This is a story I started about a year and a half ago and stumbled across. While I don't play CoX to often I am still an active member of the Titans of Paragon. I was a little upset at leaving this story half finished and am currently working on more chapters.
(Disclaimer: I do not own City of Heroes, I do own the character Paragon Druid/Plague Druid. All characters affiliated with the Titans of Paragon (a real supergroup) are owned by their prospective creators and I use them with their permission.)
'Dammit this has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever done,' I thought to myself as I entered the sewers of Paragon City.
Normally the idea of a hero marching into enemy territory to deal some justice wasn't considered dumb. Normally said hero would be more than capable of doing such a mission on his or her own…however that wasn't the case for me. For I was Paragon Druid, key healer for the Titans of Paragon, every aspect of me was built towards defense and support and what few offensive skills I did have would always leave me feeling drained of all my magic. So what would compel me to attack the base of some seriously overpowered criminals? Simple, my impatience.
While many people lose their homes because of the gangs of Paragon City, for me it was on a whole different scale. For my home wasn't some penthouse…hell it wasn't even a house. My home was a grove in Perez Park that only I knew how to get to. As my mind wanders to my old home I wonder why it is called a park…its more of a forest if anything and being the only Druid of that forest meant I had a strong tie to it. That being said my ties to the forest started causing me pain around the time the alien invasion ended. During the reconstruction of Paragon City a lot of the rising gangs of criminals holed up in and around my home.
For the most part I could ignore them. The Skulls and Hellions stayed more outside the walls and out of the forest. The Lost used the forests to hide from the humans, which was understandable regardless of how fanatical they were. Even the Circle of Thorns was of little concern to me; even if they used the forests magic for their own means. While I didn't agree with how they wielded the magic it was not my place to speak so differently. But the Vahz, they were something different. They were abominations! Using the magic of my home to force the dead to serve them! They abused the shelter my forest provided, raping the magic that once was pure and tainting it with their necromancy! It was them that forced me to break my ties with my home! And it was them that I would see pay with interest for it!
So for the next two years I fought with fellow heroes, better understanding the uses of my magic, and slowly locking away every Vahz I could. However, as time went on I started to feel little progress was made. The supergroup I served better known as the Titans of Paragon was more interested in fighting off various other criminals and supervillians. No one seemed to be to worried about the Vahz, of course they would take the time to destroy a base or two but it was not enough to truly hurt Dr. Vahz's mass army. And that is why I find myself in the sewers of Paragon City, cursing myself for my impatience.
"Deep breaths…all I have to do is relax. If I take my time I should be able to do this," I counseled myself as I stood before the last sewer gate, the one that would truly put me behind enemy lines.
Grabbing the grate with my rune covered leather gloves, I slowly opened the door. Being as quiet as possible I put one leather boot into the entrance and then the other. Looking around I see there is no one to welcome me and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. As I look in around the room my eyes fall on the murky green sludge that runs through the sewers. I unconsciously brush my bare muscular chest as I remember the times I was knocked into the sludge and how hard it was to wash off. It was times like that that I wonder why I never wore a shirt, but I already knew the answer. The runic tattoos on my chest would be useless if they were covered and so to amplify my power I would leave them open for all the world to see…and all the dirt to cover.
Slowly I walked forward surprised that the only sounds I heard were the sounds of the sludge running through the pipes and canals of the sewers. Why was it so quiet? As I entered the next room I got my answer. Covering my mouth, I nearly vomited. The smells of the sewer was bad enough, but add that to the smell of death and blood and even the strictest of people would cringe.
They were dead, not walking around undead, but dead. Blood was splashed across the walls and many of the bodies were in pieces all over the floor. I was a haunted house come to life. Inners were the new outers, and missing heads were the latest fad. Coughing I hurried to the next room even if I no longer had the wish to stay here I had a responsibility to investigate what caused this. Upon entering the next room I did lose my composure and bent over to release the contents of my stomach.
This room was worse than the first. Where the first was a collection of dismembered bodies and the occasional ripped up torso, this place was a blood bath. The devil himself couldn't have created a more gruesome scene. Bodies were no longer just dismembered; they were shredded and dragged across the floor. Some were pined to the walls by jagged pipes, and others hung from the catwalks by their intestines. Doing my best to ignore the scenery I pressed forward. Room after room was in the same state, but I know longer took the time to get a better picture, best to leave the mess for the evidence collectors.
As I entered what I hoped would be the last room I was greeted with the familiar sight of bloodshed and a new element. Standing in the center of the room bathed in blood stood none other than Lord Recluse himself. In his left hand he was holding a bloody bag…the contents of which were unknown. Turning his helmet covered head towards me; his burning red eyes stared right into my blazing green.
"Ah the great Paragon Druid! Your healing powers are quite legendary, or so I hear," he calmly stated.
"L-l-lord Recluse," I stuttered. This was the man that defeated Statesman, a friggen powerhouse, I stood no chance against someone of his caliber.
"So you know me? But never fear, if I wanted to kill you, you would be in the same state as those fools you saw on your way here."
I shuddered before replying, "So…if you're not going to kill be, then what are you going to do?"
"Merely talk. I recall that you hold a grudge against these fools," He stated as he gestured to the bodies around us.
"That is no secret, practically everyone who knows me, knows I intend to stop the Vahz. And everyone knows I won't stop until I have freed Perez Park from out of their grasp!"
"Yes…Perez Park is most definitely under their control. But what of the Lost or the Circle of Thorns?"
"The Lost use the wood as a form of sanctuary and the Circle of Thorn only channel the magic of the forest for their own use. It is the Vahz that taints and corrupts the wood."
"So you would let them roam free? That's not very hero like if you ask me…then again you were forced to work with the heroes of this city because you couldn't deal with the Vahz on your own correct?"
I opened my mouth to deny his claim but hesitated. What he said was true…had the Vahz not come to Perez Park I would have just stayed hidden in my grove minding my own business. Before I could even think of an answer to his question, he continued.
"Never mind that, I'm sure you noticed by now that you are failing in your quest. After all, you work so hard to arrest as many as you can and in the end they just break out of the very prisons you put them in. Surely you noticed this."
It was a statement, not a question and I found myself agreeing with him. The justice system was weak. Hundreds of heroes are running around arresting criminals and yet they showed no fear towards them. But there was nothing that could be done to change that…or was there.
"And what, exactly, would you purpose we do about it." I had to debate whether the 'we' I meant was my fellow heroes and myself, or him and myself.
"Look around you, Druid. As you see I have single handedly put a stop to a Vahz stronghold. The fools will now be unable to experiment on the living, and they obviously will be unable to break out of prison."
I caught what he meant immediately, "You're saying we should kill them!?"
"Of course! With them dead you accomplish so much! You lower their numbers and strike fear into them! They start to see you as a real threat! Bruises, burns, and broken bones heal. But death does not!"
"You're wrong! The Vahz would just use the corpses to create more undead minions."
"Foolish boy! It takes months for them to create a single walking cadaver and in that amount of time you could easily remove their numbers by a much larger quantity! Eventually they will fail to have the manpower to create more undead minions!"
"And how exactly could I go about doing that? Unless you've already forgotten I'm a healer! I lack the skills necessary to do any of the things you say!" What the hell did I just say? Shouldn't I have said something like 'Blow me you spider loving son of a bitch?'…if so then why didn't I?
"You underestimate your potential. With my help you could easily have the power you need to take on anyone!"
"Prove it!" I demanded.
Tossing the bloody bag at my feet he said, "Use these Vahz skulls to create an armor for yourself. When you have finished, bathe it in the blood of your allies, and seal it with your magic. When the ritual is complete you will automatically sacrifice something priceless and irreplaceable to you."
"And if I do this I will have the power I need to defeat the Vahz?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I will await your answer." He said before disappearing.
Pausing for a second, I hurriedly grab the bag and rush out of the sewers. I needed some place to meditate and there was only one place I knew that would help me with my torn feelings. Exiting the sewer I quickly teleport to my grove in Perez Park, it was a place that only my closest friends had access to and it was the only place left uncorrupted by the evil that was the Vahz. Upon entering my grove I nearly collapsed. The screams of the many trees was overwhelming, the magic felt like a poison, and very air felt like it was pressing tightly on me, making it hard to breath. Meditation didn't take long. My home needed me and I promised myself that I would do anything to help it, even sell my soul for power…
Sitting down I crafted the armor out of the skulls of my enemies. It would be time consuming and I would rather have it ready to go than risk having it partially done and being caught. I worked late into the night before I finally finished. Setting the now finished armor aside I got up and channeled my magic. With a surge a magical energy I teleported to the Titan base.
The clock struck 3 a.m. when I entered the base. Practically everyone was sleeping. Stalking through the halls I approached the science lab and gathered a number of glass containers. Making my way to the Titan initiate barracks I pulled out a small dagger from the belt at my waist. Creeping to the nearest bed I slit the throat of the sleeping hero. Their eyes shot open from the pain and the inability to breath. Holding them down with one hand I gathered as much of their blood as I could into the container. When I was certain I would get no more blood out of the hero I made my way to the next bed and repeated the process.
One by one I made my way to each bed until each of the initiates were dead. Looking at the blood filled jars I nodded to myself. This should be enough to perform the ritual. As silently as I had entered, I made my exit. As I made my way outside the base a single tear fell down my spotted cheek. Gathering my magic I teleported just as the alarm went off in the base.
Once again in my grove I quickly started a fire and began the ritual. Taking the armor I slowly poured the blood over it. Continuing to pour the blood on each piece of armor until each container was empty. Throwing the empty containers to the side I grabbed the dagger in one hand and my jet black hair, which was waist length and tied in a pony tail, in the other. Cutting my hair at the shoulder, my now free shoulder length hair fell around my face, framing it. Pulling the tie off my pony tail I slowly let the hair fall over each piece of the armor until my hand was empty of the black threads.
The hair would act as a medium as I channeled my magic into the armor. Focusing my powers into the armor, I started to chant in my elfish tongue. Part way through my channeling I felt something inside me snap and watched helplessly as my magic was siphoned into the armor only to be transformed into something completely different from before and forced back into me. Walls were quickly put up; damning up the magic into layers so that the new magic wouldn't rip me apart.
What magic wasn't blocked rushed through out my body before quickly gathering to my eyes. I felt my eyes begin to force themselves outwards before they finally burst. The pain was immense as I grabbed at my head. As I started to recover I gently poked at the holes that had once been my eyes and cringed. Unclasping my cape, a gift from the Titans, I tore a long strip from it and tied it around my eyes. Using the chain that had once been the clasp for my cape I wrapped it around snugly to secure the cloth.
Channeling magic into my minds eye I searched for my armor. Finding it I clasped each piece to my body; starting with the chest, followed by the shoulders, then the gloves, and ending with my boots. Standing up I sensed a group of people approaching from behind turning around I was greeted by some of my, one time, closest friends. After all, I doubt they would call me a "friend" now. Overthrower, one of the leaders of the Titans inspected the area spotting the empty containers of blood, the dagger, and my new armor. I "saw" his shoulders slump before he spoke to me.
"So it was true…Why PD?" he asked using the nickname he gave me when he told me I was like the younger brother he never had, "Why would you betray us?"
"To do what you could not! To save my home! I'm sorry OT, but I will do whatever it takes to stop the Vahz, even if it means killing all of the Titans!" I shocked myself with that last sentence. Was I really willing to kill all the Titans? By the feelings the Titans were letting off they were just as shocked, but none more so than Overthrower.
Overthrower sighed before he spoke again, "I'm sorry bro…I wish things could be different." He said before his eyes hardened, "Paragon Druid you are under arrest for the murder of eight heroes, will you come quietly or will we have to take you by force?"
Even now he was lenient on me. Normally Overthrower would just beat you into submission, but here he was giving a murderer an option on how he was going to be arrested. Knowing I was in no state to fight with my new powers I gave in willingly to them. As I walked up to Overthrower I said one thing.
"My name is Plague Druid." And with that I walked into the center of the group. Letting them escort me to the nearest prison.
It wasn't long before I was tried and sentenced to life in prison. I was shoved into an isolated cell with twenty-four hour surveillance. During my time in isolation I cautiously practiced my new powers. Being careful to not attract the attention of the guards. But, to my shock my powers were nothing new. In fact they were worse than anything. They were copies of the Vahz. I now had the ability to summon the dead and control the nether realm a power that I would rather not have.
'Recluse! That bastard played me!' I cursed Recluse's name to myself. While I did receive the power to kill the Vahz, it was not what I had expected. However, rather than sitting back and letting myself become useless, I made a new promise. One more important to me than freeing Perez Park from the Vahz.
"Recluse will pay!"
Three weeks later a prison break was staged by none other than Recluse himself. Taking my leave of the hell hole that had been my home for the past two months I made my way out of the Ziggurat and took the nearest transport ship to the Rogue Isles. The city was crime infested to its very core and would make the perfect place to train my new powers. Making my way deep into the ruined city I turned the local scum into targets for my nether blasts and punching bags for my undead servants. Hell was coming to Recluse's front door and its name was Plague Druid!
