Web of deceit [Jeremy Tanasugarn]

Michael played around with the fringe of his shirt, pressing it between his index and thumb, while Elena  fiddled around with the staff in his hand, a strange bone like construct with a strange gem upon the end, fingertips running along the rune carved exterior slowly as if taking in every marking with half interest. ”Is there a reason why we’re in this city?” Michael would voice his opinion standing up and walking over to the small mirror In the hotel, grooming his hair slowly while he looked into the eyes that stared back whole the blond that he had so been used to know as his wife, though the current male vessel made that otherwise. Their son meanwhile was making use of the bathroom, the sound of a shower permeating through the nearly silent room, save for the air conditioning.

”Well, theres a certain cult operating in this city and I want to deal with them.” Elena would state simply, the deep timber of his voice sounding strange compared to what he had been used to, and yet love being blind was a prime example here. The Sorcerer Supreme was dressed in a simple white shirt with some form of anime character and in khaki pants, wearing a pair of shoes that had caught his interest with bright blond hair and with brilliant blue eyes still looking over the runes of the staff. ”Can’t have humans cutting out peoples hearts and sacrificing them to their strange blood gods.” He added as the sound of water stopped, staying that way for a while until Sean would emerge from the room, dripping with water and with silver eyes somewhat alight.

He was dressed in plaid boxers and a white t-shirt, looking over the two in the room with a raised brow. Elena would reach over, gripping onto a pair of khaki shorts and a shirt, tossing it to Sean who caught them and then slipped into them. ”So, this the cult to the spider goddess?” Sean would absently ask, sitting down and digging through a small bag full of various potions of various colors. Most of them alchemical brews, one that Sean had learned to mix and ones that he had mixed, though

”Likely a spider goddess. No matter where I go, each realm seems to have one and most tend to want hearts cut out and then sacrificed to them in blood rituals.” Elena agreed, pursing his lips and then dismissing the staff. His information had been gathered and all he needed to do was wait until he could properly follow the ones that were responsible for the multiple killings. His unassuming appearance was enough that he could do most of it with ease and with his family in tow, there would be no problem making sure that they could gather up all the information needed. Strange people had been stirring within the city, and across the country, however whatever they were dealing with would as always prove to be trouble.

So the time would pass as it usually did and the three would begin research, Michael sticking around with Elena, while Sean would go out on his own. Being able to use magic was something that benefited him greatly, and yet it was not something that he chose to really abuse, as it was a gift more than anything. His mother had become something that even the four families could not defeat, and now he had defeated one of the most powerful curses ever created, which meant that the title of sorcerer supreme was well deserved. While Sean was searching through the rest of the French Quarter where most of the murders seemed to have been taking place, Marie  decided to go for a place they would likely happen. He was wearing right now a soft looking blue jacket that was zipped up and with the hood over his head, adding to an unintimidating look. Both were walking along the crowded Bourbon Street, looking for an alleyway to turn off into and then begin the proper search, though he was finding none until at last he did.

A dark energy was calling to him from a specific point within the city and perhaps anyone with a link to the occult could feel it.

You know, an investigation usually involves actual investigating. Jeremy could feel the demon’s impatience pervade the emotional bond between them. She had been acting like this ever since he had taken on this case. Usually others came to him with requests or the like, but this one he had almost accidentally stumbled upon on his own and as the good citizen he was he had decided to do something about it. Plus, he had recently read a book about linked magic where several people join together to perform magical spells and rituals and he hoped to gain some insightful information during this case. However, If the cult even delved in magic remained to be seen, but they were involved in some really weird stuff. Sacrifices and the like. You know what an investigation also usually involves? Preparation. Jeremy sent his thoughts loudly before putting the loaded magazine in his gun with a loud clicking sound. Looking around his small apartment that shrunk additionally for every box of books that he brought home, he confirmed that he was ready to head out. He was dressed casually with clothes that covered the weapons, herbs and other small items he carried with him. The majority of the items were things he recently had learned about but never gotten the chance to test out. Well, maybe today was his chance.

Feeling refreshed by the fresh air, in contrast to the stuffy atmosphere at his place, Jeremy started heading down the road that lead him through Bourbon Street, where the cult would most likely strike next. According to his research, there had been a lot of activity from the cult in the neighborhood. But as Jeremy continued with confident steps, a feeling guided him on his search for signs. A feeling and Avalone’s voice in his head that was. After a while of this aimless wandering, Bourbon Street was after all a surprisingly large ground to cover, Avalone told him, or more like demanded him, to stop, and so he did. Through their emotional link she shared a strong unsettling vibe. Jeremy, surprised he had missed it, turned around and changed his destination. Soon he recognized the vibe was more of an energy of sorts. Its dark nature told him that it was trouble which also meant he was on the right track. Letting the energy be his beacon, he navigated his way through the pulsating nightlife of New Orleans.

After several twists and turns, Jeremy could feel that he was closing in, the energy feeling stronger. And the further away from the heart of New Orleans he got, the less crowded the streets became, making him more visible. Though Jeremy’s clothing wasn’t eye-catching in any way, just wearing a shirt, a black jacket and a pair of jeans, he still felt vulnerable. It was almost like he was being watched. Just as that thought struck him, he recognized especially two of the persons behind him. If he wasn’t mistaken, both of them had followed him for several blocks now. Of course it was possible they were just heading the same direction, but just to be certain, Jeremy bent down and started “tying “his shoelaces that wasn’t really untied to begin with. Then he waited while the demon in his head argued with him, as usual. Wasn’t that a little too paranoid, even for you? Jeremy almost replied out in thin air before remembering to send his message through thoughts. Remember that vampire from last week? I’m not repeating that mistake again. And so Jeremy waited.

The small dark alleyway smelt of filth and things beyond that, offending Elena’s senses as Michael simply pinched his nose with two fingers as if that would completely take away what he was smelling. It however did not work and all he did was scowl, looking around to the small amounts of trash that were scattered about the concrete street and the occasionally sleeping homeless person, covered in ratty cloth and dirt. Both looked out of place in there, but Marie more so than Michael who had atleast some sort of gruff look with his youthful appearance. One hand would fiddle around with one of the dangling portions of the jacket, twiddling around with it between his thumb and index, humming silently to himself with low footsteps reverberating through the alleyway. He could feel the energy calling, mostly to him and it reverberated through the air and rushed out like a beacon.

His mind was running over reports of destruction, one that a few contracted metahumans could repair but it was enough to slow down business by a metahuman welding a strange energy. The lingering feel of a heavy amount of nether suggested that someone had been slinging around the energy and that meant that likely a Titan had been fighting within the city, meaning that they had put this realm within their sights. While the sorcerer supreme was following this energy that he was following, his son was likely following it too. This meant he could forgo looking for him before following the energy, granted he could summon the male to him on a whim. Overall that was the result of his magic, especially when he required his son to help him out or rather to make sure that he was not forced to overexert himself.

Further and further they would descend into the gloom, the lights of the street behind them growing dim and a small maze of alleys opening up to swallow them, yet all he could feel was the strange tug. This was the same feeling, the one that the priestess always let off, one that always dress the Sorcerer Supreme. Michael trailed behind Elena, burying hands into his pockets as if expecting something to leap out and then strike at them, though Elena tended to be the one that so many things targeted first. A powerful magical aura did not help, but then again many things could tell a sorcerer supreme just by looking and feeling over their magical aura, and their essence that sometimes changed. It was then, after taking a left that he heard something, the sound of someone crashing into something and knocking things over with a clatter. Stepping around the corner it was the sight of a woman being bound by strange shadows.

Beyond where it was happening stood a strange person dressed within a black robe with the hood raised over it. He could not see who was within the cloak, but the strange chanting that he could hear from them sounded female, multilayered and with a certain darkness to it. This was indeed the same goddamn cult she seemed to have been dealing with for multiple realms. Yet the shadow magic was something that he only dealt with one and it was really annoying. ’I would suggest that you put the woman down, she doesn’t seem to want to be held like that.” He would state loud enough for both woman and cultist to hear him. He would conjure the staff within his hand with a motion, reality seeming to warp around the air as the gem seemed to glint within the darkness.

The two people he thought was following him seemed more interested in continuing down the street. You see? Not everything revolves around you. Jeremy rose to his feet and after letting the two persons round the corner, he followed. Not because he still cared about them, but because they seemed to be heading the same direction as he was. A suspicion grew inside Jeremy and absent-minded he answered his inner demon. No, but maybe it revolves around the cult. Suddenly he entered an alleyway that wasn’t like the one before him. It was as if the light itself despised the place, his surroundings growing darker and darker. Though the smell that hit him was revolting, Jeremy had endured far worse the last couple of weeks. Focused on the dark energy that now was so prominent it was ridiculous, Jeremy almost missed how a shaky hand tried to grab his jacket sleeve. But when he avoided his grasp, the homeless man, barely conscious, let his hand fall to his hand and looked away before Jeremy continued down the alley. Sadly he had more stressing issues at moment, like the crazy cult he was trying to stop. And the closer to the energy he got, the more certain he was that he wasn’t the only one searching for the cult. Though he didn’t need it, the blue jacket belonging to one of the persons before him, became like a second guiding light. He soon realized that he wouldn’t find his way back even if he tried. Thinking like that filled Jeremy with doubt so instead he focused on moving forward.    

Ahead, Jeremy heard the distant sound of something that he couldn’t identify. Moving swiftly, Jeremy quickened his steps and by hiding in the background, he had complete sight over the scene. A low chanting filled this new alleyway. He was surprised to for the first time see shadow magic in action. It seemed so more corrupted, and sentient than he had imagined. The shadow arms was holding a woman trapped in their grasp and Jeremy was just about to step in and stop the madness, when one of the men he followed beat them to the punch.

’I would suggest that you put the woman down, she doesn’t seem to want to be held like that.” The man confidently stated while also conjuring up magic of his own. Jeremy couldn’t see exactly what he did, but he felt the shift of atmosphere in the air that could only mean magic was afoot.

What are you still doing here? Go out there! Avalone’s voice tried to rouse him but when sharing the bond they did, manipulating the other became so much harder. Let’s wait and see what happens first. Jeremy thought to his other half. When trying to figure out more details from the scene before him, he all of a sudden noticed who the man that kind of appeared to be on his side, had talked to.. After one of the shadow arms moved, he saw a man, or woman, looking all typical cult-like with a robe and hoodie over his face. That person also had to be the source of the chanting that he almost forgot he heard because of the action-filled scene playing in front of him. He was once again interrupted. If you think that’s the way I roll, then you really don’t know me at all. Realizing what Avalone was about to do, he couldn’t help but to hiss his pleads under his breath. “No, don’ do it. Please, I will go there , just don’t...” Abruptly, Jeremy felt how he was pushed out of his own body and placed in the corner of his mind. It was like going numb, like everything that was so vivid just seconds ago felt so distant. He hated to lose control over his own body, it felt like the worst kind of claustrophobia he could imagine, being stuck like this. He cursed Avalone through their mind link as she now had complete control over his body.

Avalone felt free and confident as she strode out from the shadows and approached the cultist. While walking, she produced an unnatural, black and red glowing flame that engulfed her palm and lit up the alley slightly. She placed herself beside the other sorcerer or whatever the man was. “I’m here for the party. Where were we…?” Avalone playfully asked with her vessel’s voice sounding through the alleyway. “Oh right, the part where you put her down.” The sinister tone was almost impossible to miss as she accented the last words. As a finishing touch, Avalone made the hellfire dance eerily in her hand as the glow intensified. It was obvious that that wasn’t any ordinary flame. And she wasn’t any ordinary demon.

The sorcerer held the staff aloft, directing the gem towards the cultist that held the poor woman within the grasp and did not likely have any intentions of letting her go. It was to this end that Elena would have to either defeat the cultist or kill them, the former seeming more likely than the latter. However the only thing that happened was that the chanting had ceased, leaving him with nothing but the sound of the shadows whispering their dark promises. Something dark was prompting this goddess to move and it was likely something within The Void, a dark place that he had once ventured into and learned that he did not want to risk doing again. Of course he would still occasionally do so but that was not a venture that he always did, if only for the dangerous things that tended to happen when he did so. Usually his almost death experiences, a lot of darkness and emptiness.

The liquid darkness that bound the woman would begin to mold, trying to form over her and contain her within tis inky blackness. Elena frowned and muttered something within a strange language, something that caused the liquid to shudder before receding, but just enough to save the woman some time. The gem at the tip of the staff would glow brightly and then issue ten strange orbs of light, all of them pulsating brightly and casting their strange fluorescence along the shadowy alleyway. These spheres would begin to levitate around him in a circle, around the size of baseballs as he continued to look upon the cultist. The strange sapphiric eyes would glimmer for a moment as he felt another strange energy call to him, then came the sound of a female joining the scene.

Elena would turn to and consider this strange female, Michael keeping quiet as they would take a further step back from the woman that had conjured a strange flame upon her hands. He would consider them for a moment, wondering who this was and what stake they had within this little confrontation with this bastard. The cultists would then speak, but their voice sounded as if multiple people were speaking at once. ”Back down demon, you know not what you are dealing with.” This multi-faceted voice would speak turning upon the demon as something began to shift behind her, much like shadows and yet the sound of scuttling could be heard, as if a thousand chitanous legs were moving along the concrete. What they were was not revealed until one of them crawled into the light of the strange spheres that were conjured, in the form of small spiders with the strangest appearance.

They would begin to crawl over the cloaked person, as if they were covering and devouring them, yet that was not what they were doing. It was as if they were forming armor upon them and fortifying their defenses, yet a wave of them was beginning to encroach upon them in a steadying wave. Thrusting the staff forward, one of the spheres that he had summoned would surge forward and slam down into one section of wave, releasing a loud explosion that caused the wave to scatter in a loud boom. ”Okay, so it was the spider demon thing .” Elena would say as if realizing something with a smirk. He would turn to the female demon with a raised brow and hum softly to himself, wondering what her stake within this was. ”Now, who are you?” He would ask as another of the spheres would lash out at the wave and scatter the hordes of spiders that were scuttling towards them.

It felt like Avalone had walked into a wall of magical energy. Her ash-colored skin prickled and a not too uncomfortable shiver went down her spine. After she had entered the scene, the cultist that was still hiding in the dark, got the stupid idea that countering her threat would make her back down. Well, he would learn differently. Though, when Avalone was about to respond, a new threat arose from the dark.

Suddenly they were surrounded by a clicking sound of what the demon guessed was that of big insects or the like. Instantly, the demon increased the intensity of her flame to give an extra push to the light source provided by one of the mysterious soaring orbs around the sorcerer. If she was attacked, she wasn’t going to hold back. Her almost piercing, purple eyes gazed into the darkness until the contour of small creatures came into eyesight. All of a sudden an army of spiders, or at least spider-like creatures, started to attach themselves to the cultists. But the creatures almost crawled over their own kind in their hurry to not only enforce their summoner but to also try and defeat the intruders, also known as herself and the two men beside her. The sorcerer sent away one of the soaring orbs around her to respond to the new imminent threat.

The demonic flame in Avalone’s palm started lashing around her body, casting an eerie glow on her face. Her infernal voice, sounding not too different from the cultist’s multi-layered voice, almost echoed through the alley.

“Apparently, neither do you.” She replied arrogantly as she slung the hellfire towards the spiders. The fire constructed itself to a wall midair that wiped out the next wave of the weird looking spiders. The dying creatures screamed shrieks of agony before their corpses curled themselves up, pointing towards the night sky. The fire however seemed to stay alive, greedy to continue its devouring ways. Avalone chuckled sadistically but was interrupted by a question from the sorcerer that she almost forgot was even there.

“Now, who are you?”

Avalone barely caught a glimpse of another orb being hurled towards the spiders as she turned her head to meet that of the male. If one looked closer, one could see that her eyes had multiple rings of different shades of purple. They were a sign of her rank in the circles of hell. The demon studied the sorcerer curiously before answering.

“I could ask you the same question.” She said simply, observing his reaction. In the background, the dying screams were still present, giving their conversation an odd but unique touch to it.

The dying screams of the spiders could be heard as the hellflames would wash over them, reducing them to cinders as the burnt bits would scatter along the winds and blow away as glowing black bits. Still that did not stem the tide of the spiders, as they seemed to be doubling in strength and flowing more with each of the ones that they had destroyed. The cultist however did not respond to the demon beyond simply continuing the chanting, and that was when he could feel something entering the world, a strange aura that caused a shiver to run up the males spine as more of the darkness would seep into the realm. Still the demon would turn to the sorcerer and ask who they were, which he would have no problem answering with a smirk. ”I am the Sorcerer Supreme.” He would answer simply as more of the orbs would begin to float around him, still eight in total as two more would begin to glide towards the swarm at high speeds with a loud explosion, likely drawing attention to them but he was not too worried about that.

He could tell from the circles within the females eye her rank, not high within the hierarchy but still of considerable rank. Not that he was too worried about the demon, considering that he technically ranked above her in many circles, just not those of hell. In fact he had a feeling that the title alone should be enough to intimidate the demon, or atleast make them pause for moment at the mention of the title the blond possessed. ”I wouldn’t suggest taking this person lightly however, they are working under a powerful goddess, likely have some manner of blessing.” he would then add looking over to the tide of the spiders that had temporarily been stopped, but they would reform soon enough. Still, he had bought himself a few seconds to consider a strategy and that was when his eyes lit up, noticing the strange aura that the human possessed. It was dark, and dirt with an underlying color that was just like the one that many followers of the spider goddess held.

One thing that he had never learned however was her name, as it would only be revealed once she could be brought into a world, and that never happened with the Sorceress Surpreme ruining it. ’I would suggest you stand back, summoning spiders is not even the half of what this person can do.” As if proving him true, the sound if glass shattering could be heard and within an instant a shadow would move above them with an impressive speed and within an instant something would leap into the center of the group of spiders. It was like them but larger, with chittering mandibles and strange acid dripping from the fangs, melting the concrete as it touched it.

Elena’s eyes widened for a moment, cursing under his breath as he realized what had leapt before them, and wondering if that would prove to cause any difficulties for the two, though he would be able to kill it if need be. He would direct the staff at it, as the remaining six orbs would seem to pause within their orbit and he would prepare to counter it, yet all at once the spiders would pause and then begin to move back, leaving them with the cultist and the large spider. This was likely not going to go good. ”A larger spider? Well this was....absolutely expected actually, I guess its time to squash some spiders.” he noted waiting for it to move.

Avalone’s body froze the second the sorcerer’s words hit her. The Sorcerer Supreme? That couldn’t be.. In the deep corner of her mind, Avalone felt how Jeremy’s enthusiasm almost affected her own reaction. Almost. But stories from her demonical superiors and mentors were enough to not only fill her with admiration, though she would never admit to that fact, but also cautiousness. However, neither of the emotions came across her face that remained as unreadable as ever. Though, the more observant individuals could probably deduce a form of speechless reaction from the silence from the otherwise lippy demon.

”I wouldn’t suggest taking this person lightly however, they are working under a powerful goddess, likely have some manner of blessing.”

Avalone heeded the Sorcerer Supreme’s words as she observed another explosion from the man’s orbs. Cults and their worships was something she had first-hand knowledge about since she once had been the leader of a cult herself. It didn’t end well thanks to another cult not too unlike this one and that history was the main reason why taking them down was so important for her. And as the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold. For Avalone it didn’t really matter who was on the receiving end, as long as someone paid for her suffering. However, as Avalone silently let her anger build up inside her, the sorcerer supreme gave her another warning which almost predicted what happened next. A piercing sound filled the alley and out of a moving shadow appeared a new creature, similar to the spiders but much larger. And more deadly if the drops of acids from its fangs were any indicator. A sizzling sound from the acid when it touched the concrete accompanied the chanting from the cultist. The creature started to move slightly by lifting two of its legs at the time, walking around on the spot as if stretching its body. If I were you I would be ready. I’ve heard of a spider that can move 30 times its own length in just one second. Avalone could feel how Jeremy still seemed a bit touchy after the whole possessing him against his will thing, but she ignored that. She had bigger things to worry about than human emotions. Though that didn’t mean his tip wasn’t valid.

She let her mind estimate the situation and thought of an approach to the situation. Her ally, temporary at least, directed her staff towards the creature that now had taken the stage while the smaller creatures had backed down. Avalone kneeled, however not to show any kind of loyalty. Instead, newly conjured flames appeared from the ground and immersed the demon. The flames slowly started changing its form, creating an armor that covered her entire body. While in this process, she heard how the Sorcerer Supreme declared.

”A larger spider? Well this was....absolutely expected actually, I guess its time to squash some spiders.”

As Avalone rose to her feet, now reinforced by the deadly force of hellfire, she also let two blades manifest in her hands, as real as any forged sword. Figuring that any creature with survival instincts would avoid fire, especially fire like this. But then again, this wasn’t just any regular creature, so she had to keep her guard up.

“My pleasure.” The demon replied with a ruthless grin decorating her face as she took her battle stance, pointing her blades towards the spider who eagerly awaited something. A command possibly. As that thought crossed her mind, the cultist suddenly raised his chanting and as it reached its extremity, the spider leaped towards them both with its fangs. Fangs, ready to devour.

The demon seemed to react to hearing his title, seemingly seizing up as they looked to him. Not that he really cared about how she reacted, as she gave no indication upon her face that he was anything to fear. His attention was still upon the spiders that were trying to turn them into their likely meal, not that he intended to allow that. Considering that his duties would likely not be done if he died, so there was only one thing that could be done and that was stopping the giant spider from killing them. Directing a staff towards the thing that was leaping at him, he muttered a single incantation as the gem upon the tip of his staff would glow a bright color. While the demon had created two blades of hellfire, he did not intend to allow it to strike him, or get close enough to strike at him.

The gem at the head of the staff would begin to crack, opening wide like a mouth as a loud roar would issue from it, one that seemed to rise above the sound of the skittering spider legs. Within an instant what seemed like a shockwave would ripple outwards from the staff, distorting the air and slamming into the spider that had leapt out at him. It let out a pained shriek as it was seized within the air and thrown back with an excessive amount of force, its carapace cracking as it found itself flying further back until it slammed into a wall. From the cracks would ooze an ichor of a dark green color, much like blood as it attempted to move to its feet but only managed to twitch painfully with low chitters.

This caused the spider cultist to pause for a moment as if they were not expecting that, as Elena Marie turned to Michael and motioned with his head. The male stepped back, making some distance between the spiders and Elena, and well the demon to avoid any damage to himself. Seeing as how in a battle of supernatural beings a human would do no good, so he did his best to distance himself from everything, though the spider that was stunned now leapt to its feet with fangs that angrily chittered. It would leap onto one of the close walls, burying its sharp feet into the walls and sitting there with glowing eyes that narrowed upon the demon with a defiant hatred. Using an immense amount of speed, it would rush along the wall before aiming to leap off and slam into the demoness.