[IC Board] All the World's a Game - Season II

[wonderweiss]

Voile

---

Jack simply sighed.

"... Well, I really don't care either way. My duty had been carried out successfully and now I must wait until I can know for sure that time shall run naturally. So you can just go on about your days normally and think nothing of me. I have a job to do."

He then stopped at his page. What he found...

Was the Perfect soldier, Null. Who looked exactly like him.

Jack was silent.

"... How... Peculiar..."

[WriggleRid3r]

Howling Abyss

---

"Where's your teddy bear, Annie?" A midget covered in opaque linen bandages, Amumu, asked Annie. It was true, Annie did not have her teddy bear with her on the bridge, even though she brought it to the Howling Abyss.

"I'm trying out new spells, so I don't need Tibbers. I let the Hermit shopkeeper save it until this battle's over." Annie said the half-truth. She was trying a new spell, but not just because of experiment. Once she becomes Level 6, the Institute of War will know... that the Champions do not have to obey their Summoner's commands and be treated like slaves...

---

"Alright, we all have our ultimate, so let's go!" Amumu declared as he threw a bandage towards the enemy team for initiate. "Annie, cover me! Throw your new ultimate!"

Annie agreed with a giant malicious smirk and slammed the ground with her palm. Soon, the entire bridge began shaking as the ground burst into flame: black flame. Hellfire. The Hellfire grew so fiercely, the bridge began falling down into the abyss. Annie left the scene before the Institute of War's emergency response team deployed a time-stopping chronofield over the entire Abyss. It took them more than 2 weeks to expunge the Hellfire.

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

John continued to carefully listen to Annie's story. From what he could tell, Annie was revolting against the institution she was in. Technically, she did as she was told by unleashing her "ultimate", but that didn't explain why they were after her, at least not completely. John remained silent and continued to listen.

[Kristia]

(internet is awful, just to let you know)

Yakumo estate

Nera was in a total mess in her mind "This isn´t how I wanted to deal with this subject.." she spoke to the pinned fox below her "I was irritated and let out my emotions act"

Renamon was breathing and blinking, but always focusing on the jackal above her "Then.. talk it out, you can tell me everything" she said still not moving fearing that if she would do it, another adrenaline crash could occur between them.

"I-Im.. scared.." the lucario mumbled as her shoulders shook "of all of this, the fights, the destruction, the.. death.."

the fox looked at her partner while moving carefully her paw to reach her blue furred cheek "Its ok to be afraid.. Im scared of these things too, but they don´t matter to me. The grim reaper can try to take me, but I will accept that fate when it comes"

Nera´s body stopped by those words "What do you mean by that? you are giving up..?" she asked horrified

"I never said that, I don´t fear death because I know it will be the time for it. Right now my only focus is you, I will never give up in this life and will give even my last breath to show the world that I will fight for our happiness. I understand why you worry for me, but know that Im willingly doing this to live another day with you. Im your mate and will always be until my soul disappears in time" the fox spoke as the jackal was releasing unshed tears

"Please.. don´t leave me alone.. I already lost you one time.. I wouldn´t endure a second time.." tears were now flowing s she let her body fall on the vixen´s and holding her in a tight embrace

"I will never do something like that.. its a promise"

[WriggleRid3r]

Institute of War - Valoran

---

"...Miss Vessaria Kolminye, we await your verdict."

"You are assuming as if I have decided on this case."

"But of course, High Councilor, this is quite an obvious case. The prisoner must be executed for defying the contract."

Vessaria was a powerful woman, and the strongest Summoner in the Institute of War. As the High Councilor, she is responsible for sorting out various oddities in the League games and hold the prisoner-Champions like Brand, the Burning Vengeance, and Fiddlesticks, the Harbinger of Doom, in check. The recent turmoil in the Howling Abyss, caused by Annie, the Dark Child... no, re-dubbed as the Dark Mistress, has given her plenty of stress... expressed by the lifeless black hair strewn across her head and the dark circles around her eyes.

"This is an open rebellion against all of the Institute. Who knows what other Champions would think of now that they see that the Summoners cannot control the Champions in a heavily fixed battles? We need to set an example by-"

"Enough, Councilor. I have made my decision." Vessaria interrupted the hooded Councilor's rant. "By my decree of High Councilor, I hereby verdict Annie Hastur the Dark Mistress, under provocation of the foundation of the Institute, to the status of Repentance."

"WHAT!" The hooded Councilor rose to reject the verdict. "You cannot be serious! Repentance itself is not going to fix this issue-"

"Would you rather have a 16-year-old girl's head chopped off? Her mouth scalded and clogged with gag-balls? Those would only fuel violence in the Champions and the public alike, and probing into her mind is bad enough already. We need to show that the Institute is benevolent, not tyrannical, in this situation."

---

"Repentance is a mental test that probes into a prisoner's mind to find the true purpose and moral values. The test tends to warp the prisoner's mind sometimes, disabling the prisoner to do complex activities like solving math problems or repairing hextech gears, but still able to hold communications and do unskilled labor." Annie explained. "I don't know of any other people or ways that can penetrate into a person's mind like that."

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

John quietly thought about this situation. Annie was tired of being a captive to this organization, so she rebelled and tried to escape. This institute, this Institute of War was had its laws, and Annie broke them, but sometimes doing such things was acceptable. There were many times when John bent the rules, disobeyed protocol, and outright disobeyed direct orders to do what he thought was right, and in Annie's case, she did the same. After a moment, John spoke to Annie.

"I'm not going to let that happen to you. You're not going back to them, not if I have anything to say about it.", John said to Annie in a serious tone.

"What happened after that? Did they try to capture you? What did you do?", John asked Annie.

[WriggleRid3r]

Shurima Desert - Valoran

---

"There she is! Chase her!"

"Kill her!"

"No! Do not kill her! The Institute require us to capture her alive. Only use the Sedation spell... Oh who am I kidding, kill her if we have to!"

---

The desert was harsh. Walking without shoes across the harsh sands of Shurima pained and blistered Annie's feet. Her mana was nearly drained and, considering the number of bandits and the relentless chase of the Institute, her base mana regeneration wasn't enough. Sandstorms bit into her clothes and skin, until her dress became nothing more than a piece of fabric that Annie was tired of carrying around. This gruelling trip continued until Annie discovered the crumbling ruins of Icathia.

Icathia was a ruined city of strange geometry. Years... No, centuries, perhaps, of sandstorm dug into the ruin, consisting of alien structures and idols of horrid gods. The city was deserted, but one could hear the abominable cries of those on the other side of this dimension: The Voidborns. At the center of the city, where the Voidborns' cries are the strongest, lay a deep purple portal. With the Institute right behind her, Annie, given up on her life, tossed herself into the portal...

---

"And that's how I ended up here." Annie concluded, half-grim and half-relieved.

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

After John heard the entire story, he quietly pondered everything she said. She wanted her freedom, so she rebelled. The Institute of War didn't like this, so they wanted to punish her, a 16 year old for not wanting to be a part of these "deathmatch" battles anymore. She managed to escape, but now they were here, and wanted to capture her and take her back, where they would severely punish her and possibly cripple her for life. After what seemed like an eternity, John quietly took off his helmet and looked at Annie with a calm, yet serious look in his eyes. John wanted Annie to know that he was sincere, and the best way to do that was to show her.

"They will not take you back into your world. If we need to, we will make them leave you alone by force. If they want to settle this peacefully and have your innocence proven, then we will give them their Repentance, but it will not be by their methods. It will be on our terms and performed by our people. We have people here that can do the exact same thing without causing damage to peoples' minds. If not, then I convince them to leave this world and leave you alone. If they don't, then they will be forcibly removed and sent back to their world. I am not going to let them take you away. I promise.", John said to Annie in a sincere, serious tone.

[WriggleRid3r]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo

---

Annie stared at John with teary eyes. "H... How do we? The Repentance can only be done by the most skilled at the art of Trance... Um... In this world it would be combination of Mind Reading and Mind Invading..."

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

"We have Youkai here that can read minds and see into people's hearts without risking mental damage. If they won't accept that, or if you don't want us to, then I'll convince them by other means.", John said to Annie, assuring her that he was going to keep her safe, that they would not be allowed to perform their dangerous procedure on her.

[WriggleRid3r]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo

---

"Is... Is that true?" Annie's eyes twinkled with tears. They fell as she dropped her head. "Then... I'll trust you."

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

John slightly furrowed his brows and lightly smiled, giving Annie a reassuring smile that he would take care of things. She trusted him, and he was not about to betray that trust.

"Then let's go pay that man a visit and tell him what's going to happen. I remember that you recognized his voice from back in the library. Can you tell me anything about him before we meet? Who is he?", John asked Annie.

[WriggleRid3r]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo

---

"He is Nasus, the Curator of the Sands." Annie replied. "One of the wisest champion in the League, he works as a librarian for the Institute. The Institute sending him here meant that they expected a fight, but Nasus isn't the type of... "man" that would outright go into a huge rage. He's not as patient as Miss Ran, but he is patient nonetheless."

"Speaking of which, do we even know where he is at right now?"

[S121]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo | Dusk

"Yes. He is staying at Eintei. I know the way there.", John said as he held his hand out for Annie to grab and lift herself off the ground.

As John stood there with his hand out, he began to think about what Annie said. If this man was prepared for a fight, then John had to be even more prepared for the possibility of a confrontation. John meant it when he said he would remove Nassus by force if he did not comply.

"What kinds of attacks can he perform, how powerful is he, what type of combat does he favor, and what are his magical and physical abilities?", Jon asked.

[WriggleRid3r]

Forest of Magic - Gensokyo

---

"He is the kind of fighter that builds to his advantage at the later stage. Even you probably have no chance if the battle drags on for an hour or longer, since his short-term growth in battle is limitless." Annie informed John as she grabbed onto John, like how she used to hold onto him back in the Banished Library whenever the group reached a hole, a chasm, or any other unreachable areas. "But then again, he is a "man" of peace, so we could talk to him without provoking him to fight."