A/N Welcome, welcome, welcome it's good to see you all again. So this chapter is going to be a bit different than normal as I do some experimenting with pov changes and a few other things. We also have a few new kit designs for the remaining Coalition aligned champions and everyone of them gets their own segments. As usual all support is appreciated and thanks for reading my story.
Starring: "Steve" Nguyen, Pumsha, Zhong, San, Alexandra "Eccentric" Genesis, Koblinoid Squadron, Cathy, DAHN, Aki, Metto, Layka, Caleb, Zoe, Morgana, Quinn, Lux, Sona, Conflation Caleb, Conflation Sona as well as cameos from Arbiter of the Peaks, Conflation Tianna, and Scarmother Vrynna
XxxX
"Steve"
On a foggy day off the coast of the Freljord, the aquatic vastaya called "Steve" is currently napping. Glad to be heading towards warmer waters, the part starfish and part barnacle humanoid can be found latched onto the side of the ship. While she might miss the Drunken Scuttler, as long as Captain Dave likes the new man of war gifted to him by the Hooded she's fine. Speaking of her crush, "Steve" is currently dreaming about her and Captain Dave riding a pair of sea creatures together; except "Steve" is a human and he's a Mataka. Whenever she wakes up, the androgynous Mataka woman will probably check to see if May, Aalto, and Kaimana have eaten. While she doesn't doubt that they are big enough to fend for themselves, her heart aches at the thought of the sea creatures being sad. The navigator's dream is ended though just as Dave was about to tell her something; via a cannonball crashing next to her barnacle capped head. Yawning for a bit, the navigator takes in the damage and notes that it's only superficial as more hit the ship. Suddenly from the gunwale a large hammer, appropriately nicknamed a Hullbreaker, lands on "Steve's" head. Even though her barnacle makes the blow feel like a head pat, the vastaya snaps fully awake. Glancing up she sees the one eyed face of her Captain looking down at her.
"Oi Steve wake up, we could use your help in making these fuckwits bugger off." The dirty blonde tells his navigator. Too distracted by his beautiful coffee eye, "Steve" doesn't even try to correct him on her name before getting to work.
Detaching the suction cups on her arms, hips, and starfish ray "skirt", the vastaya dives into the ocean. Swimming past a school of fish, "Steve" makes her way onto the hull of the enemy frigate and smashes her way in. Thinking a stray shot managed to breach the stern, one of the pirates attempts to patch up the hole only to have a barnacle cap smash into his jaw. Peaking around, "Steve" begins to set about sabotaging the ship from the inside. Whenever the vastaya comes across resistance she taps in her magic; strengthening her skin, the navigator then rushes her enemies with her hammer. The pirates can then only look on in shock as their bullets and blades get caught in her pink skin before bouncing off. Eventually after smashing her way through the lower decks, jamming the rudder, flooding the hold and bilge, and lighting a fire in the gun deck, "Steve makes their way towards the main deck. Realizing their guns are falling silent, first mate Luca goes to see what's happening.
Entering in through the forecastle, the first mate is sent flying back out by a blur of black and white. As it would happen, "Steve" was just wrapping up in the crew's quarters when they saw the door opening. Freaking out about what was coming, the vastaya uses her Dolphin Kick ability. Performing a flash kick, the navigator leaves a trail of water behind and from this emerges a projection of her killer whale friend, May. The orca then smashes into everything in the direction "Steve" kicked. By the time May is gone, the redheaded first mate is left tangled up in the ship's riggings.
For Captain George "Silver Tooth" Allerton, when he woke up this morning he expected several things. He expected his crew to have some losses, to ambush a vessel using his first mate's fog summoning ability, and to drink some rum after it was done. What he didn't expect, was to see a starfish and barnacle vastaya nervously cover their eyes with their feelers while they punched his brickwall of a quartermaster over the taffrail. To make matters worse, his cannons have stopped firing, the reinforcements are being delayed by the wind, and he can't for the life of him steer the ship. Looking over towards the rudder, George notices that it has been completely entombed in coral and rocks. Not long after, the gun deck explodes and the pirate captain is sent overboard.
Knocking the enemy navigator's teeth out with her warhammer, "Steve" looks around and notices the ship in ablaze. Rushing towards the edge, the vastaya jumps off and is caught by a rope mid air. Brought onto the deck of The Adventurous Seas by Captain Dave's rigging magic, "Steve" flops onto the deck and starts to get comfortable.
"Well fuck me dead Steve, you didn't even need our help this time. I guess you have been training lately." Dave notes before he puts his hat over "Steve's" face to block out the light. Breaking free of the fog, their sentry in the crow's nest warns of two more enemy ships approaching. "No worries mates, Steve make those pirates rack off."
Inhaling Dave's hat first before removing it, the socially awkward vastaya puts her fingers and feelers together before whistling. Suddenly the ships following them are stopped as the water around them begins to rise. Aalto and Kaimana, a pair of Shipwreck Hoarders, completely constrict around the pirate ships before dragging them under. With the coast finally clear, Nguyen goes back to her favorite spot on the hull to nap. Before she falls asleep again though the vastaya can't help but feel like she forgot something again.
XxxX
Pumsha
When the ashen troll shaman, known as Pumsha, wakes up with the sun he does what anyone does in the morning. He looks himself over in front of his obsidian mirror, combs his fluffy crimson hair with his hands, puts his jerkin and pants on one hole at a time, grabs the Great Stick, and then steps out of his hut. Looking all around him, Pumsha sees other trolls going about their days. Some are using their near ten foot heights and strength to herd cows for milking. Their root crops and rice fields will as usual be plentiful thanks to the rich volcanic soil; this and the fact that many of the ashen troll populace have access to magic. Walking towards the newly built port, the gray skinned troll waves to his neighbors since he heard that it's something humans do.
As with all generations of shamans, Pumsha is tasked with remembering the history of his people. So as with every day while he is on his walks, the bearer of the Great Stick recalls what he was taught. Long ago, three sisters took over the Freljord and one of them wanted the trolls to serve the ice blessed ones. While many trolls went along with the Blind One's plans, some refused. As they fled away from the ice blessed forces, a group of humans that followed one of the primordial gods aided them. Crafting the refugees boats, the ancestors of Pumsha sailed until they crashed on a volcanic island far off the coast of the Freljord. Centuries after their impromptu exile, humans that had the characteristics of animals landed on the island while on a journey for revenge. While these animal people ventured for supplies, the trolls in a moment of cleverness ambushed them and took prisoners. These prisoners explained that they were seeking the homeland of a man who cut down their special tree. All of the chatty ones were then eaten while the rest were forced to teach the trolls everything they knew. Unknown to either parties, the magic inside of the devoured vastaya began changing the trolls. While they had lost some of their Frejlordian cousin's heights, the ashen trolls began adapting to their new surroundings and gained magic of their own. Effectively the troll exiles had become a middle ground between their desert and arctic cousins but with access to volcanic based magic. Forgotten by history, the ashen trolls eventually were visited by a strange mage and her cohorts. This, Eccentric, sought out the volcanic trolls as she wanted to see them for herself. In exchange for being able to observe them she was asked to give them something in return. The next day she offered them a mystical item, a long T-shaped stick with two flows of lava cascading down it's side; The Great Stick. An item that as long as they don't let it fall over empowers all of their nearby allies. Around that time the nearby volcano also erupted, from among the debris it launched came five terrible creatures. Like miniature dragons, they began to mess with the trolls' crops, prank the livestock, and start fights with the locals. Eventually a new human appeared, one wearing a Hood similar to the Eccentric one. In exchange for the troll's strength in battle, they would remove the Koblinoids from the island. With that deal struck, four of their allies arrived and swiftly managed to remove the small draconic beings.
With the decision to fight resting on his shoulders, Pumsha would've refused the offer had the Hooded not mentioned a vital detail. They were going to help create a Coalition of forces including humans and vastaya. With this in mind, the bearer of the Great Stick could realize the goal of his people to return to their original land; be it for vengeance or some instinctive nostalgia Pumsha doesn't know. On a personal level though it could also be a chance to achieve his own wish. To show the other races that trolls don't need to be hunted or forced to live isolated from society.
On his way towards the beaches, the troll shaman notices debris arriving on the shore. Amongst the wreckage he finds not only ruined supplies but also human bodies. Checking each of them, Pumsha does find several survivors. Taking the redheaded woman and silver toothed man, the ashen troll returns to his hut. A week later, the Adventurous Seas is docking and preparing to deliver the trolls special weapons and armor courtesy of the Coalition.
XxxX
Zhong
Among the humid jungles of Ixtal, a warband of Noxians is searching for a temple rumored to house powerful artifacts. While such an expedition would naturally be fraught with perils, the local population of lizard vastaya being hostile was not an expected one. The last few months have seen the Noxians suffer drastic losses from both hit and run tactics and the poisoning of their supplies. This however has served only to drive General Gabriel forward; for if nothing was out there then why would the Zhoma seek to drive them away. Moving his minotaurs squadrons to the front and back of the column, the Noxians are able to quickly collapse on the next ambush. While the main force searches the enemies' bodies for any valuable information, several squadrons are sent ahead to scout. Gabriel's warband soo learns to their surprise that what has been attacking him isn't some organized group. Instead it seems to consist of various ragtag Zhoma from around the region. After an hour of more investigation, the sound of battle can be heard ahead and the column's remnants advance.
Amongst the thicket, they find the bodies of the scouting teams torn apart with slashes and bite marks; all save the squad's veteran leader. Summoning their last basilisk rider, the Noxians closely follow them as they search for the perpetrators and their missing comrade. Coming to a break in the tangle, the Noxians find a clearing with a creek passing through it. Sitting across the waters is a lone figure, another zhoma that is soaked in blood. This one is wearing a set of creme robes save the sleeves which are black and purple respectively. A matching scarf that radiates magic and with leaves sticking out covers his neck. Covering his face is a large, bleached snake-esque skull. In one of their hands is a jian sword and the other a canvas bag.
"Zhoma! Who are you to interfere with the conquest of Noxus and it's people? We demand that you reveal the location of your associates and if possible the location of Veteran Castello. Any refusal will result in immediate execution. Surrender and you may even be able to join the glory of Noxus." General Gabriel declares to the lone lizard folk. In a show of force, the Noxians form a phalanx of pikes.
"So your offer is one of death by battle or the submission of my soul. I am Zhong Duy, the reincarnation of the vastayashai'rei Zhong the Enraged. I refuse your offers and declare my own; die." To solidify his point, the elderly lizard humanoid throws a bag at the Noxians; it's contents consist of Castello's decapitated head. As they flinch in fear and disgust, Zhong has already closed the gap with the Noxian lines. Unhinging his jaw, the vastaya then bites off a lethal portion of Gabriel's neck.
As their commander is falling on the ground and going into shock, Zhong unleashes a mighty swing which smashes away anyone near him. Of the three dozen Noxians left, the entire pike line is cut down before Gabriel finally passes away half a minute later. Desperately regrouping, the broken column's squadron of shieldbreakers surrounds the bloodstained zhoma. With his advanced senses, this proves no issue for the ancient warrior to parry or block any of their strikes. Zhong's greatest threat comes in the form of their last basilisk; as while the shieldbreakers distracted him, the beast tackles into him and begins to maul the swordsman. His battle with the large mount then quickly devolves into a primal fight between the two lizards. Eventually Zhong is able to cut open the creature's belly before flipping onto it's back and biting off the rider's face. Seeing their foe wounded and bleeding, the Noxians rush the old man. While it cost them dearly, eventually one is able to get a lucky thrust into the elderly lizard's stomach. Watching the old warrior fall over into the now reddened creek, the remaining dozen Noxians take in their losses and prepare to advance again.
As the light starts to fade from his eyes, Zhong begins to chew on a leaf from his scarf. Feeling a surge of energy, the zhoma screams in bloody rage before tearing out the spear in him. Applying the leaf paste to the hole in his body, the swordsman tears off his mask to reveal a gray and white lizard missing several scales. Waiting for the God-Willow's magic and his own stubbornness to heal his wound, the vastaya charges the terrified Noxians on all fours. Focusing the bombardier's first, he tears out their throat before kicking their corpse into two minotaurs. As one is killed in the ensuing blast, the other is quickly hacked apart by Zhong's now wild attacks. Covered in fresh blood, the ancient incarnation roars at the mutilated body before rushing the now fleeing Noxians. Aside from the bloodlust, only one thing is on Zhong's mind at this time. It is about how there is a Zhoma village along the route to the temple. He knows that if any of them were to reach the village then the vastaya there would be in danger. As an incarnation of the vastayashai'rei Zhong the Enraged, he is then reminded of the sons and daughters he lost ambushing the invaders to deter them. Clawing one of the shieldbreaker's eyes out, the zhoma warrior finally snaps fully and turns into a blur of carnage. By the time he calms down again, the invaders' corpses are all over the clearing in a display of wanton violence.
"I need to see lady San for my wounds. Hmph, I hate it when I see young ones so cocky. If they kept their heads down, maybe someday they could have gotten immortality too." The Coalition's representative of the Zhoma dismissively notes as he recovers his mask. A mask that represents the ancient horror Zhong the Enraged became when the other vastayashai'rei left him.
XxxX
San "Gwen"
Receiving a message to come to the Hooded mansion, San throws on a set of purple robes and grabs her Stitcher's Gloves. Using a set of connected doorways, the Hemomancy Healer teleports to the hideaway in the Kumungu Jungle. Hearing a knocking coming from the front door, San opens it and finds a bloodsoaked Zhong waiting for her.
"Thank you for coming healer. I patched myself up as best I could but I wanted a professional look." The wizened lizard man tells the ancient blood mage. With a smile, she guides him to a nearby chair before getting to work.
"As always, just stay calm. The procedure will be over shortly and be sure to thank us when I'm done." San tells her patient before her gloves inject their wires into his body. While she is repairing his stomach and realigning his spine, the hemomancer remembers why she does this.
Hundreds of years earlier, San is sitting on a log with Alexandra "Eccentric" Genesis overlooking a bay in Demacia. Located on the water is a fleet of pirate ships exploding in a display of vibrant colors after the Hooded defeated them. Deciding to celebrate defending her nearby home village, the purple eyed woman manifested ice cream for the pair; strawberry for Gwen, even if she doesn't like it, and vanilla for herself, for the irony.
"I think you'd look good with blonde or red hair. Would be a nice contrast to me, you know?" The ivory haired woman tells her charcoal haired best friend. In her usual annoyed manner, the hemomancer sighs at her friend's suggestion.
"Yeah, I'm sure Alexandra. This seemed a bit mundane for you though. I mean you unleashed that army of living voodoo dolls but I'm surprised you didn't summon a kratopus or something." San notes to the person who constantly drags her on adventures. Expecting a smile and a witty retort, the pessimist is surprised to see Eccentric's eyes look to the ground in defeat.
"Shit, you're right. Sucks I won't get another chance, at least on this side." With these words, all of the color leaves San's face.
"What... what do you mean by that?" San asks but she already knows the answer to her questions.
"I'm dying, as a matter of fact I'm not even going to get off this log. I'm glad I get to spend this time with you San but I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise. I'm sorry I couldn't make you see the point of temporary things." The hybrid being tells her ancient companion while finishing her ice cream. Feeling the sun touching her back, the Hooded prepares to depart with tears in her eyes.
"I can heal you! I can revive you Alexandra! Surely you've got some kind of magic or powers that can save yourself. Then you can show me more things and we can go on more adventures. Just let me…" But with a single finger San is silenced by her teacher. Tears begin to fall from the hemomancer as she is filled with regret; regret for taking her time with Eccentric for granted, for not smiling more, for thinking it was all pointless due to her immortality, for not living her best, and for not having the ability to stay with the Hooded.
"You can't fix this San. It's my time and soon a new Hooded will take my place. Besides, we've had fun over the centuries, right? Better than being shacked up in that cave I found you in, right?" The Eccentric Hooded ask while wiping away both their tears. She has no regrets due to seeing so much of the world and beyond; Alexandra also managed to fulfill her task of preparing the future bearers of the Hood.
"I was wrong Alex! I'm sorry that it took you dying to make me see it. You were the best friend I could ever ask for. I love you Alexandra, so go in peace. I'll take care of them and I'll live like you showed me. Thank you." San confesses to her best friend. Hearing this, Alexandra "Eccentric" Genesis passes away with a smile on her face as her body turns to dust.
With a gentle breeze, this golden dust partially merges with San while the rest goes on the wind. Wiping the last tears of grief from her eyes, sees her reflection in a nearby puddle; her hair has changed to a mix of blonde and red. Looking to where the remains of the Hood are flying towards, San blinks as tears of joy form in her eyes and she takes off running.
A year later, after managing to stop a Xer'Sai attack on a Piltoverian caravan, the Knight Hooded is lying in a pool of her own blood in the desert. Suddenly over the dunes comes a strange sight, a woman in a long and puffy red dress is sliding down to reach her.
"We've got only one sky~! Blue, red, and black paranoia! What is it like to you~?! No one can see the colors but you! We've got only one sky~! Joy, grief, fun paranoia! What is it like to you?! No one can the colors, the colors but you~! Oh wow you're hurt badly, don't worry though because I've got you. I'm going to have to ask for your consent on healing you though. Also sorry about my singing, I just saw you and got reminded of a song my friend liked." San tells the dying woman with a smile on her face. With a nod, Knight gives her consent and San takes her Stitcher Gloves out to begin the procedure. When she is done, the armored woman gets ready to bombard San with questions but is stopped by the healer. "My name is San and I'm going to help you as best I can. Now come on, it's a great day isn't it? It would be a shame to waste it."
XxxX
Koblinoids
Hanging out in the ceiling above San and Zhong, the Koblinoid team is busy trying to teach a group of whumps how to play Rift Quest. Eventually the zaunite creatures run away and the group decides to play themselves. Drafting up character sheets, Traeh takes his usual position as the GM while Tairon, Yings, Iris, and Tongu get the table ready. The small draconic beings especially love this game and are even willing to even fight others over it; partly because the Alexandra of that timeline helped create them.
Centuries earlier, while Eccentric and San were exploring the ashen trolls' island, the pair of mages became inebriated and wandered off into the swamps. While the colorful sorceress enjoys having found a peaceful troll society, she can't help but feel like it could use some pizazz. Looking around, Alexandra finds a nest of lava lizard eggs and pulls out her favorite treasure. Summoning a large mirror, the Hooded reaches a hand inside and waits for a matching hand to take hold. Emerging from the Multiversal Mirror is another version of Alexandra; a version that is dressed in a pair of fine thigh high boots, a blue gothic suit and jacket, and is a purple skinned tiefling.
"Huh you smell like a tavern; actually it goes well with my honey smell. Speaking of taverns, that volcano in the distance looks like a good spot for one." The Rift Quest variant notes while taking in the scenery around her. Summoning her version of the Stardust Stave, a simple wooden stave with a ring on one end and a lute head on the other, Alexandra prepares to help her drunken self.
"Oh goody. So I was trying to make dis place less boring. You see the trolls here are nice and all but they live sush boring lives. I wanted to make them something to get that old troll fire started again. I already gave them a banner but that's not enough. Do you have any ideas for me?" Classic Eccentric asks her alternate counterpart. Summoning her version of the Stardust Stave, a metal stave with a star on one end and a microphone on the other, Prime Alexandra starts to fish.
"Hmmm oh I got it! Adventurers in my world fight trolls all the time. Maybe we could create a party to mess with the trolls here." The tiefling suggests to her human self. To help with this effort, the bard pulls out the shell of a dragon egg.
"Sounds like a plan, thanks me. I think we even have some eager volunteers." The human informs her tiefling self as the nearby eggs begin to hatch. Taking their staves, the pair of reality altering mages combine their abilities to change the newly born lizards.
Several minutes later, Rift Quest Alexandra goes back through the mirror and leaves her Prime counterpart with the newly created Koblinoids. Looking at the strange creatures, Alexandra summons a cup of coffee and begins to feed information into their minds.
"Okay so the readers don't get confused, Traeh you are in charge of the team and the champion people pilot. Everyone else gets to be in an ability and your names are Tairon, Yings, Iris, and Tongu. Go ahead and pick among yourselves who is who. Now your guys purpose is to help any Hooded and to antagonize the local trolls. Make them remember what a good fight is like but don't kill them. Just mess with them like making a cow have sex with a pig or something." The white haired woman addresses the sentai team before vomiting. She then wanders off to find her hemomancer companion and flies off the volcanic island.
The next day, a young Pumsha wanders out of his parents' hut when the ground starts to shake violently. From the nearby Mount Skycracker, five large fireballs erupt from it's might peak and land near the village.
"Traeh!" "Tairon!" "Yings!" "Iris." "Tongu!" "And together we are the Koblinoid Squadron!" A strange group of lizards shouts while posing in front of the confused trolls. Realizing how awkward they must seem, the Koblinoids decide to make a quick exit; by unleashing their combined Tambora Beam onto the nearby field of crops and escaping in the explosion. Eventually they regroup back at their nest where Traeh begins to have a sulk.
"Aww don't feel too bad Traeh. The posing was a good idea, it's just they aren't cultured enough to get it." Tairon tells their leader while patting his head. Though the physically bigger brother treats it like touching a flower with his strength.
"Yeah come on boss. Can't blame ourselves." Yings quickly tags in to help cheer up her brother. Flying around to his front, she is able to fully take in the look of depression on his face.
"Tongu you go next please." Iris begs the party's cleric before hiding behind her rock. She's just glad that the others got more noticed than her.
"Arise Traeh! We may not have succeeded today but it does not mean we are done!" Tongu proudly declares to his brother, the party, and the world. He firmly believes that despite not garnering an instant reaction from the trolls, their creator wouldn't have left them without the means to do so.
"Grrrr you're all right! I can't let this get me down. After all, we were just born yesterday." The reinvigorated Traeh jokes before hopping onto his feet. With their leader snapped out of it, the group begin drawing out the troll village and plotting how to mix up their livestocks.
XxxX
Cathy
On a boat drifting off the coast of Valoran, Cathy and Dahn are waiting for nightfall. Their destination is the main headquarters of the Sentinels of Light, the last on their list of targets. As the sun finally sets, the Sleipnirs share a look before Dahn goes overboard. Flying towards the cliff on the western side of the fort, the cyber woman changes her face to it's mask form and begins climbing. Her objective is to reach the inner sanctum's armory and requisition the weapons and artifacts inside. Their optional objective is to do so stealthy but their requirement is no witnesses; objectives that Cathy will fulfill at all cost. Making her way up the rocky cliffs and into a window, the metal woman finds herself in the kitchens and by extension the mess hall. Thankfully for the fortress' occupants, no one has decided on a late night snack as Cathy makes her way to the main hall. Knowing the barracks are on the eastern side of the building, the infiltrator finds the stairs heading down towards the armory and reliquary. Eventually she finds herself in front of a stone door with no locks. Reciting the tacky oath, the doors part and allow the intruder inside with no issue. Cathay then makes sure to grab any weapons and artifacts she can before putting them into her stomach's pocket dimension.
"Dahn, I've got the weapons. Get ready to meet me on the beach for teleportation." Cathy relays to her squadmate before following her path backwards. As she makes her way onto the windowsill however, a large amount of commotion catches her attention.
Detaching her head and sending it ahead, she sees a patrol of Sentinels on the beach. It would seem that they located the decoy boat and are looking for any passengers. While the mechanical woman can respect their altruism, she can't help but be annoyed that they have put the mission at risk. Seeing the search party shoot into the air, Cathy quickly jumps as she can already hear people entering the mess hall. Emerging from the water, the Cyber Pilot comes up with a plan to distract the patrol. Detaching one of her arms, she commands the floating limb to go as far as it can before throwing a rock. Landing near a cave entrance, the Sentinels all begin rushing to investigate the noise. Hurrying towards the rendezvous point, Cathy begins to charge up her portal when one of the Sentinels runs back. As it turns out, the search party wanted an update on their reinforcements; this action allows the young man to witness the Sleipnir.
"Hey, were you on that boat that just… what are you doing?" The young man asks the stranger. His voice even has the unfortunate side effect of attracting his team.
"Damn it. Damn it! Damn it! Why did you have to come back? You just had to search the fucking cave. Oh well I know what comes next, Dahn it's time." Cathy tells her hidden teammate before turning to fully face the enemy. Pulling out her hextech revolver, she shoots the young Sentinel between the eyes before firing on his team.
Falling back behind some rocks, the four person Sentinel team is unable to notice the nearby water giving rise to something monstrous. Emerging from the surf is a fully mutated Dahn and, despite eating several sharks, it is still hungry for more. The only warning that the Sentinels receive that something is wrong is when Johnson, a bulky man in his own right, is picked up by a large clawed hand. As it begins to crush the Sentinel bruiser, the others begin to panic at the sight of the sinewy monstrosity. Opening fire on the creature, their aid comes too late as Johnson is then slammed head first into their rocky cover. Theressa is next to fall when the mousy faced woman has her head devoured in one bite. Between the suppressing fire from Cathy and the fact Dahn is already on them, it doesn't take long for the twins Julie and Kyle to be tackled by the monster. Julie is forced face first into the sand and is forced to watch her brother be impaled by Dahn's claws; it then ends her as well by tearing out her nape with it's teeth. Cathy then has to wait several minutes before the feeding frenzy ends and Dahn is able to listen to her.
"Not that I need to remind you but as C said, "No witnesses.". Pick your half of the Headquarters and I'll handle the other. Left or right." The metal woman tells her partner before they sprint towards the front entrance. While checking the small island for other patrols, she begins to hear light weapons and screaming coming from the headquarters.
XxxX
Dahn
Naima knew from the start that this night was going to be chaotic. Apparently while the sentries were changing shifts an alarm was triggered in the armory. While the alarm ceased not long after it was triggered, a patrol team signaled for assistance before the sounds of battle could be heard. These events resulted in all of the base's Sentinels, over a thousand, to be put on high alert. Forming up with their hundreds of melee specialists at the front, the shuriman woman is confident they can face whatever enemies await them.
This was an hour earlier and now she is cowering in the barricaded mess hall. In that time the defenders' numbers have been scattered with only hundred and twenty seven Sentinels remaining. Her confidence broke when the monster broke through their lines. The warrior's spirit was lost when she witnessed the beast take salvos of light attacks and it simply regenerated. Fear took hold when it began eating those around her and their screams filled the halls. Any remaining sanity is shattered as the fortress' exits were sealed off from the outside. Naima's own screams only stopped when her mouth was covered as her fellow survivors slipped away. Finally, all hope is lost as their makeshift barrier is broken down and the blood soaked entity walks inside.
Having smelt people inside of the mess hall, Dahn rams it's way inside before looking around the room. As the Sleipnir is making it's way inside, several silvered grenades detonate at point blank range and dazed them. Without it's extra armored limbs blocking them, the Sentinels are then able to land several good shot's on Dahn's head. Quickly adapting, the Twisted Amalgamation grabs one of the stone tables from the barricade and uses it as a shield. As the Sentinels try to maneuver around the monster, it retaliates by throwing the table towards the main force. While they are forced to take cover from the wild throw, Dahn rushes their position and gets into melee range. As the few remaining Sentinels with melee weapons futilely attempt to push the Sleipnir back, Dahn uses it's superior strength to simply tear away such weapons. They even use several of the stolen weapons as blunt objects against their former wielders. Realizing the ambush has failed, Sentinels that were meant to flank Dahn try to flee but are pulled towards it instead via the creature's bone spears and tendrils. As with most battles Dahn partakes in, the longer it drags on the more difficult they become to contain; partly due to the enemies' crumbling and partly due to the absorption of enemy biomass empowering them.
Eventually the sound of screams and light weaponry is silenced as the last Sentinels are mauled and eaten. Knowing Cathy was covering the exits, the hulking creature prowls out of the mess hall and searches for it's partner. Hearing gunshots ringing out from the barracks, Dahn sprints on all six to reach the sound as fast as possible. Seeing the Cyber Pilot sitting next to a corpse, the Zaunite emerges from his mutated form and runs to check if she's injured.
"Cathy, are you okay?!" The well fed monstrosity asks it's squad mate while checking her for damage. She gives him a simple thumbs up before standing up on her own.
"Yeah I'm okay. Just had a bit of a umm philosophical debate if you would with this fellow next to me. They asked me "Why are we doing this?", and my response was because we were told to. I then shot him in the head and sat down since I knew my fellow ghost would come to check on me." The metallic lady informs her companion. Growling in annoyance, Dahn's features soften when they recognize Cathy is truly fine.
"Don't worry us like that. Also while we agree that we should do what the Hooded tells us, we don't agree with the ghost remark. Don't forget Cathy that even if we don't belong anywhere else, the Coalition is our home. Now I'm sure everyone is waiting for us to return; do you have the weapons?" Dahn asks before the pair are interrupted by a shuffling sound. Pulling out a bone spear and a shotgun respectively, the Sleipnirs turn to see a blood covered woman collapsing.
"I heard enough. You killed so many of us, so many people willing to risk their lives to save others because someone else told you! You two monsters are nothing more than… no worse than lap dogs!" Naima venomously shouts towards the two killers before they approach her. Ironically, to her at least, the monster that had eaten so many of her comrades looks at her with some pity.
"Bark bark." Is Cathy's response to the woman's insult before putting her down. Starting a fire, the metal lady opens a portal to the mansion hideout. As the pair depart, Dahn is glad their new family has less obstacles now while Cathy is glad to have completed the mission within it's parameters.
XxxX
Aki
At the Zaunite docks, Aki is raiding a hidden laboratory after receiving a lead on weapons being made to help attack Ionia. After sneaking into the right warehouse, the Shadow Wyrm makes his way to the rafters and observes the area. Over the next day, he watches for anything suspicious or out of place. His investigations find that several employees would often go missing near a blue shipping container for hours at a time. Once night falls, the former ninja leaps down and finds the trapdoor inside. He also finds that it is electronically locked but with the aid of Shadow Dragon he is able to force it open. Heading underneath the port itself, Aki sticks to the shadows while trying to find the weapons. Avoiding several groups of henchmen, the Shadow Wyrm eventually comes to a hallway filled with cells. Hearing crying, the Sleipnir walks towards the source and finds a group of vastaya children in one of the cells; a pair of strigs boys, a shimon girl, a trio of vlotah boys, and two ottrani girls. When the children notice the Coalitionist, they all begin to huddle together in terror.
"Shh, I came here to destroy the weapons being made. Do you all know where they are? Once I'm done with that I'll come right back for you guys. Wait, can you all understand me?" The Ionian says in Common to which several of the children nod yes. Hearing several voices coming from the door at the end of the hall, Aki decides to slip into the children's cell and uses the shadows to hide in a corner.
"So anyways I offed him just like I said I would. Alright brats the doctor wants another one of you for his experiments. You'll probably do." The round, bald man of the pair announces before trying to grab one of the vlotahs. His bull-like partner meanwhile catches something out of the cover of his eyes.
As the henchman tries to grab the feline humanoid by his scruff, Aki leaps out of the shadows. Wrapping his hands in shadows, the Sleipnir cuts off the fat man's hand before doing the same with his head. While his cohort is shocked by the sudden appearance of the Shadow Wyrm, Aki punches the decapitated head into his face. With his opponent now falling onto his feet, the coalitionist jumps onto him and begins pummeling his face. Once it is a bloody pulp, the ninja turns to make sure the children are okay before rushing the door at the end of the hall. As Aki slams open the lab doors a massive fist catches him off guard and launches him back out.
Standing in the doorway is a three meter tall amalgamation of stitched together body parts onto a human body. Large deer antlers protrude from it's human head while a reptilian spine runs down the monster's back. Each of it's stitched on limbs seems to have come from different species and donors; a pair of goat legs combined with an ape arm as well as a squid tentacle. Stepping forward allows the undead's blue and black butterfly wings to stretch out. Moving around his creation, Doctor Edvin Nsonowa goes to check on Aki's body. While the scientist couldn't get any last second additions to his project, he was able to resuscitate the undead beast after the hideout's silent alarm was triggered. Checking the intruder's body for life signs, the lanky mad doctor is unable to find a pulse.
Instructing his monster to grab the rest of the children, Edvin begins to scribble notes in his journal before heading back towards the lab. Feeling a dragging sensation his lab coat makes the doctor turn around but he sees nothing. As he prepares to brush off the sensation, Edvin does a double take and notices Aki's body is missing. Ordering his beast to return to his side, the Doctor is put into a full nelson by his own shadow. Forced to face the lab doors, Nsonowa is able to witness the Shadow Wyrm blink to him and punch into his chest. The Doctor's monster only stares in confusion as it's maker falls down dead while several of the children struggle in it's arms. Dropping the vastayas, Edvin's stitched together monstrosity roars in anger before rushing the battle ready Aki. Before it can crush the Sleipnir though, a pulse of shadows knocks away the creature's fist and it feels hands grabbing it. Now struggling against the force of both it's own shadow and the childrens' shadows, the beast is hit by several Shadow Fireballs. One of the creature's flaws comes forth quickly as the undead begins to tire itself out. Seeing his chance to end this, Aki dips back into the shadows before emerging with Shadow Dragon to uppercut the monster's head off.
With his enemies defeated, Aki rushes to check on the children. Seeing that they're as okay as can be, the Shadow Wyrm sets up explosive charges in the main lab. Telling the young ones to close their eyes, the Sleipnir teleports their group outside before detonating the bombs and flooding the place. While firefighters, wardens, and gangsters rush to the scene to investigate, the former ninja turns to the children and asks them where they live. It might take awhile but Aki wants to make sure they get home safe and prepares for some long distance teleporting.
XxxX
Metto and Layka
Soaring through the skies above the Freljord, Metto has been given the task of destroying a pirate group's base of operations located in Glaserport. Layka consents to the mission as she has heard rumors of the Winter's Claw wanting to launch an assault from the port. Worried that one of the big three factions will spark a conflict, especially with Nunu and Willump so close by, the Wind Shepherd departed with utmost haste. Avoiding detection over warring Demacia, the Freljordian woman and spirit make their way to the peninsula of Lokfar.
"Okay Layka we need to succeed here but be careful. Remember that we need to also force Vrynna to march south. For Nunu and the seal spirits of the bay." The wind spirit reminds both her human partner and herself. Landing behind a snowbank, Layka makes her way into town on foot.
Making her way to the local inn, the blue eyed woman finds it to be a warm and comfortable place in such a cold land. While the various crews around her are enjoying their shore leave, Layka still feels a tad tense. She knows that the Winter's Claw are the owners of this port and instincts are a hard thing to lose. Sensing her partner's anxiety, Metto makes her presence felt and calms her hostess. Able to think straight again, Layka notices a band tuning their instruments and gets an idea. Pulling a lyre from her pack, the Notai woman approaches the group of skalds.
Hours pass and the combination of drums, violin, lyre, and Layka's voice attracts all manner of villagers to the now bustling inn. While she wishes her son was there to listen, Layka is glad that the wind spirit chose her. Without Metto in her life the Notai bard wouldn't have been able to meet such fascinating people, including Ornn who she is singing about. This performance even serves to provoke the Winter's Claw there to begin singing of Valhir; someone the lyre artist also knows well. At the edge of the crowd, Layka spots a woman with many scars across her face and a berserker with two axes enter the inn. Seeing her chance, the wandering musician bids her farewells to the band and heads outside.
Despite the wind blowing wildly around her, Layka is untouched by their harshness and can't help but smile. Her plan to pass the time while Metto and her summoned a storm went without a hitch. The fact it also attracted many that would have been at the docks serves as a bonus. Reaching into her pack again, the Wind Shepherd grabs her fan and sets about cutting the chains that bind the boats together. Without the heavy metal bonds, the ships of the Winter's Claw and their pirate associates begin to crash into each other in the violent weather.
"Hahaha, I remember I used to tell my son about how the Winter's Claw bound people to the old ways similar to how they bound these ships." Layka reminiscences while a pair of wolf ships sink in front of her. With a small nudging, she even helps start a massive fire thanks to a stray lantern.
"Hmmm you seem to finally be getting into the Coalition spirit. Did we finally manage to break you after all these years?" Metto jokes after taking over briefly. Using their control over the winds, the spirit makes it snow even harsher than before to cover their escape.
"I think it's more so you've all earned my respect. You don't use divine right, chains, or secrets to necessarily keep control. Instead each of you fight for your passions and homes. Steve's love of her crew and captain. Pumsha and Zhong want to give their people a future. San and the Koblinoids need to honor their fallen friend. Even if they scare me sometimes, Dahn and Cathy's loyalty to the cause. Aki wants to protect his home so they won't have to face the horrors of the world. All of us take on these grand tasks and are all willing to face the horrors of the universe and beyond, just to have a place to call home." Layka confesses to her partner before the last of the ships catches fire. Pushing the burning wrecks away from the docks to reduce collateral damage, the Wind Shepherd departs with their goal accomplished. The mother of Nunu leaves with a new song strand on her amauti and a new story to tell her son when they meet again.
As they are flying back to the hideout, a light appears near the peaks of Targon. All across the land similar lights soon begin to ignite and Metto remembers what they are. These are the beacons calling the Coalition to mobilize and prepare for the Great Campaign.
XxxX
Ziz
Sitting on the peaks of Targon, Caleb is currently waiting for his ride to arrive and taking in the view. Looking over his shoulder, he acknowledges the presence of the Arbiter of the Peaks; the Protector however has yet to return the favor. As the sun starts to set, the stars appear above and begin to move closer towards the Hooded. Arriving from the heavens is a massive obsidian scaled dragon; one who's form flows with an ancient and regal celestial pulse. Their name is Vacuum Nocte or as they are known to Caleb, Draken. With a mane of white flames flowing behind it, the great being shrinks down enough to rival the crystalline giant nearby.
"Hello old friend, I'd like to catch up but I'd rather get this visit over with as soon as possible please. Considering the timing… it means that I won't have as much time left to spend with those I care about." The Hooded tells the celestial dragon towering before him. With minimal effort, Caleb dons his Dark Armor which has long since been adorned in celestial chains similar to Morgana's.
"Then climb upon my back young one. Brace yourself for eternity and we will see Ziz." The former Void Dragon informs his companion before they are mounted. Taking one last spiteful gaze at the Protector, the Celestial Dragon departs from Runeterra in a streak of light.
After leaving the blue planet out of sight, Vacuum Nocte breathes out a beam of star fire that envelops the pair. With the spell complete a gate appears, Draken and Caleb then enter into the portal. Their destination is the sanctuary of the darkin Ziz located at the beginning of creation. The Hooded is only able to go on this journey thanks to his physical, mental and spiritual barriers; otherwise he would have been at risk of obliteration from the sights around him alone. Stars being reborn from black holes, entire planets decaying into nothingness, and more consume the travelers in an indescribable pattern of colors, patterns, and light.
Eventually the pair arrive at their destination, sitting at the edge of a vortex of consolidating light is a Shuriman constructed fortress of ancient design and power. Landing on some form of celestial cloud, the Hooded navigates his way to the fortress amidst a shower of comets. Out of the corner of his eyes he is able to make out shapes in the darkness; eyes, tentacles, serpents, and claws belonging to beings long since lost to this new construct known as time. Entering the golden halls of the fortification, he finds himself surrounded by impossibly winding halls and advanced technology keeping the castle together.
Focusing on where he wants to go, the building warps and twists in order to send Caleb to it's lone resident. Free falling through the vast fortress, the Hooded eventually finds himself in a dimly lit chamber. Above him is a channel of pure cosmic energy, this divergence in the primordial maelstrom outside being what powers the structure. Emerging from the stream of energy comes the towering robed figure known as Ziz.
Standing four meters tall, the Darkin seems to have evolved as well with the changing of timelines. What was once a sickly, avian covered in ragged robes has done an almost complete turn around. His physical form seems to have fused with the raw cosmic energy around him and is now similar to a night sky. Now wearing flowing robes of gold and ebony, his silver armor is highlighted by bronze and cobalt, though Caleb questions if the Darkin needs the gaudy defenses. The peacock ascended turns his piercing blue gaze and judges him in return; Ziz finds the Hooded's human form wanting.
"Hello Ziz, I was waiting for you to ask for me. Did you decide to finally fight for the future yourself in this timeline?" Caleb asks the ascended being with a bit of venom in his voice. Aside from informing them of the general times of certain events, the darkin refuses to directly aid the Coalition's efforts; this has caused Caleb's blood to boil on more than one occasion.
"I simply wished to remind you to not fail too soon. As you may yet recall the further along the timeline we go the less times I can restart it. So be sure to defeat the Isles and Void this time at the least, also temper tantrums and loss of control won't be tolerated again. We can't stop Entropy if you keep destroying the world every time one of your allies dies. They are nothing but temporary to beings such as you and I." The towering being informs the Hooded. His ultimatum delivered, the darkin rises back into the stream of cosmic power and leaves his guest to depart on his own.
While Caleb is busy returning to Draken, the darkin teleports into one of the sanctuary's towers to observe him. Once he is sure the pair have left, the ascended soon begins to launch bolts of destructive power everywhere.
"Why?! My lady, surely you've seen he isn't worthy! So why must we put up with his naive cause?! I have no doubt you could convince him to adjudicate the armor! If you'd simply let me wield it then I, no, we would swiftly crush all of your foes!" The peacock rages into the fledgling cosmos. Regaining his composure, the demigod begins laughing at his moment of hypocrisy and anxiety. After all, there is nothing to truly stop him from restarting the timeline; he has done so countless times before to outlast his foes and Entropy, what is another world.
XxxX
Caleb
"Thanks for listening to my complaining on the way here Draken; I just knew he would hold what happened in Zaun over me." The Hooded apologizes to the soon departing dragon. Nodding in acknowledgement, Vacuum Nocte then leaves Runeterra to complete their own task; to try convincing Aurelion Sol to not destroy this world.
"Oh you have your own space puppy? Do you think your puppy would like to have a playdate with me?" A young voice asks Caleb from behind. Instincts take over and the Hooded Spectral Dashes away to make distance from Zoe.
"Damn, if you're here then it really does mean the Campaign is starting soon. Hey Zoe, when you can be sure to tell the other Aspects that I don't mind them; but their so-called "gods" can rot for all they've done." The Leviathan's host declares to the confused herald before reaching into his Hood. Pulling out a scroll, the Hooded opens it and a bright beam erupts into the air.
"Oh you're one of those. Hey, catch!" The Aspect of Twilight shouts at Caleb before a Paddle Star destroys the spot he was standing in. Unable to sense the stranger's presence, Zoe pouts before floating towards the Protector and asking them what just happened.
Teleporting to The Silent Forest, Caleb's armor is covered in burns from Zoe's attack and he collapses onto his knee. Spending the next minutes getting over how close he was to being blown up, the Hooded decides to spend the rest of today with more human company. Making his way into the Illuminator encampment, he finds Quinn, Morgana, Lux, and Sona sitting around a campfire.
"Did Kayle descend earlier… oh wow you've had a bad day." Morgana notes before the other women notice Caleb. Quinn and Sona both rush to help him but he is able to dismiss their worries by removing his armor.
"Yeah it has been. I had to talk with that douche Ziz and the Aspect of Twilight tried to blow me up. Also I think I saw something weird on the way back." Caleb tells the group before finding a seat among his fellow Demacians. A few minutes later they are all roasting marshmallows he brought before the silence is broken.
"So Hooded, what did you see on the way back? It must have been quite something if you remembered it after all you've seen today." Quinn asks her brother before Valor lands next to her.
"I mean it wasn't something traumatic or painful, more so nostalgic. So we were flying back and on the way I saw two dragons pass by us. One of them was definitely Draken but when I looked at the rider a pair of golden or amber eyes looked back at me. I guess I was watching myself going to see Ziz but it felt weird. It's probably nothing, I'm just gonna forget about it anyways." Caleb admits before looking into the distance and seeing beacon scrolls lighting up. Feeling his distress, Sona moves closer to him and lowers his head into her lap.
"Wow that's something. Talking with gods, picking fights with them, and looking into the abyss seemingly daily. How do you keep going?" The newest member to their group, Lux, asks the Hooded. Considering the uptick in demonic activity and the civil war she feels responsible for, the Crownguard is glad she has met these new friends and allies who support her.
"I'd like to first declare that there are no gods, the things I saw while I was with Draken; no one could claim to have made or been responsible for that. It was too, for lack of a better term, beautiful. As for how I keep going. Hmm… I guess it's moments like these, wanting to keep my loved ones safe, and the fact that I hope to see this all end one day. When that day comes, I wanna go back to my old hometown and I want to do it with someone special." Caleb tells the young mage while looking up at Quinn and Sona. Feeling sleepiness starting to overtake him, the Hooded sits back up.
"I hope you get that someday too, I hope we all do. If those beacons mean what you've said they do then it's going to get crazy soon; but we'll be ready for it." Quinn confidently declares in front of her friends and family. Nodding in agreement, the outcasts of Demacia find solidarity in wanting to protect others.
Eventually the group say their farewells and Quinn leaves the group. Even in spite of the chaos engulfing the kingdom, she has still managed to secure a route through her hometown of Uwendale; a small farming and hunting hamlet with less than nine hundred people living there. Protected by both rangers and the mountainous terrain, the twin's old home is a relatively peaceful place. Walking past several fields of carrots, potatoes, and other crops, Demacia's Wings looks around and feels a tinge of sadness. Her heart then warms when she remembers that her brother doesn't seek power to rule, he seeks it to throw it away and have peace.
XxxX
Conflation Multiverse Episode 3
"Okay Sona you know what to do. Wish me luck." With that Caleb jumps out of the helicopter they're in and lands in front of the moving city. A few minutes later the flying machine crashes and explodes; he's confident Sona is fine though.
Launching a flare into the sky, the warrior magus gets the massive war machine's attention. Shedding it's shining buildings, the former Silver City is now covered in gun turrets for purposes ranging from anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and anti-personnel. It's main feature would have to be the massive sonic cannon on it's back. Seeing the upside down city walking away, Caleb sprouts feathery wings and flies after it. One of the guns begins to track him but is quickly destroyed by the mage with a beam. Having gotten the now stopping fortress' attention, the F. M. I. E. cofounder flies directly in front of the death machine.
"I didn't think any of the freaks were left over from when the city flipped. Who are you?" A voice asks over the fortress' speakers. Caleb recognizes the voice over the broadcast as the mayor that they were going to ruin.
"I am Nobody. Now would you care to explain yourself or would you like to skip the formalities? I mean one option at least let's your crew get a last prayer or two in." The magus confidently shouts back with magic amplifying his voice. Sensing the upcoming conversation, Caleb uses this time to both mark his targets and allow Sona to find her way inside.
"Do you know the history of this nation? Of this city? The short of it is we lost a war to a nation of xenophiles and were forced to let those creatures into our lands. So it didn't take much effort to get the funds to build this super weapon; especially under the lie of it being a monument to peace and cooperation. Was that good enough for you?" Mayor Bates sarcastically asks the private investigator before turning all weapons onto him.
"I remember that battle, I studied it back at Durand. Yeah we shoved your asses in when you started making concentration camps for nonhumans. I suppose you didn't learn anything the first time and Durand doesn't like repeating themselves; neither do it." With that Caleb opens a portal and unleashes a massive beam. The main cannon on the Silver City walker's back is destroyed before all it's weapons open fire.
Meanwhile on the inside, Sona is currently undulating through some sewer pipes when she hears voices. Moving towards the source, she finds an opening leading into an engine form and slips inside. Creating dozens of beads, the slime woman sends them rolling around the room. Once she has everyone in the area marked, the co-owner of F. M. I. E. sends out a beam of magic that ricochets off her separated pieces and kills her enemies. Picking up one of the dead worker's blueprints, she figures out she's in the upper deck's engine room. The walker is apparently split into three layers, each with four engine rooms similar to the one she's in, and that the central controls are located underneath city hall near the core.
Back outside, Caleb is targeting the walker's legs to keep it from leaving and posing more collateral damage. This stratagem poses two main problems however, one is the amount of weapons protecting the legs and second is the risk of destabilizing the city; since it was flipped the potential civilian survivors would be at risk of being crushed. Avoiding the barrage of explosives and high caliber rounds, the magus flies underneath the city to escape the fortress' targeting systems. If the information he obtained from the mansion is true then it means there are less guns underneath. One place he knows for sure that is safe is Gruut Snarl's company since the mayor's lackeys weren't able to make him leave. Checking to make sure he's out of sight, the mercenary mage begins to alter the ground underneath the front most legs. While able to handle a direct assault well, the legs aren't able to maneuver well and end up sinking into the ground.
Before the legs sink outside, Sona has just cleared out the rear area of the walker. Due to F. M. I. E. and their efforts , the entire city ends up flipping onto it's frontside. Increasing her body's adhesion, the slime woman ends up walking down the now vertical hallways. Eventually she arrives at the core only to find it sealed shut. Sending out a sound wave around her, Sona is able to use echolocation to find a vent leading inside.
"What the hell happened?" Bates wonders as he recovers his consciousness several minutes later. Taking in his altered surroundings, he sees the rest of the command crew are left in various states of injury and consciousness. "Someone help me up and get the damn rear crew on comms. I wanna know why they didn't react in time."
On his command his secretary helps him into a stand position but he notices something is off about her. Her hand is extra sticky and, after looking closer at his surroundings, he sees a vent has been burned open. Bates then feels a numbness in his right hand before looking down to see it being consumed. The woman's face begins to melt and what takes her place is a large pile of red slime. He can barely scream before Sona slams her entire mass onto him and devours him whole. With her main target eliminated, the slime begins to expand and fill the room with her all-consuming form. Once the command sphere is emptied, she begins to make her way towards the rest of the crews.
An hour later Caleb has rescued as many civilians needed to start a rescue operation; a half hour after that he is in the bank clearing it out. While putting as much gold into a bag of holding as he can, the floor melts and Sona emerges. Transforming back into her human looking form, the slime woman now stands several feet taller than Caleb. Noting that she could use a place to digest, the magus opens up a portal back to F. M. I. E. headquarters. Once the pair have stepped through, Sona quickly reverts into a blob and Caleb plops on top of her before the partners fall asleep.
Several weeks pass and the survivors have already begun rebuilding a small town. Caleb is even walking home from grocery shopping when he decides to head by the park. He is fairly sure he can find a swing set there among the ruins when a sound gains his attention. A humvee is driving on the road near him and his instincts take over. Summoning explosives underneath the armored vehicle, the mercenary mage forces it to flip off the side of the road and down a small hill. Blinking to the passenger seat, the magus reaches inside and pulls out the barely conscious man inside.
"Who are you people? Why are you looking for… oh no." Caleb mutters as the color begins to drain from his face. On one of his would be assailants face is a mask made of petricite.
Realizing the remnants of the Mageseekers have found out his location, Caleb throws the passenger back inside and sinks the Humvee underground. He then teleports several miles away from headquarters and begins to run there as fast as he can.
XxxX
Conflation Episode 4
It's times like this that the Durand Graduate known as Caleb Fleetfoot is glad that he is not entirely human anymore. The moments where he can't use magic for fear of attracting unwanted attention. As the rain begins to pour down hard around him, he sincerely hopes that the rumbling in the distance is thunder and not explosions. Even as the dirt road underneath his feet turns to mud and his lungs burn he keeps running as fast as he can. To his joy the two story brick building that is their home is still in one piece. He quickly snaps out of this thought and continues to run home before bursting through the front door. Less than a minute later, Sona enters through the lobby ceiling and finds the mud covered Caleb stacking as much furniture into a barricade as he can.
"Oh hello dear, soooo I just learned that we're gonna have some surprise guests in a bit. I was thinking that we should redecorate the place for them." The nervous private investigator jokes before awkwardly chuckling. Feeling his distress, Sona pulls from within her a cup of tea for her partner; and a glock for their "guest".
"Can't take a break now dear. I'm gonna go set up a teleportation circle in the basement, would you be so kind as to start setting up party favors for the guests. Also I wanted to say I'm sorry Sona, you're about to be in danger because of something I did." Caleb tells her before they split up to set up defenses. Half an hour later dozens of armored personnel carriers arrive outside the property. Dressed from head to toe in petricite enhanced tactical gear, the Mageseeker Tactical Extermination team has arrived.
This assault has been over a year in the making, it is the Mageseeker's attempt at taking revenge on the man responsible for their devastating losses last year. After graduating from Durand Hireling University Caleb was involved in a campaign that led to the toppling of nine planet spanning governments under Mageseeker jurisdiction. Although the troop losses, cuts to their fundings, and destruction of equipment were severe the worst loss was of their leader, General Bertram Crownguard. With the loss of their leader at the pereiopods of a shrimp-eagle hybrid, the Mageseekers were spiritually broken and since then Tiana has sworn vengeance.
Returning to the present, hundreds of Mageseekers are currently awaiting orders outside of F. M. I. E. to attack. Stepping just past their vehicular barricade is the invader's CO, a man of the Inciter Class by the name of Dusan Ahdikari. Pulling out a megaphone, the dark skinned man begins to try and negotiate the surrender of both targets. Despite having the numerical advantage, the Mageseekers know better than to underestimate the pair; let alone if they're backed into a corner.
"Caleb Fleetfoot, aberration! Come out peacefully and we may spare your lives. We can even cut a deal, we'll let the slime go if you surrender Caleb. So come out now, put down any weapons you have, and get on your knees!" Is the ultimatum Dusan gives the pair. Looking at Sona for her opinion, the mercenary is happy to note her holding her etwahl even tighter.
"Get on my knees? I'm not your mother last night! So bring it on you Phantom of the Opera looking mother fuckers!" Caleb retorts back before a sharp note rings out from next to him. A soldier's head next to Dusan ends up falling off after a sonic blade cuts it. "Damn Sona, good kill but that was somewhat cold of you. But I feel you, these bastards are the reason our home isn't quite like home right now."
With that soldier's death both sides freely open fire upon each other. Despite the amount of bullets and explosives being used, the Investigators are well protected by Caleb's wards and a force field generator. This has forced the Mageseekers to try and force their way into the building. Trying to use their superior numbers, the tactical team attempts a three pronged assault on the jack of all trades business. The left most team quickly comes under fire from Cecil Beam Turrets while the right has a flock of giant shreagles dumped onto them. Rather than try their luck with a frontal assault, the central team decides to stay behind the vehicle barricade and call for backup. Rolling in from both ends of the road are a pair of tanks while an attack helicopter is teleported in. Using their heavy weaponry, the tanks destroy the turrets and the shreagles which opens up the remaining infantry to get to the building perimeter. Sona and Caleb would try to stop the foot soldiers but the helicopter's machine guns are proving a nuisance. The final straw for Caleb playing things safe though is when the tanks begin using their turrets to wreck the building and start shaking it violently enough to cause Sona discomfort. Opening up a portal, the Durand graduate lands on top of the left tank before cutting off the hatch with his chainsword. Throwing a grenade inside, the magus then transforms his arms into their demonic state before forcibly turning the barrel at the other tank. Seeing the enemy tank's machine gun turning towards him, Caleb jumps inside and fires at the turret. With the other tank disabled, the investigator opens another portal and jumps onto the attack copter. Quickly beating both pilots to death, he then pilots the helicopter towards the central part of the Mageseeker force. Sending the vehicle crashing into the opposition, Caleb teleports back into F. M. I. E. HQ but doesn't see Sona on the second floor. Hearing gunshots on the first floor, the magus rushes downstairs and sees that several teams have breached the building. Surrounded by acid burned corpses, the red slime is currently strangling three soldiers with her pseudopods while another is screaming as their face melts. After she is done killing their foes, the ooze woman transforms back into her human form before rushing to check on Caleb.
"I'm glad you're okay too. Sona, I've got a bad feeling about this. We need to get to the basement now." The jack of all trades confesses to his partner who looks back at him with an upset look on her face. Watching her pick up her etwahl and an enemy assault rifle, Caleb walks up to her and hugs her from behind. "I know you love this place, I do too, but as long as we're together we can make a new home anywhere we go. I promise you that we'll find that place one day. Please trust me."
Hearing his pleas, Sona takes Caleb's hand and tugs him towards the basement. A minute later a nuclear missile completely destroys F. M. I. E. Headquarters as the Mageseeker ship in orbit watches. While it may have cost them a lot of elite troops, Tiana is glad that their previous most wanted is dead.
Unknown to the Mageseekers though, Caleb and Sona are now standing on another planet. Spitting up blood from overexertion, the magus is helped up by his partner and the pair limp into a nearby city. With only the weapons they brought, a couple of drop bags, and a dream, the pair are already planning a way to get funds for their plans.
XxxX New kits!
San "Gwen"
Passive: Red Stained Hands- All damage that Gwen heals or deals to enemy champions is stored in her secondary bar. This bar is factored by Bonus Health and Ability Power.
Q: Bloodline- Gwen creates a tether between herself or an ally to a nearby enemy or neutral unit that begins to drain health. Should the tether be broken the enemy takes Magic damage equal to Red Stained Hands.
W: Vascular Incision- Consuming a portion of Red Stained Hands, Gwen enhances her next attack to deal bonus Magic damage. Enemy champions hit will leave behind a blood trail, allies gain bonus movement speed while on it.
E: Get Pumped- Gwen increases an ally's adrenaline to give them Adaptive force and Omnivamp. The healing from this is then placed into Red Stained Hands.
Ultimate: Hemotherapy- Drawing all of the blood from nearby allies, Gwen cleanses them of all debuffs and crowd control. After a brief delay she then heals them. San-"I used to think my eternal life was a curse. That nothing mattered because of it. Then I made a friend who when they died proved me wrong."
XxxX
"Steve"
Passive: Getting comfortable- If Steve keeps herself in an area long enough she gains bonus Health and Mana Regen. Her basic abilities also gain increased cooldown reduction.
Q: Reinforce the Hull- Targeting an ally champion, allied turret, or themself allows Steve to grant them bonus Armor and Magic Resistance. If she is in Getting Comfortable then her Bonus Regens are given to Reinforce the Hull's target.
W: Dash against the rock- Summons a pillar of stone at target location. If an enemy touches it then it explodes to deal aoe Physical damage, enemy champions are slowed.
E: Dolphin Kick- Steve knocks up enemies in front of her with the help of a sea friend and deals Magic damage.
Ultimate: Hydros Cannons- Steve's pair of friendly Shipwreck Hoarders rise up on both sides of her. They begin to fire twin beams of high pressure water in a target direction over several seconds. Enemies take Physical damage and gain stacks of Wipe Out while being hit, at max stacks are shoved to the edge of the beam and slowed. While she is immobile during the spell's channel time, Steve can still cast her other spells during this time.
XxxX
Zhong
Passive: Terror Tactics- After scoring a takedown on an enemy champion, Zhong can retrieve a special "token" from their body. The next time Zhong damages a champion before the token expires they are feared. Successive fears are shortened.
Sore Loser- Age has not fully tempered this Vastaya's rage. When Zhong respawns he gains bonus adaptive damage against his killer based on their resistances. If no enemies have recently killed him then his target becomes the enemy with the most kills.
Q: Zhoma's Wrath- Zhong takes a bite out of an opponent, dealing Physical and inflicting them with Rot. While under Rot the targets are slowed and inflicted with Grievous Wounds, Zhong also gains the stolen stats.
W: Dragon's Beat- Zhongs swings in a wide arc in front of him to deal Physical damage and knock enemy units except his Sore Loser target away.
E: Too Stubborn to Die- Passive: While faint, the power of the original vastaya shai rei still courses in Zhong's veins. Killing units gains him a special grey health bar that becomes temporary HP upon taking fatal damage. Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion before he runs out grants him HP based on his current grey health and it's maximum amount.
Ultimate: Death Blows- Moving at high speeds, Zhong appears around the battlefield dealing Physical damage to enemy champions at random. Sore Loser's target is prioritized and also takes bonus Magic damage during this time.
XxxX
Pumsha
Passive: Rally to me- If Pumsha is between an enemy unit and allied unit then allies gain movement speed towards enemies.
Q: Stomp Em- After a brief delay, Pumsha summons a volcanic bomb to land in an area. Enemies caught in it take Magic damage and those at the center lose Magic Resistance.
W: The Great Stick- Passive: Allies near Pumsha passively gain AD over time up to a cap. At max stacks they also gain attack speed. This ability buffs Pumsha's other abilities but these bonuses are lost if the unit leaves Pumsha's aura.
E: You ain't dead yet!- Pumsha heals an ally for a percentage of missing HP. At max stacks of The Great Stick, allies also gain bonus health and size.
Ultimate: Pyroclastic Flow- Pumsha choices an enemy champion, neutral monster, or enemy structure before throwing The Great Stick at it. Pumsha and his team then gain movement speed while heading towards The Great Stick. All allies that reach the Great Stick before it's aura runs out gain bonus resistances and shields based on missing health.
XxxX
Ziz
Passive: Passage of Time- Damaging an enemy marks them and allows Ziz to blink to their location, this consumes other marks and resets his attack timer. Buffs on enemy targets teleported to have their times reduced.
Q: Flash of Creation- Summoning the primordial forces of the cosmos, Ziz unleashes a burst of energy in a target direction to deal Magic damage. Enemies hit by this ability are grounded.
W: Withering Assault- Passive: Every fourth instance of damage from Ziz causes self heals and shields to be reduced before dealing bonus Magic damage.
E: Phase Out- Hurling a sphere of power at a location, Ziz burns the area to deal Magic damage to enemies and reduces their Magic Resistance over time.
Ultimate: End Times- Ziz launches a cage of orbs at a target location. Enemies that try to leave the area are stunned, dealt Magic damage, and take increased damage during the stun. Passage of Time is also applied to them. Ziz-"I have recreated countless timelines to make this one."
XxxX
A/N Well I hope this doesn't come out too messy. Thanks again for reading, any and all requests are open for the taking, and I hope to see you all soon. If you have any suggestions for alternatives to XxxX for separating segments feel free to tell me. New kits are also not final and subject to future updates.