Power/Skills: Very skilled rider on his motorcycle. Also quite an expert at wielding his primary weapons of choice. Beyond that, not much beyond a seemingly ghostly or phantom-like aura about him.
Equipment: Mauser C96 Ithaca 37 Side-Bar Police Baton Harley-Davidson Flathead motorcycle Bowie Knife with a strange symbol engraved on the blade
Brief Bio: Hector DiLorenzo was an officer with a promising career in the SCPD. He was a motor unit, and thus issued a standard flathead motorcycle to serve as his primary transportation for patrols and pursuits. But he was also known for carrying a couple of personal weapons as a preference, namely his Mauser C96 which he first used when fighting in the trenches of The Great War. But he also carried a bowie knife with a unique engraving on the blade, a keepsake and family heirloom that just so happens to also serve as a suitable backup weapon.
But all that changed after a few short years on the force. DiLorenzo accidentally discovered corruption within his own motorcycle division. Apparently they were sharing a cut of the profits from a local mob boss's bootleg operation. But because DiLorenzo wouldn't let himself be paid off, he was marked for assassination. His own former partners sabotaged his bike in order to arrange an accident, then shot him for good measure. By all accounts, he should have died.
Instead, he heard what sounded like the call of a woman's voice. Telling him to awaken, to rise and take his vengeance on those who had betrayed him. He awoke, alive against all odds. He'd been found and nursed back to health by a man who owned a dairy farm not far from the site of DiLorenzo's "accident". The ex-cop remained there for a brief time, enough to heal and to repair his wrecked motorcycle. After that he rode off into the night, becoming the spirit of vengeance known only as "Lawman". And while his ex-partners were his primary targets, he decided there was no harm in dishing out some retribution to other criminals along the way.
Notes: The bowie knife he carries once belonged to Nathan H. Bedford - Hector's grandfather on his mother's side. Nathan had fought against the forces of General Sherman during the Meridian Campaign of the Civil War. He, too, was shot and left for dead only to miraculously survive and live to fight another day. He was carrying the bowie knife when it happened, and the knife has remained in the family as an heirloom ever since.
Word Count: 4,214 Level 4 Ganondorf: 6/40 Exp: 5 NEW EXP Balance--- 11/30
With a lack of funds, there wasn't all that much the King of Evil really do. As such, he eventually wandered out of the marketplace and found himself exploring the amusement park district. He did vaguely recall someone mentioning something about a circus but that held nothing of interest for Ganondorf. Instead the sight of a few signs that advertised a fighting competition caught his eye. In particular the part about winning prize money for performing well enough. When he followed them, the Gerudo eventually found an open manhole cover. Above that was a wooden structure holding signs on each side. In large red letters, they read 'The Thorn' and even had arrows pointing straight down.
"A fighting arena... in the sewer?" Ganondorf asked himself aloud. It was only after that he realized he wasn't alone.
"Indeed, stranger." spoke a sultry voice. It came from a red-haired woman, clad in brown leather clothes and an unfamiliar-looking weapon strapped to her back, "Not everyone in the City of Tears condones fighting for sport in the way that the The Thorn does. Some bars have attractions for sparring, but it always with blunted weapons and padded safety gear. Here in the Thorn, we prefer battles that are fought in the way they were intended to be. With blood spilled. So tell me, stranger, does The Thorn interest you?" she was coming on slightly strong, but only because she could tell how good of a competitor the man would be based on his size and physique.
"And the prize for winning?"
"Money, of course. Some fight for the fortune, others for the glory. The Thorn offers both. Win your matches and you will build up an ever increasing payout for yourself. Before any round, you're given an opportunity to retire and keep your winnings, or continue and try to increase it. But if you are knocked out at any time, you will walk away with only half of the winnings you accrued, or none of it at all if you lose early enough."
Ganondorf didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. The smile forming in his lips told the woman all she needed to hear.
...
"Good people of the City of Tears, WELCOME, to The Thorn!" The enthusiastic announcer declared. Down in the pit, Ganondorf was waiting on the other side of his gate, "We've got an interesting first match up for tonight's King Of The Pit event: some fresh meat! Two newcomers to The Thorn looking to make a name for themselves. For those who joining us for the first time, the rules are simple. The winner of this wound will have the option to continue fighting more opponents in order to increase his prize. Killing is strictly not allowed, but the clerics on standby with their Rescue Staves to prevent any accidental deaths. Now, who will prevail? Let's find out! Lower the gates!"
The gates lowered and Ganondorf took a single step out into the pit from his starting position. He'd been sizing up his first opponent and it was easy to tell that they were practically nothing compared to him. They looked like a penguin, or at least someone in a penguin costume. Thy bounded forward on their peg legs, looking drunk and like they really had no business being here. But no matter what this person's story was, the fact of the matter was they were Ganondorf's opponent, and he had no intention of taking it easy on them.
The Prinny pulled a machete out of his pack, "Who's gun'na be keeng, [hic] THIS DOOD!" he took several drunken swings at Ganondorf, who frankly barely even needed to move in order to avoid them. Eventually the Prinny was caught by wrist, and yelped when Ganondorf squeezed just tight enough to cause some pain and force them to drop the machete, and was then promptly flung aside.
"Hmph! What a poor excuse for an opponent." and then he briefly turned his attention to the spectators, "Am I a joke to you? Is this the best your city can produce?" that netted him a mixture of boos and cheers. Mostly boos because he just insulted the city, but there were some who were enjoying the show and cheering regardless. Meanwhile, the Prinny had pulled a bomb out of nowhere and tried to chuck it at Ganondorf. But the King of Evil just kicked it back in the direction of his opponent. It was a good thing those rescue staves were on standby, because if they hadn't teleported the Prinny out of there he probably would have been killed by his own bomb going off in his face.
"Good people, we have a winner!" declared the announcer, "All hail Ganondorf! But will he continue to fight on?"
Ganondorf lifted his hand and offered a thumbs up. He'd been told earlier that a thumbs up meant he would fight another round, and that a thumbs down meant that he was going to retire. An opponent like that wasn't even remotely satisfying enough for him, so he was going to continue on.
For Ganondorf: 50 Geo
...
As Ganondorf waited for the next round to begin, he started sizing up his next opponent. He looked to be a purple-skinned sorcerer of some kind. Likely weak in physical combat but probably able to wield powerful magics that would prove dangerous if he wasn't swiftly dealt with. But perhaps if he became overwhelmed by numbers? A strategy formed in the Gerudo's mind as he returned his attention to the announcer's voice.
"Might vs Magic, who will prevail? Lower... the gates!"
Neither combatant wasted any time. The Dark Seer stepped forward already channeling a spell. As for Ganondorf, he maintained a distance and cast a spell of his own. Turned out he wasn't just all muscle, as this Dark Seer was about to learn. Before the Dark Seer could fathom what kind of magic Ganondorf possessed, a squad of Moblins appeared out of a brief puff of dark clouds and smoke. They carried spears and ran forward in unison with their weapons pointed forward.
While the mage wasn't expecting to deal with a small infantry charge, he wasn't caught completely off guard. He simply aimed his spell at the charging Moblins, using it to push them aside and send them crashing into the nearby pit wall. One of them disappeared in a puff of smoke, but the rest re-oriented themselves and started closing in on the mage. Ganondorf, meanwhile, chose to watch for now and didn't appear to take any action just yet. But the Dark Seer was not helpless. He was able to use his vacuuming magic to rearrange the positions of the Moblins, resulting in two of them being skewered by the spears of their compatriots and similarly vanishing in a puff of smoke. Then the Dark Seer used magic to fling the remaining two back into the wall and defeating them.
But he wasn't out of the woods yet. He turned and saw his actual opponent lunging toward him with the white sword drawn and poised to outright skewer him. The Dark Seer used his magic to try and push back Ganondorf, and this appeared to even work for a few moments. But the King of Evil kept pushing, the triangle on his right hand giving him more strength as he eventually began pushing through the Dark Seer's magic. When close enough he shot out a leg and kicked the mage to knock him off balance. And then without any hint of hesitation he brought his blade down with a strike that absolutely would have lopped the mage's head off. But it nothing but air, due to the clerics on standby with their rescue staves.
"Good people, we have a winner. All hail GANONDORF!"
Ganondorf flourished the white sword in victory and then offered another thumbs up to signal his desire to continue forward, "Ha ha ha! Come now, City of Tears, give me a REAL challenge!"
For Ganondorf: 150 Geo
...
Like previously, Ganondorf used the moments behind the gate to try to size up his next opponent. He was a centaur in green armor and carried a mighty-looking bow. Ganondorf was somewhat reminded of the centaur-like Lionels that were spoken of in the stories and legends of his own home world. Perhaps this Chiron would finally be the one to give the King of Evil a challenge?
"Who will prevail? Lower... the gates!"
The centaur didn't dawdle. He galloped out into the pit and around it's outer edge, seemingly hugging the wall. It seemed his strategy was to force Ganondorf to the center where he could circle around and pelt him with arrow after arrow. Surprisingly enough, Ganondorf indulged the centaur briefly. He made a dodge roll forward and positioned himself close to the pit's center. With one hand he used the white sword deflect an incoming arrow from Chiron. And with his free hand, Ganondorf prepared a spell.
It had already been more than a minute and so Ganondorf was able to conjure himself another squad of Moblins. Unlike the first group these were archers, readying their bows and fire arrows, "Form up and fire on my command!" immediately the Moblins scrambled into a line and aimed their bows. Naturally, Chiron wasn't about to just wait for them to take their shots and was already aiming an arrow to take out one of the Moblins. But when the centaur fired his shot, the arrow itself was met only by Ganondorf's blade, him having lunged into position to deflect the shot and protect the Moblin Archer. Then he held his sword straight up as a signal for the Moblins to take aim.
After his shot was deflected, the centaur scrambled to ready another. But he also had to interrupt himself when he himself came under fire. He could avoid shots by speeding up his gallop to throw off the timing of the shots, or by hitting breaks and rearing himself back to try and avoid running right into a volley. In one case he even used his bow itself to bat away an enemy fire arrow from striking him. This... kinda left the two combatants at a stalemate of sorts. The moblins loosening their volleys on command, combined with Ganondorf himself deflecting incoming shots from Chiron's bow left the two at a kind of impasse.
Ganondorf had to admit that this centaur was indeed finally giving him a challenge. The sorcerer from the previous round might have had it not been for Moblins giving Ganondorf a numbers advantage. And that penguin thing? Hardly even worth mentioning. This opponent, however, he clearly knew what he was doing. Of course the King of Evil had no intention of saying so aloud.
For Chiron's part, he too had to admit that his opponent was quite competent. The man was clearly a warrior, but could also dabble in spells and was, even now, showing that he was also a capable commander. Chiron surmised that this man, whoever he was, had likely fought on many bloody battlefields in the past, "I must say, Ganondorf: your prowess in the art of war is impressive, indeed!" he called out, not afraid to compliment the skills of his opponent, "I've trained many soldiers and commanders in my time, but I don't believe any of them compare to the likes of you."
"Ha! Your compliment is appreciated, but hardly necessary!" the Gerudo called back in response, "Flattery will get you nowhere in this battle, centaur! Fire!" as soon as he commanded, his moblin archers loosed another volley. As soon as they did, Ganondorf went on the move. Unlike all the previous exchanges, the King of Evil used this momentary distraction to make a dash for the galloping centaur's path and used the strength of his legs to leap up on the back of his horse-half.
Chiron immediately knew something was amiss when he noticed Ganondorf no longer among the archers he commanded. Before he knew it he felt something heavy press down his back and instantly knew he'd been mounted by his opponent. He galloped as fast as he could, even charging through the line of moblin archers and trampling right over them. He even tried to purposefully slam his body into the walls of the pit, trying everything to throw the Gerudo man from his back.
But Ganondorf's strength was second to none. He held firm, refusing to be thrown. Soon he wrapped his around the centaur's human neck for an arm-lock, even channeling the Triforce to strengthen his hold. The centaur slammed and bucked and kicked with all his might, but slowly began to weaken from the lack of oxygen. Before long, he was teleported away to save him from passing out entirely.
"Good people, we have a winner! All hail... GANONDORF!"
As before, Ganondorf offered another thumbs up. He would keep going still.
For Ganondorf: 300 Geo
...
When Ganondorf sized up his next opponent, well... he had to admit that this one was definitely strange. It was some kind of... lizard? A lizalfos, maybe? Ganondorf doubted that, since this looked too different to be a Lizalfos, and even if it was... it would never have the courage to attack the man its tribe had sworn loyalty to. So whatever this creature was, it was likely not from Ganondorf's world. Well, whether person or beast, no opponent would frighten the King of Evil.
"Man vs Beast! Who will prevail? Lower... the gate!"
Riptor was fast, incredibly fast. She darted out from her starting position with inhuman speed. Ganondorf tried to keep an eye on her, but she darted back forth and proved difficult to keep track of. When she finally attacked, she leaped up and brought her tail crashing down on Ganondorf with a forward somersault. The segmented armor allowed the tail to be used as a powerful blunt weapon.
Ganondorf, being of a bulkier build, could not move out of the way of the incoming tail. It slapped him pretty hard, staggering him back a step. He had to think fast and use the white sword to swing at the creature before she could lunge at him with her mouth full of razor sharp teeth. She also made swift forward kicks with her glowing claws that also proved difficult to deal with. She managed a few nasty slashes on Ganondorf's arms and shoulder. But he did manage to get lucky and caught her by the throat in one of her lunges, and was able to hurl her away from him to give himself a moment of breathing room.
But he had to think fast. She was already on the move again and would be all over him in seconds unless he did something fast. Since it had been a full minute, Ganondorf hurriedly cast his spell to summon the Moblins. These were spearmen who likely wouldn't stand much of a chance against this half-beast/half-machine creature, but they would at least keep her busy for a bit. While the beast tore apart the moblins, Ganondorf watched her movements. He saw her spit a gout of fire on one of his minions, so that was something he'd have to watch out for. He also saw her use her tail like a drill of sorts, watching her run it through a moblin like a spinning skewer. Just what was thing, exactly? It looked and used fire breath like a dinalfos, but it was clearly something different altogether.
Soon enough the moblins were gone. Ganondorf's breather was over and he'd have to get back into the fight himself. But at least he was able to see a few of this creature's tricks and could watch out for them. Riptor made a fast dash for Ganondorf and attempted a powerful pounce. But the King of Evil had a trick or two of his own. Instead of using his weapon, he made a fist and attacked with an uppercut motion, managing to cut off Riptor's attempted attack with his Gerudo Dragon technique. The uppercut slammed into the creature's lower jaw and briefly sent her sprawling. But she was quick to scramble back to her feet and go on the attack.
This time she tried to spear Ganondorf with her tail-drill. But she did not count on the unmatched strength of Ganondorf's arms. He actually managed to catch the drill in his arms with the power of the Triforce. Then he spun himself around and hurled the beast, sending her slamming hard into the wall of the pit's edge. That seemed to briefly knock the wind out of her. And so Ganondorf used the chance to charge forward and slide at her with his Warlock Kick. That also connected and of course hammered the creature back into the wall again. Ganondorf held up his white sword and with a warcry thrust it forward toward the creature. But he instead hit nothing but air. The rescue staves had pulled the beast out of the pit before a deathblow could be dealt.
"Good people, we have a winner! All hail... GANONDORF!"
Ganondorf breathed a bit heavier. That creature, whatever she was, had nearly caught him off guard. It was a pity he didn't have such a creature to serve him, in fact. But after only a moment more of thought, Ganondorf thrust his arm up and offered yet another thumbs up.
For Ganondorf: 650 Geo
...
It wasn't hard to size up Ganondorf's next opponent. The octopus woman in question was quite large in stature, mostly due to her massive tentacles, but even without those she would probably still be a match for the Gerudo's own height.
"It seems Ganondorf has has the unfortunate luck of drawing the attention of our very own Barbary! The self-proclaimed Queen of the Thorn has famously gone twenty whole rounds without losing! Does the newcomer stand even a ghost of a chance at dethroning her? Let's find out! Lower... the gate!"
Neither combatant wasted time. Ganondorf went charging out with the white sword drawn. Meanwhile Barbary made her entrance by leaping high up and then crashing back down to the floor. The Gerudo had to dive back out of the way to avoid getting crushed under weight. She lashed at the King of Evil with her massive tentacles, but their size made them sluggish and easy to deflect with the white sword.
But then Barbary started throwing bombs, and Ganondorf had to repeatedly dive out of the way to avoid getting caught by the blasts, "Hehehe, not so fun when yer opponent is bigger'n ye are, is it, matey?" taunted the large octopus lady, her thick pirate accent making her sound even scrappier than she already looked.
"Grr..." Ganondorf was beginning to get frustrated. She was leaving him very little room to strike back. And her throwing of bombs was beginning to remind of a certain Hero who was known for doing very much the same thing. And that just made his blood boil even more. After their cat-and-mouse game went on for a few moments longer, Ganondorf suddenly drew his other sword and began to dual-wield his weapons. This allowed him to more easily deflect multiple blows, and could perhaps also grant him a much-needed opening to attack so long as he didn't let up.
When it looked like he finally had a chance, Ganondorf went on the offensive. He jumped up and then pushed himself off of a tentacle after avoiding it's attack. With a short series of jumps from her attacking tentacles after deflecting them with his heavy blades, it finally looked as if Ganondorf could get an attack at her main body. But then she went into a rapid spin, causing her tentacles to whirl around like some kind of protective shield that knocked the Gerudo back and tumbling back down to the ground.
But before he landed, she nabbed him out of the air with one of her tentacles. This caused him to drop his weapons. Then, Barbary held him up close to get a good look at his face... and began to squeeze, "Ye best yield, matey. Before yer bones end up breakin'!" she said with a mean grin on her face.
Ganondorf grimaced, so far managing to not show the pain he was currently feeling. But if he didn't do something he'd get pulled out of the pit by those blasted clerics and then lose the prize he'd been fighting so hard to build up, "Grr... argh!" the Gerudo began to struggle, resulting in Barbary squeezing tighter. No. No, he was not going to lose here. He refused! Ganondorf roared in a mixture of pain and wrath. And his Triforce began to glow with more power. Somehow, despite her larger size, Barbary began to feel her grip on the Gerudo wane. He was actually managing to overpower her tentacle.
And with a mighty cry of anger, the King of Evil finally broke free. He seemingly exploded from her grip, and was now in a perfect position to strike back thanks to her earlier arrogance in holding him up to her face. He dropped down on her with an aerial Warlock Kick that struck her across the face and staggered her. Then after landing, The King of Evil clenched his fist and charged in with a powerful Warlock Punch while she was still recovering from the stagger. That slammed her into the wall of the pit, even doing a bit of structural damage to it. Ganondorf leaped with the intention of hitting her with another Warlock Punch, but she was teleported out of the pit before she could be hit by it.
"Good people! It seems Barbary has finally been dethroned! All! Hail! GANONDORF!"
Ganondorf was quite winded himself. Between this and the claw attacks he took from Riptor, he wasn't certain he could continue on without it becoming a liability. So, he made his decision and offered the crowd a thumbs down. He was done for the night.
For Ganondorf: 1200 Geo
...
A bit later, Ganondorf was exiting the Amusement Park District. Thankfully the clerics in the Thorn healed him up before he left, so he was back to being no worse for wear. Now he was counting up his payout, which he found was a total of 2,350 geo. A nice prize, indeed, and now he could surely buy himself some upgrades.
He made his way back to the marketplace, hurrying along because the evening was beginning to become late. He found a blacksmith shop and entered it. Inside was a stout-looking skeleton.
"Just so you know, this ain't some library. If you're not here to do any business, then begone with you. I'm here to smith, not to chitchat."
With a smirk, Ganondorf dropped his bag of geo onto the smith's table, "Business is exactly why I'm here. What kind of work can you do on my weapons for that amount?" he asked, also placing both of his swords on the counter next to the bag of geo.
"Ah, well now..." said the skeleton, moving to examine the swords, "Not bad, not bad... but definitely room for some improvement." then he inspected the bag of geo, as if mentally counting how much was there, "Hmm, well it's not exactly cheap, but for this much I could maybe give these weapons an infusion, perhaps. A man your size could certainly benefit from a heavy infusion."
"And what does this 'heavy infusion' do?" asked Ganondorf, his curiosity piqued.
"It adds a certain... weight to the weapon. Make 'em hit harder so long as you got the muscle to do it. And you certainly look like you could benefit from that."
"Hmm... I see." Ganondorf rubbed his chin, considering the option. Then he made his decision, "Yes, very well. Give my weapons this heavy infusion, then. I trust that payment is enough for you?"
"Looks that way, yes." said the smith, snatching the geo and then grabbing both swords to take them back to his workshop, "This'll take me some time. I suggest you come back for your swords in the morning, should be ready by then. I'm Vamos, by the way."
"And I am Ganondorf. Very well then, Vamos, I'll leave them to you then." Ganondorf responded, "I'll return first thing in the morning."
Spent: 2,350 geo Purchased: Heavy Infusions for both swords.
Word Count: 496 Level 5 Roxas: 18/50 Exp: 1 NEW EXP Balance--- 19/50
The morning finally came. Roxas was groggy for the first bit of it. But the smell of breakfast had a way of energizing just about anyone. So by the time Roxas was eating a doughnut and drinking a glass of OJ, he was pretty well awake and feeling better. He listened for a little bit as others conversed around him. They were also introduced to Vernon, who was the person that was absent from yesterday's meeting. Which meant that everyone was here, exactly what Roxas was hoping for.
Goldlewis and Vernon were getting caught up on events, with Benedict joining in the conversation as well. And Midna offered some suggestions of her own, but ones that weren't the same as the ones she had yesterday. It was here that Roxas figured he should probably interject. He gulped down the last bit of his OJ and cleared his throat, "Personally, I think you had the right idea yesterday, Midna." he told her in reference to her Mercenary suggestion from the last meeting.
"It gives me an idea of my own, actually." he said, clearing his throat a bit louder to make himself heard, "Benedict is right, we have to walk on eggshells around Psych-OSF and others. That's why..." he considered his words, "That's why instead of trying to find a foothold, we should just make one ourselves." he hoped the comparison made sense, and then looked over in Midna's direction.
"Remember what you said yesterday? I say we go with that plan. Instead of trying to stress ourselves over allying with the factions, we should just become one of our own. That way we can do things our way and not have to restrict ourselves to whatever red tape the other factions would likely weigh us down with." after a brief pause he continued, "Though maybe calling ourselves mercenaries would be a bit much. Instead what if we become like those genius detectives in mystery novels? The kind who can take down the criminal organization because he isn't weighed down by the restrictions or regulations that the police operate under?"
He rubbed his chin in thought, "Huh, you know a 'detective' might be easier for people to trust than a 'mercenary'. Since a detective can be someone who will help you out with your case no matter how big or small it is. People might, I dunno, relate to it?" and as he spoke another idea came to him, "And helping people would help us establish relations and connections we could potentially tap too, right?" He glanced around to gauge reactions or responses.
As the fight against Enceladus wore on, Roxas couldn't help but start to feel... dragged down in some way. Some invisible weight on his mind or in his heart. Maybe it was just stress and fatigue, but the Keybearer couldn't shake feeling like it had to do with the place they were in. Maybe this was what the redshift felt like? If so, then he couldn't let this be drawn out for much longer. But after having popped a Curaga to get Goldlewis back on his feet, Roxas was effectively on fumes until his MP finished recharging.
As such, he took a slightly more cautious approach. Rather than charge in, he elected to stay with Goldlewis. Both to give himself a safe moment to recharge, but also to help guard the unarmed Goldlewis from being targeted by attacks. With Flowmotion he was almost always quick enough on the draw to swoop in and guard or parry an attack that would have hit more vulnerable Goldlewis. But after a few moments he saw a chance go in for a finisher alongside his allies and took it without a second thought.
It was tough, but the Seekers eventually managed to beat the thing down. Or at least it looked that way, but apparently not. The chimera was back up and seemingly ready for another round. But that was when the officers of Neuron showed up. They could summon powerful looking armored beings to help them fight, which only bolstered their numbers. Roxas was getting exhausted by this point, but his MP did finish recharging. So rather than directly join in for the attack he cast another Curaga so that the other Seekers could get back some strength before joining in on the final assault.
Roxas felt like he was going to conk out at any moment. And the next several minutes were honestly a blur. They were brought out the Astral Plan and back into the city, and Roxas was pretty sure they were being flown at one point. Honestly he was too busy fighting his drowsiness to really register it any of it. That and he was beginning to think of something else.
Throughout the trip back and right up to the point when Roxas finally fell asleep, an idea had begun forming in the Keybearer's mind. Whether this was a good idea or not, he wasn't sure. But at least now he was finally starting to grasp how things worked around here, and maybe this plan of his was the way he could actually help them gain some kind of foothold in this Ever Crisis problem? He'd have to bring it up with the others, but right now he was too tired - and most likely so was everyone else. His idea could wait until morning.
Appearance: The uniform is generally darker and more tarnished. The hat has been replaced by a gray helmet paired with darkly tinted goggles that help mask his identity. There's also usually a tattered scarf blowing in the wind behind him.
Power/Skills: Very skilled rider on his motorcycle. Also quite an expert at wielding his primary weapons of choice. Beyond that, not much beyond a seemingly ghostly or phantom-like aura about him.
Equipment: Mauser C96 Ithaca 37 Side-Bar Police Baton Harley-Davidson Flathead motorcycle Bowie Knife with a strange symbol engraved on the blade
Brief Bio: Hector DiLorenzo was an officer with a promising career in the SCPD. He was a motor unit, and thus issued a standard flathead motorcycle to serve as his primary transportation for patrols and pursuits. But he was also known for carrying a couple of personal weapons as a preference, namely his Mauser C96 which he first used when fighting in the trenches of The Great War. But he also carried a bowie knife with a unique engraving on the blade, a keepsake and family heirloom that just so happens to also serve as a suitable backup weapon.
But all that changed after a few short years on the force. DiLorenzo accidentally discovered corruption within his own motorcycle division. Apparently they were sharing a cut of the profits from a local mob boss's bootleg operation. But because DiLorenzo wouldn't let himself be paid off, he was marked for assassination. His own former partners sabotaged his bike in order to arrange an accident, then shot him for good measure. By all accounts, he should have died.
Instead, he heard what sounded like the call of a woman's voice. Telling him to awaken, to rise and take his vengeance on those who had betrayed him. He awoke, alive against all odds. He'd been found and nursed back to health by a man who owned a dairy farm not far from the site of DiLorenzo's "accident". The ex-cop remained there for a brief time, enough to heal and to repair his wrecked motorcycle. After that he rode off into the night, becoming the spirit of vengeance known only as "Lawman". And while his ex-partners were his primary targets, he decided there was no harm in dishing out some retribution to other criminals along the way.
Notes: The bowie knife he carries once belonged to Nathan H. Bedford - Hector's grandfather on his mother's side. Nathan had fought against the forces of General Sherman during the Meridian Campaign of the Civil War. He, too, was shot and left for dead only to miraculously survive and live to fight another day. He was carrying the bowie knife when it happened, and the knife has remained in the family as an heirloom ever since.
Word Count: 1,148 Level 3 Ganondorf: 34/30 Exp: 2 NEW EXP Balance--- 36/30
For the unlucky staff that operated on Ganondorf, they were in for a surprise when the King of Evil jolted awake just as they were about begin treatment. The Gerudo proved... most difficult. The last thing he remembered was all the fighting down in the Womb, and he was still very much in that combat mode mindset. This combined with his size and raw strength made it almost impossible for him to be restrained, since he would just easily break out of anything they tried to strap him down with.
"I am the great Lord Ganondorf!" he roared at what he could only assume were his would-be "captors". He even took a swing at one poor fellow which sent him crashing into the nearby wall and collapsing in a heap, "You will never hold me cap... capt... you will never..." his voice trailed off and his vision blurred. At some point someone managed to sneak up on him with a needle prick, and the King of Evil collapsed into unconsciousness yet again. This time under medical sedation.
The next time he awoke, he found himself in a room that didn't look like any dungeon he'd ever seen. It was too clean, and the bed was too cushioned. But even more importantly than all that, Ganondorf felt... normal? No coughs, no rashes from plague, no... anything. He'd been... healed? Nearby he saw his two swords leaning against the wall. That settled it. If he still had possession of his weapons then he couldn't possibly be a prisoner. So with that in mind, it led him to his next question, "What is this place, exactly?" he pushed himself out of the bed and grabbed the weapons.
Eventually, the groggy Gerudo had wandered into a lobby of some kind where he spotted Nadia looking like she'd seen a castle full of ghosts, "Are we... still in the Womb?" he asked, still not aware that the group had long since left that wretched place. He listened to whatever explanations he was offered and almost appeared to sigh in relief for a brief moment. It took a lot for something to get to him, but that place certainly was beginning to after spending what felt like an eternity down there.
One-by-one, the Seekers eventually were gathered in the lobby of this Sanitarium place. Apparently this was where the group was directed to after leaving the Basement. Speaking of directions, there appeared a man Ganondorf did not recognize. He was unconscious before and so this was his first time seeing the man in the red suit. Despite appearances, the man looked like a reasonably capable fighter, so what was someone like that doing in a place like this? Oh well, it mattered not. Eventually Ganondorf realized his hair had become untied during his treatment and exasperatedly tied it back again.
"Blast it all!" the Gerudo muttered, "If we are indeed in a town of some kind, then the first thing I'm going to do is find someone who can do something about this." he said in reference to his hair. In a matter of moments he was exiting the Sanitarium and out into the Home of Tears itself.
Finding his away around wasn't too difficult. After crossing a fountain courtyard, Ganondorf found himself among a marketplace. Perfect, if there was anyone who could cut hair in this town than this was surely where they could be found. After looking around for a few minutes, a sign reading "Killer Cuts" caught the Gerudo's eye. Walking up to the door, the King of Evil pushed it open and entered the establishment.
"Ah, welcome!" said the proprietor as soon as he heard the door open. He was certainly a... ghoulish looking fellow, with his red eyes and gaunt face with green skin. And yet, despite that he was also quite dapper and well dressed - wearing dark blue formal attire with a matching wide-brimmed hat, "Are you perchance interested in a styling, Milord? I offer only the finest styles here at Todd's Killer Cuts." he then brandished his literal scissor-hands in a sort of flourish.
"...Indeed." grunted Ganondorf, eyeing the scissor-hands with no small amount of suspicion.
The barber - Todd - picked up on this and immediately offered a more reassuring tone, "Ah, I assure there's nothing to be alarmed of, Milord. These hands were the unfortunate result of a cursed pair of scissors. Only way to break the curse is if I use them to create six-hundred and sixty-six hairstyles. So naturally your patronage would be of great help to me in reaching that goal."
Ganondorf merely shrugged, "Then, by all means." he said before he was then directed to sit in the barber chair.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" exclaimed Todd, "Now, what style can I create for you today, Milord?"
"Just something short and presentable will do, I grow tired of this lion's mane on my head." said the King of Evil, then he added, "A soldier's cut will be fine. And trim this beard a bit while you're at it. I'd rather not walk about town looking like a wild animal."
"Very well then..." said the barber who then flourished his scissors around Ganondorf's head. In fact the style of the Gerudo's hair and beard were changed almost instantly as if by magic rather than by physical cutting, "How does that fair, Milord? I trust it is to your liking?"
Ganondorf turned his head side to side as he examined himself in the mirror, "Hmm, yes, much better." he stood up from the chair and turned to face the barber, "Now what fee do I owe you for your services?"
"Why, none at all, Milord!" replied Todd. This elicited a raised eyebrow from Ganondorf, "As I explained earlier, my curse can only be lifted by creating enough hairstyles. Simply allowing me some amount of progress toward that goal is payment enough. Good day to you, Milord. Do consider enlisting my services again should you fancy another style, won't you?"
"Hmm, perhaps." and with that, Ganondorf exited the store and went back out into the marketplace.
Unfortunately, he was currently lacking in funds. But still... perhaps a bit of exploration wouldn't hurt. If nothing else, Ganondorf would do well to get the lay of the land. And fortunately, this place seemed infinitely more pleasant and preferable to that dreadful Basement.
Word Count: 494 Level 5 Roxas: 0/50 Exp: 1 NEW EXP Balance--- 1/50
Roxas had to dive out of the way of a finger laser. This thing was a chimera? The floating arms and body of it reminded him of a familiar enemy from his own world: the Heartless known as a Guard Armor. It, too, had body parts that floated about and could attack individually. And from what Roxas could recall, each of those parts could also be individually destroyed, "I've faced a Heartless similar to this in my world!" he told the others, figuring it was best to share what he was thinking. "If this is anything like that was, then we can destroy the parts one by one if we focus our attacks!" while Roxas wasn't sure if this would work against this specific enemy, some kind of plan was better than having none at all.
He used his Keyblades to bat away an incoming couple of fire bolts. Then he fired back with a couple of Blizzagas before having to dive out of the way of another incoming finger laser. This time Roxas decided to move forward and close the distance between himself and the chimera. It tried to launch a punch at him but the Keybearer was able to guard against it and strike back with a Dual Counter. After that he unleashed a flourish of melee strikes on the same arm he had just countered against. He was trying to put his strategy into motion by focusing his attacks on a single part in the hopes of destroying it sooner.
But Roxas also knew he had to tread lightly. This thing had already demonstrated that it could hit, and hit extremely hard. The Keybearer understood that he was likely the only Seeker in this current group capable of healing. And so Roxas had no choice but to divert his attention way from his attacks every now and again in order to check on the well being of his teammates. If it looked like everyone was taking a beating, he could fire off a quick Curaga to give the Seekers a second wind if needed. But this also meant that he had to remain on guard a bit more, and as a result he started to not get in quite as many attacks as he would otherwise have liked to. He also knew that if he went down, that would mean the group would lose its only current healer.
After spending nearly a year doing missions for Organization XIII alone, Roxas had to admit that this current situation of taking an entire team into account was actually kind of new to him. He just had to hope he could get the hang of it quick because otherwise he and the Seekers would be in serious trouble.
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