Ww - the coming storm

[Coro]

Hope grinned.


"After having spoken with these creatures, I have come to know their true intentions. They are our Doubles. Basically, as it was explained to me, they are everything negative and evil we hold within our hearts, but come to life. Some lord or high ranking member of the Underworld has sent them after us because our actions here on Earth have angered him. They feed on causing us some kind of distress. For example, Phalt caused Ven to think he'd killed Alec. That anguish gave him power. You played into his trap, Vent." Hope explained.


Vent snorted.


"Furthermore, it seems they are to collect something from us, and return to Hell with it. A punishment, it seems." He continued, shaking his head.


"Before you ask, Alec, yes, Zaria is your Double. I don't know what he seeks, but I won't ask. Phalt's methods are disturbing enough for me......." He said with pity, glancing away from the two as he said that.


Coughing, his gaze returned to them, and he sighed.


"...... We have to get rid of them." He said with finality.

 

[Esme]

"I wasn't going to ask..." Alec said, seeing as how she put it into place as he explained what it was. "And why would you want us to help you? Or you to help us? Doesn't seem your style, so what do you want from it?" She asked, hugging Vent a little tighter.

 

[Coro]

Hope shook his head.


"I watched as these creatures stooped to incredibly low levels. Such dishonor does not sit well with me. Knowing I have one as well makes me want to put aside our differences for now, and eliminate the current threat." Hope explained.


"...... That, and the fact Wisdom, my Double, said I couldn't defeat him. I'm assuming Steven, and Borghen will also have a Double, being closely related to us. Between all of us, we'll find a way to rid ourselves of this threat." He concluded.


Vent nodded, but didn't say anything. He waited for Alec to speak. She IS the brains, after all.

 

[Esme]

"Stupid..." Alec said, "Why not just let them take what they want and leave?" She rolled her eyes, before sighing.

 

[bettsyboy]

:: the battle between Artemis and Marco had reached it's peak, much of the land was scarred and some battlemages had been caught int he crossfire, but eventually Marco managed to get his father's knees ::


Artemis: "well... i'm proud of you, boy... every dad wants to see his son surpass him... looks like i managed to see my dream come true"


:: he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small medalion, and a glowing stone ::


Artemis: "here, this charm keeps the soulstone in check, topo bad that i didn't think of using it when i first got it"


:: ttears were running down Marco's face ::


Marco: "d-dad... i don't..."


Artemis: "you have to! if you don't i'll end u0p going on a rampage! i've always taught you that sometmes you have to do things that you dont want to for the greater good, that time is now!"


Marco: "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"


:: Marco bought down his scythe, pierching artemis through the neck, going down and the tip pierced his heart ::


Artemis: "well... Marco... take care of everyone, dont become like i did.... be good to people"


:: he used the last of his strength to raise his head and look at leslie :


Artemis: "i don't know what she's doing with you, but i trust that you know what your doing... you take care of her, you hear? and you love her like there were no tomorow"


:: Marco nodded, tears pouring down ::


Artemis: "oh well, looks like i gotta go, tell your mother i love her"


:: Artemis's body burst into flames, slowly his body began to flake away, eventualy leaving a glowing orb floating there, ad that soon broke away, going up inot the distance ::


Marco "bye... daddy"


:: he fell to his knees, tears flowing freely, he killed his own father, it didn't matter that his dad was possesed by an evil power, the fact remained that he killed his father ::

 

[twistedclaw]

katie stood back and watched the battle unfold to the last moment at the end she shed some tears for marco's loss of his father and stood back as she was speechless not knowing what to say.

 

[bettsyboy]

:: some of the shaddowd approached, blades ready ::


marco: "dad..."


:: Cassidy and Francis came up behind Marco ::


Francis: "Marco, you can mourn your father after we get back"


: Marco gritted his teeth, and looked up at the shaddows, his mere glare made them stop ::


:: he raised his arm and pointed at one of the shaddows ::


marco "i have a message for the creeper... tell her i'm coming and when i do, i'll kill her in ways unimaginable.... not for my dad, but for all the fathers, mothers, sons and daughters that she has stolen..."


:: he got to his feet and turned away ::


Marco "i know now what it's like to lose somethign... and i'm gonna make her suffer for making countless others feel this pain"


:: drusilla receeded into staff form, he came back o the lines where the battlemages were ::


Marco: "Katie... Drusilla... Cassidy... francis... i guess you are my family now, eh?"

 

[Esme]

Leslie, standing off to the side, looked at the black goo before sighing. That thing was horrid. Moving towards Marco, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, wishing as best she could, to have the ability to take his pain and burden from him.


~


Alec leaned back into Vent before shaking her head. "That wouldn't work, would it. No. You want us to go out there, probably get killed, and attempt defeating these things. If my bouts with Zaria could tell me anything, it's that yours was right. We can't beat them." She frowned....before grinning darkly, a clear sign she was thinking of something possibly dangerous.

 

[bettsyboy]

:: Marco put a hand around Leslie and kissed her on the forehead ::


Marco: Leslie, i'm gonna let it all out on those.. things back there..."


:: he let go of her and walked back to the front line, putting drusilla down, she turned back to human form, Maco then picked up a saw-sword, and charged at the shaddows, he didn't scream, e didnt have backup, just him against a swarm of enemies, and in no time at all, he began cuttin them down as they came at him, ignoring any wounds and showing no mercy, he cut through, breaking their line, by then Cassidy and Leslie had joined the fray, leading a push to the center of the swarm ::

 

[Coro]

Hope scowled as Alec spoke.


"You'd rather just let them have their way? You're pathetic, Alec." Hope spat with distain. "I know Vent won't let them have their way."


Vent bit his lip.


"...... Are you sure you don't want to fight, Alec?" Vent asked, glancing between Hope and Alec.

 

[Esme]

"Now, let me finish thinking before you go jumping off the handle, Hope." She spat back at him. "Honestly, your the pathetic one. Now, we can't beat them. That is what they said to you, correct? Or did he phrase it differently? This is very crucial detail to know...."

 

[Coro]

Hope went slightly red, looking frustrated.


"I don't know! He said I wouldn't be able to beat him! I don't really remember, it was all in the moment!" He yelled back, looking comical in his suit.


Vent chuckled.

 

[Esme]

Alec grinned, glad she could make him lose his composure at least once in her life. "He said you couldn't beat him. But who's to say....Borghen, Vent, or hey, even me couldn't?" She hoped they were catching on to what she was saying.

 

[Coro]

Hope, almost pouting, fixed his collar and cuffs.


"..... That's...... A good idea." He let out, sighing.


"But, I don't want to trade. I want the satisfaction of beating mine myself. It's..... A test. A limit to overcome!" He explained, looking back at Alec.


"They can't be better than us! Than me!" He finished, crossing his arms.


Vent nodded.


"I understand, Hope, but I think Alec's idea is the way to go. Phalt played me for a sucker..... I don't think I could ever beat him......" He said, looking somber.

 

[Esme]

Standing up roughly, she held out her hand for Vent. "Honestly Hope, don't take this the wrong way, your an ass." Alec sighed, "I don;'t care if you want to beat him yourself. If Zaria has taught me anything, its that they know your weaknesses. All of them, inside and out. You really want to go agaisnt that? I don't think you do godboy."

 

[Coro]

Hope's glare focused on Alec.


"Eliminating one's weaknesses is part of getting stronger. And that's what I plan on doing. If you two need help, contact me with this." He said, tossing Vent a phone of sorts.


Vent caught it, and looked it over before pocketing it.


"A temporary truce?" Vent asked.


Hope nodded. "Until the matter of the Doubles is solved, at the very least." He confirmed. Vent nodded in return.


I hope your little plan works, Alec. I'm gonna find my own way." Hope said with finality, winking out of the blind realm with a flash of light.


Vent paused, reveling in the sudden silence.


"..... I almost liked it better when we were trying to kill each other." He said with a chuckle.

 

[Esme]

Alec didn't say anything, just shrugged, before the annoyance that had built from dealing with Hope exploded out of her right hand, that was pointed towards something coming towards them. For a moment, the blind realm light up again, showing both of them the gaint thing of a decomposing husk of a monster that was very rapidly deteriroating with the spell Alec had just let loose. "I'd rather he'd die trying to beat the thing..."

 

[Coro]

Vent sighed, and took Alec's hand to stand up.


"Well, explain your plan in a bit more detail, huh?" He asked, crossing his own arms and making a funny face, mocking Hope's earlier movements.

 

[Esme]

"Honestly, given what the thing said to Hope, he's implying that we can't beat our own. So if we find someone who can beat us, they can beat them..." Alec said simply.

 

[Coro]

Vent's face went serious all of sudden. His arms fell slowly to his sides. He looked at Alec, almost pleadingly.


"I want Zaria." He said simply.

 

[Esme]

"Yours." Alec said. "So long as I get yours." Holding out a hand, she grinned.

 

[Coro]

Vent grinned.


"Think you can beat 'the darkness of my heart?'" He said jokingly, taking Alec hand.

 

[Esme]

"Think you can kill mine?" She said back, raising an eyebrow.

 

[Coro]

Vent nodded with a grin.


"I'm gonna rip that bastard a new one." He said with determination, fist-pumping. His was actually incredibly excited.


But one thing was bugging him.


"..... Say, Alec..... Why does Zaria keep reminding you of the time? Like, he just said 8 months...... What's it mean?" He asked, hoping he hadn't crossed a line.

 

[Esme]

Alec's face went blank, and she looked off to the side. "It's nothing." She said harshly.