Ceta de Cloyes

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

T H E T E E N L E G I O N

V A L O R - | - | - K I D Q - | - | - C A M O - | - | - T W O L F

_{Mon-El uDaksam - | - | - Jazmin Cullen - | - | - Reep Daggle - | - | - Brin Londo}

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_{Location: Amnesia, Jump City - Present Day}

Familiar #1.07: Bellum

---

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Familiar #1.06: Formula

Q was first to take center stage, starting off their briefing with ease she shouldn't really have considering none of them had any experience. "Right, so here's what we're up against." The large screen behind the bar they usually used to cycle through news, sports, and various music channels for their patrons was instead showing a hastily put together profile on a criminal dubbed as Lazon by Jump City's ET community. He was a suspected Infernian, maybe a Regulosian, some kind of hot-tempered species that could shoot some truly scorching heat rays. Mon-El was quietly hoping it wasn't a Daxamite, Worm's observation that he should be developing his own heat vision soon was... well, he wasn't thinking about it.

"The Denuvian- gosh, what was her name? Leerajishishi or something." Q's face scrunched up as she tried to make her lips form the words, but tripped over the sounds and gave up. So much for first to center stage, she took charge for what? all of five seconds? She sighed and looked to Mon-El expectantly.

Unfortunately for her, he had no idea what she wanted him to do about it. "What? Am I supposed to know her name? You're the one who talked to her." He looked to the others for support, but was met with one set of crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. Mon-El was certain Reep was using his shapeshifting powers to make said raised eyebrow look more sarcastic than usual. Stupid Durlans, did they even have eyebrows under that facade? He couldn't remember.

Brin uncrossed his arms and stood from his stool, bracing himself on the bar and grinning with faint amusement. "Aldebaran Rum? Zakkarian Ale? 'Those sprocking Xudarians?' You knew every race and homeworld of everyone who came in just off the top of your head. Face it Mon-El, out of the three of us, you're the most knowledgeable about the galaxy." Which... was a fair point. At least they hadn't caught on to his factoids equaling royal status, not everyone on Daxam was so well educated and this planet didn't even have monarchies! Probably. He's fairly sure he overhead Q complaining about some revolution or other where a bunch of monarchists were decapitated. That was some morbid history these humans taught in public schools. Also, why did they all have the name Lewis? Or was it Lois? Louise. Lisa. Llama- no that definitely wasn't -

Anyway; "It's galaxies, shows what you know you primitive peasants." He said, straightening his back and looking down his nose haughtily, prompting Q to begin snort-giggling and Brin to huff with exasperation. Now he just had to remember, what did he know about Denuvians? Religious psychopaths whose faith kept them pre-industrial and useless. Anything about their language? Nope. "Eh, just call her Lee - now back to the point; what'd she say about our guy?"

The group rolled their eyes but Q resumed her spiel; "Right, so Lee told us she saw him ambush some cops in an alley and blew up their car. My guess? They had some evidence or something with them he couldn't let them get away with." She swiped her phone, causing the image on the screen above the bar to change as well; "Which brings us to this; burn victims by the suspender - not Bay Bridge, the other one." The picture was pretty gruesome, smoldering craters and blood stains in the soggy gravel beneath the bridge, and chunks of burnt material that Mon-El couldn't identify strewn on the riverside."To me it looks like an accident; so messy there's no way he planned to attack them, but then he went on to attack the police car, aaaaand..."

Brin took over, slipping her phone from her hand and swiping a few times until the big screen showed a dark and hazy video illuminated only by bright streaks of firelight carving a message into the side of a large rusted warehouse. "And to this. The damage wasn't reported to the police as far as we know, but this video was taken by Fen two days ago."

The message itself was loud and clear; YOU WILL BURN Mon-El wasn't sure who that was for exactly, but as a rule threatening to burn people was pretty incriminating.

"Okay." He said, thinking carefully. "You put his height and shoe size in profile, where'd that come from?"

All eyes turned to Reep, who shrugged. "JCPD." He answered blithely, blatantly hiding a smug smile and trying to seem casual. "Walked right in and downloaded their file."

Mon-El snickered. 'You smug shape-shifting bastard.' He thought to himself fondly. Of course the Jump City police would have a file, they should probably figure out a way in to that place that wouldn't put Reep in any awkward situations though, too risky. "Nice work. Anyone have anything else?" At this point Mon-El felt pretty pleased with their team, sure there was a ton of information that could help that they didn't know how to get, but he'd half expected they'd all want to go in blind and end up facing a total unknown.

"I do," Reep spoke, pulling his own phone - Mon-El really needed to get one of those - and taking over the connection to the big screen from Q's. "The guys he put in the hospital? All have tattoos with the same symbol, and - get this - it also matches graffiti at the warehouse. Anyone recognize it?"

A stylized horned creature, probably local, but other than that Mon-El was at a loss. He shrugged; if it was alien it wasn't any group he knew.

Eyes turned to Q, who was obviously thinking hard. "I dunno guys, it's some kind of taurus maybe, but I don't know any gangs that use it. Maybe they're new?"

"New and antagonizing this guy Lazon," Reep observed, "They aren't on the JCPD's radar yet though, so maybe they aren't the bad guys?"

Mon-El picked up the conversation before it could fall into a thoughtful silence, unconsciously taking the lead. "So we confront Lazon and take him down before he can hurt anyone. Then we get him to tell us what's going on with the taurus people, we need more information." He frowned, crossing his arms; "But then what? The police can't hold him, and it's not like we've got our own private alien prison or anything."

Q, in all her earthly knowledge, had a solution. "Er, well inhibitors are a thing. Hasn't been a need to stock local police with them, but they exist. Think you could build one Reep?"

Reep picked up his phone and started typing, soon the screen was filled with blueprints of some kind of collar. "Mmm, yes. I can do that. We have the materials, and calibrating against internal-external combustion wouldn't be hard. Some kind of dampener, a sinker vent, yeah. It'll be a bit clunky, mostly hardware, but I can do it." He grinned cheerfully, clearly happy to be useful. Not that the resident big brain was ever going to not be useful.

"We have the basement too. I don't trust human officers with alien lives, even criminal ones. I could install a few cells until we figure something out." Brin, ever pragmatic and resourceful, and always pointing out the grim little truths Mon-El always forgot about. Damn stingey humans, you're not alone in the universe, get over it already.

"What? No! That was going to be our secret hideout! Filled with secret alien gadgets and fancy displays for our supersuits!" And really what could you say to such a well made argument like that? The group looked at her with bemusement for a solid thirty seconds before pretending she hadn't spoken at all. They didn't even have supersuits, just a handful of Daxamite crash gear and a few UP envoy cloaks Reep was converting into capes.

"Okay; Brin, holding cell, Reep, inhibitor collar. Q and I will find Lazon and bring him in, but then we find a way to ditch this guy. We aren't playing warden for a bunch of creeps."

Anomalous

<Snipped quote by Ceta de Cloyes>

Who's?

@Sewer Rat

@Korkoa turnip!! do thing!!

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Real nice Magik post I’m liking the feel of that theme

Anomalous

@Weird Tales we’re just waiting on one more char sheet

Anomalous

Saw that juicy dramatique electrokinetic in the inspiration channel on the discord and had to do some quick revamping and rephrasing :P The powers are now slightly renamed and edited to be a bit less specific, but not nearly as broad as our energy vampire lmao

Roman Diaz is Dynamo

[ N . O . V . A . P R O F I L E ]

Name | Roman Diaz
Alias | Dynamo
Age | 25
Gender | Male
Appearance |

187 cm / 74 kg
copper skin / caramel hair / amber eyes
groomed / thin

Notoriety | Wanted
Class/Level | Yellow / Metamorphic Volatile
Abilities | Electroform / Electrokinetic

• Electroform: Converting to a body made entirely of energy, Roman has the ability to become what is essentially sentient electricity. In this form he can travel through conductive elements like power cables, possess technological devices, and subsist entirely on a diet of energy, as well as becoming immune to the effects of disease and physical injury. On the downside he becomes susceptible to EMPs and unstable once in contact with insulators such as rubber or air.
  
  • While Roman cannot be harmed physically as an electroform, he can still be destabilized by energy-based attacks, his own energy expenditure, psychic attacks, and power surges or blackouts. Instead of manifesting as bleeding or bruising however, upon returning to his physical form the damage would present as exhaustion, hypothermia, or overheating, potentially to a fatal degree.
  • Clothing, carried objects, and sometimes even small creatures can all be carried by Roman into his electroform, becoming encoded software stored in his consciousness, essentially frozen in a sort of stasis before rematerializing when he returns to his physical form. The software cannot be edited, deleted, or added to.
• Electrokinetics: While bound to the limited natural behavior of electricity as an electroform, the same rules do not apply in his physical form. Capable of launching electrical attacks or manipulating electrical fields from a distance, Roman can operate in both an offensive and defensive capacity using everything from sparks, bolts, and shockwaves to overloads, force fields, and flight.

[ G E A R ]

Attire | loose casual style / high quality
Armament/Equipment | portable chargers / miscellaneous smart phones

[ T E M P E R M E N T & L I F E S T Y L E ]

Affiliation | Chimera
Alignment | Dynamo
Personality/Habits |

Roman is energetic and restless, with a confident decisiveness that holds a certain charisma. Being inquisitive and compassionate, he also holds a certain charm that makes him likeable. However he has a stubborn deviant streak, refusing to conform and reluctant to deal with authority. Apart from his young nephew, he finds it hard to open up and maintain close relationships.

Occupation/Trade | Criminal Hacktivist
Skills/Talents |

trilingual - english, spanish, italian
programming / hacking
art - digital, traditional

Family | Damian Diaz / Camilla Monte / Julio Diaz / Joshua Diaz

Roman’s parents, Damian and Camilla, were just rethinking their divorce when they died mysteriously. Neither he nor his elder brother, Julio, were sad to see them go. They were judgemental and shallow people who couldn’t handle their own emotions, and should never have been allowed to let their baggage loose on children. Julio was little better, sleeping around and getting involved in things he shouldn’t, spewing offensive rhetoric that drove the brothers apart. Julio now sits in jail, and in the ensuing debate over the fate of his son, Roman fought for and won custody.

Background |

Neither of his parents had been ultra-rich, but they had been well off. Key word being ‘had.’ Roman and his brother grew up in Uptown with their mother, visiting their father on alternating holidays in Midtown. Camilla Monte did love to spend her money however, and not always in legal ways. Between her expensive tastes and long bouts of emotional and impulsive luxury cruises, by the time she reignited her relationship with their father and they both tumbled over the railing in a drunken stupor, they only had a fraction of what they should have inherited. Julio sold their home and moved to Los Angeles, leaving Roman to take his share and rent an apartment in Midtown.

Now, Roman had always had powers, it was an unacknowledged fact that their family liked to forget. When he was a child the lights would flicker on and off at his will, but he spent so long hiding it, imitating his mother and pretending not to notice it, that it never occurred to him to use them intentionally until his later high school years. He discovered an ability to manipulate certain kinds of technology, interfacing with and commanding computers and phones as well as lamps and various other tech. It became a quality of life thing, not a special skill used for anything but mundane tasks.

Then, a month into his new home in Midtown, he possessed a computer in the library. He was stuck there for nearly two months, flickering in and out of the physical world helplessly, causing the librarians to become convinced they were haunted. Except he hadn’t actually possessed the computer, not really, he’d simply turned himself into an electrical form; he’d finally used his powers so much that he tipped over the threshold, becoming energy himself. When he resurfaced a good six months after his disappearance, it took some time to adjust after having learned how to navigate the various networks of the city, building and creating things that weren’t possible in the material world. He’d only stayed so long because time had flowed differently for him; his body did not need sleep or nutrients, nor did he see the sun rise or night fall or any other thing that marked the passage of time for organic people - in fact he’d only left after nearly dying when a power outage plunged him into darkness and he had to cut off huge chunks of accumulated data and programs he no longer had the power run. It had felt a bit like chopping his brain in half.

Then came Julio’s sentence, and the custody court, and Roman latched onto that new purpose like a lifeline, trying to regain a sense of normalcy after almost forgetting the real world even existed. Josh became more than a distraction however, especially when he developed powers, and while he might’ve been his nephew, it felt more like having a little brother. The two of them became a team, their relationship the foundation of his new bold confidence and driving him right into the arms of Chimera, a group Roman believed could make a brighter, more secure future for himself, Josh, and others like them; those who were trapped in a system that could only harm and never help.

Joshua Diaz is Gizmo

[ N . O . V . A . P R O F I L E ]

Name | Joshua Diaz
Alias | Gizmo
Age | 15
Gender | Male
Appearance |

173 cm / 63 kg
light skin / umber hair / olive eyes
groomed / thin

Notoriety | Unknown
Class/Level | Blue / Metamorphic
Abilities | Electroform

• Electroform: Converting to a body made entirely of energy, Josh has the ability to become what is essentially sentient electricity. In this form he can travel through conductive elements like power cables, possess technological devices, and subsist entirely on a diet of energy, as well as becoming immune to the effects of disease and physical injury. On the downside he becomes susceptible to EMPs and unstable once in contact with insulators such as rubber or air.
  
  • While Josh cannot be harmed physically as an electroform, he can still be destabilized by energy-based attacks, his own energy expenditure, psychic attacks, and power surges or blackouts. Instead of manifesting as bleeding or bruising however, upon returning to his physical form the damage would present as exhaustion, hypothermia, or overheating, potentially to a fatal degree.
  • Clothing, carried objects, and sometimes even small creatures can all be carried by Josh into his electroform, becoming encoded software stored in his consciousness, essentially frozen in a sort of stasis before rematerializing when he returns to his physical form. The software cannot be edited, deleted, or added to.

[ G E A R ]

Attire | professional modern style / high quality
Armament/Equipment | custom secure tablet / smart watch

[ T E M P E R M E N T & L I F E S T Y L E ]

Affiliation | Chimera
Alignment | Benefactor
Personality/Habits |

Cool, calm, collected, Josh maintains a serious demeanor, coming across as somewhat distant and arrogant, bit it's a cover for his shy insecurities. Clever is the smallest word for what he is, not just in science and technology, but in wit and banter as well- provided he's comfortable enough to allow it.

Occupation/Trade | Criminal Associate / High School Student
Skills/Talents |

bilingual - english, spanish
programming / hacking
chemistry / technology / engineering

Family | Damian Diaz / Camilla Monte / Julio Diaz / Joshua Diaz

Joshua never met his grandparents Damian and Camilla, nor did he ever meet his mother. His father, Julio, never spoke of her, and Josh has decided that probably meant he didn't know her either - at least, not beyond her name, which he never deigned to share with him. Like his uncle, Josh has always had his powers, and followed his father's lead of never mentioning them. He used them to hide at first, whenever he was in trouble, or someone was mean to him, he vanished into a computer and read or played on the internet. When his father went away on murder charges, he was lost and unsure of his future, and wondered if he ever would have had one even if his father had stayed. Landing in the lap of his estranged uncle was a blessing, someone with ideals and compassion to help him find his way and achieve his dreams. Not to mention, Roman had powers too.

Background |

Josh grew up in Los Angeles with his father and various temporary step-somethings - whatever the word was for a stepmother without the actual marrying his father bit. He used his powers to avoid getting in trouble, and not for much else. They were not rich, nor poor, but his father was gullible and alcoholic, allowing people to use him for his money until he had little left, and then allowed new people to suck him into less than legal professions. Josh didn't know much about it, and liked it that way, because home had never really felt like home, but now it was an actively uncomfortable and scary place to be.

Josh wasn't the one to turn his father in, but when the police came, he didn't protest in his father's defence, instead clamming up and ever since keeping himself in an icy barrier that would never give anything away. After moving in with his uncle and becoming close, that chill abated slightly, and he knew his father going away was for the better, but his uncle was also a criminal. Roman was involved with a group called Chimera, not drug pushers or gangsters, but criminals all the same. Josh involved himself, forcing his way onto Chimera's radar without Roman's consent, and becoming something of an... intern. Roman and Julio might have both been criminals, but they were very different kinds, and while he didn't miss his father, he would miss Roman. So Josh became an associate, because next time he wouldn't let anyone take his family from him without a fight.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Ceta de Cloyes, I love Amnesia, it's got a good feel. Might stop in for a drink after work.

@Lord Wraith

ayyyyyy come on down and get smashed on some aldebaran rum! :P

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

V A L O R

M O N - E L , M I K E M A T H E W S

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_{Location: Amnesia, Jump City - Present Day}

Familiar #1.06: Formula

---

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Familiar #1.05: Cortex

The bright glimmer of Rao's light, the hum of a humidifier. "Wake up Mon-El, your lessons are due today." Holograms, keypads, crystal encoders and math equations.

An insistent metallic ringing, and star shadows on the floor. "Wake up Mon-El, the reveille is sounding." Footsteps in sync, dark shapes, reaching hands, copper in the air.

Laughter, tender touches, secret lamplight whispers. "Wake up Mon-El, your mother is coming." Running, climbing, falling - she is no one, do not touch her!

Masks in white, a secret sign in cold metal, the manipulations unheard, and the treason unseen. "Wake up Mon-El, the sky is falling and the world is burning." Sinister green shards, dust clouding and choking, a light has vanished in the dark.

A soft touch, labored breathing, fear twisting in knots. "Wake up Mon-El, you are dreaming. Tubes and tentacles, a beating golden heart.

Mon-El shot up, scooting away from Reep's concerned gaze and tumbling off the other side of the cot. "Holy fucking sprock!" As reality crashed down his sight returned to normal. He could no longer see the alien beneath the facade, instead he focused on a daxa- no, a human face, freckled with dark curly hair. Reese. Reep - whatever, same thing.

"Uh, you okay there Mon-El?" Reese asked unsurely, peering over the side of the cot where Mon-El lay with a stricken expression, breathing hard. He very obviously wasn't okay.

"Yeah," he said, voice strangled even to his own ears. "Just- uh, just a dream."

Reese made a considering noise, "Mm, yeah, I could tell. Your mom sounds like a bitch." An observation, that quite effectively rendered Mon-El silent, quickly gaining control of his breathing when he held his breath and gave Reese a startled look. "What? You talk in your sleep." Rolling his eyes carelessly, Reese threw a shirt at him. "Come on, get up! It's opening day!"

Oh. Right.

With a sigh Mon-El took the shirt and headed towards the washroom. Today he needed to look his best, but he also needed to be on time or Q would kill him.

"Oh, Worm, I've got x-ray vision, mark that off. Ugh, I did not need to be that intimately acquainted with Durlan anatomy." He withheld a shudder, thinking of the squishy organs Reese hid under his skin.

Oddly, Worm's response was sarcastic; "Of course, my prince, whatever you say."

Scrunching up his brow in confusion as he flipped the shower handle on, "What is that supposed to mean?" He was less surprised and more annoyed when the AI ignored him. "Worm? What does that mean?!"

-_-_-_-

If only his parents could see him now; the Crown Prince of Mighty Daxam, working as a bartender in a grungy illegal alien pub... and honestly? He'd never been happier.

As it turns out, Brin was more than just a little well connected, he knew over a dozen aliens just in Jump City, and he'd managed to convince all of them to turn up for opening night. Even the Karnan woman Fen and her daughter Laura, who was underage and wouldn't be drinking, had come, unable to miss what promised to be the start of something important to all of them. Mon-El never got tired of the looks of awed relief when someone entered through the door and didn't earn a second glance for their inhuman appearance, nor their excited joy at asking for a drink from their homeworld and actually getting it.

He'd been away from Daxam barely two weeks and he already missed listening to his people's music and speaking their language, he couldn't imagine how homesick he'd be if he had to go that long without a single swig of zakkarian ale!

"She's doing it again." Mon-El cheerfully informed Brin as he came around the counter with a tray full of empty drinks. The two of them glanced over at the far table where Q sat with a trio of blue aliens, notepad in hand and speedily jotting down notes as they spoke.

Since opening Q had been simplemindedly focused on scoping out the sort of danger and discrimination their new patrons faced, and Mon-El couldn't lie; the more he heard, the more convinced he became that Q's argument was just. Between the four of them they all had unique powers they could easily use to crack down on crime and stop others from getting hurt, and the aliens of Jump City needed that protection desperately.

"She's won you over hasn't she?" Brin asked, sounding simultaneously amused and resigned. Mon-El only shrugged. With a sigh, Brin nodded. "Well I guess that's it then. Better get some spandex Valor, you're going to need it."

Mon-El rolled his eyes, catching Brin give Q a subtle nod out of the corner of his eye. he looked just in time to catch the blinding smile she sent his way, determined glint in her eye. Bartender, vigilante, alien, prince... his life was getting more complicated by the day.

At least Amnesia had turned out nice.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Well, this critique stuff is new and exciting! I’m slightly too terrified to ask for a review of my own though lmao

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

That Captain America Wonder Woman crossover is j u i c y and I am living for it :D

Anomalous

Okay, I can see what you're going for and how my suggestion doesn't really solve that, and now that its broken down I kinda get it. I was going from an angle of broad research purposes, you'd want to compare similar expressions in self-contained variant abilities, external manipulation abilities, and those abilities that come from the mind, more of a how they present classification rather than how you're meant to engage them in combat lmao.

I get ya now o7