Initiation: A Story of Young Heroes

[yvi.]

@-QT- @Eon sorta
​

Batting her eyes, the young magician stepped aside as Night Rider rushed to the side of the building to vomit. Magiya from afar called to him to ask if he was alright multiple times, but soon their safety was threatened as multiple flying beasts appeared that had outsmarted her 'enthusiastic' pilot abilities. The appearance of two stars soon came out to play, a hand gripping her wand, but she was informed to just go find the Architect. She wasn't sure what wiggle meant, but she just bounced off either way. She had glanced behind her to see if he was alright before she went into the building. Talented aim. "I guess he does not only speak strangely and eat at Chi-tter-ling place."

She trotted inside, holding onto her hat as she suddenly laid eyes on quite a group of kids that weren't looking so hot. They crowded her with many questions about their parents and guardians whereabouts, near hysterical as she once was. If that's how she was acting, she totally felt embarrassed now. "This is not time to cry, justice will prevail little ones!" She felt that her strange way of speaking and tilted upwards chin helped them a bit. "Have you seen The Architect?" She wasn't sure how he looked, he had that arm, but besides that he looked rather ordinary. They responded with multiple 'no's. "Stay grouped and together near me, alright?" She instructed, before looking among the crowd or around. He should've been at the front entrance if anything or right here in this towering lobby with the kids. Magiya struggled on what to do, but she had to make sure they were safe.

Magiya squawked as her hat suddenly buzzed with Architect's voice. It was loud and laced with the buzz of some static, it growing louder as she took off her hat and searched within it. It was so deep the brim reached her shoulder, groping around as stars and feathers flurried from the hat. She felt her adorably decorated mint green phone and tugged it from within her black hole of a hat, listening in. So he wasn't here, he was over protecting the people in Mercy's trap. "Automated defenses...?" She echoed gently, looking up and around her surroundings. Maybe she should reply back. "Uhm. Thank you." She spoke into her phone, not even sure if he could hear her. God, she was so awkward, she just threw her phone back into her hat with an embarrassed squeal.

Magiya blinked once, and then there were a group of androids. How he created or activated this was a mystery to her. And they looked scary despite being passive to any non-threatening targets. They scanned the area and she stayed rather still, her hands darting upwards and palms facing them as they studied her the group of kids. They uttered a mechanical diagnostic of them being non-hostile and just clanked off without a second thought. She quickly explained the situation about the robots and turrets that were there to keep them safe to the children. The magician decided to go outside and see if Night Rider was okay, but he burst in with a mean limp but a heroic expression before she could even walk to the door. What he said contradicted his appearance, however.

"E...Eh?" She tilted her head, working out his sentence in her head. She believed he said they weren't looking so good, this wouldn't last for long. She wanted to disagree, but the kids swarmed him with the same questions they gave her. She couldn't help but to smile slightly as he looked distressed, soon waving for her to help. Magiya did not come to the rescue very quick as she walked over languidly with a big grin. Magiya blinked as he trotted to her and said something she did not understand at all. She tilted her head quite far, eyebrow scrunched in confusion. "Uhm..." He continued talking, however.

She didn't catch much of what he said the next statement either, it was like talking to an alien! Jawing probably meant talking, she had no idea about Kansas sheep, but the last statement she understood. "Maybe it is because of very eccentric vocabulary they did not understand you." He flopped down with a big sigh, and Magiya seemed very worried about the nasty cut on his shin as she kneeled next to him. "Rowdy-them-up? Um." She could entertain them and make them feel better, and she knew just the way how! She wasn't a magician for anything.

"Oh..." She forgot he busted his phone and couldn't hear what he said. "The Ar-chi-tect sent in another frequency, he went to Mercy's fire circle, help them get out. They are falling back now and will be here anon. He also stated that these defense mechanisms were activated by him, do not mess with them as they will protect us until he gets here." She explained clearly. "What happened?" She asked, not very much listening as she eyed his wound. She bunched up her fist and with a twinkle, pulled out a big cloth from within her tight knuckles. She gingerly wrapped his leg up tight and patted it. "Rest now. I will take care of children." She ordered, straightening up at the saddened bunch.

"Who want to see show?" Magiya chimed in as friendly as a tone her cold accent would let her. "Come, I shall show something real amazing. Sit down, get comfortable." She managed to get them to pull the chairs together and to sit down in front of her standing form. She plucked off her hat and threw it upwards. It twirled with a flurry of comical looking yellow stars, before gliding in a twirl around her form as the crowd gasped. It rested gently on the floor, face up. Magiya bent over low and reached deep into the hat as she squatted, a cacophony of noises and such like bells, birds, roaring, elephants or flipping cards rang out. She grabbed onto something and tugged hard, but got stuck at the opening. It doused her with star dust. She put her heel on the hat and tugged hard. out came a full grown lion. It was held up off the floor by its nape and it looked rather lazy. The kids suddenly were very entertained, leaning forward. "This is Andrei! Say hello!" She held him in her arms like he was but a mere newborn despite taking up most of her body. He shook his paw obediently before nuzzling Magiya with a grunt. "He is very sleepy right now... Maybe I should put him back, yes?" The children shook their heads. "Alright, alright. We shall keep him outside for company." She rested him in front of her as sat gently down upon him daintily. "Would any of you like to pet him? He is very friendly, like kitty." Some children volunteered, a little shy and scared at first, but as Andrei warmly purred as they pet him they were soon enough very amazed.

Magiya picked Andrei up and soon enough stuffed him back into the hat, it bulging out as it took him and he soon disappeared. The children were awash with wonder. "Can I get volunteer?" She asked, pulling a deck of cards from her hat resting on the floor. A few hands raised, but she picked a small-looking girl who was one of the ones crying about her parents going missing earlier. "You there, come on up." She kind of felt like she was her mom in her magic shows. That's probably where she got the stage presence. She shuffled the deck gently, holding it out face up for her to pick. "Pick any card you want and show it to everyone." She instructed, closing her eyes. The cards were all different, just a regular deck. The girl picked an ordinary queen of hearts card. She showed the audience the card shortly. "Now put it anywhere in deck." The little girl hesitantly slid the card back into the pile.

Magiya opened her eyes and shuffled it quickly, smiling to the girl. She pulled out a random card and showed it to the audience. "Is this her card?" It was just a joker. The children were quick to tell her it wasn't her card. Vea turned red and shuffled it quickly. "Is this her card?" Another wrong card. Magiya feigned frustration, looking through the deck quickly. "Wait, you guys have the card. Everyone, check their pockets or shoes." The children seemed confused, but soon enough did as told, a murmur of excited chatter coming about as one by one pulled the Queen of Red Hearts card out from their person. Magiya twirled her finger and they fluttered up like a swarm of flies, warping before with a cloud of stardust and a twinkle turned into a single card that floated back down to the magician. "Is this her card?" The children cheered yes as Magiya laughed before she turned to the little girl, getting down on one knee to hold out the card. "Here you go. You can keep it." A green ink sprawled across the card and morphed into Magiya's signature. "May you always experience some type of magic in your life, little one." She pats her head as the little girl is fascinated with the glowing card, going back to her seat as the kids near her crowd around the magic card.

"Do you think they are doing alright?" Magiya's tone is worried as she strides back over to Night Rider, trying to keep her voice down so the children don't hear them. "The others, I mean."​

 

[Eon]

The Architect: Smug, and in an incredible amount of pain.
@-QT- @Moogle-Girl @beautie

Ryan watched as his plan went off without a hitch. "Oh, that's nothing. It was a rushed job really, I could've made much better robots myself if I had the time," he said over the radio to the girl who'd clearly made it to the GSC. It seemed that the villanness was trapped within a sphere of hard light, unable to harm anyone other than herself, and unable to make use of any changes in air density. While the containment wouldn't last forever, he estimated that both himself and the other heroes had at least a good five to ten minutes of Mercy-free fallback time. Once again, he spoke into the comms, "Alright boys, girls and...Holy shit, do we have a dog fighting on our side? You know what, never mind. Anyway, this would be a great time to skiddadle right the fuck out of here and come back with a formal plan and probably some sort of really big gun." He said, pushing himself off the building and grappling toward the science center with one last taunt at Mercy.

"You know, you're a lot less intimidating when you've just been manipulated into being trapped in a hamster-ball by a highschool dropout and a dog," he said, referring to himself and the dog he'd been so impressed by earlier.

He swung from the edge of one building, his robotic hand gripping into the concrete with ease, before letting go, sending himself hurtling through the air. Just before he was about to grab onto his next swinging point, something large, hard, and heavy collided with his lower back. He cried out in pain, wishing he'd had the money to afford real armor, not two suits of motorcycle gear cut apart and re-"forged" into his current suit. Whatever the flying shadow monster was, it grabbed him in two large claws and began to fly upwards, presumably to drop him. Powering through the pain of the impact, he took hold of the creature's ankle. His robotic arm could bend at almost any angle along it's joints, so while the grip may have proven impossible for some, it wasn't too much trouble for The Architect. He squeezed with his robotic hand, exerting enough force to dig into stone, and he heard whatever bones the shadow monster had crack. He planned to tear off the mystical abomination's foot, then grapple onto it and use the monster to break the impact when he slammed into a building or the ground. It took but another second before he'd completely ruined the creature's ankle, and it was no longer able to hold the top half of his body.

His legs were still caught in the creature's other claw, but the grip was far less stable, and now, Ryan could simply slice his way out of it, and he did. Now that he was below it, he noted that the creature had large, bat-like wings, a vaguely bipedal structure, and some sort of large, stinging tail at its back. Firing his grapple, he grabbed into the creature's chest and reeled in, slamming into it knees first. The creature shrieked with pain, and Ryan began to punch it with his human hand in the exact same spot he'd impacted it as he began to climb up to the creature's backside.

His weight, now placed squarely between the monster's wings, had a far greater effect than it had previously, due to the changes in positioning and center of mass. While still airborne, the monster's flight was lopsided, which was only amplified by Ryan cutting of the shadowy beast's left wing, causing it to careen downwards. Ryan held tight to his prey, with no intent on letting go as he plummeted downwards at an angle that, barring any additional interruptions, should lead him to land a few feet from the door of the Galaxy Science Center. He shifted his weight around to turn slightly, making sure he was aimed just right for when he grappled onto the building and rode the monster against the ground.

However, this left him open to the attack from the monster's tail. He'd assumed the creature would be in too much pain to function properly, as it had screamed when he'd hit it, which implied that it felt pain. He'd been wrong, and the stinger-tail pierced his organic shoulder-blade, causing him to cry out in pain, both physical and financial, as it would take at least a week for him to obtain the meager funds required to repair his "armor." Still, he plummeted. His grip on the creature weakened after the stab in the shoulder, he barely managed to hold on when his bionic hand let go to grapple onto the building.

The impact with the ground was worse. He slammed into the ground, full force, the creature's body scraping brutally against the ground before coming to a halt about three feet from the doors. The impact probably broke something, and he was briefly stunned when he came to a halt. It had hurt, holy shit had it hurt, but god damn if it didn't look cool. The automated defenses scanned him, fired two shots into the shadow beast, and allowed him through.

Unfortunately, the wound in his shoulder was bleeding rather profusely, and hurt so badly he had to bite his cheek to keep from cursing around the children. He'd be bleeding inside the mouth, if he had to keep this up. "Taa-daa," he said, though it was more of a pained grunt than proper speech. "Don't try that at home, children. Please, for the love of God do not do that at home," he said, glancing about at the two other heroes who'd made it.

"So, did you guys know we've got a dog fighting on our side?"

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Burner watched as Mercy was contained and smiled broadly, he pulled his fire back inside him and began to retreat. It was then he remembered the girl who Mercy had struck against a building. He grumbled and sprinted over to her. He didnt want to leave anyone behind, and while she hadnt contributed much.

"C'mon Chica," He said as he knelt next to her to pick her up. He put his arms around her waist then lifted her over his shoulder before making his way out of the battle scene. He looked over his shoulder as he was running and spotted Mercy, trapped in some light prism. Burner smiled and continued running. He tried to remember where the science center was and while running through the streets he saw several hiding in a store. He slowed to a jog and knocked on the windows, he waved for the three kids to come to the front and follow. One of the kids stood, a young girl with black hair, then grabbed the others by the hand and brought them to the front of the store. They unlocked the door and Burner smiled at them.

"I'm Diego, we're gonna go somewhere safe okay?" Burner said as he began a light jog down the road, "Keep up."

He realized he said his real name and let out a sigh. He'd have to remind the kid later that bit was a secret, at least before the rest of the young heroes heard. The kids stayed close behind him and he frequently checked to make sure that they were still there. After some jogging he found himself at the steps of the Science Center. He walked with the girl over his shoulder and spotted three other heroes, one guy on the ground mentioned the dog. Upon second glance it was noticed that this guy was the one that set the trap that caught Mercy, he also had a robotic arm. Two cyborgs in one day, weird. This one appeared to actually be bleeding.

"That dog took a hit for me," Burner said as the kids he'd found rushed inside, he looked at the guy who'd thrown the trap and a guy wearing leather and a bandana. Behind him was a shorter fuller girl, Burner hadnt seen these two before and was confused by their lack of participation in the battle.

"This girl needs help, Mercy smacked her down hard. She's definitely breathing but she could be bleeding internally or something. Not to discredit your wounds. We need to get a plan together as soon as possible, Mercy is serious strong. She took my power from me like she was drinking a soda, almost took all my fire."

Burner began walking inside, he needed to set the girl down. He didnt know her and it was unlikely that she'd be happy to be left outside. He re-positioned the girl and held her across his chest. Upon entering the Science Center he saw the large amount of children in the place. There were so many, he was instantly confronted once again with the severity of the situation.

"Ay dios mio..." Burner sighed resignedly, "What're we gonna do?"

 

[Kurogane86]

Hyperdrive watched as hit final attack missed completly. "Damn it, what a waste." Hyperdrive's color left him as his body was in dire need of calories. His vision was blurry but he could see a small roof top garden on the roof. He tried to walk but fell, he crawled tword the pots.

Adam pulled himself up to the pots and pulled out what looked like baby carrots. He wiped the dirt off and began to eat the half formed vegetables. After 5 mins Adam's vision returned as well as his ability to move. Adam pulled out his communicator. "This is Junior Hero Hyperdrive, it seems as though the villain is restrained. I would advise a regroup collect any injured hero and meet at the science building. Hyperdrive out."

 

[Moogle-Girl]

There was a whole collection of sounds Junak didn't recognize -- they were focused around Mercy's location, he could tell that much, and he anticipated an attack. He listened carefully for any sign of a projectile coming closer to him, ready to spring into the air to dodge, but as the fog cleared what he really saw was the last thing he was expecting. Mercy was surrounded in some sort of force field. And judging from her flurry of fire attacks bouncing right off of her prison, it was actually holding her in. But the walls were slowly expanding, like an inflating balloon. And if the metaphor held, that force field was going to pop.

Was that really all the heroes could do? Run and hide and regroup? It sure seemed that way -- they were barely holding up now, and this was probably the only chance they would get. "Go ahead, find us!" Junak quipped, feeling his confidence return along with his line of sight. "We'll be ready for you next time!"

With that, he turned tail and started running away from the scene. "Started" being the operative term; with the burns on his hindquarters still causing him plenty of pain, he nearly fell right to the floor as soon as he tried to flex his back legs. Way too embarrassing. He had to fly, but even that proved tricky, as his powers were magical in origin -- at least, that's how he understood it -- and required a fair amount of focus to keep up. So his paws barely left the ground, and his flight was anything but straight. But eventually he was able to follow the other heroes to the science center.

And what a place it was. Junak had passed over the place a few times here and there, but he'd never seen the true extent of its defenses. A couple of androids approached him, shined some bright lights at him, and gave an electronic confirmation of his non-hostility, a process that had him on edge the entire time. Things only got worse when he entered the center, one of the last to do so: he was faced with several other heroes, not all of which he recognized and at least one of which was badly injured, and a group of distressed children. "Anything but kids," Junak muttered under his breath. "I'll take another hit from Mercy any day..."

Right on cue, some of the kids started looking to him with gleams in their eyes, and one of them even approached the goggles-wearing Dalmatian. "Nice doggy," the young girl said, reaching out her hand towards him.

"Don't touch me," Junak grunted. "And I'm not gonna do any tricks." Ignoring the hurt look of the girl and the amazed looks of the other kids who were just surprised to see a talking dog, Junak clumsily slid his goggles off his eyes and onto his neck and asked of the other heroes, "So, what'd I miss?"

 

[Wolverbells]

The hit by Mercy was anything other than merciful. Though the fact that her water ability had caused Mercy to become distracted,and highly upset, satisfied Ariyah, it was still severely disappointing how easily she was taken out.

The blonde teenager knew that she was way in over her head but it was never her intention to shoot water at the villainess. It was something that she didn't even know she could do. Nonetheless, staying quiet as she slammed into the wall was all she could do. Everything had happened with such quickness that Ariyah barely had time to make a noise. If she would've known what was coming, a single scream would've probably give Mercy a run for her money. At least she thought so.

How much time had passed since the teenager had gone unconscious was unknown. All she knew now is that she was swaying from side to side and that there was a breeze. If she would've known that someone had been carrying her while they ran, there would've been a problem, but reality kept fading in and out of blackness for the majority of the time. It wasn't until she felt as if her positioning had been changed that she began to acknowledge what was really happening.

Her eyelids fluttered open before she squinted to help her eyesight focus. "Where am I?" Her voice held a grogginess to it as she asked the question out loud. She felt a grip around her tighten slightly and her body stiffened, causing her to wince in pain. "Ow. God. Everything hurts... Wait where's Mercy?!" Her head turned rapidly from side to side as she looked around frantically, her hands quickly going up to the shoulders of the guy that was still holding her so that she could be set on her feet without falling. Once she was on her feet, she looked up at the young man who had helped her and thanked him quietly. Truth be told she wasn't even sure if she appreciated the fact that someone had to 'save' her. The whole "damsel in distress" ordeal never applied to her.

Ariyah held her torso tightly with one arm while she used her other hand to help her stand by holding on to a fixture near by. She wasn't about to let others know that she was in any kind of pain. There was much more at hand at the moment that needed to be taken care of, like the children around them.

"Did everyone make it back okay?" She asked as she began noticing that those who had been fighting were in a group where she now stood. Her eyes lingered on a dog whom she remembered had been fighting as well. She frowned slightly seeing that it was injured as well and sighed quietly as she turned to the others hoping that she'd be able to get as much information as possible.

"Oh... and.. My name is Ariyah, or Siren, as Mercy called me." She had never met any of the teenagers in front of her, so it would only make sense to introduce herself right after she was knocked out in front of them.

 

[Ko T'suno]

@Eon and party

Travelling down the recently abandoned streets, Shezmu could hear gunfire in the distance and from the sound of it they were close enough for the three of them to make it there without drawing to much attention from the advancing horde. "This way." He stated as he began trotting down the road. "How do you know where to go?" Jake asked as he caught up to Shezmu with Ryne on his back.

"I can...hear gunfire." Shezmu replied as he shifted his knives back into a bow. "You can hear gunfire and you want us to go towards it?" Jake cynical response clearly expressing his disagreeance with Shezmu's decision. "Yes, I can and yes we should, safer in larger numbers." Shezmu returned trying his best to sound reassuring, and it seemed to work Jake didn't disagree with him at least not verbally. "This way." Shezmu added as he turned a corner.



Following the sounds of gunfire, Shezmu and his group finally made it to the Galactic science center, the gunfire had stopped by the time the three had made it, but was soon replaced by a chorus of heartbeats. "Jake, are you two alright?" He asked as Jake and Ryne stood beside him. "A little shaken up, that one thing I'm the street corner for pretty close..thanks by the way." Jake replied, a hand resting on Ryne's shoulder. "Your welcome, I'm just glad you two are ok. Hey do you see anyone who might be in charge?" Shezmu asked as the trio began walking around. "Well there's no adults but there are a group of people that look like they could be your friends." Jake explained, pointing to the group of young heroes, for a moment before remembering that Shezmu was blind.

"Friends, what do you mean?" Shezmu returned as he pulled his bow back into his body. "I don't know anyone besides you two here." "Yea but they look like they could be, ya know...heros." Jake retorted as he attempted to flag one down. "What are you doing?" Shezmu questioned, after he felt Jake's arm wave past his side. "Trying to get there attention, at least one of them." Jake retorted before jumping into the air. "Hey!! Over here." He called out to the group. "Stop.." Shezmu interjected as he grabbed Jake's arm. "Why!" Jake demanded. "Don't you think, that if if there are other good guys around you should join them, find out what they know and Help them!" Jake's voice cracked a bit as he raised his voice. "....valid argument Jake, but there are injured. Could you help me tend to them?" Shezmu asked, trying to redirect Jake's attention. "Fine let's go this way." Jake said as he grabbed Shezmu's hand this time and lead him towards the group of heros. "Magic show, look!" Ryne squealed the excitement clear his voice. "Can I watch it. Please" He begged For a moment before Jake gave him an approving nod. With Ryne now watching the show and out of earshot Jake began bombarding Shezmu with a volley of questions ranging from his age to his favorite colour. "Um I can't see colours except red I see that." Shezmu replied unaware of Jake's intention of leading him to the group of heros. "Hey where there machines outside?" Shezmu inquired, he had noticed then before when they had first made it to the building. "Oh yes they did something but didn't attack us, so must be friendly right." Jake answered as he came to a stop. "Ay mister, you alright?" Jake asked as he stood in front of what he described to Shezmu as a cyborg. "He's bleeding...and he's not the only,one." Shezmu added under his breath, the scent of copper lingered in the air. "Hey mister my friend here can help your wounds. Right Shezmu?" Jake questioned as he pulled Shezmu in front of him and grinned at his handy work. "You planned this didn't you…" Shezmu asked as he passed Jake. "Not important.." Jake reminded Shezmu, who sighed and bowed his head. "Greetings, might,you be willing to let me check on your injuried?" He asked a hint of nervousness clung to his voice.

 

[Kurogane86]

Adam aka Hyperdrive.
Interacting with whoever is in the science building.

Adam finally made it down the building he was grabbing at his stomach that was groaning loudly. "Damn it, the hunger is just so intense." Adam's face lit up as he saw a conveinence store. He hobbled through the broken down doors and grabbed a personal shopping basket. Adam walked down the aisles picking only the highest calorie snacks he could find.

Adam got up to the register and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a few bills and placed them on the counter, placing a rock on the counter so they won't fly away. Adam ripped the wrapper off of a few candy bars and ate them like it was his first meal in years. Purple energy ran up and down his body. "Ooww" the newly energized Adam realized he was injured, he placed his hand on his hurt back and continued to shuffle tword the science center.

Adam continued to eat as he walked up to the science center. He placed the empty wrappers in a garbage can and walked in. It was depressing seeing the city's youth panicking, crying. Adam saw a few heroes entertaining the children. He walked up to the Heroes. "Hey, is there anyone else left?"

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Burner had been quiet for some time, he was processing all this. The apocalypse was not something he'd been prepared for. He didnt know how to do this without Pyra, or his grandmother. It was getting to be allot of responsibility. He dodged stuff like this before, it was a part of the reason he didnt have a Guard communicator. He liked his neighborhood beat, he took down petty crime and occasionally helped Pyra fry some of the bigger fish in the city but never did he have to save an entire planet. In his mind he was freaking out, but on the outside he was calm. He simply stood arms crossed looking around at the kids around him, he had heard the dog from earlier walk in. Burner wasnt sure about using the term dog, it spoke and was very strong enough to be a hero. He heard some talking, which reached him as blurbs of distorted sound. He snapped himself back to reality and uncrossed his arms. One blind guy and two other teens walked in, the man asked if he was allowed to help.

"I dont think you'll have trouble finding patients," He said bluntly. He began addressing everyone around him, trying to get something planned.

"For future reference while we're fighting, I'm Burner. If it werent obvious from before I can make fire, and control it in most forms..." He resumed his normal flirtatious demeanor, "I'm also the hunk who carried you inside chica."

"That big cyborg guy is gone, I dont know if he bailed on us or hit his expiration date and got sucked up. But regardless of who's in or out of the game, we need a plan. I vote for whoever it was that managed to catch Mercy in that trap to be the leader. Not that none of us are fit for it, but he actually thought of something. The rest of us were just getting tossed around. I can only assume by that wand you carry that magic is something you do, or that thing is some kind of science."

He addressed this last bit to the girl near the cowboy, "You know anything about that portal, how to open it, stop it, pull people out of it or at least stop Mercy's magic?"

@beautie @Kurogane86 @Ko T'suno @Moogle-Girl @-QT- @Eon

 

[-QT-]

Night Rider - Before
@beautie ​

"I must gon' be crazy as a loon, did tha-?" Daryl cut himself off mid question, not believing the illusions before his eyes. Watching the young magician hero lady was astounding, her trickery and sorcery were meant for the stage. Everyone in the audience - meaning the children stuck in the GSC and Night Rider himself - were all hypnotized by the performance. Though the Night Rider in Daryl questioned the extent of Magiya's magic prowess. Was she using her wizardly stars to mesmerize them, or was she truly that eye-catching? Hmm.....

Anyhow, the magic show continued for a while - Magiya's abilities an obvious spectacle to the young minds before her. Daryl was kind of jealous at this point, wishing he had some kind of extraordinary powers. That idea quickly faded as the presentation came to a close, the pain in his shin presently calling for him. As Magiya came back to Daryl's side, the pain 'went away' - or so it appeared by his expression.

"A lick and a promise that was not lil lady. Them dumpish kids turned those frowns upside down fair to middlin," the cowboy commented, assessing her rise to emergency as productive and very well handled. With a thumbs up and a western man's wink, Night Rider forced himself back to his feet. He had to show courtesy and be at eye level with pretty lady. Then he went ahead and addressed her concern.

"Dead as a door nail.........hahaha, i'm just teasing darlin'. I'm sure they're as daisy as a sheep dog on flap-jacks on dirt worshipper's land," Daryl joked, being the outspoken teenager he was. He knew how to be quiet and tranquil, but his nature was loud mouthed and expressive. Even when times seemed bleak, he always had kept hope and spoke as though victorious. It was something his mother taught him during rough times - especially before his father's departure. It was his way to keep moving forward.

Now
​

With both executioners locked and loaded, the GSC doors opened and closed as young heroes joined the sanctuary. With reinforced walls and security systems prepped, the place was a safe haven for everyone in it - Architect had deemed it that way at least. It was apparent that the heroes did not win the battle against Mercy, they all seemed distressed and hurt in some way. One after the other, the teenage heroes were attacked with questions and concerns from the young children. They asked if they had been victorious, where were their parents, was the portal open, etc. For Daryl this was like dejavu, because the same outcome had occurred. The heroes didn't know.

Putting his weapons back in their holsters, Daryl sighed. He looked over at Magiya with worried eyes for once. Since they met it had been the first time she showed any kind of trouble. It wasn't unusual for his positivity to completely mistaken, but every time it was, it definitely threw Night Rider back a bit. He knew from the very start that he should of been in that battle against Mercy - despite the need to help the people at the GSC. Maybe if he had lend a hand, the outcome would have been different. Maybe some of the heroes wouldn't be as hurt as they were now. It was hard to see these kinds of things, even for a hopeful person like Daryl.

"I'll be back," the cowboy told Magiya as hero Burner approached to ask for guidance and help.​

 

[Eon]

The Architect: Playing hero and calling shots.
@All

Ryan stumbled to sit at the base of a wall. The hole in his shoulder was large enough for him to stick two fingers in, and he was very quickly losing feeling in the wounded arm. Looking the person who'd offered medical attention dead in the eye, "Treat the girl first, then the kids," he said, doing his best to keep the pain out of his voice, "I'm a clever guy. I'll figure something out," he continued. "As for the one who put Mercy in her little hamster ball, that would be me, which I suppose makes me your fearless leader, unless anyone has any objections" he said, taking a deep breath. "The Architect, and my intellect isn't the only thing I've got a 12 in," he said suggestively, "that would be Paladin, in my D&D campaign," he added. "Now, I know for a fact that I can get that portal open again. I've got the dimensional frequency for it saved to both my memory and my integrated computer's, so I won't be forgetting it within the next eight thousand years. If I had more time, I might even be able to counteract her magics with an AM Drive, but it would take me at least a week to build that...Which raises another point. We might need to think about this long-term. We've already lost the battle, but we don't have to lose the war,"

He felt a bit dizzy. He probably shouldn't be doing so much talking...Or bleeding...Or turning away doctors.

"That ball won't hold her forever. If I knew more about her capabilities, then I could give an estimate, but presently I have no idea. I'd guess no more than five or ten minutes, at best," he began, "Which means, we need to start working together. Between the group of us, does anyone have something useful for communication? You, with the hat and the especially large dildo, you're a magic user, right? Any sort of communication or telepathy spells?" he asked, a plan already beginning to form in his head, just with what he knew of the group's abilities. "Burner, I'd make a joke about how you were flaaaayming, but I've lost too much blood for it to be anything good, so I apologize. How much dexterity do you have with your power? If I were to suggest you, say, burn up all the oxygen in an area, could you do that?" he asked, glancing towards the entrance as another injured hero shuffled in, "New guy, no, you're the only one left. Everyone here is a ghost, including you. Especially you, you're a double ghost," he said to the new arrival, Hyperdrive, he thought his name was.

"Bootleg Clint Eastwood, if I build you a gun with a single shot, can I trust you to make it?" he asked.

"Everybody else, if you could tell me what your capabilities are, I can adapt the plan so each and every one of you will be working at your maximum potential," He had an idea what needed to be done, but it could be better. Current odds for success were around 7% or so, assuming that nobody listened to his plans and just all threw themselves at Mercy like they'd been doing previously. Assuming his plan went off without a hitch, and the people he didn't know the powers of fled, sat on their thumbs, or all died, around 35%. Assuming the variable heroes continued to fight as previously, while the heroes he knew about completed his plan, about 39 percent. Assuming everyone got on board, approximately 73%. Assuming each and every hero had the perfect power set for the situation, 94.7% exactly.

Of course, this was all out the window if Mercy had additional powers or abilities that Ryan was unaware of, which was a possibility.

 

[yvi.]

another 10 para post you say? got youuuuu
@Everyone ​

Magiya watched Night Rider get to his feet gradually, speaking his strange language she always had to fight to translate. When she asked if he thought the others are doing okay because there was a bad feeling in her chest, the reply that they were as 'Dead as a door nail' got her, it showing clearly on her face. He began chuckling and Magiya sighed, she wanted to slug him for that. Then he just blabbered something completely incomprehensible to her, she just took it by his light friendly tone and the usual broad grin that he just replied that they were just fine... Or just alive.
"A-Ah... It may not be polite, however, to call them thee 'sheep-dog'." She replied clumsily.

Then this big hooligan that they were waiting for decided to pull such a stunt. He came in on a dead monster gushing blood and a sizable wound that looked like he just got it. How he did it, she didn't know. But as the creature was disintegrated, he grunted out a 'taa-daa' as he went through the doors which she almost found funny to her annoyance. He, however, decided to make the air lighter and completely disregard the obscenity of what he just did by asking if they were aware that they had a dog fighting on their side. She didn't know what that meant.

"What exactly..." She looked back at the children, who were wide-eyed and none too comfortable witnessing the battered superhero with blood all over him. Her mother alarms went off. "Что заставило вас сделать что-то настолько безрассудное ?" She scolded him heatedly, stomping up to him and chewing him out in high-pitched Russian. "Посмотрите на их лица ! Не действовать , как если бы это смешно ! Иди вон там ! Идти! Идти! Идите в угол !" She briskly pushed/guided him away. "Я превратит вас в звездную пыль..." Roughly, she pretty much said 'What's wrong with you', 'You can't come in here looking like that', 'Go! Go! Go in the corner!', and that she'll turn him into stardust. This would be possible if Eon didn't post before me. She shot him a glaring look before going back over to the children to go ahead and reassure them with her presence. It worked some what.

She noticed a young boy with a very stern face walked in with another girl on his shoulder. She almost thought the female was dead or something, but that'd be ridiculous obviously. He wouldn't be walking around with some dead female on his shoulder. Magiya immediately brightened at the sight of her, oh god, finally! Another woman! She was beginning to worry.

Soon enough, the dog that The Architect had mentioned earlier strolled in. Magiya even looked at him with high hopes, another animal to kind of take the brunt for sleepy Andrei! Kids loved dogs- Was he talking? Magiya batted her eyes, she could have sworn he had just muttered something. A kid approached him and he responded negatively, seemed he wasn't very friendly. Sorry, Andrei. "C-Careful..." Magiya hurriedly guided the young girl back into the group. She was hovering over them like crazy, and couldn't afford to be distracted by a doggy right now even if she loved dogs. It was a little weird to talk to a dog, but she sputtered out something. "Uhm, nothing at all. We have just started regrouping." As she said this, the girl on the boy's shoulder woke up and seemed hysterical for a few seconds before calming down as she realized where she was. She introduced herself as Ariyah just as Hyperdrive walked in and questioned again what was going on. Magiya was too shy to go ahead and explain everything to him again.

Everything was coming along well, people were battered and stuff but... They were still alive weren't they? She suddenly felt quite the guilt for having to depart without putting up more of a fight at least. She didn't want to blame Night Rider either, it wasn't their fault. All that matters now is what they're going to do about Mercy. Magiya felt kind of anxious because she was more than not ready to face Mercy head to head. A battle with magic was something so powerful and could be over so quick, especially with the strongest magician in the world. She felt kind of pouty at Burner as he voted for that reckless boy to be the leader because she wasn't aware he did a good solid for everyone. She perked up as Burner addressed her, her face turning pink as she broke from her zoning out spell. She sputtered, oh god, he was asking her about her wand and magic. Her magic show was for the children, she really was embarrassed people got a view of it. She clutched her wand in both hands. "M-Magic, I do magic."

"P-Portal?" She batted her eyes. Oh jeez, don't fumble now. She knew things about it obviously, she wasn't the most skilled in portal magic but her knowledge is still extensive. "Oh... Um..." She fiddled with her wand. "Portal iz very powerful... Of course." She started sheepishly. She doesn't like talking so much! "I do not know how to pull people out of portal. However, if closed, it is impossible to rescue anyone that has gone through it. Portal cannot transfer people if not fully closed, so there is still hope. If the portal is disrupted, people will be pushed out of portal and the portal will dematerialize as it is like loading screen. If not fully loaded, you must try all over again to reopen. By then, Mercy can be defeated or at least ran off." She paused before deciding to add some of her own knowledge.

"Mercy's magic is incredibly linear, meaning her poorest disadvantage is numbers. As formidable as her attacks are, her magic cannot shift, cannot turn, or curve very far to attack multiple people at once without speedy ranged attacks. She, from past experience seeing her in battle, only attacks people one by one correct? She will often, if faced group that she can attack simultaneously, use one attack to hit multiple targets. That often leaves her open to attacks. If we distract her as one, then attack her as another, we can get big upper hand. We must work together and as planned. She is strong, but not omnipotent."

She finished on an uncertain note, before bowing slightly. "I-I apologize!! I was not there long enough to assist much. Come... Rest up. Battle shall come later." She looked around before her eyes landed on a vending machine full of drinks. Magiya felt bad for having to do this, but this was in order. She walked over to unplug the machine before using her back to push it over with much difficulty. This thing was heavy! Once she got it over, she instead of using some magic, just decided to summon a mini pointed star and sawing into the lock as it rotated rapidly. The door soon enough swung open heavily and she grabbed a water for Burner, tossing it messily over to him. "You all can come get some as well!" She announced to the group of children, watching them walk over to collect something to drink. She grabbed an energy drink for herself, she'll need it for later on.

By then, she had heard the Architect begin to speak. This guy was hilarious to her. She wanted to laugh at his jokes, but she was still displeased with him after earlier. It wasn't funny, however, when he called her wand a large dildo. She shot him a dark glare. "M-My name is Magiya, and I will spear you like shish kabob if you refer to my wand as dildo ever again!" She snapped heatedly, even surprising herself.
She could whip up something for communication. It was Elderly Reginald's telepathic passive, it was a link sort of. With his magical knowledge, he had lost even the need to speak that much without telepathy. She could probably create one between everyone if she could substitute it as a passive-active, it wasn't something advanced.

Reckless boy honestly looked like he was about to die, she should probably do something. She walked over to the sitting male and rested her unopen energy drink next to him, giving it to him instead. "Продолжайте до сих пор , безрассудный мальчик ." Keep still, reckless boy. She said gently, repeating what she did for Night Rider. She balled her fist and pulled a large rag out of thin air from within her wrist, using some more of her mana. She felt a little strange wrapping up this guy, but she did it. "There." She straightened up. "I can create telepathic link. Takes some time, so I shall start on it now."

She tried to remember how exactly to make a telepathic link. A link was like a three or more way call, call someone else then add people into it. Magiya got another energy drink and gulped it down, trying to chug it. She put the bottle down and soon enough sat down, crossing her legs in a more masculine fashion before closing her eyes. Magiya weaved her mana upwards towards her head, feeling a little unconfident with creating a large link like this. What other choice did she have, however? As she tapped into her mind, a large ring of blue flared into the floor that surrounded her. She accessed first her link with Elder Reginald, a circle of his mana spots appearing on her forehead in a ringlet. It took much longer than usual to connect with him [it was instantenous], and when she did, the connection was barely there. That probably meant he was already inside the portal. Elder...? Elder can you hear me?... She heard nothing. She had no link to Roberto, Hu, or Zasha... Hearing especially Roberto's voice would help her. Giving up on trying to contact Reginald, as the mana spots disappeared from her forehead, she broke out of her mana meditation with a sour expression. Mana was ringing her head violently for a second. "A... Aah.." She shook it off with a pained whine. The portal interference was so strong, it even crept into telepathic communication...
"Ад..." She had to start over.​

 

[Moogle-Girl]

As Junak watched the last of the heroes file in, a Russian woman herded the children away from him with a concerned look in her eye. "Thanks," he said, chuckling lightly. She seemed more worried about the kids than the other heroes, but it was probably true that they needed quick attention before their crying made such a racket that it attracted more shadow demons.

With that, he took a moment to assess the rest of the heroes' damage. There was a guy with a robot arm who had a nasty hole in his shoulder; the stench of blood was more than enough to make Junak worried. Siren was struggling to support herself against a countertop, trying to hide it. Admirable enough, but she might have broken bones that would need treatment sooner rather than later. The masked guy Junak saw earlier also seemed to have some internal injuries, clutching his back and hobbling around like he was in serious pain. And of course there was Junak himself, with second degree burns on his back legs. Irritating, but not life-threatening by any means. The others would definitely be taking priority if the group received any genuine medical care.

The pyrotechnic, Burner as it turned out, suggested the leader be whoever caught Mercy in the force field. Junak had to agree; though he was used to taking charge on team missions, the Architect had more know-how than him when it came to the tech they had available. He could make the plans, and Junak could keep everyone together in the field. Architect took right to the role, too, doling out orders immediately. Junak had to admit he didn't understand everything that was said -- what the hell was "D-and-D"? Or a "dildo," for that matter? -- but for the most part, he sounded like he knew what he was doing. The Russian lady, Magiya, even contributed a bit about Mercy's magic, which Junak made sure to file away. She even magicked open a nearby vending machine, which the kids immediately flocked to at the prospect of free drinks.

Junak was about to tell Architect not to be an idiot and get his wound wrapped up before he bled out and collapsed on the floor, but Magiya beat him to the punch. It was a crude job and would probably require better treatment later, but it would do for the time being. Magiya then sat down and started casting another spell, something about a telepathic link, but she didn't seem to be having much luck with it. Junak had to admit that he didn't know much about the inner workings of magic; he only cared for the results. So he couldn't offer her much help with Magiya's problems. Instead, he stepped forward and addressed the Architect.

"You all can call me Junak," he said, standing up straight and only grimacing slightly at the pain that flared up in his back legs. "I can levitate and fly through the air at high speeds, and I create masses of light energy that I usually fire in beams." He left out that he could also charge his blast even further and release it all at once in a radial explosion, or at least he should be able too -- that's what he was told, anyway. But he could never pull it off in any of the lab tests. And he wasn't about to try it again now. He would, however, offer a tidbit that might prove useful in Architect's planning. "My powers are supported by light. Sunlight, electrical light, it doesn't matter. I do just as well at daytime or night, but if you can get something especially bright shined at me, I'll become even more powerful."

 

[-QT-]

Night Rider - Feud​

"Daggnabitt!" Night Rider cursed as he pressed both his palms against the bathroom countertop. Muscle fibers gathered in his forearms and shoulders as he pushed against an unmovable force. A buildup of sudden anguish and guilt was causing the young hero to regress from his usual charisma. He doubted himself and his actions, not sure if he'd be able to compensate for his cowardice.

To many, this self-punishing guilt may appear over the top. It definitely shows a lack of confidence, but that wasn't it. Daryl understood the stakes of being a hero. A hero was designed to help and protect the common folk. So the tension came from Daryl's inability to protect the children from what was to come and failing to act alongside his friends. When a hero failed, people die - the reason Night Rider was taking this so drastically. Losing people was one of his major weaknesses, he was human after all.

"May I use the restroom sir?" A little kid suddenly interrupted Daryl's trail of thoughts. The cowboy rushed to cover his face again, giving the small boy his back until he was fully in uniform.

Politely, the cowboy tilted his head and allowed the little boy to use one if the stalls. The kid couldn't be older than maybe five years old - or even younger. "I can't get- zipper," the little boy whined, struggling to get his pants to cooperate.

"Time to save the world," Night Rider said to himself as he dashes to the rescue.

"Don't worry lil buddy! I gotcha!"

--------------------------------------

The southern hero had returned just in time to hear the Architect address him as Clint Eastwood. This didn't all sit well with Daryl as he gave the nerdy fellah a cold glaring stare. Fortunately for him, the guy understood Night Rider's ability to make whatever shot he needed him to take.

Before leaving the bathroom with the little boy, the kid had thanked him gracefully. He also asked him "Are we gonna be okay?" In which Night Rider responded.....

"Yeah."

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Burner listened to the plan, burning up the oxygen in an area. He'd have to push himself, and the other heroes would need to breathe too. Architect started talking some more, he mentioned dungeons and dragons and Burner almost audibly sighed. The magic girl with the funky accent mentioned that if the portal was disrupted then it'd be shut down and everyone spit back out of it. Burner liked the idea but had no idea how in practice they'd be able to stop it, he didnt want to throw any fire at it. His grandmother was in there, if that thing just blew then it would be a problem. Maybe people would be falling from the sky, or maybe they would just appear where they came from. Burner thought about the plan of burning up all the oxygen in an area.

"If I burn up the oxygen, which is possible." Burner began, "I cant promise you guys are gonna be able to breathe... The heat I'd burn at in order to take all the oxygen away from Mercy is mui caliente. And if I take out that oxygen..."

He trailed off then a stern expression crossed over his face, "I can do it."

He didnt want to tell these people, if he took out the oxygen around him he'd be the center of having no oxygen. Which meant he could easily pass out, or die of lack of oxygen. He didnt want the others to think about it, these people didnt know him but if they were concerned about his safety they may not save the world. If there was ever a time to give it all it'd be for this. He looked towards the dog, Junak. Burner thought that was an odd name but it was a flying dog that shot lazers, it could be named whatever it wanted for all he cared.

"Thanks for taking on that shadow thing that was rushing me, sorry about Mercy burning you with my fire."

The magic girl sat and cross her legs, several little orbs of blue light seemed to sit in front of her forehead. Burner was put off by this, magic was something he'd never understood as a power. It seemed to be all so finicky, the rules of it were sometimes non existent and other times it was restricted by the most trivial things. Telepathic contact, as much as Burner didnt want anyone in his head he knew Mercy would be listening if they didnt have the link.

@Moogle-Girl @Eon @beautie

 

[Wolverbells]

Ariyah - Unwilling Teamwork

The teenager looked on as she listened to the others speak. They tried to explain what was going on but still, her questions remained unanswered in many ways. This group was a mess, and to think that they were all supposed to work together was almost enough to drain all hope out of her.

It wasn't until the person next to her spoke that she took the time to turn and actually make eye contact. It was the guy that carried her in, and he was making sure that she knew. Ariyah smiled at his attempt to be a flirt and patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks, hot stuff." Her voice had a tinge of sarcasm that she made sure he'd hear. Unfortunately for her, pain shot across her torso as she patted his shoulder and she cringed as she brought her arm back down to her side.

She returned her attention to another arrogant soul as he began to spew demands. He spoke about others telling him what their abilities were. Ariyah merely stood there, eyes wide as she unwillingly thought about telling the others of the abilities that she had kept secret for so long. "I.. I can manipulate the sound waves that come out of me. Sonic screams and such, um, I can make others do what I say," her eyes shot to others as they probably got confused at what she meant. "Think of a Siren from Greek mythology. It's proven successful with those demon things that Mercy summons." The silver haired girl nodded as she thought she was finished, but quickly interjected when she remembered what happened, "Oh! Um.. I can control water? I, haven't exactly, um, figured that out."

 

[Ko T'suno]

Shezmu ....Why
@Eon @Wolverbells
Shrugging as the man who came in dripping blood every were turned his assistance away. "Fine bleed to death." Shezmu retorted sternly as he gathered the blood from the floor into a sphere that floated above his hand. "But from the feel of it, unless you have some sort of magical healing stone, I think you might bleed out here shortly." He added as he walked away with Jack and headed towards the girl who had introduced herself as Siren. "Miss...Siren was it? Injured are we?" He questioned trying his hardest to sound at least somewhat interested in the prospect of healing people. It wasn't that he didn't like it, it was more that he didn't know any of these people, let alone trust any of them...but they probably felt the same.

As he waited for Siren to respond to his question he listened in on what the rest of the group was saying, at the mention of the portal Shezmu sighed and tapped his fingers against Enkidu's Grimoire. It was possible that it would have some sort of spell to help them or at least summon Enkidu back to this realm if the portal was to close. After all that's how he had first arrived on Earth.. "Jake would you round up the wounded and escort them over here?" He asked Jake who nodded and ran off without a word. Moments later Shezmu listened as he heard Jake walk around asking anyone if they had been hurt.

"Should keep me busy....right?" He asked himself aloud as he turned back to the Siren. "Well??"

 

[Kurogane86]

Adam aka Hyperdrive

Responding to @Eon

Adam stood there listening to Arcatect's plan. 'It seems like is taking everyone's strength and weakness into accountability, however he is a rogue hero that hasn't been put through the rigorous training of the guard.' Adam heard a response to his question, he was in Archatect's words a double ghost. He could only interpret it to mean that Mercy thought of him as dead.

The more Hyperdrive listened the more he felt reassured. He stood up tall, and smiled. "That's a grand Idea Archatect. For your battle plan incorporate my power any way you see fit. My power is an extremely overactive metabolism that grants me the ability to use my body to its breaking point. The drawbacks are I can only use it on one section of my body at a time. The biggest draw back is my caloric intake is extremely high." Adam holds up a bag full of snacks. "The more I use my ability the more calories I deplete causing me to refuel every 30 mins to an hour."

Hyperdrive smiled and crossed his arms waiting to see the kind of plan that could be formulated with his abilities.

 

[Eon]

Ryan Gray: The Architect.
All According to Keikkaku, Episode One: A Keikkaku is Born. (Translators note: keikkaku means plan.)
@ALL, but specifically
@beautie @HellHoundWoof @Wolverbells

Ryan nodded, taking in the information presented to him. As he was told about the various abilities of the group, he couldn't help but smile beneath his mask. It was a devilish sort of smile, the sort that only came from someone who knew that they'd already won. Of course, it would mean the place that he'd just submitted a resume' too would be destroyed, but it was worth it to win this. Mercy wouldn't make it until dawn, not if he had anything to say about it. He was about to laugh, when someone came over to him, and started blasting magic at him. A traitor in their midst? His mind whirred, taking in what resources he had to defeat her and shut down whatever curse she planned to put on him. There was plenty of caffeine in that energy drink, and combined with the other materials here, he could make a bomb and...

And it was just a rag, with which the girl bandaged his wound.

Alright, so maybe he was paranoid when it came to magic-users, but he had good reason. A magic user had taken one arm, he didn't want to lose the other.

It made his gut wrench to do it, but he forced himself to say it. "Thank you," he said, digging his robotic hand into the wall and pulling himself to his feet. He couldn't really stand, but he had to make a brave face, both for the people who'd just agreed to follow him, and the children he swore to protect when he became a hero. No way in any of the nine hells was he dying tonight, because of someone dressed like Hades from the old Disney Hercules movie. Besides, he had plans not just for tonight, but for the world. He had to live to see them through.

"Alright," he began, "Here's what I've got:

Burner, you said you could make a vacuum. On the edge of Mercy's circle of fire, there's a small chemical processing plant. They've got an airlock at each entrance and exit, to prevent the spread or escape of potentially hazardous materials. They also have rebreathers gas masks. Go there, and take Hyperactive over there with you, you two are going to need to do some heavy lifting, and do it fast. After that, make like a hooker and start sucking. Or, as the case may be, burning, all the air out. Anything really dangerous is locked in a vault, don't worry about that. There are canisters labeled AB-421. Those need to be taken outside, and placed by the two front windows. Be careful with them, we don't want the canisters to rupture too early. If this works, they're going to light up like Times Square on Christmas morning. You two will hence be referred to as Team A.

Junak, you said that you create masses of light. That's pretty specific wording. Are you telling me that you can shape it into some sort of constructs? Or do that your beams carry actual, physical mass?" he asked, seeking clarification. "Regardless, there's one young hero who's already bought it out there. If you can bring him back here, I'll make sure his sacrifice doesn't go to waste. This is a very high-stakes game of fetch. And if we all make it out of this alive, I promise I will never make another joke about your being a dog until the day I die," he promised, "After that, help Stovetop and Warp-Drive move their shit if they need help, otherwise, you'll be with Team B.

"Because I don't know you're name, you with the cowboy hat will be Bootleg Clint Eastwood until I get something else to call you," he said, "You've got some responsibility here. Set yourself up as far to the east of the chemical plant as you can get, but make sure you've got a clear shot through the east window. It's small, but not impossible. I'm going to build you a rifle. It's only going to have three bullets, and each needs to be sent to a different home. You'll get two signals, and the third shot will be left up to your best judgement. The first is going to have a chemical payload, and will need to be fired into the canisters from a long distance. I could make that shot, and my arm's fucked up, so I'm trusting you to be a better shot than me with the next two. The second needs to go straight to Mercy, preferably in her jugular. It won't kill her, it's just something to get her out of the fight," he said, "The third is a regular bullet. I hate to say this, but we might not be able to afford to hold back against Lady-Hades down there. Lades? Nevermind, that's a tangent. We'll see how this goes, and re-evaluate if it goes poorly," he continued, "Other guy, who was a butthole and refused to tell me anything about his power. I should send you to 1v1 the demonness, but I'm not that mean. Unless you main Bastion, in which case, no promises. No, you'll be with Mr. Westwood. He's going to be attracting some heavy demonic attention up there, seemingly alone and unprotected, so you'll be with him to form team B. If you've got support/defense friendly powers, all the better. Otherwise, I need you to make due.

"Taylor Swift, it's going to take time for them to get those canisters out and even more to drain the air out of the chemical plant. I'm going to need you and the vibrator-wizard to keep Mercy distracted until that happens. You won't be alone, I'll be covering you from a nearby rooftop. We'll be team C. Notice, I didn't call it a dildo. First though, there's a door in here that I'm going to need help opening. In the basement of this building, there's a prototype for a construction mech, sealed behind a rotating vault door that I'm not going to be able to cut my way through in any reasonable amount of time. I need the two of you to help me get it open. Real quick, how comfortable are you with piloting a 12 foot tall robot with claw-hands?" He asked, barely slowing down.

"Great, I'll keep that in mind," he said, the second she was finished answering.

"So, who has any complaints about phase one? Because now would be a great time, since I'm about to go on to phase two," he said, only stopping because the being that wrote him and controlled his actions needed to do other things, and give other people chances to post.

 

[Wolverbells]

Ariyah had kept quiet after explaining the extent of her abilities with the group. She should've explained that she didn't know how to fight, maybe then they'd think of something good for her to do.

"What? Oh.. Um, yes. My torso hurts a lot," she explained, smiling politely at Shezmu as she thanked him. "Do what you must."

Her attention was once again reverted to the one who had began to call the shots, her eyes going from person to person as he directed them. She lingered on the magical girl, Magiya. 'I wonder if she'll let me call her Maggie', Ariyah thought as she turned and heard that she'd be in a team with her and the Architect Asshole who came off as a pretentious jerk. Maybe it was just to her though, as he didn't seem to be making anyone else angry.

"Um. I'd prefer to be called by my name, as to not cause any confusion in the near future." Her voice came out as politely as she could manage, withholding the annoyance she felt from tainting her tone. "Mercy didn't like my water splashing, so I think I could keep her very distracted. As for the whole 'vault opening', I think Maggie would be of better use to you than myself." Once Ariyah said her peace, she divided her attention in two: feeling how Shezmu was healing her, and concentrating on the bottled water that had been tossed at Burner. If she could get a feel of the water, she would be able to lift the bottle into the air, which in her mind would be a big accomplishment.

@Eon @Ko T'suno @beautie @whoever else this applies to