Jackson placed the water on the counter. The goth looked up from his phone, noticing him for the first time.
"Oh, hey! Will that be all, sir?"
Jackson grabbed a Hershey's chocolate bar and placed it next to the bottle.
"M'kay, that'll be..."
Jackson laid his cash on the counter, he had already done the math. The money was counted and placed in the register and his receipt was handed to him. He crumpled it up and struck it in his pocket. The goth thanked him for his business as he walked for the door, shouting a compliment as he left.
"Nice ink, bro!"
"Thanks." Muttered Jackson as he opened his chocolate bar with his teeth. He took a large bite and let it melt in his mouth as he walked down the dark street. He felt his side and could tell that his wounds had already healed. He had saved a woman from a mugger earlier and used the crook's already stolen money to pay the goth. The thug had managed to shoot him as he was walking away and the Ink had already mended his flesh back together. It was only a scratch, but the fact it had already healed was still impressive.
@racob7: They watched him as he made his rounds, finding him in very short time. Facial recognition technology had come very far on it's own. They were hidden from sight as they watched him from many angles with many eyes. He had a healing factor it would seem, and he was affected by modern bullets. So far, he had been gauged as something to not exactly underestimate, as his nanomachines could be deadly. Indeed, there was an god-like AI that one of Nemaz's fellow contractors Bradshaw had combatted that could warp matter with it, and even use it to move matter around with it. It isn't really known what sort of nano or microscale machines the boy has. And thusly, they'd have to adjust. MK 211 Raufass .50 cal BMG seemed a suitable option for him.
"Target is in sight."
"Roger that."
"Hold your fire. Too many civilians. Lure him."
"On it."
"Just looking at this kid, makes me wanna cut myself."
"Perhaps he shouldn't be killed just yet. Let us attempt to take him, alive."
"Arrrrgh. A lot easier in other ways."
As the kid walked he would hear cries of fear and terror from some woman in the dark alley way.
(Assuming that you go in to investigate.)
As the boy walks into the alley to investigate the cry, he will find nothing there, and here not a sound...abnormality might become clear as there was no sound at all. One cannot even hear themselves breath, cannot hear the ambient traffic and unceasing conversation that comprised the hussle and bussle of New York. Everything was silent.
Then one could hear again. "I will give you a chance child. Come quietly." Nemaz says to the young man. "There is no need for violence, but if you force it, I will oblige." The Armored African Enigma tilted his head towards the boy, wondering how he'd respond. He expected retaliation, or some attempt at escape. Not that there were many places the boy could run where they reasonably couldn't track him, and they were rather well aware of what he could do.
With her eyes closed, Jinx sat on the edge of a building, listening to the sounds of New York City. Loud, angry, and filled with some of the most violent people on the face of the planet, this was a this was a perfect place for a Chaos Eater like herself. She took a deep breath, taking in the polluted air, then opened her eyes and smiled, before flipping backwards onto the roof. She looked around, then pulled her mask down with a giggle.
"It's good to be home," she said, pulling two oversized revolvers from her Chaos reserve. "Let's have some fun." With that, she started to make her way down the nearby fire escape. While it would've been more fun to just jump off the side of the building, she wasn't anywhere near charged up enough to absorb that kind of damage.
Ink has no idea who he's speaking to, but the way he talks makes it sound like he's done this before. He can't even see him, assuming there's only one, and for all he knows he could have a gun pointed at his head. He has no choice but to submit for now.
"No need to threaten me, I don't want a fight." Ink puts his chocolate bar into his pocket and puts his hands over his head. There will undoubtedly be an opportunity for escape later, but for now he just can't risk fighting someone he knows nothing about.
@_braveheart_: Frowning at the lack of people around, Jinx returned her revolvers to Chaos energy. She paused and smiled, shivering a little at the sudden spike of Chaos energy, before lifting her mask and continuing down the street. Of course, it was then that she realized why there were no people around. For one, she'd just been in an abandoned portion of the city. And for another, she'd just been walking on an air strip, not a road, for the past five minutes. Ahead, around 500 meters away, was a plane, possibly private, with a man stepping off. Both of them seemed like they would be fun to destroy. With an evil smile, Jinx pulled her mask down over her face and summoning a RPG launcher, severely depleting her Chaos stores for the moment. She lined up the shot, carefully pointing the explosive ordinance at the man near the plane, and pulled the trigger, cackling as the RPG flew downrange. In the same moment, Jinx returned the launcher portion to Chaos energy, and summoned a single revolver, quickly emptying the cylinder in the same direction as the RPG. Maybe it was overkill, but two things that Jinx had learned over the years were that New York was chock full of super humans who weren't as easy to kill as normal humans, and that there was nothing quite as fun as overkill.
"O'Connor look out, in front of you!" A fellow commander cried out giving the heads up to the war veteran about the danger that lurked, after one of the military officers boarding the plane spotted what appeared to be an assassin with an RPG launcher, and quickly informed the commander. In response, O'Connor stretched out his bag, with his vibranium shield inside, protecting both himself and his assistant. The impact of the attack was strong, perhaps strong enough to wound any individual with superhuman endurance. Although the man's bag was not more but consumed by the blast, the shield proved to be very resistant to the sudden attack. "I somewhat expected a better welcoming." He spoke, keeping his cool. O'Connor stood outside the plane as his assistant rapidly headed back inside, with two armed men guarding the door, looking at every direction.
Like most Special Warfare Commandos, O'Connor made enemies all over the world. It could have been a terrorist group behind the attack, the Henoshans, the Syrians, anyone. Wanting to find out personally who it was and why, the man stood outside in the open, expecting the attacker/s to show up, standing with his shield in hand, which identified him as the soldier known as Braveheart, the Star Spangled hero known for his great heroism in combat and highly honored for his acts of valor.
With an lighthearted giggle, Jinx summoned her second revolver with the small influx of Chaos energy while reloading the other one. She started walking towards the explosion, then began to skip as it cleared. She was glad she'd decided to wear her good dress today. It was pure white, made from light material that flowed easily, and ended at her knees, with skinny straps holding it to her pale shoulders. As the smoke finally cleared to reveal the man hiding behind a shield, Jinx's smile disappeared into a frown. "Well that's just cheating," she said softly, coming to a halt. She hefted the revolvers and started firing, one aiming towards the man, the other towards the plain. Maybe it would blow up. Maybe she'd just kill someone inside. Either way, death and destruction.
The smoke from the explosion cleared, and O'Connor was able to see the person behind the attack. Never did the expectation of a woman being involved in the attack come across his mind, specially like the one he saw walking towards him. Despite her appearance, he knew that she was not going to be easy to deal with, after the attack she just launched, and had it not been for his shield, O'Connor would have been severely injured, if lucky.
Her next move, wielding two guns, she opened fire, one pointing at him, the other at the plane. With what seemed to be with little effort, she managed to gun down the two men guarding the aircraft's door, aside from blasting off some of the wind shields. In response, OConnor stretched out his shield with his left hand, blocking the shots being fired at him and with his right, he stretched out his beretta pistol gun. He pulled the trigger three times, not aiming at the woman however. Instead, he aimed at the guns in her hand attempting to shoot them off her hands in order to disarm her. As capable as he was, O'Connor was normally not the type of man to defend himself against a woman harming her, but rather taking away any advantage at her reach, specially a weapon.
If successful, the man would hold his attacker at gunpoint and begin to ask her questions. "Who are you lady? and what business do you have with me?
Jinx grinned under her mask as two men at the plane's door died from her shots. A very minor amount of Chaos Energy siphoned into her stores. Before she could do anything else, however, her guns were knocked from her hands, skittering away against the asphalt of the runway. She swore, watching them go. Those things cost most of her stored Chaos Energy, and she couldn't reconstitute the energy without physical contact to the weapons. She looked back to the man who shot her guns away and growled as he shouted a question across the distance. Apparently he didn't recognize her, though that probably wasn't much of a surprise. Very little on her appearance actually made it into the news. Cameras and reporters never survived contact with her. Not much did. "You've probably heard of me," she replied, her voice a little muffled by the mask. "Name's Jinx. And business? F*ck, I ain't got any business with you." While speaking, she slowly reached behind her back and clasped her small fist around a knife as she formed. Perfectly balanced and razor sharp, it was the prefect weapon for either throwing or close quarters combat.
It was a rather normal afternoon at the Big Apple. The harmonious traffic honks and yells blending thoroughly with the rhythmycal walking and talking of the urban life. At least that much hadn't changed, despite all hardships endured by civilians in a daily basis. Although many of these 'civilians' beneath could possibly be mutated, as recently stated in President Animus' research, most seemed harmless, just living the dream and dreaming of the life. Obviously the always vigilant eyes of New York's heroes wouldn't rest, fathoming all the actions from above, soaring at the skies like veracious guardian angels.
One of those was Bernard Worlov, better known as Luke Craig to the people of New Vine's realm. His mask was raised up to his nose as he fervently chugged down a Soda from Burguer King, his other hand grasping tightly to a Whooper. It was finally his lunch time, just as the sunset descended from the horizon leaving behind beauteous shades of tangerine. Folded legs as he reclined onto the adamant wall of bricks behind him, the last exit from a fifteen-floors edifice. At each chomp, he grunted a little.
What was the spider doing so far from its web? He was Gothic's Nobody, after all.
Truthfully, he went there for his elder brother. He usually visited Jonathan to dialogue when he had no one else to talk. His brother appeared to acknowledge everything about everything. Why he and his sister had a rivalry even when disguised as the heroes they were not, why his love life was always failing to thrive, why his costume wasn't stealthy enough to grab an ice cream and leave the cash in the balcony without people realizing. Yet when he tried to search for him, the building wasn't even the same, let alone the office and the names.
It was weird, as if he had accelerated time and was living in the future somehow. No one he met seemed to remember his face, the Third Society had ceased their attacks and Internet files weren't rich enough to explain why. As if they had won and the proof of such triumph was never there to begin with. At least BK didn't change that much. The taste of the meat is still the best in all fast-food history. His mind oscillated... Where was everyone?
He rose, stretching his right arm aback and grunting narrowly. Inhaling deeply as the soft breeze buffeted against his uncovered chin. "Guess it's back to work now. Crime never solves itself alone." All those questions would have to wait, for he was doing what he did best once more. He was being a hero.
What counts as 'major destruction'? The reason I ask is because for an introductory blog I wish to make, I would like to utterly obliterate 3-4 buildings in the city.
Kidding, not utterly obliterate, but... blow up a little bit.
@wraith_king: I would assume 3-4 buildings would be fine, as long as they aren't recognizable landmarks or something. Random buildings Z, Y and X would be fine, but the Stock Exchange, Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge wouldn't.
However you are better off waiting on Mercy to reply as I am no longer on the CoE, so Mercy will be able to give you a more accurate and relevant answer than I.
@wraith_king: I would assume 3-4 buildings would be fine, as long as they aren't recognizable landmarks or something. Random buildings Z, Y and X would be fine, but the Stock Exchange, Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge wouldn't.
However you are better off waiting on Mercy to reply as I am no longer on the CoE, so Mercy will be able to give you a more accurate and relevant answer than I.
@wraith_king: @the_shogun: LL's on point with that answer. My general rule of thumb is that if it can be contained within a block or so and it's not a major landmark or something that will effect a major landmark, then that's within the minor destruction category.
The ship entirely alien broke through the atmosphere and raced for the park. Barely slowing down do to obvious damage the trail of smoke told most it was no threat. The response was minimal, in authorities. However as soon as the ship colided with the grass kicking up dirt a truck marked as property of Avalon swept in. The man quick to tell the officers not to wory and that they could leave.
In the meantime from within the alien craft was a cacophony of gunfire and pounding. Breaking out of the ship far from a simplistic gesture. After minutes of pounding however eventually the ship cracked like an egg and out fell a flood of alien products. From weapons to ship parts to light bulbs her loot was as plentiful as it was random. She helped the Avalon employee load the arsenal and when it was done they exchanged some information.
She mentioned that she had to go get coffee her trip to space had her lacking in her caffeine choices. And the Avalon operative informed her that Nobody was back in business here in the city. Of course she antagonized him with the names of nobody and no one a bit sparking a wealth of frustration. Eventually however they parted and Ruby got her addiction sedated as she waited to hear of her brother. Her present obsidian form with twitching feline ears tuned into the city and all it's welcome home sounds. It used to be annoying but after almost war like months long scenarios it was a welcome change.
@no_one_: (I'm assuming this is after he met Ashley and she told him what happened to his reality.)
He had already spent a few days on New York already, endeavoring to forget and to forgive himself for not saving even one of his loved ones. The ruthless reality spat on his face at every try, though, and so he delved into a crime annihilation quest for his own sake. If that last reality wasn't saved, he'd do his best to save this one... And ultimately fall with it if that was a required sacrifice.
The pieces of a major puzzle started to glue themselves together. This "New Vine's" Nobody was named Luke Craig, as stated on his statuette and memorial back at Gothic. And Bernard Worlov, well, the one that seemed closer to him in age, could be from a novice musician to a Russian kid trying his luck in basketball in Japan.
His outfit was beneath his civilian attire, it was already becoming his second skin, his persona... He was growing as a soldier, yet the delight of being a vigilante again was, well, the best he was bestowed with by destiny. Formerly a Resistance fighter, now an unemployed teenager working part-time here and there to pay the bills of a small apartment at the Big Apple. His Nyctophobia and heroics denied Bers any chance of sleeping alone at night, thus making him change nighttime for some naps now and then. And there he was, at Starbucks' line to order his black coffee. "Grande, please." He nonchalantly ordered the waiter. "And the name's Bers. You say it like the plural of bear but it's actually B-E-R-S." His contagious chuckle making the lady behind him in line and the attendant smile a little.
He worked to see those smiles and, internally, those made him content.
Just like a younger Luke Craig would be four years before his demise...
Ashley stepped out of the Huntington-Falls with a backpack filled with much needed materials for the K-avern. The sun was shining as the warmth of it’s rays graced upon her face. It was still amazing to her how peaceful this world was in compared with her now destroyed universe. The news of the fate of her world still weighed heavy upon her very soul, but like her brother told her, they were soldiers, for better and worse. They had to move forward, they had to focus on protecting this world, to prevent whatever happened in their world, to this one.
But unlike her brother, Ashley tried to keep more to the sidelines of war rather than actual battle. Science and medicine were her specialist and she planned on doing her part in this new war through what she did best. Healing the wounded soldiers, coming up with serums to help enhanced abilities, doing what it took to make sure her brother and his troops were ready for battle. It was something she had done for countless years, it was the only thing she knew how to do. This world Marcus told her to maybe do something selfish, to live life the way she always wanted to, but the truth was she didn’t know how to. She had lived the life of a solider for so long, she forgot how to just… enjoy life.
Walking casually down the street in her street cloths, her sunglasses covered cobalt eyes gazed upon the thousands of people that roamed around the sidewalks of New York city. She wondered how it felt to walk around, so ignorant to the constant danger that loomed around them. Because of her family, no Knightfall had ever lived a life of true ignorance, it was a cursed name as far as Ashley could tell.
With her mind distracted she didn’t pay attention to a man who suddenly rammed into her, causing her to fall on her back as her sunglasses flew off her face. “Hey!” The Knightfall Saint shouted as she looked up to see a man rushing off with her backpack in hand. “That’s mine!” Ashley quickly pushed herself up from the ground as years of training by Quintus kicked in. Her leg muscles suddenly became like a spring as her body launched forward in a dead sprint, weaving through the dense crowd almost effortlessly, quickly catching up with the thug but as soon as he turned the corner and into an alley he quickly began maneuvering his way up the building, running up the escape latter and leaving Ashley desperately trying to catch up with him. Man, she needed a training session with Quintus, really bad.
The Worlovs. From that name, you'd think my family was some Russian Mafia, but that's only the first impression, because when you meet any of us, you'll most likely change your mind about how vile our surname sounds. The family wasn't quite big, mainly after mom died after her third pregnancy. Pa said she was weak, yet it was her decision to have the baby... She thought he'd be special to this world somehow, so, yeah, here I am. Trying to live the future my mom wanted me to.
Her name was Anastasia and there hasn't been one day in my life I haven't tried to repay her confidence and her determination...
The youngest of three brothers, Bernard was what they named that frail, knee-faced thing. I pretty much had everything to be despised by my family, only if their sense of honor wasn't as sharp as mom's willpower. They say she chose my name, hugged me and kissed me as any mother would do, then she took a deep breath and whispered. "Bernard, I know you will grow guilty, maybe even missing something you never had at first... But know that I loved you, son, and that the gift I left you is much greater than only a mother's love. I give you the world, my dear son, and whatever you see fit to do as part of it." Dad always watered a bit from the eyes after getting to this stage of the story, embracing me tightly as he remembered her last words to our family. I'd never believe it if I hadn't seen it, the toughest man I have had the pleasure to know, the stoic Kodiak Worlov, crying helplessly as four words reverberated. "Take care of him."
And that was it, those words made me the mapple syrup to the family's pancakes. It was Yang, my older sis, Daniel, my older bro, and Bernard. We were best friends among best friends, although four years set us apart, from oldest to youngest. I had a jolly infancy, great times playing with Dan or simply nourishing the friendliest rivalry I've ever had... with my sister. You'd think dad turned his back on us and started drinking, but, well, we're Russian, what's the fun in doing what we naturally should?! Dad settled for being a present parent and a proud engineer.
Life was all roses and rainbows... Until it happened.
I was sixteen, I think. The world was going to sh*t already, the whole uprise of the Third Society and the terrifying duo of Thee Champion and Zicarra Liafador making people kneel. My father disappeared, probably aiding the Resistance somewhere to make sure the world we lived on didn't turn out to be a huge catastrophe. My genius brother had given up his New York office, he was a great attorney at twenty already. My sister still held a rather competitive relation with me, but we knew we'd have to look at each other's backs.
It was awful to merely be useful. To hopelessly watch as everything you care is ravaged and you cannot move a muscle to react... To attack back. I had to befriend a group of survivors and live the following months with them... Worst mistake I ever made. Endangering people due to walking always together. If we had split, everything would have been different. My brother,always think he should take care of me after the quiescent promises he made to mother every night. "I will be the best of brothers." he mumbled "Nothing will happen to little Bers while I'm here, mom." he promised. That stupid Daniel... Didn't he know better? Never keep promises like that! Not the ones that put your survival at risk.
It was so quick...
In the turmoil of an onslaught, the heat of superhuman battles outside. The group was gathering supplies at some edifice, needless to said it collapsed instantaneously. All the friends I had made... All those beautiful hopes and dreams... The dreams they carried from loved ones or simply because their belief was unwavering, despite of the world encompassing them. To find true love, to survive enough to give their children a better future, to take care of a brother who was gifted with the world...
They were all blotches of crimson under concrete.
I rushed along some survivors, unsure of what to do, halting at every room to look for my brother. I guess I had accepted fate, given up all hope and the empty promises made by other people. I wasn't panicking when the humongous boulder came crashing down my way. I swear I wasn't even sweating. I shut my eyes only to feel a really minor impact pushing me aside. I banged my head on the ground. The whole building collapsed in the following seconds.
If fate exists and is controlled by someone of greater powers, that person didn't seem to care much about hopes and dreams. He only craved to see those who wanted an end suffering.
I was there, envelopped by darkness, face tucked between my knees and crystal tears rolling down my face. I couldn't look around, not at all the death in that obscurity, the horror plastered on all the rolling heads... I could hear some grunting aside me, something trying to reach me... It whispered in such a soothing tone. "Don't be afraid, Bernard. Live on, Bernard. Mom didn't permit you to come into this world to die so easily. So go ahead, live your gift, find your role in it." There laid Daniel, his left arm and leg completely crushed by the collapse, yet his face was so calm and caring. It was then that I comprehended.
He pushed me aside and sacrificed himself, laying all his hopes on me so I could live my dream... That idiot. Just like mom...
"Don't worry, little brother. I'm not suffering, I feel no pain at all... Go out there, live what you have to live and when you're finally over with it, meet me at the office. We'll drink Starbucks' black coffee and watch those stand-up shows you love so much." I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I couldn't even look him in the face... I had failed him and everyone."Listen, Bers, I'm telling you to go out there and do it for me... Do it for mom..." I never heard his voice again.
I had to live on, to gather all the hope those people had of a better tomorrow. They couldn't be dead for nothing... They couldn't be the only losers arriving at Heaven's gates. Their fiery dreams burned inside my heart, I wouldn't let them die down there... I wouldn't let anyone go in vain, never again. I was tired of seeing people die because they entrusted me with their own conceptions of a future, I was going to make everything turn into reality so no one had to do that ever again.
I crawled out that place, never looking back. I was lucky enough to join the Resistance lead by Ashley and Quintus and I fought bravely. Even when opposed by a greater pain, such as when Andres asked me if I was certain of my choice. I had to grow stronger in order to save people... I had to be a better soldier so I could ultimately honor the fallen.
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One of the few pleasures of his short-lived existence was swinging in his webs without no worries, without nothing pursuing him nor attempting to murder him. His home or not, it was his duty to clean the dirt from the streets. The well-humored vigilante, that kind personality seemingly ready to jump in front of a bullet for someone he didn't even know... He was roughened by war pretty much as everyone else could be, suffering countless nights due to lost friends, being unable to sleep without someone by his side because of his own hardships, having to make sacrifices and even watch them occur.
He sustained his childish persona mostly for his own gain, to hide the scars that marked his soul, to pretend he could still live on a time when everything was simpler. It was his vow to find his family again, to visit Dan's office and be welcomed with a wide smile and a comforting hug. How great would that be, huh?
Bernard shook his head, that was no time to wander away, even oscillating between past and present could prove as enough distraction to the young man. Some nostalgic sentiment overtook his senses as he found himself swinging after a classic kind of bandit: the one that robs bags and purses on the streets. He was quick to corner the unlucky bastard in the alley. A swift jab and some web to glue him on the wall until authorities arrived got the job done alright.
"C'mon,man, everyone knows cream would highlight the beautiful purple of your eyes. Why did you even bother getting the black one?" Turning around to a hopefully arriving victim and probably another scolding speech about how metas and mutants were good-for-nothings, Bers was up for a surprise. His lips tried to formulate a thousand different words, but they have to settle for one."A-Ashley?!"
Before Ashley could do anything a masked uniformed hero came in to save the day. One that looked… awfully familiar. Then he said it, her name, and instantly she knew who it was.
“Bernard!?” She was just as shocked as him, her body froze for a moment, still trying to process the fact that Bernard was standing right in front of her. "You're alive, you're here!" She couldn't help it anymore, she pushed forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
Who was Bernard? He was one of the many people who were involved in the rebellion with Quintus and Ashley. He was a solider forged in the chaos of life and through the death of the members of his family, just like many of those who lived in Reality M. Quintus was right, there were more people than just the two of them who came into this reality. She was going to have really talk to her brother about the possibility of their world Ziccarra and Alexis crossing over as well.
Letting go she took a couple of steps back as she picked up her bag that Bern managed to snag back from the thug. “How long have you been here for?” Ash began inquiring about her teammates arrival to this reality. “How did you get here?” She remembered seeing several rifts in the electromagnetic field as she was trying to track down other people from Reality M, but she figured the one’s in New York city were the one’s she and Quintus created upon their arrival. Not another person from her world, let alone Bernard. "Quintus is going to be happy to see you."
"How touching.", he thought, concealed in the metallic frame of a nearby fire-escape and watching the heartwarming moment of his fellow refugees reuniting. His usual devious smirk present. His powers were at their lowest, his magical reserves almost emptied. But his arcane skills remained and with them Corvus tracked his fellows down like needles in a pile of hay. Earnestly surprised that someone else survived the destruction of Reality-M.
"I should have known atleast some of the Resistance would endure, pesky fellows they are. But never have I dreamed it would be her and...him.", he forced his train of through to a temporary halt as more incursions revealed themselves on his esoteric radar. "Another Knightf--Quintus? Now that explains everything."
Deciding enough was enough, he graciously descended down to ground level and took off to the busy streets. His powers were slowly returning with every step, he progressively attuned himself to this world's source of all magic. Now he was limited to meager tricks and unreliable teleportation, but soon his repertoire would expand vastly. Enough to set things in motion. True enough, with a simple hand gesture he conjured a more appealing attire. Afterall, the golden horns were a bit of fashion faux pas.
"Uh!", he picked up speed to his gait and purposely bumped into an unsuspecting young businesswoman. "My apologies...", he began with his honeyed english accent, hands softly yet briefly grasping her just below the shoulders. "..I don't know where I had my eyes.", Corvus added while warmly smiling, his piercing Pine green gaze surveying her from head to toe. She blushed and they both resumed walking, one of them robbed of her smart-phone.
For things to be set in motion, a lot of information was still to be learned. Information he now could access through the hand-held device born of modern engineering and now enhanced of modern magic.
Her coffee was tainted by cream and five sugars so sweet it was more like candy then coffee. Of course this was nothing new to anyone who knew Ruby. She enjoyed it in an over joyous manner untill it was promptly spilled. Dropped from surprise of a particular voice, it was nothing new of a voice. Just that of her brother spastic as Ruby was though such a sound was a cause of excitement. Do to the obsidian form she ran more like a cat then a person. A charging stalking predator that was fairly alarming to many. Moving into a slide she moved beneath the legs of the Starbucks line.
It ended in a tackling pounce of a hug. The type of hug that could knock a giant over the counter. It'd been a few months sense she'd heard from her bro, her cellphone didn't have any bars galaxies away. Before her departure she'd known her brother to be struggling a bit being crippled and having a dead ex could do that. By the sounds of it he was better now. "LUKE! Domo arigato mister inconsequential."
"Thanks!" He simpered, strolling sideways to await his order... Only to be forcefully dragged earthwards by a seemingly crazy lady. She wore black and those huge cat-like ears simply yelled her identity... She was supposed to be stealthy and discrete, wasn't she?
"Y-yang?!" He stuttered, victim of the right embrace. He had thought about how she was also left behind the reality he had been brought from, perhaps even succumbed with it... His last family member. The sole thought of her dying seemed to startle the poor boy, yet there she was, embracing him rather sisterly and calling for... Luke?!
He had learnt about his counterpart of this realm, Luke Craig was the name carved in the tombstone, towered by a gargantuan statue of his own costume. His hope suddenly fell down spirally, as if flushed down the toilet.
She was looking for her own brother, after all. Bers didn't feel like it'd be right to pretend to be someone he wasn't and, maybe, ultimately mark her. He wouldn't be able to lie to his own sister, would he? So he stared deeply onto her eyes and sighed.
"Look, big sis, lemme pay you a coffee... We need to talk."
"Yang?" Her feline eyes wide and ears slightly bent in curiosity. "Pretty name. But I swear to god if it's the name of my evil clone I'm gona bash someone's head in." It was perfectly natural of the rowdy renegade to jump to such a radical conclusion. It wasn't a question of who, or did he suffer a lapse of memory. No it had to be something extreme. Still discussing the clone invasion was not a topic best for being pinned to the ground so she rose to her feet.
With a stylish gesture to the girl at the register a coffee was provided. Nobody minded waiting for an exchange of money. Ruby was always an easy and quick caffeine fix anyway. Waiting for her brother, she took a table balancing the chair she sat in on two of it's legs. "So what's new? Did someone suck the years out of you?" Luke clearly looked younger. And of course the sane conclusion to Ruby was some form of life granting of taking magic.
"Yeah... Clones." He chortled a moment, crossing his arms. His eyes were down, yet he could follow his... almost sister. One he'd wrap his arms around of she wasn't looking to find someone else. "Bers!" The cashier yelled, eyes pinpointing every client's location. "Bers!" Nobody awoke from his trance. "Yes, yes! That's me!" His response was abrupt and natural, just like the old Luke. Vivid and well-humored.
His evanescent thankful smile as he turned around to meet those curious eyes seeing in him something long lost in this world. He sat down, naturally reclining on the chair in a rather laid-back manner. "Well, I'll have to be honest here, sis. I could go on and on about how everything is new... But I was raised in a place where, if you stutter for a moment you lose everything, so I can't keep lengthening this conversation afraid of the truth." He paused, glancing her seemingly fragile frame, which was stronger than he could ever be. "I'm not Luke Craig. I don't know the guy, never met anyone with the same name. It might sound like I was brainwashed by some D-list villain with a lack of sense of humor, but all I know is we wear the same costume and he's supposed to look older. I've been... Expelled from my own place, my own reality, if you will, along with some other people. And just recently I discovered I won't be going back anytime soon because there's nothing to go back to." He paused, inclining closer and closer, yet forcing himself to focus his eyes somewhere else other than his sister's face, even though he could still see it clearly. "My sister looked just like you do. Same case about Luke and me... My name's Bernard Worlov and, honestly, I never thought I'd see my sister again..." He attempted a faint smile, but all that he could do was let a crystalline tear roll down his left eye.
Before Ashley could do anything a masked uniformed hero came in to save the day. One that looked… awfully familiar. Then he said it, her name, and instantly she knew who it was.
“Bernard!?” She was just as shocked as him, her body froze for a moment, still trying to process the fact that Bernard was standing right in front of her. "You're alive, you're here!" She couldn't help it anymore, she pushed forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
Who was Bernard? He was one of the many people who were involved in the rebellion with Quintus and Ashley. He was a solider forged in the chaos of life and through the death of the members of his family, just like many of those who lived in Reality M. Quintus was right, there were more people than just the two of them who came into this reality. She was going to have really talk to her brother about the possibility of their world Ziccarra and Alexis crossing over as well.
Letting go she took a couple of steps back as she picked up her bag that Bern managed to snag back from the thug. “How long have you been here for?” Ash began inquiring about her teammates arrival to this reality. “How did you get here?” She remembered seeing several rifts in the electromagnetic field as she was trying to track down other people from Reality M, but she figured the one’s in New York city were the one’s she and Quintus created upon their arrival. Not another person from her world, let alone Bernard. "Quintus is going to be happy to see you."
Finally! After a few days wondering if he was, somehow, forgotten by the world, after ceaselessly wandering the cities he grew to love after visiting so many times alongside his family, after quiescently admitting victory inside his heart and feeling the comfort of a life without war, a life with no need of spoiled infancies. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to connect at last! Ashley didn't only recognize him, she soundly enfolded him around her arms in such a sisterly embrace. Nonetheless, he returned the favor with equal intensity.
"Of course I am, you silly! Where else would I be?" He chuckled a tad, cherishing that moment with lips edged in a jubilant grin. Ashley had been an adamant pillar of the Resistance along with her brother, Quintus. Both held the ideals and the wit to make the living thrive over the machines, they were so vehement, they spoke with such certainty that the tomorrow of mankind would not be in a page of a History book, they stood so proudly that they managed to gather an army of followers who'd follow without questioning orders even once.
Bernard was one among them. One of the kids turned soldier.
"How long... I'm pretty sure I've been here since it begun, a couple of days ago. I dunno, four or five. I remember I was swinging desperately, like I didn't even want to look behind and see what was happening. In a matter of seconds, though, I fell and blacked out... Next day I was in a quite lively Gothic City." He simpered, removing his mask. "I'll tell you the truth, I have no idea what you guys have done, but it just worked. Even though some of my old friends don't remember me... guess it's good enough that you can, though." He paused, shrugging off all the tension these past few days had brought upon himself. "You managed to reset the timeline, right?! Killed the beast before it was even conceived!"
That poor kid, he had no idea how hurtful the truth could be sometimes. Yet his dream seemed so bright, just as the light shining from his eyes as he heard her last words. "Quintus made it too?! Oh my god! Is he here with you?"
"Boop" the cat eared obscure hyperactive woman remarked. Rather then a poke to the nose however she stopped the tear instead. Then proceeded to wipe it away in a gesture that acted as if she'd performed a magic trick making something disappear. It was a lot to take in and she learned a bit by being able to read through the lines. Her reaction wasn't stilted or delayed however, Ruby always being quick to bounce back from whatever blow she'd take.
"I don't know about you but couldn't get by without my little bro so your filling in for him. Though if I were you I'd try and avoid any murder fetish sexy goth chicks. Don't think Bers is ready to take on the kind of girl Luke did." She refused to have an emotional break down in a god damn Starbucks or around her family. "So shut up and go on about what's new."
While Ashley was overwhelmed with happiness in seeing one of her former teammates, one that she had watched grown during the war, but never seemed to lose his love of life. He was a child of war, but a champion of life. But his comments and answers to her questions began to cause concern in the Knightfall. It seemed he had only been in this world for only a few days, unlike Quintus and Ashley who have been here for months.
He began describing the last moments he remembered of Reality M, and Ashley couldn’t help but feel the anxiety build up in her chest. Something horrible did happen. Something, some unnatural force completely destroyed her world in a violent action. What kind of death would have Bernard had if he wasn’t brought over this reality? She couldn’t think about that, not right now. But Gothic City, it seemed people were appearing everywhere, not just in one location. While Quintus and Ashley appeared around New York, Orpheus appeared in an entirely different location, Cassius chip appeared in the K-avern and now Bernard appeared in Gothic.
But she couldn’t allow Bernard to live with that kind of truth, she had to tell him what happened, what really happened. “Bernard,” she began, her tone of voice softer, more serious, just like whenever she had to deliver bad news. It would have been a tone he knew all too well. “Is there somewhere, more private we can speak? Where are you currently staying right now?” She didn’t want to tell him this heavy of a news in public, where prying ears could linger about.
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