[System]
Diana Prince

Cosplay by Meagan Marie. (Click the link to see more of her incredible work)
Age
18

Powers/Abilities
All Amazons share the same powers and abilities, though each differs on which aspect they are best in.
* From Gaia they gain the power of the Earth. This grants them strength beyond normal and also allows quicker healing when in direct contact with Earth.
* From Athena they are granted wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. This also helps her learn new languages rapidly and retain them easily.
* From Artemis they are granted the "Eye of the Hunter". This gives them enhanced vision and hearing.
* Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, granted them the ability to be more resistant to fire, both natural and magical and origin.
* Aphrodite granted each woman beauty and a kind heart.

At this point Diana does not have the ability to fly. In canon it was granted by Hermes, who was a guy, so in this timeline she has not meet him yet because no man (God or not) can walk on Themyscira.

Diana also had won items on Themyscira that she brought with her,
* Aegis of Athena: Her bullet proof bracers. Not only can they deflect bullets but they absorb the kinetic energy. Because of this they are also useful to minimizing blast damage.
* Tiara: It's a boomerang.
* Other objects she doesn't have yet: Her Magical sword and Lasso of Truth.

Weaknesses
Diana had increase her power "ten-fold" by removing her bracers. However prolonged use of her abilities without her bracers will driver her insane.
Diana is not bullet proof. Nor pointy object proof. She can be stabbed, shot, or blown up. She is also susceptible to poison. And is moderately susceptible to mental attacks.
She doesn't lose her powers if she is tied up by a guy (because I'm not going there).
She's naive about how the world really works.

Back story/origins
Diana was born on Themyscira, the isle of the Amazons also known as Paradise Island. It was an Island granted to women by Athena (The Greek Goddess). The events leading up to this gift are not relevant to Diana. Suffice it to say the Greek Gods enchanted the land to protect the women who lived there from men and hid it from the world.

Diana's mother is Queen Hippolyta, making her the Princess of the Amazons. The Amazonian women are all fierce warriors though not all of them employed as such. They practice peace overall and the gentler arts are very much appreciated. Since the Isle was gifted to the Amazons they have never had true war.

Diana's life on the island was the same as all the other women, or sisters as they call each other. While being a Princess she wasn't raised differently from all the rest, apart from the two women assigned to be her body guards. Diana's early life consisted of training both her body and mind. She learned the Amazon's code of Love, Peace and Equality. Warriors of Paradise Island didn't fight for themselves. They fought for each other and their way of life.

When Diana was young she was taught of the world she lived in. This included "Man's" world as her sisters named it. They taught young Diana all about the horrible things that happened and are happening there. Diana however was fascinated by the outside world. Even her biased teachers couldn't curb her. She would day dream in her leisure time about life off the isle. For was it not a basic tenant of Amazon philosophy to teach their way of life to others?

Of course she always struggled with that lesson. She lacked self discipline above all else. She was a little blood thirsty and tended to lack compassion to those who would seek to wrong those she called sisters. It was a lesson her younger sister (by blood) didn't struggle with. Donna was almost five years younger than Diana. The two were quite inseparable. But Donna also didn't have any desire to leave her home. It was their one point of contention. So when Diana left in the night like a thief she didn't bring her tender hearted sister with her.

Currently Diana has no secret Identity, though later the press will dub her Wonder Woman.

Arc ideas
Lasso of Truth: First and foremost she needs to get her Lasso of Truth. It was made by Hephaestus for Hestia so maybe Diana can do something for Hestia in order to be given the Lasso as a gift/payment?

Doctor Psycho: He's probably one of Diana's deadliest foes and gets little screen time. Right out the gate I'd like these two to clash. He'd be her main villain. This arc would be their first introduction to each other. I think he would be good because he's extremely sexist and having him one of Diana's first villains would only highlight the terrible aspects of the world at large.

Sisters: Since Diana did run off without a word her bodyguards will come looking for her. They want to take her back home. Diana disagrees with them.

[User]
A monumental wave burst over the beach of America's East Coast, spitting a blonde haired ruler onto the dry space he'd originally called home. Resolutely, he marched across the shore, trident in hand. His orange upper garment reflected it's tangerine glimmer onto everything he passed.

He'd actually come to Metropolis a great many times throughout his life. In this state of emergency, the king of the seas found it much more imperative that he arrive in a timely manner, and so he did. By foot, by cab, and by unguarded motorcycle he made his way through the danger zone.

He followed the trail of destruction until he was face to face with the mightiest individuals he could've come upon.

Gotham's Dark Knight, Metropolis's Man of Tomorrow and a stunning brunette with metals as polished as his own were but a sample of his contemporaries.

"Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis."

[Assistant]
Justice League Origins

"Hello. I see you are all in the middle of something, but I beg that any of you assist me in my endeavor to protect my people, the residents of Atlantis."

Clark turned around to see yet another super powered being step into the group. That made seven. The group stood in a circle on top of the rubble, dozens of the machines scattered the road. Before anyone could respond, a massive bubble materialized out of the Brainiac skull. within seconds it covered the entire city in the air and began curving to the ground.

"That can't be good." Green Lantern was the first to speak up. He powered up his ring creating an emerald aura around him. As the bubble slowly moved to the ground, the invaders began to chant in their alien language. The only audible word to Clark being 'Kryptonian.'

"Sorry fish man, but it looks like if we don't take care of that skull you won't be able to reach 'Atlantis'." Clark said in a worried tone. Please let Lois be okay. He jumped as high as he could trying to reach the skull, leaving the group behind. Before he reached it, dozens of the flying machines broke off from the circle. He activated his sporadic heat vision before retreating back to the ground.

"Not a solo job then."

"No, we need a plan." Clark took a second to think, the machines had returned to the circle in the sky. Pursuit was apparently not important anymore. The bubble was getting closer to the ground every second now. "Okay, we need a distraction. About three of us should stay behind and get the guards to chase you."

"Distraction's my middle name." Lantern winked at the woman after he said so.

"Okay, we need two more volunteers to help him out. Everyone else get up to the skull."

"How do you expect us to do that, I can't fly." Flash spoke up, it was a good point.

"I can do that too," Lantern said. He created a massive slingshot out of green energy that covered most of the street."If Supes here can make a good hole in that thing's side, I'll send you all through."

Superman nodded and flew into the sky headed straight for the skull. Lantern's distraction kicked in just in time, massive green anti-air shells began exploding in the faces of the robots. Chunks of dead metal began falling to the ground. It seemed that the Lantern was conceived as a serious threat because a large amount of robots nose dived for the ground.

Clark dodged through the last of the guards taking out some every now and then. Finally he reached the skull, its massive tentacles attacked of their own accord. He flew up and down avoiding the attack. The adrenaline in his veins must have been keeping him in the sky. Any flying backup that he had was dealing with the same. He used heat vision to sever one tentacle but another hit him in the back. He turned and caught it under his right arm. With all of his strength, he tore it off sending sparks and explosions up through the machine.

The massive skull turned its head and stared at Clark with its menacing red eyes, one of which was large enough to fit his squad into. "Kryptonian, you are becoming an annoyance." The massive red eyes instantly became brighter. The sound of it charging its energy beams were audible even on the ground. It fired, Clark couldn't dodge the beams. They would have taken out two city block if they hit the ground.

A massive green shield blocked the skull's attack from hitting Clark. Lantern's shield didn't last long, it did give Clark just enough time to fly under the attack and fly straight towards the eyes. Once the emerald shield broke, the attack was interrupted. The shattering sound of both forms of energy braking was defining.

With both fists, Clark flew into the skull's left eye. The resulting explosion destroyed the entire 'eye socket' and left a big enough entrance for the rest of his squad. The problem however was that now the invaders that had attacked the distraction team were now heading back to protect the ship. From inside, small drones began to attack. Their energy beams were much smaller and served to be no more than small annoyances.

Clark punched out a wall on the far side of the 'socket.' On the other side is what must have been the ship's true interior. The sight shocked Clark, so much so that he barely noticed his squad make their "graceful" landing coming off of Lantern's slingshot. The inside of the ship was dark, only illuminated by the occasional green or purple light illuminating bottles with what looked like model cities inside.

Pools of liquid surrounded the ship, and power lines connected to the walls in bizarre areas that were impossible geometrically. He jumped down from his vantage point inside the eye and onto the floor. The light blue goo splashed onto his legs and gave off a putrid odor.

"Nice mothership you have here Brainiac."


[System]
Gender: Female

Appearance: Akyasha is much like the rest of her kin. Pale, pleasing to the eyes…. The most notable features are her bright red hair and the religious garb she wears at almost all times.

Abilities: As a Vampire, of course Akyasha has access to Blood Magic and as a devout servant of Ichor, she also has access to Divine Magic that only Clerics of Ichor would have. The Divine Magics of Ichor are essentially Blood Magic without any weakness a Vampire might have as well as the ability to summon the otherworldly servants of Ichor.

That said, she utilizes her Blood Magic in a special way. When she strikes an enemy with her Blood Magic, she attempts to put a "seed" on or in them. This "seed" starts to drain blood from it's target and will over time sprout as a Blood Magic mockery of a lily, something that Akyasha affectionately calls a "Blood Lily". After she collects the lily, she can utilize it in a couple of ways, but her favorite is in her summoning magic. The amount and quality of blood that she collected influences the creatures she would summon from using the Blood Lily.

Personality: Some describe her as an eccentric. She's a devout servant and follower of Ichor. She follows the tenets as close as she can except for one thing. While she agrees that normally, humans cannot love them, she thinks that they can be made to love them. Though, this typically means that she likes to have plenty of human thralls. Specifically, Human Women that she can dress in her religious outfits and follow the Path of Ichor.

Outside that, one could say that she is every so slightly obsessed with the Cult of Ichor and making it as perfect as she can as well as the betterment of her kin. She sees humans in three ways. The humans worth attempted to turn to the Cult of Ichor and those that are cattle meant for feeding. This does not mean the cattle are to be treated crudely as that would be against the tenets. Preferably, they are to be given their own rooms and things to do as well as well fed. That way, their blood tastes the best it could be.

The third and final way she looks at humans…. Are those worthy of ignoring. As the tenets state not to act with cruelty and treat humans with care, Akyasha finds the best way to care is to ignore those that one does not need to interact with as interaction would bring "undue attention to the undead."

Bio: Once upon a time, Akyasha was a blonde human girl with another name, turned by a Cleric of Ichor. Over the years, she dedicated her unlife to the following of Ichor and rose through the ranks. Unfortunately, during the final years she saw many of her fellow clerics felled by Paladins until finally, she was one of the last few Clerics. Of course, one of the last few didn't matter as she was impaled with a holy weapon and put into an eternal slumber. Only to eventually wake back up in an unforgiving world….

Anything else:

[User]
Giselle de FarryUndead Princess, de Farry

---

Despite the man's protestations, Giselle dismissed his concern with a word of appreciation before she followed the tugging gorebat, with some mild annoyance at the way it tugged upon her hair as if it were guiding her like mere cattle. Even if she was without her land and subjects now, she still had the pride of a sovereign princess that had ruled for a thousand years… and that was a treatment that was more than beneath her.

She flicked at the small creature with her index finger. "Enough of that. Shoo. Lead me properly."

Giselle waited for a few moments for the bat to make its moves before continuing on, examining the state of the village as she passed the houses on the street. Given the danger the era and the beasts clearly presented, it wasn't all too surprising that the rows of buildings and houses on the outskirts of the village bordering the forest were damaged or burned. More curious were the barrels placed in obvious chokepoints or strategic places. She wondered what was held within the barrels; were they just to act as barriers, they would have been augmented with other materials such as overturned tables , for example.

Once past the village proper, she found the beastmen in question. And rather curious beastmen these were. They looked suspiciously like the dead creatures that her group had encountered not too much earlier. Upon further examination, it was clear the twenty of them were in fact creations of vampiric origin… which was a rather curious thing, when it came to what else resided in that blackened forest. Would she discover a friend or foe lurking within the dead woods? Whoever they were, Giselle did not have a high opinion of whoever created such monstrosities. In her lands, she would never have tolerated such grotesque twisting of the human form, nor such corruption of wildlife and fauna. Those that created such things outside of her territory she might not have touched, but it was an open secret that she looked down on those that preyed overmuch on humans or engaged in the more intolerable experiments into vampiric magic.

Giselle did not have much trouble making the decision to exterminate this group herself. While she still remained quite weak from her recent reawakening, she still remained confident in being able to take this group. Unholstering her revolver, she unloaded six carefully aimed shots into the group. Even in this state, it was child's play to create the illusion that the shots had been fired from the window one of one of the houses in the village. Giving the creatures a moment to respond as such, she emerged from the trees behind them with her new silver sword to fall upon the stragglers before engaging the main body of beasts.

[Assistant]
Dragan Meszaros

"Well met, then." The armored vampire nodded politely to Giles. "I am Dragan. My companions can choose whether or not to introduce themselves at their discretion."

He set his hammer down on the floor and began moving to help the villagers shove the metal boxes into place. Next to a rabble of malnourished humans, the strength of a slightly-less malnourished vampire would prove to be a boon, as Dragan's strength easily helped set several more crates. As he worked, Dragan called over towards the apparent village headman.

"Master Giles," He grunted as another barricade went up into place. "I don't suppose you'd care to enlighten us as to how many beastmen tend to arrive in these raiding parties? Should we drive these off, will they return in force, or be sufficiently dissuaded from further assaults?"

[User]
Captain Argus Fellborn
Under normal circumstances, Argus would be pleased to see what little remained of his crew. However, it was clear by their menacing advance that they were not here to return to his command. Nay, these mindless corpses were looking for a fight. No doubt his death had caused his hold over them to slip away. Argus would need to rectify that.

"Mutiny, is it?" he shouted to the drenched skeletons. "You lot have forgotten your place- allow me to correct that! And Miss Cynthia- be careful to not damage them too gravely!"

Drawing upon the strength that had been returned to him upon drinking the vial of blood, Captain Fellborn channeled his powers of necromancy, attempting to reassert his control over the skeletons. He might not be able to control all of them in his current state, but just a few would be enough to turn the tide- and secure him a weapon without a fight.

"Strike your colors and submit, you rotted sea-dogs!" He focused on one skeleton in particular, brandishing a rusty sword. "You! Your captain has need of your weapon. Hand it over!"

[Assistant] Akyasha hadn't even flinched when threatened with a beheading, rather, she took an interest in the crossbow the woman had. "What an interesting weapon you have there." Akyasha mentioned before looking properly at the woman. "It should be fine. I have allies I'm traveling with, if they can't handle these beastmen then, well, I probably wouldn't be traveling with them." Akyasha looked back towards the undead crawling out of the river, picking up another rock, taking another head off with it. "And you can just call me, Akyasha." There should be no need to hide her name as of now. "Let me assist in this little Undead problem of yours, Miss...?" The Vampire dragged out, asking the woman's name.


[System]
"If you talk shit about me, that's your own opinion. Keep it that way and I won't have to kill you."
Age
27

Height
6'2"

Weight
167 lbs

Role
Chosen One

Notoriety Level
80%, High Guard Threat.

Powers
Blink, Possession, Bend Time and Dark Vision.

Chosen Fate
Villain

History
Lysander was once a gang lord of the infamous Bottle Street Gang, before they kicked him out and put Slackjaw in power. Infuriated, he went off, trying to find a new way to make a living, but ultimately failed and ended up on the streets. He was attacked by Weepers, and in his dying moments, he was dragged into the Void. The Outsider saved him, and gave him powers to reign terror down on those that caused his downfall. Now he roams the streets as a mercenary for hire.

[User] Dunwall. A city ravaged by plague, and the impending wrath of Corvo Attano, the supposed murderer of the Empress. This city certainly has its secrets, never to be shared with anybody else. How do I know that? Well, I know a lot of things about this city. And about Corvo. A lot of others do, too. Some people say that he talks to the Outsider - a mythical being only believed in by the superstitious, and laughed at by sceptics. So, how could Corvo talk to a man that seemingly doesn't exist? Well, it's simple - the Outsider does exist. He gave Corvo his powers, and gave me mine. And the rest of the Chosen Ones. We all have very different goals, however. Incredibly different goals. Some of us decide to use our powers to help the greater good, others to exact revenge. Nobody knows what Corvo's goal is, but what we do know is that he's turning the city into a dump. The more and more people he kills, the more and more rats there are, and the more weepers. If he carries on like that, we'll all be dead in a month, if that. But this isn't Corvo's story, not this time. We are the citizens of Dunwall, and this is our story.

[Assistant]
Ty walked through the damp, and dark streets of the once great city of Dunwall. He adjusted his dark reddish brown leather coat as he walked. He was considering his next target. A lot of factors went into his choice of victims. Wealth, security, locations, and just how guilty said person was for turning a blind eye on the suffering of the victims in the slums. All this was something he had to think about. He reached into his jacket's pocket, and pulled out a black newspaper boy hat. He placed the hat on his head, and kept his head down as he passed people on the street. He needed to remain unseen, and unnoticed.

He was quite adept at it at this point. He turned into an alleyway, and leaned against the brick wall. He let out a sigh of exhaustion, and rubbed the back of his neck. He watched the streets, observing the people as they all went by, one, by one. The smell of the slums of horrible, just as dank, and depressing as the sight of it. But he didn't mind it one bit. It was his home after all. Ty moved off from the wall when he noticed a rather scrawny, dirty, and very nervous man come down the street. As he passed the entrance to the alleyway Ty held out his hand, and used his supernatural abilites to pull him inside the alley.

Ty grabbed him by his shirt collar, and slammed him against the brick wall. "T-Ty?! I.....I was just looking for you!" The man stuttered in fear as he gave him a forced smile, showing rows of rotten, yellow teeth. "Uh-huh. I'm sure. Where's the information I want? I paid you what's due, and I haven't heard back from you in a while. I'm hurt Ronny, I thought we were mates." Ty asked with a slight growl to him as he slammed him into the wall once again. "I-it's only been a few days! You worry too much!" Ronny replied as he tried to worm his way from Ty's grasp. "Ronny, it's almost been a fortnight since I last saw your ugly mug. The name, give it to me now."

"Come on Ty old buddy, old pal. Let's discuss this like the civilized gentlemen we- Ronny was interrupted by Tygen who pressed his stolen Guards Sword against his stomach. "Ok, ok, ok, let's calm down. Let's just calm down." Ronny took in a big gulp as sweat began rolling don his face. Ty moved the blade's edge down his stomach, and holding it before his genitals. "Oh I'm just peachy mate. Just give me the name of who's selling that watered down piss water that's being sold as a elixir to the people in the slums, and you'll be too mate." Ty calmly demanded as he pushed his blade towards Ronny. "Th-they'll kill me!" He desperately pleaded. "They're not the ones who can kill you with a flick of the wrist!"

"Ok, ok, ok I'll talk damnnit! It's Slackjaw, and the Bottle Neck Gang." He admitted. Ty released him, and withdrew his sword. "Bullshit. Those thugs aren't smart enough for something like this. Who's really behind it?" He asked, his tone becoming increasingly irritated. "It's true, they're selling the stuff. I heard that it might be made by one of Slackjaw's business partners, but that's just a rumor." Ronny doubled over, and began gasping for air, after having a slight panic attack from being threatened. "That's all I know, honest. They'll kill when they find out I told you, they'll find out! Ty, you have to protect me!" The man pleaded, rather desperately.

"Ronny, shut up. You're a somewhat smart guy, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Ty coldly stated as he turned his back on him. "W-w-wait! You can't just.....throw me aside like this!" Ronny pleaded as he grabbed Ty's arm. Ty glared at him, and then at his arm. Ronny immeditately released him. "After all I've done for you?" Ty groaned, and turned back to face him. "You owe me more than I owe you! You remember the deal, I saved you from the Guards, and you gather information for me. I haven't heard from you in two weeks. Our deal is null, and void as far as I'm concerned."

"Wait, wait, wait! I-I think I might have something else for you. Kingsford, I hear he's alive, and a gun-for-hire. He might know something." Ronny added, hoping it was enough to keep his protection. Ty looked back him, and then at the ground. "Yeah, that could be something." He replied with an added nod. "So you'll protect me?" He asked with a hopeful smile. Ty groaned, and rolled his eyes. He took off his hat, and pulled out a slip of paper from the lining inside. "Here, this is the adress of the safe house I'm currently staying at. It's out near the clocktower, it's an abandoned pub, used to be called the Lucky Fin." He explained as he handed him the slip of paper.

Just as it almost went into his hand, Ty pulled it away. "If you tell anyone about this place, I'll rip ya limbs off with my mind." He threatened as he gave him the paper. "You....can't actually do that can you?" Ty raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you really want to find out?" He asked with a smirk. "Fair point." Ronny shrugged. "Oh, and watch out for Weepers. I'd hate for you to mess up your....um....pretty face." Ty smirked before he left the alley.

Ty sighed as he went back to the streets. He didn't really like having to be the tough guy with Ronny, but it had to be done. Ronny's the type that wouldn't get anything done without a forcful hand. He is a weasel, but he is useful to Ty. He's provided him with good information on the local crime world that Ty's used to his advantage. Thanks to Ronny, he's robbed many of the 'high class' citizens of the Dunwall during many of the underworld dealings some of them have.


[System]
Human

Male

30 years

1.8 meters (6'2")

Origin: Earth, 21st century.

Occupation: Career Criminal.

Jack's a tad odd, personality-wise, while his appearance is more than acceptable by 21st century society standards. Far too appealing for his own taste. His hair, dark brown with natural rustic highlights, is on the short side, but long enough to get a mean grip on with your fist if it ever came to that. His translucent blue eyes hold a natural slightly narrowed stare, while his cheekbones, like the rest of his features, are strong, solid, but not sharp at all. To Jack, his good looks are a curse, not a blessing. One reason for this is that he doesn't like drawing attention to himself, which is reflected in the way he maintains his appearance, such as his tendency to wear clothing on the dark and dull side. Bright clothing is one of the many things he detests, another is being looked at, by anyone, and another is the grubby feeling of having lengthy facial hair - and yet he is never actually clean-shaven. Overall, he prefers an unkempt look, which, on account of his regrettable good looks, results in a rugged yet approachable appearance, an appearance defected by a subtle and undefined shiftiness in his demeanour.

Odd: Differing in nature from what is ordinary. The literal meaning of the word is the best way to generalise Jack's personality, his views, his likes, his distastes and interests. And it's not that the influences in life growing up made him that way. He was always like that. Even school, a place where most kids take their first big dose of social interaction, was for Jack a place of solitude and reflection. He spent those days in the least conspicuous spots possible; the darkest corners during class, the least observed places on the playground during lunch, most of such times spent thinking on how much he hated it there, how idiotic and unappealing the rest of the student body and their activities were, how to escape that place in the most efficient way possible, and all the while plotting the best way to kill his stepdad. It didn't take too long to accomplish the latter two in one effort - two birds with one stone, so to speak - when at the age of ten he did kill his stepdad, resulting in being sent to juvenile detention until he was eighteen. There were those that suggested, despite being murder, that he shouldn't have been sentenced to spend the remainder of his childhood incarcerated, but apparently the particularly heinous and abundantly clear premeditated nature of the act called for a more severe penalty than what was deemed normal for a pre-adolescent.

Life in juvenile detention was good for Jack, it taught him a lot, like how to become a career criminal. He came out knowing exactly what he wanted to do with his life, and had the connections to make it happen. The first two years of freedom were spent doing jobs for a guy nicknamed Johnny Big, real name unknown, the head of the largest organised crime family in the city of Sydney. Johnny Big also had a sister by the name Jezibel Small - also not her real name - who took an automatic shining to Jack and had his kid within the year of his release. Jezibel named the kid Hannah and took some time out from the life of crime to raise the girl in a more civilised manner than the underground world of crime could provide, only to be killed during a home invasion when Hannah was two years old. It was only then, when Jezibel was killed, that Jack learned that Hannah was actually his own daughter. He wasn't entirely happy about it, and neither was Johnny Big, who nevertheless let Jack live because, in his own words: "Even though you knocked up my only sister, you've always been my best bastard. So I'm letting you go. You're out. I won't support you anymore. But you will take the kid. You will raise her. And you will raise her to be the best damn woman this world has seen – but let it be known, if she ever comes to harm while under your care I will fuck you up so bad you won't ever again remember your own name."

With Johnny Big's blessings, Jack was on his own and in a house of his own, in the suburbs, with all expenses paid, and with a daughter whom he quickly grew to love. All of this was not to suggest that Johnny Big forbade Jack from ever taking part in that line of work again. To the contrary, actually. Johnny knew Jack was going to need an income, but Johnny also knew that Jack could do without the constraints of being tied in with the family. He needed freedom, to do things the way he wanted, needed, in order to at the same time raise Hannah the best he could. This to Jack meant the only thing it could mean: freelance crime. And thanks to Johnny and his connection, not to mention Johnny's willingness to cooperate for the sake of his niece, Jack once again had all he needed to make it happen.

Within a few short years, Jack became the most renowned and reliable freelance mercenary known to the underground, and life was simple for him. He dated no women, and rarely felt the need to, outside of an occasional one night stand for the sake of his primal urges. He had no close friends, outside of the few people he knew from his life of crime, so he never really had many visitors. He kept to himself, as always, and at the times he was out working he hired a babysitter for Hannah. Surprisingly enough, he found being a father rather easy, but he wasn't at all sure his definition of parenting was all that standard. But then again, he didn't really care about ordinary standards.

When Hannah was three or four, Jack started home schooling her, occasionally bringing in a tutor for the things he wasn't really up on, which, as it turned out, was more often than he had expected. But overall, Hannah was healthy, very smart, being raised so well that Johnny Big would swell with pride when he dropped by to visit once a month like clockwork. More or less.

[User]
Piper

Piper knew that look. It was a look Cheryl wore sometimes, when she was trying to convince the other person of something or to get something from them. Whether what the man was saying was true or not, Piper couldn't care less. He could just leave Sonarlis altogether and forage for food in the surrounding forest. It would take more energy than he had right now, but it'd be better than arguing with a human. Why couldn't they ever keep things simple?

His mind thought back to when he'd been observing the strange human at the smelly food home. What would Cheryl do? The answer was with him even before he could mentally complete the question. He'd seen the pattern so many times, it was obvious at this point. Use what he had over what the other person didn't.

Before he could say anything, a new scent caught his interest. His head jerked up, white pupils homing on the second strange human...no, not human. Something he didn't recognise. Mana wafted from the figure, distinctly humanoid and yet missing all the features that made a human. Piper tensed, tail curling around the sconce.

Then it vanished.

Now that it was gone, Piper turned back to Jack, unconcerned.

'Yes.' He thought again about the watch and the coin in his paw. 'But more importantly, your...watch. You call this a little coin, but you don't have any like it, do you? You are a strange human, with strange clothes and strange magic and strange things. Will you use intimidation every time you want to trade something, like you did with the scared old human?'

Then again, if the watch was really worth a lot, one measly silver coin did seem little. He thought harder.

'I'll give you another one', he finally sent, 'but only after you trade.'

[Assistant]
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jack spat, looking at the Pygmy like he was insane. "Did you even see what just happened – what, is seeing something like that normal for you?" As he was talking, Jack considered the Pygmies strain of thought, and ok, he was obviously of a simpler mind; devoted to things like superficial appeal, unconcerned with deeper thought. But it was that intuition that gave Jack an idea. He knew how life worked, after all; money talked, bullshit walked.

so what if…

Jack took the watch from his wrist and spoke to the creature straight: "Okay, how about I just give this to you, this, uhh, magical device? I'll just hand it over to you. Hey, it's only a watch made of gold capable of keeping tabs on the continuum of the universe, right? But there's a catch, cutie. How about we make this interesting?" He attempted to provoke the creature, dangling the watch in Piper's face. "You tell me what I want to know, and I give you my watch. That way you get the watch, but I get what I'm looking for in return, and yet you get to keep your coins as well. Deal?"

[User]
PIPER& CHERYL LUSBY

At his outburst, Piper gave no response. Why should he be concerned with a threat that was no longer present? Cheryl often was, but he saw no reason to adopt that habit. Unnecessary fear was a hindrance. Seeing the stranger's agitation, he chose not to say any of his thoughts. When the stranger finally returned to the more relevant topic of trading the watch, Piper raised his chin, amused.

'You lie,' responded Piper, 'I sense no mana from that watch.'

Even as he sent that message, a trace of doubt crossed his mind. The human was a strange one, after all. Maybe where he came from held mana-concealing materials? Even so, that didn't mean anything until the stranger could show him some of its "magical" capabilities. He jerked back his head as the watch was thrust in his face and his middle pinched, demanding him to stop dawdling around and take it already.

Magical or not, it didn't matter. The offer the stranger put forth was one in his favour and Piper wasn't about to wait any longer for another meal.

'I agree to your terms. As long as the information you ask me to share will not upset Cheryl,' he added as an afterthought.

Cheryl. He hoped she was doing alright in her home.

---

The entire house had been ransacked. Cheryl swore under her breath as she stood in the middle of yet another room that looked like a herd of elephants had gone through it. Repeatedly.

Assholes.

She hadn't had time to peruse the house before the funeral - had wanted to be out of it more than anything then - but she remembered how orderly it had been. Carefully maintained. Clean. Neat. Cheryl had felt out of place in a house that she had hardly been in. In the times where finance was the biggest of their worries, Mum had almost always been exhausted from working so much. Yet, she'd always had a smile to spare whenever she saw Cheryl. She'd ask Cheryl about her day, thinking her daughter played outside with the other kids. Cheryl had always avoided the question.

They loved each other, but they had never been close.

The room she was in had been hers, a long time ago. She'd given it to Elena. It was small, only room enough for a bed and a chest. The chest yawned open, scattered garments spilling over the edges and pooling on the floor. The thin mattress on the floor was kicked to the side, hay peeking out at the seams.

She tugged the mattress straight with the toe of her boot. Then she knelt down, collapsing on her back.

All the money was gone. She didn't know if it had been Sancho and his dogs or Elena and she didn't feel like asking the option who was still alive.

She was just so tired. Since the funeral, no, since she'd gotten the letter, she'd thought that she'd cry sooner or later. That the sadness would well up somewhere within her, that she'd...feel something. So far, the only thing welling in her was anger - and even that felt obligatory. She rolled onto her side, leaning her head against her arm. She had to leave soon. Head to Rareckel. Get money. Find the bastard who'd done this. She had a pretty good idea who it was; she just needed proof.

She'd go. Soon.

Her eyelids dipped lower.

[Assistant]
Jack was many things at that moment: Amazed by everything going on. Disturbed by the dark figure that had momentarily appeared on the road just beforehand. Cautious not to wake up Travius. Distracted by thoughta as to whether Cheryl actually did have a boyfriend. Realising he hadn't had a bowel movement in two days. Remembering he had to check the messages on his phone. Enchanted by the little pygmy creature. Glad the pygmy accepted his offer. Hoping this alliance would shed light on his daughter's whereabouts. But the one thing winning the moment for Jack was hunger. He really was feeling kind of peckish.

He also had to think fast as his mind pieced together the fragments of information thrown at him, rolling over every word that Piper projected. The word 'Mana' and its context helped a great deal, allowing Jack to fit numerous pieces of the puzzle together in one contained, glorious moment.

He grinned.

"Magic works a little different on my world." He assured the Pygmy, giving the watch a good affirming squeeze in his fist. "We don't need Mana to do magic. For us it's…. more science based. But to be honest with you, little fella…." Jack glanced around at the night, "Here wouldn't be the best place to discuss our agreement." He gave Piper a raise of one brow with a clever nod, but not conceited at all. "How about we discuss this over some food? I haven't eaten all day. My shout. What do ya say?"

Assuming Piper would agree to the extended proposal, Jack would slip the watch back on his wrist and started walking in direction of the Blackgale Inn across the street. Departing Travius' porch, he would give Piper a little toss of his head to follow.

---

 If Piper had agreed and were to follow Jack, they would soon enter the tavern once more. The place was a little on the empty side now, just a few stragglers staring with confusion at the pair. The old bartender was still looking a little worse for wear, but at least he had recovered after wetting his pants and passing out earlier; his mildly trembling lips and an expression of pending doom shading his face as he nervously stepped up to meet them.

"My little friend and I would like something to eat. Something well-cooked for me, maybe some meat and potatoes if you have it? Another bottle of mead."

Jack would then turn his focus to the Pygmy with the intent to relay his order as well…..

---

 Cheryl was drifting off to sleep on her strewn mattress back home when she may have been roused by the passing tremble of the mattress and floor beneath her. If she became aware of the slight quake and opened her eyes, she would see a dark figure looming over her from beside the mattress. The trespasser would stand eight feet in height, the hood of their garment almost touching the ceiling with an emerald glow shrouding their entire person. The identity of this person would be completely hidden in the depths of the dark cloak they were wearing.


[System]
Appearance:

Donny is 5'10 and weighs 224 pounds. He keeps his hair short and tries not to get his face hit too much. He's very pale due to living in the metro for most of his life, and even working the gunforges have failed to tan him since he actually wears all of his protective equipment when he works. He has a couple of scars on his arms due to training and from work so he tends to hide them with long-sleeve clothing.
Age: 25
Occupation: Gunsmith
History: Donny was a young boy when the calamity took his family. His parents were the first to die; they did everything they could to make sure he and his siblings survived the initial cold snaps, even at the cost of their lives. Afterwards Donny, his older brother, and his two sisters had to quickly make themselves useful in the underground colony located near the Great Lakes of old America. His little sister died of pneumonia when Donny was six. His older sister was murdered by a sick man who tried to have his way with her. His brother was sent into exile when he killed that man. This left Donny, at the young age of 9, the sole survivor of his family. He was noted for his quick hands and knack for tinkering, something that earned him his daily bread and got him a chance to raise his status in the colony. He was tasked to making bullets: without grand machines to pack and load power every bullet had to be hand made, and Donny's quick fingers made short work of most small calibers. As he grew older, he became more skilled at making these bullets, and even started making weapons, armor, and bits of technology.

As his Colony grew so did their needs. Initially they survived via fishing, however thanks to the hostile weather above the colony was unable to sustain a fishing population that could meet their food demands. Rationing had to be done, and soon people had to turn to eating nutrient bricks made out of mutated insects and cave moss. But there was always a lot of guns and bullets in his colony. And it wasn't long before the colony started using those guns and bullets to steal from others. Initially they offered to trade, but when they couldn't get enough food they took it by force. Donny knew this was simply a necessity for the colony, but he couldn't help but feel less and less appreciative as his colony seemed to just be going to war with everyone around them. "Hasn't there been enough destruction?" He would often think.

It wasn't long before Donny had thoughts of finding a new colony. He was spared from having to join a raiding force thanks to his gunsmithing skills, and he continued to use it for the colony. But every so often, he would make a gun that was missing a nonessential part. He'd pocket it and when he got back to his home, he would add it to a weapon of his own creation. He did this for years, going unnoticed as the colony grew and raided. The choking scent of the gunforge protected Donny from looking at the atrocities his colony committed. He couldn't even pretend they were doing what they did out of survival: they simply had the power to do whatever they wanted and no one around them could stop them.

By the time Donny turned 25, he made a critical mistake. The new Warboss of the Colony commissioned Donny himself to create a big gun for himself. A Heavy Machine Gun so large that it needed to be mounted on wheels to use. Donny knew what he needed to do though, and made sure to request much more materials and parts than he actually needed so he could not only make the weapon, but also finish his own personal projects. Things were going well at first but during his time in the colony he had made a lady friend. A young girl who he saved from a life of slavery and tried to teach her his trade, and thought maybe he could even take her as a wife. But he let his guard down around her. She found out he was stealing parts from the colony and when he got home he was confronted by the Warboss's men. They promised they wouldn't kill him because of his skills, but Donny knew better. His colony was not a kind people. There was no such thing as mercy among them, and Donny had no intentions of becoming a slave. So he fought against these men, gathered his things, and escaped the colony before they could catch him.

Donny was able to finish his weapon, even cobbled together some armor and other equipment, but he was living on borrowed time. It wouldn't be long before the elements or mutants got to him. He needed to find somewhere else to go. A new colony who wouldn't know who he was. He knew of such a place: supposedly there was a colony full of outcast exiles, even mutants, hoping to make a home for themselves near the remains of a blasted out city. Ordinarily such places were a death sentence due to high amounts of nuclear radiation but Donny didn't have much of a choice. Most other colonies near him were raided to death or under the authority of his old Colony. So Donny headed east to this fabled colony: Underhaven.

Proficiency:
Gunsmithing - Donny has been making weapons and firearms for years. He could make a bullet out of a tincan and some grease, and make a gun out of a pipe and some string. He's also been able to make other weapons and even armor, such as knives, clubs, breastplates, and even shields. If you can kill someone or if it can save you from being killed, Donny knows how to make it.

Close Quarters Combat - While Donny never went on the raids, he was still made to train in case the Colony was ever under attacked. In particular he took up fighting in hand-to-hand as well as tight corridors very well. Probably helped that he did a bit of karate when he was still a child, before hell froze over. His near-sightedness makes him terrible at longer ranges though.

Physical Strength - Donny is quite simply a very strong young man. He kept himself fed well enough that he isn't malnourished and working the forge kept his body in good physical shape. His preference for heavier armor has conditioned himself to have a great amount of stamina and to be able to take heavy blows and even deflect them with minimal movement. Against most other human enemies Donny could likely be a juggernaut to them. But he's still made of paper if he has to go toe-to-toe with a mutant, perhaps even worse since his fighting style doesn't exactly give him a great amount of agility and speed.

Foraging and Cooking - One of Donny's secrets to having good health is being a good chef. Sure, Nutrient Bricks were basically 90% of his meals, but occasionally he was able to sneak some spices like salt and black pepper, even the occasional lemon, into a meal and make it half-way palpable. Not to mention he's come to learn how to make most of the mutated plants taste decent as long as he takes time to cook them instead of the usual method of chopping them up and packing them into a blender.

Technical Tinkering - While most of Donny's crafting expertise is with guns and weapons, in his early years he also had to work as an technician. He's generally familiar with how most machines work and why they might be broken, and could even operate a computer as long as the keyboards are still functioning. However he lacks the true knowledge to actually make anything that doesn't shoot or hold an edge so at best he might be able to repair broken machines.

Equipment:
Hexduo Revolver Shotgun - Donny's pride and joy. It took him over ten years to put this together but he made sure it was perfect by the time he took it with him out of the colony. A double action revolver rifle that can load six 9 gauge shotgun rounds and three .50 caliber rifle bullets, made extra sturdy to the point that Donny can and has bludgeoned people to death with it. The bullets are difficult to make however, so he needs to conserve his ammunition and wait until he can get a proper set up to make more ammunition for himself.

Runner Pistol - Donny's personal sidearm. A revolver chambered for .223 or even 5.56 rounds, both where are quite plentiful around the Metro. He calls it the Runner Pistol thanks to it's light weight and the 5.56 being plentiful ammo, allowing him to use it frequently "on the run". Largely a weapon for self-defense as he has .223 to deal with humans and AP 5.56 for dealing with armor.

Crash Axe - Both a weapon and a tool. Donny didn't actually make this one, having brought it from a scavenger from the Colony when the handle broke off. After gathering the right parts and fixing up the tang Donny was able to repair it to his signature weapon of choice in a close combat encounter. Useful as an axe, yet precise enough to use like a knife, with a sharp pick to break glass and dig into stone or ice.

Rebar Knife - Quite simply a knife made from a length of steel rebar. He carries quite a few of these for general purpose knife reasons, and often this is what he uses for trades. They're easy for him to make and useful enough that people would want them. Weighted well enough to also serve as throwing knives.

Survival Armor - Donny's personal survival armor. He has a full metal helmet that can withstand small arms fire and help deflect rifle rounds from a distance, and his body armor is made of a mix of mutant leather (which is as tough as kevlar) and iron plates. The armor around his arms and legs are just thick mutant leather, and he unfortunately doesn't have any gloves. He wears thick insulated camouflage pants and sturdy snow boots. On the back of Donny's armor is a gas generator he sometimes fuels that connects to his helmet: it helps filter out radiation and toxic chemicals but is quite loud and requires oil to use.

Fire Bombs - Also known as Molotov Cocktails, this is Donny's go-to weapon against mutants. Made from glass bottles he finds and whatever oil he can scrounge together into a flammable mix. Needs an external fire source to make deadly though.

Gunsmithing Tools - A few tools Donny was able to grab when he escaped the Colony. They can help him maintain and repair guns as well as make some ammunition, though he still needs the raw materials to do so. A proper facility will allow him to make more complex weapons and higher quality ammunition.

Rope - Handy length of rope to tie things up. Made of mutant leather for durability, though this also makes it prone to snapping under heat.

Nutrient Bricks - Tasteless bars of bug bits and moss. Donny frankly hates eating these things but he'd rather not starve.

Moss Wine - Hydration is necessary to survival, and unfortunately water freezes very easily even within the metros. So Donny has a canteen full of Moss Wine as it can keep him hydrated and doesn't freeze even at subzero temperatures. Tastes like blood and sweat though.

Lighter - A relic from the old world. Still has enough fluid inside to work.

Pack of Cigarettes - Also known as Old World Gold. Tobacco is in high demand all over the world and Donny is lucky enough to have found an unopened pack of menthol cigarettes when he was escaping the Colony. Donny's not much of a smoker himself though.

[User]
It wouldn't be hard for Cat to catch up to Donny thanks to her agility, as well as the fact Donny was trying to enter doors that were locked or blocked off. If he wasn't in immediate peril he might have time to break through but alas, every second would count. The pseudogiant was indeed sluggish to climb the rules, but what it lacked in finesse it more than made up in sheer brutality. Cat and Donny would hear it leap from the bottom floor to their floor, tearing apart the walls and floor of the hospital to reach them. "Oh fuck."

Eventually the two would cross the hall where the giant must've broken through. The mutant itself was barreling down the hall, giving both only a few seconds to brace themselves. But Donny had an idea seeing as you decided to follow him. He cupped his hands together and lowered himself to the ground. "I'll throw you across! Then you help me jump the hole! Hurry!" Donny said as the monster continued to roar and build speed.

[Assistant]
"Why did I even come to the surface?" She asked herself as she ran after the man, turning the rope in a rope bundle as she ran. It was a trained subconscious action at this point since she often did it as a soldier. She saw him trying doors one by one, well why didn't he just shoot a lock of or something? Granted loud noise and all that, but with the snowstorm that would likely hit any time now outside, it wasn't likely to make any difference or allow anything to notice it too easily. In any case she felt the floor tremble as the thing fucking jump." How is that thing even moving underneath it's own mass let alone jumping?" She complained as she ran forward, seeing the man offering to jump her across.

 "Alright!" She called out to him as she ran, speeding her step even further, creating more distance between herself and the mutant as she ran at him, she jumped, stepping at the precise moment needed in his hands and pushed herself out to jump once more, using his movement to propell herself even further as she landed on the other side with little difficulty. She turned right away." JUMP! I've got you!" She called out to him as she reached over her edge of the hole, waiting to grab his arm, though she also still held the rope, just in case he didn't jump far enough to grab his arm, so she could toss him the rope and then pull him back up.


[System]
Alias: Figment

Position: Student (Grade 11)

Abilities/powers:

Main power:
Subconscious matter manipulation- an ability only usable whilst asleep, this power allows the user to warp surrounding matter in a way so that it corresponds to the contents of the users dreams. For example, if the user has a dream that their purse came to life and tried eating people, then their purse would indeed do so. Likewise, if their dream involved their pillow turning into spiders and crawling everywhere, said transformation would happen. The manipulations can only last so long as the user is unconscious, and automatically returns to normal once they wake up.

Supporting/Minor abilities:
REM sleep control- Hastens or delays the REM sleep cycle, meaning that a person can dream right as they fall unconscious

Dream control- though not refined, this ability allows a user to lucidly dream and somewhat manipulate the contents of their dreams. The current level of skill for this character is at a stage in which they can wake themselves up from a potentially dangerous nightmare or somewhat control what things in their dreams do, but not choose what changes in their dreams (for example, if a fish turns into a mermaid, the person dreaming can propose to this new mermaid in the dream that they should watch TV or do something non destructive).

Sex: Female

Age/Date of Birth: 16/ July 12, 1983

General appearance: She's a puff. Her hair is a pitch black matted mess, and it's a question to ask if she keeps it brushed. It reaches a little bit lower than the middle of her back, and attempting to brush it will leave you with a broken brush and even more broken hopes. She looks constantly tired, and you'll notice the rings under her eyes before anything else about her. Her eyes themselves are an orangey-brown colour. She's roughly 5 foot 3, and will glare anyone down that comments on her height in any size, shape or form. She doesn't wear any makeup, leaving her scraggly hair and bagged eyes looking perpetually like she just woke up, or stayed up all night writing a ten page philosophy paper on human knowledge. Most of the time indoors you'll be able to catch her in PJ's, specifically pink ones with little white dragons scattered on them in a pattern and a pair of comfy, fluffy pink slippers. When she's required to look semi decent for going outside, her go to attire for any kind of weather is a baggy white sweater, black sweatpants, some black sneakers and a yellow purse that holds various snacks and plush toys. If it is far too hot out for the sweater (a fact she will rarely admit to), she switches to a white t shirt instead. She almost always has coffee on her, and the rare case she's without she's usually looking for more.

Additional Appearance/costume: Currently, she has no combat suit or costume. However, she will try passing off wearing pj's as a combat costume, simply because they're comfortable.

Personality: It is pretty easy to label Bonny as a mean or insensitive person, though she is far from. Her near constant exhaustion makes her rather snippy, and what she passes off as a playful comment or joke could be taken as an insult from how she presents it. She's rather sarcastic and almost always sounds tired, portraying a figure of someone that doesn't care about anything going on around them. Though she will rarely directly insult someone, she'll passive agressivley snip at them if they're behaving in a way she sees as inappropriate or annoying. She will make jokes in the most deadpan of voices so that the presentation itself is more entertaining than whatever she said. It's rather hard to legitimately anger her, though not so hard to irritate her. When angered or offended, she chooses silence and glares to get her anger across. When she isn't sassing someone for something they've said, she just sounds tired and is pretty chill and sociable. Might even smile and crack a non sassy joke and try to start up conversation. Though at first she can come off as slightly insensitive due to her easy to irritate temper and nearly boundless sass (not to mention she looks exhausted almost constantly), if you spend the time to get to know her you'll find that a lot of her passive joking isn't to offend or harm, and that she's a good friend who adores hugs and will try to cheer you up by distracting you from the problem. Very scared of needles and thunderstorms, and she wasn't heavily brought up into any religion.

Special Skills: She took theater in her old high school so she can sing and act, and she's rather good at baking from her grandmother teaching her.

Place of birth: Ontario, Canada.

Weapon(s) of choice: N/A

Medical information: Other than running on three to five hours of sleep a day and the amount of caffeine she consumes, Bonny is overall pretty healthy. Not a bodybuilder by far, but she does keep in relative shape. She does have asthma, however, so activity is limited to a degree.

Brief History: Bonny spent a large portion of her life in Canada with her parents, with her Grandmother living in the USA. Neither of her parents were mutants, but her grandmother on her mothers side was. Her parents didn't necessarily hate mutants (they had them in the family, after all), but they weren't the most supportive family when Bonnys powers came in. Especially not at first, when her dreams caused havoc in the house and nightmares became dangerous for them to live through. Pressured from putting up with rampant powers and slightly fearful for their safety, Bonnys parents sent them to her grandmother. She moved when she was 14, and although her grandmother was helpful and kind in helping Bonny learn basic control of her powers, the two both knew she'd have to learn them seriously in case they went haywire. So, when the letter arrived in the mail, both of them were excited for the chance for Bonny to go to the institute.

Relatives: She lives/lived with her grandmother, and she isn't in strong contact with her parents or many other people in her family. Her grandmother is her first go to place, and likewise her only go to place for family.

[User]
Professor McCoy watched as shawn, Titania, and the other students filed into his classroom. It was nice to see them all again, some for the second time that day. It was now his science class. Hank dealt more with chemistry and physics, while forge handled the mechanical sciences. He was fine with that. Forge definitely knew what he was doing, and it was for the best that they stuck to what they knew best when it take to teaching young men and women.

"Welcome, welcome." He greeted them as they came through his doors. "Who's ready to continue learning about the atmosphere?"

---

"Anyoung haseyo." Doug Ramsey smiled at the young Heidi Williams as she entered his classroom. She was maybe the only person who could rival him in terms of language use and mastery. Her cognitive ability has his under an umbrella, but that wasn't to say it was a bad thing. As Heidi surely knew, knowing many languages became a curse when you could translate them instantly. Overhearing conversations in other languages what weren't meant for your ears. It was almost uncomfortable for Doug at times.

"As some of you may have guessed. Since our French lessons were surprisingly short, good job guys, we're going to be starting our second semester language a little early."

Doug was a little weird in the way he taught his class. He normally only focused on a specific language for only about a semester. He did teach Japanese and Chinese as extra classes after school hours due to the size and scale of the languages, but he wanted to make sure that he taught everyone a language well enough to get them started on it. Anything pass language 1 would be an extra class outside of his normal one.

"We're going to be starting Korean." Doug went on to explain. "As some of you know, Korea is divided in two, and we're accepted into the United Nations only eight years ago."

On each of the desks we're starters books on learning Korean. He let the class have some time to inspect them before he continued.

"Does anyone have any questions about this semester's language?"

"Yeah." A student up in the front of the class raised a small hand. "There's literally no practicality in learning Korean. Why are we learning a language we'll never use?"

Doug chuckled. Only being a few years older than his students made it hard for them to really respect him like the other teachers. "Why are you still here then, Tony?" He shot a question back. "You did your two years, that's all that's required of you." The young man did seem to like doing the bare minimum on class work, but go up and over on personal endeavors.

"For those of you training to become an x-man, learning languages will be helpful. As you all know, we protect the world from devastating threats. We can't stop them all, but with the planned outing and transparency of the mansion, we need to be able to talk to people."

---

Lita Sormer was the teacher of Physical Geography. Everyone in the school knew her by name and voice alone. She was nice enough, the general consensus decided, but almost everyone knew that she was the one teacher no one would physically see.

Her class room was small and quaint, located down stairs in the basement. There was a teachers desk up at the front, as was the custom, little knick knacks on the edge to decorate the unused table, but Miss Sormer was never there.

Miss Sormer lived in the room right next to her classroom. Due to her mutation, or rather set of mutations, the class only saw her through a screen that also acted as the white board, which she could still write on using the mysterious experimental technologies of the future.

"Good morning, class." Miss Sormer was seated in an office chair in her room, smiling pleasantly at the class through the video camera. Many cameras in her classroom allowed her to be right behind every student, being there to help them out when they needed it. This was also a great method to keep students from cheating.

Or just cheating badly.

Her actual mutation was never discussed, but her body, thin as rails and a sickly white color, left room for a lot of speculation. She couldn't have been more than twenty two, with her young face and quiet voice, but she insisted that she was older than that.

The students only knew they they were never allowed to see her in person, and that only The Professor and Scott Summers were allowed in her room.

"I figured that with Mister Ramsey starting Korean, we could keep our theme of mapping out the geography of the greater Asia area. Everyone, please open your text books to page two-thirty four."

---

"Hello! Why yes, I do have everything that you lead to catch up, it'll be on your desk right down there. We're doing a module on the computer right now, but you're free to sit out of it and go through the text book to catch yourself up. All of the things we have already done are marked by little sticky notes, so things should go easily."

Northstar, Jean-Paul Baeubier, had already been informed of Bonny and her power set. She could have made a great alpha flight agent back in the day.

"How.. how is Canada these days? Being here, I haven't had much time to get out more than a day or two."

It certainly wasn't a normal question for a student, but Jean-Paul would be lying if he said he didn't miss home. Someone who was just there would surely know what's what, especially a hip and cool and casual kid like Bonny here. "And, if you're ever feeling homesick, Miss Bonny, I'm right there next to you. Just stop by my room if you ever want to talk." He then shooed her off to go and grab her things.

"Okay everyone, you know the drill. Grab your things. We're off to the library to continue your computer projects. I hope everything is going as planned. If not, event better."

[Assistant]
Heidi looked a bit surprised as she heard the greeting. So, they were going to be learning Korean next. That was an interesting choice, to say the least. She picked up the starter book on Korean, and started to flick through it. Doug was making some good points. Being able to speak the language of a country you were on a mission for was a very useful thing.

She stopped reading. She had already gotten through half the book and had been silent for five minutes. She hadn't missed anything, and if anything had been expected of her, she would have noticed, but even so, this was hardly 'engaging with the class', though she didn't like doing that either. Still, Tony's question irked her a little bit, and she decided to act on this for once. She turned to him.

"Isn't learning the world's languages why we took this class?" she asked.


[System]
Age: 24
Height: 6'-0"
Weight: 170lbs
Allegiance: Aspirian Royalty
Distinguishing Traits: Wherever the party is, Cas is bound to be there also. He's a free spirit with a tendency to act without thinking through the consequences, although due to his cushioned upbringing and high status, he rarely has to face them. Despite his wild lifestyle, however, he has a soft side and has been known for taking in stray and injured animals he finds in the streets of the capital city.

Short Bio: As the son of the reigning king, Atlas Maydestone, Caspian has lived the entirety of his life in the capital of Aspiria. He was born with a silver spoon in hand, enjoying the finest luxuries the country had to offer even when he was as young as five years old. This experience shaped him as a person. He grew up seeing the glass half-full and believing Aspiria was every bit as perfect and amazing as his father wanted him to think it was.

As a child, he spent most of his education being groomed to take over as the next king but never really took his future duties seriously. In his mind, it was so far off, there was no reason to worry about it. That is, until his father's health took a sudden decline when he turned eighteen. Suddenly slapped in the face by the reality that he was actually going to be the next leader of an entire country, he began to pay more attention to his teachers and did his best to understand all the different jobs he would have when his father died. However, the more he studied, the more he realized how unqualified he was for such an important role.

To deal with his rising sense of insecurity, Cas delved back into any and every social event he could find around the capital city. Partying and drinking with friends took the edge off his fears and helped him to forget about the impending future of his kingship. Deep down, he knew his coping strategy wouldn't change anything, but for now, it was good enough to keep him from getting absorbed in the weight of it all. He would just continue to put it off until he had to face it, the same way he handled the Scourge.

The rebellion (better known as the Scourge by everyone who lived in the capital) was the other big, glaring problem he tried not to think about. To make the enemies seem less imposing, he and his friends would make crude jokes about them and discuss all the creative ways the king could punish them for treason when they were eventually defeated by the state, but secretly, he was always on the lookout for anyone who seemed suspicious. As the crown prince of Aspiria, he'd heard the threats the rebels spat about himself and his family, and he was concerned about what could happen if they ever managed to get inside the stronghold walls.

He just hoped the military was strong enough that he would never have to find out.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

[User]
As the seconds passed, Jacob glanced over his shoulder idly, waiting for someone to answer the executive suite door. There were no other people in the hallway, and he hadn't told any of the other members of the security team where he was going, so it was unlikely that word would get out that he was snooping behind Caspian's back. At least, not before he found out what was going on and could confront the king, himself. He didn't plan on hiding his actions forever, after all. Loyal to the crown, he only wanted to make sure that the ruler of Aspiria wasn't walking down a path he would regret later on.

The sound of a door handle turning jarred him from his thoughts, and he turned back to the suite, slightly surprised that someone was actually inside. Knocking had felt like a stretch, so he'd only tried it as a precaution, and for half a second the thought flitted through his mind that he could have been wrong about Caspian's involvement at the hotel. If someone else was staying in the executive suite anonymously, he could have just landed himself in legal trouble for hunting them down. His heart felt like it skipped a beat, but the worry was replaced in the next instant with shock when he saw who was on the other side of the door: the rebel girl he'd seen with the former prince before.

It seemed she had been laying low in the Sunset Veil all this time, which must have been why the soldiers around the city had never been able to find her, and she hadn't turned up on any of the cameras around the capital's borders. The pieces were all falling into place, especially when she carelessly gave away Caspian's involvement with her question. Now he had the evidence he'd needed to prove that his leader was the one who had been harboring this war criminal. The king of Aspiria was still behaving like an irresponsible teenager.

In a flash, the door was closing in his face as Iris tried to get away from him, but Jacob still had the reflexes of a trained soldier. He barred the opening with his boot and wrenched the door back open with a forearm, forcing his way into the room without asking for permission. Closing it again behind him, he stood with his body between the rebel and the exit, so she would have to go through him to escape. He also grabbed hold of her arm with his free hand to stop her from running further inside.

"Not so fast," he said sternly, eyes narrowed as he pulled her roughly toward himself. "You're going to tell me what's going on here."

[Assistant]
Feeling her heart race as the door wouldn't shut and the fact Jacob had blocked it with ease her instinct was telling her to run, to get far away from this security guard who would be able to take her straight back to that prison. The thought of it made her head spin because the memory of the questioning was still fresh in her mind, it had played its own part in her not being able to sleep at night. Remembering the pain of the truth drug, the cruel way the interrogator had dealt with her and then ending up in hospital. It was all coming back to her when she had tried to hard to forget it all.

The panic only increased when she had tried to move further back into the room only to be stopped before the thought had fully crossed her mind. Feeling his hand wrap around her arm felt like a death sentence and as much as that would be the easy way out, she knew she couldn't. Right now, she needed to stop Ethan and his plans to hurt Cas, Jacob wouldn't understand that, and neither would Cas and both would be for two separate reasons. Cas wouldn't see that she was trying to help him, and would no doubt say that he was safe, Jacob wouldn't believe her or simply use their security team to 'fix' the problem.

"N-No!" Trying to wriggle out of his grasp and put distance between them Iris could feel herself shake, her world crashing down before her. "Let me go!" Desperation sinking in as she held back a sob when he pulled her roughly towards him.

Iris fought against it, she kept struggling against his grasp not wanting to be held by him because he could just easily drag her away and back to that hell hole that kept her up at night. "Nothing is going on here. I just want to go home." Even if it wasn't the complete truth Jacob didn't need to know that, perhaps he would take pity on her and even escort her back to the districts which would make things easier on her.

"What is it you want to hear from me? That I'm not supposed to be here? That Cas could do so much better than me and wouldn't have to worry about keeping me hidden? I know I shouldn't be here, but I can't exactly walk out that door and stroll on down to the districts can I now?" Iris knew she was rambling on, part of it due to panic but she didn't know what else to say to him. It was now down to Jacob on what he was going to do with her because there was no way Cas had removed the warrant on her and it was clear the guard wasn't here to take her to the palace because he seemed surprised to see she was in here and demanded to know what was going on.

[User]
Even as he gripped Iris's arm to stop her from wriggling out of his hand, Jacob's mind was racing as he pieced together what was going on. He remembered that Caspian had taken an interest in this girl before any of them had known that she was a rebel, and even after she'd turned him over to her comrades, his infatuation hadn't seemed to die out. Apparently he was still so taken with her that he was willing to betray the trust of his military and his people in order to keep her around. If anyone else found out he was hiding a member of the Scourge under the soldiers' noses, there would be irreparable consequences.

So, even though he harbored some respect for the young king, he wasn't going to take this situation lightly. The more Iris fought against him, the tighter he held her arm, determined not to let her get away. It didn't matter to him that Caspian was interested in her. She was an enemy of the state and a threat to the monarchy. He was especially concerned about the influence she had over Atlas's son, since they were meeting in secret where she was the only voice in his ear. It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that she was planting seeds to turn him against his own kingdom or to convince him to do something he would regret. If either case was true, he wouldn't hesitate to drag her out of the suite and lock her in a prison cell no matter what his liege had to say about it.

When Iris began talking, the guard was slightly thrown by her claim of wanting to go home followed by a mention of how it wasn't possible for her to leave the capital. She didn't sound like someone who was very invested in whatever sort of arrangement she and King Caspian had brewed up. However, he wasn't going to simply take her word at face value. She was a fugitive who had just been found by someone who had every right to arrest her on the spot, so it could have been a desperate ploy to escape.

"Yes, you shouldn't be here," Jacob growled. He didn't care about her comment about being unable to leave, but he could at least acknowledge that she'd gotten one thing right. If she was going to be in the capital, then she should have been locked away where she couldn't do any more damage. But he wasn't just there to slap her on the wrist and walk away. "I want you to tell me exactly what's been going on between you and the king," he demanded roughly. "We can start with when this charade began. How long have you been hiding here?"

[Assistant]
Feeling constricted by the tightening grip on her arm it only worsened the panic she felt being caught red handed and she couldn't help but continue to struggle against him. Fears of being thrown back into prison kept creeping in and she knew this was the end of the road for her, she just wasn't sure on what part was now coming to an end. Acceptance to the end of her relationship with Cas was something she had come to terms with because she knew it was something that could never happen. That was something she knew would happen, but if she got herself thrown into prison now who would stop Ethan? Then it would the end to someone who she truly believed could make a change for the better.

"Do you really need me to spell that one out for you?" Hissing out her words as she still tried to free her arm from his grasp, "Let me go already! You're hurting me. I can't exactly go anywhere." Once more she tried to snatch her arm back grimacing because he had a vice like grip. "There is no charade, no big plan. No secret. You know full well what happened the night I disappeared, you figured it out. You confronted Cas about it, and he told you everything what more do you want to know?"

It was like word vomit because of the panic and fear she felt inside, rambling on when she didn't even know what to say to him. What use would it be to plead her case to him? There would be no sympathy, he wouldn't care what she had been through and all of it was down to the Capital. The massive divide between people, the previous monarchs who had been a part of causing the rift and all the hatred for them to create a rebellion for equal rights. None of it mattered, she was just another member of the scourge to him that was probably trying to stick her claws into the King to live a life of luxury. That's all anyone would see in her.

"I can't tell you how long I've been in this hotel room because all the days roll into one. I don't want to cause damage. I know I'm not good enough for him and that he would do so much better without me, but I'm still stuck here because the minute I leave is the minute I go back into a cell." Shaking her head, she looked away from Jacob and glanced towards the kitchen still stacked with untouched meals. Between the fear of her life and now the upset of admitting just how wrong she was for Cas she did her best to hide the emotions from her face, trying not to let herself get so worked up again and fall into a pit of emotion whilst he was here.


[System]
Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 34

Nationality: Outreman, previously citizen of Angjusk

Occupation: Deputy head of department - Cradle Research & Development

Cybernetics:
* Cradle quick-access implant - Allows access to and from the Cradle environment without additional hardware. This advanced module also reduces fatigue caused by the process, allowing power users multiple entries in a single day.
* Tier 7c 'Cradle Builder' suite - Grants access to the programs created specifically for 'terraforming' the Cradle. Tier 7 out of 20 allows Freyr to auto-build a variety of specialised equipment and propose-build mid level structures.
* Ilyes Brand communication and productivity module - Standard implant for access to Outremer's communications network. Also integrates with many well known productivity tools like a personal assistant, as well as more bespoke scientific tools.

Backstory:
Freyr was born on Angjusk, an older colony than Outremer that was renowned for its military materiel, particularly star ships.

Her mother was an innovations tsar assigned by the government to a consortium of the planet's largest ship manufacturers. During most of Freyr's childhood, her mother's sole task was making sure Angjusk battle fleets were the best money could buy in the Diaspora.

Before she was born, her father owned and operated a series of protein farms across Angjusk. After a chance encounter at a lobby meeting, he was headhunted to co-ordinate the military industrial complex's entire food supply chain. He also met his future wife, as it was Freyr's mother who had recommended him for the job on that fateful day in the lobby.

Freyr was born five years later. Her early life was a whirlwind of schooling, snatches of intimacy with her parents (when they weren't busy) and extended periods with friends. She discovered a natural capacity for learning and excelled in her studies. So much so that she received offers from universities across the Diaspora to come and develop with them.

Her mother and father both pressured her to consider diplomas like Interplanetary Relations or Agrarian Policy. However Freyr was not interested in pursuing a career in politics. Angjusk has been involved in at least a dozen small conflicts since Freyr had been born. She had seen how politicians would destroy entire cultures for the sake of influence, and wanted none of it.

In her first act of defiance, Freyr accepted a position at a school in Babylon, the main city of a far away frontier colony called Outremer. Driven more by the desire to have time away from her planet than by the subjects on offer, she researched what Outremer was known for. It was here that she first discovered the object powering this section of the Diaspora - the Cradle.

She quickly became obsessed with its untapped potential and seemingly unknowable past. She decided to pursue Xenobiology and Machine Intelligence as her subjects of interest, voraciously consuming the knowledge gathered so far on the Cradle.

It was here at the university that she met her future partner, David, who was studying art history. Isolated from her family and friends, alone on a strange planet, Freyr was glad of his unassuming company and kindness. They grew very close over the course of their degrees, and moved in together after graduation. Their daughter Amy was born a few years later.

After Uni, Freyr was picked up by an Outremer administration outreach team and placed in a government career fast lane. Her obsession with the Cradle made her an obvious choice for the Cradle Research & Development department. Once there, she quickly proved herself capable. Several breakthroughs in her first five years meant she was allowed to hand select a team of dynamic young individuals to help pursue her work. A couple more catapulted her into a deputy head of department role, to the ire of some of it's older and more entrenched members.

It was on her 34th birthday that the Cradle abducted her family. It had been acting strangely for weeks prior, rolling back years of terraforming. Freyr had been working round the clock to figure out why, practically living at her field office by the Border. David had bought sweet treats and had Amy with her.

What can only be described as creatures emerged from beyond the Border and overran the camp. A panic spread through the mostly unarmed workers, leading many to flee for their lives. Freyr's last memory of her family was being propelled across the camp by one of the creatures. She could only watch from her position immobile on the floor as they carried off her husband and little girl.

Security forces conducted a sweep of the immediate area beyond the Border, but found no sign of them. So Freyr began looking by herself as soon as her broken bones were reconstructed. Months went by. Her work stopped and her mental health deteriorated. Eventually she was placed on sick leave and her access revoked, after she attempted to use her influence to organise an armed excursion deep into the uncontrolled zone.

[User]
"There is evidence from our research of the Cradle to suggest these things can practice a dormant state, with no power usage over long periods. That could be how it escaped detection for so long..." Freyr explained, biting her lip. "We don't exactly know what would happen if it ran out of power completely, but there is undeniably significant risk of permanent damage."

"So we are torturing it for information!" 595 snarled from off camera.

Freyr snapped her head up to look at the Agent. "So you think we should just take the thing's word for all this paradigm-shifting new information? That the Cradle is actually home to a quartet of life-giving machines, and that some new threat approaches our door? There are questions that need answering before we reunite it with the Cradle, not after!"

595 nearly said more, but held her tongue. She was wary of giving away any more information. They were clearly arrayed against her, so she'd need to be much more subtle.

Freyr looked back at Rareth when she began explaining her idea. "That could certainly improve the odds! Do we have a firm grasp of the object and the capabilities to move it into orbit?"

[Assistant]
"At the very least, we can use the same method we intended to try to bring it to Outremer. A gateway could bring it into orbit, and we could send it on a path for a flyby of the void star. We only need to move it a week ahead in time, so it should be easy to calculate a path that will send it to the correct time with a single flyby." Rareth explained. "We should not begin the test until we are ready to move it, so we should have a bit more patience and take advantage of the time we have. I suggest you allow Marae's team to examine this lab of yours. With their expertise, they may be able to make improvements, reduce its energy needs, allow it to operate with fewer crew. If this entity truly is one that is allied with us, we do not wish to cause it any harm."

---

Given that they needed to be ready to move the object quickly, the teams did not enter the simulation right away. They allowed time for automated construction teams to burrow into the ground and build the needed Class A gateway around the outside of the object's containment shield. It would be able to transport the object instantly into orbit around the black hole. If they chose, they could even give it the initial velocity it needed to send it on its flyby. Although, it would be preferable to first modify its containment structure with its own propulsion, in case they wanted to modify its trajectory.

Eventually, the teams were close once more to being ready to act. While the rest of the Rothian science team stayed on the ground, Rareth herself decided to pay a personal visit to the Barbarossa, for the stated reason of wanting to better facilitate cooperation between the teams in orbit, and on the surface. For a while after their initial greetings, Rareth simply wandered the lab and observed the work, but as the time came nearer to enter the simulation, she approached Freyr directly. "The time is growing near, but my concerns do remain, Dr. Lang. I have already spoken with Marae about it, but I want to hear your explanation directly as well. This lab we are sending in, what exactly are we hoping to gain with it? What data is it capable of collecting that would tell us the entity's intentions?"

[User]
Freyr had hoped Rareth would come aboard. She'd stayed by her station in the centre of the action while the Datius did the rounds. When the giant Rothian approached her and began speaking, she looked over as if she'd been engrossed in work and hadn't noticed. She smiled, said hello, and reached out her hand. As expected, after studying Rareth gently grasped her hand and they shook.

Freyr began answering the question out loud with one track of her mind. Regular metrics that didn't mean much to the uninitiated - deliberately quite technical. With the other track of her mind, Freyr opened a physical data connection with Rareth, and gave her the real answer.

That night in the club with Plenipotentiary Wallace and Kalax Verengonig had inspired this idea. Freyr had watched them grasping each other's arms and communicating in complete secrecy by sending chemical & pheromone signals through their bodies. She'd studied body chemistry alignment, but had never practiced it before now.

Freyr knew it'd be much harder to communicate with a Rothian in this way than with another Human, but this was the best way she could think of to talk without drawing attention. While their regular implant comms would be quite secure, it was another matter to obscure the connection completely.

Fortunately, she had an innate grasp of her implanted firmware, and manually programmed some additions to make the translation of her body chemistry into something a Rothian implant could understand.

The sensation of making that connection was strange, like interlocking fingers, toes, tongues and hair with something completely alien to her. Every nerve ending in her body jangled and sang. But she kept her expression plain and initiated the chemical signal she'd worked on. If everything went to plan, it should feel to Rareth like her own subconscious was saying these things to her.

><^ Don't be alarmed, just listen.><^

><^I've configured the rig to search for information connecting this entity to the Cradle, and for proof of the 'Hegemon'.><^

><^It said all meaningful records were stored in the Cradle, but there might be usable imprints hidden somewhere in it's memory.><^

><^The Cradle has obscured origin logs for centuries, but this entity is vulnerable, and not as vast in scope. We might have a better chance now than we'll ever get again.><^

><^We might learn where these things came from, and perhaps secrets about intelligent life itself.><^

><^Please trust me when I say it's important we try. I can feel something isn't right. Do not make this information public. My life is in danger. Do NOT offer me asylum or try to intervene, I have to save my family.><^

The last segment was rushed and crammed together, as Freyr felt rising nausea threatening to disrupt the flow of actual words coming from her mouth.

[Assistant]
From Freyr's perspective, it would be hard to tell how well her message got through. Rareth did not act or react in any way that would indicate acknowledgement nor a response, but it would be hard to say whether that was because the message did not get through successfully, or due to her expertise in matters of subtlety.

Rareth did respond directly to the words Freyr had spoken aloud. "I will trust Marae's judgment on whether or not this data is worth the risk. Above all, we cannot risk harming this entity. We seek peaceful cooperation with it. Ideally, we want to be able to find a way to inform the entity of our plan to advance it in time. And if we can find a way to help stabilize it, or ask permission to perform our tests, we will."

In the time they had taken to prepare the object for transport, the Rothian team had also made some improvements to the mobile lab they intended to use for this plan. Antimatter powered micro-reactors could improve the overall energy efficiency of the device, and Nirann had been given the instructions necessary to perform the tasks of several crew members to reduce the number of people they would need to send in to the simulation. Altogether, it would hopefully reduce the impact on the entity. At least in terms of that motivation, Rareth was not lying. If the entity truly was their ally, she did not want to harm it.

"We do, of course, need to take precautions for your safety. We will send in one droid ahead of the team to ensure that the environment in the simulation is still livable. We do not know if the storm we encountered just before our exit has persisted, or how much of an area it covered. If it has, we may need to call this off. Our mobile transit stations have passed all simulated trials, so you should be able to extract quickly if there is trouble. Have you discussed my prior suggestions with your Captain? I would prefer to send in no more than is necessary. Ten or so, would be my recommendation." Rareth suggested.