Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 9, 2011 16:08:56 GMT -5
Joseph laughed at the dragon. Hah! Creature could stand everything but a little gunpowder, eh? He grinned and settled back in the chair, proud of his work. Though, Locutus didn't look nearly as pleased. In fact, Joseph could have sworn he looked terrified. Terrified? But the dragon was gone, if not dead then simply vanished! They'd won! Hadn't they? He frowned and was about to cue the comm systems again when the voice began. Coldness filled his heart for a moment.
It was impossible for the commander of this base to be alive...moreover to be acting like nothing was wrong. If he was alive, then his men were all dead and he an ancient relic. Joseph stared at the comm for a moment before pressing the button and replying back in German. "Kommandant Hans Ritter, this is Reichsminister Paul Joseph Goebbels." he told the man. It felt odd using his old title. "I think I have an obligation to tell you that titles mean nothing now. Just call me Joseph. We've lost the war, and from what I can tell all your men are dead. The Fuhrer has been dead almost sixty years...he fell at Berlin." he lifted his finger off of the button, waiting for an answer. He didn't dare tell him more details...the hell that had exploded in their beloved country. That odd noise...was the troll alright? If he wasn't then...had this man killed him? "Listen I have a friend down there, a troll by the name of Fisk. He should bear the mark of the Gotzesturm, and he means you no harm." he added.
Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong and he could feel it in his old bones. He swallowed. "Herr Ritter, if you could come up to the...what the hell is this room called..." he looked around. "Wherever I am, you probably figured it out by now. Come up here so we can talk, how long have you been down here? Why didn't you bury your men or report your position to Doenitz?" Joseph chewed his lip and watched Locutus run to the base. He wanted the other man near him more than anything right now, the feeling of wrongness was only growing by the second.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 9, 2011 16:33:59 GMT -5
Locutus's ears twitched at those words. The last thing Joseph should want is to meet that face to face. Locutus knew damn well Joseph wouldn't like what he saw, but yet there he was, asking for it. The air inside the bunker had that sinister feel to it, growing only more by the minute. As soon as things had settled outside that ever oppressive silence settled back over things.
The line crackled again and this time it was the troll who responded. "Who are you talking to? Kommandant Ritter died over sixty years ago. No one's here."As if that line would make Joseph feel any better about one, talking to someone who supposedly died over half a century ago, and two, the fact the troll didn't know who he was talking to.
After the Troll fell into silence, that eerie voice spoke up again. "Reichminister Goebbels?"A short pause came as if the figure was trying to remember who that was or why he was here, but it was but an instant before he spoke again."Ah, Herr Goebbels! It's good to hear a friendly voice. What brings you out here Reichminister?"The voice paused as if digesting what Joseph had said."The war is over you say? Hitler dead? I can scarcely believe it! Yes, I do think a meeting is in order.... Oh the men? They are not dead Herr Goebbels, only sleeping. I shall be up soon as I finish up my duties down here!"
Locutus made his way around to the entrance, hopping over the debris and making for the inner door... which he collided against with surprise. The door had resealed itself unexpectedly. Locutus shook his head and attempted to manhandle the door open. Physical strength didn't seem to prove enough. The door was quite literally stuck in place. The complex shook with each blow as he attempted to knock it off it's hinges but the door held with an unearthly sturdiness.
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 9, 2011 19:58:19 GMT -5
Joseph frowned when Fisk spoke. Well, he should know the comm lines were shared throughout the entire complex, but shouldn't Fisk have heard the voices as well? He was about to call for the troll when Ritter's voice began anew. Now he definitely knew something was wrong. For one thing, he'd neatly sidestepped Goebbels' questions and told him an outright lie. "Sleeping are they? Did they forget their skin and organs or are those neatly packed away somewhere?" He said stiffly into the comm. Either this one was a ghost...or clearly mad. He was tempted to believe the latter, as he desperately wanted to believe there was another here in this building besides Locutus, himself and the troll. If there wasn't then he was the madman talking to nothing in a microphone.
Fisk scowled up at the ceiling deep in the bowels of the bunker, elbowing the shell into place. Just in case the dragon came back. He locked it in place and made his way back up to the station. What the hell was Goebbels blabbling about? He heard great booms coming from the door they'd come through earlier and decided to let Locutus in. He nimbly slid over the corpses, tripping over one or two of them, and grabbed the door. He growled and shifted against it...but it was stuck. Had the rust sealed it in again or something worse? "God damn it. Hold on!" Fisk shouted to Locutus, grasping the rod that held the door shut and putting his weight on it. He felt the groan of the steel giving way...then the rod snapped off in his arms.
They were stuck. The only ways out now would be wriggling through the narrow windows in the artillery station Goebbels was in. Fisk swore under his breath. Locutus would have to find another way inside. He ran back down the stairs, following his memory up to the artillery station. "Are you going mad? Who are you talking to?" he demanded of Goebbels, who looked a bit ashen.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 9, 2011 20:44:04 GMT -5
Locutus growled and slammed his fist against the door again. He did NOT have time for this. Not with what he knew was deep within that bunker."Fuck this."Now was no time to be holding back, the surprise had been lost and anything that could be gained with it. Locutus grit his teeth and took a few steps back. After the Troll cleared out of the way Locutus brought his hand level with the door. The screeching whine of electricity began to fill the air.
A bright blue sphere formed in locutus's hand as he manipulated the growing collection of pure electricity. Fire could have worked, but it'd take too much time for it to reach the temperature required to melt through the door, and time he did not have. Already the lights nearby began to blow, and the remaining electronics within the outer bunker protested against this massive surging current of electricity. Locutus kept building up the energy though. He would need enough electricity to melt through that thick door, which was no easy task.
Soon the collected energy surpassed the level of average lighting, shortly there after it dwarfed even the rare positive lightning that made regular lightning look like a double A battery. Taking a deep breath he unleashed the massive torrent of energy. A huge bolt leaped from his hand, spanning the distance to the door. The buzz of electricity filled the hall as the door suddenly glowed bright white before Locutus brought up his other hand in a grasping motion and pulled it back towards him.
Meanwhile in the bunker that comm sputtered to life again after Goebbels asked that demanding question. The voice on the other side kept it's calm, even tone, however; it did pick up a somewhat questioning accent to it."I don't know what you mean Reichminister. Last time I took roll call they were all accounted for. Every last one of my men reported in. So I apologize if I do not understand what you are saying, Herr Goebbels."The voice paused before taking up a different tone. This one was a mix of faint agitation and a bit of worry. "I will be up right away Reichminister, hopefully we will be able to sort out this mess, yes?"
As soon as the line cut dead Fisk came through the doorway, once again leaving Goebbels to explain who it was he was talking to since, by all accounts no one else in the bunker seemed to hear that icy voice. There was an unearthly feel about it, how calm it seemed despite the terrible news and the accusations. One might think that the person on the other end of the line didn't see any problem with the situation at all.
Suddenly there was a loud buzzing and a loud crash, followed by a series of other crashes that echoed through the bunker....
Up top, the door suddenly burst outwards in small tiny chunks of molten metal. It was a semisolid, like when snow turns to slush. Tiny bits of the softened metal hammered the objects in the outer bunker, easily carving through the lesser metals, woods, and even burning into the concrete. Small isolated fires started here and there but Locutus wasn't concerned about them. They wouldn't go anywhere anyway.
The deity stepped through the glowing hole in the wall he had just created at a brisk pace, jogging his way down to Goebbels and the troll. He hoped that he'd make it before whatever it was that was in the bunker got there. He knew what lurked down within the depths of the bunker, and none of it was pretty. Unfortunately... he wouldn't arrive in time....
On one small part, it might have been a relief to Goebbels to be able to prove that he wasn't crazy. That there really was someone else in the bunker would have normally been a relief if it wasn't for what soon walked through the doorway that Fisk had just passed a few minutes earlier. It slowly rounded the corner of the doorway and walked in, taking but a couple steps and coming to a stop.
Before Goebbels and the troll stood one hell of a sight. Polished black dress shoes of a Nazi SS officer stood upon the deck of the room they were in, snapped sharp as if at attention. Above them sat perfectly immaculate black trousers. Not a spot, not a cobweb, not a hole anywhere on them. As one's view would pan up they would reach the belt line. Thankfully, for anyone who started their examinations at the floor, the officer was wearing gloves. He also had his sidearm at his side. Further up one would see the matching dress coat of the SS officer.
Medals and pins decorated the breast of the officer's coat, marking him an exemplary officer who had accomplished quite a few things within his career, more than his rank would normally receive at that. In every way the uniform looked as sharp as it had in 1944. The difference started where the dress coat and head connected. Instead of finding the average, well shaped, pale neck of your average SS officer there was... almost nothing except in the back where one could clearly see a spine.
Sat on top of that spine was even more of a sight. A human skull in perfect condition capped off the appearance, complete with jaw and all it's teeth. Unlike the rest of the neat and orderly officer, the skull was not without it's signs of age. Cobwebs covered the officer's skull and neck in places, which might cause one to wonder why the rest of the officer was so neat and orderly. And as if that wasn't enough.... It's eyes glowed bright red. The SS cap sat upon his head, resting perfectly upon that skull. Like with the rest of the uniform, it too was without a spot on it.
The.... thing stood there for a moment in silence, as if waiting for his presence to register. Not enough for one to register a walking corpse mind you, but as if there was nothing wrong the skeleton spoke in that same calm, icy voice. "Ah, Reichminister Goebbels, it is wonderful to see you again. Welcome back to Bunker 437!"
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 9, 2011 20:58:14 GMT -5
Joseph was about to explain to Fisk exactly who he was talking to, and that he wasn't completely crazy. But seeing the officer there made him shut right the hell up. His throat constricted and his eyes went wide with terror. He straightened in the chair and Fisk immediately backpedaled toward Joseph, intent on protecting him...but this man didn't seem to mean any harm yet. In fact, he seemed to view Joseph as a superior officer. Joseph regained his composure after a few minutes, forcing his roiling stomach to calm down. He wouldn't transform, no, he would keep his goddamn calm and he would speak to this man as the superior he was.
He noted the decorations. Knight's Cross with Diamonds, third class. A very hard decoration to attain...nearly impossible really. Iron Cross first class and third class...denoting he'd suffered injury in combat to a noble end. Well, that was plainly visible. Joseph straightened and stood up, as best as he could without a brace. He would not show weakness in front of this...apparition. "It is good to see you as well, Kommandant Ritter." he said. This had to be a dream, a ghost. He offered his hand to the creature. "I apologize for my sudden seizure of your defense systems, there was a creature outside that was threatening the wellbeing of myself and my friend. My other friend seems to have been locked outside."
He saw Fisk shake his head slightly. So Locutus was inside. Please, for the love of God, the man had better come here quickly. But...Joseph had seen stranger things hadn't he? And while this character certainly looked evil, he didn't seem to want to kill them. "As for my claim of your men being dead, Kommandant, all you need is to look outside. Their skeletons litter the floor...and may I ask the reason for your being here? Many of us fled bunkers and establishments when the Soviets took over everything." Joseph said. He was the figure of politeness, even though he was literally fighting back tears from having to stand on his bad foot.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 9, 2011 21:51:06 GMT -5
The Nazi officer extended his hand to shake the one Goebbels had offered. After Goebbels finished talking it tilted it's head. Somehow, despite what the laws of gravity dictated, the cap didn't slide off of his head. "I do not understand, Herr Goebbels. How can the war be over? The enemy still advance onto this installation at times. We have had to fight them back many times." The soldier looked about the room as if confused. What could Goebbels be talking about with this nonsense? "Creature you say?"The officer looked past Goebbels, past the gun and out to the field beyond, looking at the wake of destruction past it."What do you mean by creature, Reichminister?"
Despite the questioning, the officer maintained an air of pleasantness, a sense of respect even as he spoke calmly, as if nothing were out of the ordinary, certainly not the large trail of destruction."I do hope your other friend is alright Herr Goebbels. It would be unfortunate if you had lost a friend while visiting our installation. It would sadden me greatly to be responsible for such a thing."The words at least sounded sincere, whether or not they were. The officer began pacing, silent for a moment as he seemed to digest this information. He then paused and looked out the door."I do not see what you mean Herr Goebbels. They appear to be sleeping to me. I know it is against regulation, but the men are tired Reichminister. They have not slept in a very long time."
Locutus ran this way and that, working his way through the bunker. It was a lot... longer than he would have expected. He rounded corners, and ran down halls yet there seemed to be no end in sight. He then slowed to a stop, his ears twitching as he listened. Something didn't seem right. The smells... the sounds... the feel of the air. He growled as he soon realized he was being manipulated. He was a deity yes, but even they could fall victim to such tricks if they were well made and the deity wasn't paying close enough attention. All it took was a slight moment of concentration before opening his eyes again.
The hallway before him had changed. It was now shorter. He knew he was on the right track now, but how much time had he wasted? He growled and doubled his pace, fighting to make his way to Goebbels before it was too late!
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 9, 2011 22:17:33 GMT -5
"I mean dragon. But it's gone now. Blinked or something.." Joseph said, slowly starting to figure out this thing was completely nuts. It was living in the old times...but what year? Their good years, or the desperate ones? Probably the good years, given the fact that his stress level seemed to be nothing and he was polite. "Nevermind the men, they can sleep as much as they like. They should be strong, not half-asleep." he said, eyeing the skeletons out the door. Yep. They could sleep as much as they liked, they were fucking dead. "Well Kommandant, if you could show me what you've been doing since I last visited, I would be grateful." Joseph said. He caught Fisk giving him a look and shook his head. Best to just play along and keep this man convinced.
He hoped Locutus would find his way soon. A god could thwart this crazy undead, couldn't it? He hoped. Joseph took a deep breath and looked at Ritter, expecting to be led somewhere. Hopefully somewhere out of this nightmare. "I heard that this facility was geared toward the training of supernaturals, the Gotzesturm." Joseph prodded gently. Who better to find out from what happened to this facility than a man living in the past? He bit his lip, looking back at the troll. At least Fisk could protect him if this madman decided to try and destroy him.
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 10, 2011 0:33:59 GMT -5
"A dragon, Reichminister?" The commander almost seemed skeptical, as if such a thing wasn't possible."You mean the Storm Dragon? Why would the Storm Dragon want to hurt you? And how could it be out here? Last I checked it was still in it's pen down in the lower levels." The skeletal creature mused for a moment, considering what he had been told.
The hand came up to rub the back of that skull as the creature slowly padded around towards the gun and the window. "It is hard to believe that such a thing could happen without some noticeable commotion."The SS officer seemed to snap out of the slight daze he was in. "Yes. An inspection of the facility is in order. Heinrich, Wilhelm!"
The officer tried to clap. Well he did clap, but it made an awkward noise as the leather gloves connected with each other. The sound gave away the total lack of any flesh underneath the gloves and had a sickly quality to it."Wake up. The honorable Reichminister is here to inspect the facility. Go wake the others and have them prepare for the demonstrations!"
For a moment nothing happened. That might not have struck either the Troll or Joseph as unusual, however, that idea was soon shattered. The two closest skeletal forms in the hallway began to reassemble themselves, the loose bones that had been knocked free sometime after their death sprang back into place. Soon their eyes began to glow as they started to crawl to their feet. "You see, Reichminister? They were only sleeping." The two soldiers stood at attention before Goebbels for a moment, offering a salute before departing to attend to their orders.
"Where were we?... Oh yes, the Gotzesturm, of course."Ritter gave an unearthly chuckle. It wasn't so unearthly that it didn't sound right, well right being relative, no chuckle would ever sound right for a corpse really. It was that unearthly sort as if the Gotzesturm weren't anything one should be concerned with."The Gotzesturm was just the beginning Herr Goebbels. They would have been to us what the Austrians were to the rest of The Fuhrer's Wehrmacht. Come let me show you."
Locutus slid around another corner and darted down the hallway. Every moment it took for him to get there, the worse things would get for Goebbels. If he took too long he probably would arrive to find more bones than were here originally. However, the deity didn't dare try to teleport. Not here with those foul powers at work. Sure he was a deity, but he had no clue what traps they had in store.
Finally locutus slid around another turn and rushed down the corridor, and came to a skidding stop at the door that lead to the room Goebbels and the Officer was in. "Shit." was his only thought as he rushed into the room, or so he thought.
As soon as he crossed the threshold of the doorway there was a bright flash and Locutus found himself in an empty room. Not only was it empty... it was in it's original untouched condition. The mold was back on the console, the corpse in it's seat, everything was untouched. Locutus spun around with a slight degree of bewilderment. There was no trace of Goebbels, the troll, or the Nazi Officer.
No, he was in another illusion. It had to be, but how? He had made sure to keep his mind aware of such tricks since the maze trap he had slid into. He closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate again. This time when he opened his eyes however, the situation did not change. He was still surrounded by that eerie silence and untouched scenery. How was this possible?
Locutus growled lowly. There had to be more than one person at work here. There was no way that one being could fool a deity once on this level, let alone twice, even if he was playing down his ability quite a bit. Truth be told he was trying to make as small a footprint as possible. He knew that if he started flinging around his abilities, attention would be drawn. He closed his eyes a second time and tried to concentrate again, but the result was the same. Something wasn't right here. Had the doorway been the illusion? Had they not really been here at all?
He closed his eyes again, but this time, instead of concentrating on dispelling what was obviously not an illusion itself, he tried to feel for Goebbels and the troll. What he sensed caused his eyes to pop back open. He couldn't feel Goebbels or Fisk at all. In fact... he couldn't feel anything outside of this room period. It was as if nothing existed beyond the walls he saw plane as day. He looked back towards the doorway and furrowed his brow. They had indeed tricked him, but not the way he thought. They had actually created a tear in reality and created a pocket dimension. What Locutus saw around him was real... and yet it wasn't.
He sighed and did the only thing he thought of to do! He turned around and walked right back out the door he had entered. Another bright flash signaled it worked! He spun back around and much to his pleasure he found himself back in the right place! However he was also presented with another issue. The doorway now appeared to be blocked off by a translucent purplish barrier. He growled as they threw one parlor trick after another at him. For some reason they didn't want him to reach Goebbels, but why? Locutus then looked around and noticed that all the bodies were now... gone.
Back inside the room Goebbels might have thought he had seen Locutus for the briefest of instances when he rounded the corner, but just like that he vanished! There wasn't a trace of him left. All that was left was the Officer by the doorway. Occasionally Goebbels would see an SS trooper wander past the doorway, or at least, what used to be an SS officer. Now it was more of a walking Skeleton. Each one seemed to be going about a task, likely grouping for that inspection.
There was no sign of Locutus to be seen anywhere. Even after Locutus exited the room and turned about, Goebbels wouldn't notice the barrier that surrounded the room. For all intents and purposes Locutus was effectively cut off from Goebbels.
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 10, 2011 12:01:16 GMT -5
Joseph folded his arms, about to point out to the undead that he was clearly mistaken and that everyone in the facility was in fact dead...but the words caught and twisted in his throat when the soldiers rose from the dead. He stared at the commander for a moment, throat working but no words coming out. Fisk put a hand on his shoulder. If Joseph freaked out now, there was no telling what would happen. They could become hostile or worse. "Are you seeing the same thing I am?" Joseph whispered to the troll. Fisk nodded gravely. Even he wasn't sure he could fight such magic. Something was powerful indeed to not only raise men from the dead...but men raised from the dead as if nothing had happened. As if the clock were turned back to the beginning of the war, when the men still believed they would win.
Joseph took in a deep breath. It was lucky he was seeing this, and not anyone closer to the military. Himmler would have gone mad seeing this. His ears caught the past tense. "Would have?" he raised an eyebrow. If this being was slipping up, it meant it wasn't crazy, it was tricking him. Joseph's mind was scrambling to remember the reports he'd read. They were additional to his normal work, which was more in the cultural areas. Species that were being trained...Trolls, yes. That was obvious. He could have sworn that centaurs were among them as well. Those were the two primary races. His gut twisted when he caught a flash of Locutus...but the god disappeared from his view almost as quick as Joseph saw him.
This wasn't happening.
"I trust you've been following the Fuhrer's orders? Keeping the facility civil as far as training the supernaturals? He was clear no cruelty should take place here. At all. They're to be treated like men." Joseph said as they walked the halls, trying to keep bile from rising in his mouth when he saw more of the skeletons get up and prepare for inspection like normal men. He prayed silently that Locutus would find him. He had to find him.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 10, 2011 22:53:35 GMT -5
"Yes yes, Would have. The project hasn't exactly gone according to schedule. We have had a few setbacks. We are working to correct them but... as you said yourself Reichminister Goebbels. The war is over yes? What is to happen to us, to this facility? From the sound of it, I take it that it did not end well. What would the allies have us do, Herr Goebbels?"The skeletal soldier spoke like nothing was amiss, not even taking note of the deity as he flashed through the doorway. He strode out into the hallway walking down the corridor as they continued to talk.
"Of course, Reichminister, everything here is conducted per protocol. We have treated all the supernaturals with the utmost courtesy. They are our comrades in arms after all are they not Herr Goebbels? How could we expect them to fight for our way of life if we oppress theirs?"The tone of his voice was more friendly than accusing, a mingled understanding tone, as if he was agreeing with Goebbels.
"I apologize for the state of the facility."The walking skeleton commented, motioning to the thick layer of dust and blood that covered many of the objects in the hallway."Between all the fighting and the long hours, there has been a certain degree of neglect on non-essential tasks. The men have become worn with how little sleep they have gotten."At this he seemed his usual self, seeming worried for his comrades lack of sleep more than their lack of flesh and blood.
"The facility is sixty percent operational currently, though if need be I could have it at least ninety at the end of the week. We are a bit shorthanded due to the casualties we have suffered during... unfortunate experimental accidents."He paused for a moment, stopping in his tracks before adding more in."I assure you that all the precautions were headed. The accidents were truly unfortunate, but not the result of carelessness amongst my men, Reichminister. My men take safety and procedure very seriously, sloppy work reflects poorly on one's record."
The undead SS officer continued on, talking like they were doing just your standard inspection. The fact that the entire facility had more than a little neglect, and the fact that it's entire population was made up of corpses seemed to be far from the soldier's mind. He stopped at the end of a hallway with thick double-doors and he turned to Joseph. "Through these doors I have had my men assembled for inspection. They have with them a few of the results from our hard efforts. I hope that their presence will not unnerve you, Reichminister."He again paused before correcting himself with an addition."I do not mean that you are not a steadfast man or a coward. We have had lesser men than yourself run screaming from our midst."It would be entirely impossible to tell if the officer was smiling, given that he had no skin or muscles with which too smile. In fact, he always seemed to be smiling with the way that skull is, but at least his voice sounded reassuring.
Locutus watched them walk through the barrier out into the hall. "JOE!"He shouted down the hall at the man, trying to get his attention. Of course Joseph had told him not to call him that but Locutus didn't really have time to remember such things. It didn't really matter however as his shout would fall on deaf ears. Joseph wouldn't have even heard the faintest whisper of that call. He might however have felt something, that tingling you get when you sense someone is looking for you. However, if he looked back he would see nothing. Locutus raced down the hall after them and reached out to grab Joe when suddenly a flash of light filled the air and he found himself back at the entrance of the Bunker. He blinked and looked around. He had been stepping up his power, but it would appear that they were doing much the same as well. To force transport a Deity was more than a small feat. He was now starting to realize how it was he fell so easily into those other two. He narrowed his eyes and started into the bunker again.
He reached the inner door and blinked. In front of him stood the melted doorway, but around it were runes, glimmering and smouldering from their recent power engraving. Magic had burned them into the stone and metal surrounding the remains of the massive door. That hole was now spanned by a translucent glimmering wall. Locutus recognized it immediately for what it was. A barrier. They were attempting to seal him out, but he was having none of that.
Tired of playing around, he raised his hand and suddenly the wall crumbled as the magic barrier was blasted to pieces. He then raced down the halls yet again! He didn't have time this time so he set off at a rapid pace, racing around corners and down straight-a-ways. The corpses that had lined the halls were nowhere in sight. Every turn he took the feeling of Goebbels' impending doom grew and grew. He picked up his pace as he passed that room for the second time.
Locutus flew down the halls, racing around one more corner as he drew in close to the trio as they made ready to go beyond those doors. Locutus's mind stretched out and he came to a stop for a moment, his mind reeling from the sensation. Locutus had to stop Goebbels from going through those doors at all cost!
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 10, 2011 23:30:22 GMT -5
"The allies are not in control of us." Goebbels said, with more than a little old venom. "But...everyone is dead. And I mean everyone...from Hitler to Stalin to Goering to Rommel. Even Hirohito died a good twenty years ago. Basically, the worst people in that war lived to die of old age." He again tried to get the man to realize what year he was living in...but it seemed hopeless. Joseph sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly a bit self-conscious of the way he looked. Stubble on his jaw, a suit he hadn't washed in a good five days...sweat from the jungle, and his hair all disarrayed. Additionally, he was losing patience from having to stand on his foot. It hurt so badly he could have sworn small gnomes were splitting his bones apart with red hot claws.
He took a deep breath and walked through the door, trying to keep his composure in the light of the monsters in front of him. He eyed the corpses, his heart beating so fast he could hear it in his ears. Fisk followed him slowly, protective. For some reason he felt like Joseph was the only real thing in this facility, and if the short old cripple died then he would be left alone in this walking nightmare. Joseph looked at the corpses. What could he possibly say to the undead? What could he possibly do to lay their souls to rest after all these years wandering around in a mould-filled base with only a half-destroyed generator to its name? God, he felt guilt swallow him. "Forgive my appearance." he began slowly. "As you may have overheard, gentlemen, the war is over. But I am all that is left of the administration, literally all that is left. Everyone else was either an unfortunate victim of suicide or the Reds. I think the final death count was somewhere in the vicinity of 60 million dead on both sides. I won't lie to you, I've never lied to you whether it was in Nuremburg or now...you can't return to Germany. I can't return there...we have to accept that those people we fought and died to protect have been so wounded by our loss in the war that they've wiped our society from their memories. I tell you the truth...the only swastikas that still exist in Germany are the ones they covered over with concrete to hide their shame." Joseph looked over at the commander. "So as of now...you have no goal. No reports to file, no bunker to run. You're your own men. I must warn you, there is still danger. The reason we built this facility so far in the rainforest was so that no one would find it...and no one has, which is why you have been working with the impression we were still fighting. You're relieved of duty, but never forget what Himmler taught you, the skills to survive in this terrain and the pride in what you are. Let no man, woman or beast try and make you believe that you ever fought for anything less than the right cause. You're Germans. Keep your heads up high, walk out of this with pride and humility for the lives your brothers gave for you. I wish you the best of luck, in any endeavor that you undertake gentlemen."
Joseph stood in front of them and for a moment he thought of performing the officer's salute...the sign of a greater man to lessers. But he straightened his back and raised his arm in the traditional Roman salute, showing them they were equals. Such a gesture back in his heyday would have caused riots, a Reichsminister who had the ear of the Fuhrer himself seeing soldiers as complete equals. He lowered his arm and nodded to them, then looked to the commander. "Your decision on what to do from here, Commander...but like my title, yours is nothing but a relic of a golden age long past. I mourn that fact with as heavy a heart as any true German." he told him.
Now came the other shoe falling. If they accepted it and disbanded, could he walk out of here? Some men would react badly to such a speech...he remembered in the bunker, their communications officer shooting himself in the temple when they realized what was happening. Of course, here these men were already dead, and there were no Reds pounding in the door, tearing dogs apart and raping women in the streets like animals. Here it was at least serene outside. Fisk looked down at Joseph. He had to admit...if anything was going to put wandering souls to rest, it was a heartfelt talk like that.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 12, 2011 1:45:04 GMT -5
The officer said nothing in reply to Joseph's first part, about the allies and the loss of their leaders. He turned and followed Goebbels into the assembly area without a word. The skeleton's face didn't change, but anyone that watched him could swear the sinister appearance of that undead only grew the closer they got to those doors. It was as if one could feel that smile growing even though physically it could not.
When Goebbels opened the door he was in a large assembly area. Before him stood rows of the skeletal creatures, seemingly unaware they were supposed to be dead. Mixed within that group were larger forms. Towering skeletons of what could only be Trolls and other creatures. Among the men were signs of werecreatures, Minotaurs, and larger humanoid creatures that were slightly humpbacked (Primates). What was most surprising however, might have been the five officers up front. Stood at attention before Goebbels, Fisk, and the commander were five Officers, all of whom looked quite alive. They possessed skin and muscle tissue beneath them, and filled out their uniforms quite well. More surprising might have been that three of them... were female, something of which was unheard of during that period.
Then looming above them in the far back was the form of a giant....dragon. The dragon they had faced topside now stood behind the ranks of men. It gave a stretch of it's wings, but other than that it made no advancement on Goebbels when he entered the room. It for the moment appeared peaceful, which might not have been something that would help settle Goebbels' stomach.
They listened silently to Goebbels' speech, not saying a word or looking between each other at what should have been unbelievable words. One might expect there to be confusion amongst the ranks, panic even. However, they stood stoic, not seeming fazed by the words coming out of Joseph's mouth. When he finished one of the female officers finally spoke up. "Pardon me Reichminister Goebbels, but I am afraid you are mistaken. Fuhrer Hitler is not dead." She said no more than that, not that she needed to.
No sooner had she finished saying that than there was a sound along the wall above the door behind Goebbels. It sounded like bone scraping across concrete. The assembly hall had a high ceiling, with catwalks going up four or five levels. So it was perfect enough to hide what Goebbels would soon see if he turned to look. Behind him, clinging to the wall, was a giant skeletal form that dwarfed the tolls in size. In fact, the only thing it didn't dwarf was the dragon in the back of the room, and that... was because it WAS a dragon.
Goebbels' eyes would lay upon one of the rarest creatures in the world. The decayed form of a dracolich gazed back at Goebbels, letting off a faint purring growl. The dragon also seemed to be armored like the other dragon they had faced, yet the armor looked unbelievably familiar. Not only was it the same design as with the dragon from before, it also seemed to have the same distinguishing features. The same potmarks running along the armor where it had been shot at, and the same larger dent in the center where a shell had hit. However, this armor seemed to be devoid of the new dent the god had created upon hammering the dragon's chest with it's fist.
Locutus ran down the hall and around the corner towards that door. At first it was open and he could see Goebbels inside. Beyond him he saw the five officers and his eyes went wide. He bolted down the hallway, but before he could even make it to the door it slammed shut in his face. Locutus collided with it full force and bounced off it like one might expect a human to bounce off a concrete wall. Locutus Growled again as he met their resistance, they were really trying to keep him from Goebbels, and he wasn't entirely sure why....
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 12, 2011 13:15:17 GMT -5
Joseph stared at the woman. Female guards weren't uncommon in camps such as Auschwitz and Birkenau. While he disapproved of women serving in the army, it had been the Fuhrer's pilot friend...also a female...that had convinced him to let women serve as guards. He remembered Hitler never regretting the decision, though there was a slight uproar over women wearing trousers that had to be quelled with a long skirt. "Frau...I assure you. I heard the gunshot myself, and I saw my men carry the bodies out of that room. There is no force on earth or heaven that could convince me that my dearest comrade is still alive." he said gravely. The other undead supernaturals in the room were putting him on edge, but the five alive officers were the ones that were scaring him. He had a distinct temptation to go up and touch them, to make sure they were real, but he restrained himself. That would look odd, and it might be possible these were just capable of a bit better glamours than the kommandant.
"I know it is hard to accept, but you must." Joseph told the small crowd, his stomach twisting more and more. He had to stop transformation at all costs, such a thing could dispell the weight of what he was saying. He took a deep breath and looked at the Kommandant. "You know I would never lie to you. Tell your men what I have told you. The Fuhrer is dead. I have had to live with this heartbreak for longer than you know.." he was nearly crying by now, not so much because of what he was explaining to them, but because the agony in his foot was reaching a fever pitch, the likes of which he hadn't felt since his youth. He could feel Locutus, somewhere closeby. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the undead dragon. Joseph's composure was starting to waver, but seeing that creature threatened to bring it crashing down on his head. Fisk grabbed his shoulder to keep him upright when he saw the old man's knees starting to shake. "Easy." Fisk whispered to him, letting Joseph lean his weight on the troll. He was lifting his foot up slightly like a crane, trying to keep weight off of it. Joseph knew better than to outright accuse this dragon of trying to kill him...apparently Locutus had killed it, it had just refused to actually die. This thing was like a cockroach. "I know it's hard to except, gentlemen, ladies. But the fact of the matter is that you must. The Fuhrer is dead, his successor Doenitz is dead. I am all that is left of the Reichstag." Joseph told them, trying to keep strong.
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
Post by Locutus Ferox on Aug 12, 2011 18:19:25 GMT -5
The female that spoke up cut quite the figure, for a female. Her uniform was somewhat out of regulation. She wore the proper coat of her station, fully decorated as well, but her dress shirt appeared missing, least till someone looked closer. The top of a low cut shirt was visible at the base of the V line that the coat created. The effect produced a nice view of her cleavage for any who admired that sort of thing, though here it was only the two male life-like looking officers and a bunch of...corpses. She also wore a set of short shorts, versus the standard pants or even a shirt. The two factors keyed into her dressing more for showing off than anything.
The commander himself looked equally confused at those words, looking between Goebbels and his officer. It seems he wasn't too sure of who to believe himself. Was Goebbels lying? Was he misinformed? Was his officer lying or did she know something Goebbels didn't? He wasn't sure what to do in this situation. His officer had never been wrong, but then again, this was a superior officer telling him otherwise.
That was when the woman spoke up again. "I spoke with him this morning even Herr Goebbels. He was quite alive and healthy. He did not wish to be disturbed by other officers and enlisted men so he asked me not to report his arrival. He wished to inspect the facility for himself. See for yourself."[/b] That was when the officer motioned up towards the catwalks. There, on the highest level, was a man who looked like none other than Adolf Hitler himself. Alive and in the flesh. That same uniform, that same face, and that same determined look. He straightened himself and his uniform up as all those eyes gazed upward at the man.
The room suddenly echoed with the loud sharp snap as the entire room snapped to attention, offering the signature Salute. The man who looked like Hitler gave a nod and walked down the catwalk to the side. He disappeared from sight for perhaps but a minute, only to reappear as he entered from the far door. He walked himself over towards the trio, Goebbels, the commander, and Fisk. There he stood in his usual posture and looked at the three as if waiting for something.
Locutus meanwhile was pounding furiously on the door that Goebbels had walked to. Not only was it unyielding, but barely any noise was coming from it. Despite the fact that he was pounding on it hard enough that he should have ripped the whole bunker asunder, the door only sounded as if he was softly knocking on it. Or at least from his side. On the far side nothing would be heard, even if it wasn't for what was going on in the room.
Locutus put his hand to the door and tried to force it open with a blast. The result was quite surprising, he was blown clear back and the door stood firm, unmarred by the blast that had hit it. Locutus let out a sigh as he gazed at the door. Clearly his opponents were now using everything they had to stop him. Considering what he had sensed in that room, that was going to be quite a lot. The dracolich alone was an impressive enemy. A few of the monstrous creatures in the past had gained immense power. They stood on the grounds of demigods, even occasionally nearing enough power to stand toe to toe with one of the deities themselves. As if they weren't enough, the lich wasn't the only thing he had to worry about.
Locutus grit his teeth, stepping down the hall as he made a clear enough gap between him and the door. He had to stop playing light now. It would only put him up against more and more barriers until they cleared this Bunker. Locutus brought that hand up. Immediately the whine of electricity and the roar of fire stirred in his hands. Added to that, debris in the hallway started to fly around the hall as the wind kicks up. All three elements formed an interesting sphere within his hands as they charged up.[/size]
Post by Joseph Goebbels on Aug 12, 2011 19:00:46 GMT -5
Joseph glared at the officer in disgust. "Cover yourself." he snapped. "No self-respecting woman that Himmler trained would dare go around like a common floozy. I'm surprised your superior officer..." he looked at the commander. "...hasn't kicked you out of this room. And the Fuhrer, would never talk to a woman dressed like that. He outlawed prostitutes if you'll remember." He was a bit furious that no one was taking his claims seriously...but he, like all the rest, turned their eyes upward when the appearance of Hitler made an appearance. Joseph glared at it. This wasn't Adolf. Adolf would have run down and embrace him, formality be damned, or he would be in the depths of one of his depressions. He wouldn't be standing there like he was angry with someone, like he was trying to be Fuhrer. This side of him was only presented to the Foreign press and the army, when the situation called.
Among friends and small groups...Adolf had been personable. Friendly. The godfather of his children. Joseph bristled and didn't salute. His first thought was to test this creature. He grabbed Fisks's arm when the troll made to salute as well. "Arm. DOWN." Joseph snarled at him. "That's not Adi." he added, using a rarely used nickname he had for the Fuhrer. His children had used it. "Well? Who are you, spectre? I can guarantee you're not my old friend, god damn it. You're fooling these poor dead souls into believing this bullshit and I demand you stop it. Out of respect for the real Hitler, whose ashes I personally saw floating down the Elbe river! You, whoever you are, drop the shit! I'm not falling for it!" His voice was rising to a shriek.
But...as always with Joseph...it was another test. Adolf had been used to his small episodes, tolerating them even when others such as Goring or Himmler lost their tempers and called him a dwarf. He'd often patiently reasoned Joseph through his anger, then sent him home for a hot tub of epsom salts and water for his foot. Fisk looked terrified that Joseph would dare speak to even an illusion of Hitler like this. "They're going to think you crazy." he warned, but Joseph was having none of it. He walked up to the spectre, looked up at him, lifted a hand, and slapped his cheek sharply. "You'll back the fuck off. I met the real Adolf when I was twenty years old working in a bank in Cologne, and even then he was decent enough not to give me a look like he was better than I was." he hissed in its face. Fisk was ashen by this point. Joseph had, to all intents and purposes, slapped Adolf Hitler. Quite nastily.
Joseph spat at "Hitler's" feet and turned his back on him. "Come on, we're leaving." he told Fisk sharply, moving to open the door. Something was having fun with his memories, and with all the agony his leg was in, he was not in the mood to deal with it. His thigh was starting that unstoppable shaking it started when it didn't have support for a long time. He grabbed it angrily. "Fisk, open the door. Commander, I have to leave."
"Faith moves mountains, but intelligence moves them to the right place."
