You are Cindy Moon; Warrior Priest of Khonshu, Ward of Ben Parker, Part-time local vigilante. And, just recently, you somehow obtained the title of "Slayer" from an ancient Vampire Lord with an evil agenda. Between going to school, fighting bad guys, wrangling an overeager sidekick and dealing with an insane amount of family drama, now you're expected to potentially help save the world! No pressure.
Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Max%20Spider%20Quest
Last time: Cindy managed to convince the Kaiju King to aid her in eliminating Varnae, and forged an official contract of sorts with Mercy. But not soon afterwards, Monster Metropolis was attacked by an army of the undead! Together, with the help of Harpy, Deadhead, Shaggy, and, surprisingly enough, Louise the Nightguard, Cindy fought back against the undead menace and even spared time to rescue those in need.
The plan was going great, until Cindy was forcefully teleported back into the Kaiju King's palace, where she found her grandmother lying unconscious in the center of crowd of monstrous citizens! In an act of desperation, Cindy used the Bloodstone shard that Wilhelmina had granted her to save her grandmother's life!
Young rose from her comatose state soon after, and with her help, Cindy managed to convey her intention to eliminate Varnae to the rest of his victims. Now, the counter-attack can truly begin!
But what will happen to Cindy's friends? Will the Bloodstone have any long-term negative effects on her grandmother? Will Cindy continue to grow additional tails?
Find out more in the latest issue of…MAXIMUM SPIDER QUEST!
Rules:
Most dice rolls will be 1d100. Modifiers will be added depending on the situation or on the alien being used(Usually +10 or -10). Crit successes and crit fails apply. Crit fails can be overridden by crit successes, but crit failures cannot override crit successes.
How to Roll:
To roll dice, type “dice+1d100” in the options field without the quotations. To roll dice with positive modifiers, type “dice+1d100+modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number. To roll dice with negative modifiers, type “dice+1d100+-modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number.
Pastebins:
Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV
Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd
Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s
Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE
The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip
Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR
If someone had told you earlier today that you would play an instrumental part in uniting an army of monsters to take revenge on a vampire lord older than most human civilizations for spreading misinformation about you, you might have applauded their gift for creative storytelling and went on your merry way.
Except, that was the unfortunate reality that you now found yourself in. You have no real problems with smacking down horrible monsters when they get out of line, but…when they reared their ugly heads on a school night…
For the past forty minutes or so, you’ve been drawing maps, giving directions, providing advice on strategic approaches to certain overrun streets…all while writing down the answers to math problems that you were expected to complete when you got back to your dorm.
At the rate you were going, you might have to borrow Del’s phone again to have Ben call in your absence for the second day in a row. On the bright side, having a Kumiho’s physiology was about the only thing keeping you on your feet in the face of a seemingly inexhaustible zombie army.
Once you were done giving directions, you had someone draw you a slightly more detailed map of the areas between you and that plaza where you'd run into Louise. If you hurried, you might be able to catch them before they got too far.
On your way out, you said a brief goodbye to Grandma Young, and tried to ignore the worried glances she kept giving your second fox tail. And...you honestly couldn't blame her for being worried.
Unbeknownst to most people, a fox demon’s number of tails symbolized their spiritual power, age and wisdom. Except, you were a 13 year old girl with barely any wisdom to speak of, and you had the spiritual power of a rock. A normal rock. Not even one of those cool ones with runes carved into them.
So why was it that you were able to grow a second tail so soon? Maybe it had something to do with the unusual method that was used to grant you the power of Ami Han. If you were awakening to some sort of latent spiritual potential, then that would mean that your body would have to slowly change in order to accommodate for all that energy that was welling up inside you.
And what exactly was a Kumiho with loads of spiritual power, but none of the wisdom required to properly utilize it? It was like building a killer robot with all sorts of gadgets and weapons, and then telling them to go around beating people up with nothing but their hands and feet.
You’d been told that Ami Han was a powerful demon, and an impressive Onmyo. Without any of her practical experience, you possessed nothing more than a fraction of her physical strength. You were a human borrowing a demon’s spiritual power. That was all. At least, that’s what you told yourself in order to distract your mind from the itching sensation you felt in your lower back.
—--------
(Cont.)
“That’s really him?” you asked a skeletal bird with whom you were sharing its perch atop a neon green sign for what you thought was a noodle shop. You were pretty sure you were the only one that could see it, so you kept your voice low.
The boney bird gestured insistently, pointing with its beak at a rapidly moving dot in the distance. You pulled your dubious gaze away from the bird and narrowed your eyes at the relatively small figure.
“Have faith, child.” Mercy admonished.
“It never hurts to look at things subjectively, you know.” you retorted, patting the bird on the head and slinging a bolt of a cloth at a nearby building.
“Are your so-called ‘teachers’ the ones putting such heretical thoughts in your head, girl?”
You pushed off from the sign, swung down, and flung yourself into the air in an upward arc.
“Believe it or not, independent thinking is pretty encouraged these days.” you said, bounding off the top of a water tower, and zipping from rooftop to rooftop by…
Were you…running on all fours? When had that happened?
You caught yourself, went back to swinging, and reserved a bit of your attention to making note of any other “unusual behaviors”.
“Your world must be a chaotic one.” Mercy decided. “It is no wonder that our lord summoned me.”
“No arguments here.” you admitted, keeping a close eye on the figure that you were rapidly approaching.
By the time you were close enough to recognize him, he had already spotted you, and was headed right for you!
“Cindy!” Ben shouted, before snatching you out of the air and pulling you into a loving embrace.
“Hey, Ben. I’m glad you’re okay.” you whispered, hugging him tightly as he swung the two of you to safety.
“That’s my line.” he said, sounding more than a little exasperated. “I leave for five minutes, and the entire city gets attacked by zombies!”
You laughed and pulled back so that you could get a better look at him. His suit had sustained more damage, but he didn’t look too worse for wear.
“Are you hurt? Is that a second tail?” he asked, frantically looking you up and down.
Feeling a little embarrassed, you pushed off of him and took a step back.
“I’m fine. And forget the second tail for a second.” you insisted, scanning the area for the presence of Ana, James, or the other two Kaiju that went with him. “Where are the others?”
"They'll catch up. Annie and Edward Scissorhands stayed behind to help Mekara and Aegis clear out some of those zombies." he quickly explained.
You nodded.
"Got it. We'll have to link back up with them after we find the others."
You just hoped that you could find them in time...
—---------
(Cont.)
All things considered, Ben didn’t take the news of your second, and (possibly) third tail too poorly. He seemed more concerned with your immediate well-being than any future problems further down the line. You kept reassuring him that you were fine, but according to both Ben and Mercy, you apparently had a history of ignoring your own injuries. On that, the two of them could agree, even if they’ve never had a proper conversation with one another.
You were about to consider introducing them, when you noticed your ethereal guide disperse upon coming in contact with a giant red bird-woman carrying a shaggy black dog and a buff, helmeted zombie. You were very nearly swept away by a single flap of her mighty wings, and she looked just as surprised to see you as well. But nothing compared to the reaction that Ben and Louise shared when they recognized each other.
“Louise!? What’re you doing here?” Ben asked, clinging beside you on a sheer vertical surface.
The French vampiress moved so fast that you could barely see it, reappearing in front of you and Ben and wrapping her arms around you both. She lavished you with kisses, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the ticklish sensation that she was giving you. Ben was similarly flustered by her sudden appearance, and her even more sudden display of affection.
“Monsieur Huntsman! Petit Cindy! It is good to see you both!” she exclaimed, not struggling at all to hold your combined weight with her vampiric strength.
“You too! Today’s been chock full of surprises.” he said, rubbing her back with his free hand.
Louise pulled away slightly, but her face was still close enough to the point where he should be able to feel her breath. You were starting to wonder whether that was intentional on her part, when Ben broke eye contact to stare up at the swords she was carrying.
“You kept them.” he observed, a note of pride in his voice.
Still carrying you in her arms, Louise gently floated up to the roof of the building you'd been clinging to, and set you both down.
“Well, of course. They were your final gift to me before my departure.” she insisted. “And I am glad to have been given them, considering the circumstances.”
They both turned to stare out at the city. It was still crawling with zombies, but had gotten a little better, thanks in no small part to your efforts.
“I'm a firm believer in the principle of giving a girl a practical gift that she can actually use.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and the corner of her mouth turned upwards in a slight grin.
“Oh yeah. Doesn't get much more practical than a pair of silver swords, I tell ya.” you said, walking over to give Shaggy a scratch behind the ear. “Hey, old man. You miss me?”
(Cont.)
“I'm afraid I didn't have time to with all the rotters trying to take a bite out of me.” giving you a wry grin before sniffing at your hair. “You smell like your grandmother.”
“Rude.”
“You know what I mean.” he sighed. “How is she?”
“Much better now.” you answered. “I had to use a Bloodstone to get her back in fighting shape, though.”
“Wait…you used a Bloodstone on her!?” he barked. “What happened?”
You frowned down at him as you rose to your full height.
“It was the only thing I had! What was I supposed to do? Let her die?” you snapped.
Shaggy paused, closed his mouth, and lowered his head as a show of begrudging acceptance.
“No...you're right. I’m sorry. If you say that you had no choice, then I believe you.” he decided. “And if that Bloodstone works as advertised, then she’ll be a lot stronger than she has been in the last few decades.”
You nodded eagerly, pointing a finger at your own head.
“Oh, yeah. She aged backwards like fifty years and her hair turned red.”
“That sounds nice.” Deadhead said, his torso clutched tightly in Harpy’s claws. “You think I can get some of that?”
Upon closer inspection, the man's complexion was noticeably less green than it had been the last time you saw him. He was also covered in bite marks that were still in the process of healing over. He was also completely missing his tank top. Harpy hadn't gotten out unscathed either. Many of her bracelets' charms had been torn off at some point, and her bodysuit had been torn round the midsection. She didn't look terribly happy about any of it.
"Your own fault. Gamma poisoning." Harpy mentioned to him.
"Hey! Is that any way to thank me for saving the day?" he asked, jabbing a thumb back at his mask. "I poisoned myself for a good cause."
"It'd be even more impressive if you weren't dying from it." Shaggy put in.
"We're all dying, dog." Deadhead remarked, nodding sagely at his own words of wisdom. "Some of us a little faster than others."
At that, the rest of you joined Ben and Louise in glancing out over the city.
------------
What will you say/do?
>Take a quick break. You could all use a breather.
>Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city.
>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough.
>Beseech Khonshu for an additional boon or further assistance. It might be a little greedy, but you feel like it isn't entirely uncalled for.
>Write-in.
>>6262292>>Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city.job's not finished
>>6262292>Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city.Yeah, this makes the most immediate sense. We’ve looked at the maps and know how our assigned generals will go. We can cover the other areas to clean up quicker.
>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough.Credit where it’s due. Harpy’s got a job with Ben, but we’re giving Deadhead nothing as far as I remember. Everyone is a hero(-ish), they don’t count since they’re clearly deranged to do this for goodness’ sake.
That said, I’d put out there that Varnae is doing something else while we’re busy here. If anyone else has ideas on what his next plan is, or how we could force him into attacking us on our terms, I’m all ears. Maybe Ben “calls a friend” for “the Montesi Formula” and we set up a spell circle trap in a fortified area?
>>6262292>>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough.
>>6262638>>6262663>>6263174>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough.>Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city.Taking these.
I'll also be heading out of the house soon, but I intend to write as much as I can throughout the day so I can make a post sometime in the evening when I get back.
Writing...
You glanced back at Deadhead, and then Harpy, and finally, back to Ben. You inched closer to the man, ever so slightly, and as nonchalant as you could manage. Both he and Louise turned to give you a questioning look.
“Hey, I forgot to mention earlier, but those guys over there were working super hard to keep me and everyone else safe.” you whispered, jabbing a thumb in the odd pair's general direction
Deadhead and Harpy exchanged confused glances before returning their attention to you. Ben gave Louise a questioning look, and the vampiress nodded encouragingly.
“Really?” Ben asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “I was expecting Harpy to stick around, since I scouted her for the team, but…”
Ben eyed Deadhead appraisingly as he walked over to the two, while Harpy’s beady eyes tracked his every movement.
“Ah. She is a member of ‘The Order’ now?” Louise asked, clapping her hands together.
Ben waved a dismissive hand at her.
“No, not that team. But…maybe later.” he amended. “I meant the other one.”
Louise nodded her comprehension and gave him a gentle smile.
“You did good for your first mission, Harpy.” he said, patting the big bird woman on the hand that was holding Deadhead. “Keep it up, and I might just have to throw in a free costume.”
“New clothes…” Harpy purred, her eyes narrowing and unfocusing as if she were in some sort of trance.
“Is that you in there Betty?” Ben laughed. “I bet you like the sound of that.”
“So do I.” Deadhead cut in, displaying his bare chest for all to see. “Zombies’ll grab at anything they can reach. Even your most comfortable tank top.”
Making new clothes shouldn't be any problem with Mercy around, but you didn’t want to interrupt this little moment just to say that.
“You doing alright, Deadhead? You're looking a little green.” he said, gesturing at the odd coloring of his skin. The man was practically covered in teeth and claw marks, but, all things considered, he was healing remarkably well.
“Hulk blood's a hell of a drug.” he remarked, shaking his head. “Nasty side effects, but I bet it'd make a killer Mountain Dew flavor.”
“I'll take your word for it, bud.” Ben replied. “Still, I didn't expect you to be out here helping like this. I don’t know what that Blood Witch is promising you, because I sure hope it's worth it.”
Deadhead paused for a moment, and then just shrugged.
“Come on. You'd have to be a real asshole to just walk right on by while an even bigger asshole is threatening the planet.” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Besides, I've…kinda got people out there that I kinda care about too.”
You, Ben and Louise were all privately amused by the awkwardness of that statement, but then the hulking half-naked merc added something else.
“I guess you guys are cool too.”
You got the impression that Ben was smiling under his mask when he quickly whipped out a business card.
“If you think we’re so cool, perhaps you’d be interested in doing some work for my organization.” Ben offered.
Deadhead stared down at his card for several seconds, before slowly taking it out of his hands.
“What kind of work? You part of some merc company, or something?” he asked, turning the business card over a few times.
“Pretty much, yeah. We're a small business, but we've had some pretty nice returns on our investments.” Ben began. “We provide private security, regularly engage in asset retrieval operations, and, occasionally, assist in disaster relief if we happen to be in the area during a job.”
“Huh.” Deadhead intoned flatly, glancing between you and the card. “‘Desperados’, huh? Is this you offering me a job?”
“It's whatever you want it to be.” Ben said with a shrug. “I'd have to conduct a small interview if you wanted to form lasting ties with the team, but I've got a good feeling about you.”
Deadhead stared around at everyone, and found that no one had any objections to offer. Not even Harpy, his day one hater.
You gave him two thumbs up and an encouraging smile. Deadhead looked back at the card, and then down at himself.
“I appreciate the offer, but uhhh…I don't really have anywhere to put this.”
Ben webbed it to his chest without hesitation. Deadhead paused, stared down at it, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, fine. You've twisted my arm.” he declared, throwing his hands up. “If you want me to join so badly, then I guess I'll think about taking you up on your offer.”
You shook your head. Despite his words, Deadhead seemed to appreciate Ben asking him to stick around.
“Glad to hear it.” Ben agreed. “But before that, we should probably get you some new clothes.”
Then, he began weaving his webs together in order to create a new tank top for the man. Without warning, Mercy reached out to intercept his webs, pulling them apart and reweaving them into a more quality fabric. The sudden act surprised you as much as it did everyone else.
Harpy released her grip on Deadhead, allowing you and Mercy to repair what was left of his pants with stylish spider-web patterned patches. By the time you were done, Deadhead looked as if he were wearing a spider silk fishnet shirt, along with a pair of blue and white camo pants.
“Hot damn! I should hire you two as my personal tailors.” Deadhead said, admiring his and Mercy’s handiwork.
“Uh…you're welcome. I think...”
The others turned to stare at you, and you gave them an innocent shrug and a laugh that you hoped came off as only slightly nervous.
(Cont.)
“Heh! Glad you like it! We should probably get moving so we can meet up with the others.” you suggested, desperate to keep their attention off of Mercy. You still haven't explained to them her exact nature, and you felt that now wasn't a good time to approach that topic.
“Good idea.” Ben agreed, likely trying to cover for you. He really was a sweetheart.
“But before that,” he went on, pulling out his portal projector. “Let’s take a little field trip through the Desperados’ armory.”
Deadhead chuckled and rubbed his hands together.
“Now you're speaking my language.”
‐—----
What will your approach to combat be?
>Go in guns blazing with some alien weaponry you borrowed from Ben's stash.
>Focus on displacing and disabling targets to make everyone else's lives easier.
>Feed Mercy a bunch of fabric so that you and she can bulk up and have your own Hulk Out!
>Weave your way between the zombies at full speed, all while landing precise hits with your Atlantean sword.
>Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be.
>>6263845>>Feed Mercy a bunch of fabric so that you and she can bulk up and have your own Hulk Out!
Made some changes to the Equipment doc! The Alien Arsenal has been properly accounted for and categorized! I've also included Cindy's Inventory so the players can check it at their leisure.
Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd
Yay for being home and having decent wi-fi again!
>>6263845>Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be.I did say I’d be more comfortable with drawing out our fox powers since Khonshu implied all this fighting would cost us when it came time to fight Varnae. The party could also use more crowd-based DPS, and foxfire seems good for that. Maybe our grandma can meditate with us as we figure it out so we don’t draw out other unwanted aspects? I can’t see her being overpowered by us now that she’s been Bloodstone’d.
Spread some web bombs and shrapnel/arc grenades to everyone for additional CC, a gun for everyone as a fallback ranged option, and see if our grandma wants the staff since we have our sword. Alternately, maybe it can join to the silver swords so Louise can switch between swords, halberds, and dual blades (whatever Kratos had in GoW). We still don’t know how that staff works besides guessing it switches forms, but grandma will know for certain since it’s from her shop.
>>6263914nice. one less thing off our "to do" list. I like the riot shield, ben's good with those
>>6263848imma preemptively swap to this
>>6263979 it's probably better
>>6263979>>6264075>Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be.>Spread some web bombs and shrapnel/arc grenades to everyone for additional CC, a gun for everyone as a fallback ranged option, and see if our grandma wants the staff since we have our sword. Alternately, maybe it can join to the silver swords so Louise can switch between swords, halberds, and dual blades (whatever Kratos had in GoW). We still don’t know how that staff works besides guessing it switches forms, but grandma will know for certain since it’s from her shop.I see we're giving the fox powers a try! Writing...
>>6263979Welcome back! There are quite a few interesting things you can do with Kitsunebi if you have a skilled user. And Granny Young would should have an easier time apprehending someone like Cindy in her current state. The nature of her chi seems to have changed as a result of her connection to the Bloodstone.
>nice. one less thing off our "to do" list. I like the riot shield, ben's good with thoseVery true! Ben has a rare natural talent for using them.
As Deadhead and Louise helped themselves to Ben's arsenal of alien weaponry, you decided to stay behind and discuss something with Shaggy.
“You want me to what?” he asked, giving you an incredulous look.
“I want you to help me draw out more fox power.” you pleaded.
“Am I the only one here who remembers where that power comes from? Who it belongs to.” he said, just to make sure that he heard you right. “Let me remind you, then. Ami Han. The White Fox. The Thousand Tailed Trickster. One of the most talented Onmyōdō practitioners to have ever lived.”
You nodded, holding his gaze.
“Yeah, I know. But since I can't help the fact that our souls are linked, and the world is about to be overrun with vampires from a hell dimension if we don't do anything to stop Varnae, I've come to the conclusion that it's a risk worth taking.”
He continued to stare at you, but you knew that he wouldn't have a proper comeback for the solid point that you just made.
“Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take? The more power you take, the deeper your connection grows. And you aren't the only one who can take advantage of this situation.” he warned. “Ami Han will be able to sense you tapping into her power, from wherever she is.”
“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.” you decided. “It's like you said before. I've got friends and family who would do anything for me. I’m probably gonna have to confront Ami Han someday, but at least I won't have to do it alone.”
You glanced over at the swirling portal, where Louise was exiting with some sort of sci-fi crossbow and two blaster pistols. Standing beside the portal was Harpy, who had multiple plasma rifles strapped to her back, and two plasma pistols to her legs.
Shaggy let out a weary sigh and sat down.
“Very well. If that’s what you want, then you’d better ditch the sword.” he suggested, pointing his nose towards the golden blade. “We don’t want anything interfering with your abilities.”
You nodded, removed the sword from your hip, and ran over to Louise.
“Hey Louise! Wanna trade?” you asked, showing her your sword. “It’s Atlantean steel, so it cuts through and disrupts magic. And this staff on my back is supposed to be able to turn into different weapons. I haven’t tried it yet, though…”
“Of course. So long as you let me feel your ears later.” Louise proposed.
You moved to cover them, but managed to stop your hands halfway.
“What is your obsession with my ears?” you accused.
“I cannot help it! They look so soft!” Louise said, smiling as she reached up and drew both silver swords. She then laid them both flat in her hands and offered them to you. You returned her smile and exchanged your own weapons for hers.
Afterwards, you ran back over to Shaggy with a pair of silver swords strapped to your back.
“Done.” you announced. “What's that you've got there?”
(Cont.)
As Deadhead and Louise helped themselves to Ben's arsenal of alien weaponry, you decided to stay behind and discuss something with Shaggy.
“You want me to what?” he asked, giving you an incredulous look.
“I want you to help me draw out more fox power.” you pleaded.
“Am I the only one here who remembers where that power comes from? Who it belongs to.” he said, just to make sure that he heard you right. “Let me remind you, then. Ami Han. The White Fox. The Thousand Tailed Trickster. One of the most talented Onmyōdō practitioners to have ever lived.”
You nodded, holding his gaze.
“Yeah, I know. But since I can't help the fact that our souls are linked, and the world is about to be overrun with vampires from a hell dimension if we don't do anything to stop Varnae, I've come to the conclusion that it's a risk worth taking.”
He continued to stare at you, but you knew that he wouldn't have a proper comeback for the solid point that you just made.
“Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take? The more power you take, the deeper your connection grows. And you aren't the only one who can take advantage of this situation.” he warned. “Ami Han will be able to sense you tapping into her power, from wherever she is.”
“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.” you decided. “It's like you said before. I've got friends and family who would do anything for me. I’m probably gonna have to confront Ami Han someday, but at least I won't have to do it alone.”
You glanced over at the swirling portal, where Louise was exiting with some sort of sci-fi crossbow and two blaster pistols. Standing beside the portal was Harpy, who had multiple plasma rifles strapped to her back, and two plasma pistols to her legs.
Shaggy let out a weary sigh and sat down.
“Very well. If that’s what you want, then you’d better ditch the sword.” he suggested, pointing his nose towards the golden blade. “We don’t want anything interfering with your abilities.”
You nodded, removed the sword from your hip, and ran over to Louise.
“Hey Louise! Wanna trade?” you asked, showing her your sword. “It’s Atlantean steel, so it cuts through and disrupts magic. And this staff on my back is supposed to be able to turn into different weapons. I haven’t tried it yet, though…”
“Of course. So long as you let me feel your ears later.” Louise proposed.
You moved to cover them, but managed to stop your hands halfway.
“What is your obsession with my ears?” you accused.
“I cannot help it! They look so soft!” Louise said, smiling as she reached up and drew both silver swords. She then laid them both flat in her hands and offered them to you. You returned her smile and exchanged your own weapons for hers.
Afterwards, you ran back over to Shaggy with a pair of silver swords strapped to your back.
“Done.” you announced. “What's that you've got there?”
(Cont)
Shaggy was now holding the chain of one of his charms in his mouth. It looked like a tiny locket.
“Spiritual power comes from within, so we must prepare your mind for introspective meditation.”
You raised an eyebrow and knelt down to sit on the floor with your legs crossed.
“Is that really how it works?” you asked, trying not to sound too skeptical.
The black dog gave you an admonishing look.
“Your body is changing in ways that neither of us can fully predict. A proper warrior shouldn't expect to be able to expertly wield an unfamiliar weapon with a body that they aren't entirely comfortable with.”
You draped both tails over your legs and began to rub them self-consciously. He might have a point there.
“If you're ready to come to terms with your new body, then I'll support you.” he went on. “If you ever want to become as strong as your grandmother, then you must learn to accept everything about yourself. The good and the bad. You will always be yourself, even if your sense of self is constantly shifting.”
You stared down at your clawed hands, wondering if you could ever fully accept a version of yourself that you had no part in developing. You didn’t want to. Because the fact that someone else was capable of changing your life so easily made you feel helpless.
There might be no going back. But so what if there wasn't! No matter what happens to you or what you become, you'll always be Cindy Moon. And there'll always be people that care about you enough to pull you back from whatever dark path you might stumble down.
You cupped one hand under the other, resting them both over your stomach. You closed your eyes, breathed in deep, and let it out slowly after about ten seconds.
“Thank you. I'm ready now.” you declared.
Shaggy responded by moving his head from side to side, and causing the pendulum to swing gently. You allowed your eyes to follow the pendulum, feeling your heart relax as your focus became incredibly singular.
You were no longer thinking of drafts for upcoming essays, or the unfinished homework you had waiting for you. Instead, your awareness of your own body was being heightened by the hypnotic rhythm of the pendulum.
You weren’t susceptible enough to be made to cluck like a chicken like some people, but since this fell further into the category of guided meditation, you felt more comfortable with participating.
“Close your eyes, and focus on breathing.” Shaggy slowly said. “Just breathe.”
You did so, breathing in and out slowly for at least a minute.
“Feel the air pumping in and out of your lungs. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Feel the very beating of your heart. Do they feel any different than before?”[/]
“...No. My heartbeat is a little faster than normal.”
“That's normal.” Shaggy said. “But you know your body better than anyone. What's different this time?”
(Cont.)
Shaggy was now holding the chain of one of his charms in his mouth. It looked like a tiny locket.
“Spiritual power comes from within, so we must prepare your mind for introspective meditation.”
You raised an eyebrow and knelt down to sit on the floor with your legs crossed.
“Is that really how it works?” you asked, trying not to sound too skeptical.
The black dog gave you an admonishing look.
“Your body is changing in ways that neither of us can fully predict. A proper warrior shouldn't expect to be able to expertly wield an unfamiliar weapon with a body that they aren't entirely comfortable with.”
You draped both tails over your legs and began to rub them self-consciously. He might have a point there.
“If you're ready to come to terms with your new body, then I'll support you.” he went on. “If you ever want to become as strong as your grandmother, then you must learn to accept everything about yourself. The good and the bad. You will always be yourself, even if your sense of self is constantly shifting.”
You stared down at your clawed hands, wondering if you could ever fully accept a version of yourself that you had no part in developing. You didn’t want to. Because the fact that someone else was capable of changing your life so easily made you feel helpless.
There might be no going back. But so what if there wasn't! No matter what happens to you or what you become, you'll always be Cindy Moon. And there'll always be people that care about you enough to pull you back from whatever dark path you might stumble down.
You cupped one hand under the other, resting them both over your stomach. You closed your eyes, breathed in deep, and let it out slowly after about ten seconds.
“Thank you. I'm ready now.” you declared.
Shaggy responded by moving his head from side to side, and causing the pendulum to swing gently. You allowed your eyes to follow the pendulum, feeling your heart relax as your focus became incredibly singular.
You were no longer thinking of drafts for upcoming essays, or the unfinished homework you had waiting for you. Instead, your awareness of your own body was being heightened by the hypnotic rhythm of the pendulum.
You weren’t susceptible enough to be made to cluck like a chicken like some people, but since this fell further into the category of guided meditation, you felt more comfortable with participating.
“Close your eyes, and focus on breathing.” Shaggy slowly said. “Just breathe.”
You did so, breathing in and out slowly for at least a minute.
“Feel the air pumping in and out of your lungs. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Feel the very beating of your heart. Do they feel any different than before?”
“...No. My heartbeat is a little faster than normal.”
“That's normal.” Shaggy said. “But you know your body better than anyone. What's different this time?”
(Cont.)
“I feel…warmth–in my stomach. But every now and again, when I breathe a certain way, I feel that warmth travel up through my body. But…when it passes my lips, it turns…really cold.”
“Then focus on that feeling. Lean your head back, and try to breathe like that for as long as you can manage. After every third breath, give us a sharp, heavy breath.”
You did as he said, feeling your lips cool as you spat foxfire straight into the air. You continued doing so, in long streams, and in short bursts. You spread your hands as time went on, focusing only on the feeling of breathing in and out. Eventually, you felt the same itching sensation in your lower back that signified the growth of another tail.
Only, you didn’t fight it this time. You relaxed your entire body, and welcomed the flow of spiritual energy that came with the addition of another tail. And from that tail, came the same sensation that you felt in the very pit of your stomach. Warmth, followed by bitter cold.
Mercy was trembling by this point, but she chose to tough it out instead of immediately panicking like last time. You wished you could promise her that it would be over soon, but you honestly had no idea how long you would have to-
Just then, all three tails brushed against each other, and you felt a jolt as something jumped from your tails and struck the ground.
You opened your eyes and turned around to see a patch of ice rapidly forming at the point of impact. A quick glance at your tails showed a crackling blue energy dancing along your fur. It was like electricity, but it froze things?
Experimentally, you breathed out a large plume of foxfire at a puddle of water, and watched with amazement as it froze over upon contact!
Foxfire was an endothermic flame? Who knew!
What will you do with this new discovery?
>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster.
>Attempt to wreath your hands in foxfire without giving yourself frostbite.
>Practice wielding frozen lightning. That's got to be the coolest upgrade you've gotten so far!
>Write-in.
>>6264355>>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster.
>>6264355>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster.I’m sure Cindy knows that any weapon training starts with fundamentals before you get to the fancy stuff, and control is fundamental.
>>6264356>>6264466>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster.Taking these. I'll post the update after I get home from work in the evening.
>I’m sure Cindy knows that any weapon training starts with fundamentals before you get to the fancy stuff, and control is fundamental.Very true! Cindy must first learn to master herself. Or, at least, her new self!
Tentatively, you rose to your feet, a prickling feeling spreading from your tails as they seemed to produce more and more foxfire without your incentive.
“It's your tails.” Shaggy said.
“Huh?”
“Your tails. They produce foxfire when you rub your tails together.” he explained. “Try to keep that in mind.”
You stared back at your flashy new appendages, and flicked them a couple times for good measure. A bit of foxfire rolled off of one, and you instinctively reached out to touch it. The cool blue flame glommed onto your hand and clung to it like a magnet. It didn't feel anywhere near as cold as it did a moment ago.
You watched as the flames danced along your slender fingers, flexing them a few times for good measure. As you did, the flames crept up your fingers, until the entire glob of foxfire clung to your fingertips. One by one, you folded your fingers down, until the only ones left holding the foxfire in place were your index and middle finger.
Bringing it up to eye level, you waved your fingers back and forth, waiting to see if the flickering orb would detach from your fingers. When that didn’t work, you decided to be a bit more forceful, and flicked your hand at a nearby antenna. For a moment, the foxfire seemed to consume the thin metal wire, causing a thin layer of frost to develop over it.
You were kind of hoping for the entire thing to freeze over…
Your confusion and disappointment must have been evident on your face, because Shaggy chose that moment to speak up.
“By default, foxfire is chilling to the touch.” he said, sliding into the role of lecturer with ease. “But only to living beings. It drains them of their energy. To the undead, however, they would mostly serve as a distraction, or an inconvenience at most.”
“Oh…” you muttered, deflating a bit.
“But…that’s not all they can do, you see. You’re only scratching the surface.” Shaggy put in, leaning in closer. “With enough practice, you can control the temperature of each one. And when a bunch of those little bundles of foxfire get a bit too close to one another…”
“They’ll create a chemical reaction!” you gasped.
Shaggy nodded approvingly, and sat back to watch you experiment.
—-------
Over the next twenty minutes, you learned how to alter the temperature of individual Kitsunebi based on how fast or hard you breathed or knocked your tails together. You also figured out how to alter their trajectory mid-flight, and summon them back to you.
You didn’t know whether it was due to the fact that these things were made using your spiritual power, or if your link with Ami Han was making this process far easier than it would normally be, but you at least found this part to be somewhat intuitive. Shaggy reasoned that most fox kits had at least a fundamental understanding of how to wield their foxfire, so it shouldn’t have been that hard for you to figure it out with a bit of practice.
(Cont.)
That nearly took the wind out of your sails, until you FINALLY managed to recreate the chemical reaction that you were going for!
“Hot Kitsunebi plus Cold Kitsunebi equals…”
You guided both balls of flame closer and closer, until they collided to create a colorful cloud of steam!
“Instant smokescreen!” you cheered, throwing both arms up. As you did, two more bursts of foxfire flew out from your hands, shooting directly upwards in an erratic pattern before exploding in a puff of smoke and colorful sparks!
You, Shaggy, Harpy and Louise all stared up in surprise. You clapped both hands over your mouth, realized that they were far too close to your face after that little incident, and instead decided to hold them at your sides.
When no zombies showed up to attack you, you all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Mm. Pretty.” the dog commented in a bland tone.
The sound of light applause drew your attention to Louise, who was watching you from afar. She had to do something to alleviate her boredom while waiting for Ben and Deadhead to come back out of that portal, after all.
You waved back at her and let out a nervous laugh.
“Thanks. I guess I can shoot firecrackers now too? Those look like they might pack a decent punch.” you speculated.
“They’re better for blinding people, but I suppose you could use fox-light for that instead.” he mused.
“Isn’t that kind of what we’re already doing?” you asked, tilting your head to the side.
Shaggy tutted in a way that left you feeling annoyed.
“Not quite, lass. Foxfire is a very flexible form of magic.” he went on. “Not only can you use it to make soul-chilling flames, but you can also use it to bend light to your will. How do you think those tricky little weasels are always making illusions?”
You just shrugged.
“I dunno. I always thought that fox magic was inherently tricky.”
Shaggy chuckled.
“Well, you’re not wrong there. Tricksters aren’t keen on revealing their secrets, so I suspect that I’ll be learning as much from you as you will from me.”
You gave him a wry grin.
“Aren’t you the sworn enemy of the Kumiho, or something? You can’t expect me to believe that you haven’t picked up on a few of their tricks over the years.”
“I have…but most of them aren’t particularly relevant to our current situation.” he claimed. It was clearly a deflection. “Now, stop wasting time and show us another one of those firecrackers. But do try to make it a lot brighter, and a lot quieter this time?”
“You’re asking an awful lot from a Kumiho in training.” you complained, holding both hands in front of you, and concentrating on making your next foxfire projectile ‘denser’.
You loaded it up with more spiritual power this time, hoping to create an improvised Kitsunebi Flashbang as you fiddled with its chemical makeup. The ball of white foxfire shrank around your fingers, and you tried to focus more energy through it to-
(Cont)
An honest to Khonshu BEAM shot from your finger, zipping over Shaggy’s head and cutting the antennae in half! Everyone froze when they saw that happen. Well…everyone except Shaggy.
The dog was barking up a storm, slinging insults at you and warning you to be extra careful with…whatever it was that you had just done. You stared down at your finger, taking note of the increased draw of spiritual energy that attack had required.
What will you do with your remaining time?
>Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi.
>Perfect your Firecracker Kitsunebi until you can use it as a reliable projectile weapon.
>Experiment with your newly discovered "Kitsunebeam"!
>Write-in.
>>6265317>Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi.
>>6265317>Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi.>Experiment with your newly discovered "Kitsunebeam"!The first one is traditional CC, but a piercing beam is also good against hordes of enemies. I’ll let someone else decide if they want to be SWAT or Yusuke Urameshi.
Also, since I missed commenting on it earlier, I appreciate Mercy being in our inventory and taking up 0 slots. Seems kinda funny to list a character like a gun or gem, but such is her lot in life now.
>>6265322>>6265324>Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi.Taking these. Gonna start writing the big battle post! It probably won't be ready until tomorrow, but I'll try to load it up with a bunch of satisfying action scenes, as well a healthy dose of mid-battle banter!
>>6265324>Also, since I missed commenting on it earlier, I appreciate Mercy being in our inventory and taking up 0 slots. Seems kinda funny to list a character like a gun or gem, but such is her lot in life now.Her being a literal article of clothing makes it more fitting! If Ben obtains a symbiote, I might put his in the "Costume" doc.
Bad news! I'm gonna have to push this update to tomorrow instead! I was busier than I expected to be today, and I don't want to rush the update out. At the very least, though, I can guarantee that the story will be moving along after this.
>>6266580No worries, take your time. It sounds like you’re trying to pack a lot in.
After a brief lecture from Shaggy, you decided to avoid recreating the “Kitsunebeam” as you dubbed it, and instead stuck to developing your crowd control capabilities. It only took a bit of experimenting for you to discover that you could just create two Kitsunebi of opposing temperatures, roll them together, and throw out the combined spirit attack as an improvised smoke bomb.
Compared to that, the Flashbang was significantly harder to create. Your time spent utilizing foxfire was minimal at best, but it was at least better than not having any practice at all. Which is exactly what you had when it came to manipulating foxfire in its pure light form. That was, until Shaggy pointed out that you could place a light orb inside of another Kitsunebi, and just throw that.
This required at least another fifteen minutes of trial and error. The pressure only built up from there, when both Ben and Deadhead emerged from the portal halfway through your training session. They didn't interrupt, and kept to light whispering while they watched, but the fact that all of them were watching you mess up only made you feel more stressed out.
After what felt like an incredibly embarrassing and unusually long passage of time, you managed to envelop a tiny bundle of foxfire inside of a larger ball of flame, and flung it at the side of a nearby building. The result was a brief, but blinding flash of light that would likely disorient anyone who wasn't expecting it. And that would have to do for now.
With some repetition, you had a feeling that you could effortlessly perform these techniques mid combat. And what better way to accomplish that than to slay an army of zombies?
You turned to face your audience. Ben had some kind of shield strapped to one arm, as well as a sword and spear on his back, and two pistols webbed to both of his thighs. And while you thought that he was more than prepared for the battle ahead, Deadhead looked like he was ready to fight an army by himself!
The man had what appeared to be a light machine gun slung across his chest! He carried multiple pistols, a rifle with an absurdly long and pointy barrel, and a wrist mounted device that housed a pair of retractable blades. Both men were armed to the teeth!
You gave them an approving grin.
“Let’s go find our friends.”
—---------
Normally, it might have taken you quite a bit of time to assemble an entire team that was spread out across a city currently being overrun by zombies. But now that you had Shaggy here, you were able to create portals to wherever Harpy reportedly spotted your allies.
Unsurprisingly, she found Ana, James, Mekara and Aegis first. The latter two being the easiest to spot from a distance. As soon as both sides of the portal connected, you leapt back out onto the streets, and started slinging flashbangs around at-
(Cont.)
You froze, and so did everyone else when they emerged from the portal behind you. You were all staring down the barrel of a giant cannon that you belatedly realized was connected to Mekara’s right arm! To her left, Aegis stood at the ready, his eyes glowing an ominous shade of red. You could feel heat building rapidly in the space between you.
But as soon as they recognized you, they immediately lowered their weapons and relaxed.
“Oh! Thank goodness you're all alright//safe//unharmed.” Mekara, glitching slightly as she retracted her gun back into her arm.
Aegis barked out a laugh, his eyes changing from red to blue.
“Say somethin’ sooner next time! We almost barbecued ya!”
The two were currently standing in a small crater, the remains of their foes lying all around them. Some were half buried in the dirt. Others were smashed into pulp or shredded to pieces. As your gaze traveled upwards, however, you noticed two figures staring down at you from the ledge of a rooftop that was parallel to Mekara’s right shoulder.
Ana and James both stood there, expressions of relief barely discernible through all the gore and black ichor covering their bodies. Ben’s huntress girlfriend swiftly folded and put away some kind of high tech bow with a string made of hardlight, and James retracted his bone claws with a slight wince.
“Looks like you guys managed to clean up just fine without us.” Ben remarked, staring around at the destruction, before his gaze finally settled on Ana.
Mekara reached up to where the two were, waited for them to step onto her hand, and lowered them to the ground safely. Ana stepped off right away and went straight for Ben, while you prepared to intercept the grimy blue boy.
“You are alright!” he observed, flashing a pearly white grin at you.
“And I did it all without being bathed in zombie guts.” you bragged, tossing a head full of silver hair.
His smile widened, and this time you returned his gesture.
“I'm glad you're okay too.” you admitted
He opened his mouth to reply, but something going on behind you had apparently grabbed his attention.
“Hey, Ana. I brought-”
Ben got no further than that, because Ana walked right up to him, lifted his mask up, and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. Ben’s eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a startled noise that barely managed to escape the vacuum seal that had formed between his and Ana’s lips.
You could feel your cheeks heating up, and you were about to turn away when you noticed Ana locking eyes with Louise over Ben's shoulder for a brief instant, all without breaking the lip-lock.
Louise’s expression could only be described as…“carefully neutral”, but you thought you noticed a slight twitch from the corner of her mouth as Ana closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Ben's back.
“Wow…” Mekara muttered, bringing up a hand to cover her own mouth.
(Cont.)
Aegis was chuckling to himself. Harpy was staring at the two with her head tilted to the side. And Shaggy and Deadhead looked like they were just waiting for Ben and Ana to finish what they were doing.
James, on the other hand, watched with open interest. As if he were entirely unfamiliar with the intimate act.
Now that you thought about it…he very well might be. A clone mutant with no childhood, and one forced to work for a vampire lord and his cronies. In fact, it might not be too far off to assume that he's had very little intimacy throughout his lifetime. It was just hard to imagine a mutant evil scientist being a supportive father.
You must have been staring a little too long, because he glanced down at you, realized that you had seen him staring, and his face flushed an even deeper shade of blue as his ears flattened and his eyes darted to the side.
You smiled and glanced back at–THEY'RE STILL GOING!?
Finally, they broke the kiss, both looking extremely satisfied.
“Well, hello to you too.” Ben said with a sly grin, before pulling his mask back down.
“I am glad you are both safe.” she said, turning around and reaching up and arm to pat your head.
Her touch was a surprisingly gentle one. It made your head feel warm and fuzzy. Like she was stroking a rabbit. You didn’t know what to make of that, but you thought it was sweet that she was worried about you. You and she haven't really had a chance to hang out much before she had to go back with her father.
Ana removed her hand, and turned back to gesture at the rest of the group.
“And I see you have found friends.”
Louise dipped her head slightly.
“Oui. I am happy to see that you are well, Anastasia.”
“And I, you.” Ana replied, stepping forward to clap a firm hand on her shoulder.
This caused her crosses to jingle slightly. With a polite smile on her face, Louise reached up to unclasp her shawl, and the bundle of dull metal slipped from her shoulders, revealing a dark cloak that was dyed red on the inside, and a sleek, black bodysuit with a red sword logo that could potentially be interpreted as a cross.
Ana’s eyes locked onto it.
“Does that hurt?” she asked, her voice, while relaxed, conveyed genuine concern.
Louise’s smile turned sad then, as she brought her hand up to touch the sword icon.
“If pain is the price that I must pay in order to affirm my faith, then so be it.” she declared. “I refuse to allow my condition to change who I am or what I believe.”
“You and the kid have something in common, then.” Deadhead offered, scanning the area for any threats.
Ben was now giving Louise worried looks, but you could sense real conviction from her words. She wholeheartedly believed that her god must be venerated, no matter the cost.
(Cont.)
“She would make a fine follower of Khonshu…” Mercy whispered.
Aegis was chuckling to himself. Harpy was staring at the two with her head tilted to the side. And Shaggy and Deadhead looked like they were just waiting for Ben and Ana to finish what they were doing.
James, on the other hand, watched with open interest. As if he were entirely unfamiliar with the intimate act.
Now that you thought about it…he very well might be. A clone mutant with no childhood, and one forced to work for a vampire lord and his cronies. In fact, it might not be too far off to assume that he's had very little intimacy throughout his lifetime. It was just hard to imagine a mutant evil scientist being a supportive father.
You must have been staring a little too long, because he glanced down at you, realized that you had seen him staring, and his face flushed an even deeper shade of blue as his ears flattened and his eyes darted to the side.
You smiled and glanced back at–THEY'RE STILL GOING!?
Finally, they broke the kiss, both looking extremely satisfied.
“Well, hello to you too.” Ben said with a sly grin, before pulling his mask back down.
“I am glad you are both safe.” she said, turning around and reaching up and arm to pat your head.
Her touch was a surprisingly gentle one. It made your head feel warm and fuzzy. Like she was stroking a rabbit. You didn’t know what to make of that, but you thought it was sweet that she was worried about you. You and she haven't really had a chance to hang out much before she had to go back with her father.
Ana removed her hand, and turned back to gesture at the rest of the group.
“And I see you have found friends.”
Louise dipped her head slightly.
“Oui. I am happy to see that you are well, Anastasia.”
“And I, you.” Ana replied, stepping forward to clap a firm hand on her shoulder.
This caused her crosses to jingle slightly. With a polite smile on her face, Louise reached up to unclasp her shawl, and the bundle of dull metal slipped from her shoulders, revealing a dark cloak that was dyed red on the inside, and a sleek, black bodysuit with a red sword logo that could potentially be interpreted as a cross.
Ana’s eyes locked onto it.
“Does that hurt?” she asked, her voice, while relaxed, conveyed genuine concern.
Louise’s smile turned sad then, as she brought her hand up to touch the sword icon.
“If pain is the price that I must pay in order to affirm my faith, then so be it.” she declared. “I refuse to allow my condition to change who I am or what I believe.”
“You and the kid have something in common, then.” Deadhead offered, scanning the area for any threats.
Ben was now giving Louise worried looks, but you could sense real conviction from her words. She wholeheartedly believed that her god must be venerated, no matter the cost.
“She would make a fine follower of Khonshu…” Mercy whispered.
(Cont.)
Khonshu probably thought so too, but you couldn't imagine how you would even begin to preach your faith to someone so assured in their own. You've never actually converted anyone before.
Ana took a step back from Louise and infiltrated Ben’s personal bubble with ease.
“We don’t have much time to waste.” she proclaimed, reaching behind Ben’s head to grab the spear from its place on his back. She inspected it, saw the Bolter strapped to his thigh and took that as well.
She then motioned to Deadhead and pointed at the Laser Lance he had slung over his shoulder.
“Walker. Are you using that?” she asked.
“Yeah, I'm gonna use it later.” he answered.
“Either pick the big gun or the rifle. How do you plan on using both?” she pointed out.
“Just go in the portal and get your own.” Deadhead proposed.
“I’ve only got one of those, man.” Ben put in.
“She didn’t have to know that.” Deadhead groaned, shaking his head at him.
“She already knows. She’s been in there before.” he shot back, moving to create a few holsters for Ana out of webbing.
Deadhead jabbed a thumb back at Harpy.
“Why don’t you take one of hers? She’s got like four of them, and she barely needs all that.” he pointed out. “Can she even pull the trigger with those big meat hooks she calls claws?”
As if to demonstrate, Harpy pulled out one of her rifles, and with one hand, she aimed it at Deadhead’s back and slowly pulled the trigger with the tip of her claw. It happened so fast, that you didn’t really get a chance to warn him. Deadhead cursed as soon as the burst of molten plasma slammed into his back. He only stumbled slightly, but that was about it.
“Motherfucker! I just got these clothes!” he snapped back.
“Proving a point.” she replied, replacing the rifle in its web sling.
Aegis gave Mekara a questioning look. The giant robot woman just shrugged.
“I mean…you were kinda asking for it this time.” Ben countered. “If you want me and Cindy to fix your clothes, then all you’ve gotta do is ask.”
“Yeah, it’s no trouble.” you said, hoping Mercy would feel the same.
That was apparently enough to mollify him.
“At least I don’t have to dig the bullet out…” he grumbled, rolling the shoulder that had been hit.
The smell of charred flesh hit your sensitive nose, and you had to fight the urge to take a few steps back. James seemed to be in the same boat, but if you were being entirely honest, this whole zombie invasion has pretty much been a buffet of bad smells, so you couldn’t bring yourself to care too much about this particular one.
“Cindy? I hope you do not take this the wrong way…but your friends are quite strange.” James observed.
“You have no idea.” you said, shaking your head at them.
(Cont.)
After another minute of arguing, Deadhead finally gave up the rifle and got Ben’s sword as recompense. And it was a good thing too, because Shaggy was starting to get impatient.
“Everyone ready?” Louise asked.
She got a mix of nods and verbal confirmations, so she took that as a unanimous “yes”.
“Good. Allons-y!” she said, brandishing the Staff of Mercurial Form. It shifted into a heavy maul, which, judging by her expression, must not have been what she was going for.
—-------
Due to the sheer size of the giant robot duo, Shaggy’s portals were no longer a viable option for moving the team around. So, those with low mobility were placed on Mekara and Aegis’ shoulders. So, aside from Deadhead and Shaggy, you were all pretty much able to move around independently. And when you finally reached a street that was jam packed with zombies, only then did you get a chance to see what Kaiju King’s elite soldiers could do.
“Fire-in-the-hole!” Aegis shouted, before a crimson beam of energy erupted from his eyes and trailed up the street, obliterating anything in its path!
Harpy joined him, a ray of pure gamma energy bursting forth from her mouth and pulverizing any zombie unlucky enough to have been in her way. With just the two of them, the main street had almost been completely cleared out! Soon afterwards, however, more zombies flooded the street, having been drawn out due to all the commotion.
From your elevated position, you threw out a few flashbangs, leaving a good chunk of them either stunned or momentarily distracted. Deadhead took that opportunity to let loose with his LMG. A constant stream of plasma bolts erupted from the barrel, riddling the zombies’ bodies with holes. Every now and again, the gun would start to overheat, and Mekara would take over by providing an amount of raw firepower that was nothing short of oppressive. It was a target rich environment, and due to Ben boxing them in with well-placed lines of fire and tethering them together with his webs, there was little room for anything to escape their onslaught.
Ana sniped the stragglers from nearby, while Louise swooped down from the sky to clean up the zombies that were climbing up to get to you. She mainly used the Orichalcum sword, but would occasionally experiment with the shapeshifting weapon you’d lent her. She clearly wasn’t getting the weapons that she was trying for, but she was at least knowledgeable enough to use almost anything that was put into her hands.
James was switching between moving to protect you and Ana, and going back to check on Shaggy. The old black dog currently couldn't contribute much without getting in the way, but that didn't seem to bother him much.
(Cont.)
The group pushed forward steadily, trying to keep structural damage to a minimum. That limited Ben and Mekara’s options, but it didn’t diminish their effectiveness in combat. Ben was always careful with how he used his flames, and Mekara never used her rockets unless it was in an open area. Whenever the big hordes would come out, your job was to throw out a couple flashbangs, flood the street with smoke, and spread some fox lights around so that their silhouettes would remain well lit. This limited the enemy’s visibility, and all but destroyed any sense of direction that they might still possess. The cleanup crew would take care of the rest.
This process continued for about forty minutes when you eventually reached a courtyard that was filled to the brim with zombies.
“I swear, there’s no end to ‘em!” Aegis complained, carving a line of carnage across the awaiting horde.
“Well what did you expect?” Mekara replied, firing both cannons and a cluster of missiles into them. “The whole city’s overrun//infested with them!”
“Only two this time!” Ben observed, swinging into action and spraying a stream of green flames out of his palm. “Your stutter’s getting better.”
“Whose?” Mekara asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Deadhead just laughed as he leapt from his perch, landed with a heavy thud, and started unloading. He cut down row after row of the undead, but he was still only seconds away from being overwhelmed.
“Focus on that side! We will cover you!” Louise shouted, dropping you down beside him.
Ana joined the group a moment later, her collapsible spear in hand.
“Copy!” Deadhead shouted back, panning his gun to the right, where the zombies were attempting to flank your position.
You opened the fight by spraying a wave of crackling flashbangs in an attempt to combine the firecracker and light forms. This distracted the zombies long enough for Louise and Ana to jump in and take a few of them out. Louise was now wielding a claymore of immense size, and was likely only able to wield it due to her vampiric strength.
By the time that they were recovering, you were already slashing into them with your newly acquired silver swords.
“Hit the deck!” Deadhead called out, and none of you hesitated to listen. A moment later, you watched as a volley of green plasma bolts slammed into the zombies before you. When it had passed, you rose to your full height and sprayed out another wave of foxfire.
The zombies found themselves stunned once more, were quickly dispatched by the ladies fighting alongside you, and then blasted by the gun-toting mercenary stationed behind you. The four of you found a strange rhythm with this method, and were even able to attack from below while waiting for Deadhead's laser fire to pass.
(Cont.)
After several minutes had passed, and you found yourselves pushing forward ever so slightly, Ben swung back around and started setting up tripwires and snares to slow the horde down.
That gave you all some more room to breathe, and things got a lot easier when the man himself joined you on the ground, with shield and plasma pistol in hand.
“Did ya miss me?” Ben asked before throwing the shield into the face of an approaching zombie.
It ricocheted into the heads of several more before Ben reeled it back in with a webline. He was surprisingly good at using that thing.
“Of course. We've been needing a vanguard.” you said with a smirk.
Louise put away her transforming weapon, replaced it with the Atlantean steel sword and slashed out with it so fast that her form blurred. She repeated the arcing slash, carving through a row of zombies each time. This unfortunately did nothing to stop the next row of zombies from coming at her, but she was quick enough to get out of the way in time for Ben to intercept them with a wide sweep from his shield.
Whichever ones he didn't kill from blunt trauma, Ana would step in to finish them with a precise stab from her spear. Your arms never stopped moving as you leaned into your training and allowed Mercy to watch your back. You've never worked with a partner this closely before, but you were starting to realize that this was something you never knew you needed. It was like an instant early warning signal.
Whichever part of you the enemy was aiming at, would vibrate as per Mercy’s command, giving you enough time to properly react to it. Was this how Ben felt all the time?
“Gimme some room!” Deadhead demanded, stepping forward to mow this horde straight down the middle.
Taking the cue, you and Louise took to one side, while Ben and Ana took to the other. For a short while, you and your partner were nothing more than a blur of flashing steel, white hair and black fabric. There wasn’t a thing, dead or alive, that could get close enough to touch you without being eviscerated in short order.
Every now and again, Louise would give you some room to release more foxfire, but you were starting to get comfortable enough to the point where you could disperse the ghostly material by flicking your tails at them.
“Fall back! Fall back!” Shaggy called out, having jumped down from his place on Mekara’s shoulder at some point. James was standing beside him, wildly swinging his claws at anything that managed to get past you guys.
They were both standing by a swirling blue portal. Shaggy's work. You didn’t know where it led, but you trusted Shaggy enough to take his advice.
“Everyone! Fall back!” you supported.
(Cont.)
There was a moment of hesitation, but everyone on the ground seemed to comply with the command as they started to backtrack whilst keeping the horde at bay. Louise threw out several shrapnel grenades, and Ben copied her by tethering a few of his own together and tossing them out like a pair of bolas.
Multiple explosions rang out, and the resulting bombardment gave you enough room to pull out a few of the explosive potions you borrowed from Young's shop. The detonations you created were notably more colorful than the others, but no less destructive.
Deadhead tried to cover you all by spraying fire back and forth, but even you could see that the barrel was getting far too hot from all the constant laser fire. So, everyone made a break for the portal and dove in one by one.
When you reached the other side, you noticed that you were…on the other side of the courtyard? Shaggy had repositioned you all behind the enemy!
“Good plan.” Ana said, pulling out her Laser Lance and firing off some quick shots at the zombies’ backs.
“Would ya mind?” Deadhead asked, pulling his barrel up to your eye level.
You were confused for a second, before you realized what it was that he was asking you to do, and breathed a plume of foxfire at the overheated barrel.
The metal hissed as it quickly cooled, and the man, once he was satisfied, went right back firing into the horde.
“GET SOME! GET SOME!”
Alongside him, Ben projected a bar of green flame between himself and the zombies, setting them ablaze with ease. Harpy rained death down from above with gamma beams and plasma fire. Louise flew up to her, removed one of the rifles from her back, and started providing air support as well.
James moved to stand beside you, his bone claws extended in anticipation. He was waiting for you to finish throwing out flashbangs before he dove right in.
In the back, the undead were currently being obliterated by Mekara’s heavy artillery and Aegis’ laser vision. Shaggy had maneuvered the group into an effective pincer, and it caused a divide between your forces and theirs. The zombies looked like they were having trouble deciding whether to prioritize the giant death machines raining fire down upon them, or the more vulnerable group positioned behind them.
No one declared it outright, but you had a good feeling that this would all be over very soon.
—---
Block by block, street by street, your team cleared out as many zombies as you possibly could for the next four hours. During this time, you rendezvoused with the Salamander girl's forces and the small strike team that the Were-Rat had put together. Thanks to those sewer grates that you clogged up with your Sap Gloves, they managed to secure multiple routes leading between the Kaiju King's castle and some of the various shelters set up throughout the city.
(Cont.)
Ben helped arm those that didn't have proper weapons with some of the guns that none of you were using. Even Harpy was made to give up some of hers, but it was generally agreed upon that she didn’t really need them.
The deeper you got into the city, the more the hordes seemed to thin out. And you quickly found out why when you saw Young practically vaporizing a group of undead with a powerful pulse of her own Ki!
Man, that Bloodstone was really putting in some work…
The way she fought was entirely different from before. Gone was her sense of calm and tranquility. Her whole body radiated with malice and hatred. You sense it in her Ki. You've never seen her this angry before…
Everyone was stunned by what they saw, but you were the first one to take a step forward. Your grandmother turned on you with blood red eyes, and for a moment, you were afraid that she might forget herself and-
Young took a shuddering breath and blinked several times to clear her vision.
“Cindy! You brought backup.” she said with a sigh, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she did. “Good.”
Shaggy trotted up behind you, staring up at his master.
“I see that you’re in good health.” he observed.
“I wish I could say the same for you, you old mutt.” she said, leaning down to pat his head. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
“Of course. She might be giving me orders someday, so I figured I’d try and get on her good side.”
She smiled at him and straightened her back, returning her attention to you.
“I swear, her grandma gets sexier every time I see her.” Deadhead whispered, earning him an elbow from Ben and Louise. “What? I'm not wrong.”
You decided to ignore that in favor of hugging your grandmother.
“Do you feel okay?” you asked cautiously.
“I should be asking you that.” she said, carefully avoiding the question. “You have done well in assembling this many. Our medical tent was overrun, and we were forced to flee deeper into the city.”
You glanced past her to see a group of civilians hiding inside of a barricaded building.
“But, more importantly,” she went on. “I believe I have located Simon Garth. He is still in the city.”
“I knew it!” Deadhead shouted. “I should've killed that rat bastard when I still had the chance!”
Ed the Ware-Rat turned to stare at him, and the two shared a look.
“Not you! The other one, that's missing half a fucking face!”
“Must you shout?” Louise asked irritably, covering both her ears.
“He is right.” Ana offered. “He is too dangerous to be left alive.”
“Normally, I would agree.” Young added. “But I do not believe that he is entirely at fault.”
Everyone gave her a confused look, you included.
“Cindy, do you remember that amulet he wore to the summit?” she asked.
(Cont.)
You closed your eyes for a second, easily recalling the amulet's appearance. Even the minor details remained fresh in your mind.
“Yeah. Why?” you said.
“Do you think you could draw it for me?”
—-----
“I don’t believe it…” Shaggy said, his eyes growing wide as he examined your depiction of the amulet.
“As I suspected.” Young nodded.
Even you were starting to realize what she was getting at.
“I've seen this before. In one of my mom's books.” you said, bringing a hand up to your mouth. “This is used by enchanters and illusion specialists to control the wearer!”
“Hold up.” Ben cut in. “You're saying that someone's been controlling him this entire time?”
“And I bet we know who.” Young said, narrowing her eyes in anger.
“Varnae…” James breathed.
That caused a stir, through which only the giant robots could be heard.
“I'm gettin’ real tired of hearing this Varnae guy's name…!” he growled.
“You and me both.” Mekara agreed, her hands balling into fists.
That's how Varnae's been spying on you this whole time! He didn't have a mole, but he was able to see through Simon's eyes! And if you could remove the amulet from around his neck, then maybe you could regain control of the city.
How would you like to approach this?
>Go out to meet face Simon as a distraction, while Ben steals the amulet out from under his nose.
>Allow Ana to take him out from afar. You can't allow Varnae to keep using Simon to terrorize the city.
>Let Grandma Young deal with him on her own terms. She'll need you to create space for her, though.
>Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae.
>Write-in.
>>6267560>>Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae.we kinda gave away the chance to catch himmoff guard to save the city. this seems like a good alternative
I wouldn’t mind revisiting that “convert Louise” idea in the near future. She’ll never put him above her god, but I don’t think Khonshu would mind as long as she upholds his ideals. She’s already doing some of them!
>>6267560>Go out to meet face Simon as a distraction, while Ben steals the amulet out from under his nose.>Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae.I’m waffling between these two. I’m sure Simon could tell Varnae we’re attacking him, and if it’s just us and Ben then he might pull some forces away to eliminate us. He’s gotta be frustrated that we’ve managed to survive multiple ambushes, saved the rest of the council, and rallied the city well enough that we can attack him now. Anyone he sends over would have to be powerful enough to ensure the job gets done unlike all those other times, and those are pieces that he can’t use elsewhere. The rest can proceed with attacking Varnae.
On the other hand, the city can likely hold its own now and splitting the group means this will go on longer.
>>6267565>>6267877>Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae.If you guys choose this option, then you will also be given a bit of downtime to prepare a surprise of your own for Varnae. Either that, or you could socialize a bit, or we could just fast forward to the part where you try and inflict a curse on Varnae.
>I wouldn’t mind revisiting that “convert Louise” idea in the near future. She’ll never put him above her god, but I don’t think Khonshu would mind as long as she upholds his ideals. She’s already doing some of them!It's definitely an idea worth pursuing. Currently, Louise is acting independently of her order, but still clings to her beliefs.
>He’s gotta be frustrated that we’ve managed to survive multiple ambushes, saved the rest of the council, and rallied the city well enough that we can attack him now.Varnae has very good reason to be infuriated with Cindy. Especially due to the fact that he hadn't accounted for her throwing this large of a wrench into his plans.
>>6268015>If you guys choose this option, then you will also be given a bit of downtime to prepare a surprise of your own for Varnae.well, i won't say no to that. idk what though, getting Ben to carry our squad to the fight seems like a given. something with potions, or fox magic? guess we'll see
>>6268021Well, we do know about the Montesi Formula now. Varnae would know it was BS that we had it, but if the rest of the vamps “know” we’re preparing it somewhere then he’ll have to mobilize his main force to crush whatever we build. The alternative is to admit he lied about The Slayer having the formula to unite the vamps under him, and that’s not a real option. Especially since he may wonder if we found it after all.
See if Ward or his sister can pass along news that we have the formula and we’re building the spell circle somewhere we can fortify. Hell, make it a real incantation that seals or generally harms nearby undead even if it won’t kill them. The only one who might be impacted in our party is Deadhead. Louise, Khonshu, and Grandma Young should know enough to make something workable.
>>6268062we don't know what that formula actually entails though, seems pretty easy to call our bluff. being in cahoots with a few vampires also makes it less believable. but i have no other ideas so i might be willing to try
>>6268091Varnae’s problem is that he got Ward and Mina on board with attacking us by saying we (as the possible monster-ending Slayer) had the formula, and I’m sure that same lie was used with a lot of vampires. If those two go to those vampires with “info” on where we’re using it, they’ll all demand he acts against the threat he promised was out there.
It shouldn’t be hard for Mina and Ward to demand that Varnae takes the lead in the assault too. Gotta bring out the big guns for the extinction-level threat he cast us as.
Though now that I think about it, Varnae has probably pushed Ward out of the picture since he knows we spared him through Simon. Mina never did meet up with us after Simon joined up though, so maybe she’s got some sway among the others still.
I’m still up for trying it too. There is a certain amount of glee in using Varnae’s own lie about us to force him into the open. If Mina and Ward say they can’t do it then no big deal, we just curse the amulet and figure out where to attack next.
>>6267565>>6267877I'll lay your options out for you if you want to lock in for this vote.
>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you.>Create a fake ritual to trick Simon/Varnae into thinking that you have the real "Montesi Formula".>Consult Khonshu, Mercy and Louise about potentially inducting the ex-Nightguard into your order.>Have a blacksmith create a proper holy symbol for you to use. With a bit of Moon God Mojo, you might be able to turn a body of water into holy water.>Write-in.
>>6268621>>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you.reading on the Montesi Formula it looks like it's an incantation with no ritual or components so i'd say yeah chances are they won't fall for that trick
>>6268621>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you.I’ll back this too. I hope she’s already been corralling support amongst other vampires for an eventual move against Varnae anyway. Gotta be plenty who don’t want someone lording over them but are working together in the face of the Slayer “threat”.
I’d also like
>Consult Khonshu, Mercy and Louise about potentially inducting the ex-Nightguard into your order.but I’m fine with discussing it after all this is over too. I figure it’s fine if she wants to do her own thing, but she may as well know how to pray to Khonshu if she’s going to do stuff he supports anyway. Pretty sure he’d be okay with a transactional relationship instead of a proper follower/deity one.
>>6268656montesi formula op plz nerf
Instantly destroying any targeted vampire without any components is very powerful. I guess you could use other stuff to amplify how many vampires could hear it, and that’s the fear he’s put in the other vampires.
>>6268656>>6268902>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you.Taking these. I'll be busy tonight, so the next update will be posted sometime tomorrow evening after I get home. If something else comes up, then I'll let you guys know.
>I figure it’s fine if she wants to do her own thing, but she may as well know how to pray to Khonshu if she’s going to do stuff he supports anyway. Pretty sure he’d be okay with a transactional relationship instead of a proper follower/deity one.Khonshu can be surprisingly flexible when it comes to acceptable forms of worship. The more faith you put in him, the more benefits you'll reap. I intend to give Cindy multiple opportunities to grow Khonshu's flock now that she's decided to maintain her faith. There could very well be multiple super-powered Warrior Priests running around someday!
>>6268656>>6268902It is VERY dangerous for anyone to have the Montesi Formula. Varnae was extremely bold in the lie that he told, but it just goes to show how much fear this spell is capable of striking into the hearts of the vampire population. Every vampire on Earth would have to decide whether they would fight back, or risk extinction.
Before this argument could get any more heated, you suggested something that no one could quite believe.
“What if we just…left him alone for a little while?”
Everyone turned to stare at you. Some fell silent, while others either berated you openly or privately criticized your intelligence. You pushed on, regardless.
“Okay, hear me out!” you said, holding your hands up in a placating gesture. “He already knows we're coming, and he knows all of our plans. We've lost the element of surprise, here. If we can't catch him off guard, then he'll just keep laying traps and making plans.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?” Shaggy asked.
“You said that Varnae's controlling Simon through that amulet, right?” you said, glancing between the dog and your grandmother.
Grandma Young nodded slowly.
“That's right.” she cautiously agreed.
“Then that means we might be able to hit him with a curse, or a hex or something. That amulet is an open line to Varnae, and we should really take advantage of it.”
It didn't escape your notice that the background chatter involving your name suddenly became a lot less derogatory, and a lot more contemplative.
Shaggy flashed you a toothy grin.
“Now you're thinking like a hunter, lass! You really are your grandmother's flesh and blood.” the dog said, in what might have been the most direct compliment he's ever given you.
“What did I tell you? Smart as a whip, this one.” Grandma Young agreed.
There it was. That warm and fuzzy feeling again. Was this what it felt like to receive compliments from your grandmother? Because, if so, then you thought you could really get used to this!
“What’s happening? Is the Slayer Girl’s plan actually going to work?” you heard a minotaur ask.
“I think so.” a nearby lizard man answered. “It sounds like Young agrees with her too. Maybe she’s right about the prophecy being fake.”
Your ears perked up at that.
“I heard she saved the council from being eaten by zombies.” said a small rabbit girl. “If she’s Young’s granddaughter, then maybe she really is here to protect us.”
Yes! Your reputation’s finally starting to improve!
“Are you kidding?”
This voice had come from a particularly pale and thin male vampire.
“None of this started happening until she showed up. Who’s to say that she isn’t the cause.”
It was all you could do not to scowl at him. Snapping at him wouldn’t help anyone at this point. You just had to grit your teeth and-
“Who said that!? Ungrateful sons o’ bitches!”
That outburst had come from Deadhead.
“After I’m done kicking Varnae’s ass, I’m coming for you too.” he declared.
Ben looked like he was trying to stop him, but he also didn’t look like he was trying very hard. In fact, it almost looked like he was trying not to laugh.
(Cont.)
Louise shook her head and kept covering her ears. That is, until a small goat boy started tugging at the fringes of her cloak.
She glanced down at him, and literally screamed as she jumped back. In a zombie infested city, that kind of thing tended to draw attention. And in this case, everyone was now watching her.
“Lady Goldblood! You are safe!” he cheered, throwing his hands up in celebration.
Louise’s brows drew together in confusion.
“Mellis!? You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why aren’t you in a shelter?”
Mellis gave her a respectful bow, seemingly unphased by Louise’s alarmed reaction.
“I had to find you, ma’am. I thought you were in danger. I apologize if I offended you.”
Louise’s eyes softened, and, after a moment’s pause, knelt down to gently pat his head.
“That was incredibly foolish of you, Mellis.” she reprimanded. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself, and I would feel more at ease if I knew that you were safe.”
A harpy–not yours, but one with green and yellow feathers—spoke out in his defense.
“Hey, go easy on the little guy!” she said, from atop her perch on a nearby street light. “He’s been looking for you this entire time. If it wasn’t for him, we might not be here right now.”
There were nods of agreement among those standing near her. Belatedly, you realized that these were members of Mellis’ team. They had fought their way here, just like the others.
“Least you could do is show a little gratitude.” she added.
Looking a little contrite, Louise glanced around, and then down at Mellis. His head was still bowed. She let out a sigh, and picked him up like a stuffed animal.
“No Mellis, it is I who should apologize.” she admitted. “You are very brave for having come this far, and I am glad that you are unharmed.”
Mellis gasped, and covered his mouth with a pair of hairy hands.
“Such high praise from the Lady Goldblood…! This one is not worthy of your words…”
Louise was back to frowning again.
“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”
The goat boy was no longer listening, however. He seemed to be in absolute awe of Louise. The monsters from Mellis’ group looked oddly satisfied by this turn of events.
“What in blazes is going on here?” Shaggy asked, clearly confused by the scene unfolding before him.
He looked at you and Young, and the two of you just shrugged.
“I feel as if we have gotten sidetracked.” Ana observed.
“Try to think of it as a small sidebar.” Ben said, whipping his phone out to snap a picture of Louise holding the small creature. “We might as well take a breather if we’re meant to be preparing a trap for Varnae.”
Ana gave him a skeptical look.
“Besides,” he went on. “I thought you would’ve leapt at a chance to trap a genuine ‘Vampire Lord’.”
(Cont.)
At that, Ana’s skepticism all but evaporated, her grin practically radiating with eager anticipation. She’s clearly been waiting for an opportunity to cut loose.
—-----------
With the help of Shaggy and Young, you convinced the people of Monster Metropolis to hang back until the three of you could figure out a way to strike back at Varnae. For them, that meant preparing the components for a curse potent enough to cause lasting damage to a Vampire Lord.
But you had your own ideas for creating a headache for the colossal jerk. And it would involve tapping one of the only reliable contacts that you still had down here.
“Cindy Moon. It is good that you are well.” Mina said with a slight bow and her usual lisp.
A detailed depiction of the vampire’s silhouette was staring down at you from a boiling pot of green liquid. Much like the smoke that was rising up to the ceiling, Mina appeared in varying shades of green. This was apparently a means of two-way communication used by witches. And, since Janine was still wearing her witch outfit, she was able to set everything up for you without Young and Shaggy knowing.
“You too, Mina. Thanks to your Bloodstone, I was able to help my grandma get better.”
A look of mild surprise registered on her face, then. She looked different from when you had met her last. More…Nosferatu-like, somehow. Her overbite had grown slightly more pronounced. Her eyes were becoming an almost solid color as her pupils had started to lose some definition. Her ribs were more visible now, the dress she’d been wearing no longer hugged her figure as much as it seemed to hang off of her. Her posture had grown slightly worse as well, and you couldn’t help but notice her nails and fingers having almost extended to the point of being classified as “claws”.
“Ah…you have chosen to offer it to your grandmother, instead. How admirable of you.” Mina commented, her voice sounding little more than “unaffected”. “I would expect nothing less from the one that spared my brother. It is good that my offering has proven useful to you.”
You chose to believe that she wasn’t as heartless as she sounded.
“More than useful. She seems a lot healthier now.” you insisted. “Really, I can't thank you enough.”
“The honor is mine…Cindy Moon.” Mina replied, shaking her head. “From what I hear, you have thwarted Varnae once again.”
“You heard about the zombie invasion?”
She nodded.
“I regret to learn that such events unfolded upon our departure. Queen Delphyne Gorgon and Lord Carnelian are moving to aid the city as we speak. You will soon possess the support of the Amazon Tribe and the Were-Confederacy.”
You breathed out a sigh, and you let your shoulders sag in relief.
“Really? That would be amazing!”
“You shall receive our support as well. House Morvayne, and its allies, are prepared to stand alongside you.”
(Cont.)
“Good, because I think I might need your help.” you declared.
She gestured for you to go on, so you did.
“You know how Varnae's been spreading lies about me having the Montesi Formula?” you said.
“I do.”
“Well, what if we could use that to our advantage? If Varnae's got them all thinking that I'm a genuine threat to all vampire-kind, then maybe we can trick him into making a hasty move against me?”
Both her eyebrows rose at that.
“You wish to paint yourself a target?”
“Why not? Varnae can't kill me, or else he loses the support of the vampires that still think I'm evil.” you explained. “So if I openly challenge him, then he would have no choice but to accept my challenge. If he doesn't take the bait, it'll make him look weak.”
“Assuming that he hasn't already completed the ritual necessary for unleashing Belasco's demons onto the underworld.” Mina countered.
“And? Is there an outcome here that you would view as favorable? In what way would you have me manipulate such an ancient creature?”
What will you say?
>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest."
>"Let him send his assassins. If we get rid of them, then he won't be able to deploy them against us later."
>"I need you to stall them for me. Keep them fighting each other, and keep them disorganized for as long as possible. We can't let them finish that ritual."
>"Convince them that Varnae is the only one that I want. Maybe then, they might just offer him up to us."
>Write-in.
“Good, because I think I might need your help.” you declared.
She gestured for you to go on, so you did.
“You know how Varnae's been spreading lies about me having the Montesi Formula?” you said.
“I do.”
“Well, what if we could use that to our advantage? If Varnae's got them all thinking that I'm a genuine threat to all vampire-kind, then maybe we can trick him into making a hasty move against me?”
Both her eyebrows rose at that.
“You wish to paint yourself a target?”
“Why not? Varnae can't kill me, or else he loses the support of the vampires that still think I'm evil.” you explained. “So if I openly challenge him, then he would have no choice but to accept my challenge. If he doesn't take the bait, it'll make him look weak.”
“Assuming that he hasn't already completed the ritual necessary for unleashing Belasco's demons onto the underworld.” Mina countered.
“Assuming that, yes.” you said, trying not to react to the way that Mercy was trying to reshape your outfit.
Mina's eyes narrowed slightly, but you could tell that you had piqued her interest here.
“And? Is there an outcome here that you would view as favorable? In what way would you have me manipulate such an ancient creature?”
What will you say?
>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest."
>"Let him send his assassins. If we get rid of them, then he won't be able to deploy them against us later."
>"I need you to stall them for me. Keep them fighting each other, and keep them disorganized for as long as possible. We can't let them finish that ritual."
>"Convince them that Varnae is the only one that I want. Maybe then, they might just offer him up to us."
>Write-in.
>>6270426>>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest."fight me bitch
>>6270426>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest.">"The war won’t entirely end with Varnae’s death. The Metropolis has paid a steep blood price. Perhaps The Slayer can be appeased with Varnae while House Morvayne will step in with the council to ensure his supporters bear the full weight of what he’s done?”I figure a combination of these. Ward fought us directly and we’ve kicked ass this whole time so they know we’re strong. We also didn’t use the Montesi Formula (that we don’t have) on him so we can “clearly” choose to leave them be. The vampires should also know that what they’ve done so far will demand recompense from the people in Monster Metropolis, and they’ll need someone well-positioned to manage that blowback when we inevitably kick Varnae’s teeth in. Who better than House Morvayne and its council members to do that?
Everyone will recognize it as a power play that’ll shift even more power over to House Morvayne, but that hardly matters when the alternative is getting in our way. Really, Mina can say she’s doing everyone a favor by stepping in and bringing more vampires under her House’s wing while pushing the “upstart” out.
>>6270435>>6270861>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest."I'll take this, and start writing the update throughout the day!
>>"The war won’t entirely end with Varnae’s death. The Metropolis has paid a steep blood price. Perhaps The Slayer can be appeased with Varnae while House Morvayne will step in with the council to ensure his supporters bear the full weight of what he’s done?”Good idea! Feel free to propose it again later if you want.
Also, sorry for the delays. The moving process has begun in earnest, and this is my last week at my current job.
>>6272404I had pitched that as a possible angle for Mina to get some more vampires on her side for whatever she does to get Varnae in the open. I’ll bring it up later, but I’m going to be secretly disappointed in her if it turns out we thought of it before she did. She’s the politician, not us!
Good luck with the move itself. If you’re transporting any furniture, try to keep heavy things off couches/chairs with springs and avoid putting anything with a wooden base next to anything heavy. We’ve had a couple chairs and couches deform from collapsed springs and splintered bases after some of our moves.
“Do whatever you have to do to get him out of that castle.” you requested.
“Can I take that to mean that you are relying on my judgement?” Mina asked, her eyes searching yours.
“Whatever you've got planned, it's gotta be better than the literal end of the world.” you shot back.
A small grin teased the edges of Mina’s lips as she gave you a slight nod.
“Very well. Be aware, however, that Varnae is as much a capable sorcerer as he is a powerful vampire.” she warned, her expression growing serious once more. “I would like to believe that, out of the two of us, I am the more capable blood mage…but, ultimately, there is no telling how many other tricks he has left up his sleeve.”
“Well…we know for sure that he’s got a disposable army of monsters, vampires, mutants, and, potentially, Limbo demons.” you said, counting off each terrible type of creature on your fingers, one after another. “Did I miss anything?”
“Do not let the weight of mere numbers intimidate you, Cindy Moon. For their forces are far from unified.”
“What do you mean?”
“Consider the vampires, for example.” Mina began, raising one hand with her palm facing upwards. “They have been told that you are nothing more than a ruthless butcher of all things supernatural, and that you not only possess the Montesi Formula, but you very well mean to use it.”
You rolled your eyes at her.
“Ugh! Don’t remind me.”
“But what they have not been told,” Mina continued, ignoring your grumbling. “Is that Varnae plans to use Belasco’s power in order to summon a scourge of-”
“Vampire demons?”
Mina paused to stare down at you.
“What, no good? Does ‘demon vampires’ sound better to you? What about ‘Damnpires’?” you suggested, rubbing your chin thoughtfully. “No…wait. That’s too close to ‘Dhampirs’.”
Mina lowered her hand and continued to stare at you.
“Limbats? Hellwalkers? Ooh! Hellbats! Do you think-”
Only then did you pause to realize that Mina was patiently waiting for you to finish talking. You winced and rubbed your arm nervously.
“Sorry. I've been spending too much time with the Huntsman, I guess.” you said, before quickly amending that statement. “Well, I guess that's not entirely true. We used to spend more time together, but I enrolled in this fancy boarding school, and he just got back from a trip to Vegas, so we haven't really had a lot of time to…”
For the love of Khonshu. Were you still talking?
“You know what? Forget I said anything. Continue. Please” you said, joining both hands together and pointing your index fingers at her.
Mina grunted softly and proceeded with her explanation.
“Yes, well…these…’Hellbats’ as you would call them…”
Oh, so that's the one that she liked. Cool.
(Cont.)
“They will undoubtedly lead to the ruin of human civilization, and impede any kind of structural order that my kind will wish to implement upon witnessing humanity's downfall.” Mina went on. “It is more than likely that our people will once again be embroiled in pointless faction wars, not only between ourselves, but with this new breed of devilspawn that Varnae wishes to unleash upon our world. It won't be long before our own people are fighting over control of the true Montesi Formula, threatening to use it against one another until our clans and noble houses fall and fracture, until we are little more than savage, tribal bloodthirsty monsters.”
Now it was your turn to stare. Mina's nostrils were flaring slightly, and her eyes had started to glow a bit brighter.
“I won't let that happen. Any of it.” you boldly proclaimed, touching a hand to your chest. “Vampire or no, we're all sharing this planet. The least we can do is make a token effort to coexist.”
“Many of your people would disagree.” Mina argued.
“But not everyone.” you shot back. “People give mutants a pretty hard time, but they try their best to fit in, and sometimes, they even use their powers to help people. Blade does it all the time.”
“Blade is a Daywalker!” Mina hissed, a bit of heat entering her voice. “He knows our hunger, but he knows nothing of our pain.”
You blinked at her. Not willing to wait for you, Mina pressed on.
“He does not know what it is like to live in shadow–to live without feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. To know that the divine are watching over you, and that they hate your kind with every fiber of your being.”
She ran a clawed hand down her face, drawing a bit of blood as she did so.
“Merely overcoming the hunger requires a great deal of effort.” she said, her superficial wounds closing within seconds. “Some days, it dominates your every thought. It's like having a ravenous monster live inside of you. It wears your skin, pushing you to behave like a rabid animal. It is a wonder that our societies can function at all.”
You wanted to disagree, at least on some level…but you knew exactly what Khonshu thought of vampires. Even Loyise wasn't terribly fond of them, and she was one. You've never had to truly think about what it must be like to walk through life knowing that you were despised by pretty much everyone.
Did Louise feel that way? Hated by the god that she venerated? How did Morbius feel about it? Did B Negative…?
You couldn’t bring yourself to think about him that way. He was one of your only vampire friends, and it made you angry to think that the gods hated him for being an “unholy creature”.
(Cont.)
This wasn’t a normal way of thinking for a follower of Khonshu. You knew it, and so did Khonshu himself. But regardless of his teachings, your mom taught you that there was more to these monsters than what you learned in ancient texts. Many of them had once been, and still were people.
You stared up at Mina, and found yourself wanting to know more about her. Had she and her brother been born down here as Nosferatu? How old were they? Did they resent humanity like the others did? For someone that you were working with so closely, you were forced to acknowledge that she was almost a complete stranger to you.
“I'm sorry.” you finally said.
Mina's voice cut off mid-rant, and she seemed to realize that she herself had been rambling. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath to collect herself, and slowly nodded.
“No. It is who must apologize.” she replied, sounding contrite. “My anger was misplaced. You are not to blame for my people's plight.”
You gave her a sympathetic smile.
“You're a good politician, you know that?”
One of Mina's eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise.
“Oh? How so?”
“You really do care about your people. You and your brother both do, in your own way.” you reasoned. “And if you made it onto the council, then you probably care at least a little about the other races.”
The look that Mina gave you was contemplative, but it slowly changed into an appraising one. And, ever so slightly, an appreciative grin started to form on her lips.
Before it could fully develop, however, she glanced to the side and frowned.
“Our time is coming to an end, I am afraid. If everything goes to plan, then you will have your chance to strike at him.” she said, a little quicker than her normal drawl.
She turned to face you.
“Make it a decisive one. Our fate rests in your hands, Miss Slayer.”
You were going to protest her use of that title, but her form faded from the billowing green, telling you that she just hung up on you.
You glanced over at Janine, but the human cosplayer just shrugged, and started cleaning up after herself. You joined her, and hoped that nothing had happened on Mina’s side.
Like it or not, you were in this together now.
—-----
(Cont.)
Shortly after your call ended, Young and Shaggy informed you that they had found a suitable curse to hit Varnae with. Now all you had to do was distract Simon and his zombies so they could pull it off without him noticing.
How exactly were you going to do that?
>All you had to do was taunt Simon/Varnae into chasing after you. Easy peasy.
>Get in front of Simon and call Varnae out for the fraud he is. If any of his subordinates were listening in, then you might be able to force him into an uncomfortable position.
>Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him.
>Roleplay as "The Slayer", and announce your intention to kill Varnae, and only Varnae. Maybe then his vampiric followers would be willing to give him up without a fight.
>Write-in.
>>6272634She's planning along the lines of something similar! She and Ward are both opportunists in their own way.
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Having a couch deform sounds like an absolute nightmare to deal with. Me and my last roommate were hard pressed to buy a new one, because our old couch would creak loudly whenever we leaned back into it.
>>6273111>>Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him.
>>6273111>Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him.Seems reasonable enough. We can continue sealing the vents in the meantime.
>Roleplay as "The Slayer", and announce your intention to kill Varnae, and only Varnae.I’d still like to do this after we beat Simon though. I don’t expect he’ll be handed over without a fight, but I do want to cause as much dissent for Mina to capitalize on as possible.
Hey guys! Sorry for going radio silent, but I'm just starting to settle into my new home. There are a few more things that I need brought over, but my family's willing to help with that. I've been working on this upcoming update whenever I could get a chance, and I'm hoping to post tomorrow afternoon once I can organize my new room a little better.
>>6276240i understand. we'll be ready when you are, take it easy
>>6276240Sounds like no major issues during the move? Glad to hear it if that’s the case!
>>6276276>>6276614Thanks for understanding! So far everything's gone off without a hitch! I have my family and friends to thank for that.
I have this update all typed out, and I'll post it once I can get my PC set up again.
Upon deciding that you would rather wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive before you made your move on Simon, you took this opportunity to partake in refreshments at your grandma's house. If it weren’t for the fact that you were in the middle of a zombie invasion, you might have tried to sneak in a nap too, your energy reserves weren't so depleted that you couldn’t soldier on for at least another day. A mix of conditioning and half-demon physical attributes were to thank for that.
When your grandmother realized that she couldn't tempt you with at least a short power nap, she eventually gave in, and showed you her finest collection of silver daggers. Mercy snatched up right away and strapped them to your back, where they were hidden by your white hair.
She seemed mildly unnerved by the sight of your costume moving of its own volition, but she said nothing about it. Instead, she confronted you about something far more serious.
“You intend to fight Varnae alone, don't you?”
You stared up at her in shock. Briefly, the idea of lying to her crossed your mind, but the look in those bright red eyes of hers told you that there would be no fooling her.
“I have to, grandma. Varnae won't be able to ignore a direct challenge from me, and it's our best shot of taking him down without having to assault his castle.” you argued.
“Even if it means cementing everyone's belief in the ‘Slayer myth’?” she asked. “There will be no escaping it after this. You will become a person of great interest to the Underworld at large.”
The look you gave her was one of resolve, and of deep anger.
“Good. Maybe it's time I made my debut.”
Grandma Young folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at you. It was meant to be a judgmental look, you were sure.
“I mean it, grandma. I'm tired of people messing with our family because they think they can get away with it.” you went on, guiding Mercy’s cloth tendrils to readjust the potions strapped to your chest. “If my new reputation is scary enough to scare monsters away, then I'll let them think what they want.”
She muttered a curse, reached over, and started fiddling with your explosive potions.
“You are driving me crazy with these! Move the knives to your lower back, the transformative elixirs to your thigh, and for the love of that moon god you love so much, put these potions in a bag with cloth partitions!”
Mercy, of course, went right to work doing all of this, which caused your grandmother to back away with a mildly frustrated look on her face.
“Sorry. I've got it.” you said, hoping to ease her frustrations.
“No you do not. You are too young to be fighting a Vampire Lord on your own!”
“Maybe.” you admitted. “But I can't let him get away with what he's done to me. To our family. To all the families that live here.”
(Cont.)
“I understand your frustration. Believe me, I do.” Young replied, placing both hands over your shoulders. “But it is not your duty to endure the pain of every victim that Varnae has claimed today. Nor is it your duty to save the world alone.”
“But I'm not alone!” you said, shaking your head at her. “I have my mother's training. And my father's lessons. And the support of my god, my foster parent, and pretty much everyone here that's willing to die by my side.”
Your grandmother blinked in surprise and took a step back. Before she could reply, Shaggy came trotting in through the shop's open front door. You both turned to look at him.
“Ladies. The Monster Council has arrived.” he announced. “I suggest that we be on our way, before Varnae wises up to the fact that they are no longer riding with their armies.”
You and Grandma Young shared a look, and judging by the one she gave you, you knew that this wasn’t going to be the last you heard of this argument.
—-------
Thanks to Shaggy's teleportation magic, you and the Monster Council were effectively able to bypass the waves of zombies separating you from Simon. That didn't mean that he was going to drop you right beside the Zombie Prince, however.
As soon as the portal opened, you all burst out and sprang into action. Carnelian and Delphyne on your left, and Ward and Young to your right. Together, the five of you leapt from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to avoid the zombies clogging the streets.
The Were-representitive didn't look much different from when you last saw him, except for the deadly-looking weapons that he now carried on his person. You spotted a triple-headed flail attached to his hip, a composite longbow and an enchanted rifle on his back, and a clearly magical greatsword placed squarely between his shoulder blades.
Other than that, he was still wearing the same armor that he'd worn at the summit. The only addition was a scary looking helmet with jagged edges above the gap made for his mouth. Through the helmet’s eye-slits, you could see his heterochromatic pupils, one burning with anger, and the other with what you thought might have been glee.
Your gaze moved to Delphyne, and you thought, not for the first time today, that she had made the biggest costume change out of everyone here.
Instead of the trendy clothing that she wore to the summit, she showed up in a sturdy silver breastplate, a single silver pauldron with magic glyphs carved into it, a pair of silver grieves, and, unsurprisingly, a pair of silver gauntlets. The only things that weren't made of silver was the scarlet bolt of cloth she had draped over her shoulder, from pauldron to hip, and the strange helmet that now adorned her head.
(Cont.)
It was made of some golden material, with hollow slots for each and every one of her snakes. If it weren’t for their occasional hissing, and the glowing of their eyes, you might’ve thought that they were all just a part of the helmet's design. Where they normally wriggled and writhed, they all sat perfectly still while Delphyne raced towards danger.
“Heads up, gang.” she called out, retrieving an ornate bow from her back.
There were still some zombies occupying these rooftops, and a few of them turned your way. None of you slowed down.
“We see them.” Carnelian confirmed.
“Yes, we're not blind.” Ward said with a slight sneer.
The snooty Nosferatu hadn't changed much either. He still wore impractical clothing that was far too fancy for battle, knowing full well that it would be ruined before the day ended.
“I swear to god, Ward!” she snapped.
“Which one in particular?” he asked, a wolfish grin appearing on his face in anticipation of the violence to come.
“ALL OF THEM!”
“You can swear to mine, Del.” you offered, preparing to draw the silver sword that Louise traded you. “I'm sure he wouldn't mind.”
“You blaspheme so casually, my child.” Mercy whispered. “Do try to avoid making it a habit.”
Delphyne's demeanor changed in an instant as she switched her attention over to you.
“Aww! Thanks, girlfriend! At least someone's nice to talk to around here.” she said, giving Ward a pointed glare.
“Children, save your squabbling for later.” Young demanded, her eyes staring straight ahead. “They are nearly upon us.”
Delphyne scoffed.
“Okay, yeah. But, like…”
Ward dashed forward, ahead of the group, an assortment of bone spikes and blades sprouting from his flesh. He delivered a crushing lariat to the zombies in front, crushing their skulls and impaling the others.
Delphyne raised her bow, removed several arrows from her quiver, and loosed them in quick succession. Each and every one struck their targets at critical points, a single headshot being all that was needed to finish off the average zombie.
Carnelian raced ahead with a burst of speed that you didn’t think a man of his size was capable of! He sped past Ward, swinging his flail so fast that its spiked heads were starting to blur together in your vision. When next his arm moved, you watched an entire row of zombies disappear into a blood mist, their bodies spattering onto the side of a nearby building. Carn didn't slow down, however. Instead, he kept moving–kept swinging at anything and everything that got in his way.
Ward was careful not to be in the way of those flails and you could understand why. You've never seen a Were this powerful before!
“Keep your eyes peeled, Cindy.” Young warned, striking out at the nearby zombies with red glowing fists.
(Cont.)
A single strike was all it took for your grandmother to overload them with positive energy, causing their bodies to rapidly deteriorate. Sometimes, that reaction took the form of disintegration, or spontaneous combustion.
“Really, you should have taken that nap when you had the chance.” she went on.
“I wasn't tired then, grandma.” you argued, unsheathing your sword and cutting down five zombies in rapid succession.
“Of course you are. Kumiho or not, growing girls need their rest.”
“Yeah, well…it's not exactly easy to relax in this sort of environment.” you shot back, stepping over a pair of undead that Delphyne had just taken down.
More zombies were starting to climb up now, and even Carn and Ward were forced to slow down. As a result, your group assumed a defensive formation to cover all your blind spots.
As a fresh wave of the undead attempted to flank you from behind, Young stepped in the way, and held them at bay with a dizzying combination of punches. Her arms moved so fast that it looked like she possessed an arm for each zombie that she was striking.
“That is what the tea was for!”
You ground your teeth together as you beheaded three zombies simultaneously.
“Well maybe I didn't want tea!” you blurted out.
Your grandmother let out a sharp gasp.
“You take that back, young lady!” she demanded, her voice affecting an offended tone.
“Yeah, girl. Young's tea is, like, super delicious.” Delphyne cut in.
“I'm afraid I would have to agree with the Amazon Queen.” Ward offered. “It was going to be the one thing I missed most about her.”
Ward either didn't see the glare that Young shot his way, or he simply chose not to acknowledge it. Delphyne didn't look too pleased to have the Nosferatu readily agree with her, but she decided not to fight him on this matter, at least.
“It is…very relaxing.” Carn said in a half-snarl as he continued hacking through corpses.
You let out a weary sigh.
“No…I know the tea's great.” you admitted. “It's just…I doubt all this stress can be cured with just a cup of tea, you know?”
At that exact moment, a horde of the undead surged before your group. The swell of zombies crashed like a wave against the solid, a tangle of limbs reaching out to grab you as they trampled one another for a chance to get at you.
Before you could make a move, Grandma Young stepped in front of you. The inside of her arms were glowing bright orange, while the outline of them maintained a consistent shade of crimson red. You could sense her chi flowing into them as they began to vibrate with an unusual intensity.
Instinctually, you took a step back, not wanting to get hit with…whatever this was.
(Cont.)
The fresh wave of zombies surged forwards once more, but right before their grasping arms reached you, Young thrust her own arms at them. A pulse of invisible energy flowed from her hands, and impacted the oncoming horde like a physical force! It crushed bone, pulverized flesh, and drove the mass of bodies apart with enough force that they flew into the air and onto other rooftops. Even from here, you could sense Young's life energy ravaging their bodies. It wouldn't be long before they experienced a second, more permanent death.
Your grandmother turned back to face you, her eyes and hands having lost their eerie glow.
“Maybe so.” she admitted. “Perhaps I should teach you the proper way to meditate. The fastest way to ease one's thoughts is to soothe the spirit.”
“Yeah…I think I'd like that.” you said, giving her a smile that only felt slightly strained.
Ward cleared his throat in a way that felt not only loud, but also…intentionally obnoxious.
“Need I remind you ‘Moons’ that we are in the middle of a very important battle? We should at least pretend that we are taking this seriously.”
“About as serious as you trying to have us killed just to please some crusty old vampire?” Delphyne mentioned.
“Now is not the time, Gorgon.” Carn growled, but only from the left side of his face. “Not when there is blood to be shed…”
“No one asked you, demon.” she said, glaring at the Were.
“How are you feeling, Carn?” Young asked, showing none of the hatred that Delphyne displayed.
“Still in control.” he confirmed, speaking with the other side of his face this time. “My blood boils, and my mind churns…but I am still myself.”
“As far as you know, at least.” his demon-half said.
Carn's only response was to grumble unhappily.
“I hate to say it, but…Ward's right. We should focus up here.” you recommended. “Varnae needs to see that we mean business.”
“I am sure we will have no trouble convincing him of that…” Young said, her scarlet eyes burning with hatred.
The others nodded their agreement.
“Good. Because we've still got a long way to go.” you said, turning to stare at the Zombie Prince, standing atop the tallest building at the center of the city.
—-----
For a while, your uncoordinated assault was effective enough to push your way past whatever Simon could throw at you. But as both the density and volume of each horde grew to unacceptable levels, you all agreed to let Young lead the charge, while you and everyone else did everything you could to cover her blind spots.
Young's fists flew faster and faster, carving out a direct path to the Zombie Prince by throwing out insane amounts of life energy!
(Cont.)
If anything, to you it looked like it was far easier for her to project her chi in massive quantities than it was to precisely channel it. The energy was fluctuating wildly, to the point where you felt grateful that all this power was being wielded by a master, and not a high school freshman.
“Get clear! All of you!” Young demanded, somehow increasing the pace of her punches and palm strikes. “I'll hold them off!”
“Are you crazy!?” Delphyne asked.
“There are too many for you to handle alone!” Carn shouted back.
“No! She's right!” you said, standing back to back with the Amazon Queen. “She's still holding back because of us. Let's give her some room!”
Ward, knowing full well the capabilities of the Bloodstone, was the first to retreat. Carn and Delphyne required a bit more convincing, but after seeing Young single-handedly serve as their vanguard, they decided to leave the heavy lifting to her for a little while.
You threw down a smokescreen and sent out several flashbangs before clambering up a nearby wall alongside Carn. He might’ve been faster than you on a flat stretch of land, but he was nowhere near as agile.
Not even Ward and Delphyne could keep up with you in your current state. In fox form, you didn’t even need a grappling hook. Between your claws, fox magic and Mercy’s bandages, you barely had any need for a traditional toolbelt. For once, you were feeling pretty super all on your own!
“Whoa…” Delphyne breathed as she watched you scale a building like a cat would a short fence. “No wonder she beat you up, Ward. That girl's got some serious moves!”
“If you think you would fare better, then perhaps you should issue a challenge of your own, Gorgon.” Ward shot back.
“Children! Behave!” Young called out.
Even from this far, you could sense the chi projections that Young was sending out to keep the zombies at bay. They had her rough silhouette, but were nothing more than dense energy projectiles that matched the stance she took at the time of their creation. Some had their arms extended to strike out at the undead with a tightly clenched fist or an open palm, while others were poised to block or parry incoming blows. It was like watching a flipbook play out before your very eyes.
As mesmerizing as that was, however, you had a job to do. And that job was draw Simon's attention.
Using Mercy’s cloth, you pulled yourself into the air and sprang off of an adjacent wall to reach a nearby balcony. From that balcony, you flipped yourself into the roof, and bounded from one building to the next, each pass requiring only a single leap. You kept this up in rapid succession, your tails fluttering behind you.
Your inhuman agility allowed you to close the gap between yourself and Simon in no time. He barely had time to turn around before you were on top of him. Instead of tearing his throat out with your claws, though, you had Mercy wrap him up while you clung to his back.
(Cont.)
A pillar of tangled limbs surged up to attack the one that dared oppose the Zombie Prince. But before they could reach you, a volley of arrows and bone spikes thinned their number enough for you to drag Simon away from minions.
You yanked him around, making absolutely certain that he could see Del, Carn and Ward standing united, and providing you covering fire. Simon groaned, and his zombie horde split to put some pressure on the Monster Council.
At the same time, you sensed Young's chi retract back into her body. She was preparing to cast the curse that she and Shaggy had cooked up.
The Zombie Prince struggled with all his might, which was more than either of you were entirely prepared for, if the stretching and tearing of Mercy's fabric was any indication. Might have to put him in a submission hold if he gets too riled up. Last time you checked, though, zombies were pretty much immune to being choked out...
What will you say/do?
>”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.”
>”You want a piece of me, Varnae!? Come and face me, you coward! I know you're listening!”
>”If you thought 'The Slayer’ was scary, then wait until you meet the guy who's backing her. Say hello to Khonshu for me!"
>Shove a flashbang into Simon's face. If Varnae can see whatever he sees, then maybe he'll see this!
>Write-in.
>>6277748>>”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.”
>>6277748>”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.”He can afford to lose an arm or two if he struggles too much, right? Someone can reattach them later!
>”Varnae, the sun’s light isn’t the only thing that’ll burn you. As Khonshu’s Moon, I’ll give you a first-hand demonstration soon.”Gotta throw the action hero one-liners in somewhere though.
clean
md5: 5a9869b27a030c4ae65f3993c5127795
🔍
“Sorry Simon! This'll only take a minute.” you said, struggling to keep his arms in place.
“Cindy! Turn him around!” Young shouted.
You did exactly that. At the same time, Mercy retracted her bandages from around his chest, where the amulet still rested against his gray, necrotic flesh.
By the time you spun him around, Young was on the other side of the building, muttering the end of her incantation. She reached out, and an inky black tendril stretched from her fingers and launched itself directly at the amulet. The tendril's tip splayed out to portray what looked like a row of four fingers as it latched onto the magical artifact. Young had called this curse “The Black Hand”.
Young was still connected to the other end of the tether, her abyssal chant growing in intensity. You found her pronunciation of the demonic language to be quite fluent. Maybe you'd ask her for lessons later.
Pushing that thought aside for now, you leaned away from the Zombie Prince, but kept your feet firmly planted against his back, all while maintaining your grip on his arms. They were currently wrapped over the upper part of his chest. Sort of like a mummy. You wanted to mention it to Mercy, but you had a feeling that she wouldn't entirely appreciate that comparison.
More zombies rose up to defend their master, their sheer number and combined weight threatening to collapse this tower. A quick glance back at the Monster Council showed you that they had their hands full dealing with the majority of Simon's army. And if they brought their half of the problem over to your side, then the tower would collapse completely within seconds.
“We won't be able to finish in time!” you called out.
“I agree!” Young observed. “You must take over!”
“Me!?”
“I walked you through the incantation! You said your memory is good, right?”
“Yeah, but my Abyssal pronunciation is garbage!” you argued, feeling a little embarrassed to say it out loud like this.
“But mine isn't…” Mercy hissed. And before you could question her on that, black letters started to appear on your arm. Upon closer inspection, you realized that they were a phonetically friendly spelling of the Black Hand's incantation!
“That still looks difficult…” you hissed back.
“You chose a difficult path. One that our god warned you against.”
You let out a frustrated grunt.
“Yeah…I did.”
“Grandma, let go!” you yelled, detaching yourself from Simon. “I'm ready!”
Young nodded and relinquished her connection to the tether, rushing to combat the zombies that were threatening to surround you. With a wave of her arms, she unleashed another chi pulse, reducing a good chunk of them to ash in mere moments.
At the same time, you flipped over Simon's head, caught the tether with your bare hand and picked up the chant where Young had left off. A numb sensation began spreading through your fingertips and up your arm. It was only a mild distraction, though.
(Cont.)
Even with Mercy’s help, speaking Abyssal made your throat feel raw and strained. It was all guttural noises and low snarls–which was at least easier than Enochian, but you'd much rather avoid butchering a demonic language if you could help it.
And while Mercy's phonetic guidelines made things simpler, it didn’t mean that you were an entirely fluent speaker. This must have been evident to your new partner as well, because she you suddenly found your diaphram being asqueezed by your clothes. She even covered your mouth and moved it for you towards the end.
But it must've been enough, because a tingling sensation replaced the numbness you'd felt in your arm as soon as you picked up the ritual. Black smoke poured from your hand and rolled from your skin, sinking to the ground instead of rising into the air.
You and Mercy both shivered. Dark magic was weird.
The tether detached itself from the amulet, retreated back into your hand, and coagulated into a ball of shadowy slime.
You made a digusted sound and shook it off of your hand with a little help from Mercy. She literally took off your glove and wrung it out for you.
“Thanks.” you muttered, returning your attention to Simon. He seemed unsteady on his feet, and the amulet seemed to have been severely damaged. Black veins were spreading from the now dull, cracked gem in the center.
Simon teetered slightly, and a slight groam escaped his dry lips. Then, all at once, the zombies surrounding you stopped, and went dormant. Their groaning stopped as well. It grew so quiet, that the only noises you heard were the Monster Council expressing their confusion.
Simon stared around, his one remaining eye focusing on Young. She breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Is that you, Simon?” she asked, approaching him with her guard up.
The Zombie Prince nodded, and brought a hand to his head. He let out a pitiful moan.
“We know. This wasn't your fault.” she reassured him. “I am just glad to have you back.”
You just hoped Varnae was writhing in pain after having received that curse.
There was a great deal of shuffling as the zombies climbed down to the street, and then proceeded to file out of the plaza.
“He's sending them away.” Young explained.
“Away?” you said.
“Out of the city.” she replied. “They will be forced to wander the black sands once more.”
“It's probably for the best.” you concluded. “The people around here probably won't be too comfortable with zombies hanging around. Not for a while, at least.”
Young nodded, but you saw a bit of sadness enter her expression when she looked back at Simon.
“...I suppose you are right.”
—------
Now, that the zombies had been dealt with, you and the Monster Council were free to welcome your new allies into the city.
(Cont.)
The Amazons–a brave and powerful tribe of warrior women. Out of all the factions, they were the smallest in number. But their might and ferocity in battle granted them the freedom and respect to establish their own village.
The Were-Clans–a collective army of varying tribes. Some were separated by the category of Were, while others wore different colors or styles of war-paint. You thought you saw a few mutant Were's out there, as well as some with cybernetic implants.
House Morvayne–a clan of vampires possessing resplendent armor, quality weaponry, and an impressive army of thralls. Being the most expendable, the thralls were, of course, the main force. The real super-stars were the elite vampire soldiers and mercenaries that House Morvayne paid to come out and fight.
And then…there were the people of Monster Metropolis. Those that weren't injured, or necessary to the city's recovery were free to volunteer their service. Not everyone was willing, but some were. They were populous in number, diverse in species, and about as unorganized as an army of untrained civilians could be. They followed Young's lead, mostly. But she kept you close at all times, and you got the feeling that she had something to do with why they were treating you better now.
You finally had your armies assembled to go after Varnae. Hopefully, Mina could convince him to leave his castle before you got there.
What will you do?
>March with the Amazons. You feel like you might be able to learn a lot from them.
>Run with the Were clans, and bring out your wild side!
>Ride out with House Morvayne. When Mina eventually sends additional forces, you can meet up with them and launch an assault on Varnae!
>Have Ben transport you with the Portal Projector. You're sure he's already put together a strike team of some kind. And that's exactly what you need right now.
>Hitch a ride with the Kaiju! It's time to bring out the big guns!
>Bring along a specific riding buddy. (Write-in.)
>Write-in.
>>6279557>March out at the front with any who volunteer to stand with you. You a force in your own right, whether you want it or not.We’re a symbol as much as we are a fighter right now, so who we march with would affect public perception. May as well go with a middle-of-the-road option, even if I personally like Cindy’s banter with Delphyne.
>See if Young can send one last message to SimonIt’s unlikely the zombies can stay in the city anytime soon, but if they march against Varnae it’d help one or more of the other clans to step in and provide safe places for at least some of their number. Have them attack from another angle and our group can rally to support them once we arrive.
If Young or the others don’t want to commit to that politically, we can at least offer to stand with the zombies ourself once we arrive. Mixed bag on whether it’d help or hurt them more, but they’ll know they aren’t alone and forgotten.
>>6279798+1 to throw anon a bone
>>6279798>>6279810>March out at the front with any who volunteer to stand with you. You a force in your own right, whether you want it or not.>See if Young can send one last message to SimonTaking these! Writing...
Ultimately, you decided that it would be best to remain with Young and march at the head of the volunteer army. Even if there were people here who still didn’t trust you, you absolutely meant what you said to Khonshu earlier. Even monsters deserved protection sometimes. Young recognized that as well. So did your parents, to a certain extent. A modern age required modern monster hunters. Ones that could discern monsters from misunderstood supernatural creatures. And that meant not discriminating against any one creature for the misdeeds of a vicious monster.
So, with that in mind, you approached Young about a proposition. A proposition for the Zombie Prince.
—----
Just as you suspected, Young was very receptive to your idea. So was Shaggy, to your mild surprise. He hated the idea of wasting an available resource like the countless undead at Simon’s command. That was more than could be said about the volunteer soldiers in your group, however.
The thought of having the Zombie Prince lead an army of the undead to march alongside you was a little too much for them to digest. Especially when they had all just narrowly survived the equivalent of a miniature zombie apocalypse. Even knowing how they would feel about it, though, you still requested that Simon be given the option of defending his home. You wanted him to know that he didn’t have to fight if he didn’t want to, but just being there to show his support would be enough. Everyone had to know that the Metropolis stood united in their defiance of Varnae.
Thankfully, Young made it seem like Simon was all too eager to strike back at the manipulative bat demon. Shaggy offered to travel with their group so as to provide flanking opportunities via his portals. Deadhead also volunteered his services to keep an eye on Simon, just in case Varnae somehow regained control of him.
Neither you nor Young liked the idea of sending a potential assassin after one of your allies, but you also didn’t like the idea of having Simon’s forces suddenly turn on you mid-battle. The dog and mercenary wished you luck before they left, and you wished them the same.
As the zombies departed, so did the House Morvayne and the Amazons. Ana rode alongside Delphyne, and Louise rode behind Ward and his forces. You thought her decision to accompany the vampires was a little curious, but you eventually wrote it off as her wanting to keep an eye on them.
Next were the Were-Clans. Carnelian urged his forces forward–not in an organized march, but in a dead sprint that brought the word “stampede” to mind.
Finally, it was your group’s turn to start moving. You expected Ben, Harpy and James to join you after they finished distributing Ben’s weapons to the volunteers. But to your surprise, the three of them informed you that they were given a different mission by Mina.
“What kind of mission?” you asked.
(Cont.)
“The kind that ties up loose ends.” Ben said, his face unreadable under that mask. “Varnae’s associates might try to slip away, and Jake Sully over here says that Mina wants to prevent that from happening.”
He jabbed a thumb over in James’ direction.
“My name is James.” he corrected. “But yes, he is right. My father cannot be allowed to escape.”
“Mina thinks she’s identified an escape route that Skul might use if things get too hot.” Ben continued. “The Weres are gonna try and cut him off when they move to flank Varnae’s forces.”
“She told you all that?” you said, unable to hide your surprise.
James nodded.
“She says that anyone who knowingly participates in a plan to potentially destroy the world should either be ‘swiftly crushed’ or ‘severely punished’.” he explained.
“Her brother could certainly learn a thing or two from her.” Young said, nodding her approval.
“What about Belasco?” you put in. “If we can’t stop him, then that still leaves an army of Hellbats to deal with.”
Young gave you a curious look at the mention of a ‘Hellbat’, but you trusted her ability to piece together your meaning.
“You let me worry about that.” Ben reassured you. “I’ll go kick him right back down to whatever hell dimension he’s crawled out of.”
“It is called Limbo.” James helpfully answered.
“Right. That one.” Ben said, reaching over to tousle your hair. “Promise me you'll stay safe out there?”
You smiled.
“I promise.” you lied. “You guys too. Don’t do anything too crazy.”
Ben nodded, but didn’t say anything. You had a feeling that you weren’t the only one lying here.
Harpy chose that moment to flap her mighty wings, kicking up black sand everywhere as she rose into the air. You covered your eyes, and just barely missed the moment where she snatched up both Ben and James.
“Good luck!” you shouted, waving at them with both arms as they continued to ascend.
“You too! Look out for her, Young!”
“Of course I will! You don’t have to tell me!” she shouted back, shaking a fist at him.
Ben waved back as well. James tried to, but he seemed utterly mortified by the thought of using his hands for anything other than holding onto Harpy for dear life.
“Your guardian is an interesting man.” Young said, still looking up at him. “I should thank him properly for everything he’s done for you.”
“Yeah. Me too...” you agreed, watching as the three of them soared higher and higher into the sky.
Soon after that, it was time for your group to start moving. The Kaiju brought up the rear, and you could visibly see the relief that they felt from receiving the Kaiju King’s support.
“Varnae won’t know what hit him.” you said, smiling back at the volunteer army you had assembled.
—------
(Cont.)
After about a day and a half of marching, setting up camp, and resting, Varnae’s Castle finally came into view after you and Young crested a particularly treacherous obsidian dune. The wards that had once concealed it from the naked eye had been deactivated, and what stood before you now looked like little more than a top-heavy tower that was still undergoing construction at its highest level. It had been built under a massive stalactite, or an “inverse mountain” as Young had once described them, and from the way things were developing, it looked like Varnae had intended for the castle’s upper floors to be built into the very mountain itself. According to her, the ‘sky world’ was home to the harpies, vampires, and other such airborne creatures. Her statement proved accurate when you spotted a manticore flying between the inverse mountains’ cloudy peaks. You were sure Varnae had some vampires up there waiting in the wings.
“Looks like Varnae’s been expecting us.” Young observed.
Down below, past the defensive line that your allies had formed, Varnae’s forces crowded around the base of his castle. Mutated Kaiju, vampires and a plethora of other monsters all roared and hissed at you, daring you to get closer. Varnae was nowhere to be seen.
You were about to take a step forward, when Young grabbed you by the shoulder.
“Stay on your toes. Keep your eyes peeled for any tricks that he might use.” Young warned you. “But most importantly…hold your head up high, and show them who you truly are.”
You nodded without taking your eyes off of Varnae’s castle, and Young slowly removed her hand. When you moved, so did everyone else. Instead of circling the dune like the others, you and Young slid down it. The generals you had appointed during the invasion met back up with you, leading the army in your stead. But the real attention grabbers were the Kaiju backing you up. They were the real reason why your allied forces parted like the Red Sea before you. The enemy didn’t know that, though.
To them, it looked like they were making room for you, since you were the one standing at the front. As you neared the front of the battlefield, you spotted some friendly faces giving you encouraging looks.
Louise. Ana. Delphyne. And Ward, strangely enough. Simon and Carn’s groups were still moving to cut off enemy forces, so you didn’t see them, but you imagined that they were sending you their thoughts and prayers.
By the time that you reached the front, all eyes were on you, not the Kaiju standing on either side of you. Some of the enemy vampires laughed at you, their faces curled up into derogatory sneers. Most of them tensed up, prepared for the worst should you display any outward hostility. Your hand moved, and a sea of vampires shifted to grab their weapons. But you made no move to grab your own. Instead, you held up a hand. A signal to the Kaiju towering above you.
(Cont.)
Then, all at once, each of them began to shout. They shouted for Varnae to show himself. Their booming voices overpowered most as they swept across the battlefield. Soon after, everyone else on your side joined in. You didn’t know if it was due to mob mentality or sheer bloodthirst, but they picked up on what you were trying to do. And, soon enough, there was an entire army of monsters calling Varnae a coward for hiding behind his army.
What had once threatened to be a bloodbath, had quickly devolved into a shouting match. Only, the enemy’s morale was starting to flag, as each member of the Monster Council stepped forward to stand with you.
It was becoming apparent that “The Slayer” wasn’t the only one opposed to Varnae. After about five minutes of this, a large, shadowy figure swept down from the top of the castle, and crashed down before Varnae’s army. The enemy’s forces took a step back as a large bipedal bat-creature stood to its full height. He looked a lot like Carpathian, but with longer talons, and an even longer pair of drooping ears.
“You truly wish to see me in person so badly, Slayer?” he hissed, his wings unfurling to show a body being ravaged by a network of black veins. “Or do you simply wish to see your own handiwork? I am afraid that your curse has failed to kill me.”
His voice was low and tremulous. His every word reverberated through your bones. He must be using an enchantment of some kind to boost his volume.
He wore no armor–no clothing at all, really. You couldn’t see any visible weapons, either. Only a few enchanted rings adorning his long, bony fingers.
“I have outlived many before you. And I will outlive many more after your blood is spilled on these sands!” he roared.
What will you say/do? (You may initiate the assault if you wish to.)
>”Why don’t you get a little closer and say that to my face, creep.”
>”The only reason you’ve lived this long is because you’ve spent your life running and hiding. You don’t scare me, Varnae.”
>”Then I sure hope you can back up all that talk. Otherwise, this is gonna be really embarrassing for you.”
>”I’ve outlived everything you’ve thrown at me so far. If anything, I’m surprised that you’ve still got supporters after every single one of your ‘carefully laid out plans’ has failed miserably.”
>”The only person we’re here for is you, Varnae. Everyone else will get a chance to surrender.”
>Write-in.
>>6279810Thanks anon!
>>6279873>””You died ages ago, Varnae. Try a better boast, like how you used your millennia of cunning to keep pace with someone still in grade school. Ooh, and you wisely devastated a city to unite several clans against you! Really showcase that unparalleled magnificence of yours!”We’re a teenager who lives with Ben. We’re winning the “verbal smackdown” phase of this fight.
But if we want to be serious,
>”I have a duty here, and it’s ending you. Come face a threat you helped forge.”
