[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/6zc773j.jpg[/img][/center]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕡𝕒𝕖 𝟙   / /   ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕤   / /  𝟚𝟙𝟚𝟡[/color][/center][hr]
[center][h1][color=pink]☐[/color][/h1][/center]

The golem hadn't moved. That was the strange part. "Docile" was a word that had stopped applying to DC creatures 10 years ago, and now one was behaving in a way no one had seen since before The Slumber. 

Which meant it was watching. And waiting. But for what?

Myla had no faith in luck and miracles. Where a hopeful would think this creature an exception, she saw only patience and maybe cold, careful thought. It had probably known Ethan's attack wouldn't harm it--at least not meaningfully. So it had let the attack connect to test the waters. If this was the strongest mage on the field, it likely had no need to worry about the rest.

"Maybe." "Probably." "Likely." 

She knew she was projecting her own rationale too far onto a sentience with motivations no one had figured out, but it was either baseless speculation or mindless worry.

Why was it waiting? Previous encounters with DC creatures had always shown intelligent aggression--higher order thoughts and self-awareness. But never this calculating patience. Unsettling.

The past year had shown increasingly devious machinations from DC's monsters. Like they were learning. Like they were communicating, somehow. Where the creatures' initial rampage had been nothing but a worldwide raid with little organization, their current bouts with humanity were shaping into more formal tactics. And in humanity's complacency bolstered by nine years of a deadlocked battlefield, everyone had made mistakes, including the impeccable Director Zhang. One bad call after another and Myla had watched her team members die one by one as the creatures adopted more advanced tactics--reconning, baiting, ambushing, trapping.

And now this.

If it was going to do anything, it'd be...

One fell swoop.

Half of China gone in one large siege.

Grenada lost to a kraken's tidal wave.

Liechtenstein razed to the ground by a shell-backed titan pouring liquid fire across the land.

Nauru obliterated in a 9.3 Richter scale earthquake that completely subsumed the tiny country and part of the nearby Solomon Islands, with aftershocks extending as far as the US's western seaboard.

Had it not been for the simultaneous explosion of magical humans around the world the day Dreamcatcher abandoned them to their fate, Myla was sure the monsters would have finished what they had started a long, long time ago.

The golem was waiting for the full force of the gathered students to kill them all at once. Efficient. And it knew, she was damn sure it knew, that they would come.

[color=f7976a]"Ethan. I think it wants to kill us all--at once."[/color]

Ethan had just opened his mouth to respond when one of the new students tottered over on uneven legs, quipping about imminent death and how the senior students weren't living up to their reputations--but it wasn't the time to get into that banter. This one clearly wasn't in full control of her powers and had no place near a category three. Especially not one confident enough to just [i]wait[/i] for 19 or so mages to gather and ready up.

[color=f7976a]"What are you doing here?"[/color] he hissed at Kusari. [color=f7976a]"Get back to the other groups. You can't be here--"[/color]

The ground rumbled as the golem's jagged, obsidian body separated into smaller chunks, segmenting at every rock that comprised the whole. The fragments swirled around a briefly visible axis of glowing, white lines unevenly aligned in cylindrical formation around a dense sphere of opaque, gray mist. As the core slowly rose into the air and shifted until it was out of the hole, the whirlwind of stone reassembled itself into the golem configuration again, now standing placidly on the rim of the hole.

Whatever damage it had accrued from standing directly in the center of Ethan's attack was gone and the menacing body of sharp, black rocks towered an ominous 15m above the nearby combatants. The creature's newly repaired torso was now wide enough to fully crush the entire group should it simply fall over.

It made no further movements, but the uneven, featureless rock that sat on its 'torso' seemed to be inclined in Kusari's direction.

Ethan and Myla had immediately moved in front of Kusari when the golem changed its form, and now they stood protectively in front of her, long breaths and strained vision spelling out their condition without a word on their part.

Myla was the first to catch the sound of another pair of approaching footsteps.

[color=f7976a]"Get back!"[/color] she shouted, turning around just enough to make sure the command was heard.

[color=f7976a]"Better yet, all of you get away!"[/color] Ethan followed up the order with a weak orb of light in his hand. It wasn't the intimidating effect he had hoped for. But they needed to back off. He couldn't stall for time [i]and[/i] protect them.

Before he could throw more weight around, a flash of light from one of the monsters caught the periphery of his vision and a green mist rolled over the entire battlefield, slightly obscuring sight and swamping him with sudden nausea and disorientation.

[color=f7976a]"Holy s-shit,"[/color] Ethan clapped a hand to his mouth as his stomach threatened to empty its contents.

Myla was reeling in much the same way as she struggled to resist the overwhelming urge to sit down.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
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[hider=OOC Interaction Tags/Notes:]
[@Snagglepuss89][@GreenGoat][@Piercing Light]

Green poison mist all over the battlefield. Mild nausea and disorientation is the appetizer. "Bone app the teeth." 8D

Do whatever you want to the golem. It won't respond. 

Kusari's leg will cut through the superficial layer of its body after several swipes, but it won't really affect much. Additionally, her body will heal through the poison's weak opener constantly, so she'll only feel the lightest of effects. Hardly noticeable. For now. She will, hopefully, notice that her power is constantly on and seems to be gradually increasing in strength to counteract the effects as the poison gets stronger. You don't need to worry about this for now. Just take note of it as the poison's effects progress in subsequent posts.

Hazel's attacks will harm it like a living thing. No displacement. Also not much damage.

Lawrence's shotgun will do no damage.
[/hider]

[hr][center][color=silver]ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟   / /  [@ERode][@January][/color][/center][hr][hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻: 𝔻𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℍ𝕒𝕝𝕝   / /  𝟚𝟙𝕩𝕩[/color][/center][hr]

[color=f7976a]"Keep an eye on them. As long as it remains harmless, do not interfere."[/color]  

...

[color=f7976a]"Then fire at will. Aim to disable, not kill."[/color]  

She hung up a second later, placing the phone down on the bar counter where it continued flashing rapidly with more notifications from trackers and automated messages.  

[color=f7976a]"Another?"[/color] the dignified man behind the counter asked her. He looked to be in his 50's, clean-shaven and aged gracefully enough that vestiges of a sharp face from youth still remained in alpine cheekbones and chiseled jaw. His graying hair showed hints of the original blonde and his deep-set, blue eyes matched the Director's for sharpness. In his prime, he likely would have cut an intense figure. Tempered with time, he was now wholly impressive. A thin, brushed-metal name tag displayed a surprisingly normal name: Steven. 

[color=f7976a]"Two,"[/color] Zhang replied.

Steven had just finished mixing the drinks when approaching footsteps drew Zhang's attention. She didn't turn to look, but her mind ran through several scenarios as she picked up another phone call.

Her public appearances were usually met with general avoidance and silence minus a few notable exceptions--Steven being one of them. Last she had checked, the other usual suspects were nowhere near the dining hall. Which left the alternative: students looking for retribution, validation, or resolutions she didn't have.

[color=f7976a]"Director Lina Zhang speaking."[/color]

When Brent Roless ordered [color=B0C4DE]"Bourbon. On the rocks,"[/color] she sighed inwardly. Validation, then. Ordering bourbon without a name, sitting right beside her when the bar counter was otherwise empty, and making sure another student was around to tip the odds in his favor.

The voice on the other end of the line finished speaking.

[color=f7976a]"Understood. Preparations are already underway. If that's all...?"[/color]

Steven raised an eyebrow at the student, but didn't protest. There were no particular rules against alcohol at USARILN East, only that if the bartender refused to serve someone, that someone would have to find intoxication somewhere else or risk the consequences. 

Zhang hung up, raising a hand to catch the bartender's attention.

[color=f7976a]"Give him the SCN Wild Turkey, rocks, with a water back and a straw,"[/color] she nodded to Steven, catching the order before the bartender pulled out one of the house brands.

[color=f7976a]"Bit strong, wouldn't you say?"[/color] Steven reached for a russet bottle on the top shelf.

[color=f7976a]"Just helping him earn his stripes,"[/color] Zhang chuckled.

The drink was served in an Old Fashioned glass, with a chaser glass of water and a straw beside it.

Zhang sipped from her cocktail as she eyed Brent, waiting for him to try the cask-strength, 120-proof bourbon.

[hr]
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No? Well, when she was basically two seats away from the most powerful person on the campus, the same person who practically threatened their lives and killed one of her own men just yesterday, Brent supposed that Sophia’s reaction, that of trying to stay as unnoticeable as possible, made more sense than what he was doing. Well, it made more sense, but it was also losing, in a way.
 
[color=B0C4DE]“Ah, a glass of wa-”[/color]
 
Before he could finish his request, however, the Director got off her phone and adjusted his order for him. Wild Turkey? Rocks? Water back? And why a straw? What did all those even mean? For someone like Brent, who really only drank the occasional can of beer during a particularly audacious house party, all this was pretty much lost on him.
 
[color=B0C4DE]“A challenge from the Director herself?”[/color] Brent smiled, beaming with confidence that he really shouldn’t have at all. [color=B0C4DE]“I’ll gratefully accept then.”[/color]
 
With that, the drink was served, and a glass of water was placed as well. Blinking, the amethyst-eyed youth nodded slowly. Truly, Steve was an experienced man, to be able to tell what his complete order was without even needing to hear the entire sentence. It’d probably have been better if the glass was a bit bigger, but, well, maybe that’s just how it is for classy establishments.
 
Sliding the chaser glass to Sophia, Brent looked at the ‘gauntlet’ that was thrown. Was this something he chugged? Sipped? The straw implied the latter, but the former was all he did in the past. Really, he needed to take note of these sorts of drinks in the future. Figure out what the hell they meant. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Director Zhang casually look over, assessing him.
 
Alright, no more pussy-footing around. ALL IN. ALL OUT. LET’S GOOO.
 
Mustering up his determination, Brent grabbed the glass, brought it to his lips, and chugged.
 
For the entirety of a split second, before it felt like he just got punched in the nose by a heavyweight boxer. Before he could sputter out the burning concoction, he forcefully gulped it down and felt live coals run down his throat. Perhaps, if he was experienced, he would have noticed the wonderful flavors and the deep, mature texture, but all he felt was fire and blood. His heart was pounding in his reddened ears as his eyes watered ferociously. He was almost tempted to slam down the glass, but instead, restrained himself.
 
Slowly, he brought the glass down, one-third finished, before letting out a long, long sigh. His tongue was numb, every part of his body was just so…so uncomfortably hot. But his thoughts were still his own, and, with a lopsided grin, he laughed, [color=B0C4DE]“What the[i] fuck[/i] is this?”[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Your dignity slipping away,"[/color] the Director replied, managing to look both amused and unimpressed at the same time. She stared pointedly at the flush rising up Brent's throat and face with the tiniest of smirks and a subtly arched eyebrow. He looked like he was going to burst into tears at any second. Validated something all right.

Before she could continue, a humming vibration from her phone scattered the relaxed atmosphere and the Director was all business again. A quick check of the screen followed by an inscrutably blank expression for several seconds revealed nothing other than the palpable tension. Eventually, she tapped the screen rapidly, responding to the message.

[color=f7976a]"Mr. Roless. Ms. Lemane. Come with me,"[/color] the Director spoke curtly. She reached into her suit, towards the left side of her torso, and drew a gun from the holster there. It was a black semi-automatic pistol vaguely resembling a 1911, but without any manufacturer labels or screws holding the frame together. The only visible marking was a faintly shining pair of white stag antlers meticulously embossed on the barrel.

Without waiting for an answer, she stood up quickly, heading down the two flights of stairs and out of the dining hall. Before she had put even 15 meters between herself and the building, a tanned young man with short, black hair styled in a pink-trimmed, angular fringe cut stumbled up to her. He was topless, white gauze covering his entire torso. The Arbiter would have looked quite fashionable with his trim figure, black slim jeans, and high-top trainers. Except for the mixture of agony in the harsh set of his narrrow jaw and anger in the glare of his amber eyes. 

[color=f7976a]"Mr. Alkana. I don't believe you're well enough to be out of the hospital,"[/color] the Director remarked calmly, unfazed by the sight.

[color=f7976a]"You sent my team out! Without me!"[/color] his voice rasped from pain and medication, and he looked ready to collapse on the spot.

[color=f7976a]"I could hardly send out a student recovering from a near bisection. Perhaps if Mr. Gottman were still alive..."[/color]

That struck home and the fire went out of him as his jaw tensed further.

[color=f7976a]"Send me out. They need me. You wouldn't have sent them out if it wasn't serious,"[/color] he continued, subdued now. The Arbiter doubled over with a loud groan of pain, gripping his knees to keep from falling. It wasn't the most convincing display of strength, but he was ready to fight tooth and nail for this.

He breathed heavily, refusing to let the reminder of his teammate's death quell his determination.



[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
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[hider=OOC Interaction Tags/Notes:]
[@VampireOracle][@ERode]

If your character followed Zhang, great, you're at this scene. Collab with me for the next bit. If your character ran off or didn't follow, she'll deal with them later.

[/hider]

[hr][center][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝔸𝕣𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕞   / /  𝟚𝟙𝕩𝕩[/color][/center][hr]

Miranda was gone by the time Gregory turned around, her movements soundless as she slipped into the forest cover during the seconds Gregory took to run into the darkness of the trees. A cacophony of hissing far to his right announced the creature's position before a tree in that direction crashed to the forest floor with a thunderous applause of cracking branches and rumbling earth.

Hector, fifty or so meters ahead of Gregory's position, giggled under his breath. He sent another reminder at Miranda to hiss as he slid into a large tree hollow, tucking himself soundly inside. Rosa had always disapproved of Hector's penchant for tormenting the new students--something about how his games were always unfair because Miranda was so silent. So he had made the projection hiss. That would solve Rosa's concerns, right?

Personally, he thought the complaint was silly.

It wasn't like DC's creatures would give warning before they struck, so he was practically doing everyone a service by keeping the students on their toes. 

In fact, he was doing everyone a service now.

Not a week ago, Rosa had suggested a new assessment methodology that would do away with the hassle of prepwork, and it had comprised of "controlled combat," among other things.

The original proposal had been to pit the best (and most stable) students against the new kids while a proctor judged the results. Something about more accurate readings in an actual combat setting.

It had become almost common knowledge across the USARILNs that the safe and cozy testing methods always yielded underwhelming values across the board, whether that was because the students in question weren't trying or because they were deliberately hiding their capabilities to avoid being sent into the field. USARILN East had the luxury of mages who could mitigate that kind of behavior, but West and Central left the issue at two-to-one. 

Too complacent, regardless. Training dummies didn't fight back. Training dummies didn't strike fear into their hearts--and if there was one thing they absolutely had to learn, it was to fight with terror in the backdrop.

More stringent testing was in order, and of course USARILN East was the first to try new and exciting things.

Hector had been selected as a opponent candidate, to no one's surprise, but in the middle of discussions on how to manage the new tests, the emergency had struck. And he had grown bored of waiting.

They wanted to push the new students, didn't they?

Sure, nothing had been finalized, yet, and [i]technically[/i] he wasn't supposed to be testing anybody before they could hammer out the details, but he had left a note somewhere before running off. That would be fine, right?

And it wasn't like one more dead subnatural was anything new at USARILN East.

Miranda's hide-and-seek would do the trick. A shame he couldn't play with more of the new students, but he had trailed Rosa and her busybody habits long enough to know she'd find the new kids for him. And lo and behold, he had found a Gregory. A Gregory who had taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. Amazing that he had even offered the walk first and saved Hector the trouble of leading up to it. The Aberration boy shuffled into a more comfortable position in the tree's crevice, tapping his anklet curiously.

[color=f7976a]"Commander Kardos,"[/color] he whispered innocently, [color=f7976a]"Are you watching? I'm doing 'Gregory's' combat assessment. Wanna keep an eye out?"[/color] 

A small light on the cuff blinked brightly in the darkness.

[color=f7976a]"Don't taze me, okay? We're just getting started."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"The Director has not cleared this assessment,"[/color] Kardos's deep voice cut through the silence of the tree's natural alcove.

Several hundred meters away, Hector had Miranda smash down another tree for distraction, letting the distant fall resound through the forest.

[color=f7976a]"She sent out the newbies to fight category ones. I don't think she'd mind me messing a bit with this guy."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"You have no authority to make that call, Rivers. Cease. Now."[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Why don't you check with her before [i]you[/i] make that call. Not like your title's 'Director Kardos,' is it?"[/color]

[color=f7976a]"Do not test me, subnatural."[/color]

Hector clicked his tongue in irritation and mild offense at the way "subnatural" dropped from Kardos's mouth. The man had no love for the students, that much was clear.

[color=f7976a]"Director Zhang values efficiency, doesn't she? Wouldn't she find it a lot more efficient to have this test going as well so there're more results to collect? Gauging the newbies on the battlefield is basically the same thing. You're just upset I'm not doing this to [i]your[/i] specifications."[/color]

The cuff's light winked out and a long period of silence followed. Hector braced himself for the taze, hoping Kardos had the mercy to only do it once.

Instead, the speaker light turned back on a few dozen seconds later.

[color=f7976a]"The Director's cleared the assessment."[/color]

When Kardos said nothing further, Hector smirked.

[color=f7976a]"But I bet you're setting the snipers up as we speak, huh?"[/color]

The speaker light disappeared again, and this time Hector was sure the conversation was over. As he signaled Miranda to hiss again, Hector briefly wondered if Gregory tasted good.

Only one way to find out. 

Emerging from the shadows in front of Gregory, Miranda lunged forward, body still moving without bipedal locomotion. A forked tongue lashed out from the vertical maw, flicking across Gregory's cheek and leaving a thin cut before the creature grabbed his arm and flung him several meters sideways.

And then it was gone again, back into the shadows. A cat playing with its toy.

An automated voice from Gregory's cuff intoned a notification: [color=f7976a]"Temporary exception set by--Commander--Michael Kardos. Suppression module off."[/color]

One more hiss from behind Gregory to indicate position. A scraping noise as a follow up warning.

Hector gleefully noted that Gregory tasted like chicken.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center]
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[hider=OOC Interaction Tags/Notes:]
[@Zombehs]

Gregory likely did not hear the sounds of conversation over the noises of trees falling. As far as actions he is allowed to take, most are fine. As usual, ask if unsure.
[/hider]