Sorry bout the rush guys, but this is important. at least there is a signal down here. I know that Ron is on the way. Did my Tulpa contact any of you to help you find the location? Damned things, always seems they get an unwanted thought or emotion in them no matter how carefull you are.

I do need to know who is down here with me, under D.C, I am currently running on the assumption that if it isn't Mr. Holister, it's hostile.

The shadow thing that got away last time I was in D.C. is indeed much stronger than before, but I brought it something. I am currently takeing a brief rest to replenish my energy after dealing with a pack of canines that seemed made of shadow stuff.

I am following the tracks of something that leaves the same kind of tracks as an ovesized centipede, that is chasing a pair of size 11 boots. can someone confirm Mr. Holister's shoe size?

My armor seems to be holding up well each time I am attacked, I should have brought it last time I came to D.C., maybe then I would I would have suceeded in killing the cursed thing then.

I"m hanging around. So I'm available.

I'm just pulling back into D.C. now and I'm heading back to my hotel room. Shadow, have your tech guy meet me there. I had a bunch of parts overnight delivered to the hotel, and we can pickup anything else locally.

KT, if and when you arrive in D.C. get your ass over here we need to talk.

Anyone else in D.C. we'll use my hotel room as the Command Center. I'm gonna be manufacturing equipment so it just makes sense to come by periodically anyway.

Hi guys, took your sorry asses long enough to get back to where the real action is.

Tell me, is it day or night up there. If you can tell the difference, we're not too late yet. Listen guys, this goes deep than some rogue entity wanting revenge. I've been down here beneath D.C. for two nights now. Don't worry I took the proper precautions this time. I paid the BB arsenal a visit before dropping down here to the 9th level of Hell.

Bert, tell Del Caine his security protocalls need work Anyway, I seriously think the D.C. underground does not go more than a mile deep? If it does, its good to see out tax dollars bridging the gap between Congress and Hell.

Explains alot though doesn't it

Shang, Mike, I glad you guys could make it to the party. Get to the junction at 9th Ave and Vernon. I left a small gift, careful, it may still have some life left in it.

Everyone else who is top side, this thing is palnning on blowing the city's pwer gridand sending the whole city into darkness. To simplify this problem, ever see the movie of the same name? Thats the situation. If the town goes dark, we'll have more shadows than even we'll be able to deal with. (groan).

Thats not the worst of it, there are shade versions of you guys topside, no just one, but exact copies of Bert, Shang, Azrael, Celeste, and myself. If you encounter me topside, don't hesitate to "show me the light". Ron, I leave that privilage to you. Flashbangs and high powered light sources work best against these things. PS - They know the sign and countersign. (groan)

The big bad, you'll know when you see him, JUST RUN!! Only direct sunlight will hurt that thing. Which leads me to why I hijacked the BB arsenal's R&D lab. Ever see Underworld Evolution Bert.... Im having a frickin' field day down here but I don't even have enough juice to keep this up for long without backup.

I can fill you in on The Shadowbuilder upon request, but right now I hear another one of those damn Shadow Centipedes coming.

Over & Out

I ahve been here for several hours, but been busy pulling some stuff together, setting some stuff up.
I will find you as soon as I can first Bert then we will come looking for you Holister.

I've done as much work on our new toys as I can. I just need help pulling it all together. The batteries are gonna be fucking heavy but we won't need to carry much in the way of conventional arms. I went with the most robust reasonably weighted NiCads (Nickel Cadmium: they're "dry" batteries without acids or alkalis in them) I could find. (We don't want someone getting their battery pack ripped open and suffering acid burns.)

When completed (as soon as Shadow's Tech gets here, I need to iron out some problems) our armor will be wholly lit (attaching LEDs and Lit Fiber Optics Cables to flack Jackets and Pants) and I'll have enough of those High-Beam guns for everyone (as described previously). And I ordered LED Headlamps for everyone, those are in. I'm also getting Del Caine to put out a public alert message telling everyone to make sure all their flashlights and backup generators are in perfect working order (its a stopgap measure in case we fail but not so badly that we're all dead and can try and fix things before all hell breaks loose).

Dargh....why must these battles always be fought in caves. Why can not these foul and vile things crawl out of their holes and fight like men!

Abominations...all of them.

Well I am here, thank you Master Li, though I do not like such magics, they unnerve me, I appreciate the speedy delivery into the thick of battle!

So Shadowbuilder, I come to deliver you from this plane of existance and send you back to the Hell that spawned you. My faithful blade also desires to taste of your vile flesh again.

I may not care for the vampyre's thrall, but you are a far greater evil that must be purged. I am coming my fellow hunters. The day is mine!

HI!! Where is everybody. Bert I don't know where you are Bert? Where are you? I want to help fight the sewer monsters and the bad shadow doggies.
Do you still have my case?
Can I bring Cleo? Shes too youg to be left alone. I will wait for your reply!

Well these UV rounds work great. Bagged that centipede thing and a few other nasties. Guys, there is this portal like thing down here, this is where these things are getting in. I'll hold down the fort right here, establish a kill zone until you guys can get down here. Any word from Shang or the others already down in the tunnels?

Wait...I see something moving in the portal...aww Hell...
WHAT IS THIS THING!!!!

On my way Ben. I'm dragging Dufflebags full of equipment so I'm not moving so fast if someone can give me a hand.

Hit Squirrel I'll pick ya up at the big tall white stone monument thing (IE The Washington Monument.)

(silence)

On route as well, I am helping Bert lug some of this stuff.

Enough weapons and armor for everyone human-sized. And I put together a little LED/wire/battery thing for Hit Squirrel so she gets a modicum of protection.

Why do you bother to type silence on a message board?

I'm going under, see you guys there.

I'm on the elevator to Bert's room right now.

I'll catch y'all on the flip side. Y'know...when I actually have equipment to fight with.

Mr Holister, it looks like my thoughts traveled farther than I intended, but I for one don't mind the extra company.

If you would I kind of need to know what the tulpa said to you, it was supposed to be a messenger, with a small token of my urgency to make it swift, I will be needing to unmake it and would like to know how much of a fight I am going to have on my hands at that time.

Mr. Holister, as I follow your footprints, I am picking up a bit of a tail. How urgent is your situation? (I am outrunning them with ease, but if I have the time I would prevent a later ambush.)

Mr. KonThaak, I am sorry to have disturbed you, I know I put in orders when I manifested the tulpa, to let you know and ask you to send friends, rather than come in person.

Mr. Turtle; don't worry about me, between my father's armor, and my faith, I have all the protection I need.

Anyone on the surface, if you see me wearing a Kimono, shoot to kill.

And you underground in a Kimono? what then?

I am in my armor, If you see me in a kimono, kill the cursed thing OK?

Damned hounds, and shadows of demons, this is becoming quite the following I am building up. At least the path behind me should be clear.

Got to go, cant just dash by this one. Sorry about the demons Mr. Holister, It looks like it dug through my least favorite foes as well.

(great, a white lead lepard, without the honor)

"You were told to stay out of this, old man. I do not have a contract for you, but as you are here uninvited I do not need one" the lepard before me said as its form shifted into one better able to weild teh weapons I knew I was ablout to face.

As it finished changing I left my swords sheathed, knowing that if it was one of the lead lepards, It would not draw a weapon untill I did, and if it was not, my blades would be about as effective as trying to dig a tunnel with a toothpick.

As it bowed, I drew forth a gift I recieved at the Ise shrine in my youth, a bronze eight sided mirror, the reverse bearing the image of a sun disk. "My will is strong O'Kami Amaterasu, and ready to be tested, grace me with your gentle presense as it flows through this copy of your chosen image."

No sooner than I had finished these words, the hand holding the mirror began to burn, as though I had pulled teh mirror directly from the coals of the forge. "My will is strong, O'Kami Amaterasu, and my need is upon me. I respectfully request that you turn your gaze to this place."

As I clenched my teeth against the pain, thin tendrils of smoke began to waft up from my fingers. The amount of will it took to tighten my grip rather than drop the mirror left me pale and sweating, but as a faint glow began to emanate from the mirror, the demon began its attack, weilding the largest "shao lin spade" I have ever seen put to use.

As I evaded the things first frenzied attack, I heard the baying of hounds, and the stamp of feet, the foes I had bypassed in my haste were closing rapidly.

Unable to focus on useing my chi, I had to fall back on my physical training alone to stay alive while trying to pass my goddess's test. As my right hand burst into flames, the shadow from my own mind (how did the thing learn that one of my few defeats came at teh hands of one of these?) lunged forward, it's weapon cutting a great scything arc through a space that I had almost vacated. My world flashed white and crimson as my kote shattered under the attack, just barely keeping my forarm from being severed.

The flames around my hand sputtered, and flared blue as the blood ran down my hand as I flicked my arm in a downward arc to clear my hand of blood. Expecting some form of magical attack, the shadow leapt back from the spray of blood that flew in its direction.

"O'Kami Amaterasu, watch over this one, let it be shown the way through your glorious visage, this humble monk is unworthy to be in the presense of your most august personage, but this great one before your image requires your guidance."

At this my importance faded to less than that of a speck of dust as an awareness far greater than that of any man began to slowly fill the room. The shadow's next attack was directed at the mirror rather than myself, it took every bit of will that I possesed to turn, placing my body between the mirror and the attack. I felt the strike land, rending armor and flesh as though they were a paper wall trying to stop an arrow. I was dashed against the far wall, alive only because the force of the blow as it penetrated the armor sent me flying even as it scored the flesh below.

As the awareness building within the chamber wavered, I slumped to my knees, beaten.

"Amaterasu, forgive me, in my arrogance I thought my will was strong enough, it was not, I have failed you...."

As the world began to fade, the only thing I was still aware of was the mirror in my hand, and the hope that soeone else would be strong enough to use it.

"One thing before you kill me, demon, make it clean, so that my ancestors know I was truly bested, as I go to join them" I asked of my opponent as I sumped into a zazen posture to meet my fate, finally able to have peace, or so I thought.

As I watched the curved edge of the weapon arcing for my head, the soft warm glow from the mirror brightened, with the suddenness of the sun passing from behind the great Fuji on her morning walk. As I threw myself down in abject awe my face pressed agains the stones before my knees, I heard the clatter of a large metal object striking the stones in front of me. The smell of my own burnt flesh mixing with a scent similar to burning bile.

I thank you for my life again Mr. Holister, had you not told me the nature of these things I probably would have tried to rely on my strength alone, and brought only my swords.

The human photocopies have been dealt with.

Having a smoke where they tried to blow the grid. Have fun playing underground.

Spiralling ever downward, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt the some time ago I left D.C., these caverns are diferent than the sewers, and maintenance ways above, the stone is smooth, consistant in both color and texture, seeming to be a blend of obsidian and basalt, absorbing most light, leaving just enough to fill the cavern with shadows. The chamber ahead is cavernous in it's size, intelligant in it's layout. I cannot even begin to imagin the power required to create such a place.

There is a shimmering pool of darkness ahead of me. "Okkikan, please see to it that the others get here as quickly as you can guide them"

In investigating cautiously, I discover near the shimmering oval of darkness indication that what I seek got here before me, spatters of blood, and a broken firearm, the same sort of rifle that american soldiers use. With teh amount of litter on the ground, it is obvious that the weapon was used a great deal here.

As I study these clues a soft voice, far to familiar to me, speaks politely and clearly. "We strayed from the balance, you and I, when you cast me aside. I have been granted a life of my own in the everdark. You and your friends must leave here or I will be forced to destroy you all." Stepping out of the darkness came..... me, or at least it wears my face, bears my blades.

We paused for a moment, sizing eachother up. "So this time has come at last, when the light and the darkness must destroy eachother. You will not break through to destroy that which I hold dear." We spoke in unison.

By my side I see a tall, nordic man, who's face I recognize by description. Azrael, but his blade does not glow, instead it pulls the light into it's self radiating darkness.

"So he managed to cast you out, did he? Good."

The man with the black greatsword merely raised his blade in a salute and began to circle, feinting, and thrusting, testing my defenses and reactions in ways that only a master swordsman can read. I slide away from the thrusts that would find flesh, ingnoring the false attacks while he responds likewise to my testing of his abilities. In the corner of my eye, I can see myself, sitting in zazen, gathering the prodigous amount of negative chi that flows from the portal, focusing those energies in equal parts into himself and his blades.

I am over matched and I know it. Even if I can defeat one of these abominations, how can I even hope to defeat two swordsmen of such skill, while I stand alone?

You would do well to maintain your post Gothicfox. A brave and heroic endevor to defend the city's power supply from this foul things. Be careful not t allow their vile sire near you, or you may suffer the same fate as Master Li and myself, having to battle the very demons of our pasts; even those that were not slain.

I fear tough Master Li, I am not so eloquant with the word as you. My encounter down in this laybrinth of tunnels and monsters is just as vulgar. I have slain many a vile creature but none like these shadow demons, whose flesh cuts like peet.

My way too you was delayed by a large centepede, a demon from this shadow realm. It refused to allow my passage, as almost it attempted to corale me in yet another direction. Twice before in these acursed tunnels I bared witness to this ploy. I thought it only my mind. It was not. They are intelligent, like wolves or the hunt. They desire to seperate us, to pick s off one by one, when they are strongest, and we are weakest.

Realizing its tactic, I lashed out with a beserker fury pon this gargantuan beast. Deathkiss, normally a dull amber hue, suddenly erupted into a blinding aura of golden flame, I could feel her presence as together we slayed the mighty beast that attempted to flee our wrath like a beast from fire.

Somehow, only light seems to trulty slay these abominations. So Deathkiss, once again, became my beacon in the darkest of times.

I could hear the sound of battle up ahead. Knowing my fellow hunters were both behind and in front, I proceeded to cut a path for those behind, all the while drawing nearer to my unknown allies ahead.

A pack of the wretched shadow hounds tried to stop me, they failed. When that resulted in failure, this place so acursed and vile, released my own demons upon me. From the very shadows the creatures of my past ventures came to stand before me. Again I gazed into the eyes of Radu, Dhamastir, Elogan, Vash, and other vile undead I had put to death.

I slayed them once, I would do so again. One by one they pounced, with all the ferocity and skill as I remebered them to have from our final dealings. One by one they each fell. They were not true vampyres, but something far worse. Shadow demons syphoned from my mind and made flesh again. As soo n a one fell, another stepped forward to take its place.

Even my battle with Ms. Darken came back to haunt me. This time however, Deathkiss did not hold back. This time, the vampyric slut persihed before me. Somehow, I feel cleansed. The real Darken was at most an hororable foe, not the monster I believed of her at the time of my battle. Slaying this
vile doppelganger, only made me realize all the more, how wrong I would have been to have slain the original.

The greatest threat this dark haven threw at me was of course Menekhir. My only enemy I had ever failed to defeat. And there in the shadows he stood. His attacks were as powerful and relentless as each time I ever faced him.
Even with Deathkiss in hand, I barely was able to defeat the creature before me that bared the face of my greatest enemy.
I would have perished had not Deathkiss been torn from my grasp by this vile thing.

A plan I have surmised in my head over and over, to the points where to me, it had become a real encounter. A scenario that saved my life.
Once the creature had a firm grip of Deathkiss, and tried to wield her against me, my faithful blade engulfed it in an inferno of golden flame.
Soon, all that remained was Deathkiss, who sought only to return to my hand.

I had wasted enough time on "ghosts" from my past. These wraiths would not stop me.
I was enpowered now. Seeing Menekhir perish before my eyes (though I know it was not truly him) brought me something I was lacking in recent years. Hope.

I ferverantly persued the renewed sounds of combat, only to see the old master enaged in battle before the very eye
of Hell, with a shdow duplicate of myself, or the very part of me that was nothing more than unbridled rage and fury. Seeing Master Li in dire need of my aid I lept foward from the shadows,using their own ploy against them, and catching "myself" offgaurd completely.

The battle had began anew, this time, Master Li would not fight alone. I however noticed the tell tale signs of battle, and the vampye's thrall was nowhere to be found.

Well, we're not exactly fighting the originals here. Carbon copies are always going to be weaker.

Still, I'll hang around and keep watch.

I had assumed that Shadow-Bert would be using Shadow-copies of weapons. Baaaaad assumption to make. The bullet knocked me backwards but my armor had stopped it. As I fell backwards, I drew and fired a flaregun down the tunnel. The flare bounced around illuminating everything, several shadow creatures withered and died at the light, and Shadow-Bert's armor was quickly dissolving while he clutched at his eyes. I took my opportunity, and pulled my Colt Model 1911 .45 Handgun and emptied the entire clip into his chest and head. As the flare sputtered out, the last of Shadow-Bert was dissolving. In a last act of malice, he raised a hand and had a detonater in it. "HE'S WIRED! EVERYONE BACK!" I yelled as I turned to run back down the tunnel, I took 3 steps then knew only blackness.

HI! Its me again The Hit Squirrel. I had never been part of a team before. This was great to be assassinating monsters with my good friend Bert whose is not really a turtle and Gabby who is mr drawf druid ruck driver man's twin brother. Or something like that? I was so confused but Gabby was pretty cool. He made his ar go (WOOSH) and we had to fight an evil shadow monster that looked like konthaak and then we had to try and find an evil shadow copy of Bert. It wasn't the real Bert. The real Bert has much high cheek bones (Hehe).
I looked like a light buld with a bushy tail. Bert made all really cool light up armor. Do you have light up armor? He gave my seed case back too. I REALL REALLY like Bert. He is so neat! Gabby was pretty cool too. We were hunting monsters and evil shadow hounds and we even had to fight a HUGE black centepede. It was so ugly. Do you like bugs? It was a REALLY big bug. But Bert and Gabby assassinated it. They are good monster assassins. I had to watch there backs. One time a big shadow tried to attack us from behind and I shot it with a sunflower seed. The whole tunnel lit up as bright as day and I assassinated it with a few others that were hiding in the tunnel behind us too. I am a good monster assassin. Not as good as Bert though (Hehe).
I'll let Bert tell you how he defeated the evil himself. It wasn't really Bert just an evil Bert that wanted to assassinate us but the real Bert stopped the bad Bert and I have a headache right now. Well I am happy to be helping. Got to go now. Bye Bye.