Achronum

Testing well everything!

It was rare, a moment of peace amidst a war. And yet here, in this tiny pocket of space, the soft babbling of a fountain and the soft singing of violin strings created the illusion of peace. Steam rose off the in-floor pool, stones and verdant flora ringing the marble pool gave the illusion of a Terran spring from ages past. Lavender, chamomile, and lemongrass blended in the pool and rose with the steam and, coupled with the honeyed whiskey settled neatly in an alcove barely an arm’s length away, left the High Inquisitor with ample distance from her daily duties that her Whispers were little more than gentle taps at the back of her mind, rather than the incessant buzzing from her normal life. She smirked as one thought slipped through, the disdain and disregard of one rebel her minions prepared for an interrogation session amusing her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care for her own kind. It was more that she truly only cared about herself and no one could argue that the Empire was the winning side. The Rebellion was cute, but what would it ever amount to? It hadn’t been able to break the status quo since the Emperor and Lord Thanos neatly tucked the Sol system’s throat under their boot and with all current modeling predictions, wouldn’t ever be able to. Mutants, humans, aliens… the difference didn’t matter. All that mattered was she survived, and she’d slaughter as many life forms as it took to maintain her well deserved commodities. Just because they shared a gene did not endear them to her. They were faceless strangers, and they would be faceless corpses for all she cared.

“High Inquisitor, Brigadier General Hoffman requested an audience.” The music faded away as the AI that served as her personal assistant interrupted her relaxation. Nothing good ever lasted and she sighed, the mechanical bathing assistant whirring to life and approaching the pool with heated towels. “While Brigadier General Hoffman has declined to offer any information to me, a preliminary bioscan suggests he is both pleased and terrified, and is at a high risk of a heart attack.” The Inquisitor shook her head as she stepped from the pool and onto the towel laid out for her, taking the other while she considered.

The Brigadier General approaching her was a strange thing. Being a human, and a mediocre one at that, his resentment and fear rolled off him in waves when any mutant or alien so much as passed by him. Whatever information he held was likely the result of punishment for some mistake. She knew full well the main bulk of the Empire’s authority feared her- she’d spent a lifetime cultivating that fear. So either this information was of the utmost importance and they’d decided only one of Lord Thanos’s pet freaks could handle it, or the pathetic excuse of a man failed at some menial task and this was his punishment. Either way, she decided she was displeased.

She took her time after permitting him entrance into her office’s antechamber. He interrupted her during her personal time, so she wasn’t in any rush to help the little worm. The white dress she chose boasted a gold belt around the waist with a opal center and sleeveless to compliment the high gold collar that rose up to her left ear but smoothed down to the right shoulder, the metallic fibers in the collar acting as a solar charger for the various energy implements she employed in her line of work. A pair of opal earrings followed, both acting as a link to her AI and capable of deploying an opaque face shield, and an opal necklace, bracelet, and anklet, which all acted as deployment points for her energy armor.

Once she was ready, she moved to her office, a comfortable room with only one chair behind her desk that overlooked the Imperial plaza. Various pieces of alien art decorated the walls, each one commissioned after a successful mission, interspersed between bookshelves, system access panels, and a holo-map of the solar system with an array of dots scattered about it. She contemplated how to receive him for a moment before activating her face shield, leaving but a blank white surface. She knew it’d unnerve him.

“Permit the Brigadier General entry.” A moment later, the antechamber door hissed as it slid open, revealing the short, impish brute that interrupted her. She didn’t need to brush his mind to feel his emotions. For an officer in the legions of the Empire, he regulated his expressions poorly. Yet still she reached out, basking in the apprehension and revulsion he felt just by crossing the threshold.

“You certainly took your time, Inquisitor.” Hoffman bit out, clearly holding back whatever it was he wanted to say. It seemed the Brigadier General was wiser than he seemed, though not too much more considering she’d been in his head since she walked into her office and he seemed none the wiser. “I informed your assistant that this intelligence was of the utmost importance and to have you keep me waiting, despite the General themself sending ahead an authorization missive, is basically insubordination! You will remember your position is only granted to you by the grace of Lord―” He balked as she stretched out her hand.

“The files, if you will.” The high Inquisitor demanded, the conversation unnecessary after sifting through the mental pigsty behind Hoffman’s eyes. He clicked his tongue irritably, but withdrew the data unit as requested and placed it in her palm. “Thank you. You are dismissed.” His face turned red at the casual dismissal and although he opened his mouth to argue, nothing came out as his eyes glazed over and she mockingly used two fingers to walk him out of the room. She permitted him his mind back just as the doors shut, just in time for her to chuckle at the intense swearing that slipped through the crack.

She placed the data unit on her desk as she took a seat, the white lines of her AI circling it while the virtual screen appeared and populated a table of context. It would be a few more minutes until Persephony summarized the various contents of the unit and the Inquisitor amused herself by scanning the various highly scientific reports included. Clearly, someone was playing with fire if they thought creating more mutants was the answer to the aggressive regime the Empire maintained.

Finally, Persephone populated her report and the Inquisitor smiled as her face shield vanished. This had been an issue her Whispers brought to her a while back, and to have it placed so nicely in her hands was exactly what she needed to take the next step in her career. “Persephone, cross reference the location of our target with any available Bounty Hunters from the watchlist.” She instructed, as she typed up the job chit. Six names came up, three of them in one group, and a sharp smirk unfurled at the revelation. “Push Dr Haggar's chit to these six. Then, attach the chit to Project Delphi and begin initialization sequences. It’s time to see the rats run the course.”

---

Job Request Uploading…

Target: Dr. Timian Haggar
Conditions: Alive
Last known location: Titan, moon of Saturn
Reward: 15 million Imperial credits
Drop location: Terran Orbital Station 1441, platform 6-3

The request beeped above the holo-table of the Excelsior, hovering next to the image of the poor target in question. The indicator on the table displayed this was a general job request, a high stake, high reward mission sent out to as many nearby hunters as possible in order to catch the target quickly. With this reward, everyone and their mother was going to hunt this man to the end of the universe and beyond. And if some bounty hunters got shot down in the process, well, the solar system probably wouldn’t mourn them.

Still in hyperspace, finally repaired after a rogue asteroid slammed into the poor, unsuspecting ship, the hyperspace engine hummed softly beneath the mainhold where the holo-table, surrounded by deep comfy chairs and one sofa bolted to the wall, dominated the space. Another section of the room, secured by a bioscanner, boasted a heavy arsenal of weaponry from blasters and a rifle, to good old fashioned knives, and restraints and a few sonic grenades. Various trinkets provided by the three owners of the ship jingled quietly where they were strung along the ceiling of the hold and although the lights in the mainhold were off, a number of crystals strung up by the team glowed in the dark room.

Slowly, the lights in the room flickered to life and the far door from the cockpit hissed as it opened. Danni stretched and yawned, his shirt lifting as he scratched at his stomach. His back was fucking killing him from sitting in the cockpit for the past hour, barely staying awake as he watched the path prediction bullshit. As much as everyone hated sitting in the cockpit during hyperspace jumps, not doing it was how they crashed Excelsior the first time and no one wanted to go back to begging for credits just to get their shift off the damn ground. Why couldn’t the autopilot adjust faster in hyperspace, then he could do better things like sleep, annoy Dee and Princess, or just cuddle. Instead, it was his turn to sit and stare at path projections like he actually knew any of the numbers on the screen other than “Get ready bitch, asteroid in the path!!!!”

The lights beyond the mainhold flickered to life as well, letting the other passengers know there was movement on the deck. A message would display in all the rooms anyway, so that the team would know a job chit hit the holotable. Danni scanned over it wearily, humming as he did. The face slipped away from his mind almost instantly, but he wasn’t the organizer of their operations so it didn’t really matter yet. Instead, he hummed at the reward and the drop off point, making a face at the empire controlled location, and turned to wander further into the ship to find the rest of his criminal pals, but he paused. His groggy brain cleared very slowly, but was very intent on rereading the details of the chit. Danni turned slowly, suddenly very alert as he took in the information. He reread the reward several times.

He started screaming.

Testing well everything!

Hello, Marigold
Hello, Marigold

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Aggie’s Tent
Skills: None
First Day Fit

---

---

"Hiiii, Aggie!" Danni sang as he threw open the tent and skipped in. "Beanie was just tellin' us all about t'e fashion direction you were suggestin' in t'e whole destiny and fate stuff and 10/10 would recommend, she's goin' to look so good in torn jeans and a denim jacket, I'm already imaginin' it! And den fuckin' up whoevers jealous of Dee's skin, 10/10 round 2! But we all know why I'm really here, where's t'e best baby?" Danni demanded, hands primed for petting.

There were a few students at the Margaret Carter Institute who suffered from a grave, serious curse - one that originated from a Satanic cult, the Chattering Order of St Beryl. Agatha knew there was little she could do for these students with chronic motormouth, and she did not hold it against them. It was not their fault that words flowed from their mouth like garbage tumbling down a trash chute. She frowned slightly, but Ebony did not mirror Agatha's expression. The little cat let out a giant MEOW and practically leapt into Danni's arms, purring like mad and rubbing on him like he were made of catnip.

"...Yes, fashion advice," Agatha said dryly. "That is my expertise."

Danni beamed at Agatha as he caught the cat, supporting the cat with one arm as he pet Ebony. "Aw, aren't you just the cutest baby in the whole world? Yes you are, yes you are!" He cooed at the kitty, sitting down in the process. He took a little time to take in the slightly larger inside, with all sorts of spooks stuff floating around. "At least t'is is cute spooks, you know? De whole skin wearin' thin' with Dee was scary spooks, and scary spooks and I aren't great friends. But he said you wiggled your fingers and made it right as rain! Or did Beanie say t'at?" He frowned, the details of the conversation already gone, but he shrugged.

"Whelp, doesn't matter I guess! What's done is done!" Danni pronounced, continuing to pet Ebony and scritched under the cat's chin. "Dee didn't have a lot deets though! How'd you fix it? Oooh, did you curse the stalker, cause that only seems right when someone wants to wear your skin. Not in like the cutesty, fluffy, fuzzy way I get when Dee's inside me, but like, horror movie, blood and gore kinda way, you know?"

Agatha hadn't actually done anything magical at all about the stalker, besides doing a reading that had allowed her to determine there were two forces at play. Her plan was to contact the Sorcerer Supreme and alert other mystics to the return of the Dark Priestess SELENE! - but she did not want to frighten these children. SELENE! had been around for millennia and had not often attempted to ascend to divinity. If they burned every witch who went mad with power, there wouldn't be many left. So for now, Agatha was concerned - but not frightened.

"I foresaw that the student at the Institute who began leaving those notes will cease their actions imminently," Agatha explained, a white lie, but magical professors were known for telling those. "Now, what question is it that brought you here into my tent? What glimpse at the murky future are you interested in, Mr. Kingston?"

"Oh, oh, oh I know exactly what I want to ask!" Danny snapped his fingers excitedly, eyes bright and smile beaming. But the silence stretched, the brightness dimmed, the smile turned upside down as Danni realized he had no idea why he was even in this tent. "I don't even know why I'm in t'is tent." Danny announced instead. "T'is feels kinda like t'ose wierd D.A.R.E. t'ings from history class in school - you know all t'e kids are doing tarot, but you don't have to do it because you aren't defined by your peers but you're like kinda lame if you don't sorta do t'ings." Danni pouted, consoling himself by petting Ebony with both hands now.

"Okay, so maybe I should ask about Sinister? Who is obviously t'e headmaster because t'at's what everyone is sayin', but if everyone is sayin' it, do I need Aggie to tell me it, pretty baby?" He asked Ebony seriously, "Or maybe I should ask how long Beanie and Princess 'ave been sneakin' behind our backs? Why wouldn't she just tell us. Oh Gods!" Danni gasped, clutching at imaginary pearls. "Did t'ey t'ink we wouldn't approve? Did t'ey t'ink we'd try to break t'em apart? I know Dee can be a little anti-social but I love both of t'em! No, no I don't want to know, t'at's too much for me!" Danni practically wailed, working himself up at the thought of April turning him into some monster behind his back.

"Okay, no I don't really 'ave a question I guess." Danni sighed dramatically after a few more moments. "Can I get like... a vibe check on me and t'e universe?"

"A... vibe check?" Agatha pondered. She had no idea what that meant. She was able to usually parse through the slang her students used, but there were so many words coming out of little Danni that she was confused. The best she could tell is that Danni was interested in the cosmic and magical vibrations of the universe, the invisible little bits of energy that would ebb and flow - the closest thing to a concept an old enemy of Agatha's had dubbed the Force. The tarot cards swirled and danced around Danni, surrounding him in a cascading helix, before three of them were suddenly spit out - Three of Wands, Two of Pentacles, and the Knight of Wands.

Ironically, for a reading about cosmic and magical forces, particularly those connecting to Danni Kingston, Agatha did not draw any major arcana cards. There was no cosmic destiny about at all. Peculiar. "The past, you have the Three of Wands. An amusing if not sometimes frightening card, this is a card of journeying to a new land overseas. If I recall correctly, you are Genoshan - the cosmic vibrations of the universe that flow through you speak of this transition."

"In the present, you have the Two of Pentacles. While many think of this suit as dealing with financial matters, as it relates to the Earth, it is also literally about grounding. The cosmic forces of the universe cannot flow through you properly, as you lack balance. You lack balance within yourself - yet you are striving to be better and improve that connection."

"In the future, you have the Knight of Wands - the knight is a person of passion and adventure, of impulse and inspiration. The knight charges off ahead without stopping to ponder. In that sense, the knight is an instrument of the cosmic force of the universe. The universe and its vibrations guide the knight, rather than the other way around... I sense that this knight will be you, one day. Still impulsive, but balanced," Agatha reasoned.

She had no idea if that was what he had been asking.

Danni nodded along as if he really understood anything she was saying . Something about Genosha, something about cosmic energy flowing through him or not flowing through him (which kinda sounded like that hippie dude that chilled on the corner of Bourbon Street), and then being a knight. He perked up at that, understanding what that meant. "T'at means I'm definitely gunna be a hero, because knights are heroes in t'e stories!" Danni leaped to his feet, dancing around with Ebony in delight. "Yay, me! I'm going to start with turning t'e 'eat up on t'ose auditions! You're t'e best, Aggie!"

He paused for a second. "Actually, I do kinda 'ave a question. But you can't tell anyone, okay? Cross your 'eart and hope to die." Danni said seriously. "I know my... control isn't t'e greatest and I get excited real easily and sometimes I kinda, sorta, maybe t'ink t'at maybe I accidentally start fires but never on purpose! I'm going to get t'is down eventually, right? Like, it's not always going to feel like I'm a 'airpin away from t'e next forest fire?"

"I am not going to swear a blood oath," Agatha said matter of factly. "However, I will not tell a soul. What happens in this tent is between you, myself, and destiny." Agatha snapped her fingers and in a sweeping motion, another card descended. This one took her by surprise for a moment. His previous question had given no Major Arcana, no Trumps; but here, the Lovers appeared. Agatha paused, thinking on how to interpret this answer. "The choice will ultimately be yours, whether or not you gain this control. However... I sense that you will need a duality - there is another, equal but opposite, who will strengthen your command over your powers and eliminate the risk you pose to those around you."

"Aside from the cards, I have this advice for you, Danni. You're an omega level mutant. That's a grave and awesome responsibility. There is no force in the universe that can have a greater influence, a greater impact, on flames than you. You will always be a breath away from annihilating everyone and everything you hold dear. That will never end. You must learn to live with that and accept yourself fully, or you will burn the ones you love alive... and no other force will be able to stop you."

"Uuuugh, miss me with t'at gay shit." Danni muttered, followed by an uncomfortable giggle at Aggie's advice. "A breath away from killin' everyone? T'at's uh, a little much right? Like I'm not really just a breath away, right? Should I breathe less? Or maybe like, not deeply? No, no, sorry I'm just... I should 'ave just stopped talkin' after you said I'd be a knight. Really hoped gettin' an answer on t'is would make me feel better, not like everyt'in's goin' to fall apart." But after taking a moment to press the mental block button on the whole annihilation thing, he pondered the first part.

"Well, not gonna lie, didn't like the Lovers right off the bat, but like, it makes sense. I'm always better around people t'an I am by myself anyways. And technically, I've already found someone who is opposite and equal. Dough, I'd say she's better t'an me cause she doesn't burn shit daily, but t'at's besides t'e point! So, one t'ing checked off! Look at that Ebony, I'm ahead of Destiny at all this!" He commented to the cat in his lap. "Gosh, why are you so cute! It should be illegal t'at Aggie gets to keep you all to herself. You sure you don't want to come stay with me?"

"Aaaaanyways, t'ink I'm good on t'e whole lookin into the future stuff. I 'ave a feelin' I'mma hear more stuff I don't want to hear." Danni nodded several times before he stood, still cradling Ebony with the full intent to walk out of the tent with his new friend. "Actually no, one more. Since you're bouncing and all t'at jazz, are t'ere any Sinister clones 'ere at school? Like, you can trust me not to tell anyone you told me. And you're leavin' so you can totally let the secret slip!"

Agatha would have spoken more with Danni about the dangerous yet awesome responsibility of his powers, but his words moved the conversation quickly away from that and onto another matter. However, Agatha did sense that whoever the Lovers were speaking about, things might end in tragedy. But sometimes, it was good to not divulge too much of the future - sometimes, it only would make things worse. "Yes, there is a secret Sinister clone here at the institution - it happens to be the teacher taking over my post, Lady Nimue," Agatha said.

Agatha and Nimue had BEEF. She figured this would be a nice and subtle way to take revenge.

"Now, before I leave this school, I have been giving magical artifacts and whatnot to each person who comes to visit me. And I think I have the perfect thing for you, now you must promise me that you will be very careful with this," Agatha explained. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an egg with red scales. "Ebony... had a rendez-vous with a dragon, if you understand my meaning. And this is the result. I would like to entrust its care to you, Danni."

The comment about how he knew it, how he just knew (he had a sixth sense for these kinds of things) there was a Sinister clone here at the school died on his tongue as Aggie pulled out the egg. It took a moment for him to process that she was handing him a fucking dragon egg and when he did, all he could hear was Pops in the back of his head telling him absolutely not. For a brief moment of honest self reflection, Danni wondered if he could handle taking care of something like a dragon but then Papa popped in too and told him to chuck it in the fuck it bucket and Danni was all on board with that. The moment gone, dead, and buried, Danni set Ebony down gently and carefully accepted the egg from Agatha.

"Okay, yeah, def chill, not totally freaking out over t'is. 'ow do I ever take care of it? Does it need something hot to sit in? Do I need to sit on it? Oh shit, how am I goin' to…" Danni muttered, his brain filling with thoughts faster than he could keep up. He felt a little light headed as he stared at the scaled egg so instead of thinking about it any longer when he wasn't going to have an answer anytime soon, he power walked to the tent flap, paused, turned around, walked back, and gave Ebony a little kiss on the head.

"Make sure you tell me where you end up so Ebony can see t'e baby! Or I'll just ask Maxie! Eit'er way, t'ank you for t'e mildly concernin' advice, t'e cute spooks, and t'e dragon! Bye, Aggie, travel safe!" He wrapped the jacket he'd asked Maxie to make him around the egg, a nice cushioned and warm environment for now, and zipped out of the tent, screaming "Dee, Princess, Beanie!!!!!! I need heeeeelp!"

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: The Field (School Carnival)
Skills: N/A
First Day Fit

---

---

“Guuuuuuuuuys, stop pickin on me! We all know I’m directionally challenged!” Danni whined playfully in response to his friends’ teasing. “And in my defense, Mai and I were left unsupervised. Everyone knows I can’t stay still for longer dan two seconds; you should just be glad I didn’t end up in, like, Montana or somet'in. At least I was still at the festival. I feel like I deserve a gold star or somet'in for t'at!” Danni contemplated the face painter’s stall intently, considering getting his face painted. Mai’s tigger paint was super cool, but he wanted something with lots of colors. Maybe they could do a parrot. But how would you paint a parrot? It would be just like beak? Maybe just feathers on the face, like a Mardi Gras mask or something?

Danny snapped out of his thoughts at the mention of the stalker and he jumped on Dee, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Yay! Good old Aggie, dealing with t'e spooks! Cause if anyone gets to wear your skin, it’s me! Only fair after how often you’ve been in mine.” Danny reasoned, watching Sabine finally let go of April’s hand as she took her leave from the group and headed into the tent to determine her destiny. Danni was entirely capable of multi-tasking, continuing to wind himself around Dee until they couldn’t be separated and leveling April with a mischievous smile. “Soooooooooooooooooo, Beanie, huh? We are soooooo talkin about t'is later! Princess and Beanie sittin in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” He sang eagerly. If he hadn’t been so busy contemplating parrots or trying to climb Dee, he would have snapped a picture or gotten a recording of April admitting Beanie was cute but priorities. He hadn’t realized how jittery he was until the squad was back together and the familiar feeling of annoying both of them was settling him out nicely!

“Okay, Mai. Opinions. Parrot, Eagle, or a different bird? I’m feelin’ birdy today so I wanna get bird face paint, but idk what kind of bird.” He mused, returning to stare at the face painter. However, again he was interrupted by Sabine’s return to the group. “Beanie’s back! You got…” Danny peered at the baseball cap. “Uh… that’s not your normal vibe, though. You can rock it, cause you can rock anything, but a baseball cap? Aggie tell you to try out some new fashion? Oh, we can go shopping and do a whole fashion show! Oh, it’ll be so fun!!!!! We can all do it!” Danni untangled himself from Dee, stumbling a little in his excitement, and clapped his hands excitedly.

Wait, the whole reason they were here though! “Since Beanie’s done, I’m gonna go talk with Aggie. You guys start planning where the runway will be!” Danni sang as he skipped off to the now free tent, throwing the flap open wide as he entered with “Hiiiiii, Aggie!”

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

_{16th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Midday - Overcast skies}

The arrow sailed true, whistling softly before burying itself into the wolf’s hide. Nothing much seemed to change with the wolf in front of them, not even a whimper pulled out as the offending missile landed true. There was a beat of stillness in the forest, as even the sounds of birds and insects went silent…

Two wolves burst out from the sides of the road, lying in wait for the fourth to draw attention. One charged Liliann, alone at the back, with a mangled leg and an open wound on its back and exposed bones and fetid flesh alike. The other had long gash marks along its left flank and it;s skull cave in where an eye should be, the lack of depth perception the only reach its jaws snapped shut just inches right of Eila’s leg.

The one at the front pushed itself up, eyes white and rolled back, ignoring the arrow lodged firmly in its back. It lunged from Ceolfric first while behind him, the horse reared up in a panic, putting him and Ermes in dangerous range of its hooves. Esvelee let out a stream of expletives as she tried to reign the panicked beast in and hopefully keep it from crushing her so-called protectors.

Cerric, on the other hand, was almost entirely ignoring the situation at hand, instead scanning the forest around him, ice crystals hovering in the air near him.

Court of Nuhl

_{October 9th, 528 - 12:10am}

Interrogation level - Hasgad Holding Facility

Although no alarm had been raised as the group made their way across the room, the elevator suddenly whirred to life. The cables groaned as the elevator rose. The floor indicator changed from 1 to 2… And finally to three as the elevator continued past without opening. The quiet ding of the elevator opening upstairs was muted and the sound of heavy thuds could be heard down the shaft, but the vampires could hear two voices chatting casually.

“I’m getting as far from here as possible. Mosquito infested swamps are the worst. Cold and snowy, like back home, that's where I’m headed.” One of them bitched. “Can’t believe they put me in this shit hole after everything.”

“Well, hey. We’re almost done. Once that freak is done frying the mages, we’re less than an hour away from freedom.” The other placated, a grunt of exertion breaking their words. “And then you can put in for that post closer to your family, right? Just have to clear out the Interrogation rooms and we can head out.” The cables began to groan again as the lift descended.

Execution Level - Hasgad Holding Facility

The Execution chamber of the Hasgand Holding facility was a singular, large room with various covered holes in the floor and attachment points on the wall and ceiling for whatever method the inquisitor and its henchmen were interested in for the night. The stone room was covered in long, metallic strips that ran up the walls and ceiling in a neat grid that included the two heavily reinforced metal doors, which served as the only two points of entry for the room. Two guards, one on each door, stood at rapt attention.

The scent of smoldering flesh permeated the air as another corpse hit the ground, the face of the poor woman perpetually twisted in agony as smoke wafted off the large black spots at the temple. She’d been fun, but ultimately these mages were too weak to really handle what their executioner wanted to put them through. Two others remained, shackled in heavy chains near the pedestal he’d spent the past ten minutes shoving as much electricity into the silly rebel as she could handle before he got bored and fried her brain with barely a thought.

“Now, now. Did you enjoy the show? Have we worked up your appetite for a little fun yourself?” Nasir cheerfully directed his question to the conscious prisoner. The other, a little less worse for wear but still not in great condition, was still under the influence of the drugs they’d pumped into him and he was knocked out like a baby on the floor. “I’m sure you’re interested in the chance to free yourself, but we have to wake up your little friend first!”

Adorned in the recently redone white and gold Inquisitor uniforms, the supposedly absent Inquisitor Hasgad made his way to his unconscious ward. The heavy soles of his boots echoed in the all but vacant chamber until he carefully lowered himself to one knee, gently brushing away where hair blocked his temple. “Wakey, wakey little birdie. Time to sing a song for me.” Inquisitor Hasgad crooned as a flash of light sent a shock straight to Roan’s brain.

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: The Field (School Carnival)
Skills: N/A
First Day Fit

---

---

The loud cracking caught Danni's attention for a moment, but he shrugged it off in the same thought. "If 'e 'ated it so much, why'd 'e bother volunteering? I wanted to go back and dunk 'iiiiim. Ugh, so not fair! Rigging it to explode or whatever maniacal t'ing Sinster clones do, you know? Maybe we don't cause Sinister seems like the kind of guy who doesn't advertise all his plans Danny rambled as he dragged Mai along.

""So, names. Sabril? No, too fishy. Water theme is fine, but like it feels gross, you know? 'ow about Amcade? Eh, sounds like a toddler learning about arcades." Danni mused, entirely onboard with his two besties swapping spit and deciding it must be true. ""Maybe something more like… Saberil? Hm, what were those things from Pop's time as a kid, Pokémon? Yeah feels kinda Pokémon-ie, you're right. Sabril? Sabeal? Sabeil?"

So focused on finding the perfect ship names for the new twosome, Danny didn't notice he'd just been wandering aimlessly, wherever the tent supposedly was. Were they on the opposite side of the Carnival from the tent? Were they standing right in front of it? Who knew? Not Danny and he realized it as he came to an abrupt halt, looked around blankly, and turned to Mai, confused.

"Uh… where's Aggie's tent again?"

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: The Field (School Carnival)
Skills: N/A
First Day Fit

---

---

Danni stared after April for a second after she decided to throw away her perfectly good apple. Well, that was a little bit odd, right? Like, she’d been waiting in line and was hungry just like them and then she didn’t even eat any… His eyes widened as Sabine didn’t even bother to make an excuse to saunter after April. The Mermaid Princess with the moves! He didn’t know how Sabine had picked up on it, maybe it was one of those girl only things, but Pops and Papa had given him enough lame excuses so they could go enjoy “Adult Nap time” that he could spot it a mile away. He didn’t know Beanie and Princess were into each other at all but April’s lack of appetite, the nerves, the whole vibe... Someone was getting laid.

Gross.

Danny smacked Mai’s arm repeatedly as he came to the realization, excited for his two besties even if he didn’t get the appeal. “Okay, okay, okay. Beanie and Princess? Damn, t’at’s gonna be a power couple!” Danni squealed, not bothering to elaborate on his line of thought. More like forgetting to, but there were more important things to worry about, like keeping Mai from being mentally scarred. “Okay, okay, okay! Your turn ta dunk Mr. Cole! Definitely not paying attention ta the not-couple!” Danny continued loudly as he pushed Mai towards the dunk tank. He whipped out his phone however as Dee’s ringtone distracted him from his mission.

He dropped his phone as he screamed. The picture of the attached note was terrifying and Danni didn’t do anything scary! He liked cute spooky, not scary spooky damn it! Why would Dee do that? Was he still mad at him for whatever reason? He didn’t really think Danny tried to ruin his birthday right? Danny had made his favorite food for after the carnival, there was a cake, and April and him had presents and everything! Danny didn’t forget something Dee said he wanted right? Ugh, why was everything so complicated today?!

Whelp, either way, Beanie and Princess were going to have to halt their fun ‘cause the birthday boy was calling! Danni reached down to get his phone without looking, locking the screen before he could spook himself again. Birthday boy or not, Dee was not allowed to do it twice. He made a mental note to call Dee a meanie tomorrow and cry a little for good measure. “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai, Dee’s ready at Aggie’s tent! Let's go!” He looped his arm into Mai’s and bolted in the direction of April and Sabine before they got too far away. “Princess, Beanie do your tango stuff later! T'e birthday boy 'as summoned us!” Danny shouted at the top of his lungs, continuing to run to Agitha’s tent.

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

_{16th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Midday - Overcast skies}

Despite the hour, the light struggled to break through both cloud and flora as the overcast skies grew steadily darker. A distant rumble of thunder suggested the heavens would finally break later in the day, reinforced by the chilly, heavy gusts that whipped through the woods. The night had passed blessedly uneventful, for most, and Cerric had been up bright and early, all smiles and laughter. Despite that, his smiles came slower, his gestures more muted, and the beginning of bags under his eyes.

Now on the road again, the day had so far been uneventful. No frightened boar, nor other travelers to contend with, just the sound of Cerric’s near constant babbling, the creak of wagon wheels, and the muffled footsteps of the horse.

Until the horse stopped abruptly, ears flat back and whining loudly. Its eyes were blown wide as its nostrils flared and it trembled, refusing to move forward. “Whoa, what’s gotten into you?” Esveele tried to hop down once she’d gotten her footing back, but Cerric’s hand on her arm stopped her. “What in the seven hells is going on?” She demanded as she glanced around.

She got her answer a moment later when a wolf limped into the middle of the path, sent something that was more whine than growl at the assembled party, before collapsing with a whimper. The horse pawed at the ground. “Well, that doesn’t look too fantastic, team!” Cerric chirped brightly, obnoxiously upbeat as he peered at the strange series of events, one hand already drifting down to play with the stopper of his waterskin. “Let’s see how our mercs-in-training handle such an unexpected turn of events!”

Court of Nuhl

_{October 9th, 528 - 12:00am}

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The ever present puddle in the corner glimmered, lights shifting with each drop the crumbling ceiling let it. The crack of thunder barely made a sound in the chamber, the roar of water on stone somehow quieter still. Holding dark vigil for millenia, the myriad candles caught flame one by one. No hand moved to light them as they silently awoke.

In the growing light, etchings and carvings shook off the darkness of the thousands of years gone by. Tales of peace and war, love and hate, co-existence and decimation spiraled through the long sealed room. An entire people’s history preserved with each and every mistake and failure carefully documented, every corrective action noted, for review and judgment if the time ever came. Tools long abandoned lay scattered around the room, their beds of dust and dirt well caked into their cracks.

The groan that echoed through the chamber was thin and reedy, crippled with disuse. A faded bundle of cloth, once dyed in vibrant reds and golds, stirred in response to the gentle flickering flames around it. The cloth twisted and rolled as whatever was inside struggled to find the strength to stand. Metal scratched against the chamber floor, cloth rustled as it bunched and began to rise into the air. The figure spun slowly as it rose to the arched ceiling, still struggling to escape the robes it was wrapped in.

Finally, an emaciated hand forced itself through a sleeve, the other following suit. Head golden pendants set with a variety of gems hung off the robe, dulled with the passage of time, and clinked against each other as the figure tapped gently against the ceiling. A head popped through the ornate collar of his uniform and the man took a moment to blink in the bright light. Once his vision adjusted, a curse caught in his throat as he plummeted back to the floor, hitting it with a heavy thud and another groan. The man thumped his head against the floor, sighed, and slowly, slowly pushed himself to his feet, bracing himself against the wall as his leg’s trembled with exhaustion.

Still, he leaned more heavily against the wall, exchanging hands for his shoulder, and cradled his open hands in front of him. Tendrils of glittering gold curled out around his lip and he exhaled a delicate cloud of gold, as though he’d held gold powder in his mouth; tiny golden birds formed in his hand, each smaller than a thumb. A wheezing noise escaped his lips as he tried to speak to them but it was enough- the birds took flight like tiny comets and passed through cracks and wall alike, leaving him alone once more.

Bring me back a pretty song, bring me back the words of Nühl.

---

The Second Tome

_{December 5th, 530 - 7:00am}

Faint purple light simmered from the crystal sconces mounted down the hallway, only the sharp click of Lady Marivaldi’s steps disturbing the eerie silence. These halls normally rang with muted activity from behind closed doors, from the horrific shrieks of the unfortunate victims of the Tome’s experiments to heated discussions of scholars as deadlines approached, but Immerila welcomed the silence like an old friend. She lived in it for centuries, her own research conducted far from the eyes of her contemporaries if only so they did not bother her. Her position rarely afforded her the luxury so she slowed her gait a touch and indulged in the rare treat.

Still, all good things come to an end. The familiar sealed door greeted her as she rounded the bend, the small red light above it exclaiming a dangerous experiment was currently underway. The call had surprised her. Sage Vazquez hadn’t suggested anything new or unusual had come into the Tome’s possession and she had been about to turn in for the day when the genius had requested her presence. She’d considered ignoring it in favor of sleep but the employment of the Vague concerned her. Immerila created it only for clear and present threats that did not yet have containment or nullification protocols and it was rare Sage Vazquez considered something threatening enough to employ the facility.

With a spell murmured into the still air and a simple gesture of her hand, heavy locks and bar groan their disapproval as they moved and air whooshed past Immerila as she slipped in. The door slammed shut with a hiss and she went through her preparations in the anteroom, changing into a sealed hazmat suit after washing and sanitizing and storing her own clothes carefully in the cabinets provided. She worked with mechanical familiarity and once again repeated the spell at the next door, following the air into the next room.

Vague consisted of three rooms - the containment room where the threat was held behind magically reinforced glass that was stronger than nearly all modern materials, an observation room on one side, and a control room on another. Immerila repeated the process at the door to the observation room, this time the airflow against her as she stepped in, and the door sealed shut. A shrill beep sounded twice in the previous room and a minute later the hiss of a deadly, high temperature gas mix filled the room to kill anything or anyone who may have contaminated the room. All basic functions of Vague were still active so Immerila turned to stare at whatever horror demanded her attention.

A golden streak of light bounced around the room. It would pause every few seconds and then continue. Even with her vampiric senses, it was difficult to see the little creature, the hummingbird-like construct far too fast. Surprisingly, the creature did not seem panicked or interested in escape. It was clearly curious, zipping around the room and examining the robotic arms at rest on the ceiling and the various restraining methods attached to the walls and the ground. Although it was certainly fascinating, Immerila could not understand why she’d been called for something that was well within the Sage’s skill set.

The intercom overhead crackled to life just in that moment, as if Vazquez could hear her doubts. “My Lady, thank you for coming with such haste. This oddity has been fascinating to observe.” The Sage’s raspy voice echoed in the pressurized chamber. “We first noticed this oddity at the end of a discussion on subject 3A-12. As is apparent, the subject is quicker and agile than most vampires so initial containment procedures failed. Upon reviewing footage through the facility, we discovered it followed the loudest voice in its environment and so lured it into Vague with the intercom system.” The creature paused, circled the room for a few seconds and the appeared at eye level of Lady Marivaldi, hovering there as its beady, golden eyes stared beyond the window as if it could hear them.

“What we know of the subject is limited. It is capable of passing through solid objects to some degree, it recognizes differences between voices and other loud noises, and is only interested in something it hasn’t heard before. The subject presents as a summoning construct, despite its clear irregularities, and can be considered an intelligence gathering device, though I have yet to determine if it records information or transmits it.” Immerila’s eyes narrowed at the creature as it sped off once more, seemingly content to flit around the room aimlessly. If it was a summoning construct… “Though the subject presents itself as a summoning construct, its existence on the premises suggests either it is a creature capable of magical ability or it is a construct fashioned in a manner our protective spells are incapable of dispelling.”

“What have you concluded?” Lady Immerila questioned, knowing full well her Sage likely ran a full battery of tests she hadn’t mentioned.

“I believe it is a Grendel construct.”

The silence was deafening. Immerila couldn’t contain her surprise at the idea. Her Sage was an outspoken opponent of Howard Grendel’s modern theories on aetheric construction. It turned all known notions of the discipline on its head but it was mostly based on speculation and calculations- the amount of power any one mage would need to create even the most basic spell was laughable. An admission like this was proof that Vazquez was genuinely at a loss for answers and that the thing in front of them was entirely alien.

---

Relay Station Caeli

_{February 2nd, 531 - 10:45pm}

The mission assignment was simple: rescue captive members of Dawn Rising. Having been captured some months before, Commander Ryan Agevee of Caeli Station was surprised they were in any condition to be rescued but the orders came from on high and he wasn’t paid (dead stop) to question it. Although not particularly near the imperial prison, Caeli’s long track record of successful infiltrations earned them the dubious honor of infiltrating a high security Inquisition holding facility and escaping not only with their own lives, but three others.

“Fontaine, Eve, Astoria, Contarini, and Luscin, asses in gear and in for mission assignment now!” Commander Agevee barked, barely giving the members in question the opportunity to react before he was marching back into the side room that acted as mission control in the underground complex. Inside, a detailed hand drawn outline of the building and its contents was spread out, all entrances circled in green and all trouble areas marked in red.

“Three months ago, we lost the Tiralea relay station. It only hosted ten living members and we were in the process of transferring them out, when it was ambushed by an Inquisitor. Preliminary investigations of the site marked everyone dead but we’ve learned three of those bastards were unlucky enough to survive as imperial captives.” Ryan slapped a photo on the table, a little blurred but otherwise in decent condition. “Bastards broke the rules and fucking documented themselves. Thankfully, it helps us now. Of these ten only these idiots survived.” He circled three members and crossed out the rest.

“Dylan Hardee, Marie Ruthford, and Roan Alserda. These three have been in Hasgald Holding Facility for three months. However, the Empire is transferring the resources Hagald had to another location and so is temporarily shutting the place down. Preliminary scouting showed them off loading dangerous chemicals and waste into the surrounding area. A second one revealed that the prisoners are not considered vital resources, so they’ll be executed on the last day.” Ryan revealed grimly. “So, time is not on our side. The facility is running on a skeleton crew right now. Most of the heavy moving has been done and the Inquisitor took their leave a few nights ago. As such, you’ll be dropped fifty meters off the eastern wall. Security has been all but disbanded and this is the furthest entrance from the execution area inside the central hub. They’ll dedicate their resources to the more obvious points of access.”

“Beyond that, you’ll need to reach either holding cells, torture rooms, or the execution chamber, find our targets, and reach the extraction point beyond the tree line that is about 75 meters off the western wall. There is only one point of egress once you reach here but it’s your best shot to reach me. Take some time to review the documents and memorize the faces; you leave in an hour.”

---

Relay Station Caeli

_{February 2nd, 531 - 11:50 am}

True to the commander’s word, the infiltration was smooth so far. Only one poor guard stumbled across the team but she was dealt with easily, stashed away in a storage closet for the time being. The stone halls of the building were void of noise and empty, doors ajar to rooms full of trash, broken bits of metal and wood, and ash. The winding passages eventually led to the point the blueprints pointed out, a central access area that branched into all areas of the prison. From here, all three areas that likely held their targets were in relatively close proximity.

In the central hub area, clinical, fluorescent lights hummed and flickered. A single elevator was in the room, a set of emergency stairs set in the wall across from them. A strange seating area, two sofas, a worn coffee table, and tall fake plants took up most of the space. Continuing past it would lead to the interrogation rooms. The blueprints showed four in a circular area, none with windows and all with one door in and out.

One level above them, they would find thirty holding facilities that were barely large enough to let a grown human lay on the ground and packed in tightly one after another. Nothing about any furniture was marked on the blueprints and none one could find any hygiene facilities either.
One level below them was the execution chamber. It was relatively large compared to the other spaces and it was reasoned that many of the prisoners were forced to fight each other or their captors, in addition to whatever other inhumane methods the Empire decided to employ.

All the while, from around the corner, a single, old camera whirred as it swept the room, stopping just before where the infiltration team had gathered to consider their next action.