Start of Darkness [Team Snake]

[Pitch Black]

At this time of night, specifically around midnight, Pitch would normally be interrupting the work of the Sandman. Turning the dreams of the world's precious children into nightmares. However, tonight was different. Tonight, he'd spotted something peculiar on the globe in his lair. It was a spot of light, much like a spot representing a child who believed in the Guardians, but it was a different color. This light was a bright green - something that shouldn't have been able to happen. Pitch had been curious about the strange, green dot. So, he'd teleported to the general area of where it was. He'd found himself in Gotham City, right nearby a rather noticeable clock tower. He suspected that was where the source of the green light was coming from.

"Hey, you!" Pitch heard a growly voice from behind him. He turned around to see a group of large, tough-looking men approaching him. Some of them were holding weapons, others weren't. Pitch let out a sigh. They were going to try something, weren't they? "Yeah, you. Give me everything you got and nobody's gettin' hurt." The apparent leader said, beginning to approach the Nightmare King. Pitch conjured a long, whip-like tendril of nightmare sand. The leader of the gang seemed a bit nervous now, but he was from Gotham. Super powered people were pretty much normal there. Pitch snapped the tendril at the leader. It wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. In a quick movement, Pitch flung him at the other gang members. That knocked them all out relatively easily.

Pitch smirked at the pile of knocked out gang members before looking back up at the clock tower. In less than a second, Pitch had disappeared from the streets and reappeared within the tower.

[Mecha Kyubey]

This was going to be a very interesting night.

Kyubey had arrived at the clock tower almost instantaneously - the shadows at one corner had been empty for a moment and then a white, fluffy form padded out of them. He scaled the walls with fluid grace, tiny paws somehow finding footholds despite it being steep and undeniably a vertical incline, and in a few seconds he was securely up on the roof of the tower. From there, he nudged open a window slightly and squirmed through the small gap. From there, it was only a short leap to one of the rafters that criss-crossed the clock tower, and he walked along it with the ease and balance of a cat.

Pitch's arrival was noted instantly, and though he flicked his tail in mild comment on the violence that had happened just outside, he said nothing as the boogeyman appeared inside the tower itself. That teleportation was an ability that had been noted before, and would hopefully not be the last thing learned from the fear spirit - but that was not really why he was here, tonight.

The Incubator perched neatly on the rafter, looking down with no fear of the height or the danger falling might present. Despite - or perhaps because of - the darkness, his eyes glowed eerily, a vivid red that shone slightly. Normally, Pitch alone would have brought him down to talk - even if the other didn't seem that kindly disposed to him. But tonight was different, and for now he was content to sit and observe - and wait for the right moment. There was no doubt that what happened today was one of many situations which would ripple across this world and change it. That, in itself, did not concern him greatly.

But it would be interesting.

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[Hazama]

"My my my! It seems you've all made it! Excellent timing."

There was a smooth, yet amused voice that echoed through the decayed and worn walls of Gotham's most prominent clock tower. It's owner glanced down at the two new arrivals with a smile and a chuckle from within the tower's many shadows. He remained hidden for the time, somewhere within and among the oversized, churning cogs and gears that were so essential to the proper running of the structure. The dull winding, ferverent clanking, and shallow clicking did not mask his voice, but instead, held a backdrop to the conversation, illuminating in sound what the tower's poor lighting could not make visible. To those below, he might appear as a simple outline, a silhouette in the shadows hidden among the expanse of machinery. Or he might not. Either way, speaking up revealed his location if not anything else about this mysterious, obscured figure.

"You know, for a bit I was worried you'd not make it...I'm glad the two of you can pick up on hints like the ones tossed your way. It means that you might just be the sort of individuals...yikes, I guess individuals is sort of inappropriate here, huh? How about....'people'...that I'm looking for.

The mysterious man chuckled, the cackle echoing above the winding and grinding above and below it's point of origin. It sounded almost predatory in nature, as if the laugh had come from some sort of hysterical hyena about to pounce upon it's prey, despite that contrast in his comparatively smooth, calm, yet mocking tone. Regardless of the feel of the laugh, the atmosphere about him seemed to not be hostile-- simply highly enigmatic and supremely sinister. But as to who was truly the target of this sinister air, none could say, for it seemed in all in all reality, that the man on the gears fully recognized the idiocy of attempting to intimidate the embodiment of fear and the emotionless collective before him. It was, instead, simply a way of being, his tones a benefit to himself and the mood of the room, rather than intimidation or threats. In short-- the man came as he was.

[Pitch Black]

As soon as Pitch appeared he started looking around the clock tower. There had to be something there, or else his globe would have never had a red dot. As he continued to look around, he soon caught sight of two glowing red dots in the darkness. Of course, since Pitch had a certain connection with shadows, he could tell that they were eyes connected to a small, almost cat-like thing. He couldn't tell exactly what it was and he didn't exactly have time to, especially since their "host" was starting to speak to them. Pitch looked around for the source of the voice. In a matter of moments, he'd found it. A silhouette of a man could barely be made out among the machinery. Who was this person and why had he taken the time to bring him to the tower?

Apparently, he'd been looking for people. But for what purpose? The man wasn't exactly hostile. If he'd been trying to lure him out for a fight, he would've attacked already. No, this man had something more interesting in mind for the two of them. Looking towards the red-eyed being, Pitch began to realize what it was. It was that strange, small animal that had been totally devoid of fear. But what could this strange, sinister man possibly want with both of them? As far as Pitch knew, he had been going totally undetected by both the Guardians and all the other heroes this world had. Just how had this man known that he was an active force again?

"Why have you brought us here?" Pitch asked calmly. This man clearly had some kind of plan. Pitch wanted to know what it was and why he wanted him involved. Pitch already had his own plans, he didn't need to get wrapped up in someone else's - especially if said plans would put him back on the Guardians' radar. The last thing he needed was more heroes after him, especially if said heroes were the Guardians. Still, he wouldn't leave just yet. Perhaps this man knew more about Pitch than just his non-imprisoned status and could help him with his own goals.

[Mecha Kyubey]

For one who had been clever enough - and with enough information at his command to piece things together - to orchestrate this, Kyubey found his way of speaking only slightly less tedious than that of most individuals. Still, he supposed it was either simply a deplorable character trait or for the benefit of the embodiment of fear who, despite his considerable emotional power, also insisted on the illusion of an identity.

Regardless, he didn't really see a need to respond immediately.

But Pitch spoke up, and he turned his gaze down on the other for a moment, studying him. Of course, demanding a reason. How predictable.

Fluffing out his tail once more, he shifted on the rafter he was perched on, and then, as if those below did not matter in the least, he licked a paw and smoothed down his ears. In the greater scheme of things, they really didn't. But informing them of such would only have had negative effects on their actions and psyches, and it would have reduced the effectiveness of his own plans.

"Typically when a meeting of sorts is suggested, the reason and goal is for several people to talk and perhaps come to some sort of decision," he remarked, his voice broadcasting clearly despite how high up he was. Telepathy, even something fundamentally basic and short-range, had its uses. "I would even go so far as to suggest that we are here because of that. Am I wrong, Captain Hazama of the NOL?"

[Hazama]

"That's a very interesting concept, Incubator. You're saying the reason I called you here...two, at the very least quasi-immortal beings that, let's face it, are counter productive to attempt to murder or anything else unpleasant like that...for some reason?! Involving talking about things?! That's a brilliant deduction! Oh, now I think I can see how that Hivemind can come in handy."

The mystery man, now identified by his name, shouted out in a sarcastic manner. Sure sure, maybe it was a bit of a stretch to imply that the highly advanced hyper-connected consciousness as an abject imbecile: but quite frankly, it's wonderful ability to denote the obvious an apparent didn't exactly endear him to Hazama. However, despite his sarcasm, he still was impressed by the small alien in front of him. He knew who he was. Or at least, knew what his name was. He had learned something Hazama hadn't really intended for him-- or rather, it-- to know at all. Either he'd gotten sloppy, or there was something to that damn...that damn...ah....

"...Cat, weasel, fox...ah...badger? Oh, whatever, who cares."

Deciding the novelty of hiding in the shadows like a common specter had worn off, Hazama strode forward from the gears and hopped onto the normal platform of the enormous tower. His appearance was promptly revealed, as his coat trailed him as he leaped from cog to ground. He pressed his hat against his head-- before looking at the group with two, glowing golden eyes.

"Oh...dear me. I didn't make too mean a comment there, now did I? Oh well. Anyway, enough of that, I suppose. To answer your questions in reversed order: No, yes, and lastly, well...I suppose the reason I've brought you all here is..."

Captain Hazama smiled down at the two with a serpintine grin.

"I suppose I have the tools...to give you both something you really need."