[05.35: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Alert! Alert! Alert! Apocalypse in Progress….]

"Omega-Nil-Omega. Omega-Nil-Omega. Dimensional Annihilator Threat Detected! Alert! Omega-Nil-Omega…"

"CAN WE SHUT THAT VOICE OFF PLEASE?" Barbara Gordon shouted out over the shouting voice of the Monitor computer system breaking through into their systems as the whole bridge went a shade of crimson, alerts and alarms starting to blare from every system "AND THE BEEPING TOO?"

"Sigma-Nil-Omega. Sigma-Nil-Omega. Black Light Variant Exceeding Omega Threat Levels Detected! Alert! Sigma-Nil-Omega…"

"I'M TRYING!" Rose shouted back from her station, Jonathan running around from computer to computer as holographic displays flashed up their own alerts and threats about 'Very Bad Things' at them all "I TURN OFF ONE AND ANOTHER ACTIVATES! SOMETHING REALLY BAD IS HAPPENING…"

"THERE'S A NEW MOON IN THE SKY!" Jonathan managed to shout at them, pointing at the holographic displays showing…

Wow. That was a lot of red lines, alert boxes and pulsating indicators of things the Monitor seemed to consider as 'This is Horrifically Bad' in their systems.

"SENSORS ARE FREAKING OUT OVER IT!"

"Gravity Distortions Detected in orbit current planetary body! Alert! Black Light Variant Source – Estimate eighty-seven point nine-three percent likelihood; plus, or minus, five point six-two percent"

"PLEASE!" Barbara shouted out again as the blaring continued, a cacophony of madness and flashing lights all around her "GET SOME ORDER TO…"

…and then it cut out, leaving normal lighting and no more half-shouted orders from the freaking out computer…

"THIS MES…" Barbara caught herself, blinking and gripping the rails "Good. Get me Callum or Zatanna now! Faralda too! See if her systems are going berserk as well!"

She gestured at Jonathan "Order lockdown! Security up and into armour…assuming all the alarms didn't wake everyone up already"

"I've Zatanna on the line…"

Barbara reached up and grabbed the handheld comm unit from the mount hanging from the ceiling as a pale looking Brewster winced, touching the headset. Something Barbara grasped a few seconds later as a shouting, almost shrieking, Zatanna came over the comms "WHY IN GOD'S NAME WEREN'T YOU ANSWERING!"

"Computers are going crazy! There's a…."

Zatanna was not listening, or only half listening maybe "Zombie Monster Moon in the Sky, and I feel like I'm being sprayed in sewage! Oh, and Callum's having a goddamned panic attack! Get the ships over here RIGHT NOW and collect us!"

"I'm working on that Zatanna!" she growled back, wishing Kara would hurry up and get up here "Quinn is down in engineering as we're having power surges since that *Thing* turned up, and Kara's getting shouted at by the locals"

"Fuck the locals…"

Barbara starred at the comm unit in her hand as Zatanna of all people started cursing at her "This is…Get the ships here….Callum, what are you…"

"Barbara" Callum's voice came over the comms, calm and in control "Can you hear me?"

"Ehh, yeah, Zatanna said…"

"Yes. Panic" came back the voice, pausing a moment, clearly saying something on the other end as it came back on "…get the others, we need a plan" then was clearly talking to Barbara again "Oh, yes. Power of Alchemical Drugs. I'm perfectly calm right now"

"That's, ahh…" Barbara paused, looking for the word "Good?"

"Not, it's not, but this world is now dead. It just doesn't know it yet. Get Kara, get Quinn, getting the ship moving as soon as you. I don't expect it to be immediate with Security as it as, but do not let them board, or seize the vessel. Our best bet is for you to leave as soon as their military forces get distracted. This will happen very soon"

"Callum" she stated simply as the nightmare moon was flashing up alert after alert "What is that moon? What is happening?"

"The End of the World. We don't have time have to discuss. Lockdown the ships. Everyone in armour and/or armed, and quarantine contingencies. Tell Asa it's a Zombie Apocalypse, a magical one, and every undead will only get stronger as time passes. We need to get off this planet yesterday, but can't risk fighting our way out just yet"

Barbara took a deep breath, understanding "Time scale?"

"Hours, maybe a day, see what the space looks like, but collecting our convoy is priority. If we are caught out in the open we are dead, worse than dead. Contact the other spelljammers. Organise with them. Break out as soon as you can and come for us. We'll likely lose comms soon enough once the natives figure out what've they attracted to their world. Talk your way out if you can. Fight your way out if you can't. We are on the clock. Our convoy are going to…"

There was hissing on the other end, before coming back on "North-east of last coordinates, it's rural and away from populated areas and negative energy concentrations. This is an End Time Contingency moment Barbara. Nobody off the ship. No boarders till we're aboard and can decide what…"

--

{Outis-Coppertree Convoy, East of the former Grand Temple of Zelayanna the Innovator}

The night was dark and nightmarish Zatanna Zatara felt as the convoy of vehicles stopped again, the skies alight with flashes of light, along with a bizarre corona of colours that had a semblance of looking like the Northern Lights back on Earth. Except they weren't anything like that, but the energy of magic…of life…bleeding off the world as…Zatanna shuddered again. Whatever was happening was horrifying if she allowed herself focus on it, and the implications of the meltdowns several people had had…

Callum included, shocking her greatly as, younger man aside…he'd worked with John, and she'd seen him stay calm in the ugliest of recent situations. Early though he'd thrown up, and then started hyperventilating as soon as he'd *seen* the skull-moon, taking precious minutes to get a handle on himself…by medicating himself. Heavily. That did not bode good, especially with how filthy she herself right now due to that *Thing, along with the meltdown of the senior looking elf sorcerer and panic of the others. Nor did them starting to *willingly* accept Callum's 'Calming Draughts' and drinking them without question after they'd be distant and suspicious the past few days.

"…lost contact our spelljammer fifteen minutes ago. Securitate jamming, wide spectrum and magic suppressing outside of their local channels" Callum was detailing as the stood in a circle within a defensive formation as the vehicles rested, drones buzzing up into the air as a map rested on an overturned phone box like contraption of the locals "Has anyone else maintained contact?"

A chorus of negatives was the response to that Zatanna saw standing with them, defensive spells cast…and already feeling the weakening of her powers somehow. Felt the crushing presence of Death on everything and everyone as shimmering barrier shield covered the convoy as everyone, and every vehicle, was checked. As the unnecessary equipment was dumped and hazmat-like additions pulled out and worn by guards "Many of the ships will break for orbit. Ours…might be part of that. Yours too"

"Ours won't" she heard Callum state in an alchemy induced calm to the elf, just like several here, and she considered, again, taking one herself "I am more concerned of a battle in the spaceport that damages it to prevent leaving and not being in contact. Breaking into orbit right now has its own problems"

"Is there no means to contact?" the robot asked in a monotone, though there was an edge to it. Fear. The ominous, omnipresent, darkness was affecting even the machines amongst them "Orbital breakthrough risks?"

It was the elven woman, Captain Coppertree who answered, gesturing at the distortions in the sky "Dimensional rift, and…the World Born Dead. There is no *good* time to try break and run, with the Securitate still active and blockading, and the distortions in the immediate aftermath of the…whatever they did. Well, Undead are most dangerous immediately upon return"

"What she means is that they receive a momentary surge of Negative Energy upon being…unborn into the world" Callum clarified "It is what allows them to break out of stone tombs, or simply rise from their graves after being buried deep. Something that is normally momentary, the connection broke immediately after, but with that Skull drawing ever nearer…it will last"

"How strong?"

She barely released she'd spoken, and Callum glanced at her "Kryptonian under a yellow sun, even if most won't fly. It will take time to get to that level, but…how long we don't know. Normally…"

"The light of the Gods would ward it away, weaken it" the other man Sjach stated gruffly, voice harsh as he starred at the map, not looking at the skies "Months it would be. Here. Days"

"Yes" Callum agreed far too calmly "Most likely"

"Our window won't be long" Sjach stated looking around "Assuming our comrades come for us. When the warrior-defenders of this world fail, but before the time begins where everything is swarmed. When…that Abomination is on the other side of the world to our location"

"Is there no hope?" one of younger elves asked, clearly as in the dark as Zatanna beyond 'The End of the World' seeming to play out. Events the Justice League had stood against, but something inside of her…told her this would not be the case here. Or anywhere this time appeared…

"No" Callum replied bluntly gesturing at the map "Everything that dies now will rise. All the old dead will start to rise. Even cremated ashes will start to reform after a time. Then more and more intelligent undead, all twisted, and stronger with each minute. These people have a powerful security apparatus, how they maintain control, and why we are delayed in leaving…but it will fail, fast. One will become two, become four, become eight, until every living thing upon this planet is undead. From dragons down to the smallest lifeform"

"Thank whatever Gods there are then that there are no dragons here" the elven Captain grunted "You're right, this route here is the only viable option. Trying to drive through any of these towns is potential suicide. Or worse. The checkpoints. If any have turned…"

"I think it's too early yet" she offered, and there were nods. Callum's finger moving up the map.

"We pray it is but can't take chances. Rural areas are more dangerous in the outbreak for small groups, but if we got caught in an urban area we'd be finished. Dirt roads and open terrain. We meet up with the spelljammers north of here. We stay alive till we make contact, and we evacuate. Break for the outer planets, then the crystal sphere"

--

[05.36: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Man the Cannons! Draw your swords!]

Tirdelk Battlerider had prayed fervently, and then stepped inside his battle armour when the understanding of just what Elder Horror had appeared in the skies of this doomed and damned world. Even Munvee had gone silent at that, and he knew his purpose with grim focus now as he choose the human sized suit, the divine protections of his Patron God burning hot upon it. Hardened systems synced up as he stood now as an armoured warrior clad in the finest weapons he could forge as even other member of the crew was hurried about to lockdown the systems.

First though he gestured at young Weryl with his knight like gauntleted hand, the Order Sorcerer standing nearby, waiting "Now. Grant me your blessings of Order"

His fellow engineer nodded, coming over and drawing forth power from himself, and them imbuing it into Tirdelk's armoured form. Hardening the spells. Strengthening the divine protections that would struggle in the face of the nightmare moon in the skies. With a gesture that it was done the young human rushed off to his next task, to the next warrior suiting up, as the spelljammer had to be defended at all costs. So far the dimensional barriers were holding firm, but if the tales were true…then there was every possibility of undead being insanely powerful if time passed. They couldn't be too careful, not with dozens of passengers aboard, and senior crew to be collected.

"…secure each area from the others. Here, here, here, and here. They all have their own sub-environmental systems so no cut off in air…" he heard Mallory detailing to the other members of the engineering teams, though Tirdelk was security now for this crisis as much as playing scientist "…so we can lockdown each section. Scanners and scrubbers at these two chokepoints when the others get…"

Tirdelk pushed away as his own systems indicated the Chance was lifting off, alerts pinging as he was ordered to report to uppermost bays. Sealed combat suits and he, for here and now, knew his duty if his comrades were to make it off this horrible rock. Accessing the elevator, the teleportation suppressed to avoid any risk of arcane backed plague or corruption, he rose up with his fellow goblin Zardyc and the human Annette Durant, in their power armour as guards and assistants if need be. Fitted the harnesses as they exited under watchful defensive systems and then rose up again to exit the airlock to the 'deck' of the Fortune's Chance as air roared around them as the vessel went airborne.

The city, albeit a small one, below was quiet. Almost normal. But the skies…

'Orbital mining weapons? Doomsday caches?' he wondered for a moment, as it took away from the horror that washed over him as the Negative Energy of outside filled the world. The night skies were illuminated with light now, a horrific arcane corona for one, but also of beams being flung around in orbit, along with plumes might be anti-spelljammer missiles. These imbeciles*had* been advanced, and even the morons that'd taken over hadn't quite been able to destroy the almost naturally gnomish traits of this subspecies entirely it seemed. For all the good it would do them in the face of an Elder Evil.

But, first, there was the matter of improving their chances for breaking into orbit, and in dealing with all the distortions that this thing was causing. There were already signs of tidal waves down south of here on the coast from the ship's sensors, and that meant deaths. Which meant zombies and other undead rising up soon enough in those areas at least "Tirdelk. In position. Raise up the containers and I'll begin deployment…"

--

{Here comes the cavalry, huzzah!}

Panic was bad. Panic killed. Which was why I'd forcibly calmed my emotions by alchemical means as events conspired to overwhelm rational minds. Knowing *too much* was sometimes a problem apparently. Such as when the Undead Hell Planet turned up in orbit. Thankfully now I was calm and focused, and our convoy was once again in contact with Fortune's Chance, which was directing towards us now along with the ships of our other convoy members. Getting back aboard would be good, even if we'd have to be immediate checked.

We'd only encountered shamblers so far, a handful of animals at that, and easily dispatched, along with the luckiest pair of civilian drivers on this planet as they'd immediate joined us. At least as soon as we decided not to obliterate them and ensured they weren't turned or suffering any psychosis. They'd been helpful even by gifting local knowledge of the terrain and fleeing with children from their home meant they didn't seem set on fighting us. Evacuating anyone from this soon-to-be-dead world was a mercy, and one logical done as it'd best help with the coming trauma of this on everyone.

"We have you on drone feed Callum…" Barbara was handling the command and control rather than my Kara, which was…good, really. Barbara was much better at such things, especially with everything melting down across the planet "Five minutes out!"

"Copy that, we're stopping and holding!" I replied to her, then engage the comms to the rest of the convoy as we thundered along the dirt road "We're slowing and stopping! Friendly ships incoming! We move into a laager formation when we stop about two miles from at the elevated position marked here on drone feed! Signal the others without comms!"

Zatanna looked at me, hand on the handrail of the vehicles ceiling and looking out at the illuminated night sky, at the dark scrubland "Jesus. The sooner…"

"Yes, but can't let our guard down yet. We have a long way yet to go" I stated simply as slow burn flares were shot off from several of the vehicles, bathing the surround land in bright, orange-red light as the flare descended very, very, slowly "Flares out. Any visuals?"

"Nothing so far Boss, I…visual on the ships!" Nathan half-shouted from the front "Can't believe we didn't see…"

"Other things to focus, darkness, and stealth systems. The others spelljammers are smaller and…it's night" was my immediate response as the vehicles started to slow, then squealed to a stop as the heavy machinegun mount began to track to our right as the other vehicles arrived and stopped around us. My hand pressing down on the comms handheld again "Security forces dismount and form a perimeter! Another flare launch please, we need keep this ground fully illuminated and under watch!"

I was one of those doing said dismounting, rifle in hand and face mask deployed as the air changed with approach of the massive flying ships of ours as flares flashed up again. Arcanely infused thanks to a little eleven help to cause any undead to shine brightly under their glare, and my eyes scanned the illuminated countryside as shouts filled the air. Relief, mixed with worry, and a host of other noise I had Zatanna talk Barbara into place as I gestured at my arriving fellow Captains. Here was where we parted ways after all, and even as the wagons and vehicles stopped everyone began to separate as the swifter and smaller spelljammer of Alera Coppertree landed nearby.

Someone I merely gave a wave too as she did to me as she jumped up unto the lines, abandoning the wagons, expensive things of elven magic, and merely settling for her crew, the mounts, and some bags from the dig site itself. My fellow in the faith, the fake human, at least came over, gesturing as a human Hammerhead class ship landed with, likely disguised scro, humans armed to the teeth "I shall leave the package in your care brother"

I simply nodded "Yes. It will be delivered, but we have yet to escape yet. We still all must coordinate to attempt such"

"Oh, yes, very much so" he stated simply, but his feet were already moving towards his ship "See you in the skies"

I looked around, watching the larger bulk of the Fortune's Chance land, strict commands coming to Zatanna, along with questions. Ones I answered simply "We're leaving the vehicles! Everything we can't carry. Tell them only minimal openings to get us onboard. Do not open the main bays!"

"But, the…"

She gestured towards the heavy haulier where 'the package' waited, and I gestured at her to do what I'd said as I strode off towards it "I'll handle it. Azula, Nathan, with me!"

Magic might be fading, but there was enough left for simple illusions over the area over the rear of the trailer as I opened the rear doors, silencing what those not my nearby crew could see and hear. Before us, illuminated by the soft lights of the inside of the container, by the shimmering runes, was the statue of the gnome Goddess…whose presence would have set off local forces. Thing was they weren't as much of a problem right here and now. Instead, time was, and we couldn't waste that. Not for this disguise and wasting time loading and unloading.

"Do not react" I instructed the duo with me, then focused on the statue "I need you to turn into either a human or one of your kind right now. We do not have time to load these containers, nor risk opening the loading bays and letting Negative Energy flood the holds of our spelljammer"

'Good. No hesitation' was my thoughts on the matter as a shimmering took place over the statue, and suddenly there was a gnomish woman of similar countenance standing there. I could feel her suppress energies, weak and faded but still there as the Avatar looked pained "Of course noble Captain. I had guessed you'd seen through…"

"There isn't time to talk. I'll vouch for you, as will my Security Chief and Apprentice…" I stated in a controlled manner, gesturing at Azula and Nathan "…but I'm not sure how long the illusions will persist with your radiance in this condition. We board, we run, and we drop a nuke on what we're leaving behind. So, please, follow immediately and do not deviate from my path. Help me if you can. Maintaining illusions off myself with that thing nearby is dreadfully hard…"

--

[05.37: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Into the storm…..]

The seals on my trader's pack were still intact, but I still had a blast of protective Positive Energy pulsed unto it as I'd stripped off my clothing and dropped all my illusions. They'd be cleaned and rechecked later, just like I was now as I stepped into the spray of stinging liquid as I closed my eyes, enduring the follow up foam and then water to wash if off me. Here the calming draught was a big help, as this was very much overkill, but just because the abomination world *didn't* create magical backed plagues didn't mean it *couldn't* do as the darker tales spoke of. I might have the power to simply purge myself of such aliments…but most of the crew weren't used to such magic and I couldn't expect them to pass through these tests of I walked past them.

Even Asa, normally with a mocking teasing, or fetish like sense of humour, was utterly serious and wearing what amounted to hazmat gear as she came up to me, sensors illuminating my body as system scanned for any anomalies. She nodded at me, asking me to hold up my arms, and her eyes moved over me, spells forming in the air, and she waved her hands over my body after the scanners…before nodding. I didn't foresee any problems, but that could easily be arrogance on my part "You're clear as best everything can tell, including me, from nano-tech through to corruption, chaotic or daemonic. Now, go, hurry up to the bridge…"

"No, the next one…" I gestured as a naked lilac skinned gnome came through the showers along with a naked Zaranna, though the gnome was now a human female of similar build to Azula maybe than her own kind "…is an exception. She…"

Asa gasped a little behind her mask….then nodded "I…see. Yes. I doubt I could check anything there"

"Check Zatanna and Azula, confirm everything is clear, and then well escort our guest" I stated firmly, ignoring how ridiculous it was to give orders standing naked and dripping foam as I reached for a towel and quickly started to dry myself. No one was joking here and now or doing anything but being certain we didn't risk any sort of long-term contamination or contagion we couldn't treat after clearing spelljammer space. It was a miniscule risk…but I wasn't in the business of taking risks now, and everyone who'd been exposed to that magical horror-show outside the ship or sealed power armour was getting screened at a minimum.

Or, like now, getting a blast of Positive Divine Energy as I Prayed deep and true after gripping and burning away a storage crystal of magical energies. First on myself, then on Zatanna, who made no objection as she nodded at me and letting out a shuddering breath as it washed over her. No comments or trying to play off the current situation, just relief and exhaustion, unlike a mortified Azula who'd come through trying to act tough but clearly wasn't comfortable. Normally I'd have tried to be more modest or caring…or just be more polite, but time was against us if the two wanted to get cleared *now* like me. All we could do was clear the sensors and do a purge just in case.

Then "Nathan next, and then do everyone else in order. Then into security roles with new equipment. Understood?"

"Yes. I know my job" Asa, Nightmare Nurse, stated coldly "Now get up the bridge and get us out of here"

"Azula" I said, now in one of the purchased wizard's robes from the Rock of Bral, same as the girl I was ordering around now "Take…Zela here to the upper living area, where she will stay. The VIP suite that…"

"I…"

"Where you will stay" I stated simply to the goddess avatar "We can't afford any extra resistance than we're getting already. You made a Pact, now stick to it"

Then nodded Azula "Take her there, lock the door, and the come to bridge where me and Zee will head too immediately"

"You might want to….ahh…" my apprentice said awkwardly, waving at me "…look human? Again?"

"Oh, yeah, thank you" I told her honestly and took out the ring with minor illusions Asa had ready for me and turned my appearance to 'myself' in human form. Best not to set the elves off after all. Not now when we were all breaking out of this hellscape "Now. Go. We're leaving"

Zee fell in beside me, wizard's robes swishing as she wasn't used to the local shoes as we moved quickly through a security door, then into the hall with the next. Everything was on lockdown, and it was only with codes as Captain and active help from the Bridge were we able to easily pass through them "Ugh. I feel clean at least. Are we….going to try any rescue efforts?"

"No" I stated simply as we entered the elevator "Simply running is dangerous enough. This quarantine is overkill, but…undead apocalypse and that thing isn't even trying to kill us. It's just going to sit there till everything dies and turns undead "The risk is too great. We can't even scratch that thing…and we have the souls of many innocents to evacuate now in the shape of our…guest"

She nodded, agreeing with me, but falling silent as we moved through the Fortune's Chance towards the bridge, the dimensional barriers holding for now as none of the vast necrotic hell ocean had seeped through into the ship proper yet. For me time flew by, a blur, as I entered the bridge…and into the arms of Kara, followed swiftly by Barbara, along with the words of "Oh thank God. This is your mess to handle now"

"Babs" Kara hissed, but the stressed Batgirl shook her head, gesturing.

"Magic now magic man and magic woman" she directed and I nodded, getting immediately into position at the Helm, Zatanna joining a subsidiary "The other vessels are coming towards us, and the elves are taking the lead…we're sailing into a blizzard and the artic north of this place. And what's this about…"

"Our guest, explanations later. We say NOTHING for now. She doesn't exist" I stated simply as my magic flowed into the circuits and reinforced…everything as best I could, as the drain on arcane energies became more apparent "Sitrep"

…and it was both better and worse than I'd expected. Better in that the planet was still secure enough, and that the local spelljammer fleet wasn't going to be stopping us. The bad new (other than…everything Atropus related) was the fleet that had been guarding the planet was now middle outbreak as it'd attacked World Born Dead with near planet crackers to no effect. Only positive energy could damage the damned nightmare after all, and even that…was on scales Gods didn't have to hand. No, the 'coast was clear', or would be soon, but that was also a rapid increase in danger levels with Atropus rapidly coming into an orbital position…

And now a host of ships far, far, too close to it not to turn those dying crews near instantly. That near to the abomination they'd be a problem, but I pushed on as my lover detailed things out, and the sounds of a world becoming aware of it's doom filled the sensors. Even with the 'Faith in Virtue, Strength in the Face of the Tyrant, etc, etc' playing on all local channels, there was…clear indicators of suicides. Which meant undead rising, and…

'That's an undead army forming up there' I noted as the displays showed a great well of Negative Energy, even amidst this flood of the stuff, take shape at the edge of one of the so-called Quarantine Zones along with screams of alerts from the Securitate to everyone nearby. Several hundred miles from us, but it was showing the ball starting to roll down hill as suicides led to undead, which led to deaths, which to more undead even if local weapons and ours still worked for now. FOR NOW being the two must dangerous words, as once Atropus started to orbit the planet proper in days or weeks that wouldn't be the case as they get to Kara levels of durability along with near instant regeneration as long as Atropus remained here.

"Faralda" I called across to the Thunderchild as the blizzard engulfed what was a small fleet of nearly three dozen spelljammers, or at least the spelljammers that had come with us and dozen native vessels that were civilian transports of various sorts. It was veritable whiteout, but also the path to being at the furthest point to the approaching Undead Planet "Maintain course with the Rock Fist and be ready for the signals from those elven warships to break for orbit"

"Aye, as you say"

"It's…getting worse" Kara murmured to me after Faralda's response, lights flashing amidst the howling snows as all us ships communicated by arcane signal lights. Or flags with infused magic as arcane energies were bleeding off fast between the idiots who'd Wished for 'What they Deserved' in that insane way of crazy stupid people who only ever saw themselves as the victims rather than the oppressors they were. Now this was world was…

Thoughts best left for another time as I nodded, the bridge silent outside of occasional reports "Yeah. Faster than I thought…no…well no matter"

I was going to say Gods, but there were surges of Positive Energy across the globe as the faded embers of local spirits attempted to either save people or resist, unthinkingly, the undeath. The Vanguardists had gone the whole 'kill off the believers and memory and kill off the divine' approach – something that worked all too well here on a world where magic hadn't been prevalent. It'd been clear the 'Package' we'd taken up just wasn't *used* to Avatar status…

Signal lights flared in the whiteout…

I pulsed my magic into the circuits "Prepare for breaking for orbit!"

--

[05.38: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Boldly Flee.]

"We're coming out of the storm Captain" Jonathan called out as the Fortune's Chance and the rest of the small fleet flew over the fringes of the north pole, and high mountain range, of the planet "According to the systems Black Light Energy is continuing to grow dangerously"

"Yes. We're starting to get closer to space with no biosphere to reduce the energies of that horror" I called back my hands on the wheel as the bridge was a constant source of activity now. The entire being so as well as maintaining course and formation was no easy matter "Reroute more power to the dimensional barriers and shields. Zee you're on the arcane side of monitoring. This might not be pretty. Barbara you're on weapons, everything needs to be ready to go at a moment's notice"

Kara was handling the Engineering panel now after all, with Quinn down in Engineering proper, so we had a full ship's complement focused on getting us out of this alive. Or, more accurately, on doing their jobs and that thereby ensuring us getting out alive as a minor battle meditation hummed within the halls of the Fortune's Chance. Spelljammers were a buffer between the worst of the Negative Plane bleed through, even with us it was a meld of magic and technology to pull off what the Elven Man-o-wars pulled off with spellweaving alone even with the monster slow draining magic.

Engines flared amidst the blizzard as we steadily matched the more graceful movements of the elven, and Bralian, warships as they started to ascend higher and higher after signalling the rest of the convoy. No one questioned it, the other warships, or close equivalents, like our Thunderchild took up the flanks to cover the local, unarmed, versions. We could have taken the other flank as we were an armed merchantman but sticking near the Thunderchild was essential for mutual survival…so we did just that. So we stayed in close formation as the white of snowy cleared into that of the upper atmosphere, and then off the darkness of space contrasted with light of the world's air below.

Atropus was approaching on a vector at the opposite end of the planet from us, and we were pushing off towards a point further in system towards the sphere's sun. It wasn't, technically, necessary, as ships could pass around the Undead Abomination….but why take chances? That was the motto of basically everyone here, what with the planet in chaos, and the doom of this world moving into orbit. Planetary authorities were starting to react…properly, or at least with the vagueness of control as Brewster had listened in on armouries been broken open for the public at large. It was doubtful it'd help in the long run, but it was…something at least.

Better than those poor bastards that'd attempted to engage the death planet directly, as once one person on board died then a super-zombie came into existence. One that, assuming it wasn't taken down near instantly, created more proximity created horrors in it's wake till the ship was overwhelmed. Which brought upon mutinies…which brought upon deaths as the drugs calmed the concern of listening to the screams from those ships as they were overwhelmed. They'd only be dangerous in proximity to Atropus as the intelligent and truly empowered undead only lasted in that state *near* the hungry monster…

Something whose range we were in at that moment as we broke into aetheric space, ignoring the pleas of the world below, ignoring the nightmare bearing down on us. So I watched as an elven ballista gutted a dreadnought that had made the mistake of falling to undead and now looked threatening to our little refugee fleet; - the arcanely imbued blot smashing easily through neutronium armour and taking out the engines of the…cruiser?

"Push us thought" I called out as we moved towards, then angling away, at a debris field "Watch for any undead or things coming near! Defence grids to maximum coverage!"

That at least was something this ship was very good at thanks to The Monarch's refits to have ships like this be able to handle variants of superman and Kara, along with Diana and the Lanterns. Getting in close to us, whether undead or simply debris, was less easy said than done, even if local spelljammer mages could counter much of that. For here though myself, Zatanna, and drawing from Weryl and the 'helpful' Jennifer Morgan, allowed us to infuse positive energy into attack, along with fire thanks to our firebenders as they poured element into the drives. Even Blessed Fire enhanced energy wouldn't be enough if we lingered, but the engines thrummed as we burned hard and fast away from the doomed planet, fire lashing out from all ships at the things floating in space.

Thunderchild's new phaser bank rippled out into the ship the elves had hit, the ship where necrotic energy was shifting over its hull at a disturbing rate as phantom drives came unalive. Dead flesh moved, wraith like structures of Negative Energy filling gaps where destruction had come during the fight as small, starfighters, like pyramids cut in half, started to sluggishly move again, bathed in unnatural light. I didn't even have to listen to the shouts from other ships, or signal flares from the warships. Within seconds Barbara had unleash three of the modified cruise missiles at the further out targets, nuclear armed, and watched as the small fighters were hit and obliterated…for now.

"Push. Push. Push" I muttered as we pressed into the gravitational distortions around the planet "More power to the engines. Ahead Full Power! We can't afford to fall behind"

'Because the others will leave us if we do' was the unspoken part of that note with that point as while ships did attempt to help each other, the simple fact was that this was a breakout. Every ship on the planet either had, or was in the midst of, attempting to get out now that they understood the extent of the problem. Or at least all those ships under non-purple gnome control anyway…

Because the communications were screaming about mutinies now, and nice fellows in military uniforms were appearing on those channels as the Fortune's Chance burned hard first for lunar orbit. Male figures, from the lower ranks, as the locals had been somewhat matriarchal under that Vanguard crowd, which was feasible for now. They also calling for seizure of any spelljammers, or simply system capable transports, which was good that we were breaking away from the planet. Sane people, clearly more objective than their (likely dead and disintegrated) previous superiors. At least that's what looked to be case as we began to slingshot around the planet's actual moon and race for the inner system as Barbara returned to XO from helping with weapons.

"Someone named Corporal Yelbelac is calling for any and all assistance and conscription of ships to evacuate civilians from cities"

"Good for him" I stated coldly "But we're not going anywhere near that planet again. Warn any outer system ships that if they think they can conscript us they'll be eating nukes and phasers within seconds. Helping is feasible…once we're on the other side of the sun from that thing"

"Really?" Barbara asked back, Kara having been giving me a *look*.

I motioned at Kara and her friend with a 'maybe' movement of my hand after Barbara transmitted our 'polite' response to threats along with many other ships "The effect of…that abomination is localised, and a lot of ships are going to have to make a stop at the outer system stations anyway. Us I want to make sure we've enough supplies for a long journey, from water to food. To making sure we don't have any problems we need to troubleshoot now, in realmspace, rather than out in the colour fog beyond"

All of which was true now that we were rapidly accelerating away from the worst of the danger zone, and matters turned to getting out of the Crystal Sphere itself. Water from frozen ice was an option, and I really wanted to make sure there were no issues with myself, or any crewmember, down to all the trauma suffered by watching a world die. Rescuing a few from the orbital colonies, or even helping some evacuation to the tiny mining colony on the fifth planet might ensure that some didn't have breakdowns due to heroic natures being stopped. Or getting washed over by that necrotic horror. Even I felt like showering for a week right now.

Kara nodded "We need to do a stocktake, what with guests…and the other guest"

That was *also* a reason I wanted to hold in system before we started out for the 'Secret Orc God Mission' as I doubt that being would want us to simply abandon its people. But most importantly…we needed time to calm down and think things through. Alchemically drugging myself to stay calm just wasn't a viable strategy, and now the edge was washing off all of us as ours ships raced away…and the formation fall apart. Every man for themselves basically I saw as clusters of ships began to breakoff the moment we passed the moon -some curving off to try the 'faster' route by racing around Atropus.

Not our plan as we aimed for an orbital station in asteroid belt between the fourth and fifth planet….

--

[05.39: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Divine Smuggling]

"…another ship heading off…"

I watched as Jonathan detailed various courses on spelljammers as the fleet…well it disintegrated moments after we passed by the Honavastii homeworld's actual moon, but now the various clusters were breaking apart into smaller groups. We'd broken off earlier as well, taking the longer route by going past the first inner planet and the sun and then looping out of the system that way. We were burning hard as well, everyone on duty, as I wanted to put as much ground between us and the dying world as possible…as well as a rest period between that and heading out system.

Putting the sun between us and the dying planet would give a break from having to listen and see the unnatural horror at work. My goal was to loop around the first planet, the sun, and then head for the large asteroids on the far side of the sun where we could take stock for a few hours. Magic was surging back as well…well, magic other than negative energy necromancy that dominated the zone around Atropus. Between that and cranking up the engines to full power, pumping healing energy into the ship at Asa recommendation as well as moving in formation with the Thunderchild. Mostly it was silent, an exhausted silence, as we passed by amidst mostly just talk of the business at hand.

"We're nearing the asteroids…what now?"

I sighed, rubbing my face as Barbara took the wheel "We find a spot and rest up a few hours. We're all exhausted, and we've been running engines hot for a whole day now"

Kara nodded, walking over to us, hand resting on Barbara's shoulder "And before that they've been on a high ready status, both myself and Quinn agree we best ease off a while. But…are we safe at this range?"

"As much as can be. Thankfully that thing is localised in its horror…" I admitted tiredly "…and there are no spelljammers within a few hours of us. I don't want us going in tired to any potential combat zone. Which is basically any orbital station right now"

"Probably for the best" Zatanna offered from where she sat, dressed in the same wizard robes as me and looking spent "I'm exhausted…magically as much as physically"

Kara nodded after a moment "Soo….how do we work this?"

I let out a deep breathe, looking around the bridge "I reckon we rest here a minimum of sixteen hours….no, let's say a full day since we're all exhausted. Lets see…hmmm….we have a shift go for a brief rest now for four hours? Then they return and we send a second group for a full eight half hours, fours from that a third shift for eight, and then the second shift comes back on and relieves the first?"

"Not ideal" Kara admitted, glancing at the tired everyone "Is it?"

Barbara shrugged "We've all done night work…" I gave her a mild glare, as did Kara, as she gave a tired smirk back "…so it's better than most other options of trying to stay awake another day. I think most of the crew are fit to collapse"

I nodded "Well…I'll stay on till second or third shift. I need time to get a proper long rest and recover from burning spells"

"I'll take the first then" Zatanna offered rubbing her eyes "I need a beauty nap, or I'll doze off mid-shift, and a shower, all the showers. That and we'll need a magic-user constantly available"

I nodded slowly, glancing at face to face "Okay. Contact Quinn, then Nathan, and the others. See who needs to do what and when to make this work. I'll…no, I'll stay on the bridge. We'll have our VIP wait till we're rested first…"

--

{Several hours later…}

Kara lay against me in the bed after a bout of aggressive lovemaking, and I somewhat vaguely realised that an exhausted crew, that had just escaped a life and death situation, and then getting stress and positive energy likely just as engaged. Not that I was going to complain in any way about that pleasant experience after everything but was probably an issue somewhere. She hummed softly, eyes closed and cuddling up against me in my half-orcish form as I rubbed her hair "Feel better?"

"Hmmm" she murmured back to me "Less stressed"

"That is good as it's been…"

"Very stressful?"

"Yeah" I agreed "Very"

"I was very worried when we lost contact"

"Me too" I admitted "When that thing appeared….well, I didn't take it well. But we're here, we're alive, and soon we'll be leaving this system entirely"

She sighed "I wish there was more we could do"

"Yeah….but the best we can do now is resupply and leave, maybe taking on a few refugees if the mining stations aren't problematic" I admitted "We've already a hundred odd guests, including, well…"

"An actual Goddess Callum"

"I admit not the plan, but…we're committed and it's not a negative as she's the container of millions of souls and has largely been silent since boarding" because conserving power in statue mode, as well as staying hidden from any snoopy outsiders…or drawing attention from the abomination. Kara didn't seem to mind at least as I continued "Well…we deliver her to a place and then we leave and never speak of it again. For everyone's safety"

Kara gave me a kiss on the cheek, yawning immediately afterwards "Don't worry I believe you, but, heck Callum…things went really bad there. That whole world…."

"Try not to think on it Kara. There's nothing we can do. Nothing even the Gods could do" I said honestly, closing my own eyes and thinking about her, and not what was happening across the solar system "We're alive, the crews alive, and we'll help what little we can as we leave the system. That, is a victory, even if it doesn't feel like it"

"It doesn't" she replied, rolling over atop me looking at sadly, then trying to look seductive despite tiredness, and probably for the same reasons as me;- not wanting to dwell on the situation, and just glad to be alive despite everything we'd encountered. Life and death situations had an effect on you after all "But let's get back to not thinking about it for a while…"

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 1527]

[Current Dimension]

Spelljammer

[Current Location]

Fortune's Chance, in orbit Honavastii VI, or whatever they call it now. Considering everything is falling apart in-system I'm sure it'll have many other names soon enough

[Trading Report]

If you count it as trade anyway. It's more crude barter with a dying civilization, while everyone stays at gun range due to threats. These people are desperate, and desperate people do stupid things. Those who can escape from their homeworld largely have escaped, and its mostly miners, prisoner transports, and naval vessels – because those where the things in orbit. Nothing worth acquiring there from a purely capitalist point of view, and also dangerous to us.

So, we've engaged with a mining station cluster well away from the potential colony escape world on the barely habitable other planet in-system – ie their penal world I think. Also, while ignoring all the nightmarish broadcasts from the homeworld for simple mental health reasons. Everyone else in system is either going to make a break for it in ships, or settle down on their really shitty maybe colony. Or, in our case, take the option of coming aboard.

Disturbing when people try to sell their daughters into slavery, but that's what we've got here mostly. The matriarchy that was the Vanguard collapsed really fast out here when the prisoners took over the asylum. Or mining stations anyway. Navy ships too. Turns out fear and social taboos breakdown real fast in the face of extinction level threats.

Anyway, down to 'trade', since this is a trade report technically.

We've received a chunk of technical manuals and various datasets on, mostly mining related, tools and orbital station environmental systems. Samples of the computers and other things, from tools to weapons, as well, in exchange for our two spare spelljammer helms. Well, the auxiliary ones, and that'll let them refit into the vessels here to leave the system. Also, we got tons of rare metal ores and such that they've been mining here, but are no longer of much use with the homeworld gone.

In exchange we take two hundred and sixteen teenagers with us. Orphans. Young Progressives or whatever they've been called. Or, to be more exact, those failed the party due to parents or just bad luck in being in a bad 'social class' as a 'tyrant oppressor' whatever. Refugees now, and not part of the breakout group earmarked for the ships they need the helms for. I'd rather not, but, well, it's a loss maker and helping causes that. We'll recoup losses at next port of call.

[Diary Entry]

Well, we're alive. That's important, and very good.

Other than that I've a ship with a Goddess and a bunch of gnome teenagers aboard, as well as some actual paying passengers. All eager to not be here in the death system, and I agree with them. We're being as quick as possible, done a quick handover of enough to get some of their ships viable if they work at it, taken on said refugees, and taken on ice from the asteroid belt. Quinn and Chief Engineer Sanchez have done a full system check while we did that, hours and hours of waiting, and that's all green across the board. Everyone's clean, the ship is green, and we've done our good deed. And, most importantly, some ships are vectoring towards us, so we need to leave.

Trading with a barely armed orbital station used for penal labour is not the same as dealing with warships led by little revolutionaries who've overthrown the evils of the Matriarchy. Because the Vanguard weren't particularly competent, but this lot might be as they're drawn from the soldiery, and, frankly, desperation might bring the competent to the top. Which'd be great for their long-term species survival. Not so great though right now for our escape prospects if we linger – so off we're going now into the wild dark yonder. We'll through the Crystal Sphere before they're even half-way towards us.

As to Zelayanna. Or Divine Guest. Well, that's a conversation and I'll be glad when she's safely ensconced in 'that harem in the sky' as she put it. A joke attempt, but even she's nearly breaking down at it, goddess that she might be. Survival now is dependent on my Patron as her world is, literally, dying, and even maintaining a link to the survivors will, ironically, require outside help. She can't make the energy investment to do the miracles and the like to help them in the face of what's happening. Honestly, they'll be living a half-life as techno-barbarians within a generation on that semi-terraformed colony world of theirs. If they can breathe the air and eat the food, then they'll survive I expect. Not that I'll let myself dwell on it. Everyone's taking it bad thinking on that abomination.

Now though I need to go to the bridge. We need to get into the Phlogiston and head towards where the Boss Orcs want us.

--

[05.40: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Away! Away! Get Away from the undead horror…]

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 1533]

[Current Dimension]

Spelljammer

[Current Location]

Deep in the Phlogiston

[Trading Report]

N/A

[Diary Entry]

We're on the move in the colour fog, stealthing so much as we can in the Phlogiston and travelling as fast as we can away from our previous port of call and what waits there. Just been in the same system with that thing gave me the chills, even when it was so far outside its range. How Karguk managed that, but, then again, very different when you stand in the light of the Gods versus being in a dead system filled with idiots doing terrible idiot things to summon the End Times. Doom? Fucking hell but those Seers got that right this time around, even if they could really, really, warned about the specifics of it all.

Anyway, that's behind us. We've just the aftermath to deal with now, and we've several days dealing with that even as we breached and Crystal Sphere and headed out into the seas proper. Our forward cargo bay and trade area are, right now, a temporary refugee camp and that is a pressure from simple things like feeding them, to the dealing with the waste. Quinn and Sanchez had set up a crude, if effective, sanitation system for the moment so that's handling the second problem, along with providing clean water for them. Even if it is like herding traumatised cats to be honest. We've had multiple meetings over it, but the former assault bay nature of the forward cargo holds is working in our favour this time around at least.

Lucy Chen is right in that they need professional help, but we can't exactly do that as we aren't exactly chock to the brim with crew. She agrees, and I understand the problem, but we'll all just have to wait till we get back to civilization of our own support base. Honestly, everyone is somewhat traumatised amongst the crew, me included, so once this is done, we're staying in port a nice long time. Likely recruit a new crew to replace people not wanting to continue I expect as I can't imagine everyone want to sigh back up, especially after this little shindig.

Yep. Definitely taking time off. Study artefacts and new purchases. Train Azula as a good apprentice. Overthrow the Fire Nation and put her in charge. Work on the Lantern Ring. Go to Sigil. All that fun jazz. Stuff not about this. Time off. Definitely. All the time not on this.

That would be nice. Very nice.

But right now, we have so much on our plate to deal with. Travelling within the Phlogiston is going to be several long days, weeks, and that's to a secret location to deliver our divine cargo. Then home. Definitely home after that. So we're dealing with the refugee chibis and preparing for extended operations with said large number of extra people – oh, and delivering our passengers to their destination. The non-divine ones. Most have stayed in their cabins, but there's plenty that have to be monitored as they go to the restaurant. Yes, we've a restaurant for them now. Thanks Burt and Debbie.

But its putting pressure on everyone, and we're all having to work long, long, shifts to make everything function optimally. Even with Mister Handys deployed it's still a pressure maintain a first-class service while ensuring security on them and on the teenage survivors playing cargo-class passengers. Unfair perhaps, but the VIPs did pay through the nose for the first-class service in their rescuing, so they are getting that service. Chao has recruited half the engineering staff and security to allow her to do that, while they feed the sunshine brigade down the holds. A healthy diet is something we can achieve for now, but we'll very much resupply at our next stop for a healthier diet for them.

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 1547]

[Current Dimension]

Spelljammer

[Current Location]

Tradeport of Regilis, Volundrun Confederacy, World of Volduur, Crystal Sphere on the fringe of known space

[Trading Report]

All passengers delivered safely to the agreed upon location. Even if I've never heard of it before it's pleasant, and largely non-tech related. There are 'Doors' outwards from here as I understand it. So, that's that done.

Costs; -

87 Arcane Platinum Trade Bars & 4579 Gold Coins

- food stores and other provisions for our journey equivalent to two months supplies current numbers

- 53 x healing potions

- 91 x Barrels of Red Wine

- 34 x Barrels of Vinegar

- 25 x Barrels of Salt

- 4 x minor Spelljammer helms

- 1 x major Spelljammer helm (elven, used, and old, but I can make it restore it to full power in time)

[Diary Entry]

In and out, that's the plan and we've stuck to it, we've already orbit from this world and I'm glad of it. Not quite a pirate port, but verging on it, and there's clearly a large mercenary trade here. Orcs and goblins present in numbers too, so I'd reckon it's a 'free port' in the more disputed areas. I don't dwell on the matter, nor how they have helms from could only be an elven warship, and the others from mixed sources. Fell off the back of someone's van I bet, at gunpoint maybe. Or 'found' in the 'aftermath' of a battlefield. It'll take a good while to test them into being secure and safe to use, but, Boss Orc is there to help.

At the next destination because there was a temple here. Nice and small shrine. Secretly prayed there as instructed. Got more instructions. Another few weeks in the shimmering seas of foggy colour and nightmare ghosts. Yay.

How times have changed from hazy memories not my own. Oh, and all the wars between orcs and elves and others hovering in the background. Also, werewolves here, loads them these parts too, so good to be gone let me say very clearly. This is a game I should not be playing in, nor do I want to be playing in. We've enough problems back on my side of the multiverse without playing shadows and knives with the Imperial Elven Fleet and their Pantheon. I like been an honest trader, not a divine smuggler dancing around pirate ports and undead apocalypses.

It's not like Lady Zelayanna is in much desire to converse about things after all, what with her world dead and people largely dead or scattered. I don't blame her for wanting the isolation and not risking encountering the clusters down in the holds. That at least we can move a few of them up to the passenger cabins in groups with bit of reworking of the rooms in the next few says. At least with our paying customers gone we can afford to ease off on the high-quality service part and let people rest – that and we've got some semblance of order amongst the 'junior crew' to keep them focused. Can't let them anywhere they might do damage, but some work is helping, and basic lessons with videos helps.

Me, I've focused on training with Azula, and through her with her uncle, Iron, along with talking about various diplomatic things they want to do. That'll be for when we're home, but he has been helpful with some guidance on waterbending in conjunction with the scrolls I'd gotten. I hate being a beginner at spells, but learning is fun as always, even if the progress is slow and a reminder I need more exercise. Kara is insisting Barbara help out with that, and now I've 'been being beaten up by Batgirl' on the daily agenda. She beats up Azula as well, so there is that I suppose. Good training for all of us, as Barbara needs some arcane training as well in exchange, and the 'bending' style martial arts are always something a Bat family member would want to learn.

It keeps the mind busy, and it's a welcome distraction from the brief bout of trading, wheeler-dealing, and secret sailing movements. Also helps with staying alive when the next harrowing situation appears. Need to be able to run lots and dodge sharp pointy things I do come the next terror inducing nightmare, yessiree.

We've a period at sea now anyway, so now we've routines in place for our passengers we can get back to some of the more beneficial aspects of training shifts and research projects. Faralda's doing the same over on Thunderchild, and I'd count that as a success considering we're all alive. I'm sure our sponsors and allies on Earth will be very happy to see that, even if we've been gone for what feels like forever and no way to get updates. Back to the age of sail, except slower, mostly, because in theory using 'doors' and such could allow it to be done every few ports. No matter. Head back soon. First. Let's go to some spooky ancient ruins and hand over a Goddess. Uh-huh. Yep. Fun times.

--

[05.41: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Downtime, Uptime, and all the time in the worlds…]

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 1542]

[Current Dimension]

Spelljammer

[Current Location]

Still sailing to destination [Redacted]

[Trading Report]

N/A

[Diary Entry]

I've had some time to work on my little projects, as well as deal with Lady Zelayanna to ensure she doesn't crack from depression and the fact of being in the Phlogiston. Not a place any deity avatar wants to be, especially one in debt and care to another deity (the Boss) under a Contract of some sort. Hells, I can't even write or think on certain matters without [Redacted] filling in the gap for the things I know and place we're going. Not that the place actually matters I expect, but I have a strange feeling the what and the where will be muddled in memories shortly after we leave our guest.

So be it, I shan't complain. Anyway, myself and Quinn have been meeting with our currently resident Goddess the last few days, and its cheered her up as well as given benefits to Quinn. Me, I'm focused on discussing my Green Lantern Ring Project – or the How to Make It Work or How to Make New One Project as it's more accurately put at. It's tech-based device after all, tied into the emotional spectrum, and with a powerful, albeit limited, AI to make it function. Quinn has always been fascinated by it, but our VIP's depression broke at least as she studied it in an almost gnome-ish fashion for once.

I'd normally be more cautious about discussing the matter, but, well, bound spirit and I need the help, as does Quinn even if helping Quinn carries danger with his ideas. It's been a productive discussion break, about an hour to two hours over the last four days, and she's got ideas on the whole thing. As a distraction from everything that has happened, and that will happen all too soon, I expect. It certainly is for me, and Quinn, based on all the things we've pooled on our encounter with Atropus, and things that'll likely give those reading the data nightmares for quite some time.

Now we're 'functional' with the refugees we've been able to ease back on long shifts to do stuff like this, as well as do more training and the like. Morale been kept up, after everything, is important and we've all got our ways of copping with it. Of course, all the nightmare horrors lurking out in that colourful fog also plays into things, as you don't want to be there all the time, with sifts of six hours each being enough I think. Deep travel into the flows are dangerous for reasons other than food supply after all, and we've been running hot, as has Thunderchild, again due to ghost ships. Or what counts for them out here, along screaming things that brushed off the warded hulls.

Yes. It's mostly boring. Then you get the occasional jump scare even with the sensors. Things needing driving off with our reduced weapon load. Locking everything so there's no chance of flame is hard after all. Something sparked on the hull three days ago and Rose on the helm got right startled at the explosion result that made her think we were under attack. We weren't obviously, but a reminder of how easily fire means disastrous results out here. Boring but potentially deadly, and after recent nightmares, having increased downtime for all of us is a good thing for all. Me included as these little sessions are giving good notes for how to handle my little pet project.

Azula's a bit better too I think, at least the worst of the shocks faded and she hasn't had any signs of breakdown after Atropus. I'd worried about as lots of those with me were unnerved including a very stressed Zatanna till recently, but training's going well, and she's off plotting World Peace in her off time. Also, diplomacy with her uncle and brother I think, but certainly in long discussions with those from Quinn's Earth (not Quinn, because Quinn barely notices politics to be honest) about various matters. I expect a diplomatic conference in the coming months upon our return home. Something I'm very much looking forward too, thank you very much. Now, off to quality time with Kara. Slán.

--

{Normal days, normal travel, location [Redacted] in a normal way!}

"Oh Zee, stop muttering at me" I told Zatanna with a sigh as I completed the spell and breached the crystal sphere before us "We've all signed the contracts, even Faralda and the others across the way"

"I don't like messing with my memories"

I shrugged "Tough. You wanted to be here on the bridge, then here we are, there we signed. That's the business we're in right now. So let's get this done then. Bring us through and too [Redacted]"

"How does that work? When he says [Redacted] I understand what's meant, but it's still…"

Zatanna grumbled, standing beside Kara after she'd asked the question, answering it for me it seemed "Magic, just…magic. Oath and Geas he so loves, but backed up by Divine Will of our girl down in the room. This'll be all super hazy down the line for all of us Zara…"

"Which was explained before we all agreed. Now, please, focus on sailing" Barbara muttered to the two as I stood behind the wheel and brough the vessel through into local realmspace once more after Thunderchild led the way into the breach "Shields are up. All boards are green Captain"

"Okay, bringing us through…" I replied, starting to go through a now semi-standard set of procedures for entering a system like this from the Phlogiston. It helped put an end to the grumbling as we slowly progressed through to a normal looking system of sun and planets, about eight large and a number of smaller planetoids serving as moons or asteroids. Perhaps the remains of a shattered planet?

I wasn't sure and didn't need to know as I ordered the Thunderchild into orbit of the gas giant, near one of it's moons, and set course for further in system. There was no electronic traffic in the system, nor was there much sign of any magic between 'background' natural magic as we pressed on towards a smaller, more Mars sized, planet passed the flickering shadows in the asteroid field that we didn't look into. On we drove, with a skeleton bridge crew compared to normal, minutes turning to hours as we raced at full speed as minutes turned to hours…

--

{As I went down to the river to pray, studying about the good ol'ways…}

My guest, my passenger, was fidgeting nervously as I brought the shuttle, poorly even with the system help, down to the planet below where a whisper I couldn't hear was calling us. Thankfully I could fly it well enough to get from A to B with the system's help, and in silence I landed the shuttle amidst mountains and fog and ruins…

Lady Zelayanna let out a breath, standing up behind me and starring into nothingness "We're here"

"Yes, I believe so" I answered taking my cane into hand, gesturing and opening the doors on the shuttle's airlock so we could exit into the breathable atmosphere "Your door Milady"

"Ever so kind" the gnomish woman murmured, standing as what her people had been before their revolution, and I could feel the pressure of divine power upon me the moment she stepped outside of the doorway and into the misty lands outside "Ahh…feel that life"

"It's not much of a world to look upon" I admitted standing behind her, hands resting on my cane and gazing out at the old ruins amidst the mountains we'd landed in. The language wasn't orcish nor elven, at least not that I recognised "I'm afraid there might not be much ceremony to this"

"Oh, ceremony will be much of it, but I'd prefer not to have a great audience to this humbling" she replied, but sounded amused rather than fearful now, a shimmering aura upon her body as she gazed upon two great stone pillars, with steps leading up between then to…an empty space "Now. Walk with me"

"As you wish Milady" I murmured, doing as requested and walking with her through the ruins of what must have once been a city. One I didn't recognise, nor…

But the feeling was there. This place watching everything. Whispers in the void of my broken soul.

Through the shattered town square, or what I assumed was a plaza once, we walked, towards those odd standing stone steps, till we stood at the base of them. Mists…enveloped us, enveloped everything till everything around us was fog and shrouded shadows and mists beyond the standing stones, Lady Zelayanna nodding as she shimmered a golden aura, motes of light breaking off and flicking out. Joining the mists as I…felt rather odd to be honest, slightly detached from myself as she turned from me, suddenly giant, kissing me on the forehead for some reason.

"Thank you, Captain-Priest, for delivering us from evil"

…and then turned from me, a short gnomish woman again, clad in her alchemist like clothing, with googles, save that they were white-gold-translucent-blinding now in a radiance as she diminished, yet didn't. Wings appearing along with a golden torc as clothing melted away as she walked step by step up the stairs, as the light and shadows raged in a vortex between the pillars. Then replaced with garb of faintly orcish make, a soft sigh, a million, million, voices whispering by as the hooded and robed figure stood above us as the gnome fell to her knees, forehead pressed to the stonework as light engulfed me…

…and I sat in an old farmhouse in a home not mine anymore. Never to be mine anymore, as an old orc sat across from me in my Da's chair. The smells and sounds all the same as…

"Good job" the fragment of my Patron said closing the book he'd been reading, looking at me "You got her here safe and intact, despite…well, that was unexpected"

"Yes" I stated blandly, looking around "Very much unexpected. Unwelcome too. Very nearly killed us all too"

"I can see from your memories. Quite the mess" he told me tapping the tome in his lap "Several things are quite the mess in fact. Best we get to fixing that small body and soul problem fully then. Thankfully much of the work has already been done"

"Problems?"

"One is moderately concerned you might do something foolish like try clone yourself or other spells to extend life and that would be problematic shall we say, at least before you heal up. You are your own person you know?" he said, gesturing as the background shifted and I was within Mount Justice….ahh, M'gann and burning cookies "This is just a base of memories that diverge"

"I'm aware" I answered more harshly than intended "I'm…aware"

"Perhaps" the orc mystic theurge murmured "Perhaps. The Lord of Order has done much to aid the task it seems…"

"Don't you already know that?"

He shrugged "Yes, and, No. Time and space are funny like that. Here, there, everywhere, and nowhere. I know here and now, and it's a favour owed to that variation of that Order, but, a situation best resolved here and now I think"

"Okay. Sign me up for that" I replied honestly looking at my hands. I was….better, but there were always lingering concerns about the flash clone nature of my…birth. So I nodded amidst the magic "Could do with a bit of a tune up I reckon…"

--

[05.42: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[In the Mind's Eye…]

"Why are we walking down memory lane?" I asked as I stood on a road…an old road, a familiar road, with the rain falling as we stood under a tree where I'd once sheltered on a summer's day once upon a time after going for a walk. The colours were so…vivid, the smells strong…

"Because…" I glared at him, at the tone, as if speaking to a small child "…memories are an inherent part of a soul matrix, and, frankly, your second mother did a terrible job along with arcane protections doing a very good job"

I nodded as reality…shifted, a day at the beach now, the sunshining down on a rare sunny day during summer holidays "Yes, I'd assumed that, but did we…do this already"

"Battlefield triage isn't brain surgery either, and you rather had to rush off after that. It's not an issue per se, not now, as it's sort of healing over in time, but…part of getting you here was to fix those issues. Some of which you're likely unaware of because she filled in the gaps, then we filled the gaps, and then you've this water moon blessing thing going on. Also, you're bloodline…is mildly messed up, potentially limiting in time" the old orc stated leaning on his black staff, waving his hand in the air "Meaning…"

"Meaning I'm a broken clone and breaking down early, or would in time"

"Time is relative, and arcane usage helps, but Lord Nabu stabilised the worst, but He, It, is a Lord of Order, and different notes for different folks. There is also the issue of the Murder Moon. So, no, you're not a broken clone, it's just an incompetent species fecked things up and now we have a capacity to resolve them" he replied as things shifted again, to a pizza shop in killarney, a bustling crowd at night around it "Also you and your other half will not repeat the Manshoon Clone Wars"

"Hey!" I objected "I negotiated…anyway, it's hardly like…"

"You are both time and location locked to the same instance of Sigil. Highly unlikely, but that's not sufficient with contingencies. Both of you are My Eyes and Ears within the City of Doors" he stated blankly opening his book in his free hand and studying 'writing' within it "So, play nice with each other if you ever do meet"

"You're the Boss, as you command" I came back with taking a few steps away and turning on my heels, seeing the town around me in clear vision, edges of grays and voids vanishing…or overwriting. Studied it "Why here? Nice pizza I'll admit that night, but hardly…"

"Relevant?" he gave me a stern look "It's all relevant young man, and you know that well. Also, why would we start with such memories?"

I sighed "To start with minor ones first for safety's sake rather than more complicated or emotional intense ones. Hey, will I get an update from after the point of New Mom?"

"No" was the straightforward, and stern, answer to that joking question "Kalum, you and he were the same soul till the point of divergence, but you are not him, and he not you, even if the base was the same"

"Fine. This isn't going to screw me up mentally, is it?"

"This is replacing and repair damage, but its background for lack of a better word" God told me as the…scene changed, now a black and grey, fritzing like an old movie where the projector was having problems. What might be John Constantine stood near me "And some, useful things locked away or damaged. Useful to have, yes?"

I…blinked as colour flowed into the scene, and everything began to animate, and I clicked my fingers, suddenly remembering "This…this is, before…Washington, spells on…wards?"

"Yes, Constantine specific knowledge so not easily filled during your restoration"

I snorted "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"Well, it was. Their cloning method was absolutely dreadful, and you were only you when you connected with our power, at which point, Restoration" he pointed out as I…suddenly knew this again, the spellwork, along with ideas that flowed from that knowledge "There's also the issue in the background. Which you haven't noticed still I see, so…here..."

The scene shimmered, engulfed in shadows and mists that swept over it, and then disappeared just as quickly, leaving behind Mount Justice. Greyed out somewhat…

My…I mean, Artemis sparing with Black Canary it looked like, while Robin watched on, voices coming from elsewhere in the Mountain. I frowned "I…don't see, well, beyond…"

I gestured at the greyscale scene playing out "Well, whatever this is about"

"John! You forgot your…" a voice called from behind us, and I turned as M'gann hovered into view….

Looking at me. Looking at the Boss Orc and giving an awkward wave "Um, hi, I'm M'gann, and who are you?"

Motioned at me, and looking around in confusion as nobody else reacted…and noticing the greyscale "What…"

"Hello dear" the Boss said "I'm a…friend of John's, here to help. Things must have been quite strange for you I'd imagine?"

M'gann froze, hovering in place, face in confusion "I…I…this isn't…"

…and then we were in a pub, a mental projection we'd done a few times when I'd been Sean. Her face fell "Oh, it's the simulation again?"

"What's going on?" I asked seriously looking around, unnerved, turning to the Boss "No seriously. What's going on? There shouldn't be any interaction…there…there…memories not…"

"Memories can be interactive actually, mutable, but that's not the case here" as I was shut up by M'gann suddenly hugging me…

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

…and certainly felt real as I resisted spazzing out and gesticulating wildly, instead awkwardly hugging her as she freaked out, the Boss still talking clearly over it "No. Your dear Second Mother filled in the gaps initially, not all from you because barriers were up. Mind Blank and other protections. But the psionic link was up, and brief touches are still brief touches"

He thudded his staff off the ground as I stood, befuddled and hugging…till M'gann startled at the sound of the staff, as well as the scene suddenly shifting. This time to somewhere she had never been with me. Nor any variation of me. The College of Winterhold, us standing on the rooftop on a 'sunny day' by Skyrim standards, though I could actually feel the cold as the Martian girl stood in front of me, clad in her mini skirt and top, gloved hands around herself and looking….very confused as Karguk spoke "My dear you are not after repeating that debacle with the combat simulation"

"Oh…Oh! That's good!" she said with relief, looking around in even more confusion "That…ah, where are we?"

"Well children that's difficult to explain, but, here is a place called Winterhold, it's a College" the Boss explained patiently as I realised I was in human form here, and had been the entire time, and…

"Really, a cheerleader outfit?"

She pouted at me as I facepalmed "He said it's a college! I'm fitting in!"

"Children" the Boss reminded me, and her, and I nodded after a moment "See, my dear, the goods news is that this isn't a simulation like before. Now, have you, by any chance been having odd dreams?"

M'gann frowned, then frowned her harder at me "Wait…um, well…." Then gave me pouting glare, gesturing at me "And what about Artemis John? Who was that girl...and you were…doing naughty…stuff….with…that…"

She seemed to deflate, looking confused "That…doesn't…make sense, how would…I…"

"Yes, bad news dear and…" and then she was gone, running off into…mist as the Boss Orc spoke, sighing as she did so "Hmm. See, some problems"

"What. The. Fuck?"

"She's a living memory. Mother tried to fill the gaps"

I…just…what…

Shook myself "I've a Miss Martian in my head? How did I not notice this?"

"Because memories were an issue, and now they're being fixed. Atropus was an issue as you overdid the alchemy, valid reasons, but the contingencies were pressed beyond they what somewhat they could. The nightmares?"

"I assumed that was the undead nightmare planet" I muttered rubbing my head as a storm rolled in "Right. Ok. What the hell does living memory mean?"

"You've a Martian girl in your head" he stated bluntly "Also there's the embodiment of humanity's anger issues lurking around there somewhere to, along with a big solid chunk of order, orcishness, and all sorts of other little things like water element sorcery"

I just…

"How are you fixing this?!"

The Boss opened the book, ignoring the storm flowing in around us "Me? I'm restoring your memories and seeing to your physical health. You are solving this problem, as it is your problem and your choice how to deal with these matters, from the residents in the asylum you call a brain, to what choices you make to your….well, lets go with Character Build. It's a vision quest!"

I glared as the snows swept over us "That's not a reward!"

"Yes. It is. You are your own person Kalum Outis, and the path is yours to decide, mine is merely to provide power and guidance…" he replied as the world was a howling whiteout of snow and wind "Now. Go. You've healing and self-improvement to do"

…and then all was gone, as I blocked the storm with my hand, emerging into a faint sunlight…

--

[05.43: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Born Again….]

It was gloomy and overcast, sun and rain in the air through broken clouds over towering buildings, and gods-damned cold. Because I was naked for some stupid fucking reason. I growled at that, shivering as chill got to me and I hugged myself, cursing this situation as I shouldn't be feeling the chill in a gods-damned memory of all things…

'And now I'm being dumb. Summon armour. Idiot' I reminded myself, commanding the clothing to appear, to cover myself and armour my form. This was a major improvement as it drove away the chill, as well as the feeling of wet concrete and tarmacadam beneath my feet, as I shook myself and straightened. M'gann had vanished off somewhere into the depths of consciousness, and now I'd got the task of fixing myself, and that meant bad…things…

"Oh dear. Of course. Here. Great. Happy times" I noticed looking around at the skyline. At the figure in the mirror. Me clad in the black and silver armour that'd been mine once upon a time, in the city that was called Brockton Bay where I'd been born. Or cloned. Or copied. Or whatever the hell you wanted to call it. But…I hadn't worn this armour this day. My original self had. Though it did explain the nakedness at first, though the events had been something of massive blur after the explosion of divine intervention the moment my 'Life' had connected to the Power of my God.

"Now, wasn't this more…" I looked around at the empty cityscape, a roaring sound in the distance like thunder, but everything was quiet and peaceful here. No sign of the small army of metahumans and others present at the fight as I recalled "…hmmm…activity? I distinctly recall waterbending mini-godzilla stomping about…"

"Murderer" voices echoed out around me from the streets, shadows moving in the light "Traitor"

'I thought we were fixing memories. Not messing them up more' was my immediate thought as a number of voices tried the whole *We are Legion* voice trick as I rested my hands on my hips and looked around at the shadows moving near alleys and the like. This needed to be fixed apparently, and…

"Oh Gods! This is the memory you want to throw at me!" at the flying naked man coming out of the third floor of one of the damaged office buildings. One of the local whatever Not-Justice League, another clone like me of dead mother Noelle and whatever gave her her powers. An important one two, though I hadn't meet him till this fight as Sean, and…yeah I looked away "Dude! Pants! Like really, this is not…"

WSSSHHHHHHH

…and there was pain. Terrible. Terrible. Pain. Energy beams slammed into me and drove me backwards over the street and into the pavement as I cried out at the sudden assault…

"Wha…"

…and then was slammed into from the right by an agonisingly powerful punch from a naked flying woman, my combat armour and protective spells covering the worst of the assault as I staggered…and then rolled. My moves were partially automatic, unthinking off the fact I was in my mindscape and this *should* *not* *be* *happening* in terms of pain from a memory. Magic surged…and I teleported…

To a random rooftop nearby…

'Ok…what the…" I shook myself, muscles aching as I stood back up…summoning a familiar staff into hand and panting hard as I stumbled a moment…

And then was attacked by a swarm of gods-damned rats…

"Get off…get off…" I managed to get out as they swarmed me, insect like creatures trying to penetrate my armoured skull suit and my magic, but failing as I drew energy into myself. Drew it in, and then slammed my staff down into the ground, darkness welling forth and killing all them as rage flowed from me. Awareness, at least some of it came to my mind as figures came into view, moving to surround me. Like the consciousness of M'gann these…well, nowhere near the same level, but clearly fragments of memories from my….would be siblings from my second mother.

"Ok. One warning. I'm willing to see what we…"

…and then then naked flying tank woman was attacking me again, my hasted form dodging, rolling out of the way as energy ignited on my staff to turn a scythe of sorts, midnight black energy pouring forth as I swung it to clear away rats and other tiny creatures. The fragments of an alien mind, now awoken was attacking me, and my patience was gone as naked Black Canary came into view, but face….just wrong with scars, and mouth moving as her body indicated drawing breath…

'This is going to hurt' was my immediate thought as I braced…and then got slammed by the canary cry, or some weirdly coloured variant of it. Then was flung off the roof and across the street, slamming through glass window there into an empty office of some sort, smashing through a desk…

My focus snapped into place. This. Was. My. Mind.

My hand rose up and caught the incoming punch as I gazed out through a battered mask, necrotic energy seeping out from me as shockwave exploded out from where the punch had hit my hand. These were but fragments of an alien memory come to life as my memories were restored to what they should be. Little bits of otherness from when I'd killed them all the first time around. When I'd been powered directly by the Light of the Shrouded Lord….like now as I opened my eyes and saw them for what they were, even if my body *hurt* and my breathing slightly ragged. I'd said it once, and said it again…

"I…haaah….prefer…being an…haa…only child!"

…and then lashed my 'sibling's' invincible flesh with a life drain, tearing the energy from her as I dehydrated her body as well. Watching it turn dark, then into that of a blackened mummy…before disintegrating to ash as I purged it from my mind and lowered my scythe in one hand as I stepped forward, other, free, hand raised before me. The flashing energy beams slammed into the shield, which held back the bright blue-white energies was I called forth my power, and stabbed my staff, energies adjusting from scythe to spear and slamming into the chest of the metahuman man that charged at me. Again I drained and purged them, this one I didn't recognise, save he was strong…but died as swiftly as I drained them dry, banishing them from this place.

With each 'death' the flickers of alien presence were growing weaker and weaker, the world of this part of my mindscape restoring like in a game or a bizarre film. People and buildings flickering into reality, colour and motion restoring as roars of battle and a storm filled the air. The rat girl died next as she tried to hide and send minions at me, but my teleport eliminating that support further reducing enemy effectiveness. Not-Black Canary, the Beam Spammer, the…

Well, numbers and powers meant nothing as I purged them, healing my injuries with their 'deaths', rage beating in my heart as the 'Enchanter' armour grew more and more battered as I battled through them. As the staff broke and I reverted to draining them by hands, and dark tentacles of inky darkness as I marched through this foggy mirror of reality. Watched as it renewed and I strode forward through this 'test' as I hunted down and killed the last of the shadows, ignoring their insults mixed with begging. Everything of use was integrated, everything a threat purged, as strength and pain flowed through me still. Step by step as the mists flowed over me and I marched forward from the battle behind me and further into the shadows of my own mind.

To me it seemed reality was twisting upon itself, walking up a road that went upwards, yet somehow descended to another place as I grumbled to myself and tests. Calling out for the living memory of M'gann, and walking into a forest of all things, with a path splitting before me…

--

[05.44: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]

[Down the forest path…]

Eerily silent woods with fog with diverging paths. I had a fucked-up mind. Really, I did.

I sighed, gazing out through the battered skull mask, hand reaching up and tearing the remnants of the mask away and throwing it into the trees. A broken, shattered, mask wasn't much use anymore, now, was it?

Before me was a choice it seemed to me. One of the Boss's tests, or perhaps the way the mind broke down the need to choose between concepts and power. Sometimes things were mutually exclusive, such as the 'natural' inclination towards Fire that lay down one Path, and the Path of Water that lay down the other, the one gifted to me. Or bartered for depending on how one viewed it culturally. But it was one of those matters that weren't going to overlap at my 'level' so to speak, not in a soul only finding its structures as the duality could be rather deadly in that regards.

So, I sat, whittling a walking stick of sorts as I thought on the matter…an amusing thing when I was inside my own mind…and then, after a time, walked down the colder path. Time was relative, an eternity here but barely any time outside…maybe, I couldn't tell as I stood up after choosing. Better to choose what was earned, rather than a hand-me-down, and I carefully descended down the forest path into what seemed to be a snow-covered mountain valley, a half-frozen river flowing at its heart. Which was when I started wishing for warmer clothes as the winds picked up, and bitter cold running through me as I got further in, the skies turning to pitch black night, illuminated only by a silver moon.

"Oh, for fuck's sake…" I managed to get out as the winds turned to winds and snow, to blizzard, shrieking over my body as I had to fight my way forward, teeth starting to chatter as I dug the 'walking stick' into the ground as I had to drag myself along. Pain and cold were the price for going forward here, my muscles aching as the fires inside burned against the chill, starting to gutter and shudder within. Yet I pressed on…for some foolish reason, the snows in my face as I pulled up the cloth from my battered armour and used the hood to shelter my eyes as I trudged ever onwards.

I focused on trying to control my mindscape…

But the storm only increased, a blizzard that lashed at my armour and skin, and I could only push onwards, everywhere around me a whiteout as I breathed hard, struggling on as the world shook around me. But there seemed to be a compass…somewhere…

I could feel it, and I pushed onwards, the cold I felt diminishing gradually despite the blizzard roaring around me, then it barely slowed me as I marched ever forward as the winds began to drop. The world began to stabilise, no longer shuddering around me…as the shrieking snowy blizzard turned into a soft snowfall beside a frozen lake as I stood a moment in rest. I felt centred. Calm. Rested beneath a tree in winter as water flowed beneath the frozen river and lake like the beating of my heart. But there was little time to rest, not truly, as I got up and moved forward to…

Shhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Crimson Light slammed into me as I threw up a shield spell to block with white-blue light.

…face anger issues apparently "wHy AReN't yOU deAD yEt?"

I glared back hatefully at Red Lantern Me apparently as they hovered in the air as the snowy landscape melted away into a dark and baleful background of hues of angry reds, dark blacks, and dull greys that might have been a city "And who the fuck are you meant to be Captain Anger Issues?"

"Rraagghhhh!" and I ate another beam of hellish crimson light, driven back by its rage fuelled power "FuCkINg dIe!

Bracing my arms before myself, using my walking stick as a staff of sorts I blocked the attack again, the fiery red flames licking at my battered back armour and shimmering shield as I slid backwards through the rumble of Mountain Justice. Then slammed my staff into the ground, smashing out a blast of arcane energy that shattered the attack and drove back the Red Lantern, then swinging my staff behind me one hand while I used the other to gesture at them, slamming out with a Lance of Energies that drove them back…

"You never loved me, did you?"

"Arty…" I managed to get out as the crimson figure emerged from where they'd been slammed ruins of Gotham buildings as the images blurred, only to re-emerge as a crimson illuminated form of Artemis. The glowing red bow unleashed an arrow…

Thunnkkkk

"Ahhh, fucker…"

…that slammed into my right shoulder at my hesitation, at the breach in my will at her appear, at her wrath filled face. The next came at my, and I desperately swatted it away with my 'staff' as I retreated before the crimson figure, the arrow an agonising fire in my shoulder as I tried to move as it stayed solid as the world itself was…unreal "I did! But…I'm that person anymore, you have…"

"Fake! Nothing but an evil clone!"

Mother's voice. Father's. Paula's. A host of others "DiE! dIE! Die!"

…and the blows rained down on me as I fell back, desperately defended as my defences were shred, as my armour was torn and ripped, blood flowing as…

As…I faced what I hated most it seemed.

Forced myself to calm. Closed my eyes, drew on the well within as the inherited power given form highjacked my emotions, feed into my human side as what it was. Forced myself into that green light, and standing up as the blows continued to fall upon me…

But to no effected now as the hellish scenes fell away. The figure of 'Alaya' stood before me, just the faintest fragment of that violent and intelligent rage that had driven humanity to the top of food chain…and had been an enabler of my own self-destructive habits. Such as ignoring the whole tearing my soul apart thing, or just general idiocy I realised as I looked over the soft violent framed figures that appeared like ghosts as the world stabilised…as I pushed through the ghosts, acknowledging them, but…

They weren't me in the here and now. Only echoes of a life not mine anymore.

Stepping past, and then through the mists into…yup.

Yeah. Yup. Indeed.

This was all the Orc 'Domain' energy pumped in during the battle, and now again. Savage energy at that.

'Fantastic' I thought sarcastically as I surveyed….an old fashioned, pre-Illuskan or Many-Arrows, Orc Stronghold. Because the Boss was *clearly* intent on making this difficult for me. Not only that but my 'skin' here had turned green, at least what I could see through my now tattered armour, and I was already exhausted after…everything else. The lingering embers of the Red Lantern idiot I'd absorbed…well, that blood was up as the first savage moron came into view to piss me off, bellowing threats…

"NO! NO!" I slammed my impromptu walking-stick/staff into the burly idiot's stomach as he raised his axe at me, falling down moments later with gasping noises "FUCKING NO! FUCK OFF!"

"STAY DOWN!" was my immediate response, along with a kick, as I shouted him in orcish, as the figment started to move. Then stomped forward after leaving the gasping figment of memory and test on the ground behind me "STUPID FUCKING…"

More idiots into view, and I gestured at the two with my free hand, then at my eyes, and then back at them in a 'I'm watching you' gesturing as they backed off as I knew I had to entered through the gates they were nominally guarding…

"THE CHALLENGER COMES!"

I let out an angry, shuddering breath as a voice boomed out in orc "Gods damned overly dramatic…"

"CLAIM THE PRIZE!"

I groaned before I turned the corner as more loud shouting filled the air from 'inside' the stronghold as I turned the walls past the gates, ready to enter the stronghold arena or whatever "Don't be M'gann. Don't be M'gann, Don't be…"

…and. Yes. Of course she was.

There was M'gann chained at the end of chain and leash, and being, nominally, naked at the foot of crude stone and skull throne. Of course, she was in her actual Martian form, that ape-lizard-dragon look so that wasn't exactly 'sexy' or whatever to my eyes, but she was reacting by waving at me to help her…but also trying to hide herself somehow, face most of all. And, there, jumping down was the 'Warchief', clad in armour, was…

"I hate my subconscious" was my immediate response, largely as Paula Nyugen, except in Large Orc Form thudding boots first into the ground, wielding two large axes for whatever reason "I really do…oh, fuck!"

…and then the warlord aspect fucking moved, axe swinging for my head…

"Fuck!" I cursed out again as I dodged the first blow, then the second axe "Can't you…ooff!"

…and then was sent flying as a metal boot smashed into my chest and sent me flying backwards into the stone wall behind me. Groaning in pain, I reached over and grabbed a true quarterstaff, that was *conveniently* already there as I rolled away as she jumped and swung at me as I brought the staff and deflected as I ached and moved to gain distance. Why oh why did everything have to be so godsdamned painful?

Or I would have been thinking that as I desperately avoided the skilled combat of the villainess formerly known as Huntress mixed with that of a feral female berserker defending the caves. Show of strength and endurance my fecking ass…

--