You find yourself in E1M1

[Shadowswift]

>Perhaps scythe yourself behind the beast, rather than doing a conventional charge attack?

You considered this after your last attack, but you also consider the fact that the Reaper and this Beast were once cohorts. The Beast likely knows the capability of the Scythe fully and will be ready for a back attack as well as a frontal assault.

You have now fired all of your Shadow Plasma Cells. You switch to your shottie and are now capping off 10ga Shells as quickly as you can.

>

[foq]

>It would be better than a wimpy 10ga, wouldn't it? Either that, or run...

[Shadowswift]

>It would be better than a wimpy 10ga, wouldn't it? Either that, or run...

Well, you feel like you're on the right track with the sneak attack thing, but you're almost certain that it would see that coming.
"Yeah. I would."
Oh, I guess it can read your mind. Great. Well, you can't clearly see any way to win this fight. You bee-line for the exit. "Oh no. You're not getting out of this one!" The Beast raises a wall of lava and Shadow over the exit. Crap. Plan B. You ready your scythe. "That won't help you." The Beast raises its arms again, covering the walls of the chamber with shimmering darkness. You slash a portal to E1M1, but nothing happens. It would seem that the crap he covered the walls with is blocking interdimensional travel. There's no way out now, save one. Victory. You check your companions. SFX is still laying down a storm of laser blasts. Phoenix has spent his Shadow Plasma Cells, and is now using his Blaster Rifle. You have only a few Shells left and the Beast doesn't even look winded. You spend your last few Shells, then pull out your Nailgun for the first time, and start prickling the thing with your nail stockpile, spending it quickly. Now it's just you, your Blaster Pistol, and your Scythe. You examine the chamber in between dodging Shadow/lava pillars. Everything looks the same as it was when you fought Shub-Niggurath, except instead of a big white creature in the center, now theres a big black creature.
"Ray!" You look over. "What the hell is that?" Phoenix points to a floating spikey ball hovering around the map. Huh...
"Lay down some covering fire." You scythe over to the portal up the path and wait.
"You don't really think I'm that stupid, do you?" The Beast follows your movement, then reaches up and snatches the ball out of the air. Shit. Oh well. That probably wouldn't have worked anyway. The Beast is huge, but scrawny. The only place you could probably fit inside his body would be his big long.....skull......hm..."You wouldn't dare!"
Wanna bet?
You scythe into The Beasts head. You have a look around. In the center of it is another Shadow Crystal. Sweeeeet.....you remove your glove, grit your teeth, and grab the Crystal. "No! Stop! NNOOOOO!!!" The Beast's screaming is almost loud enough to drown out your own. Acid pain shoots through your veins. Your muscles pulsate. Your body contorts and writhes within The Beast's skull.

You lose 100 health

Outside, The Beast has fallen weak, unable to fight back against Phoenix and SFX's assault. They focus their fire on his legs, bringing him to the ground.

"You....think you're better than us?" It coughs. "You're...nothing. Just...meat...sacks.....you are...no better...." It struggles, as though each word were its last. "You will....soon see....that you are.....just like....us." It collapses on its side, and lies completely still.
"Is that it? Did we win?" Phoenix studies the surroundings. "Where is the captain? Where is Ray??" Just as he says that, The Beast's head begins to rumble and ripple. Phoenix sites his Blaster Rifle. Just as he prepares to fire, The Beast's head bursts as you explode from it into the air. You sail through the air and land in front of your followers with a heavy crash.
"Sir! Are you alright?" You don't respond. "Sir, that fall...should have crippled you. How are you still standing?"
"I'm fine." You tell him. You order them to follow you back to the entrance.
"Captain, what happened? What did you do to The Beast? It couldn't have been us that killed it."
"Nevermind."
"Sir...your skin." You look down at your hands. They're turning gray. Hm. "Sir, your scythe!" You glance at the scythe in your clutches. It's blade is even darker now. All luster has gone from it. Hm...as utterly fascinating as the changes you've undergone are, you find that you simple don't give a shit. "Sir, did you find another one of those crystals?" You ignore him. "Sir, please! Tell me what's going on!" You halt.
"Will you shut the fuck up for once in your short life?!" You continue walking toward the entrance. Phoenix follows behind, silently. SFX hovers behind. You grapple up to the portal and pass through, back to Start.

The area here is thick with Encroaching Darkness. You head up topside and look around. Most of the map is missing...just...gone. Like its been ripped away. The portal area and each of the hallways to the four dimensions of Quake are all gone. What little of the map remains floats lifelessly in the interdimensional nether. Blackness surrounds you and the increasingly tiny piece of land you stand on. There's nothing you can do here. The Slipgates are gone...into enemy hands now. You've failed your mission. You slash back to E1M1 and dismiss your followers. You need some time to think alone...

What's happening to me?
Power...
This power is corrupting me...
It's making me stronger...
Is it worth it?
I won't survive without it...

You feel tired...confused. You feel angry by your recent defeat. You can't seem to calm yourself down. You're not even really sure what to do next...

>

[foq]

>Damn. Assess inventory, attempt to stock up on stuff, and head to E4M1. But hey, what about all the other maps, not just the base levels? What about E1M2 and so on?

[bluntz]

You need a form of transport, looking around you find what else?
A big nasty fkn
TRUCK!!!!!!

[foq]

>mfw that's a bus

[metchsteekle]

>consider adding drag racing bus to inventory

[Shadowswift]

>Damn. Assess inventory, attempt to stock up on stuff, and head to E4M1.

-Character-
You have 74 Health
You have 150 Soul Armor
You are equipped with your Reaper’s Scythe
Your communicator is ON
Your Console is ON

-Inventory-
Grappling Hook
Maglite
Riot Baton
Reaper’s Scythe
Blaster Pistol
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Lightspark Rifle
Plasma Rifle Prototype
Grenade Rifle
(0) Shells
(0) Nails
(0) Shadow Plasma Cells
(0) Energy Cells
(0) Rockets
Map of E1M1's Security Grid
Map of E2M1’s Security Network
Map of E3M1’s Security Layout
USB cable
Scrap Electronics
Box of Paperclips
High-Powered Telescopic Sniper Scope
Candy Bar
Pencil

You're completely out of ammo. You call HQ.
"What's up, Captain?" It's Donavon.
"I need ammo."
"Sure, what kind?" You demand all kinds. "Alright. I'll send over what we have left. It's not much. Make 'em count. They'll be at your slipgate waiting for you." You head up the lift and to your slipgate. The sentries there salute you as you pass them by.

You got 20 Shells, 40 Nails, 30 Energy Cells, and 5 Rockets

"Was there anything else you needed?"
"More ammo."
"Sorry, sir, that's all we have in the ways of standby. The rest is reserved for sentries." Fucker... "Sorry, sir, I'm just doing my job!" Whatever. You slap the console closed. You find yourself hating the military and the governement at the moment...sending you into this God-forsaken hell and then cutting supplies down. Assholes. You've a good mind to say "Fuck it" and let the Shadows invade. That'd teach them to fuck with you. Heheheh....wait, what are we doing now?

head to E4M1

Oh yeah. Alrighty then. You scythe over to The Sewage System.

You have a look around. The power is still on here...you hear moving water. There's Encroaching Darkness on the walls, but everything looks mostly the same. Weird. You check your senses and surroundings.

You see some Encroaching Darkness. It appears to undulate at your presence.
You hear sloshing water below as well as some distant shuffling.
You smell sewage....gross.
You feel....hm...Shadows? How are you feeling them? Weird.
You taste nothing interesting.

Behind you is the Entrance Slipgate. It appears to be fully operational.
To your left is a wall.
To your right is a wall.
Ahead of you is a tube that leads down below.
Beyond that is a computer box.

But hey, what about all the other maps, not just the base levels? What about E1M2 and so on?

Hm...you'll get around to that later, I'm sure. At the moment, there's slipgates to take care of. Even though the enemy already has four (you think), the more you take care of, the better.

...but then again, what the fuck's the point anymore? This whole mission is dumb. Fuck it. Forget the missions. You open your console and delete all your mission objectives. The only thing you care about now is killing as many of these Shadow fucks as you can before they wipe out mankind, which you are almost completely convinced they will now. Your comm starts buzzing.
"Captain? Did you leave the base without us? Where are you?" You turn your communicator off. You're tired of hearing his shit. Let's get this shit on the road.

>

((Yes, I ignored the truck posts, and will continue to do so.))

[foq]

>check computer

[Shadowswift]

>check computer

You inspect the computer box. It's just one of those random computer boxes you find around bases. There's no terminal or USB port, so you can't interface with it. It's function is likely just number crunching or something mundane like that.

>

[LambentHammerBurst]

There's no terminal or USB port, so you can't interface with it.

What are we in the year 1990?

>Attempt to hack or take harddrive as many pc's with important information are not part of a network ect for security purposes.

[Shadowswift]

>Attempt to hack or take harddrive as many pc's with important information are not part of a network ect for security purposes.

You might be on to something here. However, at the moment you lack to tools to take it apart. You would need a Fully-Stocked Tool Box. You remember Phoenix having one of those, but you're not too keen on going to get him at the moment. Fuck it. You take out your Scythe and slash the bastard open. It explodes into a flurry of sparks and smoke. You just slashed the power supply, it would seem. You rip through the circuits and wires. When you finally come across the harddrive, you rip it from its home and stuff it into your inventory.

You found a harddrive.

>

[foq]

>great, now how are we going to keep that thing dry? oh well, this dimension is pretty weird. fuck it, the time has come once again for Ray to be into water.

[metchsteekle]

> into water to chillax out jeezuz he's tense

[Shadowswift]

>great, now how are we going to keep that thing dry? oh well, this dimension is pretty weird. fuck it, the time has come once again for Ray to be into water.

> into water to chillax out jeezuz he's tense

Not to worry. Your satchel is waterproof. You just forgot to tighten it closed last time when your Shadowpulse Rifle got waterlogged. But anyway, a nice dip in some raw sewage should do wonders for your anger problems....

...oh who are you kidding. Anger is your new scene. It is what fuels you now. But anyway, you peer down to the map below. It looks pretty different. There's no where to walk around down there that you can see. It's all waste. Oh well. Time for Ray to be in 'water'. You tighten your satchel then take a dive. As you freefall to the waste below, you recap recent events.

The Shadows...you think you know what they are now...shadows of the fallen, the defeated, the vanquished and slain denizens of Quake. Not just monsters and soldiers, but everyone and everything that has ever dwelled within it. The casters you saw, obviously the former denizens of Quake...before the Elder Gods...the long-dead ghosts, restless vengeful spirits of the fallen mancers and mages that lived here eons ago...mere Shadows of their former selves pushed by hatred and anger, given new and frightening powers. That would explain the various Shadow versions of the Quake monsters you are familiar with...

The Crystals...those little bundles of misery and might. Whatever they are, it's obvious they are the fuel source of Shadow Energy, like batteries that power the entire Shadow network. Indestructable by any means of ordnance, the only way you see to destroy them is to absorb them. It hurts like hell...but it feels so good...

The Encroaching Darkness...the afterbirth of Shadow Energy, like nuclear waste, only far more deadly...a creeping, oozing sickness threatening to devour all of Quake, Earth, Hell, even the Interdimensional Nether itself if left unchecked.

Yourself...the military...speedbumps at best. All your efforts seem in vain...fruitless thus far, save for your newfound strength. And where did all of that strength come from?
Shadow Energy.
Maybe that is the fate of mankind...not to fight the Shadows, but to become them. You feel yourself as a living testiment to its success as a path to redemption...

You hit the waste below. As it crashes around your face, so too does the small remaining flicker of Light within you hit you like a flashbang. Your anger subsides only briefly, but long enough to remind you of your mission. You struggle with yourself..
The greater...good...Light will...prevail.....save human...ity...
Anger burns once more. You forget your struggle and resume your quest for blood and vengence.

You surface for air and look around. The room splits off into four hallways, one in each direction. You take out the sniper scope and use it to see down the hallways.

Ahead looks like a ramp to a Silver Door.
To the left looks like a submerged tunnel...ugh.
To the Right looks like a lift.
Behind looks like a closed floodgate.

>