[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6t1prxy.png[/img] [color=#6cb9c7]Level 4-[/color] [color=fff79a]|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||[/color]|||||||[color=fff79a] (33/40)[/color] Word Count: [color=fff79a]1253[/color] [color=fff79a]+3 EXP[/color] [color=#6cb9c7]Detroit[/color][/center] [hr][hr] Raiden followed Giovanna as Benedict voiced his concerns about drawing attention to themselves and with that, the majority of the group gave the recommendation to instead investigate the quarantine zone, or on the safer side, explore to find sky hooks. [color=6ecff6]"Sounds like a plan. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather avoid going into the hole where we could end up leaving with an incurable disease. I may be a cyborg, but I can still get sick."[/color] Adjusting the tie on his dress shirt, he continued with the group's paced steps. Giovanna then explained how the non-living allies of the group would be required to wear LEDs on their temple in order to blend in. There was no surprise in Raiden's expression to learn that robots in this sector were seen simply as property rather than as their own beings. The thought brought a very important question to the cyborg no one else had yet asked. [color=6ecff6]"Wait, so you're saying one of us has to be with those three at all times?"[/color] Raiden asked pointing at the living members of the group. [color=6ecff6]"Because if one of them gets seen unsupervised, that sounds like it'd cause us a lot more trouble than we set out to find."[/color] Raiden had hoped the question would provide some insight into how cautiously they should proceed henceforth. [color=6ecff6]"And if that's the case, ain't they gonna find it weird that our little friend is with three of them?..."[/color] Raiden sighed his concerns to Giovanna before they split. Once the plan was in motion, Raiden and the other group of humans (if Raiden himself could even be called that) split off to search for skyhooks so that traversing the city would be accomplished much faster amongst the group. Tora, before leaving, had expressed interest in exploring the city for its wares and tech, which Raiden found catching his interest as well. Maybe he could purchase a replacement for the gun he traded back in the desert. He wouldn't mind getting range on enemies again. Raiden can't say he was too particularly thrilled with the "backroad" Giovanna opted to lead them down, however, he knew keeping out of sight may provide them the upper hand in multiple circumstances. They were just as quickly whipped from a nice street and then back into another alley riddled with pipes. When they stopped in the alleyway, Giovanna produced a small bag of what she said was called Red Ice, a drug popular to the Detroit of this world, and which would be their guide to finding skyhook. Raiden noticed how Giovanna stated many people lost their jobs to machines, a concept that while foreign to him made sense. [color=6ecff6]"So you're saying a majority of the workers here are robots? Robots that are conscious? That sounds like an uprising just waiting to happen, hell people with cybernetics in my world are forced into PMCs, myself included, and I sure as hell got some screws loose."[/color] Raiden admitted, hinting towards his hidden persona. After climbing the stairs where Rei lead the group, Raiden looked down, making a tactical analysis of the surroundings and the types of foes to expect. Raiden looked up to see the use of skyhooks being conveniently made use of by hoodlums before meeting way above the basketball court below. Raiden was able to ninja-run atop the holes of the roof, opting to stay above and in the shadows. Rather than jumping on top of a ledge or AC unit, Raiden allowed lightning to flicker on his hands and arms, allowing him to cling to the side of a building allowing for him to easily climb atop the roof next to Giovanna. He waited for her move. As Giovanna dropped, Raiden followed her lead, dropping to the ground, and very quickly rolled the sleeves on his coat up to avoid damage in the brawl as he landed, and opted to make use of the discrete arm-mounted weaponry he found from the scrapper. He dropped the two briefcases to his sides as he landed before releasing the hidden swords. The blades swung out much [url=https://imgur.com/jJwA457]quicker[/url] and tastefully than he had anticipated. They limited how he would be able to utilize his hands themselves, but they had a very mobile and sleek feel to them. [color=6ecff6]"I can bare a few bullets if you guys can drop the other goons."[/color] Raiden said, confirming his plan. He wanted to make sure, being the member with the most bullet resistance on the team, to deal with the thugs brandishing pistols, as to avoid his teammates taking gunshot wounds. He figured his friends could handle themselves if he made use of his protective cybernetics to stop the shooting. Raiden carved up many of the pistoleers in a violent execution style as the blades pierced and sliced through the thugs in a bloody mist. It's a wonder how Raiden managed to keep his coat clean, but the installed blades were another story. If some of the others hadn't run away from the terrifying sight of seeing a robotic man ruthlessly slaughter their comrades, he had made sure they no longer stood just as swiftly. Raiden then made use of the last-minute pickings of the other thugs, turning some of them into mince meat and letting those who opted to run escape the scene in a show of mercy. It was after their assault died down that Raiden noticed a familiar, faint glint and retracted his mounted blades to inspect further. The spirits of those he had killed appeared before him, and curious as to how they would affect his mental and physical physique, he grabbed one from one of the thugs wielding knives and another from one of the pistol thugs. He had never witnessed anyone absorb other spirits too carefully, but he figured the process was relatively simple. He took the spirit from the pistoleer and allowed his body to absorb his essence, stunting his height by a few inches before decreasing the apparent muscle mass on his cybernetic armor. His skin became darker and his hair tinted red. He managed to somehow regain some of his organic tissue and now donned a black sleeveless jacket. After allowing the effects of absorbing a spirit to take place, he rubbed his forehead. [color=6ecff6]"Ugh... I feel like I got hit with stupid."[/color] He said, his personality now developed into something new. Before he had forgotten, however, he grabbed the other spirit he expressed interest in, and smashed it in his palm, forming a relatively simple combat knife. Guess he could sell it or keep it as a carry-on. [color=6ecff6]"That's cool... I guess."[/color] [hider=For Raiden] Item acquired: [b][url=https://i.imgur.com/gHB7lOK.png]Knife[/url][/b] [i]A sturdy combat knife. Move faster while holding it[/i] Spirit absorbed: [b][url=https://i.imgur.com/IExiDoT.png]Hoodlum Dolls Pistoleer[/url][/b] The host has gotten shorter, lost a little muscle mass, and gotten a slightly darker skintone. His hair is longer and tinged reddish blonde, swept to one side, and the portion of him that's organic has spread to the upper third of his torso. Some armor has been lost, but he's gotten a sleeveless black leather jacket and sunglasses. His personality is slightly simpler and less scrupulous. This spirit confers the Power [b]Sidearm Infinity[/b], allowing the host to reach into a pocket or other case and withdraw a new magazine for any pistol-type weapon that he wants, whenever he wants, although he needs to be carrying the weapon it's for. This spirit also confers the Weakness [b]Mook[/b], making the host take 5% more damage while dealing 5% less [/hider] [hr][hr]