Ren would hear the following:
"Yeah...do you think fire won't hit us if it's magic?"
"I don't know how these things work, but they did say natural attacks will hit. So if he fights with fire or ice or lightning that's not magic or anything...it'll hurt."
"And if someone, say, hit me with a rock using mind powers. Would that hit?"
"I dunno, maybe? Like I said, I don't get it much. I'm not too tech savvy or anything."
---
The Hun snatched the commlink out of Ben's hand, smiling wickedly. "Well, you'll just have to trust us, won't you?" He snickered, taking Will's. "You should be more trusting, like your friend here. Considering how poorly your friend is, doubting us is really the worst thing for him."
He turned, motioning for the guards, who quickly retied the nets and followed their commander out, carrying Guy with them. They joined Shan Yu just as Frank was brought to the entrance. "Sir, the deal was made."
"Perfect. Untie the man's net and let him do what he needs to survive. And remember if he tries anything..." He trailed off, but it was clear what message he was sending. Shan Yu's attention now turned to Frank. "Your attempt at rescue ended quite poorly, didn't it? I give you credit for lasting longer than your teammates, so I won't kill you outright." He frowned, drawing his sword. "But I hope you understand I must set an example for traitors."
With a slash of his crooked sword, Shan Yu sliced a hole through the net, but also cut Frank in his side. Not enough to be a mortal wound, but one that, if unchecked for too long, would kill him. As he shook the blood off the weapon, the guards nearby retied the net and tossed the old man into the building.
As they were finally free of Frank, Shan Yu turned his attention to the commlinks. Taking Ben's, he looked to a soldier, who turned it on and set it up for him. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
It didn't take long to get an answer from a teen girl on the other end. "Ugh, slow down you stupid...huh? Ben, is that you? You sound weird. Is this one of your aliens or something?"
Well, that was easier than expected. Shan Yu smiled. "Yes, it is."
"Did you get, like, uncaptured?"
"Yes. We managed to escape, but are still lost in that building. The one in the ground."
"Oh yeah! We're there too! ...I think? It's kinda confusing..."
Shan Yu's smile faded. "...you are?"
"Yep. There are all these stupid illusions we're fighting and junk. People are freaking out because they're all Coalition members who like died or something. But maybe we'll find that Tess girl in here and rescue her?"
"You guys can do it. We'll try to find you."
"Cool. Hey, if you get here? Tell this dude we're following to slow down. He's going WAY too fast. WAIT UP!!"
And that was that. Shan Yu removed the commlink, gritting his teeth. "So, the Coalition and The Order have joined forces..." He looked to his army. "There's been a change of plans. Bring me the girl."
Guards came into the building, not saying a word as they grabbed the young girl unconscious in the net. Shan Yu smiled, drawing his sword as she lay before him. "Rather upsetting I couldn't have them both...but this will do quite nicely."
Raising his arm, he stabbed Tess right through the heart, killing her instantly.
@Atomic Knight @Ver @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Hahli Nuva @Sark @York
"Look out, private!" A net flew on top of Frank as a Hun finally caught up to him. He looked to Ren, not suspecting anything of him or Schala, who was able to arrive on the scene with no trouble at all. "Don't let this guy smooth-talk anything more out of you. He's a traitor!"
@Jeremi @Kaykay @York
"Hm?" Shan Yu heard Ben from where he stood, but was a bit too large to fit into the building himself. So, he sent backup.
A slender little man arrived in the building, looking over the three.
![]()
"What seems to be the problem?"
@Crow @Sark @Hahli Nuva
Frank was going to go Old Testament God levels of Vengeance on Guy's ass when he got out of this. "Oh no!" Frank exclaimed in mock shock. "I have been captured! I sure hope somebody doesn't find the bomb I planted on Shan Yu that will explode in 30 seconds if I don't diffuse it!"
He looked around at everyone lingering a few seconds on Ren before looking at the other Huns. "Bunch of tough guys with your nets huh? I bet all of you would be scared to face me one vs one, even as this old guy. Maybe I just misjudged you guys and you're all just a bunch of cowards?" Alright new plan. Get all eyes on him to let Ren do whatever it was he was planning on doing.
@Yun Lee @Kaykay @York
"The more of you we capture, the better leverage we have." The Hun nodded to the two, and two soldiers came forward, opening the nets just enough to poke the commlinks through. Two guards each aimed guns at Ben and Will, just to ensure they didn't try anything funny.
@Crow @Hahli Nuva @Sark
---
"At least WE don't rely on magic to make our way in the world," a Hun retorted, beginning to drag Frank along.
A soldier by the nets whistled, speaking to the guy next to him. "Man, that was a close one. Imagine if he tried setting us all on fire?"
@Jeremi @Kaykay @York
"I don't need any of my powers to teach a bunch of kids like you a lesson!" Frank shouted to the Huns making an even larger spectacle of himself. "That's what you all are! Children barely old enough to stop sucking from your mothers teat!" He's always wanted to say that. "Cut me out of this thing and we'll see how tough you are when an old man kicks your ass! Cowards! Cowards!"
@Yun Lee @Kaykay @York
"Woah!"
Ren leaped away from Frank, surprised by the sudden attack on Frank. Fortunately, he could just mask it as surprise at Frank's "reveal" as a spy. Once Ren regained his balance and assessed the situation, it was obvious to him that Frank was acting again. Despite his demeanor, he was actually pretty smart when it came to this kind of stuff. Enough so that Ren was surprised that he was captured instead of Ren himself.
"Thanks for the heads-up, I was wondering why he kept asking me trivial questions...ah," he feigned surprise and paused for a moment, as if in realization. "He might have been stalling me. I need to go. If something happens and Revan finds out I paused in my patrol..."
He wanted to ask the other soldier about what would happen if Frank had tried to set them on fire, given that the emblems were supposed to provide magical protection, but he couldn't afford to look like the only one who didn't know at this point.
With that excuse he sneaked away from the scene, hopefully aided by Frank's eye-catching appearance and loud provocations. Though he moved, where was he to even go? No one had managed to sneak in before that girl decided to announce their arrival for some reason, almost no information had been exchanged between those who had actually sneaked in, and Ren himself had only found information about trying to fight them.
Well, all that could be done was his best then.
Ren wasn't sure if he'd hear any idle conversations with the big commotion that was Frank going on, but as he moved he'd try to listen for anything about the nets, emblems, or the prisoners. Perhaps he might even overhear those two soldiers that were worried about Frank setting them on fire. Otherwise, he'd try to sneak into the building. His sixth sense had noticed Schala do so pretty effortlessly while remaining unsuspected, and the number of enemies and surprise nets should be much lower on the actual inside of the building.
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @York
Ren would hear the following:
"Yeah...do you think fire won't hit us if it's magic?"
"I don't know how these things work, but they did say natural attacks will hit. So if he fights with fire or ice or lightning that's not magic or anything...it'll hurt."
"And if someone, say, hit me with a rock using mind powers. Would that hit?"
"I dunno, maybe? Like I said, I don't get it much. I'm not too tech savvy or anything."
---
The Hun snatched the commlink out of Ben's hand, smiling wickedly. "Well, you'll just have to trust us, won't you?" He snickered, taking Will's. "You should be more trusting, like your friend here. Considering how poorly your friend is, doubting us is really the worst thing for him."
He turned, motioning for the guards, who quickly retied the nets and followed their commander out, carrying Guy with them. They joined Shan Yu just as Frank was brought to the entrance. "Sir, the deal was made."
"Perfect. Untie the man's net and let him do what he needs to survive. And remember if he tries anything..." He trailed off, but it was clear what message he was sending. Shan Yu's attention now turned to Frank. "Your attempt at rescue ended quite poorly, didn't it? I give you credit for lasting longer than your teammates, so I won't kill you outright." He frowned, drawing his sword. "But I hope you understand I must set an example for traitors."
With a slash of his crooked sword, Shan Yu sliced a hole through the net, but also cut Frank in his side. Not enough to be a mortal wound, but one that, if unchecked for too long, would kill him. As he shook the blood off the weapon, the guards nearby retied the net and tossed the old man into the building.
As they were finally free of Frank, Shan Yu turned his attention to the commlinks. Taking Ben's, he looked to a soldier, who turned it on and set it up for him. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
It didn't take long to get an answer from a teen girl on the other end. "Ugh, slow down you stupid...huh? Ben, is that you? You sound weird. Is this one of your aliens or something?"
Well, that was easier than expected. Shan Yu smiled. "Yes, it is."
"Did you get, like, uncaptured?"
"Yes. We managed to escape, but are still lost in that building. The one in the ground."
"Oh yeah! We're there too! ...I think? It's kinda confusing..."
Shan Yu's smile faded. "...you are?"
"Yep. There are all these stupid illusions we're fighting and junk. People are freaking out because they're all Coalition members who like died or something. But maybe we'll find that Tess girl in here and rescue her?"
"You guys can do it. We'll try to find you."
"Cool. Hey, if you get here? Tell this dude we're following to slow down. He's going WAY too fast. WAIT UP!!"
And that was that. Shan Yu removed the commlink, gritting his teeth. "So, the Coalition and The Order have joined forces..." He looked to his army. "There's been a change of plans. Bring me the girl."
Guards came into the building, not saying a word as they grabbed the young girl unconscious in the net. Shan Yu smiled, drawing his sword as she lay before him. "Rather upsetting I couldn't have them both...but this will do quite nicely."
Raising his arm, he stabbed Tess right through the heart, killing her instantly.
@Atomic Knight @Ver @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Hahli Nuva @Sark @York
Frank gritted his teeth at the wound but showed no more emotion on his face as he was thrown in. "I've been dead twice already, what's another?" Frank snarked, clutching his side he got up and looked around. "Is Guy dead or is it okay for me to kick his ass real quick?" Quite a pickle they were in right now but he was sure the people not caught would save them at any moment.
Yep...
Any moment now.
"Seriously is Guy already dead or?"
@Atomic Knight @Ver @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Hahli Nuva @Sark @York
"I'm on my way!" Meceliss responded before trying to use the Force to augment her speed to run after the man. Trying to keep up or get past him."They did die," Eleanor said in a small voice in response to Kitty's question.
The ball of powerful psychic energy slammed into Teresa with such an amount of force, the woman felt as if she had slammed squarely into a wall. A sickening crack could be heard as Teresa went flying backwards, right across the room. Oscar cried out for his sister, but Kitty was on him then, slashing with her blade. Kitty's deliberate avoidance of lethal damage allowed Oscar to parry her strikes with his sword. A small eruption of white light erupted around him, forcing his immediate attackers to back off.
"You're asking for it," Velvet said, staring at Oscar as she held up her left hand. It was bandaged thoroughly, obscuring the most of her arm. Her arm then seemed to explode, revealing itself to be a demonic limb.
![]()
Oscar shook his head. He reached out and clenched his fist, summoning familiars to him. Men in masks and beasts now crowded around him, ready to fight.
In the meantime, the silver-haired man had ignored Oscar and instead approached Teresa, who was struggling to get to her feet. She held her staff in her right hand like a crutch, her left arm dangling as if broken by Deoxys' attack. The silver-haired man simply shoved her back to the ground and proceeded to the next room. "Follow your heart, Velvet," said the man. "No matter where it leads you." He looked over his shoulder. "I'm going on ahead to the prison's control room."
As the man left, Ludger looked around at all the familiars. "Damn," he muttered. "Some of us should follow him, just to know what happens!"
@Crimson Spartan @HealThyWounds @Space_Candy @Lucky @Gummi Bunnies @Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jackythejack @Yun Lee @MelodyMeister @Minerva @Donder172 @Crow
Ren would hear the following:
"Yeah...do you think fire won't hit us if it's magic?"
"I don't know how these things work, but they did say natural attacks will hit. So if he fights with fire or ice or lightning that's not magic or anything...it'll hurt."
"And if someone, say, hit me with a rock using mind powers. Would that hit?"
"I dunno, maybe? Like I said, I don't get it much. I'm not too tech savvy or anything."
---
The Hun snatched the commlink out of Ben's hand, smiling wickedly. "Well, you'll just have to trust us, won't you?" He snickered, taking Will's. "You should be more trusting, like your friend here. Considering how poorly your friend is, doubting us is really the worst thing for him."
He turned, motioning for the guards, who quickly retied the nets and followed their commander out, carrying Guy with them. They joined Shan Yu just as Frank was brought to the entrance. "Sir, the deal was made."
"Perfect. Untie the man's net and let him do what he needs to survive. And remember if he tries anything..." He trailed off, but it was clear what message he was sending. Shan Yu's attention now turned to Frank. "Your attempt at rescue ended quite poorly, didn't it? I give you credit for lasting longer than your teammates, so I won't kill you outright." He frowned, drawing his sword. "But I hope you understand I must set an example for traitors."
With a slash of his crooked sword, Shan Yu sliced a hole through the net, but also cut Frank in his side. Not enough to be a mortal wound, but one that, if unchecked for too long, would kill him. As he shook the blood off the weapon, the guards nearby retied the net and tossed the old man into the building.
As they were finally free of Frank, Shan Yu turned his attention to the commlinks. Taking Ben's, he looked to a soldier, who turned it on and set it up for him. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
It didn't take long to get an answer from a teen girl on the other end. "Ugh, slow down you stupid...huh? Ben, is that you? You sound weird. Is this one of your aliens or something?"
Well, that was easier than expected. Shan Yu smiled. "Yes, it is."
"Did you get, like, uncaptured?"
"Yes. We managed to escape, but are still lost in that building. The one in the ground."
"Oh yeah! We're there too! ...I think? It's kinda confusing..."
Shan Yu's smile faded. "...you are?"
"Yep. There are all these stupid illusions we're fighting and junk. People are freaking out because they're all Coalition members who like died or something. But maybe we'll find that Tess girl in here and rescue her?"
"You guys can do it. We'll try to find you."
"Cool. Hey, if you get here? Tell this dude we're following to slow down. He's going WAY too fast. WAIT UP!!"
And that was that. Shan Yu removed the commlink, gritting his teeth. "So, the Coalition and The Order have joined forces..." He looked to his army. "There's been a change of plans. Bring me the girl."
Guards came into the building, not saying a word as they grabbed the young girl unconscious in the net. Shan Yu smiled, drawing his sword as she lay before him. "Rather upsetting I couldn't have them both...but this will do quite nicely."
Raising his arm, he stabbed Tess right through the heart, killing her instantly.
@Atomic Knight @Ver @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Hahli Nuva @Sark @York
[RING STATUS REPORT: CONDITION: CRITICAL]
Guy continued to pound against this chest. He had fucked up. Big time. To think he had been an Honor Guard. To think he once had half the universe looking for him for answers. But now? Now he was nothing more than a sick man dying in a cold cell, light-years upon light-years away from home.
[RING STATUS REPORT: CONDITION: CRITICAL]
He had always known that he would die in the line of active duty. The thought had always lingered in the back of his mind. It was a comfort to know that when he did, he'd have a permanent spot in the Hall of Lanterns waiting for him. Well, maybe he would have a dozen years ago. He had change sides far to many times to warrant a blessing like that now.
[RING STATUS REPORT: CONDITION: CRITICAL]
He had played for too many teams. And now his death was going to doom even more of his allies to painful deaths. Hal had been right about him from the start. He didn't deserve the ring. Still. He wasn't about to admit that Hal was right about something.
[RING STATUS REPORT: CONDITION: CRITICAL]
To think Ben and Will had been so willing to sacrifice everything to keep an asshole like him alive. It was... kind. After all he had done and all the stupid choices he had made, they still found it in their hearts to try to save him. The fleeting comfort of that thought simple magnified his guilt. It should have been the other way around. They still had so much to achieve. And now? They had thrown it away to save something like him. Damn it all.
[RING STATUS REPORT: CONDITION: CRITICAL]
He heard Frank make some dickish comment, but whatever he had said didn't quit register. Guy was too busy try to craft his last words, or send off some final message. It would be something witty. Something wise. Something----
Blackness.
[GREEN LANTERN 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO SECTOR 2261]
His green ring slipped from his finger.
[RED LANTERN 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO SECTOR 2261]
His red ring slipped from his hand.
[BLUE LANTERN 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO SECTOR 2261]
His blue ring leaped from his necklace.
[WARRIOR 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO QWARD]
His yellow ring ignore its orders to follow Frank.
[INDIGO TRIBESMAN 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO NOK]
His Indigo Ring rattled and hovered away.
[STAR SAPPHIRE 2814 DECEASED] [PRIORITY DIRECTIVE LOCATED] [MORATORIUM ON SENTIENT REPLACEMENT. PROCEEDING TO SECTOR 1416]
His pink ring soared into the stars.
For a moment, there was nothing. As the light faded from Guy's eyes, his final thoughts couldn't turn to home. They couldn't turn to Ice or Bleeze or Mogo. All he could think of how much he wanted to hurt Shan Ya. How desperately he wanted to see him dead. How much he yearned to watch him suffer. Desired consumed him. He lusted to make up for all he had done.
[AVARICE DETECTED]
His Indigo Ring froze mid-flight. It seemed to shake and shift for a moment, as if it were torn as to whether or not it should stay or go. A rusty, Orange glow crawled across its surface.
[WILL DETECTED]
As Guy clung to life, his Oan Ring seemed to follow the directions of its Indigo counterpart. It too seemed to linger around his body for a moment. Dancing.
[RAGE DETECTED]
His nostrils flared with his final breath. He Red Ring began to tremble as its rolled across the floor and back towards his hand.
[COMPASSION DETECTED]
Second hand compassion. The kindness shown to him by Ben in the face of their incalculable odds. He had to repay him. He had to. His Indigo Ring heard his call. It tumbled back down towards the earth.
[LOVE DETECTED]
Love. Sacrifice. Will surrendering her earpiece. It was a small action, but its consequences had been great. And he was willing to sacrifice everything to make up for his sins in life. Anything.
[FEAR DETECTED]
The Fear of Silent Earth. The whole planet stank of it. Spreading terror and madness was what it seemed to best. And he could use that. He could fight it. He could overcome great fear.
[HOPE DETECTED]
No matter how little life remained within his husk of a body, he had to fight. He couldn't surrender. He couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever.
[GUY GARDENER OF SECTOR 2814, YOU HAVE GREAT HOPE ANGER LOVE COMPASSION AVARICE IN YOUR SOUL. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME GREAT FEAR. YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO INSTILL GREAT FEAR.]
[GREEN LIGHT DETECTED. CELLULAR REGENERATION INITIATING.]
[INITIATING PLASMA PURGE]
[CHANNELING BLUE LIGHT. PERSONAL REGENERATION INITIATING]
With one final gasp for air, Guy roared back into the land of the living, life springing from every pour. Blue. Red. Green. Pink. Indigo. Yellow. A hint of Orange. A flicker of every color of the spectrum sat in the heart of Guy's palm. With a shattering scream, the cries of half a dozen corps filled the room. Through the cracks in the net, light leaped.
[WELCOME TO THE CORPS. WELCOME TO THE WH--]
CRACK!
[WARNING: CHARGE EXCEEDING 300%]
[WARNING: CHARGE EXCEEDING 500%]
[WARNING: SAFETY MEASURES DISABLED. OVERCHARGING. CHARGE EXCEEDING 700%]
CRACK!
Their natural shells were being pushed to their limits and beyond. They couldn't handle the pressure. They couldn't---
BOOM!
His violet ring shattered under the strain.
[CHAIN BROKEN. GUY GARDENER OF SECTOR 2814. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE UNDER THE WH--]
BOOM!
His pink ring followed suit.
[CHAIN BROKEN. GUY GARDENER OF SECTOR 2814. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE UNDER THE STAR SAPPHIRES]
In a panic, Guy yanked the remaining rings from his fingers and threw them in his breast pocket. He didn't want to lose a hand today. From inside the net, he stared up at the Huns.
"So. I bet you've never seen Shan come back from the brink, huh?" He smiled. "Guess that finally makes the G-Man a God, huh? Having
'conquered death' and stuff..." A gross exaggeration. "Now. As the newly appointed God of the World, I can tell you all this: I'm pissed. Expect earthquakes and rains of fire in the next couple of days. Maybe, now that I've been 'reborn' and stuff, I should be more of a second chances kind of Guy... " He hesitated for a moment. "Nah. You wasted that girl. Do what you want to Frank. But if you've got a problem with me? Take it out on me. Single combat. Shan Yu vs Gardener. The Rumble in the Jungle." He raised his voice until he was practically screaming, he words echoing across the building. "Unless you feel like showing all your boys how much of a god-damn pussy you are, you'll take me up on my offer! Ya got nothing to fear if your bark is as bad as your breath, slap-head. I win? You give us back out Comms. Let us leave in peace. You win? I give you all the juicy state secrets that can fit in that thick skull of yours"
Guy stretched his hand out through he opening in the net.
"Deal? Unless... you're scared that Daddy-Revan will give his favorite lap-dog a spankin' for being a man without a permission slip?"
@Yun Lee
Those who followed the silver-haired man, like Austin. Corrin, and Severa, they were stopped short once in the prison's control room. The silver-haired man was confronting someone here, but he did not appear to be a guard.
"Looks like your wayward heart has put you in the wrong place," the silver-haired man said. "Stand down, or face the consequences."
@Jackythejack @Minerva @Yun Lee
"Gardner? Are you... alive?" Ben gasps, then turns to Will. "Did he... recover from his space ebola or does he still have it? That was space ebola, right?"
@Yun Lee @Hahli Nuva @Sark @Crow
"I...I don't know. All I can think about right now is ripping Shan Yu to shreds because of what he did. He killed a child, Ben!"
Will shuddered with rage at the barbaric murder. She had seen people die before, but a child impaled in cold blood just cemented how cold and calculating their enemy was.
@Crow @Yun Lee @Sark
Those who followed the silver-haired man, like Austin, Corrin, and Severa, they were stopped short once in the prison's control room. The silver-haired man was confronting someone here, but he did not appear to be a guard.
"Looks like your wayward heart has put you in the wrong place," the silver-haired man said. "Stand down, or face the consequences."
@Jackythejack @Minerva @Yun Lee @Donder172
Oscar's familars spread out, rushing the group in a manner of different ways. Magic spells such as lightning and ice rained down on the group, putting some distance between them and Oscar. "In the name of Lord Artorius, I will end this!" he cried, his sword clashing with Velvet's.
"After I take you down!" Velvet cried, "Artorius is next!" The pair exchanged sword slashes, locked in deadly combat.
![]()
Ludger fell in next to Deadpool. He wielded twin pistols of his own, firing on the targets that Wade didn't get. "I think I know exactly who that man is," he said in-between shots. "But the magic he wields... I will have to tell the Coalition leaders once we're off Silent Earth."
The crowded fighting kept everyone busy, even as something rumbled into the room from one of the side halls. There was a monstrous roar, followed by a large stream of fire that engulfed Oscar and Velvet. Velvet managed to jump out of the way relatively unscathed, but Oscar cried out in pain.
The source was a great hulking monster who let out a gravelly laugh.
![]()
"Gwaah ha ha ha! Make way for the King Koopa!"
@Crimson Spartan @HealThyWounds @Space_Candy @Lucky @Gummi Bunnies @Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @MelodyMeister @Crow
"I know you're thinking of some pretty hasty actions, Will," Ben adds, crossing his arms, "but for now, we have to let Gardner handle things."
@Sark @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Yun Lee