The Art of Darkness (Marvel)

[The Yosemite Bear]

The chainlink and barbedwire fence was easily bypassed, he still had enough energy to float over it, it hadn't been disturbed except by momentos and flowers, some posters, some bearing the notice of the registration acts, others with pictures of resistance members and the words "TRAITORS" others with the familiar serpent and "Don't Tread on Me", or "Captain America: You will be Avenged!", otherwise it still held the armor of being sacred ground, a wound that was still too raw to be touched.

But that was exactly what "Jack" or "The Saint" was here to do. It wasn't the rawness of the recent injury so many months ago, it was the festering psychic rot of a gangrenus wound, and at this hour of night, this many months after the "incident" that had started the whole affair, the epicenter was still raw and ragged. With full glamours up, no one would see him, much less know what he was doing. Tossing down his duffle bag, he checked his 19th century watch, yes, 2320, plenty of time to set up, and begin the ritual before the appointed hour, sure hallows eve would be better, but some things had to be done before the infection got any worse.

He began to pour the salt in the shape of a circle with lines and alchemedical symbols, there the book hovered level with his vision, despite there being no illumination in the vacant lot, he could read the words as clear as day. Speaking in a language long forgotten by men in an era undreamed of, he began the invocation, an unholy ghost wind wrapped around him, a few would see the dust devil and think it just a trick of the night, or a strange bit of weather. the words now possessed him, he spoke faster and faster, the light unable to be contained, there out side the salt he could see them, the dead, innocent and monster, they cried out to solace. he came to speak with them, when he heard the sudden noise to his side. The click of metal on metal, and an unpleasant glare in the corner of his eye.

"don't you think the people around here have suffered enough without you costumed vigilantees stirring up more trouble, especially here!" the police woman said with malice and contempt

Jack looked at her, with his one good eye, and replied very factually and coldly "I would suggest you get on my side of the salt and don't disturb it if you want to stay amoung the living. And for your information, I'm performing a form of surgery and would appreciate you not disturbing me."

"Surgery?!?, your some form of crazy Goth mutant engaging in some stupid satanic stunt, and HERE of all places."

it was at that exact moment that the ground began weeping up blood. It wasn't "real" just a manifestation of the spirits haunting this place. "I'm not a mutant, I hope to avoid any confrrontation with either Satanus or Mephisto tonight, but it's been known to happen, and as a professional I really would suggest that you get inside this circle where it's safe."

she looked down, shivvering her pistol fell to the ground beside her. "That's Blood!"
He looked at her, with a new light, extending his arms he lifted her up and over the salt into the center. "You can see it then?, your either a mutant your self, but either way you could make a good potential student. What you are seeing is the manifestation of the root of the recent "Civil War", like the bible says the land shall weep for vengence and the blood shall cry out. it's not real but the spirits and other things can definatly hurt you."

The phantoms came now, frightening children with monsterous faces, deadly creatures, angels, and demons. a blackness swept over them, Jack was obviously pained by the forces outside the circle . then there was quiet, the police officer looked down, her pistol, was now a rusted ruin.
"What just happened?"
"I tried to clense the site, but there's still something deep in festering spreding the infection. Also someone's already been here. The Doctor and the others will be interested in this."
"The doctor?!?"
"Yes, my name is John, my associates are a closed group but we do communcate between our peers. He's a former surgeon who lives in new york he's the most powerful of us."
"Who are you then?"
"I am, a necromancer, a so called 'black mages', I deal with the dead. I will have to introduce you to my partner Medae."
"She's also into this magic?"
"No, she's more machine then human, a computer with a photographic memory. We're consulting detectives."

[The Grim Squeaker]

Hmm, I'm getting Days of future past vibes here

[The Yosemite Bear]

thechnically my writting was interrupted by 3 teenaged (19 year old) females needing me to talk with them about various things, and I don't like typing with four people trying to read what I'm writting while, I'm writting it.