Holy High - The New U - IC I - Use This One

[Torsiedelle]

"Nah...nah, I think I got the gist of it.", Said Hecate. Okay, so her fib went over his head? She sighed. "School? Coolio. I don't really know about monsters or finding gods, so I can't help there, but hey, I won't argue with sticking in a group, because I'm not personally fond of getting eaten."

She sighed. Schools going to underwater cities and fighting monsters. It was better than algebra, at any rate. The beasts didn't seem that tough, so she found the idea of one devouring Poseidon of all people to be silly.

She did lean over, peeking around the stranger. "Impressive cage thing. So, we don't have to worry about this, right? Because this seems under control.", She stated.

[The Flutterlands]

Filia Umbrarum

Filia continued to swip at the monster with her claws and bite at it with extremely sharp teeth. When the creature released acid upon her xenomorphic-form, the acid merely sizzled lightly on her armoured exoskeleton as she gave of another high-pitch animalistic roar. Filia was then swiped aside by the monster claws and launched herself to back into action. However, before she could rejoin the fight, the enemy was eatened by the great dragon Ryujin. It was over, or so it seemed, but the young girl still looked around on her guard.

Filia reverted back to her mermaid form, clutching long black scythes, as she breathed heavily from some exhaustion from the fight. She turned and looked at Lucifer, her harsh hellish eyes burning with anger, softening upon seeing him. The goddess of shadows relaxed and smiled. "I-i'm okay. That thing was tough. I don't recall ever seeing anything like it, Lucy." she spoke in her soft and sweet demeanor, before looking down below her to see the enormous, unidentifiable thing below her, "What on earth is that thing? Another monster? Seems like Posiedon had his handsful before he got hurt..."

[Syrixces]

Hyperion

It seemed like all had finally fallen still. The beast screeched, pulling itself off of Ryujins talons in a spasm of rage and pain, seizing up, twitching and spewing blood, before finally coming to a rest.

Hyperion panted, catching his breath, just as the lower thorax of the beast burst, splattering them all with a thick yellow goop, tiny hatchlings scattering, and fleeing from the corpse of their mother. Tinny screeching echoed through the halls and pipes, the tiny monsters escaping.

Not worth it, Hyperion muttered, sliding yellowy goop off of his Hawaiian shirt, wishing his sunglasses came with wipers. Of course, that was when he noticed it. He shouldn't be dressed like that. He should've still been in his true form, a being of pure boiling stardust and atomics. Not his mortal form. Focusing on exhausting light out from his hand, his fingers briefly glowed, before sputtering, and smoking, popping sounds, like burst light bulbs coming from his knuckles, burning himself in the process. Ow! Fuck! What the hell?

Pausing, he lifted himself off his feet, noticing a small silvery stain on the side of shirt, blood, likely a wound he'd gotten earlier. Ok, few things. I have no fucking clue what that was, but it was gross. Good job though, Sir Seaweed. Or do you prefer King Kelp. Whichever, just please don't do what you're about to do. Because if you break that glass below us, well, not all of us are as water proof as you. And thanks, Xav, for the steam hint. Ryu may not acknowledge it, but we all know we softened Larry the Scary Lobster up for Angry the Big Blue Dragon. And let's leave the thing below us alone. I don't feel like playing chicken with a sea monster, not the way I feel. Which brings me to my second point.

Can you guys, you know, do your stuff right now? Your God stuff? Because... Hyperion lifted up his singed hand, burned knuckles reflecting off the glass surface below them, ... Because a few minutes ago I was in my pure form. Now I'm a mortal again. Like my power suddenly vanished. I can't feel a damn thing. Not Olympus, not Holy High, not even my celestial body. I can't feel anything. I can't hear anything. Can any of you do anything? This is really freaking me out. Especially this damn silence!

Oh. Oh my god.

I can't hear them. I can't hear any prayers.

[Luminesa]

Hyperion

It seemed like all had finally fallen still. The beast screeched, pulling itself off of Ryujins talons in a spasm of rage and pain, seizing up, twitching and spewing blood, before finally coming to a rest.

Hyperion panted, catching his breath, just as the lower thorax of the beast burst, splattering them all with a thick yellow goop, tiny hatchlings scattering, and fleeing from the corpse of their mother. Tinny screeching echoed through the halls and pipes, the tiny monsters escaping.

Not worth it, Hyperion muttered, sliding yellowy goop off of his Hawaiian shirt, wishing his sunglasses came with wipers. Of course, that was when he noticed it. He shouldn't be dressed like that. He should've still been in his true form, a being of pure boiling stardust and atomics. Not his mortal form. Focusing on exhausting light out from his hand, his fingers briefly glowed, before sputtering, and smoking, popping sounds, like burst light bulbs coming from his knuckles, burning himself in the process. Ow! Fuck! What the hell?

Pausing, he lifted himself off his feet, noticing a small silvery stain on the side of shirt, blood, likely a wound he'd gotten earlier. Ok, few things. I have no fucking clue what that was, but it was gross. Good job though, Sir Seaweed. Or do you prefer King Kelp. Whichever, just please don't do what you're about to do. Because if you break that glass below us, well, not all of us are as water proof as you. And thanks, Xav, for the steam hint. Ryu may not acknowledge it, but we all know we softened Larry the Scary Lobster up for Angry the Big Blue Dragon. And let's leave the thing below us alone. I don't feel like playing chicken with a sea monster, not the way I feel. Which brings me to my second point.

Can you guys, you know, do your stuff right now? Your God stuff? Because... Hyperion lifted up his singed hand, burned knuckles reflecting off the glass surface below them, ... Because a few minutes ago I was in my pure form. Now I'm a mortal again. Like my power suddenly vanished. I can't feel a damn thing. Not Olympus, not Holy High, not even my celestial body. I can't feel anything. I can't hear anything. Can any of you do anything? This is really freaking me out. Especially this damn silence!

Oh. Oh my god.

I can't hear them. I can't hear any prayers.

"...You did say this is a land where people wanted to live without gods..." Hamiri muttered. She snapped her fingers, to see if she could use her powers, and as though she was a dead battery, nothing sparked in her hands. Her eyes narrowed, and she sighed. "...And it looks like it extends to any supernatural beings in the area...Anyone who has powers given to them by gods..."

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT OUR POWERS?!" Patriah demanded to nobody in particular, as he swung his sword and saw that it stopped summoning his Wind Magic. "WE'RE WHO-KNOWS-HOW-FAR UNDERWATER, THERE'S STILL THAT GIANT EVIL FISH UNDERNEATH US, POSEIDON IS STILL MISSING, POSSIBLY DEAD, AND WE STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO FIND HIM OR WHAT'S HOLDING HIM HOSTAGE." Whirling around to face Hyperion, he snarled, "And how long have you known this could happen?! Got anymore secrets about this place, before we continue and get ourselves killed?!"

"There is no reason to panic, or to argue," Lux suddenly answered. Even as his own light-barrier had broken, and his floating ceased, he seemed as though nothing had happened. Taking Hecate's hand, he walked with her toward the group. "We are a group, and as long as we are so, we are one. All of us together can form a power that can still defeat our enemies. We must be aware of our surroundings, and we must not let them overwhelm us."

"...Easy for you to say..." Patriah grumbled, giving Lux and Hecate a wary look, before he turned back to Hyperion. "Well?...What have you got to say for yourself, Sunshine?"

[Charlia]

...My powers are gone. They're just... they're completely gone. How... How am I supposed to protect Mara if they're gone?! I can't do anything...

No. No, I still have myself, right? I'll keep her safe with everything I have left. And I'll still die before I let anyone hurt her...

Oh, my sweet little girl. I promise I'll keep you safe as long as I can.

Mommy will protect you as long as she can.



"My own powers are gone," Kaguya said quietly, "but--"

"But stop whining, is what she means to say," Tewi cut in, grinning. "Us rabbits'll take care of ya. This is our natural form, after all. So maybe we can't turn into actual rabbits, but we've still got your backs. Can't keep a rabbit from hopping, eh? And what're they gonna do, mess with my mallet? Tech isn't a problem here, I'm betting."

"And Lunarian technology is the best," Reisen continued, smiling thinly. "My Lunatic Red Eyes might be powerless for now, Tewi might not be able to change our luck, and we might not be able to call on our colleagues, but I've still got a good supply of Lunarian weaponry on me."

"In short," Tewi continued, "don't do anything stupid, and you should be fine! But if you must be idiots, don't blame us if you die! There are still only two of us, after all. And since our 'psychic hotlines' have been eliminated, no reinforcements. Pity. It's been a while since Seiran and I had a mallet competition... and Ringo always brings food..." Her eyes glazed over, and she started drooling for a moment before Reisen cuffed her behind the ears to snap her out of it.

[Castle Crashers]

The moment the commotion broke out among the others about losing their powers, Cade immediately decided to take a mental check. They were right...not even he, a god of death, could see when some of them, if any of them would die. Not even mortals. He couldn't see any of the timelines in his mind, and he couldn't summon his scythe nor his logbook, alongside that. That was...worrying, to say the least. Who would carry out these duties if he wasn't around to? Who would carry all the mortal souls to their resting place? Sure, there were Reapers to attend to some of those...but he couldn't be gone for long. He hoped that those assigned to his control could keep everything together until he returned...for now, he would have to simply go about with his mortality. "Well, this is going to make things a lot more difficult." He muttered, before he looked to Charlotte and Mara. "Are you two alright? No drastic changes or anything, correct?"

[Charlia]

The moment the commotion broke out among the others about losing their powers, Cade immediately decided to take a mental check. They were right...not even he, a god of death, could see when some of them, if any of them would die. Not even mortals. He couldn't see any of the timelines in his mind, and he couldn't summon his scythe nor his logbook, alongside that. That was...worrying, to say the least. Who would carry out these duties if he wasn't around to? Who would carry all the mortal souls to their resting place? Sure, there were Reapers to attend to some of those...but he couldn't be gone for long. He hoped that those assigned to his control could keep everything together until he returned...for now, he would have to simply go about with his mortality. "Well, this is going to make things a lot more difficult." He muttered, before he looked to Charlotte and Mara. "Are you two alright? No drastic changes or anything, correct?"

"...other than the loss of powers, nothing," Charlotte replied quietly. Mara just shrugged.

"I still have my wings," she pointed out. "...or the ends of 'em anyway. An' I don't have powers yet so doesn't matter," she added, giggling. She'd been shielded by her mother from the creature, so she wasn't particularly frightened. "You lose somethin', Mr. Cade?"

[Castle Crashers]

The moment the commotion broke out among the others about losing their powers, Cade immediately decided to take a mental check. They were right...not even he, a god of death, could see when some of them, if any of them would die. Not even mortals. He couldn't see any of the timelines in his mind, and he couldn't summon his scythe nor his logbook, alongside that. That was...worrying, to say the least. Who would carry out these duties if he wasn't around to? Who would carry all the mortal souls to their resting place? Sure, there were Reapers to attend to some of those...but he couldn't be gone for long. He hoped that those assigned to his control could keep everything together until he returned...for now, he would have to simply go about with his mortality. "Well, this is going to make things a lot more difficult." He muttered, before he looked to Charlotte and Mara. "Are you two alright? No drastic changes or anything, correct?"

"...other than the loss of powers, nothing," Charlotte replied quietly. Mara just shrugged.

"I still have my wings," she pointed out. "...or the ends of 'em anyway. An' I don't have powers yet so doesn't matter," she added, giggling. She'd been shielded by her mother from the creature, so she wasn't particularly frightened. "You lose somethin', Mr. Cade?"

He nodded in reply. "I have a feeling we've all lost something, though, losing my powers might have more of an effect on the world around us than yours..." He replied, trailing off for a moment. He supposed it was good that without his powers, he could make skin contact with others (so he wouldn't be afraid if Mara wanted to hold his hand for now), and he wouldn't be bothered with lost souls, but...the idea that he wasn't able to help them was unsettling. "But not to worry, everything will be fine. For now, I would think getting out of this creepy place would be the best course of action, don't you think, Mara?" He asked with a light smile.

[Charlia]

"...other than the loss of powers, nothing," Charlotte replied quietly. Mara just shrugged.

"I still have my wings," she pointed out. "...or the ends of 'em anyway. An' I don't have powers yet so doesn't matter," she added, giggling. She'd been shielded by her mother from the creature, so she wasn't particularly frightened. "You lose somethin', Mr. Cade?"

He nodded in reply. "I have a feeling we've all lost something, though, losing my powers might have more of an effect on the world around us than yours..." He replied, trailing off for a moment. He supposed it was good that without his powers, he could make skin contact with others (so he wouldn't be afraid if Mara wanted to hold his hand for now), and he wouldn't be bothered with lost souls, but...the idea that he wasn't able to help them was unsettling. "But not to worry, everything will be fine. For now, I would think getting out of this creepy place would be the best course of action, don't you think, Mara?" He asked with a light smile.

"Yes," Mara said firmly. "She wanted me to come along so she could take care of me 'cause she can't take care of me if she can't see me but now she doesn't have powers so I'm getting a little scared. Just a little though. 'Cause the rabbits look strong."

Reisen's ears twitched.

"Rabbit is a fun word," Mara continued idly. "Rabbit rabbit rabbit. I like the word rabbit. 's fun to say. Rabbit."

[Castle Crashers]

He nodded in reply. "I have a feeling we've all lost something, though, losing my powers might have more of an effect on the world around us than yours..." He replied, trailing off for a moment. He supposed it was good that without his powers, he could make skin contact with others (so he wouldn't be afraid if Mara wanted to hold his hand for now), and he wouldn't be bothered with lost souls, but...the idea that he wasn't able to help them was unsettling. "But not to worry, everything will be fine. For now, I would think getting out of this creepy place would be the best course of action, don't you think, Mara?" He asked with a light smile.

"Yes," Mara said firmly. "She wanted me to come along so she could take care of me 'cause she can't take care of me if she can't see me but now she doesn't have powers so I'm getting a little scared. Just a little though. 'Cause the rabbits look strong."

Reisen's ears twitched.

"Rabbit is a fun word," Mara continued idly. "Rabbit rabbit rabbit. I like the word rabbit. 's fun to say. Rabbit."

Cade's smile broadened. "Ah, well don't worry, I'm sure your big sister is very strong. And even then, I'm here to protect you, too." He then watched as she went on to comment on the two rabbit girls, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Why not play along with her interest in the word rabbit? It was adorable. "You know what's an even more fun word than rabbit? Kangaroo. Give it a try. Kangaroo, kangaroo, kangaroo."

[Ranoria]

Ryujin
Ryujin snarled, still in his draconic form, down at Hyperion, talons curling into the glass, cracks spider-webbing across its surface, but he elected to not shatter it, as the titan was right. he would survive, but the others? Perhaps not. It wasn't worth the loss of life. He was going to say something, or perhaps just snap up the obnoxious sun-god, but then Hyperion brought up his second point.

That's when he noticed the absolute lack of feeling the water around them. Normally, the presence of the ocean granted him the sensation of having command of everything around him, but in this particular instance, he felt nothing. Even on dry land, he could feel the tug of the waters in his gut, and that wasn't there. It was nerve-wracking, and he despised it.

"What in the Hells is this madness?" His massive, tree-trunk of a tail flicked in agitation, thankfully far above anyone who he could have harmed, a growl emitting from his throat, shaking the transparent floor beneath them, those tiny cracks spreading just a bit more as a result.

Perhaps what was more threatening to the massive drake was the fact that he'd never seen anything of this like in his domain. He was in completely foreign territory in the seas that he ruled.






Azazel

"Fighting each other will get us nowhere." The demon looked around, eyes lingering on Patriah, Ryujin, and Hyperion, "Obviously, we're in a bit of a bind, but those of us with weapons beyond our powers," he flipped Tetsu, still in the form of switchblade, towards Hamiri, Lucifer, and Patriah, "Should be able to utilize those tools available to us with some efficiency. I'd assume that you can all use the weapons that you carry on you without your unique abilities?"

He glanced towards Kaguya's rabbits, whom went on their own little rant, before looking to Hyperion, "Unless you know of a way out of this place, I'd suggest that you take us to Poseidon, if you can find him. We are now, for the most part, all too mortal, and the sooner I can return to my full strength, the better.

While it was true that he still had Tetsu, and that his weapon itself was unaffected by this change, that did not, by any means, imply that he himself was resistant to it. His strength, speed, those were gone. His wings were nowhere to be seen, the black, skin tight shirt he wore, with slits on his back for the massive appendages to sprout from, showing nothing but flesh beneath its fabric.

"Are we all in agreement, then?" He pulled his jacket, from wear it was tied around his waste, up and over his back to hide the lack of his feathery organs, "If we stay here, we'll be killed, and that's not a threat, that's a fact."

[Charlia]

"Yes," Mara said firmly. "She wanted me to come along so she could take care of me 'cause she can't take care of me if she can't see me but now she doesn't have powers so I'm getting a little scared. Just a little though. 'Cause the rabbits look strong."

Reisen's ears twitched.

"Rabbit is a fun word," Mara continued idly. "Rabbit rabbit rabbit. I like the word rabbit. 's fun to say. Rabbit."

Cade's smile broadened. "Ah, well don't worry, I'm sure your big sister is very strong. And even then, I'm here to protect you, too." He then watched as she went on to comment on the two rabbit girls, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Why not play along with her interest in the word rabbit? It was adorable. "You know what's an even more fun word than rabbit? Kangaroo. Give it a try. Kangaroo, kangaroo, kangaroo."

"She's really strong," Mara said with admiration, and then turned her attention to the word 'kangaroo'. "...Kangaroo?" she repeated, blinking. "Kangaroo. Kangaroo kangaroo kangaroo kangaroo--it is fun! It sounds bouncy! Like kangaroos!" She giggled, clapping her small hands childishly. "I really like it, Mr. Cade! It's a super fun word!"

Azazel

"Fighting each other will get us nowhere." The demon looked around, eyes lingering on Patriah, Ryujin, and Hyperion, "Obviously, we're in a bit of a bind, but those of us with weapons beyond our powers," he flipped Tetsu, still in the form of switchblade, towards Hamiri, Lucifer, and Patriah, "Should be able to utilize those tools available to us with some efficiency. I'd assume that you can all use the weapons that you carry on you without your unique abilities?"

He glanced towards Kaguya's rabbits, whom went on their own little rant, before looking to Hyperion, "Unless you know of a way out of this place, I'd suggest that you take us to Poseidon, if you can find him. We are now, for the most part, all too mortal, and the sooner I can return to my full strength, the better.

While it was true that he still had Tetsu, and that his weapon itself was unaffected by this change, that did not, by any means, imply that he himself was resistant to it. His strength, speed, those were gone. His wings were nowhere to be seen, the black, skin tight shirt he wore, with slits on his back for the massive appendages to sprout from, showing nothing but flesh beneath its fabric.

"Are we all in agreement, then?" He pulled his jacket, from wear it was tied around his waste, up and over his back to hide the lack of his feathery organs, "If we stay here, we'll be killed, and that's not a threat, that's a fact."

"If all else fails, I can serve as protection," Kaguya said quietly. "My immortal state isn't a power or ability. It's simply the way my body is. Since the very makeup of my being is centered around unchanging immortality, in fact, I believe it's literally impossible for it to change... and believe me, I've tried many different ways to make it change. If it had, my theory is that my deaths would have caught up to me. I would not be here at the moment. It's possible that I'm wrong. Omoikane knows much more about it than I do. But after the types of magic and miracles I've encountered, I doubt something such as this could remove it... My abilities, however, are just as useless as the rest of yours."

[Syrixces]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

[Charlia]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

"We can fight," Reisen and Tewi volunteered. "And the princess--" They were cut off by another voice, quiet but commanding attention.

"...The 'good guys' always win... They do not."

She hadn't expected this. She hadn't even thought about how much harder it would be to keep her inside and quiet without her powers.

"To lie is a sin; tell the truth, even if you do not wish to face it. The 'good guys' do not always win. In fact, a good amount of the time, they lose."

Her eyes were flashing, blue and gold, and she didn't sound like herself. She sounded like something else entirely. Something old and powerful and terrifying. Even if her words were simple, her voice was ancient and deadly.

"You expect trust when you knowingly and willingly lie? Fool. You are not worthy of trust if you are unable to face the truth. And if you walk into a fight with childish idealism, believing that you will always win, you are certain to lose."

Mara's eyes were wide, and she dashed forwards, clinging to her mother's legs in fear. "Stop it," she begged. "Stop talking like that. You're scaring me."

She looked down, eyes cold and contemptuous.

"Let go of me, child," she ordered. Creature conceived in sin, abomination on this earth. This body has already been sullied, but you... You were corrupted from the moment you began to exist. You should never have been born.

[Castle Crashers]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

"We can fight," Reisen and Tewi volunteered. "And the princess--" They were cut off by another voice, quiet but commanding attention.

"...The 'good guys' always win... They do not."

She hadn't expected this. She hadn't even thought about how much harder it would be to keep her inside and quiet without her powers.

"To lie is a sin; tell the truth, even if you do not wish to face it. The 'good guys' do not always win. In fact, a good amount of the time, they lose."

Her eyes were flashing, blue and gold, and she didn't sound like herself. She sounded like something else entirely. Something old and powerful and terrifying. Even if her words were simple, her voice was ancient and deadly.

"You expect trust when you knowingly and willingly lie? Fool. You are not worthy of trust if you are unable to face the truth. And if you walk into a fight with childish idealism, believing that you will always win, you are certain to lose."

Mara's eyes were wide, and she dashed forwards, clinging to her mother's legs in fear. "Stop it," she begged. "Stop talking like that. You're scaring me."

She looked down, eyes cold and contemptuous.

"Let go of me, child," she ordered. Creature conceived in sin, abomination on this earth. This body has already been sullied, but you... You were corrupted from the moment you began to exist. You should never have been born.

Seeing that something obviously wasn't right with Charlotte, Cade thought quickly and gently lifted Mara into his own arms, only taking her a step away from her mother. "It's alright, Mara, she's probably just in a panic. Don't worry." He told her softly before he gave the redhead a subtle glare. "Listen, alright? Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out. There's no need to get freaked out and put blame on each other yet. And Charlotte, speaking like that is scaring your sister. Be more mindful of that...she's already scared as it is." He told her in a strong but considerate tone, holding Mara against his torso, but where she could still atleast see her mother. "For now, Hyperion is right. We need to focus on getting out of this place, but we also need to work together in our weak forms to get there."

[Charlia]

"We can fight," Reisen and Tewi volunteered. "And the princess--" They were cut off by another voice, quiet but commanding attention.

"...The 'good guys' always win... They do not."

She hadn't expected this. She hadn't even thought about how much harder it would be to keep her inside and quiet without her powers.

"To lie is a sin; tell the truth, even if you do not wish to face it. The 'good guys' do not always win. In fact, a good amount of the time, they lose."

Her eyes were flashing, blue and gold, and she didn't sound like herself. She sounded like something else entirely. Something old and powerful and terrifying. Even if her words were simple, her voice was ancient and deadly.

"You expect trust when you knowingly and willingly lie? Fool. You are not worthy of trust if you are unable to face the truth. And if you walk into a fight with childish idealism, believing that you will always win, you are certain to lose."

Mara's eyes were wide, and she dashed forwards, clinging to her mother's legs in fear. "Stop it," she begged. "Stop talking like that. You're scaring me."

She looked down, eyes cold and contemptuous.

"Let go of me, child," she ordered. Creature conceived in sin, abomination on this earth. This body has already been sullied, but you... You were corrupted from the moment you began to exist. You should never have been born.

Seeing that something obviously wasn't right with Charlotte, Cade thought quickly and gently lifted Mara into his own arms, only taking her a step away from her mother. "It's alright, Mara, she's probably just in a panic. Don't worry." He told her softly before he gave the redhead a subtle glare. "Listen, alright? Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out. There's no need to get freaked out and put blame on each other yet. And Charlotte, speaking like that is scaring your sister. Be more mindful of that...she's already scared as it is." He told her in a strong but considerate tone, holding Mara against his torso, but where she could still atleast see her mother. "For now, Hyperion is right. We need to focus on getting out of this place, but we also need to work together in our weak forms to get there."

Mara whimpered, burying her face in Cade's chest as Charlotte--or was it really Charlotte?--turned to face the two, eyes gleaming gold. "You address someone else," she said coolly. "This body, however damaged, is rightfully mine--" Panicked, wide eyes flashing blue, back to gold. "And the one you currently hold is not my sister."

On the surface, it seemed simple: since the one speaking wasn't Charlotte, the one speaking was not Mara's sister. Inwardly, however, Charlotte realized how disastrous it could be if the cold entity spoke further. Stop it, stop it, stop it--

Blue, again. This time, they stayed that way, and Charlotte buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to collect her composure and banish her other self deeper into her soul.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly when she looked back up. "I'm sorry, Mara. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

...Mommy? Mara thought worriedly, but only nodded, just a little bit. She hadn't seen anything like this before. Her mother was always nice, always always always. There had been two times that she'd raised her voice that Mara could remember, only two.

Her mother is in the corner, hands on her head, knees drawn up to her chest. She has never seen her mother like this before--like a child, crying in fear, completely helpless.

"Mommy, what's--"

"Stay away from me!" she screams, so suddenly that Mara stumbles back. Her mother still isn't looking up, just cradling her head in her arms.

And then the time before they'd left. The time Mara didn't like to think about. Then, it hadn't been a result of fear or the strange moments where her mother wasn't herself, when her mind was gone and she was reduced to blankness or sheer terror. That time, it had been a desperate cry, a plea for Mara to go, to run away, to stop fighting her father and go back to her room, to be safe.

She'd only been trying to protect her child, Mara knew. She knew because she still remembered the sharp pain when her father had struck her, the clawing guilt on her mother's face as she watched her little girl's own features contorting in confusion and pain.

But it hadn't been right for him to make her mother cry so much. She'd been in pain, Mara could tell. And her mother was so nice and caring and she was already so sad, it was so mean to make her cry more. She thought, maybe, that he was the reason her mother was always sad, but only when she thought Mara wasn't looking.

She hated him. She didn't really understand what that hatred was, it was so strong and it burned so brightly in her heart, but he'd made her wonderful, beautiful, amazing mother cry. He'd hurt the nicest and best person Mara knew. And so she had learned to hate... because making her mother cry was bad.

And she didn't like bad people. She didn't like bad people at all.

[Castle Crashers]

Seeing that something obviously wasn't right with Charlotte, Cade thought quickly and gently lifted Mara into his own arms, only taking her a step away from her mother. "It's alright, Mara, she's probably just in a panic. Don't worry." He told her softly before he gave the redhead a subtle glare. "Listen, alright? Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out. There's no need to get freaked out and put blame on each other yet. And Charlotte, speaking like that is scaring your sister. Be more mindful of that...she's already scared as it is." He told her in a strong but considerate tone, holding Mara against his torso, but where she could still atleast see her mother. "For now, Hyperion is right. We need to focus on getting out of this place, but we also need to work together in our weak forms to get there."

Mara whimpered, burying her face in Cade's chest as Charlotte--or was it really Charlotte?--turned to face the two, eyes gleaming gold. "You address someone else," she said coolly. "This body, however damaged, is rightfully mine--" Panicked, wide eyes flashing blue, back to gold. "And the one you currently hold is not my sister."

On the surface, it seemed simple: since the one speaking wasn't Charlotte, the one speaking was not Mara's sister. Inwardly, however, Charlotte realized how disastrous it could be if the cold entity spoke further. Stop it, stop it, stop it--

Blue, again. This time, they stayed that way, and Charlotte buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to collect her composure and banish her other self deeper into her soul.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly when she looked back up. "I'm sorry, Mara. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

...Mommy? Mara thought worriedly, but only nodded, just a little bit. She hadn't seen anything like this before. Her mother was always nice, always always always. There had been two times that she'd raised her voice that Mara could remember, only two.

Her mother is in the corner, hands on her head, knees drawn up to her chest. She has never seen her mother like this before--like a child, crying in fear, completely helpless.

"Mommy, what's--"

"Stay away from me!" she screams, so suddenly that Mara stumbles back. Her mother still isn't looking up, just cradling her head in her arms.

And then the time before they'd left. The time Mara didn't like to think about. Then, it hadn't been a result of fear or the strange moments where her mother wasn't herself, when her mind was gone and she was reduced to blankness or sheer terror. That time, it had been a desperate cry, a plea for Mara to go, to run away, to stop fighting her father and go back to her room, to be safe.

She'd only been trying to protect her child, Mara knew. She knew because she still remembered the sharp pain when her father had struck her, the clawing guilt on her mother's face as she watched her little girl's own features contorting in confusion and pain.

But it hadn't been right for him to make her mother cry so much. She'd been in pain, Mara could tell. And her mother was so nice and caring and she was already so sad, it was so mean to make her cry more. She thought, maybe, that he was the reason her mother was always sad, but only when she thought Mara wasn't looking.

She hated him. She didn't really understand what that hatred was, it was so strong and it burned so brightly in her heart, but he'd made her wonderful, beautiful, amazing mother cry. He'd hurt the nicest and best person Mara knew. And so she had learned to hate... because making her mother cry was bad.

And she didn't like bad people. She didn't like bad people at all.

Cade only watched as Charlotte spoke in this odd, unfamiliar voice as he held Mara close, attempting to comfort her the best he could manage. He noticed her eyes change from gold to blue and back again, but he didn't say anything. He thought of saying something before she put her head into her hands for a moment, looking up with familiar blue eyes and apologizing for scaring Mara. He sighed. "Charlotte...what was that? What's wrong..?" He asked, looking both confused and concerned. Whatever it was referred to Charlotte as someone else entirely...and that was a little alarming. "What's going on, Charlotte?"

[Charlia]

Mara whimpered, burying her face in Cade's chest as Charlotte--or was it really Charlotte?--turned to face the two, eyes gleaming gold. "You address someone else," she said coolly. "This body, however damaged, is rightfully mine--" Panicked, wide eyes flashing blue, back to gold. "And the one you currently hold is not my sister."

On the surface, it seemed simple: since the one speaking wasn't Charlotte, the one speaking was not Mara's sister. Inwardly, however, Charlotte realized how disastrous it could be if the cold entity spoke further. Stop it, stop it, stop it--

Blue, again. This time, they stayed that way, and Charlotte buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to collect her composure and banish her other self deeper into her soul.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly when she looked back up. "I'm sorry, Mara. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

...Mommy? Mara thought worriedly, but only nodded, just a little bit. She hadn't seen anything like this before. Her mother was always nice, always always always. There had been two times that she'd raised her voice that Mara could remember, only two.

Her mother is in the corner, hands on her head, knees drawn up to her chest. She has never seen her mother like this before--like a child, crying in fear, completely helpless.

"Mommy, what's--"

"Stay away from me!" she screams, so suddenly that Mara stumbles back. Her mother still isn't looking up, just cradling her head in her arms.

And then the time before they'd left. The time Mara didn't like to think about. Then, it hadn't been a result of fear or the strange moments where her mother wasn't herself, when her mind was gone and she was reduced to blankness or sheer terror. That time, it had been a desperate cry, a plea for Mara to go, to run away, to stop fighting her father and go back to her room, to be safe.

She'd only been trying to protect her child, Mara knew. She knew because she still remembered the sharp pain when her father had struck her, the clawing guilt on her mother's face as she watched her little girl's own features contorting in confusion and pain.

But it hadn't been right for him to make her mother cry so much. She'd been in pain, Mara could tell. And her mother was so nice and caring and she was already so sad, it was so mean to make her cry more. She thought, maybe, that he was the reason her mother was always sad, but only when she thought Mara wasn't looking.

She hated him. She didn't really understand what that hatred was, it was so strong and it burned so brightly in her heart, but he'd made her wonderful, beautiful, amazing mother cry. He'd hurt the nicest and best person Mara knew. And so she had learned to hate... because making her mother cry was bad.

And she didn't like bad people. She didn't like bad people at all.

Cade only watched as Charlotte spoke in this odd, unfamiliar voice as he held Mara close, attempting to comfort her the best he could manage. He noticed her eyes change from gold to blue and back again, but he didn't say anything. He thought of saying something before she put her head into her hands for a moment, looking up with familiar blue eyes and apologizing for scaring Mara. He sighed. "Charlotte...what was that? What's wrong..?" He asked, looking both confused and concerned. Whatever it was referred to Charlotte as someone else entirely...and that was a little alarming. "What's going on, Charlotte?"

"..." Charlotte looked away, unwilling to meet Cade's eyes. Be vague. You can't tell anyone who she is, or they'll start asking more questions, and then...

"That was... my other half," she said slowly, trying to formulate a response that wouldn't lead to bad things. "We used to be the same person, but... things happened, and we got split apart..."

Pain. Sudden, without warning. She screams, but still no one comes--and it is only getting worse. Pain she has never before experienced, pain at the hands of someone else. She can feel a burning sensation, searing her flesh, and she screams again. Someone, please... Heaven's light, once so comforting and cool, is now nothing but agony. Something is tearing her apart, she's not herself anymore--something is ripping her soul out of her body and shredding it--combined with the pain of whatever it is Metatron is doing to her--beyond anything she has ever felt before, worse than anything she has ever even imagined. She has never thought about what Hell feels like, and now she wonders if anything can be worse than this. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

"Stop it--stop, please, you're ripping me apart," she begs.

He doesn't stop.

"Normally I can keep her under control," she continued faintly, "but without my powers... it's a lot harder to make her stay quiet. She's... a lot more forceful than I am, but I guess you already noticed the difference... We were better once, more balanced, but after we were separated... well, we were so different after that... If, um, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it any more... it hurts to remember..."

It hurts so much... all I want to do is die.

All you deserve to do is die. The wages of sin, have you forgotten so soon?

No... No, I haven't forgotten. I know. I know. But I can't die, not while Mara needs me.

The child is an abomination. Neither of you deserve to live.

...I know.

"Please don't make me talk about it," she finished, her voice barely more than a pleading whisper. "Please."

[Castle Crashers]

Cade only watched as Charlotte spoke in this odd, unfamiliar voice as he held Mara close, attempting to comfort her the best he could manage. He noticed her eyes change from gold to blue and back again, but he didn't say anything. He thought of saying something before she put her head into her hands for a moment, looking up with familiar blue eyes and apologizing for scaring Mara. He sighed. "Charlotte...what was that? What's wrong..?" He asked, looking both confused and concerned. Whatever it was referred to Charlotte as someone else entirely...and that was a little alarming. "What's going on, Charlotte?"

"..." Charlotte looked away, unwilling to meet Cade's eyes. Be vague. You can't tell anyone who she is, or they'll start asking more questions, and then...

"That was... my other half," she said slowly, trying to formulate a response that wouldn't lead to bad things. "We used to be the same person, but... things happened, and we got split apart..."

Pain. Sudden, without warning. She screams, but still no one comes--and it is only getting worse. Pain she has never before experienced, pain at the hands of someone else. She can feel a burning sensation, searing her flesh, and she screams again. Someone, please... Heaven's light, once so comforting and cool, is now nothing but agony. Something is tearing her apart, she's not herself anymore--something is ripping her soul out of her body and shredding it--combined with the pain of whatever it is Metatron is doing to her--beyond anything she has ever felt before, worse than anything she has ever even imagined. She has never thought about what Hell feels like, and now she wonders if anything can be worse than this. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

"Stop it--stop, please, you're ripping me apart," she begs.

He doesn't stop.

"Normally I can keep her under control," she continued faintly, "but without my powers... it's a lot harder to make her stay quiet. She's... a lot more forceful than I am, but I guess you already noticed the difference... We were better once, more balanced, but after we were separated... well, we were so different after that... If, um, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it any more... it hurts to remember..."

It hurts so much... all I want to do is die.

All you deserve to do is die. The wages of sin, have you forgotten so soon?

No... No, I haven't forgotten. I know. I know. But I can't die, not while Mara needs me.

The child is an abomination. Neither of you deserve to live.

...I know.

"Please don't make me talk about it," she finished, her voice barely more than a pleading whisper. "Please."

After her vague explanation, the death god was almost tempted to ask her what she'd meant and who it was that she was talking about, but after that, she desperately asked him not to talk about it anymore. Seeing that continuing the conversation would probably make her more upset, Cade quickly nodded. "...of course, I...don't want you to be upset over something you can't really control.." He replied quickly before he was silent for a moment. He looked to Mara. "...are you still scared of her, or would you like to go to your sister now? I have no problem holding you, but...she may want to see you now."

[Charlia]

"..." Charlotte looked away, unwilling to meet Cade's eyes. Be vague. You can't tell anyone who she is, or they'll start asking more questions, and then...

"That was... my other half," she said slowly, trying to formulate a response that wouldn't lead to bad things. "We used to be the same person, but... things happened, and we got split apart..."

Pain. Sudden, without warning. She screams, but still no one comes--and it is only getting worse. Pain she has never before experienced, pain at the hands of someone else. She can feel a burning sensation, searing her flesh, and she screams again. Someone, please... Heaven's light, once so comforting and cool, is now nothing but agony. Something is tearing her apart, she's not herself anymore--something is ripping her soul out of her body and shredding it--combined with the pain of whatever it is Metatron is doing to her--beyond anything she has ever felt before, worse than anything she has ever even imagined. She has never thought about what Hell feels like, and now she wonders if anything can be worse than this. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

"Stop it--stop, please, you're ripping me apart," she begs.

He doesn't stop.

"Normally I can keep her under control," she continued faintly, "but without my powers... it's a lot harder to make her stay quiet. She's... a lot more forceful than I am, but I guess you already noticed the difference... We were better once, more balanced, but after we were separated... well, we were so different after that... If, um, if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it any more... it hurts to remember..."

It hurts so much... all I want to do is die.

All you deserve to do is die. The wages of sin, have you forgotten so soon?

No... No, I haven't forgotten. I know. I know. But I can't die, not while Mara needs me.

The child is an abomination. Neither of you deserve to live.

...I know.

"Please don't make me talk about it," she finished, her voice barely more than a pleading whisper. "Please."

After her vague explanation, the death god was almost tempted to ask her what she'd meant and who it was that she was talking about, but after that, she desperately asked him not to talk about it anymore. Seeing that continuing the conversation would probably make her more upset, Cade quickly nodded. "...of course, I...don't want you to be upset over something you can't really control.." He replied quickly before he was silent for a moment. He looked to Mara. "...are you still scared of her, or would you like to go to your sister now? I have no problem holding you, but...she may want to see you now."

"I want to go hug her," Mara declared, wiggling free and moving over to Charlotte, who picked her up so the smaller girl could give her a proper hug. It wasn't that easy, but Mara was small even for her age, so even Charlotte could lift her without too much effort.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you," Charlotte whispered, to which Mara simply reached up and patted her mother on the head.

"It's okay, you didn't mean to," she said with a smile. She didn't understand what had happened, but she knew her mother wouldn't ever scare her on purpose. So it was okay. Didn't know Mommy had someone else in her... not a very nice someone else. Don't think I like her. She's not nearly as nice as Mommy. Mommy's the best...

Charlotte smiled back, and Mara started wriggling again. In response, Charlotte quietly set the child down, and Mara smiled again. "Thanks for tryin' to protect me, Mr. Cade," she said cheerfully, waving at Cade despite the fact that he was pretty much right next to her. "Everything's okay now!"

Everything's okay... at least for now.

How long can I keep lying to everyone? I can't tell them the truth... but how long can things really go on this way?

What will they all think when they find out what we really are?

[Ranoria]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

Azazel
"I'll go. If I had access to my powers, I could forge an arsenal to equip an army, but as it is, I only have Tetsu. Ryujin," he looked up to the dragon, "Should stay here, but I don't think anyone else should. That thing down there," he twirled his switch in hand, scowling, "Is likely far more interested in him than us, and if anyone gets caught in the crossfire, should there be a fight, they will die. The rest of us should stay together, as long as you are confident that you will be able to take that monster on your own?" Azazel glanced up to Ryujin, who growled his acknowledgement.

"I rule over these waters, and all others. No beast of the sea shall ever stand before me and live to tell the tale." His massive wings spread out as he stretched the muscles in them, their silvery flesh reflecting the dull light of the sea across the room, "But if you can find a way to keep yourselves alive long enough for me to carry you to the surface, I suggest you do so. I would need to slay that creature beneath us to ensure safe passage, but that is of no concern."

Azazel looked around the room, "If we're all in agreement, we should get moving, and you," his knife, once again, stopped twirling, pointing towards Charlotte, "I have no idea what's going on with you, but keep it under control. We don't need any bullshit right now. And Kaguya," his eyes flicked to the princess, "I know that you're willing to serve as our shield. Don't. Self sacrifice is foolish."

Without his wings, he really didn't feel comfortable, especially with the lack of the explosive power that he could normally extort, but he was skilled enough with most, no, all weapons that it wouldn't matter.

[Charlia]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

Azazel
"I'll go. If I had access to my powers, I could forge an arsenal to equip an army, but as it is, I only have Tetsu. Ryujin," he looked up to the dragon, "Should stay here, but I don't think anyone else should. That thing down there," he twirled his switch in hand, scowling, "Is likely far more interested in him than us, and if anyone gets caught in the crossfire, should there be a fight, they will die. The rest of us should stay together, as long as you are confident that you will be able to take that monster on your own?" Azazel glanced up to Ryujin, who growled his acknowledgement.

"I rule over these waters, and all others. No beast of the sea shall ever stand before me and live to tell the tale." His massive wings spread out as he stretched the muscles in them, their silvery flesh reflecting the dull light of the sea across the room, "But if you can find a way to keep yourselves alive long enough for me to carry you to the surface, I suggest you do so. I would need to slay that creature beneath us to ensure safe passage, but that is of no concern."

Azazel looked around the room, "If we're all in agreement, we should get moving, and you," his knife, once again, stopped twirling, pointing towards Charlotte, "I have no idea what's going on with you, but keep it under control. We don't need any bullshit right now. And Kaguya," his eyes flicked to the princess, "I know that you're willing to serve as our shield. Don't. Self sacrifice is foolish."

Without his wings, he really didn't feel comfortable, especially with the lack of the explosive power that he could normally extort, but he was skilled enough with most, no, all weapons that it wouldn't matter.

"...It isn't self-sacrifice if I don't die," Kaguya replied calmly, tilting her head a fraction of an inch. "And while I'll admit I might very well die, it won't be permanent. It never is."

Charlotte just nodded weakly, stepping back a little bit. Mara glared at Azazel. You shouldn't talk to Mommy that way! Mommy's nice and didn't mean to do anything weird or scary. Don't be so mean!

[Luminesa]

Hyperion

To Hyperion, the silence was absolutely deafening. He was The Sun, a visage of hope, power and reliability to thousands across the globe, those who believed and worshipped the divinity of the Sun. And he couldn't hear, or feel a single prayer or sacrifice. And with that absence, came the disappearance of his powers, the gifts that allowed him to tap into the Suns power, to personify the sun. But it looked like the rest of them were in the very same situation he was, none of them could access their powers, heck, some of those who transform were stuck in their other forms. Some were approaching it with curiosity, calm, and rationality, trying to find a solution, and fast.

Others ... Were less level headed. Like Patriah, and Ryujin, the two Dragon related deities getting increasingly angry with Hyperion, as if this was his fault somehow. Well, it kinda was.

Standing up, Hyperion steadied himself, before turning to the raging Patriah, glowering, and pale. Look, I don't know shit. I've been here once before, and with a tour group. Maybe it was their belief that kept me empowered, I don't know. I'm in the same boat as you, and at this point, I'm thinking fuck Poseidon, we just need to get out of here. I don't know shit. And I'm scared. And I'm tired. I may be a God, but I'm still human on the inside.

Pausing, he allowed himself to take stock of the situation better, listening to what the others were saying, and thinking. The little mallet one is on to something, he said. We need to get out of here, like Azazel said, but we also need weapons. Thankfully, the Atlanteans were known for their fondness of things that kill, maim, and otherwise injure.

I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen, because I was fucking unprepared. In my hurry to play hero again, I forgot that we're still practically kids. I rushed in, and got us into this situation, and I'm sorry for that. It was my fuck up guys. And I'm sorry. But remember who we are. We're gods. We're good guys. And the good guys always win.

We can't go out the way we came, without powers, the pressure would kill us. We need to find a vehicle. This mission has changed, from rescue, to survival. And if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to stick together. Fortunately, we've got a big fucking dragon on our side, but we still need some weapons. But to find those, we need a map.

Rummaging through one of the desks at the front of the zoo area, Hyperion unfolded a ruffled map of the entry complex, pointing to a small police area three floors above them. And two floors below them. And several others scattered just in this singular building. Jeez, this joints like Soviet Russia. No gods and a lot of police. There's a station just two floors down. Either we all go, or just a few of us scout it out. Ryu, you'd have to stay here of course, you probably won't fit in an elevator, but I don't like splitting us up like this. Which of you think you can fight? We should probably keep any wounded here until we get some weapons. Any of you have any ideas? I'm all open here. Like Lux said, we need to stick together. That requires trust. I know I fucked up, but I need you guys to trust me to help fix this fuck up. Who's coming with me to get weapons, and who's staying here?

"I'll come with you," Xavier replied. It was strange that his body suddenly would not allow him to use his fire-powers, or to switch to his light-form. The water was a miserable place for a Throne, as steam constantly bubbled around him any time he got hurt, and then his wounds would not heal as quickly without them. He frowned. What could possibly be causing this? Could it be the fact that they were so far from civilization? Yet they were not in another world. What could possibly be happening?

"...My weapon still works, as far as being a sword goes, I'm gonna probably stay here and make sure everyone else who stays is safe. Ryu can give me a hand. Hamiri?" Patriah answered, though he had turned a nervous eye toward Charlotte as her personality had suddenly flipped, and she had started yelling at a little girl in the group. He then turned to his girlfriend, who had finally finished examining her weapon and the map that Hyperion had laid-out, and he waited for her response.

"...I'm going with Hyperion. I don't know what's coming, but those of us who scout need to go to make sure nothing reaches the weaker members of our team," she answered. She was, of course, referring to Mara, Tewi, the other girl, and the new girl who had joined with Lux. "...Stay safe. Once we get the weapons, we should return quickly and regroup. If I'm not with the group, I'm probably off fighting another godless abomination like the one we just fought." She then gave Patriah a kiss on the cheek-making him blush-and she walked over to Xavier's side.

"I will remain here with the rest of the team. I believe that in order to understand what needs to be done, we must better understand the monsters we just defeated, and their reason for existence. If another being enters the room, we can simply team-together to defeat it," Lux replied, unbothered by the situation around him. He then turned to Hyperion, and smiled softly at him. "None of this is your fault. The city we have entered probably has devices placed in order to weaken those who use their powers. Such a device may not have been used the first time you went on a mission. But we believe in you. So do not panic. We will live and return to Holy High," he encouraged his overwhelmed classmate.

[Ranoria]

snip

"Death and pain are two very different things, princess. It isn't worth subjecting yourself to either in order to buy us a couple of seconds. Besides, doesn't the idea of dying scare you?" He knew it would terrify him, to simply volunteer his life as a shield for people who he didn't know very well. In fact, it scared him a little that she was so readily doing so, shifting uncomfortably as he spoke, "What would the others think, seeing one of their own torn to pieces by some monster like the one we just fought? They'd be terrified, maybe traumatized, if they saw something like that. I can guarantee that most of them wouldn't know how to deal with something like that. And you? You'd be doomed to countless deaths until either the world came to an end or someone found you down here. Is that really worth it?"

He crossed his arms, somewhat frustrated with her willingness to martyr herself for them all. Even if it was selfless, and obviously so, he was a demon, so it wasn't exactly a trait that he had come to admire over the centuries. He just couldn't understand how Kaguya seemed to simply have no sense of self-worth, or for that matter, emotion, whatsoever, even if he did have his own suspicions.

[Charlia]

snip

"Death and pain are two very different things, princess. It isn't worth subjecting yourself to either in order to buy us a couple of seconds. Besides, doesn't the idea of dying scare you?" He knew it would terrify him, to simply volunteer his life as a shield for people who he didn't know very well. In fact, it scared him a little that she was so readily doing so, shifting uncomfortably as he spoke, "What would the others think, seeing one of their own torn to pieces by some monster like the one we just fought? They'd be terrified, maybe traumatized, if they saw something like that. I can guarantee that most of them wouldn't know how to deal with something like that. And you? You'd be doomed to countless deaths until either the world came to an end or someone found you down here. Is that really worth it?"

He crossed his arms, somewhat frustrated with her willingness to martyr herself for them all. Even if it was selfless, and obviously so, he was a demon, so it wasn't exactly a trait that he had come to admire over the centuries. He just couldn't understand how Kaguya seemed to simply have no sense of self-worth, or for that matter, emotion, whatsoever, even if he did have his own suspicions.

"Dying, scare me? Not particularly," Kaguya said simply. "I've already died many times, most of them quite painfully"--flashes of fire, bamboo stalks sprouting in instants, blood shooting everywhere as the girl in red and white looks down to see the stalk that has driven itself through her stomach, and she laughs and laughs--"so it's hardly something that bothers me. As for the others... Wouldn't my immortal state reassure them? I wouldn't be trapped down here, I'm sure I would be able to get away eventually. And I doubt Reisen would willingly leave."

"O-of course not, Princess!" Reisen exclaimed, bowing. "I would never leave you behind!" Omoikane would kill me... besides, I can't run away again.