Dracula
Dracula, sometime Prince of Darkness, stops in his tracks for a moment and gazes upward at his massive assailant. He smirks. And stands still.
Una
Una turns her focus to Gylfir. "Would you please stop trying to tell me what to do. I am finished...being told...what to do. Men, always thinking they know best. Maybe you'd be better off as something else."
Her hands glow with green fire and then she tosses it at Gylfir. It swells, shrouding him in green fire.
Win
Where Gracie looks across the battlefield, she sees Win's helmet turn toward her. Win raises a hand to the side of her helmet and her visor slides up. Across the distance, their gazes connect, and she looks puzzled. Then she shrugs slightly. And then nods.
She is wrapped suddenly in golden light, so bright it blocks out vision.
The last two women to bear the mantle and power of Britannia have been arrayed in skin tight Union Jack themed outfits, the one from the mid-20th century with a skirt.
Win apparently has more classic taste. She still looks like Win, but a version of Win who doesn't need Gracie to protect her. Tall, statuesque. Auburn hair flows from beneath an iron helm. She wears a flowing blue dress split at the side. Her right hand holds a long trident, her left arm a round shield.
She leaps and crosses the distance between herself and the Gracie.
"Gracie, Merlin said he could give me the power of Britannia, because Maggie isn't using it, apparently. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to fix you. You look almost as bad as that guy with the gold face."
Round 3 heroes.
Max shakes his head when Malador rips his mask from the Crimson Bands. Some Master Mage, he thought to himself. Looking over the field, he sees a few mismatches.
"Sandstorm! Surround Malador with a uh sandstorm to limit his actions!" Max calls out while flying a bit toward Eoten and Dracula.
"Eoten! Get ready to smash the vampire!" Illuminated sigils rotate around Max's wrists as he gestures and says, "Let shine the light of the Seven Suns of Cinnibus" causing brilliant ray of sunlight to shine on Darcula.
of course. Spend a Hero Point
Sigh.
For a moment Grace just stares, in the way that you do when your girlfriend's inherent badassery is revealed to the world. "Brilliant..." She breathes.
"Alright..." Grace says, stumbling toward Win. "I'm so glad you agreed to that because..." She fixes her eyes with Win's.
"I need you to protect me."
Her armor and sword shimmer into nothingness, and Grace stands there in a sweaty Botanical Gardens golf shirt and cargo pants. Color begins to flood into her cheeks as her own healing factor begins to restore her.
She then turns to face the battle at hand.
"Una!" She calls out. "I know you're tired! I know you're tired of men's shit--aren't we all? And I know you're sick of being on the defensive. You don't have to be. Aren't you also tired of fighting? But the thing is, you've already made the solution yourself. You've done it! And it doesn't involve making all of these people," she waves to the city, "Just like you, scared and tired of hurting. People who will find a way to do to you what you did to them, and then you have to stop them, and the cycle keeps going and going and going and going. But you've solved your own problem already. You made the safest haven there is. I've seen it. You've sent us there. All you have to do... is go. Send the heroes out so they won't bother you. And we'll leave you alone for good. Forever."
The towering brute smiles back, its mouth stretching ever wider displaying a maw of iron shark's teeth;
As the vampyr is blasted with light, the giant lumbers forward attempting to stamp the creature underfoot;
[dice=Persuasion]1d20+15
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Eoten crushes the vampire, and his bones, grinding them beneath his massive heel.
The storm lifts Malador from where he rests on the ground, but can't keep it's hold. Malador drops back to the ground.
"Don't listen to her, Una. You know you're too far gone to deserve your fairytale happy ending. Submit and receive the punishment you know you deserve."
With that, Gylfir opens his eyes wide, and a torrent of souls rushes forth, trying to grab Una and forcefully pull her into his domain. For the first time since his ascension, his mortal pallor fades, leaving him closely resembling his previous draugr-esque state, though his panting in near-exhaustion belies it.
The souls wash over Una, grabbing and snatching at her, eventually covering her completely before dragging her through Serena's wavering portal into an as yet not fully formed dimension.
Una turns to Gracie, her eyes softening almost imperceptibly, "An interesting thought, Good Knight. Make my own refuge. But how would I..."
Before being cut off by the sweep of Gylfir's soul swarm.
The last thing the others see before Gylfir disappears after Una is a particularly cruel smirk.
"Finally. Not as satisfying to be the one helpless and at another's mercy, eh? All that grubbing for power and, in the end, nothing to show for it."
As Gylfir even begins with "Don't listen to her..." Gracie looks horrified as he begins to transform. "Gylfir, you f++$ing wanker!" (Her language has gotten coarser with Cesarina not being around.)
"You of all people should know punishments like that seldom lead to justice!"
As Una is bound, helpless, and about to be dragged in, even while Grace is aware of all of Una's evil. Like Morgaine and Medea and other dark women of folklore, women whose twisted magics were borne from the pain of betrayal, of constantly being pushed down and left behind and violated. So she sees no evil witch but a damsel in the worst kind of distress. Something Grace in her knightly nature cannot ignore.
She looks at Winifred, no longer ever needing her help. "Scratch that. Take care of my friends. I love you."
She dives forward, as she has often done, to take the brunt of a blow from an attack to one of her allies. She cannot actually intercede in the magical effect however, so she just goes with Una. Unarmored. Unarmed.
Into the portal.
The last words you hear from Grace as she dives in is, "At least you won't have to be alone."
She doesn't even realize Gylfir is following behind. If she survives the arrival, which will she see as the enemy?
Una, Gracie, and Gylfir tumble into a barely formed reality composed of the magical power of 1001 realms (Una's 1000 and Dream).
Where Gracie lands, the grey surface darkens and browns, becoming the richest soil and then greens with sprouts and twisting seedlings like a time lapse video.
Where Una is dragged, the ground beneath her feet mottles and splits into paving stones.
Where Gylfir lands, the floor becomes polished and black, though there are a few rushes scattered about, a mix of his various natures.
Una stands and brushes dirt from her dress. She quickly surveys her surroundings.
"Brave, Good Knight. I shall endeavor to make your gesture worthwhile."
Then, to Gylfir " This‽ This is your plan. To punish me in a realm of chaos and uncontrolled magic." Where you might expect bravado, she seems tired, almost wilted. "You think you can shape this realm around me, or use my mind against me? I have shaped realm upon realm, and you think to best me here. All so you can claim this power. Become the god I nearly was. Fine. Take it."
She moves her hand in a circular grasping motion and then reaches out to Gylfir. The power gathered here pours through her and across the space between them, building into a glowing form into which he need only step.
Max watches Gracie follow Una into Gylfir's prison. Unbelievable. That was the plan that she agreed. Her moral compass is so weird.
He glances back at the dust of Dracula and calls out, "Eoten! Malador's next! Smash!"
He gestures causing red sigils to rotate around his wrists. "Be bound by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak" Red ribbons snake out from the sigils and envelop Malador.
Gylfir slowly does a circle around the cutout, eyes narrowed, looking for any kind of trick.
"What's your game, Una? Thousands of years and who knows how many worlds, and you just give up?"
He aches to take the power, consequences be damned, but manages to hold himself back for just a moment.
"And you, Grace? What was your plan here? Didn't we agree to put her away together? I hadn't expected you'd be one for cold feet. Whether she lives out the rest of her eternal existence here or elsewhere it matters little. At least I'll be able to put her power to good use."
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You need an attack and then a strength check.
At Max's bidding the towering brute engages the mystically entangled Malador...
Gylfir slowly does a circle around the cutout, eyes narrowed, looking for any kind of trick.
"What's your game, Una? Thousands of years and who knows how many worlds, and you just give up?"
He aches to take the power, consequences be damned, but manages to hold himself back for just a moment.
"And you, Grace? What was your plan here? Didn't we agree to put her away together? I hadn't expected you'd be one for cold feet. Whether she lives out the rest of her eternal existence here or elsewhere it matters little. At least I'll be able to put her power to good use."
She sags a bit, her shoulders slumping, "No more games, Gylfir. How long have you been at this? And how long have I? All I wanted was safety and freedom from domination, but perhaps safety is an illusion. I tire of conquest. Take it, leave it, it matters not to me."
As Malador his held fast by Max's enchantments, the towering Eoten attempts to slam the fell mage;
"Gylfir. When we first met, you said the witch who cursed you with eternity 'lacked compassion.' Which suggests you believed compassion is necessary to mete out true justice. Have you yourself lost the thing you wish your sentencer had? I--I don't know. Whatever you become, I just don't want you to become that who you resented for hundreds of years."
Gylfir cocks his head, expression unreadable.
"Everything I've done is so none who worship me will ever have to suffer as I did. There will always be a place of peace and rest for them. Isn't the sacrifice of one woman, and a slayer of millions at that, worth the eternal rest of countless other souls?"
He begins with confidence, but doubt creeps into his voice as he continues.
Eoten's massive fist drives Malador into the broken earth, crushing his corporeal form, leaving only the solidity of the gold mask.
___________________________________________________________
In the other dimension, Una shakes her head gently, "So take the power, protect them, leave me out of it. Or, if you want to fight for control of this dimension, we can do that, as well. You take the power, I'll walk away. Everything you want is right here."
Gylfir looks almost...disappointed.
"After all this, it's just...within my grasp. Just like that." he gives one last look at Gracie and Una.
"Fine then, do what you want."
He steps into the outline, and disappears...
Gracie and Una find themselves alone in a sprawling void. The Sorceress watches as Gracie's color returns and her pain recedes. She turns to the Knight and extends her hand, thin, long, delicate fingers. "Thank you for taking a stand for me, Knight. You are truly a protector. Quite honorable. I can't get you home from here, but I can get us somewhere that you might be able to catch a ride."
She motions with the other hand and a portal opens, a blank grey disk hanging in the air. She steps through, and Gracie follows her a moment later.
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Eoten the Devourer grinds the bones and mummified flesh of the ancient Atlantean wizard, scooping them into his maw. He follows that with the mangled flesh of the Lord of Vampires.
Suddenly, there is a flash, and lines of yellow energy criss cross the air around Eoten, stretching through the cloud of blowing sand. Needles of pain stab through the giant. His flesh burns, contorts, and falls away in ashes, a great pile of ashes.
The ash stirs, and a man attempts to uncover himself within.
Similarly, the sandstorm breaks apart, leaving Alex lying on the ground nearby.
Max and Serena hear a voice in their minds. "Now that you are in charge, you should know. Long ago, Hermes Trismegistus negotiated something we generally call the Agreement. In order to prevent the destruction of Earth due to warring powers, the gods agreed not to intervene directly in the mortal world. Even their use of agents is limited, and so the power your allies have wielded her today will come with a cost. They will need some care."
Win, now invested with the power of Britannia, leaps to where Alex lies, lifting the woman as though she were only a doll. Her power flows over the woman, and Alex opens her eyes.
Max locks eyes with Serena realizing that they are both getting the same message. He wants to comfort and escape with the her, but he nods at her. "Thinks like we won. Hope Gracie and Gylfir can return. We've lots to do to restore this dimension. Where do you want to start after we help these two?"
Keeping half his attention on Serena, he floats toward the ash of Eoten to help the man stand. He nods to her to collect Alex.
Coated in ash, the tall lanky man stands... squinting toward Max as he approaches.
His voice is weary and questioning;
"M-Maxwell? Bouddica's bones can it be you?!"
"Professor!? Amazing." Max calls out grabbing his mentor's hand and pulling him to stand and embrace. "It's so good to see you. How are you?"
"Gylfir!" She calls after the shadow stepping into the glow. "Be... be good."
After Una's speech, Grace takes Una's hand and follows. "What now for you?"
Æthelweard blinks, mulling the question, then chuckles;
"Surprisingly good old chap... Feel like a fog has lifted... and surprisingly hale..."
He brushes off his ash mantle, then looks around him;
"Was all this the giant's doing?"
Max barks a laugh at the professor, "Sorry. Don't give him that much credit. Una tried to take over our dimension again. She combined with Dracula and Malador to do all of this."
"Before she started, she imprisoned most of the heroes in a fantasy dimension. We've got to release them to help us rebuild our dimension. Where do you want to help first?"
Max locks eyes with Serena realizing that they are both getting the same message. He wants to comfort and escape with the her, but he nods at her. "Thinks like we won. Hope Gracie and Gylfir can return. We've lots to do to restore this dimension. Where do you want to start after we help these two?"
Keeping half his attention on Serena, he floats toward the ash of Eoten to help the man stand. He nods to her to collect Alex.
"Without Una maintaining it, her 'Paradise' of heroes should collapse and bring them back. Then we can go about getting things back together. Ironically, in drawing all of her stored power from the dimensions she had conquered, she may have drawn her influence out, like drawing out a poison. At least in the Netherworld that I've been working to fix, I can feel that things are better. I don't think I'll have to be there all the time just to keep things from falling apart."
After Una's speech, Grace takes Una's hand and follows. "What now for you?"
"I'm not certain even where we are, but first I will repay my debt by finding a path home for you. Then, who knows. Surely there is somewhere that a woman can rest."
As the dust begins to settle from the battle, you see flashes of light as small portals appear throughout the city (and around the world). The heroes of Freedom City return from their exile. As their heads clear, they take in the destruction and begin looking for civilians.
It will take time, but this isn't the first world ending catastrophe the world has survived.