Awesome Land!: A Rebooted Story

[Myrdraxxis]

And that was when a blot on lighting struck the ground near the group of Immortals. When the intense bright light of the elemental phenomenon cleared away, Roewk and Noores were standing there.

"So you guys left us behind." Noores said with a frown. "Rude."

"Regardless, we're here now." Roewk glanced around. "And it appears the heavy lifting is done."

"Is this everyone?" Noores asked, taking stock of the immortals gathered together.

"No..." Roewk sighed. "There's also-"

"Me!" Zais was suddenly just there, each arm wrapped around the Wood and Lightning Immortals' shoulders. A grin on his face. "Looks like the gang's all here." Then he paused, frowning. "Also, I recieved some kind of notice in my mailbox about being fired? I thought it was a joke till I found my desk cleared out." he shrugged. "Ah well, new boss and all that. So what's the plan, amigos?"

[Mizagium]

Knox regained himself and turned to face the Roewk and Noores....and Zais, but before he could say anything more flashes of energy heralded the arrival of still more. Gale was the first to show up, having donned what appeared to be hunting clothes with a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows at his belt. "So I just read the Hunger Games on my way over," he announced to everyone, swinging his head around, revealing a Katniss braid.

Next came Vespi, appearing in a column of fire. She regarded the reborn land, gave Knox a venomous glare, and snorted.

"Always a pleasure," he quipped.

Bill Nye and Gallen Kah, the Immortals of Knowledge and Order respectively arrived more or less simultaneously. They regarded each other with a look of old friends reuniting for the first time in ages. "Who'd a thought it, eh?" Gallen said with something like admiration.

"Who indeed." Bill fixed his grin squarely on Knox and said, "Stansilaus would be proud."

Not wanting to be left out, Ollie fired some sparks from her hands, which drew a raised eyebrow from Knox. "Hey, man," she said, shoving her hands into her pockets. "I'm knew here, too."

Finally, a twisted portal of sickly green, gold, and black sprung forth and out waltzed Karzem, the Immortal of Chaos. He looked as cheerful as ever, dressed in similarly colored robes. He ran a hand through his spiky hair and whistled. "Impressive. We'll see how long I can stand it here. Kinda goes against my nature, y'know?"

[Sariel of Tevet]

No seriously! Like oh em gee bffff. Some Zais person just like stripped down in front of Dynasty City so I couldn't not post it onadkfajdfasal

"Hey! Stop messing with my texts!"

The ground began to shake and lift up into the air as Super Land was broken from the shackles of gravity....apparently permanently. Heimrall stopped texting and looked out over the edge of the island to see clouds beneath them.

"I've heard of rising crust, but this is ridiculous. I wonder...."

She put away her phone and placed the last bit of pizza into her mouth, raised her hands to the sky and began to concentrate. The earth around her began to shake and tremble, but hardly much else. Her face began to turn as red as the marinara sauce dripping from her lip. She concentrated so hard that her teeth clinched down enough to snap her pizza in half, causing it to tumble to the ground. She collapsed and fell backwards onto the ground, and immediately began to make a dirt angel.

"Ugh. Maybe next time. If I try much harder I think I'll pop an ovary."

She turned her head and saw the remaining half of her pizza.

"Aww...sad day....I can always get another though. No ovary-acting here."

She looked around for a new pizza shop and found the group of immortals gathering not too far from where she was flailing around on the ground making angels. She hopped up and ran over to meet the others.

"Will this council have pizza?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sergent Didgeridoo shuffled by other NAACP members as the halls of the Disco-tech hideout became overwhelmed with men carrying crates filled with various instrumental weapons. He made his way to the control room, which looked out onto what was once a battlefield, and watched all the privates toiling away in the field in order to clean up destroyed discobots for scrap metal.

At last he found General Jazz, standing in front of a board filled with various details to plans that only he would understand.

"Ay Jazz mon, what is it dat we gonna do now? We almost gots da new base up ta code!"

Jazz turned and positioned himself in front of the giant glass wall looking out onto his army. Memories of their final battle against Nova Calamitous flashed through his mind.

"I guess we wait until the Professor needs us again."

[Myrdraxxis]

Dace finished cleaning out his office and sighed deeply. He wasn't sure what to feel. He lost the best job he'd ever had (and the most stressful one) so that sucked, but so did Zais so...yay? Regardless, it meant Zais was no longer in charge of anything in Awesome Land. But his Dark forces were still around and Dace very highly doubted that they were just going to leave because someone asked them to.

So Dace would stay. He would wait for something to happen.

His time on Isle Umbra with Sindri and the...revelations there put things into a different perspective, but ultimately Zais still needed to go. People were finally starting to realize that. So Dace would wait for the inevitable.


He sighed again and glanced around the empty office. "Now if only I didn't have to find somewhere new to stay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay I'm reasonably sure it will work this time." Azzi stated...for the tenth time in so many minutes. The results of his work ranged from nothing at all to several small craters still hissing with eldritch energy. He stared at the box of cereal in his hands with a frown.

"This thing is kind of tricky to deal with..." but he tried again. The Black Nova was gone, everything was returned to "normal" and some power changes were coming into play.

Azzi figured it was time for him to be moving on soon. Back to his clan. He still had no idea why he'd ended up in Awesome Land in the first place but now he was beginning to suspect it was all a horrible prank.

Anyway, there was still one last bit of unfinished business to take care of...

He concentrated and a shakey portal appeared in front of him. Azzi grinned. "Cool. Now let's see here.." He did something weird and probably magical and the portal began to shimmer.

Several startled cries came from the other side of the portal and then several figures fell through it. "Success!"

Corr stood up first, looking around warily. "The hell happened now?" The Shadow soldier was no longer how Azzi remembered him. The armor was still there, but several layers of more armor had been applied over it, each one more absurd-looking than the last. The commando was covered in a layer of spiked black armor, and had a pair of massive pauldrons that actually had fire coming off of them.

"Wait, is this Awesome Land?" Vin spoke up next. The Shadow's armor had been completely replaced with a set of dark robes and patchwork leather armor. His face, however was still covered by a weird mask.

"Holy crap I think it is." Sergeant Taler looked on the verge of tears at that. Out of the others he actually looked mostly the same, save for a good many scratches burns, and teeth marks on his armor.

"I fixed it!" Azzi cheered. "Sorry about that guys."

"Sorry?" Taler muttered. "Sorry? Do you have nay idea the shit that I went through back there!?"

"Least I got some good loot." Corr said disinterestedly.

"Guys.." Vin glanced around.

"Hey! I said I was sorry!" Azzi defended. "Portals are weird magic and I'm still kinda new at this-"

"Guys." Vin repeated. Everyone looked at him expectantly. "Where's Gree?"

][

Gree stared at the shimmering portal that had appeared in the middle of his cabin aboard the Ariadne. He was tired as hell right now. THey'd just come back from another long mission with way too many moral choices involved while the marine girl and that weird green alien guy in the medical bay kept making passes at him.

So he was pretty much done with weirdness for another day.


He stared at the portal for a long moment then turned around and headed for his bed. "Nope."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Myrxxan and Xaadm looked around the small dusty office space. "Well it could use some cleaning." Myrxxan noted.

"It was cheap though." Xaadm observed. "Still don't know what we're going to do with it though."

"MY plans ended at 'buy a space'." Myrxxan shrugged. "We could run a small business here or something."

"But what kind of business?"

"Hell if I know. All I do know is that we're going to need employees. ISince Durzo, Viper and Konnig left we might need to-"

The door of their newly acquired office space was kicked in and a large shadowy form stepped inside. "I am Ixeel, CHAMPION OF DARKNESS!" the being declared. Then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "And I...er, just lost my job. I don't suppose you guys are hiring?"

Xaadm and Myrxxan just looked at him then at each other.

[Mizagium]

Random WorldBrave New World

“Is it time for you to go?”

Johnny turned to see Cruxias frowning at him. Shortly behind her were Taylor, Frederick, and Taere, and even Raem and Y’omi in the distance. None of them looked happy to see him go, yet he couldn’t help but smile at them. They had recently donned cloaks that depicted a world ringed by a golden halo, the new emblem of the Defenders of the New World.

Not for the first time, Johnny felt for the energy of the place and found calm stability.

“Yeah. It’s time for me to go home.”

Her frown deepened.

“I have faith in you,” he said cheerily. “This is your world to look after.”

“We did learn from the best.” Impulsively, she threw her arms around him. “We’ll miss you.” But there was the understood, forever unspoken, ‘I’ll miss you’ in there. Then she disengaged and retreated a step; Taylor’s hand appeared on her shoulder.

“Fearless leader,” Taylor said reverently with a nod. “Come back and see us, yeah?”

Johnny nodded, taking the two of them in. He remembered when Taylor was little more than useless, running around with a high-tech sword he’d found in a dump. And how, he was a formidable warrior, full of confidence.

A big man stepped forward, clanking in dark purple armor. A gruff face stared down at Johnny, without a trace of what he was thinking. “Jonathan,” he said.

“Frederick.” Johnny replied with a half-smile.

“I have…much to thank you for. When I…” he frowned, the memory of their first meeting clearly on his mind. “We…hm…Well, thank you. You have shown me the true path of honor. I can never repay you for that. I will be here, should you ever need me.”

“We all will,” Cruxias added. Taylor nodded, and so did the Homonculai, though the still did not come forth.

Pride welled up within Johnny. Absently, he reached for the energy flows of the world, found them stable. He remembered how the geography had been ever changing not a few months ago. How he had been ever changing. But now everything was calm. Lamia was destroyed. Astleas was dethroned. He had reached a level of control over the 14 Elements…and the Sword Plane. So much in so little time.

“Go on,” Taylor chuckled. “Before we all start crying.”

Johnny beamed and opened a portal around him. The swirling vortex of trans-dimensional travel enveloped him and “Take me home” he was gone.

The Sea of Sand

Swaddled in robes, the figure made a strange sight crossing the dunes. Even the eye slit was veiled against the wind, concealing even the barest trace of humanity. By comparison, the figure’s retainers might as well have not been wearing anything at all, although they were still dressed rather conservatively. They wore simple tan dresses that rippled in the wind like the deeper sections of the Sea. They seemed to be a part of the land, moving with the wind and the dunes, while their leader made her own path.

The figure crested a dune and stopped.

“Priestess,” one of the other women said, brushing her dark hair from her face.

But the priestess moved her arm and a slender hand appeared, making a forestalling gesture. Although free of the heavy robes, the hand still wore a leather glove. The women stopped and didn’t speak, though they still seemed distressed. The priestess walked a few more steps before she came upon the hilt of a buried sword.

“Oh, Matteas,” she sighed, and knelt. “I once told you that you were only memories to me – waiting to be engrained in the sand.” Her other hand appeared and pulled the opposite glove free with surprising ease, revealing a hand so ivory white, it might have belonged to a statue. Its movements seemed unnatural as she placed it in the sand. “You took me literally, it seems. Oh but…I see. You saw what I see, what you were not meant to. But why?” She touched the sword hilt a recoiled with a yell. Her retainers rushed to here side, but she was already recovered byt the time they arrived.

“Priestess,” the other woman warned. “You mustn’t – “

“I have survived worse,” she snapped, but replaced her glove. “Why did you do it?” She wasn’t speaking to them anymore. Now she rose and drew the sword from the sand. “Memento Mori.” It had been what Matteas had named the sword, forged from the sand of his homeland. “Apt, but…why bind yourself…” And then she turned sharply and began walking back the way they had come.

“We must take this to Queen Arshante. It is the only remnant of her brother.”

-

From her seat on the sandstone throne, Arshante, newly coronated Queen of the Dunes eyed the priestess curiously as she approached the throne.

“Lady Reie,” she greeted neutrally. “You said you had some news of my brother.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And? Where is he?”

Priestess Reie hesitated only a moment before producing the sword. There was a low clatter as guards reached for their weapons, but Arshante waved them away. “I don’t understand.”

“This is all that remains of Matteas Bohr.”

“Bring it to me.”

Reie had stopped the appropriate distance from the throne for a priestess (closer than any but her closest guards) but now was allowed to come within spitting distance of the queen – and with a weapon no less. She lay the sword across Arshante’s outstretched palms and backed away.

Arshante felt it. Felt him.

“My brother,” she spoke aloud without meaning to. “Gave his life in defense of me. Of us. Of this land. “This is my brother’s blade, a sword of heroes.”

“Enshrine it!” Someone called, which was followed by a cheer. “Matteas the hero!”

“No. By brother gave his life with this. It is a weapon of action. To set it aside for worship would be to dishonor his memory. I shall pass the weapon on to another who would be a hero, and it shall be remembered as the weapon that defended…of – “ She cut off abruptly, feeling something stir within the weapon. Then she turned it point-up, and pricked her thumb on the point. The room gasped at the sight of her blood. It was a small prick, but it burned as though the bones in her thumb had caught fire.

“I see.”

Priestess Reie spoke. “I had thought that this blade might become another like Rubilacxe, but no. This is a sword of dissention. Of rebellion. Of the Ashen Phoenix – he who could have risen, but did not. This is the sword of the death-seeker.”

“Did you do this to spite me, Matteas?” Arshante demanded of the sword. In answer, the sword turned to ash in her hands, then molded into an avian form that flew towards the center of the chamber. Everyone scrambled to get out of the way as the bird changed shape, again.

“This is bigger than you, sister.” Matteas Bohr stood tall in the room, all a chalky blackness save his face.

“Why have you bound your soul to that blade?”

“Wasn’t on purpose,” he said with a shrug, “at least not at first. But as I lay dying in the sand, I felt what the priestesses feel – the memories in the sand. I’ll skip the cosmic junk, but now I’m the counter-sword. If you are the True Phoenix, the sun given form, the light of the way, then I am the Ashen Phoenix. I could have been you, but I was not. I am not. I rejected the Phoenix Blade three times.”

Arshante felt the Phoenix blade stir to life at her side, felt the Fire of Life fill her, felt the comfort of the Desert Kings within. “What will you do now? Will you remain loyal to me in death as in life?”

“I was never loyal to you,” he snapped. “I am loyal to…to the land. This land. That is what sets me apart from them.” He pointed at her, but really he was pointing at the spirits of the past kings. “They are loyal the throne, to the crown, but I will be loyal to the land and the people.”

“I am loyal to the people,” Arshante said bitterly.

“No. You think you are. But that war I just died in…” he let it hang. “That’s why I will be. To be the dissenting voice with the power to make himself heard. To be the balance to the power of kings and queens.” He saw her discomfort and waved it away. “Don’t worry. I will choose my future wielders. They will be noble souls, all.”

“Then you have become my enemy, brother.”

“Once more, you misunderstand. The Ashen Phoenixes are necessary for balance. You are life-from-death, I death-from-life.”

“Then you’re dooming them. You’re a curse. They’ll die if they have you.”

“I’m still a Phoenix.” To emphasize his point, he transformed back into the bird. “But one who chose not to fly, not to escape his rebirthing. They’ll die even without me.” The bird cocked its head. “I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss. An Ashen Phoenix will never sit upon the Sandstone Throne. I will never choose one like you. One of you. And one of me will never be able to reach your heights.”

“Then what – “

“I have said all there is to say. I will go now. Look for me, Arshante. Look for the Ashen Phoenix.” And he was gone in a burst of thick ash.

Arshante slumped down into her throne, letting go of the Life Fire. “Find this Ashen Phoenix,” she commanded anyone listening. “I will not have dissention in my realm. Not this soon after the war. Find him. And throw him in the deepest pit you can find. One who could rise, but will not? Make it so he cannot.”

The Edge

Torran pulled his legs to his chest and stared off into the abyss. He liked to imagine that he was looking down upon the rest of the universe from the Edge, but he suspected that the brilliant clashes of colors that flared up occasionally were caused by two dimensions rubbing against each other. He wondered if one of those was his home, Random World.

But he frowned. No. Random World wasn’t his home. Not even…the other one. He couldn’t remember his home, and that had nothing to do with time travel or whatever. He shook the thoughts away and tried to resume meditating. Out here, his memories didn’t bother him. Nothing bothered him. Not even the Artist who lived in the cabin that faced the incomplete reality behind him. The Artist always offered him a paintbrush every morning, or what passed for morning here at the boundary of reality and dreams, but Torran always refused.

Not for much longer, he decided. Soon he would take up a brush. Soon he would help paint the future of reality. Soon. But not now. Now he closed his eyes and thought of nothing. And he was happy.

Cloud Land

It was a strange sight, Captain Uggo, the Germans, Captain Danielle, and some Octopi and their octotank, as well as some refugees fleeing down the docks to where the Monstrosity was moored. Uggo hovered above the group, scouting the way, but to his surprise, they encountered no resistance. More than once, he thought he spied a figure on the rooftops, but each time, he found nothing upon a second glance. Deciding not to question his good fortune, he pressed onward.

“Go!” He shouted at everyone, hustling them onto the ship.

“Finally,” came a low drool. “I’ve been waiting for minutes, dear. Minutes!” Sure enough, there was Madame Butterface, fanning her pasty face with a moth-eaten fan. “Oh and what are they doing here? I’ve only just managed to get the stench of calamari out of my clothes.”

Mayweather scoffed, daring to tear her eyes away from her squad as they loaded the mech onto the ship and tied it down. “Calamari is squid. I’d advise you not to mistake us for those filthy bottom-feeders again.”

Butterface sneered and turned her nose up at Mayweather, who turned away in equal disgust.

Once everyone was loaded onto the ship, Uggo severed the mooring lines with his plasma cutlass and landed on the hull with an awkward stumble. “Set sail!” He yelled at the ship’s AI but made for the wheel anyway. By the time he reached it, the ship was already well clear of the docks and clearing the Venusian atmosphere.

“We’re safe…for now, but…” He started to explain that both Cloud Land and Far Out would have forces chasing them soon, but thought better of it. “So, uh, who’s up for a treasure hunt? I happen to have a reliable source that can point us in the direction of Space Rodger’s legendary treasure, One Load. I bet even a fraction of that would be enough to clear us of anything from anyone.”

-

But far behind them, in the upper level of Landro Takayaki’s spire, he and the Lord Admiral of the Far Out Stella Navy shook hands (well, hand and tentacle), signaling the beginning of what was sure to be a nefarious alliance.

[Calefrun]

Cozaltene and Al sat in the crew quarters of the Monstrosity, watching over the unconscious Gabe. Al had performed first aid to the best of his abilities, and the lasers hadn't hit any vital organs, but their friend was still in dire need of medical attention. Al sighed and stood up.

"I guess I need to go talk to Uggo about finding help for Gabe," he said, then shook his head. "I wanted to explore the stars, but this... this isn't what I had in mind."

Cozaltene shrugged. "I don't know, it's been way more interesting than being part of some boring exploration team, at least."

"The concern you have for our best friend is overwhelming" Al's voice was dripping with sarcasm. With a glare, he added, "And I don't suppose that you've forgotten that you signed up for an exploration team? If you thought it would be boring, you could have just stayed home and kept slacking off there."

The only response was another shrug, followed by Cozaltene closing his eyes and seeming to fall asleep.

Al turned around and went up the stairs. "Tch."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole of Awesome Land, and especially Dynasty City, was in an uproar following the recent resignation of its reigning monarch. Because of this, not a single person noticed when the door to an abandoned warehouse within the country's capital slid open just enough for a figure to slip out, closing the door behind itself. This figure was dressed in all black and wore a heavy, hooded coat, but was still distinctly female.

"This is... Awesome Land?" she thought aloud. She looked around, taking in her surroundings, then said to nobody in particular, "It's certainly not the Awesome Land I remember, that's for sure." She lowered her hood, revealing long, silver hair and the face of a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She took another look at the crowds of people bustling about and frantically chatting. "Why would the Rift be here? Or rather, how?" With a sigh, she pulled her hood back up. "I hope you're watching over me, brother. It looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me." She picked a direction and started walking, and within seconds had completely disappeared into the crowd.

[Monika]

"Man, Aurora is probably so mad right now." Leon yawned loudly as he reclined in the captain's seat of the Crimson Shadow Epsilon, the best spacecraft semi-legal tournament money could buy. "Hopefully she's cooled off by now." He pressed a few buttons on one of several control panels in front of him, ejecting a periscope from the top of his spaceship. "Ooooh, that's nice." He pressed his eye up against the glass and whistled. "Looks like they took care of that Black Nova thing without a problem. Mom and Dad would be so proud of their baby girl, leading a band of adventurers and saving the universe!" With a sigh, he looked away from the periscope and paced the ship floor.

"Well, since the battle's over and they've all probably gone back to Earth...there's not a lot for me to do out here. Hmm..." Leon grabbed the CSE steering wheel and turned the spacecraft back toward his home planet. "I could go to Awesome Land, but Aurora's probably really upset with those Shadow Fiends, and I don't want to be there for that conversation. Soooo, how about...Really Cool Land! I'm sure Sarah will be happy to see me again. Oh, and maybe Johnny will be there! I haven't chatted with him in ages!" A couple random button presses and lever pushes later and a loud whirring sound came from the back of the ship. "Alright! Crimson Shadow Epsilon, to Really Cool Land!"

And so, Leon and his glorious spacecraft flew at speeds approaching 1,337 Verals per hour toward Really Cool Land, making a loud whooshing sound despite there being no air in space. The entire trip was a formality, of course; the Crimson Shadow Epsilon could have just as easily teleported straight to Earth, but that would have been much less fun. In a matter of minutes, Leon had made it to his destination, and he parked the CSE right outside the Really Cool Palace.

Never one for manners, he warped straight inside the building and called out. "Saraaaah! Jooohnnyyyy! Anybody home?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artemis picked herself up from the ground, almost regretting the fact that she couldn't stay there a bit longer. Gravity magic really took a toll on her, but now was not the time to take a reprieve. There was work to be done. "There will be pizza if someone takes the time to bring it," she said to Heimrall, motioning for the thirteen Immortals to follow.

"Where exactly are you taking us, Artemis?" Galro looked around him, visibly impressed with the work she and Knox had done restoring the island. "This country looks spectacular, but is there a building on it worthy of our presence? We certainly won't be having our meeting in someone's home or a restaurant or something, I hope."

After the group had walked some distance, Artemis held up her hand to stop them. "There." She pointed toward a massive building not unlike the Notre Dame cathedral in its appearance. "The Super Land Royal Library. In times long past, it is said that the High Seraph of Super Land would reside here and guide the country to prosperity with the volumes of information that lie within."

"A lot of good that did," Galro scoffed. "That 'prosperity' of theirs amounted to nothing more than a pile of rubble mere moments ago. There obviously wasn't enough information to save them from total annihilation."

Artemis ignored him, as she seemed to have grown fond of doing, and motioned for the Immortals to follow again. "Come," she said, pushing open the doors to the library. A gust of cold air swept over them as she made her way inside.

Galro's eyes widened at the sight. "I stand corrected," was all he managed to choke out as he scanned the room. The interior of the library looked even more impressive than the outside. Hundreds of thousands of rows of books lined the walls, visible only by the dim light cast by a series of overhead torches, and ominous music greeted them as they entered. The least spectacular feature of the room was a single, simple long table that stood in the center of the floor. There was one chair on each end of the table, and six on either side. Fourteen seats. How fitting.

"Everyone, if you will take your seats." Artemis sat at the end of the table nearest the back wall. "Knox, if you would take the seat opposite me."

"What, no special seats for the rest of us?" Galro muttered, taking a seat on the side. Scern sat adjacent to him, much to his chagrin.

"When you have all been seated, please give a brief introduction of yourself so that we may begin." Artemis clasped her hands and waited to proceed.

[Sariel of Tevet]

Heimrall huffed and followed Artemis, although rather closely for someone who was staring downward at their music player rapidly skipping through a playlist. She saw Artemis mouth something, and then everyone began to sit down, so she did just the same, although while sitting in the chair sideways and dangling her feet over the arms. While her gaze searched around the room for more pizza, she noticed those already seated staring in her direction. Heimrall pulled a single earbud out and addressed the rest of the council.

"So uh...Heimrall...I do earth stuff I guess, but I prefer pizza crust to earth crust...and.....what! No! Becky what the eff. Johnny? No no no no no no."

She became distracted and began furiously typing into her phone.

[Myrdraxxis]

Noores stared at Heimrall for a moment before deciding it was his turn. "Err...right then. What's up losers I'm Noores, Immortal of Lightning." He leaned back in his chair, balancing it on the back two legs. "I like zapping shit and technology. So if that's all, I'm tuning in to some pretty sweet radio channels around here." He closed his eyes and started bobbing his head to some music only he could hear.

Roewk sighed and shook his head. "Roewk, Immortal of Wood." he introduced. Then sat there for a minute before realizing he should probably go more in depth than that. "I...er...like nature?" A startling realization, that he didn't actually have that many hobbies.

"Booooooring." Zais sighed, slumping in his seat. "Well, since I've seen almost all of you give me the evil eye since I got here, I think you kids all know who I am." He stood up and flourished. "Zais! Immortal of Darkness and all-around conquering bad-ass! My hobbies are knitting, long walks on beaches and spreading my dominion across the universe." He paused. "Which is going quite well, by the way." He grinned widely.

[Mizagium]

Knox and all of my Immortals filed into the Royal Library. Knox took the seat opposite Artemis and everyone else took empty seats. Knox stood after Zais finished his introduction.

“My name is Knox, and I’m the Immortal of Time. I just want to say how great it is that – “ He was interrupted rather spectacularly by Ollie making a loud raspberry and a dramatic thumbs-down gesture. He glared at her, but she continued until he sat down, hands folded on the table.

“What up, nerds,” Ollie said, after a moment. “Name’s Ollie and I can shoot light from my hands!” She demonstrated, unleashing a miniature fireworks display above the table. “Also I like music.” She propped her legs up on the table with two loud thumps and started playing with orbs of light absently.

Bill stood and bowed slightly. “Most of you probably know me already as the Science Guy, but I should go by the Immortal of Knowledge.” He glanced around at them all. “You know, this is the first known instance of such a council – and I should know; there isn’t anything I don’t.”

Gallen Kah went next. “Gallen Kah. Immortal of Order.” He didn’t even stand up.

Vespi didn’t rise either, but she let her gaze fall upon Heimrall, Scern, Noores, Galro, Qualot, and Roewk. “It’s good to see you all again.” She almost smiled. “I’m Vespi, the Fire Immortal, and I’m here against my better judgement.”

Karzen stood, chuckling. “My, what a cast. I might be almost as known as old Bill over there. If you don’t, I am the notorious Karzem, the…agent of Chaos. While not exactly against my better judgment, I’m mostly here to see this council fail spectacularly.” He settled back into his chair, a king settling onto a throne.

-

Sarah and Julia came around the corner, flanked by some palace guards and (unseen) Thundercougerfalconbirds. Julia looked ready to skin him alive, but Sarah simply waved the guards away. Uncertainly, they dispersed, but didn’t leave.

“What is it, Leon?” Sarah said with an exasperated sigh. “I really don’t have time for anymore shenanigans today.”

[Monika]

"Well! Is that any way to treat an old friend?" Leon put on his saddest, most hurt expression for a brief moment before jumping right back into happy mode. "I just wanted to pay my best friend a visit! See how you were doing, make sure you didn't have any outstanding legal fees." Leon chuckled dryly. "You know. Friend stuff. I was also wondering if you knew where Johnny was, since I haven't spoken with him in months. Gotta make sure I stay connected with my besties!"
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Scern was the next to introduce himself. Manifesting his electric guitar from thin air, he strummed a few notes and began to sing.

"Ladies and gents, there's no need to fear!
The Immortal of Metal, Scern, is here!
I'm glad to meet with all of you today!"
For years it's been Galro and me,
Roaming the world, being lonely,
but now I have some friends with whom to play!

Here with actual other Immortals,
It'll be totally strange!
Wow, am I so ready for this change!

'Cause for the first time in forever,
I have finally found a home
here with thirteen demigods in
a library full of tomes!

Don't know why I'm the only one singing,
so I guess I'll finish quick!
For the first time in forever..."

"You're making me sick," Galro interrupted, giving Scern a scowl that told him to sit down. With a heavy sigh, Galro stood up and spoke. "I am Galro, the Immortal of Water. As my companion here suggested, he and I are traveling musicians. I usually play accompaniment and occasionally sing backup. In my spare time, I spend time improving my control over ice. I have a psychological disorder that compels me to drink the bodily fluids of attractive women through oral contact." He shrugged indifferently. "That should be all you need to know about me."

Once everyone had given their introduction (except the Immortal of Air, who seemed wholly uninterested), Artemis rose from her seat and lightly cleared her throat.

"Good evening, everyone," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Thank you all for being here at the first meeting of the Council of Immortals. I have spoken with half of you in person already, but for those of you who are unaware, I am Artemis. Former Director of C.O.M.A.S. Current Immortal of Space. Awesome Land's newly appointed Minister of Homeland Security. University educated mathemagician. Along with our Immortal of Time, Knox, I have co-founded this organization for the purpose of restoring harmony to the world." She paused for a moment before withdrawing a badge from her pocket. She tapped it a few times until a voice came out of it.

"Hello?" the voice asked.

"Good evening, Emperor. This is Artemis. I am calling to inform you that the Immortal of Time and I have restored Super Land to its pre-crash state. Unfortunately, it looks like our first meeting will run a little late, so I do not think I will be able to make it to the inauguration speech."

"Oh, that's quite alright, Artemis," Emperor Awesome responded. "I'm just glad that the Super Land mess has been taken care of. It's been an eyesore for quite some time. I was just about to give the speech, so I can leave the badge connection running if you all would like to listen in."

"That would be ideal. I will also beam in the video signal from one of my auxiliary portals if you do not mind."

"Not at all. Stream my speech across the entire planet if you'd like! People far and wide across all nations should know of Awesome Land's new emperor."

"Very well. I shall be setting up the portal momentarily." Artemis set her badge to the side and placed her palm on the table. "Spatial Sight," she whispered, sending pulses of white light through the table. The surface, which had originally been made of wood, now looked like transparent glass. Through it, the Immortals could see everything that was going on just outside the Second Imperial Tower...
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Back in Awesome Land, the Guardians that Aurora had brought with her from Draterran had corralled the citizens from their respective cities and districts into the area surrounding the Second Imperial Tower. None of them were particularly pleased with being dragged to another speech so shortly after Aurora's, but none of them voiced their objections aloud. They were all too familiar with Awesome Land's official motto, "Suffer in silence or die in defiance", and they weren't too sure that their new ruler was willing to do away with that policy.

Emperor Awesome stepped out onto the balcony at the top floor of the tower in full view for all his citizens to see. His armor was a darker shade of silver than normal and looked like it had been polished just for the occasion, and the spikes on his pauldrons had been elongated. Even the horns on his helmet seemed pointier than usual. His very presence commanded attention and respect, so when he stepped onto the balcony, the entire country fell silent.

"Anger," he said into his scepter, amplifying the sound for all to hear. "Sorrow. Despair. Citizens of Awesome Land, there is no doubt that any one of those words could describe how you are feeling right now. But I ask that you rid yourselves of these negative emotions. You should feel neither hatred nor sadness. Neither pain nor hopelessness. Instead, you should feel joy."

The people in the crowd shuffled a bit nervously and expectantly stared at the speaker, but not one said a word. Emperor Awesome took the silence as his cue to continue.

"You see, while we are gathered here tonight to lament the departure of our Grand Imperatrix, Aurora Veralice, we are also here to celebrate the arrival of something far greater. Peace. Harmony. Balance. These things have been gone from not only Awesome Land, but from our planet at large, for far too long. When I was first asked by Aurora to become the first Chancellor of Awesome Land, I did not know the tasks that lied ahead. I knew of Awesome Land only as a country that had suffered from mismanagement over the years. A country that Aurora desperately wanted to save from the mark of tyranny left by her older brother. A country that, unfortunately, proved to be too much of a challenge for a single teenage girl."

The nervous shuffling continued as the crowd tried to see exactly where their emperor was going with his speech, but still they said nothing.

"That is not to say that the Veralice siblings were terrible rulers. On the contrary, each of them displayed outstanding leadership. Leon Veralice, at the age of eighteen, was able to unify what was little more than a loose collection of villages into the great nation we stand in today. Our currency, our infrastructure, and even our units of measurement can be traced back to him. Aurora Veralice singlehandedly amassed her own military and seized control of the country after Leon was dethroned. She oversaw both the creation of our capital, Dynasty City, and the conclusion of a civil war. The type of leadership they showed early on in their careers is admirable, and I question whether my own skills would be able to come close."

Emperor Awesome's voice grew louder and resonated throughout the empire as he went on. "But they were both reckless!" he shouted, emphasizing the last word. "They both fell into a trap all too common for people in their position. They thought that being the supreme rulers of the largest country on Earth made them infallible. They thought that, as leaders of Awesome Land, they could do no wrong. They thought that once they had attained their power, nothing could take it away from them." His tone was darker now, and traces of venom seeped into his voice. "And now look at them. One was ousted from the throne by a talking clock and the other was driven to despair by a two-bit clown. Pathetic."

The restless shuffling of the crowd ceased, and the silence, while still there, now felt awkward. Tense. Palpable.

"Both of them were wholly insensitive to the plight of the commoners. As the pressures of administering an empire mounted upon them, they took their frustrations out on the people. They believed that their immense magical prowess gave them a license to do whatever they pleased to whomever they chose. 'I can set the entire country ablaze with a thought, so why don't I? I can cover the entire country with demons from another dimension, so why don't I? All of the damage can be undone with the wave of a hand, so what's the harm?'" The emperor shook his head in disappointment and loudly stamped his scepter on the balcony's floor. "They failed to realize that while physical damage can be fixed, emotional damage is not so easily healed. A crumbled tower can be restored by magic in a day, but a broken life is lost to the abyss forever."

His words manage to elicit a few nods and some inaudible murmurs of agreement from the crowd, the first real reaction they had shown all evening.

"In short, those two were simply unable to handle power. And that is where they and I differ. When I was in my prime, it took a prince, a princess, a psychic, a witch, a dethroned emperor, an omnipotent narrator and two Immortals to defeat me. I do not share that story with you to brag of my accomplishments. I share that story with you because I was beaten. You can all rest assured that I know how to obtain power, and you can rest assured that I know how to lose power as well. I know what it is to be weak and defenseless. I know what it is to be a veritable god. Having been on both sides of the spectrum, I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I am one of you."

The inaudible murmurs of agreement gradually became louder; the nods of the crowd became more vigorous. The thick, stifling silence gave way as the emotions of the crowd were swayed by the words of their leader.

"People of Awesome Land!" he shouted. "Even as I stand here, preparing to ascend the throne, I do not forget what it means to be weak! To be helpless! To be at the mercy of those whose strength is matched only by their lack of morality!" Seven sheets or parchment floated in front of him as he spoke. A massive stream of light emanated from each one and swept over the countryside, spreading their influence far and wide. "With these Scrolls of Science, the kind of gross abuse of magical power you have been subjected to before is a thing of the past! Not a single spell will be cast without my say-so. And with these!" He raised his free arm into the sky. A red, blue, brown, and white beam of light came from each of the four corners of the land, merging into a swirling mass of energy above his hand. "The Alspire and the Elemental Pillars! All threats to us both inside the empire and out shall be destroyed without hesitation." With a snap of his fingers, the ball of light dispersed. A large, dark purple robe with the Awesome Land crest emblazoned on it - the official attire of anyone who would call himself sovereign of the nation - appeared over his armor. "I say this as the next Grand Imperator of the Empire of Awesome Land: The darkness you once knew shall forever be a remnant of the past. Under my rule, there shall be peace. Under my rule, there shall be prosperity. Under my rule, you shall bear witness to the dawn of a new era!"

Any trace of silence that there had been before was gone, supplanted by an exuberant chorus of accord from the citizens of Awesome Land. The applause. The cheers. They were not of an uneasy acceptance or fear of their new monarch, as they had been at the inaugural speeches for Leon and Aurora. No, these were of genuine approval and admiration. Removing magic from the country? Promising to swiftly vanquish anything perceived as a threat? Were they radical ideas? Certainly. But if they meant the long overdue return of stability, security, and survival, how could the citizens do anything but clap?
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Once the speech had finished, Artemis put her badge back in her robe pocket and tapped the table, returning it to its original wooden form.

"Peace. Prosperity. And the understanding that drastic measures must be used to achieve them." Artemis rose from her seat and pushed it into the table. "The speech of Awesome Land's new emperor directly parallels the goals of this council. For those of us who have been blessed with extraordinary magical power, there comes a level of responsibility that we have done a poor job of upholding." Artemis slowly began walking around the perimeter of the table, pausing briefly whenever she stood behind of one of the Immortals. "Whether we probe the minds of the innocent, or attempt to rewrite history, or even fail to act when we see atrocities being committed, we are all guilty in some way of misusing our powers."

She continued her slow pacing, fixing her gaze upon each Immortal she passed. "Even so, there is one among us whose crimes stand out among the rest. One who shows no regard for human life and no remorse for his actions. One for whom murder, invasion, and destruction are daily exercises. As Emperor Awesome said, there are those who believe their magical gifts license them to do as they please without consequence. And up until now, that has been the case. If the goal of this council is to promote peace, harmony, and balance across the world, then we cannot sit idly by and continue to let this person threaten the world."

Her pacing stopped the moment she reached the seat of the Immortal of Darkness. She removed her hood, stared at him intently, and let the words float from her mouth in no uncertain terms. "To this end, we need to get rid of Zais."