Bounty Head Bebop Comlink
Role Playing Games => BZ's Games => Disciples => Topic started by: BerkaZerka on September 10, 2017, 12:19:39 pm
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Washington National Cathedral; Sunday October 22nd 2017
The Conference with the Archdiocese was nearly over, it quickly approaching eight PM, when the cell phone in the Saint's pocket began to vibrate.
An incoming text message.
No big deal, the Saint could wait another ten minutes for the meeting to be over, before checking it. Besides, Mother Rosemary was keeping an eye on the girls (UsdiYona having come over for a movie night with Faith).
For having "moved into" High Oaks Castle recently, UsdiYoni sure seemed to spend a great deal of time with the Saint still – though his food bills had seen a small measure of relief with the new arrangement.
Another incoming text.
Ugh, what now? Better at least to check and see who they were from.
Casually sliding his cell phone from his pocket, the Saint flipped it over to see where the text messages originated.
"Unknown"
Bah, probably scammers or something.
At this point, some of the Priests seated next to the Saint began to give sidelong glances at his distraction. The Saint was just about to put the phone back in his pocket, when yet another text came in from the same 'Unknown'.
His heart skipped a beat, as he noticed the preview banner at the top of the phone scroll across the following for the third text – "It took faith! I don't know where they went! I can't get out!"
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Saint immediately stands up rather rudely and apologizes to the other members of the conference.
"I'm sorry, my daughter has had an emergency."
He exits the room without a thought for the meeting and opens up his phone to read through the messages.
---
Bringing up the three messages, the Saint reads the following -
Text 1 – "Saint, Help! 911! It got us!"
Text 2 – "I tried to stop it, but it got away! Lots of spider things!"
Text 3 – "It took faith! I don't know where they went! I can't get out!"
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Cold fear creeps its way into Saint's heart even as a hot rage begins to cloud his thoughts.
Closing his eyes he forces the panic back and thinks to himself - It must be Usdi. She might be messing with me. I should go home and make sure of what happened before I do anything else
Nevertheless, he jogs and does not walk as he heads out the cathedral for his own residence, casting a body control spell on himself as he goes to keep his breathing in check and in case he might need it later. As he mutters his words of power he calls out to Miguel, "Faith might be in danger, please go ahead and check the house, I'll join you shortly."
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"Of course," Miguel nodded, and flitted away ahead of the Saint, as he hurried the few blocks down the sidewalk to the home he had been assigned by the Church.
As he drew near, he could see Mother Rosemary on the front step with a tin-foil covered tray in her hands, fumbling for her keys. She did not see the Saint approaching.
Miguel reappeared suddenly and reported news the Saint had dreaded to hear - "The house is empty, no one is inside padre."
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Usdi sent her out for food, they were both taken while she was away
"Sister, don't tell me you've been getting food for that ravenous rascal again? Here, let get that."
Saint takes 20$ out of his wallet and gives it to the sister while making to scoop up the tray.
"I'll bring it in to them, we finished early. Thank you as always sister."
Even as he says this Saint reaches into her mind and tugs at her base brain, trying to render her meek and willing to simply leave rather than question the sudden dismissal.
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Mother Rosemary refused to take the twenty dollars, but gladly handed the tray over to the Saint.
"Nonsense!" she facetiously scolded, "I was just bringing some home-baked cookies for the girls. UsdiYona is really good with Faith; and I thought they deserved a small treat."
"All right then," she smiled, apparently taking the subliminal hint, "tell the girls good night for me."
She then walked through the yard over to her own house next door.
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Saint unlocks the door and goes inside, looking through the inside of his house as he pulls out his phone.
He sends out a message to Beats
"I need your help, please get to the cathedral as fast as possible."
He then considers for a second and sends the same message to the other two disciples.
He then closes his eyes and begins to scry for both faith and usdi's location
-
In the living room, Saint found the television on, with the Lilo & Stich movie still playing in the DVD. He also noted the smell of ozone and spotted a scorched electrical outlet on the wall perpendicular to the sofa.
That particular outlet had never had anything plugged into it, so the fact that it had an electrical burn on its face stood out.
As the Saint began texting the other disciples, another one came in from the Unknown number - "Umm, hello? Is this thing on? Gosh, I hope this is working... This is the Saint, right? I hope I got the right number. Are you there?"
Using space to home in on UsdiYona proved completely baffling, as the results suggested that she was virtually everywhere on earth at the same time. Trying to open a window to see her, met with an interdimensional barrier of some kind (like when the Saint tried to scry across the Curtain between Worlds).
Doing the same for Faith encountered an actual ward of some kind. Try as he might, the Saint couldn't penetrate it to determine where Faith was either.
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Gritting his teeth in frustration, Saint forces himself to answer calmly. "Yes. Usdi, this is you right? Where are you?"
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"Help us Mr. Saint! We are scared!" UsdiYona replied back - "We were sitting there, watching our movie, when all the sudden this electrical lightning-looking hand came out of the wall and grabbed us both! It said BZZZZZT!!!"
"I'm sitting on a spider web. It's dark and scary. I'm all alone. It took Faith into the webs. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop it! Please don't be upset with me; it got me too!"
"And I don't think there's any food around here either."
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"I tried to find you but I was unable, it felt like you were everywhere and nowhere at once. You are not currently in the same space as I am.
From the sound of it whoever took you is a master of Space, it seems as if he's keeping you in a pocket dimension, or perhaps in a prison in the spirit world.
I've already called the others, it seems like I'll have to call Sarapheen too. You called me through a phone?"
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"I don't have a phone," UsdiYona explained, "but the spider webs have numbers running though them."
"I remembered your number and that you said I could always call you if I ever needed help."
"A little black window thing popped up with your number in it and it copies what I say and sends it to you whenever I say 'send'."
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"Then... Well, it does sound like a pocket dimension. A touch of Forces too, he seems to be connected to the power..."
Saint moves to the socket and probes at it with his spatial senses. Maybe there's a portal he can follow through here?
For good measure he also asks Miguel to see if he finds anything off about the socket.
If this doesn't work i'll need Emend to take a look at it.
"Usdi? Stay on the line, i'll keep you on as long as I can with my generous generous phone plan. I'll be with the others soon."
-
'Wierd, Saint aint one to mess about with jokes'
"Sorry boys, gotta go. Friend needs me." He says to the youths at the basketball court before running home and portalling to the basement of the cathedral.
"On da way, wats up?" he messages back as he goes
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"OK," UsdiYona said to the Saint. "Hurry, I don't have anywhere to go."
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Examining the socket with mage sight, the Saint found that it resonated an ugly mix of depravity, lust, and greed. There did not appear to be any portal there however...
"I can make nothing of your modern technology," Miguel answered the Saint; "I would not know what was normal and what was aberrant, though I see nothing unusual about the wall in comparison to all the others."
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Emend looks down at his phone after he finished restocking the snacks in his cupboard for the third time this week.
"I hope they didn't break anything..."
He remarked, as he picked up his jacket and headed out to his car.
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Robor looks down at the text, and immediately gets out of bed, driving over in his pajamas.
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Saint shivers at the resonance.
I will make hell weep for you
Saint gets up, "Let's hurry, we need to get to the others."
Saint hurries to the washington cathedral basement, where he will pray for Sarapheen's assistance. On the way, he answers Beats - "Usdi Yona and my daughter have been attacked, I'll explain in the cathedral basement".
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Washington National Cathedral; Sunday October 22nd 2017
Beats was the first to arrive, followed by the Saint, and then Sarapheen (after the Saint's prayers had summoned her). A short time later, Emend and Robor showed up - with Sarapheen suggesting that the Saint fill them in with everything he knew about the situation, before they collectively began figuring out how to best deal with it.
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Saint places his phone down on the table, still open so that Usdi-Yona could listen and contribute however she could.
Saint steels himself and does his best to maintain a neutral impression.
"My daughter Faith and Usdi-Yona have both been taken. A little under an hour ago I was in a meeting with the arch-diocese when I received a number of urgent messages from Usdi-Yona saying things had gone wrong and that Faith had been taken. I ran straight home to find them both gone and that an unused wall outlet had been scorched. I then asked all of you to come to the cathedral while I attempted to scry their locations."
"As I was scrying Usdi-Yona called me, and informed me that an electric hand had reached out from the wall socket and grabbed both her and my daughter. From her description she seems to be in a pocket dimension that the mage who took them has created, from which he can connect himself to power sources - it's how she's able to call me despite not having a phone, she simply called out by number and is communicating to us via the webs that link the room to the outside world. I am certain of this because when I tried to scry her I encountered a transdimensional barrier. She is certainly, at least, not in this world."
"Faith's location was in this dimension, however she was blocked by wards that I do not have the time or skill to try and penetrate."
At this he pulls out his wallet and a photo of Faith - "If any of you could try... Perhaps you could succeed where I failed".
"I examined the socket the hand came from and could find no portal to follow through, Miguel was unable to notice anything wrong either".
Saint's voice goes very hard then. "When I examined the resonance left behind I was overwhelmed by a sense of lust, depravity and greed."
Saint bows his head to the others and clasps his hands together in a pleading motion.
"Please, I need your help."
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At the sound of the word lust Beats face goes from concern to a cold anger, bringing up thoughts of his own previous 'case'. His vocabulary regressing almost in perfect line with his anger growing
"Whoever did dis. Im gonna make dem think of Hell as relief from what I do to dem." He says quietly but firmly as he leans kn to take the picture.
He immediatly sits back and clasps his Space dog-tag, concentrating on a scrying spell, spending manna to try snd force a success.
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Robor nods.
"If we head back, I could ask the spirits to follow the currents. They should be able to find your daughter Saint."
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"Yes, good idea," Sarapheen agreed, adopting her mortal 'secretary' guise; "We can walk over and inspect the point of incident first hand."
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"Hey!" UsdiYona texts in the background, "this thing says I 'may have won free pizza for life'! All I need to do is enter my social security number to claim my prize!"
"... What's a social security number?"
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As Beats attempts to scry for Faith, he finds (like the Saint) that something blocks his ability to latch onto her. He can tell that she is still alive, and somewhere in the physical world, but has no luck establishing a connection of any kind.
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swearing quietly "Faith is somwere in da normal world but shes warded or some shite. Lets get Usi first den track em down."
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"A shame", Saint fails to keep the dejection out of his voice.
Saint leads the group to his house. On the way, he asks Usdi - "Hey Usdi, how much are you able to find in there? Do you think you could look up other information? Perhaps find out where or who your captor is by asking the "web", so to speak?"
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Emend silently listens to the suggestions of the group and follows Saint to his home, considering their options as they move.
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"Oh yeah, good idea!" UsdiYona replies to Saint. "Web, where is my captor?" She then asks.
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When UsdiYona queries the webs, a torrent of little black windows begin popping up all around her! Like a countless number of leaves, they swirl about as if in an unseen dust devil.
Each one displays a single very large number (in the billions - if UsdiYona remembers her counting)... but otherwise do nothing more than seriously reduce her ability to see anything past the cloud of infinite windows.
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"Help Help Police!" UsdiYona cries in alarm, "There are too many of them! What do I do?"
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"Is... is it just me or is Usdi in the internet?"
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"ya what now?" Beats replies with incredulity clear in his voice "Hows dat even work?"
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The Saint's Residence; Sunday October 22nd 2017
At the house, Sarapheen and the team examined the clues, which basically amounted to nothing more than a scorched electrical outlet on one wall. The evil resonance that the Saint had felt earlier was gone by the time everyone got there.
This gave Robor a chance to try out his new toy - the Postcognition sword the Armorer had given him, in exchange for recovering the lessor sword he had lost earlier.
Concentrating on the blade, Robor's mind went back in time, to see UsdiYona and Faith on the living room sofa, watching their movie. It was like watching a VCR tape, where he could rewind, pause, or forward as needed - giving him an all access pass to the history of the event unfolding before him.
In that moment, Robor witnesses an abrupt crackle of electricity arc from the wall socket and take the shape of a giant clawed hand. Almost raptor-like in appearance - the reaching appendage of pure energy grabbed up UsdiYona and Faith, who surprised and terrified, could do nothing to escape.
In its grasp, the two girls were then digitized - their physical forms breaking down into a tangle of infinite numbers - as everything was then drawn back into the wall socket.
From what Robor could tell, UsdiYona had begun transforming back into a bear, moments before they all disappeared - probably to better fight off their abductor. That would explain why it decided to dump her off in limbo, rather than take her along the rest of the way with Faith.
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"Woah. Saint, you might be more right then you thought. Literally just saw them get digitized." Robor says, and explains what he saw.
"This bastard has magical powers, and decides to be a damned internet sneak? Pathetic." He then mutters.
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"I don't think we are dealing with just a sorcerer or witch," Sarapheen thought aloud with a look of concern on her face.
"From what you saw, and what the Saint described about the lingering resonance, I suspect a powerful demon could also be behind this. After all, it is through either demons or angels that the awakened get their power."
"Robor, cast Exorcist’s Eye on yourself and use your sword again. See if you can confirm a demonic presence."
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"An internet demon? Do they even exist?"
Robor proceeds to gramt himself his spiritual eyesight, and proceeds to look back in time.
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Beats moves over to Emend's side and quietly speaks up "You know forces better dan me man, Dis somthin you know bout how its done?"
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"An internet demon? Do they even exist?"
"I wouldn't know," Sarapheen replied thoughtfully, "It's not like angels use the internet. I suppose it would be a great place for a demon to hide, just for that reason though."
As Robor looked back at the events a second time with his mage sight active, he was absolutely shocked at the level of raw malevolence emanating from the arcing lightning hand. It was nothing like he had ever experienced, including his encounter with the broken tree stump thing in the flesh grove!
It was a litany of all the deadly sins put together - though depravity, lust, and greed reigned supreme. Bile involuntarily rose in Robor's throat - and for a moment, he felt like he would throw up.
Definitely a demon. And an exceedingly powerful one at that.
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"What's wrong Robor? What do you see?"
Saint is getting antsy.
"We don't have time. The longer we wait the longer Faith is in that thing's hands."
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Beats moves over to Emend's side and quietly speaks up "You know forces better dan me man, Dis somthin you know bout how its done?"
"If it's in another realm that would be a matter of Space, of which I'm only just starting," Emend replied. "Or perhaps a combination of the two."
"I could attempt to dispel the magic, but... I'm not sure I am capable of that just yet."
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"It's a demon. Big one." Robor says. "Haven't felt something that monstrous yet."
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"So like a pocket realm or portal" Beats replies, slightly calmed down in order to think.
Activing his spacial senses he searches for tracesnof poetals or wards
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Saint's already morose demeanour deflates even further.
"A master of space or forces, one of the higher order angels. Please, we can ask them for help. I will give anything. Everything."
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"Saint, I..." Robor begins, resolute. "We will save your daughter. I know it is difficult to have, well, faith. But we will prevail."
"This demon seems pretty foolish anyways. It has left Usi in it's 'Web,' letting us know the situation. And it did not have any time to erase the memories of the objects in your house....." Robor mutters, as he looks at the burnt out electrical socket, and presses his iron ring to it.
"AWAKEN electrical socket!!! And inform me of the recent electric currents!"
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Activing his spacial senses he searches for tracesnof poetals or wards
There was no lingering trace of any portal in the area - or sign that space arcana had been used recently.
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Saint's already morose demeanour deflates even further.
"A master of space or forces, one of the higher order angels. Please, we can ask them for help. I will give anything. Everything."
"Hmm..." Sarapheen considered; "We may need help on this one..."
Morrow Wind knows his Spirit and Mind - and Jarome does that Forces thing - I'm not even sure how to go after this one...
"I'll be right back."
With that, the angel Sarapheen opened her heavenly portal and ascended up - disappearing into the white radiance. The portal then closed, leaving the disciples to wait.
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"AWAKEN electrical socket!!! And inform me of the recent electric currents!"
At Robor's command, a minor spirit of electricity jumped out of the socket and onto the floor. It was a ball of snapping sparks with little arcs for arms and legs and two motes of plasma for eyes.
"BZZzzzzrrrRT?!?" it crackled.
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Saint does not sit still, and begins weaving spells around himself. He begins with Hone the Form, spending a willpower on increasing the possible dice. He aims to add four strength for at least two hours. If there are extra successes he grants it to Beats and Robor in that order.
As well as this, he adds a Life shield over himself and the other disciples.
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At Robor's command, a minor spirit of electricity jumped out of the socket and onto the floor. It was a ball of snapping sparks with little arcs for arms and legs and two motes of plasma for eyes.
"BZZzzzzrrrRT?!?" it crackled.
Robor smiles.
"Little electric spirit, I command you. Tell me where the hand went. Along what electrical routes did it go?"
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"Zrrt! Bzzz-shreeeK! Pop, snap, click!" <It went down current! Outrageous! Everyone knows you only go up current!>
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A few minutes later, the heavenly portal reopened and Sarapheen returned, with Robor's mentor Morrow Wind and Emend's mentor Jarome both descending down as well.
Morrow Wind appeared the same as the disciples had seen before - an elderly-looking American Indian with white hair in a long braid, but instead of the neo-modern native dress he had when they last met, he now wore the brilliant white trappings of a heavenly angel with modest silver accents.
For those who had not yet seen the angel Jarome, he was a man of great stature and looked like a Roman centurion in polished gold banding, with a bright red tunic, apron, and belt of leather straps. He flexed a glorious pair of white wings that dwarfed any the disciples had yet seen on an angel; and carried himself with a mantle of power, experience, and leadership.
Unlike other angels, Jarome did not seem to have a halo, but rather a column of light that constantly shone down on him from above.
"I brought help;" Sarapheen announced, "I believe you have all met Robor's mentor Morrow Wind. This is Emend's mentor Jarome," she continued, motioning to the large imposing angel with his own spotlight.
"Yes," Jarome spoke, "Sarpheen has informed us of the situation with the child Faith and Ursamorph UsdiYona. Also, that it may be the work of a high ranking demon, which - given the fact that blasphemous magics hide the child's location from us - certainly seems likely. Only a Demon Prince or powerful infernal artifact would be capable of frustrating us so greviously."
As Jarome spoke, Morrow Wind went over to the electrical socket, gave the little electrical spirit a nod, and then examined the socket with both the spirit and mind arcana.
For a few moments, he closed his eyes and held a hand over the socket in deep concentration. Then he withdrew his hand and shrugged.
"Nothing in the electrical wiring," he announced, then turned to Robor - "Robor, allow me the use of your sword a moment."
With Robor's sword, Morrow Wind observed for himself the grasping electric hand that had taken the girls and plied his spirit and mind mastery on the scene, as it unfolded.
"It is... massive..." he mumbled, speaking out from his vision, "covering the earth like a fly in its web..."
Then finishing his observations, Morrow Wind handed the sword back to Robor.
Speaking to Jarome, but clearly for the benefit of all, he explained, "What we are up against is a previously unknown Demon Prince. But this one is different. Where we have only encountered demons who have merged with their human hosts, this demon has instead merged with the world wide information system the mortals call their 'internet'."
"Ehh!" Jarome frowned, "While unheard of, this is hardly surprising - given the wickedness the 'internet' peddles all over the world; it's a wonder a high-ranking demon hasn't tried this before."
"Or maybe it has and we just didn't know about it till now," Morrow Wind pointed out.
"Maybe so," Jarome contemplated, "but its error in abducting the child of an awakened will be its undoing. Had it not done so, we may never have discovered it."
"Can't we just force it out?" Sarapheen asked the two other angels.
"No," Morrow Wind replied, shaking his head, "the Demon is the internet, not in the internet. Likewise, it did not take Faith and UsdiYona into the webs, it is the webs - it took them into itself."
"And here is where you tell us we can't simply go in and get the girls, right?" Sarapheen huffed.
"Correct," Jarome interjected, "We cannot go into the mind of a demon. We would discorporate in the same manner as if venturing into the Shadow itself."
"But our disciples can go in there," Sarapheen stated, brightening.
Turning to the disciples, Sarapheen continued directly, "Morrow Wind can allow you to dreamwalk inside the mind of the demon. You can go inside to bring UsdiYona out - and maybe even track Faith's path through the webs. It would be a way to find her, by following her trail, even though we are blocked from seeing where it ultimately leads!"
"Yes, well, I'll need to be close to wherever it has UsdiYona," Morrow Wind Pointed out.
"Allow me," Jarome offered, requesting the Saint's cell phone, which still had an open connection to UsdiYona.
Concentrating on the communication link with forces and applying the space arcanum, Jarome pinpointed the server UsdiYona was stuck in.
"She's in the Verizon building; Fairfax Virginia. I took the liberty of scrying out the area and deactivating the motion sensors. Sarapheen, if you would use your portal stone."
"Ah, yes," Sarapheen replied, blushing a bit for some reason at the mention of using a portal stone. She then opened a portal into what looked to be an expansive server farm, occupying a huge warehouse-sized floor in some building. The floor was of raised white tiles, with row upon row of server racks crowding every square foot and huge bundles of ethernet and fiber optic cabling running en-mass across the ceiling to disappear through large openings in the wall.
Lights flashed and fans hummed, as cool air blew up through the bottom of each rack from vents under the floor.
"We should have a few hours at least," Jarome surmised, stepping through the portal.
"Yes, this will work," Morrow Wind announced, joining Jarome on the other side.
"All right, let's go," Sarapheen said, motioning for the disciples to follow her through. "Any questions so far?"
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Emend frowns. Knowing now that he would have been able to track UsdiYona had he been able to put two and two together bothers him greatly. It's something he feels he should have been able to figure out without the help of their mentors.
"No questions. Just reflecting on how apparent it is that we're still disciples."
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Beats simply nods and follows them through while doing his boxing warmups. Clearly realishing the idea of some physical action happening.
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Saint says nothing, only briefly showing intense gratitude towards the angels who have given him a chance to save his daughter.
He is eager to leap into the dark mind of the demon who had taken Faith.
Lord.
Please.
Do not take her from me.
She is all I have left.
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"Oh, wait guys;" Sarapheen pointed out (upon noticing what Beats was doing), "A dreamwalk is taken with the mind, not the body."
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"Are we to be helpless in our walk then? Do these spells mean nothing?"
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"Warming up ma body helps warm up the mind right? gotta be in da riggt mindset for a fight and dis helps me." he replies
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"What spells?" Sarapheen asked, not having been present for all of the Saint's 'buffing'.
Looking with her mage sight, she coughed, "Well - yes... your physical bodies will be well protected here with us, while you go on your dreamwalk."
In the astral space of the demon's mind, you will have a simulacrum of yourselves, that will interact with the astral environment as if it were solid. Your magic will work there as well, for the most part, but it applies a bit differently.
For example, your astral simulacrum will be as strong as your willpower allows. If you use life spells, it will heal wounds to your willpower, not to your physical body here outside.
Unfortunately, you will have to actually go into the dreamwalk, before you can start casting magic that will have any effect there.
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Saint dispells all of the spells then, save for Clamour - they would only take up his limited focus.
"Very well, please let's hurry. The longer Faith is in that demon's hands..."
"Can Miguel join us? If we are to be so vulnerable another body would be invaluable."
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At this query, Jarome raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Answering, Sarapheen explained, "No, I don't think so - as Miguel is anchored to your body, not your mind. He will remain here with us until you get back."
"Speaking of which; if you are defeated or 'killed' in the demon's mind (by whatever defenses it throws at you, once you're in there), you will be thrust out and back into your body. While it is good news for you, it means that you won't be able to go back in to try again, until your psyche recovers in a few days."
Addressing the Saint directly, she continued - "For the sake of your daughter Faith, someone must be strong enough to follow her trail all the way through."
"When you get in there, concentrate on Faith. Find something powerful about her that you can latch onto - like breadcrumbs left in her wake."
"When you've discovered where the demon sent her, concentrate on awaking to return here to the physical world. Someone will need to take hold of UsdiYona at that point to bring her out as well."
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"Just to recap, the demon is the internet? And we are entering it?"
"Thats prettys sweet."
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Saint shoots Robor a withering glare.
"Then send me in. There is no point to delaying any longer."
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"I will be sending you all in," Morrow Wind said, stepping up. "But first, find a place to lie down. The spell will put your bodies to sleep and seem, to your mind, like a dream at first - until you spirits are free of their physical fetters."
"When it is so, go into the darkness."
-
Saint finds the nearest bit of available floor and stretches himself out. He reaches for the cross at his neck, and then hesitates - instead going into a pocket and gripping his prayer beads tightly.
He readies himself for the Dream
-
Beats quickly does a last couple of stretches then drops to the ground carefully, rolling onto his back he slips his earphones closer to, but not covering, his ears. He flicks to some upbeat music but keeps the volume low enough to just hear it over the other noises in the room. Mike Shinoda - Remember the name pops on as he closes his eyes ready to go
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Not wanting to sleep on the floor, Emend decides to lay down on the couch.
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"Wild." Robor says, finding a nice plot of ground to sleep on. Training with Morrow Wind got him used to sleeping on the floor.
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Astral Space - Mind of a Demon
It took a while for Morrow Wind to complete the ritual - the Disciples slowly beginning to doze off about thirty minutes into it.
Minds swam through an odd wash of surreal dreams, giving the sensation of floating alone in a warm drift of clouds on one's back, looking up at an azure blue sky. One might curiously wonder how high up they were, or what lay below as well, though power was not given to flip over and see.
There was also the feeling - or rather assurance - of supreme solitude here (wherever here was). As if only the self and this blue sky existed at all. Everything else being inconcequential, if it had ever been real in the first place.
Continuing to float along, an encroaching presence began to be felt - seeping in slowly, like a spreading cancer. Darkness appeared on the horizon and built up steadily. Clearly it did not belong here in this place - the place that was solely for the self and the sky. The darkness was an intruder. The darkness was poison. The darkness...
At this point, each of the disciples began to be aware that they were dreaming. This was part of Morrow Wind's ritual. The darkness must be the demon's mind and by now, it covered the entirety of the sky.
This was accompanied by the sensation of eventually being lowered down to a floor, where the ability to move suddenly flooded back into each disciple. Sitting up and looking around, they could see each other for the first time - or rather the astral representations of themselves.
Emend stood preeminent among the quorum - appearing as an eight foot tall giant in a full suit of silver armour and holding a large mace. A black mist seemed to shroud around him - though it was hard to distinguish in the darkness already surrounding everyone.
The Saint was also larger than life, being seven feet tall and composed entirely of a white healing light that radiated a holy power - somewhat reminiscent of the human torch in a funny way, but also having a dark scar of smoldering embers that ran through one side of his head. Whether a result of burning his own willpower earlier - or something else - only the Saint could know for certain.
Beats meanwhile, appeared as he always did - at his regular height - though here, he was surrounded in a light blue nimbus with streaks of a soft red pulsing through in rhythmic beats. The red motes blended with the blues as they mixed, leaving purple accents behind in long streaks. Beats found that he could hear the colours surrounding him and alter the 'music' according to his mood. No one else could hear what beats could hear, but the accompanying lightshow was quite entertaining.
And then there was Robor...
Oh my! What happened to Robor?!?
Here, Robor was only four feet tall! He looked ill prepared to face the darkness, dressed (as he was) in a loud Hawaiian shirt, board shorts, and flip-flops. In one hand, he held a fancy mixed drink in a hollowed pineapple with colorful paper umbrellas and a crazy straw. Tucked under his other arm was a pure white clipboard securing a single crisp page of thick black lines.
Something about the clipboard and page seemed important, but for the life of him, Robor couldn't yet remember why. Especially when he still had his mixed drink to finish off!
As dark as it was, now standing together on some invisible floor, there was to one side, a darker place still. Looking, one could see a complete absence of light in a wide yawning aperture of sorts - leading away into a completely blind pit.
-
Saint kneels and and places his hands against the floor, and concentrates on Faith.
Lord, show me the way.
Saint feels a dull throbbing coming from the scar on the side of his face as he thinks of the demon.
It's already been almost an hour. Lord please.
-
As the Saint thought about his adopted daughter Faith, his mind went back to that cold January night, five years ago, when he had found the child in the alley, whimpering in her dead mother's arms.
The snow had fallen in a thick blanket and the already emaciated woman huddled against a dumpster with a single blanket - insufficient to ward off the bitter chill. Perhaps sensing the futility of trying to save them both, the woman sacrificed herself, in order to swaddle the baby in the blanket fully - clutching the tiny girl to her breast as she breathed out her last frosty breath.
Then, an audible exhalation - emanating from the dark mouth of the abyss, before the gathered disciples. In its wake, a light coating of hoarfrost floated to the ground, dusting a thin trail in cool glistening shiny sparkles.
-
Saint takes off at a dead sprint, as he runs he begins weaving the same spells he had weaved outside of the demon realm. Body Control, Organic Shield, Supreme Honing. He extends whatever effects he can to his companions but will not waste precious time recasting the spells if they fail.
(Supreme honing potency 4, words of power spoken, duration 1 hour, target Saint. Willpower point spent.
Body control potency 3, target Saint, words of power spoken, duration 1 hour.
Organic shield potency 1, target Saint+Robor+Emend+Beats, duration 1 hour, words of power spoken)
-
"....Definitely not vacation weather." Robor says, sipping from his coconut drink.
"Definitely coconut weather though."
"Hmmmmm..." Robor wonders aloud. "Would it be a bad idea to summon spirits in this realm? Considering the demonic part of it all?"
"Hey saint, where are you going?!" Robor shouts and follows
-
"Saint!" Emend calls out, before hurrying after him.
-
Beats grins, his 'Rythem' now visible to all. Caught up in testing his aura and examining the others he only catches Saints ritual as he finishes and begins running.
Seeing things finally beginning he sets off after Saint full bore sprinting, Partly excited that things were finally happening and they were makjng progress in rescuing Faith but also psrtly not willing to loose a foot race against the 'Old Man'.
He also begins casting Body Contol and Spacial Awareness on himself.
-
Heading through the darkness, the Saint found himself entering a vast and strange realm of nebulous space - occupied with seemingly endless threads of white gossamer webbing, stretching out before him in every direction beyond the imaginable reach.
UsdiYona was here, in a weird hybrid bear form, surrounded in piles of shredded black command prompt windows.
"Oh hey! You found me!" She said, appearing as her twelve year old self, but with fuzzy bear paws, ears, and a tail - "Did you bring something to eat? I'm starving!"
Beats, Emend, and Robor meanwhile, abruptly entered the scene, running right into the back of the Saint (and each other) as they appeared out of nowhere. Looking in the direction they had just come in from, revealed no tunnel of darkness - just the same unending network of webs as far as the eye could see.
In fact, everyone was currently standing on one of these threads - it being at least a few hundred feet wide and having a hard, rough, opaque white surface. Close examination, suggested that it was made of something akin to etched glass and various beams of colored lights could be made out, coruscating along both directions within.
There was a sense of gravity here as well, as if 'up' was in relation to where the head was in relation to the feet. One had to wonder what would happen, if they were to get too close to the 'sides' of the thread and fell off into the nebulous space.
Still trying to follow the trail left by Faith, the Saint was alarmed to find no hint of hoarfrost anywhere in sight - though the cold chill that had prompted him to run headlong into the breach - come hell or high water - was mercifully still present.
-
Beats checks to see if he can learn anything about the 'space' they are in using his Mage sight. "So where we go next?" He asks Saint while looking around them.
-
Saint follows the cold, sparing only the briefest of moments for Usdi Yona.
"Which way did he take her?"
-
"I'm so sorry Saint," UsdiYona apologizes, "I really did try to save her. Don't be mad at me."
"It took her into the webs," UsdiYona explained, pointing to a spot on the ground. "Right here."
"Somehow it opens up. The hand took Faith inside and these spider things came out. I chased the spider things off, but the webs closed before I could follow!"
-
"I'm not mad at you Usdi", Saint says distractedly as he moves to where Faith was taken through.
First he examines the spot with his space senses. Then he tries to "push through" it, to wherever Faith had been taken.
He continues thinking with a picture of her in his head, hoping she can still guide him.
-
Emend looks at Usdi's current form, then frowns.
"What happened to you? Couldn't make up your mind?" He then pauses for a minute.
"And how can you recognize us?"
-
As Beats and the Saint tried to analyze their surroundings with the space arcanum, they were overwhelmed with the unfathomable complexity of it all. This web space seemed to be an impossible collocation of millions upon millions of simultaneous loci. It all existed, superimposed upon itself, in one place and one time - through foldings of space in ways that defied the current understanding, faculties, and senses of the two men trying to grasp its meaning.
Standing here, on this particular thread was the same as being anywhere else on it - the vast representation of space, spread out before the disciples, was merely an illusion - or rather, a subconscious construct of the mind to preserve one's sanity. Because the human mind was limited to processing a single timeframe of existence at any given moment, the current representation was simply a starting point.
What they had to figure out, was where to go, and how to go there.
As for the area in the thread that UsdiYona had pointed out, there was no resonance of space on it at all - meaning one did not go into and out of the threads through space magic. It had to be something more mundane - like a wooden door in the side of a house, which allows one to enter the building, without the need to portal there.
-
Saint puts a hand against one of the webs.
"Find Faith Moreau"
And then, "Find the master of this domain"
-
Emend looks at Usdi's current form, then frowns.
"What happened to you? Couldn't make up your mind?" He then pauses for a minute.
"And how can you recognize us?"
"Even though you and Saint look different, your spirit scents are still the same," UsdiYona explained with a smile. "And what do you mean, 'what happened to me?' I'm the same as I've always been."
"By the way, you didn't happen to grab that bowl of popcorn off the couch did you?"
"I'm starved," she whispers, so the Saint doesn't hear. "Someone in here offered me free pizza for life, but I didn't have their stupid society service card number or whatever."
-
"Think we could turn this thing off?" Robor wonders, before shouting out into the distance.
"Google how to turn off the internet!"
-
"Find Faith Moreau"
Before the Saint could ask about the 'master of this domain', a myriad of small black windows - DOS command prompts to be exact - flew up from the ground to swirl around him. There were about a thousand of them, each showing a single IP address - which, given the Saint's complete lack of computer knowledge, didn't provide a whole lot of insight into how they functioned or what one might be able to do with them...
Emend and Beats meanwhile, at least recognized them for what they were, while UsdiYona instinctively readied her claws - in case they started chasing her again.
As this went on, Robor asked his own query - eliciting a storm-like flurry of windows popping up around him in the millions - completely engulfing him and making it impossible for him to see out from underneath the onslaught!
-
Robor struggles to get out of the pile of windows.
"I guess it wouldnt be so easy to just do that..." he mutters.
-
The crowd of windows slowly followed after Robor, hovering in the air expectantly (though at least now he was out from among the center of them).
Meanwhile, among the windows presented to the Saint, one abruptly flitted into view having a sheen of frost along the edges. Its movements in the swirling mass however, quickly took it out of site again, almost as fast as it had been seen.
-
Saint lunges after the window.
A glimmer of hope? Or a cruel taunt?
Out loud, he says - "How to track IP address using command prompts"
-
To the Saint's dismay, asking a second query caused the original windows to all close - bringing a deluge of other windows popping up around him. These were as plentiful as those that harried Robor and blinded the Saint in the sheer mass of their concentration.
-
Frustrated, Saint takes out his phone and types the same search into there
I hope I get internet in here
-
Beats watches for a bit "Saint, Those were IPs right? can you find the one with Faith in it again?" he thinks the calls out "Bring up da previous search of Faith Monroe."
-
"Faith Moreau" Saint corrects
-
The Saint finds that he has his phone, because he thinks he has his phone, but it turns out, like most dream elements, to be only an ephemeral representation of it.
-
After some trial and error, the disciples found that they could make 'web searches' here, but only one at a time (each). Furthermore, the search results were represented by only the IP addresses of the websites, where the information resided - and (so far) they had not been able to figure out how to refine their searches to prevent millions of irrelevant results.
Even so, a second search for "Faith Moreau" brought up the thousand plus windows the Saint had seen before - only this time, he immediately spotted the one with the frost-covered edges. Reaching out, he was able to take it into hand and see the IP address.
What now though?
-
"Sry Father, didnt hear ya name right erm... So we like ask to go there or do I portal?" Beats asks, clearly a little lost
-
"We cannot, she is warded, wherever she is. Emend, do you know how to track this?" Saint asks, a desperate tinge to his voice
-
"That free pizza thing popped up when I touched a window number," UsdiYona said. "Try that?"
-
Saint pressed his finger against the IP like he would a button
-
Upon doing so, the window disappeared from the Saint's hand with an audible chiming sound.
Moments later, the ground in front of the Saint began to twist itself into large spiraling fibonacci fractals - growing together into a twenty foot high filigreed archway of sorts.
Once the archway was complete, a stream of two dimensional numbers began flowing down from the top of the arch like a sheet of water, pouring waterfall-like across the opening and nearly to the base of the archway, before seemingly evaporating into nothing moments before they would hit the ground.
The space Arcanum meanwhile, continued to confuse more than help - as this 'portal' did not register in mage sight as a form of spatial conveyance.
-
Saint barely hesitates before stepping through the archway
-
Emend observes the others during this time. He knew that the numbers they saw earlier were supposed to be a location somewhere on the internet. He just couldn't figure out how they would actually reach the location.
However it seems Saint had discovered the way. In here you simply had to say what you wanted, and the "internet" would respond. No doubt the archway would lead them at least in the right direction of Faith. Thinking this, Emend silently followed Saint through the archway.
-
Beats thinks much less than Emend, action suits better. He follows quickly
-
"Come on shorty!" UsdiYona says to Robor, following through the gate.
-
"rude." Robor mutters, and waddles after them
-
Pride
The disciples found themselves appearing in a large virtual plane with electronic constructs of unknown functionality forming the semblance of an amphitheater. Gathered in that space were a number of large floating mirrors - each framed in the most exquisite display of opulence - yet none apparently capable of casting an actually reflection.
They seemed in the attitude of communicating with each other in low whispering murmurs - with the outburst of haughty (almost scornful sounding) laughter occasional disrupting the general calm.
Something about the place gnawed at Emend, Beats, and Robor - who all seemed to intuitively sense the narcissistic arrogance emanating from the snobbish mirrors. Indeed, they could tell that the mirrors were talking about them particularly; and that they thought themselves superior to the disciples in every conceivable way.
Such contemptible disrespect burned one's pride and demanded that it not go unanswered!
The Saint meanwhile, took a moment to feel out the surrounding space with his mage sight and discovered it to be incredibly finite. It was like the time he had tried to use spatial awareness in the warded attic spaces of High Oaks Castle, and felt as though that cramped area represented the entirety of existence. Only here, the entirety of existence registered for all intensive purposes as a single point - thousands of times smaller than the head of a pin!
The Saint also noticed that the edges of this existence were somewhat murky, rather than strictly defined, like Mama Kark's spatial ward had been. Here, the Saint could concentrate to 'feel' outside the boundaries to a small degree - and in doing so, realized that he and his companions were actually somewhere in Washington DC.
Probably another server.
-
"Faith!"
Saint calls out.
"Demon, I know you're here!
How pathetic are you, that you must prey on children? How weak are you, that you must hide? FACE ME!"
Saint draws his sword and makes to smash one of the mirrors, swinging with all of his inhuman strength.
-
Beats pretends to ignore the mirrors despite how they were making him feel but quietly he begins moving towards the nearest one to examine it with his mage sight. While he does this he is thinking "Da second I know what it is Imma smash the Fark outa it."
-
"Who are you?! How did you get in here?!" the mirror began interrogating the Saint as he approached. "This is a private forum!"
CRASH!!!
The Saint's sword, easily smashed the mirror to bits - showering the floor in tinkling glass shards.
"My word!" a nearby mirror remarked.
"Who is that?! Are we being hacked?" another questioned.
"Someone get a MOD! Ban these intruders!"
"Cretins! Who do they think they are?"
Beats meanwhile, was unable to discern anything further about the mirrors with his spatial awareness. He had to admit though, smashing them seemed as reasonable an option as anything else at the moment - though maybe that was his pride talking...
-
Emend glares at the mirrors. He then casts Supernal Vision on the mirrors, to see exactly what they are supposed to be... before deciding whether or not to smash them.
-
seeing Saint begin the smashing Beats grins and shrugs "We are da Mods!" he announces then punches the near mirror hard
-
UsdiYona is confused, not knowing what to do. For now she'll watch the others smash mirrors, while thinking about peanut brittle.
-
Emend glares at the mirrors. He then casts Supernal Vision on the mirrors, to see exactly what they are supposed to be... before deciding whether or not to smash them.
Emend's mage sight showed nothing magical about anything in this place - other than his fellow companions. Switching to forces, Emend realized that everything here was a 'physical' assembly of positive and negative electrical charges, behaving in ways he could hardly begin to understand.
Beats meanwhile, smashed the mirror in front of him with a single blow - it shattering completely like the other one had.
"STOP THAT! GET OUT!" one of the mirrors yelled.
"How are they doing that?" one was heard to ask.
"It must be Zionist infiltrators!" another speculated.
Then, a new mirror popped into being - though this one was smaller than the rest and very plain in its embellishments. Straightaway it flew over to other mirrors.
"This is Ogliarch, I had to create this alt on my notebook. They broke my account somehow! Do not interact with them! The Mods have been notified! I suggest logging off until this is resolved, unless you want to lose your account like I have."
A collective gasp rose up from the assembled mirrors and they immediately began disappearing one-by-one.
Soon, only the small plain mirror was left.
"Flagitious effluvium!" It sternly rebuked the Saint; "Your birth certificate is an apology from the condom factory!"
-
Beginning to realize that they are in a forum right now, Saint holds back his desire to smash yet another mirror and he poses a question, while attempting (even if it's likely unsuccessful) to use magic on the mirror. He casts both Lizard brain (Submission) and his sword's emotional control spell (Fear).
"Someone here took my daughter from me. Do you know who they are?"
-
beats searches the 'room' for anything else of note before vlicing an idea. Edging up to Robor he whispers "Any way to trace dat thing back to like a real world compiter or somthin I can jump too? Wait a sec..." He concentrates on the window as a connection and tries to scy on the one using it.
-
"And you," the mirror sneered at Robor (as if looking him up and down); "Pathetic."
Emend meanwhile, continued to read the matrices and had a sudden epiphany - finding that the arcanum allowed him to 'see' all the connections going into, and out of, this virtual reality (including the one they had come in on). He noted some kind of data logging associated with each 'port' but the sheer number of recorded traffic was staggering and it was all incredibly cryptic.
Emend sensed that if he had some way of picking a connection, he could simply engage it, and instantly travel along its route to the destination on the other end. Right now however, he only knew where the ingress point led - which was to the Verizon backbone in Fairfax Virginia.
As this went on, the Saint worked his will on the arrogant mirror, while Beats found that he could indeed scry the origin of the mirror's connection - after he too had activated his eyes of the matrix.
Beats observed an angry looking Asian man in his late sixties to early seventies, sitting in a spacious office, typing at a laptop. The man was dressed in a smoking jacket, but the room's décor suggested a law office. This was confirmed by a plentitude of diplomas and certificates on the wall - and the engraved nameplate on the desk, which read "The Honorable Judge Derick Wattson."
Beats noted a computer workstation at the desk as well, but it was currently off (and spitting thin wisps of black smoke from the monitor).
Simultaneously, the effects of the Saint's spell took hold of the man - who jumped out of his seat in alarm and abruptly slammed the screen of his notebook closed. Grabbing his chest, he staggered around, mumbling something in Japanese - clearly shaken.
In the virtual world, the small mirror disappeared the moment his connection was lost - leaving the disciples alone in the strange amphitheater.
-
Saint glares into the void left behind by the mirror.
"Please tell me someone got something."
-
For now, Emend looks at the connections and attempts to see if the IP address that Faith was said to be at is among them.
-
beats searches the 'room' for anything else of note before vlicing an idea. Edging up to Robor he whispers "Any way to trace dat thing back to like a real world compiter or somthin I can jump too? Wait a sec..." He concentrates on the window as a connection and tries to scy on the one using it.
"My big issue is that I have no idea if these things are spirits or what exactly." Robor says, activating his spirit sight.
"Can't command anything that doesnt really count as a spirit."
-
"I'm a nature person," UsdiYona says. "Let's find Faith and get the hell out of here!"
UsdiYona then begins sniffing around, trying to find Faith's spirit scent.
-
"Dat was a judge, Derick Wattson. Old Asian dude. Looks like ya fried his comp when ya smashed dat window, like smoking and stuff den he seemed to panic real bad" Beats helpfully adds
-
"I tried to control him through the mirror, either I failed or I overdid it. Still, it means the spells are working, if it made him panic.
Where was it? Do you think we could portal to him? Or that you could bring him into here?"
-
Searching around for Faith's spirit scent, UsdiYona wandered to the rear of the amphitheater and over to one of the electronic constructs. She was pretty sure that Faith (and the giant lightning hand) had gone through this area.
"Over here?" She called, pointing to the spot, but having no idea what to do with the knowledge.
Looking where UsdiYona was indicating, Emend and Beats could see a large outgoing connection with their mage sight.
The Saint meanwhile, noted a distinct drop in temperature, as he glanced over to where UsdiYona was standing.
As this went on, Robor used his spirit sight to evaluate the area - finding no indication of any spirits about, other than UsdiYona. He did discover however, that his colorful pineapple/coconut drink self-refilled automatically, anytime he took a sip.
Then, a strange amalgam of mirrors suddenly appeared between where UsdiYona was waiting and the rest of the disciples. It was like hundreds of small ghost-like mirrors floating in, out, and around a dozen massive physical mirrors - which of themselves, simultaneously spun and morphed through each other in ways that defied physical law.
"I am the Administrator of this forum," it said in a stern and authoritative voice; "What is the meaning of this intrusion?"
With his spirit sight still going, Robor could see that this was part spirit - sort of how UsdiYona was part spirit/part human. Only here, it also seemed to be 'a part' of a spirit - meaning that there was more of it elsewhere; and what they were actually seeing was simply an appendage of the greater whole. That, and this particular 'avatar' was pretty powerful - at least as dangerous (or more so) than that irritating hell hound thing had been.
Emend and Beats could also tell that this was no mere 'user' - as it did not show on their mage sight as a normal part of the electronic environment.
Something about it was also familiar to UsdiYona - who abruptly realized that it shared the same 'scent' as the giant hand that had taken her and Faith.
-
Hey, hey!!" UsdiYona says. "I know this smell! It's what took us off the couch!"
Then seeing Robor, she adds "And how come he has a never ending drink and I got stuck with a never ending bowl of nothing?!?"
"Just sayin."
-
Hey, hey!!" UsdiYona says. "I know this smell! It's what took us off the couch!"
Then seeing Robor, she adds "And how come he has a never ending drink and I got stuck with a never ending bowl of nothing?!?"
"Just sayin."
"It's pretty good." Robor says, enthusiastically taking a sip.
"And this thing is hellhound big, guys. And not even the full deal." He then adds.
"Someone activate that connectoon and lets split." He whispers
-
Saint does not shy away from the mirror for a second, walking to wards it sword in hand, weaving life and emotional control spells in the exact same way he did against the judge.
There are more important things at risk than his life.
"Demon. Your master took my daughter. Tell me where he is or wait for him in hell."
-
"Curious," the mirrors replied - apparently unaffected by the Saint's spells; "You do not belong here. You were not brought in. Let us see where you came from then, shall we?"
At this, Emend and Beats saw a data signal shoot across the floor and out the connection they had come into the forum through. A corresponding data signal instantly shot back in reply.
"Ah, I understand," the mirrors continued, "you came in at the behest of your little bear friend."
"Perhaps you think you can follow the trail of breadcrumbs left behind by the innocent one? You think to best my little maze and win the cheese?"
"You are welcome to try. It will be most interesting to watch."
"Better hurry though, your time is limited. I have alerted the authorities of your trespass in the Verizon server room."
-
As if they could do anything to the angels. They will show up and walk away, none the wiser for their interruption.
But we do have to hurry. Faith...
Saint grits his teeth. If he could he would make this spirit bleed.
"Robor, I can't control it, maybe you can".
He abruptly turns his back to the thing and heads towards the back of the area Usdi-Yona had indicated, feeling for any trace of Faith's passing.
-
"Hey, da cowards hiding from us. Just igore da looser and lets go." Beats says, trying to anger it before heading over to Usdi
-
"I have no way of identifying which one of these lead to faith, but you should be able to, Saint," Emend says, casting Eyes of the Matrix on him.
-
Emend's spell opened the Saint's vision to the myriad of connections going into and out of the area - where UsdiYona stood next to a large one in particular that seemed to issue forth a cold draft.
That had to be the one.
Drawing closer, the Saint was assured of it, when he could sense the residual resonance of his daughter Faith's passing through the connection.
-
As if they could do anything to the angels. They will show up and walk away, none the wiser for their interruption.
But we do have to hurry. Faith...
Saint grits his teeth. If he could he would make this spirit bleed.
"Robor, I can't control it, maybe you can".
He abruptly turns his back to the thing and heads towards the back of the area Usdi-Yona had indicated, feeling for any trace of Faith's passing.
Robor nods.
"It's a part of something bigger. But I dont it can hurt us.." Robor says, before gripping his iron.
"Call off the authorities. I command you "
-
Saint nods his gratitude to Emend.
"You were right Usdi, they passed through here. Beats, can you follow this connection?"
-
"Call off the authorities. I command you "
"Oh dear," the collection of mirrors remarked snarkishly, "you seem to have a few tricks up your sleeve."
"No matter."
"The mewling N00b is no match for the experienced Griefer. Hahahaha."
-
"I.... have no idea what those words mean."
-
Beats concentrates for a second then grasps his space tag to do what saint asked and tries to use a form of scrying to follow the connection.
-
Beats found that could he feel out the connection from here to its end - though the distance was quite surprising. Trying to see what was on the other side revealed nothing but darkness and the hum of electrons shooting rapidly from place to place.
The thought then occurred to him, to try seeing outside the boundaries of the virtual world, as he had done to spy on the judge.
With a few moments of concentration, a view of another server farm opened to his mind, like the one in the Fairfax Verizon building. Only this one was apparently somewhere in Atlanta Georgia.
The connection they stood before, had to lead into one of those servers.
-
As soon as Beats confirms the destination Saint steps through.
There's nowhere this demon could run that Saint would not follow.
-
"Dis way then." Beats indicates as Saint dissapears, clearly having lost some of his initial excited energy once it had turned frkm an imminent fight into a slowly puzzle chase type situation
-
Emend nods then follows them through.
-
Once everyone walks through, Robor lools back at the administrator.
"Not actually sure how any of this works, but you won't be following us through here." He says, walking through. As he leaves, he'll spill his coconut drink into the outlets. Should start an electrical fire maybe
-
"Um, does someone want to tell me how they are doing that?" UsdiYona asks Robor.
-
Robor meanwhile, poured some of his drink around. It did not appear to have any noticeable effect on the environment - though the Administrator watched with passive interest.
"I do not need to follow," it replied to Robor - "am already there."
To UsdiYona it added, "Just click your heels together three times and say 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home', hahaha!"
-
"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Usdiona says, clicking her heels together.
-
"Bwahahahaha!" the mirrors bellowed.
"Oh my, you are a trusting little thing, aren't you?"
"I suppose that little display is worth a small clue at least," it continued; "Concentrate on traveling from where you are now to where the port connects. That will take you to your friends."
"I don't suppose you would care to sing 'I'm a Little Tea Pot' before you go, would you? Hahahahahaha!!!"
-
"I don't know that one," UsdiYona says, "I just know C is for cookie. That's good enough for me!"
She then concentrates to join the others.
-
Deceit
Willing themselves into the connection, the group felt themselves shoot across a vast distance in the fraction of an instant. The speed at which the gap was crossed boggled the mind.
Exiting the connection on the other end, the disciples found themselves in a bizarre plane of stark white cubes - laid out like a floating floor. Each cube seemed to measure (in relation to the disciples size anyway) a full yard and they were uniformly spaced a few inches apart, creating a grid-like configuration that expanded away in all directions as far as the eye could see.
Looking down between the cubes, showed an apparently endless drop, while there also seemed no end to the open nothingness directly above either.
A constant stream of data coursed into and out of the blocks - shooting through a countless number of connections that could only be seen with eyes of the matrix.
Every so often, one of the cubes would abruptly 'burn out' (like an old lightbulb) and turn grayish black. Moments later, it would shatter and fall away into the void - leaving a wide hole in the floor. This was then dealt with, by an entire column or row of cubes shifting over to close the gap.
Emend could perceive that the outgoing transitions were data of some kind, while the incoming transitions appeared to be a mix of data and monetary values.
A few seconds after their arrival, a six foot tall Nigerian Prince, in ceremonial garb, appeared before the disciples. In his right hand, he held a purse overflowing in money, while in his left hand, he dragged a set of thick iron manacles attached to a heavy ball and chain.
Smiling, he asked, "Hello friends! Did you get any of my emails?"
Robor with his spirit sight and UsdiYona with her keen senses could tell that this was another avatar of the same demon they had just left in the other server.
-
Saint scans the environs for any more signs of faith, resisting the urge to kill the administrator
-
Seeing the new enemy in human form Beats quickly tests his surroundings, checking what he can cannot stand on and how is it best to move.
-
The cubes were solid and only moved when one of them burned out and broke away. As long as the disciples paid attention to the cubes beneath their feet, they wouldn't fall into the abyss - though being thrown off one's feet was a real possibility, should the row or column suddenly shift as they were standing on it.
Those with eyes of the matrix could tell that each cube represented a unique connection.
Scanning the area, the Saint spotted a cube about thirty yards off that appeared to be encased in a thick coating of ice. It was the only cube that stood out in any way from the rest (other than those that turned gray before crumbling apart).
-
Saint approaches the cube and lays a hand onto it.
"It's this one", he says.
"We should all go at once, in case this one collapses like the others".
-
Beats, who was moving slowly closer to the avatar to attack it, tuts and gives ul on his approach. He instead moves quickly over to Saint and readies to go through as soon as the others are close
-
"I did," Emend tells the 'Prince'. "I should have known that scam was the work of a demon."
With that, he turns away from the Prince and follows Saint.
-
"And what about you?" the prince asked UsdiYona - "Not interested in my offer of 'free pizza for life'? I must say I am surprised. You struck me as someone who could really appreciate piping hot pizza, dripping with mozzarella, extra sauce, and only the choicest of toppings. And none of that funky stuff like those disgusting mushrooms. Talk about some real forest food there - Ahahahahahahaha!!!"
The Saint meanwhile, could feel Faith's resonance about the cube, but trying to enter the connection proved futile. The ice, coating the cube, was like a closed door with a combination lock on it.
-
"That's kind of cruel, don't you think there prince?"
"Does that offer still stand with no strings attached perhaps?"
"You know, you did drag me off the couch and through a light socket without letting me grab my popcorn first."
"What the hell kind of place is this anyway?"
-
"There are a few, uh, provisos, a, a couple of quid pro quos." the prince replied to UsdiYona with a sly wink.
"I'll just need your social security number and date of birth; and we can sign you right up! What do you say?"
-
"What?!?" UsdiYona replies. "I don't even know what a social security number is and who remembers the day they were born? Sheesh!"
-
"I would be delighted to sell you either (or both) for a trivially small administrative processing fee," the prince offered, smiling broadly.
-
"But I don't have any money!" UsdiYona Huff's, folding her arms in disgust.
-
"It's not a problem!" The prince explained; "See, I will give you a check for, say $5000, and you just deposit in your bank account to get the money. You pay me a paltry $125 and keep the rest. Then free pizza for life!"
-
"It's locked down".
"Robor, do us a favour and try again", he says, as he turns, sword drawn, and steps towards the administrator.
"If you don't tell me how to open that door I will destroy you. I hear that it's extremely painful.
You exist across countless different servers. I wonder how it would feel to feel yourself dying a thousand different times across a thousand different places?
Trust me demon, if I lose my daughter I will have nothing better to do."
-
"I may be a starving, melting away to nothing, nobody cares if I wither, kind of spirit bear," UsdiYona says, "but I do know a scam when I see one."
"I don't like you anymore prince," she concludes, sticking out her tongue and stomping a foot.
"I guess I'm just gonna go help tear you to pieces, if you harm my friends"
UsdiYona then turns herself into a stone, as a defiant gesture towards the prince.
When she turns back, she let's her comrades know that the traffic cone Mother Rosemary had taken out of the house that one time was actually her - hahaha.
"Didn't know I could do that huh?" ;D ;D
-
"If you don't tell me how to open that door I will destroy you. I hear that it's extremely painful.
You exist across countless different servers. I wonder how it would feel to feel yourself dying a thousand different times across a thousand different places?
Trust me demon, if I lose my daughter I will have nothing better to do."
"Your daughter is missing?" The prince asked, feigning surprise.
"Then by all means, take your leave."
"To bypass the security lock on that connection, all you have to do is stand on it, face any direction and then step to the right cube, step to the fore cube, step back, then right, then left twice back onto the ice cube (as it were). Think of it as a four pin code haha!"
-
If he's lying i'm going to kill him.
Saint does as the spirit had said.
Or if it can feel pain, i'll drag the answer out of it first.
|
> <<
|
-
As the Saint followed the Prince's instructions, his eyes of the matrix could see data beginning to assemble itself in response to his movements. It was related to the ice coating Faith's connection somehow, but the Saint couldn't really tell in what way exactly.
The moment he completed his first step back to the left however, something happened, bringing his wrath boiling to the surface.
Ice data leapt up from the cube next to Faith's, instantly encasing the Saint completely. He found that while he didn't feel as though he was suffocating, he also couldn't move an inch.
"Hahahaha!" the Nigerian Prince laughed at the entirely expected development; "That is some pretty expensive 'ransomware'. But I can probably let the encryption key go for a hundred grand. What do you say?"
-
"Or you could do it for free." Robor commands the demon, raising his ring.
-
Beats examins the box and ice with Space and forces to try and find a 'Hack'. Maybe he could rearrange the connections somehow.
-
Saint silently casts a spell and attempts to shift into a snake (Anaconda) (Life 4 - shapechanging).
He'll try to slither out of the trap by any means, even if it costs him his own skin.
If he fails to escape it he will shift back into his human form and cast a silent, if futile, killing curse on the prince (Life 4 - Life Force Assault)
If he successfully escapes he'll go straight for the prince, aiming to entangle and crush the foul avatar.
-
"Or you could do it for free." Robor commands the demon, raising his ring.
"Are we not all capitalists at heart?" the Prince replied to Robor (apparently unfazed by the command).
Then observing Beats scrutinizing the ice data, he added - "See, there? That man seeks to undermine the system for his own gain, rather than pay a fair price for the service offered."
With his eyes of the Matrix, Beats found that he could indeed influence the flow of data to a small degree, but felt that his overall skill with forces was a bit lacking for the task at hand. If only he could control the data flow, rather than simply influence it...
He could tell with space however, that the currently blocked connection led off to a point somewhere in Dallas Texas.
The Saint meanwhile, changed his form to that of a giant snake. He was still trapped fast however, and quickly realized that the cold had an even more adverse effect on him, while in a cold-blooded skin.
Changing back, he then attempted to unravel the Prince's lifeform directly, but the effort was thwarted by the Prince's seemingly endless ability to resist the disciples' magic.
-
"Yo, Emend!" Beats calls "I think dis ones for you, my Forces aint strong enough."
-
Emend nods to Beats, before attempting to use control electricity to free Saint and properly open the connection to Faith.
-
Giving it a try, Emend found that he could easily manipulate the data trapping the Saint with his ability to control electricity. The challenge was figuring out how to move it around (or organize it) to get the desired results.
After a few moments, Emend hit on the right combination, and the ice began to recede from the Saint.
"Looks like R & D needs to rethink their algorithms," the Prince huffed; waving a hand at the still encased connection that led to Faith. In an instant, the cube abruptly burned out and began to crumble...
-
UsdiYona turns into an adult bear. An angry hungry bear.
"Don't mess with a hungry bear!" UsdiYona says, in spite of being in bear form.
"How 'bout I give you free bearclaws for life!!!"
UsdiYona then attacks the prince.
-
Saint joins Usdi, leaping at the Prince. They could distract the avatar while the others figured out a way through.
Also he really wanted to kill the Avatar.
-
"I see, so that's how it works," Emend says aloud, realizing that his ability to control electricity allowed him to literally control the internet. With this knowledge, he attempts to see if he can manipulate the cubes, and perhaps even bring back the "connection" that was just destroyed.
-
"It went to Dallas, Texas if that helps!" Beats calls
-
Robor nods, and, taking a sip of his coconut drink, and directs his ring at the demon once again.
"Feel pain demon." He says, attempting to damage it's corpus.
-
In response to UsdiYona and the Saint attacking, the Nigerian Prince swung his ball and chain in a wide arc - the weapon trailing lines of frost that follow it along the floor.
UsdiYona was caught completely off guard by the speed of the attack, taking the iron ball right to the chest - only it didn't harm her - and in fact, passed right through as if completely incorporeal!
This was enough to surprise the Saint as well, who, ready to parry, found nothing to actually deflect. The iron ball passed through him and his sword as well.
Upon contact with their animas however, the ice spread - once again encasing the Saint (and now UsdiYona) in ice - completely immobilizing them.
Given that he had just figured out how to 'decrypt' the ice ransomware, Emend was able to free the Saint again with forces, leaving UsdiYona for next round.
Not hesitating - and fueled with mounting wrath - the Saint laid into the Prince with his sword. The Prince backed away from the assault with alarming celerity, each blow seeming to miss by a fraction of an inch. Looking, the Saint could see a single thin slash across the Prince's torso - not so mush a bleeding wound, but like a dark line on a monitor when it begins to fail. He had managed to hurt the Prince, but it was difficult to determine by how much exactly.
Robor meanwhile, raised his ring and attacked the Prince's corpus directly. The Prince winced in pain at the spell - but Robor wasn't feeling it. It was like his attack evaporated into nothing, well before it would have reached the Prince.
As this went on, Beats realized that he was missing out on the start of the fight! He needed to help his friends take out this trash!
-
Saint attacks with reckless abandon, his anger getting the better of him. He attacks wildly and aggressively, attempting to make up for his horrendous technique with his inhuman strength.
-
"Saint calm yourself. Acting reckless in space we don't yet fully understand won't help us get to Faith," Emend says, realizing the priest had to be reigned in before he further disrupted the rescue mission.
"Now, let's see if this works," he continues, attempting to 'Encrypt' the prince with Forces using his decryption knowledge. If that doesn't work, he'll settle for freeing Usdi.
-
Robor looks at the ball+chain. If the Prince can't be hurt, maybe his spirit weapons could...
Directing his ring, he wills command over it, and attempts to destroy it entirely.
-
Beats quickly considers options and wishes he could control the electricity in the system to jump out at the Prince, but not having that level of forces yet he opts for Knife Fists and leaps in close to stab the 'Prince'
-
The Nigerian Prince gave Emend a scowl, continuing to stay just out of the Saint's mad flurry of slashes. It was enough of a distraction however, that Beats was able to flank him and thrust his knife-fist into the royal avatar's back.
The wound did not bleed of course, but did cause a small spider web of dark lines to appear in the Prince's robes - looking somewhat like a cracked cell phone screen.
Robor meanwhile, found that the Prince's weapon did appear susceptible to spirit fraying and with great concentration willed a link in the manacles to fracture - sending the cold iron ball breaking free to sail across the space like a loose cannonball!
As this went on, Emend attempted to use his new-found understanding of the virtual world to his advantage, messing with the 'electrical flow' around the Nigerian Prince.
A small bit of ice data began to flow up from the floor to encase the Prince's feet, but the Prince just stepped out of it, and backed away a pace, before Emend could actually trap him.
Looking somewhat annoyed at the present development, the Nigerian Prince dropped the manacles - which dissolved into pixilated bits. He then waved a hand of dismissal at the disciples; saying "It matters little what you do. You will never stop me. I am too big. Too important to the rest of your weak-willed kind. They will never let me go. Hahahahahaha!"
With that, he disappeared - Emend noting that he had not used a connection to do so.
-
"Um... a little help here?" UsdiYona called from inside her ice. ;D
-
"Sure thing," Emend replied, freeing her. He then turns to Saint.
"While I understand your frustration, Saint, attacking everything we encounter won't get us to Faith any faster."
-
Saint closes his eyes and grits his teeth.
"He deserved it" Saint says quietly.
"But you're right. I'm sorry to place so much of this search onto you but do you think you can figure out how to reform the connection?"
-
Beats tuts loudly "Beatch ran." he mumbles before heading back over. " I got a partial location for da connection if dat helps?"
-
Still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he is partially controlling the internet, Emend attempts to re-establish the connection that was recently broken to Dallas, Texas.
-
Using his eyes of the matrix to examine the data logs associated with all the bizarre cube connections, Emend found a list of recently disconnected IP Addresses. Sorting through, he spotted one near the top with a 'Dallas Texas' notation. That had to be it.
Using his ability to control electricity (fueled with magical exertion) he attempted to copy the cube connection structure - inputting his own destination into its creation. A white cube appeared a few inches off the original floor, hovering directly over an already existing cube. Emend could tell that his new cube was not yet 'plugged in', so he scrambled the dataflow of the connection underneath it - which resulted in that cube abruptly burning out, falling away, and allowing his own cube to fall down into its place.
After a few flickering starts, Emends new cube connection lit up with a steady white glow. If Emend was reading this right, the disciples could now travel to wherever the ice-blocked connection had led, before the Nigerian Prince had destroyed it.
-
"Thank you Emend", Saint says, his voice dripping with gratitude as he does whatever is needed to send himself through the connection.
-
Beats nods "Nice one man." Then heads through, preparing for another fight
-
Emend goes through the connection.
-
"Last again short stuff!" UsdiYona jokes with Robor. "Need a lift? Hop on! I can be your mighty steed!"
-
Robor shrugs.
"Eh. Letting the giants go first haha." He chuckles, and continues onwards
-
Greed
It was a shaky ride through Emend's ad-hoc connection, but the disciples made it through - arriving (albeit a little dazed) in the Dallas Texas backbone server.
Arrayed before them was a great and spacious casino - a noisy cacophony of chimes, beeps, jaunty electronic melodies, clattering of coins, and the occasional ringing of a jackpot bell. Lights and colors mixed with the sounds to dazzle and mesmerize; promoting a feeling of excitement in the air - as if the ever elusive fortune was just behind the next roll of the dice, draw of the card, spin of the wheel, or pull of the slots!
Uncounted avatars, in various shapes, sizes, and designs, sat at tables and plied the machines - all intently focused on their business. None of them smiled. A decent number of them actually looked angry. The majority of them drew long puffs on the virtual representation of cigarettes - perhaps it being a popular or cool accessory for their online persona?
In the center of the casino, as if guarded by the rows and rows of surrounding slots, were the craps, poker, blackjack, and roulette tables (among other more exotic games of chance). The sounds there were dominated by the clatter of the roulette ball, the roll of the dice, and the shuffle of cards - generally followed by the clinking of chips, as the dealers raked them all in.
It was notable that only the inner players actually talked, but the language was short and to the point.
“Hit me.”
“Stand.”
"Come one."
"Fark!"
Money flowed from avatars to the casino in amazing amounts, yet nobody left. Something held them here - pouring away their life savings.
For them, it was not for fun, it was for need.
-
Saint looks for the connection he can follow to the next area.
The casino sends chills down his spine.
Why was Faith taken through here?
-
Beats Immediately begins looking around for a 'bouncer' or other representation of authority the demon might have chosen this time
-
Arriving in the casino, UsdiYona realizes she is still in bear form. Not wanting to look out of place, she changes back to her human form - only at 21 years of age.
That is because there is a huge sign that says "No One Under 21 Allowed".
"Aren't these places supposed to have free drinks and a buffet?" she asks, disappointed not to see one right away, but keeping an eye out, just in case.
-
Emend looks at the different avatars then shakes his head. "How pitiful."
-
Robor examines the room with his spirit sight. Whats exactly the game herre?
-
To UsdiYona's dismay, there was no free buffet, or even drinks (other than Robor's), in the virtual casino. How could there be really? Additionally, she failed to notice that her transformation back to human still left her fluffy ears, bear paws, and a tail - though no one in the casino paid her any mind.
The only authority figures about, seemed to be the dealers at the various tables, but none of them stood out in any particular way, until Robor spotted one manning an empty Texas Hold 'em table without any current players.
His spirit sight (and UsdiYona's nose) pegged him for the Administrator demon right away - though he presented as an ordinary dealer, dressed like all the others.
The Saint noted that this particular game table sat right under a large air conditioning vent, currently feeding the area in a continuous flow of cool chilled air. Why an artificial reality would need air conditioning was anybody's guess, but the resonance was unmistakable - Faith had been here.
Looking closer with eyes of the matrix, Emend, Beats, and the Saint could tell that each and every poker chip in the dealer's tray was a unique outgoing connection. That, and the cold air flowing out from the overhead vent washed directly down onto the dealer's tray. As the air conditioning vent itself was not a data connection, one of those connection chips had to be the one Faith had been taken through - but which one?
There was at least a hundred of them.
"I'm sorry, this table is reserved..." the dealer began, looking up from shuffling a deck of cards as the disciples approached.
"Ah! My apologies!" he then smiled, opening his arms to present the table - "I did not recognize your party haha! I was told there would also be a bear."
"Close enough!" he winked at UsdiYona.
"How many of you shall I deal in?"
-
"Is dis the same one as before?" Beats says while approaching the table "We just killin him or what?"
-
"We'll probably have to soon enough", Saint says, as he climbs directly onto the table to try and tear the vent open.
-
"You don't seem to be so angry, considering." Robor says.
"You want to give us Faith's connection chip?"
-
"Is dis the same one as before?" Beats says while approaching the table "We just killin him or what?"
"Again, mindlessly attacking the demons we find isn't getting us closer to Faith," Emend replies.
-
"was just askin." Beats begins "We getting these chips then?"
-
"What the heck kind of casino is this anyway?" UsdiYona asks, "No food, no drinks, no hospitality! Zheeesh!!!"
-
"Sir!" the dealer protested at the Saint's behavior, taking the tray of connection chips and backing away from the table; "Don't make me call Security!"
For his part meanwhile, the Saint was able to tear open the vent - revealing nothing behind (not even ductwork).
A realization then dawned on him that whatever the vent was, it had been pouring cold air down on the chips. It was showing him where Faith had went - not through the vent, but through one of the chips.
To Robor, the dealer then replied, "Well, you can win chips, depending on how much you are willing to risk."
Keeping a wary eye on the Saint, he added, "If you will just get your associate to come down, maybe we can play a quick game."
-
"Oooh, I wana play! Deal me in!" UsdiYona volunteers.
-
"So you gonna divide chips up between us den we bet somthin?" Beats asks pulling up a stool away from Saint "K gimme a stack." he taps his finger in front of himself
-
"Hold up." Robor says to Beats.
"We don't want to bet randomly. How can we follow to Faith?"
"We'll play your game, you need to reel us in first though."
-
Saint carelessly tosses aside the remains of the vent. His distaste for the casino is more than evident.
Coming down from the table he states outright - "What are the stakes? I am no fan of gambling with devils, and in their own certified den no less"
-
"Tsk," the dealer tutted, "I am the dealer, you don't gamble against the House in Texas Hold 'Em, you play against yourselves."
To Beats, Robor, and UsdiYona, he went on to explain; "This is a High Stakes Table. There is a ten thousand dollar buy-in for your chips. Five hundred dollar minimum bet."
-
"So you give us stacks of chips and we give ya cash? How many of dose chips for our money?" Beats replies
-
"Precisely!" the dealer replied, appearing to loosen up a bit as he moved back toward the table with the tray of chips.
"For the ten thousand dollar buy-in, you get twenty $500 chips and ten $1000 chips. That's double your money! However, the Winning Pot is going to be three fourths the total buy-ins."
"So, if all five of you play, the winner will get thirty seven thousand five hundred!"
-
"So then it's tournament style? We can't just walk away with our chips if we're not feeling lucky?" Emend asks, suspecting things wouldn't be so easy.
-
"That is correct," the dealer replied. "Only the last man standing takes home the Winnings. Though a player could forfeit his chips and leave the game early if he so elected."
-
"I'm not quite understanding why I shouldn't just kill you, burn down this hell hole and feel through the chips on the table for the one connected to my missing daughter," Saint says - though he refrains from doing just that for the moment.
-
"Sir," the dealer responded to the Saint, "We run a reputable establishment here. No need to make trouble and ruin the enjoyment of all the other patrons."
"We are an entertainment business. If you are looking for a missing person, I suggest contacting the authorities and filing a report with them."
-
Taking a quick moment, Saint casts Analyze life on the server, just to confirm that he is not in any way related to a living being
-
"That is correct," the dealer replied. "Only the last man standing takes home the Winnings. Though a player could forfeit his chips and leave the game early if he so elected."
"How much for all the chips?"
-
"So you give us da stacks and we give ya the cash and begin to play. Easy, so divide out our stacks already." Beats states
-
"We would require ten players to max out my chip tray," the dealer answered Robor, "but to get them all, you'd have to win them from the other players."
To Beats he continued, "I will need a valid credit card for your buy-in. Or, if you would prefer, you can apply for a High Rollers VIP Card - which would qualify you for House Credit if approved."
As this went on, the Saint got the same readings he had before, with the other avatars of the Administrator. Not living in the usual sense of the word and most definitely not human.
-
Saint tries once and exactly once to identify the chip using his various sights from the pile. He knows it's there, they were given the location by the vent.
If he cannot do so, then he will not let his companions enter themselves into many tens of thousands of dollars of debt for a chance at the chip.
"There is no need to waste time and put yourselves into debt for my sake. I know the chip is here. Restrain the dealer while I feel through the pile for the chip. I would have to feel through the entirety of the pile anyway."
-
Saint tries once and exactly once to identify the chip using his various sights from the pile. He knows it's there, they were given the location by the vent.
If he cannot do so, then he will not let his companions enter themselves into many tens of thousands of dollars of debt for a chance at the chip.
"There is no need to waste time and put yourselves into debt for my sake. I know the chip is here. Restrain the dealer while I feel through the pile for the chip. I would have to feel through the entirety of the pile anyway."
"It's a game Saint. Not the gambling part, but the finding of the chip. We can figure this out."
Robor activates his matter sight. Which one of these chips has been recently handled?
-
Robor, looking with his matter sight, realized that absolutely nothing in the casino (including the disciples) was actually made of real matter. It was not clear how he should take that or what could be done with such knowledge however.
The Saint meanwhile, extending his senses, and feeling out toward the chips with space, hit on an idea to try scrying the tray. While he had not attempted it before, Sarapheen had mentioned that it was possible to touch something through a scrying window. And, as the Saint needed to touch the chips to determine which one was Faith's, it seemed like a no-brainer to at least try.
Stepping away from the table and casting his spell, he focused right in on the array of chips lining the tray. Reaching through his window, he then ran his finger over each of the chips, until he found one in the second column, towards the bottom, that was notably cold to the touch. The dealer meanwhile, did not seem to be aware of what the Saint was doing - still waiting patiently for the others to buy-into the game.
Concentrating on that particular $1000 chip, the Saint could feel Faith's resonance within.
-
Saint leans over to Emend and whispers into his ear - "7th chip going up the bottom of the second column."
He readies himself for whatever reaction the dealer might have after Emend apportates the thing.
-
Beats decides to keep playing dumb and loud while someone things of a real plan "Hey before I buy in, how I know dat your gonna be on da level with da cards? Ain't these things like, rigged to make us loose? Deal me a free hand, no bets to see how ya do it!"
-
Emend nods to Saint, then turns his back to the dealer. He'll then attempt to scry the chip, and use Apportation to descretly grab it.
-
"Well, first I deal two cards face down to each player – these are your 'hole cards'," the dealer began to explain to Beats; "Then there is a round of betting where you can Check, Bet or Fold. This stage of the game is called the pre-flop."
As this went on, Emend scryed out the chips and used forces with apportation to draw the one that the Saint had pointed out through his scrying window.
Anyone looking at the chips would have seen the chip move a quarter of an inch and abruptly disappear. The dealer did not seem to be aware of Emend's sleight of hand either - until a few seconds later, a red light began flashing silently over the table.
"What have you done!?!" the dealer accused, taking the tray and dropping it through a hidden slot in the table before backing away.
"Security! We have a chip theft on table Triple Sevens!"
Then, out of the ceiling, floor, and walls, large white crystalline arachnids began to appear - crawling through the fabric of the virtual reality like ravenous wolf spiders swarming their prey!
A quick count tallied sixteen of the strange constructs, each about the size of a small dinner table, making a bee-line towards the disciples, apparently unseen by the other patrons - even as they crawled right over them!
Looking with eyes of the matrix, Emend, Saint, and Beats could tell that these were some sort of defensive firewall programs, though it was unclear what they might do upon contact with the disciples' non-data spirit avatars.
Robor meanwhile, could see with his spirit sight, that each spiderbot was also infused with the demonic essence of the Administrator demon - while UsdiYona could 'smell' it on them.
-
"Oh boy...." Robor mutters, raising his ring.
"STOP" he shouts. "I COMMAND YOU." hopefully the spirit essence in the bots is enough to command them.
-
"Well, we're done here," Emend announces, turning to face the dealer.
"And thanks for this," he continues, showing him the chip. "What a sham of a dealer, not even able to keep your chips in order. You ought to be fired for your incompetence," he gloats, feeling a smug sense of superiority for besting the demon so easily.
After taking a moment to enjoy his victory, Emend will attempt to open the connection of the chip so the group can pass through it.
-
Beats moves quickly closer to Emend, seeing that a distraction is no longer needed he prepares to punch the first 'arachnid' that comes close to give emend time.
-
Saint stays close to Emend, blade drawn, ready to defend him while he opens the connection.
He'll jump through the connection the second he gets the chance.
-
"These things are bigger than the ones I saw before," UsdiYona points out. "They were just little suckers, but I don't like giant spiders small or big!"
UsdiYona withers one of the spiders.
-
As there was no encryption on the connection chip, it was a simple matter for Emend to open it (and head on through).
Robor meanwhile, invoked control over the approaching constructs, finding that he could indeed overpower them, but not nearly in enough numbers to stem the tide! Only the first two of them responded as Robor would have liked - halting in their tracks and awaiting further instruction.
The other fourteen spiderbots on the other hand, closed in on the rest of the disciples to attack!
The Saint followed Emend, disappearing from the casino, as Beats slammed his knife-fist into the first of the hostile arachnids. The attack seemed to do some damage, causing pieces of white crystal to chip off and pixilate away before hitting the ground.
In response, the spiderbot bit down on Beat's arm - injecting a stream of code into Beats' spirit avatar! The result was a fiery burning sensation - as Beats' arm and entire right side abruptly blurred, like an overexposed photo. Glimpses of the Fairfax Verizon building's server farm ceiling flashed through his head, while in the physical world, his body twitched and instinctively pulled the right arm closer in to the chest.
Another spiderbot crowded in and bit down on Beats' left side as well - though Beats managed to pull away before it pumped a full dose of code in through its fangs.
As this went on, UsdiYona tried out her new wither power on one of the spiderbots. The result was effective, though somewhat unexpected - given that the construct had no actual life force to suck out. Instead of shriveling up and dying, it simply shrunk in size - as portions of code were removed - until all that was left was a tiny eight-bit spider icon laying inert on the floor.
Unfortunately, that still left a total of thirteen active threats - and two of them pounced on UsdiYona! These both bit into her and tried to inject code - but due to her actuall being in the virtual reality, rather than simply a spirit avatar, the attack did real damage and she could not receive any of the code venom.
Two more spiderbots leapt at Robor - but the two he had established control over interposed themselves - temporarily deflecting the attack.
Even so, it was clear that remaining any longer, here in the casino with the attacking horde, was going to end poorly for all involved.
-
"Let's split." Robor says, heading through the portal.
-
"On it!" Beats shouts, He looks to grab Usi and drag her through the new 'Connection portal' with him having remembered her delay getting through earlier.
-
Lust
Beats found that he could pull UsdiYona in through the connection with him, just by having contact with her, while transitioning from one server to the other. The disciples, having all left the casino, next arrived in some sort of porn hub, somewhere in Los Angelis California, apparently hosting the web's most shamelessly salacious and explicitly illicit material.
Who could have known there was so much content, dedicated to the entirely singular act of getting someone off. This place was perverse, disgusting, depraved, and not a little bit sticky.
It was like a grand hall - crowded with large floating windows - through which every conceivable sex act was being portrayed. So many throbbing genitals, rubbing, thrusting, and pounding all manner of orifices - of every age, sex, animal, or object. Even things that couldn't possibly exist (Rule 34).
The majority of it lubriciously depicted itself as the most fabulous thing one could engage in, leaving a lingering feeling of 'missing out' if one did not get a chance to actively participate. Other windows were less pleasant, depicting those clearly being forced into such acts - bonded, raped, and tortured. Even some, appeared to depict sexual fulfilment though actual murder.
It was horrifying - and so, so many, 'money shots'.
Forcing one's eyes off the windows, drew attention to the floor of the hall - which was an appallingly gross mess of bodily fluids and other filths of all kinds.
There wasn't much time to take it all in - not that anyone would want to - as a few moments after the disciples' arrival, the connection behind them began to disgorge the still pursuing spiderbots one by one...
-
UsdiYona looks around in utter disgust.
Putting her hands on her hips she says, "If any of y'all slip and fall on that floor, you're on your own! You can waller till the cows come home. I ain't picking you up!"
"Ew!!!"
-
Saint is shaking with rage. The dark scar on his face burns in a painful way, giving the illusion that it is beggining to grow. Anyone who knew the gentle priest wouldn't recognize him - unless perhaps they knew the circumstances behind his anger.
You Farking dare bring her here
His eyes scan the area for the ice even as he casts a healing spell on Beats and Usdi-Yona.
-
The Saint was able to heal his companions 'physically', but the revolting showcase of carnal hedonism shook the disciples. This was almost too much to stomach - and it left everyone with a feeling of dirty shame, just being in its presence.
For the Saint, the influence was exacerbated a hundred fold - as thoughts of Faith's kidnapper putting her through these deplorable acts flooded his head unbidden. They were going to violate her, as the kids in these windows were being violated. They were going to hurt her, for their own perverse pleasure. They were going to sell her innocence and virtue for corrupting lucre!
It was enough to drive the last vestiges of the Saint's hope deep into his own consciousness - bringing to the fore the one who could better deal with the bloodshed and righteous fury that would surely be invoked upon those that took his daughter.
The Saint then slept... and awakened the Killer.
-
"It seems as though each connection gets more depraved," Emend remarks with disgust. "Where's the next connection, Saint?"
-
Saint's scar expands further from his face down to the center of his chest, where it stains the golden light around him like a polluting cloud. For a second he looks to be in extreme pain as the scar radiates enough heat to burn away at the essence of his will - though the feeling short-lived.
Killer answers Emend in a cold, calm voice - "It's not easy to pick out. Too many things in the way." He does not stop scanning the surrounding area though.
Well we're in for a good bit of trouble aren't we?
I don't think the old boy has it in him to keep going if he sees what'll happen to the girl.
Good choice, letting me take the reins. I can keep us sane.
He looks down at the sword in his fist, his hand already feeling raw and tired from how hard it had been clenching the hilt.
You won't have to see what comes next.
As he scans he follows through with his better half's intentions and mumbles words of power as he weaves a healing spell for Beats (who is on the verge of fading away) and UsdiYona
-
"Emend! Shut that portal thing!" Beats shouts as he moves to engadge the nearest spider thing with flurry of blows
-
Once the last of the Disciples is through, Emend attempts to close the connection.
-
Robor turns, and tries to take over the spiderbots who arrived.
"STOP"
-
Five spiderbots managed to emerge from the connection, before Emend was able to shut it down (and temporarily 'lock' it with his newfound encryption knowledge).
Of those five crystalline arachnids, Robor usurped control of another two - leaving only three to actually contend with.
After doing something for his companion's wounds meanwhile, the Saint couldn't see any hint of which connection Faith had been taken through in the immediate vicinity. This meant they would have to venture deeper into this pit of disgusting smut in order to continue the search.
But first, there were three dangerous constructs to deal with - and who knew what form the avatar of the Administrator demon would take in this particular realm.
-
Killer moves in front of Robor and cuts away at any of the bots that approach - the spirit master was both the most frail and the most useful in this realm.
"Keep on casting Robor."
-
"That's the plan." Robor says.
"Attack the others!" He commands his spiderbots, before focusing on taking over the remaining spiders.
"OBEY ME"
-
Emend attempts to encrypt some of the spiders to stop them from moving.
-
Beats, simply happy to be flexing his muscles again, moves out on the attack. Using flurry of blows on the neatest enemy Robor doesn't seem to be controlling to distract and try to break its code apart
-
UsdiYona helps claw the crap out of the spider things.
-
Beats moved in to engage the threat, swinging a flurry of blows - but slipped on something sliming the floor, and skittered uncontrollably right on past the spiderbots. After sailing through a half dozen porn windows in an attempt to remain on his feet, he finally found solid ground once again - grateful that he had not taken a face-plant into the horribly greasy mess coating the ground.
The three hostile spiderbots meanwhile, went straight for Robor - jumping right over the Saint to get to the spirit master. The other two spiderbots, that Robor had already gained control over, blocked for him, each knocking a leaping spider off target. The one free spiderbot however, landed clean, and bit into Robor's right flip-flop, tearing from his foot and ripping it to shreds with slavering fangs! While Robor felt no pain, his now naked foot, and the lower part of that leg, began to fade out, like Beats earlier injuries had done.
As this went on, UsdiYona dug into the back of the arachnid with her claws. "No! Bad Spider! We Do Not Eat Footwear!" she scolded, leaving deep furrows in the spiderbot, but unsure how much the damage was actually impacting it.
For his part, Robor continued plying his influence over the spirit-infused portion of the crystalline spiders. The two deflected spiderbots abruptly stood down - now giving Robor a total of four under his control.
From behind meanwhile, the Saint (Killer) stabbed his sword down through the head of the spiderbot attacking Robor. The blade thunked satisfyingly into the floor and pinned the beast to the spot.
At this point, Emend attempted to use his encryption knowledge against the spiderbot, and managed to disable a pair of its legs.
Once Robor set the other four spiderbots on their now trapped and gimpy companion, it was over quite quickly - the controlled constructs swarming in and savagely tearing the other one apart.
When it was over, the Saint found that he could retrieve his sword, simply by thinking it was back in his hand (which it then was). However, when Robor tried to 'think back' his right flip-flop in the same manner, he was met with sorry disappointment and left with one bare foot.
-
"I.... I really need that flipflop." Robor mutters, with his leg lifted.
"Mind you, I'm pretty happy with the ever-growing spiderbot army I'm cultivating."
-
Killer waves a hand at Robors leg while he utters another healing chant. Wouldn't do to have him out of the count already.
Once done he heads further into the pornscape.
"We need to go further in. I can't see anything here."
-
Beats walks slowly and carefully backover to the others "Lets get out of dis place fast." Is all he says while watching his footing carefully.
If he walks nesr any particulary nasty windows he tries to shatter them like they had done before with the chat windows (Just making sure of his footing first)
-
Emend follows Saint, trying to avoid looking at anything too disturbing.
-
"Let's go spiderbots." Robor says.
"Find connections. You things should know what they look like, right?"
-
The Saint's spell was enough to restore both Robor and Beats to full health - even going so far as to make Robor's flip-floor reappear on his foot.
Robor's spiderbots meanwhile, responded to his order to 'find connections' by simply turning to face the nearest windows around the disciples. Apparently every window was a connection to the computer or server that hosted its unseemly content.
Emend was able to confirm this with his eyes of the matrix; while Beats discovered that he couldn't actually touch any of them - they being simple projections without a physical component.
One could still 'will' oneself into a connection however (not that one would want to); and Emend suspected that he could probably damage or shut them down on a case-by-case basis by manipulating them with his forces arcanum.
Walking through the vast hall, the disciples were astounded by the sheer number of sites dedicated to such carnal depravity. A full fifteen minutes had passed, with no apparent end to the hall (and no sign of Faith).
In addition, the fact that an avatar of the Administrator had yet to be seen, weighed heavily on everyone's nerves as well.
-
Killer stops moving forward.
"This isn't going anywhere. There's too much, I can't find anything no matter how hard I look. We need to call attention to ourselves. Start destroying connections, when the administrator appears maybe we can try to force an answer from him"
-
"Dem spider things damage connections right? Make dem go crazy and attack all these windows." Beats gestures at the windows near them
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Killer stops moving forward.
"This isn't going anywhere. There's too much, I can't find anything no matter how hard I look. We need to call attention to ourselves. Start destroying connections, when the administrator appears maybe we can try to force an answer from him"
"Dem spider things damage connections right? Make dem go crazy and attack all these windows." Beats gestures at the windows near them
"Let's not be hasty with bringing hell down on all of us, yeah?" Robor says.
"I don't really know your daughter, Saint, so I can't direct the bots. But you could. And they can definitely find her." Robor says, taking another sip.
"Spiderbots, listen to the priest. Accept his command."
"Just describe her resonance to them. Theyre like dogs."
-
Killer, quite pointedly, repeats his earlier order - this time to the spider bots.
"Destroy the connections".
He turns away from Robor and looks out into the pornscape.
"I see her trail as a cold wind or patches of frost, because of my particular relationship with her. Usdi-yona probably sees it as something else. None of you see it or sense it, no matter how obvious it is to either of us, because you do not share that connection. The spiders are useless in that regard. They will never find her."
Saint's cold and calm tone might be somewhat unsettling given how incredibly unstable he'd been up until this point.
-
"Normally I'd disapprove of the violence, but searching aimlessly doesn't seem to be getting us anywhere," Emend remarks. Then, as the group starts their rampage, he'll instead try and use his knowledge of manipulating the internet, along with "Transmission", to attempt to hijack a connection. Hopefully such knowledge would be of benefit to him.
-
UsdiYona concentrates on Faith and starts sniffing around for her again.
-
At the Saint's direction, the four spiderbots spread out and each jumped into a separate porn window (disappearing into the connections).
A few seconds later, they all returned, springing back out of the windows - to which, the windows themselves each wavered momentarily and then crashed abruptly, like old vacuum tubes burning out.
It was clear to anyone watching, that the spiderbots could shut down the connections, while Emend's mastery of forces suggested that it wasn't just the connections the spiderbots were destroying, but the computers and servers on the other end as well.
Observing the corresponding data changes, Emend was pretty sure he could duplicate the same results, but it would require (as the spiderbots had shown), actually going into each connection and attacking the source itself.
The spiderbots meanwhile, continued to jump into and out of nearby connections, bringing them down one by one.
-
Seeing that the spiderbots are able to do the job well enough, Killer stands on guard.
"Ready yourselves. The administrator will be coming."
He glances over at Robor, "There's a good chance the administrator will attempt to resume control of the spiderbots. I would keep a careful eye on them."
-
Beats does his warm-ups again, scanning his surroundings and turns up his earphones a little on his punk-rock playlist.
-
The spiderbots continued bringing sites down for a while, until they finally brought the attention of the Administrator to the fore.
"What are you?" a disembodied voice asked sarcastically, "Some kind of art critics?"
Looking around, the disciples couldn't determine where the voice was coming from, until it directed, "Down here, prudes!"
That was when Robor's spirit sight revealed that the filth and slime covering the floor was now possessed by the Administrator demon - all of it - as far as Robor could see in all directions.
There was no mouth, eyes, or face to be seen, but the greasy mess slowly oozed around in itself, like the foam on a latte (if the latte in question was a horror-show of perverse body fluids). Worse yet, thin mucilaginous tendrils of the stuff began to worm their way up the disciples' feet - threatening to violate 'personal space' in the most unspeakably rude ways.
Then, as if to demonstrate what the demon had in mind, an abrupt surge of goopy tentacles shot up from the floor beneath the four spiderbots under Robor's control. These plunged into the spiderbots from the rear - the implications not lost on the disciples - and then shot out the crystalline arachnids in all directions. The spiderbots instantly broke apart from the assault and were lost in a nasty eruption of hot wet grossness.
"Instead of standing on my face," the demonic floor jeered, "why don't ya try sitting on it! Harharhar!"
-
"Ahh!!! Take this you nasty bastard!" UsdiYona says, as she tries to wither the floor!
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Killer runs over to Usdi-Yona dragging the tip of his sword across the floor along the way.
He'll attack any tendrils that form near her position.
-
Seeing Usdi-Yona clearing a temporary space on the ground Beats jumps in beside her and burns a mana setting up a ward containing as much of the free space as possible. He uses Ban and his knowledge of forces and life to block the administrators filth stuff from passing through.
-
"Let's try and get some distance between us and this filth," Emend remarks, attempting to create a series of staircases around the disciples using his knowledge of forces.
-
UsdiYona's wither instantly dried up a two meter diameter around her and cause the tendrils of goop at the outer edge to recoil backwards from the desiccating power of the spell. The Saint (Killer)'s sword edge meanwhile, also parted the slime in its wake, apparently able to cause some bit of damage to the Administrator's disgusting avatar as well.
This gave Beats a chance to set up a ward, while Emend successfully created a series of stacked one-meter cubes - making a bunch of rudimentary stair sets.
As everyone then moved into the one 'dry' spot, around UsdiYoana, Beats added a forces ban to the ward, blocking electronic data from the area. This had an immediate and bizarrely unanticipated result.
Given that everything in here (save the disciples and demon itself) was fabricated from the positive an negative charges of electricity, everything within Beats' ward abruptly ceased to exist! This left a large spherical void in the middle of the hall, halfway into the floor, with the disciples floating gravity-free in the center.
Even the block-stairs that Emend had set out were now gone, save those outside the ban itself.
The viscous sludge covering the floor meanwhile, oozed up to the edges of the ban and tentatively pressed against it. While the physical representation of ooze and slime was stopped from proceeding any further, the demonic aspect of the Administrator was not. As such, a green ephemeral mist began to leech from the surrounding filth - through the ban - to gather in a shallow pool beneath the floating disciples.
"Which one? Which one to take procession of? Which one to make all the other's wildest fantasies come true?"
-
UsdiYona changes into the form of an eagle. "You guys hold the demon here! I'll fly out and find Faith's connection and come back! Hopefully it can't get me if I'm not on the ground!"
-
"Well dat was wierd" is all Beats says for a moment as he floats there above the demonic mist. "Should I, like, try to ban the demon too?"
-
"I believe now is Robor's time to shine", Killer adds
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Not sure how the demon will go about attacking them, Emend prepares to use counter-spell, or simply dispel, depending on how the demon proceeds.
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"This wasn't the best plan." Robor says. Knowin that the demon is able to ignore his spells, robor uses His willpower, to share numinous shield with the whole group.
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Robor's numinous shield took effect, offering a modicum of protection to the disciples against the Administrator's demonic powers. For its part, it attempted to take procession of Robor - knowing that he was the weakest of the bunch.
As UsdiYona flew off into the hall of porn (searching for Faith's connection), the ephemeral green mist flew up into Robor's face. His numinous shield activated, but was pressed through with almost no resistance whatsoever. Even with Emend simultaneously counter spelling the possession, it was all for naught.
In its own realm, the demon prince was master of all it surveyed.
As the mist entered Robor - and his eyes luminated a sickly green light.
"Hey guys! Watch how far I can shove my sword up my ass! Haha!" Robor cackled, fussing with the tied cord holding up his board shorts. Clearly, he would do it too - if not stopped somehow by his companions.
Outside Beats' ban meanwhile, all of the disgusting slime had immediately reverted back to mundane inanimate sludge, as the Administrator demon was now exclusively in Robor.
-
Finally, I get to stretch my muscles a bit
Killer looks to Robor and utters a few words of power intermingled with a command - "Stay alive Robor", he says, amplifying Robor's sense of self preservation to defy the administrator's attempt to self-mutilate. (Trigger the lizard brain).
-
Seeing Robor being possessed Beats gets ready to haymaker him into unconsciousness if the other deciles moves don't work.
-
Robor hesitated momentarily - clearly a mental battle playing out in his head.
"Way to spoil the fun, stick in the mud!" He then said, turning to stab the Saint in the crotch with the point of his sword. The Saint's aura flickered a bit from the attack, but then stabilized, albeit a bit blurred now around the edges.
Beats meanwhile, swung mightily at Robor, attempting to KO his possessed friend.
The blow landed squarely on Robor's jaw, snapping his head back and causing him to drop his pineapple drink - which shattered and then disappeared upon hitting the ground.
"Oh, you like it rough, eh?" Robor grinned, spitting some teeth out.
-
"Let's just try to restrain him," Emend suggests, helping Beats. "All we need to do is stall for time."
-
Killer glares at Robor and utters another command, this time, triggering his instinctual submissiveness - especially considering their current forms - to a larger and more dangerous being.
"Stand down." (Trigger the Lizard Brain)
-
UsdiYona meanwhile, flew down through the hall of perverse windows - relieved to see that the floor goop was no longer trying to get her.
About a hundred and fifty yards further in, she caught Faith's scent, coming from a window showing a group of young Japanese girls in some kind of school uniforms.
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UsdiYona flies back to the others to show them the way to Faith's window.
"Ya'll come hither. She went through a window over yonder!"
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At the Saint (Killer)'s invoking a submissive response in Robor's body, the Administrator huffed - "This is all getting very tiresome."
It then jumped from Robor into the Saint - Emend once again trying to counterspell the new possession attempt!
Despite Emend's rather potent result (and Robor's mana-fueld numinous shield), the Administrator still overpowered the Killer's psyche, pushing it back into the deepest recesses of sub-consciousness. This had the unexpected result of re-awakening the Saint, who abruptly came to - realizing that something was 'in here' with him!
Unlike when Robor had been possessed, the Saint's body was not fully under control of the Administrator. The demon immediately tried to cast life force assault on Robor, but the Saint, realizing what this entity inside him was trying to do, managed to veto the action.
"What the hey now?!?" The Saint found himself asking - the words not his own. "There's two of you in here? That's pretty sneaky..."
Of course the Saint had no idea what the demon was referring to, nor even how he had come to be in such an odd predicament in the first place. He had blacked out again, overcome upon seeing the hall of porn, yet here they were, still in it - only now floating in some weird void sphere?
It had to be the Administrator demon trying to possess him or the like.
Robor meanwhile, now free from the Administrator's grasp, breathed a sigh of relief. He had been mere moments from sitting on his own sword - and could do absolutely nothing to stop it! Only the quick thinking of his companions had saved him from the most ignominious fate!
Looking with spirit sight, Robor then realized that the Administrator demon had now gone into the Saint. Though it looked like the Saint was still fighting it for control.
Perhaps the momentary distraction could be used to advantage?
That's when Beats (not knowing where the demon was yet) tackled Robor - putting him into a crushing full nelson!
As all this went on, UsdiYona returned (still in eagle form), and told the disciples about finding Faith's latest connection.
-
"Got him!" ... "Now what?" Beats asks "Usis back, do we drag him after us and run?"
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Saint concentrates on stopping the administrator - both from doing anything and from leaving him.
"Get away now. The demon is inside of me. I can hold him back for now," he says through gritted teeth.
-
"Fark!" Beats shouts "Grab im and follow Usi". He then released midget Robor and sprints for 'Saint' to grab and begin carrying him at full speed fireman style.
-
"Hold me darling! Hold me! Hahaha!" The Saint (Administrator) mocked, as Beats scooped him up.
It was of course the Saint himself that the demon was taunting, though Beats couldn't have timed it any better for the additional comedic effect.
-
"Alright, let's move then. Let's hope his power isn't as strong at the next location," Emend says.
-
As the disciples quickly carried the Saint in the direction UsdiYona led them, the Administrators demon inside the Saint's head attempted to usurp full control, by taking over the Saint's current persona.
Easily shoving the Saint's conciseness back into the deepest reaches, the Administrator was confounded by the Killer's persona abruptly popping up to replace it.
"What the fark do you have going on in here anyway?!?" the Administrator grumbled in annoyance - leaving the Saint's body in frustration and returning into the sticky slime covering the floor.
UsdiYona meanwhile, stopped in front of a window, indicating with a wing that this was the one.
The window in question, showed a group of Japanese school girls in cutsie sailor outfits, ranging in age from six to sixteen - advertising itself as some sort of 'juvenile escort service'.
While there where no overt displays of sex on the site itself, scenes flashing through the window showed the girls in provocative lingerie, posing suggestively, and promising that the girls were "willing to please their clients in any number of unspoken ways".
Clearly, this was a child prostitution ring - located (according to Beats spatial senses) on a server somewhere outside Tokyo Japan.
It was worth noting that the Saint (Killer) could feel nothing out of the ordinary about this connection compared to all the rest.
There was no cold chill, or visions of frost, that the Saint himself had been able to follow. Whether this was because UsdiYona was mistaken about the window - or because the Killer didn't share the same sympathic connection to Faith that the Saint did, would be seen, as soon as the team ventured into the connection itself.
The Administrator demon meanwhile, pulled all the horrifying floor fluids together into one massive swell - towering well above all the surrounding windows - then suddenly sent if crashing down toward the disciples like a syrupy tidal wave of sloppy seconds!
-
"Nasty Fark off wave!" Beats shouts and immediately tries to cross through the connection to the Tokyo server, he tries to drag Saint through too to speed things up
-
Killer pushes himself to hurry up after Beats.
That was absurdly lucky. Anyone else and half of us could be dead right now.
Killer can't help the slight grin that flashes across his face, covering it up quickly.
He's going to think he's absolutely insane when he gets back from this. At least he'll have a good excuse this time. "I had to share space with a demon prince in my head".
-
If he needs to, Emend with help the others pass through the connection. Otherwise he'll just jump through himself.
-
"Yeah lets skip town." Robor mutters, rushing after the rest
-
UsdiYona flies through with great speed!
"This place is freaking nasty! The connection will not hit me in the tail feathers on the way out!"
-
Envy
Stepping through the connection - split seconds before the wave of unspeakable gooze came crashing down - the disciples entered a dimly lit wooden training floor - much like an aikido dojo of old. Dark polished columns of Japanese cypress ran up to support a high ceiling of heavy rafters above, while rice paper partitions separated a multitude of areas to the periphery of the floor.
Looking with eyes of the matrix, revealed the sliding rice paper partitions to be this particular reality's in and outgoing connections.
Standing in front of one particular connection was another avatar of the Administrator - only this time, a sixteen year old Japanese girl in a green and white plaid skirt with navy blue school blazer. Her long black hair was ultra straight, while her knee-high white socks and matching tennis shoes really set off an interesting contrast. It was a scene pirated straight from the 'Kill Bill' movie series.
As the girl drew a samurai sword from a sheath and took up a ready stance (clearly guarding a connection behind her), she silently motioned the disciples to come forward with that timeless kungfu cliché of old - the single cupped hand and fingers bit.
Once again, nothing about the connection that the avatar was defending stood out in any unusual way to the Saint (Killer), though UsdiYona could readily smell Faith's spirit scent on it.
UsdiYona was just about to point that out, when a data transmission suddenly shot from the guarded connection and crossed the dojo floor - disappearing through another connection behind and to the left of the gathered team.
The scent on the transmission was overwhelmingly fresh to UsdiYona's attuned senses - it was Faith!
The Japanese school girl looked momentarily surprised by this turn of events meanwhile, but quickly recovered with a dismissive smirk.
"You go no fadda!" she declared in a shrill high voice, her English a little lacking.
-
"Hey ya'll! That was Faith!" UsdiYona says, pointing to the way the data thing just went.
-
Killer moves up to the girl, his own sword at his side.
Here's to hoping this isn't just some program
He triggers the sword's magical ability to induce emotions to plant the seed of fear within the girl, and then speaks to her in a strong tone.
"Step aside" - (Trigger the Lizard Brain - Submission, Fear)
He jerks his head to the side to make his intention clear even if the girl does not understand his english.
-
Beats turns and heads for the door Usi pointed at "Dis one? Not a trap right?"
-
Robor stares at the Administrator.
"Kind of an offensive stereotype, don't you think?" Robor says, with an eyebrow rIsed.
"And little girls shouldn't be carrying swords." He adds, attempting to destroy the sword with his spirit magic.
-
UsdiYona changes back into her 21 year old self with bear ears and all.
Looking between the two connections, she replies to beats. "We'll, I don't know if it's a trap, but Faith definitely went through there just now."
"I may not know how much eggs and milk go into making a taco, but I do know that dumb ass girl over there is guarding the wrong door."
-
Using his knowledge of the internet, Emend attempts to "encrypt" the school girl's legs in place.
-
Beats thinks for a moment before acting "Gonna check dis door out!" and moves to pass through the connection Usi indicated
-
"Hahaha!" the girl laughed at the Saint. "No chance!"
Robor's magic then disrupted her sword - causing it to shatter into splinters of fading light.
She scowled at Robor and then flung three kunai at him, drawing them from somewhere within her long black hair. The sharp little blades struck Robor in the chest, burning with some kind of poison coating the blade!
"I don't need sword for likes of you!" the girl retorted, smiling in satisfaction as Robor's spirit avatar succumbed to the poison - shriveling up, turning black, and then crumbling to dust. Just like that, Robor was gone.
As this went on, Emend successfully fused the girl's legs with the floor. She looked down at her feet, then at Emend, declaring, "Don't need feet either. You next!"
Beats, about to leave through the unguarded connection, hesitated. Should he proceed with stepping through? Or wait to help his friends first?
UsdiYona too, was torn with indecision. Should she claw the little brat's face off? Or slash her across the guts to disembowel her?
---
(Robor continued in Waiting for News (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=2208.0).)
-
Killer scowls,
"Go through the other connection, I'll keep the rear. It's not worth fighting it here."
The new connection could be a trap but we don't have much of a choice... either Beats or I are going to be killed before we can defeat the administrator a third time, and who knows how many more of its incarnations we'll have to fight? One, maybe two, either way more than enough.
Even if I die here it should be good enough, they can continue without me. I don't seem to be able to track Faith like he can anyways.
He dedicates himself to keeping himself alive long enough to go through the connection last (dodge).
-
Beats glances back and forwards a couple of times then swears "Fark it!" And fires off a haymaker using ranged blows at the hopefully trapped girl. He stays ready to jump through at the slightest sign of her coming after him but a few cheap shots couldn't help right?
-
"Not likely!" Emend yells back, heading towards the connection. "Let's try to ignore her and hurry through. It seems the administrators can't follow us through the connections."
Knowing a single hit could remove him like Robor, he'll focus his effort on dodging, spending a will point as well, on his way there.
-
"Hey Beats, where do these connections go?" UsdiYona asked, "Can you tell with your space voodoo?"
Then to the annoying girl, she says, "I'm going to bear bitch-slap some sense into ya! Respect your elders!"
-
Interestingly enough, Beats could tell that the connection the Japanese school girl was guarding, lead off to somewhere in Manila the Philippines - while the one he was standing next to, routed to Blagoveshchensk Russia - on the Russian/Chinese Amur river border.
-
"What?!? Can't follow through connection?!?!" the girl retorted to Emend in disbelief - "AHAHAHAHA!!! Stupid American! I already there!"
"You no see? I everywhere all at once! Each place a different mask!"
"Some place watching; some place doing; all place..." she savored the thought with an evil grin, "feasting."
The Saint meanwhile, having no better options, took a swing at the immobilized girl with his sword. Somehow, it was not surprising to see her lean backwards to duck under the sword, matrix-style, as it slashed through empty air. Following that, he backpedaled away, toward the connection Beats hovered by - but was stopped halfway across the dojo, when his legs abruptly snagged in the flooring.
Looking, he could see that his lower body was now wrapped in warped wooden planks, that had morphed up from the floor to twist around him.
Simultaneously the girl dismissed Emend's own encryption of her legs - pulling them out of the floor one by one. As this went on, UsdiYona took advantage of the girl's distraction and slashed across her face with bear claws!
Half of the girl's mouth and right cheek ripped free - exposing a sickly gray light beneath the skin!
"Ak! You bitch!" the sixteen year old cursed, covering the wound with her left hand, as if embarrassed to have anyone see it. "How dare you mar my beautiful face!"
Emend meanwhile, made it over to Beats, but now had to choose between trying to decrypt the trapped Saint, or fleeing to the next location.
As for Beats, he made a ranged telekinetic blow with his knife fist - the unseen attack taking the girl (clearly preoccupied with the wound on her face) completely by surprise! The brutally effective slash bisected neatly across her throat - under the chin - almost completely decapitating her in one blow!
"Ahg! Gurggle!" the girl managed, her head lolling backwards, while eerie gray light shown forth from the gaping neck wound. Had this been a living person, the injury would have been immediately fatal. For the Administrator demon's avatar however, it was mostly just a huge embarrassment.
"Oh! I, I, k, k, kill you!" she screamed at Beats, enraged that she now had to hold her own head by the hair just to keep it upright!
-
Killer mumbles a spell to grow a particularly elongated scorpion's tail from his spine, intending to use it to threaten the administrator from his rooted position.
-
Beats, seeing that his attack is effective changes to flurry of blows to try and finish the avatar off. Or at least keep it distracted for now
-
UsdiYona changes into a 16 year old, dressed in the same outfit as the Japanese girl.
Showing off her new clothes, she asks, "Girl, does this outfit make my butt look big? Cause it sure ain't doing a thing for your fat ass!"
"Now get out of here! Before I claw the other side of your face off too!"
-
"Guess we're doing this the hard way," Emend remarks, as he attempts to decrypt Saint.
-
The girl gave UsdiYona such a withering glare - clearly her pride bruised beyond repair. It didn't help any, that the Saint (Killer)'s scorpion tail then stabbed her in the forehead with a loud THWACK, leaving a large swollen sting mark.
"Fine!!!" she yelled, throwing a small tantrum and stomping a foot - "This not over. I make you pay!"
She then vanished from the dojo.
Moments later, a crackling poor-quality speaker began playing a catchy little tune (over and over and over again ad nauseum)-
Hello Kitty we all love you. Hello Kitty she loves me, too.
In Stump Village we like to play the day away.
We share good times together with you,
We'll be best friends forever with you.
Laughing and playing with all of your friends,
The fun, it never ends.
Hello Kitty we all love you. Hello Kitty she loves me, too,
Hello Kitty and all of her friends are my friends, too.
As this went on, little three foot high Hello Kitty dolls began spawning here and there across the dojo floor. They all looked extremely kawaii (except perhaps for the long kitchen knives they gleefully brandished, while slowly advancing toward the disciples).
"Hello. Hello. Hello."
They didn't seem to stop spawning either, even after the disciples quit counting beyond the first two dozen.
Emend meanwhile, was able to free up the Saint - meaning there was no longer any real reason to remain here with all the killer psycho anime figures.
-
With hands on hips, UsdiYona looks around and says, "You have got to be kidding me! I can handle cutsie cats with knives, but someone please shut that damn music off!"
-
"Time ta go." Beats announces and moves through the portal to get away from the creepy doll cat things
-
Killer follows Beats while pulling Usdi along with him.
"It probably won't be playing on the other side," he says as answer to her request.
-
Emend silently follows the group through the portal.
-
As Emend was about to step into the connection, he noticed something unusual about it with his eyes of the matrix.
Apparently, the connection was not 'wired' to the internet. Whether a trap, or false connection, it had no corresponding IP address or data log associated with it in any way.
Something about its composition was off too, but revealed by Emend's supernal vision.
It was connecting to the other end, not through any manmade infrastructure or even forces - but through ley lines, via prime.
Why would there even be such a thing, Emend found himself wondering; but then it occurred to him that only a mage would ever be able to recognize and traverse this type of connection.
That meant it was an undernet of sorts that no outside party could ever hope to discover - let alone penetrate.
The things that could go on in such a network with no lawful oversight or intervention boggled the mind.
A quick glance across the dojo at the connection the Japanese school girl had been guarding, showed it to be an ordinary network connection, like all the rest they had been traveling up till now.
That probably meant the discipline had chosen the right one, but the gathering horde of hello kitties made that a mute point. Emend had little choice but to follow his companions even deeper down the rabbit hole.
-
Infernal Depravity
The disciples appeared suddenly in the midst of a dark congress - standing on a flat dais in the center of a large shadowy chamber, illuminated by a holographic representation currently surrounding them.
To the periphery, three score and ten utterly repugnant creatures skulked; appearing as dirty squat humanoids with filth-matted body hair and large, old-school, television cameras for heads. They were loathsome in their craven carnality - being naked and prominently aroused - mostly male, yet a few females among them. The single red lights of their camera-heads bathed the circle in an eerie glow, while they jostled each other, crowding in to 'film?' the holographic display at center stage.
Eyes of the matrix revealed them to have partial avatar composition, while the Saint (Killer)'s clamor of the dead allowed him to see the hazy black soot cloying around them - indicating not the dead - but demonic spirits.
UsdiYona could smell the shadow taint on them as well, realizing that they were not avatars of the Administrator - who was notably absent in fact - but each a unique and individual spirit of the starkest evil.
Then a little girl's voice caught the attention - everyone immediately recognizing it as Faith!
Stepping off the dais and back a pace from the hologram brought it into focus - revealing Faith, sitting on the knee of a gorgeous Filipino woman in the most trendy fashionista's outfit with ridiculously high red stiletto heels. The two of them were seated on a gaudy throne-like chair, that looked much like a prop from the Iron Chef show or the like.
Prominently featured behind them, was a dingy tarp, covering some large object in the middle of the rough concrete floor.
Beats was utterly shocked at the revelation - this was the warehouse and woman(?) from his vision in Morrow Wind's medicine lodge! His heart stabbed with pain a moment, when he realized what was under that tarp. He had seen what was under that tarp, in the photo Officer Magiffico had given him over a year ago. Back when his life had so drastically changed, irrevocably turning him toward his current calling.
"Hi daddy," Faith spoke, "Don't worry, I'm safe. This nice lady is helping me to find you. She saved me from the monster. She says UsdiYona escaped too, so you don't have to worry."
The woman then spoke, with a more full sounding voice than one might expect. Clearly, she had breasts - as accentuated by her revealing outfit, but the voice seemed to suggest a non-binary or transgender.
"Yes, hi 'daddy'," she smiled, her accent quite heavy; "We are making this bideo to let the world know we hab pound little Paith Moreau; daughter op the Catholic Priest Gilles Moreau (op all things a Catholic Priest, can you stand it? Haha!)"
"Paith libs in Washington DC and we will make sure she has a nice bisit with us, until she has to go."
"So my priends, let the bidding begin! 'Day One' we get her cleaned up and pick out a special outpit!"
A quick glance about the room revealed no in or out-going connections, via eyes of the matrix. In fact, very little of the place was actually pure forces - it being an odd mix of forces, prime, spirit, and space.
Only Emend's supernal vision could actually pick any connections out - being the camera lights on the heads of each demonic avatar - and a small crystal in the center of the dais floor - apparently the source of the holographic projection.
-
Well, seems I might not have to kill her after all.
Though it seems I have a responsibility to myself to keep her safe for now. At least i've been gifted with a room full of trash no one will particularly miss...
In as quiet a whisper as he can manage (not that he think the administrator won't hear anyway) - "Emend, Beats, can you track that hologram's connection?"
As he speaks Killer reaches out to the filthy creatures in the room.
I assume these are people. I hope anyway. Will make this a lot easier.
Concentrating, he tries to twist the minds of as many as he can, appealing to the base urges of violence and jealousy inherent to such monsters.
(Trigger the Lizard Brain - Rage, Rivalry, Violation)
In particular given this crowd, Killer tries to turn the women on the men among them. He would have tried to turn the men on the women (and it would probably be easier...) but that might excite them enough to endanger Faith.
Such is the price of indirect control
Even so, Killer has very little hope in his plans working, and after it fails presumably before he even casts the spell due to the inorganic nature of his targets, he calls out a bid.
"One million".
He starts walking towards to the woman and Faith.
"And your life."
-
Beats does in fact try to trace the real location of the video feed. If his forces based vision cannot track it he tries to use the video as the basis for a scrying spell of the location it is showing.
-
"The connection is through the crystal," Emend whispers back, attempting to scry the location so they know what they're getting into.
-
"Yeah, the connection is on the floor," UsdiYona confirms, "I can smell Faith through it."
"We could sure use Shorty, er... (I mean Robor) right about now. These things are all demons!"
-
Unfortunately, the Saint was right about trigger the lizard brain; as it failed to latch onto any of the recipients when cast.
Emend and Beats meanwhile, found that they could not scry (or even determine the source) of the holographic projection - encountering the same ward they had when originally trying to find Faith, back in the Saint's house. However, if the connection really did lead back to there - and they could traverse down it - then they would be arriving wherever Faith was being held!
As the Saint (Killer) made his bid, the holographic projection of the strange lady boy and Faith failed to respond. Perhaps they could not actually see or hear what was going on in the dark congress.
The demonic avatars on the other hand, all turned their camera-heads on the Saint (Killer) and began murmuring amongst each other in some profane language. As this went on, data transmissions began to fly back and forth across the floor between them, while a few even sent some transmissions to the dais and down the crystal connection in the center.
As Emend tried to analyze a few of these transmissions, the Filipino woman looked confused for a moment, before finally remaking - "Only three bids? Is something wrong? No? ... OK... Then, it looks like SadersMaster wins! I look forward to seeing what you pick out for her; And We'll see you all back for 'Day Two', tomorrow!"
At this point, the red lights on the demonic avatars all began to go out one-by-one - the foul creatures (and their connections) going dark and disappearing with the crimson glow. The holographic projection too, looked like it would close up any second - leaving the disciples in complete darkness!
The disciples needed to act fast - or risk losing their tenuous lead on Faith!
Emend meanwhile, had managed to 'screen capture' a few data transmissions, but something in their make-up was degrading them quickly and they were all highly encrypted. That, and he was pretty sure that leaving the area now, would completely destroy what was left of them.
Emend had a choice to make.
Rush through the connection to Faith - while it was still open - or remain here, risk getting trapped, and spend the time necessary to salvage and decrypt these transmissions (before they self-destructed), in order to find out what the demons had been communicating among each other.
-
Killer takes off at a dead sprint, taking advantage of his inhuman physical enhancements to go as fast as possible..
Only one of them needs to get through the final connection, and he is the fastest one here. Nothing else matters.
-
Seeing the closing connection Beats also sprints for it. He knows that room and whoever is on the other side was going to pay.
-
UsdiYona heads through the crystal.
-
Emend watches as the others rush through the crystal. He had put up with allowing a lot of terrible people to get away with their cruel acts on the internet up until now, in the name of getting to Saint's daughter. As it stood, he could be reasonably sure that the others could reach and rescue her without him anymore.
Now it was time for him to seek justice for those harmed by these demons.
"I'll try to catch up after. There's something I must do here first," he tells the others, as he attempts to decrypt the packets.
-
With his companions gone, Emend began working with what he had learned about encryption to preserve the communications he had captured between the demonic avatars. All light around him then went out, leaving only the softest glow radiating from his own anima.
The 'screen captures' continued to degrade - wasting away like ash, almost as fast as Emend could work. He managed however, to save something from three of them, though it was written in a strange text - looking a lot like the smooth flowing script of modern Arabic.
Engrossed in his efforts, Emend failed to notice the complete collapse of the reality around him - it, in the most basic sense, simply being 'turned off' by whoever controlled it.
A moment later, Emend found himself awaking in a familiar room...
---
(Emend continued in Waiting for News (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=2208.msg128579#msg128579).)
-
End of The Road?
The Saint (Killer), Beats, and UsdiYona, having jumped into the crystal connection before it closed, found themselves arriving somewhere in complete darkness.
Eyes of the matrix confirmed that they had gone into another server, but for whatever reason, this one had no virtual reality associated with it. There were in and out-going connections of a mundane nature, and some kind of file system, but nothing overtly demonic - and no avatar of the Administrator there to greet them.
Further, neither the Saint (Killer) nor Beats could get a read of where the were (from a spatial sense) - finding that their magics would not reach beyond their present environs.
For UsdiYona, the place seemed extremely claustrophobic - as if she risked being trapped here forever, the longer they remained. Sniffing around, she could smell Faith's scent strongly, but found no trace that the Administrator had ever been here.
-
Killer dispels the scorpion tail on his back and casts a different spell, this one meant to make himself bio-luminescent. Given his own form already glows he really just focuses on increasing the intensity to the point that he can illuminate their surroundings.
-
Beats quickly warms up again and looks for an enemy or signs that this was the room from the video
-
With the light of the Saint (Killer)'s bioluminescence, everyone could see each other, just sort of hanging there in nothingness. It was a complete and empty void to any senses but eyes of the matrix. Even then, that only showed that they were in a computer of some sort.
-
"It seem like we are stuck." UsdiYona says. "Any suggestions here?"
"I got a quarter to call somebody. Think we can get one of those window things to pop up?"
-
"Beats, can you open a portal out of here into the room this computer is in?
I'd guess the woman closed the computer after she was done the conversation and we're not seeing anything because it's not on. I imagine if the area had been destroyed we would have been brought back to our bodies."
Out of curiosity Killer stabs his sword into the floor, more to see what would happen than anything else.
Then to Usdi - "Maybe? We could try calling up a command window like we did before..."
-
Beats shrugs and looks around with frustration "Lemme check it out first." he replies before trying to do a quick scrying spell of the surrounding are in order to get a good portal location
-
It turned out that there was no floor for the Saint to stab. There was the sensation of gravity and standing on the floor - one could even walk around - but there wasn't actually a floor.
Beats had no further luck scrying out of the area - as wherever 'here' was, it was somewhere inside the spatial ward and its powerful ban.
Using eyes of the matrix revealed some command input nodes, but they weren't the animated pop-us the disciples had encountered in the webs. Still, even in their simplicity, they should be usable for sending an email or accessing the files on the computer and the like.
-
"See if you can find the computer's IP address, we should be able to locate it with that," Killer suggests.
-
"Crap, dis isnt my thing." Beats replies as he tries to get an IP, real world location or other indicator of where in the real world they were. following that he tries to bring up the local files "Show all files!"
-
While computers was definitely not Beats' thing, his ability to see things through forces definitely helped. After some trial and error, he was able to glean that they were on a computer belonging to a company called 'Joyful Swanhouse Beautiful Lady Pageants' and that it was located somewhere in Manila City the Philippines.
There also seemed to be a large storage of pictures on the computer, but these were way too expansive to spend much time looking through. A few random samples consistently showed a bunch of Filipino and other Asian transgender 'women' - apparently auditioning to be in one (or more) of the extravagant beauty pageants regularly hosted by the company.
As for gaining a useful IP address, Beats couldn't figure out how to make it show the computers outside IP address vs. the internal one, used by whatever local network the computer resided on.
He did find a link to a camera connected to the computer though, and after fiddling around a bit, got they system to pop up a window showing what the camera was looking at. Sure enough, that gaudy throne chair came into focus, sitting in front of the tarped object in the now empty warehouse.
-
Seeing the target area directly beats tries to memorize every detail specially, in order to target it directly later if needed later. He then tries to use that video feed as a direct connection to force a portal open there.
-
Beats was quickly frustrated in his plan, as he realized that the ward blocking his scrying, just effectively blocked spatial travel as well. Even if there was no ward, it was unlikely that Beats could cast his spell across a dimensional barrier (without a significantly higher mastery of the spirit arcana first).
-
Beats relays the info before grumbling for a moment "Wait does this thing have a map of the area like dat google map thing?" He asks the others "Could we just portal like right outside the ward and walk in? Or do we go back to our bodies den do it?"
-
Continuing to search around, Beats was able to pull up a web browser to access google maps. When it came up, it centered on a large building located near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila City.
-
"Alright, warehouse near the Polytechnic University of Philippines in Manila City. Take us home Beats, we have everything we need to bring down the wrath of God on this place."
-
Beats nods and grabs Usi (nicely) "Time to go!" He tries to leave back to his body
-
Beats and UsdiYona disappeared from the area, leaving the Saint (Killer) to follow. A moment's focused concentration was all that it took to leave the dreamscape and return to the physical body.
---
(Continued Briefly in Waiting for News (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=2208.msg128617#msg128617).)
-
Continued from Waiting for News (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=2208.msg128660#msg128660)
---
Other Side of The World; Manila the Philippines
Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Monday October 23rd 2017
Walking through the portal, the disciples and UsdiYona arrived in a small alley, tucked behind the campus music hall on the bank of a wide river - conveniently hidden behind some dumpsters kept there. Huge trees, with giant leaves, grew out from the bank, hanging over the river; while a smattering of coconut palms could be seen here and there.
The first thing that hit everyone about the place however, was the oppressive heat. It was hot and humid - the temperature hovering around 90 degrees with a matching 90% humidity. It was especially noticeable, just popping in like that from the cool fall weather of the eastern seaboard and the air-conditioned server farm of the Fairfax Verizon building.
Directly across the river meanwhile, about five hundred feet, the disciples could see an oil refinery. To the right (downstream), they could see the river pass under a bridge about a half mile away, as it meandered on through the city. To the left (upstream), the river went under a large oil pipe coming out of the refinery, a train bridge, and then a commuter bridge, in that order, befor rounding a bend to the south. Many boats and barges plied the waters, though whoever was on them paid the disciples no mind.
The city was alive with the sound of noisy traffic and the general hustle and bustle of its busy populace.
It was in the direction of the commuter bridge that Beats headed without a word; walking along the river bank past a nearby ferry terminal. The warehouse he had seen on google maps was not too far on the other side of that highway running to the commuter bridge.
There was a small group of Filipino people waiting at the ferry terminal, most young college students, but a few older folks as well. They regarded Beats hurrying by with mild curiosity, pointing him out and speaking among themselves in Tagalog.
They had not seen the rest of the disciples or UsdiYona yet - Robor suddenly aware that he was still dressed only in his pajamas, having just hopped into his car and driven over to the Saint's house that evening, too lazy to get dressed. It was a surreal callback to those silly childhood dreams, where you go to school and suddenly realize you have nothing on but your underwear. With Sarapheen's portal now closed, it was too late to do anything about it anyway. Besides, it wasn't like he and the rest of the disciples weren't going to all stick out like sore thumbs to begin with.
With his spirit sight active, Robor could also see some minor demonic spirits lurking about the campus - mostly related to Addiction and Lust - but they quickly fled the area the moment they caught Robor's warding eye glance over them. UsdiYona and Miguel could see them too, but they didn't look (or smell) very tough. Besides, they weren't here for those demons. They were here for Faith and whoever had taken her.
The Saint (Killer) could also perceive the spirits, though to him they simply appeared as sick miasmic pallors, hovering near sketchy-looking youth. Keeping a wary eye on both the youth and any spirits that did not immediately flee their presence, he took a moment to create his hornet swarm from the abundant plant life, establishing control, and then secreting them under his priest's robes.
As for Emend, his mind and forces mage sights did not reveal anything unusual at the moment.
-
UsdiYona looks around. "We better hurry, so we don't lose Beats."
-
Having completed his spell, Killer walks quickly after Beats.
Stone-faced as he is even he is uncomfortable with the sensation of hundreds of tiny little legs crawling all over him under his clothing, though he is comfortable in his control over the things.
Should anyone begin following or paying attention to the group he will mumble a casting of Trigger the Lizard Brain to have them avert their eyes and walk away through an amplification of both Fear and Self-Preservation. He will pay very special attention should the spell fail to have any effect on someone. As he walks he begins speaking to Miguel - though his words rapidly devolve into him rambling on about his thoughts.
"We are in a dangerous position Miguel. I do not yet understand the politics between the heavenly messengers but I get the strong impression that my mentors are not allowed in this city. Our coming here could be seen as a trespass - an acceptable one perhaps, because of our low standing, but a trespass nonetheless. In truth I am far more fearful of what should happen if the city's disciples or angel find us than I am of the demonic den we are about to enter. At best we will be delayed, at worst we shall have to fight and subdue them, wasting precious time and resources. I do not like that a concept as limiting as that of jurisdiction can apply to the purest incarnation of the Lord's army. We should be united completely and absolutely in goals and operations. It is behavior like this that corrupted the church of your time and drove you to damnation - through no fault of your own.
I doubt we will encounter the demon Prince here, as he seems to reside within the internet exclusively - I know I would if I was him, he is invincible there. Perhaps that woman who watches over the earthly enterprise is a lower demon or witch, she might even have her own gang of disciples - all of which I can deal with given I am not separated and killed away from the group. They are certainly expecting us, the administrator's omniscience in that realm and our appearance at the auction should have been more than enough. We might even find the warehouse empty yet again, though if I was them I would use the time to set up defenses and kill a gang of disciples in unfamiliar territory, isolated from their immortal mentors.
My daughter will most certainly be taken hostage. Once we are in the building I want you to find her and do everything you can to protect her or get her out of there. You have my full permission to do whatever you need to do to make that happen. Any use of your powers, even any contact with Faith - though it might scare her - will be worth it if you can secure her safety. I want to say that I can do it myself but I will probably be preoccupied in the fight, and you can slip by them more easily.
There might be other girls there with Faith when we enter the building. Ignore them unless it adds no risk whatsoever to Faith. Faith's safety is paramount, I will do what I can to help them but in this kind of situation sometimes it just isn't possible to save everyone."
-
Beats simply keeps moving at his current pace. He had business to attend to in that place and he was gonna deal with it himself. If the others kept up and joined in that was fine especially since the priests daughter had been taken but he was going to end his own nightmare his own way.
He will only pause if he detects the edges of the ward in order to make a note of its boundries
-
Emend follows Beats forward, hoping they make it into the building without any trouble.
-
Robor follows the rest.
-
"I understand," Miguel replied to the Saint (Killer), following along with the others.
The direction Beats was headed, followed the bank of the river, passing between a large apartment building and a coastguard police station. Continuing on, it passed another large condominium complex that sat on the riverside, then dropped down into a wide field with high-tension power lines running though it (parallel to the roadway leading up to the commuter bridge).
A number of locals watched the disciples passing with curiosity, but no one bothered to approach them. A few laughs were heard however - probably at Robor's expense.
The pavement ended at the edge of the field, but a worn footpath led down a broken section of the ten-foot high retaining wall abutting the condominium complex. From there, it ran across the field, over the train tracks, and up to the roadway. Looking out across the way, the neighborhood seemed a mix of old, new, and refuse. The college campus, apartments, and condominium complex behind the disciples were new and modern, while it looked like a shanty town up ahead and across the river, interspersed here and there with huge tin-roofed factories and large warehouses. Almost everything was overgrown with tropical vegetation, cracked, broken or rusted. Trash was piled up in the out of the way places and the flip-flop footed locals had a 'third world' look about them.
There was a decent amount of traffic on the road, mostly small motorcycles, but it had sidewalks running up and down it. Directly across the highway, was a ten-foot high security fence with razor wire on top. It looked like it encompassed a large campus of some kind - with a half dozen or more large buildings - though it was different from the college the disciples had just walked from. It was also twenty or so feet lower than the highway - as the tops of tall coconut palms on the other side of the fence were almost level with the roadway. The sound of children playing could be heard from somewhere within the campus.
Beats stopped at the base of the fence - sensing the outer edges of the spatial ward they had encountered earlier - which gave the rest of the team time to catch up.
To the right, the road went over the river bridge, being about thirty feet off the water on the bank, and rising up to perhaps fifty feet at the center. The oil refinery, and who knew what else, lie on that side of the river.
To the left, the road followed the fence-line of the large campus before hitting cross-streets. A number of vendors were set up along the way, selling tee-shirts, cigarettes, and barbequed meats on a stick from little umbrella-ed carts.
-
"Emend, mind dampening the sound this is going to make?"
After saying so, Killer hacks open a hole into the fence from which they can enter the property bounds using his sword.
-
Beats takes two strps back ad scores the dirt in a rough X with his shoes. As the others catch up "Line is marked" He announces, he waits for Saint to cut a way in then will immediatly head inside keeping an eye out for powerlines and internet cables, preferably the connecting junction boxes for the building (He will change to forces based siggt if needed)
-
"Sure," Emend replies, using Thunderous Whispers to reduce the noise it makes.
-
Robor keeps his eyes out for more dangerous spirits or spies. Theyre literally walking into the base of a demon, they need to be ready for dangers.
-
Given that he had both an enhanced strength and a magical sword, the Saint (Killer) easily slashed an opening into the security fence.
While it made little to no noise (thanks to Emend), the action itself proved reckless and poorly thought out - as the sight of a Catholic Priest, wielding a sword on a busy public street, appeared to have caught the attention of a number of locals, who gawked at the strangeness of it all.
That, and the disciples still had a twenty foot drop straight down to the campus below - though it looked possible to jump from the hole in the fence to the trunk of a nearby palm tree - where (presuming one did not fall and break their neck), it could be used to shimmy down to the ground.
-
Killer casts a casual eye over the crowd looking at them.
Well this won't do
He mumbles a casting of Trigger the Lizard Brain - he amplifies the crowd's Lust and Rage, directing their feelings towards each other. Perhaps a riot or some other series of violent crimes would be enough of a distraction.
He then turns away and mumbles another spell on the tree (Transform base) to shape a part of the trunk so that a branch extends outwards far enough to make the jump easier on the other disciples.
"You all go ahead, I'll follow behind".
He momentarily cancels Clamour of the Departed in order to do this.
-
Beats leaps down and keeps looking for the main junction box of the campus
-
"Bonzai!!!" UsdiYona says, casting dance of vines as she jumps down into a shrub, letting it catch her and the other disciples as they come down.
-
The Saint (Killer) found that he could not create the spell's imago for triggering the lizard brain, being that he was over-reaching in the desired effect. As none of the onlookers were actually coming any closer, it was debatable if the spell was really even necessary.
Moving on to altering the palm tree, he was able to get a branch-like growth to sprout close enough to the hole in the fence to allow easy access to the trunk.
Beats, stepped over and shimmied down to the ground - the act actually looking somewhat physically demanding.
UsdiYona meanwhile, simple jumped down into a bush, the branches of which reached out to catch and break her fall.
That left the Saint, Emend, and Robor to follow.
On the ground, Beats and UsdiYona were neatly hidden in the foliage behind one of the large buildings. From here, they could still hear the sound of children playing outside, but they couldn't see around the building to get a glimpse of them.
The building in question looked like a chapel of some kind.
Looking at the power structure for the campus with his eyes of the matrix, Beats could see that it was being supplied in the usual manner from the local power lines.
-
Killer goes down the same way Beats did, confident in his physical abilities.
Once down he'll wait to catch the others in case they fall (assuming they hadn't already gone down).
-
Emend climbs down as well, using a will point if required.
-
Beats tracks the overhead powelines to where the main ones enter the campus and Influencing Electricity, He tries to get the main power from each of the overhead cables to ark a couple of feet directly into the junction box/transformer where the line for the campus comes off. (The smallish box that hangs off the main lines pole that alters the amplitube and voltage to the levels usable to buldings OOC. neither I nor Beats can remember the name right now) "Cutting dem off from da internet and power. lets see what happens now." He quietly says to Usi
-
Robor looks at the crowd, and shakes his head.
"Definitely one of their weirder days I guess." Robor says, following the rest down.
-
About three hundred feet up the fence line (on the roadside), Beats could see a telephone pole with three transformers, that appeared to feed the campus its electricity. It was adjacent to a five story building, the exact function of which was not apparent from this angle.
Concentrating, Beats was able to cause an electrical arc between two of the transformers - that quickly resulted in a loud blast, as one of the transformers abruptly blew out.
People on the street gasped at the sudden occurrence and looked back and forth between the now smoking transformer and the two disciples still visible at the hole in the fence.
Paying the onlookers no heed, Emend climbed down the trunk of the palm tree, followed by Robor, joining everyone already on the ground.
People on the street above then moved en-mass to the fence itself, lining up along its length, peering down into the campus to see what the odd group was up to.
The sound of children playing meanwhile, had stopped with the sound of the exploding transformer - now replaced by curious chatter and the voice of a man telling them something in Tagalog.
From their hidden position (to those in the campus at least) the disciples could see, to the left, that they were behind a large chapel on the edge of the river. A five foot high stone wall appeared to run along the river, where, on the other side, an artificial concrete bank sloped steeply down into the water - about fifteen feet below. It would not be possible to travers the slippery angle of the concrete bank without some kind of unnatural aid.
Straight ahead, was a gap between the chapel and what looked like a school house, through which an open area could be made out beyond. The top of an open pavilion could be seen in that area - which was where the sound of children had been coming from.
To the left, the disciples could see the school house, followed by another school house-like building, then the large five story building adjacent the transformers, then a broad open space, and two more large buildings at the northern boundaries of the campus (that being some 1,200 feet away).
-
"The wards extend across the entire campus? I can't help but feel as if that is a bit excessive." Killer comments as he continues following Beats.
He cancels his transform base spell and recasts Clamour of the Departed.
-
Beats chuckles to himself at the small explosion from the trans former "Ha! I took da power out. Which way Saint?"
-
Killer shrugs.
"I have no idea, you're the one who saw the warehouse.
If I had to guess it's one of those large buildings over there", he says pointing to the 2 large buildings to the north.
"It's a bit of a trek but it looks about right."
-
Beats quickly uses his spacial senses to try and work out which of the buildings looks to be the right dimentions then picks whichever looks most promising and heads that way
-
Taking a moment to analyze the current ward, Beats was surprised to discover that it only prevented scrying. If what he was reading was correct, then portaling, teleporting, and the like would actually still work.
Given that there had definitely been a ban against portaling into the warehouse, it was unclear if this was even the same ward.
-
"Dis ward is different, only covers scrying. Gonna check for a different ward blocking portals real quick."
He then uses spacial senses to see if there are different wards in or over any specific building.
-
"You know Beats, they could have a backup generator, or be using a magical power source," Emend remarks. "Either way, we're going to lose whatever element of surprise we still have soon. Let's hurry."
-
Maybe the slavery ring isn't the only thing on this campus. I wonder just who's territory we're intruding on?
Something just doesn't feel right about this. Could we have been misdirected?
"Beats, you saw the warehouse on google maps right? Could you take out your phone and see if we're in the right area? If you have no internet maybe Emend can open a connection.
It should clarify which building is which as well."
-
Checking out google maps, showed Beats that they were currently in some place called 'Tzu Chi Great Love Campus' - whatever that was. The warehouse that the disciples were looking for, was actually about four hundred feet further down the river - in another area, beyond the current campus.
Reaching out with his spatial senses, Beats could feel a much smaller ban against portaling in that general area, preventing a lock on an area roughly fifty by fifty feet square.
A number of Filipino men meanwhile, dressed in white pants and blue jackets, moved into sight at the end of the large five story building to the north. They spent some time looking up at the telephone pole and its blown transformer, then walked back out of sight (presumably into the building again). Not long after, the sound of a large diesel generator could be heard firing up.
That would be the backup generator Emend had just mentioned.
As this went on, some of the gawkers on the road, above the disciples' hidden position, began to yell things down in Tagalog - though none of disciples could tell what they were trying to say, until one guy called down in English - "Hey, what are you doing down there? Do you need help?"
-
"Ah crap, gotta head dat way about 400 feet. Warehouse is dere and it's protected lets move!"
Ignoring the people watching Beats sets off at a jog, trying to keep to cover where he can.
-
No wanting to yell back, Emend simply attempts to use the emotional urging ring to calm them (or the one that spoke English specifically if the ring can't affect more).
"We should circle around the building once we get there to get an idea of what we're up against. We shouldn't just rush in."
-
"Now that you mention it," UsdiYona calls back up to the guy on the street, "I'm out of popcorn and I only got 47 cents. Where can a girl get a respectable meal around here?"
-
"... Eh?" The English speaking guy replied to UsdiYona, "They have a soup kitchen in their main building, but you probably should have just gone in through the front gate."
"That way," he motioned to the north by north east.
-
"I stand ready to scout out ahead, wherever you require," the ghost Miguel offered to the Saint.
-
"Go", Killer says, while he follows Beats to their destination.
"400 feet downriver, the warehouse. As far as you can, make sure the path there is clear as well."
-
"Yay! Free soup!!!" UsdiYona replies to the man, waving goodbye and then turning to follow the others.
-
The disciples moved forward, out from between the chapel and school building into an open space, flanked on each side by a large pavilion with picnic tables underneath. A volleyball court had been set up in the center of the area, where about three dozen elementary school kids and their teachers currently stood.
Beyond them, was a three story building with a large sign in Tagalog, hanging over the double glass doors. An English translation was written on the bottom of the sign and read: "Dental Clinic."
Looking north, a similar sign could be seen out in front of the large five story building, only that one read: "Eye Surgical Center."
Both the surgical center and dental clinic shared a wide parking lot.
The children and their teachers meanwhile, gave the passing group of unusual Americans some curious looks, but quickly resumed their game at the direction of a teacher.
Making their way to the south end of the dental clinic, the disciples were met with a ten foot high concrete wall that separated the Tzu Chi Great Love Campus from its neighboring compound. Over the wall and behind a cluster of trees, the disciples could see the top of the warehouse that Beats had identified on google maps.
It was not necessary to scale the ten foot wall however, as the five foot seawall following the river ran up to it and ended there. Hopping onto the seawall allowed one to simply swing oneself around to the other side of the concrete wall - where a flat concrete dock ran alongside the warehouse.
Two flat river barges, each a hundred feet long, were secured to the dock - though they were well past their days of usefulness. Both were completely cankered in rust and one was already half sunk.
Some tractor trailer trucks were also parked at the end of the dock, where a dirt road went up between the warehouse and a huge factory of some kind - in addition to even more warehouses, workshops, and other buildings.
Noise from the factory indicated that work was in full swing - meaning lots of people would be about - though there was currently no one in sight on this southern side of the warehouse.
As instructed, Miguel had gone on ahead, entering the warehouse to get an idea of what might await the team inside...
-
"We should wait three minutes, Miguel just went in. If he doesn't come out by then we should probably go in.
Beats, is this place's power separate from the campus?"
-
Beats looks around for powerlines as before but doesnt trigger them yet, willing to wait the 3 minutes. While he waits he tries to work out where the noise is actually coming from "Does anyone see da actual workers or just da noise?"
-
With eyes of the matrix, Beats could see where the power lines fed into the warehouse, but the actual source for the compound itself, was a set of transformers four hundred feet to the north - hidden from his view with the naked eye.
-
Killer again temporarily cancels clamour of the departed to cast Sense life and confirm/disprove Beats' suspicions
-
The Saint (Killer's) sense life spell revealed a myriad of people working in the adjacent factory and all of the other buildings for that matter - except for the warehouse itself, which appeared to be completely empty of any occupants at the moment.
-
"The warehouse is void of any life that I am capable of sensing" Killer says.
"The factory is filled with workers, however".
-
With the ghost scouting for them, there was no reason to endanger themselves.
"I wonder if it's actually void, or if something is preventing you from seeing inside," Emend suggested.
-
"As I said, it is void of life I am capable of sensing. I cannot sense demons, angels or spirits of any kind until I obtain a greater mastery over Life. It is also possible through applications of Death to conceal one's living aura. I would not be surprised if that was the case."
-
"Transformers Dat way, tricky for me to blow it again but Emend could do somthin with it I think?" He then behins creepi g a little closer keeping an eye out for cameras.
-
“Maybe there’s a portal there?” Robor asks. “Or they cleared out when we found them on the internet.” Robor wonders aloud, looking around for demons and spirits. Maybe he could ask one of them aboutbthe situation.
-
At first, Robor could see no active spirits around at all, until he passed his glance over the river. There, looking back at him from out from the waters by the half sunken barge, was some kind of large river spirit. It looked like a bubble-eyed giant koi, but something was wrong with it - as if it was cancerous or sick.
UsdiYona could see it as well, though to her, it smelled rotten.
Beats meanwhile, got close enough to the warehouse to see that there was no existing security around it at all, except for sturdy locked doors and a closed scrolling door (where tractor trailers could back up to, for loading and unloading). Peering cautiously around the front, he noted that a small parking lot, by the main door, was currently empty; and a sigh read in both Tagalog, Thai, and English - "Joyful Swanhouse Beautiful Lady Pageants Receiving."
From his new position, Beats could also see into the open loading docks of the adjacent factory, where scores of Filipino workers were busy sewing together garments or clothing of some kind within. A group was also driving small forklifts in the main road, loading a truck with large crates, while a foreman stood by, overseeing the work.
After waiting a few minutes, the Saint (Killer) realized that Miguel should have returned by now - and that something felt off. While he could still feel the weight of the anchoring connection he had with the ghost, he could no longer sense the Spaniard himself.
-
"Miguel's time is up. I can also no longer sense his presence - though he is still intact, seeing as I can feel the anchor in place. Be on your guards, we are certainly walking into a trap."
That being said, Killer starts walking closer to the warehouse. He scans the building (with spatial map if the wards permit it) to ascertain all points of entry.
"Robor, I expect that we are expected. Could you make select portions of the wall transparent for us to see into the warehouse? I do not think we will lose out on any element of surprise.
-
Bringing up his spatial map, the Saint (Killer) gained a mental image of the warehouse and its surrounding area. Inside, was a huge collection of stage props and equipment used in the production of the company's various pageants, as well as racks and racks of amazingly gaudy dresses and other ridiculous costumes.
The Saint (Killer) could also see an office inside, and a void space (about the size of the warehouse they saw while in the internet) that was warded from his view.
From what he could tell, there was no one inside the warehouse (at least the parts he could actually perceive).
-
"Spatial map shows a large void area inside the warehouse. We have to get in before we can do much else," Killer says, updating the others.
That being said, he goes back to looking for an entry point - be it a glass roof, an easily broken down door, a window, etc.
-
"What in the heck is wrong with that there fish?" UsdiYona asks. "We really need to know what happened to that thing. I'm gonna go talk to it."
UsdiYona pinches her nose and heads to the barge.
-
"What in the heck is wrong with that there fish?" UsdiYona asks. "We really need to know what happened to that thing. I'm gonna go talk to it."
UsdiYona pinches her nose and heads to the barge.
“Hey Usdi. Wait a second before messing with that spirit.” Robor says. “We don’t have jurisdiction here, and we need to find Faith first.”
"Robor, I expect that we are expected. Could you make select portions of the wall transparent for us to see into the warehouse? I do not think we will lose out on any element of surprise.
Robor nods.
“Yeah, I’m sure I can ‘find’ us some cracks in the walls to look into.” Robor says with a smirk, approaching the warehouse, and feeling for a good spot to look in, scratching his ring onto the wall.
-
Emend casts "Eye of the Magus", in order to check for any signs of magic he might be able to find.
-
Beats comes back around and talks to the others as he begins testing the door "Dis place is deserted, loadsa workers further down but not comin close."
He then checks the door for locks
-
"Jurisdiction? The heck is that anyway?" UsdiYona asks Robor.
"I bet that fish knows something!"
-
Out back, between the ten-foot high concrete wall and the warehouse itself, there was no danger of being seen casting spells by sleepers. Using his gaze through the mountain rote, Robor turned a section of the wall transparent, allowing the disciples to look in.
They saw what the saint had sensed with spatial map - A huge collection of stage props and equipment; and all the whacky pageant dresses and other strange costumes.
The locked steel door meanwhile, was no match for Emend's ability to telekinetically unlock it with forces.
-
Beats quickly pushes inside and heads carefully towards the shielded area, preparing for a fight
-
Killer motions Robor forward after Beats
"Since we can't see in that area either making the walls see-through might work."
-
Emend takes out his pistol after entering the building, following behind Beats.
-
Entering the building and looking around, showed a separate portion of the warehouse walled off - and entered through another locked security door. Using Robor's gaze through the mountain rote, revealed that it was the same warehouse area that the disciples has seen while in the internet.
It was fifty by fifty feet square and prominently occupied by the large tarp-covered object in the center. There was also that gaudy throne-like chair, a high definition camera on a tri-pod (facing the chair), and a computer server, desk, and filing cabinets off to the side. A computer cable ran from the camera, across the rough concrete floor, to the back of the server, while a quick-release chain system hung from the ceiling over the tarped object.
On the side of the area, opposite the desk, was a narrow hallway with a bathroom at the end. A couple of fifty gallon trash bins - the kind with wheels - where kept in the hallway, along with a rack of cleaning supplies.
Hanging from the ceiling in that area, was a thick armor-cabled electrical wire - the outlet box on the end melted and charred - as if from multiple power-surges over a significant length of time.
No one appeared to be around - and still no sign of Miguel.
Looking with his eyes of the magus, Emend could see that the gaudy throne-like chair was some kind of magical artifact. It held sway over the powers of space and, to a smaller degree, life.
The object under the tarp also resonated with powerful death and spirit magic, while the hanging electrical socket seemed to be normal, though it clearly had been exposed to forces magic enough times to have picked up a slight resonance.
UsdiYona meanwhile, felt an odd pull toward the thing under the tarp. It was like a big surprise or something that she couldn't stand waiting to see what it was. She simply had to go and take a peek.
The curiosity was positively killing her.
Once again, Emend was able to make short work of the locked door - opening the area up for the disciples to investigate further...
-
Killer finds himself as interested in the tarp as Usdi.
Some morbid part of him eagerly expects to find something quite horrible underneath it - even as he prepares himself for a surprise, he moves to pull the tarp off whatever it is covering.
-
Robor taps the floor with his sword, hoping to see the recent past.
-
Before they get too close Beats calls out "Dats where dey torture an kill Kids. I wouldnt be touchin it cos Imma be blastin it inta farking dust along with da demon."
It would be becoming very obvious that Beats is getting seriously angry right now.
Beats will use spacial awareness to try and find enemies nearby. If he finds one he will pretty much instantly attack them with Ranged Blows.
OOC: If the Woman from the video appears he will also use haymaker ranged blows the first moment he can and charge her.
-
Noticing those heading towards the tarp, Emend decides to warn them.
"Be careful. Whatever is under there has powerful death and spirit magic coming from it."
He'll then make his way to the computer, to see if its contents will hold what the disciples all suspect is happening here.
-
UsdiYona stands by the Saint to see what's under the tarp.
-
Using the postcognition power of the sword, Robor saw the Filipino woman and Faith getting up from the chair after their video presentation. The woman gave Faith a silver ring of some kind, explaining that it was for good luck - to help her dad find her faster.
When Faith innocently put the ring on, she changed in appearance, to a Filipino boy and began talking to the woman in Tagalog. The woman replied back in Tagalog, which Faith seemed to understand - apparently being unaware of her change - and the two of them left the room together.
Robor, followed the ghostly reflections of the past, observing the woman and Faith leave the warehouse, then get into a fancy silver BMW in the parking lot. They sat there a moment talking, and then drove up the dirt road to the north - apparently leaving the area.
The Saint and UsdiYona meanwhile, pulled the tarp off a large industrial sized wood-chipper.
The thing was set up with hopper open at top, under the quick-release chain hanging from the ceiling. The chip-chute was coming off the side and turned downward, so that that it would empty directly onto the floor - or into one of the large trash cans on wheels (were it to be placed underneath it).
Looking down into the hopper, revealed tiny chunks of rotting meat and scraps of cloth stuck in all the various cracks and crevasses - and something that looked a lot like a small tooth. There was no spatter of dried blood however - though the presence of a large drain in the floor, directly under the chipper, seemed to suggest it was hosed out after each use.
It looked like Beats was right about its function though.
Beats' spatial awareness failed to manifest meanwhile, the power of the throne-like chair completely blocking all space related arcana in the immediate area.
As this went on, Emend checked out the server and found - much to his surprise - that his forces abilities worked just as well on the computer from the outside as the inside. He easily decrypted the password and immediately gained access to everything on the hard drive.
Unfortunately, the computer looked completely legit - holding only business related files, pageant photos, and other mundane data. From these, Emend was able to glean the name of the Filipino woman - "Kajet Kajet"; Owner and Proprietor of Joyful Swanhouse Beautiful Lady Pageants and Productions.
There was one other thing about the server that stood out to Emend - a separate partition in the memory, apparently set up to read encrypted USB drives without storing any of the data locally.
If this dragon lady that had Faith was some kind of serial killer of children, it made sense that she would keep trophies of some sort. Probably on USB drives - but where?
-
Since it works the same as it did while he was in cyber space, Emend will attempt to see if their are any open connections to the server.
After that, he'll attempt to look up information about the owner and company, suspecting the USB drive would be kept close by her.
-
His urge satisfied, Killer turns to the throne and looks it over.
He considers hacking it apart with the sword, but if it proves too resilient to destroy with the weapon he will simply give up - while he could corrode it with the Death, doing so would use up his remaining Mana, he needs that mana for them to survive.
"Miguel is still gone. This place may look abandoned but if he could be taken I doubt our safety. Do not let your guards down for a second.
Though it occurs to me that there should be many ghosts here, given the way those children were killed. Perhaps they have safeguards in place for that. Robor, you said this thing radiated Spirit and Death? Perhaps it traps the souls of those it has killed?"
-
Beats looks around for a steel pole to use on the wood chipper or other large mundane object of brute force
-
There were no open connections on the server, but Emend was able to find a home address for the Filipino woman - in an upscale side of town - not too far away by car (or colorful jeepney).
The Saint meanwhile, was able to hack the throne-like chair apart with his sword, noting that it seemed exceptionally durable - just not to his enhanced strength/magic weapon combo.
As soon as the chair was sufficiently demolished, Emend noted a collapse of the space ward in the immediate area, as well as a lifting of the scrying ban. He could also see powerful supernal magic coruscating from the remains, to evaporate away into the ether. Somehow, he knew that what he was witnessing, was the death of an ancient artifact, crafted before the time of man, through tremendous magics the likes of which Emend could hardly begin to comprehend.
As this went on, Beats picked up a long heavy crowbar from the supply area, and began hammering away at the wood-chipper with it. While the act was somewhat cathartic, the dents and dings he was putting into the industrial machine where not going to break it. The thing was build like a tank and could probably survive getting hit by a train.
-
Having gotten some of his angry energy out on the giant machine Beats pauses. Noting that Saint had also been going hog wild on a piece of the scenery he gives him a nod. before speaking.
"Right, Ill burn dis farkin thing down later. For now wheres da woman and Faith." Looking around "If ya just broke the ward we better be getting after her real fast yeh?" Beats keeps his, now well warmed up, muscles moving as he bounces on his toes, early eeady to move as soon as he gets a location.
-
"The woman's name is 'Kajet Kajet', and her house isn't far from here. We should hurry," Emend says, relying the information he just learned.
-
"Whats da address, can you show me a map?" Beats immediatly asks "Can scry it and portal dere in seconds!"
-
“Uh, so Faith is in a car.” Robor. Says. “She’s been transformed into a filipino kid by a magic ring.”
He glances at the Wood Chipper and Beats hammering away at it.
“Lets just focus on not attacking inanimate objects.” Robor says.
-
"Beats, can you try scrying for Faith now that she's out of here and we've destroyed the ward? We can pray to Sarapheen for a portal when we're ready to leave."
He takes out the same photo of Faith he'd given Beats earlier and hands it back.
"Robor, I do not have the energy necessary to examine the wood chipper in more detail, can you do it in my stead? The combination of death and life makes me think it's a soul jar but I am unable to confirm, if that's the case it might be worth using my last mana to destroy it with Death and release whatever has been trapped within."
Then to Emend - "Thank you, I could never have found any of that myself."
-
Emend tells Beats the location, then casts Imbue Mana on Saint, so that he may investigate the wood chipper.
-
Having a location, Beats immediatly sits down and holds his space tag. He scrys for the location, the outside of the building not the woman or faith (So she wouldnt sense it if she had guards up)
-
Emend transferred a portion of his own mana to the Saint (Killer); while Beats scryed out the Filipino woman's address (after getting a good look at it on google maps).
The house at the location was a fancy art-deco modern home, tucked into a tight-packed community of other fancy residences, across the street from a large golf course - roughly two miles east of the university. There did not appear to be any magical wards protecting the house and Beats was able to get a good look at it - both outside and in. Nothing about the three bedroom home (or its contents) stood out as particularly unusual in any way.
No one was currently at the place; and the silver BMW was not in the driveway.
UsdiYona meanwhile, continued to be mesmerized by the wood chipper - feeling a slight gravitational pull toward it - though she was able to resist it, simply by standing still. She could sense that something was hidden inside the bulky machinery and it was killing her to not know what it was.
-
"This thing gives me the willies! You sure that creepy doll kid ain't around here somewhere? It feels the same somehow..."
-
Robor examines the woodchipper with his spirit magic.
“It just looks like a torture machine so far.”
-
Beats swears to himself then stands slowly "Deres no-one at the address. No car or anythin."
-
Looking at the wood-chipper with spirit sight, confirmed that it was a soul jar - something to trap spirits and souls within.
There appeared to be a few dozen minor spirits cloistered within, as well as a single more powerful one (comparable to the Mastiff Hound at least); and fifteen ill-defined entities (which Robor had come to realize was how his spirit sight interpreted human ghosts).
The Saint (Killer) could easily confirm this, looking with his own grim sight - only there was also a powerful component to actually draw the disembodied in, like some sort of magical black hole. While he was currently unable to make out any of the individual characteristics of the fifteen ghosts held inside the soul jar, the Saint (Killer) was pretty sure this is where Miguel had ended up.
-
"Want to bet that if we break this thing open we'll have a couple of willing helpers?" Killer suggests, after sharing the information with the others (and thanking Emend with some surprise).
He carves a rune of destruction into the side of the Wood chipper and mutters the words of power for Destroy Object, concentrating and spending a willpower on the spell. Once the thing's durability and structure have been eroded by the spell he will cut it apart with the sword.
-
“Lots of ghosts. And some powerful spirits.” Robor says with a nod.
“Just be careful. Being stuck in a soul jar could drive anything insane.”
-
The Saint (Killer) watched in satisfaction as the wood-chipper corroded away under his touch. The rust was like a ravenous cancer, spreading unchecked throughout the machinery - until the whole thing just fell in on itself.
For a moment, the soul jar was still intact, until the Saint (Killer) took a few swings at the remains with his sword. That was the final straw, and in an unseen burst of ephemeral energy - practically blinding to Robor and the Saint - a myriad of entities were cast out into Twilight.
The Spaniard Miguel was among the ghosts. He shook his head to clear it a moment, before saying, "I think being a tree was worse. Not by much, but yes, I am glad to be out of that thing."
Of the other ghosts, thirteen were of small children, each under five years of age, and from all nationalities. The fourteenth was that of a Filipino Police Detective, who had once gotten a little too close to discovering Kajet Kajet's dark secret nearly six years ago.
A tunnel of light opened into Twilight, before the confused and disoriented souls; and two female angels of death floated down to round up the children and lead them through. They cast a wary glance at the disciples, but said nothing, simply going about their business, comforting and guiding the frightened spirits of the dead children.
The ghost of the Filipino Police Detective also went through, while the various minor spirits fled the supernal light.
Miguel sighed, looking at the departing souls. "One day I will be worthy."
The one major spirit meanwhile, skittered into the shadows of the warehouse (still in twilight). It appeared as a naked, androgynous form of sickly mauve colored skin that looked positively starved. Its bald head was featureless, save for a ring of nine unblinking beady black eyes running around its circumference - giving the demon 360 degree vision.
It had no mouth to speak of (or speak with), but it did make odd clicking sounds, as it darted back and forth looking around, under, and behind everything - as if desperately searching for something. Its neurotic anxious behavior seemed to create an air of nervousness, as if it could erupt into irrational violence at any moment.
Of course, only Robor, UsdiYona, and Miguel could see it clearly - while the Saint (Killer) saw it as black slashes moving chaotically about his grim sight.
To Emend and Beats, the thing was completely invisible.
-
"Miguel, let it know that we are hunting the things that trapped it. Ask it to make a deal with Robor", Killer says while gesturing to Robor.
"If it's been trapped in there for long it might be starved for Essence. I'm sure it would be easy enough to tame with an appropriate offering."
-
Robor attempts to calm down the demon, using his
mind spirit magic.
“Calm down, demon.” Robor says.
"Miguel, let it know that we are hunting the things that trapped it. Ask it to make a deal with Robor", Killer says while gesturing to Robor.
"If it's been trapped in there for long it might be starved for Essence. I'm sure it would be easy enough to tame with an appropriate offering."
“I’m not certain we’d want to tame it. It’s not a good spirit. At least it certainly doesn’t look like one. I’d want to first converse with it. Or, Probably not comverse, but communicate somehow.”
-
"The worse the better. Kajet deserves no kinder fate than to be eaten alive by her own discarded demons," Killer answers.
"Regardless, do as you wish. I can barely see the thing."
-
"Another farking invisible one?" Beats asks sounding annoyed. "Saint, ya need to learn ta scry already... hmm hold on."
Beats heads over to Saint and trys to scry directly on Faith using Saints sympathetic connection
-
"I'll never be as good as you Beats", he says, handing him the photo.
Especially when I have no connection to the person in question...
-
The demon stopped cold at Robor's directive - the clicking noises it made, abruptly assuming the slow cadence of a clock.
Miguel approached it cautiously - his spirit halberd in hand. "Er, you understand Spanish, yes?" he asked in his native language. The demon swiveled its body to face Miguel, as its head remained fixed in its original position.
The clicking noises stopped.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Miguel called to the Saint, starting to feel a mounting dread.
Robor meanwhile, took a moment to analyze the spirit with his mage sight. It was another Dementia - Paranoia to be exact. Completely useless, and - if they didn't do something about it soon - it would afflict them with its derangement just through its presence alone.
Indeed, everyone in the warehouse was beginning to feel an uneasy anxiety steadily creeping into them...
Beats meanwhile, tried and failed to locate Faith. There was still something in place, blocking his attempts.
-
“Yeah, no go Saint. This isnt a spirit we want tagging along.”
Robor draws out his ring, and nods to Usdi.
“Gotta get rid of this menance. Now.” He says, as he actively damages the spirits corpus
-
"Still blocked, sorry." Beats says handing the picture back. "Right... who can let me see dis thing?" He says squinting in the direction others are looking and readying his gauntlets.
-
"That's a shame".
Then, when Robor starts to attack it - "Wait, stop - we can't risk aggravating it and getting drawn into a conflict now, we don't have the resources to waste. This isn't our problem, let the angels who run this city clean up the mess they've let fester."
He goes to leave the room as quickly as he can.
"We can let them know later. We have bigger fish to fry" he calls back.
Saint's messed up enough I can't get him paranoid on top of all that. God knows Faith could use a little paranoia though
-
Robor nods.
“Yeah, point.” He says, lowering his ring.
“Lets get after them. Quickly now, we dont want to get affected by it’s power.”
-
Emend, unable to see the spirit in question, decided agreeing with Saint was the best course of action. He followed the others out of the building.
-
"Wats power? Seriously wats goin on?" Beats says annoyed before following them out.
-
Miguel backed off and joined the Saint, as the rest of the disciples headed out.
The Paranoia Dementia meanwhile, happily returned to searching though every square-inch of the warehouse. Given how much stuff was packed into the other side, the Dementia would stay occupied here for a good while. Long enough, at least, to still be here later, should the team pass word of it on to this Region's Ward.
Outside the warehouse once again, Robor and UsdiYona noted that the river spirit they had seen earlier was still lurking near the rusted-out barges.
-
Killer kneels and prays to Sarapheen, requesting a portal to Kajet's address
-
"Robor, why don't you try waving someone down and convincing them to give us a ride," Emend suggests.
-
Beats just heads outside and heads towards the road, looking for a way up to the road from this side. "We should get dat taxi, last time Sera did too many portals she exploded, maybe save it for like the end when we need it most."
-
As the disciples considered what to do, a portal opened near the Saint in response to his call.
Sarapheen stood on the other side of it, which opened into the disciples' meeting room, under the Washington National Cathedral. She appeared to be alone - the other two angels no longer present.
"Get Beats," she told the Saint (Killer); "I'm going to give him my portal stone, so you can hop wherever you need to go - and then return here with Faith when you're done."
-
Detecting a spacial disturbace Beats looks around "Well dat is easier I guess since she is ere already." Beats heads over "So are you sendin us Sarapheen?"
-
"Here, take this," Sarapheen explained to Beats, handing him a small crystal prism through the portal.
"This will allow you to open your portals immediately, rather than having to slowly build them through extended casting."
"Just promise me you wont lose it," she added nervously, "I can only imagine the trouble that would get me into..."
"Once you have Faith, portal back here to the cathedral."
-
"Thank you, Sarapheen. I owe you yet another debt I can never hope to repay." Killer says, bowing his head.
He waits for Beats to open the portal to Kajet.
-
"Thanks!" Beats says as he takes it "I'll, erm be sure to train more so Im not so slow at dem next time..."
He then nods to her and focuses on using the prism to open a portal in (Hopefully) a hidden spot behind the building or a spot not visible from the road.
-
"While y'all decide, I'm gonna see what's up with that fish." UsdiYona says heading to the dock.
"And y'all don't leave without me either!"
-
Using the gate stone, Beats was able to open a portal to a secluded spot in Kajet's backyard - between the garage and a small garden patio.
UsdiYona meanwhile, walked over to the dock to check out the odd river spirit. Upon getting closer, she concluded that there was definitely something not quite right about it - and not just physically.
When it saw her, it poked its bubble-eyes out of the water and excitedly chattered - "Soon? The marked one brings the delicious chum chum soon? It is time? Yum yum chum chum! Soon soon soon! Where's my spoon? Oh, right, I'm a fish! I don't need a spoon! Hee hee hee hee hee!!!"
Robor, hearing this exchange, could sense that the river spirit was well off its rocker - apparently suffering from some form of corrupting dementia.
-
UsdiYona is appalled, when she realizes what he's been eating this whole time.
"Listen here fish! No more Chum Chum you dumb dumb!"
Go eat some barnacles or something!"
"Gross!"
-
"What? How rude!" The river spirit replied - spitting a fountain of water into UsdiYona's face.
It then submerged quickly and swam down under the barge and out of sight.
-
"Come on Usdi, we can leave that fish and everything else here to the locals. Let's go save Faith," Emend says, going through the portal.
-
Using the gate stone, Beats was able to open a portal to a secluded spot in Kajet's backyard - between the garage and a small garden patio.
UsdiYona meanwhile, walked over to the dock to check out the odd river spirit. Upon getting closer, she concluded that there was definitely something not quite right about it - and not just physically.
When it saw her, it poked its bubble-eyes out of the water and excitedly chattered - "Soon? The marked one brings the delicious chum chum soon? It is time? Yum yum chum chum! Soon soon soon! Where's my spoon? Oh, right, I'm a fish! I don't need a spoon! Hee hee hee hee hee!!!"
Robor, hearing this exchange, could sense that the river spirit was well off its rocker - apparently suffering from some form of corrupting dementia.
“Shit.” Robor mutters.
“I think I know where they’ve been dumping the kids. They’ve driven the river spirit insane. Literally corrupting the spirits of the Lord.” Robor says, disgusted.
“This place is really corrupted. Everything about it. How can the Angel in charge let it slide so much?”
-
"Lets beat dis chick down den we can ask dem." Beats replies, clearly getting angry again, possibly intentionally working himself up "Portals up, we go now or ya get left behind!"
-
"Don't worry Faith, we're coming!" UsdiYona says and hurries back to the portal to go through.
-
Walking through the portal brought the disciples to the home of Kajet Kajet - international lady-boy mogul and pageant director. The house was surrounded by an eight foot high security wall, while a fancy iron gate allowed access to the driveway.
The silver BMW was still gone (and no one else seemed about). The high security wall also meant that nosy neighbors would have to be looking down into the yard from their second floors, while people out on the street could only see what was visible through the gate.
It occurred to Beats that he had not actually bothered to check for mundane security in the home. True, it had no magical protections, but such an affluent residence probably had its own security system.
-
Killer waits for the others to disable whatever security system is in place and open up the house. He casts a spatial map to get a feel for the surrounding area and will continue casting it to make sure no one is approaching
-
Beats pointsout what he had forgotten tothe group "Emend, ya thinkyou can turn off security without anyone knowin?"
-
Robor nods.
“Looks like she hasn’t gotten back yet.” Robor says, as he examines the area with his spirit sight. What kind of dekons are in this place?
-
"Nobody's home?" UsdiYona asks. "Hey Beats, can you see where they are now?"
-
Beats pointsout what he had forgotten tothe group "Emend, ya thinkyou can turn off security without anyone knowin?"
"I'll give it a shot," Emend replies, attempting to do just that.
-
"Tried lookin before but still blocked." Beats replies "Hopin da house has somthin we can use."
-
Using forces, Emend was able to detect and defeat the entire home security system installed in the house, as easily as if he had the actual code to it.
-
"Tried lookin before but still blocked." Beats replies "Hopin da house has somthin we can use."
"But what if he doesn't bring her here?" UsdiYona worried, "Or what if he takes her back to the warehouse and sees that we were there?"
-
"Then we will follow. It does not matter where Kajet goes, their fate is sealed. Robor, care to use your sword here too?"
-
"Security system is down," Emend announces. "Now we just need to find a way in without drawing attention to ourselves.
-
Beats simply looks for the back door now that the security is down. It mifht be easy enough for force open if it is an electronic lock and he can just trigger the current to unlock it.
-
Robor shrugs.
“Yeah, I guess.” He answers, tapping the sword on the ground
-
Beats was able to open a back door easy enough.
Robor meanwhile, found no useful information by just randomly sampling small segments of time, going back ever few hours a pop. Apparently Kajet had not been home for at least the majority of the day. If Robor had a particular timeframe in mind, perhaps he would have better luck, but so far, none of the times he checked back with his sword showed Kajet or the silver BMW at home.
-
"Then we will follow. It does not matter where Kajet goes, their fate is sealed. Robor, care to use your sword here too?"
"If the man was using that machine to do something with children and he goes back and sees it destroyed, won't he try to get rid of Faith?" UsdiYona asked. "That's what I'm worried about. How do we know he will bring Faith here?"
"Robor said the man took Faith in a car, right? If Beats can't locate Faith or the man, then just find the car."
-
Beats does a quick check for wards or magical sensors then heads inside to look for clues "Emend, can ya like log into her computer an track her phone or somthin?" he calls as he heads in.
-
"I'll keep on eye on the warehouse then. Though honestly, I think Kajet knew the second we entered the warehouse, and definitely when we destroyed the spatial ward."
Killer sits down and casts a scrying spell that he will maintain on the warehouse while he waits for the others to finish their search.
-
Searching the house revealed a large show/trophy room, dedicated to Kajet's pageant entries, wins, and the remarkable transformation that she had undergone over the years - from a poor lady-boy prostitute in the slums, to successful business owning transgender supermodel.
Dominating one wall of the showroom was a small platform, displaying four super-gaudy pageant dresses on sleek-lookin silver mannequins. The mannequins flanked a tall stylish mirror that resonated a powerful feeling of Envy - though there was nothing unusual about the mannequins themselves.
Emend meanwhile, was able to spot a secret cache of thumb drives, using his ability to detect electronic signatures. The drives were hidden in the frame of a large portrait of Kajet Kajet that hung on a wall near a home office-type setup.
Getting into the computer, revealed these drives to be the encrypted ones that the computer in the warehouse was set up to read. After fiddling with the encryption for a while, Emend was able to bring up the data on each drive.
There were two dozen drives, each having a date written on them. Fourteen were dated in the past, starting seven and a half years ago and advancing six months at a time. Then there was one dated for the day after tomorrow (three days from Faith's abduction) - while the rest were future dates, continuing the six month intervals.
Only the drives up to and including Faith's had any data on them - each holding a picture of a small child up alongside a picture of Kajet Kajet standing nude, in front of the tall mirror in the showroom.
The first was a small German boy - and the picture of Kajet was almost unrecognizable - looking like a scared little twink in a ratty plywood shack.
The other thirteen drives, showed other small children from various places in the world, and progressively miraculous changes in Kajet Kajet (and his suroundings) with each one - culminating in who she was today.
Apparently, she had been killing children in exchange for transformation into a real woman - augmenting her beauty, success, and riches after each horrifying murder.
It was chilling to see Faith's photo on the last drive - but currently without a comparison picture of Kajet alongside.
-
"Robor, can you use your sword to find out the plate numbers on Kajet's car? If we can't find him through magical means maybe we can find him through mortal ones. It seems we still have some time to work with, and that dead officer in the wood chipper suggests the police might not think too highly about Kajet. With these drives and a little magic we might be able to get them to lead a search."
-
"Wait, did dat demon who bid on her get her for a time or somthin?" Maybe they sent like messages to her about it?"
-
"From what I could tell the first bid would not be made good on until the morrow, or perhaps another round starts then - as long as her safety is guaranteed by this convoluted system, until then we can have the mortals in this city searching for Kajet - seeing as we are both too weak to break through his wards."
-
"So we... hack the cameras like in dat cop show?" Beats suggests while heading to a window that overlooks the driveway "Jus make sure dat dere are no lights or whatever visible from outside, I'll be da lookout." he sets up a little back from the window and to the side so he wouldnt be easy to see from outside but could see if anything entered the drive.
-
Robor nods, and goes to the parking garage. The van must have parked there at some point
-
Looking back with postcognition, Robor was able to get a closer look at Kajet's car - and noted that Kajet left his house early that morning (alone).
-
With Robor giving Emend a detailed description of the car that Kajet was driving, Emend took to the computer and attempted to find it through the webs. Aside from a record of Kejet having registered it as a 'company vehicle', nothing else of useful content was found in relation to the car. While Emend found that he could locate and look through many of the remote cameras scattered across the city, none of them had the ability to interpret and index the license plate numbers that they had recorded.
It was about an hour and a half, after the disciples had portaled over, that Beats observed the iron gate to the premise suddenly beginning to slide open on its remote actuator.
-
Completely unaware of the approaching something, Killer addresses the group - "Alright then. Beats, care to open a portal to the nearest police station? With some convincing we should be able to start a search for Kajet. If that fails then Emend might be able to break into their system and take advantage of what surveillance options they have available to at least keep an eye out for the van. To be quite honest i'm not sure what else we could do to find Faith at the moment, seeing as scrying doesn't work. Does anyone else have any ideas? Robor, do you know of a spirit that could track her down or something? Usdi, do you have any thoughts?"
-
Beats ducks down and waits just to see the tiniest bit of colour to confirm the car is the one they want then flattens below the window "Incoming! car headed in da drive. reset dat security and get hiding!."
Beats scans for blind spots in and security then hides in one, pointing out other safe hiding spots if needed.
-
Killer immediately casts Sense Life to get a feel for whatever is headed their way. He'll take a seat behind one of the couches and have the hornets in his robes crawl out and hide under or in the upholstery.
-
"Hopefully this is Kajet," Emend says, rewiring the security so it would act as normal when those outside entered the house (but wouldn't accidentally result in them setting off the alarm).
"Where should we ambush them?"
-
"I can hide by the door," UsdiYona suggests, "and grab Faith when they come in."
"You guys take care of girly man and I'll get Faith to safety. She shouldn't see what's about to happen!"
UsdiYona then goes by the door and changes into a large house plant.
-
Killer immediately casts Sense Life to get a feel for whatever is headed their way. He'll take a seat behind one of the couches and have the hornets in his robes crawl out and hide under or in the upholstery.
An adult and child are approaching.
-
There's no possible way it could be this easy
"Adult and child approaching, no other signs of life but there could be something else. I like Usdi's plan. Emend, i'm going to set the hornets on her, can you kill the sound?"
To Miguel - "I want Kajet incapacitated if possible, if he survives the opening volley do what you can to keep them down. He might be able to see you, do not reveal yourself prematurely."
Killer contructs the weave for a killing curse (Life Force Assault), mumbling the words for the spell and spending a willpower point. He holds it, ready to release the moment he lays eyes on Kajet. He builds it to attack Kajet's lungs in particular, if he could drown the man in his own blood it would muffle the screams.
-
Beats crouches, simply getting ready to stay and haymaker using Ranged Blows to have his punch hit Kajet the moment she steps in the door despite veing far away. The tactic had served him well so far...
-
"Sure," Emend replies, using Thunderous Whispers to reduce the volume of the hornets.
-
Robor keeps watch as he hides. If theres any spirits around he will have to stop them.
-
The silver BMW pulled into the drive and Kajet Kajet got out with a small Filipino boy. The two of them chatted in Tagalog, as they opened the trunk of the car to retrieve some store bags from a fancy boutique.
Kajet then led the boy to the front door, unlocked it and stepped in, not noticing the large houseplant to her left, due to all the bags she was carrying in front of her.
UsdiYona sprang into action, leaping out of plant-form to grab the boy and carry him around to the back of the house, where he/she would not see what was going to happen to Kajet. Along the way, she pulled the ring off the boy's finger - dispelling the illusion and bringing Faith into sight.
"Usdi!" Faith said, "You found me! Where's daddy?"
"Faith, Kajet isn't who she seems," UsdiYona explained, "She is the one who took us from our couch. I'm glad she took care of you, but it's time she goes to jail. She's just not a good person. Your daddy is waiting for the police inside with the others."
Inside, Kajet was caught completely by surprise.
A telekinetic blow from Beats rocked her world, nearly knocking her off her feet - followed by the Saint (Killer's) life force assault.
Something in the casting went wrong - and the spell immediately got away from the Saint (Killer), taking on a life of its own!
Kajet, the original target of the spell, abruptly turned inside-out in a ghastly eruption of innards and wet viscera! The intestines and other organs - no longer held in proper place - splattered to the floor - revealing a skeleton covered in torn and burst muscle tissue!
The unravelling energy of the spell, while mostly absorbed by Kajet, continued to wash through the house - enervating everyone within.
The hornets the Saint (Killer) unleashed, crashed to the ground and began reverting back to the leaves and twigs that they had originally been created from.
The Saint (Killer), Robor, Emend, and Beats meanwhile, all felt completely sapped - like they had just run a marathon in a brick tracksuit while pulling a train.
"Well that was... interesting," Miguel remarked to the Saint (Killer); "I think she is dead. You are OK, no?"
-
"Ugh" Killer struggles to his feet and releases the failing transformation and control spells on his hornets.
"It seems I overdid it just a bit."
"Damn, I wanted him to tell us about the Prince."
A shame he died early but i'll be damned if that wasn't a hell of a kill
"Is everyone okay?"
Killer closes his eyes and rubs his temples, saying to Miguel.
"Magic can occasionally go wrong and result in, well, that. We had an interesting point in time where Robor and Beats existed in each other's bodies because of a botched spell, luckily mine only killed Kajet and tired me out, if it had caught any of the others things could have turned out much worse."
Then to everyone else - "I'll clean up the scene, i'm thinking have it look like a stabbing and then we leave the drive here to be found by authorities, anyone have any other thoughts?"
Killer also keeps an eye out for Kajet's spirit, if it pops up anywhere. Of course not every body leaves behind a ghost but with a death like that, fingers crossed...
-
Beats stares for a moment, seeming a little conflicted but then nods. Resolute. "She got wat she deserved, ya went overboard but I got my punch in for my promise an shes done now."
Seemingly dismissing her horribly deformed corpse (But really just not wanting to look at it) he heads for the door to the kitchen "Saint, don worry about in here, ya better get on out to your lil girl. I'll deal with dis like dey used to down my way. I'll be out ta portal in 2 mins"
He looks for propane tanks or a gas stove in the kitchen, failing this, flamable chemicals.
-
"Wow. That was disgusting." Robor says.
"Saint, get to your daughter. We'll clean up here. Or at least figure out whats next."
"Ugh.
-
Nodding to the two, Killer makes sure he isn't covered in any gore and starts heading after Usdi to see his "daughter".
-
"Since we've defeated Kajet and have Faith, we should contact Sarapheen so she can let the locals in charge of around here know what occurred," Emend announces.
-
Moving outside, the Saint (Killer) reunited with Faith, who ran over to hug him around the waist.
She then excitedly went on about her adventure, not realizing how much she had really been in danger. It occurred to the Saint (Killer) that her story sounded like complete fantasy - especially coming from a five-year old. If she ever repeated it to anyone else, there was no worry of them actually believing it for even a second.
Beats meanwhile, looked around the house for a gas of propane source, but the place was modern enough to have all electric appliances.
Out in the yard, he was once again reminded how tightly packed the houses were in this community, and realized that starting a house-fire would put the other residences (and their occupants) in needless danger.
The team needed to decide how to leave the scene.
As everyone gathered outside to discuss this, Emend noted that Faith still had some kind of magical enchantment going on about her. Taking a moment to analyze it, he saw that she was still warded against scrying/locating.
UsdiYona meanwhile, curiously put on the ring that she had gotten from Faith - immediately turning into a small Filipino boy. Fortunately, she did this behind Faith's back and took the ring off again befor being spotted, changing back to her usual self.
-
"So, da house is gonna be harder ta burn down dan I thought. Maybe just like disguse da body or somthin?" Beats says quietly to the others
-
"Faith, stay here with Usdi okay? I'll be back in just a second" Killer says, gently peeling the brat off him so that he can go inside. There he'll carve a rune of transformation onto Kajet's dead body and utter the spell for Corpse mask, laying his prayer beads across the dead man's face as he utters the incantation.
He changes it to look so that Kajet died as a result of a pre-existing heart defect aggravated by his extensive transformative surgeries. Right after entering the house he just collapsed, struggling to breathe as his heart and lungs simultaneously failed him. He couldn't even crawl his way to the phone before he died.
Hmm, I could leave the drive here but honestly it wouldn't matter much. Police can't do anything more anyway.
-
“Can we contact the Angel in charge here? Let them know whats going on? Because this place is in serious need of actual fixes.” Robor says.
-
"I think Sera handles dat bit of it?" Beats pauses "If dey didn't nothice all dis going on den they ain't watching very hard."
-
"I think Sera handles dat bit of it?" Beats pauses "If dey didn't nothice all dis going on den they ain't watching very hard."
"Agreed," Emend replies. "Once Saint is done altering the scene we should head back to her."
-
"I got da portal stone ready so I'll open one the monent he's out"
-
With the Saint (Killer) having hid the true cause of Kajet's death, Beats opened a portal back to the Washington National Cathedral with Sarapheen's gate stone.
Sarapheen was waiting for them there and was happy to see that the team had safely rescued Faith.
After hearing all the details, she vowed to hold council with the Archangel Benjamin and the Angel Wulandari (the Ward of Indonesia and the Philippines) to see how things could have gotten so bad out there without anyone noticing.
There was also the issue with this new Demon Prince that was hiding in the internet.
After getting her gatestone back from Beats, Sarapheen departed back into the heavens, indicating that she would get back with them soon.
For now, with only a few hours till sunrise, it was time for everyone to get back home and go to bed.
END
-
Epilog
In the meeting hall of the disciples, under the Washington National Cathedral, Robor and Emend had just finished reconstructing the data that Emend had captured from the Dark Congress of demonic entities - before the entire server had come crashing down around him.
It turned out that very little of it had survived, save a small transcript of their transmissions to each other, in regard to the sudden appearance of the disciples among them.
"Shit! It's someone's Disciples!"
"How did they get in here?"
"Kajet is Farked now haha!
"What's the point in bidding then?"
"Meh, I'd say he might last twenty four hours."
"You actually think he'll make it to the next broadcast?!?"
"Care to make a wager then?"
"Certainly! I got three souls that says he does."
"Three huh? I'll ante in. I'll give him six hours!"
"Mark me down for four hours."
"I'll take lucky number thirteen!"
"I only got two souls. Anyone willing to spot me?
"But of course old friend, hahahaha!"
"I will regret this (I'm sure), but put me in for twelve hours."
"I got eight."
---
The drug dealer Eric Boyles, moved off his corner and down the alley to take a piss. He did not notice the car with its headlights off slowly pulling up on the main road.
"This man is the willing servant of Addiction," the Saint (Killer) explained to Miguel. "Peddling poisons to the local kids. Normally, we would not concern ourselves with his lot too much, but this one knowingly mixes fentanyl in the heroin, making it deadly. The irony is that when heroin kills, the users think it's because of its purity. Which make it even more desirable. They do not know this man is literally killing them just to make more profit."
As far as the Saint (Killer) knew, this guy was just a low level drug pusher down on his luck and that was all. The rest he had made up, because it sounded plausible, and to give Miguel reason for what was to come next.
No one would miss the poor shmuck.
The car window rolled down, the sound of the motor drawing Eric's attention. Zipping up his pants, he began heading to the car, thinking it was nothing more than his next sale.
An excitement thrilled through the Saint (Killer) - knowing that he was intentionally using God-given power to murder a man. It was such a juicy contradiction. So bad. So very very bad - and he loved every second of it.
Burning mana, he cast Life Force Assault - enhancing it with his newfound control, to invoke aggravated damage.
Eric Boyles doubled over suddenly, screaming in pain. Confused, he drew a 357 magnum from his waistband, but dropped it to the ground shortly thereafter.
One more wave of magic, and Eric's body went into complete sepsis, killing him from the anaphylactic shock. His own blood turning into a poisonous slag within his veins.
The Saint (Killer) shivered from the climax of his evil deed, quickly casting death mask to make it all look like a heroin and fentanyl overdose.
No one would question the man's death.
Very few would actually care.