[06.32 Bargained well and done]

[So, how exactly did your world end?]

'Well, that's not going down so well' I noted as they went silent, glancing…likely telepathically communicating in certain circumstances, but the bright side was there had been no violent response. There was clearly someone else actually in charge here, and that concerned me as it likely wasn't the giant problem, but semi-sane magi, called Zelretch. The Fate dimensions, based on what limited knowledge we had anyway, was just one of those places that wouldn't play nice with the rest of us by all my estimation. Cultural differences and the nature of the magic usage, and its goals, so I really wasn't looking forward to this even if we all started singing kumbaya together.

"You argue that there has been some sort of…dimensional overlay, yes?" Lord El-Melloi II replied after a moment, holding up a hand to the priest "Then we would extrapolate you are from an alternate dimension than ours, and practicing the Second Magic, by your words"

"Yes, indeed" I brought my cane hand grip up my hand, tipping it a little dramatically as part of the act "Callum Outis, Outis Import/Exports, Captain of the spelljammer Fortune's Chance at your service good sirs and madams; Terms and conditions apply"

Because you had to be really careful with mages that you didn't accidently agree to terms with 'friendly statements' like that. Then I continued on "So, we are offering a way off this rock, but sadly we've no means to return you back to your prior home dimension"

"And where, now, would we be brought too if our home cannot be reached?"

…and now were unto dangerous ground in several ways, but with mages you were often best going to with the truth where possible, and if you were going to 'lie'…don't lie, but make sure you tell the truth in part. After all I couldn't actually commit to anything directly for either the Monitor, or the League of Aquitaine, even if I did have options. So, I shrugged "Many places, where exactly though, I cannot say beyond the nearest port of call, whereupon negotiations would have to occur with our sponsor, and our regulator of course, over your choices as there are quite a number of refugees…and the only vessel capable of transporting them is the one we are currently salvaging"

Looks passed amongst them, and now the woman Aozoki, spoke "That seems very convenient for you"

"No, it's not"

"And all out of the generosity of your heart, magus?" she continued after my momentary reply. I gave a wan smile at that, as it gave the answer in many ways at the suspicion.

"I prefer the term Arcanist actually, or, Mage, if need be" I replied politely to them, cane back down to the ground, defensive wards ready "As to convenience, no, it is not as I was saying, nor is beneficial to myself I'd imagine based on what I know of your likely dimension and culture of your magecraft. The think is, for many, leaving survivors of a shipwreck to drown is generally against their morals, some amongst my crew amongst those ranks. So, we are offering a way out, effectively free of charge, though it's not exactly free either"

No change from the priest or mages, though the solider and civilian's faces hardened, El-Melloi II voice like it was discussing the weather "Oh, how so?"

"We don't traverse space-time and dimensions as your Wizard Marshall does with what you would call the Second Magic" I stated, politely, if a bit bluntly "We travel….for want of a better description through a linked dimensional space in the local multiversal cluster. This takes time, often a significant period of time. Simply put…we don't have food to feed you, clothes for you to wear, nor beds for you to sleep on. My own vessel is an armed merchantman effectively and not up to tens of thousands of passengers to be blunt - but while our salvage can carry the numbers we believe are likely…the ship was crashed when this dimension died, there are no stores aboard her. Getting her back intact to a friendly dimension is going to be struggle in of itself, without all of you being aboard"

Because I could already see violence coming, what with some many more mages and priests than I'd envisioned originally. It really shouldn't surprise me that amongst the tens of millions of dead, and however many tens of thousands of survivors, that there were a large number of mage survivors bunkered up, or maybe it was just here…though that was unlikely. Okinawa hadn't come along for the ride at best guess, nor was there a vast fleet around the island. Whatever had happened had been done ad-hoc I suspected, or simply brute forced on the worst impacted areas, but that still left a large population that I couldn't easily handle here, or in Korea…and here were Old Families for those lands, alive. Alive and possibly with some sort of strike force from the Clocktower…

"You paint a grim picture…if not for the grimness of our current situation I'd be doubtful. But you are likely correct in the situation we are now in, and I'd note it was likely the Wizard Marshall himself that sent us to this time and place. Events here had spiralled beyond control to a potential extinction level event" the magus Lord admitted drolly "And now such knowledge as dimensional travel and multiverse theory…but, what most concerns me, is your implied distaste of, ah, cultural differences I believe you call them?"

Well, best be up front…

I gestured at myself with my right hand "Myself, I am from an Earth where the arcane arts were publicly known, and regulated by an agreed compromise body between the arcane community and national governments"

My hand gesture a stern looking Azula in her modified armour "My Apprentice's world that also had open knowledge of magic's existence, also regulated, under a system that leans towards hereditary sorcerous bloodline nobility, though not entirely either. While others aboard my spelljammer are from less regulated, and less developed technologically but ahead arcane wise, dimensions"

Paused, looked them over with a friendly smile "And then there is…your dimension"

"For one knows not how to return us there…you imply to know a significant amount"

I continued to smile back at them at El-Melloi II words "Yes, your dimension is known to a number of dimensions beyond your, or at least a number of variations of it are known to the planeswalking community anyway. How accurate that knowledge is, we're unsure of"

"How is that…knowledge known, exactly?"

I blinked, then shrugged after a moment "I suspect you don't want to know…"

El-Melloi winced, as if someone was shouting into his ear "Please, how?"

"How? Personally, I lean towards humanity being somewhat being unconsciously being able to see other dimensions and reveal it through seers and various fiction writers…in specific terms?" I offered awkwardly with a 'what can you do?' gesture with my hands outwards "It's ah…well…umm…well, okay, it's a series of popular Japanese…um, video games based on the setting"

Confusion there, even from the non-mages and priest, save El Melloi II, whose face…he blinked, seemed to the think, and then gave me a blank look "Eroge. He made our dimension into….a porn game?"

"Games, multiple, along with numerous, ah…um, lets go with books. I do believe there was an element of that, yes, though I personally have not played any so I cannot confirm as to that fact" I stated politely as Azula did a fantastic job of staying straight-faced and….

"ZELRETCH!!!"

…and I blinked, looking around as Lord El Melloi II was grabbing his head, as I looked around as if someone had literally been screaming into the air. Glanced at Azula, who shrugged as the others in front of me seemed to shiver, even the Executioner of Holy Mother Church…

There was a vibration in the air…

Schhhhinggg

…and then was a chiming, keening noise in the air….and then footsteps almost storming towards us as…

'Oh dear, that's Lorelei Barthomelei' was my first thought on the accelerated approach of the…

"Oh, Root, you recognise her!"

…thank you Waver, that really helped as the supposedly 'calm' and 'in control' likely Vice Director of the Clocktower seemed to positively vibrate with unholy energies as she spoke "I am going to find him, and skin him alive, and then heal him to it again…"

I waited behind my defences as I waved my guards to stay calm 'This has gone well so far'

--

[06.33 Bargained well and done]

[Let's give a magical tour of these fabulous rental spaces!]

'Now, this is worrying, less from her anger…than the fact of her presence and how many must be here for a gone wrong grail war' was my primary concern as my face remained placid, a friendly smile in place as my guards and Azula remained waiting, on guard. Even now we should be able to take, if forced into battle, though the rage filled woman who seemed to be in charge was less likely to result in positive outcomes…save that the wrath was focused elsewhere. My main issue was that this was going to be trouble on the voyage if there were a number of magical nobility with little to no morals lurking about.

"So, you make claims, and the current situation is dire enough that are believable, especially with that Old Bastard's past escapades" she didn't quite hiss, striding towards me like some English huntswoman on a foxhunt, albeit in a white-red outfit and whip held in a crushing grip in her hand "But I believe you can back these claims up, yes?"

"Yes, of course we can. I do believe that is the point of these negotiations" I stated with a smile, gesturing behind me, passed the currently closed gate "If you have those who wish to stand witness, we shall bring them to the locations requested and required to confirm our findings"

If so…well, then we would be moving a bit faster than I'd have expected, for I'd feared hours of negotiations just to get them accept such statements, assuming we didn't start fighting. With time against us, the sooner I could get this done, telling them their world was transcribed into games and books with a mildly pornographic bent issue aside. Because there were more people alive than I'd expected, and right now simply feeding them all would be a major problem in of itself…especially with a massive ship we hadn't checked for locked away problems fully yet. One that was going to be filled with a bunch of lunatic mages by our standards shortly…

"Any location requested?"

I shrugged at her words "Where feasible, though I'd obviously recommend actually relevant places such as the that actual ship, and the ruins around it…which would be London by the way. Though I would recommend gas masks or protective spells as the outside regions are dead in many places. The salvage zone in particular is very hazardous for simple tasks such as breathing"

She gave a curt nod, almost ignoring the others around her, clearly taking charge despite the concerns of Lord El Melloi II and his assistant, as well as the objections of the priest as I waited for a response. Well, a response that wasn't pointless bickering anyway. The problems I was going to have were, already, apparent; - from the ignoring of the two non-mage/cleric members of their little band, to a division between Church and Magus amongst the power wielding minority. All expected…but was still a major concern, and one I had to account for considering the situation at hand.

But confirm they did, after about two minutes of less-than-ideal negotiating tactics from their point of view, as the lady essentially browbeat everyone else into acquiescing to her will "London. Show us this ruined landscape, and this great ark of yours"

"Of course, of course, a good choice, just please be aware of the toxic air and need for protections against such, either mundane or arcane" I murmured back politely "Now, who is coming with exactly?"

"I shall" she stated bluntly, a harsh gesture "Waver, come here. Ah, yes, and the priest. We are capable of ensuring to our safety and protection"

I gave a part bow "As you say…" then turning and motion "…and if your good fellows would open the gates, we shall leave the warded area and I shall have us transported to where you desire to confirm our utterances"

Azula gave me a look, and I nodded, giving a simple gesture to confirm she should use the ring I'd given her for handling just such poisonous air. Everyone else was in armour, or, for me, protected by various defensive and environmental wards, so making sure she was protected in her unmasked state was the only requirement. Our guests could handle themselves hopefully, and, if not, I had Asa on hand along with Azula's co-wife in Katara for healing. Anyway, the air in London, while bad for people, wasn't lethal either, as long as didn't stay there for an extended period unmasked anyway.

Thankfully there no problems in the leaving of the Imperial Palace turned refugee…

Though I *feel* the things lurking at the edges of the zone of my vision. Whatever it was would come for here soon enough, and I suspected our arrival would be a red flag of sorts to that distant bull. For now though, that did not matter as I stepped back out into the street, armoured feet thudding around us, weapons at the ready as I tapped my comms "Door if you please M'gann dear, London, the location we'd discussed before, just outside the ship"

…and then a 'Door', though it was a dimensional tear really, formed as a rectangle before us, large enough for two people at a time. Beyond, another dead city…

We stepped through, my cane tapping off the road, the skies a dark, gloomy, horror even moreso than the dead city beyond the Imperial Palace had been. The winds in the skies above the dead city, and the fact of more active destruction from a shiftship crashing into the city it now partly hovered over, offering shade from its self-imposed storm. Before us lay the British Museum, shattered and wrecked as were most of the other buildings around us, while a faint green 'haze' persisted in the streets. Not actually poison gas, but some sort of 'leakage' from the Bleed making itself physical as best I could understand, mixed with bits of the leaking actual natural gas and other materials from the shattered metropolis and vehicles.

I stopped, resting one hand on my cane, looking somewhat imperial one hoped, as I gazed at the ruined buildings, ignoring the small "I trust this might be an adequate example that this not your world beyond the veils of the translocation…"

Gestured at the towering vessel in the skies above us to the right "…and of our capacity to carry the civilian populace"

'She does have a good poker face, beyond the inarticulate rage of earlier' I noted as both the Executor and Magus were giving startled looks at the fifty kilometre titan partly in the sky, and partly in the earth at the tip, suspended by it's odd energy drives. No, the woman merely looked at the destroyed city, hand moving in an arcane gesture towards the museum, then nodded after a moment when nothing happened, and looked at the ship then "Salvage you say?"

"Yes" I replied blandly, both hands on the cane now, ready for anything from the likes of them "Arcano-technology at its finest, along with a host of other things that only it's builders fully understand I'll admit, though I wouldn't get any notions of attempting to seize such. We have the permission, and access codes, both mystical and physical, to enable it to function, let alone navigate it between the void between dimensions"

"Is that so?"

It was politely asked, and I responded just as politely "Indeed, for one of the builder's people is one of those who sponsored our mission here. I'm sure the thought might cross certain minds in the near future"

"Oh?" she asked in that same polite and light tone "Are you a seer perhaps?"

"Far from it, but drowning men are prone to self-destructive reasoning, and those with the arcane arts tend to be the same, save with greater destructive capacity" I stated blandly, smiling, looking at her, and the priest, and the other magus "I will tolerate no trouble aboard my ship, though that will not have any aboard my crew I expect, nor the carrier there. I will not tolerate assault upon my crew, nor threats to them, or anything related to such endeavours. There is also the fact that there shall be no blood rituals, experimentation, attempted demonic summoning, orgies described as tantric rituals, vampirism or other attempts at undead creation, as well as killing each other, or all the non-magical refugees we take aboard"

She continued to give a polite look, while Lord El Melloi II merely frowned, while the priest gave me an odd look…then simply nodded "You have experience with such things?"

"Somewhat, yes, unfortunately, though I simply aware of various arcane traditions, and The Bleed is a suicidal place to attempt such. By that I mean the Void between Dimensions that we travel through, likely for months"

"And, speak truth, do we know of your dimension?" she continued on in a friendly tone "That you would mention such differences in…etiquette to us?"

They'd find out soon enough, so I gave a one handed 'shrug' with a smile "Ah, well, I suspect many of your members would not, but it generally transcribed as a series of comic books or movies in a number of dimensions we've found. Either spread by other planeswalkers, or by my reasoning that humanity is sub-consciously multi-versal in Seeing abilities"

"Comic books" El Melloi II interrupted, since he clearly knew of such things "But most of them were…"

Lady Barthomelloi glanced at him curiously as he gave me a suspicious look "Such specific requests. What dimension…no. no, who was your master?"

"Well, I had no Master beyond my God and possibility the government" I replied with a snort "But…well, I was considered apprentice to a one John Constantine unfortunately, though I'm more inclined to think of myself as glorified caretaker and fixer of messes"

He frowned, paused, then paled "Ah…that would explain specific requests. In writing before we are allowed onboard, I imagine?"

Then he startled suddenly "He's…not here, is he?"

"Oh, Gods no!" I replied with a wince as the priest and woman gave El Melloi II a *look* "Could you imagine that fucking disaster of a hum…a mag…person sailing the multiverse? Heavens and hells he's barred from multi-versal travel by order of just about every sane person in authority. Me included!"

--

[06.34 Bargained well and done]

[Plotting out the end of a world]

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 2219]

[Current Dimension]

Edge of the DC multiverse, shattered dimension

[Current Location]

Ruins of London, docked with a Carrier-class shiftship

[Trading Report]

N/A

[Diary Entry]

Today has been a busy and stressful day, meeting with crazy people who think their philosopher wizards, but are really just crazy people with a crazy goal, that have magic. It's not even the experimentation, Netheril's worst had that too, but it's just the sheer bull-headed focus on a specific aspect, uncaring of anything beyond that. Like the fact we have very limited time before we have to leave, and by have to leave – we have to leave. I don't know what is coming, but if 'Servants' and the lunatic asylum aren't a 'major blip', then I don't want to see said major blip looks like.

Of course, getting that through to a bunch of paranoid, untrusting, unethical, and ambitious sorts stuck in the middle of their own self-created apocalypse to listen is not easy. Nor do I believe the journey back will be easy either, if we do get them aboard, along with the very large refugee population that I didn't realise we have to move as well. We're reasonably sure the 'Door' system the previous inhabitants of this dimension used is viable for rapid transit, but I'm concerned about that in of itself. Systems like this always have drawbacks, and I worry it's going to attract attention we don't want afterwards. It's one of those damned if you do, and damned if you don't sadly, as we lack the capacity to move that many people in a rapid period of time either.

Oh, and the sleeping reality warper down in medical. Because my 'minor problems' continue. All I know is that the moment we leave that crazy tower abomination will rain destruction down on this place. That fact I struggle to conceptualise that means it's very difficult to get across to these people as well. Even if we do, seem to, have a sort of tentative agreement that we are to discuss 'tomorrow'. Yes, because when people are dying that's the time to 'sleep' on the issue!

The truth is though that an organised plan is needed, and I need them to be seeming organised when we start letting them aboard – otherwise it'll be a bloodbath from chaos. Not like the carrier is ready either, and we need to bring in food, bedding, organise a sanitation system even. Hells, we don't even have a count on numbers yet, just that whoever, I'm leaning either Zelretch or Counter-Guardians, threw these landmasses here went for cauterising the wound basically. Areas that might have been 'okay' off the coasts, like Okinawa, parts of North Korea and the western coast are jagged rents into reality, emitting out from circular shaped energy distortions of the worse affect areas – probably. I'm only guessing though based on satellite and drone images, no one is talking, and I suspect they don't know the whole story anyway.

Which basically is the various walking titans of the apocalypse stomping around Japan, and the flying golden deathship piloted by the possibly corrupted golden king. Corrupted by the shadow thing that's in what was once Fuyuki city, the epicentre of the disaster obviously, as all the evils are making their way from that central location outwards. Also, Dead Apostles causing various horror outbreaks and the zombie apocalypse that persists over the effect area – it's the main problem actually, other than the 'sudden death syndrome' I suspect came before it. Fucking undead everywhere in Japan it feels like. Largely they aren't raised by negative energy they don't even count as 'normal' undead – I'll update the scorecard on that.

Despite all that I'm keeping everyone on 'normal' schedules as there's no point in needlessly exhausting everyone for no good reason. We need to be guard, but it's going to be an extended voyage back, let alone all the hoops we need to jump through to get to that voyage. For the moment salvage of the Carrier continues, and that's most just sweeping for problems and hoping reality-girl doesn't wake up just yet. Secondly we've started investigating is there anything worth grabbing, largely as a test for the Door system we seem to have access to on this shattered word. Sure, there's the near worthless shiny metals to trade, but useful things would be nice as well, and I think food will be priority after that. Anyway, time to study my books and then sleep. Busy days ahead, for all of us, and I suspect I'll have other things to deal with as we sat and drone scan for survivors and suggestions for plans. Most of all they located another 'independent' survivor, I'd say group but it's a handful of dangerous people best dealt with when I've slept.

--

{Magical betrayal girl fuck-the-Olympians!}

…and I stepped through the Door into the dark night sky of the city of Nara, Japan, looking over the ruins of the dead city, but mostly upon the 'holy ground' before me. This dimension…or at least the dimension of the Fate people translocated to this dimension, didn't seem to have a firm grasp of 'sanctified ground' and 'divine magic', but there was something of it here. Gango-ji was old, and even without the dangerously powerful barrier wards now raised over it now, it would have had some protection against the…wrongness…that persisted over the dying lands.

The people inside, or rather one of the people in particular, was also why I'd come as the only living person this time around, along with an escort of robots, mostly Assaultrons and Mister Gutsys. I could be wrong, but the general data on this figure…well, I'd rather test it out in person, with my spell-casters ready to move at a moment's notice, and for me to flee if too many problems cropped up. There were the things that looked like undead moving about of course, and my machine guardians unleashed hell upon them as a battle raged far off in the distance. The sorceress who controlled this place had retreated here but seemed to have thrown various things into the way of the apocalypse coming south.

Clearly so much so that there wasn't a 'fake assassin' waiting at this temple…though I could grasp why she like temples with the ley-lines intersecting here. No, they'd clearly been relying on the wards to keep out the local attempts at undead, and my little lightshow had attracted more of the lurking things as I waited patiently at the entrance after sending a 'knock-knock' alert on said wards. Nothing that would be construed as an assault, but an invitation to come out and chat…

'But apparently not' I noted after a few minutes of waiting as my escort stood around as I taken a seat on a stone bench, looking at the fires and lightning off in the distance. At least till a somewhat haggard looking man in a suit but be moved with a cold calculation and determination that was magically enhanced even at a glance by my eyes. The singularly worst person in the world to send against me if this was to turn hostile sadly, but best not to let them know that as I gave a friendly wave "Hello there! Is the fair Lady Medea in? I do so wish to have a conversation with her"

This was her Master after all, so it was likely she was here when I could feel the power burning within the barriers, swirling around to try hide her presence at a distance, but clear enough up this close. Servant Caster was…one of the people I was interested in avoiding conflict with, but also one that had the most to offer to us if I was honest. Magecraft had been 'reduced' in this dimension, and by all accounts she should be the de-facto expert on all the magics of this dimension. Worth far more than all the just as paranoid and murderous mages we were still negotiating with as the essentially made decisions for tens of thousands of ordinary people that had somehow survived till now…

"Do you?"

I smiled back at the man, not bothering to stand up as I rested both hands on my cane "Oh indeed I do, one practitioner of the arts to another. Though I will say it's also about offering an escape route from this crumbling and doomed dimension. I'm sure she knows what's happened, and is happening"

He starred back at me stoically for a few seconds "Do you wish to enter then?"

"Oh, very much so" I replied cheerfully "But I'd rather that your fair sorceress makes an agreement over guest right, such as a mutual geass…" one that stops her using Rule Breaker to cope out of straight away in fact "…so that we can have a friendly conversation without…distractions"

Gave a chuckle "We practitioners are somewhat prone to divisiveness and paranoia, this dimension's more than several others"

…and, almost if on que, a mental assault was repealed off my defences, a shimmering in the air off the protective wards around me. Shadows collapsed…

No, they were merely breaking down, out dear Caster class servant had been trying to hide in seemed in a less impressive manner than she was now putting on. I could relate as I'd done the same trick several times in the past. Still, I didn't give any hostile reaction to either as I sighed, shaking my head in mild exasperation "Well, that was to be expected I suppose"

Looked up at them both calmly, then focusing on the elfin eared woman in the hood robes "I am still open to negotiations my dear. One is sadly aware that was almost the sane thing to do in this wretched dimension, but if you try it again then I'll be on my way…"

Gestured to the thunder on the horizon "…and leave you get back to dealing with those problems while I leave here with crew and let this dimension be destroyed whether you are here or not"

The fact she, nor her Master-servant, hadn't interfered told me she was *very* much interested in discussing with me after probing like she had. It was almost like being in Netheril I supposed…but pushed such away as she gave a hand gesture to the man, her head nodding in the folds of her hood "I have seen such things that you speak of, and of the Great Mage of this Era who cast all from the realms of the so-called future to this place. You make no retaliation?"

"No retaliation, but I do expect recompense for the slight Princess of Colchis. I'm sure you understand" I replied with a smile, not entirely forced, but still cold as I drew upon faint memories of Cassius, my defences still ready to lash out if need be, as Barbara waited on the other end of the comms, watching this play out "So, let us converse like civilized folk…"

--

[06.35 Bargained well and done]

[Having tea with a (not-a-fairy-tale) princes]

The one benefit of dealing with a spellcaster on the level of Medea, as 'Servant' marked as 'Caster' was she had a far greater understanding of exactly *what* was happening with the world. Or at least sufficient understanding to realise this earth was finished…even without everyone dying rather suddenly in the wake of the Grail War – and important question was already answered. Did you cause it directly and/or intentionally?

No.

Good enough answer for me. Oh, she definitely caused it indirectly, just like all the magus involved in the clusterfuck that was the Grail War system were by default. As a Servant with a Master, with Fuyuki City the outbreak point?

Yeah, I could tolerate evil party members, but I could never tolerate stupid evil ones, or ones that never considered their actions. It was already taking a risk with the likes of Medea of Colchis, but the benefits outweighed the risks…and the negotiations were much swifter than the band of lunatics with lesser powers, but similar mindsets. And atrocities as well, one couldn't forget that. This place was a dreadful dimension regardless of what I didn't know, and I was being disturbingly specific as the magic burned between myself, Medea, and her 'Master', the human assassin. Written contracts signed in blood…

Well, they worked and went both ways of course, and I was bound to protect them as long as they observed Guest Right aboard my ship and took no action against me or mine. There were problems with that, with her in particular, but swiftly magic sang as the Contract burned away as one John Constantine had taught me, pain erupting in my soul faintly as it was 'etched' there, alone with a faint, shimmering, rune on my right arm. Just like the ones that etched unto theirs, the same, faint, wince as the spell took effect…then end. Or the spell ended anyway, as the effect persisted – a protection against evil of sorts, and the ship, were they aboard.

I put back on my right glove, spell complete, retaking my cane into hand "And there we go"

The hooded woman was 'studying' it, for lack of a better description, brow likely furrowing beneath the hooded robes despite a detailed description beforehand "Curious"

I smiled "You didn't think it would work? I did warn, I am reasonably educated on how to work a Geas and/or a Contract"

After all me, or Sean-me, had effectively soul-bound both Paula and Jade as servants, along with Maria as familiar, and other bindings for SHIELD such as good ol' Bane…

"As you know my True Name" she murmured in that semi-sinister tone she seemed to have "Then you are aware that this would not bind me should I choose it not too"

I shrugged, still smiling "Oh, my dear, I am well aware of Rule Breaker and your skills as a practitioner of the arcane arts. Of course, if you break the Contract, then it breaks it for all of us at once, and the Protections inherent with it would end for you aboard my vessel, which has its own protections and crew. But that is what makes this a negotiation, trust earned not given by right, on both sides in this regards I admit. Your talents are very valuable, and we are willing to offer much in return for your skills as an educator and instructor in those Arts to members of my crew, and those beyond even"

"And what of the other magus?" the Japanese man asked, cold and calm and collected, as if talking about the weather "Do not offer these things?"

"They do" I replied with a nod of my head, giving a faint bow to the hooded woman instead though "But none have the talents, and therefore value, of Princess Medea. You have much more to offer, and we have much more to offer both of you, than is the situation with any magus of this dimension….that and the same restrictions on atrocities and the like would also have to apply. Along with the politics of their compatriots"

I gestured at empty air "If you would come with, I shall show you the outside of the larger vessel, and then bring you aboard the spelljammer itself?"

Simply a nod from the hooded witch, and I nodded myself, tapping my comms despite not needing to, just to give the show that I'd need to "Door, if you please?"

Then I was passing through back into London, my machines following through along with the duo of Mage and Warrior, who were both protected against the fumes and haze in the air by wards similar to my own. Or at least in that it was spell protection rather a physical form like a gasmask anyway. But it was useful to prove that, yes, we do have a massive alien spaceship as salvage, just like with the Clocktower and Church group who were now negotiating with Barbara while I 'slept' or 'recovered' or whatever she was telling them right now. They needed to hurry up and make a decision, if they were even talking to Babs and Kara at all while I handled this…recruitment pitch.

Because neither were ideally suited for villains, or potentially, if they signed on, ex-villains in terms of getting them in agreement. Me? I was more morally flexible, and unlike Quinn, it wasn't ignoring the obvious either thankfully. So, it was I that stood with them as the Fortune's Chance showed itself, a far less impressive sight compared to the fifty-kilometre-long monster that was the carrier…but also much more powerful in a fight than said carrier. Something I pointed out as we made 'small talk' midst the tense situation as the doors open under my Security Chief's watchful eyes so we could all board the old-fashioned way "…and as said, this be my spelljammer, the Fortune's Chance. Much more comfortable and well-armed than yon monster of a shiftship you'd be surprised to know"

'Or don't think we can nuke you inside or out' was what I was implying as I led them in the 'long way', through the front bay, where work was underway further up the back in preparation for loading food storage and other security aboard the massive carrier. It shouldn't be much interest for the witch, as the armoured vehicles and large cranes looked more like an industrial site or military base, with the Assaultons and other robots being directed back to repair or maintenance areas. The only possible benefit was the spatial distortion part of the whole setup with the ship currently being bigger on the inside than the outside as we were rigged for stealthy actions.

"…as you can see, we have workshop facilities…"

"…canteen and excellent, well trained, chefs…"

"…rooms can be adjusted to your desired standards…"

I could play salesman, and I did now, playing tour guide for a particularly dangerous man and lady as I brought them around the ship, showing them the usual day to day items and comforts of an extended trip in the Fortune's Chance as crew or guest. The fact 'Caster' was being 'maintained' by ambient background dimensional energy was likely of most interest, in the same way an Angel or Demon could be maintained in a spiritual body if so allowed by the ship in their pseudo-physical form. No need for blood sacrifices here, no, not at all!

Unlike the magus crowd I was willing to take this one aboard if we could manage it…because she'd be a nice counterweight to that lot, and the knowledge levels were much higher to be worth the risks involved. That and I'd prefer not to have *this* particular Servant mixing with magi, when all background information hinted that would lead to a bloodbath, with refugees in between, or as the ritual fuel. Another day had gone by, and I was getting more and more on edge as it did, but I led on, knowing the 'Science Team' would be of little interest, but that the other stop would be. Or at least I expected it would be, as the protective wards were thick and strong here, a dozen overlays and weavings, backing each other up, with the feel of dozen casters having worked on them at differing stages. Myself amongst them. And, inside…

"…our ship's library and arcanium" I finished as my cane tapped off the floors, spells parting to allow us to enter with no resistance based on the runes on them, one gloved hand waving at the room. Only Brelyna was here currently, the Dunmer mage glancing up and giving a wave at me, us, as we entered and I motioned at the fairly extensive physical library "With both physical tomes, and an extensive digital library of theory books and other resources. That there would be Brelyna, one our mages, and, yes, non-human like number of the crew are in fact"

"I would have full access to the library?"

I nodded "Of course, and to workshop facilities…you all have your own workspaces don't we Brelyna?"

"Yes!" came the reply from our resident Dunmer and…

I blinked at the shadowy hooded robed figure…

Which was the illusion of course…

But that was a weirdly cute evil victory dance from Medea with the hip shaking and arm movement beyond that immediate illusion…

--

[06.36 Bargained well and done]

[Unmoored reality, the cracks they widen, the shadows they grow]

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 2222]

[Current Dimension]

Shattered Dimension, edge of the Bleed

[Current Location]

Ruins of London, Fortune's Chance

[Trading Report – Salvage Report]

Other than having two new 'guests' for the moment, with the intention of hiring (Medea of Colchis and Souichirou Kuzuki) the only people those now aboard the Carrier. Who are about a hundred and fifty odd not-victims of Medea ('Servant' Caster) from the temple she'd set up in, and were basically the backup fuel supply with either blood drinking or leeching off tantric rituals?

Yes, because I'm back in John's fucking magical worldview of late apparently!

Otherwise, the priority has been getting access to the food and water supplies needed to handle the anywhere between one hundred and fifty thousand, and maybe over three hundred thousand, people we are supposed to be evacuating. Oh, yeah, that's a margin of error for a months long voyage through the Bleed! Also both utterly terrifying from the point of view how few people there are from two very populous nations – and worse, it's not an even distribution of society. This is not as much women and children, but heavily armed survivors from the militaries, with families or not, along with police, and, of fucking course, the magical community. The overrepresented bands of them and their 'mundane' followers – yet I don't have the numbers to police them!

They have to do it for us aboard the titan grain ship of doom!

Grabbing all the food from the dead world's various 'disaster storage' facilities has been the only way, all by the 'Door' system. Which is problem, but everything's a problem here on the edge of the world.

[Diary Entry]

We have deals, and we have problems, all in deals that cause problems. Even the solutions to the problems are problems in themselves. That'd be the Door system we need to use, and are using, to both evacuate the people from Japanese and Korean holdout zones to the big ass carrier we're docked with, and still clearing. Oh, and getting the food and water supply from – with the very inventive way of 'purifying' the water by opening multiple doors through a giant, simple, filtration system Quinn rigged up. Ending in a 'Door' directly into areas of the Carrier that are now giant water tanks. Some of which have sea water in them either, that being filled with fish too as food.

See, heavy use of things that might stress reality, or simply spike energy, is a problem in a breaking down reality – guess what the Door thing they have does?

Yeah, that and all the magic in the air. As should be evidenced by sleeping Jenny in the med-bay. It's like throwing fuel unto an already out of control fire. So, fantastic that we have to use the 'Doors' to do our thing while magical nightmare creatures war upon everything over in Asia, eh?

Kara and Quinn worked it out, and Doctor Stone's team backs them up. The bright side is that's an extended time problem, and we are on a limited time frame – but, still an issue as reality be fucked. Basically. One has to put it rather crudely, because it's a problem as we're spiking issues near all the faults in reality. Reality distortions are possibly going to be an issue if sensors and projections are to be believed. And I believe them, I believe Kara and Quinn. So, good news we've got agreement with Lorelei and her bands, and we're going to start tomorrow after our current 'test' batches unto the Carrier. In theory we could dump everyone there in less than a day – in theory anyway. We ain't doing it that way, as it ends in lots and lots of dead and injured. Injured we can't treat in those numbers.

Also, that's meant splitting the crew to handle all this – Kara's taking charge over on the Carrier along with Quinn and Barbara, while I handle the situation with the Chance with Azula and Burt. M'gann's over there too, as the best suited to 'helm' the ship other than me, and I can't afford to be spending time doing that unfortunately with those we're dealing with. That and I've had to split the security teams between here and the Carrier, as well as handling the evacuation – or, in truth, in the grabbing of whatever materials and foodstuffs we can get easily, and then stacking them. Plenty of space on that colossus after all!

So, starting towards we're taking over the most 'at risk' of the enclaves, those about to fall, and leaving behind nuclear booby-traps behind the boundary fields. Hopefully the evacuations won't be noticed. Hopefully.

I still have contingencies if they are.

--

[Trader's Journal: Day 2224]

[Current Dimension]

Shattered Dimension

[Current Location]

Ruins of London, Fortune's Chance

[Trading Report]

I hope they like MREs, because they are getting lots and lots of those.

[Diary Entry]

Evacuation has begun, largely because it's now or never as the clock's ticking. When life is measured in days, and we've made clear we *will* leave before whatever it is arrives. Over thirty thousand people, mostly soldiers, police, and magi (and a few priests), are now aboard the Carrier, and I found out the Servant they had – Rider, and it appears to be Medusa. Which brings confusion, and concern, as Archer was supposed to have evacuated a number of people from Fuyuki when things went down. At least according to Medea's understanding before she upped stakes and fled.

What does seem to have happened; - well it's confusing, but she believes Dead Apostles (aka Team Murder Humanity Vampires) got involved and did…something. Something they regretted as the Sum of All Evils or The Shadow or whatever it is arose and 'consumed' them. Corrupted them mayhaps, I'm not sure Medea actually knows in truth. Saber, Berserker, Assassin were definitely corrupted or 'consumed' – though there were two Assassins somehow?

Again, it's muddled, but from Medea's position things went to hell when vampires turned up, and then I think Archer returned and went full blown Counter-Guardian judging from bits and pieces we've gotten off the mages and digital records. If I could get the other 'Masters' I could try figure out more, as they seemed to be alive, but I haven't asked directly for very good reason of not wanting to draw attention as yet. I don't know how the magi would react after all, but Medusa's either bonded to Emiya, Tohsaka, or the evil little silver haired loli. My worry actually is that the other one, the Sakura Matou Not-Tohsaka problem is very much not amongst them as best we can tell.

Unfortunately, we can't focus on it. Things are happening, and the problem is expanding. There was a battle in Siberia. We weren't involved. The magi weren't involved. The Servant wasn't involved. One of the evil monster horrors things had crossed to Vladivostok – and then something happened, or woke up. Alerts went off on the carrier, and then were 'noise', and then the city exploded in a mushroom cloud before we could look in with various systems.

Similar thing over in the States as we were looting rations and some gold – either we set it off after a day, or a reality distortion did, but automated systems seemed to come online. There's now robots and robo-tanks in the city of Dallas, Texas and we are staying away from that in case we activate more. We just don't have the time to play around with it as we're evacuating on a schedule now. That and our patient is twisting and turning in her sleep, talking, but not conscious. Frantically twisting and turning and talking in her sleep – and the reality distortions are, well, increasing.

What's happening in those spots?

No idea, simple as that. There's so much energy in the 'air' that it's impossible to do more than get general alerts and watch confusing shit happen. Like the flying, upside-down, cargo ships over Singapore that Monitor drones observed, along with other debris, but the ships really stand out. It's all freaky shit, all the freaky time right now if you pay attention. Now I best prepare more scrolls just in case, and then get some sleep while I can. Slán.

--

[06.37 Bargained well and done]

[All aboard that's coming aboard!]

The Carrier was right side up so to speak, hovering at the heart of the great howling maelstrom that had ruined London as it's shrieking heart. Here on the bridge of the Fortune's Chance, which was currently docked to the behemoth, I watched on multiple screens as the evacuation continued in all it's depressing energy, along with aerial overwatch of the evacuation zone. Maps of Japan and Korea too, with lots of nasty flashing icons were also there, along with two globes: - earth and the moon, with angry red and orange gashes across the surfaces of both.

The angriest being over the points where Japan and Korea had been 'thrown' into this dimension, and where we were clear aggravating matters with the Doors, let alone all the magic they were throwing around. Not that magic was our fault, as were being incredulity secretive and careful on our end, but the giant monsters running around, along with the zombies and other monsters were a source of disturbances. A number of them crossing over to China and Russia also wasn't helping…the monsters anyway, as the things that the Fate lot called zombies didn't have anyone to attack. The monsters though were clearly able to set off boobytraps and other automatic systems…

'That, and they are really making the dimensional problems worse' watching as 'reality warping' appeared to be the case in chunks of China, a ruined city turning back is brand new. Still dead, white a…wrong…looking green-whitish fog filling its streets judging from the local speed cameras that the Carrier had been setup to access. I'd shake my head at that. The previous 'superheroes', and I used that term *very loosely* based on what records I'd seen, had no problem being a horrid mixture of puritanical moral busybodies mixed with authoritarian inclinations. I'd met religious fanatics with less desire to control the day-to-day actions and thoughts of people.

There'd been protocols to alert 'Heroes' to things like saying bad things about homosexuality or putting up graffiti against 'The Authority' or other 'heroes' for fucks sake! Not even abuse, just mockery of two of the main heroes! It was all those nasty human regimes that popped up from time to time, a mixture of cult of personality, simply pseudo-religion coltishness, and the ever-present moral self-righteousness. Yes, because someone calling them bad words in a battle was perfectly acceptable reasons to rape them violently afterwards…rules for thee, but not for me was The Authority's motto in my mind. Because they were 'Good People'tm and everyone else wasn't…

"How are we looking Kara?" I asked, hand to my earpiece, taking my mind off such things as my lover flew through an open Door carrying a number of cargo containers worth of food "You need to take a break?"

"Don't be silly Callum, never been stronger" she came back with cheekily, and it was the truth. Kara was a Supergirl, and this dimension, breaking down and at the fringe of the Bleed…she was basically a Goddess-tier power. One that didn't have any weakness to Kryptonite thanks to her suit as designed by me and Quinn to maximise her powers, while adding protections against weaknesses, as simple things to prevent mind control or breathing outside context toxins "Now, find me more containers of safe stores, I have just about cleared out this military base, and I'm not liking the way the storm on the horizon of it is sounding"

I paused, frowning "Sounding?"

On the screen she shrugged in mid-air, cloak flapping behind her armoured blue suit. Kara still preferred her 'original' suit design over the 'Power Girl' ones she'd seen, all thanks to Galathea. My dear girlfriend was going to lengths it felt like to me so as not to match the 'evil clone' look, despite her body starting to resemble to forcibly aged version "The storm is, you've seen the sensors Callum, and there's almost whispering in it, even if it's not doing anything good to the land it's rolling over"

"You're saying this now?"

"It's a good hour away Callum, and we are literally minutes from being finished" she told me, pointing at the truck rumbling through the Door as she held the drone, I was looking at her through and directed it towards the abandoned US Army base as she went back through the Door "As you see, nearly finished"

I smiled "Okay, okay, I'll get Babs to direct you to your next salvage and reclamation target, and I'll see where we are on food. Evacuations are ahead of schedule I'll have you know. Or least the scanning them and getting them aboard the carrier parts are going well"

She thanked me, and I returned to monitoring the situation, occasionally checking in with everyone as I turned to where the people already on the Carrier were organising themselves. The answer was – in a messed-up sort of manner. Military personnel, mostly American were oddly enough taking the lead, despite being lesser in number than the Japanese or Korean military personnel, were establishing something resembling refugee camps along with the humans from the Church. Sort of. I recognised the blue-haired girl for one, but I didn't have time to dwell, as the magus were clustering into their own little bands (factions? Lone hermits?) in corners of the Carrier. Even down to building little tent homes as far away from the other people as they could manage, all watching each other warily.

'And that's without the Servant aboard yet' I noted, as that little band of Fuyuki survivors were amongst the group around the Clocktower leader, who'd moved to the largest concentration of survivors at the US military base in the south. 'Rider' was one of their remaining 'big sticks', and was both to ward off the monsters beyond, as well as help play crowd control I suspected. The mages currently let aboard were 'small fry' as best I could tell, not 'as dangerous' as those that remained, as the defensive barriers and boundary fields were attacked constantly…

Like now I was notified by Burt, alerts coming in fast and thick, power levels surging dramatically across Japan, magic I didn't quite recognise erupting. The 'Shadow' was surging…but no more than it had been before I observed as I brought up the displays, ordering the information shared with our Arcane 'Research' team, as well as the likes of Medea. Whatever it was, well, it was blood magic…maybe?...and the zombies…

The next hour passed like molasses I discovered, as every holdfast we knew of was suddenly getting swarmed by the nearest clusters of the vampire thralls, as well as a rippling, roiling, mists exploded across the Kantai plain on drone coverage. It was like a sudden storm of…elemental?...magic, and it was causing a massive ripple effect across the globe as the cracks on the holo-displays began to pulse and grow angry colours. Reality distortions began to ripple and explode as that mist turned to a massive grey fog, what looked to be crimson lightning, erupting within its mass as it rolled southwards..

"I can't see behind that!" I called out again to Kara and Barbara, and then turn my attention to the sensor team on my bridge "No! Don't risk a Monitor drone! Send in a few of our heavy-duty A-synth ones instead, use the Monitor for overwatch on the fog front! And get coverage over Singapore…"

…because the 'fog' was both moving fast, it had rolled over the abandoned 'holdfasts' in central Japan, and there'd been little warning as the Magus's defences collapsed in the face of whatever it was. Worse there was a massive 'spearpoint' of energy at the front 'tip' of the fog wave, and there was so much *movement* behind it as it rolled towards the large 'barrier' that was in place of the southernmost military bases still intact. Lay across one of the ley-lines, anchored between two abandoned 'refugees' and dating back to some old local Japanese magus family boundary line.

But, even Worse, Worse, the energy was being transmitted everywhere, and the 'world' for lack of a better word was freaking out as I called Kara and everyone back to the Chance or to the carrier. The worst effected 'reality damage zones' were exploding now, and Singapore…

I had no idea was happening there, but it wasn't good as power spiked again and again in response to the energy build in Japan…

"Boss" Burt called out, pointing as the two Monitor drones at the 'lead' of the racing wave of grey fog illuminated the invisible magical barrier it approached. There was so much energy in the air that it was easily detected by the drones, likely even by the dullest, least sensitive, spellcaster, and suddenly the systems were screaming alerts…

"What?" I demanded at another emergency call, this time from Asa of all people…

"Jenny here just flatlined!" the Nightmare Nurse called back to me "We have this, but you need to know she was screaming gibberish about monsters and her sister coming to kill them…"

"BOSS!" Burt called out to me, interrupting Asa, as the grey wall as tall as mountains slammed into the invisible wall "ENERGY SPIKES! MUTLIPLE ENERGY SPIKES"

…and on multiple spots on the globe there were flares of energy, the tears raging, and our satellites over Singapore saw a massive Reality Disjunction as a pillar of light exploded from there, from the ruins of the old hospital…

But, that wasn't the main priority as the fog slammed into the invisible barrier, almost recoiling…

And then the barrier shattered utterly, like glass hit by a rifle bullet as a massive white wolf exploded by the grey fog that was even now dissipating, a teenager in a black dress astride it's back…

Behind them…the army of the dead…

--

[06.38 Bargained well and done]

[Fine. Two can play at that game!]

I stared….

Only but a moment before nodding "Burt, the bridge is yours. Evacuate everyone from the base, don't worry about the stores or supplies there, just get them on that carrier. I will be heading onsite to take charge, and I'll be needing Debbie I'm afraid, her and White Sorcess. Just till we create a delay"

The good thing was the man trusted me, nodding after a moment's hesitation after me stating I was going to be borrowing the, saner, of his two wives for a dangerous thing. Sure, contingencies had been discussed, but this was a dangerous job, and Deborah Delphie was one of my more capable combat-spellcasters. Especially when it came to darker sides of magic as would be needed now. I continued taking even as I took my pack, a quick check ensuring all I needed was there "…Barbara you have the carrier, Kara you are the cavalry if I be needing recruiting during the delaying the monsters operation"

"What are you planning Kalum?" she asked instead of demanded, sounding exasperated rather than worried or angry. After all she knew I'd no intention of charging into battle against…that "Nothing good?"

"Delaying the enemy" I stated as another thing surged into existence in Singapore, Asa back on the line to Burt now that the reality-warper was still alive, but back unconscious, or maybe in a coma "Also, get me Tirdelk and his Blue Rose along with Gloria"

"Not the new witch?"

I shook my head as I walked, strode towards the exit from the bridge so I could arcanely teleport within the ships internals, even if Kara couldn't see said negative body language "No, nor the College gang, just keep going and be ready to leave in an instant if things go wrong. I can buy some time, but it is not going to be pretty, or non-destructive"

'And we can't trust Medea all in yet, and I need our college mages here in case it's a problem' I didn't say as I moved as quickly as I could, my 'response team' being assembled just as quickly as I was moving through the halls of the Chance. External to Internal teleportation, and the opposite now, were blocked by so many defensive arrays now that it just wasn't conductive to try work around. Nor did I want to risk anything getting aboard the spelljammer either…so I moved from specific 'mark' to the next one, moving through the Security Doors and out to the gangway where we were docked inside the Carrier. Time to 'organise' as I went, pulling out the scrolls and very basic key-card instructions on what to do before I arrived…

"Hello everyone, you've been told what's happening?" I greeted as I strode into the nearly assembled group of mercenary goblins and the unitard, skirt, and cloak clad Debbie. Deborah had tried hard, really hard, to get into shape and into that evolved version of her 'teenage superhero' Crimson Crow outfit, the colours all bright and bloody against her greyish skin. Gloria, the dark skinned, white robed, White Sorceress from the version of Debbie's Earth the heroes had stayed in charge off all the time. Grunts, nods, and general acknowledgments were the response, so I immediately began thrusting the various items into hands as we moved to exit the Chance to the carrier bay.

I didn't really have time for pleasantries as what appeared to be another reality warper tore its way into/back to reality in Singapore, and a vampire horde raced south in Japan at unnatural speed. Just clear, concise, instructions as we cleared the immediate boundaries of the dimension anchors, and a Door was created by M'gann from the carrier all the way to Japan. Save this was one for us to exit from, unlike the horde of people fleeing through larger, brighter, Doors the moment we stepped through into the dying sunlight and harsh illumination of so many Doors open all of a sudden. That and moving from the empty, silent, carrier to the raging, desperate, wall of noise that was Iwakuni.

Alarms and sirens were blaring out, which wasn't helping matters in my view, along with the stink of certain magic, dark and ominous and a host of other things, was in the air. A great mass of humanity running down streets over base landing strips, and through those bright tears in reality on the other side. We exited on the other side of a chain link fence where soldiers were shouting and shoving people, largely forward in a vague effort of guidance, and where other people were shouting at each other. Or being shouted at, as the intimidation factor was there, even now, as the 'leader' of the Clocktower group onsite held that fear amongst her subordinates…along with the purple haired woman dressed like she'd stepped out of bondage shop and forgot to take off the blindfold. The Servant 'Rider', standing beside Protagonist-kun and his harem…

"Hello again!" I greeted moving forward, posse at my heels, as I gestured "If everyone could please get to the leaving it would be much appreciated as time is of the essence. Unless anyone wants to rush forward and die to delay the foe that is. That's also fine with me. We are going to delay them with some horrible spellwork and then leave just so you know"

Miss Lorelei looked harshly at me, at her band of squabbling nobles "Oh?"

The assembled group turned to look at us, and I continued to smile "I'd really recommend you get moving, this isn't going to buy a huge amount of time, and another problem is b-lining its way north towards here as well, so, please get in line or be otherwise useful. Thank you!"

Gestured behind me before they could respond "Debbie, up in the sky if you please?"

"Bye-bye nice evil wizards!" the demented goblin bard girl shouted, waving energetically as Debbie used her shadowy darkness power to life the ground beneath us into the sky "Bye-bye weird sexy construct blind girl!"

"Munvee!" the leader of that band of lunatics muttered as I turned my focus on getting everyone positioned as the arcane circle formed on the circular disk of hard concrete we were risking up on "Shush!"

The Ember Rose goblins were useful though for this plan, with the psionist and technomancer helping us rise up into the air, while the worghest stood as a blood knight in case the wards I had White Sorceress, and the goblin wizard Yraeda Shadoweyes raise. Even the bard was useful as she began to sing her annoying bard songs, the vast magic unleashed already, the tides rising as reality continued to crack, as I opened my spellbook, holding it without hands. Largely as my hands were busy now, extended outwards as two circles of eldritch green light burned their way into existence, runes and sigils forming at my command…

Beyond the Planes were torn open already. There was no 'cutting' or 'demanding' here, merely a 'push' into the fabric of reality…

The air already stank of death. Drawing forth the negative energy here…well, a few zombies would have come for this effort in other times and places, but here…

Here. Here it was a torrent of the negative planes, of necromantic energies as two more circles formed, well away from us, also in the air, flanking us as my arms extended. Our bubble of arcane protections now shimmering against the sickly green energies pulsing around us the darkness filled the air at my words, at the sickening storm forming at my Will. Below the living streamed to try saved themselves, while beyond that the dead city and countryside waited, silent…

But only for now as minutes like an Age passed, the blackened fog flowing down unto the earth below, like it was pouring forth from a decanter. Here. Now…

There was no barrier. Just as Kara was elevated…so were we. So. Was. I.

Powers that were normally beyond my keen….now weren't. And my mind knew the words. Eyes burning molten gold as power rose up, old, dark, words Spoke as each was Etched in Runeform upon the blackened skies as meteors of fire began to fall, and the world began to shriek. The Vampires of this dimension were no true undead, instead merely a *different* form of life in their Types. So, they sought the destruction of Man in these last days? Or did they seek the blood as a way to escape?

Well…two could play at that game as an army of the dead led by a monster in the guise of a child sat astride the Beast known as Primate Murder…

"RISE! RISE MY SERVANTS! MY WEAPONS! KILL THE ENEMIES OF HUMANITY! GO, OVER THERE, AND KILL THOSE GUYS! DEFEND THE BASE"

…and below, from the dead city and towns surrounding it, from the schools and offices where they had died, to the cemeteries where the restless spirits lurked…

They rose. Skeletons and Zombies. Ghouls and Ghasts. Wraiths and Ghosts. Death Knights and Revenants…

Hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands, then more…till the twisting negative energy wave was an army shrieking hatefully into existence…

Yup. Now it was time to leave I felt calling for a Door.

--

[06.39 Bargained well and done]

[I see trees of green, red roses too…]

Fighting was something I didn't intend to do as I stepped through a 'Door' all the way from southern Japan to the entrance to the bridge of the carrier all the way over in ruined London. The undead were my delaying force and that was that, and now was clearly the time to start getting ready to sail, even if it was a few days in advance of the planned departure. And it felt better to be out of that sickly air over Japan as Kara looked at me, arms folded across her chest, frowning as the bridge here was filled with images of just what I'd done over the last half-hour or more "Really? The zombie apocalypse?"

"Uh-nnnn" I gave a shrug as the rest of the team I'd brought with me now took up added tasks of security, or simply being ready to help as needed "What can you do?"

Kara rolled her eyes, looking to the screens "What can you do he says!"

"I do" I murmured as I came forward, motioning to where M'gann was directing 'traffic' so to speak "Things are getting bad…"

"I know, and we're leaving" she agreed, arms unwinding, one patting my on the shoulder "I'll handle watch, you do the magic thing with Megan. Which I assume is what you're pointing about?"

"Yeah, we'll just dump everyone left aboard where we can and leave. I'll need to help M'gann, it's too much for any one of us. Have Babs and Quinn help with sensors and comms, we can't miss anyone"

She mock smacked my ass "Go, I'll handle things like I just said"

I gave a thumbs up as I moved unto a platform where our pretty little Martian waited, eyes darting to the array of screens before her. Stepping up beside her I carefully 'nudged' her, both mentally as well as taking her hand into mine after taking off my gloves; - I wasn't psionically inclined, beyond knowledge and defences anyway, so as with our originals my connection was via arcane means. Distracting her mid-work was something I wished to avoid, but I felt the relief flow over me seconds later as we 'clicked' so to speak, and I felt the presence of her mind against mine once more.

Relief and tiredness were there, and I released her hand, bringing both of mine up and began to commune with the carrier, feeling its existence here with us. It wasn't sapient as best I could ascertain, instead possessing a limited 'awareness' and 'consciousness' one would find in certain older automata-type golems, or in older elemental or created spirits. So, it wanted to help, like an eager puppy, but just didn't know how, or understand the why – the Monitors had made them that way, and as such a User was needed to truly complete the equation in our psychic communion.

The relief emanating from M'gann was a little of a problem, like a snuggling feeling as she was stressed and tired from handling this much alone till now, and all she wanted was me to take the lead on this. So, I did, as we silently to others, but with loud chatter between our minds, separated out what we could to focus on the evacuation. All with occasional glances and updates on the situation as the horrors racing south now slammed into the ones I'd summoned up from their graves and sent charging off towards them. It was important to note as myself and M'gann focused on opening Doors from the evacuating base and unto empty sections of the massive ship we were on.

Reach out, talk to Babs and Burt, direct Doors to the needed spot and ensure it opened to a 'safe' area where they wouldn't be mobbed or caught in a crush. Big Doors, little Doors inside buildings, it was all there as we hit a dozen locations across Japan as I watched a giant monster wolf get charged by a half-dozen samurai Death Knights, throwing the vampire girl atop it. Turns out the Types DID NOT like negative energy, go figure I mused as I opened Doors at the rear of their army and had mini nukes dropped through them. Then immediately sealed them as magic targeted said Doors to my security teams even as the fat-men launchers fired 'down' so they dropped from the sky to form mushroom clouds. It was best not to risk vampires getting aboard…

Or the rapidly charging in sphere of ridiculous and enraged energy charging north from, reality itself warping and twisting all around it making it easy to see with the ship's sensors. My own magic was added to protections as it was identified as 'Jenny Fractal', which was the twin, also dead at childbirth, sister of the Jenny currently, barely, alive back on the Chance. Yet the systems indicated branching timelines, active time travel, and other paradox inducing idiocy from the previous owners that meant that…

Well, reality was breaking down, and all that was being undone, or reawakened in ways I had no idea what was going on. All that mattered was that the ball of light was screaming its way on a direct line approach for the big concentration of energy that was vampire leaders to my eyes. Easy to guess at as the flight vector adjust to match the energy build up of the spells being unleashed…

I blinked, as did M'gann as we focused on the energy distortions, on indicators…

"Kara" I spoke without truly being in the 'now', my mind focused on the data, on a hand bringing up the magus-in-training Rin Tohsaka standing near the Servant and Lady Barthomelloi. But, to more accurate on the 'device' hovering beside the girl, like something out of a mahou shoujo anime. One that reeked of dimensional energies, that I should have noticed much, much, earlier considering the CARRIER HAD FOCUSED ON IT THE MOMENT IT SAW IT. Communicated, of a sorts, with the thing "Make sure this girl and her band get aboard the carrier NOW, most importantly with that gods-damned magical flying staff. I'm kicking myself for not seeing it earlier"

The semi-sapient staff was capable of Planeswalking, or at least some variant of it.

Our army of not undead vampires were very likely were desperately trying to get their hands on that as their only ticket out of here if that was how I was reading it. Why it hadn't been used by the magus…

'Then again…did it tell them I wonder' was our discussed thought on the matter as an explosion of light heralded the arrival of the reality warping teenager apparently turned into a murder weapon, and insane, thanks to this earth's China. Metal tentacles were coming out of her body and vampires were….were…

Turned to garlic or salt?

Best not to think on that we decided as dozen vampires were simply 'poofed' on our drone-feed as apparently other Jenny brought a friend, alerts point out 'Stormwatch Member' marked as 'Rose Tattoo', who was alive because….

We blinked. I brought up the 'Member List Info'.

…because she was the Immortal/Regenerating/Respawn Avatar of the Spirit of Murder. She just loved to kill things…because that's what she existed for.

Okay.

Why was she on a so-called Hero team?

Questions for another day as the apparently naked and tattooed woman ran screaming at the giant murder wolf, covered in the blood of everyone around her. At least that's what the drones were showing as hundreds and thousands of people were being slammed through the Doors. The important part was it was keeping them busy as we, me and M'gann, resorted to quicker and quicker scans and movements. Not worrying about the food, but just on getting everyone aboard, all the human blooded, even if only half or bloodline human, people unto the ship as quickly and safely as possible. Now we were leaving, and that was that, as the base was now clear, along with most of Japan.

A submarine was going to be hard to evacuate…so we simple Door'd the submarine and the seawater around it into a rear chamber of the carrier, along with a few fishing boats. And that was before we resorted to clearing out the last few 'hard to reach' people by hitting buildings with a sweeping Door, what with reality so broken the systems could do it, and simply transporting the biological constructs within. Nobody was getting left behind because an earthquake had trapped them, though, unlike others, I did Door in blankets and clothing to make up for the loss on the way in…

I blinked. Distracted I hadn't realised that a Golden Flying Ship had been trying to breach the dying storm around the ship's perimeter, instead having left such to Babs and Burt and Kara. Kara who was now racing out, and…he was going to regret that…

Oh. Yeah. Shouldn't have called her that.

Then watched as the golden yacht thing was smashed into little pieces by an angry Kryptonian, and then unceremoniously drop kicked over the horizon…

Yes. This was the WRONG dimension to try and take Supergirl, especially my lovely, wonderful, Kara with the gear me and Quinn could giver her. She be scary….and oh so sexy. Yes it was. Made me feel better with all the stress of the last few blurry hours.

"Are we nearly ready?"

"Minutes" I and M'gann replied to growly Kara in unison "Drives are active. Evacuation complete. Final scans being completed"

--

[06.40 Bargained well and done]

[We will ride with fire burning hot towards the night sky]

The carrier shiftship wasn't quite like piloting the Fortune's Chance, largely because all the little extras we'd installed over the years…weren't there, nor were the system laid out the same. But, thankfully, it did have the Monitor guided systems for them to take control, and they were spelljammer-like in that they allowed myself and M'gann to 'sail' the massive vessel. Or would in a few minutes as we steadied the vessel first as Kara and others were brought back aboard, and did one, last, sensor search and sweep for survivors. It was, literally, now or never for us as the shiftship generated storm began to dissipate and our foes likely became aware of where we were, and what we were.

Most importantly the massive breach in the Bleed the vessel was sitting over…was now starting to open properly as our half-orc duet ensured shields were raised, and the 'consciousness' of the carrier understood the need to maintain said shielding. For me there were other matters to be done as I spun off control to M'gann, and to Burt and Barbara back aboard the Chance. No, I wanted certain things from this dimension, and the crossovers, as I wielded my magic and the carrier to rip chunks out of the damaged realities – storing them in pocket dimensions generated with the power of the mini-universe powering the carrier. These were my 'prize' for my Ring project later…

Here and now, it was simply a crude matter of grabbing chunks of energy and mass, drawing in arcane energies to further deepen the hole in the Bleed below us, along with specific Doors to Japan and Korea. Shields buffeted the 'winds' of Bleed energy now rippling out from the tear in reality beneath us, shimmering and pulsing in strange coronas of odd colours as London began to disintegrate around us. 'Falling' into the breach forming beneath us in a crude circle, earth and buildings and sky 'crumbling' into the Bleed, even as the energies there 'washed in' like a tide into a harbour.

In any other time and place this wouldn't be possible…not with reality 'fighting back' against it. Nor was it something you would normally 'want' to happen, but this reality was screwed, and the bonds holding it together already beyond frayed….and we needed a safe 'route' out of it. So, it we were going to create one large enough for the carrier to leave, because it's 'normal' method, or perhaps it's old owners 'method', just wasn't feasible anymore. Largely because it would be suicidal with reality as shattered as it was, and the Bleed outside literally filled with 'debris and other nightmares the carrier-class weren't designed to engage normally. In the end they were glorified oil tankers in practical terms for the Monitors, designed to haul 'fuel' and other materials through the Bleed to other automated facilities.

It was funny really to consider that the local 'heroes', and I used that term loosely, had used it like a battleship to cuddle their neighbouring dimensions as if it were a battleship…

Sadly, it wasn't a battleship, and instead we could but tear at the bonds of reality here and now, the ships, the Fortune's Chance docked inside, now looking like they were in the middle of a blue-black-red candleflame, the ground beneath us melting away and down. Like into black hole. It was horrifying and creepy to my senses as the Bleed literally ate into reality below us, and we began to 'sink' down into the deepening hole as London 'fell' into the Abyss. Like a fault line I could see the tear in reality rip out into the channel as well as north inland, water beginning to cascade off the new 'waterfall' created there.

'That is….scary' M'gann thought at me as we watched, and watched the reality distortions rippling across the world 'Super scary'

'Tell me about it' I agreed as the engines poured more power into the shields, and every bit of the Door system was diverted into redirecting overflow. It was *unnerving* to see and even more to feel, watching the world unburn around us 'Just…we keep descending, let us get out of here as soon as we can'

It was easier that way, focusing on the task at hand, rather than everything going on around us. So, the carrier began to 'sink' lower and lower into the 'lake' of twisting energies, yet one that looked black and still and calm as well. Down, down, down, into the Bleed, beyond the broken barriers of this dimension, carefully too, as this wasn't the Chance with its smaller size and internal stabilisers and dimensional fuckery – here and now we were ship at sea, filled with passengers. No fancy upside-down flips here, otherwise our passengers would certainly *feel* that stress, just like the systems recorded some poor refugees had apparently in the past when the ship had crashed upside down.

"We're in the Bleed" I announced to the bridge, a dozen image screens before me, cutting links to the satellite network and other systems on the on the other side of the breach "Diverting more power to shields. Burt, can you reconfirm carrier sensor readings against the Fortune's Chance's?"

"Confirming, matching" came back after a short delay as the carrier 'dropped' out of the hole in the sphere-like blob of reality, one much smaller than it truly was inside. Like a strange black coloured diamond with cracks and rents covering its surface as we seemed so very small in relation to it "We are transmitting IFF codes…and sensor track on 'safe' route showing…now"

And then it was coming up on displays before me, and I thanked him, as did M'gann, as moved in unison, willing the carrier to continue 'descending' though the bleed, power flowing to the shielding systems and the sensors. The battles raging over the doomed dimension were no longer of interest to us, not now that we were away from them, shields raised and engines engaging. In our mind's eye the 'seas' were storm here in this part of the Bleed, the 'currents' and 'eddies' of the shuddering dimension we'd just left reflected in the 'waters' around its borders…and the debris floating and crashing all around it. But we pushed out, and onwards, Bleed drives now active, shields sufficient to battered through the smaller fragments in our immediate vicinity. Getting away from the dying dimension, and the fringe of the 'DCverses', back into the 'safer' aspects where we were moving 'faster' than the local timescales.

'Do you see that?' M'gann pointed out to me, a mental poke, and then feeling that I followed. There on the sensors was a weird blip, moving, such that it was, on the plot.

I nodded 'Probably the thing we detected as the threat about to hit where we were….let's see can we reduce our visibility as much as we can'

'Okay, like with my…her…'

My own emotions comforted her, a gentle touch at the momentary flash of pain that she wasn't that M'gann, much like I wasn't that Sean, and she smiled after a moment. It came at the oddest times, and she hadn't the time I had, only two years in, and this situation was stressful for me too 'Yes, just like with the bioship. We can do our best to push invisibility'

Neither of us wanted to investigate that fragment that was going to hit/had hit/was hitting the dying dimension, breaching its integrity as time and space were already warping around us….

"Boss" Bab's voice came to me "Reality warper just woke up"

'Well, that's just fucking great…' I thought, then M'gann huffed at me in our minds teasingly, though mildly annoyed too.

'Language! After the sexy Kara thoughts too!'

'Fine!' I thought back, but also speaking to Barbara as I brought up the data-feed….and there wasn't a fight at the very least "She's calm?"

"So far, talking to Asa and Katara. I've Gane on standby along with Courtney and a security team" Barbara replied "Do you want me to go…"

"I'll go talk to her" Kara interrupted over the comms "I've still go full protections on, and you need to keep focused on the sailing and dealing with all the lunatic wizards we just picked up Callum, and Quinn'll be needed later"

…and is terrible at people anyway went unsaid. So, I let out a breath, M'gann nudging agreement "Fine, I'll watch over systems though, Burt, patch me in. M'gann and I will do up a sweep on our new guests and see are they causing trouble"

--

[06.41 Bargained well and done]

[Down on the second-class passenger decks]

Medusa knelt calmly at the top of the 'bed', hands on her knees, and looking for all the world as if she was the absolute figure of serenity and cam. That wasn't the case of course within her mind, which was currently a whirl of thoughts and emotions, along with the worst part; - she was unsure of what to do, from dealing with those currently in her charge. Or those that hovered around now like drowned vultures…momentarily stunned by the horrors of recent events, but sure to recover and be troublesome once more. Sanity, or lack thereof, was something of a concern in regard to all concerned the more she considered the matter.

Losing sanity…well, others losing their sanity rather than her losing hers…was Medusa's greatest concern right now, but she couldn't afford to show even the faintest bit of weakness. Weakness meant the vultures lurking around her charges first and foremost, or the powers that had rescued them taking an interest that might be unwelcome. So, Medusa was desperately dealing with *how* to keep her Master in the meagre sanity that yet remained to him, while also shaping him so that he did not turn into the Archer version of him that had died in the war. Had also clearly been insane of course, just like her poor Master Sakura had gone at the end, and as the child-like, but actually older, Einzbern homunculus-person, was in a different way.

All Sakura had wanted, a Command, was for her beloved to be safe and happy…even if the safety and happiness had meant being away from the corrupted horror Medusa's Master had become thanks to….whatever the hell had happened in the battle between The Shadow and the Dead Apostle. Somewhat further complicated by the World Ending soon afterwards, but Rider had kept them alive after…

Well, after Archer, who was actually a future Hero version of Shirou, had rescued a host of people from Fuyuki City before coming off on his death ride of madness. Because some deluded interpretation of justice maybe, Medusa truly struggled to understand the logic even now. It had left the immediate problem to deal with, the Fujimura woman, as the events had cost her most everything in her life, without any of knowledge of the darker aspects of the world to that point. Save Shirou Emiya, who she clung too like a lost child despite the roles their ages should display. Dangerously so considering the other women in Medusa's Master's life, along with the need to work on the potential of her Master, as well as keeping the vultures away now that many *knew* of that potential.

Then there were all the other considerations for the immediate future;- they had been evacuated, yes, but literally only with the clothing on their backs, and what little that had grabbed. Now their 'home' as a large tent, stolen from some merchant's place of business, and even if it was a large, and nice, tent, with other 'camping gear'…it was still a tent. Bound with protective wards, yes, but a tent still, and the bed a simple mattress covered with a sheet, and then another. They had likely many weeks, perhaps months, to live as this, with limited clothing and food, so Medusa had stepped in to take charge to ensure they survived…and ideally stayed sane.

'Or mostly sane at least' she judged as the pouting white haired not-child sulked as she read a book across the tent while the softly snoring forms of Medusa's new Master and the Fujimura woman slept away. Ilya von Einzbern was clearly crazy after all, because all mutterings of Onni-chan, and occasional childish acts aside, the girl was a magus, and one who saw her adoptive brother as 'lover' not 'brother'. A bloodthirsty little brat too of course, as her wielding of Berserker had shown before everything went to hell. No, Ilya would currently be attempting seduction with Medusa's Master Shirou if allowed 'rest' with him…and was therefore banned from that option till the boy had recovered sufficiently.

…just like the Tohsaka girl and her Sakura's sister. Who was currently being tormented by the dreadful Mystic Code, Ruby, that set Medusa's teeth on edge no matter how useful it was. No, Sakura's sister, Rin, was clearly just as in love with the boy as poor Sakura had been and was just as bad at expressing that as Medusa's former Master had been, albeit in a different way. Considering the stress the girl was under, and her inability to be 'normal', then there would more talk of 'necessary' tantric rituals…

Which was why her and Ilya would share the bed during *their* rest period till Medusa judged otherwise, likely when a sane routine had been established, and they understood boundaries. It would be *deeply problematic* if they ended up killing each other because they couldn't control themselves, or managed to cause harm or lose of sanity for Taiga Fujimura, thereby hurting Shirou. Especially after the WORLD HAD ENDED and they were surrounded by insane vultures, desperate survivors, and powerful beings of unknown motives. Ones who had a necromancer of power leading them, as well as managing to recruit Medea to their cause…and oh how Medusa *longed* to discuss matters with the Witch. Her madness at least came with the power to back it up…

'Just as this insane vulture does' she thought not moving, remaining the calm, stoic, kneeling statue she wanted to be seen as. Simply holding up a hand in a 'Be quiet!' motion as the tent 'door' was opened up and one of the few allowed entry, entered. Oh, they could modify the boundary field to attempt keep out the woman…but she would clearly break it, or attempt to do so…and that would do poorly when dealing with the others of her ilk trapped aboard this great trireme with them. Also, both girls were fearful of this witch, and nervously scuttled over to Medusa, and the sleeping duo, as Medusa rose up and silently walked to the foot of the 'bed'. Then moved to sit on her knees once more…standing as ward between her Master and the witch, flanked by Ilya and Rin, the annoying wand just to the girl's side.

"Vice Director Bathomelloi" she greeted in a soft, low, husky, tone, nodding her head to an equal, and conceding nothing to the woman, gesturing to sit on a cushion that were nearly folded clothes "Please, sit, as you must be here to talk we imagine?"

"Yes Rider, I have" the woman kept her voice down, frowning threateningly though as she did so, glancing over Medusa's shoulder at the sleeping duo. Though in truth it was only at Medusa's Master. Knowledge of WHO Archer had been had ensured this woman *lusted* after her Master now, though not as the girls beside Medusa did. No, this was the lust of a Magus viewing a great prize, a desperate Magus at that, and one they wanted in their control, but whatever means possible "Should you not…wake your Master"

'Which is why you arrive now, while he hath barely two hours rest' Medusa knew, but merely gave a shrug "My Master wishes to rest, and I stand as his Servant. This was known. If it is truly a matter that concerns him, then one suggests returning at the agreed upon time for such an awakening"

"An unexpected weakness considering what has occurred"

"Oh, even the Magus Killer needed sleep one understands, as have numerous Magus not long ago" Medusa mused back with an equally undesired smile "My Master merely persisted in establishing his domain, and aiding others in the chaos, longer than others whose responsibilities lay in that regards"

….Medusa really considered she shouldn't poke the witch over much more considering the faintest of indications of 'unhappiness' there. It was likely imperceptible to human eyes, but clearly this woman wished to attack her right this moment. So, she merely inclined her head in a respectful nod "As this is so, this one shall speak in his stead"

Both Einzbern and Tohsaka cowered at the frown of the Barthomelloi woman, but Medusa merely waited till the magus nodded, voice low still, polite even "As you say Servant Rider, and, no, the matter does not strictly concern your Master, merely his…"

She gazed at the Tohsaka "Associate, and the property of…" at the annoying Wand, that preened…because of course the thing preened "One of the Clocktower"

"Ruby, reporting for Duty! Maybe!" the annoying Mystic Code responded "If Rin's Shirou says so! By the Power of Their Unbreakable Love! And Justice! Like a Magical Girl"

'That was deliberate, you sadistic little abomination' Medusa considered on that response, though it was engineered to humiliate the Mystic Code's Master, Sakura's sister….which it did, even as the thing continued on with it's passive-aggression "Unless you want to be a Magical Girl! Magical Girl Barthomelloi! Master Zelretch always thought you'd be…"

If the woman could kill the Mystic Code with a thought, then she would have, and the clear rage boiling behind the façade was enough to cause the little horror to shut up as Rin Tohsaka desperately grabbed it, pinning it down, and trying to shush it. Medusa merely gave it a frown, before glancing at the magus as the Einzbern fidgeted in mild concern "Yes, though sadly the Mystic Code is….imbued with unfortunate tendencies thanks to it's creator. For what would she be required?"

"Awareness of its…flaws are known" the woman answered 'politely' "But the….captain of this ship wishes to discuss matters with it…and you"

Medusa nodded "Ah. Perhaps to be expected. But I think it best till my Master awakens, and we have time to…"

She looked at the struggling Tohsaka and Mystic Code "Hmm. Discuss certain matters with the creation of the Wizard Marshall…"

--