Wolves At The Door

Coming of Misery - Paint It Red, Aspects, Nothing To Fear.., Rogues, Wolves At The Door.

Wolves At The Door is a retelling of an older User Battle story involved Red and Misery - delving deeper into Red's psyche at a time in the multiversal cycle when she will be at her most vulnerable.

Basic Plot - 5 years after the death of Inferno (as of Monsters) Red attempts to end her own life, alerting the attention of Misery: who acts to save Red via trapping her in her own nightmares, effectively making Red's mind her own "Misery Zone". This attracts the attention of several Absolutes, especially following the events of "Rogues" and they help several of Red's allies to enter her tormented mind and free her from Misery's influence.

Villains

 * Jack Of All Trades (Misery is not alone inside Red's mind, indeed she has allied yet again with a "rogue" entity - one that knows Red better than even Misery herself..)
 * Misery

Heroes

 * Red
 * Sangria (now nearing 13 years of age Sangria is beginning her journey into the darker aspects of her legacy as the daughter of a deceased demigod and a half-feral mother)
 * Arbiter of Chaos

Prologue
Red stood alone atop a high cliff overlooking her kingdom, the great forest spreading out below her as she looked down at the world - her right arm still blackened from the struggle she had faced during a great battle with her inner-demons, as well as the accursed Misery.. a demon Red had faced so many times in the past..

Indeed if it wasn't for a brave few Red would still of been the entity known as Auburn, an agent of retribution - a pawn for the senseless wars of the so-called Absolutes..

"..Inferno.. I'm here.. can you hear me?" Red whispered as she moved closer to the edge of the cliff, a few stray pebbles falling to the ground below as she walked to the edge - bare foot.. indeed her dress was shredded and her cloak tattered.. the once "Bloody Red Queen" now looking like a lost child in the wilderness.

"..I'm home.. can't you see? ..I'm home now.. you don't have to hide.." Red continued, her toes leaving the edge as she balanced dangerously over the edge of the cliff.

"..I know.. you're playing a game.. you always did that.. well, alright.. my sweet prince.. ready or not.. here I come.." Red said, a smile spreading over her face as she spread her arms out as if ready to fly..

However before Red could fall off the edge a cloaked figure suddenly manifested in front of her and extended a hand, the ethereal being soon becoming a semisolid mass that began to hold her in place as the figure's glowing eyes burned brightly.

"..I have had enough of your foolishness, stupid girl.." a dark voice said coldly, striking out at Red with enough force to send her falling back as if being hit hard in the face.

Red tumbled back onto the ground, scrambling to her knees as she held her stinging cheek - glaring up at the figure "..I thought you'd be happy.. this is what you wanted.. I have nothing.. now, at last.. I can end it..".

The cloaked figure finally lifts herself up, hovering over before landing on the ground - the cloak disappearing as she takes on a new form resembling a mirror-image of Red herself, only her skin is crimson and her footsteps create puddles of black, bubbling ooze.

"..happy? you selfish little brat.. this is the last thing I wanted for you.. for anyone.. death is the great comfort.. no Red.. you don't get to escape.. you don't get to die.. I won't allow it.." the figure growls, clutching one of her hands - as she does so a large axe forms out of the same bubbling ooze - becoming solid after a few moments.

Red simply stays in place, looking angrily at the figure as she spits on the ground "..there is nothing you can do to me now.. I'm already broken.. you've taken everything.. what good is keeping me alive?".