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Private/Closed Paragons Rising - A Superhero RP

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Damon Angelos
Resting against some rumble Damon, watched as the automaton was swept away and sighed contemptly "at least someone dealt with it" he muttered as he waited for his spine and the hole in his torso to heal, his wrist had healed quickly and on it's own his back would have healed by now as well but the gaping hole in his torso was a more vital issue seeing as he had to regrow most, if not all of his vital organs. He took the time while he healed to try and clean off some of the dirt from his body as he watched the others who had tried to stop the machine as they recovered from there own scrapes and wounds.

Amy Hartnell
With the threat seemingly dealt with and her powers nearing the point of being back to full strength, Amy gave a small glance around the group, she was aware that she should probably make her escape, before the authorities come to regain what the attack caused them to lose. She examined her best means of escape and began to silently attempt to sneak away, moving slowly towards the nearest alleyway or side road.
 

The Dark Fairy

Previously Eliiiscool
~~Amanda~~
Amanda had been grabbed by the throat, dangled in the air, and threatened with a laser beam. This was a rather terrible situation, though she was relieved of this attack when he faltered and let go. The other Amandas quickly joined her on the ground, just in time for the robot to be struck by the mother of lightning, giving her burns on the side facing the display.
Amanda racked her mind for anything she could do, but before it could happen, the robot was taken into the sky, and shortly after blew up. Breathing a sigh of relief, she gave everyone a bit to recover before shouting to everyone at the scene of the fight: "That was close! Everyone drinks one me!"


~~Kerco~~
Kerco nodded to Alan "Don't worry, it will be." He then ran off again, hurrying to his next target. A large amount of lightning then suddenly hit the robot, setting off the EMPs and heating up his side to an almost painful degree despite his distance. He grit his teeth, the countdown was on seconds and he had no tricks left to pull. His people had just been neutralized, and his tricks tended to stop things that could be reasoned with.
Kerco watched the robot get picked up and flown off, shielding his eyes as he waited for the blast. The robot exploded in a fireball before Kerco opened his eyes. Relief washed over him as he leaned against a piece of rubble, calming himself down discreetly.

When Amanda made her offer, Kerco stood up and walked over to her slowly, nodding his head to the offer.
 
Fin felt a chill- the thing had shut down before her, and yet there was still something to reach out to, something she felt was looking at her. As she concentrated on her disorientation, she too began to hear the screeching, and her pupils shrank to the barrage of light. Blood began to trickle from one of her ears, and she silently prayed that someone would take this chance to do something, anything, before she could not hold it any longer.

Her heart thumped as the countdown continued, garbled numbers spat from the airborne machine. Fear sickened her, but then- lightning, scarlet, shocked it. A familiar sight that challenged her concentration. As quick as it had appeared, it was gone, and there was yet another interference- this one shattering the mental link with one fell swoop. A screeching sound, as if her own powers were backfiring on her, sending her to her knees and blandishing more blood from her eardrums.

And then, a thrum.

As her headache throbbed away she followed whatever had caused that thunderous sound, whatever had grabbed the villain- and in the sky flitted the death of a star, far away and almost beautiful in its harmlessness.

They were safe. It almost felt as if it should not have happened, that they should not have gotten away with surviving. The pain in Fin's arm, the ringing in her ears, the tear-streak of blood trailing down her jawline... this was not a regular aftermath. Petty thieves hardly ever drew a drop of blood, let alone this much. The bridge of her nose wrinkled, disgruntled. She liked this cardigan. And she had to go to work tomorrow, provided her office building had not been levelled.

Oh, wouldn't that be a treat.

She sought for the figure of crackling crimson lightning, remembering his effect just moments before everything had happened in such a whirlwind. As he landed, she reached out to him- though her weakness reduced her ability, and she found she could hardly blink without losing the link. Was that you? was all the questioning she could muster, her mind's voice quietened slightly by the barrage, frayed. She had to know what it was that had saved them all. For all the things in this world that were unbelievable, some still remained wonderful mysteries.
 
His blast had detonated some sort of pulse surrounding Bionicron upon impact, sending a wave of noise and energy outward throughout the scene. However, when the crash of scarlet lightning and shockwaves dispelled by the EMPs had subsided, the robot still seemed undeterred, fully intent on destroying itself and the rest of the city. The digital voice continued to herald the impending explosion, and in an attempt to press the offensive, the shrouded figure charged up his lightning once again to shoot another bolt.

However, as the strands of crimson electricity began to crackle around his body, their prepared attack was suddenly cut short when Bionicron unleashed several barrages of energy that ravaged everything around it, and before the swordsman had time to think, the pulsating attack slammed into him, sending him hurtling into a building with a crash of dust and rubble. Ears ringing, he slumped against the crater his body had formed against the concrete, too dazed to realize he was slowly, but surely growing closer to falling off the building and to the ground below.

Fortunately, it didn't take long to snap him out of his stupor, as yet another impact rang throughout the city, a heavy slam as something seemed to collide with Bionicron on the ground with substantially more power than most of the attacks that had previously been unleashed upon the robot. Then, a gust of wind kicked up from below as it was suddenly lifted upward with astounding speed. The swordsman, still rammed into the wall, slowly opened his eyes as he was roused from the reverberating clash, just in time to feel himself dislodge from the concrete and descend.

Thinking fast, he unsheathed his ninjato and turned his body in the air as he fell before slamming the blade into the wall, doing his utmost to slow his descent until he reached a safe altitude to drop to the ground. Landing with a quiet grunt, he then wiped his blade clean of dust and debris by running it against his sleeved elbow before returning it to its sheathe, looking up to see the silent explosion that illuminated the night sky. With the matter seemingly concluded, the cloaked figure let out a sigh and made to exit the scene, but he was suddenly stopped when a familiar voice once again whispered in his mind.

Was that you?

He came to a halt and looked around, and after a brief scan of his surroundings, he was finally able to put a face to the unspoken words that had first intruded into his head when he first arrived to the conflict. She was visibly exhausted, bleeding from her head and likely straining herself to speak to his mind, and though he thought to respond similarly with his thoughts, the swordsman opted instead to simply speak aloud, his voice quiet and hoarse, but still audible to the telepath.

"The lightning, yeah. Carrying it that high into the air, not so much. The city hasn't been destroyed, though, so I'm not too troubled about it."

Looking back up into the sky where the remnants of the destruction lingered in plumes of smoke, he sighed to himself, both in relief and exhaustion. The bolt of lightning he'd conjured had exacted a slight toll, leaving him light-headed, but as he pushed through the fatigue, he returned his gaze to Fin and gestured toward her bleeding arm before speaking once more.

"You should probably get yourself treated; you look more worse for wear than I do."

With his suggestion concluded, he turned, and for the second time, began to take his leave, albeit slowly and with visible effort. Should she attempt to maintain her mental link, Fin would feel the return of a solemn resolve, if not near resignation, as she watched the shrouded figure walk away, and hear only three words, echoing in his mind with a somber tone.

Back to work.
 

DevVoid

Previously Deathstalker62
Well.. it was a nice attempt. Though his plan worked.. it also didn't. Like an unsuccessful relationship, Mr. Miracle had worked just a bit too quick and, while he could transport the bot into the sky, it was already back on the ground before it could explode. Suppose there was.. really nothing else he could do now but just.. accept things the way they were. Taking his top hat off, he had flipped it around in his hand as he went for what he assumed one last bow - one last goodbye to it all. Bracing for impact, his body stiffened and his eyes closed, awaiting the embrace of the nuclear blast, mentally counting down what seconds were left.

Five..
Four..
Three..
Two..
One..

A few moments passed, the blast sounded up.. but yet he was still standing. Opening his eyes again, the confused magician rose his head to look up at the mushroom cloud in the sky. So.. in a way.. his plan did end up working. Maybe not by his own hand, but yet, the end result was still there all the same. Hagen stood still for a bit, shocked and fascinated at the same time. His legs gave way, causing him to fall on his knees, wand dropping from his grasp as his hands moved to support himself as to not directly collapse to the ground.

Truth be told, something of this scale was not something he was prepared for. Typically, his biggest fishes were just, like.. the occasional bank robbery, muggers, a small crime family at most. This? This wasn't just HIS life at stake, it was the entire state's. Hell, going by that blast, it could've been more than just New York. And despite the struggles him and the others had, it was now over. They've won.

A smile worked its way onto Miracle's face, the iconic smile that he had usually worn. Standing up once more, Hagen had picked up his magic wand and slid it down his sleeve, hiding it again. He took a bit to level his breathing again, but as soon as he was truly back to himself.. he had begun laughing. Celebrating, he threw his arms up into the sky, rainbow blasts firing from his fingers, lighting up the night sky alongside the massive nuke. Elated, he yelled towards the sky, words just brimming with joy, even having confetti burst out from his sleeves and onto the surrounding area near him.

" WE DID IT! WE DESTROYED THAT BLASTED ROBOT AND SAVED THE CITY! "
 

The Alright Attorney

Previously AlrightAttorney
It honestly happened to fast for Alan to properly analyze the situation. After placing the EMPs, he waited for the man's signal to set them off. Before he could even think of setting them off, what looked like a living bolt of lightening shot forward, a deep red in color. It took Alan a moment, but he eventually noticed it was a man, one of the others on the scene attacking the robot. A bolt of electricity fired off from the man's fingers was all it took for the EMPs to be set off, exploding in energy one by one as the bolt hit the robotic invader. However, even this didn't seem to be enough, as the voice of Bionicron's system announced there was still thirty seconds left on the clock. Alan wanted to run, of course he did. He'd never make it away in time, he doubt anyone would, but the desire was still there. After all he survived through, this is the final nail in the coffin for him.

Alan simply slipped away into one of the alleyways, hoping no one would notice him escaping from the scene. If this thing was gonna explode and kill them all, Alan preferred if he was on his own while it happened. He ignored the shout of the magician, saying that the robot was taking to the sky. After everything that happened, there was no way that was gonna work. Alan still turned his head up towards the sky, figuring the clear blue would be the best possible last sight for him at this moment. With the timer counting down to their demise, Alan stood firm, like he'd been waiting for a moment like this to come. Instead, the timer suddenly stopped... No, thats not exactly right. It had moved. Flown up into the air the empty blue sky suddenly dotted by something flying Bionicron up and far, far away from the city.

He could barely make out the explosion, but it certainly happened, and it didn't seem like the blast would be reaching the city. They were saved. Who did the saving? That was a mystery for another time, Alan was far more interested in Bionicron itself. Feeling a wave of relief wash over himself, the scrapper kept his eyes on the sky, looking to see if any piece of debris would be falling towards the ground. Even the smallest bit of tech that advanced would help upgrade his gear tenfold. It took a few moments, but eventually Alan saw what looked to be three piece of the robot falling from the sky. One looked like it was part of the automaton's head, while the others looked to be more the innerworkings of the thing. Alan smirked to himself, quickly climbing up the fire escape of one of the buildings, racing up to the roof. Looking up to the falling debris, Alan was able to estimate where they'll likely land, and started to jump rooftop to rooftop on his way there.

The pieces finally were out of sight, and Alan heard the sound of metal crashing into the ground, seemingly landing in one of the alleyways just ahead. Sliding to a stop, he peered down into the alley, expecting to see pieces there waiting for him to be scooped up. Instead, he saw two cloaked individuals, their silhouettes near impossible to make out. How the hell did someone else get here first, he figured he was the only person tracking these things. "Hey! Get away from those, it's dangerous!" Alan shouted down at the two, hoping they were just some curious sort that would run off once yelled at. Instead, he was immediately met with retaliation, as one of the two pulled out what appeared to be a gun, firing off a blast of pure energy, a bolt of purple light shooting up at Alan. "Shit!" He shouted out, quickly ducking down and tucking himself close to the side of the rooftop to keep himself away from the gunfire. "A fucking raygun?! Who the hell is that?!"

Once the barrage of light blasts has subsided, Alan looked over to see the figures gone, along side the pieces of Bionicron. With a sigh, Alan traveled down to the alleyway to see if there was anything they may have missed. After about ten minutes of looking, Alan managed to find the smallest piece of metal. about the size of a pen under a dumpster, must have broken off when the pieces hit the ground. "Better than nothing..." He muttered to himself with a sigh. Not wanting to stick around any longer incase those cloaked figures returned, Alan made his way to the subway, ready to head home and see what he could do with this new tech.

------
"Whats left of Bionicron has been recovered Professor. What would you like us to do now?" A woman sat in the passenger seat of a fairly standard looking SUV, speaking into an earpiece as her partner drove them down the streets of New York City. "Wonderful work Soldier!" The elated voice of Xander spoke back from the other side, who now sat in his own office, replaying the footage of Bionicron's destruction back and forth. "You and Secret return to the city docks and reconvene with Stranger. The three of you can head back to HQ after that." Xander finished giving his instructions. Soldier looked over to the one driving the vehicle, Secret. She knew that she wouldn't need to tell it their new orders. It just always knew somehow. "What about the being that defeated Bionicron? Is that something we should stick around to look into." She asked the scientist. Xander continued to look at the footage, slowing down, zooming in, enhancing the image, yet he still couldn't get a proper glimpse of New York city's savior. "Whoever they are, they are a specimen to behold. But, we can't find any trace of them. Best for now to return to base." There was a moment of silence between the two, before being broken up by a "Yes Sir." from the Soldier. With that, communication ended, Xander being left on his own. Staring at his computer screen, the scientist lovingly stroked the image of the exploding robot, a smile on his face. "Soon enough. We'll learn what secrets you've been keeping from S.P.A.R.D.A."
 
Finley could hardly believe that he had not carried it into the air- but the flash had not been scarlet, and he had not descended from that high up- so, his words held water. Always having been a weakling, a scrap with subtle powers, his strong swiftness impressed her, and to think that there was something out there that had surpassed him- that was unfathomable, and ceaselessly interesting. Though, she had always been easily impressed by anything even mildly enrapturing. Lips pursed taut, the woman cast her gaze to her arm where blood still wept, though it was a slow ooze rather than a waterfall now. His advice was sound- though, she found vague humour in the fact that he told her to go and get treated. Bandages rested at the bottom of her bag- with powers that tended to enjoy injuring their user, one always had to be prepared.

Still, she nodded her head and brought a flat hand near her lips, moving them forward and down in the man's direction. Most people knew at least that much sign language, though her small, weary smile conveyed her gratitude anyway- she hoped. For a moment, Finley was content to leave him be- he struck her as a loner type, and she was not particularly adept at small talk- but as he walked away, she noticed the graduality of it, the effort. An idea sparked in her ever-active mind, a way to thank him aside from words. Knowing how thankless the job of a vigilante was, she wanted to ensure her gratitude would be fully shown. She would be dead if not for him.

And hearing that vow- tireless, and speaking again of work- had he ever once been rewarded, she wondered? Reaching out to him, though she winced as the bite of her headache returned, her mind weaved a last murmur. If you're hurting, I can stop it. Doing her best not to stagger, a slight step shuffled Finley's frame toward him. Her fist rolled into a ball, rubbing small circles on her chest. An apology for bothering him so much.
 
Seeing everyone that had started their assault against the literal ticking time bomb, Eve deemed now to be the perfect time to strike, at least it would have been. Before she could push William into action, Bionicron's devastating sound based attack struck. Retaliating quickly, Eve created the form of a pair of earmuffs around William's head, dampening the sound even just slightly.

"Crud, I didn't factor in the possibility it would have even more in its arsenal. Now I want a piece of him even more." Exclaimed Eve.

"I would be pointing how questionable what you said sounded right now if I wasn't in pain from this sound wave attack!" Replied William who was clutching the earmuffs to his ears tightly. "Right now we need to get to it before he blows, I don't think we have much time left!"

William was right. As the man and his AI were trying to reach Bionicron, the final countdown for the self destruct sequence began. Just as it appeared as if they were too late, the large frame of Bionicron was suddenly carried away with blinding speed. Something or someone had violently grabbed the large robot and flew it's body high up into the sky where it's explosion wouldn't hurt anyone but itself.

The crisis had been averted, New York City took massive damage but at least it wasn't wiped off the map. While most people would be pleased by this outcome, Eve was less than thrilled about what happened. "Ah but, I wanted it's tech."

Ignoring Eve for the time being, William was simply glad he had survived the whole ordeal. He looked up to the sky where Bionicron had been carried off to. "I wonder what did that, it really saved the entirety of New York." The man stood in contemplation for a few seconds before his mind snapped back to reality. "Oh right! Now that the threat has been dealt with let's just get out of here, there's nothing left for you here anyways Eve." He instructed as he turned the camouflage back on and made his exit.

Feeling defeated, Eve did not protest any further as William left the scene, using a tendril to grab a scrap piece of metal that had fallen off Bionicron as compensation.
 
If you're hurting...

Once again, he was brought to an abrupt pause.

I can stop it.

Her voice poked its way into his head once more, calling attention to his own injuries shortly after he'd pointed out her own. He turned to face Fin, who now wore an exhausted smile as she made gestures in sign language instead of speaking aloud. 'Thank you'.... and 'Sorry'.

The swordsman returned her gaze for a brief moment, his crimson eyes dull and hollow. He seemed to contemplate Fin's offer in the moment they met eyes, as his mind would reveal to her should she peek into it once again, though his irises remained empty. He'd been intent on continuing on his way, forcing himself to do so, but as Fin addressed his wounds and fatigue, calling his mind to it, the vigilante was quickly made aware of the fullness of his enervation.

His stance began to falter--his hands, still surging weakly with scarlet lightning, but trembling. His light-headedness grew in intensity, overwhelming his mind in tumultuous waves, prompting him to take his sheathed blade and use it to hold himself up. A sudden rush of pain emanated from his side, and he gingerly touched his hand to a sizeable gash that had been torn into his right flank, slowly leaking with blood, likely caused by his earlier collision into the building.

He continued to hold his gaze with Fin for a few more, quiet seconds, until finally, the telepath would feel his mind give way, allowing him to be vulnerable toward whatever she had in mind. He nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath before exhaling and opening his mouth to respond.

"...Okay."
 

comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Aleksy L. Borowicz

The sky cleared almost as quickly as it had been lit up. There was no "boom" that accompanied the explosion, even as Aleksy waited to hear one, only being able to pick up the shouts of relief and victory from the other supers that had just been involved, one shouting about buying drinks for everyone. That... wasn't a bad idea, he might take her up on that later, if he could figure out when and where these drinks would be.

However, his eyes instead focused on the small, distant form of Amy, the escaped convict, as she slipped down an alley. Nobody appeared to take notice. Hopefully, Aleksy could have as much luck. Using his abilities, he could pull on light particles in a specific way to make him appear almost invisible, bending the light around himself to be almost impossible to see with the naked eye. It wasn't exactly an easy process, either, very straining to have to focus on billions of atoms and electrons all at the same time, but he'd practiced well enough by this point that he could keep it up for a few minutes, which was all he needed.

As Aleksy seemingly disappeared from where he stood, he lifted himself into the air and practically through himself across the skyline, lessening the gap between his original position and above Amy's in seconds, letting out a small grunt as he did so, keeping up his invisibility alongside everything else already beginning to drain him.

He dropped out of the sky, and the moment he was between the two buildings, he lifted his effort to physically reveal himself, hovering down in a much more controlled manner after, no doubt catching Amy's attention, as normal people didn't often float down to the ground like a feather, his goal to land just in front of her (and appear as non-threatening as it was possible for a floating man to look, he'd rather talk than have her get jumpy and flee).​
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Amy Hartnell
Walking through the alley glancing behind her every so often Amy considered her best course of action, she could join up with her gang but if the feds started looking for her again that would be the first placed they hunt. She figured she could find a room and then make contact with some people to dissappear for a while. Of course all these plans proved fruitless when a man floated down infront of her, stopping her in her tracks. She looked at him remembering seeing him helping earlier. She sighed slightly, "who are you and why are you in my way" she asked her hands became coated in flames as she took a defensive stance.

Damon Angelos
With a small grunt, Damon stood up and cracked his neck slightly as his spine finally healed. As the hole in his torso started to close up he heard someone offer drinks and he shrugged to himself, thinking he'd be a fool to decline a good drink so he walked over to the trio of identical girls, "drinks certainly sound good after all this commotion".
 

comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Aleksy L. Borowicz​

0955 Hours, Dec 7, 2026
Despite his mostly futile attempts to appear harmless, actively using one's abilities would always be cause for alarm---but Aleksy's purpose using it wasn't just for optimal interception, but as a display. While she might have seen him distantly in the aid against Bionicron (Aleksy's involvement minimal at best), she would need to know he hadn't done it out of a sense of goodness from his heart, nor had he done it for the lives of other people like him, or rather, he did it to meet her, specifically. The first gear in a great machine, the cogs that would move would grow to influence and shape the world, he hoped.

She burst into flames to demand his intrusion upon her giving the slip, but as his feet lightly touched the ground, he held up one hand with the verbal message of "there's no need for that".
"I am Aleksy," the young man nodded, his eyes flitting over her flames, which seemed to spew out of her very pores. What kind of ignition did she require to- no, that would get him off track. "I understand your disposition, Miss Hartnell. The authorities will pursue you soon to acquire their lost asset. I would rather you remain out of the penal system. I would rather you and I support one another. Think of it as a mutually beneficial arrangement- but," he was quick to add his conjunction, letting Amy know he wasn't finished speaking. "It is too public to speak further on the matter here. Should you find yourself interested in my proposal, seek out the SRA, they are holding a rally in Hell's Kitchen tonight, and can provide you with anonymity should the authorities be on your trail."​
 
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Okay. It was one word, and a very simple one, but it had not failed to shock her slightly. Fin's curiosity often lead her by the hand to outcomes she had not been entirely prepared for- but, ah, today she was not lacking in preparation. Gingerly she shuffled over, brows furrowed in focus; how had he been prepared to ignore that injury? Had it been that urge to work that kept presenting itself so loudly in his mind?

There was little point in pondering, though- he had permitted her to help, and that she shall. Feather-light, a breath pushed through her lips, settling her own pain as she prepared to take on more. As if she was braiding hair her fingers began to move, matching the push and pull of each other and accelerating the healing process. The man of lightning would feel that pain that had faltered him ebb away as if whisked elsewhere by adrenaline, suddenly numbed. Fin felt that blinding pang instead, and her face contorted briefly in a sharp scowl- but she knew she had to stay focused, she had to fulfil her promise. Her fingers grew more taut with the pain, her breathing more laboured. Flesh would begin to knit together slightly, blood beginning to settle and congeal. But she could not bear the whole of it- she had known when she had started. It was enough just to remove the pain of it, and stop him from losing any more blood.

Hitched, a sigh of relief left her as she ceased the process. Unless he disturbed it somehow, that wound would hopefully not be bothering him anymore. A weak smile laced her lips, though it settled more comfortably as the pain she had taken on temporarily began to ebb away. Bringing both hands to her chest and forward in a half-shrug, she signed, 'There you go'. She would say it but... she figured she might coax more blood from her ears if she did so.
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Amy Hartnell
As her curiosity peaked her flames dissipated, this guy wasn't here to arrest her? she wondered whether she should trust him, when he informed her of a good place to lay low she decided she would at least hear the guy out. With a slightly raised eyebrow she responded "OK, I'll see what you have to say" she stated "I guess I'll go to that rally then" she said before slowly walking past the guy and making her way through the alley. Once out of said alley, she swiftly made haste to Hell's Kitchen to find this rally.

Later
Once in Hell's Kitchen he hadnt taken her long to find the rally, she walked to the door and knocked, someone opened the door and she explained her situation and name dropped Aleksy just in case. They let her in making sure the coast was clear and took her to a surprisingly comfy room for her to hideout in, she entered and sat on the small couch turning to the tv and glanced at the bookshelf in the corner, picking a random romance novel she sat back and started to read to kill the time.
 
The swordsman watched silently as Fin approached, hands reached out toward him as she began her procedure. Her fingers flexed and curled, almost as if to a certain rhythm, focused upon his body, though seemingly more directed toward the more major injury in his side. He was tense, braced for anything that could possibly happen despite Fin's transparent kindness thus far, and he flinched ever so slightly, feeling a sudden numbing sensation suddenly overtake the wound. Watching as the gash slowly began to mend, flesh binding together and blood clotting, he felt the pain subside to his quiet relief, but a cursory glance toward the one assisting him cut him short.

She was struggling. The more the sting of his injury lessened, the more she seemed to weaken, her healing efforts exacting a similar toll in return. Despite his unspoken appreciation of her help, the sight of Fin's visible strain and the sound of her bated breath nearly prompted him to pull away. He didn't deserve it. She'd already endured the front lines of Bionicron's attack on the city, sustaining wounds and exhaustion of her own. She didn't deserve to further force herself through more pain to help someone like him.

Such thoughts creeped into his mind, the turmoil barely stirring behind his crimson irises, but they were finally appeased when Fin broke away, sighing as she deemed her work finished. She managed a weak smile as she signed once again, and the vigilante studied his wound, gingerly feeling around it only to feel no pain, nor blood seeping forth. He looked up one final time to meet Fin's eyes, though the previously hollow void that inhabited them now seemed muddled by the uncertainty that plagued him, an uncertainty that could be interpreted should the telepath attempt to do so.

Several, quiet seconds passed as the two held eye contact, but the swordsman soon turned to finally take his leave without another word. As he walked, his figure began to surge with scarlet lightning, and as soon as he was at a safe distance, the sound of thunder quietly rumbled through the night sky. Suddenly, a blast of crimson electricity crashed down through the clouds above, striking the ground where the vigilante stood with a flash of red light. The dust kicked up from the impact began to dissipate several seconds later, leaving the shrouded figure nowhere to be seen.

However, Fin would suddenly hear a voice, deep and somber, speak into her mind—it almost sounded like a concentrated effort to create a mental link, as if the message was formulated solely to be telepathically transmitted, a thought sent directly to her.

Thank you.

My name's Shuzo.
 

comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Aleksy L. Borowicz

1948 Hours, Dec 7, 2026
It had been an inconspicuous door. Truly, one only ever really noticed it when they were searching for it. One day it was down this alley, the next it was down that one. It was an unspoken rule that the reason behind this was a prolific super within the SRA responsible for this---though nobody knew who.

Aleksy himself had been waiting. He'd had nothing better to do, and despite the fact he'd never outright admit it... he was excited. Thrilled, even, to be doing this. Something he'd been dreaming about doing for a while, but now? Now it seemed to be closer to reality than ever before. His practiced speeches and presentation had enabled him to approach Amy, where he would have been too nervous and frightened to before.

Yes, he still remained nervous and frightened for a multitude of reasons, like rejection or abandonment, but he steeled his nerves. Just like he'd practiced.

And now, she had entered. She hadn't even noticed him, seated on a small armchair tucked into the far corner of the room. She took her own seat at the center couch, not before selecting a novel, and sat down with it. Rather than immediately announce himself, Aleksy stared at her from his corner with intrigue. While he wasn't necessarily surprised to see this metaphorical side of her, it wasn't unwelcome. It would be easier to work with somebody if you weren't expecting them to threaten you with fire if you didn't do something they liked. It showed a certain degree of... amnesty and intellect, a rarity for some of those with power, power that would go to their heads.

She continued to read, and he continued to passively watch, before he slowly rose to his feet. Unlike earlier that day, he was now sporting a rather spiffy dress suit of a more modest appeal, a gray vest concealing his white button-up, a pair of jean-slacks and modest black dress shoes concealing below the waist. His hair had been slicked back for the occasion, as he desired to be as presentable as possible, for the purpose of making it clear that he wasn't just some hobo off the street, as his usual day clothes made most believe. Fortunately, a good word with the manager of the establishment had given Aleksy access to this attire.

"Miss Hartnell," Aleksy began upon clearing his throat, calling her attention to him. "I'm pleased you accepted my offer."​
 
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DevVoid

Previously Deathstalker62
Mr. Miracle took in the moment, only now having picked up on the question that was yelled into the general crowd of supers. What was it again.. drinks? On.. who was it? The magician's eyes scanned across the crowd, then fell on the person.. er.. triplets.. who had offered a round of drinks in the first place. Oooh, that's right! Now he remembered.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Miracle walked on over to the trio, tipping his hat with his thumb. Such a celebration he could not let go to waste. After all, they had just beaten a walking, talking nuke. Out of his sleeve now fell a black, straight walking cane with silver tips, looking like a larger version of a magic wand. Terry had spun it once in his hand before slamming it to the ground and now walking casually with it in hand.

" I will gladly join in! I will even pay for any seconds for anyone that wants 'em! "
@The Dark Fairy @Void_Nugget
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Amy Hartnell
Upon hearing Aleksy speak Amy glanced up at the man, noticing his attire she glanced down slightly at her own clothes, realising she was still dressed like a convict and hadn't even considered to change, she shrugged to herself and returned her attention to Aleksy. She placed the book down beside and sat up slightly, "well I considered my options and this seemed the most likely to do me well, seeing as any other safe place I could hide is already known by the authorities" she said matter of factly, "so what exactly does this mutually beneficial arrangement entail, seeing as we are away from prying eyes now. I'd like to know what I'm agreeing to" she said curling a strand of her hair absently as she eyed Aleksy curiously, pondering her decision to hear him out.
 
Their silence had time to settle for only a moment as his eyes lifted to meet hers. The slightest whisper of uncertainty wound through the crevices of her mind- but about what? His hand fluttered atop newly-bound skin as if in disbelief of the fact her powers had truly achieved something, and Fin could hardly blame him. She had not yet proven herself particularly capable aside from mental links and the silent communication of thoughts- yet, her work was displayed before her. She had taken away his pain- at least, his skin-deep pain.

And then he turned, quick on his heel, scarlet sparks surging around him and enveloping his form in a bright red glow. Away did he march- back to work, she supposed- and just as quickly as the lightning had zapped him in front of her, it whisked him away, the rumble following a few moments afterward. Carried by the storm to a place beyond sight- at least, her sight- he was gone.

Satisfied, a smile curved Fin's lips, and the woman reached to rustle through her bag to find the bandages. Her ears would be fine, but that... splice on her shoulder-muscle refused to let up, and she needed some way to suppress the ooze. As quickly as she had moved, however, she felt a buzzing in her mind- the white-noise ring of frequency that soon formed into words, woven by a familiar voice.

Thank you. My name's Shuzo.

Eyes fluttered wide for a moment and a smile truly conquered her face. Though she sent no more words, there would be a vague buzz of happiness that skittered across the link before it broke. Shuzo- Shuzo. She fixed the name into her head, pleased with herself for earning the knowledge. Deftly did she move, digging through her belongings to find a roll of gauze. Newfound energy fuelled her as she tied the bandage up to cover her injury, pulling her cardigan (ruined, probably, by the blood that had seeped through the wool) back over her shoulder. Desire to do good was all she felt she walked on this earth for- though today, her curiosity too had been sated.

A mystery saviour healed by powers she did not fully understand, resulting in an exchange of names. Would her mother be proud? She had always liked stories.

Unexpectedly thrilled energy surged nearby- or perhaps it was relief? Hazel eyes moved to settle upon the group- that man from earlier, three identical women, and another man who she had only just caught through peripherals in the haze of battle. Drinks- had she heard correctly? If they were offering- and paying- she would be a fool to refuse. Just one, though.

Making her way over, she offered a wave of greeting to the group, though spoke no further. With one whom she was familiar with, perhaps she would be safe offering as minimal communication as possible. Besides- her powers were strained, she had not used her voice in years, and she was hardly a sign language expert. Even if she wanted to speak, she couldn't; they would have to settle with pleasant but quite company, she hoped.

It was then that she decided, if her office had not exploded, she would be calling in sick.
 
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comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Aleksy L. Borowicz

1953 Hours, Dec 7, 2026

Her responses continued to gauge his outlook of her, learn more about her on a deeper level. One; her attire. Throughout the day, she'd neglected to change out of her prison garb. A sign of apathy to the matter? Ignorance? Two; her response to his greeting displayed her goal and ambition clearly: she was looking out for herself. That could be excused, of course, given her situation, but he'd been doing his research. Aleksy had assumed she'd be more concerned about her gang.

Pleasantries didn't linger, as Amy was quick to drive them to the point of this meaning; Aleksy's proposition.

"You and I, we're different from most others," he led with, moving toward the wall as he spoke, hands held behind the middle of his back. "We were born with these powers, genes granted with unlocking our potential. We are the evolution of humanity, and they know it. They fear us. History has shown that humanity wants to control what it fears, but that doesn't have to be." He paused, turning his gaze to look at Amy, "Why should the superior race bow down? Why should we have to run from them? Why should you be forced to live your life how they see fit? We have the power to take what's ours---but we lack the numbers. Superhumans are spread thin because humanity fears what we could do together without their approval. My proposal is a unification. An alliance. You and I, and all those you protect, can stand together. We can search for others like us, build our power and our numbers, until one day, we can separate from humanity completely. We can be the masters of our own destiny. Doesn't that sound like a future you want?"​
 
An wooden door creaked open, its rusted hinges screeching eerily as a figure crossed through, stepping into darkness. There was a brief moment of reaching out blindly with one arm before the click of a switch rang out, and finally, the pitch black space was illuminated, revealing the swordsman now standing in his place of residence. It was a rather old, humble abode, not spacious in any sense of the word but not too cramped either. Regardless of preferences or standards, it was a satisfactory place to live. The man took a deep breath where he stood, staring at the dusty ceiling for a few, quiet seconds, before finally beginning to get settled.

After taking off his sneakers, detaching his sheathed blade and placing it on a wooden stand, and removing his mask and scarf to reveal his face, Shuzo then directed his attention to his side, gingerly pulling up his tunic to reveal the wound, somehow remaining treated without equipment. Hollow eyes flitted across the gash as he reached for supplies, and while he applied ointment and wrapped bandages around his midriff, his mind lingered on the recent interaction he'd had before arriving home. A curious voice, poking into his head, and an earnest, kindhearted visage accompanied the memory, but as he finished treating his injury, his scarlet irises seemed to carry a haze of confusion, muddled even within his bodily movements.

Thank you, my name's Fin.

This is your job.

Going where?

No one else can do it but you.

If you're hurting, I can stop it.

You are the only one you can trust.

Her words echoed in his mind, the sight of her healing his wound still fresh; intrusive, challenging the doctrines and creeds that controlled his waking life. Yet... almost comforting. An easing of his constant tension. A reprieve from the pain to which he was assigned when this occupation began. Why? Such words, the trouble to which she went even in her own discomfort. It was all completely alien to him, and Shuzo wasn't sure whether he desired to take further refuge in it or see it fit to keep his distance.

Regardless, it was something worth taking note of. Shuzo grabbed a small journal and pen, his personal choice for documenting future missions, connections, persons of interest. After turning to a blank page, he then scrawled down the name "Fin", along with written descriptions of her appearance and known abilities. He set the journal down once he was done, and upon turning to the right, he walked into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror. His reflection stared back at him to reveal a slight tear welling up at the corner of his eye, as Shuzo was face to face with the insecurity and uncertainty that had so quickly found a place in his mind, carried in stirring clouds within his crimson eyes.

After several tense seconds of silence, the vigilante abruptly turned the faucet lever to splash cold water onto his face, feeling a refreshing coolness set upon him. He dried himself with a towel once he was satisfied and turned on his heel to leave, and he beelined for the face coverings he'd removed and set aside, donning them once again. When he reattached his blade to his side and made for the door, his eyes were no longer obscured by the haze of emotion. Maybe he would see his briefly met healer once again in the future, maybe it was only a chance meeting that would never repeat itself.

Regardless, it was back to work for him.
 

The Dark Fairy

Previously Eliiiscool
~~Amanda~~
The Amanda who had called the others over jumped up onto a rock, just to make sure everyone had made it. One of the other Amandas smiled as she waved her hand, mentioning the people who had gathered to follow "It's about a mile walk to the place!"

~~Kerco~~
Kerco followed Amanda after casting a glance at the others following, grimacing at the ones who he had tried to coordinate with. For all the effort they put in, it was just one guy who ended up saving the day. Not that he was upset, or even all that disappointed in himself since his expertise was generally elsewhere, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth for some reason he could not pin down.

Kerco glanced back at Finley, before moving to stand next to the super. "Nice work out there."
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Damon Angelos
Hearing one of the triplet girls speak up and indicate where they were heading Damon cracked his neck slightly as the last of his wounds healed up completely and he casually strolled along, following Amanda.

Amy Hartnell
Aleksy's words were certainly intriguing and spurred a great amount of interest in Amy as she stood slowly and moved to glance out of a nearby window, "It's certainly true that the world has judged me for these abilities of mine, maybe it is time to rise above the norms" she said with a thoughtful expression on her face a tiny flame dancing between her fingers as she considered everything. Eventually she turned to face Aleksy "Alright, I'm in" she said now standing with one hand on her hip "I can get my gang to keep feelers out for info on any gifted individuals, unless of course you already have a plan for that. But first I definitely need a change of clothes before we do anything" she added with a grin.
 

comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Aleksy L. Borowicz

And just like that...

She was in.

Aleksy's calm and presentable demeanor shifted at how casually and quickly she agreed to his proposal, outwardly displaying his surprise at just how easy that had been. Truth be told, he'd expected more questions, more resistance, more hurdles---not immediate success. He cleared his throat after she finished speaking, regaining his composure in the same manner he'd lost it, his brows knitting back together, his body growing tinge more rigid as before.

"Yes, of course," he gave a curt nod. "As long as you're with me, you are under the protection of myself, and by a certain extension, this organization---though illegally harbored. If things go our way, we will be able to "alter" a few laws here or there." Finally, the man gave the first sign of genuine emotion, as his cold and professional manner had prevailed until his lips curled into a smile, though it only sat on his face briefly.

The first steps were being taken, and so far, it had been far more successful than he'd predicted, but he wasn't about to let that go to his head. He needed to maintain vigilance, not only from the authorities, but from other superhumans that may potentially try to stop him.

"Come, our host can square you away with any of your essentials, clothing included."


His semi-cautious glances about was all the clarification he needed; nobody was watching him, had followed him, he was in the clear. Through the open window he slid, hovering down until his bare feet touched the cold wood of the floor to his flat. Grayson stared down for a few moments, seemingly deep in thought, before he turned toward the window and slid it shut, sliding the blinds down afterward.

---And finally, he let out a ragged breath. Slowly, he made his way from the living area he'd entered (which tripled as a kitchen and a dining room) toward his bedroom, then to the small bathroom that his room led to. Flicking on the light, he finally gave himself a look-over from the small mirror across from him. While it was cracked, and had seen better days, Grayson made sure to clean it as best as he could. In fact, anybody entering his flat would be under the impression it was never lived in---he was just a cleanly individual.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at his body. He was naked; whatever bits of clothing that hadn't been incinerated had fallen off during his flight back home. While annoying, that wasn't his concern, as much of the right side of his body was an angry red in color, some pockets of flesh bubbled over from exposure to the attack he'd suffered. Grayson could imagine it looked a lot worse earlier that day, when he'd first sustained the blow, but his rapid healing was truly making itself known. Not once before had he suffered damage like this before, so you'd need to excuse the man for his worry over his well-being.

After spending a few more moments inspecting himself, Grayson threw on some street clothes (to his surprise, it slightly hurt, and felt uncomfortable against his now-tender, recovering skin), before he made his way out of his flat through the conventional mean: the front door. From there, Grayson kept his head low as he traversed to the streets of Brooklyn, joining the pedestrians that wandered the sidewalks. Before long, Grayson arrived at his destination; a run-down old gas station. In all fairness, it wasn't entirely run-down, but just like his mirror he tried to maintain, it had seen far better days. The clerk inside gave him a nod as he entered, one Grayson returned, before he moved down toward the medicinal isle before the clerk (his nametag read "Paul") could ask about the burns on the right side of Grayson's face.

Admittedly, he'd never visited the medicinal isle in any store---he'd never had a reason to. Now, he did, and after a couple minutes of browsing, he selected the ointment from a shelf closer to the ground, before he paused, and proceeded to grab three more.

With his items, Grayson approached the clerk, he gave him a puzzled look, though said nothing as he began to check out the items.

"---after a surprising resistance from the group of superhuman individuals, several of which are still unknown, the hostile robot detonated within the upper stratosphere. While no deaths have been reported, officials strongly suggest resident of Manhattan to stay away from their homes for a couple days, in case nuclear radiation falls over the city."

Grayson glanced up at the small television with horrible resolution, which displayed a female reported standing in front of the Chrysler building, the shot from the cameraman making sure to get a good glimpse at the destruction left behind from the morning battle.

"Crazy, huh?" Paul the clerk asked, catching Grayson watching the screen.

"What?" the taller man asked, blinking a couple times as he looked toward the clerk, who was holding out a plastic bag containing the ointment to him. "Oh, yeah, yeah, it's... crazy..." he accepted the bag, paid in cash, and was quick to make his way out of the building, headed back for his flat.​
 
A mile walk? If the reward was not reprieve from pain and an excuse off work tomorrow, Finley might have backed off then and there; but, with a shrug she conceded to the fatigued whims of her mind. Besides, she was in... vaguely familiar company, noting the man from earlier sidle up beside her and congratulate her. From her conversation with Shuzo earlier her smile had not waned completely, and it stayed weary but settled upon her lips. A nod moved her head, her blood painted palm moving to sign thank you to Kerco. Gratitude was... nice, for it was not often given and she did not often seek it. She was not one for glory. Not once had her presence been reported in the news, and no superhero alias had been assigned to her that she had heard of.

Well, perhaps until today.

She shook the feeling from her shoulders, lifting her eyes from the concrete sidewalk that they had absent-mindedly dropped to. You too, she signed again, and mouthed the words as she did so. Her telepathy was taking a strain on her body in the form of that stupid dull headache again, so to this basic form of communication she fell. If he did not understand her... then perhaps she'd have to push herself a little further.
 
The Bloodbolt

A shrill, eerie scratch rang through the silence of the warehouse as forged steel screeched into its sheath. The dissonance reverberated throughout the building, fading out in the dimly lit space. When the harsh strum of metal subsided, a heavy stillness once again fell upon the warehouse, a quietude that suffocated the air in a cold, palpable vacuum.

The scene on the ground below carried no different ambience.

The dim lights that hung from the ceiling of the warehouse flickered wildly, and in its unsteady, weak radiance, the full extent of the carnage wrought within the walls was just barely revealed. Strewn across the concrete floor in splatters and pools of blood lay corpses, maimed and splayed out in the dozens beyond recognition. Empty, glazed eyes stared wide open on faces locked in a shocked, terrified visage, as not a single pair of lips drew breath among the dead.

...Save for the shrouded figure that stood above the bodies, crimson lightning crackling around his person with the same, sanguine hue of the blood sprayed across his outfit and face. His mouth and nose were covered, the scarf similarly matted with blood, but amidst the bloodbath that surrounded him, his eyes were hollow, nearly as lifeless as those of his victims. His hand rested on the hilt of his ninjato as he took in the sight, but it was only brief as he deemed his work complete and made to exit the scene, just in time to hear the approaching sirens of the police force. Within a split second, the low rumble of thunder sounded to precede the sudden blast of scarlet lightning that roared from the sky above, crashing down upon the cloaked swordsman now leaving the warehouse, and with a flash of light, he was no longer anywhere to be seen.

Police officers who'd caught wind of the commotion would arrive at the warehouse to see the bodies and carnage left by the vigilante known only by name. As soon as they were able to stomach the sight that awaited them, CSI would soon analyze and identify a majority of the corpses as belonging to that of a major crime syndicate, one with deep roots in the underworld of the city and a larger disruptor of the peace among most. Further investigation would reveal that the particular faction of the aforementioned gang scattered throughout the warehouse had been engaged in an arms deal, aiming to procure bizarrely advanced, almost alien weapons from supposed black market dealers to increase their firepower and, therefore, their influence over the criminal underbelly of New York. Soon, the only mystery surrounding the warehouse massacre was the unknown third party, who'd razed down this certain portion of such a powerful syndicate so swiftly and relentlessly, and traveled only in supernatural bolts of lightning.

The only data available on this vigilante was found in the whispers of the public, those who'd been close enough to witness his work in previous conflicts and soon coined a moniker that quickly gained traction.

Shuzo Takeshi

He'd changed into a more comfortable set of clothes, now walking the streets in a simple shirt, jeans, and blazer. A mask covered his lower face, and he levelled a stare at the ground before him as he trudged, almost aimless in his steps. Within his crimson irises stirred a haze of conflict and uncertainty once again, as he was once again faced with the insecurities he'd tried to bury with another errand to run. However, he kept walking; exhausted as he was, he knew where his destination was. Work couldn't put his mind at ease, so maybe the next best thing could.

Turning a corner, Shuzo arrived at the doors to a local bar, left relatively untouched by the sudden attack by Bionicron hours earlier. He heaved a deep, tired breath as he stepped inside, taking a seat and quietly placing his order. TV's mounted at the corners of the establishment displayed coverage of both the Bionicron aftermath as well as the bloodbath at the warehouse, further adding to Shuzo's stress, though he maintained a stoic façade as he waited for his drink.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, his desired respite would soon be snuffed out before it could even arrive, as he would soon find himself amidst unexpected but familiar company.
 
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The Dark Fairy

Previously Eliiiscool
~~Amanda~~
The group would arrive at the establishment in a short order of time, with Amanda leading them to a table, two of her sitting down, and the other walking off to get the group wine and beer. It only took a few seconds for Amanda who left to rejoin the group, and about two minutes for the drinks to actually arrive, a pair of servers asking each member if they would like beer or wine, each one holding one of the drinks as mentioned earlier. Amanda got one beer and two wines, the one with beer putting it back quickly, the other two seemingly taking turns drinking from their glass, ready to participate in any conversation.

~~Kerco~~
Kerco walked to the establishment, smiling at Finlys response, and nodding back to her "Thank you, but in truth, I don't know if I really did anything all that worthwhile back there."
When they arrived, Kerco took a seat, looking up at the server when they got to him "I would like wine please." After his drink was served, he idly looked over everyone at the table, speaking to the group "Well, it's been quite the day, is everyone alright after all of that?"
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Amy Hartnell
With a smile and a nod, Amy made her way our of the room and went to the door of the establishment where a member of her gang was waiting, "did you bring them" she asked, to which she received her answer as the guy handed over a bundle of clothes "here you go Miss Hartnell, I made sure I wasn't followed, the whole gang is real pleased you got away, when possible you should come celebrate with us", he said a large smile on his face. Amy nodded "that does sound great, when the heat dies down we'll celebrate, for now though you should head back, be careful" she said watching him go before closing the door. She turned and went to a room to change into her usual casual attire. Once changed she was directed somewhere and ended up in a hidden room that no-one would know was there, she would hole up in there until she was needed.

Damon Angelos
Following along with the group of wannabe heroes, Damon was certainly a lot happier once they reached the establishment. They entered and Damon joined them at their table, when the drinks came he took a beer and downed it before taking a second, this one he drank slower as he listened to conversations around him.
 

DevVoid

Previously Deathstalker62
Mr. Miracle
Terry himself had ordered himself a bottle of wine, sitting back in his chair. Now turning back to the group, he had simply made himself comfortable on his seat, stretching his arms back and adjusting his hat and cape. When his wine finally did come, Hagen had poured himself a glass and held it between his fingers, slowly swirling the liquid within the glass with slow hand motions, arm held slightly outward, as if he were a king sitting on his throne. He stopped to take a sip as someone spoke up before him, his eyes falling on the man.

" Alright? I myself am fairly ecstatic. That thing brought hell on the city, and yet we still managed to take it down. "

Now, he turned his attention to the lady.. er, ladies who had proposed this whole drinks thing in the first place.

" So, I assume that this meeting has more of a purpose than to be purely for celebration? "
 
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It appeared Finley's pessimism was ill-placed, for Kerco seemed to get the gist of her words despite the language barrier- or lack thereof. Pulling up a chair, hazel eyes flickered around the room for a moment in idle curiosity, conversation between acquaintances and the blah blabber of ordering drinks uninteresting to her. There were all manner of faces here- she supposed it was bound to happen. Scattered about were some lonesome drunks, some loud groups, some whispering gossipers. One of the very former stood waiting at the bar, back to the group, though there was something... not-so-drunk about him. Purely lonesome, and oddly familiar.

From where she sat she could not quite see his face, but... there was deja-vu drawn in a line right to her, through her gut, grasping. Swallowing, uncaring for the risk of looking nosy, the woman attempted to crane her neck at an angle to get a better look. For but a moment, she swore she felt a reminiscent brooding.

Distraction was only distraction for so long, though. You eventually had to return to the task at hand, and when their round arrived her attention was ripped from the man at the bar and scattered upon the table. Beer slid up to her place, and though the coolness of the glass on her palm brought tranquility for a moment, as soon as it touched her lips she was reminded of why she had always preferred, irritatingly, cocktails of the more expensive variety.

Alright. That seemed an apt word for her state, though it seemed one compatriot did not share that sentiment. Was it really us, though? She sent her telepathic message to Mr. Miracle without considering the consequences, immediately wincing visibly at the migraine that overtook her skull. Oh, it was getting bad now- her messages were getting finite. At least alcohol was a painkiller, even when it was horrid-tasting.
 
Shuzo Takeshi

"Police arrived on the scene shortly after the commotion was reported... bodies revealed to be members of an infamous crime syndicate.... viewers may find the following footage highly disturbing... witnesses describe an unnatural bolt of bright, red lightning.... a similar crimson streak navigating the streets during Bionicron's assault on the city..."

Shuzo watched the TV screens above with a monotonous gaze, silent as he saw the aftermath of both the attack on Manhattan and his own side quest from earlier. Gingerly feeling at the injury in his side from the former event--as well as the people associated--the disguised vigilante let out a quiet sigh, and his mind recalled the entire ordeal, involuntarily lingering on the few but more stressful memories. But it was over. Bionicron, despite its cryptic and ominous malfunctions, was ultimately a one-and-done, and whatever could possibly come next would be dealt with. Perhaps Shuzo could put the irritations behind him with everything else and refocus his sights on the more human side of New York's villains.

Yet, as his drink arrived, a simple whiskey sour, surely enough, his brief moment of solitude was interrupted when the bar door opened. A cursory glance behind his back revealed to him a familiar group of individuals, the appearances of whom quite similarly matched the displayed heroes of Manhattan on the televised news footage. They were soon seated and ready to celebrate their feat with beer and wine, and though Shuzo was content to leave them oblivious to his presence, one of the faces suddenly caught his attention. Her appearance was unchanged from their first meeting, fairly disheveled and exhausted from Bionicron's attack earlier, and the vigilante recognized her instantly.

It was strange; connections and alliances were a concept entirely foreign to him, in all facets of his life, and as such, he'd never once expected to meet any sort of assistance in his occupation, let alone someone who would heal him at their own physical expense. Regardless of the fact that he'd unknowingly saved her in their very first encounter, the ever-so-brooding Shuzo refused to acknowledge the possibility that he was worth any recompense or gratitude for doing nothing more than what his job required of him.

Taking a quiet sip from his drink, Shuzo kept his gaze in front of him, fixated on the TV's once again, though the familiar, irritating clouds of disquietude once again began to creep into his mind. However, instead of leaving his uncertainties to stir within his core, the vigilante now saw an opportunity to maybe put such emotion to rest. Though he remained silent and stared straight ahead, Shuzo's mind began to form words into a brief message, one he would send to the telepath known as Fin.

So, you're here, too.
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Damon Angelos
Hearing mentions of taking down the robot, Damon glanced around "Not like many of us could even scratch the bloody thing, hell let's face it if that mystery..whomever it was hadn't swooped in and literally swept that robot away we'd all be very much dead. Well I might have been fine but it was unlikely" he said muttering the last part under his breath. As he sat there he took a small glance down at himself, he suddenly remembered he was still dressed in what was left of his clothes, he was honestly surprised the owner of the place had let him in, he looked like a homeless guy had been chewed up by a blender. He shrugged to himself thinking he'd just buy some clothes when he left this little gathering. He turned his attention back to the others continuing to drink slowly from his glass.
 

The Alright Attorney

Previously AlrightAttorney
It didn't take long for S.P.A.R.D.A.'s elite task force to return to home base, in less than a hour the trio of Soldier, Stranger, and Secret we're already roaming the halls of the organization's main head quarters. Soldier led the trio, Secret and Stranger just behind her on either side as they approached Xander's office. He had just returned from the robotics facility, wanting to discuss their retrieval mission. Eventually the three found themselves standing in front of Xander's desk, the professor not even acknowledging them with his back to the door. He was still looking at the footage from Bionicron's assault on New York, examining both the robot and people that tried to put a stop to it. After a few moments of silence, Solider cleared her throat, and began to speak out. "Professor Xander, you reques-" Before she could finish, the professor raised his hand, signaling her to stop talking. "I know I requested you here, you don't have to remind me. I made the request, remember?" He turned around, offering a small smile to the group, letting out a light chuckle. "Did the package with Bionicron's parts reach you sir? We got a confirmation from Daniel saying they received the drone about a half hour before we arrived." The Stranger seemed to perk up at the mention of Daniel, his slumped slender figure standing more upright and clasping his three fingered hands together. "Daniel is my friend. Daniel is good." The figure whispered out from behind his helmet, seemingly to no one.

Ignoring Stranger's comment, Xander kept his focus on Soldier. "The package arrived here safely yes, that's why you were called here actually." The professor said, pulling out a large box and placing it a top the table. Opening it up, he pulled out 16 pieces of broken and battered metal, Soldier instantly recognizing them as the pieces of Bionicron they retrieved in New York. "Ah wonderful, glad to see they all arrived in one piece." Solider commented, giving a confident nod. Despite this, Xander still looked up to her, his expression neutral, practically no emotion on the man's face. "Do you not see what's wrong here Soldier?" He asked simply, rising to his feet and putting the New York footage on the large TV screen in the room. "The robotics team and I scoured this footage, cleaning it up and replaying it over and over until we grasped every fine detail we could." The man explained, ignoring the growing confusion that was now on The Soldier's face. "Take a look here... We found the exact point after Bionicron's explosion, managing to pinpoint just how much of him was left over." Pushing the footage forward, the S.P.A.R.D.A. professor showed the trio the aftermath of Bionicron's demise, red circles surrounding each piece of the robot that was leftover, no matter how minuscule.

"Now Soldier, please come here and count how many pieces we found in the footage." Xander stepped back, allowing the Solider to step forward and count out the red circles. "fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... I count seventeen pieces here sir." She reported. "Yes that's right, seventeen. That's approximately how many we were able to locate based on the footage. Now Solider. Turn around and count how many pieces we have on the desk." The moment the request left Xander's mouth, Soldier felt her heart sink down to the pits of her stomach. She knew exactly how many pieces they had recovered. Swallowing, she turned around to look at the desk, she began to speak. "Sir, while in New York were able to recover six-" Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a hand press to the back of her head, and suddenly her face was fast approaching the desk below her. Xander had grabbed her head, smashing the Soldier face first into the desk. "I said COUNT Soldier! I know you're more of a brawn over brains kind of woman, but surely that feeble mind of yours knows how to count, right?" Xander's demeanor changed in an instant, practically baring his teeth like they were fangs. He didn't yell exactly, but his voice was raised as he leaned his face in close to the Soldier's, like a predator teasing it's prey.

Her breathing was heavy, and while she tried to remain calm, there was clear concern behind her eyes. After Xander barked orders for her to count out the pieces, she immediately did as told, her face still pressed into the table. "...fifteen....sixteen. W-We collected sixteen pieces of Bionicron in New York. Sir." She finally reported, feeling blood from her likely broken nose starting to pool up on the desk below her face. "So the Soldier does now how to use her brain. I was starting to worry the Lobotomy patient was smarter than you." He gestured towards The Stranger with his usual laugh, a stark contrast to his vicious actions just a moment ago. He let go of the Soldier, helping her stand back up and patting her on the back to go back to where she was previously standing. As she went back to her previous spot, Soldier pulled what looked like a purple bandage out of her belt and placed it on her nose. Not only did it seem to make her nose heal a bit quicker, it apparently greatly numbed the pain, as the Solider stood firmly at attention beside her teammates. Sitting back down, Xander let out a quiet breath, before smiling back up to the trio. "Now, lets go over what we know. Solider and Secret, the two of you landed at every crash site we could estimate. So it's likely one of them had two pieces you both somehow missed. Did you two encounter anyone at the sites?"

Before the Solider could explain their run in with the homeless man on the roof, Secret silently approached Xander's computer. Morphing it's hand into the shape of something resembling a USB drive, it inserted itself into the computer. Suddenly, footage started to play of Secret's point of view of the man that told them to run away. Pausing the footage, Secret zoomed in and enhanced the image, getting a clear view of the man. Bearded, looking to be in his mid thirties. "Thats the only person to directly interact with us." Soldier explained, before patting the pistol attached to her hip. "Fired a warning shot to scare him off and we left with the piece at that site." Xander looked closely at the footage, a wide smile growing on his face. "Talk about killing two bird with one stone." With an excited chuckle, the professor put up footage of the Bionicron fight, enhancing a zooming in on one of the robot's attackers. "The man that attacked you was there fighting Bionicron, so he likely was looking for pieces as well. That last piece is with him for sure." Xander commented, looking towards Soldier. "And not only that, thanks to our lovely friend Harris, we figured out this man's identity. Alan Martinson more well known as Adapter, last surviving member of the Champions."

"A superhero? He doesn't exactly look the part." Solider muttered with a scoff, her eyes trailing over the footage they had of Alan, now including some videos of his time as Adapter that Xander added. "What makes him so special?"

"Mr. Martinson was no regular super. His power's came from an alien that bonded to his body. One that is no longer with him it seems. But that doesn't mean we can't run a few experiments on his body and maybe get some valuable data off of him." With a grin that grew more sinister by the second, Xander looked to his special task force. "Well you three, you have your new assignment. Capture the former hero and the Bionicron piece he holds. Return them both here at once. And do try to be discreet, I don't need to have a second earful from Harris in less than 24 hours." After a salute, Soldier turned about and walked out, Secret following suit while Stranger continued to play with his fingers. "A hero, I never got to have a hero as a toy yet." He whispered out again, interlacing his inhuman hands with a quiet laugh.
 
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DevVoid

Previously Deathstalker62
Mr. Miracle
Though it appeared his question itself was not quite answered, someone else had chimed. Though.. not verbally, as some stranger's voice rung in his head. ..wait, voices? In his head? He still had his sanity, right? ..well, probably.. Unless this entire thing was now his afterlife and he was, in fact, caught in the nuclear blast and no one did come to safe them. Either way, it was probably wise to respond to whoever.. or whatever was speaking in his hand. Couldn't hurt to try, right? But, just.. how does one respond to a voice in their head? Should he just.. think a message? Like sending a text message, but.. through his cranium? Seemed odd. But then again, what wasn't odd in these times? No one said he couldn't have a little fun first, though.

Testing. Testing. 1, 2, 3. Is this thing on? Oh, it never was? ..Ah shit, I've just got to improvise, then.

He'd grow a faint, cheeky smile on his face from his joking around.

Anyhow.. It was us. We may not exactly be a team.. hell, we hardly even know each other. But we all ended up aiding in preventing further damage caused by that machine. After all, if we all hadn't jumped in and risked our lives, it may still be out there, disintegrating and blowing up everything and everyone around it.

Hagen took the moment for a pause to adjust his hat and bowtie.

Besides, even if we didn't exactly see who ended up throwing it away.. that person was still one of us. A random, who decided to act the hero and do what they could for the good of the people around them. And after all that's happened, the fact we still managed to save the day.. that's cause for celebration, I'd say. How unfortunate we couldn't get the mysterious saviour in here as well, but.. oh well. You snooze, you lose, eh?

All while he thought this continued response, Miracle just sipped casually from his wine glass, keeping rather quiet.
 
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comic

Previously turnt3chGodh34d

Grayson Everest

—11:30 PM, Dec 8, 2026—

Ointment applied? Check.
Properly cleaned? Check.
Justifiably excited? Check.

Grayson pulled his lips back into a smile as he stared at his bathroom mirror, checking for any imperfections in his teeth. Any food stuck between his teeth, or yellow spots perhaps. He wasn't surprised to spot none—Grayson was a man who cared about his dental hygiene.

Once satisfied, he pulled his face away from the mirror to look himself over. Was he overdoing it? Maybe he should go for something more inconspicuous? It's not like he was going on a date, he was just going to scope out the scene, but he still felt the need to look representable. His skin had already almost fully healed by now, the ointment having helped hide some of the more obvious burns. Frowning at his reflection, the man looked up and down multiple times, uncertain of his attire. A button-up blue shirt tucked into his pale blue jeans, held tight by a dark brown belt, and simple dress shoes . . . it was far too formal. It was just a stake out, but he was nervous. And excited.

Finally convincing himself he'd wasted enough time, Grayson darted out of his bathroom, grabbing a black hoodie from a coat rack and slipping it on. It was cold out, after all, this late into fall. It was almost winter.

Not forgetting his ball cap (a NY Yankees cap, specifically) to try and give him some anonymity, even if nobody knew him. With that, he opened his window, checked the coast to be clear, and . . .

Within moments, Grayson emerged from an alley nearby his destination, quickly making his way toward it, hands shoved into his pockets. His tall and lean build didn't help him much at remaining anonymous, but nobody could deny he was at least trying.

Before his hand had even reached the doorknob, he heard; "—whomever it was hadn't swooped in and literally swept that robot away we'd all be very much dead."

They were discussing him.

Failing to hide the smallest of grins, Grayson stepped into the bar, quickly and as subtly as possible trying to slide his way into the most distant booth from the small group of heroes he recognized from earlier. His purpose here wasn't to stoke his ego, nice as hearing talk about him was, but rather to investigate these heroes. See if they were like-minded, maybe even . . . capable of other things he had in mind.​
 

The Dark Fairy

Previously Eliiiscool
~~Amanda~~
Amanda was asked about why she brought everyone to this place, the Amanda on the far right talking to give a response to the others. “Well, it’s not everyday that a big scary bad guy tries to destroy everything, and I just wanted to invite all of you to get a drink. No real motive beyond that, I felt like being generous.”

The Amanda who was drinking beer stopped drinking, quietly standing up to go order some pretzel bites for the table, as Amanda herself was feeling quite hungry.

~~Kerco~~
Kerco, while listening to the table, had been taking some time to ponder over the fight itself, and what might have happened it had continued. They failed, pure and simple. It was a fluke the city lived about thirty minutes prior.

Kerco set down his glass, clearing his throat after Amanda was done talking “I’ve been thinking since the attack earlier, and about the cosmic fluke that saved us from what would have been the death of us all.” He allowed for a moment of silence to allow the others to conjure the memory and soak in it before continuing “If this kind of threat is coming, or even possible, I think there needs to be some kind of unified force to stop it, clearly we were completely ineffective on our own.” He leaned forward onto the table “If you people are willing, I think we should put together a team of our own.”
 
She had not been expecting such a familiar voice from the figure that had blandished forward her deja-vu, but there it was. You're here too. As he formed the link, her surprise rang aloud in her mind- what Shuzo would hear would be a brief buzz of white noise, a mild and entirely harmless form of the mental attack she often unleashed. It would be brief, quick as a blink, and then gone- shattered, as something else reached out. Another familiar voice, but much more recently reminiscent. From the smile on Mr. Miracle's face that he oh-so-expertly hid behind his wine glass, Fin could guess he was quite proud of himself.

Still, despite how split her attention was she had to find herself... vaguely agreeing. Perhaps the camaraderie they displayed did do something to hold the robot back- and perhaps it had attracted the attention of their eventual saviour. As her headache grew more pressurising, she simply opted to catch Mr. Miracle's eye, nodding with a strained smile pulled across her lips. He was right. Why else would they be celebrating, if they had not done something?

Her good mood was short lived as Kerco continued, carrying on from the triplets (though, strangely, she could not feel three minds between them) to turn their offer of generosity into some sort of... proposition. A team. Teaming up, getting into regular contact with people who she had only recently though of as acquaintances... that smacked of obligation, a responsibility to notoriety that Fin did not and swore she would never want. Hurriedly signing 'Excuse me' without offering so much as an answer, Fin got to her feet, needing a breather- an out. Where else would she end up, other than the bar?

There, still letting his brooding aura flood toward her- Shuzo. Finley shuffled up beside him, though did not make eye contact as she did so, only reaching into her bag and producing a small notepad. Flicking through pages, flashes of sentence upon sentence of conversational dialect in her handwriting blurred past before she settled on an empty page. Something must have gone missing in the blur of battle, or perhaps she'd just left it on her desk- so, with one final push, she granted him a brief glance before sending a message.

Do you have a pen?
 
Shuzo Takeshi

He sat in silence, drinking his cocktail slowly in long sips and feeling the prolonged burn of alcohol in his throat. Though the vigilante kept his back turned to the group of heroes who'd so coincidentally found their way into the same bar he'd chosen, he lent an ear to the droplets of their conversations that trickled through, scoping out those who were more assertive and inquisitive, or more accurately, those to avoid. From the bits and pieces he managed to pick up, Shuzo overheard the mention of a 'team', citing the Manhattan incident hours ago, mentioning the prospect of the more likely outcome had it not been for whatever had taken Bionicron out of sight.

A 'team'? A 'unified force'? Such terms were utterly alien to the lonesome vigilante, who only knew how to work alone. That was how he was taught, after all, and as his mind pondered the words, the memories he'd tried to bury at the Manhattan Marble Cemetery came to rear their head. He was the only one he could trust. Never accept assistance or empathy. Wherever he was needed, no one else could do what needed to be done but him. The idea of having people to rely on and trust didn't exactly play into the creed that had been so deeply rooted in his being. As such, upon the mention of such an alliance, Shuzo soon became disinclined to humor the group much further, and his attention followed his gaze to rest on the TV, the contents of which remained focused on mentions of Bionicron's attack as well as the 'Bloodbolt'.

Yet, naturally, the universe's apparent penchant for coincidence and irony soon played its hand without much compunction for inconvenience, as Shuzo's senses were suddenly awash with a static sensation, unnatural and different from the lightning that so often surged through his body. It was fleeting, lasting no longer than a second, but it hadn't failed to briefly rattle the typically monotonous vigilante, very nearly prompting a startled jolt from him as well, fortunately suppressed. It wasn't long after the abrupt flash that its source, the one person who'd so recently challenged every facet of Shuzo's existence, quietly sidled up to him and took a seat.

Casting only a glance from his periphery, he watched as Fin procured a notepad from her bag and flipped to an empty page, but he was unable to avert his gaze in time for her to meet his eyes. The sudden interaction caused an uncomfortable stir in his chest--mainly, an uneasy realization that this only briefly met individual had now seen his full face as opposed to his features half-obscured in his vigilante attire, as well as having the knowledge of his name. Without enough time to aptly address this disquietude (which would likely still be detectable to the telepath before him), their sudden eye contact was quickly followed by her voice, ever so unusually present in his mind while her mouth remained closed. A pen? It wasn't as odd of a request, given the context, but Shuzo raised a brow nonetheless before silently acquiescing and retrieving the writing utensil from the inner pocket of his blazer.

After relinquishing it to Fin, he returned his attention to his drink, downing what little remained and signaling the bartender to silently request another. Once his order was placed, Shuzo finally opted to break the silence, and though he kept his gaze forward, he opened his mouth to speak. Though he wouldn't acknowledge it out loud, perhaps another conversation with the person who'd come out of nowhere to suddenly oppose his entire worldview could help to earn him some needed respite. His voice, though just barely audible to the telepath's ears, remained as weary and slightly troubled as it had been from their last encounter.

"I saw you come in with the rest of the people fighting the robot. Did they say something that rubbed you the wrong way?"
 
For a moment there was silence as she took the pen from him, letting a brief smile curve her lips for a very fleet-footed moment, wordless but offered with tangible gratitude. In honesty, Fin found herself surprised that he had such a thing on his person- her resigned request had been one given out of desperation, without much expectation. Scribbling briefly in the corner to ensure it worked, her tiny exercise was cleaved from becoming a doodling distraction when he spoke up.

The dishevelled woman took a deep breath, nodding briefly before letting hazel eyes fall to the lines of her notebook. In penmanship that was not quite immaculate cursive but instead a sufficiently-legible scrawl, she wrote, immediately finding her body thanking her for sparing it of the strain. Yep. They One of them said we should form a team. Taking a pause, she tapped the pen on the bar for a moment, pursing her lips in an expression of contemplation. I don't want to do that. I prefer to work alone. Another moment did she take, weighing her decision as to whether to write the next part or not.

More than once she had heard him mention work or a job. From how experienced he had seemed, his powers saving someone from a threat on a much larger scale than petty theft, Fin figured that this job was not like hers, imprisoned between cubicle walls inputting numbers. Was it vigilante work? Idly, her attention flickered to the television, reports of Bionicron's attack and a second incident that had only recently taken place flooding the content. In a brief moment she saw the name 'Bloodbolt' scroll past. Scarlet lightning crackled in her memory.

I feel like you might know what I mean, Fin finally resolved to write, a small sigh breezing her lips.

Realising that neither of them were looking at the other, she slid her answer over to him, feeling juvenile as she did so. They were not teenagers sat secretly exchanging notes about their classmates. Something about the image might have been mildly humorous had she not felt so pathetic and worn.
 
Shuzo Takeshi

Paper slid against the wooden table, brushing gently against his elbow to wrest his eyes from staring into empty space. Shuzo looked down and took the notepad in his hand to read the contents of the page facing him. By yet another extended coincidence, Fin seemed to share his distaste for the proposed formation of a team he'd overheard, as well as a preference for solitude in their lines of work. However, upon reaching the last sentence of her message, the vigilante was unable to prevent himself from quietly but sharply sucking in a breath, feeling the weight of his stress continue to build.

I feel like you might know what I mean.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that nearly every detail of this encounter made Shuzo uneasy. The one person he'd run into that had struck him with an uncertainty and caused a waver in his ideology, had now also known his name and seen his face. To be fair, the name had been on his volition... but the face was a bit too far for comfort. This discomfort only built as he recalled his more recent memories: him, the vigilante who'd left a brutal scene of criminals that was hardly suitable for any audience, and yet a random person he'd happened to meet in a split-second interaction, who would try to heal him from an injury. As his refill arrived, Shuzo quickly reached out to take a sip and hoped the alcohol would even remotely bury some of his concern.

Regardless, he'd ultimately resolved to stay and keep himself in this conversation, and all he could do now was hope to earn some sort of fulfillment from his self-inflicted unease. Reading the last sentence once more, Shuzo let out a quiet sigh and set his glass down before giving his response.

"I only know how to work alone. Not much of a matter of preference, just... I went in with no other option."

Following his reply with another sip of whiskey, he slid the notepad back to Fin, but in his motion, he opened his mouth to speak once again.

"I suppose, as coincidental as this meeting was, there's some benefit to be gained by this. I was actually hoping to ask you something."

Faced with an opportunity to possibly have some of his concerns addressed, Shuzo paused for a second, as if searching for the best way to formulate his next words, then finally asked his question.

"Back during the fight, when you healed me. Did you know who I was beforehand? And if you did..."

The vigilante gestured towards the TV screen displaying the carnage that was still being described and explained from the recent warehouse commotion, worthy evidence to further emphasize his following inquiry.

"Why? You'd have seen what I've done before. And yet you helped me anyway."
 
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