Glitch IV: Chapter 2 Abduction

[Dark Silver]

The Vectors pounded upon the shield, rippling waves of air obscuring the Master for brief seconds at each impact site. Already, the others where preparing to attack, both Vash and Auron leaping back, thier respective weapons drawn, Vash with his Colt in right hand, his left hand revealing the machine gun-arm. Auron's sword glowed faintly as he focused himself for a blow.

"Do you want to know why..." the voice which sounded so much like Darek's - but more malevolent, more confident, and resonating with unrestrained power - spoke, "I do not fear any of you? Why you will eventually fail?"

The sky began to darken, the metal bonds which restrained him dispersed into constituant atoms, and the thing which Darek had become raised a hand skyward. Energy crackled from his body, filling the air with the distinct smell of ozone. A bolt of lighting split the sky, impacting the black clad form, the town fading into the white flash of energy.

When the light faded, Darek remained, standing behind his forcefield, a Nullcron Lord before him, Staff of Nether clutched in the black nullstuff of his hand. the dull red lights in the empty eyesockets of the black skull face set itself first on Vash and Auron, then on the humans.

"Because here, in this World, at this Time - I am God."

The Nullcron Lord raised his staff, and drove it into the ground. The earth cracked in a circle around the black figure, it's frayed, tattered cloak billowing behind it.

"Kill them all."

With that, Darek's form blurred, as he moved, faster than sight, from the battlefield.

[SirNitram]

Somewhere on Earth, a laptop's timer clicked down to 0:00:00. A MS-DOS emulator activated, and entered the line command for a very old text based game.

---------

whomm...

"I think for now, discretion is the greater half of valour." Albert muttered as he watched the arrival of the Nullcron.

Whommm...

"Everyone, pull back!" He yelled, even as the outline of something was appearing. It was vaguely box-shaped. As it began to materialize, it was obviously blue. It was also a policebox.

[LadyTevar]

Leah was frozen, barely yards from the Nullcron Lord. Darek's little flashy escape had thrown her off her feet, the vectors clamping to the ground to steady her as the lightning flashed and ground shook.

Whommm... whomm

"Everyone, pull back!" Albert yelled, even as the outline of something was appearing. It was vaguely box-shaped. As it began to materialize, it was obviously blue. It was also a policebox.

pull back? But he's getting away! a voice in her mind snarled, the Leah that had calmly torn Black Riders to shreds. He has to pay for what he did, what he made THEM do to me!

In the back of her mind, a tiny flicker of Leandra spoke. Thog is escaping. You know when Thog runs from something, it's too dangerous for you. Go with Thog.

Follow or Flee... Death or Life.
Did it much matter anymore?

[Devonie]

Jules' mouth dropped open as the ... the.... the *TARDIS* appeared in front of them. Even after all the strange shit they'd seen, this was totally unexpected.

She started laughing hysterically as she followed Thog to safety.

My God, she heard a voice saying, I do believe she's going mad.
Another voice replied, She's quite mad, you know, but that's not unusual, here...

Her blood ran cold as she realized both voices were inside her own head, but she couldn't stop laughing, tears running down her cheeks.

[Dark Silver]

The Nullcron Lord, that black twisted horror with the skull-like face, moved toward the humans. It's hevy feet causing great plumes of dirt to be spit up, the ground glowing red in it's wake. It's steps were ponderous, it's movement more of a quick ambling jog, something which could be easily outrun by the unhindered humans.

As they ran towards the newly appearing TARDIS, the Nullcron Lord raised it's staff into the air, energy crackling around it, before a brillant purple beam, like a lighitng bolt, flashed out, striking the ground between the lead runner, and the time machine.

It was a challenge, no words spoken as the devilish device could not speak.

The Staff of Twilight raised into the air, and drove into the ground, cracks forming in the ground, snaking out towards the humans, purple light shining up from the newly formed wounds in the planet.

At the endpoint of the six lines, the newest abominations rose, Nullcron Flayers, black Glitch-stuff skeletal forms drapped in the still glistening flesh of once living beings. Thier long tapered monomolecular claws dug into the ground as they dragged themselves from it, the faint hiss echoing in the air.

The groups escape would not be so easily accomplished it seemed.

[Shark Bait]

Ted as Vadlenar stepped a foot or so forward in front of Rory putting himself between her and the Nulls he lifted one hand and pressed it to his chest. Instantly his body temperature dropped and a cold fog seemed to gather around his feet as he took on the aspects of the dead. He didn’t think that this would do much good in the long run but it was better than nothing. He closed his eyes for a moment focusing as hard as he could then opened them again, some how he had managed to activate the commands to use “view life forceâ€

[frigidmagi]

Magneto grinned attacking him in a city was up there among the stupidest moves possible. He 'reached' out and felt all the metal nearby and gathered it to him.

There was no sound or warning when the hurricane of metal swept over the Nulcrons.

"Go. They will be held!" He cried.

[SirNitram]

As metal twisted and sought to bind the Nulcrons, Alfred hurled himself forward. "Keep running! Just don't get close!" He yelled as blackness wrapped around him, streamering out.

As he crested the apex of his jump, the long, flensing claws were unfurling. The twisted thing that was his Null form caught a Flayed One in the chest, impaling it and slamming it down with speed the mechanical monstrosity couldn't match.

A crude parody of Living Metal sought to reform as NullAlbert shredded the thing, then leaned forward. It's deformed mouth opened, baring blackened, razor teeth. And something that no one should have ever had to see happened.

A tongue, black, studded with tiny blades along it's length, shot out. Nearly two feet long, it was as horrific as the rest of the Null form. It slammed into the Flayed One's skull-like head. The Null-stuff lost cohesion, being sucked into the Ascended.

[Shark Bait]

Ted reached out a hand towards the nearest group of nulls and focused for a second drawing the darkness that they exuded back around them shrouding them in a visible darkness. Clouding their vision, he hoped it would buy them a few seconds enough to get in the door of the tardis. Ted dropped his other hand as he turned towards Rory and grabbed her hand "Go! Run!" he commanded pulling her towards that beautiful blue box.

[Rukia]

Rory had been preoccupied at watching Al when she felt Ted's icy grip. "Go! Run!" She yelled and started to pull her to the TARDIS, he had yanked on her arm twice before her feet decided to cooperate with her brain and move. "Yea, good idea!" She hopped over a crack in the ground and tightened her grip on Ted's hand.

[LadyTevar]

The Flayed Ones' attack broke the paralyzation Leah had been locked into, torn between chasing down Darek and following Albert. Her vectors struck the ground around her, shoving her into the air in a ragged leap and cushioning her landing. The uncontrolled jump did not get her between the Flayed Ones and the TARDIS, but she was now between them and her friends.

Ted reached out a hand towards the nearest group of nulls and focused for a second drawing the darkness that they exuded back around them shrouding them in a visible darkness. Clouding their vision, he hoped it would buy them a few seconds enough to get in the door of the tardis. Ted dropped his other hand as he turned towards Rory and grabbed her hand "Go! Run!" he commanded pulling her towards that beautiful blue box.

Rory had been preoccupied at watching Al when she felt Ted's icy grip. "Go! Run!" She yelled and started to pull her to the TARDIS, he had yanked on her arm twice before her feet decided to cooperate with her brain and move. "Yea, good idea!" She hopped over a crack in the ground and tightened her grip on Ted's hand.

The darkness rose up, and Leah welcomed it, used it to cloak her actions. Darek had betrayed her, Darek had tried to break her. These were Darek's toys, and he expected them to kill her.

"No, Darek... you still can't kill me." Leah said in a voice of madness, and the Vectors raised around her like cobras about to strike.

[Devonie]

"shit shit shit shit.." The words became a mantra in Angela's head. "In Sanct Grav!" she shouted as she raised her hand. A force field shimmered around her and she watched Al, Leah and Matt face off with the Flayed ones. She looked around, trying to find the shortest route to the T.A.R.D.I.S. without passing directly through the battlefield.

************

"Well," said the first voice calmly, "if she's insane, this is the place to be insane. After all, if she is insane, then this isn't real, is it? She's imagined it all. I mean, come on - the man who was going to save them turns out to be the one who caused all of this? That's like a plot out of a horrible movie!"

The second voice replied, "Pass the popcorn, would ya?"
************

[Rukia]

The Flayed Ones' attack broke the paralyzation Leah had been locked into, torn between chasing down Darek and following Albert. Her vectors struck the ground around her, shoving her into the air in a ragged leap and cushioning her landing. The uncontrolled jump did not get her between the Flayed Ones and the TARDIS, but she was now between them and her friends.

Ted reached out a hand towards the nearest group of nulls and focused for a second drawing the darkness that they exuded back around them shrouding them in a visible darkness. Clouding their vision, he hoped it would buy them a few seconds enough to get in the door of the tardis. Ted dropped his other hand as he turned towards Rory and grabbed her hand "Go! Run!" he commanded pulling her towards that beautiful blue box.

Rory had been preoccupied at watching Al when she felt Ted's icy grip. "Go! Run!" She yelled and started to pull her to the TARDIS, he had yanked on her arm twice before her feet decided to cooperate with her brain and move. "Yea, good idea!" She hopped over a crack in the ground and tightened her grip on Ted's hand.

The darkness rose up, and Leah welcomed it, used it to cloak her actions. Darek had betrayed her, Darek had tried to break her. These were Darek's toys, and he expected them to kill her.

"No, Darek... you still can't kill me." Leah said in a voice of madness, and the Vectors raised around her like cobras about to strike.

Now the battle was right in their path. Rory skidded to a halt yanking on Ted's arm and watched as Leah prepared to strike.

"Damnit Leah! If you're gonna kill the bastard, fucking do it already so we can get outta here!" She screamed.

[Dark Silver]

The Nullcron Flayed Ones, despite the loss of one of thier number, moved in the slow, ambling way, thier flencing blades clanking loudly over the battlefield. The humans could easily outrun the shambling monstrosities, until the first wave of fear struck. The dark aura which was one of the main weapons of the Flayed Ones, unnatural fear filled the humans, a deep, bone chilling sense of dread and horror.

Behind them, the Lord watched the battle, silently directing his minions, even as the storm of metal impacted against him...only to phase right through the body. The great staff with it's deadly blades and glowing runes was raised, and leveled at the Mutant Master, before a crackling, arcing beam of green energy flew out at the purple clad mutant.

The shambling Flayed Ones were nearly upon Rory and Ted, one for each of them. The one facing off against Leah was moving in close, it's body seeming to melt and drip as it approached her.

the little goblin woman though, was in the most trouble, two Flayed Ones rose from the ground behind her, silently. Thier flencing claws raised for a mighty blow to the back of the little goblin-witch.



-------

As Albert drew in the Nullcron, fusing it's glitch-stuff with his own essence, a voice entered into his mind. The voice was commanding, powerful, and very familiar. Slowly, in the landscape of Albert's mind, a dark figure formed, a look of vague satisfaction on his lips.

"Continue to feed my minion....drain them all..."

[Agent Fisher]

Jack had kept his head down for most of the escape, simply keeping up and blasting anything that got to close. He didn't question the TARDIS that appeared and he ran towards it. He looked to his side and saw the Flayed Ones that rose up behind Rory.

"Look out!" He shouted and raised his blaster. He depressed the trigger and a stream of angry red bolts flew from the barrel and headed right for the two creatures.

[LadyTevar]

The shambling Flayed Ones were nearly upon Rory and Ted, one for each of them. The one facing off against Leah was moving in close, it's body seeming to melt and drip as it approached her.
"

It was like Leah could see all around her, a full field of vision. Two of the creatures were moving towards Ted and Rory... but one was close enough that Leah could even the odds a little. With that merest thought, two of her vectors shot across the meters between, slicing into the one approaching Ted. Like the legendary vorpal sword, Leah's vectors sliced through NullFlesh, cutting the Flayed One apart with ease. It fell, its head falling to the ground still on the shoulders, the torso and dissected arms slapping wetly beside, while the hips swayed drunkenly on two untouched legs.

"Kill the other yourself, Rory," Leah said flatly, focusing on the FlayedOne closing on her. As she'd done before with the dark elf witch who'd captured her, Leah thrust three vectors deep inside the ribcage of her enemy, holding it that millisecond it took for the vectors to surge explosively outward, sending chunks of the FlayedOne's head and ribcage flying.

[Shark Bait]

Ted skidded to a stop again trapped by Nulls as waves of fear washed over him, but fear was something he knew it was a Necromancer’s plaything and a psychologist’s old nemesis. He forced the rising fear down and focused on the Flayed one, all of the pain anger and fear manifesting itself as a whit hot point deep inside it, a fire began to burn. Suddenly the flayed one burst into flames as fire poured from its mouth and eyes. The other one suddenly was torn to shreds by the unseen vectors.

[Rukia]

Rory spun around in time to watch one Flayedone's head and shoulders rolled on the ground.

"Kill the other yourself, Rory," Leah said flatly.

"Gee, thanks. First you try to kill me then you let someone else do the dirty work." Rory unsheathed her daggers as Ted made the other one burst into flame. She shot him a slightly indignant look of gratitude. "I can fend for myself yanno."

[Charon]

Matthew stood stock still as a group of Flayed Ones walked towards him. The Ascended Man was shaking furiously, it looked as though he was frightened into stillness, his heaving breaths made out of shock as trembles of fear passed over his body.

That first impression would be wrong.

Slowly a grin formed on Matthew's face as he looked up to see the Flayed Ones, most were tied up by Magneto's metal storm, but some were getting through. Shuddering again Matthew surpressed the Berserker Rage, it would do no good here, they needed to get out and if he lost control he wouldn't, and he might just kill some of them. Matthew looked behind him to see the two coming out of the ground beside the Goblin and he grinned again, here was a good opportunity. The Ascended Man jumped into the air as the Flayed Ones were shot by the blaster, it slowed the creatures down but it wouldn't stop them, he could already see the metal beginning to repair itself as he came down. Bringing his sword around Matthew dropped on top of one of the Flayed Ones, splitting it in two with the power of his swing. Matthew quickly turned, bringing his blade up out of the ground. In the spray of dirt a quick flash could be seen, followed by sparks as the Flayed One's head flew through the air. Matthew caught the flying head and held it up in front of him, grinning again.

"You want to frighten me, little worm? Be something frightening."

Matthew tossed the head aside and then dropped his sword on the headless body, shattering it. The disheveled man looked over at Angela.

"Let's go. I'll cover you."

[Shark Bait]

“One… two… three…â€

[Dark Silver]

The Nullcron Lord strood through the battlefield, the Staff of Twilight crackling ewith power as it closed in on Magneto. The green Energy crackled around Magento wavering off the field of magnetic force surronding him.

The Flayed Ones, meanwhile, where being torn through by the humans and Ascended. Blaster bolts tore into one of the Flayed Ones, before the the gun suddenly stopped firing, the mechanism jaming, and a high pitched whine emmiting from the weapon. "It's overloading!" Vash shouted out, rushing towards the warrior. He had to get the weapon away.

Auron, on the meanwhile, was busy with a Flayed One, flencing blades striking his katana.

Even as Leah ripped through two of the Flayed Ones, another was reforming itself, it's shattered limbs dragging themselves back together. The Nullcrones where revealing another of thier inherent powers, 'We'll Be Back'. They could never be truly destroyed.




--------------


Within Albert's mind, the dark figure strode around, a light smile on his face.
Drain the Nullcron, my pet. Absorb it's essence, make it apart of you. You and I are one, my pet...you will do my bidding...and you will be at my side as I ascend Godhead. I will grant you a gift....You are limited as now..you can only use one of your powers at a time. I grant you the ability to combine your forms....no, go forth. Bring the humans to me....bring them to the Dark Portal in the South.

Albert's form began to glow slightly, his mind was filled with a swirl of darkness, as the Nullcron beneath him simply vanished, it's body collapsing in on itself, it's essence gone.

[SirNitram]

The onslaught on Albert's mind made something give way. What were three seperate personalities ran together in a screaming maelstrom. The body, however, went by instinct. It was hungry.

There was power nearby. Plenty of power to gorge itself on.

The Albert-Flayed One was instantly recignizable as bizarre energies rippled through it's form, growing larger. Thog's strength and weaponry had fused with this shape, as had the speed of his original Null self.

Flexing long, wicked claws, the thing launched itself into battle. Felled Flayed Ones became snacks. The other Ascended were ignored; their power was not right for this beast driven by pure hunger in absense of a proper mind controlling it.

The goblin sorceress was another story, as the out-of-control shapechanger bore down on her, claws out.

[Agent Fisher]

Jack heard Vash call out to him. As soon as he heard the whine building up he chucked it as hard as he could towards a Flayed One.

Once the carbine cleared his hands, he was reaching for the blaster pistol still strapped to his side, hoping that it wouldn't quit working on him.

[Charon]

As the Shape changer homed in on the goblin a figure in black armor suddenly appeared in his vision, the giant blade swinging as though it were a tenth it's size and weight. Striking the mad null with the flat of his blade Matt sent the creature flying through the air and into the wall of a building.

"Everyone run! Now!"

Matt looked back at the man who was, and he prayed still is, his friend. Sliding his sword into the ready position Matt stood at the ready to hold off Albert to give the others more time. His mind was already beginning to fade out, but he held unto concious thought for a bit longer, long enough that the others could get away from the mess that this fight was about to become.

[LadyTevar]

"Everyone run! Now!"

Leah was a little too busy to run at the moment. By ones and twos she was taking down the assaulting Flayed Ones, trying to keep the monsters from getting too close to Ted and Rory. Vectors sliced and stabbed the robotic undead, cleaving them torso from legs in an attempt to knock them down and keep them down. Yet, like the zombies they were based on, the creatures were too stubborn (or stupid) to stay down. Two of Leah's vectors were forced to defend herself from mobile arms crawling forward, the elongated fingers stretching out to rend her legs.