Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="MnM_UH" data-source="post: 755031" data-attributes="member: 10023">Issue #7 - &quot;Engulfing&quot; (Continued)Scene 2: &quot;Slip&quot;&quot;This is too dangerous,&quot; Fang snarled.&nbsp; &quot;Why ain't we all going?&quot;&quot;Trickster must have a plan,&quot; Lodestone replied.&nbsp; &quot;He always does.&nbsp; Hasn't steered us wrong yet.&quot;&quot;I ain't impressed,&quot; Fang rebutted.&nbsp; &quot;I got my butt in a sling for you guys.&nbsp; Do you know what it's like to be captured?&quot;Lodestone smiled.&nbsp; &quot;We broke you out, didn't we?&quot;Fang growled and bared his claws.&nbsp; &quot;You better just shup up,&quot; he warned.Mana, seeing the discussion between Lodestone and Fang worsening, decided to step in.&nbsp; &quot;Hey,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;We're all on the same team here, right?&quot;&quot;Don't ask me,&quot; Lodestone answered.&nbsp; &quot;Furry here has something stuck in his pelt I think.&quot;The Duchess was quiet, watching the sun finally slip beneath the horizon.&nbsp; She was hoping that somehow her weakness to sunlight would not become a problem on this mission.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dusk was not easy on her, but it was far easier than during the middle of the day.&nbsp; But what if this Pandemonium place didn't have days and nights?&nbsp; It's another dimension after all.&quot;It is ready,&quot; Mana proclaimed.&nbsp; &quot;I will now create the dimensional portal to Pandemonium.&nbsp; It will remain for a total of two minutes.&quot;&quot;Won't it just disappear when you go through it?&quot; Lodestone asked.&quot;No,&quot; Mana replied.&nbsp; &quot;That's not how it works.&nbsp; I wish it did, but my mastery of dimensional travel is not the best.&nbsp; Besides what do we have to worry about?&quot;**************************************************The United Heroes' hydrofoil arrived at the mysterious island, its occupants very curious and apprehensive about what they might find there.Harpy was back at Hadley Manor, standing watch over the base.&nbsp; Seraphim, acting as operations leader for this mission, stood at the front of the vessel, addressing the rest of the team.&quot;When we find a good spot to do so,&quot; he began, &quot;Pathfinder, I want you to use your powers to figure out what's gone on since Torpedo and the Scoundrel left the island.&quot;&quot;Remember,&quot; Iron Dragon cautioned, &quot;there are a great number of super-villains on this island.&nbsp; We cannot afford to be brazen.&quot;&quot;No kidding,&quot; the Scoundrel added.&nbsp; &quot;But what about this Chaos Machine?&quot;&quot;Yeah,&quot; Electrostatic concurred.&nbsp; &quot;We don't have any idea what it looks like.&nbsp; It could be anywhere.&quot;&quot;I didn't see anything in the castle that looked like a big machine,&quot; the Scoundrel recalled.&quot;It will be somewhere near a concentration of the most powerful villains,&quot; the angelic hero pointed out.&nbsp; &quot;Barracuda saw you and Torpedo, and he probably told the others.&nbsp; They must know that we would come eventually.&quot;&quot;We might still have the element of surprise,&quot; Iron Dragon said.&nbsp; &quot;Barracuda himself was not in direct contact with Torpedo or the Scoundrel during that encounter.&nbsp; Perhaps the Atlantean soldiers didn't know who they were fighting.&quot;&quot;I doubt it,&quot; MorningStar responded.&nbsp; &quot;Torpedo is a legend in Atlantis.&quot;&quot;We will operate under the assumption that the villains know we're coming,&quot; Seraphim said.&nbsp; &quot;Stealth is going to be key to success on this mission.&quot;&quot;Maybe we should have a look around,&quot; Electrostatic suggested.&nbsp; &quot;We can spread out and cover more ground.&quot;&quot;An excellent idea,&quot; Seraphim said.&nbsp; &quot;But let's stay in two-person teams.&nbsp; I wouldn't want anyone to get caught alone.&nbsp; One high-speed person with a walker.&nbsp; I'll go with the Scoundrel to check out the castle.&nbsp; MorningStar, you and Pathfinder will check out the north shore.&nbsp; Electrostatic and Iron Dragon, check out that bluff.&quot;They disembarked from the hydrofoil and split into their two-hero teams.Seraphim kept as low as possible, while still giving himself a different vantage point than the Scoundrel, who was on foot.&nbsp; When they neared the castle, Seraphim flew as close as he could, and spotted something on the bluff where he had sent Electrostatic and Iron Dragon.He returned to the Scoundrel, who waited outside the castle wall.&nbsp; &quot;Stay here,&quot; he said.&nbsp; &quot;There is something strange going on where I sent the Dragon and Electrostatic.&nbsp; I'd better go over there and help them if need be.&nbsp; If I don't return in a few minutes, go back to the hydrofoil.&quot;Before the Scoundrel could reply, the angel took off, flying as fast as his wings could carry him.Screw that, the Scoundrel thought.&nbsp; I'm gonna go check it out too.&nbsp; Does Seraphim think I can't handle myself?&nbsp; He followed Seraphim's flight, and approached the bluff where the strange event was taking place.**************************************************Lodestone was the first to step through the red shimmering portal.&nbsp; The Duchess paused and waited for something to happen.&nbsp; Nothing did.&nbsp; She motioned for Fang to go next, which he did reluctantly.&quot;Are you certain this is safe?&quot; she asked of Mana.&quot;Nothing is safe,&quot; Mana replied.&nbsp; &quot;The ways of magic are mystery.&nbsp; You should know something about that, being a magical being yourself.&quot;&quot;My existence may be sustained by magic,&quot; the Duchess said, &quot;That does not mean I am a sorceress.&nbsp; I know very little of enchantments.&quot;&quot;Let's get going before the portal closes,&quot; Mana said.&nbsp; &quot;Who knows what trouble Lodestone and Fang might get into without us.&quot;&quot;You can definitely get us back?&quot; the Duchess asked as she stepped toward the gate.&quot;I have done this before,&quot; the sorceress replied.Both villainesses stepped through the portal to Pandemonium and were gone.Seraphim arrived just as Mana and the Duchess stepped through the portal.&nbsp; He was shocked to see that the portal still remained.&nbsp; He spotted Electrostatic cresting the nearby hill.&quot;We must follow them,&quot; he commanded while flying toward the portal.Electrostatic took a look back at Iron Dragon, who was a little bit behind him.&nbsp; &quot;C'mon, Dragon!&quot;&quot;There's no time,&quot; Seraphim declared.&nbsp; &quot;We must get through that portal!&quot;&quot;OK,&quot; Electrostatic replied.&nbsp; &quot;No time like the present!&quot;&nbsp; He tore across the open ground and into the portal before Seraphim could utter another word.Concerned that the portal might close, potentially leaving Electrostatic alone with the villains who crossed the gate, Seraphim landed and jumped through the portal.The Scoundrel arrived and saw what had transpired.&nbsp; Iron Dragon was still far from the portal, and the gateway looked like it was going to close.&nbsp; He could probably make it, but Iron Dragon was too far away and too slow to get there in time.The hero rushed to the edge of the portal.&nbsp; &quot;Tell the others what happened,&quot; he yelled back to Iron Dragon.&nbsp; With that, the Scoundrel slipped through the portal just as it collapsed on itself.Iron Dragon, who was sprinting toward the gate as fast as he could, stopped in his tracks.&nbsp; What now?**********************************************Pathfinder, MorningStar, and Iron Dragon stood on the beach near the hydrofoil.&quot;So they just walked through that portal and disappeared?&quot; MorningStar asked.&nbsp; &quot;Weird.&quot;&quot;I wonder where they could have gone,&quot; Pathfinder said.&nbsp; &quot;I could go over there and find out, I suppose.&quot;&quot;We should do that,&quot; Iron Dragon replied.Just as they were about to return to the bluff, Barracuda and Surge appeared from behind a sand dune.&quot;Oh, you're not going anywhere,&quot; Surge declared.Watch for Scene 3, Coming Soon!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="MnM_UH, post: 755031, member: 10023"] [b]Issue #7 - "Engulfing" (Continued)[/b] Scene 2: "Slip" "This is too dangerous," Fang snarled. "Why ain't we all going?" "Trickster must have a plan," Lodestone replied. "He always does. Hasn't steered us wrong yet." "I ain't impressed," Fang rebutted. "I got my butt in a sling for you guys. Do you know what it's like to be captured?" Lodestone smiled. "We broke you out, didn't we?" Fang growled and bared his claws. "You better just shup up," he warned. Mana, seeing the discussion between Lodestone and Fang worsening, decided to step in. "Hey," she said. "We're all on the same team here, right?" "Don't ask me," Lodestone answered. "Furry here has something stuck in his pelt I think." The Duchess was quiet, watching the sun finally slip beneath the horizon. She was hoping that somehow her weakness to sunlight would not become a problem on this mission. Dusk was not easy on her, but it was far easier than during the middle of the day. But what if this Pandemonium place didn't have days and nights? It's another dimension after all. "It is ready," Mana proclaimed. "I will now create the dimensional portal to Pandemonium. It will remain for a total of two minutes." "Won't it just disappear when you go through it?" Lodestone asked. "No," Mana replied. "That's not how it works. I wish it did, but my mastery of dimensional travel is not the best. Besides what do we have to worry about?" ************************************************** The United Heroes' hydrofoil arrived at the mysterious island, its occupants very curious and apprehensive about what they might find there. Harpy was back at Hadley Manor, standing watch over the base. Seraphim, acting as operations leader for this mission, stood at the front of the vessel, addressing the rest of the team. "When we find a good spot to do so," he began, "Pathfinder, I want you to use your powers to figure out what's gone on since Torpedo and the Scoundrel left the island." "Remember," Iron Dragon cautioned, "there are a great number of super-villains on this island. We cannot afford to be brazen." "No kidding," the Scoundrel added. "But what about this Chaos Machine?" "Yeah," Electrostatic concurred. "We don't have any idea what it looks like. It could be anywhere." "I didn't see anything in the castle that looked like a big machine," the Scoundrel recalled. "It will be somewhere near a concentration of the most powerful villains," the angelic hero pointed out. "Barracuda saw you and Torpedo, and he probably told the others. They must know that we would come eventually." "We might still have the element of surprise," Iron Dragon said. "Barracuda himself was not in direct contact with Torpedo or the Scoundrel during that encounter. Perhaps the Atlantean soldiers didn't know who they were fighting." "I doubt it," MorningStar responded. "Torpedo is a legend in Atlantis." "We will operate under the assumption that the villains know we're coming," Seraphim said. "Stealth is going to be key to success on this mission." "Maybe we should have a look around," Electrostatic suggested. "We can spread out and cover more ground." "An excellent idea," Seraphim said. "But let's stay in two-person teams. I wouldn't want anyone to get caught alone. One high-speed person with a walker. I'll go with the Scoundrel to check out the castle. MorningStar, you and Pathfinder will check out the north shore. Electrostatic and Iron Dragon, check out that bluff." They disembarked from the hydrofoil and split into their two-hero teams. Seraphim kept as low as possible, while still giving himself a different vantage point than the Scoundrel, who was on foot. When they neared the castle, Seraphim flew as close as he could, and spotted something on the bluff where he had sent Electrostatic and Iron Dragon. He returned to the Scoundrel, who waited outside the castle wall. "Stay here," he said. "There is something strange going on where I sent the Dragon and Electrostatic. I'd better go over there and help them if need be. If I don't return in a few minutes, go back to the hydrofoil." Before the Scoundrel could reply, the angel took off, flying as fast as his wings could carry him. [I]Screw that,[/I] the Scoundrel thought. [I]I'm gonna go check it out too. Does Seraphim think I can't handle myself?[/I] He followed Seraphim's flight, and approached the bluff where the strange event was taking place. ************************************************** Lodestone was the first to step through the red shimmering portal. The Duchess paused and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. She motioned for Fang to go next, which he did reluctantly. "Are you certain this is safe?" she asked of Mana. "Nothing is safe," Mana replied. "The ways of magic are mystery. You should know something about that, being a magical being yourself." "My existence may be sustained by magic," the Duchess said, "That does not mean I am a sorceress. I know very little of enchantments." "Let's get going before the portal closes," Mana said. "Who knows what trouble Lodestone and Fang might get into without us." "You can definitely get us back?" the Duchess asked as she stepped toward the gate. "I have done this before," the sorceress replied. Both villainesses stepped through the portal to Pandemonium and were gone. Seraphim arrived just as Mana and the Duchess stepped through the portal. He was shocked to see that the portal still remained. He spotted Electrostatic cresting the nearby hill. "We must follow them," he commanded while flying toward the portal. Electrostatic took a look back at Iron Dragon, who was a little bit behind him. "C'mon, Dragon!" "There's no time," Seraphim declared. "We must get through that portal!" "OK," Electrostatic replied. "No time like the present!" He tore across the open ground and into the portal before Seraphim could utter another word. Concerned that the portal might close, potentially leaving Electrostatic alone with the villains who crossed the gate, Seraphim landed and jumped through the portal. The Scoundrel arrived and saw what had transpired. Iron Dragon was still far from the portal, and the gateway looked like it was going to close. He could probably make it, but Iron Dragon was too far away and too slow to get there in time. The hero rushed to the edge of the portal. "Tell the others what happened," he yelled back to Iron Dragon. With that, the Scoundrel slipped through the portal just as it collapsed on itself. Iron Dragon, who was sprinting toward the gate as fast as he could, stopped in his tracks. [I]What now?[/I] ********************************************** Pathfinder, MorningStar, and Iron Dragon stood on the beach near the hydrofoil. "So they just walked through that portal and disappeared?" MorningStar asked. "Weird." "I wonder where they could have gone," Pathfinder said. "I could go over there and find out, I suppose." "We should do that," Iron Dragon replied. Just as they were about to return to the bluff, Barracuda and Surge appeared from behind a sand dune. "Oh, you're not going anywhere," Surge declared. [SIZE=3][B]Watch for Scene 3, Coming Soon![/B][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]

Verification