[System]
Username: @Sho Minazuki

"Look, I'm a little tired right now, so can we make this quick?"
Age: 27

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:

Color: Inky black

Symbol: An eye-scarred raven.

Semblance:
 Raven Mirage - Wolfram can disperse into a murder of ravens and crows, and can use them to scout as well, some have called him the 'vampire of crows' due to how visually similar he disperse into crows compared to when a vampire disperses into bats in popular media. Other abilities include that these crows can function as normal crows and feed on animals to give him energy as well. He is powerful enough to have an abundance of crows in an area that it can be difficult to figure out where he will appear next, compared to his student years.

Weapon Name: Vindicator

Weapon Appearance/Function: The gloves are more a utility than an actual weapon, using the circuits that are all along the palms, he can materialize dust into small weapons. Larger weapons require something far more advanced or a work-around method, and far more dust due to density issues.
Type: Dust, Utility, Aura
Weapon Derivation: Twin gauntlets, lean in appearance.
Holstered/Sheathed Appearance: A pair of really stylish elbow long gloves. Some seemingly mechanical parts along the forearm area, and dust slots.
Form 1: Conduit Function, Materialize - When entering combat mode, a thin steel armor covers the gloves, also colored black, and along the palm, circuits matching the hand appear. Through those circuits he can use the dust equipped to form throwing knives of varying size and element by melding it with his aura, as well as creating thin wire for trapping and even slicing, and finally, needles, which are his most potent and efficient means of disabling or killing someone.
Form 2: Conduit Function, Imbue - Not really a second form, just another function. He carries twin knives that he uses as a secondary weapon when forced into close quarters, with the imbue function he can give these knives new properties, or even extend their reach. This isn't limited to the knives though. He has other equipment as well for this very concept.
Form 3: Conduit Function, Shroud - He can cancel both imbue and materialize to use his gauntlet as the main weapon, by wrapping it in dust, he can use it defensively, or expel it upon striking a target for more damage.
Form 4: Grappling Hook - There's a grappling hook on this thing. Neat.
Form 5: Gambit Round - There's a one-shot and powerful pistol underslung on the gauntlet. It only has one round, and it's settings have it use all the dust that is currently equipped, making the single shot insanely powerful, but renders the gauntlet useless. This is a useful option in some cases. The drawback is that he'll need to re-equip all the dust vials again, which takes quite awhile.

Elemental Functions: The following are functions he can add for his knives and needles depending on elements.
* Gravity - He can use this dust to bind enemies to areas that are marked by his needles or knives. He can also create the reverse effect and propel himself, or an enemy far away.
* Explosive - By combining fire and earth, he can create a violent explosive knife.
* Incendiary - A simple fire type.
* Frostbite - A simple ice type designed to disable parts of a body, or even freeze their heart.
* Shredder - A concentrated wind or air type that disperses the knife into a cutting wind.
* Water - He can douse his enemies in water with this.
* Stun - Sends out an electric shock on whatever surface it lands on, and stuns them. It's especially deadly if they are soaked.

Equipment: The following he carries on him in order to use Imbue for.
* Large Folding Shuriken - These shuriken are a little larger than normal, and fold so they're easy to carry. He only has a few, so he prefers to use them in a boomerang fashion. It's useful when fighting a crowd of grimm.
* Twin Knives, The Harbingers - Twin double-sided knives, straight blade, cross guard. They look fancy, and actually have a hidden dust vial in their handles, allowing him to do a surprise reload once his gauntlets run out of Dust. Alternatively, the dust can be used to propel the knife even faster when thrown, which can surprise his opponents. The daggers are also able to be attached to his heels, giving him even more options when in combat with them.
* Compound Bombs - These on their own are regular smoke bombs, but the smoke is made of a compound that reacts well with dust, allowing him to make fire bombs, cold bombs, and so on, depending on the dust he imbues into them before throwing.

Personality: Despite his heavy presence and the way he looks and his skills, he's a very carefree person, normally seen with a friendly smile that people often mistake for a creepy slasher type. He's just a guy trying to live right now, a little cynical, as he once had aspirations of his own. He made his living in the underground with assassination jobs, they weren't his cup of tea, but he was very good at them, plus no one else wanted to hire him, so inadverdently he became known as the "Harbinger of Death", and all those other names. He didn't become a Hunter to kill people, he became one to kill Grimm, so he was not content with this. Still, it gave him an enormous amount of money, so he couldn't complain. Assassinations to him were like that desk job you hate so much at this point, and really just about anything would pique his interest.

History: Wolfram was no honor student, in fact no one liked him except his team back in Haven, who honestly were all friendly. He was considered the strange kid, reserved, and almost like a pushover, normally that alone wouldn't put him in the situation he was, but it was the fact that he had an uncanny talent at pointing out people's weaknesses. It wasn't semblance, he already awoke to that, so it scared people that he could figure out very quickly what made them tick. Nothing really happened with it though, and he graduated normally. Some of his team suggested him to a medical profession, as his talent would be very useful in that field. Others suggested the black ops of militaries. He wanted to fight Grimm though... But he considered the options.

He ended up trying both. It was difficult for him to enter the military medical field, because he was just so horrible at it's theory, then he was offered to the black ops, assassinations and the like, and he was just really really good at it. He eventually quit though, because he didn't like the line of work, but eventually he starved because he couldn't find other jobs, he did the odd Grimm slaying job on mission boards, and among other things, but as his failures in higher level Grimm slaying missions became apparent, his options narrowed, until he eventually starved for a whole month.

That all ended when his asking around for jobs eventually landed him into the underground's mission boards, because someone wanted his skills as an assassin. As he was pretty much starving and desperate, he accepted, and before he knew it, he became reputed as one of the best assassins in the history of Hunters and Huntresses, albeit in the underground. Although little did he know until later, there was no turning back. No regular mission board would accept him picking up a quest, very few had need of his talents too, and so there he was, stuck in the underground, almost by accident.

Trivia
- Wolfram is a German name that is a portmanteau of "wolf" and "raven", basically making it "wolf-raven".
- Mord is just German for "murder".
- His theme is mostly crows and ravens, and represents an omen of death.
- His story of being essentially mistaken or stumbling into criminality is similar to how the father of the boys in the German tale The Seven Ravens mistakes them for going out to play instead of getting water for their sister, which leads to them being turned into crows.

[User]
Mavi | Vacuo Outskirts | Some Outpost somewhere | Monday Afternoon

"Hmm.." Mavi sighed audibly as he observed the outpost, crouching next to a rock on a hill above the encampment. There were a lot of guards. He wouldn't be having this dilemma if he didn't need to rescue some person from this outpost. Luckily for him there weren't any dust storms happening at the time. He unsheathed his poleaxe, the shaft extending as he brought it out. He wasn't really one for subtle entry.

Cracking his neck, he grinned devilishly. He noticed how small this outpost was. From above that is. He'd bet on his next paycheck, knowing that the hostage was most likely underground. The guards made one mistake though. A lot of their force was above ground in small observer towers or on the ground near the entrance. He assumed so anyway. "They know I'm coming, but they don't know the first thing about me." He chuckled as he launched himself off the side of the hill. The wind was blowing sand. Such timing. Will they see it coming?

They didn't see it coming, but they sure as hell felt it. Mavi slammed into the ground, near the building, causing a large shockwave by expanding his aura as he landed. His semblance kicked in, causing and extra pounding force, making a large crater in the sand. Many of the guards were thrown to the ground by the massive tremor, confusion flooded the scene and the guards attempted to recover. However, Mavi was already upon them. The giant axe head crashed into a crowd of guards, sending them flying quite a ways away from the outpost.

More guards poured into the scene, surrounding Mavi, swords drawn, guns pointed. The thrill of battle pumped through him. He liked where this was going. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten all about the hostage at this point, they weren't going anywhere anyway. "All this just for me? Oh you shouldn't have!" He laughed. They really shouldn't have. With some ridiculous speed, he launched himself forward, swinging his massive poleaxe like it was a toy. Swords were no match for it's huge reach, and the bullets just whizzed past him, the majority of them missing.

[Assistant]
Scarlet/ Vale/ Private Mansion/ Monday Afternoon

"Heeelloooo! Anybody home?" Scarlet had a big grin on her face and it showed her sharp canine teeth and it was quite obvious that she was more than excited to start the mission. Her tail was wagging back and forth very quickly. Despite her happy tone, the air around her was quite vicious, scary even. It was the aura of pure bloodlust. Her voice had caught the attention of multiple guards who stopped and turned to her before getting their weapons ready to shoot at her. Her tail stopped wagging as the air of a battle started to weigh on the surroundings.

"Okay, so I'm not getting in quietly. Oh well." She said with a shrug. She knew they were expecting her since this was more of a forceful extraction than a mere stealthy mission. She then took a deep breath before charging forward, heading towards the first guard she saw. They started to shoot and she deployed her shield. This protected her from the oncoming bullets and her constant changing of position made her a hard target to hit. She jumped high into the sky before aiming her right hand down at one of the guards and then a blade shot out, heading towards the guard.

Scarlet would land and another blade would come out and straight onto her hand which now serves as her sword. She would begin slashing and hopefully dicing the guards. One moment she would appear like she was going to strike to the left and the other, she actually struck from the right. She was constantly using her Semblance, Illusion, making it hard for the guards being attacked actually know where she is coming from. Although she kept using it at a bare minimum since she didn't want to get tired so soon after starting a battle. "You know, the Grimm are harder to kill." She pointed out, a small pout on her face as she stopped and waited for another moment to wreck havoc. Besides, she was sure that Ms. Vinca Pinkfresch would appreciate getting some action as well.


[System]
AKA: The Puppet Master.
Age: 40
Race: Onrilian

Like most Onrilians, Makobi is about a meter tall. Though practically a humanoid child's height, Onrilians are known for being extremely durable, able to pick up more than three times their body weight. He has two stumpy appendages protruding from his skull where extensive auditory canals can pick up on various types of sounds.
Faction: Marauder
Role in Team?: Loadmaster/Merchant

Bio: Makobi was exonerated for over 34 counts of illegal interstellar drug/smuggled goods/xeno trafficking and distribution charges, while conspiring with some of the most powerful crime syndicates in the galaxy. He ran an industrial mining and extraction shell corp to blanket his shady business affairs - which is still operating to this day - laundering his money through other subsidiary businesses he owned throughout the galaxy. It was a well-oiled machine that he ran for over a decade, until an anonymous informant tipped off the Galactic Committee of Investigation.

Caught red-handed, he was forced to make a deal. In order to be clear of his charges, not only did he have to sign up with an expedition force, but he also had to rat out the locations of where the major crime syndicates perform their drug operations. All allegations are kept hidden from public record with the exception of an embezzlement charge. Because of the success of his regular businesses, and their association with some major corporations, a deal was made to cover up the books by shifting the blame to Makobi with a trumped up charge. Doing so ushered in new CEOs and board members, all of whom were appointed by those same major corporations and a few Galactic Committee members looking to keep their pockets lined up.

Though Makobi ultimately got shafted from the empire he built from the ground up, he saw the Marauders as a second chance at life. However, old habits die hard, as he often catches himself from making big time moves like the old days.

Personality: The Onrillian knows how to work a crowd. He's bubbly, socially active, and energetic - but not to the point where you feel like you're suffocating. Makobi keeps his cool and is great at reading people, regardless of their race or culture. With such a charming demeanor, you'd never think in a million years that he was once associated with some of the most infamous lords of the criminal underworld.

Equipment:
In the cargo hold and hangar bay, Makobi uses the help of three dock worker drones: Edgar, Allan, and Poe.

Edgar is in charge of scanning and keeping track of inventory, updating lists and compiling projections like expiration dates and temperature demands for each cargo unit. He also calculates estimated trade values for stocked items in surrounding star sectors.

Allan (Top) does all the welding, cutting open, and putting back together of any and all cargo units that need repair or have been damaged. Poe helps with the actual transfer, able to lift around 4,000 kg worth of cargo containers.
Jumping into this suit enables Makaboi to perform regular tasks as if he were 2 meters tall. The cockpit is located right in the suit's chest, but he prefers to keep it open so people can see him.
The LDM 400 is a multipurpose transfer and loading mech, the ideal tool when receiving large shipments. Makobi is a master driver with these, but he needs to have his exoskeleton suit on in order to reach all of the controls.
Other: Makobi is one of the original members of the Marauder crew. He's called The Puppet Master because of his ability to control an exoskeleton suit while efficiently driving and operating an LDM 400 with relative ease. When the Monroe is docked and there are no shipments to inventory, Makobi will set up shop (circumstance permitted) with:
A collapsible and expandable bazaar that has a small bar, restaurant, and trade post that can traverse most terrain. It's a great way to find out about the locals, and also suck them dry of their money via gambling, or auctioning items at a marked up price.

---

Makobi's main areas of operation on board the Monroe:

"Alright lemme give everyone a quick tour!"

"So the hangar bay where all ships are stored is the first thing you see when you enter from the rear docking gate. You see the striped floor from the bottom of the picture going to your right, and then swinging left to a lower section? That takes you to the cargo hold.."

"This is where all outbound and incoming shipments are stowed. Not much goes on here, apart from moving a bunch of containers around, but I like to use the space for an occasional pow wow with the crew."

[User]
Jolenar floated idly in his new home. The collective requested the largest room that could be spared to be converted into his tank. No expense was spared to ensure his comfort by the committee, Who were quite eager at the prospect of a Xreene finally volunteering to cooperate with the other species and didn't want to spoil the opportunity for diplomacy.

As it turns out the largest room available to him had to be a special made tank that took up the largest observation lounge on the entire ship. Intended for important ceremonial functions or some such nonsense. It served a far more practical purpose now than merely a place to consume liquor and hold dinner.

Offering it's occupant a very reasonable amount of space(though nothing compared to the literal planet wide ocean he was accustomed), relative safety and a viewing of the stars and the beautiful scenery of deep space. Not merely confined to a cargo hold where boxes and noise were his only company. All human furniture was removed and the habitat itself took up nearly ninety percent of the entire lounge. The rest was taken up by either his dormant robotic suit, powered down onto its haunches and a raised platform that lead directly to a thin podium and a special window that would allow those who desired it, to speak to Jolenar in person. The podium had the necessary hardware to translate the conversation.

Floating freely and lazily in the murky waters as the the text of what was supposedly a great Forgei epic played out from the computer inside the tank. He found the tale rather uninteresting and many of the critical points of plot and development to be predictable. Supposedly this was a much lauded piece of work amongst their kind. Maybe he would have to rethink how much credence he could lend to any Forgei's opinions on artistic tastes.

He was almost thankful when the voice sang through the water and declared the emergency. Giving him the opportunity to collapse the projection of that book. Book marked against picking up again. Tentacles moved gracefully through the murk to swipe and prod at new screens being projected around him.

Elsewhere in the ship the eerily dormant android that had since been standing perfectly still in the mess hall started to move again. It's previous task to record the eating habits of the crew overridden (much to the delight of the crew, who found being watched by a faceless machine while they chewed a little creepy.) and synthetic muscle gave motion to artificial limbs. With a grace that bellied it's existence(but only added to it's creepiness) as a machine it walked straight for the bridge. Most people made way for it, which made it easier and faster to reach it's destination. Those who did not make way were moved aside. They grumbled and one even spit in its direction once she thought it was far enough away not to notice. But their feelings and damaged senses of pride were inconsequential to Jolenar at the best of times. During a declared emergency even less so. If they had to be pushed aside than they shouldn't have been standing in the way of his machine to begin with.

Arriving on the bride the android made its way to the navigation station. Ignoring the existence of the chair which for a humanoid might be a comfort but to a synthetic being only served to be an obstruction. Fingers touched and illuminated strangely designed buttons and controls and soon new coordinates were entered for the Monroe. All without a noise being made from the droid or its operator.

Its hand hovered just millimetres in precise location over the command key. Waiting for the confirmation order to initiate propulsion.

[Assistant]
All he wanted was a sample from the egg. Eggs were easier to get genetics from then from the giant bird thing. It was amazing that a bird of this size could survive in such a planet like this. Giant birds like this should be rare on planets this far from the star it orbited. Logic dictated that this bird should be small. So that was interesting in its self. Then there was the idea of the idea of large bird meant that there had to a complex web of prey animals to support this thing. That meant that the food web was huge and this place was not a wasteland. It meant that the predators had to be rather large too.

All he had done was take a single egg from the nest. There was nothing illegal about it. He wanted to study the egg. It was not that big of a deal but the bird definitely thought that it was a huge deal for stealing the egg. "This thing is just protecting its young! Don't kill it!" He yelled as he hightailed it for the ship. He sighed and pulled the egg out of his bag. He cursed softly to himself as placed the egg in a bush and kept running. he made sure that the bird had seen it.

"Just run! Don't fight it!" He yelled into the radio still running for his life. He did not want to be bird chow. He also had gotten some blood from a little rat looking thing. He could do something with it. He doubted that it was anything useful.

[User]
"Watch your tone, Talley, our big friend might beat you to it." Was all that Talley heard over the com. Damn that human Captain and all of his stupidity!

Once Tahillie had turned around to see what was happening, something jumped onto his back, making him fall face first into the snow. His body stiffen from the contact with the cold substance to the face, he really hated this planet. It was after his face plant into the chilling snow, he heard clicking and squeaks on his back; he really hoped that it wasn't a carnivorous. Whatever was on his back began to climb into his jacket, the scaly appendages were cold as cold can be, but he felt the soft fur of it on his scales shortly afterwards. The small being was warm, considering that the scaly appendages were cold. The thing crawled around in his jacket as it made it's way to his stomach, which he rolled over and opened his coat to see an ape like alien settling down inside of his coat. It seemed to be no more than a foot tall, but with the poofy fur, it made it look bigger. He gave a hard sigh and couldn't care less about the ape creature right now.

Zipping his coat back up, adjusting a little to make sure that the critter would be comfortable, and started to tread his way to the shuttle. Hopefully that Ray, Rae, and the human researcher would be okay. He didn't want to think of the worst. Today was not his day. Once he started to tread in the snow, he heard growls from the tree tops, and glanced up to see a group of the ape aliens. Tahillie remembered reading once from an article of Earthen Life forms and came across the species known as Baboons, and the earth animals in a group were known as a troupe. They would attack anything that harmed or threatened the troupe, and he assumed that these creatures would do the same thing. The troupe, as he tries to count, the numbers were at lease over forty of them sitting in the trees. He opened his coat a little to see that this one was attached to him, even his own thought process failed him at a time like this, he started to run again. This time for the shuttle.

"I fucking hate this planet!" Tahillie yelled at the top of his lungs. He didn't bother to say anything to Raymond's order to get to the shuttle. Talley almost completely forgotten about the giant ice bird, booked it across the field, almost running on all fours at this point as this giant troupe of alien apes began to chase after him.

[Assistant]
Makobi watched as the Landslide slipped out of the rear docking gate. Monroe's magnetic field barrier shimmered as the small vessel flew through it. As it did, the barrier made a prismatic ripple effect before returning to its muddy transparency of Planet TXVVB-044. The onrilian gazed at its beauty. TXVVB-044 was like one spherical egg with cloistered bits of rich blue ocean as weather patterns swirled about its natural surface like hazy phantoms. He was elated to know that the ground team was nowhere near the largest storm cloud, which was stuck in perpetual motion on the planet's southern hemisphere. They already had enough on their plate trying to fend off TXVVB-044's wild life. Battling the elements on top of that would just be cruel.

The onrilian half-listened to the ground team's open channel as he motioned over to the hangar's main control console. Makobi could've tapped into the ground team's HUD feeds, but their shaky first person view angles would've given him a headache. Most of the radio chatter was heavy breathing, cursing, and squawking - both from the ice bird, and the poor saps that were running from it. Then he heard the Furtim, Tahille, yell: "I fucking hate this planet!" with what sounded like screaming hominoidea chasing him in the background. It all sounded terribly chaotic. Makobi silently nodded to Logalu of Dice*, thanking the star spirit for his good fortune of being within the safe confines of The Monroe.

---

*Logalu of Dice - In Makobi's homeworld, Giom, Logalu is derived from an old tale of an onrilian who sacrificed his own probability of having good luck for the sake of everyone else. When something bad happens, onrilians usually accept it quietly, believing that Logalu is merely overwhelmed by how much bad luck he's carrying on his shoulders, and would like nothing more than to lighten the burden.


[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Weapon:
Two metal tonfas, Artorius and Gwenhwyfar (formerly Lawnslot). Both are identical, visually, save perhaps a few differences in internal mechanism. In the traditionally held position, the longest part of the body aligning along the forearm, the forward facing post is actually a shotgun barrel; though standard shells are the usual ammunition, dust rounds can be loaded instead. The storage area expands along the spine of the weapon. The recoil is often used for propulsion when useful. The primary length of each tonfa actually has a blade running along it, resembling one half of a sword, to be specific.

This is because both weapons are capable of combining into a large, long sword; Caledfwlch. The two weapons reconfigure in such a way as to create a long, straight two-handed sword with a straight crossguard. The shotgun barrels are reoriented as the crossguard, one pointing to the left and the other to the right, used to enhance the power behind his swings.

Artorius and Gwenhwyfar both have one other unique attribute; high capacity batteries built into their frame. Each battery continuously siphons a supply of Aura from Benjamin, building the energy up so long as they are, in some way, upon his person. This energy can be released with a button built in below the shotguns' triggers, on the handle of the combined blade, or on the handle of the smaller tonfas. The release of this energy usually is used to power his Semblance, and must be replenished over time when discharged.

Joyous Guard
Expansion Calibrated for Ultimate Resistance
B. Lloyd #8 of 7

An expansion device manufactured to work in conjunction with Artorius and Gwenhwyfar. In its default form the Joyous Guard is a tower shield, large and incredibly heavy. Two racks are integrated into its back side for holding the two tonfa when not in use. It can be held in hand, affixed to the forearm (vertically or horizontally) or stored on Benjamin's back. The top and bottom sides taper off into wedges, enabling it to be used as an offensive bludgeoning weapon when affixed horizontally to the forearm. Its connection to the forearm is carefully designed to ensure that both tonfa are compatible in use when the shield is in play, though Joyous Guard is primarily intended for use with Caletfwlch. The shield is manufactured from dense, durable metals, making it even heavier than it looks. For this reason Gravity Dust was used in its construction, making it nearly weightless in Ben's hand. Notably, however, it is Aura-coded to Ben's Aura; in the hands of anyone not on its whitelist, the Gravity Dust reverses and makes it too heavy to be lifted.

Joyous Guard's secondary configuration requires the use of Artorius and Gwenhwyfar. The shield unfolds, incorporating the transformation mechanisms in both tonfa to provide the necessary components for the configuration. Namely they provide part of the edges and part of the hilt of the immense two-handed sword Joyous Guard becomes. The effects of the Dust carry over in this form, ensuring that Ben can swing it almost as easily as he would Caletfwlch. In fact, due to the nature of F=ma, a swing from it will be many times as devastating with a fraction of the effort. Like Caleftwlch, the shotgun barrels incorporated into the hilt aid in granting increased force to its swings.

Finally, in a tertiary configuration, Joyous Guard can convert while affixed to Ben's forearm by splitting down the middle and orienting the magnetic racks used to hold Artorius and Lawnslot along the two horizontal halves. The Lightning Dust used to generate that magnetic field, in this form, cranks into overdrive to turn the shield into a forearm mounted electromagnetic cannon. Slow-firing, but incredibly potent in its offensive power. Artorius and Lawnslot are absolutely necessary for this configuration, as they provide the additional structural stability needed to let Joyous Guard withstand the considerable forces exerted. As a bonus, however, this makes their shotgun barrels useful in this configuration.
Specialty: Benjamin is a highly adaptable fighter. He lacks dedicated defensive capabilities, but his weapons serve very well as augmentation to forearm blocks. The lightweight nature of his weapons, however, also means that he is a highly agile fighter. His preference is to move as quickly as possible, landing strikes when opportunities present themselves and evading blows (blocking if absolutely unavoidable).

Use of both his Semblance and Caledfwlch is exceedingly rare, to the point that they have not yet been used during his career at Beacon. Both are abilities and options he keeps to himself, aces up the sleeve. Ultimately, his style permits him to act as the situation demands, though the drawback to the continuous siphoning of his Aura, as well as his lack of any dedicated defensive tools, is that his personal defenses are noticeably lower than others'.

Semblance: Deinamig: Benjamin is capable of using Aura to fuel an individual section of his body to well beyond its usual limits. Fueling his legs, for example, will drastically increase both speed and power of his legs, and fueling his arms will do much the same. This can, theoretically, be applied to any section of his body. The Aura for this is usually provided by the resevoirs built up within his weapons, but that supply is not infinite. If a situation arises where he is unable to tap into it (or it runs out) he can directly fuel his Semblance with his present Aura.

Personality: Benjamin is a friendly guy. He also, at first glance through his performance in school, nothing to write home about. Average or slightly above in all his classes, with the only oddities appearing once one takes a closer look. His homework assignments represent minimal effort, while all examination scores actually place him near the top of the grading scale. Between the two, depending on how the class is run, they average out to roughly average grades. In short, Benjamin doesn't bother to do his homework until the last minute, if at all. He conforms to a decidedly nonstandard view of what is important, and what is not. Things he views as "busy work", such as most homework assignments, are treated with at best casual disregard, while things he views as important (tests, examinations, practice, getting to know people) works at. His strange views actually are rooted in a single opinion; if it isn't something he needs to do in order to do well in his life, it doesn't really matter. People skills will be important, combat skills will be important, all of the knowledge he amasses will be important. So he takes his tests and exams seriously, but at the end of the day… Who's going to care, once he leaves Beacon, whether or not his did his vocabulary flash cards?

This practical viewpoint extends to many aspects of his life, but he will always make an effort to get to know people. His wit might be a little sarcastic at times, but anyone who he views as a friend will find that few will go to greater lengths for their friends. Aside from his practicality, which more than a few teachers might instead term "laziness", Ben has one other notable quirk. He seldom fights at full capacity. He believes it is always best to have an ace or two tucked away up the sleeve, so that if a situation ever arises where he simply can't handle it, or needs just a little more power… He has something to draw on.

Color: Steel Gray

Emblem: A single inverted sword set behind a shield emblazoned with a crown device.

Appearance: Benjamin is a few inches short of six feet, making about average height for his gender. He has an athletic build, obviously necessary given his school, but he isn't overly muscular.The fighting style he prefers requires nimble movements, mandating that he maintain both a reasonable muscle mass as well as his agility. A faint grin is his default expression, blue-gray eyes bright with life under slightly messy light brown hair. He wears the Beacon school uniform completely unmodified, though it isn't at all uncommon to see him take the coat off and carry it around. When not attending class (and thus not required to wear his uniform), he tends to default to jeans paired with a black or gray long sleeved shirt. Light but durable boots are his footwear of choice, as his usual field attire simply adds some lightweight gray armor over his torso, and perhaps greaves to his shins. Artorius and Lawsnlot are carried at his belt, one on either side.

[User]
Jack Orpheus | Brewing Storm Mission

This thick air was taking time to get used to, but eventually he managed. He did find himself getting tired a little more quickly, but it wasn't too much of an issue. Looks like being the leader meant he got the flare gun too to use in case of an emergency. As the trekked through the area, they eventually came to a gate, with a terminal beside it. He began examining the terminal, but all he gathered was that it was off... He had no deep understanding of the parts within. Maybe Cian had better luck?

"Hey Cian, can you take a look at this?", he called over to her. Though as he did, Luke blurted out that he spotted something around the corner, and the moment he did, Jack also looked... Or rather, he looked before Luke said anything. His keen senses felt it too, and his eyes caught the movement...

"That couldn't be a survivor... I don't think they'd skulk around in the shadows like that. We should keep an eye out, might be some kind of sneaky Grimm", that said, they shouldn't go looking for it either unless they absolutely have to. If it was the sneaky kind, they would try and ambush the team.

"Well... let's see what we can do about the terminal", he said, referring not just to his team, but also Bastille.

[Assistant]
Kuhaku Shiro - Mission Control -> Airship

 When Abel arrived, Shiro was a little surprised to see him so flustered. It was seemed so unlike him. Had he been busy with something else beforehand? Ah, well. Nonetheless, it seemed his friend was having a rough morning. So, what was Shiro to do? Well, he already had his fill of Gren's tea. He was sure Gren wouldn't mind if he offered what was left to his pal and thusly presented it to the large human with a warm smile. Once all were present and accounted for, Sapphire gave the command to head out. Shiro relinquished the tea into Abel's possession to consume as he quietly following alongside his teammates.

Airship -> Trawl

 Team Swansong all loaded up and en route to their mission location, the effects of the tea Gren had given him quickly wore off. Any moment of peace and quiet and Shiro found himself fading in and out of consciousness. His head sleepily bobbing before repeatedly jolting himself awake and shaking his head to try to cling to the living world. When Sapphire handed him and Abel a pair of earplugs, he took them without thinking and stared at them in his hand. It wasn't until Sapphire gave her explanation that he figured out what she had given it to him for. Unfortunately, they were regular earbuds. Unfit for his faunus ears. Rummaging through his pack in front of him, he came to realize that he had completely forgotten to bring his own pair and left them behind at Beacon.

"Gah, I'm such an idiot!"
Shiro berated himself.

 Frowning and trying the earbuds on anyways, he was a bit worried when they wouldn't stay in very well and constantly fell out with the slightest movement. Removing them for now, he tried his best to not let on that they weren't fitting right. Listening as Sapphire spoke, Shiro realized two new things about his team leader. 1. She was afraid of water. 2. The person that she trusted the most out of the three of them appeared to be Abel when she named him their leader should anything happen to her. The tidbit about her having a phobia of water and drowning was interesting to say the least. He just shrugged when Abel was selected as the backup or co-leader. It didn't matter much to him. Looking up as Gren handed them all a newer version of the Rebreathers he had crafted, Shiro looked over the device in his hand and chuckled.

"Man, this would've come in handy a little while back."
Shaking his head, Shiro found the mask a home in his pack and put it away.

 Yawning, Shiro struggled to remain awake, but only really caught bits and pieces of Gren's words. He and Sapphire seemed to be going over details, plans, advantages and disadvantages. None of which clearly got through to Shiro. Sapphire can't swim, got it. Gren sinks like a rock, got it. Something about some of Gren's weapons functioning and not, got it. Grimm. Missing people. Yawn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He got the basic gist. To avoid letting on that Shiro preferred to just enter into a temporary coma, he decided to chime in about what he could contribute.

"I'm a pretty good swimmer myself, so if we need to go underwater I can tag-team with Abel. I won't be able to use my Dust attacks underwater, but everything else should be fine. On land I can maybe tag with someone else to track down the missing people. Really, it's all up to Sapphire where she wants to put me."

 Him speaking probably only served to clearly show to everyone that he was ridiculously and unexplainably tired. His speech slurred and mumbling here and there. That was it. That was all the energy he had at the moment to utilize. Yawning again, Shiro immediately clocked out. Pulling his pack into his lap as a makeshift pillow, he stuffed his face into it as muffled snores were heard coming from him.


[System]
Alias: Lizard

Age: 21

Personality: Country-girl, cheerful, friendly, helpful, quirky.

Archetype: Metahuman

Powers: Water breathing, tough skin, inhuman strength.

Weaknesses: Aggression, cold, carnivore

Appearance:

Character Evolution: Superhero boyfriend? Check. Family issues solved? Check. Fight crime?

Altered History: Going steady with Champion. Finished dealing with her biological father, Killer Croc - having that chapter in her life closed and finished.

Recommended Background Leaguer: Atom

BRIEF Bio: Jessica Jones grew up in the Mississippi River Delta, being the odd girl amongst the many other bayou dwelling communities to whom the river was their way of life. Her mother, Jessy, had died in childbirth due to complications, and had been raised by her mother' parents.

That was part of what had been told to the neighbours - in truth, Jessica had been the daughter of Killer Croc aka Waylon Jones; whom had been in the area and had during a heated moment, attacked her mother. During a time, when the young female had been engaged with her own boyfriend.

The parents of her mother, had driven off Killer Croc - whom they assumed had been a large crocodile, whom had killed Jessy' boyfriend and mauled her mother badly. Her mother had been impregnated with her - yet due to the genetic trait, passed onto Jessica, that being heavy atavism - it made her have complications and died in childbirth.

While Jessica, was considered greenish almost otherwordly in appearance, equal to her father - she had been lucky. Namely her grandparents had been more kind and generous - than his childhood, considering Jessica - named after her mother, Jessy, to be their flesh-and-blood. No matter how she looked or appeared to be. Despite her atavism - Jessica remained a healthy girl. Over the years as she grew, her mother paternal' side metahuman powers started to manifest.

While her education wasn't the best one could offer - her grandparents were the more religious, and off-grid people - she was mostly home-schooled, taught how to read and write and the basics of life. What was more important, they taught her to be a good person in-general - to turn the other cheek, no matter what people said about her and always remember, that they cared about her.

...In her time, as a member of the Justice League - she has met and gotten almost mangled, met a rather shy but lovable hero that she eventually started dating and has become the League' aquatic fighter.

Notes: Has been going steady with Champion, teaching each other new tricks and backed-up whenever necessary. The duo have improved their team-work and combined attack strategies. She also has a deeper secret, that none beyond Champion knows about.

Sample Post:

Jessica coughed, as she finally smashed the sledgehammer down onto the head of Killer Croc, knocking him out finally - breaking the tool into pieces, before throwing away the broken handle. That fight had taken more out of her, than she initially thought. For being a walking-talking alligator-man, the supervillain could take more punishment - that anybody she had seen before.

She didn't stay around for long - soon diving into the water, of the formerly abandoned and now destroyed port. Her tail and body gliding easily through the water, as she searched for her beloved. Killer Croc had contacted her - a few days ago. Having called her to 'tell her the truth'.

Suffice to say - Lizard expected some kind of trap - being contacted out of the blue and by a wanted felon no less. Hence why she had brought back-up in the form of her boyfriend, Champion. They couldn't also ignore Killer Croc - whom had been holding several construction workers hostage, in a nearby warehouse. Promising to kill them, if Lizard hadn't come here. Needless to say, she came - and then was rather shocked to learn, her...origin.

Lizard was the daughter of Killer Croc - or rather a rape-child, conceived by the villain. Unfortunately whatever he had come to get - Lizard would not be joining Killer Croc in his quest for vengeance. Nor join as some bastard apprentice. She was her own woman, her own hero - despite sharing the same blood, they didn't share the same opinion nor ideals about humans. Thus, she was willing to fight and bring in her own biological father. Although, she had long made peace with her mother' father - and Waylon Jones had never been her father to begin with.

The bastard had been clever, Lizard had to admit to that - he immediately blinded both with some tear gas and flash-bangs. Then proceeded to knock out Champion first - him being the most obvious threat, had chained him to a tanker' anchor and dropped him to the bottom of the port. Needless to say - while she had been holding back before, NOBODY hurt her love and lived. Killer Croc soon was taught - that the one thing, they had in common was their bloodrage. In-general, Lizard had ALOT to be angry at that moment and focused on - more than Killer Croc had. He took way more damage, from the lithe and agile Lizard - then he could dish back at her.

'Come on, come on - love. Don't you dare float away on the currents on me. I'd never hear the end of it, from your parents. I am not dying a widow here. Understand?' thought Lizard to herself. Hoping that he might somehow had psychic powers and be able to contact her. Although, that might also be bad in the other way.

With those thoughts in her mind, she soon located Champion' unconscious form at the bottom of the sand-bed. The woman, swimming up to him - and quickly did the only thing she could think of to provide him with oxygen and try to get the water out of his lungs. Although, that resulted with Champion - waking-up and namely being lip-locked underwater with his girlfriend. Who was the literal breath in his body in this unique circumstance.

'Hope you like the taste of tuna and seawater,' she giggled against the Kiss of Life, soon helping him get the chain off his neck and helping to swim the back to the surface. They had a lot of damage to report on and some workers to rescue from a dusty-old warehouse.

Although, once they surfaced for air - they soon enough felt themselves being pulled away. Just as suddenly as it happened, they soon felt solid ground under them. As Lizard looked around and saw they were back at HQ.

"Okay...what was that?" she asked, soon spitting out the water that had been in her body, as she soon shook her head and hair. Something was strange - neither of them had hit the 'Recall' on them. So why where they back here so suddenly?

[User]
Being an alien with super hearing, Lara sure let a lot of people sneak up on her. Her eyes moved off the crushing image of a Humvee, parked upside down inside a diner, as she addressed the white mask of Kitsune.
"Oh hey, Kitsune. Well, just pondering what we could have done better. Trying to learn from it, I guess. I kinda believe the moment we stop improving, we all cease to be great. And we need to. We are the reason some people even get up in the morning. So … I ponder."

Kitsune glanced at the paper Supergirl was reading and sighed. She may not know Supergirl that much, but she kind of understood her personality even in their short time together as co-Leaguers. She also understood why the girl felt this way: being the only daughter of the Superman himself, it's only natural for her to step up and take the stand as Earth's next most powerful superhero.

She turned her whole attention to Supergirl. "You know, it's not bad to always think of ways on how you can improve as a hero to save everyone. I'm sure all of our predecessors did that too, including Superman", Kistune paused, thinking how she can properly say it to the heroine without trying to offend her. "Shikashinagara, the hard part about that is even if we are the most powerful being in the world, we can never save anyone all the time nor can we prevent any deaths that'll happen in the future. All I'm saying is, don't beat yourself up on thinking about being the perfect hero all the time. Think about your sake every once in a while.

"Besides, that is why you're in the Justice League", Naomi added as she waved at the others around her. "Even if you can't be anywhere at once to save lives then it just means one of us is already there doing the job. Don't stress yourself, Supergal, watashitachi wa anata no senaka o eta. We got your back", Naomi said while shouldering Supergirl teasingly.

"Maybe." Lara did a slow 360 of the room, loosened up just a tiny bit, then added: "Thanks."

[Assistant]
When people took a gander at the outside of the Metro Tower, home of the Justice League, in all of it's strikingly monolithic, shiningly futuristic architecture typical of Metropolis, most assumed it was... kinda boring inside. And to their credit, they were mostly right; designed to be practical, with fortified white and grey walls interrupted only by the occasional window, heavy steel door, a glowing monitor screen or in some cases, a potted plant placed by some absolute madman who clearly didn't get the memo about the mandatory monotony, the place, though absolutely bristling with the most advanced technology and some of the mightiest beings on the face of the planet could be mind-numbingly dull at times.

One of the few exceptions to this rule, was the Rec. Room. Where one could actually get a glimpse at what a bunch of heroes living under the same roof actually looked like, away from the media and left to their own devices.

For one thing, the hard, reinforced tiles of the tower floors were covered up by a plush black carpet and the walls actually had some paint on them- a healthy deep blue parted by a sci-fi-ish, thick horizontal black stripe running through the middle and decorated by hung pictures and posters of leaguers and memories both recent and distant, from the Founding Five and the JSA to a candid picture of that time Question and Scarab got hammered playing pool down in Mexico. A long shelf beneath the arranged pictures of the League's founders held a few momentos, more personal or amusing than actual victory trophies, including but not limited to Superman's old signed Babe Ruth baseball card, Jay Garrick's winged helmet and a small, hand-made stuffed Batman Bruce was handed two decades ago by a cheeky little girl in Bucharest.

From the door, a huge, semi-circular and otherworldly comfortable couch and a massive flat-screen took up most of the right half of the room, with the walk there occupied by billiard, foosball, table-hockey and air hockey tables and a jukebox, pinball machine, Donkey Kong arcade machine and a dartboard with a picture Booster's most recent ex taped to the centre (that he'd apparently missed with every dart) snugged up against the walls. To the left, there sat a large, round mahogany table and chairs, all littered with small carvings and grafitti from Leaguers past and present, and the kitchen, semi-seperated by wall broken by a doorless entryway and a bar-counter and currently containing The Champion, humming along to the tunes spilling forth from the jukebox while cooking up some grub for the League's usual weekend lunch.

In...
Justice League Unlimited Vol.II
Episode I: The Return of Solara

"C'mon Champy. It isn't nice to keep a girl waiting. When will the food be ready?" Duncan chuckled a bit at his girlfriend's hungry whining, though he still didn't turn away from the deep-fryers. "Can't I sneak away a few now? You know what happens when you don't feed an alligator. It comes biting at the first thing it sees."

Hearing her hop the counter and feeling her chin hovering just over his shoulder, The Lion of Nova Scotia took the opportunity to reach back and gently run his hand through her hair and pull her in for a quick for a quick little peck on the forehead before he set himself back to his task.

"Settle down, Jess, We're almost done." He explained as he reached forward and turned the fryers off, before raising and shaking out the racks and scooping a healthy helping of home-cut fries into a line of baskets lined with newspaper, repeating the process with the beer-battered fish immediately afterward and wedging a slice of lemon and a wee cup of tartar sauce securely into the corner of each basket where they could be used if needed "Good things come to those who wait, after all."

Truth be told, fish and chips wasn't exactly the fanciest meal on the planet. Certainly not something you'd think about serving to the Goddamn Justice League. But hell, it was easy- Especially when your dad is a Fisherman who routinely unloads a ridiculous amount of fresh fish on you every time his boat comes back to port and you have a cousin who farms potatoes.

It also gave him time to cook up some of his mother's recipe Oreo Cream Pie, which now sat cooling on the stove top, despite how often he'd had to smack J'onn with a ladle to keep it there.

"Alright ladies and gents, grubs up!" Duncan finally announced, placing the baskets down on the counter for the others to take, keeping one for himself and taking the pie with him to the table where he could keep an eye on it and ensure it was safe from the greedy green mitts of the Martian Manhunter "Just give it a bit ta cool down, it's still hot."

Reaching to the center of the table and opening up the hidden hatch concealing the mini-fridge built into it's centre column, the Champion fished himself out a bottle of coke and finally sat down in his usual spot, identified by where he'd left his coat hanging before he'd started cooking, calmly popping off the cap of his glass bottle of sugar, bad things and good feelings with his thumb as he did so.

"Let's eat."


[System]
정체성:
(검은하양)은 (의지력 강한) (나노)이며 (기적을 일으킨다)

성별:
여

나이:
???

특성치 역량:
1. 힘 역량 (7/7) 힘 재능 (0)
2. 속력 역량 (9/9) 속력 재능 (0)
3. 지성 역량 (17/22) 지성 재능 (1)

분발:
한 행동당 1번

사이퍼 휴대제한:
3개

기능:
1. 정신적 효과 저항(익숙)
2. 엄청난 집중력이 필요한 일(익숙)

무능:
1. 퍼즐, 문제풀기, 사실암기, 학식을 다루는 모든 일, 난이도 1단계 증가.

특수능력:
1. 소형무기 숙련-소형무기 패널티 없음. 중형무기 난이도 1단계 상승. 대형무기 난이도 2단계 상승.
2. 누메네라 익숙-누메네라에 익숙하며 그 성질을 이해하고 판별 가능.
3. 검사(지성2)-가로/세로/높이 3m의 정육면체 영역과 그 내의 모든 물체, 생물 검사. 레벨 및 정보.
4. 쇄도(지성1)-단거리. 신체에 4점 피해. 지성엔 2점 피해(지성공격 땐 장갑 무시)
5. 치유의 손(지성1)- 난이도2. 지성판정. 대상의 특성치 역량 하나를 1d6점 회복. 같은 대상을 연속으로 치료할 때마다 난이도는 한 단계씩 높아짐. 대상이 10시간 휴식하고 나면 난이도는 다시 2로 떨어짐. 행동.

장비 및 소지품:
1. 표창발사기(소형무기), 표창12발.
2. 누메네라에 관한 책

돈(쉰)
4쉰

장갑:
0

공격:
1. 쇄도(지성1)-단거리. 신체에 4점 피해. 지성엔 2점 피해(지성공격 땐 장갑 무시)
2. 표창발사기(소형무기)-공격 난이도 1단계 하락. 피해:2

사이퍼:
1. 기이한 장치 형태의 정지장 방출기(Lv7)-단거리 내의 대상에게 에너지 발사. 4점의 방사능 피해를 주고, 대상의 레벨이 7레벨 이하일 경우 1라운드 동안 움직이지 못하게 만듦.

2. 몸에 붙이는 수정 형태의 역장 수정(Lv3)-사용하면 향후 28시간 동안, 사용자에게 장갑+2

3. 바늘 형태의 정신 제어기(Lv8):
바늘에 찔린 상대에게 10분간 무엇이든 명령할 수 있습니다.
유기 생물체에게만 유효합니다.
상대는 힘 방어로 극복할 수 있습니다.

아티팩트와 신기품:
1. 신기품-착용하면 노폐물에 더럽혀지지 않지만 가끔 몸이 달아오르고 이상한 신음이 나오게 만드는 속옷

출신배경:
검은하양의 어머니는 돌아가시기 전에 강력한 나노였고, 근처 사람들을 많이 도와주었다. 덕분에 주민들은 검은하양을 잘 대해주지만, 그만큼 기대하는 것도 많다.
검은하양은 득이 안 되는 일이지만 바르시온과 에인델의 안전을 걱정하여 참가했다.
검은하양과 함께 다니는 이들은 그녀를 초자연적인 존재라고 의심하곤 한다. 검은하양은 그런 의심을 눈치 채더라도 모르는 체 한다.

등급:
1등급 나노

경험치:
0

부상트랙:
건강(ㅇ) / 중상(x) / 치명상(x)

회복판정:
1d6+1

현재 회복 필요 시간:
행동 하나(ㅇ) / 10분(x) / 1시간(x) / 10시간(x)

[User]
바르시온이 바닥판을 들어올리자 아래로 내려갈 수 있는 길이 나타났다.
길 너머에도 어둠이 스멀거리는 것은 마찬가지였다.

검은하양이 나섰다. "바르시온 님. 혹시 위험하지 않나 제가 또 살펴볼게요."
소녀는 검사 에소테리를 발동했다.

(검은하양의 지성 역량은 17/22가 되었습니다.)

검사 에소테리로 살펴본 결과, 최소한 입구에선 특별한 장치가 아무 것도 발견되지 않았다.
눈에 보이는 대로, 저 너머로 이어지는 통로일 뿐이었다.

검은하양이 바르시온과 에인델에게 조심스레 말했다. "아무래도...함정은 없는 것 같은데요? 최소한 입구 쪽에서는요."

(이제 일행은 어떻게 하나요?)

[Assistant]
"내 뒤로, 천천히 따라와."

바르시온을 선두로. 일행은 천천히 통로를 조심스레 걸어나가기 시작했습니다.


[System]
Ark

"Don't make me chase you."
Gender:
Male.

Age:
30.

Race:
Android.

Faction:
PPDC.

Personality:
Extremely friendly. Although, he can be very defensive, almost scary. He enjoys the action in fighting those damned monsters. Seeing them as no more than pests that need exterminating.

History:
Toby always wanted to fight. He loved the adrenaline that shot through him in those heated moment. He fought all throughout his childhood and even into his college years, 2024-2029. Then he heard about the Jaeger units that fought the Kaiju, and from that point he was determined to get to do it. So he enrolled, and worked as hard as he could to make it, and after enough work and time, in the year 2030, he made it. Then Ark was made...

Powers/Abilities:
In his regular suit:

* He can use the prongs on his arms as batons. Able to swing and spin them with alarming speed, he can even heat them to become able to cut and melt through most materials and metals.
* His suit is agile and surprisingly flexible, but don't underestimate his strength, he has quite the arm.

Now, for Ark.

* He stands at 48 meters, and can move.
* The armaments on his shoulders act as nail guns, able to pierce through, or pin down pretty much anything.
* Once this has happened, He uses his lengthy body and nitrogen tanks on his arms to either put the Kaiju in question into submission, or he can kill is by stretching it's body, suffocating it, or breaking it.

Other:
He doesn't really have a defining song. Just imagine the heaviest metal music that you can.

[User]
"THE MONSTERVERSE"

Chapter 0: - Prologue

---

---

The KGDF Headquarters: - TOKYO, JAPAN

The stern face of Commander Akane Yashiro glares motionlessly outside her large office room window as she oversees the glaring sun slowly raising above the cityscape. The clock above the entrance door shows that it is currently 6:30 in the morning, but it meant little to the cyborg for she had been up an hour earlier. She's always been the early bird in these situations, perhaps having assumed the title of commander does Yashiro does she feel like she must get up this early. Who knows if they could be hit with another alarm that recognizes the threat of an incoming kaiju somewhere in the world. And once it does, everyone will have to assemble quickly and fight the incoming invaders...

But this entire week summoned no attacks at all.

As Yashiro continues contemplating on a reason why, she can hear the commotion of KGDF forces murmuring behind her in the following corridors. The other staff members are just beginning to wake up and do their regular business. Some of the staff are on 'night duty', but they must've left at 5:45 because by the time Yashiro bothered to hear her surroundings since she woke up... she heard nothing at all. Even now does it still continues to issue an eerie silence to this whole event, minus the people walking about There were no alarms, no panicked shocks, no gasps... Everything seemed calm and in order, just the way Yashiro likes it.

Of course, she wasn't entirely relieved at this result.

The last kaiju attack was directly one week ago at the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, by a monster mutant known as Eleking. She popped out of the ocean and began wrecking havoc on the city for some time before the KGDF sent out the newly-created Gipsy Avenger, sequel to Gipsy Danger, as a test run. The sequel android was ultimately a success and she has been placed in a rookie squad to get herself started by training for the eventual missions at hand. But ever since then, there had been no reported kaiju attacks for the entire week...

But of course, there's also a jinx to it.

Suddenly, the alarms go off and a heaving blaring can be heard from across the entire facility. Akane's cold face quickly morphs into a face of surprise as she walks briskly out of the door and to the command center. Her metal clanking can be heard for several meters as she marches towards her next position. Once she arrives, the doors quickly open automatically as the commander enters the room.

"Status report." she commands coldly without emotion as she looks down at the two main personnel that were accessing the situation.

The female operator looks up in a horrified face on pure terror.

"We got kaiju contact..." she replies trying to be calm as possible. She pauses as she looks back at the monitor to reveal multiple red dots around the globe. "At multiple places simultaneously!"

Akane looks on as she inspects the areas of contact.

There are three places around the world where kaiju activity are taking place...

- Osaka, Japan
- Los Angeles, California
- Casablanca, Morocco

"Are you able to identify them?" Akane asks again.

The operator simply shook her head.

"Our main satellite is still under repairs." she replies with a distraught sigh, "We have NO idea what we should be expecting."

"Prepare the units." the commander orders strictly as she begins to leave the room...

"They're back."

[Assistant]
Jackie had been sitting in her room, reading, of all things, a romance novel. She didn't need to sleep, and she'd found the human ideas of love fascinating. Arranged marriages were the norm where she was from, so it was interesting to see a different view of things. Then the alarms blared. Joy.

She put her illusion on- granted, virtually everyone knew what she really was anyway, but it was polite not to freak them out- and headed down towards the briefing room. Hopefully, this would be a good hunt. It had been too damn long since she'd gotten to do field work.

[User]
Desary stretched languidly as she reconstituted herself. Long distance swims were always a bore, and crossing the ocean even more so. Still her Micro form had once again proven to be invaluable in slipping past the various checkpoint and border patrols that would cause an unending flood of troubles for her. Especially after the city she had ruined over in Brazil, it was nowhere of importance, but the KGDF had responded with greater alacrity than normal.

'Either they are becoming more competent or I am starting to become predictable' she mused as she stalked to the edge of the alleyway she had formed in, and couldn't help the small smile that graced her features as she looked out at the busy street.

It had been a few years since Dez had been back to Japan. It was where she was born, in a sense, and she always loved it when she able to stay. Granted a fair amount of that had to do with the fact that Godzilla was frequently found roaming these lands, but a part of it was honest nostalgia for her home territory.

Taking care that her 'apparel' was a touch more modest than usual, a simple endeavor considering her clothes were made up of more of her, but was completely uncaring that her heritage was on full display with her tail swishing behind her and the blatant of the horn atop her head. She ventured forth headed deeper in to the depths of Osaka intent of enjoying the flavors of her home territory once again.

A few hours later and the Kaiju was starting to grow bored. She had enjoyed the various leers and stares that she always garnered. From the women it was always jealousy or contempt; occasionally she would detect lust from them but rarely was it obvious. The same could not be said of the men, whom almost always would leer at her as she would strut by. Some would whistle, most would stare, and occasionally one would be brave enough to try and coerce her in to spending a night with them.

Inevitably all of them would taken aback by fear as they noticed her tail was not a prop. This suited Desary just fine as she knew form past encounters that humans were simply too fragile for her to get any satisfaction from them. Unless, of course, she was seeking to inflict pain, then their fragility made them all the more enjoyable to play with. Now however she was attempting to find something interesting to distract her.

And before she could drum up something to do, a shrill sound split the air as alarms started going off. Slowly a blood thirsty grin started to form on her face as she realized that they were Kaiju alarms 'Seems someone has graciously volunteered to help me with my boredom' she thought merrily as she started to skip in the direction that the warnings were blaring people away form.

[Assistant]
Numbani airport - early evening

Upon the recently repaired tarmac of the African city of Numbani's main airport quite the crowd has gathered, centered around a soon to depart KGDF cargo transport plane and the small group of scientists and military personnel preparing to board it. The main focus of the various local reporters and paparazzi, who had been allowed a brief opportunity to ask questions and take photographs before the group went of to japan, was on the Month old android Orisa and her 11 year old creator Efi Oladele who they were bombarding with questions.

"...looking forwards to learning from experienced units like Gipsy Danger..."

"...all thanks to our wonderful university's..."

At the back of the congregation Asmaa Kattan, the highest ranking of the military personnel present received a high priority phone call from KGDF headquarters and, after a short conversation, approached the android and her inventor. Efi noticed her approached and turned from the journalists to ask

"Are we ready to get going Miss Kattan?"

"Change of plans. Private Orisa, walk with me."

I.. Yes. At once mam!"

The centaur android turned from the now unruly press who were desperate to know what was going on, and the two walked towards the aircraft, only to be joined by Efi.

"I don't remember asking for you to join us Efi, go and rejoin your colleagues."

 "Where Orisa goes, I go."

"I will not be the one to take a child into a war zone. Go back."

"A war zone? Whatever is going on?"

Kattan sighed and turned to face the young pair, rather exasperated. She was in the military, she should not be having to deal with children.

"The KGDF just got word of 3 separate simultaneous kaiju attacks, one of which is currently hitting Casablanca: the capital city of Morocco. As you are the closest available unit it has been decided you will be engaging the threat. We are to leave immediately."

 "Then I have to come, I'm the only one who knows how Orisa works and it's her first mission! What if something goes wrong? I should be there, supporting her!"

"I will not budge on this issue, and every second we waste on it puts more lives in danger. Go back. That is an order!"

"I. But."

"I'll be fine Efi and you can still keep an eye on me remotely. Right?"

Kattan nodded and, after a few moments of deliberation, Efi slumped, accepting her predicament but still clearly upset at the limitations remote communication would bring. Seeing this, Orisa gave her creator a quick hug.

"Come home safe so we can both go to Japan together. Promise."

"I promise. See you soon."

---

Approaching Casablanca - Morocco, early evening

Inside the rear end of the transport plane a visibly nervosa Orisa stood before a currently closed exit ramp. The android was running a few last minute pre transformation diagnostics, as much to calm her nerves as to make sure she was ready, when Kattan's voice came over the intercom.

"We're approaching the dropsite. We still don't have an orbital visual of the target, so your primary goal is to get us a clear picture of the kaiju. Once we have that you'll engage or pull back on my order, understood?"

"Understood mam."

"Good. we're opening the door now. Prepare to jump"

At this, the large bay doors at the back of the plane began to open slowly, the ramp lowering and exposing the city of Mohammedia, a port city just east of Casablanca, below. The lights of the city came into focus as the plane descended and slowed in preparation for android deployment.

"Drop in, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go go go!"

At that command Orisa galloped down the exit ramp and leaped out of the aircraft, the freezing wind blowing through her dark curly hair for just a moment before she activates her size changer. At this android massively expands in size while in mid air and, while her lower half remains roughly the same in appearance, her upper half becomes covered in metal armor, her horns expand massively in length, a plasma cannon forms in the place of her right hand and her face is covered by a golden tinted mask. The now 70M tall orisa activates her Fortify ability, a golden aura shimmering across her entire body, which braces her for the impact with the water seconds later. She grinds to a halt, canceling the momentum she had inherited from the plane, and then turn quickly to face the city of Casablanca.

"This is Orisa. landing successful. I am ready to initiate combat operations."

"Confirmed. Proceed as planned."

---

From her hiding place among the cargo in the plane, Efi watches this all through Orisa's eyes on her laptop. She opens a chat window alongside all of the various diagnostic info she has onscreen and types Good Luck

Down below Orisas eyes briefly make a ^_^ expression before she begins her steady advance along the coast line towards the beleaguered city.


[System]
Appearance:
Gender: Male

Nicknames/Aliases: Fogey, Gramps, Old Man

Epithet: Strikeout Worches

Age: 55

Bounty: 54,000,000

Hometown: North Blue, Sports Island

Pirate Crew: (Formerly the Fossil Rush pirates)

Role: Powder Monkey

Abilities & Skills: Despite being past his prime, Worches is still incredibly athletic. So athletic, in fact, that he doesn't bother with cannons- He just throws the cannonballs. He's the greatest pitcher in the North Line, with a fastball that can sink ships. What would be a single for most batters becomes an in-the-park-homer thanks to his speed, and he wields a Seastone baseball bat with disturbing skill. He's also good with his fingers, able to pick locks like nobody's business.

Personality: Worches is, at his core, a professional pirate. He's plied the shipping lanes for twenty years, and expects the crew to behave like professionals. The idea of operating a ship with only a skeleton crew disgusts him, and he's just as disturbed by the lack of vital positions on the crew's roster. He feels that pirates who fall back on Devil Fruits are less than worthless, forsaking the sea for power and failing to train themselves.

Biography: Born on Sports Island, an island obsessed with all forms of sports. While stopping to resupply, the quartermaster of the Fossil Rush Pirates saw his skill on the baseball diamond and figured he'd make an excellent powder boy- he was quick, he was small, and he had incredible dexterity. Jumping at the chance for adventure, the then-15-year-old pirate joined the crew without a second thought. Sailing across the North Blue, waylaying ships, plundering cargo, and ransoming captives- the true life of a pirate. Twenty years of adventure followed.

Now, however, it's forty years later. The captain of the Fossil Rush has retired, and the crew has disbanded. Most of the crewmen have moved on to other crews or integrated into civilian life. But not Worches. He's been beaten and weathered by a life at sea, looking far older than he is. Piracy is his life, and if he has anything to say, it will be his death. The powderboy's all grown up, looking for a new crew, and hoping they aren't the "chivalrous pirates" that seem to be infesting the seas these days.

Theme Song: WAY-HO-HO! IT'S ONE FOR ALL FOR ONE!

Other:

[User]
The old man sat by the window, chugging a tankard of something reeking of ocean water and booze. Lovely, lovely grog. Rather than brooding in the corner like some childish adventure hero, he was laughing and singing with a few of the other old salts who'd found their way here by the window. The bounty of that table would have been enough to send most marines running for their money. The scene from the corner-skulking man and the girl drew a new batch of laughter.

"Looks like he's yer knight in shinin' armor, lassie! Comin' to the rescue of a little girl! Aye, so big and brave, startin' barfights over a girl insulting a man!"

Another long chug, he continued laughing at the ongoing dramatacism.

"Tip yer hat and bend yer knee, laddie! Let her know you'll kill these men who've said barely three words ta ya to protect her from the consequences of her actions! GWAAAAAHAHA!"

[Assistant]
Emeri was about to do something about the rude customers herself when another guy came and started cutting people up. Yeah, an skilled swordsman no doubt, but it still seemed... wrong to interfere in a fight just because and like that. The guy seemed to think that Emeri couldn't take care of herself. And then there was the old guy in the bar that made the girl blush like crazy. Yeah, she needed no knight in shining armor. She was her OWN knight in shining armor. "Huh... I see, I see. So, you think I need someone saving me? Don't make me laugh!"

Disappearing in a blur, Emeri advanced forward, making some of the civilians admire in awe her stunning speed. "Oto Dash!" Emeri said, after getting herself in front of one of the goons wiht a wide smirk in her face. "You guys lack so much delicacy. You don't deserve to be treated nicely." The girl said, before punching the first guy at super sonic speed and throwing him against the wall, effectively making him dig into it and leave his sillhoute there. And then, before anymore of them could even react to what she had done, she threw herself to the ground and supported herself on the ground, before using her legs at super sonic speed yet again and kicking two of the other goons standing behind her. They also flew quite some distance, but this time, one crashed against a table and broke it and the other against a chair, also breaking it.

With that done, the girl spun around still supporting herself on the ground and then finally brought her legs down to ground level. Running a hand by her hair, Emeri decided to jump over a table and look down on all of the idiots. "Now, how about you all just calm down a bit. It is not like you stand a chance against the Queen of Pirates right here." With that said, every civilian in the bar seemed to be a bit shocked at her sudden statement.... Before breaking into a fit of laughter that filled the bar.

Things like 'Did you hear this idiot?', 'She can't really be thinking she can become the King of Pirates, 'Not with so many dangerous rookies lulling around!' Yes, all of them were pretty insulting. Emeri's face became red as a tomato the moment they started laughing.

"Heh, even if you laugh right now, soon enough, you'll be begging in your knees once you see I am really the Pirate Queen!" Emeri says back to them, before turning to the swordsman. "And you! Why did you have to interfere like that? Didn't you see I had the situation under control?" Calming herself down, she finally looks back at Ryuhei with a smile in her face. "Or what, would you like to go at it with me?"

[User]
Hm...this was surprising.

And he her thought that he had to save some little damsel in distress. Ryuhei had simply watched with a raised eyebrow and a growing smirk as the girl seemed to blur forward at a speed that his sharp eyes easily matched, kicking a goon before kicking another two, breaking quite a bit of furniture in the old tavern. An old man at the back seemed to guffaw about something or another, talking about Ryuhei preparing to kill these men for no reason; which only made his smirk grow into a grin. Just as he was about to laugh at the old timer and say some really hurtful words, he was cut off by the girl leaping onto the table and declaring her future as the 'Pirate Queen'. Amongst the other goons and civilians, Ryuhei merely watched, his grin disappearing into his normal frown when she turned her attention to him. Did he want to have a go at her?

A quick glance over her form showed him that no, he didn't want to have a go at her. There was no fear in the statement; he didn't want to fight her...because disappointing fights were, well, disappointing. She wouldn't further his goal of becoming the world's greatest swordsman...she most-likely had no skills as a swordsman, and although she took care of herself, she didn't have the physique of a physically astounding warrior, either. She was probably one of the people who relied on their Devil Fruits to save their day...a pity, really. However...he was in a fired-up move, and had been really looking forward to fighting the goons all around him. Maybe...No. He wouldn't raise a sword against someone weaker, if there was no fun in it. No challenge.

"Not worth it." He stated dismissively, waving one hand. His golden eyes peered deeply at her form. "What are you...twelve? Fifteen? Ten?" Although it was hard to tell with his cold, deep voice, there was an ounce of honest curiosity. Obviously, the swordsman was incredibly lost when it came to knowing someone's age.

[Assistant]
"OH! OH! NOW THEY LACK DELICACY, SAYS THE GIRL TOSSIN' EM THROUGH WALLS!"

He went to take another swig of grog, before spewing it out at the mention of the phrase "queen of the pirates" and continuing to laugh his ass off.

"GWAAAAAHAHAHA! LASSIE, PIRATES DON'T BOW TO NO KING OR QUEEN IN THIS AGE! AND CERTAINLY NOT ONE THAT'S SO COWARDLY THEY NEED A DEVIL FRUIT TO SURVIVE IN THE DRUNKEN DEMON!"

The man stood up, shaking his head. His laughter died down as he grabbed the full bottle of alcohol in one hand, and a baseball bat in the other. He slung the bat over his shoulder before turning a hateful glare, full of the disappointment of a man seeing everything wrong with the new generation infesting the livelihood he held so dear, to the self-proclaimed pirate queen.

"Aaaaah, piracy's gone downhill since my day it seems. All you brats runnin' about, talkin' about KING OF THE PIRATES this and I'M SO COOL I HAVE A MAGIC BANANA that. In my day, ye got by on yer wits, yer muscle, and yer reputation. But it looks like sellin' yer pirate's soul to the devil and forsakin' the sea's embrace fer power is enough to make some brats these days think they're hot shit. Thinks that lets them call themselves a pirate. In my day?"

In the blink of an eye, a fork flew over to the wall, quivering over an old wanted poster. Strikeout Worches, a bounty of 54,000,000- For piracy, sinking a marine vessel, burglarizing a Marine Captain's house, the theft of cargo totaling 30,000 tons, and shaving a Marine Captain's prize showdog. The pirate adjusted his hat and headed for the door.

"In my day ye had to WORK to be worthy of sayin' that."

[User]
Both guys seemed to be hugely understimating her. Devil Fruit or not, Emeri was still a damn fine pirate!..... probably. Even so, the comment from the swordsman pissed her off a bit. How could someone just not see that she was already eighteen?! "What was that!? Can't you see I am 18, you idiotic monkey!" Yeah, she was losing her cool. The guy didn't want to fight her and instead tried insulting her. Yeah, she should play it smooth here. She turned to the swordsman yet again, making her hair move around elgantly with her own elegant moves. "But even then, I cannot blame you for being scared of me. You may need swords, but I don't need such things. My, if it weren't because I ate a Devil Fruit by accident, I could still be able to drag you around the ground as it is proper for someone of YOUR class."

Emeri jumped off the table. She was now full and out of here. Of course, she couldn't just let the comments of the old timer slide. He was part of the past age, and certainly a big asset for her in coming fights. She approached him with a smile. Even if he was saying all of those things and whatnot about devil fruits, he was certainly someone with some experience in the seas all ready. Perfect, just what Emeri needed. With another smirk, and pointing at him Emeri said what she needed to say. "You are a a real pain in anyone's bottom, old man. I like you. Even if you couldn't get a Devil Fruit in your time, I'm sure you are still real powerful. Why don't you become part of my crew?" She smiled at him.

Of course, the bandits wouldn't just stay down while she had a talk with the old timer. Once the guy swinged his sword down to get her, Emeri decided to not let it go through her and instead use the guy's momentum against him. She avoided the slashing motion of the guy's sword, moved into the inside of the guy's guard and then punched him right on his stomach. It was a subtle move that still damaged the guy badly, making him fall to his knees. "W-What? How? She didn't even use her Devil Fruit powers....?"

"Hehe, good enough right?" She turned to the old man. "Anyhow, I'm off to steal some boat to get to the next island. I need to get to the Grand Line as soon as possible. I need someone seasoned like you helping me out. You DO wish to see the seas one more time before dying right?" Emeri arrogantly smirked at him. She also turned to the swordsman and glared at him a bit, before smiling. She was trying to provoke him, in one way or the other. She would also like to have someone like that in her crew, someone aside from her that could fight. Just, she may need to educate the little monkey. "And the monkey swordsman over there.... Well, just come too. It'll be fun."

[Assistant]
"...You want ta be queen o' the pirates."

Worches pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

"An' ya don't even have a boat. Do Devil Fruits cause brain damage, lass? Is that why ya came into the Drunken Demon an' started insulting the local hoodlums?"

He shook his head, following the girl out, taking the bottle with him.

"If ye be a true laggard, I'd be a whoreson fer talkin' down of ya. Can't let ya go stickin' dubloons up yer nose or jumpin in' the water because ye see a pretty fish, so I guess I HAVE to come along."


[System]
Class: Illusionist

Race: Human

Appearance (Picture or Description or Both): In reality, Leval is 5'3" at 132 pounds. He keeps his brown hair cropped short to his head except for a small tuft in the front of his hair, which he takes a lot of pride in. His face is lightly freckled on his tan skin and his eyes are hazel. He has a slight overbite and a rather large nose. However, when Leval has his illusion up he most often appears as a rather idealized, intimidating version of himself.

Power Ranking: C

Electives:
-Magical History
-Potion Making

Character's Characteristics: Leval is a born liar and rather cowardly at times, though he pretends otherwise. However, when the cards are on the table Leval will stand up for those who treat him with respect. He is more curious about the world around him and loves learning about magic and history.

Main Power(s) based on Class: Appearance Illusions. Leval's illusion magic is based in changing his appearance and the way other people perceive him. This power can change from appearing as someone else to illusory shapeshifting where it appears as though he is giant in form or wielding any type of weapon he can imagine. However, he has not mastered controlling the sense of touch so these illusions are easily seen through if someone tries to physically touch one. Knowing that Leval tries to make himself look as intimidating as possible to scare off his opponents.

Backstory (If Any): Leval was born in a small village where he was frequently targeted for his small size. When his magic manifested, his parents took him to a larger village where he could learn to control his power. They were always supportive and Leval takes care to write them as often as he can. Leval devoured all the books he could about magic and history and went off to Rosewood to satisfy his rampant curiousity

Any Other Info, if any: Leval has a pair of gloves with a small lightning opal attached to the top that produce light in a beam in front of him acting as a powerful flashlight. They were a gift from his parents.

[User]
Rowan Delacroix

"Here let me get that." Rowan glanced up at Leval with a confused expression on her face. "What is he-?" The human motioned towards her hand that was exposed from beneath her cloak. She clutched the wrist with her other hand and prepared to turn down the proposal. "It's alright, I..." The vampire's timid voice trailed off as he reached out to her. Rowan cast her eyes away from Leval, nodding and easily giving in to his offer. When his hand clasped around her wrist gently, she felt quite a difference in the temperature of their skin. Warmth spread from the spot he touched, and Rowan watched his movements closely. Her other hand gripped her robe tightly when she felt herself become a little embarrassed. Her eyes shifted uncomfortably around the room as her face warmed up in response. "I don't recall ever feeling this warm so often. Perhaps the atmosphere of the school is altering my ambiance."

Rowan concluded that the school was causing her to heat up accordingly, so she put herself at ease. She eyed Leval's hands as he discarded the used napkin on the table, then he went on to introduce himself. "Oh sorry!" Rowan was startled by Leval's sudden outburst, but she cleared her throat and pulled her hands close to her chest. She nodded her head at him in thanks and waved shyly at the human girl in place of a "good-bye." The vampire rubbed the back of her hand where the streak of red once was while she made her way over to the oak doors behind Leval. When he held the door open for her, she halted in the door way and parted her lips to speak, but she shook her head and proceeded to exit the infirmary. The two of them walked side by side in silence, and they strolled towards the classroom at a relaxed pace.

The training hall was still empty when they had finally arrived. "These battles are quite time-consuming. Will the students have enough energy to participate in the team battles?" Rowan pondered as she made her way back over to the shaded area of the classroom. She sat down and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her arms.

[Assistant]
Zensei Zaza

"I'm sure if you formally yield we'll be able to walk out of here right now. What say you?" Zephyr asked this as Zensei tugged on the now enforced vines. "I'll never give up for as long as ever!" Zensei yelled and proceeded to spit at the demon. As Zensei did this, Zephyr grew two large Venus flytraps that seemed ready to strike at any moment. Zensei froze in fear, imagining getting slowly digested by such an ugly creature, or possibly ripped apart by the two. He was too scared to remember the shield that would prevent his death, and began to cry. "Okay you win! Now let me down!" Following his plea for freedom, the plants in the room began to disappear and the walls suddenly vanished. Zensei who was now on the floor and salty, gave Zephyr some words to hold onto. "Next time, I wont give in so easily." He slowly arose and turned around, laughing devilishly as he exited through the hallway.

[User]
Zephyr

Zephyr smirked as the pixie yielded in fear, watching him collapse onto the floor. He rose after a short while, and with a threat that Zephyr might have found more threatening if he hadn't just frightened him into submission, Zensei left the room. Zephyr looked down at his outfit, which was still a pristine white and grinned. Nice, first battle won. He sauntered out of the room win his hands in his pockets and headed back to the main hall, curious as to who he would get to fight next. Back in the hall were Leval and the new vampire, among some other students.

He walked to a bench and sat down, waiting for the rest of the students. Hopefully his performance would be good enough for him to move up a rank. He was fairly certain it was his casual attitude that had put him where he was in the first place, and decided to give this place a little more seriousness. Likely his next opponents would be far more challenging.

[Assistant]
Nodah Listig

Desdemona reached out, and caught the blade. It spliced across her palm, and Nodah heard the snake hiss in lent pain, winding its way up its mistress to tend to the injury. And in that moment, Nodah realised he could very well die.

They were not very far apart. When the snake lashed its tail, it unleashed jagged slashes of electricity. Nodah watched as they headed for him, with single-minded purpose. His thoughts raced in his head, as swift as the bolts of lightning crackling over the ground. It is near time for the duel to end. The snake - the Devil incarnate - was coiled almost lovingly around Desdemona's arm. Docile as a pet. Desdemona wishes to win in the worst way. Pettiness is known to thrive where bitterness breeds. Travelling lightning scorched the once-pristine floor, marks of devastation blooming in its wake.

Nodah did not desire death.

But he had thought too long, spent the precious scant seconds he'd had. The lightning reached him, and Nodah's heart dropped as he felt heat wrap itself too familiarly around him, burning close and burrowing to get under his skin. Light encased him; it was all he could see. Through the smothering blanket of blinding light, and incomparable heat, Nodah realised this ordeal should not have lasted more than milliseconds. Lightning strikes were not long-lasting - but was this within the realm of the ordinary? His shirt burst, and Nodah winced, wondering if into flames. Flashover effect, he thought numbly, as heat began to concentrate near his collarbone. Curious, Nodah thought in that detached way one often adopts when thinking in the present, of reality, was only insanity. The phenomenon that could very well spare him had been made more likely with his protective barrier, but why did the back of his neck still burn?

Metal, Nodah thought, slow panic driving a hammer into his heart, accelerating as the heat and pain began to grow. I'm wearing the student identification. A clipped anguished cry tore itself from his lips as his palms spread open beside him, an instinctive movement. A heartbeat after, Nodah felt himself smack against the ceiling as the pulse that had been delivered without thought, but with a primal need to survive, flung him upwards with giant's strength as easily as a limp rag doll. His forehead and knee ached from slamming into the roof, but he no longer felt the crawling sensation of electricity plying at the protective barrier, seeking to slither through some hairline crack or across a metal bridge and roast his flesh. With a shred of renewed relief, Nodah squinted into the fluorescent bulbs that suddenly seemed so dim, the ceiling rushing further and further away from him.

His tailbone struck the floor, before the back of his head. Lifeless and winded, he lay against the cold unforgiving floor in a shirt and trousers that had become ragged strips of singed blackened cloth draped on his person. His heart was aflame, but with a blind scrabble at his chest, his fingers found his scalding pendant, toasted and heated by the lightning's charge. He wrenched the heated necklace, and felt the clasp behind his neck give at his weakened tug. Its burning golden links slipped between his loose fingers to the floor. He could almost vow wisps of steam were rising from it into the cool air. Any energy but a myth, Nodah closed his eyes and let his head drop back to the floor.