Take Back the Night (WoD OC-Insert, Pick-A-Card Based Powers)

[HelereTheAce]

I was an impish child, my days filled with whimsy and wonder, reflected in my almost faerie-like appearance. Unlike my mom or dad, I was as pale as snow, though I did share their red hair, my gray eyes completely unlike any of either of their families. I'm sure that, if my dad was a more jealous man, had less faith in his wife, he might have suspected infidelity played a key part in my conception. He didn't, though. He had an unwavering faith in her, and an unfailing love for me.

My dad was a boisterous man, belly laughter filling our house at the slightest provocation. Mom was comparatively quiet, but her softer joy was ever-present, small little jokes told in conspiratorial whispers, showing me the wonders of gardening or taking me to her work to meet her coworkers, all of whom smiled brightly when they saw her. Then dad died, the victim of a driver that was actively drinking Blue Stripe as he plowed through the intersection and smashed his monster of a truck into my dad's tiny, economical car. The man faced charges, but the money we'd won in the case couldn't replace the tiniest bit of dad's presence in our lives.

The day of the funeral was bright and sunny, like the universe was taunting mom and I as they lowered his casket into the ground. The priest, a kindly old man by the name of Eugene Phillips, read out dad's last rights in a somber, quiet tone that nonetheless carried through the graveyard.

"-et our friend be permitted peaceful rest. Lord, we pray that you will watch over Aiden Black as he is led to your gates. Amen" I sniffled as the casket was slowly lowered into the ground by four of my dad's coworkers and friends, huge men that were crying their eyes out as they bid him farewell. Mom held me against her as she choked back a sob, and I couldn't help but think that this was the end of our lives, in one way or another.

It wasn't, obviously, but our lives were colder without him there, and though we tried our hardest to be there for one another, she was now a single mother, and I was but a child no matter the extra memories stuffed into my head. She worked more and more, not to pay the bills, the lawsuit would cover them for years even if she didn't make a dime, but to not have to be in the house, not see dad's favorite recliner, not have to see the picture frame of us at DisneyLand, a cross-country trip that was supposed to be the first of many. I still had silly childish dreams, I wanted to open a bakery, or make games, or do anything that might bring a little bit of joy to the world.

Mom bought me toys, to make up for her absence, things like Cici, the alternative to Barbie in this world, somewhat more cynical but still a beloved part of my childhood. I would talk to her at night, of my fears and worries, take her with me places. Eventually, I grew up and moved out of the house. Mom still sent money, but I rarely used any of it for anything, so my bank account kept growing even as I wasted my days away in a shitty little apartment, trying to think of what I could even do with my life anymore. Cici came with me, of course, had a special place on my nightstand. I don't talk to her any more, what kind of adult talks to dolls? I kept her to remember the good times, I suppose. When dreams were worth having.

I sighed as I examined the card in the light, Six Stars gleaming platinum, shining like they belonged in the night sky and not trapped on the piece of pseudo paper that had appeared when I'd gotten my powers, whatever worth they were. I'd touched a book of fairy tales, planning to throw the old thing out to make more space in my closet when it suddenly transformed into her. She held a harp-like bow in her hands, a tiny smirk directed at some unseen viewer, the glint of mischief bright in her eyes. It was almost like looking at another version of myself, one who hadn't lost herself somewhere along the way. 'Faerie Knight Tristan'. The little bit of research I'd done had not led me to any tales or legends about any faerie knights, much less one like her, though Knight Tristan of the Round Table was a semi-popular character in some modern media, like Destiny/Exit Dawn where he was a prominent male lead, but the only similarity between the two was a name and that they used bows.

I'd further experimented with my powers once I got over the shock of having them at all, first capturing 'Sunlight' into a car, the one star it had completely dull and brown, like wood on a card. I went to the store and bought a card deck, emptying out the actual playing cards into one of my many unused drawers and experimenting with what I could do with this power. Anything physical that I stored could be… played is probably the right term, returning to how it was before and landing in just the way I wanted it to. A chair contained in a card that I threw across the room as I played it landed perfectly, sliding right into place at my little table. That stunt had gotten some angry reactions from the neighbors. I'd tried to play the 'Faerie Knight' card, but nothing had happened other than the paper reappearing in my hand before it could hit the ground.

After another month of experimenting with cards, I finally figured out what to do with the 'Faerie Knight' after I created a 'Disguise' card, one star, out of one of my old make-up sets, pressing the card to my face on instinct. I didn't look much different in the mirror, my skin was a bit tanner, my eyes slightly more blue than gray, but that was it. Taking it off by putting my hand to my face and focusing on the card, I left the bathroom and grabbed the deck of cards from it's drawer. I tucked the 'Disguise' card back into the deck and pulled out the 'Faerie Knight'. Returning to the bathroom, I almost pressed the card to my face, some instinct gently guiding me to press it against my chest instead.

Where I was pressing the card, I could see a black, oily substance running down my body, hissing like acid as it faded from view. I pressed a bit harder, trying not to gag at the vile smell that was filling the air. A flood of the vile substance poured out of me, gallons of it oozing down my body. I could hear more in the hissing now, hate and rage and sorrow all screamed together. The card finally entered my body, and there was radiant Light.
Awaken Child Mine, Born of the Earth.

Spoiler: Justicia Black

It felt like all that I had given up on, all the dreams and hopes that had been dismissed as childish fancy were being thrown back at me, all of the wonder and joy in the world clear to see, slightly lesser for my own apathy. As the light faded, I saw the vile fluid evaporating in my presence, unable to sustain itself when near something anathema. I scowled at the barest remnants, somewhat resembling a face in the way it was shaped. I stomped on it, the last bits of the corruption fading into naught but shadow. As I stared at the linoleum that it had occupied mere moments prior, I could make out faint stains where it had touched. I resisted the urge to simply destroy my flooring, leaving the bathroom in a huff. I looked around the living room for a moment, and when satisfied that there was no corruption that I could see there, I entered my room and laid eyes upon Cici.

The urge to destroy her immediately was strong, like a snarling bear held back by only a chain-link fence, but I held it at bay as I slowly approached the doll. It didn't move, it couldn't, but as I peered deep into it's essence, I nearly wept in relief. A shell of corruption surrounding a bright, shining core. It was a toy, meant to inspire dreams and give comfort to children. She never meant me harm, and even when her purpose had been so thoroughly twisted, there was a spark of what she was meant to be within her. I placed a hand on the doll's head, the light of my own presence burning away the corruption and leaving only that core. I picked up the doll from her place on the nightstand, looking into her plastic eyes. There was a little bit of life there. I smiled at the doll.

"Thanks, Cici, for being there when I needed you. But… I'm a big girl now. I promise, I'll find someone who needs you just as much as I did." First, though, I'd have to make sure that she'd be able to protect her next kid from what she'd been forced to do to me. I couldn't fathom that she'd be the only corrupted toy in the world. I brought her with me to the kitchen, grabbing the deck of cards from my drawer and taking out four 'Sunlight' cards. I combined two, making a 'Light' card, two stars that were a shining bronze instead of a dull brown, then the other two, then combined the two 'Light' cards. From that fusion emerged something far better than it's parts. 'Radiance'. A single shining halo, four dull-gold stars along the top. I pressed the card to Cici, willing it to merge with her, and it did. The small light in her chest became a roaring inferno, blazing light out into the world. I set her down on the table, smiling a little at her before I returned to my room.

I began to dig through my closet, setting aside older clothes that didn't fit any more, looking for Cici's box. I know that I kept it, a habit that I'd had since I'd been just a little girl, but it was likely buried pretty far back in the closet. Some old shoes were brought out of the closet to be donated to the nearest homeless shelter, old shirts and pants as well, until I finally found the box. Her smiling face was displayed prominently on the front. I flipped the box over, finally finding what I was looking for. Avalon Incorporated. It would be paranoid to assume that they were contaminating every single toy, but is it paranoia if there's supernatural corruption in your old doll? I brought the box out, setting it down on my bed, before going back into the closet and sorting through what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to donate. I had clothes that I'd never worn, bought in an attempt to fill a void that was now closed. I turned them all into cards, setting the pile on my nightstand as I made a revised list in my head of what I had to do today.

I would be going to Walmart, both to grab a suitcase and to investigate the other Avalon toys there. Then I'd start searching for a new home for Cici, someone who needed her as much as I once did. I tucked the deck into my purse, checking myself in the mirror. My current dress was… too eye-catching, but… Hm. I took the deck out again, withdrawing the one-star 'Disguise'. I would not take off the 'Faerie Knight', not after all of that… gunk got into me when I hadn't had her on. Making my way back to the bathroom, I pressed the 'Disguise' against my face, the changes making themselves obvious immediately. My clothes changed from the frilly skirt to normal jeans and a tank top, though still the red and white colors. My skin was paler than the last time I'd used it, but not to the supernaturally pale degree of my new form. Eyes were still a slate grey this time, but it didn't look unnatural. I left the bathroom and picked up my purse as I left my little apartment, locking the door behind me and looking both ways down the hall. Empty.

I passed by several apartments, all quiet except for the one where a single mother and her daughter lived, the mom singing with her daughter just loud enough to be heard from outside the door. I smiled as I descended the staircase, quickly making my way from the third floor to the base of the building, leaving through the side-door and briskly walking through the parking lot. August wasn't exactly 'chilly' here, but it was just cold enough to be slightly uncomfortable. As I approached my car, an old beater from some time in the nineties, something stuck out to me. Like Cici, the old thing had a core of light, a semi-consciousness of dreams and hopes. To travel, to see new places, to stay with me. There was a loyalty in that steel box that I hadn't expected from anything save for a particularly attached dog. I laid a hand on it's hood, feeling the way it reached back, almost preening at the attention. I'd been debating getting a new car, but now those thoughts seemed like almost a betrayal. I unlocked the door and got in, shutting it as I set my purse down on the passenger seat, turning the keys and wincing as the engine rolled over twice before the car finally powered on. I would need to see if there was a card that could improve the car without destroying what it was.

Pulling out of the parking lot, I took in just how… bad everything was here. Trash in the gutters, everyone either giving each other suspicious glances or being completely apathetic to the world around them. How had I not noticed this before? I squeezed the steering wheel tight when I saw a child, someone that should be utterly filled with light, instead having that same oily corruption in them as everyone else. It was worse than I could have possibly imagined, but that didn't mean that it was hopeless. Pulling into Walmart was almost a relief, even the smallest bits of light that were emanating from the place were better than the still, stagnant world that I'd been a part of just hours before.

I parked near the back of the lot, turning the key and placing the keyring into my purse as I got out of the car, really should name him, locking the door as I closed it. The lot was emptier than usual for a Thursday evening, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth after all that I'd discovered today. I passed by a couple of people on my way into the store, most of them having less corruption coiling in them than I'd expected based on just how much was inside of myself, but maybe I'd just been exposed to more sources of it? Something to look into later. I didn't bother to grab a shopping cart as I entered the store, looking up at the signs and immediately making my way towards the toy aisles. I'd already prepped a 'Radiance' card before I'd left the house, but I was hoping that I wouldn't need to use it. Those hopes were immediately dashed as I rounded the corner and nearly vomited.

Each and every one of the toys in the aisle were corrupted, some less so than others, tainted by mere exposure instead of directly, but it was still a travesty, a crime against anything that could dream. I fumbled around in my purse, drawing the 'Radiance' card after ten seconds of trying, my hands shaking all the while. Finally, I played the card. No light emerged to normal sight, but I could see the flood of purest dream energy infuse itself into the toys, the corruption banished with but a quiet roar of impotent rage. I smiled as I took in the renewed light in the toys, each and every one of them a beacon of light where there was before but a tiny spark. They would protect their children, keep them safe from the corruptive influences around them. I turned to leave, brushing past a woman who was staring at the aisle with wide eyes, the barest wisps of corruption floating off of her and into the aether. I grabbed a small suitcase before leaving the store and making my way back to Carl, the best name I could come up with, I left the parking lot and returned to the apartment complex, making my way up the stairs and unlocking my door.

I sat down on the only comfortable chair I owned, leaning back and closing my eyes. Avalon Incorporated was very obviously corrupt, and spread that corruption out into the world like a plague ridden rat that refuses to die. Commendable, in one sense of the term, but it was something that would have to be put down for the health and safety of every other living thing on the planet. There was much I'd have to do to prepare for a one-woman war on even a toy company, though I very much doubted that they were the only company spewing corruption, or even the main one doing so. However, they were turning things of joy, whose sole wish was to bring comfort and fun to the children of the world, into fonts of darkness and apathy. They had to be stopped, above all others.

I would need to find out their CEO's name, and hopefully the names of the board members, the location of their headquarters, where they had their factories, hopefully in America but if they weren't I'd figure something out. Try to infiltrate one of their important facilities, secure more important information. Find out what other corporations that Avalon is connected to and investigate those in turn. Follow the chain of influence until I find its holder. To do all of this, I would need to abandon my apartment, live in Carl while on the move, maybe… Yeah, that would work. Cici still needed a new home, and I could already think of one that would work very, very well indeed.

I got up from my chair, picking up Cici from the table and gently tucking her into her box, a tiny smile on my lips even as I wiped the wetness from my eyes. I murmured reassurances to her, the light in her chest sparking wildly in something alike to panic, or fear. I opened my apartment door, closing it behind me and striding half-way down the hallway. I stopped in front of the door, the singing inside having gone quiet long before I'd come home. I lifted my hand to knock, only hesitating a moment before rapping on the wood three times. I heard shuffling from inside of the apartment, the latch unlocking and the door opening. The mother was pretty average looking, but the sheer warmth in her eyes was more than enough to make up for anything else.

"Oh, hey Justicia, what can I do for you?" I swallowed nervously, holding out the box containing my oldest friend.

"I'm… moving away here soon, and I figured that Cici should go to someone who needs her more than me." The woman, Lacy, that's her name! Gently took Cici's box from me, the light in the doll's chest flaring in her presence. Lacy stared at the doll for a long moment, something like awe in her eyes.

"Are… Are you sure?" Something was going on here. I let my second sight out, and saw… a Light, burning in her chest, her form changing subtly as I took it in. Bushy eyebrows, pointed ears. She was… like me? I snapped myself out of it with a smile towards her.

"Of course. Every child deserves a bit of Light in their life." She seemed to understand my meaning, opening her mouth to ask a question before seeming to think better of it. I stepped away with a soft goodbye, and after a moment of staring after me, she shut the door as I walked away.

I returned to my apartment, mentally categorizing what I'd be taking and what I'd be leaving. I could easily take everything, but that would definitely raise suspicion, the kind of suspicion that I don't need right now. I would leave the table and the two wooden chairs, and the bed, though… I touched a hand to my pillows, sealing them into two one-star 'Cushion' cards, as well as my blanket, one-star 'Comfort' card. My nightstand would have to stay. The piles of clothes that were to be donated were further sorted between 'summer', 'fall', and 'winter' clothes, the coats were going to be donated to a school, the heavier shirts and jackets to the nearest homeless shelter, the smaller clothes that were nicer than what my home would suggest would be given to an orphanage. Once I'd finished sorting them all, I sealed them into cards and put them each in their own packs, to be unsealed later once I'd found suitable places.

My comfortable chair was sealed and placed in the main deck, as well as the clothes I'd be keeping with me. I rummaged through my drawers, sealing any personal items and documents and leaving everything else. I hadn't felt hungry since I'd merged with the Fairy Knight, but I ate a quick meal regardless. Once I was sure that I had everything I needed, I grabbed my suitcase, not really containing much at all and left my apartment. I made sure the key was in the door, and made my way to the car. First stop would be the local library, I had some research to do.

 

[HelereTheAce]

Spoiler: AN

There will be some changes to the cosmology, mostly to make things fit together better, as the WoD has a lot of inconsistencies between the different settings. The Wyrm, Weaver, and Wyld are the primary forces at work in the setting, there will be no Demons, the Shadowlands don't interact with the Skinlands, the Wyrm's corruption has a similar effect on normal changelings that Banality has.

I'd customized the interior of Carl using the 'Comfort' cards, making the seats plush enough to comfortably sleep on, so that was a single potential problem solved. After that, I'd driven to the local library and began my research into Avalon Incorporated. I easily found the CEO's name and the location of their headquarters, Daniel Hamilton and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The names of the Board members were kept out of public records, as well as the locations of any of their factories. Trying to find any Corporations that they were actually connected to led to dead end after dead end, and I had to give up on that front for now. At least I'd been able to get pertinent information through my research at all, now I just had to figure out what to do with it. Daniel Hamilton was a very, very wealthy man, and I didn't doubt that he'd have constant security both covering him and his home at all times of day and night. Their headquarters would likely be a veritable font of corruption, but it was my best shot for now.

I got inside Carl and went over things I'd need to acquire before I began my road trip. A bow of some kind, even though the Fairy Knight had one in the card, I'd been completely unable to summon it if that was even possible. Arrows, obviously, food supplies, though those were for comfort and enjoyment more than anything else. Thankfully, my bank account was still nearly untouched, the years of accumulation meaning that I had enough funds for my crusade to last years. Pulling out of the library's parking lot, I made my way downtown, keeping a careful eye out for any hunting supply stores. It's honestly surprising how few regulations there are on bow use, but that's just how the world is I suppose. I parked and paid the toll machine, pushing through the light morning crowds towards the hunting store that sat right in the middle of the many storefronts downtown. Corruption sat in each and every one of the people I passed by, some worse than others, but none were untouched. It was a little difficult to stomach, but I would deal with it until I found an actual solution. I don't know who all of my enemies are, and any one of them could be supernatural in the same way that I or my neighbor are.

Entering the store, I was somewhat relieved to find that corruption was low in the employees, in small enough concentration that I could almost completely ignore it. I made my way directly to the area of the store that had the bows and quivers of arrows, looking over them with a keen eye. After almost half an hour of browsing and waving off several employees, I finally picked out a nice longbow and four quivers of arrows, well-crafted enough even without the enhancements that I would be applying to them later. The cost hurt a little to see, but I had more than enough money stored away that it wouldn't really affect me at all long-term. I also purchased a large duffle-bag to store them in, though it would be used for more… nefarious purposes later on. I pushed through a much reduced crowd, passing by a few teenagers positively radiating Light. To my second sight, two of them seemed to have goat legs, another far larger than her body would suggest. They would be closely followed by a shorter man, in his mid-thirties with a guttering Light in his chest, short and with bushy eyebrows to my second sight. I shook my head when I saw that the largest of them noticed me staring at where their true head was, hurrying back to Carl and ignoring the sudden movement behind me.

I lost them fairly quickly, getting into the Car and flooring it half-way across the city to make sure that they couldn't find me, not yet anyway. There was clearly a community, at the very least, of beings like me, and I didn't want to stumble into some social morays and make enemies right now. I can always find them again later, once I'd at least accomplished a bit of my mission. I sealed the bow and the quivers, creating one two-star 'Bow' card and four two-star 'Quiver of Arrows' cards. I withdrew my final 'Radiance' card from my deck, fusing it with the 'Bow' and smiling as I beheld the results. A five-star 'Bow of Light', an engraved bow of beechwood with golden filigree. I set the card aside, drawing a single 'Daylight' card for each of the 'Quiver's and fusing them, the result being four three-star 'Light Arrow Quivers'. I tucked my new cards into the deck, reaching over to my glove-box and grabbing the map of the United States that I'd gotten from the library. Pulling the cap off of a marker with my teeth, I began to strike lines through areas that I wouldn't be stopping in, trying to estimate the best possible time for the least amount of gas. Even if I had a large nest egg indeed, I didn't exactly want to run out of money because I was an idiot with my funds. I know that I don't have everything I'll need for my crusade quite yet, I'll have to completely rethink the way I was going about this once I knew exactly where my targets, the Factories and Regional Headquarters, are. Folding the map back up and tucking it into my glovebox, I leaned back in the driver's seat, closing my eyes and waiting for sleep to take me. It wouldn't do for me to be driving on such little sleep, even if I needed far less of it these days.

I woke up four hours later, just as the sun was setting, feeling fully refreshed. I sat the seat back up, turning the key in the ignition as I wiped my eyes with the other hand. Checking my reflection in the mirror, my… seeming looking as tired as it was supposed to. Under the True Sight I looked just as immaculate as ever, but that was to be expected. Pulling out of the parking lot and turning onto main street, I noticed several people whose light and corruption were… odd. Corruption actively leeching at the light, making itself stronger as the light dimmed. Interesting, but not at all relevant to my mission as it is right now. I reached the end of the town pretty quickly, and was soon on the highway towards my next destination, another town about seventy miles away. I'd stop there, fill up on gas, maybe get something to eat, and that'd be it for there.

The roads were surprisingly busy for so late at night, but I chalked it up to the upcoming Halloween celebrations. Getting far away enough from the town and the inherent corruption all around me there was nice, the forests that I drove through gave off their own sort of light, subtly different from the Light within myself and those like me, but it was more than enough to utterly drown out the bits of corruption present in those that were sharing the road with me. Maybe once I was done, my self-appointed crusade against those that would tear the dreams away from children, I would retire to the woods, build myself a little cabin and just spend my days immersed in the Light here.

The small town that I arrived in was much the same as the one that I'd lived in for most of my adult life, though there was a notable decrease in corruption here. I stopped by the gas station, refueling Carl and buying myself a small sandwich from the hot case before getting back on the highway, the gentle forests slowly transforming into older woods as I traveled further and further north, the Light in them remaining but seeming… dimmer, surrounded by a strange sort-of corruption that made me want to get as far away from them as possible. The other people on the road didn't seem to like it either, there wasn't a single person going either way that wasn't breaking the speed limit to get out of there.

I pulled into a gas station by the side of the highway, getting out and entering the store. The little ding of the bell was pleasant to the ears, and the girl manning the register was absolutely brimming with Light. To my second sight, the interior of the station was completely different, an old log cabin where the little heater in the corner was a roaring hearthfire, the two girls chatting at the counter were goat-legged and even prettier in the sight. I smiled despite myself at the atmosphere here, immersing myself in the Light World and letting go of the dreary mundanity of the world outside for but a short time.

I stepped up to the counter, where the girl at the counter, now with bushy eyebrows and pointed ears, smiled as she polished a mug.

"Welcome to my cabin, cuz. What can I get for ya?" I looked over the board, beverages scrawled in neat chalk, along with the ingredients that went into them.

"I'd like a gooseberry mead, please." She nodded, leaning under the counter and grabbing a mug, turning around and flipping the lever on the cask. The satyr girls giggled as they strut past me, leaving the cabin with dual cheery waves to the boggin who ran the place. I rubbed my forehead, trying to ignore the dull ache that was growing with every word that imprinted in my mind.

"Here ya go, cuz!" The mug was set down in front of me, and I gingerly picked it up and took a sip. It was good, really good. The ache in my head slowly fading away as I looked out the windows, the world outside almost completely different to how I knew it was. The woods were darker, like something out of a fairy tale. The road was cobbled and the cars that zoomed past were instead driverless carriages. The only one that remained as it was, was Carl. The beige car was shinier than it was in the real world, but it was still the same.

"So… what brings you out this way, cuz?" I twitched at the sudden noise, turning to regard the boggin.

"I'm on my way to Minneapolis." She froze in place, expression going from a gentle smile to horrified concern.

"Cuz, you… everybody that's gone there has come back Undone." Undone? I didn't know what she meant, but that confirmed that the place would be chock full of Corruption. I let out a soft sigh as I set down my mug, placing my chin on a closed fist.

"There's… a corporation, a toy company, intentionally infusing children's toys with banality, with corruption that snuffs out their dreams. I need to find out more, find their factories, need to stop them." The boggin sniffled, wiping at her nose with a cloth as she placed a hand on mine.

"I… alright cuz. You, uh, you're always welcome here. Come back, alright?" I smiled softly at her, getting up from my place at the counter and reaching into my purse. I walked over to the fire, going strong but I could see that the Light within was slowly fading. I drew a Sunlight card from my deck, playing it into the fire and watching as the Light burned bright enough to blind me for a moment, fading only slightly as the once-dwindling light roared with new life. I left the cabin before the astounded boggin at the counter could recover from her astonishment, getting into Carl as I returned to the Autumn World and pulled onto the highway.

As I neared Minneapolis, I could feel the tendrils of corruption in the air, like the reaching limbs of some great beast, wrapping around everyone that came into the place and leaving it's mark on each and every one of them. I parked Carl at the outskirts of the city, playing a Daylight card on the parking spot before actually leaving him there, the Light driving away the tendrils of oily material like they'd been struck. I carded my Duffle Bag, two-star 'Container', and slid it into a separate pack for utility things. The 'Bow of Light' and a 'Quiver of Light Arrows' were slid out of their packs and tucked into my pocket, easy to reach and ready for whatever might come. The center of the corruption was near the opposite end of the city, so keeping Carl as far as possible from it came at the cost of having to traverse an entire modern city to reach the place. Consulting my map, Avalon's HQ was in the same rough area that the corruption was emanating from. Tucking it back into my purse, I began my long walk to the target.

 

[HelereTheAce]

Making my way to the source of this tumorous corruption was an unpleasant experience, to say the very least of it. Each and every one of the people I passed by on the sidewalk or drove by on the street were completely and utterly filled with Corruption, only a faint guttering Light left in the very core of their being, and for those that walked about with smiles on their faces, not even that. Those were worse, somehow, being dressed to the nines in expensive business suits and carrying briefcases or other sort of baggage, their eyes like flint as they took in the masses around them. I avoided them as best I was able, but I was sure that their hideous eyes were on me as I made my way ever deeper into the domain of the Corruption.

As I drew closer to Avalon's headquarters, I couldn't help but note the marked increase in the appearance of the city, and the people, around me. Just as bogged down by corruption, but in nicer clothes and with straighter posture. The alleyways were clean, not filled with trash and the homeless, the former too much work to clean up for those that had lost their motivation to do much at all, and the latter finding the only places in the city where they'd be safe from attack. This entire system was completely broken, and I couldn't help but feel that Corruption wasn't the source of the problem, only something that exacerbated it. Those that had seemingly embraced their corruption became more numerous, and by the time I'd reached the same street as Avalon's headquarters, at least one of them was definitely following me. He had mirror shades on, his suit was immaculate, and he didn't stop smiling for a single moment as he approached. The Corruption within him writhed, like it wished to escape his body and do battle with me itself, but the man held it in check. I turned down a random alleyway, taking a turn to a dead end. I withdrew the two cards from my pocket, playing them both. The quiver of Light Arrows appeared on my back, and the Bow of Light in my hands. Like I'd used it all my life, I strung the bow and drew an arrow, notching it and waiting.

It only took thirty seconds for the man to round the corner, the flesh beneath his suit beginning to bulge and swell as the Corruption within him manifested on his body. I took him in with my second sight, scowling. A giant thing with a slavering maw, snout shaped like that of a bear, teeth showing in a ghastly imitation of a smile. I shivered as it began to speak, it's voice like that of a man who'd been without water his entire life, making up for the lack with a copious amount of cigarettes.

"You… You are unfamiliar. Not of the Garou, nor of the Kindred. What are you, interloper?" I did not reply, drawing back the arrow. The beast laughed as it charged me, thinking that it's great size and immeasurable corruption would keep it safe from a weapon of such simplicity. I loosed the arrow, the golden projectile gleaming with Light as it pierced the flesh of the thing. It let out an agonized scream as the Light contained within burrowed deep into it's core, the horrific form that appeared to my second sight coming apart at the seams. Cracks ran across it's flesh, until it exploded in a corona of Light, banishing the nearby corruption from the world. To my normal sight, the man that was following me was now but ash, his suit still immaculately clean. I felt somewhat ill as I picked the arrow from his corpse, tucking it back into the quiver then sealing both the quiver and the bow. I tucked the cards into my pocket, squatting down to get a better look at the body. Corruption had been purged from him, sure, but it had been done in such a way as to kill the poor soul that it had been inhabiting. Not ideal, not at all ideal. I sighed as I placed a hand to his clothes, sealing them into cards. three-star 'Clothing', as opposed to the one and two-stars that all of my wardrobe had been.

I considered my next move for a moment, before a thought occurred. I placed a hand to my face, gently prying away the 'Disguise' card and revealing my true form to the ashes of my opponent. I merged it with the 'Clothing' I'd just gained, resulting in a four-star 'Immaculate Disguise', a Guy Fawkes mask taking the place of my face on the 'improved' card. I pressed it to my face, the form that washed over me still familiar, just… different. I pulled a hand mirror from my purse, now appearing to be a top-of-the-line luxury brand, and flipping it open. I was still recognizably myself, though many of my features had been made… mundane, even more so than before. I appeared to be a faintly bored business woman, the suit that had taken the place of my skirt being ever so slightly different from the one that the thing had worn before. Greyer, with red and white buttons instead of the black of his own. I closed the mirror and tucked it back into my bag, leaving the alleyway with a confident stride. No one gave me so much as a second glance as I approached the headquarters of the Avalon corporation. I stopped at the stairway for a moment, considering. There were no other openings in the security that I could see, but I very much doubted that getting what I needed from the place would be made easier by entering through the front door. The corruption in the air had been somewhat lessened by the Beast's explosive defeat, but that didn't mean much next to the near-industrial output of corruption emanating from the building in front of me. I adjusted the glasses that 'Immaculate Disguise' had given me and made my way up the steps, opening the door without pause and striding in like I belonged there.

There wasn't a single person loitering in the lobby, the walls covered in promotional posters for the company's many toy lines, glass cases containing 'first edition' toys of each brand. I ignored them as I stepped up to the desk, imperiously staring down the receptionist, an ever smiling blond girl whose entire face might as well be made of plastic for how little it moved.

"Welcome to Avalon Toy Co's head office! How might I help you today, miss..?" I thought on the lie I'd tell for a moment, my expression remaining severe.

"Sidhe. My employers have noted an… inconsistency in the 'quality' of some of your products. I will require access to the records department." I paused for effect. "Immediately." Her smile became tighter, the first real emotion I'd seen from her yet, fear, clouding her eyes.

"Yes ma'am. Please take the elevator to floor eleven, our records department will be just down the hall." I nodded once, stepping past her desk and entering the elevator. I reached into my purse as it ascended, pulling out three 'Daylight' cards from the deck. Merging them would be a waste of time, as I had a different purpose in mind for them. I exited the elevator, noting that the floor was completely empty. I left one of the cards right by the elevator doors, another half-way down the hall, and the last right outside of the door with 'Record Department' in big, bold letters across it's face. I tested the knob, surprisingly unlocked, then swung it open, stepping through quickly and locking it behind me. I could feel the three 'primed' 'Daylight' cards at the back of my mind, and knew that I wouldn't be able to draw more than one card until they'd either been picked up by myself, or used.

The entire records department was filled to the brim with filing cabinets, not a computer in sight. It was a curiosity that they only used a physical medium for their record-keeping, but I wasn't going to complain. It made my work much, much simpler. I touched the first filing cabinet, sealing it and examining the three-star 'Container' card. A treasure chest, sealed with multiple locks. I played it, and the Cabinet as it was came out, and on checking inside the documents were still there. I re-sealed it, then began to walk down the isles as I sealed each and every one of them, carefully tucking them into their own deck as I emptied the room. It was not quick work by any means, there must have been more than a hundred of them, but that was to be expected with a company of this size. As I reached the seventieth, I could feel a large concentration of Corruption passing by the first Daylight card. I activated it, screams of agony that were distinctly inhuman echoing through the thin walls as I picked up the pace. Seventy-one, seventy-five, eighty, corruption passing by the second, activated, more screams. Eighty-five, ninety, ninety-five, corruption at the last card, activated, a roar that shook the room, one-hundred. I tucked the card into the deck and stuffed it into my purse, drawing the 'Bow of Light' and the quiver from my pocket and playing them. I took aim at the door immediately, drawing the bow back and waiting. There was silence for a moment, before something slammed into the door. The metal dented, the imprint of a fist clear. Another slam, the door began to buckle.

The door flew off of it's hinges, and I let loose the arrow, the gloriously golden shaft finding a home in the chest of a misshapen man, his jaw far too large for his head and his arms almost brushing against the floor. He flew back, an explosion of Light bathing the hallway and causing further screams of agony. I waited for a full ten seconds before, with bow drawn and ready, I leaned out into the hallway. A dozen piles of ash, two by the elevator, one at the midpoint, three directly at the door, and six scattered throughout, destroyed by the Light that had poured from the Beast I'd slain. I cursed quietly as I saw the elevator close, ticking back down to the main floor. I picked up the arrow and turned to the opposite end, a window that was very obviously reinforced blocking my way. I fired an arrow at it, the glass almost disintegrating on impact. I sprinted down the hall as the elevator began to ascend, flinging myself from the window and to the alleyways below.

I landed with a cat's agility, rolling and sprinting away from the building with truly inhuman speed, occasionally glancing over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't being followed by… whatever those corruption beasts are. I stopped as I reached an exit to the alleyway, professional looking people passing by without even glancing my way. I huffed as I considered my next move. I'd need to escape the city, find a safe place to go through the… many documents I'd acquired and plan from there. The cabin would likely work best for that, the boggin that ran the place seemed friendly enough to let me stay for a while as long as I contributed in some way. How do I..? I withdrew the 'Immaculate Disguise' from my face, then re-applied it, the change coming over me feeling slightly different from before. I grabbed the hand-mirror again, opening it up and sighing in relief. I looked almost twenty years younger than before, wearing an expensive leather jacket and all top-of-the-line clothes. A typical young rich kid who's daddy bought them everything they could ever ask for. I left the alleyway after sealing the Bow and Quiver, sans one arrow, strutting through the crowd like I could buy the clothes off of their back if I had the inclination. Not even the Beasts that were blending in with the normal population seemed to notice anything off about me, not a single one making to follow me or giving me a second glance.

I changed again half-way to Carl, this time looking like a beaten down twenty-five year old with a ratty old purse and nothing worth stealing on her. My hair was no longer a vibrant red, merely a dull maroon as I finally reached Carl. I hopped into the driver's seat, reapplying 'Immaculate Disguise' one more time. This time, I resembled myself, a nice skirt on, vibrant hair, slate grey eyes. I opened my second sight, somewhat relieved to find that I still appeared blatantly supernatural there. I turned the key in Carl's ignition, pulling out of the parking lot I'd left him in and navigating my way towards the highway. My destination wasn't half the county away this time, much to my relief, so it would only take about a day to get there. As I got onto the highway, I let out a happy sigh as the oppressive feeling of Corruption faded away. I'd done it. Now, I'd have to go through… a lot of paperwork. Didn't exactly dampen my spirits, but I wasn't looking forward to the experience.