Duoya

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers: Rebirth

Edwin Cohen

"You like my hat? Thanks! Baba wanted to give me one made of skin, but I thought this one matched my eyes better."

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Name:
Edwin Cohen of the Sanguine Border, 1st of his Line.
(Prefers if you just call him Edwin)

Race:
Human(?)

Age:
18(?)

Gender:
Male

Appearance:
A young man that's on the shorter side, being about 5'4 and barely weighing in past 100 pounds. His eyes and ears seem to be especially large on his frame, and this combined with his lack of facial hair makes Edwin appear far younger than he really is. He has several tattoos, which look more like they were carved and burned into his skin than inked. Covered in many scars, but any real warrior would be able to tell that they were not earned in battle - they're all too clean.

Whenever he is not wearing the school uniform, he dons a ridiculous outfit that looks more in place at a circus than an adventuring school. His robe is lined with dozens of pockets for storing various materials and reagents, and the stupid hat constantly falls over his eyes. It will take quite a bit of convincing to get him to wear anything else though, since Edwin has worn clothes like this his entire life. Baba said it was all the rage for handsome young Magic-Users back when she was Edwin's age, but who knows how long ago that was...

His familiar is with him at all times, but since many students seem intimidated by the spider's size (and that it's a gross spider), Edwin typically keeps it hidden in his robes. He also carries a knife with him, but has no idea how to use it in an actual fight.

Class:
Witch
(Spirit Magic-Users known for their curses, potions, and consorting with demons. Similar to Warlocks, but don't tell them that or they'll get pissy.)

Personality:
Edwin is incredibly optimistic and bubbly, a stark contrast to the dark nature of his magic. He asks questions eagerly in all of his classes, and while he may not try too hard in any physical exercises, he has such a love of learning that you'd question if he has done anything genuinely fun in his entire life.

Due to being raised in a very sheltered environment, Edwin has a limited understanding of the world around him. He may get terrified by a Hunter's dog, but then gush about how 'cute' the Giant Nether Worm that is chasing them is. Extremely attached to his familiar, who he calls 'Chamos' - it's a giant gross spider.

Edwin wants to have a good time, and believes that making other people smile is the best reward there is. He will usually spend his free time helping teachers or other students finish their tasks, and if he sees someone in distress, he will usually drop everything to make sure that they're okay.

Edwin is going to Hoseforn's less because he wishes to be an Adventurer, and more so because he wants to make friends. Because of this, he is one of the first students to quit when the going gets tough - his more supportive role was selected solely because 'This is the job where I don't get sweaty and icky, right?'

Upon graduating, he plans to simply return to the Witch Coven he was raised in. He is already inviting people to visit with him the next time the students have a break, and it would be wise for anyone that anyone who hears him out immediately turns him down.

Strengths:
-Has intimate knowledge of various Demons and Monsters, and an awareness of several curses, herbs, and magical theory.

-Can speak Infernal, the language of Demons. He can't say some things because he still only has a human mouth, but he can understand pretty much anything a Demon would want to tell him. And if you need to find Loopholes in a deal, he's your guy.

-Specializes in summoning, interacting, and containing demons. Due to how new he is to it, however, he only knows to bind and contain.

-Has bound a Demon as a familiar. It possesses a few abilities leftover from before it became a familiar, and is capable of communicating with Edwin from a mile or so telepathically.

-Very good at knitting, and makes lots of cute outfits for his familiar to wear.

Weaknesses:
-The number of non-demons that Edwin has talked to could probably be counted on a single hand. He struggles to understand more mundane problems and interact with humans, and as a result, is easy to trick or manipulate.

-Can't lie to save his life. While loopholes and omitting the truth are no problem for a Witch in training, Edwin has never directly lied before and has some pretty obvious tells.

-A Witch relies on their familiar to cast their spells, similar to how a Wizard must rely on their spellbook(s). Because of this, if Edwin's familiar is killed, he will be unable to cast any magic until he gets a replacement familiar - an insanely difficult task, considering his Coven isn't supporting him this time.

-Binding a demon as a familiar inherently weakens a person's resistance to Spirit Magic. When the Demon is not nearby, Edwin is especially vulnerable to Spirit Magic and Possession - and while the Demon is in its 'Greater' form, Edwin is left completely unconscious.

-Not a very high Mana pool for a Magic-User. Can only cast a dozen 'normal' spells at most before he's exhausted his reserves, with stronger spells reducing this number significantly. Whittling him down with large numbers of weak opponents is a sure-fire way to beat him.

Biography:
Edwin Cohen was abandoned at a small hut in the Akeza Jungle when he was a baby, where he was discovered by a coven of Witches. Despite usually being known for their hostility towards humans, the Coven raised Edwin like he was one of their own... Though, they had later confessed that they initially planned to sacrifice his eternal soul to demons.

Well, live and let live!

Edwin had always been bright and cheerful during his youth, but while most children colored and played ball, Edwin was taught Infernal and played hide and seek with Imps (Massive sore losers, by the way...). Thanks to his influence, his Coven slowly grew less callous as he aged, and they began to genuinely care for his well-being.

Slowly, instead of acting as a glorified child slave, he became a genuine part of the Coven - and eventually, the Coven grew to be more akin to a family.

Edwin had asked about his birth parents before, but had never been given a definitive answer to their identity. Granny Xal'thaz claims that the Coven had no idea who his real parents were - but she did state that whoever they were, they were pretty stupid to leave someone as sweet as him. This always made Edwin feel nice, and he quickly stopped asking about his parents when she said this.

It was decided that on his 18th birthday (Close to it? Hard to tell, since the Coven didn't know when he was born) Edwin would be sent to live among other humans. Granny Xal'thaz had quite a steamy romance with a man known as Asmodius Hoseforn back in her youth - and after a quick bout of Sending spells, Edwin had found himself a new place to stay as he got acquainted with other people. Edwin cried for days as he traveled, the only thing keeping him from running home being the familiar that now accompanied him - Chamos.

After a few weeks of traveling and hitchhiking along the main road, Edwin finally arrived at Hoseforn's, just in time for the year to start.

Chamos

"I'll wear the stupid hat if you brats stop trying to crush me."

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Name:
Chasake no Kodoku
Chamos

Race:
Demon

Age:
122

Gender:
N/A

Appearance:
In their original form, Chamos primarily took the form of a drider, half woman and half spider, whose beauty was only rivaled by its vileness. Due to its love of tricks and changing faces, however, few know if this is what its true appearance looks like - or even if it has any 'true form' in the first place. This is just the form it took most often.

In their weakened state, Chamos typically takes the form of a large spider, and buries themselves in Edwin's robes. It speaks in a feminine and tingling voice, reminiscent of a buzzing insect.

'Original' Form

"You have no idea how much fun it was to transform back when I could do people. I'd turn into some 'fair maiden', and right when some brat comes to chat me up, I'd inject them with venom and watch them trip out. Absolutely hilarious."

"Ruins the meat, though."

Class:
Familiar
(Servant to a Spirit Magic User. Some familiars are quite adept and well respected, but as a Witch's familiar, Chamos is now just a fragment of its former self.)

Personality:
Cynical and suffering a serious superiority complex. Chamos thinks it is the smartest person (Being? ...Thing?) in the room at any time - but a lot of the time, it is right. Chamos is manipulative and cruel to those that get in its way, and nothing makes it happier than tricking someone else.

Under the cynicism, Chamos is suffering from a deep depression, a result of its fall from grace, slowly budding conscience, and years of boredom. Despite refusing to admit it, Edwin brings brightness to Chamos' life, and the demon feels very close to the boy after raising him for years. Well aware that, compared to most demons, it is receiving incredibly good treatment - even if it is a bit demeaning now and then.

One plus side to being a fraction of your original size - you can get drunk a lot easier. When 'off duty', Chamos spends their time in a tankard of mead.

Strengths:
-Capable of transforming into a variety of small insects, though none of them larger than a man's hand. Capable of turning into a near-human-sized form for brief periods, but this knocks Edwin unconscious.

-Very knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, from magic and history, to various languages from around the world. Can act like a mini-encyclopedia, even if most of its knowledge is outdated.

-Exceptional orator, would make quite the diplomat if not for the fact it's a FREAKING BUG!!!!

Weaknesses:
-Like most demons, Chamos is incredibly vulnerable to Holy Magic, especially that of Storalla.

-Despite knowing quite a bit about magic, cannot actually cast any of it after being turned into a familiar.

-Has collected many enemies over its long life - if any were to discover its status as a familiar, it would be quickly targetted.

Biography:
Chasake no Kodoku was a demon that originated from the island of Inarikami, and became infamous for its deception and cruelty. The demon tricked, stole from, and killed the inhabitants of the island for decades, until a great Shrine Maiden fought it. The demon cast spell after spell, copied the appearance of the Shrine Maiden's family, and even attempted to bribe her with power and wealth. However, Chasake no Kodoku was eventually defeated and sealed within a great stone.

...Or, that's what most people believe happened. In reality, Chasake no Kodoku merely cast an illusion spell that made it appear to be trapped, and got the hell out of dodge. It left Inarikami and traveled Ealinata, learning of the other races and their histories. And as it learned more, and grew more powerful, Chasake no Kodoku only became more devious and cruel.

Chasake no Kodoku visited nearly everywhere in the continent in its decades of travel, from Iron Keep to South Port. Its trickery and skill in magic meant that few could identify the demon until it was already too late, and it seemed possible that no one would stop the insect...

At least, until it visited the Cohen Coven. In a drunken stupor, Chasake no Kodoku had accidentally wandered near the coven on its 6th tour around Ealinata, and triggered a Boundary spell that locked demons within. It was discovered shortly after and stored properly in the Coven's home, where it served them for 9 years as a servant. After nearly a decade of service, it would finally be given freedom!

...Well, not really. It still serves the family, but now it isn't restricted to a small house in the middle of the wilderness. And if it got lucky, it might be able to worm its way out of being a familiar, and get back to the high life.

Oh, you want to know why it's called Chamos now? Well, what kind of third-rate demon would be blabbing its True Name for the world to hear?!

And Edwin butchers it so badly, Chamos felt it may as well change it at this point.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers: Rebirth

Still need to polish a bit, but it's late and I want to get something out there lol. The second sheet is more an accessory NPC than a full second character.

Edwin Cohen

"You like my hat? Thanks! Baba wanted to give me one made of skin, but I thought this one matched my eyes better."

---

---

Name:
Edwin Cohen of the Sanguine Border, 1st of his Line.
(Prefers if you just call him Edwin)

Race:
Human(?)

Age:
18(?)

Gender:
Male

Appearance:
A young man that's on the shorter side, being about 5'4 and barely weighing in past 100 pounds. His eyes and ears seem to be especially large on his frame, and this combined with his lack of facial hair makes Edwin appear far younger than he really is. He has several tattoos, which look more like they were carved and burned into his skin than inked. Covered in many scars, but any real warrior would be able to tell that they were not earned in battle - they're all too clean.

Whenever he is not wearing the school uniform, he dons a ridiculous outfit that looks more in place at a circus than an adventuring school. His robe is lined with dozens of pockets for storing various materials and reagents, and the stupid hat constantly falls over his eyes. It will take quite a bit of convincing to get him to wear anything else though, since Edwin has worn clothes like this his entire life. Baba said it was all the rage for handsome young Magic-Users back when she was Edwin's age, but who knows how long ago that was...

His familiar is with him at all times, but since many students seem intimidated by the spider's size (and that it's a gross spider), Edwin typically keeps it hidden in his robes. He also carries a knife with him, but has no idea how to use it in an actual fight.

Class:
Witch
(Spirit Magic-Users known for their curses, potions, and consorting with demons. Similar to Warlocks, but don't tell them that or they'll get pissy.)

Personality:
Edwin is incredibly optimistic and bubbly, a stark contrast to the dark nature of his magic. He asks questions eagerly in all of his classes, and while he may not try too hard in any physical exercises, he has such a love of learning that you'd question if he has done anything genuinely fun in his entire life.

Due to being raised in a very sheltered environment, Edwin has a limited understanding of the world around him. He may get terrified by a Hunter's dog, but then gush about how 'cute' the Giant Nether Worm that is chasing them is. Extremely attached to his familiar, who he calls 'Chamos' - it's a giant gross spider.

Edwin wants to have a good time, and believes that making other people smile is the best reward there is. He will usually spend his free time helping teachers or other students finish their tasks, and if he sees someone in distress, he will usually drop everything to make sure that they're okay.

Edwin is going to Hoseforn's less because he wishes to be an Adventurer, and more so because he wants to make friends. Because of this, he is one of the first students to quit when the going gets tough - his more supportive role was selected solely because 'This is the job where I don't get sweaty and icky, right?'

Upon graduating, he plans to simply return to the Witch Coven he was raised in. He is already inviting people to visit with him the next time the students have a break, and it would be wise for anyone that anyone who hears him out immediately turns him down.

Strengths:
-Has intimate knowledge of various Demons and Monsters, and an awareness of several curses, herbs, and magical theory.

-Can speak Infernal, the language of Demons. He can't say some things because he still only has a human mouth, but he can understand pretty much anything a Demon would want to tell him. And if you need to find Loopholes in a deal, he's your guy.

-Specializes in summoning, interacting, and containing demons. Due to how new he is to it, however, he only knows to bind and contain.

-Has bound a Demon as a familiar. It possesses a few abilities leftover from before it became a familiar, and is capable of communicating with Edwin from a mile or so telepathically.

-Very good at knitting, and makes lots of cute outfits for his familiar to wear.

Weaknesses:
-The number of non-demons that Edwin has talked to could probably be counted on a single hand. He struggles to understand more mundane problems and interact with humans, and as a result, is easy to trick or manipulate.

-Can't lie to save his life. While loopholes and omitting the truth are no problem for a Witch in training, Edwin has never directly lied before and has some pretty obvious tells.

-A Witch relies on their familiar to cast their spells, similar to how a Wizard must rely on their spellbook(s). Because of this, if Edwin's familiar is killed, he will be unable to cast any magic until he gets a replacement familiar - an insanely difficult task, considering his Coven isn't supporting him this time.

-Binding a demon as a familiar inherently weakens a person's resistance to Spirit Magic. When the Demon is not nearby, Edwin is especially vulnerable to Spirit Magic and Possession - and while the Demon is in its 'Greater' form, Edwin is left completely unconscious.

-Not a very high Mana pool for a Magic-User. Can only cast a dozen 'normal' spells at most before he's exhausted his reserves, with stronger spells reducing this number significantly. Whittling him down with large numbers of weak opponents is a sure-fire way to beat him.

Biography:
Edwin Cohen was abandoned at a small hut in the Akeza Jungle when he was a baby, where he was discovered by a coven of Witches. Despite usually being known for their hostility towards humans, the Coven raised Edwin like he was one of their own... Though, they had later confessed that they initially planned to sacrifice his eternal soul to demons.

Well, live and let live!

Edwin had always been bright and cheerful during his youth, but while most children colored and played ball, Edwin was taught Infernal and played hide and seek with Imps (Massive sore losers, by the way...). Thanks to his influence, his Coven slowly grew less callous as he aged, and they began to genuinely care for his well-being.

Slowly, instead of acting as a glorified child slave, he became a genuine part of the Coven - and eventually, the Coven grew to be more akin to a family.

Edwin had asked about his birth parents before, but had never been given a definitive answer to their identity. Granny Xal'thaz claims that the Coven had no idea who his real parents were - but she did state that whoever they were, they were pretty stupid to leave someone as sweet as him. This always made Edwin feel nice, and he quickly stopped asking about his parents when she said this.

It was decided that on his 18th birthday (Close to it? Hard to tell, since the Coven didn't know when he was born) Edwin would be sent to live among other humans. Granny Xal'thaz had quite a steamy romance with a man known as Asmodius Hoseforn back in her youth - and after a quick bout of Sending spells, Edwin had found himself a new place to stay as he got acquainted with other people. Edwin cried for days as he traveled, the only thing keeping him from running home being the familiar that now accompanied him - Chamos.

After a few weeks of traveling and hitchhiking along the main road, Edwin finally arrived at Hoseforn's, just in time for the year to start.

Chamos

"I'll wear the stupid hat if you brats stop trying to crush me."

---

---

Name:
Chasake no Kodoku
Chamos

Race:
Demon

Age:
122

Gender:
N/A

Appearance:
In their original form, Chamos primarily took the form of a drider, half woman and half spider, whose beauty was only rivaled by its vileness. Due to its love of tricks and changing faces, however, few know if this is what its true appearance looks like - or even if it has any 'true form' in the first place. This is just the form it took most often.

In their weakened state, Chamos typically takes the form of a large spider, and buries themselves in Edwin's robes. It speaks in a feminine and tingling voice, reminiscent of a buzzing insect.

'Original' Form

"You have no idea how much fun it was to transform back when I could do people. I'd turn into some 'fair maiden', and right when some brat comes to chat me up, I'd inject them with venom and watch them trip out. Absolutely hilarious."

"Ruins the meat, though."

Class:
Familiar
(Servant to a Spirit Magic User. Some familiars are quite adept and well respected, but as a Witch's familiar, Chamos is now just a fragment of its former self.)

Personality:
Cynical and suffering a serious superiority complex. Chamos thinks it is the smartest person (Being? ...Thing?) in the room at any time - but a lot of the time, it is right. Chamos is manipulative and cruel to those that get in its way, and nothing makes it happier than tricking someone else.

Under the cynicism, Chamos is suffering from a deep depression, a result of its fall from grace, slowly budding conscience, and years of boredom. Despite refusing to admit it, Edwin brings brightness to Chamos' life, and the demon feels very close to the boy after raising him for years. Well aware that, compared to most demons, it is receiving incredibly good treatment - even if it is a bit demeaning now and then.

One plus side to being a fraction of your original size - you can get drunk a lot easier. When 'off duty', Chamos spends their time in a tankard of mead.

Strengths:
-Capable of transforming into a variety of small insects, though none of them larger than a man's hand. Capable of turning into a near-human-sized form for brief periods, but this knocks Edwin unconscious.

-Very knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, from magic and history, to various languages from around the world. Can act like a mini-encyclopedia, even if most of its knowledge is outdated.

-Exceptional orator, would make quite the diplomat if not for the fact it's a FREAKING BUG!!!!

Weaknesses:
-Like most demons, Chamos is incredibly vulnerable to Holy Magic, especially that of Storalla.

-Despite knowing quite a bit about magic, cannot actually cast any of it after being turned into a familiar.

-Has collected many enemies over its long life - if any were to discover its status as a familiar, it would be quickly targetted.

Biography:
Chasake no Kodoku was a demon that originated from the island of Inarikami, and became infamous for its deception and cruelty. The demon tricked, stole from, and killed the inhabitants of the island for decades, until a great Shrine Maiden fought it. The demon cast spell after spell, copied the appearance of the Shrine Maiden's family, and even attempted to bribe her with power and wealth. However, Chasake no Kodoku was eventually defeated and sealed within a great stone.

...Or, that's what most people believe happened. In reality, Chasake no Kodoku merely cast an illusion spell that made it appear to be trapped, and got the hell out of dodge. It left Inarikami and traveled Ealinata, learning of the other races and their histories. And as it learned more, and grew more powerful, Chasake no Kodoku only became more devious and cruel.

Chasake no Kodoku visited nearly everywhere in the continent in its decades of travel, from Iron Keep to South Port. Its trickery and skill in magic meant that few could identify the demon until it was already too late, and it seemed possible that no one would stop the insect...

At least, until it visited the Cohen Coven. In a drunken stupor, Chasake no Kodoku had accidentally wandered near the coven on its 6th tour around Ealinata, and triggered a Boundary spell that locked demons within. It was discovered shortly after and stored properly in the Coven's home, where it served them for 9 years as a servant. After nearly a decade of service, it would finally be given freedom!

...Well, not really. It still serves the family, but now it isn't restricted to a small house in the middle of the wilderness. And if it got lucky, it might be able to worm its way out of being a familiar, and get back to the high life.

Oh, you want to know why it's called Chamos now? Well, what kind of third-rate demon would be blabbing its True Name for the world to hear?!

And Edwin butchers it so badly, Chamos felt it may as well change it at this point.

The Wards: A Grimdark Teenage Superhero Story

Ward File: 'Gray Man' (Warning - Authorization Required to View)

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---

"'Where'd I get this?' Jeez, well that's a bit direct, don't you think? You should really- wait, don't take it!"

---

---

Name:
Wilbur Levin

Alias:
Gray Man
(You need to hire better PR people, 'Machiavelli' is a way better name.)

Nicknames:
'Justin Case', 'Doogie Howser', 'Jackie Daytona', 'MacReady', and several other aliases are on file. Mr. Levin is prone to adopting these false personas when interacting with others, especially if he is attempting to go undetected.

Prefers being called 'Will' during casual interactions.

Age:
15

Gender:
Male

Personality:
Mr. Levin is a charismatic, personable, and manipulative individual who regularly changes how he acts around staff and his fellow Wards. He seems especially close with Dr. Williams, his therapist, as both are interested in the same hobbies (notably, cinema). The PR department is quite fond of Mr. Levin, as he is able to easily deliver lines and has a disarming demeanor that makes him more approachable.

To most people, Mr. Levin seems to display a warm and friendly demeanor, allowing him to close distances very quickly. As he builds a rapport and understands them more, he refines his persona, becoming much more reserved and less dynamic - something Dr. Williams believes is due to needing less bombastic actions to get attention. Mr. Levin has been seen on numerous occasions going far beyond what is expected of him in order to help his friends, either legally or legally. However, while being quite amicable to those that fulfill his need fo-▂▃▅▃▅▃▃, he is quick to use innocent bystanders to further his own goals (See: The Coffee Incident).

Mr. Levin often invites staff and coworkers to interact outside of work hours, especially those whom he is already close with. Some staff believe this is due to his ▂▃▅----▃▃▅▅▃▃, but it could also be a genuine attempt to form new interpersonal relationships. It is HIGHLY recommended that high-level staff and PRT members deny any and all attempts to fraternize that Mr. Levin offers to them, as it can lead to an easy breach of Master/Stranger protocols.

Mr. Levin is a pathological liar, and all reports he makes should be backed up by either another Ward, or a direct superior. Despite his claims to regret his past actions, his behavior is why-

(The rest of this section has been deleted.)

Appearance:
Mr. Levin is a teenage male, caucasian, 5'7 and 140 lbs. He has green eyes, and lacks any notable scars, tattoos, or other markings.

Mr. Levin has an extensive wardrobe, covering a wide variety of genres and various 'fits'. He will change outfits depending on what people he plans to interact with, an attempt on his part to blend in and be more approachable. Typically, he will default to formal attire, and will 'dress down' by removing his coat and/or dress shirt.

As Gray Man, Mr. Levin's attire is quite generic - a simple suit and tie combo, with a black motorcycle helmet to preserve his identity. This suit is not especially different from his usual attire, though Levin will wear a bulletproof vest underneath it if he is expecting to receive fire.

Biography:
Mr. Levin has lived his entire life in Redline, Maine, and was born to a family of three - Robert Levin (Father), Barbara Levin (Mother), and Cole Levin (Brother). There is little information on record of Levin's early life - he received average marks most of his life, and had little involvement in sports or extracurricular activities. When questioned, Cole claimed that Levin had spent most of his youth playing with friends or helping his brother study.

Around 12 years old, Levin's father was killed in a robbery that occurred in his store. It is around this time that more information on Levin appears - detentions for encouraging fights and stealing, shoplifting, and three suspensions over the course of his middle school career. Due to a life insurance payment, the family was able to support these outbursts, as well as pay for Cole to take his bar exam.

At age 15, Levin's mother Barabara got into a car accident and was rendered comatose. Due to this incident, Cole was designated as Levin's guardian, and Levin continues to visit his mother on a weekly basis at ▅▃▂ Medical Center.

Shortly after this incident is the earliest record of Levin's interactions with ▅▅▃▅▂

Mr. Levin seems to have an incredibly deep-seated desire to be liked, as well as what Dr. Williams describes as 'acute imposter syndrome and ▅▅▃▅▃▅▂▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▃▃▅▅▅▅▃▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▃▃▅▅▅▅▃▅▅...rumors...▅▅▅▃▅▅▅▃▅▂▂▂

▃▅▂▅▅▅...video footage...▅▅▅▅▃▃▅

▂▅▂▂

(A large portion of this section, including various interviews and statements, is either deleted or has been rendered completely nonsensical.)

▅▂▃...which caused a great deal of stress for Levin. Thankfully, his brother managed to reach a plea bargain with the prosecution - in exchange for no jail time and a minimal mark on his records, Mr. Levin would join the recently forming Wards team to complete his community service hours.

When further biographical information was requested from Levin to fill his file, he was purposefully vague and deflective. As a result, only information with physical evidence is included in this file, with little contribution from Levin himself.

Powers:
(DESIGNATION: Master/Stranger 4, Thinker 0)
(NOTES: Standard Master/Stranger protocols should be exercised at all times, passwords among high-level staff must be changed on a biweekly basis.)

Mr. Levin uses his voice as a medium for his power, causing those who hear it to be affected by the Master component. When speaking, everything that Levin says will be taken at face value by the listener, regardless of its absurdity or preexisting evidence to the contrary. Tests have shown that Mr. Levin could convince staff volunteers and paid subjects of nearly anything - including, but not limited to, 'Owing me (sic) 20 dollars' (See Test 013 .mov), 'Leaving your oven running' (See Test 020 .mov), and most notably, 'The sky is brown, and Archangel is attacking.' See Test 029 .mov

Or, you could just say I'm really good at lying.

While Mr. Levin can persuade someone of nearly anything, there are a few topics that lie outside of his ability. When talking with Dr. Anderson (See Test 007 .mov), Levin claimed that 'We have been married for three years!'. Dr. Anderson's eyes glazed over briefly before she immediately denied having ever met Mr. Levin in her life. This, along, with several other (Tests 012, 022, and 023) examples of similar claims, indicates that Mr. Levin is incapable of convincing individuals of things that are deeply engrained in their memories. Examples include important relationships, a job they've held for 20 years, and anything that they know cannot change without notice.

Yeah, if I could convince someone of stuff that big, I'd pull an Annie and become some rich person's kid, not play superhero.

Mr. Levin's power doesn't have a known duration but breaks instantly upon evidence that contradicts the 'lie' being given to the target. Subjects seem to have an awareness that they've been Master'd after the effect is broken, and most have described it as a 'slimy feeling in (their) gut'. Repeated 'breaks' in short succession result in growing discomfort in the target, eventually becoming disorientating, or even causing paranoia and intense migraines. Mr. Levin seems to suffer the same effects when his power ends, which is presumably the reason he is able to identify if someone under his effect has broken free.

Mr. Levin's power extends as far as his speaking range carries it, with electronic devices like Megaphones or Telephones either drowning out his 'natural' voice or simply not being 'soaked' with his power. Additionally, Mr. Levin has stated that there is difficulty in turning off his powers - according to him, they are his 'default', and suppressing them requires active focus.

It is theorized by certain staff members that Mr. Levin possesses a secondary thinker ability, which allows him to 'read' people around him and identify how to act to, quote 'Make people like him more.' It is unknown if this is truly a Parahuman ability or simply a skill that Mr. Levin is exceptionally proficient in - as a result, he has been given a tentative 'Thinker 0' rating until further research can be done.

(COUNTERMEASURES: In the event Gray Man goes rogue, his Master and Stranger rating will both be raised to 6 due to his knowledge of Master/Stranger Protocols and the function of Ward staff and heroes. Protocols must be strictly enforced, and passwords will be immediately changed. Any incoming personnel, guests, and staff must present proper identification to a security officer, who will be behind soundproofed glass and communicate with an electronic system.)

Yeah, or bring a gun. What do I look like, Guardian?

Skills:
People Person: As expected of a Master/Stranger, Mr. Levin is exceptionally skilled at manipulating others, even without the direct use of his powers. He has on more than one occasion broken into the Ward computer network and altered documents pertaining to himself without permission (lol), despite there being no evidence he possesses an understanding of programming. In addition to this hacking, he also regularly brings alcohol into Wards HQ, and has been given several warnings against doing so - but no guard has ever stopped him, due to his friendly relationship with many staff.

Planning: Mr. Levin is somewhat infamous for his 'cons', plans that he orchestrates in order to accomplish something he wants after his typical persuasion has failed. These can get quite elaborate, as seen by 'The Coffee Incident' (See Laxatives .mov). Despite his short time in the Wards, his ability to accomplish complicated and large-scale operations with minimal manpower and resources makes him very dangerous to leave unsupervised.

Disguise: Mr. Levin is quite skilled with make-up and styling hair, a result of his mother's profession as a Beautician. He makes great use of this with his power, capable of disguising himself with wigs, makeup, and various other implements in order to keep his civilian identity anonymous, while also preventing villains from targeting him as a known Master. His skill in tailoring, while not as notable, is high enough that he chooses to request thread to repair his outfits, rather than order new ones or pay for repairs.

Other:
Mr. Levin has a tendency to use sarcasm to disarm situations which, thanks to his power, is often taken quite literally by everyone involved. If you are confused by something Mr. Levin says, please ask him to clarify what he means, and remind him to focus on his speech exercises.

Finally got to this thing - not naming any names, but whoever reads this file next, be sure to tell your coworkers to not write next week's password on a sticky note, ok?

Did my own little edits, I felt like you guys were missing some important information!

What else to add, what else... Oh, my favorite superpower is Super Speed. Gatecrasher can blow me, the coolest Mover in The Guardians will always be Relativity, no question. RIP

The Wards: A Grimdark Teenage Superhero Story

@Mintz
Glad to hear! I'll probably go with that suggestion and edit anything that wouldn't fit an initial visit, since that would probably help me introduce him easier.

Worst-case scenario, maybe the 'file' was written after the initial meeting or something lol.

Excited to see everyone else's sheets!

The Wards: A Grimdark Teenage Superhero Story

Finished - wanted to be a bit unorthodox with it, but I can change it to a more traditional sheet if needed.

Thought about making this character a girl since we're kind of a sausage fest rn, but I really liked the face claim I found for him. Might make a new girl in the future if we are allowed multiple characters.

Will send his Trigger event via PM sometime tomorrow probably - gives me time to edit and clean him up lol.

Ward File: 'Gray Man' (Warning - Authorization Required to View)

---

---

"'Where'd I get this?' Jeez, well that's a bit direct, don't you think? You should really- wait, don't take it!"

---

---

Name:
Wilbur Levin

Alias:
Gray Man
(You need to hire better PR people, 'Machiavelli' is a way better name.)

Nicknames:
'Justin Case', 'Doogie Howser', 'Jackie Daytona', 'MacReady', and several other aliases are on file. Mr. Levin is prone to adopting these false personas when interacting with others, especially if he is attempting to go undetected.

Prefers being called 'Will' during casual interactions.

Age:
15

Gender:
Male

Personality:
Mr. Levin is a charismatic, personable, and manipulative individual who regularly changes how he acts around staff and his fellow Wards. He seems especially close with Dr. Williams, his therapist, as both are interested in the same hobbies (notably, cinema). The PR department is quite fond of Mr. Levin, as he is able to easily deliver lines and has a disarming demeanor that makes him more approachable.

To most people, Mr. Levin seems to display a warm and friendly demeanor, allowing him to close distances very quickly. As he builds a rapport and understands them more, he refines his persona, becoming much more reserved and less dynamic - something Dr. Williams believes is due to needing less bombastic actions to get attention. Mr. Levin has been seen on numerous occasions going far beyond what is expected of him in order to help his friends, either legally or legally. However, while being quite amicable to those that fulfill his need fo-▂▃▅▃▅▃▃, he is quick to use innocent bystanders to further his own goals (See: The Coffee Incident).

Mr. Levin often invites staff and coworkers to interact outside of work hours, especially those whom he is already close with. Some staff believe this is due to his ▂▃▅----▃▃▅▅▃▃, but it could also be a genuine attempt to form new interpersonal relationships. It is HIGHLY recommended that high-level staff and PRT members deny any and all attempts to fraternize that Mr. Levin offers to them, as it can lead to an easy breach of Master/Stranger protocols.

Mr. Levin is a pathological liar, and all reports he makes should be backed up by either another Ward, or a direct superior. Despite his claims to regret his past actions, his behavior is why-

(The rest of this section has been deleted.)

Appearance:
Mr. Levin is a teenage male, caucasian, 5'7 and 140 lbs. He has green eyes, and lacks any notable scars, tattoos, or other markings.

Mr. Levin has an extensive wardrobe, covering a wide variety of genres and various 'fits'. He will change outfits depending on what people he plans to interact with, an attempt on his part to blend in and be more approachable. Typically, he will default to formal attire, and will 'dress down' by removing his coat and/or dress shirt.

As Gray Man, Mr. Levin's attire is quite generic - a simple suit and tie combo, with a black motorcycle helmet to preserve his identity. This suit is not especially different from his usual attire, though Levin will wear a bulletproof vest underneath it if he is expecting to receive fire.

Biography:
Mr. Levin has lived his entire life in Redline, Maine, and was born to a family of three - Robert Levin (Father), Barbara Levin (Mother), and Cole Levin (Brother). There is little information on record of Levin's early life - he received average marks most of his life, and had little involvement in sports or extracurricular activities. When questioned, Cole claimed that Levin had spent most of his youth playing with friends or helping his brother study.

Around 12 years old, Levin's father was killed in a robbery that occurred in his store. It is around this time that more information on Levin appears - detentions for encouraging fights and stealing, shoplifting, and three suspensions over the course of his middle school career. Due to a life insurance payment, the family was able to support these outbursts, as well as pay for Cole to take his bar exam.

At age 15, Levin's mother Barabara got into a car accident and was rendered comatose. Due to this incident, Cole was designated as Levin's guardian, and Levin continues to visit his mother on a weekly basis at ▅▃▂ Medical Center.

Shortly after this incident is the earliest record of Levin's interactions with ▅▅▃▅▂

Mr. Levin seems to have an incredibly deep-seated desire to be liked, as well as what Dr. Williams describes as 'acute imposter syndrome and ▅▅▃▅▃▅▂▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▃▃▅▅▅▅▃▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▃▃▅▅▅▅▃▅▅...rumors...▅▅▅▃▅▅▅▃▅▂▂▂

▃▅▂▅▅▅...video footage...▅▅▅▅▃▃▅

▂▅▂▂

(A large portion of this section, including various interviews and statements, is either deleted or has been rendered completely nonsensical.)

▅▂▃...which caused a great deal of stress for Levin. Thankfully, his brother managed to reach a plea bargain with the prosecution - in exchange for no jail time and a minimal mark on his records, Mr. Levin would join the recently forming Wards team to complete his community service hours.

When further biographical information was requested from Levin to fill his file, he was purposefully vague and deflective. As a result, only information with physical evidence is included in this file, with little contribution from Levin himself.

Powers:
(DESIGNATION: Master/Stranger 4, Thinker 0)
(NOTES: Standard Master/Stranger protocols should be exercised at all times, passwords among high-level staff must be changed on a biweekly basis.)

Mr. Levin uses his voice as a medium for his power, causing those who hear it to be affected by the Master component. When speaking, everything that Levin says will be taken at face value by the listener, regardless of its absurdity or preexisting evidence to the contrary. Tests have shown that Mr. Levin could convince staff volunteers and paid subjects of nearly anything - including, but not limited to, 'Owing me (sic) 20 dollars' (See Test 013 .mov), 'Leaving your oven running' (See Test 020 .mov), and most notably, 'The sky is brown, and Archangel is attacking.' See Test 029 .mov

Or, you could just say I'm really good at lying.

While Mr. Levin can persuade someone of nearly anything, there are a few topics that lie outside of his ability. When talking with Dr. Anderson (See Test 007 .mov), Levin claimed that 'We have been married for three years!'. Dr. Anderson's eyes glazed over briefly before she immediately denied having ever met Mr. Levin in her life. This, along, with several other (Tests 012, 022, and 023) examples of similar claims, indicates that Mr. Levin is incapable of convincing individuals of things that are deeply engrained in their memories. Examples include important relationships, a job they've held for 20 years, and anything that they know cannot change without notice.

Yeah, if I could convince someone of stuff that big, I'd pull an Annie and become some rich person's kid, not play superhero.

Mr. Levin's power doesn't have a known duration but breaks instantly upon evidence that contradicts the 'lie' being given to the target. Subjects seem to have an awareness that they've been Master'd after the effect is broken, and most have described it as a 'slimy feeling in (their) gut'. Repeated 'breaks' in short succession result in growing discomfort in the target, eventually becoming disorientating, or even causing paranoia and intense migraines. Mr. Levin seems to suffer the same effects when his power ends, which is presumably the reason he is able to identify if someone under his effect has broken free.

Mr. Levin's power extends as far as his speaking range carries it, with electronic devices like Megaphones or Telephones either drowning out his 'natural' voice or simply not being 'soaked' with his power. Additionally, Mr. Levin has stated that there is difficulty in turning off his powers - according to him, they are his 'default', and suppressing them requires active focus.

It is theorized by certain staff members that Mr. Levin possesses a secondary thinker ability, which allows him to 'read' people around him and identify how to act to, quote 'Make people like him more.' It is unknown if this is truly a Parahuman ability or simply a skill that Mr. Levin is exceptionally proficient in - as a result, he has been given a tentative 'Thinker 0' rating until further research can be done.

(COUNTERMEASURES: In the event Gray Man goes rogue, his Master and Stranger rating will both be raised to 6 due to his knowledge of Master/Stranger Protocols and the function of Ward staff and heroes. Protocols must be strictly enforced, and passwords will be immediately changed. Any incoming personnel, guests, and staff must present proper identification to a security officer, who will be behind soundproofed glass and communicate with an electronic system.)

Yeah, or bring a gun. What do I look like, Guardian?

Skills:
People Person: As expected of a Master/Stranger, Mr. Levin is exceptionally skilled at manipulating others, even without the direct use of his powers. He has on more than one occasion broken into the Ward computer network and altered documents pertaining to himself without permission (lol), despite there being no evidence he possesses an understanding of programming. In addition to this hacking, he also regularly brings alcohol into Wards HQ, and has been given several warnings against doing so - but no guard has ever stopped him, due to his friendly relationship with many staff.

Planning: Mr. Levin is somewhat infamous for his 'cons', plans that he orchestrates in order to accomplish something he wants after his typical persuasion has failed. These can get quite elaborate, as seen by 'The Coffee Incident' (See Laxatives .mov). Despite his short time in the Wards, his ability to accomplish complicated and large-scale operations with minimal manpower and resources makes him very dangerous to leave unsupervised.

Disguise: Mr. Levin is quite skilled with make-up and styling hair, a result of his mother's profession as a Beautician. He makes great use of this with his power, capable of disguising himself with wigs, makeup, and various other implements in order to keep his civilian identity anonymous, while also preventing villains from targeting him as a known Master. His skill in tailoring, while not as notable, is high enough that he chooses to request thread to repair his outfits, rather than order new ones or pay for repairs.

Other:
Mr. Levin has a tendency to use sarcasm to disarm situations which, thanks to his power, is often taken quite literally by everyone involved. If you are confused by something Mr. Levin says, please ask him to clarify what he means, and remind him to focus on his speech exercises.

Finally got to this thing - not naming any names, but whoever reads this file next, be sure to tell your coworkers to not write next week's password on a sticky note, ok?

Did my own little edits, I felt like you guys were missing some important information!

What else to add, what else... Oh, my favorite superpower is Super Speed. Gatecrasher can blow me, the coolest Mover in The Guardians will always be Relativity, no question. RIP

The Wards: A Grimdark Teenage Superhero Story

Definitely interested! Is an in-depth knowledge of Ward required? I've read Worm, but have been a bit too busy to get through it's sequel serial.

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

Mentions: @Jumbus _{Flashback Collab}, @Rabidporcupine _{Last few paragraphs}

---

Travis seemed to be one of the more distracted people present in the meeting, lightly massaging his head as Blum spoke to them. His head ached from the few drinks he had the prior night, barely enough to get a man half his weight drunk.

'Why'd Scales make me pound shots with her after seeing me tipsy...'

If he felt worse, he may have taken Director Steele's offer of paid leave. But considering how most people would probably leap at the chance to get a month-long vacation, the Directors may end up being short-staffed. Just the ticket Travis needed to show them that he was a team player! Maybe they could go on a HERO sponsored picnic afterward, or Blum could teach him how to fish-

"Oh. Oh, Shit."

Travis refocused on the meeting, which had taken a sudden change in tone. Pandora leaned over his shoulder, peeking at the news that had caused such a reaction.

"Oh, shit, indeed! Well, how unfortunate for you. That little incident on the train got leaked. Too bad."

Travis knew beyond a doubt who had spread the news about the N-Train incident. Hell, he kind of expected her to do it - just not so soon after it happened.

'Already? Barely a day?'

Travis buried his head further into his hands at the news. The sound of Blum's chastisement of Pandora and Blitz, as well as the rest of the meeting, quickly dimmed as Travis remembered the events of the prior night.

---

---

The air in the night club was nearly unbreathable, a complex mix of blood, alcohol, and sweat that almost made Travis sick to his stomach. Several people eyed the masked fighter as he sat at the bar, a reptilian-woman sitting next to him finishing another shot.

“Why the hell are we here, Scales? I just grew back my tooth, like, an hour ago. I’m not fighting tonight.”

She signaled for the bartender to pour her another, and spoke as the tattooed and scarred man behind the bar did so.

“Because you got fucked up! Terry was busy today, but me and Bomber could have come and been your cheerleaders or someshit. Doesn’t help that you won’t tell us who messed with you.”

“...Also fighters drink free tonight. Least you can do is let me mooch off you.”

She muttered the last part under her breath, quickly slamming back drinks Travis couldn’t stomach even if he wanted to. Travis grimaced. Lying about his job as a Hero felt wrong, but it had to be done. At least two heroes died today - if his friends knew he was one, they would rat him out in a second to get him fired.

And there was no way Travis could let that happen. It was only his first real mission, and he was already hooked.

Scales rose to her feet, her usual grace somewhat muted after her drinking binge.

“I think I see Flail Snail - gonna go ask how his shell is feeling this week. Be right back, Roachie.”

The air in the night club was unbreathable, blood, alcohol, sweat, oh and look was that someone’s vomit? Still Night Owl could think of no better place to pass the time for now. She had to mull over what to do with those train photos and there was far too much foot traffic on the street to do anything subtly.

Night Owl would look out of place in a nightclub like this. Her smaller figure and higher end looking costume would stand out as someone to mug. Most knew better, but for those who didn't, Bulldozer followed closely behind. His stature was made all the more intimidating by the new mechanical contraption on his shoulders. This alone cleared up the confusion that harming Amelia was off limits.

”While I have the spare time, I would like to see that new device in action against a real fighter.” She addressed Bulldozer while finely tweaking her mask back into place. ”You can punch through walls all you want, if you can’t land a hit well…”” Night Owl cut herself off, something was wrong about the night club. Very seriously wrong. Her eyes began to glow a bit as if her power was tracking someone, but she wasn’t trying to. Night Owl furrowed her brow and focused around what could have caused it. Then, as if only a glimpse has popped up, Orange.

In the swirl of awful smells there was a familiar scent that visualized before Amelia only briefly. She went to follow it and saw the faint trail get slowly more defined as she slowly paced around the dingy night club. Orange, from the N Train incident, the person who had kindly splattered half their body around the place and then walked out like it was nothing. How did they still have the energy? It didn’t make much sense at all.

Nearing the end of the trail it was consistent and easy to follow. Looking across at the bar, Night Owl spotted Roach with the trail leading directly to him. She made sure to slink away out of direct line of sight before continuing to watch. So, Roach was at the N train massacre. That explained how the orange figure could just walk out of there. But it raised far more questions.

Why was he at the N train massacre? Whose side was he on? It was safe for Night Owl to assume that he was working with the Rocketeers. But then how was he able to get away when the others became stains on the train car walls? And why would he reject her invitations to work under her and then go and work for the Rocketeers. There were too many questions to count and she wasn’t going to get answers sitting back like this.

”Dozer, I want to talk to that one at the bar. I’ll be in the private meeting room in the back, bring him over there.”

Night Owl left to talk with the owners. Usually it was only a matter of money to use the rooms out back. It was a good way for criminals to do less than legal business in private. The cost may be high to some, but it was only spare change to Amelia.

---

Bulldozer put his hand on Travis’ shoulders from behind while Travis sat at the bar. ”Would you like to follow me?” Bulldozer asked the question in a manner that was cold, distant, and very direct. This was not a question where no would be accepted. ”The Night Owl would like a few words.”

Most people would probably be a little intimidated by a man wearing machinery that wouldn’t look out of place in a construction site on their shoulders - but after enough rounds in the pits, you kinda get used to things. Travis was more worried about having to replace his outfit again, having ditched the clothes he wore on the N-train because of the blood stains, but Bulldozer’s demeanor and request quickly eased his fears.

“Lead the way, Ellen Ripley.”

Bulldozer didn’t comment on the reference, instead directing the masked Travis to a small room at the back of the club. Travis didn’t really mind too much anyways - he barely remembered the Bulldozer despite the numerous Brookside cage matches that they had participated in. If Travis couldn’t remember this guy’s name, he wouldn’t fault the Bulldozer for not picking up on a name from a movie that was nearly 80 years old.

The thought of telling Scales where he was headed crossed his mind, but when Travis saw her making out with some random girl neither of them knew, he felt that she probably wouldn’t notice him missing for a bit.

---

What pose would look most intimidating? The thought ran through Amelia’s mind as she tried different poses in the chair. She thought back to how her dad would conduct meetings but the environment of business and the criminal would differ greatly in appearance if nothing else. No, the Night Owl persona needed a new set of guidelines to approach from.

While continuously shuffling around in the chair. Amelia heard the door open, her eyes briefly went wide in panic as she realised she was not prepared at all. Instead she quickly made her mind up to lean back with the chair on an off angle to the table. She occupied her left hand by twirling her dagger around in it. By the time the door opened fully, she was in position but she could only hope Roach did not hear the slightly panicked shuffling.

The room Travis and Bulldozer entered was about as private and barren as could be in the nightclub, having only a few metal chairs and a single table to decorate its interior. While far from soundproof, the windowless room managed to dim the music of the nightclub to a much more reasonable level, allowing the occupants to hear one another without shouting. And more importantly for Travis’s growing headache, the scent of alcohol was overwhelmed by the metallic odor of dried blood that dotted the floor.

Clearly, these rooms were used for a lot more than just business negotiations.

Travis slid into the nearest chair, moving it slightly so he could face Night Owl more directly as he spoke.

”Glad to see you’re doing well, Night Owl. Have any luck with your, uh, recruitment?”

It was always a bit rare to actually mean that phrase when you were in the pits - maybe between friendly rivals, or the owner to a jobber that takes a dive. Other than that, you wanted people to be doing as bad as possible.Less of a risk of killing each other that way.

But Night Owl didn’t fight, and she was always friendly. Or at the very least amicable. She had attempted more than once to lure Travis into serving as one of her goons, like Bulldozer. If he hadn’t already filled his application to HERO, he probably would have accepted her offers - unlike the various gang leaders and villainous ‘masterminds’ that Travis had met during his time in Brookside, Night Owl wasn’t batshit crazy.

Or at the very least, was much better at hiding it.

”I’d offer to get you and your friend a drink, but I don’t really trust what they serve here… It seems like you have something important to talk to me about anyways.”

”I’ve had my successes.” She nods over to Bulldozer who closes the door and stands by it. ”I am still looking to hire more, but I’m not here to offer you the same thing yet again. In fact, I’m just here to talk. I have taken a liking to you and I would like to think we are friends at the very least.”

Night Owl took a bottle from under the table with two glasses. It was a whiskey bottle, probably the highest end brand you could purchase from the nightclub. Amelia had seen her father do this before with his business partner friends coming over to the estate. It seemed right to do the same here. She half filled each of the small glasses before sliding one over to Travis and setting the bottle on the table.

Night Owl looked at the surrounding room. ”However, I apologize for the scenery. I was expecting something with a little more decor, and a little less… blood.”

Travis felt a bit relieved at Night Owl’s intentions. It was always a little awkward to say no to someone, so knowing that she wasn’t still trying to recruit him was good news. He gently pushed the glass back towards the better dressed woman.

”Oh, uh, I can’t really drink - real bad lightweight... ”

’…And I don’t know how I’m getting home.’ Travis grimaced, reminded that his ride here was already drunk..

Night Owl raised her eyebrows a bit, hidden behind her mask. She was surprised he would turn down such a thing. Most of these Brookside thugs were drawn to alcohol like moths to a light were they not. But then again, it's not as if she had seen the Bulldozer drink.

That left a bit of an awkward position, because she did not intend to drink her glass either. So what, were the two glasses just going to sit there the whole time. No, that wouldn’t look very professional to commit such as faux pas. Amelia took the glass in her other hand and took a small sip.

She almost gagged, what was this stuff? Do people really drink this? It's disgusting. She placed the glass down and just managed to get the small sip down while hiding her grimace. Amelia made a mental note to herself, ‘avoid whiskey, very disgusting.’

”Thank you for the offer, though. And the choice in furniture isn’t really your fault, so don’t worry about it.”

Night Owl drew her attention back to Travis. She had almost forgotten she had company and an image to keep.

A few seconds passed in silence, Travis desperately thinking about what to talk about. He quickly defaulted to the basics, eager to alleviate the silence.

”You do anything interesting recently? I went to the aquarium a few days ago.” He eyed the blade between her fingers. ”... Maybe knife throwing lessons?”

”Hmmm, haha, I actually have Roach. It is probably not surprising to you but I am not from Brookside initially.” Night Owl did not look directly at Travis while saying this. Instead she had her gaze casually rested on the knife she twirled in her hand. ”A lot of the time, I feel like a fish out of water here. But lately I have been talking to the charming people around here and you could say I have started to care for them.” A lie. ”When you spend time around here you get all sorts of rumors coming your way. In fact, I heard a pretty interesting one that happened just this afternoon.”

Night Owl shifted her head to make direct eye contact with Travis, slowly and methodically. “The Rocketeers tried to do a hit on the N train. Now most of them will be having funerals in the near future, close casket I’m afraid, courtesy of HERO. Shameful, isn’t it?” She was fixated on Travis now. Any change in his expression would not go unnoticed.

And his expression did change, despite Travis’s novice attempts to hide it. He paled and looked off to the side to break eye contact, clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand.

”M-must have been pretty big, if there were heroes instead of just bots. Though I have to admit, pulling a train heist seems a bit cowboy-esque…”

Internally, Travis was now cussing out his friend for dragging him here. How the hell was Night Owl connected to the Rocketeers!? She didn’t seem like a follower or in need of the money, and she wasn’t crazy enough to actually use Plutonium.

”You also hear any rumors on what they were after?”

Bingo. She had him now. Although his apparent lack of support for the Rocketeers was off-putting. Why was he there?

”Oh I imagine it would have been quite big. I do happen to like the idea of a ragtag group of cowboys in an era where robots can take on ten regular men. As for what they were after, your guess is as good as mine. Must have been something worth the risk.”
”What’s the matter Roach?” Night Owl said with a smile and a far friendlier tone that the situation would suggest. ”You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She then started laughing. It would have come off as quite cute, if the situation and setting were in a place other than here.

Seeing the shift in atmosphere, Travis nearly began to laugh as well. If she didn’t know, then it must have really just been a conversation topic! ”Sorry about that, it just seemed like a pretty grisly topic… haha...”

Night Owl’s expression then went serious immediately as she took hold of her dagger and threw it away from Travis. It stuck into the soundproofing foam that was sparsely lining the upper parts of the wall. Travis could hear Bulldozer lock the door behind him.

”Roach, I want to be your friend here. But friendships require honesty. Why were you there?”

”Friendships also need privacy, last time I checked. How did you know I was there?”

Misdirection was the new name of the game. Travis couldn’t tell her the truth - if Night Owl knew he was a Hero, being in Brookside fights was out of the question. Hell, she may even try attacking him despite their friendship. Though, while he didn’t know her power, he felt pretty confident in a fight where she threw away her knife, and only had one guard...

Or he would feel confident, if they weren’t right outside the door to a nightclub, filled to the brim with illegal fighters and criminals. One of whom knew his real identity. Getting fired from HERO was a best-case scenario - worst case, he gets murdered as an undercover hero, or is given cement shoes and tossed in the docks.

”Were you stalking me or something?”

Probably not - Travis really wasn’t that big of a deal, and she said she had given up trying to recruit him. But he needed to reach for anything that let him avoid that question of ‘why?’.

Night Owl had him. Her smile widened to an evil grin as she stood up with her hands on the table. Travis was much like a fish who had taken the bait and was yanked out of the water, Night Owl only needed to reach out and take. Everything was exactly right, she held all the cards. Travis’ pathetic attempts at deflection would have no effect at all. She looked directly at him to see the fear behind his eyes. Then she would take everything.

Amelia saw the fear behind his eyes. Why wasn’t she happy? Why couldn’t she look upon the situation she had created a smile knowing she had the upper hand. Why did she feel… bad? Her smile gradually faded back to a more somber look. What was happening to her?

”I just don’t want people to start thinking the wrong things. You made it out of that place when most of the Rocketeers ended up dead. Someone could get the wrong idea and think you were part of HERO or something.” Amelia sat back down into her chair and leaned back once more. ”Things aren’t going to be too good for heroes around here for the next few months. Just make sure no one makes that mistake.”

Night Owl gave a nod to Bulldozer which was followed by an awkward silence. For a moment, Travis would have no idea what that nod had meant. For a good ten seconds, nothing happened. Then Night Owl raised a hand in frustration and soon after Travis could hear the door behind him unlocking and swinging open. Bulldozer stood beside it, holding the door open.

For a few seconds, Travis was stunned. There was no way that bullshit attempt at deflection had worked - Night Owl looked like she was ready to knock down his hastily built defense in seconds, and now she was just letting him walk away?

This… wasn’t how things worked here. Where was the monologue? The extortion? Not even a threat of bodily harm?

Travis sat there, confusion dominating his expression. Why would a villain, someone who Travis was specifically employed to dislike, letting him walk free? She had to know that he worked for HERO, and she could put him right under her thumb if she wanted to. It’d be easy - just threaten to reveal it to the nightclub, or the police, or even HERO themselves. The best henchmen were ones you had blackmail on.

It didn’t make sense. It didn’t make any sense at-

’...I want to be your friend here…’

Travis stood up slowly, the metal chair squeaking against the cement floor as he did so. It took a few tugs to remove the knife from its place in the soundproofing foam, but once it was clear, he gently placed it on the table in front of them.

A friend.

”Thanks for the warning, Night Owl. It means more than you’d think.”

Pulling out a piece of gum and a pen, Travis tossed aside the sweet and began to write out a phone number on the wrapper.

A supervillain wanted to be friends.

”But if you need any more rumors like you got about the train, or any help that is up my alley… Well, I might be able to lend a hand.”

Travis slid the paper to the villain, putting the pen back in his pocket, right next to the Burner that Travis had given Night Owl the number of.

Amelia hadn’t watched Travis while he did any of that, she simply looked down at the table. For some reason she focused on the two glasses. How could she be so weak? Her father would have never let this guy walk. When someone is in the palm of your hand like that, you squeeze them for all they’re worth. That is how you get things done. And yet, she decided to just let him go. For nothing.

But then Travis placed the gum wrapper in front of her and she looked up to face him. Was he looking down on her? Pitying her for the weakness she just showed? That must be it. And yet the worst part about it is that she felt compelled to accept his offer. ”I’ll give you a call if I need you.” Amelia said with a half smile. ”You can go now. I think we’ve finished here.” She gestured to the open door.

Travis looked down at Night Owl as she motioned to the door. He wasn’t smart when it came to a lot of things, but people were supposed to be something he was good at.

He snatched one of the glasses of whisky and drank as quickly as he could, coughing violently as he finished it and slamming the glass back in its place. ’That was a terrible decision’ Travis thought, as he immediately felt his body loosen up and throat begin to burn.

”Do-*cough*-Don’t be a stranger… Okay?”

Travis started heading to the door, his gait a little less graceful than it was coming into the room. He gave a nod to the Bulldozer, and paused at the doorway to turn back.

He had basically agreed to conspire against HERO, with a villain that he had only met a matter of weeks ago, solely because she called him her friend.

And he was the one who initiated it. It was easily the stupidest thing he’d ever done. It beat out trying some Nova and nearly overdosing. It beat fighting in cage matches that, half the time, ended up becoming deathmatches. It beat joining an organization dedicated to stopping crime, and having two coworkers die on the first mission. But at the end of the day...

”See you around, Night Owl.”

What else are friends for?

Amelia watched Travis walk out the door then Bulldozer close it behind him. She looked back down at the two glasses, one now empty of whiskey. She was so ready to send them flying at the wall in a rage the second Travis left. For her weakness, for just letting him get away. But she could only look at the empty glass and chuckle to herself. He didn’t have to do that after all, but he did it anyway. Maybe this all wasn’t so bad after all.

With a genuinely pleasant smile, Amelia picked up the other glass of whiskey and instead poured it onto the ground. Whiskey does taste like shit after all.

---

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...Not the best night, all things considered. Scales forced Travis to take two shots of Tequila with her when she noticed how unsteady he was on his feet, and he ended up getting a ride home in Flail Snail's pickup truck. Travis was nearly late to the meeting this morning, cleaning the slime that he dragged into his home...

Oh, and the whole 'offer to work for a supervillain' thing. That was a few degrees worse than having to steam clean his carpets this morning.

No, this was fine... It could be a lot worse, in all honesty.

'Can't get in trouble for something if you just don't get caught...'

All Travis needed to do was avoid letting it slip. He could do that! If he could buy beer with a fake ID, he could lie to a multi-national organization about conspiring with villains and beating the shit out of criminals for money. Hell, the last part was basically his job description already!

Yeah, Travis could do this...

---

Travis could not do this.

DEAD MAN - Operation Buzzkill

Normally, Travis would be ecstatic to be on the dangerous mission. Subtlety was never really his 'thing', and while it'd be cool to talk to Bomber at his job, kicking ass just had a certain thrill about it...

Or it would have a certain thrill, if it wasn't the Rainy Day.

The Rainy Day clubhouse was one of a dozen or so major fight clubs in Castleburg, and easily one of the most prominent. Everyone went there at least once or twice in their career, from big shots like Titan to newbies on their first night out. It was an excellent place to go if someone wanted to make a reputation for themselves in the pits or get hired for some side gig.

And it was also littered with people who knew everything about Roach.

Sure, he wasn't the most popular in the pits, but information about powers got disseminated fast, regardless of status. It made sense - if you're gonna fight someone, you wanted to know everything they could do. Unfortunately, that meant that if Travis got hit, and his power was too noticeable, then it'd be easy to draw a connection...

The thought of asking to be moved to the other mission briefly crossed Travis's mind, but he pushed it down just as fast as it appeared. He didn't have an alibi, and it would look way too suspicious considering how obedient he's been so far.

...So the plan was to somehow go to a fight club filled with villains, kick a bunch of ass and arrest a manager, all while avoiding getting hit as much as possible.

Travis frowned, almost pouting. This was shaping up to be even more difficult than the N-Train. So far, the biggest thing he had going for him was the fact that he probably knew the people they'd be fighting, and he had a team to rely on...

A team consisting mostly of people he didn't know at all... shit.

"Hey there, not sure if we've officially met yet!"

Travis waved at the nearest boy, a white-haired man around his own height.

"You're Graham, right? I saw that we're on the same mission - you can call me Travis!"

Pandora had taught him a valuable lesson on reading the mission report... or, in this case, opening it to a random page. Just so happened that 'Enkidu' was the first hero he flipped to in the report - so he'd also be the first Travis makes friends with.

"Just wondering if you can show me around, or introduce me to folks. Not sure how new you are, but yesterday was my first mission, haha..."

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

Dead Man

Travis Einstein

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DEAD MAN

"Henshin, bitch! ...Did I say it right?"

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[ NAME ]

Travis Einstein

[ HERO IDENTITY ]

DEAD MAN

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

Masochist, Roach, Einstein (Do not call him this if you don't want to get punched)

[ AGE ]

20

[ GENDER ]

Male

[ AFFILIATION ]

HERO. Regularly fights other Supers in Brookside cage matches for money.

[ APPEARANCE ]

Travis appears to be a normal young adult - physically fit, dark-haired, somewhat smelly. His skin has a strange, almost sandpaper-like texture to it. His hair varies in length, typically growing for several months before Travis shaves it down into a buzz cut, and is almost always left in a disheveled state. He is exceptionally muscular and lean, like his father, to the point where even extensive binges struggle to put fat onto him. He seems to have a somewhat musty smell, one of the few things he is insecure about and goes to great lengths to conceal. He is slightly shorter than average, around 5'8, though his personality makes this easy to forget. Travis's voice fluctuates wildly, from lighthearted and excitable, to what could only be described as serrated.

When it comes to his wardrobe, Travis sticks mostly to basic colors and patterns. He is especially fond of tracksuits, though he rarely wears them outside because he's afraid they'll get ruined in a fight. His 'Hero suit' is just whatever random assortment of clothes he can find for cheap, along with a plastic mask. He currently doesn't have the money for a more impressive suit, but has made crude sketches of his dream superhero costume, which he proudly shows off to whoever asks.

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

Friendly(?): Travis is very similar to a stray dog. If someone treats him with kindness, he will go to great lengths to protect that person and make them proud of him. If they are initially hostile, he will act rude, abrasive, and will even attempt to fight at the slightest provocation. All that matters to him are that people pay attention to him, even if it's only a little or it's negative.

Loyal: Loyalty is probably the most important trait in Travis's mind. If someone became Travis's friend, he'd gladly take every bullet in the world for them, without expecting anything in return. While some of his past acquaintances took advantage of this, Travis's current group of friends is tight-knit and are willing to put themselves at great risk for him, despite not being Heroes themselves. Should Travis see loyalty in his enemies, he will almost always let them go - snitches and rats, however, infuriate him like nothing else. If Travis was ever betrayed, he'd likely not believe it, and assume that whoever did it was just trying to be a double agent or something.

Needs Role Model: Travis did not have a positive relationship with his family, and seems to almost be looking for 'replacements'. He is particularly fond of older male and female role models, and will likely grow very attached to Director Steele and any older Heros that he works with. This is not healthy, and the sooner he breaks out of the habit, the better for everyone involved. Makes it pretty easy to manipulate him though, so less moral coworkers can pretty easily trick Travis into doing their work for them.

Vain: When it comes to being a Hero, Travis honestly doesn't care. Saving people is fun and all, but he doesn't do it out of a moral or ethical desire. He just enjoys the feeling of people praising him and his accomplishments, something that was missing in his childhood. He's quick to praise friends and acquaintances, but will usually trash talk people he isn't fond of, especially villains.

[ BIO ]

Brookside has always been the worst region of the city - and while some of the inhabitants are quite proud of the borough they came from, even they know it's terrible. That's why it was one of the cheapest places to live in the city. If you're broke or wasted your life, chances are you'll end up in Brookside, probably drugged out in a crappy apartment.

That's how Travis' father, Frank Einstein, ended up. Frank was employed by HERO during the golden age of heroes, using his impressive physique and electrokinetic abilities in order to eke out a living. However, after a confrontation with a much more famous Hero, Frank was targetted by their fans and quickly lost any semblance of a reputation. Several years later, an especially intense Leftover attack left Frank permanently injured and unable to continue Hero work. Shortly after, his girlfriend became pregnant, and they moved from their Watervale home to Brookside. Frank initially tried becoming an electrician, but his reputation made it near impossible to find work. He eventually managed to land a gig as a Bouncer, and he was happy to have some kind of income.

Travis never knew his mother, despite inheriting her power. She left only a few months after he was born, her possessions gone from her and Frank's apartment by the time he returned from work. Frank quickly fell into a depression, and began abusing Nova in order to deal with the stress of being a single father.

Travis's early life was extremely poor, being left alone for hours at a time nearly every day. He was typically left in front of the television, watching whatever action film or nature documentary his father left on before leaving for work. It is this abandonment that caused Travis's desire for recognition. A desire that only grew more intense over time.

It was when he was 10 that Travis finally a place he felt he belonged - a small gang of other preteens that tried to act tough and look cooler than they really were. The group was quick to accept Travis into their squad, using his muscle to try and intimidate younger children away from their hangout. Four years later, Travis was coerced into shoplifting - a habit he kept up for a few weeks, before getting caught. Frank, in retaliation, yelled at him for a few minutes before ordering a pizza.

Three days later, Travis shoplifted again, and intentionally got caught. His father, this time in a drunken stupor, slapped against him uselessly before passing out. In a given week, Travis could probably count the number of conversations he had with his father on one hand. But by stealing some snacks or a crappy lighter, his father would go out of his way to talk to Travis. After this discovery, Travis's delinquency slowly ramped up over the years. Graffiti, pouring paint on E-Police from rooftops, drinking (he's a massive lightweight) - he never seemed to get into more serious crimes, although the only reason was because he didn't want to get his friends into trouble. He grew more rough and confrontational, starting fights with anyone who messed with him or his friends, and he only managed to pass his classes because he cheated constantly and no one cared.

Eventually, Frank wasn't able to keep up anymore - he got into a fight at work with one of the other bouncers, and was fired. This, along with his dwindling supply of Nova, caused Frank to become apathetic and uncaring for nearly everything in his life. He just sat around watching television, having given up on keeping an appearance of control. Travis took over as the breadwinner of the house, barely managing to scrape together rent by getting a part-time job in a Watervale house cleaning company. Travis, surprisingly, was happy to do this - he was good at it and loved the work, and the manager didn't care if Travis and his friends hung out behind the store. More than this, Travis found the positive recognition of honest work more enjoyable than the yelling he got from petty crimes.

This was around the time Travis and his father's relationship reached an all-time low. While Frank had initially tried futilely to have a semblance of control over his son, he was now a shell that couldn't care less about what Travis did. Travis, unable to get praise for his accomplishments or admonishment for his failures, was left without any kind of recognition in his life. He stopped cooking or cleaning for his father, only going home to sleep and couch surfing whenever he could.

After a three-day stint at one of his friend's house, he came home to find Frank dead. He had shot himself in the head, watching old news recordings of a major leftover attack. Other than the initial shock and the fear of calling the police, Travis didn't feel anything about his father's death. He stayed in the apartment for another month before joining HERO - and immediately after he joined, he moved into the housing they provided.

As for why he joined... He just thought that it would be cool.

| MISCELLANEOUS |

His Theme

After enough adaptations from Travis's power, he usually ends up looking like some kind of giant cockroach. It's unknown if this is some part of his power, or just that the most common damage types result in adaptations that are similar to a Roach (exoskeleton, lack of hair, etc).

Seems to be slightly more resilient to electricity. Unsure if this is a part of his power or a developed resistance.

"If my bros show up, you gotta let em in! Especially Scales, she's my ride."
Note to Hero staff: Do not allow unauthorized guests or personnel into HERO One at any time.

Abilities

[ RANKING ]

C+

[ POWERS ]

Despite his almost suicidal actions during combat, Travis seems to never stay down. As a matter of fact, it seems like he only gets harder to put down the more damage he takes. He is a human Cockroach, with all aspects of his power dedicated to survival.

Metabolic Monster: Travis' metabolism is, like many powers, a thermodynamic enigma. He can survive months without food and a week or two without water, and go nearly an hour without air. This is assuming he is barely moving, but even then, it's very impressive. However, when he has ample access to all these resources, his stamina and energy are seemingly unending. Travis could run marathons back-to-back, fight for hours, or work out all day, and as long as he has enough food and water, he probably won't even be tired by the time he's done. Certain substances, like medication, recreational drugs, and the power enhancer Nova, act far more quickly when administered to Travis and last significantly longer. Still needs the normal amount of sleep.

Adaptive Regeneration: Travis possesses a moderate healing factor, recovering from a broken limb after only a day or two of rest. While respectable (if a bit slow for a regenerator), the more interesting aspect of this power is that Travis physically adapts to the damage he takes. Cuts will result in his skin growing tougher and gray, burns cause his hair to recede and tissue to become blackened and retardant, and blunt force will force his bones to poke out and harden into armor. These adaptations, of course, aren't permanent - by the time he heals from his injuries, the monstrous alterations to his form have faded away. However, if an opponent fails to kill Travis immediately and they don't have multiple ways to hurt him, it can become nearly impossible to kill him. Essentially, the more Travis is injured, the harder it is to further injure him.

Pesticides: Due to how efficient his metabolism is, poisons (as well as irritants and drugs) act far faster on Travis than the average person, with an onset time nearly 1/10 the usual. The duration, however, could potentially last twice as long as normal, since his body is trying to hold onto it as long as possible before rejecting it. While in some cases this could be useful, like with Nova and certain medication, it still means that Travis is much more vulnerable to overdosing. And if someone actually poisoned him? He'd probably need his stomach pumped or an antidote as soon as possible. Power suppression drugs are an especially effective counter, hampering his durability but still lasting far longer than they should.

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■■■□□□□□□□
3/10. Travis is stronger than the average human, most likely a trait inherited from his father. But pretty much any strength-based metahuman will be stronger than him. And some highly trained humans probably are too.

[ AGILITY ]
■■■□□□□□□□
3/10. Travis is significantly faster than the average human, being comparable to a college track athlete in speed. His reflexes, however, are completely unenhanced. He mostly uses his speed to catch up to others, chasing opponents until they collapse or are weakened before a fight.

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■□□□□□□□□□
1/10. Travis is not the brightest bulb. He lived in Brookside his entire life and skipped school constantly, resulting in his education being extremely limited. When it comes to book smarts, Travis struggles to beat middle schoolers. He is even worse with plans - he will regularly ignore instructions from all but his close friends, simply because he enjoys the feeling of improvising in a fight.

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■■□□□□□□□□
2/10. Travis is physically stronger than the average human, but that is the extent of his ability to damage his surroundings. No Area of Effect stuff here!

[ LETHALITY ]
■■■□□□□□□□
3/10. Travis is only somewhat more lethal than the average human. His increased strength and penchant for violence can make it easier for him to crush opponents, though this rarely matters against metahumans.

[ ENDURANCE ]
■■■■■■■■□□
8/10. At the start of a fight, Travis would probably be a 5 in pure durability. This can ramp up over the course of a fight, though never breaching past an 8. But when it comes to pure Endurance and stamina? Travis is easily an 8 or higher, so long as he has eaten.

[ EFFICACY ]
■■■■□□□□□□
4/10. Travis's power is entirely passive, functioning even while he is unconscious. However, its vulnerability to poisons and power suppression restricts its reliability, especially against opponents that are aware of it.

[ SKILLS ]

Brawling: Travis has years of experience in both kicking ass as well as getting his ass kicked. He could probably fight 3 people at once and pull out a win, assuming they don't have powers and he isn't using his. Definitely not classically trained, a proper fighter could easily beat him if they didn't get hit first. But even if someone laid into him for hours, he'd come out the other end with only a few bruises and aches.

Street Smart: While he reads at a 5th-grade level and struggles with long division, Travis is quite skilled when it comes to more 'real world' knowledge. Whether it be maneuvering and acting in more lawless parts of the city or sneaking past E-Police blindspots, Travis has picked up much from his more criminally inclined friends. He has a few contacts that are always out for some cash - and are more than willing to sell drugs, info, or muscle in order to get it. He's not a snitch though, and these guys are the closes thing he has to friends - you'll probably need to trick him if you want to get at his contacts.

Housekeeping: Travis is an excellent homemaker, having taken care of his abusive father since he was a child. Everything from cooking to basic repairs falls under his purview, and he will typically go into a bit of a cleaning frenzy when he notices a messy room. Gets annoyed by wrinkled clothes.

[ EQUIPMENT ]

Bokken: A Japanese practice sword. Or as Travis calls it, 'A cool wooden stick'. He bought it purely because he thought it looked neat, and has used it extensively over the years. Somehow it hasn't broken yet.

The Shocker: Literally just a Taser. Not the strongest thing on the market, but since early E-Police models had a vulnerability to electricity (or at least were rumored to), it has become a kind of badge among the Brookside underground. Travis' Taser is covered in lightning bolt and flame stickers which he claims 'makes it more badass'.

Necklace: A stainless steel necklace, it's almost as durable as its wearer and has been shined almost obsessively. Travis bought it using money from his part-time job. He is very fond of it since it was the only piece of jewelry he could afford. He has on more than one occasion choked someone out with it, and while it's not as effective as a garrote, it's a lot less lethal. Has been used against him more than once, which makes Travis thankful breathing isn't too much of a priority for him.

Relationships

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[ DEAD MAN ]

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[ Europa ]

[ "Marcie? She's pretty cool! Powers are useful, and I finally have someone to talk about those old movies with! Remind me not to bring up Jaws around her though..." ]

[ Probably the Hero Travis has interacted with the most. He'd definitely call her a friend, despite the fact they've only known each other for, like, a day or two at most. Has learned more about Sharks from her in a single conversation than an entire trip to the aquarium. ]

[ Pandora ]

[ "She taught me to always read the files before going on a mission. I thought she was a psychic or something when she said my name the first time we met..." ]

[ Travis views her as rough around the edges, though he actually had a decent enough first experience to think of her somewhat highly. Her youthful appearance, however, makes it harder for Travis to view her as a role model like he does with Blum and Steel. ]

[ Night Owl ]

[ "She asked if I wanted to work for her while I was, um, working a side job. I probably would have said yes, but I was already busy with HERO - and subtlety was never really my forte. She seems pretty cool for a supervillain, now that I've gotten to know her... It really is a shame I said no." ]

[ Of all the villains that Travis knows, he definitely thinks Night Owl is the least malicious. Though, when most 'villains' he knows are drug addicts and murders, it's not too hard of a bar to clear. He thinks of her as a friend. ]

[ BLITZ ]

[ "Ugh, this guy. He blew vape smoke in my face, murdered like a dozen guys, and made Blum upset! Seriously, _{how is he so cool despite that!?}" ]

[ Very hit or miss with Travis. Despite having an atrocious first impression, the brutal massacre that he did against the Rocketeers was very 'badass' to Travis. Travis doesn't really like him, and the man's affection for narcotics and hard drugs is hard to bear for Travis's constitution, but Travis will almost certainly end up copying Quinton's mannerisms to look cooler (at least, the less self-destructive ones). ]

[ Dawnbreaker ]

[ "Think he'll take me flying if I ask nicely? I'm a bit heavier than Pandora, but Dawnbreaker is a big guy." ]

[ Travis hasn't interacted much with Dawnbreaker, and is unaware of his connection to Night Owl. Enjoys his bombastic persona and thinks his powers are some of the coolest of the heroes he's met thus far, as Travis has always seen flight as the 'go-to hero power'. They haven't spoken yet though, so it's really only one-sided respect. ]

[ Starbright ]

[ "He's alright. Kind of wish they didn't force his songs into every movie from the 20s and 30s though..." ]

[ Starbright is the reason Travis's father became despised at HERO, having betrayed the organization during the Seraph Incident and attempting to stop Starbright and another hero from discovering Seraph. Despite being partially responsible for his father's spiral into alcoholism and addiction, Travis doesn't really hold any grudge against him, mostly just finding his music 'kind of shallow and uninspired'. Thought about joining the Starbright foundation, but completely dismissed the idea when he remembered 'I turn into a fucking cockroach'. ]

[ Alexandra Steel ] and [ Ray Blum ]

[ "Director Steel is super cool - kind of like Sarah Connor from Terminator. I never met my own mom, but I like to think she'd be like her." ]

[ "I tried emailing Blum about doing a HERO picnic event, but he never responded. If he doesn't respond to my request for Free Ice Cream Fridays, I might need to talk to the IT department or something..." ]

[ Travis treats Director Steel and Assistant Director Blum with an unhealthy degree of adoration, especially considering he really doesn't know anything about them. Most of his actions in HERO are to either impress them or make them see Travis as useful, and some HERO psychologists may think that Travis is attempting to use them to fill a void left by his parents. That, or he's just really, really creepy. ]

Backstory NPCs (BORING!!!)

[ Scales ]

[ "She's my ride-or-die! When someone spiked the punch bowl during prom, she drove me to the hospital to get my stomach pumped - she still doesn't let me hear the end of it! Oh, and this other time she was hitting on this gangster chick, when all of a-" *Note: Dead Man continues to ramble for 10 minutes. Log has been cut short for brevity.* ]

[ A woman with a power that has left her with a distinctly reptilian appearance, her green scales attributing to her nickname. Travis thinks of her as his closest friend, as the two have been close since middle school. Currently works at a movie theater that Travis frequents, but has a side gig selling drugs. She is a big fan of anime and Sentai shows. ]

[ Bomber ]

[ "Probably one of the smartest people I know! Or at least the scummiest. Seriously, he's like the MacGyver of jury-rigging and stealing. I'm always excited for what he finds for Christmas!" ]

[ An unpowered man, standing around 5'10 and lanky like a pole. Suffers from kleptomania, which resulted in his expulsion from Castleburg University. Has a different job every time Travis sees him, and has some connections for finding and selling shadier items. Travis really wishes that he'd stick to stealing car radios and snacks. Has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of wine, with dreams of getting his sommelier license and opening his own Bar/Barbeque. ]

[ Terry ]

[ "Terry is a good guy - too good to be hanging out in Brookside, that's for sure. It's also nice having someone that can carry your fridge around." ]

[ A student at Castleburg University, having got in on a full-ride scholarship and staying in Brookside for the cheap rent. If he's not 'peak human' strength, he's pretty damn close. Not that it'd matter, since he's a pacifist. Believed to be on steroids, but has passed every drug test thus far. Travis enjoys weight lifting with him, and the pair usually go to the gym at least three times a week together. Dated Bomber for a bit in their sophomore year of high school, but they broke up for reasons unknown to Travis. ]

[ Kat ]

[ "Kat's been running sessions every Sunday for, like, 5 or 6 years now. Still have no idea how she does it - I tried running GURPS once, and realized it was Math Class, but worse." ]

[ Definitely the most creative of Travis's friends, Kat is a self-published writer with several novels under her belt despite her young age. They clearly haven't taken off as well as she'd like, since she is still living in Brookside. Has mild Agoraphobic tendencies, so Travis and his friends usually hang out at her home. Travis has difficulty talking to her due to her more isolated nature, but is adamant about maintaining their friendship. ]

Confetti

Stacy Page

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Confetti

"You look like an idiot... Excellent."

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[ NAME ]

Stacy Page

[ VILLAIN IDENTITY ]

Confetti

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

N/A

[ AGE ]

35

[ GENDER ]

Female

[ AFFILIATION ]

Villain Team (Name to be decided)
Page Cleaning Services

[ APPEARANCE ]

Stacy was born with Albinism, and as a result, is unnaturally pale. She stands at 5'1", and weighs 102 pounds. Very thin, to the point her ribs are easily seen when her shirt is off or tight - she regularly skips meals to focus on her work. She is not very strong, and would be taller if not for her poor diet. Her hair and skin are meticulously maintained, making her look younger than she really is. Her expression rarely changes when out of costume. Her voice, similarly, is a base monotone.

Stacy typically dresses in more concealing clothing in order to protect her skin from the sun, and favors formal wear like suits. She always wears gloves and avoids making physical contact with others. Her 'Supervillain costume' is a garish motley, of which she has several variants for different shows crimes. She covers them in scraps of colored paper while worn, shifting them constantly and creating an almost kaleidoscope-esque effect to coat her body. She also wears a featureless white mask, the expressions and appearance of which she alters on the fly with sheets of paper.

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

Average Jane: Stacy's personality outside of the mask is quite unremarkable - she is introverted, non-confrontational, and usually picks up the slack for others rather than ask them to do something. Really, the only thing that seems to leave a big impact on those around her is her status - Stacy is incredibly wealthy, and displays a cutthroat business sense when it comes to maintaining her grasp on Castleburg's Cleaning and Home Maintenance market.

Unfeeling: The reason for her lack of presence is not because she is shy - Stacy has lived most of her life without feeling any strong emotions, and she is incredibly cold and distant as a result. She has never formed any meaningful relationships, never made any friends, and the only people she interacts with regularly are her employees. While in the past she could focus the stress this caused on making a better future for herself, now she struggles to deal with the fact that no one really cares about her. She is terrified that she has wasted her life.

Presentation!: One of the few things that Stacy feels excitement from is when she is playing up her villainous alter ego. As a villain, she has an incredible attachment to aesthetics, claiming Form is more important than Function in almost every regard. She loves to distract people with grand uses of her power, such as making thousands of paper planes block the sun, while she carries out her actual objective without being noticed.

Sensitive: While Stacy is quite observant and capable of quick thinking, she is incredibly immature emotionally. Since she has spent most of her life not feeling intense emotions, it is very easy to overwhelm her when she is acting out as a villain - taunting and angering her will make her lash out, and flattery will usually lead to her giving a monologue about her secret plan (unless that would be spoilers!). She is also not sure how to handle non-professional relationships, such as friendship or love.

[ BIO ]

Stacy was raised by a single father, as her mother passed away while giving birth to her. While Stacy's father took care of her needs, he always blamed Stacy for the death of her mother, and kept her at a distance emotionally. Looking back on it, she doesn't blame him - she wouldn't know how to raise a child any better, after all.

Stacy spent the vast majority of her life making as little impact as possible - she was never caught for serious crimes, never won any awards for her academics, and her classmates never had anything to comment about her. She viewed standing out in any way as an invitation to be stomped down, and was very careful to be as 'average' as possible in order to secure her future.

However, Stacy was already breaking the law when she was in high school. She used her power to effectively grant herself infinite 'spending money,' though her fear of getting caught limited her to small purchases. By the time she graduated and left home, she had taken out a loan and set up a small business in Watervale - a Laundromat.

While you'd think that most of Stacy's revenue came from Money Laundering and the use of her power, it's quite surprising to learn that she only did it extensively in the beginning of her career. Over the next decade and a half, she would buy out and seemingly form a monopoly on laundromats in Castleburg, eventually expanding into nearly all aspects of Home Maintenance and even dipping into repairs.

After a life of constantly avoiding confrontation and staying in the sideline, Stacy finally managed to be successful. However, outside of financial success, Stacy has done nothing with her life - she never had a relationship, she didn't have friends, and her father passed away from a heart attack only a few years prior. She was going through a mid-life crisis, finding her existence a boring waste of time.

Everything changed when she walked in on a robbery. Her card had just expired, and Stacy had to pay to refuel her car with cash. Walking into the gas station, Stacy saw everyone lying face down on the ground, and a man dressed in some homemade costume holding the cashier hostage. The robber's arms were coated in ice, and formed a sharp blade that was held against the cashier's throat. He didn't even react when Stacy ran behind a shelf to hide - he just yelled for the cashier to continue emptying the register.

Stacy never forgot this moment. Her heart was pumping, adrenaline flowed in her veins, and every stimuli was almost overwhelming. It was the first time in Stacy's life that she felt truly afraid. Truly alive.

Normal adults cope with their Mid-life Crisis by wasting money on a new car or getting a new job. Stacy became obsessed with her power fantasy - the life of a stereotypical Villain.

But Stacy didn't want to abandon everything she had built so far - otherwise, her life really would be for nothing. She slowly built her new alter ego, and after a few short months of preparation, she was ready to form her team. Now, she could stop surviving, and start living.

| MISCELLANEOUS |

Her Theme

Confetti's appearances are typically preluded by mass swarms of paper airplanes and birds, which usually attempt to blot out light sources to assist one of the other members of her team. Heroes are recommended to carry some kind of light for attacks at night, though phone lights or car high beams can do in an emergency.

Close-range approaches are preferred if possible - Confetti lacks any real defense against fast and up-close assaults. Additionally, close-range attacks are less likely to result in friendly fire, which is a possibility when Confetti has larger quantities of paper and uses them to block line of sight.

Views Heroes and Villains as childish, and openly mocks them. If an Operative must buy time for backup, tricking her into a monologue on the topic should prove fairly simple (for example, tell her what you named your 'special moves' or your equipment).

Abilities

[ RANKING ]

C

[ POWERS ]

Paperclip: Stacy is capable of controlling all paper within a 200-meter radius, with enough precision to fold and tear individual sheets within swarms numbering in the hundreds of thousands. She senses these sheets through a sixth sense, and is able to both manipulate and control all the sheets within her control without becoming overwhelmed. Can theoretically kill through many cuts, though clothing is usually able to stop most pages from breaking skin. Blinding and choking is a much more dangerous threat.

While fire is an obvious weakness, it can actually make her much more dangerous for a few dozen seconds as she throws massive quantities of burning paper at her enemies before losing control. Hydrokinetics shut her down much better, the paper becoming too heavy to manipulate until it dries.

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■□□□□□□□□□
1/10. Stacy is not imposing whatsoever, maybe being able to bench press 50 pounds. She struggles to carry in groceries sometimes. Her power isn't any stronger, and even if it was, paper isn't the best medium for actions that need brute strength.

[ AGILITY ]
■■□□□□□□□□
2/10. Stacy has only average speed and reflexes, enough to not trip over her feet most of the time. Little more flexible than average, but that's really it.

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■■■■□□□□□□
4/10. Stacy is incredibly intelligent compared to the average person, possessing a cutthroat business sense and being especially skilled at social deception and manipulation. Due to never going to college and not having any special powers, however, her academic knowledge is a lot less expansive than most would assume from her demeanor.

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■■■■□□□□□□
4/10. While incapable of macro-scale destruction like most Kinetics, Stacy is incredibly potent at micro-scale destruction. Slicing wires in E-Police drones, destroying power lines (usually by burning them or messing with the transformers, since cutting one is too difficult with paper), clogging pipelines and gas pumps, and more are all possible, leaving Stacy with a number of options available to her for costing Castleburg tons of money. If you include things like covering windshields while people are driving and spreading fires, then her power could probably warrant a 5 or 6.

[ LETHALITY ]
■□□□□□□□□□
1/10. Not especially lethal, even against opponents not wearing any armor. Still, being blinded and choking on balls of paper sucks, even if you might survive from it.

[ ENDURANCE ]
■■□□□□□□□□
2/10. Stacy can be winded incredibly quickly when performing intense physical activities. Don't expect her to be doing a bunch of flips and fighting a bunch. Prone to nosebleeds.

[ EFFICACY ]
■■■■■■□□□□
6/10. Stacy's immense range makes it very difficult for most opponents to reliably pinpoint her, especially if she decides to simply stay hidden instead of being a showman. The only reliable counter is to destroy all the paper around her, which is incredibly difficult in a large city like Castleburg.

[ SKILLS ]

Misdirection: Confetti will probably become infamous for her ability to commit crimes without anyone noticing - or rather, without anyone noticing the actual crime. Her penchant for large-scale demonstrations of her power will distract most people from noticing her teammates or Stacy herself committing the actual operation. Unless she is facing someone with enhanced perceptions of some kind, they'll probably not notice her slip out of her handcuffs or slip a knife from her boot.

Psychology: Stacy has an excellent grasp of how people think, which she makes great use of in her plans. Especially useful with deception and manipulation. Of course, Stacy can really only make vague guesses about someone's personality and beliefs without spending lots of time talking with them. And individuals who have odd thought processes (Shadow Scythe Vengeance) or are inhuman (Vertediger) are much harder to get a grasp of.

Business Sense: Stacy's financial versatility is incredible - her company dominates Castleburg's Cleaning Market and has spread to be a common name throughout most of the East Coast. If need be, she can use her civilian identity to secure various properties and eliminate threats without ever tipping anyone off.

Papercraft: Stacy is shockingly good at Origami and other papercrafts. She doesn't have much passion for it outside of showing off, but even without considering her power, the things that she can make out of paper are baffling.

[ EQUIPMENT ]

Infinite Capital: Thanks to her power and massive business, Stacy has near limitless wealth to toss around. Of course, it's not really 'infinite' - if she made a large (or illegal/noticeable) purchase using money that isn't clean yet or should be spent on her company, she'd probably end up tipping off HERO or get arrested for embezzlement. Still, as long as she is convinced to use some of her squirreled-away wealth, she can afford most expenses.

Paper: Stacy rarely carries her entire arsenal of paper with her at all times, but she likes to store a ream or two in her briefcase when possible.

A Gun: Much more effective than you'd think, since a lot of Metahumans don't possess superhuman durability. Stacy carries a pistol that she is trained in using, and is more than willing to pull it out when she is put in a rough situation. Much more effective when she can hide where she's shooting from with her papers.

Relationships

---

---

[ Confetti ]

---

---

[ Duplica ]

[ "Miss Nielsen seems like a... difficult young woman. I'm worried she will aggravate Miss Doyle when I'm not around to defuse the situation. The good news is that she and Mr. Shaw will be fairly adept at provoking heroes we face, should the situation present itself." ]

[ Stacy believes that Abby is rebelling against her parents or some other authority by joining a Villain group, but doesn't really guess much about her beyond that. Finds her personality difficult to deal with, but considering she can make 18 mindless workers, Stacy finds it easier to deal with Abby than going out and hiring henchmen or something. Will likely grow more fond once she discovers the reasons behind her abrasive persona. ]

[ Lyssa ]

[ "By far the most impressive member of the team - and that includes myself. Miss Doyle is quiet, follows orders, and is superhumanly strong and tough. Her inclination towards violence could be quite troublesome, but compared to some of the issues the other team members and I have, it seems fairly manageable." ]

[ "...What do you mean 'Parents shouldn't pick favorites?'" ]

[ Stacy is under the impression that Mallory's anger issues originate from a poor childhood or undiagnosed mental disorder. Plans to introduce basic anger management to her at a later point in time, but this is more so to prevent attacks on her teammates rather than for Mallory's own mental health. Stacy is curious why Mallory needs the money, but won't question it out of a desire to remain professional. Might get afraid of her when she gets really angry. ]

[ Wander ]

[ "I've started setting an alarm on my phone to display Mister Shaw's face and name every 12 hours, so I do not lose my memory once again. He can cause quite a lot of trouble without proper precautions... And I don't want him living in my ceiling anymore." ]

[ Stacy thinks Marco lashes out for attention due to the nature of his powers preventing traditional friendships, leaving a void that he fills by irritating others. She finds his personality grating to deal with, as it introduces unneeded friction. She hopes that he mostly provokes Abby, as she does not feel confident in his ability to not get his ass kicked by Mallory. Will likely grow more complacent as she adapts to his antics, perhaps finding amusement from them when she is in costume. ]

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

@canaryrose

---

Travis breathed heavily as he pointed the sound gun (Sonic Rifle? Yeah, that sounded cooler) at the Chainsawyer, ready to unload on him the second he started to get up. Unlike Blitz, Travis seemed to lean towards the more merciful option of not brutally killing the pirates, or else he would have already been shooting the downed villain.

"...me... -Sawyer? ...The vermin... Still connect..."

His hearing wasn't getting any better - he could barely make out what Pandora was saying, despite only being a dozen or two feet away at most. Though the low whine of the Rifle and the sounds of the last few Rocketeers dying weren't exactly quiet. There almost seemed to be a light jolt through the room. Unbeknownst to Travis, this was Pandora reconnecting the train cars.

It was around this point that Travis finally noticed that the Chainsawyer was rapidly being frozen to the ground. When the villain realized this, he quickly attempted to pull away, but had already been safely neutralized. Travis lowered the rifle, looking over to Marcie as he did so. She responded by looking over at the few pirates who remained, most of whom were pretending to be dead or unconscious.

Before Travis could act on this and restrain the pirates, however, a red light beamed through the wall of the train car, a third massive hole in the vehicle. Travis quickly raised the rifle up again, ready to retaliate against whatever new villain was arriving this time, but no one came through the new entrance. Instead, a pair of cables shot through the hole, latched onto the Thorium, and whisked it away with ease.

For the immediate few seconds after this, Travis was left in stunned silence. Shortly after that, he finally realized that they had been unsuccessful.

Adrenaline pumped throughout Travis' body like lightning, and the pounding of his heart sounded louder than anything else right now. If the Thorium got stolen, then Director Steel and Blums would be super disappointed. All the funny emails, late-night voicemails, and formal requests for 'Free Ice Cream Fridays' would go to waste!

Of course, that might already be the case. While Travis didn't seem to care about the mass murder of these criminals, the Director and anyone responsible for PR might be a little upset.

Shit, shit, fuck, shit!. The Thorium was being taken away - Travis had to do something. Time almost seemed to slow down as his brain pulled at whatever options were around.

Needed to fly after the Thorium somehow. Growing wings? No, even if Travis' power could do that, he had no clue what kind of injury he'd need to take to facilitate it - the best he could do reliably was extra legs.

Shoot the ship with the Sonic Rifle? No, wouldn't be strong enough and could damage the Thorium. Best case, it gets dropped and is unusable. Worst case, it explodes... Well, maybe. Travis really wasn't sure what Thorium was, but the 'Weapon-Grade' title made him think it probably exploded.

Hold the living pirates ransom? That was a stupid idea. The leader clearly didn't give a shit about her team if she was just abandoning them here with the guy that killed most of them.

Stealing one of the dead Rocketeers' Jetpacks? Didn't have a clue how to operate it, might just go headfirst into a building at 100 miles per hour, and even if it goes well, there's no real guarantee that Travis could help against the flying ship.

Better than nothing, but still pretty dumb.

As Pandora and the new guy (Dawnmaker? Couldn't hear him very well...) both left the Train, Travis began to rifle through the equipment on the dead bodies. Most of the jetpacks were broken beyond repair - pierced along with the flesh and bones of their wearer when Blitz turned them into donuts.

When Travis finally found an intact pack, it seemed even more complex than he initially expected. Maybe the HUDs in the helmets made them easier to operate somehow? Didn't matter too much - none of the undamaged helmets would fit Travis' now deformed jaw. He slung the pack over his shoulder as the huge vape man spoke to him and Marcie.

"Well... shit... I think we're fucked, roach-boy and ice-chick. Hmm, ah, so wind-snob is going after it, I guess that makes sense."

"You guys probably can't keep up, so watch the place. I'll see if I can't go help."

"Whai fo me!"

Travis quickly chased after Blitz, stopping just short of the third hole in the train car. The train was at least 4 stories off the ground and the wind was blowing hard, Blitz running at ludicrous speeds along the roofline.

Yeah, fuck that.

"Fock tat."

It was now that Travis admitted that this wasn't really his fight anymore. His power didn't facilitate chasing down a vehicle very well, and he didn't know how to use the jetpack reliably. He'd almost certainly do more harm to himself and the buildings nearby than he would help to regain the Thorium. The other heroes would do better without having to worry about Travis messing things up for them.

More importantly, they were really high up, and Travis was not the biggest fan of heights.

He quickly began removing the rifles and jetpacks from the corpses and few remaining Pirates that were still alive, tossing them into a bloody pile the next car over. HERO probably wanted to take that stuff... and maybe they'd let Travis keep a badass souvenir. He refrained from knocking them out, however.

No real need to harm them anymore. The survivors surely preferred prison to dealing with Blitz again.

Travis gently rubbed his jaw, feeling the tooth blocks clack together every time he opened and closed his mouth. Might heal in an hour or two? That kind of sucked, but there wasn't really much left to do - wouldn't be too big of a problem.

"Cahn you freec-"

Yeah, this wasn't going to work. Travis paused, before pulling out his phone and opening a text-to-speech program. After typing his message out, a robotic voice quickly began playing from the device.

"Can you restrain these guys? I didn't bring any cuffs."

Travis continued typing, thankful that his hands didn't get injured during the fight. Typing with weird roach fingers was not an enjoyable experience.

"Do you know if Hero pays for the food here? That'd be ducking awesome."

Travis sighed, a noise that sounded more like a fusion of a whistle and a groan from his mutated throat.

"Fucking awesome."

It was a little disturbing that Travis was hungry despite the gory scene around them.

Fate/Profane Covenant

---

Sláine Druiminn

Koushuuensaikan Taizan, Mount Miyama, Miyama Town -> Moving towards Commerce District

Mentions: @Heavy Snark

---

Sláine backed away from the circle, an expression of surprise lining his face as he stared at the armored figure standing before him. Sláine knew that servants used to be humans, and he had expected the raw power that one possessed... but the presence was like nothing he could have anticipated.

There was no question. The figure standing before him, clad in armor, was a Saber-class Servant. His servant.

"I have heard your summons, and so I have answered. I ask of you, shall I fight at your side?"

"Oh thank god..."

Sláine couldn't help himself - the relief he felt upon seeing the form of his servant was palpable. Despite being stalled until the last minute before the war began, he had managed to land a Saber class Servant. Those were supposed to be the strongest class in the war! Sláine's patience with his summoning ritual must have been the key to this success.

Or it was pure luck, but the former made Sláine feel better about taking so long.

Sláine quickly regained his composure when he noticed the armored figure still present, adopting a more neutral expression.

"Erm, yes. Yes, I have summoned you to fight with me, Saber."

Now that he had a chance to fully appreciate his summoned Servant, Sláine only grew more assured in his prospects in the war. The man's silver armor seemed to radiate power, and his very presence and posture seemed to bear a noble flair.

The only problem was his eyes... They had such a familiar look, but Sláine couldn't put a name to the feeling he saw from them.

That didn't matter. All servants had their problems, right? And if eyes that made Sláine feel weird were the only price he had to pay for a Saber, then he was even luckier than he thought. Sláine tried to avoid looking people in the eyes anyway, so it wasn't that bad.

"I should introduce myself, considering we will be working together. My name is Sláine Druiminn, and I specialize in Plant Magecraft, with a focus on healing and support. My wish for the grail is to grant my creator access to the root - I put my faith in you to help me see this wish through."

The speech was cold, callous, almost mechanical in tone. Sláine's face didn't betray his emotions, but internally he was beaming with pride. He had rehearsed his introduction nearly a dozen times, attempting to mimic the uncaring monotone of the Druiminn family elders. They were true mages, so copying them would lead to the best outcome in a war of mages.

When introductions were finished Sláine quickly discovered that he had no idea what to talk about. Was asking about a Servant's stats considered impolite? What about their past? What orders are appropriate with a Command Seal?

...How the hell did you use a Command Seal?

"...Now might not be the best time, but this is my first time participating in a Holy Grail War. If there is any proper decorum or rules that you're aware of, I'd appreciate you letting me know."

Sláine was aware that Servants received knowledge from the grail on summoning - it was the first thing he asked about. After all, Sláine was petrified when he had first ridden in a car. He couldn't imagine how a monstrously strong servant would react in a similar situation. However, the breadth of knowledge that Servants gained was unknown to the homunculus. If they got even a small amount of information about the war itself, then it couldn't hurt to ask.

The pair continued to chat for a few minutes before Sláine noticed the time.

My lunch break...

Sláine shook the thought away. Skipping a meal was worth summoning Saber.

"I have to head back to work, Saber - Batsu-san will be furious if I am late. I'll finish in a few hours, so ."

Sláine quickly went back downstairs, leaving his Servant alone. The thought of using Suggestion magecract to skip work came to mind, but it wasn't worth it. Sláine needed to minimize its usage if he wanted to last to the end of the war. Besides, working during the day shouldn't matter too much - the possibility of an attack in a crowded restaurant in the middle of the day was next to nothing. No, even if an enemy detected Saber while Sláine was working, the enemy wouldn't attack out of fear of leaving witnesses.

Because of that, Sláine felt more than comfortable giving his Servant a longer leash. Maybe he'd find something interesting while Sláine was working - or he'd just stalk Sláine in spirit form. Either way, it didn't harm them very much.

If Dom Pedro looked around the room, he would notice that the room was absolutely covered in various herbs and saplings, to the point that plant life dominated the living space. More interesting, a cursory glance would reveal that Sláine had left his wallet on his bed.

---

Finally, the workday was over. The dinner rush, like usual, was incredibly draining. Sláine's grasp on Japanese was better than some of the masters in this war, facilitated by the Druiminn's tampering and constant use in the restaurant, but even with that, it was hard to understand the more inebriated patrons of Koushuuensaikan Taizan. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be as busy tonight as it initially appeared - the restaurant was quite small, so it cleared out quickly.

Batsu slapped Sláine's back roughly as the last customer left.

"Good thing we didn't need an ambulance this time around, yeah?"

"Yes, Batsu-san..."

Sláine rubbed his back as he responded. While it was probably a fairly light blow for someone like Batsu, Sláine's skin was stinging in the area around the hit. Pushing it to the side, Sláine spoke up as his manager began washing the last customer's dishes.

"I'm going to be headed out, Batsu-san. Do you know anywhere I can... anywhere I can hang out?"

Sláine needed to gather information on the other Masters, and while familiars could do the trick, he had no idea what he would be looking for. From his limited knowledge on grail wars, Sláine knew that Servants could detect one another - that would be the best method of finding his opponents. Instead of rituals, dead animals, and magical energy, all this method required was walking around and getting lucky.

"You're headed out? Wow, I was starting to think I'd have to deal with you staying here every night."

Batsu slid the freshly washed plate onto the pile next to the sink as she spoke.

"Maybe you could try OS Cinema in the Commerce district? I think they're showing that new Spider-Man movie. There's a mall near there, so you can get something to eat while you're out."

Sláine nodded, already climbing the stairs as Batsu finished speaking. As soon as he made it to his room and established another bounded field, Sláine addressed his invisible companion.

"Saber, tonight we're going to gather some information on the other Masters. If things turn ugly, please prepare to escape - fighting will be a last resort."

The first night of the war was far too early to reveal Saber's abilities to the other Masters. Big players like the Matou and Tohsaka would surely be looking at any fights that occur, and as the creators of the war, they'd be the most difficult opponents. Even if anonymity is a small benefit, any advantage possible would be needed to win against them.

Besides, Sláine felt that allowing the others to tire themselves out fighting would be much more effective than actively participating.

Sláine quickly got changed into his casual attire as he spoke, a white button-up shirt and black dress pants.

"If you have any suggestions or other plans, please let me know."

Servants, like Homunculi, were tools. But unlike the latter, Servants were at one point human - and as a result, they could be quite easy to upset. Sláine needed to refrain from ordering Saber around as much as possible, and treat their relationship more akin to a partnership. If the Saber rebelled or became too difficult, then Amelia would never reach the Root.

Saber probably knew a lot more about strategy and fighting a war than Sláine did anyways. If he had another plan, it was almost certainly a better one.

Sláine nearly left but paused at the door. He raced back to the closet, pulling on a green hoodie and a pair of white gloves. The Command Seals on Sláine's hand would be a dead giveaway that he was a master, and his unnatural pallor drew attention even from the mundane. Satisfied with his undercover attire, Sláine left Koushuuensaikan Taizan.

---

Assassin

Penthouse Suite, Grand Bleu Hotel, Shinto Town -> ???

Mentions: @SSW

---

Assassin frowned slightly from her Master's remarks - particularly the 'pipsqueak' comment. This guy should have summoned the 4th Hassan if he wanted to call someone a pipsqueak... Her frown only deepened when Constantine mentioned that he had stolen their current summoning location. Assassin had met many people like that during her life, and killed quite a few of them. Thievery was certainly not the problem, but if someone was so willing to bust heads to get what they wanted, then he'd probably work Assassin hard during the war...

"Well, you can kill as much as you want, but I'm not here to win. Who needs a cup anyway? I can drink just as well from my hands."

This comment gave Assassin pause from her pessimistic thoughts. He... didn't care about winning? Why the hell would he willingly enter into a battle to the death if he didn't have any plans on winning? Did he really just want to meet heroes?

Then again, if you weren't trying to win the grail, there really wouldn't be a need to fight to the death...

Assassin's lips curled into a strange grin.

"Sorry if I'm not up to your standards for a hero. If it makes you feel better, we Assassins are also pretty low maintenance, so your pitiful circuits won't be too taxed."

Assassin finally climbed off her perch on the couch, sauntering after her master as he walked to the door. Before he left the penthouse, however, he paused a final time and spoke out again.

"Oh, by the way, I don't speak Japanese. If it comes down to it, I might need you to translate."

Assassin nodded, either not noticing the embarrassed tone or simply not expending the energy to comment on it.

"Very well, Master. Let me know when my services are needed."

As they left the tarnished penthouse, Assassin shifted into spirit form and smiled once more. Despite the insults, this Master definitely fulfilled Assassin's criteria. And if what he said about summoning her again was true, then he must have felt the same way about her - why else would he summon her a second time?

This war might not be too bad!

---

This war sucks!

Assassin was hidden in an alleyway, laying in a hammock of her own hair. A pair of spiders moved between her hands, spinning webs between Assassin's fingers like an unsettling game of Cat's Cradle.

Constantine wasn't joking around when he said that he 'didn't go for luxury'. Apparently, his definition of luxury was much different from Assassin's.

"How the hell do you not even have a tent!? What are we supposed to do, sleep outside?"

Assassin groaned and swung in her hammock, acting more like a child forced to eat their vegetables than a hardened killer.

"Maybe we should have risked the trap at that apartment..."

Assassin, despite not having left Constantine's side since being summoned, had already established quite the information network. She had already acquired a few hundred spider familiars without even trying, and had disseminated most in various parts of the city - everywhere except the Church and Mount Enzo. Of course, she wasn't able to detect Servants through them directly, so it mostly served as a means of navigating the layout of the Fuyuki and as a warning in case a large amount of Magical Energy was used nearby.

The most notable discovery of Assassins, however, was the positions of the four Leylines of Fuyuki. Leylines were of incredible importance to Magi - not only could they further reduce the cost needed to maintain a Servant, but they also served as an incredible 'battery' for rituals. And while one of the leylines was impossible to use thanks to its proximity to the church, the other 3 were prime spots for enemy Masters - they were almost certainly serving as a base for someone.

...Not that it really mattered, however. Assassin had already decided that she wasn't going to kill unless she was forced to, and considering her Master didn't want the grail, that really only left self-defense on the table. The Enemies who've claimed the leylines as their own would be safe from her stalking.

"I've gathered a few spiders to search for other Servants. What are we to do in the meantime, Master?"

Assassin paused, leaning over to give her master a snide remark.

"Other than loiter outside like homeless bums, I mean."

Maybe it was because she lacked a proper 'nesting area' to set up her territory, but Assassin seemed a bit more restless than usual - every minute or so she leaned out of her hammock to look around, almost as if she expected enemies to drop in instantly.