Fog. That’s all he could describe it as. Nox had been stuck in a fog for quite a while now. It was hard to maintain any sort of shape that resembled the human form he had come to grow fond of. So much of his focus had gone into keeping up appearances that he wasn’t quite sure of where he had wandered.
Running his long, spindly fingers through his tousled, ginger hair, he swiveled his head, trying to get his bearings. Nothing looked familiar. Heaving a sigh, a small puff of black smoke left his lips.
*Once she finds her parthner, buddy, she attempts to reach for his forehead, going on her tiptoes… But he is taller than her and can’t reach it! With flushed cheeks, she decides to turn ghost like, althrough she is not as visible due of her embarassment… Like this, she floats just a little and gives the nightmare a gently and ghostly kiss on his forehead*
The session had finished for a long while and she was still pouty. Given the results of it, there was still too much for them to learn. Them being her... And her new partner. A 'buddy', as described by Miss Bolt. Both of them were now interns and they would have the same training and would work as a team on tasks.
Ghosty had never seen him before this. Neither the name or the face reminded her of someone she had met. She'd surely know him better once they start on their duties. And she hoped they would get along well.
Sitting on a nearer chair, she sighed and smiled tiredly at him.
"A-are you all right?..." she asked shyly, knowing the first test hadn't been easy for them both.
Snatching Annie by the wrist, Nox pulls her close and stares longingly into her big, shining eyes. Tenderly brushing his knuckles across her cheek, he tucks her hair behind her ear and holds the back of her head gently. Snaking his arm around her waist, he holds her close and presses a gentle kiss to her lips.
She doesn’t quite react at his gestures, confusion being the only expression on her face… At least until he kisses her, on which her cheeks and ears turn scarlet.
After a few seconds, she pulls back; the rest of her body tensing and trembling slightly. Both eyes search for Nox’s, questioningly… Searching for an explanation.
There is a something you have, Miss Lyssa… I dun’t know how to call it, but it’s warm and nice… I like it! UuU
Nox
How come… I never saw you before, Mister Nox??? Oh, also. If you can visit dreams, can you make nightmares disappear…??? Oh, and are you handsome…?
Atros
Sir, you don’t want to do what you told me you want to do… Thi-things like those never end well… I’d be shame if it turned out bad for you… *hic* You don’t look like a bad person…
Maggie
… *Blinks blinks* Miss Bolt…? Why is your hair so long so soon…? You… Look younger too… *hic*
Scary: *Has pretty much forgotten the twins, having left them to sleep on his bed wrapped in warm blankets. After all, they are half his and he's not TOTALLY heartless*
sw: *after a long and arduous search, she finally found it. Imploding the lock on the door, she pushes it open and holds her breath*
Scary: *From the couch* What are you doing?
Sw: Saving my girls. *she narrows her eyes and strides over, trying to hide her exhaustion and pain* You do realize they could get sick, or perhaps die right now? They're premature you /fuckin moron/
Scary: *He sighs and reaches over to grab his glasses, sliding hem onto his face* Oh Scarlet, you say this like you think I care. They were all along just away to make sure that I had a way to hold onto you. Now that their purpose has been outlived, they can expire for all I care.
Scary: Yes, yes, all dashing bravado and all of that hero business that you are so fond of. *The door suddenly swings shut behind her and the lights go out*
Sw: *she quickly surrounds herself with an orb of dim, red light, ready to fight despite her current condition. After all, she had an ace up her sleeve*
Scary: *His voice is somehow everywhere- In her ear, far away, behind her, above her… Everywhere* Oh sweet Scarlet night… Why do you chase my shadows so...?
Sw: I tried turning to the darkness for solace. I find light is much kinder. *she narrows her eyes and looks around, moving slowly and cautiously*
Scary: *A gargantuan shadow erupts before her, too thick to be penetrated by her light, and WAY too big to fit in Scary's small house* It's so sweet how you think all of this is real… Tell me, my red letter A… What do you see all wrapped up in your dreams like that...?
Sw: *she begins to tremble as she realizes what's happening* I think you know... *Tears roll down her cheeks and she sinks to her knees, letting the light disappear. The shadow slowly turns into a perfect mirror version of herself. All around her are the people she has let down. The innocents she murdered. Her mirror image glows red and she cries out as the world around her is turned asunder*
Scary: *She feels a hand on her shoulder as he bends and whispers in her ear* Amazing what you can do with a little sent free…. Air freshener...
Sw: *She lets out a sob and bats at the nightmare vision of the scarecrow in all his terrifying glory*
Scary: *His voice is at her throat* Amazing innovation really… *Her stomach, the feeling of lips and razor sharp teeth against her incision* I had to make it invisible and scentless… It took me quite a bit of time to make perfect… *His voice grows dark and the teeth more insistent, a long, pointed tongue probing her stitches* And then that idiot captured you and I was forced to wait… *And the teeth draw back* But it all turned out even better. The two loose ends are here, where I can take care of them, and so are you… *His chuckle echoes everywhere* It was SO EASY… I practically didn't even have to lure you here. And then all it took was looking a little disturbed by your strange paranoia and you slipped right into my trap… Really Scarlet, did you think I wouldn't be immune to /my own poison?/
Sw: *she shudders and whimpers, but she manages to get a few words out* Yes... and I know someone else who is
Nox: *having convinced Atros to let him go to protect Scarlet, he rises from the floorboards and hisses at scarecrow. His already monstrous appearance is magnified by the gas and causes Scarlet to scream in terror* No one hurtsss misss Ssscarlet and getss away with it
Scary: *He takes an involuntary step backwards, his eyes widening at the Nightmare's Appearance* What is this? Some new mutated trick of magic?
Nox: You call yourssself the massster of fear. *his long green tongue slithers past needle-like teeth and flicks against Scary's cheek* Ssstrange. I don't remember having a massster other than Atrossss. *the dark shadowy tentacles that hold the monster up lash out and wrap around Scary's wrists and ankles and drag him to the floor
Sw: *trying to push past the fear, she begins to drag herself upstairs, fighting the visions every step of the way*
Scary: WHAT. ARE. YOU! *For a second he's afraid the toxin antidote he took earlier isn't working, but no, everything else has remained the same except for the creature whose tentacles he is now desperately struggling against*
Nox: *dragging him towards the base of the swirling, smoky tentacles, he looms over him, holding up his giant, clawed fingers* A /nightmare/
Scar: *at the top of the stairs, she lays on her back, clutching at her stomach, trying not to heave. *
Scary: *A blood curdling scream tears past his lips and he rolls onto his back, desperately tearing at the tentacles with shaking fingers*
Nox: *dragging him into the abyssal blackness of his tentacles, he growls and begins his counterattack. Johnny finds himself reduced to his small, scrawny pre-pubescent self, facing down his grandmother with her cane held high over her head*
Johnny: NO!! NOOOO! NOT AGAIN!! *He sobs, fat, scalding tears rolling down acne riddled cheeks* I didn't mean to Grandma!! PLEASE!! THEY WERE SO MEAN TO ME!
Gma: *her voice is warped and her teeth are razor sharp. Eyes glowing red, she brings the cane down on him* YOU'RE A BAD BOY JOHNNY. I'm going to make you sit upstairs with the crows all night!
Scar: *she digs into her pocket and fumbles with her phone, trying to activate the voice command option, not daring to open her eyes* Call CROY
M: *He's been pacing in the driveway all night, desperate to go after her, but he understand this is her fight. When his phone buzzes in his pocket he nearly yelps out loud, almost dropping it as he pulls it out* Scar! What's going on in there?! Who's screaming?!
Johnny: *Wild, ragged sobs as he launches himself at the apparition, biting and clawing chunks of wrinkly flesh away* NO!!! NOOOOO!!! NOT AGAIN!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!!
Sw: *tears rolling down her cheeks, she lets out a ragged sob* Help me...
Nox: *The vision of grandma lets out an unearthly screech and is reduced to a skeleton. However the skeleton jumps back and is morphed into a giant crow with six, glowing eyes and a sharp, jagged beak. Letting out a savage call, it snaps at the scrawny boy*
M: *He drops his phone on the lawn without another word and takes off, crashing straight through the wall* SCARLET!!!
Johnny: *He screeches in terror and starts running, but he never seems to be gaining any ground*
Sw: *crying out at the sound, she curls in on herself and sobs even harder* Please help me!
Nox: *Flapping its massive wings, the crow takes flight, plucking up little johnny. Outside of his illusion though, Nox sees Marvel enter and calls out to him to get his attention* He usssed the toxin!
M: I figured Nox, thank you. The Kree DNA makes me immune. *He heads straight for Scarlet, gathering her into his arms. His face is a dark thunder head of emotion and he looks like he might murder somebody. Somebody very specific.* Tear him apart Nox. BREAK. HIM. Where are the babies Scarlet? *He's already fumbling in the bag they brought with them for the needle. For all his bravado he's sweating and shaking as he uncaps the needle and fills it with medicine*
Johnny: *Inhuman screeching fills the house as he thrashes in Nox's grasp*
Sw: I don't know *she wails, clenching her eyes shut as tears work their way past her lashes*
Nox: Trusssst me. I will. *he turns his attention back to his illusion, trying to exploit every fear he can possibly find in the doctor's warped mind. The crow releases Johnny, sending him careening to the ground*
M: *He swallows hard as the needle gleams in the dim, flickering lights of Crane's apartment. He doesn't even need to be affected by the fear toxin to be afraid right now* Okay Scar. We'll find them. It'll be okay. I'm just… Just gonna give you some medicine… *Sweat drips into his eyes and his whole body trembles. He has to kneel as his legs grow weak.* I'm so sorry…. *He winces and forces himself to plunge the needle into her arm, feeling sick*
Johnny: *He's somewhere between laughing and crying, his whole body spasming and thrashing, his eyes wide and dilated, staring aimlessly at the ceiling*
Sc: *she whimpers and trembles against him, praying that her girls will be okay and that it will all be over soon*
Nox: *The vision of the crow shifts to Crane's own personal nightmare!Batman and he stands over Crane, growling* You think you know fear? I have only just begun to give you a taste of true fear.
M: *He empties the needle, giving a sick sounding groan as he slides it out and tosses it away. He takes a few breaths before opening his eyes and lifting her into his arms* Alright. Babies. Let's go. *He finishes climbing the stairs and looks left and right down the hallway* Which way…?
Scary: YOU DON'T KNOW FEAR!! *He's still sobbing, extremely distressed* YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A MAN IN A MASK. I KNOW FEAR. I AM FEAR. YOU ARE NOTHING. NOTHING!
Sw: *the antidote slowly begins to take effect. Still trembling violently, she shakes her head* I don't know..
Nox: *nightmare visions of himself and nyx appear next to the bat and they speak in unison.* your fear is a cheap mockery that comes in a bottle. Without your precious toxin, it is you, who amounts to nothing.
M: *He tilts his head, listening carefully, trying to pick out sound between Scary's shouting* I think I hear crying. This way. *He turns abruptly to the right, pausing at each door for a moment until he finds one that seems promising to him and he kicks it open, the sound of crying babies suddenly flooding the air*
Scary: I'LL FIND A WAY. I'LL FIND A WAY TO BE SPECIAL. *He sobs* AND THEN YOU'LL ALL BE SORRY.
Sw: *the crying is still warped from the remaining toxin in her system and she flinches* Are they okay?
Nox: No you won't. Nobody cares. *all the visions vanish, leaving him alone in the dark. A soft voice whispers and echoes in the black* You are all alone and nobody cares about you.
M: *He glances down at her and set her gently back on her feet, an arm wrapped gently around her waist in case she's not ready to stand yet* I don't know, but they definitely sound okay. Are you going to be alright if I go get them?
Scary: *He curls in on himself and sobs, his whole body shaking uncontrollably* No… No she will love me… She has to… No....
Sw: Yeah... I just... I just need a bit of time. However they need to get back to the hospital as soon as possible. Think you could do that for me?
Nox: She desssspissesss you. *There's suddenly an image of scar before him. She looks normal, but Johnny is turned into this grotesque, pathetic looking creature. Scar wrinkles her nose and kicks him aside*
M: *He gathers the babies into his arms and looks at her incredulously* Of course I can Scar. You know I'd do anything for you. Do you want to come with though? FInally set your daughters?
Johnny: *He yelps and scrambles away, huddling in the shadows to watch her*
Sw: I'll be along once this is all out of my system. I'll have Nox bring me when he's done.
Nox: *All his hiding places seem to disappear and he can't escape her burning gaze, which is actually burning with how bright her eyes have turned* You don't deserve to live. You're worthless and horrid. I should put you out of your misery *as if caught in some invisible wind tunnel, her hair and clothing whip about her and she raises her hands, red and glowing*
M: *He looks her over, his eyebrows drawn together in concern, then nods, giving her a brief, armless hug* Stay safe Scarlet. Please. I'd never forgive myself if I left you here and then lost you.
Scary: No! NO SCARLET! I AM YOUR PASSION!! YOU HAVE NO FIRE WITHOUT ME!
Sw: I will. I think Nox is doing a good job of incapacitating our friend. *she shudders a bit*
Nox: *The woman bursts into flames like she used to when she was the phoenix. This time the flames feel hot to Johnny as they reach out and lick at him* I AM FIRE. I AM PASSION. I NEVER NEEDED YOU. YOU WERE JUST A PLAYTHING TO PASS THE TIME. AND NOW THAT I'M DONE WITH YOU, IT'S TIME TO THROW YOU AWAY! *her voice is like thunder as she slowly begins to strip away his physical form bit, by bit*
M: *He takes a deep breath and shakes his head* You have some really strange friends Scar… I'll meet you at the hospital. Stay safe. Take this just in case. *He shrugs the bag of supplies off his shoulder and lets it drop to the ground, then turns and takes a running leap out the window, both babies held tight against his chest* These girls are going to turn into thrill seekers for sure! *And then he's off*
Scary: *He screams out in agony, his real, physical body thrashing and spasming violently*
Sw: I will *she huddles in the corner, holding head and rocking herself slowly, waiting out the rest of the effects. Things seem to be returning to normal, but every so often, she can see something out of the corner of her eye, or a certain sound is intensified. Namely Johnny's screaming. Her heart is still pounding wildly*
Nox: *having exhausted his nightmare projection, he releases johnny and glides towards the stairs* How does it feel Scary? How does it feel to be the helpless one?
Scary: *He just whimpers and cowers away from Nox, pressing himself back against the wall as he watches the creature leave with wide, terrified eyes. He won't leave that spot for hours, and it'll be weeks before he can go upstairs again for fear that the Nightmare will still be up there, waiting for him...*
Nox: *gradually turning back into his normal, pink adorable self, he makes his way down the hallway and sighs, finally letting the smoke tentacles disappear and he makes his way to the bedroom on foot* Hey Witchie. I did the thing. Let's get you back to that hospital.
Sw: *she nods and takes his hand, still a bit jumpy though* You did a good job Nox. I'm proud of you
M: *Is at the hospital, pacing anxiously outside the NICU, glancing occasionally through the glass as doctors and nurses frantically check on the babies*
Sw: *she and Nox finally arrive, both of them looking a little worse for wear, but Scar's definitely happy to see Marv and Nox instantly pushes his face against the glass to finally see what all this baby fuss is about* Hey Cory. Thanks for all your help *she wraps her arms around him in a big hug*
M: You're safe… *He breaths a sigh of relief, closing his eyes peacefully at the familiar smell of her shampoo* I was so worried… When you called… God Scar, my heart dropped straight through my feet...
Sw: I thought I had been so careful. Damn bastard went and drugged me with a frickin' air freshener *she snorts a little* Can you believe that?
M: What a complete nerd… *PFFF, he would NEVER think of something so silly!*
Sw: *she relaxes against him and buries her face in his chest.* I hurt
Nox: Which ones are yours? Why are there so many? They all look so... squishy...
M: Let's get you back to your room. Come on. *He rubs her back gently* They said the babies are gonna be fine, so you don't need to worry about that. They're the second on the right Nox!
Sw: *she nods, feeling her knees go weak* I think I'm going to take a really long nap
Nox: *he gasps and squeals* THEY ARE MINI WITCHIES!!!
M: *He sweeps her off her feet* Try not to go too crazy. I'm taking this one to bed, alright?
Nox: *he nods, his eyes glued to the babies*
Sw: *she fidgets a bit and goes almost totally limp* By Noxie dear *she waves lazily before drifting off*
M: *He takes her back to her hospital room and lays her gently on the bed before settling in a chair beside her.* Wouldn't have been able to do that five years ago, huh? *He laughs, then realizes she's passed out. He's feeling pretty sleepy himself after such a long stressful day, but for the first time since she was kidnapped he's finally alone with her. The last man standing in her long line of would be lovers. She looks so beautiful, laying in a pool of light as the sun starts to rise, her face a picture of Serenity. He hesitantly leans forward and plants a feather light kiss on her forehead, and then her lips before sitting back again, a tormented expression on his face* Of course I would do anything for you Scarlet… You know that.. I love you… *He watches her for a moment longer, then he too drifts off to sleep*
