[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/TdqeVVE.png[/img][/center][right][b][code]Ten years ago, Downtown St. Portwell…[/code][/b][/right][hr][hr] [url=https://i.imgur.com/lUXx1OC.jpg]She[/url] tripped, falling on one knee as she fell in a puddle. Splashing water in all directions and soaking her grey jeans, she panted, turning her head around to see if she had finally lost the bastard… before she heard footsteps approaching her; then she saw it… or did she? She only saw the puddles of water getting splashed as if [i]something[/i] was approaching her. She hopped to her feet by her hands and ran through the dark alleyways of St. Portwell. It was only the end of the day, as were the streets so… empty? She glanced up at the cloudy skies so thick that it appeared to already be night, with only glimpses of sunlight piercing through the dark and foreboding clouds. She turned right as she heard the footsteps approaching, getting closer and closer, and she tried to pick up speed… only to feel something slash her back, and she loudly yelped as she hit the ground. She could feel the hot blood drip from her back as she desperately crawled forward, her heart racing… then it grabbed her leg. She flipped over, and then she [i]finally[/i] saw it. [url=https://i.imgur.com/YyfgPDJ.jpg]It’s otherworldly glory.[/url] It was unnaturally tall, with no features other than its unmoving white eyes that appeared to be holes through its body. It pulled her closer to itself… creating a black portal in which it attempted to pull her into. The girl screamed at the top of her lungs as she desperately attempted to break free. [i]Whoosh[/i] The creature’s body was suddenly sliced clean in half, top to bottom, as someone appeared before them both. A [url=https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/710908524602851461/1154802942520594453/image.png?ex=65b3d10c&is=65a15c0c&hm=5c9d22e80baa38db95a929b89e9967666a9d43830d1965dd5007c4d81e841c1e&=&format=webp&quality=lossless] young teenager with black hair,[/url] holding a jet black scythe in his hands like the grim reaper. He was dressed in a grey and gold robe that fumed with black smoke, which clung to him as if it had a mind of its own. The monster he attacked stumbled back as its two halves split apart and evaporated into smoke. Something landed before her, and she desperately hoped it was not [i]another[/i] one of those things… but definitely a monster of some type. A [url=https://i.imgur.com/NMb8mtQ.png]grey jumping spider[/url], except instead of being the size of a pen tip, it was [i]enormous[/i]. It was the size of a UPS Truck… and on top of it was some [url=https://i.imgur.com/cJ203G9.jpg]black girl wearing a black robe[/url] with golden spider webs weaved into it, riding it like it was some type of [i]horse[/i], with a saddle and handlebars and everything. She pulled out a walkie-talkie and said into it, “Stygian Snake’s monsters are [i]everywhere[/i] downtown! We’re - we’re gonna need some Backup!” “We’re fighting the Stygian Snake in the woods right now! But, we can divert some help that way!” Someone replied. Then she looked down and awkwardly smiled before talking… [i]fast.[/i] “Hi, I’m [i]Lisa![/i] It's great to meet you! I know it’s scary; I am riding a giant spider, you almost got eaten by a monster, and I just fell out of the sky! But we are the good guys! We are going to get you out of here!” She dramatically paused before giving the scared girl a wide smile. “... [i]Trust me![/i]” That was when more of the shadow monsters began showing up… and the girl stopped smiling and cupped her hands together to shout. “Someone get her up on me!” “Here, let me help you,” an older Asian teenager leaned down with a far too relaxed grin for the situation, hooking her arm around the girl’s back. “I’m Bianca- hey, Qianqian, help me get her up!” [color=CD5C5C]”Don’t call me that,”[/color] a scowling teenage girl - Linqian - huffed, even as she reached down to help the girl. Between the two of them, they could lift the girl towards Lisa and onto the spider. “You didn’t mind it last ni-” [color=CD5C5C]”Shut up! There’s more of them, we don’t have time for this, Bea!”[/color] “... Could you two, uhhhhhh, [i]focus?[/i]” Lisa raised an eyebrow. Appearing in a shadowy blur on the other side of Lisa’s giant spider, Jack cut in. [color=6644ff]”I can’t get all of you out of here the easy way, but I can keep them distracted. When you’re clear, I’ll get help here quicker. Go on, I’ll meet out of here.”[/color] [color=CD5C5C]”Oh shut up, Jack,”[/color] Linqian rolled her eyes at him. [color=CD5C5C]”Who put you in charge, I swear-”[/color] “Not the time, Linqian!" Bianca cut her off. "Yell at him all you want when we're safe." [color=CD5C5C]”Fine, go get help,”[/color] Linqian waved dismissively at Jack. Her body temperature began to drop, lower and lower, till a chill could be felt coming off her in waves. [color=CD5C5C]”We can handle this. Bea, boost me.”[/color] With Bianca starting to boost her, tendrils of ice crawled out from underneath Linqian’s feet as her body temperature plummeted, and she stepped forward to intercept the shadow monsters coming towards them. “Does somebody have one of Greta’s potions?! Aw, never mind!” Lisa weakly called out to the group before she waved her hand and commanded her spiders to wrap webs around the girl; she thrashed a bit as Lisa said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, I’m holding you down so you don’t fall off! Now awaaaaaay we go!” She commanded her giant spider, and they lept through the air, landing on the side of the building as she scampered away to safety. [i]Ideally.[/i] [hr] The Stygian Snake’s minions were swarming the downtown area… They were flooding the alleyway Linqian and Jack were holding out in. The shadows writhed and came to life around Jack, lifting in thick clouds of smoke, and lashing out like an endless tide of spears to skewer, impale and maim the creatures. The Stygian Snake wasn’t the only one who ruled the darkness. [color=6644ff]”He’s getting lazy, this is [i]nothing.”[/i][/color] [b]“Nothing, huh?”[/b] Came a call out from behind. A tear opened in the alleyway, and Alizée and Void stepped out, smirking and ready for action. Phantom hands flew, knocking aside the monsters, trying to leap over the spears Jack had sent forward. [b]“I dunno, looks like a lot of monsters this time around.”[/b] Alizée huffed. "Nothing we haven't handled before! But still, nice to have more backup!" Bianca called out cheerfully from where she was sheltering just behind Linqian. Linqian dealt with each monster that came their way, hitting them with ice-cold fists or freezing them entirely by grabbing them. Bianca was boosting her to entirely bypass their emotional fields, letting her freeze them to death. [b]“I’ll crush as many as I can, but we need better ground, Bea!”[/b] Alizée called out, doubling the size of her phantom hands to scoop up a handful of wriggling monsters, squeezing until she heard several pops. White specks of light flurried around her as Void worked alongside, smashing monsters into the wall and pavement hard enough to leave cracks in his wake. "It's alright, we can- shit!" A monster got past Linqian, knocking Bianca to the ground. She rolled out of the way just in time, and Linqian spun around, kicking it in the back and freezing it solid. [color=CD5C5C]"Less chatting and more staying alive,"[/color] Linqian gritted out, lightly panting. Having Bianca boost her was invaluable, but at the same time, it put her in danger - which Linqian didn't like. She shook her head, facing another one. [color=CD5C5C]"Fuck, they just keep coming."[/color] The hail of shadowy spears continued to pelt them as Jack decided not to waste time warning them all about his next move. He flickered out of existence, reappearing beside everyone as he laid a hand on their shoulders. One by one, he used his Gloomy Step spell to teleport his comrades up to a roof where they could easily keep their assault up without being trapped. Once the last of them was at higher ground, shadows began solidifying and wall off their exit like a cage. [color=6644ff]”You know what to do,” [/color] he said. [color=CD5C5C]"Oy,"[/color] Linqian snapped, attention swapping from the monsters to Jack. She took a step forward, frost coating the roof underneath her. [color=CD5C5C]"Just you fucking try to teleport me again without warning."[/color] Another step, and she was close enough to him that he could feel the cold radiating from her body. [color=CD5C5C]"Next time, I won't-"[/color] "Thanks, Jack, you really saved us; just ignore her!" Bianca cut in, jumping in between them. Linqian immediately backed off, not wanting to hurt her girlfriend. "They're starting to climb onto the roof, soooooo…" As Bianca spoke, one of the hollow-eyed monsters leaped up, trying to slash Linqian. That was, before a phantom hand wrapped around its shadow form, squeezing until it burst into seeping smoke. [b]“They’re coming, guys. Try to focus!”[/b] Alizée spoke, a hint of panic in her voice as three phantom hands cut swathes along the building wall, destroying the brick face as she and Void tried knocking down the alarmingly high number of monsters coming up. [color=CD5C5C]"I had that,"[/color] Linqian rolled her eyes at Alizée, even though she hadn't had it. She spun around to face the monsters, catching another one's claws before they hit her shoulder, freezing them off. "We definitely need more help," Bianca shook her head, stepping back out of the way and looking at Jack. The Stygian Snake’s minions paused… As a monstrous growling and thunderous footsteps appeared. They cleared a path for the shark among little fish… [url=https://i.imgur.com/2yf2px2.jpg]a monstrous hellhound[/url] that easily stood twenty feet tall. It growled as it walked down the alley, roared, and lunged up to the roof as the other minions continued their assault - scaling the walls like it was nothing. [color=6644ff]”…Yeah. [i]Yeah.[/i] I’m grabbing Reza. Don’t die, got it?”[/color] Jack jumped off the edge of the building into the dark alleyway below and teleported to somewhere far away, well before he was in danger. "Jack! Be quick-" Bianca started, but Jack was already gone… leaving just the three of them to face the hellhound. "Fuck, fuck, this is bad." As soon as the hellhound appeared, Linqian backed away, breathing quickening and temperature rising back to normal as she dropped her spell. Her hands shook, and her chest heaved, practically beginning to hyperventilate. She squeezed her eyes shut so she didn't have to see it. "Shit," Bianca grabbed Linqian's hand and pulled her behind her - it just had to be a hellhound. She didn't have time to calm her down right now… Bianca dropped her boost on Linqian and swapped to Alizée, layering them up - boosting her abstraction strength and ability to penetrate elemental fields. At the same time, she began to back away, preparing to run. "She's not going to be able to do anything like this. Can you hold them off till Jack gets help?!" Alizée glanced at Linqian, grimacing before leveling a hot glare at the massive monster approaching them. Her phantom hands flexed, razor tips glinting. [b]“Dammit, Jack. I'll do what I can, Bea. Just get ready to run, kay?”[/b] [i]Just in case.[/i] She took a step towards the hellhound and almost instantly regretted it. A massive claw swiped down, blocked by phantom darkness, her shoes scraping the cement as she was pushed back. Before, the remains of an air conditioner were uprooted by Void's hands, smashing across the terrifying face of the hellhound. It was enough to cause a slight distraction, letting Alizée leap out of its claws’ reach. They were losing ground. Minions on all sides. Void was about to check on Alizée before minions pounced on him. Immediately, his hands and jagged teeth were busy shredding minions apart, leaving Alizée on her own. The hellhound was staring at Bianca and Linqian, maw barred. But before it could snap its jaws around the duo, a massive void hand smashed across its face. [b]“Pick on someone your own size!”[/b] Alizée yelled, preparing to punch the beast again. Before its teeth came crashing down, trying to swallow Alizée whole. Alizée was pushed to the ground, void hands trembling on the top and bottom of the hellhound's snapping jaw, trying to keep it steady as the beast tried to press through and eat Alizée. She sweated, glaring hard at the beast, trying to will away the scattering hallucinations clouding the edges of her vision. [b]“Get…”[/b] Her grip tightened on the jaws of the hellhound. [b]“The hell…”[/b] Fingers started to pull [i]apart[/i] instead of back. [b]“BACK!”[/b] In one fell swoop, Alizée heard a [i]crack[/i] as bone snapped back, and the hellhound howled. It recoiled, its jaw dislocated and hanging at a sickening angle… … Only for it to snap back, seemingly automatically. Dread set in the pit of Alizée's stomach. [b]”Shit.”[/b] Void was busy sweeping the roof clean of shadowy minions, hands frantically cutting swathes in the numbers that kept coming back. Linqian and Bianca were behind Alizée, counting on a miracle she didn't have. Jack was nowhere to be seen. They needed more options. Alizée called out to the duo behind her without taking her eyes off the beast. [b]“Linqian, Bea, get outta here!”[/b] She cried, phantom hands shoving against the beast, trying to stop its advance. She cursed under her breath, taloned fingers pulling at the rippled shoulder of the hellhound, through the sinews and tendon, until she had a good enough grip that she tore the arm right off the monster. "Shit, come on," Bianca turned around and started shoving Linqian. It was enough to jolt her out of her panic slightly, letting go of Bianca's hand and temperature dropping enough to push away the apparitions blocking their way. Bianca kept up her boost for Alizée, straining to concentrate on that and getting the fuck out of there. A burst of black smoke filled the air, and a white blur shot out of it directly toward the apparitions surrounding Linqian, Bianca, and Alizee. A metallic ring filled the air as [i]all of them[/i] fell to the floor dead. As quickly as they were assailed, they were saved. Cloaked in white and gold, there stood a boy with tan skin, holding a sword etched with a red blade. He was fast as a whip crack and looked far too confident for someone surrounded by eldritch horrors. Reza Cabrera, one of their [i]gayest.[/i] He smirked as he took in the scene. Now that he was here, everyone would be going home today. It was either that or he would be the last. [b]“Reza, you son of a bitch.”[/b] Alizée said, wincing as she picked herself up. The grin on her face betrayed a tone that was relieved more help had arrived. “Reza!” Bianca let out a sigh of relief, halting her fleeing footsteps. She squeezed Linqian’s hand, slowly coming down from the intense panic she’d been feeling - it would be there as long as the hound was, but at least now there was a chance to calm her down. Bianca kept her boost up on Alizée - Reza didn’t need it. “I’m so fucking glad to see you.” Alizée’s grin widened, listening to Bianca, before they fell on the hellhound, hobbling on three legs. [i]However long that would last.[/i] She flexed her phantom hand, hovering above her, watching the minions gather themselves and preparing to continue the onslaught. There, her eyes fell on a smile. Reza’s smile. That smile meant one thing and one thing only: Victory. [color=gold]”Backup’s here, ladies. Let’s win this and get out of here!”[/color] Reza lifted his Noble Vow sword and rushed the apparitions, clawing their way up the roof. He weaved between their claws, fangs, and their [i]everything[/i] with uncanny grace, beyond anything the world’s greatest fencers could dream of, as he cut them down one by one. His sword cleaves through their supernatural bodies as if they were ordinary flesh and bone, dropping like flies. A bright flash filled the environment as a monstrous bolt of lightning came from one of the adjacent rooftops and struck the giant hellhound on the side of its monstrous body. It let out a yelp as it stumbled over, craning its head around to see two girls standing on one of the other rooftops… the Coven sisters Zoey Gray and Elsa Connor. Zoey raised a fist in the air, then cupped her hands together to shout, [i]“Take that asshole!”[/i] While it was stumbling, someone ran up, holding a hockey stick… it was none other than [url=https://i.imgur.com/yXuHd7E.jpg]Claire O’Sullivan[/url], one of the Old Coven’s most frontline fighters. She lept into the air, hockey stick primed, surrounded by an opaque, dim-blue aura, and whacked the Hellhound with it, sending it spiraling over. “... You get it, Claire!” Zoey shouted. The Hellhound made a complete roll and charged her. Claire blew a bubble with some bubblegum as she spun the hockey stick around her back. The beast opened its mouth unnaturally wide and attempted to swallow Claire whole, only for her to stick her hockey stick in its mouth… and it could not close it as hard as it tried. Claire managed to hold it back… … For a younger Amy Nakamura to valiantly leap into the air, her kanabō overhead, screaming as she brought it down on the hellhound’s skull, shattering it into a billion pieces… and it stumbled over… before exploding into darkness and fading away. “Good job, homegirl!” Claire shouted while laughing, “Well, the fight’s not over; we gotta take care of the…” Amy said as she prepared to fight off the others… only to see a massive shadow cast over her. She looked up to see… … The Stygian Snake. [hr] The spider, Lisa, and their reluctant captive leaped from rooftop to rooftop. Lisa had no clue where she was going or why, just that she was getting this girl out of there. She heard a bang in the distance. Glancing over her shoulder, Lisa saw the hellhound appear and pounce the group… her eyes shot open as her jaw dropped due to shock. She started panting, holding her chest as she commanded her spider to stop. She quickly reached for her walkie-talkie in the saddle's pouch while affirming herself, working up the courage… “Okay… k-keep it together, Lisa, yo-you’re strong. You’re b-brave. You’re [i]loved.[/i] Like what Adora says!” She took a deep breath. Then she pressed the button. “... H-hello? Mission control? Headquarters? [i]Mother base?[/i]” "Yes?" A slightly sharp male voice - Jinhai - came from the other side of the walkie-talkie. He sounded calm, but it was a cold calmness, and his words diplomatically pushed her towards getting to the point. "Has something happened, Lisa?" The walkie-talkie shook in Lisa’s hands as she said, “S-someone’s h-hurt! N-no one has Greta’s potions, i-is t-there [i]somewhere[/i] I can take her before she bleeds out on my spider!?” There was silence on the other end of the line, then quiet talking between at least two of the people there. “Can you get her back here? We have plenty of potions. If not, the closest to you with one is… Olivia. I can put you through to their channel.” Lisa looked over her shoulder at the girl bleeding out, and the webs were not good gauze. She could ideally get back to the lair, but with all the monsters… That was a risk. “I-I don’t think she w-will last long enough for me t-to get back! Where is Olivia?! “She’s in front of the Five-Star theater. Five streets over, by rooftop, you can get there quickly.” There was a pause on the other end, then Jinhai added, “she’s with Luca, keep the injured away from him if they’re blind.” Lisa glanced over her shoulder at the girl… she had no clue if she had an abstraction, but probably, given what she just went through. She raised the walkie-talkie to her lips and said, “C-copy! I am on my way!” Then she gave her saddle a good grip and commanded her minion to leap until she got there. Then she looked around for them… Olivia and Luca were backed up against the theater’s entrance, fighting off another group of apparitions that had swarmed them. Olivia had all the ones closest to them bound in thick, thorny vines. At the same time, Luca moved between them as quickly as possible, grabbing whatever limb was closest and corroding these weaker apparitions. One had managed to free a hand from the grasping vines and lunged towards Luca before a cartoonish-looking arrow slammed into the creature's eye socket, forcing the head back before the arrowhead exploded. From down the road, The Ranger limped towards the theater. Its artwork was more comic book-inspired than not, and its jagged lines starkly contrasted the surrounding area. Its right leg was wounded, and the paint was bleeding off onto the ground below. Behind it was Jasper, Evelynn, and Michael. Blood was pouring down Evelynn’s face, and she was drifting between consciousness and out. Michael had her arm over his shoulder, pulling her along with her. Evelynn limped and was dragged. Above them Michaels crows flew a tight circle, their orders were to attack the eyes of any monster that got too close. “Olivia, Luca,” Jasper looked up from the canvas he was furiously painting on, “Lisa, I got Evelynn she’s hurt pretty bad, does anyone have a potion?” A snarl was heard behind them, and before anyone could react, the Ranger had notched another arrow, turned around, aimed, and let it fly down the road. “[i]Heeeeeeeeey![/i]” Lisa called, commanding her spider minion to scale the wall downwards. She didn’t want to scare anyone again, so she quickly made it to the street level with the others and looked at Olivia. “Do you have an extra potion!?” “I do!” Olivia pointed to the bag around her waist. Looking at the two injured, she furrowed her brow, retracting the vines binding individual apparitions and having them form a large, thorny cage around the seven people. It trapped them inside, but it also kept the apparitions out. “Here!” She pulled two potions from the bag, handing one to Jasper and the other to Lisa. “Thank you!” Lisa quickly said as she took the potion. “Thank you, Olivia. You’re the best,” Jasper said as he stopped painting and grabbed the potion. He turned his attention towards his two friends, “Michael, get this in Evelynn as quickly as possible; we’ll need her foresight before long.” “Got it,” Michael said as he laid Evelynn down on the ground, propping up her head with a random brick that was strewn about. “Here, drink up.” Evelynn started by just sipping, which soon transitioned to her potion drinking. “That shit,” Evelynn paused as she caught her breath, “is nice.” She finished the potion and leaned up. “Evelynn, look to the possible futures for me,” Jasper paused as he returned to his painting. He was halfway through painting a paladin. “I need to know if we’re going to have any company soon, Michael if anything gets close, have your crows go for their eyes and their throats,” he paused as he shifted his vision and watched his ranger finally melt down completely, forming a giant puddle of oil on the ground, “what can we do to be helpful here while I finish this,” he asked Luca, Olivia, and Lisa, “once I can get it summoned we’re going to run around looking for more wounded.” While this was going on, Lisa had popped the top of the potion, grabbed the girl by the nose (rather roughly), and said, “Open [i]wiiiiiiiiiiiiide![/i]” Then shoved the potion in her mouth while tilting her head backward, force-feeding her the potion. In a few seconds, her wounds were all healed. Lisa smiled, and the girl looked at her. “... What? What is going on?!” She shouted. “Shhhhh, shhhh, shhhhhhhhhh!” Lisa put a finger to her lips and said, “Everything is going to be all right… [i]alright![/i]” The strange girl looked around… and realized they were on a giant spider. She went stiff… before she screamed at the top of her lungs. “C-calm down! [i]Calm down![/i]” Lisa shouted. Before she fainted. Lisa shrugged. “... At least she stopped screaming!” She said to herself. “Okay Lisa… what do… I…” Lisa’s train of thought was interrupted by a shadow getting cast on them… her jaw dropped as she saw it. The Stygian Snake.