Marvel World-- Closed

Carpenter-

Black Beauty and I had waited until Alvah was out. He wasn't some dark creeper. He was sociable and he had to leave eventually.

"He's gone."

"Don't you think he's got some protection around this place?" Beauty asked.

"Probably, but we can't just sit here. Whatever Alvah's up to, we have to stop him somehow."

We got up and left the study. There was an elevator at the end of the hallway. It was too easy.

"Are we taking the elevator?"

"I guess," I shrugged. The doors opened before I even touched the button. "Okay, something's up."

"Oh come on. We're heroes," said Black Beauty. "We take risks."

"And get eaten by an elevator?"

Beauty shrugged and stepped in. "It's an elevator," she said matter-of-factly. I stepped in with her and pressed the ground button. The elevator doors closed as it moved steadily down the shaft.

"See?" she pointed out with a smirk. I nodded and tapped my foot impatiently.

Just then the elevator jerked and the lights flickered. I shot a pointed look at Beauty. "See?"

She frowned and steadied herself just before there was a loud CRACK and the elevator began falling. We hit the ceiling as gravity seemed to reverse. Reacting, I grabbed the lever to open the escape hatch. It didn't budge. Slamming my shoulder into the metal it moved a little bit.

"Carpenter?!"

"I've got it."

"Just move!" she ordered and positioned herself. Shooting her foot into the side of the hatch, the metal flung off and scraped against the side of the shaft. Wind howled around our heads as were dropped with the elevator.

"Hold on!" I shouted and grabbed her arm. It was going to be a dangerous call, but we had to jump out of the shaft. Floor after floor passed when we were coming on the next opening. Two... one... "JUMP!"

We catapulted through an open entry and rolled onto the floor. I heard Black Beauty cough and groan.

"Ugh... some ride," I mentioned.

"It's Alvah's house of horrors," she coughed.

"Well at least we only have eight more floors to go," I said, pointing at the number over the elevator doors.

"Eight?"

Spoiler

Yeesh, that was really long and really rushed.

Spoiler

Oy, since when was escaping so easy, Jaden?

Alvah

I grinned easily.
"I had a proposition for you," I stated. "Certainly, a dragon shifter of your caliber would be well-suited for this task."
"Go on", said the Night Dragon - for I did not know him by any other name than that, intrigued despite himself.
"There is an artifact of great power hidden somewhere in this city," I said. "I am almost convinced it can only be accessed by flight. It would be my pleasure if you could retrieve it for me."
"You want me to act as an errand boy?!" The Dragon was angry, wounded. His fists were clenched. I could tell this was a prideful being indeed.
"Not at all," I said. "We can work out compensation later. You'll find I have much treasure to give. Oh, and did I mention that the artifact opens a portal to a different world?"
That was the bombshell

Spoiler

Sorry if I'm taking this waaay too far, Jaden. I can work the details out with you via PM.

The Night Dragon

Behind my mask, my brow was still raised, but was thinking hard. This stranger knew I took pride in flying, but needed my kind of expertise for the job. "If you want me for some kind of a relic in exchange for treasure, I need something better than treasure. Where I hide at night when I got nothing better to do, I don't have even a diamond on the wall. Instead, I have a tremendous library. I'd have to look up what you're wanting me to get before I get it. If there's one thing both my hero and personal lives lack is a woman's touch. I need a mate who could babysit me when I got nothing better to do." I cracked my knuckles. "Also if you want me to do something somewhere, I suggest it be where I'm in my own element. More specifically, it has to be done at night so I won't get caught."

Alvah


I grinned. This was so easy it was incredible.
"Not a problem... you can strike at night. And... as for everything else... I assure you, if you get me the relic, you can have anything you want, Night Dragon. Anything." I exerted a little bit of my influence as we spoke. "Power... love... wealth... land... fame... anything."

Black Beauty

Eight more floors to go...

I cursed to myself repeatedly, feeling the huge slash mark across my cheek. I looked at Carpenter.

"You alright?" I ask.

He nods, "Fine. You?"

I shrug, "Couple gashes. Not too bad." I flashed my award winning smile and continued. I stepped next to him and let out a cough. I rolled my ankle and chuckled, taking a gun out of my pocket and slinging it onto my belt. "What do we do now?"

The Night Dragon

I took a step back, but not too close to the edge. This stranger was starting to scare me. "I'll have to look up this relic you speak of. Might take me some time to research both the place it's in and escape routes in case someone sees me. The one thing you didn't mention is the details of the relic's appearance. Without that, I might take as much as years to get what you want." I didn't want to get what he was after without knowing what it looked like first.

Alvah

I smiled wider. The deal was done, whether the Night Dragon knew it or not.
"It's unmistakable," I assured. "An onyx serpent curled around an infinity symbol. It has an extremely powerful aura. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. If you want, I can actually tell you where it is. I cannot actually enter. But first..." I snapped my fingers.
"That should keep my guests from leaving," I said, smugly. "I bound them in magic..." I halted, noticing the Night Dragon was looking at me funny.
"You'll have a companion," I informed him. "A heroine by the name of Black Beauty or Shyla Conners"

Carpenter-

She took a gun out of her pocket and slung it in her belt. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Out of nowhere there was a loud snap and suddenly my feet were pulled out from under me, my arms stuck to my sides. I looked over and saw Black Beauty in the same position.

"You think this is what Overwatch had in mind when we took the job?" I asked casually. Beauty rolled her eyes and sat up, her arms still stuck.

"What happened?"

"My guess would be Alvah knows what's going on even when he's not here," I offered, rolling to my side in order to sit up.

"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned. "So we're stuck until that creep comes back?"

"Unless you want to hop to freedom," I motioned to her invisibly bound feet.

"I would rather hop than sit here." She scooted to a wall and used it to push herself unsteadily to her feet. I did the same and looked down the hallway ahead of us.

"So... shall we?"

She gave me a look behind her mask and frowned. "Slow and steady."

Spoiler

I have seen an opportunity and I'll be damned if I don't take it!

Carnage

I strode down the lengthy corridors of Alvah's mansion, my eagerness leading the way. I had directions, of course- Alvah had told me exactly where to find my prey- but I found the Angel guiding me. She craved blood as much as I did, I knew.
I rounded a corner, coming face to face with the two supposed heroes. The pair looked more of a mess, bound invisibly by Alvah's will. Each jumped slightly at the sight of me. I hissed, finding myself frustrated that I was unable to tell each how pathetic they looked; the angel had gifted me with great strength, but I was still the mute child from Texas. Gra'ma had said I'd do the devil's work. She was right.
Black Beauty writhed as I approached her, falling to the floor. I grabbed her by the collar, hoisting her up to my eye level, and punched her lights clean out.
Discarding the unconscious Beauty, I descended upon Carpenter. He tried to dodge the first blow, worming about and ducking my fist. I brought my knee up into his gut, doubling him over before applying the elbow to the base of his neck. Carpenter sprawled on the floor, still bound like a mummy. I grabbed him, rolling him onto his back, and threw a wild punch into his face. Blood spurted and a crack sounded as his nose crumpled. I punched again, roaring, and Carpenter's head smacked against the floor. He crumpled, and I tasted the blood on my knuckles, savouring victory, before gathering up the two unconscious forms ready to return to Alvah's care.

Black Beauty

Carnage punches me straight out and the one thought that went through my mind was-

Who ever told you not to hit a girl?

I was totally out but felt the people around me. I wake up in a room and taste the blood on my lip, coughing. My hands were bound but my feet were free.

Atleast someone has some manners.

I walked around and saw Carpenter dead on uncontious. I chuckled and leaned against the wall when I realized something.

My knife!

I thought about it and used my foot to kick my knife up. I caught it in between my lips and smiled, bending down to put them in my hands, once they were there, I kept cutting. Once it was done I shook my rists out, the rope marks still there. I tried to find a way out but with no luck, I just slid myself down the wall, sighing.

The Night Dragon

I checked my watch. Two hours until sunrise. I had to leave. "The next time we meet, I'll head to work. Business as a hero's getting very slow these days." I shifted full dragon and headed to my apartment. I shifted back and went inside to change clothes.

Amos Runestone

I read book after book on what the stranger asked me to get, but there was not even one book that got me anywhere. I growled a little, then calmed down. "Pull yourself together, Amos. This is no time to lose your head." I went back to research, flipping through one book after another in rapid succession.

Carpenter-

It felt like I had gotten hit by a train... I groaned and tried to sit up but my pain cried out in agony. I stopped moving but opened my eyes. One of them was swollen. Great.

"Ugh..."

"Carpenter?" a voice asked. Suddenly a face was in my line of vision... Black Beauty.

"Hey," I tried saying, but it came out hoarse and pathetic.

"Hey yourself," she smiled.

"What happened?"

"Carnage."

"That would explain some things. How long was I out?"

"A few hours already. The sun is up."

My eyes flicked in the direction of the window and caught a glimpse of rays shining through the curtain. Something about it being daytime made this nightmare feel less frightening, but all the more real.

I tried sitting up again and groaned as I did so, but at least I was able to get to my butt.

"Carpenter, don't try doing too much."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. You look like you've been in an accident."

"Well that's what I get when a mass of symbiote flies at me when I'm down," I tried joking, but she didn't seem to be seeing the humor. I sighed and looked at her seriously. "I'm sorry for getting you into this."

"You didn't get me into this. I came willingly, remember?"

"Yeah, to get me after I was caught off guard the first time. But I promise, I will get you out."

There was a low growl and a rumble from above us. We both looked up, me rather slowly. No one was there. Black Beauty helped me to my feet, both of us on guard for any attack. That's when he came into view: Carnage.

Black Beauty

I glance upwards, seeing Carnage and I chuckle. "Oh my god! Just give up already!" I say, crossing my arms.

I lean against the wall, realizing something.

My powers work here

Electricity burned in my fingers and I waited to let it out. "What do you want?"

He let out a growl type of thing and jumped downs from the roof, looking at me. I realized he couldn't speak and I sighed. So I used telepathy.

What. Do. You. Want?

Carnage

What. Do. You. Want.
The words filled my head, rattling around and burning my mind. I shook and trembled, tearing at my skull with long claws.
It's in my head, beautiful one. It wants to kill us.
Yessss.
We cannot let it!
The Angel was silent. I felt fear coursing through my veins. She could not have abandoned me!
We will kill it. The Angel spoke inside my head at last. I laughed, roaring and screeching. Echoes around the chasmous chamber caused pained expressions on the preys' faces. I leaped down at them, wrapping one in a mass of tendrils and flinging him across the room. I turned, casting about for the other, but could not see her.
Lightning hit me full in the face. I fell to the floor, writing and screaming. A boot appeared in my field of vision, and I looked up to see a young woman staring back at me. I recognised her- she had attacked the Angel before. Anger boiled within me.
She placed her boot upon my chest, a malicious smile playing on her lips.
What do you want? She repeated. I grinned. Tendrils shot from my chest to ensnare her foot, while I reached up to wrap my legs around her throat. I twisted over, pinning her with my knee in her throat, making her eyes bulge as she struggled to breathe.
What... what do y-you... want? She struggled to speak into my mind. I laughed.
Your heart.

Black Beauty

He pinned me down and spoke into my mind.

Your heart.

Anger filled me and I shocked him with electricity as he jumped off me. I kneed him, causing him to fly backwards into the wall.

"Ouch." I said, feeling my throat. "That hurt."

I glanced at him as he ran for me again, this time tripping me and throwing me into the ceiling. I fell from it and landed on my face. I rolled on my back, my eyes wide. "Whoa..." Suddenly everything went dizzy. I stood, my lip bleeding and gained focus. I grinned at the blood and summoned lightning to strike.

"Come at me."