Sweat drips down my body as I stand on the roof of the Sanctum, the midday sun bearing down on me, Jian held out before me in a single hand. I bring it to me gradually, the movement performed with every bit of focus, my muscles shaking. Changing the placement of my feet, I slowly rotate, Jian extending steadily until it's parallel with the ground, my body bowed in its direction. The wind around me is disturbed as its tip comes to a stop, blowing over my skin and rustling the plants.
Letting out a slow breath, I draw Jian in and sheath it, then bow. Straightening, I refuse to heal my fatigue and move over to the garden table on aching legs, pouring out a glass of water and taking a sip. Glass in hand, I walk to the edge of the roof and lean on its ridge, looking out to the left, down Sullivan Street and beyond Washington Square Park, the distant, former Avengers Tower coming into view. By this point in time, I'm pretty sure that it's been sold off to Countess Valentina, who'll go on to create the Thunderbolts*.
Keeping its position in mind, I close my eyes and focus, reaching out with my senses and opening them up to the world, letting the surrounding life come to me. In the last few weeks, apart from periodically checking on the healing of the Crossroads, I've been working on improving my Chi Detection. Now, my range has a bit over doubled, reaching around three blocks in radius, centred on me. Beyond that, I get the faintest impressions of Chi, but the distance cannot be determined, nor can any details.
With my current range, I've decided it's time to leave the Sanctum and start searching for Dagger. My plan, as of now, is to walk the city in chunks, on the lookout for the largest Chi signatures. With how fast my range is growing, I'm certain I'll be able to locate her if she's here, though I know it will be a time consuming task. I considered asking Strange, or Wong, to divine her location, but quite frankly, I'm using this opportunity to train myself and grow my understanding of Chi.
In the early days of my life in marvel, in my late twenties, I sought out the sorcerers for power, needing their knowledge to survive. But now, as time has passed and I've settled into my existence here, with certain assurances to my survival, I've come to the realisation that I need to stop ignoring my cultivation. The sorcery of this reality is all good and well, and I'm going to keep up my studies in it, no doubt, but it doesn't hold a candle to the potential of a xianxia wizard.
Magic is about the exchange of energy to manipulate the fabric of the universe, and is capable of a wide range of effects; but take away a sorcerer's power, and they're mostly mortal. Cultivation, on the other hand, is about comprehension, becoming one with the world, gaining access to what is essentially the source code of reality, able to use and alter it at will. With enough enlightenment, one's internal power, and even their physical body, can be treated as something unneeded, just one part of their being.
From my current insight, and what I know of the Heavenly Dao, one needs to come to terms, and internalise, with every fibre of their being; mind, body, and soul, that they are simply one part of a whole. To realise, but not fear, the fact that they are a small, but no less vital, part of the natural order. Should one accomplish this, then they will have become one with Tao. At that point, at least from what I've read back on my homeworld, one will be faced with a choice, with two answers, deciding the rest of their existence.
One, to integrate back into the Tao, merging with it and becoming part of the whole once again; or two, stay as part of the material world, gaining immortality and omnipotence. To me, that seems like an easy choice, one that I'll make without a second of hesitation, but I understand that I'm fundamentally different from other Tao seekers. Of course, I'm nowhere near that point in my path, but I know I'll eventually get there, even if it takes me ten thousand years.
Pushing off the roof wall, I turn and start to make my way back downstairs, picking up the pitcher as I do. Descending the wood steps to the second floor, a mounted relic that I pass by catches my eye; a shield engraved with a crocodile head, metal teeth along its edge. Taking note of its location for later, my need of defensive options at the front of my mind, I walk back to my room. Entering and pulling my top off, I greet the rat, who I've named Splinter, and step into the bathroom.
A quick, but thorough, wash later, I stand nude before the full-length mirror set in my wardrobe, drying my hair with my towel, taking in the changes to my body since coming to this world. At six-one, I'm a fair bit taller than the average woman, but my frame never filled out, always seeming lanky. Now, through training, I've come into my height, my muscles noticeable, my slight abs and thick thighs complimenting me. Thankfully, I don't have too many narcissistic tendencies, as my current appearance is eerily similar to the women I pursued back home; the, er... muscle-mummy type.
Looking over my mirrored body with evaluating eyes, I take note of the collection of scars, little and long, that mark my body. Bringing a hand up to my left breast, I trace the evidence of my near-death, a vivid scar over my heart. Twisting round, I look over my shoulder, finding the wound's entry point, its width slightly larger than the exit. Sighing, I throw the towel over to my bed and open the wardrobe, reaching in and picking out my chosen outfit, ordered with money loaned to me by the Sorcerers.
After tightening my belt, doing up my shirt buttons, and fixing my collar, I put on my shoes and move over to my desk. Leaning down, I write out a message on my notepad and tear it from its spine, then cut a piece of tape. My soles tapping away at the wooden floor, I blow a kiss to Splinter, and pick up Jian and a scarf, then head out, closing the door and sticking the paper to it. Reading it over, mouthing the words, 'Gone hunting, be back soon. – Sarah, xo', I check my spelling, finding no mistakes, happy with what I've written.
Taking the corridor to the relic room, I pause before the shield and stare at its hanging, metal form, hoping that what I'm about to do works. Letting out a breath, building my resolve, I activate Revelation,
[Revelation
Name – Savage Shield of Sobek
Type – Magical Relic (Bladed Shield, Divine)
Creator – Sobekhotep of Faiyum
Patron – Sobek, Egyptian Crocodile God of War, Protection, Water... [+]
Functions – [Blocking/Striking/Cutting],[Taunting],[Attack Drawing],[Nigh-Invulnerability],[Transformation]
History – A shield imbued with the power of the river god Sobek, created by worshipper Sobekhotep of Faiyum, a priest and sorcerer. Born through ritual sacrifice to protect the priest from harm, this shield has weathered thousands of years of war and conflict, bathing in the blood of an untold number of souls.
It fell into the hands of the Masters of the Mystic Arts four-hundred years ago, when a necromancer attempted to use it, along with other artefacts aligned with the Egyptian Pantheon, in a ritual of his own making. Intending to use it to free Ammit, a Goddess of the Ennead who wishes to bring about the end of humanity, he was killed by the sorcerers, with his soul taken for judgement by the other Ennead.
Since then, it has been passed between the Sanctums, waiting for its fated master to appear.]
Raising a hand, I slowly press it to the shield, extending my spirit into it and projecting my intentions, asking to use it in battle. I feel the shield weigh my spirit, deciding if I'm worthy, before a feeling of acceptance is passed along the connection, back to me. Smiling, relieved, I go to reach out and take the shield off the wall, when it starts to float, unhooking itself. It vibrates slightly, then starts to shrink and transform, turning into a ring, the figure of a crocodile wrapped around it.
Holding a hand out for it to land, I pick it up and place it on my left ring finger, mirroring the position of my Ring of Containment. Testing it, I activate the shield, causing to instantly snap back to its original form, strapping itself onto my arm. I move my arm about, getting a feel for its weight, then deactivate it, shrinking it back to its ring form. Satisfied, I turn the ring over on my finger, then make my way to the ground floor, stepping down into the hall.
Standing by the front doors, my hands gripping their handles, I pause for a moment, then open them, the light of noon and the passing of people meeting me. Crossing the boundary, I take my first steps out of the Sanctum since I started to live here. Hitting the snowy pavement, I turn left and start to make my way up the street, my Chi Detection working, looking for powerful Chi signatures. I weave between the people, ignoring their weird looks towards Jian, walking at pace, until a store gets my attention, reminding me that I'm missing something important.
Walking into the store, appropriately named 'iSell 'Tronics', the ringing of the bell above the door signals my entrance. Waving to the man behind the counter, I walk the aisles, searching for what I need. Finding them among a group of signal boosters, I pick one up and go to the counter. Nodding to the shopkeeper, I say, "How you doing, bossman? Just this please." Placing the box down, I wait as he rings it up, then reach into my inner pocket and pass him the money.
Taking it in hand, I open the package and remove the prepaid phone, putting its box in the rubbish as I pass. Exiting the shop, I flip open the phone and power it on, then drop-call the Sanctum, leaving my number with them. Closing it and tucking it in my trouser pocket, I continue on, crossing Washington Park and moving under its Arch, which I recognise from when Stark will fight Cull Obsidian. Starting down the long stretch that is 5th Avenue, I eventually come to a corner of Central Park.
Looking both ways, I go to cross, then freeze as a massive Chi signature, greater than any I've previously felt, enters my radius, moving in my direction fast. Placing a hand near Jian, I look towards it, then relax and feel a smile don my lips as I see the form of the Spider-Man swinging overhead. I watch him go, then frown as he smashes through a window of a towering building next to me, my enhanced vision catching the shards of glass beginning to rain down.
"What the fuck is he doing?" I whisper, before expanding my shield, to the surprised shouts the people around me, holding it above my head. The fragmented glass reaches us quickly, about to cut into the oblivious pedestrians, when its caught in the field of the shield, drawing it all into a point above it. I wait until I've caught it all, a layer of broken glass forming over the surface, then move over and brush it off into a nearby bin, the worried people giving me space.
Turning back to where he crashed through, I see the flashing of white and black lights, while my detection senses a fluctuating Chi pattern, a new feeling. Keeping my shield active, I push open the glass doors and enter the building, a secured location going by the looks of the setup inside, and vault the key-card barrier, the shouting of a receptionist following me. "Ma'am, you can't come through without checking in!" She starts, her tone worried and annoyed as I call for the lift.
Glancing at her, I pull the sheathed Jian from my hip and level it at her, then poke her in the chest, stopping her from getting closer. The young woman backs away, rubbing at her chest, then turns and runs back to her desk, where I see her push a button on her desk. Realising what she's done, I sigh, as the lift dings and the door slides open. I get on, trying to remember what floor Peter crashed into, then shrug and tap the eighteenth floor, feeling it to be close enough.
I bend my knees to brace as I start to rise, the floor indicator counting away; six, seven, eight, when I detect a few dark Chi presences appear and start to fall down the shaft. Drawing Jian, I press my back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling as they land with a bang, the top of the lift denting and the scurrying of moving feet sounding out. The malicious intentions of the beings above is clear to my senses, darkness wafting off them in waves, flowing down to me.
Enhancing myself with my Chi, I point Jian to the ceiling as a tile begins to rise, a white, horned mask appearing in the gap. Stabbing up with force, I feel as Jian slides through its eye hole into the head behind it, the body attached going limp as its blood starts to slide down my blade. Pulling it back, I frown as I feel the man's Chi remain constant. My frown deepens as the dark Chi fluctuates and he twitches, then starts to rise, his arms grasping the side of the opening, before suddenly throwing himself in, aiming to fall on me.
Dodging in time, his suit and tie clothed body slams into the floor and clambers to rise, when I stab through his head a second time. He falls limp as a second masked figure jumps down, its proportions male, an electrified sword in hand that he swings at me. Leaning away from the attack, I kick out, hitting him in the chest and slamming him into the wall, when a third man falls down, empty handed. I punch him in the jaw as he goes to stand, feeling the bone crack under my fist, as the first man revives and grabs my foot, trying to trip me up.
I go stab him a third time, raising Jian, when the second man recovers, raising his on sword. With a scowl, I lift my shield up and block, then crouch, releasing Jian and grabbing the head of my grappler in my now free hand, before wrenching it to the side, hearing his neck break. Re-equipping Jian, I brace, then launch myself up into the chest of the sword-wielder, slamming him into the wall a second time, his head whipping back and cracking on its surface.
Giving two quick stabs to the brains of the two on floor, I pull my shield back and punch it into the face of the man before me, its spikes piercing through his mask. Pulling it back from his skull, he starts to slide down the wall, before I grab him by his neck and project my Chi into his system, looking for cause of their seeming immortality. As my Chi runs through him, I find a dark force saturating his body, constantly repairing any damage to him.
Deciding to test something, I pull back my Chi and let go of him, then infuse Jian and give him a little cut, feeling the two beneath me start to stir. Keeping my sight on the wound, I dish out another two quick stabs, sorting them out for the time being, then watch with relief as the cut I inflicted doesn't heal. Letting out a little breath, I raise the infused Jian and swipe it through his neck, decapitating him. Reaching out with my senses, I feel as the darkness struggles to break my Chi, his headless body spraying its blood all over us with the beating of its dying heart.
With my detection, I perceive his Chi fade into death, his blood pooling under us. Repeating the action with the reviving two, I'm left standing over three corpses, before I stare up at the camera above, pulling my phone from my pocket and waving it, mouthing for them to call the police. With a jolt, the lift comes to a stop at my chosen floor, its door sliding open, revealing a crowded corridor, masked men and women appearing from wherever and rushing to the sound of fighting.
Not wanting Peter to be distracted and overwhelmed in his fight against his opponent, I roll my shoulders and infuse my throat with Chi, then shout, "Oi!" My voice rumbles over them, shaking the structure and getting their attention, their heads whipping to me and their weapons raising, a combination of melee weapons and one person with a pistol. Raising my shield, I make the first move, charging and reaching them before they can react, crashing into the closest man and sending him flying, then swinging Jian through the neck of the next man, relieving him of his head.
Danger pings in my mind, causing me to cover my head with my shield, the bang of gunshots ringing out as small impacts hit the shield. Dodging the attacks of the melee users, I wait for the shooting to stop, then step back and create some distance. Putting power in my legs, I sprint and leap, jumping into the centre of the masked people, falling on the pistol-wielder and slicing through his neck. Rolling forward off the corpse, I barge through and run to the end of the corridor, turning and blocking the entrance with my body.
Settling into a stance, I glare at them over the top of the shield and read one of them with a quick Revelation,
[Revelation
Name – Sima Hui
Vital Status – Alive
Species – Human (Enhanced)
Powers – [Darkforce Empowered],[Enhanced Strength],[Regeneration]
Weaknesses – [Lightforce],[Positive Chi],[Sarah Worthington]
History – Born to immigrant parents, Sima Hui–]
Smirking at being listed as one if his weaknesses, I skip his history and focus on the fact that these people are enhanced by Darkforce. The knowledge that I almost immediately found what I was searching for upon leaving the Sanctum is a little bit of a cause for concern, but knowing what universe I'm in, I can put it out of mind. There's probably a thousand background forces manipulating the Earthly Dimension at any one time, so I'll just place the blame on one of them.
The Darkforce-imbued people charge me in silence, the stomping of their feet shaking the floor, causing me to step back in the door frame, limiting the space they have to work with. Holding my shield to the opening, I hold fast as they slam into me, making me take a step back before I brace. Levelling Jian on top, I repeatedly stab out, piercing multiple skulls and creating a makeshift barrier of bodies. Gathering my strength, I begin to push back, challenging the group with my enhanced physique, hearing the rending of carpet as their planted feet rip it, their strength losing to mine.
With a shout and a final push, the group stumbles and breaks apart, sealing their doom. In an instant, I'm on them, slicing through necks and tearing heads from shoulders, their blood spraying out and coating our surroundings, splashing onto my relentless form, dyeing my skin. Jian cleaves through them with ease, its Chi infused blade leaving streaks of green light as it swings through the air, carving marks in the walls and floor.
Stumbling slightly from a cut to my leg, I come to a stop by the closed lift door, slightly out of breath. I rest my head against the cool metal for a moment, then push off and turn to the result of my massacre. The floor is littered with headless bodies and detached, masked heads; the carpet soaked with still blood, my path through it evident by the burning tracks of my footsteps, smoke rising off them. Giving them a curious glance, an idea behind the cause, I step on and over the corpses, reaching the exit on the other side.
I feel my wounds healing as I pass through; fighting and what sounds like the firing of lasers reaching me. Rushing around the corner into a penthouse, shield raised, I find the acrobatic form of Spider-Man dodging blasts of dark energy from a black-skinned, white-suited man. My eyes widen as I recognise the man, an antagonist from that Spider-Man game I played.
Mister Negative thrusts his arms out, firing off another beam of dark energy, when he notices me, a snarl donning his face as he shouts, his voice oddly doubled, "Another one?!" My eyes widen slightly as his Chi suddenly increases, his body glowing, before a dome of energy blasts of him, throwing the room into chaos and smashing into my shield, throwing me through the brick wall behind me.
Slamming into a second wall, I come to an abrupt stop and drop to my knees, my ribs broken. A whine of pain leaves squeezes from my throat as I cycle my Chi, a furious thought running through my mind,
'This fucker wasn't in the movies!'