Loa Blood

[SwampThing]

Tiamat

The man walks calmly out to meet the Crusher. Strange breezes blow toxic snowflakes in a wide eddy about his body, but the air right around him is completely still. Even through layers of scale and plating, the Crusher feels the bitter cold.

"I am Moonwalker. Come, I will show you our great work."

Staying 30 feet away from the huge winged monster, Moonwalker leads the Crusher through the jagged remains of the Coda research station.

"You must be a very powerful monster. Our sensitives detected your battles through the twin cities. Many great beasts lay dead in your path."

At the center of the ruins is a gigantic crater, thousands of feet wide. The crater has filled like a lake, green-black liquid bubbling and pulsing. Sheets of violet lightning dance across the surface of the dark lake.

At the center of the lake is an enormous white grub, three long necks, or tentacles, or mouths, weave in the air and then dive down to drink deeply of the dark lake. The white grub is easliy the size of a jumbo jet, soaking in the crackling ooze.

"The water has become tainted by Loa Blood. The whole lake is a reservoir, our sea of change. And the grub is our creation"

Around the edges of the crater, many figures are gathered, some human, some monstrous, towering and shaggy or glowing with energy. One naked man floats toward the Crusher. His hair and skin are green, and he floats in a cloud of sickly green vapour.

"Crusher, I am Acid Lad. Welcome. You are witnessing the birth of our great work. Our combined powers shape the grub that grows in the crater. When the time comes, we will send it out through the force field to gather the frozen Loa from under the ice, and throw all of them into the sun. Then humans can never have access to this power again, the power they abused to create twisted freaks like us, like you.

"Tell me, why should I allow you to interrupt our work and use our lake's Blood?"

 

[Morgoth]

The Crusher crushed his thoughts before they came, then replaced them with new ones. "Your work is noble indeed, Acid Lad. Let me pledge my unwavering support for you and your cause. And I have reason for the Blood that will benefit us all. As even the mighty Moonwalker stated, I am a powerful monster. However, not I, not you, not the rest of us can pierce that Loa-damned dome that keeps us trapped here, exterminating each other. How can we expect to use the grub to find the Loas' bodies if we can't even get free from this shithole. But I know a being who has approached me with a very interesting proposition. She will somehow take down the field that contains us if I bring this island under her control. She calls herself the Purple Princess, but I believe she's just another senile product of this place. Nevertheless, we can use her. Again, I am powerful. Therefore, the beats of this island have much cause to fear me. Allow me access to the Blood, and I can blast forth a message over the entire island. This message will order the beasts to pledge allegiance to the crazy bitch, who will in turn reward us by lowering the dome. After that, we can achieve our goals. After that, we can ensure that no one stumbles upon the Loa again", he explained.

 

[SwampThing]

Bridges

Nightlife floats down into the open truckbed. His eyes are hidden by stars and darkness, but his gaze is aimed at Roza's sinuous curves.

"The boy is a fighter, it is his will, his path. Without the fight clubs, he will go mad. He'll end up killing someone."

The dark, starry figure floats down within arm's reach of Roza, Symphony, or Leos.
__________________________________________________

Nikki and Mark crawl through the warehouse vents. The ninja guards inside respond to Nikki's mental manipulation, and look away. The two Killer Bees find dorm rooms, offices, training spaces, and cages. A few people are milling about in the offices, fighters, trainers, Hass' lackeys. Mark and Nikki leave them be, following the ducts down into the warehouse sub-basements. Finaly they peer through a metal grill into a two-storey, open room. Scaffolding and catwalks cover the concrete walls. There are no guards.

The ancient stone altar fills most of the room. It's a great bowl, or fountain with a pedestal in the center. Scarred, pitted, covered in prehistoric symbols. Aranged around and inside the bowl, are the mysterious artifacts and ingredients Nikki had noticed being transported into the city. The crocodile blood. The vigins' hair, the amber figurines. In the center of the bowl, on the pedestal, is the green gem, darker than emerald, the Basilisk's Heart.

 

[SwampThing]

Tiamat

Acid Lad and Moonwalker step aside, and watch the Crusher walk to the lip of the crater. Violet lightning flashes all around the metalic monster. The dark lake lies before him, the grub towering above.

 

[LadyRozes]

Roza grabs the hand of Nightlife and then explains, "we will find a way for him to not kill someone.. he shouldnt be doing this ... he is a boy.. " she explained using the launguage answay of her body to convince him.. she hoped the effect would get amplified by her touching his hand.. she used more moves to convince him further, "come with us.. tell us what you know of the boy.. we could help him.. if we knew what was wrong.."

 

[Morgoth]

The Crusher sunk to his knees at the edge of the lake, gently scooping up Blood in his hand, making sure that he didn't disturb the lake. He sipped at it, then poured it down his throat. he sunk another hand into the lake, then brought it up, drinking greedily. He didn;t stop drinking until he was next to bursting, until his stomach protested with loud grumbling. A violent pain tore through him, and he collapsed backwards, writhing as he felt his being shift. A scream tore from lips that suddenly overflowed with blood, and shocks ran through his writhing body. It seemed like eternity until the pain stopped. When he rose, the Crusher felt this new power surging through him. He knew it was there. And now, he would use it. He would bring the beasts of this place under that crazy bitch's control. Then, he would let her take down that dome. Then she'd die for daring to presume him her pawn. Then, this place would burn. The Crusher sent out out the message.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki studied to altar in a bit of curiousity and awe. It was very impressive. What in the world would Hass need all this for. She looked at Mark the questions plainly written on her face. 'this is incredible. What does have in mind? I don't like this one bit' she sent the thoughts to Mark not risking any noise travel by speaking.

 

[cats]

Nia

IC: I walked in the door, and flicked on the lights, Dani was out. I had no idea where but she seemed to be out. Perhaps she had a date.

I stripped down and took a quick shower, wondering about what to ask Otto and how. Despite our relationship, he maintains his secrets so I was allways afriad I'd ask the wrong thing. Of coarse I didn't fear about my safty, in all honesty my safty and well being seem to leave me after an expolsion that still echoed in my thoughts and probably always will.

I turned the shower knob and let the water drip down for a while. Finaly I grabed a towel. My fear was that I'd lose him, and possibly harm his trust in others. The thought of losing him wasn't apealing at all.

I placed on a light button down long shirt, common in valin tradition. I'll have to be carful in how I ask so as to not offend him, but then again I must know. I lied there in bed eyes closed, but very awake. What if he thinks I am using him for information?

 

[SwampThing]

Bay City

Deep beneath Bay City, Monolith merges with the rock of the antmen tunnels. Flexing strange powers still new to him after his last metamorphosis, the stony hero spreads his awareness wide through earth under the city. He feels the thousands of mutated antmen swarming through the city's sewers, caves, and tunnels. And then he collapses those tunnels in a massive earthquake, and lets in the bay.

The cold waters of Draco Bay flood into the antmen tunnels, crumbling the stone walls, the teeming hordes of ants crushed by rockfalls or drowned by thousands of tons of seawater rushing in. Half of Bay City, already in ruins, is undermined by water, floods, and collapses. GAIA and the Argon Emergency Services have been evacuating people since the Antmen went public. Even so, hundreds die in the earthquake and ensuing flood, as Bay City goes from ruined to destroyed. But the Antmen menace has been cleansed, there is no more risk of them spreading across the country.

But Monolith's consciousness is spread too far throughout the bedrock for him to re-emerge. He is drawn deeper into the earth by the strange gravity of his growing rock powers. Down through the layers of crust Monolith flows, just to the edge of the primal magma at the planet's core. There, amid crushing pressures and molten heat, Monolith forms a crystal cocoon, and rests.

End of Part 3

 

[SwampThing]

Part 4

The Crusher's message rings out through the Blood, to every creature on Dracon Island. From Acid Lad's white grub, to the packs of winged dogs, from the huge blue ape, to the even huger animate forest, and all the other monstrosities between. All of them feel the surge of the Crusher's power, his drive, his capacity for destruction. And many of them bow down, humbled by this mightiest of monsters. But not all.

The Purple Princess feels the surge in her tower high above the southern forest-thing. The amethyst mask of her face twists into a smile. In her arrogance, the Princess believes the Crusher to be her champion, and so all those monsters bowing to him, are truly bowing to her. The great beast had fulfilled his part of the bargain. The Princess lifts her head to the ceiling.

Outside, above the crystal tower, a violet gem forms in the air. The gem floats, turning, shifting, growing, until it becomes a huge multi-faceted crystal dagger, or arrowhead, a glittering primitive weapon almost as large as the tower itself. Without rising from her throne the Purple Princess propels this jewel skyward, piercing the shimmering grey dome. The crystal dagger disappears. The force field wobbles, and then fails completely.

All the Island monsters turn their eyes to the sky. Many roar in triumph. But only the Crusher is ready, and is already flying high into Dracon's suddenly blue sky.

All around the island, in GAIA science vessels, alarms are sounding. Technicians scramble to emergency stations, backup generators whir to life, and with a low static hummm, the shimmering grey bubble reforms over the island.

But it is too late. The Crusher is free.

As soon as the force field snaps back into being, the naval forces surrounding Dracon Island do a sweep for any escaped monsters. Spotting a winged form high on their radar, the battleships and destroyers fire from hundreds of anti-aircraft guns. A squadron of circling jets follows this bombardment with a volley of missiles. The Crusher is battered on all sides by powerful explosions. Up here there is nowhere to hide, and without any civilian bystanders, the military is able to attack him in full force. The Crusher is forced up and away, high into the stratosphere above the Island.

From here, the Crusher can see the whole western coastline of Argo, and the western sea beyond it out to the curving horizon. Far below, he can see that the bay has expanded, that Bay City is now just a narrow crescent of ruins around the enlarged bay. The Coda tower is gone. The corporation must have pulled out of the struggling city, and with their Gifted healer and builder removed, Bay City had never been rebuilt. It was now an abandoned husk. The rock man would not be there.

How long had the Crusher been trapped on Dracon Island? Under the force-field sky, there were no nights or days. How long had he spent recovering from his fight with the rockman, and the girl? How long fighting battles in his own fractured mind, or wandering elsewhere with the Drowned Woman? The possible futures she had shown him waited in Phrygia, Antarctica, Svetla, or in some GAIA base with the Doctor. There is a whole world out there for him. The Crusher spreads his leather and metal wings, and glides away on the jetstream.

 

[SwampThing]

Reva

Leos is 3 years old. Since Symphony and Roza took him away from the fight club, he has been living at a GAIA observatory, with Dr. Bobby, and Olu. The observatory is high in the Edge Mountains, looking east down onto the big busy city of Kobal, the capital of Reva.

Some days, Olu takes Leos down into the city, to meet other kids at the GAIA embassy there, and go together to the park, or a museum, or to see play. Some of the other kids look normal, some are lumpy, furry, or glowing. The ones Leos' age are too young for him to play with, and the ones his size are too old to want to play with him. Polly, the little green frog girl, follows him around, and talks to him a lot, but that just makes Leos feel strange. He doesn't know what to do with her.

Other days, Leos stays at the mountain observatory. In the morning, Olu or other teachers from GAIA play games with him, or read to him. They teach him about letters and numbers, and the globe (He lives in Reva. East over the mountains is Locrir. West across the ocean is Argo). On special days, Symphony or Roza might come back from a mission and be Leos' teacher for the day. Roza puts away the books, and holds Leos, and just talks and listens to him, and he knows by the way she touches him that she loves him, and he is safe. Symphony shows him old news videos, and tells him about the Crusher. No one else will tell Leos about the old Crusher monster, and Leos has heard Olu and Dr. Bobby yelling at Symphony about it.

In the afternoons, after lessons, Leos goes outside to play in the mountains. Dr. Bobby is always telling him that fighting is bad, and to find other uses for his great strength. Leos has a collection of huge boulders and crushed cars to stack and build with, caves to explore, the little lake to swim, and the mountains to climb. Sometimes, Olu follows him in the helicopter, or Dr. Bobby climbs along with him in a robot suit. And sometimes (Symphony persuaded the Doctor that Leos needed the outlet), Dr. Bobby would give him robots to fight.

Every evening, before bed, Dr. Bobby takes Leos for a walk along the little lake. Dr. Bobby brings a bottle, and he lets Leos drink it with him, joking that Leos tolerance is as good as his own. Dr. Bobby talks about all kinds of things, the lake, the stars, the birds and bugs, the city of Kobal down below them, his latest invention, or the wide world out there beyond the mountains, and across the ocean. And Dr. Bobby always asks Leos questions, grinning and passing him the bottle. "Why do you think it's like that?", giving Leos a lot to think about.

 

[SwampThing]

Amun

Valous wakes up to screams, alarms, and distant explosions. The doctors are all running around frightened, and the guards are wearing the armor suits and animal masks they only wore in emergencies. Then Valous notices that she can move freely. The green lights that make the air heavy and keep her from moving are off, and the walls, don't push back when she touches them. Valous projects herself out of her cell, and into the corridor, lined with cells just like her own. She looks back in the little window of her cell at her body, wrapped in bandages, hooked by wires and tubes into the cell, the wall, the complex. Valous turns down the long row of cells, all with their bodies in bandages, wired to the wall. Most of them adults, bigger than her. Some of them bigger, not shaped right.

Another explosion far off. Valous has never seen most of the complex. Down at the far end of the corridor, the green lights are still flickering off and on. and she can hear guards running in their big armor boots. And she knew Biomass was out there somewhere ...Valous looks back at her body, and then she blinks away, further out.
_______________

Out in the desert, Experiment XIII crouches behind a low outcrop of rock and scrub trees. Behind him the Pyramid is smoking. XIII can't hear the alarms anymore, but he can see searchlights probing the desert night, from dirigibles overhead, or from the guards' powered armor suits.

The Pyramid is deep in the desert, surrounded by many miles of rugged terrain, no water, and lethal snakes in every direction. All the civilization in Amun is built along the coast of the island continent, centered on the northern city of Seleos, and the southern city of Niobala. Each city was named for and controlled by one of the noble houses of the Priest class. Seleos, worshippers of the Amun moon god, trade with Reva, while the Niobala, worshipers of the goddess of passion, trade with Aralia.

Experiment XIII hears explosions, bursts of gunfire, or power surges, as the guards find and eliminate the other escapees one by one.

 

[SwampThing]

Argopolis

Nia watches the Argon countryside roll past the window of her luxury train compartment. Across from her, Otto sits quietly absorbed in a news journal. After years of waiting in Bridges for the Crusher to resurface. Otto had offered to take Nia to Sejeala, to meet his business partners. Otto believed they would have a better chance of penetrating the force-field, or of finding the Crusher (if he had escaped), among his friends in the Sejealan La-faithful. While they are in Sejeala, it would also be easy to visit Valin, but Otto had not mentioned the possibility.

Nia has gained a healthy respect for Sejealan ninja after sparring regularly in Hass' dojo these last few years. Komodo, the big, silent ninja always lurking in the shadows, wouldn't let his students graduate until they had at least faced Nia, and she constantly fought the best students, before they left the dojo to join Hass' Cold Blood. Komodo never fought her himself, but Nia knows he has watched her, studying her as she tested his students.

Outside the train car, it begins to snow on the patchwork fields. Otto looks up from his paper, smiles.

"We should be pulling into Argopolis soon."
____________

Sparks flies above Argopolis, to the aerial coordinates above supplied by his Killer Bee contact. He makes out the vague outline of a huge bee just before the flying base uncloaks before him. A hatchway opens in the building-sized bee robot, and Sparks flies inside to meet the Queen Bee.
____________

Nikki Hall is on top of the world. The Queen Bee sits in a command chair on the top floor of her mobile base, a bee-shaped flying building. The Bumble Base is slow, but it is stealthed against conventional military radar, heavily armored, and carrying a hand-picked team of Killer Bee agents, and an arsenal of robot drones. Since Nikki's infiltration into the Cold Blood as Serena Jett, Hass' control of Bridges has slipped. The Killer Bees now control a significant portion of business in the crime capitol of Argo, mainly in dealing weapons south into the Svetlan desert countries. Anton Chapel had been very pleased, and so had his brother Anatol, head of the Chapel family back in Aralia. So Nikki has her flying Bumble Base, and she and Mark have their choice of assignments, anywhere in the world.

The only loose end from Nikki's time in Bridges is the girl Nia, wanted by GAIA for reasons unknown, and now traveling north across Argo by train with the Cold Blood gangster, Otto Ellis.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki leaned back in her command chair drumming her fingers her mind a million miles away. She had just received reports that Nia was on a luxory train heading north. For a while she had paid the girl no attention allowing her subordinates to do the dirt work of keeping tabs. However everything was set, all was in order and now Nikki had some free time. She was going to take advantage of this time to find out who Nia truly was and why GAIA wanted her. However she as no alone so this would take some finess. She would discuss this with Mark. Perhaps he had an idea. Standing she headed to find him.

 

[Screech]

Sparks

Sparks powered down his jump-pack as he entered the huge base nicknames the Bumble Bee. He'd only been here a couple of times before, but had been hired on a number of occasions by the Killer Bees. This time was different, however. He had been summoned to meet the Queen Bee personally for some sort of special assignment. He wasn't told any more than that when he was contacted, but knowing the Bees, it would pay well in either cold, hard cash, or decent tech. After all, since Bay City went subterranian, he had lost a number of contacts, and a small supply of his gear. Somehow he'd find out who wrecked his home, and make them pay. But for now, it's best to keep his employers happy. With that thaught, he moved deeper into the base in search of the command centre

 

[rengadeirishman]

Experiment XIII moved from his hiding place. I am no toy to be played and tinkered with he said to himself. He escaped the experiments of the scientists, and had taken pleasure in slaying the three who were experimenting on him. He knew the searchers were looking for him. If they come for me, I will kill them as well. he said to himself. His memories were fractured, pieces of a picture he had once known. He could no longer remember his name, he only knew himself as Experiment XIII now, but refused to allow that to be his identity. He would need a new name, something away from the mere designation the scientists had given him. He also needed food, He knew that here in the desert there would not be sufficent food for him, unless.... He saw a flash of movement and heard the slightest shuffling of sand, in less then a heartbeat, he had released his armblade and taken the head off the snake. He picked up the rest of its body and crouching behind a boulder, he started eating. It was not enough, but it was something to take the edge off his gnawing hunger. He thought about a new name for himself, and, suddenly, it came to him. A great wolf of ancient legend, brave warriors fled before his might. Ah, thats it. he thought. He would have his vengeance. His vengeance for all they had taken from him, and they would remember his name for it. Finishing his meal of the snake, he rose to his full height and howled his pain and fury at the night sky. Oh yes, they would remember his name. The bringer of their doom.

Fenris.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki stopped her search for Mark when she discovered her hired gun had arrived. He had been working for them for quite some time and had never let her down so in her search for a solution for Nia she decided to send for him. Heading towards the command center she brushed her silver hair out of her eyes checking her appearance briefly. She liked to make a good first impression when meeting people for the first time. Being the Queen Bee one had to keep up appearances after all. Smiling confidently she entered the command room prepared to meet this man who went only by the name of Sparks.

 

[cats]

Nia

IC: The clouds here are so very dull. They simply spread them selves thin over the entire sky, blue here and blue there. I could perhaps chat with Otto but he is reading and besides if we talked the entire trip even my voice would be sore. I suppose I should be putting thought into the meeting but... there'll be time for that later.

I stood up drawing Otto away from the paper. "I am going to take a walk and stretch my legs."

 

[Screech]

Sparks casually entered the contol room, his metal boots ringing on the floor with every step. He slowed his pace as he looked around. Quite an impressive installation. Large, yet with enough equipment to fill up all the walls and keep several men on standby at all times.

He stopped short of a well-dressed woman wearing the badge of the Killer Bees. Considering her style of dress, location, and the fact that she was looking directly at him, Sparks had to conclude that this was either the major domo, or the Queen Bee herself! Either way, he knew his mission would get outlines soon.

He bowed his head slightly to the woman. "Greetings ma'am. I'm Sparks. Here about a job. Might you be the Queen Bee?"

 

[cats]

Valous

IC: I need to get out this place, but how can I free my body. I looked down and saw I had no body, much like I had once been accustomed to. I can move stuff this way but what? I looked at the green shielding and tried to hit it mentally but only past threw it. Didn't work, but I got to do something. I tired to hit it again and again. Stupid green field break and release me! I looked around again and decided to break the metal but was unable to. I attacked the steel for minutes unable to touch it. I turned to the tubes in me, if I can pull those out maybe then. I viewed the plastic appendages of my body until I finally realized I can't grab the stupid things.

I could feel the anger in me, the first emotion I had felt in along time. I could also feel something else, tears begging to grow behind my eyes. But I didn't have eyes right now did I? Some how I could feel the horrible emotions presence. I saw a green shimmer out of the corner of my perception. I looked at my body and could see the tears sliding down my face. My body was about to cry.

That is it. I gazed upward and flew threw the rock and metal of the base until I reached the surface. I didn't want the body any how, it'd only hold me back. I stood on the surface for a moment until I felt the distant cry of rage. That seems as good of a direction as any to head.

I flew of in the direction of the moon eventually, I stopped feeling a new sensation. I paused and gazed about and suddenly a set of slender white fingers began to form, fallowed by another set and then a pair of palms. From there grew the white stem of my arms, and the sensation progressed rapidly leaving the tingle of the same teen aged body I always had. I rotated my head and could see my intangible violet hair whip in front of me. The illusion of my body had suddenly returned, but I didn't currently want to be seen. I tried to remember how to shut off my visible form but was unable to do so.

I see how it is, I don't want a body any more so I get one. Fine then be that way.

 

[Morgoth]

Leos

With a loud crash, Leos dropped the car he'd been lifting before him. He smiled, a slow, steady grin that spread across and dominated his face. Pearly white teeth sparkled in that wide mouth, clearly illuminating the pure glee of the boy. He always felt this way after his morning exercises.

His life was perfect. He could exercise his brawn, and in his conversations with the good doctor, his slow, ponderous mind. The boy had developed well in this startlingly placid environment. Most of the old scars had either already healed, or were well on their way.

A mess of blonde hair was splayed haphazardly across his large head. A bland, plain face stared out with deep blue, uncomprehending eyes. His nose was perfectly formed, set together with a wide, handsome mouth. The boy was a hulking figure - far, far too large for his tender age. Well-toned and well-developed muscles shone clearly in the bright sunlight, and even this massive size belied the twin gifts of his mother and father.

Yet deep within the simple child bubbled doubt and fear - the videos of his true father haunted him always. A boundless terror resided deep within him - that he'd someday become the viscious brute that was his birthright. But these thoughts were little more than subconscious images that only rarely surfaced in only his darkest dreams.

Leos felt a rumble emanating from his midsection, and joyously turned and headed for lunch.

 

[Screech]

Sparks nodded at the Queen Bee's words, and noted that her stance and expression didn't change one bit. A consumate professional. He could respect that, even if he didn't truly know what it was that the Killer Bees faught for. He didn't ask such questions. They tended to raise moralistic points and get in the way of the job. Moving over to the table, he hit a couple of latches and removed his jump pack. After all, it tends to get in the way when sitting down...

 

[SwampThing]

Bumble Base

Mark enters the command center and shakes Sparks' hand. He's wearing the Stinger uniform, a stripped down version of Killer Bee agent armor, less bulky, with yellow bands on his arms indicating his. His Aralian silver hair is cropped close, almost shaved. He grins at Sparks.

"Good to see you Sparks. I hear you helped old man Chapel out on some tough spots back in Bay City. It must have been hell just getting out of that flooded antfarm alive.

"I see you've already met the Queen. Let's get to it."

Mark keys the control pad on the meeting table, and a holographic display appears above it. Sparks sees the train pulling into the big busy Argon capital of Argopolis below them. The tall, glittering skyscrapers are a stark change from the Bay City ruins.

Then the hologram zooms in one one train car, and then inside to show the faces of a young Valin woman and a middle-aged Sejealan man.

"This is Nia. Valin ancestry, unknown history. Has a clean passport from GAIA issued along with thousands of others to refugees from the Dracon Island disaster. She's been working on the periphery of the Cold Blood for years, training their ninja, but she's not one of their fanatic reptile-cultists. She's an exceptional martial artist, but has no known Loa Gift. GAIA's been looking for her for years, but we don't know why. Cold Blood has managed to keep her hidden so far, but now all of a sudden she's on the move."

"The man with her is Otto Ellis. Old-time Cold Blood, been smuggling weapons into Svetlan tribe wars since we were all kids."

"The situation is unknown, but clearly the girl is valuable to GAIA, and the Cold Blood want something from her."

Mark turns to Nikki, waiting for her to tell Sparks what they want done with the girl.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

Time passes, and the Mother weeps. Floating through the molten mantle I can feel the violations of the Mother. The pollution that man lets fall into her, the strip mining of her treasures, and the burning that is the Blood. I can always feel Dracon Island, a seething cancer on the skin of the Mothers breast. My sleep is troubled, my dreams unfocused, uncontrollable. The Beast is loose, freed from it's prison and it searches. The Mother is pierced through her skin and she shudders, and a city falls below the waves, her tears cleaning her wounds and driving out the infestation. Time passes while I am embraced in the heart of the Mother, and I sleep, and I dream.

In the small town of Rebirth, outside Bridges in Argon, a young boy plays in a field. Chasing a small brown dog, he laughs as he throws the ball to his best friend, who goes bounding after it with barks of joy. Suddenly, all falls quiet. The dog runs back home, tail between it's legs & whining in fear. The boy stops, sensing something is wrong on a primitive level, back in the part of man that never left the caves, never stopped eating its meat fresh from the kill. He crouches down as the ground starts to shake, then groan. The shaking intensifies as the ground rips apart a few yards in front of the boy as a crystal pillar, a brilliant glowing blue explodes from the ground, followed by other crystals. Yellow, green, red, colors blaze in the field, until a clear crystal sarcophagus rises in the center of the crystal formation. Something inside moves, and a great cracking and rending sound fills the air. The crystal coffin shatters, and left behind is a huge shape. Black, with gold flakes all over. The boy watches, paralized with wonder or fear, he knows not which one it is, as the shape rises, standing Fifteen feet tall and manlike in shape. It moves, pondorous steps slowly taking it to the boy, who looks up in awe.
"Hello there, where am I, and whats the date. I won't harm you little one. I am Monolith, and I have returned.

A giant once again has been reborn, and the Mother's favored son once again stands on her skin, bathing in the light of her father, the sun.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki remained silent during Mark's introduction. Choosing her words carefully she leaned forward in her chair. "Nia is the only loose end at this moment. She is a bit of a mystery to the Killer Bees and I don't like mysteries. Her loyalty appears to be to the Cold Bloods but then again she isnt' a part of their organization. I cannot truly say if she is friend or foe but she is an unknown and that makes her a threat." Folding her hands together she sat back "I want to be smart about this, take it slow. I think perhaps we should extend Nia an "invitation" to the Bumble Base if you catch my drift. I want you to follow her, be very cautions Otto isn't stupid and for that matter neither is Nia. When the perfect moment arises and her gaurd is down grab her." Motioning to the hologram she continued "Now Nia may not have any known powers but she is still an extremely skilled fighter. One reason I cannot send my bees in, I need someone of more special talents such as yourself. I don't care how you abduct her, I will leave those specifics to you but I want it clean and I don't want any mistakes. There are to many variables surrounding her to take chances. Grab her, subdue her and bring her here." Glancing at Mark "Is there anything you would like to add?"