THE BOOKS OF MAGIC [modplot]

[letsgolegion]

Who| Everyone who signed up
What| The Books of Magic Plot
Where| All over the DC Universe
When| The same time as "Out With the Old"
Warnings/Notes| N/A

Their mission had brought them to Sorceror's World, which led to their first lead -- a strange artifact that, if completed, would allow them to find how the Spectre had been imprisoned the first time. After the golden device had been activated and revealed this, they all suddenly found themselves teleported in teams of two to new locations.

Strange, weird, and magical new locations.

Comments

Soldier 76 and Spider-Gwen

[letsgolegion]

It's a good thing they're in their transuits. They find themselves in the black void of space outside an unimaginably massive wall, bigger than a mountain, bearing the images of countless giant alien beings, their expression fixed into grimaces of pain and distress.

There is an opening in the wall nearby, in the form of the mouth of one of the massive hulking forms.

[mylawn]

76's talents mostly involve pointing a gun at things and pulling the trigger--he's not really about magic or the supernatural or other such fantasies (even if his current worst enemy is some kind of nanomachine nightmare ghost). Suffice to say that upon arriving in the Sorceror's world, he lets out an audible groan that sums up just how exasperated he really is.

Maybe the exasperation also has something to do with his current partner, but if there's something he's good at beyond pointing a gun at things and pulling the trigger, it's compartmentalizing. He'll have to bite down all his sardonic remarks for the sake of the mission.

Their next course of action seems fairly obvious--that sure is an opening in the wall, and even though it's ominous, he's pretty sure that's where they're headed.

"You see any other way in?"

More of a cursory question than anything.

[deafleppard]

Yes, thank god for the future with all of its future technology. In fact, it was that very future technology that was standing between her, the cold and unforgiving vacuum of space, and a horrifyingly painful death. So if there was ever a time where she wanted the suit to work the way it was supposed to...

This would definitely be it.

"Nope. All I see is this giant wall of people, space, and more space."

Lots of space.

"May as well go in. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

[mylawn]

"You don't want to ask me that question."

Because it can always, always get worse. That doesn't seem to deter 76, however, and he presses on, whether Gwen follows along or not. He leads with his gun, keeping it raised and ready, finger hovering over the trigger.

Nothing pings on his environment scanner, however, but he fully expects that to change as soon as he pokes into the mouth-shaped opening.

[letsgolegion]

It's pretty disturbing in there. There are more people that are part of the walls, making it clear that this entire wall of made up of the forms of people trapped in here.

Most of the people seem unconscious or entranced somehow, but one of them speaks as they pass by. He's a bald man in a suit of power armor, who looks as if he's been merged together with it. His skin is light green and there are three discs on his forehead, arranged in a way that resembles the discs Brainic 5 wears.

"You'll never find your way through," he says. "But if you free me, I can show you the way."

[deafleppard]

Yep, creepy. Definitely creepy. Not really Silent Horizon levels of messed up, but definitely up there. Doesn't help that there was no real way of avoiding all the pained faces that made up the walls. Seriously, the last thing they probably saw was... whatever made them part of the display. Messed up stuff, right there.

Oh, and one of them was actually talking to them.

"What the f-?! O-Oh."

Awesome.

Gwen just sort of looks at him then back at 76.

"Uh, what do you think? We could probably use his help to get out of here faster."

Then back at the man in the wall.

"Hey, you look kind of familiar..."

[mylawn]

"Or he could kill us."

76 is generally paranoid, and Gwen saying that he looks familiar does him no favors. He takes a few steps closer, gun raised and ready, just in case the man stuck in the wall says something he doesn't like.

"How'd you end up here?"

You know, stuck in the wall.

[letsgolegion]

"I was looking for answers," says the man. "About the nature of the universe. Seeking knowledge isn't a crime, but the superheroes of my time thought it was." The man sneers. "They feared anyone besides themselves potentially gaining power."

He tugs at his bonds fruitlessly.

"And because they liked to delude themselves into thinking they were morally superior, they left me trapped like this, so they didn't have to get blood on their hands by killing me the way they wanted to."

He adds, "There are many treasures and secrets in this place, hidden away, but finding them is risky. If your will is subsumed by the Sourcewall, you'll end up just like everyone else that's trapped here. I can help you find your way. If you free me."

Or they can risk finding it on their own.

... I thought i had this thread tracked wtf

[deafleppard]

That was a hell of a story to had told to them, and it frankly didn't make Gwen feel any better about being there. "So they didn't want you knowing too much and punished you by making you a part of the show. Sounds about right."

She looked at the wall he was... a part of.

Nasty way to end up being, really.

"Not so much looking for treasures. More like... a puzzle piece? It's a long story."

Turning back to 76, though.

"I like the idea of finding what we need faster."

[mylawn]

76 listens to the story sort of unflinchingly, all things considered, but he’s clearly weighing his options. There’s always the possibility that this man is lying, but if he isn’t, they could be running in circles until it’s far, far too late. He imagines that in this case, the risk is too great for them to chance it.

“Fine.”

Hopefully he can handle whatever’s thrown at them in the event this is, in fact, one big fib. 76 growls a little as he turns back to the man in the wall, folding his arms and looking entirely unimpressed.

“Make it quick.”