Futuristic Arcadia: Heroes World Brave

[Wing06]

Klaus winced as the Chronons blipped in and out of sync. Particles that had existed hundreds of years ago were now colliding with the present, and it was like gunfire in Klaus's ears. The deafening sound only seemed to stop when he looked up to see the Priestess from the past standing before him, urging him to the top of the tower. As he made his move to climb the spiral staircase, Shasha and, who Klaus could only assume was Darm came crashing through the ground, rocking the time-fractured city. Klaus knew there wasn't much time left, an irony of being a time traveler that was never lost on Klaus. He could come back to this moment as often as he wanted, but no matter what Klaus could think to do differently, the outcome would remain the same. The effects of the day's battles would send ripples through the time stream and, once in motion, could not be stopped or altered at the source.

Steeling his resolve, Klaus took the Priestess's hand and ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. "The floodgates have been open. What else is there to do once we reach the top of this spire? Is there truly a way to end all this and seal Darm away for good?" Klaus asked the timeless woman, hoping she would have the answer.

 

[DarKnight36]

The priestess nodded. "The runes hold the key. The night of Ys's destruction, the princess had planned to redraw the runes to allow Darm to be free. She probably did not know that this would occur, but Ys would not risk Darm's freedom. It chose to drown itself. This weakened Darm but did not destroy him."

The two reached the top of the tower and the priestess looked around, nodding. "These runes are the modified ones, but thanks to your friend, he has not been able to fully activate them. Draw the old ones here. Ys is focusing on keeping me here, but I am not from this time. I may not be able to remain here much longer, traveler."

***

"It's not the merman wannabe I'm worried about," Albert said breathlessly, pointing to the city. "It's the big guy."

As if to punctuate his words, Darm's wings spread and a hundred bolts of white energy spat forth, cracking through the crumbling city. Most missed Sasha, but a few struck him. Ignoring the pain, Sasha leaped forward.

"Come on," Sasha growled, slamming a fist into Darm's rib cage. "Come on, wake up already!"

Darm snatched Sasha from the air and cracked him into the ground so fast it broke the sound barrier. Sasha's brain rattled and Darm stomped downwards, burying Sasha further.

" Ever the coward, Koschei, " Darm spat. " You won't even show me your true strength. A pity. "

"My true strength, huh?" Sasha muttered. Darm ground Sasha down, then raised a hand to the tower again. Power surged forth as Sasha struggled to push back against Darm's weight.

***

Klaus had finished drawing the runes, and the priestess ran her hands over them. "It is finished, now-"

Darm's magic reached the tower, flooding the runes with power. The blast wasn't intended to be physically destructive, but it still sent both Klaus and the Voice of Ys to the ground.

"Escape, fly!" the Voice cried out to Klaus as the runes activated. Klaus reached out and grasped the priestess' hand, pulling her with him as he lunged out the tower window. Behind him, both runes twisted together, and an unearthly shriek tore from the tower. In the sky above Ys, a hole appeared. It was a two-dimensional tear - inside was an indescribable miasma, causing instant headaches and temporary blindness in some cases for those who looked into it.

Darm stumbled forward, as if being pulled. He was lifted into the air, the power of the runes turning against him as Ys' will took hold. Darm howled in rage and defiance as he was pulled bit by bit towards the dimensional rift. His wings beat down, forcing a stalemate.

Sasha stood once more. Finally, finally, he had awoken.

"Darm," Sasha hissed, and raised a hand. "See you around."

Runes of Sasha's own appeared in a circle around his raised hand, burning themselves into reality. In the center, a pillar of black energy erupted, striking Darm in the chest and sending him hurtling through the rift. As if satisfied, the rift's mouth closed with a crack, leaving nothing but clouds once more.

All at once, everything settled. A wind blew through Ys as if the city was sighing, then Ys slowly began to crumble once more. Chunks of rock and stone began collapsing into the waves; it was time for Ys to return to its grave.

 

[PiePillager]

As the massive ancient city began to fall once more into a watery Abyss, Henry managed to leap onto the ladder extending from the VTOL and climb aboard. A strange ethereal vacuum burst forth from it, taking any rubble or chunks of the city that had fallen off and dragging them down as well. And Darm and YS weren't the only things to sink beneath the waves.

"NON!" Monsieur Mer gasped in despair, grabbing onto the Morgen's hand for dear life. "Je ne lâcherai rien ! Je ne laisserai pas les profondeurs vous réclamer car j’en suis le maître!" he exclaimed as her fingers slipped away, unable to escape the vortex.

"Imbécile! Nous deux, criminels, pécheurs et imbéciles ! Tu vas me manquer..." The Morgen responded, teary-eyed as her hand completely slipped from Monsieur Mer's. Her eyes closed as she accepted her fate and was driven back into the depths of the sea, forever bound to the legendary city.

"Elle était... la plus belle femme à avoir jamais existé..." Monsieur Mer stammered, taken aback at the plan in shambles, his allies defeated, his bride-to-be, sunken beneath the waves. "...VOUS PAIEREZ!" He snapped, turning around at Shinigami and Backlash. "VOUS PAIEREZ TOUS! MA VENGEANCE SERA COMME UN TORRENT INCESSANT DE-"

Suddenly in a flash, the dark clouds gathered in the sky dispersed, giving way to sunlight. The violent waves tormenting the coast of Europe for many nights seemed to vanish just as fast. With the sinking of Ys and the banishment of both Darm and the Morgen, Mer's mastery over water ceased to be. The aquatic villain seemed to take a moment to process this, glancing at each of his hands in confusion, before he realized that the pillar of water holding him up over the ocean had fallen, reduced to a simple lap of the waves.

"...A-aaa-AAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Monsieur Mer began to scream falling through the air...helpless towards the ocean, his career as a supervillain undone in little less than an hour.

 

[Wing06]

Klaus felt uneasy watching the City of Ys again sink below the waves. He knew he'd saved the city by sending it back to the depths, but it didn't seem that way to him. He had to accept that it was the will of Ys to slip into the darkness of the ocean, and knowing he'd done right by Ys' will, Klaus felt some comfort.

There was one loose end that Klaus wanted to tie up. The mastermind behind all the suffering of the day, the man responsible for dragging a city from its grave and nearly flooding the western shores of Europe while simultaneously releasing a demon that feeds on human lifeforce into the world of 2045, Monsieur Mer.

As if on queue, the French Super began to scream, plummeting towards the now calm sea, his powers lost with the fall of Ys.

Klaus caught the failed villain by his wrist and began to make for the VTOL, "Te laisser mourir ici serait presque trop gentil. Non, vous devrez payer pour les péchés que vous avez commis ici aujourd'hui. Les vies que vous avez perturbées et les fantômes que vous avez invoqués méritent la paix."

The pair landed inside the VTOL, and Klaus quickly bound the man's hands behind his back, "So, where should we take our new friend? Raising a city from the waves and threatening a continent is above the French authority's jurisdiction."

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha lay in the water, relaxing and wondering how sore he would be tomorrow. He'd let his demon form dissipate, but he felt bruised and battered. He'd taken a lot of punishment from Darm. He'd held his own, but he doubted he could have beaten the demon. Not until the end, anyway.

"Koschei," he said, raising a hand and staring at its outline against the sky. "Been a long time."

 

[PiePillager]

"Well, if not them, then who?" Henry shrugged. "I'm not sure I wanna stick around too much longer before the authorities and media arrive here but there's gotta be somewhere that should hold him..."

"Gallalaust Hólf," an unfamiliar voice spoke out to everyone in turn, within their minds. "Forgive me for speaking to you in this manner...I am Voyante of the Sainted Knights...the only one conscious. ...and barely at that. I can barely move at the moment, but I must thank you all. We were hand-picked as the strongest supers in all of Europe and yet....bah, forget it. You have done what we could not, I thank you for that. However, the prison I mentioned. Gallalaust Hólf. It is a Pan-European Supermax prison. My team and I arrived here with the intent on taking him there to be jailed in the first place. It is the least I can do to haul him in after you all have done most of the hard work."

Henry turned to Klaus and shrugged. Seemed like the best possible option at the moment. Walking over and stretching his arms, Henry let out a sigh of relief at a job well done. Walking to the other side of the VTOL, he noticed something and glanced over at the waters below. A woman who had not been there before lay dead, on her face am oddly pleasant look. Her skin was a hue of green and scales ran down her back.

Charybdis. Not the monster, but the daughter of Poseidon. An endless hunger abated, she was now at peace. Two similarly greenish-hued figures, dressed as centurions arose from the water and nodded to Henry before carrying her away, out of sight. Scylla merely looked on, having no fight in her, and followed. Perhaps whatever sentience was left in her sought...something. Henry didn't know. A similar peace? Something better? Who could say.

Those two and even, Monsieur Mer and the Morgen, all cursed by the sea in some manner. But even feeling bad for them all, the look on Mer and Scylla's faces wasn't that of scorn or any violent thought. Aside from resignation, there was a calmness to them that felt as if both were at ease with whatever came to pass next. Despite all that had happened and all that was going to happen things felt pretty peaceful. Blue waves and blue skies. It wouldn't last forever but it was nice for now, all the same. For things to continue in this manner, it wouldn't be as easy as this. They would have to fight for it.

And fight for it they shall.

 

[DarKnight36]

Reah slowly opened her eyes, her fingers spasming slightly as she regained consciousness. Her fingertips left trails in the sand as she felt a wave lapse over her lower body. Before her stretched a beach, with buildings in the distance. Where was she?

The last thing she remembered was the time traveler dragging her from the tower. Ys was dead now, truly. She could no longer feel it; the connection was lost. As its Voice, Reah had thought she would vanish with the city. Perhaps this was one last gift from Ys, enabling her to live.

She slowly became aware that there was a man standing nearby. He was young, with short black hair, olive skin and strangely grey eyes, like rain-filled clouds.

"You're awake," the young man said, leaning down and offering a hand. Reah hesitantly took the offered help, thanking him as he brought her to a sitting position. Another wave washed over her legs and she tried to stand.

"You are quite the interesting person," the young man continued, offering his support to the former priestess. "You are from Ys, yes? The demon there, very scary." Despite his words, the stranger radiated calm. "Ah, your wet clothes. I imagine those will dry very quickly."

Reah blinked in surprise as indeed her clothes did seem to dry astonishingly fast. Within a few seconds, the only damp she felt was from the ocean breeze. She stared into the man's eyes, frowning.

"Who are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh, forgive me," the man said. "My name is Joseph. And may I have your name?"

"I am the voice..." Reah stopped herself, then took a deep breath. "My name is Reah."

"Reah, what a beautiful name," Joseph smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't participate more clearly in the battle, but I didn't want to get in the way. However, I did help as I could. And your presence here means that I was successful." He patted her hand. "Well, no sense in delaying any longer. Let's get you comfortable, Reah, and then I want to hear all about you. In return, I'll tell you all about myself, and this time."

Reah smiled softly. There was something about Joseph that made her feel that everything would be fine. "I'd like that, Joseph. Thank you."

"I imagine we're going to be good friends," Joseph said kindly. "Good friends indeed."

 

[obscured_light]

The suit powered down just as Shinigami got Bertbert onto the VTOL and she collapsed onto the floor with a loud, dramatic exhale of relief. She looked over at the others, her hair slick with sweat, and asked one question.

"So, we heading out to eat now?"

 

[PiePillager]

March 23rd 8:30 A.M The Bedivere

After dropping off the remaining victims of the water-based villains and ensuring they had been put in medical care, the Brave had deftly dodged the media, avoiding the interviews that would no doubt plague the peers in their profession. Their VTOL flew on autopilot, the heroes resting after their battle as they made their way back to their base of operations, the state-of-the-art submarine known as the Bedivere.

There, after the staff secured a guest room for Albert, they were all left to their own devices and awoke the next day. Hopefully in time for breakfast. Henry in particular was glad he managed to get a decent amount of sleep in. He had made some calls in to try and give their VTOLS and other vehicles a speed boost, which had him up pretty late, but not late enough to miss an early morning jog across the sub first. Hopefully, the parts he'd ordered would arrive soon. There was no telling when the team would get called in next, after all.

Heading towards the cafeteria, a scent so wafted past Henry's nose that if he wasn't already awake, would've jolted him right up. "We serving french toast now? Bet," he smiled, gladly walking over to the counter to get himself a plate before sitting down, waiting for others to join.

 

[DarKnight36]

Albert stretched and yawned as he strode down the spacious submarine's hallway into the cafeteria. His stomach rumbled and he moved to the counter where Henry had been just a few moments ago.

"Good morning, uh, Henry right?" Albert said as he stacked a pile of french toast and grabbed a bottle of syrup. "Nice place you've got here, feels more like what I envision a cruise ship would be than a submarine. Course I've never been on either one before."

Albert seated himself at the table. "So, what's the story with the Brave? This George guy, you trust him?"

 

[PiePillager]

Henry stopped eating for a moment to answer, "The story? Well, there's not much of a story. Most of us here fought the Beast and weren't really affiliated with any other team. George sorta scouted us and formed us as a countermeasure to something like the Beast. But..." he looked around thoughtfully after taking another bite of toast. "Extradimensional activity isn't exactly common...or at least it didn't used to be. There are a lotta powerful hereos out there, but do they stand united? ...Do they even stand together?" he shrugged. "With how most of 'em are set up, I don't think they stand for anything at all. Glorified celebrities. Not that it's entirely there fault."

"But, when something big happens, villains, monsters, what have you, there's all this collateral and bureaucracy trying to get i nthe way of seeing everyone safe. Shouldn't be that way, so some of us thought maybe...maybe the Brave can be the answer to that. And as for George..." Henry shrugged. "Guess he's cool, he's paying for it all. So long as we do our part to stop these extradimensional incursions. What about you? You're with ACHI, right? Long way from Atlas City, ain't it?"

DarKnight36

 

[DarKnight36]

"I was with ACHI," Albert frowned, swallowing a mouthful of toast. "They suspended me after that incident in California. You know, that warehouse that 'Captain Valor' took all the credit for stopping?" Albert snorted. "I was there, some of you were there too if I'm not mistaken. I was at the Beast fight too, you know. Really got me thinking about that stuff too. I tried to get ACHI to revise its strategy, get some of these older guys to get ready for stuff like that. What do you think they thought about that?"

Albert sighed. "Too much ego and pride. I don't care about that. I'm a hero so I can save people. Inspire people, y'know?" Albert paused. "After the Beast of Decay, George actually asked me if I'd join this team too. But I turned him down. I wanted to try and make a difference with the company that gave me my first chance. But... it's too political. They want their faces to look good, but people like me, people who are passionate? They get all uncomfortable. They're scared, I guess."

 

[obscured_light]

"They're also scared of me," Akiko said as she slid in, literally. She was wearing a white collared shirt and sunglasses, her bangs slicked back with water, and bright blue pajama pants with matching blue elephant slippers. She strolled over to the two that were eating, nodding to both of them in greeting.

"Though I wouldn't say passionate," she said, placing a hand on her chin in thought. "More, intense. Though the ghost thing could, uh, could also be contributing to that. You scared of ghost, Bertie?"

 

[DarKnight36]

"Bertie?" Albert muttered, frowning at Akiko. "No, I'm not particularly scared of ghosts. Why, should I be?"

"Only the succubi," Sasha said, taking a seat at the table, defiantly having gotten pancakes instead of the french toast. "Well, unless you enjoy that sort of thing I suppose. Good morning everyone. Syrup?" Sasha winced slightly as he stretched to take the offered bottle from Albert.

 

[PiePillager]

"Yeah, most hero organizations are run like they're some kinda...reality tv stars more than people," Henry shook his head. "Makes me wonder if any of them really know what they're signing up for. I don't wanna needle Liz about her time in the limelight so much, but I bet she's got some stories," Henry figured. "So, I'm guessing you wanna quit ACHI to join us, Barto?" he asked, mishearing the name Akiko called him.

 

[DarKnight36]

"B-Barto?" Albert stammered, wondering with some confusion if this was some form of hazing. "Well, I'm honestly not sure yet. Do y'all have a leader, or is it one of those everyone's an equal type deal?"

 

[Wing06]

"The leader is whoever seems to take point on the given mission," Klaus quipped, striding up to the table. He carried a plate of hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and a short stack of pancakes in one hand and a full, nearly spilling-over, steaming cup of coffee in the other. "Henry was the lead at Ys, well, until we lost comms in the city, but Henry's quick thinking and efficient planning allowed us to get there in time." He sat next to the Cosmic Titan and smiled, "Well done, by the way, we did a lot of good, and having you show up, Albert, was a welcome surprise!" He flashed a smile to the Kinetic Hero.

Klaus couldn't forget the names of any of the heroes on the beach that day. He'd made it a point to study them all, even paid a few of those that gave their lives a visit in their pasts, just to understand what sort of person they were like. Some were genuinely selfless, others, in it only for the glory, their deaths resulting from their ego. He took a sip of his coffee, its warmth grounding him to the present and calming his thoughts, allowing him to focus better on the here and now.

 

[DarKnight36]

"I see," Albert said a bit flatly, finishing his french toast and swallowing some milk. "Well, I'm glad I could be of help. Honestly, though, I'm kind of unsure if you all would want me to stick around. I mean, don't get me wrong, you guys are cool, but..." Albert took a breath. "You don't really seem like a team, if I'm being honest. Like you get along, that's great, but listen, and I mean this in the best way possible, but y'all hardly worked together."

Albert pointed at Sasha. "Sasha here dove off the boat and ignored everything, going for the city. Klaus, you and Akiko here worked to get the survivors out of the way, and Henry, I mean great stuff killing Charybdis. But Akiko got left in a tight spot, and that Darm demon that popped out of Ys... well there's no way of knowing that thing was there, but Macroman would have been real great right about then. Liz, no offense intended, was relaxing in the helicopter for the vast majority of the fight, like she didn't even want to be there."

Albert leaned back and shrugged. "I guess what I'm getting at is you're all super strong, like crazy strong. But you don't work together. I hope I don't come across as pretentious or anything. It's just how I see it."

 

[PiePillager]

"Well..." Henry began, eating another slice of toast. "I would say, considering the circumstance we did pretty well. More than that even. Zero collateral. No civilian casualties. All of the fights stayed away from populated areas. Every one of us is strong and every one of us is at least experienced enough at what we do and trust each other enough to know when we've got something covered. Teamwork..." more french toast was eaten at this point. "Not necessarily about tactics. Useful, but it's also knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your team as well and adjusting accordingly."

He continued after sipping a glass of orange juice. "Everything has its place. But if you're gonna be out here tryna tell us every mission how to operate tactically...eh, we got it covered."

 

[obscured_light]

"Yeah, we can totally just do things on the fly," Akiko said as she grabbed a piece of french toast off Henry's plate. "What's a plan among friends that can't compare to a perfectly executed tactic of a trained team."

She chewed on the piece and walked off, taking out her phone as she browsed through various news articles. The smells of different foods held her interest more until a certain headline caught her eye.

Fanatic Hero Attacks Australian Branch of the Alpheum Foundation.

She stopped and gulped loudly, the french toast feeling like a pebble going down her throat. Her eyes scanned the screen quickly as it felt like the world had crawled to a halt. Klaus' voice still rang out behind her however as he and the others continued to talk. Their words were indistinguishable as the sound of her heart beat louder and louder.

Turning on her heel, Akiko stormed out of the room without even a word.

 

[PiePillager]

Henry, about to eat his last bit of toast brought his fork down only to hear klack against his plate. A dull expression on his face, he poked the plate with the fork several more times before quickly turning over to accost Akiko...who had appeared that she saw....well....a ghost before, an uncharacteristic expression crossing her face before she left the cafeteria.

Henry raised an eyebrow before picking up a napkin to wipe his face. "Well, think about what we discussed," he nodded at Albert. "I'm sure George will gladly accept you on the team, but...we're not taking applications for leader," Leaving it at that, he took his plate and utensils and left them at the closest sink before following Akiko out.

"Hey, wait up! What's gotten you lookin' all pale?" he said, quickly grimacing at the realization that it could be made into some sort of ghost pun.

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko didn't even turn around to greet Henry or slow her pace down. Instead, she shoved her phone into Henry's hands which was still on the article she had just been reading.

The article detailed how the Alpheum Foundation, a company whose goal was to extend people's life expectancy until they reached immortality, had been recently attacked by a hero called Triple 9. He had apparently been against the corporation's mission and had deemed it immoral and a blight upon the natural order. Triple 9 had initially taken to complaining about it on social media but when his online attacks had gone unanswered, he was reported to have taken matters into his own hands. He showed up at the Australian branch and had wreaked havoc until their security force was able to pin him down. Triple 9 had continued to resist however and was taken out for the safety of the employees and innocent bystanders.

"They're at it again," Akiko spat, fists clenched now that her phone was out of her hands. "They just think they can do whatever they want and won't face consequences and I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the innocent people getting hurt and stupid bullshit that churns out stories like that one."

Akiko huffed and spun around, nearly colliding with Henry. Her eyes had an intense, almost crazed, look in them.

"I'm going Henry," she said decidedly. "I'm going to Alpheum and finishing what Triple 9 started."

 

[PiePillager]

"Alpheum...?" Henry looked up form the phone, an eyebrow raised. "The life insurance place or whatever?" he asked. "Are you sure about this? ...That they're doing whatever you think they're doing, I mean. There's a lotta reasons why you can't just walk up to their front door and start throwing hands, I hope you know that."

Noting the look in her eyes, he sighed and sighed, "Just...Alright, let me hear you out. What exactly have they done?" he wondered, handing her phone back to her.

 

[obscured_light]

"Oh, I can throw hands," Akiko snapped as she reached out but instead of grabbing her phone, she grabbed his wrist instead. Then, they were both in the air, zooming down the hall that would have easily been another 5 minutes of walking. She only let go when they were both in the VTOL. Akiko marched towards the pilot's seat, sitting down, buckling up... and staring at the multiple buttons and switches and realizing she had no idea what she was doing.

Sighing loudly, she leaned back, refusing to look at Henry even as it was clear she was pouting.They remained there for a few moments, in silence, before Akiko sat up with her gaze fixed straight ahead of her. Another, slow inhale and then a long, slow exhale before she began to talk.

"My parents were also detectives. Really good ones," Akiko began, the corners of her mouth turning up as she smiled fondly. "I wouldn't have gotten into this line of work without them though I'm sure many people would beg Klaus to see if that timeline could be undone."

She chuckled to herself before pressing her lips together, memories easing back to the front of her mind where they had been previously banned. There was resistance though, Akiko straightening her back as she hesitated to continue.

"I... they, hmm...There was a case. It was like a really big case. Like years of investigation into the Alpheum Foundation. Did you know they were originally a cult called Alpheum? I thought that was pretty neat but I mean kinda weird at the same time."

Another pause and Akiko leaned back but sat straight up again almost immediately. She fidgeted in her seat before finally, slowly, she turned to look at Henry.

"It's not just a grudge against them because I can't get a life insurance policy with y'know, being a sorta ghost," Akiko tried to smile but it came off kind of forced. It dropped however as she added, "They take people Henry. They take people and try to make them immortal but a lot of the times, they become monsters. Monsters I had to destroy. I mean I don't know if it counts as murder but I know they killed my parents. When they had enough evidence, my mom and dad tried to expose the Alpheum Foundation but the truth they knew never made it to light. Instead, they were made out to be rogue heroes just as Triple 9 was made to be. Alpheum spun the story and made them the villains and I will not stand by and let that happen again. At least, not without trying something."

 

[PiePillager]

"Well, if people keep trying to expose them publicly and every time they just cover it up or make the whistleblowers look bad, then maybe a different approach is needed?" Henry asked. "If you can think of anything, I'll help you. We'll all help you, I'm pretty sure."