on his face.  Not that he needed it to feel his way around.  

 

But there was a certain level of comfort in actually seeing with one's eyes than navigating around psychically.

[Supercape]

GM

 

It was bleak, a concrete horror. The lights were dim from dirt and failure. There was a bad smell in the place. Unlike the abandoned haunts of the Sleeper and Doctor Zero, this placed looked positively lived in. 

 

Foreshadow could sense something ahead, splashing and sliding in the water. There was a lot of water here too, maybe half the building was submerged, or at least a few feet. It felt like the Nile - probably the underground, underwater tunnel the children had alluded to. Foreshadow, Zaki, and Synapse were quickly waist deep. 

 

"More bones and marrow to break?" rumbled a deep an ominous voice, rippling off the water and echoing. 

 

"You are not of my blood, not of my faith. Tell  me, before I bathe in your flesh and blood, how did you find this place?"

 

Some inhuman white eyes glinted in the water, about fifty feet away. Foreshadow could feel the shape, the shape of the Crocodile King, a large humanoid reptile...

[Brown Dynamite]

"We Followed the smell.  You couldn't miss it even from Cairo"  Erick called out into the darkness.  Specifically shouting towards the saurian like being in the room.  He wasn't sure if the Crocodile King was just a Serpent Person.  Or some metahuman with a flair for theatrics and  dank living conditions.  He could even be one of the Doctor's science projects gone wrong.

 

Whatever his story Foreshadow was under no obligation to answer the questions of someone wanting to bathe in his flesh and blood.  "I can't imagine Zero or the Sleeper thought this proper decorating habits."  This declaration may have sounded like a taunt.  But, in reality Erick was probing the 'Crocodile King'.  Gauging his reaction to see if he knew about the previous occupants.

 

This whole thing could have been unrelated to the serum.  Seeing as the man's first mention was of blood relations and cultists.  He may just be a glorified squatter unaware of what he walked into.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Zero? I have heard this name...many many years ago...the man who unleashed the spirit of the Crocodile. The Man who raised the beggar to the King...Yes, yes....I would sup on his marrow too..."

 

There was splashing. The eyes came closer. The King came closer. Even in the dim light, he could be seen now. Near ten feet tall, covered in scales, a reptilian jaw, liberally filled with teeth, and hands like claws, razor sharp. 

 

"How do you come to know of him? How do you come to be here? The elixir he has is all but finished....it lives in my bones and blood, the men from the Government say. They think they have me chained here...but I will never be chained..."

 

"...How do you know of him, how did you come here?" he demanded, insistently. He was clearly not a man used to not getting his own way, if man he was at all...

[Thevshi]

Dee had found the stench of the place almost unbearable, but had continued on despite that. She had not been particularly happy to find they had to wade into water, but continued onward. When the voice in the darkness had spoken, she had shined her flashlight in that direction, allowing Erick to do the initial response.

No, sounds like he knows a fair bit about this place. She mentally replied to Erick before focusing on studying this Crocodile King. He was certainly imposing, and likely very deadly. But with her and Erick, looks could be very deceiving.

"We encountered Zero a few months ago." She began in response to the king's questions. "When he was trying to use his serum to achieve glory for Russian at an international sports competition. We stopped his plans, but he managed to escape. Since then we have been trying to track down some of his other projects."

"Was Zero the one that injected you with his formula?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Yes...yes he was..." rumbled the Crocodile king, creeping closer and closer. 

 

"A lifetime ago...when I was just a man...a beggar....he came and made me a king..." he grinned, with a maw that was just plain full of far too many teeth. Too many long and pointed teeth. 

 

"The puny men from the Government...they keep this place open...they pay me for my blood...and they keep the world from knowing of me, from fearing me..."

 

"...and I long to be known. I long to be feared. If my secret is out...tell me, should I crush you to bonedust? or let you run, screaming, and finally my name and my power will be unleashed?"

 

The water rippled uneasily as the Crocodile King continued to ease towards them...

[Brown Dynamite]

"So the gyst is.  If we want to learn more about our enemy, some scientist are going to have to have a look at this blood."  Erick wasn't going to take on the entire Egyptian government if he needn't.  But, seeing as the entire arrangement was under the table.  They couldn't exactly say anything if the Crocodile King was hoisted from.

 

"You should know your highness.  We don't scare."  Erick calmly replied.  He wasn't speaking for Zaki.  And the statement had less bite seeing as neither he nor Dee were in costume.  But his tone remained even all while speaking.  Keeping track of just how close the reptilian man had reached.  "Though, if they already have your blood on retainer.  Your power has probably already been unleashed in some fashion so to speak."

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Crocodile king submerged until only his eyes remained above the cold dark water, then, almost silently, he swam towards them. Zaki was loosing his nerve, backing away.

 

Then, he rose, immediately infront of Foreshadow and Synapse. An imposing sight. Over eight feet tall, riddled with tooth and claw, his skin a black green armour of knotted hide. His muscles  were huge, arms as thick as a man's chest. 

 

"You don't scare? Then you SHOULD!" he shouted, alive with rage. 

 

"I'll snap your spine and feat on your flesh! I tire of games, of hiding in this prison cave. I tire of being used! The game is up, and you! you have released me!"

[Brown Dynamite]

Erick reacted by immediately reaching for his Escrima Sticks and striking the Crocodile King directly in the chest.  As the beast roared up he jumped towards the wall on the side.  Kicking off Foreshadow would launch himself towards the large beast's head.  Striking him directly on the flat of the nose.

 

The man beast did not even whip his head back in response.  Clearly a sturdy foe the Crocodile King actively managed to brace against the impact of his staves.  Water was kicked back everywhere as Foreshadow flipped backwards to clear some more distance between them.  "Well, I guess the bigger they are the harder they fall."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Little man, you are fast...but I do not fall. I slip through the waters of the Holy Nile, unseen, and then a pounce!"

 

King Croc seemed to almost ignore Synapse and Zaki, as if a woman and an old man could not possibly be a threat. Something in his speech made him seem old, decades old. 

 

But he was not slow. Lunging forward, he grabbed Foreshadow by the arms and lifted him out of the water as if he was holding a rag doll. 

 

"You are no scrawny thing! There is meat on you!" he smiled, a ferocious smile of teeth and tongue, as he eyeballed Foreshadow with those dead black eyes. 

[Thevshi]

Dee hesitated a moment as Erick leapt into action, attacking the Crocodile King with his escrima, but failing to seem to achieve any damage to the large creature.  Drawing back some as the creature grabbed a hold of Erick and lifted him up, she gestured back the way they had come to Professor Zaki.  "Head back to the entrance professor."  She said in a low voice, as she focused her attention on the Crocodile King. 

 

Shining her flashlight toward the melee, the Englishwoman reached out with her mind towards the Crocodile King's, trying to take control of his mind to make him free Erick.  But the creature had a strong mind, and was able to resist her attempts to take control. 

[Brown Dynamite]

The creature's mind wasn't the only strong thing about him as Erick soon found out.  Attempting to wrest his body free from the Crocodile King he found himself held in place.  It wasn't through phenomenal technique or the like that Foreshadow found himself trapped.  It was simply pure unbridled strength.

 

Grappling in its essence was a test of strength.  And despite how much Foreshadow re-positioned himself or tossed out his hips he just couldn't overcome the man's strength that easily.  With his efforts the prescient hero came close.   His arm almost sliding free from the man's thumb.  But, then that steel grip set in and he was back where he started.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Strong as the Crocodile King was (and it was strong, eight feet tall of muscle and hide), his ferocity was worse, all rage and unbridle passion for killing. 

 

And, it seemed, eating. 

 

He bent down and closed his jaw over Foreshadows shoulder, ripping flesh, still holding him above the water and in his grip. 

 

"See, woman? You are but cattle and meat to me. The Crocodile King will not be just a man, not a king...but a God, like the Pharoes of the Nile, countless suns and moons ago! You have met my blood brothers, I wager. They are just the beginning!"

 

His mouth was red with Foreshadow's blood. 

 

"I deserve this and more, for what they did to me!" he roared. With his maw, it was hard to tell if he was smiling or not...

[Thevshi]

Dee started back at the sight of the Crocodile King biting into Erick with his massive maw. ERICK! She mentally shrieked to the other costumed hero (although he was not in costume at the moment). She was relieved that he seemed not to be too badly injured, but they needed to get him free of that grip, and quickly.

"You know, if I was not such a conservationist, I'd say you would make a nice pair of boots." She replied, although there was little spirit behind her words. The Englishwoman was wondering if they had gotten into something much too big for them. But she could not quit now, as she sent a blast of red psychic energy at the creature’s mind. While the blast struck, he had a much stronger will than she would have anticipated, and shrugged the blast off with ease.

[Brown Dynamite]

Erick wasn't a screamer, but it was hard not to be a little unnerved when your flesh was actively being torn apart by a man eating beast.  Normally.  Now, he.  However, he couldn't allow himself to show any doubt.  He didn't want the crocodile to take advantage nor for Dee to be distracted by his potential demise.  The least he could have done is season me first.  Such an amateur connoisseur.  It was a bad joke.  

 

Erick was putting on a brave front.  He didn't really know how it would turn out.  But, having come this far he wasn't about to go out without a fight either.  Helplessly struggling some more Eric continued to try and shift around.  Shifting his center of gravity and jerking about wildly.  His legs kicking out far enough to splash water everywhere.

 

But, it was all for naught.  The iron grip of the crocodile king continued to hold.  All Erick managed to do was aggravate his wounds further.  Wincing in pain he managed to burst out into laughter before smugly proclaiming.  "Come one now.  Is this all a god has?  I think your eyes are bigger than your stomach frankly."  His situation doing nothing from quelling his defiance.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Oh my stomach is plenty big" growled the King Croc, squeezing Foreshadow painfully, and sparing a moment to bring the young mans face right up to his own. He stared at him with deep black eyes. 

 

"I have feasted on men, before, you know. The pandering men who have kept me here, silent, saying they would help me, and sampling my tissue, my blood, my flesh and bones. They were weak..like you..." he growled. 

 

His head snapped towards synapse. 

 

"You! You try to break my mind, I think...it is broken and reforged..." he said. 

 

"Enough! You are all of you, beneath me! Like dolls to a dog..."

 

He threw Foreshadow right into Synapses face...

[Thevshi]

Dee's telekinetic forcefield protected her from the worst of the impact of Erick being flung into her, but she still felt a sting from the impact as he fell into the water in front of her, appearing to be dazed. The Englishwoman focused quickly back on the Crocodile King, readying herself to try to deliver another, stronger mental blast.

"Well, when you put something back together that has been broken, there are still cracks that do not always fully heal." She stated as she sent another, more powerful blast of red psychic energy at the creature, pushing her power beyond its normal limits. But even this proved ineffective, as the creature shook it off with little effect.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Crocodile King did wince, even growl, clutching his head. It was not that he was unhurt, it was just that the Crocodile King was used to pain, and was very good at fighting it. He had an animalistic rage that was all but unquenchable. 

 

"No! No! No! Get out of my head!" he shouted his roars echoing down the concrete and still water. "I won't be defeated! I won't! I won't!" he swore, thrashing in the water, and then sinking in it. 

 

And then, for a second, he was gone. 

 

But only for a second. Foreshadow felt the Crocodile King rugby tackling him, thrashing and fighting to push him back, down under the water. But Synapses blast must have sapped him more than she thought. He was uncoordinated, angry, in pain, and without traction, just blind and undirected fury. 

[Thevshi]

Dee briefly lost sight of the creature, as it dove under the water and apparently tried to attack Erick and push him underwater as well.  But for once, the Crocodile King failed to accomplish what it wanted, thrashing about after colliding with Erick and once again at least partially surfacing.  That was all that Dee needed, as she sent Erick a brief mental message.  Get ready, if this next trick works, he should be a bit too distracted to easily avoid you.

 

The Englishwoman then focused her telepathy on the creature's mind, reaching out to try to make a connection to that wild mind.  There was some initial resistance, but she pushed her way through, making the connection with its surface thoughts.  But Dee was not really there to try to read any of those thoughts, it was merely the bridge for what she really wanted to do.  Now that she had the link, it was her will against the Crocodile King's.  Pushing into other parts of his mind, Dee pushed through his resistance, locking him up as she continued to struggle with his will.  She tried to apply some "pressure," in an effort to knock the creature out, but his will still proved too strong.  But at the very least, they were locked in this mental battle, making it far harder for him do anything else other that struggle against her mental grapple.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Inside the Mind of King Croc...

 

How did these people find me? They said I was to be wrapped away, caged! Caged! Me!!!! 

 

Grrrraaaaw!

 

Too long have I suffered the 'protection' of the men in white coats. They fed me but morsels, the flesh and bones of beggars and thieves. I should be King of Egypt! My power is enough to crush any man!

 

And now, it seems that there protections has been for nought. I am found! Discovered!

 

...I am freee!!!!

 

Graaaaaaw!

 

I will thrash these puny weaklings to pulps. Especially the fast one...I feel his flesh on my teeth...!

 

AAAARGH! Again! My mind!

 

Noooooo!

 

Synapse was left with the feeling of an animal taint, the taint of the predator, an apex predator at that. Whatever had changed the mans body had changed his mind too...