When people often hear the word ‘fairy’, usually the thought of a friendly, flying and magical creature that leaves a trail of pixie dust behind them is first to enter one’s mind. Whether it be a fairy that takes young children on adventures to Never Never Land or one that comes into your room while you sleep to exchange a lost tooth under a pillow for money, Western Civilization has been fed the narrative that fairies are as benevolent as they come. In parts across Europe though and specifically in Ireland, faeries (Celtic Spelling) are viewed as malevolent entities whose path you do not want to cross which leads some to even fear them.
A Fairy’s Wrath, though it sounds like some sort of repercussion you’d face from displeasing a fairy, is anything but, in fact, folklore states that this is a Fairy’s Path, a straight line taken by fairies as a route between sites such as Fairy Forts or Raths. Due to this, many farmers and landowners do not dare to even build on a Fairy’s Wrath or even let their cattle graze on the grass of one of these paths as misfortune and illness is feared to fall upon those who do so, as well as their families, crops and live stock. There is even a story of cattle oddly dying off, leaving a farmer perplexed by it until being told by Gypsy that due to his home resting between two hills, it was blocking the passage of fairies, which in turn was the root of his cattle issue. The gypsy would go onto advise the farmer to leave his front door and back door open a smidge, allowing free passage for the fairies and amazingly, the problems with cattle were no more. The Gypsy was right, as it was soon discovered that the farmer’s house was on a perfectly straight line between two of the local hilltops and also at the very end of a long, straight track.
As time has gone on, most of these paths in Ireland and Europe have been fenced or gated off, most animals won’t even go near them but those that suffer with rheumatism have claimed walking along a Fairy’s Wrath can bring about relief. Along these Wrath’s though, one may come across Fairy Rings which is not only dangerous to a mortal but is also seen as a gateway into the realm of supernatural beings.
There is one place that is said to hold the actual door to the Fairy Realms and that place is Sligo, Ireland.
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness” - 1 Timothy 4:7
The grass sways carelessly with the wind, in perfect unison, as the view is low, making each blade of grass look enormous against the grey skies behind them, above the rolling green hills. A red dress shoe steps forward and into sight, looking like it belongs on the foot of a giant thanks to the angle. As the next shoe walks into the frame, the viewer’s vision rises a few feet off of the ground to level out and the back of Salvation’s clergyman, Preacher can be seen as he walks forward with his usual red clergy suit making him stick out like a fly on a wedding cake against the beautiful green landscape.
“Let those who yearn to place their faith not allow themselves to be led by the blind, for fables, tales, myths and legends are orchestrated to grasp your attention, while the truth most so ignorantly proclaim they seek is out there, never to be found.”, Preacher speaks in his usual assertive tone
As Preacher treks along it becomes more noticeable that the area he is walking along is fenced in on both sides with a metal wire to keep trespassers from walking through this straight, twenty-five foot wide path which is quite obviously a Fairy’s Wrath. Preacher’s head is down as he makes sure to watch his step, as there is no road or gravel underneath him, this is just a fenced in field, nothing more. Right then, two little radiating balls of light pass by him, one over each shoulder, heading off and straight down the grassy path as Preacher puts his head up in time to clearly notice but gives these entities no reaction or second thought as if he expected them.
“Fear not though, be strong through Lord Nemesis and the Kingdom of Salvation. Let our doctrine shield you like armor so that you can stand against the schemes of non-believers. For our struggle wages on, not only against flesh and blood but also the rulers, dictators, authority figures and all powers or forces residing in every realm that choose to stand on the opposite side of the line that has been drawn amongst the sand.”, As Preacher finishes speaking his last word, he stops dead in his tracks
Preacher stands still as the shot pulls back from him a few feet to get a wide angled shot of the breathtaking view that stands before him. About thirty yards ahead, the path begins to go up on an incline causing the rolling hills to form a small, grass-covered mountain. Where the hills merge together and begin to peak upwards, a thick, heavy, greyish white fog rests, almost looking as if a cloud itself has come down from the sky. The fog blankets the whole upper portion of the mountain but in an odd way, sitting perfectly underneath the fog is a vast amount of exposed limestone that has no greenery covering it which has almost a doorway-like opening, right in the middle of all the limestone that looks as if it’s big enough to walk through.
“Behold, an open door has been set before us, which makes an inaccessible realm accessible and that no one is able to shut. Where dreams are reality and reality is but a dream.” , Preacher now begins to make his way up the incline while heading straight towards the limestone doorway
Preacher continues on with his small climb until he finally makes it to the limestone doorway, standing in front of it and staring into the blackness that consumes it’s depths. Deep in the darkness, tiny specks of lights; some red, some orange, some blue, some green and so forth, begin floating about and seem to be getting bigger and bigger as they get closer and closer. As they pick up speed, a gust of wind follows behind them and finally, all of the various balls of light, each one about the size of a baseball, come flooding out of the darkness and surrounding Preacher as they move past him with the wind behind them causing Preacher’s long greasy hair to lift up and move around with it. The darkness now instantly turns to a luminous white light that is almost blinding and causes Preacher to lift his arm up, shielding his eyes from the piercing brightness. Looking at Preacher directly with the beautiful Irish land set behind him, the glow on his face and body begins to slowly fade until it’s finally no more. Preacher now lowers his arm, settles himself back in and a devious smile is plastered on his face as it looks like his eyes are fixated on something or someone.
“My Lord”, Preacher says humbly as he nods forwards
The view now pans around until it comes to a stop behind Preacher to reveal both Ragnarok and the Union Battleground Champion Nemesis standing now in front of the limestone doorway as if they came through the light and from another realm. Instead of it’s normal resting place, on Nemesis’ shoulders, the Union Battleground Championship is buckled around his waist with only the front plate being partially visual thanks to the black trench coat Nemesis is wearing. Though the coat covers most of his chest and the evil symbolized across it, the evil on display across his face seems like it too is of another realm. Ragnarok stands beside Nemesis, his skull-laced appearance even more eerie and frightening thanks to the constant tilting of his head from side to side, slowly and methodically.
“The infatuation mortals have with the spiritual realm and folklore is quite astounding, whether it be an entity or an abundance of magical creatures, different books filled with hopeful, positive anecdotes and third hand accounts of stories that happened centuries ago, mankind has always yearned for somewhere to misplace their faith.”, The wind picks up a bit, whistling and causing the back of Nemesis’ trench coat to flap around
“You all desire to root for the ‘good guys’ or the underdog narrative as it tends to be publicized as a ‘feel-good’ story.”, Even beneath the darkness that masks his face, the look of disgust is visible upon Nemesis’ face
“The chapters that have been written thus far in this War are filled with pages that have Salvation’s victories, conquests and reign of dominance scribed amongst them. The small battles Union Battleground and Elysium Pro have won, while not only being few and far between, will also be lucky to even makes the footnotes in this tale of destruction. It also seems that this story has brought along some familiar characters, a new one, as well as a couple of other surprises…how intriguing”, Nemesis now has the look upon his face of a wolf licking his chops as he eyes his dinner
“The familiarity we have of two specific antagonists to our cause, Richard Devereaux and Flash Kassidy, will lead us to easily expose of those two, like I have done on so many occasions before. Richard, I know your every little in and out, I know what goes on in that unintelligent mind of yours constantly, you are as predictable as they come. Flash, well, I only needed one match and under fifteen minutes to show the world that not only was he not on my level but it would be disrespectful to even place him a level underneath me towards the rest of you who actually are. Flash Kassidy was nothing more than an utter disappointment and I’m sure that’s a sentiment Charlie Blooms can relate to on a nightly basis.”, The jab at Flash’s manhood causes a muffled chuckle to escape from Ragnarok as Nemesis sinfully smiles at his remark
“But it’s the unfamiliarity with Alyssa Daniels and whatever mystery of a partner they have in store for us that truly has my spine tingling and the rush of adrenaline pulsating through every fibre of my being. Aly, such an innocent, wide-eyed little girl who sees the world through a pair of rose colored glasses…it’s repulsive.”, The look of utter disgust creeps out from behind the cocky smile that resided upon Nemesis’ face moments ago
“There will be no mind games involving small children that you can play which will make me drop my guard, there is no optimistic outlook you can state on social media that will prevent the inevitable from happening to Richard and there is no one on either the Union Battleground roster or Elysium Pro roster that can save you Aly. Come War of the Worlds, your hopes, your dreams and your whole existence will lie in my hands for me to squash at will and with ease. This isn’t some fairy tale your father read to you as he tried to send you off to dream land, no, you will realize very quickly that no Prince Charming will be coming to save you Princess and there is no happy ending to be had, only your blood to be spilt and the end of your little winning streak, isn’t that right Ragnarok?”, Nemesis turns his head slightly to the right towards Ragnarok
Ragnarok slowly tilts his head to the the left and then to the right before speaking.
"I have never understood the purpose of telling children fairytale stories... many are said to hold life lessons within... I say no lesson in life can be taught without...truth. Why must a wolf dressed as an elder woman tell you to not trust strangers? Why must a puppet's nose grow to tell you not to lie?”, While every slow pause in between his words intensifies Ragnarok’s level of eeriness, it also doesn’t help that he’s still tilting his head slowly from left to right even as his speaks
“Foolish mortals... and these children... they grow up to be... Flash Kassidy... Richard Devereaux... Alyssa Daniels... and whoever else truly believes they stand a chance against the warriors of Salvation... My brothers and I look forward to showing each and every one of you why fairytale stories are just that... stories... and that we, like the fairies of Irish origin, can be very real... and cause much destruction to anything and anyone who wishes to step in our path.”, The menace begins to grow audibly in Ragnarok’s tone
“If this were... one of those stories... my brothers and I... would very well be the heroes... saving every single soul who will watch us do battle... the path to enlightenment shall be shown ever so clearly... and every path leads to us... your Salvation...”, Confidence now intertwines with Ragnarok’s hostility equating to a deadly combination
“So repent... get on your knees and cry out your sins... and pray that your words do not fall on deaf ears... pray that mercy befalls you... though... it may not matter... after all... this is no fairy tale...", The sternness and certainty of the words Ragnarok used specifically at the end of his statement ring throughout the Sligo hills and mountainside
Ragnarok walks over and sits in a meditative position in front of Nemesis, crossing his legs and with his head now down, staring at the ground, his shoulders shaking a bit as he terrifyingly chuckles with malicious intent towards his opponents at War of The Worlds. Nemesis takes it from there, beaming with confidence in regards to his team’s chances in their upcoming match.
“In this tale, Richard, Alyssa, Flash, along with all of Union Battleground and Elysiun Pro will realize that there is no saving the day and there will certainly be no White Knight trotting in on his steed for a feel-good, story book ending…no, there is only victory and conquering to be had by us, Salvation…THE END.”, Nemesis seethes as he finishes his words off in an assertive manner
Noticeably, the Union Battleground Champion now turns his attention back towards his manager Preacher while Ragnarok remains in a meditative state at Nemesis' feet, making odd noises and creepy gestures with his head for effect.
“Come, there is someone I wish for you to get acquainted with in the other realm”, Nemesis says while indicating with a head nod for Preacher to follow him
“Yes, my Lord”, A responding Preacher obliges
Ragnarok quickly jumps up onto his feet as Preacher joins him and Nemesis by the limestone doorway. The three men take a moment to stand together, as if to strike a picture perfect pose before the deep darkness inside of the doorway once again grows to a blinding light like how it did earlier upon the arrival of Nemesis and Ragnarok. Thanks to the brightness of the light, all three men look like black silhouettes up against it as they now begin to walk into the light until they fade off into it and the light then instantly disappears, turning back into the still blackness inside the doorway.
Fade out to a War of the Worlds promotional package.
The road ahead is barren, desolate, and crumbling. The grass, if it could even be called such at this point, is withered and brown rather than alive in its much more natural shades of green. Long abandoned automobiles and small buildings line the road as if civilization simply ceased to exist a long time ago.
If that were the case, it would be difficult to explain the pink-haired woman and her dog standing on the derelict path staring ahead to the towering ghosts of a city off in the distance. The woman is wearing a blue jumpsuit with yellow lining and design along with what appear to be a variety of guns and weapons. She turns her head to the German Shepherd at her side and kneels down. The dog looks into her eyes, his mouth hanging open in a grin and his tongue hanging out and to the right. The woman smiles softly as she runs her hand through his fur. He maintains eye contact with her, drinking in the intimacy of the moment.
“Let’s go, boy.”
The woman stands and walks forward. The dog follows suit, walking by her side and slightly behind her. The two begin their trek to the ruins of the city ahead.
The image freezes and the camera zooms out. The picture of the duo sits behind glass in a frame. The woman from the scene, Alyssa Daniels, sits in an armchair holding the picture frame. Her eyes are focused on the picture within but her face looks contemplative.
“Symbolism.”
She nods firmly and sets the picture down. She then turns to face the camera.
“Some of you get it. Some don’t and that’s perfectly fine. In one form or another, we’ve seen this story before. A massing group seeks to take over a territory and remake it in its own image. This is usually met with yawns, maybe a change of the channel. And perhaps that’s what some originally thought about Salvation.”
She reaches down beside the armchair to the unseen. She pulls up another frame and looks at it. Disgust flashes briefly across her features as she sees the image.
“Fallout.”
She tosses the picture to the floor, the glass shattering on impact. The camera moves down to view the image: Drew Stevenson hanging upside down on an inverted cross with blood pouring from his head. The camera moves back up to view Alyssa in the armchair. Her expression is one of disappointment.
“At Fallout, Salvation was born. What you did was... horrifying to watch. It would be the first of many sacrificed to make a single statement: ‘Follow the path to Salvation or be damned to destruction!’ Nemesis looked to amass an army of mindless drones to destroy everything in their name, to birth a new landscape of his own design. Sound familiar?”
Another picture is retrieved from beside the chair. This one depicts an animated group of human-shaped robots, their composition a mass of wires and metal. The image is in reference to the popular video game that shares its name with the event that marked the birth of Salvation. She pulls on the edge of the picture and removes it from the frame. In its place is a picture that shows Kreature, Sinister, and Camila Martinez standing together, defiant smirks on their faces.
“These three? They’ve been swallowed by history, truly remembered by few. Like Putties from Power Rangers or Stormtroopers - whichever analogy you prefer - they were thrown at people, not even just competitors, to overwhelm in a numbers game. It wasn’t until they interjected themselves in the business of the Union Battleground Champion that they were truly noticed, however.”
Alyssa produced another picture from beside the armchair. This picture wasn’t a photo but rather an expertly painted portrait. The figure wore a long leather coat with fur lining the lapels and collar. While the outfit was fit for a certain video game faction leader, the head was that of ‘The Butcher’ Dick Devereaux. He stood defiantly despite the red hand painted onto his face: a hand that supposedly marked him for Salvation, a lit cigar secured by his bite.
“They wanted a leader, someone to guide them to this promiseland. But while Elder Devereaux is a merciless combatant, he refused to buy into this idea of paradise. Instead, he made it his mission to hunt down and destroy the mindless drones one by one to clear his path to the ‘savior’ Nemesis. But ultimately, Dick couldn’t win the numbers game as more of the drones showed up to save their savior. That’s really the theme here, isn’t it? It’s all cloak and dagger mixed with a numbers advantage. And that effect trickles right on down through the ranks. They thought, after a few attempts, that they’d finally silenced their enemy.”
Like the picture before, Alyssa pulled the image of Elder Devereaux from the frame and behind it was a similar painting with the same theme. The leather trench coat hangs from the figure’s shoulders and down its frame. Atop the figures head sits a leather Aussie Slouch hat. While it has all the trappings of that leader from the notable wasteland militia group, the face instead shows the young and vibrant features of ‘The Burner’ Flash Kassidy.
“Enter the next major target. Chance is what put Kassidy in the path of Salvation. Flash, like Devereaux before him, found himself as an unlikely hero blazing through Salvation members. Alexander Devin, Ragnarok, and the Executioner fell on his way to Nemesis, with only Viduus Morta getting a win in large part due to more Salvation interference. With Devereaux sidelined, he remained as one of the last remaining forces capable of taking the fight to Salvation. However he too fell short.”
Alyssa set the picture aside and leaned forward, her focus more intent, a knowing smile on her face.
“Just when you expected to see GAME OVER on that screen, it all comes back around. The Outliers throw in against Salvation. Dick Devereaux returns. And here I am, carving up win after win with an eye on Salvation all the way. Salvation now has the war they claim to want.”
She leans back in her chair and lifts her right leg to cross over her left knee.
“Yeah, I know. I hear ya. ‘Why the history lesson?’ I believe the saying is ‘if you don’t learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it.’ Salvation has thrived on its whole ‘divide and conquer’ mentality since it all began back in April of twenty-seventeen. They thrive on outnumbering the opposition. But now, their opponents aren’t isolated and alone. We made that perfectly clear at the end of Lights Out. Now, they must face us head on.”
Alyssa presents a finger on her left hand.
“Nemesis, the undefeated cult leader and Union Battleground Champion.”
Second finger.
“Ragnarok, the masked Putty that's only meant to slow us down.”
Third finger.
“Legion, the obsessive WWH Asylum Champion.”
Fourth finger. Smirk.
“The latest Stormtrooper added to the mix. Sipping the Kool-Aid and missing the mark.”
Alyssa lifts her right hand and index finger.
“Dick Devereaux, the Butcher of the Battleground and the man Nemesis still hasn’t beaten one-on-one.”
Second finger.
“Flash Kassidy, the kid with infinite lives who’s already carved his own path through Salvation.”
Third finger.
“Alyssa Daniels, the undefeated Analytical Mind, the blazing Heart of Infinity, the piece that can help tie this thing together.”
Fourth finger.
“Another individual who’s had enough of Salvation’s childish games and plans to put them to rest.”
Alyssa reaches down and pulls up another picture, holding it up to the camera. The camera zooms in on the image to show Alyssa with a gun in her hand gritting her teeth in determination. Once the image fills the frame, it seems to come to life as the gunfire fills the air. The robot humanoids fall backward as they’re his, blasts of red spraying from the wound.
Something important you can observe, the spray looks less like gore or a chemical hemorrhage and much more like the impact of a paintball.
Alyssa’s voice is heard over the sounds of the action ongoing.
“Symbolism, Salvation. That’s what this production is meant to be. It’s symbolic of the progress you’ve made turning this company into a wasteland by replacing actual competitors with these synths spitting out the rhetoric being slipped into their sandwiches when they aren’t looking.”
A synth approaches from behind Alyssa.
“Follow the path to Salvation.”
Without wasting the motion to turn before acting, she swings the gun behind her in an arc. The gun connects with the head of the robot, causing it to fly off and roll away. An army of synths begin to approach as she turns back. She snarls in determination as an artillery strike, no doubt from the Castle of Kassidy’s militia, lands in the middle of the cluster and blasts them to pieces. Nearby, someone in Power Armor rips the head off of another approaching synth, flashing Alyssa a thumbs up.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong; I have no delusions that this is where it all ends. This is where it all begins. This is where you face a real force, one that will test your mettle beyond anything you’ve seen yet. The four of us don’t have to agree on everything but if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that Salvation must be destroyed. When War of the Worlds goes off the air, you’ll have to rethink everything, maybe even sacrifice more of your failures to pretend they just didn’t happen. Like Kreature. Like Sinister. Like Mila. From Fallout to fallout, the rise and fall of Salvation. We will never follow. We will raze the path to Salvation! Because war...”
With all of the synths in the area destroyed, Alyssa holsters her gun and turns away from the wreckage. She walks toward the sunset rejoined by the German Shepherd.
The cameraman makes his way down the darkened hallway, where the spirits see him, but do not manage to attack him, because they know he suffers a worse fate when he arrives in the other world. An older man happened to be sitting where Mister J would usually sit, and he had his books, but this was something different. The man reached behind him, handing the cameraman a key and then giving him a stern warning.
“the Guardian” Mister J You think, you know what they are capable of, but you only know what they allow you to see. They aged me without care, and their youngness strives on those who enter here.
The cameraman nods and takes the key from him heading over to where the doorway awaited him. Mister J coughed, then opened his book to the front cover and a whisper was heard coming from him, as he opened the door.
“the Guardian” Mister J Abandon all hope, ye who enter there.
The cameraman spun around to try to say something to Mister J but the door slammed into his face, and he fell from the edge of the doorway. He smelled the familiarity of death and despair, knowing where he might end up, but then in the distance as he landed, he saw the flames in the distance. This was something different for him, as he usually ended up in the thick of the darkness, but he stood on the edge of it. He saw a cloaked figurine standing there, as he approached it a voice appeared from it. It started cackling then the red eyes of the figure focused on the cameraman who happened to be standing in front of it, shaking.
The Doll You’ve chosen to enter here, on your own volition. Be wary of the roads ahead they may trick you. Once you have found her, she will be waiting or will she? Abandon all hope now, and ye may be spared.
The cameraman shivered as a dark wind went around him, and the doll burst into flames before him screaming like it was living. The cameraman starts running down what he believed to be the right path, and the spirits began to circle him as the woman in black appeared and chased them away. He is cowering by a tree as the woman in all black wearing a gas mask extends her hand out from the shadow.
“the Queenslayer” Legion Come into the garden of shadows. Once you have found the right path that will lead you down to the shadows, then you will find us waiting or will you? You do not know…
She cackles and grabs him taking him back to the starting point where he found the doll burning and the doll has vanished from the spot. He then sees the secondary path which he slowly makes his way towards, and this one was still burning but it seemed to be the one the spirits of the realm managed to stay away from. He walked down it still smelling death, pain and suffering along it. The woman in black creeps along beside him in the burning wreckage. She then peaks her head out looking at him laughing, cackling if you will. He turns to look to his right then he sees nothing. As he is about to turn around he feels the gentle breeze of someone breathing on his neck.
“the Queenslayer” Legion You’ve come to us to find the salvation you seek. But in this world, where is the salvation? Where is the ones who will be the saviours? We are it’s saviour, the fire is cleansing. Alyssa, Dick Devereaux, and Flash Kassidy, are the people who are trying to pollute our world.
Legion picks up some of the fire and holds it in the palm of her hand as she looks at the cameraman smirking. She splits the fireball she is holding in two then turns back to look at him.
“the Queenslayer” Legion Everything you see can be explained here, but we do not allow just anyone to see what we see. Alyssa for the first time since we attacked you, you will come face to face with us. We are looking forward to staring you in the face and taking you down. But like the flame you survive, and will continue the survival necessary to face me. Yes, you bring friends with you but we will ignore them, we will keep our focus on you.
She snuffs one of the flames in her hand out then disappears leaving the other floating in the middle of where the cameraman happened to be walking, he goes around it continuing to follow the path which has been laid out in front of him now. The other fire balls have lit the path and is keeping the spirits away. Her cackling is heard in the distance, as the cameraman looks around the blackened woods for it, she reappears down the trail a bit further.
“the Queenslayer” Legion Opponents come and opponents go, but the one thing they tend never to forget is my name. the solitary whisper on their breaths, curses our name. But in sad reality is that Dick, Flash and Alyssa have never faced something as dangerous as us. They’ve never seen anything like us, and they never will again.
She cackles and vanishes from the spot as the will-o-wisps fall from their spot as they turn to ice and shatter once they hit the ground. She re-emerges at the end of the path where there is a garden awaiting him. In the surrounding chaos this was the one pure thing within it. She motions for him to follow her, as she leads him into it.
“the Queenslayer” Legion Welcome to our Garden, you see what we have here is the epitome of what this world once was. Something beautiful, something magical, and yet we allowed pollutants like you to come in and cause the upset in the balance. We kept this part of the world safe from you. Do not worry, we will not allow someone like you to upset the balance. Dick, Alyssa, Flash bring your armies, bring your other teammate hopefully they will be able to assist you because in the end there is nothing we will not do. Salvation does come to those who seek it, and we did seek out Salvation, and this garden is the epitome.
There are several will-o-wisps sitting above each bush and flower bed as they drop into the beds starting them on fire, Legion throws out the man, who begins making his way back up the pathway. She cackles, kind of like she was dancing in the flames. She watched him run, silly cameraman forgot something he needed to escape. She went over to the chest in the middle of the burning wreckage and pulled out the key that she needed to help him escape. She raised her hands and the flames vanished, and the garden had returned to the state it was in before.
The cameraman had nearly made it to the top of the path as Legion met him there. He knew that she knew the forest here better than he did. She cackles as she removes the gas mask, dropping it to the ground where she reveals the scar across her face.
“the Queenslayer” Legion Silly bird, silly bird, you ran before you could get the thing that will set you free from this hell. Alyssa, Dick, Flash we’ll see you on Tuesday. It will be a storybook debut, and a nightmare for those involved.
She vanishes from the spot as the door reappears behind her and the key drops into the sand. Her cackling is heard in the darkness, as the cameraman quickly scrambled getting the key from the ground opening the door falling back in front of Mister J. Mister J laughs as the cameraman runs away screaming.
Post by Dakota Smith on May 1, 2018 17:55:54 GMT -5
The cosmos, galaxies of star clusters bursting through the darkness with a symphony of color and beauty. Floating out in that nothingness was Flash Kassidy, he was stripped bare besides a rather large pot leaf covering up his chunk. His were closed, with a peaceful, serenity filled smile on his face. As the camera zoomed in, his eyes opened, only slightly tho. They’re bloodshot, the effects of THC still coursing through his system. He begins to speak, but his voice is loud - almost bolstering over the galaxies as if he was some sort of god.
“The war between good and evil, the plight of man versus the unknown… Is a timeless tale. There are no winners, or losers there is just more, a continuation of the same. I have failed in my attempts to rid the world of the evil known as Salvation, I had the leader, the head of the snake in my hands and I could not get the job done… And then, when the gates of hell opened two weeks ago… I once again didn’t have what it took, and for the first time in my life… I was shook, usually never shaken - and very rarely feel the hatred. But I hate Salvation! I hate the shit that they pull, the strings that they cast - that hook the mouths of those who feel abandoned. They prey on the weak offering them strength, and when they fail to meet the standards met, they are put out. “
Flash’s eyes open just a bit wider as his gaze turns to the camera, a smirk growing across his face as he floats through the cosmos with his arms point out straight - like jesus on the cross.
“ Nemesis, Legion, Ragnarok… They’re all almost biblical in their diabolical ways. And you know me, you know that I have tried to put they asses down in the dirt… But even with the righteous fire of the Outliers at my side - the stake could not be put in they boogie-woogie asses. I have slain Ragnarok once before, but like the mighty hydra his head grew back. Because you can’t kill the demon with many heads one by one, you can’t go at them as individuals… If ya’ want to kill the Hydra you have to cut all the heads off at once. At War of the World, me and a group of divine crusaders have just that chance. Yes, even Dick… The god of war himself, akin to the likes of Aries. Unmatched in battle, but even he by himself have fallen to the likes of Nemesis. So we share that, we have that bond in common. That drive to put an end to Union Battlegrounds suffering.
Alyssa Daniels, a mighty brawler herself. Athena in a another life perhaps, but now she stands with me, with Union Battleground to extinguish the darkness that Salvation has brought upon Union...We gonna fuck someshit up, cast a fire to light the group known as Salvation ablaze. It has all come to this, every match, every opportunity, and every failure! So excuse me if i’m not my normal cheery self… But I mean fuckin’ business this time. This time, it’s not about me, it’s not about my goals, or a championship. It’s about showing the world that evil does not win! That good, will surpass all when given the right chance, the right opportunities. “
Extending his arm out, Flash starts to fly amongst the stars, like superman in the comic books, but there was a much more tranquil feel to it. As if Flash was on a mission, a journey, a quest… Something that must be resolved.
“I ain’t saying i’m heavenly, I aint a god of war, or Athena reincarnate.. I’m just Flash Kassidy, a man on a mission to rid Union Battleground from Salvation… Me and Nemesis had our day, but I wasn't enough to get that ish done. But trust, given the chance again? Things could be very different. I know it, even if I don’t have the words, or the actions to prove it… I just know that this burner was meant for something more, I feel a destiny inside myself, a calling to be the blunt burning in the darkness, the torch that guides us to the light! Not Salvation! But acceptance… That we are all just trying our best in this life. We all have our ups and downs and you don’t need to turn to that preachy bullshit that Nemesis is offering, that black sheep that should of been put down a long time ago.
But he wasn't put down, and now he is just festering! Growin’’ larger and he is trying to take control of us all! He will be the death of Union…. But Me, Alyssa, Dick, and some mystery opponent that I think you all will be surprised to see… We will take out Salvation, we will stop the infection before it grows any larger, cauterize the wound and kill them cowardly dogs!”
A meteor, or better known as a shooting star flies past Flash, he stops for a second to admire it’s glory before speeding off to what appears to be the planet earth. His body starts to smoke, bits of fire surrounding him as he enters the atmosphere - almost looking like a shooting star himself.
“ You’re archangels, your disciples, even the mystery person on your side, will not be enough to stop us from illuminating your darkness. Like I said earlier, Ragnarok has already fallen to me once, he is weak, the weakest link in your chain. He will break long before the others just as he broken before. I have his number, I know his tricks, and soon he will be considered useless by you, Nemesis, and be tossed aside like so many others before him… Legion on the other hand, I don’t care to know much about her. Because all I know is that I want to stop her, if she is aligned with the devil in paint, then she must be exercised like the rest of your ill!
I’ve been with this company for a while now, I have put in my time. Paid my dues… And now it is time to show every single man, women, and child in the audience that their faith in me wasn't misplaced… I may now be some spooky demon in the nigh, kidnapping individuals and playing god with their lives… But I am a man, who is high above the competition. I see things that others don’t, and when you catch me off my guard then that is something truly amazing. Some good shit… Salvation has one up’d me one to many times, and it’s about time I jump on they ass like i’m mario… I already got my princess tho, so this? This is for me… Because I want to! I want to see the end of Salvation, and at War of the worlds? I’ll get the chance to do just that. Good versus Evil, Flash Kassidy versus Salvation… But I ain’t alone, not this time, not like before when you screwed me over… I got friends… Friends who want to see you die until the very end. We will give our lives to see you go night night! Because this? This is our duty, how we are programmed! We’d give our life to see yours extinguished… Or… Atleast I would. “
As Flash goes to hit the surface of the earth the screen goes completely white. A door opens, breaking the illusion and Flash Kassidy walks out in his usual stylish appearance. His signature shades well in place, and a certain kind of swagger as he walked into the room.
“ I can play that ish to Salvation, you aint above anyone of us! And at War of The Worlds you’s gonna find that out first hand. You gonna feel the stinging sensation of defeat as me and my partners beat yo fuckin’ ass! Put you in the dirt! With the roaches!
Post by Dick Devereaux on May 1, 2018 20:01:16 GMT -5
[The camera flashes onto the brightened scene. We are outside on an old battlefield. The grass has been permanently damaged in certain areas as we see the old remains of broken down tanks and empty bullet casings. Many fell fighting for their freedom as the war raged on a time ago. We pan to a broken down and faded out green tank. The grass is tall around it and the roots of the Earth have began to wrap around it in certain places. We can see the shadow of a man spread out across the ground. The camera pans up and we can see Dick Devereaux standing on top of the tank with a stoic look spread across his face. He looks across the battlefield as he begins to speak, never looking at the camera.]
DICK DEVEREAUX: I can sit here and talk about the entire match, going through everybody and staking the claim that my team is better and we will destroy Salvation once and for all. But I'm not here to do that. I'll save that for the rest of them. I'm here to claim one thing and one thing only. Nemesis cannot beat me by himself. Nemesis has hid behind Salvation since day one. This isn't about Salvation or Union Battleground. This is personal for me Nemesis. I don't care about the battle of Good and Evil. All I care about is taking out Nemesis. I'll leave Salvation to the crew standing with me at War of the Worlds. But this war has always been me and you Nemesis. And it'll end with me and you.
[Devereaux looks down at the camera as he hops off of the tank. We can see him dressed in a pair of camo army pants and tan Army boots. His chest is covered in a stained tank top with smudges across the front and back. Devereaux begins pacing as he continues.]
DICK DEVEREAUX: You can stand there with your mind games and your smoke and mirror bullshit, but at the end of the day I have looked the Devil in his eyes and I have seen what he truly is. Nemesis is a coward. Look back at the history and you will see that each and every time we have encountered each other, he has had his cronies there to do the dirty work and back him up when he couldn't finish the job. I am better then Nemesis. And he knows it. He has surrounded himself with a crew to protect himself. He knows if he was solo he wouldn't be standing where he is today.
[We can see two helmets laying on top of two graves. The graves look fresh, but neither has a headstone. Each helmet has a red handprint over it as Devereaux looks down at them for a moment before continuing on.]
DICK DEVEREAUX: I almost had him beaten. It was down to just Nemesis and me. I took out the old Salvation, left them beaten and broken. It was just us Nemesis. But what happened when I had you beaten in YOUR Circle of Hell? You recruited another crony to save your ass! It's a broken record by now Nemesis. I've said it over and over again and have ran the facts into the ground. I intend to show the world what you really are Nemesis. Behind the smoke and mirrors and the group of Halloween costume contest winners is simply a scared little man. A coward with enough of a brain to know that the only way he can survive is to surround himself with protection. But what happens when we peel away that protection?
[Devereaux continues walking through the tall grass as he comes to a building. Half of it has fallen down as the Earth has begun to take it back. Devereaux takes notice to a cannon as he rubs his hand over top of it as he walks by.]
DICK DEVEREAUX: At War of the Worlds there will be an all out WAR! You see, you had to recruit and convince your cronies to join your cause. I didn't have to do a damn thing. We're all here to do the same exact thing. We want Salvation gone. We have a common goal, and it doesn't matter if we love or hate each other. The only thing that matters is that goal. You've managed to piss off a lot of people Nemesis. And now they're all coming after you. As you continue to try and take over the world the number of enemies you make grows. Now you've got an army coming at you. And we're not gonna' stop until Salvation is left ripped to shreds and gone from this Earth forever.
[Dick is now eyeing the camera as a rabid look spreads across his face. He is ready for war. He lifts an old dented helmet up before placing it atop his head. He eyes the camera again as he snarls, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his beaten and worn out can labeled "WAR PAINT".]
DICK DEVEREAUX: Gather your troops, prepare for the war. You think you've got this won, but there is no way you can beat our hidden card. See, you have no idea who our partner is Nemesis. You're going in blind. When all is revealed and your jaw hits the floor, just remember that you could've walked out with your skin still attached long ago. You only have yourself to blame for the reckoning that will go down at War of the Worlds. Start praying!
[Devereaux dips his hand into the can before slapping down his signature handprint across his face. A symbol that started everything for the Nemesis/ Devereaux story. Devereaux places his hand onto the camera, cutting the feed to a crimson red. The cameraman wipes the lens and when it clears away we can see the helmet of Dick Devereaux laying in the grass, a single crimson handprint blazed across the top.]
Last Edit: May 1, 2018 20:03:11 GMT -5 by Dick Devereaux
