(Untitled)

[gone_byebye]

[OOM: On the plane to St. John's, Ray discovers exactly what they're dealing with.]

The door opens on the banal chaos of every North American airport of the early twenty-first century. Ray walks in, rubbing at his face with both hands. "If I have to go back to Miskatonic," he mutters to no one in particular, "I'm gonna plotz. Bar? I'm gonna need

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[works_in_space]

Not long after, the door opens on the relative calm of a stateroom aboard a Constitution-class starship. Jim, carrying his all-weather jacket, enters and spots Rays.

"Hello, Ray. Any word?" You would almost think he was hoping to find the Ghostbuster-turned-diplomat.

[gone_byebye]

"Hi, Jim," says Ray, looking up. "We've got Great Old One sign. I'd stake what little professional reputation I have on the Russians lying through their teeth about that sub."

[works_in_space]

Jim gets that look of confusion so common when talking to Ray. "Care to explain that a little better? Specifically regarding the sub. Where is it now?"

[gone_byebye]

"They claim they haven't launched it yet," Ray says. "Supposedly it's still at anchor off Novaya Zemlya, or whatever the appropriate term is for a submarine that isn't on the move. They let slip the name, though. Tell me something-" He turns and faces Kirk a little more directly. "Does the Federation name vessels meant for peaceful exploratory expeditions after the sites of ultramassive weapons tests?"

[trustydriver]

Sometime after this and this, a certain costumed superhero walks in from the back door and approaches Ray's table.

"I've been told we have trouble up north."

[gone_byebye]

"Sure looks that way," says Ray, looking up from his notebook. It's the one he had on him when he got dragged to Antarctica, the one with such notes on Mythos entities as he felt safe in taking. It's written in a mish-mosh of German, Russian, and Sumerian, and there are lots of abbreviations along the way and random linguistic switches, so it's not the kind of thing most people can read over his shoulder. He had it on him when they were entering the Elder Thing caves. "I was going to come looking for you in a bit, so I suppose this is fortuitous."

[trustydriver]

"Fella named Jim said you were lookin' for me." She slides into the seat across from him. "What's the plan? Have we got one yet?"

[gone_byebye]

"Yeah, I spoke to him earlier," Ray says. "I don't suppose you're at all familiar with a being by the name of Azathoth, also known as the Idiot God, the Nuclear Chaos, or the Demon Sultan?"

[godlikewizard]

Shortly, someone stomps up to Ray's table. "Hey! You the guy looking for people to destroy ancient evil gods? I'm bored here and want to sign up."

Dark Schneider throws himself into a chair, and takes a long drink from his mug.

[gone_byebye]

"That's me," says Ray, looking up. "What kind of experience do you have in that kind of thing, Mr....?"

Hey, around here that's a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

[godlikewizard]

"I am Dark Schneider, the Exploder Wizard! With the god-given looks and power I possess I nearly conquered the world! I have destroyed entire mountain ranges, tamed an Efreet to be my sword, and briefly shattered the walls between Earth and Hell and rewoven them to dispatch my enemies!" Cue laughter.

"I also rebound the Dread God of Destruction Anthsathrax into full slumber." There's a sudden twitch of one eye. "....with the help of others."

Luche's getting stronger, and making DS tell the truth a bit more.

"But I fear no creature in Heaven, Hell or on Earth! No enemy has defeated me permanently! Even death is no barrier, for I possess the power to rebuild my body or reincarnate if need be!"

He takes another drink.

"It hurts a lot, so I try not to do it too much."

[gone_byebye]

"All things considered an eminently sensible attitude," Ray says. "Very few people that I know of who possess that kind of ability like to use it more than they have to, usually for exactly that reason. Being able to lay the smackdown on a dread god of destruction strikes me as precisely the kind of capacity we're looking for in the event of a dimensional rupture letting horrible sanity-destroying demons and monsters into my world- I assume you're capable of keeping sane in the face of mind-blasting horrors, with a resume like yours?"