A shadow of what once was

[drinkandforget]

It's the middle of night, and it's dark. There's a chill in the air. Stars, moonlight, articifial lighting, all of it seems to be conspicuously absent.

So where is that patch of even deeper darkness coming from, like a shadow of a shadow? It slips through the air, sensed more by its motion than by sight, creeping closer...

(ooc: for pun theme, a member of shadow galactica as a literal shadow! also, trying out potential for a waking dream; feel free for characters to think they've woken up to find the shadow in their room/wherever they're sleeping - set any scene desired.)

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[drinkandforget]

[She can do this forever. The shadow darts from one side, one wall, to another, always seemingly just out of reach.

Then it vanishes, and reappears to wait just behind John. Faintly, at the edge of hearing, there's a sound like mocking laughter.]

[one_one_se7en]

[His body enters Spartan time. The enemy still moves too fast for him to reach. He needs a chance to hit it--

He bolts to try to dig his knife into the shadow.]

[drinkandforget]

[The shadow writhes as though hit-

but it's a shadow. A second later, it peels itself away from the wall (which now simply sports a hole from the knife), and floats up to the ceiling.

Come on, destroy the room.]

[one_one_se7en]

[His fists begin to shatter concrete to find his enemy. And he's still not reaching her.

He looks up -- and leaps to break the roof above him, and to shatter concrete.

His sight is failing. It's getting harder to see in the dark. The shadows are turning bigger.]

[drinkandforget]

[There is definitely the sound of snickering laughter from among the shadows now. As they grow, they darken and deepen, and a pair of hands seems to reach straight for John's throat.]

[one_one_se7en]

[His hands dart towards the black hands as he lowers his head in an attempt to escape the lock. He tries kicking the beast -- but nothing impacts. It's not humanoid.

And even then, his arms strains with the contact against them. He turns on his flashlight.]

[drinkandforget]

[The flashlight does nothing to dispel the shadow. On the contrary, it only defines its shape. - vaguely humanoid, but with uncanny long legs and grasping arms.

It lunges towards John. Everywhere it touches creates chills.]

[one_one_se7en]

[He feels cold even beneath the armor. The figure is now surrounding him. The figure is taller than the metallic figures he fought in another nightmare.

He brings his arms up between the monster's own to bring his elbows down on them -- and it still resists.

With no other choice, he attempts to strangle it. Before it gets him. Staring down at the best, and choosing to fight even now.]

[drinkandforget]

[It's a grip that should be able to kill easily; but the shadow has no substance to break under that intolerable pressure. Instead, the armor itself starts to feel more and more cold, until it almost feels like it could freeze the skin.]

[one_one_se7en]

[His hands find nothing. His HUD begins to disappear.

It begins to feel as cold as what he felt when he returned to his prison in the aft of that ship.

He needed a program. Anything to counter-act the threat. He doesn't have an AI to run similar programs.

He's running out of air. He has to think of something. Someway to fight back...


John bolts awake. His HUD is still active. His suit registers too many heartbeats. He convinces himself to let go of his weapon as soon as he notices the had been readying for a battle that was not even there. He takes a deep breath inside of his armor to recognize his environment.

It was another dream.

He had gotten stronger, but not in enough matters. He remembers the Entropi. Even though the Master Chief had traveled a lot throughout these worlds... all he could do with magic was see it. Even if his world would not find a lot of it, it reminded him that thwere would have to be another way to win his war.

He had also been short of an AI for five years.]