Grizzlybeard
PaulHaynekIn the emasculate halls of the futuristic lobby of the RHL a small black dot formed in the air just above the reception desk, starting at the size of a quarter, the dot slowly began to expand into a flat circular shape. The disk seemed to be some kind of portal, but all that can be seen through the event horizon was an empty black abyss. The portal idled in the air for several seconds until a figure, obscured in blurred light, suddenly descended from the portal and landed on top of the reception desk, barely making a sound as it did. The figure stood still for a moment until the blurred light faded away revealing a man, slowly falling backwards.
Scion let out a loud yelp as he slid off of the receptionist's desk and onto an empty chair. The chair was barely affected by the sudden weight and smoothly rolled backwards with the lingering momentum. The receptionist, who had had enough sense to move instead of stare, was now standing beside Scion with a slightly irritated look on her face. Scion flashed her a nervous grin as he stood up and pretended to brush off his sleeves. He noticed that the receptionist was quite pretty, with her sharp blue eye wreathed in brilliant blonde hair and complimented by her pale skin. Trying not to sound too embarrassed, he tries to quickly apologize to her, "Sorry for dropping in so unexpectedly. I tend not to always get the altitude quite right when jumping into random universes and..." The receptionist just continued to give him a blank stare. "You don't seem to understand or maybe?" Scion started to look excited, "You are fascinated?!" He starts to gesture wildly with his hands, "Well I'll tell you something interesting then. I am a man who invented his very own inter-dimensional travel device and I have traveled across many strange and interesting worlds across the many multi-verses." He points to the sky, "Now I have chosen this world to be next exciting adventure," he then points at the receptionist and grins, "And maybe you can be my next companion to travel with me on my exciting journey through the-!"
"Can you please move to the other side of the desk." The receptionist interrupted.
"Uhh?" Scion wasn't quite sure what to say having been derailed from his epic introduction, so he absentmindedly complies with the receptionists request and walks to the front of the desk, looking like a lost puppy as he does so. The receptionist takes a deep breath, then starts speaking rather sternly to him, "Listen. I don't know where you come from, but inter-dimensional travel is nothing new here and is in fact the main form of travel for most. You are currently in the Ranking Headquarters Lobby, where various fighters come to fight for one of the various gods that are backing them and earn points for their cause. So I with that in mind. Are you here to register or go on about how cool you think you are? Um... Sir?"
Scion just continued to stand there looking dumbfounded. He had not been expecting to find a place like this. Having seen very few worlds in which even a half way decent method of alternate dimensional travel existed, let alone cross inter-dimensional. To then suddenly find a place with full blown multi-verse tech as the main travel, and it be common place. It was overwhelming. However, the even more frightening prospect was the fact that everyone here. Came to fight each other for points. He took several moment to gather his thoughts, but finally spoke up, "I am not sure this is for me. I really don't like hurting people if I can help it and killing is just out of the question."
The receptionist looked a little surprised to hear this. ->Perhaps it is rare to meet passive people in a place like this?<- Scion thought to himself, but before he could linger on that somber idea, the receptionist's look of surprise faded, and began to shift into a rather animalistic smirk. She then spoke in an alluring voice, "Well you are in luck then."
"I am?" was Scion's lame response.
"Yes!" She answered sounding even more excited, "You see. When people fight here. They don't actually fight them. At least not the original."
"Go on." Scion was fascinated by what he was hearing. ->What could she mean by original?<- he hastily thought.
"Well you see." She answered, as if reading his mind, "When someone wants to hold a fight here. They go to one of the two dimensional space-time machines." She points to two large buildings at the ends of the hall, "They then select a field and time, and. Pay attention now. A doppelganger is spawned in to fight for them." Scion looked ready to explode with the amount of excitement on his face, which the receptionist seemed all too eager to leave her audience enraptured. Taking a slight pause before continuing, she continues to explain "The doppelganger copies all the abilities and equipment of the user and is then connect to the user via a mental link. It is from that point forward that the doppelganger becomes you, and will remain so until it dies or when the fight is over. In whichever case. You will be deposited back into your original body safe and sound."
Scion let out, what was probably a very girly, squeal of delight, "Oh my god! That is so cool!" He jumped up and down and spun in a circle, "So it is just like a very realistic virtual reality game."
"Well yeah I guess, but you do still feel all the pain and death." The receptionist added. Scion's smile noticeably faded at that statement, "But if you surrender, then you immediately go back to your body, so the opponent only feels as much pain as they are comfortable with." She quickly amends. A look of understanding crosses Scion's face and his smile returns, but not as strongly.
"So you just need to not go all out immediately." Scion amends in response, "Still it sounds good. Well I guess I can register, though I don't really have a backing god...Hmm...I got it! Sign me up as being backed by Dennis!"
"What!" was the sudden and very loud response from Scion's wrist. "You can't sign me up as a god!" Dennis protested.
"Why not? You're already a nonphysical ethereal existence, with a superiority complex, and who likes to observe the real world from the safety of an outer dimension." Scion countered.
"But. But." Dennis Stuttered.
Scion ignores him and continues on, "Besides you will make a great god. You can brag about all the points you have to the other deities. Then they have to acknowledge how great you are!" Scion pumped Dennis into the air while making a fist.
"I...Well. OK. Just. Just don't embarrass me." Dennis finally relented.
"So, you will be fighting for ah? Dennis?" The receptionist asked, not quite understanding the strange relationship between Scion and his watch. Though she was still happy she had convinced him to join. It was also nice to find someone that still seem genuinely excited about what she had to say. So many of the fighters paid her so little mind. ->It is very boring being a receptionist dam it!<- she thought angrily to herself, but didn't let it show.
"I will actually also be registered as a fighter." Dennis quickly added, "I am after all. Always at Scion's side."
"OK, So Scion and Dennis." She asks, and Scion gives her a thumbs up in response. She types up there entry information and with a final click indoctrinates them in, "OK. Scion and Dennis. Welcome to the Ranking System! Please have lots of fun. Oh and Scion."
"Yeah?" Scion asked in a curious manner.
"Do visit sometime, and tell me about your interesting adventures. If you actually win a few fights then maybe I'll be inclined to take you up on your offer to be. Oh what was it. Your companion" She holds up her fingers and forms air quotes as she says the last part, then gives him a smile. "I'll even tell you my name." Scion blushed at this statement, but smiles and nods while giving her a thumbs up. He then proceeds down the hall with determination in his eyes, with his curiosity satisfied and a whole world of...Well worlds to explore. He was ready to face whatever lay before him, and then he heard a loud bang from down the hall and proceeded to dive for cover. He swore he could feel the receptionist rolling her eyes at this rather pathetic display, though to be fair. It seemed that many of the other onlookers were not too pleased by the sound either. Scion quickly scrambled off the floor and, in an attempt to look less lame, headed towards the source of the sound. The place was huge, but loud noises tended to carry pretty well across large solid walls. There was that and the that fact other people were also making their way to the sound that made it easy to find the source. Scion came up to what looked to be a cafeteria of some kind. Though it did seem to be a bit better equipped than any of the lunch rooms he had been in as a kid.
The cause of the sound seemed to be a very odd looking man with a twitchy body. He was looking out a rather large window seeming to pay no mind to the growing crowd behind him. It seemed like a lynch mob was in the cards, if the flaming hands and drawn weapons were any indicators. The crowd itself had many interesting looking characters in it and Scion's own presence was hardly anything extraordinary compared to some of the literal barbarians standing next to him. The most ominous being though, was what looked like a literal living skeleton, complete with creepy glowing flames all over its body, and outfit reminiscent of an ancient warrior garb of some kind. His curiosity quickly outweighed trepidation and he slowly made his way closer to it. He was always meeting strange creatures on his adventures, but this one seemed to be someone important and he couldn't help, but want to learn what he could about it. I mean he had to start somewhere, so why not with Skeletor. He didn't want to just walk up and pepper it with questions, assuming it even spoke English, but decided to stand near by and watch. Skelletor was sat across from a mostly ordinary looking man carrying a staff. He had apparently missed the last words that were exchanged, but they did not seem to be having a friendly conversation if the look on the man's face was any indicator. Scion quickly sits down at table just off from them so he can watch them comfortably. A waitress approached him and asked if he would like anything, deciding that it couldn't hurt to snack while he sat there. He wasn't sure what to get, but after the waitress informed him that they severed pretty much everything. He promptly requested a Mountain Dew and cheese burger, but wanted the meat in the burger to be a surprise. The drink was placed down near instantly and Scion gladly sipped at it as he observed his quarry. ->Alright Skeletor. Let's see what you're up to.<- he thought to himself as he sipped at his Mountain Dew.
Scion let out a loud yelp as he slid off of the receptionist's desk and onto an empty chair. The chair was barely affected by the sudden weight and smoothly rolled backwards with the lingering momentum. The receptionist, who had had enough sense to move instead of stare, was now standing beside Scion with a slightly irritated look on her face. Scion flashed her a nervous grin as he stood up and pretended to brush off his sleeves. He noticed that the receptionist was quite pretty, with her sharp blue eye wreathed in brilliant blonde hair and complimented by her pale skin. Trying not to sound too embarrassed, he tries to quickly apologize to her, "Sorry for dropping in so unexpectedly. I tend not to always get the altitude quite right when jumping into random universes and..." The receptionist just continued to give him a blank stare. "You don't seem to understand or maybe?" Scion started to look excited, "You are fascinated?!" He starts to gesture wildly with his hands, "Well I'll tell you something interesting then. I am a man who invented his very own inter-dimensional travel device and I have traveled across many strange and interesting worlds across the many multi-verses." He points to the sky, "Now I have chosen this world to be next exciting adventure," he then points at the receptionist and grins, "And maybe you can be my next companion to travel with me on my exciting journey through the-!"
"Can you please move to the other side of the desk." The receptionist interrupted.
"Uhh?" Scion wasn't quite sure what to say having been derailed from his epic introduction, so he absentmindedly complies with the receptionists request and walks to the front of the desk, looking like a lost puppy as he does so. The receptionist takes a deep breath, then starts speaking rather sternly to him, "Listen. I don't know where you come from, but inter-dimensional travel is nothing new here and is in fact the main form of travel for most. You are currently in the Ranking Headquarters Lobby, where various fighters come to fight for one of the various gods that are backing them and earn points for their cause. So I with that in mind. Are you here to register or go on about how cool you think you are? Um... Sir?"
Scion just continued to stand there looking dumbfounded. He had not been expecting to find a place like this. Having seen very few worlds in which even a half way decent method of alternate dimensional travel existed, let alone cross inter-dimensional. To then suddenly find a place with full blown multi-verse tech as the main travel, and it be common place. It was overwhelming. However, the even more frightening prospect was the fact that everyone here. Came to fight each other for points. He took several moment to gather his thoughts, but finally spoke up, "I am not sure this is for me. I really don't like hurting people if I can help it and killing is just out of the question."
The receptionist looked a little surprised to hear this. ->Perhaps it is rare to meet passive people in a place like this?<- Scion thought to himself, but before he could linger on that somber idea, the receptionist's look of surprise faded, and began to shift into a rather animalistic smirk. She then spoke in an alluring voice, "Well you are in luck then."
"I am?" was Scion's lame response.
"Yes!" She answered sounding even more excited, "You see. When people fight here. They don't actually fight them. At least not the original."
"Go on." Scion was fascinated by what he was hearing. ->What could she mean by original?<- he hastily thought.
"Well you see." She answered, as if reading his mind, "When someone wants to hold a fight here. They go to one of the two dimensional space-time machines." She points to two large buildings at the ends of the hall, "They then select a field and time, and. Pay attention now. A doppelganger is spawned in to fight for them." Scion looked ready to explode with the amount of excitement on his face, which the receptionist seemed all too eager to leave her audience enraptured. Taking a slight pause before continuing, she continues to explain "The doppelganger copies all the abilities and equipment of the user and is then connect to the user via a mental link. It is from that point forward that the doppelganger becomes you, and will remain so until it dies or when the fight is over. In whichever case. You will be deposited back into your original body safe and sound."
Scion let out, what was probably a very girly, squeal of delight, "Oh my god! That is so cool!" He jumped up and down and spun in a circle, "So it is just like a very realistic virtual reality game."
"Well yeah I guess, but you do still feel all the pain and death." The receptionist added. Scion's smile noticeably faded at that statement, "But if you surrender, then you immediately go back to your body, so the opponent only feels as much pain as they are comfortable with." She quickly amends. A look of understanding crosses Scion's face and his smile returns, but not as strongly.
"So you just need to not go all out immediately." Scion amends in response, "Still it sounds good. Well I guess I can register, though I don't really have a backing god...Hmm...I got it! Sign me up as being backed by Dennis!"
"What!" was the sudden and very loud response from Scion's wrist. "You can't sign me up as a god!" Dennis protested.
"Why not? You're already a nonphysical ethereal existence, with a superiority complex, and who likes to observe the real world from the safety of an outer dimension." Scion countered.
"But. But." Dennis Stuttered.
Scion ignores him and continues on, "Besides you will make a great god. You can brag about all the points you have to the other deities. Then they have to acknowledge how great you are!" Scion pumped Dennis into the air while making a fist.
"I...Well. OK. Just. Just don't embarrass me." Dennis finally relented.
"So, you will be fighting for ah? Dennis?" The receptionist asked, not quite understanding the strange relationship between Scion and his watch. Though she was still happy she had convinced him to join. It was also nice to find someone that still seem genuinely excited about what she had to say. So many of the fighters paid her so little mind. ->It is very boring being a receptionist dam it!<- she thought angrily to herself, but didn't let it show.
"I will actually also be registered as a fighter." Dennis quickly added, "I am after all. Always at Scion's side."
"OK, So Scion and Dennis." She asks, and Scion gives her a thumbs up in response. She types up there entry information and with a final click indoctrinates them in, "OK. Scion and Dennis. Welcome to the Ranking System! Please have lots of fun. Oh and Scion."
"Yeah?" Scion asked in a curious manner.
"Do visit sometime, and tell me about your interesting adventures. If you actually win a few fights then maybe I'll be inclined to take you up on your offer to be. Oh what was it. Your companion" She holds up her fingers and forms air quotes as she says the last part, then gives him a smile. "I'll even tell you my name." Scion blushed at this statement, but smiles and nods while giving her a thumbs up. He then proceeds down the hall with determination in his eyes, with his curiosity satisfied and a whole world of...Well worlds to explore. He was ready to face whatever lay before him, and then he heard a loud bang from down the hall and proceeded to dive for cover. He swore he could feel the receptionist rolling her eyes at this rather pathetic display, though to be fair. It seemed that many of the other onlookers were not too pleased by the sound either. Scion quickly scrambled off the floor and, in an attempt to look less lame, headed towards the source of the sound. The place was huge, but loud noises tended to carry pretty well across large solid walls. There was that and the that fact other people were also making their way to the sound that made it easy to find the source. Scion came up to what looked to be a cafeteria of some kind. Though it did seem to be a bit better equipped than any of the lunch rooms he had been in as a kid.
The cause of the sound seemed to be a very odd looking man with a twitchy body. He was looking out a rather large window seeming to pay no mind to the growing crowd behind him. It seemed like a lynch mob was in the cards, if the flaming hands and drawn weapons were any indicators. The crowd itself had many interesting looking characters in it and Scion's own presence was hardly anything extraordinary compared to some of the literal barbarians standing next to him. The most ominous being though, was what looked like a literal living skeleton, complete with creepy glowing flames all over its body, and outfit reminiscent of an ancient warrior garb of some kind. His curiosity quickly outweighed trepidation and he slowly made his way closer to it. He was always meeting strange creatures on his adventures, but this one seemed to be someone important and he couldn't help, but want to learn what he could about it. I mean he had to start somewhere, so why not with Skeletor. He didn't want to just walk up and pepper it with questions, assuming it even spoke English, but decided to stand near by and watch. Skelletor was sat across from a mostly ordinary looking man carrying a staff. He had apparently missed the last words that were exchanged, but they did not seem to be having a friendly conversation if the look on the man's face was any indicator. Scion quickly sits down at table just off from them so he can watch them comfortably. A waitress approached him and asked if he would like anything, deciding that it couldn't hurt to snack while he sat there. He wasn't sure what to get, but after the waitress informed him that they severed pretty much everything. He promptly requested a Mountain Dew and cheese burger, but wanted the meat in the burger to be a surprise. The drink was placed down near instantly and Scion gladly sipped at it as he observed his quarry. ->Alright Skeletor. Let's see what you're up to.<- he thought to himself as he sipped at his Mountain Dew.