The "From The Pages Of..." Comics Universe RPG

[wiegeabo]

We override the door to McCoy's quarters and security follows me in. Rightfully it should be the other way around, but I've never been a stickler for the rules.

"Bones, you in here?" We fan out, but it only takes a second to see his quarters are empty. I open a comm line. "Kirk to sickbay."

"Sickbay, Captain," Nurse Chapel's voice replies. "Security is here, but Dr. McCoy never showed up."

"Underst-"

"Transporter room to Captain Kirk!" a British accented voice interrupts.

"Kirk here. Did you find him, My. Kyle?"

"Captain...I just woke up. I think Dr. McCoy knocked me out and beamed down to the planet."

"Dammit!" I run some quick ideas through my mind. "Can you get a lock on his lifesigns?"

"I've been trying sir, but the temporal waves are badly scattering his signal"

"Can you get a general location?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Transfer the coordinates to the science station on the bridge. Kirk out."

***

I rush onto the bridge. Spock is already at his station, pouring over data.

"Spock?" I ask, standing beside him to look over the results. They pass by on his screen faster than I can read.

"I am still trying to compensate the sensors for the disruptions. I believe I can narrow a beam down sight to within two hundred meters of the doctor."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover. What's down there, Spock?"

"Atmosphere seems to be just within M-class. There appears to be structures of some type in the area. It's difficult to tell from orbit."

I nod. "Ok then. Spock, you're with me on the landing party." I turn around. "Uhura, I'll want you down there too. If there's anybody's down there, we may need a translator."

"Aye, sir."

I press the comm button on my chair. "Kirk to Giatto."

"Giatto here."

"Chief. I need you and one of your security officers to meet me in the transporter room. We're beaming down to find McCoy."

"Understood, sir."

I contact Scotty and tell him to report to the transporter room. Sulu takes over as Spock, Uhura, and I step onto the turbolift.


***

We walk into transporter room and Chief Giatto has phasers and communicators wating for us. We slap them onto our belts and Uhura and Spock double check their tricorders. Scotty has his tricorder and pats his toolkit. I don't know why we'd need a toolkit down there, but I've learned to trust Scotty on such matters. The six of us take our positions on the transporter pad.

"Energize..."

 

[wiegeabo]

We pull up to the security gates of the facility. It looks like any civilian building. Not sure how they pass it off for normal all the way up here. But they probably figured some story to tell the people in town. That's what life with the CIA is, apparently. Nothing but stories, half-truths, and full on lies.

Sometime I depress myself.

We wait at the gate for a minute in a vehicles, but no one comes to see us. No one responds on the radio. No one answers the intercom.

"Spooky...."

Felix's voice pops onto the radio. "Well, Major. What do you think?"

Casey grunts a little and breathes out long through his nose. "I think that something's wrong. I think that if Fulcrum's here, they're inside. I think we don't wait around anymore."

Casely slams his foot down on the gas and the rear tires spin for a second. "Casey, wait-!"

Our SUV leaps forward and plows through the front gate. We brake hard near the building's main entrance. Casey grabs his rifle and gets out. Sarah follows, gun in hand, and I quickly do the same.

The icy air bites at us as the other two SUV's pull up next to us and Felix's men get out.

Sarah looks around. "Where are the alarms?"

"I've got a bad felling about this."

"No kidding, Chuck."

Felix walks past us, slamming back his machine gun's hammer to load it. "Let's go." His team promptly follows him to the main entrance.

"I'm starting to like this guy."

"Uh, yeah. Great." Sarah and I start to walk with the team, but Casey puts his hand on my chest, stopping me.

"Oh, come on. I can't stay in the car this time. I'll freeze!"

"Heh. Not what I meant. Although it is something to think about..." I roll my eyes. Casey pulls out a gun and offers it to me.

"Casey..."

"Yeah, Casey...I...don't know how to use one of those things."

"It's easy. Point and shoot. Not much more you need to know." He leans in close. "But if you shoot one of us, especially me..."

"...r-right." I take the gun and almost drop it. "I've got it! I've got it!" Casey and Sarah duck as I wave the gun around.

Casey grabs my wrist and squeezes hard, making sure the gun is pointed at the ground. "Watch it. It's loaded, moron. You keep your finger off the trigger, and that thing pointed at the floor. Got it?" he growls.

"Got it."

"You three coming?" Felix calls from the building's doors.

 

[Byrd Man]

"Assassins. Murderers. All the lot of them." I mumble to myself as I sneak around the surface of this planet.

I have no idea where I am at. But I'd rather be here any day of the week than be on that damned ship.

I'm breathing a bit more heavy than I should be as I crouch around a pair of boulders.

I hear that familiar sound of someone beaming on to the planet.

They're after me. I know it.

I turn and start to run away from the party Spock sent to kill me. I pray that they won't be able to catch me.

 

[Red_Robin77]

We override the door to McCoy's quarters and security follows me in. Rightfully it should be the other way around, but I've never been a stickler for the rules.

"Bones, you in here?" We fan out, but it only takes a second to see his quarters are empty. I open a comm line. "Kirk to sickbay."

"Sickbay, Captain," Nurse Chapel's voice replies. "Security is here, but Dr. McCoy never showed up."

"Underst-"

"Transporter room to Captain Kirk!" a British accented voice interrupts.

"Kirk here. Did you find him, My. Kyle?"

"Captain...I just woke up. I think Dr. McCoy knocked me out and beamed down to the planet."

"Dammit!" I run some quick ideas through my mind. "Can you get a lock on his lifesigns?"

"I've been trying sir, but the temporal waves are badly scattering his signal"

"Can you get a general location?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Transfer the coordinates to the science station on the bridge. Kirk out."

***

I rush onto the bridge. Spock is already at his station, pouring over data.

"Spock?" I ask, standing beside him to look over the results. They pass by on his screen faster than I can read.

"I am still trying to compensate the sensors for the disruptions. I believe I can narrow a beam down sight to within two hundred meters of the doctor."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover. What's down there, Spock?"

"Atmosphere seems to be just within M-class. There appears to be structures of some type in the area. It's difficult to tell from orbit."

I nod. "Ok then. Spock, you're with me on the landing party." I turn around. "Uhura, I'll want you down there too. If there's anybody's down there, we may need a translator."

"Aye, sir."

I press the comm button on my chair. "Kirk to Giatto."

"Giatto here."

"Chief. I need you and one of your security officers to meet me in the transporter room. We're beaming down to find McCoy."

"Understood, sir."

I contact Scotty and tell him to report to the transporter room. Sulu takes over as Spock, Uhura, and I step onto the turbolift.


***

We walk into transporter room and Chief Giatto has phasers and communicators wating for us. We slap them onto our belts and Uhura and Spock double check their tricorders. Scotty has his tricorder and pats his toolkit. I don't know why we'd need a toolkit down there, but I've learned to trust Scotty on such matters. The six of us take our positions on the transporter pad.

"Energize..."

Phaser, Check. Communicator, Check. Tricorder, Check. Toolkit, Check. I'm ready and raring. The blue energy of the transporter surrounds us as the familiar surroundings fade from view.

The sight of a desert, barren-like planet slowly grew into view, before the transporter stops. I twirl around and looked at my new location.

"They could do with a paint job here..." I mutter, walking around in a circle.

"No sign of Bones, Cap'n," I report as I stroll ahead.

Something flickers in the corner of my eye and I turn quickly. Nothing.

"Getting paranoid Scotty..."

 

[TheTurtle]

2013. Somewhere in space...

The sound is deafening. The whirring and clanging of machinery - the sound of conveyors and metal slamming into metal. A small man stands in the center of the room, smoothing down his green velvet Jacket. In front of him stands a seven foot tall man of steel, staring down at him. The small man runs his fingers through his long hair in frustration. All around them, more of the silver giants move around. Observing, studying...

"But what is the point of all this? Can't you see, it brings you nothing. You know, you Cybermen... I'm really starting to feel like I'm repeating myself. What does all this mean? One billion more Cybermen, what does it matter? It doesn't bring you anything..."

"EXPLAIN."

The man sighs again, and looks down at his shoes. He admires them, and just for a moment forgets where he is. For one moment, all that exists are those shoes, and the simple joy they once brought him. His eyes snap back up the the Cyber-Controller as he rejoins the present...

"You travel from world to world, converting, making more of you. Why, though? It means nothing to you - you FEEL nothing. You have no hopes, no dreams, no ambition... why bother?"

"Cybermen are superior to humans. We make their lives better"

The Doctor smiles sadly to himself.

"You know, if it wasn't for all your claims - I'd almost think you were proud of what you are."

"Cybermen are beyond pride."

The Doctor chuckles. Then he fixes his eyes on the Cyberman.

"I don't think so. In fact, I think the real reason you do this to people... is jealousy. You want what they have. But you can never, ever have it. So you take it from those who can."

The Cyberman's arm shoots up, the long metal fingers wrapping around The Doctor's neck, choking him.

"Silence!"

The Doctors eyes bulge, and he gasps for breath, both arms struggling in vain against the Cyber-Controllers. But still, he smiles.

"Is th... that anger... I... see...?"
​

Suddenly, all the sounds stop. There is nothing but silence. Then an alarm blares to life. The Cybercontroller drops The Doctor to the floor, and turns to face a subordinate.

"Report."

"We are under attack. Assailants are unknown."

The Doctor picks himself off of the floor and dusts himself down. Then says very calmly:

"Oh we are in trouble now, aren't we?"

One of the walls caves in, dust and rubble fly everywhere. Several of the Cybermen are crushed under falling chunks of concrete.

And then all hell breaks loose.

 

[wiegeabo]

Phaser, Check. Communicator, Check. Tricorder, Check. Toolkit, Check. I'm ready and raring. The blue energy of the transporter surrounds us as the familiar surroundings fade from view.

The sight of a desert, barren-like planet slowly grew into view, before the transporter stops. I twirl around and looked at my new location.

"They could do with a paint job here..." I mutter, walking around in a circle.

"No sign of Bones, Cap'n," I report as I stroll ahead.

Something flickers in the corner of my eye and I turn quickly. Nothing.

"Getting paranoid Scotty..."

I look around the windswept landscape. The sky is a dull blue-gray. The dirt is loose and gray. The whole planet has a feeling of age lifelessness.

Except for the ruins.

"Spock, report."

Spock stares at his tricorder. Like a good science officer, he's been scanning since the moment we beamed down. "These ruins are ancient, Captain. On the order of eons, rather than millenia."

"Millions of years?" Uhura asks. "How can ruins last that long?"

"I am not certain," Spock replies, obviously not happy with the lack of an answer. "The Federation has never before encountered a civilization so ancient."

"Where no man has gone before..."

"Captain?"

I wave my hand. "Nothing. Ok, lets fan out. Spock, your with me. Scotty, Uhura, check out the nearest ruins to the north. See if you can find any writings or evidence of technology during your sweep. Giotto, Spock and I will head south-west, you two south-east. Standard spiral search pattern. If McCoy's avoiding us, we'll try and drive him back here."

"Aye, sir." Giotto and his security officer head out towards the east, while Uhura and Scotty walk off.

Spock and I start walking, he with his tricorder scanning, me with my phaser in my hand, set to stun. "Anything, Spock?"

"The temporal anomolies are scattering my sensor probes. I'm detecting dozens of human lifesigns with a two hundred meter radius."

"So the tricorder's useless?"

"Beyond a distance of several meters, essentially. Given enough time, I could adapt my tricorder..."

"McCoy could be dead be then."

"Indeed."

I suddenly have the urge to walk faster. I shout out. "Bones! Where are you?!"

 

[TheTurtle]

2009. New York City.

The groaning of ancient engines fills the night, and down one deserted New York Alleyway, a blue police box materializes from nothing. One of it's doors pops open, and an elderly man steps out into the bitterly cold night. He rubs his hands together, then calls back into the box.

"Come along, come along. We haven't all the time in the world!"

A younger man steps out behind him, scratching the back of his head. He is a good deal taller than the old man, so looks down when it is time to talk.

"Surely Doctor, that's the whole point of... this thing!"

"Don't call it a thing m'boy. It's The Shir.. The Ship. And a good ship too."

The Doctor pulls the door closed, and locks it. Then he turns to face the darkness of the alleyway.

"Well, nothing's going to get done if we sit around dilly dallying, is it? No we had best get on. Come along then."

And with that The Doctor marches into the night, the younger man following behind him.
​

 

[Byrd Man]

I suddenly have the urge to walk faster. I shout out. "Bones! Where are you?!"

My heart is beating faster and faster as I hear Kirk's voice off in the distance.

"Dr. McCoy!" I hear Giotto shout as I creep through the ruins.

I stop dead in my tracks as one of his men catch me.

"I found him!" He screams.

I take off as phaser fire barely misses me.

"Assassins!" I scream as I keep on running through the ruins. My eye catches something as I run. A portal of some kind.

I don't have time to think. I run straight for the portal.

"Bones!" I hear Kirk yelling in the distance as I run to the portal.

I leap through the portal and I'm gone.

 

[wiegeabo]

Spoiler

We pull up to the security gates of the facility. It looks like any civilian building. Not sure how they pass it off for normal all the way up here. But they probably figured some story to tell the people in town. That's what life with the CIA is, apparently. Nothing but stories, half-truths, and full on lies.

Sometime I depress myself.

We wait at the gate for a minute in a vehicles, but no one comes to see us. No one responds on the radio. No one answers the intercom.

"Spooky...."

Felix's voice pops onto the radio. "Well, Major. What do you think?"

Casey grunts a little and breathes out long through his nose. "I think that something's wrong. I think that if Fulcrum's here, they're inside. I think we don't wait around anymore."

Casely slams his foot down on the gas and the rear tires spin for a second. "Casey, wait-!"

Our SUV leaps forward and plows through the front gate. We brake hard near the building's main entrance. Casey grabs his rifle and gets out. Sarah follows, gun in hand, and I quickly do the same.

The icy air bites at us as the other two SUV's pull up next to us and Felix's men get out.

Sarah looks around. "Where are the alarms?"

"I've got a bad felling about this."

"No kidding, Chuck."

Felix walks past us, slamming back his machine gun's hammer to load it. "Let's go." His team promptly follows him to the main entrance.

"I'm starting to like this guy."

"Uh, yeah. Great." Sarah and I start to walk with the team, but Casey puts his hand on my chest, stopping me.

"Oh, come on. I can't stay in the car this time. I'll freeze!"

"Heh. Not what I meant. Although it is something to think about..." I roll my eyes. Casey pulls out a gun and offers it to me.

"Casey..."

"Yeah, Casey...I...don't know how to use one of those things."

"It's easy. Point and shoot. Not much more you need to know." He leans in close. "But if you shoot one of us, especially me..."

"...r-right." I take the gun and almost drop it. "I've got it! I've got it!" Casey and Sarah duck as I wave the gun around.

Casey grabs my wrist and squeezes hard, making sure the gun is pointed at the ground. "Watch it. It's loaded, moron. You keep your finger off the trigger, and that thing pointed at the floor. Got it?" he growls.

"Got it."

"You three coming?" Felix calls from the building's doors.

Some of the lights in the main entryway flicker. The hallways leading from the greeting area are pretty much dark. And the whole floor has no sounds but ours.

"Did I say spooky, or did I say spooky?"

"SHHH!!!" Casey, Sarah, and even Felix get after me.

I drop to a whisper. "Sorry, sorry. It's just...we usually don't get into situations this creepy."

"So what?"

"Casey, this is exactly how horror movies start. Or tv shows."

"This ain't a tv show."

"Sometimes, I don't know..."

"Major, Agent, my men and I will take the east corridor. I'll have Olsen and Meyers head west with you."

"Sounds like a plan," Sarah says.

"A bad plan. Should we really be splitting up?"

Felix looks as if he's trying to study me. "Are you really CIA?"

"Yes," Sarah says too quickly. "An analyst. Um...so, we'll head up and look for anyone. See if we can get into the server room."

"Right. We'll go down to the sub-levels, see if Fulcrum penetrated the research areas."

"Five minute check-ins. We meet back here in thirty."

Felix nods and motions for his team to move on. "Come on," Casey says, and we follow.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

 

[Byrd Man]

BPRD HQ
Colorado
8 Hours Ago

"Hellboy. Are you even listening?" Dr. Manning says as we sit in the briefing room.

"Sure am." I say as I light up a fresh cigar.

"You need me to go kill some vampires."

"Not just any. These appear to be a different breed than the classical vampires. Only thing that kills them is either decapitation, or contact with the sun."

I take a long drag off my cigar and exhale the smoke.

"So, where am I headed?"

"Barrow, Alaska. This is a joint effort by the CIA and the BPRD. Please watch after the spooks."

"Heh. Spooks. Sure, I'll watch after them."

"Good. Your flight leaves in a half hour."

Above Alaskan Airspace
Now

The plane shakes, rattles, and rolls as Abe and I get in position to jump out 30,000 feet above the town.

"Ready, Red?" Abe shouts over the plane engines.

I check the bullets in The Samaritan and nod as we strap the jetpacks on our backs.

"Let's do this thing."

"I just hoped the BPRD briefed the CIA agents on our arrival. If not."

"We should come off as one hell of a shock." I quip as I leap out of the plan and hit the button on the jetpack.

Abe follows behind me and catches up to me as we fly towards the sleepy town surrounded by snow.

We land in a snow back about a mile away from town.

"Let's get to walking, Abe." I double check my gun again as we start to walk through the snow into the town.

 

[wiegeabo]

My heart is beating faster and faster as I hear Kirk's voice off in the distance.

"Dr. McCoy!" I hear Giotto shout as I creep through the ruins.

I stop dead in my tracks as one of his men catch me.

"I found him!" He screams.

Spock and I whip around as we hear Giotto and his man shout.

"Let's go!" We start running towards the voice. And then we hear a frightening sound. The whine of a phaser.

I take off as phaser fire barely misses me.

"Assassins!" I scream as I keep on running through the ruins. My eye catches something as I run. A portal of some kind.

"NO! Hold your fire. We don't know what a phaser will do to him." Spock and I round a small outcropping, and we see the security officers chasing McCoy down.

"Bones, stop!"

McCoy keeps running. And I finally notice what he's running towards. A stone ring. But it obviously isn't stone. Stone doesn't glow. And stone rings don't produce mist from its center. And McCoy's headed right for it.

"McCoy! Don't do it!!!"

I don't have time to think. I run straight for the portal.

"Bones!" I hear Kirk yelling in the distance as I run to the portal.

I leap through the portal and I'm gone.

"BONES!!!" He leaps through the center, but doesn't come out the other side.

We finally reach the ring. Breathing heavily, I wave the security officers off. I see Uhura and Scotty running towards us. The mist fades, and the ring returns to looking like just stone.

"Spock. Did you record that?"

"I did, sir. Fascinating. This ring is obviously a device of some type." He continues to scan it with his tricorder. "In fact, it's the source of all the temporal waves we've been experiencing."

"Explain."

"I...cannot. It is beyond any science that I can understand."

"Then what the hell is it?"

"A QUESTION."

We all freeze as the ring speaks in a deep, booming voice.

"SINCE BEFORE YOUR SUN BURNED HOT IN SPACE, AND BEFORE YOUR RACE WAS BORN, I HAVE AWAITED...A QUESTION."

Spock intently focuses on his tricorder. The rest of us stare dumbfounded. I finally regain my voice.

"What are you?"

"I AM THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER..."

 

[TheTurtle]

2009. New York City.

Pulling his black cloak tight around himself to keep out the chill, the Doctor marches through the New York Street. Following closely behind him is Jon, his traveling companion.

"So, Doctor, why have we come here, exactly?"

The Doctor stops, pulling his cloak even tighter.

"Well my lad, I've always been interested in this preio... period in history. Hmm, yes. Things got very interesting around this time. And I rather fancied myself a look at it."

Jon looks at the Doctor, confused by what the strange old man has just said.

"This isn't history Doctor. It's the future, you said this was 2009."

The Doctor waves his hand impatiently.

"Oh it's all relative my boy. See, to someone like me, there is no past, present and future. There is only now."

He moves off again, walking through the streets, drawing glances from passing people who can't help but notice his strange Victorian dress sense. Suddenly, without warning he falls to the ground. Jon is immediately by him, reaching out and helping the old man up. The Doctor nods gratefully, then wipes himself down.

"What happened there Doc?"

"Oh nothing m'boy. Nothing at all. Just felt a touch weak, that's all. It's to be expected. This body is getting rather old y'know."

" 'This' body?"

The Doctor smiles, then walks again. Slower this time, his steps more measured and cautious.

"Oh I expect you will see soon enough. Enough questions about that for now."

Jon takes his place just behind the Doctor, then dares one final question:

"So what's so special about 2009?"

"Things are happening. Very special men and women are appearing. Strange creatures, some who's origins will never be revealed. I would like to see them. When you are as old as I am, child, there is little left that instills a sense of wonder. This may be my only chance to ever feel that feeling again."

2013. Somewhere in space...

The Doctor stands, mouth and eyes wide, as he watches the massacre before him. It has raged now for days, and is finally coming to an end. He stands, bleeding and bruised - his clothes torn to shreds.

He winces as the last Cyberman falls to the invaders. The battle had been a close one, both sides has lost massive numbers. Only ten of the hundreds of invaders were left.

These monsters - so familiar except so different. Gone are the bodies of grey and black. They seem so much more formidable now, like bronze tanks.

One of them, all black - their leader - glides over to him. It's stalk level with his own eyes. He is staring into the face of death...

​

 

[wiegeabo]

Casey kicks one door open while Sarah rushes inside, rifle at the ready. They sweep the room with their guns while I stand behind them and wait. All the while trying to remember not to shoot myself in the foot.

"Clear."

"Clear."

We move down the hall and repeat, just like we've been doing for the last twenty minutes. It'd be boring if I wasn't scared half to death. I look behind me, swearing I heard something, and walk right into Casey's back.

He spins around, his gun at the ready, before quickly pointing it up instead at my face. He pushes me against the wall. "Two steps behind, Bartowski," he says through clinched teeth.

"R-right. So, um, how much longer?"

"Why, you got somewhere else you need to be?"

"Just one more floor Chuck. Then we'll head down and meet up with Felix."

"Down to the basement. Oh yay."

I spin around again. Ok, this time I definitely heard something. And I'm not the only one. Casey and Sarah spin as well, guns pointing into the dark hallway.

"We cleared all the rooms behind us, right?" Casey whispers.

"Yes."

There's the unmistakable sound of footsteps. They stop, then pick up again. "We obviously missed someone."

"Or they flanked around us." Casey and Sarah start slowly walking forward.

"Uh, guys? Shouldn't we be heading away from the scary noise?"

"Shut it, Chuck!" Casey pulls a flashlight from his belt. "On three?"

"Right."

"Oh great. Good things never happen on three."

"One." Casey drops to one knee, his rifle aimed as he points the flashlight.

"Two." Sarah presses herself against the wall, gun aimed.

"Oh god." I press up behind Sarah and hold my own gun ready. Now if my hand would just stop shaking.

"Three!" Casey turns on the light.

"HHSSSSSRAAAAHAAHHRHRHGGHRR!!!!"

***

"BACK! BACK! BACK!" Felix shouts as he lays down cover fire for his team. He pulls a grenade and tosses down the hallway before slamming his fist on the button, closing the pressure door to the rest of the research lab. He covers his ears as the explosion rings out, shaking the lab.

"W-What the hell?!" one of his men asks in shock.

"I don't know," Felix growls. "But they already got two of us. They're not getting the rest. Head back up, double time!"

As the teams runs for the stairs, Felix pulls out his radio. "Casey! Walker! Come in!"

All he gets is static...

 

[wiegeabo]

BANG BANG BANG BANG

"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" I shout out everytime I pull the trigger.

The...bad guy...things are ripped apart by Sarah and Casey pinpoint shooting. Me, I doubt I've hit anything, and I have a feeling I may have also emptied my bladder a little.

"Back! BACK!"

"What the hell is going on?"

It's a good question, because as soon as the bullets knock these guys down, they just hiss and hop back up. We start running, and they give chase.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."

"Shut up and run faster, Bartowski!" Casey and Sarah pop off a few more shouts as we hit the stairwell. Sarah and I slam the emergency doot shut behind us and push against it as the bad guys smash into it. Casey kicks open the box containing a fire axe and shoves it into the door handle to lock it.

The glass in the emergency door shatters, and Sarah and I back away just before a set of hands reach through and grab us. Faces hiss and scream at us as they try to push the door open.

"Oh my god. Oh my god! They're...they're-"

Casey grabs us both by the arms. "MOVE! That axe won't last long the way they're hittin' the door." Casey pull the pin on a grenade and tosses it through the door's window. We start running down the stairs, and by the time we reach the next floor, the explosion rings out. We can see and feel the flame above us. There's high-pitches screaming, and then silence.

And then the hissing starts again.

"What the hell?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Don't you get it? Guys who won't die. Big long teeth." They just look at me. "Oh, come on. They're vampires!"

 

[RGDurant]

The reflective doors of the elevator slid aside and Durant stepped out into the hallway that led to his personal board room.

Durant walked in and closed the door behind him, striding onward past the seven men sitting at a heptagonal conference table and took his own place at the head. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and withdrew a long cigar, a lighter, and his golden cigar cutter. He snipped of the end of the cigar, put it in his mouth, and lit up.

Durant sat for a minute in silence, letting the rich smoke vent from his mouth slowly. He removed let out a few more puffs of smoke before taking the cigar out of his mouth.

"Now gentlemen, let's talk business."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

Rorschach's Journal: July 19th, 2009

Spent most of the morning resting from previous night's wounds.

Came across some biker gang assaulting store owner. There were six of them and only one of me.

Crushed two windpipes, collapsed a lung, gouged out close to two sets of eyes, and only had bruises and a stab wound in the shoulder to show for it.

Woke up to shouts of landlady. She continues to complain about the smell. I check my healing wound and reapplied it. I ignored her and her bastard children as I left.

​

*****************

​

Rorschach walks silently down the dark New York street. He stops on the sidewalk, his feet planted in dried blood. He bends down and picks up an object resting on the sidewalk.

"Hmmm..." He says as he stares at the blood stained smiley face button.

Placing the button in his pocket, Rorschach looks up as he removes his grappling hook.

Shooting a line up in the air, he zips up to the high-rise apartment's broken window.

He lands in the apartment with a thud. Removing his flashlight, the masked vigilante goes to work.

He searches the ransacked living room and bedroom. He searches the closet of the victim.

His eyes fall on a small red button inside the closet.

Pressing the button, Rorschach steps back as the closet opens up to reveal a hidden compartment containing a leather covered costume and a cache of guns and ammo.

"Hurm...."

Rorschach's Journal: July 20th, 2009

Tonight, a Comedian died in New York.

Somebody out there knows why. Somebody knows.

And I shall find out why.

One way, or another.​

 

[wiegeabo]

Spock and I whip around as we hear Giotto and his man shout.

"Let's go!" We start running towards the voice. And then we hear a frightening sound. The whine of a phaser.



"NO! Hold your fire. We don't know what a phaser will do to him." Spock and I round a small outcropping, and we see the security officers chasing McCoy down.

"Bones, stop!"

McCoy keeps running. And I finally notice what he's running towards. A stone ring. But it obviously isn't stone. Stone doesn't glow. And stone rings don't produce mist from its center. And McCoy's headed right for it.

"McCoy! Don't do it!!!"



"BONES!!!" He leaps through the center, but doesn't come out the other side.

We finally reach the ring. Breathing heavily, I wave the security officers off. I see Uhura and Scotty running towards us. The mist fades, and the ring returns to looking like just stone.

"Spock. Did you record that?"

"I did, sir. Fascinating. This ring is obviously a device of some type." He continues to scan it with his tricorder. "In fact, it's the source of all the temporal waves we've been experiencing."

"Explain."

"I...cannot. It is beyond any science that I can understand."

"Then what the hell is it?"

"A QUESTION."

We all freeze as the ring speaks in a deep, booming voice.

"SINCE BEFORE YOUR SUN BURNED HOT IN SPACE, AND BEFORE YOUR RACE WAS BORN, I HAVE AWAITED...A QUESTION."

Spock intently focuses on his tricorder. The rest of us stare dumbfounded. I finally regain my voice.

"What are you?"

"I AM THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER..."

The Guardian of Forever? Spock and I look at each other, more confused then before. I try to wrap my mind around what is happening, but I can only grasp at straws. Still, since the...Guardian likes to answer questions...

"Are you machine or being?"

"I AM NEITHER. I AM MY OWN BEGINNING. MY OWN ENDING."

Well, that certainly helps.

"I see no reason for answers to be couched in riddles." Apparently Spock is thinking the same thing.

"MY ANSWER IS SIMPLY AS YOUR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING MAKES POSSIBLE."

Spock looks at me as if he's been insulted. I'm not sure we haven't been. We walk around the Guardian as Spock looks over his readings. And then, something clicks for him. "Time portal, Captain. A gateway to other times and dimensions. If I'm correct."

"AS CORRECT AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU. YOUR SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE IS OBVIOUSLY PRIMATIVE."

Spock looks taken aback. "Really," he says flatly, obviously not happy with the Guardian's conclusions.

"Annoyed Spock?" He looks unhappy, for a Vulcan. But I suppose that Spock's own conclusion could explain what happened to McCoy.

"BEHOLD." We look at the Guardian and the fine mist returns, seemingly falling from withing the stone to coat the opening. "A GATEWAY TO YOUR OWN PAST, IF YOU WISH." Within in the mist, almost as if being projected from inside, images begin to appear. Images of ancient cultures from around the Earth.

"Spock! If that is a doorway back through time...could we, somehow, go back a day in time and-"

"Relive the accident? This time be certain that the hypo accident is avoided?" I nod in agreement and we all look at the images, contemplating the idea. "Look at the speed with which the centuries are passing, Captain. To step through on precisely the day we wish, and with McCoy already gone..."

Spock's right. Who know what could happen if we change the doctor's past without him with us. Meaning we'll need to get him back before trying. But my science officer's words do trigger an idea. "Guardian...can you change the speed at which yesterday passes?"

"I WAS MADE TO OFFER THE PAST IN THIS MANNER. I CANNOT CHANGE."

Spock suddenly starts fumbling with his tricorder. "I am a fool." If the situation wasn't so grim, I'd laugh at his comment. "My tricorder is capable of recording, even at this speed. I've missed tapping centuries of living history."

"Including the date the doctor passed into?" Scotty asks. It's the first time he, or anyone, has spoken since McCoy jumped through. And I can tell he feels guilty about letting the doctor escape.

Spock checks his tricorder. "Unfortunately, we do not know the date."

"But we do, sir," Uhura says. She offers Spock her tricorder. "My tricorder was recording the entire time. Including the...Guardian."

Spock stands next to her and compares her readings to his own. "Lietenant Uhura is correct, Captain. She did record the time of Dr. McCoy's departure."

I nod. Finally, some good news. "Good work, Lieutenant. Can you sync it with your readings Spock."

"I am doing so now. It appears we are fortunate. We still have several minutes before we arrive at the same time."

A plan starts rolling around in my head. "We're going to need to go through ourselves. Try and bring McCoy back from where ever...when ever he's gone. Lietenant, call the Enterprise for support. The more people we can bring along, the better the odds of finding McCoy."

"Aye, sir." Uhura snaps her communicator open as Scotty and I look over Spock's work and Giotto and his security man stand watch. "Landing party to Enterprise. Landing party to Enterprise, come in." Uhura gets nothing but empty static. "Landing party to Enterprise, come in." We look up and watch as she tries frequency after frequency, but to no avail.

I whip out my own communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise, respond."

Scotty slings his tricorder off his shoulder and starts scanning. "Sir!" he says with shock.

"What is it, Mr. Scott?"

"The Enterprise...she's gone!"

"HE HAS PASSED INTO...WHAT WAS. YOUR VESSEL, YOUR BEGINNING, ALL THAT YOU KNEW...IS GONE."

Shock takes hold of us all. What the Guardian has said, what that means...

"McCoy...has somehow changed history."

"You mean we're stranded down here?"

"With no past...no future..."

"Earth's not there. At least...the Earth we know." I look up at the stars, now impossibly out of reach. "We're totally alone..."

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Ray sat down on the rock and lit up a cigarette. Taking a big drag and slowly exhaling, Raymond Stantz had a satisfied look on his dirty face as he surveyed the scene.

It was night on the fields of Gettysburg, where the most memorable battle of America's bloody Civil War took place.

"You know, George Pickett marched his men right through this very field", Ray said in a nastalgic tone.
"Right into the teeth of the Union army. He knew, too, that there was no way he'd pull it off. That the order Lee gave him was a suicide mission. But still the man attacked."

"Gotta admire that", he finished as he took another puff of the Marboro hanging from his lips.

"Yeah, Ray, I know", replied an annoyed Venkman.
"We just had an up close view of Pickett's charge, and I have to say...I'm not impressed", Venkman said as he stepped over a small fire smoldering in the grass.

As it did in 1863, the fields of Gettysburg looked like a warzone once more. Large craters made the field look like a big piece of Swiss cheese, flames still burning inside a few of them. Trees along the outskirts of the field were blown apart and splintered.
Though no dead bodies littered the place, dozens of traps sat in a pile next to Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.

"Ah, c'mon Venkman", smiled Ray as he looked out over the damage caused by their battle against an undead Confederate brigade.
"This is history, right here, in front of us."

"No, this is history right here", replied Peter as he kicked one of the many traps, causing a small ripple of purple energy to crackle across it.

Ray simply sighed and shook his head. Taking a final drag of his cigarette, Ray flicked it into a nearby hole and stood up and cracked his back.

"Ok, let's get these Rebs back to New York. Don't know about you guys, but I can sure go for a pie."

"Yeah, but no anchovies this time", said Winston with a look of disgust upon mentioning the tiny fish.

"You're loss, pal", smirked Ray as the gang went about collecting their traps.

--------------------

"You know", says Ray as he takes a bite of pizza and leans back in the chair in his office.
"Paranormal activity has really stepped up lately. I can't even remember if we've ever been this busy before."

"You don't know the half of it", replied Egon Spengler as he focused in on his laptop.
"I've been doing some research on the latest surge in supernatural activity in the past six months, and the increase has alarming."

"We haven't seen something like this since Gozer", a troubled Egon stated as a moment of silence fell over the crew.

"So...what's that mean exactly?"

"It means we're headed for a ****storm of epic proportions", said a sullen Ray as he dropped his pizza onto his paper plate.

"I'm sorry to say this is worse", Egon said hesitantly.

"Worse? How worse, Egon", asked a stone-faced Peter.
"Worse than a ten story creampuff going out for a night on the town?"

"Most definitely so. The Gozer ordeal, while a major trans-dimensional incident, was localized. This new phenomena is global, and getting worse by the day. I'm afraid we may be witnessing a hostile reality crossover happening right in front of our eyes."

"Ah, Hell", sighed Ray.

"What's a hostile reality crossover", asked Winston.

"In a nutshell, it means there's another reality merging with our own."

"Oh, is that all", scoffed Venkman sarcastically.
"And here I thought it was something serious."

"I better call the BPRD", Ray stated as he reached out for the phone.

 

[wiegeabo]

BANG BANG BANG BANG

"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!" I shout out everytime I pull the trigger.

The...bad guy...things are ripped apart by Sarah and Casey pinpoint shooting. Me, I doubt I've hit anything, and I have a feeling I may have also emptied my bladder a little.

"Back! BACK!"

"What the hell is going on?"

It's a good question, because as soon as the bullets knock these guys down, they just hiss and hop back up. We start running, and they give chase.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."

"Shut up and run faster, Bartowski!" Casey and Sarah pop off a few more shouts as we hit the stairwell. Sarah and I slam the emergency doot shut behind us and push against it as the bad guys smash into it. Casey kicks open the box containing a fire axe and shoves it into the door handle to lock it.

The glass in the emergency door shatters, and Sarah and I back away just before a set of hands reach through and grab us. Faces hiss and scream at us as they try to push the door open.

"Oh my god. Oh my god! They're...they're-"

Casey grabs us both by the arms. "MOVE! That axe won't last long the way they're hittin' the door." Casey pull the pin on a grenade and tosses it through the door's window. We start running down the stairs, and by the time we reach the next floor, the explosion rings out. We can see and feel the flame above us. There's high-pitches screaming, and then silence.

And then the hissing starts again.

"What the hell?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Don't you get it? Guys who won't die. Big long teeth." They just look at me. "Oh, come on. They're vampires!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...********."

"No, seriously!"

"Bartowski, just what the hell have you been smoking?!"

We all look up at the small screech of metal. "They're getting through the door. Let's move!" Without another word, we take off running down the stairs. My lungs feel like they're going to implode as we run down the flights and finally get back to the first floor.

"RRAAHAHHGHGGGGHH!!!" One of the vampires lands in the middle of the stairwell and Casey and Sarah promptly put two rounds in its forehead. It drops to the ground...then gets back up, hissing. Two more land beside him.

"********! There's no way!" Sarah shoves me out the door as Casey empties his clip on the growing number of vampires. The instant Casey backs out of the stairwell, Sarah slams the door shut. I shove a fire axe through the door handle to lock it. The vampires slam against the door.

"I don't think that's going to hold." Sarah pants, and Casey just grunts as he pops out a magazine and slams a new one home.

We hear the sound of running behind us. "Down!" Sarah shouts as she and Casey aim their guns over my head. I hit the floor, covering my head with my hands.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Felix shouts. He and one of his men run out of the other corridor.

"Where's the rest of your men?" Casey demands.

"Gone. Those...things, got them."

"Vampires."

"Bull-"

"No...dammit, I-I think he's right."

"There's no such thing," Sarah says.

Felix tries to catch his breath. "That you know." The three of us look at each other, trying to figure that bit of cryptic information out. "We've got to get out of here. Head back to the airport."

"Get to the radios and call for backup. I like it."

The vampires slam against the door, and the axe starts to splinter. "Ours won't be far behind either. Let's get the hell out of here." With Felix leading the way, we run outside. But Casey stops, pulls a couple of things for his pack, and slaps them on the door.

Catching up, we jump into our SUV's and spin the tires on the snow as we peel out. Casey pulls out a small remote and looks out the back window. I look too and see the vampires reach the doors. Casey pushes the button, and the doors, and vampires, explode in waves of light and heat.

"Takes care of them," he says with a smile.

"Yeah. Fire's supposed to be good against vampires."

"There weren't vampires, Bartowski."

"Oh yeah?!" Casey glares at me more than usual. It's not often that I raise my voice to him. He's very, very scary. I push the fear down and point out the back window. "If they weren't vampires, then just what the hell were they?"

Casey just stares at me...but neither he or Sarah say anything else during the drive back to the airport.

 

[Byrd Man]

​

"Please don't hurt me!" A thug with knot top says as Rorschach stands above him.

"Should have thought about that before you helped kill man."

The masked vigilante pulls the man up to his face, the man squirms as he looks into the ink-blot face.

"I-I don't know anything about that."

"You're lying. You know who killed Edward William Blake."

"N-No! I haven't done nothing!"

Rorschach lets the man down, sticks his hands in his pocket and turns to leave.

"If you say so."

Rorschach has taken a few steps when the sound of a switchblade opening grabs his attention.

"Now we're on equal footing, you son of a *****!" The knot top says as he holds his knife at the ready.

"Too bad. Was prepared to let you go."

The knot top charges, Rorschach ducks his blow and delivers an elbow into the man's stomach. Grabbing the thug's wrist, he twists it until it breaks.

The man cries out as he drops the knife. Grabbing his head, Rorschach drives his knee into the man's face.

The stunned and unarmed knot top stares up at the masked vigilante as he cracks his knuckles.

"Time to find out what you really know."


Rorschach's Journal: July 24th, 2009

Blake has been dead almost four days now, still not progess into mask killer hunt.

Drieberg does not believe me, same with Viedt.

They think I am insane, that I am crazy and paranoid.

Blake's funeral was a few hours ago. He had special guests in Viedt, Manhattan, and Drieberg. Saw another man at the funeral. Trailed him back to his home, only to find out his true identity. William Edward Jacobi, AKA Edgar William Bright, AKA Moloch The Mystic.

Does he know the secret to Blake's death? Why else would he attend the funeral other than guilt? Whatever the answer, I will find out tonight.​

 

[Catman_prb]

The vaguely pissed off group of assorted vampire hunters, ex-Watchers, soulful vampires and soulless vampires made their way to a boarded up hotel near the centre of town. To ease their frayed nerves they slew a grand total of eighteen vampires on the way.

"Why aren't we killing this guy again?" Gunn asked, frowning at Spike.

"Because if Marlow's actually running this show, we're going to need all the help we can get," Angel said, glaring at the vampire.

"Someone's been here," Wesley said, ignoring the others and focused on the previously boarded up door that had been kicked in on itself. Gunn rolled his eyes and readied his axe.

"What is it with us and not quite abandoned hotels?" the former gang-leader muttered.

Cautiously, the group walked in with weapons raised.

"Spike? Angel?" a familiar voice said.

"Why're you here? And what's with all the pointy stuff?"

 

[NiteMare Shape]

The vaguely pissed off group of assorted vampire hunters, ex-Watchers, soulful vampires and soulless vampires made their way to a boarded up hotel near the centre of town. To ease their frayed nerves they slew a grand total of eighteen vampires on the way.

"Why aren't we killing this guy again?" Gunn asked, frowning at Spike.

"Because if Marlow's actually running this show, we're going to need all the help we can get," Angel said, glaring at the vampire.

"Someone's been here," Wesley said, ignoring the others and focused on the previously boarded up door that had been kicked in on itself. Gunn rolled his eyes and readied his axe.

"What is it with us and not quite abandoned hotels?" the former gang-leader muttered.

Cautiously, the group walked in with weapons raised.

"Spike? Angel?" a familiar voice said.

"Why're you here? And what's with all the pointy stuff?"

"Oh bloody hell...First Captain Caveman and now you...?! My day couldn't get any sodding worse." Spike says in disbelief

 

[Catman_prb]

There is a church in Wyoming that sits at the centre of a series of iron railroads. These iron railroads were commissioned by Samuel Colt, the gunsmith, and they form a barrier that demons cannot cross. Of course, Randall Flagg is no demon, so it is with a great and deliberate movement that he stepped over the railroad that prevents the end of the world and walks free in Wyoming.

Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick

Flagg pulled the golden pocket watch out of the pocket of his denim jacket with a grin flitting across his wolfish face. But this was a special watch. This was a watch that hadn't been used since 1965, when each cog had been gathered in the dark by someone with dedication, patience and a good eye for catching things that other people miss. It would be very important in the end. Two pinpricks or red in the night.

Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick

But until now, it would merely tell the time. Because right now, it was merely a watch.

Randall Flagg walked quietly into the graveyard, boots crunching on dried twigs and leaves. Hands trailed idly over tombstones, scraping nails over the stone and leaving scratch marks across the names. How he pitied the little people. The boots crunched over the ground until he reached the crypt that lay at the back.

He moved his hand gracefully over the front doors, tracing the lock that held the stone in place. He brushed away from vines that had grown over the door and saw the carving in the stone. A single rose growing up from the ground to flower at the top. Flagg's nostrils flared and a sharp little smile appeared on his face.

"Colt you clever old bastard," he hissed.

Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick

December 1860

Samuel Colt started at a knock at the door. It was late at night, and his family and friends had taken a trip out of town. He had heard the crunch of feet on the snow outside but the knocking had still panicked him. He looked at the blueprints in front of him, for the buildings that were already in construction. Another knock. Samuel gathered the blueprints and threw them into the fire.

The door imploded inward and the man in black walked in. The black cloak around him covered his body entirely and the hood over his head concealed his face, except for two burning red balls.

"Sam, it's time," the man in black said.

"I know who you are now," he said quietly, his face cast at the floor and his hand fiddling inside his overcoat.

"Then you know it's foolish to resist me. I will find what you have hidden from me. I am no mere demon,"

"You'll have to kill me first,"

"And where is your pet hunter now, Sam?" the man in black hissed.

"He was here not three days past," Colt said, pulling a long barrelled revolver out from the folds of his cloak.

"You sonnava *****,"

"Bullet number three," Samuel Colt whispered.

BLAM

 

[Catman_prb]

"Oh bloody hell...First Captain Caveman and now you...?! My day couldn't get any sodding worse." Spike says in disbelief

"What is this, Sunnydale Reunion party?" Gunn asked, thunking his axe into the soft wood wall.

"Both of you shut up," Angel growled "Before I dust you and...have serious words with you,"

"So, again I ask, why are you here?" Buffy said, standing up and glaring at the gathered group.

"Marlow and I have unfinished business," Angel stated quietly.

 

[Red_Robin77]

I'm in the middle of Alaska and my temper is close to breaking point. I throw my huge fist into the face of one of the rabid creatures furiously, knocking it through the wooden house around me. I stomp through into the kitchen and throw another punch down, smacking it through into the basement.

"Abe! Are these things what I think they are?"

"I'd presume so, Red," he replies as he dodges a bull rush from another.

I leap down into the basement and pull out my Samaritan, rotating around slowly, glaring through the darkness looking for it. Suddenly the thin frame of the creature leapt out at me and sent my staggering back, knocking the Samaritan from my hand as it went.

"Ah, for-"

I kick out at the monster, knocking it to the floor. I rest my foot on it's back and look down, angrily.

"Alright, gonna give up now or is Uncle Hellboy gonna have to smash your face in?"

Suddenly the creature pushes up on my foot, knocking it back as the creature scuttled into the darkness.

"Why do you things never go down the easy way? You know that I'm gonna be wiping whatever c*** makes you up off my boot any second."

The thing jumps out for one last try, huge teeth jutting out from it's mouth, throwing hisses in my direction. I bend down and charge head first at it, ignoring the teeth and smash it against the wall. I hit my stone fist into it's nose, hearing a shatter bringing a smirk out on me. I throw it in the direction of a beam, holding up the ground floor, taking out the wood. I stroll over, smug with myself, and pick up the sharpest piece of wood I can find, and hold it over the creature.

"What's with the Vamps in Alaska?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Me. Gonna cough it out and beg for your life?"

"In your dreams, freak!"

I stab the wooden splinter into the spot where the heart should be, and the Vampire explodes into dust. I look at the piece for a second before chucking it up through the hole I made from the ground floor to the basement.

"Abe."

"Thank you."

I see his fish-like hand reach out and grab it, before I hear the familiar sound of a vampire turning to dust. I bend down and grab my Samaritan before leaping up and land perfectly onto the ground floor. I look around to see a lack of vampires, and a lot of dust.

"Get any answers?"

"Not a single one."

With a grunt I pull out a cigar and light it swiftly, taking a deep puff from it. I stroll out of the house calmly, looking around at the cold environment.

"Why Alaska? Why not somewhere hot...?"

"Probably just a random nest."

"Probably. Where the hell are these agents meant to be anyway?"

"They're probably investigating, properly."

"We're investigating! We beat them to a pulp, try to get an answer, if no answer, dust them. So simple..."