Pandora's Requiem IC (The Rogue Ravens)

[Equalsun Empire]

With a plate of pancakes in one hand and another cradling his still-throbbing head, Veris answered his inquisitive crush... no, no, Blaze. Just Blaze, idiot. "Well, I lived alone before I came here for quite awhile, and I wasn't the best cook... So, well, my usual routine was to make breakfast and ste- er, eat out for other meals. Long story short, I got really good at eggs, pancakes, waffles, you name it. Oh, and Ramen, can't forget that. When you're a wanted super criminal, your budget is tight." He was about to go on with a bit more embarassed ramblings, but suddenly the sound of a portal interrupted him. His head throbbing anew he turned towards the sound, about to chew out Salis for not pulling his punches. However, the situation that greeted him was not one for idle chatter.

Dexter, blood gushing from a wound in his belly. Salis, crying as he supported the injured superhuman. For a couple seconds Veris was silent, simply standing in shock with his jaw slowly dropping towards the ground. He looked at Dexter, taking in the blood oozing from his stomach. He glanced at Salis, tears running down the portal-users face as he lay his friend down. Then there was an explosion of sound as Veris unleashed a barrage of questions at his maniac acquaintance, grabbing Dexter and placing his hand over the stab wound. "Salis, what on earth happened? Blaze, cauterize the wound! Dexter? Dexter, are you all right?" He said, steadily getting louder towards the end. He wiped his crimson hand upon his pants as he turned towards Salis, eyes wide with worry. "Are you being tracked? Are we under attacked? Where'd you find him? Answer me!"

[Castle Crashers]

With a plate of pancakes in one hand and another cradling his still-throbbing head, Veris answered his inquisitive crush... no, no, Blaze. Just Blaze, idiot. "Well, I lived alone before I came here for quite awhile, and I wasn't the best cook... So, well, my usual routine was to make breakfast and ste- er, eat out for other meals. Long story short, I got really good at eggs, pancakes, waffles, you name it. Oh, and Ramen, can't forget that. When you're a wanted super criminal, your budget is tight." He was about to go on with a bit more embarassed ramblings, but suddenly the sound of a portal interrupted him. His head throbbing anew he turned towards the sound, about to chew out Salis for not pulling his punches. However, the situation that greeted him was not one for idle chatter.

Dexter, blood gushing from a wound in his belly. Salis, crying as he supported the injured superhuman. For a couple seconds Veris was silent, simply standing in shock with his jaw slowly dropping towards the ground. He looked at Dexter, taking in the blood oozing from his stomach. He glanced at Salis, tears running down the portal-users face as he lay his friend down. Then there was an explosion of sound as Veris unleashed a barrage of questions at his maniac acquaintance, grabbing Dexter and placing his hand over the stab wound. "Salis, what on earth happened? Blaze, cauterize the wound! Dexter? Dexter, are you all right?" He said, steadily getting louder towards the end. He wiped his crimson hand upon his pants as he turned towards Salis, eyes wide with worry. "Are you being tracked? Are we under attacked? Where'd you find him? Answer me!"

The sight was alarming. Dexter was bleeding out, Salis was actually crying, and Veris was sputtering out all sorts of orders and questions. Cauterize the wound? Blaze didn't know if she could effectively do such a thing without giving him a 3rd degree burn. "Uhh--I'll try...but don't blame me if somebody gets burned..." She said, puling up Dexter's shirt to get a better look at the wound. She wiggled her fingers and shook out her hands, trying to prep and reassure herself. She took a deep breath, forcing the warm, fuzzy feeling back into her fingers. "This might hurt a little..." She told him, not completely sure if he could hear her. Then, with great hesitation, she applied her two index fingers to the wound, slowly dragging them across the wound. The blood bubbled and sizzled, hissing in protest to the heat of her glowing hands. Surely enough, though, it was helping to cauterize the cut. She breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her bloody fingers from the wound.

[Empire of the Siberian Flaming Eskimos]

Sounds echoed in Salis' mind as Veris and Blaze worked around him. Nothing cut through the chaos that consumed him though. Emotions clashed, long suppressed memories reared their heads and roared with triumph as they rampaged through his concious. The real world and the storm that took ahold of him became a blurred mess, and only his base instincts were functioning anymore. Salis simply stated down at his bloodstained hands and the gory weapon that they held, and silently trembled with shock and fear. Tears continued to stream down his face as he mumbled nonsense. Sometimes he spoke of the past, his life on the streets and the abuse he faced daily. Other times it was the terrible things he did later that now came back to haunt his newly found conscience. Eventually one sentence became coherent.

"What have I done?"

[Ben M]

"This might hurt a little..." She told him, not completely sure if he could hear her. Then, with great hesitation, she applied her two index fingers to the wound, slowly dragging them across the wound. The blood bubbled and sizzled, hissing in protest to the heat of her glowing hands. Surely enough, though, it was helping to cauterize the cut. She breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her bloody fingers from the wound.

Dexter watched in horror as blaze moved to cauterize him. No. No. NO! He shouted as Blaze took her two fingers and dragged across his wound. Pain lanced through his entire mind as he soared back into his body.

Dexter shot up eyes wide. He grabbed Blaze's hand screaming in pain.

"AAAAAAAHHHH WHAT THE FUCK I- OW I, OOOOWWWWW"

Dexter then proceeded to blush, sputter in anger and cry at the same time. He tried to stand, but couldn't. looking to Salis he spoke in a pained but kind tone.

"Hey Salis, you ok? Sorel's power went haywire-" He couldn't talk, his tounge was having trouble. The pain in his side was consuming his mind. He broke of with his tongue feeling weird in his mouth as he stared awkwardly at Salis while thinking about his return to Blaze. And the Others!

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Having left the rules of the manor clear and noticing that nobody seemed very eager to ask her any questions for now, Ophelia was about to do as she had said and take her leave, when all of the sudden, from upstairs, she heard a loud, pained scream. Clearly shocked and surprised by this, she froze in place for one moment, her face readable like an open book. After that moment, however, her noble instincts took over, and she rushed upstairs, her blonde ponytail fluttering behind her as she did so. It took her barely any time to reach the floor where the others were, and she burst in through the doors of the kitchen only to find quite the scene: Salis crying in the corner, Veris panicking, Blaze standing over Dexter as he screamed in pain at what appeared to be a stab wound cauterized through fire. It was, needless to say, quite the grim atmosphere.

At the sight of all this, she paused. They'd seen her before, but she had the crimson hood at the time, so maybe they wouldn't recognize her. In that case, it was probably in her best interests to help him out and then leave. She loved helping people, but she also didn't want them to associate her civilian self with the semi-heroic hooded persona she had created for herself. With this in mind, the girl briefly pondered her options. Healing him normally would be a dead giveaway, and she didn't have a stone on her, but she did have something else that could work just as well, if necessary.

"Let me help with that." She said, subtly changing her voice so that it would not be as recognizable. Then, from within her shirt, she took out what could only be described as a bladed weapon, too short to be a sword but too long to be a knife. It was completely white, and in fact, it seemed to be created from some homogeneous substance, though the place it was meant to be held from had no edge, naturally.

Gripping it tightly with one hand, she held it milimeters over Dexter's wound. The white weapon itself began to glow, and soon, the damage was repaired.

[Castle Crashers]

"This might hurt a little..." She told him, not completely sure if he could hear her. Then, with great hesitation, she applied her two index fingers to the wound, slowly dragging them across the wound. The blood bubbled and sizzled, hissing in protest to the heat of her glowing hands. Surely enough, though, it was helping to cauterize the cut. She breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her bloody fingers from the wound.

Dexter watched in horror as blaze moved to cauterize him. No. No. NO! He shouted as Blaze took her two fingers and dragged across his wound. Pain lanced through his entire mind as he soared back into his body.

Dexter shot up eyes wide. He grabbed Blaze's hand screaming in pain.

"AAAAAAAHHHH WHAT THE FUCK I- OW I, OOOOWWWWW"

Dexter then proceeded to blush, sputter in anger and cry at the same time. He tried to stand, but couldn't. looking to Salis he spoke in a pained but kind tone.

"Hey Salis, you ok? Sorel's power went haywire-" He couldn't talk, his tounge was having trouble. The pain in his side was consuming his mind. He broke of with his tongue feeling weird in his mouth as he stared awkwardly at Salis while thinking about his return to Blaze. And the Others!

Blaze was startled by Dexter's sudden awakening. Though, at the same time, she was relieved. It could've been worse--much worse. "Well, welcome back to the land of the living." Blaze joked, still overwhelmingly relieved. Then, a girl entered, pulling out a small wand-like object, and magically healed Dexter's wound. "Thanks." Blaze started, but stopped herself. "Wait--who are you?"

[Ben M]

Dexter watched in horror as blaze moved to cauterize him. No. No. NO! He shouted as Blaze took her two fingers and dragged across his wound. Pain lanced through his entire mind as he soared back into his body.

Dexter shot up eyes wide. He grabbed Blaze's hand screaming in pain.

"AAAAAAAHHHH WHAT THE FUCK I- OW I, OOOOWWWWW"

Dexter then proceeded to blush, sputter in anger and cry at the same time. He tried to stand, but couldn't. looking to Salis he spoke in a pained but kind tone.

"Hey Salis, you ok? Sorel's power went haywire-" He couldn't talk, his tounge was having trouble. The pain in his side was consuming his mind. He broke of with his tongue feeling weird in his mouth as he stared awkwardly at Salis while thinking about his return to Blaze. And the Others!

Blaze was startled by Dexter's sudden awakening. Though, at the same time, she was relieved. It could've been worse--much worse. "Well, welcome back to the land of the living." Blaze joked, still overwhelmingly relieved. Then, a girl entered, pulling out a small wand-like object, and magically healed Dexter's wound. "Thanks." Blaze started, but stopped herself. "Wait--who are you?"

Dexter sighed in relief as the pain started leaving his body.

"Holy shit that is amazing. I haven't felt this good since I got shot, fell off of a building, and then got stabbed by my friend in a dreamlike haze."

Well there is a sure sign I am ok. Sarcasm is back. Sitting up groaning he looked down at his clothes.

"Dammit. That is another uniform ruined. I'm down to 3 now." He looked around at the familiar faces. The blonde healer, who he didn't trust, but probably owed his life, Blaze, pretty and dangerous, and Salis, crying in the corner. Dexter couldn't figure out what to say except.

"Where am I? I should really get back to my manor." He then realized that they didn't know about the manor, nor did they know about anything that happened to him. He removed his sling and rotated his left arm around.

"Thanks," He said to the healer, "I owe you a life debt." Looking around again he focused on Salis.

"Salis, don't beat yourself up. Sorel's power went out of control. You should have seen how scared she was when she couldn't stop. She ran crying after you stabbed me." Dex put on a weak grin. "And I am alright now anyways."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Seeing that her efforts had paid off, Ophelia felt rather relieved. She'd managed to save another life, apparently without exposing her heroic identity in the process, a rather strange thing to be relieved about, indeed. Hearing the short fiery-haired girl address her, she glanced at her and merely gave a nonchalant shrug. "Nobody important. Just a friend of Rose." She swiftly replied, still keeping up the fake voice. It was a good thing she had practiced that beforehand. She had always had a flair for the dramatic, a penchant for theatrics, which anyone who had seen the magical girl-esque introduction she performed when donning her heroic persona would likely be able to tell with ease. And it certainly was paying off, or so she wanted to believe.

Hearing how it was Dexter that thanked her this time, the blonde girl once again shook her head. "Don't mention it." She replied. She briefly considered leaving right away after her job there was done, but decided to stay for a little bit longer. This talk about a 'Sorel' intrigued her, and judging how reckless some of these people could be sometimes, Ophelia felt that it was partly her duty to keep them from getting themselves killed. Thus, she headed for the door, but instead of simply leaving, stayed inside of the room, leaning on the wall next to the door as she listened.

[Empire of the Siberian Flaming Eskimos]

Salis woke up with bleary eyes and a pounding headache. It had been several days since the incident with Dexter. After seeing him healed, Salis had been immensely relieved, but that didn't change the fact that he blamed himself. Sure, Sorel might have had something to do with it, but Salis had weilded the knife. He should have controlled himself, he should have realized it was Dexter and not the gang member. Since then his nightmares had ensued with greater intensity and frequency. Visions of Dexter being stabbed joined the mix, and soon it was impossible to get any sleep. Salis found a way to avoid the apparitions though. Sadly the liquid that gave him such respite seemed to be out though.

Overturning the empty whiskey bottle, Salis confirmed that he was out. Drunkenness seemed to be the only way to escape his dreams during sleep, and he embraced it openly. Many empty bottles of various alcoholic beverages were strewn about the dining area, evidence of his recent binge. His unkempt appearance from sleeping in the same clothes he had been wearing the past few days was also apparent.

Getting up from the table and drunkenly moving towards the kitchen area, Salis stumbled forward as a lance of pain shot through his head. The amount of alcohol he had consumed was leading to a terrible hangover.

"I just need more to drink," he slurred to himself, "yeah, that'll help."

[Castle Crashers]

Salis woke up with bleary eyes and a pounding headache. It had been several days since the incident with Dexter. After seeing him healed, Salis had been immensely relieved, but that didn't change the fact that he blamed himself. Sure, Sorel might have had something to do with it, but Salis had weilded the knife. He should have controlled himself, he should have realized it was Dexter and not the gang member. Since then his nightmares had ensued with greater intensity and frequency. Visions of Dexter being stabbed joined the mix, and soon it was impossible to get any sleep. Salis found a way to avoid the apparitions though. Sadly the liquid that gave him such respite seemed to be out though.

Overturning the empty whiskey bottle, Salis confirmed that he was out. Drunkenness seemed to be the only way to escape his dreams during sleep, and he embraced it openly. Many empty bottles of various alcoholic beverages were strewn about the dining area, evidence of his recent binge. His unkempt appearance from sleeping in the same clothes he had been wearing the past few days was also apparent.

Getting up from the table and drunkenly moving towards the kitchen area, Salis stumbled forward as a lance of pain shot through his head. The amount of alcohol he had consumed was leading to a terrible hangover.

"I just need more to drink," he slurred to himself, "yeah, that'll help."

Blaze woke up with a long, drawn-out yawn, rubbing her eyes and then eventually sitting up. Her long, red hair was tangled and scruffy from sleep. Blaze stood, heading to her closet and pulling on her clothes. She then painfully brushed her hair into her usual ponytail before rubbing her eyes once more. She truly hated mornings. Blaze then sighed, pulling open her door and heading out into the hallway. She headed down the grand stairs, landing on the first floor with a light thump. As she was heading for the kitchen, a glint in the dining room caught her eye. She turned, stepping into the large room. Empty alcohol bottles were strewn everywhere, and puddles of spilled alcohol lingered in certain areas. Blaze sighed. She headed for the kitchen, stopping herself at the doorway as she saw Salis stumbling about; he was drunk. That, and he hadn't changed his clothes in a while. She watched him for a moment before speaking up. "Did you drink all of that alcohol in the dining room?" She asked, not taking her eyes from him and not moving from her position at the doorway.

[Empire of the Siberian Flaming Eskimos]

-snip-

Salis turned as Blaze came into the room. "Yeah," he slurred, "what's it to you?' Stumbling forward, he moved towards a cabinet in the kitchen. Opening it he found that the contents were gone. "Where did it all go?" He laughed drunkenly as he realized he had drank it all. He now moved towards the entrance to the wine cellar, intent on getting his alcohol through a different substance. After going through the door, he came to a large selection of wine. Several of the bottles were missing already, more evidence of Salis' activities the past few days. Pulling out several expensive looking bottles, he moved back towards the dining room. He pushed past Blaze at the door and slumped down into his chair. Licking his lips in anticipation he reached for a bottle opener to pull the cork.

The sweet smell of alcohol drifted out of the bottle as he opened it. Not wanting to wait longer, Salis proceeded to start chugging it. After consuming almost a fourth of the bottle, he set it down on the table unceremoniously as he wiped his lips. It was good. Even now he felt the headache receding as he lost contact with the world, falling back into the void of his drink. Everything was good, everything was fine.

[Castle Crashers]

-snip-

Salis turned as Blaze came into the room. "Yeah," he slurred, "what's it to you?' Stumbling forward, he moved towards a cabinet in the kitchen. Opening it he found that the contents were gone. "Where did it all go?" He laughed drunkenly as he realized he had drank it all. He now moved towards the entrance to the wine cellar, intent on getting his alcohol through a different substance. After going through the door, he came to a large selection of wine. Several of the bottles were missing already, more evidence of Salis' activities the past few days. Pulling out several expensive looking bottles, he moved back towards the dining room. He pushed past Blaze at the door and slumped down into his chair. Licking his lips in anticipation he reached for a bottle opener to pull the cork.

The sweet smell of alcohol drifted out of the bottle as he opened it. Not wanting to wait longer, Salis proceeded to start chugging it. After consuming almost a fourth of the bottle, he set it down on the table unceremoniously as he wiped his lips. It was good. Even now he felt the headache receding as he lost contact with the world, falling back into the void of his drink. Everything was good, everything was fine.

"You can't keep drinking like this, Salis. It's not good." Blaze said, following him into the dining room. It still smelled sickly of alcohol, and to her, it burned her nose. She'd always hated alcohol; she hated the taste, the smell, the look... "Seriously, you haven't changed your clothes in days, and you're in serious need of a bath." She said. Blaze was trying to be calm and collected, but she knew if he didn't comply, then she'd have to start getting mean and forceful. She wasn't afraid to do that, of course. She could always spoil the rest of the alcohol in the house.

[Drakmah]

"AAAAAAAHHHH WHAT THE FUCK I- OW I, OOOOWWWWW"

Shane's neck twitched as his eyes snapped open and light flooded in, blinding him causing his hand to come up to shield himself from this sudden overflow. His pupils took time to adjust to everything and with many minutes of blinking and squinting, trying to make out where he was.

I'm in the bedroom....... of Roses house. He told himself, breathing heavily as he tried to move, finding his muscles just as asleep as he had been.

"T-take it slow." He said aloud, despite his voice being quiet and timid. He have a smile, at the moment just being happy he could move his lips and had enough coordination to create words. He began to work his way down his body, moving different parts in an attempt to awaken each section systematically. He began with his face, moving his nose side to side and rotating his jaw around. To someone who was watching without context it would look quite weird but luckily no one was. He seemed to not have been disturbed, though as he began to crack his neck other people were not on his mind.

After he was able to awaken his arms and move them around, despite a rather upsetting weakness in them he noticed that he had been able to breathe the entire time. While he was relieved by this he figured he would have been aware of it had he been unable to do it, and the feeling brought a smile to his lips. He pushed himself up, his arms barely able to lift his own weight.

"Holy shit..." He breathed. "How long have i been out? My arms are like fucking spaghetti." He sighed and shook his head, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. His eyes, now accustomed to the bright light, looked around the room. It was the same room that he vaguely remembered, his grogginess clouding his memory of what had been happening. The bed was simple, the white walls and the LED lights above him explaining why his vision had been invaded when he had originally opened them. His glanced down and tried to move his legs, barely getting a twitch. He shrugged, hopping a twitch at least meant they weren't disconnected.

He shivered and brought his arms to his chest, noticing the sweatshirt with rolled up sleeves that wrapped around his skin. He slowly rolled them down and hugged his arms against his chest, continuing to look around. On a small desk in the corner were various trinkets, the collection including random household appliances such a coffee maker, blender, toaster, all with not power. Against the wall next to the desk was also a small stock of larger scrap metal. He seeped back into his memories, wondering where all of this came from and nodded to himself as it drifted back to him that the room was made to change to make each of the occupants comfortable.

"How the hell is this place supposed to make me comfortable..." He asked himself. He refocused on the machinery and scrap metal before holding a shaking hand out to check and see if his powers were in anyway weakened. He focused on each individual thing, expanding it and disassembling them one at a time. While this was easy and automatic, thinking enough to make something out of them proved too much for him at the moment and he simply took some scrap and some of the hardware, screwing several pieces into something of a metal walking staff. He gave a chuckle at the primitiveness of the creation, memories of making a laser sword coming too him as he dropped his power, allowing the metal construct clatter to the ground, some pain coming to his head.

Unable to wake his legs up he pushed himself back down onto the bed, folding some of the covers over him, his expression not one of great satisfaction.

Maybe some actual sleep is what i need, not the weird, trace-like bullshit that just happened. He thought to himself, closing his eyes and allowing his now awakened muscles to drift back to sleep. All the while he had been unaware of the event that caused him to wake up, his sleep knocking him out for a few days.

Present time

He slowly pushed the covers from his body, taking a few seconds to yet again re-orient himself to his surroundings. Much to his delight his legs slowly awoke with some extra work, though as a whole his body was still lacking efficiency and it took Shane a few minutes to stand up, needing his makeshift staff to prop himself up as he pushed more blood into his legs, the circulation beginning to speed up as he moved. Warmth soon returned to his body as he got his blood flowing at an almost normal rate and he welcomed it, moving to the door and opening it, stopping to roll his sleeves back up as his arms became too hot.

He made it to the stairs and looked down, the depth of the incline making him light headed. He placed the hand not clutching his support to his head, soon running it back through his greasy hair.

Ugh... I'm going to have to shower at some point. He thought as he wiped his hand on his shorts. And hopefully i can do so without this, but we'll see.

He made his way down, step by step, the metal staff clunking as he set it down on each step. While this could probably be heard from quite a distance he wasn't very focused on that at the moment, his concentration placed in making sure he didn't fall down. As he reached the bottom he heard voices coming from the dining room.

"Blaze?.. Salis?.." He said aloud to himself, they were talking about alcohol? He didn't know if anyone drank but his assumption that no one did was proved wrong in most depressing way as he entered the room, seeing Salis with a wine bottle practically down his throat, the liquid inside bubbling with air as he guzzled it down faster than anyone should ever drink.

"Th-that's not even natural.." He said, his expression a mix of astonishment and weariness, coming out to plastered over look of serious concern. "What the fuck has happened?" He asked, his voice still quiet, his eyes looking back and forth from Blaze to Salis, looking for answers.

[Castle Crashers]

-snippet-

"Well, Salis here seems to have gained an alcohol problem. He's drank most of the bottles in the house over a couple days. And he hasn't changed his clothes, nor bathed at any point recently." Blaze replied, still keeping her eyes trained on Salis. "Glad to see you up finally, Sleeping Beauty." Blaze joked, throwing a quick glance at Shane.

[Empire of the Siberian Flaming Eskimos]

Salis laughed at Blaze's comment. "I can drink however much I want," he said drowsily as the alcohol continued to take effect, "and there isn't anything you can do about it girl." As Shane came into the room, Salis' focus turned to him. "Now where the hell have you been?" he said accusingly, "Didn't have the decency to check on your friend who almost died? Damn bastard, and I don't have a problem," he said as he swiveled his glare towards Blaze again. "You can all get the hell out of here, I have wine to drink." With his alcohol induced anger now satisfied, he moved to tilt more wine down his gullet.

[Castle Crashers]

Salis laughed at Blaze's comment. "I can drink however much I want," he said drowsily as the alcohol continued to take effect, "and there isn't anything you can do about it girl." As Shane came into the room, Salis' focus turned to him. "Now where the hell have you been?" he said accusingly, "Didn't have the decency to check on your friend who almost died? Damn bastard, and I don't have a problem," he said as he swiveled his glare towards Blaze again. "You can all get the hell out of here, I have wine to drink." With his alcohol induced anger now satisfied, he moved to tilt more wine down his gullet.

Blaze nodded subtly, before muttering, "The hard way it is." She moved to Salis's side, ripped the bottle from his hand, and threw it on the ground. The shatter quickly filled the room. "You're gonna stop drinking right now, Salis. This isn't how you solve your problems. You're going to go take a shower, and then you're going to change your clothes, understand?" She said, giving him a hard look. "If you don't do it yourself, I'm going to force you, and no one wants that, right? Right. Go."

[Empire of the Siberian Flaming Eskimos]

Salis stood up precariously as Blaze threw the bottle to the ground. Swaying slightly from drunkenness, he pulled his knife. "That was mine!" he yelled, "Now get out before I cut you!" Lunging forward, Salis aimed for Blaze's heart. Sadly he did not account for chugging a fourth of a wine bottle. Lunging forward, Salis completely missed Blaze and instead rammed his gut into the table as he passed to her left. Dropping his knife and falling to the ground, Salis curled up holding his stomach as bile came up his throat. After upchucking a considerable amount of the wine he just consumed, Salis let out a long groan.

"I'll... I'll get you," he said feebly as he clutched his stomach, "I'll get you eventually..." Soon he was snoring on the ground, pain and alcohol overtaking him and causing him to lose consciousness. The only good thing was that it was silent. His dreams didn't come, not yet.

[Drakmah]

"Yeah i definitely feel like Sleeping Beauty right now.." He said, sighing and looking over at Blaze, his own weary face producing a smile. His look soon changed as Salis mentioned someone almost dieing.

"W-wait who almost died? What the hell has been happening?" He looked out the window to check the time of day. "How long have i been out?' His shock made him glaze over what Blaze said next in response to Salis and hr throwing the bottle to the ground. He returned to the world of the conscious yet again as Salis lunged forward with a knife, his hands letting go of the metal staff as he almost fell over after the man. Shane was able to catch himself however and steadied himself on the same table that knocked the wind out of Blazes attacker.

"Son of a bitch, he needs sleep more than i do. When he finally wakes up he is gonna have the worst hangover ever." He then turned to Blaze. "Now what the hell is going on? Who almost died, why is he suddenly drinking, how long have i been out?' He ran question after question, his mind very confused on the current situation.

[Castle Crashers]

"Yeah i definitely feel like Sleeping Beauty right now.." He said, sighing and looking over at Blaze, his own weary face producing a smile. His look soon changed as Salis mentioned someone almost dieing.

"W-wait who almost died? What the hell has been happening?" He looked out the window to check the time of day. "How long have i been out?' His shock made him glaze over what Blaze said next in response to Salis and hr throwing the bottle to the ground. He returned to the world of the conscious yet again as Salis lunged forward with a knife, his hands letting go of the metal staff as he almost fell over after the man. Shane was able to catch himself however and steadied himself on the same table that knocked the wind out of Blazes attacker.

"Son of a bitch, he needs sleep more than i do. When he finally wakes up he is gonna have the worst hangover ever." He then turned to Blaze. "Now what the hell is going on? Who almost died, why is he suddenly drinking, how long have i been out?' He ran question after question, his mind very confused on the current situation.

"Dexter. He got stabbed, and it may have been from Salis. But it was an accident. I think that's why he's drinking; because he's guilty." Blaze sighed, grabbing Salis's wrists and began dragging him towards the stairs. "You've been out for a couple days. Now, could you help me get this guy to a hose or something? I don't favor the idea of giving him a personal bubble bath."

[Drakmah]

"Dexter. He got stabbed, and it may have been from Salis. But it was an accident. I think that's why he's drinking; because he's guilty." Blaze sighed, grabbing Salis's wrists and began dragging him towards the stairs. "You've been out for a couple days. Now, could you help me get this guy to a hose or something? I don't favor the idea of giving him a personal bubble bath."

Shane eyes went wide as Blaze told him of Dexters injury, his reaction much like, if not more shocked than when he saw Salis drinking.

"Man, I knock out and everything goes to shit, I really need access to that lab though once my mind recuperates from whatever the hell happened." He then arched his back and stretched, the jump that Salis's fail attack gave him finally pumped the adrenalin that he needed, his muscles now seeming to function much better. He nodded to Blaze as she began to lift the drunk, prompting him to walk up and assist in the lifting.

"Let's just bring him to one of showers and we can dump him the tub, give him a good blast of cold water. Plus if he gets violent again we can just leave the bathroom and bar the door or something. Hopefully he will be to hungover to use his powers just like I am." He said, motioning to the crudely put together staff.

"That's the best I could after rolling out of bed. Anyways, let's get this guy upstairs."

Shane grunted as he picked up the drunk, waiting on Blaze to either confirm his plan or present a new one.

[Saleon]

Alissa soon woke up with her eyes very so incrementally. She could not move, nor see nor think it seemed, but she could hear so faintly a booming voice which warbled in her mind. It proclaimed, "This city... first generation... the planet. Scien...etic advancement in..." The words she heard did not make a clear statement and was barely unrecognizable. What she did seem to hear was the tone by which the voice resounded. It seemed overly patronizing, rather than inviting. It's intent rather seemed to be a feeble attempt to placate of skeptics.

The voice then ended with a large k'thud, which seemed to indicate of the stopping of the bus. Soon she felt as if somebody had grabbed her hair, pushed her forward, and chucked her down off of the stairs. Whereas her feet felt numb, her face stung of the cold asphalt floor beneath her. Her senses returned to her slowly, but the pain seemed to wake them up just a light bit faster. She could now hear clearly the voices around her and see clearly the men in armor which surrounded her.

They all stared at her for a second before one of them kicked her in the stomach, and shouted, "get up, you *****, your halting the line!" She slowly recognized the feel of her hands, which soon brought to her the nerves in them and the electrical signal which indicated movement. It was a slow process as she collaborated with all parts of her body to motion upward, slowly grabbing her abdomen upward, then lifting her hands off of her legs. The whole motion was not a thought yet, as whatever was nauseating her such, restricted that, but it was an effort.

"I said get up!" the imposing figure blared. As she finally got up roughly half-way, she soon noticed a lack of balance, from re-using her legs after However long she was out. They took a couple of seconds to stabilise, but these seconds follow a sharp gunshot to her right leg.

The pain seemed to finally wake up all her senses, as the bullet pressed a shock throughout all of her body. She could only fall to the side from the pain. Her hands pressing down on the wound, she then lifted them to see the scarlet which slowly protruded from the wound itself.

This was not the time to feel fear, though, as any second longer would only anger them more. She lifted herself up faster this time than she could think possible with the blood. She then began to walk ever so slowly, limping with her right leg, and made it to the entrance. She could hear them heckling, crying at her, and belittling her. The pain represented the bullying of her childhood, but compounded to a newer level.

The "city," or "prison," she entered seemed so empty, devoid of life, what people she could see stood a body without a soul. Nothing was recognizable to her. It was all alien, and because of it all, she could barely keep her tears. The pain of her leg nearly discarded her consciousness like a bad toy in a cereal box, but she kept pressing forward. She couldn't get why she pressed on, probably for survival. She couldn't get why she was here, what she did to get here, and what sick Bas**** would do this to her. She stepped slowly, hoping some person with a flicker of life remaining would come to help her. though who would?

[BlackDeath27]

"Well it seems like everyone has been making peace and getting conferrable in the house. Sorry I've been a terrible hostess everyone, other matters required my immediate attention. Though from what the latest gossip spreading around makes it seem like you all have kept busy". A slim young woman covered in markings from neck to toes. Lose ripped fitted jeans covered her fair legs with only wraps covering the chest area. Leaving the feet, arms and belly bare. Emerging from hallway with a smile greeting the guest and a percious friend.

"So? What happed which invited everyone to the kitchen for a party." Rosealina scanned the room for evidence of a stuggle or magic which only left what she heard and what they would tell her. Looking over the small group of individuals the witch noticed the healer. Kneeling next to the group with red hair sticking to her face." May I ask one one thing where have you been Ophelia the same for you Mr. I'll be lone?" With no malice or aggression only worry resonated within her voice.

[Ben M]

Dexter's "Manor"

Dexter woke feeling like a million dollars. Everything was healed, his gunshots, his shoulders, all the way down to his damn bruises. He felt like he was in perfect shape and it felt amazing. He remembered leaving the invisible manor when no one was paying him much attention. He felt, well, perfect. His entire life was looking up, until he actually did look up and out of a window and saw the dome. sighing he threw on a new navy uniform, loving the way clean clothes felt. He was down to three uniforms, and he hoped he didn't ruin this one. Walking down to the kitchen he grabbed a can of chicken out of his makeshift pantry. His side cringed in phantom pain as he remembered the gunshots he got when he stole the food and guns. Turning on the electric stove he once again thanked god that there was electricity in this dome. As the chicken heated up he searched for a fork. The cabinets above the stove were a little rotten inside, the wood was a little damp, but a fork was there.Washing it off in the sink then rubbing it dry on his shirt he took the chicken off of the stove and dug in. Hunger sauce made it the best damn meal he had ever eaten. He sat at the table cramming the chicken down his gullet as he decided what to do with the day.

I need to get into shape. I almost died trying to get this stuff, and lord knows I can't do anything overly athletic. I also need to practice with a gun. What should I do to get stronger? He stared out of a window across the pond. I could swim. That would certainly get me in shape. Nodding to himself he stood and threw out his can. Walking outside he stripped down to his underwear and dove in. The water was cool and cold. He thrust up out of the water and took a deep breath. This reminded him of the private school he had to go to when he was young. Gritting his teeth he flutter kicked into a front crawl. He swam the length of the pond, popping up wheezing a bit. Looking around he saw the surrounding buildings and enclosing dome. For a moment he had a claustrophobic attack, he dove under the water almost screaming from anger. Why am I in here? I didn't hurt anyone. I never killed anyone. I turned America into a better place. This is a prison for people who destroyed nations, not built them. He sunk slowly down, the water was getting darker and darker as he descended. Suddenly his mind cleared and he noticed something. There was a difference in the bottom of the pond. It was a different color. He focused on his curiosity and calmed down a ton. He dove down and discovered that it was a hatch. He opened it and was sucked down in as water rushed down. He grabbed hold and somehow managed to close it behind him as he fell down. He landed roughly in pure darkness.

"Hello?"

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

[Castle Crashers]

"Dexter. He got stabbed, and it may have been from Salis. But it was an accident. I think that's why he's drinking; because he's guilty." Blaze sighed, grabbing Salis's wrists and began dragging him towards the stairs. "You've been out for a couple days. Now, could you help me get this guy to a hose or something? I don't favor the idea of giving him a personal bubble bath."

Shane eyes went wide as Blaze told him of Dexters injury, his reaction much like, if not more shocked than when he saw Salis drinking.

"Man, I knock out and everything goes to shit, I really need access to that lab though once my mind recuperates from whatever the hell happened." He then arched his back and stretched, the jump that Salis's fail attack gave him finally pumped the adrenalin that he needed, his muscles now seeming to function much better. He nodded to Blaze as she began to lift the drunk, prompting him to walk up and assist in the lifting.

"Let's just bring him to one of showers and we can dump him the tub, give him a good blast of cold water. Plus if he gets violent again we can just leave the bathroom and bar the door or something. Hopefully he will be to hungover to use his powers just like I am." He said, motioning to the crudely put together staff.

"That's the best I could after rolling out of bed. Anyways, let's get this guy upstairs."

Shane grunted as he picked up the drunk, waiting on Blaze to either confirm his plan or present a new one.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I do however have a feeling that we're going to have to throw some soap on him." Blaze said as they headed up the stairs. "That, or give him a lot of perfume." As they got to the bathroom, Blaze went over and turned on the water. Even the sound made her cringe, but he needed a bath badly, and if she had to submerge her hands to do so, then she would. "Alright, let's strip him down to his undergarments and throw him in."

[Ben M]

Underground

Dexter strained his eyes, trying to adapt to the darkness. He couldn't even see the trapdoor he had come in on. Groping around he found himself in what felt like a box. Once again, claustrophobia set in and he started panicking. The walls seemed like they were coming in towards him. Grappling with himself and his situation he continued to thrash and feel around. Nothing presented himself and he started to freak out. The room he was in was just big enough to walk around, so he started throwing himself towards the walls, trying to find a way out. He was going to starve to death in here, he knew it. That was when once again his mind kicked into high gear and he stopped suddenly. He stood in the middle of the room, his eyes darting around and finally seeing. There was nothing, but somehow he thought there was definitely a door somewhere. Not just a door, a drain! He realized has he looked down. His eyes had grown used to the dark, and sure enough, he was on a manhole cover. That drains the water away from entrance or exit. That means there must be a door somewhere. Now that his eyes had adjusted he saw the door. A small light outline was evident if one just relaxed. But as soon as his calm side accomplished what Dex needed, it left, leaving him feeling empty, nervous, and excited at the same time. He went to the door and pushed hard. Sure enough it opened into a brightly lit hallway. Confused he did a comic double take.

What the hell? What is this? He looked at the walls, a clean white. There appeared to be some sort of intercom system in the ceiling, and a TV was implemented into the wall, but it as off. Dex stared at it and turned it on. It appeared to be displaying an advertisement. Within 30 seconds it had rotated to another. Weird! He walked forward down the hallway until it turned 90 degrees. Peeking around the corner he saw a split and a security camera. Oh no. If there is one there. Sure enough, when he turned around a security camera was there staring at him. Cussing he ran forward into this place. He wanted to discover more before he was shot. He took a right turn and ran past more TVs and blank walls. That was when the power shut off. Dex now couldn't see anything. Men were running at him from behind, flashlights trained on him.

"Fuck you guys! I don't belong in this prison."

Gunfire was his only answer as the men closed in. Turning and sprinting he desperately fled the gunfire. He ducked down into a hallway behind some convenient barrels. He doubted this would work. Sure enough the men stopped to look for him. Splitting up they sent a few men towards him. Dex waited until they were very close before throwing one of the barrels and sprinting off. Gunshots and shuts followed him, as well as...... Laughter? Why are they laughing? He ran past a few doors before he got his answer, so he thought. They had him surrounded. Groaning in frustration Dex raised his hands to the sky and tried to look peaceful. The guards smirked at him before slamming him to the ground with a well placed butt of a laser rifle. Dex took it with silence as the picked him up and started dragging him towards one of the doors. Dexter swallowed. This is what they were laughing about. I didn't even think this prison has one. I am in trouble now. The sign above the door flickered on as the power returned. It read two simple words.

Warden's Office