Heroes: Shadows over Millenium

[Dark Silver]

"Why? Will you kill me?" Saibot challenged, his rig glowing dangerously, his life support force field glowing around his form, protection from the worst of blows at least.

"You don't have it in you Legacies..even with my sword, you could not kill me"

[Charon]

Legacies shook his head.

"We've killed before Saibot. You know we have. You see us as only an enemy, why should we treat you any different."

Legacies became a blur. He almost heard the words 'fire' and the next thing Saibot knew, a pain stabbed through his chest. His field was flickering, and he was flying through the air. Legacies was face to face with him as they flew, the same expresionless mask on. As he looked down, he could see the tip of his own dagger dipping through the life field and almost breaking through into his chest.

Legacies had just rushed him at full speed, apparently attempting to break the field with the arrows and the impact so as to stab Saibot in the chest.

As that dawned on him, the two 'heroes' crashed into a decrepit building which collapsed on top of them.

[LadyTevar]

Confusion made her hesitate, staring at the two friends (?) as they exchanged insults.

Why were they doing this? What started it? Should she stop it? The shadows that her tail vanished into trembled and wavered, tendrils growing and falling apart as chaotically as her thoughts and emotions. What to do! What to Do!

Blackheart. Gravitas.
They could stop it.

The Dragon fled the scene, diving back into the shadows. Gravitas. Blackheart. And so she did not see Legacies rush Saibot, and oddly enough, did not feel the pain she should have.

She rushed through the shadows Between. For the first time, she did not have a PLACE to teleport to as she flew thru the shadows. Only people that she really really needed to find.

One shadow glinted in the darkness, and she leapt out of it to find Blackheart speaking to a firechief as a building smoked and steamed in the background. Boyscouting. He'd been boyscouting, said a small voice in the back of her mind, quickly ignored.
"Blackheart, trouble. Legacies and Saibot..." the dragon gasped out.

[Dark Silver]

"AAARRRGGHHH!!!"

The swordtip in his chest was nearly breaking the skin, the only thing which stopped it, a single pooint of the life support field which remained unflickering. As he flew back, Legacies in his face, Saibot's helmet smashed into his friend's blank face.

The impact on the building made him feel like every bone in his body shattered on impact, Legacies body driving him into the concrete.

The building remains bean to shake, and started to fall around them.

[Charon]

Legacies staggered back, now he was hurt and feeling it. The dagger was still in his hands. As the building began to collapse Legacies looked at Saibot and the mouth formed again, smiling. Legacies gently tossed the dagger to Saibot, and then the floor and the roof simultaniously gave way and shattered, three stories dropping on both of the heroes as the themselves dropped into the basement.

[frigidmagi]

"Bound to a demon? I have heard of possessions, of course, though I have never had to perform the rites to save the soul of the possessed, but a binding? I am not immediately familiar with such a thing. Forgive me for asking, my son, but are you sure? Could it not be anything else?" Father Ellison was clearly surprised by Blast's confession, but the tone of his voice was not incredulous, merely curious.

Blast thought back to the examination... And nodded firmly.

"Pretty sure Father. We just have no idea how they did it... Or why anyone would want to." Blast replied. A stray memory trickled through his head... That beast... The one he fought before joining Ulitma... That unstoppable, insane, ugly, stupid THING... Could it be? Was it a demon to? Or just a meta who was crazy? How could anyone tell?

[LadyTevar]

Before Blackheart could answer, Argent -felt- the building collapse on Saibot and Legacies. "Noooo...." The shadowdragon's wings rose up defensively, the head ducking as the dragon huddled to the ground 'pinned' momentarily by the phantom weight crashing down on her, her human form briefly visible like a child hiding under a bedsheet.

[Dark Silver]

The weight was immense, tons of concrete and steel and wood. Entire floors pressing down on him. The only thing which kept him alive, was the the faint blue glow of his ring's force field keeping the weight from crushing him.

He groaned, looking around in the cramped space, then felt the weight of his sword on his lap. He took the sword up, then he remembered, Legacies.

Saibot looked around quickly for his friend, and thankfully, saw him. embraced in a extension of the forcefield, out cold.

Slowly, in the cramped space of the forcefield, Saibot got to his knees, and started slowly towards the unconcious silver hued figure.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart grabbed Argent, trying to be gentle. "We can't do anything here. You've got to move us."

[LadyTevar]

Blackheart grabbed Argent, trying to be gentle. "We can't do anything here. You've got to move us."

Touching her more human form within the dragon's winged body gave him glimpses of pain, of entombment. It worked both ways, bringing her closer to the Other that nested inside him.

It was the Other's buzzing that brought her back, oddly enough, reminding her she was not there with Saibot. "I'm.. ok. They're... buried.. I think. In the Old City...," she explained softly, letting him help her to her ... feet?

The human body seemed to fade away inside the dragon as she regained control of herself and her powers. The eyeless dragon head rose overhead, half her body still outside the shadowy torso. Her black eyes were shocking: black pupils set in silver irises.

"Can you contact Gravitas?" Lei asked Blackheart, worry for Saibot and Legacies tainting the air around her. "Before I teleport us there?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Only if he's taking messages." Blackheart clicked the headset. "Gravitas, its Blackheart. Legacies and Saibot got themselves buried under rubble."

[SirNitram]

Gravitas sighed as his commlink buzzed in his ear. "Come on..." He muttered. "I was just about to get settled into a nice bit of bikini-watching..." The Nova shook his head and focused. Space and time flexed, bent, and twisted, as he teleported himself in the direction of Saibot and Legacies' threads.

[LadyTevar]

Lei's worry and concern eased as Blackheart contacts Gravitas, and she fully merged into the dragon, the slanted silver eyes lighting inside the large skull. "I'm ready to go now..."

Since he had already suggested moving, she did not wait for Blackheart to speak but wrapped her wing around him and dove into the shadow at their feet. Two heartbeats later they emerged in the broken ruins of the OldCity, where the collapsed building was not the only sign of a battle.

"There..." Lei pointed at the building, sensing Saibot within. "Alive... under all the rubble..."

[Hotfoot]

Blast thought back to the examination... And nodded firmly.

"Pretty sure Father. We just have no idea how they did it... Or why anyone would want to." Blast replied. A stray memory trickled through his head... That beast... The one he fought before joining Ulitma... That unstoppable, insane, ugly, stupid THING... Could it be? Was it a demon to? Or just a meta who was crazy? How could anyone tell?

Father Ellison let slip a breath, part sigh, part resignation. "I may be able to help you answer your questions Blast, but one is sadly easier to answer than the other. The question of how is difficult, and I would have to consult with the Church. You'll understand if we are cautious about such claims, as we have to make absolutely sure that they are what they say they are, and how to specifically deal with this instance." He let in a somber breath and looked directly at the younger man. "The reason why is regrettably easier than I would like. Men are capable of doing many things, both wonderful and horrible. In confession I have heard a taste of the horrors we do to each other. I say a taste because the worst of us, like the one you have seen, have no desire to repent for their sins. They are so removed from the light that makes us special, away from God, they do not fear even His judgement, much less the judgement of their fellow man."

Father Ellison stopped himself, collecting his composure. "I apologize for carrying on like that. Why don't you come with me? My tomes on demonology are a bit dusty, but perhaps they will contain some answers."

[frigidmagi]

"Sure Father, sounds like a good idea." Blast said. Who knows he might even learn something helpful.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart looked at the wreckage. "That looks like a job for Gravitas. I'll do what I can." The Ultima agent began to dig into the rubble.

[SirNitram]

"Blackheart? Do you ever look upwards?" Came a familiar voice, as the rubble began to shift and move upwards. Gravitas was levitating.. Or possibly standing on thin air.. With his eyes shut and his hands slowly lifting.

"This job with you all really does eat into all my passtimes. It's a good thing I managed to boost this thing's range, too. Don't think it would have worked, otherwise, in the south of France."

[Hotfoot]

Father Ellison nods and leads Blast back to the living area of the Church, and further in to the small Library, overflowing with books of many types. The Father begins hefting large stacks of books to get to the corner of the room, long since cut off by large tomes. "I don't suppose that with a name like Blast you have any special gifts that would allow you to help move these old books around, do you?"

[frigidmagi]

Blast moved in to help the Priest move the books.

"Sorry Father, my gift is more in blowing things up then anything else really. Not a useful power for anything expect combat so far." He replied.

[Hotfoot]

He nodded, moving another stack of books. "I rather thought that might be the case. I've always wondered, why do men such as yourself assume names that define what you can do, instead of who you are, or what you stand for?"

[LadyTevar]

The shadow dragon folded her wings, shrinking until it was no more than an aura around Lei's human form. Carefully, shadows stretched out from every cervice, forming pillars and beams to support and shore up the rubble as Gravitas and Blackheart slowly cleared a path. "They're alive... I can feel both of them." Lei informed them. "Garth's worried about Legacies ... I think he's done something to protect them with his ring."

[frigidmagi]

He nodded, moving another stack of books. "I rather thought that might be the case. I've always wondered, why do men such as yourself assume names that define what you can do, instead of who you are, or what you stand for?"

"If I use my name, my real name I mean, that endangers people who know me. People I care about Father. Can't let that happen. As for what I stand for. I figure people should be able to tell that by my actions and if they can't a name isn't going to mean very much at all is it?" Blast replied as he bent down and moved another stack, he caught a look at a dark green book with black letters.

"What was the name of your book again?" He asked.

[Cynical Cat]

"Yeah," said Blackheart. "But usually the trouble is in front or below me and its almost always in Saibot's direction."

[LadyTevar]

"Yeah," said Blackheart. "But usually the trouble is in front or below me and its almost always in Saibot's direction."

"... Maybe Legacies beat it out of him..." Lei muttered, not meaning to be heard. They had been fighting each other. Lei did not think either had been mind-controlled or otherwise goaded into it. Whatever started the fight, it had been serious.

[SirNitram]

The building's remains lifted themselves off the two underneath, Gravitas lifting it up into the air and holding it there. "Saibot! Legacies!" He called down into the remaining bits. "Just sort of groan in incredible pain if you're alive."