Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Eisenhorn
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Eisenhorn Inquisitor of some Note

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With the other two closing in, Shortstop and Mr. Ego, Veloce couldn't just open up and expect not to at least clip one of them. Buckshot was a hell of a thing like that, so he kept monitoring for an opening. He hated sitting back, but with the pipe still in action even three of them engaging was no promise that they wouldn't get slapped about. He snorted in response to the mention of boomerangs being cool and cheaper than bullets. Well he couldn't just let that affront to his shotgun go unchallenged, and as Snipes put a round into the pipe and destroyed it, that was going to no doubt create just the opening he needed. He grinned as he flapped and dove in low and fast, only touching down scant inches from the bayonet getting buried into the side of their instructor and fired point blank, sending him hurdling and the Raven faunus straightened up, what could be charitably referred to as a shit eating grin on his face as he glanced over at Mr. Ego and racked the slide of his weapon in the sudden silence, disrupting it where the cheering and jeering had been before.

"And that, my sandy friend, is my humble rebuttal to your stance on boomerangs." Veloce began reloading while he watched the Boss get back up on one knee, the almost wheeze not lost on him as he casually reloaded, working the action again and loading one more shell and the easy smile remaining on his face, having gone from shit eating to generally enjoying himself. He reached up to give a half salute, half flick of the hat towards Snipes up on the overhang who had shot the pipe and overall created the chance for the rest of them to get in close and launch him as cleanly as they had. Well, he had, but he wasn't going to discount the fact the other two had been instrumental in making that gap happen. Good thing too, he'd been getting bored just looking for an opening and probably would have launched in before too long. Still, he addressed Auron now, having stepped forward to the fore of the group.

"So is this the part where you break out the real weapon and lay down the hurt Boss, or are we going to stop trying to not get the shit too harshly kicked out of us?" Veloce used his free hand to brush some of the dust off his coat, having gotten a thin coating from diving through the cloud he had kicked up earlier while addressing their instructor. Of course he couldn't be arsed to exactly use the terms dictated before, and he very well may end up paying for it, but he wasn't going to try and change who he was. He was also under no disillusion that the veteran Huntsman had been deliberately handicapping himself with a pipe and still could handle half of them attacking with relative ease. Still, it was a game of wait and see now, see what the Boss had in mind, mainly if they were still going to keep butting heads for the amusement of those present (and probably getting a feel for what each of them was capable of), or if the man had something else in mind now that they had reached a relative lull in the sparring.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by Asura
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Asura bitch you almost got blood on my timbs

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Kohaku


Seeing no reason to object, Kohaku fell in behind her new comrades as the group began their descent into the ruins. It was immediately apparent to the Faunus that her earlier assumption was correct; they were essentially maneuvering through a tomb. Whatever unfortunate souls had decided to use this bunker as a vulture's nest were either dead or scattered to the wind, like most of Vacuo's populace in the face of such attacks. As the group swept through room after room in search of the beasts responsible, Kohaku did find at least two disconcerting things among the empty chambers. Perhaps most obvious of them, the absence of bodies. Before coming to Shade, she had the misfortune of witnessing the fallout of a Grimm attack more than once. It was never so clean and tidy, with just a few splatters of blood here or there. The assault on this particular bunker was far from fresh, sure, but the Grimm had no need to eat or drink. She had expected rotting viscera to have painted the halls, an assembly of corpses to greet them.

Secondly, and perhaps most concerning, was that the markings left behind by the deceased looked familiar to her. She had remembered being present for negotiating with men bearing the same emblems. The Dust Devils or some such. They weren't especially large, but they had been friendly with her own people, and exchanged goods on more than one occasion. She even recalled mumbling of a lost outpost during one of their rendezvous. It was unfortunate that this was its ultimate fate, but such were the hard facts of life out in the wastes. The familiarity did give her the ghoulish hope that the Grimm had been thorough in their extermination—she didn't need anybody from that side of the tracks recognizing her.

Still, she had more to focus on than the phantoms of the past. Her senses were likely sharper than those of at least half the present Huntsmen-in-Training, so it behooved her to be on watch. Plus, old habits did die hard, and she pawed her way through an occasional desk to see if she couldn't appropriate some of munitions when she could. Their previous owners surely wouldn't need them any longer, and Dust was always in short supply. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for her reputation, the group seemed to move further into the structure before she could engage in too much looting.

The second floor was certainly more imposing than the first, and for all her experience, Kohaku had never ventured into a Grimm nest—she was a survivor, not suicidal. She depressed a trigger on her rusted staff as they continued their path, causing a soft 'thunk' as she switched the activate Dust canister on a hunch. The inhuman laughter that seemed to prove her intuition correct; no sooner than the group reached a cross roads, glowering red eyes seemed to surround them on both sides. Before the beasts could begin their horrid battle cry and launch their assault, the head of Requiem had already begun to glow orange.

"Take left!" She shouted as waves of black and white descended upon them from two sides.

Kohaku closed her eyes thereafter in a brief moment of focus, before slamming the bottom end of her staff into the material below them. From the rickety metal pole came several streams of bright amber light, snaking across the floor and between the legs of her team members further ahead. The lines cut a suddenly right as they reached the intersection, then raced towards the charging Grimm. Just as the monsters prepared to surge into the intersection, the ground itself seemed to come to life. Several long, thick spikes of stone erupted from the concrete, catching the first two Beowolves in the torso and skewering them against the ceiling of the corridors with a sickening crunch. Their fellows behind them crashed against the Dust-molded restraints, jaws and forelimbs swiping between the tightly bundled pillars like the bars of a cage.

It probably wouldn't hold forever, but it would for the time being, and that's all she needed. Trusting that a few of her teammates would have followed her request and kept the worst of the horde on the left at bay, she pulled the trigger on her weapon again and listened as it locked a different canister into place. Deciding it best not to wait for the Grimm to smash their way through her makeshift barrier with weight of numbers, she hurried into the breach, and leveled the head of Requiem down the tunnel to the right. Another brief moment, a dazzling red glow around the projector, and then luminescence. The snarling of hounds was replaced by howls of agony and rage as flames streamed forward from her armament and through the gaps between spires, setting the darkness alight.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by datadogie
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datadogie Cloak and Dagger

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Saffron Rupalfeather



In truth, the whole aspect of walking into a nest of Grimm worried Saffron. She was no stranger to fighting Grimm, however that had mostly occurred within closed environments with teachers watching. She knew that each Academy had their own selection process, and even knew a bit about how Beacon's own entry exams tended to work by talking to one of her classmates at Signal. This was just Shade's own exam, their test to the students. At the same time, Saffron knew that the exam benefited the kingdom as a whole, too; Instead of a closed-door environment like at home the team was going to be directly contributing towards the security of Vacuo, and the Faunus imagined that other student teams were doing the same. Another reason to solidify her mindset that Vacuo was the best decision, though she supposed other kingdoms were safe enough that they didn't need student teams to help as soon as they could.

No bodies. It was a sight that Saffron was both thankful for and unsettled by. The Grimm didn't eat, at least to her knowledge. There was plenty of variety in them, so there perhaps was one or two types out there that gobbled up people as some form of attack - she could see a King Taijitu doing so, it was certainly big enough. No King Taijitu here, however, so that mental suggestion was worthless, and she preferred not to imagine the Grimm swallowing people whole. She paused to stare at a bloodstain from a respectful distance, as if trying to pick out if there was anything wrong about it, though she turned away after a moment. People had died here, and she didn't like it. Saffron was going to be happy when she and her comrades cleared out the bunker and avenged the fallen. Nobody deserved to die like this, even the bandits that had so obviously been the previous tenants before the Grimm had moved in.

At the very least, the bandits' choice of furniture and aesthetics were of superior taste to that of the Grimm. Black sludge and tendrils weren't exactly Saffron's ideal taste. It reminded her of a nightmare that she once had as a child; Wandering through her home in the darkness of night, with zero power, and monsters roaming all throughout. It brought an odd sense of familiarity to the unfamiliar situation of the present. She was wandering through the dark hallways of the bunker lit only by Nivea's staff, with no apparent power in the bunker, and the Grimm roaming deeper within. The difference was that this time, Saffron had Nova Limbo with her, and equally armed comrades, ready to fight the monsters, not run away from them like Saffron had within the realm of the nightmare.

Saffron's ears perked up as she heard the newest residents of the bunker. The Grimm, and their strange noises. The fact that they resided deep within the bunker made her wonder if they were choosing to stay within the depths or if they just hadn't expanded their little home to the entrance's floor yet. Anticipating their arrival, Saffron mentally and physically prepared herself, readying Nova Limbo. Fire and Lightning dust were the two types present within the weapon, though she knew to use them sparingly since she had arrived at Vacuo - whilst in Vale she could have obtained some more easily, that wasn't so much the case for Vacuo. Readying herself only took a moment, and once that was accomplished, Saffron set her eyes on the Grimm that were approaching.

Kohaku yelled for them to take the left, and so Saffron did so, trusting that her teammate had something planned for the Grimm at the right and that they wouldn't be allowed to rush through claw at her back. Upon turning left to face the Grimm that approached, the sounds that came from behind her satisfied Saffron that she wouldn't be snuck up on. With the Grimm approaching fast, Saffron darted forward to meet them with no apparent regard for the fact that she was supposed to be the second line of defence, behind Rio. It wasn't like she wasn't protecting them, as she swung Nova Limbo at the first of the Grimm that entered her range slicing straight across it's belly and rewarding her with a snarl as it twisted to the ground in a deceased heap. She twirled, keeping momentum in her movement in order to deliver a hard swipe across the next Grimm's front, lopping off both of it's arms, and then doubled back to just before her strike. She ducked low with her still-present momentum, slicing through the Grimm's still intact legs. Saffron was thrilled to be in the fight, and to be winning.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by The Irish Tree
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The Irish Tree Hot-Blooded Loser

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Turq Beaufort



Once again, the pipe was proving itself to be Turq's match in combat as the faunus boy found himself locked in bitter combat with something that, at one point in time, was a simple piece of building material that was now probably the most deadly swordfighter he'd ever met. ...That was something to be proud of, he supposed. Still, after the last barrage he'd gotten a little accustomed to the speed of the strikes, and the orbiting boomerangs would occasionally interrupt a swing as it went through, opening up small gaps that Turq used to launch his attacks on Auron from afar while Caramelle's head-on attacks pressured him.

As a loud cry of thunder struck across the arid landscape, Turq smiled as he saw the shot from Jet cause the pipe to tear away from him. Now, he was free to attack with his full strength, his orbiters and Caramelle's strikes soon giving Veloce the chance to both knock Auron back, and chide him for his earlier statement. "You say that as if you'd ever have landed that shot if we weren't distracting him, Turq retorted, putting his hands on his hips and smirking, before looking at both the pipe and scrap metal around the yard. "Actually...I wonder if this means scrap is stronger than both," he would say, rubbing his chin with one hand while flicking one of his kusarigama at the pipe, sending it flying towards him before he caught it.

With the countless pieces of junk lying around, Turq smiled as he realized something. He hadn't been fighting... creatively enough. A smile spread on his lips once more, before he asked: "So, is this the part where we pass whatever test this was supposed to be? Because at this rate, I think we're passing before lunch time, 'Sir'." Despite him using the agreed on term, Turq clearly wanted to see what else his new instructor had in store for him. If all it took to beat a trained huntsman was three novices and one EXTREMELY talented, powerful, outstanding genius fighter who's name started with a T and rhymed with "irk", then that was a fair bit disappointing.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Cello
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Cello Rainbow 2.0

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Auron’s crouched figure was locked square within Jet’s sights, his finger itching at the trigger in anticipation of the Hunter’s next move. A half-assed compliment wasn’t a satisfactory surrender. Not in his books, anyway. He wouldn’t put it past the crafty geezer to fatten them up with sweet words before catching them off guard with another one of his wicked haymakers. Vacuans; trust ‘em as far as you can throw ‘em.

Jet caught the salute from Veloce, lowering the rifle to return the gesture. Bird brain had gotten a nice, solid blow on gramps afterall. Everyone performed well. Not something to write home about; he had expected his teammates to be somewhat competent. Still, that small ounce of recognition was nice. He shook his head, perishing the thought.

Things looked steady down below, the crowd’s excitement over the bout washing over the group. Latching his hook onto the beam, Jet stepped from his perch and gently lowered himself to the ground. The wire reeled back into his wrist with a satisfying snap whilst he approached the group just in time to hear Turq running his mouth.

If nothing else, you made a good stepping stool.” Jet snickered, readjusting his goggles back onto his forehead. He kept the rifle at the ready, but was otherwise relaxed when addressing Auron.
You ain’t an easy mark, Gramps. Annoying as hell.” He whined, thinking back to those lightning fast reflexes and movements. There was no doubt in his mind; Auron would have kicked his ass had he been up against him alone. Like the others, Jet was curious as to what their overseer would have them do next to prove their mettle.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Hero
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Hero Sincerest of Knights

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Fiona couldn't really stop herself from shuddering as they continued on--the place disturbed her, to say the least. To think that something like this could even happen in such a place was nothing short of terrifying. Bandits taking over was already bewildering enough, but even seeing that there weren't any around spooked her. There wasn't any sign of anything around, and for a moment, she genuinely wasn't sure what was worse. The anticipation and jumpiness was starting to get to her, though at least she recognized that it was her own nerves. In a weird way, this was exciting, too--scary, yeah, but it was hard to explain.

Of course, the thought crossed her mind right when the Grimm actually appeared.

It was strange, she had heard a lot about them, but seeing one for the first time was a shock. She had seen plenty of pictures, sure, but it was a lot more animalistic than she thought it'd be. Still, she had been expecting one, maybe two--not [this many! She'd be lying if she said she wasn't frightened, but what got to her first was hearing Kohaku's shout. Before Fiona could question what she was doing, the Faunus girl had sprung into action.

"Wait--!" Her warning went unheeded as Kohaku went right and Saffron went left. What happened to staying in formation?! Saffron continued on the melee streak, and it looked like Kohaku's side was riddled with spikes--no, there was fire now. An attack of that magnitude may as well have rung a dinner bell letting all the Grimm know they were there. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time to properly fix their formation and the best thing to do would be to adjust properly. Scoffing, Fiona pressed down on the button of her umbrella, spinning it as the metal clicked and slid into different places, bringing up its new form as a crossbow as she took a few steps backward. Saffron and Rio could take on the left with little issue, but she figured it was better to play it safe than sorry.

Taking aim, Fiona waited for the flames to show any persistent Grimm, a bolt flying into the first one that decided to have the audacity to survive Kohaku's attack. Honestly, she felt like she was going to turn into a babysitter if these two were going to turn out to be the impulsive type. Wasn't it better to take these situations from a logical perspective? Then again, the difference came off as a little too obvious: clearly, they had experience that she didn't.

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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by WXer
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WXer オラ・オラ・オラ!

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To lead a blind charge into the maw of the unknown, one must be brave or ignorant. Luckily for Team Frisk, their guiding vanguard exemplified both traits. The only knowledge Rio really had of these Atlesian bunkers pertained to their role as set pieces in the backdrop of the stories set during the Great War. True to its age, the abandoned outpost's decades of disrepair and band aid fixes to its supporting framework were easily spotted even as a faint lantern was their main source of illumination. The stench of the rooms they had explored, however, did not smell like that of an abandoned tomb. Rather, it besmelled like that of a butcher house backroom that never bothered to bleach its blood soaked boards, his brain reckoned. The lack of bodies and bones were disturbing though but not enough to deter him from pressing onward.

As they explored the dwellings of the bandit interlopers, Rio would use the tip of his halberd to tap the doors and fixtures. Keeping his uncle's words in mind, a crafty bandit would have definitely left a trap in the form of an enticing gift. To his relief and disappointment, the junk piles were exactly as they seemed as none of them triggered an alarm, explosion, or snare. Still, he wasn't going to be shifting through the garbage. Who knows what the hell he could catch from years of gathering bunker bacteria. Rio would merely stand by as the other rummaged through the assortment of debris, tensely gripping his weapon as he remained alert.

His patience would be quick to run out though as Rio would continue delving haphazardly into each subsequent room without questioning or confirming with the rest of his team. The sooner they were out back in the heat, the better. This particular line of thinking continued to dominate his thoughts as the still air got colder, making each breath he took shallower and harder. It felt damp, causing his throat to start itching. The desire to spit had to be stifled due to present company, causing a clearly audible gulp from him to break the silence. Was it possible to be allergic to this black sludge they had just now stumbled upon? Certainly something to ask Miss Lanatae when they come back topside.

Rio was now lost in his thoughts, getting himself into an automated rhythm as they continued on. However, this daydream-like daze would be broken instantly as the demonic laughter startled him. As the source of the disturbing dissonance revealed itself, it took Rio a good split second before realizing that it was rushing towards him. "What in t-" he would state as the beasts started their assault. Instinctively, he would do a wide sweeping slash with The Boatman's Due while also using the weapon's momentum to jump back a step. While this might not have slain any of the Grimm, Rio had hoped that the Water dust infused in his halberd's edge had marked his targets.

As Saffron took the initiative and put herself at the front now, Rio would reconfigure his weapon into its compact gunnery mode. Activating his semblance, the presence of water droplets on the targets in front of him would hopefully guide his aim true as he started blasting them, starting with the ones closing in on Saffron.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by Raijinslayer
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Raijinslayer .

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Auron Carver
@Cello@The Irish Tree@Eisenhorn@TGM

Just like her father. Auron chuckles as he picks himself off the ground, not missing the rebellious intonations in Caramelle’s voice. Taking a moment to work the cricks out of his neck as the other students came over to see if their little test was over that easily. It almost brought a smile to his face. . . until an unbidden memory washes over the scene.

Were you taking it easy on us, gramps?


Absently reaching up to feel something underneath his shirt, a shadow passes over the Huntsman’s gaze, but he shakes it off almost as soon as it comes.

“Easy there Turq. Just because I called doesn’t mean you brats beat me. I got my pride on the line, after all. Besides, there’s more to being a Huntsman than just knowing your way around a fight.” Walking over to his motorcycle, the old man takes a seat, reaching into his pocket to pull out another cigarette to place between his lips. “But we have the rest of the year to go over the particulars of that. First, I’m going to give you all a quick assessment. Save all complaints till I’m done, else I will pipe you again.”

“Caramelle and Turq, you both showed an impressive amount of fighting skill between the former’s semblance and the latter’s ability to use such a tricky weapon effectively. However, you both need to work on your teamwork, especially you Caramelle. Instead of hopping on Turq, you could have tried to help him out considering you had Slate and Veloce covering your flanks from up high.” Auron kept his eyes focused on the girl as he spoke, wanting to drill the seriousness of what he was staying right into her skull. “I may have joked a little bit in the fight, but Huntsmen work in teams for a reason. You have teammates, and they were the only reason you were able to touch me. And unlike me, the Grimm and bandits out there won’t hesitate to take advantage of your openings.”

“As for the other two, this particular test didn’t really lend itself to your strengths or to exposing any weaknesses in your forms, so I don’t have much to say to either of you. You both seem to have the teamplay thing down more so than the other two, so props for that, but I think a good area of improvement for all of you is working on your aura enhancement as well as just basic physical training.”

“So, with that out of the way. . ." Blowing out a quick ring of smoke into the sky, Auron turns to signal to one of the scrap workers, who quickly scampers off to a small ramshackle building near the clearing’s edge. “I’ve got one question for all of you: Why did you choose to be Huntsmen? No bullshit, no simple fairy tale answers. I want to know why you chose this life over any other.”



Nivea Lanatae
@Asura@WXer@datadogie@Hero

What Team Frisk may have lacked in coordination, they made up for with firepower and ingenuity, it seems. Rather than having to deal with two waves of Grimm bearing down on them, Kohaku’s quick thinking and proficiency with dust blocks of the pincer, forcing the horde back with earth and flame. With Fiona at her side taking out any Grimm that managed to survive the initial explosion, they held back the horde with ease despite their numbers.

Rio’s slash cut through a line of Grimm, the water particles shimmering on the blackened fur of those left alive. Each shot of his rail gun would take down one Grimm, but in their place came two more just as ferocious as the others. Luckily, Saffron cuts through them with a dance-like grace, her semblance allowing her to avoid the worst of the assault as she cuts down any Beowulf that gets close.

Within a few moments, upon seeing the tides not turn in their favor, the Grimm begin to retreat back into the darkness. Soon, naught is left of them but the disintegrating husk of their fallen. Rio could feel the faintest traces of the water at the edges of his senses, enough that he would be able to trace them through the darkness. The hall fell into silence for now, though the red light of the tendrils along the wall was dulled by the thick clouds of black smoke rising from the corpses.

"Don't breathe it in if you can," Nivea speaks up, covering her mouth as she looks around, eyeing the tendrils with growing concern. "It doesn't have any immediate negative effects, but over time it can cause a number of side effects. Depression, listlessness, despondency, even suicidal thoughts. It's one of the things that makes Grimm nest removal a rather unappealing job to most Huntsmen."
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by The Irish Tree
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The Irish Tree Hot-Blooded Loser

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Turq Beaufort



Much as Turq wanted to prove himself some more, there was a great deal of relief washing over him. He'd unconsciously lowered his stance as Auron reached for his chest, fully expecting him to rip it off and start getting serious. But, once the huntsman mentioned calling it, the peacock Faunus stood up straight and retracted the chains and blades of his weapons, also dropping the pipe from before.

As was the case with all teachers, there was something they told Turq to improve on...though it seemed that Caramella got most of the flak for her stunt of using him as a springboard. While he understood the idea, he also started thinking that it might have worked better if he'd have known, since he could have kicked the bottom of her feet to help her jump farther. With a light shake of his head, Turq figured that since his fantastic First-Day-Graduation-Formula flopped, he'd have no choice other than to actually be a team player. Then, came the most important question he'd heard all day.

Why did Turq want to become a huntsman?

The answer was so instinctual and basic that Turq was amazed that anybody would need to ask. But that also made it difficult to answer, since Turq was almost certain this was one of those questions where not answering it with full conviction would mean that you were failed automatically. Thus, the faunus was left with no choice but to tell the truth for all it was worth. "I want power," was all that he said initially, as if that actually explained anything. "In Vacuo, power doesn't come from cushy places like a government office or a high paying job; It comes from surviving so long that living to spite everything is the only thing keeping you going. I hate that," Turq said, adjusting his hair a bit before finishing his statement.

"But I hate the idea of a Grimm getting to pick me apart just because I'm not the strongest even more," he said, finishing his statement with a flick of his hand through his hair, knocking loose the last bit of sand clinging to his locks. "Oh, and getting to see someplace that isn't 99% SAND would be nice."

Okay. Now he was done.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Eisenhorn
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So that was that, for now, Veloce, with a flick of his wrist, compacted his weapon into its portable state, and hooked it onto his belt, though it was out of sight now given the hooks were on the back of his trousers. Returning his hands to his coat pockets, the easy going smile remained faintly in place while Boss chattered on about evaluations and such. Shortstop got the worst of it, figuratively speaking, the man continuing to drill that whole teamwork angle of a, well, team of huntsman! Not much to be said for Snipes or himself though, apparently, then again he wasn't exactly in a position most of that back and forth to really get stuck in proper so he wasn't going to sweat it too much. Boss probably would have plenty to chatter on about as things progressed. Better teamplay but work was needed on aura enhancement. Right, that, though he offered a light shrug and remarked as a whole now that the man was done on the evaluation part of the spiel. "I suppose that means Shortstop needs to not take 'stepping stones to greatness' quite as literally in the future, eh?"

Why'd they want to become Hunters? Well, now that was an interesting question and, despite his first gut instinct being 'lie through his teeth', of course Mr. Ego beat him to prattling on about power and something about the facts of life in this lovely waste they called home. Oh, and killing Grimm and seeing someplace that wasn't all sand all the time. Veloce grinned a bit at that remark, seems Mr. Ego really did double down on his general demeanor after all. Hated the idea of power coming from spiteful survival, but hated Grimm even more. Rather roundabout way of going 'gotta kick ALL the ass', but Veloce wasn't going to mince words about it. "What, you don't love what we have the most of? The fact its course, rough, and gets everywhere? Can't imagine not wanting to live with it all day!"

"Now, as for me, normally this would be the part where I spin some bullshit fairy tale story about how I was bailed out from bandits at a young age by a huntsman passing through, mentoring while he was around, and following in his footsteps since in spite of the folks thinking it was a damn fool venture. That the old man of a Huntsman had gone and left some young buck starry eyed and eager to take on the world. But, since Boss said no fairy tales or bullshit, I regret to inform you its true. Got bailed out by a Huntsman and I intend to make good on that, and give the folks back home something to chew on instead of their own disbelief." Veloce, of course, made the whole thing sound ridiculous given his tone, doubly so given the fact that Auron had flat out said no bullshit or stories, but left just enough of a tone of bemusement that the other huntsman to be could find it unbelievable and he was just being a ridiculous Faunus making a mild mockery of the whole song and dance again. He shot Auron a loose grin, telling the honest truth in spite of his tone and general demeanor, and closed with one more remark.

"Either way, this first day sure beats the hell out of that awful 'Introduce yourself and one interesting fact' song and dance, eh?"
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Asura
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Asura bitch you almost got blood on my timbs

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Kohaku


There was a level of satisfaction to be had as Kohaku's plan came to fruition—the wave on the right were unable to break through her earthen barrier, and countless of their number must have fallen to the torrent of flames that followed. Enough that it made them break and retreat back into the darkness from whence they came. That much surprised her; she had figured that the creatures of Grimm were mindless enough that they would have continued trying to charge through the barricade until she had burnt the last of them to ash. Disconcerting as their tactical awareness was, it was clear enough that her team had prevailed in the conflict as she scanned the left flank to see a similar state of withdraw.

Of course, their trials weren't exactly over just because they had stemmed the tides of Beowolves. As dark miasma began leaking from the slumped corpses pinned against the roof and those beyond, Kohaku brought her scarf up to cover her nose and mouth. Their supervisor informed them of the dangers the substance posed if inhaled, and it spurred the Faunus into action. Another mechanical thunk came from her staff as she cycled through to another, as of yet unused canister and leveled it towards the encroaching fumes. A pale white glow encircled the projector at the tip of her weapon, and a strong gust of wind followed. She directed it first down the right passage, blowing away the wispy black fog in her immediate area before turning it down the left, allowing the gust to wash over her team mates harmlessly while also dispelling the remnants of their battle.

Once she was content that it had been properly disposed of, she returned her staff to its resting position, rested against her shoulder to make balancing the unwieldy head most manageable. There wasn't exactly much to be said in this case, and so the girl chose to observe, watching as their instructor warily eyed the creeping tendrils that made the walls of the bunker their host. Staring at the vein-like flesh reminded her of the ill-fated Dust Devils and their complaints. Of sounds from within the ramparts.

"We should avoid being too close to the walls as we go deeper." She suggested, although she couldn't well explain to them why. Nivea probably had a better idea than she did of whatever kept the men who once called this place home up at night.

"Just in case."
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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by WXer
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This was Rio's first battle against the Grimm. No fantastical story or training dummy could have ever prepared him for the rush of adrenaline that he had felt just now. The tactics of teammates and his own quick trigger finger had seemingly won them the fight. No one was visibly hurt and, after inspecting himself for bite marks, he could include himself in that count. Yet, his heart was still racing even as the creatures in front of him started to dissolve from their fierce, monstrous figures into a shapeless ooze that looked like it belonged at the bottom of a saloon spit bucket.

A sigh of relief would soon escape Rio's tensed body as it became clear that they had repelled the initial wave of Grimm but his fingers were still frozen in place as he gripped his weapon. Instead of easing his hold, his hands merely kept shaking even as he actively made an effort to relax. Soon enough, he had resorted to a few full breaths but this would come to a halt upon hearing Nivea's caution against the apparently toxic air. In his sudden panic, Rio instinctively covered his nose with his right forearm while rummaging through his pockets with his free hand for the kerchief that his mother prepares for his daily wardrobe. At least his vise on The Boatman's Due had loosen.

Finally covering his mouth with his makeshift mask, Rio had to focus and inform his companions on the strict timetable that his Semblance had given him. "I'm all fer sticking away from walls but we need t' move if we wanna catch 'em." Protected by the thin strip of fabric and against the caution of their handler, Rio would take another deep breath to focus in on the runaway targets. A clayish rouge of energy would manifest and envelop itself around him as the distant pitter-patter of water droplets hitting the unlit distant ground of the abandoned bunker became as thunderous as a roaring river to the Huntsman-in-training. "My Semblance is tellin' me that they're less than a click away - I'll resume takin' point."

Again, Rio's impatience would not wait for any possible objections from his team. They had a mission that needed to be accomplished and standing around this dark pit waiting to get ambushed again was not gonna get results. He would resume his earlier brisk pace once more, advancing towards the darkness in pursuit of the Grimm he managed to mark earlier.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by datadogie
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datadogie Cloak and Dagger

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Saffron Rupalfeather



With the Grimm on the retreat, Saffron was satisfied that she had done an efficient job defending her side of the intersection - with Rio helping, of course. It definitely wasn't an easy battle, however; Whilst she had a little experience fighting the Grimm within primarily controlled training environments, the real thing definitely told her that despite how realistic the trainings had been at Signal they had definitely been holding back. The Signal Grimm had been fierce, but out in the real world, Grimm were ferocious. And whilst she was proud that she had managed to hold back the Grimm with her teammates, Saffron was also relieved about that fact. Hopefully things continued to be as successful as they were now.

Saffron's eyes fixed upon a corpse of one of the fallen Grimm, observing the black smoke that was rising from it. Whilst it was interesting, the Faunus took care to follow Nivea's advice and try not to breathe in the smoke. Though, within a closed environment like this, Saffron wondered if it would soon become impossible to avoid doing so. She could see why Huntsmen would have such a problem clearing a nest, particularly in even more dangerous environments than this one. If they happened to get locked in by the degraded environment, either by collapse or mechanical failures in places such as this, she wondered what the consequences be, if it wasn't an ending of death.

Taking a glance to Kohaku as she spoke, Saffron offered the girl a nod of agreement. "Good call," Saffron replies, shuffling herself to be more along the centreline of the room. She was, however, bothered by Rio's sudden wish to press on at speed - and slightly bothered by the fact that he was telling them that the Grimm were less than a click away. "Less than a kilometer? How big is bunker anyways?" She asks, starting to face Nivea, before reconsidering and turning back to the front. "Never mind, I don't want to know." She adds, starting to pursue Rio, mostly so that he wasn't running off on his own ahead of them.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Hero
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Hero Sincerest of Knights

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The return of silence wasn't exactly comforting--Fiona half expected something else to jump out at them if they dropped their guard for even a second. Fiona backed away from the black smoke, double-checking her ammo. She did her best to be as efficient as possible, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't wasted a few shots. The Grimm moved faster than she anticipated; she wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. The last thing she wanted was to end up being a burden on the team. Or worse--she'd end up being the weak point.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as a strong guest of wind blew away the smoke. Letting out a sigh of relief, she figured she should get her head back in the game. "Thank you, Kohaku," Fiona thanked her first and foremost. At least that was one less thing to worry about. Rio was eager to take point again, with his semblance revealing that there were, of course, more Grimm. She seemed to have the same thought as Saffron as the girl expressed curiosity on how big the bunker was.

"Regardless of the distance, it's best to stay on guard," She decided to remind them, taking her spot after Saffron. "This bunker seems to have been built some time ago, so there should still be a distance before reaching the depths of where the Grimm would house themselves."

After a brief pause of thought, she added, "Whatever Rio senses is likely a wandering group. Let's stay in formation as we proceed."

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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial is trying to survive

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Caramelle rolled her eyes as Turq and Veloce went on to explain why they wanted to become a huntsman.

Power. Strength. Money. Travel. A bunch of trivial reasons as far as she could tell, though Veloce’s story about owing a debt to a huntsman was at least half-admirable. She wondered what the other member of their group would say, though frankly, she was only slightly curious about the reasoning behind it. The brown-haired girl raised a brow as she mused over her own thoughts. Was it really their business that being a huntsman was something that ran in her family? All they need to knew was she was a huntsman because she was a huntsman.

“Does it even matter?” She groaned, “I’m a huntress because I’m good at it. Who cares?”
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Raijinslayer
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Nivea Lanatae


As the group follows after Rio into the bunker depths, they'd notice more of those creeping tendrils spreading along the walls, the air coalescing before their faces as the chill grew in intensity the further in they went. The black puddles soon spread across the floor until everywhere they stepped was covered in the foul liquid, which in the dull red light that surrounded them, could almost be mistaken for blood. A number of side rooms to their sides revealed more remnants of former inhabitants, tainted by the black touch of the Grimm. For the Vacuan natives, however, a certain bit of imagery began to stick out amongst the desecrated refuse. Plastered along the walls in ever-increasing frequency was a symbol of three sharp lines forming a helmet-like sigil, done in a deep red paint. Some of these marks seemed to cover that of a cruder marking, that of a swirl with eye-like holes in the center and a fanged mouth.

While only Kohaku had the knowledge to recognize the swirling sigil as that of the Dust Devils, the other symbol was one well-known to the people of Vacuo, having heralded much bloodshed and terror in the decade since its inception.

The Wild Hunt.

After a few brief minutes of exploration, the group would find themselves come face to face with a rather telling clue as to exactly how this place was overrun and why only the lower levels seemed to be so thoroughly tainted. A jagged hole, about as wide around as a man is tall, was torn through a wall towards what felt like the rear of the bunker. The thickest of the tendrils coiled out between the sharp metal fragments like the fat tongues of some fell beast, pulsing in slow rhythm as a hint of metallic scent now mixes with the stale air of this tainted crypt. Rio could sense the droplets of water a bit deeper into the hole, circling ever so slightly in place. Waiting.

"Let's turn back." Nivea broke her silence with a tone that did not broker argument, gazing into the dark depths with a worried look. "This has gone far beyond the purview of just a test and I . . . I've never seen a Grimm nest like this. At least. . . not one where the biggest threat is just a pack of Beowolves. Besides, it's clear from the look of this place that no one has survi-"

The Huntress was cut off from her command as a sudden outroar of Beowulf laughter resonated from within the dark hole, distorted and excited, and the reason soon follows as a distinctly human cry of pain sounded out. Undistorted, filled with fear and pain. More Grimm laughter followed the cry as the first voice was soon accompanied by more. There were people down there, alive and in danger. Nivea, for her part, kept a stonecold look on her face, though her staff was held in a white-knuckled grip as she struggled with her duty as a Huntress and the tight knot in her gut telling her this was too dangerous for her students.

What will the students do in the face of this predicament?
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Cello
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Cello Rainbow 2.0

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Jet slung his rifle over his shoulder, taking a load off on a large rubber tire stuffed with rusted pipes. While not physically taxing, there'd been a few intense moments during their little bout with gramps. Auron's critique of his physical ability and aura control was met with a short, knowing nod. He couldn't deny it; had it come down to direct blows there'd be no telling how much damage he'd have sustained in that fight. Veloce's stepping stone comment prompted a slight smirk on the young boy's behalf - glad to know that little stunt would go down in their group's history.

Jet's mood sobered at the mention of why the group had chosen to pursue the life of huntsmen. Everyone's reasons were standard enough, the spotlight eventually turning to Jet who stood within it like a deer in headlights. Why did he want to be a huntsman? Truthfully, he wasn't sure. It had always been Slate's dream, and Jet had simply resigned himself to riding those coattails wherever they may lead. Growing up his older brother had often teased him for acting like his own shadow sometimes. God he missed him. He supposed he could say he was doing it for Slate, if not for the tiny detail that that's who he was pretending to be. It took him a minute to realise the silence had grown stifling. He'd been sitting there like a bump on a log in lieu of providing an actual answer to the question.

"Uh," He coughed, trying to think of something on the spot. "I guess, there ain't many other ways to make an honest living where I grew up. Being a Hunter was really the only choice I had."
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Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by WXer
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The team's pursuit of the Grimm was seemingly coming to an end but perhaps in the most unexpected way. The marked Beowolves had led them further down the abandoned tomb, revealing the violent end of those buried deep within its darkness. Though Rio did not stop his reckless rush to inspect any of the prior side rooms, the sigil of the Wild Hunt prompted him to finally slow down. While he was still catching his breath, Rio would point towards the infamous death mark and speak to his team under a whisper. "Chickens came home to roost but the Wild Hunt opened the coop's door for the wolves." Almost immediately after pointing that out, the Grimm they had followed had seemingly stopped in place just further ahead past a hole. The Beowolves were ready to spring their trap but the element of surprise was not in their favour.

Before Rio could point that out, Nivea had called the mission off. A weight had been lifted off their shoulders and Rio quietly thanked the gods that the ordeal was finally over. They can finally leave this mass grave with nothing of value left behind. The remains of the dead will simply just be reclaimed by the soil and no bandits will be living in this place after the what the Grimm had done to it. It was an open and shut case.

That is, until, someone opened their shut mouth and screamed. The possibility that it was a bandit was very likely, hell even the fact that it was a Grimm that made the sound was starting to make sense to Rio. But, there was that very small yet real chance that it was a person in need. Switching over The Boatman's Due back to its firearm form, Rio trained his sight towards where his water-marked targets were hidden by the darkness. "... I don't think they'd let us leave without a fight even if we backed away now. They're waitin' fer us, tauntin' us." Rio was itching for a fight, hoping his justification would convince his teammates to stand their ground.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Raijinslayer
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Team FRSK:Bunker

"Rio, I understand the impulse," Nivea places a hand gingerly on the boy's shoulder, urging him away from the tunnel. "But don't underestimate the tricks and deceptions of the creatures of Grimm. This is a task for much more experienced Huntsmen, and I'm sorry for bringing you into this place. If I had known. . ."

The Huntress lets the words hang in the air, breathing a silent sigh of relief that the others hadn't tried to follow the headstrong boy. However, before she could speak again, the halls of the bunker suddenly became flooded with blinding white. Eyes adjusted to softly illuminated gloom became overwhelmed by the sudden snap to artificial light, the droning hum of the electrical overhead filling the silence with an ominous buzz. As sight returns, the veteran Huntress notes something in the distance. Humanoid shapes rising slowly and silently from the black liquid that drenches them. But they were not Grimm. . . at least, not in body. They may have moved in jerking, unnatural ways, may have born deep pits of darkness in the sockets of their heads, but the bodies that slunk towards the group had been human once. The very sight set her blood cold in her veins, the fate of this Bunker's residents dawning as she curses under her breath.

"We're being watched. . . Rio, take point and lead the others out of here." Once kind eyes hardening to cold steel as she stares at her wards, tone emphasizing what she didn’t have time to explain. "I'll handle things here, but you all need to leave. N-Duck!"

With a surprising amount of strength, Nivea yanks Rio to the side as a black tendril by his head, embedding itself into the concrete. In a single movement, the huntress tosses the boy to his peers and severs the thing with a flash of green light and a blade of wind. A shriek howls from the darkness of the tunnel, silencing the cries they had been hearing this whole time as a deep growl resonates through the hall. The animate corpses in the hall chose now to leap forward towards her, inhuman screeches tearing from their throats as the Grimm puppeteering their bodies urge them forth. Scurrying could be heard from the tunnel as well as it seemed some level of reinforcements were crawling their way up from deep within.



Team TVSC:Scrapyard

Auron lets a moment of silence go by after Slate gives his reply, golden eyes scanning over each student in turn before he finally decides to speak up.

Does it even matter? The Huntsman mutters the words more than he repeats them, saying them more for his own sake before focusing his attention back to the students. With his cigarette held between his fingers, the man makes a gesture to the scrapyard around them. “I’d say that for the men, women, and children who go out every day confident that we Huntsmen do our jobs, it matters quite a bit why we’re doing it."

“To the people who are going to be watching your back and expecting the same in return as you deal with the bloodthirsty creatures of the wastes out there, be they Grimm, normal beasties, or bandit scum, it matters.” The light of his cigarette glows long and bright as he takes another slow drag of it, smoke rolling out of his mouth like a river as he locks his gaze with them all. “Serving as the rule of law is a heavy responsibility, not to mention that you all probably know family members who speak Shade Academy’s name with disgust and derision. You will risk life and limb for people who may very well spit on you as soon as speak to you. Literally, in some places.”

Auron’s eyes linger on Caroline as he speaks for just a moment longer than the others, a slight flash of some emotion crossing his features. Whether it was a look of concern, fear, . . . or even anger, it vanishes too quickly beneath the stern mask the old Huntsman put on to properly gauge.

“To put a pin on the whole thing, make sure this is the kind of life you want before you commit to it. It’s not easy and it can be pretty thankless at times.” With another drag of his cigarette, the man rises up from his seat on the ‘cycle, his eyes drifting up to the horizon. Anyone following his gaze would see what looked like vultures circling way up high in the Vacuan sky. “ But you all have a few years before you’re locked into this life, so don’t feel pressured to decide right away. I’ve just taught a bunch of kids in my time as a Huntsman. . . and I think a fair few of them would have been much happier doing something else.”

Once more, Auron seems to be lost in some haze of nostalgia as he kept his gaze skyward. As he stares into the distance, however, something odd occurs.

Several of the junkyard workers seem to be messing around with several trash piles around the edges of the makeshift arena, not really taking anything away as much as just digging through it like they were looking for something. Not only that, but the building where Auron had sent the one worker after their test seemed to have its windows tinted black. While such a feature was not uncommon, none of them would remember the windows being tinted that darkly beforehand.
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Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Eisenhorn
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Eisenhorn Inquisitor of some Note

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"Well you are certainly good at deflecting a question bluntly, that's certain at least." Of course, between Shortstop and Snipes, neither of them offered terribly convincing or interesting answers. Shortstop had just deflected, and Snipes made some small concessions about honest work. Of course, it seemed their responses got the Boss going now, getting into the details of why being a Hunter mattered. Well now they had gone and done it, they got the old man going. Firstly, the half dozen or so that actually trusted them to do their jobs and uphold the law. Well, he exaggerated, but it was still a thought to consider. Thankless work as often as not, but what was being fought for did make up the difference in theory at least. As he continued on about it mattering to those that watched each others backs, he found himself admitting, mentally at least, that it would be nice to have an idea of how far he could rely on someone. For pay was only as good as the pay lasted, being good at something didn't mean a whole lot. Hell, neither did just wanting to be powerful for that matter. But that was neither here nor there, and during the pause that had Boss glaring at Shortstop, well not glaring, it was hard to describe that expression, he chimed in with his own musings.

"Here's a thought, Shortstop. What's it mean to be good at your job? Easy to say that's the reason, but I'd wonder if its anywhere near as easy to define beyond those two words." Whether or not Shortstop got an answer in or not before Boss continued on, well, that would be tough to focus on given the next words. Be sure that this was the life they wanted, huh? Well, he'd not have much to consider there. He'd already promised plenty, and pushed quite a bit as is, to get this far. Backing down now and going home wasn't exactly an option, even if it turned out he was going to hate this song and dance. Not that he could say that he would yet, of course, day one was a far cry from a final experience, but he stretched his legs a bit as he glanced around after the Boss seemed to get himself lost in thought again. Something was off, several somethings were off. He chattered on as he tried to pinpoint just what it was in specific.

"'fraid your stuck with me Boss, won't speak for the others. Not the quitting type, ain't no fun that way. Though, I have to say..." He paused as it finally clicked. A number of the previous onlookers were rooting around, not leaving with scrap, looking for things? Given Boss had found that sturdy length of pipe in one pile alone, he had to wonder if this was part two of some test. Second, he noticed what had been bugging him. Heavily tinted windows, those hadn't been that way the whole time, had they? No, he figured he would have noticed that sooner. Not rare, but they normally didn't transition like that in his memory and experiences at least. Even with the scrap Atlesian 'bots hanging around giving a reminder of things past. "It's a neat trick to shift the tint over there while no one was paying attention. What's the game plan now, Boss, test number two already?"
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