Voidus

Her beak drew over the creature in a blur of motion, the two halves snapping closed, but it had managed to dodge to one side at the last minute, avoiding being swallowed into her fiery gullet. Then, to layer indignity on top of insult the human landed on her back, began rifling through her feathers. What is it doing? This is not how it should fight! She felt something lodged in her body shift as the human grabbed it and felt a cold shiver down her otherwise burning hot body. She could feel a piece of herself in that spike, and then she felt that piece get ripped out of her body as the human flew away with its stolen place. She hovered in place for a moment, unable to believe what had just happened, but this opening had allowed yet another human to land on her back and pulling a second piece of her free. A single heartbeat of pure silence before she opened her maw again and let out a another tremendous screech, the air shimmered from the heat of it as for the second time that night the city shook under the weight of her fury. She pushed some light into the one still crawling on her back, increasing the strength of his pull towards the ground 30 fold and then tilted her body upwards, letting him slide off of her. She soared skyward, letting the wounds where the spikes had been close shut. The storm buffeted her body as she flew, trying to force her along a path of its choosing. A low growl emitted from her as she steeled herself. Increasing her on weight to make herself more stable she moved through the storm, witnessing the chaos within. Fragments of building and broken boulders were picked up and carried through the air, a few smashed into her body, breaking bones a tearing flesh. But she healed herself faster than they could rip into her. As a particularly large boulder slammed into her left wing joint she realized something, a wicked grin spreading across her face. This storm was not an enemy. It was an ally. She hovered within, struggling to maintain a stationary position in the midst of the storm, and burned. She ignited flying pieces of wood and superheated boulders, she lashed anything that touched her back down towards the city. Where didn't matter, only that it might crush those who had dared bring harm to her. The center of the storm began to glow a dark orange as hundreds of flaming stones fell from within, slamming into the city and wreaking chaos wherever they fell.

@BitBitio

The small creature lunged at her with two blades held aloft, his speed carried him directly into her left wing on an upbeat, one blade made of metal-that-wasn't, another made directly of bone. The metal that wasn't slid into her flesh slowly as the power coursing within her resisted it. She felt it tearing at that power, cutting not flesh but the spirit itself. The blade of bone followed after, carving a more physical wound that followed after the slash of spiritual damage. Her resistance prevented it from carving all the way through the wing before she caught the human on her downbeat, flinging him away from her flesh. But the feathers along the outside half of her wing had dulled from vibrant orange to a dull grey. Her flight was thrown off balance as some of her muscles no longer responded and blood began dripping down the feathery limb from the gash that the sword of bone had inflicted. Losing altitude she glared up at the human with renewed hatred. She pulled at the storm inside her, forcing it through the grey and lifeless limb. Flesh knitted shut, feathers returned to their former, vibrant colours. Flames burst forth over her wing again. With one more flap, she propelled herself after the human, engulfed herself in a shroud of fire, and stretched her talons out in front, preparing herself to attack with full force.

Her enemy was gone, incinerated by her fire. It hadn't quelled her anger, her frustration at these tiny creatures that kept trying to attack her and her Kindred. She still hadn't heard anything from any of her creators, but if they wanted her to stop they would have let her know by now. Satisfied with her conclusions, the Phoenix rose into the sky once more, unleashing flames on those beneath her, crushing buildings where they hid. Her kindred rallied around her, following behind and cleaning up any who still lived after she swept through. An small figure came flying towards her, it flew through the host that was following her, carving a path of bodies, and began yelling something at her again. Words. Words. Words! Is that all these things do? Her eyes blazed with renewed frustration. Didn't any of these creatures understand a fight? She might screech her fury but she didn't speak with those who faced her, she wouldn't dishonor them so. If one had the courage to stand up to her she would not try to shake that conviction. She would face this one head on, as with the enemy. She halted her flight, holding herself in place with heavy wingbeats. Twisting to face the figure as it approached her. With one particularly heavy beat of her wings, she sent a wall of superheated air towards it, igniting a wooden tower that lay between the two and charring the corpses that lay on the ground.

Todays my last day of work before I get three weeks of leave so hopefully I can get my OCD on and start contributing more actively soon.

Soaring over the wreckage of the skyscraper, the Phoenix kept her eyes to the ground, moving constantly to find her enemy. Even now she could still feel a faint pull on her minds, though whether this was a supernatural ability or her own emotions was unclear. A few times she spotted him amid a horde of her kindred, but as soon as his figure appeared it was gone, leaving only destruction behind him. A few of her kindred were holding themselves together, either through healing or sheer hardiness and determination. But when she looked at them, she saw the wounds created by the enemy, an unsightly, horrible reminder that he yet lived. She sent a scorching wind through the alley, igniting it and destroying the bodies both the living and dead of what remained there. She launched herself skyward again, old hunting instincts kicking back in as she sought her quarry. She needed height to see, to spot some kind of track. More and more of her kindred gathered in the area, other creatures with strange, alien powers came too but they were no kindred of hers, they were something else entirely. Finally, she saw him. The hated one. In a place where creatures gathered thickest, a whirling tempest of wind, blade and power. She dove. The combined force of weight, enhanced speed and light-enhanced gravity accelerated her to tremendous speeds as she slammed into the ground like a falling star. Wings ablaze with fire, eyes ablaze with hatred she faced him. Lowering her head to the ground to see him better, she watched the enemy speak in one of the human tongues. Asking her something. She ignored it, this was life, not a time for talking. This was a time for screaming, for roaring victory or pain, for rending with talon or searing with flame. This was a time for the enemy to die. She sucked in the cold air of the alley, felt it warm, turning to fire within her lungs, and unleashed it in a tremendous screech that shattered windows and shook buildings. The storm within her calmed for a moment as she collected herself, not releasing her hatred, merely holding onto it temporarily. The eye of the storm. You will die well. She thought to the enemy, both eyes fixed on his, giving him one last moment before she unleashed a furnace of flame and fury.

The Phoenix glided slowly towards the tall, angular structure. She took her time, enjoying her freedom from the cave, the wind beneath her wings, the flames above her feathers. She exhilirated in the feeling of life, amplified even further by the dark storm she held within. Something tugged at her. Pulling at her mind and soul, urging her on, drawing her towards the building, stoking the storm inside her to a frenzy. She blinked her amber eyes, shifting their focus from the air above to the building below. Expression changing from fierce predation to raw, boiling hatred. The hunk of earth and rock within her talons began to softly grow a dull orange, waves of heat roiled off it, shimmering in the air. She clutched it tighter still, sending a few chips to the ground below, and began feeding light into it. Within an instant it was almost too much for her to hold but she used a little extra light on herself, pulling in the opposite direction to balance it out. Finally, she grew close enough to see a small figure at the very peak of the building, the source of her burning fury. This was no longer simple prey. This was something else. Enemy. She released her grip on the boulder, the edges had begun to liquefy under the heat and the core glowed with a cheery orange hue. With the speed of a cannon the boulder flew from her talons, its acceleration magnified many times beyond anything in nature. It flew towards the base of the skyscraper, instantly obliterating the lower quarter of the building, and with it some of her Kindred. But the Pheonix paid them no mind, it wanted to topple this building bring this hated enemy to the ground and show it that the skies belonged to her. The building began to tilt, the supports incinerated and crushed by the falling ball of fire and earth. She descended, following it as it began toppling to the ground, and screeched at her enemy in a burst of searing heat.

Above the text entry field there's an icon that looks like an eye, clicking that generates a spoiler box.* *By generating a spoiler box you agree to swear your immortal soul to the Dark Alley for whatever experimentation they require, without restriction. Usual DA disclaimer applies.

The Phoenix lifted one bleary eyelid up, a dim light began filtering in. It could see the dark interior of the cave it nested in, bones litering the floor underneath it. It could see a small flicker of lightning from outside. But that was not what had awoken it. Something outside, something in the strange place where the ground rose up into strange, angular shapes and humans walked in inconceivable numbers. It could sense creatures there, creatures that were strange but also kindred in some way, they were weaker than her, but still kindred. Kindred that served the same master the Phoenix did. Standing up, it briefly stuck its beak into the fiery red feathers near its wing joint, cleaning them before it began shuffling towards the entrance to its cave. Some of the brittle bones cracking beneath its feet. It made itself lighter, pushing the weight from itself into one of the pieces of metal embedded in its flesh, and its movement became silent. Peering outside it could see huge numbers of humans and other creatures, both inside the city and outside of it. Some humans were fighting the creatures, others were fighting other humans. But humans never did anything that made sense, even the ones who had created the Phoenix were incomprehensible. Maybe even more so than the rest. The Phoenix saw one particularly tall section of the city, it almost seemed like a mountain but the edges were too sheer, its shape too narrow and square. Skyscraper she'd heard it called, though she flew far higher than it and even she hadn't scraped the sky yet. But the skyscraper seemed to be a center of activity, she could feel a few of her kindred gathering there, chasing something. Prey. She decided that it would be better to see it up close, but felt a conflict arise. Her creators had told her she should defend the city if it was under attack, but they'd also said they would call for her and they hadn't yet. But she was also hungry, and they'd told her she could eat. She was sure to find plenty of food at the skyscraper. Making her mind up, she shuffled noislessly back into the cave, reaching a small, dark, shiny rock in one corner and breathed in deeply, letting the black light from the rock flow into her, giving her life, energy, driving her to act. The Phoenix snapped her eyes back open again, trotted back towards the entrance to her cave and rushed out, unfurling her wings. She glided out and circled back around the mountain, moving towards the peak she dove down and gripped the mountain solidly with her talons. With one solid beat of her wings, she tore a chunk of the mountain free, clutching it within her claws. She used some of the dark light, making the piece of mountain lighter for the moment, but when the time came, she would make sure it was even heavier that it was before. With a cruel smile, the Phoenix glided towards the skyscraper, she shook her head in glee, gave a high pitched cry to the heavens and let the light inside her burst out. Every feather in her 100 foot wingspan burst alight in bright, orange flames.

Just realized that if Nighthound did come back then there'd be a Nighthound, Red and Neverthere reunion in the city. Curious as to what Red's reaction would be.

So anything Invested is going to take time and also extra effort, anything big is going to take time and also maybe more chromium than you would have.

Thanks to all who have contributed so far, just checked and there is an insane amount of content already up. Special thanks to MetaTerminal who I'm pretty sure is secretly some kind of evil wizard given how much they've gotten through, especially since they only just joined the Alleyverse. ALL OF THE UPVOTES!!!!

I think mathematically speaking I have negative artistic ability

Voidus watched as Rashan sprinted away, thankfully he'd waited until outside the field in order to start tapping steel and running in earnest. Seems like he found what he needed. Voidus thought, a smile touching his lips again as he remembered the look on Rashan's face. How long has it been since I was that motivated? That driven? Briefly, he lay one hand on the worldspike, patting it in an almost paternal manner before turning around and heading for the entrance himself. The barrier flashed red. The small entrance he had created slammed shut, creating a perfect dome once again that began to steadily intensify. "Alert level 4, all restrains upon entities identified as 'Eldritch' have been released." A monotonous female voice blared through the interior of the dome. Voidus stood before the barrier, stunned. He could no longer see the outside at all, the dome had become completely opaque. But if the voice could be believed, things were about to get very, very dire out there. And as long as this shield was up there was no way for anyone, even Voidus himself, to move through this barrier. Breaking it would leave it open until I can reseal it again, and if he gets out then it'll just make things worse. Voidus sat on the ground, put his hands on one knee as he brought it up to his chest. And waited.

I'm getting started on all the DAs creatures / abominations. Using a custom infobox but will probably update it over time.

Impact blinked in confusion for a moment. Laser vision? What on earth is he talking about? Nevertheless she played along, giving a coy smile. "Most people guess something to do with steel but I'll keep the answer to myself." The other Epic in the distance seemed well and truly subdued at this point. Another pretender, barely worth the powers that Calamity had bestowed on them. At least this speedster could avoid something like that with all likelihood. "As for why I'm here, my previous residence was unfortunately obliterated. I'm sure you've heard about what happened in Oregon. So I thought I'd investigate the local real estate."

Moved to cosmere discussion so spoilers are less of a problem

Rolling her eyes at the last comment, Impact watched the Epics mannerisms carefully. There would be some sign, some tell of his intentions. Crass male Epics were not a new experience for her, though she was glad that the most irritating she'd met had been destroyed along with the rest of Oregon. But while most of them meant at least part of what they said, a significant number also used it as a way to gauge other Epics, or hide their true intentions behind a facade. Too early to tell, not enough information. Speaking up again, Impact adopted a cocky smile of her own. "Yes, I've always lamented how depressingly stereotypical my abilities are. Why you know I think there's another Epic with the same exact powerset." She raised the pitch of her voice slightly, adopting a too-sweet tone. "Flight and impenetrable skin as you've already seen." Impact looked down and pushed the concrete under her foot, forming a crack in the pavement which quickly became a small crater. "Superhuman strength." Holding her arms to either side she began pushing on the air itself, creating a strong gust that tussled her hair and clothes. "Power over the winds." She raised her right hand before her face, regarding it carefully for a second before lowering it back down. "And a few others, but a girl must have her secrets."