Achronum

Court of Nuhl

_{October 9th, 528 - 1:00am}

Hasgad Holding Facility -> Safe House

The fireball crashed against the enemy's defenses, the flash and heat of roaring flames giving their front line just enough pause to have their back line slam against them. More than a few mages hit the floor in a mad scramble, more focused on preventing the rebels from escaping than paying attention to their allies. The door between them shut firmly, wedged shut by transmutation magic, and the rebels would have a bit more breathing room, if only by a minute.

Extraction hadn't been thoroughly covered - a simple command: Get to the treeline. But this wasn't an oversight. Those with the company long enough knew the Commander's magic and it was on full display as the escapees broke into the dense woods surrounding the holding facility. Writhing and twisted, shadows casted by moonlight shifted underfoot and the Commander's voice seemed to echo from everywhere as an indistinguishable chant cleaved shadow from tree and bush and gathered it around the escapees. The world lengthened and stretched and shadows filled in the spaces between matter until only darkness, deep and frigid, remained. Silence reigned, even snatching voices from those ensnared in the spell, and yet the presence of others was tangible, the hairs on nearly everyone's nape rising.

Until the world snapped back into shape and the forest they'd left behind was replaced by sprawling prairies and a quaint stone cottage with a wrap around porch. An older woman, wrapped in a deep green shawl and nursing a steaming mug, watched the group with mild interest as she rocked in a well loved rocking chair. The Commander stood, sweat on his brown and a deep frown of concentration, fifteen paces off the house with his shadows retreating beneath him. His chest heaved with the exertion of transporting so many people and his hands shook violently as he took a moment to lean heavily on the younger mage next to him. The mage offered them a sunny smile, all dimples and neatly coiffed hair, and a wave of his gloves hand.

"Welcome, friends, to… Well, here! This place shall be unnamed until we've had an opportunity to shift through our new friend's heads and confirm they aren't imperial spies meant to identify us, betray us, and slaughter us in our sleep!" The new man explained cheerily to an irritable grunt from the Commander. He just laughed, smoothing out the black trench coat as the Commander elbowed him sharply in the ribs."And in the meantime, the others we did pull a few strings to get a Life Mage here so go get checked out inside and then feel free to grab some stew on the stove."

Commander Agreve shoved himself off his cheery counterpart. "We debrief as soon as these two chucklefucks are cleared by our mind mage. Central command…" Agreve's eyes flickered to Lyra and back. "Procured some additional supplies for a halfway decent meal after this so enjoy. Vamps, you got a bottle on the counter too if you need it. Apparently, it's from some dead, snooty nobles supply so I guess it's good? Don't fuckin' know, don't fucking care. Drop the unconscious one on the ground, Roan follow me. Agreve barked his orders out, still shaking but shoulders straight and his stride even as he headed back for the house.

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

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

"Hm, hm, hm. Wilderness cults?" Cerric pondered, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Thought they were all scared off, honestly. Uh, there are those strange self-proclaimed nature guardians lurking through Snakeburrow but they don't command any real power. A handful can tweak a few wisps of aether, but most are disgruntled farmers and urchins looking for a way to feel larger than their lot in life. The truly devoted ones are solitary, feral things and the ones Melanar favors are… well, I'd rather be on the wrong end of a dull Buscanian blade in a dark alley."

"We ain't mean no harm to you and yours. Let us go, and we'll be right on past you and forget you in the process." Jar promised.

A little further away, Esvelee rolled her eyes at the conversation happening just out of camp. "Bah, these damned cults. Should let the bandit run them through. Always being a bother to the farms just outside of Soft Haven's reach, you know. Claiming they're acting on Melanar's behalf. Bunch of thieves, the bastards. If Agitha still had her legs, she'd have 'em grovelin' in snap."

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

Danni let out an unholy screech as Firestar fucking appeared right after he said he didn't want to be seen. "Okay, okay?! Do you see what t'is- t'is- t'is monster did to me, to my clothes?! Of course I'm not okay! If I'd 'ad even t'e tiniest of inklin's Poisson-Pas wanted me ta suffer, I'd 'ave worn somet'in' t'at would 'ave fallen apart pretty, not turned ta ash and rags!" Danni waved his arms around as he spoke, gesturing at the garbage hanging off of him. "T'is is abusive! T'e bombin' I can forgive. We're gunna be 'eroes, comes wit' t'e territory. But give me some damn warnin' and I'll dress appropriately!" Danni grumbled at their instructor.

Dick.

Especially when Poisson-Pas nonchalantly tossed out a shower like Danni didn't want to scrub this filth of his skin right fucking now. "Poisson-Pas, I wanted a shower t'e second t'e bomb went off and if you tried ta make me walk out t'ere lookin' like t'is, I'd prank t'e 'ell out of you for t'e rest of your life. Take me away so I can fix t'is mess."

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"Yeah, let's do t'at! Gotta get t'is whole flyin' t'in' under control. Takes too much outta me right now." Danni agreed as Dee made his way into the door he hadn't heard anything behind. He leaned on the door frame as Dee headed over to the bomb and fiddled with it. Danni closed his eyes, resting his head on the door frame as Dee handled the boom boom machine. God knows if Danni got his hands on it, he might accidently explode it! So much fire, so much fun…

He was lost in his imagination of what he could do with that much sudden fire when Dee's shouting startled him back into reality and he opened his eyes just in time to watch the boom machine go, well, BOOM! His scream was lost in the roar of the bomb.

Danni pushed off the door frame as Dee flickered out of this plane, Danni very, very jealous in that moment as he scrambled away from the explosions. His legs felt like lead despite how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. "Whoever fuckin' said lettin' kids fuck around wit' bombs is a God damned idiot!" Danni screamed as he tried to dive for the table but the force of the explosions threw him off balance and he fell harder than he wanted, doing everything he could to protect his face. Time traveler or not, Danni would set fire to Poisson-Pas's mustache if his perfect face had a single blemish on it after this.

He curled up as best he could as the heat came next, engulfing him in a matter of seconds, and Danni braced himself for the pain. But it never came. It felt like walking out into a warm day after being in a slightly too cold room, a sense of… defrosting, if that made any sense. Damn, this was nice. Maybe Poisson-Pas really did know what he was doing…

"Ah shit, my ears." Danni grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet and suddenly found himself spinning in Dee's arms. Danni wasn't certain he knew what was happening but he squeezed back, laughing as he was put back on the ground. Danni followed Dee's gaze as he inspected him, and Danni sucked in a sharp breath. His clothes, if these disgusting rags could even be called clothes anymore, hanging off him, tattered, torn, and smoldering.

Was the air in the room thinning? He felt like he couldn't get enough, his head spinning and his chest hurting, and he felt the tell-tale sting at the corners of his eyes. He tried to speak again and again but only a strange sort of strangled noise came through. He grabbed at Dee, he could see him talking, could hear him talking but the words wouldn't stick.

"Dee." Danni managed to choke out, panic rising quickly as he clung to his best friend like he was the only thing keeping him up. "I didn't brin' a change of clothes. I can't… I can't… T'ey can't see me like t'is! What do I do?! I can't go back like t'is!"

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"It's okay, it's okay. I got t'is." Danni pushed himself up as Dee shifted the vines around like the cool cat he was. The handhold now visible, Danni leapt at them and started climbing. One hand up, one foot next, hand, foot, hand, foot, hand… "Oh my God, Dee what t'e fuck." Danni wheezed, his arms shaking and his lungs burning as he struggled up the wall. It went on forever and his jealousy at Dee's effortless ability to fucking fly with basically no repercussions skyrocketed. "What sick asshole gets off on torturing children like t'is? I am a minor and t'is is cruel and unusual." He could feel his heartbeat in his fingers, his knuckles popping angrily in protest.

Eventually, he dragged himself up the over the edge, flopping onto the floor, and gulping down air in his burning lungs. "Never. Again. Gunna get t'is flyin' shit down stat." He panted as he lay. Once he felt under control again, he pushed himself up once more and opened the box. Danni wrinkled his nose at a tooth sitting inside the box with photos nearby. What was he supposed to do here, figure out which one of these creeps the tooth belong to? That was impossible, so there must be another way to figure out which door to go through.

"Whelp, let's take a little look see at these doors shall we?" Danni asked as he walked to the left one. He examined the door in full, hoping there was a code or secret message that would help them bit when they found nothing, Danni shrugged and banged furiously on the door. He paused, put his ear to the door but didn't jear anything. Seemed safe enough. He repeated the process with the next door and instead heard a wierd whining. "Okay, def not this door. Not vibin' wit' t'e whole noise stuff so let's go t'rough t'at door!" Danni decided, pointing at the first door he knocked on.

Court of Nuhl

_{October 9th, 528 - 12:30am}

Execution Level, Execution Chamber - Hasgad Holding Facility

The blade acted as a lightning rod, lightning twisting out of Hasgad's control and coursing down Roan's arm, searing its spindled path into his forearm. The blade struck true, the inquisitor's screams turning into a hacking, blood cough. The lightning flickered as it faded away, Hasgad grabbing at Roan's wrist uselessly as the light faded from his eyes and the hatred in his face melted away as with one last spit of blood, the Inquisitor slumped to the ground.

Chadwick's blade passed smoothly into the vampire's back, a scream cut short as the creature fell unconscious. The other vampire hesitated, his foot holding open the elevator doors, and decided it wasn't worth the effort. He pulled his foot back and slammed a button inside, throwing his weapon at Chadwick as the Inquisitor hit the ground. However, the mages paused where they had been charging down the hallways and changed tactics. Shields covered the hallways and bolts of lightning and ice flew haphazardly down the halls, the ones that missed crashing safely against the other group's shield as they turned every bit of magic against the rebels.

The other door opened to the outside, a long dirt road leading down into the forest. There didn't seem to be anyone outside and the quiet of the night was only broken once the facilities alarm started screeching. Along the edge of the woods, a shadowy silhouette separated from the pervasive darkness and the faint moonlight revealed Commander Ryan Agavee making the universal hand signs of Get the fuck out of there!

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

[center]

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: Pyrokinesis

Danni flashed his friend a thumbs up as he ghosted off. "Yeah! You go spooky t'em a bit, tun t'em 'round 'til t'ere too tired ta run t'e race!" Danni cheered. He turned his attention onto the obstacle course, and realized this was his first time really looking at it. A canoe suspended over a chasm and a thorn wall seemed very out of place in this environment. What did Poisson-Pas do to grow a whole wall? Danni considered he could have planted it, but seemed like a waste when a bunch of teenagers were probs gunna raze it down.

"Whelp, t'is is certainly a tricky t'in'." Danni said at the end of the drop, eyes following the rope suspending the canoe. Again, just a weird choice. [color =E948FC] "Okay, rope. Rope, rope, rope. Flammable so maybe I should just like, climb across. But will my noodle arms get me t'ere? Hm… No, definitely not."[/color] Danni sighed after checking his muscles. Fire it was!

Danni gave himself a running head start and jumped with a loud whoop!. He was gunna for it! Long jump Danni wins agai- He hit the peak of the arc must earlier than expected, so palms down, fire out got him just enough momentum to catch the edge of the canoe and pull himself in. "Aw yeah, go Danni, go Danni! Didn't set t'e canoe on fire whoop whoot!" He celebrated, doing a little wiggle from excitement.

[coloe=E948FC] "Okay Danni round 2. Over t'e wall. No fire walls, even if t'ey'd be cool as shit."]/color] Danni muttered, pumping himself up. Once again, he left but instead of landing, he was fully reliant on his fire. He didn't catch the weariness until it was too late, an awkward pain in his wrist, a droop in his eyes, but he hit the ground hard and he stayed there for a moment, sucking in air that was punched put on him.

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

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

"My friends call me Jar, but my name's Jandar Kanithson. 'Bout halfway to Wilree, wander half a day off the path and you'll find a sacred glade, where we meet with other followers to worship. We'll spend a few weeks there, then march our ways out east to another one. The Conclave maintains the blessings, you see. Keeps little safe havens peppered through the forests for mortals and creatures alike." Jar spilled as Ceolfric's command settled in the man's mind. It was easy, barely a whisper of resistance, and more than was necessary followed. "But, understand no one really thinks what we're doing works. All the rituals, the incense, the bonfires- its all just for show. This one here just does it for the free beer one of the members always brings, and Gods know I just do it for a nice meal and pretty faces. Beats beggin' for coin in the filth of Wilree. Most of us just want a sense of belongin', you know, and this gives us."

At the camp, Cerric woke up with a violent start, his own snoring dragging him from slumber, and peered around with sleep heavy eyes. He rubbed at them before focusing on Kyreth. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on out here? Did I miss anything fun?" Cerric asked loudly through a yawn, his back cracking as he stretched.

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"We'll get ya used ta t'at in no time in t'is group!" Danni exclaimed cheerfully as he pushed himself back to his feet. He flashed Firestar a thumbs up. "Good idea, Starry! Get an extra scoop for us and we'll see ya in class later! Gunna get t'at 'ero spirit in ya one way or anot'er, right Dee? Just need a bitta polish and a 'and full of friendship and you'll be one death defying experience away from bein' an Avenger!" Danni laughed. He knew she was just upset about the whole day; once she got some support and felt comfy with them, she'd step right up like the rest of them!

"Whelp, let's skedaddle back ta Poisson-Pas 'fore Beanie and Spicy finish wit' da bomb. Don't t'ink we can catch up, but we can try!" Danni linked his arm with Dee's, sauntering back towards class now that the Zelds fiasco was handled. He still wasn't cool with the whole I'mma-fuck-over-my-teammates thing but she was a freshie; she deserved some slack. "Ya t'ink Poisson-Pas is gunna be pissed or is 'e gunna be one of t'ose wierdo Profs who gold stars people for like, friendship? Like, 'is whole "T'ere are no second chances" brimstone and fire speech make me t'ink no, but like on da ot'er 'and he wants us ta be a big, well working machine and for us ta be a big ol' machine, I need friendship so we could say this was a good exercise right? Ugh, I don't wanna start da school year wit' a big, fat zero already, ya know? Imma get enough of t'em when my 'ead gets all wonky and I forget 'bout boring assignments. Then, I'll 'ave ta beg ta turn stuff in late but I can't just like, snap my fingers and moonwalk back in time and remember. Ugh. Great. Poisson-Pas is gunna hate me already." Dannie whined at Dee as he led them back to class, kicking open the door when they arrived.

"Aight, Poisson-Pas, Starry's gettin' Zelds some ice cream, Dee phased out your ropes 'cause 'e 'ates me, but I t'ink Zelds is warmin' up ta us! She didn't immediately set flaming bees on us when we 'ugged 'er so definitely takin' t'at as a win! Did ya know t'at was gunna 'appen, you know, wit' your whole time portin' t'in'?" Danni stopped in the room, frowning. "Wait, do you know everyt'in' t'ats gunna 'appen, or do you just like move around or somet'in'? If ya told us t'is, I genuinely do not remember. Wait, did ya know we'd be tryin' out t'is year?" Danni asked and then gasped. "Omg, did you know we were tryin' out and you liked us enough ta transfer 'ere for us? Aw, and here I t'ought you were a grumpy old man after the second chances t'in', but you're a big ol' softie!"

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

Danni stumbled at the sudden wave of the emotions, clutching at his chest as it constricted painfully and he felt his eyes blur. It was an overwhelming moment and he nearly cried himself, April's active silence springing to the forefront of his mind, but it was over almost as soon as it started. Danni fanned himself quickly, willing the tears down. "Oh God, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry." Danni repeated like a mantra. Fake it 'til you make it right?

"Yeah, Spicy made it seem like we didn't want 'er and…" Danni tried to explain but Firestar was not the one crying on the floor right now and Dee seemed to have it under control so Danni, forgetting the tiny detail of ropes, all but threw himself at Zelda.

Well, himself and Dee.

Danni didn't consider the addition, but the more the merrier! After all, the best medice for a case of the sads was a cuddle pile and he hugged Zelds, dragging Dee into it. "No, don't worry, you're great, you're amazing, you're just new and need ta get stuff under control. I'm so sorry if we made you feel worse, we're gunna kick butt and rock da shit outta da rest of da teams and t'en we can laugh 'bout t'is later and everyt'in' will be great and yeah, maybe t'e bridge could 'ave killed us but I'm a walkin' fire bomb. Firestar can tell you all da stories about like, spiders scarin' me. Just a PSA, never kill a spider wit' fire, I learned I 'ad bad aim da first year but please come back and show Spicy t'at we're da better team!"