Flux

Nero tossed his sword behind him as he saw the whip coming for it. He dove backwards into a roll to avoid the whip, but it still managed to snag a glancing blow on his arm with its tip. He gave a light cry from the sudden pain of the cut as he rose onto a knee from his crouch, . He began muttering a simple spell as he moved to retrieve the sword from the ground. He raised his left hand as he loosed the magic, and raised his sword in preparation for his next move. Earth magic had never been Nero's specialty, but he still knew some basics. He willed the earth to crumble in the area just underneath the death knight's left foot as he released the spell. He prepared a stabbing lunge with his sword for when the death knight lost his balance.

I keep missing you . Tomorrow or Thursday would probably work for me.

Nero was confused as to what the Death Knight was doing. He was clearly a strong fighter from what he had seen before, but this attack seemed reckless. It would be easy to block, and Nero was sure the Death Knight knew that. He had to have some trick up his sleeve. Nero sidestepped the strike, unwilling to take a risk at blocking the attack. He thought about attempting a counterattack, before dismissing the idea. He didn't want a drawn out battle here. Instead, he jumped back a few feet, putting distance between himself and the death knight, and resuming his defensive stance. He knew he couldn't dodge forever without attacking, or the Death Knight would know he was up to something. But this time, attacking hadn't seemed like a good idea.

Nero looked at Steele's blade. He said nothing, simply raised his blade towards the Death Knight. He took a defensive stance. For his plan to work, he would have to let the Death Knight push him backwards, seemingly gaining an advantage, while in reality he would be advancing towards his own demise.

Whoops sorry, totally forgot it was waiting on me. My bad, I'll get on that. And thanks for the reminder, it completely slipped my mind.

Dang, that's my favorite mon. Oh well. As I said much, much earlier in the OOC, I was thinking of perhaps catching a ghost Pokemon, namely Gastly. Would it be possible to find one where we're going? If not, I'll probably go for Aron or Larvitar.

I also didn't really see this as an argument, but whatever. Let's just wrap up this chapter.

Lars looked at the three capsules in front of him. It pained him to know that he would be taking animals away from their habitat for combat purposes, but then again, these weren't normal animals anymore, were they? No, these were creatures that could easily hurt or kill humans, and he was taking on the job of taming them. There was definitely a good side to this that could balance out the bad. He wondered what other sorts of mutations had taken place, and what sort of new partners he would find. He left in the direction of the Western Side Gate, meeting with those already there and awaiting the arrival of the others.

Phantom stood behind the group that was now kneeling by Rose, watching behind his mask. "There was fight going on here before right? Shouldn't we go to another place?" Phantom looked to the passage in the room. It appeared to be the only other route they could take. He walked towards Rose, scooping her up in his arms. He motioned towards the passage with his head, being careful not to disturb Rose's body. "...Yes," he began, his voice quiet and calm. "Let us... leave..."

Lars looked down at Dominance and Sleepy. Both were uninjured for the most part, something he was definitely grateful for. "Looks like we made it out okay guys," he said to them with a grin. He recalled them to their capsules before walking over to Surge. "Where will we be headed once we're done wrapping up here?" he asked offhandedly, unsure of what else to say at such a moment.

The beast flinched as it saw the arrow, causing a glancing blow to its cheek. As planned, Roland had gained the beast's attention. It turned to his direction, catching sight of the ranger running headlong towards the pillar. It lumbered after him, its longer legs giving it surprising speed, despite its limp. It swung a hand downward towards Roland, hoping to crush him with its open palm.

Phantom's power could potentially be stronger in my opinion. It all really revolves around the element of surprise. Imagine him silently portaling(?) behind you and slicing your throat. I don't really see him having a reason to fight any of you, though. He pretty much just stays alone. Though perhaps that may change after the Meridian incident... I don't think so right now, being that the only friend he had got killed by him... (Also, I got to thinking of another combative use of his power that is actually quite OP... All he'd have to do is send someone through a portal to the mirror dimension and close it and they're kinda screwed. ) As for feedback, I loved this chapter. It was even better than the first. I think a lot of it had to do with the setting for me. The beautiful garden, the loving dead, and the succubi were all awesome. Once again, well done.

Nash looked out over what he could see of the sands as the others finished what they were doing. The silence was eerie after finding the bodies in that condition. As a group, they moved forward. Nash was taking a roundabout path, away from where the blood trail seemed to lead. He was sure that he didn't want to encounter whatever had killed those elves. They walked for a time, before a sound made Nash's blood run cold as his legs freeze in their tracks. It sounded like... breathing. It was heavy and labored, rasping as it entered the lungs of whatever it was. It was very low and animalistic, but the fact that they could hear it was what made Nash the most uneasy. He motioned for the others to be quiet, though they couldn't get much quieter than they were now. Looking ahead, Nash could see the trail of blood curving in from the other path. "Figures we'd intercept whatever route it took, even trying to avoid it..." Nash thought. There was a loud thumping noise. The group quickly gathered behind a pillar. The thumps -- no, the footsteps grew louder as they approached. Judging by the time between thumps, it seemed to be limping. The heavy breathing continued. Nash took a glimpse around the stone. A few pillars down, near the trail of blood, he could see the beast's head as it rounded the corner. He quickly ducked behind the corner again, keeping his breathing quiet. Its head had resembled a ram, its twisting horns covered in blood. One of them had been snapped halfway, and it had been missing an ear. "Looks like those elves didn't go down without a fight..." he thought. The creature was big, there was no doubt about it. It's head had been many times Nash's own height above the ground. The thumping footsteps continued, coming closer and closer. The ground shook as the beast approached their hiding place. Eventually the footsteps stopped. He could not see the beast, but it had to be close. The was a large exhale of air, and Nash could feel it blow around the pillar. Its moist breath stank of death. It was behind them. No doubt it had heightened senses compared to a human, likely smell if it had found them. Nash motioned to the others to be ready. The pillar shook from an unseen impact. He slowly drew the greatsword off of his back, the sheath making a light scraping noise as the blade exited. That was all it took. The beast rammed the pillar, breaking it right in the middle. Chunks of rock flew out of the gap, right over their heads. The towering top half slowly began its descent towards the group, gaining momentum as it tipped. "RUN!" Nash shouted, diving out of the way of the debris. He saw Rhea and the others doing the same. He stood as the dust cleared, his gaze being drawn to the full form of the beast, now in sight. It towered above them, its eyes glowing a bright red in its ram head. Blood covered the side of its face where the ear was missing. It stood on hooved legs, and its torso resembled a human's. The whole thing was covered in a deep brown fur, with a lighter mane around its neck. It had muscular arms, ending with clawed hands. There were cuts all along its legs and torso, some deep and others more shallow. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, all bloodstained. It grunted, and flames spurted from the sides of its open mouth. Nash raised his sword slightly. It appeared they'd have no choice but to finish what the elves had started.

Phantom walked down the steps, all sounds of combat having ceased. That meant the battle had likely ended. He looked around as he reached the bottom, trying to determine what had happened. The room was a mess, but their were no clear signs of a victory. He saw someone from the group that he recognized laying on the floor, presumably unconscious. There was a passage in the wall, but no clues as to what the result had been. He didn't know who or what they had battled, but it was gone now. He decided it would be best to wait until the older man arrived before deciding what to do. He thought it would be best to wait until the unconscious woman woke, and then ask her what had happened.

That speed run at the end though.... Also, does this mean colossal titan is back? I've always wanted to try that...

I think I'll hold off on having Phantom enter for a bit... I'll wait till things wrap up with the Mia incident. I feel like it'd just be awkward to enter right now.

Oh, no problem. I would have been fine not making it to the battle. I just wasn't sure if I should continue on my own or not.

I wouldn't mind. Like you said, you don't have to play it if you don't want to. On a different note, will Phantom make it before the battle ends? I've been waiting for Supernovae, but should I just continue down the steps and assume he'll follow?

Nero nodded, stepping out from the trees. He walked slowly up towards the Death Knight, preparing himself for the task ahead. In order for their plan to work, he'd have to survive long enough on his own, while at the same time distracting the Death Knight enough for the others to be able to ambush. That meant that he couldn't afford to try anything risky, but still had to be involved enough to cause the Death Knight to have to focus on him. He drew his sword at the base of the hill, and continued until he was a small distance from the Death Knight. He didn't want to get too close right away, being unsure of what the knight had in mind. "So, foul demon, I have returned. And this time, I shall be the one to reign victorious."

He was just talking about the elevator. Sorry for being unclear on that...

Well, for those who've been out of activity recently, everyone has been updated. Thank you for your patience here, and let's continue with the story.

Arkhidon/Hukuna "Who will be showing me to R&D?" Poseidon looked at his watch, the same bland expression on his face as always. "We'll have to make things quick. It's getting late. I'll have Hades show you to R&D while I take Viktor to Olympus." He took out his phone, dialing a number while they entered the elevator. Hades' voice could be heard on the other end, speaking loudly with the same tinge of insanity. "...Yeeess?" "Hades, wait by the entrance to R&D. You'll be giving the new member a short tour," Poseidon replied curtly. The was laughter from the other end. "Of course." The elevator stopped on the main level, where Poseidon motioned for Viktor to get out. He turned to Keaton. "Take this to the third level. Hades should be waiting for you there." With that, he exited the elevator, showing Viktor out of the building. ------------------------------------------------ Hukuna The duo walked out into the night air. There were not many stars visible, a result of being in the inner city. Poseidon spoke as they walked down the main path. "There isn't a whole lot to see at Olympus itself. Most equipment is kept in this building. We have the lobby, a meeting room, and a tech area, but that's mostly everything of interest. I can show you around tomorrow if you wish, but I'd recommend finding a place to stay tonight. Be back at Olypmpus by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning." With that, he turned and walked away into the streets of New York, likely making his way to his own home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arkhidon Keaton was greeted by a grinning Hades as he exited the elevator. The man's long black hair hung in loose strands over his face. "So you're in R&D, huh?" He laughed. "I wonder what sort of experiments you'll be doing? Likely nothing as interesting or fun as mine..." They walked down a hallway, passing multiple closed doors. They were labeled numerically, Lab 1, Lab 2 and so on as they moved along. Hades stopped at Lab 15. "I think this one's unused right now. You can work here." He pulled out a chain of keys from his lab coat. He removed a key labeled 15 and handed it to Keaton. "Don't lose that now. The supply room is Lab 40. You'll need to make requests there for materials. My lab is down at the very end of the hall. Don't hesitate to visit. That's where all the fun happens, after all." He began laughing as if he had made some hilarious joke. He walked down the hall, leaving Keaton behind, still laughing. The laughter stopped abruptly as he turned around. "Oh. You can leave now. Go find somewhere to sleep." With that he continued down the hall, eager to start on his late-night projects. Supernovae Zweiss motioned for Jude to stand. As the man did so, there was the sound of a key turning in the door's lock. Zweiss turned to face the entry. A man strode through, his blonde hair a white coat flowing behind him. He stopped upon seeing Zweiis and gave a short bow, pushing up his glasses as he stood. "Alister." Zweiss said simply. "Where were you?" The man gave a small smile. "I was simply attending to business for the sake of Utopia. Nothing too grand, I assure you." He walked past Zweiss, pausing by the corner and looking back. "I'll be in my office now if you need me." Zweiss simply watched as the man left. Alister was the second-in-command, but for his talents only. Zweiss couldn't say that he entirely trusted the man. He was hungry for power, and it was obvious, to Zweiss at least. He turned back to Jude. "You'd best get some rest. It's getting late, and I have a task for you tomorrow that will take your complete concentration. We have rooms on the lower level. I'll show you there now." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day Two ------------------------------------------------------------------ King Murdoc, Snap Crackle Pop, Chimchain You awake to the sound of Beetle's voice, shouting urgently. "Guys, we've got a problem! Rebecca's missing!" ------------------------------------- Hukuna/Arkhidon (((I'll leave it up to you to make your own way back. You can start from the previous night or whenever you wish.))) ---------------------------------------- Jory, typhlosionrulez, rustytengo, K_H (((Wake up on your own. When you leave the room, there will be a note on the outside of the door, saying this.))) Newest members of the Organization I would ask that you meet me in my office after you've had something to eat. There is a kitchen near the back of the first floor. You may fix yourselves something there, or go about finding a meal in the city. Either way, meet as a group and come to my office, the furthest room on the second floor. My regards, Cedric Sterling -------------------------------------------------- Supernovae (((I'll have Zweiss come get you once the others are a bit farther along in the day. Just wait a bit until then.)))

Phantom turned towards the rustling sound, seeing the staircase that had appeared. He turned to Mr. Taylor, wondering what the man would think of such an event. It would be risky for sure, judging by the sounds coming from within, but as of now, it was the only clue they had. He turned back to the staircase and began walking slowly down the steps, hand on the hilt of his sword. Without turning back to Mr. Taylor, he spoke simply as his head disappeared from sight. "...Come."

Well... I was deciding between the Wickwickets and Rockwells precisely because of their good personalities. I was thinking of having him play the "obedient and understanding advisor" while secretly gathering the information for his own purposes, and perhaps eventually using that to help the family in return. If this doesn't work, I can definitely change families without much adjustment to his character.

Character Name: Magnus Darkbrand Faction: The Lily Badgers Class Descriptors: Diviner/Silvertongue Appearance: The first thing to notice about Magnus is his striking appearance. His brilliant blonde hair flows down his back above his regal face. He has blue eyes and wears a red headband on his forehead. He usually wears a white and blue shirt tucked into black pants and boots. He stands tall and fit at a little above 6'. While he would bear quite the heroic figure, his stature is usually covered by his black cloak, masking his face in its dark hood. Personality: Magnus is an honest man, seeking to help his employer to the utmost. At least, that's what he wants them to think. In reality, he is out for his own personal gain, chasing his own goals. He will put on the facade of a kind and considerate fellow when necessary, but when the time comes, he is utterly ruthless. He will use anyone he can to his advantage if it means he will come out ahead. He is a cold and calculating man, with sinister intentions behind every move. Background: Raised by a wealthy family, Magnus sought to explore the world as he came of age, always seeking to learn. He slowly came to understand the corruption and underhandedness that took place all around him, and was intrigued by it. He sought to learn all the trickery he could, and how to best exploit the trust you could gain by being patient and polite. He was quickly corrupted during these times. He had learned some magic from his tutor as a child, and honed this talent, shaping it into something dark and useful to his needs. He eventually arrived at Nevermore, and found that the conflicts between families would be the perfect place for his abilities. He settled down and began learning of the families' various motives and interests, preparing a wealth of information for his use. He became the pinnacle of a perfect human, in any public light. But when night falls, his darker side begins to take over...