Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by solokolos
Raw
Avatar of solokolos

solokolos

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Hermes

Every time I take off the mask, it's like I'm not a person any longer. I gue-I guess that's my fault, because after, that's how i decided to define myself. When you define yourself by other people, and then they leave your life, you either fall apart or build yourself to be something new.

James thought through the one sided conversation in his head while sliding the picture back into his wallet.

You were the one who told me to talk to you even after you passed. It was such shitty advice, you were a really bad listener in life. It's not realistic to talk to you without interruption.

An icy claw was wrapped around James's chest. His breathing hurt right now. There were very few reasons that he would be called back. It wasn't pretty, from what he'd seen on the news.

The cab pulled to a stop, still outside city limits, but barely. The driver probably knew as well as he did that there was no entering the city.

James breathed.

A familiar voice played on the radio as he handed over the cash, waving away the change before the cab driver could get it out. He opened the door, a soft breeze at his back. The voice on the radio was louder now, the cab driver having turned it up. A couple words snapped him out of his stupor. ”-This hell raiser has made a name for himself among my people for slaughtering them wholesale!”

Patriarch was on the radio. Fuckety, fuck fuck. It didn't matter what he was saying, honestly. The name he had said, Judah Raines, did sound familiar.. Not to this life, but to the past one. He glanced down at his lack of costume, and decided there wasn't enough juice in the tank. He was without injury right now, so he could probably travel. . . He could travel a lot, but there was more than a lot of work to do.

He focused on the overhang of the PRT building, with his power giving him no warning bells about the location. It was sure to be unpopulated at least. James pushed harder, then swam in nothingness for the next five minutes.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by LemonZest1337
Raw
Avatar of LemonZest1337

LemonZest1337 Fresh and Zesty

Member Seen 26 days ago



&

The Terror Begins




Elle frowned down at her arm, which was split open from wrist to elbow and held open by a complicated looking mechanism. Beneath the skin, instead of blood and muscles, was tech. More, at a glance, than one might believe possible. Her free hand was poking around inside, the fingers on her visible hand twitching occasionally, as she manipulated something hidden into place. Her eyes were hidden behind the visor of her helmet, but sure was obviously zoned in on her work.

When Ana entered, for Elle had called for her, she wouldn't even look up. The computer screen beside her, however, would flip through several screens before stopping on a single message.

It's Behemoth. We leave in three minutes.

The minutes were displayed as a counter, counting down to the millisecond.

”Fuck. I’ll get changed.”

Ana quickly pulled a 180 and bolted out of the room, returning about two minutes later in her full costume helmet and all. This wasn’t the pairs first rodeo with an Endbringer event, but that didn’t do much to diminish the fear of it all.

By the time Ana had gotten back, Elle was already done with whatever adjustments she had been working on and was geared up and waiting.

<<Skip will be transporting us, like the last few times.>> With a motion to tomorrow, Elle started walking quickly towards the meeting area.

Ana took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders letting out her stress. It was never easy getting ready for and Endbringer, going in with the knowledge that you’re not going to be able to save everyone is… Difficult to say the least.

”So what’s the plan? Same as usual?”

<<Don't know. Not sure what's in Denver that matters, besides the fact that until 5 minutes ago the city was a warzone. We're going in messy. We'll have maybe ten minutes to prep, by the looks of it. S&R will probably be major.>>

”Jesus. This really isn’t what they needed right now… I know it’s never a good time for and Endbringer attack. But this just feels unfair.”

<<Yeah, it's bad. Especially when the big bad in town just announced he's mastering people, broke the Unspoken Rules, and declared war right before the sirens. No chances this time, sis. Don't trust the locals more than you have to.>> By then they were there, getting into range for the local teleporter who would take everyone who had signed up to fight to Denver.

Charm shook her head as she walked into range of the teleporter.

”Fucking masters…”

In a flash they were off, appearing moments later outside of the Denver PRT building with a crack of thunder. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the sudden change, Elle stepped forward. She didn't stumble as a tremor shook the ground, striding forward unfazed. Floating in front of the building was none other than Legend himself.

Ana had covered her eyes with an arm to avoid the blinding flash of their teleport, even still it took her a moment to adjust. Well shit, Legend was here. At least they had a member of the Triumvirate to help slow Behemoth down while they got as many civilians out as they could. She took a look around at the current state of the city, it wasn’t looking the greatest. Hey maybe Behemoth would feel bad and just leave. Heh… Wishful thinking…

”Fuck never get used to that bright flash.”

<<Looks like we're just in time for the speech,>> Manifold signed with a nod and she glanced around the growing crowd. More were arriving every few moments.

Ana rubbed the chin of her helmet as she looked at all the assembling heroes and villains.

”Huh, so these are the capes of Denver.”
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Gardevoiran
Raw
Avatar of Gardevoiran

Gardevoiran The Forbidden One

Member Seen 18 days ago


From the Ashes I

The Protectorate, just as boring as ever. At least, the crimes in the city she was stationed in were pretty minor at best. Not much action went on in the streets outside of more minor things, and normally Alex wasn't the first to show. That responsibility came down to those Wards that had been around. Meh, Alex only liked one of them, anyway. When she was needed, she was always going to be told by someone in the higher ups. Outside of that, it was pretty lax in her room, with every part of the fungal colony living as it should be.

The TV monitor on the wall broadcasted the current ongoings of Denver, the city that had taken massive news alerts as the big gang there decided to unleash an all-out attack on the city. From what was covered, it was total chaos there, and the incoming broadcast from the head honcho of the biggest gang in Denver wasn't anything to scoff at. Breaking the Unspoken Rules, admitting to controlling masses, and then preparing to kill someone live on TV and score a nasty Kill Order on himself. Gross.

Though, when she could hear something through the TV Screen, she immediately knew what it was.

"Endbringer?" she thought aloud, lifting her head up from the mossy rock it was resting on. "How convenient for the people of Denver." She was joking, of course. It was really damn awful, actually. Denver really did not deserve this kind of crap right now, what with the gang war that was going on. Though, that being said, Endbringers do seem to like choosing really bad times to show up.

Her communicator buzzed on another rock as Alex grabbed it and listened to the message.

"Phoenix, did you hear about what's going on in Denver?" the voice rang out around the room. Alex threw it on speaker so she could find and put all of her appropriate cape outfit on.

"You mean the gang war or the Endbringer?"

"Ah, I see you've been keeping up. I didn't know if you'd be... uh... meditating."

"Am I being deployed to go to Denver?" She tied her bandanna around her neck as she finished her question.

"How did you-"

"You only ever call my comms outside of missions when situations like these arise." Alex was curt, because it was normally true. She never had any sort of actual pleasant conversation with her director, considering she didn't like talking to people. Talking led to forming bonds, and the only two people who she didn't mind talking to were her therapist and mother.

"... the Mover will be here in 3 minutes to get you. The room where you
ll be departing from has been sent to you. Stay safe."


"Fine." She grabbed her communicator and put it to her waist, stepping outside of her room and checking it. Conference Room 1 it was. It wasn't long after that the teleporter arrived, and everything went white for a moment.

Then, she was in Denver, waiting with every other cape that had arrived at the city to help out with the fight against the Endbringer here. Hell, even Legend was here. Crazy to think about, one of the Triumvirate being here. Outside of that, there were tons of other faces and names that showed.

She couldn't help but admit that, even with her strength augments, she felt really out of place.

Meh, whatever. She pulled her bandanna over her mouth and looked out onto the city, waiting for the inevitable beat to draw forth and start it's assault on Denver.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by solokolos
Raw
Avatar of solokolos

solokolos

Member Seen 1 yr ago

The Visage


A roar was sounding in Nora's ears, footsteps close behind in priority. This wasn't her, it didn't feel like it. She could look back at them, then disappear, but she wanted more. Is this what Mire felt? Bloodlust? No, she wasn't anything like Mire, Mire was a jackhammer. A constantly spinning jackhammer. Turning her head, she saw three people. When she was completely turned around two more had come into view off to her right. Five nodes readily appeared. Visage had been planning around them having countermeasures to her power, but it was easier without. She changed how she looked with no dissonance, anchoring her physical appearance to the ground as she slowly and carefully walked around them. It was difficult as the group had kept walking forward, forcing her to retreat to stay away. There was no doubt in Visage's mind that these were community members. The fear was a small amount of doubt, a nettle, an annoying itch in the back of her head. A beautiful idea bloomed from that nettle though, and a vicious smile formed on her lips. She stood still now, letting one of the goons get within five feet of her before changing her detached appearance. The man stopped in his tracks, brown eyes wide. It wasn't fear though, it was-It almost seemed to be respect. Visage finished unzipping the small pouch on her hip, withdrawing a small but sturdy knife. Slowly she walked closer, before giving her image another command. She didn't have a doubt about their affiliation now.

Patriarch. standing before them, mouthed the word 'die.'

The knife didn't slide easily through his throat, catching almost immediately. It had already gone deep enough to be lethal, she assumed, as he struggled with hand raised to his throat. The four others turned quickly, but all they saw was a knife wound and their friend dying. New blood fell from his fingers as she yanked the knife away. They looked back to Patriarch, and found that he wasn't breathing or moving, the only movement was him miming that word. Over and over again.

Visage fled now, bile already in her throat, as the sirens started blaring.
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Belladonna
Raw
Avatar of Belladonna

Belladonna Autumn the Fall leaf

Member Seen 4 yrs ago



"And so I started travelling across the country looking for a place to call hom..." Claire's voice is drowned out by the sudden sound of sirens blaring loudly not too far from the cafe. She looks knowing what this means, internally wishing that she hadn't spent the morning fighting. "Really? Now of all times? The one time when I couldn't honestly care less about ninety-nine per cent of this town?"

She sighs looking down at the table then to the girl who had helped her earlier and would now even consider a friend. "Sorry, the more time I spend in the breaker form, the less I tend to care for humanity, usually passes in a few hours," she trails off, before standing up and offering a hand to the Zinerva. "Will you fight with me again? Possibly for the last time?"
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Eklispe
Raw
coGM
Avatar of Eklispe

Eklispe SSP

Member Seen 4 mos ago

Sofia Stien - The Airport


Sofia paused for a moment, considering this new information. An endbringer was coming, Chivvy was here, and Jason was going to help fight it. "I'll come too." Sofia said, getting ready to climb onto Jason's back to hitch a ride to wherever. She wasn't sure how useful she could be, but if Jason was helping she would too.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by LemonZest1337
Raw
Avatar of LemonZest1337

LemonZest1337 Fresh and Zesty

Member Seen 26 days ago



Creep's warning was swiftly ignored as Mire's barbed spear dug a chunk out of. Swarm's side!? Why'd the fucker have to be a hero, why couldn't he have just left Firefly to get impaled! God dammit! Mire retracted her arm, shifting it back into a human hand. Mire was shaking, her fury threatening to make her lash out again, but she stopped herself. The sirens had been going on for a few moments now, she would just have to wait until the endbringer passed, who knows maybe the monster would stamp out Firefly for her. Mire let out an audible hiss and forced her mist to return to her. "Fuck this." Mire said throwing up her arms and walking off cursing under her breath. Mire had no interest in sticking around. Not like people could stop her from leaving, and if they tried...
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Ambrosine
Raw
Avatar of Ambrosine

Ambrosine Flesh Apocalypse

Member Seen 2 yrs ago



When Zinerva was a child, the most terrifying sound was her mother calming saying her full name. It was different from her mother’s screaming fits, where she knew the storm would blow over if she just gave her mother space and time, or the insincere apologies and platitudes, which signified a brief reprieve and served as warnings for a future relapse. No, she knew that when her mother spoke calmly, it only meant that the worst had yet to come.

The Endbringer sirens screamed in Zinerva’s ears, her conversation with Claire momentarily forgotten over the surge of terror flooding her veins. This was impossible. Insanity. Lunacy. She’d lived in this city for four years now, coming here for college and to escape from her parents, and it had really begun to feel like home. And now...now it was all over. If—no, when the Endbringer rampaged across this city, she’d lose the life she’d built, her friends, her home…

Zinerva blinked as Claire’s words brought her out of her stupor, her basic conversational skills making her instinctively push her fear and panic beneath the surface.

“I can understand finding it difficult to care about humanity,” Zinerva said quietly, dabbing at her lips to brush away a few stray donut crumbs and disguise the tremor in her hands. “I find it helpful to set my expectations low and be delighted by any who surpass them.”

Her bone armor had long since evaporated, the interior of the store slightly warmer due to the heat and vapor given off by the exothermic reaction of the bone dissolution and resorption. Standing up from her chair, she firmly shook Claire’s proffered hand..

“I’d be delighted to join you for this fight,” she said. Then she smiled. “Though I certainly hope it won’t be our last.”

Joining the Endbringer fight was never a question. She’d stepped up earlier today for the sole purpose of protecting the things she valued in this city, and she wasn’t going to back down from this threat either.

After she finishes her conversation with Claire, she’ll be changing out of her borrowed clothes and giving them back to Claire. Then she’ll start growing her armor, leave a few twenties behind the counter as payment for the donuts she ate, and head straight for the PRT headquarters.
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by PlatinumSkink
Raw
Avatar of PlatinumSkink

PlatinumSkink

Member Seen 2 days ago

Creep
Sheila Hopkins

Outside Rockers HQ



@Spiffy

‘God, damn it,’ Sheila cursed, watching Mire leave. Realizing she was hearing her own uncovered voice she quickly readjusted her mask to return to the usual Creep. ‘Salem! Get the first-floor first-aid-kit! MELT your way to it if you so have to!’ she told, while gravitating forward to help Swarm probably to the ground and help try to keep the wound from bleeding too much… only to find that Firefly had started cauterizing the wound himself with light-power shenanigans, making Creep’s efforts redundant. Regardless, she’d stay around. She couldn’t apologize, but she could stay around until Salem brought the kit in any case. It worried her that the heroes might move against them after Mire’s attack, but then she noted the two had vanished. Huh. … Regardless, she had more important things to focus on.

While she was waiting she phoned the lieutenant that sent her the message. She had a very simple message to him. ‘Joaquin, take command! Help the evacuation! Also, Judy and Ralph are unconscious in front of the HQ, send someone to pick them up! We capes will be heading to the PRT meeting to confront the Endbringer, so I’m counting on you to handle things on the team for now! Understood!?’ … Endbringer. She said the word. A bringer of the end. Oh, god. Why was this happening? … Viola. She had to call Viola.

After making sure that Swarm was getting treated and Joaquin had his instructions (probably more than those written down), Creep excused herself saying she had to make a call and left the immediate vicinity. On her phone, she called Viola, pulling down her mask again to speak with her normal voice. Viola answered almost instantly.

That took longer than I thought,’ Viola told on the other end, sounding strangely calm.

‘Listen up,’ Sheila commanded, no small talk today. ‘I want you out of town. Get as far away from Denver as you-’

No way, nuh-uh. I’ve decided. I’m helping.

Darn. This was getting worse and worse. The mere thought of Viola helping against an Endbringer, getting hurt… It was light a tight fist gripping around her heart, threatening to crush her.

‘I-I won’t have a discussion about this!’ Sheila said, normally able to control her sister but realizing she didn’t have the ammunition for it this time. ‘If I die, then I need you to-’

No way! This time, I’m doing what I want! Viola shouted back. And please, I don’t want this conversation to end with us shouting at each other!

Sheila wavered. She could see it. One of them dying, and their last memory being them arguing on the phone. That was… that wasn’t it. Viola had thought that far ahead? … Sheila’s eyes watered, grip tightening on the phone. That would- that would be horrible…

Thank you, sis. I have a really good power! I’ll be able to help lots of people! Besides, you’re going, aren’t you? Viola asked. Sheila swallowed. Of course she was going, that was natural…

Then I’m going too. I can’t have you facing this beast on your own. I’ll be fine. I’m really fast, you know? So, I’ll see you there! Viola told.

‘Y-you fool…’ Sheila sighed, accepting her sister’s demands. ‘I’ll be going as a villain, so don’t talk to me. I don’t want you talking to villains. I don’t want our connection to be found out like that…’

Uh-huh. You’re going as your darker self, then? Not your bright one? Viola asked.

Sheila stopped short, eyes widening a bit. She had naturally assumed she’d be going as Creep, she’d been so frozen. It’d be a boon to the Rockers, not to mention Creep not going could be used against her… but what could Creep really do? Illusions. Hide herself. It was… useless against an Endbringer. She’d make no difference. As Wisp, however… she was still useless against an Endbringer. That said, by not holding back her powers she could point towards key locations with light, and… she wasn’t sure what she could do, but it surely was more than Creep would be able to do. Unlike with Creep, someone there might come up with an intuitive way to use her. But, if she did that, then Creep might be accused of having opted out to save her own skin…?

Oh? Well, I’ll leave you to figure that one out. Take care of yourself, Viola told her sister.

‘… Same to you. Listen to their commands, don’t make rash decisions. And… all of that…’ Sheila had to keep herself from sobbing, thinking of Viola fighting again.

Hey, sis. I’ll be fine. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve been doing, taking on all the villains of Denver every day, Viola tried to sound encouraging.

‘… Hah, this is nothing alike... ’ Sheila made herself smile, despite everything.

… I’ll see you after, Viola told, and Sheila had to breathe in to answer clearly.

‘We will. Take care,’ Sheila finished.

You too!

And with that, Viola ended the call. Sheila still felt that hand around her heart threatening to make her crush her with worry. But… she had to go, didn’t she? And she’d go as…

Creep put her mask back on, and then went to check on the rest. She recovered Salem, and then spent a small bit of time seeing if they could find any survivors from the building or find Pester. She then attempted calling Visage and Mire as well as Pester, probably uselessly. If any of them answered, the message would simply be that Creep wanted them to support Denver during this Endbringer event, please head to the PRT building. After that, they headed on.

When they had come away from Swarm and Firefly, Creep spun around to (probably only) Salem. ‘I want you to represent the Rockers at the PRT meeting. I’ll be there… but not as Creep. It’s complicated… but please accept this for now.’ And with that said, she vanished from the streets and ran for home.

At home she quickly changed into her Wisp costume. Speedrunner had already left. She switched to her white jumper and pants, which really just was white regular clothes, if somewhat tight to prevent sounds and accidentally sticking to things. She equipped her laser-goggles as well as a little bag to keep her equipment. This included multiple laser-pointers of varying strength, a strong flashlight, a knife and some bandage, just in case. This, plus both phones, both to the Rockers and her regular one. After hesitating she also put Creep’s voice changer in there, resolving nobody would look through her things at an Endbringer event so she can still pretend to be Creep over the phone if so needed. It was risky, but this was a bloody Endbringer event, it’d have to be risky. Wisp made herself invisible and headed off.

Wisp
Sheila Hopkins

PRT Building



Speedrunner had arrived fairly early. She’d been quick to get ready for battle, and then arrived pretty quickly because of her power, and would then be eager to tell someone about her power because she’s really useful~!

Salem should arrive at some point later, assuming nothing else stopped him. In the unlikely event they found Pester in a functioning condition, suppose him too.

Wisp arrived almost late, due to the detour home she had to make. However, after having crossed the city invisible, she approached the great building. It was a great building, one she had often thought about since becoming a cape… this was not how she had imagined approaching it. Time to show herself as the one she had wanted to be, for the first time ever.

Wisp let her invisibility fall, showing herself as she was, a little girl in white wearing laser goggles. One nobody there had ever seen. … She created her little wisp, letting the little white flame lazily circle her. That… that should tell them who she is. With that one, Wisp summoned her courage, and headed into the crowd. Would probably be standing alone for now, using her power to look in all directions and see ALL the heroes gathered, and wondering if she was supposed to tell someone about her powers.
1x Like Like
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by solokolos
Raw
Avatar of solokolos

solokolos

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Hermes

Out of the calming nothingness came a world of sound, and a sharp sting. It wasn't a bleeding wound, but his power had still taken a toll on him. That wasn't as important as the sirens though, the piercing screech of which immediately elevated itself to the highest priority in Hermes's mind. Teleporting to a clear spot on the sidewalk, he got his communicator out of his pocket and activated it. "There's an Endbringer, Decoy?" He asked, hand shaking. Coughing, he sat down, still uncostumed, and waited for his world to stop spinning-and ending.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Crusader Lord
Raw
Avatar of Crusader Lord

Crusader Lord A professional, anxiety-riddled, part-time worker

Member Seen 1 day ago

Mina Kreiger (Alloy)





That guy....was dead. Finally. And Alloy herself in part didn't know how to feel about it at first. Most of her felt the washing wave of relief, the lessening of that tight feeling in her chest, and even the tension in her muscles temporarily fading. She felt righteous rage screaming like a victorious Tarzan within her chest with each blow Jason had landed, and a sort of satisfaction bloom as well as the new arrival turned on the one who had apparently called him into the world. Poetic, in a manner of speaking, reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.

But as soon as those sirens began to blare, a great chill went down Alloy's spine. This new arrival, what this "Dr. Dean" had done, it utterly paled in comparison to what was soon to be here. An Endbringer, here, coming to Denver to wipe them off the face of this planet.

"Chatter, see if you can call attention to some of the ghettos on the east side. I know a few parahumans there who can expedite the evacuation in that area, just tell em' to say Mina sent them and they'll listen. Got at least two guys who can teleport stuff and people in that area, among other things.

In the meantime i'll ride with you, Thunderbolt,"
Alloy said into the comms, moving over to Jason to get in position for the ride to the staging area, her face (what was visible of it beyond metal) a mix of pale despite wearing a very dead serious expression on it as she then spoke into comms once more, "Though if i end up not coming back, Whimsy gets all my stuff. Not letting all you guys get your hands on it, haha."

That was all she had to say, attempting to crack a bit of humor to the team with a somewhat serious "will and testament" before...yeah. She was now in position to be carried as well to the staging area, and it wasn't like she couldn't be useful potentially. Power machines they needed for the endeavor, tap into the existing city power grid if they needed firepower, or whatever else she could do to help was worth the trip. Chatter didn't seem to hop on anywho, and personally she didn't want to be behind in case she could do anything.




Allison Mead (Excaliblast)





As soon as the Endbringer sirens began to blare aloud with that deafening sound, Allison had stopped in her tracks and turned around on a dime. MB was a jackass of the highest proportions, but this....this was something else. Even the Patriarch and his shitty goons couldn't do more shit here unless they wanted to be dead and hunted to the ends of the earth. No one among parahuman kind could do so if they had a brain, really, and for good reason.

Because they had to get everyone out as best as possible, as there was a giant murder machine on its way to them right now. No, worse, it was approaching close enough as it was to cause them to use the sirens.

"FUCK ME!!!" Allison shouted aloud as she bolted back down the stairs, before letting out a stream of shouting other profanities about the oncoming threat...even as she bolted to get back down the stairs to the first floor where her class was.

All the people trapped in classrooms by the attack from the Community, the PRT people outside, the goons that had been in the halls doing hell knows what, they all had to 'GTFO' as she would put it. Albeit if a goon got trampled to death or accidentally tripped and was stampeded on she wouldn't bother to help. Those assholes deserved it, but she wouldn't abuse the damn Endbringer situation like that and get another big target on herself. Dangit.

-Shortly Thereafter-


Well, her classmates had bolted out of the windows as soon as they heard the sirens, that much she had learned quite fast as she had tried to get back. PRT and professors and others seemed to be trying to get students and other staff out in a hurry to boot, not much she could do at that point in time than glare at the Headmaster after he had finally made it down the stairs a bit after her. Man was walking past her, barely made eye contact, and then walked off after giving a nod. A nod! This wasn't even remotely the time for things like this, though seeing a Community goon rush and trip "accidentally" over one of the blades she had fired a time ago was entertaining.

More important than this, she was looking for the PRT guy she heard speaking from the speakers before. Morales, some of these PRT people had said? She needed a ride to the staging area....and the guy was maybe in charge? not like she had to think about her choice right now. She had to try to help, even if her simple power did nothing but add a tiny bit to the overall effort.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by ProPro
Raw
GM
Avatar of ProPro

ProPro Pierce the Heavens with your spoon!

Member Seen 1 yr ago

The Battle for Denver Begins: For Everyone


At the Airport


The newcomer, who called himself Chivalry, seethed at the ravings of the lunatic on the television monitors. However that righteous anger gave way to something more akin to confusion as the loud sirens suddenly began blaring. The figure on screen seemed to be just as bothered by them as the Jacks who stood around Chivalry. His body language noticeably shifted, less tense and less on guard, and more tilted as though he were trying to make heads or tails of what was going on. Once he had been informed of the most rudimentary basics by the Jacks, he once again appeared to be ready for battle. "A monster is coming to kill us all, you say? Well if I am stuck in this world, I suppose I must defend it as my own." He held up both his blades in a dynamic pose, clearing favoring style and appearance over practicality. Either he did not truly understand the gravity of the situation, or he was an odd bird. "I shall cut down this monster for the safety of all in this new realm! Show me the way, guide me in this foreign city!" The die had been cast. While the horrifically monstrous Doctor Dean was dead and incapable of being any help in this most dire of circumstances, the Jacks did at least recruit one new ally. Maybe he really would be of help against Behemoth?


At the Television Station


Patriarch's fingers stopped merely an inch away from Judah's face, so close to touching him, so close to converting him. But he dared not budge another milimeter. The sirens, those damned sirens, they indicated that an Endbringer was coming. The very instant those sirens came on, an official truce was in effect between all parahumans, all heroes and villains, all normal citizens and criminals alike. Violating that truce was an instant death sentence. Even those converted into his own family would not take kindly to him working against others during the impending threat. Damn, those tv cameras were working against him now. He could've converted Mantis then killed him in privacy and been none the worse for wear, but with hundreds of thousands of witnesses...

"Hrm. You got lucky this time." Patriarch turned back to the camera. "The timing couldn't be worse for our fair city, but rest assured people of Denver, the Community will help in every way we possibly can. Marcus, release the prisoner." He gestured off camera, and only seconds later a man came into view, working at the restraints holding Mantis in place. "Yet the I can think of no better circumstance to prove to you all that my way is the right way. Once you see how a unified Denver can protect itself, you will all flock to my family. You will all call me Father by choice. Now let us go, my family. Let us meet at the PRT staging grounds immediately and show everyone what we are made of. DENVER WILL NOT FALL! DEATH TO THE ENDBRINGER!"

With a gesture, the video feed cut out. Patriarch hurriedly charged for the door, flanked by several normal citizens. "Dad, aren't we going to take Mantis with us?" asked Marcus.

"Hell no," shot back the villain as he reached the stairs. "At this point he's only a burden. Leave him and his survival will be up to him."

They all left the building, turning the corner just in time to miss two more figures approaching: Farce and Healer, the remaining members of Lethal Force. With no obstacles blocking their path, they were free to enter the building and find Judah exactly where he had been left, unconscious on the hospital gurney. His equipment was even left in a convenient pile nearby on a desk.

"Mantis!" Healer ran up to him, assessing the multitude of injuries he had taken. He would live as he was, but it was a lot of pain. She placed her hands on his body, and thus the process of her namesake began to take effect. Slowly but surely the wounds disappeared from his body, siphoned away to nobody-knows-where, stored up until she could unload them on some other hapless whelp.

"I won't be able to hold onto these for too long before they start affecting me," she informed. "Finding someone to inflict during the truce will be a bitch. Oh, I think he's waking up." It was then that Judah began to stir.


PRT Headquarters: Staging Grounds


Time went by as more and more heroes and villains began to show up just outside the PRT headquarters. The Wards, naturally, were already present. With some assurance from Decoy, they all gathered. Director Kens was notably absent, having been rushed to medical attention by some of the few remaining staff members who weren't already out in the field fighting off the Community. In his place were a few of his junior staff, overseeing the proceedings. They had learned of the situation regarding Protean and Sonar, and regrettably ordered that both be freed in order to take part in the battle against the Endbringer. Solvent for the containment foam was brought in to give Protean his mobility back, and Sonar was untied from his private quarters. Both immediately volunteered to participate in the battle, giving not even a second's hesitation. Their presence would certainly cause some friction among the ranks, but in these desperate times no asset could be denied.

It didn't take long before reinforcements started to appear from all over the world. Most of the arrivals were brought in by Protectorate teleporters, and were Protectorate members themselves, but some villains from elsewhere, and independent heroes also joined the rank and file. Dozens and dozens of capes were arriving, each one directed to take a communication device hand built be Decoy. Over the crowd appeared three instantly recognizable faces: Alexandria, Eidolon, and Legend. The three most powerful heroes in the entire Protectorate, if not the entire world. The three still living founders. The Triumvirate. Household names even to people who knew absolutely nothing about popular capes around the world, and the beacon of hope in this bleak world. With these three on their side, truly they had nothing to fear, right?

Wrong. Legend landed, taking a microphone and began addressing everyone present for a speech, as was his duty as the leader of the entire Protectorate.

“There aren't many times I get to say anything before an attack, but we're short on time so I'll make this quick. You'll be given a communication device, Decoy will be monitoring and keeping up with everything, so if you need directions or help or what have you, use them. I cannot stress this enough, but do not underestimate Behemoth. He's been coming at least once a year since 1993, he's killed almost four hundred capes with experience, powers, and the courage to stand up to him, and he's still here... Get cocky, get overconfident, and you will die. There's a reason he's called the Herokiller. One in three of the fighters will probably die.”

He let the statement stand, looking over the constantly growing crowd as more and more capes arrived.

“Now, if you've been involved with an Endbringer before, step forward. These people? When in doubt, follow their lead. Listen to them. They know what they're dealing with, what they're doing.”

A tremor rocked the ground below Legend, and he picked up the pace.

“If you think you can get close and not be affected by his Kill Aura, group up with Alexandria. If you're a distance attacker, with me. If you can impede his movements, provide cover, or otherwise hinder his actions, go to Eidolon. Search and Rescue efforts go with Inkscape, the local Protectorate leader who knows the lay of the land. If you fall under multiple areas, pick the one you're most confident with. If you can't get close enough by yourself to attack, we can try to arrange something! Communicate!”

Another tremor hit, even stronger than before. Those not prepared would easily stumble over. With an ear-piercing rumble, several buildings a few miles down the road came crashing down. Then a roar bellowed out across the city, loud enough to be heard from anywhere. Loud enough to shatter bones. The forty-five foot appropriately named Behemoth had made his appearance with a crack of lightning utterly demolishing a nearby structure, the thunderclap almost deafening.
3x Like Like
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by PlatinumSkink
Raw
Avatar of PlatinumSkink

PlatinumSkink

Member Seen 2 days ago

Wisp
Sheila Hopkins

PRT Building





Guess there was nothing else to it, huh. Got to do what she can.

Wisp ran over to Inkscape and probably collected one of those communicators. “Communicate”, Legend said, but Wisp was too afraid that raising her voice meant talking over someone more useful. Still. She made herself available, while looking all around her. Still keeping her wisp floating about her, just in case someone recognized it and wanted to make use of her.

In lack of anything else, she'd try to make someone aware of her powers allowing her to see all around her as well as potentially shooting light at things like beacons if so needed. Then she'll do something. (Consider this post unfinished, I'll write something more when I figure something out. She'll do SOMETHING, just need to come up with it first.)

Speedrunner, somewhat more confident, probably went to the distance attackers + Legend first, with a statement of ‘I speed people close to me up! I can make those who can hurt Behemoth faster!’ to either the other capes there or the communicator, hopeful to make herself useful. Maybe she was better used for S&R, but she’d try getting into the big leagues anyway.
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Old Amsterdam
Raw
coGM
Avatar of Old Amsterdam

Old Amsterdam Coven Witch

Member Seen 1 yr ago

Jason



Jason slowed to a stop outside the PRT building, carefully setting down his load of whoever came with him. They were fairly early, all things considered, as capes were porting in.

The speech was... Not very positive, but the point of being careful rang true throughout. And even with odds this bad they could win. They had won before.

They could do it if they worked together.

Jason ruffled Whimsy's hair as he stepped forward towards Eidolon.

"Be careful."

As he stepped in close to what was the second most powerful cape in the world, Jason felt a thrill run up his spine. "I can move people around quickly. Not durable enough to get close enough to deal damage myself, but I can always throw someone at the fucker." He spoke with a raised voice, making sure to be heard.

It was shortly after he was paired up with someone from another city who could build walls that Behemoth emerged. The sound rattled him to his core, and the tremors nearly unbalanced him.

With a quick stretch, Jason picked up anyone willing and set off towards the beast...






Lillian was handing out communicators as quickly as she could, her years of acrobatics helping keep her moving steadily, as Messiah moved along nearby. She kept an eye on her girlfriend nervously, worried about the incoming threat. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to help. She wasn't strong like Legend or Alexandria.

She still couldn't believe they were here.

That this was happening.

That Kens had already almost died.

She heard every word of Legend's speech, how could she not, but it just wasn't sinking in for her. None of this made any sense. How could it be happening here, in her hometown?

.... Did her parents get out yet?






<<It's never a good day,>> Manifold signed to her sister as they walked through the crowd, having stood up when asked. They'd fought as often as they were allowed. Behemoth had been the pushing point for Elle all those years ago, after all. The final straw.

And it had only gotten worse.

<<Tell that girl she's doing a wonderful job, would you? She looks like she's in shock,>> she added as a little girl in a scale-like costume handed them communicators. She carefully hooked the device into her own system in the meantime. Couldn't speak unless she used her system, but listening would be better than nothing. She pulled up the latest schematics for her temporary addition for this. She couldn't be certain it would work exactly right, and she'd probably have to replace something after using it...

Probably should get the jet running in advance.

Her chest expanded as she breathed in as a minute amount of the material coursed through her veins. Fire in her body, almost. Nitrogen fire.

She stepped over to Inkscape a few moments later, her arm shifting visible through her tech options. <<S & R?>> she signed, unsure if he'd be able to understand. So few people bothered to learn it, such a shame. If she ever got her own leadership position she was going to make learning it mandatory.

He nodded at her, and a smile broke her face. It was so nice to see someone who understood.

<<Thank you. It's nice to be understood.>>

"Search and rescue, Manifold. Tinker. Self augmentation. Multiple S-Class events, years of experience," a distinctly computerized female voice sounded out seconds later. She'd had had to make a brain implant for that, but it was still.... Wrong to her to use it. It wasn't her, not really, unlike the rest of her tech. It made her feel dirty. But better for those nearby to hear.

It seemed like an eternity passed before the ground shook hard enough to make her worry about stumbling as she reached out to stabilize a young cape that was falling from it.

She didn't even look as the bastard exploded from the ground with a bone shattering roar and a display of lightning.

It was time.



Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Spiffy
Raw
Avatar of Spiffy

Spiffy Prince of Peace

Member Seen 18 days ago

Escalation of Force: Part 1


Judah slowly rose to a sitting position. His eyes adjusted to the tv station lighting around him. There was Healer, Farce and his loyal dog Axel. The hound bounded onto the gurney and began to lick his master's face. Judah felt his dog's emotions. Surprise, joy, and delight. He patted his animal in equal excitement. Happy to be alive.

Judah spoke up, “I'm surprised too buddy..” Then he faced Healer and Farce, “Where am I? How did you find me?...And why are we on tv!?”

“We’re off the air, actually.” Farce clarified things before outstretching her hand to Healer. “Patriarch broke the Unspoken Rules, and you’ve gotta get a new name. I’ll take the wounds, Healer, since I’ll probably not be around. Fran’s probably gonna take over.”

Healer replied to Judah, "I got a call from Gaia..I'm sorry for leaving you guys. She told me all about the incident with the vial.” She petted Axel and continued, This good boy led us to you. Judging by your wounds there was plenty of scent to follow.” Axel panted excitedly. He definitely was a good boy. Then she turned to Farce and replied, “I’m not giving you these wounds! They could kill you on top of the ones you've already shown me.. We'll have to find one of Patriarch's goons..”

Judah's eyes widened in surprise as he rolled his previously dislocated shoulder and broken leg. All pain was gone. They moved perfectly normally. “Thanks again..this is the second time you guys have saved my life. It probably won't be the last either. Regardless we need to find Patriarch and take him down.” He looked around confused. “Where is he anyway?”

"Oh… uh… about finding Patriarch...” Farce chimed in again as she clutched her side. Like it or not, she was still definitely injured, but she spoke anyway.. “You missed the start of the sirens since you were unconscious. An E-” The ground quaked as the group of vigilantes heard the most deafening roar they had ever witnessed, the building being the only source of muffling that just barely kept them from sustaining any hearing damage. Farce’s eyes immediately widened. "It’s… it’s Behemoth! Oh fuck, the hero killer is here and assaulting Denver. We’ve gotta get out of here and get you two to safety!”

Judah finally adjusted to consciousness fully. The endbringer sirens finally registered in conjunction with the deafening roar. Behemoth was here. Patriarch was no longer a target. They had to do something to help the city. But what could Lethal Force do against such a horrendous threat? Axel barked at the noise. Judah shushed him. Then he slowly rose from the table and began to rummage through his belongings in his pack nearby. Judah took out his kevlar, uniform and other gear. He checked his firearms to make sure they were not tampered with. Then he finally spoke, “We can help with the evacuations. None of our powers can contend with Behemoth directly. However, we can assist the wounded and raise morale.” With that he released an energetic sensation in the air. As he went to remove some clothing to don his uniform he paused, raised an eyebrow and asked, ”Do you mind?”

Healer quickly turned away and replied, “Sorry!” Her face was a little flushed at the sudden removal of clothing. She shook her head and stated still turned away, "I need to find someone or something to release these injuries into,” She glanced at Gaia and stated, “And before you say anything about it the answer is no.”

Farce turned their head around too, though they just looked a little annoyed. “Fine, Gen. The place seemed to be cleared out when we had come in, though. Everyone probably ran when they heard the sirens, but we might be able to go and save a few stragglers.” Farce ran through a mental check of everyone in her head. Sure enough, she still had three people. She wasn’t sure if anyone here had died recently, but she was glad to know that there weren’t any new people in her head.

She turned her gaze to Healer once more. “If we can’t find anyone to get the injuries to, and you’re about to get them yourself, you better give them to me, understand?”

Healer gave a thumbs up and smiled, “Let's hope it doesn't come to that.”

”Agreed.” Judah replied now fully geared up. He donned his balaklava, covering his face. ”Let's find some people to help, or some looters to educate.”



The reforged team headed off to one of the city centers in order to aid in the evacuation of civilians. Healer drove her motorcycle, while Farce had provided transportation in a vehicle she, borrowed? As they drove vehicles streamed in the opposite direction. Traffic jams prevented hasty escapes. The roads toward Behemoth were nearly deserted. A few emergency vehicles could be spotted headed in that direction.

They spotted a building that was collapsed on their way. Mantis turned to Farce and said, ”We can help here. Pull over.”

As the group exited their vehicles, the sight that greeted them was horrific. Rubble and bodies littered the ground. Screams called out for help, but the people running away did not stop. A single ambulance had parked across the street. Its two paramedics were single handedly loading one person into their vehicle at a time. It was inspiring really.

Judah and Healer ran up and began to help carry the wounded into the ambulance as well. The paramedics glanced at them and one nodded his approval. Despite their cape appearances, they were needed. Healer concocted a plan to release injuries into the dead. That way she could save as many lives as possible. As she carried each body, she would absorb the damage into herself. Then when she moved back for more, she would find one of the dead and transfer the damage to the corpse.

Axel helped them spot more wounded in the area with his strong nose. Even with all the sirens, screams and chaos he still managed to retain a level head. All his training was put to good use.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by LemonZest1337
Raw
Avatar of LemonZest1337

LemonZest1337 Fresh and Zesty

Member Seen 26 days ago



Charm followed her sisters lead and stepped forward when Legend asked for people with Endbringer experience. Charm smiled under her helmet as Manifold asked if she could thank the girl handing out the communicators, the poor thing did look like she wasn't sailing well, Endbringers tended to have that effect on people. Charm nodded to the girl and took the communicator she was offered "You're doing good work kid, keep it up." Charm tried to sound encouraging, though her helmet might have muffled that out a bit.

Heading over to the cape know as Inkscape Charm was ready to translate for Manifold but it seemed the case 53 could read sign language despite his distinct lack of hands. Good for him. Charm winced a little under her helmet as Manifold's robotic voice fired up, god Ana hated it. It just sounded wrong.

Charm waited for Manifold to finish before speaking herself. "Charm, Brute. You need some rubble moved I'm your girl. Everything else is the same as her." Charm said pointing to Manifold with her thumb.

It wasn't too long before the ground shook, Ana managed to keep her footing as the might Behemoth burst from the ground with a thunderous crack of lightning. The Monstrosity let out it's building crushing roar, Charm clenched her fists in response. It was time.






Sylph was struggling to keep things together, all the stuff that just happened with Eyeblight? It was about to be absolutely blown out of the water, and Sylph was stuck with the knowledge that she wasn't going to be able to save everyone herself included. Then there was all these people, so many people. So many eyes. It was overwhelming, and Sylphs anxiety was showing at this point. Sylph was failing to make eye contact with anyone, even Legend as he laid out what needed to happen.

Sylph had two options now. Go with Alexandria and see if her metallic hide could take Behemoth's kill aura or go with Legend and fire wind blasts from far away. Sylph went with the latter if she went with the frontal attackers her wind aura and tornadoes would surely get in the way, firing a barrage of wind blasts from afar would be a much better option.

Cautiously she made her way towards Legend and kept to herself, she was far too frightened to speak at the moment. That's when Behemoth showed itself, it's roar chilling Sylph to her very core.





Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! That motherfucker would have been a fucking smear on the pavement if Behemoth hadn't come and fucked everything up! Now she was here listening to Legend prattle on about how lots of them were going to die. Fucking amazing pep talk! Mire clicked her tongue and started walking over to Alexandria when suddenly the ground shook and she fell to her knees, hissing in pain as her kneecaps bashed into the hard floor. "Piece of shit."

Maddy got to her feet and readjusted her mask making sure it wasn't crocked. Finally getting over to Alexandria and that group of capes just in time to catch some behemoth of a man talk about being able to throw people at Behemoth, the prick was crazy. Mire could get behind that. Though Mire had other plans for how she was going to hit Behemoth, big plans. "I could probably draw his attention. For a bit, I can get pretty big and loud. Not to mention pack a punch. It would take me a sec to get ready for that. Oh and don't step in the gas that comes off me, it's nasty shit."
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Gardevoiran
Raw
Avatar of Gardevoiran

Gardevoiran The Forbidden One

Member Seen 18 days ago

The Wards

Day of Reckoning II

"Search and Rescue efforts go with Inkscape, the local Protectorate leader who knows the lay of the land."
Legend, the COOLEST HERO EVER!!!


Looks like that's where she was going to go.

As soon as she was done passing out communicators, Mastar looked towards Inkscape and ran over to him, sliding underneath everyone else as a tarry puddle before reforming right next to the new girl, Charm. She seemed pretty cool, and was pretty strong from the looks of things. As she reformed, she decided between going with her old outfit or her new SFW one. She decided on the SFW version as she put her arm up in the air in a fist. She was kinda pumped, even if she was terrified underneath the outer later of her facade.

"Search 'n Rescue! Mastar, Breaker/Master. Denver Ward, with good knowledge of the land. I can become tar and dribble down into places that you guys might not be able to, but don't... uh... drink me. Please, it won't do much good at all, and you'll be hypnotized for a while."

A Breaker/Master wasn't exactly the best thing for this situation, but hopefully it'd work out well in the end. Hell, even if she could keep up the morale, she'd be okay with it. She could totally do that! She had to, i-it was her job! Right?!




From the Ashes II

"Search and Rescue efforts go with Inkscape, the local Protectorate leader who knows the lay of the land."
Legend

Phoenix stepped on over to Inkscape's group. She didn't have a way to really hurt Behemoth directly. From what she had heard of his power, she'd be dead from irradiation within just a few seconds if she got a full blast from the radiation, namely being right up to him. Outside of that, she was able to bust down walls with her Brute Augments, and that'd certainly be enough to get a few survivors out of the wreckage. Better yet, she would inevitably survive this battle with her sheer durability and with how her power worked. Search and Rescue worked best for this.

After the Ward was done talking, Phoenix spoke up, still somewhat monotone, but with a definite sense of duty in her voice. "S and R. Phoenix, pure Brute with a few years of experience. Augmented to be strong enough to bulk through hits and break down walls. Cannot heal, but death isn't severe as a punishment. Power will respawn me at my home PRT, so I don't mind running into the heat of things when others can't and risking my life." She thought for a little longer before she added onto it. "... if I die near you, don't breathe until you're like, 20 feet away. It'd kinda be like ingesting her, I'd imagine." Phoenix pointed at the tarry Ward before looking at the rest of the cast.
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by yoshua171
Raw
Avatar of yoshua171

yoshua171 The Loremaster

Member Seen 17 hrs ago



She had scoped things out and set her projection--with mover powers--to evacuate as many people as possible as quickly as she could. She’d done it from the very top of the PRT building so she had seen when capes had begun to arrive on scene. Roughly five minutes before the speech, when most people who were coming had arrived, Evelyn finished the final run with her projection. She’d gotten her parents out and she’d called them too. Having kept careful track of time she used her remaining minutes to do very cursory scans of the capes below. She barely focused on individuals, instead picking up on trends and getting a general sense of powers. A sense so vague that it was almost unhelpful. When she felt her projection become available, it manifested immediately, taking the form of something large and bird-like. She hoped on its back, and parts of it split away and clutched at her as other powers interacted to keep her safe and unaffected by what would usually be a disorienting fall.

So it was that she swooped in dramatically, flying over the capes, before her projection landed and deposited her gently on the ground. She kept her distance from the crowd and dismissed her projection. It took mere seconds for it to become available, but she didn’t use it. Looking at all these heroes...and even villains was...something. She frowned and a cold pang of numb loss pulsed through her chest, causing her to grit her teeth. This moment, in the past, would have been awe inspiring, exciting--if grave--but now...she just felt cold.

Intentionally, she stayed out of sight from her team, instead gingerly scanning those she hadn’t touched on before. SHe was discovering new limits to her projection and her thinker power. The pressure was mounting and would continue to do so if she didn’t ‘refresh’ her projection between large quantities of scans.

Legend began speaking and she shifted her attention to listen. Serious, daunting words for an intimidating situation. Fighting a threat that none of them had encountered before--barring those who had fought endbringers in the past. It made sense. Play to your strengths, be careful, don’t get cocky. The message was clear enough. Things progressed and she manifested her projection as a small, lightweight flying serpent. It flitted between capes, snatched up a communicator from Lillian, and then disappeared back into the crowd, before making its way back to her. She grabbed the device and affixed it in the same moment that the projection demanifested.

The silver silhouette of her tulpa’s shadow glowed faintly in the aftermath and she took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. As the air left her lungs she tried to relax and in doing so something else clicked for her. The silver light of her power expanded...growing and growing until it encompassed the whole area. She got a flash of a blinding headache before dialing back and avoiding contact or focus on certain capes. The pain eased.

Her eyes already closed, she felt a smile spread across her face as she returned her breathing to normal. Patterns and twisting geometries faded and shifted through her mind’s eye as she began honing in on the powers whose mechanics seemed most helpful to her.

Alexandria. Legend. Outsider. Messiah. Charm. Blastmaster. Protean. Unknown(Metanoia). Lamprey. Abaddon. SWARM. Mire. Sylph. Unknown(Chivalry). Sonika. Guardian Angel. Unknown(Fractal King). Unknown(Bear cape). Noble. Hermes. Cascade. Furnace. Salem. Unnamed Mover.

She set to it, immersing herself in the process while others pared off from the group.


Briefly her head swam and throbbed faintly, but the pain faded and with it the disorientation as the information organized in her mind, allowing her to focus anew. The silver light of her power expanded further, becoming millions of strands of ghostly light. At a thought the strands shot outwards from a central point, startling many, but impacting none as the shadow of light transposed itself with every material it could manage.

Stone; Lead; Silver; Steel; Iron, Glass; Plastics (of many sorts); Crystal; Flesh; Bone; Sand; Soil; Fire; Air; Water; Electricity; Light; Cloth; Wood; Rubber; Foam... and the list just kept going. A smile played across her features and she snapped her fingers. The light of her projection retracted all at once into something the size of a pinprick, before expanding back outwards again.

Again it became as threads of silver light, weaving into something greater.

‘Give me something that can fight him. Give me something that can hold him off and bolster those around me. Make it strong, make it fast, make it deadly and inspiring.’

She started interweaving and locking in physical traits, assigning layers to them. She took the positive properties of each material the silver shadow had gathered and she combined them, casting aside many of their failings in the process. Then, finally, as the silhouette of wavering strands formed in the air above her--towering in height--she switched gears.

Her brow furrowed and the muscles in her neck stood out as she focused, grinding her teeth without realizing, clenching her fists without notice as she tried combinations of powers--failing and failing till she found ones that worked.

Gradually she started relaxing, but it was incremental. By the time she opened her eyes--her mind thrumming with a mixture of tension and power--almost every other cape had departed the scene. She wasn’t sure how long it had been exactly, but she could hear the sounds of destruction and battle in the distance alongside the roars of Behemoth.

Turning towards Behemoth she watched for a moment, accessing the situation.

The final power spooled out in her mind and then wound tightly into an intricate multi-faceted formation that she would have found impossible to describe. It was beautiful.

Permanent altered state: Three-phase temporal physiological matter lock. Transdimensional mass compression. Focus, durability; malleability. Minion--personal integration. Transmutive Regeneration--triple modifier: Absorption conduit. Awareness-initiated transcendent escalation. Null gravity. Limit, personal. Focus multiplier: Wholesale physiological enhancement. Material font. Limit, Personal. Focus, survivability. Exotic energy proliferation. Limit, impersonal. Focus, Wholesale enhancement; Enhanced processing and confidence. Enhanced physical resistance and speed. Phase modulation. Limit, personal. High precision expanded autonomy. Focus, variable|Effect modulation. Limit, range; inorganic; energetic. Storage method: Internal dimensional matrix. Space-time breadth compression. Limit, impersonal; range(short);.organic; interval.

She took a deep breath and then gestured forwards, palm up and in a brilliant flash the silhouette of light resolved into something truly otherworldly. Possessing barely any physical form to speak of, the tulpa’s visage was almost impossible to parse, but its power...that was palpable. It was a silver mass of slowly undulating threads composed of silver light that were somehow both ethereal, solid, and fluid all at once.

The girl who had conjured it smiled up at her creation--and the expression held more warmth than perhaps she had expressed or held for her own team for quite some time. She stepped forwards and the featherlight threads caught her steps as she walked upwards on it into the air as it hovered like some kind of eldritch seraph.

Her eyes shone and she knew that was what she’d call it. The Seraph.

Silver light wove itself around her and she disappeared into the gently writhing mass of ethereal threads. The Seraph began to float slowly towards Behemoth and the world around it seemed to push and bend away from it as if affected by an unseen inexorable weight. As it moved, threads of light converged with her body and became entwined, shifting phases and becoming one with her flesh. Her senses expanded and over the surface of every strand of light a prismatic display pulsed outwards.

Together the Seraph and its master turned their gaze upon Behemoth. The world around them trembled--glass rattled, buildings shook, the ground cracked beneath their might, the air froze and then became a chaotic gale, and then their voice rang out.

"Behemoth chose the wrong city."


In the next moment a blur of liquid light slammed into Behemoth with all the ferocity of a lightning bolt. Threads of light intertwined and unfurled faster than could be easily followed before the mass shot back--threads making contact with buildings and even the air itself before it moved and resolved into what could barely be called the silhouette of a monolithic figure.

Those who had been between its position and destination were unmarred and utterly unaffected by its passing, in fact they might even notice that they felt stronger...sharper.

Where it had struck the Endbringer there was a massive gash, its crystalline flesh shattered, burned, and sheared away.

From afar Tulpa smiled, "Hero-killer? Not in my fucking city."

At that the Seraph once more wrapped her in its protective embrace.

Together again, they blurred and the fight resumed from afar, but a moment having passed.

While no one listened...a countdown silently rang out.

Ten seconds.
1x Like Like
Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Ambrosine
Raw
Avatar of Ambrosine

Ambrosine Flesh Apocalypse

Member Seen 2 yrs ago



Metanoia sprinted toward the PRT building on foot, her muscles coiling and expanding with each step. Layer after layer of dense musculature and connective tissue rippled and built upon one another, her bones lengthening and thickening as she took larger and larger strides. Her armor, too, grew larger and all-encompassing, forcing her to put effort into preventing herself from shattering the asphalt.

Did her friends make to it the shelters? Did they manage to get out of the city? She desperately wanted to check up on them, call them to see if they were okay, but she knew that the cell service had to be clogged up at this point and that there was no point in distracting them from their evacuation. She had her own task, and that was making it to the PRT headquarters before the Endbringer arrived.

By the time she arrived at the staging grounds, she’d gained hundreds of pounds of mass, her frame nearly three meters tall and her body completely covered in thick, intricate layers of ivory armor. She looked toward Abaddon, wondering if the other cape would have questions about her powers, but she was immediately distracted by the whispers around her.

Behemoth. Possibly the worst matchup for her, she realized, as she had no real protection against his kill aura and his plethora of other powers. It might be a bit harder for the Endbringer to kill her, but her bone armor would provide little durability in this fight. A clean hit from one of his lightning bolts would obliterate her mass, and nothing she could do would be able to injure the Endbringer.

Metanoia ran through her prepared list of options, recalling all the fun little experiments she’d performed with her power that would now be tested in the field.

Her emergency stash of flesh at the bottom of the lake she called home—no, that would be useless in this fight, and would only truly be useful after her regeneration rate stopped increasing.

Double check her offensive options? Goliath-Naga, acids, bombardier, projectiles, sonic, booby traps, Plague, Sins—all her little plans with their fun little names, all useless, useless, useless.

Defensive options? The only one she could think of that might be relevant was the one she’d named “Arcology”, meant to be a last-ditch fortress impenetrable by mundane means. It was a crude idea, an enormous pyramid constructed of bone extruded from her body. Estimations based on prior attempts and some basic math told her she could construct a bone pyramid a few meters tall and wide with a pitiful density in a few minutes, but how would that even help against the Behemoth? She doubted the beast would attack an immobile structure that posed no threat toward it.

No, in the end she’d best serve as a durable, somewhat fast cape that could help rescue other capes. Falling debris would pose little risk to her, and she’d be able to brave fires and other dangerous conditions better as a regeneration brute.

It looked like the capes were still gathering, so Metanoia had a little time to get started on her plan.

“Abaddon, please excuse me for a moment,” Metanoia murmured to the cape beside her. “I need to prepare for the fight.”

Metanoia was a bit unsure of how her power would be understood, considering the potential self-replicating nature of her power, so she wanted to avoid undue attention for the initial steps of her idea. Double-checking to make sure she still had time, she jogged a ways down the street, into an alley, and crouched out of sight behind a dumpster.

A blob of amorphous flesh bubbled out of her bone gauntlet, dropping the ground, and swiftly began to expand in size. Metanoia focused on it intently, molding it into one of her most well-practiced shapes. Her increased mass at this point bestowed massively increased mass generation, and in a few seconds she had a small wolf standing by her feet. It’s fur was a shade of ivory, its eyes a pale blue, and it was completely controlled as an extension of Metanoia. Most importantly, it was soft and fluffy to the touch and had a long floofy tail, something that Metanoia had hoped would give her an edge in public relations.

Not that it mattered now, of course. The wolf rapidly grew in size to the point where Metanoia could seat herself on its back. When she walked out of the alleyway less than a minute later, the wolf was as large as a horse and still growing, incorporating various adaptations underneath its skin as Metanoia directed it to bound toward the staging grounds.

Electrical insulation—might help a bit with the lightning strikes, though Metanoia didn’t hold out much hope for that. Burn resistance—heat-redistributing and heat-absorbing chemicals that circulated underneath the skin of the wolf, along with material that acted as heat sinks that could quickly be ejected. Armor—simply layered bone plates underneath the skin of the wolf, all to prevent damage to critical joints and muscles that would hinder its movement. The wolf didn’t have internal organs, of course, being a slab of muscle controlled by Metanoia, but extra protection would allow her to shunt crucial mass to other areas if needed.

The wolf was approximately the size of an elephant by the time it reached the staging grounds, eleven feet tall at the shoulder and nearly twenty feet long. Though Metanoia had read about elephants being able to grow even larger than this, she found that this size was a good balance between mobility and durability. After all, the square-cube law still applied to her, and having to repair bones and tissue after every sprint wouldn’t be conducive to search and rescue efforts.

She regrouped with Abaddon silently, dismounting briefly to take a communication device and thank the small brown-haired girl that handed it to her. She couldn’t help but gawk at the crowd of capes as she got back onto her wolf, having never seen such a large gathering of parahumans before, and when the Triumvirate appeared she stared at them as well.

For all these capes to have assembled here to fight the Endbringer, to protect her city… A shiver ran down Metanoia’s spine. Whether or not the each cape had come for altruistic reasons, she was still incredibly grateful that they had even shown up at all.

That feeling was further amplified as Legend began speaking. One in three of us will die. It was an incredibly unlikely hope, but perhaps her efforts would help keep the number of deaths below that fraction today. These capes didn’t deserve to die here, these people who willingly threw their lives into a hopeless fight against one of the world’s greatest catastrophes.

She listened carefully as Legend spoke, learning where she would go and the general approach to the fight. At the same time though, she observed the three incredibly powerful members of the Triumvirate, an idea itching at her mind that she frantically tried to puzzle out. She barely felt the tremors, so engrossed in her own—

Flight! That was it, they were all flying, and she was an idiot for nearly forgetting about it. As the tremors rocked the ground again and she directed her wolf to bound over to Inkscape, she began shedding her bone armor, letting the heavier portions scatter to the ground in a trail behind her as she began streamlining her body. Hollowing out her bones, shedding excess musculature…

Behemoth roared and Metanoia flinched, but that didn’t stop her from finishing her changes. A set of ivory wings sprouted from her back, growing to the enormous size required to provide someone of her weight some semblance of flight. They would hopefully allow her to be more effective in search and rescue efforts, as she would be able to provide rapid assistance through flight while allowing for multiple people to be loaded onto her wolf.

As the battle raged on, she followed directions from Inkscape, surveying the rubble from the air as her wolf followed her from below. It pained her to see the horrific injuries that people suffered, and the first scattered remnants of an unfortunate cape who had been skimmed by a lightning bolt made her stomach churn. The nausea was easily resolved with a slight adjustment to her digestive system, but the cape was too far gone to be saved.

And then she saw it from her aerial vantage point—a silver blur that suddenly appeared near Behemoth, leaving a deep scar on the Endbringer. The two entities collided again a moment later, the mass of silver threads somehow fighting the Endbringer on seemingly even grounds. Metanoia forced herself to tear her eyes away, immediately rushing toward the location of the newest injured combatants, but she couldn’t help but feel a tiny spark of hope blossom in her chest.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Spiffy
Raw
Avatar of Spiffy

Spiffy Prince of Peace

Member Seen 18 days ago

Escalation of Force: Part 2

Farce wasn’t able to do much, though Fran certainly was more mobile at the time. The ex-villain of the Community ran through the building and carried out as many of the wounded as she could, with some favorites being played in case she recognized any of her old gang’s members. She managed herself fairly well, all things considered, before the entire group heard the crash of something big next to the building.

A lightning bolt had smacked right into the side of the building, causing the entire thing to shake and the power for the building to cut off. A lot of people were out, but there were still a good amount left inside.

“Mantis, how many were left in there that you couldn’t grab?”

Mantis yelled through the clatter, carrying a young man in a business suit fireman style, ”I felt at least 5 or 6! It is hard to tell! One is fading fast!” Axel barked in the direction of the casualties.

Healer ran towards Limbo and said, “Let's go together!” Then she sprinted toward the now powerless building.

”Right!” Fran rushed back into the building and darted up the stairs, whether or not Healer was following. She didn’t know where the people were, so she had to guess based on what she heard instead of what she didn’t. After a few flights, she heard the commotion a little louder, and swung the door right open for both Healer and her to dive right in.

There were two people, a man who was tending to a very bloody leg, and a woman. Fran ran over to the aid of the man and picked him up in her arms, lugging him to the staircase she went up to get to where she was. ”You’re gonna be okay sir. We’ll get you downstairs safely.”

Healer touched the man's leg and the wound was fixed within seconds. She held it in herself until the opportune time. She then helped the woman to her feet, leading her toward the staircase. It was dark without the lighting, fortunately there were enough windows to illuminate the area. They travelled down the stairs until they exited the building without an issue.

Mantis ascended the stairs as the duo exited with the two civilians. A few more trips and they had evacuated all the living from it. The ambulance pulled away with a full load of people. He looked at the two women and stated, ”I'm going to head toward the capes in combat with Behemoth. I will be able to use my ability to help them fight. This is more dangerous than anything we've ever faced before by far. I would completely understand if you wanted to leave now…” His eyes turned toward the sounds of destruction. Axel whined toward his master.

”... this seems like a better opportunity for Gaia to talk.”

”Indeed.” Gaia appeared back in Fran’s place, walking up to Judah. ”I’m not gonna let you go alone here. We’re fighting that monster together, and whoever lives, lives, and I’ll be damned if it’s gonna be you dying.” She hugged Judah before breaking away from him and looking at the monster from the small glimpse she could see it through the buildings. ”We’re a team, dammit, and I didn’t just come save you only to have you get taken away from me by this asshole.”

Healer sidled up alongside the two and wrapped her arms around them both in a group embrace. Then she stepped to the side so that the three of them were looking toward Behemoth together. “I abandoned you guys before when you needed me. Never again. This time I'm in too!” Though her voice quavered from fear, she knew that with these flawed human beings she belonged. She had no intention of abandoning them again. Come hell or high water.

Mantis was taken aback by the sudden show of loyalty and affection. He hesitated for a moment as Gaia hugged him and pledged to even die for him. He lowered his balaclava from his face and returned Gaia's hug. And it wasn't a halfhearted one either, it was a real one. Sturdy, solid and true. Then Genevieve wrapped her arms around them Judah joined in. Without realizing it, he released a powerful emotion he had not felt in a long time. It swirled around them like a dancer in motion invading the atmosphere. Like liquid love and affection. Tears rolled down his face onto his friends. Judah couldn't figure out what was going on for some time until finally the question passed through his mind,

"Is this my...family?"

Judah genuinely smiled through joyful tears. Even in the terror that was Behemoth and the evil that surrounded them there was real love. It was comforting to know there were people in his life worth living with or dying for. Off in the distance arose a massive silver-winged being. It fired off a large silver beam at the endbringer. The environment lit up brighter around them from the display. Whatever it was, it didn’t like the Behemoth. Judah wiped his eyes and stated ”Comon, we have an endbringer to end. I don't expect anyone to hold back!” Then he ran toward their vehicle. Judah took the drivers side. Axel followed after him and hopped in the backseat calling for the others with a playful bark.

”Too bad, I’ll be disappointing with my shitty power!” Farce joked as she leapt into the backseat, reaching into her bag to grab her gun and nightstick once again, maybe for the last time, maybe not. She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t about to let this fight go without her pitching in. Plus, Axel was back here, and that was the best part of this.

They headed toward Behemoth. Unsure of what they would find when they arrived. But they knew that they were going together.
↑ Top
© 2007-2024
BBCode Cheatsheet