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

[Carnage27]

New York City

A group of hobos rustle through garbage inside a subway station, searching for something, anything, to eat. Little do they know they are the ones being hunted. In the shadows of the station, a group of vampires lie in wait.

One of the homeless wanders past the vampires, and is snatched into the darkness, and fangs plunge hungrily into his neck. In a matter of moments, the rest of the group is being mercilessly devoured by the creatures of the night, their screams echoing up the station entrance and out onto the New York streets above.

Rio De Jaeiro, Brazil

The patrons of a popular night club sway and grind to the music as a rave kicks into full gear. The lights of the club swing and pulsate in conjunction to the rhythmic music. But they are not alone in the large club atrium.

Dispersed in the crowd, and hanging in the rafters above them, more bloodsuckers prowl. Suddenly, and in perfect conjunction, all the vampires attack in unison. The massacre is a horrible sight as blood pours to the ground like a red waterfall, and the vampires feed like rabid dogs.

The next day, the authorities will open the doors to the club, and a river of blood a foot deep will pour from the inside.

The Black Forest, Germany

A group of hunters run wildly away from the charging pack of wolves. Of course, they know they aren’t truly wolves, but were animals. The hunters had been trying to rid the forest of the beasts for months, but now it seemed the wolves were turning the table.

Now, they were more organized, and the hunters had noticed the leaders of the various packs in the area meeting under the cover of nightfall. And now almost thirty wolves were running down seven hunters, one of which stops in his tracks and draws a very large shotgun from his coat. He fires into the pack, dropping two of the dos, but another lunges at him before he can reload. The wolf grabs the man’s neck, ripping his throat out and killing him almost instantly.

Within minutes, the other hunters suffer similar fates, and the wolves’ howls filled the crisp, forest air.

Afghanistan

The United Nations checkpoint guards huddled together in a small hut against the cold of the desert night. It had been quiet during the day, a rare occurrence in this part of the country, and the night had been no exception.
Suddenly, and without warning, screams fill their freezing ears, and they quickly scramble for their weapons. Rushing out of the tent, and into the small settlement that acts as their home base, they find carnage in the streets as blood covers the ground and bodies line the streets.

Whereabouts Unknown

Dracula sits on a throne and smiles to himself. He knows the carnage that he has unleashed upon the world, and he knows what it will bring. The humans’ fear will grow by every minute, and with human fear comes rash actions from the fools. They’ll rush to mobilize troops, wage war, a war they will ultimately lose.

They cannot stand against the likes of the Vampire. But even now, that is not all they stand against. For all over the world, The Ring is stepping up its efforts to destabilize the world and to take full control. In a matter of weeks, the governments in power all over the known world will come crashing down in an ultimate showing of power, and the leaders of the secret organization will finally grab the reigns of the world as they had been destined to do for some time now.

Of course, the ruling of the world is just one step in their ultimate goals, but it was a step that has been long over due. And now…now they were on the precipice of that momentous occasion.

Of course, they were not home free yet. He has heard rumblings of a Vampire Rebellion springing up to oppose his rule. The insolent creatures believed they could be friends with the humans, and that his synthetic blood was the answer to all their problems. He’s sure that they had figured out that he only created it in order to start the war with the humans, but he didn’t care. He had the vast majority of the Vampire councils and clans under his control, not to mention the Were packs.

And then there are the terrorist in England and the other random heroes that seem to be popping out of the woodwork. They are merely annoyances, nothing else, and if the discussion he was about to have turned out the way he hopes, one of those would be gone forever.

“Hello, my old friend,” Dracula smiles as Oroku Saki, more commonly known as The Shredder, appears on a screen in his private chambers. “How are you on this fine evening?”

“Celebrating a victory, Count. Celebrating a grand victory,” Shedder laughs maniacally as he moves from the camera, revealing the so called “Ninja Turtles” and their master, the old vigilante Splinter, hung up on racks, in obvious pain. Shredder pushes a button on the panel in front of him, and an electric current runs through them, causing them to contort in agony.

“So…they really are giant turtles,” the Count muses.


“Of course they are, you know as well as I do that-“ Shredder replies before being cut off.

“Yes, I know, Saki. No need to cut me off. When will you be disposing of the beasts?” Dracula sneers in disgust.

“In good time, my friend,” the other replies, pressing the button once again. “But first I believe I’m going to have some fun.”

“Very well. But make no mistakes. Our plan is moving along quickly and we don’t need any flies in the ointment,” Dracula finishes before cutting the transmission, musing Shredder’s hesitation to kill the turtles. There was something else going on there, and he didn’t like it.

Nor would their master.

He was not a patient being, and this time, he would not accept failure.

The Rocky Mountains

The Vampire Rebel leaders sit in a circle around Godric, their chosen general for the coming battles. He was the obvious choice, and was quickly given the rank. He is older than almost all the Vampires on Earth, and was a general long ago in a time forgotten by man. On top of that, he has dealt with humans and human leaders on many occasions since becoming a vampire.

He does not look like a great leader. When he was turned, he was merely a boy of about eighteen years old. But underneath his boyish looks lies a wizened scholar, lover, and fighter. Tribal tattoos run around his body, remnants from his human life, and reminders that he is much more dangerous that he looks.

The assembled group is a hodgepodge of different Vampire clans and other allies they have rallied to their cause. Helboy, Abe Sapien, and a group of BPRD agents stand in the back, ready to report to their superiors and mobilize a response to the growing threat across the globe. Next to them stands almost one hundred Hunters. Normally the sworn enemy of the Vampire clans, but now they stand as uneasy allies.

Godric almost laughs to himself. Mad times call for mad actions, that is for sure. And he wonders if after this is all said and done, barring all of their deaths, of course, whether or not this will truly be a new age of Vampire-Human relations.

He paces in front of them, obviously searching for the correct words, “My brothers and sisters. We stand here together in an hour of darkness and despair. Our people have been let loose on the world by a madman. A creature that no longer deserves the name Vampire. There have been times when every one of us has lost that part of us that reminds us of our human life, and we become monsters. But what separates us from the true evil is that we find our way back. We fight to stay in the light.”

Some applause is heard in the crowd as he continues, “But the light is being snuffed out as we speak. But hope is not lost. We have rallied almost five thousand vampires to our cause! While it still pales in comparison to the hordes of Dracula, with the help of our human friends we still stand a chance against the beast.”

As he says his, his lieutenant Eric Northman enters the meeting space accompanied by a vampire Godric knows as Angel and what seems to be a mage. He turns his attention back to the assembly, “Now go. Ready your people. Teach them to fight if they cannot. We will need every available body to fight the coming fights.”

With that the assembled leaders leave the hall and head back towards their place of origin to do his bidding. He thinks most will prepare for the true death, and very few truly believe they can win. But he knows better. He knows that they will.

“You really think this is going to work?” Bill Compton, one of Eric’s old allies asks Godric.

“It will have to,” the other responds before approaching Eric and his companions. “Eric.”

“Godric,” he replies with a slight bow, “this is Angel and Harry Dresden, from the mage's court. They offer you their assistance.”

“Weclome, especially to you Mr. Dresden. Having the mages on our side means a great deal.”

 

[Catman_prb]

“You really think this is going to work?” Bill Compton, one of Eric’s old allies asks Godric.

“It will have to,” the other responds before approaching Eric and his companions. “Eric.”

“Godric,” he replies with a slight bow, “this is Angel and Harry Dresden, from the mage's court. They offer you their assistance.”

“Weclome, especially to you Mr. Dresden. Having the mages on our side means a great deal.”

To say that I was petrified of the very thought of Godric was an understatement. A vampire as old as Christ himself? Well that brought us into some very tricky theological grounds...And he was cheered by the thought of the White Council? Things were bad indeed.

"I'm sure you know what the Council's like, Godric," I said, bowing my head as respectfully as I could whilst trying to keep my neck hidden "They have to hold council for days between any serious action. But for what it's worth, we're with you. This Dracula thing...well it's not good,"

"And I can speak on behalf of the Watcher's Council. Well the Slayer at least. She's willing to come if needs be," Angel said stiffly. Something about the way he was eying Eric screamed unresolved issues. Although it could just as well be about his dodgy relationship with the Slayer. Though I heard she was a babe.

 

[Byrd Man]

LA

The bowling balls roll down the lanes, striking the pins.

"That's what I'm talking about," Walter says as he pumps a meaty fist into the air. "Your roll, Crews."

I nod and grab my bowling ball as I stand up. It wasn't until the 70's that I got into bowling. It's a nice pass time. Me and two other men are part of a bowling league.

"So finish your story, Dude."

"Yeah, man. So that ****ing Chinaman pissed on my rug, man."

"Dude, what did I say about the Chinaman? Not very PC."

"Whatever, man. So we got involved in a big ****ing mix-up that involved some kidnapping and fake kidnapping and Nihilists."

"Nihilists, Dude?"

"****ing Nihilists!" Walter chims in.

"I got a new rug, but it was a shame. That old one really tied the room togther."

*******

​

Leaving the bowling alley with my bag, I start to get in my car when a flicker of motion catches my attention.

"Charlie Crews?" A voice asks in the darkness. British accent. Not the sound of an upper-class snob, but not the shrill accent of a Cockney lower-class worker.​

"Who's asking?"

A blonde haired man steps out from the shadows. "MI6."

"Why in the world does British Intelligence want me?"

In a situation like this, it's better to play dumb.

"Save the theatrics for later. My boss wants me to bring you in. She's read your file, you're a British ex-patriot, Mister Crews. Apparently you're of high interest to M. Don't ask me why."

"And what does M want....Mister?"

"Bond."

Another Bond. It seems fitting. Now that I think about it, he has Campion's eyes. Thank God he didn't get his great-grandfather's fat.

"I have in my hands two first-class tickets to London. One for me, one for you."

"And what's suppose to convince me to come back?"

"Two words M told me to say to you: The League."

My heart skips a beat. After nearly 60 years away, I'm headed back to England.

 

[Carnage27]

To say that I was petrified of the very thought of Godric was an understatement. A vampire as old as Christ himself? Well that brought us into some very tricky theological grounds...And he was cheered by the thought of the White Council? Things were bad indeed.

"I'm sure you know what the Council's like, Godric," I said, bowing my head as respectfully as I could whilst trying to keep my neck hidden "They have to hold council for days between any serious action. But for what it's worth, we're with you. This Dracula thing...well it's not good,"

"And I can speak on behalf of the Watcher's Council. Well the Slayer at least. She's willing to come if needs be," Angel said stiffly. Something about the way he was eying Eric screamed unresolved issues. Although it could just as well be about his dodgy relationship with the Slayer. Though I heard she was a babe.

"You can relax, Mr. Dresden," Godric says. "I only feed on those that are willing. And I have instructed all those here to do the same. Unless you are willing?"

He recoils suddenly, and Godric laughs, "That was a joke, Harry. Even the undead have a sense of humor."

The wizard relaxes slightly, and Godric continues, "Angel, I believe the Slayer will definitely be needed. We need all the available resources at our disposal. Now, please follow me. I believe I've formulated a plan that can slow down Dracula's advances."

The new comers follow the vampire to his private quarters along with Northman, Compton, and his prodigy Jessica. When they get there, they find Hellboy and Abe Sapien already there. He sits them down and begins to go over a map that he hands to each of them. "This, as you can see, is the facility where Dracula has been making his synthetic blood. I think our best course of action at this time is to destroy it."

"Destroy it!?" the youngest Vampire pipes up. "It's the one thing Dracula did that's good!"

"Jessica!" Bill quiets her.

"No, it's fine," Godric says. "Her fear is an understandable one. But rest assured I don't plan on getting rid of the synth blood. It is a valuable key to our people no longer being the monsters we are seen as today. But at this point, destroying the production facility will give Dracula and his hordes pause, and will prove to them that we mean business."

"Well, for a Vamp that's not a half bad plan," Hellboy says in agreement. "We'll hit the place during the day with the vampires are sleep-"

"No. It must be at night," Godric shoots down the demon's plan. "We're going to need everyone we can. They have Weres patrolling during the day. Mr. Dresden, what do you think?"

 

[Catman_prb]

"No, it's fine," Godric says. "Her fear is an understandable one. But rest assured I don't plan on getting rid of the synth blood. It is a valuable key to our people no longer being the monsters we are seen as today. But at this point, destroying the production facility will give Dracula and his hordes pause, and will prove to them that we mean business."

"Well, for a Vamp that's not a half bad plan," Hellboy says in agreement. "We'll hit the place during the day with the vampires are sleep-"

"No. It must be at night," Godric shoots down the demon's plan. "We're going to need everyone we can. They have Weres patrolling during the day. Mr. Dresden, what do you think?"

"I'm wondering at what point in the last two thousand years you aquired a death wish," I said, bold as brass.

God help me I actually said it to him. Godric smiled. Eric did not.

"Sir," I added "I presume that the vampires within the facility will be asleep during the day? And I assume that they have barracks for all these guards? That means laundry, cleaning and maintenance. The werewolves are going to be there at night as well. All throwing all our weight at it will do is give Dracula an idea of the size of our forces. I say throw together a ragtag team of misfits that can walk around during the day, hide them in the back of a truck and drive straight into the place. Can't be too hard to sabotage the manufacturing controls,"

Angel and Hellboy are staring at me. God help me.

 

[Carnage27]

"I'm wondering at what point in the last two thousand years you aquired a death wish," I said, bold as brass.

God help me I actually said it to him. Godric smiled. Eric did not.

"Sir," I added "I presume that the vampires within the facility will be asleep during the day? And I assume that they have barracks for all these guards? That means laundry, cleaning and maintenance. The werewolves are going to be there at night as well. All throwing all our weight at it will do is give Dracula an idea of the size of our forces. I say throw together a ragtag team of misfits that can walk around during the day, hide them in the back of a truck and drive straight into the place. Can't be too hard to sabotage the manufacturing controls,"

Angel and Hellboy are staring at me. God help me.

The man was smart. He knew what would work. Unfortunately Godric had a plan in mind. A plan he knew he would have to execute to perfection for their forces to come out on top.

"It was always going to be a ragtag team of misfits, Mr. Dresden," Godric says. "As a matter of fact those in this room right here are the group."

Godric senses the shock go through the group, "I want Dracula to know it's me leading the opposition against him. He needs to know I'm the one. He needs to see what I can do. It will force him to divert his resources in finding me, and me only, rather than attempting to weed out all of our cells across the world."

"And relax about the vampires in the facility," he smiles. "Eric, Bill, Angel, and I will be able to draw their attention while you, Hellboy, Abe, Jessica, and the Slayer destroy the facility and worry about the werewolves. Which means you need to contact the Slayer."

"Of course," Angel replies with a nod.

"I do not like the sound of that," Jessica says.

"Relax young one. You will be in good hands," he says turning back to Dresden. He could tell he was disappointed. This was not what he had signed up for, but Godric couldn't help it. It had to be done. "Harry, if you do not feel comfortable with this, you do not need to go. But your assistance would be invaluable."

 

[Catman_prb]

"This is ridiculous," the Doctor argued as he was frogmarched into the office.

Soap and Price released him with just a bit of force and he fell to the floor. The figure in the highbacked leather chair spun around, stroking a small white kitten. The military men stood to attention. The woman smiled, coolly.

"You may go Sergeant MacTavish. Captain Price, you may as well remain. This concerns you too,"

"Yes Ma'am," Price said, looking straight ahead. The Doctor rolled his eyes and stood up.

"I assume I don't have to kneel?" he asked glibbly.

"First off I'd like to inform you that Miss Pond; your Miss Pond that is, is perfectly safe. Lieutenant Riley and Sergeant Sanderson infiltrated the camp she was in and liberated her. We're holding her for the time being, until the present crisis is over,"

"Thankyou," the Doctor said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He visibly relaxed as the news of his companions fate reached his ears.

"Secondly, we've collected all of your personal effects. Save one. The TARDIS is still in the custody of the Norsefire government. We have no current means of getting it back. Which means you're stuck here with us,"

The Doctor frowned "You're remarkably well informed,"

The woman smiled "I have a...close friendship with Sir Alistair. He was most enlightening on the subject of...you,"

"So I assume this is the part where you offer me a way to get my TARDIS back, and be useful to you at the same time?" the Doctor said, giving a faux smile.

"My name is M, and I am the head of the British Secret Service. What I am currently implementing is certainly high treason. I am forming a League, a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, consisting of Britains countrymen and our closest allies. Captain Price, and to a lesser extent his subordinates, are members of this League. I am offering you a position. Scientific advisor if you would," M said.

"Oh...yes, sure, brilliant," the Doctor said, wringing his hands together "Seeing as we're now allies and all...I don't suppose I could get a cup of tea?"

 

[Catman_prb]

"And relax about the vampires in the facility," he smiles. "Eric, Bill, Angel, and I will be able to draw their attention while you, Hellboy, Abe, Jessica, and the Slayer destroy the facility and worry about the werewolves. Which means you need to contact the Slayer."

"Of course," Angel replies with a nod.

"I do not like the sound of that," Jessica says.

"Relax young one. You will be in good hands," he says turning back to Dresden. He could tell he was disappointed. This was not what he had signed up for, but Godric couldn't help it. It had to be done. "Harry, if you do not feel comfortable with this, you do not need to go. But your assistance would be invaluable."

The girl, Jessica, looked worried. I wonder, looking back now, if he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew I didn't totally trust Hellboy and Abe to consider human (or near-human) limits when carrying out a mission. And I'd bet anything that he knew about my chivalrous streak. Its a mile wide. I'm sure it's stamped on whatever permanent file that Godric had on me. And I knew that his plan was bust without me. And I knew why Jessica was in the plan. To keep me in the plan. Damn women and my need to protect them.

"Hey, hair raising experiences are pretty much what I do," I said, glancing for the briefest second at Jessica "I'll be glad to help out,"

 

[Carnage27]

The girl, Jessica, looked worried. I wonder, looking back now, if he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew I didn't totally trust Hellboy and Abe to consider human (or near-human) limits when carrying out a mission. And I'd bet anything that he knew about my chivalrous streak. Its a mile wide. I'm sure it's stamped on whatever permanent file that Godric had on me. And I knew that his plan was bust without me. And I knew why Jessica was in the plan. To keep me in the plan. Damn women and my need to protect them.

"Hey, hair raising experiences are pretty much what I do," I said, glancing for the briefest second at Jessica "I'll be glad to help out,"

"Good," he smiles at the wizard. "Now, it will be day light soon. All those that can travel during the day, head for Detroit. It is where the factory is located. The rest of us will join you in a few days, and we'll make sure Dracula knows we mean business."

His allies filed out, and the vampires of the group shuffled towards their resting places. He stood and smiled for a while, and a part of him, deep down, longed to see the sun again.

 

[Carnage27]

V stands on a London rooftop, surveying the streets below. He worked hard this past week, sabotaging Norsefire efforts to apprehend him here and there, but the other news he came across is much more important than that. His efforts were paying off, and that there were rumblings of a new League.

"Well, well," a voice says behind him, "I thought you'd be harder to find."

V turns to find someone he had read quite a bit about. A man, dressed in a black costume, a mask covering his face and black sashes flowing behind him in the London wind. He was Grendel. The world's most famous assassin. And he stands in front of V, ready to strike.

"Well, I am flattered," V laughs through his mask. "They sent the very best after me, didn't they?"

"Yes, they did," he replies, twirling his spear-like weapon. "Prepare to die, terrorist."

"My friend, I died a very long time ago," V responds venomously as Grendel charges.
​

 

[Catman_prb]

He knew that there was a line that he certainly shouldn't be crossing. Mainly because of the self-disgust he felt. He disliked the automobile; the confinement of the carriage and the piercing wail of the siren on top. He disliked the gunslinger's outfit, with its peaked cap and dark spectacles. And most of all, most definately, he hated driving. He hated the deliberate concentration that went with it, making sure not to collide with the other automobiles. He had delved into the original gunslinger's brain and taken the information from him. He knew that the only way he could catch the black car, and thus the Winchesters, and thus the Colt, was to blend in. He hated it.

He could picture them in his head. The car, the...Impala...in his mind's eye. He currently possessed the Black Bend, though it was currently hidden, and it had shown him what he needed to know. It took skill to control the image within the crystal...and more skill not to be enraptured by it to the point of lethargy. Oh yes, he knew all about Sam and Dean Winchester, the boys that would be king...Including their location. There they were now. The Impala. He could practically taste the Colt.

He turned on the sirens and sped up in pursuit, until the car pulled over and the window rolled down. He slowed the car down, put his shades on and fixed on a grin. The Dude got out of the car and walked towards the Winchesters.

"Do you boys know what speed you were doing?"

 

[Carnage27]

“I’m getting’ faster, ain’t I?” Jessica asks Bill as the two of them spar off to the side of the other teammates. Up until recently, and basically since she had been created, he had been away on missions for Godric, along with his human girlfriend Sookie Stackhouse, who was now with the assembled team in the city of Detroit along with the Slayer, who arrived with Angel last night. She had to find out for herself a lot of the basics in being a vampire, but now she had her mentor back.

Since Dracula’s announcement, Bill made sure she would be ready for what they were all now facing. He began her super-speed training, along with combat techniques for fighting vampires and weres. But he knows she won’t stand a chance against most vampires. She’s young, too young to be doing something like this, but if Godric commands it, she must.

“Yes, but an adult wolf will be able to catch you,” he responds, as he grabs her by the arm. She gives him a worried look, but he responds with a cocky smile, “But no were is going to take you down.”

Off to the side, Eric approaches Godric, “The baby shouldn’t be going on this mission, Godric. You know that.”

“She is stronger than she looks, Eric,” the older vampire responds with conviction. “Besides, I have a feeling that Ms. Hamby will be crucial to our people’s immediate and long term futures.”

“How can that be? She’s a sitting duck against even most of the younger vampires.”

“Give her this,” Godric says, pulling a sheathed sword from a chest.

Eric unsheathes the blade and is immediately taken aback, “A blade lined with silver. Very well.”

As Northman heads to deliver the weapon, Godric approaches he inner circle of the coming raid. Hellboy and Harry Dresden sit at a table, barely sharing words, other than a few mutters here and there. Godric knew beforehand that there is bad blood between the two, but he never figured it was this bad.

But then again, they are all on edge. The whole group, save for Sookie, whom Bill forbade from helping, is about to dive headlong into an enemy stronghold to prove a point. To send a message.

Godric takes a seat across from Hellboy and next to Dresden and picks up the map. The plan they formulated calls for Godric, Northman, Compton, and Angel to basically knock on the front door, drawing the guards towards them, leaving the rest of the group to infiltrate the facility and set charges to destroy the production facility.

Looking up at the other two he says, “So, are you two ready? The plan is a good one, no?”

*******
​

Dracula walks silently down a corridor, flanked by Marlow and Vicente, prodigy and make respectively and the masterminds behind the failed attack on Barrow, Alaska. It was a brilliant, yet undermanned, plot, but it also gave Dracula valuable intel on his enemies. He now knows what the Slayer looks like, as well as how those that may oppose him can fight.

Yet, the Vampire Lord is not as confident as he should be. There was something eating at his insides, like the so called “butterflies” in one’s stomach he used to feel as a human. There is the lingering doubt that he will not succeed. That he will not bring an end to the current power struggle. And that feeling frightens him to no end.

He turns to the two other vampires, “Go to Detroit. Go to the blood factory, and then wait for further instructions.”

 

[Byrd Man]

Dirty Harry

​

After a long day of working another stabbing, I hit the bar. Kavanaugh's is one of San Francisco's best cop bars and my favorite place to grab a drink. I'm two beers in when a face from the past slides up on the stool next to me.

"I'll have what he's having," Frank Lundy says.

"Special Agent Lundy. Haven't seen you in what, fifteen years?"

"How have you been, Harry?"

"Been in a few scrapes. Nothing I couldn't handle. How about you? I saw where you boys caught the Green River killer a few years back. And that mess in Miami with the killer cop. What brings you back to my city?"

"I'm here to talk to you about the one that got away."

I turn away from Lundy and take a long swig off my beer. "Trinity."

Fifteen years ago, one of America's most profound serial killers came calling to San Francisco. Lundy and I worked the case....and never found him. Three people died because we were too late. Trinity moved on and the case has always bothered me.

"It's not Trinity's MO to come back to a city he's already visited. Where's he at this time?"

"Miami. The first victim was found two days ago in her bathtub. I was in Washington state when the Bureau got the call. I came down here today to talk to the Chief."

"About?"

"You, Harry. You came the closest ever to catching this guy, in the thirty years we know he's been active. I've asked the SFPD to allow you to leave your regular duties in Homicide and come to Miami with me."

"I can't, Frank. I got cases here I need to work on. Other murders."

"And what about the ones Trinity is going to kill in Miami? The ones he'll kill after that? And all the ones he's killed before? We've tried to catch this guy for three decades, and we've always ended up with jack. I'm tired of it. You're coming with me to Miami and we're finally putting an end to this."

I take another sip of my beer and shrug. "Guess I can't argue with the G-Man. Miami it is. Just be warned I don't look good in shorts."​

 

[Carnage27]

"Please, come in," Usagi says motioning for me to enter the small domicile in which I had talked to Hattori Hanzo just a few short weeks ago. Once inside, I'm amazed to find the Hanzo himself sitting cross legged in front of a small table with a tea pot and three cups. "Sit and drink. My master would like to speak to you."

<<You have done us and the people of Japan a great service, Leonardo,>> Hanzo starts before taking a long sip of tea. <<We owe you a great deal. Now, if I remember the last time you were here you mentioned something about a sword...>>

"Yes...I require a sword of your make. But not a normal sword. I need a sword that can stand toe-to-toe with the Kunsanagi."

The swordmaker's expression changes almost instantly at the name of the sword. He becomes somber, and a look of regret passes over his face. He knows what his ancestors did, and he knows the horror I face. <<You ask for a great deal, Leonardo. But I may have your solution. >>
​

 

[Byrd Man]

London

Things have certainly changed in the fifty-some odd years it's been since I left England for good. Big Brother ruled her then. She has a new master now, one without all the Newspeak garbage, but Norsefire is close to the bastard son of Big Brother in more ways than one.

Bond gets me through Customs without a problem, flashing his SIS badge and pressing through the checkpoints with no questions asked. He tells me about the meeting place, where else but the Secret Annex of the British Museum. I'm to meet there tonight with the rest of the new League. It's been 112 years since the League first came calling, and I'm still in debt to Queen and Country. The time away from my handler gives me a chance to drop in on and old friend.

Dr. John H. Watson
1852-1911
Beloved Father, Husband, and Friend

​

"Hello, Watson," I say as I stop at the tombstone, my accent disappearing. "It's been nearly a hundred years since you were laid to rest. I apologize for not attending the funeral, my work with the government taking importance over your wake. If our roles were reversed, I have no doubt you'd do the same. It's the work of the government that draws me back home. From what my associate says, things could be changed for the better here."

I stop and look off into the distance, the massive skyscrapers of London that now seem to tower over Big Ben, the pride and joy of Her Majesty's Empire back in my day.

"Watson, you knew me as a man of science and a skeptic. I was that for the better part of my life. But the events of the last eighty years have changed me to the point to where, I believe there is some sort of life after death. If that is the case, then we will be reunited once more. Ninety years into my immortality and I already regret the decision I made that day in Africa. We met as men of a certain age, and we should have grown old together. 'Brothers not in blood, but in bond' as that old gypsy woman said all those years ago. You were always my brother, Watson. We shall meet again. But for now, duty calls and the game is afoot."

I give one final nod to Watson's grave and walk back down the paths towards the cemetery's exit. In just a few hours the mess starts all over again, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ride again.
​

 

[wiegeabo]

I see the lights in my rear view and start slamming my hand against the steering wheel.

"Damn. Damn. Damndamndamndamn."

"What?!" The cop squawks the siren a bit, and Sam turns around in his seat. "Oh...damn. You don't think it's about the fire, do you?"

"That was miles ago. No way he puts us together with that. Must have busted a taillight or something during the fight."

"Or you were speeding."

"I never get caught for speeding."

"First time for everything."

I glare at my brother. Sometimes I could just punch him. Right in the face. I hit the signal and steer over to the side, slowing down.

He turned on the sirens and sped up in pursuit, until the car pulled over and the window rolled down. He slowed the car down, put his shades on and fixed on a grin. The Dude got out of the car and walked towards the Winchesters.

"Do you boys know what speed you were doing?"

"Let's just smile and get this over with. We gotta get back to Bobby."

I roll down the window and give the cop my famous innocent smile. For a second, I hope the cop is gay. I don't really like flirting with guys since I'm into women, but, heh, if it gets us out of here any faster, I might have to exchange phone numbers. It's not like we're always ditching our phones anyway.

"Well, evening officer. How's it going? Um...did we do something wrong?"

 

[Carnage27]

"Well, my friend, I see you do indeed live up to your reputation," V says as Grendel's bladed staff clashes against two of his daggers, requiring him to steady himself hard on his heels. He quickly counters by spinning on them from under the assassin's weapon, to behind him. V plants the heel of his boot in the other man's back, sending him into a roll. "But obviously your employers did not inform you of mine."

"Oh, they told me enough," he responds, standing and rushing into another attack. The assassin feigns to the left before twirling his staff towards V's right shoulder, catching him with the bladed end. The edge cuts into V's arm, sending pain throughout the man's right side. Grendel smiles and approaches V, who is kneeling on his knees. "But it seems they overestimated you. I expected more from the man who was single-handedly trying to free Britain."

Hunter Rose raises his weapon for a killing stroke, but instead receives a stiff uppercut to his chin. The blow sends him twirling through the air, before slamming back onto the roof with a thud. As Grendel stands back up and pops his dislocated shoulder back into its socket, V smiles beneath his mask, "Apparently they did not tell you enough. You won't be able to kill me, Mr. Rose. And you won't be able to stop what I've started across the world."

Grednel doesn't wait for V to finish. He comes at him with a flurry of attacks. Metal clashes against metal as V's daggers intercept the killer's blade. Grendel manages to sneak a slice through V's defenses, but it bounces harmlessly off his mask. V counters by slicing at one of the hitman's biceps, drawing blood and ripping his flesh, "My message just a few months ago has started a movement you and your employers won't be able to stop. Britain is just the beginning. The people of the world will no longer sit by and let what The Ring has been doing all these years since the Purge."

The mention of the Ring surprises Grendel, a moment that V attempts to take advantage of. He rushes at the hired killer and slams into him, driving one of his knives into his thigh. Grendel, lets out a small yelp of pain, but retains enough strength to trap V's arm in a wrestler's throw, tossing the vigilante off of the roof.

His body bounces of a fire escape, and then through a glass skylight into a cafe below. He smashes through the establishment's bar and lies motionless in the wreckage. Grendel climes down into the cafe, and chuckles for a moment to himself. That is until V stands, ad brushes the debris off his clothes. "Why won't you just die already, freak."

"Because you cannot kill and idea, Mr. Rose. An idea, once it takes hold, will only continue to grow, until it becomes an unstoppable tsunami. The only question is, will you ride the wave, or be swept away by its cleansing power?"

The two men stand there, staring at each other. Each one battered, bloodied, and broken, but their spirits were as resilient as ever. Each one has no intent of giving up, no intent to give in.

"I'll do whatever pays me more, my friend," Rose responds, smirking underneath his mask. "But I'm surprised how much you know about the Ring. Most don't even know about it's existence. Let alone wanting to go about destroying it. But it is a fool's errand. You know that, right?"

"In that case I'd much rather be a fool than blind to the injustices of the world," V responds venomously, before dashing at Grendel. Weaponless, he grabs Grendel's staff and tosses the assassin through a table in the bar. He tosses the staff away, preferring to finish this with his hands.

Grendel stands and puts himself in a defensive stance. The two men trade blows back and forth before V sweeps out Grendel's legs and drives his elbow into the assassin's throat. He can feel as the windpipe collapse beneath his weight, and he smiles to himself. He knows the Ring reached deep with hiring the assassin. And he knows that a defeat will send a shockwave through them.

He stands as sirens are heard in the distance. Creedy's Fingermen are on their way, and he heads into the streets, leading Hunter Rose to struggle for air in the cafe.

V heads towards downtown London, and towards a meeting that will change the face of Britain forever.

 

[Carnage27]

The sun shines brightly over the Japanese skies, especially to me. The sun is a rare sight for me, since darkness is key to my brothers and my operation. We stay out of the light even when we fight for it.

<<Leonardo, my boy. You seem nervous. Is everything okay>>>

"Yes, Master Hanzo," I nod underneath the robes that cover up my face and turtle features. "I just don't go out in the sun very often. It's hard when you're a giant anthropomorphic turtle in New York. They're used to odd things, but not that odd."

The man laughs, <<Don't worry. No one will see you here. It's fairly secluded to begin with, and even then, no one will give you any problems.>>

After almost three hours of walking from where Usagi dropped us off outside of Tokyo, we come upon an old, overgrown Japanese temple. The sight is awe inspiring, and there's something else there. An energy pulsating from the inside.

<<You can feel it can't you? The power of this place?>>

"Yes...what is it?" I ask as we push open the ancient doors and into the musty innards. "It's almost as if it's calling me into it."

<<This is the temple of Hachiman, the Japanese God of War and Leadership, and it seems that he has taken a special interest in you Leonardo. He knows that you a great leader, even if you do not know it yourself yet. Remember that. And he will bestow upon you his power.>>

"How will he do that?" I ask in a reverent whisper.

<<By granting you his sword,>> Hanzo replies as a light gleams from the center of the temple. He approaches it and bows to the light, before placing his hands into it and retrieving a beautiful katana in its ornate case. He approaches me and hands me the sword. <<This is the salvation for both of us, Leonardo. Hachiman has bestowed it upon both of us. With it, you can help rid the world of evil, and in doing so you will help redeem my family's legacy for bringing the Kunsanagi into existence.>>

As I grip the sword, I feel strength and valor fill my body, almost as if no opponent could defeat me. I look up at Hanzo and smile, "It feels great. Perfect even."

<<Yes, and strong. On top of that it will imbue those that fight with you with extreme confidence and an unstoppable will. They will fear no enemy, and will not stop until victory has been achieved. Now go back to New York and defeat the Shredder. It is you destiny.>>

"Very well, Master Hanzo. Thank you for all your help."
​

 

[J'adore]

WITCHLIGHTER - I

Carrying the twins in her arms, Paige struggled to keep the phone by her ear. Her sister, Piper Halliwell, was letting out an almighty rant on how tough opening a resturaunt in today's current situation can be.

"Piper, I'd love to help and everything - But I have a life too! You think just because I'm unemployed I don't get to rest? Trust me...The life of a Whitelighter is very hard. Especially when you're a part time housewife!" Paige emphasises the last words, as her husband, Henry Mitchell, walks through the apartment doors.

As she turns to face her husband, the phone slides out from her ears, but is stopped by a swirl of orbs.

"Phone!" Patricia calls out, her arm pointing down at the phone. Paige gasps, placing Pandora and Patricia down on the bed. The phone flies up into Paige's palm, much to her dismay.

"Um...Piper, I'll call you back..." Paige quickly hangs up on Piper and paces out of the bedroom, Henry pulling her into a giant hug.

"Henry...Let go..." Paige winces. She then takes her husband's hand, leading him to the bedroom.

"What's going on, Paige?" Henry questiones, kneeling down and hugging his two twin daughters.

Paige sits back, placing the twins on her lap. Taking a deep breath, Paige begins to explain what happened to Henry. "Patty...She called for the phone...And it orbed into my hand!"

Henry's eyes widen, he takes Pandora and places her on his lap. Pandora looks up at him and smiles, before blinking her eyes tight. Before Paige or Henry could even react, the TV infront of them exploded, electrical bolts flying from inside the damages. Henry flew back behind the bed, clutching Pandora close to him. Paige had already orbed out by now. "Was that you, Pandy?"

***

"Hey, Wyatt...Get back here Mister!" Piper followed her eldest child, Wyatt Halliwell round the house, until he stopped at the parlour.

"O.K Wyatt...No more wild goose chases! Melinda gets cranky if I leave her with Chris....Woah...Where did you come from?" Piper's eyes widened as Paige appeared in a flash of orbs, her eyes tightly shut.

"I didn't do this...She did..." Paige opened her eyes, looking down at a giggling Patricia.
​

 

[Catman_prb]

"Well, evening officer. How's it going? Um...did we do something wrong?"

"You were at least twenty over the speed limit, and driving in a manner I would consider erratic," Randall Flagg said, shades hiding the reddish glint in his eyes. He put his hand over the pistol belted onto his waist.

"License and registration please, sir," Flagg said, smiling a toothy grin that had the essence of a wolf.

 

[Catman_prb]

Detroit

So I ended up standing in a back street outside the Blood Factory in Detroit. My blasting wand was comfortably hung under my leather duster, shield bracelet fixed onto my arm, kinetic ring on my hand and my mother's protective talisman around my neck. I was still petrified. With me was the red-haired vampire Jessica, who was looking just as freaked out. The heavy hitters were around the back, preparing to make a distraction. If Hellboy went down, then our main protection would be from the Slayer.

God damn. I mean, I've heard all the different legends about the Slayer, and the Watcher's council has had a long lived rivallry with my own White Council, but still. Damn. Blonde, ditzy, legs to die for. Did the saviour of mankind have to be such a valley girl? I looked at my watch as it clicked onto twelve midnight. I nodded.

"That's us. Let's go,"

 

[Catman_prb]

The Doctor surveyed the room. It was dimly lit, and deep underground, ancient brickwork dripping water down onto a stone floor. They were in the secret annex of the British Museum, the age old home of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, under the noses of the Norsefire government. Hiding in plain sight, away from prying eyes. They had set up a large black steel table in the shadowy room, that the Doctor sat at now.

M was not there, but rather represented by a dark sillhouette on a portable television that had been set up on one side of the table. The Doctor leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table, looking at the other people in the room. Price and his lackeys had set up all the equipment, before leaving. Though they were also in the service of M, he and his men were not members of the League.

The American woman who had introduced herself as Willow Rosenburg, there on behalf of Rupert Giles, was smoothing her red, flowery dress down nervously. Agent Bond sat across from him, his blonde hair having grown messy from his recent incarceration, his shirt open at the collar.

"Well this is all rather jolly isn't it?" the Doctor said, his voice loud in the silence.

 

[J'adore]

WITCHLIGHTER: I

Previously:

"Hey, Wyatt...Get back here Mister!" Piper followed her eldest child, Wyatt Halliwell round the house, until he stopped at the parlour.

"O.K Wyatt...No more wild goose chases! Melinda gets cranky if I leave her with Chris....Woah...Where did you come from?" Piper's eyes widened as Paige appeared in a flash of orbs, her eyes tightly shut.

"I didn't do this...She did..." Paige opened her eyes, looking down at a giggling Patricia.​

"Well...I'm not gonna ask. But, now you're here, you can look after the boys and Melinda, right? Leo's out, trying to get a job as a paramedic---"

Paige waves her hand, interrupting Piper. Piper smiles and grabs her keys and coats, opening the manor door before waving goodbye. "Melinda's been fed her lunch and has just been changed...If I'm not back before Dinner then order some pizza for the boys,"

The manor door shuts and Paige places Patricia down next to Wyatt. She orbs out of the parlour and into the driveway, infront of Piper's reversing car. "Stop right there missy! I have a husband and a witch back at home who's still wondering where Patty orbed me too...So, here are your kids and here is mine..."

Paige waves her arm and Wyatt, Chris and Melinda orb into the back of Piper's car, strapped up in their car seats already. Paige places her arms into a cradle position, before Patricia orbs into her arms. "Just hire that elf nanny aga--iiiiaaaaaaaannnnnnnn........"

Paige's voice is dragged on and echoed as she's orbed in mid sentence, leaving Piper's ears ringing.

***
​

Phoebe Halliwell tip toes out from her bedroom, leaving baby Prue asleep. Finally. She turns round to pick up the monitor, when she hears a sound too familiar. Feeling a hand pat her shoulder, Phoebe panics.

"Hiiyaah!" Phoebe yells, going to kick her sister. Paige quickly orbs and re-orbs back to the space she previously stood in. Before Paige can explain, Prue begins to cry from the bedroom.

"Thank you Paige, for waking up my baby who seems to suffer from insomnia!" Paige places Patricia down on the couch, taking a huge sigh of grief.

"Patty...She's the whitelighter. Patty's come into her powers."
​

 

[Carnage27]

​

"So this is it, huh?" I ask as Yojimbo sneaks me through the back entrance of the Tokyo airport towards a plane bound for New York. As it begins to roll out of its hangar, the two of us hop onto on of the wheel stems and ride the plane towards the gate.

"No, this is just the beginning," he nods to me. "We are brothers, Leonardo. We were made by the same process. And although the means and reasons remain a mystery, it changes nothing. We are connected. All of us."

As he jumps off of the plane, I look down at him with surprise, "What do you mean all of us!?"

"You'll find out in time, Leonardo! Now, good luck and never forget you have friends in Japan who will not hesitate to come to your side!" he says as he begins to fade away into the night.

As he disappears from sight, I'm left to ponder his final words on the entire flight back to New York, as if I didn't have enough to worry about.

**********

After what seems like an eternity in the air, the plane's landing gear begins to descend from the underside of the craft, and I grab a tight hold of the main piston as the wind whips my bandanna in the New York night sky.

As we approach land, coming over the Hudson River, I leap from the plane, allowing the wake and wind to carry me through the air. As I quickly begin to lose altitude, I deploy a set of hang glider wings from the special back pack that Don developed for me before I left. The wings catch the flowing air around me, and I float silently towards the water bellow.

As I reach it, and skim over the water, I reach my hand down and let the cool liquid rush over my fingers, before retracting the wings and splashing down into the river. I quickly swim towards a sewer opening below, and towards home.

I breach the surface just a mile from our home, and I hurry there, eager to tell my brothers and Master Splinter about my journey to Japan, and about the weapon that could possibly defeat the Shredder.

But what greets me as I get home is far more dire. Our door has been blown in, the rock that used to form the secret entrance scattered about our living room. Inside, I see our furniture destroyed, our rooms turned over, and my family gone.

But the place isn't empty. After a few moments of entering, I'm attacked by a group of four Foot ninjas. Instinctively, I unsheathe my new weapon and hold it over my head, poised to strike, "I don't think you boys want to do this. You've made me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry."

Man...I must be missing Mikey. I'm starting to talk like him.

"Hehehe...you don't scare us, turtle," one of them mocks me. "We've already taken care of your brothers and the rat. And now...we're going to take care of you."

"No, the Shredder took care of them. You're a different story," I say. And without warning, I move like a lightening bolt towards the nearest ninja, slashing away his sword, and ripping my blade through his abdomen. I then spring off my heels, over two of the others, slashing across their backs, killing them instantly.

The final ninja, the one that mocked me just minutes before, trades some blows with Hachiman's katana, before I smack away a blow, sending his sword clattering across the floor. Instantly, I press my blade against his neck, "Where is my family?"

"Like I'd tell you," he sneers. "Whatever you do will pale in comparison to the Shredder."

"If you tell me, I'll let you live. You can run. The Shredder won't find you," I respond, not changing my expression, or moving my blade.

"Are you crazy? He's got powers you can't even dream of. He'll know. And he'll find me," the soldier chuckles. "It'd be better if you just killed me now."

"Have it your way," I respond with a quick slice with the blade. Taking stock of the scene, I leave my former home, and head back onto the city streets in order to look for help with saving my family.
​

 

[Carnage27]

The moon shines brightly over the four vampires as they approach Dracula's blood factory. Godric could feel the trepidation in the vampire Angel standing next to him, "Relax. We will be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Angel responds disgruntled. "You're three thousand years old. I'm only a few hundred."

"Just stick with me. You'll be fine," he responds.

As the group gets to the gate, Godric can't help but notice how nondescript the building is. It looks just like any other factory would across the United States. But inside, he knows something else is going on. Something that could change the fate of vampire kind forever.

Almost instantly, the gates open, and as the four vampires enter, a wolf's howl is heard, and an army of the furry beasts surround them. But the vampire just smiles, "Is this all you have to face me!?"

Moments of silence follow, and he continues, "So be it!"

The wolves rush and the assembled vampires, and the four go to work. Alone, or in a small group, werewolves would pose no threat to four older vampires. But these wolves are trained, and their numbers are too great to be taken lightly.

The first wolf reaches Godric, who uses his enhanced speed to move out of the way, and slam his fist into the ribcage of the animal, striking the heart and instantly kills it. As the life leaves his body, it reverts back to the human form, a mangy looking man with a long beard and hair. Godric looks at the other wolves and yells, "That is the first of many, my friends!"

**********

On the other side of the world, a communicator blips on next to Dracula, the vampire lord. He flips it on, and answers, "Yes?"

"My lord," a nervous voice responds, "the rebels are attacking the blood factory!"

"As I expected. How many of them, and who is leading them?"

"There's only four! And it seems that Godric is at their head!"

"Godric?" the name scares even Dracula. He is the oldest known vampire on the planet, and he was powerful. Possibly even as powerful as Dracula himself. He is the one being that could stand against his undead army, and he was the one at the head of the rebellion. "Very well. Take care of them or suffer the consequences."
​