Play Testers Wanted Pt. 12

"Meow!!" the Fire Cat called out angrily.

"What are you doing here?" I asked not really expecting a reply. So, when she replied I fell silent.

"It is time to fuck some shit up, yes?" The cat said in a sultry female voice, a voice I recognized.

"You!" I said once I had mentally recovered. "I left you on the Shi'Ar home world. Oh no, you stowed away as the cat."

"I'm here to help dumbass. Let's go." The Fire Cat leapt into the air and changed back to her true shape, the red dragon I had encountered on the Shi'Ar home world. "Climb aboard Ghost." She said lowering her head. I hopped on and we flew into battle together. The dragon cut loose with her fire breath while I rained lethal lightning down from the heavens. What a sight we made. Behind us a host of heroes assembled, heroes in uniforms I didn't recognize but willing to help. The battle was joined. We went straight at the Wendigo. The blast of flame staggered the Great Old One. It let out an unholy scream of anguish. A slow stream of Shantak Birds carrying victims began returning through the portal. The unknown heroes tried to help but there were just so many of them. While the dragon and I attacked the towering monstrosity Steph and others assaulted Elsa and her team. If we were lucky, we could rest the Casket of Ancient Winters from her possession and close the damn gate. As if she heard me Elsa raised the casket and more portals opened and Frost Giants joined the battle on the sides of the princess.

"We need to take out that white haired bitch to close the gate." I yelled to the dragon. "Over there."

She banked and flew off to make for an attack run on the singular intact patch of ice. She picked up speed as I used Left to launch several offensive spells. I defended the dragon with a potent shield as both Namor and the redhead fired off energy blasts from their tridents. The dragon breathed a line of superheated plasma which shattered their own defensive shield and cooked the trio. They were thrown from the ice and into the water. Elsa clamped both hands onto the relic and was saved from the freezing water by one of the frost giants. He set her on his shoulder as he strode into battle. Namor and the redhead were unaffected by the water's temperature. The battlefield was utter chaos as the deep ones attempted and failed to create a stable beach front.

Aircraft from the helicarriers were attacking both air and ground targets with great effectiveness. Director Gray used her formidable telepathic talents to control the flow of martial forces.

'Ghost, lay down a line of fire along the shoreline to back up the new heroes that are being overwhelmed.' Jean's voice brushed my consciousness.

"Shoreline, those strange kids need our help," I called out to the dragon.

"Got it," she roared and winged her way to beginning of the shore and loosed her breath weapon on the deep ones and Atlanteans alike. The new heroes reacted from thanking us to angrily yelling that we were interfering. "What the hell?"

"I don't know. Their color-coded uniforms seem to break them up into individual teams, but they are all part of a bigger group." I suggested.

"Government experiments?" The dragon asked. "The Shi'Ar are well known for such things."

"Experiments... REED! They might be Reed's experiments." I declared. "I bet that is what he was guilty about. Has he been creating young metahumans?" I didn't have the time or enough information now. There was a battle to win. We flew across the battle lines and the frost giants were trying to punch a hole in the defender's position. Dragon breath set the huge blue figures alight and sent them racing into the water to try and put the flames out. Like Greek Fire of old this supernatural material burns underwater. Where the dragon shadow fell ranks broke even among the implacable deep ones.

My HUD suddenly dropped down and showed me how more minions needed to be dispatched before I could even attempt to close the gate. Great. I drew upon the power of the tempest Storm and Thor had cultivated. They were busy attacking Elsa and the Casket of Ancient Winters. I borrowed from the clouds and sent sky fire smashing into deep ones and Atlanteans alike. My numbers blurred and I reached threshold quickly. My next challenge was taking out two hero level NPC's. The ocean lit up with level twenty or higher targets.

"I have to have some me time," I called out to the dragon. "Don't have too much fun without me."

I changed my shape to protect me from the deadly cold water. It was one of the races Gaia had revealed to me. I dove from the back of dragon and shifted on the way down. I surrounded myself with a teardrop shaped shield with the pointy end aimed downward. I sliced through ice and water with nary a ripple. My body was armed with poisoned spines, elbow blades for close combat, and an augmented sonic lance for underwater conflicts. Webbed hands and feet allowed me swift movement through the water. I cut my way through defenders and targeted minor heroes among the Atlanteans. My last challenge was a high-level champion and I had chosen Namor of Atlantis. First things first, I launched my first sonic lance and due to my level of Kiai-Jutsu amped it up several notches. The first hero's internal organs were liquified and he died by suffocation. Something plucked me out of the water, and I came face to face with a frost giant.

"You are one ugly mother fucker!" He stated making a disgusted face.

"Hey hero, I'm so glad to see you." I replied as I powered up my sonic lance.

"Why is that?" He asked as he began squeezing me. My poison was too weak to effect something as big as him.

"You are on my hit list, thank you for playing." I said before launching my attack. The compression wave struck him point blank shattering bone, shredding flesh, and exploding his brain. I fell to the ice as a loud cracking sound silenced everyone on the battlefield. The icebergs were opening.

"Fuck me sideways!" I cursed as I reverted to my standard form, powered up the plasma caster and took up the Darksaber.

"Language!" Gwen called from above as she hopped from Stark's back to join me. "Hello lover. You owe me some serious alone time after this is over."

"I am looking forward to it... aw hell." I growled as my HUD dinged.

'Destroy or dispel at least one of the Star Spawn before you can assault the Wendigo.'

"Let's get 'em!" I called out as the thing unfolded its massive bulk from the fetal position it had been forced into to fit inside the iceberg. Each spawn stood forty to sixty feet in height and towered over most of the combatants. Madness swept before them as heroes were unable to endure the mere sight of these hulking terrors. Gwen was rooted to the spot as she stared in sheer terror at the minor Many Angled One. "Gwen! Attack the frost giants!! Turn away Gwen." I turned her physically and she fled away from the spawn and unleashed her full potential on the giants. "That's my girl."

It wasn't just Gwen though. Many of the most powerful heroes ran screaming from the field giving vital field position open for isolating and cutting down those unaffected by the madness.

'Director Gray, Jean! Call a retreat and solidify your forces inland!' I sent but got no response. I reached out to as many as I could. 'Retreat! Form up at Avenger Tower!' I shifted to my eagle form and landed on the dragon's back and returned to my human form.

"We are fucked if I can't take out one of those things." I stated.

"The city is going to be lost unless we can rally the troops," she replied as we watched the Star Spawn lose their reality breaking attacks. The corruption spread wherever they strode. The sea turned dark, the land bubbled and spewed out green ichor, and the nearby buildings became strange non-Euclidean structures dripping with slimy ooze. "Let me guess, let's fuck up the biggest one."

"You read my mind," I laughed. "Take me to that walking nightmare." I ordered as I took out the Elder Sign. "Let's see what this thing can do."

"Good luck hero," the dragon said just before I leapt from her back.

"I'm no hero..." I hollered as I landed on the thing's head. I retrieved the Elder Sign and my HUD dropped down to instruct me on its use.

'Place the 'Sign' against the flesh of target creature. Spend one permanent point of mana to attempt dispelling the target. You have a 1% chance per point of mana used.' I looked at my mana points and I was looking at being unable to use spells after only two attempts. 'Note: If the Elder Sign is attached to a rune weapon you can use a creature's own mana drained by the weapon against target creature.'

"Ha, Deathkiss gets to earn her keep today." I laughed as I swapped out weapons and slapped the gleaming blue icon onto the spot marked along the sword's cross guard. "Come on girl, don't let me down."

"Never!" Deathkiss purred. The strange thing is that this entire time the Star Spawn ignored the fact that I was even on the top of its head. Does a human take notice of an insect when it lands on them? "Only if it bites hard enough." Deathkiss finished my thought. I took a two-handed grip on her, used my gloves to double my strength, and used Shatterpoint for a critical strike. I was pulling out all the stops to end this fucker.

"Die!" I screamed as I raised her up and plunged her into this things skull as hard as I could. The spawn wailed as the soul stealing enchantment of the blade bit deep. Raw primordial power rushed into the sword and into me. I gave the blade a wicked twist while it was still inside its skull. A weaker moan escaped the thing as it dropped to its knees.

"It is fading, teleport master!" Deathkiss urged. I pulled her free and joined some of the defenders on a rooftop. A portal opened and swallowed the largest of the Star Spawn. This didn't go unnoticed as the remainder of them formed up around the Great Old One, the Wendigo.

'Ding: The Path is Clear.' Send the Great Old One back to hell.

I tried teleporting on the back of Ithaqua, but its reality warping powers made that impossible. I touched the mind of the dragon and she swooped down I teleported onto her back.

"What a fucking rush!" I howled as Deathkiss purred in my grasp. "Take me as close as you can..."

"Don't do this," she begged as she altered her course. "There has to be another way."

"If we don't act fast, it will acclimate to our world. I can't let that happen. Tell them I am sorry." I growled as I launched from the back of the dragon and landed on the shoulder of the Wendigo. I raced up to its head intent on burying Deathkiss into the side of this fucker's head. It turned to face me. I felt my mind slip as its sanity blasting attack hit me. I wailed and I held onto what little of my focus remained. Deathkiss moved on its own. She slid into its flesh and began to feed. The Wendigo wailed and I thought my eardrums would burst. A new sound caught my attention as the gate this thing had entered through reversed itself. I stared into the black maw as the Great Old One was born backwards. I think I screamed before the sweet release of oblivion took me.

The Frozen Dead:

I woke and slowly opened my eyes. I felt like a fly that hit a windshield at highway speeds.

"I think I broke my spleen." I moaned. "Fuck! It's cold!"

"You are naked," a bitter voice replied.

"Left, is that you?" I asked and the symbiote giggled.

"No boss, great job you've unlocked my next level. Can I dress you?" She asked and I laughed.

"Sure, I'm just a little doll to play dress up." I wept as the last vestige of my sanity manage to reassert itself. "Better, my ass isn't against ice. Good job Left. Ah, a winter wonderland." I sat up and looked around. Elsa was nearby, her back to a large mound of snow and cradled in her arms an unconscious redheaded Atlantean. Was that Namor's sister Namora?

"What's wrong with her?" I asked gesturing to the unconscious woman.

"Toxic shock poisoning," Elsa snapped. "All those poisons dumped into the ocean. She got sick."

"Is that why you did this?" I asked and the guilt of her actions was clear on her face. "Love drives us crazy."

"What the hell do you know about love?!" The White Queen growled.

"Let me try to heal her," I offered, and she held her closer. "Or... let her die."

"NO... no... she is my life." Elsa wept her tears falling frozen to the other's face.

I slowly approached the redhead. However, when I called her Namora, Elsa quickly corrected my mistake.

"Her name is Ariel." She said and included for good measure. "She is a princess."

"I will treat her with all the gentleness I can muster," I assured her. I reached out with the Force and felt the extent of her injuries and the depth of her sickness. "She is gravely ill."

I followed Gaia's teachings. With Elsa's help I rolled Ariel onto her side, placed one hand on the back of her neck and the other on the base of her spine. I let my power trickle into her brain slowly healing her disease riddled tissue. I drifted with the power and touched her memories and how Ariel and her people had been poisoned by the land dwellers. Her rage against us wasn't just justified but I sympathized. I felt her love for Elsa, and it was as deep as the ocean and as open as the length and breadth of the world. Her brain healed I pushed further and slipped into her bloodstream and let it work for me. Where I went, I healed organs, muscles, and assorted tissues.

It was a slow process, but she was no longer in danger of dying. Her breathing stabilized and with it her heart and other internal organs now free of poison and disease. I withdrew once I was sure she was cured. I moved away and let them reunite. I recovered Deathkiss and examined her new look. The bright blue Elder Sign looked good. I settled her on my lap and touched her thoughts.

'You okay?' I asked.

'I feel great! I ate a Star Spawn and tasted a Great Old One. Best day ever!' She purred. 'Thank you Master!'

'Watch my body while I scout the area, can you do that?' I asked not trusting Elsa as far as I could toss her.

'Rely upon me Master,' she growled protectively.

'Good girl.' I replied as I closed my eyes and slipped free of my body.

Elsa and Ariel were locked in a deep romantic kiss. This world was bleak and reminded me images I had seen of the Antarctic. Bitter cold, grey skies, and monotonous landscape dominated this frozen hell. I slipped skyward to get my bearings and see if there was anything that stood out.

'Not a god damn thing,' I cursed. 'It reminds me of Jotunheim the land of the frost giants.'

I looked up and my mind almost shut down again. Oh no, I thought, as I realized where I was. Do not go there champion, they had warned me and yet here I was... beyond the Pale in the space between spaces. Knowing it was one thing but seeing it wholly another. I flew back to my body and hugged myself. I wrapped my arms around my torso and rocked. Time began flowing again.

"Ariel! Beloved! Are you alright?" She asked as tears streaming down her cheek and freezing to her flesh.

"I feel... I am fine. How?" Ariel asked. I heard her get to her feet and the soft crunching sound of her armored boots on the snow. "You saved me."

"I did. You may not want to thank me so soon." I replied still rocking in place.

"I am Ariel, daughter of the late King Triton. I am Queen of Atlantica." She said in introduction.

"I am... well... your people would know me as Epemetreus, the Phoenix Sage." I said and looked over my shoulder at her. I can't lie I enjoyed the look of shock on her face and the way she staggered back. Her face went blank as she tried to process my being here.

"Epemetreus!" Ariel said with quite a bit of deference in her voice. "You saved the Atlanteans. You gave our eldest elders the deep knowledge. Oh Elsa, we have broken the great vow." She stammered as she wept. "I was healed by the Phoenix Sage."

I turned away from her as she and Elsa spoke. I wanted a way out of here. I felt a tug. No fucking way! I closed my ways and centered my being shutting out all distractions. The tug grew stronger. The Webway! There was a secret exit. Then the cold-hearted logic hit me. Could I trust them, or should I leave them to their fate? For all I knew they were compromised and still allied to the Many Angled Ones. I only had three options. I left them here to rot. I took them with me. I fed them to Deathkiss. If I didn't take them with me Bobby never got his powers back. I was afraid if I took them with me, they'd pass on the secret to their master and he'd be released again. The only way to be sure was, to me, completely reprehensible but would let the truth be known.

"I think there may be a way out of here." I said as I stood to face them.

"I want only to redress the doubt you must feel about us." Ariel said sounding more like a queen than Elsa.

"What's the catch?" Elsa asked and Ariel spun on her.

"Elsa! Don't question him," Ariel rose up like newborn fire from the eternal flame.

"Look at you beloved, so fierce and that is why I love you so much! Don't ever leave me." Elsa begged.

"Never." She whispered and I had my answer.

I agreed to take them with me. I began to reach out for the direction of the exit when the wind was filled with voices, hundreds of them, perhaps thousands.

"Kill me." They intoned with the weary sound of the damned.

"Frozen dead," Elsa explained. "They are the frost zombies and followers of Ithaqua. They come by the thousands. We are doomed."

"No." I intoned as I looked once again at our surroundings. "If I teleport us somewhere, can we be tracked?"

"I don't know." Elsa frowned. "Little good, the dead are everywhere."

"Fine, I'll leave you two here," I snapped at her pissy attitude. I turned to leave, and I half expected Ariel to cry out, but it was Elsa that placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Please, take her with you," Elsa pleaded. "I don't matter. She does. She is my life!"

Slap! Ariel bitch slapped the platinum blonde sending her to the icy ground.

"You selfish bitch!" Ariel growled her lower lip trembling and tears freezing the corners of her eyes. "Do you think I could go on without you?"

"You two need a room?" I asked and they both glared at me and then laughed breaking the tension. "Can I trust you?"

"You have my fealty," Ariel declared without hesitation. She helped Elsa to her feet. "Well?"

"You have mine as well," Elsa agreed throwing herself into Ariel's arms.

"Good. We have an army of the dead to destroy and I may have a cunning plan. We need to pick our killing ground." I said as I walked next to them, formed a sphere-shaped shield, and levitated us up so we could view the landscape. I shrouded us and let us drift seeking a location we could contain as many of the zombies as possible. The prevailing wind was pushing us, and my gut told me my answer would require fighting the breeze. I directed the sphere and I noticed Elsa flinch. If we were playing poker, I'd call that a tell. The further we went against the wind the more intense it got, a clear sign we were going in the right direction. I altered the shaped of the shield to that of a wing to allow it to slice through the air more easily.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Elsa whispered.

"Funny, I feel like we are making headway." I said as the intensity reached gale force winds. We reached an eye of the storm. Now that the blinding snow was gone, we could see three possible courses. Was it the beginning of a maze? If I were a game designer this would be the perfect place for one. I turned to face the left-hand path and shrieked. I listened and directed the pair to remain silent. I rarely used the echolocation skill from the Kaia-Jutsu talent tree. I got a mental image of each path. I went left. I was faced with a series of gale ridden twists and turns with the occasional eye or quiet spot. I repeated the echolocation process and twice I found myself at the beginning, but I didn't give up. "If they went to this level of difficulty there must be something wickedly awesome at the heart of this maze." Third time was the charm. We made the last series of turns and the wind and snow died and there was a box canyon and at its heart, buried beneath the ice, a glowing rune. "It is freaking huge!"