Captain Uni

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

The Question

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E Q U E S T I O N

---

^{"My face? Looked too far into a bowling ball returner."}

^{_{C H A R L E S V I C T O R S Z A S Z ♦ J O U R N A L I S T ♦ H U B C I T Y , I L L I N O I S}}

O R I G I N S:

---

"What an asshole."

That was something a lot of people muttered under their breath after a close encounter with Vic Sage; "rough around the edges" was putting it lightly when it came to him. His whole life he's been fighting, maybe not for the right reasons in the eyes of many, but in his eyes he was always in the right. Fighting is what you have to do to survive in Hub City. The only good influences he had ever had were his mentor, former chemist Aristotle "Tot" Rodor, and his ex-girlfriend Myra Fermin, an up and coming politician. They tried their best to soften his sharp edges, but it seemed like nothing would ever dull Vic's aggressive persona.

Vic's rise to vigilantism was sparked by Tot, whose former colleague Arby Twain was trying to illegally sell one of their inventions: pseudoderm, an artificial skin designed to be used as a bandage. It would've been a miracle, were it not for the fact that the gas used to bond pseudoderm to the skin was toxic when exposed to open wounds, negating the entire point of it. Rodor designed a mask for Vic using the pseudoderm and had Vic topple Twain's operation, with Vic leaving Twain and his cronies bound in pseudoderm in their warehouse before calling in an anonymous tip to the police.

A week later, he submitted what would be his final article for the Hub City Gazette, a piece slamming Mayor Wesley Fermin as incompetent and corrupt and accusing him of having ties to the Gospel of Sinners, Hub City's own crime syndicate. The next day, he and Myra broke up. Three days later, he was fired. Blacklisted from every major news network in the city, Vic was hired by Sam Starr of Starrstruck Media Inc. specifically because of the article. Vic continued his vigilante activities, though there were no major arrests, much as he tried to expose the politicians and public figures embroiled in the Sinners' activities. It was two months into his career that he finally caught his big break: a meeting between Mayor Fermin and the head of the Sinners at the dockside warehouses on Hupert River. He donned his mask, buttoned up his winter coat, and set off into the night in the hopes that he would finally take Fermin down for good.

Vic Sage didn't show up for work the next day.

A year passed with no sightings of the faceless freak stalking Hub City's streets.

Until tonight.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

Aftermath

2:44 AM. The sky above is the color of a television tuned to a dead channel, grey clouds rolling in and thick drops of rain drenching the pavement. I hear the sound of footsteps behind me and turn away from the window to look at Tot, who sets two double shot glasses and a bottle of brandy down on the table between our chairs. He sits down in his chair and uncorks the bottle, pouring two shots.

"A drink," he says, lifting his glass. "To Twain and his cronies rotting in jail."

I lift mine as well. "To douchebags getting what they deserve." With that toast, we take our drinks and set the glasses back down on the table. I reach a hand into my coat pocket and pull out the rubbery mask that Tot had designed for me. "... Think I can keep this?" I ask.

"Of course. It'd serve as a nice memento."

A memento. That's all it'll be after tonight. Something to remind me that I did something important, and I'll never do that again. No. It won't just gather dust in a closet for the rest of my life. "Actually, Tot, I was thinking of using it some more."

"... What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Wear it and go out and beat up some bad guys. Like The Phantom or Green Hornet or something."

"... Are you sure that's wise? This wasn't the mob, Charlie, it was some scientists looking to make some quick money."

"Okay, so I don't start off going after the mob. I go after thieves and street gangs, start small."

"And take a bullet to the head for it?"

"At least I'd die doing something good."

"You'd die doing something stupid for the sake of your own ego."

I glare at Tot with a scoff. "And there it is. What, you think I helped you out because I wanted to feel cool?"

"Charlie, you helped me because you wanted to do something that mattered. And it did matter. But there are better ways to fight against injustice than throwing yourself right into a fight with it." Tot reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder. "You'd just be getting yourself killed."

I shrug off his hand and stand from my chair. "Whatever you say, Tot. I'm going home."

He doesn't say a word as I walk out of the house and get into my car. The rain beats down upon the roof of the old Beetle, a rhythmic thumping that does nothing to soothe my frustration. I clench my eyes shut and take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I reach into my pocket to grab my keys when I feel the mask again, rubbing my thumb along its smooth surface.

Tonight won't be the last time.

S U P P O R T I N G C A S T:

---

Aristotle Rodor - Vic's mentor and oldest friend.
Albert "Al" Kert - Vic's editor at Starrstruck.
Samuel "Sam" Starr - Founder, owner, and editor-in-chief of Starrstruck.
Myra Fermin - Vic's ex-girlfriend and sister of mayor Wesley Fermin.
Wesley Fermin - Mayor of Hub City and brother of Myra Fermin. Vic fucking hates this guy.
Jeremiah Hatch - The Reverend, head of the Gospel of Sinners. Hub City's de facto kingpin.
Richard Dragon - Vic's other mentor.
Lady Shiva - Mysterious assassin and martial artist. Kinda killed Vic.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

"The Question" by Simple Unicycle

Act One: Odyssey

Issue #-1: Overture
Issue #0: ... Like A Butterfly
Issue #1: Devotion
Issue #2: ... Like A Bee
Issue #3: Self Care

Act Two: Zen And Violence

Issue #4: Back In Town
Issue #5: House of Balloons
Issue #6: Danny Boy
Issue #7: Suffer The Children
Issue #8: The Binding, Part One

The Punisher

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E P U N I S H E R

---

^{"This isn't revenge. This is punishment."}

^{_{F A N G C H U ♦ V I G I L A N T E ♦ N E W Y O R K C I T Y , N E W Y O R K}}

O R I G I N S:

---

One day, you have it all. The next it comes crashing down. Everything ripped apart in a New York minute.

The boy that would be known as Frank Castle grew up as Fang Chu, the only son of first generation Chinese immigrants who moved to New York City in the mid 90s. He grew up hard and fast, forced to contend with street crimes all around him and an abusive father who drove his mother to suicide. The day he turned 18, he packed his bags and moved out. He changed his name to Frank Castle in order to distance himself from his past and got a job as a bus boy to support himself, while attending community college in the hopes of acquiring the credits he needed to become a police officer.

Frank joined the police force at the age of 21, rising up the ranks and making detective at the age of 25. It was during his early years on the force that he met Maria Falconio, whom he began to date and later married after she became pregnant with their children, twins Lisa and Frank Jr. Two months ago, Frank had his biggest bust yet: taking down a drug ring run by the Saint crime family. The heir to the Saints, Bobby Saint, was killed in the raid on their operations. Things were going well for the Castles.

A month ago, the Castles' apartment in the Bronx was broken into. No valuables were taken, but Maria, Lisa, and Frank Jr. were killed. Frank took a bullet to the chest and fell into a coma.

Last week, Frank woke up.

Tonight, he has a made man tied up in a warehouse on the Jersey side.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

Funeral

The cemetery is silent as the three caskets are lowered into the ground.

Then it's over. Time to leave.

Maria's mother is crying too hard to look me in the eye.

Dave gives me a hug and tells me that I know where to find him if I need anything.

Captain Stacy doesn't say a word as he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, before walking away.

I get into my car and start to drive.

My first stop is a pawn shop in the Bronx. The proprietor of the pawn shop, Emil Greco, is one of many associates of the Saint family. The shop is a front for a gunrunning operation. I watched and waited until there were no customers in the store. It took about twenty minutes until finally, it was just Greco. I grab my service pistol and walk out of the car.

The bell above the door dings and Greco looks my way. "Good afternoon sir, we're getting ready to close up, but what can I..." he trails off, noticing the gun in my hand. I level it at his head and move around the counter, pressing it against his skull. "What the hell is this? You trying to rob me?"

"Yeah. Show me what you've got in the back."

His eyes go wide. "T-there's nothing back there, everything is out fro-" I whip him in the face with the pistol and he shouts in pain. "FUCK!"

"Show me what's in the back." I give him a sharp poke to the ribs with the barrel of the gun and he springs into action, leading me to the basement of the pawn shop. Guns and ordnance line the walls of the room and there are dozens of crates filled with even more: pistols, SMGs, shotguns, rifles, Goddamn grenade launchers. It was enough to supply a militia.

Or a one man army.

"Thanks." I slam the butt of my handgun into Greco's temple and he collapses into a heap on the floor.

Fifteen minutes later and I'm leaving the pawn shop with duffel bags full of guns and ammo stuffed into my trunk. Forty minutes later and I'm on the Jersey side, an abandoned warehouse in Hoboken, dropping off the ordnance. Ten more minutes, I'm outside of a night club run by the Saint family, waiting for one Nicky Francesco. He was a made man, tough guy, liked to beat on women and shoot men in the back of the head before they knew what was going on. We'd been trying to make a case on the guy for months.

Now I didn't need to make one.

He's about to get into his car when I strike, pulling a plastic bag over his head and slowly suffocating him. He tries to scream, he tries to hit, and eventually he's just trying to keep breathing. After that, he's limp in my arms. I drag him to my car and throw him in the back seat, slapping a pair of handcuffs on him just in case he wakes up early.

I drive him back to the warehouse. I tie him to a chair below a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. I pull up a chair and take a seat in front of him.

And then I wait.

S U P P O R T I N G C A S T:

---

David "Dave" Lieberman/Microchip - Frank's best friend and fellow police officer.
Billy Russo/Jigsaw - A capo in the Saint family whose face Frank rearranged into a series of scars.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

"The Punisher" by Simple Unicycle

Act One: Genesis

Issue #1: Pliers
Issue #2: Better Off Alone
Issue #3: Triage
Issue #4: Room Service
Issue #5: Night Terrors
Issue #6: Running With The Devil, Part One (Crossover with Daredevil)
Issue #6: Running With The Devil, Part Two (Crossover with Daredevil)

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

<Snipped quote by Simple Unicycle>

True.

My

S T A T I C
S T A T I C

^{"I will never leave evil standing. Taking it out wherever I find it. I am the legacy."}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Virgil Ovid Hawkins _________________________________________________________ Metahuman | Full-time hero _________________________________________________________ Formerly Dakota City | Roaming C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S _________________________________________________________ [+] Allies: Frieda Goren - Virgil's first and most trusted confidante. Best friends since early childhood, their years together bonding over Static's career has caused their relationship to grow. Virgil proposed to Frieda six months ago, and his fiancee is staying in Dakota City while he goes off to save the world. Hardware - Curtis Metcalf has undergone several dramatic life changes in the last decade. From an employee of Edwin Alva, the man responsible for The Big Bang, to an armored vigilante, to CEO of Alva Industries. Curtis has been Static's longest ally and is a major reason for their success in cleaning up Dakota City both as his alter ego Hardware as well as his new role as the CEO of the powerful Alva Industries. Virgil often contacts Curtis when in need of research or resources. Rocket | Icon II - Raquel Ervin is Static's closest ally in Dakota City, and one of the few heroes to know his secret identity. As Rocket, she was a one-time, brash, young sidekick to the hero Icon. Raquel has since become one of Dakota's greatest champions and the newest Icon. In Static's absence, she has promised to look after the city and his family. Icon - An alien who has lived on Earth for nearly 200 years as Augustus Freeman. Powerful beyond belief, it wasn't until the intervention of Raquel Ervin that he began operating as the hero Icon. Following the retirement of Superman, Icon decided to return to the stars in order to ensure Earth was protected from external threats, leaving his one-time sidekick Rocket to take up his mantle. Sharon Hawkins - Virgil's older sister. While she didn't discover her brother's double life as Static until after their father's passing, she has become his biggest supporter. M I S C E L L A N E O U S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► References - P O S T C A T A L O G P O S T C A T A L O G _________________________________________________________ [+] - P O S T C A T A L O G ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ -

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T ________________________________________________________________________________________ Virgil Hawkins was barely 15 when Atlantis waged war against the surface world. He watched the internet coverage of the events, awestruck, as the teenager witnessed the rise of the modern-day hero coming to the defense of innocents. The founding members of what would become the Justice League inspired him, so when he developed his own powers just months later in an event that would be dubbed The Big Bang, he too donned a colorful costume like his idols. Virgil spent the next three years of his life learning the ways of a hero through repeated trial and error. He faced off against dangerous foes, formed powerful alliances with other Dakota-based heroes, and struggled to balance his personal life with his growing responsibilities. College proved to be a change of pace, as the young man moved to California to study and start a new chapter of his life. It was here he met other teenage heroes who welcomed him into their group. For 16 months, Virg fought for justice alongside these young titans. And, while he often felt out of his depths against the large stakes his team found themselves against, Virgil felt proud to stand against evil with them. Then, tragedy struck. His father passed away and Virgil returned to Dakota City to be there for his sister. His return revealed a city that had fallen into chaos. Realizing his true place was in Dakota, Virgil decided to stay for good and return to his roots. Alongside new heroes that had risen up in his absence and old friends, he spent the next six years cleaning up his city. An endeavor that proved most successful. For the first time since gaining his powers eight years ago, Dakota had become a truly safe place. Static had become a symbol for the citizens of Dakota City, and anyone who tried to challenge the beloved hero proved to be a fool. But as one symbol faces a meteoric rise, another would face a catastrophic fall. The Justice League, Virgil's longtime idols, faced an epic battle that would become their last. While ultimately prevailing against their foe, the damage done was too much for the League to survive, and the heroes Virg had worshipped since a boy retired from the spotlight. In the four years following the League's disbanding, Virgil has watched as his city prospered while the rest of the country struggled to maintain hope. It seemed with every passing moment, more and more threats came out of the woodwork with no unified front to stand against them. The American people hadn't just lost a team of superheroes, they had lost a symbol to believe in. Virgil intends to give them their symbol back. Leaving Dakota City in the safe hands of his longtime allies, Virgil has decided to travel the country to revitalize the hope that had been lost. To restore Justice. * * * This is a Static that is at the height of his career. He's successfully faced all his classic foes time and time again, he and the other Milestone heroes have almost eliminated all gang-based and superpowered crime, and he's found a healthy balance between his personal and hero life. He's already graduated from university, mastered his powers, and found his forever person. I'm not looking to tell the story of a fledgling or struggling Virgil, nor am I planning on writing someone who is tired and jaded of the hero game. This is a confident, idealistic, adult Static who is ready and willing to take charge to make the changes he believes in. This is also a Static who won't be centered in Dakota. That's been done before, and frankly, I won't ever be able to tell a better version than what we saw in 2004. While Virg still has his connections to the city and will return there from time to time, Dakota City and its rogue's gallery won't be the focus here. All of those stories are in his past. P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) ________________________________________________________________________________________ Virgil's goal is simple: to return the Justice League as a symbol of hope. To do so, he intends to travel the country to inspire the people and rally the heroes. He aims to seek out his idols and also his former teen teammates. The story I intend to tell is also simple: one that encourages interactivity. I'm going to have Virgil stop at just about every major DC location in the continental United States and make some waves, both IC and OOC. I think these games are at their best when players are writing together and I want to do my part in encouraging that. I will, of course, write individual posts without relying on others, but I'm going to be trying to coordinate with other players pretty regularly.

---

ideas

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

C A P T A I N A M E R I C A

---

^{_{♦ F R A N K C A S T L E ♦ C A P T A I N , U S M C ♦ J A N U A R Y , 1 9 8 6 ♦}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^"Oorah!"

Frank Castle remembers clearly the day the Towers fell. The horror and destruction was forever ingrained in his memory.

Frank Castle remembers clearly the day of his eighteenth birthday, the military recruiter's nod of respect as he enlisted. The sense of pride forever ingrained in his memory.

Sixteen years ago, Frank joined the United States Marine Corps to serve his country following the War on Terror. After graduating from a Scout Sniper School in 2006, he briefly served in an intelligence-gathering role before being drawn into the newly established Marine Corps Special Operations Command. After a dozen years of service, Staff Sergeant Castle was not only highly decorated but held the record for most confirmed sniper kills in the entire Corps. As a result, Frank, and subsequently his platoon, were the subject of near legend - myths of his status only enhanced due to his classified missions - earning both the respect of fellow marines as well as the attention of his superiors.

Alongside his military career, Castle was a family man. Having met his future-wife in 2009, marrying two years later, and extending their family in both 2013 and 2016 with a girl and boy respectively. By late 2018, as far as Frank was concerned, he had it all, and he was happy. He was even considering retiring after a few more years to spend more time with his family.

Then, Major G.W. Bridge entered Frank's life. Approaching him while stationed overseas, the major offered Castle a chance to apply for a new, highly classified and elite position in the U.S. military. Although Frank didn't know what this entailed, after being informed it would involve him stateside more often than not, he accepted.

The U.S. government, frustrated by the United Nations' SHIELD and its control over an American patriot and asset, put forth a new program to find a replacement. Castle, alongside several other candidates from various military branches and intelligence agencies, spent a year in this program undergoing special training and tests. Finally, just two months ago, Frank was accepted into the role and immediately promoted to the rank of captain.

And, not a moment too soon as recent events have thrust operational plans forward, Frank's predecessor having relinquished the role after a televised and brutal battle that resulted in the so-called murder of a domestic terrorist. Just several months later, Frank Castle would make his debut as the latest U.S. agent of patriotism:

Captain America.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

I think it was five years ago that I first joked about the idea of Captain Castle/Punisher America. I remember being told it was stupid and made no sense. The more I joked about it, the more I saw value in the concept. And, more importantly, the more it annoyed Mike. So I guess you could say I'm doing this to continue that tradition. Also, because Byrd dared me to. There can be no better reasons to roleplay than this.

For this RP, I do plan on changing how I go about things somewhat. Shorter adventures that, while linked together through a shared narrative, will keep me from playing with myself in an isolated corner instead of participating in the world as a whole. I'm going to be open to collabs and crossovers more than ever before, and plan to incorporate at least one after every two or so of my shorter, self-contained adventures. I want to fully integrate into the game this go-around, and what better character to do that with than Captain America.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

The following is a list of the various characters I intend to use and incorporate, to some degree, in my story.

The rogues/antagonists section is to express my claim on certain characters important to my narrative. Be aware, reading it will spoil some future plots to an extent. It'll be updated with info on the characters once they are introduced. Unless you're trying to use some Cap/Punisher foes, I'd recommend avoiding reading that portion so you can enjoy things more, but your choice.

Supporting Cast

David Linus Lieberman - Civilian contractor operating as chief technical support for the task force. Brilliant, but a pain in Frank's ass.

John Stewart - USMC gunnery sergeant and Frank's best friend in the service. Still deployed overseas.

Major G.W. Bridge - Frank's new commanding officer who recruited him into the Captain America program. He leads the congressionally-approved special task force that supports Castle in the field.

Natalie Reed - USAF helicopter pilot reassigned to the task force. Operates a state-of-the-art, next-generation craft known as the UV-1A Super Blackhawk and is Castle's transport for missions.

Stuart Clarke - DARPA engineer on loan to the task force. He provides the gear for Captain America.

Rogues/Antagonists

AIM

Batroc/Batroc Brigade

Deathlok

Dredmund the Druid

Flag-Smasher

Grand Director/National Force

John Walker

Serpent Squad/Society

Scourge(s) of the Underworld

The Hood/The Cabal

The Zodiac

_{To be updated as needed.}

are

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E T E E N T I T A N S

---

^{_{♦ K I T T Y P R Y D E ♦ E L I J A H B R A D L E Y ♦ G A R F I E L D L O G A N ♦ K O R I A N D ' R ♦
♦ N E W Y O R K C I T Y , N E W Y O R K ♦ T H E T E E N T I T A N S ♦}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"That's a shitty banner." - Anyone with eyes}

Eli Bradley, grandson of former Heavyweight World Champion and World War II hero Isaiah Bradley, is, for the most part, a typical high school junior. He has dreamed of following his late grandfather's footsteps, greatly admiring Isaiah's reported feats of bravery and patriotism, and as such has dedicated most of his teen years endeavoring to better himself in every way possible in order to emulate Isaiah. An excellent athlete, Eli has participated in several state-level track and field finals and has pursued and excelled at mixed martial arts in his free time. Upon graduating next year, he has aspirations to immediately join the Army. However, despite coming from a military family with his grandfather, uncle, and cousin all having served, Eli's mother is strongly opposed to the idea. So much so that she has kept Eli from seeing his extended family, or even learning more about his grandfather's heroic past. Still, ever determined, Elijah has never veered from the goals set for himself. In fact, up until a week ago, he had rarely if ever deterred from his weekly routine and schedule. But the sudden, and fiery, intrusion of a young woman into his life has caused him to reevaluate all of his plans.

Koriand'r: teenager; princess; alien. Hailing from the far off Vega system, Koriand'r is the middle child of King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r of the planet Tamaran. Coming from a culture of passionate people who valued emotional honesty as much martial prowess, she and her siblings had a unique upbringing. Trained from a very young age in the art of war - strategically, philosophically, and physically - by the famed warlords of Okaara, Koriand'r was equally brought up to have love for all, and to value peace above conflict. Though, her Okaaran instructors made sure to drill into her mind that often the only way to achieve peace was through conflict. Tamaran itself was a venerable utopia, the very notions of strife and war nearly forgotten on the long-peaceful paradise planet, with their focus on battle skill being more about ceremonial tradition than actual violence. That was until a sudden, forceful uprising resulted in a civil war, and ultimately culminated with the successful assassination of King Myand'r. Seeing the capital being overrun by rebel forces, and fearing for the safety of her children, the queen placed each of her children in escape pods and sent them off planet. Originally intended to arrive on the neighboring Okaara, Koriand'r's pod was caught in a geomagnetic storm that wiped its course from memory and altered her path. Helpless in the cramped pod, she survived the months-long journey only due to her race's unique physiology which allowed her to sustain herself through Ultraviolet radiation emitted by passing stars and absorbed through her skin. It wasn't until her crashlanding on a small, blue planet that she was able to finally experience fresh air once more.

For twelve years, Katherine Pryde was an average, young girl. She went to school, attended Shabbat weekly at the local synagogue, spent time with her many friends, and studied both ballet and modern dance. Then, the change many young people dread took over. Suddenly falling through your bed and solid floor into another apartment below wasn't the most pleasant ways for young Kitty to discover her status as a mutant. Nor were the many weeks that followed of trying to both get a handle on, as well as hide, her newfound abilities. Although her grades never slipped, for the next couple of years she struggled with maintaining a social life, always fearful of her secret being discovered, and she quit her dance classes. Going from an open and cheerful young girl to a reserved, and isolated young woman did not escape her parent's notice, but any attempts they made to reach out to their daughter were unsuccessful. Instead, Kitty found solace in the anonymity of the internet. Not long after her sixteenth birthday, Kitty's confidence regarding her secret, and the trust she had in finally believing she had control over it allowed her to once again open up. Then, danger struck. A radical right-wing militia group of mutant haters called the Purifiers attacked her in broad daylight. While Kitty still does not know how these Purifiers had discovered her mutant nature, she does know that she would likely not be here today were it not for the intervention of the X-Men. The actions of this heroic group have inspired Kitty, and since then, she has begun to not only practice controlling her gifts like she had for the past several years but also how to utilize them to their full potential.

Garfield Logan doesn't remember much from his younger years. He has fond memories of his mother, Marie Logan. He recalls living on a farm or animal preserve in what he believes to have been upstate New York. And he remembers being sick. Very sick. The haziness surrounding the rest of the first decade or so years of his life is only frequently breached by these memories of hospital beds and vague medical tests. What he does remember with vivid clarity, however, is the death of his parents. Whisked into foster care, Garfield was placed under the guardianship of Nicholas Galtry, a man whose only concern was collecting checks from the state. Luckily, Garfield's stay with Galtry was shortlived. Unluckily, the circumstance for this was the abrupt arrival of Garfield's metahuman abilities and a very physical mutation resulting in his skin turning a rather noticeable shade of green. With anti-mutant sentiments still at an all-time high, Galtry reacted violently and Garfield was forcibly chased out. The already immoral man in a fit of fear and hate alerted the authorities to a "mutie menace" who had attacked him in his own home, and thus Garfield found himself on the run, unable to return to the foster care system. For nearly a year, he survived, alone, on the streets, often utilizing his metahuman ability to shapeshift into various animal forms to scavenge for food scraps. Recently, a young man stumbled across Garfield and, surprisingly, did not react in fear. Instead, the stranger, Charlie Hustle, showed sympathy to the young orphan and offered a safe, warm place to stay and good food. Desperate for a hot meal and, even more so, human company, Garfield agreed...

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

For me, I have always been interested in telling stories for each of Starfire, Beast Boy, and Shadowcat in one of these games. For one reason or another, however, I have never had the opportunity to apply as them, or have never had the proper narrative to explore. With the nature of this game, though, I feel like I can utilize the blended lore of Marvel & DC to not only explore the various concepts I've had over the years for these characters, but also to do so in a cohesive, unified manner. As well, when it comes to the Teen Titans and other similar young hero groups, every comic has them as experienced and established sidekicks and partners to popular heroes. They enter these teams with full support, training, and finances from their respective mentors, and rarely if ever have to struggle to find their footing. I want to tell a story that rejects that premise and is instead grounded in the reality of four young, powered people who have no support but each other.

I've decided to strip each of the four away from their established comic canon, for the most part, in order to better tell an interconnected origin story. Starfire is no longer a former slave, nor will she have any sort of connection to Dick Grayson. However, she still maintains trauma from her recent experiences and will find in Eli the human connection to root her to this world. Elijah, although still very much rooted in his drive to be a hero like his grandfather before him, is ignorant of Isaiah's history as a former supersoldier and Captain America. Given the newly minted status of the X-Men in this world, this is a Kitty who has never been a member of Xavier's student body and is instead discovering and learning her abilities on her own. She is still very much inexperienced and has not had the support system of the X-Men to lean on during these formative years. Likewise, Garfield was never a member of the Doom Patrol. He was never adopted by Rita Farr and Steve Dayton and instead has had to fend for himself on the streets for months.

Basically, I want to start fresh with the stories of these young would-be-heroes and explore how they come together and form not only a team but a family. As I am joining late and there are only three weeks until the crisis, and presumably only mere weeks remaining after that before the close of the season, I will be focusing entirely on a single arc that will introduce each of the four, bring them together by chance, and see them, hopefully, join forces by the end as the Teen Titans.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Sarah Gail Bradley: Elijah's mother.

Queen Luand'r, Crown Princess Komand'r, and Ryand'r: Starfire's mother, older sister, and younger brother respectively.

Calvin Zabo: Genius and brilliant biochemist specializing in the effect hormones have on the human body.

I'll also list here several characters I intend to utilize in various Titans stories throughout the seasons:
- Adelaine Kane
- Slade Wilson
- Damian Darhk
- Brother Blood
- Fearsome Five (Psimon, Mammoth, Shimmer, Gizmo, & Hazard)
- H.I.V.E. Organization
- Brotherhood of Evil
- Doom Patrol*

*As these are heroic characters, while I have plans for them at this moment, until I reach a point where they are actually put into the story, I am open to possibly working with others/giving them up if needed.

_{To be updated as needed.}

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

Words

Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC | One Week Ago

---

^{Chapter One | Prologue}

The dark lit and cloud-strewn sky over George Washington Bridge flashed blue, briefly illuminating the many passing cars below. Many of their passengers noticed this event, though most passed it off as lightning heralding in the storm front they knew to be arriving soon. Others still simply paid it no mind; they were both eager and impatient to get to their respective destinations after a long day. Had any real, concerted effort been made to observe this brief flare, they might have noticed the tiny trail of red streak across the night sky.

An object, perhaps no larger than ten feet in either dimension, careened through the lower atmosphere. Its once pristine silver surface now marred with dents, scratches, and ever-growing black marks as the heat of reentry took its toll. The cloud coverage working to conceal the metal sphere soon broke away as it neared the ground. Rapidly closing with the surface of the planet, its descent suddenly slowed as sensors within detected the approach, and multiple hidden thrusters across the surface of the strange orb engaged. For a brief moment, the object seemed to halt in mid-air just a dozen feet above the ground. Short, but thick legs extended about two feet from the apparent bottom, then the thrusters cut out and the sphere dropped. A dull thud marked the landing as dust and dirt were kicked up. There, on the banks of the Hudson River, the object rested.

Less than two hundred feet away, a teenaged boy slowly removed his earbuds, the sounds of Eminem's "Till I Collapse" still heard from them, as a bewildered expression played across his face.

Elijah Bradley enjoyed spending his weekend evenings going for long runs throughout his neighborhood. He would weave his way through the streets branching off from his house, making his way towards Fort George and passed his high school. Then continuing down along the Hudson until finally reaching the base of the bridge's east tower. There he would pause at the famous Little Red Lighthouse and look across the river towards Fort Lee before turning back to retrace his steps. This had become a ritual of his over the past three years, ever since setting his goals on serving in the military. He was diligent, never missing a run, even during nights of light showers such as this one.

When the sky flashed, Eli had looked up, concerned it was a signal that the pleasant trickling would turn for the worse. He almost missed the single bead of orange-red light as it pierced the clouds. And when it began to slow, the heat from breaking through the atmosphere abating to reveal the dull, silverish metal form underneath, the teenager's heart skipped a beat.

Eli was never the type to buy into UFO conspiracies. Even now, in this new age of enhanced individuals, with rumors of extraterrestrials, and undeniable accounts of extraordinary feats and miracles on display, Eli liked to consider himself as someone grounded in reality. He accepted that there had to be other life in the universe. He just never believed they'd visit Earth in his lifetime. But now, having moved in a daze closer to the sphere, the residual heat tickling his skin as he drew within an arm's reach, Eli was forced to accept this new reality.

He had shuffled another step forward, his chest heaving both from his extensive run and the sheer, anxious excitement of the situation he found himself in. His fingers extended forward, arm outstretched, as he tentatively reached out to make contact.

A sound of rushing air broke his trance, and Eli yanked his hand back. He watched as the front of what he now clearly understood to be a pod moved. The hermetic seals had disengaged, the hatch popping forward slightly allowing for air to finally cycle through. Then, the outline of an all-too-human hand pressed against the hatch's viewport, startling Eli and he scrambled back several feet. The hand pushed the door further open, and the figure inside stumbled forward, nearly collapsing onto their knees as they gasped, desperately filling long-deprived lungs.

Bright, auburn red hair fell around its face, concealing any features for the moment. Hunched shoulders shook, and Eli wasn't sure but he thought for a second he might have heard sobbing. Then, the figure tossed its head back and straightened its shoulders.

This time it was Elijah who gasped.

She stood probably close to six feet. Her frame was thin, although it was clear even under this minimal lightning that this was more a sign of lean muscle than anything else. She was dressed in odd, purple material that left just her upper arms and thighs exposed. Eli would almost have mistaken her for a human, even despite watching her fall from the stars, were it not for her near-golden skin and glowing green eyes.

She was probably the most beautiful creature Eli had ever, maybe even would ever, lay eyes on. But what stood out most to him was the look on her face. Emotions must transcend humanity, he thought, because the mix of fear and relief were all too evident.

Elijah opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't quite sure what, but the alien girl beat him to it.

A stream of almost whimsical, fantasy-like words escaped her lips as her gaze caught his frozen figure. She looked almost hopeful, excited, as her bright, glowing eyes dimmed down to reveal human-like pupils. Her cheeks stretched in a strained, soft smile as more of the nonsensical speech poured out of her.

Eli shook his head, palms outstretched in a gesture of gentleness. "I-I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to let his rational mind take over. "I don't understand what you're saying."

The girl tilted her head slightly, pursing her lips. Then she made that same, light, half-smile once more and stepped forward. She almost seemed to glide across the ground, and Eli found himself momentarily recalling his old Sunday school lessons about angels, impossibly beautiful warriors from the sky.

As she approached within a foot of Eli, he stood his ground. He didn't get any sense of danger from this girl, not that he was the type to run regardless. The golden-skinned beauty drew closer, the gap between them narrowing to just a few inches, and their eyes met. Eli noticed the faintest trail of tears lingering on her cheeks.

Maintaining her smile, she leaned forward. Eli instinctually tried to pull away, but the girl had already brought both hands to his cheeks and had gently drawn him forward. His eyes widened as their lips met. The iPod in his right hand slipped from his fingers and fell to the dirt below. She never parted her lips, and the kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Eli was sure he felt something during those brief moments.

Then she broke off, releasing his cheeks, and her smile widened greatly.

"Hello." She said, her voice sweet and airy. "I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance."

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

Chapter One:
Prologue
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight

always

| Character Identity |

M'gann M'orzz, the Martian Manhunter

| Age |

37 Martian years; 70 Earth equivalent

| Character Differences |

This is a M'gann who never concealed her identity as a White Martian. She has always taken the visage of a humanoid with stark white skin and a bald head. When living as a human day-to-day she takes her typical form of a caucasian, red-headed woman under the alias Megan Morse. This is also a M'gann who has never had a J'onn J'onzz, and thus has taken on a role similar to his on this Earth. She has never been timid, excitable, nor naive and instead is assertive, calm, and contemplative. Unlike the mainstream Martians whose physical strength rivals that of Kryptonians, her physical might and endurance, while extensive, is much more limited. Likewise, her psionic abilities are greatly reduced compared to other versions and this universe's M'gann is not one of the most powerful telepaths. Instead, both her telepathy and telekinetic powers are much more modest. This version's abilities are primarily her density and shapeshifting which she uses to incredible effect. I have also completely removed the Martian-brand heat vision and invisibility, as well as the vulnerability to fire.

| Brief World Background |

M'gann's reality is one where both Marvel and DC properties have blended together. In this universe, the Martians long ago aided the Guardians of the Universe in defeating a great threat known as Parallax. In this epic battle, the green Martians were completely wiped from existence, and the remaining white Martians banded together to drive back and eventually imprison this entity, the embodiment of fear, within the Guardian's central power battery on Oa. Following this event, the Guardians recruited the Martians as a universal strike force of sorts. They became known as the Manhunters. As Manhunters, the Martians were tasked with tracking down and apprehending the most dangerous of individuals. This arrangement lasted for centuries before the Guardians also realized the need for a peacekeeping task force and created the Oan power rings from their central power battery and formed the Lantern Corps. As the Corps expanded, this allowed the Martians to focus more on their specific tasks and less on the wider problems of the universe. As would later be noted by the Earthling Lantern Steve Rogers, the Corps acted like regular police enforcing the rule of law and maintaining peace, while the Manhunters had the role of S.W.A.T., handling the more gritty, specialized tasks.

On Earth, history developed similar to the real world. For the most part, aliens and enhanced individuals were not publicly known and did not rear their heads until the 20th century. During the Second World War, individuals that would come to be known as Wonder Woman, Namor, The Flash, and The Human Torch operated together as, first, the All-Winners Squad. Following the end of the war and the defeat of Nazi Germany and HYDRA, the four, joined by Miss America and Wildcat, formed the Justice Society. They were beloved by the majority of the world at large and, while following American ideals at the time, answered to no nation or government.

In the mid-50's, a result of American genetic tampering by Doctor Alexander Luthor resulted in the creation of a new species known as homo-superior; mutants. This sparked not only a debate on civil liberties as this newly created raced found themselves treated a less-than and looked at with fearful eyes, but also a Cold War between various world superpowers like America and Russia. This Cold War would last for years as all sides rushed to win what would be known as the Superhuman Arms Race. Following the assassination attempt of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, who was rescued by mutant activist Max Eisenhardt, American perception of mutants began to slowly shift towards the positive. And, by the early 70's, largely thanks to past initiatives pushed by JFK in his second term, various accords and bans were put into place globally to prevent further development of superhuman weapons and genetic tampering.

In the 90's, Earth came face-to-face with the realization that they were not alone in the universe when they were rapidly invaded by a race of conquerors known as The Dominion. These beings, referred to as Dominators by the people of Earth, sought to capture the homo-superior population in order to further manipulate and enhance their own genetics, and then wipe out the remaining inhabitants of the planet. The remnants of the Justice Society, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Namor joined forces with other popular heroes across the world to defeat the invaders, though not before many cities and tens of millions of people had been annihilated. America's favorite protector, Max Eisenhardt AKA Magneto, and renowned geneticist and mutant telepath Charles Xavier were instrumental in putting an end to the Dominion's plans. Afterward, the Justice Society welcomed Magneto and Xavier, who took the name Doctor X, into their ranks.

In the following years, the people of Earth collectively chose to evolve. Brilliant minds like Reed Richards, Ted Kord, Tony Stark, Victor Von Doom, Anthony Ivo, and Hank Pym worked together on the Defender Initiative to better prepare the planet for future encounters with hostile extra-terrestrials. They created various ground and orbital defense stations, designs for a fleet of space ships capable of travel throughout the solar system, and rapidly brought the world into an age of technical marvel. By the 21st century, Earth was living in a futuristic society largely accepting of one another. Cancer had been cured, world-wide hunger had been solved, the energy crisis resolved, and impoverished societies raised up. In the wake of the devastating attack by the Dominion, Earth had largely unified under a collective, global government; the United Nations of Earth.

Today, in 2019, the Earth is protected by several hundred heroes of diverse background under the banner of the Justice League, the spiritual successor to the Justice Society. While handling the few instances of superpowered crime across the world, their primary goal is to aid the U.N.E.'s space armada in the protection of Earth and their solar system from outside forces.

| Brief Character Background |

M'gann M'orzz, like all Martians the past milennia, was raised from a young age to become one of the famed Manhunters. She received training from her fellow Martians as well as from the Guardians of the Universe's elite soldiers. From the former she was instructed on tracking, infiltration, subterfuge, and tactics. From the latter, under the guidance of a man named Killowog, she trained in personal combat. Midway through her second Martian decade, she was officially made a Manhunter and participated in dozens of joint raids and several solo outings hunting dangerous criminal elements. After several years, she was tasked with aiding the now elderly Lantern Steve Rogers in his final assignment before retirement. This mission brought her back to her solar system where, for the first time, she visited Earth.

The assignment was quick, but M'gann fell in love with Earth culture. She stayed for several Earth months on the planet under the guise of Megan Morse and attended university to better learn of the planet's history and culture. Eventually, she was called back to active duty and had to leave. But, over the course of the next decade by Earth standards, she continually returned to Earth. On several of these ocassions she met and fell in love with a man, and, wishing to spend more time with him, resigned her position from the Manhunters. She would spend the last few Earth years living with her lover on his home and join him in his role as a member of the Justice League.

Two days before she was to be married, she was assaulted in her home at night, and despite her attempts to combat her attacker, was abducted.

For the last seven months, she has been a captive of the interdimensional slavemaster Mojo.

God

I M P U L S E

Bartholomew "Bart" Henry Allen II, Age 17 (b. 2012)
_{Based in The United States; mobile
Active since approximately 2026 / 1968}

Character Concept

---

The 21st century that Bart Allen comes from is one of despair, near-perpetual war, and inevitable destruction. A series of unrelated yet unrelenting planet-wide crises that spanned the last three decades had left the world without most of its mightiest heroes. From the moment he was born, just a year after one terrible crisis had ended, his life was filled with constant struggle and tragedy.

The grandson of the mid-late 20th century Flash, Bart had inherited the former's incredible gifts from birth - a fact that quickly put the boy's life at risk as his heightened metabolism nearly consumed his own body. If not for the intervention of S.T.A.R. Labs and friend of his father's, Max Mercury, he would have died before his first birthday.

In 2018, yet another crisis struck Earth as a new invading force swept across the planet. With the governments of various nations still rebuilding from the events half a decade ago and many of the world's costumed defenders lost in years past, the planet's population was soon decimated before any resistance could be mounted. Bart's parents were killed in the initial wave of attacks while protecting him, and he was soon after taken in by Max Mercury. Following the aftermath of this destruction, which the Earth only barely survived due to outside intervention, Max began training the young Bart in the use of his abilities, teaching him the history of his heritage, and preparing for the next calamity that was sure to come.

In 2024, while the world had largely turned into a series of wartorn remnant nations battling for resources, Bart decided to live up to his storied ancestry and adopt a costumed identity in order to restore some semblance of order to the chaos that had gripped his world. As Impulse, and together with other like-minded youths boasting incredible gifts, skills, and identities that harkened back to the past age of heroes, he genuinely made a difference across the Eastern United States for the next several years. For the first time in decades, it seemed as if the world might be heading back on track.

Then, in 2030, Max's prediction proved true as what would become the Earth's final crisis came to bear.

There was no defense against this new threat. No resistance to be mounted. No invasion to fight off. There was only inevitable destruction. The planet Earth, like so many before it across the cosmos, now faced an inconceivable foe that cared for nothing but its singular goal: consumption.

But Max Mercury had been planning for this inevitability for nearly two decades. He hadn't known in what form absolute destruction would come in, but the man had recognized the patterns long ago and come to the realization that one day the Earth would face a crisis it would not be able to stave off. So he had prepared in secret, stealing parts from various decommissioned and abandoned S.T.A.R. Labs facilities, and toiling away on his project until the day would come where its use was unavoidable.

A time machine. A device of purely theoretical science, constructed from mostly second-hand parts, and that had never once been tested.

Max had hoped to devise a machine one day capable of shepherding as much of Earth's population as possible, but even after eighteen years of hard work and dedication, his efforts had only resulted in a small craft capable of housing a single passenger.

Bart, despite numerous and lengthy pleas to stay with Max, was selected to use the time machine. He was informed it would be a one-way trip with no way to return 'home' to the present, and was given a crash course on the history of the era Max had selected for him to travel to.

Still, although Max told Bart he couldn't bring everyone with him to the past, there was still some hope. A chance, no matter how slim, that the world could still be saved - just not in the present. Max drilled into Bart's head a list of events, both minor and major, that took place in the mid to late 1900's that if prevented or even just slightly adjusted could potentially alter the course of history in such a way as to avoid the crises that had brought about the end of the world. Stop just a few critical moments in history and the timeline could be saved.

So, in 2030, with his goal firmly set in mind, and just hours before the Earth and its inhabits were torn asunder and devoured, Bart said goodbye to his mentor, friend, and father.

And in 1968, Bart said hello to his new beginning.

Really, my goal is just to write some fun stories with people. I haven't done any genuine collaborative roleplaying on the Guild in literally a decade. So I chose a character and designed a narrative that allows me to interact with anyone and everyone. The nature of Bart intending to intervene in various events, whether small or large, means that I have a justified reason to be anywhere and do anything. I can rationalize crossing over with characters of all kinds, be it throwback fanfares to kung-fu stories, or pulp mystery tales, space cop shenanigans, or mystical adventures, and everything in between.

I can and will write solo content when required. I'm not by any means going to be dependent on others for me to tell a story. However, the ultimate goal is to make this RP world feel truly lived in by touching bases with just about everyone at one point or another.

Key Notes

---

Future Timeline

2007-2011

• The Dominator Invasion and Occupation begins, and a resistance effort by the world's heroes is mounted. Most of the metahuman population are abducted and never seen again. Other costumed vigilantes and caped heroes are executed and made an example of. Five years of terror as Earth is completely dominated. Max Mercury is among the resistance fighters and metahumans who survive throughout the entire ordeal.

2012

• Bartholomew Henry Allen II is born.

2018

• The Apokalypse War begins as Earth is invaded yet again. Bart's parents are killed in the initial skirmish and he is subsequently taken in by Max Mercury. Despite lasting only three days, the Earth's population is decimated. The Apokalypse forces are only driven back by the intervention of the combined might of the Green Lantern and Nova Corps, who are also left extraordinarily weakened as a result. A majority of the remaining adult heroes are massacred in the early hours as they attempt to mount a failed defense against the surprise attack.

2020

• Atlantis declares all of the seas as sovereign territory and announces that any intrusion will be seen as an act of war, with trespassers killed on sight. This exacerbates the already difficult rebuilding efforts as resources dwindle on the surface, and navies across the world are assaulted. Most of California is sunk during a particularly brutal confrontation.

2020-2024

• Many Earth governments completely fall to ruin with various warlords rising to power.

2024-2030

• Bart adopts the Impulse identity and works towards ending warlord rule across the Eastern United States. Together with Terry McGinnis and Miguel O'Hara, he founds the Young Justice League and slowly but surely begins to reinstate some semblance of order. Pockets of survivors come together to form communities in the less-damaged cities with Happy Harbor, Rhode Island eventually becoming a major safe haven. Considerable progress is made in the latter two years to restart a unified North American government.

2030

• The World Devourer sends its heralds to Earth. For two weeks they clash with the YJL, Max Mercury, and any other remaining metas willing and able to mount a defense. Attempts prove to be futile, however, and as Galactus arrives the Earth is slowly consumed.

2030

• Bart Allen is sent sixty-two years back in time by Max Mercury with the mission to prevent all of the crises of the last three decades by changing several key events of the past.

Past Timeline

1940

• Jason "Jay" Peter Garrick is selected as a candidate for the supersoldier project and undergoes a treatment that grants him superhuman speed. Debuts as the Flash and operates during the war as a member of America's All-Star Squadron - a unit of supersoldiers whose combat missions were heavily focused on in the media.

1947-1955

• Garrick and fellow former All-Star Squadron member Libby Lawrence, AKA Liberty Belle, are partnered up and sent on covert military assignments. They briefly operate during the Korean War, directly aiding South Korean forces in at least one battle, but primarily served as an intelligence unit for the Western Bloc. After this period, Garrick goes missing in action and Lawrence subsequently returns to the States.

1965

• Ten years after the disappearance of the original Flash, a new costumed hero takes up the mantle. Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen, at the age of 21, gains similar speed abilities to his predecessor and, inspired by the former's role in the Second World War, begins acting as a vigilante throughout Central and Keystone Cities.

1968

• Just three hours after the onset of the new year, Bart Allen arrives in the past.

References / Sample Post

---

Uno
Dos
Tres

awful

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

---

^{_{V I C T O R V O N D O O M | S U E S T O R M | J O H N N Y S T O R M | C L I F F S T E E L E
A D V E N T U R E R S ♦ B A X T E R B U I L D I N G , N E W Y O R K ♦ F U T U R E F O U N D A T I O N}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"Knowledge is power. In all the universe there is no greater truth."}

The Baxter Building is home to the Future Foundation, an organization founded by Doctors Franklin Richards and Niles Caulder with the mandate to improve the world through knowledge. The Foundation boasts a varied staff from dozens of scientific, creative, and general academic fields. It also houses an extensive student roster of what the organization hopes will be a bright, new generation.

Six years ago, the Future Foundation's star students, Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom, designed a device capable of interdimensional travel. They, along with fellow students and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, and accompanied by the head of security and noted adventurer Cliff Steele, intended to use the machine to open a doorway and explore the strange new world. A malfunction and catastrophic failure put an end to the test, though, as the five were dangerously shunted into the other dimension. Clifford was severely injured in the arrival, his body mangled by a dramatic fall, and a deadly race against the clock ensued as Victor tried to repair the device before their suits' emergency oxygen ran out.

Reed and Victor each accused the other of messing up the calculations and causing the malfunction, and the heated argument led to Reed walking away to clear his head. With little time left, and Victor rushing to fix the machine, the Storm siblings went off to find and return Reed to the group. All they found, though, was Reed's shattered helmet and a cosmic storm that swept over the pair. The siblings managed to barely escape from the storm and return to Victor just in time for the four of them to transport back to their home dimension, leaving the fate of Reed unknown.

Weeks of quarantine followed as the staff at the Baxter Building forced the trio of Victor, Sue, and Johnny to undergo extensive testing to ensure no hazardous material had made it back with them. Cliff, meanwhile, was put on life support as his body slowly failed. During quarantine, the Storm duo began to display extraordinary power, which only prompted further testing at the urging of their father.

Victor, released from quarantine before the others as he displayed no similar symptoms, and having reflected during his weeks of isolation, had taken personal responsibility for the dimensional mishap that had cost them both Reed and Cliff. Deciding that he couldn't allow his mistake to take the lives of two good men, Victor, with the aid of Dr. Caulder, began to work on a project to save Cliff's life. Though his body was failing, Cliff's brain was in-tact and healthy, and after weeks of careful designing Victor finally had the solution: nanobots. While he couldn't save Cliff's organic body, he could ensure the man would live by replacing it with a mechanical one.

More weeks passed. Cliff remained in a coma, his body slowly being dissolved and rebuilt by the nanobots. Victor spent the days at Cliff's bedside or going over the schematics for the dimensional portal and how to guarantee safety and success in the future. The Storms were finally freed from quarantine after the two months of testing proved they posed no inherent danger to themselves nor others. Sue, a gifted biologist, immediately took a fascination with how the cosmic storm had altered her and Johnny's genetic makeup, and set about feverishly studying her new biology. Johnny had also developed a fascination with the changes he had undergone, though for him it was pure excitement over his new capabilities - and his desire to show them off. The three tried to find a new routine of normal, with each failing in their respective ways.

Then, Hell broke loose. Or, more accurately, Subterranea. A disgruntled, former staff member of the Future Foundation, Harvey Elder, enacted an assault on the Baxter Building using an army of giant subterranean creatures he called Moloids. The attack nearly succeeded if not for the intervention of Sue and Johnny Storm, each wielding their respective new powers, the quick-thinking strategy of Victor, and the then-awakened Cliff Steele - now in his new robotic form. The foursome and their fantastical talents drove back the creatures and defeated Elder's plans.

With this success, Victor realized the potential the group could achieve given their newfound situation. Taking after the costumed adventurer's of old, Victor bestowed upon the fledgling team the title of:

Doom Patrol.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

Mister Fantastic and the Fantastic Four are overrated. Doctor Doom and the Doom Patrol, though? Perfection. I really don't think I need to say any more about why I'm motivated to write this.

This is a group that has been around for years and has multiple adventures under their belt. They've been to Atlantis, visited Attilan, explored the Negative Zone, entered the Microverse, delved into Subterranea, and emersed themselves in Avalon. They've tangled with the likes of Blastaar and Annihilus while in the N-Zone. They've survived political upheavals and prevented the assassination of an Inhuman King. They've helped to fight off an alien invasion force that threatened New York City. And they've even dealt with the return of Reed Richards, maddened by his time in the Negative Zone, and prevented his homicidal revenge plots on several occasions. As such, they're a cohesive unit that has settled into their respective roles.

Like the Fantastic Four of the mainstream universe, this Doom Patrol is a dysfunctional family. And I'll be exploring their interpersonal dynamics just as much as I do their wacky adventures. And their zany escapades are a perfect vehicle for me to interact with the rest of the roster - which is my primary goal for this roleplay.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

The Future Foundation is home to many brilliant minds. From founders Franklin Richards and Niles Caulder to senior staff members Will Magnus, Steve Dayton, Bentley Wittman, and Phillip Masters. Their student roster includes the likes of Mal Duncan, Karen Beecher, Julie and Alex Power, Rita Farr, and Alicia Masters.

I'm not going to go through the entire list of enemies and allies faced and encountered, instead I'll save that to be revealed in the IC. You can infer from the places the Doom Patrol have explored who they might have met (also keeping it vague so that it doesn't affect potential Inhuman, Atlantis, etc. players). But I will describe the team's archnemesis:

Reed Richards was lost to the world for four months. That's how long it took for the survivors of the Negative Zone incident to exit quarantine, and for Victor to design a new, stable device for them to use to return to that dimension and attempt to rescue Richards or find his remains. However, time doesn't pass in the Negative Zone as it does on Earth, and for Reed Richards nearly three hundred years had passed. Thankfully, the same cosmic storm that had changed Sue and Johnny Storm bestowed upon Reed a genetic alteration as well. Not only was his body now capable of stretching, expanding, and contracting dramatically, but all of his internal organs, veins, and the like had been replaced by a singular bacteria sac. As such, he no longer needed to eat, drink, or breathe. Nor did he age as a human ought to. These changes saved Richards' life and allowed him to survive in the harsh landscape and acidic atmosphere of the Negative Zone for centuries. This gave him a lot of time to think. And stew. And cast blame.

When the newly established Doom Patrol returned to the N-Zone they were able to successfully find and rescue their old friend. They soon found out, though, that the man they had left behind was not the same as the one they now brought back to Earth. Reed Richards wrought psychological Hell upon them as he, while quarantined and under near-constant supervision, managed to sow discord among the Doom Patrol as well as access the Future Foundation's security system and use it to attempt several deadly 'accidents' for which he framed Victor. It took days to discover Reed's actions, and by then it was too late as he managed to escape his quarantine pod and set off a series of chain-reactions within the building that destroyed a significant portion of the laboratories, decimating crucial projects, and killing three staff members.

Reed would return several more times in various attempts at revenge through masterfully-crafted plots. As of late, the former friend turned arch-nemesis, now known as the Maker, takes refuge in the European nation of Latveria where he has formed a partnership with the country's ruler, Kristoff Vernard.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

The world was a kaleidoscope.

That was the first thought Susan Storm had as she looked out the viewports. Brilliant colors swirled and briefly formed into fractals before flashing by. Euclidean space seemed to give way to the abstract the deeper she and her fellow passengers hurtled into the unknown.

The sleek vessel she now stood upon, with its chrome interior and deceptively minimalist accommodations, shielded the blonde-haired scientist from the terrors outside. That same beautiful incandescence of colors, she knew, would tear her body into a billion separate atoms in less than a thousandth of a second. After all, the Microverse was not to be trifled with.

"It's terrifying." She spoke towards the transparent cockpit but her words were meant for another.

A man, tall with a handsome face, stepped up beside her and placed an arm around her shoulder. "It's wonderful, Sue," he corrected in his slight European accent.

Sue Storm smiled softly. She knew after all this time better than to try and convince Victor Von Doom otherwise. As much as he was a man of science, capable of clinically detached observation, he was also an artist. And to Victor, there was no better expression of art than that of discovery and innovation.

To borrow the words of another famed voyager, "to boldly go where no man has gone before!" That was Victor's drive in life. His passion.

She tilted her face towards his and raised on her tiptoes. Susan planted a gentle, lingering kiss against Victor's lips.

Though it was not his only passion.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

WIP

@Retired

Glad we're in agreement.

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

<Snipped quote by Sep>

That makes a lot of sense, actually.

@Retired

Still cooler than anything you've ever come up with.

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

@Simple Unicycle Chow Yun Fat as the punisher is such a sick idea

@Half Pint

I ran this idea the first time I did one of these games and people loved it, figured I'd revisit the idea now that I've got about 7 more years of writing experience.

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings.

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E P U N I S H E R

---

^{"This isn't revenge. This is punishment."}

^{_{F A N G C H U ♦ P O L I C E O F F I C E R ♦ N E W Y O R K C I T Y , N E W Y O R K}}

O R I G I N S:

---

One day, you have it all. The next it comes crashing down. Everything ripped apart in a New York minute.

The boy that would be known as Frank Castle grew up as Fang Chu, the only son of first generation Chinese immigrants who moved to New York City in the mid 90s. He grew up hard and fast, forced to contend with street crimes all around him and an abusive father who drove his mother to suicide. The day he turned 18, he packed his bags and moved out. He changed his name to Frank Castle in order to distance himself from his past and got a job as a bus boy to support himself, while attending community college in the hopes of acquiring the credits he needed to become a police officer.

Frank joined the police force at the age of 21, rising up the ranks and making detective at the age of 25. It was during his early years on the force that he met Maria Falconio, whom he began to date and later married after she became pregnant with their children, twins Lisa and Frank Jr. Two months ago, Frank had his biggest bust yet: taking down a drug ring run by the Saint crime family. The heir to the Saints, Bobby Saint, was killed in the raid on their operations. Things were going well for the Castles.

A month ago, the Castles' apartment in the Bronx was broken into. No valuables were taken, but Maria, Lisa, and Frank Jr. were killed. Frank took a bullet to the chest and fell into a coma.

Last week, Frank woke up.

Tonight, he has a made man tied up in a warehouse on the Jersey side.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

The cemetery is silent as the three caskets are lowered into the ground.

Then it's over. Time to leave.

Maria's mother is crying too hard to look me in the eye.

Dave gives me a hug and tells me that I know where to find him if I need anything.

Captain Stacy doesn't say a word as he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, before walking away.

I get into my car and start to drive.

My first stop is a pawn shop in the Bronx. The proprietor of the pawn shop, Emil Greco, is one of many associates of the Saint family. The shop is a front for a gunrunning operation. I watched and waited until there were no customers in the store. It took about twenty minutes until finally, it was just Greco. I grab my service pistol and walk out of the car.

The bell above the door dings and Greco looks my way. "Good afternoon sir, we're getting ready to close up, but what can I..." he trails off, noticing the gun in my hand. I level it at his head and move around the counter, pressing it against his skull. "What the hell is this? You trying to rob me?"

"Yeah. Show me what you've got in the back."

His eyes go wide. "T-there's nothing back there, everything is out fro-" I whip him in the face with the pistol and he shouts in pain. "FUCK!"

"Show me what's in the back." I give him a sharp poke to the ribs with the barrel of the gun and he springs into action, leading me to the basement of the pawn shop. Guns and ordnance line the walls of the room and there are dozens of crates filled with even more: pistols, SMGs, shotguns, rifles, Goddamn grenade launchers. It was enough to supply a militia.

Or a one man army.

"Thanks." I slam the butt of my handgun into Greco's temple and he collapses into a heap on the floor.

Fifteen minutes later and I'm leaving the pawn shop with duffel bags full of guns and ammo stuffed into my trunk. Forty minutes later and I'm on the Jersey side, an abandoned warehouse in Hoboken, dropping off the ordnance. Ten more minutes, I'm outside of a night club run by the Saint family, waiting for one Nicky Francesco. He was a made man, tough guy, liked to beat on women and shoot men in the back of the head before they knew what was going on. We'd been trying to make a case on the guy for months.

Now I didn't need to make one.

He's about to get into his car when I strike, pulling a plastic bag over his head and slowly suffocating him. He tries to scream, he tries to hit, and eventually he's just trying to keep breathing. After that, he's limp in my arms. I drag him to my car and throw him in the back seat, slapping a pair of handcuffs on him just in case he wakes up early.

I drive him back to the warehouse. I tie him to a chair below a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. I pull up a chair and take a seat in front of him.

And then I wait.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

Coming soon.

Ultimate One Universe: Emergence

LETS GET THIS SHIT LETS GET THIS SHIT LETS GET THIS SHIT

There's A Place In The World For The Angry Young Man

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E Q U E S T I O N

---

^{"My face? Looked too far into a bowling ball returner."}

^{_{C H A R L E S V I C T O R S Z A S Z ♦ J O U R N A L I S T ♦ H U B C I T Y , I L L I N O I S}}

O R I G I N S:

---

"What an asshole."

That was something a lot of people muttered under their breath after a close encounter with Vic Sage; "rough around the edges" was putting it lightly when it came to him. His whole life he's been fighting, maybe not for the right reasons in the eyes of many, but in his eyes he was always in the right. After getting fired from his job at the Hub City Gazette after fist fighting his editor over an article, he found himself working for Starrstruck, a gossip tabloid masquerading as a reputable news site.

Vic's rise to vigilantism was sparked by Aristotle Rodor, Vic's old university professor and closest friend, whose former colleague Arby Twain was trying to illegally sell one of their inventions: pseudoderm, an artificial skin designed to be used as a bandage. It would've been a miracle, were it not for the fact that the gas used to bond pseudoderm to the skin was toxic when exposed to open wounds, negating the entire point of it. Rodor designed a mask for Vic using the pseudoderm and had Vic topple Twain's operation, with Vic leaving Twain and his cronies bound in pseudoderm in their warehouse before calling in an anonymous tip to the police.

That was last night. This morning, Vic has a question for himself: what can he do with this new alter ego?

He can beat up some assholes.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

2:44 AM. The sky above is the color of a television tuned to a dead channel, grey clouds rolling in and thick drops of rain drenching the pavement. I hear the sound of footsteps behind me and turn away from the window to look at Tot, who sets two double shot glasses and a bottle of brandy down on the table between our chairs. He sits down in his chair and uncorks the bottle, pouring two shots.

"A drink," he says, lifting his glass. "To Twain and his cronies rotting in jail."

I lift mine as well. "To douchebags getting what they deserve." With that toast, we take our drinks and set the glasses back down on the table. I reach a hand into my coat pocket and pull out the rubbery mask that Tot had designed for me. "... Think I can keep this?" I ask.

"Of course. It'd serve as a nice memento."

A memento. That's all it'll be after tonight. Something to remind me that I did something important, and I'll never do that again. No. It won't just gather dust in a closet for the rest of my life. "Actually, Tot, I was thinking of using it some more."

"... What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Wear it and go out and beat up some bad guys. Like The Phantom or Green Hornet or something."

"... Are you sure that's wise? This wasn't the mob, Charlie, it was some scientists looking to make some quick money."

"Okay, so I don't start off going after the mob. I go after thieves and street gangs, start small."

"And take a bullet to the head for it?"

"At least I'd die doing something good."

"You'd die doing something stupid for the sake of your own ego."

I glare at Tot with a scoff. "And there it is. What, you think I helped you out because I wanted to feel cool?"

"Charlie, you helped me because you wanted to do something that mattered. And it did matter. But there are better ways to fight against injustice than throwing yourself right into a fight with it." Tot reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder. "You'd just be getting yourself killed."

I shrug off his hand and stand from my chair. "Whatever you say, Tot. I'm going home."

He doesn't say a word as I walk out of the house and get into my car. The rain beats down upon the roof of the old Beetle, a rhythmic thumping that does nothing to soothe my frustration. I clench my eyes shut and take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I reach into my pocket to grab my keys when I feel the mask again, rubbing my thumb along its smooth surface.

Tonight won't be the last time.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

Will this stay empty? That is the question.

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

Applying for Lanterns again, but i'm going back to basics, trying something a bit different, even if i think the structure of the previous one worked and as much as i'd love to try it again, i doubt it'd be accepted. So i think i'm gonna try something a little... Closer to the original characters, but along the same lines of story.

The Lanterns

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

The Lanterns

---

^{"Forever fight as one..."}

^{_{Thal Sinestro & Hal Jordan ♦ Military ♦ Coast City}}

O R I G I N S:

---

Strategic Homeland Intelligence Evaluation and Logistics Division, secretly known as the Super Human Identification Evaluation and Location Division, a WW2 organization designed to root out classified individuals who possessed abilities that the Public aught not be made aware of. Post war, they struggled to find relevance until alien creatures began descending upon Earth. Needing an organization to keep them under wraps, this job fell to S.H.I.E.L.D. One such alien that crashed to earth was a space ship containing 2 aliens. One dead, one barely alive, found by US Air Force Captain Hal Jordan after his plane went down with the alien craft. Upon investigating the alien ship, a Green ring leapt from the dead alien and attached itself to Captain Jordan. The living alien identified himself as Sinestro, the Golden Lantern.

Sinestro told S.H.I.E.L.D. about the Lanterns, a team of alien crusaders determined to rid the galaxy of evil using their magic rings. He also told them of the heinous villain known as Mongul, the Alien Warlord who would stop at nothing to possess the Magic Rings for his own. Now the Rings were on Earth and Mongul would stop at nothing to get his hands on them. That his former team had been ambushed and destroyed by Mongul and that he and the dead alien, Abin Sur were the only ones to escape, but they did so with the rings. Now, most of them were scattered across Earth. They would need to find these Rings and find new hosts for them before Mongul tracked them here. Hopefully they may be able to get the Rings off of Earth and not turn this planet into another victim of the terrible machine that Mongul possessed. An enormous warship, as big as a planet, populated entirely by Monguls people, either his slaves or his loyal warriors and they were always eager to find a new civilization to join their ranks...

So, it is with great uncertainty that S.H.I.E.L.D. has authorized a mission to recruit individuals and find these missing Power Rings in order to save Earth and hopefully keep it off of Mongul's radar.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

Hal and Sinestro sat in a small room behind a two way mirror, looking into a small room with a table and 3 of the Rings, Orange, Red and Pink. "Alright, next applicatant." Hal said into the mic, a distorted version of his voice played into the small room.

"Hal Jordan, this is a most inefficient form of finding them." Sinestro scowled as he sat next to Hal.

"You'd prefer a battle royal?" He asked away from the mic as the next applicant walked in.

"A traditional tournament of combat is what is usually used on my homeworld to determine worthiness for such honoured artifacts." He sighed, looking at the man who walked in and sat down. Hal sighed.

"Look, we have plenty of war heroes on this planet to choose from. Plenty of some of the finest men and women i've ever had the good fortune of serving with." He looked over the records of the guy who had been sent in.

"Yes and every single one of them have failed..." He replied. "Your military is one of the largest and most powerful on the planet and yet your training has pushed every last ounce of imagination from your heads. Why the green ring ever chose you, i have no idea." He looked away, arrogantly. Hal shook his head. This guy was a tough nut, but he had worked with arrogant asses like him before. Hal knew how to handle them. He then leaned into the mic.

"Please state your name for the record." He ordered.

"Sgt. Clifford Zmeck. United States Air Force. Sir." The man replied. Hal continued to read his report, before wincing at this guys rap sheet. He leaned away from the mic again and stared at Sinestro

"And you're sure THIS guy has the imagination we are looking for?" He asked.

"Imagination comes in many forms. We have tried your way, let me try it mine." Sinestro replied, a cold, yet cool and calculated look on his face, as if he was vivisecting Zmeck with his eyes."

"Sgt Zmeck, you have quite a considerable amount of chargest levelled against you. What makes you feel you are suited for any form of Special Training Program?" Hal asked, leaning into the mic again. Zmeck grinned confidently.

"I am a decorated hero. Sure, i may have crossed a few lines here and there getting the job done, but America stands and it's men like me who are responsible for this." Hal saw the smile. That terrible smile on Zmecks face, as if he was reliving his crimes in his head.

"WHA-" Hal began as his rage boiled over, but he was pulled away from the mic by Sinestro who looked at him.

"May i ask the questions?" He asked. Hal looked at Sinestro.

"This guy is walking, talking garbage and if any of those rings choose him, i'm gonna hand mine back." Hal growled at Sinestro. "This man is a disgrace to the uniform and everything it stands for."

"But in him i see potential to become something better." Sinestro responded, before he leaned into the mic. "Sgt, in front of you are a tray of rings." He said, the garbled version of his voice playing in the room in front of them. "Please pick one up." Zmeck looked at them before picking up an orange one. A faint glow began to radiate from it."

"Well i'll be damned, you were right..." Hal was taken aback. None of the rings had reacted to any of the applicants. Not so much as a spark. But now this one was starting to glow in Zmeck's hands. But Sinestro was not smiling. Nor was he looking smug or any kind of indication that he was right.

"No... No i was not..." He said. He leaned into the mic "Sgt, drop the ring this instant." But Zmeck continued to stare into the ring, his eyes aglow as he stared, a grin slowly sneaking across his face.

"What's mine... Is mine..." He began as he seemed to start moving the ring towards his middle finger. "Is mine... is mine...." He groaned inan almost trance-like state. At this point, Sinestro smashed a big red button on the desk, the room in front of them instantly filling up with a greenish gas. "Is... Is... Mi... Is..." Zmeck slowly fainted as the anaesthatine gas was forced into his lungs.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Hal asked Sinestro. "HE REACTED BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE TODAY!"

"Reacted in the wrong way." Sinestro replied. "That wasn't him becoming a Lantern. That was the ring attempting to drain him. I have seen it before, i know the difference. It appears... You were right Hal Jordan..." Sinestro grunted through gritted teeth. Hal could see on Sinestro's face, those words hurt him more to say than the crash landing last month that Sinestro almost died in. Hal pressed another button on the mic.

"Clean up on Aisle 7." After the gas had cleared, a pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents ran into the room, put the ring back on the table and dragged Zmeck off.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed interactions and stories.

@mattmanganon

Do not go anywhere near John Stewart this time, please.

Because last time...

So I took a night to think about this entire issue and I can't fathom how you could have posted that post in the first place. You knew it was offensive, and yes I'm at fault for not responding earlier but there's no way that post should ever have made it into the IC. So I'm sorry to say, but I'm officially removing you from the roleplay. Thank you for your contributions but, I just can't have a repeat of this incident and I've received several concerns about the content of your posts.

Apologies and best of luck moving forward. If you have any questions, please direct them to us in a PM.

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

I thought I was done...

@webboysurf

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

Never felt Vic was in safer hands than when @Simple Unicycle scoops him up.

@Hound55

Now to see if I can, y'know, actually keep up on posting.

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

To the surprise of absolutely no one.

There's A Place In The World For The Angry Young Man

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

T H E Q U E S T I O N

---

^{"My face? Looked too far into a bowling ball returner."}

^{_{C H A R L E S V I C T O R S Z A S Z ♦ J O U R N A L I S T ♦ H U B C I T Y , I L L I N O I S}}

O R I G I N S:

---

"What an asshole."

That was something a lot of people muttered under their breath after a close encounter with Vic Sage; "rough around the edges" was putting it lightly when it came to him. His whole life he's been fighting, maybe not for the right reasons in the eyes of many, but in his eyes he was always in the right. After getting fired from his job at the Hub City Gazette after fist fighting his editor over an article, he found himself working for Starrstruck, a gossip tabloid masquerading as a reputable news site.

Vic's rise to vigilantism was sparked by Aristotle Rodor, Vic's old university professor and closest friend, whose former colleague Arby Twain was trying to illegally sell one of their inventions: pseudoderm, an artificial skin designed to be used as a bandage. It would've been a miracle, were it not for the fact that the gas used to bond pseudoderm to the skin was toxic when exposed to open wounds, negating the entire point of it. Rodor designed a mask for Vic using the pseudoderm and had Vic topple Twain's operation, with Vic leaving Twain and his cronies bound in pseudoderm in their warehouse before calling in an anonymous tip to the police.

That was last night. This morning, Vic has a question for himself: what can he do with this new alter ego?

He can beat up some assholes.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

2:44 AM. The sky above is the color of a television tuned to a dead channel, grey clouds rolling in and thick drops of rain drenching the pavement. I hear the sound of footsteps behind me and turn away from the window to look at Tot, who sets two double shot glasses and a bottle of brandy down on the table between our chairs. He sits down in his chair and uncorks the bottle, pouring two shots.

"A drink," he says, lifting his glass. "To Twain and his cronies rotting in jail."

I lift mine as well. "To douchebags getting what they deserve." With that toast, we take our drinks and set the glasses back down on the table. I reach a hand into my coat pocket and pull out the rubbery mask that Tot had designed for me. "... Think I can keep this?" I ask.

"Of course. It'd serve as a nice memento."

A memento. That's all it'll be after tonight. Something to remind me that I did something important, and I'll never do that again. No. It won't just gather dust in a closet for the rest of my life. "Actually, Tot, I was thinking of using it some more."

"... What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Wear it and go out and beat up some bad guys. Like The Phantom or Green Hornet or something."

"... Are you sure that's wise? This wasn't the mob, Charlie, it was some scientists looking to make some quick money."

"Okay, so I don't start off going after the mob. I go after thieves and street gangs, start small."

"And take a bullet to the head for it?"

"At least I'd die doing something good."

"You'd die doing something stupid for the sake of your own ego."

I glare at Tot with a scoff. "And there it is. What, you think I helped you out because I wanted to feel cool?"

"Charlie, you helped me because you wanted to do something that mattered. And it did matter. But there are better ways to fight against injustice than throwing yourself right into a fight with it." Tot reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder. "You'd just be getting yourself killed."

I shrug off his hand and stand from my chair. "Whatever you say, Tot. I'm going home."

He doesn't say a word as I walk out of the house and get into my car. The rain beats down upon the roof of the old Beetle, a rhythmic thumping that does nothing to soothe my frustration. I clench my eyes shut and take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I reach into my pocket to grab my keys when I feel the mask again, rubbing my thumb along its smooth surface.

Tonight won't be the last time.

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

Will this stay empty? That is the question.