Pain, and Fire. That was all I knew. It felt like every part of me, my very existence was burning. Seconds, Hours, Days. It might have been years for all I knew. I had no eyes to see. No mouth to scream. I could do nothing but burn. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of eternities. I fell. Not far. Maybe a foot, onto a cold, grimy stone floor. I let out a groan and opened my eyes, which was honestly wonderful. I had a mouth! I had eyes! I had no idea where I was! ...maybe not so wonderful then. I stood up, feeling oddly good all things considered and took a look around. I was in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. It was night, or perhaps early morning, only moonlight filtered through the cracked and dusty windows on the upper walls. I tried remembering how I got here.
Then I tried remembering who I was...nothing.
I'll admit I might have panicked a bit at that point, pacing back and forth as though the movement would jog my memory, I had nothing.
"Who am I?" I whispered.
The question brought a sharp, blinding pain to my head. Memories cascading through my mind faster than I could follow, slotting into place quickly and efficiently. My name was Gavin, Gavin Hawthorne. I was a fucking CYOA self insert. The last thing I remember, I was sitting in my chair, filling out the bloody CYOA form and then %#$% #%# $%! My mind shied away from the memories of burning. At least I knew why now though.
I was a Phoenix. No. It would be more accurate to say that I was THE Phoenix. I had chosen several of the more esoteric power options. Eternal Flame, with the Phoenix upgrade. Reality Marble, which synergizes well with eternal flame and...holy shit. I was a fucking Alpha Class Psyker. An Alpha Class Psyker with a goddamned reality marble! I was so fucking OP!...or I would be anyways. I had taken quite a few drawbacks as well. I started out at roughly 50% of my overall strength, though by the time 2 years passed, I will have 200% Of what I would originally have had at that time. Can't complain about that.
I wasn't so fond of a few of the other options I picked though. Yeah, it gave me and extra 60CP and 60SP, but I now had a non-suicidal Scion to worry about. Because, yeah. Of course I was in Worm, where else? Thanks me!
Though actually, now that I think about it. I shouldn't be alone. I had selected a companion. I looked around, scanning the dimly lit warehouse and soon found who I was looking for. Sitting in a shadowed corner. Battered, bruised and unconscious, was a pale, beautiful young woman wearing a blue cloak and a black bodysuit. Purple hair falling limp over her face. Rachel "Raven" Roth. My companion, and assuming the perk worked like I hoped, my Soul-Mate. She should have been pulled from an instance where Trigon had won, but where Raven had never given up. A Raven who shared my most commonly selected trait. Invictus. Indomitable will. Unyielding resolve. Most important of all though, a Raven who desired to no longer be alone.
I quickly approached her and knelt by her side. I had no medical training beyond a half remembered first aid course in college, but honestly, I didn't need one. The reason I loved the Phoenix power so much had more to do with it's immense flexibility as it did the actual power level. It was largely a conceptual power. Yes, I could turn into a giant firebird and fly around to my hearts content, but I could also burn away ANYTHING. Including injuries. My own, or others. I reached out, and cradled Raven's face between my hands. I Closed my eyes and focused inwards towards the light of eternity burning away at the core of my being. I found it, and drew it out, directing it to burn away all ailments, injuries, wounds and any weariness of body or soul that it could find. Ravens body flared briefly with gentle white light, then faded back to normal. All signs of injury gone. Even her clothing was repaired. Neat.
She would sleep for another several hours hopefully. I needed some time to process and get a little rest myself. I sat next to her, leaned back against the wall and looked up at the cool moonlight filtering through the dust. What the hell had I gotten myself into? Would I be able to fulfill the mission I had set for myself? Rescue Taylor and help her become the hero I knew she had the potential to become? Could I fight off an Endbringer that had a hate-on for me when the next attack came? I had made myself powerful, for sure. Hell, I had made myself potentially a POWER. I was now a true immortal. An Omniversal Constant. No matter what happened to me, I would eventually return. But Scion was, in many ways, more than a god, and I had handicapped myself fairly thoroughly. Sure, I was eternal, A being of conceptual fire and rebirth that could not be killed or even truly imprisoned, but I was very new to that power, and I doubted it was going to be something easily mastered even when I grew into the full breadth of it. Sure, I was an alpha class psyker, but something told me that while the warp in this instance was fairly safe as far as the usual threats are concerned. Delving too deeply would alert at least the shards. If not the entities themselves. And who knows what else was out there. I have no idea how much of a crossover universe this will end up being. This was only my first world, and honestly, I could think of a dozen that were more dangerous off the top of my head. This sharply limited how much power I could bring to bear while maintaining some kind of anonymity.
I glanced to my side, at the slumbering Raven and smiled. At least I wouldn't be alone anymore. I could already fell the connection between us. Her soul to mine. With that and the Awakener perk. She would be as eternal as I. Neither of us ever had to be alone again. I couldn't wait to get to know her. I wondered how our relationship would turn out. Best of friends? Brother and Sister? Lovers? The perk only guaranteed that our personalities would be compatible. The rest was up to us. I leaned my head back again. Taylor triggered in the morning in the normal timeline. I wasn't going to let that happen. I couldn't, and I wouldn't if I could. Tomorrow I was going to kick the known timeline off a cliff. I focused for a moment and found Taylors sleeping mind. I could feel the fracturing of her soul, the despair and hopelessness. The DISTORTION. I gently soothed her as best I could, still new to my power as I was, and whispered into her dreams, Tomorrow Taylor, everything changes. I then set a mental boundary that would wake me when she left her house. I carefully opened a passive channel to Ravens mind so she could explore my knowledge of our situation if she woke before me. I closed my eyes, hoping to get a little sleep before dawn. I smirked a little. I couldn't help but wondering what Earth Bet would make of Taylor Hebert, Gamma Class Psyker and bearer of a reality marble. It would be interesting, if nothing else.
Perks, Powers and Drawbacks
Lt Ouroumov's Worm CYOA V6
Powers - Eternal Flame-Phoenix / Psyker - Alpha Class / Dynamist Jr. / Awakener / Reality Marble / Killing Intent / Rule of Cool = -145sp
Perks - Rapid Learning / Blank / Immortality Failsafe / Wealthy / Legal Identity / Multiversal Citizenship / Invictus / Homecoming / A Significant Other / Worriless = -70cp/-8sp
Items/Companions - Cape Outfit / Cauldron Vial / Secret Lair / (Rachel "Raven" Roth) = -67cp
Drawbacks - Conscious Geas (Protect Taylor Hebert) / The only thing I fear (Loneliness) / Wanted [Local] (E88) / Endbringer Target / Fallen Worship / Pragmatist / Acclimation / Jet Lag / Desire for Survival = +112cp +146sp
Setting - Drop in / Self targeted / Normal Tier / Normal Difficulty / Jan 3, 2011 = +33cp +35sp
8cp Remaining / 28sp remaining
Taylor's Powers - Regeneration(Awakened phoenix) / Gamma Class Psyker / Killing Intent / Cauldron Vial - Cryokinesis / Reality Marble - The Still Heart of Winter
Raven's Powers - Regeneration(Awakened phoenix-Eternal Flame) / Normal powers(Unbound due to lack of Trigon in this instance) / Gamma Class Psyker / Reality Marble - Nevermore
Gavin's Powers - True Immortal-(Phoenix-Eternal Flame) / Alpha Class Psyker(50% strength) / Killing Intent(50% Strength) / Pyrokinesis(Conceptual)(50% Strength) / Reality Marble - Time is the Fire(50)