Between Gods and Monsters Archive Chapter #2

[Tinker]

A dazzling smile cut across Halo's face, shining iridescent within in the electric blue light covering her form, "Looks like you chose the second option, joy, I'm just in the mood for a little tango", her head snapped toward the rest of the bar's patrons, "Unless any of you are gonna step up and get your feet wet, I'd highly recommend doing like the children of the atom did, and duck and cover. This is gonna get real ugly real quick."

An unearthly howl reverberated from Halo's centre as she rushed the being. Her hands made contact with its neck and shoulder, knocking it clean off its feet. The scent of scorched flesh filled the air in acrid waves. Halo stood above the creature and attacked a second time before it could gather its senses. She dropped to her knees, bringing her fist down hard on the creature's solar plexus.

[Lvciferi]

A long terrible laugh like rolling thunder emanated from the creature once Halo's barrage had finished, for the snake appendage of the being had its long needle like fangs pierced into the woman's hip.

"You play into my hands, all who attack do". The words came out with only the slightest hint of pain. Strong defined legs came into the air as the creature contorted its self and launched forwards back onto its feet, pushing Halo's fist up with it.

A muffled his came from the cobra as it suddenly pulsed, then increased in size, pressing down harder with it's jaws as it pushed it's long deadly fangs through Halo. All the while its golden eyes watched the rest of the patrons, waiting for another to strike.

[Tinker]

A feral scream barked from Halo's pain twisted mouth, thrown on to her back as the creature launched itself erect. Her knees slammed into the filth crusted wooden floor with a resonating crack, her electrified hands slapping and clawing at the embedded head of the cobra. Her strong fingertips pried at the glossy, black head, desperate to remove the pulsating creature before it injected her with anymore of its vile venom. The serpent was removed with a sickening, wet sucking sound as Halo crumpled to the floor.

The toxin worked its way through her system instantly, the energy engulfing her body stuttered statically like a television in an electrical storm. The strobing of the energy spluttered out as Halo curled into a ball at the creature's feet, keening and mewing like an injured kitten. She pushed herself up on to her hands and knees as her body violently juddered, her head sagged towards the floor. Spastic tremors shuddered through her weakened body, an infernal gurgling noise rumbled from her very core, "Oh fucking GOD!!!" Halo wailed as her mouth yawned wide, spewing out a torrent of oily, black liquid that sizzled as it hit the floor.

[Jiraiya the sage]

Protege looked away in shame. "What have i done? even against the foul creatures of my world i always remained noble even if they did not. ive done the opposite of what i intended, forgive me all." the protege dropped down to his knees and started to sing in a harmonious voice, then stopped. he then said: "From now on my cause comes second if it means i am to abide by the rules of this world, i shall think next time." the protege clasps his hands together and speaks again: "perhaps i am deluded but i will become useful one day. maybe then i wont act like a self-righteous "hero". at this point the left side of protege glows white and the right side glows black. the gap in the middle of the wings is grey and he is surrounded a few inches with a grey aura.

[Maxx]

Sebastian looked at the devestation and sighed.  "Al, can you give me an empty pitcher and a sharp knife?  It looks like I'm going to play mohel and Brit milah this boytchik."

[Demosthenes]

The acrid smell of various smokes filled the thick night air. The first kind was found on the clothes of most 11 year old pyromaniacs who feared their mothers smelling it on their favorite Slipknot shirt. The second kind of smoke made its home in bars and bingo halls across the city. Michael's came from the Red Apple ciggarettes he had become overly fond of since his 50 year stint on the blue planet. The final smoke was rare, but becoming disturbingly more prevelant in the current day and age. It was the sulphur mingled smoke of demons being deported.

Micheal wiped his soot and grim covered face the sleeve of his black Mucous Membrane t-shirt, and looked over his shoulder at the smoldering garage littered with the rapidly melting corpses of the gang of demon's last hosts. True it was cleaner to extract the demons before sending them back to Hell, but with the sacrifice of the mortal vessel the damned stayed the damned, and the Angel was ever a fan of the permanent solution. Michael was a fallen angel, but was unique in that he fell from a high place, and only enough to slip down the ladder a few rungs. The angel liked his new job, it was a far cry from living in paradise and playing music, but worlds better than damnation and even mortality.

The shrieks that now pierced the relative serenity of the crackle of the fire were coming from only a few blocks down. Michael waited a moment, running his fingers through his short blonde hair, the small smoldering fire reflecting in his angelic sky blue eyes. The ex Seraphim sighed and a gout of rolling flame encircled him, removing the sweat and grime of the previous battle and restoring the white-hot glow of his eyes as well as the pristine ivory shiny of his wings. Michael looked toward the screams and was gone.

The Angel appeared in another roll of flame, inhabiting the distance between the serpent and the writhing woman. Micheal held forth his arm and instantly his weapon appeared, the silver broadsword shimmered brilliantly, wrapped in the glowing white of divine flame.

[Tinker]

Halo was in the process of her third gut-splitting expulsion of whatever the vile black substance that was flooding from her open mouth was. Her face had now lost all colour, it had gone on the journey of green to crimson and was now settled at deathly pale. Great rivers of sweat were running from her panting form, her face contorted in the purest and absolute agony. 

The floor around her was awash with the thick, black, viscous fluid that was slowly eroding away what was left of the varnish on the wooden floor. She was steadily losing the strength in her arms, with every heave her face came closer and closer to the pools of black vomit. The bite in her hip was radiating sickening waves of acidic fury, the effort of having to keep it out of the filth bubbling from the very pits of her bowels was draining her energy tenfold. She hung her head, her glorious, glossy black hair now matted and sodden with her own perspiration and spewtum. From behind clenched eyes all she could do was desperately wonder why no one had even lifted a finger to help her out of this misery, the protege sang to itself as she felt her life come thundering out of her mouth.

The light of his arrival was blinding and it knocked her backwards, clear of the filth and unceremoniously on her ass. She pushed herself shakily up on her elbows, one hand held to her sickness sensitive eyes , shielding her from the glorious light. She strained through the retina searing incandescence of his flames, praying to anyone that she wasn't going to vomit again, her clear eyes finally resting on the new figure. She felt her heart lighten as the recognition kicked in, her voice came out as if spoken by a tiny child, "Michael?"

[Demosthenes]

Michael kept his ground, out of range range of the phallic serpent's strike but well within range of the corrosive black venom. The Angel grinned at recognizing the raspy voice, but maintained a locked gaze with the hollow white eyes of the being. "Hey girl, you look like hell". The flat of Michael's blade faced the undulating reptile, reflecting the smaller beast's golden beady eyes in the magnificent weapon's deep blood groove.

[Tinker]

The suggestion of a smile glimmered with hope through the blackness smeared on Halo's face, "Boy, am I ever glad to see you. I seem to have gotten myself in a spot of bother. Mister Snakehips here can't seem to decide wether he wants to kiss me or kill me. I'm not feeling so hot and I've got an owie. Micheal, I wanna go home now."

Halo slowly rose to her feet, gravity threatened to claim her twice as her knees buckled under the shock of having to support her entire weight. On wobbly legs she shambled towards Michael, her hands outstretched before her like a cheap b-movie zombie. Her left hand glimmered slightly, the tiniest sparks of blue danced in her pale palm, "Think you could gimme a hand in dispatching this guy, you know if you've got a spare five or ten minutes?"

[Goosekat]

"Crap," yelled Carmin as the car came through the window.  She dived over the table and flattened herself on top of Daniel.  They were showered with broken glass and some rather large pieces of the wall.  They lay there, stunned, for a good three or four minutes before digging their way clear.  By this time the creature was already inside and being challenged by the woman Carmin had seen earlier at the bar.  She noticed a couple of other new additions to the bar, including the guitarist.  "Get behind him and stay down," she told the Detective, pointing at the guitarist.  Carmin was about to step to the other woman's side when the other woman suddenly launched herself at the menace.  Carmin was shocked at the power coming off the petite woman.  She shook her head a couple of times and amped up her own energy.  Carmin was just about to strike when the room was awash in a bright light.  As the light faded, she saw Michael there with his sword, protecting the mystic from further harm.  But from what she could see, it may have been to little to late.  "Damn it all to hell," Carmin swore under her breath.  With a dozen steps, she was able to touch the other woman.  "Valetudo quod curatio exsisto vestri , porro vita quod prosperitas exsisto vestri , defaeco vestri somes quod animus of quis ails vos , valetudo quod curatio exsisto vestri."  Carmin laid her hand on the other woman's shoulder as she spoke.  The power flowed from Carmin and into the other woman, clearing the poison from her system and putting everything right.  By the time she had finished speaking, the other woman was no longer threatening to fall flat on her face, but Carmin was.  Healing was not one of her strong suits and what she had just done took most of her energy reserves.  Carmin fell back heavily against the bar and slowly sagged to the floor.  "Crap," she muttered as her ass landed in a puddle of something.

[Maxx]

"Typical of a bloody Seraphim to show up and steal the limelight," muttered Sebastian.  "Just get it over with, Angelcake.  When things get so bad that I need to take action, it's annoying.  Now that the Celestial cavalry is here, complete with sabre, I'm just going to sit back and relax."

[Lvciferi]

"DOBIX!"  cried the being, obviously out of patience with the distractions and interuptions.

The word came out like a roll of thunder, carrying with it a deep sound that echoed throughout the bar causing it to shake at its very foundations. Up came his dark arms that were thickly covered in muscle, all the while his tarpit like eyes opened wider and wider, and then down came his arms. As his arms lowered so did everything with it, almost as if he was tearing the heavens down. A wall of overwhelming force pushed down on everyone forcing all the patrons onto their stomachs with crushing force as the dark hair being with the serpent member towered above them all, it's midnight colored eyes flashing with menace and evil as it did more motions with it's arms, practically demolishing the bar around the floored people.

[Maxx]

The single area that escaped destruction was the zone of calm surrounding the guitarist.  The table beside him, half inside the zone and half out, slowly toppled over, unable to stay upright with two of its legs crushed.

The music slowed and stopped.  The player paused for a moment to decide on his next action.  Fight or flight?  He chose to fight but not in the usual way.

You see the world through your cynical eyes
You're a troubled young man I can tell
You've got it all in the palm of your hand
But your hand's wet with sweat
And your head needs a rest
And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it
Why must you be such an angry young man
When your future looks quite bright to me
And how can there be such a sinister plan
That could hide such a lamb
Such a caring young man
And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it
You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it
Get up, get back on your feet
You're the one they can't beat and you know it
Come on, let's see what you've got
Just take your best shot and don't blow it
And you're fooling yourself if you dont believe it
you're kidding yourself if you dont believe it
Get up, get back on your feet
You're the one they can't beat and you know it
Come on, let's see what you've got
Just take your best shot and don't blow it

Sebastian, too, decided to act.  Grabbing the pitcher that Halo had emptied and picking up a large shard of broken glass, he did exactly what he said he's do. 

There was a slight 'pop' as he vanished from his place on the ground near the bar as air rushed into the space he had occupied and a corresponding rush of air away from the place he appeared, right between the being's legs.
He slammed the pitcher over the cobra's head and slashed upwards with the razor sharp piece of glass.  If the gambit worked, he could be back in his place near the bar with the severed cobra-penis in the pitcher almost before the being felt the sting of the cut.

He didn't wait to see the effect of the cut.  He just went back to where he had started, the same way he had arrived.  He only paused to check and see if there was anything in the pitcher when he was safely out of easy reach.

[Demosthenes]

As Halo was about to thank the feminine stranger she was flattened gracelessly to the vomit puddle strewn floor, her body came down with and audible and painful thump, her faces milimeters away from a small pond of odious, black spew. Her temper flashed out and the blue sparks that had been feebly flickering in her palm minutes before, had now engulfed her petite form. The energy licked at Micheal's outstretched fingertips, ingniting them to glowing a pure, white-blue. Halo, swiveled her eyes towards the angellic being, "I've had it with this motherfucking snake on this motherfucking plane!....of existence" The last bit was muttered, and if the woman felt any guilt about the pun it didn't show through the conviction and righteous fury she had surrounded it with.

Michael cringed inwardly at the joke, but kept his fiery gaze locked with the being. His massive sword was imbedded in the bar's rotting floor, heavy licks of flame rising from the piece of holy steel. The Angel was able to keep his weight on his weapon, remaining upright as the bar came down around him. Michael took Halo's hand, feeling the gentle surge of power from her fingertips. "Hold on, I'll be back." The ex-Seraphim spread his wings and beat them once, sending the gathered bar room floor dust in every direction, and propeling him forward enough to overcome the exaggerated gravity. Michael came down fast toward the being, leading with his fist. The impromptu Prince Albert that took place below providing more than enough distraction for the Angel to bring his fist across the being's jaw. The sickeneing crack that ensued didn't seem to know if it was born of the sound of breaking bones, or the floorboards beneath the celestial's feet.

[Maxx]

Sebastian snorted.  "Sure, now you get into it, after I've already gotten my clothes dirty."

[Lvciferi]

The being's face turned with the punch, and after it slowly turned back, seemingly unfazed by the ferocious blow dealt by the angel. The attack by Sebastian seemed equally in vain, as the glass didn't seem to be able to piece through the thick scaled flesh of the golden eyed cobra. Which as fate would have it was in perfect striking range of the angel who had decided to attack in melee. But for whatever reason, it didn't strike. Instead the being jumped up high into the air, no longer caged in by the now crumpled ceiling. There seemed to a twitch at the sides of the creatures mouth, almost as if a smile was trying to take hold of the solemn mask it wore.

[Jiraiya the sage]

No visible expression could be seen on the face of the protege, his body was still covered in the grey aura even though he was lying down on the floor. He looked up at the fight scene and said: "I said i would not interfere in this fight so i shall not, after all i am not used to this particular kind of fighting, of this earth. But i will lament for an age if i do nothing." The protege stands up in front of those at the back of the bar, those fallen over and spreads his wings behind him. Talking to the customers behind him he said: "Perhaps i cant defend those warriors in front of me but i will do all i can for those behind my wings." from each wingtip facing each wall to his sides a grey shield spreads out, covering those behind the wings of the protege. Thus the protege again spoke: "this grey aura surrounding you will not suffocate or harm, rather the opposite. As i speak it is healing you, if you believe me not then observe your closing wounds. You are free to move in towards the battle, away from my shield so you can walk out of it any time." At this point a smile emerges from the face of the protege.

[Tinker]

The lack of reaction from the barrage of abuse berated upon the being exacerbated Halo's frustration. The healing delivered by the hands of the good Samaritan may have stripped her of the effects of the venom but it would take more than a few choice words uttered in Latin to take the tarnish of the weariness settled in her bones from the battle that had been Halo's day. She watched with growing exasperation as the being ascended high above the remnants of the bar. She shielded her stunning cerulean eyes with heavy lids, concentrating on the elements within her. A great spiralling vortex picked up around her lithe form, her hair undulating in great tendrils like the arms of a obsidian anemone.

The gale of wind threw her gracelessly skywards, her body ragdoll limp as it was hurled towards the sculpted form of the infernal presence. Grasped rigor tight in her white knuckled hands was the Angel's flaming celestial sword. Searing cyan eyes focused on the glistening scales of the serpentine manhood, challenging the golden gaze in its ferocity. The mighty weapon arced upwardly from Halo's hip, a howling battle cry thundering from her chest.

[Maxx]

"This is a fight I'm not going to miss,"  Sebastian said.  His own dark wings, normally not visible speard and blossomed for all to see.  There was no point in trying to maintain a veneer or humanity, not after his little teleport trick.  "Hey Anglecake, want to split a box seat?  I'll bring the popcorn if you bring the beer."

He didn't wait for an answer but launched himself skyward, following on powerful rhythmic beats of his black feathered wings.

[Goosekat]

Carmin was sick and tired of being bullied by beings from other planes of existence simply because they were in a pissy mood.  As the other world creature sprang into the air, she struggled to get back on her feet.  Suddenly there was someone helping.  An arm around her waist, a hand under her arm.  She turned her head and locked eyes with Daniel.  "I told you stay put," she growled, but not with much conviction behind it.  She finally managed to get to her feet and propped against the bar with his help.  "Thanks, I needed that."  Carmin pushed away from the bar and fell heavily back against it.  Her strength was still lacking after pulling off that cure.  "Shit," was all she could say.  Daniel was still standing there, looking as if this type of thing happened on a daily basis.  He was looking through the now non existant roof at what was transpiring over head.  "I think we need to make this fight a little more fair."  His words were barely audible, a murmur just within hearing range.  "ÉG heimsækja the himinn til gefa mig the styrkur ÉG þörf. ÉG heimsækja the undirheimar til gefa mig the máttur til gera hvaða verða vera. ÉG heimsækja allur er , sérhver hefur been og alltaf vilja vera til hjálp í minn heita. Hjálp þessir þessi fara til stríða gegn this skepna. Taka hans styrkur svo þessi við mega sigra."  A bolt of pure black shot from Daniels up raised arms and slammed into the thing that had so rudely interrupted.  "ÉG er þú ílát. Tómur peningaskúffa þú fylla mig. Komast af með mig eins og þú vilja."  Daniel was hoping this would work.  He had never tried it before, although he had seen his mother and aunts do so many, many times.  If he was right, he would be able to bleed off some of the creatures strength and contain within himself.  For how long, he did know and couldn't even start to hazard a guess.  But he was hoping long enough for the others to prevail or flee, which ever came first.

[Lvciferi]

By now the creatures face showed an obvious annoyance at the continued barage against him, he obviously had plans, though whether he completed them or not yet one couldn't tell. Avoiding the sword was simple as dodging out of the way, but when someone was flying up at you like sonic off of a spring that wasn't the most easy thing, but the still unnamed creature managed it. Piercing black eyes watched as the one called Sebastian took flight on raven wings, and followed the melanoid blast until it collided with him.

"Icelandic?" chuckled the creature, showing emotion for the first time. "You think to use the language of banished Vikings to cast a spell on me? I am older than the deserts if the fertile crescent and you think to cast a spell on me in the language of fishermen and witches. You speak of skys and underworlds, of voids. Hah! That is no magic, I shall show you magic"!

"Zien zamran zil zacam vaul o vohim vonpho vomsarg" the words came out thick and cavernous, dripping with vile intent. As he spake them his back started to twist and darken until the hue was that of his eyes. Then quicker than the eye could perceive long inky tentacles emerged from the tar-like substance his back now seemed to be composed of. Seemingly under the control of the being who was now laughing menacingly under it's breath, the tendrils of darkness struck forth, striking with as many as ten at a time on each of the three targets. They reached Halo first, a whole host of the terrible things, some as thin as a wire and others as thick as a tree trunk, all attempting to wrap up the springing hero. The next batch quickly made it to Sebastian, trying to tie up his wings and appendages as another attempted force its self down the winged man's throat. And what appeared lastly, were the ones that moved like snakes attempting to constrict Daniel in their grip, stretching all the way down from the cursed creature higher up in the darkening sky.

[Maxx]

Sebastian's flight stuttered but not from the tentacles.  He moved through them as if they weren't there.  He was having difficulty flying because he was too busy laughing.

"You claim age but you try to enchant me with the spells of Satan?  In the language of Enoch?  I used to play at dice with the Lightbringer.  Your spells might affect me if they were cast by the Morning Star himself but from an underling such as you?  You should show more respect to your elders."

Technically, Sebastian was bending the truth but that was part of his purpose.  Lies were part of his arsenal.

[Jiraiya the sage]

Protege spoke again: "when this demon is defeated can somebody assist me with knowledge of how to use my powers on Earth? i don't want to break any well established laws or anything. it seems to me that the demons of this world are similar to the creatures of mine." The Protege stays in the same position with his arms spread out holding his shield.

[Tinker]

The tentacles slid over Halo's body with a sickening speed. Before she could even bring the angelic weapon down to complete the arc, she was consumed by their inky darkness. The whip-like tendrils snaked their way up her pale thighs, pushing past her hips to burst from beneath her waistband. Halo learned in mere nanoseconds that struggling against the tentacles was futile, with every struggle they tightened and constricted. She became limp in the grip of the serpentine appendages, their hold lessened enough so that breathing was no longer painful. A solitary molten tar tendril probed persistently at her lips, forcibly tapping against her cupid's bow. She savagely twisted her head away from the invasive tentacle, its brethren tightened around her body, slithering to hold her head and neck  in captive rigidity. The solo appendage again, pushed against her lips. Halo's eyes squeezed shut as she clamped her jaws achingly shut. Wire fine tendrils shot out to pull back her satin lips and ram, suffocatingly into her nostrils. As she opened her mouth to gasp for breath the tentacle lunged into the vulnerable opening. It rushed into the moist, velvet lined cavern, nudging the epiglottis. Halo heaved, clamping down on  the invading tendril, severing the tip with and audible slamming of her teeth. Instantly her mouth was filled with an odious, acidic liquid with the viscosity of plasma. Halo wretched as the foul fluid splashed her tongue, spitting the disembodied tip into the swirling vortex still spinning beneath her captive body.

[Tinker]

OOC: I missed the world of a certain London dwelling mage and felt inexplicably drawn back. The event that follows is the morning after the bar room brawl from hell. If you want to join in, give me a PM and I'll let you in a few secrets as to where this is going and we'll get you involved. Cheers, El Monkey


Halo woke in a shroud of cooling sweat that clung to her pale body as if she were a prime slab of shrink wrapped sirloin.  The rising wave of nausea rolled listlessly in her belly, silently threatening to crash from her mouth in a yawning fury of vomit and bile.  She turned over in the drenched sheets, the rich cotton only further enhancing the skin crawling sensations growing along every follicle of her being.  Gravity seemed to be quite against her, with every valiant attempt to lift her head from the pillow, that old bugger just kept adding more weight to her trembling body until all she could do was wriggle from the bed to fall gracelessly on the cluttered floor.

She lay on the lackluster carpet, her limbs in a tangle beneath her and her nose firmly pressed to the rotting insole of an old addidas superstar. The rank aroma of sweat, filth and sulfur made the contents of her stomach lurch into her throat with an acidic tang. She twisted her naked body to wrench her face free from the odious footwear. The maneuver was successful and the great gulps of air free of pedi-stink were a blessed relief that contributed in the suppression of Halo losing the contents of her stomach all over the bedroom floor.  The serrated bite mark that embroidered her hip throbbed in a ghastly syncopated time signature; every heart beat pulsed dully along each tiny laceration in a sickening flicker of numbing pain. 

Eyes of the clearest cerulean gazed up at the stucco, desperately trying to focus on the tiny valleys and peaks to take her mind far from the chamber of sickness and pain that it was currently locked in. Her dry lips slowly began to mutter a simple cleansing spell, but she couldn’t even muster up the energy to perform a simple card trick let alone an act of the arcane. Her fingertips rested on something cold and distinctly plastic, her pads explored further to find the soft rubber buttons and a grateful smile slowly wormed its way across her pallid features. Her dark brows knitted, creasing her forehead as she focused all concentration into curling her fingers around the phone then lifting the leaden limb up towards her ear. Tiny, crystalline jewels of sweat encrusted her brow in a glittering corona with the exertion of lifting the usually weightless phone to her ear. Her thumb pressed the star button then nudged the number two.  Her breath came in long shuddering sighs, the cramping deep within her belly causing a guttural grunt to groan intermittently between breaths. The ring tone shattered her skull into barbed splinters with each purring chirp. The line clicked as her call was answered and she responded with whimpering sob of relief.

  “Its Halo”, her voice was barley a pained whisper, “I don’t feel too good. . . .help?”

The energy she had so intensely channeled into this one simple act was utterly depleted with the final syllable of her request, her eyelids descended over hazed pools of azure and the pain vanished as the darkness of unconsciousness claimed her in its obsidian embrace.