BL Part 2 - A Wretch Like Me

The Angel looked up at the humungous creature, wiped his tears for Plisken away with the back of his arm and leapt forward to “attack”.
He grabbed on to a nearby slimy, disgusting, calloused fold and… Hugged.

For a moment the beast stopped writhing and booming its terrible threats. But it was just a moment. Realising he'd not stopped it, The Angel flew up to its hideous face, hoping to gaze into the chilling eyes and soothe it that way.
However it didn’t let him, merely thrust itself about here and there, then without making eye contact, flicked the tiny irritating angel from the air as if he were as light as a mosquito.

The Angel crashed through a stone balcony and landed heavily, winding himself. “… Ow.”
Dungeon Master Tregard appeared.
“Tregard… We need Plisken… How can we win without Plisken?”
The Dungeon Master's face was worried, but his words contained hope.
“Black Jade and King Kong have great skill. The Hulk strength... of soul, The Ubermensch immense brains. The Iron Man’s heart, and the affection of the two young ones can defeat it yet…”
“Of course” the angel smiled. “Love” he said simply, before morphing completely back into his normal Alex self. Blue-coverall clad, even in the game.
He looked down at himself, disappointed. “Why? Tregard?”
“There is no more for you to do here now, you have broken your wings and you must leave it up to your friends.”
“Can’t I help?”
“No. It is time for you to go home.”
And suddenly, as quick as that, he was back in the AR Suite.

----

He removed his helmet, gloves and wiring. “Hello?” There was nobody there monitoring.
“Hello?” His voice was husky and felt thick in his throat, unreal and heavy.
"Ow..." His wings hurt. Then he remembered he didn't have wings any more. He stepped from the platform and looked back at the others. They were twitching and flailing and moving about, thinking they were in the virtual castle battling gigantic virus-beasts.

Alex felt a shudder shoot through him. He’d just been battling skyscraper sized monsters, had recently captured dragons, and ringwraiths, he’d virtually resurrected Jade, he’d seen off a Giant Death Worm with Artie, they’d raced against Death Racers in Candyland (and here with a jolt he remembered his companionship with Li’l Plisk), they’d worked as a team to navigate the startling Escher Room, been shrunk by weird potions, been transformed into several other versions of themselves, had heart-rending messages from home, escaped whale sized slugs, resisted (or tried to resist) Succubi ... and Incubi, had encounted a hideous double dog headed spider, a terrifying vicious transvestite, giants and all manner of other soul chilling wonders… but none of that, None Of That recent craziness and horror, prepared him for the chill he felt at seeing Plisken’s empty AR equipment.

He just knew.

He pelted up the corridor in search of confirmation, and to see if there was anything he could do to rectify matters.
As he ran, he realised how weak and tired he felt. But more, much more than this…
“I really need a smegging fag."
He groaned and pushed on.
“HO-OLLY! WHAT THE HELL’S GOING ON?”

Then Katrina emerged from a side corridor, her face was tear-stained... And then he really knew.
"Oh Gods."
He gave her a hug. Part of him glad she wasn't a horrific, towering, slimy tentacled beast, as the last creature he'd hugged had been.

---
On the balcony Tregard stared over the room, then out of the window, taking in the ravaged land, and eventually the chasm. He shuddered in sorrow at what he knew had taken place.
He'd sent the angel across the sea of Rea-Lite to his homeland, knowing he'd need to comfort his friends there. The other travellers were powerful, and capable of defeating the virus.
He turned back to the room and sighed.

They just had to work out how.

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<Okay! So it's up to you guys left in the game to fight the virus (and its 'pet') now its henchmen are all destroyed (though there are some of Robotnik's minions left). How are you gonna manage without Plisk!?>