City of Heroes

Birth of the Brotherhood

Disclaimer: For the love of a Subway sandwitch understand I don't own le' City of Heroes!

Issue 12: Legends of the Old World

Shaiden pushed himself off the ground, wincing from the force of the woman's attack. He'd blasted her with everything he'd had and she'd fire back with a crushing gravity spell, breaking his concentration even as his own magicks left his fingers, rendering his attack useless. He glared towards the smirking woman before getting to his feet completely. "It would seem that I have lose this dance."

Eden held her pose for a minute longer, hands outstretched with her weight on her left leg. Then the faint smirk returned and she resumed a relaxed posture. "As you have for the past sixty years dear friend."

The fellow magic user laughed while he proceeded to walk towards the front desk. They had been doing that for a great time now in honor of their very first run in, when the Circle of Thorns was still a young cult near the turn of the nineteenth century. It always ended up the same, with Eden simply knowing the flow of magic better then Shaiden. Once he was close enough for his liking Shaiden allowed a surge of his magicks to make his eyes glow a faint white. Purely for show.. and to tease Eden for her near perma state of her pupiless eyes.

"Really.. how childish. Must you keep doing that?" She scolded him without heat behind the words themselves.

"Only for as long as you get annoyed fair elder." Shaiden grinned, leaning over the counter as if to check Eden's face for any signs of aging that would not start for a lifetime yet. "May I inquire as to how you've been fair lady?"

The Fallen Saint gave a dry cough, unphased by his antics but she did answer the question dutifully. "Studying, looking into the mystery surrounding this city's new foe. Are you here to lend a helping hand to the forces of light Shaiden?"

Shaiden smiled for a moment and then tilted his head up as if he had to think about it. Eden and he had known one another originally through being enemies, he working for the Circle to bring down a rogue magic user. The encounter came as a bit suprise to him. She dominated him easily enough, but did not finish him off. Their friendship if it could be called that really started out as a matter of owing her his life. A debt that he still had yet to pay. "Perhaps, I haven't any true attachments to this city."

"Oh? Well far be it from me to question your reasons. Though, why are you here?" Eden tried again.

"An old foe of mine has come here and I'm just tracking him down." He answered, and turned his head to look at the doors. "I need to be going now. Watch out for Mire, he's almost as strong as you elder.." Shaiden faded away before Eden's passive gaze, allowing for her to sit down and close her eyes in thought. Troubling, Eden had thought she sensed a new power in the great nether but she had dismissed it. Now this new aura was a cause for concern.

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Deep beneath Paragon there exists ancient ruins of a city that had once belonged to mighty warlocks. In fact, it did now only a different sort. The ruins are called Oranbega, which are now home to the mysterious Circle of Thorns. Baron Zoria, the leader of the Circle was now speaking to a man with a costume very similiar to Shaiden's, however it was seeped in black and purple. Zoria had disliked the man from the start, but what he represented was keeping the leader of the Circle from killing him on the spot. "Very well.. you have my permission to use my guardians Mire. I do not wish to make enemies while we focus our energies for our festival."

"Trust me Baron it will not be a waste. If all goes according to plan then it'll benefit not only my employer but you as well." The warlock known as Mire stated before he vanished out of sight, much in the way that Shaiden had. Which left Baron Zoria to grumble darkly about things he'd rather done to the arrogant youngster.

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Across the city, and far out on the dangerous Rogue Isles something else is happening. In the lair of Arachnos a vast gathering of villians is being held.

There is Black Scorpion, a brute of a man with a suit of armor that fires concentrated beams of power from the tail. Ghost Widow, a ressurected soul with the power to feed on the lives of others. Captain Mako, the terror of the deep. Scirocco, master swordsman and incarnate of one of the four winds.

Those were just some of the upper level villians of the group, while there were a few lesser known entities such as Jack Culane and the just arriving Devil Blade.

Sitting in a throne at the head of all these evil people was the ultimate mastermind of Arachnos, and the only villian that could go against Statesman on an even level. Lord Recluse, with his fingers steepled and protometal legs arched menacingly was watching on in silence at the spectacle that had all the villians attentions.

A group of Arachnos magi had formed a circle, chanting as their power increased from the guardians that Mire had borrowed from the Circle. It was because of those beings that the spell was even possible. Yes, the assembly before them was daunting but Lord Recluse had been keeping an eye on the city since the fall of his most hated enemy. There was one last addition to the team before he could send them out on a crusade in his name to wipe out the remaining heroes.

"Arum.. dai kental massa carta.." The mages finished with one last whispering chant, which brought on a white flash that could only have come from the void.

In the center of the mage circle a man had appeared, laying face down and clothed only in a tattered pair of pants. He groaned and slid his hands out in preparation to push himself up.

Lord Recluse took the man's appearance in. He knew the level of potential the man before him held, though how he reacted in the next few seconds would decide what would happen. "You have been freed from the void by my will mutant. If you choose to help my warriors rid the city of heroes I will see to it that you always have a place for protection. If not that, I'm sure we can come to an arrangement."

Garm stood, in the same shape as he'd been when Eden had put him in the void. There time stood still, for him it felt like years since he'd been free. The mutant stared at the assorted individuals before him, a wild smirk coming to him the longer he stared. "So if I don't agree then I get skewered from thirty different direction." He just smiled, "Your my kind of people."