Morose

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

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Annie & Avery

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Antoinette sat on the stool with her legs crisscrossed, paper scattered around her with various sketches on them. After things had settled from their trip in space, Antoinette approached Avery about doing some artwork for their DnD campaign. It was something she had been thinking about for a long time, but as usual in the mansion, her attention had been required elsewhere. However, she was doing well in training with Guin and decided she wanted to do something fun now that Avery was back.

"What do you think, Arnold? Too angry?" She held up a sketch of a dragon with their wings out-stretched in mid-flight and a snarl on their face. The tribble merely purred on the table in contentment, surrounded by all the sketches.

Avery hesitated slightly at the threshold, knocking twice on the door frame. Things had been different since they'd returned from space - well, they'd been different. They had a new name, new pronouns, and their mind was expanding to the possibilities that life could offer them. Their body had been different for a while, but it was like they had finally come into it, had finally claimed ownership over it. "Hey," they said with a slight smile.

Antoinette glanced up from her drawing and beamed when she saw Avery. "Hey! I hope you don't mind I got started without you. Well, to be honest, I've been working on some of these for a while." Antoinette pulled some of the drawings closer and patted an empty stool for Avery if they wanted it.

"Oh!" Avery blushed slightly - had they been keeping Annie waiting for a while? "That's totally fine, can I see?" they then asked, sitting down next to Annie on the stool. They pulled their sketchpad out and put it down in front of them - they'd been doing a lot of digital art lately, but today, they wanted to do something in a different medium, go a little more old-school with it. They had a few ideas of things that they wanted to draw - there was a temple that the campaign would be heading to pretty shortly, so if they could have some visuals of that, that'd be awesome. But they also just wanted to draw a simple group scene, just the party at camp under the stars.

"Of course," Antoinette laid out several pieces of paper she had pulled from her sketchbook and laid them out for Avery to peruse. Antoinette had one of her goblin character. They sported leather attire, with a club and mace for weapons, vivid purple hair, and brilliant yellow eyes. Another was of a magician, heavily inspired by Max, and another was a druid with vines like Mary's intertwined behind them.

And there were two other pieces of paper depicting Avery. The first one was an older drawing. The date in the bottom right corner declared this drawing was made a month before Avery had left. They sported more masculine features, with their blond hair swooping to the right. Their eyes were downcast, paying no attention to the dice they had just tossed up into the air, a smirk playing with the corner of their lips. The detailing on the dice was precise, with the numbers easily read. Antoinette had drawn them in a three-piece suit, grey, with a white long-sleeved shirt, a few buttons undone to reveal the top of their chest, and they wore a long, dark blue cloak with gold accompaniments. Beside it, though was a rough, new sketch Antoinette had been working on when Avery first joined her.

A softer-looking human with no distinctive gender features looked directly at the viewer, despite their back being turned. Blonde bangs covered their forehead, some loose strands framing their face, with the rest pulled back into a short, messy, high pony. The hair looked as if it were chaotic and unruly if left unattended. Their right foot rested pointed, toes on the ground behind their left ankle --- in front of the viewer. Their right hand was raised beside their head, tossing dice down behind them towards the open, left hand by their side. There were numbers on these dice as well, but that wasn't the only thing. Each die sported a symbol instead of the number one. There was a music note on one, a wand on another, a snowflake, a candle... They were a deep purple colour with silver sparks inside and around, almost like the night sky.

"I was going to try and see if I could get those commissioned," Antoinette pointed to the dice as she spoke. "Should be easy to do. Do you think Professor X would get us a 3D printer? We could make them in-house."

They were speechless as they took in the drawings - they were all incredible, beautifully done with amazing detail. But it wasn't the drawing of the player characters that took Avery's breath away. It was the drawings Annie had done of themself. They saw the person they had once been - their old body, before things had changed - before that spell had gone awry and altered their features. An old body with an old name. It was them but at the same time, it wasn't. And as their gaze changed to the new one, the one depicting their current self, tears pooled in their eyes. It was perfect. It was them. "Annie..." Avery's voice cracked.

They tried to say something - to communicate to her how much this meant to them, how thoughtful and amazing she was, but words failed them. So instead, they slowly put their arms around her, giving her the space to say no, and pulled her into a hug as they cried softly into her hair.

Antoinette was worried when they didn't say anything right away. She usually didn't mind if people didn't like her art. That was what art was. It evoked conversation, good or bad it didn't matter. But when Avery took a while to speak up and when their voice cracked, Antoinette worried she had crossed a line with them. Avery leaned in and tentatively hugged Antoinette until she returned the hug and then Avery started to cry.

Antoinette shut her eyes and held Avery close. Antoinette had been giving Avery some space to figure out their new space and what it all meant to them, she didn't know everything they were going through but that didn't matter. Antoinette would always be their friend, no matter who, what, or where they were.

"I'm proud of you," Antoinette whispered.

"Thank you," they replied, relaxing slightly into Annie's hold, before melting entirely. "You're an incredible friend, Annie... Like a sister to me or... You've always been there, even when I'm... Sorry, I'm bad at explaining this - I just - I couldn't be me without you."

Antoinette held them a moment longer before releasing them. She smiled at them, understanding clear in her eyes. "I feel the same. I felt a little adrift in the mansion until you invited me to that DnD game. After that, I really connected with people. It was hard when you left, and Carolina... But I had more faith in myself. Guin has really helped me hone my powers, too. You gave me a family, Avery. I'll always love you for that, and I'll support you in any way I can, forever."

Avery took a step back once the hug finished, but there was a soft, tired but happy, smile on their face. "I'll always love you two, Annie. I promise."

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@Achronum@PatientBean@Forsythe@Blizz@Kirah@Natsu

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10:40 PM - Tue. November 23rd, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute

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Trick or Treat 2023 Records

• Mary Sue - Trick - Her backpack was stolen in the library! She'll have to replace her laptop/books/etc.
• Vicky - Trick - Through a misunderstanding with a teacher (Usagi) Vicky has detention for the entire month of November
• Sabine - Trick - someone hacked Sabine’s socials and put up some disgusting, bigoted content pretending to be her
• Andy - Treat - Magneto sends her a gift, it’s a pair of vambraces that fit her perfectly, they’re made out of an unknown material and can deflect bullets and the like
• Zari - Treat - On Halloween morning, Zari also gets a present from her family. It’s an enchanted tool belt. Whatever tool she needs if she reaches for it, it’s there
• Leah - Trick - After the Monster Mash when Leah returns to her room, there is a postcard on the wall from Oslo. Written on it is her birth name. Nothing else.
• Dorian - Treat - On Halloween day, Dorian’s father sends him a ~spooky~ gift. It’s a mini dinosaur! And by mini I mean like 6 inches tall. But it’s alive!

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@Forsythe: For a brief moment, Vicky managed to suspend her consciousness - to be both active within the Framework and present within her own body. But then that control was lost, as if a partition had been forced into existence. Perhaps it was one of the Framework's safety measures. Or perhaps the tech was simply that advanced, enough to know that she had split her faculties, and remedied it. The reason as to why ultimately didn't matter as much as the outcome - that Vicky was fully within the Framework whether she liked it or not.

@BlueSky44: Zari did not wake up.

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April Flynn & Percy Novikov

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Location: the Framework
Skills: N/A | N/A
Fit: Framework Suits

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April had mentally shrunk inwards at Leah's response to her question about the break - she knew that Leah didn't travel for those, she had meant that they'd be getting a break from the near constant studying and work that they'd been forced through since the Monster Mash. But the moment to explain herself, to apologize, had passed. Her face was bright red even now inside the Framework, the sensors translating her embarrassment.

"Okay, everyone, loading in the programs now. Good luck!" Ed's voice boomed all around them - and then suddenly, their surroundings shifted. It was like the arena had glitched, falling away and snapping back, replaced with a narrow strip of existence, almost like a hallway. Charming music played in the background, a theme intimately familiar to April - music she'd hear from her dad gaming most mornings as a little kid.

She looked down at her hands and gasped in surprise - they were pixelated, two dimensional. Her outfit had changed too - she looked like a color swapped Princess Peach, or a retro Rosalina. All around her, similar things had happened to her peers, making them look like Mario characters -

They were inside a Mario game.

And a small pack of goomba were coming right at them.

Meanwhile, Percy was speechless for a moment, taking in his surroundings - and his outfit. He was put in a little blue vest with no shirt and white shorts, and there was some sort of massive dome on his head. He instantly crossed his arms, covering his chest in an attempt to preserve his modesty. "Ed, you loaded Super Mario!" Percy hissed, more pissed about the alterations to his clothing and physical appearance than anything else.

"Oh, I know," Ed answered with a slight laugh. "Just so you know, I've removed the safety controls. If you die in there, you'll die in real life... and one last thing? Call me Arcade."

"Seriously?!" Percy clenched his hands into fists, rotating them as he tried to access the emergency override - to forcibly eject his consciousness from the Framework. But nothing happened. There was no response - Ed - Arcade must have seen to that already. He quickly glanced around the group assembled, trying to suss out the powers at their disposal. Someone had to be able to get them out of here. His gaze landed on Dorian.

"Can you shift and eject yourself out?" Percy proposed.

The goombas were about to collide with the group - someone needed to jump on them and fast.

And up ahead, not too far, were a variety of flashing blocks - and three enticing green pipes.

Perception Roll Results

People who notice Zari isn't there:
-Dorian
-Andy
-Vicky
-Diana

People who do not notice Zari isn't there:
-April
-Percy
-Danni
-Mads
-Mary Sue
-Sabine
-Leah
-Zelda

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@PatientBean@Blizz@Kirah@KazAlkemi

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Earth-666

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You have questions.

I do my best to answer them.

I explain to you that Limbo exists outside of the Multiverse, but that it is a realm with layers onto itself. It twists and turns, it divides a soul and fractures it. When I entered Limbo, a version of myself was murdered by Ananym - but another version, the one you see before you, survived. I was not able to reach you all in time, as I fought my way through Limbo's deepest layers, but I am... relieved to see that my successors performed adequately.

You saved more than just the city - you saved the universe.

So for that, I... thank you all.

You are welcome at the Sanctum Santorum any time.

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In The Days To Come

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Carolina Reed:

Carolina, you undertake the noble - if not complicated - task of raising the infant Ananym as your own. There are moments where the child's eyes look like your lost beloved's, moments where the child instinctively uses October's voice. Perhaps your beloved is still there, reaching through time. Or perhaps it is a demon's trick, meant to endear you to the babe. Only time will tell.

Maximilian Gray:

I have no idea who this young sorcerer is. Maximilian, you return to your home and your family, changed by what you have seen and experienced in ways that are not marked upon your flesh. You remember what it is like to be the Sorcerer Supreme, to have the power of the universe at your fingertips - and you feel its absence. But your destiny lies elsewhere, not in a Sanctum Santorum but in a mansion.

Madalyne Crane:

You have shaken off your demonic essence, Madalyne, but Limbo's fires call to you all the same. You leave this plane and head to Limbo, the prodigal daughter returned. There, you hunt day and night for Sym, to find the demon who killed your father. You are so very close to finding him, and your soulsword vibrates, shaking with anticipation. Will you be the same once you have killed this demon? Or will your own heritage resurface, horns sprouting from your head once more?

But there is one portion of relief - your father is alive. Just as I escaped Limbo despite dying within it, a version of your father who did not die by Ananym's hand lived and returned to Earth.

It does not change the fact that his flesh rots in Limbo, that a version of Edus - perhaps the original - did die there.

Prudence Knight and Runa the Gray:

For better or for worse, you two find love - or something akin to it - in one another. Runa, you abandon your dead future and instead take an apprentice, the first one in an age. You teach Prudence everything that you know, and she swears a vow to kill you. It pleases you. You travel the universe together, the multiverse, moving forwards and backwards in time.

Prudence, you have abandoned your old master, and emerged from the depths of Limbo a vampire - a daywalker. Under Runa's instruction, you learn the old Asgardian magic, learn to peer into the space between the realms and divine the future by seiðr. It is promised that once you find a way to kill your lover, you will inherit her station, her authority - you will become the Sorcerer Supreme of the End of Time.

Annika Falling Star and Jack Hawthorne:

Jack, you raise Annika as your own, traveling the time stream as well. You search for her family, for her culture, for a way to restore her memories to her. For now, your leads are slim - but they are not nonexistent. The infant Annika grows more and more each day, and already, hints of her magic are about - she is no ordinary child.

Klara, Daughter of Thor:

Klara, you return home to Asgard. You recount your tale to your parents and roam and play and fight. But gradually, the memories fade - the knowledge of what your cousin became is lost to where childhood recollections go. If it was not for your skeletal friend, a horse that came all the way from Limbo to Asgard, perhaps even this entire adventure would be lost to you.

The Second Edus Penior:

You emerge from Limbo later, finding your sworn daughter on a path of vengeance over your death. You hear of your tragic demise and end, events that you have no recollection of. You return to your world and find that months had passed. You go to Cardiff. Your family needs you.

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@Achronum@PatientBean@Forsythe@Blizz@Kirah@Natsu

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10:30 PM - Tue. November 23rd, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute

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Trick or Treat 2023 Records

• Mary Sue - Trick - Her backpack was stolen in the library! She'll have to replace her laptop/books/etc.
• Vicky - Trick - Through a misunderstanding with a teacher (Usagi) Vicky has detention for the entire month of November
• Sabine - Trick - someone hacked Sabine’s socials and put up some disgusting, bigoted content pretending to be her
• Andy - Treat - Magneto sends her a gift, it’s a pair of vambraces that fit her perfectly, they’re made out of an unknown material and can deflect bullets and the like
• Zari - Treat - On Halloween morning, Zari also gets a present from her family. It’s an enchanted tool belt. Whatever tool she needs if she reaches for it, it’s there
• Leah - Trick - After the Monster Mash when Leah returns to her room, there is a postcard on the wall from Oslo. Written on it is her birth name. Nothing else.
• Dorian - Treat - On Halloween day, Dorian’s father sends him a ~spooky~ gift. It’s a mini dinosaur! And by mini I mean like 6 inches tall. But it’s alive!

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April Flynn & Percy Novikov

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Location: Stark Hall - Fifth Floor -> the Gym
Skills: N/A | N/A
Fit: Gym Clothes | Academy Uniform

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April smiled, the skin near her eyes crinkling as she saw Danni and Dori come out of their room - and Percy. He was Diana's brother and Dorian's boyfriend, but otherwise she didn't really know him that well, and he didn't really know her. He had helped her the night of the Monster Mash though, and given her lack of familiarity with him, that was both good and awkward. So she waved slightly to him, before pulling both Danni and Dori into a quick hug. "Let's go!" she whisper-shouted.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "I don't think everyone heard you," he observed, before calmly heading for the stairs. It wasn't very hard for the group to make it from Stark Hall to the gym - easy, really. No one was expecting kids to sneak onto the Framework, and while it was late, none of these students being out late would be cause for concern - the school may have put all their stock in the Young Avengers winning once more, but that didn't mean the other groups weren't being worked to the bone.

When they arrived, April went up to each of her girlfriends, giving them a kiss on the cheek and squeezing their hands. It was one of the few joint training sessions they'd had - it was hard, having her girlfriends and her besties on different teams from her, but she did have one bestie with her - Mads - so she wasn't entirely alone. "You both hanging in there? Excited for the break soon?" April asked.

But there wasn't much time for chatter, as everyone had arrived, and Ed closed the doors, locking them so no one could get in and discover this unauthorized use. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, and he clearly had been pulling all nighters in preparation for this. "Alright, get suited up and into the tanks - I'm loading the programs now," Ed said, sitting down at the chair in front of the Framework computer and typing in a line of code - one that would initiate the software.

April went into the attached locker room and got changed - as did her teammate, Gideon Muir. Gideon was wearing sunglasses despite being indoor, sipping a cup of black coffee.

"D'you reckon we can go all night in there?" Gideon asked, daydreaming about cutting apart pixels with her sword for hours.

April shrugged her shoulders. "Probably not? But for a few hours, at least. It might not be taxing on our bodies, but our minds'll get tired - and eventually someone might notice we're all gone."

"Cool cool cool," Gideon said, suited up now, before hopping into one of the tanks. She closed her eyes and when she opened it, she was standing in the middle of the Contest of Champions arena - or a simulation of it, at least.

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@PatientBean@Blizz@Kirah@KazAlkemi

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Earth-666

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Ananym had been transformed into a small infant, crying with horns curling from its forehead. The same fate met you, Annika - just a babe now, no longer the adult, no longer cognizant. The last Goblin Night ended with a similar sacrifice. Perhaps this was destiny.

With the veil repaired and Ananym defeated, all that remains are her legion, her hoard.

But as Sorcerers Supreme, you all ought to make short work of them, no?

Especially as a familiar face approaches you, stumbling from a portal with the scent of Limbo clinging to him. Like magnets, the shards of the office of Sorcerer Supreme leave your bodies, flying into his - the Cloaks of Levitation, the amulets, all merging into a single item, supporting a single entity.

Limbo works in mysterious ways, I should know.

Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, is alive.

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Runa the Grey

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Location: New York City
Skills: N/A
Spells: Kosmisk Ild

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"Well, none of you would have been my first choice... But thank you," Strange said.

It had been some time since Runa had heard his voice, but she recognized him immediately - particularly as she felt the vestiges of his office leave her. She was no longer the Sorcerer Supreme of this moment - the rich magics were beginning to fade, her powers gradually returning to their somewhat deadened state. She was Sorcerer Supreme of the future, yes, but it was a future without magic - a dead, waking grave.

As to how Stephen was alive, Runa did not know. Realms outside the multiverse were strange - and their magics even stranger. Limbo was a land that twisted and turned over itself. One Stephen died, another lived. Perhaps that was all the explanation that was needed.

"You ought to be more careful than that, Stephen, to thank a witch," Runa chided. They had known other witches before that traded in gratitude - that used it to take hold of their victims, a line tethering them together, an eternal favor just waiting to be granted. Absentmindedly, they wondered where Mother Righteous was now - if the sorceress would have stepped in had they fallen, had they failed.

But now was not the time for chatter.

It was the time for action.

Zelma had taken the baby Ananym and baby Annika inside, sheltering them with the other infants.

That left the demons.

Runa breathed in.

They breathed out.

And they set the sky ablaze.

They incinerated demons on mass, the flames seeming to pour from their own body, heavenly fire that destroyed whatever it touched.

There were still more, still more to face.

But Runa was not alone.

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@Achronum@PatientBean@Forsythe@Blizz@Kirah@Natsu

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10:20 PM - Tue. November 23rd, 2038 - Margaret Carter Institute

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Trick or Treat 2023 Records

• Mary Sue - Trick - Her backpack was stolen in the library! She'll have to replace her laptop/books/etc.
• Vicky - Trick - Through a misunderstanding with a teacher (Usagi) Vicky has detention for the entire month of November
• Sabine - Trick - someone hacked Sabine’s socials and put up some disgusting, bigoted content pretending to be her
• Andy - Treat - Magneto sends her a gift, it’s a pair of vambraces that fit her perfectly, they’re made out of an unknown material and can deflect bullets and the like
• Zari - Treat - On Halloween morning, Zari also gets a present from her family. It’s an enchanted tool belt. Whatever tool she needs if she reaches for it, it’s there
• Leah - Trick - After the Monster Mash when Leah returns to her room, there is a postcard on the wall from Oslo. Written on it is her birth name. Nothing else.
• Dorian - Treat - On Halloween day, Dorian’s father sends him a ~spooky~ gift. It’s a mini dinosaur! And by mini I mean like 6 inches tall. But it’s alive!

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The past few weeks had been intense. The four teams who had qualified for the Contest of Champions were regularly pulled from classes to practice - four hours, starting at 2 PM every day. Of course, they were still expected to catch up on the coursework that they were missing, and watch recorded versions of the lectures. The week after the dance, they had all been fitted for combat uniforms specially made for the Contest - these uniforms were resistant to most types of damage that would come their way, and for students with special needs, those were provided for them. Headshots were taken for promotional images, and their official superhero names were registered. It wasn't just a frenzy to train - it was a minor media circus.

And yet, despite all of that, it was still clear that the school wanted the Young Avengers to win. The Young Avengers were excused from classes every Friday for the entire day, and were allowed to participate in missions - real missions. To say the deck was stacked against the lesser experienced teams would be an understatement. And everyone knew. The school board wouldn't approve sending out the other three teams, not to mention the fiasco of parental permission that had already been hard enough to get squared away for the Young Avengers.

But while the adults were unwilling to help, Ed stepped in.

He wasn't particularly good when it came to combat, but he had been studying the Framework, optimizing programs. And the day before everyone left for Thanksgiving break, it would be easy to hop onto the machine - to give extra practice time to the other three teams and level the playing field. He'd developed programs that approximated the other teams in the Contest, including the Young Avengers - programs that they could fight and train and get that crucial edge they needed.

Ed didn't care if his team won. He just needed the Young Avengers to lose.

At 10:30 PM, everyone needed to be at the gym ready to go - ready to enter the Framework. And of course, not get caught by teachers on their way over.

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April Flynn

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Location: Stark Hall - Fifth Floor
Skills: N/A
Fit: Gym Clothes

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April's mental health was at an all time low and she knew it.

The Contest of Champions was less than a month away - weeks away, actually. It was scheduled for December 15th. And they were hopelessly unprepared. The Young Avengers were in the news saving people, fighting real threats, and the Huntresses were still just practicing against monsters Lady Nimue summoned. For a perfectionist who dreamed of winning the Contest, that was enough already to stress her out - not even accounting for all the other teams who would be there, all filled with incredibly talented people. Then there was the mountain of homework and exams she was falling behind on, as every waking moment she spent training, pushing herself harder.

Then there was the situation with Leah - the paranoia, the knowledge that her father was just lurking around the corner, waiting to strike. He was inevitability. April didn't know how to fight that - didn't know how to protect Leah, as much as she desperately wanted to. And Sabine too, Sabine was so strong, but she'd been hacked - and she'd seen something that night as well, something harrowing.

There was also the fact that lately, when April stared in the mirror, she didn't recognize herself - she didn't recognize her body. She flinched when people referred to her in conversation by things other than her name and she didn't have the mental space to know why. At night, in her dreams, she saw that same nightmare replaying over and over again - saw Magneto's helmet on her head, saw herself transformed into something else, something horrible.

She had just finished an assignment for one of her science courses with less than ten minutes to spare until they had to meet up with Ed. She was jittery with nerves and caffeine and sugar as she changed into a nondescript gym outfit - gray yoga pants, matching sports bra, and a hoodie. "You ready?" she asked Mads, dark shadows under her eyes, as she cracked open an energy drink and began to sip it.

With her other hand, she sent off some texts rapid fire:

@Sabine, @Leah

See you both soon!! xoxo

@Danni, @Dori

You two ready??? Mads and I are leaving soon!!

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Percy Novikov

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Location: Stark Hall - Fifth Floor
Skills: Omnilingualism
Fit: ~Academy Uniform Lol~

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Percy's roommate had more or less officially withdrawn from the school at this point, leaving him with a single. However, while he would have enjoyed his own room's environment much more, he also understood that one of the expected functions of a boyfriend was to spend time in Dorian's room. So after packing his bags for a brief visit to see his moms for the upcoming Thanksgiving break, he had taken his laptop and gone over to Dorian's room, dutifully typing away at an essay he was writing on the Odyssey for a class. He was currently typing the essay out in a bizarre mixture of Russian, English, and Ancient Greek - he'd edit it all into one concise language later on.

He understood the importance of tonight's training session, but he wasn't particularly stressed about it. He wore his same academy uniform as always, and he glanced at his watch, frowning slightly before hitting save on his document and closing the laptop's lid. He left the laptop on the desk, just in its proper place, before turning to his boyfriend. "Πρέπει να πάμε," he said, his mind still stuck in Greek. "Apologies - we should go," he then repeated, standing up to leave and putting his blazer back on, before offering a hand to Dorian.

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@PatientBean@Blizz@Kirah@KazAlkemi

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Earth-666

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@Nallore@Blizz@Trainerblue192: Wong cast spells quickly on the fly, in an attempt to dispell the god that had grabbed you, JackInTheMax. But it was too little too late. The pentagram was still powered, the bleed between realities continuing. And as Wong went to cast another spell to aid you, he found himself in mortal peril - a swarm of imps descended upon him, a small legion, so many that as they circled him, he was entirely blocked from view.

Ananym coughed, strange green blood trailing down her face. She was burned heavily now, her wounds healing yes, but it was slow. She looked like she was a corpse pulled from the flames, her hair gone, her clothes thick with the stench of smoke. If her actions had started an Inferno, even she was not spared from the flames.

But she still spoke with your father's voice. "I have no right? I have every right. I was born to rule Limbo. I was born to burn your precious, pathetic little world to the ground," Ananym taunted. "I was born to destroy everything. Just like you were. You were afraid of your destiny. But I'm not!"

And with a cry, electricity filled Ananym's hands, and she grabbed you, electrocuting her foe. But she was not immune to her own attack, her charred flesh cracking from the power, as she leaned forward, sinking her teeth into your neck and biting down hard, hard enough to draw blood.

@KazAlkemi@Nallore: Zelma had just finished helping Carolina to find a banishment scroll, the magic imbued into the parchment itself so that way anyone could cast it, even those without a shred of magical talent. When she glanced up at your remark, her face paled rapidly. "Don't touch that!" she snapped, harsher than she intended. "That's Pandora's box. Inside is Hope - with a capital H Hope. The very concept itself. If you open it... There's no telling what will happen."

Carolina, you however, would see a vision flicker before her eyes - a vision of Annika opening the box, of a blinding white light consuming Ananym, consuming herself.

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Runa the Grey

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Location: New York City
Skills: N/A
Spells: N/A

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"Aye," Runa said. Her word was her bond. They had met her challenge, had accomplished her task. They had done what Thor could not do - what the best of Asgard had been unable to do. Perhaps there was something worth saving here - perhaps these lives were worth preserving. She had not been able to see the horn run dry, but she had felt it - had felt Prudence's careful spell, her magic. And Klara, gentle Klara, she was too innocent for lies. She was not like Runa - and would never be like her.

So this was their task then. Their task was to help - to aid. The restoration of the veil was paramount. They bowed their head slightly, their cape billowing behind them, as they called upon their magics - their magics as Sorcerer Supreme of this time, and of another. And they chanted not in the tongue of Midgardians, but in the All-Tongue - in the language of the Asgardians, of the gods.

"Through heart and soul of the Fifth Eternity, the world hears my call,
Invaders from horizons unbound, and hunters of the frail,
In the name of Agamotto, son of Oshtur, the Earth rejects your might,
May the Divide of the Cosmos stand tall, and never fall to ruin,
Lest we wither and lament the endless war of chaos everlasting.

May those who trespass these sacred bounds mourn their fate,
And the wicked from lands unseen be banished from whence they came,
The land, the sky, and the soul of Life defy the Great Beyond,
By decree of the Sorcerer Supreme, none shall trespass upon this Veil."

The last fragment.

The final piece.

The veil, renewed.

To those able to see, the pentagram up in the skies would dissipate - the colliding worlds would vanish.

Yet Ananym remained.

Her demons remained.

New York was still threatened - the veil repaired, but still fragile, still weak. Still in need of defense.

Ω Heroes of Olympus: The Next Age of Heroes Ω

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☀️ Nancy Parker ☀️

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Location: Lotus Hotel and Casino
Skills: Archery

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Nancy cursed under her breath in Latin. Of course the fucking grody ass bitch of a giant had to show up NOW. At least there was one thing that she and Porphyrion agreed on - Leandra's uselessness. Had situations been different, she might have gossiped with him about everything Leandra had ever done that was incompetent at best and sabotage at worst.

A certain focus came over her, one that she found in battle - that she found when death was on the line. She was used to fighting as a unit, as a group - but in this host of Greeks, that wasn't an option. They were all individual fighters, they didn't know Roman strategies and maneuvers. So Nancy would have to adapt to them. The party god was sent flying, again something that she found it difficult to show sympathy for. Let him rot. He was no better than Bacchus.

Demetri restrained the giant, and Nancy's bow - Kallisto's bow - materialized in her hands. She offered up a prayer to Diana, that the Huntress would guide her hand, and she fired off glowing arrow after glowing arrow. Three arrows lodged themself in the giant's chest, a fourth missing.

But she would do this.

They would do this.

For Mads.

For Mads.

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🌈👻 Leda Storm 👻🌈

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Location: Tartarus
Skills: N/A

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Sera was there, too - Leda had almost forgotten about her. She was Kiera's sister, yes, but they had just met the demigod - had just ended up picking her up on their quest, replacing the spot that had been meant for Arthur. She didn't mean any ill will by it, she just didn't know Sera very well - and in the process of, well, dying her thoughts had been elsewhere. But before Leda could even properly answer, could begin to explain what she knew about Tartarus and the doors, the connection dropped.

Leda smiled ruefully. The gods could only help their children so much. She ought to be grateful Iris did that much for her.

"Thanks, Mum - 'preciate it," Leda murmured, a soft prayer. She collected her thoughts, though, and turned her attention back to Mads. "All the monsters down here, they'll be heading for the Doors. If we follow 'em, we should find them - find our way out," she explained. But then guilt quietly enveloped her. Mads hadn't gotten to say a word. "I can try to ring someone for you, if you'd like? Mum might let us make a second call, she's pretty chill... usually."

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

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Guin Stark

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Location: Asteroid M
Skills: Telepathy
~Fit Check~

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There wasn't much else that Guin could do. She was beyond spent, beyond exhaustion. She couldn't taste her tongue and her head was ringing, and she had a sneaking suspicion that if she held a hand to her ears, she would pull it away slick with blood. It was only her own dazed survival instinct that got her to board the Blackbird when the circuit between them ended, that got her to collapse up against the wall, as the world felt like it was spinning around her. She didn't know if everyone had gotten off the ship in time - didn't have the capacity to think about it, to worry about it.

All she wanted was to collapse into a puddle, to sleep for about a thousand years and wake up feeling like a person again. Hopefully she'd done enough. Hopefully everyone would make it off of the Asteroid alive. But there was nothing else that she could do - no other miracles that she could perform, mutant powers or otherwise. She didn't even have the strength to use her powers to rally everyone to move a little faster, to take their actions a little quicker.

Distantly, she hoped that Pietro would be there soon - that she could close her eyes and just trust that he'd catch her if she fell.

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Neil Spellman

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Location: the Asteroid
Skills: Telekinesis
~Fit Check~

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Time was almost up. Max had worked some miracles, but it wasn't enough. Neil didn't need to be psychic to know that the Blackbird wasn't full, that there were still stragglers on the station, waiting for rescue. But they couldn't save everyone. Their heart sank, even as they did what they could. Even as they used their telekinesis to reinforce, to protect - to keep the Blackbird safe, to prevent the hangar from closing in around them.

They wondered if Cortez would be pleased - if the game was still considered won. They wondered why it always had to be like this, why mutants could never know peace, could never have a home. The mansion wasn't a home either - not for everyone. The asteroid, Genosha... It had all been taken away. All lost. Leaving the mutants wandering, separated - leaving them vulnerable.

Inferno - STRIKE THE MATCH! - Concluded

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@BlueSky44@Nallore@Trainerblue192@PatientBean@Blizz@Kirah@KazAlkemi

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Earth-666

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@Nallore@Blizz@Trainerblue192: You, JackInTheMax, had replaced three corners of the pentagram with Everdark energy, displacing the babies to the Sanctum Santorum. One of the babes has been transfigured into a demon. It is permanent. Its soul burns every brighter, the corruption spreading deeper as the pentagram kicks into overdrive - as the forces of Limbo fall from the sky onto the Earth. You can see other realms now - Asgard, Helheim, the Dark Dimension - all of them bound for collision, all of them fated to come undone.

Most disturbing, though, is the heavy breathing - the breath of old gods forgotten by time, sealed away in another dimension. The Elder Gods are almost free.

"We need to shut this thing off now!" Wong exclaimed. "I'm sorry!" he then added, pain clear in his eyes, as he conjured up blades of pure energy.

And slaughtered the remaining babes.

Their souls were gone, no longer powering the pentagram - it began to flicker and pulse, struggling to maintain its form, feeding off of the Everdark. A hand made of wind and dust closes around you, JackInTheMax - the hand of a god, reaching from its prison to crush you.

On the ground, Ananym let out a primal scream - her body had already healed the wound you'd given her, Madalyne, it was indignity that she screamed for. But her scream was not her own. No, she screamed with your father's voice - she screamed with Ed's voice. She unfurled the wings from her back and shot up into the sky after you, spitting venom, as she continued to use his voice - as she taunted you and your pain.

"You're human now, hmm?" Edus!Ananym taunted. "Pathetic. I'll be doing you a favor when I kill you - I'll use your spine to build my throne."

@KazAlkemi: You abandon the streets of the city, retreating into the relative safety of the Sanctum Santorum. Zelma has temporarily set aside her crossbow, instead rapidly figuring out the basics of infant care - she'd never babysat before, and most things inside the Sanctum Santorum at not child proof. The space is emanating with raw magic, pulsing off of thousands of artifacts contained within. Perhaps you have an idea of what you need - or perhaps it is simply power that calls you.

An ornate box with Greek markings catches your eye - it rests on a pedestal, with a single word carved into the stone below to mark it: Πανδώρα.

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Runa the Grey

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Location: New York City
Skills: N/A
Spells: N/A

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Runa was not surprised that Prudence had been unable to drain the horn.

She was, however, impressed that Annika managed to pinpoint the reason why in advance of Klara's explanation. The horn was connected to the ocean to their east, the one that the Midgardians called the Atlantic. However, even with that knowledge, Annika's conclusion was incorrect. Runa did not wish for them to drain the ocean - such a thing was impossible. She wanted them to drain the horn. And as to that end, their efforts had yet to persuade her that she ought to rally to their cause. She expected more.

Not even Klara, as much as Runa was filled with pride as she recited their histories, made the effort that Runa expected. She could hear as the child drank from the horn, salt-water filling her mouth. She did not drain it. How could she? Even Thor had been unable to drain the sea, had failed at this task. If they were to persuade her that this time, this place, that this reality - that all of reality was worth preserving.

"Drain the horn," Runa reiterated. "I will not ask it again."