beneath the black, the sky looks dead

[couldbeavoided]

WHO: THE VOID and YOU?
WHERE: Around the City and the Brooklyn Bridge
WHEN: Sunday, 8/2
WARNINGS: Violence, death, chaos
SUMMARY: The Sentry loses control.
FORMAT: Quick.


[ There was no abrupt revelation, no struggle; when Robert Reynolds had opened his eyes that day, the Sentry was simply nowhere to be found. He'd flown from the mansion into the sky, a poisonous oily creature wearing Bob's skin and the Sentry's clothes until even that began to shed. Red eyes and an aura like fire and toxic ash, sharp tendrils coiling out behind and around him like sentient shadows.

Years. Years here, trapped, ignored, denied. Bob was done fighting, and hurting; his mind went blank so that someone else could use his body to fight back. But it was his body, too -- the Void celebrated his freedom by flying into the sky, raising his arms and calling upon the sky to darken in deep reds and purples. Clouds collected and rain started pouring; he raised his face to the rain and smiled, before he dropped from the sky and flew cleanly through the Brooklyn Bridge. ]

Comments

CASUALTIES/DEATHS

[couldbeavoided]

( WHERE: Anywhere! Specify your location.
OPEN TO those who signed up here + Loki. Feel free to either start a new thread or get injured with your friends in an existing one (though I recommend asking first before doing so)!! It is okay for people not signed up to participate in threads as people being saved by or witnessing said casualties and deaths, but again, ask the thread-maker first. )

[ He was only getting started. He kept on flying, bringing the rain and the darkness with him; the tendrils that grew off his back like long smoky tentacles whipped out in every direction, striking at buildings and cars and getting fire to what they touched. He flew over the City, looking for anyone or anything to unleash pain upon. Bob had hurt. Everything else must, too. ]

TAKE DOWN

[couldbeavoided]

( OPEN TO those who signed up here + Midnighter. Obviously, the Void dies in conclusion! )

[ He barely felt, noticed, saw any blood on his hands. His victims hadn't been enough; he circled the sky again, admiring what he had done so far and raising his arms to let the thunder roar louder, the rain pour harder. With dull recognition he consider that he might not be satisfied with anything less than the entire City in flames, and he dropped low again, shooting down over the East river toward the City again. ]

open!

[ex_mostlyarmless446]

[Connors had been walking around the City almost every day: it gave him exercise and saved money on transportation. But, when the sky turned dark purple, Connors wished that he was in a car. As he saw the dark tendrils whip from the figure flying through the sky, he wished he was in a building. He dropped the drink that he was carrying and started to run, hoping to run away from the tendril behind him, but then-

-then he was in a hospital, slowly waking up to the smell of anesthesia and bleach. A doctor slowly came into view. Well, Mr. Connors, to be honest, it's a miracle you're alive. Most people don't survive at that radius. However, we do have some bad news. He knew what it was. His arm just wasn't there. He ws missing his arm. The doctor tried to smile and said something in a calm voice, but Curt was just so panicky, so distraught at the fact that his arm simply wasn't there anymore and-

-he was sitting at his desk, learning from a police officer that Richard Parker had died. Richard Parker, the only chance of him getting his arm back, the only chance for him to have a normal life, he had died. The crushing reality of the situation slowly came down on Connors and-

Curt Connors was lying on the sidewalk, curled up in a fetal position, screaming his head off.]

[Open]

[wisecracked]

Like most things that went wrong in Kenzi's life she didn't see them coming. And this was just another thing to add to that list. One moment she was walking alone, minding her own business, practically lost in through with her headphones blaring in her ears and then--

She was that little girl again. That poor frightened little girl. Small hands banging on the closet door as she screamed and begged to be let out. Screaming until her throat grew sore. Her small frame bruised from the few times she threw herself against the door in an attempt to get it open. More often than not her hands would be bloody from constantly beating on the door.

But her deperate pleas always fell upon deaf ears.

Eventually she'd curl up in the corner and cry until she fell asleep, only then would the door be unlocked.

And just as quickly everything changed again.

The girl was older, on her own now. The streets were a cruel place for a young girl. She had learned that quickly enough.

The alley was dark, darker than she remembered it being. There was a knife at her throat and the jerkoff holding it had this creepy grin on his face. She didn't beg and plead with him to take the knife away, to please leave her alone. No, she'd learned long ago that begging never got you anything. Pleading would only make them laugh and likely make things worse.

She knew what he wanted and all she could do was let him have it. She couldn't fight back, no she valued her life too much for that. No, it wasn't pleasant. Far from it. And now she was reliving it all. Only it was like it was all slowed down. Like a movie that was suddenly playing out frame by frame. And she wasn't unable to just block it out like she had before. Every movement, touch, sound. All of it played out in full detail. Magnified.

As quickly as that came it changed again. This time it was something more recent. A brush with death that could have been avoided.

She was in pain. Her insides burned as the venom worked at breaking down her body. No matter how much pain killer was being pumped into her system it wasn't enough. She was feverish. Delusional. Loosing blood faster than they could keep it in her body.

She was dying.

And the only one that could save her might not not have the time. And the Fae, they couldn't save that Aswang and she was one of them. Why would they save some human? Dyson had left her side even though he'd promised not to.

She was alone and dying.

And then it was all over, as if someone had ripped the film right from the projector.

Left in the Void's wake was a small woman doubled over on the sidewalk retching up what little bit of food she had in her stomach. She was sobbing like a scared child and for the most part she was. At the moment she couldn't think straight, her mind was muddled by the memories that had resurfaced. She couldn't even tell if she was really on the sidewalk.

((im so sorry for the wall of text :[ ))

[invoking]

[ Gil had been quick to regret his decision to head out to the grocery store and pick up food he wanted to experiment with. He was halfway to his destination when the sky's color darkened ominously. Somewhere, he could hear the sound of cement crumbling. An explosion. Screaming.

His left hand began to tingle as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

The crowd around him grew uncomfortable fast, though they remained rooted to the sidewalk, trying to figure out what was going on. Gil stood among them, his throat feeling caught in someone's grip.

Something was terribly wrong. ]

[couldbeavoided]

[ The torment sustained him; the Void let his tentacle stab Connors deeper and only smiled while he watched this man he didn't even know writhe in the grips of his darkest, deepest fears and traumas. Yes, suffer. His voice is cold, so cold, acidic but gentle. ]

It's all so hopeless, isn't it?

[couldbeavoided]

(I know this is short, but I hope you don't mind the response!)

The Void had passed her by, tendril swinging out like a scorpion's tail. She was so small, so sad, like all of them. Any of them. He hoped he had illuminated to her just how sad, how amusing her suffering was.

"Poor girl," was all he said, a quiet taunt that his storm would carry in her direction no matter how far away he was.

[couldbeavoided]

[ The Void swooped low again, his tendrils fanned out like wings behind his cape. Wherever he went, darkness followed, and he hit the ground, landing on one knee like a knight, with enough force to ripple and crack the street under him. ]

We know you. [ He said: soft, cold, thoughtful. ] Don't we?

[symmachy]

[Scathach didn't step into the affairs of humans often. Not unless she was asked. Jack was usually the one who did the asking, and that was fine. She liked him, cared for him, even. He was an ally, a friend.

But to step in of her own accord? It was nearly unheard of.

But losing Cassie had been such a hard blow. She'd had so much pent up frustration (yes, she knew what it was, that it was what she should have been feeling), and needed an outlet. A direct attack on the City was the perfect opportunity, as far as she was concerned. She had only her nunchaku and short swords with her, dressed in all white as was her habit. And she ran to the bridge, knowing that it was her best bet for taking him down as quickly as possible. There would be others, but she wanted her shot first. Scathach knew, after so long in the City, that she wasn't as strong as she should have been. But it could be enough.

She hated the rain, of course, but could ignore it for the first part. When she saw him, The Warrior Maid let out a loud whistle to catch his attention.]

[ex_mostlyarmless446]

[There's a voice. Someone is talking to him. Someone who understands. It is hopeless-it always was. It always will be. Connors manages to stammer out a reply, through choked sobs, his throat tight from the screaming.]

It is. Oh God, it is.

[invoking]

[ The tingling seared, liquid hot in his hand. Gil cried out and cradled it before he looked to the Sentry. Or what he thought was still Robert Reynolds. ]

Sentry? [ He sounded just as confused as he looked. ] What's going on? Another explosion?

[ It's not him, a small, scared voice said in the back of his head. That's not the Sentry. ]

[couldbeavoided]

So sad.

[ He drawls, blithely, meaning every word. ]

If only you had died. Wouldn't everything have been so much better?

[couldbeavoided]

Some. None that matter. But what does matter here?

[ He glides over to Gil quickly. Though the tendrils seem to have vanished from sight, the aura around him burns brighter. ]

Doesn't the City look better this way?

[ex_mostlyarmless446]

I should have died. I-

[He felt the pain shoot through his arm, despite the fact that it wasn't there-he felt the searing pain of when he lost it. And then he was at a grave, at Richard Parker's grave, looking at the tombstone.]

[dupable]

[ You can't have a friend who goes completely out of her mind and sprouts dark tentacles and makes literal pieces of darkness rain out of the sky without knowing that something bad went down when you see the sky mess up like it has.

Of course, you don't really need to have a friend like that in the first place to realize that something bad has happened. You don't even need to have lived in the City where things go wrong often to realize that ominous color and rain is probably a dangerous thing.

Then there was the whole attack on the bridge itself as well as the other victims, so really, it didn't take a genius to realize that someone here needed to be stopped.

Unfortunately, it looked like John wasn't the first person on the scene, judging from the lady in the white outfit and weaponry who was whistling to get the attention of a man who's appearance sort of screamed out 'culprit behind it all' in John's opinion.

So he zooms through the air towards her, hoping that if he doesn't get there first, at least she really is as capable of handling herself as she looks. ]

[invoking]

[ His eyes widen. Gil releases his hand and takes a step back from Sentry. ]

... What are you doing?

[ The natives closest to Gil steer clear from the vicinity. The crowd doesn't disperse yet, however, morbidly curious as to what these two (clearly imPorts) have to discuss. ]

[wisecracked]

((heh its fine...i probably shouldn't have even put open on this anyway oops))

She heard the taunt but it seemed very far away in the haze left behind in her mind. It would take her some time before she would recover enough to even move from where he left her.

[couldbeavoided]

Would even death heal your pain? Oh, no. Your soul is not worth the effort. No one would miss you, or mourn. You're nothing. And you're all alone.

[ The Void laughs, and rips his tentacle out. He would linger, but he more to do, he must move on and leave this man there, broken. ]

Poor thing.

[couldbeavoided]

[ His eyes fix on Gil, utterly dark and lifeless. One of his hands grabs the front of Gil's shirt, and it's not really a hand at all but a mass of dark shadows that snake out and coil like wire. ]

I'm introducing myself. Robert's told me all about you. [ He bares his teeth, and speaks in a very hateful hiss. ] He likes you. And that means I don't.

[ex_mostlyarmless446]

[What? No. No, no, no, what was this? Why was he still here? He let out a sharp yell as the tentacle was ripped out, still reliving his past, all his mistakes, all of the things he could have done better, the reason he was useless. Curt Connors was left, fallen on the sidewalk, eyes wide as he remained lost in his own past.

He was alone.]

[invoking]

[ His hand hasn't stopped shaking. It hurts. He almost wishes the nerves in his hand were dead so he could stop wincing at every sharp sensation pulsing in it.

In a moment of panic, he lurches backwards. ]

Who are you?

[couldbeavoided]

[ The Void's eyes glow, but it's not bright nor golden like the Sentry's always was. It's dark, like smoke pooling from his eyes. He wants to break Gil's arms, his legs, but he also wants to draw it out. Make the pain last. Where to start? He doesn't let go, his feet lifting off the ground and raising both of them upward. ]

A friend, Gilbert.

[invoking]

Let go! [ He struggles to no avail and clings on. He takes a quick look to see how far they are from the ground and if he's got any chance of surviving the fall.

Doesn't look like he'd slip away without breaking a bone. ]

What the hell are you? What did you do to Sentry?

[couldbeavoided]

[ About seven or ten feet up, the Void flies them through a building; he means it to be painful, but he's taking it slow. They go through windows, not walls, and broken glass hurts less than brick. Any friend of Bob's didn't deserve to be let off easy. He drops Gil onto a roof. ]

Bob ran away, Gilbert. I hope you're not waiting for him. He couldn't handle it here anymore. Sad, when you think about it, he left all his friends behind. But I can't complain.

[ He lands, in front of Gil. ]

It sickens me, the way he thought you all could help him.

[invoking]

[ He's unused to flight, so he doesn't catch himself as he hits the roof. But he's secretly relieved to place his feet on solid ground again. He rises swiftly, drawing his pistol from his coat pocket and directing it at Bob. This person.

He doesn't think a bullet can hurt someone like him, though it doesn't mean he isn't going to stand around and allow the fear in his stomach to eat him from inside-out. ]

I don't believe you. [ They aren't particularly close, but Gil likes Bob. He's always been helpful and kind. He listened to him. As simple as it is, it meant a lot to Gil. ] I don't... know who or what you are, but I want to talk to him.