What Happened in Portland

[Tulir]

Parity was so focused on backpedaling and bleaching the wall to white, she didn't hear what the man said, but she definitely felt the bullet tear into her leg.  

 

"That hurt, you slontze!" Parity shouted, wincing and bracing herself against the wall.  She could see her white sphere start diminishing in size, and groaned in pain as the healing reattached her bones together.  Once the initial wave had passed, Parity stood up and eyed the wave of rats and their controller.  

 

"I just told you to get outside and you attack me?!  You deserve this!"  As she spoke, Parity tossed the black sphere she created from the wall.  Parity briefly saw the man get speared by the dark mist before the building collapsed on him.

[Mrs. Voidus]

"Well then," Saccharine said with a brief smile. "Scotch, candy bar or tea, it makes no difference. It is a pleasure to make your aquaintance. And we are of course delighted to have you escort us to emperor Lightwards. Dear Apprentice, if it is a sweet tooth you have, I happen to have on me a selection of baked goods to try. Muffins, tarts, pie, doughnuts."

 

As she was chatting away amiably she pulled out each specimen of pastry or dough and set them on individual doilies. Jumping suddenly, Saccharine held before her a large, rounded chocolate chip cookie which had at some point been pierced through with one of her hat pins. Tisking softly, she muttered under her breath, "who would do something like that, ruining a good biscuit. Why, sugar does not grow on trees, well it does grow, but that is not the point, waste is waste and I..."

 

"ahem" came a pointed cough from Jeff. "You don't still make that caramel slice do you? The things I would do to taste such delicacy of your creation!" He reached over the table and took her hands in his.

 

"Oh Jeffy!" she exclaimed, as a crimson blush flooded her cheeks. "Of all the things I wished you would say, and after all this time, you remind me so keenly of your good naturedness, and kindness, and sweet, sweet tooth! Of course I have caramel slice my Angel. Always, a fresh batch I make in case of meeting you."

 

The two carried on in this way long enough that the atmosphere in the room became much lighter. The group - though some were possibly off put by such public affection - seemed to shift to a jovial and trusting one. 

 

Handing Jeff three large slices, Saccharine spoke to the group as a whole. "So, this wayward Warrior of Lightwards that you have lost. Was he important to the cause? One would hate to see us all penalised because of a run away."

 

Pausing for a moment, Saccharine realised she may have caused offence.

"I do not mean to suggest it was at the fault of either of you. Rather, it occurs to me that we ought to do something to counteract this little bit of bad news."

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

A rash, foolish, disgrace to humanity. Panacea could see the evidence of Flashpoint's opinion and didn't argue. Nor did she argue with his defense of Altermind. The illusionist was her employer now, and she would have to find some way to get along. Even if he hired a monster and called him an asset. 

 

It's the same way everywhere, she chided herself. Better Altermind than another Steelheart. 

 

But as they approached the infirmary, she couldn't shake the sensation that she had made a mistake. That she should have argued with Strongsteel a little more when he mentioned Portland. That had she told him to keep looking, keep wandering, they could have made it….

 

Too late. She drew a breath and straightened her sleeve, which had been pulled up her arm a quarter-inch higher than the other. Altermind hadn't let the damage go too far, Flashpoint had said, although the definition of too far was often fairly liberal with Epics. If Altermind found another Scorch, she would be around to repair the damage. 

 

And Flashpoint could tell her about it. The thought occurred to her suddenly, but once it arrived she didn't send it away. Flashpoint had been no friend to Scorch. His tone fairly dripped with disgust when the name was mentioned. Flashpoint didn't like monsters any more than she did. 

 

Panacea smiled to herself. Thoughttown might not be so bad after all. 

 

--------------------------------

 

Fear. 

 

What a lovely word. 

 

It was even lovelier as a fragrance. If every emotion had a scent, then fear was the bracing sting of chlorine, cleansing the air of weaker things like peace and joy. Fragile things. Stupid things, really. Vanillas leaned on those, clung to them like children to security blankets until someone with sense came along and tore them away. Stripped them of childlike things and reminded them what it was to live in the real world. 

 

Fear hung heavily over Portland, and Quota breathed it in. The scent brought a smile to his lips. Nothing better than cold, hard reality to wake you up in the morning. He almost didn't need the coffee in his hand, but he took a sip anyway. 

 

Quota strode into the city, autumn wind rippling through his cloak and stirring dead leaves around his boots. Few vanillas were out today, kept inside by the fear he had sensed. He smirked to himself. Fear was power, and he was its wielder. Give him time, and he could make anyone do whatever he pleased. 

 

Like that guy there. He zeroed in on a man ducking through an open door. Fear clung to him like metal filings to a magnet. Bet I can make you stop right there and curl up like a baby. 

 

Quota reached out and found the hope keeping him upright—hope that once he was inside, he would find safety. He tamped it down, scowling as it rose in protest, and stomped it out the way he might stomp a campfire to ashes. 

 

The man leaned against the doorjamb, sliding slowly to the ground. Not what I was going for, but close enough. On a whim, Quota squatted beside him. 

 

"Hey. You." 

 

The man looked at him, his eyes widening at the sight of a cloak. "You're…an Epic." 

 

"Duh. Why's everybody so scared?" 

 

Quota couldn't be sure if it was his power, or the way he leaned on the word scared, smiling a bit as he did, that made the man scoot back in a vain attempt at escape. "It's—other Epics." 

 

"They got names?" 

 

"CorpseMaker—ruled this part of the city for a while. Altermind—Thoughttown. Some—some new group, call themselves the Empire of Light…" 

 

Quota rolled his eyes. "Lame. Where's that CorpseMaker guy? He sounds fun." 

 

The man shrugged. Quota knew he wouldn't be getting any more information out of him. He patted the man's knee, tamping down what remained of hope, took another sip of coffee, and rose. ​Let's see…no CorpseMaker for now, so who's next? 

 

Up ahead, he spotted a mech striding down the street—likely a source of the fear he'd felt—and through the glass windshield he caught a glimpse of white hair. An Epic, then. 

 

Quota smiled. Epics were always the most fun. 

Edited September 20, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Kobold King]

 

The room shifted from a dank den embroiled in paranoia to a lively place of joviality. Aldo smiled and nodded along, taking in every detail.

 

It was completely apparent that Phoenix and Saccharine were a married couple. Every movement bespoke a deep and intimate relationship--every glance they shared, every subtly of their movement. Phoenix seemed awkward at first, but it seemed that memories were pouring back into his head at a swift pace.

 

Saccharine seemed primarily occupied with two things: fawning over her Jeffy and serving up bountiful quantities of sweets. Aldo smiled and partook of her baking, but kept a wary eye on her throughout. The ferocity in her eyes when she stood in defense of Phoenix had been breathtaking, and had completely assured him that this was not a muffin-brained fool he was talking to.

 

Eventually Saccharine ceased the affectionate conversation with her husband and faced the room at large. Aldo gave Cricket a slight nudge--she was still smiling and nodding her head, but she had clearly taken to shutting out the Edwardian Epic's chatter.

 

 "So, this wayward Warrior of Lightwards that you have lost," Saccharine began. "Was he important to the cause? One would hate to see us all penalised because of a run away."

 

She paused for a moment, a hint of uncertainty streaking across her face. "I do not mean to suggest it was at the fault of either of you. Rather, it occurs to me that we ought to do something to counteract this little bit of bad news."

 

Aldo chuckled, shaking his head.

 

"No offense taken, my dear lady. And from what I gathered, our task was merely an errand of good faith. A single runaway zombie is of no consequence to Lightwards. A single mindless drone drifting away won't harm the Empire--what is she going to do, topple it? It would be like a hummingbird changing the direction of a tornado, or like a schoolboy assassinating Steelheart. So absurd as to be laughable."

 

To demonstrate his point he chuckled at his own joke before leaning in closer.

 

"Lightwards' Warriors," he explained, "are just tools. They can be discarded without a care. What we bring instead--two powerful and charming young Epics to bolster his rule--is far more valuable. Far from dreading his reaction, I look forward to seeing his face when I bring him Epics for his service instead of a meaningless little Warrior."

 

 

    

 

 

Backtrack had never considered himself much of a ladies' man. Ogling the pair of gorgeous twins laughing in the middle of the street, he decided he just might give it a try.

 

He'd seen the whole thing--a minute or so late, but he'd seen it nonetheless. One girl had pushed a blue car into a crowd, accelerating its velocity with a mere shove. When she did that, the other girl had sneaked into a newly emptied bar and stolen a pair of drinks.

 

It was a scheme as beautiful as the ladies who'd hatched it. Backtrack spat on the back of his hand and slicked back his hair, approaching the laughing twins from behind.

 

"Yes, Tally ho and pip pip," one was saying to the other, taking a large swig of her pilfered alcohol.

 

Backtrack stepped quickly behind the both of them, grabbing one twin by the arm and the other by the waist. 

 

One of the girls dropped her drink in surprise and let out a cry of "Sparks--let me go you creepy--"

 

He Showed them what he saw.

 

The girls let out a collective gasp as human specters danced before them. Backtrack rarely had a reason to Show anyone else his visions of the past, but this seemed to be as good of a conversation starter as any.

 

"This is a wonderful street," he told the twins, who were no longer struggling and instead gazed in bewilderment at the various scenes before their eyes. "It's up on a hill at the junction of several important pathways, and it has river access to boot. That makes it strategic, you see. Take a looksie."

 

He'd already flipped through this street's history a couple of times--there had been several Epic confrontations here before, and that was what he Showed them now.

 

"You see that gal in the miniskirt? She was an active, fun-loving gal like the pair of you just six months ago. See how she's dead now? Seems like she really ticked off CorpseMaker--talk about 'if looks could kill.'"

 

"Oh, look at that young lady! Her name was Bramblebraid. She liked to roam around the city and pull pranks on people. See that big guy next to her?"

 

He pointed their attention to a heavy-set man in a dramatic costume emblazoned with military insignia. "His name was Quasar. Watch this part, I'm sure you'll find it illuminating..."

 

Around six years ago, Quasar raised his hand and pointed it at Bramblebraid. It glowed with a blindingly bright light, finally letting off a brilliant bolt of heat that gave off a comet-like tail. The bolt struck Bramblebraid in the stomach, turning her from a youthful teen in a tube top to a bubbling pile of liquefied flesh.

 

At this one of the girls roughly shoved Backtrack away. "Who do you think you are?" she demanded furiously. "One does not simply--"

 

Backtrack grabbed her hand back and Showed her visions again. "You girls seem pretty clever," he said with a smile. "But not very observant. What I just showed you is what happens to Epics who think they can just take care of themselves in this city."

 

He gestured at the ghostly crowds moving on all sides. "Do you see these people? Maybe you don't see it when you're walking among them living your mischievous little lives, but they're getting more and more tense as the days go by. You can see it every time one of these past-tense losers gets killed for being too free-spirited. Portland's been skirmishing for the past decade, and now it's finally working up the nerve to burn itself down. You think I'm rough? Wait till CorpseMaker or Altermind catches you partying up the downtown."

 

The twins gave a concerted effort to shove Backtrack backwards. Once his hands left their skin the visions stopped for them, and he fell onto the sidewalk with a sharp pain.

 

"What a vulgar person," one girl proclaimed, glaring at him. "Impact, can we run him over with something?"

 

"Thinking about it, MV," Impact replied thoughtfully. Backtrack smiled at them from the ground, tilting his sunglasses forward.

 

"What precisely are you getting at?" MV asked him with a glare. "And keep your hands to yourself this time."

 

Backtrack rose to his feet and spoke gently. "What I'm saying is, I don't think either of you will last long on your own once this town goes up in smoke. Bramblebraid certainly didn't, and CorpseMaker's killed enough cheerful little she-Epics to fill a freight train. In fact, I'm pretty sure he did once."

 

He took a step forwards and met Impact's gaze. "I'm a pretty caring guy. I'd rather hook you up with one of my contacts then see your pretty face get squashed."

 

Impact stared at him with an unreadable expression. "You have a contact? Someone frightening enough to ward off creeps like that Quasar guy?"

 

"That I do," Backtrack replied. "There's a new Epic in town--he goes by the name of Lightwards. He's an immortal man with a plan, and if I'm not mistaken, he's recruiting at the moment. Sign up with him, and you can have all the free-spirited shenanigans you like without the thread of sudden liquification. What do you say?"

 

It was MV's turn to give him a skeptical stare. "What's in it for you?"

 

"I get the pleasure of walking two gorgeous young ladies to their new employment, and might convince one or both of them to let me buy them drinks."

 

Both girls sighed in unison. "Fine, you can take us to meet him," Impact said. "But if you get touchy-feely on the way over, we're squashing you with the nearest car and meeting him for ourselves."

 

"That sounds fair," Backtrack admitted. "No touching unless it's important. Got it."

 

The twin Epics groaned and Backtrack grinned. This was actually going better then his first pre-Calamity date. And as for Lightwards...

 

Well, having stalked the man for a while, he felt confident that the guy could use a few allies. Who knew what that crazy slontze was going to do next.

[Tulir]

Mundivore watched as the man in the green cape talk with the man cowering on the ground.  He took a nonchalant sip of his drink, stood up, and looked in Mundivore's direction.  Well, at least he will serve as fodder for Corpsemaker, provided he is an Epic and not some human that man is mortally terrified of.  Mundivore chuckled to himself, and brought the mech to a stop, jumping out the instant it stopped moving.

 

"Greetings, you seem to be new in town." Mundivore said as he approached the man.  "Allow me to extend my master's invitation to join his Dominion.  You appear to be a somewhat capable Epic, judging by that," Mundivore gestured at the cowering man, who had now rolled himself up into a ball, "So I doubt Corpsemaker would turn you down."

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

The mech stopped, and a white-haired man jumped out. 

 

"Greetings, you seem to be new in town. Allow me to extend my master's invitation to join his Dominion.  You appear to be a somewhat capable Epic, judging by that."

 

He motioned to the man, who had curled on his side. Quota smirked. Had he any hope left, he would have stamped it out. A few tears would complete the picture. 

 

"So I doubt Corpsemaker would turn you down."

 

Quota raised an eyebrow at the name, but knew it best not to look to eager. Epic-to-Epic negotiations were best completed with a show of strength. This one had shown his strength the moment he leaped from his mech and called CorpseMaker master. Now it was time for Quota to show his. 

 

He reached out toward the Epic, feeling what he felt, searching for the strongest emotions. Curiously enough, he was already steeped in fear, the scent clinging to him like woodsmoke after a bonfire. Something scare you? CorpseMaker, maybe? Quota found a few other emotions—relief, amusement, hope—and stomped them down, still smirking. 

 

"This CorpseMaker guy," he said, taking a step forward, "scared you pretty bad, didn't he? What'd you see? What'd he show you that's got you so scared you'd come running to me?" 

Edited September 20, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Voidus]

Refill sighed, as he continued to walk.
"What are we doing?" he asked his companion.

"Dunno, looking for trouble, recruiting Epics for Penumbra?" Zip replied.

"But why? Why should we be taking orders? We have as much right to rule as they do, I'm just as powerful as any fire Epic now, you can distort space itself! Why should we be subjugated?" These thoughts had been growing in refills mind steadily along with a sense of outrage.

"What do you want to do about it? Resisting will just get us stabbed by our own shadows or whatever else the slontze can think of" Zip replied, hopelessness seemed to have overcome him.

"We can form a team, we can recruit the others we know of, form an alliance, put a stop to all these so called high Epics lording it over us, we all deserve the right to rule ourselves and whatever Vanillas we find! We shouldn't be subjugated, we should fight back!" Refill practically yelled.
A spark of hope gleamed back in Zip's eyes at these words, the notion that he'd be able to stop hiding held a strong grip on him.

"You really think we could? Fight Altermind, fight Corpsemaker!?" Zip queried, ever the skeptic. "I mean flamethrowers are all well and good for you, and that idea with the blood sounded useful, but what am I supposed to do, shrink people to death? What about Jingleberry? Is she going to flirt them into submission?"

"I don't know Zip, but those ideas Penumbra came up with, even weak powers like ours can be useful with a little thought, it's just a matter of being inventive! Epics like Altermind or Penumbra, they don't need to be inventive they just throw their full power and hope for the best, but we can beat them with this!"

Hammelin watched with satisfaction as the blood spatter her clothes, one of his shots had hit her in the leg, weakening her for the oncoming hoard.
Then he stared in amazement as her wound slowly knit itself back together, the glowing white ball in her hand diminishing.
Healing Epic!? damnation!
She yelled something at him and threw one more of the dark balls towards him, none of his rats were close enough to shield him, he tried to duck it but as he did the ball exploded and a spear of darkness speared through him, as the doorway collapsed around him.
In his final death throes he sent out a psychic scream to all of his rats, those closest to him writhed and died from the intensity of the link, those further out just started squealing and ran.
His empire in ruins, Hammelin closed his eyes for the last time.

Soulswitch attempted to grin with the grifffins mouth as he watched Chimera dispatch of the knight, it didn't work too well.
Blasted beaks, I can never work out how exactly to move them, it took me three weeks to work out how to fly, and yet after over a year I still can't move the mouth.
He landed and took his own form again as the rest of the Chimerans marched off.
"Well, that was exciting. Who did you piss off? I thought you were supposed to be a noncombatant?"

Jeff savored the taste of the caramel slice, the crumbs sticking to his lower lip.
"Mmm, yes.. Rightwards ishn't particularly protective of his warriors." he mumbled through a mouthful of pastry, then swallowed.
"Well, except maybe the dinosaurs, he seemed a bit annoyed when I nearly blew them up."
He looked over to the group, so unlike most Epics he'd ever known or heard of, those that had been the subjects of study at the lab had all been understandably annoyed at being captured and held, though a few had been there voluntarily.
"He seems to be expanding lately though, it's only been a day and he has two new Epics?"
"Excuse the interruption but someone approaches, three of them." Marigold said, a cricket balanced on one finger.

[Edgedancer]

Lightwards did not trust Voidgaze to say the truth, not that she could blame him, her skills at lying were basically none existent. Not that it made her any more comfortable when he scowled right into her face; she actually flinched back a little.

 

In fact it only got worse as the dinosaurs started to snarl at her. Voidgaze didn´t want to kill any of the dinos, she liked them, not that she wanted to kill anyone else. Still, the situation may call for it. She began to tense up, not because she was scarred, it was more of a coldness.

 

With those cold eyes she surveyed the room, big lizards, bigger lizards and a kissing couple… what? And then a zombie offered tea and twinkles… this place might be even more weird than expected. As the tension dispersed out of the room she took a deep breath to get herself back to normal.

 

Meanwhile, the twinkles were turned into apple pie and Funtimes created a talking stick, using it to declare Traveller the best boyfriend… that wasn´t supposed to be a threat or was it? Actually, why hasn´t Funtimes already offered to pass on the talking stick? That´s kind of telling everyone else to shut up, which is rude.

 

Ignoring the talking stick Voidgaze turned to Lightwards and scratching the back of her head she said, “I´m sorry but it was kind of something personal, so I didn´t want to spill it and now I think they might be threatening me, I´m not sure though, actually I´m not even sure if I should feel threatened if they are trying to threaten me but I already said the word threaten often enough so maybe you should just ask them yourself, ´cause I have no clue what to say.” Best to be honest, I guess, or I just totally messed up.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Edgedancer

[Kobold King]

 

They had kissed through his entire speech.

 

Though he was now committed to keeping his temper, Lightwards ground his teeth as he watched Funtimes decorate a stick and proclaim she had the best boyfriend ever. The boyfriend she had kissed through the entire speech. He had opened his soul and exposed the raging fury within, and she'd been too busy gluing herself to her boyfriend's mouth to pay attention.

 

He opened his own mouth to comment on this, but fortunately Voidgaze interrupted him before his temper surfaced.

 

“I´m sorry but it was kind of something personal," the white Epic said, scratching the back of her head, "so I didn´t want to spill it and now I think they might be threatening me, I´m not sure though, actually I´m not even sure if I should feel threatened if they are trying to threaten me but I already said the word threaten often enough so maybe you should just ask them yourself, ´cause I have no clue what to say.”

 

"No one is threatening you, Rita Blue," Lightwards said slowly, ignoring the fact that he'd done just that a few moments ago. He only half payed attention to her--he didn't even reprove Sam when she stepped over and took a Twinkie out of the Warrior's hand.

 

Instead, he stared at Traveler. There was something about the smug little man that got under his skin, that made him question what he thought he knew about Epics. A true Epic was a force of nature unto himself, like a thunderstorm driven by reason. This pathetic little man was nothing without his girlfriend. He wouldn't even teleport without her, and not even the smallest of confrontations could go by without him figuratively clinging to her apron strings.

 

Lightwards took a step forward, unwrapping his own pastry and taking a small bite. Chewing thoughtfully, he swallowed and took the talking stick from Funtimes.

 

"This is the beginning of a noble Empire," he said, giving a forced smile to the room. "And I am its head. You can see my misgivings at being lied to, especially in front of guests."

 

He nodded at Sightline and Voidgaze before continuing, leaning over and staring into Funtimes unreadable eyes. "You're hiding behind a facade of whimsy," he whispered, eyes narrowing. "To hide the fact that you're an Epic with your own agenda. I try and I try to work with you on your terms, but if our goals conflict, an alliance cannot stand. So please tell me: what is it that you're hiding from me?"

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

“I´m sorry but it was kind of something personal, so I didn´t want to spill it and now I think they might be threatening me, I´m not sure though, actually I´m not even sure if I should feel threatened if they are trying to threaten me but I already said the word threaten often enough so maybe you should just ask them yourself, ´cause I have no clue what to say.”

 

Thanks, Voidgaze. You're a real pal. Nathan did his best to keep his expression impassive as Lightwards turned narrowed eyes on him. Studied him. He had seen that look before. Coming from an Epic, it meant one thing: I don't see what you see. You're not as strong as you think you are. I could break you with a single finger, and it's time you learned that. 

 

"This is the beginning of a noble Empire," he said, unwrapping his Twinkie with an unmistakably false smile. "And I am its head. You can see my misgivings at being lied to, especially in front of guests."

 

He leaned forward and spoke in a dangerous whisper. The kind of whisper that preceded murder. "You're hiding behind a facade of whimsy. To hide the fact that you're an Epic with your own agenda. I try and I try to work with you on your terms, but if our goals conflict, an alliance cannot stand. So please tell me: what is it that you're hiding from me?"

 

Funtimes gave Nathan a small frown, then cupped her hand around his ear. "Who's lying?" 

 

Nathan drew an unsteady breath. "Voidgaze knows. About me." 

 

Her eyes went wide. 

 

"She saw you teleport on your own at the bouncy castle." 

 

Funtimes clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Terrified as he was, Nathan felt a bit of relief. She didn't want his secret spilled. She didn't want Lightwards to have another Warrior, or Nighthound to have another hound. She wanted him to continue, safe behind his charade, until...

 

A smile spread from behind her hand. 

 

"What's so funny?" 

 

She giggled and whispered again: "We're gonna tell him." 

 

"Why?" 

 

She put both hands on his cheeks and grinned. "'Cause he's totally gonna explode!" Then, softer: "If he hurts you, it's acid time." 

 

Paired with the glint that flickered through her eyes, that was the first comforting thing she had said yet. She pulled him to his feet, then took Lightwards by the hand and teleported them both a safe distance away, out of Sightline's hearing, stood on tiptoe, and cupped her hand around the necromancer's ear.

 

"Okie dokie loki, I have a secret." She broke off with a giggle. "And if you promise to keep it, I'll turn that phone of yours back into a gun." 

 

Both Nathan and Lightwards looked at his hand. Sure enough, he held the receiver of an old rotary phone, the cord stretching to the jungle floor. 

 

He looked at her again, and she grinned. "Nobody outside this Empire thingy, okay? It's a secret. And if you don't keep it, it's acid time because…." 

 

Her next words were so quiet Nathan couldn't hear them from where he stood. But he knew what they were. 

 

"Traveler's not an Epic." 

Edited September 20, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Tulir]

Mundivore staggered as the world seemed to go dark.  He felt some emotions vanish, and watched as the man took a step forward.  After he finished talking, Mundivore steadied himself to be able to function, and started getting angry.  

 

"You now have given me no reason to keep you alive," Mundivore said as he climbed back up into the mech, "So how about you stop what you are doing, or I'll turn you into a smear of dust?  And if you want to find out what Corpsemaker did, why don't you try this on him."  Mundivore said as he forced a smirk onto his face.

[Kobold King]

 

Funtimes frowned, pulling her boyfriend over and whispering to him urgently. They held a brief conference that Lightwards couldn't hear, which culminated in Funtimes grinning maniacally and Traveler looking like he'd seen a ghost. A bloodstained ghost that had just threatened to disembowel him over a fire.

 

The pair hopped up and Funtimes took Lightwards' wrist. They teleported a few dozen yards deeper into the forest, out of Sightline and Voidgaze's earshot.

 

Doctor Funtimes leaned in close, cupping her hand over his ear. "Okie dokie loki," she giggled. "I have a secret.  And if you promise to keep it, I'll turn that phone of yours back into a gun."

 

Befuddled, Lightwards glanced at his hand--sure enough, he was no longer clutching a pistol. Instead, a telephone with a long cord lay in his palm.

 

Great, he thought with a sigh. Whatever she's going to tell me will make me want to kill her. More than I already do, at any rate.

 

Even so, he listened eagerly as the Doctor continued. "Nobody outside this Empire thingy, okay? It's a secret. And if you don't keep it, it's acid time because…." 

 

Funtimes giggled. Traveler looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

 

 "Traveler's not an Epic." 

 

Traveler's not an Epic.

 

Traveler wasn't an Epic.

 

Traveler had never been an Epic.

 

That smug, insufferable little man who disrespected him at every turn wasn't an Epic.

 

Lightwards stared at her blankly for a moment, his mind processing this latest piece of information. A part of him realized at once how much it made sense. Traveler wasn't an Epic--he was a scared little man who hid behind a real Epic while posturing to his betters. 

 

Part of him wanted to applaud the dumb little vanilla for his sheer gall. A much larger part wanted to slowly feed him limb by limb to the raptors.

 

He didn't do so. Instead, he slowly turned to Traveler and gave a tight, mirthless smile.

 

"Well," he hissed softly. "You're not an Epic. You're a pet, like those idiots your mistress pulled out of the crowd yesterday. A pet with a death wish."

 

He turned slowly and smiled at Funtimes. "Since I so value your honesty, I won't kill this little imbecile. But under the circumstances, I hope you'll excuse me if I take a small liberty..."

 

Lightwards turned swiftly and drove his fist into Traveler's stomach. The man let out a small gasp and was shoved into a tree, his head banging into the bark with an audible thud.

 

Lightwards shook his hand off and gave another toothed smile at Funtimes. "I'll keep your little secret, Doctor. So long as you fight on my side, consider your pets safe."

 

He turned away irritably, walking back to the rest of the group. After a few steps he paused and turned back to her. "And Doctor--if you ever grow bored with your little toy and feel like giving him away, do come to me first? It'd be such a shame to let such a brave little body go to waste."

Edited September 20, 2014 by Kobold King

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Nothing about Lightwards suggested he would take the news well. From what blessed little he knew of the man, Nathan could tell that he could not expect a genuine smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder. 

 

He smiled, certainly. But there was nothing friendly about it. 

 

"Well," he hissed, like the raptors that joined him. "You're not an Epic. You're a pet, like those idiots your mistress pulled out of the crowd yesterday. A pet with a death wish."

 

Nathan said nothing. Epic tempers were like hurricanes, and as long as Funtimes was there, he would remain in the eye. He could watch the fury swirl around him, see the rain hammer against the ground, and not be swept away. He had Funtimes. Lightwards wouldn't dare touch him so long as Funtimes was there. 

 

He turned that icy grin on her. "Since I so value your honesty, I won't kill this little imbecile. But under the circumstances, I hope you'll excuse me if I take a small liberty..."

 

Lightwards' fist struck his stomach, driving the wind from his lungs and sending him back against a tree. Pain shot through his skull as it struck, shaking the leaves slightly.

 

"I'll keep your little secret, Doctor. So long as you fight on my side, consider your pets safe."

 

Nathan leaned against the bark, using it to hold himself up, he couldn't collapse, not now, he couldn't show weakness—

 

A strong arm looped through his, and Remington Springfield helped him stay upright.

 

"And Doctor--if you ever grow bored with your little toy and feel like giving him away, do come to me first? It'd be such a shame to let such a brave little body go to waste."

 

Nathan drew air in small sips through the pain—and saw Lightwards frozen where he was. Something black and shiny covered his feet where his shoes had been. 

 

Doctor Funtimes walked toward him slowly, her smile gone and a scowl in its place. "You like dead things, so I thought you'd like being in a tar pit. Like the dead things they brought here for you to find. And it's not just your shoes—I got the dirt, too." 

 

She circled him, her lips pursed in displeasure. Nathan tried to stand, stumbled, and leaned on Remington for support. 

 

"You want me to put it back, and I'll put it back when I want to. Right now, I want you to listen to me." 

 

"She don't usually talk like this, does she?" Remington whispered. 

 

Nathan shook his head. Not even when she had covered Lightwards in gasoline had she sounded so…lucid. So deliberate. So intent on using simple words that she made each and every one of them a threat. 

 

She stood on tiptoe, grabbed Lightwards' collar, and tugged him down until his face was level with hers. "I. Kissed. Him. Kissing does not mean pet. Kissing means boyfriend. If you hurt my boyfriend, you might as well find your weakness and shoot yourself, because I will make every death so awful you'll wish the Great Noodly One picked someone else instead of you. Capice?" 

 

Doctor Funtimes shook him for good measure, her nose inches from his, and pointed to Sam, the Unicyclist, and Revolution, casting a pointed glance at Remington. "And them? They are not pets. They are friends. Friends are not for hurting, either. If you do, you will die so many times you'll forget you were ever alive." 

 

She released his collar, shoving him backward at the same moment she re-transformed the tar. A barefoot Lightwards fell to the floor, and the same sinister smile she'd worn during the gasoline incident spread across her face. 

 

"I don't hurt my friends, Lightwards. I give them things. Good things. This museum is a good thing. This jungle is a good thing. I like to give good things….to my friends." 

 

Funtimes' smile widened, and she placed her hands on her hips. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to think about it: are. you. my. friend?" 

 

-----------------------------------------

 

"You now have given me no reason to keep you alive." He resumed his seat in the mech. "So how about you stop what you are doing, or I'll turn you into a smear of dust?  And if you want to find out what Corpsemaker did, why don't you try this on him."  

 

His smirk was forced. Quota knew not from the smirk itself, but from the rush of anger blending with his fear. 

 

Quota's smirk, on the other hand, was real. He didn't fancy being murdered by a mech, but feeling hope crumble to dust always put a smile on his face. "You want to impress him, don't you? So, keep me alive and do it, or kill me and let him find out on his own. See how happy that makes him." 

Edited September 20, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Mailliw73]

Flashpoint and Panacea continued in silence as both thought about Scorch. Flashpoint led her down the last hallway to the infirmary, holding the door open for her. "The infirmary, Miss Panacea," he said with a mock bow. The infirmary was a couple of old classrooms with the walls taken out to make it into one big room. There were chairs from what had once been a dentist's office in Thoughttown that had been moved here. There were a couple of doctors and a few nurses. They had been hospital workers at the main hospital in Portland who lived in the area which became Thoughttown.

There wasn't the full supplies that should exist in a hospital. Altermind wanted his guards in fighting condition, but most never got badly injured. There were lots of bandages and antiseptic. There were some ice packs, a couple IVs, and a lot of pain medication. If needed, Altermind could always send for guards to ransack a hospital for more.

"Sir, there's someone here for you. He says he's from Corpsemaker and he won't talk to anyone but you. I think he's an Epic. Our guns jammed when we raised them and our belts broke," the Eastern gate captain reported over Altermind's mobile.

Telling Strongsteel to keep up his work and assigning a guard to escort Mare to her quarters, Altermind headed back the short distance to the East Gate. When he arrived, there was a man standing outside the gate. He held a box and was looking contemptuously at the guards. Altermind strode up, casting a hallucination a few feet to the left.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Why are you bothering my guards?" The man just held out his package and as Altermind's hallucination appeared to take it, but it was Altermind's telekinesis, the Epic grinned and walked away. Altermind was suspicious, so he used his powers to open the box from a distance. No explosion went off. Nothing happened as far as he could see. He approached cautiously, and glanced away quickly.

He told his guards to burn it, but to do so from a distance. The package had disturbed him greatly. So far as he knew, Corpsemaker didn't have any illusionists in his employ so the package had to be real. The man was brutal and unforgiving. Altermind had so many mixed feelings about the box. Corpsemaker had shown his power, saying that he didn't need more workers. He had shown his ruthlessness. Altermind felt remorse at the loss of someone he had known for a long time, but at the same time, pleasure at what happened to those who abandoned him. He did regret though, that he hadn't been the one to kill Scorch. The head of the impulsive fire Epic, sitting in a nondescript box, would stare up lifelessly at him in his dreams.

[Kobold King]

 

When Lightwards had first become an Epic, years ago in Sacramento, he'd heard a voice in his head.

 

It was a quiet voice, a curious whisper in the back of his skull. It had said "Lightwards, why are you hiding? Why aren't you fixing what's so clearly broken?"

 

To the lonely and terrified Thomas Cardinal, it had seemed like the voice of God--or the decree of Calamity. In that moment, he realized the weakness that had dominated his past. He knew how to move forward.

 

He was still terrified. His feet sank into tar, and so did his confidence from just before. But he held on to that voice from long ago--the voice that had given him his mission.

 

Funtimes had fixed him with a sinister glare and had grabbed him by the collar. He forced himself to meet her cold eyes.

 

She didn't like herself at all. There was no glimmer of mischief; there was no amiable smile on her lips. On Funtimes' face was a look of unrivaled contempt and fury. It was not the face of a pouting toddler--it was the face of an enraged Epic in all her glory. She looked, more than anything else, like Möbius.

 

Lightwards gritted his teeth as his rival leaned closer to him, her hands still firmly gripped around his collar. "I. Kissed. Him. Kissing does not mean pet. Kissing means boyfriend. If you hurt my boyfriend, you might as well find your weakness and shoot yourself, because I will make every death so awful you'll wish the Great Noodly One picked someone else instead of you. Capice?" 

 

He almost responded before she shook him, making him trail off with a loose curse. "And them?" Funtimes continued, gesturing to the other vanillas. "They are not pets. They are friends. Friends are not for hurting, either. If you do, you will die so many times you'll forget you were ever alive." 

 

She shoved him backwards as she reformed the soil, causing Lightwards to hit the ground with a thud. Funtimes loomed over him, still looking menacing. "I don't hurt my friends, Lightwards. I give them things. Good things. This museum is a good thing. This jungle is a good thing. I like to give good things….to my friends." 

 

The look of fury still stretched across her face, but now it shared space with a wicked smile. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to think about it: are. you. my. friend?" 

 

Lightwards pulled himself to his feet, using a raptor that had walked nearby as a support. Across the clearing and behind Funtimes, he saw her pet redneck helping Traveler to his feet.

 

He took a few shaky steps on firm ground before meeting Funtimes' icy gaze. He hated this woman with a fury that surpassed all else in the universe. He wanted nothing more than to spit in her face, to have his raptors descend upon her vanillas and rip them to shreds. He wanted to see her writhing in agony, pleading for mercy.

 

Instead, he thought of his mission. That was more important than hatred--if just barely.

 

So he smiled, giving his cold stare as he did so. "We're friends, Doctor Funtimes. We made a pact after all, back at the Sadry residence: we will together reshape the world in our image."

 

He shook himself, suppressing the fury he felt rising to consume him. "I won't touch any of your p--ah, friends, so long as we fight on the same side."

 

He turned around and determinedly began a march back towards Sightline and Voidgaze. He was startled to bump into Simon Regway, who dully stood in the path with a blank expression.

 

The Warrior held out a pair of sneakers to him. Lightwards frowned at the zombie before taking them, scraping some of the stickier tar off his feet before slipping them on.

 

"Let us head back to our guests," he called back to his glittery assailant. "It's not polite to keep them waiting while we... settle our differences."

[Fatebreaker]

(Well, here I go. Time to take the plunge...)

 

     An old man dressed in a black suit with a tall top hat walked down the street, a kid in a black hoodie walking next to him. His cold, hard eyes swept the street as the kid whistled an old tune. They slowed to a stop and the kid took in his surroundings. "So this is Portland. Kind of a dreary place, wouldn't you say Pops?" He looked up to his grandfather, who merely continued surveying the area. Max jabbered on,"According to that guy I Met, there's been a ton of Epic activity. Lots of faction war stuff, alliances and that sort of thing. Are we gonna join a faction Pops?" "Don't know. Doubt it. It's asking for trouble, choosing sides. Epics are petty and you can't trust 'em," He scowled at the street, "any of them."
 

Max laughed, "But Pops, we're Epics. Besides, according to my Meeting one of them can make dinosaurs come back to life! How awesome is that?! I'd even say it," he giggled hysterically, "epic." he collapsed in a fit of laughter at his pun, admiring his wit. The Old man's scowl softened, albeit imperceptibly, as he looked at his grandson. Then he looked to the floating building in the sky.

 

There were powerful Epics here. But he knew how to deal with Epics. His years spent in gangs had taught him much. Give a man some power, be that a gun or the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes, and it went straight to their head. They often became both overconfident and insecure, making it not difficult to predict their actions and decisions. He could use them, "join" one to gain a little more protection for Max. He would watch his step, but the others had better do the same.

 

He reached down and lifted his grandson to his feet. "Alright, we'll see about some dinosaurs then. But keep your eyes open and your wits about you." Max grinned and gave his grandfather a salute' "Sure thing Pops!' Then he turned and headed off down the street. "Let's go see Portland!"

Edited September 20, 2014 by Fatebreaker

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Koschei. 

 

That was the only name, the only word, the only thing on Remington's mind. He'd suspected it for a while. Believed it from the moment he saw a kind old man slashed to ribbons on a merry-go-round. But now, with Traveler still getting his wind back and Funtimes missing her smile, he knew. Lightwards was just like Koschei. 

 

It wasn't a punch to the stomach that told him that. From the way he pulled himself to his feet, the way he looked at Lightwards without a trace of anger, Remington suspected Traveler had been punched by Epics so often he'd stopped noticing. Stopped registering it as assault. Stopped thinking he deserved better. 

 

No, Traveler would recover from a punch, and that was hardly the worst thing Lightwards could do to him. But it was the way that necromancer looked at him, his eyes narrowed and lit from within like one of his raptors', the cold smile he turned on the woman who had just threatened every one of his lives, that gave it away. Lightwards, the self-proclaimed Victor over Death, was cut from the same cloth as Koschei the Deathless. The same Epic who had stolen his wife and parents and siblings, who would shoot an infant without a hint of remorse. 

 

Who had fancied himself Oregon's Steelheart. 

 

"We're friends, Doctor Funtimes. We made a pact after all, back at the Sadry residence: we will together reshape the world in our image." 

 

Sadry? Remington wanted to tackle him, pin him to the jungle floor by the throat until he confessed his sins against his in-laws and paid for them in full. Whatever Lightwards had done at their home, he most certainly had not left them alive. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. 

 

"I won't touch any of your p--ah, friends, so long as we fight on the same side."

 

He clung to that anger. Imagined venting it on that fool of an Epic. It kept him from wondering how many times Tom and Mary had died.

 

Another Warrior bumped into Lightwards, offering him a pair of sneakers. To his mild dismay, Funtimes did not turn them to snakes. 

 

Tom. Mary. How many times had they been shot or ripped to pieces? How long had their eyes been filled with the same blank subservience as the man who offered his murderer a pair of clean shoes? 

 

Lightwards pulled them on, still glaring, stamped into them, and turned to go with a determined air. "Let us head back to our guests," he called over his shoulder. "It's not polite to keep them waiting while we... settle our differences."

 

Funtimes did not follow immediately. She marched over to Remington and Traveler, tipped the latter's chin, and kissed him on the mouth. Giving a pointed glance to Remington's black eye, she addressed him next. 

 

"What did you find out when he asked you to teach him to shoot?" 

 

"Same thing I reckon that fool Lightwards found out now." 

 

She smiled, took both their arms, and teleported them to where Sam and Revolution waited beside the Unicyclist. 

 

"He's hurt," she told them. 

 

"I'm fine, Doctor." 

 

Funtimes ignored his protest as she waved a hand over a few scattered rocks. An assortment of grenades and small bombs appeared. "If Lightwards tries anything, you kill him. Okay?" 

 

​"Doctor—sweetie. I'm fine. Really." 

 

She scowled at him. "He hit you. Lightwards hit you." 

 

​"And I'm still standing. I—" 

 

"He's not allowed to hit you. Any of you." The argument over, she turned on her heel and marched back toward Sightline and Voidgaze. Remington followed. 

 

"Don't mind if I tag along?" 

 

She stopped in her tracks and pulled him behind a tree, out of Lightwards' sight, her dark eyes searching his. From the glint, he figured she liked what she found. "You knew the Sadrys," she whispered.  

 

The name brought another rush of fury. "My in-laws." 

 

"He killed them." 

 

"Figured as much." 

 

With a wave of her hand, a rock became another box of ammunition. Remington added it to the bullets he already carried. She knew his hatred and wanted him armed to the moment he acted on it.  

 

There was so much he wanted to ask her in that moment, but they had a meeting with two strange Epics and an impatient necromancer. An impatient necromancer who, like Koschei, would not hesitate to kill. Even if he had no reason. Even if he had every reason not to. So he adjusted the shoulder strap on his 30-06, gave her a curt nod, and followed her to the meeting. 

 

Lightwards was just like Koschei. He had power. He had a way to cheat death. And he had the means to make people his slaves. But he had something else, something Koschei had never found. 

 

An Epic nemesis. 

Edited September 20, 2014 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[A Joe in the Bush]

Sightline watched as the Traveller teleported Funtimes and Lightwards away from the group. That was a powerful teleport. He could teleport multiple people, as well as whatever was touching them, yet exclude what he didn't want to teleport. There was the distinct possibility that if he practiced, he could teleport people without touching them.

 

He itched to go and listen in, but the others here would probably notice, so he Simply waited for them to return.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Murphy looked around. He was lost again. He'd stumbled upon Thoughtown mostly by accident, but now, he couldn't quite figure out how to get back. This was exactly why he usually hung out with Streetwise. That guy never got lost. Not physically anyway.

 

When he came to an Intersection, he simply turned right. There wasn't any point in thinking about which way to go. He knew he was in CorpseMaker's Territory, due to the patrols of soldiers and the lack of Civilians. But he didn't know where the Armory was. He was probably past it by now. It was pretty close to Altermind's border. Altermind, no body had noticed, except for Murphy. But when he gave the bag to the guy, just for a split second, he'd disappeared, and somebody else had appeared further away. He hadn't gotten a good look at the illusionist, but he was definitely an Illusionist, like CorpseMaker said.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Gordon stared at the monitors. 6 US Soldiers. All heavily armed. All cautiously moving towards the church from different Angles. there was a 7th, who hung back, looking around with binoculars. He, Gordon recognized. One of CorpseMaker's officers.

 

"Alright, Max was it? The first group of people I want you to take out are these 7. Then I can hook you up with the Reckoners." As he talked, he pulled another rifle out from behind one of his Cabinets. This Rifle was actually loaded. A Remington 700 Platnium. "Kyle, there are shotguns and grenades in the Stariwell closet. If you'd come with me, I need to go upstairs. Max, where will you be?"

[Fatebreaker]

They had been walking for a while when The Sandman noticed the rats. There were hordes of them, running from something.

Sandman looked up at his grandfather with a mischievous grin, "It's an Epic! Maybe he works for the dino guy let's go see!" He tore off down the street following the rats.

 

Black sighed. Haste was a good way to get killed. He had trained the boy better than this. He followed at a brisk pace, rounding the corner a moment after his grandson. The boy was staring at the ruble of a house which was over run by swarming rats. They were fleeing a female Epic, who was standing above the wreckage. She did not appear to be in a good mood.A white sphere was shrinking in her hand as she healed from wounds that she appeared to have suffered recently. probably during the battle that had leveled the house. It was probably best to leave quietly and try to avoid...

 

"Hey, you! Are you the Dino-Epic?"

 

Great. So much for the elements of stealth or surprise. The boy would be receiving much more training after this. Much more.

[Tulir]

"Hey, you! Are you the Dino-Epic?"

 

Parity had been watching the rats flee, and waiting for her leg to fully mend, when she heard the kid's voice.  Completely disregarding the slight twinges of pain she felt from her leg, Parity dashed over to the pile of rubble and spun around.  Eyeing the man in the suit and the kid, she tossed away the white sphere, which dissipated after hitting the ground, she reached backwards and drained two pieces of rubble, one to black and one to white.  

 

"The Dino-Epic?  I have not heard of anyone called that.  I would now advise you to speak up and explain why you felt the need to sneak up on me, and say why quickly."  Parity almost snarled the last part, feeling the anger that the rat-controller sparked flare up.

[Fatebreaker]

"The Dino-Epic?  I have not heard of anyone called that.  I would now advise you to speak up and explain why you felt the need to sneak up on me, and say why quickly." 

 

Black felt the rage rise within him. This epic had threatened Max. She would regret that very quickly. However he kept his rage in

check and instead analyzed his opponent. The white orb seemed to be healing related and he assumed the black orb she held now was destructive. She was just healing, so she probably wasn't invulnerable.

Now if he could get Max to remember his training this wouldn't...

 

"Ooh. temper, temper. You should work on that. So you're not Lightwards? Bummer."

 

I'm going to kill that boy.

 

"Maximillian! Walk over here now." Black's voice was deep and gravely, and sounded anything but amused.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Fatebreaker

[Mailliw73]

Chi wiped the blood off of his blade, still furious at Voidknight for killing his Chimerans. SoulSwitch, in the griffin's body, landed next to him and reverted back to his human state. "Well, that was exciting. Who did you piss off? I thought you were supposed to be a noncombatant?" SoulSwitch said.

"I have no idea why that man chose me to come and fight. I haven't left the zoo's boundaries for the past month or so. I only sell some of my Chimerans and I sell those impartially," Chimera responded. "Thank you for your help, SoulSwitch. As a reward for your help, this griffin is yours. You helped protect me and my creatures and I owe you. His name is Tyncles. He is yours to use as you wish. Please do not leave this one to die. He is a noble creature." Chi stuck his hand out to shake Soulswitch's.

"Alright, Max was it? The first group of people I want you to take out are these 7. Then I can hook you up with the Reckoners." Gordon said. Max nodded. Six soldiers with somewhat outdated uniforms, moving almost robotically, and one in a modern uniform who seemed to be the leader. As Gordon talked, he pulled another rifle out from behind one of his cabinets. "Kyle, there are shotguns and grenades in the stairwell closet. If you'd come with me, I need to go upstairs. Max, where will you be?"

"I'll take the northwest window here," Max said. That was where he'd be able to target three soldiers at once. "I'll rotate to the south, once they're taken care of. You two cover the north and east. Do you want the leader for questioning?" Max moved towards the window as the other two headed for the stairs. Leaning against the wall, he breathed in and shot the window out. The shattered glass flew as he took aim and dropped the first soldier with a bullet to the neck. The surprise of the broken window wore off and return fire flew back. Max crawled under the windowsill to the other side. Standing up, he shot two bullets for the left most soldier. He fell, dead, from the burst of bullets. That left only the center soldier.

Max ducked as shotgun shells flew into the room. One piece of shrapnel hit him in the left shoulder. He cried out and jumped up to the left, shooting both handguns out the window. One bullet flew into the air past the soldier and the other took him in the elbow. One more shot finished him off. Max ripped a piece of his shirt and used it to bandage his shoulder as he went to the next room. Edited September 21, 2014 by Mailliw73

[A Joe in the Bush]

"Only if it's Convenient. I don't want any of us dying just to get Him." Max hurried out of the room. "Alright then Kyle, lets get upstairs." He hurried down the hall, until he got to a steel door. He pushed open revealing his mini Armory, as well as the stairwell leading to the roof.

 

Kyle's jaw dropped. He slowly spun around, looking at everything. "How, where did you get this many weapons?" There were a good 5o various weapons in there. Mainly shotguns, but also concealed carry pistols and a few more rifles.

 

"Gordon climbed up the stairs, and unlocked the grate at the top. "One of my first jobs was for the late Commander. I put him in touch with a nice lady who made toys, and as payment, he gave me enough weaponry to arm a platoon. Also, you're going to have to stay here. I don't have an Elevator."

 

Kyle nodded slowly, while caressing one of the shotguns. "If I'd had one of these babies, That cremling Nighthound never would have gotten me."

 

Gordon Opened the trap door on the top of the roof, and crawled out. He could hear gunfire from where Max should be, so he crawled over to the North-Eastern Corner, where he could see Max and the soldiers. Max had already killed two of his, and was engaging the Third. Gordon's three were carefully sidling around the corner towards Max. Gordon brought his gun up to his eye, took sight, breathed in, and fired three times in rapid succession. The first man went down. Gordon switched to the second one, but they had seen him. He pulled off a shot, then rolled to the left, dodging their presumed return Fire. Unsupported Snipers often went down that way.

 

Two Shotgun blasts. What? Kyle? Gordon went up to one knee, where he could see the men. Kyle's chair was flipped over, but the two soldiers were dead. "Kyle, you okay?"

 

An arm reached up from the other side of the wheel chair. "the kick on these things are great. Mind If I keep this?" He called up.

 

"Sure." Gordon looked around again, Max had killed is three, that made all 6. Where was the officer? Running away. that's where.

 

"Max! the Soldiers are all down, and the Officer is running north. Try and-" The officer reached a motorbike, and swung himself on to it. The bike transformed, changing into a small Mech suit that looked suspiciously like Wheeljack. He continued North, at a much Faster pace.

 

"Yeah nevermind."

 

Kyle waved another Arm "I want one. I really really want one."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

CorpseMaker turned, as Electro walked into the room. following behind him was a sharp little man. Either Leech or Upgrade. Presumably.

 

"You're back good. And you brought someone. Even better. Congratulations on your promotion. You're being elevated to Second in command. Scorch got himself killed yesterday. Now then, who's the knife?"

[Edgedancer]

After Voidgaze apologized to Lightwards he tried to reassure her that she wasn´t being threatened, which wasn´t all that effective given what just happened but it´s the thought that counts. He walked over to Funtimes, most likely trying to settle the situation. Then they teleported away, so are they going to tell him the truth?

 

How bad could Lightwards reaction be? He didn´t seem like the type of person that would fly into a murderous rage but they most likely did have some kind of reason not to tell him the truth in the first place. Just telling him a lie for the sake of it would have been pretty rude.

 

It took them a while but she could see Lightwards return to them out of the foliage. “Welcome back. I hope you had a nice chat.”

                                        

 

Nighthound told the others to wait outside the building. It took him long enough but they returned to the place he left Ray and the Carnotaurus. Everything was as it should be, a delicious red head tied to a chair, scowling at him, a bloody crust on her ear complimenting her looks and a big dinosaur keeping watch over her.

 

With a gesture he dismissed the dinosaur, which trotted over to the wall, and sauntered towards his pet. One he reached her he sat down on her lap bringing both of them face to face. “Did you miss me, dear?”

Ray spit him in the face. “Not in the slightest.”

 

Giving a slight chuckle, Nighthound removed her restraints. She punched him or at least tried to. He caught her fist and pressed against it to force it open, settling for one of her slender fingers he put it in his mouth. Shortly thereafter an energy lance pierced the back of his skull, causing black mist to trail out of the hole and blood flowing down her finger.

 

Sparks, he wanted to break her. He shouldn´t that would just spoil her but a little bit would-

“Weren´t you the one always arguing against me keeping pets?” a familiar female voice said behind him.

 

Nighthound jumped from the chair and turned towards her and indeed there stood his sister, not wearing one of the dresses he would expect from her but covering herself in diamond plates, so his clothes weren´t the only ones cursed. More importantly there was also diamonds where her right arm used to be. That´s how she dealt with it then.

 

Both of them walked towards each other, seemingly relaxed. “Yes, it seems that I matured a bit. Anyway, it´s nice to see you came so fast.”

Tossing a bit of her hair over her shoulder, a few gems in her hair glittering, she replied, “Oh, I wouldn´t want to miss this.” Lucentia´s diamond arm shot foreward and ripped through Nighthound´s stomach.

[Kobold King]

 

Lightwards strode back into the presence of his guests, with Funtimes and the redneck trailing close behind him. Sightline was characteristically untalkative, but Voidgaze greeted him.

 

“Welcome back," she said. "I hope you had a nice chat.”

 

Lightwards sniffed, but forced himself to smile. "Of course. My sincere apologies for keeping the pair of you waiting."

 

He examined the pair of Epics for a moment before continuing. "Now, if you'll excuse me, back to business. I should like to meet with your leader at the earliest possible opportunity. Do you happen to know when Altermind will next be available for a strategic council?"

 

 

 

 

Funtimes and Traveler suddenly teleported nearby. 

 

"He's hurt," Funtimes told them,. 

 

"I'm fine, Doctor," Traveler was protesting. Sam didn't pay attention to him--she was too busy staring at Funtimes.

 

Every bit of mirth and joy was gone from her face. Her face was a scowl, and the childlike enthusiasm that made her somewhat endearing was gone.

 

She looked like an Epic.

 

The Doctor raised her hand, causing a number of rocks to swirl together and become bombs and grenades. "If Lightwards tries anything, you kill him. Okay?" 

 

Sam didn't reply and Revolution frowned. Funtimes briefly argued with Traveler before following Lightwards back to the other Epics. Unexpectedly, Remington decided to follow her.

 

"So," Revolution said slowly as they left. "Who wants to be that she turned an article of Lightwards' clothing into something unpleasant?"

 

Sam raised her hand. "I'll take that bet. And I'll add that his face turned red again when she did it."

 

 

    

 

"This is the place?" Impact asked skeptically, staring at the run-down residence just ahead.

 

"Worst. Lair. Ever," MV proclaimed, shooting Backtrack a glare.

 

Backtrack grinned, putting his hands in his pockets. "No worries, ladies. This is just where his recruiter is at the moment."

 

What he didn't say was "If you bimbos had looked at the sky once since yesterday, you'd already know where it was." But he supposed they had no reason to associate the floating fortress in the clouds with a necromancer they'd never heard of.

 

He walked up to the front door, which appeared to have had its front lock forcibly removed without damaging the surrounding wood. Backtrack frowned, using his power to peak about an hour into the past. He saw a tall female Epic in a civilized dress teleport the lock out of it socket before barging into the home.

 

Still somewhat in the dark as to what this was all about, he stepped into her shoes.

 

It was a part of his power he liked toying with, but in this case it made his head swim a little more than made him comfortable. When he looked at the history of a place, he could choose to hear the thoughts of people who had proceeded him. In this woman's case, those thoughts were a touch too unconventional for comfort.

 

He gritted his teeth and took the plunge into her mind, finding that her name was Saccharine and that she was looking for her husband. That would be "Jeffy," who based on her mental image of the man was the same as Purple Phoenix and Penumbra. Fascinating.

 

"Right then, ladies," he told the twins. "Just follow my lead."

 

He threw open the door and stepped in.

 

"Hello shabby little shack!" he bellowed into the building. "Backtrack and friends are in the house!"

 

"We're not friends," Impact muttered irritably. Backtrack just grinned at her.

 

"I'd hate to be friendzoned so quickly. Let's head to the kitchen."

 

Sidestepping a pair of well-aimed kicks from the twins, he strode into what had to be the only Epic tea party in Portland.