The Guardians of London: Third Echelon CHAPTER THREE [6 Slots Open]

[Lord_Ascendant]

"I pledged my life and soul to protecting this world from evil. You gave us the name "Avenger", we do not give ourselves a name. We are simply an organization, and that is the name we use. Or we once did, they are all dead now..." she said before going inside and shutting the door.

"The longer you mourn, the weaker Grand Moon becomes. Soon all of Faerie will be under the Dark Skull's control." shouted Bastian at the closed door, kicking the ground in frustration.
"Bollocks. We'll have to convince her somehow..."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

Spoiler: OOC Alert

You know, I do actually care about this thread but the startling lack of posts leads me to conclude either A: you are all mad at me. B: nobody wants to play or C: everyone is busy. I'm hoping C. Also, I'm sorry I misspelled your name Kuroneko.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Spoiler: OOC

I forgive you! ^^ Even if it's just Rena and Bastian, we'll definitely take the Dark Skull down!

Rena was shocked to hear such words being said by what was essentially the embodiment of all her heroes. Gulping a little bit, she said. "I-I can't believe you would say that! Just because all the Avengers are gone doesn't mean that we should give up! If we're knocked down then we'll just get back up again and fight even harder! If I were an Avenger, that's what I would do! Even without being an Avenger, I'm going to face the Dark Skull and defeat her in the name of all those that have fallen!"

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

Bastian put a hand on Rena's shoulder. "Calm down little one,"

"Zjar'q, do you know any way to convince her to help us?"
Zjar'q shook his head but Reuben looked up.
"I could try to be...persuasive...or if that doesn't work, I could fiddle with her brains."
"Let's try to endear ourselves," said Bastian "The Dark Skull has taken a lot from her, if we're to win we'll need her help."

~~~

Later that evening; the soft thump of the cottage's door signaled the Avenger's presence.
"I will tell my story..." she said, eyes on the ground. "But promise me you will not fail."
"We will fight with all our might. If we fail, then more will come."
"The hordes of Light-worshipers on your world must be great, here they are small."
Here she began, sitting down near the small fire they had made.
"When we arrived, the beasts were silent. They were all hiding from their master, the Dark Skull was being riven apart from the inside. We took no chances and attacked, but when the mutilated body of the Dark Skull fell to the floor another rose up from within her. The beast she births is herself, perpetuating a cycle of life that cannot be broken unless she is slain before the seed quickens. She made short work of my sisters, scattered their bones as a warning. I alone remained."
Here the story ended and she looked at Bastion "We failed because of that. She cannot be slain when she is weakest, only at her strongest is she also vulnerable."

 

[Daft Sikes]

Spoiler: OOC

Don't count me out yet.

Hadrian scratched at his chin.
"That... That could prove to be a problem." He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. "But that sure as hell won't stop me from enjoying the fight." His usual smirk was visible on his face, though it looked more forced this time.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"Do not underestimate her. She's cunning, she'll try to divide and confuse you first before she attacks. You'll need all of our courage and conviction." said the Avenger.
"You should all rest..." and here she left.

"So..." Bastian said as the woman went back inside, leaving them alone around the fire, "I think we should have Jeff blow up most of the place, get us inside and then we just kick her pretty little ass into oblivion."
There was a short silence.

 

[Daft Sikes]

Hadrian's brows furrowed as he stared at the crackling fire.
"You're saying that as if it's that easy."

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena thought about it as well as she sat next to the fire. Nodding her head as she finally decided, she said. "I don't like the idea of attacking someone while they're at their weakest anyways. Only a coward and a weakling would even consider such an underhanded tactic. Anyone who would consider such a thing can't even call themselves a warrior." She nodded her head matter-of-factly and then said. "Even at her strongest, we'll definitely beat her!"

Spoiler: OOC

I'm so imagining anime guilt-arrows piercing into the others as she says each insult. XD

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

Spoiler: OOC

I can picture this entire series as some weirdly serious anime. SOMEONE CONTACT JAPAN!

"It's clear we can't anyways. We'll have to find some way to beat her, but we can't know the extent of her powers until we're there." said Bastian, also looking into the fire.
"I have this strange feeling that we might not make it out of this unscathed..."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

MUCH TIME PASSES

The Dark Skulls lair loomed out of the snowstorm. Just ahead the wall of swords sat silent, plunged into the permafrost as a reminder of the failure of the Avengers. The silent party glided past on their disc of solid snow, propelled by aquamancy. Bastian bowed his head as they passed, then looked upon the giant grey mountain ahead. Out of it sprang a black finger pointing up to the sky as if to say "Here I am! Come to me if you dare!" Lurker was sitting cross legged, mumbling a spell. Feeling for whatever defenses lay in wait.

Bastian nudged Rena and said "There it is. Your destiny."

Spoiler: OOC

Kuroneko Aisha; you get to deliver the final blow to the Dark Skull. Just letting you know. Also I cannot type today hurrdurr.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the huge structure but she knew that they would prevail. They would definitely get inside and defeat the Dark Skull no matter what! As she was thinking this, she was nudged by Bastian and encouraged by him. Nodding her head, she said. "I'll do my best!"

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

It loomed above them like a monster made of darkness. When Jeff started ripping the duck tape and sticking his heavy explosives to a section of the wall, Bastian drew his short sword and his gun. Jeff nodded and smiled at Bastian "More?" he asked. Bastian nodded.
"Know the whole thing down if you can..." said Bastian.
He started strapping grenades to it as well, while Lurker meditated.
"I can sense her. A kind of clawing at the belly, her time is near..." said Lurker, eyes glowing green and his flesh shrunken and rotting.
Bastian nodded.

The explosion ripped through the silent air, echoing far and wide. It left a medium sized gap in the wall, obvious made of stout material. Bastian and Jeffrey were through first, the others behind them.

 

[Daft Sikes]

Hadrian coughed a bit, and waved away the smoke that flew in front of his face.
"Damn, so much for subtlety."

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena used a bit of her wind magic to blow away the smoke from her face. Still coughing a little bit, she said. "Well that's one way to get inside! Let's go defeat the Dark Skull!" She started down a path before stopping and asking. "How do we get there?"

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"I would assume we go up..." said Bastian, looking at a staircase entrance nearby.
"If I was an all-powerful evil overlord, I'd be at the top of the tower...not the bottom."

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena thought that was a good idea, but then she thought about something. "But what if she's aware of that and is actually at the very bottom, with a trap at the top? Boo..That seems like something an evil overlord would do."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"Maybe...what do you say, Lurker?" asked Bastion of Lurker who looked around, eyes blazing with green fire.
"I feel a strong presence both above and below us."

"One's a fake and one's real most likely. Boo, you whore!" said Bastian "Split down the middle. Half go up and half go down."

Spoiler: OOC

The folks who go down get captured, the folks who go up see the Dark Skull but then get captured.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Rena nodded her head a little bit before saying. "I wanna go down! If it's a trap at the top then I sure don't wanna spring it! The Dark Skull will be as good as mine!"

 

[Daft Sikes]

Hadrian sniffed the air, trying to discern where the Dark Skull is, only to come to the same conclusion as Lurker. He snorted angrily. "Damn. I can't tell where she is either."

He tapped Rena on the head. "The same could be said about going down to the lower levels too, Rena. But if you really want to go down, then I'll be joining you."

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

"I'll go up.I've always been an "up" person." everyone looked at Bastian as he made this terrible pun and Bastian shook his head.
"I shall join you." said Mohammed, his eyes dulled now that Zjar'q was asleep.
"I as well." said Lurker, shadows bunching up around him.
"I will go down..." said Breaker, glaring as Bastian suppressed a stupid giggle.
"I can't let the werewolf have all of the fun and glory." and here, Breaker winked at Hardian.
Jeff cocked his gun and slung it over his shoulder "I feel like going up, then maybe left then backwards a bit."

"It's decided, keep in touch folks. And kill anything you see, I am under the impression anything in here is in the Dark Skull's service." said Bastian, pondering.
Anastasia kept close to Pytor, putting a hand on his arm as Bastian began walking up the steps.