AuthenticTomb

Double Duty (A Highschool DxD RP)

ƊЄƧMƠƝƊ

It was a relief to Desmond that Alice gave a honest answer and he wouldn't have to pry to get more "I'm sure after a long rest you'll be fine." His lips curving into a very small smile, almost unnoticeable, and also took a seat at the couch. The aroma from the breakfast Alphonse brought now began to enter this nose and with it, the unmistakable delicious smell of strawberry.

He graciously took the cup of coffee from Baradiel, the bitter drink went well with sweet pastries he found "Thank you." He replied, looking into the dark liquid. His attention turn to Baradiel again as he indicated he had one more thing to say to him "A stray devil?" His grip on the cup tightened, not in fear but in resentment "I hope we find it before it causes too much trouble." A bitterness underlying his voice. Lucius had these tests where he would lock Desmond in a large room with a stray devil and he would fight until he could fight no more, then Lucius would clean up.

Crimson eyes widened a bit as the strawberry danish was placed in front of him by Alphonse. He did not deserve such good treatment "You're great Alphonse, Thanks." Without a moment longer, he began to eat his breakfast. His taste buds exploded in delight as the strawberry flavor touched his tongue. Desmond was not one to waste time eating so in mere moments the pastry went from the plate to his hand to his stomach. He had no problem with those of the household knowing his liking of strawberries, but he he would be mortified if his secret love of sweets. It was not something a Knight of Alice's household should indulge in.

Desmond kept quiet as Baradiel talked about incompetent masters. No mater how much he despised stray devils for the hardships they gave him growing up, he could understand the point being made. His father's cruelty is what ended him up here in the first place. If a parent can be vicious to their child, a master could be vicious to their pieces. Speaking of master, he watched Alice go from giving orders to lights out in one paragraph. The paperwork was hitting her harder than he thought.

He rose as Baradiel addressed him and drank the rest of his coffee in one, long sip "I'm good to go." He responded strongly as he placed the empty cup on the plate. Alice had ordered it so that's what he was going to do, even if he wanted to stay to watch for the stray devil "It would be much faster than any other method if you please." Desmond responded "We'll have them for you once we get back." Alphonse was Alice's queen and operated as her second-in-command, so his orders were nearly as absolute as Alice's even stated as a request.

Double Duty (A Highschool DxD RP)

His crimson-red eyes met hers as she addressed him "I'm ready to make myself useful." He answered directly. A quick scan and he could detect the fatigue that a lack of sleep was having on her. That was something he supposed he could relate with, even if he was burdened with the past and she was seemingly burdened by the present "Are you doing alright, my lady?" He asked plainly. If there was some way he could relieve even the smallest burden off her shoulders, he would jump at the opportunity.

The difference in their age rarely came to Desmond's mind, given her apparent maturity and the constant mothering she expressed exclusively to him. The latter was a issue that Desmond was conflicted about. While he felt honored that Alice was looking out for his health, the manner in which she expressed so was at times unnerving. It was the role of a knight to worry about the safety of his lady, not the other way around he felt. This sense of duty was also the reason for his avoidance of using her first name.

Double Duty (A Highschool DxD RP)

ƊЄƧMƠƝƊ

It hurts...

The black flame that encased his body and had saved his life...was now killing him. It felt as though his flesh was being seared off at the bone at the moment and he could do nothing.

It hurts..

"Don't make this hard on yourself kid, just surrender and we'll make it end." The voice of a fallen angel, the one who currently had him trapped along with two of his minions, offered a pointless pity.

It hurts.

Desmond stared blankly at the trio. He had just fought the hardest battle of his life and still lost. Death was coming, this Desmond knew. The wounds he suffered from his father weren't healing quick enough and this forsaken flame was tearing him apart from the inside out. They wanted a sacred gear from him but he did not possess such a thing, if he had maybe he would have won against his father. A vicious, beast-like glare erupted as his black flame's aura exploded

"IT FUCKING HURTS YOU PRICKS! He screamed at the top of his lungs ready to attack, only to be silenced immediately as a dark blade pierced his back. A terrified look shown in Desmond's face as he look back to see the bloodied face of his father, grinning smugly as the blade was pushed deeper in.

================

Desmond lurched forwards from his bed, sweat beating down the sides of his temple as he breathed heavily. A nightmare. One that had been real not too long ago except for his father stabbing him in the back...at least literally. Both hands moved down the center of his face, stretching skin in a hopes to get rid of some of the grogginess. Sleeping made him feel vulnerable and was the one feeling he hated the most, however at least here he had allies. This hatred...this fear of sleep shown in the dark pits of his eyes, giving him an already unfriendly look atop of his near expressionless face.

The water simply rushed over the top of his head as he stood in the shower, the intense heat removing any remaining fatigue. Desmond took a good look in the mirror at his bare, scarred chest and scowled. He hated it so he quickly got changed into his signature look. A long black trench-coat, black military pants, and a plain black T-shirt underneath. Despite Alice being aware of his scars, he still didn't like them being on display for people to see. Desmond walked into the main room of the Student Government building, where members of his household were congregating. Alphonse, Alice's queen and personal butler it seemed. A kind man most of the time and downright terrifying any other. Baradiel, Alice's bishop and adopted uncle/advisor. His relaxed attitude got on Desmond's nerves sometimes but he otherwise respected the man. Finally and not least of all, Alice. The one who gave him a new purpose "Good Morning, my lady." He spoke with a clear tone of respect that faded slightly as he addressed the two others "Baradiel. Alphonse." The gift of small talk was not one he possessed being that friendship was a privilege he had never known. Regardless of what path Alice went down, as her knight he would follow her to the end.

The smell of coffee immediately grabbed his attention, he could certainly use a cup with the night he had.

Double Duty (A Highschool DxD RP)

Desmond

Name:

ƊЄƧMƠƝƊ "ƬӇЄ ƇƦƖMƧƠƝ ƦЄƛƤЄƦ"

Age: 22

Appearance: Desmond's appearance very much is indicative of his relative youth compared to more senior demons. His routine shaving of any facial hair that sprouts on his face also assists in keeping up this appearance. Rich, black hair is constantly being cut to a short length but other than that his hair is not styled in any particular fashion. Desmond is hardly expressive so most of the time he holds a deadly serious look to him. This is accentuated by the striking crimson colored eyes he possesses, the color resembling deep pools of blood.

He is considerably tall at 6'2", standing above most of his compatriots. This height is accompanied by a slim frame but muscular frame, usually hidden by Desmond's preference of longer clothing...which consists almost entirely of red and black colors. The specific reason for his preference of longer clothing is the numerous scars that run over the course of his body. The ones on the chest have been somewhat covered by tattoos but the scars on his legs and arms are clearly visible when wearing shorter clothing. When he does show his demon wings, there is one missing from his set of two.

Evil Piece:

ƘƝƖƓӇƬ

Familiar:

ЄƊƓƛƦ

A raven black as Desmond's hair, Edgar came to Desmond by landing on his right shoulder when it was his time to receive a familiar. Edgar serves as Desmond's third eye, giving him additional situational awareness and alerting him to dangers when in combat. Edgar's greatest asset however is his ability to transform into a swarm of identical Ravens that can obscure or interfere with Desmond's opponent. The greatest number Edgar has been observed transforming into was one-hundred ravens.

Magic:

• Pyrokinesis
  A majority of Desmond's magic involves the manipulation of fire, everywhere from imbuing his sword with flame or shooting fire bolts. His control over his kind of magic is absolute.
  
  • Black Flame:
    Desmond's final trump card if he is in a dire situation. A wreath of black flame with golden edges envelops Desmond, increasing his phsyical abilities by great amounts and providing more powerful versions of his spells. Unlike his normal fire magic, Desmond has very little control over this. Once activated, it is difficult for him to turn it off and will shortly kill him if on for too long.
• Shadow Dash:
  Black shadows wash over Desmond's form allowing him to near-instantly move in any direction several feet, appearing as teleportation to those whose vision is not up to par. If used to often, Desmond will become highly disoriented and unsteady
• Minor Regeneration:
  A result of his father's experimentation, Desmond is able to heal his wounds a lot faster naturally and often will not need to be healed. The healing costs him energy and takes a few minutes to properly seal a wound.
• One-Winged Flight:
  Despite missing an entire wing, Desmond has learned to live with it. A constant, rigorous training allowed him to fly just as well as if he had two.
• Phase:
  An ability that Desmond very much despises having for the feeling he gets after using it, Phase allows Desmond to very briefly make his body intangible to psychical objects After use, he gets a incredible headache and in a few rare cases throws up
  
  • Phase Touch:
    A technique that allows Desmond to use Phase on objects or people. His grasp of this ability is at the moment very inconsistent
• Blood Shield
  Perhaps by far Desmond's most grisly magic spell, Blood Shield is something he gained through his father's experimentation. Simply put, It allows him crystallize nearby pools of blood and charge it with magic to make it into a strong, yet brittle armor.
  
  • Blood Weapon: An extension of Blood Shield, this spell turns the blood into a crude weapon instead. It maintains the same brittleness as Blood Shield, and is hardly an substitute for normal weapons.

Skills:

• Tactician
  Despite his young age, Desmond is an expert on reading the battlefield and coming up with a plan to win. Off the battle-field, he is also good at figuring out the most best solution towards navigating an obstacle or puzzle.
• Observant:
  Anything that seems out of the ordinary will likely be picked up by Desmond, whether it has to with the surroundings or another person. For this reason, he is secretly a bit of a clean freak.
• Endurance:
  Nothing to do with his defense, Desmond can last a lot longer doing strenuous activities without it affecting his overall performance.

Sacred Gear: ƛƤƤԼЄ ƠƑ ЄƊЄƝ
The Apple of Eden, at least named by his Father, is a obvious reference to the apple of knowledge that both Eve and Adam ate from and as a result loss their grace with God. Before Desmond's fight and escape from his father, Lucius believed he had crack the puzzle that was this Sacred Gear. Now unknowingly combined with Desmond, it is a dangerous weapon if used by an untrained individual.

When activated, the Apple of Eden grants the user knowledge of a large list of potentially destructive and dangerous spells. This takes an incredible toll on the user's body and would outright kill a normal human if used, normally preventing any kind of advanced movement. There is a secondary effect evidenced in Lucius's notes that suggests it can briefly take the user to a 'advanced form' in reference to Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils.
Bio:
Desmond has suffered a lot in the short period of time in which he was alive. He was born to two high-level devils named Lucius and Malaya, the only child they ever conceived together. His childhood was mostly good considering how everything would later turn out, as his father was a brilliant scholar and warrior while his mother was a outstanding mage. Lucius never spoke of what he had done in the war between the angels, fallen angels, and devils but neither did his mother. While his mother tried to teach him more powerful forms of magic, it was in sword-play that Desmond truly excelled. Everything changed however when his father obtained a strange and ancient device, even for divine beings.

It appeared to be an ornate sphere of intricate design, the gears visible along the surface indicated there was a mechanism to unlock it. Lucius became convinced that it contained some kind of immense power of unknown design....and he was right. Desmond soon became the victim of Lucius's obsession as he tried to create a vessel that would be able to withstand combining with it. Through countless hours of torturing training, Desmond became a cold-hearted soldier of destruction. Lucius would often send his perfect soldier off to hunt down rogue devils as a test to see how far Desmond progressed. It was never enough however and soon scars began to build on Desmond's body, unable to be healed by even his talented mother.

Malaya could not stand seeing Desmond being put through these punishing ordeals and confronted Lucius. The aftermath of their conflict was bloody with Lucius standing over the corpse of his mother. That was the first time Desmond activated his black flame and attacked Lucius, managing to severely wound him before having to flee. Once he reached the human realm, he was attacked by opportunistic fallen angels because unknown to him Lucius's experiment had succeeded. Utilizing the last of his energy fighting with his Black Flame, he managed to defend himself until Alice and her household arrived. Shortly after they secured the area, Desmond collapsed where he stood having been drained of life by the Black Flame. Desmond pledged his upmost loyalty to Alice upon his revival as her knight, willing to sacrifice everything to protect her.
Likes:

• Sparring
• Reading
• Solitude
• Outdoors
• Sweets
• Strawberries

Dislikes:

• Flirting
• Indirect Approachs
• His Father
• Frivolous activities
• Idleness
• Humans

Highschool DxD RP: Double Duty

Desmond

ƝƛMЄ:

ƊЄƧMƠƝƊ "ƬӇЄ ƇƦƖMƧƠƝ ƦЄƛƤЄƦ"

ƛƓЄ:

ƊЄMƠƝ: 207, ӇƲMƛƝ: 26

ƛƤƤЄƛƦƛƝƇЄ: Desmond's appearance very much is indicative of his relative youth compared to more senior demons. His routine shaving of any facial hair that sprouts on his face also assists in keeping up this appearance. Rich, black hair is constantly being cut to a short length but other than that his hair is not styled in any particular fashion. Desmond is hardly expressive so most of the time he holds a deadly serious look to him. This is accentuated by the striking crimson colored eyes he possesses, the color resembling deep pools of blood.

He is considerably tall at 6'2", standing above most of his compatriots. This height is accompanied by a slim frame but muscular frame, usually hidden by Desmond's preference of longer clothing...which consists almost entirely of red and black colors. The specific reason for his preference of longer clothing is the numerous scars that run over the course of his body. The ones on the chest have been somewhat covered by tattoos but the scars on his legs and arms are clearly visible when wearing shorter clothing. When he does show his demon wings, there is one missing from his set of two.

ЄƔƖԼ ƤƖЄƇЄ:

ƘƝƖƓӇƬ

Familiar:

ЄƊƓƛƦ

A raven black as Desmond's hair, Edgar came to Desmond by landing on his right shoulder when it was his time to receive a familiar. Edgar serves as Desmond's third eye, giving him additional situational awareness and alerting him to dangers when in combat. Edgar's greatest asset however is his ability to transform into a swarm of identical Ravens that can obscure or interfere with Desmond's opponent. The greatest number Edgar has been observed transforming into was one-hundred ravens.

MƛƓƖƇ:

• ƤƳƦƠƘƖƝЄƧƖƧ:
  A majority of Desmond's magic involves the manipulation of fire, everywhere from imbuing his sword with flame or shooting fire bolts. His control over his kind of magic is absolute.
  
  • ƁԼƛƇƘ ƑԼƛMЄ:
    Desmond's final trump card if he is in a dire situation. A wreath of black flame with golden edges envelops Desmond, increasing his phsyical abilities by great amounts and providing more powerful versions of his spells. Unlike his normal fire magic, Desmond has very little control over this. Once activated, it is difficult for him to turn it off and will shortly kill him if on for too long.
• ƧӇƛƊƠƜ-ƊƛƧӇ:
  Black shadows wash over Desmond's form allowing him to near-instantly move in any direction several feet, appearing as teleportation to those whose vision is not up to par. If used to often, Desmond will become highly disoriented and unsteady
• MƖƝƠƦ ƦЄƓЄƝЄƦƛƬƖƠƝ:
  A result of his father's experimentation, Desmond is able to heal his wounds a lot faster naturally and often will not need to be healed. The healing costs him energy and takes a few minutes to properly seal a wound.

ƧƘƖԼԼƧ:

• ƬƛƇƬƖƇƛƝ
  Despite his young age, Desmond is an expert on reading the battlefield and coming up with a plan to win. Off the battle-field, he is also good at figuring out the most best solution towards navigating an obstacle or puzzle.
• ƠƁƧЄƦƔƛƝƬ:
  Anything that seems out of the ordinary will likely be picked up by Desmond, whether it has to with the surroundings or another person. For this reason, he is secretly a bit of a clean freak.
• ЄƝƊƲƦƛƝƇЄ:
  Nothing to do with his defense, Desmond can last a lot longer doing strenuous activities without it affecting his overall performance.

ƧƛƇƦЄƊ ƓЄƛƦ: To Be Determined...
ƁƖƠ:
Desmond has suffered a lot in the short period of time in which he was alive. He was born to two high-level devils named Lucius and Malaya, the only child they ever conceived together. His childhood was mostly good considering how everything would later turn out, as his father was a brilliant scholar and warrior while his mother was a outstanding mage. Lucius never spoke of what he had done in the war between the angels, fallen angels, and devils but neither did his mother. While his mother tried to teach him more powerful forms of magic, it was in sword-play that Desmond truly excelled. Everything changed however when his father obtained a strange and ancient device, even for divine beings.

It appeared to be an ornate sphere of intricate design, the gears visible along the surface indicated there was a mechanism to unlock it. Lucius became convinced that it contained some kind of immense power of unknown design....and he was right. Desmond soon became the victim of Lucius's obsession as he tried to create a vessel that would be able to withstand combining with it. Through countless hours of torturing training, Desmond became a cold-hearted soldier of destruction. Lucius would often send his perfect soldier off to hunt down rogue devils as a test to see how far Desmond progressed. It was never enough however and soon scars began to build on Desmond's body, unable to be healed by even his talented mother.

Malaya could not stand seeing Desmond being put through these punishing ordeals and confronted Lucius. The aftermath of their conflict was bloody with Lucius standing over the corpse of his mother. That was the first time Desmond activated his black flame and attacked Lucius, managing to severely wound him before having to flee. Once he reached the human realm, he was attacked by opportunistic fallen angels because unknown to him Lucius's experiment had succeeded. Utilizing the last of his energy fighting with his Black Flame, he managed to defend himself until Alice and her household arrived. Shortly after they secured the area, Desmond collapsed where he stood having been drained of life by the Black Flame. Desmond pledged his upmost loyalty to Alice upon his revival as her knight, willing to sacrifice everything to protect her.
ԼƖƘЄƧ:

• Sparring
• Reading
• Solitude
• Strawberries

Dislikes:

• Flirting
• Indirect Approachs
• His Father
• Frivolous activities

XCOM: Retaliation

T H E W A R F O R
E A R T H B E G I N S

Commander Anderson held a data-pad in front of him, looking over the influx of recruits into each XCOM base. A week since the Battle of Berlin and not a single glimpse of a UFO on their satellites. For more reasons that he could list this troubled him deeply. A week of little contact with the aliens has allowed them to nearly fully staff their bases and prepare counter-measures. Why issue such a blatant declaration of war then allow the defenders to fortify?

The voice of Bradford broke up his thoughts "Commander, you need to see this." A urgency in Bradford's voice inspired the Commander to put down the data-pad and turn his attention to the GeoScape where the sight made his eyes widen "Multiple UFOs contacts have appeared coming through the atmosphere scattered across the planet." Anderson admired the professional way Bradford spoke when during these tense moments "What are we looking at Betty." He ordered, eyes watching as several red UFO-shaped objects moved across the GeoScape. A holographic image of one of the UFOs replaced the GeoScape momentarily "The majority of the UFOs do not match the signature of the one that attacked Berlin and are of a much smaller design. Their projected flight patterns suggest they are moving to civilian targets, likely to deploy more of the pods we saw in Berlin." A female, electronic voice came over the command center. Once she had finished speaking, the GeoScape returned to a global map and the red blip gone, their last locations over civilian centers just like Betty had predicted.

Anderson's eyes narrowed "Bradford, I want every base on alert now. Tell them to get their teams suited up and ready to go ASAP." He ordered with absolute authority, hands turning into tightly clenched fists "Roger, Sir. I'll relay the message to the other bases at once." Bradford dutifully replied. No matter what the Aliens' were planning, he would not allow another death toll like at Berlin. He sent a piercing gaze up at the GeoScape "Just you wait you alien bastards...we're coming for you." He muttered quietly under his breath.



@Jangel13
You and the rest of the Swift Vipers had just managed to unpack the last of your things, when the monitor that Nico had been looking at suddenly changed. A large information panel replaced the previous long list of squad names that was on the previous screen. This changed had only just occurred when a deep, robotic, male voice flooded the room from a speaker in the ceiling "Swift Vipers, report to the Hanger for deployment. Your briefing will be received en route to the mission location." As quickly as it came, the voice faded away leaving behind a feeling of tension and excitement in the barracks.

Nico took one last look at the monitor and turned to face the squad "Get suited up quickly. Once your armor is on, report directly to the armory for your weapon and equipment then proceed to the landing pad in the hangar. Got it? Now move!" He spoke quickly but fluently, then walked to his own locker and started putting on his armor "First day, first mission. My hands are tingling already...How about you Angelo?" Allen asked as he started putting the pieces of his standard-issued XCOM armor on. The rest of the team was doing the same, wasting little time on anything else.

@Zoey White
Reyes face brightened up a little at Nian's enthusiasm, his smile twisting in to a half-grin. It wasn't long before that faded along with the more serious tone of her voice. A look instead appearing that hinted he may have regretted his attempt at a joke. Once Nian seemed to perk up again, this look left his face and his friendly expression returned "That's music to my ears." He replied lightly at Nian's claim of excellence. A patch, in the same spot where Nian had her signature red cross, was sewn on his fatigues. The design featured a double-side long-sword with wings coming out from both sides "Not quite, I'm a ranger actually. Once I get in close, there's no stopping me!" He let out a loose, soft chuckle.

@Evil Snowman
Donovan laughed at her gracious offer "Don't start sweet talking me already." He replied teasingly before the conversation moved on to the other guy in his picture. A small smile broke out on his face as he held the photo up to the inside of the locker and pinned it with a magnet "My older brother and best mate in the whole world. I suppose I have him to thank for getting me here. This picture was actually taken when I just special forces training." He turned to look at you "Before you ask, He hasn't kicked the bucket just yet. After he got wounded in Afghanistan, he got sent home and should be working on the family farm right now." His eyes looked over the cap you currently held "He always said 'Soldiers got two families: The one they are born with, and the ones they fight alongside.'. Not much a poet I know." He grinned.

@Evil Snowman@Zoey White

A banner began to flash on the monitor, flashing red, that said 'Red Dragons, prepare for combat and report to the hangar immediately' . This was quickly followed by an overhead voice of a indiscriminate Asian female, a distortion in her otherwise lovely tone "Attention Red Dragons. A UFO was observed moments ago dropping off troops and abduction pods in Sydney, Australia. Retreive your weapons and equipment and proceed to the Hangar as soon as possible. Further briefing will be given on the flight there." The voice cut off and Lt. Ji-Hwan looked at his squad "Any more unpacking can wait. Equip your armor and head straight for the Armory. I'll be waiting at the Sky-ranger for you all." A small bow of his head and he exited the barracks in the direction of the armory.

@HachiRoku

The small amount of alochol was downed by the newly minted squad, the glasses placed back onto the coffee table. It seemed to be more part of a ritual than any form of actual drinking, perhaps the squad leader's way of honoring their first meeting as a team. Introductions however did not last very long "I hope we have a long service together as we-" Zhu Yun was in the middle of saying when the screen on the monitor changed in a instant. One thing was very clear from its display: they were no longer on standby.

A voice filled space of the barracks, seeming to come from every direction "Black cobras you are to ready up and proceed to the Skyranger waiting on the hangar immediately for your first mission. There is no time to waste." The electronic distortion of its voice was enough to deduce this was the base's A.I., simply named 'Kami', and its tone leaned neither towards male or female.

The relaxed expression on the squad leader's face faded as he quickly stood up "I'm going to kill the aliens if its only to share a stiff drink once in awhile. Alright Cobras, put your armor on and head straight for the armory." He lamented as he did the same, taking out his armor "You ever kill an alien?" Ichihara asked dead-serious as she slipped the torso piece on, simply looking forward into the metal depths of the locker.

@AdmrlStalfos19

The roar of the Skyranger's engines continued to increase until at last you could feel extra weight being pressed down on your shoulders as it began its vertical take-off. A patch on the side of the solider's shoulder-pad indicated he was a sergeant, at least within XCOM "Anytime someone comes in contact with the aliens, we find out one way or the other. I only know the basics of your background, Miss Lawson, but I can assure you that XCOM command knows everything. They are very thorough with their recruitment process." He replied in a professional manner.

The weight that was on your shoulders shifted to your waist as the Skyranger launched forward "...I lost him to cancer three years ago. The last thing he told me was 'If you ever get lost in the dark, find even the smallest light and chase it. Do that, and the world will never seem bleak.'" The man from before spoke again to the female recruit sitting next to him. Despite the heaviness of the subject, he didn't drop his smile. "I don't think I'll ever be able chase it so fearlessly like he did, but I've done my best so far."

A red warning light suddenly turned on inside the craft "Two UFO signatures on approach vector!" The voice of the pilot came over the speaker. The craft shook heavily as something slammed into the side, the lights flickering off and on "Dammit!" A loud curse following the hit. A different voice came over the speaker "Viper-1, fox two. Take it you bastards." It was presumably the voice of their fighter escort. A large explosion shook the entire craft, the sound wave piercing though the insulated walls "Enemy down. Moving to-" He was in the process of saying when "Shit! How the hell did it-" A second, different sounding explosion erupted outside the Skyranger followed by static.

Worry began to show in a few of the recruits faces, perhaps wondering if there service in XCOM was going to end right here and now "Stay calm everyone! Everything is goin-" The Skyranger violently rocked as a explosion erupted very close, sounding like its engine, and suddenly felt as though it was losing altitude as a immense heat could be felt coming from the cockpit. It took only a few moments before the Skyranger fell out of the sky and crashed into rice field in western China. As if by a miracle, the craft leveled out preventing a nose-dive into the marshy ground. Just as quickly as it had started, they had stopped moving. Miraculously, no one in the craft's hold seemed to be mortally injured.

@thedman

Kathryn smiled and laughed along with you as she pulled a few pieces of videogame memorabilia out of her bag and decorated the inside of her locker with it "I hear that, hopefully the aliens will oblige us for just today." While clearly sarcastic, the joke took a different turn when the Monitor no longer displayed 'On-Standby' for the Iron Talons. Instead 'Prepare for Depoylment' in red replaced those words, the screen changing to display their squad name at the top. Underneath laid information about the deployment zone and supporting squads "So much for that..." She said, feeling like she had just jinxed them.

A voice followed quickly after the monitor changed "Iron Talons. A UFO was detected off the shore of Florida. Intel suggests it has attacked a cruise liner heading for Europe. Gear up and head directly to the landing pad, additional briefing will be given en-route" The voice you remembered from the orientation. The base A.I. appropriately called Liberty. Bradley pulled open his locker, and began putting on his combat armor "Well you heard the lady, get suited up and head on to the armory for your weapon and equipment." He simply said.

Patrick shook his head with a disbelieving smile "No rest for the wicked.." He said audibly but soft like a whisper. Soon the entire squad was suiting up in their armor, Joe's armor was had more plating than the others whereas Patrick's seemed to be a stripped down version of it. Kahele had just finished putting his torso piece on when he look around to everyone "We watch each other's backs we'll come back in no time. Then we get to see how well they stocked the base's bar, eh?" A wicked smile came on his face at the last sentence. While it was against the rules to be intoxicated, that mainly referred to getting drunk like a freshmen party girl.

@McSamsonite

Cyril nodded "Seems like a perfect match then." He stopped his questioning right there, not deciding to pry any further "My role in the squad is Assault. Suites me just fine getting up an close with those freaks." A sliver of anger slipped into the last word. The last of Cyril's possessions were put in the locker, it seemed he didn't bring a whole lot with him "Let's bring the hurt down on them, yeah?"

Soon after you answered him, the monitor was no longer showing the list of all active XCOM squads. It shift to a large information panel about the Hell Hounds specifically, including the new status: Prepare to Deploy highlighted in red. Major Holzer was quick to see this and wasted no time "It looks like its time for battle! Get your armor on and we'll head straight for the armory! Let's move!" She hounded before moving towards her locker. The A.I. voice washed over the room "Hell Hounds. You are to-" It had began to say before Holzer yelled out "Late again Arthur. We're already moving." while pulling the torso piece over her right shoulder "A pleasure as always, Maj. Holzer." With that it was gone.

@Ciphra

Mauss simply stood still as you replied, staring at you directly in the eyes. Once you gave your answer, she appeared to contemplate for a few moments not breaking her gaze "I'm impressed with your answer, Duponte. I see too many recruits come in thinking that we'll be able to make them invincible against the alien threat." Her voice did not shift from the tough, neutral tone it currently had. His answer made her question however what it was exactly he had seen of the alien. "That is all I needed to hear. Make yourself at home, who knows how long..." She began to pace a little around the barracks couch when she saw the monitor change, from the yellow indicator that meant 'On-Standby' to the red one that alerted them that they were about to be deployed.

She turned her head back to Cole "Looks like I'll get to see you in action sooner than I thought." From all around the inside of the barracks came a voice "It appears as though not all of the Grim Crows are present. Cpt. Helene Mauss, assemble your team and prepare for take-off." The male voice was brisk and proper, though one could get a touch of rudeness from it "I'm aware, Arthur." A slight of irritation was in her response. "Your locker is over there. Get your armor on and follow me to the armory. The rest of the team will catch us on the Skyranger." Mauss walked over to her own locker and began suiting up, the armor of the crows however was not the same tan as the newer squad. The black color was a testament to the veterancy of the squad, one that Cole too would be donning.

XCOM: Retaliation

@NPC

Do you still want to be a part of this?

XCOM: Retaliation

@Ciphra

I liked It! Don't worry about it too much, family comes first.

XCOM: Retaliation

@Jangel13

I'm sorry for your loss. Don't worry about posting this turn

XCOM: Retaliation

@Jangel13

The woman leaning against the wall narrowed her eyes at Angelo's claim "You better be." It was clear words were not enough to convince her. Lorenzo glanced at her for a moment before speaking up "Her name is.." "Camila Martí." Her voice stated strongly interjecting "..yes. She gives everyone a hard time at first so don't worry." He spoke reassuringly. The American walked farther into the room and set his bag down next to one of beds, before speaking up "I guess that just leaves me then. I am Allen Graham. Making sure you can all keep fighting is my job." His voice light and whimsical.

Shortly after his introduction finished, the door to the barracks slide open revealing a sturdily built man with stern brown eyes and a signature military style buzz-cut. His darker complexion indicative of many years under a hot sun "No punches are being thrown this time so I see you are all getting along just fine." The tone of his voice did not make it clear whether he was pleased or irritated "I am your squad leader, Cpt. Nico Villacrés. Now that introductions are done, find your assigned locker and bed and finish unpacking. Inside your locker you'll find your personal armor set." Nico ordered as he walked up to the monitor and began looking through XCOM teams.

As squad leader, Nico's bed was the closest to the door but it was clear from what appeared to be a family photo that he had already settled in. Velena rose from her chair and returned it under the table from which it came. Lorenzo followed her to the large lockers built into the walls, where upon opening them found just what the Captain said. A armor set that was already adjusted to their size. Allen followed suit after picking his bag back up and then Camilla who had nothing but a large backpack.

@thedman

Despite Amiya being anti-social, the whole squad seemed to get together very well in the brief few minutes they've known each other. A global threat like the Alien Invasion seemed to bypass any pettiness people might normally have. Bradley seemed to crack a small smile at the harmonious interactions of his squad before speaking up loudly over the chatter "Nice to see we're off to a good start." He used a tone of voice that quickly got everyone's attention "If you take a look at the beds you'll notice a small plaque that has your name on it. Same goes for the lockers over there." First he indicated towards the beds, then over towards the lockers installed into the wall "The lockers are for personal storage as well as for your armor. I'd recommend putting it on once before we get our first mission." He advised.

He moved over to the monitor and tapped a finger on the squad's name, a symbol to its right was colored yellow with text that read 'On Standby' "I just want to make you all aware that we're on call if Command picks up alien activity. So get your stuff unpacked and be ready to head out, otherwise you're free to do as you please." His authoritative tone relaxed towards the end "Personally, I'm gonna grab a bite to eat." He grinned and headed out the door towards the mess hall. Kathryn took her two duffle bags over to her locker "So Joe, think we'll be heading out on first day?" She asked humorously as the rest of the squad began unpacking as well.

@Zoey White@Evil Snowman

A bright smile formed on the edges of Jin-Hwan's lips as Nadezhda finished, the names of the squad known to everyone here "It seems I have blessed with a great squad." A small chuckle escaping his lungs "That of course means now I expect a very successful first mission with you all." He stepped into the center of the room, already he gave off the vibe of a leader that cared about his squad "Now, take the time to unpack and relax while we still can. Though it is our first day together, we are on standby should the Aliens make their next move." He was more serious saying this "With that said, in your lockers you'll find your armor. It is important that it fits correctly when you put it on. The base A.I. will alert us if we are needed to gear up." He finished saying "Lastly, I will answer any question you might still have after orientation. Here at XCOM, we don't hide secrets from our soldiers." That last part was stated with an almost confidence.

@Zoey White
The man identified as Reyes came up to you after the Lieutenant finished "So you're our medic then?" He pointed to the red cross clearly visible on your uniform. The deep sound of his voice could be intimidating to some, but he spoke in a rather friendly tone "I got to say it is a relief knowing there is going to be someone down there to patch us up." A smile accompanied his words "Though no offense, I hope we don't need it." A soft chuckle breaking up the serious idea of injury.

@Evil Snowman
The other Australian went to his locker and began taking things out of his desert-camouflaged bag and putting into the locker. Most noticeable among them was a picture of Donovan and another male, perhaps 6 years older, with arms across each other's shoulders "So Nade', gotta say I'm relieved to have another Aussie in the squad. It's kinda funny though, You build stuff and I'm the one who blows it up." His head was turned from you but you could sense the grin on his face.

@McSamsonite

Major Holzer loomed over you for a few moments after hearing what you said, her eyes narrowing as if to peer directly into your soul then their weight lifted as she said "I hope so, you are part of XCOM now." before moving on to the last part of your squad, a British woman named Emily Verbeck. With everyone having now given their names and a small part of information about themselves, Major Holzer stepped back to her original spot and turned to face everyone "Take a very good look at the people around you. These are the people that will be watching out for you on the battlefield, where trust might decide success or failure. Remember that in the months to come." Her emphasis coming through clearly.

"Unpack your things and get yourselves situated. The lockers over there contain your armor. Make sure you are intimate with putting it on. Command could be sending us out within an hour." Just as she said, the monitor displayed clearly that the Hell Hounds were on standby meaning that if the aliens attacked it would be their squad heading out. Cyril spoke to you as he carried his items to the lockers and began unloading "You've never been in the military?" He asked with disbelief shaking his head as he put something in the locker's top shelf "What did you do to get XCOM's attention?" He asked

@NPC
Avery came over towards you as Holzer stopped speaking, probably interested in the other member from the United Kingdom "Seems like a tough but fair kind of woman. What do you think?" He softly asked, as to not let Holzer hear. The other soldiers in the squad seemed to be doing just as the Major said and unpacking what small amount of personal items there where. Small shelves above the assigned beds could hold small trinkets and such "I just know I don't want to piss her off." He commented

@AdmrlStalfos19

You arrive at a clearing in northern Japan as night falls, the area is lit up with prop-up LED light stands and the illumination of two aircraft. The one you come upon first has a black coating the glass has a dark outer tint, preventing you from seeing the pilot inside. Behind is what appears to be a very high-tech jet of a design that you have never seen. Standing next to the rear of the larger, black craft is a man dressed in tan combat armor. "We've been waiting for you, Miss Lawson. Please proceed onto the Skyranger with the others." He announces as you get closer.

Once inside, you are met with twelve other individuals that seem to be recruits just like you judging from the look in their faces and their lack of a set uniform. There is one in particular that seems to be rather enthusiastic about the situation, seeming to be in a conversation with another "Well I sure as hell didn't join the military for the pay! I wanted to serve my country, and now I have the chance to serve all of humanity. I don't see a more important job than that." His visible youth leaked into his tone, a sort of stubborn pride in that last statement. He appeared to be a half american, half koren if anything could be obtained from physical features.

The soldier came in behind you and walked towards the back of the craft, where a door seperated the cargo hold from the cockpit "The last recruit is on board." He spoke as he lifted his finger to an earpiece in his right ear. It was then that a voice came over the speakers above "Roger, beginning startup sequence. Everyone take a seat and strap in. We'll be lifting off in a few moments." The roar of the outside engines coming to life was muffled by the craft's wall.