INTO THE ELECTRIC CASTLE

SECOND EXPERIMENT

Summary: Based off of Ayreon's "Into the Electric Castle" album. Eight anime characters must work together to find the way back into their own times.

Rating: Older Teen and up due to foul language

Chapter 1: The Cast assembles

Eight souls, represenitives of their histories share one thing that no other soul has. An experience unlike any other; A test created by an instructor unknown.

The Trials of the Electric Castle await.

-Dane Controlled London, 1014-

There was a tavern inn that Askeladd and his band of raiders & mercenaries frequented dubbed "The Dragon Tail". Like clockwork, they came and stayed. Drinking, eating and having fun. What else would a Norseman want after another victorious war? London and the rest of England were under their control! After hundreds of years of raids and a ten year open war, they finally get months of needed rest and fun.

Per the usual, Thorgrimm the Tall and the young man simply dubbed "The Monk" (For obvious reasons) out drank each other whenever they could. While Thorgrimm was loud and booming, The Monk was genteel and reserved.

Thorfinn, Son of Thors, on the other hand stayed outside as he always did. No matter what the weather he ate and drank outside. The revenge-seeking youth thoroughly disliked such parties held by the man who kill his father, though he now followed the man.

Askeladd sat to the side, drinking his mead slowly. He had a small smile on his face as he watched his men and their merry making. Hid in the smile was a hint of boredom. Doing the same old thing day in and day out was beginning to wear on the Half Welsh. After finishing his drink, he decided to take a walk outside.

The sky was red that morn. It was an eerie sign, indeed. Askeladd stared into the red, enticed by the sky's beauty and grace. As he looked on, he noticed something red at the corner of his eye. He turned to face it, but there was nothing. He did not notice it until it was too late. Vine-like red clouds surrounded him and engulfed him into nothingness…..

-Roanapur, 1998-

It had been two weeks since that maid Roberta went bat-shit insane and wreaked havoc in the city. Garcia was able to calm her down, but not before she killed plenty. But now, the city was back to normal. Not that Revy gave two fucks, mind you. With a hangover like hers, you too would be pissed.

She lay sprawled on her bed still in her underwear. Even though there was a knock at the door, she was too tired to lift her head.

"Ngaah!" She moaned in answer (We think).

"Hangover's that bad, huh?" Rock asked with a small smile as he walked in. He carried a bag with him. "Had a feeling it was." He handed her some medicine and bottled water, causing her to jump up in a burst of energy. She took the meds quickly and downed half the water.

"AH! Much better! Thanks Rock!"

Rock grinned, "No problem" He took out a cigarette and handed her one as per their usual ritual.

Revy lit it and looked at him, "So we got a job?"

"Yeah, Dutch says Mr. Ezio, the new Mafioso boss is the customer. I'll leave you to get ready." She nodded as he walked out.

After putting up her pony tail and putting on her shorts, she strapped both of her 'Sword-Cutlass' custom berretta to her sides.

She finished her cigarette and walked out into the streets of Roanapur….But it was not Roanapur she walked out into…It was a place she had never seen before.

"…….WHERE THE FUCK?"

-Yuuko's Shop, Modern Day-

Wataniki smiled as he made his first Western meal in a long time. His smile turned warm as he heard Maru and Moru giggle and run around the kitchen. He had grown used to them both playing as he cooked, so he no longer cared. Like Yuuko before him, he too wore something different on a daily basis. Today it was elaborate red Chinese 'Kung Fu' shirt and pants.

Maru and Moru went silent and stopped moving. They stared into a black nothingness that used to be the living room. Watanuki saw this as well and his smile faded calmly. He took his apron off and took out his Kiseru pipe.

'Come!' beckoned a voice from the blackness.

"…I see. I wonder what sort of being is causing this…I feel the condition that binds me to the shop has vanished.

'You have one week before it returns. I would hope you could spend that time fulfilling my…wish.' The voice gleamed/

Watanuki grinned, "I see…very well." And with that he walked into the nothingness, rather unsure as to what he would see on the other side….

-Cyber City Oedo; 2808-

That bastard Hasagawa! Two hours to save hostages? Bastard was damn lucky Okyou talked Sengoku into doing it. He hated the way Hasagawa was acting ever since the whole "Vampire" incident. Hell, Benten was damn lucky to still be alive after what had happened.

Sengoku chewed a toothpick as he begrudgingly walked up to the cop. "Gimme that!" He snapped as he took the voice amplifier from the bumbling cadet. "Fuckin' amateurs…All right, fellas! You got two ways outta this! Come out peacefully or I find a way to make your lives so full of shit that hell'll be a vacation for ya"

"FUCK YOU!" came a yell.

"…..Alright, asshole, you choose the cliché way out, I'll make sure you at least see what color your brains are before you die……" He held out his hand to the Mac 2 looking robot next to him, "Revolver"

"Negative, need proper authorization"

"Give me my god damn revolver, Varsus!"

"Negative."

Sengoku growled and pushed a button on the metal collar around his neck. "Hasagawa! You want me to save these fucks or not?"

"You need a valid reason", Hasagawa responded in his usual arrogant tone.

"….." Sengoku went silent for a few moments before saying, "I need it to solve this case, you fucking dolt!"

"Acknowledged' beeped Varsus as a hatch in its back opened to reveal Sengoku's weapon; a large 7-cylinder revolver.

Sengoku took it with a small grin, "Time to go to work."

….

It happened fast. One minute Sengoku was fine and dandy while shooting the hell out of the kidnapper's lackeys, and the next the big boss 'napper shoots him square in the forehead.

Ain't that the shits?

…..

"Ah Fuck, my head!.....The hell am I?" He looked around the strange landscape. Rock faces and cliffs surrounded him. In the distance he could see a gigantic tree; even further away than that he could see two castle towers, both reaching literally to the heavens.

"…You gotta be fuckin' kidding me…"

-Chicago; 1930-

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" the merciless laughter echoed through Wrigley Field. There was a loud CRACK as a blonde haired man in a white tuxedo broke a wooden bat over another man's head.

"Huh, thought would last a bit longa…" the blonde man said casually in a thick Chicago accent as he looked at the broken baseball bat. He then grinned at his victim, who was already broken and beaten.

"Understand what happens when ya mess with tha Russo Family? I, Ladd Russo, top assassin and nephew of Don Russo himself come ta kill you dead. Not quickly, you understand. No fun in that, see? Now stay there while I get another bat!" As he turned to the ball-pit for another bat, Ladd Russo vanished without a trace.

TO BE CONTINUED….

So yeah, chapter one. Enjoy