Derp

Appearance: Faction: Shadow Eternity Canon, AU, or OC?: OC Universe of Origin: Stickverse (where all drawings and animations of stick people reside, that lack a defined universe.) Personality: Wassi is, above all things, a mercenary. He doesn't much care for anything beside money. When Wassi discovered The Great Tool, the first thing on his mind was how much money he could make with it. In fact, the first thing he drew were piles upon piles of gold. 'Course, everybody could tell it was fake, but at least he tried, right? Because of his overwhelming greed for all things monetary, Wassi doesn't work well with others. If he has anything to gain from betraying his allies, he'll usually take it. However, on occasion, Wassi will weigh the pros and cons of doing something that could potentially endanger his life. Recently, Stickman has decided that working with the Shadow Eternity and its agents, without stabbing them in the back, would reap many a reward. After all, an organization like that had money to spare. When money isn't involved, Wassi has no problem using other people as his shields and claiming that they're 'allies' or 'teammates.' Wassi's a coward, and would never in a million years take a bullet for anyone besides himself. This cowardice bleeds over into Wassi's combat style - The Stickman never engages enemies directly, instead he uses the Great Tool to create his own personal army to do all of the heavy lifting and punchy punchy type of stuff for him. Wassi's only redeeming trait is his creativity. Before he found the Great Tool, Wassi was an artist. He would draw immense, highly detailed paints of everything from great battles to sunrises to potted plants. He loved to paint, to draw, to create. He would always cook his own food, and he personally designed his own house and car. Truthfully, creation was the only thing he loved more than money. It was what took up almost all of his time. Wassi is also very defensive of his creations. He treats his own art (and sometimes the art of others) as more important than sapient life. Abilities/Weapons: Stickman physiology: Like all other normal Stick people, Wassi is considered to automatically have peak human physical stats. This means that any Stick could give Olympic athletes a run for their money. He also lacks eyes and ears, and his mouth only appears when he wants it to. Yet (inexplicably) Wassi can still hear and see, and still requires oxygen to breathe. The Great Tool: A device used by the gods to create the Stickverse. The giant pencil (around three feet long) can be used to give life to anything made with it. The device is capable of registering what a drawing represents (IE: a person, or a bomb) and endows said creation with the traits of that device in the real world. The Great Tool's creation ability is limited by the physics of the Stickverse, and Wassi's speed at which he draws things. When something is drawn, its abilities are to scale. So the bigger the bomb, the bigger the explosion. The bigger the person, the stronger, ect. Here are some of the most common creations Wassi uses: Stickmen: These are pretty basic. He draws a to-sized stick figure, who has the same physiology as Wassi himself. (Making them peak human.) The Stickmen communicate with Wassi telepathically, and will do whatever he wishes. Bandanna: A simple bandanna, but so much more. When drawn on a stickman, or Wassi himself, the bandanna makes the wearer a master of hand to hand martial arts combat. The stickmen are also capable of shooting energy beams from their hands (Think: Ryu.) Weapons (guns, swords, whatever): When a Stickman equips a weapon they immediately become a master at using it. Staffs and wizard hats: This combo of items turns a Stickman into a magician. They are capable of using elemental magic, and have a short ranged teleport (with a decent cooldown, though.) They are physically weaker when they take up the role of wizard, though. Capes: These give the wearer exponential strength, speed, and durability upgrades, as well as allowing for flight. (10 ton lifting capacity, 30 mph speeds, bulletproof.) Limitations: The Great Tool is only capable of maintaining fifteen normal Stickmen at a time. A bandanna Stickman counts as two Stickmen; so does a Stickman with a weapon. Wizards count as three. A Cape counts as ten. Without the Great Tool, Wassi has no real powers. Backstory: Wassi was born on a planet made of paper. He has no parents, and no family to speak of. He was created by the Great Artists to be a simple thief. That was Wassi's purpose in life: to steal, and do whatever it took to steal what he wanted. His partners in crime were his only friends; the five of them were the 'Seriously Super Six.' Together, they robbed bank after bank, and the police were powerless to stop their rampage of ridiculous schemes the Great Artists had them use. Life was chaotic, yet it was also simple. Life was good. Wassi would wake up every morning at six a.m, and meet his buddies at their abandoned warehouse hideout. They'd come up with some convoluted plan, magically obtain whatever they needed for the heist, and then went out and did it. That all changed when the Great Artists created Wassi's Nemesis, Chosen Hero. What a stupid name for a person. Chosen Hero was, as the name implies, the hero of the story. He was perfect in every way: super powers, handsome face, a cape. Chosen Hero disgusted Wassi. People would line the streets just to watch Chosen Hero fly around, parading the SSS gang like they were trophies every time he caught them. Which was every day, by the way. Chosen Hero would always beat them, and then take them to prison. The SSS gang always broke out before it was time for another heist, but still. Hero was ruining everything! Wassi's perfect life of villainy and money and companionship was gone forever, and it was all Chosen Hero's fault. So, one day, Wassi decided to break the mold. He decided that enough was enough, and that life was too short wasting it getting your backside handed to you by some fool in a cape. So he set off from his home town, away from it all: away from his friends, away from his Nemesis, away from his home. He decided to go on his own adventure. Little did he know, this was all part of the Great Artists' plan for him. On his travels, Wassi discovered a temple. The temple was filled to the brim with traps and obstacles of all kinds. From jumping puzzles to spinning swords to rooms where the walls tried to crush you. There was even a moment where he was chased down a corridor by a boulder. Eventually, Wassi reached the epicenter of the superstructure: A cavernous room, with only one object of note inside; The Great Tool, an over-sized pencil, sitting atop a pedestal. Wassi took said pencil, and escaped the collapsing structure. Wassi then began to learn of the Great Tool's abilities while living in a small jungle village. While there, he was approached by a shaman claiming to be a Great Artist. The shaman taught Wassi how to use the Tool to its greatest extent, before sending Wassi off back to his hometown. Upon returning home, Wassi started to create as much havoc as he could. He created a small army of ninjas to fight alongside him; the Stickmen wrecked whatever they wanted, killed anyone who got in the way, and pilfered whatever they pleased. Wassi was then confronted by Chosen Hero. After exchanging words, explaining his reasoning, Wassi created a clone of Chosen Hero, as well as a number of other Stickmen, and told them to kill Chosen Hero. The battle was hard faught, but Chosen Hero was no match for the overwhelming numbers coupled with fighting an exact copy of himself. When Wassi defeated Chosen Hero, he planned to execute him. The Great Artists, however, had planned otherwise, and tried to stop him. Yet Wassi broke free from their control using the Great Tool, killed Chosen Hero, and then attacked the Great Artists incarnate. The battle was hard fought, for the Great Artists used the same Tool as Wassi for their creations. Yet Wassi, in the end, was defeated. The Great Artists cast Wassi out, banishing him to the Multiverse. Yet they allowed Wassi to keep his tool, claiming that he had earned it. The confused villain found himself flung to a far off planet, with no knowledge of where he was or which way home lied. So Wassi drew himself a rocket ship, and began his futile search. Along the way, Wassi encountered the Shadow Eternity. Learning their intentions, Wassi joined forces with them, planning to take control of the organization's forces once UMMA was destroyed and bring it to bare on the Stickverse, and extract revenge on all who had opposed him.

"You are in violation of UMMA law, section 8, clause 23b, 71k, and section 12 clause 15a: Destruction of private property, theft, and assault on civilians! Land or I will be forced to disable your engines and potentially cause bodily harm!" In the atmosphere of an uninhabited client world, a large starship raced overhead the sand-covered surface of the planet. The ship had to slow down to 813.2 mph to avoid any atmospheric damage to its armor. Behind the ship, barely visible to the naked eye (due to a combination of size, speed, and the height at which they were flying,) a streak of blue and red darted behind the starship. A turret atop the ship spun around, firing a pair of lasers at the streak of color pursuing it. Superman quickly changed his trajectory, flying high above the path of the beams before they were even close to hitting him. "Assault on an UMMA officer? You guys are really looking forward to prison, aren't you?" Superman spoken into the device covering his mouth. The communicator was able to intercept most types of communication waves, as well as broadcast on a large variety of said waves. The distance the device worked at was quite remarkable as well. Kal-el was impressed: Batman's communicators were nothing compared to the one UMMA had provided. The requisition officer had explained that Superman's communicator was built especially for beings who didn't travel with spaceships; it supposedly had all the functionality of a standard spaceship's communications systems. Superman sped up until he was gliding over top the cruiser he was pursuing, giving them ample time to surrender and land before he engaged. He was surprised they had yet to respond to his hails: perhaps their language wasn't encoded into the translator? But that couldn't be right. The device was suppose to be multiversal in its perception of language. Maybe they just refused to communicate. The Kryptonian recalled the events that had led up to this chase as he waited for the pirates to surrender. He had been flying back towards Yggdrasil after another successful mission, when he ran across a convoy of civilian ships. The convoy had been under attack by a single spaceship, who's design Kal-El was unfamiliar with. Superman approached, announcing his role as an UMMA officer and demanding their surrender; the ship had immediately attempted to engage Superman. Upon discovering that Superman was capable of dodging or absorbing their attacks, however, the pirates had attempted to flee. Strangely, they had entered the atmosphere of a mostly desert planet. Superman had pursued, and...well. That's the current situation. Another loud blast of lasers knocked Superman back into reality. He didn't have time to react as the blasts slammed into his chest and sent the blue boy scout falling out of the sky. Superman crashed into the sand a mile below where the spaceship was, causing sand to be thrown up high into the air. Kal shoved himself out of the sand, spitting it out of his mouth. "Alright, that's enough. He said firmly. Supes eyes turned red, and moments later two solid laser beams shot out, one from each eye. The beams almost immediately started to slice into the engine, even as the ship sped away from the grounded hero. Luckily for Superman, his heat vision could travel at the speed of light (being lasers.) The aliens' ship's engines began to systematically explode from overheating. The spaceship quickly began to lose altitude, crashing into the sand. Small secondary explosions rocked the now-grounded ship. Superman took flight, moving swiftly over to the crash site. Four aliens came running out of a hole in the side of the starship, moving swiftly into the ruined remains of a city. Superman casually gave chase, a small grin on his lips. This was going to be fun. Superman began to move faster, lowering his altitude just enough. He grabbed one of the aliens, wrapping his arms under the aliens, before speeding away from the other three. He flew fast enough that he was on the other side of the ruins in seconds, where he smashed the alien's face into the sand and dragged him around like that for a couple of seconds. Superman chuckled as he lifted the pirate out of the ground and held him into the air by his collar. The pirate looked terrified, holdings his hands in front of his face in a sad attempt to protect himself."Scared, huh? I bet that's how those people felt when you robbed them." Superman stated matter-of-factly, before flicking the alien on the forehead. The creature's head whipped back, the strike knocking him unconscious. Superman tossed the unconscious body onto the ground before turning to chase the other three pirates. Never once did he look up and notice the man floating off the cliff above him.

"H-He's coming back!" One of the alien pirates stuttered, running as fast as his two feet could carry him."Just keep running! Maybe we can find somewhere to hi-" The man who had been speaking started to scream. His friend looked over, and noticed that his friend was gone - and the screaming had disappeared with him. The two remaining aliens stopped in their tracks, looking at one another."Screw this!" One of the panicked criminals yelled out, running off down an alleyway between two ruined buildings. The last alien began to breathe rapidly. He couldn't hear anything but the ringing in his ears. The pirate brought his rifle up to his shoulder, looking around as he stumbled into a wall. "Stay back! I'm warnin' you, freak!" He growled, keeping an eye on his surroundings. "Boo." The alien began to rapidly fire off shots from his gun in all directions, despite not being able to see Kal. This amused Superman greatly; really, he was having too much fun with these guys. A pair of blue-covered arms shot out of the brick wall the man was leaning against; the arms quickly wrapped around the alien and pulled him through the wall. Superman laid the pirate on the ground, assuming him unconscious. The alien, seeing Superman turn to leave, pulled out a blaster. He lifted the weapon and fired, the beam hitting Superman in the upper-back. "Gah!" Superman cried, bending down on one knee. The alien began to scoot back, grinning from theoretical ear to theoretical ear."Stay down, or I'll blow your head off!" the now-cocky pirate stated as he started to stand. The moment his eyes left Superman, however, he found a fist filling his vision. The pirate was thrown up, his back smashing into the roof, before he fell down and slammed face-first into the ground. "Hmph." Kal grunted. Superman grabbed the alien criminal, and tossed him in the middle of the street before he continued on to the third individual. The third criminal was in the upper floor of what appeared to have once been a bed room. He was clutching his rifle for dear life, pointing it at the door. Superman stopped flying suddenly, looking around. Not seeing anything, he closed his eyes and started to listen. He heard two sounds: First was the sound he was looking for, the rapid breathing of the alien who had been running away from Kal. But then there was also the quickly approaching flow of air behind him... Kal turned around just as Ridge rounded the corner. Superman flew up, appearing as a blur, and stopped right in front of Ridge. He raised his hand up, palm open. "I am Kal-El of the Unified Multiversal Moderation Agency. You're being detained for questioning as a potential witness and or suspect to the crimes of piracy that have occurred nearby. Do you comply, or will I be forced to take action?" Some people might think that Kal was taking this job a bit too seriously. But the lives of the Multiverse were at stake - and protecting those lives was Superman's number one priority. Perhaps he isn't taking this job seriously enough.

Superman lowered his hand as Ridge came to stop mere inches from his palm. He was fast, Kal would give the stranger that - He had almost thought he had judged Ridge's speed wrong, and could have very well ended up smashing into Superman's hand if he had made a less conservative estimate based upon the amount of air Ridge had been displacing while he raced behind the UMMA agent. "Well, does being detained mean you'll take me somewhere with some more people? If that's a yes, then I'll def'nitely go with. I can come back here any other time," It took Kal-El a moment to deconstruct what the man had said. He seemed rather enthusiastic about being taken in for questioning; most people hated having to take the trek all the way back to Yggdrasil just to answer questions for a few hours, sign some paperwork, and leave. It really was dreadful, Superman had to admit. He'd dislike to have to be tied down that long. But, that was how the system worked; without the system, UMMA would be nothing more than a loosely knit conglomerate of lawless vigilantes. A look of surprise registered on Kal's face, but only for a moment. He quickly composed himself before responding to the individual."Thank's for your cooperation. It'll make things go more smoothly, I can promise you that." It was the stranger's next statement that surprised Superman the most. Not only did Ridge seem to know Kal's alias, he also seemed to know where the final alien was. Superman blinked, changing his vision type to X-ray. He followed Ridge's pointing finger; sure enough, the alien was inside that building. "Excuse me for a moment. Superman sped off in a blur of color as he moved to engage the alien. From the position his target had taken up, the pirate would be able to get a shot off as Superman entered the room. Now, that would just not do. Kal knocked down the door to the first floor of the building, and located exactly where the pirate was above him. The alien was shifting around - preparing for Superman's attack from the front. Unfortunately for the pirate, Kal wasn't planning on attacking from the doorway. Briefly, Superman began to suck air into his lungs. He only took in air for a second, though; too much and the force of his attack could cause serious injury to the target. Kal looked up, and released a burst of hurricane strength winds from his lungs. The ceiling and floorboards exploded out from underneath the pirate, who was sent flying into the air alongside a mass of debris. Supes flew up into the mess and grabbed the screaming pirate. He must have been terrified of Superman. Well, anyone in his position probably would be. The pair smashed their way through the roof of the building, Superman floating their above the wreckage for a moment, the alien pirate held in a single hand. Kal-El flew slowly down to Ridge's level again, before flicking the alien into unconsciousness with a single finger."Come on, I have to round up the other perpetrators before we can get going. Follow me, please. Kal started off at a decent pace towards the other unconscious aliens, one still held in his hand. He made sure not to go so fast that he and his new companion couldn't talk."Who are you? And how did you know who I am?" He asked the stranger. He had considered a bit more polite approach, but marked the idea as unnecessary.

Lost Haven, Maine - Little Sicily "Urrrghhh..." Doctor Eric Saxer's head was killing him. This always happened after exposure to the Meta serum, but he'd never quite get used to it. The doctor opened his eyes, letting the light enter his pupils long enough to comprehend what he was seeing. Above him was what looked to be plaster. Upon further exploration, Saxer noticed that he was lying down on something soft. Curious as ever, the doctor started to sit up and examine his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a run down apartment, seated on what felt like a rather expensive mattress and covered by a large blanket. He was also wearing what appeared to be a fresh pair of clothes. The doctor swung his feet off the bed, putting them down on the cold, hardwood floor. Eric brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his eyes - he was still tired and groggy, but at least his head was starting to clear up. Something started to creak, causing Saxer's heart to race as he jolted his head up in the direction of the sound. The door had just been opened, and a young woman with light blue hair and winter clothing stepped inside the room. She made her way over to the broken marble counter that surrounded the kitchen area, and set an unmarked brown bag down on the counter."Good morning. How'd you sleep?" She began casually, pulling a couple of sandwiches out of the bag. Eric rubbed his chin, absent-mindedly acknowledging the gray stubble that was starting to form there."I feel like I slept on a brick." He said after a moment of thought, suspicion dripping with every syllable. Eric stood up, straightening out his shirt as he tried to stand on shaky legs. He felt weak. The serum's effects hadn't quite worn off yet. Where am I? Doctor Saxer asked himself, glancing around the room for any obvious escape routes. There were a handful of broken windows, however upon closer inspection Eric realized that he was on the third or fourth floor. Damn. He briefly wondered if he could make it past the girl in the kitchen and through the door. His hopes were dashed, however, when a familiar figure walked inside and stood in the doorway. The man's bronze chestplate and helmet were unforgettable. Chike stepped into the room towards Ceri. When he reached her side he plucked a sandwich out of Ceri's hand."You could'a asked.." She mumbled. Polemos made his way over to the doctor, his face blank of emotion. He had none of his arms that he was wielding when the two did battle down on 18th street. He was, however, still wearing the same armor. Chike set his helmet down on Eric's bed, handing the sandwich to Saxer. The doctor took it, and quickly began to devour it. Whenever he used the serum, it tended to burn through calories much faster than normal; thus, Eric needed more food more often to keep replenish himself after battle."My name is Chike." The warrior brought a strong hand up, and Eric shook it."Eric Saxer. Where have you taken me?" It was obvious from Eric's tone of voice that he was angry to have been taken to an unfamiliar place after losing consciousness. Chike sympathized with the doctor; being kidnapped probably wasn't the most pleasant thing ever. "Mr. Saxer, I have a few questions. First off, why did you attack me?" "You had invaded my home. I was trying to protect my family." Now that was a bit unexpected. So the doctor's family was out there somewhere? "Your family, Mr. Saxer?" Eric sighed, his muscles loosening. "We're not related by blood. We...We've...Well, it's complicated." Chike crossed his arms at this. "Now why is that? "We have history, my family and I. We've been through things that you couldn't possibly imagine. "Try me. "Alright. I'll start from the beginning. You'd best sit down, though. This might take awhile." Eric said, before taking a seat on the bed behind him. Chike went and grabbed a chair from the dining room and sat down. Ceri soon joined them, handing Eric another two sandwiches. Saxer quickly devoured them before starting on his story. "It all started fifteen years ago. Myself and nineteen other men and women were recruited by a powerful corporation, SuperIOR Inc, to work on a top secret project. The company was looking to create the next step in human evolution. They wanted to make people faster, stronger, and smarter. They hired us to look into it." "Excuse me," Ceri interrupted,"Why did they hire you guys? Are you scientists?" At this, Eric Saxer nodded. "Yes. I'm a geneticist, personally. But we had researchers from all sorts of categories." Eric then waved his hand, and moved on. "Anyway. When the project first started, we were first assigned the task of re-evaluating the entire human genome. They had us run tests on every strand of DNA in the human body. We spent approximately two years performing tests on genetics, trying to find out the specifics of man's genetic structure. Eventually we found what we were looking for: We located a variety of genes that affected the human body's cellular growth. We found the DNA that we could, in theory, manipulate to evolve mankind's physical and mental capacities. "The next step was finding a way to manipulate these genes. We tried everything we could think of, but after four years we determined that there was no natural way we could safely accomplish our goals. We thought we were finished. That is, until SuperIOR introduced the idea of cybernetically enhancing humanity to the next level. They brought three experts on the subject for us to work with. They were all geniuses; you couldn't believe the machines they were capable of creating. We spent the next eight years creating prototypes, and stress testing the nanites' evolutionary abilities. It was groundbreaking work. Around mid-November of the eighth year, we did our first animal trials. We used the nanites to enhance a number of field mice. We discovered a number of flaws in the serum. First, it degraded human intelligence while active, instead of increase it as he had planned. We tried a number of work arounds, but nothing seemed to change. "The second flaw wasn't in the nanobots themselves, but in the liquid we suspend them in. You see, the yellow liquid is actually the main energy source for the nanites. It's basically a shot of tens of thousands of calories right into the system. The nanobots use the massive amount of energy to jump-start their systems, and then continue to feed off the liquid until it burns out. The problem is, this liquid is meant to last for months at a time under the most stressful circumstances; yet, it seems to burn out in minutes. Up until recently we always assume the nanobots were using the energy inefficiently. But we discovered that that wasn't the case; the liquid serum is missing a key bonding agent, leaving the liquid in a state where the tens of thousands of calories are treated more like thousands. "We...We also found that the bonding agent had been removed and replaced with a placebo string." "Who sabotaged your work, Doctor Saxer?" "I don't know. Nobody does. Anyway, once the board of directors found that we couldn't fix their serum they decided to drop the project. They began to seize all of our equipment and research, and started to...remove...test subjects. The three engineers disappeared off the map. That was when the research team and I took what we could and fled. SuperIOR hunted us, at least for awhile, but we managed to find this place. It was the perfect hiding place: few people dared to come here after the 'Red Plague' hit, and then there was the fire, and finally the looting and pillaging...Everyone with an ounce of respect ran off; most of 'em claimed the place was haunted. The couple of gangs that still populate the run down apartments and smashed up stores tend to leave after dark." "So you're safe here?" "We were, until you showed up." Eric answered, glaring at Chike spitefully. "We can protect you and your family. Ares might not be the most agreeable god, but he protects his own. You'd be safe." "And what's the catch?" "You would provide my forces with your serum in exchange for protection." Chike, Ceri, and Eric and turned to see who had spoken. Standing there, a red light fading behind him, was Ares. His black armor seemed to absorb little light from the small bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and his gaunt face appeared as stricken with rage as always. "Who are-" Eric began. "Ares, the God of War." "He's real." Eric choked, his voice noticeably more reserved than a moment before. Chike couldn't help but grin a bit as Eric squirmed."Do we have a deal?" Eric decided not to answer verbally, but instead chose to nod. "Good, it seems we have brokered a deal in the nick of time. Polemos, my servant, there is a disturbance outside." Ares motioned to the window facing the newly-built shrine to Ares. Chike and Ceri stood, making their way quickly over to the window..

Superman glanced behind him as Ridge's voice seemed to be coming from that direction. Strange, especially since he was right in front of Kal-El. Superman, while surprised by the ability, quickly shrugged it off and moved on. He'd met plenty of people in the Multiverse that could do stranger things; he himself had some odd powers because of his physiology. Superman momentarily considered all of the tactical versatility such an ability would allow for, while also listening to Ridge explain himself. His Kryptonian mind was capable of processing information much faster than many beings, so he had no trouble multitasking. "They attacked a civilian trade convoy, stole their possessions, and retreated to this world. You're in a client universe of UMMA, therefore the pirates are held under Multiverse law; even if they aren't necessarily from a client universe. If that makes sense." Kal briefly wondered how much Ridge had learned from these other versions of himself. What if he knew Kal's weaknesses? Or worse, possessed green kryptonite? These possibilities further affirmed Superman's reasoning for taking Ridge into custody. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ridge." Kal replied. Superman slowed down as he spotted another unconscious pirate. He floated over and picked up the body, holding the pair of aliens by their collars in a single hand. He took a moment to consider Ridge's offer of assistance. He seemed like a trustworthy guy; besides, what's the worst he could do by helping? "Alright, I'll let you help. One of them split off from the group earlier; while you hunt him down, I'll round up the three I took out. Meet me at their crashed ship. It's right over there. Superman pointed East of their current position. "Oh, and Ridge?" Superman added."Don't kill anyone." He said sternly, emphasizing the word "don't" and squinting his eyes. If Ridge was smart, which Kal suspected he was, he'd catch how serious Kal-El was being. With that, Superman sped off in the other direct towards the last unconscious bodies. Kal decided to take his time as he flew slowly through the city streets, towards the outskirts. He'd like to give Ridge ample time to catch the final criminal. Superman began to whistle 'Yankee-Doodle' as he went. He liked the old little tune. It reminded him why he fought. The final lyrics of the original song, especially: 'See another snarl of men A digging graves they told me, So 'tarnal long, so 'tarnal deep, They 'tended they should hold me. [Chorus] It scared me so, I hooked it off, Nor stopped, as I remember, Nor turned about till I got home, Locked up in mother's chamber.' Superman continued to whistle the mostly-merry-little-tune as he reached the final alien. He bent down and grabbed the man in his free hand. Kal barely registered the weight as he turned to fly towards the crash site. Men were so light. So fragile. He could have crushed the being's skull like an egg, if he wanted to. Superman's face darkened. Some men would do that with his kind of power. That is why I fight.

The small Turian ship Relentless hung in the darkness of space, at the edge of the 3rd Expeditionary Fleet. The only nearby ships were two Salarian stealth shuttles, each holdings an STG squad. The two Salarian ships slowly revolved around the corvette as it drifted at a snail's pace towards the strange alien system. All three ships had shut down engines and were currently idling in an effort to conserve fuel while they shared a mission debrief. While the mission seemed simple enough and the orders they received were relatively open ended, it was imperative that they planned everything out to the tee. If just one thing went wrong, the small task force could cause a galactic incident. Inside the ship itself, eight Turian soldiers sat. There were two rows of four, with the two rows facing each other. The small space was bathed in red light; the lights had been shut off to lower their ship's heat signature. The Turians were going about their usual pre-battle ceremonies. Three of the Turians had their heads down, and were praying to their legion's spirits. Each one was holding what appeared to be a lightning bolt - the symbol of their legion, Fulrem, or 'Iron Lightning.' A few of them were chatting quietly among themselves, remembering old battles and discussing the things they missed from civilian life. They were the newest members of the squad; they had been getting to know each other over the last few months. The last two soldiers in the bay, however, sat in complete silence. Each had their eyes downcast, their faces covered and obscured by their helmets. They had been here the longest. They were differentiated from their brethren by their extensive customization of their armor paint jobs. In the front of the ship, hidden behind a metal door, was the cockpit. Vires sat next to the pilot as he discussed the final pieces of their approach to the conflict below with the Salarians. "Alright, let's go over everything before we move out." Vires spoke, his voice strong and authoritative."We're going to enter the atmosphere on the far side of the battlefield, away from the frontlines. We should be far enough away that we won't run into any natives. However, if we do encounter the humans or the other species, we are not to engage unless we are engaged ourselves. Let's try to be diplomatic before we start blowing them away." Decius joked darily."We'll be travelling through primarily urban territory, however we'll be steering clear of the populated zones. According to our preliminary recon we've obtained from stratospheric drones, the area we'll be landing in was evacuated before being bombed extensively. We shouldn't run into any problems when we land." Vires brought up a holographic map display. He began to mark up the map using his fingers. The information was being sent to the other two Salarin leaders, with only a short delay. The relatively close distance between their three ships made transmitting data via laser did not require comm buoys. "The main resistance we might encounter comes from here: a highway used by the unknown conglomerate of aliens attacking the entirely human force. It seems to be municipal in nature, however we have reason to believe that enemy troops have used the highway before. Furthermore, once we pass that highway we'll be in contested territory - we were unable to get any images of the area, so we'll be mostly blind. Keep your men on high alert. Once we escape this part the city, there's a single ridge that over looks the frontlines. Once there, you two will set up your reconnaissance and communications equipment. You'll be sending your data to the fleet via drone roughly every half hour. You should have ample amount of drones to get the data across in a timely and safe manner. "Once your teams are set up, I'll take a small squad and attempt to recover the fallen drone. Chances are the humans have taken it into their possession. My team will try to take it without making contact; stealth is of the utmost priority." Vires sighed, closing his eyes for a moment until he wrapped up the plan. "Is that it? He asked the two Salarians, who had remained silent during the briefing. "That is all, Captain Decius." One of the Salarians replied. They were concise and to the point; Vires could appreciate that. "Alright, relay the plan to your men; I will do the same. May the spirits watch over us. the Turian waited for the Salarians to cut off the communications before turning off the holographic display and standing up. He made his way into the troop compartment, examining his men. "Alright misfits, here's the plan...

Superman rounded the corner, spotting the crashed ship. Next to it he spotted Ridge, floating casually next to a body. Superman activated his telescopic vision, examining the pirate for signs of life. Sure enough, the alien's chest was rising and falling. Ridge had kept his word. Deactivating his extra-sensory ability, Kal-El increased his speed until he was right next to Ridge. Superman dropped the aliens rather haphazardly, right on top of their fourth unconscious comrade. Superman had little respect for criminals and pirates, as was so plainly seen by his treatment of their unconscious bodies. Despite this lack of respectful treatment, the pirates that Superman had taken down would be relatively unharmed when they awoke: perhaps some bruises and aching pain, but nothing permanent or long lasting. Even scum deserved that much. Kal looked over at Ridge. He had more than likely noticed his presence, but decided to alert him anyway. Superman snapped his fingers before addressing Ridge."Come on. Let's look for survivors and stolen goods." With that, Superman stopped floating and walked towards the craft. It wasn't massive, but it appeared large enough to smuggle goods and hold a handful of pirates. He didn't expect to find any conscious aliens inside, but it was still best to keep his guard up. Those lasers seemed capable of hurting Kal, even through his bio-matrix. That E-kip in his neck was more than likely responsible for that. Hmph. I can't wait until I get this thing ou- Superman's thoughts were interrupted by a shooting pain in the back of his neck. Speak of the devil. Kal winced, bending over slightly and resting a hand on his own knee for support. The pain was excruciating. It reminded him of the pain he'd felt at the hands of Darkseid's omega beams... It was only painful for a fleeting moment, but it felt as if it would never end. When the pain subsided, Superman stood up. He scowled, before walking up the ramp and inside the alien craft."A headache. Nothing major." Kal dismissed the pain. He wasn't exactly lying; his head did hurt. But he suspected it had something to do with the E-kip acting up on him. Maybe he'd have it checked out when he got back to Yggdrasil. Superman walked through the alien ship, using his X-ray vision and super hearing to look for survivors. The ship itself was rather torn up, with small fires scattered throughout the corridors he (and Ridge, if he followed) passed. He ducked under a mess of broken wires and a metal beam, that had fallen out of the ceiling, which had apparently collapsed under one of the secondary explosions caused earlier. Superman stopped as he spotted something."Here we go." Superman muttered, turning a corner. He stopped in front of a door, which seemed to be jammed in place. He shoved his fingers into the metal, pulling the heavy door out of place. The metal bent and crumbled under Superman's powerful fingers, as Kal tossed it to the side with ease. He stepped into the room, which seemed to be some kind of cargo bay. There was one of the aliens, stuck under a pile of metal crates. Supes flew over quickly, and began to carefully move the wares off the unconscious pirate. Once all of the obstructions were removed, Superman noticed a piece of metal stabbed into the alien's hard skin. Kal carefully removed the metal, and examined the wound with his various types of vision. "I can hear one more pirate somewhere. He might be in the cockpit. Could you go check for him while I deal with this?" Superman asked, his voice much softer than earlier. He turned away from Ridge and down towards the body. Using his heat vision, Superman began to cauterize the wound to keep it from bleeding any further. "Sorry if this hurts, but you'll bleed out otherwise." Kal spoke. He knew the alien couldn't hear him, but he couldn't help it. He had a bit of a soft spot for the wounded.

[color=82ca9d] "This is Captain Decius to Specialists Rae and Molras of the STG. Keep your shuttles in a tight formation behind the Relentless, I don't want you two taking any unnecessary damage if things get heavy. Activate cloaking fields and prepare to enter the atmosphere." Vires commanded from the co-pilot's seat on board the Turian Corvette Relentless. The ship was old, yet it had the most state of the art cloaking device ever developed; even the famous Normandy lacked a visual cloaking field. The trio of alien vessels began to form a triangle; the formation was soon established quickly and efficiently, and in record time. The Corvette's engines blasted out streams of blue energy as it began to rocket forward through the cold depths of space towards a strange new world. Vires stared at the holographic projections of the planet below, his expression stoic and his body language unreadable. He was preparing himself for the absolute worst. They had no idea what could happen down there; for all Vires knew, the humans would kill them all on sight. It was already assumed the even more alien forms of the green skinned creatures and their grotesque, monstrous counterparts were hostile. Most spec ops veterans would say something along the lines of 'I've been through worse' here. They'd all be lying. The planet below appeared to be burning. Smoke billowed up into the lower atmosphere as the Corvette broke the stratosphere and began its descent. The two shuttles followed close behind, careful to match the corvette's speed. When the corvette sliced through the cloud layer, and the surface of the planet became visible, the Turian piloting the ship next to Vires gasped."Are we really going down there, Captain?" The pilot asked after a moment, glancing at Decius."Orders are orders, Airman." Decius replies instantly, not looking his pilot in the eyes. Under any other circumstances, such doubt from a Turian would be unthinkable; especially a commando. But in a place like this...? The corvette lowered itself between buildings effortlessly, landing in the middle of what appeared to be some kind of square. The tall structures around them were ruined and burning; the only indication that anything was alive on this barren rock was the constant sounds of laser fire, and the barking of machine guns. The Blackwatch troops poured out the back of the corvette as the ramp was lowered. The Turians spread out, keeping their Phaestons at the ready as they checked for any hostiles. The pilot and Captain Decius exited the cockpit and followed suite. Moments later the two shuttles landed side-by-side near the corvette, and the STG filed out and into the small enclosed area. Vires lifted his omni-tool towards his face and began to speak. "This is Captain Decius to Admiral Powree; we're planetside now and establishing a perimeter around the ships. We'll be launching drones in a few minutes - expect the next visual update within the hour."

Stats: 6'3 (Without venom) 6'7 (With venom) 195 lbs (Without venom) 279 lbs. (With venom) Black hair Brown eyes Occupation: Waiter, vigilante Skills & Abilities: Combat: Trained under Bane from an early age, Edwin is a capable martial artist and wrestler - yet, he still has much to learn. Bane taught Dark Cloak a number of martial arts, including some the warrior had formed on his own. Edwin's fighting style is less stationary than Bane's, but still appears rather slow and bulky when put alongside the likes of Batman and the Robins. He is trained to observe his enemies movements and is capable of blocking most kicks and punches that he can see coming. Edwin is also a skilled wrestler; Bane trained him to use his size to his advantage, specifically by using counter-grapples to catch his enemies in various choke holds when Edwin blocks their attacks. Without his venom, Edwin mostly relies on his defensive abilities to tire his opponents until they are too exhausted to defend themselves against Edwin's own assault. He generally uses light punches and heavy combinations, rarely using his feet unless absolutely necessary. On venom, however, Dark Cloak becomes much more offensive. He's much quicker to counter attack his opponents than without his steroids, and uses more grappling techniques. He generally goes for grabs and takedowns, only punching when he needs to tag much more agile opponents, or if his enemy is a better wrestler than he is. He'll occasionally use mix-ups instead of counter-grappling to keep his opponents on their toes. Mental: Like most members of the Dorrance family, Edwin has a photographic memory. While not on par with Bane's, Edwin is capable of remembering most anything he tries to. He can usually recall most things he sees or hears without much difficultly. This has allowed him to excel in his schooling, as well as his martial arts training. Unlike the other Dorrances', however, Edwin lacks a genius level intellect. While he is considered above average, Edwin struggles with subjects like Calculus, Algebgra, and Physics. He tends to have trouble paying attention during lessons, and when he does he usually becomes rather frustrated at the simplest of problems. Bane chided his student for his lack of discipline in this area, but never pushed him to his limit as he did with Edwin's body. Being from Santa Prisca, Edwin is fluent in Spanish. His father Charles, however, made sure that he was able to communicate in both English and Mandarin as well. Edwin is now fluent in all three languages, thanks in part to his photographic memory. Bane passed on his tactical ability and extensive strategic knowledge down to his nephew during their training sessions. Edwin has memorized the likes of "The Art of War" and "On War," both of which are considered the venerable Bibles of the greatest generals of history. Edwin is slowly learning to use these teachings to fight crime, however he struggles to make connections on his own and generally requires a few beatings before he realizes how he can win a certain fight. Edwin's crowning achievement in regards to his intellect comes in the form of his Dark Cloak suit. It required quite a bit of research, sweat, and money to create, but he was able to do so. Hopefully without arousing suspicion. Venom: Edwin's use of the Super-steroid Venom allowed him to temporarily enhance his physical functions to superhuman levels, particularly his strength, endurance, and speed. His body's senses and healing abilities are also augmented to a degree. Dark Cloak needs to periodically inject himself with Venom to retain these abilities, although overuse can result in temporary insanity. As a side note, every dosage of Venom tends to affect Edwin's frame permanently. With each use, his muscles become more solid and his stamina increases. However, each dosage also makes Edwin even more addicted to the substance. Equipment: Improved Venom Delivery System: Edwin has developed a tubing system linked directly to his body, similar to the one his uncle uses. However, there are a few key differences: The tubing itself is left underneath Dark Cloak's armor and clothing, to prevent the tubes from being easily accessed by opponents looking to stop Edwin's flow of Venom. Secondly, the button used to send bursts of Venom into Edwin's system is on his belt buckle, not his wrist. There is also an emergency button located on the back of his neck. Personality & History: Charles Dorrance is the son of Edmund and one of King Snake's many prostitutes. At first, Edmund saw the child as a threat to his legitimacy and forced the whore into an abortion. Luckily for Charles, the doctors had chosen a technique that lacked a 100% kill rate. This small chance allowed Charles to survive; his mother, seeing this as a sign from above, took Charles in and raised him. Charles grew up hating and resenting his father, planning to exact revenge against King Snake for his attempted murder. As an adult, Charles was a wealthy businessman, one of the few in Hong Kong not in Edmund Dorrance's pocket. When Charles approached his father, claiming to be Edmund's bastard child, King Snake tried to kill him. King Snake pushed his own son out of a window; yet again, however, Charles survived. The battered man left Hong Kong, heading for the last place he expected Edmund to come looking for him - Santa Prisca. It was there that Charles met the love of his life, Maria. The two married after only a year of courtship, and Maria bore Charles' child, Edwin. Years later, when Edwin was eight years old, King Snake's assassins attacked. They seemed to have finally tracked Charles down and were there to finish the job that their leader could not. Charles fought bravely, but he didn't stand a chance against the attackers. It was only by chance that Maria and Edwin came into contact with Bane's men. During Charles' trials and tribulations, Bane had been embroiled in a long and brutal war against the tyrants and drug lords that ran Santa Prisca. Maria told Bane all that had transpired; at first, the Man who Broke the Bat could not believe the fantastical tale. However, after performing a DNA test on Edwin, Maria's impossible story was revealed to be truth. Bane then took in his sister-in-law and her son, promising to keep them safe from harm. Edwin then grew up under the tutelage of both Maria and Bane; quite soon, Edwin began to look at Bane as his second father. The supervillian turned dictator took it upon himself to teach Edwin all that Ra's Al Ghul had taught him. The ex-heir to the League of Assassins raised Edwin with the same brutal teachings he had learned behind the walls of Peña Duro. At first, Maria was against such horrible methods being used on a mere child; however, after a time, she learned to accept that Bane meant to make Edwin strong. If Charles had been strong, he could have protected himself and his family, and he wouldn't of had to die. That's what Bane told Maria, anyway, and that is what she told herself whenever she witnessed her son being beaten and battered in yet another brutal martial arts lesson. When Edwin was seventeen, everything seemed to fall apart in Santa Prisca. Bane was removed from his throne by rebels and turncoats. This forced Maria and Edwin to flee alongside Bane to Gotham. Upon his arrival into Gotham, Bane and his allies found themselves beset by none other than Two-Face. A turf war broke out between the two powerhouses; many lives were lost in the first few days of the conflict. Tragedy struck the Dorrance family once more. Two-Faces goons had gunned down Maria and severely wounded Edwin during one of their raids on Bane's small but growing territory. Eventually Bane was able to broker a peace treaty with Two-Face; however, the damage had already been done. The loss of his mother being too much to bare, Edwin began to take the Venom drug in an effort to escape his reality. Edwin soon became addicted to the strength it gave him. Bane and his gang retreated into the shadows, not wanting to attract the attention of the Batman before Bane's plans were complete. Hearing of the defeat of his uncle, Edwin leaves Bane's gang (enraging Byrd in the process) and moves out to live on his own. A few months into living in a small apartment and working a full time job at a diner, Edwin begins to develop an obsession with the Batfamily. He started to study them, recording and archiving anything he could find that involved them. Eventually, the Batfamily's efforts began to have an effect on Edwin's psyche. Eventually, his obsession became a life style for Edwin - The man, now twenty one, began to engage in acts of vigilantism. He would stop robberies, catch muggers, and other such small deeds. It was only when he first encountered Killer Croc and had his face plastered all over the memory of the giant green thug that Edwin considered donning his own version of the cape and cowl. After all, he didn't need supervillians knowing what his face looked like. So Edwin designed his own version of the Bat-costume, and took to the streets as...Dark Cloak! ..He really needed to work on the name. Character Impressions: Batman: The Batman? He is my inspiration. The Dark Knight is the reason I put on the mask. He's the greatest warrior this world has ever known, and my only chance at defeating my grandfather in combat. I must convince him to train me. It is my destiny! Nightwing: The man from Bludhaven. He went missing from action four or five years ago, if I remember my studies correctly. His connection to the Batman is unknown to me; but I have observed the pair working together before. An excellent fighter, if not a little too light on his feet for a man. Red Robin: Ah, yes. The previous Robin. He, like the rest of the Bat personas, is a formidable warrior. I followed his formation of the so called 'Teen Titans' with interest; from what records show, the team is highly successful. I've always wonder why he left the Batman's side for inferior allies, though...Perhaps a falling out? Oracle: Who? TANDEM: I am unfamiliar with them. Batwoman: An interesting character to be sure. She is extreme in her methodology; willing to go places the other Bats are not. I admire that in her. However, I hypothesis that the other vigilantes do not. From what I've seen, she and the rest of the Cowls do not interact often. Maybe she acts on her own accord, as I do? It is hard to say. She does not appear to have the same martial skill as the Batman or his counterparts. Robin:The current Robin is...Different, from the others. I can see it in the way he fights. He seems more skilled, and more aggressive. Perhaps even a bit arrogant. I wonder why that is... Catwoman: The Catwoman is a thief. She is a savage combatant, but lacks the discipline to finish the fight. I haven't seen much of her these days..Perhaps she has retired? Better for all of Gotham, if that is the case. Blackbat: The Batgirl of Hong Kong. I have kept a close eye on her exploits overseas; for she operates in the home of the serpent that I hunt. A ferocious warrior, worthy of the Cowl she wears. Perhaps a potential ally for his war against the snake? Batwing: Yes, I know the name. He's the armored soldier who battled alongside Batman, ridding Gotham of one of its gangs. I've heard rumor he defeated a man using Venom; a remarkable feat. However, I know little of his exploits outside Gotham: I've heard he was seen in Africa multiple times. A powerful vigilante to be sure. Red Hood: A gangster, if I remember correctly. A drug lord who battled the Batman...He disappeared after his apparent defeat. Rumor has it he was in Santa Prisca for a time. Just another rogue, fallen to the might of the Bat. James Gordon: Gotham's Police Commissioner. A honest man, with a commendable list of accomplishments. It takes quite a bit of courage to work in this city's police force. To lead it, though? That is another thing entirely. Story Arc: The Serpent of Hong Kong: Edwin's training is finally complete, and he has amassed a large group of allies and believes himself prepared to take down his grandfather, King Snake. Travelling to Hong Kong, Edwin prepares himself to do whatever is necessary to end the serpent's reign and redeem his family's name. He will do anything for redemption: even if it means Dark Cloak must take his grandfather's life. Extra:

• Edwin is an insomniac - he can't sleep without a bit of Venom in his system.
• Dark Cloak plans to some day defeat Bane in the trials of combat, to prove himself better than his master.
• Edwin isn't of completely sound mind.

In Costume Appearance: Edwin's costume uses a color pallet of grey, red, and black. Underneath the armor lies a highly elastic suit made of various fabrics, to create the apex of stretchy clothing. When Dark Cloak activates his Venom, the plates shift to allow the extra mass to grow comfortably; the underlining expands as Edwin's muscles do. The helmet and boots both have a similar function installed.

Somewhere, on an unknown world in the middle of some forgotten jungle, a monolithic structure stood tall in the light of day. The headquarters for the most diabolical group of super-criminals the Multiverse had ever known. So vast were their numbers and so enigmatic were their goals that surely no one could stand in their way. A powerful, nigh unstoppable army, with forces stretching across the cosmos. A presence so powerful that if it were to clash with its nemesis organization, UMMA, the very foundation of the Multiverse itself would shake. More blood would be shed during that all-encompassing war than all blood shed before then combined. Yet, this is not a tale of war and strife and bloodshed. This is a tale about a man. A man like no other, one might say. A being so powerful he is capable of creating life with but a stroke of his pencil. A man who claims to have fought against the gods themselves, and lived to tell the tale. A man so unique that there are entire universes full of people who look just like him. Said people are also more interesting, strong, and heroic than this man. He is a man that no one loves. This is the tale of a man. A man... Who has nothing better to do than drink alcohol all day and watch television. In the dark bowels of the darkest hallways of the darkest building upon the darkest world, the darkest man sat among his peers. An entire row of individuals who, at a glance, are nothing alike. Upon closer inspection one may find that they have only one thing in common: they really like to bet. Around thirty individuals sat in various cushioned couches, chairs, and bean bags, gathered around a massive television set that spanned the entire wall. The room's lights were dimmed to allow for a better viewing experience. A waitress and her male counterpart were constantly serving beverages and sustenance to the crowd of rowdy brigands and thugs. "OOOHHHHHHHHHHH!" A giant rockman cried, jumping out of his seat and into the air. "WHAT?!" A human woman yelled out in angry."Seriously? That's total bull!" Upon the screen, a giant lizard man stood triumphant over a cyborg ninja. They seemed to be in some kind of arena, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of screaming fans. "Come on, Sasha. Pay up." Rockman said smugly. The woman huffed, pulling a hundred credits out of her pocket and slapping them into the Rockman's fist."A pleasure doing business with you." He said. The Rockman then sat back, put his feet up, and began counting his money. The cyborg ninja was promptly dragged out of the arena. A fat, black-scaled creature with stumpy legs and four arms waddled in and took its stop in the corner of the ring. The Lizard man laughed at his opponent before returning to his own side and waiting for the bell. "I've got two hundred down for Crocmore." The Rockman said confidently, retaining his previous position."Nobody's goin' to bet you on that, Sid-" A bald, blue creature mocked."I'll take that bet." Wassi announced, taking a swig of his bottle filled with a sickly green liquid. The bell rang, and Crocmore and his opponent came out of their corners... -------- Superman picked up the alien pirate and slung him over his blue and red clad shoulder. He stepped out of the cargo bay, turning to look down the hall as Ridge rounded the corner. Superman's new companion held the pilot firmly in his arms."Come on, let's get these two outside." The UMMA agent and his new-found ally swiftly exited the damaged and burning craft, placing the two unconscious pilots down next to their compatriots."Can you carry all of them on your own?" To this, Ridge nodded. Superman then turned around and effortlessly lifted up the cargo hatch, closing it with a single hand and locking it back in place. The Kryptonian then flew underneath the alien vessel, placing both hands palms-up on its underside hull. He then pushed upwards, while at the same time taking flight. Kal-El lifted off from the ground, spaceship held above him, when he addressed Ridge."Come here. Superman commanded. Ridge flew up to meet the UMMA agent."Grab the metal box off of my belt. Okay, now hold onto me. Right, hit the button. No, the big one." The pair of heroes then disappeared in a flash of light, followed closely by a massive thundering sound echoing across the planet. Ridge and Superman were now inexplicably floating in the reaches of space. In front of them, a massive structure floated between the very dimensions of the Multiverse."We call it Yggdrasil." Superman explained to his silent companion."It's UMMA's base of operations. Come on, I'll drop you off in the hands of the staff before I deal with the pirates. The cape-clad crusader and his time watch wielding associate made their way into Yggdrasil's hangar. Almost immediately they were greeted by security guards and engineers alike. Kal set the starship down in the proper, designated location before turning to address the attendants. "This is Ridge." Kal motioned towards Ridge. "I found him on one of our client worlds. He claims to have experience with the Multiverse, though I am unaware to what degree. I'd like to note that he volunteered to assist me in capturing these pirates. I'll have my full report filed and sent to my superior within the next twenty four hours. One more thing, the pirates might require some minor medical attention." What Superman meant by this is that all of them had a plethora of broken bones, bruises, and scars. "Is there anything else you require of me?"

Chike, Eric, and Ceri crowded around the window, in an attempt to observe whatever situation was unfolding outside. A flash of red light meant that Ares had left the humans to their own devices, more than likely having some sort of scheme of some sort or another to work on. Chike's attention was not focused on his master, however. His focus was on the scene before him.

The icy streets had just started to thaw. Piles of black snow clumped together at random intervals on each side of the street. Cold water rushed down the slightly slopping streets and into the sewer below. The Followers of Ares lined the street, staring in awe struck terror at the new arrivals. The rugged band of brigands and revolutionaries held each other, unsure if they should make a run for the many buildings around them. No one moved, however. It would seem they were all to terrified to even breathe, let alone move."Who are they?" A man asked, stumbling over his words in a whispered tone."N-No idea, man. Are they here for us?" Another man answered with more questions."Who else would they be here for?" A woman behind them growled harshly.

"Where is Doctor Eric Saxer?"

The voice was obviously masculine, yet had a distinctly robotic edge to it. The individual's demand echoed throughout the street, and the crowd of people began to move back in a desperate and unorganized fashion. The ground itself seemed to shake, as the source of the voice stepped closer to them. In turn, the crowd retreated further.

"You will not be harmed; I will allow you to leave peaceably if you only tell me where he is."

Chike could not yet tell who was speaking from his observation point. His accent, however, intrigued the Avatar of War. "I'm going out there. Don't leave this room under any circumstances...Either of you." With that, the African warrior stepped away from the window. He calmly made his way out of the apartment and down the stairs, leaving Ceri and Eric alone."Who is he, Eric?" Ceri asked after a moment."My worst nightmare made reality." Eric replied darkly.

The door to the apartment building burst open as Chike flew out and into the street. His sword was once again at his side, spear and shield in hand. Polemos made his way to the center of the street, standing between the men looking for Saxer and the mob of frightened vagrants."Who are you?" Polemos spoke loudly, with great authority. He stood tall before the opposition, unafraid of their weapons."Who am I? The man asked, waving his arms theatrically."I'm Captain James Abrams, head of security at SuperIOR Incorporated and veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers; You can just call me IRON LIBERTY!" The metal man stood there his arms extended outwards as he let everyone take him in. To his side stood six other men. They wore far less flashy clothing - bulletproof vests, black combat fatigues, and a variety of military grade gear. They each clutched an assault rifle in their fists, pointing the weapons at Chike.

Chike turned his spear around, pointing the spearhead towards the street below his feet. He glared ahead at 'Iron Liberty,' rage filling his heart."Leave. Now." His words were few, but Polemos' meaning was clear for any who looked to his eyes: he was deadly serious.

Gamma Base, Somewhere in New Mexico

The sun beat down on Ross' large, crimson hide. The forecast said it'd be about 107 degrees Fahrenheit by noon today. It was 11:32, and anyone outside was definitely feeling the heat. Sweat dripped down Thaddeus' body, and it seemed to evaporate the moment it touched the dry dirt below his feet. Why couldn't the military build its secret weapons testing facilities in the cool New York forests? Or on the Great Lakes? It was always the desert. Ross dug his toes in a nearby clump of prairie grass, that had forced its way through the cracks in the dusty ground. Thaddeus locked eyes with Emil Blonsky, the Abomination. The two were about fifteen to twenty feet apart, and surrounded on all sides by military personnel. There were maybe close to seventy people gathered there today, hoping to get their fill of meaningless violence and bloodshed.

Four steel poles were stuck in the ground, creating a square inside of them. Long ropes stretched between each pole, creating a makeshift arena for all of your bareknuckle combat needs. Inside stood three individuals: Captain Jim Cook, holding a .45 magnum revolver. He was stripped down to his undershirt and wearing a pair of khaki shorts, and was sweating like a dog. To his left was Colonel Emil Blonsky, the ten foot tall 1000 lb. monster they called the Abomination.

642,096.0022 mph

400 tons with ease

| Identity |
Mark Sebastian Grayson/Invincible

| Origin & Backstory |

u

Include proper historical background that doesn't contradict setting or pre-approved CSs. Given the nature of the game, if you are playing a really established hero (such as Wonder Woman) who has been around since the Sta'rro attack please detail it consistently. Bolding or coloring these points such as years detailed are a good start.

| Attributes |
This one is comprised of your powers, skills, and equipment. So this means everything from your gear, skills, and superpowers (if you have any). You can describe them as briefly or detailed as you wish.

| Character Notes |
Is there anything you want to elaborate on? Extra lore for the city you call home? Notable NPCs? Basically this is for people who want their application to be more of a compendium for their NPCs, Locations, and Rogues specific to this new continuity.

| Character Goals |
This, next to the sample post, is the most important field of the application. I’m looking for motive and drive to the point that I am safely assured that know you have a story to tell, as opposed to merely 'running into the wind'. In essence, you will be outlining your prospective arcs. For example: “The Killing Joke” could go well in an application for Barbara Gordon as a character. If you passionately explain your goal then I can have confidence in you being active in this role-play.

| Sample Post |
I’m looking for your “voice” with the character; samples will be theoretically backstory written or non-continuity posts. I’m looking for a few paragraphs with decent sense of narrative, mood, and characterization. For example, my Batman post goes through the motions of an entire response sequence to a criminal robbery at ACE Chemicals in Gotham City.

Little Sicily, Lost Haven

The sun had begun to set. Clouds intermingled above the city, their grey mass blocking what little rays of sun light were still left. A crash of thunder, and the flash of a lightning bolt told all who watched the sky above that night that a storm was coming. Water fell from the heavens in great quantity, pouring over the roof to the shrine. Sicilians darted in doors, as the rain increased in volume and intensity. It was as if the skies themselves opened up, weeping over the bloodshed that was no doubt approaching. Two gods would clash soon. They would make battle, and the world would shake. Many people would die. The earth itself would tear in two, and death itself would come up from the depths. The news warned of the possibility of flash floods, informing all who would listen that the storm would continue for quite some time.

Across the street from the shrine, within the residence of Eric Saxer, Ceri and the doctor are hard at work. After SuperIOR's goons had been dealt with by Chike and Ares, Eric had decided it was time to begin work on the serum. Ceri had grabbed a handful of people, and set to work gathering the equipment from Eric's old residence. They had sent Varnia to scout out nearby buildings for the other researchers, but he had no luck in finding them. Eric thought that they might return to the old hideout after some time had passed, so Ares had a few sentries put in place in front of the old store. To avoid a repeat of earlier that morning, the guards had been sent with proper arms to defend themselves incase things went wrong. It had only taken a few hours, but the myriad of laboratory devices had been successfully moved into the apartment with no reported complications. Once all the equipment was in place, Eric sat down in front of a chalk board and began brain storming. How were they going to begin? Eric was perplexed, unable to come up with a good starting point. The bonding agent that still alluded him was critical to the serum's success. Yet, the placebo was less than useless for study. He had no idea where to begin his search.

That is, until Ceri approached Eric with an idea.

"Hey, doc?" Eric turned around in his chair, pointing his bloodshot eyes at the young woman."Yes? What is it, dear?" He replied, glad to have even the slightest break from his work."How are you holding up?" Ceri inquired, as she moved around the lab and toward the chalk board, which Saxer was seated in front of.

"I'm fine. Yet..Gah." Eric slumped back into the office chair, turning once more towards the chalk board to look at the list of ideas he had come up with, alongside a string of numbers and letters representing the genetic code of the serum itself. He needed to find the perfect chemical to replace the placebo."What is it? I might be able to help. I'm no scientist, though." Eric shook his head at this."Well, I suppose having someone to bounce my thoughts of wouldn't hurt." The doctor gestured to a nearby chair."Please, take a seat." Ceri stepped around the desk the chairs stood behind and slid into the second office chair."You're looking for a bonding agent, right? Something to connect the liquid energy with the nanobots more efficiently?" Ceri asked, to which Eric replied with a nod."Yes. This wouldn't be nearly as difficult if I had somewhere to start. An equation can't be completed by even the greatest minds if they are unaware of the process in which to solve said equation." Saxer sighed, running a hand through his wily hair.

"Well," Ceri began, examining the array of formulas populating the chalk board."Didn't SuperIOR confiscate some of your research and equipment when they raided your team's lab?" Eric gave his compatriot a questioning look."Yes. What of it?" Ceri turned around and faced the desk, flipping open Eric's laptop. She quickly accessed a local news sites, and opened on article on SuperIOR."Have a look." Ceri slid the computer over to Eric, who skimmed the article."SuperIOR is one of the leading experts in bio-organic engineering, and robotics; and they're hosting an expo this weekend at the Harlem Convention Center right here in Lost Haven. Apparently they're unveiling their new 'super soldiers.'"

A small smile played at the edges of Eric's lips, as thoughts and ideas rushed into his cranium."Yes! This is perfect! SuperIOR must have been holding on to the bonding agent the whole time, and only wanted us shut down to save money. They must have made billions off the sale to the U.S military. We need to speak to Mr. Baatul when he returns from his most recent escapade." Eric declared, standing to his feet."I'll go wait for him in the shrine. Ares said he'd be back in no time." Ceri stood up as well, and moved towards the door."Alright, I'd best start prepping the lab. We have work to do!"

Across the Street, In Ares Shrine

The shrine of Ares - a marvel of human achievement. Built in only a few days, the shrine was nearly identical to the Greeco-Roman architecture featured in the Pantheon in Rome, and the Parthenon in Greece. The shrine stood twice as tall as any of the surrounding apartment buildings, its great marble pillars were as thick as the trunks of the greatest oak trees, and the floors shined in the torch light. Stood near the back wall of the impressive structure was a statue like no other. It pictured Ares, stood over a pair of corpses, his spear impaled into the back of one of his enemies. Ares' muscles were exaggerated, and his face more rugged than granite. To each side of the statue sat two large basins, each burning with an immortal fire, producing enough light to shine throughout the great shrine to the God of War.

A portal opened in the very center of the building. Out stepped the monstrously large Ares, who stood nearly four feet taller than Polemos. The beastly god smiled from ear to ear, one huge arm strung over Chike's broad shoulders."We have done it, my warrior! Now the world knows of my existence, and it trembles before my might. I have caused the world's greatest hero to crumble before my might. None shall challenge me. With this new victory, the people shall flock to our horde. They will join us in our war against the rulers of earth, and soon we will be without number!" Ares let go of Polemos as two of his human attendants approached them. Ares handed them his spear and his shield, while taking a cup of wine from another.

"Tonight, I shall hold a banquet. Right here, in these halls. We will celebrate the rise of my new kingdom..The Empire of Olympus!" Ares bellowed, before taking a gulp of the drink within his chalice."I came, I saw, and I conquered! Hahahaha!"

"Sir, if I may?" Chike asked, slinging his shield over his shoulder, alongside his spear. The warrior's sash - a cloth designed to allow a man to carry his spear and shield on his back. It was a simple piece of linen, attached using leather strips and bolts to the carrier's shield. The spear was held in place inside a sleeve on the sash, allowing for quick access in case of an ambush."What is it, my avatar?" Chike cleared his throat, before addressing his god."If we're planning on creating an army here...Let me be frank, my liege. We do not have the manpower necessary to conquer this city. We need soldiers, trainers, food, metal workers, supplies, better housing, siege equipment...These are not things that we have. We don't have anyone to teach these people how to fight. We don't have a steady supply of food, outside of what we buy from the locals. We lack architects, skilled laborers, doctors. What we have now is a glorified trash heap. Sir."

Ares set his wine cup down on a nearby table. He frowned, his crimson eyes locked with Chike's."Do you believe me incompetent?" Chike straightened his posture, and set his jaw."You are a warrior, not a king-" Ares then shouted, interrupting Baatul."I AM A GOD!" Ares stalked towards Chike, each step causing the ground to quake beneath him."You believe me incapable of such frivolous tasks? I command an army of the most advanced automatons this world has ever known. I have access to more resources than half the countries on this rock. Metal workers? Hephaestus lives at my beck and call! You want me to train an army? I gave you thousands of years of experience with a minor surgery. Do not forget, Chike Baatul. I am not your friend. I am not even your king. I AM YOUR GOD."

Boisterous laughter and cheering echoed throughout the halls of Ares' shrine. Dozens of long tables held a hundred men, each feasting on more meat and fruits than they had ever seen in their short lives. At the head of the master's table, which was situated at the top of the room right under the statue of Ares, sat a great throne. The God of War sat upon the golden monument to his glory. His cape, as crimson as a man's blood, lay strewn across the seat. Ares stuffed his pale face with a leg of pork the size of a human thigh, smiling as he devoured the meat. Seated on his right hand was Chike, who was taking a conservative sip of red wine out of a brass chalice. To Ares' left sat Ceri, who seemed intent on matching Ares gluttony with lamb's meat. Dr. Eric sat across from her, looking quite out of place in his street clothes. The rest of the room seemed to be straight out of a Renaissance picture of a Greek celebration. At the end of Ares table, two muscular warriors looked at each other from across the great table."Stronger than me, Philip? Ha!" One of them boasted."Put your money where your mouth is, Dan." Philip returned, setting his elbow on the table and sticking out his hand."Hmph. Alright. Carol, tell us when to go." Dan agreed to the challenge crossing his arm with Philip's."Go!" Carol, the woman next to them, announced in a groggy voice. After a brief struggle, Philip achieved victory. The man cheered. Dan puffed out his chest in self defense."Y-Yeah? Well I'd school you in a fight!"

It was at this that Ares' eyes lit up. He turned to watch Dan and Philip, the two drunks on their feet now."Wanna prove it, ya little punk?" Philip shot back. It was then that Philip reeled his fist backwards and launched it at Dan. A second before fist met jaw, Ares jolted up and crossed the distance between him and the pair, grabbing Philip by the forearm. Philip froze, his face filled with fear as he realized who had stopped him."Sir, I- I di- Bu- Uh-" Philip stammered as Ares effortlessly lifted the man into the air and brought him up to his face. The giant then turned and looked over the rest of the hall."That is it!" He bellowed over the noise, and everyone became silent."A brawl! To prove who is the mightiest among you!"

A roar rose up from across the hall. Men and women alike began to stand, raising their chalices and cheering their glee. Chike remained seated, only giving Ares a passing glance as he finished his drink.

"You there!" Ares yelled, pointing at one of the tables."Prepare for us a boxing ring! We shall have it in that cavernous room in the back of the shrine. You'll find the necessary materials behind that door to the left. Everyone else! Finish this food, and meet in the ring in an hour!" Ares put Philip back onto the ground before taking a seat on his golden throne. The table he had ordered to move began to do so, as the rest of the room began to feast once more in earnest.



The door to the new arena opened, a woman coming outside and setting a stool down in front of the great wooden door to prop it open. “We are finished, your majesty!” She announced from across the hall. “Perfect! Let us go!” Ares motioned towards the entry way, standing to his feet.”Polemos, bring my chair.” Ares ordered before taking off towards the newly finished ring. “Yes, sir.” Chike mumbled under his breath. Throne on his shoulder, Chike was quick to follow his liege into the arena. The rest of the general population stood from the benches they had been eating from and made their way into the stadium.

The room quickly filled with excited chatter as people shuffled past the woman holding the door open and moved to find somewhere to stand. Ceri and Eric pushed through the crowd to meet up with Chike as he tried to force the throne through the small doorway. “Would it have killed him to not be eight feet tall?” Chike complained. It only took an eternity, but he eventually found an angle at which he could force the seat through the opening. “Finally!” The room filled with excited patrons, and the last of the people exited the hall and made their way inside the considerably smaller room.

The arena itself was rather simple, yet effective. The room was tall enough to contain a three story building, and wide enough to contain hundreds of people with room to spare. In the center stood a stone platform. The top of the platform was covered in old gymnastic mattresses, and metal pools stood at each corner, connected by sets of rope. The ring was high up enough that anyone in the arena could get a decent view of the fight, and large enough to allow for thirty men to fight inside. A small ladder sat at each corner to allow access to the platform, which was too tall for most humans to climb up without assistance.

Polemos sat Ares throne on the ground near the stage and looked around the room. Two of Hephaestus' automatons were standing off in a corner alongside some humans. It would seem they were gathering the unused materials and preparing to take them back to the supply room. Ceri and Eric moved past the crowd and met Chike near the throne. "Well, this is certainly something." Ceri was the first to break the silence. "Mmm." Chike grumbled, obviously distracted. "What is it?" Ceri sounded genuinely concerned, so Chike decided to share his thoughts with her. "There's death in the air. I fear our lives are in danger." Eric adjusted his glasses with shaky hands. Ceri shifted on her feet, just as uncomfortable. "What? Is your Spider-Sense tingling?" Ares mocked as he seemingly appeared out of thin air. The trio all seemed to jump at once; how does he do that at his size? "Hilarious. When are we going to get this thing started?" Perhaps a change of subject was necessary. Maybe that sense of dread was nothing. It could just be the cold February air that was making his spine tingle.

"Philip! Dan!" Ares shouted, and a pair of heads turned in earnest. "Are you prepared for combat?" He asked. The two shared a glance before Dan gave a nod of his head. Ares motioned towards the arena then. "Get up there, then!"

The crowd began to shout as the two fighters took to the ring. Each man wore traditional Greek battle dress, although they were unarmed. Another man, a bit older than the fighters, climbed up the ladder and stood between them. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" He yelled out, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. A cheer arose from the crowd. "Warriors, remove your armor and shoes and go to your corners." Philip and Dan removed their Bronze breastplates and shin guards, along with their sandals. They threw their belongings onto the ground and took their places. "Alright. I want a clean fight. No biting, ball shots, or mutilation. Try not to break each other's bones. Winner will be determined by KO or surrender. Ready? Fight!" The two men ran at each other, and fists began to fly. There was no skill or finesse, merely an all out punchfest.

"Hmph. They call themselves warriors." Ares whispered to himself, seated in his throne while everyone else stood around him. "They need training. We all do." Ares and Polemos locked eyes, and Chike was reminded of the last time they spoke on the subject. Perhaps another time. "I will begin training in the morning." Philip grabbed Dan by the throat, slamming him into the mat. The crowd erupted into screams and shouts as they rolled around on the ground, beating each other senseless. "We can't conquer the world with soldiers who fight like this." Ares gestured towards the battle, in which Dan had Philips head in his hands, and was slamming it against the mat repeatedly.

"Speaking of which, my lord." Ceri said, looking toward Eric as if to allow him to continue. "I believe Ceri and I have found a means to create the serum for your soldiers." Ares seemed intrigued as he gave Eric his full attention. "Uhm, yes. There is an Expo this weekend being held at SuperIOR. They claim to be showing off the next super soldier. There will be significant media presence there, as well as representatives from the United States military." Ares chuckled, turning back towards the fight in time to see Philip toss Dan into the corner. "Perfect. Polemos will go with you to retrieve what you need. Make sure to be theatrical about it, Chike. We want the world to know we mean business."

Philip lifted the unconscious and bleeding body of Dan over his head, roaring like a monster. The crowd cheered as he tossed his friend into the center of the ring and stepped on his chest and threw his hands into the air. "Victory!" The older man took center stage as Philip carried Dan off. The sounds from the crowd began to die down. "Who will fight next?" He called out. "I will." Polemos answered. He leaped into the air, landing with a crash next to the announcer. "But who could fight you?" Little did the man know, that a challenger drew ever near.

| Identity |
Orion Pax
(Soon to be)
Optimus Prime

| Origin & Backstory |
Include proper historical background that doesn't contradict setting or pre-approved CSs. Given the nature of the game, if you are playing a really established hero (such as Wonder Woman) who has been around since the Sta'rro attack please detail it consistently. Bolding or coloring these points such as years detailed are a good start.

| Attributes |
This one is comprised of your powers, skills, and equipment. So this means everything from your gear, skills, and superpowers (if you have any). You can describe them as briefly or detailed as you wish.

| Character Notes |
Is there anything you want to elaborate on? Extra lore for the city you call home? Notable NPCs? Basically this is for people who want their application to be more of a compendium for their NPCs, Locations, and Rogues specific to this new continuity.

| Character Goals |
This, next to the sample post, is the most important field of the application. I’m looking for motive and drive to the point that I am safely assured that know you have a story to tell, as opposed to merely 'running into the wind'. In essence, you will be outlining your prospective arcs. For example: “The Killing Joke” could go well in an application for Barbara Gordon as a character. If you passionately explain your goal then I can have confidence in you being active in this role-play.

| Sample Post |
I’m looking for your “voice” with the character; samples will be theoretically backstory written or non-continuity posts. I’m looking for a few paragraphs with decent sense of narrative, mood, and characterization. For example, my Batman post goes through the motions of an entire response sequence to a criminal robbery at ACE Chemicals in Gotham City.