Not many people realized how much of a city was underground. Sewers, subways, maintenance tunnels, and old abandoned versions of all those and more. Gaunt had had enough of the old sewers in Los Angeles. He was looking for a change of scenery, and a change of scent. It was a lot harder to sneak around smelling like butt, so he planned to avoid sewers when he could.
It was this line of thinking that brought him to a disused subway line. This place had been abandoned for years, after an urban renewal project had opened up newer, safer lines. That left a network of old tunnels, stations, and maintenance areas that were completely disused. It had been a simple matter picking the lock to get in. There was nothing much down here, so they hadn't used the best padlocks. Garrett had picked it easily, and replaced it with one of his one. It had been aged to look like it had been sitting out, but was new and top of the line. He secured it in place before setting out to explore the station. No sense leaving his back open while he went househunting.
Gaunt's eyes adjusted quickly to the low light. He wasn't as good at night vision as some of his kind, but he was still a fair bit better than humans. He was a predator, after all, and one who hunted at night. He went deeper into the station, looking around for defensible places where the sun couldn't reach. He might be down here for days, but he would find his new home.
A howl pierced the silence of the night, and Vincent jumped up from his slumber. Instead of waking up inside of his room he stood barefoot in a forest. It was the same dream as before that Vincent had been having for over a week now. He still had no idea what the dream was supposed to be mean, but it was not like Vincent talked to anyone about this stuff. Vincent already considered him an outcast, and he did not need to add anything else to that. There was the thought about talking with Raven about his dreams. However, Vincent always talked himself out of even bringing up the subject when he had the chance.
Vincent stepped forward through the mist rolling along the forest floor. It all felt so real even though Vincent knew this was his dream. Or was it? Had he managed to teleport to another world without even knowing it? That was definitely a possibility as Vincent still did not have a full understanding of what he was capable of now. Vincent stopped when he saw a figure off in the distance. This was normally where the dream ended, so Vincent was surprised he was still here. Just a few more steps, and he could see who the figure was that had been eluding him all these nights. Vincent reached out to the figure when the figure suddenly turned around. Right before Vincent could see the figure's face a black cloud surged forward and enveloped him. That was the last thing Vincent saw before passing out.
Akroxus breathed in deeply as he stood up from the boy's bed. The air in the tower was stale, but there were various energies flowing throughout the building. No doubt it was from all the various inhabitants. None in the tower held any interest for Akroxus. The hooded witch would be amusing to play with one day, but for now Akroxus had to find a more suitable source of power. In a flash of crimson energy Vincent vanished from his room.
Clad in all black with a trench coat to match, Akroxus floated high above the city. Akroxus closed his eyes and concentrated as he searched out the various auras. He passed over all minute sources until he found a leak of power. It was not enough, but there was potential it lead to a ley line. If Akroxus could feed on that, he would be one step closer to his full power. Akroxus did not need a second thought as he vanished in a flash of energy again. The energy surged straight down into the ground before he materialized in one of the many tunnels underneath the city.
"So this is where the denizens of darkness reside....," Akroxus said out loud. He took in a deep breath. The stench was horrible for an average human, but Akroxus could make out various scents. Some human, some animal... and then there was another. A scent Akroxus had not picked up in ages. It was similar to his kind. Too similar. The ley line would have to wait.
So Akroxus began making his way through the tunnels as he followed the faint trail. A normal tracker would have never picked it up. Akroxus was anything but normal anyways. He stopped when he came to a locked gate. The thought of simply slicing through did cross his mind, but that would make it easy for others to enter. Akroxus flashed forward in a stream of crimson energy and appeared on the other side of the gate. However, he had over shot it a bit and landed a step lower. The hard thud of his landing echoed somewhat, but Akroxus did not care about that at all. It was not like he had anything to fear.
The scent was stronger here. Now to find the source. And so Akroxus began his search.
Gaunt hadn't gone far into the tunnels when he heard something behind him. Someone had gotten into the station. He hadn't heard the gate move, but there was a definite thud of someone landing. Was someone slipping through the vents? Or maybe they could go immaterial, there were a lot of odd capes wandering around this town. But regardless, Gaunt wasn't ready for guests. Not until he had found a spot to settle down, at least. He would have to lay low, metaphorically speaking.
With a rustle of gravel, Gaunt jumped for the ceiling. Long fingers grabbed onto the pipes that ran along the top of the tunnel, and he hauled himself onto them. Slowly and silently, he shimmied along the pipe, getting further away from the disturbed gravel where he had jumped. Couldn't leave too many clues as to where he was, after all. Once he was about fifty feet down the tunnel, Gaunt focused. His body shimmered before fading from sight, blending in perfectly with his surroundings. From that moment he stayed perfectly still. No breath, no heartbeat, not even a twitch. As long as he remained like this, he could stay unseen as long as he had to.
Slowly Akroxus made his way through the darkness. His eyes radiated a dim crimson glow as his vision became augmented. It was as if he was looking at everything in broad day light. Akroxus took in another deep breath as he picked up the trail again. The scent of magic was heavy here as well, and Akroxus very tempted to turn around and find the ley line. However, the line would still be there tomorrow. This other being could possibly be gone by the morning. So it was easy to make the decision.
Akroxus continued to walk for quite some time as he followed the scent trail. He found nothing of importance down here. Maybe that was why this being had chosen to come to this place? There were no other life forms except for pests. Nothing that would really cause any trouble for any sentient life forms in this area. Akroxus had to wonder if the locked gate was really so effective in keeping others out of here. If little pieces of metal kept people out, this world was already doomed. Fortunately for them, Akroxus had no intentions of devouring this world.
He came to a sudden stop when the scent went nowhere. There was a heavy concentration of the scent where he stood, so the being stood here for quite some time. Akroxus held his hand up as if he was grabbing something in the air. It was possible the being had figured out it was being followed by something. Akroxus almost smirked at that thought. As if the being had any chance of escaping from him. He would definitely enjoy the chase at the very least. There was no telling what a being with a similar scent to his kind was capable of achieving in this world.
"Seek."
Akroxus uttered the word as he released his power. His crimson aura slowly appeared around him as his shadow was imbued with the energy. The shadow rose up and slithered around as it took in the scent. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the shadow suddenly exploded upward as it followed the scent. The shadow bolted along as it surged towards the source of the scent. However, the shadow had no means to take a hold of the source. Instead, the shadow simply released the energy it had taken in. Crimson energy exploded in every direction. Everything the energy touched would be marked, and Akroxus would have an easier time finding this other being.
Gaunt waited, still and silent, for the intruder to pass. Once the guy was gone, he could double back and scout somewhere else. This place was big enough for the two of them, so long as the interloper stayed far away. He could hear footsteps getting closer in the loose gravel. Not far from him, the footsteps stopped. Gaunt tensed up a bit. Did this guy have some sort of sensory powers?
That was answered soon enough. A male voice ordered someone to seek. Some sort of animal trainer? Gaunt didn't remember hearing wings, or other footsteps. Then a shadow erupted between the pipes, coming straight for him. Gaunt rolled off, but wasn't quite quick enough. It caught his shoulder as he fell, sending out a red light that stuck to him. The spell didn't hurt, but it dispelled his invisibility. A tall, scrawny figure appeared in a puff of smoke near the ceiling, and fell to land on his feet on the tracks.
Gaunt bent with the impact, making the landing look a bit rough. It could have been easy enough, but he didn't want to tip his hand yet. He had been tracked down by some sort of magic user. If this guy was hostile, he wanted to be able to surprise him with a trick or two. Gaunt kept his hands folded behind his back, close to the massive handgun strapped to his back. He was ready to draw if this got ugly.
"Can't a man take a walk in peace?" he grumbled, looking the guy over. He looked young, but there was something off about him. He didn't seem like a typical young mage.
The shadow slowly retreated once it had released the energy, and a few seconds later Akroxus's shadow returned. Akroxus watched as the being was brought out into visibility and it fell to the ground. Upon closer inspection, Akroxus could make out that the creature before him was male indeed. This was certainly no human standing before him, and now Akroxus was curious as to what this being actually was.
Akroxus tilted his head as the being before him spoke. The voice was loud in the silence around them. He took in a deep breath and mulled over the scent now that it was directly from the source. Definitely a creature of darkness, but the darkness Akroxus had one called home. This was a creature from this realm as well. So Akroxus would not find the information he sought from this person. He doubted the being would even provide any real sustenance if he attempted to devour him. At least that ley line was still somewhere back there.
"A man? Possibly," Akroxus answered as he stared directly at the being before him. "However, you are no mere man," Akroxus added.
There was a pause of silence as Akroxus continued to just stand there. At the very least, Akroxus would find out what this being was capable of for having possessed such a similar scent. The only warning given was the sudden smirk that appeared on Akroxus's face before Akroxus disappeared. Just as quickly as he had disappeared, Vincent appeared in front of the other being and let loose a kick to the being's chest.
Unlike Vincent, Akroxus was not one to ever hold back. His body was lined in his crimson aura as his magical energy poured in to enhance his physical prowess. The strength he would possess would be beyond any mortal.
Gaunt groaned. Some mystical type speaking in old-timey style. He'd never had a good experience with one of those. "Yeah yeah, I know. I'm ugly." he said, waving a hand dismissively. He started walking in the way the man had come from. "Now you can keep going that way, I can go this way, and I can have some time to think."
Gaunt stopped when the man vanished. He looked around for a moment, trying to see where the attack was coming from. He felt it before he saw it. The man's foot slammed into his chest, pushing against his vest and sending him flying back. Gaunt slammed into the wall, cracking it and leaving a slight crater. He fell motionless, hoping that the old trick could fool this guy. No heartbeat, no breathing, no movement of any kind. Maybe if he played possum this guy would decide the broken toy was boring and go find someone else to play with.
Lying there, he thought over his options. This guy could detect him while he was invisible, seemed to be about a match for strength, and was much faster. He didn't know what else he could do. If it came down to it, he might have to use Vera here. He could feel the gun strapped to his back, still in working condition despite the impact. It was built to last. But he didn't know how much punishment this guy could take, and he preferred not to find out the hard way. If all else failed, he could just smash the walls and bring down this part of the tunnel. That should give him room to escape.
Akroxus watched as the being slammed into the wall, but there was no movement after the dust settled. His eyes burned a bright crimson as he saw the motionless body just embedded there in the wall. This had been the first time Akroxus had been able to use his own power in a battle, and so he was very disappointed in the current situation. If the being before him was not going to fight, Akroxus would not waste anymore energy on him than the bare minimal.
His crimson aura pulsed slightly as the outline stepped forward. Once more his shadow rose, but this time it mixed in with the crimson aura. A hollow clone of Akroxus was formed. It did not possess the raw energy Akroxus had, but it would be a suitable replacement for physical combat.
"Leave no trace."
Another simple command from Akroxus as he did want to know what the being was capable of doing. What better way than by fighting an opponent who only wished to completely decimate you?
The clone nodded before it ran forward. It launched itself to crash into the motionless opponent and aimed to pummel him against the wall even more. That was of course if the being continued to simply lay there.
Of course he wouldn't leave well enough alone. Gaunt sat up, reaching behind his back as he heard the command. He drew out a massive pistol, firing it point-blank into the charging shape. Vera was like an elephant gun in pistol form, it packed a nasty punch. Just in case that wasn't enough, he slammed his free hand into the wall next to him. The concrete cratered, and the force of the hit sent him flying sideways, clear of the charging apparition.
He rolled to his feet, aiming Vera at the original. "Are you allergic to peace and quiet or something? I just go to take a bloody walk, and you gotta start something. Well, this can be a VERY bloody walk. Unless you want your whole ribcage spread over that wall there, then sod off and let me get back to my stroll." This guy looked young, but after all the trouble he was causing Gaunt wasn't planning on taking chances. This was going to get messy.
A loud bang resonated throughout the underground complex and was followed by an explosion of crimson glass. The clone had no way of avoiding the shot with the momentum it had gained. It had simply been shattered into countless pieces by the force of the gun. Akroxus merely tilted his head as he saw the event unfold before him. That was a strange weapon and one he had never seen before. To imagine that such destructive force was held within one's hand, now that was a great power.
Akroxus tilted his head once more as the being began to speak to him with such strange words. He understood every word the being spoke, but their meaning was lost on him the way he phrased them together. This world had many mysteries he had to decipher. Gaining knowledge of this world was more of a priority than obtaining his power.
He took a step forward and appeared in front of the being instantly. "I seek knowledge of this world. I shall allow you to live if you unlock your mind to me," Akroxus told the being.
Being so close to the being, Akroxus did not fear him at all even with the weapon he held in his hand. The clone was nothing but a shadow. It would take more force than that to put him down.
Gaunt stared him down, gun leveled at him. "You want information? Fine. I can do that five more times before I have to reload, and I can crumple a car with my bare hands. I've played nice so far. I've tried to walk away, tried to play dead so you'd find someone else to annoy. But if you wanna keep up pestering me, I can make you stop." He sounded a lot more confident than he was. This guy had magic, that made him a dangerous unknown element. A lot of his powers would affect Gaunt more than most attacks would. He'd have to be careful, hit hard.
The vampire held his ground, gun aimed at the center of his opponent's chest. He couldn't trust himself to get a headshot, even at close range. He'd never been a great marksman. Still, a shot to the chest would do some damage. This thing was designed to kill elephants, it had to have some effect. "You're in no position to make threats, man. Down here? This is my world. I've let you play down here because I didn't want all the fuss and muss of killing a super. Too much attention, it's bad for business. But if you keep trying to play tough I might have to." He scowled at the super, hoping that he was willing to back down now. If not, this was about to get messy.
Akroxus could not help but smirk at the creature's threatening pose. As if such a creature would instill fear into him. He simply looked down at the weapon pointed at his chest before looking back up at the being before him. While he did not possess the strength to rip the dimension in half, Akroxus had more than enough power to work with against one sole being.
"This is your world?" Akroxus questioned the being. "If you are the strongest of this world, this world will soon fall to me..."
Akroxus's eyes radiated a crimson aura as his body crumbled to ashes. One would think Akroxus had fallen apart, but it was far from the truth. He had simply released himself. This would only last a short while as he was still bound to the boy, but it was all the time he needed.
'You are nothing but dust in my wake. Now kneel!'
His voice came from every direction and from within Gaunt as well. The small portion of the tunnel had been converted into part of Akroxus's dimension. It had consumed quite a bit of his energy, but he would restore it soon enough. Whether or not Gaunt had enough will power to resist Akroxus, the demon was curious to find out.
Gaunt holstered his gun when Akroxus started crumbling. It was probably some sort of trick, but whatever it was Vera wouldn't be likely to do much good. He would have to wait it out. Gaunt folded his arms, his foot tapping as he waited for the demon to make its move.
The voice echoed through the tunnels, and Gaunt just looked around unimpressed. He was used to ominous voices. As a matter of fact, he used that trick routinely as part of his Businessman persona. "Cute, real cute. I've seen supernatural wars, but sure this party trick is really scary." His voice was casual, almost bored.
The transformation of the tunnel was enough to raise an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of dimensional trick or just an allusion, but he'd seen worse. "I've fought my way through a house made of living human flesh. I'm sure this is really scary in your usual circles, but you're batting out of your league here. I ain't seen it all, but I seen way more than this." He stood, arms folded, waiting for this to be over. This guy was really getting on his nerves. Gaunt had never liked these smug ancient supernaturals. Their high and mighty schtick got really old really fast. "Are you done? Because I tell you what I'm done listening to you. I think I'm going to continue my stroll now." He shoved his hands in his pockets, picking a direction and starting to walk.
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Alviss: Darn doesn't show the pic
Apr 18, 2019 7:10:17 GMT -6
force: miss this place. if anyone comes back and sees this, i'm force, i was kid flash here once. you can find me on discord at rook#9485
Jan 12, 2023 13:11:35 GMT -6
The roleplay takes place after the series end of the original Teen Titans animated show, but does not include the movie Trouble in Tokyo. Since then Robin has been on something of a recruiting spree, and many new young heroes have found themselves a home in Jump City as well as Titan Tower.
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