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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Relationship:
Alexander/City Building
Characters:
Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)
Additional Tags:
Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings
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English
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Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-25Words:229,706Chapters:83/?Comments:559Kudos:1,455Bookmarks:363Hits:86,657
(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)
10moorem
Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Cracks Concealed
Summary:
Cauldron is FINE, stop asking!!!
Chapter Text
Chapter 62: Cracks Concealed
-Eidolon POV-
He slumped into his chair, the same dead-eyed expression that had been on his face for the last day or so. He let out a breath, his body present yet his mind still a million miles away.
Boston was gone.
Not damaged, or even destroyed, gone. One second they were receiving reports of a new Endbringer sweeping through Brockton Bay, the being twisting the city like taffy, and the next it had reached Boston.
Then it was gone. Deleted, like it was never there.
Cauldron had been unprepared, no that was too kind. They had been caught with their pants around their legs! That…thing that had appeared in their base had reduced most of the parahumans who saw it into babbling wrecks. David himself had woken up fifty minutes after the portal had closed, lying in a pile of vomit and bile. The world had been a blurry, pain-filled, mess that he could not banish with any power he possessed – he could only wait for it to pass naturally.
Compared to the others he could even be considered fortunate. Some took far longer to recover, while Doormaker…
David shuddered
Still, by the time he had recovered it was far too late. The loss of Boston had happened only an hour or so after he had been forced to look into-
He shuddered, his mind tearing itself away from that line of thinking.
So, yes, Boston was gone. Now there was merely a gaping empty hole that stretched down for miles where there had once been a city. In place of people living normal lives there was now nothing.
And David hadn't been there.
No! It was worse than that, he had been complicit!
That thing, whatever it was, had appeared in Jinzhou – right after they had attempted to enter it! Right after it had all gone wrong and-
His shaking form let loose a wracking sob of horror frustration.
He didn't try to stop the convulsions, he was alone. He had chosen to come to the meeting earlier than normal, he would have privacy.
He wouldn't show weakness in front of the others.
How had it all gone so wrong?!
First that new Endbringer -Eris- had killed Rebecca, and now this! It felt like, more and more by the day, the world was falling through their fingers – slipping away like sand. It was a familiar feeling, but one that had only ever been as strong when Hero had died.
Perhaps that had been the turning point?
With Charles' death Rebecca had turned cold, he had become more bitter and even Keith had lost much of his cheer. Only the latter had truly recovered, his husband and child bringing joy back into the man's life.
The only silver lining, if there even was one, was that Jinzhou had been the first to perish.
He hated the sick joy that filled him at that piece of news, of the fact that those that worshipped that monster were now dead. He was supposed to be better!
He knew it was for the best, he had even been against their temptations from the beginning. Time had only proven him right but now, after the initial sick happiness, instead of vindication all he tasted was the ash of defeat.
There would be meetings soon, this he knew.
Not just with Cauldron, but with the PRT and even the world.
An Endbringer that could appear anywhere, travel across the world in less than a heartbeat and snatch up cities like they were children's play toys? The news was already making people panic, with an upturn in migrations moving away from cities and into the countryside.
Which had it's own set of problems.
The PRT had, by necessity, chosen to focus most of their attention on the major cities of the US. It was only common sense, they were the areas that had the most people and thus the most parahumans.
Unfortunately this attention made the rural areas of America a secondary concern, and gave villains operating there a lot more wiggle room. The Fallen were the most famous example, of course, but there were others. Masters who ensnared entire villages and were only noticed months or years after, Supremacist factions like the Herren clan, human trafficking rings and more.
Ironically the people trying to escape the cities had only placed themselves more in danger. Not to mention many of those panicked, scared, individuals may well trigger, thus further driving up the danger.
Darkly, he wondered how much Cauldron would seek to benefit from that.
More than ever the cracks in their foundation were beginning to show. Senators were calling for more extreme measure to be taken against parahumans, Haven -the Parahuman group most active in the aforementioned areas- was using the situation to accrue more influence and power and the Elite were also taking advantage in their own ways.
David's head thunked against the meeting room table, a ragged sigh once more escaping his lips. He felt tired. It seemed that, for all their efforts, they were struggling to merely stay afloat. An endless rat race, and David was just so sick of it.
David longed for a fight.
Something uncomplicated.
Something heroic and unambiguous.
Something he could unleash his frustrations upon and feel like he was doing something useful.
Not sitting in place watching the world pass him by, helpless to do anything! Waiting to die!
He shut his eyes, calming his breathing - attempting to suppress the memories of the hospital, of that accursed wheelchair. Minutes passed like that, David attempting to clear his mind with only the sound of a nearby fan to keep him company.
"Not doing too well?"
He raised his head up. It was Legend – Keith. The one who had arrived in Boston moments after it had been snatched away. Too late to prevent it from happening. David wondered if it haunted him, but then he already knew the answer to that.
Keith's usually cheery aura lacked something. Perhaps it was the slumped posture, the eye bags or the brittle smile, but it was clear Legend wasn't holding together well.
"Hey Keith," he said, half-heartedly waving at his friend. "Not really, I just wish I could do something about this. Find the monster responsible."
'The one that isn't us,' he doesn't say to Keith.
Legend was kept in the dark about a lot, their botched attempt to gain access to Jinzhou was one of them
"Don't I know it," Legend laughs darkly, before sighing and turning to sit across from him.
Legend opens his mouth to speak, yet nothing comes out – either not able to come up with something comforting or not able to scrounge up the energy to try.
David isn't sure which would be worse.
"A fifth one," David finally says, the admittance of a unwanted truth passing through his lips like fire.
"That's not confirmed," Legend half-heartedly argues.
David doesn't bother to speak at that, merely gazing evenly Legend's way.
The man sighed, the years of command of the protectorate weighing more on him now than they ever had before. It was not something David envied, in that respect he was fortunate. Eidolon had never been leadership material, not really.
Too aloof, too powerful.
But Legend? That was a man you could pin your hopes to, and indeed many had.
Silence fell over the meeting room, neither having anything to say. For a moment he expected to hear Rebecca's authoritative voice to resound, to push them to press on – to give logical reasonings for why they had to.
But there was nothing. Rebecca was dead. Her body stolen, her legacy tarnished.
"The other one is still at the South Pole, right?" Legend's question led to the abrupt end to the silence.
Eidolon's teeth gnashed at the reminder.
"Yes."
The growl that left his throat was deep and bestial, surprising even himself with the hatred contained within it. He quickly composed himself, he was Eidolon, a hero the world was meant to look up to!
Yet he couldn't help the rage he felt, the anger that had been so rightfully earned by the death of his friend and entire swathes of land condemned to war and horror.
That piece of shit...!
"I wonder why it happened?" Legend's voice shook him out of his dark thoughts.
Eidolon glanced over. "What do you mean?"
"Well…it's not like the Endbringers to get in each other's way like that. Jinzhou clearly served a purpose, destabilising China. So why would the other one destroy it?"
Eidolon scoffed.
"Who knows what those things are thinking. That city of fools probably served its purpose and was eliminated. It's not like China needs further prodding."
Legend nodded at that, mind clearly drawn towards the multiple wars raging in that area. The slaughters and crimes against humanity.
"Well, at least we can use this as more justification to the public to not enter one of those cities," Legend mused, hand cupping his chin in thought all while clearly hating himself for even voicing the thought.
"I wouldn't be too sure," came a voice by the door – the voice of Doctor Mother.
The neatly dressed woman walked in calmly, folders carried under the crook of her arm as she approached the table.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
David's question only caused the woman to hum slightly, sliding her chair out and perching herself upon it. She didn't answer right away, preferring instead to organise her collection of documents.
Why she hadn't done so before the meeting, David couldn't say. Probably a power move Eidolon had never seen the point of, given that he himself was all the intimidation he would ever need.
"Contessa and Kurt won't be joining us," she began, "but to circle back to your question: it's because Jinzhou isn't gone." She took a sip of coffee, before glancing around the room – oblivious to his own shock or that of his friend's.
"A lot less people than we usually have. That's a shame," she mused to herself, looking unbothered in spite of her words.
"What do you mean it's not gone? I've seen the footage, there's a hole where it used to be?!" Eidolon all but spat out the words.
Doctor Mother took another sip, still infuriatingly unbothered. "Yes, it's gone from its last position, but it hasn't been destroyed."
Eidolon's mind sharpened, Thinker powers coming to the fore.
Not destroyed, but not where it was. His eyes widened. "So this new Endbringer teleported the city?"
Without a word said Doctor Mother tossed one of the many documents in her hand across the table to him. The yellow cover brushed against his fingers as he tore it loose and began perusing the papers held within.
He shuffled through the papers at lightning fast speeds, his many Thinker powers allowing him to digest and retain the information in microseconds. He stopped when he finally turned to the last page and stared at the photo covering the bottom half of the page.
The image of a city surrounded by snow and dark pillars.
"So they're coordinating then?" He spat, passing the document to Legend – whose eyes had been darting between the two of them in concern.
"Not confirmed but it seems likely," Doctor Mother commented.
Legend's face grew more severe as he scanned through the document, his eyes eventually landing on a single page and refusing to move on.
"…It's sacrificing people?" There was a sombre tone to Legend's voice. His eyes still locked onto the skeletons chained to dark obsidian.
"Probably," Doctor Mother said.
She once more reached for her cup, before pausing. There was a buzzing sound coming from her left pocket, the sound loud enough to be heard by David. She sighed, and reached in to take out her phone. Given that it had yet to repeat the alert, Eidolon surmised it was a text message. Her eyes scrawled across the screen lazily – and then again, this time more urgently.
Doctor Mother stared at the screen in naked incomprehension for a moment. Then she groaned, forcing her head into her hand – appearing as if she had just developed a migraine.
"It would appear Kurt will be joining us."
He and Legend exchanged a confused glance with each other, Legend going so far as to shrug his shoulders.
As far as David remembered Number Man should be busy keeping the global economy afloat, which had understandably attempted to commit suicide upon learning two Endbringers had showed up within a month of each other.
Yet apparently the man had noticed something important enough that he chose to come to this meeting instead? What could be so important.
There was a clang, as something within the corridor leading up to the meeting room had fallen. The three of them craned their necks in the direction of the door. A door which flew open with enough speed to crack against the wall, allowing a maddened-looking Kurt to stumble into the room.
David didn't want to even begin to consider just how much caffeine the man had consumed. The man was jittery, each movement not coordinated – as was Kurt's standard – but rather a series of jerks that a person might consider a walking pace.
Y'know, assuming you had never actually seen that before and also squinted really hard.
The man's bulging eyes skittered over the room, bouncing from person to person with the sort of speed that would make other's think he currently possessed three Thinker powers, not David.
"FIVE!" The man belted, unprompted.
Doctor mother exhaled wearily, clearly contemplating whether waking up today had been the right choice.
"Have you been taking the Tinker stimulants again, Kurt?"
"I'M FIVE - I MEAN I'M FINE!" The man drunkenly flopped into his chair, head bobbing up and down – as if he were mere moments away from passing out. Shakily he withdrew his own copy of the displaced Jinzhou, the photo crumpled from having been held in his pocket for too long.
He slammed it down on the table.
"It keeps repeating! Five pillars! Five corpses for each one! Fifty five meters tall! Microscopic etchings every five micrometres! Gradient shifts every five centimetres! It's everywhere! What does it mean?!!"
David slowly scraped his chair away, obtaining a sudden urge to be anywhere but near the crazy person.
Doctor Mother's smile slowly strained as Kurt's unhinged rant went on. David didn't often feel pity for the woman, given how heartless she was, but seeing her attempt to ask for help via blinking in Morse Code almost made him feel a glimmer of it.
Naturally, David still wasn't going to help.
Legend, bless his heart, was made of stupider stuff and decided to try.
"Uhhh, Kurt? Maybe you should-"
The Number Man whirled in Keith's direction, almost throwing himself to the floor from his own momentum – only managing to catch himself on the lip of the table.
"Five, Legend! Five Endbringers! They're mocking us!" The unhinged words continued, sounding far too similar to David's own thoughts for comfort.
David shook his head. Okay, this had clearly gone on for too long and the information he had been gaining from his Thinker powers were telling him things regarding Kurt's health that were far too severe to ignore.
With a thought he let go of one of his powers, allowing a non-lethal blaster power to emerge with surprising alacrity.
'Oh sure, now you're cooperative,' he thinks bitterly before a violet ray knocks Kurt unconscious.
The man's head slumps forwards, his glasses falling from his face and onto the floor.
There was silence for a moment.
"I suppose he has been working too hard this past month," Doctor Mother comments awkwardly. "Perhaps we can hire Accord, or other Thinkers, to substitute for Kurt for a while?"
"Yes. Do that." Eidolon emphatically agreed, shuddering slightly as he remembered what his Thinker powers had revealed of the state of the man's body. Legend spent a moment or two adjusting Kurt, and allowing him to gain a more comfortable position, before turning back to them.
"I don't think it's just Kurt," Legend commented, eyeing the both of them.
"I'm fine," they both said, Eidolon slightly growling the words.
Legend raised an eyebrow, but tactfully didn't comment.
Doctor Mother coughed, composing herself as she retook the papers from Legend, the man passing the over with a grateful look.
"The exact ramifications are hard to consider presently," here she shot a heated glance at Kurt, "for obvious reasons."
Kurt let out a snore, attempting to turn over in his chair and failing miserably.
"Normally I'd go over things in more depth but-"
She glanced at the both of them, her face cycling through annoyance and resignation.
"-It's obvious it won't be productive in your current states, try to get some rest where you can."
Eidolon and Legend traded wry looks, well aware sleep would be a luxury in the coming days.
"We'll do that doctor," Legend politely said, rising from his seat.
"Sure," he said, much more taciturn.
"Oh, and Eidolon? I have a new process I wish to try with your serums, come meet me tomorrow at twelve," She said.
Eidolon nodded, well aware that that was code for: 'let's have a private meeting without Legend.' The skullduggery regarding his friend was a sad, but necessary, evil, even if it left a bitter taste in his mouth to keep things from his sole remaining friend.
"Understood."
"Meeting adjourned then," she sighed and then turned to Legend. " I don't suppose you can take Kurt to a room that has a bed?"
Legend shook his head in slight mirth, reaching over to hoist Kurt over his shoulder – carrying the man like a sack of potatoes. The two men, and a murmuring deadweight, exited the room, leaving the Doctor and returning to the endless grinding work that had slowly become the new norm.
AN: And we're back with Cauldron who…aren't doing great. Legend didn't manage to save Boston. Eidolon is feeling useless and is carrying one hell of a grudge against Alexander. Number Man has been carrying the past month of work on his back and has resorted to shady Tinker stimulants right before Alexander's little prank for Thinkers hit him. Doctor Mother is currently wondering how she seems to be the sanest one present.
How do you guys like my depiction of Eidolon, by the way. Not sure how well I did.
Oh, and there's something off with Doormaker, but it hasn't been revealed yet. Fun!
Thanks for reading and please leave a comment!
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Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Relationship:
Alexander/City Building
Characters:
Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)
Additional Tags:
Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-25Words:229,706Chapters:83/?Comments:559Kudos:1,455Bookmarks:363Hits:86,657
(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)
10moorem
Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Refracted Error
Summary:
Scion may have made an oopsie~
Chapter Text
Chapter 63: Refracted Error
-Renji POV-
"Thank you, young man! Be sure to give my thanks to Lady Yā lì shān dà as well!" The elderly man waved, no longer as distressed now that his roof no longer had gashes in it. The work was simple, but rewarding. Renji may not be a technological genius, like their creator, but replacing a few panels wasn't beyond them. The only true difficulty had been sourcing the replacement parts, which had involved a lot of sitting and waiting.
The man had been an understanding sort, pulling up a chair and offering food and drink while they waited. In the cold sunlight of Antarctica the two of them had discussed much. The elderly man had spoke briefly about the past month, the general improvements made and mistakes that had been learned from.
Perhaps most heartening was the increased competency that had been gained in tackling the trauma and grief that many citizens of Jinzhou still possessed. Taizong had made it that his most pressing matter to solve.
Naturally, Sanzang had headed the effort and found great success in the utilisation of VR for therapeutic purposes. The time dilation that could be experienced in the virtual world aiding greatly in giving his patients the time they needed.
There was the worry of addiction to such technologies, but that was being closely monitored for.
All in all a successful month, if you didn't count the birth of a new Endbringer.
Renji's pondering came to an end as the figure of Alexander came into view. They stood atop the walls of the settlement, eyeing something in their hands with a burning focus. The low sun in the sky refracted brilliantly off their blue crystalline skin, making it glisten in the cool air.
With a leap Renji crossed the vast distance between them, coming to land directly at Alexander's side. The movement, as well as the snow being kicked up, made Alexander's eyes briefly glanced their way, before turning back to what Renji could now identify as a comically large phone – one perfectly suited for Alexander's stature.
"Su's house has been fixed, nothing too complicated had been broken." His voiced carried along on the crisp air, as he informed his friend of the successful repair.
His friend grunted in response, eyes still glued to the screen.
Then he muttered something almost too quiet to hear. "It doesn't make sense…"
Renji's ears, perfectly designed to catch even the most inaudible sound, heard it just fine.
"What doesn't?"
Their eyes remained where they were for a second longer, before they sighed and turned towards him.
"Taizong sent me the rest of the report. With all the information available I can say that an opening into Shardspace was indeed created within Jinzhou," they explained with a pained expression.
Shardspace.
It was something Alexander had attempted to explain to them before, but the words had always been halting and confused – the one attempting to explain not understanding the subject themselves. Words had been thrown around that made little sense. How could a dimension be both virtual and real at the same time?
After obtaining one of their newer specialties the explanation had improved, though Alexander still seemed mystified at times.
"There's parts of it I still don't understand, Renji. It's a pocket dimension, but not a typical sort. It's an imposition of reality upon a space between dimensions, a place largely lacking in reality. The entities experimented with this for a time, but eventually decided it was a dead end in terms of development. The best use of it they came up with was as a sort of…meeting place.
Each shard would extrude a portion of themselves into that non-space. The establishment of laws could be bent more easily in this place, at least in certain ways. In particular distance was more of a suggestion, so using the place as a communication hub was the natural choice."
According to his friend he had only obtained the barest glimpse into the creation of such a realm, and that was enough to make their head hurt.
"That's concerning, but not out of the realm of possibility is it?" The question caused his friend to let out an angry huff, a giant blue hand offering him the enormous phone.
He fumbled with it slightly, it's large frame making handling it awkward. He eventually managed to place it in a comfortable position and began to read.
His brow furrowed into confusion as he read the first line. This wasn't something put together by Jinzhou's head of state. If he didn't misunderstand this was security briefing straight from the C.U.I.
Confused, he continued on.
Only to stop at a single word, hand twitching with an urge to draw his sword.
He turned his face to regard Alexander.
"Scion?"
"Scion," the blue Endbringer agreed.
"But it's not what he did that unnerves me," his friend continues, "It's what he didn't do." With that his friend reached down to point at a paragraph further down.
"Scion observed for a total of 6 hours, 3 minutes and 47 seconds before leaving."
Then he pointed further down, near the end of the report, before once more reading it aloud.
"The anomaly shows no signs of change since first discovery," they finish, ignoring the rest of the report for these specific lines.
"Scion should have closed it. I don't understand why he didn't. Allowing humans to study an opening into Shardspace should be completely against his operating procedures."
His friend bit their lip, eyes scanning the page another time – attempting to sus out any further information.
"So he's done something unexpected," Renji summarised, feeling a little ill at ease himself. Having an unpredictable enemy was never a good sign.
"Perhaps he had to leave to deal with something else? A bigger disaster? Perhaps that Titan?"
The blue giant shook their head. "That was the first thing I checked. However there's a news report of Scion saving a kitten in Italy that places him there an hour after he disappeared. Even if something urgent called him away he should have headed back to seal the breach by now, but he hasn't."
Troubling indeed.
"Any good news to wash this down?" The question brought a tired smile to Alexander's face.
"Yeah, plenty. I finished the forcefield, which should trap a set amount of heat within it, so nobody's going to freeze to death. From my tour around the city, it seems like everyone has settled back down. Given how fast the response was, and how quickly they were able to relocate, distress was kept to a minimum," they explained.
"I'm sure you showing up had nothing to do with that," Renji smiled, sarcastically ribbing at his friend.
Alexander's face flushed slightly, but the smile remained. "Well…maybe a little."
Then the smile faded as their expression turned distinctly embarrassed.
"Also…I might have discovered why Jinzhou teleported right next to us."
Renji blinked in surprise. Of all the mysteries surrounding the past day, that was not one he had expected to be solved so soon.
"Oh, what was it?" Renji asked curiously.
Alexander fidgeted, arms crossing over themselves in nervousness.
"So, as it turns out, those magical teleporters of mine can only teleport to places with a high level of ambient magic," his friend elaborated, eyes shifted to the side.
"…Are you serious?" Renji asked, flabbergasted.
"…Yes."
"How did you not know that?"
Alexander flailed their arms in the air at Renji's incredulous question, clearly incredibly embarrassed.
"How was I supposed to know? It's not like they ever failed to teleport whenever I used them!"
"Shouldn't you have known though! Don't you get info from your…" Renji attempted to pantomime the end of their question, the wriggling of fingers meant to signify 'Shard' only getting a slightly disgusted look from Alexander.
"Okay, first of all, never do that again! Second, the technologies based on magic come from worlds already brimming with magic! It certainly didn't come with an instruction manual on how to use them in a world so lackingin it!"
Renji paused. That made sense actually.
"So when you used the teleporters before…"
"I mostly used them in my drones, and those were never too far away from me – with a single exception."
Renji searched his memories, attempting to figure out what his friend was alluding to. What was this 'exception'.
His eyes widened in realisation.
"You mean in Jinzhou, when you used them to free the prisoners. Didn't your drones teleport to them then?"
Alexander grimaced slightly, a single hand reaching to rub at the back of their neck.
"See, that's the thing, no I didn't. they flew there invisibly," Alexander said, making Renji's brow crease in confusion.
"Why?"
"You have seen the teleports haven't you? Subtle is not the word I would use for them, so I made sure they would only teleport back."
"To a place that had sufficient magic, because of you," Renji finished - feeling a little light-headed.
Neither of them had realised it. There had never been a chance to do so. It was only Jinzhou's suspiciously miraculous fortune of landing right next to them that had clued Alexander on to the fact that their teleporters weren't all they seemed.
Renji massaged his brow lightly, wondering how many other intricacies they had missed. Then they stopped, their eyes widening in realisation.
"Wait, didn't you set up some wards in Hyderabad before we left? Does that mean Jinzhou could have teleported into that place?" Renji asked in trepidation.
Alexander had only briefly gone over the last minute defences with Renji, but his super-computer of a brain remembered it with crystal clarity.
The defences of Hyderabad, for as little time as Alexander spent on them , were deadly.
In essence, Alexander had sympathetically tied his forest with another, a rather infamous one at that.
Aokigahara. Otherwise known as the 'Suicide Forest'. A piece of land in Japan, near Mount Fuji, that was known to the world as one of the world's most infamous suicide sites. If Renji remembered correctly, a cape that would later come to be known as Mijime had only added to the forest's reputation.
A Master who could slowly increase the negative emotions of humans had taken up shop there and…
Well, the specifics didn't matter, but it was brutal.
With the wards using the legend of that forest invaders would slowly lose the will to live, eventually laying down and waiting for death. Renji had thought it overly cruel, but Alexander -still in a bad mood from what had happened that day- had insisted that it stay.
"No, there was never any chance of that."
While Renji breathed out a sigh of relief at that, he was still very curious as to why that his friend was so confident in that. Which lead him to ask. "How? From everything I've gathered, it fits all of the prerequisites."
Alexander shook their head, holding up a single finger. "No, it's missing one requirement: the location mustn't be one where death is above a certain likelihood," Alexander said, explaining the final rule.
"Oh. I didn't know that was a rule." Renji admitted.
Well it had to be. imagine if Jinzhou teleported, only to end up thousands of feet underwater. That wouldn't be good, would it?"
The explanation brought some relief to Renji. Alexander, despite never being much of a forward thinker regarding themselves, had put some thought into where the people of Jinzhou might have ended up – if worst came to worst.
"Thank goodness," Renji said, audibly expressing that relief.
Their friend's head snapped to them. "Oi! What the hell's that supposed to mean! What kind of image do you have of me?!" His friend yelled, pointing at Renji in mock rage.
Renji stifled a laugh and shook his head. "No no, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just glad it didn't happen."
His friend also chuckled, shaking his head in faux self-pity, before turning back to the display before him.
"Yes, well," Alexander said, "As I've said before, there was nowhere else they could have gone. Hyderabad was too dangerous, the tunnels were too small and they couldn't go back to Jinzhou. Although…"
His friend trailed off with a troubled look, eyeing the phone in their hand – the screen now showing a global map. Upon that map were three circles, bright red dots that grew fainter near their edges. Connected them were a series of lines, barely visible in comparison to the brightness that was Jinzhou, Hyderabad and Antarctica.
This, Renji realized, was a real time global map, showing the spread of magic.
"That dimension they ended up in, I have no idea what to make of it." His friend admitted. Their eyes lazily wandering over the path of their travels. Jinzhou, smack dab in the midst of an imperialist regime. Hyderabad, the location that brought great shame to his creator. And then there was where they were now: Antarctica. A place still so full of potential, a place that had already surprised them with the reunion of old friends and allies.
Then, their eyes lit up. Renji could see it in their face, the way their mouth opened in realisation – as if a question had finally been answered. Renji could see panic, doubt and acceptance flash across his friend's face, too quick for any human to spot. Then it crystallised into determination, and just a glimmer of hope.
"Figured something out?"
Alexander's smile widened at the question, a smile laced with a dread excitement.
"Yeah, I think I've figured out why he didn't close it."
Renji's back straightened in surprise. Truly? He knew why Scion had acted so oddly.
Alexander giggled slightly, a slight manic air bubbling to the surface. Their fingers flickered over the screen, zooming in to Jinzhou. The deep red that signified ambient magic levels was omnipresent, or it seemed like it until his creator zoomed further in.
There, near the centre of the circle was an area far paler than the surroundings, a pale pink where there should only be crimson.
"Thought so," his friend muttered, soundly distinctly pleased –even smug- at the sight.
"Is that-"
Where the hole to Shardspace is? Yes, I'm pretty sure it is!" Alexander interrupted him, manners losing in the face of this discovery. The blue face pressed closer to the screen, as if attempting to divine any further information from sight alone.
Eventually they seemed satisfied, and leaned back.
"I'm fairly certain there's magic inside Shardspace. That's why the magic around it isn't at a higher concentration, and Scion must have noticed."
Renji choked a little. Magic that close to the Shards? Wasn't that one of the worst case scenarios?
"So he didn't close it because it allowed greater research into something that they would view as anomalous?"
"I'd say so," they replied, not sounding at all concerned, if anything they appeared amused – eyes crinkling with how wide their smile was growing.
"Isn't that bad?"
Alexander hummed in the back of their throat, a sound that indicated disagreement. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But it's actually the first piece of good news we've gotten in this war against the Shards." As they said that, something in Alexander's posture…relaxed. The coiled posture, as if they were constantly prepared to run or fight, lightened. They straightened up, and breathed out.
"They actually made a mistake," they said, sounding at once mystified and deeply happy.
This only deepened his confusion, and upon seeing it Alexander continued. "Yes, the Shards studying magic isn't good. However it's a two way street. In opening themselves up they've left themselves vulnerable and allowed an unknown energy source within their beating heart."
At that, Alexander flashed him a toothy grin.
"We have our chink in the armour!"
"That's…" Renji's words failed him as he understood the significance, felt elation bubble up at the realisation. "That's incredible! So what's the plan?"
"Well!" Alexander raised a finger towards the sky, spinning back towards the city and beginning to walk towards stairs that led back down the giant obsidian walls. "First, I'll need to get something to Jinzhou. Something that'll give me a good idea of what's going on there. It'll have to be stealthy too, don't want the enemy to catch on."
"More drones?"
"More drones! Can't teleport them over, though. They'll have to take the long way."
"Because teleportation isn't stealthy?"
"Give the man a gold star! He was listening!" They crowed, still looking extremely pleased with themselves.
They reached the stairs, each footfall of Alexander taking them down five or six steps at a time, forcing Renji to hurry down.
Those watching at the base of the stairs stopped and whispered to themselves, some pointing towards his friend's face and the wide smile it bore. Alexander paid no heed, their social obliviousness coming in handy for once.
Renji was not as lucky, with more than one person coming over to shake his hand, 'congratulating' him.
Congratulating him for what, he wasn't sure. He made sure to thank them regardless as they continued towards the centre of the city.
"So, if we're making a drone, why are we going this way? Most of the matter available here is being used."
"True, but there's someone I want to see before I begin designing the drone. For something this important, I'll need a second opinion."
They turned and smiled, and Renji got an ominous feeling.
"We're going to visit Cai Lun!"
Ah. That was what he was afraid of.
AN: Alexander flexing those brain muscles! So, yes, the reason for why Jinzhou showed up in Antarctica has to do with how the teleporters work, something which Alexander didn't have the best grasp on – and also didn't realise how flimsy his understanding of them was. He knows better now.
Also, that hole to Shardspace was not solely beneficial to the Shards. There's a reason Scion's usual course of action would have been shutting it down. The novel data may have made them too greedy and given Alexander an opportunity he isn't planning to squander. Lucky thing Eden is dead, or this never would have happened.
Thanks for reading, please leave a comment so my pet cat can be proud of me!
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Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)
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Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings
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Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-25Words:229,706Chapters:83/?Comments:559Kudos:1,455Bookmarks:363Hits:86,657
(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)
10moorem
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Maze
Summary:
Alexander discovers that his need for overkill might be genetic.
Chapter Text
Chapter 64: Maze
-Chubster POV-
Ben's breaths came ragged as he looked around. Against all odds, they had made it out without being detected.
And yet…
He glanced around, wincing at the frozen landscape that now surrounded them.
"Anything?"
The question directed at Remote caused the Parahuman to look up and shake their head.
"Unfortunately not. There appears to be interference," Remote said, their words clipped from aggravation. They had been repeatedly attempting to get in contact with the PRT, to no avail. The device in their hands was spitting static from at least three different places and letting out whining beeps every once in a while.
Something was stopping them from getting through, and they were running out of time. The lashing winds were slowly, but surely, sapping away their body heat. Pyroclast had been using their power to generate heat by grinding rocks together – the surfaces now red hot - yet it was a band aid over a gaping wound, it wouldn't suffice for long.
"I don't suppose any of you know how to build structures in arctic conditions? Maybe a little igloo?" The question he posed was light, with a little extra flare added at the end to try to buoy their spirits.
Judging from the downcast expressions he had failed.
"I don't think any of us know anything about that. Not exactly something they teach in the Protectorate," Orwell said, pacing slightly.
"Pyroclast, could you use your powers to build us a shelter?" Despite asking, Ben felt he already knew the answer.
It was to his complete lack of surprise that the man shook his head.
"My power lacks fine control and without that…"
He hesitates slightly.
"…Any structure I build may well risk collapse, and while I could use my power to hold it up…I will need to sleep eventually."
Ben grimaced at the thought of being crushed underneath rubble again. "We'll leave that as a last option then."
"OI!"
The yell made them turn, seeing Scope trudging towards them – the thick snow slowing their efforts down to a crawl. "There's a cave near here, about a hundred meters west of here. We could bunker down there for a time!"
That, Ben decided, was the best news he'd heard all day. A cave would at least offer some shelter from these winds, regardless of how otherwise uncomfortable it was likely to be.
"Uhhh…should we worry about polar bears being in those caves?" Wayfarer piped up.
That…was a good question, actually.
"It depends," Orwell said calmly. "If this is the Noth Pole, then yes. If it's the South Pole, then no. Best to keep our guards up anyway."
At that cheery warning, their group set off. Through the glare of reflected sunlight on the white snow they marched west. The occasional gust of wind kicked up frost and ice, causing most of them to cover their eyes with their hands and arms.
Atlas was far less guarded, taking the front and leaving a passage in the thick snow to follow them from. Ben would have taken that role on himself, however his Brute power relied on slow movements – and everyone wanted to get out of the cold, including him, ASAP.
The cave, when they started, was barely visible, but that small dot of black grew as they continued forwards – eventually revealing itself as a cavernous mouth that plunged into inky blackness.
There was something about it that put his nerves on edge. It was too smooth, the mouth of the cave too perfect in its circular shape – as if it had been bored out instead of forming naturally.
"Wonder who built this," Atlas said, running a hand down the smooth wall of the cave – his hand coming away to inspect the small granules which now lay in his palm. He rolled them between his fingers briefly, before casting them away.
"I'd look it up, but unfortunately I can't right now," Remote grunted, still fiddling with a communicator.
Ben looked into the cave, the inside opaque to his searching eyes. He turned to Scope.
"Anything?"
Scope peered past him, their cyclopean eye piece rendering their expression unclear but after a few seconds they nodded in satisfaction.
"Seems like a normal cave, no predators present. In fact it's rather bare."
For whatever reason that seemed wrong to him, yet he couldn't put his finger on it – he merely felt a sense of unease sneak up on him. He pushed it aside. Better a spooky cave than an unstable lump of rock or going back to Jinzhou.
With a shrug, Atlas stepped in first. He was soon joined by the rest of them, some appearing more cautious than others.
He was one of the more cautious members of the group, he had to be. He was the one put in charge, and after Shuffle's passing he didn't want to lose anyone else. Orwell and Scope still hadn't told him what had happened to her.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know.
He cave was long and winding, leading further into darkness, yet curiously he had less trouble seeing than he would have thought. After a while the ambient light seemed to stabilise, no longer decreasing. It wasn't right.
He took another step.
Then, Scope and Orwell suddenly seized up.
Scope dropped like a rock, convulsing on the ground – eyes rolling in their skull. Orwell remained standing, but the jerking of their shoulders and panicked eyes was all the more horrifying.
"Scope?! Scope!" Wayfarer attempted to rush to her side, but Ben quickly stopped him – an unmovable hand to his shoulder.
"No! Don't! Give them some space!" Ben looked at Scope's shaking form, and then the surrounding area. Thankfully Scope had fell near the centre of the tunnel, and the smooth walls ensured nothing jagged could tear into them while they were in this state.
Instead his eyes turned to Orwell.
"Orwell?" Ben kept his voice low, "Can you hear me?"
The shaking head of Orwell turned to him, their skin pallid and sweating. Ben looked into the man's bulging eyes, and knew what the man was feeling.
Fear. Pure unadulterated fear.
"My power isn't working."
Ben's heart sank. Again?!
No, wait, if their powers weren't working how was he holding back Wayfarer so easily? He was a big man, but holding back someone as well trained as Wayfarer should have taken more than one arm if he didn't have his powers.
His other hand reached for the wall of the cave, and with a gentle push his hand sunk deep into the stone.
He pulled it out just as easily.
His power was still working.
So, what was going on?!
"Ben," Orwell said in a tone he had never heard the man use. Using his true name, no less, and not his codename. It was unlike the usually professional Orwell that Ben knew, so unlike the man that it made him briefly lock up – his body going ramrod straight.
"before my power cut out there was- It-" Orwell seemed to choke on the words, pale lips unable to from the words.
By this point everyone had turned away from Scope, all eyes on Orwell as the man trembled like a leaf in the wind. Eyes dilated and adrenaline beginning to course through their veins. The next words the man finally scrounged up sent shivers racing down the spine of every person who heard them.
"There was something watching us."
-Alexander POV-
The drone had been sent. It would take roughly ten hours to reach the breach. It could have reached the area in less than that, but for stealth to be maintained it would have to cruise at a slower speed than its maximum.
"And these batteries! They're much more energy dense than the ones we have access to!"
I smiled as Cai Lun rambled on, soaking up the knowledge I had given him like a sponge. The speed at which he made logical inferences and used existing knowledge to trailblaze new paradigms was always amazing to see. After Renji, Cai Lun was perhaps the creation I was most proud of.
Unlike some of the others Cai Lun wasn't a one to one with his historical counterpart. Because, while that man had undoubtedly been brilliant and wise, he was too limited for the role I wished for him to fill. You see, science is a slow, iterative, process. You make theories, you test them vigorously, you invite others to poke and prod at your findings to try to find a flaw and only then is your theory accepted. It wasn't like everyone else could just pull knowledge from the ether.
Yet, for the chief scientist of Jinzhou it wasn't enough for him to simply be brilliant. So, using Cai Lun's reputation for brilliance, I had instead bound into Cai Lun's body a distilled concept, much like Renji. He was The Scientist, capable of arriving at conclusions of mind bending science that no one else could. Obviously this came with side effects. Where the original Cai Lun was known to courteous and wise, this Cai Lun was rather more...excitable.
"It uses a certain crystalline lattice," I vaguely state, instead sending him the schematics and underlying sciences directly into his mind.
"Oh? OH! I see, the material and structure is certainly interesting. I wonder if this material could be used in-"
His mutterings descend into unintelligible murmurs interspersed with the occasional bark of laughter. It was part of the man's charm, he had an unending love for what he did. His behaviour often reminded me of a child in a candy store, constantly marvelling at what was around him.
Renji apparently didn't agree, constantly maintaining a five meter distance from the man at all times. It wasn't a caution that I understood, so what if he had asked me to create a black hole the last time we had interacted in China? It's not like I did it.
Mostly because I didn't know I could. I hadn't experimented with concentrating so much matter in one place. I knew better now.
Though, that reminds me: I should show Cai Lun my black hole trick before I return to building up my inner sanctum. I'm sure he'd be interested!
"So, remember that last conversation we had right before I left?"
Renji's face morphs into a look of horror, while Cai Lun looks up at me in curiosity – broken out of his ramblings, for now.
"Ah Yes, the observations of a black hole! Truly a shame I could not witness a singularity with my own eyes, I had so many tests I wanted to run," Cai Lun laments.
"Well, I've got good news!"
Cai Lun's face brightens.
"You've discovered faster than light travel?" The man completely shifted the conversation to his current obsession, the words an exited jumble.
"Ye-Wait no, that's not what I was talking about."
"Oh," he seems disappointed, then glances up in suspicion "But have you though?"
"Uhh…"
"I knew it! Oh, you'll have to share the data! Just think of all the readings we could take of the Solar System with this!" He grabs one of my hands, shaking it up and down in excitement, either missing or ignoring the exasperated look Renji sends his way.
I, for my part, am more than a little bemused, but still willing to go with the flow.
"A good idea, but I think you'll have to deal with the space pigeon first," I teased him with a smile. That smile became considerably more strained when he only nodded enthusiastically at what was supposed to be a joke.
"This is true! I've already begun preparations on the missiles, and with you here it should go much faster!"
I leaned in, with some concern. "What sort of missiles?"
"Antimatter!" Cai Lun beamed.
…Dear God, he really was my creation.
Renji, stop looking at me like that, I didn't mean to encourage him!
"Maybe don't do that. I've already got a plan in the works for that. An explosion of that sort of magnitude," I stopped to run some calculation and shuddered, "would not have light consequences."
The man pouted like a six year old being told he couldn't have an ice cream.
"FFFFFINE!" he whined. "But you better make it up to me! You said you expanded space in your basement? How? Was it a pocket dimension, is that what you meant?"
"No, though I do know how to make those too – added a few of them into the tunnels!"
"I'm also interested in those," he said to me, picking up a pen and paper.
Why he needed those when he had an eidetic memory, I didn't know.
"Maybe stick to the spatial expansion, I put some pretty scary stuff in the tunnels."
The man didn't look to convinced, but shrugged and proceeded to grill me for information – redoubling upon learning I now knew the technology that Shards typically used.
I had to periodically lead him away from certain subjects, no I wasn't going to show you Strange Matter Cai Lun – stop asking!
And that's how I wiled away a few hours, in deep discussion with a scientist of voracious appetite and questionable tastes. We spoke until shadows began to creep up the streets, cast from the tall buildings that made up the city – sunset casting them in reds and yellows.
I bid the Paragon farewell, for now, and left with Renji in tow. Everything in Jinzhou was, for the moment, secure. No one was at risk of sudden death, Taizong was no longer doing anything crazy, multiple barriers had been set up (both magical and technological in nature) and the people's worries had mostly been eased.
"Well, time to get back to building up the main chamber," I smile, glad to be getting back to my work. I had never enjoyed leaving something unfinished, the empty space at the heart of my new base scratching away in the back of my mind ever since Jinzhou appeared.
"And my upgrade?"
"And your upgrade," I agreed with Renji. I had come up with a few ideas on that, though they were admittedly a little barebones at the moment. Swapping out materials and technology for superior alternatives was a no brainer, but the little details were still in the works.
Then there was the magic side of things. With my new understanding I could see that Renji's core was…rather primitive. I had dragged down an ideal with rotten string and lazily placed it into something that might resemble craftmanship if you tilted your head and squinted.
Renji, unlike the Paragons, didn't have a defining ability. He couldn't distort space, bend probability, become immortal or anything like that. The only thing his magic did was power him, making him slightly more physically capable than he should have been.
I could fix that. With AetherPunk I could more accurately inspect the relationship between the ideal and the body, the essence of the Samurai and the doll I had crafted for it to inhabit.
Many weeks ago I had crafted Renji using a mix of Sakura wood and metal drawn from iron sand. That had actually been clever on my part. The links this gave my creation to Japan had likely been the only reason it had worked with how crude my methods were.
Japan's own belief of Kami residing in all things had likely played a part in that too.
This time I would remake the body entirely. The materials would have to be made first, and left to soak in enough ambient magic for me to begin enchanting them. It would be a more holistic approach, crafting each body part separately in such a way that they would complement each other.
Runes and stories would be engraved upon each part of the body, like before. But now I understood the link between SilkPunk's effectiveness and the amount of effort that was placed into what you were working on.
A mass produced sword would gain far less from this type of magic than a custom sword that you crafted yourself. It was a magic that rewarded art and patience.
This time, I would use that to the fullest.
"Once we get down there we'll finish building up the inner sanctum. After that? My workshop and your new body."
AN: Yo! Honestly this chapter was supposed to solely be about the protectorate's cave spelunking adventure, but the words weren't quite wording so that'll be the next update. We still got to see the first part, and it's definitely not looking good!
Alexander and Renji meet with Cai Lun, the drone is sent off and they discover that Alexander's penchant for massive displays of terrifying power may have been picked up by the scientist of all people. Now Renji and Alexander are going back to finish their work on the main sanctum and Renji's body.
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Rating:
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Category:
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Fandom:
Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Relationship:
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Characters:
Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)
Additional Tags:
Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-25Words:229,706Chapters:83/?Comments:559Kudos:1,455Bookmarks:363Hits:86,657
(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)
10moorem
Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Terror
Summary:
The Protectorate infiltration team want out of Alexander's wacky haunted house please.
Chapter Text
Chapter 65: Terror
-Chubster POV-
That single sentence from Orwell's mouth sent shivers running down his spine. It felt as if he had been plunged into ice cold water, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. From the wide eyes and pale faces of his team, he wasn't alone in that feeling.
Suddenly the cave that had seemed so safe suddenly felt…wrong. The shadows crept deeper, the light seemed dimmer.
He felt exposed, watched.
"Shade!" He half yells, half whispers. "Turn us invisible!"
Ben waited for the man to pop up, as he always tended to do – likely behind someone to boot.
That didn't happen, and as the seconds drag on Ben realises something has gone horribly wrong.
"Shade!" The walls whisper back with his own voice. "Shade! Shade! Shade! Shade! Shade! Shade!"
The whispers send his heart racing, eyes darting to every shadow.
Then he whips around to Pyroclasm.
"MAKE A WALL!"
Pyroclasm, eyes wide in fear, does as he is ordered. Stone flowed upwards at his command, first in front of them and then behind them. Preventing whatever was following them any easy way to get to them. The walls bubbled, tiny holes forming within the cement and ensuring they wouldn't suffocate to death.
Ben heaved, his heart thundering in his chest as he stood in the dark.
With shaking hands he reached into his bag to retrieve one of the few items they had been able to salvage from their -mostly crushed- supplies. A Glow Stick. With a snap and a shake, the chem light illuminated the pocket of safety Pyroclasm had erected.
His team was mostly all there, pale and frightened but alive.
"Pyro," he once again whispers, much lower this time. "You can sense vibrations if you concentrate right? What's following us?"
There was no response, and for a brief, dreadful, moment he thinks whatever was in these caves had snatched him up. But as he looked to his left, he saw Pyroclasm. The man was shaking, arms still held up – as if he was bearing some heavy weight only he could see.
"Can't." The man's words were clipped and ringed with effort. "Something's-it's fighting my control of this place, trying to revert my changes!"
"So what, you can't keep this up?!" Wayfarer shouted, immediately being shushed by everyone present. The man's face held nothing but panic, eyes bulging and teeth grit.
Ben couldn't blame him there was something-
No, it was this entire place. There was something horribly wrong, and they could all feel it.
'A Stranger Effect' his more logical side distantly notes, but his instinct driven mind doesn't hear. Too busy drowning in fear to think things through.
"Well, Maybe we should-"
Wayfarers words caught in the back of their throat as they, and everyone else, heard a noise.
They freeze.
A footstep. Unmistakably so.
"Shade?" Atlas calls out, hopeful but with fearful eyes.
Another step, closer this time.
The sharp clack of something hard pressing on stone.
No voice calls out.
Ben glances over, noticing Orwell beginning to shake once more. With steps he so desperately hopes are silent, he goes over to wrap his arms around the cape. This close, he can feel the panicked breathing, can hear the thundering heart even as the man attempted to be silent.
The others were barely better, with Scope completely checked out – still on the floor.
Another step, this time there was the sound of something being dragged across the floor.
Then there was a wet splat and the sound of crumbling rocks.
Then another footstep.
And another.
So close now. So terribly close.
Time seemed to move so slow, like molasses. Each breath feels dry enough to clog his throat and his body refusing to stop shivering.
It's here.
…
They wait in silence, only the sound of their own heartbeats to accompany them.
….
Ben thinks of charley, how many times is he going to come within a hairsbreadth of leaving her alone?
…..
There is scratching at the wall.
...
There is tearing at the barrier that separates them.
....
Something wants to get inside.
.....
Then it stops.
And there is a footstep.
And then another.
They keep quiet. Ben doesn't know how long it's been, he lost track of time – the terror drowning out all other thoughts. Yet, even hearing the footsteps drawing further away, none dare to move.
Not even Pyroclasm, despite his muscles straining and a thin stream of blood pouring from his nose.
It must be gone now, right?
Eventually, more out of need than any courage, Pyroclasm groans and releases the hold he has over the earth. The stone, now moving to the command of an alien will, begins to recede.
Once the stone reaches the height of his waist, Chubster leaps over it to inspect the other side.
The lowering wall was covered in scratches. Deep and terrible.
And nothing was present.
That did not ease the chill in his soul, however.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Ben blinks, liquid kissing his cheek.
He reaches up, to wipe it away.
He brings his hand back down, the fingers now covered in red.
Ben trembles, not wanting to look up – yet his body, in a daze, does so anyway.
He finds the lifeless gaze of Shade staring back at him.
-Atlas POV-
"Chubster! Chubster! Ben!" His whispered words were in vain however, Ben's eyes remained locked upon Shade's. The man's pale face was shaking back and forth, in denial over the sight before him.
Without another word Atlas hoisted Chubster unto his back, carrying him like a sack of potatoes.
"Wayfarer! Remote! Grab Scope and Orwell! We're moving!" He ordered as softly as he could, his eyes following the path the footsteps of whatever killed Shade had taken.
The sound of which lead back to the entrance. Shit!
Every instilled line of training urged him back up, to face the monster instead of heading further into the cave. Yet, the idea of facing whatever had brushed past them sent shivers of unease crawling along his back.
Something told him that if they encountered that thing again…
He shook his head, abandoning the thoughts of doom as he glanced towards Pyroclasm.
"Are you alright to move?"
The question got an affronted grunt out of the man. "I'll live," he whispered back, seemingly stoic. The slight shakes gave the lie away, though Atlas wasn't sure whether those were from pain or fear.
Likely, it was both.
He chose not to address it, instead clapping the man on the back softly. "Good man, alright everyone, that thing went towards the entrance and in our current state I don't fancy our odds. We're going to have to head deeper."
While a few looked shaken at that, it was quite telling that none of them protested the decision – their brief encounter with whatever that thing had been had driven a cold biting fear into all of them.
There was no other way to describe it. Atlas had faced scarier things than a monster in the dark, and yet…
The beating in his heart refused to fall.
Wayfarer and Remote gamely hefted the two Thinkers onto their backs, Remote having to stop fiddling with the useless communication device in order to do so – something he was clearly not happy with.
Together they crept downwards, wincing at every careless noise made. They scanned the darkness with the eyes of frightened children. The cave was no longer cold and dry, as it had been before. Now it was warm and damp, with the wheeze of air rushing back and forth – the sickly sweet air tickling at their noses with its acrid scent.
It almost seemed as if it were alive, something old and slow. Scope's mad mumblings did not help with the unease they all felt as they wandered down.
It was quiet down here, forebodingly so. Nothing but the sound of wind of feet attempting to march quietly upon stone. Four pairs of feet clambering upon ancient stone that had never seen the light of day.
Click Clack Click Clack Click Clack Click Clack Click Clack.
He didn't know how far they walked, the memory hazy, but eventually their eyes began to register a faint warm glow sputtering to life before them. A divergence in the path, a side room that radiated a soft yellow light.
They came to a stop. The sound of the clicking and clacking of boots upon hard stone, a sound that had been a constant companion on the way down, coming to an end.
Click Clack.
He Stiffened, ice creeping down his spine.
With shaking legs, he turned around.
Nothing.
Just the beady stare of smooth stones staring back at him. The abyssal black of the rocks surface gazing into his soul.
He shuddered, turning back around – trying to convince himself that the breathing on the back of his neck was just the cave, and not something else.
Like moths to the flame, they pressed forwards.
The doorway opened up to a well lit room. It appeared to be some kind of study, notes and scientific equipment lining the tables in the middle of the room. The room was caked in a fine layer of dust, clearly long since abandoned, and the bulbs and beakers of glass were clearly ancient – riddled with cracks.
"Wh-where are we?" The groggy voice of Chubster groaned out over his shoulder.
A sharp relief hit Atlas, his friend was okay!
"We don't know, some kind of room carved into the mountain itself. Remote, any guesses?"
Remote, having long since placed Orwell down to fiddle with a spindly contraption of brass and glass glances over to him.
"The tech is old. 1900's, maybe."
Atlas felt confusion bubble up at his teammates words. How was that possible? This cave clearly wasn't natural, if the smooth walls and perfectly circular shape were any indication, but he didn't think the ones who created it were from that long ago?
Heck, Atlas had never paid too much attention in his history classes but were people even poking around in Antarctica back then?
It stunk, this whole situation reeked to high hell.
He needed more information, his eyes drifted towards the notes and books that lined the tables.
"Wayfarer, guard the door. Everyone else who feels up for it," he glances at three bleary eyed -and still shuddering- members of his team as he says this, "grab a book and try to figure out what the hell this place is doing here."
Remote, without glancing up once, grabbed a thick book close to him and began flipping through the pages.
Atlas himself reached for the nearest parchment of paper, a single sheaf that had yellowed over the ages and turned brown near the edges, and brought it closer.
It is to my greatest shame that I am forced into speech by pen and parchment because the rest of my colleagues, men of science and reason, refuse to take heed and leave this place with me. It is thus my will that I leave behind this warning, even knowing it might be in vain, for those who come after.
I do not know who you are, but I imagine that, just like us, you are curious individuals of good learning. Thus I know that to turn away must seem like the most bitter of poison, but the secrets that lie in this place are not for you. Not for any of us.
I suppose I should explain my own circumstances. I am a Geologist, a man of learning from Cambridge University charged with uncovering the secrets of God's wonderous creation. This expedition was tasked with collecting samples of rock from this land far in the south, of particular interest was pre-Cambrian strata that we discovered to the North of this camp.
Then we discovered this cave. I regret that discovery, and I suspect I will to my dying day. It fascinated us, of course. A queerly shaped structure that showed no evidence of the erosion of time. Prof. Frank Hebert was fascinated by a material he found deeper within that could not be scratched by the remarkable drill he devised. Prof. James Emory supposedly found an unknown type of flora even deeper in, though in his mad fit of paranoia we-
The next few words were smudged out, completely indecipherable. Atlas attempted to uncover what they said for several minutes, placing the latter up to the flickering light to no avail.
-Which only got worse in time, now we hear them every night - baying at our barricades. We cannot keep them out any longer, already the crude planks of wood we have been forced to cannibalise are worn and falling apart. The others claim that we must press deeper, that our salvation lies there.
I suspect we shall only find more of them.
The other are packing even now, leaving behind only what they believe is unnecessary. Whole books detailing our observations on the lichen and insects present in the more temperate regions of this blasted desert, the mating behaviour of the Skuas, the journals detailing our travels to this very place. All of it, discarded as if it were nothing in the face of this vile unnaturalness.
I will have none of it. They may seek to go lower, but I shall not.
To whoever is reading this, if anyone ever does, please turn back. If you have reached this far then there must be a reason to believe that you cannot. Perhaps parts of the cave collapsed, perhaps members of your group have fallen ill or perhaps you have even met one of those-
Once again the next section has been blackened out, scrubbed away with a furious hand. It was thankfully a smaller section this time, likely only comprising a few words. Despite this Atlas felt a cold curdling feeling in his stomach, sitting heavily.
However I must warn you: this is a trap.
We experienced much the same. Mysterious outside weather, sudden cave ins, hallucinations and even encounters. All whenever we wished to head back. Something is here. Something is watching us, and doesn't want us to leave. It wants us to dive deeper into this gullet.
But I will not play this game, and I hope you refuse to do so as well.
With regards, and with the utmost luck.
Prof. Eric Whitehall
1903
Atlas tore his eyes away from the paper, glancing at the doorway. The darkness looming outside seeming even hungrier.
"Remote, did you find anything?"
His question just got a shaken head. "It was a book detailing an expedition to this continent, but none of it mentions this cave at all."
"I've got something similar here," said Ben, still appearing shaken but gamely flipping through a book to his side.
"It seems to detail a type of bird native to this place. No mentions of a spooky cave," he smiled, the attempt at levity as frail as the smile on his face was.
Atlas held up the letter. "Well I think I've found something."
Remote and Chubster gathered close, reading the letter over his shoulder. Chubster still shook, but it was fainter now, his leader having had the time to centre himself once more after the death of…Shade.
Atlas' mood turned dark at the reminder of his friend's death. Shade had been many things: moody, taciturn and secretive but the man had been on the team for two years. That was more than enough time for bonds to form and be tested. Shade had saved his life once, in Louisiana when a Biotinker unleashed a swarm of ravenous plants that they had been brewing in a nearby forest.
Atlas had gone down hard, a titanic specimen managing to hold him down long enough that the variants with spores potent enough to make a man cough his lungs up could get close. If it hadn't been for Shade, he wouldn't be here.
And now he was dead…
Remote clucked his tongue in annoyance. "A bit vague wasn't he?"
Ben nodded. "It still gives us a few useful bits of info, though. That creature was trying to lure us further down, that's why it didn't follow us."
Remote chuckled darkly at that. "That's not all that it did," he said, pointing towards the sections of the letter that had been made completely illegible. "I highly doubt it was the professor that did this."
Oh.
The implication settled in Atlas, clawing up to his brain like a buried tick.
"It does seem to cut out whenever the man seems to talk about whatever is down here, you think that's from them?"
Remote nodded at Ben's question.
"Probably, which would imply that these things have enough intellect to read and plan ahead. Which certainly isn't ideal," Remote said, troubled.
"Are we really supposed to believe that this originated from 1903? That's before Scion, before Parahumans!" Atlas couldn't help but point out, yet the sick twisting in his gut only increased when Remote shook his head.
"I already considered the possibility that this place was a fabrication," he said, before he pulled out an odd rectangular device -clearly of Tinker make.
"According to this, the carbon dating matches. It's not exact but the things in this room are definitely from that time. The only other possibility would be a group managing to fabricate the decay of Carbon atoms, and then deciding to use it for a glorified haunted house in the middle of nowhere. Not very likely."
When he put it like that, Atlas was forced to agree – but still! Something like this predating the arrival of Parahumans was…well, it was huge! Paradigm shattering!
He swallowed.
"Ideas on what to do next?"
Chubster didn't hesitate. "We can't stay here."
"He's right, whatever wants us to continue forward clearly has malevolent intentions. We need to turn back," Remote agreed, despite the longing in his words. Remote was, after all, a Tinker, and a researcher before that. The call to explore this place that defied everything they thought they knew must be nearly irresistible.
"That'll mean confronting that thing," he pointed out, much to the consternation of everyone lucid enough to hear it.
Orwell and Scope were still down, though Orwell appeared slightly less pale than before – and was breathing easier. Pyroclasm was still holding his head in his palms, attempting to stop the light from reaching his eyes.
That left him, Ben, Remote and Wayfarer. Three bodies needed to be carried, Atlas might be able to carry two, or even three, of them. However that would leave him, the strongest brute of the team, effectively side-lined.
Yet, what choice was there? The only other person who might be able to carry all of their incapacitated teammates was Chubster, whose Brute rating relied upon how slow he was moving.
Remote and Wayfarer, in comparison, were much frailer and less capable of carrying heavy loads – Remote being a Tinker already lugging around hefty equipment.
Wayfarer was-
He stopped. Eyes wide as he noticed something.
"Atlas?"
He ignored the call, eyes fixed upon wayfarer. Instincts warning him that something was wrong.
The man wasn't moving.
He wasn't simply still, he was completely unmoving.
The others had noticed now too, their eyes trailing over to where he was looking. Only needing a few seconds to notice what was off.
"Wayfarer?" Ben called, a pitiful note in an ocean of silence.
The man didn't respond.
Atlas' eyes met Remote's, gesturing for him to drag the others away from Wayfarer. The man nodded, reaching down to pull them further into the room, and away from the stock-still figure.
Atlas moved towards the man, the electric blue of his uniform now appearing so dull.
"Wayfarer?" He placed his hand on the man's shoulder, shaking it.
Wayfarer's body lolled back and forth, bonelessly. His head flopping with the motion.
Atlas shivered, and turned the man around.
Coming face to face with the dead eyes of Wayfarer. His face pale, and nose bleeding. Every inch of his expression carved by the same inexpressible terror that he had seen in the darkness.
The darkness that was still waiting.
Watching.
AN: First time I'm doing anything horror related, so not sure on how I did. The letter is actually based on some of the first lines of The Mountains of Madness, though what they're facing is rather unique. I based it on another horror novel, I wonder if you can guess which one?
So yeah, Shuffle is a Titan, Shade and Wayfarer appear to be dead and the two Thinkers as well as Pyroclasm aren't in a good state. The only ones truly up and ready to fight are Atlas, Chubster and Remote. Not ideal.
Needless to say, Alexander might be a little too good at this.
Will probably switch back to Alexander next Chapter, he'll be making the city-sized inner sanctuary – with enough horrors within that would make the Simurgh blush.
Thanks for reading, please leave a comment!
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