Summary:Robbie takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ends up in Limbo. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Vengeance was Hunting.
Robbie Reyes drove in the Hellcharger, yet untransformed, as he patrolled through the streets. Eli Morrow, the demon spirit that allows Robbie to transform into the Ghost Rider, had detected (or believed he 'felt') a powerful demonic presence in the area.
So Imagine Robbie's surprise when he finds an escaped Demon from Limbo.
After about three minutes of fighting and getting his ass kicked, the Demon grabs Robbie and roars in his face. "Yeah, I can do it too, Ese." and thats when it happens. His skin bursts into embers and intense flame, and when the flame calms once again? Its no longer Robbie. Its the Ghost Rider.
The Sin Hunter roars right back into the dmeon's face and wraps the hellfire chain around it, preparing to end its life when it speaks its demonic tongue, a portal opening beneath them to suck Robbie and th Demon inside.
On the other side?
The plane of Limbo. A realm of darkness. Ghost Rider was confused as to where he was, before the Demon struck him hard enough to send him flying into a nearby rock, though the chain was still around the monster, so with a rip, the demon is torn to pieces, bursting into hellfire flame at its own demise and failed escape.
The Rider's flame then goes out, and flesh appears over the mechanical-looking skeleton, Robbie Reyes back in the helm. "Eli…where the fuck am I?"
'Where the Hell' might be more appropriate. The blasted landscape is dry and barren, the sky above a blood red without sun or moon or stars. A hot wind blows across the area, shadows shifting amidst the tumbled boulders and at the edges of Robbie's vision, eyes peer at him that are gone when he turns to look that way.
The sense of wrongness, of evil, goes deeper than just the awful vista. The air is rife with magic and Corruption, trying to get under Robbie's skin and whisper sweet nothings to the demon within. Feeding that darkness.
Limbo is at once endless and quite small. Close to the Heart stands the Darkchilde's citadel and landmarks tend to stick around in mostly the same place. The further one gets to the edges, the more the land becomes mutable, bleeding into Chaos. But the 'stable' part of Limbo is small enough that it's Mistress can sense certain Disturbances in the Force. Like a powerful entity arriving uninvited.
Which is why Robbie doesn't have too long to stand there trying to figure out where he is and how he might be *out* of here before a voice sounds behind him. "Fi fi foe fum. I smell the blood of a… hmm. Hu-mun? I didn't think that rhyme through all the way."
Now, Robbie had just been looking all around him, and there was no one there a second ago. But now there is.
Illyana Rasputina is a woman of average height with angelic features and golden hair cut in a long bob. She has the pale skin of her Russian heritage and pale blue eyes that are eerily cold and almost empty. Like she's missing something behind those poetic windows. She's dressed in black leather with silver ornamentation. Charms of pentacles and skulls to go with the spikes and chains. A bit of Goth to go with the Metal. She's got heavy boots that come up to her knees, the buckles a line of silver skulls that march down the outside of her calves and rings decorate her fingers.
"But it still leaves me wondering… Who you are, and what you're doing here. Because, as they say, you ain't from 'round here, are ya?" The blonde doesn't really have an accent, except where she's affecting one. Very Anywhere America.
Well, it certainly felt like Hell. Eli couldn't tell if he was riveted that he was right where he belonged or if he was pissed off that he and Robbie got sucked into this place in the first place without permission. Either way, Robbie can feel the eyes on him. The corruption…the evil. He could stay here and vengeance would be satisfied by what was put down.
But then he hears a voice. Russian-accent, human-sounding…but at the same time, non-existant until he turns just the right way to look upon the Queen of Limbo.
He draws that Hellfire chain once again, giving it a twirl. If she's an enemy…then this would be one helluva fight. He answers though.
"Robbie Reyes. Or as the darkness calls me, Ghost Rider. I'm here because a demon…who I'm gonna assume is from here, decided to systematically kill virgin women. So I put him down. Dragged me here in the process to try and escape." Robbie cracks his neck. "Now my turn. Who the hell are you?"
Those eyes that have been watching Robbie but staying at the edge of his sight have started to creep closer and be less circumspect about their presence. Amidst the tumble of rocks he can make out the myriad shapes of demons of all shapes and sizes. Hiding. Lurking. They range from the size of a bear down to that of a cat with glowing eyes and sharp teeth and claws. A few are so bold as to climb out of the cracks and crevices to cling to Illyana's boots, their manner fawning. Almost worshipful.
As Robbie starts to twirl that chain, the blonde arches a brow as her lips curve into a smirk. "But the shiny toy away, boy, and we'll keep this nice and civil. You're in my house, be a good guest." The tone is slightly mocking, but there's a warning there and the eyes of all those demons are fixed intently on the pair of human-appearing figures as the stand off against each other.
Well. Illyana's still sitting on some of the rocks, forearms resting on her knees and looking way more casual than the dangerous look in her eyes would otherwise suggest.
As he explains how she got here, she looks about to the other demons, a few chattering at her in a tongue that's harsh and guttural, that almost hurts to listen to in it's sense of Wrongness. The blonde gives a grunt, looking back to Robbie. "I'd been looking for him myself, so I'll give you a pass on killing one of my pets."
The blonde finally rises up to her feet, which puts her a bit higher than him, since she's been perched on a rocky outcropping. Spreading her arms, she answers his question. "Me? Illyana Rasputina. Mistress of… well. All this." That's followed with a soft huff of amusement. As real estate goes, it's not the best.
"Call me 'boy' again and the only thing this place will see is flame." Though not a 'true' Ghost Rider like Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch, Robbie was still a force to be reckoned with. He still twirls that bladed silver chain, though he turns his head to look at the demons that surround him, looking like they want to tear him apart.
"Well then, you majesty." Robbie allows the chain to rest on the ground, though the end of it still in his hand as his eyes blaze with hellfire, a sign of whats to come if he's attacked. "Nice real estate." that could have multiple meanings, but Robbie is innocent about it. Or is he? Who cares. "Now how do I get out of here?"
Illyana Rasputina gives another huff of amusement, and some of the demons laugh with her. It sounds more like they're imitating her than any sound of actual amusement, the sound more sinister than mirthful.
As Robbie lets the chain drop, even if he's still holding onto it, Illyana descends from her perch, until she's on the same level as he, though she keeps perhaps a dozen feet between them. As his eyes flicker to life, her lips part and the tip of her tongue touches her top lip, a predatory sort of smile curving upwards. "Mmm. Interesting. As to how you get out? You *could* ask very nicely. All pretty please with sugar on top." She leans in towards him and drops her voice into a sotto-whisper. "Might also help if you let me know where it is you want to get out *to*."
Robbie keeps his eyes on Illyana even as she and her demons seem to laugh at him. He doesn't mind it, but he's not gonna make a move unless he's struck first, even if most of these demons definitely deserve to die. But he does keep his eyes on her as she apparently watches him and gives a predatory lick to her lips. Does she find aggressive men attractive or something? Given, she wasn't an ugly woman herself, but he's not really in a position to flirt. Robbie narrows his eyes though.
"Earth. THE earth. Not a weird dimensional hellscape of earth. As for asking nicely, what you want roses too?" quippy, this one.
"Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep? Sure, I'll take 'em all." Illyana's amusement is real, and doesn't feel quite so mocking this time. It's definitely out of synch with the locale.
"I'm not sure if you're being careful because you're used to dealing with demons, or you're being rude to the person who has your ride home." Illyana starts to move, but she doesn't get any closer. She walks a slow perimeter around him, the soles of her boots kicking up puffs of dust in the fine, silty earth. "I'm leaning towards the latter, because if you *were* used to dealing with demons… You'd know that's an *awful* answer." She rolls her gaze at him, and that mocking smirk is back. "Is it the demons keeping you on edge? Given what you've got inside of you, I wouldn't think they'd be too offputting."
"Friday night at 7:00?" Did he just ask her out on a date or is Robbie still being sarcastic? Hard to tell, really. But as she seems to walk around him, Robbie seems to smirk a bit. "and what do you know about what I've got inside of me?" Robbie seems to be a little defensive. "and if I were you, I'd be leaning towards the former. I've got no fight with you at the moment."
Robbie takes a deep breath. "No, its not them. Its you. I don't know who you are…but you sure as hell ain't no damsel."
"I'll be waiting with bells on for you to not be there." Illyana replies, the slightly feral grin and the easy sarcasm making it seem like this is her usual manner of communication. The Snark is strong with this one.
There's a low chuckle of amusement as he asks his question. "What, you think I can't feel it? Hot and dark and oh so angry?" She arches a brow at him, her slow circuit around him coming to a stop where she started. The track of her footsteps outline a dusty circle around him. "I'd invite it out for tea, but I find people get grumpy when I drag out their inner demons."
She tilts her head forward a bit, giving him an almost chastising look. "I told you my name. I told you I rule here. What more is there to know? You're right though. I'm not a damsel. It's a few years too late if you were looking for that."
Robbie is totally just dicking with her right back, though he's being a bit more rude about it. "Thats because you haven't given me a home address." He can do this all day long. Though his eyes still remain on her. "Well, he's a bit of a anti-woman kind of guy. No offense, but the last woman he came out to have tea with, he sacrificed her, so…" Robbie says with a bit of a shrug there.
"Yeah…but you have a bit more to you than that, I can see it in your eyes." its like she barely has a soul, if at all. Robbie can barely sense it. But he takes a breath.
"So could you kindly send me home so I can get ready for date night?"
Illyana Rasputina wrinkles her nose at the picture that Robbie paints of his inner demon. It's… and odd expression for her. Childly, almost. It makes her look younger and almost cute. But those eyes will ruin any idea of cute every time. "So rude. I mean, unless he waited until after tea. Then I suppose it's alright." There's still that sense of sarcasm about her so hopefully she's not being serious.
When he mentions those eyes of hers, her manner sobers a bit, and she gives a one shouldered shrug before giving him a bitter sort of smirk. "I'm what bad men have made me, hmm?" She draws a deep breath, and then lets it out in a rush. "You're really awful at this game, Robbie. I could just send you to my childhood home. Which is in Siberia, and I'd have done exactly as you asked. But you did ask nicely, so I'll go the extra mile."
Illyana gestures towards him with one hand, making a sort of hooking gesture with splayed fingers. The circle she walked in that dusty earth around him flares up, filling with dark flames and the demons cringe back. Robbie can feel a pull on the essence of him, like she's trying to tug something loose. It's not painful, though it's definitely odd. Like one might pluck fruit, she seems to be drawing away a piece of him."
Robbie seems to show sympathy when Illyana claims she is what evil men made her. "We are who we choose." Robbie answers her back. These two could perhaps feel a bit of peace around each other. After all, they are both the products of shitty circumstances. Illyana via Belasco, Robbie via Eli. But when Illyana seems to hook him in a way that demons cringe, growling in some measure of feeling something being taken from him, Robbie looks at Illyana.
"What are you doing?" Is this what Limbo teleportation feels like? Or is she…taking a part of him for her own ends?
Something breaks free with a small *snap*, and an orb the size of a golf ball pulls free of his chest, hellfire dancing around with something else within, a twisting tendril of something that looks like white light given solid form, but on closer inspection has rainbow colors that peek out of it.
The orb floats across the distance to where Illyana's hand waits, palm up, to receive it.
"Mmm, I like to think so." Illyana says, somewhat belatedly remarking on his comment of they are who they choose.
"The things we touch, the things we care about, the things that have meaning to us.. We leave bits of ourselves with them. And you can use the one…" Illyana's hand closes about the babuble and gestures with the other off to the side as the circle of flames dies down and a circle of light opens on edge, like the event horizon of a Stargate. "To find the other." She says in a 'viola' manner.
Robbie seems to watch as he sees the small orb break free from his chest, beckoning tot he call of Limbo's very own Sorceress Supreme. Robbie seems to watch it. Did…she make it so that they were soulbound? Or did she simply link a piece of him to Limbo so he could return?
Robbie has many questions, but when he sees the portal open, he walks over to it, before he pauses, then turns to look upon her.
"Thank you, Illyana. So…" he teases her now, clearly, or was he actually interested in her? "Friday?" Robbie smirks a bit. But his thanks was genuine. He gets to return home, though he has no idea what she just did with him.
As Illyana's hand closes around that orb, it shrinks down but looses none of its brightness, the hellfire and light pressed tighter and tighter together until it would take a careful look to pick out where one ends and the other begins.
Robbie's question gets a look of amusement from the blonde, and as he steps through the portal he'll hear her low, amused laughter following him through.
When Robbie steps through the curtain of light, there's a mild tingle but nothing more and he finds himself… Beside the Hellcharger. The thick taste of magic and evil is gone, just 'quality' New York air.
As the the circle winks out, Illyana is still back in Limbo, that piece of Robbie held like a jewel between thumb and forefinger as she holds it up to peer at it. A smirk curves her lips and she sets it against one of her rings where it fuses, the light dimming. As though it were always just a sparkly bit of her jewelry.