Core Narrative 6

**CALL OF MADNESS**

Techronomicon heroes - Rebels of Ace, Free Thinkers, Essenes siblings, Ruby, Faes and Boost - unite under a common goal to stop the Cult of Cthulhu from summoning The Great Old One and destroying the Earth. Evening the odds by making a deal with The King in Yellow, heroes have to unite for the final battle that will decide the fate of the world.

**PLOT SUMMARY**

 The story begins with Agent Ransom being freed by the Rebels of Ace(Dex, Rony, Kayden), Essenes siblings(Sariah and Hiroshi), Free thinkers(Lance, Ruby, Claire), Boost and Faes from the Mental Asylum where he ended up in the ending of Into the Bayou of Madness.

Freed, Agent Ransom is taken to the secret hideout of Free Thinkers in Angel City that Vincent Grey -- Free Thinkers’ undercover spy -- kept in the case of emergency. There Vincent finally meets Lance, Ruby and Claire for the first time.  Trying to find out what happened with Ransom, Faes phases her hand through Ransom’s head and reads that his brain is severely damaged by the treatment in the asylum. Giving heroes the lead to the New Commandment -- a church devoted to Eldritch Gods, that could help Ransom -- Vincent leaves, wishing heroes good luck.

Heroes manage to get to the New Commandment Church where they meet Lumenphon -- a sentient cyborg leading priest, who lost hope in his belief. Promising to heal Ransom, Lumenphon makes a deal with heroes that they end the Cult of Cthulhu that recently has been gaining a lot of power and all danger could that comes with it. When asked about his religion, Lumenphon says that he lost hope in Eldritch gods and wishes for heroes to close the portal and end the upcoming horror. Realizing that they have a common goal, heroes agree to the deal and try to find a way to locate the cult.

While they try to contact Vincent to help them, he does a research on his computer and finds out that Antoine, the CEO of his company, is actually the leader of the cult. Not a second later Antoine enters Vincent’s office and questions him on the subject of major leaks in company files, that ended up in Free Thinkers’ hands. Knowing that his cover is blown, Vincent tries to attack Antoine, but suffers an ill fate of being brainwashed and imprisoned to Antoine’s will.

Unable to reach Vincent, Hiroshi tries to read the past and find out what happened to him. After getting an interference, Hiroshi concludes that something happened to Vincent. Heroes devise a plan to infiltrate the company and steal the information that costed Vincent his life. Boost, Sariah and Hiroshi volunteer to get inside and acquire the data.

Meanwhile, in the New Commandment hideout Dex and Lance for the first time manage to talk about what has been happening in their life. Though Dex was happy for Lance, he was saddened by how miserable, melancholic and even cowardly he became, despite being a leader of the largest opposition group. Lance stated that he doesn’t see any future for people and that ultimately they will become slaves to what they created themselves. Despite that, Dex tried to convince Lance that there is something to live for, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Trying to heal Ransom, Lumenphon reads his past and sees what Ransom has found out. When asked by Roni, turns out that Ransom found out a lot about the Eldritch Gods by himself, but didn’t manage to keep his sanity, as his pursuit of truth lead him to the ancient knowledge that drove him. Lumenphon promised to return him to his consciousness, but that will drive the knowledge out of his head, eventually making it impossible to learn what he did. Dex agreed to the offer, stating that he might know at least something valuable and be useful in the upcoming battle.

In the company Sariah, Boost and Hiroshi are struggling to find anything. Operating on the lower level of the building Boost dashes trough offices trying to find any information she can, while Sariah and Hiroshi, looking after each other, go through company files, dressed as workers. After failing to find anything sustainable, Sariah overhears guards talking with a cleaning service. Looking into the future she sees a vision of cleaning service deleting Vincent’s computer history and shredding his papers. Understanding that Vincent knew too much, Sariah tells Boost to check his office before they come there. Boost dashes trough the floors and finds Vincent’s office, where she tries to find something that could lead them to the Cult. Realizing that the cleaning service is about to reach the office, Sariah tells Hiroshi to distract them. As they approach the office, Hiroshi stands in front of them and tries to distract them, but one of the cleaning service people recognizes Hiroshi from the Essenes Massacre. Boost checks the computer and finds a message from Vince that he wrote on his computer before his death – “Antoine Salazar is the Leader of the Cult”. As the undercover cleaner raises an alert, Hiroshi grabs him by the arm and throws him into the window of Vincent’s office. While other guards try to attack Hiroshi, Sariah and Boost disarm them and try to escape, but as they try to get away Sariah gets captured, while Boost and Hiroshi escape.

Captured Sariah is taken to Antoine, who recognizes her from the massacre.

Returned to the New Commandment, Boost and Hiroshi report on their findings and that Sariah has been captured. Angered Hiroshi demands they should return in full force and take her back, but Kayden proposes that it’s too dangerous to return, with what Dex, Rony and Claire agree. Hiroshi and Kayden get into an argument which results in both of them fighting, Faes, Lance, Ruby and Boost try to hold them back and calm them down, but the situation is too tense and no one knows what is going to happen. Just as everyone is about to lose their sense of a plan, Lumenphon leaves the medical chamber, proclaiming that Ransom is awake.

As Dex, Lance, Lumenphon and Hiroshi enter the room Ransom questions who they are.

Meanwhile, Sariah is tortured by Antoine who tries to use her supernatural abilities to see into the future trough her head and learn what will happen. As he manages to do it, he sees, to his disappointment, that Cthulhu will not be summoned. That fact angers Antoine and he tortures her even more to find out where is the hideout of the heroes. Later Antoine commands his scientists to continue working on the reactor and threatens them with death penalty if it’s not going to be finished.

In the hideout Ransom tells the heroes about what he went through. When asked about what he remembers, Ransom fails to explain what he learned, but when Ruby voices her concern about the Rifts, he explains that Rifts are not just fractured parts of multidimensional fabric,  but Portals that are yet to open. Hiroshi deducts that Antoine plans to expand the Rifts and let the Eldritch gods in the Human World, which Ransom confirms. Dex suggests Ransom to unite and take down Antoine and stop his plans. Unfortunately, Ransom refuses and suggests to work separately, which leads to another conflict between him, Dex and Lance. Claire, being the voice of reason suggests to give it a day to think about. Agreeing, Dex gives a command to everyone to rest and wait for another day. Faes is given a command to check the radar for any suspicious reading, while Kayden is sent on the church’s tower to look out for anything suspicious.

Hiroshi tries to sleep, when suddenly he hears the voice of his sister, who manages to contact him telepathically.

At night Ransom meditates on his past while he is visited by Ruby, who comforts him by telling the story of her squad’s defeat. Despite it being difficult for him, Ransom tells her about his past life and how he doesn’t want to trust people too much. Ruby argues that no one can survive on their own.

Claire tries to prepare for the upcoming battle, when Dex tries to learn about Lance from her and how he came to be so miserable. Claire tells him that Dex’s disappearance is not what influenced him, but how he saw what technology does to people. She explains that she shares his concern, but sometimes there is little choice they have. Dex is warned by Claire to look after Lance and try to make up for the time they didn’t have to spend together.

Dex visits Lance and finds him reading a book and suggest to take a walk in the city, while they still have time. Reluctantly, Lance turns down the offer, but Dex manages to convince him and both go for a walk.

Both visit a bar and talk about their concerns about the Cult. Lance expresses his concern about how it’s difficult to know what is right and what is not. When Lance asks Dex how did he manage to survive so far, Dex makes a point that his squad was always there to help him out, as he was there to help them. Dex comforts Lance and tells him that as long as they are alive there is always will be hope. Lance smiles and both drink. Suddenly, a group of tough-looking bandits tried to fight Dex and Lance after Dex refused to leave his seat. In the bar fight Dex and Lance bought managed to take bandits down and happily leave the bar.

At the New Commandment base Faes caught a radar reading of an unidentifiable object heading towards the base. Kayden, observing from the church’s tower, sees a large convoy about to break into the church. Trying to warn Faes from the radio, Kayden suddenly gets knocked out by one of cultists. Faes tries to contact him, but it’s worthless. As she tries to warn everyone, the truck breaks through the church and almost runs her over. Under the sound of alert truck opens and members of the cult get out of the truck with guns blazing trying to take over the church, after taking Faes and Kayden hostage. Antoine exits the truck and commands his guards to find the rest.

Going back to base with smiles on their faces, Dex and Lance are suddenly alerted by the signal on Lance’s phone. He understands that base is under attack and both rush towards the Church. Lance tells Dex that it was Claire who reported about the attack.

Antoine order to put Kayden and Faes on the ground. After he provokes the heroes to enter the room and stop hiding on the promise that he will kill both of the captured, two smoke grenades land next to him and go off enveloping the room in smoke. Antoine orders his Cult to find the attackers. As the cultists try to find the heroes with heat detectors, they are attacked by Ruby and Rony, who manage to swiftly dispatch one cultist after another, while they try to blindly hit them with wild fire. Eventually, smoke dissolve and Antoine is left alone in a room full of unconscious cultists. Rony, Ruby, Claire and Ransom surround Antoine from different corners. Ordering him to surrender, heroes find themselves confused, when he laughs hysterically instead of surrendering. Instead Antoine tells them that the cultist group was just a ploy to drag them out. To everyone’s surprise, multiple attack units break into the church from all angles and surround the heroes. Ransom questions Salazar’s motives and learns that he yearns for inferior and weak human race to be extinct so that “true kings and queens” of the world will rule. Trying to kill Salazar, Claire shoots him, but he stops the bullet in mid-air with his powers. Cultists disarm heroes and capture them. When Salazar asks Ransom about the rest of the group, he says that they are already storming the company building trying to free Sariah. Though disappointed, Salazar loads the heroes into the truck and cultists drive away, just as Dex and Lance arrive at the spot.  Lumenphon shows himself and stops hiding.

Meanwhile, Boost and Hiroshi both storm the company building trying to save Sariah. Reaching the torture room both manage to free the captured hero and tell her about the raid on the church.

Dex, Lance and Lumenphon both decide on what to do, just as Sariah, Boost and Hiroshi enter the church. As they try to come up with a plan, Dex mentions The King in Yellow, Haster, who could potentially help them defeat Antoine and stop Cthulhu, arguing that Haster never tried to destroy the Earth. Even though Sariah and Hiroshi both are against trusting the Eldritch god, they realize they don’t have much choice left. Deciding to rely on their last resort, Lumenphon agrees to take heroes where Haster was last seen.

Once taken to the remote area east of Angel city, far from witnesses, Lumenphon reveals himself to be Haster, the King in Yellow himself, who have been hiding in plain sight, observing actions of both parties. Though Hiroshi tries to attack him, the cyborg is quickly knocked back by the immense power of Haster. He promises to give them the power to defeat Salazar as long as they stick to the deal. Sariah says that she had a vision of Cthulhu not being summoned, what makes Haster believe that there is a possibility of another god being summoned instead. Heroes, though reluctantly, agree and all gain unforeseen before powers. Dex is able to shield people from danger using Mana, while Lance learns to establish telepathic connections with everyone he wants and read their thoughts, Sariah and Hiroshi both can use Mana to heal people and Boost can slow down time and move faster than before. Haster tells them where the hideout is and commands them to finish the summoning before it is complete. Once he is asked by Sariah why he doesn’t just kill Salazar himself, he explains it by saying “it’s just too boring”. Vanishing in the open air, Haster leaves heroes to their final mission.

In the airbase next to Angel City, Salazar completes his portal and final preparations are made. Though worried about Sariah’s prediction, he also curious how it will turn out.

Captured and tied heroes are put in front of the portal as a sacrifice for the Cthulhu.  As the portal is being powered with mana, Salazar reads a passage from an ancient grimoire, trying to open the portal. The portal opens and green light envelops the room.

Meanwhile heroes devise a plan for the infiltration of the base.

Kayden and Rony hear the voice of Kayden in the heads, who tells them to try to hold on before he arrives.

Boost rushes through the guards patrol and dispatches them in the blink of an eye, while Dex and Lance run towards the base.

Claire ejects a small knife out of her hand and tries to free herself, while Kayden and Rony look up and see Lance on the roof. He tells them to wait for Dex’s signal. Tentacles reach out of the portal and just as they are about to grab the prey, shields envelop captured heroes, protecting them from the danger. Claire frees herself and vaults to the nearest guard, disarming and knocking him out, she shoots the tentacles. Lance drops from above on a rope and shoots the guards with a machine gun, while Boost frees the heroes. Kayden and Rony give each other a signal and dive into the crowd of guards, grabbing their guns and methodically and strategically landing their hits on the guards.

Ransom rushes towards Salazar and punches him, causing both to fall to the floor downstairs and have a fight. Smirking, Antoine raises a pillar and hurls it at Ransom. Before making a contact, pillar crushes in front of Ransom, who is protected by Dex’s shield, as Dex himself drops from above to help Ransom. Dex hands him his pistol and both face off against Antoine.

While Kayden and Rony try to fend off the creatures from the portal, and destroy the device itself, Boost rushes towards Faes and helps her get up before hugging her. Lance, Ruby and Claire try to fend off the guards that keep on coming.

Antoine battles Ransom and Dex and their powers seem to be equal, as the two manage to hold their own against a menace cultist. After being shot in the leg, Salazar falls to the lower level of the facility. As the heroes descend they lose their track of him. Hiding, Salazar sends an order to send all forces to the base.

With more and more creatures appearing the from the portal, it’s getting hard for Kayden and Rony to hold their ground. Lance signal Ruby to help Kayden. Kayden order Rony to destroy the device while he holds off the monsters with Ruby’s help. Lance and Claire holds off even more soldiers as they keep coming, while Boost assists them by knocking soldiers out and throwing them weapons and ammo. Struggling to shut off the device, Rony asks Faes for help. She phases her hand into the machine and tries to shut it down, but it breaks the circuit in her hand and shocks her. As monster get closer and closer, Rony fails to hold his ground and one of the monsters tries to devour him. The military approaches and Lance and Claire cannot suppress them anymore. Kayden is damaged by one of the monsters, while Ruby is running short on ammo.

While Ransom and Dex look for Antoine, they enter the labyrinth like room and split to find him. Eventually, Ransom gets knocked out by Antoine and thrown into a concrete wall. As he is about to get killer, Dex charges at Antoine and both fall to the first floor of the facility, where the reactor that gathers mana is located.

When it seems that all hope is lost, Sariah and Hiroshi arrive on the helicopter with multiple Free Thinkers members and Essenes sages to help them. Free Thinkers hold off the military while Essenes sages hold off Eldritch monsters with their powers. Sariah and Hiroshi heal Kayden and Rony while Lance sends Dex a message to hold on.

Motivated to win, Dex and Antoine have a duel where Antoine drains Mana from the reactor and uses it to battle Dex. Dex manages to destroy parts of the reactor to weaken Antoine, but latter mortally wounds him and brings him on the ground. About to kill Dex, Antoine is attacked by Ransom from behind. Antoine shrugs Ransom off, Dex surround Ransom with a bubble shield and holding Antoine from behind, ordering Ransom to shoot the reactor. Understanding that Dex is not going to survive, Ransom shoot the reactor and creates an explosion that shoots Ransom to the top of the facility, where the major battle takes place.

Boost sees flying Ransom and catches him in mid-air, safely landing him on the ground. Lance approaches Ransom and learns the heavy truth. Seeing the disturbance in the portal Rony voices his concern to close it as soon as possible. Realizing that they don’t have much time left, Lance order everyone to run.  As heroes make their escape, Lance grabs the pack of grenades and rushes towards the portal, making sure that he closes it forever and joins his brother in peace. Noticing this, Ruby and Claire scream for Lance to stop, but it’s already to late. As he is about to explode the portal and stop the invasion, he suddenly ends up on the ground next to the heroes. When confused Lance looks up to the portal he sees Boost with a pack of grenades looking at everyone with a smile. She salutes her friends before an explosion envelops her and the portal.

Massive explosion creates a fog where everyone is confused by what happened. Military stops their onslaught, while Essenes sages come to their senses after being knocked back. Rony and Kayden realize what fate happened with Dex as they mourn their leader. Faes cries knowing she will never see her friend again, but happy that she has everything ended. Ruby and Claire comfort Lance, while Hiroshi and Sariah help the sages.  Ransom gets up and approaches the portal to make sure everything is over. He looks up and sees the impossible. A giant, green, slithery beast with dark wings, blood-red eyes and gargantuan grotesque tentacles reaching from its mouth towers above everyone else. As they look up to the sky with shocked expressions they understand that their nightmare has just begun.