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Thank you, corrected.The pointed tooth is called a canine. The incisors are the ones between the canines with the straighter tops -- not so good for breaking skin.
Uh, what world is this?
And the hell kinda guy kills someone for saving a life? Dick move, Ex-Detective.
Uh, what world is this?
And the hell kinda guy kills someone for saving a life? Dick move, Ex-Detective.
The link goes to the title sequence of a show called Brimstone. It features a dead Detective who works for the Devil and he must return to Hell 113 souls who have escaped to Earth. He obviously thinks the SI is one, since he has no reference for any other kind of supernatural phenomena. Thankfully, a power ring is enough to stop a bullet. Also, I'm curious as to whether or not something bad will happen to the Detective if he accidently kills the SI somehow.
And IIRC, as one would expect it's not actually as straightforward as that. Not that he presumably knows that yet.A bunch of souls escaped from Hell and he needs to get them back.
Flashing orange eyes after he got out of hell? Nah. Man's trying to send the demons back to hell so he can get a new lease on life. Fuck, this is an old show.Damn, straight to killing him? I'd have thought the detective would've tried to talk it out more.
Well, that's a very obtuse opening for a very low-budget 90's show. (Danger! TVTropes Link!) Lots of ominous voice-over and swirly words fluttering over mysterious video! A strange setup for a strange series. The finest effects 1997 Video Toaster could provide!
And a Paul, stuck in this screwed-by-the-network series. Let's hope he's at least got some kind of Power."Ohshitshitohshit!" The terrified man laying on the pavement grabs my shoulders as I crouch next to him. "You gotta call me an ambulance, man!"
I smile, grabbing the side of his coat with my right hand and pulling it up to reveal the hole.
And Paul's hoping he doesn't notice that the holes are over his ribs, not open air."You're fine." I wiggle my right forefinger through the double hole. "See? They missed. Amateur gunfighters often do."
"Whu-?" He frowns in confusion, staring at me and then at his own coat.
Hmm. Some manner of healing capability. If it's a ring, it's either blue, orange or indigo.I unhook my finger and then pat him across the torso before holding up my hand. "No blood. Are you in any major pain?"
"N-? No?" He frowns harder, shaking his head as if he can't quite believe what's happened. "I-. I was?"
And a fairly truthful rationalisation... Between the heat of the powder burning and the scraping as it flies down the barrel, 'hot lead' is not a misnomer."If might have skimmed you, I suppose. Bullets are quiet hot when they come out of the barrel, and if it skimmed you then you might have felt a burn. Do you want a hand up?"
"Ah..?"
Something of a life-changing experience regardless. And possibly a pants-changing one as well.I move my right hand under his left armpit and then stand, pulling him half-willingly up with me. He takes a moment and then pulls away, patting himself down as if to… No, to actually reassure himself that he's not injured. After a moment of finding nothing he calms down a little.
"Ah. Thanks."
Friend, unless you're a cop, I'd leave it be and be glad you're alive.I smile a little more broadly. "Your attacker was so shocked that I just had to shout at them and they ran off. Not a big deal. Ah. Are you going to be alright getting home, or do you want me to call you a taxi?"
"Did you-? Did you get a good look at them?"
I expect Paul here handled the cleaning of pants. A mere courtesy to save your dignity.I shake my head. "Sorry. Between the bad lighting and the adrenaline, not really. I mean, if you want to report it to the police I don't mind-."
"Nah. No, I'll-." He manages to relax a little. "I'll go talk to 'em tomorrow. Right now, I just wanna go home and hug my kids. And… Change their curfew to Five PM."
Not a jaunty tip of the hat? Doable even if you're not wearing one. Still, I think the guy's had enough strangeness for one lifetime.He laughs awkwardly and I nod. "Sounds wise. You have a good evening."
He nods, turning to walk away. He gets about half way to the sounds and lights of the next street, then stops and turns his head back towards me. I wave, and he awkwardly nods and keeps walking.
Ah, the power of Avarice. Excellent for changing the ways of misguided people. Though I wonder about his charging methods...Good job his brain wasn't quite dead when I got to him.
My right hand moves to the faintly glowing orange ring on my left ring finger. Yes, I could easily have captured the idiot youth who nearly killed him, but after something like this I think tracking them down and having a stern word with them… Helping them sort their life out, will really do more good in the long run. It was supposed to be a threat and they were genuinely horrified-.
Ooh, I sense a protagonist. Or rather, a canon protagonist. Probably following a trail of brimstone...I frown as I catch sight of a blond… Slightly ratty-looking man at the end of the road, where whoever that was I just intercepted from his premature meeting with his maker went. He ducks back when he notices that I've seen him. Not sure what that's about.
Now, where's the first-time gunfighter gone? I'm sure this would be easier on a world with an established superhero tradition, but… Needs must where the Devil drives. This city's enough of a mess that even a neophyte like me can find people to help, and… Not like there's much point starting again on this world's version of Britain.
I'm betting he relies on his ring's scans a lot more, with the Internet being a lot less... Mature than it is now.Okay, start walking, ratty man apparently having disappeared. Compare my target's location with a local map… A bar. I haven't been here long enough to know whether it's a criminal underworld type bar or if he just wants to steady his nerves. I walk at a pace, hands in pockets and making good time. He was running, but he's not thinking straight. I could just appear next to him, but I don't really want to blow my own cover. Or prompt him to panic into a relapse. Let him calm down, then have a word.
You're not the only one. Can't stand large crowds in small spaces myself. Tolerable in shopping centres, not so fun in a gaming store...Never really been a fan of bars. Music, too many people in close proximity, dancing and alcohol. Still, I can usually get a laugh out of the bar tender.
I sit down, and manage to catch his eye.
Should have asked for a dirty glass, then."Yeah?"
"Orange juice, please."
He stares at me for a moment. "You know this is a bar, right buddy?"
There's that laugh. The English accent probably helps with the 'being disarming' thing."Ah, I apologise. Orange juice, I'm a great tipper."
"Hahaokay." He ambles over to the bar's fridge. "You want ice?"
"In October? No, thank you."
He takes the cap off the bottle and pours it into a glass before putting it down in front of me. I pass him a twenty dollar bill before picking it up and taking a sip. Well… I… Shouldn't have expected freshly squeezed. The barman-.
Yep, we have our protagonist. One 'Zeke' Stone, sent back from Hell as Satan's hitman in hopes of a second chance."Hey."
I turn to my left, and it appears that ratty-man has followed me here. He's looking at me… Rather intensely-.
And it looks like it's straight down to business... Pity he has the wrong man.
...Oh, right. the still-somewhat-closeted gay subculture of the 90's.Ah. I've never really been sure how to handle this sort of situation. I knew… Los Angeles was basically America's Brighton, but it still…
Just have to learn to deal with it, I suppose.
Never mind the mechanics of it. Most men's toilet stalls are not very large, you know. It's hardly conducive to any kind of encounter, much less an erotic one."Ah. Look, I'm sure you're a splendid chap, but you're not really my type, and even if you were, congress in public toilets is extremely unhygien-"
"Ah, no, no-."
Awkward, especially since Zeke went to hell for killing the guy who raped (and presumably murdered) his wife."ic-. Oh. Sorry, I-. Just assumed-." He looks as awkward as I feel. "I'd.. buy you a drink by way of apology, but I'm worried that would be giving mixed messages."
"No. Jesus. Look, I-. Saw what you did for that guy."
...Could still consider yourself one, if you apply Satan's authority over demons rather loosely. Well, more of a bounty hunter.
Not just for logical story reasons either. It's probably cheaper to do night shoots in LA.I blink in bafflements. "What the heck did you do to get fired from the Los Angeles Police Department?"
"No, I was.. in the NYPD."
"The eyes are the windows of the soul", as the intro above says.Okay… Nineties computers, but I'll manage-.
His right hand's gone under his coat, because… He just saw my eyes flash.
And not recently. And he probably looks a lot younger than his mid-to-late forties."That won't be necessary, Detective Stone-."
Who is listed as dead. Huh.
Well, escalating to fisticuffs already? I bet he'll find fighting a man with a magic space ring a tough match."Again, not wanting to give mixed messages, but you're looking surprisingly good for a man your age, who's been dead for fifteen years. Um. Are you under cover?"
His face hardens slightly. "How about we take this outside?"
God knows what the bartender's thinking of all this, but he's probably distracted."Um. Okay?"
I down my orange juice and then set the glass back down on the bar. Barman… It's a busy evening, and I think $20 for a small low quality orange juice covers the 'generous tip' part. I step back from the bar as Detective Stone gestures for me to go first.
...And the bullet is promptly caught by a construct mitt. Predictable, really.The man I'm looking for is downing shots at the other end of the bar. He's not going anywhere. I nudge my way past the flow of people entering the bar and head out with a shrug. Other than myself, Detective Stone is the first sign I've seen that anything supernatural exists on the Earth, and I'm definitely curious what that-.
"Time to give the Devil his due."
"Um." I turn to face him as he raises his gun. "What?"
"It might have skimmed you, I suppose.
I blink in bafflement.
Double Space.I step back from the bar as Detective Stone gestures for me to go first.
Never mind the mechanics of it. Most men's toilet stalls are not very large, you know. It's hardly conducive to any kind of encounter, much less an erotic one.
Thank you, corrected."It might have skimmed you, I suppose.
I blink in bafflement.
Double Space.
Never really got into it.
He wouldn't leave Earth.
It would look just like any Second World War insert.
Captain Planet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I kinda feel like you did Captain Planet, but I can't remember it.Never really got into it.
He wouldn't leave Earth.
It would look just like any Second World War insert.
I'll admit I haven't read more than an issue or two of the comics, but apparently there's a fair amount to do on Earth-that-was (link, because the formatting seems to hate making the text a hyperlink: https://firefly.fandom.com/wiki/Earth-That-Was). Might feel to much like the Fallout version of the SI, though.
Hogan's Heroes? M.A.S.H? Star Trek TOS?Flashing orange eyes after he got out of hell? Nah. Man's trying to send the demons back to hell so he can get a new lease on life. Fuck, this is an old show.
What's next? Gargoyles? Firefly? Dad's Army?
Any particular reason?
He did it in the first April Fools episode.Captain Planet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I kinda feel like you did Captain Planet, but I can't remember it.
Why would he? People in need, no one arguing as he fixes things and no idea where the colonists went.
Here.Captain Planet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I kinda feel like you did Captain Planet, but I can't remember it.
Not killed. She was still around and he was hoping to get back with her after the whole thing was finished.Awkward, especially since Zeke went to hell for killing the guy who raped (and presumably murdered) his wife.
That's not how I remember it.For some cosmology stuff . . . All the various faiths and their gods and afterlives used to be real. But apparently if you get conquered by people following one of the Abrahamic faiths, your gods and afterlife get wiped the fuck out. It seems this is because it's all actually shaped by human faith, so I think they end up being destroyed because of the whole "YAHWEH is the ONLY God thing".
Which, because of the spread of the Abrahamic faiths and like colonialism and shit . . . Pretty sure it was outright stated that the only thing left is the Abrahamic God and the Abrahamic afterlife. It doesn't matter what you believe in anymore. Whenever any human anywhere in the world dies, they're judged by Abrahamic standards.
The main villain used to be a high priestess for one of the other religions and she is super pissed off about that. So her big plan is that somehow she's going to make everyone lose faith in, well, the Abrahamic faiths. Which will make God, Satan, Heaven, and Hell all poof out of existence.
Not sure what would happen to people who died if she succeeded, or if it would be possible for other faiths to become real in the aftermath.
No, he's getting power... Elsewhere.The SI is using his power pretty freely, so I guess this isn't one of the versions where lack of recharge for the ring is a big problem. I wonder how, though. He says that Stone is the first supernatural thing he's found in this world, so it's not like other alternatives where he finds a magic artifact or something that can provide a recharge. And we're seeing orange flashes, so it's not a different ring type that recharges without a lantern. Just a "Fuck it, Brimstone version gets a lantern" decision?
We've seen another Paul (Not hellion, not incubus, not malefactor… Sybarite!) who ate demons to recharge. That could happen here. It isn't like anything will break if a hellspirit on Earth is destroyed rather than returned to Hell.The SI is using his power pretty freely, so I guess this isn't one of the versions where lack of recharge for the ring is a big problem. I wonder how, though. He says that Stone is the first supernatural thing he's found in this world, so it's not like other alternatives where he finds a magic artifact or something that can provide a recharge. And we're seeing orange flashes, so it's not a different ring type that recharges without a lantern. Just a "Fuck it, Brimstone version gets a lantern" decision?
'quite'
Thank you, corrected.
Current plan is for two more.