Just as you fall to the ground and kneel, the air around Banor seems to ripple like water. The civilians in the crowd notice the rippling air and begin to talk among themselves about it.
"People, people, please remain calm and focus on what is important!" Banor states, just as ripples form in the air all around Banor and the stage, until those ripples turn into holes and strange, inhuman creatures step out of them.
"Wha-what are you thi--" Banor asked, only to be met with the claw of one of the creatures impaling him through his chest, and then letting him fall to the stage, motionless.
The crowd begins to panic as more creatures come through the portals. They all seem to resonate with an energy that appears to be purple mixed with black, but when you question someone else about it, they tell you there is no such energy around the creatures.
Your energy core throbs and pulsates again, and you feel yourself drawn to the creatures, but why?
You feel like you must keep the civilians safe, but something within you is calling out to the creatures, drawing you to them with an immense hunger...
[[Protect the Civilians]]
[[Succumb to the Hunger]]{[(set: $purity to it + 1)]}
You manage to suppress the feeling of hunger and charge at the creatures as they charge towards the crowd. You catch the creature leading the charge off-guard and swiftly strike it in the chest with your palm, then release a pusl of energy from your palm.
The creature is sent flying back and into the stage while the other creatures charge at you now. You form blades of energy around your hands and fight off the creatures.
Eventually, you manage to fend off the remaining creatures and gain the upperhand, allowing you to strike them down once and for all.
Before you can rest, a large portal opens in the sky above you. A large, draconic figure flies out of the portal and strikes you with its tail, sending you flying into a nearby building.
[[Continue]]{[(set: $corruption to it + 1)]}
You feel your mind become clouded as your sight seems to hone in on the creatures and your breath grows heavy. You feel empowered, as though you are stronger than ever before, but you hear screams as though they are far away.
You couldn't care less about the screams and charge at the creatures, catching them off-guard. You impale the creature at the front of the group with your right hand and clasp its energy core.
You rip the core out of the creature and drain it until its light is gone and it becomes like a hollow orb that you crush in your hand, shattering it like glass.
Before the other creatures can react, you manage to move with extraordinary speed and strike them down the same way as you struck down the first creature, and then siphon the energy out of all their energy cores.
Suddenly, your hearbeat grows louder and the sound of it beating fills your ears just as a large portal opens in the sky above you. A large, draconic figure flies out of the portal and strikes you with its tail, sending you flying into a nearby building.
[[Continue]]I am aware that the ending of the game is the same length no matter which choices you make, I am considering removing the idea of that as it may over-complicate the game. At the same time, I am still considering implementing it but am still trying to determine just how to go aout it if I do.
I am working on how to make the villain side more enticing, as well as how to make the choices be less "obvious," but could not think of how to do so entirely for the Beta turn-in.
Click (link: "Here")[
(go-to: "History of the World")
] to return to the game.{(link: "Disclaimer")[
(set: $purity to 0)
(set: $corruption to 0)
(go-to: "Disclaimer")
]}
The world is a superhuman society at a chaotic time. Superhumans make up about a quarter of the total population but not all use their abilities for the good of others. Schools have become areas to help young superhumans learn more about their abilities and how to use them. Superhuman abilities are the main topic of many debates nowadays and are at the center of society's attention.
The source of the abilities in everyone seems to be a core of solidified, unnamed, unclassified energy in the center of their chests. These cores all have a unique wavelength and do not always provide the same abilities in one person as an energy core in another person does.
The world currently seems to be split fifty-fifty on the matter of whether superhumans and their abilities are an illness or a blessing. Heroes are at work to use their abilities for good and also try to work to prove that their abilities are a blessing to humanity.
[[Your History]]This speech is being held in Central Park by a notorious hero and politician, called Banor. He has tried many times to be a link between the people, despite having abilities that he makes use of daily. In fact, he has even managed to get some activists to swap sides in the debate about the powers. However, this upcoming speech has been rumored to be his best speech yet, and that he believes he will finally be able to put an end to this debate once and for all.
Your curiosity has led you to want to attend this speech, along with many other people. The crowd has continued to be restless as everyone waits for Banor to appear. Small debates between members of the crowd break out as you all wait, and some people begin to grow rowdy and loud.
Just when it seems as though a riot could break out, Banor finally appears and begins his speech.
"My dear, fellow citizens, thank you for your patience. Allow me to formally welcome you all to this event."
You stare at Baron as he speaks, seemingly unaware of how close his crowd was to becoming a riot. However, something feels off and your energy core throbs and pulsates within you, causing you to clutch your chest and fall to a (link: "kneel.")[
(go-to: "Beginning of the End")
]You are a hero-in-training on Earth, set in a reality where everyone has some form of ability involving energy that is generated by and stored within a special core inside their bodies. You are unique, even among the people of this world, as your core is vastly different. Most people have only a few abilities that their cores gives them. These abilities typically range from being superspeed, to superstrength, to flight, and so on.
You attend a school in New York City, where you also live. At this school, they focus on teaching you about your abilities and how to use them "properly." This typically means how to use them like the definition of "hero" as seen and said by society. However, you have yet to find the limitations to what abilities you have from your core. In fact, even your school has been unable to truly help determine your limits, as you seem to unveil a new ability almost every week, even when you had no intention to do so.
[[How Your Story Begins]]Thankfully, the world has not fallen into complete disarrary despite the debate about superhuman powers. Many seem to have taken a stand on either side of this debate, but those that haven't are typically pressured into choosing a side as well.
You have not taken a stand on either side of the debate, unable to decide which side you agree or disagree with. Which is why you are attending a (link: "speech in Central Park.")[
(go-to: "The Speech")
]You free yourself from the debris that collapsed on top of you after you were sent flying into the building. You jump down from the hole in the building and look for the creature that had attacked you.
Before you could react, the creature showed itself before you and you are able to see the it is almost humanoid but also clearly inhuman in every aspect of the word. The flesh of its body is a deep purple with black veins running along parts of its body as well. Its wings were the same purple as the rest of its body, with the membranes shrouded in writhing shadows with faded purple light flickering within the shadows.
"You are the one...even though you are so weak...interesting..." The creature says before emitting a high-pitched cackle. "I didn't expect this world to have ablities like my own...or like those of the forces I command...this will be entertaining." The creature stated before ascending into the sky rapidly and flying away toward the Empire State Building.
You hold your head for a moment. "Why does this feel...familiar?"
[[Pursue the Draconic Creature]]You begin to pursue the draconic creature, but are stopped when portals open and armored vehicles spill out from them and fill the streets. The portals seemed different from those used by the creatures, and they are confirmed to be different when Portazia, a heroine capable of flight and capable of creating portals wherever she can see, lands on the ground near the crowd from before.
You resume heading in the direction the creature from before flew in, just as soldiers, heroes, and heroines spill out from the armored vehicles. One of the heroes stops you and places a hand on your shoulder. "You should stay back civilian, we'll handle this."
You look up at the hero. "I'm not an ordinary civilian, I can fight too." You say as you pull yourself from the hero's grasp. Suddenly, portals randomly form around and within the park and creatures spill out from them, this time armed with weapons.
One creature comes through the portal closest to you and the hero. This creature is larger than the other creatures you faced before so you can tell the hero will need help.
However, the sensation of hunger from before returns, this time even stronger. The sheer strength of the urge and desire to feed on this creature's energy causes you to collapse to one knee.
[[Resist the Hunger]]
[[Succumb to the Urge]]{[(set: $purity to it + 1)]}
You manage to stand, fighting the urge to feast upon the creature's energy, and gather your energy in the palms of your hands. The creature stomps its foot on the ground and emits a loud roar before charging at you and the hero.
The hero intercepts the creature by charging at it, the impact of them both colliding causing the ground to crack around them slightly. The hero manages to force the creature to recoil, giving you an opportunity to fire a barrage of multiple bursts of energy at it. Your attack causes the creature to fall to a knee.
"Good job kid, you have potential, but you should st--" The hero started to say before the creature suddenly slashed at his back with its claw. The force of the slash was enough to also send the hero flying into a nearby tree, leaving you to fight by yourself.
Your head suddenly throbs, the hunger calling out to you once more.
[[Ignore It]]
[[Give In]]{[(set: $corruption to it + 1)]}
You feel your mind become clouded yet again and your vision becomes focused on the creature. (if: ($corruption > 1 is true))[You look down at your body and see shadow-like energy surrounding your right arm like a veil.] You form a scythe made of black-red energy in your right hand and lunge at the creature as it charges at you and the hero.
You deliver an uppercut with the scythe, forcing the creature to recoil and then you slash across its chest as well, resulting in it falling to its knees.
You let the scythe fade away and approach the creature, but it suddenly rises with a claw raised. The creature slashes down at you but the hero jumps in the way and is hit, also being knocked into a nearby tree as well.
You are suddenly brought back to your senses for a moment but the hunger returns just as quickly.
[[Ignore It]]
[[Give In]]{[(set: $purity to it + 2)]}
You manage to resist the hunger this time and pick up the hero and carry him over to the make-shift first-aid area set up by the soldiers and other heroes/heroines.
"Take care of him, he saved me." You say to them before flying back to the creature quickly and then strike it with an energy-infused punch that causes it to buckle and fall to the ground again.
Before the creature can recover yet again, you fly up above it and fire a beam of energy from your hand that pierces its chest and then its energy core, causing the creature to disintegrate as the core breaks apart.
You decide to resume your pursuit of the draconic creature from before now that the large creature has been dealt with.
[[Resume Your Pursuit]]{[(set: $corruption to it + 2)]}
(if: ($corruption > 2 is true))[You succumb to the sensation of hunger yet again, this time with it further fueled by the anger of seeing the hero hurt while defending you.]
(if: ($corruption < 3 is true))[You succumb to the hunger this time, but you feel yourself consumed by anger as well as you stare at the creature that hurt the hero you had just been fighting alongside of.]
Your mind is clouded by the desire to feed on the creature's energy as well as by the anger of the hero being hurt by the same creature.
(if: $corruption >2 is true)[A veil of black-red energy forms around your right arm as you lunge at the creature.]
You pierce the creature's chest and grab hold of its energy core, tearing it out of its body and then draining it of its energy and tossing it aside.
Other heroes and heroines have begun treating the hero's injuries so you decide to resume your pursuit of the draconic creature from before.
[[Resume Your Pursuit]]You resume pursuing the draconic creature from before. Armored vehicles are scattered along the road ahead, with soldiers and heroes/heroines fighting the other creatures.
You manage to make it a quarter of the way down the road before a large cluster of energy arcs through the air and strikes the side of the road ahead and a nearby building as well, causing the building to collapse. The force of the impact of the building sends a blast of air at you and knocks you down.
You start to get back up when you are suddenly hit by a shot fired by one of the creature's rifles. You rush to take cover as more shots strike the ground or fly through the air around you.
"Dangit, these things are the least of our concerns..." You tell yourself as you use your energy to heal your wound from the energy rifle shot. You pause for a moment and look at where the wound was. "Why didn't this hurt though?"
Suddenly, you see a group of four heroes fly toward you. One stops by you and creates a sdome-shaped barrier around you and some of the surrounding area. The other three heroes fly at the creatures and you can hear the creatures cry out as they are all defeated.
[[Discuss]]The hero who created the barrier allows it to drop as the other three heroes return as well.
"Are you alright kid?" One of the heroes asks.
"I'm fine. Thank you though." You say and start to head toward the Empire State Building again.
"Hey, wai--" One of the heroes starts to say but is stopped when the draconic creature suddenly swoops down and impales the hero with its claws.
"Poor heroes...no, poor humans...so weak but you think you are so powerful." The creature says with a wicked grin.
"Don't doubt us you freakshow!" One of the remaining three heroes shouts.
"Pathetic little bug." The creature says before opening its jaws and suddenly firing orbs of purple-black energy at the three heroes, sending each of them flying upon impact. "I am Yelzick, and you humans are just nuisances that are in my way."
Yelzick lands on his feet and turns towards you. "You, however...are special..." He says as he gets on his front claws as well and spreads his wings. "Too special." He says as he starts to gather his purple-black energy together within his open mouth.
[[Attack]]
[[Stand Your Ground]]{[(set: $purity to it + 1)]}
Before Yelzick manages to fire the gathered energy at you, you launch your own blast of gold-silver energy at the mass, causing it to destabilize and explode within Yelzick's mouth.
The explosion sends Yelzick reeling and causes him to stand on upright whilst he emits a high-pitched roar. Before he can recover, you charge toward Yelzick and fire bursts of energy from both of your hands as you move, forcing him back bit by bit.
It is not long before Yelzick starts to recover, even while you are hitting him with bursts of energy, so you release a large burst of energy from both of your hands at once at him, which causes him to fall into the building behind him.
Yelzick is quick to recover after this, and he displays this by sending the debris flying off of him as he ascends into the air. "Dang you...you'll pay for that!" Yelzick hisses before flying back toward the Empire State Building.
[[Rest]]{[(set: $corruption to it + 1)]}
You don't move, instead choosing to stand your ground as Yelzick fires the large beam of purple-black energy from his mouth.
You raise your hands and feel your lips curl into a smile as the beam hits you and you begin to absorb it.
(if: $corruption > 4 is true)[Your right arm becomes cloaked in black-red energy as you absorb the beam. When the beam dissipates, your arm is no longer cloaked in energy. Instead, the energy has solidified around your arm, as though it has been physically twisted and mutated.]
(if: $corruption < 4 is true)[You finish absorbing the beam and the energy surrounds your right arm.]
You lunge at Yelzick at strike him in the chest with your right fist, releasing all of the energy on it and sending Yelzick flying back into a nearby building. All of the energy released with that punch, your right arm returns to normal. However, he is quick to recover and sends the debris flying off of him as he ascends into the air. "Dang you...you'll pay for that!" Yelzick hisses before flying back toward the Empire State Building.
[[Rest]]Although you semed to hurt Yelzick, it cost you a lot of your energy and your stamina, leaving you weakened.
"Need to...rest...or I'm...gonna...pass out..." You say weakly as you move toward the nearby building.
You eventually reach the building and push through the doors, and immediately fall to the floor with your back against the wall.
"I should...come up with...a plan...for Yelzick...next time..." You say amidst breaths as you close your eyes.
[[Nightmare]]As you sleep, you experience a nightmare. Images of New York City with large crystals bursting from and through buildings, the Empire State Building surrounded by crystals and rock, turned into a castle-like building, and screaming people run through your mind.
You walk along a road, the creatures you were just fighting bowing or cowering before you as you pass by them. Humans cower or cry out in fright as you come near them.
You blink and suddenly you are standing before the castle of crystal and rock built around the Empire State Building. A cloaked figure shrouded in shadows approaches you.
"Ah, my loyal servant, you have done well to enforce our will upon these humans...even though you were once human yourself. Be proud of your service...and continue your work to end the Resistance." The figure says to you just before you close your eyes.
[[Wake Up]]You awaken from your nightmare in a cold sweat and with heavy breathing. "What...was that? It felt so...real..." You say to yourself before shaking your head and standing up. "No, I can't lose focus...I need to deal with Yelzick."
You dash out of the building and look around. The roads are torn up and scorched, the buildings crumbling and some with crystals shooting out from them. Upon seeing the crystals, images of the nightmare flash before you yet again and a voice echoes in your mind. "Please...you need...come back..."
Hearing the voice makes you fall to your knees and grab your head. "What's going on...first the hunger...now this..." You say and shake your head as you stand up quickly. "Gah! Enough of this!" You shout and begin to sprint toward the Empire State Building.
[[Approach]]{[(set: $goodmorality to 0)
(set: $evilmorality to 0)]}
You approach the Empire State Building and see various heroes and heroines fighting Yelzick at the top of it. To your surprise, various civilians have started gathering near the Empire State Building as well.
"Why are they...what are they doing?" You ask quietly as you look at all of the civilians. You could have sworn for a moment that they all turned and looked at you as well, but, if they did, they turned back just as fast.
Yelzick suddenly emits a high-pitched roar and releases a pulse of energy around his entire body, causing the heroes and heroines to recoil so he may take flight.
As you watch the fight, a mass of pitch-black energy spills out from the Empire State Building and approaches you.
The pitch-black energy stops just before you and suddenly assumes your form.
You recoil and jump back from the entity beefore you, but suddenly the feeling of hunger for the energy returns.
(if: ($purity > $corruption is true))[
(link: "No More!")[
(go-to: "No More!")
]
]
(if: ($corruption > $purity is true))[
(link: "Need More Power")[
(go-to: "Need More Power")
]
]{[(set: $evilmorality to it + 2)]}
The sensation of hunger consumes you yet again and red-black energy erupts from the right side of your body and consumes it, twisting, corrupting, and transforming it. When the energy dissipates, the flesh of your arm is mangled and covered in red, solidified energy crystals and your fingers have become claws.
The flesh of your arm and hand have become black with glowing red veins running along it. The copy of you lunges at you as you look at your transformed arm, but tendrils of red-black energy erupt from your back and launch at the copy, striking it hard and sending it flying back.
"So much...power...I need more..." You say as you look up at the copy and hold up your hand and flex your claws.
[[Fight the Copy]]{[(set: $goodmorality to it + 2)]}
Images from the nightmare flash through your mind as you resist the hunger. "Not again...not any longer!" You shout as you dispel the feeling of hunger once and for all.
The copy of you lunges at you but is blockeed by a veil of gold-silver energy forming a barrier around you.
"You're in my way, you worthless copy!" You shout as you form a solid-energy sword in your right hand and point it at the copy.
[[Fight the Copy]](if: $goodmorality = 2 is true)[You lunge at the copy with your gold-silver, solid-energy sword ready. The copy forms a pitch-black sword and blocks your sword with it, but you fire a quick pulse of energy from your open palm at the copty, forcing it back. Before the copy can fully recover, you manage to slash across its chest with your sword, causing it to recoil as though in pain and fall to the ground, eventually dispersing into specks of light.]
(if: $evilmorality = 2 is true)[You smile wickedly as the red-black energy slowly creeps along the right side of your body and corrupts it as it spreads. The creature lunges at you again, its own right arm attempting to copy your right arm. The copy tries to slash at you with its claw but you grab it by its head and slam it into the ground head-first. You sink your claws into the copy and absorb it into you.]
With the copy defeated, you turn your attention to Yelzick, who is still fighting the heroes and heroines at the top of the Empire State Building.
(if: ($goodmorality = 2 is true))[
(link: "Ascend")[
(go-to: "Ascend")
]
]
(if: ($evilmorality = 2 is true))[
(link: "Taunt")[
(go-to: "Taunt")
]
]{[(set: $goodmorality to it + 2)]}
You gather your gold-silver energy around you and take flight, immediately heading straight for Yelzick. You strike Yelzick in the chest with both of your fists and push him onward as you continue flying.
"Stop! Wait! You can't handle that thing by yourself!" One of the heroines shouted.
"I'll be fine! Get the civilians to safety!" You shout back to her and the other heroes and heroines.
Yelzick takes advantage of the fact you were distracted, even for just a moment, and grabsyour head and face with one of his claws. He manages to reverse control of the grapple and slams you into the side of the Empire State Building.
"Don't get cocky!" He hisses as he drags you down through the side of the Building as well. "You haven't won yet; you won't win at all!"
[[Retaliation]] {[(set: $evilmorality to it + 2)]}
You hold up your mutated right arm and hand and then point one of your claws at Yelzick.
"Yelzick! Come on down and fight me!" You shout and then release a large burst of red-black energy from your palm. The burst of energy strikes Yelzick and explodes, but the explosion also hits some of the other heroes and heroines. All taken by surprised by your attack, the heroes, heroines, and Yelzick fall to the ground
You approach Yelzick slowly, a wicked grin on your face.
"What was that about you calling me weak before?"
Yelzick raises his head and fires multiple bursts of energy from his mouth at you, but you just absorb those that get too close, while those that miss land near the civilians behind you.
"You haven't won yet; you won't win!" Yelzick hisses as he gets to his feet.
[[Retaliation]](if: $goodmorality = 4 is true)[Yelzick pulls you out of the Building and then throws you into it before spewing clusters of his purple-black energy after you.
You crash through multiple walls but manage to catch yourself and recover enough to create a shield to block the energy clusters Yelzick fired at you. You then launch yourself back at Yelzick and form a solid-energy sword that you qickly stab Yelzick's chest with, causing him to roar in pain.
However, Yelzick manages to grab you in his claws and ascend quickly.]
(if: $evilmorality = 4 is true)[Yelzick roars loudly and releases a pulse of energy all around him, catching you off guard and launching you into the base of the Empire State Building. Yelzick spews his purple-black energy after you like flames, scorching the building as the flames travel.
You manage to recover from Yelzick's burst and then try to absorb his energy, but the energy burns you instead. "Why can't I absorb it?" You shout as you are forced to create an energy shield to block the attack instead.
You manage to force your way through the energy flames and then slam into Yelzick, forcing him to stop his attack and allowing you to bury your claw into his chest. Yelzick roars in pain and ascends quickly, then pulls you off of him.]
"You'll pay for this...Vex!" He hisses before diving at the ground, making you and him both crash into the ground at high speed.
[[Recover]]You manage to recover from the dive-bomb attack Yelzick performed with you, dazed and weakened. You attempt to gather energy while aiming your right hand at Yelzick, but for some reason you can't do it.
(if: $evilmorality = 4 is true)[You look at your right hand and arm, which have return to normal.] "What's going on?" You ask yourself just as Yelzick stands up in the crater he formed.
"Your struggling...is annoying." Yelzick says quietly as he spreads his wings and purple-black energy suddenly pours out from him.
"How did you know my name?" You question as you take a step back.
"You think this is reality, don't you?" Yelzick asks and then cackles as the energy pouring out of him suddenly surrounds you and him both, enclosing you in a dome made of it.
"What...what do you mean?" You ask, your heart beating faster and faster.
"All of this is just a memory you relive and then forget each day." Yelzick hisses, his mouth curling into a grin. "Even though it is a memory, it has changed slightly each time...because I am gaining more and more control of your mind."
[[Confrontation]]You fall to your knees, clutching your head as it throbs in sync with the drumming of your hearbeat. "No, no, no, no! This can't be a dream!" You shout in frustration.
"Oh, but it is, Vex. These events already happened...and you currently serve those who made it happen." Yelzick says mockingly before laughing. "Surely you have noticed this isn't real. Have you felt any actual pain here? Have events felt familiar? Have you truly slept at all?"
Yelzick grabs your head with his claw and lifts you from the ground. "Your silence confirms it. You know it is a dream now, which means I can take full control at last." He hisses as he rams his claw into your gut and his energy begins to spill out and cover you slowly. "It's finally over."
You writhe and cringe as Yelzick's energy slowly consumes you.
(if: ($goodmorality = 4 is true))[
(link: "Wake Up!")[
(go-to: "Wake Up!")
]
]
(if: ($evilmorality = 4 is true))[
(link: "You're Mine!")[
(go-to: "You're Mine!")
]
]"Wake Up! Wake Up, Vex!" A voice shouts suddenly in your head, bringing you to your senses.
You look down at Yelzick's claw and kick yourself away from him and out from his energy. "Who? No, gotta finish this first!" You tell yourself as you form solid-energy swords made of your silver-gold energy in your hands and all around you.
"No! I didn't spend all this time fighting to lose!" Yelzick roars as his energy covers his body like a thick ooze and then he launches himself at you.
"Too bad, Yelzick. You're done for!" You shout as you send all of the floating swords at him, each sword impaling his body all over. You deliver the finishing blow with a high-speed slash with both of the swords in your hands.
Yelzick reels and roars loudly, his form slowly breaking apart. "Curse you Vex! This isn't...over!" He screams before completely falling apart, a burst of light pulsing out from where he stood.
The light consumes you and you suddenly wake up in medical bed.
"He's awake!" A voice shouts just before you close your eyes and pass out.You suddenly feel a surge of power course through you even as Yelzick's energy slowly consumes you.
You grab Yelzick's arms and glare at him before smiling. "You lost, Yelzick. You're mine!" You shout as your red-black energy suddenly consumes Yelzick's purple-black energy. Your energy slowly begins to consume Yelzick now while he tries to pull himself away from you.
"No, no! This shouldn't be possible!" Yelzick shouts as your energy finishes consuming his arms and now begins to spread across his torso. "This hunger...this power was the result of my influence! You shouldn't be able to use it against me!"
"It isn't yours anymore Yelzick. This power is mine now." You say quietly as your energy begins to cover Yelzick's head.
"Stop! Stop!" Yelzick begs just before your energy consumes his head and the rest of his body, and then he is pulled into your body.
A burst of grey light pulses from where Yelzick stood.
The light consumes you and you suddenly wake up in a medical bed.
"He's awake!" A voice shouts just before you close your eyes and pass out.