World Tree MUSH

"Look Anne. I'm gonna go... out." Eddie checked the laces on his runing shoes as his ex fiancee looked on skeptically. "What? Don't give me that look please," He sounded defensive. "You're doing a heck of a lot more than I have any right to expect and I can't just keep crashing your couch."

THe female attorney huffed as she stood by the door, ars folded across her chest, "We bot know you and your buddy are going out." 

"Look if you're worried we're taking... the DA"s... terming the symbiotes as..." SHe winced inwardly, seemingly unable to finish.

<YES WE ARE VERY ANGRY WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN ANNE!> Venom's voice roared in Eddie's head. <MY KIND ARE NOT 'CHATTLE'! WE ARE NOT 'PRODUCT'!>

Eddieput a hand to his temple and just rode out Venom's mental tantrum before taking a deep breath. "We'll be home before midnight, no... headlines. We're on thin ice as is and I don't want trouble at your door."

Anne nodded before stepping aside and gesturing to the door. "Be careful you two."

LATER

"You chose a VERY bad night for your little wannabe operation here." A nine foot tall creature, black from head to toe and very muscular growled as tendrels spread from its hand to the would-be mugge. "You can't be more than what, TWELVE?!"

"I'm thirteen you freak sho reject!" Credit where it was due, the kid, on being lifted bodily by a thing twice his size, wasn't screaming in terror. He was utterly terrified, but he put a good face on it.

There were maybe a half dozen others laying scattered in the allyway, all injured, none over fifteen.

"Azeroth metrion ZINTHOS!" a voice called out. Dark energy gripped the boy and hand, forcing the hand apart and making the kid fly out of it. A girl in a dark robe, her face hidden, then descended to land between him and the others. She raised her right hand, dark energy forming in it. "Kid. Go. Now," she ordered, her eyes focused on the creature in front of her. Finally...

"I don't want to hurt you. But you have to calm down. Before you do something I make you regret," she said, her voice calm. Oh, she hated that rage. She FELT that rage. IT reminded her of when she'd... seen red, so to speak. And it made her want to scream and throw things, to throw HIM. Of course, for now she was going to let him make the first move.

Venom's hand let go of the child as soon as the magical fire? Dark? Dark works happened and took a cautious step back, gloweirng down at the tiny person that stood in front of it.

<Don't look at me, I've got nothin. Maybe one of those bippity boppity magic people from deer lady's world?> Eddie's voice echoed in Venom's head along with a heavy dose of confusion.

"And would you keep telling me to calm down if?" Tendrels snaked over to several of the prone younglings to pluck handguns off of their bodies. These were dangled in view of Raven before being tossed aside. It wasn't quite the same level of incandescent rage, now tinged with annoyance and aggrivation rather than pure need to break things. Venom bared its teeth at Raven, showing her said teeth were probably each as long as herforearm and it had lots of them. "What care do you have for these runts anyway?" On the one hand the question was aimed at Raven, but to her it probably would feel like its attention was aimed elsewhere.

<Remember, BAD people... they're just kids Vee... time enough to maybe get hteir heads on straight.> Eddie grumbled, thisshould've been something painfully obvious even to the symbiote. <Just... don't try throwing anything at spooky goth child unless she does something weird.>

Raven glanced at the guns. While she wasn't too familiar with them, she knew they were dangerous. She was silent for a long moment, before nodding. "Yes. They're idiots. Idiots that have, hopefully, learned better about their ways. And were they in the midst of attacking anybody, I would have stopped them."

"But stupidity doesn't deserve a death sentence. Neither does greed. And as pissed off as you are, I don't expect you to really differentiate between what is too far," she said softly. "So if the two of you are able to calm down, we can end this without violence."

"I would personally prefer that. I have no desire to hurt either of you," she said. Though, if the kids tried to go towards any of the guns, to grab them before running off, her magic would envelop and... crush them.

The large creature snorted before taking a deep breath. Then it seemed to shrink. Then it actually shrank.

Then there was a sixish foot tall guy in jogging pants and a t-shirt standing there as lines of black faded inot his skin. "OK..." He took another deep breath. "Yea OK we totally still have to work on that buddy." He patted his chest.

<We did promise Anne to not cause trouble.< Venom rumbled in agreement.

"So what's your story?" He then walked over to drag one of the kids away from the sidewalk and lean them against a wall before checking on one o fthe others. "Least he's getting better about not immediately going for broken bones or flinging cars at people..." THere was a sad chuckle at the end of that asessment.

<I DO NOT-> Venom caught itself, <That was only in self defense Eddie!>

Raven blinked and then relaxed. Just a little. She gave a nod, letting him tend to the others. "I... see. My story? I am a sorceress," she said, lowering the hood to reveal her face. A major goth. "I came to this world and I felt the rage that... filled so much," she said with a shake of her head. "And I knew I had to act. I saw children," Ones not much older than her, "And a large creature." Not a monster. "I decided to intervene... I'm more of a pascifist, though. So I was really hoping to not have to fight you," she said with a shake of her head. "My name is Raven, of Azeroth. A pleasure to meet you."

After Eddie made sure Venom hadn't literally ripped these kids in half he looked at Raven and quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing about the whole goth leotarde mage that was young enough to be his daughter.

"OK..." He stood, "You win points for not calling Venom a monster, or a parasite. Smart." He smiled and went to pat the girl on the shoulder before something caused his hand to violently yank away then go to his side.

<Don't! If she can feel emotion from miles away. Imagine what physical contact would be like.>

Another nod, "Yea... good point. Touching. Bad. Gotcha." Eddie sounded grumpy, "So no pressing business? Just Oh hey I'm here and the rage-o-meter goes pop because the local DA classed Venom as an object instead of people?" Well not Venom specifically but close enough to irritate the creature. "I was headed to go poke at some illegal tunneling that got exposed a couple days back if you're wanting to keep an eye on me. Caves wont' be a problem will it?"

<She introduced herself you moron.>

"Oh!" He felt grateful for Venom. Considering it was part of a would be world invasion it was a very thoughtful and considerate soul all things considered. "Yea sorry," He tured back to face Raven, "I'm Eddie Brock, sorta kinda freelance reporter. Used to host a weekly show before.. uh.. .Things happened. The big guy back there and, well.." He gestured at himself, "Here still is Venom. If you're confused on pronouns either It or He are acceptable, unless somehow he gets yanked outta me and dumped on a female host." A shrug. "Sorry... I kinda ramble."

Raven blinked a few tiumes and glanced back. "You're... right. Touching, very bad. You figured that out on your own? You must be smarter than you look." ... Wow. "Venom is the name of that other person? And I wouldn't know. It feels, therefore it is a person." she paused and... "Monsters can be people too, though..."

She shrugged. "Hello, Buck. Venom. Caves are fine. I enjoy them, actually. They are usually quite calm and cool." She shrugged. "I wouldn't be coming to keep an eye on you, however. I would just be there to aid you. You... seem far better, now. In control. And I can understand... anger. Like that. It doesn't mean you are terrible. It just means you are mad. People can... get mad. And do bad things. And not be... bad," she said. It sounded morel ike she was tleling herself, than him.

Eddie smiled in spite of the name swap, "Yea some goons are hassling the homeless population and trying to shoo them away from the vine... portal..." He grumbled a moment before asking, "Any idea why they're called vines? Or that the big metaphore for everything is apparently a tree? I'd have figured whatever created or connects everything would use a web metaphore with worlds being where strands intersect."<I never figured you for metaphysics. This is interesting.> Venom radiated a quiet sense of fondness.

"Just as a warning, they had like, giant digging machines. Kinda person shaped but even bigger than Venom and each one had like a sonic drill." THe memory made him make a face as a wave of remembered nostalgia washed over him. "No idea what they're after, but bad enough to not a home. Homeless are people too."

Raven nodded. "Yes. Everything seems to be a tree. It... is weird. I do not know why it is. But it is," she said with a shrug. "But no. It appears to be a massive, awe inspiriting tree of sorts. As such, they call them vines," she said. She didn't get why but... "Personally, I would have prefered they were more... not trees, myself. I'm not sure webs would have worked either, though. as the worlds don't seem to connect in quite that way."

She stared at him. "Oh. That's... interesting. And no, I don't think I would be quite fond of them. If we encounter them, I will be more than satisfied to help you... remove them from the area, as needed," she offered with a small nod. "Shall we?" she asked, motioning for him to continue on.

"NO killing unless we have to," Eddie seemed to not really aim this warning at Raven as he jogged.

Venom grumbled in the back of Eddie's mind but said nothing until they arrived at thepark where a vine had popped up before. THe stalls and makeshift stands were still there, but the food trucks were gone. The stalls empty.

Nearby, breaking a large patch of neatly trimmed grass was a large hole in the ground leading to a ramped entryway to something underground.

Then Venom formed around Eddie before reaching out with a hand, tendrils extending out of its palm as it knelt at the entrance to the hole. Hm," Its voice rumbled thoughtfully, "Feeling vibrations that might be workers, might be a digger. When Eddie looked into who owns the parkland, once you boil away the layers of false masks, is the life foundation. Which likely puts these diggers as belonging to them since they made their business in creating underground shelters." Venom seemed to nod to itself as the tendrils reeled back in before hunching down to crawl into the hole.

If Raven followed she would see weak lights once the entryway widened into proper reinforced and lit tunnels. She couldp erhaps feel a scattering of people nearby, but more tellingly there were dozens, perhaps a few hundred people below. Many fearful, others aprehensive. Many were asleep.

Raven followed after him and... "There are dozens down here," she said, shaking her head. "They're scared and worried," she saiod softly, lifting her right hand. "Mirakus," she cast. Light illuminated her hand, allowing them to see. "Try not to scare them. They may be captives," she said gently.

"What's the life foundation?" She floated along with him, moving silently through the air, her hand illuminating their way. She glanced over and... "So then. I imagine you two have a symbiotic relationship? You don't seem to be trapped with him attached to you. Were he a parasite, trapping you... well. I'd be able to feel it. But you seem.... grudgingly... accepting of it," she said. "And why the name venom? Are you toxic to most humans?"

"It is a long story, and the Life Foundation has a bad habit of using thosewithout as test subjects." Venom's voice rumbled quietly before it paused.
5r<Look, You're gonna be able to deal with whatever they throw down better than me.>

Venom seemed to shrink as it walked, shrivling down to something close to Eddie's size while retaining its normal bulk as it jumped, clinging to the tunnel's roof before crawling ahead essentially as fast as it had been walking on the ground.

Then there was the sound of drilling. Two digging machines wtith devices that had no moving parts aimed at rocks that would fracture then crumple away. Raven would feel annoyance, aggrivation, and a wash of other emotions from the two lumbering robotic suits. Venom? It twitched and growled at the noise. "Not this time..." It growled low, Tendrils snaking out o f it's bodyand quickly snaking out to crush the sonic drills each machine ha before dropping down. "Remember us?" It grinned and grew in bulk as it charged forward, surging to one of the diggers.

THe other? It would try grabbing at something... anything to throw at Venom.

Raven merely watched for the time being, crossing her arms and watching. What... were these things? For now, she didn't kno enough of the situation to properly react. the thing inside it, the pilot? Felt annoyance and aggrivation. But... She didn't know who was in the right or the wrong here. And she told him she wouldn't do too much... so for now, she'd watch.

After all, she knew what he could do. But the machines were an unknown. And for all they knew, they were here fairly. And until she saw otherwise, she wouldn't interfere...

THe trio would fight, Venom's apparent disadvantage being countered by the whiplike tendrils its body produced, and it seemingly not caring that the fists that pounded it's body being steel rather than flesh.

Eventually one of the three, perhaps Venom, perhaps one of the macines, would slam against hte ground, and in trying to rise. Something would crack. Venom would try grabbing one of the machiens as it sunk into the earth. "Raven!" It bellowed.

The other machine seemingly innert, yet Raven could feel something there. Not fear so much as waiting.

Raven would rise herself up. "I'm fine. Focus on yourself," she said, glancing to the ground. Something was about to happen... Okay. Maybe she should wait and prepare. She raised a hand. "Azaroth..." she whispered, gathering her magic.

Her eyes narrowed, focused on the hole. Something was going to come and attack her, maybe? Or attack them. Or maybe it was just a hole? She didn't have enough context and wasn't really sure what was going on....

Venom's tendrils lashed before spreading out, attempting to hold the digging machine fast. Then the second machine rose and aimed its right hand, the one with the supposed broken drill and then venom started screaming as noise came from the end. Unlike the tightly focused beam of sonic vibration this was a wide coan, shaking and vibrating the floor of the cave. Shaking and rattling everything.

Venom screamed, thrashing about, Tendrils both attempting to smash the noise making device, and withering back until it was Eddie there screaming.

Except the hole had gotten bigger, and all three fell into darkness.

Fortunately for Eddie it was a long enough drop that Venom was able to reform. Fortunately for the peole in the digging machines their suits were designed to deal with cave ins.

Also there was a street down here. Cobblestone. Lit by street lamps. And there were buildings... Complete city streets that looked like something out of the start of the prior century touched here and there by modernity; old fashioned looking lamp posts with LED bulbs. Cobblestone streets with electric scooters and bicycles.

THen a dozen or so men in dark blue uniforms with varying weapons drawn; pistols, shotguns and the like. 

There were no other apparent ways to the surface, so those people approaching Venom and the two machines had to have been in this vast underground city that... somehow had its own light, and was by all appearaces just another city that happened to be underground. Was this normal for this world?

Raven stared, her mouth falling open. Slowly, she lowered herself from the roof(gotta love flying!) and moved to one of the roofs, her eyes on the two. Was this what they were going for? Or were the machines built for that? Those looked like the enforcers, the cops of this world. This city, at least. Of course...

If at THIS point the drills decided to attack the people? THAT would be a good trigger for her to interfere. And she would 'interfere' by the next time a sonic attack went off, enshrouding it in a sphere of dark energy, silencing it outside and reflecting the sonic sounds back on itself.

As Venom got to its feet it saw one of the drones start to aim its weapon only to be encased in darkness. One of its milkey eyes quirked as if raising a nonexistant eyebrow. Then was distracted by a shrill whistle.

<Hey maybe you should lemme try handling this?>

Venom grunted and started to shrivle, revealing Eddie as he started slowly walking towards the gathering of uniformed men with his hands fully visible. "Hi uh... yea I'm not with those two," He gestured to the two machines. Well the one machien and the one thing wrapped in darkness. "The goth girl? She's... trying ot keep the violence from happening." He gestured to Raven.

"Right then," One of the men stepped towards Eddie. "We kinda got that part, and knew about the diggers. We're going to take the diggers into custody."

Eddie looked from the suits to the apparent police. "Just so we're all on the same page, you're not going to kill them onsome giant alter burning in a large wicker man right...?" Eddie was only half joking.

"Christ no." The man smiled, apparently taking the meaning of the joke. "We're going to ask them some questions. Then escort them topside before dumping them on a bus to Nevada." 

By every since Raven had the man was either being honest, or at least believed what he ws saying was true.

Then Eddie would look to Raven, "You uh... wouldn't happen to have any way of sealing that hole back up would you? Soon as more diggers find that? THese people are gonna have a really REALLY bad time."

Raven glanced up, then hummed and... "Would a cave in work? Because I can do that..." she mumbled softly. She then held out her hands. "Azaroth metrion ZINTHOS!" she called. Gathering up the rubble of stone that had fallen below, then shooting it back up. From there, well... She'd.... fly up through the walks and moments later, a rumble.

... Wait. Did she just CAVE THE PLACE WITH HERSELF IN IT?!!

Moments later, a black raven phased through the rubble, flying back down to land besides him. "I... believe that will suffice. But won't they know you're here once these men end up on the way to... Nevada?" she asked, staring at them. "And he is correct. I am trying to stop violence from happening... I am a pacifist." She then glanced to the other diggers. Hopefully they wouldn't keep causing trouble. "And I am sorry, I wasn't sure how to act in your fight. But... an invasion into those living beneath the ground is not something I can condone."

Oneof the uniformed men at the back of the formation stepped forward, "Wait... you're Eddie Brock right?"

"...Yea?" Eddie was uncertain.

"Holy Shamolie hey after we get statements you mind signing my autogrpah book? Big fan of your show, what happened to it?" The man, maybe a few years older looking than Raven so more of a kid, earned a glower from one of the others of the grou before stepping back in line. HTe overal feel was more 'kid's too enthusiastic' than 'YOU DARE SPEAK?!'

This caused Eddie to grin sheepishly, almost embarassed at his apparnet fame. "Yea I'm probably gonna want ot swing by here in a couple days... if that's alright that is." He added hastily.

A shrug from the apparent man in charge as both digging machiens had their pilots removed. The apparent leader of the group looked to Raven. Then looked to the collapse she caused high above. THen tried speaking. Nothing came out. She would feel a mix of wonder, fear, aprehension, gratitude, and a whole lot of other things besides. Then he'd finally manage to squeak out, "...you're young enough to have to worry about prom and shopping and school Not....." He pointed up and made an expanding gesture with his hands, "That." Then he added, "Unless you're really eighth undred andj ust like making yourself look sixteenish because you like people to stare at your legs."

Raven blinked a few times, staring at him. Finally... "What's... prom? And yes. I have recently joined a school. It is nice. They have a library that seems to have a magical dimension inside of it, the tomes I have found there seem to be filled with all manner of lost and forgotten arcane and historical matters. It was why I originally asked to become a student there," she finally said. "And... I don't... really enjoy shopping."

And that last point brought a blush to her cheeks. She QUICKLY closed her robe so she was just a hovering cloak, her face concealed by the shadow... Except her blushing cheeks could still be seen in the darkness. "A-ahhhh. N-no. I am sixteen. I am just... a sorcerer. I was raised by the monks of azeroth. I have far more... experience... in matters such as that," she said, motioning to the hole she had made. "Than I do with... things like that. School. And... shopping," she mumbled. That and she was hell spawn. Not that she would uhhhh... tell them that.

She then glanced to Eddie and... "You are well known here, then? Oh! Your show. That means you were on the... television, correct? I have become more accustomed to them in the last year, they are interesting devices. That would mean you are an actor, correct?"

Then, in a voice that held all the well... sound of a teenage girl who had a bit of self image issues. "My... legs aren't that... noticable... are they?" she kind of mumbled softly to him so the others couldn't hear.

"Monks...?" Eddie sounded curious, "Talking like scribes, scholars, makerso f beer and.." His head shook and he wavedit off. Questins for later. "Uh yea that was kinda part of the 'everything else' I was gonna fill you in on. I kindof annoyed the wrong people when digging into the homeless being scooped up aroundhere and it was either me or the entire network I worked for. I kinda had to take it on the chin otherwise a lot of people would've been out of a job and blackballed."

THere was a lot of guilt and loathing associated with the apparent cheerfully delivered summation.

Eddie shrugged. "Hey I get it, your robe snags on something don't want anything else to snag. Besides, you keep in good sape." He was very obviously trying to not actually LOOK at Raven's legs or at least where they were beneath the cloak. She was young enough to theoretically be his daughter dagnabbit! 

Wait, when did he get old enough to have a teenage daughter?

THe lead uniformed person chucled softly and shook his head, "Aye we've heard about the whole multiversal world tree... thing. If you'd like we can put you both in a boarding hosue til morning and show you the way up."

Raven shook her head. "No, that wouldn't be necessary. I can teleport us back to the surface, when you wish to leave, Brock," she said. "Thank you for your kindness, but please do not expend more of your resources than you already have," she said politely, bowing her head respectfully. She then glanced to him.

"Well.. yes. And no. They were formed in order to stop a... great demon from escaping and ravaging the multi-verse." Her father. "I was... I had to leave, however. And I do not believe they made beer. We did have wine, however. I never drank much of it, however." Well, it was a safe enviornment, at least.

She didn't comment on his comments about her 'shape'. Though she couldn't stop the blush from remaining. Gosh. Why did people seem to think she was... Nope. She wasn't pretty. She was a monster. Worse than even Venom. She was NOT pretty. OR hot. Her legs were not nice...

she was totally feeling her legs under the cloak, wondering if they were really THAT noticeable. Gahhhhh. "Maybe I could try wearing pants or... but this outfit is a traditional azerothian robe..." she mumbled. "Maybe if I asked Princess Peach if I could..." she trailed off and paled.

Too. Much. Pink.

Ravens' answer had Eddie's reporters senses tingling all over the hidden holes and half trueths. He smiled and held a hand out to Raven, "If these people say they've got it then it'd be better for us to leave." He'd then look to the uniformed man, "Hey I'll be out and about if you've got anyone top side and need to get hold of me. Not sure about Raven here but so far she's been pretty decent."

He wouldn't say anything to Raven about her omissions, not in front of these people. However he would want to do more than just theorize. Besides 'daughter of a multiversal satan raised by a now dead leniage of monks' was the stuff of bad comic books right?

Raven nodded. She didn't touch his hand, but she did move to him. "Very well. I appologize for not aiding sooner. Had I known that we would have intruded on your domain, I would have offered my assistance sooner," she said gently. "If... you need me. Ummm... you should not. I am not necessary." And with those words. "Azeroth metrion ZINTHOS!" she called.

Darkness would enshroud them. It was a darkness unlike any he had likely ever seen. With a coldness that wasn't of temperature, but of essense. There was no light here. There had NEVER been light here. Light could not exist here...

And then they were on the surface.And she had turned to face him. "Is there anywhere you would like to go? If you can give me the general direction, I can get us close to there," she offered, staring up at him. She lowered the hood, awaiting his request.

"Nah, me and Vee need to go kinda jog around to process everything anyway before crashing for the night." He gave a small bow. "Your story did kinda have like... some huge holes in it I could crowbar apart and make guesses at... but it'd amount to me coming at you with this wide eyed insane story and you've been nothing but helpful." He gave a small chuckle before streching. "Miss Chen's might still be open. Like this little hole in the wall shop but I swear to Christ it's like... Magic."

Then a tendril popped out of Eddie's back, forming a face complete with wide white eyes, and a tooth filled mouth, "As annoyeing as it is to admit he may be right. It isn't like we ask for anything specific to be stocked. We go in and suddenly that thing is there regardless on if it's usual inventory... like... Lobster. Who else would ask for live lobster from her?" It chuckled before the tendril reabsorbed into eddie, who just shrugged.

"Oh hey if you see a deer elf woman running around. Druid named Diantha, nice lady bit new to the whole 'world hopping' thing." Then again so was he, "So yea... thanks Raven. See you around?"

In spite of the question he would start trotting away at a brisque jog.

Raven would twitch at the 'holes' in her words. There weren't holes. "I didn't... lie though..." Yes. But she ommited things. Like WHY they were raising her. but yes. Trying to force her to answer questions like that? Goooood way to get stabbed or worse. She nodded. "Miss... Chen. Have fun. I'm sure you'll... enjoy yourself."

And when he mentioend a 'elf woman' she kind of cringed. Oof. Ouch. But then it wasn't zelda. She nodded. "Of course. If I meet her, I'll be kind. I understand being new here. Please, stay safe." She'd then turn and fly away, leaving him to his jog.