General POV
It was the last day of school for these three as they made their way to their favorite fast food joint.
"Oh man guys I can't believe it's finally summer vacation." said Terrence as he walked with his friends nearby.
Terrence was a dark skinned 5'10" male who took it upon himself to be a stereotypical black guy. Everyone that knew him knew of his 'slight' obsession with chicken, love of watermelon and Kool-Aid. He even had an Afro. Yet only his closest friends knew that as funny as this may sound; he couldn't swim. When it came to his friends he never asked too much about them, so he went by what he saw and what they've told him but that has never bothered him.
"II don't know about you guy2 but II'm 2tarviing." said Victor from behind his two other friends.
Victor was slightly shorter than Terrence by an inch or two. He himself was of Hispanic heritage. He always seemed to have money yet at the same time he didn't. From time to time he would share his wealth amongst his friends and like many of them have one of the best memories when it came to things needing to be paid back…
"Well guys, the sooner we get there the better!" Replied Vincent as he looks through his cards one last time.
Vincent, though not being the oldest, just so happened to be the tallest of the three. He had about an inch over Terrence minus the Afro.
Seeing as how they had all just got out of school they were all still wearing their uniforms of khaki pants and dark blue shirts. Usually at least one of them has a different colored shirt but not today. Not that it mattered.
It may have been the last day of school, but these three were about to experience a summer they'd never forget, but would also be one that they were going to enjoy to the fullest!
After reaching their destination they all got a simple little meal, played some Yu-Gi-Oh and after some time parted ways. They all got to their respective homes doing what few chores that had to be done for the day. Coincidently, they were all thinking the same thing and decided to chat on Skype.
Terrence saw this as an opportunity to try out his newly bought "special help" he'd recently purchased for a game that they all enjoyed deeply…
Terrence calls Vincent and Victor via iPhone while turning on his own computer.
"Hey guys what's up? I was thinking we all should jump on Elsword because I bought this thing the other day that should help us make money faster." Terrence announced to his friends after they finally decided to answer.
Vincent being the first to say anything replies, "Yeah sure bro why not for old time sakes, since all that testing last week decided to take up all of our time with studying. I'm game."
While Victor… "Kiind of already ahead of you guy2 becau2e II'm already loadiing up, II mean they ju2t recently relea2ed a new character called Add and II really wanted two try hiim out A2AP."
'Not surprised he'd want to try out a brand-new character that they just/rust released…' *sigh* Terrence and Vincent thought at the same time.
When it came to Elsword, everyone have their own strengths, Terrence was good with just about any character he played since he was just an all-around type of person so he never did like or dislike any of the characters. Vincent on the other hand was also pretty good with any and all of the characters he played but he preferred to play with one of the more destructive characters, Chung. Victor for the most part was okay with any of the characters themselves, usually opting to be the main character Elsword himself, but seeing as to how he was so excited for this brand-new character things might change quite a bit.
While these three pals were getting comfortable setting up throughout stations with snacks and whatnot their favorite drinks and other assortment of a variety of junk foods, little did they know that Terrence's "special help" was a little more special than they thought. Both Vincent and Victor when it came to gaming always did their best to be as legitimate as possible, while Terrence on the other hand would deviate from the path of legitimacy from time to time and do the one thing that all games frowned upon, "hacking." As like any other cheater trying to get ahead of the game, he usually kept it to a minimal on however much did so as not to be noticed too quickly. It was just a matter of time before they realized they were about to get into something a lot bigger than they had hoped.
"Well guys I'm pretty much set. How about you?" Terrence asked making sure his friends were prepared.
Victor replied, "Well bro, we've ju2t been waiitiing on you for liike the pa2t fiive miinute2."
Terrence sighed. He should've figured that he was taking too much time.
Since his friends were already online waiting, Terrence finally starts up his game through his cheating tool. But something immediately doesn't seem right, for instance his screen just when completely blank for no reason and his friends are freaking out a little because theirs just did too. Whatever seemed to be happening at the moment, they assumed had something to do with whatever it was that Terrence decided to buy the other day. None of them really knew what was happening but they could all take a guess because they've all seen enough TV/Anime and played enough video games to know what was about to happen next.
Sure enough, their screens slowly got brighter and brighter until finally they all had to close their eyes because they hurt from the light and were being transported somewhere else that they didn't know… Or did they? The one thing they did know is that shit was about to go down.
Terrence/Lnsanity POV
'Uuuugh… that wasn't a pleasant surprise at all.' I thought to myself keeping my eyes closed since I now had to deal with a headache from a very stupidly bright screen and then having been teleported to who knows where. This shouldn't be too bad as long as…
"Do you guys think we should see if they are even alive, I mean they did kind of appear out of nowhere" Said a not too unfamiliar voice that sounded exactly like…
"Ohh Muh Gawd, guy2 you won't beliieve where we are and who found u2!" I heard Victor shout from not too far away, not helping my increasingly growing headache at all.
"IIGNIIZ, seeing as to how I have a splitting headache at the moment I'm going to need you to shut the hell up for about five minutes…" Vincent chimed at Victor after getting up as well.
Opening my eyes slowly, I take in my immediate surroundings noticing three things that don't really freak me out. First off, I'm no longer at home in my room at the computer, which in itself wasn't surprising given the circumstances. Secondly, both Victor and Vincent were here as well also looking around, Vincent more so since Victor was flipping out over who was standing nearby. Finally, whom Victor was freaking out over. Namely the characters of the very game we were just playing; Elsword, Rena, and Aisha all of whom were looking at us with strange looks. I'd be giving someone strange looks to if they just appeared out of nowhere and were dressed in weird clothes.
Considering that we were now in the gaming world I thought it would be best to go along with what Vincent was doing and using our in game names which I admit is a pretty smart idea at the moment, we don't want to bring too much attention to ourselves since we're technically strangers in a place that shouldn't even exist.
"Uhm, if you three could give us a minute that would be great." I say to the three elpeeps and take both OMEGA(Vincent) and IIGNIIZ(Victor) towards a tree some distance away to make sure we were out of earshot (including Rena) and all on the same page…
I ask, " So what do we know about our current situation guys?"
OMEGA says, "Well for starters whatever the hell it is that you bought the other day decided to do something it wasn't supposed to."
"And put u2 iin liike the mo2t epiic place iin the world!" IIGNIIZ shouts, adding in his two cents.
"For the love of all things El in this world IIGNIIZ if you don't stop yelling so damn much, I'm going to have to either ask Rena or Aisha over there to knock you the fuck out…" I say slowly through gritted teeth using all my willpower to try to not just drop kick him right now.
"Heh 2orry about that bro, II'm ju2t exciited that we ended up iin Elrio2 of all place2 becau2e of 2ome faulty thiing you deciided two buy." He says with an apologetic look going over his face.
"Well I guess we better go introduce ourselves before something stupid happens like getting jumped or something out here…" OMEGA says, so we decide it's an ok place to stop this conversation for now and just bring it up later.
But this funny thing happens, a bunch of Phoru decided to take the opportunity to actually try to ambush us! Some were coming out of bushes while others were jumping out of trees. How the ones with flaming torches weren't somehow burning the trees and or not going noticed is beyond me but that beside the point here. The Elpeeps see us getting surrounded from all sides and try to rush over to help us… but notice that we aren't even phased by the fact that each and every one of these phoru around us plan on beating us down, or so it would seem.
The looks on everyone's face was priceless as to what they were now witnessing. I opt to try out something for the hell of it and concentrate on the power of the elements around us. So here I am with the 4 basic elements around each one of my arms and legs each one tingling from the sudden change around them. My arms were veiled in soft auras of water on my right and fire to my left. While my legs both were veiled in what looked to be earth on my left leg and wind on the right. This altogether felt pretty chaotic to hold onto at the same time so I went ahead and condensed two of the aura and threw one each to either of my pals so that we could get started kicking some tail. (No pun intended)
Vincent/OMEGA POV
'Great, rust what I needed right now, more of a headache from one of the weakest monsters in the game trying to jump us…'
"Well this is rust great guys. What are we gonna…" I try saying before IIGNIIZ stops me to see what Lnsanity is up to and I'm not sure if I should be impressed or dumbfounded at what I'm looking at.
Lnsanity is standing there with several colors shifting almost violently all over him. We were all thinking up powers we would have for some personal made up characters some time ago, but it seems as though he got that part figured out pretty quickly because it looked as if he were trying to do something with a few of them. While he's doing this I notice none of the Phoru have moved since he started doing that and the elpeeps all seem to be looking in our direction ready to fight but all have looks of bewilderment across their faces.
Honestly I don't blame them since... 'Oh my Cog why am I glowing!?' I look over towards 'sanity and his red and green looking... "auras" are gone, which in turn gets me to then look over at IIGNIIZ and he's in a mix of freaking the fuck out and jumping around like a little kid hyped on chocolate. At the same time, he is emitting flames from wherever he throws his arms and legs similar to fire benders from Avatar. This leads me to believe that since he has fire, that I got earth, so I attempt to stomp in the direction towards the Phoru closest to me rust to see what would happen. And what do you know? A small shockwave flows at aforementioned Phoru, hitting it in the gut making it drop its club which rust so happens to come within reach so now I quite literally have a beatstick.
"Heh, 'sanity if you are really doing what I think you're doing, then I think these Phoru are in for the worst day of their thieving little lives." I say with a dangerously low tone that gets some of them to back away out of gear.
He replies," Yeah no kidding, I doubt any of us could hold back just to test this out a bit, ESPECIALLY IIGNIIZ over there…" saying that last part with a look on his face that rust screamed 'They are in so much shit right now'.
I see IIGNIIZ out of the corner of my eyes apparently enjoying his newly 'awakened' powers rust a bit too much imitating Kyo and Iori from one of his all-time favorite fighting games. But I have to admit what he was doing wasn't half bad since he played for so long he was basically them already by all rights, fire and everything
So I get an idea... "Rena, could you do something really quickly for us!?" I shout to her, catching her off guard but getting her attention all the same.
"What do you need help with, you three seem to have it under control?" She yells back at me, probably wondering as to how I already knew her name.
"These Phoru might need a head start home; it'd be a shame if they couldn't at least try to leave am I right?" I reply with the faintest bit of sarcasm in my voice.
Rena seemed to have caught on to what I was implying and gets into position to shoot an arrow as high into the air as she possibly could. "Just say when and good luck." She tells us once she's ready to begin.
Victor/IIGNIIZ POV
'Thii2 ii2 the be2t day of my liife!' II thiink two my2elf as II try out 2peciial2 from my favoriite character2 iin a game that goe2 by the name 'Kiing of Fiighter2'
A2 II'm doing thii2, OMEGA ii2 te2tiing out hii2 abiiliitiie2 a2 well and doe2n't 2eem two be haviing any problem2 u2iing them what2oever. Ln2aniity on the other hand look2 liike he'2 tryiing out combiinatiion2 with hii2 elemental power2 two 2ee what would liikely work well wiith one another, but deciide2 two 2tiick wiith ju2t hii2 wiind for what II'm a22umiing iis 2peed purpo2e2.
"Rena, could you do something really quickly for us!?" II hear OMEGA 2hout over two her for 2omethiing.
Thii2 get2 her attentiion and put2 her on guard becau2e he called her by name. Then 2he went two que2tiion what we would need help wiith 2iince we could (probably) de2troy all of the2e Phoru iin an iin2tant iif we felt liike iit iin all hone2ty. OMEGA goe2 on about them neediing two "have a chance" two go home and Rena knock2 back an arrow, ready two fiire iit iinto the cloud2.
Me and Ln2aniity catch on and get ready two move the next moment nece22ary. Though we 2eem relaxed and not haviing a care iin the world, we were ready two kiick the a22e2 of any of the thiirty plu2 Phoru 2urroundiing u2 whiich giive2 u2 about 10 each at lea2t, 2o thi2 2hould be a good te2t run for all of u2. Let'2 ju2t hope they don't try hiidiing. IIt won't end very well iif any one of them were caught iin the miiddle of 2ome "natural" dii2a2ter, heh heh heh.
A2 2oon a2 we're all ready (even though El2word and Aii2ha are 2tiill bug-eyed lookiing at u2) '2aniity call2 out for everythiing iin the viiciiniity two hear what he ha2 two 2ay. "OK, we may be new here but that doesn't mean shit to us as you can see already. Now, I'm going to give each and every one of you phoru only and I mean ONLY ONE CHANCE to get as far away from this location as possible before Rena over there" he poiint2 iin the elpeep2 diirectiion, "fires that arrow and it comes back to the ground because as soon as that happens me and my friends here are going to find you and destroy you. Do I make myself clear?" The three of u2 look around and 2ee all of theiir liittle face2 frozen iin fear for theiir very liive2… haha, they 2hould be. Con2iidering our "play-2tyle2" ,they won't get very far before we fiind them.
2iince that'2 all we 2eem two be gettiing out of them at thii2 tiime, OMEGA giive2 the go ahead. "Rena fire away please, I think that'll get them moving at least a little anyways." Rena then relea2e2 the arrow whiich ii2 no 2ooner pa2t the cloud2 and out of 2iight from any pre2ent. Then Aii2ha and El2word fiinally come out of whatever iit ii2 that wa2 keepiing them iin a 2tupor when they 2ee u2 all become devoiid of emotiion and our power2 flare up liike crazy. We're giiving off so much power that OMEGA iis makiing a crater where he 2tand2, Ln2aniity look2 liike he'2 actiing a biit 2trange, (whiich may be a problem) whiile II'm liiterally gettiing liicked by flame2 all over and 2corchiing the ground II touch, causiing every la2t Phoru two make a bee liine toward2 two fore2t that enciircle2 u2.
OMEGA 2ay2 iin a low tone, "Everyone ready for this because I doubt that it's going to last very long…?"
We nod iin respon2e and not but a few 2econd2 later we all 2pot 2omethiing 2peediing toward2 u2 at an angle that could have only made iit the arrow that Rena shot not two long ago, meaniing that 2ome thiing2 needed two be cleared a biit before we got 2tarted.
General POV
Both Lnsanity and OMEGA decide that it would be best if the elpeeps didn't see the next bit, so they take it upon themselves to cover them in what looks like a heavily reinforced dome of solid earth. While they are busy doing that, the same arrow hits the ground near IIGNIIZ and burns away from existence much like the Phoru are about to shortly.
Aisha nearly jumps out of her skin when she and her teammates are now underground for some reason, and all she can hear on the outside is the equivalent to that of utter chaos. While in here, Elsword was trying to muscle his way out of another situation when it's a hopeless approach as always. Then there was Rena who seems to be in deep thought about one thing or another, so Aisha decided it in their best interest to take it upon herself and knock out Elsword before something he does makes the situation worse for all of them.
"What's on your mind Rena? Does it have something to do with that boy that knew your name? If that's it, then I'm pretty sure it's just a coincidence right?" Aisha asked after making sure the sword swinging idiot couldn't put them in a more dangerous spot than what they already were.
Rena collects her thoughts before replying, "It may have been a coincidence sure, but I have this nagging feeling that there's something about those three that's going to help us sooner or later when gathering the El Shards. Also, after all of them all powered up, the one in the middle seemed to have just about lost his mind a little which worries me and something may have been plaguing him..."
...
On the outside after all was set for the three to go all out, IIGNIIZ streaked into the forests after his prey, roasting them where they stood. Thankfully, he didn't leave a trail of fire as he went. Somehow, he had managed to not torch any of their packs that a few them wore and looted them finding stones that could only be 'El Shards[Mystery]', some life crystals(pets) and an assortment of other useful items. Now wishing he had somewhere to store all of his new belongings, out of nowhere an inventory pops up in front of him. This startled him a little bit but he figured it was a part of what happened to them coming here in the first place and stores everything and comes to find out the entire thing is open to use so he can store more than he could back home. With all of this epic news, he makes his way back to where the Elpeeps were chilling.
"Well ii2n't all of thii2 ju2t convenient..." He mumbled to himself.
OMEGA himself had disappeared underground, feeling the earth around him. He used it to track and impale his targets with jagged earth spikes since chasing would've forced him to do more than he would like to anyways, taking out every one of them with wicked precision. This just left him to go search for what he'd gotten since this was the game world he assumed that if there's monsters then they've got to drop something, right? And he was right in a sense since some of the Phoru were carrying things on them. The same thing happens were the inventory pops up but it doesn't surprise him in the slightest and he just throws everything in, making sure to return the spikes all over the place to the earth so as not to impose on the beauty of nature.
"So predictable... it's almost sad, but at least it's there." He thought aloud.
But Lnsanity... he was still just standing there, staring down the only Phoru that was too petrified to move from the spot. Not wanting to waste this opportunity he slowly made his way to the little thief and whispered in its ear, "That was your only chance to run and that's gone now isn't it?" The Phoru didn't move a muscle thinking that one wrong move would only get it killed. Lnsanity noticed this and just grinned, knowing all too well that his friends were on their way back from getting rid of all of the other Phoru and this being the only one left. This gave him a crazy idea right then and there, to take it in and raise it as his own, partially grown already or not.
The expression on his face changed from that of a madman to that of a friend helping another in need, even though his mind was elsewhere. The Phoru became confused at this but didn't show it... or so it thought.
"Haha, I make myself seem a little less deadly on the outside and you're already breathing easier huh?" Lnsanity said aloud, making the Phoru catch its breath, its blood run cold and eyes widen in fear. As if expecting the reaction, he tries to reason with the terrified creature.
"Oh no, don't worry about me hurting you... yet." Not helping the Phoru which of whom has fallen backwards and is trying to slowly crawl away.
"If I were going to hurt you I would've done it a while ago, now I'll give you two choices because my friends have almost returned from hunting your friends..." The Phoru at that point is frozen not in fear but sorrow over its loss.
"Choice one is simple but won't help you much, because it means I'm going to kill you. But before you think I'm just pushing you into a corner, choice two will be more difficult for you because you're going to become my pet and come with me. However, you will probably get a chance to avenge your friends later if you can get stronger."
This gave the small animal a lot to think about, and fast since it could hear the one with the fire getting closer by the second, and the other one wasn't that far off either. This was a really big decision for it because it just so happened to be the weakest of the fallen pack and it was especially frowned upon in the wild to be 'owned' by anything but oneself. So, just as IIGNIIZ came into the clearing, it latched itself to 'sanity's leg and held on for it life hoping that it made the right choice.
IIGNIIZ notices the scared Phoru on Lnsanity and asks what that's about, with him replying, "Well if you must know bro, this is the last one out of that ambush and I decided to bring it along with me because why the fuck not?" IIGNIIZ decides to roll the idea over in his head and then OMEGA shows up flipping through his inventory organizing everything, completely ignoring what is happening right in front of him, but puts that aside to free the Elpeeps before something happens again they don't want to deal with.
Rena notices the three from earlier are more or less back to normal, but there seems to be a single distressed Phoru hanging on to the one who had looked like he was going to tear everything to shreds not long ago… She was now confused but pushed the thought into the back of her mind.
Now her, Aisha and an unconscious Elsword were on their way to Ruben to start their adventure, but then these three show up out of nowhere, fight off an entire pack of Phoru and have apparently befriended one in a short period of time. These were probably people that they should avoid but the feeling that they are all important must mean something... right?