mayfield_rpg | event: portal seven

Entry tags:

!event

event: portal seven | the void

The final portal doesn't seem to be a portal at all. It's a glitch hole.

Located on the lawn of the library is a hole much like the ones that have plagued every new location for the past week. As with them, it hurts your eyes to look at too long, but even if you should muscle past the pain and stare straight into it, you can make out nothing on the other side. Nothing, save for a shifting, twitching, swirling void.

Unlike the portals, which were vertically placed like doorways, the hole at the Library is strewn across the lawn: if you want to enter it, you're going to have to jump. Of course, there's no guarantee it will even lead anywhere. Touching the hole or sticking your arm in doesn't have any effect: you'll pull your arm out unharmed. As far as jumping in completely goes, those who jump in disappear from sight. As long as you're on the Mayfield side, there's no way to tell what lies beyond the hole.

There's only one way to find out.

[ooc: Feel free to roleplay up to the point your characters jump in, assuming they do. A single group subthread will be created in a few hours revealing what happens on the other side.]

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[Annie has been hearing one voice the entire time: a quiet, stuttering whine of a voice. It makes her feel emotions, and she's not too overly fond of those, so she suppresses them the only way she knows how: with overly-gratuitous violence. Truthfully, she doesn't need to grab the attacking horde one by one to tear their throats out with her fangs, but it's just more fun that way.

Blood drips off her chin as she turns her head around to look back at the rest of her party. She looks slightly less stable than she usually does.]

Will you fuckers hurry the fuck up?

[between jogging and trying to dodge the drones shuffling their way out of the void, Once-ler doesn't really have time to cover his ears. they've already wasted enough time back there with the hands; time really is of the essence so, if it comes down to being left behind or having to endure some annoying if not wholly terrifying voices, then... yeah, he'll stick with the voices. all they can do is lie and taunt, and those two are pretty much the same thing anyway. they can't actually hurt him.

at least, that's what he thought at first. turns out you don't always have to be hit or stabbed to be in pain.

so he makes do, trying to block out the sounds assaulting his mind the only way he knows how to - through song. he's good at making up songs on the fly, but there's only one that's catchy enough to lodge itself in his head because, well, that's what it was written for. he's been ~~stubbornly~~ ~~persistently~~ ~~mindlessly~~ humming a certain advertising jingle ever since the bubble started picking up speed, only stopping to shoot a shaky reply back to Annie.]

What do you think I'm doing?!

[and then, over his shoulder at Luke and Eddie:]

Come on. Just ignore them.

[Just ignore them. Easier said than done.

For the quivering noise in the distance grows louder. The black shape grows larger. And in no time at all, the shadowy phantom he had spied in the distance has entered the protective bubble.

It is him. And yet it isn't.

This deformed drone, this... this thing has merely taken the Dark Knight's form. But in doing so, the incorruptible has become corrupted. Twisted. Transformed into nothing more than a monster.

It lunges at Edward before he even has a chance to scream, wraps its claws tightly around his neck, and hoists him up off his feet. He lets out a strangled cry, feet dangling in the air as he writhes in protest, tugging at the fingers around his neck with one hand.]

S-Stop! What are you---?! Let me go---!

[With no shortage of effort, Edward slowly raises his cane into the air. Don't make him do this, Dark Knight. This isn't you.]

[Luke meanwhile shakes off the voice, trying desperately to remember that the lady who operated on him in January was gone. Luckily he's able to shake it off in time to sidestep the drone lunging for him, but unluckily the drone manages to grab him by the shoulder - and that's when Luke feels teeth burying into his shoulder.]

Nggh - aaaaagh!

[Luke howls in pain as the teeth dig in deeper. But despite the pain, he wasn't actually scared.

He was angry.

So angry in fact, that for a moment he stops thinking clearly. All rational thought leaves him, and all he can think about is attacking the drone. So that's exactly what he'll do, lunging towards the drone punching, kicking, and clawing.]

[Oh, great, this is fucking fantastic. Of all the people to go crazy first, it's the ones who are probably responsible for the least amount of deaths. Figures.

Eddie, well, she's still writing him off as a lost cause, but Luke's situation looks pretty dire, for all that he's fighting like a true badass motherfucker. If they make it out of here, she's gonna buy the kid a beer.]

Goddamn, I am beyond done with this shit! [And what's the best way to help a little bro fight a drone? Punch through said drone's chest from the back and rip its still-beating heart out. If you're going to do something, do it thoroughly.]

[of all the rotten luck. that's it - Eddie is cursed. things were just fine until he showed up, now everything is out to kill them. more-so than usual, at least. Annie's right. it would be much easier to leave him.

~~(and then when that's done, leave her. and the kid. just run, don't look back. it'll be just fine.)~~

- too bad he's never been happy with doing things the easy way.

Luke and Eddie get grabbed at around the same time, but Annie's very quick to spring into action on the former's behalf, so Once-ler concentrates on the latter. he sprints in the older man's direction, nearly skidding, ignoring all else around him, especially the wet, warm liquid that splatters against the side of his chest when he runs past the drone right as Annie plunges her hand into its body. that fact that he's been drenched in blood is also something his mind is all too quick to gloss over.

don't think. just act.]

Hey, freak!

[Once-ler's already swinging the axe when the bat-drone-monster-thing tilts its head in his direction, intending to embed it right in the creature's back.]

Edited 2012-09-10 20:08 (UTC)

[Thank you, Mr. Once-ler, for the assist.

The axe sinks right into the middle of its back, eliciting a loud, shrill screech from the Caped Chimera as its grip on the Riddler loosens.

Eddie drops to the ground in an crumpled green heap, coughing and sputtering and clutching at his throat. But he doesn't allow himself much time to relax, for the monstrous drone's still got his sights set on him. He quickly fumbles around on the ground for his cane, raising it underhand to defend himself as the Batman swoops forward...

...and then stops mid-swoop. For with the simple press of a hidden button, an elongated blade shoots right out of the bottom of the cane, skewering the monster through the neck and out of the base of its skull.

There's surely a quippy one-liner to be made in this instance, as Eddie pushes the husk down to the ground, planting a foot against its chest and ripping the sword back out of him. Something, perhaps, about what's at stake. About there being no point to a struggle like this. But right now Edward's mind is somewhere else entirely.

The Riddler takes a deep breath, exchanges the briefest of looks to the Once-ler, and nods in gratitude before jogging over to Luke and Annie.]

Luke! Are you all right?

Edited 2012-09-11 01:20 (UTC)

[Luke, in fact, is not all right. His shoulder is bleeding pretty heavily from the bite, and despite Annie having ripped out the drone's heart, he doesn't seem to be responding to it.

In fact he's not really responding to anything going on around him, almost like his mind is in a completely different place. He just continues attacking the drone like a wild animal, delivering punch after punch even though the drone has been dead for a little while now.]

Whoa, Luke, chill. [Though she still has the pulsating heart in her hand for absolutely no reason whatsoever, Annie decides that the best thing to do is to try to pick the boy up bodily, her free arm around his waist.] Easy, tiger. You killed it.

[yeesh, what a mess. this time, Once-ler's characteristic prissiness shines through when he starts pulling his axe out of the corpse, giving a tiny, disgusted squeal when his efforts are met with wet squelching. think of something else. how about that sword cane? that was pretty neat. if they get out of here, he's going to have to ask Eddie where he got that. by "ask", he of course means "nag incessantly".

- aw, crap. he forgot about Luke!]

What's wrong? Is he o -

[he trails off the moment he turns around and catches sight of another drone standing against wall of the bubble, watching them. it doesn't say a word nor does it make any move to enter (yet), but she doesn't have to. Once-ler already knows what she'll say; her voice is just one of many in the void. he stares back at her, frozen in place.

aside from the lack of eyes, Roxy looks the same way Once-ler remembers her looking the last time he saw her before she was droned.]

Roxy...?

[Edward hasn't noticed Roxy just yet, but he's at Luke's side in an instant, glaring daggers at Annie before smacking that heart right out of her hand. It falls like an apple and rolls along on the ground, leaving a bloody trail behind it.

He hisses at her in a hushed snarl.]

He doesn't need your help.

[Never mind the fact that she just saved the boy's life. You'll have to excuse the Riddler; he's still pretty bitter about how things went down within the first hour.

He places a strong hand on Luke's shoulder, in part to try and tug him out of Annie's grip and in part to give him a short squeeze. Snap out of it, kiddo.]

Luke. It's over.

[Luke is breathing pretty hard, still shaking with rage and still fully prepared to fight. He twitches violently at the hand on his shoulder.]

Ngh!

[The adrenaline that was coursing through him a moment ago starts to subside, and his head starts to clear. His head still feels fuzzy and his shoulder hurts. As soon as he can think again, he spots the dead drone before noticing how much blood he's covered in.

...Did he...?]

W-what...hnn...

[What happened?]

He obviously fucking does, dude, considering how fucking useless you are. [Yeah, guess who's not letting go of the kid. He's safer with her. These two, they're useless, but she can keep him safe. She can get him out of here, the both of them. ~~leave the other two behind they're just slowing you down they're wastes of time humans~~

... Oh, wait, something's going on with Once-ler. Somebody should probably care about that.] What is this, a fucking reunion special? Axe the bitch.

[Once-ler's off in his own little world. Annie's words are just as indistinct and muddled as the noises Luke is making, drowned out by the ever-growing buzzing in his head, insectile and sly. he continues to stare at the figure, blankly watching her press her hands against the bubble's wall, feeling and squeezing and pushing her way through.

the worst part? going by his horrified expression alone, it's very likely that this is his first time seeing her droned. the last time he spoke to her was after their return from the carnival. anything could have happened since then, but she was just fine when he saw her. no reason to suspect anything off. no reason to believe she wasn't okay.

at least she wasn't alone. another drone emerges from the void to join her, and for all Once-ler knows, it could very well be Jake but he can't tell. he's past that point and sincerely past the threshold of terror when she lunges right at him with her teeth bared.

he's knocked off his feet before he even has a chance to scream.]

[Useless?! Edward's eyes narrow, but before he can make the mistake of telling off a very violent werewolf brat, Annie brings his attention back to the Once-ler. To the droned girl that slowly passes through the barrier, staring straight at him.

It seems the Once-ler's got at least one or two demons of his own to face. And this one looks to be just as violent.

This is twice now that the Once-ler's saved his life. He can't leave him behind.

Damn it all, as much as he distrusts Annie Goldstein, especially with Luke's safety...]

Go! Keep moving! We'll catch up!

[Without waiting for a reply---he doubts the reply from Annie would be especially respectful anyway---he charges back to the Once-ler's aid.

The crook of his question-mark cane makes its way around Roxy's neck, and he wastes no time in yanking back.]

[While still disoriented and in pain, Luke's eyes widen when he sees Edward and Once-ler being left behind with the drones. Any confusion he had about the violent blackout he just had are pushed aside as he tries to call out to them, squirming wildly in Annie's grip.]

N-no, don't! Don't leave!

They'll be fine! [She doesn't know that. In fact, she's rather sure of the opposite. But the voice in her mind, calm and lightly accented, makes her turn sharply, running at a full sprint to keep up with the bubble. Too slow, lose the kid. She holds Luke hard enough to bruise. Pack instinct is starting to take over.]

Fuckfuckfuckfuck-- kid, is your shoulder okay? Fuck, you're bleeding, humans don't have important shit there, do they?!

[at first, there's nothing - no pain, no anger, not even fear. he's practically nose to nose with Roxy, but it's only when he realizes that there's two dark sockets where her eyes should be that the horror comes rushing back with the force of a train. he kicks his legs back, trying to shake her off to no avail. she's much smaller than him and much too quick, clawing the air in front of his face with hungry abandon.

what happened, Ro'? I thought we were friends. I made you a scarf, didn't I?

the thought is the first lucid one to break through the haze of whispering voices, the first truly conscious one, seconds before a wave of hot pain surges over him when her fingernails sink into the side of his neck, scratching and cutting and dragging and no no no nonono -

- and she's being pulled back, or rather flung off, all thanks to Eddie and his cane. Once-ler's hands immediately fly to his bleeding neck, trying to staunch the flow, chest heaving in sick, scared shudders as he tries to scootch backwards in an effort to put distance between them.]

Edited 2012-09-11 13:06 (UTC)

[Question: Why is the Once-ler like an old collar button?

Answer: Because they both choke. And had Eddie choked back when that Dark Knight impostor was still a threat, he'd surely be dead by now. This little monster... she isn't a girl. Not anymore. Which means that he can't afford to hold anything back.

He drags the drone girl off the Once-ler and sends her tumbling back down to the ground just a few steps away.

And before either the Once-ler or his little demon friend can even utter a syllable of protest, before Eddie can second-guess himself, he whips his cane back and strikes her hard in the temple. Then he strikes her once more for good measure. And after a violent convulsion or two, she stops moving altogether.

Splashes of scarlet trickle along the golden question-mark handle as he takes a heavy breath to calm himself. Then he rushes back to the Once-ler, hurriedly offering a hand to pull him back up to his feet.]

Come on. Come on. We have to keep moving.

[Further on ahead of the group, Luke watches the fight, mentally urging the two to hurry up. His vision blurs for a moment, before trying to shake it off. Not now. He couldn't afford to be weak now. And he's survived much worse, so he had to keep it together.

He'll look up at the girl carrying him with a pleading look.]

A-Annie, we have to go back for them.

They're fine! [She doesn't look at him, just stares straight ahead, eyebrows furrowed.] They'll catch up, promise! No turning back!

[something inside him screams -

~~("Oh, Oncie, look what he's doin' to your little friend! Are you just gonna let him kill her? You're an even bigger failure than I thought.")~~

- to turn away and he does just that, hastily tilting his aching head to the side and snapping his eyes closed. the one thing he can't block out are the sounds of the drone's skull caving in, and for those scant seconds, they're worse, much, much worse, than anything the void can throw at him. the voices fade in and out of his consciousness, but that sound...

he's going to hear it forever. he just knows it.

another splatter of blood hits him, this time on the side of his face, and it's impossible not to shriek but he's sure the sound is swallowed up by the louder ones in front of him. in an effort to shut every last horrible thing out, he pulls his legs up and covers both ears with his hands, waiting for everything to be over. the warm pulsating throb in his neck is the only thing that keeps him from shutting down entirely, growing hotter and hotter with each shaky heave of his chest.

when he finally opens his eyes, Edward's hand is shoved straight in his face and it's met with a blank, uncomprehending stare that travels up the other man's arm until it finally reaches his face. Once-ler looks like he's about to cry.

it doesn't change even when he grabs onto Eddie's hand, his free one blindly reaching around for his fallen axe when he's hauled to his feet.]

Edited 2012-09-12 19:43 (UTC)

[That's right. Get up. You may look like a complete mess right now, Once-ler, but at least you're getting up. That's something.

Edward shifts his focus from the man in front of him to the barrier right behind them, drawing nearer and nearer. Then, for a split-second, his eyes flicker to the corpse of the girl just a few feet away. He swallows, does his best to ignore the pit in his stomach that's just unexplainably formed. Briefly, his thoughts return to the terrors they'd all faced last Thanksgiving, to a sick little girl that had looked to him for the answers. Then he forces those memories out of his mind.

She's gone. As was the drone. What's done is done, and had to be done.

His attention returns to the Once-ler, and once the beanpole's back on his feet? It's time to run.

Just hang on, Luke. They'll be joining you again soon.]

[Luke never takes his eyes off them as they move. Trying to get Annie to slow down and wait for them was out of the question, and he doubts she'll put him down right now if he asked.

Come on, hurry up. A little faster and you can make it.

As distracted as he is, he hears a voice calling to him somewhere in the void. The voice of a Russian woman he remembered all to well - Roshian, his previous Mayfield mother.

Luke. Don't leave me here, Luke. We can finally be together, да?

Luke grits his teeth, holding back tears as he hears her voice ringing in his ears. He covers his ears, closes his eyes, and tries to block out the pain in his shoulder and the chaos going on around them. Please be over soon, please.

He calls out desperately to the other members of their group, his voice hard to hear over the chaos of the void.]

H-hurry up! Just hurry up!!

[For the first time, Annie actually glances over her shoulder-- well, what do you fucking know, they're not dead. And are actually trying to catch up. Who would've fucking guessed. She's alright with that; the more people on their side, the easier she can protect the pup. Child. Luke. Fuck. Whatever.]

Hurry it up, motherfuckers, I'm not fucking waiting for you!

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