Post by Mongo the Destroyer on Oct 29, 2020 20:49:04 GMT -6
If you want to see if real prettylike go to this link drive.google.com/file/d/0B-8YUmKSXvLBT2JwUkwxSG05M0k/view?usp=sharing
That's the PDF version of the show and is downloadable. Shows even come with mp3 files built into the pdf for a more immersive viewing.
Strike at the Heart
IWA action takes us to the most dangerous arena yet! The biggest pay-per-view of the year set in Asgard itself! This as the full might of Carthage is set and ready for the biggest battle of the year. Will Carthage prove victorious and gain access to the secrets of Asgard, or will a deadly blow be struck against the evil empire? Also planned for the night, a wedding between Zareth Korbin and the newly crowned Queen Casidhe! A night of amazement, blood, and carnage!
Asgard Rallies
Odin stands at the head of the Asgardian host. He nods as Tyr joins him to regard the Carthage forces.
Odin: "I thought you were guarding in Russia?"
Tyr shakes his head with a laugh.
Tyr: "Few Jotuns come through. Thor must be causing a lot of commotion."
Odin motions to the enemy camp.
Odin: "What do you think of our chances?"
Tyr watches the movement of enemy forces for a long time before answering.
Tyr: "We are outnumbered far beyond our ability to win. We would need-"
Three portals open wide and three new forces take the field with Asgard. Lenneth and her Valkyries, Frey and the Light Elves, and Malekith with a host of Dark Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, and other humanoids. Lenneth, Frey, and Malekith join Odin. Frey and Lenneth greeting with a hug.
Frey: "Sister! It has been so long!"
Lenneth: "Too long. I'm glad to see that you are well!"
Malekith greets Odin with a slight bow.
Malekith: "Heimdall informed us that aiding Asgard in this time of need would benefit us both, and so we came with great haste."
Frey: "My sister and I needed no such bribes. We will perform our duties to our Allfather, though I wonder. Might this be a time to open the Gates of Valhalla for this battle?"
Odin snorts derisivly.
Odin: "We are dealing with a power mad, essentially mortal, warlock. We don't need the Heroes of Valhalla to win this war."
Frey nods, looking over at the gathered Carthage forces.
Frey: "Then we will work on defeating them with what we have."
Odin: "If we must. I will go forth in a moment to meet with this Thamptis. Once he sees that he has little chance of defeating this force, he will go back home."
Lenneth frowns.
Lenneth: "He's not sane, Allfather. I doubt reason is a word he understands. At least not anymore."
Odin chuckles.
Odin: "He will leave or he will water the fields of Asgard with his blood."
The Meeting
Outside of the Eternal City of Asgard, two armies face each other on the field of combat.
One one side stands Asgard and her allies with the city behind them. On the other in the shadow of the flying castle is Carthage. A single person from either side walk across the plain to meet in the middle.
The air is filled with the promise of bloodshed as the two meet. Odin from Asgard with Gungir in his hand, and Thamptis from Carthage with his feet barely touching the ground.
Odin: "You will not win this war, warlock. Go home."
Thamptis: "You don't want more Asgardian blood spilled. I understand that. Give me the army of Uru men that you have hidden and full access to the Bifrost and we will leave Asgard unharmed."
Odin shakes his head with a smile.
Odin: "You've been lied to. There are no Uru men. There was once one, but it was destroyed. And you will never have access to the Bifrost. Go back home and lose your war as will be."
Thamptis grits his teeth, his right hand glowing bright green with power.
Thamptis: "You would sacrifice an entire pantheon just to prevent me from defeating my enemies on Earth using an army of Uru men that was created on Earth and an allowance of your Bifrost. You are a fool! You see in my numbers the surviving Egyptian pantheon members. You know I destroyed the Olympian pantheon. Asgard cannot stand! Give me what I want and stay out of this war!"
Odin points Gungir at Thamptis with an oath.
Odin: "You can be the first to fall. How will Carthage stand without you?"
Thamptis: "Try it, old man. I will break Asgard and take what I want."
Odin thrusts Gungir, striking Thamptis in the middle of the chest. It does not pierce the skin though, but does knock him backwards a few feet.
Thamptis: "You see all, but have forgotten about my protection spell. Your arrogance is your undoing."
Thamptis holds out his palm towards Odin with a smile.
Thamptis: "Zeus died from a lesser blow."
A stream of green magical power strikes Odin in the chest, growing in strength until it's blasting his entire body.
Odin: "You will not win!"
Thamptis: "I already have..."
Odin flies back several hundred feet where his body explodes with a fury that bleaches everything a bright green.
Thamptis chuckles as outrage begins to fill the Asgard camp.
Thamptis: "This war will be over before you know it."
Opening
The music plays over the PA system as everyone slowly file to their seats. The air is full of tension as everyone knows that the war between Asgard and Carthage heats up outside of the city. Once the music stops, we go down to ringside to the Commentary desk where sit Neil Dizon and Jane Coughlin.
Coughlin: "Hello IWA fans and welcome to Strike at the Heart! Tonight is a make it or break it moment for the unending war with Carthage. Either Asgard strikes a blow against Carthage so that the coalition force can finish the evil empire off once and for all, or Carthage conquers Asgard and gains the ability to strike anywhere and everywhere on the Earth that they choose."
Dizon: "Inside the ring tonight, we have several people from Carthage in matches. Will we be able to hold them off?"
Coughlin: "Let's get down to the ring where Stephan Theobald is ready for the opening match!"
Zadian vs Tabitha
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall. Featuring first, the challenger...weighing in at three hundred and twenty pounds...Samuel Zadian!"
24 Hours by Wretch 32 starts playing. A silhouette of Samuel Zadian appears at the top of the ramp. At the 0:17.5 second mark of the song, Sam walks in, revealing himself. He walks down the ramp, sometimes looking around and staring at the audience. He walks up the steel stairs and goes in between the middle and top rope. He climbs two corners, raising one arm to the crowd at each one. He walks to an empty corner and gets into a boxing stance.
Coughlin: "I hear that Samuel was upset with himself at the fact that Xerios died during their match in Rome. I can understand that since he wasn't there to kill anyone, just wrestle."
Dizon: "I blame Xerios. If he didn't have those horns on the top of his head, he would not have gotten stuck in the mat and got his neck broken."
Theobald: "And his opponent, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Tabitha Osborne!"
"What Have You Done Now?" by Within Temptation begins as Tabitha Osborne walks out from the back with a smile. The crowd responds with booing, but it only makes Tabitha grin wider. She makes her way down to the ring, rolling in, and blowing Samuel a kiss when she gets to her feet.
Dizon: "Tabitha took out Clare Miller at the last Onslaught. If I were Samuel Zadian, I'd be a little more than scared."
As the bell rings, Samuel crosses the ring to begin an attack, but is backhanded by Tabitha with enough force to flatten him.
Osborne: "You're cannon fodder, you know. Something to feed the lowest of the low to."
Samuel gets back to his feet, but Tabitha kicks him in the gut. She grabs him by the chin to lift him back up before dropping him with a clothesline. She stomps on his crotch, twisting her heel with a wicked laugh.
Coughlin: "I'm not so sure that Samuel should be so disrespectful. He could really surprise her with some skills. He does want to claim vengeance for the damage done to the United States and the lives lost, and who does Tabitha serve?"
Dizon: "Yeah, right. Like Zadian could do something like that. Do you remember what she did to Clare? Deva-freaking-stating."
Tabitha rips Samuel off of the mat, hurling him like a rag doll into the corner where he bounces off to hit the mat. She walks over, sneering at him.
Osborne: "I heard you've done your homework on me. You know that I have killed time and time again. You know then that I lived in the asylum at Killswitch Island since the age of twelve. I've been out a couple times, but always went back until the start of this year. I'm twenty-three now."
Tabitha pulls Samuel up by the throat, slamming him back into the turnbuckles.
Osborne: "So you know I have killed a hundred or more before I was imprisoned. More while imprisoned. Since I joined Carthage? Since I joined with the power of the Dread Dragon? Tens of thousands. Let that number sink in, little fool."
Tabitha proceeds to smash Samuel with lefts and rights, caring little for technique.
Dizon: "See? There won't be anything left of him!"
Coughlin: "I don't know."
Tabitha grabs Samuel by the hair, pulling his head back so she can look into his bloody face.
Osborne: "Do you have any last words before I crush you into bloody pulp?"
Blood dribbles out Samuel's mouth as he tries to speak. He coughs to clear himself.
Zadian: "You...work...for Carthage?"
Tabitha leans her blood splattered face near his with a sadistic giggle.
Osborne: "Ever since my Lady Apathy freed me from the asylum for the last time. Can you imagine the damage I will do to your homeland once we're done here?"
Samuel head butts Tabitha in the face to get her to release him. He lunges again before trying to grasp at her, biting at her face, and sinking his teeth into her cheek. Tabitha grabs his head as he grabs her shoulders.
Dizon: "Has he lost his mind?"
Coughlin: "Yes."
The ref tries to regain control, but finds that he can't get between them. He yells at the side, but Tabitha finally shoves herself away from Samuel. She rolls backwards away to the middle of the ring.
Tabitha holds her face as blood pours from her face. She looks at Samuel with fury. That is until he rises up on his own two feet and spits out a chunk of flesh. Tabitha let's out a screech of rage and rushes at him.
Samuel catches Tabitha and power slams her to the mat, hooking a leg for the cover.
One...Two...Tabitha kicks out.
Coughlin: "See? He's coming back."
Dizon: "I have to say...he's still doomed."
Coughlin: "Our normal bet?"
Dizon: "Sure, why not. You can't win every time."
Samuel quickly gets up, and as Tabitha gets up, he hits her with a spinning back fist to knock her back to the mat. Once she's down, he locks in a cross face. The ref gets into position to see if Tabitha will give up, but she only laughs.
Dizon: "She won't give up."
Coughlin: "I know."
Tabitha reaches the ropes, prompting the ref to order Samuel to break the hold. When he stands, Tabitha grabs the ref's foot, and pulls to send him over the top rope to land on his head. She rolls over to throw a fireball into Samuel's face.
Samuel staggers back to the ropes while holding his face in pain. Tabitha lunges at him, leaping into the air to hit a cross body that sends them both over the ropes and to the floor. She places a knee on his chest with a foul giggle before running talon like nails down his left bicep, tearing through skin, and drawing blood.
Osborne: "You think you can beat me, boy? I am the Dread Dragon of Carthage! You think you can bring down a dragon?"
Samuel grabs Tabitha on both sides of the waist.
Zadian: "I know I can!"
Samuel turns, sending Tabitha to the side and face first into the steel railing. He stands up, holds on to his arm that's bleeding freely, and kicks her in the face to bounce her head off the railing a few more times before he picks her up into a torture rack.
Osborne: "I won't submit, you fool!"
Zadian: "You don't have to."
Samuel walks over to by the ring steps, jumps, and falls to the side so that Tabitha's head smashes into the steps to demolish them. He staggers to his feet and pulls the bloody Tabitha up by the hair.
Zadian: "I'm not afraid of you!"
Samuel rolls her into the ring and follows. He sees that the ref rolls into the ring to this time as well.
Samuel is on his feet and bounding across the ring as Tabitha slowly rises. On his return, Samuel soars through the air to land a Superman punch that drives Tabitha to her knees. He picks her up into the air and power bombs her, but he keeps hold of her to he can lift her back up.
So her can power bomb her again, and again.
Dizon: "Holy crap!"
Coughlin: "You know it."
Samuel picks Tabitha up by the throat.
Zadian: "Am I just a little boy now?"
Tabitha, being mostly out of it, spits blood onto Samuel's face.
Osborne: "*beep* you!"
Zadian: "Wrong answer."
Samuel puts Tabitha into a suplex position and-
Coughlin: "Juggernaut Slam! Samuel's going for the pinfall!"
Dizon: "Are you freaking serious?"
One...Two...Three!
The bell rings to end the match and Samuel Zadian stands to the overwhelming praise of the crowd.
Theobald: "Winner of the match via pinfall...Samuel Zadian!"
Coughlin: "I win, Neil. We might die before the night is through, so you'll have to pay up while the promo videos play for the next match."
Dizon: "You think we may die?"
Coughlin: "Does it matter? Pay up!"
Neil Dizon nods with a wide grin (and slightly flushed cheeks) as he takes off his head set and slides under the table. The table covering hides what he's doing, but from her pace of breathing, we can tell what's going on.
Fall of the King
In the frozen cold of Jotunheim, Thor swings Mjolnir to crush the skull of a Frost Giant.
Behind the grief mad Thunder God is a landscape of fallen giants, the snow stained into a horizon of blood.
Thor looks upon a citadel of ice and stone, a rage burning in his heart that keeps him warm even in the cold that would freeze most mortals solid in a short time.
Thor: "Come out and face me, Sigvard! I will shatter your skull for slaying my Sif! Come out and fight or I will slaughter every single Jotun in this entire world!"
This is when Thor feels a pain in his chest, dropping to his knees as the gates to the citadel open for a dozen Frost Giants to file out with Sigvard behind them. He laughs at the Thunder God.
Sigvard: "You feel it. Don't you? I bet you don't understand what you're feeling! Your father, the Allfather...is dead. You could have helped him fight his enemy, but were too busy in selfish revenge as always."
Thor grips the haft of Mjolnir tight. What could have happened that his father could have died? He had to get back to Asgard!
Sigvard: "Kill the Heir to Asgard..."
Thor rises as the Frost Giants close in on him. He raises Mjolnir over his head with rage.
Thor: "You will not claim victory over Thor on this day!"
Clouds gather thick overhead, filled with the promise of a thunderstorm. Dozens of lightning bolts strike Mjolnir.
Sigvard: "Do not stand and watch him! Kill him!"
The Frost Giants advance as one, but are each struck by lightning bolts over and over again. Thor advances, swinging Mjolnir by the strap in fast circles.
Thor: "Have you forgot that I am God of Thunder? There has never been a Jotun that I have not been able to slay with Mjolnir!"
Thor hurls Mjolnir with a roar, the hammer flying through the air. Sigvard backhands the hammer to send it away where it circles back in a wide arc back to Thor's hand.
Sigvard: "And I am the Ice King! More powerful than any Jotun you have ever faced!"
Thor smiles, pointing with Mjolnir to Sigvard's shattered hand.
Thor: "Methinks that you are very wrong."
Sigvard sneers as ice forms over his broken hand until it appears as a spiked mace.
Sigvard: "You are an arrogant fool, a trait shared by all Asgardians."
Sigvard swings his ice mace at Thor, who dodges it. Before Thor can strike, Sigvard twists to catch Thor in the side with the mace, knocking Thor dozens of feet away.
Sigvard: "You must know by now that the Twilight of the Gods is upon us with the death of Odin."
Thor growls as blood spills from the rent in his side, spinning Mjolnir faster than he ever has before with lightning from the sky striking it.
Thor: "You will know the full might of the Thunder God!"
Thor hurls Mjolnir at short range as lightning sparks from the powerful uru hammer. It strikes the skull of Sigvard and explodes it with a shower of blood and brains. A fragment of skull strikes Thor in the temple, leveling him.
He smiles as darkness begins to overwhelm him.
Thor: "Sif, you are avenged..."
Folly of the Ninja
"Deathstryke" Cyan Komar slashes through enemies almost quicker than the eye can follow.
The Warhammer Corporation had rebuilt him after his last doomed battle with Nebiryau when his limbs and been cut away and he was left to die.
Cybernetic limbs with metallic sheathing across his torso for extra support in protection.
Not that hasn't had issues at being so much metal, but those are problems best left at a Counselor's Couch.
Cyan spots his quarry across the battlefield with a cold smile.
Nebiryau.
He has quested to slay the foul villain for some time. Today, on the fields of Asgard, he will finish his task.
He makes it within a few dozen feet where Nebiryau sees him and smiles.
Nebiryau: "Back stronger than ever, Idasu? Or weaker than ever with steel replacing so much flesh."
Komar: "You die today, Nebiryau!"
Cyan leaps the last few feet as Nebiryau makes no move to defend himself.
At the last moment, Cyan's blade is blocked by a black blade with purple rune running along the side of the blade. Cyan bounces back to see...
Xian Tsar? In an outfit similar to that of the Phoenix Ninja Grandmaster?
Nebiryau: "Oh you do have quite the mess, Idasu. I'll let Xian Tsar explain things while I go kill everyone else you know..."
Nebiryau is gone in a flash, leaving Cyan Komar and Xian Tsar face to face.
Komar: "I sacrificed you to bring my people back!"
Tsar: "And yet you never once thought to check on them. You were meant to be the sacrifice. You would have been reborn with the Phoenix Ninja. Do you even know the cycle of a Phoenix?"
While Cyan doesn't admit it out loud, he realizes that he did remember the life cycle of the Phoenix. It was one of his earliest lessons, but he did not think it pertained to the ninja themselves. They were human after all.
Komar: "Why now? Why with Thamptis? The Warhammer policies-"
Tsar: "Doesn't pertain to me. I am loyal to my teacher and true master. He says support Thamptis until the end. The Order of the Phoenix is mine now, Idasu. Cleanse yourself of your dishonor and join me. Your family is waiting in Japan."
Cyan lowers his sword. He could go home and see his father again. He could be a full Phoenix Ninja. His sword drops to the ground where it flies to Xian's hand.
Tsar: "Your family waits for you so that the dishonored son can be killed by their own hands. But they will want a whole dishonored ninja to face, not some half-human monster. And so..."
Xian sheaths his weapon, sending a stream of purple black fire that hits Cyan and sends him to the ground. His cybernetics melt away even as fresh limbs begin to grow.
Tsar: "You are set upon a path, Idasu. Come and face your family. You must come to terms with your dishonor before a Phoenix Ninja you can become."
Another spell strikes Cyan and he is gone. Xian's expression softens, tapping his temple.
Tsar: "You will face all your family. Though you betrayed us all, your father loves you still..."
With a flash of black and purple flame, Xian Tsar is gone as well.
Bloodstain Championship
Theobald: "This next match is to be scheduled for the IWA Bloodstain Championship! The stipulations are...to be revealed during the match? Anyway. By the end of the match when all stipulations are revealed, it will be for one fall. Or not. Whatever, someone will win out in the end. And...the challenger, from parts unknown...j0ker!"
"Turn You Inside Out" by R.E.M. begins playing as j0ker walks out from the back. She waves to fans who boo at her with ferocity. She acts as if she's being cheered as she walks down to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope.
Dizon: "So the stipulations for this match as still unknown?"
Coughlin: "Yes. They will be revealed as the match continues and at random times. Just think of them as mystery ingredients for some cooking contest show."
Dizon: "Oh. Well, I do like those shows. Especially, the Restricted Zone Survival Cooking. Where the contestants have to forage and hunt for foodstuffs to blend with what little spices and such that have been provided to make great dishes while staying alive in the dangers of what used to be the Restricted Zone that was claimed by Carthage. Those guys are idiots!"
Coughlin: "I know, right? You applied to be on the show though?"
Dizon: "Well yeah, the reward is like a thousand pounds of gold. And I like to cook. And in this case, the danger isn't much more than what we face just coming to work."
Coughlin: "Well? When you put it that way...and you do cook rather well."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Paradise, California...he is the IWA Bloodstain champion...Iro Waters!"
"Built to Last" by the Protomen begins playing as Iro Waters comes out from the back to resounding cheers. He smiles as he heads to the ring with the championship belt around his waist. He steps into the ring and hands the belt to the ref for display.
Coughlin: "Iro Water has been through heck of late, but not during official matches as he's been fighting on behalf of the IWA outside of the ring."
Dizon: "He's lucky to be alive then."
As the bell rings to start the match, a match attendant comes down to the ring with a steel chain.
Theobald: "The first stipulation of this match is that both competitors will be bound to each other at the wrist by a steel chain!"
The chain is brought in and both Iro and j0ker are chained right wrist to right wrist.
Dizon: "Kinky start to things?"
Coughlin: "You think so? Maybe we can borrow the chain."
Dizon: "Oh? OH!"
The bell rings to start the match and j0ker goes in as if she's going to box with Iro. He shrugs, but then j0ker yanks on the chain to pull Iro off balance so she can clothesline him. She quickly places the chain to the front of her knee, dropping it into Iro's midsection. They both rise quickly, but Iro notices too late that the chain is between his legs when j0ker brings it up to rack him from behind. Iro lashes out with a back elbow with his left arm that catches j0ker in the side of the head to stun her. He then steps over the chain, grabs j0ker in a headlock, and brings her down to the mat while holding onto to the lock.
Coughlin: "j0ker trying to use that chain at the outset, but Iro won't be denied."
Dizon: "I'm sure it helped that the elbow he hit her with is cybernetic."
Coughlin: "Well, yeah."
Iro releases the hold and stands up, but is brought down quickly when j0ker kicks him in the inside of his knee. She gets into a squating position as he starts pushing himself up from the mat, grabbing his chin with both hands. She leaps into the air with the hold, snapping Iro's head back and flipping him onto his back.
Dizon: "What kind of move was that?"
Coughlin: "I don't know, but that sure looked like it'd be major whiplash on anyone without a cybernetic spinal column."
Theobald: "If both participants would please cease the match and exit the ring at this time. Stand in the aisle outside of the ring area for the next stipulation to be revealed."
J0ker shrugs and walks over to Iro Waters, holding out a hand to offer to help him up. Iro looks at the hand for a time, but then accepts it. They carefully exit the ring (since they are attached), and stand in the aisle.
Dizon: "What could they be adding that both people would have to-what the *beep*?"
The entire ring begins to sink as sliding doors open underneath it. There is a lot of shifting far below until a stone platform with a steel railing begins to rise with a stone bridge leading to it. All around the platform is water with fish in it.
Theobald: "This next portion of the match will be held on a stone platform with a moat filled with angry pirahna. Vendors will be around the crowd to sell raw fresh fish caught outside in Asgardian rivers and streams for fans to toss into the moat and whip the fish into a frenzy. You may now return to the ring and so far we are still at one fall!"
Iro shakes his head while j0ker only laughs. They head onto the platform (using the railing) and get into the middle of the platform as the bell rings to restart the match.
Dizon: "Stone instead of mat and fish instead of floor. This is getting insane!"
Coughlin: "Fish that will strip them down to bone and metal."
Iro blocks a punch with his left arm before sinking his left fist into j0ker's midsection. He drops her with a ddt onto the stone platform, drawing blood as it sprays from j0ker's face like a stepped on ketchup packet.
Iro rolls her over and goes for the cover.
One...Two...j0ker kicks out.
Coughlin: "I don't blame Iro trying to go for the win now before anything else terrifying is added to the match."
Dizon: "Gods...I'd have laid down and given up the title."
Iro is up quickly, using the chain in his left arm to rip j0ker to her feet. He grabs her for a suplex, but j0ker blocks, and twists to break free. She grabs Iro by the left wrist, and before Iro knows what's going on, hits him in the face several times with his own hand before he can stop it.
Joker: "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?"
Joker struggles with trying to control Iro's left arm for a brief moment before shifting gears to hit Iro in the face with a palm strike. She slips behind Iro, smacking the back of his head onto the stone platform with a belly to back suplex. She bridges for the cover.
One...Two...Thr-Iro kicks out!
Dizon: "Joker just won't give up!"
Coughlin: "She's a crazy bitch. This company is full of them."
Dizon: "I-"
Coughlin: "Complete that sentence and you'll find a different bed to lie in."
Dizon: "Right."
Joker stands up while Iro holds the back of his head, his hands coming away sticky with blood.
Joker waits as Iro slowly gets to his feet, she yanks on the chain to pull Iro to her so she can whip him into the steel railing.
Coughlin: "That steel railing has no give to it like ropes do."
Dizon: "It does prevent a dive into red waters..."
The fans have indeed been throwing in cuts of raw meat and small live animals into the tank with the pirahna so that a cloud of blood and other things best left unspoken of are in the water.
Iro holds the small of his back for a moment, his eyes going wide as j0ker rushes at him to clothesline him over the railing. He ducks and sends j0ker over the railing in a high arc with a back drop.
Dizon: "Aw *beep*! I'm seeing insurance rates going up!"
Iro Waters turns around, quickly gathering the slack of the chain until he can give it a sharp yank with his left arm. Joker splashes into the water, but is ripped out of it so she can grab the rail with her right arm. A few pirahna cling to her form with needle sharp teeth, but that is not the reason she screams in pain.
Coughlin: "Did you hear that pop above even the clinking of the chain? I think he just dislocated her shoulder in trying to save her!"
Dizon: "Better that fate than what could have happened."
Joker works her way back onto the platform with one hand, the ref coming over to help her get the five or six fish off of her. Joker yelps in pain with each removed fish as they do not release her so much as little pieces of her are torn away to cast the fish back into the water.
The last fish she holds in her left hand with anger before she brings it up and bites through its skull and eyes before casting it into the water to be eaten by the others. She then lays on the stone platform, bleeding from her numerous wounds.
Dizon: "That's an all new level of bat shit crazy!"
Coughlin: "Well sometimes you just have to bite back what bites you?"
Theobald: "And we have a new stipulation to be added to this match! Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to the Rain of Lava!"
Dizon: "Rain of Lava? That the brand of gritty soap used to get motor oil and grease off of hands?"
Coughlin: "I'm thinking no?"
Dizon: "Stephan...real lava?"
Theobald: "I just read what they send me, Neil."
Starting out more as a sprinkle over the stone platform and water, droplets of molten lava begin falling from the top of the arena from clouds that smell suspiciously of brimstone. The area above the water begins to mist as steam rises from where drops of lava turn quickly into pebbles that sink to the floor. The stone floor has places where lava quickly cools to join with the stone.
Joker holds out her one moving hand, yelping as she catches a droplet of lava in her hand.
Joker: "Fire and Water. Both equally dangerous. I LOVE IT!"
Joker stands up, greeting Iro with a backhand. Iro is about to respond when several droplets land on him. It's enough of a distraction for j0ker to go in with a school girl cradle to go for the pinfall.
One...Two...Iro kicks out!
Coughlin: "That cradle wasn't very strong with j0ker only having one arm available to her."
Dizon: "I think she doesn't mind losing the use of the arm as opposed to losing more than just the arm forever."
Coughlin: "Truth."
As both slowly rises, Iro quickly wraps the chain around j0ker's arms and legs, and levels her with the-
Coughlin: "Calamity Trigger! This one is all over!"
Dizon: "It was really over once j0ker's arm was dislocated."
Coughlin: "Well, yeah."
Iro drops down for the cover, holding in pained gasps as the lava rain starts picking up in speed.
One...Two...Three!
And just like that the rain stops and the clouds disperse. Medics come down to the platform to help Iro, j0ker, and the ref to the back to get their burns and numerous other wounds taken care of.
Coughlin: "That lava rain killed a lot of fish in the short time that it fell."
Dizon: "They were already dying. At least the ones who took bites out of j0ker would be poisoned."
Coughlin: "You're just so flipping funny..."
The platform and tanks slip underneath as the ring is slowly brought back up into place.
Theobald: "Winner of the match via pinfall and STILL IWA Bloodstain champion...Iro Waters!"
Dizon: "I would consider dropping that title at some point. It's hazardous to hold onto!"
Coughlin: "Like Iro isn't going to go do something even crazier in a little bit by going out and facing Carthage alongside the other Asgardians."
Dizon: "Well...yeah."
IWA World Championship
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall and is for the IWA World championship! Featuring first from Carthage..."Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Devereaux!"
"I Miss the Misery" by Halestorm begins, but no one comes out from the back.
Dizon: "Lady Apathy chicken out?"
Coughlin: "She might well be outside killing Asgardians."
Dizon: "Too true. Maybe she died out there."
Coughlin: "We could always cross our fingers and hope."
There is an explosion from the roof as Elizabeth Devereaux comes diving in head first with her wings furled. She pulls out of her dive, expanding out her wings, and landing lightly onto the mat. The crowd hurls their hatred for the Dark Lady as her wings sink into her back.
Dizon: "You know, I have to wonder. Why does Lady Apathy get a title shot in the first place? She hasn't wrestled in the ring since Druscilla ousted her from the British throne and now she gets a title shot?"
Coughlin: "It was important that Carthage was given a title shot to highlight the Carthage versus Asgard aspect if things. Tabitha can't be trusted for big matches and Valora was given the assignment to eliminate Zareth Korbin in the main event. That leaves Devereaux."
Dizon: "I guess that sort of makes sense."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Asgard, he is the IWA World champion...Kronin!"
A couple quick spots of white noise is heard over the PA before ‘Ich Will' by Rammstein plays. The titan showing highlights of Kronin’s matches and Kronin marches out from the back with the IWA World title around his waist, looking around the crowd and nodding, making his way to the ring every so often pausing to shake hands with fans and the like before climbing into the ring.
Once in the ring, Kronin, hands the belt to the ref for presentation, warms up, and begins to prepare for the coming match...
Dizon: "I'm surprised this match is even happening with the war going on outside. You'd think that both Kronin and Apathy would be outside trying to kill each other instead of being in the ring."
Coughlin: "From Devereaux's entrance, I think she had been outside not long ago doing just that."
Dizon: "You hear anything about what's going on outside? We winning."
Coughlin: "The only thing I have heard so far is that there is so much death going on that the ground has been turned to mud from the amount of blood spilled. Literally, each foot step sinks into the soft ground and fills with blood as you walk."
Dizon: "Gross."
The bell rings to start the match and so Elizabeth Devereaux and Kronin begin circling each other warily. Elizabeth smiles as she eyes Kronin as a predator would prey.
Devereaux: "You don't really think you can defeat me? It was luck that allowed you to seize that title from my lover. It won't help you tonight. You will fall and all of Asgard will fall."
Kronin: "Words are cheap, Apathy. Come and show me how weak Carthage has become."
Devereaux: "I'll show you what will happen to Asgard!"
Elizabeth punches at Kronin, but he catches her fist with his hand. He doesn't have the time to capitalize on this as she pulls her hand back to tug Kronin in, and turn to knock him down with unfurling wings. She kicks him as he gets up to send him into the corner.
Elizabeth stalks across the ring, bringing her wings back in again. She backhands Kronin with a smile, watching blood splatter from the impact.
Devereaux: "How the replacement for Thor easily falls..."
Kronin plants his feet on the bottom rope, launching out of the corner to bring Elizabeth down with a clothesline. Except she doesn't hit the mat. Kronin grabs onto her as they fall, turning with her for a powerslam. He holds her down for the cover!
One...Two...Elizabeth kicks out!
Dizon: "There's a lot of ferocity coming into this match."
Coughlin: "The hatred here is strong."
Kronin rises up, but Elizabeth is also up quickly. Kronin grabs her, puts her into a suplex position, and brings her back down to the mat with a brainbuster. He follows this up with a Pankration Shoulder Lock.
The ref comes in to see if Elizabeth will give up, but she shakes her head no.
Coughlin: "She's no where near the ropes. Think she'll give up?"
Dizon: "No. Look!"
Elizabeth reaches for the ropes with her foot, but when she can't...both her and Kronin suddenly slide in that direction for her to place her foot on the ropes. The ref shakes his head, but makes Kronin break the hold.
Kronin stands up, leaving Elizabeth on the mat. She looks to be starting to get up, but instead raises a hand.
Coughlin: "I don't like this."
Dizon: "You probably shouldn't."
A bolt of energy strikes Kronin in the chest and knocking on onto his back. Lilly comes running down to stand at ringside.
Elizabeth stands up and walks over to Kronin, kicking him in the ribcage a few times.
Kronin holds out a hand as if to beg her off. Elizabeth just laughs.
Devereaux: "Don't tell me that you give up. You have to tell the ref."
Kronin: "I just wanted you to hold still for this!"
A stream of lightning leaves Kronin's fingertips that strikes Elizabeth in several places as it splits up into several bolts.
Elizabeth drops to her knees with a sneer as Kronin stands up.
Devereaux: "You will fall! Asgard will fall!"
Kronin grabs Elizabeth to pick her up, but Elizabeth launches upward to grab Kronin around the middle with her wings unfurling. She takes off in flight to bring the both of them nearly fifty feet up into the air before throwing Kronin back down to the mat. He bounces several feet into the air, slamming back onto the mat.
Elizabeth climbs a bit higher into the air and then begins a rapid descent.
Dizon: "The form looks like Frog Splash, but from seventy-five feet up? The concept is just not right!"
Coughlin: "Looks like a game ender."
Kronin leaps up into the air, catching Elizabeth, and-
Coughlin: "I'm not sure exactly, but that looked like a Beautiful Disaster! Kronin for the pin!"
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "Kronin wins it! Kronin wins it!"
Dizon: "Don't you find it odd that the World championship match is not only not the main event, but seems like the shortest match of the night?"
Coughlin: "No."
Dizon: "Okay then."
Theobald: "Winner of the match and STILL IWA World champion...Kronin!"
Kronin stands up, being joined by Lilly to celebrate the win. Elizabeth stands up, her wings unfurling.
Lilly: "You go nowhere!"
Devereaux: "I go everywhere! When we see each other outside...that's when this will be to the death!"
Elizabeth launches into the air, going out the way that she came back in. Lilly motions to cast a spell, but Kronin stops her.
Kronin: "We'll get her outside, Lil."
The Dread Dragon
Iro Waters stands on the wall to Asgard. He watches as the Dread Dragon, normally known as Tabitha Osborne, swoops from the sky to obliterate scores of warriors with fiery breath.
Waters: "Is it crazy to think that I can take her down?"
Though he was mainly talking to himself, an Asgardian warrior nearby answers.
Asgardian: "You are mad to think anything can take that down! If Thor were here or the Allfather still alive, but not a mortal!"
Iro chuckles.
Waters: "I said crazy, not made. Now, do you think you can work this thing? I know it isn't the kind of weapons you normally work with."
Iro jerks his thumb towards an old catapult. The Asgardian shakes his head.
Asgardian: "It's ready. You sure you want to do this?"
Iro Waters hops into the cradle of the catapult with a laugh.
Waters: "Hell no, I don't want to. The thing is, she's trashing us out there, and the main guns are offline. So flight it is."
The Asgardian nods while tracking the position of the Dragon.
Asgardian: "This really isn't a weapon that was ever meant for this. So if you die..."
Waters: "Then look me up in Hell. Fire!"
The Asgardian pulls the level that sends Iro Waters sailing through the air.
At a time like this, one thinks of the Robin Hood movie with Kevin Costner. Though he did land on something soft.
Iro on the other hand, slams into the side of a fire breathing dragon that's destroyed several cities.
If it was only the Sheriff of Nottingham that he had to face.
Iro Waters clutches at what he can, finding little purchase in the ebony scales on the side of the dragon. His left hand sprouts claws that pierce her side, the cold iron inside the claws burning dragon flesh as it rips into it.
Osborne: "What is this? What? Who?"
Spidery legs sprout from along Iro's cybernetic arm, talons at the end of the legs tearing into Tabitha's side to help him climb to her back. Tabitha looks back at him, crying out in pain as the cold iron talons burn her.
Osborne: "You! This is no wrestling match, you won't win on this day!"
Iro keeps the spider legs pierced in Tabitha's side as his arm changes into a cannon aimed at her face.
Waters: "I wasn't armed with cold iron ammo that will hit you faster than the speed of sound then."
Tabitha responds with an enraged roar, letting loose a gout of flame at her own flank as Iro let's loose with his own blast before falling from her side.
The blaze heats the side of Tabitha even as the blast strike her in the side of the head.
Tabitha transforms back into human form with Iro Waters holding onto her leg for dear life as they fall. She tries to reach and punch him as they fall.
Osborne: "You little bastard! I'll kill you before we die on the ground!"
Iro holds on with one hand, striking at Tabitha with a cold iron taloned cybernetic arm over and over.
Waters: "You won't harm anyone else!"
Tabitha screams in pain, her flesh hissing from the cold iron talons. She howls words of power, striking him with a massive fireball that sends the two in different directions as it lights up the sky.
Tabitha Osborne slams into the side of the flying castle, rocking it from her impact as she goes through stone walls to the inside.
Iro Waters is flung up into the air, where he is caught by Baldur while he rides Sleipnir, the Eight Legged Horse that once belonged to Odin.
Baldur: "Rest easy, brave friend. I have you."
Iro looks over the side to see how far from the ground they were. He'd be frightened with the concept of being on a eight legged flying horse, but his many burns keep his mind focused on the pain and sudden weariness.
Waters: "Yay us! The ship...out of danger?"
Baldur: "What?"
Waters: "You are and always have been...my friend."
Baldur shakes his head in confusion as Iro passes out.
Baldur: "Brave. A bit touched, but brave."
j0ker's Wild
Inside her dressing room (a bedroom inside the palace), j0ker hears the loud sounds of destruction going outside. She shrugs as she sees the wall shakes from impacts in the hallway.
Joker: "So someone wanted to come inside and play? I thought they did their game outside..."
Joker opens her door for two Asgardian soldiers to crash into it and take it off of its hinges. She frowns, walking out into the hallway, and looking up at the face of a two headed ogre with a club that seems the size of a tree.
"She's pretty!"
"Let's squish her!"
Joker raises her hand.
Joker: "Maybe we could not do that and say we did?"
The ogre looks at her with both heads curiously like they didn't know she would speak.
"That's lying!"
"She's mean!"
The ogre brings the club down, smashing into the floor hard enough to crack the floor. He lifts the club up to see not blood, bone, and gore, but an outfit hanging from the end of the club. He grabs it, sniffing at it with both heads.
"Where blood?"
"Where she go?"
A tapping on his butt makes the ogre turn around to see j0ker standing there.
Totally naked.
Joker: "You think maybe I can have that back?"
The ogre heads look down at j0ker in a mixture of confusion and delight.
"Girl pretty!"
"Smash her!"
The ogre brings down the club with a loud thud. Blood and gore splashes everywhere. The ogre lifts the club up to look at their work.
"No squish?"
"Where's the beef?"
"I'm right here boys."
Sitting right between the ogre's heads is j0ker. She's back in her outfit again with her hood drawn back. The ogre heads check their free hand to see that the outfit is gone.
"How do that?"
"Blood on floor!"
Joker: "And your club, and the walls, and even on the ceiling! Not real blood though."
"Fake?"
"Liar!"
As both heads turn to look at j0ker and yell at her, she draws two long knives. She plunges them into an eye socket on each head, driving the blades deep into the brains of the ogre.
Joker leaps away as the two headed ogre falls dead to the floor. She dusts herself off with a chuckle before walking over the ogre corpse to head back into her room.
Joker: "That should discourage more company..."
Fall of the Underworld
Hela slashes left and right, defeating dead people as she goes.
She had readied her forces to march on Asgard to join in the defense when the realm tore open so that Hades could sweep in and attack.
There was no coincidence in this invasion. Timed to be when Carthage invaded Asgard, this had to be the work of Thamptis.
So Hela fought her way through the ranks of the dead. Though the dead just go back to Hades' realm when defeated.
They're dead. Where are they going to go, Cincinnati?
Hela fought her way to get to Hades, even as he fought his way to her. It was going to be decided between them and the winner would have both realms.
The idea of torturing Olympian prisoners in the depths was rather appealing. She only hoped that Asgard would hold.
With the fact that Hades came in behind the entrance to Helheim where Garm the Dire Wolf guards, he yelps as in pain. Hela looks over curiously to see the Dire Wolf falling dead to the ground.
Hela: "What? By Odin's Beard!"
A massive man in twisted plate armor walks past the slain Dire Wolf. An army of knights behind him.
Their armor looks old and thick with spines and blades coming out of different places. Recognition comes as she watches.
Hela: "Golbez! Ally of Sikarin Tsooth!"
This puts a new twist on things as Golbez and his forces sweep through the forces of Hades as if they didn't exist. Hela slows her approach as she watches. The army of Hades wheeling to face the new threat.
Hades meets Golbez head on, but Golbez sheers through the weapons of Hades. He grabs the Death God by the face, ripping the mask off before leveling him with a mighty punch.
Once Hades is down, Golbez slashes down over and over again with a chopping motion.
All at once, the forces of Hades vanish to return to their own realm. Hela gasps as Golbez begins to make his way to her location.
Hela: "How? So easily slain?"
It isn't long before Golbez is before her, his voice deep and sounding of grinding stones.
Golbez: "You will be broken. A Death Goddess who meets Death."
Golbez slashes at Hela, who ducks under the blade instead of trying to stop it. She slices at the legs of Golbez, drawing sparks and a thin line of blood. Golbez only laughs.
Golbez: "Good! Good! It has been since before you were born that anyone has dealt me even the slightest of pain."
Hela pauses to take this in.
Hela: "Before I was born? How-"
Golbez: "Foolish little girl. I watched from my prison as you were all born, feasting upon the scraps left by entire pantheons faded into oblivion."
Hela slashes across Golbez's midsection, the blow doing nothing more than scar armor.
Golbez backhands her, sending her flying backwards. She lands in a heap, losing her sword in the process.
Hela sits up quickly, wiping a blood leaking from the side of her face.
Golbez: "This is all a part of Sikarin's little game. He has played Thamptis for a fool who in turn, played Hades. Our Master will rule over both of your worlds through one of his servants. Death will hold no fear for us any longer since all who die will be returned."
Hela stops reaching for her blade, her eyes wide open in shock.
Hela: "That's not how it works! There has to be a balance!"
Golbez hefts his sword high with a harsh laugh.
Golbez: "Where my master is concerned, there is no balance."
Golbez brings his sword down, but finds it blocked by a shield.
Lady Sif holds the shield, gritting her teeth as she fights to remain standing.
Sif: "You have to get out of here! This battle is lost!"
Hela: "Sif?"
Golbez's blade glides off of Sif's shield with a shower of sparks. Sif uses the chance to leap up and stab her blade into the very small opening in the armor at Golbez's armpit.
Golbez growls in pain, grabbing Sif around the neck, and lifting her up.
Hela takes the chance to run while Golbez is occupied with Sif. She doesn't know where she will go, but Helheim is no longer safe.
Golbez drops his own sword to have a free hand to pull out Sif's blade, tossing it to the side.
Golbez: "A fine blow. One for you, and then..."
Golbez grabs a leg to tear Sif in half.
Golbez: "One for me."
Golbez tosses the slowly vanishing remains of Sif to the side. He looks around for Hela, but does not find her.
Golbez: "No matter. The new Lord of the Dead will be here soon enough."
The Gladiator
Samuel Zadian uses a battered and bloody steel chair across the back of a Spatori, soldiers that were once loyal to Ares, but taken by Thamptis.
He knocks the Spatori down then uses the edge of the chair to break the warrior's neck with a downward thrust.
Samuel grimaces at the blood splatters onto his face from the damage done. Ever since the end of his match, he had gone outside to help take down as many of the goons from Carthage as he could.
His victory over the monster of Carthage known as Tabitha Osborne had given him the confidence to go out and try.
Samuel drops the broken steel chair, picking up a dropped double handed warhammer (essentially a sledgehammer on steroids). He eyes the gathering Spatori with a grin.
Zadian: "You feeling hoppy, you ugly mother fuckers? I got your fun time right here!"
The Spatori part as a chorus of hissing is heard. A woman with the lower body of a large serpent comes into view. She has crimson snakes for hair and brass clawed gauntlets. The murmurs from the Spatori whisper a single name.
"Stheno, Eldest of the Gorgon Sisters."
It was a name that should maybe mean something to Samuel Zadian. Perhaps if he head read up on the many mythologies that had been rewritten over the past few years as history and other new fields of science.
He hadn't and he does not know how Stheno is the most merciless of the sisters that included Medusa amongst their number.
Just just knew that this Stheno was big, ugly, and needed a beat down.
Samuel ducks under a slash from a brass claw, rolling behind her. He stands up, bringing the warhammer down with an overhead swing to strike her...well it'd be lower legs on a person.
Stheno screeches and Samuel feels the satisfying crunch of bone breaking underneath the hammer.
Stheno turns around to lash at Samuel. She doesn't try very hard to hit him, but Samuel hears a loud chorus of hissing as he trips over the slithering tail. He hears screams in the background, glancing up to see several of the Spatori have turned to stone.
That's when old movies that have the monster called Medusa spring to mind and the connection to the danger he's in comes to mind.
Samuel closes his eyes, swinging with the warhammer that connects to the side of Stheno's head. He springs up while she's stunned to climb up her back, holding the warhammer with one hand and grabbing a snake with his other hand.
He sets himself up right and places the shaft of the warhammer to choke her. Stheno tries to reach her with brass clawed hands, but can't get to him. The snakes that are her hair bite him over and over again, but he remains strong in pulling back with all of his might.
The Spatori look on with awe as Stheno weakens and falls to the ground. Samuel slowly stands up, pulls his warhammer up, and brings down upon Stheno's head to splatter her head into bits.
The Spatori, despite being enemies, let out a cheer at Samuel's victory, and retreat.
Samuel Zadian smiles at being able to slay the monster. He'd raise his hands to celebrate, but he feels every blood vessel in his body as the venom of the serpents courses through his body.
Zadian: "I win!"
Samuel falls onto his back, everything quickly fading to black.
Is this how he's going to go?
A little girl kneels by his head with a vial in her hand. She cradles his head with a kindly smile.
"Drink this. It will help you fight the venom of the Gorgon."
She tips the vial into his mouth and he swallows it down. His entire body feels as if it starts afire, but things quickly become clear as new strength floods his body. She whispers into his ear, her voice holding back a light giggle.
"My father made this potion from apples secreted away from Idunn. You won't become Asgardian like the others, but you will be a bit stronger once the venom burns out. Just don't tell anyone...our little secret."
Samuel tries to focus to ask her name, but fatigue sets in, and he passes out.
Tartarus Death Match
Theobald: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is scheduled to be a Tartarus Death Match!"
The Cell cage is lowered into place, a few electrical arcs jumping from bar to bar at random.
Theobald: "Featuring first the challenger, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Valora Salinas!"
"Death Triumphant" by My Dying Bride begins playing as Valora Salinas steps from the back to the boos of the fans. She ignores them for the most part, stopping from time to drain a fan of their life force. She rolls into the ring, stretching to get ready for the match.
Dizon: "So Valora has been sent by Lady Apathy to destroy Zareth Korbin for his treachery."
Coughlin: "I have to say that in the way of things, it's about time. Though this would be the moment most cruel to do this before the man gets married."
Dizon: "Yeah. Stop him before he works his way into a kingdom."
Theobald: "And her opponent, weighing in at two hundred and seventy-five pounds...Zareth Korbin!"
The lights go completely out. As the music starts (Apocalyptica - Hall of the mountain King), dark green lights flash to the opening beat, and then die out as the song slows. The lights return as Zareth Korbin stands atop the entrance ramp. He raises his warhammer towards the ring as the song once again picks up, and flames shoot from each post. Korbin stalks down to the ring, ignoring the fans and everything else as the lights continue to flash. Korbin pulls himself up onto the ring apron and removes his armor, stretching his arms out in a crucifix position as the song ends and he steps inside the ring.
Coughlin: "Zareth is ready to get married and become King. He will be trying his hardest to overcome Valora."
Dizon: "Good luck with that. Few get to say that they have defeated Valora."
The bell rings to start the match, Valora and Zareth begin exchanging punches until Valora ducks a punch and brings Zareth down with a bodyslam. She quickly kneels by him, placing a hand on Zareth's belly.
Salinas: "I know you were expecting a fair fight. That's where you went wrong."
Zareth growls as he feels the sting of his essence being drained and rolls away to his feet. He grabs her by the hair, sinking a knee into her midsection. He clutches her throat and turns to throw Valora bodily into the Cell wall. She opens her mouth soundlessly as electricity flows through her body for a moment before she's released to land on the floor.
Dizon: "It's electric!"
Coughlin: "If you bust out the Electric Slide..."
Dizon: "I know don't-"
Coughlin: "I'll bust out the dollar bills!"
Zareth Korbin grabs the top rope, but then shakes his head with a smile. He slides under the bottom rope by Valora, and that's when the lights go out.
Coughlin: "The first black out of the night."
When the lights come back on minutes later, Zareth Korbin is in the air while pressed against the corner post. Valora holds him by the throat while draining more of his life force.
Salinas: "I know you thought you'd win a major match before your wedding. You won't live to see Casidhe in a wedding gown!"
Zareth digs his thumbs into Valora's eyes to make her drop him. He grabs her and smashes her head into the ring post before lifting her up in a press slam position to drop her throat across the bottom rope. He lifts his boot to stomp on her face when she lifts a hand up, and sends him flying to the ceiling to feel the full power of the cage flowing through him. Valora keeps her hand up to keep Zareth pressed against the cage ceiling until she stops to roll into the ring.
Zareth is held by the power of the cage until his weight forces a fall. Valora leaps up into the air to catch him midair around the head with her legs to bring him crashing to the mat with a hurrancanrana. She grabs his legs for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "The first fall of the night goes to Valora! Can Zareth answer the ten count?"
Dizon: "It's still early on in the match, but Valora has dealt out a lot of punishment in the last few minutes though. I wonder, is that black stuff leaking from Valora's face?"
Coughlin: "Whatever passes for blood from her."
1...2...3...4...5...Zareth stands up.
Valora grabs Zareth for a bulldog, but he lifts her up, changes how he holds her, and drops backward for a Samoan drop. He jumps to his feet, pulling her up, and powerbombs her to the mat. He holds her down for the pinfall.
One...Two...the Lights go out!
Dizon: "How can the ref count the pinfall when it's dark?"
Coughlin: "He can't."
There's a flash of light that highlights both competitors. When the lights come on though, Zareth still has Valora down.
Three!
Dizon: "Can he do that? Just continue the count?"
Coughlin: "He didn't see if Valora kicked out of not."
Zareth stands back as the ref begins the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...Valora stands up with a smile.
Salinas: "You can't escape your fate, Korbin."
Zareth roars rushing in for a spear, but Valora connects the top of his head with a drop kick that knocks him backwards to the mat. Quicker than the eye can follow, she's on the top rope, and leaping off to connect with a Falling Angel. Valora rises up, but then throws a fireball downward into Zareth's face with a cruel laugh before hitting a standing moonsault. She covers for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "Zareth down again."
Dizon: "I'm not shocked."
1...2...3...4...5...The lights go out.
Dizon: "Not again."
Coughlin: "It's just a part of the match."
There's a lot of thrashing to be heard on the mat. When the lights come back on, Valora is seen perched on top of Zareth's chest with both hands covering Zareth's mouth and nose to drain as much life force from him as she can.
The ref begins screaming at
Valora and she snickers as she gets off of him and backs away.
Coughlin: "Valora just tried murdering Zareth with her bare hands!"
Dizon: "She did say that he won't survive to his wedding."
The ref checks on Zareth and shakes his head before restarting the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...Zareth gets up to his feet. He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs.
Salinas: "You know. Maybe after I kill you in the ring, I'll murder Casidhe. My forces can take a side journey and claim all of Ireland for myself."
Korbin: "You won't even threaten my lady's shadow..."
Salinas: "Who is going to stop me? You? You can barely stand up!"
Zareth grits his teeth and comes at Valora with a series of punches, but Valora responds with an Aztec Elbow Slash that sends blood flying from his face. He staggers backwards enough for Valora to drop him to the mat with a Pele Kick.
Coughlin: "Zareth down again. Think he can pull this one off?"
Dizon: "I have to say no."
Valora drags Zareth to his feet with a smile.
Salinas: "You have nothing left. You and all you care about will die."
Zareth kicks Valora in the gut, lifting her up, and power bombing her over the top rope to the floor. He leaps over the top rope to drive her head into the floor with his foot. He grabs her by the hair to lift her up.
Korbin: "You want power? You want something to prove? I will be married! I will be KING!"
Zareth slams Valora into the steel cage, holding her in place as power courses through them both. His scream of pain joining hers.
The lights go out, but the arena is still lit by flashing lights as electricity arcs across both of their bodies.
Dizon: "He's killing himself with this move! What is he thinking?"
Coughlin: "He's thinking of protecting Lady Casidhe."
The lights come back on with Zareth still holding Valora against the cage wall. With a flash of light and screaming of nearby fans, the generator for the cage explodes!
Dizon: "No more power for the cage."
Coughlin: "It's teeth have been removed."
Zareth throws Valora into the ring and follows. He grabs her and-
Coughlin: "The Clavicula Salomonis! Zareth with the cover!"
Dizon: "Oh my *beep*ing God!"
One...Two...Three!
Zareth steps back away from Valora, nearly falling until he leans against the turnbuckles to keep him upright. The ref glances to him before starting the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10!
Dizon: "The Gods have sent their blessings to Zareth Korbin! I wonder if this is a sign on how the war is progressing outside?"
Coughlin: "I hope so. I wouldn't mind going home alive and with the head of Carthage cut off."
The Wedding
The lights in the arena go out and when they come back on a woman in a outfit of a Catholic Priestess is standing in the middle of the ring. The crowd cheer as they realize what's about to happen.
Dizon: "Well, Zareth might have been beaten bloody by Valora, but he still gets the girl in the end."
Coughlin: "I suppose that should count for something. Though I have to wonder about Roux's death. Do you think that Lady Casidhe might be next? Zareth is rather ambitious."
Thirteen large men in green armor walk down to the ring, one of them towering above the others with an axe that looks to weigh more than some grown men.
Coughlin: "Who are these men?"
Dizon: "I hear that Zareth Korbin recruited a Royal Guard to protect the Queen. The ones in the specially decorated armor are the officers, Cathal and Lorcan. The giant dude is Captain Ainfer. You could also call these men a Brute Squad."
Coughlin: "Fun."
"Hall of the Mountain King" by Apocalyptica begins playing as a bandaged Zareth Korbin walks down to the ring with a tuxedo on, nodding to Captain Ainfer before stepping into the ring. He takes up position in front of the Priestess as everyone looks to the ring entrance.
Bridal music plays as Lady Casidhe walks out from the back in a white wedding dress. As she slowly walks to the ring, it becomes apparent that the white train behind her isn't going to end anytime soon. In fact, once Zareth helps her into the ring, the train goes all the way to the ring entrance and vanishes beyond.
Dizon: "Where the heck does that train end?"
Coughlin: "Back home?"
Dizon: "From Asgard to Ireland?"
Coughlin: "Maybe."
Priestess: "We are gathered here to pretend to bring these two into lawfully wedded bliss."
Zareth nods, but then does a double take.
Korbin: "Wait, what?"
Priestess: "Did you think that the Catholic Church would have a female as a Priest and allow her to travel to Asgard of all places to perform a wedding ceremony for a nation whose monarch isn't even Catholic?"
Zareth reaches for his hammer with a frown.
Korbin: "Well, not that you put it that way. What is this?"
Almost quicker than the eye can follow, Lady Casidhe's train slithers down the aisle and wraps around Zareth tight like a mummy wrap except for his head.
The Priestess shakes, her outfit and even face falling away to reveal Roux O'Hara. Zareth looks at her with wide open eyes.
Korbin: "You died! I saw you die!"
Roux runs her fingers down the side of Zareth's face and down his jawline.
O'Hara: "You made a deal with Sikarin Tsooth. Those in the Warhammer Corporation know the truth, never deal with him unless you have no other choice."
Zareth frowns.
Korbin: "But he said-"
Casidhe: "That your position would be improved if your choose to stand with him instead of against him when the time was right?"
O'Hara: "Sikarin told us all of this. He doesn't want weak minded fools on his side."
Casidhe: "We'd let you go, but you are a betrayer. Sooner or later, you'd betray everyone you know or loved to get ahead. Goodbye, Zareth Korbin."
Korbin: "No! I did it all for us!"
Casidhe: "I'm afraid no. You feel the small bumps in the train pressed against you? It's laced with seeds."
Roux and Lady Casidhe both chant words of power as Zareth struggles to break free. Thorned vines begin bursting from the train, roots sinking into Zareth's flesh to draw nutrients from his body.
Zareth grits his teeth, refusing to cry out a bloody vines grow from him and back into him. Blood red flowers sprout from the vines, looking bright like fresh shed blood. Zareth finally opens his mouth to scream, but can only gurgle as his lungs fill with blood.
He coughs, spraying blood onto the mat to clear himself long enough to speak a couple of words.
Korbin: "I loved you...Casidhe."
Zareth Korbin falls to the mat onto his back, the vines tearing the train and his body into shreds.
Dizon: "That was..."
Coughlin: "Live as a traitor, die as a traitor."
Roux O'Hara looks around at the guard outside of the ring with a smile.
O'Hara: "Zareth was a career traitor. Now it is time for you all to decide. Will you be loyal and get the chance to remain in the positions given to you, or will you join the traitor in death? Decide now for the battle will be quickly joined outside."
One by one the Royal Guards kneel before the returned Queen. Captain Ainfer is the last to remain standing.
Ainfer: "I want to know one thing. Will you allow us our duty? To help protect you with our lives and crush all those who wish you harm...no matter what needs to be done to see this done? We will not be cast aside like forgotten playthings. I would die first."
Roux watches Captain Ainfer for a long time before smiling.
O'Hara: "I would be foolish to not accept such. Kneel."
Captain Ainfer kneels before Roux O'Hara.
O'Hara: "Rise, Captain Ainfer. We will be waging war against Carthage alongside the Asgardians. Excited?"
Captain Ainfer rises, hefting his axe with a bloodthirsty grin.
Ainfer: "Your majesty, nothing would make me happier."
The Flashback
Roux O'Hara sits at the bedside of the recovering Lady Casidhe. Magics have done a lot of good in healing the damage done by the traitorous Nevan.
A blue light fills the room and Roux begins a spell when she sees Sikarin Tsooth standing at the end of the bed.
Tsooth: "I'm not here to fight. Just talk."
Roux watches Sikarin for a time, then back to Lady Casidhe, before she answers.
O'Hara: "Then talk."
Tsooth: "You are being betrayed. Zareth Korbin is easily swayed by the promise of power. He betrayed Devereaux to join you. He will betray you to join me. He desires the death of Queen O'Hara in the thought that he could become King."
O'Hara: "That's crazy. Casidhe would be Queen and him a mere consort! Unless-"
Tsooth: "Casidhe also dies once they are wed."
O'Hara: "I'll kill him!"
Tsooth: "Not yet, you still have use of him. I have a plan that we can discuss, but first."
Sikarin Tsooth hands Roux O'Hara a golden dagger that shimmers with the promise of power.
Tsooth: "Soon, you will be in Asgard and the full might of Carthage will be pressed upon you. This dagger will slay Thamptis without breaking the Protection of the Three Siblings. Kill him with this and the war with Carthage will end forever."
Roux turns over the blade in her hands, feeling the power buried within it.
O'Hara: "I will be sure it's sheathed in his heart. Thank you. Now the plan..."
Sikarin smiles.
Tsooth: "For this ploy to work, we will fake your death, Roux..."
Vanir-Egyptian Godwar
Njord, Lord of the Vanaheim. He raises his axe and shouts a battle cry as he enters into battle. With him are the Warriors Three, Forseti, Hermod, Vali, Vidar, Skaldi, and Nerthus. The last being his sister-wife as they were in their second marriage. (Yes. Sister-Wife as she is his Wife AND his sister. It happens in such a lot, even more so in the Olympian pantheon.)
They rush into battle, their targets are some of the more powerful servants of Thamptis in the form of the Egyptian pantheon.
Njord roars in victory as his first attack cleaves Babi, God of Baboons, in twain. His attack carrying him on to split the skull of Serqet, Goddess of Scorpions.
He takes a sidelong glance to see with pride that those who have followed him here have done well. The old Egyptian Gods who have terrorized Egypt for years are falling quickly for few in that ancient land have had any faith in Gods that followed man without question.
The battle carries him to Anubis, who had been the Governor of Egypt for so long.
Anubis: "The Lord of the Vanir. You will find that we are no easier to defeat than the Aesir were. Surrender and you'll find a quick death."
Njord shakes his head with an easy smile.
Njord: "Your fellow gods fall before our might. You will as well."
Anubis: "Is that so? Look again."
Njord spares a glance to watch in horror as Seth tears Hermod and Vali into shreds with teeth and serrated swords.
Anubis: "Who will avenge the death of Odin's sons? Not yo-"
Njord roars a battle cry as he swings his axe, cleaving through both blade and body of Anubis in a single stroke. He rushes at Seth, but his blow is deflected by the God of Evil's weapons.
All who had followed Njord into battle had been killed by Seth, though Njord can also see that Seth is the last of the Egyptian Gods.
Seth: "My son!"
Njord: "You will follow him!"
The battle rages between the two as they clash weapons over and over again to try to gain advantage.
Finally, Njord cleaves into the right side of Seth's neck, driving his axe into the Dark God's heart. This, even as Seth's blade pierces Njord's own.
The two fall away from each other, Seth dead before he hits the ground. Njord lays in the arms of a crying Nerthus as his life blood spills into the ground.
Njord: "To victory..."
Treachery Most Foul
Outside of the city walls of Asgard, Frey's blade sings through the air as it clashes with the giant blade of Nebiryau.
Frey keeps his steps light as he prances about to keep from being cut apart by the more powerful Nebiryau. He has already landed a few light blows, blood streaming from a few cuts.
Frey knows that while he is quicker, he may not outlast his foe. As if to prove his point, Nebiryau backs up and sends a shower of metallic spines in all directions.
Frey dodges through the shower of spines, but is then struck by the electrical discharge traveling between them. He drops to his knees, stunned by the assault. Nebiryau smiles as he readies for the attack to behead the Elf Lord.
Nebiryau's sword greets steel instead of flesh as Malekith slips in to stop the fatal blow. Frey rises with his sword, joining Malekith as they both attack Nebiryau.
Nebiryau's arrogance fades quickly as the pair of gods press him back, striking blow after blow past his defenses.
Frey: "Thank you. I never thought to see the day we fought as brothers."
Malekith: "Nor I."
A glancing blow off of the side of the skull sends Nebiryau to his knees. He tosses his sword down, keeping his hands at his side.
Nebiryau: "You have defeated me, Elf Lords. You may execute me at your leisure. It is the only way to wound Thamptis. Both me and my sister must die."
Frey nods, though he does not look happy.
Frey: "You fought with honor. If only there was another way."
Malekith: "There is."
Frey's eyes go wide as half the length of Malekith's sword comes through his chest.
Malekith: "The alternative is to let Carthage crush Asgard."
Malekith rips his sword free from Frey, kicking him face down into the blood soaked ground.
Malekith: "I must attend to signaling my people."
Nebiryau nods, kneeling by Frey, and rolling him over. He cradles Frey's head with his hand with a solemn expression.
Nebiryau: "I would have rather died by your sword than dealt with such treachery. You deserved better, but my brother's word..."
Frey smiles, coughing up blood.
Frey: "I have a sister the same way. Her name is...her name..."
Frey sighs as life leaves him. Nebiryau closes his eyes with a nod.
Nebiryau: "Her name is Freya or Lenneth. She will have Malekith joining you before nights end."
Vengeance
Lenneth whirls about in battle after shattering a glass golem of Carthage to be met by two Dark Elves.
What madness is this? They're allies in this battle!
That's when she feels it.
She knows when the warriors of Svartalfheim turned.
Malekith had murdered Frey, her brother!
It wasn't enough that her father and Seth had battled to mutual destruction? Malekith had to betray Asgard?
Lenneth let's out a berserker scream, slaying both Dark Elves with a slash of her spear. She scans the battlefield, her combat skills coming to her innate as she plows through enemies with her spear and shield.
That is until she spots Malekith killing Skurge the Executioner and Amora the Enchantress. She times herself and hurls her spear, catching Malekith through the lower back.
She draws her sword and cuts a path through him. The enemy back away in fright as she kneels by Malekith, who laughs.
Lenneth: "You thought it amusing to stab my brother from behind? You traitorous scum!"
Malekith: "I did and I do! So much carnage all around us. Does it really matter who wins this bloody war? Odin is dead, the fate of Asgard has been cast!"
Lenneth grips Malekith by the throat.
Lenneth: "Asgard is eternal. We will have a new King. As will Svartalfheim..."
Lenneth squeezes, crushing and then tearing out the throat of Malekith. He dies in seconds, choking on his own blood.
Lenneth rips her spear from the corpse, raising bloody hands over her head with a shouted challenge to all enemies within earshot.
For their part, Malekith's forces begin their retreat, but caught within the ranks of Asgard...there is no escape for the traitors as they are put to the sword.
Little Sister
Roux O'Hara and Lady Casidhe slash through enemies with spell and blade, their blades capable of slicing through enemy armor with ease despite not being made of metal. The new Royal Guard around them, their weapons and armor coated in the blood of many enemies.
Having weapons made from the heartwood of ancient trees made some fighting easier. The pair sigh in relief as the last of several dozen vampires drops dead for the second time to the ground. Normally a wooden stake to the heart only places a vampire in torpor. These enchanted weapons killed.
These vampires must have been in the line from Nebiryau, but way down the line. There were a lot of them, but they were very weak compared to the likes of Nebiryau or his sire, Druscilla. Not that she knew exactly how strong Nebiryau was when he was a vampire...
An explosion knocks both Roux and Casidhe down to the ground. Roux is up quickly, but Casidhe falls back to lay face down on the bloody ground.
O'Hara: "Casidhe!"
Another explosion blows them away from each other, a foul laughter filling the air.
"Oh my. Did I kill your heir?"
"Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Druscilla lands on the ground by Casidhe in her dark angelic glory. She kneels down, checking Casidhe's pulse.
Devereaux: "She yet lives. I'll fix that once you are gone for real this time."
Roux gets to her feet, glaring at Elizabeth.
O'Hara: "I've killed Titans. You'll be no threat."
This draws more laughter.
Devereaux: "Oh dear. Did you ever wonder why there were so few Titans in Italy and no Olympian Gods left who were not loyal? I have also slain many beings who claimed divinity. Such power is easy to come by while being the Little Sister of Thamptis."
Captain Ainfer shouts a battle cry as he leads the Royal Guard against Lady Apathy. A single spell sends out a wave of power that levels everyone except Captain Ainfer.
Ainfer: "I...will...not...fall!"
Captain Ainfer swings his axe at her, but it is stopped by Elizabeth's wing. Sparks fly as the axe slides off of Elizabeth's apparently feathered wing. She growls as blood drips from the wing.
Devereaux: "You will not fall...you will fly!"
A flash of energy sends Captain Ainfer flying backwards over a hundred feet where he lands in a heap. Elizabeth chuckles.
Devereaux: "Zareth's doing, I suppose? Pathetic as always. Though, I suppose if the enemy wasn't me..."
Roux grits her teeth, lashing out with her sword, but it is blocked by a sword that Elizabeth draws from thin air. Roux's eyes go wide with shock.
Devereaux: "Recognition? When I run you through with this sword of Cold Iron, your powers won't save you from death."
O'Hara: "You're full of yourself..."
Roux twists as she presses back against Elizabeth's blade, grabbing a wing joint with one hand, and tossing her as if a hip toss. She continues on to where the Golden Dagger lay on the ground. A wall of fire springs up before she can reach it.
Devereaux: "Not so fast."
Roux turns back around, defending herself with quick movements of her sword as Lady Apathy goes on the attack. Each backward step pushing Roux closer to the fire.
Devereaux: "What's so important about that dagger?"
O'Hara: "I won't tell you!"
Devereaux: "Fine."
In a quick exchange, Roux disarms Elizabeth, flinging the Cold Iron sword far away. Elizabeth uses the opening to place her hand on Roux's chest.
Devereaux: "I'll find out for myself then."
O'Hara: "No."
A stream of energy strikes Roux O'Hara in the chest. It sends her sailing through the air with a high arc of blood spray. Elizabeth chuckles as she dispels the fire wall.
Devereaux: "I've always wanted to do that. Now the dagger."
Elizabeth walks over to pick the dagger up. She frowns as she feels the great power hidden within.
Devereaux: "What is this I wonder?"
Lady Apathy takes to the air, looking down upon the battlefield until she sees her target.
Thoth, the Egyptian God of Wisdom and Magic. He lays upon a cot outside of the fighting where Priests attend to his wounds that were inflicted by Skaldi, Goddess of Winter. She lands next to him with a smile.
Devereaux: "Good to see you alive, Thoth. I need you to look at this and tell me what secrets it holds. Roux O'Hara, Queen of Ireland, was going to rick her life to get it after she dropped it."
Thoth coughs flecks of blood into a cloth before accepting the Golden Dagger. He turns it over in his hands before uttering a curse in Ancient Egyptian.
Thoth: "There is a buried secret within the blade, but one thing is clear. This weapon can be used to kill the Dark Warlock without breaking the Protection of the Three Siblings! You must tell him at once and hide this weapon!"
Elizabeth takes the weapon from Thoth with a nod.
Devereaux: "You think knowledge of this weapon is wide spread?"
Thoth: "No. I think if it was, we would have been told to seek it without being told why."
Devereaux: "Good."
Elizabeth raises a hand, sending out a dome of fiery power that incinerates everyone nearby. Thoth cries out in pain as the fire burns deep.
Thoth: "Why?"
Elizabeth places her hand over Thoth's mouth.
Devereaux: "Hush now. Something has to be held back just in case my brother goes too far."
When Elizabeth removes her hand, he shakes his head.
Thoth: "Heresy! If he finds out yo-"
Elizabeth places her hand over Thoth's mouth again.
Devereaux: "He won't. Who would tell him I have it? All who know here are dead."
Thoth tries to shout through Elizabeth's hand, but he is silenced when a release of energy destroys his head and shoulders.
She then tucks the Golden Dagger away and looks to see where she's needed next.
Gates of Valhalla
Lenneth wipes at blood to clear her vision as she staggers. She had taken a number of minor wounds in the intense fighting. She looks upon her destination with a grim smile, working her way to it.
The Gates of Valhalla.
The Gatekeepers stand on the outside of the gates, fallen heroes gathered at the gates. They clamor to be released to join the fighting, but it falls on deaf ears.
Lenneth: "Open the Gates!"
Gatekeeper: "We cannot without the word of the King."
Lenneth snarls.
Lenneth: "The King is dead, you fool! Open the gates or all is lost!"
Gatekeeper: "There is still a King! Thor is next in-"
Lenneth: "Thor is someplace in Jotunheim! Open the damned gates!"
The gatekeeper opens his mouth to argue again, but Lenneth kills them both with slashes from her spear. She takes the key from his corpse and opens the gates.
Lenneth: "To the battle! Carthage has entered the city! Flush them out! For Asgard!"
The gathered warriors flood through the gates to stream toward the battle.
"For Asgard!"
Blindfight
Inside the main castle of Asgard, Hod sits at the balcony. He faces the battle, but cannot see it. He has other senses and he could very likely take down many enemies, but Odin forbade it.
And so he listens as the war progresses. He heard the exchange between Odin and Thamptis. The tears he shed are still wet upon his cheeks.
His friends and family down below fighting to the death to defend Asgard, and so many were dying...
Hod: "I wish I could help you, my brothers."
"I wonder if once you made the journey to Helheim if you would have your vision back?"
Hod lifts his head up, sniffing at the air.
Hod: "You have my mother's blood on your hands."
"Of course I do. Your father would have been without his mate. You will be joining them soon."
Hod hears two blades springing into place and shakes his head as he rises from his seat.
Hod: "You are a monster, Valora Salinas. I'll see to it that your own blood joins my mother's on the blade you stole from Sif's tomb."
Valora laughs, leaping to cover the distance between them to slash at Hod. He blocks with his own sword, lunging in to knock Valora into the wall before rushing inside. He spins around just in time to block another quick series of strikes.
Salinas: "You are quick for a blind man. Must hear me breathing?"
Hod catches Valora across the right thigh with a shallow cut, putting her on the defensive to prevent further harm.
Hod: "We both know you only breath to fill dead lungs with the air to speak. You are filled with power than any fool can sense. You are clear, even to my blind eyes."
Hod shouts an Asgardian war cry, splitting Sif's double bladed sword in half. He kicks her square in the chest to send her over the side of the balcony with the sword fragments hitting the floor.
Hod turns back to the inside. There was little left for him, he would join the war with few left to stop him.
He doesn't get very far when he catches a sword slash with his hand. The blade humming with power as it cuts into his palm. Hod can feel his divine energy being drained away. Valora leers in close to his face.
Salinas: "You didn't think a mere fall would kill me, did you?"
Hod: "A mere woman killed you already. I had only hoped you were to understand the hint of being not welcome in my father's home."
Valora hisses as she tears her sword back from Hod, flinging blood across the stone walls.
Salinas: "I will devour you whole!"
Hod catches Valora by the back of the head with a hand, bringing her into a headbutt.
Hod brings out a glass orb from his pocket the size of a fist. The contents of which seem a swirling darkness.
Hod: "Shall we even the playing ground?"
The orb shatters when it hits the ground, plunging the entire room into an unnatural darkness. Not even sound can be heard across the endless expanses that seems to fill the room.
Hod dodges another sword thrust, the power of Valora still seeming bright in his senses. He runs to the other side of the room, hefting up a spear.
He knows that in another place and time, his aim would have been guided by the hand of Loki in the name of some jealous scheme. This is not that time.
As the spear leaves his hand, he knows that something is wrong. The spear strikes the stone wall and the spark...
We see from the outside as there is a rather large explosion from inside the building that sends a gout of flame to the outside.
Hod lays against a charred wall. He seems just as burned as the wall behind him. At least Valora took the brunt of the-
Hod sees the glow of power that represents Valora a moment before he feels her energy stealing blade enter his heart.
Valora Salinas smiles as she feels her body replenished from taking Hod's energy. The fight was a bit harder than she thought, but worth it. She sheaths the sword walking through the halls to see if there are any more Asgardians held back from the fighting.
Salinas: "Come out and play!"
The Lich
"Eteokles!"
Druscilla shouts across the battlefield as she spots the ancient Greek lich.
Druscilla: "You won't be leaving Asgard alive!"
Eteokles laughs, casually sending a fireball in her direction. It goes wide as though not intended to strike.
Eteokles: "If you want to be technical, I didn't enter Asgard alive in the first place. Not since...you know."
Eteokles casts a lightning bolt. It strikes a gauntlet on Druscilla's right hand. She grits her teeth as she absorbs the power.
Druscilla: "You have only grown in arrogance since your transformation. Since you tore your soul away from fleshy moorings and cast it into an object so that Death cannot find you."
Eteokles: "And you will never know where I hid it."
Druscilla draws a finger of the gauntlet across her hand, holding the bleeding palm out, and allowing the blood to drip into the blood soaked earth.
Tendrils of blood burst from the ground to entangle the lich in a net of blood mingled of gods and monsters. He struggles, but can't break free.
Eteokles: "I will break free of this. When I do, I will ensure you can never be brought back!"
Druscilla: "I may never know your hidden location, but I do know the Asgardian Goddess of Secrets."
Druscilla reaches into a pouch, producing a small olive branch. Eteokles looks on with wide eyes.
Eteokles: "No! I surrender! Please!"
Druscilla: "We've danced this before. You vowed to be loyal and I let you hide this again so you could betray me. Never again."
The olive branch burns to ashes in her hand, bringing a scream from Eteokles as he too burns to ashes.
Druscilla: "Ashes to ashes..."
To Battle the Siblings
Kronin and Lilly fight across the battlefield. They have several hundred Asgardian warriors with them as they drive a wedge into Carthage forces to try to break them apart.
Already they can see that the Vanir have broken the Egyptian allies of Carthage, despite heavy losses. The Greek and Italian forces have been under heavy fire, and Kronin watches as Samuel Zadian actually took down Sthena and managed to get many Spatori either retreat or switch sides from his amazing feat.
He was going to move to him with Lilly to help him once he fell, but then he saw Celes Hoskuldottir appear to help.
Still, even with the successes of individual heroes, it was still a difficult battle. They were losing a war of attrition against the seemingly endless forces that Carthage can bring into play. From masses of mortals bribed or blackmailed into service, to monsters from a variety of old mythologies, to the undead...the odds were very much against them.
Kronin nearly stops to praise Iro Waters when he brings down the Dread Dragon that Tabitha Osborne had become. That still left the Three Siblings who led Carthage and slaughtered defenders with ease.
The wave of enemies in front of Kronin and Lilly seem to part to reveal Thamptis walking toward them, his hands glowing bright with green power.
Thamptis: "Kronin the Reborn. This has been a long overdue meeting."
Kronin: "Are you here to surrender? It would be better than me killing you."
Thamptis chuckles.
Thamptis: "Let's not mince words here. I have a world to conquer. So let's get onto the dying, shall we?"
Thamptis brings his hands together, the glow from each hand joining and growing bright in power. Lilly jumps in front of Kronin, weaving her hands in a pattern.
Lilly: "NO!"
A massive stream of green power strikes a bright blue sphere shield. Lilly grits her teeth as she tries to hold, the green energy striking the shield and sweeping around it like a river.
Thamptis smiles as the power sweeps through the wall behind Kronin and Lilly and through the Asgardian city on its way to destinations unknown.
Thamptis: "You can't hold out forever, little one. I already slew the most powerful of you all with ease."
Kronin holds on to Lilly's shoulders as if maybe he could will some of his energy into her as he could see that cracks were already forming in the shield. That's when it hit him.
Kronin: "Lil! Odin was killed out here! Do you suppose the Odinforce is hanging around?"
Lilly: "Maybe? Yes! I can feel it!"
Little motes of light in the air glow as they fly into Lilly, causing her to glow until.
The energy shield changes into a massive counter attack that pushes back against the spell of Thamptis to create a sparking sphere of energy between the two. More motes of light from further away to be absorbed by Lilly. Thamptis frowns as the energy begins pushing back against him harder and harder.
Thamptis: "You cannot!"
The beam strikes Thamptis, sending him all the way to behind his lines, destroying everything in its path. Lilly drops to her knees, exhausted from channeling so much power. Kronin drops down to hold onto her.
Kronin: "It's going to be alright, I have you."
Two shadows cross over Kronin and Lilly. They look up to see Nebiryau and "Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Devereaux.
Nebiryau: "It's been fun."
Devereaux: "But it's time for you to go."
The two siblings draw their weapons while Kronin stands to draw his own with one hand and electricity gathered in the other. He steps in front of the exhausted Lilly.
Kronin: "Let's do this then."
Kronin battles for long minutes with sword and lightning, just keeping the attacks of Nebiryau and Elizabeth at bay.
Though he was fighting his hardest, it did not seem as if Nebiryau and Elizabeth were trying theirs.
Kronin was about to try a ricky move to try to turn the tide when everything becomes stained in green for an instant. Kronin looks over to see Thamptis standing over a downed Druscilla. She hadn't fared quite so well against the Dark Warlock. He turns back to continue his fight, but the fight seems to have stopped. Nebiryau glances at him, but looks to Druscilla with more than a little concern. He raises his sword to strike, but Lilly grabs his arm, and whispers into his ear.
Lilly: "Not now, babe!"
Nebiryau looks at Kronin, his expression telling much he turns and starts running. Elizabeth frowns and follows.
Kronin: "Why did you?"
Lilly: "This next few moments will determine the course of the war with Carthage. Nebiryau has been torn in his loyalty between his brother and Druscilla. Elizabeth is loyal to Nebiryau and not Thamptis. Watch..."
The Price of Passion
Druscilla rips her blade from a Jackal headed warrior with enough time to behead another.
The forces that came with the Egyptian Gods have been falling easily since their divine leaders were killed.
Still, they are not easily winning this battle as had been thought. Especially, not with Thamptis joining the battle personally.
That can be changed.
Druscilla makes her way to Thamptis, who is blasting defenders by the score into burnt corpses, his clothing showing the scorch marks from taking the brunt of Lilly's counterattack.
Druscilla: "This ends now, Thamptis!"
Thamptis sneers with a harsh laugh.
Thamptis: "You can't defeat me. The Protection of the Three Siblings is still in place!"
Druscilla: "I can prevent you from taking part in this battle."
Thamptis sends a stream of green fire her way, but it only destroys a misty shadow. Thamptis turns around quickly, but is struck down with a swipe of Druscilla's blade. She follows this with a kick, but Thamptis catches her foot with a laugh.
Thamptis: "You may be older, but I am more powerful."
Thamptis unleashes a green electrical attack through the boot he holds, but once again Druscilla dissolves.
Thamptis stands up, mumbling a spell. Druscilla reappears, slashing at the neck of Thamptis, but it's as if it strikes an invisible wall. Thamptis finishes his spell, sending out a wave of energy in all directions that seems to color everything green. Druscilla falls to the ground, her sword dissolving into ashes.
Elizabeth Devereaux and Nebiryau come running to the side of the Dark Warlock.
Devereaux: "Are you alright?"
Nebiryau: "Brother!"
Thamptis chuckles, keeping his eyes on the fallen Druscilla.
Thamptis: "I'm fine. I'm just dealing with an old enemy in the way I should have over a thousand years ago. Stand up! Face your death with dignity. This spell will ensure you never come back."
Druscilla slowly stands up. She stands straight up, looking straight at Thamptis.
Druscilla: "I do not regret the choices I have made. You are and have always been wrong."
Thamptis curses in Phoenician.
Nebiryau: "Brother, Druscilla has been an ally as often as an enemy. We should rethink-"
Thamptis: "To you. Her history is entwined with yours. I knew I chose wrong when I let Khonsu die over you."
Nebiryau: "Brother..."
Devereaux: "Your brother has always been loyal-"
Thamptis: "You know little of history, little sister. Druscilla dies."
The green flames wreathing the hands of Thamptis change and grow to a bright blue. He sends twin beams that aim for Druscilla's heart.
That is until Nebiryau shoves her out of the way and the beams strike him instead.
Druscilla lays on the ground, watching as the body and soul of Nebiryau is torn apart by the spell of Thamptis.
Druscilla: "Nebiryau!"
Thamptis looks on in shock at what he had done, sadness covering his expression. He quickly buries his feelings deep, looking coldly at Elizabeth.
Thamptis: "Would you go so far to defy me as well?"
Devereaux: "You've gone too far, brother. Druscilla!"
Elizabeth tosses the Golden Dagger to Druscilla. Thamptis turns quickly, but Druscilla has already moved, and the Golden Dagger is sunk deep into his heart.
Druscilla: "It's all over, Thamptis. Carthage will fall this one last time."
Druscilla releases the dagger, letting Thamptis to stagger backwards to the ground. He looks to Elizabeth, who regards him with anger.
Devereaux: "You killed my brother. Your madness would destroy the world. You die now for your sins."
Thamptis lays on his back and takes one last breath before his body and the Golden Dagger shatter like glass into pieces that lay on the ground.
In the distance, the flying castle crashes to the ground with an impact that knocks nearly everyone to the ground, and stops the fighting.
Dark clouds gather in the sky to block out the stars as the wind picks up to a howl. Lightning lights up the sky, striking the ground in random places.
Druscilla: "What's happening?"
Devereaux: "I don't know! I think somehow, things have become worse!"
The Fall of Asgard
The clouds in the sky part in a circle with a single humanoid falling from the sky to land in the spot where Thamptis died.
He wears a black robe, torn and tattered with age. His hood is back to reveal a skeleton underneath, not a spot of flesh to be found. Around his neck is a long silver chain with a crystal skull that glows a sickly white light within.
The broken flesh, clothing, and Golden Dagger rise up and melt as they merge with the creature. Leaving a bald, dark skinned man with golden flecks in the skin. He smiles as everyone on the blood soaked battlefield has stopped to stare at him. The power he radiates stunning even those who are blind to such things.
He begins to walk toward the city, heavy footprints filling with blood from the saturation of the ground. The sound of his voice seemingly coming from everywhere at once sounds distant and haunting.
"I am Skalar, who was once known the Chaos Mage. It was at a time before even the Gods in this realm's recorded history."
Arrows, bullets, attack spells, and many other projectiles begin flying through the air to strike Skalar. Everything stops a foot from his body, obstructing him from view.
"To fight me is to fight Fate itself. Nothing could have stopped this moment, no matter how you thought to prevent it."
To prove his point, the ball of projectiles explode. The projectiles themselves burn to dust, but the impact from the explosion clears the ground around him in a half mile radius. Everyone inside that area are tossed away or destroyed. Skalar emerges from the destruction with a smile.
Sikarin Tsooth appears on his left with thousands of Sikarin's albino cannibalistic servants. Golbez appears on his right with thousands of his Chaos Knights. The grounds around them begin filling with thousands of humanoid warriors that slowly shift in shape from wings to skin color to horns in a random grotesque progression.
"Kill everyone..."
The ground begins steaming, blood rising into the air to form dark read clouds in the sky as the forces of Skalar begin to march.
What was a vicious back and forth war that was leaning toward a Carthage victory by attrition quickly became a rout. Sikarin's albino sorcerers cast power attack spells. Golbez's Chaos Knights were nigh invincible in battle. The ever changing remainder healed just as quickly as they shifted between shapes, even rejoining lost limbs, torsos, and heads in a very fluid way.
A general retreat is called for as it seems that nothing can be done to stop the oncoming army. Many retreat to the city or to their own realms as the portals started to close. Those with the IWA along with others made their way to the rainbow bridge at the beckoning of Heimdal.
Heimdal: "You must get the Midgard where it is safe!"
Heimdal sends as many as he can at a time though to London until Lenneth is last.
Lenneth: "Come with us, Heimdal! Asgard is lost!"
Heimdal shakes his head, his expression as grim as ever.
Heimdal: "I am Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. It will be until my last breath. Go. I will hold them here."
Lenneth nods, going through the bifrost to London. Heimdal is about to close it when he feels hands on his back.
Heimdal: "Loki. This is not the destined end of all things, but if you wish to battle to the death now..."
Loki: "Always so dramatic. I'm not dying by your hand, fool. Time to go."
Heimdal: "What?"
Loki shoves Heimdal into the open bifrost, closing it down behind him. He turns around, drawing his bloody sword, in time to see Sikarin Tsooth and Golbez.
Tsooth: "Step aside, Trickster. Final stands do not suit you well."
Loki just smiles.
Loki: "It is an ill fitting gesture when ordinarily I would consider placing a knife in his back. I blame my Granddaughter for making me go soft."
Golbez: "Enough of this stupid verbal fencing. Die, young god!"
Golbez lumbers forward with his great axe, Loki rolling out of the way of a might blow that cracks the bridge.
Tsooth: "Watch out, fool! You'll destroy everything."
Golbez: "I'll cleave him in half!"
Golbez swings again, but Loki grabs the haft of the axe while steeping into it and helping Golbez strike the bridge. He leaps back to the platform as the bridge shatters and sends Golbez and Sikarin Tsooth to fall in the void between worlds.
Loki: "You won't find a way back to Mid-urk!"
Loki flies across the expanse for his throat to land neatly in the hand of Skalar. Loki tries to break free, but he cannot pry the fingers away from his throat.
Loki sees as Golbez and Sikarin Tsooth reappear at his side and the bridge rebuilds itself.
Skalar: "Your trick failed. Your sacrifice today is a waste. Earth is mine as it always has been. Now from Asgard...all worlds will be mine as they were always destined to be."
Loki tries to speak, but the crystal skull around the neck of Skalar flashes and Loki's body is blown away into ashes with a thought.
Skalar: "Finish off those who remain and begin the invasion of Earth."
Tsooth: "Yes, my master."
Golbez: "Yes, lord."
All Fall Down
Druscilla stands in a control center where reports are coming in from intelligence reports around the world.
It seems as if nearly every nation across the entire world is being struck at once.
Druscilla drinks deeply of her goblet, unheeding of the blood that dribbles down her chin. One of her officers, clearly looking to impress, speaks up.
"This Skalar guy is using the Asgardian Bifrost. How can we fight against that?"
Druscilla glares balefuly at the man. Even without drawing on her power, the sight of her ire and the blood running down her chin...and coating her clothing since she hadn't time to clean, must have been very imposing for he silences himself right away to go back to monitoring.
The building shakes from a nearby explosion. Druscilla casts her goblet against the wall where it becomes embedded.
Larger and larger creatures have been coming from Asgard with a variety of destructive weapons ranging from breath weapons to laser eyes to needle weapons. Unverified reports say that Glascow, Scotland was eaten in a single bite...
Druscilla: "Why can't we make any progress against these things? Order full evacuations to major cities! We have to be able to at least protect a few locations!"
"Your majesty?"
Druscilla shakes her head at the officer.
Druscilla: "We can protect everywhere! Do it!"
The officers in the room begin sending out signals to military, government, and media sources. Druscilla looks out through a window to see the sky lighting up with random trails of the Bifrost opening and closing.
Druscilla: "We have to do something. Maybe..."
"Majesty! Majesty! Queen Druscilla!"
Druscilla snaps out of her thoughts to see one of her people motioning her over.
Druscilla: "What?"
The officer points at the screen where Skalar the Chaos Mage has appeared while hovering in the air outside of London.
"You think he wants us to surrender?"
The glow around the Chaos Mage increases until he releases a beam of energy.
"Majesty?"
Druscilla watches as the beam seems to come right at her. Not directly anyway since this camera is blocks away, but still.
Druscilla: "Brace for impact!"
We go to where Skalar floats in the air. Him watching as the explosion from his attack destroys London.
IWA Epilogue
Fires rage across the world.
Across many worlds.
The Forces of Skalar the Chaos Mage rain down upon the Earth nearly everywhere at once. Legends and Myths cannot explain what comes to claim us all. These things are far older.
We fight as best as we can, but it is a losing war I fear. My home is burning. The issues that divided us all seem petty compared to what faces us now.
Everyone who does not bow down in absolute worship of Skalar as the One and Only God is destroyed. Those who do are culled by almost half.
The death blow we had planned for Carthage is now the world's last best hope for victory as Skalar and his people will seek to destroy them in person and gain access to the portal to attack that world beyond.
Despite the many set backs we faced, I am proud of what we have accomplished as a global community. It isn't easy to get everyone to go in the same direction, even if it is for the best. We fought hard against Carthage and her allies. We have won more battles than we have lost. I hope that someday, we can do so again.
My advisers are telling me to get into the secret bunker we have to remain safe. I have refused. I will not hide while the country I love with all my heart faces the bitter choice between genocide and slavery. I will fight.
If you can hear my voice, gather yourselves together to fight! Or if you can, go to the Aztec empire where Valora rules. This new evil has not attacked there. She is good to her people.
Stay safe. We will face this new threat with the same courage that we have all others in the past.
Goodnight, America...
And goodbye...
-President James E. Lee
That's the PDF version of the show and is downloadable. Shows even come with mp3 files built into the pdf for a more immersive viewing.
Strike at the Heart
IWA action takes us to the most dangerous arena yet! The biggest pay-per-view of the year set in Asgard itself! This as the full might of Carthage is set and ready for the biggest battle of the year. Will Carthage prove victorious and gain access to the secrets of Asgard, or will a deadly blow be struck against the evil empire? Also planned for the night, a wedding between Zareth Korbin and the newly crowned Queen Casidhe! A night of amazement, blood, and carnage!
Asgard Rallies
Odin stands at the head of the Asgardian host. He nods as Tyr joins him to regard the Carthage forces.
Odin: "I thought you were guarding in Russia?"
Tyr shakes his head with a laugh.
Tyr: "Few Jotuns come through. Thor must be causing a lot of commotion."
Odin motions to the enemy camp.
Odin: "What do you think of our chances?"
Tyr watches the movement of enemy forces for a long time before answering.
Tyr: "We are outnumbered far beyond our ability to win. We would need-"
Three portals open wide and three new forces take the field with Asgard. Lenneth and her Valkyries, Frey and the Light Elves, and Malekith with a host of Dark Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, and other humanoids. Lenneth, Frey, and Malekith join Odin. Frey and Lenneth greeting with a hug.
Frey: "Sister! It has been so long!"
Lenneth: "Too long. I'm glad to see that you are well!"
Malekith greets Odin with a slight bow.
Malekith: "Heimdall informed us that aiding Asgard in this time of need would benefit us both, and so we came with great haste."
Frey: "My sister and I needed no such bribes. We will perform our duties to our Allfather, though I wonder. Might this be a time to open the Gates of Valhalla for this battle?"
Odin snorts derisivly.
Odin: "We are dealing with a power mad, essentially mortal, warlock. We don't need the Heroes of Valhalla to win this war."
Frey nods, looking over at the gathered Carthage forces.
Frey: "Then we will work on defeating them with what we have."
Odin: "If we must. I will go forth in a moment to meet with this Thamptis. Once he sees that he has little chance of defeating this force, he will go back home."
Lenneth frowns.
Lenneth: "He's not sane, Allfather. I doubt reason is a word he understands. At least not anymore."
Odin chuckles.
Odin: "He will leave or he will water the fields of Asgard with his blood."
The Meeting
Outside of the Eternal City of Asgard, two armies face each other on the field of combat.
One one side stands Asgard and her allies with the city behind them. On the other in the shadow of the flying castle is Carthage. A single person from either side walk across the plain to meet in the middle.
The air is filled with the promise of bloodshed as the two meet. Odin from Asgard with Gungir in his hand, and Thamptis from Carthage with his feet barely touching the ground.
Odin: "You will not win this war, warlock. Go home."
Thamptis: "You don't want more Asgardian blood spilled. I understand that. Give me the army of Uru men that you have hidden and full access to the Bifrost and we will leave Asgard unharmed."
Odin shakes his head with a smile.
Odin: "You've been lied to. There are no Uru men. There was once one, but it was destroyed. And you will never have access to the Bifrost. Go back home and lose your war as will be."
Thamptis grits his teeth, his right hand glowing bright green with power.
Thamptis: "You would sacrifice an entire pantheon just to prevent me from defeating my enemies on Earth using an army of Uru men that was created on Earth and an allowance of your Bifrost. You are a fool! You see in my numbers the surviving Egyptian pantheon members. You know I destroyed the Olympian pantheon. Asgard cannot stand! Give me what I want and stay out of this war!"
Odin points Gungir at Thamptis with an oath.
Odin: "You can be the first to fall. How will Carthage stand without you?"
Thamptis: "Try it, old man. I will break Asgard and take what I want."
Odin thrusts Gungir, striking Thamptis in the middle of the chest. It does not pierce the skin though, but does knock him backwards a few feet.
Thamptis: "You see all, but have forgotten about my protection spell. Your arrogance is your undoing."
Thamptis holds out his palm towards Odin with a smile.
Thamptis: "Zeus died from a lesser blow."
A stream of green magical power strikes Odin in the chest, growing in strength until it's blasting his entire body.
Odin: "You will not win!"
Thamptis: "I already have..."
Odin flies back several hundred feet where his body explodes with a fury that bleaches everything a bright green.
Thamptis chuckles as outrage begins to fill the Asgard camp.
Thamptis: "This war will be over before you know it."
Opening
The music plays over the PA system as everyone slowly file to their seats. The air is full of tension as everyone knows that the war between Asgard and Carthage heats up outside of the city. Once the music stops, we go down to ringside to the Commentary desk where sit Neil Dizon and Jane Coughlin.
Coughlin: "Hello IWA fans and welcome to Strike at the Heart! Tonight is a make it or break it moment for the unending war with Carthage. Either Asgard strikes a blow against Carthage so that the coalition force can finish the evil empire off once and for all, or Carthage conquers Asgard and gains the ability to strike anywhere and everywhere on the Earth that they choose."
Dizon: "Inside the ring tonight, we have several people from Carthage in matches. Will we be able to hold them off?"
Coughlin: "Let's get down to the ring where Stephan Theobald is ready for the opening match!"
Zadian vs Tabitha
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall. Featuring first, the challenger...weighing in at three hundred and twenty pounds...Samuel Zadian!"
24 Hours by Wretch 32 starts playing. A silhouette of Samuel Zadian appears at the top of the ramp. At the 0:17.5 second mark of the song, Sam walks in, revealing himself. He walks down the ramp, sometimes looking around and staring at the audience. He walks up the steel stairs and goes in between the middle and top rope. He climbs two corners, raising one arm to the crowd at each one. He walks to an empty corner and gets into a boxing stance.
Coughlin: "I hear that Samuel was upset with himself at the fact that Xerios died during their match in Rome. I can understand that since he wasn't there to kill anyone, just wrestle."
Dizon: "I blame Xerios. If he didn't have those horns on the top of his head, he would not have gotten stuck in the mat and got his neck broken."
Theobald: "And his opponent, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Tabitha Osborne!"
"What Have You Done Now?" by Within Temptation begins as Tabitha Osborne walks out from the back with a smile. The crowd responds with booing, but it only makes Tabitha grin wider. She makes her way down to the ring, rolling in, and blowing Samuel a kiss when she gets to her feet.
Dizon: "Tabitha took out Clare Miller at the last Onslaught. If I were Samuel Zadian, I'd be a little more than scared."
As the bell rings, Samuel crosses the ring to begin an attack, but is backhanded by Tabitha with enough force to flatten him.
Osborne: "You're cannon fodder, you know. Something to feed the lowest of the low to."
Samuel gets back to his feet, but Tabitha kicks him in the gut. She grabs him by the chin to lift him back up before dropping him with a clothesline. She stomps on his crotch, twisting her heel with a wicked laugh.
Coughlin: "I'm not so sure that Samuel should be so disrespectful. He could really surprise her with some skills. He does want to claim vengeance for the damage done to the United States and the lives lost, and who does Tabitha serve?"
Dizon: "Yeah, right. Like Zadian could do something like that. Do you remember what she did to Clare? Deva-freaking-stating."
Tabitha rips Samuel off of the mat, hurling him like a rag doll into the corner where he bounces off to hit the mat. She walks over, sneering at him.
Osborne: "I heard you've done your homework on me. You know that I have killed time and time again. You know then that I lived in the asylum at Killswitch Island since the age of twelve. I've been out a couple times, but always went back until the start of this year. I'm twenty-three now."
Tabitha pulls Samuel up by the throat, slamming him back into the turnbuckles.
Osborne: "So you know I have killed a hundred or more before I was imprisoned. More while imprisoned. Since I joined Carthage? Since I joined with the power of the Dread Dragon? Tens of thousands. Let that number sink in, little fool."
Tabitha proceeds to smash Samuel with lefts and rights, caring little for technique.
Dizon: "See? There won't be anything left of him!"
Coughlin: "I don't know."
Tabitha grabs Samuel by the hair, pulling his head back so she can look into his bloody face.
Osborne: "Do you have any last words before I crush you into bloody pulp?"
Blood dribbles out Samuel's mouth as he tries to speak. He coughs to clear himself.
Zadian: "You...work...for Carthage?"
Tabitha leans her blood splattered face near his with a sadistic giggle.
Osborne: "Ever since my Lady Apathy freed me from the asylum for the last time. Can you imagine the damage I will do to your homeland once we're done here?"
Samuel head butts Tabitha in the face to get her to release him. He lunges again before trying to grasp at her, biting at her face, and sinking his teeth into her cheek. Tabitha grabs his head as he grabs her shoulders.
Dizon: "Has he lost his mind?"
Coughlin: "Yes."
The ref tries to regain control, but finds that he can't get between them. He yells at the side, but Tabitha finally shoves herself away from Samuel. She rolls backwards away to the middle of the ring.
Tabitha holds her face as blood pours from her face. She looks at Samuel with fury. That is until he rises up on his own two feet and spits out a chunk of flesh. Tabitha let's out a screech of rage and rushes at him.
Samuel catches Tabitha and power slams her to the mat, hooking a leg for the cover.
One...Two...Tabitha kicks out.
Coughlin: "See? He's coming back."
Dizon: "I have to say...he's still doomed."
Coughlin: "Our normal bet?"
Dizon: "Sure, why not. You can't win every time."
Samuel quickly gets up, and as Tabitha gets up, he hits her with a spinning back fist to knock her back to the mat. Once she's down, he locks in a cross face. The ref gets into position to see if Tabitha will give up, but she only laughs.
Dizon: "She won't give up."
Coughlin: "I know."
Tabitha reaches the ropes, prompting the ref to order Samuel to break the hold. When he stands, Tabitha grabs the ref's foot, and pulls to send him over the top rope to land on his head. She rolls over to throw a fireball into Samuel's face.
Samuel staggers back to the ropes while holding his face in pain. Tabitha lunges at him, leaping into the air to hit a cross body that sends them both over the ropes and to the floor. She places a knee on his chest with a foul giggle before running talon like nails down his left bicep, tearing through skin, and drawing blood.
Osborne: "You think you can beat me, boy? I am the Dread Dragon of Carthage! You think you can bring down a dragon?"
Samuel grabs Tabitha on both sides of the waist.
Zadian: "I know I can!"
Samuel turns, sending Tabitha to the side and face first into the steel railing. He stands up, holds on to his arm that's bleeding freely, and kicks her in the face to bounce her head off the railing a few more times before he picks her up into a torture rack.
Osborne: "I won't submit, you fool!"
Zadian: "You don't have to."
Samuel walks over to by the ring steps, jumps, and falls to the side so that Tabitha's head smashes into the steps to demolish them. He staggers to his feet and pulls the bloody Tabitha up by the hair.
Zadian: "I'm not afraid of you!"
Samuel rolls her into the ring and follows. He sees that the ref rolls into the ring to this time as well.
Samuel is on his feet and bounding across the ring as Tabitha slowly rises. On his return, Samuel soars through the air to land a Superman punch that drives Tabitha to her knees. He picks her up into the air and power bombs her, but he keeps hold of her to he can lift her back up.
So her can power bomb her again, and again.
Dizon: "Holy crap!"
Coughlin: "You know it."
Samuel picks Tabitha up by the throat.
Zadian: "Am I just a little boy now?"
Tabitha, being mostly out of it, spits blood onto Samuel's face.
Osborne: "*beep* you!"
Zadian: "Wrong answer."
Samuel puts Tabitha into a suplex position and-
Coughlin: "Juggernaut Slam! Samuel's going for the pinfall!"
Dizon: "Are you freaking serious?"
One...Two...Three!
The bell rings to end the match and Samuel Zadian stands to the overwhelming praise of the crowd.
Theobald: "Winner of the match via pinfall...Samuel Zadian!"
Coughlin: "I win, Neil. We might die before the night is through, so you'll have to pay up while the promo videos play for the next match."
Dizon: "You think we may die?"
Coughlin: "Does it matter? Pay up!"
Neil Dizon nods with a wide grin (and slightly flushed cheeks) as he takes off his head set and slides under the table. The table covering hides what he's doing, but from her pace of breathing, we can tell what's going on.
Fall of the King
In the frozen cold of Jotunheim, Thor swings Mjolnir to crush the skull of a Frost Giant.
Behind the grief mad Thunder God is a landscape of fallen giants, the snow stained into a horizon of blood.
Thor looks upon a citadel of ice and stone, a rage burning in his heart that keeps him warm even in the cold that would freeze most mortals solid in a short time.
Thor: "Come out and face me, Sigvard! I will shatter your skull for slaying my Sif! Come out and fight or I will slaughter every single Jotun in this entire world!"
This is when Thor feels a pain in his chest, dropping to his knees as the gates to the citadel open for a dozen Frost Giants to file out with Sigvard behind them. He laughs at the Thunder God.
Sigvard: "You feel it. Don't you? I bet you don't understand what you're feeling! Your father, the Allfather...is dead. You could have helped him fight his enemy, but were too busy in selfish revenge as always."
Thor grips the haft of Mjolnir tight. What could have happened that his father could have died? He had to get back to Asgard!
Sigvard: "Kill the Heir to Asgard..."
Thor rises as the Frost Giants close in on him. He raises Mjolnir over his head with rage.
Thor: "You will not claim victory over Thor on this day!"
Clouds gather thick overhead, filled with the promise of a thunderstorm. Dozens of lightning bolts strike Mjolnir.
Sigvard: "Do not stand and watch him! Kill him!"
The Frost Giants advance as one, but are each struck by lightning bolts over and over again. Thor advances, swinging Mjolnir by the strap in fast circles.
Thor: "Have you forgot that I am God of Thunder? There has never been a Jotun that I have not been able to slay with Mjolnir!"
Thor hurls Mjolnir with a roar, the hammer flying through the air. Sigvard backhands the hammer to send it away where it circles back in a wide arc back to Thor's hand.
Sigvard: "And I am the Ice King! More powerful than any Jotun you have ever faced!"
Thor smiles, pointing with Mjolnir to Sigvard's shattered hand.
Thor: "Methinks that you are very wrong."
Sigvard sneers as ice forms over his broken hand until it appears as a spiked mace.
Sigvard: "You are an arrogant fool, a trait shared by all Asgardians."
Sigvard swings his ice mace at Thor, who dodges it. Before Thor can strike, Sigvard twists to catch Thor in the side with the mace, knocking Thor dozens of feet away.
Sigvard: "You must know by now that the Twilight of the Gods is upon us with the death of Odin."
Thor growls as blood spills from the rent in his side, spinning Mjolnir faster than he ever has before with lightning from the sky striking it.
Thor: "You will know the full might of the Thunder God!"
Thor hurls Mjolnir at short range as lightning sparks from the powerful uru hammer. It strikes the skull of Sigvard and explodes it with a shower of blood and brains. A fragment of skull strikes Thor in the temple, leveling him.
He smiles as darkness begins to overwhelm him.
Thor: "Sif, you are avenged..."
Folly of the Ninja
"Deathstryke" Cyan Komar slashes through enemies almost quicker than the eye can follow.
The Warhammer Corporation had rebuilt him after his last doomed battle with Nebiryau when his limbs and been cut away and he was left to die.
Cybernetic limbs with metallic sheathing across his torso for extra support in protection.
Not that hasn't had issues at being so much metal, but those are problems best left at a Counselor's Couch.
Cyan spots his quarry across the battlefield with a cold smile.
Nebiryau.
He has quested to slay the foul villain for some time. Today, on the fields of Asgard, he will finish his task.
He makes it within a few dozen feet where Nebiryau sees him and smiles.
Nebiryau: "Back stronger than ever, Idasu? Or weaker than ever with steel replacing so much flesh."
Komar: "You die today, Nebiryau!"
Cyan leaps the last few feet as Nebiryau makes no move to defend himself.
At the last moment, Cyan's blade is blocked by a black blade with purple rune running along the side of the blade. Cyan bounces back to see...
Xian Tsar? In an outfit similar to that of the Phoenix Ninja Grandmaster?
Nebiryau: "Oh you do have quite the mess, Idasu. I'll let Xian Tsar explain things while I go kill everyone else you know..."
Nebiryau is gone in a flash, leaving Cyan Komar and Xian Tsar face to face.
Komar: "I sacrificed you to bring my people back!"
Tsar: "And yet you never once thought to check on them. You were meant to be the sacrifice. You would have been reborn with the Phoenix Ninja. Do you even know the cycle of a Phoenix?"
While Cyan doesn't admit it out loud, he realizes that he did remember the life cycle of the Phoenix. It was one of his earliest lessons, but he did not think it pertained to the ninja themselves. They were human after all.
Komar: "Why now? Why with Thamptis? The Warhammer policies-"
Tsar: "Doesn't pertain to me. I am loyal to my teacher and true master. He says support Thamptis until the end. The Order of the Phoenix is mine now, Idasu. Cleanse yourself of your dishonor and join me. Your family is waiting in Japan."
Cyan lowers his sword. He could go home and see his father again. He could be a full Phoenix Ninja. His sword drops to the ground where it flies to Xian's hand.
Tsar: "Your family waits for you so that the dishonored son can be killed by their own hands. But they will want a whole dishonored ninja to face, not some half-human monster. And so..."
Xian sheaths his weapon, sending a stream of purple black fire that hits Cyan and sends him to the ground. His cybernetics melt away even as fresh limbs begin to grow.
Tsar: "You are set upon a path, Idasu. Come and face your family. You must come to terms with your dishonor before a Phoenix Ninja you can become."
Another spell strikes Cyan and he is gone. Xian's expression softens, tapping his temple.
Tsar: "You will face all your family. Though you betrayed us all, your father loves you still..."
With a flash of black and purple flame, Xian Tsar is gone as well.
Bloodstain Championship
Theobald: "This next match is to be scheduled for the IWA Bloodstain Championship! The stipulations are...to be revealed during the match? Anyway. By the end of the match when all stipulations are revealed, it will be for one fall. Or not. Whatever, someone will win out in the end. And...the challenger, from parts unknown...j0ker!"
"Turn You Inside Out" by R.E.M. begins playing as j0ker walks out from the back. She waves to fans who boo at her with ferocity. She acts as if she's being cheered as she walks down to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope.
Dizon: "So the stipulations for this match as still unknown?"
Coughlin: "Yes. They will be revealed as the match continues and at random times. Just think of them as mystery ingredients for some cooking contest show."
Dizon: "Oh. Well, I do like those shows. Especially, the Restricted Zone Survival Cooking. Where the contestants have to forage and hunt for foodstuffs to blend with what little spices and such that have been provided to make great dishes while staying alive in the dangers of what used to be the Restricted Zone that was claimed by Carthage. Those guys are idiots!"
Coughlin: "I know, right? You applied to be on the show though?"
Dizon: "Well yeah, the reward is like a thousand pounds of gold. And I like to cook. And in this case, the danger isn't much more than what we face just coming to work."
Coughlin: "Well? When you put it that way...and you do cook rather well."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Paradise, California...he is the IWA Bloodstain champion...Iro Waters!"
"Built to Last" by the Protomen begins playing as Iro Waters comes out from the back to resounding cheers. He smiles as he heads to the ring with the championship belt around his waist. He steps into the ring and hands the belt to the ref for display.
Coughlin: "Iro Water has been through heck of late, but not during official matches as he's been fighting on behalf of the IWA outside of the ring."
Dizon: "He's lucky to be alive then."
As the bell rings to start the match, a match attendant comes down to the ring with a steel chain.
Theobald: "The first stipulation of this match is that both competitors will be bound to each other at the wrist by a steel chain!"
The chain is brought in and both Iro and j0ker are chained right wrist to right wrist.
Dizon: "Kinky start to things?"
Coughlin: "You think so? Maybe we can borrow the chain."
Dizon: "Oh? OH!"
The bell rings to start the match and j0ker goes in as if she's going to box with Iro. He shrugs, but then j0ker yanks on the chain to pull Iro off balance so she can clothesline him. She quickly places the chain to the front of her knee, dropping it into Iro's midsection. They both rise quickly, but Iro notices too late that the chain is between his legs when j0ker brings it up to rack him from behind. Iro lashes out with a back elbow with his left arm that catches j0ker in the side of the head to stun her. He then steps over the chain, grabs j0ker in a headlock, and brings her down to the mat while holding onto to the lock.
Coughlin: "j0ker trying to use that chain at the outset, but Iro won't be denied."
Dizon: "I'm sure it helped that the elbow he hit her with is cybernetic."
Coughlin: "Well, yeah."
Iro releases the hold and stands up, but is brought down quickly when j0ker kicks him in the inside of his knee. She gets into a squating position as he starts pushing himself up from the mat, grabbing his chin with both hands. She leaps into the air with the hold, snapping Iro's head back and flipping him onto his back.
Dizon: "What kind of move was that?"
Coughlin: "I don't know, but that sure looked like it'd be major whiplash on anyone without a cybernetic spinal column."
Theobald: "If both participants would please cease the match and exit the ring at this time. Stand in the aisle outside of the ring area for the next stipulation to be revealed."
J0ker shrugs and walks over to Iro Waters, holding out a hand to offer to help him up. Iro looks at the hand for a time, but then accepts it. They carefully exit the ring (since they are attached), and stand in the aisle.
Dizon: "What could they be adding that both people would have to-what the *beep*?"
The entire ring begins to sink as sliding doors open underneath it. There is a lot of shifting far below until a stone platform with a steel railing begins to rise with a stone bridge leading to it. All around the platform is water with fish in it.
Theobald: "This next portion of the match will be held on a stone platform with a moat filled with angry pirahna. Vendors will be around the crowd to sell raw fresh fish caught outside in Asgardian rivers and streams for fans to toss into the moat and whip the fish into a frenzy. You may now return to the ring and so far we are still at one fall!"
Iro shakes his head while j0ker only laughs. They head onto the platform (using the railing) and get into the middle of the platform as the bell rings to restart the match.
Dizon: "Stone instead of mat and fish instead of floor. This is getting insane!"
Coughlin: "Fish that will strip them down to bone and metal."
Iro blocks a punch with his left arm before sinking his left fist into j0ker's midsection. He drops her with a ddt onto the stone platform, drawing blood as it sprays from j0ker's face like a stepped on ketchup packet.
Iro rolls her over and goes for the cover.
One...Two...j0ker kicks out.
Coughlin: "I don't blame Iro trying to go for the win now before anything else terrifying is added to the match."
Dizon: "Gods...I'd have laid down and given up the title."
Iro is up quickly, using the chain in his left arm to rip j0ker to her feet. He grabs her for a suplex, but j0ker blocks, and twists to break free. She grabs Iro by the left wrist, and before Iro knows what's going on, hits him in the face several times with his own hand before he can stop it.
Joker: "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?"
Joker struggles with trying to control Iro's left arm for a brief moment before shifting gears to hit Iro in the face with a palm strike. She slips behind Iro, smacking the back of his head onto the stone platform with a belly to back suplex. She bridges for the cover.
One...Two...Thr-Iro kicks out!
Dizon: "Joker just won't give up!"
Coughlin: "She's a crazy bitch. This company is full of them."
Dizon: "I-"
Coughlin: "Complete that sentence and you'll find a different bed to lie in."
Dizon: "Right."
Joker stands up while Iro holds the back of his head, his hands coming away sticky with blood.
Joker waits as Iro slowly gets to his feet, she yanks on the chain to pull Iro to her so she can whip him into the steel railing.
Coughlin: "That steel railing has no give to it like ropes do."
Dizon: "It does prevent a dive into red waters..."
The fans have indeed been throwing in cuts of raw meat and small live animals into the tank with the pirahna so that a cloud of blood and other things best left unspoken of are in the water.
Iro holds the small of his back for a moment, his eyes going wide as j0ker rushes at him to clothesline him over the railing. He ducks and sends j0ker over the railing in a high arc with a back drop.
Dizon: "Aw *beep*! I'm seeing insurance rates going up!"
Iro Waters turns around, quickly gathering the slack of the chain until he can give it a sharp yank with his left arm. Joker splashes into the water, but is ripped out of it so she can grab the rail with her right arm. A few pirahna cling to her form with needle sharp teeth, but that is not the reason she screams in pain.
Coughlin: "Did you hear that pop above even the clinking of the chain? I think he just dislocated her shoulder in trying to save her!"
Dizon: "Better that fate than what could have happened."
Joker works her way back onto the platform with one hand, the ref coming over to help her get the five or six fish off of her. Joker yelps in pain with each removed fish as they do not release her so much as little pieces of her are torn away to cast the fish back into the water.
The last fish she holds in her left hand with anger before she brings it up and bites through its skull and eyes before casting it into the water to be eaten by the others. She then lays on the stone platform, bleeding from her numerous wounds.
Dizon: "That's an all new level of bat shit crazy!"
Coughlin: "Well sometimes you just have to bite back what bites you?"
Theobald: "And we have a new stipulation to be added to this match! Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to the Rain of Lava!"
Dizon: "Rain of Lava? That the brand of gritty soap used to get motor oil and grease off of hands?"
Coughlin: "I'm thinking no?"
Dizon: "Stephan...real lava?"
Theobald: "I just read what they send me, Neil."
Starting out more as a sprinkle over the stone platform and water, droplets of molten lava begin falling from the top of the arena from clouds that smell suspiciously of brimstone. The area above the water begins to mist as steam rises from where drops of lava turn quickly into pebbles that sink to the floor. The stone floor has places where lava quickly cools to join with the stone.
Joker holds out her one moving hand, yelping as she catches a droplet of lava in her hand.
Joker: "Fire and Water. Both equally dangerous. I LOVE IT!"
Joker stands up, greeting Iro with a backhand. Iro is about to respond when several droplets land on him. It's enough of a distraction for j0ker to go in with a school girl cradle to go for the pinfall.
One...Two...Iro kicks out!
Coughlin: "That cradle wasn't very strong with j0ker only having one arm available to her."
Dizon: "I think she doesn't mind losing the use of the arm as opposed to losing more than just the arm forever."
Coughlin: "Truth."
As both slowly rises, Iro quickly wraps the chain around j0ker's arms and legs, and levels her with the-
Coughlin: "Calamity Trigger! This one is all over!"
Dizon: "It was really over once j0ker's arm was dislocated."
Coughlin: "Well, yeah."
Iro drops down for the cover, holding in pained gasps as the lava rain starts picking up in speed.
One...Two...Three!
And just like that the rain stops and the clouds disperse. Medics come down to the platform to help Iro, j0ker, and the ref to the back to get their burns and numerous other wounds taken care of.
Coughlin: "That lava rain killed a lot of fish in the short time that it fell."
Dizon: "They were already dying. At least the ones who took bites out of j0ker would be poisoned."
Coughlin: "You're just so flipping funny..."
The platform and tanks slip underneath as the ring is slowly brought back up into place.
Theobald: "Winner of the match via pinfall and STILL IWA Bloodstain champion...Iro Waters!"
Dizon: "I would consider dropping that title at some point. It's hazardous to hold onto!"
Coughlin: "Like Iro isn't going to go do something even crazier in a little bit by going out and facing Carthage alongside the other Asgardians."
Dizon: "Well...yeah."
IWA World Championship
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall and is for the IWA World championship! Featuring first from Carthage..."Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Devereaux!"
"I Miss the Misery" by Halestorm begins, but no one comes out from the back.
Dizon: "Lady Apathy chicken out?"
Coughlin: "She might well be outside killing Asgardians."
Dizon: "Too true. Maybe she died out there."
Coughlin: "We could always cross our fingers and hope."
There is an explosion from the roof as Elizabeth Devereaux comes diving in head first with her wings furled. She pulls out of her dive, expanding out her wings, and landing lightly onto the mat. The crowd hurls their hatred for the Dark Lady as her wings sink into her back.
Dizon: "You know, I have to wonder. Why does Lady Apathy get a title shot in the first place? She hasn't wrestled in the ring since Druscilla ousted her from the British throne and now she gets a title shot?"
Coughlin: "It was important that Carthage was given a title shot to highlight the Carthage versus Asgard aspect if things. Tabitha can't be trusted for big matches and Valora was given the assignment to eliminate Zareth Korbin in the main event. That leaves Devereaux."
Dizon: "I guess that sort of makes sense."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Asgard, he is the IWA World champion...Kronin!"
A couple quick spots of white noise is heard over the PA before ‘Ich Will' by Rammstein plays. The titan showing highlights of Kronin’s matches and Kronin marches out from the back with the IWA World title around his waist, looking around the crowd and nodding, making his way to the ring every so often pausing to shake hands with fans and the like before climbing into the ring.
Once in the ring, Kronin, hands the belt to the ref for presentation, warms up, and begins to prepare for the coming match...
Dizon: "I'm surprised this match is even happening with the war going on outside. You'd think that both Kronin and Apathy would be outside trying to kill each other instead of being in the ring."
Coughlin: "From Devereaux's entrance, I think she had been outside not long ago doing just that."
Dizon: "You hear anything about what's going on outside? We winning."
Coughlin: "The only thing I have heard so far is that there is so much death going on that the ground has been turned to mud from the amount of blood spilled. Literally, each foot step sinks into the soft ground and fills with blood as you walk."
Dizon: "Gross."
The bell rings to start the match and so Elizabeth Devereaux and Kronin begin circling each other warily. Elizabeth smiles as she eyes Kronin as a predator would prey.
Devereaux: "You don't really think you can defeat me? It was luck that allowed you to seize that title from my lover. It won't help you tonight. You will fall and all of Asgard will fall."
Kronin: "Words are cheap, Apathy. Come and show me how weak Carthage has become."
Devereaux: "I'll show you what will happen to Asgard!"
Elizabeth punches at Kronin, but he catches her fist with his hand. He doesn't have the time to capitalize on this as she pulls her hand back to tug Kronin in, and turn to knock him down with unfurling wings. She kicks him as he gets up to send him into the corner.
Elizabeth stalks across the ring, bringing her wings back in again. She backhands Kronin with a smile, watching blood splatter from the impact.
Devereaux: "How the replacement for Thor easily falls..."
Kronin plants his feet on the bottom rope, launching out of the corner to bring Elizabeth down with a clothesline. Except she doesn't hit the mat. Kronin grabs onto her as they fall, turning with her for a powerslam. He holds her down for the cover!
One...Two...Elizabeth kicks out!
Dizon: "There's a lot of ferocity coming into this match."
Coughlin: "The hatred here is strong."
Kronin rises up, but Elizabeth is also up quickly. Kronin grabs her, puts her into a suplex position, and brings her back down to the mat with a brainbuster. He follows this up with a Pankration Shoulder Lock.
The ref comes in to see if Elizabeth will give up, but she shakes her head no.
Coughlin: "She's no where near the ropes. Think she'll give up?"
Dizon: "No. Look!"
Elizabeth reaches for the ropes with her foot, but when she can't...both her and Kronin suddenly slide in that direction for her to place her foot on the ropes. The ref shakes his head, but makes Kronin break the hold.
Kronin stands up, leaving Elizabeth on the mat. She looks to be starting to get up, but instead raises a hand.
Coughlin: "I don't like this."
Dizon: "You probably shouldn't."
A bolt of energy strikes Kronin in the chest and knocking on onto his back. Lilly comes running down to stand at ringside.
Elizabeth stands up and walks over to Kronin, kicking him in the ribcage a few times.
Kronin holds out a hand as if to beg her off. Elizabeth just laughs.
Devereaux: "Don't tell me that you give up. You have to tell the ref."
Kronin: "I just wanted you to hold still for this!"
A stream of lightning leaves Kronin's fingertips that strikes Elizabeth in several places as it splits up into several bolts.
Elizabeth drops to her knees with a sneer as Kronin stands up.
Devereaux: "You will fall! Asgard will fall!"
Kronin grabs Elizabeth to pick her up, but Elizabeth launches upward to grab Kronin around the middle with her wings unfurling. She takes off in flight to bring the both of them nearly fifty feet up into the air before throwing Kronin back down to the mat. He bounces several feet into the air, slamming back onto the mat.
Elizabeth climbs a bit higher into the air and then begins a rapid descent.
Dizon: "The form looks like Frog Splash, but from seventy-five feet up? The concept is just not right!"
Coughlin: "Looks like a game ender."
Kronin leaps up into the air, catching Elizabeth, and-
Coughlin: "I'm not sure exactly, but that looked like a Beautiful Disaster! Kronin for the pin!"
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "Kronin wins it! Kronin wins it!"
Dizon: "Don't you find it odd that the World championship match is not only not the main event, but seems like the shortest match of the night?"
Coughlin: "No."
Dizon: "Okay then."
Theobald: "Winner of the match and STILL IWA World champion...Kronin!"
Kronin stands up, being joined by Lilly to celebrate the win. Elizabeth stands up, her wings unfurling.
Lilly: "You go nowhere!"
Devereaux: "I go everywhere! When we see each other outside...that's when this will be to the death!"
Elizabeth launches into the air, going out the way that she came back in. Lilly motions to cast a spell, but Kronin stops her.
Kronin: "We'll get her outside, Lil."
The Dread Dragon
Iro Waters stands on the wall to Asgard. He watches as the Dread Dragon, normally known as Tabitha Osborne, swoops from the sky to obliterate scores of warriors with fiery breath.
Waters: "Is it crazy to think that I can take her down?"
Though he was mainly talking to himself, an Asgardian warrior nearby answers.
Asgardian: "You are mad to think anything can take that down! If Thor were here or the Allfather still alive, but not a mortal!"
Iro chuckles.
Waters: "I said crazy, not made. Now, do you think you can work this thing? I know it isn't the kind of weapons you normally work with."
Iro jerks his thumb towards an old catapult. The Asgardian shakes his head.
Asgardian: "It's ready. You sure you want to do this?"
Iro Waters hops into the cradle of the catapult with a laugh.
Waters: "Hell no, I don't want to. The thing is, she's trashing us out there, and the main guns are offline. So flight it is."
The Asgardian nods while tracking the position of the Dragon.
Asgardian: "This really isn't a weapon that was ever meant for this. So if you die..."
Waters: "Then look me up in Hell. Fire!"
The Asgardian pulls the level that sends Iro Waters sailing through the air.
At a time like this, one thinks of the Robin Hood movie with Kevin Costner. Though he did land on something soft.
Iro on the other hand, slams into the side of a fire breathing dragon that's destroyed several cities.
If it was only the Sheriff of Nottingham that he had to face.
Iro Waters clutches at what he can, finding little purchase in the ebony scales on the side of the dragon. His left hand sprouts claws that pierce her side, the cold iron inside the claws burning dragon flesh as it rips into it.
Osborne: "What is this? What? Who?"
Spidery legs sprout from along Iro's cybernetic arm, talons at the end of the legs tearing into Tabitha's side to help him climb to her back. Tabitha looks back at him, crying out in pain as the cold iron talons burn her.
Osborne: "You! This is no wrestling match, you won't win on this day!"
Iro keeps the spider legs pierced in Tabitha's side as his arm changes into a cannon aimed at her face.
Waters: "I wasn't armed with cold iron ammo that will hit you faster than the speed of sound then."
Tabitha responds with an enraged roar, letting loose a gout of flame at her own flank as Iro let's loose with his own blast before falling from her side.
The blaze heats the side of Tabitha even as the blast strike her in the side of the head.
Tabitha transforms back into human form with Iro Waters holding onto her leg for dear life as they fall. She tries to reach and punch him as they fall.
Osborne: "You little bastard! I'll kill you before we die on the ground!"
Iro holds on with one hand, striking at Tabitha with a cold iron taloned cybernetic arm over and over.
Waters: "You won't harm anyone else!"
Tabitha screams in pain, her flesh hissing from the cold iron talons. She howls words of power, striking him with a massive fireball that sends the two in different directions as it lights up the sky.
Tabitha Osborne slams into the side of the flying castle, rocking it from her impact as she goes through stone walls to the inside.
Iro Waters is flung up into the air, where he is caught by Baldur while he rides Sleipnir, the Eight Legged Horse that once belonged to Odin.
Baldur: "Rest easy, brave friend. I have you."
Iro looks over the side to see how far from the ground they were. He'd be frightened with the concept of being on a eight legged flying horse, but his many burns keep his mind focused on the pain and sudden weariness.
Waters: "Yay us! The ship...out of danger?"
Baldur: "What?"
Waters: "You are and always have been...my friend."
Baldur shakes his head in confusion as Iro passes out.
Baldur: "Brave. A bit touched, but brave."
j0ker's Wild
Inside her dressing room (a bedroom inside the palace), j0ker hears the loud sounds of destruction going outside. She shrugs as she sees the wall shakes from impacts in the hallway.
Joker: "So someone wanted to come inside and play? I thought they did their game outside..."
Joker opens her door for two Asgardian soldiers to crash into it and take it off of its hinges. She frowns, walking out into the hallway, and looking up at the face of a two headed ogre with a club that seems the size of a tree.
"She's pretty!"
"Let's squish her!"
Joker raises her hand.
Joker: "Maybe we could not do that and say we did?"
The ogre looks at her with both heads curiously like they didn't know she would speak.
"That's lying!"
"She's mean!"
The ogre brings the club down, smashing into the floor hard enough to crack the floor. He lifts the club up to see not blood, bone, and gore, but an outfit hanging from the end of the club. He grabs it, sniffing at it with both heads.
"Where blood?"
"Where she go?"
A tapping on his butt makes the ogre turn around to see j0ker standing there.
Totally naked.
Joker: "You think maybe I can have that back?"
The ogre heads look down at j0ker in a mixture of confusion and delight.
"Girl pretty!"
"Smash her!"
The ogre brings down the club with a loud thud. Blood and gore splashes everywhere. The ogre lifts the club up to look at their work.
"No squish?"
"Where's the beef?"
"I'm right here boys."
Sitting right between the ogre's heads is j0ker. She's back in her outfit again with her hood drawn back. The ogre heads check their free hand to see that the outfit is gone.
"How do that?"
"Blood on floor!"
Joker: "And your club, and the walls, and even on the ceiling! Not real blood though."
"Fake?"
"Liar!"
As both heads turn to look at j0ker and yell at her, she draws two long knives. She plunges them into an eye socket on each head, driving the blades deep into the brains of the ogre.
Joker leaps away as the two headed ogre falls dead to the floor. She dusts herself off with a chuckle before walking over the ogre corpse to head back into her room.
Joker: "That should discourage more company..."
Fall of the Underworld
Hela slashes left and right, defeating dead people as she goes.
She had readied her forces to march on Asgard to join in the defense when the realm tore open so that Hades could sweep in and attack.
There was no coincidence in this invasion. Timed to be when Carthage invaded Asgard, this had to be the work of Thamptis.
So Hela fought her way through the ranks of the dead. Though the dead just go back to Hades' realm when defeated.
They're dead. Where are they going to go, Cincinnati?
Hela fought her way to get to Hades, even as he fought his way to her. It was going to be decided between them and the winner would have both realms.
The idea of torturing Olympian prisoners in the depths was rather appealing. She only hoped that Asgard would hold.
With the fact that Hades came in behind the entrance to Helheim where Garm the Dire Wolf guards, he yelps as in pain. Hela looks over curiously to see the Dire Wolf falling dead to the ground.
Hela: "What? By Odin's Beard!"
A massive man in twisted plate armor walks past the slain Dire Wolf. An army of knights behind him.
Their armor looks old and thick with spines and blades coming out of different places. Recognition comes as she watches.
Hela: "Golbez! Ally of Sikarin Tsooth!"
This puts a new twist on things as Golbez and his forces sweep through the forces of Hades as if they didn't exist. Hela slows her approach as she watches. The army of Hades wheeling to face the new threat.
Hades meets Golbez head on, but Golbez sheers through the weapons of Hades. He grabs the Death God by the face, ripping the mask off before leveling him with a mighty punch.
Once Hades is down, Golbez slashes down over and over again with a chopping motion.
All at once, the forces of Hades vanish to return to their own realm. Hela gasps as Golbez begins to make his way to her location.
Hela: "How? So easily slain?"
It isn't long before Golbez is before her, his voice deep and sounding of grinding stones.
Golbez: "You will be broken. A Death Goddess who meets Death."
Golbez slashes at Hela, who ducks under the blade instead of trying to stop it. She slices at the legs of Golbez, drawing sparks and a thin line of blood. Golbez only laughs.
Golbez: "Good! Good! It has been since before you were born that anyone has dealt me even the slightest of pain."
Hela pauses to take this in.
Hela: "Before I was born? How-"
Golbez: "Foolish little girl. I watched from my prison as you were all born, feasting upon the scraps left by entire pantheons faded into oblivion."
Hela slashes across Golbez's midsection, the blow doing nothing more than scar armor.
Golbez backhands her, sending her flying backwards. She lands in a heap, losing her sword in the process.
Hela sits up quickly, wiping a blood leaking from the side of her face.
Golbez: "This is all a part of Sikarin's little game. He has played Thamptis for a fool who in turn, played Hades. Our Master will rule over both of your worlds through one of his servants. Death will hold no fear for us any longer since all who die will be returned."
Hela stops reaching for her blade, her eyes wide open in shock.
Hela: "That's not how it works! There has to be a balance!"
Golbez hefts his sword high with a harsh laugh.
Golbez: "Where my master is concerned, there is no balance."
Golbez brings his sword down, but finds it blocked by a shield.
Lady Sif holds the shield, gritting her teeth as she fights to remain standing.
Sif: "You have to get out of here! This battle is lost!"
Hela: "Sif?"
Golbez's blade glides off of Sif's shield with a shower of sparks. Sif uses the chance to leap up and stab her blade into the very small opening in the armor at Golbez's armpit.
Golbez growls in pain, grabbing Sif around the neck, and lifting her up.
Hela takes the chance to run while Golbez is occupied with Sif. She doesn't know where she will go, but Helheim is no longer safe.
Golbez drops his own sword to have a free hand to pull out Sif's blade, tossing it to the side.
Golbez: "A fine blow. One for you, and then..."
Golbez grabs a leg to tear Sif in half.
Golbez: "One for me."
Golbez tosses the slowly vanishing remains of Sif to the side. He looks around for Hela, but does not find her.
Golbez: "No matter. The new Lord of the Dead will be here soon enough."
The Gladiator
Samuel Zadian uses a battered and bloody steel chair across the back of a Spatori, soldiers that were once loyal to Ares, but taken by Thamptis.
He knocks the Spatori down then uses the edge of the chair to break the warrior's neck with a downward thrust.
Samuel grimaces at the blood splatters onto his face from the damage done. Ever since the end of his match, he had gone outside to help take down as many of the goons from Carthage as he could.
His victory over the monster of Carthage known as Tabitha Osborne had given him the confidence to go out and try.
Samuel drops the broken steel chair, picking up a dropped double handed warhammer (essentially a sledgehammer on steroids). He eyes the gathering Spatori with a grin.
Zadian: "You feeling hoppy, you ugly mother fuckers? I got your fun time right here!"
The Spatori part as a chorus of hissing is heard. A woman with the lower body of a large serpent comes into view. She has crimson snakes for hair and brass clawed gauntlets. The murmurs from the Spatori whisper a single name.
"Stheno, Eldest of the Gorgon Sisters."
It was a name that should maybe mean something to Samuel Zadian. Perhaps if he head read up on the many mythologies that had been rewritten over the past few years as history and other new fields of science.
He hadn't and he does not know how Stheno is the most merciless of the sisters that included Medusa amongst their number.
Just just knew that this Stheno was big, ugly, and needed a beat down.
Samuel ducks under a slash from a brass claw, rolling behind her. He stands up, bringing the warhammer down with an overhead swing to strike her...well it'd be lower legs on a person.
Stheno screeches and Samuel feels the satisfying crunch of bone breaking underneath the hammer.
Stheno turns around to lash at Samuel. She doesn't try very hard to hit him, but Samuel hears a loud chorus of hissing as he trips over the slithering tail. He hears screams in the background, glancing up to see several of the Spatori have turned to stone.
That's when old movies that have the monster called Medusa spring to mind and the connection to the danger he's in comes to mind.
Samuel closes his eyes, swinging with the warhammer that connects to the side of Stheno's head. He springs up while she's stunned to climb up her back, holding the warhammer with one hand and grabbing a snake with his other hand.
He sets himself up right and places the shaft of the warhammer to choke her. Stheno tries to reach her with brass clawed hands, but can't get to him. The snakes that are her hair bite him over and over again, but he remains strong in pulling back with all of his might.
The Spatori look on with awe as Stheno weakens and falls to the ground. Samuel slowly stands up, pulls his warhammer up, and brings down upon Stheno's head to splatter her head into bits.
The Spatori, despite being enemies, let out a cheer at Samuel's victory, and retreat.
Samuel Zadian smiles at being able to slay the monster. He'd raise his hands to celebrate, but he feels every blood vessel in his body as the venom of the serpents courses through his body.
Zadian: "I win!"
Samuel falls onto his back, everything quickly fading to black.
Is this how he's going to go?
A little girl kneels by his head with a vial in her hand. She cradles his head with a kindly smile.
"Drink this. It will help you fight the venom of the Gorgon."
She tips the vial into his mouth and he swallows it down. His entire body feels as if it starts afire, but things quickly become clear as new strength floods his body. She whispers into his ear, her voice holding back a light giggle.
"My father made this potion from apples secreted away from Idunn. You won't become Asgardian like the others, but you will be a bit stronger once the venom burns out. Just don't tell anyone...our little secret."
Samuel tries to focus to ask her name, but fatigue sets in, and he passes out.
Tartarus Death Match
Theobald: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is scheduled to be a Tartarus Death Match!"
The Cell cage is lowered into place, a few electrical arcs jumping from bar to bar at random.
Theobald: "Featuring first the challenger, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Valora Salinas!"
"Death Triumphant" by My Dying Bride begins playing as Valora Salinas steps from the back to the boos of the fans. She ignores them for the most part, stopping from time to drain a fan of their life force. She rolls into the ring, stretching to get ready for the match.
Dizon: "So Valora has been sent by Lady Apathy to destroy Zareth Korbin for his treachery."
Coughlin: "I have to say that in the way of things, it's about time. Though this would be the moment most cruel to do this before the man gets married."
Dizon: "Yeah. Stop him before he works his way into a kingdom."
Theobald: "And her opponent, weighing in at two hundred and seventy-five pounds...Zareth Korbin!"
The lights go completely out. As the music starts (Apocalyptica - Hall of the mountain King), dark green lights flash to the opening beat, and then die out as the song slows. The lights return as Zareth Korbin stands atop the entrance ramp. He raises his warhammer towards the ring as the song once again picks up, and flames shoot from each post. Korbin stalks down to the ring, ignoring the fans and everything else as the lights continue to flash. Korbin pulls himself up onto the ring apron and removes his armor, stretching his arms out in a crucifix position as the song ends and he steps inside the ring.
Coughlin: "Zareth is ready to get married and become King. He will be trying his hardest to overcome Valora."
Dizon: "Good luck with that. Few get to say that they have defeated Valora."
The bell rings to start the match, Valora and Zareth begin exchanging punches until Valora ducks a punch and brings Zareth down with a bodyslam. She quickly kneels by him, placing a hand on Zareth's belly.
Salinas: "I know you were expecting a fair fight. That's where you went wrong."
Zareth growls as he feels the sting of his essence being drained and rolls away to his feet. He grabs her by the hair, sinking a knee into her midsection. He clutches her throat and turns to throw Valora bodily into the Cell wall. She opens her mouth soundlessly as electricity flows through her body for a moment before she's released to land on the floor.
Dizon: "It's electric!"
Coughlin: "If you bust out the Electric Slide..."
Dizon: "I know don't-"
Coughlin: "I'll bust out the dollar bills!"
Zareth Korbin grabs the top rope, but then shakes his head with a smile. He slides under the bottom rope by Valora, and that's when the lights go out.
Coughlin: "The first black out of the night."
When the lights come back on minutes later, Zareth Korbin is in the air while pressed against the corner post. Valora holds him by the throat while draining more of his life force.
Salinas: "I know you thought you'd win a major match before your wedding. You won't live to see Casidhe in a wedding gown!"
Zareth digs his thumbs into Valora's eyes to make her drop him. He grabs her and smashes her head into the ring post before lifting her up in a press slam position to drop her throat across the bottom rope. He lifts his boot to stomp on her face when she lifts a hand up, and sends him flying to the ceiling to feel the full power of the cage flowing through him. Valora keeps her hand up to keep Zareth pressed against the cage ceiling until she stops to roll into the ring.
Zareth is held by the power of the cage until his weight forces a fall. Valora leaps up into the air to catch him midair around the head with her legs to bring him crashing to the mat with a hurrancanrana. She grabs his legs for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "The first fall of the night goes to Valora! Can Zareth answer the ten count?"
Dizon: "It's still early on in the match, but Valora has dealt out a lot of punishment in the last few minutes though. I wonder, is that black stuff leaking from Valora's face?"
Coughlin: "Whatever passes for blood from her."
1...2...3...4...5...Zareth stands up.
Valora grabs Zareth for a bulldog, but he lifts her up, changes how he holds her, and drops backward for a Samoan drop. He jumps to his feet, pulling her up, and powerbombs her to the mat. He holds her down for the pinfall.
One...Two...the Lights go out!
Dizon: "How can the ref count the pinfall when it's dark?"
Coughlin: "He can't."
There's a flash of light that highlights both competitors. When the lights come on though, Zareth still has Valora down.
Three!
Dizon: "Can he do that? Just continue the count?"
Coughlin: "He didn't see if Valora kicked out of not."
Zareth stands back as the ref begins the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...Valora stands up with a smile.
Salinas: "You can't escape your fate, Korbin."
Zareth roars rushing in for a spear, but Valora connects the top of his head with a drop kick that knocks him backwards to the mat. Quicker than the eye can follow, she's on the top rope, and leaping off to connect with a Falling Angel. Valora rises up, but then throws a fireball downward into Zareth's face with a cruel laugh before hitting a standing moonsault. She covers for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three!
Coughlin: "Zareth down again."
Dizon: "I'm not shocked."
1...2...3...4...5...The lights go out.
Dizon: "Not again."
Coughlin: "It's just a part of the match."
There's a lot of thrashing to be heard on the mat. When the lights come back on, Valora is seen perched on top of Zareth's chest with both hands covering Zareth's mouth and nose to drain as much life force from him as she can.
The ref begins screaming at
Valora and she snickers as she gets off of him and backs away.
Coughlin: "Valora just tried murdering Zareth with her bare hands!"
Dizon: "She did say that he won't survive to his wedding."
The ref checks on Zareth and shakes his head before restarting the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...Zareth gets up to his feet. He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs.
Salinas: "You know. Maybe after I kill you in the ring, I'll murder Casidhe. My forces can take a side journey and claim all of Ireland for myself."
Korbin: "You won't even threaten my lady's shadow..."
Salinas: "Who is going to stop me? You? You can barely stand up!"
Zareth grits his teeth and comes at Valora with a series of punches, but Valora responds with an Aztec Elbow Slash that sends blood flying from his face. He staggers backwards enough for Valora to drop him to the mat with a Pele Kick.
Coughlin: "Zareth down again. Think he can pull this one off?"
Dizon: "I have to say no."
Valora drags Zareth to his feet with a smile.
Salinas: "You have nothing left. You and all you care about will die."
Zareth kicks Valora in the gut, lifting her up, and power bombing her over the top rope to the floor. He leaps over the top rope to drive her head into the floor with his foot. He grabs her by the hair to lift her up.
Korbin: "You want power? You want something to prove? I will be married! I will be KING!"
Zareth slams Valora into the steel cage, holding her in place as power courses through them both. His scream of pain joining hers.
The lights go out, but the arena is still lit by flashing lights as electricity arcs across both of their bodies.
Dizon: "He's killing himself with this move! What is he thinking?"
Coughlin: "He's thinking of protecting Lady Casidhe."
The lights come back on with Zareth still holding Valora against the cage wall. With a flash of light and screaming of nearby fans, the generator for the cage explodes!
Dizon: "No more power for the cage."
Coughlin: "It's teeth have been removed."
Zareth throws Valora into the ring and follows. He grabs her and-
Coughlin: "The Clavicula Salomonis! Zareth with the cover!"
Dizon: "Oh my *beep*ing God!"
One...Two...Three!
Zareth steps back away from Valora, nearly falling until he leans against the turnbuckles to keep him upright. The ref glances to him before starting the count.
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10!
Dizon: "The Gods have sent their blessings to Zareth Korbin! I wonder if this is a sign on how the war is progressing outside?"
Coughlin: "I hope so. I wouldn't mind going home alive and with the head of Carthage cut off."
The Wedding
The lights in the arena go out and when they come back on a woman in a outfit of a Catholic Priestess is standing in the middle of the ring. The crowd cheer as they realize what's about to happen.
Dizon: "Well, Zareth might have been beaten bloody by Valora, but he still gets the girl in the end."
Coughlin: "I suppose that should count for something. Though I have to wonder about Roux's death. Do you think that Lady Casidhe might be next? Zareth is rather ambitious."
Thirteen large men in green armor walk down to the ring, one of them towering above the others with an axe that looks to weigh more than some grown men.
Coughlin: "Who are these men?"
Dizon: "I hear that Zareth Korbin recruited a Royal Guard to protect the Queen. The ones in the specially decorated armor are the officers, Cathal and Lorcan. The giant dude is Captain Ainfer. You could also call these men a Brute Squad."
Coughlin: "Fun."
"Hall of the Mountain King" by Apocalyptica begins playing as a bandaged Zareth Korbin walks down to the ring with a tuxedo on, nodding to Captain Ainfer before stepping into the ring. He takes up position in front of the Priestess as everyone looks to the ring entrance.
Bridal music plays as Lady Casidhe walks out from the back in a white wedding dress. As she slowly walks to the ring, it becomes apparent that the white train behind her isn't going to end anytime soon. In fact, once Zareth helps her into the ring, the train goes all the way to the ring entrance and vanishes beyond.
Dizon: "Where the heck does that train end?"
Coughlin: "Back home?"
Dizon: "From Asgard to Ireland?"
Coughlin: "Maybe."
Priestess: "We are gathered here to pretend to bring these two into lawfully wedded bliss."
Zareth nods, but then does a double take.
Korbin: "Wait, what?"
Priestess: "Did you think that the Catholic Church would have a female as a Priest and allow her to travel to Asgard of all places to perform a wedding ceremony for a nation whose monarch isn't even Catholic?"
Zareth reaches for his hammer with a frown.
Korbin: "Well, not that you put it that way. What is this?"
Almost quicker than the eye can follow, Lady Casidhe's train slithers down the aisle and wraps around Zareth tight like a mummy wrap except for his head.
The Priestess shakes, her outfit and even face falling away to reveal Roux O'Hara. Zareth looks at her with wide open eyes.
Korbin: "You died! I saw you die!"
Roux runs her fingers down the side of Zareth's face and down his jawline.
O'Hara: "You made a deal with Sikarin Tsooth. Those in the Warhammer Corporation know the truth, never deal with him unless you have no other choice."
Zareth frowns.
Korbin: "But he said-"
Casidhe: "That your position would be improved if your choose to stand with him instead of against him when the time was right?"
O'Hara: "Sikarin told us all of this. He doesn't want weak minded fools on his side."
Casidhe: "We'd let you go, but you are a betrayer. Sooner or later, you'd betray everyone you know or loved to get ahead. Goodbye, Zareth Korbin."
Korbin: "No! I did it all for us!"
Casidhe: "I'm afraid no. You feel the small bumps in the train pressed against you? It's laced with seeds."
Roux and Lady Casidhe both chant words of power as Zareth struggles to break free. Thorned vines begin bursting from the train, roots sinking into Zareth's flesh to draw nutrients from his body.
Zareth grits his teeth, refusing to cry out a bloody vines grow from him and back into him. Blood red flowers sprout from the vines, looking bright like fresh shed blood. Zareth finally opens his mouth to scream, but can only gurgle as his lungs fill with blood.
He coughs, spraying blood onto the mat to clear himself long enough to speak a couple of words.
Korbin: "I loved you...Casidhe."
Zareth Korbin falls to the mat onto his back, the vines tearing the train and his body into shreds.
Dizon: "That was..."
Coughlin: "Live as a traitor, die as a traitor."
Roux O'Hara looks around at the guard outside of the ring with a smile.
O'Hara: "Zareth was a career traitor. Now it is time for you all to decide. Will you be loyal and get the chance to remain in the positions given to you, or will you join the traitor in death? Decide now for the battle will be quickly joined outside."
One by one the Royal Guards kneel before the returned Queen. Captain Ainfer is the last to remain standing.
Ainfer: "I want to know one thing. Will you allow us our duty? To help protect you with our lives and crush all those who wish you harm...no matter what needs to be done to see this done? We will not be cast aside like forgotten playthings. I would die first."
Roux watches Captain Ainfer for a long time before smiling.
O'Hara: "I would be foolish to not accept such. Kneel."
Captain Ainfer kneels before Roux O'Hara.
O'Hara: "Rise, Captain Ainfer. We will be waging war against Carthage alongside the Asgardians. Excited?"
Captain Ainfer rises, hefting his axe with a bloodthirsty grin.
Ainfer: "Your majesty, nothing would make me happier."
The Flashback
Roux O'Hara sits at the bedside of the recovering Lady Casidhe. Magics have done a lot of good in healing the damage done by the traitorous Nevan.
A blue light fills the room and Roux begins a spell when she sees Sikarin Tsooth standing at the end of the bed.
Tsooth: "I'm not here to fight. Just talk."
Roux watches Sikarin for a time, then back to Lady Casidhe, before she answers.
O'Hara: "Then talk."
Tsooth: "You are being betrayed. Zareth Korbin is easily swayed by the promise of power. He betrayed Devereaux to join you. He will betray you to join me. He desires the death of Queen O'Hara in the thought that he could become King."
O'Hara: "That's crazy. Casidhe would be Queen and him a mere consort! Unless-"
Tsooth: "Casidhe also dies once they are wed."
O'Hara: "I'll kill him!"
Tsooth: "Not yet, you still have use of him. I have a plan that we can discuss, but first."
Sikarin Tsooth hands Roux O'Hara a golden dagger that shimmers with the promise of power.
Tsooth: "Soon, you will be in Asgard and the full might of Carthage will be pressed upon you. This dagger will slay Thamptis without breaking the Protection of the Three Siblings. Kill him with this and the war with Carthage will end forever."
Roux turns over the blade in her hands, feeling the power buried within it.
O'Hara: "I will be sure it's sheathed in his heart. Thank you. Now the plan..."
Sikarin smiles.
Tsooth: "For this ploy to work, we will fake your death, Roux..."
Vanir-Egyptian Godwar
Njord, Lord of the Vanaheim. He raises his axe and shouts a battle cry as he enters into battle. With him are the Warriors Three, Forseti, Hermod, Vali, Vidar, Skaldi, and Nerthus. The last being his sister-wife as they were in their second marriage. (Yes. Sister-Wife as she is his Wife AND his sister. It happens in such a lot, even more so in the Olympian pantheon.)
They rush into battle, their targets are some of the more powerful servants of Thamptis in the form of the Egyptian pantheon.
Njord roars in victory as his first attack cleaves Babi, God of Baboons, in twain. His attack carrying him on to split the skull of Serqet, Goddess of Scorpions.
He takes a sidelong glance to see with pride that those who have followed him here have done well. The old Egyptian Gods who have terrorized Egypt for years are falling quickly for few in that ancient land have had any faith in Gods that followed man without question.
The battle carries him to Anubis, who had been the Governor of Egypt for so long.
Anubis: "The Lord of the Vanir. You will find that we are no easier to defeat than the Aesir were. Surrender and you'll find a quick death."
Njord shakes his head with an easy smile.
Njord: "Your fellow gods fall before our might. You will as well."
Anubis: "Is that so? Look again."
Njord spares a glance to watch in horror as Seth tears Hermod and Vali into shreds with teeth and serrated swords.
Anubis: "Who will avenge the death of Odin's sons? Not yo-"
Njord roars a battle cry as he swings his axe, cleaving through both blade and body of Anubis in a single stroke. He rushes at Seth, but his blow is deflected by the God of Evil's weapons.
All who had followed Njord into battle had been killed by Seth, though Njord can also see that Seth is the last of the Egyptian Gods.
Seth: "My son!"
Njord: "You will follow him!"
The battle rages between the two as they clash weapons over and over again to try to gain advantage.
Finally, Njord cleaves into the right side of Seth's neck, driving his axe into the Dark God's heart. This, even as Seth's blade pierces Njord's own.
The two fall away from each other, Seth dead before he hits the ground. Njord lays in the arms of a crying Nerthus as his life blood spills into the ground.
Njord: "To victory..."
Treachery Most Foul
Outside of the city walls of Asgard, Frey's blade sings through the air as it clashes with the giant blade of Nebiryau.
Frey keeps his steps light as he prances about to keep from being cut apart by the more powerful Nebiryau. He has already landed a few light blows, blood streaming from a few cuts.
Frey knows that while he is quicker, he may not outlast his foe. As if to prove his point, Nebiryau backs up and sends a shower of metallic spines in all directions.
Frey dodges through the shower of spines, but is then struck by the electrical discharge traveling between them. He drops to his knees, stunned by the assault. Nebiryau smiles as he readies for the attack to behead the Elf Lord.
Nebiryau's sword greets steel instead of flesh as Malekith slips in to stop the fatal blow. Frey rises with his sword, joining Malekith as they both attack Nebiryau.
Nebiryau's arrogance fades quickly as the pair of gods press him back, striking blow after blow past his defenses.
Frey: "Thank you. I never thought to see the day we fought as brothers."
Malekith: "Nor I."
A glancing blow off of the side of the skull sends Nebiryau to his knees. He tosses his sword down, keeping his hands at his side.
Nebiryau: "You have defeated me, Elf Lords. You may execute me at your leisure. It is the only way to wound Thamptis. Both me and my sister must die."
Frey nods, though he does not look happy.
Frey: "You fought with honor. If only there was another way."
Malekith: "There is."
Frey's eyes go wide as half the length of Malekith's sword comes through his chest.
Malekith: "The alternative is to let Carthage crush Asgard."
Malekith rips his sword free from Frey, kicking him face down into the blood soaked ground.
Malekith: "I must attend to signaling my people."
Nebiryau nods, kneeling by Frey, and rolling him over. He cradles Frey's head with his hand with a solemn expression.
Nebiryau: "I would have rather died by your sword than dealt with such treachery. You deserved better, but my brother's word..."
Frey smiles, coughing up blood.
Frey: "I have a sister the same way. Her name is...her name..."
Frey sighs as life leaves him. Nebiryau closes his eyes with a nod.
Nebiryau: "Her name is Freya or Lenneth. She will have Malekith joining you before nights end."
Vengeance
Lenneth whirls about in battle after shattering a glass golem of Carthage to be met by two Dark Elves.
What madness is this? They're allies in this battle!
That's when she feels it.
She knows when the warriors of Svartalfheim turned.
Malekith had murdered Frey, her brother!
It wasn't enough that her father and Seth had battled to mutual destruction? Malekith had to betray Asgard?
Lenneth let's out a berserker scream, slaying both Dark Elves with a slash of her spear. She scans the battlefield, her combat skills coming to her innate as she plows through enemies with her spear and shield.
That is until she spots Malekith killing Skurge the Executioner and Amora the Enchantress. She times herself and hurls her spear, catching Malekith through the lower back.
She draws her sword and cuts a path through him. The enemy back away in fright as she kneels by Malekith, who laughs.
Lenneth: "You thought it amusing to stab my brother from behind? You traitorous scum!"
Malekith: "I did and I do! So much carnage all around us. Does it really matter who wins this bloody war? Odin is dead, the fate of Asgard has been cast!"
Lenneth grips Malekith by the throat.
Lenneth: "Asgard is eternal. We will have a new King. As will Svartalfheim..."
Lenneth squeezes, crushing and then tearing out the throat of Malekith. He dies in seconds, choking on his own blood.
Lenneth rips her spear from the corpse, raising bloody hands over her head with a shouted challenge to all enemies within earshot.
For their part, Malekith's forces begin their retreat, but caught within the ranks of Asgard...there is no escape for the traitors as they are put to the sword.
Little Sister
Roux O'Hara and Lady Casidhe slash through enemies with spell and blade, their blades capable of slicing through enemy armor with ease despite not being made of metal. The new Royal Guard around them, their weapons and armor coated in the blood of many enemies.
Having weapons made from the heartwood of ancient trees made some fighting easier. The pair sigh in relief as the last of several dozen vampires drops dead for the second time to the ground. Normally a wooden stake to the heart only places a vampire in torpor. These enchanted weapons killed.
These vampires must have been in the line from Nebiryau, but way down the line. There were a lot of them, but they were very weak compared to the likes of Nebiryau or his sire, Druscilla. Not that she knew exactly how strong Nebiryau was when he was a vampire...
An explosion knocks both Roux and Casidhe down to the ground. Roux is up quickly, but Casidhe falls back to lay face down on the bloody ground.
O'Hara: "Casidhe!"
Another explosion blows them away from each other, a foul laughter filling the air.
"Oh my. Did I kill your heir?"
"Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Druscilla lands on the ground by Casidhe in her dark angelic glory. She kneels down, checking Casidhe's pulse.
Devereaux: "She yet lives. I'll fix that once you are gone for real this time."
Roux gets to her feet, glaring at Elizabeth.
O'Hara: "I've killed Titans. You'll be no threat."
This draws more laughter.
Devereaux: "Oh dear. Did you ever wonder why there were so few Titans in Italy and no Olympian Gods left who were not loyal? I have also slain many beings who claimed divinity. Such power is easy to come by while being the Little Sister of Thamptis."
Captain Ainfer shouts a battle cry as he leads the Royal Guard against Lady Apathy. A single spell sends out a wave of power that levels everyone except Captain Ainfer.
Ainfer: "I...will...not...fall!"
Captain Ainfer swings his axe at her, but it is stopped by Elizabeth's wing. Sparks fly as the axe slides off of Elizabeth's apparently feathered wing. She growls as blood drips from the wing.
Devereaux: "You will not fall...you will fly!"
A flash of energy sends Captain Ainfer flying backwards over a hundred feet where he lands in a heap. Elizabeth chuckles.
Devereaux: "Zareth's doing, I suppose? Pathetic as always. Though, I suppose if the enemy wasn't me..."
Roux grits her teeth, lashing out with her sword, but it is blocked by a sword that Elizabeth draws from thin air. Roux's eyes go wide with shock.
Devereaux: "Recognition? When I run you through with this sword of Cold Iron, your powers won't save you from death."
O'Hara: "You're full of yourself..."
Roux twists as she presses back against Elizabeth's blade, grabbing a wing joint with one hand, and tossing her as if a hip toss. She continues on to where the Golden Dagger lay on the ground. A wall of fire springs up before she can reach it.
Devereaux: "Not so fast."
Roux turns back around, defending herself with quick movements of her sword as Lady Apathy goes on the attack. Each backward step pushing Roux closer to the fire.
Devereaux: "What's so important about that dagger?"
O'Hara: "I won't tell you!"
Devereaux: "Fine."
In a quick exchange, Roux disarms Elizabeth, flinging the Cold Iron sword far away. Elizabeth uses the opening to place her hand on Roux's chest.
Devereaux: "I'll find out for myself then."
O'Hara: "No."
A stream of energy strikes Roux O'Hara in the chest. It sends her sailing through the air with a high arc of blood spray. Elizabeth chuckles as she dispels the fire wall.
Devereaux: "I've always wanted to do that. Now the dagger."
Elizabeth walks over to pick the dagger up. She frowns as she feels the great power hidden within.
Devereaux: "What is this I wonder?"
Lady Apathy takes to the air, looking down upon the battlefield until she sees her target.
Thoth, the Egyptian God of Wisdom and Magic. He lays upon a cot outside of the fighting where Priests attend to his wounds that were inflicted by Skaldi, Goddess of Winter. She lands next to him with a smile.
Devereaux: "Good to see you alive, Thoth. I need you to look at this and tell me what secrets it holds. Roux O'Hara, Queen of Ireland, was going to rick her life to get it after she dropped it."
Thoth coughs flecks of blood into a cloth before accepting the Golden Dagger. He turns it over in his hands before uttering a curse in Ancient Egyptian.
Thoth: "There is a buried secret within the blade, but one thing is clear. This weapon can be used to kill the Dark Warlock without breaking the Protection of the Three Siblings! You must tell him at once and hide this weapon!"
Elizabeth takes the weapon from Thoth with a nod.
Devereaux: "You think knowledge of this weapon is wide spread?"
Thoth: "No. I think if it was, we would have been told to seek it without being told why."
Devereaux: "Good."
Elizabeth raises a hand, sending out a dome of fiery power that incinerates everyone nearby. Thoth cries out in pain as the fire burns deep.
Thoth: "Why?"
Elizabeth places her hand over Thoth's mouth.
Devereaux: "Hush now. Something has to be held back just in case my brother goes too far."
When Elizabeth removes her hand, he shakes his head.
Thoth: "Heresy! If he finds out yo-"
Elizabeth places her hand over Thoth's mouth again.
Devereaux: "He won't. Who would tell him I have it? All who know here are dead."
Thoth tries to shout through Elizabeth's hand, but he is silenced when a release of energy destroys his head and shoulders.
She then tucks the Golden Dagger away and looks to see where she's needed next.
Gates of Valhalla
Lenneth wipes at blood to clear her vision as she staggers. She had taken a number of minor wounds in the intense fighting. She looks upon her destination with a grim smile, working her way to it.
The Gates of Valhalla.
The Gatekeepers stand on the outside of the gates, fallen heroes gathered at the gates. They clamor to be released to join the fighting, but it falls on deaf ears.
Lenneth: "Open the Gates!"
Gatekeeper: "We cannot without the word of the King."
Lenneth snarls.
Lenneth: "The King is dead, you fool! Open the gates or all is lost!"
Gatekeeper: "There is still a King! Thor is next in-"
Lenneth: "Thor is someplace in Jotunheim! Open the damned gates!"
The gatekeeper opens his mouth to argue again, but Lenneth kills them both with slashes from her spear. She takes the key from his corpse and opens the gates.
Lenneth: "To the battle! Carthage has entered the city! Flush them out! For Asgard!"
The gathered warriors flood through the gates to stream toward the battle.
"For Asgard!"
Blindfight
Inside the main castle of Asgard, Hod sits at the balcony. He faces the battle, but cannot see it. He has other senses and he could very likely take down many enemies, but Odin forbade it.
And so he listens as the war progresses. He heard the exchange between Odin and Thamptis. The tears he shed are still wet upon his cheeks.
His friends and family down below fighting to the death to defend Asgard, and so many were dying...
Hod: "I wish I could help you, my brothers."
"I wonder if once you made the journey to Helheim if you would have your vision back?"
Hod lifts his head up, sniffing at the air.
Hod: "You have my mother's blood on your hands."
"Of course I do. Your father would have been without his mate. You will be joining them soon."
Hod hears two blades springing into place and shakes his head as he rises from his seat.
Hod: "You are a monster, Valora Salinas. I'll see to it that your own blood joins my mother's on the blade you stole from Sif's tomb."
Valora laughs, leaping to cover the distance between them to slash at Hod. He blocks with his own sword, lunging in to knock Valora into the wall before rushing inside. He spins around just in time to block another quick series of strikes.
Salinas: "You are quick for a blind man. Must hear me breathing?"
Hod catches Valora across the right thigh with a shallow cut, putting her on the defensive to prevent further harm.
Hod: "We both know you only breath to fill dead lungs with the air to speak. You are filled with power than any fool can sense. You are clear, even to my blind eyes."
Hod shouts an Asgardian war cry, splitting Sif's double bladed sword in half. He kicks her square in the chest to send her over the side of the balcony with the sword fragments hitting the floor.
Hod turns back to the inside. There was little left for him, he would join the war with few left to stop him.
He doesn't get very far when he catches a sword slash with his hand. The blade humming with power as it cuts into his palm. Hod can feel his divine energy being drained away. Valora leers in close to his face.
Salinas: "You didn't think a mere fall would kill me, did you?"
Hod: "A mere woman killed you already. I had only hoped you were to understand the hint of being not welcome in my father's home."
Valora hisses as she tears her sword back from Hod, flinging blood across the stone walls.
Salinas: "I will devour you whole!"
Hod catches Valora by the back of the head with a hand, bringing her into a headbutt.
Hod brings out a glass orb from his pocket the size of a fist. The contents of which seem a swirling darkness.
Hod: "Shall we even the playing ground?"
The orb shatters when it hits the ground, plunging the entire room into an unnatural darkness. Not even sound can be heard across the endless expanses that seems to fill the room.
Hod dodges another sword thrust, the power of Valora still seeming bright in his senses. He runs to the other side of the room, hefting up a spear.
He knows that in another place and time, his aim would have been guided by the hand of Loki in the name of some jealous scheme. This is not that time.
As the spear leaves his hand, he knows that something is wrong. The spear strikes the stone wall and the spark...
We see from the outside as there is a rather large explosion from inside the building that sends a gout of flame to the outside.
Hod lays against a charred wall. He seems just as burned as the wall behind him. At least Valora took the brunt of the-
Hod sees the glow of power that represents Valora a moment before he feels her energy stealing blade enter his heart.
Valora Salinas smiles as she feels her body replenished from taking Hod's energy. The fight was a bit harder than she thought, but worth it. She sheaths the sword walking through the halls to see if there are any more Asgardians held back from the fighting.
Salinas: "Come out and play!"
The Lich
"Eteokles!"
Druscilla shouts across the battlefield as she spots the ancient Greek lich.
Druscilla: "You won't be leaving Asgard alive!"
Eteokles laughs, casually sending a fireball in her direction. It goes wide as though not intended to strike.
Eteokles: "If you want to be technical, I didn't enter Asgard alive in the first place. Not since...you know."
Eteokles casts a lightning bolt. It strikes a gauntlet on Druscilla's right hand. She grits her teeth as she absorbs the power.
Druscilla: "You have only grown in arrogance since your transformation. Since you tore your soul away from fleshy moorings and cast it into an object so that Death cannot find you."
Eteokles: "And you will never know where I hid it."
Druscilla draws a finger of the gauntlet across her hand, holding the bleeding palm out, and allowing the blood to drip into the blood soaked earth.
Tendrils of blood burst from the ground to entangle the lich in a net of blood mingled of gods and monsters. He struggles, but can't break free.
Eteokles: "I will break free of this. When I do, I will ensure you can never be brought back!"
Druscilla: "I may never know your hidden location, but I do know the Asgardian Goddess of Secrets."
Druscilla reaches into a pouch, producing a small olive branch. Eteokles looks on with wide eyes.
Eteokles: "No! I surrender! Please!"
Druscilla: "We've danced this before. You vowed to be loyal and I let you hide this again so you could betray me. Never again."
The olive branch burns to ashes in her hand, bringing a scream from Eteokles as he too burns to ashes.
Druscilla: "Ashes to ashes..."
To Battle the Siblings
Kronin and Lilly fight across the battlefield. They have several hundred Asgardian warriors with them as they drive a wedge into Carthage forces to try to break them apart.
Already they can see that the Vanir have broken the Egyptian allies of Carthage, despite heavy losses. The Greek and Italian forces have been under heavy fire, and Kronin watches as Samuel Zadian actually took down Sthena and managed to get many Spatori either retreat or switch sides from his amazing feat.
He was going to move to him with Lilly to help him once he fell, but then he saw Celes Hoskuldottir appear to help.
Still, even with the successes of individual heroes, it was still a difficult battle. They were losing a war of attrition against the seemingly endless forces that Carthage can bring into play. From masses of mortals bribed or blackmailed into service, to monsters from a variety of old mythologies, to the undead...the odds were very much against them.
Kronin nearly stops to praise Iro Waters when he brings down the Dread Dragon that Tabitha Osborne had become. That still left the Three Siblings who led Carthage and slaughtered defenders with ease.
The wave of enemies in front of Kronin and Lilly seem to part to reveal Thamptis walking toward them, his hands glowing bright with green power.
Thamptis: "Kronin the Reborn. This has been a long overdue meeting."
Kronin: "Are you here to surrender? It would be better than me killing you."
Thamptis chuckles.
Thamptis: "Let's not mince words here. I have a world to conquer. So let's get onto the dying, shall we?"
Thamptis brings his hands together, the glow from each hand joining and growing bright in power. Lilly jumps in front of Kronin, weaving her hands in a pattern.
Lilly: "NO!"
A massive stream of green power strikes a bright blue sphere shield. Lilly grits her teeth as she tries to hold, the green energy striking the shield and sweeping around it like a river.
Thamptis smiles as the power sweeps through the wall behind Kronin and Lilly and through the Asgardian city on its way to destinations unknown.
Thamptis: "You can't hold out forever, little one. I already slew the most powerful of you all with ease."
Kronin holds on to Lilly's shoulders as if maybe he could will some of his energy into her as he could see that cracks were already forming in the shield. That's when it hit him.
Kronin: "Lil! Odin was killed out here! Do you suppose the Odinforce is hanging around?"
Lilly: "Maybe? Yes! I can feel it!"
Little motes of light in the air glow as they fly into Lilly, causing her to glow until.
The energy shield changes into a massive counter attack that pushes back against the spell of Thamptis to create a sparking sphere of energy between the two. More motes of light from further away to be absorbed by Lilly. Thamptis frowns as the energy begins pushing back against him harder and harder.
Thamptis: "You cannot!"
The beam strikes Thamptis, sending him all the way to behind his lines, destroying everything in its path. Lilly drops to her knees, exhausted from channeling so much power. Kronin drops down to hold onto her.
Kronin: "It's going to be alright, I have you."
Two shadows cross over Kronin and Lilly. They look up to see Nebiryau and "Lady Apathy" Elizabeth Devereaux.
Nebiryau: "It's been fun."
Devereaux: "But it's time for you to go."
The two siblings draw their weapons while Kronin stands to draw his own with one hand and electricity gathered in the other. He steps in front of the exhausted Lilly.
Kronin: "Let's do this then."
Kronin battles for long minutes with sword and lightning, just keeping the attacks of Nebiryau and Elizabeth at bay.
Though he was fighting his hardest, it did not seem as if Nebiryau and Elizabeth were trying theirs.
Kronin was about to try a ricky move to try to turn the tide when everything becomes stained in green for an instant. Kronin looks over to see Thamptis standing over a downed Druscilla. She hadn't fared quite so well against the Dark Warlock. He turns back to continue his fight, but the fight seems to have stopped. Nebiryau glances at him, but looks to Druscilla with more than a little concern. He raises his sword to strike, but Lilly grabs his arm, and whispers into his ear.
Lilly: "Not now, babe!"
Nebiryau looks at Kronin, his expression telling much he turns and starts running. Elizabeth frowns and follows.
Kronin: "Why did you?"
Lilly: "This next few moments will determine the course of the war with Carthage. Nebiryau has been torn in his loyalty between his brother and Druscilla. Elizabeth is loyal to Nebiryau and not Thamptis. Watch..."
The Price of Passion
Druscilla rips her blade from a Jackal headed warrior with enough time to behead another.
The forces that came with the Egyptian Gods have been falling easily since their divine leaders were killed.
Still, they are not easily winning this battle as had been thought. Especially, not with Thamptis joining the battle personally.
That can be changed.
Druscilla makes her way to Thamptis, who is blasting defenders by the score into burnt corpses, his clothing showing the scorch marks from taking the brunt of Lilly's counterattack.
Druscilla: "This ends now, Thamptis!"
Thamptis sneers with a harsh laugh.
Thamptis: "You can't defeat me. The Protection of the Three Siblings is still in place!"
Druscilla: "I can prevent you from taking part in this battle."
Thamptis sends a stream of green fire her way, but it only destroys a misty shadow. Thamptis turns around quickly, but is struck down with a swipe of Druscilla's blade. She follows this with a kick, but Thamptis catches her foot with a laugh.
Thamptis: "You may be older, but I am more powerful."
Thamptis unleashes a green electrical attack through the boot he holds, but once again Druscilla dissolves.
Thamptis stands up, mumbling a spell. Druscilla reappears, slashing at the neck of Thamptis, but it's as if it strikes an invisible wall. Thamptis finishes his spell, sending out a wave of energy in all directions that seems to color everything green. Druscilla falls to the ground, her sword dissolving into ashes.
Elizabeth Devereaux and Nebiryau come running to the side of the Dark Warlock.
Devereaux: "Are you alright?"
Nebiryau: "Brother!"
Thamptis chuckles, keeping his eyes on the fallen Druscilla.
Thamptis: "I'm fine. I'm just dealing with an old enemy in the way I should have over a thousand years ago. Stand up! Face your death with dignity. This spell will ensure you never come back."
Druscilla slowly stands up. She stands straight up, looking straight at Thamptis.
Druscilla: "I do not regret the choices I have made. You are and have always been wrong."
Thamptis curses in Phoenician.
Nebiryau: "Brother, Druscilla has been an ally as often as an enemy. We should rethink-"
Thamptis: "To you. Her history is entwined with yours. I knew I chose wrong when I let Khonsu die over you."
Nebiryau: "Brother..."
Devereaux: "Your brother has always been loyal-"
Thamptis: "You know little of history, little sister. Druscilla dies."
The green flames wreathing the hands of Thamptis change and grow to a bright blue. He sends twin beams that aim for Druscilla's heart.
That is until Nebiryau shoves her out of the way and the beams strike him instead.
Druscilla lays on the ground, watching as the body and soul of Nebiryau is torn apart by the spell of Thamptis.
Druscilla: "Nebiryau!"
Thamptis looks on in shock at what he had done, sadness covering his expression. He quickly buries his feelings deep, looking coldly at Elizabeth.
Thamptis: "Would you go so far to defy me as well?"
Devereaux: "You've gone too far, brother. Druscilla!"
Elizabeth tosses the Golden Dagger to Druscilla. Thamptis turns quickly, but Druscilla has already moved, and the Golden Dagger is sunk deep into his heart.
Druscilla: "It's all over, Thamptis. Carthage will fall this one last time."
Druscilla releases the dagger, letting Thamptis to stagger backwards to the ground. He looks to Elizabeth, who regards him with anger.
Devereaux: "You killed my brother. Your madness would destroy the world. You die now for your sins."
Thamptis lays on his back and takes one last breath before his body and the Golden Dagger shatter like glass into pieces that lay on the ground.
In the distance, the flying castle crashes to the ground with an impact that knocks nearly everyone to the ground, and stops the fighting.
Dark clouds gather in the sky to block out the stars as the wind picks up to a howl. Lightning lights up the sky, striking the ground in random places.
Druscilla: "What's happening?"
Devereaux: "I don't know! I think somehow, things have become worse!"
The Fall of Asgard
The clouds in the sky part in a circle with a single humanoid falling from the sky to land in the spot where Thamptis died.
He wears a black robe, torn and tattered with age. His hood is back to reveal a skeleton underneath, not a spot of flesh to be found. Around his neck is a long silver chain with a crystal skull that glows a sickly white light within.
The broken flesh, clothing, and Golden Dagger rise up and melt as they merge with the creature. Leaving a bald, dark skinned man with golden flecks in the skin. He smiles as everyone on the blood soaked battlefield has stopped to stare at him. The power he radiates stunning even those who are blind to such things.
He begins to walk toward the city, heavy footprints filling with blood from the saturation of the ground. The sound of his voice seemingly coming from everywhere at once sounds distant and haunting.
"I am Skalar, who was once known the Chaos Mage. It was at a time before even the Gods in this realm's recorded history."
Arrows, bullets, attack spells, and many other projectiles begin flying through the air to strike Skalar. Everything stops a foot from his body, obstructing him from view.
"To fight me is to fight Fate itself. Nothing could have stopped this moment, no matter how you thought to prevent it."
To prove his point, the ball of projectiles explode. The projectiles themselves burn to dust, but the impact from the explosion clears the ground around him in a half mile radius. Everyone inside that area are tossed away or destroyed. Skalar emerges from the destruction with a smile.
Sikarin Tsooth appears on his left with thousands of Sikarin's albino cannibalistic servants. Golbez appears on his right with thousands of his Chaos Knights. The grounds around them begin filling with thousands of humanoid warriors that slowly shift in shape from wings to skin color to horns in a random grotesque progression.
"Kill everyone..."
The ground begins steaming, blood rising into the air to form dark read clouds in the sky as the forces of Skalar begin to march.
What was a vicious back and forth war that was leaning toward a Carthage victory by attrition quickly became a rout. Sikarin's albino sorcerers cast power attack spells. Golbez's Chaos Knights were nigh invincible in battle. The ever changing remainder healed just as quickly as they shifted between shapes, even rejoining lost limbs, torsos, and heads in a very fluid way.
A general retreat is called for as it seems that nothing can be done to stop the oncoming army. Many retreat to the city or to their own realms as the portals started to close. Those with the IWA along with others made their way to the rainbow bridge at the beckoning of Heimdal.
Heimdal: "You must get the Midgard where it is safe!"
Heimdal sends as many as he can at a time though to London until Lenneth is last.
Lenneth: "Come with us, Heimdal! Asgard is lost!"
Heimdal shakes his head, his expression as grim as ever.
Heimdal: "I am Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. It will be until my last breath. Go. I will hold them here."
Lenneth nods, going through the bifrost to London. Heimdal is about to close it when he feels hands on his back.
Heimdal: "Loki. This is not the destined end of all things, but if you wish to battle to the death now..."
Loki: "Always so dramatic. I'm not dying by your hand, fool. Time to go."
Heimdal: "What?"
Loki shoves Heimdal into the open bifrost, closing it down behind him. He turns around, drawing his bloody sword, in time to see Sikarin Tsooth and Golbez.
Tsooth: "Step aside, Trickster. Final stands do not suit you well."
Loki just smiles.
Loki: "It is an ill fitting gesture when ordinarily I would consider placing a knife in his back. I blame my Granddaughter for making me go soft."
Golbez: "Enough of this stupid verbal fencing. Die, young god!"
Golbez lumbers forward with his great axe, Loki rolling out of the way of a might blow that cracks the bridge.
Tsooth: "Watch out, fool! You'll destroy everything."
Golbez: "I'll cleave him in half!"
Golbez swings again, but Loki grabs the haft of the axe while steeping into it and helping Golbez strike the bridge. He leaps back to the platform as the bridge shatters and sends Golbez and Sikarin Tsooth to fall in the void between worlds.
Loki: "You won't find a way back to Mid-urk!"
Loki flies across the expanse for his throat to land neatly in the hand of Skalar. Loki tries to break free, but he cannot pry the fingers away from his throat.
Loki sees as Golbez and Sikarin Tsooth reappear at his side and the bridge rebuilds itself.
Skalar: "Your trick failed. Your sacrifice today is a waste. Earth is mine as it always has been. Now from Asgard...all worlds will be mine as they were always destined to be."
Loki tries to speak, but the crystal skull around the neck of Skalar flashes and Loki's body is blown away into ashes with a thought.
Skalar: "Finish off those who remain and begin the invasion of Earth."
Tsooth: "Yes, my master."
Golbez: "Yes, lord."
All Fall Down
Druscilla stands in a control center where reports are coming in from intelligence reports around the world.
It seems as if nearly every nation across the entire world is being struck at once.
Druscilla drinks deeply of her goblet, unheeding of the blood that dribbles down her chin. One of her officers, clearly looking to impress, speaks up.
"This Skalar guy is using the Asgardian Bifrost. How can we fight against that?"
Druscilla glares balefuly at the man. Even without drawing on her power, the sight of her ire and the blood running down her chin...and coating her clothing since she hadn't time to clean, must have been very imposing for he silences himself right away to go back to monitoring.
The building shakes from a nearby explosion. Druscilla casts her goblet against the wall where it becomes embedded.
Larger and larger creatures have been coming from Asgard with a variety of destructive weapons ranging from breath weapons to laser eyes to needle weapons. Unverified reports say that Glascow, Scotland was eaten in a single bite...
Druscilla: "Why can't we make any progress against these things? Order full evacuations to major cities! We have to be able to at least protect a few locations!"
"Your majesty?"
Druscilla shakes her head at the officer.
Druscilla: "We can protect everywhere! Do it!"
The officers in the room begin sending out signals to military, government, and media sources. Druscilla looks out through a window to see the sky lighting up with random trails of the Bifrost opening and closing.
Druscilla: "We have to do something. Maybe..."
"Majesty! Majesty! Queen Druscilla!"
Druscilla snaps out of her thoughts to see one of her people motioning her over.
Druscilla: "What?"
The officer points at the screen where Skalar the Chaos Mage has appeared while hovering in the air outside of London.
"You think he wants us to surrender?"
The glow around the Chaos Mage increases until he releases a beam of energy.
"Majesty?"
Druscilla watches as the beam seems to come right at her. Not directly anyway since this camera is blocks away, but still.
Druscilla: "Brace for impact!"
We go to where Skalar floats in the air. Him watching as the explosion from his attack destroys London.
IWA Epilogue
Fires rage across the world.
Across many worlds.
The Forces of Skalar the Chaos Mage rain down upon the Earth nearly everywhere at once. Legends and Myths cannot explain what comes to claim us all. These things are far older.
We fight as best as we can, but it is a losing war I fear. My home is burning. The issues that divided us all seem petty compared to what faces us now.
Everyone who does not bow down in absolute worship of Skalar as the One and Only God is destroyed. Those who do are culled by almost half.
The death blow we had planned for Carthage is now the world's last best hope for victory as Skalar and his people will seek to destroy them in person and gain access to the portal to attack that world beyond.
Despite the many set backs we faced, I am proud of what we have accomplished as a global community. It isn't easy to get everyone to go in the same direction, even if it is for the best. We fought hard against Carthage and her allies. We have won more battles than we have lost. I hope that someday, we can do so again.
My advisers are telling me to get into the secret bunker we have to remain safe. I have refused. I will not hide while the country I love with all my heart faces the bitter choice between genocide and slavery. I will fight.
If you can hear my voice, gather yourselves together to fight! Or if you can, go to the Aztec empire where Valora rules. This new evil has not attacked there. She is good to her people.
Stay safe. We will face this new threat with the same courage that we have all others in the past.
Goodnight, America...
And goodbye...
-President James E. Lee