Next Stop: Ravencon 2015!

Good Morning all;


 Still recovering from Marscon, we're looking forward to the next convention and Ravencon! Ravencon is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year as Richmond's premiere fan event, with programming and a variety of guests and other cool stuff. For more information about Ravencon, check out their site at www.ravencon.com!


OMG and Project: Crusaders are presenting three brand-new post-DESTROYED adventures at Ravencon, including a Ravencon exclusive event.

  

Six months after Destroyed, the Defenders find themselves with a most unusual request for help: A call from the Shining City of Atlantis to defend against…pirates? Can the Defenders get to the bottom of what’s really going before it’s too late?

 

Summoned by the Supreme Magnus, the Defenders find themselves in a pitched battle between the villainous Shadowheart Queen, the First Witch Grimhylde, and the ancient dragon Tiamat. Can the Defenders stop the combined mystical threat before humanity suffers? Only one may be the fairest of them all….

(Ravencon 2015 Exclusive)

In years previously, heroes have faced genetically enhanced chimpanzees, mad German doctors, android Sasquatches, demons from the darkest darkness of hell, and Buddy Holly. This year, it’s more of the same, except all-new and different, and totally not capitalizing on the trend in superhero movies and comic universe reboots. Can a group of heroes (You) help the self-proclaimed world’s greatest thief recover a device which may or may not be able to re-write reality? Has it already been used? Is this actually a reboot? You won’t know until you find out!





All events are running throughout the weekend, as well as an introductory workshop for new players or those who want to get involved! For more information regarding scheduling, please visit our WARHORN SIGN-UP site

Destroyed - Epilogue #1

Marapulai - Row of Kings

For some time, he sat and watched the U.N. peacekeepers move forward, while members of Chrysalis Inc worked in round-the-clock triages to stabilize both citizens and soldiers alike. The day had begun with him being fired out of a cannon into heavy fire, and ended with him sitting on a wall, watching weird alien sky-ships arcing across the skies headed towards the latest of King Croc's surprises.

The battle armor effectiveness gauge read 17%. He had gone through the portable CDFF, the Imperium shielding, and half a dozen tank traps on his way to do what he thought was a suicide mission...and yet...he lived. It wasn't great training or supreme effort...it was his knack...his knack for survival. What did it mean on the station right before everything went to hell? He tried to recall right before being sucked into space when Shankra was breached - He would be the one to watch them all burn.....

It was best not to think about a madman's pronouncements.

________

SMART LABS, New York City

'--And as you can see, SMART Labs will show an increase in operational value over the course of the next quarter...'

Ripley Cross had heard enough. It wasn't that they could have saved Shankra...it's that they were outfoxed...outmaneuvered....outplayed....by bureaucrats. Nearby, Persephone's eyes followed his lackluster attention, staring at him with the cool countenance that always was prompted by forced response.

This time, it was different.


Abruptly, Ripley stood, shaking his head, 'This isn't science....this isn't improving the world...it's marginalizing it'

Taking off his badge, Ripley tossed it onto the table, and walked out of the room. A moment later, Persephone followed.

'This isn't really the time for one of your childish displays Ripley' Persephone coolly intoned, following behind him. For a moment, Ripley stopped, the turned on his heel to meet his twin.

'No...it isn't' Ripley answered, staring unflinchingly into his sister's eyes. There was something in the gaze that caused Persephone to take a step back.

'What then?' Persephone said, quickly regaining her composure, 'Are you still upset about Red?'

'Upset? Why would I be upset? The Destroyers attacked Shankra with our technology....our access....we might as well put the caustic necrites in their hands'

'Oleg Natik designed the caustic necrites, not SMART' Persephone quickly responded, 'SMART was not respo-'

'No...' Ripley started, 'We did nothing....we never do anything. Are we any better if we do nothing? I'm tired of SMART either being the victim of its inability or its incompetence'

'That's not fair Ripley' Persephone chimed, 'Science should remain neutral.'

'No...' Ripley said, 'Not at the cost of the lives of the people around us. We have the most gifted minds anywhere, but we hoard our intelligence and projects jealously'

'We provide scientific clarity in a chaotic world' Persephone, 'We make sense of the universe'

'The universe....' Ripley shook his head 'Doesn't have to make sense....it's time we do something else...'

'Such as?' Persephone asked warily,

'Make a difference...a real difference. Joe Tungsten and I are going to do something else...things need to change...evolve....and they won't do so here...in a place that stifles real progress...real attempts to help society and mankind'

'Those are SMART's goals' Persephone answered, 'You are steering a path from accepted scientific principal to emotional madness'

'No...' Ripley said firmly, 'We're going to do what we should have done a long time ago....' pausing to turn towards the elevator, 'we're not going to hide behind the apathy of this place....not where w can make a real difference....'

With that, Ripley left his sister standing in the hallway, and as the doors closed, he couldn't help but feel a bit better....the weight he had grown accustomed to as part of SMART seemed to disappear.

*They* would do something better...



______

USS Saratoga - South Indian Ocean, 15 miles SSE of Marapulai

He moved his fingers over every inch of the outer hexite-plated hull, ensuring that the damage had been repaired and the necessary modifications were in place. In his life, he had cared for few things as much as he did his greatest creation. With a jeweler's precision, he performed countless micro-adjustments until everything checked out. Moving backwards, he stood for sometime, marveling on the elegance that even now, made him wonder how he could have created such a thing.

He stood watching it for some time, not in wrapped adoration but thinking of the last six months of his life....the last three years really...since his life had been up-ended at the hands of his 'friend', how he had lost everything, again....and how things had come into a clarity he had never known. All of the years spent in angry vindictive rage had blinded him to the reality he was in: He was a hated man, a man whose brilliance was overshadowed by his own arrogance...for what was it to live in such anger if not arrogance to believe he was the only wronged party? He had devoted the majority of his adult life to seek revenge....to vindicate himself against those who had wronged him....a demented 'Count of Monte Cristo' remaking himself time and again with revenge being his sole comfort and purpose...and where did that get him? He had a great gift, and he had wasted it on building something which nearly caused death on a wide scale. He had been blinded by his own need to see he had become the very thing he despised. It was a harsh revelation...one that he wouldn't forget, not this time.

He stared at the MAULER suit as the sun descended, the last rays glinting off the suit like an armored knight of old, cascading into a brilliant myriad of beams and reflections. He had been giving a remarkable gift, and time still to use it. What if he could adapt his technology differently? Could he somehow make up for his mistakes? At least, could he find some atonement? He had been so blinded by things...but now...it was as if he had woken up from a bad dream. Ideas swarmed through his brain - Adaptable cybernetic replacement limbs at low costs, neurokinetic adapters to allow nerve repair, nanomachine augmentation devices....such ideas that would better the world. He would develop and design them, make the free and available to all - No more hiding his ideas, fearful that they would be stolen....he would make everything open-sourced...


But that would not be enough.

No....he knew he would need to repay mankind for his actions. He would need to make things right. He knew that it would require something more, something much much more to make up for his actions.

Philip Cranston would need to transform the world.



_____

Undisclosed location, New York City.

'You understand' the younger man added, 'We have a zero tolerance policy. This policy is absolute. I don't have time for those of you who believe that you are better than the program...that believe this is an easy way to work down your sentence, or that you think your behavior is justified'


Pausing to look over the group, the younger man went on to add,

'The only reason you are here and not in Lazarus Sleep somewhere in the pits of MAXXAM is that we believe you have the will, desire, ability, and hope at reformation. This is not an easy process. You will not enjoy it. I don't rightly care if you feel prison is easier. Every person who serves and survives earns their wings - If you fall back into your old ways, I don't care whatever the reason, we come down harder on you.'

Walking amid the group, the young man was flanked by the giant who stayed a few feet away. The sheer difference in size in the giant to the rest made the gathered group pause for a moment. Even the hardened criminal knew better than to try their chances at Von Hammer.

'Now...you've waived your rights, we've completed our profile. Your rehabilitation begins now.'

The young man moved from behind the giant and brought up a computer screen. Images flared to life, showing a variety of individuals in still-photographs and video footage.

'Our job is to find them, bring them in, or take them down...any questions?'




______

Argent Tunguska, Siberia, Russia


The soldiers moved into place, flanked by both Hammer and Sickle suits. The carnage was nearly complete - A century of work and collecting nearly lost. The one-eyed man moved with little care to the dead, instead moving around the fallen bodies - already being collected for a mass fire-pit.  The dead would burn, but it was for the living that the soldiers were more afraid for.



The signs of the battle were everywhere. From the sides of the ancient walls to the surrounding areas, fire, blood, and visceral lay strewn throughout the timbers of the reclaimed forest. The footage, which would never see the light of day, revealed in stark detail those responsible, and the one-eyed man unconsciously rubbed the three scars under the patch he sported.

'Check below' was all he said, his voice barely above the din of the nearby helicopters. Squads moved with effortless efficiency into the smoking darkness. Within ten minutes, the 'all-clear' signal was given, the one-eyed man turned towards the entryway, descending into the depths.

The darkest secrets of the last 100 years of Russian history lay shredded and burning in the records room. The artifacts room had suffered from the battle above, and yet, several of the more important items lay undisturbed - the resting eggs remained in perfect placement, the large cylinder with the last of the Romanovs remained connected to the power source, the blue quartz skull, the only item within the vault to make the One-eyed man shudder remained faintly glowing behind the ancient wards placed upon it by the Mad Russian Monk.  After checking the rest, the One-Eyed Man moved to the laboratory.

The Laboratory, much like he assumed it would be, was devastated. Large sections had simply been destroyed in high-intensity plasma, while others, looted for their resources no doubt, had been left vacant. The One-Eyed Man made note of all projects he could determine were 'lost', while at the same time looking to find which projects had been either destroyed or left behind. It was not the lost or destroyed projects which elicited an uncomfortable response, instead the projects that had been left made the One-Eyed Man breathe heavily.


Moving with precision down the dark hallway from the Laboratory, the One-Eyed Man moved into the cathedral-like main elevator. Nodding to a soldier at the controls, the massive elevator descended into the depths, seemingly leaving the top of the shaft far in the distance. Relieved to see that the massive blast doors were closed, the One-Eyed Man entered the code that only three men alive knew, opening the doors. It remained in stasis....Neither the battle nor invaders had bypassed the doors....and it had not awoken. Only the One-Eyed Man moved into the massive room, skirting the the edges of it, illuminated by the faint purplish-glow that emanated from the body. The One-Eyed Man avoided looking directly at the beast, instead, he checked the supports, the wards, and the locks upon the vulcanium-derived chains, before exiting the room and restoring the locking protocols. The whine of the doors coupled with the re-activation of the nuclear device gave some reassurance, as the elevator ascended from the depths.

The One-Eyed Man quickly exited Argent Tunguska, nodding to a commander to take over the external sweep and clean. As the din of other helicopters could be heard, the One-Eyed Man quietly disappeared into one. A full report would need to be given....as well as a consideration on who survived that had seen the interior of the the base.....


____

Undisclosed Location, Somewhere outside of Istanbul, Turkey

The gathering was a mix of the old and new. The few surviving 'Founders' were adorned in their finest uniforms, removed from storage and faintly of the smell of naphthalene and the ardor of a recent cleaning. The crisp uniforms, faded with nearly 70+ years of storage gave an almost sinister air to an already sinister event. In comparison, the sole woman present wore a black dress with red hourglass, her tannish scaled flesh amply exposed, with the writhing mass of serpents pulled back as if in a pony-tail. Although the Founders were monsters of a different sort, none present doubted the young serpentine woman was far more the monster in intent and purpose. Gathered with a large group of robed figures around a pit, the figures began to chant a long and forgotten language.

One figure moved forward and tossed a small sack of something wriggling into the pit. One of the founds moved forward and emptied the contents of a leather satchel, hands trembling due to fear as much advanced age. Finally, the serpent-woman leaned in, producing a human skull from a nearby box. For a moment, the woman held the skull in almost abject adoration, kissing the polished smooth top with a intimate familiarity before tossing it into the murky depths. The chanting reached a crescendo, with the few lights produced by torches in sconces flickering as a heavy unexpected breeze pushed into the room. The Founders shuddered, but the snake-woman smiled, her fangs glistening in the dim light.


A hand reached out of the murk, pulling itself free as if doing so was in defiance of fundamental force. The robed figures moved back as the figure fully emerged, towering for a moment in the shadows as he slowly stood. The Founders balked, the servants fled, but the snake woman smiled broadly.

The General had returned. CHRONOS would live again.



___

The story so far....

DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL (D.I.) is the codename for the U.N. meta-hero organization which helps deal with the meta-villain/exo-threat/eldritch horrors that are an active enemy to mankind. Formed after an attack on the U.N. in 1986, D.I. has maintained its position as the primary defense organization in the world. Led by Michael Deckard (code-Named ROOK) for most of the group’s history, Deckard, along with his wife Elizabeth (code-named WHITEFLAME) have remained the only founding members still active with D.I.

D.I. has faced many menaces and threats, ranging from the Egyptian God of Darkness SET to three separate alien invasion attempts in 1992, 2005, and 2008. Chief among the adversaries that D.I. has faced are the villains known as the DESTROYERS, the original threat that D.I. formed to protect against. The Destroyers, led by AMADEUS VAN BRANDT (code-named TACTICIAN) have often been overshadowed through the years by greater threats but remained persistently a thorn in D.I.’s side. The Destroyers have mostly disbanded, and Tactician had been captured in 2012, held until 2014.

RECENT HISTORY

In 2008, a massive and ancient primordial weapon known as THE DEVOURER attempted to destroy mankind due to mankind’s knowledge of the primordial creation equations known as GOD MECHANICS,unleashing cosmic disasters and ‘resurrecting’ dead heroes and villains with the use of primordial technology called NECRITES. The assembled heroes defeated the ancient machine, capturing some of the technology.(MARSCON 2011 EVENT ‘DEVOURED’).

In 2014, an evil primordial being known as LORD ECLIPSE attempted to assemble a mythical equation called THE ANGELIC ALGORITHM by using God Mechanics in order to bring about the entropic RED SHIFT. Nearly destroying mankind and seizing the Angelic Algorithm, Lord Eclipsed used what bits of the God Mechanics he had gathered and plunged the Earth into darkness by extinguishing the Sun. Narrowly reigniting the Sun and defeating Lord Eclipse, D.I. managed to restore things mostly to normal. (MARSCON 2014 EVENT ‘ECLIPSED)

Due the partial use of God Mechanics, dark matter and deep spatial fields had been disrupted. In part because of the disruption, a Texas-sized asteroid of VULCANIUM, the strongest material in known space had been ejected from the Earth’s core and was locked in orbit around the planet Saturn. Dubbed ASTEROID HEPHASTUS, the asteroid was seen as a solution to an age-old problem regarding Vulcanium and the current supplier on Earth.

Sometime before the dawn of Prehistory, a massive asteroid impacted Earth comprised mostly of Vulcanium. The remnant islands, dubbed the MARAPULAI CHAIN saw much turmoil and strife. As the modern age began and Vulcanium was discovered, Marapulai quickly became a center focus for world powers. In 1956, a bloody coup led by a massive reptilian-like mutant named KING CROC established Marapulai firmly as a haven for the illicit and illegal. King Croc used the Vulcanium supply to ensure his rule was firmly received and accepted, blackmailing at times world governments into submission, while offering haven to criminals of all sorts for a price. As the single source of Vulcanium, King Croc set his own rules and standards, a fact that nearly all of the civilized world chafed under.

With the discovery of Hephastus and the potential of limitless other mining opportunities for Vulcanium, Marapulai’s hold on the world seems ready to slip. It is only a matter of time before King Croc’s atrocities catch up with him, setting the stage for something that the world is not prepared for…

DESTROYED

MARSCON 

JANUARY 16 - 18 2015

Destroyed Prelude #3 - A Meeting

AEGIS Command group, North Atlantic

Altitude 25,500 feet

Location: 40.416361, -36.128146

'He's here'

For a moment, the Director and his two guests remained seated, staring blankly at one another as if to gauge an appropriate response. For three days it had been a linger uncertainty, a shared uneasy experience between a handful of men and women, tasked with the very moment the three men found themselves in.

'Show him in' The Director nodded, searching for another queue or hidden acquiescence that could serve to reinforce the decision for this moment. Two Black Knight level operatives emerged first, taking positions in the cardinal points of the room, while another four entered around their guest.

'Well?' The Director began, looking at the guest with a combination of cool trepidation and receded hostility, 'The terms were fairly clear in your parole....you were to leave Earth and never, ever return...'

'Things don't always happen the way we want' the man began. Tall and lean, the dark hair had begun to gray around the edges, more lines around the eyes which would have made the guest seem more scholarly than criminal.

'I do not have time to debate what we want' The Director began again, looking more uncharacteristically irate as he braced his fingers together, 'Why are you here?'

'I know about Hephaestus' the man began, looking carefully at the director and the other two guest, 'Everyone out there knows about it....but that's not important....what is important is what's going to happen next...'

'Next?' The Director asked, 'What exactly do you mean?'

'Oh come on!' The man exclaimed, 'You know damn well what I mean....you've probably already started to sever ties...probably already made veiled threats....this isn't something that Croc hasn't thought about....or planned for.'

'Why does this matter to you, exactly?' The Director retorted, the thinly veiled emotion twinging his words.

'Because I set up his defenses...' The man began, 'And I have a pretty good idea what Croc will do. You go in there, it's a trap....it's a bloody, awful trap and people will die...'

'Compassion has never been your strongest suit' The first guest, the older man added, breaking his silence as he leaned forward. Without facing him the convicted guest nodded, 'I'm no saint, but I'm not going to sit back and let something I built be used by a madman...'

'Not unlike all of those other times' The First Guest nodded, 'Yes, I could see you brimming with compassion for the innocent then...'

'Listen, asshole....I don't really care what you think....I'm telling you this is how it is: Croc isn't going to think of how this plays out....he knows how it will play out, and he's more than ready for it. He'll make the first move....he'll bring you in, and he'll smash you down....believe me....this is what he's been waiting for since he took power'

'And what, exactly, are you offering?' The Director chimed in.

'Plans....schematics....everything...' the man nodded, 'Anything and Everything....'

'Why now?' The First Guest asked, staring with unblinking eyes at the Convicted Guest.

'You want me to lie? I won't do that....I'm a son-of-a-bitch but I don't lie. Something happened to me....up there.....and I won't simply let that go. There is a reason I'm here, I don't know what that reason is, but I'm here. Call it whatever you want, but you know the one thing I'm not is a liar'

Silence once again filled the room as the Convicted Guest sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The Director looked at the two others, quietly nodding as if in deep conversation. A minute stretched to two and then five before any of them spoke.

'You will give us everything, and I mean everything. There will be no holding back....no second chances....one glimmer you're not above board, or if any of us for a moment believe you're lying, It won't be prison...it won't be exile...it will be immediate full weight of the international courts on you punishment....do you understand?'

'Yes' the Convicted Guest nodded, 'I do...'

'Then...' The First Guest started, 'Why don't you tell me why Mauler has been seen here on Earth when you are supposedly in space, Cranston'

'They stole it' Cranston answered matter-of-factually, 'and you know how I take theft....'

DESTROYED
MARSCON 2015 - January 16-18

www.marscon.net
https://www.warhorn.net/events/marscon-crusaders?src=listings

Destroyed Prelude #2

Street of Kings,
Marapulai
-13.667101, 81.915830

Despite the trappings of aristocracy that Amadeus Van Brandt was surrounded by, he was not, by any means, fooled. Van Brandt had known the King for nearly thirty years, and had always been fully aware never to take anything at face value, even at 'summoned' meetings in which direct business was to be discussed.

Van Brandt rested his hands on the smooth arms of the hover chair, a luxury item in a country whose resplendent wealth was often overshadowed by its oppressive cruelty. Although the storied history between himself and the monarch of Marapulai, they were never 'close', if one could ever get close to either of the two. For his part, Van Brandt sat and waited, a courtesy to the man who shielded Van Brandt from international law enforcement.

 'I am sorry to keep you' the King said, emerging from a nearby room. At nearly seven feet five inches, King Crocodilion wasn't just massive - he was a monster. The cybernetic lower jaw moved effortlessly, giving Van Brandt images of a long forgotten childhood book...illustrated with Captain Hook and Peter Pan....and the Crocodile...always waiting for the good captain to lose his other hand.

 'I am, as always, at your service' Van Brandt responded in the very neutrally polite tone he had used. 'Nonsense....to keep an artist waiting is often a sin' Crocodilion began, pausing for a moment to adjust the royal sash before moving effortlessly to the window, 'If nothing more, we are artists, are we not?'

'I suppose that is one way to look at things' Van Brandt added in cool agreement. Van Brandt's intellect and abilities had already granted him a good insight as to why he was present, but allowed the King to set the stage.

 'Power' Crocodilion began, 'Is the only real thing that separates us from animals. We both know of the benefits of power...' Crocodilion said, pausing to turn with the amber eyes, 'But the cost can be high....' Van Brandt felt himself shift in his chair. Over thirty years he had been dealing with Crocodilion, but never had there been a moment where he felt a sense of desperation about the King.

'Yes...' Van Brandt added, 'Very high...'

 'Tell me Amadeus......what fruitless plan have you in place to gain your revenge?' Crocodilion asked, almost smiling. Van Brandt didn't react to the barb, simply sighing quietly while returning the gaze.

'My own...' Van Brandt said matter-of-factually, 'I do not need to share that with you...'

 'Insolence is not your strongest suite, Amadeus...'Crocodilion answered, 'Especially as you are my guest...'

 'I am not your lackey' Van Brandt coldly retorted, 'Unless you feel our agreement needs to be...ratified' Crocodilion moved forward, almost menacingly, then paused and laughed, 'Always fearless Amadeus...good....good.'

 Van Brandt felt himself relax. Had the King taken offense with such a bold maneuver, it would have been....difficult....to extricate himself.

 'I have need of your unique skills my old friend' Crocodilion began, 'I fear that we must advance our plans...significantly'

 'I had some suspicion' Van Brandt nodded, 'Hephaestus?'

 The King said nothing at first, then slowly, curtly, nodded.

 'What is it you need?' Van Brandt said, already predicting the answer.

 'I want you to have your fondest wish' Crocodilion began.

 __________________________


Some time later
Palazzo di bellezza
Marapulai
-13.667101, 81.915831

 '....and so, that is the plan' Van Brandt added, looking at the collection of individuals. The cool winds brought scent of jasmine blossoms into the large room, while the twilight cast long shadows against the walls. No one present said anything, instead waiting some long moments for the information to fully sink in. 'Are you with me?'

 'Just like that?' the lean older man asked, 'You really think it will be that easy...'

 'Yes...' Van Brandt began, 'Just like that. Once decisive moment. One simply action, and we'll have what we want...'

 'What you want...' the tall blonde man looked back with amber-colored eyes, 'Let's not lie here...this isn't want any of us signed on for...'

 'No...but we cannot refuse. If we refuse, they will come on their terms. We can however act now....force the situation to bend to our wills....' Van Brandt added analytically, 'He assures me the material will be present, and the numbers accounted for..'

 'Same fellow that put you in that chair...' The blonde man added, 'Or did you forget that?'

 'He did not 'put me in this chair', jefferson' Van Brandt added, 'That was Michael Deckard. It is beyond the time I repay him for that kindness. Now, I'll ask again...' Van Brandt said very directly, 'Are you with with me?'

 The lean man spoke up first, the smile never leaving his face, 'What do we need to do?'

 'Allow me to outline it....'

 ____________________

Destroyed
Marscon 2015

Next Defenders/Crusaders Event: 'Destroyed'

Howdy all; As you might have noticed, we've got a new event planned for January 2015 at Marscon - Destroyed! Destroyed Blurb: As the world learns of a miraculous new power-source, old villains conspire to bring down the U.N.'s superhuman response team. Can an assortment of heroes from across different groups somehow stop the destruction? DESTROYED is a two-part adventure set in Mark Geary's Defenders International campaign! We're also celebrating the 29th anniversary of the DiVERSE! More shortly

Destroyed, Prelude #1

Xibola, City of Bone -

He could feel the movement of the air underneath of him as he fell towards earth. Reaching terminal velocity in seconds, he felt the freedom and exhilaration fill every part of his being, the way it always had on countless times before. It was the only part of the curse that was truly his, truly a blessing, and the one thing he missed.

He felt himself relax into the moment, realizing that it was Morpheus's visitation, a moment of pure peace before the dawn...a dream of demigods of flight, something that he missed despite the lifting of the curse. Below the land moved under the dark shadows of night, featureless amid the clouds and cool night air. For a moment, he was contented.

The sudden downdraft brought him to landfall, finding himself skipping for a moment on the eddied currents that gently deposited on the hillside. Something was different this time, something he could not quite put his fingers upon....the dream haze had him still, and yet, the lands were different, colder somehow....more ominous.

The sky erupted into light as Helios blazed above him. He instantly recognized the scene and saw the familiar faces he had come to know and call friends. All eyes were downcast, sullen, and filled with a great sadness, none speaking or making any sound. For a moment, he wondered if these dream-images were some ancient chorus, until he found himself drawn to the object of his gaze. As his eyes fell onto the sight, he felt a tightening of the muscles in his stomach...he knew instantly what the image meant, and felt the sluggishness of the waking world, pulling him backwards, back away from the moment into the cool darkness of the living world.

He felt himself fully alert and awake, rising quickly from bed, letting Eden rest nearby. The images still lingered in his mind, and he knew that such was no dream, but portent. Pulling a nearby toga on, he moved out of the bedroom and into the darkness, unable to sleep.

________________________

Eden Raines had been many things in her life - Daredevil, Adventurer, Pilot, and now Queen. It had been nearly five years since she had married the love of her life, and despite all that she and Romulus had shared, there were moments that he truly puzzled her. Her hand moved absently across the bed, surprised in its near sleep to find him gone from her side. Slowly rousing herself to full consciousness, Eden allowed her green eyes to adjust to the darkness before calling out quietly,
'Romulus?'

Taking a deep breath, Eden slowly pulled herself out of bed, covering herself in a sheer silk robe that rested across the nearby divan. Steadying herself against the bed, Eden gained her bearings and began to move through the open-aired chamber, looking outwards to the balcony and the illuminated paleness of dawn. Romulus stood impassively on the balcony, his massively muscled arms folded behind him in the way he often had when deep in contemplation. Eden moved behind him, gently brushing the tips of her fingers against his arm, before moving beside him. For a long while husband and wife said nothing, standing and looking over the ancient city as it slowly roused from another night. In the dim haze of the morning, Romulus finally spoke, his voice low and haggard.

'I need to return' he said plainly, not facing his wife. It was the stoic and patrician look that Eden had grown to accept, a sign of Romulus's stubborness.

'The dream?' Eden asked, already knowing the answer.

'Yes...' Romulus nodded, 'Again...the same dream...'

There was a prolonged silence between them as both stared outwards. For a long while, neither moved or said anything, until Eden finally spoke.

'Well....I guess I'm ready to see how much the world has changed since 1936.'

'I have to go...you don't....it will be...dangerous...' Romulus began, turning to face his wife. Although he towered above her, there was a sense of physical equality that had always been an unspoken fact.

'You are my husband, and my friend. If this is important to you....' Eden began, looking Romulus up and down, 'Then I'm going....I've said my peace and counted to three'

Romulus stared at his wife, 'These men....the men we go to face...this aren't trogs or raiders...these men are dangerous...motivated...and strong. If something happened to you....'

Eden's fingertips moved up and brushed her husband's lips, 'Then we face them together....but why now? Why is now so important...'

Romulus said nothing at first, allowing the question to linger more out of summoning the strength to answer it, 'They will burn the world if what I have seen comes to pass....I cannot abandon my teammates...my friends...to what awaits'

'Then that is enough' Eden added, 'Let's find our way home, before it's too late...'



-----

Destroyed

January 16 - 18 2015