Body Bags [PG-L]

[Shy]

[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/bodybags2.jpg[/img] [font=trebuchet MS]This mission thread is created exclusively for [i]invited[/i] members to post in. Players have been notified about posting rules via PM. Please direct any questions you have in regards to the event to [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=49109]The Legionnaires Underground[/url] thread.[/font]

[font=trebuchet ms][size=4][b]Mission #111: Return[/b][/size]

?I?m concerned about them, Kaida,? The Arbiter said in a low voice. ?The Gold Team?s behavior has been anything but predictable since returning from Africa, and it seems to only be getting worse.?

?You mean this mysterious illness that has been affecting them??

?It could be mere coincedence, the old man finally starting to show his age... part of me suspected that he was going to outlive even you...?

?I pity the person who outlives me.?

?...But I believe it?s Augur who needs our full attention. His visions have become much more erratic, seeing the past and present as well as the future. If only we could find a common thread among them...?

?You know what they all share, Arbiter,? Kaida said with a small sigh, ?Each and every one of these visions involve death.?

?I need to ask a favor of you. I?m convinced there is a connection between the Gold Team?s trip to Africa and these most recent difficulties. I need you to--?

?A team has already been assembled, boss. I?m visiting because I want your approval.?

There was a moment of silence, and The Arbiter nodded his head.

?Fine. You?re better suited for this investigation than Unhate may be, anyway.?

?I?m bringing him along, and the others.?

?You?re putting them at risk, you?ve already seen what is happening to Pygmalion and Augur.?

?There?s strength in numbers, and I need someone to lead us around that temple.?

?You?re right. Bring whoever you see fit..?

Kaida bowed and began to walk away.

?But bring Liquid along as well,? The Arbiter announced, stopping Kaida right in her tracks.

?What? She?s a liability; you know she abandoned the group during our last mission.?

?She has to learn how to work with a team sometime. And as Augur?s visions become more severe I fear that the danger might as well.?

?The girl is on a suicide mission.?

?Then look out for her, and everyone else for that matter. It?s your duty to lead the team, to ensure their safety and the success of the mission at whatever cost. If that?s an issue, I?ll lead this mission myself.?

?I?ll take her along, but I?ll take no responsibility if she gets herself killed.?

?If the visions are any indication, she won?t be the only one.?[/font]

[DeathKnight]

[color=purple]"If that is all, Boss." Kaida gave the Arbiter a sharp nod before continuing, "I'll be off."

"I am counting on you, Kaida." The Arbiter responded. "It is imperative that you get to the bottom of this."

She gave a formal military salute and left the room. She shook her head as she walked speedily through the halls. The bad vibe she was getting from this mission could not possibly get any worse. She mulled things over in her head as she went. The necessary team was assembled- it was a boiling pot of mixed personalities but the numbers were vital to the team. She flipped on a small personal computer and clicked through things- each of them had all of their equipment taken care of. Liquid was already en route, having been called up just a few minutes ago. Their transportation was rearing and ready. The only thing amiss was the entire mission itself. No big deal. A smile crept over her lips. This was going to be a strange day.

She arrived at the airplane as Liquid did, her face as calm and collected as ever. "Hello, Kaida. Had to drag me along on this one, hm?" She said with a slight grin.

"May as well. You seem the easily-bored type." Kaida flipped her computer off and slid it back into her pocket. "Prepared to leave?"

"Of course." She said with a shrug and raised her personal gun. "Armed and dangerous."

"Good woman." Kaida replied and rubbed her chin, "I suppose that's all of it then. Onto the plane, we're in something of a rush."

"This mission that important?" Liquid asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Possibly." Kaida said with a smile and climbed up into the aircraft.

"Hey Chief, Hey Liquid." Arachnid gave them an enthusiastic hello. "How's it going?"

"Peachy." Kaida flatly replied and walked past, heading to the cockpit. She stepped inside and nodded to the pilot. "We are ready for departure."

"Yes ma'am. In this baby the trip will take no time." The pilot said, but Kaida had already walked out and back into the cabin.

She took a long look at her assembled team and nodded. A good mix. As she looked, her eyes locked with Unhate's. They stared at each other for a short time and within that stare a conversation seemed to take place between two of the greatest leaders within the Legionnaires. Kaida smiled brightly and gave a slight wave[/color] [color=magenta]"Hello~"[/color] [color=purple]she gave a greeting in the sweetest voice possible. Several other people around him were greatly amused by this but Unhate wasn't one of them. He just shook his head slowly.

"Can't get me that easily, Kaida." He stated. "That was a pretty bad try, too."

"I thought it was a good one." She replied with a shrug. She arched an eyebrow- at least he was still somewhat normal. Still, he was a bit quieter than usual. She greeted the rest of the team in unison, "Greetings, my friends and comrades. You have been assembled here today for a most important mission." As she spoke, the plane shuttered slightly as it accelerated to take off. Kaida braced herself and continued on, "To put it simply, we are going back to the scene of Mission #108 and investigate it further due to new information provided to us by the abilities of Augur. I will need you all to have heightened senses, heightened awareness- don't let your guard down. There is the possibility that we will face resistance in varied and unexpected forms. Destroy it without mercy. Our investigation will lead us down into the blackest depths of this temple and only once we've turned over every stone within it will we leave. Any questions?"

A hand shot up. Well, it was a sleeve actually. Kaida arched an eyebrow, having not dealt with him before. "Yes? Go ahead, Face."

"Y-yeah, what kind of.. resistance are we uh, expecting?" He stammered out his question.

"Unknown. Gold cleared the area out but we are not aware of what could be lurking within the depths of the temple. Prepare for the worst." Kaida replied. Another hand shot up. "Go ahead, Vern."

"Could ya' maybe, possibly define.. 'worst'?" Vernacular asked in her distinctive accent.

"Last time they fought a horde of Djinns. Something worse than that is possible. Use your imaginations. Any more questions?" She scanned the small cabin of the aircraft and no hands shot up. "Good. Well, enjoy the ride. We should be there shortly. Socialize as you will." Her briefing finished she walked to the rear of the cabin.

"Nice speech." Melinoe wryly stated as Kaida passed by.

"Call it a talent." Kaida replied as she continued on; sat down and closed her eyes, leaning back against the seat.

"So we're going to a temple of some sort?" Arachnid plopped down nearby and got comfortable.

"Yes." Kaida shrugged. "There might be something in it's belly worth mucking around with."

"That's kind of exciting." He rubbed his chin a few times and nodded. "Yeah, this could be really fun."

A sigh came from just in front of them, one distinctly Liquid's. "Why'd you bring him, anyway?"

"Just to irritate you, rest assured." Kaida grinned and stretched a bit.

"S-still, it sounds kind of.. risky. Like we're going in there without much.. information, ya know?" Face said and seemed to shake his head [it was hard to tell].

"No risk, no reward." Liquid said and rubbed her neck. "Why'd you bring these inexperienced guys anyway?"

"We needed numbers, they need experience. Speedy and Face have a bright future ahead of them in our organization. They just need to learn the ropes a bit more." Kaida scratched her cheek a bit and shrugged, "They are capable of handling themselves. I am sure they will be fine."

"Whatever you say." Was the only response Liquid gave.

Really though, Kaida knew that the Grim Reaper was closely clinging to this entire mission. "It'll be a long day." She mused to herself quietly as the plane carried on.

~-~

The conversations on the plane were varied- the quietest people were from Gold Team. Their troubles were not known to everyone present, so this didn't seem like too big a deal. Kaida rubbed her forehead- they had some real chatterboxes on board. On the other hand, everyone seemed to be getting along alright so perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. The plane shuddered a bit and it began to descend into a rather rough landing. Kaida stood up and stretched before walking out, the team following her out. They acquired their various pieces of equipment as needed and stood in front of her, some more eager than others. The newer Legionnaires seemed more nervous than eager. In any event, with everything straightened out, the group marched for the temple. One refreshing hill-climb later they stood at one of the entrances to the temple. The scenery around them was devoid of life- still and quiet to the point of eeriness.

"This is welcoming." Someone within the team muttered loudly. Not bothering to see who it was, Kaida gestured inside.

"You're the guide. I need you to take us to the furthest point you can recall going." Kaida spoke with respect to Unhate. All she got was a curt nod in reply.

As they entered, Kaida was struck with awe. The sheer scope and magnificence of it all. As she gaped, the ground beneath them shuddered violently almost sending her face first into what she was admiring. Kaida managed to brace herself against a nearby wall until the shaking passed. Her narrow eyes searched around them for some clue as to what had happened.

"[b]I[/b] have awakened.." The walls reverberated with a booming voice coming from deep within the temple.

Kaida slowly turned and looked around her curiously- "Pray tell [i]what[/i] did we awake?" There was no answer. Kaida shook her head and rubbed her chin letting out a low 'hmmm'.

"Standing around here doesn't solve much." Melinoe said with a shake of her head.

"A valid point." Kaida suspiciously gazed at the walls and shrugged. "We have a mission to do. Let's go."

-~-

OOC: Any and all continuity or plot errors can be PMed to me. I tried to match the scenery and temple described by the Gold Team as best I could. If I butchered your character, [i]sorry[/i] but I did my best.

Take it away, whomever. Clearly, [b]It[/b] has awakened. Don't make [b]It[/b] wait, that would be rude.[/color]

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]The group was quiet as they followed Unhate through the now eerily quiet complex, somehow sensing that talking wasn't going to liven the sombre atmosphere Gold Team were generating. All walked with their hands close to their respective weapons, uneasy since the hearing the voice. Even Arachnid wasn't talking for once. To a casual observer, it would've been an unsettling scene.

They continued like this for some time before Kaida snapped, sick of the suffocating silence.

"So, err... where are we going?" Kaida she ask, her voice in a whisper. Unhate glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but didn't respond. There was no use, he reasoned, they would reach their destination eventually. Or, at least, he assumed theu would. The voice seemed to be a new development - perhaps there was other surprises in store for them as well.

"Well, are you going to answer me?" This time Kaida's voice was irritated. She expected an answer, and as Team Leader this treatment was insolent, even if it was Unhate.

Unhate merely shrugged and walked on in silence, somehow sensing that they were getting close to their destination, and the woman would see soon enough. Defeated, Kaida gave up. If Unhate didn't feel like speaking, Unhate didn't feel like speaking. There was very little one could do about it.

"Unhate!" Face's terse whispered seemed loud in the silence, and a hint of fear was evident in it. Unhate turned toward the invisible man immediately, sensing something was wrong - something much more pressing than their final destination, Kaida noted.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Face's floating clothing seemed to shift uneasily for a moment before the man's disembodied voice sounded again, the fear in it growing.

"Th-the walls..." Face stuttered. "The, uh, the w-walls are reflecting things th-that aren't, uh, a-aren't there." A gulp. "H-uorrible things." Unhate frowned and looked to his immediate left, his eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary on the shimmering gold surface. Nothing caught his eye, just the same party he was with before... but then he noticed it.

Almost unnoticeable, but definitely there, was the faint reflection of a scientist, a long scalpel held in it's hand. The scientist appeared to be of African heritage, and was in a large lab, a patient strapped to a table in the centre... a patient being 'operated' on... a patient Unhate new... a patient named Unhate.

With horrified eyes Unhate watched as the scientist's wicked scalpel pierced his flesh, and instantly cried out in pain, gripping his shoulder where the reflection-scientist had sliced. He was bleeding. Where the scientist had cut - but surely that wasn't real, it was just some side effect of... of... something. Nightmares didn't come true.

Tearing his eyes away he looked back to the small party who'd been following him and grimaced in pain. The gash in his arm bled freely, but it wasn't fatal. The others were shocked as to how it came to be nonetheless, and seemed scared.

"Face, are you okay?" he asked, blood running through his fingers.

"I'm uh.. I'm okay," the Legionnaire replied, clearly shaken by Unhate's mysterious and spontaneous wound. Unhate nodded curtly, but kept his eyes away from the reflections. He didn't want to see that scientist ever again.

Turning to Kaida, he let his skin harden to close off the wound and gestured at Melinoe.

"If I fall, she knows this place as well as I."

"What do you mean if you fa--"

"A precaution," Unhate said stonily, gesturing for the group to continue down the hall, and into the large room where he'd first seen the Sun Cult.
----
OOC: Obviously I've had this 'disease' manifest as worst nightmares appearing in the reflections - and inflicting real damages and pain on the people. Do with it what you will.

If I've ****** anything up, tell me.[/font][/color][/size]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]For ease of use I will refer to Nightblade as Tetros. Don't know why? Check [u][url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=681857&postcount=11]this[/url][/u].[/COLOR]

Tetros moved along, slightly to the fore of the main group, who were following Unhate and Kaida down the shimmering corridor. Unhate had appeared to overcome his earlier problem, where he had somehow recieved a wound to his shoulder. Tetros wasn't exactly clear on what had happened, indeed it appeared to be something that he had seen in the reflection of the wall which had wounded him.

Tetros knew that mental nightmares were beyond him. But he was not fool enough to assume that everything in this world had explanation. Hell, some of the Legionnaires were able to be likened to mythic creatures. The supernatural, whilst on their side, was also on their enemy's side, obviously. Their arrival at the complex had disturbed something, and whatever it was Tetros had early on decided that the less chance he had of discovering it, the happier he'd be. He wasn't ready to be... decommissioned. He grinned at his little joke, and one of the females next to him [name unkown] gave him a frowning stare.

He occasionally found it hard to relate to his human counterparts. Blood did not flow within his veins. He didn't have a soul. He didn't have supernatural abilities. He was just a machine. A damn fine one, capable of feats of strength and agility far surpassing most people, but in the end he wasn't really anything. Just pieces. As much as he was emotionless, and knew that he worked on logic, he resented the fact that he wasn't actually anything, no matter what he appeared to be on the surface. The philosophical depression of a machine is not to be trifled with.

Tetros' hands tightened on the grips of his guns, as up ahead, Unhate stopped suddenly. Switching to infrared, Tetros scanned the corridor. The gold-sheathed walls reflected a lot of the heat his teammates generated, and confused the image he was recieving. He stepped closer to the wall. Underneath, it swirled and pulsed. It was like looking through a two-way mirror by cupping your hands to it's surface. Most heat was reflected, but underneath it was giving off heat. It was active... almost as if it were somewhat organic. Tetros' examination was cut short, as Unhate let out a roar from the front.

"Everyone, turn, back the way we came!"

Tetros looked up, and saw a superheated wave of air coming down the corridor towards them. To his infrared sensors, it was pure white. The squad dashed back down the corridor, twisting and turning this way and that, as Melinoe, who when the group had turned tail had found herself leading, led them through the warren of tunnels. Risking a glance behind, Tetros noted that the heatwave was slowing down, losing it's momentum as it drew further away from it's source. Tetros moved forward through the group, and ran beside Melinoe.

"Ma'am, the heatwave has dissipated, it appears to have stopped spreading."

Bringing the group to a halt, Melinoe ordered a short break for some members to regain their breath. Gingerly walking back down the corridor, sensors alert for any new wave, Tetros examined the wall. Unmarked. Yet, that heatwave was more than hot enough to have melted the walls' exterior, if it were truly gold. Gazing closer, Tetros saw Unhate standing behind him, and behind Unhate stood a cowled figure, beckoning to....

Tetros turned away, and faced Unhate. Pointing down the corridor, Unhate said in a quiet voice.

"Who are we missing?"

Charred bones were strewn along the corridor, just around the bend and out of sight of the main group.

---

[b]As always, any issues, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll see if I can rectify them.[/b][/size]

[Sandy]

"Who are we missing?" Unhate asked quietly.

Melinoë looked around at the rag-tag group, but couldn't pinpoint the absent one. She didn't know many, even by their names. She hadn't been very social in the flight back to this hellhole.

The huntress couldn't believe she had to return to the Temple of Aton so quickly after the Gold Team's previous mission. Apparently there was some unfinished business here... business that was now blowing up to their faces.

"It's the girl, gal, lass, miss!" a female voice said. "Speedy."

"I knew it! Too reckless!" someone else said.

"She should have never gone with us, she was too young!" another woman said.

"Yes Liquid, she was young, but far from innocent", the leader, Kaida, snapped. "The Arbiter knew what he was doing when he sent her with us."

"We'll continue", Unhate said in his affirming voice. "Let's take the other way down."

The group walked up to a crossing of corridors, and walked down another tunnel.

[I]"I can sense it"[/I], Melinoë thought. [I]"Something malicious stirring down below. Something... familiar."[/I]

She didn't recognise the feeling right away, but then she realized that she had seen it in the faces of all her victims, in their bewildered stare, the sweat oozing from under their skin, gasping breath... It was [I]fear[/I].

This gave Melinoë confidence. She had never felt fear in her life. This was because fear was what she [I]was[/I]. She knew how to control it, how to use it to her advantage. She felt safe.

Nevertheless, Melinoë was no fool. She took her demonic whip Phlegethon from her belt. She was ready for anything.

Suddenly somebody started screaming. Then another one. The boy with the powers of a spider climbed up the wall in panic.

Soon the whole group howled and wept around Melinoë. Some of them ran up the corridor, some down. The air was thick with the sensation of fear.

Melinoë stood there, looking at the other Legionnaires around her, [I]pitying[/I] them.

Then she realized that the Phlegethon, the whip she had received from her mother Nemesis, started rising by itself. She turned to look at it, and saw how the curved sickle at the end of the chain sliced through the air - aiming for her neck.

With her supernatural reflexes, she dropped the whip from her hands and dropped to the ground, the blade missing her by inches.

She couldn't believe it. She had lost control of the whip!

[Minako]

Melinoe quickly dodged her own whip, but Face wasn't that lucky. Face cried out in anguish and Pandora quickly realized the cause of panic in the group: the whip. Pandora used her psychic abilities to stop it, but due to the demonic nature, it was difficult to control. She eventually got hold of it so it wouldn't try to kill anyone anymore, but she could hear the whip's cries in her mind, "No! I will not bow down to anyone's control but Nemsis'!"

Pandora replied with her thoughts, "You've been with Melinoe for God knows how long. You know her. The temple is the one you should be unleashing you're rage on."

After a massive mental struggle, eventually the whip settled down and the group came back together again.

"I could have handled it, you know," Melinoe said cynically.

"You're welcome," replied Pandora.

"Good job, Pandora," Kaida, "How's Face??"

"Not good," someone replied, "He's suffered a massive wound to his chest, I think he might not make it."

It wasn't long until Face breathed his last breath. The whole team was silent for a moment until Kaida got them going again. Pandora could sense that the entire group was shocked that they'd lost two team members in such a short time. She couldn't help but feel shaken as well. Due to the instability of her powers, she took a deep breath and got them under control. She followed blindly behind Unhate and Kaida, hoping that no one else would get hurt.

Pandora inspected the walls as they walked by. The gold sheen seemed to almost [I]move[/I] as they walked passed. She could sense something watching them. She didn't know what it was, but she hoped that she wouldn't have to find out.

-----------
OOC: If I screwed up anything with the plot/people/powers, just pm me, and I'll fix it.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=seagreen]Liquid hadn't expeted another mission quite so soon after the last one. So she'd been surprised when she'd been notified that she was to be a part of a new mission. She'd grabbed her gun and some extra ammo, then headed for the airplane where the team was to gather. She got there at the same time as Kaida, who would once again be her mission leader.[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Hello, [/color][color=seagreen]Kaida," Liquid said. "Had to drag me along on this one, hm?"[/color]

[color=seagreen]"May as well," Kaida replied. "You seem the easily-bored type." She turned her llittle computer off and put it in her pocket. "Prepared to leave?"[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Of course." Liquid raised her gun. "Armed and dangerous."[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Good woman." Kaida said. "I suppose that's all of it then. Onto the plane, we're in something of a rush."[/color]

[color=seagreen]"This mission that important?" Liquid asked[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Possibly," Kaida replied. She and Liquid entered the plane.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]There wasn't much to do durring the flight except talk, which most of the team did. Liquid quickly became impatient with a certain couple [/color][color=seagreen]individuals. "Why'd you bring these inexperienced guys anyway?" she asked Kaida.[/color]

[color=seagreen]"We needed numbers, they need experience," Kaida explained. Speedy and Face have a bright future ahead of them in our organization. They just need to learn the ropes a bit more." Kaida scratched her cheek a bit and shrugged, "They are capable of handling themselves. I am sure they will be fine."[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Whatever you say."[/color]

[color=seagreen]Kaida muttered something to herself. She seemed to be thinking about something. After a little while, she turned back to Liquid. "You know, I don't think the Arbiter was too impressed with your little stunt on the last mission," she said. "And neither was I. You could have easily gotten yourself killed. You pulled it off somehow, but it was not something you should have done, and I don't want you doing it again. Is that understood?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid nodded. "Yes, I understand. And though this may surprise you, I agree with what you just said."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"You're right; that is a bit surprising. Why did you pull that distraction stunt of yours if you know you shouldn't have?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Because I didn't realize that at the time," Liquid explained. "I saw an opportunity, and I took it. In normal conditions I wouldn't even have considered trying it. I went for it because I thought that the wet conditions on the island would give me enough of an edge. Looking back, I can see that I was wrong. I survived for only one reason: the rouge wanted me to."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]That one took Kaida by surprise. "The rouge [i]wanted[/i] you to survive?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid nodded. "Yes. I never did tell you what happened between my departure and when I entered the fortress, did I? Well, I don't plan to. It was, um, personal, and not something I'm comfortable talking about. Anyways, the only reason my stunt didn't result in my death was because it wasn't supposed to. I was presented with bait, an opportunity I decided to take. I took it, and I survived only because I was supposed to. I survived the events following the personal part through skilled deception, but my survival up to the personal part was intended by the rouge."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"So," Kaida said, "what you're saying is basically that you survived your stunt only because the rouge wanted you to, and that's what convinced you that you shouldn't have done it?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"That's right. So, yeah, I won't be running off on my own again."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Good, because this mission looks like a nasty one. That's why we have such a large team. The last thing we'll need is to lose someone because of a stupid decision. So no stupid decisions, all right?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid nodded. "All right. No stupid decisions. I got it."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Good," Kaida said.[/color]


[color=seagreen]After the plane landed and the group entered the temple, things quickly got bad, and went from bad to worse even faster. First, there was the shaking an a voice saying that it had awakened. Next, Face had seen things on the wall, and apparently so had Unhate. Then, Unhate had suddenly become wounded. After that had been the heat wave and Speedy's death. Then Melinoe's whip had gone crazy, and Face had died. [i]What's next? [/i]Liquid wondered.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]As the group continued on through the temple, Liquid began to feel... something. She didn't know what it was, but it was definitely something. She felt it as an odd presence in the air, a disturbance among the evaporated water which she'd been attuned to since her change eight years ago. She probably wasn't the only one to feel it; some of the other team members should be able to sense it in their own ways. But not everyone had powers that would allow that.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Something's not right," Liquid stated.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Yeah, what was your first clue?" Arachnid replied.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Now's not the time for sarcasm, Arachnid," Kaida said. She turned to Liquid. "What is it?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I can feel something," Liquid told her. "I'm not sure what it is. It's close, I can tell that. And it's coming closer."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]It wasn't long before Liquid was proven right. Some... [i]thing[/i] came charging at the team. The entire team hit the thing, with any ranged abilities if they had them and with guns if they did not.The thing didn't last long. It wasn't even able to reach them before it took too much damage and literally blew apart."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Tetros was the first to speak. "What was[i]that[/i]?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"It's not dead," Melinoe said. "It's still here."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"She's right," Liquid confirmed."I can still feel it among the water in the air."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Can it do anything to us?" Tetros wondered. "Even if it is still alive somehow we destroyed its body."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Don't be too sure," Pandora said, pointing. "Look."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Everyone looked. The creature's body was reforming at the exact location where it had been destroyed. "Well, s#^t," Arachnid said.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]In a couple seconds, the creature had completely reformed its body. The thing stood, looked at the team, and attacked.[/color]

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

OOC: Well, I'll say the same thing everyone else has said: please tell me if I screwed anything up.

[Sandy]

The Phlegethon had caused the death of one of Melinoë's team members, the invisible one. As she walked with the remains of the group - nine of them were still alive - she was constantly on alert. The whip attached to her hip was silent, but she didn't trust it, not anymore.

Out of nowhere, a disfigured beast that was all claws and fangs charged towards the team. The Legionnaires retaliated quickly, and the monstrosity blew apart.

"What was [I]that[/I]?" the mechanical man asked.

"I don't know", Melinoë responded. Whatever it was, she still sensed it's presence. "It's still here."

While the others were still talking about the monster - the idiots - Melinoë backed up and dashed to the direction where they came from. She wasn't going to stay and fight an immortal being!

She heard the cries of her colleagues behind her - the beast had respawned - but didn't stop.

Suddenly the floor under her collapsed, and she fell into darkness.

Melinoë landed on a pile of... something dry, like wooden branches. She couldn't see anything but the hole where she had fallen from quite far above her. Without thinking, she picked up one of the twigs, and saw that she was in fact holding a human bone.

She threw it away and stood up, grinding the ancient skeletons she was standing on to dust.

"Ugh! This must be the place where the Cult dumped all the rebels among them." she thought aloud.

[I]"No..."[/I] a whispering voice said from the darkness. [I]"They belong to my collection. Care to join them?"[/I]

She felt it now. For the first time in her life, she felt [I]fear[/I]. She grabbed the Phlegethon, but her hands shook too much and she dropped it. She began sweating. The black side of her body was hot, like burning, while her humane skin was freezing cold.

"W-what's happening to me?!" she shouted, but the words came out only as a suffocated whisper.

Then she saw a light before her, like a burning serpent. The Phlegethon had awoken by itself again.

[Domon]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Navy]Arachnid's "senses" had been blaring inside his head since the blasted place spoke. [I]"Why didn't Kaida use some common sense and think that 'Gee. This seems like bad mojo why don't we call in THE REST OF THE LEGIONNAIRES?!?!' I mean, it would be the sensible thing to do..."[/I] Arachnid thought dryly to himself as he walked closely to his team leader.

There were already two members dead and Unhate had been sliced open. But what was odd was that Arachnid's senses seemed to have really gone off when the injury occured. It was as if something or some[I]one[/I] had been there just in time to slice Unhate's arm like that. It didn't seem right that a building could come to life and attack people. But then this was a person who could climb walls and swing from webs that came out of his wrists.

The beast that had just attacked had been easily killed but then Melinoë had made a run for it just as the creature had appeared again. This time it took a little more strength to down the creature but as soon as it was gone Arachnid came up to Kaida.

"Is it just me or did that thing remind you of those creatures we fought on our mission?" He said.

"Not exactly, they are slightly more faster and more deadly. But yes, they do resemble them to an extent." Kaida said as she shot another round into the dead creature for good measure.

The creautre was torn to shreds again in a hail of weapons fire. No wonder Melinoë ran from this thing, it didn't seem to want to die. It was getting annoying and that's when Arachnid got angry. He leapt onto the ceiling, launched himself down onto the ground behind the creature, webbed its legs together along with its muzzle and hands and then lept onto its chest and proceeded to pummel the crap out of it.

"Why won't you just stay dead you stupid S.O.B.!!! He screamed as he punched what was the creature's face in and then his hand hit the ground and a pain shot up through Arachnid's arm and he fell over backwards from the shock.

"Well... I guess that's the end of that chapter." Kaida said as Arachnid stood up dusting himself off. But as he was about to turn around his senses spiked again and he lept into the group and pushed the front members out of the way as [B]two[/B] pf the monsters landed on the ground, but these were armored versions.

"Oh screw me..." Arachnid said as he webbed the bronze shields that the creatures were holding and yanked them as hard as he could away from them. The team ducked the shields and they were heard clanking and clattering about three feet away. The creatures looked at each other, snarled at Arachnid and charged the team again.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

OOC: As everyone else has said before me, if I screwed anything up, I'm sorry just PM me and I'll fix it ^_^

[DeathKnight]

[color=purple]The creatures assault was complimented by another series of violent tremblings from the temple itself. The heat emanating from the walls increased substantially and a faint pulse could be felt beneath the golden surface.

"For many centuries [b]I[/b] had slept.." The voice began and stopped.

"Ignore it." Kaida said with faint irritation. Two members dead already- the youngest of their organization, to boot. That wasn't even addressing the question of where Melinoe had ended up. Ignoring her concern over the missing team member, she pointed to the two creatures, "Keep them busy at all costs. " She slipped out a small, futuristic communicator and flipped through the menu. "Come on, come on you damned human technology. Get me through to HQ." She murmured and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Awakened by a spilling of blood several moons ago.. who are you, trespassers? Within [b]Me[/b], [b]I[/b] sense your invasion.." The voice was a cacophony, a mixture of varying voices all into one. It felt invasive, seeping into her brain.

Vernacular stood next to Kaida and spoke out of irritation at the voice, "Be quiet you vermin, swine, dog! That's bloody annoying!" She began to curse at the voice in a language Kaida didn't recognize.

Kaida nodded in agreement with the foreign cussing as she was irritated as well. She tinkered with her uncooperative communicator and furrowed her brow at the error message on the communicator. She couldn't get through for some reason. She flipped it off and placed it back into her pocket. "So much for reinforcements." She muttered and took out her pistol.

"You are all.." The voice paused and a pain went through Kaida's head, stopping her from firing. ".. comrades? You have presented yourself as [b]My[/b] enemy, Legionnaires. Violating [b]My[/b] sacred body. Crawling through it without hesitation, you have transgressed blatantly."

The creatures had been dismantled properly by the remainder of the team and a calm fell over the corridor. Kaida held her forehead as the dull pain continued.

"[b]I[/b] must rectify this situation. [i]All[/i] of you must pay for your sins. [b]I[/b] will have nothing less.." The voice finally fell completely silent. The pain gone, Kaida righted herself and walked over to Unhate.

"I've grown to dislike this mission, Unhate." She whispered in a low enough voice for only him to hear. "I half wonder if it would be possible to retreat." She stated, subtly pressing him for advice. Really, he was the only person she would turn to for advice out of this group.

"Do you honestly think it would just let us waltz out of here?" He responded gruffly. "All we can do is press on."

She chuckled, "Even in this situation you remain very much yourself." She looked to her team, "We must carry on and dismantle whatever this irritating persona is. Unhate." She looked to him. "Lead."

"It is only a short distance further. We were there prior to our little.. retreat. All of you, follow me." With that said, they continued their march through the now eerily peaceful corridors.

The peace wasn't meant to last. The entire structure rumbled more furiously than the prior two times, sending the team slamming into the walls and each other. It lasted for half a minute or more before ceasing, leaving the team mostly on the floor aside from the ever-rocklike Unhate. Kaida slowly stood up and shook her head.

"That was different. Stronger, more powerful, you know?" Vernacular stated as she got up and dusted herself off. "Not much fun, not much fun."

"That was indeed significantly stronger than the last tremors, ma'am." Tetros stated stoically.

"It's up to something." Kaida said with a glance to the walls. "Executing plans.. thinking."

"What's it up to now, eh?" Arachnid rapped the wall with his knuckles. "Irritating little prick, isn't it. Wait.." He froze and peered down the hall. "Somethings caught my senses.. just down there."

A whirring noise at the end of the hallway caught their collective attention. From the relative darkness came a hulking monstrosity of metal, futuristic to a fault. It was almost as tall as the corridor itself and walked upright. A pair of guns replaced it's hands, the make and model unfamiliar to everyone but one. Kaida froze immediately at the sight of the machine, her eyes widening as she stared.

"What the hell is that?" Arachnid said and moved to confront the mechanical oddity.

"Doesn't matter, does it? Destroy the bastard. It's in our way." Unhate ordered the team. They shifted into their now-typical formation that had Unhate and Arachnid at the front. Kaida continued to simply stare at it, not moving an inch.

"Uh, Kaida?" Pandora asked as she peered at her. "Are you.. okay?"

"That's.." Kaida's face turned serious and she shook her head. "You can't destroy it with your bare hands, it's programmed to avoid melee combat in all circumstances. Pandora, shred it." Kaida glanced to her as she gave the order.

"You got it." Pandora replied with a nod.

A green glow surrounded it and it was promptly shredded apart, leaving nothing but a heap upon the floor.

"Well, that was easier than those immortal guys!" Arachnid said, pleased with the ease of the kill.

"A little anticlimactic if you ask me." Liquid dismissed his enthusiasm and shrugged.

"I never thought I'd see those things again." Kaida commented and walked forward to the heap. She knelt down and prodded around in it, taking out a small spherical piece of machinery. She looked it over and let out a 'hmmm'.

"Friends of yours?" Unhate said from behind her.

"Old, old friends." Kaida stood up and shook her head. "From world wars you wouldn't know of, I'm afraid. These machines slaughtered thousands. Just one of the [i]nightmarish[/i] things I managed to create in the service of my country." Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "I have no idea why it is here, though. I haven't built anything like this since I ended up here. That was a.. unwelcome sight." She fell to silence.

Unhate seemed to dislike what he heard and fell into thought about events thusfar. Kaida shook her head. The enigmatic power of this temple was at work, affecting more and more of the team- even herself.

~-~

A message went into the Legionnaires' mobile HQ from the pilots involved in Mission #111. The somewhat flustered pilots detailed the strange earthquake and the total loss of contact with the team. Unprepared for this situation, they asked just "what in hell" they should do. The communications officer shook his head at the pilots lack of calm and started to berate them.

Before he could, the transmission was hijacked by an unknown entity. Within the communications area, a voice spoke:

"Do not interfere with this. [b]I[/b] will deal with you soon enough.."[/color]

[Sandy]

Melinoë stood there, on top of the pile of skeletons, in the dead silence. She stared at her weapon, the infernal whip Phlegethon that was forged in the fiery river of Hell, hovering in midair in front of her, and [I]feared[/I].

She knew that this was her greatest fear: losing control of everything that she was. She knew she didn't have much, she wasn't much, so she clinged onto what she was.

She was an avenger, merciless and lacking empathy. She was the spawn of a demon and a human, result of a brutal rape. She was the daughter of Nemesis, the demonic goddess of revenge.

Now that all had been taken away from her. She felt weak, powerless. Her own weapon had turned against her. She had nowhere to run.

"No... Why are you doing this to me?!" she shouted again, her deep voice breaking. "Why are you doing this to me... mother?"

With that word, a shadow emerged from the darkness behind the swirling whip. A pair of fire-red eyes stared at Melinoë. Long white hair flowed around the thin face and the naked black body.

"M-mother?" Melinoë whispered.

Nemesis smiled; a cruel, twisted grin.

[I]"My daughter. Look what you have gotten yourself into. You have forsaken your natural calling. You have betrayed [I]me[/I]."[/I]

"No, mother! I have [I]not[/I] betrayed you! I'm still a huntress, punishing those who do wrong! That is who I am, I have never been anything else!"

Melinoë felt both the hot and cold sweat dripping along her double-colored skin.

[I]"You are nothing, my daughter. You are a [I]mistake[/I]. I had such high hopes for you, but you failed me..."[/I]

Nemesis extended her long, black arms, and took the sizzling Phlegethon.

"No..." Melinoë gasped, and fell to her knees.

The demonic goddess gave her daughter one last glance with her hollow, burning eyes, turned around and vanished, taking the whip with her.

Melinoë sat there on her knees, in the dim light oozing from the hole above, and covered her face to her hands.

[I]"This can't be true"[/I], she thought.

[4815162342]

Vernacular had been fine through most of the mission, [B]It[/B] seemed to be ignoring her, sending her no nightmares. She had been horrified like most of the others when their youngest members died, horrified and saddened. But still she had not received nightmares. Other members had dropped back, or been separated from the group, but still ? no nightmares. Just a few minutes ago she?d been fine, getting madder by the minute at what was happening to her team-mates, mad that she could do nothing to stop it. Monsters and fighting?they were certainly [i]not[/I] her area of expertise?

But right now? Right [i]now[/i] Vernacular was scared, was sure that her pain was not that of a nightmare, but was rather reality.

Why would the Arbiter have taken her child and husband? Why would he send them to this infernal place with her and let them be killed? They knew nothing about what she did, didn?t affect what she did in any way and didn?t threaten the security of the Legionnaires.

She sobbed into the darkness, crouched beside the bodies of her dead family; hands stroking across their cold faces.

?Why did you [i]do[/i] that, kill them I mean? They had done, perpetrated nothing! They were not even from my job!? There was no answer from the darkness, from [B]It[/B], she didn?t expect one. ?If I could find you I would kill you! I swear I would!? David and Hira had come out of the sudden darkness that had blinded her...darkness she supposed that the others saw as well, darkness she hoped was caused by It?David had wrapped his arms around her and only let go to help her pick up Hira so they could hold her between them, speaking in hushed voices.

But just as suddenly as they had been there to comfort her, they were gone, taken down by snipers?right in her arms. David had fallen first, shot through the heart and as soon as Hira started to sob, she had been shot as well. Vernacular began to swear louder than she had before, cursing the fact that instead of continuing on like bullets normally do and hitting her, they had stopped. Stopped without hitting her, without allowing her to join her dead family, her whole life?s meaning.

She looked up as she heard a noise to her left ? It was Speedy coming out of the darkness, bouncing from foot to foot, face bored.

?Just get over it! They?re dead, now come on and play with me!? Vernacular shook her head wiping tears from her eyes.

?You can?t mean that, be saying that, be serious?these two are my life, existence, being?? Speedy just shrugged.

?That doesn?t matter to me!? Vernacular nearly began crying again.

?But it does, must, has to?I took you to see, meet, be introduced to, talk with my family once, one time, when neither of us, we both, weren?t on a mission?you loved, adored, were taken with Hira, thought, believed, was under the impression she was like a little sister to you?you were NEVER this uncaring?unfeeling?? Vernacular?s eyes widened at her last statement.

[i]Were? She?s standing right there! Why are you thinking in past-tense? Wait?how could I forget, she died earlier?she?s an illusion?[/i] Her eyes widened still further as Speedy disappeared.

[i]Then?hang on a second, moment, brief amount of time?I, myself, didn?t, couldn?t, WOULDN?T bring, David or Hira here, where we are, this location?and the Arbiter wouldn?t, could not bring them either?he isn?t like[b] that[/b]. And I have not told them, informed them, let slip what I do?so they WERE NOT here, they DIDN?T die?so [b]what[/b] is going on?[/i]

Vernacular blinked as the darkness lifted and looked around. It seemed that the others were still there?the whole incident had taken less than a minute. She let out a silent sob of relief when she turned and the bodies disappeared. She ran a hand over her eyes and stood, turning to the more immediate task at hand ? figuring out what was happening.

?What is going on, happening, occurring? We need, should help, assist, aid the others, right?? She gazed down the hallway, trying to shake off the aftereffects of her ?nightmare,? and lapsing into unfamiliar briefness. ?Further in??

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Tetros had been braced to rush for the hulking metal beast with which Kaida had seemed familiarised, when the one named Pandora shredded it wth her mind. Tetros was reasonably sure that he could have handled the robot. It was big and strong, but Tetros felt like his speed and agility, as well as his power to weight ratio, could have done some damage. But nothing like this. He had never seen such an awesome display of power.

A glance at her gave no indication as to the skills she posessed. Indeed, she seemed to be only slightly weakened from the energy she had used.

Tetros' musings were interrupted as the temple once again shook. It lasted for only a few seconds perhaps, but the severity of the... convulsions had increased greatly. The only surface with any sort of texture at all was the floor, which was composed of some lightly dimpled compound, unknown to Tetros, or any of the rest of the team it appeared. There was nothing to steady yourself on, the hallway being both too wide, and too high to support oneself. The Legionnaires were being slammed into the wall, the floor, the ceiling, as it seemed like the whole corridor flailed like a monsterous tentacle. Indeed, it seemed as if the corridor wasn't as solid as it appeared. Looking back down the straight corridor they had come from, it was just possible to make out the floor, walls and ceiling constricting slightly in pulses, periodically bulging inwards, before expanding back to their usual position. It was only slight, but worrisome nonetheless.

As the shaking stopped, the embattled Legionnaires rose from their positions on the floor. There appeared to be no serious injuries, however one of the females was dabbing some blood from her eyebrow.

Tetros watched as three perfect drops fell from the cloth she was using, arcing off towards the ground. As they hit the ground, everything went dark. Half a second later the light re-appeared. It was enough to make you wish it had stayed dark.

Every single dimple in the surface of the corridor had a drop of blood in it. The effect was horrifying, as though the Legionnaires stood amongst a sea of blood. Somebody retched against the wall.

It went dark.

1...2...3..4...[/size]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

OOC: If I've forgotten anyone who could see in the dark, please tell me.

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

[color=seagreen]The sudden darkness may have blinded the others, but Liquid could still see just fine. Her ability to see water in any form wasn't affected by light, and water was everywhere. She was able to see objects and people by seeing the water in and/or on them, or if they were completely dry, the absence of water.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Can anyone else see right now?" Liquid asked. "Or am I the only one?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"My infrared vision is working fine," Tetros replied. "I can see. Is anyone else able to see?" [/color][color=#2e8b57]Nobody replied. "Apparently not."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"All right," Kaida said. "Tetros, you take the lead. Liquid, you take the rear. Keep an eye out for any surprises. Let's keep moving."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]The team advanced forward, with Tetros leading the way and Liquid making sure that nobody got seperated from the group. Eventually, they emerged from the bloody passage into some kind of chamber. The light came back, and the team examined the room they were in. There didn't seem to be anything in it. but then, suddenly, there was. There was to Liquid's eyes, at least. All the others saw was her falling to the ground. To Liquid's eyes, they werent even there. It was just her and someone else.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the woman walking towards her. She recognized the woman in an instant. And that was the problem. Selna was dead. She'd died ten years ago. And yet there she was, standing in front of Liquid. "Hello," she said. "It's been a long tine, hasn't it, Laqara?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Um, well... yes," Liquid managed to reply. "You... you died, mom."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Did I? If so, then how can I be here?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I- I don't know. I saw your body, Mom. You were dead. [i]Dead[/i], mom."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"You were clearly mistaken," Selna replied. "If I'm dead, how can I be standing here?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I don't know," Liquid said. "I just don't know. Mom, I- I'm sorry. I thought you'd died."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"It's all right, dear," Selna told her. "It's all right. I probably did look dead. Well, that's in the past, I guess. I'm here for you now. I can't imagine what it was like for you, thinking that I'd died. You didn't have anywhere to go, or a job, or anything."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Oh, I had somewhere to go, mom," Liquid replied. "I had somewhere to go. Remember Kajo? Yeah, I went to live with him. And do you know what he did? He tried to f$^#ing rape me!"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I'm so sorry," Selna said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Suddenly, Liquid knew what was going on. "You're not," she told Selna. "You're not sorry. I can see what this is now. Do you want to know what happened to me recently, 'mom'? I saw Kajo kill Branit. That's right. Branit. My father. The one who died before I [/color][color=seagreen]was born. And I saw Kajo kill him. And do you know why? Because a sick b#$tard wanted to me to be dead inside before he actually killed me. But guess what? It didn't work. And it won't work this time, either."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"What are you saying, Laqara?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I'm saying that you're not my mother," Liquid replied. "My mother died ten years ago. You're not her. I don't know what the f%$k you are, but you're not my mother." She aimed her gun at 'Selna' and fired.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]The next thing Liquid knew, she was on the ground with the rest of the team around her. "What happened?" she asked as she got to her feet.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"You just fell," Kaida told her. "Are you all right?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid nodded. "Yes. I think so, at least. I... well, you've had your painful moment here. I just had mine."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]'What happened?" Arachnid asked.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"It's personal," Liquid replied, "so I'm going to keep it to myself. But don't worry. I'm fine. It was... unsettling. Frightening, really. But it's over now."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Well," Kaida said, "if you're all right, then let's get moving."[/color]
[color=#2e8b57][/color]
[color=#2e8b57]"I'm fine," Liquid assured Kaida. "I just want to get moving so we can finish this and get the hell out of here."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Kaida nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me."[/color]

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

OOC: Again, tell me if I screwed anything up.

[Minako]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Pandora was a bit startled by Liquid's scene. First, two of their youngest members of the Legionnaires are killed, Melinoe runs off, then a corridor of blood, and now this?? It didn't make sense. Just what could have happened in this God-forsaken temple that could have made it so evil? Pandora was still under a little shock by the command by Kaida to destroy that robot. It isn't often that she received attention. She always seemed to stand in the background, but now, she felt like a valuable member of the team. Her mixed emotions blew out a few of the torches that lined the chamber they were in.

"Sorry..." Pandora replied timidly, "My emotions are directly linked to my powers..."

Kaida put a hand on Pandora's shoulder and said, "It's alright, Pandora. We're all a bit shaken by what has happened on this mission," Kaida turned to address the team, "But we MUST get to the bottom of this before any more of the Legionnaires get injured or killed, understand?" There was a brief mumble of approval.

Another Legionnaire helped Liquid to her feet and they continued to cross the chamber.

They reached the end of the chamber, and there was huge door, it had to have been at least 12 feet high, and a yard thick! It's handles were bronze snake heads, with their tongues curling around like a ring to pull with. On the door itself were paintings of what seemed to be a war scene, with hundreds of people decaptiated, mutilated, just an altogether bloody scene. At the top of the door, was an incription in some lost language that nobody knew. The Legionnaires just stood there, staring at this door, wondering in awe what was inside.

Kaida then ordered some of the team to try and open the door, and it opened to reveal...[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Tetros strained at one of the doors, pulling the massive monument wide open. As the other half ground to a halt, the Legionnaires gathered at the brink of a precipice. A single stone bridge stretched out into pure darknss. Who knew where it led. It was not natural. It wasn't... [i]right[/i]. In fact, there was something indefinably wrong about it.

The smell was putrid. It was death, it was decay, it was malice. Pure evil and hate permeated the very air. It was the terror of the child, certain that a monster lurked in the cupboard. It was that wild, disturbing feeling of being watched. As one, the Legionnaires shivered.

"I don't like the look of this... it's not right" Pandora murmured softly. One or two people nodded in agreeance. Tetros too felt it.

Unhate sighed heavily. There was no way that he could lead the team out onto that narrow bridge. Obviously it was where they were meant to go, but they had to find another way. They had to keep looking. This could lead them to their destination, but it was too much like a trap. It just wasn't going to work. He turned, and was about to make his way away from the portal, when a voice called out from the darkness.

"Guys, get away from there! They're coming! You have to follow me [i]now[/i]!"

It was Melinoe. Everybody noticed the startling and worrying lack of the Phlegethon at her side, and her tear-streaked face. But the most concerning thing was the fear that had wormed it's way into her features. Melinoe was almost as stoic as Tetros, if somewhat quicker to anger.

A warm breeze blew in from the room behind the Legionnaires. A rustling could be heard.

"Come on, there isn't enough time!" Melinoe yelled, cursing the indecisiveness of the group. Then Pandora ran forward, out onto the bridge towards her. It was as if a dam wall had been breached. The Legionnaires raced out onto the bridge and into the putrid darkness, as Tetros and Unhate pulled the giant doors shut, hoping to slow their pursuers down. Pulling LED tubes from their equipment belts, the Legionnaires followed Melinoe along the bridge.

***

Up in one corner of the giant cave that had once been called the Hall Of Despair, eyes that hadn't opened for centuries widened, and joints that hadn't moved for even longer creaked. Sheba would get her prey now. She felt the life begin to flow within her as she imagined the capture, the terror. Yes, the terror.

But Sheba wasn't the darkest thing to be reckoned in the Temple. There was another even older creature drawing the darting invaders further into his heart.[/size]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[color=seagreen]As the team walked across the bridge, Liquid, Malinoe, and Tetros kept their eyes open for any dangers that might be hidden in the darkness. As the only three on the team who were able to see in the dark, they were the ones best suited for that particular task. The others wouldn't be able to see anything until it was too late.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Eventually, the team reached the far wall of the giant cave they were in. The bridge widened into a large platforrm that ran right to the cave wall, in which another huge door sat. There were markings and inscriptions on the platform, and in the center was what looked like an altar of some kind. It had crumbled with age, but it was still standing. Small grooves ran from the altar to the sides of the platform.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"This platform has a slight slope," Tetros observed as the group went to inspect the object at its center. "It's probably not noticable to any of you, but it's there. The object in the middle is at the highest point, and the platform slopes downwards at a very slight angle from that point. It's a uniform slope, no variance. It has to be deliberate. I don't know what the purpose is, though."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"It's a sacrificial altar," Melinoe said. "That object in the middle is the altar itself. If it were in better condition, you'd be able to see it more clearly. The sacrifice was placed on the altar and killed. Some of the sacrifice's blood would pool in depressions on the altar. This blood was collected for use in the conclusion of the ritual. The rest of the sacrifice's blood would flow off the sides of the altar and into the grooves you can see on this platform. The slope would cause the blood to flow through the grooves to the edge of the platform and off the side."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"You sure this is a sacrificial altar?" Arachnid asked.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Yes," Melinoe replied. "And though it's suffered the damage of age, enough of the altar still stands for me to tell what its original shape was. And that tells me that this altar was most likely intended for human sacrifices. And yes, Arachnid, I'm sure."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Kaida was the first to reply. "Okay, then. Human sacrifices. But sacrifices to whom?"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I don't know," Melinoe told her. "[color=seagreen]Sacrificial altars usually have carvings representing the one in whose name the sacrifices were made, but I see no such carvings here. None that I'm familiar with, at least. This roughly spider-shaped carving here may be such a representation. Perhaps the one[/color] for whom the sacrifices were made had a spiderlike form."[/color]


[color=darkslategray][b]Sheba exited the alcove where she had slept for so long and approached the unknowing humans below. She could see them, clustered around the altar on which countless sacrifices had once been offered to her, the altar which was still there despite its age. They would be easy prey.[/b][/color]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]Sheba reached inward with her mind, reconnecting with the power she possessed. It had been many centuries since she'd last used the power she commanded, but she had no trouble reconnecting wiith it. It had lain dormant within her while she'd slept. Now awake once more, Sheba let the power flow through her, returning her strength to her.[/color][/b]

[b][color=#2f4f4f]Sheba was impressed that the humans had managed to survive for so long. Clearly these were not ordinary humans. To reachthis point, they'd need power of their own. Perhaps they'd be enjoyable prey after all. But they would not defeat her. Sheba's power was too great for any human to match. They would try to fight her, but they would lose.[/color][/b]


[color=seagreen]Tetros had been keeping watch while Melinoe explained the altar, a decision which had just paid off. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but something's coming."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"What's coming?" Kaida asked.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I don't know," Tetros replied. "It's descending along the wall towards us. It looks vaguely spiderlike, but it's not a spider. It's- it just leapt off the wall!" [/color][color=#2e8b57]Tetros had barely gotten the warning out when the creature landed, fortunately doing no damage to the obviously sturdy platform.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]The team quickly turned to face the creature, and they were all startled by what they saw. It had the body of a spider, but not the head. What looked like the upper half of a female human body rose up in place of the head. But even that human half looked unhuman, with strange symbols and markings on its skin. The thing was big, too, maybe four of five times as tall as a human and proportioned accordingly.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I don't know what this thing is," Kaida said, "but I don't think it's friendly. Everyone, let's take it out."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Kaida's guess was quickly prooven correct. She'd barely given the order when the creature attacked.[/color]

[Domon]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Blue]Arachnid's senses had not been very useful because they were constantly blaring and only spiking in really dangerous situations. His senses hadn't gone off and it really creeped him out that a [B]really big[/B] spider woman just dropped off the ceiling. When the creature launched herself at the group of heroes, Arachnid fired off a webline and hauled himself up onto the wall and then built up some energy while on the wall and rocketed off towards the creature's back.

Unfortunately, the creature turned around and smacked Arachnid full force with one of her legs. The speed of the hit and as fast as Arachnid was going sent the wall crawler hurtling towards the edge of the platform. As if on instinct, he fired off another webline and hauled himself back up onto the platform.

"Crap she's fast. Its almost as if she can...Duh!!!" Arachnid said kicking himself mentally.

"What do you mean Arachnid?!" Kaida said as she jumped and fired off some shots.

"What I mean is that since she's a spider-like creature my senses didn't spike when she came near. She's able to bypass them. Plus she's got a stronger version of my senses herself." Arachnid said as he ran towards the creature and fired webbing around her legs.

[I]"Gotta layer this really thick otherwise this thing will escape."[/I] Arachnid thought to himself as he continued to thicken the amount of webbing over the creature's legs. Sheba howled in frustration as the wall crawler finally finished webbing her up and fell to the ground slightly exhausted.

"Jeez that was a lot, I don't think I've ever used that much." Arachnid said as he tested to see if his webs would still fire, which they did. But the victory was short lived as Sheba snapped out of the webbing again and let out a blood curdling scream as she charged towards the group.

"Oh son of a..." Arachnid didn't get to finish his sentence because he soon had to leap out of the way of Sheba who was very angry at Arachnid.

"Crap crap crap crap crap crap!!!!" Arachnid yelled as he scrambled up the wall with an enraged Sheba on his tail.

"SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME COVER FIRE!!" Arachnid yelled as he jumped over to another wall. As soon as he said it, he recieved. Kaida, and anyone else who could perform range attacks soon started firing to cover the wall crawler.

[I]"I think its time to get off the walls."[/I] Arachnid thought as he lept off the wall into the group.

"Pandora. Can you try and shred that thing with your mind??" Arachnid asked hopefully.

"I can try, though I don't know how powerful she is." Pandora said as she started to concentrate on her target. Sheba on the other hand had other plans and landed right near the group and started swinging aimlessly to and fro which caused Pandora to lose her concentration.

"GAH! Stupid fricking spider lady!" Arachnid said as he dodged a swing and finally launched himself onto her back and managed to stick the landing. He then crafted a form of reigns and managed to steer the creature away from the crowd and towards the platform edge. Both knew what was coming and Sheba shredded the reign and bucked Arachnid off and back onto the platform.

"Now little one... You will be mine!!" She said as she neared Arachnid.

"Like heck I am!" Arachnid said as he fired some more webbing off and into the creature's face. He then scrambled back towards the group as Sheba ripped off the webbing and charged again.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Sandy]

Melinoë sat on the pile of skeletons, surrounded by impenetrable darkness. She couldn't believe her mother had visited her at this moment, taking away everything she was. Why [I]now[/I]?!

She looked at her hands. The right one was pale beige and the left ebony black. She cursed her mixed heritage.

"My mother can go to Hell - where she came from! If only I wasn't half demon, my life would be so much..."

She didn't knew what. Better? Hardly. Different? Of course.

At that moment the fog that had covered her thoughts began to scatter. She was half demon... That could never be taken from her. Nobody, not even her mother could take that from her!

Her mother had taken nothing, she had never been [I]there[/I]!

Quickly Melinoë stood up, her demonic senses scanning the surroundings. She had sensed a presence when her mother had appeared. [I]Somebody[/I] had taken the Phlegethon, but it wasn't Nemesis.

She couldn't believe she had been fooled!

"I guess that's what fear does to you", she thought aloud.

Melinoë felt ashamed, but she knew she had to get moving. This temple was still trying to get her, like it had gotten all the people she was standing on.

She sensed a faint breeze coming from her left, so she started descending down the morbid hill towards the apparent exit.

She came to a tunnel that looked nature-made. Something slimy was dripping from the ceiling, but she didn't stop to think about it. After walking along the tunnel for a good while, she came to a huge cave that continued down out of her sight.

"This must be bottomless!" she gasped, peering down from the narrow ledge she was walking on.

Then Melinoë heard voices. At first she thought she was hallucinating again, but then she recognized them as the other Legionnaires.

She ran towards the sounds. She saw the others on the other side of a huge stone bridge that crossed the cave. Again she sensed a maleficent presence, this time coming behind her team mates.

"Guys, get over here!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the vast space. "They're coming!"

After they had crossed the bridge, Melinoë reunited with the other Legionnaires. Nobody really asked where she had gone. She wasn't surprised, as she was used to people not caring.

They found an ancient altar from the opposite end of the bridge. Melinoë blamed herself for not noticing it first, but she investigated the altar herself nevertheless. She saw markings resembling a spider, so she wasn't very shocked when they were attacked by an arachnid she-demon soon afterwards.

The demon confronted the spider-boy of the Legionnaires group. Melinoë wasn't bothered to remember his name, she reckoned he was dead soon anyway.

Without Phlegethon, Melinoë hesitated to join the battle. She felt annoyingly weak.

[I]"Well, at least I'm not hallucinating anymore..." [/I] she thought.

[4815162342]

Vernacular stared at the creature that repeatedly attacked the group and wondered what she could do to stop it. She had a weapon, but it was a simple gun, she had no powers to attack with, her main power being a mastery over languages.

[i]Well, I could always taunt it?get it away from the boy?Arachnid?distract it from the whole group so they can blast it?[/i] She stepped out of the group, moving a little ways away from them and looked at the huge spider for a couple of minutes before she nodded decidedly.

?Hey! Nasty, icky, disgusting creature, being! You there, in front of me, not beside me thank goodness!? Sheba?s head turned slightly at the noise and Vernacular smiled.

?Yeah?I?m talking, speaking, conversing with you, nasty freak, foul abnormality!? Sheba?s head turned further and Vernacular kept on speaking.

?Ok?has anyone, another person, ever told you, informed you, that you make their skin crawl? ?cause you SO do, make our skin crawl, try to jump off us, leave?? She backed up as Sheba turned to face her fully. ?And I really decidedly HATE you, loathe you, am disgusted by you?I think it?s the fact that you?re a flippin? ARACHNID, spider, creature with eight legs!? Sheba made her way even closer to Vernacular. Vernacular watched as the others prepared to attack it once more.

?And the many, numerous, nasty eyes? They just don?t do it for you, they?re not your style, design, yeah?GET AWAY FROM ME!? Vernacular rolled under the lunging body of Sheba and back towards the group as Sheba spun once more.

[i]That better have given them time?I hope I helped?[/i]

[Minako]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Pandora took advantage of the distraction caused by Vernacular. She concentrated on Sheba, but her power wasn't enough!

"I can't shred her! I can only lift her! I'm going over the edge..." Pandora cried as a green glow enveloped Sheba. She could feel herself losing control, which wasn't good.

Once Pandora's box is opened, bad things happen.

Sheba rose higher and higher into the air [B]You foolish mortal! Do you really think that your petty powers can defeat [I]ME??[/I][/B] the spider woman screamed as she struggled to break free.

Pandora lost control. Her eyes that glowed green normally due to her power, glowed brighter than ever before. All she could see was a green haze and she unleashed her rage on Sheba. Pandora lost all awareness of the other Legionnaires, as she fell into her trance.

Sheba flew all around the sacrificial chamber, loosening bits of the wall, narrowly missing the other Legionnaires.

"She's lost control! Take Cover!" Kaida cried as she narrowly missed being knocked over by the flying spider demon.

Finally, after destroying half of the chamber, Pandora lost consciousness by using such a great amount of power at one time. As Pandora fell to the blood-stained floor, the battered Sheba fell down the tunnel, crying an unearthly cry as she fell... until the cries stopped upruptly.

[B]I refuse to be defeated THAT easily![/B] said Sheba as she crawled out of the tunnel. She seemed to have used her web to catch onto a ledge, and climbed back out.

"She's weakened now! Release fire!" Kaida cried.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]BANG

Unhate's shot resounded throughout the chamber before anyone else could react, and the spider woman teetered on the ledge, a gaping wound bleeding freely from her skull. She seemed stunned, but definitely not dead, and looked to snap out of her daze any moment. All were stunned by Unhate's sudden decisive hit... except Kaida.

"Don't, just sit there, get it while it's down!" she roared, pointing at the stunned beast. At once all but Unhate ran at the creature, powers and projectiles flying. Unhate merely smirked and fired again, knocking the stunned beast back into the hole from which it'd crawled out of.

"Get away from the tunnel!" he shouted, pulling a small device out of his pocket as the Legionnaire's looked dumbly where the creature once stood. "NOW." Needing no further encouragement, having seen Sheba rise from such treatment before, they all dashed back to where Unhate stood, being careful not to put their backs to the tunnel.

"Just what are you playing at, Unhate?" Kaida hissed as she drew level with Unhate. "Knocking it in the tunnel didn't exactly work before!" The woman was clearly annoyed.

"Just testing some new tech I got my hands on," Unhate said quietly in way of reply, eyes trained on the hole as he flipped open the button-cover device. "Remote detonating bullets to be precise." Kaida blinked.

"Wha-?" she began, but was cut off as Unhate hit the button. At once a muffled boom could be heard from deep below them, then a hiss, then a roar as a column of fire exploded out of the tunnel, scorching the roof, and, presumably, incinerating Sheba. A follow up boom followed, and ash and dust exploded out of the hole, covering the room in grit and bits of spider-woman. Unhate almost grinned as a charred, mutated skull fell at his feet.

"I guess that means the test was successful."[/font][/color][/size]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

OOC: Um... *counts posts* ...four, five. Five posts' worth of battle (plus my introduction). Yep, definitely too easy. Something that powerful deserves at least one or two more posts' worth of battle before dying. Hope nobody minds if Sheba's not quite dead yet.

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

[color=seagreen]"I don't think we're done yet," Melinoe said. "I can still feel the creature's presence. It's not dead yet."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Melinoe was right. Just as she finished her sentence, Sheba came leaping back onto the platform. She looked... well, different. Less solid. "S%!t!" Liquid swore. "She has a state-shift ability like I do! The bullets fell right out of her when she shifted states!"[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"The 'bodily debris' has no heat signature," Tetros observed. "It's most likely illusory. Our opponent is not. She's still alive."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"She has to be hurting," Kaida said. "Let's take this thing out!"[/color]

[color=seagreen]The team hit the spider-woman with everything they had, but it wasn't enough. The bulllets from their guns hit, but didn't really do much. Unhate's bomb-bullets did do some damage, but Sheba'd clearly learned to avoid them. Whenever one hit her, she shifted states and let it fall out before resolidifying. When detonated, the bullets schorched her underbelly, but didn't do much more than that. Any ranged powers used didn't even seem to make contact. Sheba was blocking them somehow. The creature clearly posessed significant power of her own.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Sheba began firing powerful energy blasts at the team. Those targeted were quick to get out of the way. Some of the blasts hit the platform, but the platform was obvoiusly built out of something very tough, and it suffered no damage. Some of the blasts flew out into the cave, while others impacted the cave's wall and blew chunks of rock everywhere. One of Sheba's blasts ended up hitting the door in the wall, which blew apart.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]After all her dodging, Liquid ended up next ot the unarmed Melinoe. "Here, take this," she said, handing Melinoe her gun. "Now you can actually do something. I know you don't use a gun, but that thing's a big target, so aiming shouldn't be a problem. Just try not to hit any of us. And try to get it back to me intact."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Don't you need it?" Melinoe asked.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"I can fight without it," Liquid replied. "This way, you can fight too."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]With her gun in Melinoe's hands, Liquid shifted into her liquid state and charged Sheba. As she neared the spider-woman, she used jets of water to propel herself into the air and over the thing's head. She spun in midair as she returned to her normal state. She created and chilled water to form ice spikes, which she sent flying towards the back of Sheba's head. Liquid landed on Sheba's body and quickly leapt away from the thing, landing on the platform.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid's aim had been a bit off. Instead of Sheba's head, the ice spikes became imbedded in the back of her 'human' half. Sheba shifted states, and the spikes fell to the ground. Sheba resolidified and turned her attention towards other members of the team[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]Liquid ended up by Kaida. "I've got an idea," she told the team leader. "I'll create a layer of water under that thing, making the platform slippery. Then, you shoot one of your orbs at it. Put a lot of power into it, too. With any luck, the force of the blow will send the thing sliding over the edge."[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Worth a try," Kaida said. Liquid nodded, shifted into her liquid form, and slipped behind Sheba. Resolidifying, she blasted the area around her with water, and got some underneath Sheba as well. "NOW!" she shouted as she shifted into her liquid state and moved out from behind.[/color]

[color=#2e8b57]The plan didn't work. Sheba saw what was happening and nullifed Kaida's orb with a blast of her own. [/color][color=darkslategray][b]"You won't win that easily," [/b][/color][color=seagreen]Sheba said. [/color][color=darkslategray][b]"No mere humans can hope to defeat me. You will all die here."[/b][/color]

[color=#2e8b57]"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kaida shouted. "If you want us, then you're in for a fight!"[/color]

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

OOC: Yes, we can kill this thing. Sheba' though, and she's powerful, but she's not invincible. Remember, she's taken quite a beating, and is probably not too far from death. I just thought that five posts was a little too quick for something that powerful.

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Tetros let loose a storm of bullets at the monstrosity before them, but she took no notice. She was bleeding from numerous wounds on her body, but she wasn't anywhere near down. She was tough and wily.... a creature such as Sheba always made enemies, as the morass of scars criss-crossing her bloated form surely testified. If she were to defeat them now, soon they would be no more than a dim memory to her. They were but fleeting. Tetros soon emptied his clip, and as he reached for another one, he realised that he was out. Not a good time to run dry. Running low behind the other members of the group he made his way to Liquid's side.

"Liquid, is it possible for you to try and freeze or cool the creature's blood? If you could freeze it, then it would probably die, but if you can't do that, then just cooling it down should help to slow her reflexes."

Liquid frowned, and then shrugged.

"I've never attempted it before, but I could give it a shot..." Tetros darted back around the platform, trying to get around to the creatures side. As he angled around for it's legs, he saw Liquid tense up, and begin to sweat, standing very still towards the back of the group. The creature hissed and shook it's head, as if wrestling with a tangible foe. Liquid's eyes shot open, and she collapsed to the ground, pale and shaking. But the break in concentration was all that Tetros needed. He dived forward, grabbing onto the spider's legs. With enough force to snap a pylon he grabbed the leg in both hands and bent it. As he strained, the creature stabbed at him with one of it's other legs, scraping down Tetros' back but not doing any internal damage. The work that Liquid had done was evident though, because as Tetros snapped the leg joint and rolled away for the cover of the group, the spider turned woozily around, dragging its now broken leg behind. It shook it's head as if to clear itself before making a lumbering charge across the platform. It was a lot more unweildy now, but proved that it had agility and strength yet, when it leapt off the altar and scuttled up the wall, screaming obscenities in some ancient language.

Turning, it glared at the group, before leaping off it's perch, heading for the luckless Arachnid.[/SIZE]

[Domon]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Blue]Arachnid saw the move coming a million miles away, figurtively speaking of course, and ran towards Tetros and used the android as a spring board. With the momentum he'd built up Arachnid soon was rocketing towards Sheba and he felt his right fist connect with her face and he could feel bone shatter and blood spurt everywhere. He soon landed on the wall Sheba had just lept from. His suit had not ripped thankfully but he could see Sheb'as blood all over his hand and up his arm. Sheba's body had slumped to one side and then it twitched and she stood up again and screamed again as she scuttled up the wall.

"Why me?! Is it because I have spider-like powers too you stupid old *****?!" Arachnid yelled as he webbed the creature up again and this time he flung her into the adjacant wall. A resounding crash and thud was heard as Sheba connected, but she soon found her bearings again and clambered over towards the wall crawling Legionnaire.

"Okay, if that's the reason then I hate to break it to you, but you're out dated!" He said as he dove towards her and webbed her legs tightly. When he landed on the ground he pulled them tightly and got multiple snaps. The creature screamed as her body fell in a heap on the ground. Arachnid walked up to her and looked her in the face. Her eyes glowing an angry red.

"Is that why you've been chasing me?" He said questioningly. She snapped and screamed at him and then Arachnid's anger got the best of him .

"You stupid freaking creature just die!" Arachnid screamed in anger as he went ballistic with a flurry of punches. The creature was in too much pain to state-shift as Liquid had stated earlier. Sheba's face soon was horribly mutilated and her exoskeleton body had huge holes in it from the punches.

"Now I'm really sick of you!!" Arachnid screamed as he webbed her up and kept a single webline attatched to the creature and he started to swing her around in circles. Finally when she had been spinning enough he released her and she let out one final scream before she connected with the wall and became a giant stain on it.

"I hate things that seem to go after me all the time!! Espeically things that are spiders!!" Arachnid said stomping towards the group. Arachnid walked up to Kaida, nodded and grabbed one of her guns and fired off a round into the carcass for good measure.

"Thanks boss, I needed to use that." Arachnid said handing the gun back to Kaida.

"Okay, now that we defeated big and ugly over there. Where exactly are we supposed to go??" Arachnid said questioningly as he sat down on a step of the altar.[/COLOR][/SIZE]