Natty

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

I'd personally go with #2 as well, due to the reasons listed above. Either way, like Hound said, I'll be updating my sheet with details on season 1, as well as an updated supporting cast.

Natty's place for storing character sheets because that seems like a good idea

Shadowpact

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

“Holy…”

It was Rory that broke the silence first. The unlikely duo had been amongst the wreckage of the English pub for some time now. Long enough for Illyana’s tears to come to an end and for her to rise.

She had been tending to the body of the Canterbury Cricket, doing her best to avoid the gruesome mess where he’d been split down the middle. She had located a tablecloth from behind what little remained of the bar and had placed it over him ceremoniously. She hadn’t known the creature for long at all, yet he had wanted to help her. A decision that cost him his life. S’ym would pay for what he had done. But now was a time for mourning.

Rory had been watching in silence, both out of respect for the fallen, and out of pain. He’d offered to help at first, but Illyana had simply told him that she had to do this alone. As such he simply kept where he was slumped up against a wall. Until now anyway.

Illyana turned towards him and saw that his gaze was no longer on her, but directed towards one of the dusty old television screens that hung near the bar. She was a little taken aback that it had survived the carnage that had taken place here, however what surprised her more was what it was showing. A news broadcast from America showcasing a man in a metal mask;

Her blood boiled as she listened to the man's speech. She never felt such shame about being a metahuman. About being a mutant. It was a side to her that she didn’t really think about much, given what had happened to her. However, as she looked on at the silver madman on the television, she just wished she’d done more. That’s what she wanted to do now.

But a thought held her back.

Belasco has a new pet to play with.

S’ym’s words filled her mind and they made her sick. Her mind began to race through all the possibilities. Who they were. Where he’d taken them from. How were they? That had to be her priority. This mutant terrorist couldn’t be her concern. Besides, the world had other heroes. Wonder Woman. The Spider guy. Hell, even Batman was supposedly back. They could surely be enough to handle whatever was happening/.

Then the metallic swarm began to fill the screen as an image of Central Park appeared before them. Her heart sank further. All those innocent lives. She watched in terror as a young girl ran in fear from her mother, who chased her like a ravenous tiger. No. There was no point in rescuing this child in Limbo if there wasn’t a world worth bringing them back to. The words that Rory said next was the confirmation that she needed.

“We have to do something.” He wheezed with determination as he struggled to find his feet. His movements were rigid as he moved, with him stumbling slightly from the pain of his arm. She frowned at the sight, taking a second to glance back towards the body of the Cricket. Rory couldn’t help her. She wasn’t losing anyone else today.

“No, I have to do something.” She stated boldly. “You’re not going anyvhere with vhat arm.”

Rory gawked at her in confusion, before gesturing to his arm, which he attempted to move.

“C’mon, I’m fine. We have to— ackk.” He let out a cry of pain, as he crumbled downwards. His spare arm went to support himself. Despite how he tried to recover and keep a straight face through the pain, Illyana knew that he was done today.

“I’m sorry. I’m sending you home.”

She couldn’t even face him as she pointed her arm towards him, summoning a stepping disc. As much as the words stung, she ignored his cries. The room grew silent as he disappeared; the body of the Cricket vanishing with him.

Taking one last look towards the unconscious body of Rath, who was still buried underneath the wreckage of the bar, Illyana Rasputina summoned a stepping disc once more, whisking herself away.

☠

As she appeared in the streets of Manhattan, Illyana found herself in what could only be described as a warzone. Screams and shouts echoed around her, as Magik navigation through a sea of burnt out cars and bodies. People charged frantically around her; some scared for their lives, while others with a lust for blood, clearly infected by the swarm.

Magik reacted swiftly as one such infected made its way towards her. Her Soul Staff appeared within her hand as she swung low, taking the individual out by its legs. As they catapulted to the floor, she jabbed downwards with the butt of the staff for continuing onwards. The next few infected men and women that came towards her fell to the ground in similar ways, however as more and more kept coming it was clear to Illyana that she wasn’t even making a dent.

She moved backward, sending out a cone of frost from her hands to slow down the approaching horde, an icy incantation escaping her lips.

There were too many. She needed help. She needed to get back to the Sanctum.

A stepping disc appeared beneath her feet to teleport herself away, however, once she had arrived, Illyana found herself emerging into a much different New York than she had been in before. Around her were the all-so-familiar streets of Greenwich Village, however, the brownstones were now flooded with a tinge of blue. The sky around her seemed to follow suit, and as she stared, Illyana seemed to spot its source; a dark blue bubble seemed to encapsulate the surrounding area, spreading its magical light down onto the streets below.

Illyana’s eyes stared around her, shocked at the sight of refugees from the rest of the city resting against the stationary New York taxis, tending to their wounds and just being thankful for being alive. A smile spread across Illyana’s face as she realized what was happening. It was a safe zone; free from the terror of the battles currently being faced out in the rest of Manhattan.

“Ah Illyana, I was wondering where you’d gotten to.” A calm voice called out from above.

She knew exactly who was the cause of this even before she laid eyes on the billowing cloak of scarlet that floated above them miraculously.

Doctor Stephen Strange was an imposing presence in the New York skyline. He sat in the air, his legs crossed in front of him, reminding Magik of their frequent lessons in meditation. Despite the wrinkles that were beginning to coat his face and the flakes of grey littered throughout his hair, he radiated power, with mystical energy flowing around his body. With each breath the bubble above seemed to grow slightly brighter in colour, growing closer to the shade of the deep blue robes Strange wore.

“Be a darling and come give me a hand.” He smiled boldly before waving for Magik to join him.

Natty's place for storing character sheets because that seems like a good idea

Red Robin

Notes:
Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong (TH3_G3N3R4L)

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Just want to update y'all since I've been a bit quiet recently; mental health has been a bit of a bitch this week, not helped by the recent weather here in the UK which has made sitting down to writing increasingly difficult. Regardless, I have half a post written and I'm going to try and finish today/tomorrow!

Natty's place for storing character sheets because that seems like a good idea

Character Name

Cassie Sandsmark
Wonder Girl

Age

16

Attributes & Abilities

Empowered by the Greek god of war Ares, Cassie finds herself with immense strength and durability; the true limits of which she has yet to discover. The same can be said for her speed and reflexes which have been increased beyond..

Character Synopsis

Daughter of the Archaeologist Dr Helena Sandsmark, Cassandra's earliest memories were of exploring the world with her mother. Her job meant that they lived their lives on the road, travelling from one archaeological dig site to the next. Cassie never knew her father, however, with both her mother and the fellow archaeologists that travelled with them, she never felt the need for one. Her childhood gave her the opportunity to learn a variety of skills, from archaeology to learning a variety of foreign languages, but this came at the cost of her never attending formal education, and thus never mixing with children her own age.

It was around Cassie's 15th birthday that they travelled to a site in Greece, where Cassie was introduced to her mother's benefactor; Wonder Woman. She quickly befriended the Amazonian Princess, idolising her. Diana spent every night during the expedition telling Cassie tales of the Olympian Pantheon and her previous adventures, the young girl hanging at her every word.

Things took a turn during the expedition however when Dr Sandsmark excavated an ancient stone statue, created using the very clay that was told to have crafted Wonder Woman herself. Coming to life, the statue, now calling itself Decay, viciously attacked the group, targetting Wonder Woman. The creature was close to killing Diana before Cassie got involved and used a series of magical artefacts they'd dug up to push the creature back. Thanks to the assistance, Wonder Woman was able to defeat the creature for good, however, despite things turning out okay, Cassie's mother was horrified. It was this event that caused her to tell Cassie who her father was.

Discovering that her father was actually the Olympian God Zeus, Cassie begged him for a boon and a chance to have real powers so that she could help people just like Wonder Woman. Zeus said no.

In an attempt to help Cassie to move past everything that had happened and begin to live more of a normal life, Cassie's mother took a job as a curator of the Nation History Museum in New York City. But being in a city like New York only made Cassie want to help people more. That was when she found herself encountering none other than Ares, the Greek god of war and frequent enemy of Wonder Woman. Warning her of "the coming war", he told her he had heard her request to Zeus, and disapproved of the result. Dubbing her his champion, he gifted her with the strength and power of the Gods, along with the Lasso of Lightning and the Bracelets of Submission.

And so she began to use her new gifts for good, all the while fearing that she'd made a terrible mistake in trusting the God of War.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Made a start on some compendium entries. Will finish the rest once i get a chance!

Compendium

New York City

LOCATIONS:

The Sanctum Santorum - Belongs to [Natty/Magik/Free To Use]

IMPORTANT PERSONS:

Doctor Stephen Strange, The Sorcerer Supreme - Belongs to [Natty/Magik/Free To Use]

Wong - Belongs to [Natty/Magik]

Gotham

LOCATIONS:

Rags 'n Tatters: Pawnshop / Part-time Yunkyard owned by Rory Regan - Belongs to [Natty/Magik]

Outside Time and Space

LOCATIONS:

The Oblivion Bar: A safe haven for magical individuals, the Oblivion Bar is located within its own pocket dimension. The establishment has many entrance portals scattered across the globe that are only visible to those skilled at magic. - Belongs to [Nobody/Free To Use]

IMPORTANT PERSONS:

Jim Rook, Nightmaster: Bartender and owner of The Oblivion Bar. - Belongs to [Nobody/Free To Use]

Limbo

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Didn't realize I was the 250th IC post. Everyone cool with me editing it out and replacing it with a dabbing Thanos?

Hoping to start work on my own compendium entries at one point this weekend, as well as giving out some rewards!

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Despite the flames that roared outside the tower’s window, the stone floor of Illyana’s chamber was cold against her skin. She sat stiffly against a wall, her legs crossed with a battered old tome spread open atop them. She turned the pages carefully as her eyes poured over every rune on the page, taking it all in. Normally an eight-year-old girl like herself would spend her time running around in the open fields, enjoying her childhood. However, Illyana wasn’t a normal eight-year-old girl anymore. Now she was bound to Limbo. Daughter to Master.

Outside of her training with Master, Illyana rarely had any time for herself, and as such decided to make the most of it. Knowledge was power here. And power meant escape.

Sudden banging on her door shook Illyana out of her thoughts. She barely had enough time to hurry the book behind her back before the door was kicked open and a fiery presence filled the doorframe. A smirk spread across S’ym’s face as he stepped into the room, his snakelike eyes piercing Illyana like a pair of daggers as she scrambled to her feet. His hulking figure was flanked by his two brothers; Rath and Ghast, who were equally as terrifying with their horned heads and clawed fangs. The three demons surrounded the girl, who clung to the wall behind her as if her life depended on it. Because in her eyes, her life really did depend on it.

“Boss wants you downstairs for dinner.” Rath growled, flashing his teeth as he circled around the side of the room.

“We’s wouldn’t keep him waiting.” Ghast continued. He mirrored Rath’s movements as he did so.

Illyana stayed silent, her head pointed down towards the floor. She could feel the goosebumps rising across her arms. Moving at a snail's pace she nodded, before finally moving forwards towards the door, hoping to avoid any more of their torment. However, before she had even got halfway, she felt a scaly hand grab the back of his dress and fling her backward, back towards the wall.

“What’s this you have here Poppet?”

Her screams were meaningless as S’ym wrestled her against the wall, pinning her against it with her hand above her head. His spare hand reached down to the book, and he plucked it from her grasp. Her wails were merely met with laughter from the two brothers who quickly closed in on their prey.

Dropping Illyana as if she were a simple plaything, he turned his attention to the book in his hands and scanned the cover. His eyes widened in surprise slightly, however they soon returned to their regular shade of yellow, as he eyed where she lay crying on the ground.

“Teleportation runes.” He clicked his tongue, before crouching down to get closer to her. “My, my. Someone’s been a naughty girlie.”

She scrambled to get away from him as he grew closer, tears streaming down her face. He continued, leering towards her.

“Please…” She managed, her eyes snapping shut reactively as he swiped his claws towards her.

☠

Illyana’s eyes stayed glued to the decapitated body before her, her mind unable to take it in fully. She felt like she’d been stood there for hours, just staring silently. In time she finally raised her head back up to see her old captor’s. The Demon’s Three looked exactly how they had back in Limbo. Rath and Ghast continued to laugh and sneer. It’s what they always did. It was all they were good for. Just pawns to S’ym and his violence. It was as if she’d never left.

S’ym was speaking again. Mostly likely making some threat towards her. She just continued to shut it out, her shaking in fear. It was just like the tower before. Just like every other time they found her alone in Limbo. And just like before she felt herself go numb. She felt the oh so familiar feeling of goosebumps rising across her arms.

The trio stopped their laughter and began to advance. S’ym moved triumphantly, twirling the axe in his hands, the blade of which still dripping with cricket blood.

But before she found herself overwhelmed once more by their violence, another sound rang out around the old English pub. This one she heard.

Ragman leaped through the air, his green cloak billowing out behind him. He collided abruptly with S’ym midair, pushing him down to the ground. Acting quickly, Ragman wrapped his arms around the demon in an attempt to pin him down. His head shot upwards as he did so, locking eyes with Magik, whose look of fear had now merged into a look of confusion and surprise.

“Get out of here!” He cried.

He was trying to sound brave. To sound as if he had all of this under control. But she could easily see that in this instance he was just as afraid as she was. Even the strength given to him by the souls in his suit didn’t seem to be enough, as S’ym struggled to his feet, overpowering the green-clad vigilante grappling him. Rath and Ghast had turned on him too now. He was a goner.

Temptation filled Illyana’s mind as she watched her friend wrestle her tormentor. She wanted to run. To escape from this place and return to the Sanctum Santorum where she’d be safe. To return to the farm. To Piotr. It would be so much easier.

She could go back to hiding. Go back to being a monster.

The word stung as it crossed her mind. Monster. It was a word she’d been using to describe herself her whole life. It was a word that just moments ago she was telling a talking cricket that she wasn’t. He was right. She wasn’t a monster. She had to be different. She had to be Magik.

“No.”

The word came of her mouth in a fury, as the young magician darted forward towards the demons. She pivoted to the left of the group, rearing up on Rath, who had turned in confusion at the sound of defiance. She swung her arms towards him, willing her Soul Staff into existence with a flash of light. The staff struck hard, clobbering the beast across the face, and knocking him back and through the bar. Wood and shrapnel ricocheted outwards as Rath broke through it, causing a shelf of alcohol to collapse and rain glass and booze all over him.

That was one.

In one swift move, she turned, now facing Ghast. Witnessing her attack on her brother, he snarled animalistically before pouncing forward like a wild dog. Her eyes whitened, and with a raise of her arms, an aurora of lights flashed in front of her blindingly. The fireworks erupted further once Ghast made contact, and as if shot from a cannon, was launched high into the air. Before finding himself hitting the ceiling, Magik had moved her arms once more, generating a stepping disc above him. He vanished as he hit it, his screams disappearing immediately.

That was two.

Now for the main event.

The fight being Ragman and S’ym wasn’t going as well. The demon swung wildly at the man clambering on his shoulders, and within seconds, his great red hand was wrapped tightly around the tip of Rory’s cape. He pulled angrily, ripping the hero from his body, before slamming him into the floor. A loud crack could be heard as Ragman hit the ground, the bones in his arm breaking. Without breaking a sweat, S’ym flexed his muscles slightly before raising his axe into the air, before bringing it down on the body before him.

Clangggg.

The axe blade struck against the obsidian staff, sending sparks flying as its momentum vanished. Illyana stood before him, holding her staff up as if it were a shield, protecting the body of her friend below her. She stood strong, a scowl across her face, her blond bangs now a mess. Her breath was heavy, however, this was out of anger rather than tiredness.

“Oh, this is more like it.” S’ym leered down towards Magik, licking his crimson lips. “This is the girlie S’ym remembers.”

Illyana simply roared and began her attack. She kicked forward, implanting her boot into his knee, buckling him slightly. She followed through with a swing from her staff, only to find it blocked by a thrust of his axe. She moved away once more, darting to the side in an attempt to strike once more. But S’ym was ready for her now. His blows were fierce, fueled by the hatred of Limbo. He swings seemed wild in nature, but each one was calculated. Each one was deadly. Yet Magik defended against each strike, her own rage building each time the axe hit the metal of her staff.

She somersaulted backward to dodge a strike of his blade. As she moved through the air, a flick of her wrist generated a stepping disc beneath, teleporting her out of the way as another swing nearly decapitated her. Appearing behind him she took a swipe at his skull. She was striking to kill now. Not maim. She was tired of fighting. Tired of him living.

He was too quick. He ducked, before swiping himself with his spare arm at his cut, his claws cutting through the front of her shirt. Before they tore at her skin however, she spun out of harm's way, striker herself. Once again the weapons collided with a piercing clink.

“I can do this all day Poppet.” He hissed, before charging forward towards her.

She smiled. Big mistakes.

She opened a disc before him, and before the behemoth could stop he tumbled through, flailing wildly. He appeared in the end to her right, exactly when she wanted him. Her staff struck him across the chest, sending him crashing into the ground. And then she was atop him.

With the butt of her staff, she thrust downwards, smashing the bones in his hand, causing his axe to fall to his side with a thud. The demon let out a violent howl that echoed around them as he thrust about where he lay in an attempt to escape.

"Why?" She roared, pressing down hard. "Why are you here?”

His cries grew louder. But they weren’t loud enough. She wanted to hear him cry. She wanted to see him bleed. See him suffer.

But then the sound of his pain ceased, as S’ym let out a croaking sound, which after a few seconds transformed into a painful laugh.

“S’ym didn’t kill you when you were small, Poppet because our master protected you.” His voice growled on through the pain, yet as he went on he seemed to regain his strength.

“Now that protection is over. Belasco has a new pet to play with. And now S’ym thinks you’re fair game.”

New Pet.

The comment caused her to freeze, her mind attempting to race to an understanding. He had to be wrong. He had to be lying.

S’ym smiled, knowing the damage was done. Acting while she was distracted, he darted up, pushing her off him with a single swing of his arm. He struggled to his feet, as Illyana caught her balance.

“Should’ve killed me when you had the chance.” He jeered, limping forwards towards her.

It took everything Illyana had to keep her focused. Her mind was screaming a multitude of questions. And on top of that, she still had S’ym to deal with. Anger still edged on her, however now the pain was back. And the fear.

“Maybe.” She managed, locking eyes with S’ym while tightening her hands around her staff. “However there’s been enough bloodshed today.”

And with that, she crossed her arms before her. S’ym shouted in protest as a stepping disc materialized once more at his feet. Before he could even attempt an escape he was gone. The bar grew silent immediately in his absence. Her eyes wandered the room as she took everything in. The patrons had vanished, having escaped from the carnage shortly after the demons had arrived. Now all that was left was the dissected body of the Canterbury Cricket, an unconscious demon amongst the remains of what was once the bar, and Ragman slumped against a wall, clutching his arm.

And down in Limbo, Belasco was currently busy torturing a new soul.

Everything was fucked.

Illyana fell to her knees and wept.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

"Are you sure we need him?"

"Shut it, Rory."

"I just think we can do a bit better, that's all. And I'm pretty sure the Discovery Channel said that crickets aren't even a thing in the UK."

Their whispering was interrupted by the clanking of plates, as the creature in front of them began to tear into his food. It dripped manically from his pincered mouth like larvae as he did so. He hunched over the table as he ate, perching on his back spiny legs. His chitinous exoskeleton sloped across his body up to his head, where a large pair of insectoid eyes jutted around the room madly. His wings lay sleekly across his back, motionless bar the occasional flutter. He ate ravinishely as if feasting on his prey, drawing eyes from all around the room, who watched in a mixture of horror and confusion.

Illyana and Rory didn’t know what to expect when they initially asked if the insect wanted to meet, however, it certainly wasn’t going for a meal in his local pub. A swift stepping disc teleportation had transported the two to the English city of Canterbury in next to no time, and the creature’s distinct appearance had allowed them to find him almost immediately. The three sat across from one another at a small table in the centre of a large English pub. Cheap and uncheerful, the place was full of vomitous carpets, unmatching wood paneling, fruit machines, and all the shoddy artwork a cheap beer devotee could desire. It was certainly not the usual place to meet potential recruits in the war against Limbo.

“Actually…” The Canterbury Cricket managed, taking a breather from the mess of food on his plate. “The cricket that forms my body came from the local university.”

“She lived a life of hardship and suffering before the Lord brought her to me.”

Rory shuddered slightly as he watched the insect speak, a look of visible disgust across his face, which he quickly attempted to hide after receiving a look from Illyana. The Cricket’s appearance didn’t bother her too much. After a childhood of demons and monsters, it was surprising how normal these kinds of things quickly became.

Realizing he was being rude, Rory backed up his chair and rose to his feet.

“I’m going to grab another drink.” He confirmed before heading off across the room, flashing the two with an apologetic face as he walked away.

“I’m sorry about him.” Illyana apologized, turning her attention back towards the cricket.

Cricket simply smiled, his antennas flexing slightly as he did so.

“No need to apologize, I’m used to people looking at me like that by now.” His voice was jovial, yet Illyana still couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

“I’m much happier though now.” He continued, offering her another smile. “Which is why I want to say to you, that that sadness inside you gets better.”

Illyana froze as he spoke. It felt as if the words were cutting into her heart. How did he know how she was feeling? Was it really that obvious? Was there a dramatic tattoo saying she was damaged on her forehead? Her mind raced back to the rooftop from when she had first met Rory. The comment he had made about her soul. Was she really that broken?

No. She wasn’t. He was wrong. He had to be.

“You don’t know anything about me.” The words left her mouth impulsively, her finger pointing at the cricket accusingly.

He retreated back slightly at her remark, surprised. Then after a moment of thought, he continued.

“I know you’re scared.” He spoke firmly, raising his clawed arm to stop her when she attempted to interrupt. “I was scared too when this first happened to me. Obviously, our situations are very different, but I know how you feel. It’s tough.”

Magik sunk back into her chair as he spoke. Her lip trembled, and all she wanted to do was call out and tell him he was wrong. But deep don’t she knew that he wasn’t.

You go around and the whole world thinks you’re a monster. No matter what you do. No matter how many people you save. They’ll always define you by your past. By how you look. By where you grew up. But Magik...”

The Canterbury Cricket reared up from his chair and took Illyana’s hands into his own. They were cold and monstrous, yet she didn’t flinch.

“They’re wrong. They’re all wrong. You are you, and you are beautiful. You’re not a monster.”

Illyana couldn’t help but let a smile escape from her lips.

“I want you to say it.”

Illyana let out a confused laugh. “What?”

“I want you to say you’re not a monster.” The Cricket demanded, giving her an encouraging look.

“I’m not saying that.” She scoffed.

“Do it.”

“Fineee” She groaned childishly before beaming once more. Rising herself, she held the Crickets hand’s and spoke confidently.

“I am not a monster.”

A cold laugh cut across the room, silencing the murmurs of the pub’s patrons.

The axe blade cut through the Canterbury Cricket’s body like a knife through butter. He didn’t even have a chance to scream. The upper half of his corpse dropped onto the table before them with a loud thud, scattering the cutlery and plates over the floor.

Illyana just stood and watched. Everything felt numb.

Her eyes followed the blade up as the axe’s owner lifted it back into the air. When she saw them all she wanted to do was scream but no noise came when she opened her mouth. There was only pain.

The three figures before her stood tall and strong, towering above her menacingly. Their bodies were sheathed in scales of red and brown. Their eyes piercing and cold.

“Hello poppet.” Spittle broke free from the jagged teeth of their leader, S’ym, as he spoke. “Did you miss me?”

They were the Demon’s Three; Belasco’s royal enforcers.