Superhero Adventures, UK Style

Then

It had been a week since Akira had teleported away from the BASEment. His commdot was deactivated, with the last signal having emanated from Akira’s ‘sanctuary’ at Ffrwd Dylluan. Sam had visited on a couple of occasions and tried to enter the mystical mansion but the barrier around the property had prevented him each time from advancing closer than the grounds and shouting for Akira to make himself known. Not having Steadman blood meant that the house wouldn’t let him get any closer.

He secretly considered stealing a vial of Akira’s blood sometime and seeing if holding that would provide him with access. Reluctantly he gave up and went back to the Crate and Adam. All they could now do was wait for him to contact them.

Now

Mary felt it first, a sort of psychic scream that seemed to emanate from her ‘Library’ card. She pulled out the card, saw a bright red light originating from it and when she held it, felt a burning sensation and a sense of urgency.

Sam and Mace rushed in with Sam holding his neon red glowing card up and trying to explain to Mace that the card was glowing, it was just she couldn’t see it was glowing. Mary smiled, despite the sense of urgency coming from holding the mystical card. To Mace, magic was invisible; she could see and feel its physical effects but not see or feel the mystical energy that caused it. In this case all she could see in Sam’s large clawed hand was an ornate Library card for St. Catherine’s Private Library, not a glowing beacon. Nor could she feel the urgency of its psychic summons.

Mary explained that she felt it was imperative that they headed straight to St. Catherine’s in Holborn as fast as they could and the three of them immediately set off for the Crate where Adam was already loading Mace’s Grav-bike in the rear catapult in case an in-air exit was required. Given their destination and sudden thoughts of an old book she’d recently read, Fahrenheit 451, she joked that she should bring a chainsaw, a flame thrower (other than Sam of course) or even a rocket launcher with them. Nothing like threatening utter destruction of Library books to make the baddies back down. Of course obtaining a flame thrower or a rocket launcher would have been impossible in the UK (though had she the time she could have improvised her own) but a chainsaw..?

She even joked that perhaps they should stop off at a garden centre so she could pick one up. She rather liked the idea of walking into the Library with a chainsaw roaring…

Adam found a suitable landing site near the Library and the team decamped, heading for the entrance to the magnificent Georgian building. As they approached the unlocked front door Sam and Mary saw the stone lintels, with their carving of the winged Hypatia of Alexandria, were also glowing bright red to their mystically-awakened senses.

Mary changed into Banshee turning both insubstantial and invisible as she flowed through the door and stepped inside. The first thing she saw was the reception desk covered in amber; trapped inside, like a prehistoric insect, was the receptionist Danielle. The amber also covering the floor, walls and ceiling as though sprayed on and instantly hardened.  She stepped forward and looked in the public reading rooms; everywhere appeared to be caught in the amber including several patrons ensnared like the receptionist.

She went back outside and turning visible explained what she’d seen inside. Stepping carefully the team entered the hallway and began to look around. It appeared as though the people inside the amber was still alive but in some form of mystical hibernation.

Sam considered trying to melt the trapped people free using his fiery breath but Mace stopped him explaining that the amber would just sort of dissolve releasing toxic fumes. If the heat from the melting amber didn’t kill them, the fumes would.

The amber devastation continued on up the stairs but the stairs down, to the Stacks and the vaults where the staff kept the more dangerous books and artefacts was clear. Who’d ever done this had obviously wanted access to the Stacks. They followed the stairwell down to what had once been the platform for the British Museum subway station.

To their surprise, Akira was standing in the middle of the platform holding a gold banded staff which still dripped mystical golden amber resin facing a demonic female figure with fiery hair surrounding her goat-like horns, her tail twitching. Sam and Banshee has seen that figure before, she was Ophelia, the trapped demon the Library used as its mystical computer system.

Akira still had the same degree of scaly skin and muscular contortion they’d seen on him when he’d disappeared. At least the alterations hadn’t progressed any further. His sleeves were down so there wasn’t an opportunity to look and see what had happened to the brand of Yig that was on his arm.

Standing behind Akira were two unknown figures. One was small and stocky, like someone had taken a 6 foot tall bodybuilder and squashed him down into 3 feet of solid muscle. Energy emanated off his head and arms. The other was a normal-sized female in a red cloak from which Sam and Banshee could see immense mystical energy radiating from her. The four of them below seemed to be in some sort of a stalemate.

Behind Ophelia were some massive metal doors that would not have looked out of place in a private Swiss bank. She appeared to be standing guard in front of them, stopping all attackers from getting any closer. Despite the combat situation she was in, she still appeared to be avoiding any form of eye contact with those facing her and her voice lacked emotion as she warned the intruders (including Akira) to “stay away from the vault under all circumstances”.

The team shouted down from the stair landing, “Akira, what’s going on here? Did you cause the amber above?”

He smiled, “I need you to help me to get into the vault. What’s in there will make this all right.” He dropped the rod in his hands as he spoke.

Sam continued, “Who’s your friends? You holding auditions for membership of the Balance, Akira?”  Akira shouted back up whilst not taking his eyes of the demonic presence in front of him for even a second, “Quite the opposite, that’s why I need in the vault so I can defeat them once and for all.” Sam turned to speak to the two strangers, “Not sure what you are doing here or why but if it’s because you want to join us, be warned we have a long, very long  interview process, we don’t just allow anyone in you know.” Then winking towards Akira he continued, “At least not anymore.”

Turning his attention back to Akira, he again asked what was going on, “why do you need access to the vault? This isn’t about your overdue Library books is it? I’ve told you about that before.”

As Sam was speaking Akira moved towards Ophelia, stepping on to a fine afghan rug that covered a section of the platform floor as he continued shouting that the team had to help him gain access to the vault as that was the only way to sort this out. To his surprise the corners of the carpet twisted up and tried to grab him and he felt a sting, like that caused by a jellyfish as it caressed his arm. He immediately jumped back and away as the carpet suddenly wrapped itself round where he’d been standing a second before and tightened before falling open again to the ground.

He continued his plea for help in getting into the vault as the female in the red cloak suddenly turned on the spot and gestured towards Mace muttering something about “Vhoka”. Mace suddenly felt several stinging sensations on her limbs and a sensation as though she’d been bitten and somehow poisoned. Weakness flowed through her body heading towards her heart and head. She shook off the effects of the nausea but could feel the coldness flowing through her.

Banshee, still insubstantial, saw the mystical energy flowing from the cloaked woman’s’ hands, ‘saw’ it shape itself into ectoplasmic ‘mouths’ and inject Mace with some type of vile venom. She repaid the attention with a wail straight at Mace’s attacker. The sonic attack hit and appeared to leave the woman stunned and dazed. The diminutive figure turned and shouted out what Banshee assumed was a name, ‘Magog’. If she was Magog did that make the little man their king, Gog? (Mary remembered the tales from her childhood that claimed that the Irish tribes, the Auraicept na n-Éces and Lebor Gabála Érenn were supposedly descended from the Magog and in Sunday school she’d learnt that in the Book of Revelations Gog and Magog were supposedly mythical beings ruled by Satan).

Before she could think on the matter any further, two ghostly figures, dressed as though they had died at the end of the 19^th century flowed through the door of the vault and attacked Akira, trying to push him away which some sort of telekinesis. It failed; Akira stood his ground and seemed to ignore them as he continued to weave some sort of mystical spell.

Suddenly a massive vaguely octopus-like creature with a sharks head and sharp triangular teeth appeared floating in the air. It seemed to take up half of the space on the platform. The creature was hideous, it emitted a scent that was overwhelming and the sounds it made were unearthly.  Its tentacles wiggled as it seemed to listen to the hissing words coming from Akira’s mouth.

Banshee couldn’t help wonder if this was Ayi’ig, the daughter of the Great Old One Yig herself?

Akira gestured towards the vault and suddenly the leviathan creature wiggled its tentacles and it headed straight at and through the vault doors. Akira smiled obviously expecting the vault doors to fly open or for the creature to reappear with something.  Banshee and Sam reached out with their mystical senses but got the same as Akira; nothing. It was if it had gone through the vault doors and just completely vanished.

Before any of them could dwell on what it meant, Mace unleashed a bolt from her wrist-bow at the cloaked female, Magog. Seconds before it was due to hit her head it exploded in a painful display of light that dazzled her.

Ophelia seemed to assume everyone present was an enemy and went to attack Sam who quickly pulled out his Library card and waved it at her. She immediately stopped her attack on him but stated that ‘you must leave as the Library’s defence mode had been initiated’.

Akira seeing the card, immediately began to plead with Sam to use the card to get him inside the vault, that once he was inside everything would be ok. “What happened to your own card?” Sam asked, “I don’t have it with me Sam, I need your help, I’m not in control of my magic but I can sort all this if I can just get my hands on the chalice.”

That immediately got the team worried. The chalice could possibly grant immortality but at a cost. How would that help Akira though? He again pleaded with them to help him gain access to the inside of the vault. Sam was getting upset, unsure what to do to really help his friend, He asked almost pleadingly, “Akira, are you lying to us, to me?” Akira turned and smiled, “I wouldn’t lie to you Sam and I really need your help to get into the vault…”

As Akira went into a speech about how it was the Balances’ destiny to help ‘them’ – that’s when it really sunk in the two other intruders, the female Magog and the ‘gym bunny’ they thought of now as Gog were with him, helping him against them… Still Sam tried to persuade Akira that his destiny should be with them, not trying to rob the vault.

As he watched, the diminutive figure of Gog ran towards the still insubstantial Banshee and attempted to dominate her in a mental battle. He failed as Banshee countered with another of her screams leaving him in pain, muttering in a strange and foreign tongue – a language that Banshee thought just might be Enochian, the mystical language of demons and angels.

Meanwhile Sam had run over to Akira and tried to use his draconic persuasion on him, looking him in the eyes and pleading while using the voice to “please don’t do this!”

Akira appeared unaffected by both the voice and the plea and continued to demand Sam help him to get into the vault. Once he had the chalice everything would be ok. As he spoke he tried to subtlety gesture, creating the illusion of the hell-spawn Abyss round the image of Ophelia.

“Look! See who you are really facing!” Sam turned and looked at the transformed Ophelia, as did Mace and Banshee. Akira continued, “If you don’t help me then Abyss will run amok. The only way to stop him is if I get hold of the chalice and for that you need to help me get inside the vault.”

The ghosts were meanwhile trying ineffectively to harass both Gog and Magog.

Aware of Akira’s proficiency with the illusions of Idolon and also aware that Akira had never shown any ability to dispel illusions before now the rest of the team were unconvinced, especially as ‘Abyss’ still acted like Ophelia, not moving, avoiding any form of eye contact and talking in an unemotional voice.

Ophelia did seem to be directing her actions now against Banshee who immediately responded by substantialising herself  in front of Mace and waving her own Library card in the air before releasing a terrorising scream at Gog.

Damn, it seemed the diminutive creature was immune to terror.

From the stairs behind her Mace heard an unholy roar and turned to see a large, white furred ape-like creature with a head reminiscent of a big cat rushing towards her ready to attack. She’d glimpsed the creatures once before, during her one and only visit to the Library to drop off the Chalice. This was a Yeti, a guardian of the Library. It rushed straight at her and she was forced to dodge the massive claws as they tried to remove her head from her shoulders. The creature stumbled. At the same time Gog unleashed a mental blast that incapacitated Banshee (and the yeti that was about to strike her) and staggered Mace but the multiple attacks had no effect on Sam thankfully.

Akira used the distraction to unleash a mystical blast at Sam, who realising what was happening, managed to avoid it. Akira smirked momentarily, before trying to sound sincere as he said, “Thank goodness you managed to avoid that Sam, I told you I wasn’t in control of my powers…”

Before he could say anything else Mace, still suffering from the mystical venom coursing through her veins and Gog’s attack, unleashed a storm of ballistic bolts. The first hit Gog but he shook off the attack, while both Magog and Akira managed to dodge in the chaos around them.

Sam shouted out, “This has gone on too long Akira; you need help all right but not to get inside the Vault. Tell your Dungeon and Dragons friends to leave or I will be forced to use force to prevent you.”  They shook off the presence of the two ghostly figures still trying ineffectively to scare the intruders away.

Akira gestured towards the Library card that was still in Sam’s hand, “If I had my Library card I could end this straight away. Perhaps if I had yours?” He reached out to grab the card as the figure of Abyss gestured and the card burst into flames. As it did so, the illusion around her snapped off and the fiery haired demon spoke “The lending of Library cards is not recommended, currently in defence mode. Your Library card and privileges have been withdrawn. Please apply to rejoin once the current situation is resolved.”

Akira shouted out “So how do I apply to rejoin? I need to make a withdrawal urgently..?”

Ophelia responded in her monotone voice, “That is not appropriate whilst the Library is in lockdown. Please reapply when normal circumstances are resumed.”

Sam dropped his burnt card and said. “I’m sorry Akira but we’ve got to take you in” Akira again smiled, “Into the Vault? Yes please, take me into the vault.” Sam responded with a claw attack, swiping through the gathered ghosts at Akira’s chest. He missed by half an inch. Akira shouted out in indignation, “Be careful with this body!”

Magog unleashed a transformation spell at Sam, only for it to hit the circling ghosts instead and twisting them into a hideous mass of ectoplasm. Thankfully as a result the spell had no effect on Sam.

The Yeti, now partially recovered went to grab Magog from behind only for an aura of hellfire to spring up round her, burning the creature as it howled with intense pain. Like napalm the hellfire spread over its body.

Akiura gestured and Gog ran straight at the vault door with his hammer. It hit but had no effect causing him to rebound as a second Yeti appeared out of nowhere in front of the vault doors and started attacking him.

Akira, still hoping the summoned Kraken was inside the vault, was still trying to recover the chalice for him used his remote senses to ‘feel’ if the chalice was inside. If it was there, something was muting it. Of the Kraken he could sense nothing except a great distance.

At the other end of the platform the ever-weakening Mace, unleashed another of her ballistic bolts at Gog as it swung its hammer at the Yeti in front of it. It missed because Gog was dodging the swiping claws of the nightmare in front of him.

Akira unleashed another mystical blast at Sam which failed to do more than give him a migraine-like headache. “I didn’t mean to throw that blast at you Sam, I can’t help myself… “

Sam tried once again to reason with his friend, “What does Yig mean to you, Akira?” “Nothing.” Then for a second his eyes glazed over and another voice spoke with his lips, “Yig is everything and nothing; the beginning and the end, the creator and destroyer of worlds.”

“Akira come back with us to the BASEment, we can talk about our feelings, resolve this once and for all!” Sam set before half-heartedly unleashing a blast of his fiery breath at Akira and immediately flying up and over to interpose himself between the attackers and his remaining teammates; his wings and arms outstretched as a barrier as though he was being crucified on an invisible cross.

Frustration at being unable to reach his friend was etched across his troubled brow.

Ophelia reached out her arm and unexpectedly the vault door began to open. “If this is your goal, then I will grant you entry to what is beyond.”

Magog immediately rose into the air and flew through the gap into the darkness beyond. They heard a thud as her power of flight was nullified and she collapsed just inside. The last words any of them heard were “Why are there so many stars shining in here..? Og, pull me out nooow… ” The voice faded as though stolen away.

Banshee changed back into Mary and used the distraction to cast the magic of the Modrossus to try and nullify the remaining two intruders. It began to nullify the magic in the platform, but Akira’s will was too strong for it to affect him or his cohort immediately. The energy expended to power the spell wasn’t powerful enough. Behind her, Mary heard Mace stagger as the venom inside her weakened her even further.

Gog responded by casting a wave of telekinetic energy at Sam which hit him squarely on the chest knocking him back into the other two as Akira used the opportunity to step passed the weakened Ophelia and Yetis who had been standing close enough to feel the effects of Mary’s spell and reach out for the vault door to see what he could read of its past.

A wave of memories concerning its construction and its continued function flooded his mind, useless information as it gave no clue as to what was contained within.

Akira stepped through the entrance to the vault, followed a second behind by Gog and… A wave of energy stripped them both of their mystical energy.

Gog immediately vanished, banished. The figure of Akira however underwent a massive transformation. His whole body became reptilian with scaly skin and lidless eyes. Through the gap in the door they saw the reptilian figure step over and out into a verdant green forest.

The others didn’t hesitate, assuming that Akira had undergone some form of further transformation they also ran for the vault door and immediately followed him through in order to rescue him.  Together they stepped over the threshold of the Vault and instantaneously, they found themselves staring at the reptilian figure in front of them, standing in a forest glade surrounded by trees that had obviously never seen winter; a green, vibrant paradise that immediately spoke to Mary of the Faerie Realms.

As Sam looked at the transformed Akira, recognition dawned on him. He’d seen that very same face before in the grounds of Claremont Academy, partially hidden beneath a tattered robe – This wasn’t, have never been Akira but someone transformed to look like him somehow.

Before he could say anything to the others however, there was a crashing sound as something gigantean pushed its way through the trees; something with the body of a Kraken and the head of a shark – the creature called forth by Akir… No, he, it had referred to himself as Og, called forth by Og was floating towards them, smashing thousand year old oaks asunder as it did so with an angry, revengeful impression on its bestial features. Wherever this was, they had this to deal with first and then they had to find some way of getting back home.

(To be continued)

Elsewhere

Gog found himself floating weightlessly as he asphyxiated from being transported into the vacuum of space. He tasted blood from the oxygen in his lungs expanding and rupturing his lungs. Air bubbles in his blood vessels were already blocking blood flow to his heart and brain causing micro-seizures. He had seconds of life left at best and he used them staring at the magnificence of a thousand, million stars blazing around him. Embolisms were causing bubbles to form in the moisture of his eyes robbing him of sight even as mouth and skin blistered and the saliva on his tongue boiling away in the cold of space.

Surprisingly he hadn’t frozen immediately, his body just slowly getting colder and colder. Floating nearby was his mate and companion Magog, already her meat-suit was dead and her essence had departed ready to be reborn when called forth once more by their Lord and Master, King-sorcerer Og of the Raphaim.

Her exposed skin was covered in freeze-dried patches of wart-like skin caused by the welling and bursting of her blood vessels and her eyes were cloudy with the moisture bubbles. These meat-suits really were quite delicate he thought as his brain finally died, hopefully their next bodies would be more resilient…

Back at Ffrwd Dylluan, the distraught spirit of Akira looked at his dying physical frame lying on the floor and saw to his amazement a silver cord materialise out of thin air. It reattached itself to the navel of his physical body while the other end rose towards him. He grabbed hold and it reattached itself. His astral essence flowed back into physical body and he tried to sit up only to collapse again with the pain. His body had lain on the floor for days without food or water, relying on its autonomic systems to stay alive. He tried to stand but felt the pain of dormant muscles screaming no at him.

He had to find and stop Og somehow and to do that he needed the other members of the Balance. As he tried to in vain to reactivate his now powerless commdots, he realised he had a lot of apologising to do to his teammates for his behaviour, hopefully they would help him to defeat Og.

He crawled towards the kitchen and water. he knew he would need to find some way to charge up his commdot so he could call for transportation.

In the back of his mind there was a sense of dread. Not only was Og walking around in a duplicate of him but he could feel that something was drastically wrong.