| From: | Mike Goldberg <m_goldberg@**.COLORADO.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The Nightmare continues.... (Fairly long) |
| Date: | Mon, 21 Feb 1994 22:29:43 MST |
in
places that were never meant to see the light of mundane's eyes. But
DragonEyes, tells me that the only way to deal with pain is by telling it. I
must add that this is a file that I typed up after the battle and just
downloaded this into the matrix, at a different location. To dangerous
otherwise.
I should also say that it looks like we will all live. I don't know if I really
want to . . .
Anyway, here goes. Doc Grizzle, before the attack in the safehouse, confided in
me and one other person, what Firewraith's true name is. We debated on what
should be done about her, but Doc Grizzle was hesitant to act. Blitzkrieg's
instructions were clear, if she falls into Hammer's hands (I don't think he was
expecting her to be in someone else's hands) to either free her, or if that
fails, destroy her permanently.
Well I finally got off enough courage to go do just that. I must have slipped
in my thoughts, and before I knew it Diana and WHAT were coming with me. I
should have resisted. DragonEyes and the others are working as best as they can
to save their lives even as I type this. *sniff*
Gods, it hurts to type. Anyway, we decided the time was right. We transcended
the boundry of astral space into the metaplanes taking What with us. The
Dweller took on the form of Blitzkrieg. He aired out our skeletons in the
closet. I must say it is ever unnerving to have that happen. Though it did give
me insight as to why What demanded to come along.
The quest was going along fine. We first went to what I would call Destiny's
home. We fought ourselves, each individually. I couldn't see what What and
Diana went through, but it had been a long time, since I was that challenged.
It gave me the full idea, of what we were in for. I finished up dealing with my
own problem at the same time, What and Diana did. We all were a little bit worn
from that.
It wasn't getting any easier when we had to deal with the fears. What I faced
was a race to find an item in what must have been a concentration camp. I raced
against 2 enemies. Hammer and one that I never quite saw. I almost lost it
there too. What came out of that one looking pretty tired, but Diana seemed to
have handled that one quite fine.
But we got to our goal. And Firewraith was there to greet us. Her opening
words were: "Why the hell did you have to make me do this?!?"
She opened up an attack, engulfing all of us in flames. What, in his
interesting dress of normal clothes with a scarf that I think is related to
football, got hit pretty hard by it. Firewraith was even quicker than I
remember and she was much more powerful than the last time we met. I guess
What's grayness in the astral was the reason that he got hit so hard. Diana
and I responded with spells. Unfortunately, we were to busy with her to realize
that she sent a message off, to somewhere. That hurt us worst. I was hammering
her with every spell I could think of, and Diana was doing much of the same.
What got the brave idea to actually go into hand to hand with Firewraith. It
would have worked, but he got tackled from behind. Apparently she had friends
willing to help out. It took me a second to see through the mask. In that
second, Firewraith got through my shielding, hurting me badly. Diana, tried
helping me out, but there was more company.
Before, I go further, I should say that it was definitely Hammer with his
masking that I saw. He invisions himself to close to reality for it to be
otherwise. Unfortunately, with What already hurt, Hammer just wiped the floor
with What. But it was Firewraith who got the last blow on What. While I was
trying to figure out who the newcomer who had masked himself as a Wraith. I
couldn't figure out who he/she was. Diana at this point was losing steam
rapidly. She switched from using what I guess were manabolts to something that
was area of effect. Unfortunately, everybody there involved in this fight were
too fast. Firewraith, yet again engulf us, before Diana could get off another
spell. What screamed, and was sent back to real world. Diana and I were badly
burned. But it didn't stop there. Diana got her spell off, which wasn't that
effective due to shielding that was up. Hammer moved to engage Diana.
It is sad ... in the end before I got to tangled up with this Wraith thingy, I
could almost see the lightbulb go on over Diana's head. I think she figured out
that she was dealing with Hammer. And went after him. I got doubled teamed.
Desperate to get to Diana, wasn't fairing well against Hammer (too good of a
fraggin' adept to engage in hand to hand....) I launched off a desperate two
pronged spell. One went at this wraith that had no effect. The other slammed
into Firewraith. It worked like a charm. It severed her from any connection she
had to anyone, and effectively took her out of combat. I hope it didn't kill
her.
Needless to say this enraged the other two. I don't really know what happened
to Diana (gods please say she is going to be okay), but I can guess. Hammer
probably disarmed her, and then stabbed her with her own knife. But as I said,
I wasn't looking. This wraith guy casted this wierd spell. This black net
appeared out of nowehere. Slowly, it got closer and closer. I could feel my
life draining away. The wraith was only concentrating on the web. Hammer, as
far as I can tell, went back to real world. But he missed a real interesting
ending to this. As I was fading back and forth from consciousness, the wraith
drew a sword. The sword blazed with electrical currents. And said to me:
"Your meddling was not appreciated, Bruce. Your friends interference is even
less. Your don't understand what your Nightmare represents, and know you dare
to come to ruin my plans. Diana may live. What may live, but you... your dreams
will always be mine. Know that I am Nightmare. You're life has come to an end.
. .
He raised his sword to cut me down, but a fire bolt came out of the
nothingness. I was burned by it. Nightmare was just knocked down. He looked at
me, and said , "Very well, you'll die this way."
The net closed. I saw my life past before me. And I just heard laughter,
blaming me for bringing death onto everyone. Blaiming me for the death of
Crystal, who I never knew. For the capture of Doomsday, Phoenix, Blitzkreig in
S.E. Asia. Blaiming me for the attack on Phoenix at hands of Firewraith.
Blitzkrieg's capture by Nightmare. Doc Grizzle's death. Phoenix's death. The
pain of the loses we have suffered since trying to get everyone to safety.
And the knowledge that I let Firewraith, What and worst of all, Diana, down in
this last fight. The last thought I had, was the bitter fault, that I would
never find love, because I always manage to kill it off. Then everything went
black.
I woke up, which surprised me. DragonEyes looke real tired. He told me that
they were still working on What and Diana. But that they are extremely touch
and go right now. He said I lost some of my spirit in what had happened. I . .
. tried to offer my help, but his response was that I would only kill myself.
So I was left to typing what had happened, slowly. Gods the pain hurts so
much. And yet it is nothing compared to knowing that I just might have killed
Diana. . . ]<<<<<
-- Bruce <06:30:36/2-22-55>
