posted
"Is this where the distress signal is coming from?" IB asked, scanning the area intently. "We haven't seen any living being yet, nor even any sign of life."
"A little bit over here," Lardy said, pointing to the side.
Suddenly, IB gave a little jump. The rest of the fellowship quickly flowed into combat stances, looking around warily.
"Sorry," IB said sheepishly. "Thought something was crawling on my arm. Must be my imagination - I don't think there are any flies or bugs around here."
"It's okay, pal. This is the kind of place that could give anyone the creeps." Goon Boy said.
"You sure you didn't actually feel anything?" Cobie asked.
"If I did, it's probably been fried by my light powers now."
Power Boy walked towards the plaque, a curious expression on his face. He quickly turned to the others. "Do any of you know anything about Ecumaopolis or Prianopolis?"
"I think this is hardly the time for a history lesson," Tempest said. "Let us stop tarrying and be on our way, and we can discuss these places later."
"I feel it's important, somehow." Power Boy said.
"Important and urgent are two different things," Tempest replied, not unkindly. "If this is indeed a trap, let us not increase its chances of claiming us."
Before Power Boy could speak again, Lardy cut in. "My armor's having trouble reading the signal. I think I can fix it, but it'll take a few minutes. We do have some time to at least share any information you might have."
Everyone looked at each other, as if to see if anyone in the group knew anything.
posted
As Cobalt Kid prepared to say something, he suddenly felt an immense pain shoot up through his head and explode out of his eyes and sinuses. He’d had headaches before but not quite like this. A stopped for a moment and then cleared the cobwebs, trying to ignore the pain. For a second he thought he might vomit, and he realized he’d broken out into a cold sweat. Am I getting sick?, he thought. Now would not be the time to get feverish. A second, more likely and more deadly reasoning also flashed through his mind. He turned to Goon Boy and said “Goonie, tell them about Prianopolis.”
Goon Boy nodded, though he realized it was odd for Cobalt not to take this opportunity to discuss the history of the Empire. Perhaps he realized Goon Boy knew it much better—still, Cobalt loved to talk history. “The Dark Oval is now five territories as you all know, with one additional ‘common territory’ in the middle for the General Elite Militia and other bureaucratic functions. There’s also always been rumors of yet another secret territory where the Dark Lord himself is, but I don’t know anything about that.” At that comment, they all looked to him with interest. “But it wasn’t always this way. The Dark Lord’s presence in this area of space has been a recurring part of its history, but before it was “The Dark Oval”, it was other things. About a thousand years ago, there was a great Empire here called Prianopolis. As the name suggests, it was based out of one specific city on one specific planet. I’ve luckily never had the luxury of going there, since most of the former empire is now overrun with bugs.”
“Prianopolis,” repeated Invisible Brainiac. “Then this planet we’re on, Ecumanopolis IX, was one of its conquered planets, a colony.” IB didn’t mind stating the obvious since it would get Goon Boy to continue.
“Correct,” said Goon Boy. “This whole area of space was colonized by Prianopolis. The borders aren’t exactly the same as the Dark Oval; for example, the Dominion was never conquered by Prianopolis, and as we know, its existed for tens of thousands of years, if not hundreds of thousands. But I suspect most the rest, before the Hyrkosians migrated here and such.”
Lard Lad smiled. “Goonie, you’re quite the history buff,” he said, surprised.
“Gotta find out something while I’m deep undercover here,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Prianopolis began as a shining beacon of civilization and progress but I’ve wondered if that is just propaganda. Ultimately it was known to be incredibly cruel and ruthless to not only the planets it colonized but its own citizenry. They had an Emperor who was supposedly an immortal but whether that’s true or just myth, I don’t know. He would delight in building up the city-state and then delight even more in tearing it down. Great heroes would be made Senators and then become corrupt, devious sloths who ultimately would meet some horrible end at the hands of the Emperor, who also made sure to punish their wives, children and slaves. It’s a common theme among the Prianopolis myths.”
“Why the name Prianopolis?” asked Cobalt, curious. Tempest scoffed a little at the question, growing impatient.
“The city, and planet, which also took the name, worshipped one Dark Deity known as Priapus. They built great monuments in his honor. He was something of a mixture of a fertility deity and war deity. Supposedly he had a giant penis that he could wield like a club or hammer and kill people.”
Cobalt laughed. It was funny but given the seriousness of the situation, Power Boy looked at him surprised. “Is that amusing to you, my friend?” he said with a bemused look on his face.
“No, not really,” replied Cobalt. “It’s just that on my home planet of Ggrrgg, the Ggrrggians used to worship the same exact deity.” He shook his head. “All this time I’ve considered the scope of this thing but it’s hard to wrap my head around how far it extends into space and how far backward into time.”
“You think this deity might have actually been a person?” said Goon Boy.
Cobalt did not smile when he replied this time. “I think it’s the Dark Lord.”
“Makes sense,” said Lard Lad. “You’re home planet was consumed with aggression and war, and it appears so Prianopolis was too. Before the Black Sun, many of the Barbarians worshipped a deity known as Mutunos Tutunos, who also sounds similar.”
“Mutunos Tutunos is also the patron saint of pirates,” replied Cobalt Kid. “He absolves them of any sin they commit when they overtake another ship. Any raping and pillaging they do,” he added with disgust.
“I’ve noticed some other things,” said Lard Lad. “Look at the statues.”
It was hard to see through the fog but around the municipal building they could see lots of statuary. Even on the buildings there were murals carved in stone. They had many familiar themes. Paramount among them was the theme of gardens, with trees, grass and leaves, of with fruit. “This one has a snake,” said Invisible Brainaic.
“They all do,” said Cobalt, looking at another stone mural. “They appear to be hidden, as if you have to find them. Like the Terran mythology of the Garden of Eden,” he said.
“More phallus symbolism,” said Tempest, somewhat in disgust.
“Exactly,” said Cobalt, nodding as if she said something of intellectual importance.
“There’s something more than just the gardens,” said Lard Lad, standing in front of a weird looking statue.
They all looked at it. “Bees,” said Power Boy. They could see now, it was a honeycomb littered with bees—a very odd thing to carve into a statue.
“They’re everywhere,” said Tempest as they all looked around.
“Even before the Hive,” said Cobalt, “it appears the Dark Lord had a thing for bees.”
“Don’t forget about our friend on Legion World who recently put us through our paces,” said Power Boy. He was referring of course, to the Red Bee, who recently terrorized their entire home planet and in the process killed several innocents and one ally of the LMB, Sir Roy.
“We suspected he was sent by the Dark Oval,” said Lard Lad to Power Boy. “This may not prove it, but it certainly helps the theory.” Suddenly he stopped. “Bloody Liberty, look at this…” he said, nodding towards a poem in front of them. It was an ancient language, but the universal translators they had was able to translate it.
“Disgusting,” said Tempest.
The poem read: I warn you, boy, you will be screwed; girl, you will be fucked; a third penalty awaits the bearded thief. If a woman steals from me, or a man, or a boy, let the first give me her cunt, the second his head, the third his buttocks. My dick will go through the middle of boys and the middle of girls, but with bearded men it will aim only for the top.*
“This is getting creepy,” said Goon Boy. “Maybe its time to focus on the task at hand.”
“Agreed,” said Tempest.
“Have we zeroed in on whose homing device it is?” said Cobalt Kid.
“I believe we have…” said Power Boy as once again, with a flick of wrist, his mega rod grew to baton length and he tensed up ready for a fight.
*Note – this poem is a real historical poem about Priapus, who may not only be the Dark Lord in fiction!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
New Wystuv’ryy (formerly Gotham City), Earth-4, The Dark Oval
“It really does look like a cold hell hole,” said Lolita as she took a moment to view the wide cityscape of the sprawling metropolis once known as Gotham City. “This was once one of the most famous cities on Earth. Both ours and theirs.”
Shark Lad didn’t say anything but motioned her along. Walking through the back alleys of the city was dangerous and they were almost at their destination now. They had traveled for some time, flying on off the radar cruisers decades out of date to get to Gotham. After the long way they’d come, the Fellowship didn’t mind waiting a few more hours.
“You should see Old Metropolis,” said Polka-Dot Kid. “It’s nothing but a vast concentration camp now.” Lolita, and most of the Fellowship, had quickly realized they liked Polka-Dot Kid. He had an agreeable personality. Before all of the war he’d face, there was no doubt he was one of the sillier members of the SMB, much like the LMB had their own members who specialized more in laughs than adventures. Now he’d become battle-hardened and militarized, but he hadn’t lost that light-hearted sensibility.
They hurried along now, following Hugh Taylor who took the lead. At the back of the group were Karate Kid and Zhiya, both experts in espionage and with keen eyes for trouble. Both were quiet types but were clearly different. Karate Kid had a noble quality about him that was apparent from the onset of meeting him; and despite having no superpowers, he clearly could master almost any opponent. Zhiya appeared delicate and petite yet there was an air of deadliness to her—there was no doubt she would cut her opponents down without a moment’s hesitation. For some reason, Zhiya seemed zeroed in on Lolita. Shark Lad told her she was imagining things, but Lolita could swear she thought Zhiya perked her ears up when Lolita talked, and she seemed to always stay close by her. Lolita wondered what she’d done to offend her—hadn’t Zhiya almost slitting her throat been enough? The Asian woman was blind, but it was clear she had some super-abilities. Her other senses had some degree of enhancement by the way she moved and her hearing was incredibly acute. Lolita had begun wondering if she could tune in to their whispers from even a great distance away.
They caught up to the rest, as Helena Handbasket, Rockhopper Lad, Hyvvie the Wonder Beagle and Time-Teller Lad stood with their new allies Hugh Taylor and Lightning Lass. Beyond them appeared to be a dismal looking boiler room in the middle of some abandoned, dilapidated old factory; it was an excellent cover. “Welcome to the Loser Cave,” said Hugh with a smile.
On the way over they’d had plenty of time to talk. Helena had warned them not to say too much about the other half of the Fellowship out of fear that there may be traitors about. Bad enough they could be discovered, but there was no need to risk the other group as well. Still, Rockhopper Lad was glad to assure Karate Kid that his old friend Lard Lad was alright and would hopefully see him again. Apparently the years between their last meeting had been more unkind to Val than they’d been to Lardy.
There was some concern when Timberwolf slipped off but none of the Fellowship besides Time Teller Lad were surprised. They knew he’d be going to make sure his newfound lover was alright. Shark Lad only shook his head but Lolita could see there was some real concern there. The two had gone from years old arch enemies to being almost as close as brothers. She knew sentients like Timberwolf and Shark Lad didn’t make friendships like that easily.
Lolita had asked Hugh if they would be meeting Louie Banzer soon, as she couldn’t quell her curiosity over how Loser Lad could have had a son their age before he’d died years earlier. Immediately, she knew she shouldn’t have brought the topic up. Hugh was caught off guard and his eyes teared up immediately; Rockhopper Lad laid a hand on his shoulder. Hugh explained, almost forcing himself to confront the awful truth again, that his best friend had been killed several months earlier in one of their most important missions. It was a major turning point for the Losers: they’d arranged a massive prison breakout that led to the freedom of a multitude of SMBers, however, it cost them dearly. Over half the SMB membership was freed, and immediately following, joined the Losers resistance. For the first time, the Losers had a real fighting chance. But Louie was a casualty of war; Hugh and Seth Gaterra carried him back to Doc Juan but it was too late. Hugh was there when his friend passed.
What followed was no less tragic. The Evil Emperor Penguin, hoping to crush any spirit of rebellion acted in kind. He first ordered that all prisoners still held would be executed; soon he realized that some of his prisoners were much more special than others and worked better as hostages and slaves. Longtime SMB Leader Seahorse, and SMB Deputy Leader Ratmage were two that would be kept as hostages; another was former UP President, Numf-El. Meanwhile, those he deemed lesser beings, would be put to death.
He had political prisoners, resistance fighters, Earthgov politicians and science policer officers all impaled and they littered the road from his new capital to Old Metropolis. Every 20 paces, another body was seen rotting upon a giant wooden stake firmly in the ground and 15 feet high. Because of the intense cold, the corpses rotted very slowly.
Among those executed, he saved several SMBers to adorn the very the front gates of his new capital. This included Insanity or Madness!, who unlike his Earth-1 counterpart never gained "Glitch", which might have saved him; Sonnie Bloke, the hero credited with stopping piracy near Earth, bringing to justice both the Bronze Buccaneer and the Red Pirate, Renly Fox; Awkward Question Boy, who was beloved at the LMB / SMB meetings for the laughs he'd bring; and Myriad, who not only was a famous hero, but was also the UP Goodwill Ambassador to developing planets. Now all of them adorned the entrance to the capital city now. And set aside with even more distinction was an SMBer who had the gall to scream an obscenity at the Evil Emperor Penguin, named Liberty Monkey. The monkey had been flayed alive, and his skinless corpse remained there for all to see.
These brutalities served to remind the Fellowship just what they were facing, and what the Losers had faced day in and day out. It disheartened Rockhopper Lad to know his counterpart was capable of such atrocities and he could forgive the SMBers for looking at him funny. This was much harder on Time Teller Lad however, who had trouble getting used to the scornful looks pointed towards his way. His own counterpart, an SMBer named Tempus, had been the one to betray them to the Evil Emperor Penguin and set all these events into motion.
These thoughts faded as the sheer majesty of the Loser Cave came into view. Lolita had expected a run-down, dumpy headquarters. Instead she found herself inundated with advanced technology, a plethora of people going about a series of endless tasks and a full on sense of energy, as if the room was a living pulsating thing. The resistance was alive and well here.
Slowly, the room grew quiet and they all turned to see Rockhopper Lad and Time Teller Lad enter. Hugh had radioed ahead in code to let them know they were coming but they all still expected this. Soon the silence became almost deafening. A soft, familiar voice broke the silence. “Welcome dear friends,” he said, “you’re arrival is the most pleasant surprise we’ve had in quite awhile.”
“Hello Darden,” said Rockhopper Lad, walking over to extend his hand. Before them was the Earth-4 Faraway Lad, who was a dead-ringer for his Earth-1 counterpart. The only difference was this one looked much more battle weary and tired; he had deep rings under his eyes and his face and body looked slightly gaunt. But there was no mistaking that charm. The Faraway Lads of the multiple Earths were the most important beings for inter-Earth travel due to their powers; this meant they were also the most well-traveled and so the Earth-4 Faraway Lad had met several of them a few times before. “We’ve come a long way,” said Rockhopper Lad, “and I just hope its not too late.”
“It’s never too late,” said Faraway Lad, “and we’re glad you’re here. Before you ask, your sister is not with us yet. She’s currently on patrol but we expect her back shortly. She doesn’t know you’re here and we’re hoping the smile it brings here will lift all our hearts.”
“What about Seth Gaterra,” said Helena suddenly, interrupting the reunion. “Is he here?” she said, looking around.
“He’s with Adelie,” said a voice as Helena turned. They saw another shape, familiar to Helena and Lolita but not to the others. It was Bat-Fem.
“I thought she was just an urban legend?” said Time Teller Lad.
“Welcome to Earth-4,” said Bat-Fem, whose demeanor was deadly serious. “We feared you’d never come.”
Helena walked towards her, and Lolita watched closely. She was unsure of what their interaction would be. “It took awhile for the message to reach us, but we got it. We’re here now.”
Bat-Fem extended her hand and Helena took into her own, and a small smile crossed over lips. “Yes, you are,” said Bat-Fem softly, enjoying the moment. Lolita couldn’t tell for sure, but she suspected that a lot of sacrifice had been put into getting that message out and Bat-Fem was now realizing it was all worth it.
“Jailbait Lass,” said Bat-Fem to Lolita in a way that was a semi-polite hello.
Lolita hated the name but wasn’t sure if it was a jape or if that was just how Bat-Fem knew her. “Hello Jada,” said Lolita.
Bat-Fem smiled. “You know as well as I do that name was fictitious.”
“A giant shark and a clone of the EEP I can understand,” said a rugged female voice, “but shit, the rest of them don’t look like much. Don’t fucking tell me this is all the UP sent us?” They turned to see perhaps the most feral creature they’d ever seen before. She wore a vest and ripped pants but beyond that, her bristly fur pointed out everywhere else. Her hands and feet had sharp, dangerous looking claws pointing out and her face was curled into a snarl.
“Easy Cramer,” said Faraway Lad. “They’ve only just arrived. Please give them a night or two before you insult them.”
“Cramer?” said Lolita, not able to control herself and suddenly she wished she hadn’t.
“Satan Claws Cramer to you, princess,” she snapped back. “Don’t know why they’d send a little girl unless you’re here to get someone’s prick hard. Here’s some information: the EEP don’t swing that way.”
“Okay Cramer, that’s enough,” said another voice. This was clearly garbed in the pink & white uniform of Saturn’s moon Titan. He was muscular and handsome with a full blond beard. “LMBers, welcome. I’m Saturn Guy, the resident telepath. And you no doubt are curious about the dozens around you. You’ll meet them all eventually, let’s get you settled in.”
They looked around and there were too many present to meet all at once. Lolita recognized some from the LMB files and holos: Outdoor Miner, who looked just like the Earth-1 version; Portfolio Girl, Atypical Lass, Infra-Red Lass, Super-Dense Kid, Danny Blaine and Monkey-Eater Lad she knew as former SMBers. Hummingbird, Safron Lad, CuddlyBeaver and Ghost Girl she knew from Kalla Hrykos’ description of the Losers. Yet all she knew about most of them were codenames and power-sets. Dozens of others she didn’t recognize or know anything about. It was overwhelming and yet it felt good to know there were now many of them.
And yet Satan Claws Cramer’s words hung in the back of her mind. What did she hope to do while here? Her thoughts turned to those the Evil Emperor Penguin so ruthlessly executed. Would she end up among their number soon enough?
[ October 26, 2011, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: Lolita ]
From: Right by Cobie's Side | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sharklad stood there holding Timberwolfs jacket. He had no idea who he was supposed to give it to, and Lon's statement of ten minutes seemed really odd to him.
He set the jacket down on a table and was watching everyone mill about and talk. He looked at the technology around him and thought that it seemed somehow familiar. He shrugged off the thought and moved forward as Lolita led him towards another part of the room.
They had been in the headquarters of the Losers for ten minutes when a door opened behind them and a lone figure entered.
Lolita whipped her head around because Sharklad had sniffed and said, "No sprockin way..."
"You look exactly like him you know," the young man said as he moved forward into the light. There was the sound of gears whirring and buzzing as he walked. Predominately when he stepped with his left leg.
The other LMB members present looked at the strawberry blond hair on the young man, and were amazed at how much he looked like one of their own members, and in turn his son, and that there was only one person that this could be.
"Jon?" Sharklad said almost inaudibly.
Jon Em looked at him and shook his head. "I do not go by that name anymore. I am called Gear now."
As he moved fully into the light, they all saw that he was missing his left leg from mid thigh down. His right arm was also mechanical, and the left side of his face, and most of his head was also mechanical.
"What happened to you?" Sharklad said as he moved forward.
Gear grinned a little. "So much, but thanks to you...or at least the you I know, I am still alive. Our Sharklad was there when we were attacked. He was there when my mother, sister and brother were killed. He was there to save my life by doing the unthinkable for me to save my life," Jon said, and they could all see that he was fighting back a wave of emotion. "He was there as my Aunt and her son were slaughtered so he could get me out of the strike zone that The Emperor had set up. He is the greatest man that I have ever known, and it is an honor to meet his equal from this universe."
Sharklad looked at the young man. "Your Aunt, was she..."
"Yes. My fathers twin sister. One of the greatest fighters our universe had ever known. Aunt Loni was a quiet woman, and my Sharklad was her best friend."
"Sonova..."
"My father was led to believe that we were all killed by his fellow teammates in retaliation for some lie or another. Sharklad saved me and kept me hidden while I recuperated and everything went to hell. We were some of the first casualties, as The Emperor knew that he needed the power of Dev Em, the Daxamite, on his side. In time I was able to craft these enhancements to get me up and about. They run a little rough in the snow and ice like this. I had planned on meeting you all back with the others, but things happened that required my attention and I had to wait until now to see you."
Jon looked over at the table, "is that..."
Sharklad looked at the jacket. "Yeah, he said that I'd know who to give it to, and now I do."
Jon walked over to the table and picked the jacket up and started to cry from his one good eye. "I take it he's off to save the others that dropped you here."
Sharklad nodded.
"Sounds like him," he said as he slipped the jacket on. He paused for a second and tilted his head. He reached into the pocket of the jacked and pulled out a note. He unfolded it and read it.
He smiled a genuine smile and walked over to Sharklad and gave him a hug. "Thank you. It may not seem like much to you, but this is everything I needed to know that what is to come isn't in vain."
Gear walked past most of the rest. He smiled at Lolita, and glanced at Rockhopper Lad for a moment and then walked over to him and shook his hand. "I am very pleased to meet you sir."
Hugh placed his hand on Gears shoulder and whispered something in his ear.
"I know, I'm on my way. I just had to meet their Bruce."
Hugh slapped him on the back, "let us know when it's time."
"I will...and he'll never know what hit him."
Jon Em, Gear, then exited the room. Leaving Sharklad speechless for the first time in quite a while.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Ambassador Mirenna Helene slipped away quietly while the newly arrived Legion World Founders argued with the Prime Minister of the United Planets, Maya adi Lva. The Legion World Founders were incredibly important to the welfare of the entire galaxies and they knew it, so Maya had to take them seriously despite her inclination not to do so. Maya was an incredibly capable politician and Prime Minister, but Mirenna was glad there were more individuals around to keep her honest. She perhaps a bit too capable at being a master politician.
Mirenna had far too many matters to concern her now to be caught up in the Prime Minister’s ongoing power struggle to utilize the LMB as an arm of the Executive Branch of the UP. She was desperate to get an update on Darden and the battle on Daroon but knew first she’d better check with her colleagues on the rest of the UP. She entered her quarters, which had become a makeshift battle center and immediately all of her assistants and advisors snapped to attention.
“I need updates, and I need them now,” she said in her clear, calm voice that was firmly authoritative but never offensive. She had been a UP Ambassador for over (50) years, and likely would be one until her dying day. There were two kinds of important positions on Weber’s World in service to the United Planets. There were the Senators, who were elected by their own home planets; every UP member planet was allowed to elect two Senators to the United Planets Government. And then there were the Ambassadors, who were not elected, but rather appointed by the United Planets Prime Minister for a (10) year period. Since the UP Prime Minister was a term of only (4) years, this meant the Ambassadors would end up serving longer than the Prime Ministers who appointed them. They critical element was the UP Prime Minister was in charge of where the Ambassadors would render their services; the PM could send them somewhere where they could be of value, or if the PM had no desire to use them, they’d be stuck on Weber’s World doing almost nothing. Throughout her illustrious carreer, Mirenna never had that problem.
“The Imsk situation continues to worsen, Madame,” said one of her adjuncts. “Ambassador Relnic is there doing what he can but the situation is dire. Imsk and its four allies who have officially seceded from the UP have now officially declared their allegiance to the Dark Oval, and have begun the invasion of Braal. War is fully underway and the UP Military can only deploy a small contingent.”
“Damn those Imskians,” she said. “What about Hazar?”
“Hazar remains a member-planet of the UP but has declared strict neutrality. However, its clear hey are marching to retake the Vespassian asteroid belt from Braal while its defenses are otherwise engaged.”
“So predictable,” she said, adding, “Get me Kent Shakespeare on the line. Do we know if any Legionnaires are present?” she asked.
“They’ve deployed Varalent, Sketch Lad and Poverty Lad,” he said.
“Hm,” she said, pausing. “Very astute, Fanfic Lady,” she said to herself. “I trust you’ve been in communication with the Legionnaires throughout this?” she asked.
“Yes Madame, per your request.”
Mirenna nodded and the adjunct ran to continue his work as another spoke up. “Madame,” this one began, a younger purple colored girl, “The barbarians fleeing from the Khanate remain on the move within UP border-space,” she began. “It’s chiefly three tribes, the Allanii, the Skirrian and the Marcomanii, though we are unsure of the Micromanii are also with them. The three have now split up and are invading various planets. The Allanii attempted to invade Touston but were rebuffed by Touston’s disconater technology. It seems to be holding for a time but we’re unsure if the Allanii will resume their invasion or try elsewhere.”
“And the UP Fleets are too far away to do any good?” asked Mirenna.
“Yes,” she answered. “However, Bismoll, New Japiapur and Psyonia have both pledged to send in support with their own personal navies if the attacks resume.”
“They may be the only totally loyal UP members left that have armies of their own,” said Mirenna rubbing her eyes.
“Ambassador Hranzer sent word form Rimbor,” said another. He was referring to the Gil’Disphan Ambassador that was well liked and some thought a shoe-in for the next UP Prime Minister come election time. “The gang situation is under control and order is being restored on Rimbor. In his personal note to you he mentioned his disgust at using bribery as a way to win over the gangs but recognizes you were absolutely right that it was the only way to make it work.”
“Of course,” said Mirenna, “gangsters are Corporations, they only care about money. Where are with the war?”
“The Alpha Centurai planets are under siege by the Dark Oval forces and we’re now locked in a stalemate. While Belisarius is having victories within the D.O., the UP theatre of war remains locked. The Skirrian and Macromanii barbarians may be getting armed by rogue Dominators who don’t want to return to the their home planet and face the Khunds. Those tribes are continuing to raze Illiad and Phlon.”
Mirenna thought about it for a moment. “What was the name of that pirate Cobalt seems to enjoy so much. The pretty brunette one?”
“Captain Frakes, Madame,” said one of her assistants from a computer screen in the back.
“Harold, I should have known you’d know,” she smiled. “Let’s make contact with her. All of them in fact. The Bronze Buccaneer, the Red Pirate, all of them. Cobalt’s prior offer to them still stands, except instead of stopping trade between Earth and the Khanate, the goal is to destroy the Dark Oval and Barbarian forces in the UP. Full clemency for any supporters and they’ll be made retroactive defenders of the realm. Before we do so, however, make sure any pirate ever accused of rape or harming children is not given the offer; Cobalt takes issue with those two crimes in particular.”
“What about murder, Madame?” asked one of her assistants.
“What about it?” she said sternly. The matter was dropped.
“Some good news Ma’am,” said one of the assistants. “Kent Shakespeare is on the line and he has an update on two of our problems.”
-------------------
Dragon’s Teeth, Viking Ship Somewhere in United Planets Space
The four Legionnaires stood quietly on the platform of their own smaller cruiser while the tractor beam overtook them and began pulling them upwards to the much larger Battle Cruiser above them. It was the legendary “Dragon’s Teeth”, captained by Hrun the Barbarian and the LMBers had heard of it numerous times but had never seen it.
They arrived and Raging Bull was the first to speak. “At last. Man, its been a long trip.” The other three Legionnaires, Space Ranger, My Whee Fem and CJ Taylor were all in agreement. It had been a long trip. But now at least they might be getting some answers.
“So were are all the barbarians and Vikings?” said My Whee Fem looking around as they arrived. “No one to greet us?” she followed up.
“Someone is,” said Space Ranger, whose Daxamite senses let him know another was with them.
“Indeed,” said the voice as Kent Shakespeare came out of the shadows. “Hrun has told his crew to give me a moment with you before we bring CJ to see him. I’m glad to see you’re all doing well. Ranger & My, you have our thanks for accomplishing this so quietly. CJ, I’m sure you’ve got questions and we’ll try to get you answers…soon.”
Both CJ and My Whee Fem rolled their eyes as Raging Bull laughed. “I’ll never learn what this is about, will I?” said CJ with a half-laugh.
“I agreed with Cobie we’d get you into the Dark Oval when the time was right. That time is quickly approaching,” said Kent.
“Is this official Bureau of External Affairs business, then?” asked My Whee Fem, curious. Kent Shakespeare was a high-ranking member of the Bureau of External Affairs, perhaps the most secret organization in the entire galaxies, even beyond the United Planets.
“We have no official business, as you know,” he said with a rueful grin. “But yes. I’m going to oversee CJ’s journey to the Dark Oval with Hrun. But I’m afraid for the rest of you, this is going to be goodbye.”
“What?” said Raging Bull and My Whee Fem at once.
Space Ranger just nodded. “What are our orders? I assume Fanfic Lady wants us somewhere, since we’re so far out here.”
“Indeed,” said Kent. “She’s working around the clock to utilize the LMB to protect various planets under siege. This is one of those times I’m glad I’m not LMB Leader. We’re spread pretty thin and getting thinner. He handed Raging Bull, My Whee Fem and Space Ranger each a drive to plug into their omni-coms.”
“The Aarokian Krebble Ribbon?” said Raging Bull in annoyance. “That’s waaaaay out in the boonies, man!”
“Preztor thinks for some reason this conflict is a good time to resume its old war with Aarok over the Ribbon,” said Kent. “They are on the cusp of a full-fledged war which is something we just can’t have. Blacula, Mattropolis and Rickshaw are already there, and you’ll join them for support. My colleagues in the Bureau are hoping to prevent war, but you four are there to defend the people of the Ribbon if Preztor starts to invade. They’re officially Aarokian nowadays but they really just want to be left alone. I’m sure they think that because of this giant conflict, everyone has forgotten them. Well, the LMB hasn’t.”
Raging Bull smiled. “Sure Kent, I get it pard.” The words seemed to do the trick. He turned to CJ. “Guess this is goodbye then,” he said, opening his arms to give him a big country hug.
“Guess so,” said CJ with a little bit of reluctance in his voice. Since he found out he was important to these grandiose events, he’d had Raging Bull with him. Losing him now made him temporarily feel like he was completely on his own. “Be careful,” he added.
“You take care now, pal,” said Raging Bull. “Don’t worry about us.” Raging Bull’s words didn’t acknowledge what they were thinking but it was clear: CJ had the real dangerous mission to come.
My Whee Fem looked at Space Ranger. “Are these orders correct?” she said with an eyebrow.
Space Ranger shrugged. “Fanfie wants us there, we go there,” he said. Then he turned to CJ and Kent. “Best of luck Legionnaires. See you at the big party once this is all over,” he said with a smile.
And soon they were all off.
-------------------
Legionopolis, Legion World, The United Planets
Fanfic Lady was exhausted but yet another wave of adrenaline hit her and she continued on. In the room with her was just Ram Boy now, all the others temporarily dismissed with to either complete their given missions or take a few moments to rest. She found herself again wondering if she ever considered when she was elected Deputy Leader to the LMB that she would be on the hook in one of their greatest crisis to coordinate the entire membership across the entirety of known space. She was just thankful the previous LMB Leader Ram Boy was able to lend her assistance.
“So Raging Bull will join the others at the Krebble Ribbon and try to enhance the diplomacy there,” said Ram Boy. He pressed a few buttons and the monitor screen changed again.
“Vee reported in from Imsk and he’s making some progress. We needed a powerhouse there and luckily we have him,” she said.
“It was a stroke of brilliance,” said Ram Boy. He had been peppering her with compliments when the moment called for it to keep her spirits high. She saw right through it but that made her appreciate it all the more. “What about Alpha Centurai?” he now asked.
“I’ve dispatched Reboot and Actor Lad there,” she said with a sigh. “Reboot wasn’t keen on taking any type of order whatsoever but once I showed him what’s happening to the innocent people there, he rushed off. He’s not a fan of LMB or UP power structures, but he’s passionate about helping the disenfranchised. And he’s powerful enough to do something about it.”
“Good, good,” said Ram Boy. “Another good move. I see Lance, Beagle Boy and Jerry have now departed for Phlon as well, so we can log that in now.” Ram Boy leaned back.
Fanfic Lady smiled. “Whew,” was all she said. They both smiled. “I don’t think I’ve eaten anything since I was almost poisoned she laughed.”
“Me either,” he said, realizing it. “Not many left around here to make us something,” he said bemused. “Not many on Legion World in general.”
“No,” she said, “so I’m hoping Lightning Lad’s usage of the Security Office can do the job short-handed. The youngsters may not be super-experienced but they are skilled.”
“Red Arrow, Question Kid and Everyday Girl,” said Ram Boy, checking the Mission Monitor Board. “And Sam Pureheart is pitching in. Plus Arachne, Caliente and Outdoor Miner are around,” he added.
“And Tamper Lad and Nova Girl, working on something secretive that they think will help us. Plus we’ve got Dr. One ready to address anything that needs him and Fat Cramer is out there keeping the population calm.”
“Lash Lad and Matlock are working on the mission you gave them, tracking down Umber. And that about covers it. That is all the Legionnaires left on Legion World. Talk about short-handed! But we do have our allies if we need them…”
“You do indeed, cretin,” said a familiar voice, though it sounded much friendlier than usual. They turned to see Thora of Taltar.
“Thora?” said Fanfic Lady surprised. “Why are you here?” she asked, wondering what interest Thora may have in these events.
“I, Thora of Taltar, bring you some news that you’ll enjoy and may find surprising! You can relay it to your friend Princess Crujetra and the rest of the UP. I’ve convinced my kin on Taltar that though we now hold the Tor G’ibral, it is paramount to our continued welfare that we support the United Planets. Therefore, we will allowing UP trade to continue while stopping any Dark Oval attempts to lend aid to Imsk and their new found allies. Further, the problem of Darzyl, or should I say the newly created Grand Master Duchy of the Darzyl Oval Order, is being addressed as we speak. Taltar has no intention of allowing a traitor planet utilize the trade routes it controls; so long as Darzyl remains neutral in this conflict, we will create a blockade.”
They were both tired so it took them a minute to understand what was happening. Finally it occurred to them: this was Thora doing what she could to help the LMB. Despite all their animosity, after all these years she had become more than a casual acquaintance…she had become their friend.
“Thank you Thora,” said Fanfic Lady, standing up. “You do us a great honor,” she added. “And we will remember it.”
Thora smiled and nodded. “My pleasure,” she said and left.
“Will wonders never cease…” said Ram Boy.
Fanfic Lady took a seat again. “You know,” she said, “all of this means nothing if Rocky and the others aren’t successful. So let’s hope to whatever deity you might have that things are going their way…”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
Power Boy stared straight ahead into the fog as the sound of Lard Lad’s sensor ‘beeped’ louder and louder as the entity responsible for the distress signal came closer and closer.
PB turned his head inquisitively as the beeping increased. He saw the others behind him huddled in a frantic discussion. They were in a clearing near the steps leading up to what was the remains of a grand civic building.
Power Boy didn’t feel anything. A moment ago, he dove for the incoming fireball. Now he found himself on the ground, covered in flames, dust, and rubble. The world was silent.
Everything was so quiet. Power Boy rolled over, debris was everywhere, fog replaced with dust from the impact.
'Fool. You should’ve absorbed the energy of the fireball, or used a telekinetic force shield. Not dove in front of it like an amateur.'
Invisible Brainiac stood, shocked. He saw the fireball coming right for them, and the next thing he knew was Power Boy in the air in front of them, only a shadow against the bright light of the fireball, and then a huge noise followed by a rush of wind as the clay buildings around him shattered.
Clearly shaken, Invisible Brainiac went into an auto pilot mode. He monotonously recounted everything he knew about Disaster Boy from the LMB files.
“Disaster Boy is an extremely powerful elemental. He is most proficient in Fire and Earth but is able to command all of the classical elements. Fined tuned uses of his powers have thus far escaped him. He has previously shown a basic level of magic use. Disaster Boy was a troubled individual due his origin in a dark future timeline where evil tyrants had exhausted the resources of their universe. In time, He became a valued and heroic member of the LMB. Disaster Boy was last seen returning to his own timeline to fight the despotic tyrants that ruled there.”
Cobalt Kid scrambled to his feet. Invisible Brainiac’s ongoing report hung in the air.
'The kid kept it together.' He thought.
Lard Lad made it to his feet first. Looking the worse for wear. He was the first to notice Disaster Boy walking into the clearing. Dust and smoke obscured his vision but he could make out the young man walking toward him. He looked unnaturally grey as if all the color had been sucked out of him.
“He has that damn hood up.” Lard Lad growled.
CK recognized the observation. Way back before Disaster Boy joined the LMB, He played both sides of the fence, working with villains, and falling into their plans. Eventually, he came to be a trustworthy member of the LMB. This honesty was symbolized when he retired his hood and mask. “Blast! Try not to hurt him.”
Lardy paused for a moment to show the shock on his face. “I’m not worried about HIM!” With a shake of his head, Lard Lad was the first to return fire.
More fireballs flew through the air overhead. The sound of the flaming orbs burning through the sky alternated with the sound of a volley of exo-blasts from Lard Lad.
Tempest miraculously stood in the middle of the chaos. She called her powers to her. She remembered Disaster Boy well. He was her friend. His loyalty was hard to gain but once you had it he was stalwart. She had to know how he came to be here. Has he fallen so far? Or was something amiss?
She saw Disaster Boy, with her special sight. She saw the friend she knew but pushed aside, in turmoil, struggling. She saw another, who held a curtain of grey over Disaster Boy’s mind. She knew this villain, who manipulated Disaster Boy like a puppet. He barred her way to her friend … and Tempest would not be denied.
Her voice booming like trumpets “TITUS! I KNOW YOUR STENCH!!! RELEASE HIM OR PAY!!!!”
She glowed with blue light as the strange fog cleared and the winds above her coalesced. She stood in the eye of her own hurricane, her cloak and hair supernaturally still.
Titus’ reply was a wave of Disaster Boy’s left hand. The Earth shook, the ground rippled and grew in a massive wave sweeping towards …. . . . . . . .
Lard Lad and Cobalt Kid ?
A tide of earth, increasing like a snowball of rubble from the broken buildings amassed into an immense mound. The wave broke washing away Lard Lad and Cobalt Kid. The earth wave left a wall of earth and debris many storeys tall separating CK and LL from the others.
Power Boy was about to shout for Goon Boy to get after CK and LL but, he noticed Goon Boy was already in motion, tossing aside large rocks that were in his way, and hoping up the earth wall to get over to CK and LL as quickly as possible.
'I guess you don’t last very long undercover if you’re not resourceful. ' Peebz thought.
He also saw Tempest locked in combat with Disaster Boy. Her blue winds streamed from the sky and arced towards Disaster Boy. Her winds ended in a wall as they struck Disaster Boy’s flames. The result was a face off between Tempest and Disaster Boy, separated by a wall where wind met fire.
Power Boy calculated as he watched the battle. The planet rumbled as the elementals fought. 'We need a plan. Titus will burn out Disaster Boy and destroy this planet to get at us. '
posted
Invisible Brainiac took to the skies. It looked like Tempest and Disaster Boy were at a stalemate, so maybe he could help even the odds.
Goon Boy could take care of Lardy and Cobie. He trusted in that.
IB was shaken because he'd met Disaster Boy before. It was always a shock when an LMBer turned against old teammates, but having it be someone you'd met...
Maybe they could shake him out of it.
He zipped around Disaster Boy's back, dodging columns of flame and rock, preparing to strike. Closer, closer...
He never made it. A wall of earth suddenly erupted right in his path, clipping his arm and side. He barely had time to cry out before another slammed into him from behind.
"Stupid," he thought. He quickly turned into light . "That was the first thing I should have done," he cursed.
Flying towards DB again, IB began to weave between the columns spurting from the ground. He had to be careful - he couldn't risk being refracted or absorbed. There was no time.
DB, or whoever was controlling him, seemed to realize what IB was doing. Suddenly, the columns of dirt became a dust storm, engulfing IB's form. He was protected from harm, but he couldn't see, and the storm risked scattering his particles all over.
He paused, hesitating. He had to look for an opening. "Power Boy," he yelled. "I'm fine but I don't know how long it'll take me to get out!"
“cough, cough!” “That you CK?” Lardy said after several long moments waiting for the deafening noise of the earth wave to stop, and the dust and dirt to settle.
He could still only see darkness. Dizzy didn’t begin to describe how he felt after bouncing along underneath a mountain of earth. He couldn’t tell yet how far under the rock and rubble they were. He was happy to find himself safe within a bubble structure composed of building wreckage.
Cobalt Kid replied to Lard Lad's unspoken question casually “Yeah, these clay buildings all have a substructure like a web holding them together. Fortunately that net underneath the clay … is ferrous.” Lard Lad could barely make out a grin on his friend’s face.
“It even looks like I’m manipulating the ceramic walls and materials but really it’s the metallic sub structure”
“OK, well done” Lardy said. “Now get us out of here.”
“It'll be slow, We’re buried under a lot of earth and building material.” With that, Cobalt Kid spread his hands and the defensive bubble he had made from the wreckage began to rise up through the mounds of earth and rubble above them.
Telepathy has it’s advantages, Power Boy thought. Developing a battle plan covertly in the middle of a firefight is one of them.
The first order of business was to rescue IB.
'Tempest ... be ready' He transmitted to her mind.
Power Boy slid to flank Disaster Boy. Next, Disaster Boy was knocked back as a telekinetic force bolt crashed into his solar plexus.
This ended the rolling stalemate between Tempest and Disaster Boy. Flames and winds both died down.
'We need a moment Tempest. Last time IB met Titus, he was able to hurt him with light. I'm bet he will be able to again.'
Tempest waved her hand towards the dust storm imprisoning IB. Her control of the air reduced the dust storm and it moved slowly across the battlefield towards Disaster Boy.
Temp couldn't help but giggle at the situation, DB trapped in his own dust storm. He'd be scraped and bruised from the dust battering him but should but not seriously injured.
A huge pile of rubble began to shake … rocks falling off. Then, pieces of debris began to float away magically as a hole appeared.
Out of this hole, stepped a very dirty Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad.
The two of them looked around at the strange ruins of 5 or 6 story buildings all around them, and had no idea where they were. More importantly, they didn’t know where the others of the fellowship were or how they fared in the battle with Disaster Boy. The earth wave had obviously pushed them across the city and Cobalt Kid had no way to know which way was back to his team when he was digging them out of the rubble.
They looked around bewildered for a moment and Lard Lad said “Maybe my armor can get a read on them.”
Just then, the faint noises of explosions sounded in the distance followed by slight tremors.
“Nevermind, let’s follow that!” Cobalt Kid smacked Lard Lad on the shoulder jovially as the two began to jog towards the sound of the fighting.
Power Boy watched as Invisible Brainiac, the youngest and most innocent member of the LMB, filled himself with purest light. A second later the white light erupted towards Disaster Boy.
Light overwhelmed Disaster Boy, it burst into him, saturating him so much that brilliant light leaked out of his eyes, mouth, and ears.
IB continued pouring pure light into Disaster Boy, exorcising the grey shadow that hung over him and his mind. It looked as if a shadow figure was being pushed out of Disaster Boy by the light.
Just when it looked that the shadow was completely out of Disaster Boy, Power Boy lunged … so fast that he was on top of Disaster Boy before the eye could register he had moved. He grabbed Disaster Boy’s face and clasped a telepathic shield completely around Disaster Boy’s mind, preventing the shadow from reentering.
Invisible Brainiac relaxed his generation of light, as they all looked at the now separate shadow. It took only moments to fade away but everyone recognized it’s silhouette. Titus
[ October 28, 2011, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
From: Ninja Land | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
Loser Lad piloted the ship down to the planets surface. he landed it as gently as he could on the hospital roof, and was met by a team of medics.
They were on board even before he could unbuckle himself and move to the back of the cruiser. People were scrambling about yelling back and forth, but somehow not tripping over each other.
Loser took the emergency exit near the cockpit as to not get in anybody's way. Fes Te landed and shook his head. "There was a lot of traffic on the way here, but thankfully we were able to get through.
Loser nodded. "Yeah, there seems to be more ships on their way in as well. They're going to be overwhelmed soon if something doesn't change soon.
Fes looked past Loser Lad and made a slight upward head nod indicating that someone was approaching them from behind Loser.
Loser Lad turned and saw a fully armored Guard walking towards them. "Well, we expected to meet the Queen, and I guess this is our escort."
The Guard stopped several feet from them, and saluted. "Thank you for helping our the people of Daroon. Queen Ayva requests your presence as soon as possible to discuss the situation there."
They looked at each other and nodded. The Guard turned and started moving back the way he had came, heading towards the vehicle that would carry them to the Queen of Xylar 7.
Queen Ayva was reviewing the positions of her armed forces at strategic point around Xylar 7, both on the ground and in orbit. they had been kept busy by the bugs. Not a full out attack upon them, but enough of a threat to keep them from mounting a full response to help Daroon.
The doors to the office opened and Queen Ayva looked up. Loser Lad and Fes Te entered with the Captain of the Guard.
"Your Majesty, Loser Lad of the LMB, and Fes Te of the Daxamite contingent on Daroon," he said in a loud voice.
"Thank you Capt. Jyffry," she responded as she stood and walked around the table.
She stopped them from bowing and simply shook their hands and thanked them for all that they had done to this point.
Loser Lad moved around the room, taking in the layout. There was a large table in the center of the room with a holographic image of the planet hovering over it, with areas where the armies were located. Above the planet were symbols showing the location of the space fleet.
Along one side of the room were shelves with books, scrolls and other writings. there were breaks in the shelves for portraits. Previous Kings and Queens, various Heads of State that had served.
Another wall was composed entirely of windows. Loser Lad could tell that were extremely thick and sturdy.
The wall they had entered through only had a few antiques displayed and a modest sized portrait of someone that Loser could not make out through the image of the planet that was now between he and it.
The last wall had a large desk, that was where the Queen worked on a daily basis. Papers and other items were strewn about her desk.
"We have been trying to contain the threat long enough to be able to send part of our fleet to help Daroon against these monsters, but have not been given any type of break so far.
Loser nodded. They had only really been able to get here due to the power of Fes Te, and a bit of his own power thrown in for good measure.
"We may be able to help there," Loser said, "how large of a contingent can you send?
"About a third of what we have available. That includes ground forces as well as ships."
Loser nodded again. There would have to be enough, he could tell by the slight strain in her voice that she was struggling to even send that many troops, and risk more of her own planets people...yet knowing that she had to do something.
"That will be a great help to us. We're hoping that some of our transmissions were able to get through to the outside, and that other help may be on the way."
"Not much is coming out of Daroon. We have been monitoring all communications in and out, and received one transmission from a Dev Em, that was pretty garbled, but told of whatwas happening there. We're having enough problem keeping communications up for our own fleet in orbit right now."
Fes paced around the center table looking at the concentrations of the planets fleet, and the position of the bugs ships. He started concentrating on one particular area and squinted his eyes.
Various members of the Queens staff were milling about, bringing her in communications and other things that required her attention.
Loser noticed the Fes was starting to grin a bit. "What is it Fes?" Loser asked as he walked around the table to where the young Daxamite was standing.
Fes motioned to one area. "Look here," he said, "they are creatures of habit. Notice how all the ships make the same moves...even if they go in at different points. Even when they come out, they follow a pattern."
Loser looked at another grouping of bug ships moving towards Daroon, confirmed the same thing. "Can we get one of these areas enlarged?"
The Queen nodded and looked to one of her people standing near the controls. Immediately they image zoomed in and they saw a definite pattern form.
"That can be exploited for a short time," Loser said. They all knew, as he did, that the bugs would adapt quickly...but it would give them a chance to inflict damage and get some ships of their own on the ground as the bugs scrambled to change tactics.
There was more talking about strategy, and distribution of troops once they hit the surface of Daroon. Once they completed the strategy session, Loser Lad and Fes Te thanked the Queen and turned to go.
As they left, Fes noticed a portrait on the wall to the left of the door. "Why does Dev Em's brother have a portrait here?"
Loser looked at the painting closer, below it was a plaque that said that the man 'Mykyl Reyse' had given his life for the betterment of Xylar 7. "Not sure, maybe it's just someone that looks like him."
They both shrugged and left the room, headed for the ship that had brought Loser and the wounded here.
---------------------------
A few hours later, they departed Xylar 7, along with hundreds of other ships. Fighters and carriers alike. All the men aboard the ships had volunteered for the mission, in fact men had been turned away due to the overwhelming response from within the ranks of Xylar 7's armed forces.
Loser was at the head of the convoy. Fes was riding shotgun with him inside the ship, ready to leave for quick response if needed.
As they reached the first wave of bug ships the proximity alert want off warning of something else coming in fast from an entirely different direction.
Loser did some quick checks on instruments and let a small grin flash onto his face.
---------------------------
The throne room of Xylar 7 was quiet once again as Queen Ayva had finished her speech to her people.
The door at the far end of the room flew open and a young boy ran through the room. "Mama!" he yelled as he jumped into her arms, "are we going to be okay?"
"Yes Mykyl, we are," she said and gave her son a kiss on the forehead. "We're going to be just fine."
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
“It looks grim doesn’t it” Cobalt Kid said with a short laugh.
Lard Lad looked at him and said wryly “You’ve been hanging around Power Boy too much. His sense of humor is rubbing off on you.”
Lard Lad had to admit though, it was funny. They dig themselves out of a mountain of rubble. Only to pop out of the ground surrounded by Titus’ Top 40 ghouls. Grey cloaked figures of varying, shapes, sizes, and super powers surrounded them in a loose circle. They had faced several of them before, first at the battle of the fort, and then on Hul. Never this many though, never all of them. Titus must have some power to reanimate these zombies since he saw several of them destroyed before.
“What are they waiting for?” Lard Lard whispered to CK, never taking his eyes off the ghouls. Cobalt Kid pivoted around so he was back to back with Lardy.
“I’m not sure I care.” CK said flatly.
Lard Lad drew his sword. Several of the ghouls responded by hissing and showing their teeth.
Cobalt Kid reached out with his power, taking command of the metal substructure of the buildings around them. He caused them to bend and shake as the ghouls rushed for them. The 5 to 6 storey buildings all around them shattered, covering ghouls in dust and rubble.
In the confusion, Lard Lad and CK ran for a weak link in the line of ghouls. Some ghouls gave chase, many were super strong, the collapsed buildings wouldn’t hold them long.
Two stepped in front of Lard Lad … and he cut them down with two efficient slices of his sword. They kept moving, not even time for a bad pun.
They fled through the streets, zig-zagging around corners, cutting down ghouls when they could.
Eventually, they hid in one of the abandoned buildings. “Where the f*c# are the others!” Lard Lad demanded as they huddled below windows that looked out onto the street. They kept watch for more ghouls.
“I don’t know.” Cobalt Kid replied. He had tried to contact the others telepathically but it seemed that no one was listening, likewise with their communications system. There was no way to tell if Titus got them, or if they were just cut off.
Just then, two robed ghouls walked in the street searching for Lard Lad and Cobalt Kid. The two Legionnaires shared a look and Cobalt kid moved some rubble magnetically across the street. When the ghouls turned to look, Lard Lad blasted the two with Exo-blasts. They didn’t go down.
“These are tough ones.” He fired again but with stronger bursts, knocking the ghouls down.
“Out the back.” Cobalt said as he pointed towards the rear with a thumb.
The two went on for some time like this. Leading groups of ghouls into an ambush, sometimes striking them from roof tops. Sometimes Cobalt Kid would spear or bind them with the metal that under laid the ceramic buildings.
Somehow, they managed to make it to the municipal building they were at before. They were in the street behind it. Just around the building was where they left Power Boy and the others. Unfortunately, the building was huge, about two city blocks and 10 stories tall before the crumbled dome sat on the roof. Smoke filled the sky on the other side of the building, the front where the fellowship might still be. On the left side was a huge mound of earth and rubble, the same mound that had sent them across town in a wave. Cobalt and Lardy paused for a second, breathing in deep. They were almost there.
'Through the back or up around the right side? The inside of the building may provide more cover but, it was also an excellent place for an ambush. They would have to run around the side up to the front.'
Just when Cobalt Kid was going to tell Lardy they need to go around the side street.
A huge figure walked out of the rear entrance. He floated off the back porch. His long black hair floated in the desert winds of this planet. He was clothed in an iron-grey armor, blackened in some places. Jagged spikes jutted out of the joint areas at the shoulder, the elbows ended in blades, the knees were padded with spikes. The armor had the effect of a once resplendent armor that had been blackened, twisted and distorted. It almost looked like it was in pain.
“Your friends are dead” A voice spoke from the floating man. It also spoke to their minds and hearts. But, it felt like a lie.
Titus stared into them. “Surrender. Surrender to me. Surrender to the Dark Lord.”
CK and LL both found themselves moved to do so. Fortunately, they both had strong wills and rudimentary psychic defenses. The result of resisting Titus’ mental prompts was a distinct feeling of nausea. CK said a silent thank you to Crujectra for her tutoring in psychic defenses. Cobalt looked over to Lard Lad; He had dropped to his knees and his hands were shaking, sweat dripped from his brow. Lardy was having a harder time resisting, as if Titus’ words were resonating with something within him.
Ghouls draped in their dusty cloaks began to gather around them. They stepped out of all the streets around, and some from behind Titus. Cobalt Kid felt dizzy, the grey capes swirling all around him, closing in.
‘NO!’ He shouted ‘NO!’ His denials became softer and softer as the ghouls overwhelmed them, He looked for his friend Lard Lad in the confusion.
Goon Boy had some trouble tracking Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad, they had gotten really good at evasion since he last worked with them. It made it hard for Goon Boy but, Goon was a clever tracker after all his time in the espionage squad. He even took out a few of the ghouls, there were so many though. It had been awhile since he’d last engaged super powered opponents in battle but fortunately, if you snuck up behind them, they fell the same as non powered opponents. He caught up to Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad but, too late, Titus had overwhelmed them, they were surrounded by ghouls. All Goon Boy could do was watch from behind a mound of rubble as Titus and his remaining ghouls flew off with his friends. A black knight surrounded by a dark cloud of ghouls, carrying his friends away.
' I just got them back, You won’t have them for long Titus. ' He thought.
Goon Boy trotted up to the others surrounding Disaster Boy, who still sat on the ground. It looked they had subdued Disaster Boy and even freed him of Titus’ control. At least someone was successful. Goon Boy said to himself.
They all turned and looked to him for answers.
“He took them.” He said. A bit of embarrassment and responsibility flashed across his face. Goon Boy obviously thought he should’ve been able to rescue them. No one blamed him, they all knew what they were up against.
“I have an idea where they went though. Prianopolis.” Goon Boy pointed to the plaque that described Ecumanopolis IX as a colony of Prianopolis.
Invisible Brainaic, felt the news like a punch in the gut, He looked around at the others. Tempest seemed removed, even more far away than usual. Closing off her emotions to the news. She cared for both Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad.
Power Boy’s face raged with anger barely held in check, his fists clenched. He had had enough of Titus. That demon had taken one of their members and twisted him into an enemy, violated his free will and beliefs, He’d harried them all across the cosmos, fermented chaos on destruction on an interplanetary scale, and now taken their leaders to no doubt twist them into his evil servants. And all the while, we ran and defended. Power Boy despised being helpless. It was time to stop running.
Disaster Boy finally got up, expression sensitive and caring. He broke the sadness and sense of defeat that oppressed his teammates.
“Let’s go get them.”
Tempest broke from her melancholy. “ We… are not doing anything. you are going back to Legion World.” She pointed at DB.
She softened a bit. “We’ve separated you from Titus’ control but there is no telling what the long term effects of his possession may be. There are still pieces of darkness scattered around your consciousness. On Legion World, Saturn Girl and Crujectra can help you recover. They’re the most skilled telepaths we have. Besides you still look like death, did Titus ever have you eat while he control you?”
Power Boy put a hand on Tempest’s shoulder, she honestly didn’t look like she liked being touched.
“Let him come, he has reason to see Titus destroyed, maybe more than any of us. Let him fight for his spirit.”
It was decided then, in the subtext of Power Boy’s words. Silently, they made a pact as they looked at each other.
They were going to get back Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad. They were going to make Titus pay for what he did to Disaster Boy.
They were going to destroy Titus. . . .
Invisible Brainiac felt a chill.
[ October 29, 2011, 10:21 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
From: Ninja Land | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
"Permission to dock, Templar-7," Loser Lad asked the Space Knights Templar warship via his ship's communicator.
Granted. Docking bay opening.
Minutes later, Loser and the crew debarked from their ship with Fes Te having followed behind, flying under his own power.
Greeting them was Serj Ontranik, current member of the Space Knights Templar and former member of the Order of Lard Knights. Serj had wild, curly black hair and a long shock of black chin hair.
Serj and Loser quickly introduced themselves.
"It's good to see some Space Knights coming to our aid!" Loser said as he shook Serj's hand.
"A mutual friend sent me!" Serj grinned. "I believe you call him 'Lardy'!"
"Lardy? Shit! How is he?"
"Fine, last I saw about a week ago anyway. They knocked out the Dominion, but he, Cobalt and the others should be in Hive territory at this moment."
"Good luck to them," Loser said grimly. "Those bugs are relentless. If Daroon survives this, it'll never be the same."
"Well," Serj smiled, "we'll concentrate on the positive for the moment. Our Templar warship, its fighters and those Xylarian forces have just granted Daroon some breathing space, time at least to prepare for the next wave. Maybe time for some evacuations?"
"We'll discuss that possibility with Daroon's Queen within the hour," Loser agreed.
"Anyway," Serj continued, "Lardy wanted me here to help you guys and, well, to help protect his kids. Are they well?"
"Yeah...they're safe for the moment with Helen and the surviving royals."
"Good to hear. He'd be pretty cross with me if they weren't! I initially had permission to come along with only a few Knights, but the success of the Dominion campaign freed up a warship. I've a company of Knights and two dozen fighter craft aboard. It's not much, but its all we could spare."
"Certainly better than what we had yesterday," Loser observed. "Plus, we've just freed up more of the Xylarian forces to help, most likely!"
"I also made a side-trip and picked up some old pals of mine." Serj motioned to the far right, and a dozen sentients clad in blue with yellow trim stepped forward and bowed, swords held up.
Loser gasped. "Lard Knights?"
"Yes," Serj smiled, "I paid a visit to the Lard Monastery and convinced the Council that staying out of things, per their usual policy, was ill-advised. They were still hesitant until I mentioned Lardy's kids were here."
"Having their kind of power will certainly help," Loser said.
"Indeed. Let me introduce you to this mission's commander, Sir John..."
Sir John stepped forward and split into three identical men. "...the Carggite," Sir John completed with a wink.
Loser chuckled slightly and shook all three outstretched hands. He figured correctly that the two had premeditated this bit of levity. "Good to meet yous," he said with a grin.
Serj grinned again. "I also have an old friend of yours who's dying to get reacqainted..."
There was a stirring among the rank and file Templars as someone yelled, "LOU!"
It took Loser a moment to figure out who the voice belonged to until a large, furry brownish-red figure emerged. As the reality of whom this was dawned on him, Loser was left speechless.
The figure drew directly opposite Loser and half-growled, "you haven't forgotten ol' Lumber Fox, have ya?"
"Oh my God! Foxy! I haven't seen you in a decade! Where've you been?" Loser hugged the seven-foot tall vulpine man-beast ferociously. He was genuinely awed to see an old-time LMBer like himself, one who had left the team in its first or second year.
Lumber Fox broke the embrace and swatted Loser playfully with his large, fluffy white-tipped tail. "Ha! I just felt a little redundant in the LMB with Shark Lad and Furball hangin' around. I explored the universe for a few years 'til I found my callin' amongst the Templars!"
"Well, it's damn good to see you, Foxy!"
The group talked for a while until Sir John got a call on his communicator, and a grim look fell across his face. John addressed them all. "It looks like our window's starting to close. More bug ships are approaching the system. We have about a day until they get here. The warship will remain in orbit and coordinate the defense with the Xylarians. I'll take Serj, Lumber Fox and the Lard Knights planetside with you and your crew, Loser Lad, to discuss options with the Daroon Queen."
"Damn," Loser muttered, "I was hoping we'd have more time..."
Minutes later, two ships emerged from Templar-7 and entered Daroon's atmosphere.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
As Goon Boy, Power Boy, Tempest and Disaster Boy began making their own preparations to leave Ecumanopolis, Invisible Brainiac took a few seconds to sneak off and think.
He needed time to get his bearings a bit.
He was no stranger to battle, but...
This was probably the first time he truly realized that he might not come home.
He didn't know what he'd do if he fell in space, or got turned into a ghoul like Disaster Boy had. Thank grife they were able to free him.
They were so far from home, but...
He made his way to the controls and figured out a way to leave a message. Opening star charts and graphs, he came up with a plan right away.
*************************************************
A burst of light streaked away from Ecumanopolis. IB Blue carried the message they had prepared. As soon as he was within range of Legion World, he would release the message as a hologram that would travel straight towards its intended recipient.
IB Yellow waited in the hidey hole they had prepared. Yellow would wait for Blue in case the rest of the Fellowship left Ecumanopolis before Blue could return.
Green and the other four made their way back to the ship. Green shimmered and altered the light around him so he would look normal, while the other four hid themselves. IB didn't feel like explaining much to the others.
He opened his omnicom again and looked at the letter he'd sent off. He wished he really felt that way, but... he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry. If he didn't make it, then he wouldn't. The mourning could start then, not before.
posted
Hey you, how are you holding up? I know you miss me. Don't worry, I miss you too, and I've been behaving on this trip. Not that I've really been in a position to misbehave, but give me some credit right? And one of my teammates here is increeeeedibly hot. But you're hotter
Seriously, though. Things have gotten pretty bad lately, but I trust in my teammates. We'll be fine, I promise.
Well, to be honest, I wish I could feel as confident as I sound. This is the first time I've really felt the danger. I can't go into the details, but some bad nass happened to us a while back. We know where to go, though, and who to find to set things right.
I wish, I really wish, I could tell you more. But I can't. I'll give you a blow-by-blow of everything when I get back though - if you give me a blow-by-blow too. Of what you've been up to, I mean
Don't wait up for me, okay? I'll be home as soon as I can, but I can't say when that will be.
Thanks for putting up with me. You've been the best, always so understanding. We really have a good vibe going.
I haven't said this to anyone in a good long while, but... I love you.
posted
Reunion The Loser Cave, New Wystuv’ryy, Earth-4
Rockhopper Lass was exhausted.
She was very glad to see her patrol come to an end. Especially now that the Emperor had returned to the new capital from his summer palace in that city whose name resembled that of their home planet., she had to be so careful. As she and Seth entered the Loser Cave, she heard some commotion.
“What's going on?” the Pyngwyny Princess asked.
Infra-Red Lass ran to her. Adelie, we have some visitors I think you'd like to see. Infra led Adelie to an inner chamber. “What visitors, Infra? What are you talking about?”
Infra smiled the smile identical to her almost-double of Earth-1, Caliente. “Here is one of them.”
“Hello, Adelie!”
Adelie froze. What was Tempus doing here? But wait! This couldn't be Tempus. After he betrayed the SMB to her brother, the extra powers given him added ten centimeters to his height and ten kilos of muscle to his frame. This man was a little shorter and a little slighter.
“Tim? Time-Teller Lad?”
“Yes! It's so good to see you again!” The two embraced. “And here is someone else!”
A very happy dog entered.
“Hyvvie!” She shouted! There was no doubt as to the identity of this canine. There was no Hyvvie in her world. “Good boy! Aren't you happy to see your Aunt Adelie?”
The Wonder Beagle showed all due affection for Adelie. As she stood up from scratching him behind his ear, Adelie turned to see someone else.
“Eudyptes?”
Rockhopper Lad entered. “I'm here, Adelie. I made it!”
The two who were not truly siblings, but, despite hailing from parallel universes, had come to think of each other as such began a tight, tearful embrace.
Rockhopper Lad looked at her. Yes, this was the same Adelie, yet she was different. She looked as if she had aged ten years. There was that much less innocence in her eyes. He knew that her living in secret on this world where his own double—her own brother—reigned had taken so much from her. Rockhopper Lad pondered this double of his again. Seeing with his own eyes what evil had been wrought by someone who was for all intents and purposes his own self, save for something that prevented him from developing a moral compass, was overwhelming. And to know that the double of his own late first love, Blaine Fey, and the double of his best friend, Time-Teller Lad were the Emperor's co-conspirators added fuel to the fire. For perhaps the first time in his entire life, Rockhopper Lad felt hatred for another being.
Adelie spoke and brought her other-dimensional “brother” back from his thoughts. “I was afraid I'd never see you again, Eudyptes!”
“I thought I'd never see you again, but deep down I never gave up. We're here now.”
“Oh, Eupyptes! It's worse than you could imagine!”
“I know,” the Pyngwyn Prince stated grimly. Then, raising his hand, which crackled with ice magic, “But I swear by all Pyngwypalia holds holy, by the Celestial Throne of Merciful Dywh Who Took on Feathers and on the Silver Pyngwyn that I will not leave this world until my double is overthrown and that he, that detestable Blaine Fey and that treacherous Tempus are all in chains!”
-------------------- The only character in all of literature who has been described as "badnass" while using the phrase "vile miscreant."
From: The Pyngwyn Colonies of Planet Hyustyn | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
The ancient ruins of Prianopolis, The Dark Oval
At first he heard sounds, as if off in the distance, and then gradually the world began to fade back into view. The light stung his eyes but he quickly grew adjusted to it. It was only after his hearing and sight returned to normal that he felt the enormous headache and stomach-sick feeling pulsating through his body. He was battered and bruised, and for a moment felt as if he might vomit from the pain and sickly, blurry feeling in his mind. Luckily, he hadn’t eaten a proper meal in sometime and had nothing to really vomit anymore. At least I’m still alive…so far…, though Cobalt Kid.
Cobalt to his left and saw his best friend was also waking up. Lard Lad looked terrible: beaten, bruised and bloody and Cobalt realized he probably looked the same. He remembered they’d just taken quite a beating but he wondered if they were beaten while unconscious? Probably. The two of them both waking up at the same time was too coincidental too. They’d been waken up, and probably telepathically. It was then Cobalt recalled they had both been taken. By Titus.
“The young heroes awake,” said the icey, soft voice as if on cue, and the tone of it caused both heroes another wave of nausea. The way Titus said “young heroes” was riddled with sarcasm and amusement. “We’ve come a long a way, esteemed ones, and I’ve been looking forward to you being able to see the magnificent Empire of Prianopolis!”
Cobalt turned to his right and then saw it: a massive, huge city with diverse and great architecture as far as the eye could see. Yes, it was once magnificent, but now it only ruins and rubble. Some of it looked old that it might collapse at any moment. Cobalt could smell the ruins too—an old, musty smell of something that was too old to still exist. He could also smell something else; something more familiar. Salt? Salt water to be precise. They were near an ocean. Titus must have us by a dock or harbor, he thought. But why?
“You okay, Lardy?” said Cobalt softly.
“Yeah,” said Lard Lard. “You?”
“Yeah,” replied Cobalt. Neither spoke more than they had to. They both knew it was time to wait and see what Titus was planning and to get a better sense of the situation. They both sounded worse for wear—hurt, scared and tired, but they knew each other so well that they could tell they weren’t that hurt, scared or tired.
“Isn’t that sweet?” said Titus as he now stepped into view. His magnificent purple cloak flowed in the wind, representing his once royal stature. Behind him, the sun shown brightly into their eyes, so they could barely seen his features. Only his beautiful, sparkling eyes shown and when they looked into them, both felt the urge to smile and be happy. It was sickening.
Titus was soaking up the moment, letting the two of them scramble. Cobalt knew Lardy was trying to tap into his armor and figured Lardy knew what he was doing. He was testing his magnetism—looking for metals on his own person, around him, on Titus, anywhere. But he couldn’t find anything.
“No magnetism for you, I’m afraid,” said Titus, this time with the sweetness totally gone from his voice. “Nor healing. I’m afraid on this occasion, you have no shield to hide behind.” Titus leaned forward and they could see his face now: it was pale white and his lips were a deep, bloody red. When he smiled, they could see his teeth were sharp and like fangs, ready to rip into flesh if need be. Cobalt recalled Titus had telepathic abilities and the realization set in that Titus was strong enough as a telepath to block Cobalt’s ability to use his powers. This was not good.
“You take us to the loveliest places,” said Lardy with a laugh, a show of pure defiance.
Titus didn’t take the bait. “Don’t I? This was once the gem of the universe! A bastion of civilization and power! All those who lived under my rule knew what true glory was when they looked upon me. For one thousand years sentients came from all over to see the glory of the City of Prianopolis.” Titus looked out to the ruins of the ancient city with a longing nostalgia. And again, that evil grin appeared. “And when that grew boring, I let those I’d risen to the highest ranks think they’d thrown me out. It was worth it to see the look on their faces when I returned with another army at my back and sacked this city until the Empire of Prianopolis vanished as if it never existed.”
As Titus talked, Cobalt looked around. He realized both the matching cloaks that Lardy and he had from a mission years ago were gone. They were both in chains—old, rusty chains made of iron that tore at the skin. Cobalt’s shirt was removed exposing his scarred body to the sun, and his boots were also gone. They were in a pile off to his side and Cobalt could see one lone fly buzzing around them, landing on his clothes as if to watch them.
Lardy was not wearing his exo-armor but was still fully dressed. “Your cloaks are on their way to the Dark Lord,” said Titus as if he’d read his mind, which Cobalt realized, he may have done. “Any meager belongings you may have had are gone. Your powers are gone too. You only have yourselves.”
The damn telepathy, though Cobalt, I’ve got to remember what Crujeckie taught me.
“No being without telepathy, no matter how hard they’ve practiced,” said Titus hearing those thoughts, “can withstand me.” Titus peered at Cobalt, as if studying his face. “I sense something odd about your mind,” he said after a few moments, “yes, for a non-telepath, you practice the art quite regularly. How romantic—the love of your life is a telepath.” The mention of love and romance gave Titus’ tone of voice a the sense of utter contempt. “You two share a telepathic link. To a telepath, this is if your soul was bound to another’s in the most honest and true form. Even stronger than marriage. It’s disgusting, and it shows you for the weakling that you are.”
Cobalt looked at Titus with pure anger in his eyes now and Titus stared right back. “Allow me to make you a stronger man, Cobaltus,” he said with a wicked grin and suddenly sharp daggers shot into Cobalt’s skull. The pain was so immense, Cobalt doubled over in pain and blood ran out of his nose and ears; he vomited immediately and tried to cry out but could not find his voice.
“Des!” yelled Lardy. “You son of a bitch!” he yelled to Titus, trying to grab the celestial’s attention.
Cobalt’s mind felt like it was being continually cut and ripped apart, as if a surgeon was performing a brutal procedure on it. And suddenly all at once he realized something was shifting within him; something was being ripped away and he could no longer feel it. The telepathic link he shared with Crujectra was broken. Ripped asunder. He know longer felt her presence even a little, and that realization shocked him as true despair engulfed his visage. He had been tortured before in his lifetime, once so terrible it shattered him; now for the first time since then, he felt the same despair he thought he’d never feel again.
“Noooooo,” he whispered to himself, as the pain began to subside. “Y-you…bastard…”
Lardy struggled with his bonds now, trying to push himself between Cobalt, who still lay on the ground, and Titus, who stood magnificently above them. Titus only smiled.
“The Dark Lord has designs for you, Anthony,” said Titus in his soft voice. “Though I don’t see why. There is little about you I find worth keeping. But for that reason, you remain untouched for the moment. Luckily, we can still make your presence worthwhile,” he said in a vicious grin that showcased those blood red lips and pointed, dagger like teeth.
He turned Lard Lad around so he faced the other way and the sight of what he saw was almost overwhelming. A vast, huge ocean that extended in all direction as far as the eye could see. Huge, foamy crested waves crashed into one another as the water ranged from a deep, dark green to a murky brownish-black.
They were at a harbor, along a dock that stuck out into the ocean. Only one small boat was in view, and in front it, walking forward, was a lone figure. He was a dominator and his height and built gave him away as an Unkillable. With his adrenaline surging, Lardy’s mind instantly figured out who this was: Outcaste, the Dominator with a long-standing grudge with Cobalt Kid. Outcaste walked forward to join them.
“The vast oceans of Prianopolis are what helped our great city first conquer our planet, before reaching out into the stars to conquer the others. Those days of pillage and plunder have always had a warm place in my heart and the salty smell of the sea water gives me a burning feeling in my groin,” said Titus. “But the waters of Prianopolis have something truly amazing living in them. Just watch.”
Lardy looked at his friend, who was still doubling over in pain with blood running down his nose, ears and now he could see his eyes as well. He then looked forward into the water. At first he saw nothing other than the rugged crash of the waves but upon further inspection, he could see something else. Very large fins. Hundreds of them.
“The megalodon sharks of Prianopolis are legendary,” said Titus. “Likely because we kept them so well fed,” he added. “Let me reach out to one so you can at least see their splendor.”
As if on cue, one fin came closer to shore and Lardy began to see the shape of what lied beneath the water. It made him inhale deeply, as he suppressed a gasp. The shape began to rise out of the water, growing larger and larger, revealing it to surpass in size even a standard space cruiser. And at last, it breached the water in a giant leap, crashing upwards into the sky to reveal a giant frame. But most awful of all was its massive set of jaws, with huge sword like teeth as large as a man’s leg. The beast crashed back into the water in a moment and ocean water splashed outwards in every direction as if a rain storm.
Lard Lad realized what was to come. Cobalt was now looking up, into the sea, the despair still fresh on his face. “Cobie,” said Lardy, “hang in there. Fight anyway you can. You’ve still got the magnetism.”
Titus laughed and then Outcaste followed. “No one gets to say goodbye I’m afraid,” said Titus matter-of-factly, and suddenly Outcaste grabbed Cobalt Kid by the chains and began dragging him up the dock.
Cobalt struggled, kicking from side to side and trying to rise to his feet, but Outcaste leaned down and pulled out a dagger from his felt. Suddenly, with unkillable-enhanced ferocity, he came down upon Cobalt, stabbing him again and again and again. A half-dozen blows rained down into Cobalt arms, chest and stomach and Cobalt again cried out in pain. Outcaste laughed and cursed the LMBer.
“You’ll pay for this,” said Lard Lad to Titus. “I have no doubt about it,” he added. “A thousand years you’ve been alive? Well it won’t make one thousand and one.”
Titus said nothing but put his icey-cold hand on Lard Lad’s shoulder. The power Lard Lad felt was immense and it froze him in place for a moment.
Outcaste continued to drag Cobalt over the old wooden dock, as a long slithery snake of blood followed them, fresh from Cobalt’s various wounds. In the distance, dozens of fins swam in the ocean.
Outcaste reached the vessel, and throw Cobalt aboard. He got in his himself and they were off, sailing into the sea. Lard Lad could say nothing, but stare forward in horror, as he struggled to break free.
Aboard the vessel, Outcaste drove farther into the sea, turning back to look at Cobalt Kid. “Your magnetism is still gone. Your healing. Your Princess. You’re all alone, Cobaltus,” he said. He did not laugh and he did not grin. He simply felt nothing but hate. “I destroyed the brain of your slut all those years ago. But this will be so much more fun.”
Cobalt looked at him with hi deep blue eyes. They had gone partially blurry and the pain of the stab wounds was causing him to go into shock. He knew what was happening, but he could hardly feel any emotions reacting to it. Maybe I deserve this, he thought.
Outcaste stopped the boat. He walked over to a container and opened it; he grabbed a large metal scoop and began to shovel something into the water. It was blood and guts and other gore. Chum. He was shoveling chum into the water. “I want you to know,” he said, “that I never once stopped thinking about you. You ruined me, and now you’ve ruined any chance I’ll ever have at redeeming myself with the Dominion. But now I’ve ruined you.”
He throw down the metal scoop and walked over to Cobalt. The dagger still hung from his belt and he made to reach for it, but stopped. Instead he walked over and found a rusty, old machete along the wall of the cabin. “The rust gives it a more poetic meaning,” he said.
He turned to Cobalt and Cobalt suddenly spit a wad of blood and spit into his face. It caught him right in the eyes. Outcaste felt anger flood him but he held back. He wiped it away. “You and I have unfinished business,” said the Dominator. And suddenly he plunged the machete into Cobalt’s stomach and ripped it long and hard across his abdomen sideways so blood spilled everywhere.
He threw the machete into the water. And then he bent over, and scooped up Cobalt by the chains and picked him up into the air. Cobalt felt more nausea as he was carried up high and he suddenly realized that this was probably his end. He was going to die today. He tried to mutter something—something clever or funny or even light-hearted—but all he could do was choke on his own blood.
And suddenly Outcaste hurled him into the ocean and he began to sink. The weight of the chains carried him downwards. Giant, massive megalodon bodies swam around him and he could feel their presence.
His wounds ached and his head pounded. He felt himself quietly dozing off to sleep as he sank.
-------------------
“You fucking bastard,” said Lard Lad on the shore, after being forced to watch Outcaste stab Cobalt and then hurl him over. “You bastard…” he said, as tears ran down his cheeks.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
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