2013.06.13 - Bill and Ed's Excellent Adventure

Some time after the battle in Central Park with the Persuader, Axiom's made his way out to Hell's Kitchen. Trouble with old enemies and missions to Gotham to get to aside, he's got another important mission to take on. Getting a combination 'weedding and thank you for adopting me' gift for Thor and Sif. Now, he could just head to the mall and shop. He knew what both gods liked of Midgard's goods. But that didn't seem enough for the situation. He could make something like he did for Christmas...but he was low on ideas at the moment. No. This occasion called for something more. Something closer to what an asgardian would do. So he did some research and some digging and now he's waiting in Hell's Kitchen on a rooftop. Crouched down, he's watching a small doorway between two buildings that would be easy to miss if you weren't looking for it. He sent a text message to Billy asking him to meet him in costume at this location, saying it was important. So now he's in costume and armor, waiting quietly.
It is a quiet night, and the magic spells Wiccan has been using of late to find trouble early or before it can really start are showing exactly bupkis when he gets the text from Axiom. He worries, for just a little bit, at the word important in the text as he grabs a few things in his room to get ready and then stops and grins. "No, if he were in danger or the world was about to end he would be trying to put me at ease in the text." He says to himself before grabbing his staff. "He only sounds that worried in text when there is time to plan. TakemetoAxiom, TakemetoAxiom, TakemetoAxiom!" He chants his spell and shimmers into nothing leaving his bedroom empty.
Behind Axiom on the roof top there is a a light gust of wind, the smell of ozone wafts from the roof top, and an electric charge fills the air. Without a sound or flash of light Wiccan shimemrs into existance stepping forwards to meet up with his friend. "Lo you have called and I am summoned. Whats up Axiom?"
The familiar scent of ozone gets Eddie perking up. He turns around in time to smile as Wiccan appears. "Wiccan," he says, standing. He takes a deep breath and decides to cut right to the point. "I f-finally figured out what to get Thor and Sif for their wedding and I need your help to do it."
Wiccan lights up, all but litteraly, as he hears why Axiom wanted him. "Thats awsome. I am so in, jsut tell me what you need or want. Did you find something you need a little extra cash to buy, or figure out what to make or..." He stops a second looking around at he roof top they are in. "Or are we going off the normal book for a gift here?"
Axiom jumps slightly as Wiccan lights up, smiling as his friend starts listing ideas. He shakes his head and takes out his phone. "We're g-g-going off the normal book," he confirms poking a few things and bringing up some files on his phone. "I w-w-was doing some research from some of the books you let me borrow and I c-c-came across stuff about this," he shows Billy an illustration from a website about Norse Myth. It's a picture of a brilliant golden gem surrounded in flames. "The Gem of Infinite Suns. It's supposed t-to be the counter to that Cask of Ancient Winters you t-told me about. The myths say it was stolen from Odin a -really- long time again and passed through a lot of hands. I d-did a little more research and I noticed something that looked -a lot' like this as part of this collection of artifacts found in a sunken viking ship but it vanished from the site of the discovery before they could bring it back. I went to t-talk to the explorer guys that found it since the have an exhibit at the museum right now and they had a picture of this w-w-weird old guy that attacked their camp and took the gem. I w-was going to give up when I saw him at that magic store you took me to and he was buying some Norse stuff. He met up with this other g-g-guy and I heard them talking about the gem so I followed them here and..." he smiles sheepishly. "I was thinking we c-c-could go get it and bring it to Thor and Sif."
Wiccan blinks, blinks again, takes the offered phone and flips through the pictures and information on it reading intently. "I...you...holy Heimdal..." He blinks and stares at Axiom. "I am /SO/ in. I...I can not believe it. I thought I had the weird luck, you go and fall into finding the Gem of Infinite Suns."
Axiom blushes a little, rubbing the back of his head. "It's still k-kind of because of your luck. I mean I was only g-g-going to that shop because you showed it to me. And I was g-going to get something for you," he says. Putting his phone away, Axiom gestures down at the little door he was watching. "They went in there and they haven't come back out. So umm...let's do it?"
Wiccan shakes his head but grins at Axiom. "No, this is all you man. I mean I read all the same articles and never made the connection. Heck, no one else did except maybe the guy that you tailed here and he is the one that stole the thing." He nods a little at his frined adn floats off the roof a few inches. "Ok, your party so how do we want to do this? Bust in all sudden, teleport in sneaky like, ding dong ditch and go in through a window on the other sdie of the building?"
"As near as I c-can tell, the door is the only way in. I tried the two windows around back and they kind of zapped me. I r-rant the bell but it didn't work and no one walking by seems to even n-notice it there. I think it's like...magic," he says awkwardly, starting to lead the way down off the roof. It's the fire escape for him. "We can probably just go in through the front d-d-door and hope for the best."
Wiccan nods and follws Axiom floating along side the fire escape as they descend. After a secodn his eyes glow, "Iwanttoseeemagic, Iwanttoseeemagic, Iwanttoseeemagic!" He chants as he casts a spell to let him see magic and enchantments in the area so that he can try and figure out if hter eis anything really nasty waiting behind the obvious perception filter on the door. "Ok, so you first me following zap anything that moves?"
As the spell settles into place, Billy will be able to see a lot of magic at work. There's a perception filter, protective spells around the structure and what looks like a portal behind the door. 
Axiom nods, crossing the street quickly. "Right. We g-get in and get out as quick as we c-c-can," he says. He waits until the street is clear before grabbing the doorknob and opening the door. Of course seconds after stepping through, Eddie vanishes from sight entirely. 
The hallway looks normal enough but when one steps inside...they're transported to what seems to be a castle hall. Marble walls are lit by the occasional torch, magic thick in the area. There's some discarded coats and shreds of clothing around the door as well as fresh blood. Along with the torches, there's several gargoyles perched on decrotive pillars. Gargoyles with heads that slowly turn to face the two teens as they arrive. "Oh, that c-can't be good," Axiom murmurs seconds before theb gargoyles start spitting fireballs their way.
Wiccan blinks and shakes his head as he nearly goes blind for a second waving away the spell. "Wait Ax...crap." He says rechign to grab his friend before he can open the door. "Aw man, aw man." Too little, too late. This is happening to him all too much lately. "If I let somethign happen to you Sif is gonna gut me." He says before rushing forwards headed right for the portal he knows is there. When he appears and spots Axiom he lets out a breath, then sees the gargoyles. "Yup, that is not good." He quickly dodgtes to the side yelling, "Forcefield, Forcefield, Forcefield!"
Axiom dives to the opposite side, a fireball glancing off his armor. "Oh I am s-so thanking Brynn for these," he mutters as fireballs start crashing against Wiccan's forcefield once it appears. The gargoyles keep up the barrage, climbing off their pillars and advancing on the shield. They're about the size of house cats and all seem carved to resemble Hel Wolves. "Okay...I think we c-can take these things," Axiom calls, taking his staff off his belt.
Wiccan nods. "I know we can, the fun part is going to be seeing what comes next." The runes on his starf start to glow, along with his eyes, as Wiccan pulls magic from the air and chants. "Stonelikewaterflow, Stonelikewaterflow!" He reaches out with his power and starts to try and turn the marble in the floor directly under one of the advancing gargoyles into a liquid just long enough for the thing to sink into it before he lets it reharden.
"It looks like a door comes next," Axiom says, amused. True enough, there's a door at the end of the hallway. A big set of double doors marked with the asgardian runes for 'Master Chamber'. There's a lot of magic to pull in and the marble flooring bubbles and liquifies. The gargoyles thrash and screech as they sink but it seems like that stops them. Axiom perks up and grins. "You are awesome," he declares of his best friend, starting towards the doors.
Wiccan shakes his head. "No, you are awsome. I am jsut retreading thigns I have seen other mages do. Although, encasing them in marble is going a lot better than it did when someone tried it on me." He floats along next to Axiom as they head for the door.
As the get closer to the door, burn marks in it as well as what looks like a big slash mark in the wood. Axiom starts to say something to Wiccan only for a scream to cut him off from the other side of the door. Axiom gasps and quickly pushes through the doors. "WHOA!" Axiom yelps, falling down a steep incline down a stone slide. "This is so not right!" he calls as he falls down the dark tunnel.
Wiccan opens his mouth about to comment ont he burns and slash marks when he the screaming starts. "Not good, I really hope this guy is not tryign to use the gem." As the door opens and Axiom starts his slide he calls out, "Iwanthimtofly, Iwanthimtofly, Iwanthimtofly!" While wililng a energy platform to appear under Axiom to catch him.
There's an OOF from farther down in the tunnel as Wiccan makes the catch. "I'm okay," Axiom calls. Since the tunnel is the only way down, it's the way to go. Half way down, Wiccan will find Axiom sprawled on his platform. If they go farther down, things start getting creepy. There are lots of webs and spiders all over. It looks a lot like something else came crashing through recently since the spiders are busy reconstructing their webs. Even farther down there's a large stone chamber full off webs and various corpses wrapped in web coccoons. Some are human but there's an elf or two and a few dwarves too. One might be expecting a large spider down there too...and there is one...but it's bleeding from a rather large wound that appears to have cracked it's head open. It's on top of the remains of some weird red body that's giving off a heavy sulfur stench. What might that be? Well it's a Múspellsmegir. A fire demon. And it's healthy friend is trying to force open another door in the room. When Wiccan and Axiom arrive, it sniffs the air and turns to face them. "Mortals."
Wiccan quickly follows down the tunnel to reach Axiom before using the platform he caught him on to have them both descend at a sane pace. When they get to the major web chamber Wiccan gives a little shudder. "Ok, getting Demonweb Pit flashbacks. If there is a giant spider woman in here or we start finding statues with black holes floating in their mouths I say we skip out on the quest and get them a gift card for Mom's Coffee?" Wiccan is joking, of course. He would never turn back from a chance to kick Lolth's spidery backside. When they get noticed by the demon he offers a wave. "Hello, yes mortals. We would also have taken puny humans, fresh meat, and meddlesome kids. Can we skip the threats to crush, eat, burn, whatever us to death and get to a little monologue of where we are, what your doing, and how far we are from the prize? It is not that we have anything else to do or anything, just I always worry when I go to other realms that time will flow differently and I am going to end up getting home and find I am now younger than my little brothers."
Axiom just blinks. "A giant spider-woman?" he asks, confused. "Why would there b-be statues in a spider lair?" he asks. As the arrive and the demon spots them, Axiom readies his staff. "Or you c-could just get out of our way," Axiom suggests. 
The demon seems less than amused. Drawing a flaming axe from his back, he yells and rushes forward. "I'll kill you then that traitorous Asgardian bastard!" he declares only to get a few strikes to the face from Axiom's staff. Stumbling back, the Múspellsmegir spits out some blood before charging again.
Wiccan shrugs, "That is a really good question. One right up there with why do you put save or die traps in a dungeon module for an role playing game that is for low to mid level characters every five feet. It is all sadistic game master stuff and bad writing." No he is not ignoring the demon, he is just making it look that way. Best way to get a hot head to make mistakes is to get them really angry, and nothing makes a demon angry like ignoring it. Other than maybe singing show tunes at it. Wiccan moves out of the way to let Axiom smack the demon a few times and then points his staff at him, "Iwanthimtocooloff, Iwanthimtocooloff, Iwanthimtocooloff!" As he charges again the M Spellsmgir will get a forceful blast of pure cold and ice aimed for it. "Which Asgardian bastard is that? I mean I know one that comes to mind that is my first guess but it can't hurt to ask right?"
Axiom dances backwards to avoid getting slashed with the axe. "Dungeon what?" he asks, shooting Billy a confused look. He squeaks and dodges out of the way of the fire demon's axe as it slices apart a webbed up table behind him. It's then that Wiccan's spell hits. The demon gives a yell as the cold and ice produces an angry hiss of steam from everywhere it hits. "I'll liquify your bones!" the demon spits, throwing the no longer flaming but still rather sharp and metal axe at Wiccan.
Wiccan dives out of the way of the axe as if flies at him, leaving the demon with only one left. "Dun...I will show you later. I feel odd talking about Dungeons and Dragons while fighting a fire demon in the web of a giant spider. Although, if you spot a sword that is glowing blue or a glowing vial of liquid on any of the bodies point it out. Would love to have a decent souvenir from Shelob's pit." Wiccan pops up from where he dived to the ground and moves in towards the demon and suddenly lashes out with his staff aiming a couple of quick smacks at his face and then a sweet at knee level
"She-who?" Axiom asks, looking around for those mentioned items. His attention gets drawn back to the demon as Wiccan moves in to fight the demon in melee. The staff strikes, doing damage to the weakned demon. As it goes down to one knee, Axiom moves in to start attacking as well. Staff, feet, and fists fly with all the training Sif and Thor have given him. One hard kick sends the demon sprawling, knocking the beast out. It lays there, bleeding from a broken tooth on the floor as Axiom catches his breath. "Okay...ow," he says, shaking his hand. Demons are tougher than they look.
Wiccan sighs. "You said you didn't fall asleep during the Lord of the Rings marathon." He says in a mix of a joking an accusing tone. He watches the felled demon for a good moment to make sure it is not getting up. "Yeah, thats why I skipped the punches. Face like that looks like it would be as painful as punching The Thing." He moves forwards to the door that the demon had been trying to get through when they showed up. "Wonder whats next." Wiccan looks to Axiom before he gives the door an experamental push.
Axiom just gives an apologetic smile to his friend. He nudges the demon with his staff and frowns. "I'm j-just glad I didn't break anything," he says, examining his hand. The door pushes open easily enough to reveal...more webs. When they're pushed past, there's a long and winding staircase that goes up. Torches light the way again, lighting as the teens reach them and going out behind them. At the top is another set of doors...this one with a lot of blood seeping out from under it. When they open it, a rather sliced up dead old man in robes of asgardian design slumps to the floor. The room itself is round, runes carved into the walls and floor as a sort of magic circle. In the center of it all atop a small pillar and surrounded by glass is the gem the teens seek. They're not alone though. Trying and failing to open the case is a tall man in shining gold armor. He's got a short golden beard too. "Who dares interrupt Gudrun the Golden?!" he snaps as he hears the door opening.
Wiccan has decided to embrace his inner smart ass tonight, so he is just going with it. As they are confronted by the man in gold a small wind whips around the room to catch his cape and the teenaged mage takes a heroic pose mid-air. "It is we! The great and powerful Wiccan and Mighty Axiom! Shield and Spear of Thor, heroes of Midgard, and most fabulous of heroes that you shall ever face." Wiccan even manages to do a full triple snap at the end of his announcement of who they are all with a straight face.
Gudrun stares, looking the boys over. Recognition washes over him and he points at Axiom. "The Thorson and his shield maiden!" he draws a shimmering golden blade as he exclaims this. "Your heads will be fine prizes as I conquer all of Asgard! Have at thee!" the Asgardian exclaims, charging at Axiom. 
The power booster meanwhile just blinks at his friend when he gives that introduction. "Wiccan?" he facepalms. Then there's a god charging at him. Axiom gets his staff up in time to block the sword and stop it from slicing him in half but not to block the boot that kicks him back a few feet.
Wiccan grins and is already sliding sideways into the room and out of the way of Gudrun as he charges. "What? I had to do it! You cannot face over the top camp without responding in kind Axiom. It is a moral imperative!" Of course he goes from grinning to growling as the kick happens and unleashes a full force of lightning from both of his hands on Gudrun the Golden. "Golden boy, you say that like Shield Maiden should be an insult. I have met a few of them, and they are all scarier than you." Billy will, later when he is alone, be freaking out about taunting a God in the middle of a fight. For now though, the guy is just a big overblown bully and Billy has special issues with bullies.
"You're a male?!" Gudrun exclaims, genuinely surprised to find this out about Wiccan. He lifts his sword and uses it to shield against the lightning, runes lighting up along it that seem to suck the electricity in. Grinning, the god starts to slowly stalk towards Wiccan. "Child, you should run. Your life will be spared." 
Axiom meanwhile is slowly pushing himself back up. Give him a moment to catch his breath.
Wiccan glares, or possibly pouts it is hard to tell, in Gudrun's direction. "Seriously? Seriously!?! Just cause I am not all muscle and no brains you have trouble telling? I ...I can almost forgive Loki for half of what I know he has done at this moment." Wiccan says watching the god stalk towards him. He should have guessed that he would have a defense against lightning, the entry way to wherever they are was in Midgard and everyone in Asgard knows how much Thor loves the place. 
"Um...yeah...you know that might not be a bad idea. Run...sure....bye. Idon'twanttobehere, Idon'twanttobehere, Idon'twanttobehere!" With a poof of smoke big enough to hide an elephant in Wiccan teleports away. 
"Not!" Sounds directly behind and a little above the God as Wiccan appears there swinging his staff baseball style right for Gudrun's head.
Gudrun just snorts. "You use a woman's art, boy. I would say the same of that one if I had not been told he was a son of Thor," the gold-wearing god snaps, looking down at Wiccan as he gets closer. When Wiccan teleports, Gudrun smiles and turns back to Axiom. "Now for you, Thorson..." he trails off, lifting his sword. Then there's suddenly a Wiccan appearing and a staff being swung. The CLANG of staff hitting helmet rings out and Gudrun staggers a few steps only to let out an angry snarl before backhanding Wiccan with his free hand. "Stupid child! I gave you a chance to live but now you join the Thorson in de-" he's cut off by a few more clangs as Axiom's staff strikes his armor. The teen dodges a few blows sent his way in return before another kick sends him rolling.
Wiccan brings his staff around to block the backhand. Not that it helps much as he gets sent flying into a wall, stupid God strength, but it does mean he won't have any broken ribs. There is a slight moan before he lifts up into the air again. "Art? What Art? I am no Seidr. I was born with the power to shape reality to my will." Wiccan gets up thanks to his powers floating in mid air and looking more than a little pissed, and not realizing that he is talking using the same tone and inflection he uses for his spells. "Stoneflowlikewater, Stoneflowlikewater, Stoneflowlikewater!" He chants reaching out to make the marble floor under the Golden God act like a liquid instead of solid stone. "And you do not want to kick my friend Ever again."
Gudrun seems unimpressed as he stomps towards Wiccan. He's deemed the mage the biggest threat since he's got the magic. As his feet start sinking into the liquid stone, he growls. "See! Fight me like a man! Stop using these coward's tricks!"
Wiccan grins and his eyes and the runes on his staff light up as he says, "Fine, if you don't mind doing the same." Lightning crackles along his staff as he drops to the ground and starts to chant, "Makehimmortal, Makehimmortal, Makehimmortal." There is no magic going into the spell, he knows there is no chance he could do it but if can keep Gudrun distracted while Axiom recovers and maybe comes up with an idea it is going to be worth it. That, and maybe if he can actaully scare the man into thinking he could take his power away it might give them an edge.
It takes a few ties but Gudrun eventually pulls his feet free of the stone, shattering it. He starts towards Wiccan again but slows at the spell. He hesitates for a moment before barking out a laugh. "HA! Pathetic! Only the All-Father himself could- "
The bluff pays off, Axiom on his feet and running. He doesn't really have much of a plan though. That's why it's time for something crazy. He jumps and grabs onto Gudrun's cape. Letting his speed and momentum carry him, he swings around Gudrun once and ends up pulling him down to the floor with a THUD that makes the room shake. The god's sword clatters across the room and Axiom rolls out of the way. "Wiccan, now!" he calls, eyes lighting up as he boosts his friend.
Wiccan backs up only as he sees Axiom doing the run and jump. As the boost hits him he reaches for his power, any extra magic he fan feel in the air, and the extra from Axiom to pull the biggest bolt of lightning he can out of himself to slam into the Golden God. "Iwantyoutosleep, Iwantyoutosleep, Iwantyoutosleep!" Wiccan starts chanting before the blindness form the light the lightning bolt cause can start to clear just in case. He can't take away Godly power, probably, but putting them to sleep is a distinct possibility. Especially if they are already twitching and out cold on the ground like he hopes he is.
There's quite a lot of magic in the air to draw on and it just makes that bolt all the more brilliant. Gudrun's yell is drowned out by the sound off the bolt connecting and the god being thrown across the room to crash into the wall. He slumps to the floor, smoke rising from his form. His beard and cape are even burning. "This...isn't over," he growls out, raising a hand. Just as he lets out a huge yawn and starts to drift off, a ring on Gudrun's finger lights up and green energy washes over him. When it clears, he's gone and leaving behind nothing but his sword and a bag. The contents of the bag are spilling out onto the floor...that's a lot of twinkies he was carrying. 
Standing slowly with the help of his staff and holding his side with his free hand, Axiom stares at the spot where Gudrun was. He stares for a moment before pumping a fist in the air. "Yeah- ow ow ow," he winces, holding his side again. Yeah, two kicks from a god are going to leave him hurting. He looks to Wiccan and grins. "We did it!"
Wiccan nods at Axiom just staring where the God was. "That...was possibly the most insane thing I have ever done. Next time, stop me before I try and bluff a God into thinking I am going to take away his powers." Wiccan looks at Axiom to see his response before walking over and putting a hand on his friend. "Iwantushealedandwhole!" He lets the feeling of the healing magic wash over them a second before going and Picking up the sword and the bag of Twinkies. "Ok, I know that Hostess going bankrupt was hard on people, but this is kind of...I don't know the word for it." He says shaking his head.
When the story gets told Gudrun is going to be really emberassed, not only because he was beaten by two mortals but the fact that he had fear enough to think Wiccan might actually be able to take away his powers. At least that is how Volstag is going to tell the story beccause Wiccan A) THinks he is a great story teller and B) is gonna bribe him with a case or two of Midgardian snackfoods on top of the bag of Twinkies he has picked up. Spoils of war and all that.
Axiom sighs as the healing magic washes over him. He smiles at the familiar feeling of his best friend's power putting him back together. When it's finished, he collapses his staff back down and puts it away. "Thanks," he offers. "And s-sorry. I was too busy doing something crazy t-t-to stop you from doing crazy," he teases. "Are those Twinkies?" he asks, glancing at the bag. Shaking his head, Axiom walks over to the pillar holding the gem. He frowns at it a moment, not seeing a way to open the glass case. He considers trying to smash it but doesn't want to risk breaking the gem. Putting his hand on the glass, Axiom squeaks as there's a flash of light. When it clears, the glass it gone. Axiom blinks a few times before grinning and picking the gem up by it's chain. Holding it high, he turns to look at Billy. "This is so cool."
Wiccan watches Axiom with a small smile on his face. "Beyond cool. Especially given that the case that was keeping out a God just let you in with a touch. If I did not get the feeling that it would be a really good idea for us to leave fast I would be looking to see if this guy left any notes or books." Wiccan says pointing at the mage that it appead Gudrun killed. He looks like he is about to have a bit of a Three Stooges moment as he trys to juggle his staff, the bag of snack cakes, and the sword he picked up before he just closes his eyes and mutters under his breath a bit and ends up with the sword and bag floating alongside of him.
"Maybe it was designed to only let humans in," Axiom guesses, looking into the gem. He smiles a bit as Wiccan juggles things before taking some cloth out of his belt. He carefully wraps the gem up and nods. "Let's get going."
Wiccan grins at Axiom and shrugs. "Or maybe it only let in the worthy. Be he worthy, whom soever finds this gem..." He is only slightly teasing. Of all the people he knows Axiom is one of the few that Wiccan would think of as being truely worthy of great power. Witha few chanted words he creates a platform of energy under him and Axiom so that they can leave with little energy expended. "Lets go." He says before stifling a yawn. "Any chance I could spend the night at your place? I think once we get outside I am gonna have the power for one teleport and after that as soon as you stop boosting me I am gonna be out cold."
Axiom smiles and steps up next to his friend on the disc. He throws an arm around Wiccan's shoulders and grins. "Sure thing, Billy. You can stay. I'll call your mom and let her know you're there too," he offers. 
A few mintues after the boys leave the room and the mage's little pocket dimension, silence and darkness fall over the rooms. In the room where the final battle took place, a portal opens and Malekith the Accursed steps into the room. He surveys the damage with narrowed eyes and walks over to the now empty pillar. Eyes light with eldritch magic as he casts a spell to see what happened to the gem he was after. When the vision stops, the Dark Elf growls and smashes the pillar. "Thor's mortal brat again," he hisses, dusting off his hand and heading right back to his portal and into his realm once more. It seems like the boys were not the only ones looking for that gem...
Category:Log