War on the Throne

[Toriji]

Toriji gazed softly over the hellish environment of his home dimension. Sweeping from left to right the smile under his mask widened and a tear formed in his eyes. "Home." He spoke out to no one. "I'm finally back home."

He hopped down from the hill that his portal home had dropped him. Walking to his own personal castle he swept his hands through the white wisps of flame that danced along the ground in small harmless pyres. "Damn! I never thought I'd miss these little guys." Looking up he saw it, his castle, on the horizon. Quickening his pace he began to jog for the stone castle much like you would see in a movie with two friends reuniting after a lifetime of absence.

Finally coming to the portcullis he lifted it and pushed the heavy doors aside. Dozens of little demons scuttled about until they noticed that he was there. They stood in amazement for a while followed by immediately hugging up to his shins. "Master! You can hide behind all the silly disguises you want, but you still smell the same. It's good to have you back."

"Alright, alright. You guys can let me go now." They all obeyed and lined up a foot away from tallest to shortest. "So? How have things been on the home front?" Instantly, all of the tiny demons bowed their heads. "That time, huh?" As they all nodded his head bowed a little as well. "Don't you all worry about that." He perked them all back up. "I've been planning for this for some time now. Who's the assailant? Varaj?" They nodded again, but this time in much better humor over the depressing subject. "Hah! How predictable. Well, no worries. I have some back-up from the dimension I visited, and I have some other combatants that might help from other dimensions I've been studying." All of the eighty little ears perked up.

"Fahdric wanted to speak with you once you returned, Sir." They all sounded off as if they were one entity split in several pieces.

Toriji nodded strongly. "I'll go see him at Father's castle. As you were." All of the little demons shot off for different parts of the castle to assure it would be in perfect order when Toriji returned, and Toriji bolted off for his father's crystalline fort.

After arriving as the giant crystal monstrosity that served as the Demon King's home, Toriji was met by Fahdric who had been waiting there for some time.

"I could sense your arrival, Sir." The little goblin-like demon fidgeted with nervous fingers as he and Toriji spoke. "The time has come to defend the Throne."

"I've been told." Casting a look downward from the raised castle, Toriji saw the black mass that was his armies training. "You've scrambled them early. We still have..." Toriji looked up to a series of moons and planets that were soon to come into line. "A month at least."

"Better safe than sorry, Sir." Fahdric gestured over to the castle. "I have the list and portal spells activated as you ordered via the scroll." They both walked into the main hall of the castle, and soon came upon several swirling openings in mid-air. "Here they are, Sir"

"Very good, Fahdric. Rin, Cho!" Toriji created a clone for each opening and picked up a list of 'persons of interest.' "Now off to find these people. All of the clones filed into their own portal an popped out into the worlds of the new recruits they would be talking into fighting for him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Star*

The Toriji clone that was to track down Star Peacefire was in luck. By the area, though, one might have to say just the opposite. It was littered with debris and a girl with pink hair and and orb of energy slowly dissipating from her clinched fist. His clapping at her defeating some random scourge would alert her further to his presence. "Hrm?" He leaned lazily against a half-destroyed boulder. "You're Star Peacefire, are you not?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Obadiah*

This clone found himself within the house of a well-to-do ex-seaman. His sword he had left at home to assure that he was no threat. Realizing the slight trajectory angle, the clone stepped out the front door, re-locked it, and rang the doorbell.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Walter*

This clone found himself at a comic store in a quaint suburb somewhere. He leaned cross-armed against the inside wall of the closed store. Not far away a young man tended to the comics about the shop, oblivious to the clone's presence. "Yo! I need to speak with the Comic."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Chris*

This clone was brought to a suburb in New York. The red-headed target was going about his normal target practice with his earmuffs on. Another combatant that didn't see the clone coming. He waited for the man to stop firing and turn around to face the wrapping-clad man before him. "I need to talk to you."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Gunter* (Going into his past a bit for this...)

The last Toriji found himself within a large guild headquarters. In this building walked Gunter von Kleist. The clone walked about a bit, unnoticed by the others as he too was a mystic swordsman. He finally can upon his target and clapped hi hand on Gunter's shoulder. "Excuse me. Could I bother you for a little of you time?"

[raptorman]

Walter looked up from the comic book he had been reading, "In case you are incapable of reading the sign we are closed at the moment." He wasn't planning to reveal who he was to a random person who seemed to have appeared in his shop. He put down the book as he looked at the stranger. "And what makes you think I know anything about the Comic?"

[ketaro]

Gunter turned as some one addressed him, or rather interrupted him. He removed the man's hand from his shoulder and gave him an annoyed look. "What do you want? A new member needing to be showed the ropes? I'm busy."

[Toriji]

*Walter*

"Assuming I used the door, of course I would have seen it. Also, there's no need to hide it." Toriji looked about and held his hand to the opposite side of his face as if to hide the next line from a non-existant crowd. "I happen to know you are the Comic, Walter. I have business to speak with you. I think this business may very well have you recognized by those you idolize so much."

*Gunter*

Toriji laughed at the remark. "New? I am far from new by any means. Also, I'm not a member." He leaned against the nearby wall. "I've come to talk to you about a mission. If you don't think you can handle it... well that's okay too." He turned his head away condescendingly. "It's a shame. I figured you'd be able to take on this challenge, but..."

*Toriji's Realm*

The actual Toriji dusted off his hands and retreated to what was his room when he was younger. There was all manner of mystic objects and symbols within it. "Time to summon the Book Demon." He went about a summoning ritual to bring the other-worldly demon to aid him. He had several bist of knowledge that Dantalion would find extremely 'delectible.'

[zandyne]

Within his void of ink and paper, several voices were bounding around, words of drastically different origins ran about as frightened ants. The Book Demon was listening to each carefully, even stopping certain streams of letters to taste on his tongue. But whatever juicy tidbit he was savoring soon lost its flavor.

A bold gush of silver dispelled all manner of other duller thoughts flowing through his 'home'. He smiled tightly at it's arrival, he'd been expecting this event, but recruitment was a whole different breed of satisfaction. He lay down a portal of ink and quickly arrived at the source of what had sent out the summons.

"Bone Demon Prince," he bowed low at the honor, "Perhaps to be King as well in time, how may I be of service?"

[raptorman]

Walter looked at the Toriji clone with skepticism and he debated with himself wether to admit who he was or not. He thought back to the many comic books, how would the other heros have acted in this situation? He weighed the possibilities, this man had entered the shop without using the door, which argued for powers, if he was a villain and knew Walter was the Comic, then he would likely have already struck. Therefore Walter concluded the man before him was likely a hero of some sort by his definitions. He made a decision.

"Very well, I admit to it, I am the Comic, now kindly explain what this business you speak of is." He was interested in what toriji said primarily due to what he had said, that the comic book heros might acknowledge him in response to this business.

[ketaro]

He held his gaze on the man in silence, thinking on what the man had said. He wasn't a Guild member, thus it should be impossible for an outsider to find this place, much less enter it. The building itself was heavily guarded by mages with very unforgiving spells placed about the grounds to outright kill any unwelcome guests. And even then, to the outside world, the location of this place didn't exist in any outsider's mind. Gunter made a small 'humm', thinking about what he should do with this man.

"I could simply kill him, but...nevermind all that then..." he said aloud to himself, "I don't have too much care for the rules here. What is this mission you have? I doubt what you would call a challenge would be the same for me, so the reward better be worth my while."

[Toriji]

*Dantalion*

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves now." Toriji stood up from sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room. "As I'm sure you are already aware, my father is in decline due to a certain alignment of the six moons and three planets that circle this one. I have asked you here to take part in a battle that will be waged once the decline has fully drained my father of his powers. I understand that you take fancy to information that is hard to come by. Father, as it turns out, is quite old and is a wellspring of knowledge that you would surely enjoy." Toriji extended his hand in greeting. "Would you consider assisting us in our time of need?"


*Walter*

"Good." Toriji removed himself from the wall to stand nearer to the Comic. "I come from another dimension in search of a few brave souls to assist me. There is a war to be waged in roughly a month's time and I could certainly use the help to defend my father's throne. I feel like you could help me, and in doing so you may catch attention from other heroes in this dimension." Shrugging his shoulderd he shook his head. "Sadly I cannot assure you this as fact, but your help will still be greatly appreciated."

*Gunter*

"Ahh. You don't think it'll be a challenge?" A bushy eyebrow raised and a smirk stretched out under Toriji's mask. "How about this? I guarantee you a challenge. If it isn't, I'll grant you a single favor in the challenge's stead. Will that suffice, Gunter?"

[ketaro]

"Fine then. But let us hope you're capable of granting the favor I shall be asking, for I garuntee it would be a very big one." He half-smiled at the man, but in no way was it meant to be a friendly smile. He extended his arm out to the side and from behind him an unnaturally large, white crow noiselessly flew around from behind a corner and came to perch on the back of his hand. "Ah, but it comes to mind now. Neither have you told me what exactly you need me to do, nor can I see how you shall be taking your leave of this place. Even if you did sneak in from outside, it would be much impossible to repeat that performance with myself with you. So tell me, how shall you be going about that?" And he gave the man a look that clearly meant this to be a challenge of his own issued, one that Gunter figured he might find humor in seeing play out.

[Ninmast]

*Star*

The pink-haired girl arched an eyebrow at the figure that looked like Toriji, but was far weaker and apparently didn't know her. "You must be one of his clones," she noted. "Sorry, I can't go have tea or pizza or whatever it is he wants. I'm a little busy here. Y'know, protecting the world from destruction and all that mundane stuff. Tell him to try again next week." And she took off into the sky.

Meanwhile, an oddly-dressed figure appeared behind the clone. "Excuse me," it spoke gently, its voice neither clarifying its identity nor its gender. "If you would prefer, I believe I might be able to render assistance ..."

[raptorman]

Walter shrugged himself, he had followed false trails before, part of the job description as a hero and he doubtless would again. He considered for a minute then decided, "Sure I will help, after all it is a hero's duty to help those in need." He turned to head into the back room to change into his costume before pausing. "Your father isn't a tyrant by any chance? Because I am not helping a tyrant keep his throne."

[Toriji]

*Gunter*

"Heh. Who said I snuck in? I'd suggest you hold your breath. These teleportations can be rough." As he spoke he reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder.

The scene before Gunter convulsed and melted as if an unknown Dali painting. He'd begin to feel as if inside an interdimensional elevator soon, with all of his organs feeling as if they were dropping at different rates. The area around him slowly transgifured into that of a swirling tunnel with a pinkish crystal landing pad at the end. They dropped rather abruptly onto the cold crystal, and all of the scenery snapped back into what the clone saw as normal. Gunter, however, was a different story.

*Camille*

The clone scratched his head at the arrival. "Hrm." He racked his brain trying to produce a name. "Aha! Camille! You are yet another on the list as a secondary." His face contorted slightly. "I'm sorry that was rude. You may come with me if you wish." It reached out to grab her much as the other clone had with Gunter. This clone's personality was a bit softer than the other one's though. This teleportation was smooth. It was more of a pop than a slither and a snap. The two seemed to appear out of thin air in Toriji's world. The two clones nodded to each other silently and waited for the others.

*Walter*

"Far from it. He's actually one of the kings of my world that wasn't at some point. You'll see what I mean when we get there." He extended his hand as if in a greeting. "Just take my hand and we will be swept off to my world."

[Raptor, just post from Toriji's world in your next on, but don't forget to include his shaking the clone's hand.]

[raptorman]

Walter nodded and then spoke again. "Hold on a second." Then he turned away from the Toriji clone and walked into the storage room of the comic book shop. A few minutes later the Comic walked out of the door from the storage room. His head was covered by a mirrored helmet slightly reminiscent of a fishbowl, a golden cape hung from his shoulders, clawed gloves covered his hands and the rest of his body was covered by a black and green spandex like suit. He reached out to shake Toriji's hand and made a jocking remark as he did so. "Beam me up Scotty." and chuckled.

[ketaro]

The teleportation certainly did catch Gunter offguard, and he fought hard to keep a straight face through it. When it was over, it took some effort to refrain from stumbling from the landing but he managed it and looked as arrogant as ever about it. "That was certainly an," he coughed and held silent for a few seconds, caught up in the rather unusual surroundings, before continuing, "interesting...trick of yours." He raised a brow at the appearance of a second Toriji, but clones were a little more familiar a thing with him than something like teleportation.

[zandyne]

After being informed this, he was to inquire more, but the appearance of humans made him, out of reflex, shift into his more human form, so now he appeared to be a very young man in dark, barely purple cleric attire.

"I assume this is the preparation phase then, your highness."

He looked over the newly arrived humans with half-hooded disdain. This could make things more difficult or easy.

"My aid is contingent on forming an actual contract and its terms. Though I am honored you have summoned me, you understand my position of being a Duke. I'll be more than happy to work out the specific details, payment shall also be discussed when it is more appropriate.