Chapter 06: [Demons of the East] - Part 1 – Day of the Dragon
"Shadow is a color as light is, but less brilliant; light and shadow are only the relation of two tones."
- Paul Cezanne
*DOOM*
Ao Guang Antiques
Chinatown, San Francisco, California
June 2, 2011
8:27 p.m.
3rd POV
The shop keeper is a short elderly Chinese man dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. He has brown eyes behind dark speckles, pale wrinkled skin, a bald head, and a long white beard. Everything about him says age and wisdom, which he has cultivated as a merchant and expert of archeological wonders.
His customer is tall athletic Japanese man standing five-foot-eleven with brown eyes and no hair on his head, but he does have a trimmed gray beard. He's dressed in an expensive looking Italian suit with a dark green shirt and a tie with a gold serpentine dragon image. He also wears a fedora that matches the suit.
"Hello Guang."
"It's been a long time Mr. Ito. I believe that is name you are using."
"It's been a long time since I used my real name." says the Japanese man, "Not since I ended the life of that little bird."
"If my associates knew I was selling to you, I would be cut to pieces." says the old Chinese man as he pulls out a large scroll. "Some would also do the same If they learned I possessed this scroll."
The seal on the scroll has lattice of lines (4 vertical lines over 5 horizonal lines), which is most obscure than the Abe no Seimei's pentagram (5-pointed star)
"Ashiya Dōman"
"Ashiya Dōman suffered many humiliating defeats at the hands of Abe no Seimei. This was to be his revenge, but he died before he could us it or perhaps there was still some humanity left in him."
Onmyōdō ( lit. 'The Way of Yin and Yang') is a system of natural science, astronomy, almanac, divination and magic that developed independently in Japan based on the Chinese philosophies of yin and yang and wuxing (five elements). Abe no Seimei was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of Onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and can be considered the Eastern counterpart to the Great Wizard of Arthurian lore - Merlin.
The Japanese gentleman places a briefcase on the desk. He clicks a combination and pops it open, before turning it around to show the Chinese man the contents. The briefcase is filled with money. More than enough money to pay for the scroll and the shop owner's soul.
The Japanese gentleman picks up the scroll, places it inside a paper bag, and leaves the shop without a word.
The shop keeper counts the money when he hears a click and a hiss.
"No." he says in terror before he feels a tingling sensation followed by numbing of the extremities. He doesn't make it out of the room before he loses his ability to move those limbs. As the nerve gas shuts down his heart and lungs, he can barely curse his murderer.
"Damn you, Dragon King!"
*DOOM*
June 1, 2011 – Me and Raven went to Hell. He also met John Constantine. Talk about Unlucky.
June 2, 2011 – Something happened. I don't know what but my senses tell me something happened. Raven said something about the balance between good and evil was becoming unstable.
June 24, 2011 – Superman showed me and Connor the Fortress of Solitude. I wasn't really interested, but Connor insisted I come with them. I will admit the Kryptonian crystal tech is impressive, but I'm not a fan of the snow and ice. When we were inside, I set off a bio-hazard alarm
June 25, 2011 – I broke the Fortress's Quarantine. I was getting tired of Superman's attempt to argue with the Fortress' AI. I did learn the Kryptonian biological weapon was created by scientists working for General Dru-Zod and that it was designed not only to destroy Kryptonians but their crystal tech (which could explain my munchies). When the AI continued to protest, I threatened to eat it. I think I'm banned from the Fortress.
July 14, 2011 – Superman and Superboy were actually spotted by the media today. They were distracted by a serious conversation, which was a result of my actions. Apparently, Blackfire and Raven have been talking about their relationship with me to Starfire in graphic detail. There telepathically loud enough that poor innocent Megan got corrupted by our "psi-porn". Superman and Martian Manhunter walked in on Miss Martian being aggressive. Tabloids are all running "Supes gives his boy the talk."
July 15, 2011 - Superman and Superboy stopped a robbery in Metropolis. I was in the bank in my holographic disguise and got to see the whole thing. They were typical criminals, no super villains among them, but they were armed with advance technology so either Lexcorp or Intergang. I gave them a little bit of help.
*DOOM*
Metropolis First Bank
July 15, 2011
11:50
Superman and Superboy face a couple dozen very generic looking criminals. The criminals are all dressed in black shirt, cargo pants, and black boots with body armor, protective face masks, and gloves. The only thing unique about them are direct energy weapons. The media will call them "laser guns", Tho they actually fire invisible particle beams with a red laser used for targeting purposes.
Most of criminals are already unconscious.
The leader of the criminals holds a large high-tech rifle with his left arm and pulls out a small case with the other. The small metallic case flips open to reveal a golf-ball-size piece of Green Kryptonite.
I decide to help my "family". I casually walk up to the criminal leader, who is so shocked by a seven-foot person sneaking up to him he fires his gun point blank at my chest. It doesn't cause even the slightest bit of damage, but the energy surge disrupts my disguise. The leader briefly sees grey skin and red eyes, and is so scared he can't move.
I pick up the piece of Green Kryptonite, then I swallow the radioactive material like its piece of candy. I'm surprised at how good the Kryptonite tastes; it tastes like a Lindt chocolate truffle to my bizarre tongue. I smile with joy showing my rows of teeth to the criminal in the process.
The criminal deactivates his gun and drops it to the ground. He then slides to the ground, bowing on his hands and knees. A position of total surrender. I think he's trying to hide the urine stain on his front.
*DOOM*
August 20, 2011 – I finally got a chance to fight with Batman! Batman needed help testing his heavy weapons and power armor. I am one of least squishy people he knows and unlike the Team and League, I wasn't busy. Afterward I got him to show me some non-lethal moves and thanks to [Archetype: Tyrant] I gained moves from all of one hundred twenty-seven styles of martial arts. I suspect he noticed something, but he wants to know what I'll use those moves. Sorry, Bats, I just learned those moves because it's felt cool.
September 23, 2011 - Raven. Starfire, and Blackfire went on a training trip to Themyscira. Raven got attention as a heroine who fought against the forces of Hell for over four years (her time). Blackfire wanted to improve her fighting skills and dragged Starfire with her. After the Warlords of Okarra, I know those girls will be fine. I miss them already.
September 29, 2011 – There back and they even got blessings. They also brought back a snack.
*DOOM*
Mount Justice
September 29, 2011
7:00 am
The sun has risen and my girlfriends have returned from Themyscira with Starfire and Wonder Woman. They also bring a special chest and a letter from Queen Hippolyta, the immortal daughter of Ares and Wonder Woman's mother.
"I'm starting to feel like a garbage disposal"
Ring of Gyges – a magical ring that grants its owner the power to become invisible at will. Many men became criminals when they did not fear punishment or bad reputation for committing injustices. It's believed the story of the Invisible Man and the One Ring from Tolkien was based on this ring.
Necklace of Harmonia – Made by Hephaestus, any woman wearing it will remain eternally young and beautiful. The problem is it's cursed to cause great misfortune to the wearer and their family. This has a long history of destroying Royalty in Thebes.
Cup of Circe – A magically crafted cup that infects all that drinks from it with therianthropy – they transform partially or completely into animal. Circe also made the effects random so owners couldn't simply use it as a power up. You could end up a moon-dependent werewolf or pig during the night or permanently a bear.
Sword of the Slaughterer – A cursed sword that both amplifies the hatred of its master and inflict identical wounds to all members of the same species within a certain range. An amazon far from home would be driven to butcher a criminal for a small offence and end up massacring an entire village.
Tear of the Amazons - A cursed jewel crafted with the power of Epiales - the spirit of nightmares. As long the jewel exists, all Amazons will have nightmares of their first deaths. That one is disturbing since the original Amazons were crafted from souls taken from the Cavern of Souls. It's a place filled with the spirits of all women who had unjustly died at the hands of a man.
Wonder Woman nearly bursts in tears at the destruction of the last one. Well, I'm freeing her mother from centuries of suffering.
Each items destruction had a unique effect. When I ate the Ring of Gyges, it tasted like a strawberry and I felt something being absorbed into me. It was like I was eating something I needed, but didn't know about it.
When I ate the Necklace of Harmonia it was hot and spicy and gave me a warm sensation throughout my body. A warmth that seemed familiar.
When I took my first bite of the Cup of CIrce, it has a nasty taste to it, like bitter dark chocolate. I also didn't get to eat the rest of it as the cup crumbled to dust after the first successful bite.
When I took a bite out of the Sword of Slaughter, I didn't taste anything, and the sword crumbled into fine powdery sand. Maybe the darkest magic ruins the taste?
The Tear of the Amazons was the weirdest one as it tasted like a cold, wet mixture of different juices. It exploded in my mouth and I was barely able to contain the force in my mouth.
"Are you OK Ash?"
"I ate five legendary cursed items and I feel gassy"
I release a loud burb, which releases a dark purple fireball that soars into the sky.
"Excuse me."
*DOOM*
November 1, 2011 – Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) became a public hero like he did in the original timeline. There was a lot of comments from Serling Roquette. I think those two are getting really close.
October 22, 2021 – Neo just put out his latest invention – The Flavor Can – a thermos like device that re-heats foods and returns their freshness. Things like French fries and taters don't taste the same if given a chance to cool, even if you reheat them the conventional way. In this case you could put two-day fridge fries into it and have them tasting like you just got them from the fast-food restaurant window. Originally it was going to be shaped like a novelty ray gun "for the hell of it", but I guess he thought better of it before final production since, in a world where ray guns actually existed, they might get a kid killed by a random police officer. Neo sent me the Deluxe version again.
October 31, 2011 – Halloween Event.
*DOOM*
New York, New York
October 31, 2011
5:50 PM
POV Change
In 4 minutes, the sun will set. It's Halloween in New York and there is magic in the air.
Unfortunately, some of that magic is the chaos magic of Klarion the Witch Boy. He stands on the roof of a building with his feline familiar Teekl. The chaos lord in the form of a psychotic brat looks very impatient.
"Hurry up, Hurry up! This is the last one before the fun starts."
He's not alone on the roof as there are two people dressed in black with white masks. They are members of the League of Shadows, but are disguised as members of the Halloween crowd.
One of them pulls out a can of special spray-paint and cardboard stencil. He places the stencil and meticulously sprays the paint, then removes the stencil and makes the final touches with a paint pen. The piece of art is revealed to be a magic ritual circle. It consists of two concentric circles with runes between the two them. Inside the inner circle is a Unicursal hexagram – a six-pointed star associated with magic.
The other wearing a special glove pulls out a hexagonal crystal. It's a translucent blue-purple-pink crystal with a similar unicursal hexagram imprinted on the top. He places the crystal in the center of the ritual circle's hexagram and the magic circle lights up.
Klarion has an inhuman smile as he places his hand above the circle. He begins to chant in a distorted language. As he finishes, he cuts his finger and a drop of blood drips from his finger onto the crystal. As the tiny drop of blood hits, the stone it flashes a bright light. When the three can see again, it's like a moving galaxy inside the crystal.
The changes begin quickly.
A young girl dressed as a witch cries out in pain as her mind is flooded with memories of learning and using magic in another world. Magical energy flows her body as the simply plastic elements of her costume become real wood and crystal.
A young man dressed as a zombie falls to the ground. The impressive make-up becomes real and the fake torn clothing become real clothing stained with blood. He lets out a roar as rises, his eyes now completely white and devoid of human intellect.
A little girl dressed as a doctor with a lab coat and stethoscope holds her head. Her head is filled with years of education and experience. Her body grows and matures into a young woman. Even her costume changes to accommodate her new body.
A couple dressed as Gothic vampires collapse in pain as they are infused with unholy powers. Their minds are filled with centuries of memories. Memories filled with darkness, blood, lust, and night skies. As they open their blood red eyes, they turn into mist to escape the crowds.
Soon, the once joyous Halloween night is filled with screams.
*DOOM*
Doomsday Bunker
Same Time
I'm at my computer in the Doomsday Bunker watching a marathon of horror anime. Blackfire joined her sister and the Team at a costume party, while Raven is catching up on her reading. After over four years in Hell, Halloween parties have lost their appeal. If I watched Halloween candy, I would just buy chocolate for myself and the girls.
I watch the busty female heroine grab the sadist female by the face and grind her head against the wall until nothing remains. I almost giggle at the plane takeoff sound and "How does it feel to have someone fuck with your head" line.
[Message from Rorschach]
"What the?"
I activate my Gamer menu and look at the message.
"Klarion is having "fun" again. He has cast a chaos spell - Masks. The Masks spell transforms people into their costumes and since it's Halloween it's a mess. The bigger problem is he cast it simultaneously in multiple places. Until every circle in every place is destroyed, the spell won't end. I'm sending you, the Team, and the League the map of the sites. Normally I wouldn't ask, but there are over sixty sites."
Masks. I'm very familiar with the "Becoming the Costume" trope. The Halloween episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my favorite and was the basis for my Halloween World mega-crossover. Similar events happened in Berserk, Hellblazer, the Simpsons, and Martin Mystery.
"This is going to be Bad!"
The people that become arrogant celebrities are mostly harmless. The people that become pirates could up raping and pillaging. The people that become Ghostface and other slashers could end up going on killing sprees. The people that become vampires and zombies – pray Klarion was convinced not to make them contagious.
"I'm on my way."
*DOOM*
Mount Justice
November 1, 2011
Early morning
"So how was your Halloween?"
Nobody is in a good mood, but things actually turned out better than I thought they would.
The one costume I didn't think about was ironically Superheroes. Even in a world of actual superhumans, superhero costumes are as popular as they are in my world. There may be no Spider-Man in this universe (real or fictional beyond that Black Spider villain). Instead, there were a lot of people dressed as current and historical heroes.
Multiple Atlanteans, Amazons, and humans armed with Green Lantern Power Rings were ready to help save lives. They also contained people transformed into monsters. There were also versions of Flash, Batman, Hawk woman, Captain Atom, and Captain Marvel. Thankfully, the number of villains was small due a cultural bias. The number of villain costumes is very limited and dressing as Joker is consider taboo (like dressing as Adolf Hitler in a Jewish community).
Klarion didn't even stay around very long as he was nearly dogpiled by magical heroes ranging from Zatara knock-offs to heroines from 80s toy advertisements It still took hours to destroy all 66 ritual crystals and break the spell.
I tried to help break the spell, but only managed to break two hex-crystals before I got into a fight with the Superman expy. They believed I was villain despite my protests and I had to beat them unconscious. I could have easily killed them, but they were just innocent people dressed as idiot versions of Superman, so no bone spikes or poisons. I did laugh when one of them went down because of Johney Cage Nut Punch.
I later learned from Neo, that the Hex Crystals were also cultivated from crystals in my body fluids. My best guess is either Cadmus Beta samples survived or Klarion stole some during that mess on Roanoke. I should pay more attention to my own fights even if my opponent is doing zero damage.
*DOOM*
Today, we are still dealing with complications.
There are many people who are dead. There are zombies, vampires, and monsters that attacked humans only to learn their targets saw the movies and live in a country with the "right to bear arms". There were people who were surprised by people turning into their costumes and didn't react fast enough. There are also those killed in accidents, bring the death count up to several thousand. There are even more injured.
There are many people who now have severe psychological trauma from the deluge of memories they acquired. Some kids have gained a lifetime of memories as an ordinary citizen, but others have gained memories of criminals or soldiers that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
A minority of those transformed into their costumes didn't change back. Children aged into adults will never regain those lost years. Humans transformed into Atlanteans are forever members of homo mermanus and once a person has awakened to magic, they can never be mundane again.
The biggest complication is the Halloween Heroes that helped the "Real" Heroes who retained their memories and powers. Memories and powers that don't always match the current reality.
*DOOM*
Chinatown, Manhattan, NYC, NY
November 1
POV Change
A young Chinese man dressed carrying a briefcase walks into a restaurant. He's dressed in a dark blue shirt, dark pants, and black shoes. He also wears a gray fedora, black gloves, and long coat. The reception is also surprised he wears yellow-lens wrap-around glasses.
"I have a meeting with a Mr. Ito" he says to receptionist in Chinese.
She takes him to table in the back, where Mr. Ito is enjoying his meal.
"This shop has been making the best noodles in New York since 1970." he says with smile, "I have been a favored customer since he opened and the owner even invited me on a couple of his fishing trips."
The man with yellow glasses notices a photo on the wall. It's an old picture of an Asian American boy standing next to the Justice Society. While many restaurants have pictures of super heroes, this one looks like there is an actual story.
"Mr. Takahashi was a Japanese-American who lost his parents during World War II. It was his parents that helped the Heroes bring down the Axis Barrier." explains Mr. Ito, "They were killed by Dragon King, but he and his sister were rescued by the Justice Society."
The Axis Barrier was a magical force field around Axis-controlled Asia and Europe. It was this magical barrier that kept American superheroes out of those countries. If any of those heroes attempted to fight on Axis soil, their minds would be warped. The man who created the barrier was Dragon King.
"Do you have them?"
"Yes, Sir."
Mr. Ito clicks the combination and opens the case just enough to see the contents.
Inside are six hexagonal crystals marked with the unicursal hexagon. The translucent blue-purple-pink crystal still contains the image of a spiral galaxy. In the center of each galaxy are burning red diamond-shaped gemstones.
"Most didn't know you didn't need to break the crystals to end the spell, just remove the crystal. There were sixty-six of these crystals in magic seals across the country. Even Klarion didn't notice a mere six going missing. ", says the man with the glasses.
Mr. Ito has dark intentions in his eyes.
"These will make things so much easier."
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 2, 2011
Two Flash fans possessing memories of an alternate Earth-16 where Flash (Barry Allen) is a woman named Jenny. Two very familiar speedsters thanks to my enhanced memory.
"Eliza Harmon, aka Trajectory, an Everyman Project subject."
"The what?" asks the brown-eyed brown-haired girl from Manchester, Alabama.
"In the comics, The Everyman Project was initiated by Lex Luthor with the goal of granting super-powers to non-metahumans. He really just wanted to have Superman's powers."
"He sounds like jealous type."
"You wanted super speed, but you didn't like Luthor's methods. You needed a drug to slow down. You were convinced by friend to give it a chance, but Luthor removed your powers during a fight against Blockbuster. You didn't make it."
"That fucking sucks."
I turn to the blue-eyed blonde beauty, who's also dressed in a Flash-inspired costume.
"Jessica Belle Chambers, also known as Jesse Quick. The daughter of Jonathan P. "John" Chambers and Elizabeth "Libby" Lawrence-Chambers, also known as Johnny Quick and Liberty Bell of All-Star Squadron."
"Wait! All-Star Squadron was 1941-1945."
"I can explain." says Red Tornado, "In 1945, Jesse and Libby disappeared into a temporal anomaly caused by Dragon King. Instead of the time spell aging them fifty years, it transported them fifty years into the future. They had no way to return to their original and ended up settling down in secret"
Jesse Chambers looks amazed and shocked that her parents were WWII superheroes. She knew they were old fashion, but she never it was because they were actually ancient. Eliza looks a little jealous, she died because of greedy rich asshole, while Jesse was born to be a hero.
"It's a good thing they didn't mess with time. When Flash messes with Time, bad things happen."
"Like what?" asks Jesse and Eliza.
"In several timelines, Barry Allen went back in time to save his mother's life and broke time in what's called the Flashpoint Paradox. You know you screwed up when they name a catastrophic temporal anomaly after you. In that altered time, there was no Flash, Kal-El was crippled under government containment, and Bruce was killed instead of his parents. That had Thomas Wayne become a gun-toting murderous Batman and his wife become the Joker."
"Oh my God." says Jesse getting very pale. Halloween Heroes have memories of other worlds, so they are not unknown celebrities to them. They are friends, comrades, and family
"Aquaman and Wonder Woman joined forces against the mundane world. There alliance failed when Aquaman's wife learned they were having an affair and Wonder Woman killed Mara. Everyone was getting slaughtered and the world ended when the Atlanteans used a Doomsday weapon made of Captain Atom."
"Oh Christ. If I ever get time travel powers, someone shoot me in the spine!"
*DOOM*
Hong Kong, China
November 2, 2011
POV Change
Mister Ito had to endure a 16-hour flight, but at least it was private plane. As he arrives, he's greeted by a young beautiful woman.
She is a Japanese-American woman standing 170 cm (5'7) with green eyes and long dark brown hair with white lochs in the front. The young woman is dressed in a dark combat bodysuit with red/green markings. Over the sexy outfit she wears a concealing long coat.
"It's good to see you, Cindy."
"Thanks dad, but call me Shiv when I'm in costume."
"No matter the costume, you will always be Cynthia "Cindy" Burman. My beautiful daughter."
"You getting mushy in your old age, Dad?"
"Never" says Mr. Shiro Ito, he then narrows his eyes "We have company."
"A nosy police detective who doesn't have enough evidence to show his face."
"Is he the one you mentioned in your messages?"
"That's the one. The super-cop who's a costume away from being a vigilante. He was even involved in a couple of cases in America with a loudmouth American."
"Well normally I would watch his actions and laugh at his impotency, but things are too critical." says Mr. Ito as he points at the shadows and makes a pulling gesture.
A man in a dark suit is pulled from the shadows by a mystical force. He's a Chinese man standing 174 cm (5'8) with dark brown eyes and black hair
"Chef inspector Yan Naing Lee. It's a pleasure to meet you. I believe you already known my daughter."
"Hello. Yes, Nice to meet you." says Detective Li scrambling to his feet. He's actually amazingly agile for a man of 57 years. He's the type of person who looks way younger than he actually is. He then dodges blows from Shiv.
"Bad Day! Why do you have blades coming out of your arms?" says Detective Li as he avoids the absurdly sharp blades. His suit already has several cuts and half of his tie is already on the tarmac.
"When my daughter was young, a militia learned who I was I was during World War II. Instead of calling the police or the current incarnation of the Justice Society – the Justice League, they tried to car bomb me." says Mr. Ito, sounding furious, "I was unharmed because of my magic, but my daughter was severely injured and required extensive cybernetic reconstruction."
"So Sorry to hear that." says Detective Li, as he manages to pull Shiv out of her jacket and tie her up with her coat. It looks like a failed design for a straightjacket.
Shiv breaks free of her coat, shredding it to pieces with her arm blades. Detective Li is temporarily immobilized by a spell and Shiv grabs his arms. She twists them with technologically augmented superhuman strength and the breaking of bones is audible.
"That's enough of you, impromptu martial arts monkey." says Shiv, smiling sadistic at Li's cries of pain.
"You're the war criminal, Dragon King!" accuses Detective Li despite the pain.
"War criminal. I was a brilliant scientist of Imperial Japan and once I joined the Black Dragon Society, I worked even harder to defend my nation. If it wasn't for me, the homelands would have been invaded by those super-powered freaks. Now it's time for you to leave the stage, Mr. Li. "
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 3, 2011
Rebecca "Becky" Langstrom and Aaron Langstrom. These two are the children of Dr. Kirk Langstrom. He is the inventor of the infamous Man-Bat Serum, a special formula that has the ability to turn the user into a hideous bat monster, the Man-Bat. Many of super science animal hybridization formulas came from his work.
In this timeline, Batman encountered Dr. Langstrom early in career. Batman managed to cure Dr. Langstrom of his transformation, but his genes were mutated. led to his children aging three times faster. Batman helped Dr. Langstrom acquire the medication to save them and restore their normal aging. This is why they look older than there chronological 10.
Aaron and Becky dressed as Batman and Batwoman, respectively, for Halloween. Aaron ended up with the knowledge and skills of Bruce Wayne of an alternate Earth-16. Becky ended up the knowledge and skills of Kathy Kane, a Batwoman from an Earth similar to Earth-16 and Earth-11 (in other words Young Justice but female).
"We aren't normal Batmen!" says Aaron, "We are stronger, more agile, and more durable than a normal human."
"We also have claws and fangs." says Becky looking at me, "We think this came from a different version of Batman. You have otherworld knowledge. Do you have any idea why?"
"Pseudo-Vampirism" after a couple seconds, "There is a version of Dr. Langstrom that became Batman. Instead of turning himself into a Bat hybrid, he turned himself into a pseudo-vampire making a cancer cure."
"Dad was a Hero?"
"A Dark Hero, He worked with a more ruthless Justice League and ate serial killers."
If any version of Batman exists in any world, he or she suffers severe psychological trauma. He plays stoic but I delight in dropping bombshells.
"Cool."
In this universe the Young Bats are still kids.
*DOOM*
Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel
Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
November 4, 2011
POV Change
Mr. Ito, the Dragon King, looks at his map. He's currently sitting in his room inside a 5-star luxury hotel
Shanghai
Beijing
Tianjin.
Shenzhen
Guangzhou
Chengdu
The six most populated cities in China.
He places an "X" over Chengdu.
"All of the pots have been placed." says his daughter, "I'm surprised nobody notice the missing people."
"Thousands of people going missing every day. China doesn't care about its people, only itself as a whole. Did I tell you about the Yellow River?"
In 1938, a flood created by the Nationalist Government in central China during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War in an attempt to halt the rapid advance of Japanese forces. It did little to stop the Japanese, but killed between four hundred thousand to nine hundred thousand of their own citizens. There were also around three million refugees and thousands of destroyed villages.
"You did." says Shiv, then she notices something on television, "Is that Batman?"
Mr. Shiro Ito turns up the volume on the television.
"Government agent Wang Baixi was arrested today for vigilantism while dressed as the American vigilante Bat Man. It is believed he was intoxicated."
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 4, 2011
" Get up, get up, get up, drop the bombshell
Get up, get up, this is out of control "
"Hey! What's that song?" says the metal-coated teen.
"PowerMan 5000 - Drop the Bombshell" I answer as I turn off my gift from Starfire and pull out a snack.
"Cool. So, what do you have on me?"
"Not much. Your character was mysterious, showed up to a hero interview, hates Nazis, then later worked for Deathstroke."
"Deathstroke!?"
"Don't worry about it. If your smart, you simply won't."
"You're not worried?"
"Your vulnerable to extreme heat and I incinerate demons in hell. My spikes are also sharp enough to pierce your Dilustel skin and unlike Captain Atom you won't go nuclear."
"So, you worried about radiation?"
"No, I'm immune to radiation." I say eating my pastry, "It's just that in the timeline Atom got torn open, he turned all of Kansas into an irradiated wasteland. I can survive anything, but I'm not a complete asshole."
"Any dirt on Captain Atom?" says Bombshell wanting info on her teacher.
"He was falsely accused of murder and treason, which is how he volunteered for experiment that landed him in this time with the chrome-dip." I say licking my fingers, "If he ever starts wearing a suit of power armor that augments his power, tell me."
"Why?"
"It means he's about to become a totalitarian dictator."
*DOOM*
Capitol City
November 5, 2011
POV Change
Alan Scott is impressive for a man of ninety-four years. He's a six-foot athletic man with blue eyes and blonde hair. He looks like he's not even fifty yet. Despite his athleticism he was still overpowered by a group of strange Asians.
They all resemble non-descriptive Japanese men with bald heads, pale skin, and eyes behind yellow googles. They are all dressed in gray fedoras, black gloves, and long coats.
"What do you guys want with an old man?"
"Alan Scott. The Green Lantern of the Justice Society."
"Hey, I don't know what people have..."
"We know everything Mr. Scott. We know more than you do." says the Leader
He sits down in chair, as Alan is retrained to his.
"Three and a half billion years ago a humanoid race from the world of Maltus sought to bring order to the stars. An offshoot of the race became known as the Guardians of the Universe, the bosses behind the current Green Lanterns. They sought to remove magic from the universe, and laid siege to the necromantic forces of the cosmos. The war was costly on both sides. The last to fall was the powerful Empire of Tears."
The Leader sips some coffee, while Alan tries to think of a way out of this mess.
"After the wars, all the stray mystical energies in the universe were gathered and bound in an orb called the Starheart. Magic is not something easily bound and a portion escaped into the universe. It crashed into China as a meteorite where it was forged into a lantern. After many centuries of changing hands, it was found by you."
The Leader sip come coffee, while Alan thinks over the revelation.
"The Green Lantern Corp believes you received a malfunctioning power ring, but in truth that Ring was forged by the Star Heart mimicking the abilities of its wardens. Even your friend Doctor Fate didn't notice it was magical." he says as he takes another sip, "This is some good coffee."
"Thanks for the compliment. So why are we talking about my missing biography?"
"You should be more concerned with your future. Your children?"
"My children?"
"Alan Ladd Wellington Scott met and married a young woman named Alyx Florin, who you believed died in a fire. Instead, she was actually Rose Canton, better known to you as Thorn."
"What?" says Alan as his skin pales.
"Yes, the same plant-manipulating villainess that you and Jay Garrick fought. She suffered from dissociative identity disorder and one of those personalities loved you. She suffered severe injuries, but she was able to put herself in status until she healed. When she awoke and gave birth, she gave her twins up for adoption to protect them."
The Leader pulls out a couple of photos.
One photo is a young beautiful woman, who looks much like her mother. The big difference is her eyes, skin, and long hair are green. She's dressed in a sexy Green Lantern uniform that Alan finds inappropriate.
"Jennifer-Lynn Hayden. A little magic from that mess on Halloween woke up her metagene. Her powers are just like her old man."
The other, who is a young handsome man, who looks like him. The big difference is shadows seem to flow around the man like water, darkening his brown eyes and hair. He's wearing a more generic superhero costume of black and blue with a white cape.
"Todd James Rice. His meta-ability also awoke on Halloween, but he gained Shadow powers." says the Leader, "Your precious Jade and Obsidian. The reasons you will be working with us."
"What do mean?" Alan also whispers, having a bad feeling.
"Our Boss has use for Todd's shadow powers and we need a mystical source like the Star Heart. He doesn't have a need for another Green Lantern, so you will provide the reason. Either you work with us or her light will go out forever."
Alan doesn't have a choice but to obey the strange men.
"Summon the Starheart."
"I shall shed my light over dark evil, for the dark things cannot stand the light. The light of … THE GREEN LANTERN!"
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 5, 2011
Wonder Woman's collection of amazons is impressive. They were all fans of Wonder Woman who dressed as her for Halloween and now have comparable powers. I don't know if they have all the powers, but I do recognize them from other works of fiction. As far as memories, they only gained enough generic memories to wreck super identities and not need Amazon basic training.
"Yuki Katsura, Yuri Katsura, and Emily Sung. The Bombshells. In another timeline, they were girls held in Japanese-American internment camps during the war because America was paranoid about Japanese. They were rescued by Wonder Woman."
"That actually happened to our great-grandparents." explains Yuki, one of the Katsura sisters, "We were named after them."
"Interesting. The prime version of you sisters was part of a biker gang called Jawbreakers. They were enemies of Batgirl. It was a WWII Else world story in which you became super heroines after Wonder Woman's death."
"Death!?" explains Emily – the purple-haired Japanese-American. I notice a faint sparkle in the air.
"She was killed by America's chemically-altered super-soldier Clayface. You girls later purified him transforming him into magical silver and he was able to replicate Wonder Woman's enchanted items."
Emily, Yuki, and Yuri are wearing silver versions of Wonder Woman's Bracelets of Submission, Tiara, and Lasso of Truth. They noticed the color difference from the ones Wonder Woman wears (and the aluminum/plastic ones they wearing before Klarion's spells). Now, they know where the silver might come from.
"Emily was also a hero in the main universe. She could manipulate matter and transform as metamorphic heroine - Element Woman."
"Cool. Maybe that's why I can manipulate silver." says Emily as the empty soda can in her hand turns into pure silver before twisting into a rod.
"That or you have an awakened metagene."
"What about us?" says an accented voice.
Maria Mendoza is a beautiful Peruvian woman standing five-foot-eight with brown eyes and flowing black hair. She looks like she could be Diana's sister and is dressed in a white and gold uniform. It was a typical sexy Wonder Woman costume at the party she was at, but her costume transformed with her body.
"There was a series called Just Imagine in which Marvel Comics pioneer Stan Lee (Marvel being DC Comics' rival) reimagined characters from DC. You were the reimagining of Wonder Woman, a Peruvian environmentalist who was empowered by divine-created Mayan weapon. You eventually destroyed a criminal called Armando Guitez who was empowered by evil souls."
"That's how that Bastard died in that other world? Good.:" says Maria. "I was working an environmentalist trying to take down his operations, when I was nearly killed by a car bomb. I was recovering in a special hospital in Los Angeles, when I learned he died of an allergic reaction. Someone sent him a rare flower and he choked to death in his office."
I suspect it was Dr. Isley who sent Mr. Guitez the rare flower. She can be subtle when eliminating criminals, the problem was pollution clouding her mind and general Gotham criminal madness. I think she and Harley are still in the Caribbean
The last "Wonder Girl" is a girl called Harmony. She is tall teenager standing six feet with blue eyes and flowing black hair tied in a ponytail. Her uniform is red/white that contrasts against Maria's white/gold outfit. It looks more like a military bodysuit than magical outfit fueled by divine power. She also looks like she was actually trained as a warrior despite her oridnary seeming background. I look at the profile page – Harmony Cash – Parents: Cole and Zannah!
" Holy Shit! Your Grifter and Zealot's daughter!"
"How!? How do you know about me! My Parents aren't..."
"Your parents aren't from this Universe?" I finish.
"Yes. It was back in the 90s, mom and dad were cleaning up what remained of the Daemonites, when they were pulled through a rupture in reality. They took the identities of missing soldiers and settled down. How do you know? I thought you had knowledge of Superman and Batman, but my parent's universe didn't have them."
"I didn't just read DC and Marvel Comics, I also read from the lesser publishers. Wildstorm comics produced a series called WildC.A.T.s "
"Mom and Dad's Team! Oh woah. You read about their adventures fighting against the Daemonites. Did you read about how they saved the world when they destroyed Helspont and the Orb."
"The Orb of Themyscira? Then your parents came from the animated tv series. I loved that show, even if the scheduling was crap! I saw everything including the confession in Fort Knox and final episodes with the Behemoth blowing up."
"Wait! Wait! Time-Out" says Yuri Katsura, "Explain for the rest of us."
"WildCATs were a covert action team of superheroes, mostly of alien Kherabim descent. They fought against body-stealing extraterrestrials called Daemonites. Harmony's mother is Lady Zannah of Khera who was fighting on Earth for centuries. She even fought in the Trojan War on the Greek side, where she acquired baby girls. Those girls became the Coda, which was her world's amazons who later became like the League of Shadows. Cole Cash on the other hand is a mercenary hero and former con-artist, who was a core member of the CATs. "
I should contact Neo and have him copy off WildCATs series off Interdimensional Cable. I'm sure Harmony would love it.
"Wait a minute. You said your parents took identities of missing soldiers?" says Maria, "Does that mean this world had versions of them?"
"It could be." I reply, making the girls look at me, "DC acquired Wildstorm and during the Flashpoint Event they introduced characters."
I remember watching Flashpoint Paradox Animated Movie and seeing Grifter for the first time in years. The only other time I saw Grifter was an issue of the Mask vs Grifter comic book. Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo are now part of the New 52. Young Justice is part of the New 52.
"This means this world could have Kherabim and Daemonites."
*DOOM*
Private Plane Enroute to China
November 6, 2011
POV Change
Alan Scott and his two previously unknown children Jennifer-Lynn and Todd are sitting next to each other on the plane. The other occupied seats are the same identical Japanese men with long coats, hats, and yellow glasses.
There is clearly something wrong with the Scott family as their faces lack any form of emotion.
"Incoming Call."
Alan Scott answers the video call, revealing the face of Mr. Shiro Ito.
"You were successful in acquiring them, Darcell? Well, done."
"Thank you, Sir." replies Alan Scott's body with a distorted double voice. A voice that indicates that Alan Scott is no longer in control of his body.
"Are you having any trouble controlling your new body? You have been dependent on Cadmus clones for such a long time."
"We may have occupied these clones for years, but we are still Daemonites." says Darcell, "The soul may struggle, but the bodies belong to us until we discard them."
"Good. Make sure to stay at the base until The Day of the Dragons. Those bodies are a precious resource."
*DOOM*
Chengdu HQ
Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
November 6, 2011 (same time)
Still 3rd Person POV
Shiro Ito closes the call and rises from his chair.
"It's been so long."
He changes his clothing, putting on a dark green almost black uniform with thick gloves and boots. He puts on ankle-length cape with a flaring collar. He then pulls on a hood that he hasn't worn in years, a dark hood with golden image of serpentine dragon.
"No more hiding."
He walks over to a table where two huge gauntlets rests. The gauntlets are composed of coils of wire, ring and rectangular plates. Those metal plates are edged with Japanese kanji and magic runes. There are also several electrode-like spikes and strange gemstones around the knuckle regions.
"The World will remember the Fear."
He slides his gloved hands into the gauntlets, clenches them into fists and raises them up. Electricity arcs between the gauntlets, which glowing with a malicious dark purple energy. His eyes also glow beneath his mask.
"The World will remember The Dragon King!"
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 6, 2011
Aquaman was considered a joke character back in my home universe until his revision in the Justice League tv series. He grew from a character that was only relevant if water or the ocean was involved, into heavy hitter. In this world, Aquaman or King Orin rules over seventy percent of the entire world. This was Vandal Savage intent when had Klarion sink Atlantis.
There are a dozen nobodies that dressed as Aquaman or Aquawoman or some other variation (not even knowing their real names), but they have now become Atlanteans. Most of the nobodies are not too affected by the sub-species change. The new Atlanteans are getting scholarships to Atlantean schools, Tho this may be to block information leaks.
There is one big someone amongst the group.
Dr. Aspen Matthews is a gorgeous woman standing 171 cm (5'6) and 57 kg (126 lbs.). She has the body of a model and swimmer, blue eyes, and long black hair.
She was born in 1973 and was adopted by the sea Captain that found her in 1984. She is a former gold metal Olympic swimmer who was accused of blood doping in 1988. She is currently an accredited Marine biologist, gaining a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of San Diego, California. In the world of science, she is one of top non-Atlantean marine biologists in the world. She currently dating a US Navy sailor called Chance Calloway.
"Tests now indicate that I was always at least part-Atlantean. So, the Korean Olympics owe me an apology for accusing me of doping. I'm still banned as an Atlantean." says Doctor Matthews drinking her coffee, "I also have memories of Marenna – the Aquagirl of 2050s Alternate Universe"
Atlanteans are also banned from water-based sports as they have inborn superiority. The same way you can't have members of the Flash family doing marathon running or Kryptonians competing in anything.
Marenna is the Aquagirl of DCAU's Batman Beyond. The daughter of Aquaman/King Arthur and Mera, and younger sibling to Arthur Junior. Those are counterparts to Orin, Mera, and Artur of this universe. Aquagirl had the standard Atlantean abilities and hydro-kinesis – the ability to control water, but she didn't have Aspen's ability to become water and control any liquid.
"In Image comics, Aspen is the main heroine of Michael Turner's Fathom comic. You're the forbidden daughter of Rahger of The Black and Eilah of The Blue. The Blue and the Black two races of humanoid underwater dwellers like Atlanteans. Your hybrid nature makes you one of most powerful beings capable of manipulating any liquid and transforming into water."
"That's amazing and disturbing. I can only imagine what comic book nerds were doing to swimsuit clad pictures of me."
Aspen then notices my smile and gets the impression of shark staring her down.
"Image has interesting artwork." I say then change topic, "Did you ever play Tomb Raider?"
"Yes. I've played a few video games before. Why?"
"Some of those comics had you teaming up with Lara Croft."
Aquaman walks in before she has chance to react to that bit of news.
*DOOM*
The Light
November 7, 2011
3rd Person POV
"Never did like China." says L-6 – Klarion, "First they push out all the magicians with their rules, then they make things strict for anybody with any fun powers."
In China, the government has strict control over its Super Powered Beings (SPBs). They go as far as calling them super-functionaries as they must serve a function in the government. There are no super heroes or vigilantes in China according to the press, only those who work for the government.
This policy drove out the majority of Chinese magical enclaves. Communist Russia is similar as the consider obeying the state to be more important than actually learning the mystical arts.
"The Great Ten will not be able to handle the Ancient Six" says L-2 – Ra's al Ghul, "There military is also inadequate to deal with them."
The Great Ten is a team of Chinese superheroes, who are sponsored by the government of the People's Republic of China. For every action the Great Ten takes during combat it must be approved by the bureaucracy.
"Are we positive the gain is worth the loss?" asks the League of Shadow leader.
"The blood is valuable resource." says L-1 – Vandal Savage, "I have strong connections to China, but the evolution of humanity is far more important than a single nation."
Klarion laughs, clicks a button and images of the Big Ten appear.
August General of Iron – A soldier who gained skin of iron from an alien virus.
Accomplished Perfect Physician – A sound manipulator and investigator.
Celestial Archer – A skilled archer armed with a Celestial Bow of Yi.
Ghost Fox Killer – A ghost fox woman who kills evil men to sustain her mystical homeland with their souls.
Immortal Man in Darkness – One of many men that have held the title. A man bonded with an alien spaceship that will slowly devour the pilot over time.
Mother of Champions – A metahuman able to conceive and gestate children at superhuman speeds, and can give birth up to twenty-five identical super-soldiers in three days. These super-soldier children only live for a week but serve their county.
Seven Deadly Brothers – A three-hundred-year-old cursed man with dissociative identity disorder who can split into Seven people, each one with a different personality and mastery of a different martial art.
Shaolin Robot – A combat android crafted from the alien technology. It used to resemble a terracotta soldier, but numerous upgrades have made it very formidable.
Socialist Red Guardsman – The most radioactive man on the planet who uses his powers for China. He's forced to wear a suit of alien technology.
Thundermind – A living "Bodhisattva" born from Tantric Buddhist mysticism. The result of a human gaining godlike power from a simple phrase. The Chinese equivalent of Shazam.
"So, who do you think will die first? Wants to place a bet?"
*DOOM*
Hall of Justice
November 7, 2011
The Green Lantern Corps is the intergalactic police force of the universe, led by the Guardians of the Universe. Two Green Lanterns are assigned to each sector of space. Earth of Sector 2814 is rather unique in that they keep popping out Lantern candidates.
Hal Jordan in 2000. Guy Gardner in 2003. John Stewart in 2007.
Even before the 21st century, a malfunctioning Power Ring found Alan Scott in 1940, making him first Green Lantern, even if he's not considered official by the Green Lantern Corp.
"I don't trust the Oans – The Guardians of the Universe as they arrogantly call themselves." I say to the New Green Lantern, "They have done too many stupid things due to their arrogance and unwillingness to understand their Lanterns."
"Hey!" says Green Lantern Guy Gardener, "The Guardian may screw things a couple of times..."
"A couple? The Maltusians started screwing things up when they became Immortal. Losing the ability to reproduce meaning their numbers would always drop. Krona looked at the beginning of the universe and messed up the universe as a result. When they tried to uplift another species, they created the Psions. Psion males are amoral scientists that perform horrific experiments, have no empathy, and keep their empathic women in rape breeding camps. There first attempt a police force created killer robots called the Manhunters who slaughtered an entire sector. They then declared war on magic when the few survivors of 666 wanted revenge and formed the Empire of Tears. They did nothing to stop the formation of Red or Orange Lanterns. As a Green Lantern Sinestro conquered his home planet and ruled with an iron fist. When he was defeated, he escaped to form the Sinestro Yellow Lanterns. They also have plans to create a class system with Alpha Lanterns – Lanterns that have had their other emotions surgically removed and all personal contacts severed. There is also a plot to assimilate the universe into emotionlessness like themselves with the Third Army"
"Shit." says Guy, his Lantern glow actually getting a little dim "Shit!"
"Even on a personal level, I don't trust you guys." I say with an evil smile and my inner demons roaring with approval, "In one universe, Hal Jordan lost his city to the tyrant Mongol and a fake Superman and Oans showed no support. Instead of offering sympathy or help, they shattered his comforting delusion and accused him of breaking the rules. He broke so badly that he became possessed by the fear entity Parallax and wiped out the entire Corp except for Kyle."
"What!?" says teenage art student Kyle Rayner. He's one of the new Halloween-born Lanterns
"Garnet gave you the last ring and you had to take out Hal. You were a likeable Lantern and even helped bring the Guardians back, but your also famous for how your girlfriend Alexandra DeWitt died. She got folded in half and stuffed in a fridge by Major Force – the evil counterpart to Captain Atom"
Kyle looks pale and shaken. I overheard he and Alex were dating in this timeline. I turn back to Guy with an evil smirk.
"John Stewart. In another universe, he helped declare martial law on Earth and the Justice League now Justice Lords ruled Earth with an Iron Fist."
Simon Baz is now wondering why did have to pick a Green Lantern costume.
"There is even a universe in the Dark Multiverse in which Batman became the Dawnbreaker. An evil Batman whose will was so strong it overpowered the ring and allowed him to kill anyone who went against his rule."
"What about me?" challenges Guy.
"You're the joke that moons the League and gets one punched by Batman. The Lantern with the attitude and cockiness. You're a Bad Ass, but that attitude resulted in you being in a coma for seven years."
Guy winces at that.
"It's also possible you're of Vuldarian descent."
"Vuldarian?
"A proud warrior race with metamorphic abilities. You became an 80s gun-toting freak after you lost your Lantern-ship. The writers had you fight alien conquerors with ridiculous powers. "
"Any good news."
"You dated a sexy ice manipulator called Tora Olafsdotter."
*DOOM*
Chengdu Ritual Site
Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
November 8, 2011
3rd Person POV
It's a dark night with a Waxing Gibbous Moon. The Dragon King is finally ready to unleash his plan on the world. His manipulation of the dark forces is so great, even those with weak sensitivity to supernatural can tell something is horribly wrong.
A group of magi have appeared to stop Dragon King's ritual, not even knowing what it will do. They only know it will cause death and darkness to the world. They can sense the pulses of dark energy in the Earth and follow them to the source.
It's only a very small group of low-level magicians since anyone with decent power is tied up in the bureaucracy of the Chinese government. Six magi to face Dragon King, Shiv, and his Daemonites. They never stood a chance.
The first to fall is an old man dressed as a Buddhist Monk (bhikkhu). He's a tall lean bald man dressed in orange robes and fashionable eye glasses. He held a necklace of 108 glowing beads and his barrier could easily have stopped lesser demons and dark magic. It couldn't stop the 50 Cal sniper round that pierced his torso or the second shot that took off the top of his head.
The second to fall was a beautiful woman of average height. The woman wore common clothing under a black long coat and carried a wooded staff. The wooded staff with its golden metal capped tips generated a barrier that protected her from bullets and anything made of metal. It didn't stop the daemonite-possessed Obsidian from rising from her shadow and stabbing her over and over.
The third and fourth to fall were a young brother and sister pair. The young man dressed in a red jacket was able to release blasts of brilliant flame while protecting himself with a fiery barrier. The young woman dressed in a blue jacket was able to throw blades of wind, while hiding in illusions of air-magic. When they combined their power, they could create a magical firestorm that could reduce a squad of soldiers to bones. What they couldn't predict was the green flames of Jade. The daemonite-possessed Jade caught them in a green barrier that suffocated them. When they collapsed, she dropped the barrier and the sniper finished the twins off.
The fifth was a short muscular man with a fierce appearance and prominent sideburns. The man was dressed like noir detective with his beige trench coat and fedora. He was also the first to pull a gun and attempt to shoot Dragon King. Unfortunately, the magi- enhanced rounds that could pierce military-grade body armor fail to pierce the magic-enhanced super-science armor of Dragon King. Even the bullet aimed for the right eye of the mask is stopped by a barrier.
The Detective came close as his magic was dedicated to regeneration. The regeneration allowed him to tank damage that would normally kill a man, including two sniper bullets to the chest and slashes from Shiv that should have drained him of his blood. He was like a Chinese Wolverine without the metal-coated bone claws. Dragon King himself turned and released purple lightning from his gauntlets, throwing the Detective into a wall and burning him until only the bones remained.
The sixth and final to fall is a young boy with white hair. He had the ability to summon white spirit creatures in the form of animals. He sent his army of spirit animals to attack Dragon King's forces while he hid from a safe distance. His monkey and tiger were strong opponents, while his Cranes provided distractions. The spirit of the turtle allowed him to hide in a river. He survived until he learned Shiv doesn't need to breathe due to her cybernetics. A single slash and waters turned red. The white spirits faded from the world, dispersing like mist.
Dragon King begins his custom ritual.
"Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni. Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni. Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni."
Deep within the Earth are clay pots marked with special symbols. These pots are filled curse poison magic. The curse poison was crafted by placing poisonous creatures in a sealed pot and letting them kill each other until only one remained. These creatures were tainted with darkness even in death. It took years to create enough the worms to fill six pots.
The blood of innocent was then added. Blood taken from men, women, and children who had never commit the act of murder. People who had been tortured and forced to watch the ones they loved tortured, before they were drained of blood.
The last ingredient is the cursed pots was the chaos gemstones. These crystals were cultivated from the blood of a monster and filled with magic of a Lord of Chaos. These gems have been absorbing, changing, and releasing the cursed power in an endless cycle since the Pots were crafted.
Placed deep within the Earth, the Qi flow of the dragon lines (the flows of energy that run through the earth like a circulatory system). The Earth's Qi is drawn into the pots by the seals, increasing the magic within over time.
"Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni. Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni. Qu Yiqi Bushi Ni."
With the uttering of the phrase for the sixth time, the six pots beneath the ground react. The unicursal-hexagram-marked chaos crystals glow brightly in darkness, before exploding. There explosion detonates the mixture of blood and curse poison, and the pots explode. The dark magic is released deep into the ground, corrupting the flows of metaphysical energy beneath the Earth.
In the six cities, swirling pillars of reddish-purple flames erupt from the ground. These flames of dark chi are so intense, sand and rock quickly melt. The atmosphere is polluted by the negative energies causes nearby plants and animals to rot and die. The decay even spreads to the non-living cause stone and concrete to crumble and steel to corrode.
"Time to Go."
*DOOM*
In China's six most populated cities, the pillars of dark fire darken the sky with their evil power. Dark silhouettes emerge from the storm clouds. The Chinese people recognize the shadows as there most iconic symbols. The parts of various animals coming together to form a single supreme being.
Neck of a snake, horns of a stag, ears of a cow, eyes of a demon, head of camel, scales of a carp, belly of clam, feet of a tiger, claws of an eagle. The form of a Dragon.
As the dragons emerge from the dark clouds, it's revealed the six are distinct individuals. A different element for each city's dragon. A different element to destroy each city.
The Golden Earth Dragon is an immense golden dragon with shining metal scales, a flowing mane of white, and shining golden metal antlers. It is the most majestic of the six and the ground beneath its floating coils shakes. A massive Earthquake strikes the city as the golden dragon roars. Soon buildings are collapsing and the ground is tearing open. As rain pours down on the city, turning the broken earth into rivers of mud, the dragon floats above a single dry area – an emperor on his throne.
The Red Flame Dragon is a fast dragon that radiates heat. It has both crimson scales and obsidian black scales that radiate heat. The Fire Lord's mane is composed of fire and its antlers look like they are made of flowing lava locked in shape. As it moves in the sky it leaves behind a trail of smoke and sparks. It releases a torrent of fire from its mouth. As it continues its attack, the fire comes out faster and faster, becoming hotter and hotter. Soon it's generating a narrow beam of blue light and everything before that beam is burnt and incinerated. As it rampages, embers and volcanic ash fall from the magical clouds.
The Blue Ocean Dragon is a long dragon, longer than the others combined. It has azure and turquoise scales, prominent fins, and instead of a mane of hair, it has blue-green tendrils resemble ocean plants. Its antlers look like they are made of dark coral that glow with turquoise patterns. As it roars, immense waves rise from the ocean as heavy rain falls from the sky. The magically induced waves soon match the size of the feared tsunamis, smashing all it their path.
The Flowering Wood Dragon is an agile dragon, who unlike its siblings possesses a pair of immense wings. It possesses verdant scales with a pattern of vines in jade. Its antlers are wooden tree branches and its mane is a flowering bush filled with thorns. As it roars it roars a golden powder into the air. As this sparkling powder touches the ground, plants being to grow. These plants burrow threw structures causing them to crumble and any human that touches the golden dust become wooden statues still wearing the clothing they wore in life. A howling wind from the storm cloud blows the powder far and wide.
The Black Lightning Dragon is an immense black dragon nearly the size of the Earth Dragon. While the Earth Dragon has the regal of a monarch, the Black Dragon has menace and scars of a warrior. It has thick black scales with patches of silver and spikes. Its spiky mane is silver and there are many sharp silver spikes going down the length of its body to its equally bushy tail. It's sharp-tipped antlers are metallic silver with thick places that resemble rings.
As the Black Lightning Dragon roars, there is a visible shockwave of electromagnetic power that destroys every active device not shielded from EMPs. Electrical transformers explode showering the roads with sparks and fire ignite. The Lightning Dragon roars again and lightning descends, over thirty bolts at the same time to different places. Then it happens again and again, until the Chinese city resembles the Lighthouse of Maracaibo.
The White Ice Dragon is thin dragon covered in sharp ice and snow. Its body is covered in snow white and transparent scales. The dragon's flowing snow-white mane resembles a cloud filled with ice crystals. Its antlers are translucent blue crystals that resemble ice sculptures. As it moves there is a crystal chiming sound and it leaves behind a trail of icy mist and snow. It releases a cone of pitch-black cloud from its mouth and anything the dark mist touches becomes covered in ice. As it dances in the sky, snow falls on the dying city.