<~{ World of Heroes }~> ...it begins... (LSUs welcome)

[Heald]

World of Heroes


Shall we get the ball rolling?

---

Name: Jaecar Mikitenko
Alias: Red Bear (he is only known by this name; only a select few call him by his real name)
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Nationality: German/Russian
Alignment: Neutral
Powers: He is naturally imbued with super-strength, stamina and regeneration. On top of that, he has been modified with armour-plating and in-built weapons.
Power Source: Inherited/Technology
Weaknesses: Large enough blasts can take him down, as can wearing him down. He can also run out of fuel, severely limiting his offensive capabilities. He is also a bit old and rusty.
Personality: Bitter and resentful, he is a forgotten relic of the Soviet age and as such he isn't the friendliest of sorts. He is loud and outspoken and does not care if he offends or upsets anyone. However, he is intelligent and can display a degree of empathy, plus his experience and age has wisened him to the world and he may just divulge his wisdom to younger types.
Appearance: He stands at 6' 4" and is a muscular Caucasian man. He sports a reddish-brown beard and has tough, worn skin. He has huge hairy eyebrows and in quite hirsute all over. Steel plates have been grafted all over his body, including his arms, torso, legs and his head, where his hair should be. He wears an eye-patch as he lost his eye many years ago. He usually wears dark, dirty combat trousers and a white vest, with a dark trenchcoat. He also has a small cylindrical fuel tank grafted into his back which causes a long hump down his back, which he hides with a bullet-proof red cape, which has a faded hammer-and-sickle on it.
Weapons: He has hidden flamethrowers in his hands and his boots are rocket-boots, allowing limited flight capabilities.
History: The son of a Soviet super that fought against the aliens and a German civilian, he was raised in Leipzig, East Germany. Being the son of a super, he developed his own powers in adolescence and was targeted by Soviet authorities for their own Super program. Take from his parents aged 9, he was trained to fight for the Soviet cause in a secret camp in Siberia, and to boost his powers he was unwillingly fitted with his armour and weapons. He was sent to fight in Afghanistan for the Soviet cause, but as the conflict drew to a close, he became disillusioned and deserted back to Germany. In response, the Soviets disowned him, making him nationality-less. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he found a deserted retreat in the Bavarian Alps. Local authorities know that he has no nationality but they have agreed not to turn him in to immigration authorities, knowing it would be more trouble than it is worth. The new Russian government have a staunch policy disavowing any relations to Soviet supers, thus preventing him from regaining Russian citizenship.
Theme(s): Rammstein - Feuer Frei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWicNDkbpw)
Relationships: His parents are dead, otherwise he had a mentor known as Crazy Ivan whose whereabouts are currently unknown
Other: Nope.

---

Jaecar Mikitenko/Red Bear

The morning was crisp, and a cold chill swept through the dilapidated house. Jaecar shifted through the house in his overcoat with a big china mug and went to a cupboard. Opening it up, he grabbed the first bottle inside, a large bottle of vodka, and proceeded to fill up the stained mug with the spirit. He took a big swig from the bottle for good measure, and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his overcoat. He wandered past a cracked mirror to a radio and turned it on nonchalantly, then walking outside to take in the morning air. His joints creaked, having fallen into disuse and he had not cared to oil them for nearly a decade now. He took a deep breath of the morning air, and closed his eyes, letting his ears become nature's. he could hear a waterfall in the background and the sound of birds. The radio was broadcasting the morning news, which he cared not to listen to.

"...New York Authorities are calling for measures to be taken against this new 'super' crime wave that has been plaguing the state as of late. In other news, Russia have denied reports that high energy signatures in Siberia are a result of weapons testing. However, they are refusing to let in U.N. authorities to investigate. The U.S.A. has..."

A car pulled into the driveway. A beaten, old Volkswagon. A man stepped out, dressed in a brown winter coat and a hat. It was the local police sergeant, an old friend of Jaecar's.
"Herr Mikitenko," he said warmly as he took off his hat. He was around 60 years old and had a thick, grey moustache. He was carrying a carrier bag full of groceries and a bratwurst roll. Jaecar smiled and took the carrier bag, and the sergeant took a bite from the roll.
"Thank you for these, Herr Kustner. Any news from the town?"
Herr Kustner smiled and looked down the mountain to the small town. Most prominently was a church spire emanating from the series of houses and shops.
"Ja, Frau Gestern has had another little girl."
Jaecar turned to a shed and picked up a wheelbarrow.
"I've had your timber ready for a few days now," he said. Suddenly, the wind picked up.

The two looked up to the skies, and two small black helicopters, followed by a larger black one emerged from the cloud.
"Well, this is certainly most interesting," Herr Kustner said, shielding his eyes from the sun to get a good look. The helicopters proceeded to land in the yard in front of the house, and out emerged men in suits, and then a few men in winter Army coats, wearing shapka hats with the flaps worn down.
"Well, this would certainly explain the presence of suited men in Church last Sunday," Herr Kustner said. Jaecar turned to him.
"What? And you never told me?"
"They were not Germans, and I assumed you would not want the worry of being found. Besides, it matters little now."
Jaecar sighed and waited for the men to approach him. Some were carrying pistols, others had heavier gear, including SMGs.

"Red Bear, you are a hard man to find!" said one of the army coats in a thick Russian voice. Herr Kustner could not understand Russian, but he knew the accent well.
"Russians, huh?" he said in German. Jaecar turned to him.
"You'd better leave. I don't think this is a personal visit, somehow."
The sergeant nodded and took his leave. Jaecar turned to the army coat.
"So, why have you come here? I thought I was down with you guys for good."
"The Russian government, perhaps, but we still keep tabs on our weapons, Jaecar."
This struck Jaecar immensely. Only Russians involved in the 'Hand of Lenin' programme knew his real name. He let his shock turn into a smile.
"So, ex-Soviets."
"A very secret wing of the Russian army. Even the government doesn't know of our existence. They don't trust us ex-Soviets, but when they fired damn near all of our top guys, we took with us the secrets of over 100 installations that we never revealed to the government. However, at the risk of being compromised, we need your help. There has been an...incident...in Siberia."
Jaecar turned away.
"Sorry, but I no longer work for you, and your mess is your own."
The army chief smiled and picked up a briefcase.
"Not even...for this?"
The briefcase opened and Jaecar turned around. It was filled with documentation: a passport, birth certificate, work permit, everything needed for a full identity. Jaecar looked up, astounded.
"This passport would not only make you a full citizen of the Russian federation, but one with diplomatic privileges. You could travel to any country you'd want."
Jaecar stood up straight and nodded.
"Okay, I'm in. But I'll need a tool-up."
The army coat laughed and gave him a once-over.
"Yes, I can see you've become...rusty...and on this helicopter we have the equipment necessary to tool you up on the journey over."
Jaecar nodded and followed the suits onto the helicopter, and prepared to enter action once again.

---

OOC: Okay guys, so do what you guys do. Fight crime, cause crime or whatever you want. Introductory posts and what not. I'll get the main plot rolling soon so everyone can get involved.

[Blademaster]

Hmmmm... Are LSU's welcome here? I've been debating with myself for awhile whether or not to try a new RPG...

[Heald]

Oh, yes, they are. Go ahead man.

[Houndoom_Lover]

Name: Real name unknown (Whatever is on his birth certificate)

Alias: Nazerith

Gender: None

Age: ???

Nationality: ???

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Powers: Nazerith can animate inanimate objects, fly, and the general super human strength.

Power Source: Water, the more water Nazerith contains inside him, the longer he can keep things animated. He expells water when he preforms this ability to animate.

Weaknesses: Drying out. Once he his out of water, he freezes up so to speak and becomes a simple but large stone gargoyle.

Personality: A reserved being with a freaky intense focus.

Appearance: A twelve foot tall gargoyle come to life. Nazerith's eyes gleem red, his have a rather beak like mouth, large bat like wings, long tail, and tiger claws. He is grey all over.

Weapons: Stone statues, metal monsters, his teeth and claws and tail and body.

History: Nazerith was, of course, abandoned as a child for his freakish appearance. A straving artist plunked him out of the dumpster he was left in. The artist was a carver, and painter and found this child beast beautiful. He raised this generless creature up, which was alot cheeper then a cat, since he didn't need to feed it. The creature spoke frightfully early, naming itself Nazerith, after a carving the man was working on. The creature grew and grew, until it was too large to fit in the apparement. So, in the dead of the night, he smuggled the monster to the nearest Cathideral. Nazerith watched the man make his way home under the shadow of the church when he was mugged and killed by two men in the said shadow. Nazerith quickly dispatched them. From that day forward, Nazerith lurks in the shadows, killing off anyone who isn't beautiful in his eyes- anyone who hunts for money, and anyone who isn't artistic. Centuries passed... Nazerith gained the ability to animate at the cost of his simple life. Now he must perch in the open, waiting for rain to fall (Though he found a nice water hole in the seware the other day, and is not above bathing in holy water). However, he has not waivered in his hunt. He will kill all those who do not create art, and hide in greed.

Theme(s): http://www.last.fm/music/...And+You+...rgoyle+Waiting Gargoyle Waiting

Relationships: He once fell in love with a statue of Venus...

Other: He enjoys fine arts and lively tourests.

----

The bells of the city's grand chruch rung, deep and sober, for the next mass to start. The bells vibrated the old building, not so much that humans would feel it, but the stone could...It felt...good. And yet painful, at the same time. It made Nazerith's teeth rattle in his head, but it tingled the paws of his stone-like claws.

He poked his head out of the stone tower and watched the late chruch goers rush into Mass. He'd leave them. Out of respect. As soon as the last bell rang, he took off. His great wings beat just once, pushing the air down below him.

And as straight as it seems, no one saw him. And if they did, who would they tell. They'd be crazy, and no one listens to crazy people.

[Bulbasaur4]

Name: Alyssa Morgan

Alias: She deems herself, "Nuanica".

Gender: Female

Age: 21

Nationality: American

Alignment: Neutral Neutral (Not really good or evil and inbetween Chaotic/Lawful.)

Powers: Nuanica's powers are... chaotic in themselves, to describe it best. Still unable to master her powers, she is not even fully aware of them. It appears that she has the ability to harness energy, usually taking a violet ball-like shape and use that as a simple tool like one would use a fireball. When feeling extreme emotions however, is when her capabilities show... for things usually start exploding or hurling about. (Think sorta like Scarlet Witch, pre-controled.) She's trying to control herself, although her origins make it difficult for her. She also can transform into a large, shadowy wolf, but that is also something she cannot control yet.

Power Source: Energy or Shadow, depends how you look at it.

Weaknesses: Her own emotions, for her own personal weakness. Her other weakness is quite simply drugs- if given a powerful suppressant, her emotions don't go crazy and she doesn't trigger anything since she doesn't know how to utilize her powers. When (if) she learns how to control them, I will discover a different weakness for her. :3

Personality: Timid, aloof, afraid... she mutated at age 16 and her appearance changed drastically and her emotional overload practically demolished her household. After her parent's death, she fled and since then has been an outcast. Unable to show herself in daylight, she has grown to be a loner and a bit pessimistic about life overall. If someone calls out for help, she might go help them depending on the situation... but at the other hand, if it would expose herself she most likely would not. She's not sure where she should stand in the world, and hence is leaving herself in the shadows for the most part.

Appearance: Long-legged, slim and proportionally curved... Nuanica, if looking more human, would have found life easy as a model. However, her mutant-like appearance causes most fear and alarm. Her entire skin black- not pitch black, but dark enough to be called black and not gray. Near her neck is a few small tuffs of fur and is the only spot that fur is upon her body other than her non-humanoid components. Her nose is slightly smaller than what would be considered 'normal' and her icey blue eyes have slitted pupils within. Her long blonde hair remains, flowing down almost to her hips and framing the front of her face to create layered too-long-to-be bangs. Protruding from her head are large, fox/wolf-like ears and Nuanica does not have human ears. An overly large, thick-furred black tail also matches those ears, setting her clearly apart from all of society. Her feet are always placed in a position as if she were always walking on her tip toes although they appear to be normal human feet.

Usually Nuanica wears skin-tight black clothing to help blend in and has an overly-larged hooded jacket that she uses to cover herself up. It billows out so far behind her that it makes her look like a really overweight person, due to her tail being hidden. She doesn't wear shoes.

Weapons: Herself.

History: Nuanica grew up in a normal suburbian family setting. She was extremely beautiful, popular and enjoyed playing sports such as basketball and swimming. Her parents were quite proud of her and her younger brother, who was in a similiar situation. However, soon as Nuanica hit sixteen, everything changed. Slowly her skin started to darken and her body shifted, her human ears shifting slightly in position and growing into what they appear to be now. Frightened, scared and appauled, Nuanica's emotions began shattering lights, flinging furniture and such. Her parents were also frightened and enlisted in help, but the night before they were due to head off to a facility, a Nuanica's parents died.
During the night, while Nuanica slept, her subconcious seemed to transform her into her more shadowy, wolven state and it was in that state that she murdered her parents- unknown to her conscious. When Nuanica came to, she had transformed back into her humanoid appearance and discovered not only her dead parents, but herself covered in blood.

Fleeing and leaving her brother, Nuanica fled and now lives in Chicago- away from her suburbian home.

Nuanica now makes a living in the basement of an abandoned warehouse. Every day when she hides herself and prepares to sleep, she shackles herself to the wall to prevent her wolven self to go anywhere- for it seems that sleep is the most common trigger to her transformation. At night, Nuanica merely prowls for food and often tries to find a way to make a meager buck although it is quite difficult for her, given her situation.

Theme(s): Fallen Angel Remix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiCGFtKg4Sg)
Ten Black Roses - The Rasmus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjyMxe_yzl0&feature=related)

Relationships: She wonders about her brother often.
Other:






NUANICA
[ Female | American | Location: Chicago ]
~@-`~@-`~@-`~@-`~

Her eyes of ice peered out from the shadows which danced in the corner of the large loading dock right outside of the grocery store. It was one of those small markets located with in the city that closed early and was owned by a man who didn't speak English very well and had a nasty habit of staying in his secluded office of the store after it was closed. Hunger had driven Nuanica to watch him closely and realize that his habits often lead to an ill-locked door next to the large garage loading dock. With enough force, she could jolt the door open with little sound and since technically the man had not left, no alarms would sound and yet he couldn't see- not with the lights out.

"It isn't like I'm stealing the money either..." She whispered to herself slightly as her slinking figure glided to the door, her hood hiding her face. The camera that positioned itself near the loading dock had been moved slightly to the side by her own hand- keeping her spot of entry just out of its reach.

Like usual, the door opened with a distinct thudding noise that could have barely been heard by anyone not near the door. Her eyes instantly became accustomed to the darkness with little trouble, as she silently pushed the door close to leave only but a small crack.

Taking a deep breath, she brushed through the swinging doors and into the main store. The lights were out and shadows were everywhere- something perfect for Nuanica to remain unseen. With little haste, she opened a clothed bag and began gently placing things inside. She learned not to rush such matters long ago, for rushing things heightened emotions... made her panic... and tended to make a lot of noise.

Several packages of beef jerky, a few large bottles of water, some fruit and several canned goods went into the bag. She was careful to not take too much of any one thing and often would force a change in her diet if supplies were already low within the store. Tonight they seemed to be plenty stocked however, and she helped herself to a few packages of ribeye steak and a Milkyway candy bar.

After her gathering round was done and her bag was stuffed, she slunk out of the store as easily as she had come. Closing the door with a similar thudding noise, she sprang from the shadows and hastily retreated to her refuge.


The abandoned warehouse seemed to have little signs of ever being taken care of. It was an eyesore to some eyes, but it wasn't so bad that it drew any attention to the City Department. They had better things to worry about... like gangs, baseball games and pollution. One little abandoned store that no one wanted in the Southside of Chicago was hardly a worry.

Nuanica remembered when she had first entered the place, a few gangs had made habits in making their rounds in the building at night. After a few weeks however, she had made most of the gangs in Chicago believe the place was deadly haunted and they stayed away. No one bothered to go into the place during the day, being that the police route often drove by the abandoned warehouse and going there in the day was like asking for someone to pay close attention to you.

Of course, there would be a few brave souls who would enter the place on a dare or some right of passage.... but they were rare and few inbetween, and Nuanica easily stayed hidden from their gaze. The only thing that ever betrayed her in the darkness was her blonde hair, but with her acquired black jacket and hood- that was little problem for her anymore.

Collapsing upon the cold cement floor of the basement, Nuanica swiftly put away her things underneath a pile of stone and wood that broken apart long ago. It made a nice handy secluded area to hide food where no one's wandering eye would spot it.

"Long night..." Nuanica thought to herself, after her long patrol in the city. It was a game of paranoia - not being seen but yet seeing others. Every little sound was something new to behold, although she was getting quite adept at learning the common sounds of the city and the things that stood out.
Opening up the ribeye steak, she sank her teeth into it and chewed thoughtfully as she prepared in her mind the next night's plans. Between each mouthful, she would take a bite of her Milkyway bar too- as a treat. She was thankful that with her mutation, the only food she didn't seem to care for anymore were bitter things like onions and lemons. Not a huge loss there, although the odd desire for raw meat was something she had just become used to.

Thankfully, it wasn't a passionate desire...more of a greedy lust, like a kid wanting a cookie before dinner.

After the second steak, Nuanica felt the heavy knocking of sleep upon her eyelids. With a yawn, she slowly rose to her feet and walked over to a hidden corner at the very end of the basement's hallway. It was an odd dead-end of sorts, but it was out of the way of light during the day and hard to find if you didn't know where you were going. There, hastily-made chains were connected to the wall, screwed in tightly and with great care. Mechanically, Nuanica grabbed the chains and fastened them to her wrists and ankles, securing them in a rather automatic fashion. Another large yawn escaped her as she leaned against the chilled cement wall with a sigh. Securing her hood over her face, she closed her eyes and let her dreamless sleep take her.










Name: Unknown

Alias: By the Chinese government, her label is "Shengmingli", which means "life force". Some of the workers there have labeled her "Blood" (translated into English).

Gender: Female

Age: Appears 12-14 or so.

Nationality: Chinese

Alignment: Undetermined. She doesn't even seem to have much of a will of her own anymore, thus her alignment is usually defined by those she is around. Could be labeled as "neutral". Has very little understanding of 'right' and 'wrong'.

Powers: Massive health regeneration. Her biggest point however, is her blood seems to share its healing properties to whatever organic being it comes in contact with. Also, one can feel a boost in energy/revitalized if they touch her- as if having taken a fresh shower, a cup of coffee or whatever 'pick me up' that person may like. However, this energy feeling is not shared with Shengmingli.

Power Source: Natural

Weaknesses: Shengmingli is physically weak and has no fighting potential what-so ever. Also, while her body regenerates at an alarming rate, she does feel fatigue and loses energy with her blood loss. So, while she may not die from blood loss, she definitely would be rendered immobile and unable to do anything until her body had regenerated the blood- which takes longer than all other tissues. She also has practically little will of her own and seems to follow the commands of others readily.

Personality: Shengmingli has no personality, at first. Having been ripped from her parents by the government for testing for a couple years, she has been 'brainwashed' to have little will of her own and easily follows commands given to her by practically anyone. While if observed, she does show curiosity in other organic life forms.. as if she doesn't remember ever seeing one before.

Appearance: Like This (http://www.advancedanime.com/pictures/0003.jpg) She has that basic appearance, but her hair is raven-black with a hint of blue in the light. Her eyes also an eerie, reddish-mahogany color that really stands out and separates her from 'normal' people in China. At the government research facility, she wears a red, yellow-flowered embroidered dress that is slightly faded and worn. She has matching slippers, but they too are a bit worn as well. H

Weapons: None

History: Shengmingli, or "Blood" perhaps grew up in a normal, healthy Chinese family. Her father worked for a successful business and her mother merely stayed at home and tended to three children, including Shengmingli. However, one day while playing outside Shengmingli ran out into the busy streets of Shanghai and a car hit her, full on. Her torso had been crushed along with her legs and she was pronounced dead on site. However, within ten minutes or so... her organs had been repaired and she started to breath again and her bones then restructured and she 'came back to life'. Word immediately got out to the Government and they seized her from her family. Vowing to silence or death, her family had no choice but to give her up.

It has been a year of tests and brainwashing for Shengmingli and she's stuck in a scientific research facility. There she lives in a small room with limited things and is always tired due to the consistent tests- although the government has yet to make any 'break throughs' or learn anything from her.

However... rumors about her have been leaked out into certain parts of the world...

Theme(s): I Walk Alone - Tarja Turunen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwbtbfAnI80&feature=related)

Relationships: None at the moment

Other:




Shengmingli AKA Blood
[ Female | Chinese | Location: Somewhere in Shanghai ]
~^^^~^^^~^^^~^^^~


She stared at the door, sitting upon the chair obediently as the men scurried about her like lab-rats. They had told her to not move and to be quiet, and thus she sat there staring emptily at the door without so much as a flinch. One of the larger men, the 'leader', as she deemed him, poked a needle through her skin and began to slide in neatly into one of her veins. However, he missed and with a curse he withdrew the needle an tried again.
"Try raising her water rations..." He commented to another, who nodded and marked the note down upon a tablet. "... she's dehydrated, I can't be expected to waste my time with trying to get a simple needle in her vein." He sighed, sticking the needle in again and finally the thick mahogany blood began to gurgle into a phial.

Meanwhile another scientist plopped another needle into her arm, his fifth try, and managed to get the blood flowing from her into another phial as well. He yawned somewhat and after draining blood into five phials, he put them neatly upon a tray and sent them off. With a swift snap of a glove, he exposed his skin and placed his wet hand upon Shengmingli's forehead. His eyes widened some-what and he withdrew a crisp breath, grinning slightly as he walked away with a bit more of a skip in his step.

She quietly pondered about where the door in front of her led to, ignoring the painful pricks and swiveling needles that drew her blood. Slowly however, she grew more tired and her head seemed to dance about as she grew light-headed. The short duration of their testing seemed to last longer as her face paled and they continued to work around her.
"Sir, the testing rounds are complete for today."
"Good, good. Send her back to her room. Tomorrow we'll do the regeneration tests. "

A few scientists plucked the IVs from her arms and hastily picked her up. Walking to the backdoor, they opened it and swiftly plopped her down onto a small, cot-like bed. Her eyes fluttered about for a moment as their voices seemed to trail off and when the familiar locking of her door was complete, she let out a sigh. The hot sting of tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at the ceiling, the pain finally rewashing over her.
" No crying..." She whispered to herself, remembering what they had told her.

[classy_cat18]

So booooooored...this had better not be another dead-end RPG!

Name: Nia Windfall
Alias: Aria
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Nationality: Greek American
Alignment: Neutral Chaotic
Powers: Her voice can have different effects, from breaking glass (and anything else that's breakable), to disorientation, to putting people to sleep. A different song for each attack. There's even a mind-control song, but the victim is only affected while she's singing and within a certain range, but the victim doesn't have to hear it to be affected. Her powers can be amplified if there's an echo, but that makes it hard to focus.
Power Source: She's one of the last surviving Sirens from Greek Mythology. The mixing of genes and the thinning of the bloodline has made her appearance totally human.
Weaknesses: Since her powers involve her vocal cords, her voice weakening can definitely be a bad thing. And she can't sing if she can't breathe.
Personality: Laid-back and lacking in the chivalry department. In fact, she's prone to use her powers for random troublemaking. She'll usually only use her powers for her own benefit. But she does have a conscience so she'll have what she calls "Boy Scout moments", but only after having an argument with her reluctant side. She tries to stay away from heroics as much as possible because she thinks that people will expect her to be a full-time superhero. Sarcastic most of the time, but will be friendly towards others if she thinks they're genuine.
Appearance: 5'9" and light as a feather. Long brown hair that she adorns with a headband. Her bright green eyes go well with her tanned skin. Since she doesn't do a lot of running or jumping, she prefers to wear long skirts and white T-shirts with sandals. A tattoo of a snake wraps around her right calf.
Weapons: Besides her own voice, she carries around a special flute in a hip pouch. Given to her ancestors from the Muses and carried down through the generations, it can help her shield her from and reflect enemies' attacks as she plays it.
History: Her power had been known ever since she came out of the womb and cracked the family doctor's glasses with her cries. Nia's family has had to hide the secret that traits of their mythical ancestry pop up once every century, and only in the girls. The last time a Windfall Siren had been revealed, they were burned at the stake. In fact, the last four times ended in execution. Although it's not very popular in current times, they didn't want to take chances. She took special medicine that gave her a sore throat and home-schooled her until she was eighteen. By then she had good control of her powers. She doesn't live in one place for long, but is currently living in Seattle.
Theme(s): Theme of Love - Metal Gear Solid 4 soundtrack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr1qtPkB7q4)
Relationships: none that I know of at the moment
Other: There have been times that she sings a certain song to herself, in Latin. She doesn't know that some people tend to hallucinate about random things when they hear it.

"Nice atmosphere...good drinks...good place," I commented to the bartender. My eyes locked onto the drink in front of me since the bartender's stare was starting to annoy me.

The owner of the bar sat next to me and ordered his own drink. "So you're here for the job? Five hundred bucks a week," he informed me before taking a sip.

"Nine hundred."

He did a spit take and widened his eyes. "What was that?"

"Nine hundred a week. And free drinks and food." My eyes narrowed. "Don't you think that's a fair deal?"

"You're underage."

"You're desperate," I returned with a smirk. "Besides, I'm not the youngest one here. That couple over there isn't even legal if you know what I mean."

I enjoyed his red face getting even redder, his teeth grinding together, his hands itching to choke me. "I'm not going any higher," he growled at me.

"I'm not going any lower."

He gulped down the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down. "Give us a taste and I'll see if you're worth the money."

"Okie-dokie." I got down from my stool and walked to the stage. I'll give you a whole damn symphony, you jackass.

Heads that were previously nodding in exhaustion looked up as I approached the microphone. "Good evening, everyone. I call myself Aria and I've been given the task of entertaining you for this evening. I hope you're ready for this treat."

Everyone seemed to be happy for some fun. But I had something else in mind. Let's tune first. "Do re mi fa....SO!" At the sound of my last note, every customer's glass broke into pieces.

The owner stared at his wounded hand. His glass had shattered while he was still holding onto it. "What the hell!" he exclaimed.

Another customer merely stared at the shards and spilled alcohol before laughing. "Awesome! She's like one of those opera singers!" He stood up and clapped along with some more people.

I laughed. These people are too wasted to care!

"Encore!" my drunken buddy shouted.

"That was just a warm-up," I said. I started to sing again, random notes that just sounded pretty together. I hit another loud note and one of the bottles behind the bartender broke. The bartender and owner cursed together.

"Are you doing this?" the owner demanded.

"You know how to stop this," I answered.

"Hell no!"

"Okay then." I went back to singing, three more bottles shattering in the process before I stopped again. By the way the bartender was starting to cry I'd say that one of them was pretty expensive. "Nine hundred and free food and drink."

"I don't think--" the owner started.

I wasn't into losing. I let out a loud but short note. Another bottle shattered, spilling alcohol all over both him and the bartender. "I don't negotiate with cheapskates."

He held his hands up. "Fine! Fine! You got a deal, now stop that!"

I nodded and returned to him happily. "And it'll be good for both of us if you'd keep this little secret of mine as such. I'll keep your customers happy and you'll get to keep doing your nasty little business. Win-win, buddy!"

The look of shock he gave me was very funny. Yeah, I knew about his little business deals behind closed doors. I could easily convince him to give me a deal. "It's not personal. I just need to pay for my apartment and stuff. Not like I'm wringing out a fortune." I left him like that, headed for my home and bed so he could recover from tonight's act.

[Roy Karrde]

Name: Jason Landrew
Alias: Sentinel
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Nationality: America
Alignment: Good, Lawful
Powers: The ability to bend gravity and physics around his body, allowing to pull off super human feats and quick speed. He also has been trained and skilled in martial arts due to his past history, as well as being a talented swordsman.
Power Source: Magical/Natural
Weaknesses: He is weak to magic, specifically magic blasts, he can take normal weapons fire in his armor, but anything stronger could blast it apart.
Personality: He is incredibly naive about the evil in the world as well as the less than clear difference of dark and light in the world. He acts some what foolish as a hero, getting himself into dangerous situations with out thinking, and usually biting off more than he can usually chew. This can also come from his need to show off in front of both a general audience as well as cute girls.
Appearance: Standing about five foot four inches Jason does not look very intimidating; his body is a bit lanky, but with a lot of muscle definition. He is very clean shaven, with dirty blonde hair that remains uncut and messy, some times dipping below the top of his ears and his eyes. His costume is a modified version of his Gymnastics leotard, the color of it being black with dark red circles on either side of his waist. The leotard is modified with light Kevlar armor on the chest, back, arms, and leggings.
Weapons: His Twin Swords (http://www.odinblades.com/Swords6/Twin%20Short%20Swordsa.JPG)
History: Jason grew up surrounded by the sport of gymnastics, both of his parents were gymnastic coaches for Olympic athletes, and as such he not only grew up learning and exceeding in gymnastics, but was also surrounded by the best athletes the country provided. At a young age Jason fell in love with comic books and any story of super heroes no matter how exaggerated.

When he finally became aware of his powers, Jason decided privately he would emulate the heroes he had always read about, and his home life gave him the perfect opportunity for that. He was able to learn sword fighting from some of the greatest fencers in the country, he was able to learn Judo and martial arts from some of the greatest contestants in those sports, and he continued his studies in gymnastics, all in the hope that when he became old enough that he could join the ranks of the other heroes.
Theme(s): Maybe Later
Relationships: Open
Other: Nuttin


Jason Landrew
~~~[Sentinel | 6 PM at Night | Arizona ] ~~~~

I had been perched on top of the warehouse for nearly two hours, watching the men unload guns, mines, and just various heavy weaponry. The stuff looked like the things you would see in R rated, not that I would know what things looked like in R rated movies. Either way they were not going to do this in my town!

I stood for a moment, striking my heroic hero pose, and for a moment wishing I had a cape before remembering how aggravating they were.

Back flipping through the window I sailed downward, using my powers to slow gravity’s pull on my body and ease gently to the ground, landing as soft as a feather with out a single sound. The thugs continued to continue to unload the various weaponry with out even noticing.

“So… do those shoot real bullets?” I asked, inwardly wincing at how pathetic the remark was. The remark did how ever catch their attention, causing one to drop a shipment of side arms which sent them spilling across the floor. “Or do they just flash and make noises?”

It took only the blink of a eye before I found out the answer as one of the brutes just to the left of me swung his main weapon around off of his shoulder and leveled it at me. “Don’t wanna find out.” I jumped into the air quickly as the man opened fire, sending small hot metal bullets flying past me as I somersaulted over the thug in front of me. Limiting the gravity in the air around me to that of nearly nothing to stop the somersault and give the thug a quick kick to the head.

“What no applause?” I asked, sticking the perfect landing as gravity returned to normal around me.

“It’s one of those freaks!” Some one shouted, as the revving of the truck that was being loaded with the firearms signaled that the rest of them were trying to get away.

“Damn it..” I swore, backing up a few feet before running forward, using the downed bad guy as a spring board to leap onto the roof of the truck, just as it squealed out of the warehouse.

[Blademaster]

Sweet. Let's give this disaster (My characters, not the RPG) a shot...




Name: None
Alias: Enigma
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Nationality: American
Alignment: Chaotic-Neutral
Powers: Enigma is a shapeshifter, but with a few twists and limitations:
-Enigma cannot replicate living tissue. Too complex. He can only create inanimate forms from himself.
-Provided they stay in contact, Enigma can assume multiple forms at once (i.e., he can form one hand into a sword and the other into a bazooka, etc.)
-Enigma cannot transform every cell in his body, or else he'll be stuck in inanimate form forever.
-In accordance with the law that states matter cannot be created out of nowhere, any projectiles Enigma produces come from his body.
Power Source: Science/Technology
Weaknesses: Electricty scrambles his genetic structure horribly. It can paralyze and even kill him if he is repeatedly bombarded by electrical attacks.
Appearance: His preferred form is a 6', 200 lb. teen with spiky black hair and orange glasses that resemble a visor or a pair of goggles. In what may be an homage or a mockery of Superman, he forms around himself a red spandex bodysuit with blue bands around the shoulders and a blue crotch. Black boots and gloves adorn his feet and hands (respectively).
Personality: Rude, crude, lewd, lazy, and violent. Enigma does what he wants and says what he wants, and any man or law that disagrees with him will likely be met with a "Fuck you." and/or a punch in the face.
Weapons: Whatever his imagination conjures up, and whatever his body can absorb.
History: Enigma started out as an aborted fetus. In the early '00's, underground stem cell researchers salvaged stem cells from whatever sources they could and tried to convert them into Super cells. After countless different experiments, they finally got a successful test subject - Enigma - who was the result of those tests. ALL of them.
Due to his insane genes, Enigma displayed properties of all the elements in his body from the day of his 'birth,' as well as an unfortunate side effect of aging much faster than a normal human. In cliche movie fashion, Enigma got sick of being a guinea pig and broke out of the lab he was held in, seeking to get revenge on all the asshole humans of the world. His first target was a little kid...
For awhile after that, Enigma debated with himself over his actions, before he finally adopted a more antiheroic stance instead of a villianous one. For awhile, he worked solo... Until one day...
Theme(s): Paradise City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrDv3K7RNI), by Guns 'N Roses.
Relationships: "Friends" with Ivan
Other: Someone get this guy a better theme. Please. I'm begging you.


Name: Ivan Faust
Alias: None, but many incorrectly assume it to be 'Zandios'
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Nationality: German-American
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Powers: Ivan controls the powers of the dark. Shadow. He can fire concentrated bursts of frigid black energy or use shadows to camouflage himself. His specialty is conjuring microcosmic vacuums that suck the energy out of Ivan's target, reducing it to dust if Ivan draws out all its energy.
Power Source: Magic/Mythological
Weaknesses: Ivan has no notable weaknesses aside from the fact that he is human, and despite his powers and his expertise in fighting, a single well-aimed bullet or car wreck will kill him just as easily as it'd kill you or me.
Appearance: A frightening figure, Ivan stands a towering 7 feet tall and weighs a lean 225 lbs. His hair is black and tied into a shoulder-length ponytail, and his icy blue eyes are hidden behind thin, wire-frame glasses. His entire wardrobe is black: his pants, boots, gloves, and his coat, which stretches down behind him like a cape. Ironically, his hairband and the shirt underneath his coat are pure white.
Personality: Ivan is a cold, silent figure. He pushes away everyone around him, or ignores them entirely. Despite his German descent, he speaks perfect English and has an advanced vocabulary and psyche.
Weapons: Ivan carries a nohinto (a Japanese sword) that's about 5 feet long. It's his primary means of attack and defense.
History: Ivan has led what he calls a 'cursed' life. From the fire that killed his parents when he turned six to the collapse of his orphanage a few years later to the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina on his 18th birthday, in a New Orleans school, he considers himself personally responsible for the death of over 2,500 people to date.
In the aftermath of Katrina, he found a sword amidst the wreckage and enrolled in a dojo, where he repelled everyone around him. After several years of learning to use his sword, a chimera calling itself 'Zandios' visited him in his mind, granting him powers over shadow in exchange for his services against an onslaught of evil creatures threatening the world. He reluctantly agreed, but while the creatures themselves are long gone, Zandios has stayed with Ivan, who has yet to overcome his own demons (and be in an RPG long enough to character develop into something more than an emo prick with a sword). Also, he needs all the power he can get to keep his 'partner' in line...
Theme(s): Destiny (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB7dol-NtRY), by Stratovarius.
Relationships: Is "friends" with Enigma.
Other: Got kinda lazy with Ivan's profile, sorry. Check the RPG "The Scourge" if you want a better bio of him. Oh, and he's homeless too. Pretty well-maintained for a bum.




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


Ivan and Enigma



"DIE, MOTHERFUCKER!"


With that surprisingly unheroic battlecry, the last of the sewer creatures was blown to oblivion by the red-clad teen's weapon, which resembled - of all things - Megaman's Mega Buster.


"Was that truly necessary, Enigma?" an elder voice asked behind him as his gun-hand reverted back to flesh and bone.


"Shut up." Enigma growled. "That walking piece of shit was asking for it."


"Whether or not it instigated your engagement is irrelevant." the voice responded, its owner - a tall (REALLY tall) man dressed entirely in black - stepping forward into the pale light of the post-dusk streetlight. "My point is that that creature was vulnerable enough to eliminate with melee attacks; you did not need to waste your energy on a... What WAS that that you shot it with?"


"A compressed fireball." Enigma replied, a bit proudly. "All it cost me was the air in my lungs and a little blood for fuel."


"That blood keeps you alive, Enigma. Such reckless disregard for your body will inevitably destroy it."


"Shut your fucking mouth, Ivan." Enigma snapped back. "You're not my mother, you know. It was a half a cup of blood. My body'll make more. Calm the fuck down already."


"That half a cup could mean the difference between life and death should you be severely injured in a fight."


"Whatever." Enigma groaned. "I guess you WOULD be the expert on death between the two of us, huh?"


Ivan's features visibly darkened.


"Don't you dare condemn me." he said, his voice dangerously emotionless (even for him). "I'm not the one between us who willingly murdered an innocent child for-"


"FUCK YOU!" Enigma screamed, throwing a punch at Ivan's face; the latter easily dodged it, catching Enigma's fist, and then pulling it towards him. As soon as he felt Enigma was startled and his arm limp, he slammed that fist right back into Enigma's face.


KROMF!


"OUMF!!!" Enigma yelled, his hands cupped over his face. "Mr'erfucker y'r himme innrnose!"


"Learn to control your emotions, Enigma." Ivan said, his almost sinister voice returning to its normal level. "Lest they eventually kill YOU, as well..."


Before Enigma could remove his hands from his bleeding nose and protest further, an explosion from somewhere downtown caught their attention.


"God damn it..." Enigma muttered, sniffing and wiping the blood off his upper lip. "What now?"


"I do not know." Ivan responded, reaching for the sword slung over his shoulder. "But I doubt it is something beneficial to the city."


"Yeah, no shit." Enigma growled, a pair of metallic wings growing from his shoulders, formed from the dense bone matter that would weigh him down in the midst of flight. "Let's go."


Ivan closed his eyes, shadows gathering around his feet.


"ZANDIOS!!!" he yelled to the sky, showing emotion for the first time.


The shadows around his feet erupted upwards, wrapping his body and transforming it, until they finally dissipated to reveal a slightly more muscular Ivan, a pair of grey, angelic wings sprouting from his own shoulders. His eyes opened, a yellow glow eminating from them.


"Lead the way." he growled to Enigma, his voice a bit raspier than it had been before.


The red-clad one nodded, then leapt up into the air, wings beating. Ivan followed suit, like a dark angel. Within seconds, the two were aloft and out of sight...



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



Next.


Oh, yeah, Ivan and Enigma are in the southeastern U.S. at the moment. Not quite in redneck country yet, but they're definitely across the Mason-Dixon line.


OK, NOW next.

[classy_cat18]

Oh, yeah, Ivan and Enigma are in the southeastern U.S. at the moment. Not quite in redneck country yet, but they're definitely across the Mason-Dixon line.

Hey, they're in my neck of the woods! The offline me, that is. I'm okay with it, as long as they lay off the Vulcan statue!

[Blademaster]

Nah, they're further north. Like, Virginia-North Carolina-Maryland. Nothing to worry about.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Name: Selene Richmond (Thats right....a Girl!)
Alias: She doesnt use one
Gender: F
Age: 23
Nationality: British
Alignment: Good but Neutral. Doesnt specifically try to break laws etc but will do whats nessecary.

Powers: Able to create and manipulate a form of energy. She can use this energy as a forcefield however cant focus it into any specific shape and simply generates a Bubble around a fixed point (herself, another person/object etc) By generating the bubble outward and away from her she can also 'float' within the bubble giving the illusion of low level flight. She has practiced using the energy offensively by expelling it at the point of impact from her punches and kicks. She is able to expel short range (1ft at most) concussive plasts.
She has another power that she is totally unaware of. A mild form of psychic ability known as Suggestion. She cant put people in trances or control their mind etc but she can influence their thoughts by words or even looks. Close proximity also triggers the effect. It can be used to her advantage if discovered and trained but at the moment its more that if she wants something she is good at convincing people. It can also cause people to see her slightly differently than she is, perhaps resembling somone else more closely enough to fool people. It doesnt change her features in any way, it simply alters how people perceive her. She has managed to get into a fair number of nightclubs when she was younger without being Id'd etc.

Power Source: Simply a natural mutation she was born with as far as she knows though only discovered when she was caught in a cave in near her family home.

Weaknesses: Any form of Gas attack. She can make her bubble air tight although this will obviously cut off her own air. Also repetitive high impact on the shield can fatigue her. Her latent Psychic ability is useless against anything electronic. Voice/Face recognition systems cant be fooled, and anyone looking at her through a computer screen/over the phone etc though since its a latent talent, she doesnt know these things yet.

Personality: Quite grumpy and a little snobby at times. Its more of a defence to hide her loneliness which she blames on her being different, and nothing at all to do with the fact she doesnt try to make new friends. The few she has are ones she knew from school etc.
Appearance:http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f240/Yaquaxia/AnimeWoman.jpg
Weapons: none
History: Raised in a quiet country house in Northern England she lived with her parents untill they both fell ill and passd away. She now lives alone with no real outside contact other than occaisional shopping trips and the odd night out to relax with company. She treats herself as an outcast because of her abilities and tries to hide them from everyone, using them only if needed.
Theme(s): Foo Fighters - Pretender (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKhnmUdmz74)
Relationships: none
Other: nope....

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

Selene
-------

It had been a long night but surprisingly enjoyable. She stopped for a moment to readjust her shoes which were once again beginning to rub her ankle. She wasnt sure why she had decided to get out of the cab and walk the rest of the way home though she wasnt regretting the decision. The cool summer night air was refreshing after the dark, sweaty nightclubs her friends had insisted on trying. It had been a while since she had met up with her friends for a night out and it was places like that which reminded her why. She had fended off the advances of at least half a dozen men, or rather drunken apes with all the charm of a soggy pot-noodle.
Still she was with the few friends she had and they when they are as determined to have fun as they are very little can stop them and she demurely burped, indicating the end of the free burger she had managed to get from the guy at the take-away counter. She had only meant the suggestion as a joke but he seemed to take it seriously and was happy to give away a freebie. She shrugged at her good fortune as she turned onto the quiet lane up to her house. It seemed forboding in the early morning light, a glance at her watch told her it was pushing 4am, and she considered that it was possibly a little large for someone living alone. The thought to call the girls to continue the party here crossed her mind but she knew they would be home, probably asleep or just plain passed out by now.

She stopped, looking up thinking she had seen something from the corner of her eye but when she couldnt see anything around she shrugged and moved upto the front door, unlocking and entering. As she reached up for the light switch, certain she would struggle to find the lock again in the dark she again glimpsed something, a flash of light on the doorframe, showing her silouhette, as if something shone on her from behind. Before she could turn however something grabbed her, a hand over her mouth and an arm at her waist, lifting her from the floor. She fought hard but the hands were strong and resisted her, the ability to scream muffled by the hand though she knew that noone lived within a half a mile.

"Settle down and you wont get hurt" a deep voice growled behind her as she was dragged into the living room. Selene coughed a little, the vapours of her own alcohol infused breath catching in her nose.
"Just take whatever you want and leave me alone" she said bluntly, her panic turning to anger. She was a wealthy woman and everything in the house was replaceable, merely possesions. If it would get this intruder out of her house she didnt care.

"Whatever i want huh?" asked the voice, a sinister humour in its tone as the arm around her waist tightened and Selenes eyes widened. That was enough. She hated acknowledging her ability, her curse, but this asshole had officially pushed too far.

She sighed as she concentrated. "You had your chance" she said softly and a rippling pulse of translucent green energy expanded around her. The arms around her were both forced away with such speed she thought she heard something crack. Indeed she would have also heard the intruder screaming if he hadnt been pushed away so forcefully and with such speed that he smashed straight through the large patio window that dominated the south side of the living room, and flew off into the night sky. Landing in a field roughly 150 yards from the house. Selene fumed. Tempted to go after him and teach him more of a lesson but instead went to the phone, collected herself and callled the police.

2 hours later and the Police were leaving. They had taken a statement, the councellor had commended how brave she was being after her home had been 'violated' and the intruder had been found, still lying unconcious and carted off to the police station. Selene had told the police she had startled him as she entered and he had smashed his way out of the window. Why he had been found unconcious she couldnt explain but thankfully they didnt attribute that to her.

As the police cars finally left she decided to head in and finally get some sleep. When she woke she would organise the repairs to the window and she thought to herself that perhaps this would be a good time to take a trip while the work was done. The groundskeeper would be able to sort the details with them and it had been a while since she had used her New York Appartment. Perhaps a shopping trip would do her good.....

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

Hows that then?

[Houndoom_Lover]

(That was good! ^.^)



Nazerith took to the sky with a great ease, as though he should have just been born up there, the monstrosity pumped his wings to go up higher, so that he could disappear in the low hanging clouds while still see the city down below. Bustling New York City. What a place. So many artist, so much crime!

But where should he stop first? Go see the street performers, or perhaps to the local jailery, where the criminals where held for a brief time then released- Pfft. Pithic. Kill them. Kill them all so they didn't have a chance for their filth to spread...Decisions, decisions. He wasn't sure just yet where he wanted to go, but the wet spray of the cloud felt nice all over his un-genderized body.

That's it! He'd perch on top of building and swoop down periodically and demand an art toll! What genius! This act, this seer awesomeness would be called- He swooped down through the clouds briefly in glee. What a clever form of art he made! He just needed a name! What to call it? What to call it?!

Justice?

No, too stern. Not yet. How about Moving Train? Oh yes, he liked that one very much so. Now...Where should be begin?

[Drusilla]

Name: Unknown
Alias: Poltergeist
Gender: Female
Age: Suspected to be late 20s
Nationality: Unknown; has shown the ability to speak several languages fluently, though if this is because of her past or her psychic talents is unknown.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, leaning towards evil. She likes things that go boom. *cackles maniacally*
Powers: Mild telepathy, but her talent lies in telekinesis, phasing, and minor alterations to her appearance (ie, hair color, eye color, ect.).
Power Source: Some suspect she is an experiment gone wrong, hence her lack of identity or past; if you asked her, perhaps she would say that she was divine, but who can take the word of the insane?
Weaknesses: She cannot phase through water or wet ground. Both strong shadow and strong divine magic can disrupt the use of her powers.
Personality: Absolutely dark, twisted, and insane. She loves nothing more than panic; the bigger, the better. There is little rhyme or reason with her actions, however some suspect that she has some deep, dark secret that motivates her. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen...
Appearance: Here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/wednesdaygirl13/RPG_characters/poltergeist.jpg)
Weapons: Assorted blades hidden on her person; she is also very accomplished with martial arts.
History: Mostly unknown. She just appeared one day; despite the best efforts of law enforcement, no ID has ever been found to match her. DNA, fingerprints, and photo matching all come back empty.
Theme(s): Lucretia My Reflection, Sisters of Mercy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuezNswtRfo)
Blonde With Lobotomy Eyes, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult (http://www.metrolyrics.com/blondes-with-lobotomy-eyes-lyrics-my-life-with-the-thrill-kill-kult.html)
Relationships: None at the moment; she will, however, join forces with anyone looking to stir up trouble.
Other:

Will post soon, possibly tomorrow... Drusie's not feeling well, and is braindead. I will probably have Poltergeist screwing around in New York, to connect to the radio blurb from Heald's post.

[Roy Karrde]

Jason Landrew
~~~[Sentinel | 6:20 PM at Night | Arizona ] ~~~~

I gave out a shrill scream, something that was entirely not manly as I grasped the edge of the truck, using my sword to dig into the side of the vehicle as something to grasp onto as the wind threatened to rip me from it.

Truth be told I hadn’t thought this thing through, I had only two weeks of driving experience in my driver’s education class, and in that two weeks I was never instructed on how to drive such a large truck. Of course I had to get a hold of the truck first.

“Okay one step at a time.” I grumbled, pulling out my second sword and swung forward, lodging it further in the truck. I dislodged the first sword and pulled my self up with the second sword, slowly making progress as wind whipped by, always threatening to rip me free from the truck.

“Almost…” I pulled myself up one last time and found myself just above the cab of the truck. Sheathing both swords I slowly moved to where I was laying flat against the top of the cab with my body angled toward the window. With one fluid motion I gripped the top of the window and flipped over, sending my body crashing through and into the cab feet first, knocking the driver into the passenger seat, and the passenger out the side door.

“I really don’t know how to drive so..” I grinded my teeth together, my hands jerking the wheel back and forth as I tried to stabilize the large truck, which really seemed to just cause the entire vehicle drive further out of control.

Out of the corner of my eye the driver’s hand slowly began to move toward a handgun at the bottom of the floor. “so don’tshootme!” I screamed, my words running together as I jerked the truck a hard left, the weight all sliding toward one side and sending the vehicle tipping over it’s side and barrel rolling down the street.

As the entire vehicle began to roll down the road, I did the one thing that I knew would save my life, I took my hands off the wheel and concentrated as hard as I could to keep my body stuck firmly into the chair. The driver on the other hand, had no such power, and ended up rolling around the cab, slamming into everything from the ceiling to the floor, until the entire vehicle came to a rest upside down, bullets and guns sprayed all down the street after having come loose from the boxes.

With a light groan I pulled myself from the truck and dusted myself off. “I told you I couldn’t drive.” I spat back at the cab in anger as the sound of police cars traveling my way reached my ears.

“Okay..” I gulped down the need to vomit, jumping off the road and into the safety of the tree line. “I think that’s enough crime fighting for tonight..” I mumbled, taking a few more steps as another wave of nausea returned. “Or maybe for a week.”

[MToolen]

Name: Patrick Langham

Alias: Resonance

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Nationality: American

Alignment: more towards good and more towards lawful

Powers: Resonance can amplify sounds to extreme levels; this is usually manifested in controlled, focused "pockets" of sound that have a concussive force

Power Source: A very sensitive yet powerful geological cousin to adamantium, "euphontium," makes up his vocal cords, which are spliced on and connected, by said metal, from his trachea through his shoulders to his palms.

Weaknesses: Resonance's powers only work from his vocal cords; when muzzled, he is useless. Also, he is a passive-aggressive hothead, very prone to getting into trouble.

Personality: As earlier mentioned, Resonance can be somewhat of a jerk. He is imprinted with the Puritan work ethic (the best thing one can do to be a good person is to do his share) and demeans those who he deems are not living up to such a standard. He is in this respect, though, a hard and diligent worker who knows his place (even if he thinks he also knows others' places). Work is his life; outside his tasks, he makes little room for friends or free time, save the occasional card game.

Appearance: Patrick is a plainclothes hero; he wears tattered khaki pants and an oversize yet thin forest green leather jacket with a light brown undershirt that used to be white. A dusty fedora adorns his short, trimmed black hair and hides his leathery complexion, clean shaven face, and fuzzy brown eyes. Black hiking boots match a thick black belt and fingerless leather gloves. Physically, he has nimble fingers and small feet; his most distinguishing trait, though, is the presence of metal on and under his skin, showing prominently on his throat and palms.

Weapons: Resonance sometimes uses other pieces of metal he finds lying around to aid in, well, resonance. Otherwise, his cupped hands provide his voice with the perfect outlet.

History: Patrick's father was a super who dodged his draft with the Patriot Program, opting to live his days out on the nation's ever-fading railways. He only settled down once, conceiving a child and heading out before his progeny could hardly walk. It is said, however, that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree: after a horrible accident that left him scarred in a straight line with multiple broken bones, Patrick was subjected to a cutting-edge procedure replacing the crushed body parts with euphontium. Within hours of the procedure, Patrick was walking the rails himself, hoping to find his long-missing father.

Theme(s): "City of New Orleans" - Arlo Guthrie

Relationships: As mentioned, son of draft-dodging super; identity, powers, and whereabouts all unknown

Other: In vocal range, Resonance is really more of a bass-baritone, with a range from B-flat 1 to D 4.

[Resonance]
The sound of metal on rails lessened as the last caboose escaped around a corner from view. A funnel of black smoke was still visible over the tall Oregon pines glistening in the sunset's various warm hues. And one man could be seen following that obsidian trail. His boots kicked the small gravel that had accumulated under the pine planks of railroad. It would be a hobo's dream were it not for the heightened security on the trains nowadays. Patrick had almost gotten past his usual two stops when the conductor found him and kicked him off on the spot. Granted, he was found in a grain car, but the promptness of the conductor was almost overbearing.

In any case, Patrick was now on his way down the tracks. Even if he wasn't on the train, the rails would guide him where he needed to go. That is, they would had they not carried another steel behemoth closing in on him from behind. Unlike the streamlined freight train ahead, this locomotive was an old-fashioned train plowing towards him.

The train's whistle caught Patrick's attention. By his figuring, it would crash into the one ahead of it within five minutes. While it seems like ages in the movies, it was not much time- action must be taken.

The procedure was nothing new to the man known to many as Resonance, the plainclothes super of the rails. Turning around, he gripped each rail and began warming his voice up, a Duke Ellington classic...

As I walk down the street, seems ev'ryone I meet gives me a friendly hello...

His voice warmed up, he made a sudden dynamic shift on the highest note: "I guess I'm just a lucky so-and-so..." On that change, his voice, as his name suggested, resonated from his throat through his arms and into the rails in the direction of the oncoming train. The idea was to gently derail it; that would buy enough time to avoid a crash.

The resonance could be seen running down the rails and, as it flung the machine a few inches into the air, it seemed to be working according to plan. Working, that is, until the train finished its hop over the resonance and began toppling onto the track at greater speed, as if having gone down a hill.

By now the cheerful song had died out in Resonance's mind; quickly, he put his hands together and cupped them towards the speeding locomotive in front of him. "Stop!" he yelled, sending a bubble of sorts of sound straight into the front of the train.

A few seconds passed before the train's conductor heard the "Stop!" and he had time to react before running over what looked to be just another dumb hobo, albeit with shiny palms and throat. As the train let off its steam pressure, the conductor scurried out but could not catch up to Resonance, who had already run ahead to the freight train.

Hopefully, Resonance thought as he grabbed a rail on the back of the caboose, I won't get caught this time.

Sorry for posting so late. My keyboard's been giving me a mess of trouble. It decided to be nice tonight, though.

[Prof. Jb Wolf]

Name: Simon Kell
Alias: Psion formerly Psi Lad
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Nationality: American
Alignment: Neutral Good

Powers: Tactile Telekinesis (TTK). Simon's body is surrounded by a telekinetic field that allows him to a number of things including granting him "super" strength, practical invulnerability, and flight. This is all achieved by exerting his field upon an object and on his own body in order to achieve the desired result. He must also be touching the object if it's not his own body, though if the object's that come into contact through outside force are also repelled. He can also force his field into machinery to break it apart or hold it together for as long as he can concentrate on and touch it. This also allows him to force the field between aggregate solid masses (such as sand) or a solid mass that has been splintered (like cracked concrete) causing it to 'explode' in a forceful manner. The protection of his field also can be extend to those he touches.

Power Source: Psionic

Weaknesses: Though he's trained extensively with his powers, Simon is far from completely mastering his TTK field. For instance, while he can affect solids and most liquids, he is unable to affect gas as he cannot truly 'touch' it. As well, he is quite susceptible to energy attack as he has not yet learned to how to complete diffuse them along his TTK field. It is also completely useless if he is not concious.

Appearance: Simon is about 5'9" with a muscled, athletic build. His bluish-black hair is short and usually somewhat messy. His eyes are a dark shade of violet and seem to glow with a muted light when he's agitated, an aftereffect of the accident that gave him his powers. Usually wears some combination of leather biker jacket, jeans, and t-shirt when not fighting crime.

His 'uniform' consists of a dark purple-black, sleeveless body suit, a short-sleeved brown jacket, fingerless gloves, and boots. To hide his identity, he wears a mask that covers his ears, back of his head, and forehead but leaves hair free flowing and a pair of red-tinted goggles.
Personality: Easy going and down-to-earth, Simon is a very likable person. Chivalrous in a time where chivalry is often forgotten, he always keeps his word and is honorable to a fault. While not a truly reckless man, he will not hesitate to jump into danger to save innocent lives or fight for justice. Within him burns a fierce determination and will, but he knows its better to temper it with common sense and thought.

Weapons: Simon keeps his body in peak condition and was formally trained in hand-to-hand combat by his Super mentor.

History: Parents were a pair of scientists, particularly interested in the brain and psychic-powered Supers. They were joined by a third scientist, who eventually turned on them, killing them both to take the fruits of their research - the Psi-Tuner, a device that awakened latent psychic powers. While using the device on himself, a grief-stricken ten-year old Simon, who had been visiting his parents when their partner murdered them, attacked the scientist, inadvertently causing the Psi-Tuner to overload. Caught in the psychic backlash, the scientist went utterly mad as the power filled him, becoming a supervillain known as Doctor Psyker, while Simon's own powers awakened. Psyker fled the lab, leaving Simon to mourn his parents. A passing Super, having felt the backlash from the Psi-Tuner overload, came to investigate. Calling himself the Amethyst Prophet, he too was psionic powered and immediately could feel the effects the Psi-Tuner had on Simon. Taking the orphaned Simon in, he trained him to both master his powers and to temper his feelings. Eventually he became Psi Lad, the Prophet's sidekick, but his desire for vengeance still burned within him. Eventually Doctor Psyker reemerged into the public spotlight and Simon jumped at his chance. He attacked him headlong, but Psyker's powers were too great and soon he had Simon at his mercy. As he prepared to deal the finishing blow, the Prophet appeared, taking the blow for him. Seeing his second father figure fall, Simon went into a rage, causing his powers to surge as he launched himself at Psyker again to beat him to death. Before he could slay the demented doctor, the dying Prophet attempted to calm him.

"A true hero must control his anger, lest it turn to hatred. Hatred will only lead to more hatred and more evil. He must not fight for vengeance, but for justice, to not give in to selfish desire, but stand as an ideal for good."

His words reached Simon, and he instead turned over Doctor Psyker to the police. He also laid to rest his beloved mentor, swearing at his and the grave of his parents to never waver and become a true hero.

Theme(s): Relient K - More Than Useless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1oN9vskt4w)
Dakota Star - Regret (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yHNuTnwAhE)
Relationships: Though his master is dead and gone, the Amethyst Prophet still shows up from time to time as a psychic 'ghost', appearing to Simon in times of turmoil and stress to give advice.
Other: BOOOOM!


TPM Comics Presents
THE ASTOUNDING PSION
Issue #13 - Psychics and Sirens

Rooftops and supers seem to have a very special relationship.

Every kid has seen an old film or docudrama on Supers. Almost every single one of them started with them standing on a rooftop, silhouetted by moon or sun. All the old comics depicted heroes appearing on the scene from the rooftop in a dramatic entrance. Even when Prophet took me under his wing, I noticed he too like to make his entrances from a rooftop or at least from as high as possible. Maybe it had something to do with the imagery of saviors from above. Of guardian angels sent from some realm to protect innocents and victims. Practically speaking, being so high up gives you a great vantage point as well helps you tune out useless noise.

Plus - you get great reception.

~Robbery in progress on Thirteenth street. Hostiles are heavily armed and dangerous. Officers on scene requesting back up.~

I pocketed my cell phone as I stepped towards the edge of the roof. It was amazing what you could do with technology today, like modifying a cell phone radiot to pick up police signals. Grinning, I put a foot on the ledge and settle my goggles over my eyes. "Showtime."

With a leap, I take to the sky, soaring high above the city streets. The sound of sirens grow louder and soon I pass the police cruisers headed towards the scene. I was soon past them and cutting across rooftops and threading through buildings I came upon the scene.

Three police cars were sided to side, forming a barrier for the cops as they fired back at the bank robbers. There were four of them total, each apparently armed with what looked like assault rifles. Three of them were firing madly at the pinned cops while the fourth piled money into their getaway car. Swooping down I tackled one of the robbers sending him crashing into the far wall.

Landing on my feet, I was immediately met with a volley of gunfire from the other two robbers. Grunting as the bullets struck my TKK field, I calmly walked towards the nearest robber. As I came within an arm's reach of him, I heard the 'click click click' of an empty cartridge. Smirking I grabbed the barrel of his gun. "My turn." Striking out with an open palm, I sent him hurtling through the air to slam into one of the police cars.

Still holding the rifle, I dismantled with a thought. Keeping a hold of a piece of it as it dropped, I threw it at the last armed robber who was attempting to reload as well. The piece caught him full in the face, the force of the my TTK-enhanced throw breaking his nose with a quiet, but audible 'crack'. As he clutched at his face in pain, one of the officers tackled him to the ground and handcuffed him.

The sound of screeching tires filled the air as the last bank robber took off down the street in his car. "Oh no you don't." Taking to the air I zipped through the city sky after the speeding car. Swooping easily over all obstacles, I was soon flying right on top of the car. Diving down I landed on the roof and barely got a hand hold as the robber veered sharply to throw me off.

Grabbing onto the lip of the car's roof, I swung down, putting up my TTK field as I smashed through the passenger side window. My feet caught the driver on the side of the head, causing the car to turn sharply and slam into a nearby tree lining the sidewalk. The robber banged his head against the wheel while my field took the brunt of the impact. Shaking my head I checked the robber's pulse and was relieved to find he was unconcious but alive. Opening the passenger side door, I stepped out and grabbed the bottom of the car. Grunting I heaved the car up and took off back to the police to deposit him.

Not a bad way to start an evening.

[Blademaster]

Just for the sake of clarity, maybe we should all start including our locations at the start of our posts...? For the time being, most of us are isolated; it'd be nice to know who's close enough for us to start interacting with until Heald gives us a group objective.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Yeah i was thinking that but with so many saying their in New York i decided to head that way. Of course planes can be diverted :)

Oh and MToolen, if you dont want people to read your post, dont post it. Having to highlight your post just to fricken read it is annoying. It doesnt make you cool, it just makes you inconsiderate to other posters.

[classy_cat18]

I only know of two that were in New York City. I figured that it was good that we were scattered. Oh well. Nia's in Seattle.

[Heald]

I had actually typed out half of a plot progression post yesterday, but then Firefox crashed and I lost it all. I'm too busy now and tomorrow so I'll get it done on Friday. See you later people. As a clue, most of the plot will happen in North America, so if you're not there, start thinking of why you may need to travel there.

[Blademaster]

Oh and MToolen, if you dont want people to read your post, dont post it. Having to highlight your post just to fricken read it is annoying. It doesnt make you cool, it just makes you inconsiderate to other posters.

Dude, calm down. I can read his post just fine. It's no less legible than mine.

[Houndoom_Lover]

(Well, assuming we all read each others post, 'cause you know- we can read...Most of us have where we are. But putting at the start is a good idea until we're all together. I'm in New York. Mayhapse we wait objective?)

[Ultimate Charizard]

Dude, calm down. I can read his post just fine. It's no less legible than mine.

Well maybe were using different skins or something (didnt even know TPM had those) cos Black writing on a Black background isnt legible to me. Untill i highlight the entire post i just see an empty black box.

[Blademaster]

...?

Weird. I see dark green...

[Prof. Jb Wolf]

I was trying to be particularly vague as to the location of Simon's city so as to better facilitate relations. I guess I'll have it be San Francisco in California.

[Houndoom_Lover]

Yeah, I see dark green too ^_^

[Bulbasaur4]

< Yeah, Blood or Shengmingli is in China... but I said that there were 'rumors' about so anyone can feel free to venture there. Nuanica is in Chicago, but I can easily just "say" she's in New York city if that would make things easier. Guess we'll see what Heald says. ^_^ >

[MToolen]

Patrick was in Oregon... it's in that post somewhere... but I'm not sure if I want to go north to Nia or south to Simon. Heh, that's neat. In any case, he's on a train, so he'll get... somewhere... eventually. And in white text just to keep everybody happy; I'm not that hard of a man to please.

[Houndoom_Lover]

(I use white because I'm lazy. I tried using red buy I got bitched at ^__^.)

[MToolen]

[Resonance|11:15am|San Fransisco]
The rhythm of the rails came to a screeching halt, awaking the train's unwanted passengers as forcefully as those who had their tickets ready for the conductor. Even though there was no speaker in the darkened freight car in the back of the train, Patrick could make out the conductor's words:

"Once again, have your tickets ready for exit into the city of San Fransisco. Thank you once again for riding-"

At this moment, a loud shifting noise came from the door and, as it opened, light poured into the car and right onto Patrick's arm which was shielding his face. It took a bit for his eyes to adjust, but his ears caught the presence of railroad personnel ahead of time anyway. Thus, his first real glimpse of the outside was not at the men coming toward him but past them, trying to see what else was going on outside. Not much was out of the norm, just a few people walking down the street, one carrying a car...

A car?

Patrick figured that such a super may have seen or at least heard of his father. Putting his hands together once more, he sent a ball of sound at each guard with the phrase, "Outta my way!" just enough to stun them as he made his escape. The guards were easy picking; it was the car-carrying man he wanted.

[Just thought I'd keep this story alive and not just the metaspeak. Oh teh noes character interaction.]

[Ultimate Charizard]

Selene Richmond - New York City
-----------------

She looked out of the Limousine window as they passed the front of the building. The Richmond was one of the classiest hotels in the city and the chain was where the bulk of her families wealth had come from. Her New York appartment as she reffered to it was actually the private suite reserved solely for her family.
The long black Limousine turned off from the rain soaked street and under the canopy of the entrance driveway. She watched idly as the bellboys moved to grab her luggage from the boot and the doorman approached to let her out of the car. She sighed and grabbed the handle, letting herself out before he had made it halfway. She had always hated the special treatment money brought. She figured thats why she still went out to the Dives with her friends back home, where the normal people went instead of the upper class clubs with their exlusive guest lists. She felt a faint blush of hypocrisy however as she walked towards the door of her own high class hotel, letting a couple of part time kids carry her bags.

She approached the front desk, nodding to George the doorman on the way in who smiled back and tipped his hat. He had actually been working at this hotel longer than she had been alive and he had never once asked for promotion. Said he preffered the door because he got to meet so many interesting people.
She looked around hoping that the desk had some new staff, she always liked to tease the new guys who werent aware that she was the owner. Unfortunately it seemed word of her arrival had spread and Francois was on the counter. She groaned beneath her breath knowing what a proffessional fake, and ass kisser the hotel manager was. He was a good manager she had to admit but he was known for his background role, he definitely never worked the desk.
"Good morning Madame, how good it is to see you again" he beamed in a tacky french accent.

She smiled back, hoping she didnt appear as fake as he did. "Morning Francois" she said putting a little emphasis on his name and he glanced around a little nervously. Noone on the staff knew he wasnt really French. His name wasnt even Francois, it was Frank, and he was from Brooklyn.
"Ill be taking the Richmond suite" she said as she came to a stop, waiting for him to hand her the key.
"Of course Madame" he said as he turned back to face her, handing the key over "All is ready for you and your guest is already upstairs waiting"
She had started to walk towards the elevator but she stopped in her tracks. "What guest?"

Francois gulped nervously. "Mr Dorn, he said you asked him to come, he gave me this".
He waved a piece of paper in his hands which she took and read. It was a letter, typed and with the formal stamp of her family. She couldnt blame Francois, if she hadnt knowm better she would have been convinced she had written it too. She looked at the name. 'Dorn'. It sounded familiar and againt her better judgement decided to find out what was going on personally.
"Of course Francois, how forgetfull of me" she lied and watched her Hotal Manager stop sweating quite so profusely. "Ill head up right away, wouldnt want to keep him waiting."

Selene stepped out of the elavator with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. She wasnt happy about finding strange men in her home twice in as many days but this time it was different. This wasnt some opportunistic burglar, this 'Mr Dorn' had gone to great lengths to become her guest as Francois had put it and he wasnt hiding his presence either. He had actually instructed whoever was on the desk to let her know he was here.
She stopped just outside her suite, hoping to calm herself but the bellboy accompanying her must have taken it as a sign for him to open the door. Before she could stop him he had pushed open the door and entered with her cases. She stepped in behind him, her eyes instantly locking on those of a short balding man, currently sitting in her favourite armchair with a glass of what she assumed was her whiskey in his hand.
She never looked away, even as she paid the Bellboy his tip and closed the door behind him.

"Ah Miss Richmond" he said loud and brash "Im so glad we could meet again after all this time". Selene's mind raced. She knew the name was familiar but she couldnt place it, she certainly didnt recognise this man.
"Im sorry if you dont remember me" he said, preempting the question, "I was a friend of your Fathers, you havent seen me since you were just a child"
She tensed at the mention of her father. It was him that had built this empire all those years ago. He had become the talk of all the financial institutions. How he had gone from destitute to rich and powerfull in such a short space of time. Then he had simply vanished when she was still young. With no trace ever found.
"So to what do i owe the pleasure of this visit after such a long time?" she asked, trying to put confidence in her voice without being defensive.

"How much did you learn about your father?" he asked taking a sip of his whiskey. Her defiance cut short as the conversation went in a direction she wasnt expecting. Blackmail, a takeover, a rival hotelier, she was prepared for these things and had gone over each in her mind during the ride in the elevator but he seemed more focussed on her father.
"I assume you did all the research. Read all the old newspapers. We know you invested a sizeable amount of resources in trying to find him"

"And just who is we?" she snapped at him, fuming over his boldness and apparent knowledge.
"Lets just say we are a group of interested parties" he shrugged dismissively. "Did you know anything of your father before the millions. Im sure you knew he was broke, a down and out and all the rest but did you ever find anything out about his rise to power, how he suddenly came into some money and invested well"
She nodded slowly, unsure of where it was going.
"Your father had a gift my dear" he said, a knowing look on his face. "but he was wasting it. He was a gambler, the worst kind too, the kind that never knew when to quit. Thats why he was destitute." He swirled the ice in his drink as he spoke to emphasise his next point. "We helped him realise his gift, myself and the other 'interested parties', helped him focus"

"What sort of gift are talking about exactly?" she asked losing patience but afraid she already knew the answer.
"A gift just like yours" he said bluntly, staring her straight in the eye. "I dont mean those pretty bubbles you make, those are from your mothers side apparently, great display with that burglar yesterday by the way" he said as all the colour drained from her face. How did he know so much?
"No i mean the other gift. The one you dont even know about. You, like your father have a much more subtle gift." Selene backed away, sitting on the step just behind her struggling to take in the fact that there were people out there that knew she was a freak and not only that also had her family history on file.
"He was what we called a 'pre-cog'" Dorn continued "meaning he could see things before they happen. Just a few minutes ahead though so where he wasted his efforts betting on sporting events which took hours to get a result we found he had much more success playing Poker or Roulette. The quicker the game the more success he had."

Selene's head was ready to pop. She imagined how much further she could throw him through a window being so high up while he simply continued talking.
"Your power, as far as we can tell is if anything, even subtler. Have you ever found yourself getting something your own way, no matter how unlikely?" he asked and it took a moment for her to realise he was waiting for a response. Her mind went back to the take away the other night, and at least a dozen times before that when buying cars or trying to get into clubs. She nodded, unable to find her voice.

"As we thought" he smiled nodding "your a 'suggester', not as fancy sounding as 'pre-cog' but the name implies the meaning. Your able to implant suggestions in other peoples heads, altering their perception or their natural disposition"
He moved over to crouch in front of her.
"You remember when you were 16? It was your friends 18th birthday but you couldnt get in anywhere because you couldnt pass as being 18 yourself" She began shaking her head, she remembered the night and when she thought about it she knew what he was going to say but she hated that he knew so much about her.
"You were so upset and guilty about ruining your friends night that you promised them you would get them into the most exclusive club in town. You were so determined to get in, and beleived it so much that your ability came into play. Do you remember how easily you got in, the bouncer didnt even think twice because he only saw a group of girls who were at least 20"

"So what" Selene finally burst "why tell me all this now, what is it you want from me?"

He smiled, almost warmly, finishing his drink. "Only that we wish to help you as we did your father, to help focus you and the first step on that path is to know you even have a gift"
She sobbed as she felt some defiance return. "And if i refuse to be 'focussed'?"

He smiled again, patted her on the shoulder and headed for the door. "Lets hope it doesnt come to that" he said softly and she heard the door click closed behind her.

[Dr.McNinja]

A little late but better late than never!

Location: Los Angelas

Time to get to work.

The robbers were spilling out of the bank, four of them in ski masks and waving Uzis or Mac 10s or whatever small, automatic weapon was popular this week. They pilled into the car, the wheels screeching their rubber against the asphalt, taking twice as long to start moving as it would have had they just drive normally. Chaotix chuckled from his perch on the Seven Eleven barely a hundred yards down the street, they had to be from out of town otherwise they’d know better than to try this shit in his town. The car was twenty yards away when he threw himself from the building, his eyes coming to life with the static sparkle that heralded his powers. In his mind he focused solely on his intention.

Stop them, stop them, stop them…oh…and let me survive the fall.

He felt his body tingle and suddenly grow….tougher…right before his fall suddenly accelerated to almost three times his original speed. He crashed through the car’s hood, driving the engine down into the asphalt where it screeched and died, even as the car’s forward progress came to a sudden and abrupt halt. Airbags and screamed curses escaped the car in the second after impact followed by a second of silence before the doors of the car flew open and two figures stumbled out.

Two of them unconscious then…they weren’t going fast enough to be killed by an impact like that.

Leaping out of the hole he had created in the car’s hood, Chaotix thrust his hand out towards the front passenger that had escaped the car.

Unconcious, now

He felt his hand clench into a fist right before his mind reached out and yanked the man at him at terrible speed. The man’s solar plexus slammed into his fist and both breath and conciousness left the robber as Chaotix let him fall of his fist to the ground. As he did another thought flashed through his head.

Bullets, stop them

At the corner a man tripped suddenly as he tried to shove closer, his laptop case flying through the air to intercept the hail of bullets that the driver sent Chaotix’s way. The metal of the laptop caught or deflected all of them before falling to the ground in a mangled mess. Chaotix winced a bit at the man’s luck before turning to the robber who starred disbelieving at his empty gun.

“I’ve got a question for you.”

The robber squinted at him, his mind tumbling over the question as he frantically tried to think of a way to escape this situation, “A….a what? You’ve got a fucking question?””

Adjusting his gloves slightly, Chaotix nodded, “It’s pretty simple. What do you think the chances are that a semi falls out of the sky right now and hits you before you can reload that gun and shoot me?”

The robber shook his head, his look clearly showing his opinion of Chaotix at the moment. Seeing the hero make no move, the robber suddenly smiled and reached behind him, pulling a 9mm from the back of his pants and leveling it at the hero, “Not a fucking chance man!”

Just don’t kill him…


~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Chaotix left the scene he had no choice but to shrug. The lucky bastard had been right…and even as the sperm whale that had fallen from the sky to land on the poor fellow improbably vanished to reveal the groaning robber, even Chaotix had to applaud fate.

Twenty minutes later however, his good cheer had vanished. Sure the bank robbery had been the most exciting thing he had had happen the past month but…a few thugs with guns? That was what he was going to spend his life doing. What a waste of time. He wished something, anything would happen to get him out of this drudgery of heroism.

Something inside of him, some part of his subconscious that was used to acting on such wishes reached out and took control what at that moment. For a instant his powers surged, for the instant before the rest of his subconscious re-took control that would have never been lost had the hero not been so distracted the rules of probability fluctuated. It only took an instant however, and for several instants after that first Chaotix found himself staring in disbelief at the small asian girl standing before him, her red kimono stained and dirtied.

[Dr.McNinja]

Double posts FTW!

[Heald]

Plot progression!

Jaecar Mikitenko

Location: Siberia

Jaecar faced out to the cold, harsh wilderness. The helicopter was hovering a few thousand feet above the ground, and he stood on the hatch. His orders had been explained to him as the service crew on the helicopter replaced his outdated armour and weapons, and even the jets in his boots: find out the developments at the installation, and recover any survivors. The commander called to him.
“Remember, we will not return for you until you activate that beacon,” he said, referring to the homing beacon placed on his hip. He nodded and then leapt into the air, activating his jets before he reached terminal velocity. He noticed the difference immediately; although he hadn’t flown for many years, he had reached what had been his previous top speed within seconds and was still accelerating. He had to slow down to maintain control, as he was not used to flying at such high speeds. Once regaining control, he headed towards the base.

He landed in a vehicle yard. There was no sign of life. The wind blew against his coat violently; there was something eerie about the situation. He saw a jet fighter had been overturned. He went over to it and lifted up the main body of the jet, summoning his strength. Underneath it was a crushed, mutilated corpse of a soldier. He gasped and dropped the jet. So something had attacked these men. He turned around and was surprised to see a figure had emerged from out of nowhere. It was a man dressed in a commanding officers uniform, but he had several lacerations across his face. Jaecar began walking towards him.
“Are you okay? What happened here?”
The figure was startled.
“Don’t come closer! I’m warning you!” he screamed in an inhuman voice. Jaecar was beginning to feel uncomfortable. This was definitely stranger than anything he had seen in his day. He kept walking, but prepared his flamethrower. The figure screamed and a black tentacle ripped out of his arm, reaching for Jaecar.

Jaecar sidestepped it and set his flamethrower on it, burning off the end of the tentacle. The figure screamed and retracted the tentacle, and then his entire body ripped apart. The beast now standing in front of his was like nothing he had ever seen: completely jet black skin, like it was covered in oil, and red eyes pierced into Jaecar’s own eyes. He opened his mouth to reveal many sharp fangs and a long, alien tongue licked them pensively. It all began to make sense: whatever this thing was, it was responsible for the deaths of all the people in this base. Jaecar charged up his jets and flew towards the alien at full pelt: he connected with his shoulder into the alien’s abdomen and carried on straight into a large, old brick building, smashing straight through the wall. The alien lay stunned by this attack and Jaecar stood up. Plaster, brick and rubble began falling from above and he looked up: the building was about to collapse! Jaecar quickly flew out the same hole in the wall and landed, turning around just in time to watch the roof cave in, bringing down a great portion of the wall with it. The alien must’ve been crushed by that. He sighed, and was about to activate his beacon when he noticed an objecting burrowing towards him in the snow. He quickly activated his flamer, pointing his arm towards the snow and blasted it. The snow melted, but the alien leapt out of the way and was now in close combat range. Jaecar lifted his arm to attack him, but the alien lifted up an arm, now in the shape of a sharp blade, and then with lightning speed ripped through Jaecar’s lower arm. Jaecar yelled in pain and watched as his arm rolled down into the snow. Blood and petrol began to pour from his right arm, but he turned to the alien, who was now appearing to smile evilly at the disarmed Jaecar. Jaecar summoned up all his rage, yelled and, aiming his left arm point blank at the alien, let out an almighty blast of fire. He proceeded to empty most of his tank in this one attack, the arc extending to a hundred metres in length and twenty metres at its widest.

After thirty seconds of this, Jaecar relinquished his attack and fell to his knees, panting. He covered what was left of his right arm in his coat and fell on his left arm. He looked up and could not see any remains of his foe. He rolled over onto his side and activated the homing beacon. As he began to phase out of unconsciousness, he saw a black object in the sky, with broad wings, flying out towards the east, and then passed out.

---

Okay guys, about 12 hours after these events, you're going to hear of a violent incident at the Canadian/Washington State border if you get anywhere near a radio or television, and a few seconds of CCTV footage of a strange beast attacking the US border control station.

[classy_cat18]

Nia Windfall ~ Seattle area

"This just in..."

I groaned in frustration as I heard the radio clock alarm unleash my wake-up call. I stayed still until the voice got so loud it almost hurt my ears.

"On the U.S./Canada border--" That was as far as it got before I slammed my hand on the Off button.

I spent ten more minutes with my head under the covers, my head pounding from my first hangover. Damn crap was too much...ohhhh, I'm not getting out for the rest of the day. My head peeked out far enough to read the clock. "Noon?"

After the usual round of hygenic activities, my mind finally switched to the report I was too annoyed to actually listen to. Oh well. Probably not important enough to remember. I flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

All the news channels proved me wrong.

"We have numerous reports of an unknown creature attacking the U.S. Border Control station at the border of Washington State," the female anchorperson reported.

"Weather balloon," I replied dully. Just a bunch of Roswell fanatics.

Then they pulled up footage. Something with black wings and a mouthful of fangs snarled as it wreaked havoc on the property. It spied the camera and took it out. I gulped my coffee hard. "Not a weather balloon," I corrected.

The anchorpeople kept talking. It hadn't happened long ago. "It's only a couple of hours from here. Maybe it'll go north, or someone will kill it." I sighed and shook my head. "Knowing my luck, it most likely won't do that."

A half hour later, my duffel bag was packed. I had quickly decided that staying here would be a mistake and that I should quickly head south. The Air Force could take care of the freak. I doubt that they would let it enter a big city.

In my haste, I left the TV on as I walked out of my apartment.

"The creature is now known to be headed toward the Seattle area..."

I didn't know whether to have Nia run into the thing now or what. If she can, I can edit my post.

[Bulbasaur4]

NUANICA
[Female | American | Location: Chicago ]
-,@-,@-,@-,@-,@-,@-


Nuanica's eyes opened with a jolt as her body convulsed violently to the coming of night. A single droplet of sweat had formed on her brow as she came to conciousness, realizing that no longer was she in her hellish nightmare but back at her Chicago lair.
Her eyes flickered to the chains to see a few new gnawing markings upon them and a great sigh escaped pass her lips. The nightmare had once again triggered her animalistic state, but thankfully the chains had held again and again. While the nightmare was not reoccuring, it did happen often enough that Nuanica could never truly let herself sleep unchained. The monster within her was something that she simply could not tame...


"This just in: it appears the monster that had been attacking the boarder patrol on the Canadian Washington border has now approached the outskirts of Seattle, despite border and police reinforcements." The TV was flickering wildly, reflecting softly in Nuanica's golden eyes. She had stopped to peer through the window of a bar. Usually she would have snuck past, but the lack of boisterous sound coming from within had alarmed her. A change in sound was something to take note of, and thus she had peered through the window to see what they were all silent about. The TV was wild with footage of some blackened figure reeking havoc upon the state of Washington, it seemed.

"Washington..." Nuanica said to herself as she at last pulled away from the bar, having notice a figure walk by and enter through the doorway. Pulling her hood tightly about her, she pondered again to herself. Washington was far off, and of course there had to be others... somewhat like her to stop it. Besides, she was in Chicago- the idea to leave and attack the creature had briefly entered her mind as quickly as it faded.

Such a thing was impossible. By the time she would reach Washington it would be over and most likely she would be discovered and marked, thus forcing her to find a new home.

Giving a soft shrug, Nuanica continued her aimless stroll along the streets. She did not need food tonight, but if anything it was merely to stretch her legs amidst the dark streets of Chicago's night.




Shengmingli AKA Blood
[ Female | Chinese | Location: Somewhere in Shanghai ]
~^^^~^^^~^^^~^^^~

Shengmingli blinked for a moment, her large startling red eyes blinking swiftly and watering at the sudden blaze of sunlight stinging her pupils. Just moments ago, she had been sitting in the cold silver chair of the testing room where a scapel had lacerated against the underside of her knee. Then a strange feeling had overcome her- dizziness, much like when she lost too much blood- and randomly she was no longer sitting, but standing. The wound behind her knee had vanished as rapidly as it appeared and the painful sun greeted her unadjusted eyes.
Sounds of cars honking penetrated her ears, along with the rustling leaves and the occasional barking of a dog. After the initial shock of sunlight, she blinked her large eyes a few more times before beholding a man before her. His brown hair and equally bewildered green eyes immediately caught her attention- she had never seen green eyes before, nor had she seen brown hair. In fact, she had never seen a man dressed as strangely as him. She took a timid step towards him, before pausing in hesitation. Where was she? Why was she here? What were these strange sights and sounds? What was the odd sensation that brushed against her cheek and lifted debris off the ground?

She was overwhelmed at first, but perhaps by some sort of miracle or realization of the danger of shock, her brain swiftly silenced these questions and replaced them instead with the feeling of relief. She was no longer in her prison- no longer stabbed by needles for days on end and then sliced with glinting objects of sharp silver.

"Who... who are you?" The man questioned, lowering himself so that he was in a crouching position as he looked at her curiously. Shengmingli did not understand what he had asked and merely blinked at him, unmoving. He sighed for a moment and took several steps towards her and instinctively Shengmingli recoiled back.
"Wait! Don't be afraid..." He said in a softer tone, but she recognized the slight rise in his voice- a slight commanding air that she not take another step. Turning her head, she let out a shriek as she saw several large, metal monsters roaring past. She was not in the street but on the sidewalk, but seeing this creatures caused her to jump in surprise. Two warm hands were upon her shoulders instantly and she snapped her head about to see the man again, a smile upon his face although his face seemed flushed, as if he had suddenly drank a cup of coffee or come out of a steaming shower.
"It's alright, they're just cars." She felt a bit more at ease by the softer tones. He did not seem at all to be like the men who tortured her in the small rooms and instead he seemed to be something... something she had not experienced. Friendly? Perhaps that was the word, or caring... but such words were beyond her comprehension.

She felt his hand press at her back as he made a motion down the sidewalk, and Shengmingli took it as a direction for her to follow him. With little hesitation she instinctively followed, more out of habit than out of trust. With every new object that came into vision she stopped and stared, occassionally reaching out to touch this 'said object' if the man allowed her to do so.


"Wow... you sure eat a lot." The man said, after several hours of walking he had stopped at a diner, realizing that perhaps Shengmingli was hungry. He had ordered her pancakes with strawberries and whipped creaming, figuring she would like the sweet taste along with some orange juice. She had ate that, along with some of his own meal that he did not finish.
Over the diner table, after several, SEVERAL attempts, he finally conveyed his name to be Alex. (Or Chaotic, not sure what you want). Her tongue pronounced his name more like, "Ahn-lehs", but the soft and adorable tone of a girl of her age caused him to smile brightly and nod, finally making progress with her. He motioned to her repeatedly and she frowned, realizing that he meant for her name. She opened her mouth for a moment, to say her real name, but it dawned upon her that she could not remember. The only label that came to her mind was both of the nicknames that the scientists had called her. So, she offered both. "Shengmingli" she said with a pause, followed by, "Blood."

Alex's eyes widened for a moment, but the volume of the TV was suddenly raised causing both of their heads to turn. News was flashing across the screen with scenes of a black creature attacking humans, with a news reporter saying odd things such as "Washington" and "Attacks".
Blood shivered for a moment, as she set down the fork that she had mastered in the short time they had arrived.

[Blademaster]

Ivan and Enigma



"Hey, buddy. Wake up."


Enigma, now in the guise of a bum sleeping on a park bunch, just grunted and rolled over.


"Hey! I said WAKE UP!"


Enigma opened one eye crankily.


Standing over him was a portly police officer, a nightstick in hand, tapping it against his palm. He looked unhappy.


"You can't sleep here, pal." The policeman said, a frown plastered on his tomato-red face. "Shove off, now."


"Piss off, asshole." Enigma snarled, closing his eye.


The cop's frown deepened.


"I'm not gonna say it again." he warned. "Leave or you'll be arrested."


Irritated, Enigma got up off the bench and turned to walk away...


WHAM!


The officer's eyes bulged as Enigma's back foot planted itself in his crotch (forming into a cleat in the process); the cop hit the ground, hands over his crotch, writhing in pain.


Enigma smiled, lowering his foot and walking off into the bushes.


****************


A short while later, Enigma (now in his 'normal' garb) had reached a lake; on the shore sat a single person.


The previous night, Enigma and Ivan had heard an explosion, caused by a local factory accident. An explosion had set the building ablaze and trapped several workers inside; thanks to Ivan's teleporting powers and Enigma's shapeshifting, the workers had been saved and the fire extinguished.


As usual, afterwards, the duo had split up and fled - Ivan always distanced himself from people, and Enigma just didn't like them. Attention was fine, but he got annoyed too easily to be a celebrity. Several news reporters over the years and their black eyes and broken cameras could vouch for that.


"Yo! Nature boy!" Enigma hollered. "Wake up!"


"I'm already awake." Ivan said. "Please be quiet." Ivan whispered. "I'm trying to fish."


Enigma grumbled to himself and held out his hand, taking a deep breath.


FWOOM!


A huge plume of steam erupted from the lake as the energy blast slammed into its bed; water and assorted fish (and chunks of other animals) rained down around the duo.


Ivan's eyebrow twitched.


"There." Enigma said proudly. "Breakfast big enough for an entire city."


'This is why we're unable to ascertain nice things.' Ivan thought, his eyebrow twitching.


****************


A half an hour later, after eating (which Ivan had more than a few things to say about), the dark-haired swordsman was walking through the city, when he overheard a few teenagers walking past him:


"I hope Fiona's alright. She's got family in Vancouver."


"No, I heard that the attack is happening further towards Seattle."


"No, the news is saying that it's right ON the border."


"The border is huge, dude! That doesn't help!"


Ivan got a cold feeling in his stomach; he turned and approached the trio.


"Excuse me."


They turned towards him.


"What is this 'attack' you're speaking of?"


"Don't you watch the news, man?" the first teen asked. "There's some alien or something attacking on the Washington state border."


"Yeah, like in the movie Alien." the second one added. "Big, ugly, black thing with nasty teeth and claws."


"It's attacking border patrol stations, they said." the third one piped in. "Like, ten people are already dead. They SHOWED it on TV."


Ivan's eyes widened; he turned and ran, in search of Enigma.

[Bulbasaur4]

< Note: Just to make things a little clear, I mentioned inNuanica's post that the attacks were closer to seattle, due to the fact that she's a little ahead of everyone's timeline due to only being active at night. Hope that's alright Heald, I tried to leave it as open as possible. >

[MToolen]

[Patrick/Resonance|Male|late afternoon/early evening|San Fransisco]
The man moved quick, much quicker than Patrick, even as he carried an entire automobile through the city by the bay. "Excuse me, coming through," he said, almost seeming to enjoy the bewildered stares at his glowing body. He made it clear he was heading to the police station to deposit the no-gooder. Definitely a hero, Patrick thought.

Most of the crowds were easy enough to get past, having been shaken up enough by the stranger's weightlifting stunt. One in front of a television store, though, would not budge. "Don't you people have jobs to get to?" Patrick asked.

One of the passerby looked at him in suprise. "You mean you haven't seen this yet?" Patrick turned toward the screens; they showed a large black blob being pelted with a hail of gunfire. While interesting, this was not his primary target for the moment; that man with the car could be a link to his father and any link, no matter how small, was a priority. Shoving through the television-entranced crowd, Patrick pressed on to his man, hoping to eventually catch up to him.

[Dr.McNinja]

Chaotix…no…Alex now watched the broadcast with ill-disguised desire in his eyes. He sighed and turned back to the small girl…Shengmingli, “That’s for the “big boys” to take care of I guess.”

The girl stared back at him, her eyes unreadable but Alex could sense a question in there somehow, even if she couldn’t understand a word she said, “I’m small time, even if I wanted to get there any other super would look at me and laugh at the noname idiot in front of them.”

Shengmingli babbled something and Alex sighed again. Using his fork he picked at his food a bit longer before suddenly dropping the utensil with a crash. Staring at the young girl he grinned even as the static glitter appear in his eyes.

Understand her.

He felt a tingle and grinned even as he saw the young girl’s eyes widen, “Are…you okay? Ahn-lehs? Is something wrong with your eyes? If you want I can…”

A hand fell over the girl’s as she seemed to begin reaching for her butter knife. Thank god, for once it had worked as he had wanted it to. He spoke to her and felt a small thrill as a language he had never even attempted to learn flowed past his lips, “No, I’m fine. You see…how can I make you understand. Um…I’m special you see, I can do things a lot of people can’t and…”

He stopped as he saw some glimmer of understanding in the girl’s eyes. A small hand reached out to remove his and the other grasped the butter knife. Alex didn’t understand her intention before it was too late and the knife came up to make a small knick in the girl’s free hand. Alex gave a small shout and pulled the knife away from Shengmingli before grasping her injured hand to assess the damage.

There was none.

Shengmingli’s light, child-voice rose, “I am…special too I think.”

The two sat in silence for a long time. Time enough for the report to end and the people in the diner to start speculating on the danger presented in the rampaging monster. Finally, Alex’s mouth twitched in a smile, “Yeah….you’re special alright Shengmingli. I think you’re very special indeed. I never knew my powers could grant wishes too…”

Shengmingli didn’t understand but she saw the gears turning behind Alex’s eyes even as they flicked back and forth from the now silent television to her. He leaned over a bit after a second and spoke softly, “Shengmingli? I don’t know what you want to do with your powers during your life, I don’t think you would even know yet, but…do you believe in fate?”

The girl frowned, “Fate? This is?”

Alex kept her gaze, “Fate, something you are meant to do. Something you were born for, something that gives your life a….purpose.”

Shengmingli seemed to taste the words. “Pur…pose…This is?”

The young man blinked a few times, “Your purpose is…is the reason you live, the reason you keep on living.”, he paused trying to find words that a child could understand, “What you want to do, what you were meant to do.”

The girl seemed troubled, “I…I do not know if I have a purpose Ahn-lehs.”

The grin was back, “I can’t make one for you Shengmingli but maybe if you help me accomplish mine I can help you find yours. Does that sound nice?”

A smile appeared on Shengmingli’s face as well, tremulous as it was, “Yes, it sounds nice. As long….as long as my purpose is not with the people where I came from.”

Alex’s smile faded a bit as he took measure of the small girl in front of him and saw something past the youthful innocence in her eyes. She had seen things he could not begin to understand yet. His other hand clasped over the girl’s formerly injured one, “Shengmingli, if you don’t want to go back there then I swear to you they will have to go through me before they touch a hair on your head.”

He did not need to understand Chinese to appreciate the sparkle that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

[Prof. Jb Wolf]

TPM Comics Presents
THE ASTOUNDING PSION
With Guest Apperance by Resonance
Issue #14 - Psychadelic Sound

[San Francisco]

"Good job as always kid." The large cop said as he handcuffed the robber from the car.

"Thanks Cosgrove." I grinned at the heavy-set, elderly cop. Edward Cosgrove was the oldest member of the force and was as clean as they come. Despite his years in service, he never really made it above seargent, preferring to remain a boy in blue. I had met him when I first started as a sidekick and he'd proved a staunch and reliable friend in the police. "Just doing my civic duty."

"Yea, and almost puttin' us outta the job!" Cosgrove chuckled as he marched the handcuffed man up the precinct stairs. "Stay safe kid."

Sketching a vague salute at the departing officer, I turned as a voice called out. "Hey, you - flying goggles guy!"

"Flying goggle..." I muttered under my breath as I turned to face the speaker, a rather scruffy looking fellow in a fedora. "Can I help you sir?"

"Yea, been chasing you half-way across the city." The light from the sinking sun seemed to glint off something around his neck. "Your a Super right? I just wanted to ask a few questions."

"Sorry, I already told the Chronicle I don't do interviews."

"I'm not lookin' for an interview. I'm-"

His voice was drowned out as the sound of sirens and gunfire. A car came streaking by followed by two patrol cars. A man was leaning outside of the car window firing at the chasing cars. "Sorry sir, but duty calls."

I took the air and as I sped towards the car, I heard a loud "HEY!". Something crashed into the fleeing car's back end, causing it to skew sideways. Swooping down, I landed before it and kept it from flying into oncoming traffic and the sidewalk. As the patrolmen in the cars came out to secure I turned to see the scruffy man walking calmly towards me.

"Let me try this again. You can call me Resonance." As he spoke, he took off his glove showing a shiny metallic cover and I felt a slight vibration flow over me. "And I just want to ask you a question or two hero."

==================================

"Sorry, the only other Supers I've met were my mentor and some villains that pop up every now and then."

After helping to secure the criminals, Resonance and I were grabbing some coffee at a nearby cafe. He explained his powers and about his search for his father. I sympathized with him, knowing what it's like to not have parents around. Unfortunately it seemed like I couldn't help him with his problem.

"Damn, well it was a slim chance as any..."

He looked somewhat glumly into his mug of coffee. As I searched for something to say, the nearby TV caught my eye. "...cident at the Canadian border is still sketchy at best. Based on the footage we have obtained, an unidentified creature has attacked a base near the outer limits of Washington state as seen here in this video taken earlier today." On screen a black creature with claws and fangs sprouting from its bodies attacked a couple soldiers, slaughtering them easily.

"Maybe you should check out there." I said, pointing at the screen.

"What? Ask the nice monster if he knows where my old man is?" He gave me a look that screamed 'what the hell have YOU been smoking?".

"No, but judging at how easily it took out those soldiers, it'll probably attract a bunch of supers. For all we know, one of them might know who your father is."

"Huh, guess that's not such a bad idea. What about you hero? You goin' to fight the big, bad alien?"

I sat quietly for a moment. I had never considered the rest of the world when I had first got my powers. Back then, I was still filled with rage and grief, and even after Prophet died I hadn't considered the rest of the world as part of my protectorate. Maybe it was time to step on to the global stage and become a real hero, like the first generation of supers.

"You know, I just might."

"Well, I hope you don't mind long trips, cause it'll take awhile to get to Washington." Resonance laughed. "Unless you wanna fly us there."

=============================================

"I can't believe we're flying there."

When Resonance had first suggested it, I too had foudn the idea laughable. But after giving it some thought, I found it was probably not as bad as originally thought. Borrowing a hot-air balloon basket from its owner, I now carried Resonance in the basket as I took to the air. While I was considerably slower than when I flew on my own, we were still moving faster than any car or train especially without the traffic.

"Just hold on!" I said with a grin as I sped up a little.

[Bulbasaur4]

[ Just a note: Shengmingli does not cut herself willingly, due to what she went though. Let's just say she cut herself on accident and that is how he found out? ]


Shengmingli AKA Blood
[ Female | Location: Los Angeles- leaving]


The two of them were well-fed and the wind rippled through their hair. They didn't exactly plan where they were going, although Shengmingli was rather too quiet to make plans and had refused to come to any sort of decision. But the unsaid between them was enough, and Alex had rather 'willed' the improbable fact of a vehicle landing in the parking lot for him to use. It turned out to be a Toyota Tundra- not exactly the most fuel-efficient car, but it would do.

The two of them were now on the road, exiting Los Angeles and heading up north to Washington. The California freeway was a thing of wonder and it was a very quick trip- never a busy highway, always able to speed with little worry of cops. The windows were down and the wind was playfully manipulating their hair, and Shengmingli had closed her eyes to feel the strange sensation of it brushing against her face. She had caused Alex quite a scare when she had dropped the knife and it had lashed against her hand. She hadn't flinched at the pain, much to Alex's horror but when he went to inspect it- it had gone. He still seemed to not notice the rejuvenating feeling he got whenever he touched her, but he seemed like an energetic person. The effects were not as useful during those times.

"Are you alright with this, Shengmingli?" Alex asked, eyeing her nervously as he began to realize that he was indeed bringing a girl who looked no older than 10 to some dangerous, unknown object in Washington. It was insane...it was something very.. ironically, improbable.
"Yes, I am fine." She said boldly, looking at him with her striking gaze of crimson, virtually nor fear or apprehension shown in her eyes.
"I feel silly bringing a little girl with me..." He said quietly, but she shook her head.
"I will not die." She said plainly, which startled Alex and perhaps disturbed him a bit.

Silence entered the truck, until Alex cheerfully asked, "Would you like to listen to music?"
Shengmingli blinked for a moment, "Music? This is...?"
he laughed as he reached over and flicked to the FM radio. A country twang song was playing pleasantly, and immediately Shengmingli seemed to sit up straighter as she peered about the truck for the source of the sound. After a while of this, she then began pressing buttons upon the FM radio- delighted to find that different music played with different buttons.
"This is magic!" She said with a grin, no music staying on a channel for more than a minute until at least a half an hour had passed. She finally subsided her button pushing and let it remain back upon the country station, leaning into her chair.
Time passed slowly and her eyelids grew heavy as sleep gradually took her to the dreaming world.

[Drusilla]

OK... finally gonna do this... Starting in third person, but will eventually switch to first, mostly because this is a difficult character for me. Love her to death, but damn if she makes it hard.

Poltergeist
Instincts of Perversion

Location: Brooklyn, NYC

Quite possibly the only thing in the underground room brighter than the TV was her smile. She wondered if the alien creature was having fun. True, she didn't enjoy the carnage and loss of life, but her mind filtered all that out to simplify it: all the goody-goods would be rushing off to stop this little instigator.

The government had yet to assign a super to "babysit" her, and technically had her under house arrest, because there was little they could do to contain her. The first dozen or so times she had been arrested, she had merely walked through the walls and gone back to her life, such as it was. So here she sat in her subterranean apartment, knowing that at least a half-dozen police officers watched the building from all angles, but didn't care. If she wanted to leave, she could. The attempt to hold her in a mental treatment facility under heavy sedation had been challenged by the ACLU, bless their little souls. The only way to retard her abilities was to keep her at a constant vegetative state, which required such a high level of tranquilizers that any normal person would have been killed.

At last, a consensus had been reached by deciding that a psychically-powered super should be given custody of her, but then the problem arose than no one wanted the job. So, it had fallen to the NYPD to keep tabs on her location as best as they could, which was just fine.

Poltergeist was in no hurry.

Things had changed now, though. The do-gooders surely could not resist the chance to show the world how useful they were; the thought made her sick.

Yes, run off to save those who would oppress you... When you should be taking care of yourselves...

Let them do what they wanted, though. She didn't care, in all honesty. They chose their paths, and she chose hers. Surely, there must be someone out there that followed a similar path...

Rising from her chair, she switched the TV off on her way through the wall.


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

Glancing at her watch, the counted the minutes as she sat in front of the burning remains of a bank. She sighed in disappointment; five whole minutes passed between her leaving the building and the faint sound of sirens reaching her ears. She stood, brushed her clothes (such as they were) off, and melted into the shadows of a nearby alley.

It took nearly another forty minutes for the news crews to appear.

"Thanks, Tammy. It appears that someone broke into the First National here and, rather than stealing, simply set everything on fire. Police aren't forthcoming with details, but fire officials seem to think that furniture and draperies were the main source of the blaze. Now, if you have holdings here at this location, you are being urged to contact..."

Drawing a knife from her belt, Poltergeist slunk from the shadows, grabbing hold of the news reporter in a half-nelson and pressing the blade to her throat. The woman made an awkward squawk, and instantly fell silent. Her camera man made to turn the camera off. Poltergeist smiled.

"Uh-uh-uh... Keep it on, buddy boy. I have an important message for all your viewers. Mind giving your fellows the heads up?" She rasped, jerking her head at the other news vans. The cameraman yelled, and soon all lights were on the woman grinning like a Cheshire and her hostage.

"One wrong move, and she just might get hurt; no need for that. Now, with all our little super friends rushing off to Washington state, I have a message for my friends who don't really give a damn: The time is now. Human kind is becoming obsolete. Without us, what would they be? Alien lunch, that's what. Protecting them will get us no where. If we are going to save ourselves, we need to cut them loose. Yes, it will be a shame to lose so many of them, they really do have an adorable little charm..." She grinned and stroked the news woman's hair. "However, if we are going to save this planet, they need to grow some balls and take care of themselves. If we weren't so useful to them, they would reject us all, no matter who we were. To them, we are freaks, we are objects to study and mutilate. We are nothing to them; why should we stand up for them if they would not do the same for us?" Here, she giggled. "The time has come, my friends, to cut this one-way umbilical chord. Time to end this farce. Time to be what we truly are. Follow your own desires, and end this slavery. Stand with me, brothers and sisters; for we owe nothing to anyone but ourselves. If you hear me, then call the name of Poltergeist..." She giggled again. "I will hear, when no one else will."

All this time, she had been backing away, both for better camera angle, and for her escape. When she found herself in place, she gave the poor news woman a kiss on the cheek, let go, and vanished through a manhole, laughing the entire time.

She prayed to the gods of revolution that her message would be heard.

[Roy Karrde]

Jason Landrew
~~~[Sentinel | 2:00 in the afternoon | Highway approaching Washington State ] ~~~

By the mile markers I was getting closer and closer to Washington State, but with each passing mile I continued to rethink my decision as to why I had decided to travel all the way out north.

Just a few hours before I had been getting ready for school, when I caught a glimpse of the news on television. At the time it seemed like the hero like thing to do, travel to Washington, fight the big evil monster that was most likely going to threaten the planet, and be the hero.

Alas there was just one problem: The alien was in Washington, and I was in Arizona.

I should have told myself to head on to school, I should have told myself that some one else could handle it. But no, I got outside and decided to do the one thing I had never done, to use my power in a way that I had only guessed would be possible. I was going to try to fly.

The results were mixed at best, I found that I could use my power to create a small field around myself in which gravity did not exist. I was essentially weightless. The only problem is that I had to swim like a fish just to move a few inches.

So at that moment I should have called it quits, but I didn't. Being weightless meant I had nothing to slow me down, I would continue at one speed for until I released my powers. So that meant if I grabbed onto say a passing car, I would be able to keep up the speed of the car even if I let go.

So for the past few hours I glided my way toward Washington, grasping on from one car to the next, building up speed as I went. The wind would whip past me, stinging me as it lashed out at my face and hair, threatning to dislodge my swords as I held on tightly to the bumper of the car.

"Next time I am taking the bus." I grumbled, digging my fingers into the underside of the bumper as a car passed close to the one I was currently riding. Inside the man and a young girl glanced out the window at me in bewilderment.

I gave them a short wave, and then pushed off the car I was currently riding and grabbed onto the back of their's. Maybe they were heading to Washington, and if so it couldn't hurt getting there just a little bit faster.

[Mew Master]

Name: Steven Wiles
Alias: Demon
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Nationality: American
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Powers: His body. Steven’s body has undergone a drastic mutation. No longer human, he’s much more reptilian and saurian. He has a long tail, sharp claws that can tear through armor and metal, and teeth. While being reptilian, he’s also dexterous to a point that makes him difficult to hit in combat, able to jump, slide, dash, and get around his opponents. He is stronger than an average human, able to survive being buried under nearly a tone of rubble (of course in that instance he’s using his entire body as a brace, not just his arms). Strong, fast, dextrous, he can be a whirling dervish of destruction and blood in combat. Being fast and athletic, he can scale the sides of buildings quickly, often a blur of scales and black as he leaves the scene.
Power Source: Natural (Mutation)
Weaknesses: Himself. Steven's transformation has altered his brain in a few fashions. While he still has control over language, and hasn't lost any higher brain functions, the hormone imbalance sometimes drives him into a more... "instinctual" or “animalistic” state. This can have a variety of triggers, from combat he becomes a raging whirling dervish, when aroused, he can view everyone as a rival for someone's affection. Such actions truly make him seem... like a "Demon" and there is a constant battle between his human and animal sides.
Personality: Steven is quiet, not like he was before his mutation came forth. He slinks from the shadows, watching everything. Deep down inside, we wants to make friends, and have fun like he used to. However, his current condition makes him shy away from others, only appearing in a flash of scales, claws, and blazing red eyes to help others and then disappearing just as fast. He’s alone, and makes himself such because he’s afraid of what he’ll do, when his instincts are unleashed…
Appearance: Steven’s transformation drastically altered his physical state. No longer human, he stands at a little over seven feet tall, weighs 512 lbs, and is 20 feet 10 inches long from snout to tail. His arms are muscled, but thin, with some boney scutes protruding from his biceps. Along his back are jagged, boney dorsal spines, recurved forward. These spines get larger around his shoulder, then become reduced constantly until the tip of his tail. Steven’s legs are digigrade, with three digits on the ground, and a fourth vestigial “hallex” like structure on the outside edge of his leg. His head is rectangular, slightly wedge-shaped. His has no lips, so his teeth are crocodilian, bursting from the edges of his jaws and resting against the outside edge of the opposite jaw. Covered in thick, charcoal black scales, Steven looks like something out of hell itself. With blazing red eyes that sometimes glow and pent-up energy seems to emanate from them as he fights and loses himself to his animal instincts.
Weapons: Teeth, claws, strength, dexterity, speed. Steven IS a weapon.
History: Steven Wiles has always been a little off. Despite his general well rounded physical abilities he had a massive appetite that nearly forced his mother to go broke feeding him and his brother, Robert. Even with his massive craving for food of any type, he never seemed to gain a pound of fat during his life looking like a human. What no one could guess, however is that his body was preparing itself for the energy needed for when his mutation finally started to surface.

One morning, Steven had skipped breakfast, which lead that day to go from bad to worse. Starving, and agitated, his body underwent a transformation. Changing his human form to that of a seven-foot reptile with sharp claws and a long tail for balance, Steven nearly went into a feeding frenzy due to the energy released during the awakening of his mutant powers. The school was sent into a craze, and it was reported that Steven himself had died in the following publications of a monster loose on the school. Others would have suffered if he hadn’t snapped out of it, running away from what he had done.

He spent his life running away, hiding in city alleys and scrounging for food. He would have reverted to an animal, if it wasn’t for a fight.

Two supers had broke out into a fight. Super villans having a power-struggle, a hero against a villan, Steven didn’t know, and he didn’t care. His humanity shot back as he dashed from the alleys and protected a mother and child from the rubble falling above them. The saurian stopped the rubble, causing them to be trapped like that for nearly half an hour. Steven’s anger started growing and he was able to push the rubble off of himself and the people he had protected, emerging with a terrifying roar.

Spectators were surprised, and scared as Steven ran off, climbing up the side of an apartment building and disappearing as a black blur. Even as he ran, he heard one of them say “He was a demon!” So he took his new name.

Steven, Demon, now spends his time patrolling the rooftops and back alleys. He’s garnered a reputation as the Demon of Seattle with the locals, and both been the reason the streets are safe and why the populace doesn’t want to go out at night.
Theme(s): Brain Stew (The Godzilla Remix) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmO-H_hiSw), Godzilla: The Series Openning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZKW8FylTIA) (just to see how athletic a saurian can be ^^U), Get offa my Back! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzvHsB5IdFY), One Step Closer (Linkin Park) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlCC1GOwFw), Animal I've Become (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfNXfYMVz4&feature=related)
Relationships: Has a brother who thinks him dead, and blames his Alias for his death. Yeah… complicated there. He’s shy around others because of his appearance, because people usually run from him, even as he tries to help.
Other: He knows several languages, and can track by scent. His senses are extra sharp and can pick up a voice among hundreds. His current “home” is a lair with some old drawings, not done by him, some family photos he managed to save, and old blankets he stole from clotheslines. It’s large enough for three people to stand in, but just barely big enough for himself.


TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Morning Sickness
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male~*~Seattle, WA
Time: 11:56 AM
Location: Back alleys along Seattle's residential district.

Seattle’s streets were bustling with their normal activity. Everyday citizens were getting from point A to point B as fast as they could. The news of Supers as they had been referred to for so many years, was becoming common place. Sure, Seattle had its own Supers, and were thought of as either gung-ho guns or vigilantes, the normal humans of the city had their own lives to worry about.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the street, down a maze of alleys and discarded litter, something made its home.

The giant hole in the wall, surprisingly large wasn’t easy to spot. An optical illusion of sorts hid it from all but the most perceptive of people. The ruined building was part of an old apartment complex and a mistake when the building was constructed back in the 30’s or 40’s. Right now, it was somethings home.

After the entry way, there was more of the alley before approaching the actual mouth of the entrance. Rubble and brick had fallen down after some of the West Coast’s earthquakes in past years, showing the little enclave within. Inside the rough “arch” of the abode, pictures were tapped to the wall. Dirty images of three humans, an old female and teenage boys. All were smiling. Next to them were some pages from an old sketch book, of two young boys, similar looking to those in the photos.

Across the concrete floor, were several large blankets, all different in color, design, fabric and size. They lay over something as it started to stir. Something started moving in tired motions under the blankets, curling over itself. A rectangular shape popped up, and in a manner similar to a head, started to look around, confused. Slowly, sleep drained, a black clawed hand reached up and pulled the blanket off.

Or tried.

The blanket was further along the body, and it started to pull it as the thing started to stand, nearly filling the enclave with his presence. It was reptilian, tall, long, with charcoal black scales. Standing on two powerful legs and recurved dorsal spines along the backbone. Finally pulling the one long blanket he had, Demon looked around, sleepily with his glowing red eyes.

The saurian let out a long yawn. He had only been asleep for a few hours, taking a little nap like any big predator after a meal. Looking down, he could see and smell the remains of what he had been forced to catch for food. The bones of several stray cats and dogs were in the corner, and Demon felt disgusted with himself. He felt his stomach lurch suddenly and dropped to all fours, while he hocked up some stomach juice covered bones.

I don’t even remember that one… he thought to himself, unnerved as he caught his breath and felt his stomach settle down.

Pushing the bones into the pile in the corner, the saurian stretched himself, getting feeling back into his muscles. The nap had been needed, as had food. Getting food, however, was the difficult part of any day.

Demon never went out of the alleys during the day if he could help it. Too many people were afraid of him, or would call Animal Control at the sighting of a “large lizard” running around downtown. At night, he could sneak around better, his black scaled hide blending in with the shadows and only his glowing red eyes giving away his presence. So he scrounged around for food. Discarded hamburgers, half eaten dinner rolls, anything he could get some nourishment from, he didn’t care.

Even after the Change, he still had an enormous appetite, and hunger was a powerful force. Sometimes he lost himself to it, and saw missing pet posters up later.

He was ashamed of himself, and the fact he couldn’t control himself.

Demon’s nostrils flared and he caught the scent of something on the wind. Carefully he turned his head out of his “cave” and looked. No. No one was out there, but something was coming.

Territoriality was starting to rush forth in his thinking. His territory. His area. His home. Demon shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Clearly it wasn’t that easy to lose himself to the animal inside. Was it?

The sun was still up, and dusk was several hours away. He didn’t want to go outside during the day. Too easy to be spotted. But something nagged in the back of his mind.

And Demon, quickly leaving his den, climbed up the side of one of the buildings, as silent as a shadow and twice as fast…

Name: Robert Wiles
Alias: Hellfire
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Nationality: American
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (capable of great good and great evil)
Powers: Robert has the ability to manipulate fire. However, unless he is summoning his own art through the flames, he cannot manipulate other fire, natural or supernatural. By setting fire to a piece of art of his own by will, he can summon forth the image, as life-sized as possible, after the entire piece is burned. However, others are not protected from the flames, and neither are property, so using the powers always causes collateral damage and some injuries. Once his need for the fire summons is over, the flames dissipate, and the piece of paper reforms from the flames, drawing and all, into his hands. He can also create energy fields that function like force fields around objects, people, or himself as an buffer against an attack. One other ability, is a set of flaming wings that sprout from his back, but don’t damage or burn his clothes or self. The wings act like major versions of propulsion and can be expanded to increase drag for a landing, or condensed into cones of force to shoot himself forward at high speeds. His body has changed to survive the strain of flying at high speeds, including an increased reaction rate, reflexes, and vision.
Power Source: Natural (Mutation)
Weaknesses: His powers. Using his powers takes a toll on Robert through mental strain. Flying around or using the fire summoning hurts slightly, but he’s been able to compensate for that. What really puts the strain on his mind is when the force fields he produces come under attack, a fraction of that force is also inflicted on his mind and mental state.
Personality: Robert is quiet and aloof. He doesn’t care much for people, and doesn’t seem to show any emotion. Despite this, he does care, he just doesn’t want people to know it. He’ll let others talk and recap others on the situation. If they weren’t paying attention before, why fill them in now?
Appearance: Tall, thin, he has long black hair that stops at his shoulders. A black trench coat that is almost to the ground, the collar always up. He has glasses that he tries to keep high on his nose but keep sliding down. Instead of any normal color for his eyes, his eyes are a crimson red. Robert wears baggy, lose pants, and generic tennis shoes. He has a satchel he keeps with him, and inside is his art supplies and anything else he might need, such as food, water, or a laptop.
Weapons: None besides his powers.
History: Robert was the younger of the Wiles brothers. While Steven was more athletically clined and ate like a horse, Robert leaned towards art and intellectual pursuits. Even while he and his brother joked around, he wasn’t jealous of his brother’s accomplishments, because his brother was also jealous of his.

However, their relationship was torn apart.

Robert and Steven’s school was attacked by a reptilian monster, leaving several students injured and scared. The only person missing, was Steven. Robert had seen the thing as it tore out of the class where his brother had been, and proceeded to snap and slash at the students and teachers as they ran away. Robert was knocked back, and watched as this thing, this dinosaur-like monstrosity tore its way through the school, only finally disappearing as it looked at him, with those glowing red eyes.

Robert’s mom broke down at the news, and Robert started hating the thing that took his brother away from the family. Anger boiling up inside of him, he accidentally found out he could summon his drawn creations to life, and control them.

Packing some of his things and leaving his mom, Robert went out to do what he thought was best. Kill the reptile that killed his brother, and hopefully give his family some solace.

If only he knew the truth…
Theme(s): I am (All of me) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VpYfMxIoR4), No Future (Akiawa Nanase) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpHXaWkHZV4&feature=related), What I'm Made of (Crush40) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVJZ5MbJDzU)
Relationships: Despite his drive to kill the one known as Demon, what Robert fails to realize is that he’s trying to kill his own brother.
Other: When he’s not flying across the city and hitchhiking, looking for Demon, he’s drawing and sketching. His sketchbook has a few pages torn from it, and he’s never been able to find the missing pages. Images he drew of himself and his brother…


TPM Comics Presents...
HELLFIRE
Prospect
Robert Wiles~#~Hellfire#~#Male~#~New York City, NY
Time: 11:34 AM EST
Location: New York's performer square

New York City. The last place you’d expect to find a person who didn’t care for people.

Robert Wiles, however, didn’t care for people, but he needed them to survive. He glanced up at the young woman sitting before him before going back to the drawing. Through patience, practice, and more than enough erasers, Robert’s art had gotten very good, and he was using this one talent to make him a decent living.

Decent if you thought about how little you could survive on in modern times.

He looked up at the woman one more time, his pencil and hand flying over the paper. He captured her features, her hair, the shading from the sun and buildings. If he really cared, he would consider it a decent piece of work. The woman wasn’t exceptionally pretty, but she was paying him, so it didn’t matter.

“Here,” he said, carefully tearing out the page and handing it to her.

He saw the look in her eyes as she looked over and held it to her chest. “Thank you!” Quickly the woman dug out a twenty and handed to Robert as she ran off. Watching her for a second, he put the new funds into an inner compartment on his satchel. Taking a quick mental inventory of his funds he picked up the satchel and slung it over his shoulder as he walked off. He was in the artist walk in the middle of Manhattan Island, and was trying to make his way towards some run down apartments. He could afford rent today, that was good. Not something he would have expected after leaving his home, after… Steven disappeared.

The apartment wasn’t much, but at least now he could afford it. If only for a month at best. He hated having to resort to drawing people for money. It was disgraceful, and a waste of his time. But, he had to eat sometime, and sleeping on the streets wasn’t any helpful either.

He talked the landlord into letting him have the place. Robert may only stay here a month, two at best, but he needed a place to operate from for the time being. New York City was a magnet for Supers, many doing odd jobs helping out the populace or police. Several times he had tried to find someone with information on the thing that attacked his school and took his brother away.

Pictures didn’t help, and most Supers were gone or had left before he could find out where they had gone. The internet wasn’t any help either. His last leads had lead him to New York City, which of course was another dead end.

Now he needed to stay somewhere and think, and plan his next action.

Setting his stuff down in his new apartment, Robert went downstairs to get something to eat, satchel slung over his shoulder. His left over money wouldn’t buy him much, but at least it would get him enough to survive the next few days if he spent it wisely. Walking down, he headed for some of the fruit venders and quick shops in the city. Of course some of them were hiding behind bullet proof glass and bars. Each of them had a gun nearby, but Robert didn’t act threatening. He calmly picked out his selection and then headed back to his apartment.

As he walked home, he took a bit out of the apple he had bought, chewing it thoughtfully. He weighed his options as he walked the path back to his new “home.”

[Crystal Tears]

Name: Sigil-038
Alias: Sigil
Gender: Female
Age: Appears 26
Nationality: Canadian
Alignment: Neutral / Neutral
Powers: Super-fast regeneration, Super-sight, Sigil is rather hard to kill by shooting/slicing/etc. Her entire bone structure is made of a powerful, yet super-light metal (meaning don’t punch her, or she’s split you in two). Her brain, for all intensive purposes is a combination between alien and human technology (forming a high-tech computer) and there are numerous hidden ports under her skin that allow her to direct link with computer systems, she can also remotely access many electronic machines like cars, planes, etc. The metal in her system (along with her brain) is constantly evolving on its own, so new powers might come later (and others might leave).
Power Source: Alien / Technology
Weaknesses: Powerful Magnets, oh… She can be reprogrammed to follow another being…
Personality: Sigil, for being an A.I, is quite curious about human nature and being a ‘person’. She does not experience anger, happiness, or misery like we do, in fact she sort of lacks in the entire personality compartment. Her answers are short and to the point, and she often does not need explanation for others, she also can’t grasp humour or sarcasm very well… Taking everything as seriously as she’s programmed too… Oh, for being a computer, its insanely hard to gain her trust.
Appearance: Dark Brown hair dyed blond (the roots show), her hairs goes down just below her shoulders and is often tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes are brown for the most part, but turn blue and glow when using one of her powers (save for super strength). Sigil appears as an athletic, attractive late twenties woman who always looks serious. She’s usually wearing some sort of t-shirt, with a black trench coat and blue jeans, so she fits in.
Weapons: Most electronics, and super strength.
History: Sigil was discovered by a man who lived out in northern Ontario, he contacted the authorities who were immediately overthrown by a secret branch of the Canadian government who took Sigil-038 into their custody. The woman was for all intensive purposes dead, when performing an autopsy, it was discovered that she was a crude combination of alien technology and a human. Her bones were a never before seen metal that, if cut in half, were reform into its original state quite quickly. The Canadian government implemented their own technology (no doubt imported from somewhere….) and soon enough Sigil-038 was mess of blood, flesh, wires, metal, and an advanced alien computing brain.
One of the lead scientists accidentally activated Sigil, but because of the human reprogramming, she did nothing. Soon after that she disappeared, escaping from the facility and entering the real world where she wanders. Keeping her distance from those who would try to reprogram her for their own wishes (meaning she keeps away from mostly everyone).
Theme(s): Criminal By Disturbed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Le6eZaLFA)
Relationships: Tis open…
Other: If you need to compare her to something, she’s a terminator of sorts…


* * *

Sigil-038 sat quietly in the back booth of a diner. In her and was a small cup of coffee and sitting before her was a plate with half finished eggs. She had never been one to eat as much as the rest, she, unlike so many other humans, didn't require it. Sigil looked up curiously as the waitress put down the bill, and that's when it caught her eye.
It was an overhanging television screen that was displaying a video of a strange, blurry image of a black beast with wings attacking a control station. Sigil-038 frowned, to her knowledge there was no creature on Earth that even resembled that image. Shock should've run through her but it didn't, only a mild, secret curiosity to see exactly what it was.

"Scary isn't it?"
Sigil-038 looked up at the waitress, she seemed more than a little worried. "Scary?"
"That monster that attacked the control station."
Sigil wondered if this woman knew she gritted her teeth with frightened. "It is just an animal." She replied, acting her beast to be human. "It will be killed."
For whatever reason, that comforted her. The waitress smiled as Sigil paid for the meal. "You're right."

Outside of the diner was mildly hot; Sigil could see the heat rising off of numerous vehicles. Children were playing in the park nearby, and seemed to not mind the temperature as much as their adult counterparts. Sigil-038 frowned, she needed to leave this place, and find a way to get to that creature.
Curiosity killed the cat. Was the thought that popped into her head as she browsed the numerous vehicles sitting in the lot. Ah, but, I'm not a cat. So the entire logic of that warning was thrown out the window as far as she was concerned. Sigil frowned, fixing her coat somewhat as she set her eyes on an automobile. To her knowledge it was an Audi A4, good enough for her purposes. Quietly she walked up to the machine.
Sigil's eyes began to glow a bright, aqua blue as the car's alarm shut down and the driver side door, unlocked.
"Hello." She spoke, sitting down comfortably as she shut the door. The car immediately switched on, and a little more search through its systems resulted in the GPS in the machine to suddenly, and so sadly shut down. "I need you to take me somewhere if you don't mind."
The car's electronics further activated as the engine gave a happy rev.
Sigil-038 smiled only a little. "I didn't think you'd mind."

The car pulled out of the parking lot and began down the road. Sigil, for the moment, had a new best friend as she proceeded to reprogram the car for her own liking...
And the car, newly reprogrammed and made to her liking, began to drive off towards Seattle.

* * *

[Blademaster]

OK, I'd say it's about time for some character interaction.



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


Ivan and Enigma



"OK, lemme get this straight." Enigma said, analyzing what his acquaintence had just finished telling him. "You overheard a few guys talking about an attack, asked them what was going on, and they told you a fucking ALIEN was attacking?"

"That is correct." Ivan replied. "By now, at least a dozen people are likely dead."

"Shit..." Enigma muttered. "Are you SURE they said 'alien?' Like, the grey ones with the big black eyes?"

"They told me that the creature was black, with sizeable claws, fangs, and a body larger than a mature male human."

"Sounds like a Xenomorph..." Enigma commented.

"That is not important right now." Ivan said. "People are dying, and there are no Supers combatting this creature."

"I know! But what the fuck are WE gonna do about it?" Enigma responded, annoyed. "Washington is over 2,000 miles away! Even if I could turn into a fucking supersonic JET, it'd be two hours or more before we got there. The place would be a graveyard by then!"

Ivan held his chin in his hand, trying to think of a solution.

"I could teleport us there." he mused. "But the spatial relationship between us and the planet makes that highly dangerous."

"Huh?"

"If I'm unable to see our destination, we could be transported into space. Or miles beneath the ground."

"Oh. ...Fuck." Enigma looked up. "Winding up in space would be a bad... thing......"

Enigma stopped and squinted. Miles above his head, he could make out a tiny shape heading west.

An airplane.

Enigma blinked, then smiled to himself.

"Ivan... You ever flown first-class before?"

Ivan looked puzzled; he followed Enigma's gaze.

"...An airplane?" he said. "It is still a gambit, but it is possible..."

"Do it." Enigma urged.

Ivan nodded and looked up at the plane, concentrating on it... Size... Speed... Trajectory...

"I have it." Ivan said, grabbing Enigma's shoulder. The duo turned jet-black, then sunk into the ground and vanished; simultaneously, the process reversed itself atop the plane, in front of the tail.

Ivan and Enigma were instantly greeted by ear-piercing roars and frigid wind blasts, sending them both tumbling back and grabbing the tail for dear life.

"AAAAAAAAGH!!! WHOSE STUPID-ASS IDEA WAS THIS?!!?" Enigma screamed over the roars.

"IT WAS YOUR IDEA!!!" Ivan yelled back.

Enigma instantly shut up.

*****************

After at least four hours of riding planes, switching planes, and flying by their own hands (or wings), the duo finally spotted what could only be the famous Space Needle.

"Seattle!" Enigma yelled. "Ivan, take us down!"

Ivan nodded and closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint a desireable landing site. The height... The direction...

Shadows once again enveloped the duo, who reappeared a few hundred feet above the streets of Seattle.

Unfortunately, hours of frigid cold temperatures, brain-jarring turbulence, and thin air supply had left even the usually-unflinching Ivan a bit weary, and as a result, he forgot one factor:

The plane they were one had been flying at roughly 400 miles an hour. The ground below... was not. As a result, the instant Ivan and Enigma rematerialized, their momentum came back, flinging them nearly a third of a mile over the city! The duo screamed, bracing and shielding themselves as best they could, before finally crashing down on a rooftop, stumbling and bouncing to the next, and finally crashing over the side and bouncing down the outer walls before coming to rest in an alley between the buildings.

Not the most graceful entrance for a pair of Supers.

"Fuck me..." Enigma snarled, rubbing his head. "What is WRONG with you, dumbass!? Can't you even use your own powers properly!?"

"Ohhhh..."

Ivan pulled himself up slowly. Being made of flesh and bone, unlike Enigma (sort of), he had REALLY felt that. He'd probably have broken his spine had his wings not curled out and shielded him from some of the shock. That, and he'd landed on something a bit softer than concrete...

And warmer... And moving...

"Get... OFF ME!!!!"

With a yell that sounded almost like a roar, the mass Ivan had landed on sprung to life, flipping Ivan off its back and leaping to its feet. Disoriented and battered a bit, Ivan only barely managed to somersault out of the creature's way, spinning on his knee and getting up beside Enigma.

Standing in front of them, blocking the street, was an imposing black creature with red eyes. It looked almost dinosaurian in its build, but despite its fierce appearance, something seemed... strange about it...

"Is that the alien?" Enigma asked his partner uncertainly. "It looks like a raptor!"

Ivan stared at the creature intently; it just stared back.

"Alien?" it asked, sounding confused. "Me? I'm no alien - I'm just as much an Earthling as you two are!"

"Bullshit!" Enigma snapped, his forearm extending into a machine gun with barrels where his fingers had been. "How many other ugly black monsters have crawled out of the woodwork since this morning and started trashing the border?!"

"Enigma, hold on." Ivan warned. "If this creature is truly responsible for what has happened, why is it here? There is no wreckage anywhere in the vicinity, so it obviously has not attacked this city yet."

Ivan turned his attention back to the creature, slowly drawing his sword.

"You. I do not know what you are, but several people are already dead. They were killed by some sort of black alien on the northern border of this state. You are obviously capable of human speech; if you have any sort of alibi, I suggest that you relay it to us now."

The reptilian creature looked at its instigators for a moment, evidently considering what it was being told.

Ivan and Enigma tensed up a bit.

What would the anthro-lizard say...?



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


OK, Denny. Whether you wanna fight these guys or take the peaceful way out, I'll leave up to you.

[classy_cat18]

Nia Windfall ~ Aria ~ Seattle, WA

"What the hell?" I asked myself as I decided to look up and saw a couple of falling/flying objects. My heart stopped as I thought about the thing that had attacked the border. But then there were two, and I swore I could hear screaming. Whatever it was would have to stay a mystery; I had a plane to catch.

The streets were more quiet than usual but people were still out and about, mostly somewhere watching TV and waiting for more news. Bars and cafes were packed with nervous drinkers. Crowds were parked in front of electronic stores. I walked in one and watched a big screen, staring at the enhanced picture of the reporter and her captor.

The visitor looked like a madwoman, but I hung onto her every word.

"Right on, sister...preaching to the choir..." I whispered. I knew of the stories of my ancestors that paid the price for their uniqueness...my fate would be no different. Instead of the ax or noose, it would be injections and dissections.

"I will hear, when no one else will."

If I had to team up with someone, I'd rather do it with someone with common sense than some goody-two-shoes. My hand clenched around the flute that I wore on my side. It was probably a bad idea...but it was definitely better than facing the creature alone.

I licked my lips and called out after a little hesitation. "Poltergeist."

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Mistaken Identity
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 1:25 PM
Location: Seattle, Washington. Rooftops across the residential district.

The saurian scanned the cityscape, crouched behind an old water-tower. Demon clutched several items of food, mostly fruits, vegetables, and one package of steak he had to steal from an inattentive shopper as she left her grocery bags on the ground to answer her cell phone.

He didn’t like it, but he had to.

Taking one melon, he tossed it into the air as his neck curled back. In one lightning fast snap the melon had disappeared into his mouth, and he moved his jaws in a crude chewing fashion. The ryne didn’t taste that bad honestly, it just had a strong taste to it, which is why he could never stand it as a human. As he was now, he didn’t care.

The chewed fruit disappeared down his gullet as he swallowed. His eating habits hadn’t dissipated, he still had a large appetite, but the cravings are what he felt right now. For the last few days, he’s had a craving for sweet stuff. Not chocolate or sugar, he couldn’t keep it down any more. No, he wanted fruits, vegetables. Something in his physiology was telling him he needed more greens in his diet, and so he had to change that. The most disturbing craving was that of fresh, red, meat.

Demon sat there, under the water-tower, eating his stolen food, saving the meat for last. Something inside him desired the taste of fresh meat, and the thrill of a fresh kill. Ashamed of himself, and afraid, he quickly snapped down the meat he had obtained, swallowing it down. The taste both disgusted him and excited him.

It’s a hard feeling to explain, even when you’re the one experiencing it.

Something was bothering Demon though. There was something on the air, his instincts told him to be active, awake, to hide if he could. The combination of his newfound instincts and his human logic made him restless and on edge.

He heard the sound of a plane overhead, and he peaked out from under the water-tower, watching it fly by.

No… that’s not it, he thought to himself. Planes landed in Seattle every day, if what was causing his unease was that, he would have felt better as the planes left.

Yawning, the saurian stood up, cracking the joints of his legs after resting on his haunches under the water-tower. Poking his head out, he looked around for anyone that might see him, before he exposed his body. The sun felt good on his scales. He didn’t need the sun like a reptile, but it still felt good.

Something caught his senses and Demon’s body went still. There was… screaming. One… no two individuals screaming. His head turned, arching his spine as he did, looking around, trying to hone in on the yelling as it started to get closer.

And closer.

And louder.

From… behind?

Demon turned, just in time to see two men falling from the sky for a split second before they slammed into him. Taking him off his clawed feet.

For the saurian, his world became one of pain, confusion, and hard knocks as his body, and the two individuals who had slammed into him. The jumbled mess of bodies, scales, tail, wings, and machine bounced along a rooftop, breaking up concrete and plaster. Skipping like a stone across a calm lake to the next rooftop, kicking up more plaster and brick, before slamming down into the middle of a Seattle street, buckling the street asphalt into a large impact zone.

His world was still spinning, in pain. Demon was sure some of his ribs had broken, and one of his limbs had a fracture. Some of his vertebrae were dislocated, and his jaw was throbbing like had been hit with the side of a bus. His eyes were closed against the pain, even as he felt his body repairing itself. Anger and confusion burned in his mind, and he could feel something on him.

No. Not something.

Two someone’s.

Voices, he heard voices, one of them obviously upset, while the other was quiet. And they were sitting on him! A low snarl escaped his throat as he used his arms and legs to start pushing himself up, in too much pain to just use his legs.

“Get…. OFF MEEE!!” a roar of rage and pain melded in with the last vowels as he pushed himself up to his full height, and throwing off the two who had fallen onto him. One had gotten off just as Demon was moving, and he had managed to give the other the momentum to flip off and land on his feet.

Demon shook his head before turning to face the two. One was about a foot shorter than he was, of course most humans were. The odd thing was, the short, thin one gave off a confusing mix of smells, almost maddening and disorienting. The other was almost as tall as Demon! Imposing, large and with a serious look of confusion and determination. He gave off the scent of something that hadn’t seen the light for a long time. Not quite dank or moldy, just, devoid of light.

“Is that the alien?” the smaller one blurted out. “It looks like a raptor!”

Demon looked at the tall quiet one, staring into his dark eyes with his glowing red ones.

“Alien?” Demon said, confused about the whole thing. What alien? He didn’t exactly keep an eye to the news and didn’t have a TV in his den. Wait.. did they think he was one? “Me?” he pointed to himself with a clawed hand. “I’m no alien, I’m…” he stopped himself for a second. Human? No he wasn’t that anymore. “An Earthling just as you two are!”

“Bullshit!” Demon was cut off by the short one, who also seemed to have a temper. The mixed scents got stronger as his arm morphed and contorted into a machine gun-like structure, the tips of his fingers becoming barrels. "How many other ugly black monsters have crawled out of the woodwork since this morning and started trashing the border?!"

Demon’s mind stepped back, fear racing through his mind. They were going to kill him. They were actually going to try and kill him because he didn’t look… human.

"Enigma, hold on." The tall one warned. "If this creature is truly responsible for what has happened, why is it here? There is no wreckage anywhere in the vicinity, so it obviously has not attacked this city yet." He turned towards Demon, a serious and steady tone to his voice. As he turned, he unsheathed a long sword, curved slightly. A Katana? Mabye, it was really big and Demon could see it was still sharp.
"You. I do not know what you are, but several people are already dead. They were killed by some sort of black alien on the northern border of this state. You are obviously capable of human speech; if you have any sort of alibi, I suggest that you relay it to us now."

Alibi? Alibi?! He had been sleeping for three maybe four hours, and awake for about an hour, hour half! No matter what he told them, the one called “Enigma” was already hell-bent on killing him, while the taller one was ready to listen to him, then cut his head off.

Demon stood there, staring at them, his tail waving back and forth as he considered his options. He was still injured, his body repairing itself. He was outnumberd, by two Supers, who probably worked as a team. Demon had taken out street-thug gangs before, but it was never easy, and most of them ran in fear from him. Now people were starting to gather, in fear, in awe, or just yelling at him.

Not good… Not good… NOT GOOD!

So Demon did the only thing he could think of.

Spinning faster than his size would suggest, he whipped out with his tail, turning so that the majority of the tail hit Enigma’s new gun arm. He felt the force of the impact and dashed off, but not before he felt cold metal bite into his tail. Holding back a snarl of pain and rage, he dashed away from the two, jumping onto a car, before using the bounce of the shocks to give him a little extra clearance to the side of a building.

The sounds of Enigma cursing met his ears and he heard a rapid fire of bullets follow in his wake.

Grabbing onto the bricks with his claws and feet, Demon climbed up quickly, keeping his movements random, climbing for a bit, before jumping to another spot, changing direction, and then jumping or climbing until he got to the roof. His momentum sent him sliding, and he dug in with his claws to change his orientation before running and jumping over the alley and away from the two now after him.

Dark energy flew by his head, and the saurian glanced at where it had come from. There was the tall one, standing on top of the water-tower, unleashing bursts of shadows. Demon kept dodging.

One of his good abilities was his reflexes and natural dexterity. Using his tail for balance, he’s able to alter his direction, turn on a dime, and any other number of acrobatics that would make Olympic athletes jealous. However all of his current abilities were being put to the test. To dodge the tall one’s attacks he had to move closer to the edge of the building, where a volley of bullets would meet him from Enigma, forcing him back to the center of the building. And to the taller one’s target range.

He came close to the corner of the building, starting to slow down because even he couldn’t make the jump across this wide street. Demon turned, trying to find a way out, but there was the tall one, wings flapping, blocking his escape route.

“You had your chance,” he said coldly.

“What?” Demon said, fear mixing into rage. “Not like you would have believed anything I had to say. You already planned to kill me from the start…”

“Actions speak louder than words,” he said before rushing forward with the sword drawn back and ready to slash.

Demon stood straight up, not the most comfortable thing to do when you have a tail, but the decision saved his life, at the expense of his balance. On the edge of the building, he could feel himself start to fall backwards. Of course he could catch the ledges in the building and stop his fall, but then he saw Enigma there, aiming his transformed “gun-hand” at him, and brace himself for the recoil.

Quickly, the saurian pushed off with his feet, already mostly extended, Demon couldn’t get much distance, so he slammed his tail into the side of the building for some extra push. He narrowly escaped Enigma’s barrage, as the ammo hit where he had been and zinging past his body as he fell backwards.

He had saved himself from getting shot and stabbed, but now he was falling. Falling backwards.

A high-pitched roar of fear and confusion escaped the saurian’s throat as he fell backwards.

Demon crash landed onto the hood of a car in the middle of the street, denting and deforming the metal frame, causing the back end to fly up into the air, nearly flipping the car along the front fender. The force wasn’t enough, and it landed back down, the front two tires now flat. Landing on his back, his spines had punctured through the hood and pierced through the fan belt, air filter, and three cylinders. Pain flooded his mind, so much so that even his instincts didn’t kick in to go into a frenzy and run anymore.

Disoriented, dizzy, nearly unconscious, and in pain, Demon was on his back, his hands flexing at the air and legs trying to move reflexively. His tail was off the car, barely moving, and his eyes were half open, his world shifting from the fall, the pain along his entire body, being “pinned” now, to the hood of a 2008 Audi A4…

[Houndoom_Lover]

New York City, NY
Time: 11:34 AM EST
Location: New York's performer square

Nazerith liked to think he owned this city. Like an ant hill, the people were his ants- and he the bully who enjoyed using a hose. He casted a shadow down below, like a cloud moving infront of the moon- however, New York was well lite, this area most of all, where mimes could mime, and fire throwers throw. People out on the cold heartless streets, preforming! What a treat for him, yes, this place would do nicely.


But what would a show be without a dinner? A justified dinner of course, only animals hunt and eat without cause. Nazerith looked down at the city below, assuming he was where he wanted to be, and descended downwards at bullet speed, much like- well, a rock plummeting through the air.

[Heald]

I hunger...


[Location: Somewhere between Vancouver and the US Border]

It landed in a large wooded area and collapsed, coughing. With the final assault of the human with the torches, he shifted himself two wings and took to the skies, heading due East. He had gained some useful information from the humans he had assimilated, namely the prosperous nations that lie East of Siberia, and the powerful weapons that they have.

He heard a loud roar and turned around. Across a small stream was a black bear. He would certainly be a useful disguise. The alien formed a tentacle and launched it down the throat of the bear, breaking its neck. He then assimilated the body by shifting his own mass inside the bear, wearing it. The proverbial wolf in sheep's wool, come to life.

After an hour of wandering South, he encountered a road, and a gate of some kind. It was quiet, and he could make out the words with his new found intelligence.
"US-Canada Border: Now entering Washington. Prepare to stop."
He ignored this and wandered towards the barriers. A couple of uniformed men wandered out and drew their guns. They spoke in an unfamiliar tongue to him, but he could hear what they were saying.
"It's just a loose bear. Should be call animal control?"
"He's looking hungry. If he comes after us, we'll just shoot the damned thing."
The alien started to charge the men. They drew their guns, one of them quipping,
"Sorry, Smokey, this just ain't your day."
Both men unloaded several rounds into him, but only penetrated the skin; the alien is not affected as such by mere bullets. Suddenly, ripping out of the bear skin, he became a ten-foot tall monster, six arms emanating from his body. He lunged at the two men and strangled them in his grip. More armed men poured out of the building, drawing their weapons. Undeterred, the alien threw his captured humans at them, then lunged at them, teeth-first, ripping them to shreds. One man quickly slammed a button at the side of the building, causing an alarm to ring out and red lights to flash. Obviously, this meant more humans would come, possibly in the thousands, and with more than pitiful firearms. Plus, if he encountered more of these 'supers', then he might be in trouble. With an almighty fist, he summoned his strength and ripped straight through the building, reducing it to rubble. The lights and klaxon continued to be on alert, so he formed two wings and took to the skies again.

He continued South, noticing a large light source coming from a huge settlement, a city. Suddenly, two objects swooped straight past him, knocking him from the sky. He regained control and looked up. Two fighter jets had been deployed to take care of him. They turned and came for a second pass. They were far too fast for him to keep up, but as one headed towards him, guns ablazing, he stretched out his body, latching onto the jet. He shifted back into a smaller form and smashed a hand into the cockpit, strangling the pilot. The jet began to enter a tailspin and the pilot, still in the alien's claws, attempted to eject, but the alien, his legs wrapped around the nose, held onto him. The pod detached and ripped away the lower half of the pilot's body, leaving the head and torso in his hands. The pod fell away, the parachute deploying uselessly. The jet had begun to fly over the city itself. Suddenly, a shock impacted the jet, and the alien, pinned to the underside of it as it begun to descend, braced himself. The second jet had hit the wing with a missile and it was falling straight into the city itself. Like a meteorite, the jet, and alien, tore through a few buildings before crashing into a street road at great speed, exploding on impact, and destroying a good portion of the street with it as well.

A small crater had formed around this smouldering wreck and black smoke billowed from it. A nearby police car had driven up to the edge of it, and worried civilians had begun to gather round. The alien, somewhat stunned by the attack, stood up dimwittedly and crawled out of the smoke. People began to scream as he summoned the strength to stand up and gaze at this crowd. They began to flee, and the two policemen drew their guns. Forming wings, he launched himself at the two police, grabbing them and flying through the streets, his wings flapping knocking over cars and smashing windows and lamps. At an intersection, a truck crossed his path and he smashed into it, knocking it on its side and he ripped through the side of it, landing inside it. Fruits and vegetables smashed around him as wooden pallettes fell on him. In a rage, he screamed an unearthly scream and emerged from the wreckage. He surveyed the scene, and then something called out to him.
"Hey ugly! Get a piece of this!"

---

Okay Blade, or Mew Master, if Demon gets up, take it from there. The alien is indeed in Seattle. A couple of points.

1) He seems almost unstoppable, but is prone to making mistakes and can be slowed down, as seen in his fight with Red Bear.
2) However, fire and heat in general only serve to strengthen him. An explosion can knock him down, away or even stun him, but if he is on fire or being heated up, he'll be much stronger. Just something to bear in mind. However, your characters don't know that, but they might pick it up on their own.

If anyone else reaches Seattle before I post the next update, feel free to join the melee, even if you end up trying to beat each other up.

[Crystal Tears]

Sigil-038

//REBOOT
12% 34% 67% 100%

Sigil-038 didn't know what she had hit, but there hadn't been anything on the road according to her scans. In fact as she reviewed the situation it became clear she hadn't hit anything, something had hit her. Slowly she raised her head up, and reached up and touched her forehead. As her hand was brought down, her brow raised a bit. Blood, something she hadn't seen for a long time. Perhaps this was something humans would worry about, but she could feel the wound closing up, and then it occurred to her.
The air bag hadn't kicked in.
How wonderful.
Of course further examination revealed that an air bag didn't kick in, it kicked out. Much to her dismay as it shot into her face and slammed her head back into the seat. Anger, it was a tempting emotion, something she longed for at times.
Like this.
She tore the air bag out and stared out onto her hood.
Have you ever just looked up and seen something you never expected?
Sigil thought that she was unable experience shock, but her jaw dropped just enough for her mouth to open, and no reasonable explanation came to mind as she stared at the creature lying on her hood. She was a logical thinker, obviously there HAD to be an explanation for this.
Why was there a two ton lizard lying on her hood?
Slowly she attempted to open the Audi door, and found that it was stuck. Emotionlessly she kicked it and watched it go flying across the street. Sigil-038 stepped out and looked over her car. The tire on her side had been shot out of the wheel well and was on the sidewalk now. Was that possible? Maybe, how often do reptiles fall from the sky?
For a split second, she thought it was the monster from the television, but it wasn't. There was a distinct difference, it had wings, and this did not.
It groaned, and somewhere in that groan Sigil heard a word. "Are you alright?" She questioned.
"I...uh... eh..." The sound turned into a pained growled.
With little effort she grabbed the reptile and tore it and the hood off of her car. She placed it on the ground, watching it growl some more before slowly opening its eyes.
"Are you alright?"
It stared at her, rising up to it's full height. "Wha...?"
Perhaps it doesn't understand that particular question... "Are you injured?"
It seemed surprised at something. "I'm... Fine."
She looked down at the vehicle and blinked, the engine had holes in it she assumed were not supposed to be there. "I do not think insurance covers this..."
"Right..." It hissed; Sigil assumed it was a he. "Sorry about your car."
"It's not mine." She turned back to him. "I am Sigil-038."
"You're... Serious..."
Sigil would've frowned, but it was unnecessary. She was unable to be anything but serious, especially to living organisms. The woman blinked. "I an unable to be anything else... What is your name?"
He paused, as if wanting to say something else but instead replied "Demon."
"Demon..." She looked him over before reaching behind and tearing the hood from his spines.
Sigil turned suddenly, vision zooming in on a blur of black that had knocked a truck completely on its side before it careened out of view. Only a moment later a scream that did not register on any level of normal echoed through the air.
"It is here." Sigil spoke, determination on her face.
"It?"
Sigil looked over at the reptile. Was it possible it hadn't seen the news? Well, actually that would make a lot of sense. She imagined no one was gathering here because the monster had screamed down the street. In fact getting involved would probably be the worst possible thing this Demon could do and...
And he was running off.
Sigil watched him, finding it easy to keep up. Perhaps running had been the wrong word. Yes, in fact, Demon was low to ground, quietly moving...
Slinking. Yes, Slinking was what he was doing.
She paused for a moment. Sigil-038 does not slink. Not that she needed to, she had the benefit of looking relatively normal. In fact as she travelled behind a few meters, she found herself picturing her new acquaintance turning into a darkly coloured toy that flops down the stairs and provides infinite entertainment to any human of nearly any age.
She highly doubted that was the sort of slinking he did on the regular basis.
Because of her scans, she could still 'see' Demon, but he was to many others well hidden, Sigil-038 stayed well hidden behind a couple of cars across the street. She watched intently, gathering as much information as she could.

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
HELLFIRE
Out of the Blue
Robert Wiles~#~Hellfire#~#Male
Time: 11:46 AM EST
Location: New York's performer square

Robert bit into the apple another time, as he walked along the sidewalk past the performer’s square, where he had been earlier. Time was not a luxary he had, and to even consider stopping and making money just so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the streets sickened him. He had better things to do, but he didn’t have a choice at the moment.

Continuing his walk back to the apartment he had just rented, Robert caught the sound of people screaming and glanced back.

Falling down from the sky was a large figure, with wings and a long tail. Tilting his head so he could see better, it looked as if it was made of rock. A creature, made out of rock. Interesting…

But none of his concern.

Yet, Robert watched the creature as it landed, softly, despite the velocity it had traveled. It was tall, odd that such a large thing could land gracefully. It was twice as tall as he was, and bulky, built. Red eyes seemed to glance around the artist’s square as the people scattered like cockroaches when the lights came on. Robert stared. This wasn’t the thing that had attacked his school and took his brother away, no. This was something else. It was more like… a gargoyle. Gothic style, similar to those seen on large cathedrals in Europe, with large, bat-like wings and a tail from it’s rear-end. The face was semi-elongated, with a parrot beak. It wasn’t wearing any clothing, while the physique seemed masculine, there was no real way to tell.

As it looked around, and everyone else was running. It turned and locked eyes with Robert.

The two stood there, for a moment before Robert took another bite out of his apple and turned to walk away. It wasn’t his concern if this thing decided to terrorize the general populace, he didn’t care.

The sound of clinking gravel and rock rubbing against rock met his ears. He stopped and glanced backwards.

The gargoyle-thing was behind him, and had stopped.

Robert looked it over for a bit before turning and continuing on his way home. Once more the sound of rock scraping against rock, and a clattering of teeth.

He stopped and glanced back once more, silent as the gargoyle was still behind him. The thing scraped around, dragging its tail on purpose, looking at him with interest.

“I am being followed… by a walking statue…” he said calmly.

“You are being followed by a great work of art, like the shadow you cast,” it seemed to cackle gleefully. “Can you justify this?”

Robert looked at the gargoyle, looking into the red eyes. “I’ve seen a dinosaur tear apart a school… can you justify that?”

The thing was silent for a moment. “A school is such an ugly thing. With little thought of beauty, no loss.”

“My brother was in that school.. and died,” Robert stopped, thinking about what he had just said. Why the hell was he talking with this thing? This thing that had the red eyes and dark coloration of the thing that killed his brother, it wasn’t worth his time. He rolled his eyes, “Now I’m being annoyed by a walking statue.”

“There are billions of people upon this earth,” it said as it folded it’s wings closer to its back. “You have parents, they could have made another. His death- that also must be a wor…” The thing stopped, as if a realization had come to it. “Aren't Dinosaurs dead?”

Frustration, anger, and annoyance started to flare up in Robert’s reactions. “Hard to make another brother when your father left your family to fend for itself before you were born…” He held himself back from revealing too much about himself or his family. Robert didn’t want anyone to try and attack his home to get at him, so he switched the subject. “Dinosaurs have been dead… unless you count birds.”

It seemed to rock about itself, thinking out-loud. “Birds are beautiful. Your struggle, is also beautiful,” it spread itself open, the wings brushing against the building to its side, making itself look impressive, imposing, charismatic, or all three. “So much beauty in the world, do you wish to contribute to it?”

Oh, Robert thought. The thing’s on an art kick. So concentrated on art, that’s all that matters to it. I can play that game…

”Depends,” he said. “Do you consider yourself beautiful?”

The gargoyle looked shocked, which surprised Robert as well. Then it started to look at him with more intent, curious to the human’s motives. “I was once told that I was. By a man who made beauty far greater than any man I have ever seen. So, yes.”

Robert let out a snort as he looked towards the terrified and scattered artist square. “Beauty ... is a subjective condition. If you consider yourself beautiful, then that is that.” He looked up at the gargoyle. “What I consider beauty will not be your definition nor anyone else’s. Someone may find it beautiful, but not why it is beautiful to me... You want me to contribute to beauty... will it be by your definition... or mine?”

The question seemed to anger the gargoyle, as rage built up within the blazing red eyes. Its jaws snapped, like a spider before biting its prey. “It will be MINE!!” it roared as it lunged for Robert.

Concentrating, the artist’s eyes burned bright red, fire reflecting in the middle of the black pupil. A red energy dome encircled him, and reverberated with the impact of the gargoyle smacking into it. The burst of pain in his mind caused him to wince a little, and he could feel blood starting to come out of his nose.

“I’d be careful who you attack,” Robert replied as he rebounded the thing backwards.

The thing bounded and skidded across the ground, confused, amused, it was all of these things while its claws dug into the sidewalk. “How..” it was confused. “Did you do that?!” The tail twitched like an excited cat, anticipating another surprise.

Carefully, Robert lowered the dome, pleased with himself. Wiping the blood from his nose he replied, “I’ve been able to do it…”

[Dr.McNinja]

Alex sighed as the young boy pulled himself into the bed of his truck. Supers were just falling out of the woodwork. This one seemed to have some sort of flight or floating powers. He was wearing armor too, young as he was he had some sense about him. No sense in being rude but still…he was not one to trust that quickly, he had ended up putting away more than enough supers that had seemed innocent in the past. One hand came off the wheel and he moved his eyes forward for the moment it took him to activate his powers, hiding the static glitter that fluttered through his eyes.

Weapon, handheld…armor piercing

As he felt his fingers close around the handle of his newly formed Desert Eagle, Alex flashed a smile at Shengmingli, “Can you open the back window for our new friend? Just unlock the toggle and pull it.”

It took the girl a few minutes to manipulate the window but finally the wind of the car’s movement entered the car along with the young man. The boy grinned and plopped himself in the back seat, “Thanks! I was getting tired ofulp!”

Alex’s hand came up and around, the barrel of the ridiculously huge .50 caliber pistol at the boy who’s sentence ended with a startled yelp, “What do you want. Where are you going, and if you move your hands any closer to those blades I swear I’ll blow your head off….Shenmingli close your eyes.”

The girl did as she was asked even as the boy’s eyes narrowed in a combination of anger and some degree of fear, “I didn’t do anything to you, and you point a gun at me?”

A crooked grin appeared on Alex’s face, “You grab on to my car at 70 mph and swing into the back wearing armor and blades. That’s nothing?”

The boy met Alex’s gaze for a second longer before sighing, “Fine fine. I’m heading to Seattle to fight that monster.”

The laugh that escaped Alex as he lowered the gun placed a scowl on the boy’s face, “What? You don’t think I can?”

Alex flicked his hands and the gun flickered unstably before vanishing altogether, “That’s not it…it’s just…these last few days have just been…improbable.”

Shengmingli, to whom Alex had explained his powers, gave a tiny giggle and removed her hands. The boy frowned, wondering if they were laughing at him, “What the hell’s so funny?”

Alex shook his head, “You’ll get it eventually. Welcome to the road trip, buckle in.”

~~~~~~~

Seattle was a mess. Supers were everywhere, some fighting each other, some fighting some dinosaur looking thing, and a winged monstrosity ripping apart cars and police was looking for all the world like something out of a nightmare. Chaotix stood atop a skyscraper taking it all in, weighting his options, checking his plans in his head. Should he try to recruit other supers to fight what was obviously the true threat? Would they attack him instead? Without even thinking about it he fell into his normal patterns, the realization that the scale of this conflict was far far beyond anything he had ever experienced not yet sinking in. Beside him, Shengmengli looked curiously over the side of the skyscraper, carefully to always keep a hand on the encircling railing. She was wearing a new qipao, this one of a blood red so deep it was almost black, bright red makings tracing the shoulders and a few of the seams, an elaborate red dragon decorating the front. A blank faced white mask, only two black eyes decorating its front, hung from her free hand, despite that fact that it could hide her identity from any prying cameras, she had refused to wear it.

Chaotix felt confident in his plan and turned to Jason to explain it to him, it had no garuntee of working and indeed only ensured they could get close enough to the thing before it met them. His mouth gaped open as he saw the boy missing, “Where…where…oh lord please no.”

A voice echoed across the city, a familiar voice, a voice full of youthful surety, confident in its ability, “Hey ugly! Get a piece of this!”

Chaotix calmly told Shengmengli to cover her ears and then let out a ferocious curse under his breath. Grabing the girl’s arm he called out to her as he leapt from the skyscraper, “Stay close but stay hidden, I don’t know how good your regeneration is but I don’t want to test it too far!”

He was crazy to pull her in with her but…his powers had never failed to grant him what he needed at the time and it had certainly selected her as the answer to his unintentional wish. To leave her behind just seemed….wrong. As the ground rushed up he closed his eyes, the enormity of the situation suddenly overwhealming him.

You can do this…you can…you will make mistakes but that will not matter as long as you do everything in your power to protect those around you. Just....god this is insane.

His eyes opened ten feet from the ground and light danced through them.

Safe landing for two

Rolling off the giant marshmallow that appeared to catch them, Chaotix streaked to where Jason was facing the monster, his power always had a way of interrupting him whenever he became too serious.


Roy, hope you don't mind your young brash hero being the one to confront him first, it seemed in character.

[MToolen]

[Patrick Langley/Resonance|Male|early morning|north of Seattle, WA]
Again Patrick was awoken by the rhythm of the rails, a constant reminder of his father. Where that man could be, if he was even alive... it was all a mystery.

He felt he was getting closer to a solution, though; with his powers eventually tiring, the goggles-man, Scion as he liked to be called, had agreed to switch to Patrick's preferred mode of transportation.

Resonance called out from his pile of rice to the other's. "Hey goggles, you might wanna wake up. I think we're almost here."

In the dim light, there was a rustle on the other side of the car. "I've told you before, man, it's Scion." He moved toward the car door and, with a slight glow around it, slid it open. Seeing only a flurry of the city, he asked, "Are you sure this is headed the right way?"

No sooner had he said that then a clearing had emerged- the U.S./Canada borderline. In the same instant, though, the car's entrance was filled with a large black entity, smooth and yet almost amorphous. The most distinguishing feature was his eyes. Those eyes! Red and glowing, staring straight into one's soul. Patrick was just left standing there, entranced, helpless, as the beast let forth a terrible, piercing shriek. It then readied a limb to strike.

"What the hell are you just standing there for!?" Scion yelled. His glow already warmed up, he shoved the other side's entrance open and pulled himself and Patrick off of the speeding train, just in time to avoid the swipe. They both haphazardly tumbled off of the elevated rails onto the pavement. After recovering from the fall, Scion repeated his query: "What the hell were you just standing for? You could've been killed!"

"I... I don't know..." Patrick mumbled, not feeling very heroic. That... that thing... it wasn't of this world. Still, the train rumbled down the track and the car that housed the... thing... was soon chased after by a man with a sword and another man with what appeared to be a small girl. The former charged at what seemed to be an inhuman speed as the latter moved his mouth. Though he couldn't read lips, Patrick thought it might have had something to do with the crane truck that passed by that had crashed through the railroad platform, effectively stopping the train.

In the other direction, though, Scion saw a few other supers were fighting... themselves? Almost simultaneously, he and Resonance pointed at opposite directions, saying, "I gotta go, there's-"

Understanding the difference of missions, though- Resonance for his father, Scion for justice- they stopped and parted ways, maybe not on the best of terms but necessarily on the basis of their directives.

[As always, I'm easy to please, so if you want any changes, be sure to tell me.]

[Blademaster]

Ivan and Enigma



Ivan's head was spinning.

A moment ago, the situation was clear: He and Enigma were chasing after what Enigma assumed was the alien, when it, rather than fight back, chose instead to plummet from a building.

And now, the creature had crashed onto a car, which was being driven by some sort of superhuman woman, who spoke to the creature as if it were a random person walking down the street.

"What the FUCK!?"

Ivan turned to Enigma - for the first time in his life, the spiky-haired shapeshifter had summed up Ivan's thoughts perfectly.

"Who is that? Is she in kahoots with that thing?"

"Enigma..." Ivan replied, flapping his wings, allowing him to land softly on the edge of the building. "Answer this question for me: If this creature is allied with that... woman... What is the reason for it?"

Enigma blinked. "Whuh?"

"The beast described on the news... It is not subtle. It was reported to be mindlessly attacking everything in its path. And yet, when we confronted it, it ran from us. Furthermore, it only encountered that woman by chance. It is suspicious that she herself is a Super, but there was no way she could have known where we were located."

Ivan paused.

"I think that we have mistaken this creature with the alien."

"WHAT!? You can't be serious! What in the Hell makes you think that!? If that THING isn't the alien, then where the fuck IS the alien!?"

Almost on cue, a roar ripped through the sky overhead. Ivan and Enigma looked up just in time to see the remains of a fighter jet (?!) scream overhead and crash into the heart of the city, several blocks away.

"HOLY SHIT!!"

A roar that sounded infinitely less human - less EARTHLY - than anything their former quarry had uttered reached the duo's ears. It came from the crash site.

"...OK, I'm convinced." Enigma admitted, reshaping his Finger Shot into a single-barreled bore. The Hand Cannon. "Guess we got here just in time, then."

"Enigma, hold on."

Enigma wouldn't listen - he regrew his wings and took off towards the crash site.

'So impulsive.' Ivan thought, shaking his head and flying the other way - he had to check something.

****************

Somewhere between the car wreck and the alien crash site, Demon had stopped to rest. He healed more quickly than humans, yes, but he'd taken quite a bit of damage. He couldn't just continue his day as though nothing had happened - he had to rest.

As he rested, he mulled over the day's events so far... Aliens, a pair of Supers (one of whom was more than a little trigger-happy) chasing him, that strange woman...

"And to think... I was having such a nice day up until that nut with the gun-hand barged into it..."

"I can understand that plight very well..." a familiar voice said.

Demon pulled himself up in an instant, looking up: The dark, tall figure from earlier descended, landing gracefully in front of him in the alley.

"You again." Demon growled, ready to run again. "What do you want? I already told you I'm no-"

"You are not the alien." Ivan interrupted. "I figured that out by myself very quickly after our initial engagement."

Demon narrowed his eyes.

"Then why did you attack me?" he demanded. "You and that thick-headed, foul-tempered friend of yours..."

Ivan looked at Demon thoughtfully.

"I apologize, both for Enigma's behavior and for my own. He is brash, impulsive, and reckless. He would not have listened to me... I will admit, I was suspicious of you at first, but your actions contradicted those of the creature mentioned in the media. It mindlessly attacked everything it encountered; you did not. You chose to run instead."

"I'm feeling like running again right now..." Demon responded. "Are you here to fight me? Try and lull me into a false sense of security so that that Enigma guy can blast me when my guard is down?"

"I am here because you were badly injured." Ivan responded, lowering his head slightly. "You fell from a building."

"You're real observant." Demon growled. "What's your point?"

Ivan closed his eyes, then looked straight at Demon, his eyes jet-black. The reptilian suddenly felt something frightening - his entire body was paralyzed! He couldn't budge!

"What... is this?!" Demon cried out.

"I have powers over darkness." Ivan responded. "We are in an alleyway, in the shadow of buildings. The shadows all around you are holding you perfectly still, so you don't injure yourself any further by struggling."

Demon tried to say something, but he suddenly noticed something: His pain was fading. The injuries he'd sustained earlier... They were healing themselves at a rate even his superhuman regeneration couldn't fathom. Within a few moments, he was entirely healed, down to even the tiniest cut. Instantly, he felt himself loosen up again.

Ivan's eyes returned to their normal colors. "I apologize for startling you. But the injuries you sustained earlier were partially my fault. Enigma likely is indifferent to that fact, but I don't make it a habit to harm innocent people."

Demon just looked at Ivan for a long time.

"I've done all I can for you." Ivan finally said, wings spreading again. "I apologize for the trauma you've had to endure today. But I cannot stay here: I have to find my partner before that alien kills him."

Ivan lifted off the ground, ready to leave the evidently dumbfounded Demon alone, but before Ivan could take off, Demon finally spoke:

"Hold on..."



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



Sorry for the no-doubt MASSIVE OOC, Denny.

NEXT!

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Leap of Faith
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 1:33 PM
Location: Seattle, Washington. Street level, pinned to the hood of a car.

Demon was disoriented, but he was aware of the pain in his back and his inability to move. There were voices, and a slight movement of whatever he had landed on. His head was spinning, and the pain, despite his regenerative powers, the pain was taking its damn sweet time.

He tried to mutter a word of pain, but the enunciation caught in his throat, coming out as a slurred combination of English and a reptilian growl.

“Are you alright?”

What? he thought. They talking.. to me? Demon didn’t think it was possible, they must have been talking to someone else. However, in his current state he was confused, disoriented, in pain.

So he tried to respond anyway.

“I… uh…. eh…” Demon’s stomach lurched as he felt his body be lifted, the sound of wrenching metal as he was yanked from what he had landed on. He could feel his dorsal spines try to repair themselves, but something was keeping them from doing so. Gently he was lain down on the asphalt, the heat from the sun had cooked it, but the heat wasn’t unbearable. Slowly Demon opened his eyes, looking up at what and who had moved him.

It was a woman, with blonde hair. Dyed blond, the roots were brown. She stood over him, looking down at him, but looking up at something on the roof of the building next to them. She was attractive, probably three to four years older than him, and had a long black coat.

“Are you alright,” she said again. The same voice as earlier.

“Wha?” he replied, pain still flooding his mind as he started to stand up, wobbling slightly.

“Are you injured?” she asked.

“I’m… fine,” he said, forgetting that he was a seven foot tall saurian in a world of pain and the hood of a car stuck to his back.

She turned away from him and looked at the car. “I do not think insurance covers this…”

“Right,” Demon said in a hiss of pain, lowering himself to a more crouching position to ease the pain in his back. He saw her car, the hood gone and the engine slashed to ribbons. “Sorry about your car…”

“It’s not mine,” she replied, before turning towards him, tilting her head down. “I’m Sigil-038.”

“You’re… serious…” he said, scratching the top of his head where there were some scars healing. His hand bumped against something metallic, and he looked. There was the hood of the car, stuck to his back. He tried to reach back and dislodge it, but his arms couldn’t get the leverage, so Demon’s head twisted back and tried to bite the hood and get it off his spines.

“I am unable to be anything else…” she paused for a moment, watching Demon toy with the hood on his back. “What is your name?”

My… name? Demon stopped fighting with the hood on his back to think. He started a reply, but stopped himself half-way. No longer was he Steven Wiles, he was a reptile, a creature, he was, “Demon.”

“Demon,” Sigil said, seeming to contemplate the name before she reached over and tore the hood off of the saurian’s back. His balance restored, he could feel his spines start to heal again.

His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. Something. Something was coming. Something… not from here. Not natural.

Demon could smell smoke, fire, blood. He turned his head, as did Sigil.

Something black, gelatinous, gleeful, and snarling went flying through the air, holding a pair of human police officers in it’s grip. It zoomed past before crashing into a semi-truck, sending wooden crates into splinters. Then Demon heard a roar, a roar that seemed to paralyze his logic, but send his instincts on high alert.

“It’s here,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

“It?” he asked. He had been on edge. Something was wrong. The feeling was intensified now. So strong that he had forced himself to ask a question, but now he was going off without waiting for an answer.

He left Sigil behind as he dropped to all fours, using the various cars as some type of cover. His back arched down low, his head was a few feet from the asphalt, his tail kept low. Anyone watching might think him acting analogous to a cat, or large predator. He wasn’t thinking. He was hunting. Something was in his territory, something not of his will, or his kind. The humans? They were fine. This city was theirs, and he had no intention of harming them, despite how they acted towards each other. The Supers? Annoyances at best, dangerous at worst, and too chaotic to think about, and worry about.

This thing. This alien was something else though. It was an intruder. It wasn’t a natural thing of this world. Demon’s senses were on overload as he stalked it, ducking into an alley and watch as its attention was diverted to two more Supers who had shown up on the scene. The saurian sniffed the air, and he snorted. A maddening mix of scents and sounds. The alien was not of this world, and Demon could smell the blood of humans, some Super or two, a bear, and who knows what else that made it up.

He wanted to pounce upon it, slash it to bits, kill it, then roar in victory over it. But now was difficult, with so much chaos coming about. And he was still injured. His spines had dislocated from the impact and his spine was still trying to realign itself. The other damages to his scales and body were minimal and had already healed, but his body wasn’t at 100% either.

“And to think,” he growled to himself. “I was having such a nice day up until that nut with the gun-hand barged into it…” Of course nice day it wasn’t to start with. Not when you’re a giant saurian.

“I can understand that plight very well…” Demon tensed up and spun towards the voice. The tall one from earlier, with the sword descended down with a few flaps of his black feathered wings. He landed in front of Demon, blocking the saurian’s view of the alien and the fight.

“You again,” Demon growled, tensing his legs to jump onto the building and scamper up. Both to get away and to get a better view of the alien and the best place to strike. “What do you want? I already told you I’m no-“

“You’re not the alien,” the man interrupted. “I figured that out very quickly after our initial engagement.”

Demon wasn’t amused, or reassured. His glowing red eyes narrowed at the tall figure. “Then why did you attack me?!” Demon snarled. “You and that thick-headed, foul-tempered friend of yours…”

The man was silent for a few seconds.

"I apologize, both for Enigma's behavior and for my own. He is brash, impulsive, and reckless. He would not have listened to me... I will admit, I was suspicious of you at first, but your actions contradicted those of the creature mentioned in the media. It mindlessly attacked everything it encountered; you did not. You chose to run instead."

Demon let out a snort. "I'm feeling like running again right now..." he responded. "Are you here to fight me? Try and lull me into a false sense of security so that that Enigma guy can blast me when my guard is down?" Seriously.. I want to kill that thing before dealing with these guys…

"I am here because you were badly injured," he replied, lowering his head a bit. "You fell from a building."

Anger burned in Demon’s mind. “You’re real observant,” he snorted. “What’s your point?”

The tall man had closed his eyes, then opened them and stared right at Demon. He almost stepped back in surprise, the offsetting look of someone’s eyes going from white, to pure black. He tried to scamper back… but couldn’t! His body was frozen in place.

“What… is this?!” Fear started to claw it’s way into Demon’s mind. Fear enough that he wanted to run, as far away from this person and place as his clawed legs could go. He couldn’t move, he could barely speak! He could breath but…

"I have powers over darkness. We are in an alleyway, in the shadow of buildings. The shadows all around you are holding you perfectly still, so you don't injure yourself any further by struggling."

Struggling?! From what?! his mind was almost to a frenzy now. Trying to move while his body was stuck, hurting and throbbing.

Wait.

No they weren’t.

As he was held there, he could feel his internal injuries start to heal and mend. His back popped back into place, his spines realigned, even his legs and torso felt better. After a few seconds he could feel his body back under his control, and he wavered a bit, surprised, and looking at the man with distrust and reserve.

The man’s eyes returned to their normal state as he looked at Demon. "I apologize for startling you. But the injuries you sustained earlier were partially my fault. Enigma likely is indifferent to that fact, but I don't make it a habit to harm innocent people."

Demon just stared at him. Was he serious? Would he just leave him alone like that? After scaring the saurian half-way to death and falling a few stories and totaling someone’s car, then heal them? The hell is going on today?!

The man spread his wings, starting his preparation for take off. "I've done all I can for you. I apologize for the trauma you've had to endure today. But I cannot stay here: I have to find my partner before that alien kills him."

The saurian watched as the man started to take off. Something was wrong. Something was itching at the back of his mind. The alien. So many Super’s here. So many people. The fact that Super’s were running around, without unity, without a plan.

“Hold on,” Demon said before the man could fly off, which the man did stop and look at him. “I… I can fight it. Just get people out of the way.” The saurian narrowed his eyes. “Because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself if I go all out…”

“That is not sufficient,” came Sigil’s voice. Demon and the man looked at her as she remained hidden, behind a car, but close enough to hear them. She was staring at the alien, watching it, trying to study its movements. “One Super alone cannot do this on their own. Even a team of two,” she motioned to the alien and the two Super’s now fighting it. “Is not enough. The alien is learning, developing, advancing. Unless we work as a unified group, it will just be all of us fighting for who gets the kill, instead of acting like a cohesive unit.”

The man looked at her, and nodded. Even Demon had to agree. He was used to working on his own, but this thing, this alien was tearing apart the residential district of Seattle like a broiled roast. Even the Supers would have a difficult time with this on their own.

“Hey! Stop fighting!” a young man shouted running up to them, rage in his eyes. He was dressed in common clothes, nothing to distinguish him from the surprisingly lack of humans around, except for a leather jacket. “Why fight each other when there’s that thing,” he pointed to the alien. “Tearing up the city?!”

“Actually, we were discussing that,” the angelic one responded, taking the man off guard with his remark, while Demon looked out with his red eyes.

“Our plan of attack…” Sigil started.


* * *

The alien was taking a beating from the three, now four Super’s on it, and it was dishing out its fair share of damage as well. Cars were overturned and Demon was slinking behind them, using them for cover as he assessed the situation. Sigil’s plan was good, logical, but Demon knew that logic and instinct clashed in stressful times. Right now, he was using all his mental fortitude to keep himself on task, rather than just run in and plow the thing down.

He was on all fours, peeking between cars to keep up with the flow of the battle. Enigma was in with the other four Supers, one dressed in armor using swords, another blasting out sound waves that nearly made Demon’s ears bleed, and another that seemed to distort the very space around him. A mismatched group they were, they lacked a plan other than attacking at every open spot, sometimes hitting each other with their attacks.

The predator in Demon would laugh at the situation and let them die, while the human in him shook his head in frustration. He continued to keep his body low, looking for an opening, something to get the alien away from the Super’s fighting it, to get it into a “pincer move” as Sigil had suggested.

Demon watched. Waited. He could feel his instincts tell him the time was getting closer, much closer. Every second, every heartbeat he could tell that it was getting closer. The hunt was on, and Demon could feel his control start to slip as his hips started shaking back and forth slightly, poising the spring in his step for his attack.

He waited.

He watched.

He attacked.

Seeing a break in the alien, Demon started running. First on all fours to give himself the momentum to go from a crouch to a dead run. Then he was running much faster on two legs, his arms kept close to his chest. He twisted his body and jumped, legs spread, hands wide over a few cars that had separated him from the alien. With a roar he pounced on the alien, taking them both tumbling away from the other Supers.

The tumbling and fighting mess of claws, scales, teeth, and tentacles skid to a stop, with Demon on top and his teeth dug into the alien’s side. Pulling back, he managed to rip out a chunk of the now confused and disoriented alien away from it’s body. The thing tasted disgusting, like rotted meat mixed with stagnant blood and left to sit for a week. Demon would have started eating anything else, but he just spat out the chunk and roared.

Something shifted under him, and the alien had formed a solid thing to slam into the saurian from below, between his legs. Demon went flying from the impact, pain from the contact, but he twisted himself in mid-air, and dug his claws into the ground to stop his backwards momentum. Standing up, the saurian roared as the miss-matched alien formed itself, staring at it before hissing.

For anyone watching, this would look like a scaled down version of an old Giant-Monster movie, complete with cheesy battle at the end. With the two adversaries roaring and challenging each other to make the first move. It’s probably why the other Super’s didn’t interrupt. Just too Movie-like to be real.

Then they both charged. Demon roared as he slammed into the alien, teeth and claws flying. They slashed along the things head, or maybe head, drawing black ichors from the thing. It lashed back, claws raking against the side of his gullet, which he retaliated by biting down again, and pulling, ripping out another mouthful. The attack made it step back and Demon eyed it, animal instinct in controll now. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, save for a snarl or growl to keep them back.

Tentacles whipped out, taking Demon by surprise. They latched onto his skin as he let out a shriek of confusion before he felt them start to bite and dig their way through his flesh. Bulges started forming where the alien started to penetrate his skin and deform his flesh. Pain filled his mind as the leeching effect tried to overtake him. Demon struggled, pulling back, which delighted the alien with the fight, pulling against Demon to draw him in.

It was a monstrous tug-of war, with the alien starting to win as he used the tentacles to dig further into Demon, and pulled him down to the ground at its feet. It smiled, a sickingly disturbing smile, before Demon’s hand reached up, grabbed its head and slammed it down onto the concrete.

Disoriented, the alien had released a bit of his hold, which Demon used to tear free of it, standing over it and roaring before snapping at it. The alien was learning however, and it deformed its neck to avoid having its head bit off. It screeched, calling forth a bladed weapon that sprung forth and punctured Demon’s torso. He let out a shriek of pain, before the alien threw him off.

The alien was hurt, in pain, and annoyed. It wanted to lash out. It was going to lash out. It turned, and saw someone standing. A young human girl, standing next to a building and out of the way. Then it grinned.

Demon pushed himself off, shaking away the pain. He saw the alien, saw it wasn’t coming for him, but saw it was going after a young Chinese girl.

NO! his mind screamed.

The alien burst forth its wings and lunged for the girl, claws bared and grinning with it’s sharp teeth. But it stopped short, in mid air, but still unable to reach the girl.

“No. You. DON’T!” Demon shouted as the thing looked back. The saurian had the alien by the tail, clutched in his clawed hands. As it tried to flap its wings, it found itself slammed onto the concrete by the saurian holding it. Then Demon slid it up and into a car engine block, before turning and throwing it right through the windshield and then into the cab of a four-door sedan.

Roaring, Demon started running towards the now ruined sedan with the alien inside. He jumped onto the top of the cab, his weight deforming the metal. Just as he landed, however, the top of the cab shot off, knocking him off and throwing him back. Demon landed hard and rolled himself back onto his hands and feet, snarling at the alien.

The alien glared at him with a sick smile of distorted fangs and bright red eyes. The body started to bubble, churn, and then a large mass of the alien burst forward, right at Demon. Demon was in a near-rage state, so he charged the mass just as it slammed into him, ramming his back into the side of a building. The mass the alien had sent out was strong, sticky, and felt like raw meat was holding him to the wall. Demon struggled, roaring in defiance. Tilting its head, the alien smiled before spikes, distortions of Demon’s own, started erupting along the mass from the source near the alien’s stomach, before getting larger and larger, more jagged as they erupted closer to Demon.

The mass of alien flesh erupted with the spikes around Demon, turning him into a saurian pin-cushion. A screech escaped Demon’s gullet as he felt jagged bone protrusions pierce his torso deep. The pain shut his mind down, and he stood there, jaw dropped. The alien let him go, and he fell to the sidewalk, his blood pooling beneath him.

His eye seemed to wobble in its socket as he saw, but didn’t recognize the alien get double teamed by the other Supers. The eye started rotating, seeing the young Chinese girl walk up to him, afraid. He didn’t know what to do, he could feel the life leaving him. The alien was still alive.

As Demon felt himself dying, the glow faded from his red eyes as the eyelids started to close…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And Demon, now lays dying on the streets of Seattle… Hope I weakened it enough for you guys! ^^U

[Houndoom_Lover]

(That was beautiful, Mew Master!)

"Always?" It questioned, its jaw snapping together like a cold metal door of a freezer room, "That seems an unnecessary trait for a child to posses." The moving gargoyle flexed it claws into the sidewalk, feeling the artificially created rock underneath. It felt nice- it could almost feel the shoes that walked on it, the chalk that drew on it.

"But that...is not art," The stone monster gave a roar- an awful roar that sounded like an avalanche of rocks down on to the artist district . What ever this was...is wasn't natural, or right. Its red eyes that burned somewhere far within it narrowed, the beam of red becoming concentrated as it looked over this creator of force fields...maybe it could do more. That was impressive, but it was not art.

Now usually, Nazerith would pass judgment quick, but this night had put it in such a good mood, and it was rare that someone offered him up something fun to do. The gargoyle would give him another chance.

"One Chance!" It announced gravely, flapping its stony wings all the way, it created enough wind force to push an average human back, and lifted itself up in the air. It came down with a great gerlump, bits of sidewalk spraying from underneath it, "True art! Show it to me or you will have your fate sealed!"

The gargoyle turned its head elegantly on his stone neck, glancing around at what was once the bustling art district. Now full of fear and panic, people ran- After this fun, it would chase each and everyone of them down, and decide whether or not they were worthy. Like it did every night.

Nazerith's tail twitched in anticipation.

[Roy Karrde]

Jason Landrew
~~~[Sentinel | 2:10 in the afternoon | Highway approaching Washington State ] ~~~

Minutes seemed like hours as I remained sitting perfectly quiet in the backseat, my hands placed squarely in my lap. It was quite unnerving to be sitting in the same car where just a minute ago I had a gun pulled on me. He had to be a little bit crazy, and who knows what he would do next in front of the kid?

“So are you two related?” I finally spoke up, the two turned to look at me before the older one turning and whispering something to the little girl who burst into a fit of giggles. I guess what ever I said was funny but I still could not figure out why she was traveling along with him, or why the two were heading into battle.

“No, no we’re not.” He finally replied, turning back to face the road leaving me to ponder as to how they met up, and if there wasn’t a amber alert or something going off right now.

I tapped my foot for a minute or two, glancing out the window before leaning forward between the seats and turning to the little Chinese girl. “My name is Jason, so are you from California?” I asked as she gave me a blank look in return.

I glanced back over at the driver, wondering for a moment if she were deaf or something. “She’s Chinese.” He responding, only deepening the mystery, a mystery that one day I had to know the answer to. How did a little girl from China and an American meet up to go fight an alien monster?

I glanced back at the girl wondering if she had any way to protect herself. I mean she was going into what looked like it could be a really really bad battle! “So do you have something like this?” I asked, pulling out one of my swords and swinging it forward, accidentally stabbing the leather of the dashboard as the girl reacting in shock.

“Put that away.” The driver hissed as I quickly sheathed it again.

“Well she has to have some way to defend herself.” I mumbled.

[Crystal Tears]

Sigil-038

Sigil watched as Demon dropped to the ground, the other supers attempting to coordinate an attack that was falling apart at the hinges. Sigil-038 mind raced, she needed to save the one called Demon, and she needed to help the others. She stepped forward, feeling no fear as she got closer and closer to the limb body of the reptile and, with the alien distracted by the others, picked most of it off the ground.
A young girl looked up at her, fearful but curious. Sigil stared back at her. "Will you watch over him?"
The girl paused, and then nodded.
"Follow."
The tail dragged behind her as she moved Demon back, away from the lethal enemy until she encountered a young man. Boy rather, he had been the one who had challenged the alien and the rest of the uniques had to save. She put Demon down and watched as the little girl sat next to the reptile.
"Do you have a skill?" Sigil questioned with a strong voice, the boy looked at her and nodded.
"Yeahh..." He spoke nervously, like he had bitten off more than he could chew.
"What is your skill?"
"I can mess with Gravity and Physics, make things weightless, make a punch feel like a pro wrestler's, you get the idea"
"Follow me." Sigil stared at the monster, which seemed to be having a problem with a winged individual and another who Sigil didn't recall quite clearly but that was alright. Her eyes began to glow as a large Ford truck pulled up next to her and boy. "Do you see that overturned cab?"
"Yeah..." He paused, looking at her curiously. "Why?"
"When the truck is just past it, make it weightless."
"HEY!"
Sigil turned, seeing a man dressed in what she could relate to the stereotypical superheroes suits. Particularly Superman. Sigil-038 blinked as he neared.
"What the hell is your plan?!" He seemed rather angry, something Sigil wanted to react to but couldn't.
"To hit that creature," She looked over at the black mass that was defending itself well, but not paying attention to them. "With this vehicle." Sigil paused. "If you wish to hit it hard, get on the vehicle and deliver a blow while it's down."
"You're fucking crazy."
The truck's engine roared, and it reversed down the road a bit. Sigil stared at the man, unaffected by his attitude. "My plan will work, but if you wish to stand here and argue with me instead," The Ford raced forward, faster than before as Sigil had shut down it's speed limiter. "Than you may do so."
"Fuck you." He snarled, but as the truck neared them he managed to jump into it's back and climb onto the top.

The boy waited just as the vehicle passed the cab before using his powers. The Truck lifted off the ground, flying forward with the momentum Sigil had calculated in her mind. The other heroes saw it coming and moved out of the way, but the black mass was slammed with the truck and forced onto the ground as the weightlessness disappeared and the hunk of metal came crashing down and pinned it.
The man in the suit leapt off the truck, poised to strike, and the other supers were now reacting. Sigil-038 came as close as she could to hoping that they could work together.


Hope thats alright, hope I didn't step on any toes.

[Blademaster]

Ivan and Enigma


Enigma landed across the street from the creature, sweating heavily. He'd fired his limit of bullets - any more, and he'd be endangering his life. He was at least smart enough to draw from different sources of his body this time, though. No losing a kidney for no reason this time.

His Hand Cannon reverted to normal; with a quick thought, his hands were instantly plated with titanium.

"OK, you ass-faced FREAK!" he taunted. "You think you can take me?! Come and try - I dare you! I DOUBLE-DARE you, motherfucker!"

The alien... Enigma didn't know if it understood English or not, but it seemed annoyed by his taunts; with a roar, it raised its spiky tentacles and skittered across the street like a spider, lashing at Enigma. He spread his wings again and leapt up, dodging the sweeping appendage and dropping, his fist smashing the top of the alien's head. It howled and flung a tentacle upwards, catching Enigma and smacking him into the air. Both of them flew back, the alien crashing into a building and Enigma plunging onto a parked car, the windows and hood blowing out.

"Uuuunghhh... That hurt a lot..." he groaned, flopping off the car and stumbling to his knee. "This is... fucking nuts... No matter what I hit it with, it keeps getting back up... Where's that fucking emo Sephiroth cosplayer when I NEED him!?"

"If you're referring to me..."

Enigma looked up as Ivan landed beside him, sword drawn.

"YOU TOOK YOUR SWEET FUCKING TIME!!" Enigma yelled. "WHERE WERE YOU?!"

"I had to speak with someone." Ivan responded, sword glowing with black energy. "Rest for a while."

"HEY!" Enigma yelled his protest, but this time, Ivan didn't listen, instead choosing to dive-bomb the creature sword-first, impaling it to the hilt and smashing it THROUGH the wall of the building.

Enigma gasped for air, his emotions and adrenaline rush starting to fail him. Just then, he heard a noise behind him: a woman talking. He turned around, seeing her and a few younger Supers that had taken stabs at the alien on and off, in between Enigma's and Demon's relentless onslaughts. As she spoke, he heard her mention a plan...

"Hey!" he called, walking over shakily. "What the Hell was that about a plan?"

"To hit that creature," She looked over at the black mass that was defending itself well, but not paying attention to them. "With this vehicle." Sigil paused. "If you wish to hit it hard, get on the vehicle and deliver a blow while it's down."

Enigma looked at the truck, then at the woman.

"You're fucking crazy!" he responded. "That thing has been taking blow after blow! How will hitting it with this make a difference!?"
The truck's engine roared, and it reversed down the road a bit. Sigil stared at the man, unaffected by his attitude. "My plan will work, but if you wish to stand here and argue with me instead," The Ford raced forward, faster than before as Sigil had shut down it's speed limiter. "Than you may do so."

Enigma shot a glance at Ivan, then her, then the truck.

"Fuck you." he growled. "This better work..." With that, he jumped up; the truck roared past, but his titanium fists easily grabbed into and scaled it, pulling him to the front of the trailer. He dug his hands in; his feet elongated into steel spikes that he drove into the roof, then split open like grappling hooks to secure his hold. On cue, the truck lifted off the ground just then, screaming at the alien.

"IVAN, MOVE YOUR ASS! GO, GO!"

Acute senses picking up his loudmouthed companion, Ivan instinctively jumped and rolled to the side, wings vanishing as the truck roared past and smashed the alien out the side of the building and nearly ran it over; it shrieked in agony as the half of it pinned under the truck was scraped to shreds along the ground underneath, trails of ichor and torn bits of flesh stretching for a good 100 feet before finally the wreck came to rest. The alien groaned weakly; Enigma saw his chance. He pulled out his clawed feet and jumped down on the beast's chest, holding his palms out to his sides. A faint vacuuming sound filled the air as small holes appeared in his hands, sucking oxygen into his palms.

"Time to die, asshole." he growled, palms glowing. "Thanks for playing, though."

"Wait!" the woman who'd come up with the plan suddenly shouted behind him. "No, don't do it!"

"SHUT UP!" Enigma yelled. "I've wanted to say this for a long time, anyway..." He put his hands out in front of him; the air around them began to warp as though gas were in the air.

Unseen by Enigma, the alien seemed to smile to itself...

"FINAL FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Enigma's palms exploded with light as a titanic blast of fire ripped through the air and slammed into the monster point-blank. It opened its mouth, screeching and writhing under the onslaught. Enigma grinned, confident that he'd won...

That is, until something uddenly lashed out from behind him and wrapped itself TIGHTLY around his neck. His eyes bulged; his hands flew to his throat, the fire blinking out barely late enough to scorch the underside of his chin.

The other Supers looked on in horror: The blast of fire hadn't even scrathed the alien. It had actually increased in size, new tentacles bursting through its torn flesh and flinging the truck aside. The monstrous menace planted itself and got in and upright position. Perched atop a sea of writhing, spiked tentacles, with a pair of wings, two great clawed forearms, and a head resembling the gaping maw of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors, it looked more nightmarish - and deadly - than ever.

"ENIGMA!" Ivan yelled, lifting off the ground and flying at the alien, sword ready.

Bad idea: The monster flicked a second tentacle, slapping Ivan fifty feet across the street and through the window of a building across the street.

Enigma wheezed and struggled, his face red. He tried turning his Adam's apple to titanium, but he couldn't concentrate. He was helpless. Another couple of minutes, and he'd meet the fate he should rightly have met years ago...



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



OK, Enigma is helpless and in the alien's clutches, Ivan is stunned inside an office building, down but far from out, and the alien got hit by a huge blast of fire and thus is now meaner than ever. GG, Enigma.


Next!

[Bulbasaur4]

Shengmingli
[ F | Location: Seattle ]


Shengmingli did not have to indulge into her will power to keep her from running out and joining the other humans and... creatures... in their fight against the horrific black monster. She knew plain well that she would only get the in the way and that she could do little, if anything to aid them in their plight.

So instead, she remained far away upon the ground where Alex had told her to wait. He had run off and soon joined up with others with powers to aid the rather reckless one with swords. She had also noticed a large, scaled creature also join in the fray. At one point however, the alien had lunged towards her- why it had gone to her, she did not fathom. She had not looked at it oddly, she had not provoked it... unphased and with little fear, she calmly watched it lunge to her but she cautiously took a step back.

The reptilian creature had grabbed the alien, preventing it from seizing her. Yet the price was dear, for the alien soon had attacked so viciously that the black tailed-one's life was flickering away. Sensing the battle was no longer near her and that the evil "alien" (she had heard this word many times not from the supers) was back to fighting with the others, she took small tender steps towards him. A woman soon stepped forth, one whom she noticed seemed to behave slightly differently then the rest, said some odd words to her. However, upon motioning to the fallen humanoid, Shengmingli could tell what she was asking and thus the girl nodded.

The crazy man with swords soon began talking with the woman, and Shengmingli knelt down by the scaled one. There were still many ebony pin-like needles in his body, but she sensed that she wouldn't have the time to pick them out before he died. So, with a first pang of willpower, she used as much strength as her little body could muster to pull forth a pin. The thing sizzled slightly against her flesh, but the wound it caused was only minor and her skin swiftly healed itself at a faster pace then the pin could hurt. Frowning, she swiftly positioned herself over where the wounds were deepest- near his heart, where the beats were incredibly weak.

With a hesitant breath and closed eyes, knowing what was to come, she drove the pin with both hands, into her tender abdomen.

It delved in deeply, the sharp pin not needing as much force as she had thought. Swiftly she began twisting the needle around- swirling it around like one would in a mixing bowl. The pain was immense and would have been beyond her, if not for the years of ingrained and unruly testing she became accustomed to in China. Her motions were with purpose and quite forceful, as the tissues immediately began healing at an astonishing rate. However, her deliberate motions were enough to prevent one small section at a time from healing, thus allowing the blood to pour freely. The spot of 'damage' kept shifting with the healing tissue, so the blood was left in individual streams upon her chest. Eventually there was enough blood so that it began to pool at her feet.

Flinging the needle out of herself with hurry, she scooped up as much of her own blood that she could in handfuls. Dripping and applying the blood upon his torso, she watched as the potent effects quickly began to heal his body. She then swiftly plucked out the needles with great effort, so that his body would not heal with them still inside. The whole process was done rather swiftly- Shengmingli was surprisingly swift and decisive in all of her movements.

When the needles were out, she then managed to rub her hands in the remainder of the pool of blood upon the cement. Swiftly she applied this to other areas that she deemed 'needing' of it. She saw his eyes stir and finally she allowed herself to sit down for a moment. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her and for a moment, there was silence between them. A loud explosion however shattered it, as flames roared to life not too far off. The reptilian man sat up quickly, checking himself over and then flickering his gaze over to Shengmingli.

She was covered in her own blood, her qipao slashed open around her stomach from the needle. The blood had begun to dry already, but she seemed unphased and merely looked at him blankly with a crimson-eyed gaze. He said something to her, the tone filled with slight confusion and grattitude, and she smiled in response. She then pointed to the explosion with a nod, knowing full well that he would want to head over there.

Soon she too, would delve closer. She had finally realized what her purpose in this world was.

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
HELLFIRE
Fire and Brimstone
Robert Wiles~#~Hellfire#~#Male
Time: 11:52 AM EST
Location: New York's performer square

The burst of wind from the gargoyle’s wings didn’t knock Robert down, but it did blow his groceries for the next week out of his hands and down the street. The moving statue let out a challenge for Robert to provide true art, or seal his fate. Which would likely mean having his guts wrenched out by a dozen-foot tall statue.

The thing wants me to give it art?

“I have nothing to prove to you,” he said. “Art, if by your standards which you haven’t stated, would be like leading the blind into a slaughterhouse.”

“Bah!” The thing roared again, the sound of a massive landslide echoed throughout the district. “Art! Or blemish this world no more!”

“You get nothing from me,” he said, staring at the hovering gargoyle.

“Then I shall make you beautiful,” it said before folding its wings and diving down, claws forward and a sadistic glean in it’s eye. “By drawing a portrait with your blood!”

Robert’s eyes glowed with the flames of the inner earth before he seemed to disappear in a burst of flames. The gargoyle’s velocity and air-current blew through the flames, causing them to disappear. It slammed into the sidewalk, causing the slabs it landed on to buckle, crack, and break, and the other slabs and parts of the street to break and tilt up from the impact.

The gargoyle looked in surprise. It’s prey had vanished! Such a feat. How artful was this? Is it art? No. Teleporting was just like force fields. Barriers to Art, and running away from true beauty. This was no art! These were avoidances of it!

“Oh user of flame, caller of the earth’s core,” it chuckled, now that it could do what it wanted to him. “You run, but you will not escape my artistic endeavors.”

“Who said I was running?”

The stone creature titled its head up, just in time to have an used apple core hit it on its bird-like nose. Splitting on impact the core hit the ground in two pieces. Wiping the fruit pulp from its red eyes, the gargoyle looked up.

There, hovering with wings of fire and flame, was the human who scoffed at it! He was floating above the gargoyle, arms crossed, the wings burning with a slight sound, both moving and unmoving as fire made into a shape could be.

“Wondrous,” it cackled. “You have passed my first test, caller of flame.”

Robert narrowed his gaze. Test? he thought. This thing is a lunatic.

“I’m not interested in your tests,” he replied. “I hardly care what you do.”

“Do you now?” it cackled gleefully. “Well then, angel from hell, let me show you what I can do.” It seemed to concentrate, and water percolated down from it. Parts of the sidewalk buckled, twisting, turning into a string of a dozen individual blocks, attatched together, making a noodle of segmented sidewalk concrete. “Perhaps your perception can better be aligned to mine. This is MY art! Do you not approve?”

“No, I don’t. You made a noodle…”

Anger flushed through the gargoyle’s voice as he replied in a roar. “Then, lord of Flames, feel my beauty!” And the gargoyle willed the thing to attack, lashing out at Robert.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Houndoom, I leave the battle to you. Have fun with it. ^^U



TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Death’s Door
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 1:37 PM
Location: Seattle, Washington. Street level, unconscious, dying....

Dying. Somehow Steven knew he was dying.

Pain ripped through his body, pushing his mind to the brink. It was shifting, churning. He could hear and feel his own muscles rip, tear, mend, rip, tear, mend once more. His vision was blurring, mixing into a blood red haze that fogged his world. Clawed hands that seemed to follow his direction held his head, and he could feel it elongate, the cracking of bones and the shredding of ligaments.

Scents, sensations blasted his mind as pain rocked through his body. His own heart sent shots of pain through his mind with every beat. Rage, anger, pain, fear, confusion, challenge, prey.

An inhuman bell-like roar escaped from his mouth as he unleashed his frustration. The eyes of his fellow students wide with fear.

Ba-DUM

Ba-DUM

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

…

Demon felt pain. He didn’t feel it like other Supers. Well, maybe a few.

The saurian was in a world of pain of course. Not only did his entire body ache and burn, his heart, his soul, was breaking as well. He felt his life slipping away, and the only memories that came, where of when he became Demon, and started a rampage that only ended when he saw his brother, huddled in fear from him. Remembering nothing from between when his eyes were covered by the red haze to looking at his brother, cowering in front of him, Demon was frequently tormented by this memory.

Often it was a dream.

Only this time he couldn’t wake up.

Ba-dum

Thumping.

Demon felt something pulse along his body. In his detached state, the instincts of the thing he had become were silenced. He still had will, he had his mind, but the instinct to lash out was quiet, not gone, but wasn’t pushing as much towards him to act out. He felt the thump, the sound, the …

Ba-dum

The darkness around him started to slide away with every thump.

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

The feeling was coming back, but it was slow in coming. Then faster, and faster.

His heartbeat, he could feel his heartbeat again. He could start to feel other things too. Laying down, on something hot and hard, the smell of blood in the air, the sound of fighting.

Blood?

He started to stir, taking in deep breaths through his nose.

Blood. His blood. Someone else’s? Human?! No. Not quite human. Something different.

Demon was awake now. His body was sore, but full of energy, healed. A clawed hand raised up, before slamming down into the concrete, his claws puncturing the artificial stone. Eyes snapped open, glowing bright red, like a flare on the highway. He could see around him, the fighting far off to the right, and the Chinese girl he had saved, sitting just off to his left.

He could see, and smell the blood on her, on himself, mixed in with his own. Slowly he pushed himself up, more and more feeling returning to his body. He wanted to roar. His life was his again. To roar to the world the he hadn’t died, despite being skewered through by an alien monster. Instead he was quiet as he pushed himself up onto his legs.

Still on all fours he looked at the girl. She had done something to him. Done something with her blood, he could smell it on himself, mixed with his own, and even see she had some on her, and a raged tear around her stomach.

There was silence between Demon, and this girl as they looked at each other. He hadn’t expected any kindness from anyone. Humans just ran in fear from him, or tried to shoot him, take his picture for the newspaper, or use any videos of him for whatever purpose. However today he had been helped by not one, but three individuals. This last one, must have injured herself to save him.

Such an odd moment for them both, as the reptile looked at the girl, was shattered by the sound of a massive explosion with fire and smoke rising into the air. Demon’s head turned, his instincts coming back running 100 miles an hour. Prey, danger, intruder, dangerous. He needed to go back there, but… could he leave this girl alone?

Sitting on his haunches, he looked himself over, trying to remember where he had been stabbed. As he did, he saw several pin-like and spine-like objects laying on the ground beneath and around him. He could see blood on the ground around him, and on him. The scent of the girl’s blood was strong, almost making him hungry, but the drive for territory and killing a threat were higher on his instinctual brain’s priorities right now.

“Did…” he said. Afraid to scare the girl off. “You… save me?”

The girl, smiled at him, her eyes a mahogany shade. He couldn’t tell whether she could understand him or not. Sure he could speak Chinese, but he’d have to find out later, after this entire threat to his territory was taken care of.

She raised a hand, pointing towards the explosion, and he turned his head towards it. He turned towards her and without thinking offered her a “thank you” in Chinese, before standing and starting to slink his way towards the source of the explosion. The Alien was there, only now it was larger, stronger, and had Enigma latched on by a tentacle.

He watched the scene.

Sure, Enigma was the first to draw a weapon on him, but Demon’s humanity told him to just let the shapeshifter die was being selfish. He couldn’t be selfish, not when there were lives on the line that he could help. Demon was crouched behind a line of cars, still a distance from the fighting, when he heard light foot steps.

Turning his head, the saurian looked back and saw, of all things, the Chinese girl, making her way towards him. Towards the fighting!

What… his mind said before he heard more scuffling and felt the shift in the air.

Cars were being thrown up into the air, flying towards Demon and the girl. Snarling, he spun and raced to the girl, picking her light body up in his clawed arms. He felt a slight spurge of energy, and jumped. Cars, automobiles, and random trash hit the sidewalk where he and the girl had been seconds ago, their frames becoming a massive distortion of metal, plastic, and glass.

Now, Demon was hanging, one handed with two foot holds, a good 30-35 feet in the air. Even he was surprised with himself. Not even with the boost of a car or running start had he been able to jump that far, or that high. The feeling of energy started to fade, and he tilted his head so that a crimson eye could look at her. She didn’t look afraid, but he could feel her holding onto his arm, nails grinding against his scales.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, getting her attention towards him. “You want to head to the fighting as well?” he motioned with his head towards the fighting.

She looked at him, silent, before nodding.

“Hold on,” he replied, a growl in his voice.

If a reptile could smile.

Crawling along the side of the building, Demon used three limbs to get closer to the street level. Sure, he could jump down, land and be fine. But he had a passenger, and he always made sure that the sudden decrease in velocity from a 30 foot fall or more wouldn’t injure them. So using his claws, he found handholds that would have made human climbers envious. Moving parallel to the ground, Demon dropped a bit, making his way towards the fighting before jumping down to the sidewalk.

The force of the impact caused concrete to buckle around his feet. His knees and ankles bent, slowing the force of his descent. Much of it was so natural that Demon didn’t even think about it. It was instinctual.

With the girl in his arm, clinging slightly to the base of his neck, he ran along the side walk, jumping over a line of rubble and cars before skidding along the asphalt of the street. They both looked at the Alien, larger now. A shifting mass of flesh and half-conceived indications of what it wanted to be.

Scents shifted on the air. He could smell blood, his and the girl’s, the other Supers, smoke and cinders, burning oil, burnt ozone, and… chicken wings?! He shook his head as he leapt over to the other side of the street. As he did, he landed just beyond Sigil, skidding to a stop with the girl in his arms.

“Demon,” the woman said, an even tone in her voice. “What are you doing with her?”

Demon looked at her for a second, then looked at the girl still in his arms before replying, “She’s my little buddy,” He looked at the woman.

Sigil was quiet as Demon let the girl down gently.

“What happened?” he asked.

“The alien appears to gain strength from flames and explosions. As the reckless loudmouth demonstrated,” she replied looking at the fighting as several Supers tried to go after it, but were being held back. “Such a thing makes explosive warheads and other heavy artillery useless. Hitting it with vehicles is annoying it, however.”

Fire makes it stronger…

“What about water?”

Sigil turned towards him.

“If fire and heat make it stronger, wouldn’t water weaken it?”

“Possibly,” her eyes started to glow aqua for a second. “There are four City Water hydrants along the street, however, the alien is in range for only two of them. At its current course, it will be pushed away from the other two hydrants.”

“So we need to get it back, this way…”

“Precisely.”

Demon thought for a moment. If hitting it with vehicles was making it annoyed, then getting it enraged might get it there faster.

“Can you distract it?” Sigil asked.

“Um… maybe.”

“Good. Distract it and lure it back here. In order for all hydrants to be in range it has to be,” she pointed at the mangled frame of what used to be a luxury car. “Right there.”

“Why do I have to be the bait?”

Sigil looked at him, and as calm as anyone could ever say, replied with, “You’re a big target.”

Well, she’s right in that… he admitted. “Okay,” he looked at the girl who still stood by him throughout the whole exchange. “If you see anyone hurt, help them like you helped me… okay?”

Sigil looked at the saurian quizzically.

“Time to get the ball rolling.” Sigil had a new plan, and Demon was going to go with it. Running into the middle of the street, the reptile found a car that hadn’t been completely demolished. He grabbed onto the hood, piercing the metal with his claws, before breaking the front latch, and then ripping it from the rest of the frame.

Spinning, the saurian hurled the hood like a giant, metal, discus. Putting enough spin into the slab of metal that it acted like a flying buzz saw. However, throwing something not meant for being thrown made it awkward for the saurian to hurl it in the direction he wanted. The hood flew like a saucer, turning in mid-air along it’s trajectory and turning lower in its flight.

But it hit the target.

The hood sliced, digging itself deep into the alien’s flesh at the base, near where it was planted along the street. Shrieking, the alien arched its head up, before looking at the foreign object, now lodged into it.

Demon roared at it, and it stared up, glaring at the saurian.

He lowered himself, cocking his leg muscles to move. Whatever the alien would try, he would be sure to not get hit by it. And if he did, fight tooth and nail to get out of it.

“Come and get me…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yeah.. some plan huh? Anyway.. I did a sketch of Demon a while back and just NOW finished it *hugs the RPG* Here it is…

Demon vs Venom (http://dr-studios.deviantart.com/art/Demon-vs-Venom-97835128)

It’s not finished, and, well… I just wanted to finally deal with an image that’s been in my head for a while. Demon vs Venom (Demon was actually thought up for an X-Men campaign… believe it or not…) Anyway…

Neeeeeeext?

[Dr.McNinja]

Okay, this uses a few people's characters so if you have objections just call me on it and it will be edited so as to fit the wants of the individual creators.


Chaotix had been watching the battle as best as he could, weighing the options, watching what worked and didn’t. And it finally occurred to him that he could stare and watch all day but in the end he had to do…something. He watched the fire strike the creature and strengthen it, and even as Sigil moved away from Demon the idea struck him. Sigil moved away from the giant dinosaur like thing and Chaotix formed his thought.

Move to her.

This time it was simple. A lurch, the disorientating feeling of seeing two places at once, and then he was just…there. Sigil jerked a bit at his presence but Chaotix spoke almost immediately, “Water! We have to try water….um…Chaotix by the way.”

Sigil nodded, “Sigil. So we thought as well. There are four hydrants that can strike at the monster if we lure him back to that wrecked car.”

Chaotix looked at where she was thinking and turned back to the rampaging monster. His whitened eyes then looked back once again, at Demon moving away from Shengmingli and throwing the hood at the monster and a smile creased his face, “You! Dinosaur boy! You want to take that sonofabitch down?”

Demon looked asiede at Chaotix before nodding carefully. Chaotix’s grin widened and in an instant he was beside of the Saurian, “Then give him hell and I’ll do my part.”

The two locked eyes a moment longer before Demon nodded and turned back to the monster. One of the thing’s tentacles streaked fasted than the eye could see, lashing across Demon’s chest before he could prepare, sending blood flying once again. The monster laughed and reared back again. This time, Saurian was ready and with a twist to the side he, impossibly, grabbed the fleshy member between his clawed arms and held as the thing tried to pull back. Muscles strained and Demon’s legs dug rifts into the street as the alien slowly pulled back, overhwhealming even the saurian’s great strength. Chaotix was there though, kneeling and placing one hand on the trailing whip’s end. Static trailed across his eyes.

Mine

His grip around the tentacle tightened and he could feel muscle and blood vessels in it snap and bend. Chaotix turned and felt the strength flowing through his body. With a scream of exertation and pain as ever with his increased he strained and tore at his muscles, Chaotix brought down the whip with all of his might. Demon felt the tension and released his grip but the tentacle being part of the monster, it could not. It stumbled a few steps towards the two and began to fall, the tentacle holding Enigma held high above its frame. From the building to the right, a young form pushed off, defying gravity as he streaked across the street, twin sword flashing to sever the trapping member. Turning in mid-flight, Jaso..er..Sentry grabbed Enigma as he fell and, his mass changed, veered diagonally and crashed through the windows a few floors down. Hopefully the two were safe.

Demon did not watch the high-flying antics however and was already running to the falling monster, his legs digging craters in the street. Halfway through its fall, the creature’s vision was filled with angry saurian as Demon opened his maw and bit terribly into its amorphous skin. Alien blood streamed into his mouth and he could feel its scream almost better than he could hear it. Bracing his feet, the saurian twisted his neck. Muscles buldged, bones creaked, and Demon threw the monster, releasing his grip at the last moment in a spray of gore. Chaotix watched the things flight and gritted his teeth.

Not far enough…he won’t be in range. Damn…here goes nothing!

His cloak flew out behind him as Chaotix took the ten steps forward he needed to stand where the thing would fall. Its horrible eyes locked onto his as he stopped and stared. It’s mouth was already open, fangs bared and Chaotix made his target on them. Light flashed through his eyes as he did something he rarely ever did. He gave all control over to his power, only holding some vague intention in his mind.

EAT THIS, ASSHOLE!

Two M32 Grenade launchers appeared in each of his hands and his fingers tightened around the trigger. The six barrels fired in the space of a second, launching twelve canisters into the monster’s maw. Instead of an explosion however, a concussive blast issued forth as they detonated, stronger than any grenade developed by man. The monster rode the blast, a few shattered fangs raining out of his mouth, and seemed to hover in midair, continuing his flight. Chaotix knew immediately that it still wasn’t enough, the monster would fall short and, worst of all, fall ON him, crushing him into nothing more than a paste. As that dire thought passed through his mind, a blazing light from behind the beast drove his mind back to the present. Standing in the shattered window, bloody, wounded, and gasping for air, Enigma held out his morphed palm, his other tattered arm holding the gun from which he had fired a shell very much the same as Chaotix’s grenades. The alien roared as the second blast rocked its body and forced it to complete its flight, landing with a ground-shaking crash on the target car, perfectly framed in between the four hydrants. Chaotix gasped for air, his own body rattled by his blast. He figured one or two ribs had cracked under them, and maybe one of his arms as well. He twisted to his feet however and turned to look at the alien as it struggled to gather itself after the combined attacks of the Supers.

Its now or never…Sigil

[Heald]

Power overwhelming...


[Location: Seattle, WA]

The Supers had surrounded the stunned alien and he began to survey the scene. Each hero then aimed their assault at the four fire hydrants surrounding him. Instantly, four bursts of highly pressurised water shot straight at him, surrounding the alien in a torrent of water. Such was the intensity of the simultaneous blasts that he could not be seen through the water. As the pressure died down, the alien became visible again, looking undeterred by this trap. The Supers began to look at him in utter disbelief. Could anything take him down?

Suddenly, two missiles screamed down from the sky, blasting the alien and destroying much of the surrounding infrastructure, or what was left of it. Some Supers were knocked back by this, whereas others had leapt or flown out of the way. Bright spotlights shone on the alien as several helicopters appeared out of nowhere, their rotor-blades deafening to the human ear. At the same time, tanks and APCs rolled over the rubble that was that part of Seattle and aimed their guns at the alien. Troops poured out of the APCs and aimed their guns at the alien. Some also pointed their weapons at the Supers.

"Washington State National Guard! Stand down citizens!"
A couple of the Supers put their hands up. Some more were more defiant. One pointed his gun straight into the face of a particularly defiant Enigma.
"I said stand down citizen!"
This portion of the National Guard had maneuvered into position and each had a gun pointed squarely at the alien. If he so much as blinked, the Supers guessed that several billions of dollars worth of military hardware would rain down upon him, and many, anticipating this, retreated to a safer location.

The alien stared blankly at the largest tank, eyeing down the barrel, and then began to indraw breath until its lungs were full to capacity. The commanding officer's voice yelled out over the radio,
"Weapons-free! Fire at will!"

Not a single bullet or shell or missile hit the alien. At the sound of the first trigger being pulled, it let out a scream of such pitch and magnitude that it blew away every projectile. Many of the helicopters were knocked into buildings by this sound, tanks were flipped over, everyone was knocked many feet away onto their backs and every piece of glass within a 500 metre radius shattered as this soundwave screeched throughout the city. Anyone who was unlucky enough to have been within a kilometre of the alien had ringing ears, those nearest being unable to hear for several minutes. However, upon standing up again, everyone stared at the epicenter of this epic scream and were astounded to see that the alien had disappeared. There was no cheering; there were no celebrations. Everyone shiftily looked at each other. Fear, panic and confusion had gripped the people here. As for the alien: wherever he had gone, Seattle seemed safe...for now.

---

Well fought gents. If your character happened to be in Seattle, then it may very well have very sore ears. However, the battle, for now, is over.

[Blademaster]

Well, this makes MY job a bit easier, at least...



Ivan and Enigma



Ivan groaned and got to his feet, his back stinging. He was in pain, but Enigma was still in the clutches of that alien, being choked. Strangled to death.


Ivan burst out of the window, seeing the alien had moved further down the street, but it still held Enigma in its tentacle...


SNAP!


Or... It HAD been holding Enigma, but the tentacle suddenly went limp, severed by a flying figure weilding two swords; he caught Enigma as he fell, the weight of the latter sending both of them careening into the building behind the alien, which had turned its attention to the lizardman and a newcomer weilding... a whip?


Ivan couldn't be bothered to check - he vanished into the shadows, warping across the street and inside the hole Enigma and his savior had made entering the building.


"Enigma...!" Ivan called as he reappeared, running to his partner's side. Enigma coughed weakly, his trachea still struggling to recover.


"That was... too close..." Enigma wheezed, coughing up a small amount of blood.


"Are you injured, Enigma? Can you stand?"


Enigma grunted, wiping his mouth.


"I'm fine..." he replied, ignoring Ivan's hand and getting up. "I'll live, anyway... But who the fuck caught me? I know you're not as shitty a flyer as whoever it was."


"Hey, gimme a break!" the dual-swordsman responded, sitting up across the room, rubbing his head. "I'm not used to flying!"


"You saved him." Ivan said, glancing from Enigma to the stranger, then walking over and offering his hand. "You saved my partner... Thank you."


He took Ivan's hand and was pulled to his feet.


"Don't mention it." he replied. "All in a day's work, y'know."


"What is your name?"


"Call me Sentinel."


"Sentinel... Thank you, Sentinel. My name is Ivan. And that... is..."


Ivan paused, realizing Enigma was gone.


"...Enigma." Ivan sighed, running outside again, just in time to see Enigma blast a grenade at the alien... from one of his hands!


"No, Enigma! You're body-"


"SHUT UP, IVAN!" he snapped, blood dripping from his lips. "IT'S NOW OR NEVER!"


The grenade hit the alien dead-center, blasting it away from its current quarry, sending it crashing down on a car.


"The water!" Sentinel shouted, running up behind him.


"What?"


"The water! Those hydrants!" Sentinel explained. "Fire strengthens that thing; blast it with water!"


It suddenly clicked in Ivan's head - he had missed this plan, evidently, but he instantly understood; he drew his sword and swung it, sending an arc of black energy at one hydrant, slicing it open; at roughly the same time, Demon ripped open another hydrant, and Sigil kicked a hole in the third.


"I got that one!" Enigma said, jumping down to the ground and sprinting towards the hydrant, his fist morphing into a spiked cudgel that crushed the hydrant like a can, spraying water on the alien.


Ivan and Sentinel jumped down behind Enigma, waiting for the water to subside. It finally did...


Nothing had changed. The alien didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Except for being wet now.


"Oh, you gotta be fucking KIDDING ME!!!!" Enigma screamed in fury, charging the alien again.


Bad idea - a pair of missiles going off sent him flying across the street again; Ivan and Sentinel just barely avoided being knocked into the building behind them again.


Within seconds, the street was flooded by tanks and soldiers; several choppers had appeared in the sky.


"Hey, fuck off!" Enigma snapped at a soldier behind him. "This is MY fight, fuckface!"


"Stand DOWN, citizen!" the soldier ordered, gun aimed at Enigma's head. He started to open his mouth again, when suddenly he turned jet-black and melted into the ground, reappearing in front of Ivan.


"What the FUCK is your problem!?" Enigma yelled.


"Do you want to get shot?" Ivan asked flatly.


"Those assholes have no right to bust in on this! WE'VE been taking hit after hit, WE'VE been coming up with the ideas, and now THEY show up when the shit's all said and done to steal OUR glory?!"


"This is NOT a competition, Enigma. It is a battle for survival."


"SURVIVAL?! LOOK AT ME!!! I LOOK LIKE I'VE BEEN TO HELL AND BACK!!!"


"If you were less IMPLUSIVE, you could have avoided those injuries...!"


The duo's banter was suddenly drowned out by what sounded like a sonic boom; Ivan and Sentinel covered their ears, ducking down; Enigma, on the other hand, was knocked flying again.


"I am NOT a fucking PINBALL!!!" he screamed, seconds before flying through a shattered window and crashing into some poor guy's desk.


"What happened?"


"It's GONE!!"


"How could it be gone?!"


"It just vanished!"


Ivan slowly uncovered his ears, realizing what had happened.


'The alien disappeared?' he thought.


"Hey, what happened?" Sentinel asked, one finger in his ear. "I can barely hear anything!"


Ivan frowned - his ears were ringing, too. Not too loudly, but they were still irritating him. He didn't answer; he was busy surveying the scene.


Everything was wrecked - tanks were overturned, soldiers had been knocked down or into buildings, several already dead from the impacts, what looked like the back half of a helicopter stuck out of a building that hadn't been knocked over yet... It was a mess.


Ivan sighed mournfully, bad memories flooding back to him as he laid eyes on the dead soldiers and wreckage; he shook his head and looked for the Supers.


The woman from earlier was holding that young girl tightly, shielding her from every damage source she could; surprisingly, the woman herself looked relatively unharmed.


Closer to Ivan and Sentinel, the man who had been weilding the whip earlier was lying on the ground, obviously in pain but still very much alive.


And down the street, looking more than a little stunned, was the lizard-man.


"Where did it go...?" Ivan asked him, figuring that he was currently the most coherent of the impromptu team.


"I don't know." he growled back. "It just... disappeared into thin air."


'It disappeared... But how...?'


"Hey, you!"


Ivan and the reptilian turned towards the battlefield - who Ivan assumed was the general of the National Guard wad talking to the Supers. And he didn't look happy.



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



OK, that was pointless, but... ...No, it was just pointless.


Enigma is off-limits right now.



NEXT!

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Twist of Fate
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 2:01 PM
Location: Seattle, Washington. Street level.

Throughout the whole ordeal. Even after throwing the alien into the air, ripping off the top of the fire hydrant, standing on it to direct the pressure towards the alien, even how the plan didn’t seem to work, Demon had been thinking one thing: I am NOT a dinosaur!

Even the saurian had been taken off guard as explosions rocked the street, the concussive force of the attack sent him fling back into the building right behind him, cracking the rock and plaster. He pushed himself up, his back hurting for the third time today.

Shaking his head he let out a snarl of pain, before he heard someone shout, “Washington National Guard! Stand down citizens!” He looked up and saw himself in the sights of a squad of the National Guard!

A dozen guns pointed at the saurian, as he stared in confusion and fear, trying to step back. He recognized the danger, and his instincts screamed at him to run. But run where?! There were a dozen assault rifles aimed at him. No matter how fast he was, he couldn’t dodge bullets!

He could smell smoke, partially melted concrete, the other supers, water, the alien, oil, metal, and every soldier in the area. Demon shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The sounds of Enigma yelling and a soldier yelling back at him caught his ear, and he turned his head, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, while surveying what was happening.

Some of the Supers had gathered together, others were being aimed at by the Guard, and the Guard had formed a line between them and the alien as Abrams tanks rolled through the path made by the military man-power.

Demon heard the order for the military to prepare to fire and he knew it was going to be loud. And it was going to hurt.

He was only partially right.

With a high-pitched scream, the alien shattered windows and deafened everyone nearby. For Demon, it was hell.

Having highly tuned senses was a blessing, and a curse. A blessing because he could pick up on things that others would miss, such as a scent, or movement in a dark area. However, it also meant he was susceptible to over-stimulation in the right conditions. The alien’s screech caused Demon to drop to the ground, roaring in pain. He covered his ear openings as best he could, but the sound was long, hard, and it hurt. Like. Hell. Demon curled up on himself, into a saurian version of the fetal position, holding his hands over his ears. He considered himself lucky his eardrums didn’t rupture.

He stayed on the ground, even after the alien had left. The things scent had disappeared! Demon stayed on the ground, holding his ears, whimpering in pain and contracting his muscles to the pain. His ears started to heal, and the pain subsided, but Demon was still in pain.

He felt, more than heard, footsteps coming towards him, and Demon forced his eyes open. The tall angelic one from earlier was standing over him.

“Where’d it go?” he asked, Demon struggled to comprehend as his hearing repaired itself.

"I don't know." he growled back. Standing up he sniffed the air a second time, trying to see if it was true. "It just... disappeared into thin air."

The man looked confused. “It disappeared… But how?”

“Hey, you!” they heard and Demon and his friend turned as a soldier, possibly the Major or General of this operation came up to them. He walked up to the tall man, ignoring Demon for the moment. “What the hell do you think you vigilantes were doing?! Giving it a bath?!”

Demon looked at the human. He was human, that was certain, and from his outfit, he looked like the rest of the soldiers. The General looked older, more battle-hardened and disciplined than the rest of the National Guard soldiers. He talked to the tall one, like he was a superior officer demanding something from a lower rank. The other humans around Demon had scattered when the alien had screamed, but were at attention, guns at the ready to draw and fire if the command came.

He was yelling at the tall one, but then pointed at Demon. “And what the hell is that?! It looks like a run away from the Reptile Gardens!” Demon could feel his anger rise in his mind, and he forced it back.

“With all due respect, general,” the tall one spoke, with authority as well. “We were trying to weaken the creature, not bathe it. Fire had made it larger and stronger, so we tried using water to weaken it.”

“Well it didn’t fucking work incase you didn’t notice!”

“We noticed,” Demon muttered to no one in particular.

“What?!” the General looked at Demon. “It can talk?!”

Demon glared at the general, and rose to his full height. He spoke with a growl to his voice. “We risked our lives to stop it and save people. Now you come in here, and blame us for the destruction. Next time one of those things shows up, how about you,” he pointed a clawed hand at the general’s chest, poking the armor slightly. “Come out here and fight it man to alien, instead of blaming those who worked hard and nearly died.”

The General looked at the saurian in disbelief before anger rose in his voice. “Men, arrest this … freak for assaulting an officer.”

Demon heard guns cocked and loaded as the soldiers aimed at him. Inhaling he roared at them, a roar full of rage and anger. The Soldiers pulled the triggers on their guns, however instead of bullets, little sticks with flags on them came out that had the word “BANG!” painted on them.

Everyone was confused, especially Demon, who expected to be a piece of Swiss Cheese.

“How about… we don’t kill each other,” he heard the teleporter from earlier say. “And just be thankful it backed off.” Demon turned towards him, and he could smell his blood. The man was being helped to stand by the sword-wielding teenager in orange armor, giving him a bit more balance.

The General’s face showed surprise, anger, and then frustration. “Just get out of here while we clean up this mess.” Then he walked away.

Demon let out a sigh as the Supers started to gather as the soldiers began re-directing humans from the devastated blocks. Conversation was awkward between them all, but Demon kept quiet, standing there, watching them. Thinking, he turned and started to walk away from the group, turning down an alley to go see if his den had survived or if he’d have to find a new place to stay.

Before he got too far, he felt a tug on his tail. Stopping, he glanced back. There, was the Chinese girl, holding onto the tip of his tail. She let go of him and he turned more towards her, lowering his head so he could see her face more clearly.

The scent of blood from them both was still fresh, and he looked at her, confused.

“Yes?” he asked, cautious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

TAG Bulba4! Yer it! And anyone else that wants to question The Demon… *spurs character interaction with a cattle prod.*

[classy_cat18]

Nia Windfall AKA Aria ~ Seattle, WA

"Figures that woman couldn't come here," I grumbled as I stepped outside. My ears were still ringing from whatever caused that...sound. I wasn't too far from whatever happened, and I had a pretty good idea what happened. "At least I managed to stay out of the fight."

I followed the commotion to a mob of civilians and National Guard soldiers. Figuring that I should at least get some info about the situation before splitting, I headed through the mob until a soldier stopped me. "Off limits, ma'am," he told me.

I giggled and stayed where I was. When he started to push me back, I started my special lullaby. The poor man dropped to the ground within ten seconds, fast asleep. Everyone around him followed suit. I kept singing until I reached the intersection where several people stood, including a raptorlike creature. Ten bucks say they're Supers.

No one seemed to notice me so I set down my duffel bag and sat on a trashed car with my flute. The song I played was slow and light, not meant to have any effect but to get their attention. When heads finally turned I smiled. "What a mess. Did I miss anything?

Damn, short post.

[Bulbasaur4]

I will edit this with a post in a few hours or so. Just am currently low on writing fuel, but wanted to letyou guys know that I'm work'n on a posty.

Should be up in the morning, CST.

[Drusilla]

OK, I figured out how to work this out, Classy... hope it's OK...

Poltergeist
I hear the sons of the city and dispossessed

Location: Brooklyn, NYC

Sleep was fitful in the abandoned building. No doubt law enforcement officials were out in force looking for her, so returning to her apartment was out of the question. All she needed was a dark, quiet place, though...

"Poltergeist... Poltergeist... Poltergeist..." Voices echoed in her subconscious. Was someone calling her all ready? Her mind raced. It could also be a trick; the government knew at least a little bit about her powers, and desperately wanted to hold her for testing to determine the extent of her mind. Poltergeist would see to it that she died first.

Cautiously, Poltergeist focused on the voice, trying to see the owner. Slowly, the image of a slender woman with long brown hair appeared. She was holding a flute, sitting on the hood of a car, talking to unseen others. Poltergeist studied her for a few moments before deciding that it was safe to make contact.

"You rang?" Poltergeist's mind-voice rang out, amused. "I apologize for the delay, my dear... Can't be too careful these days, you know. Don't worry, I won't harm you or your mind; you have sought my help, and I have answered. I'm afraid that I cannot do anything during the day, but at night..." This wasn't entirely true, but she let it be. "What can Poltergeist do for you, little one?"



Short but hopefully sweet... Gives the supers in Seattle a chance to hear about Poltergeist, should Aria choose to share. The time lapse is undetermined, so that should give B4 a chance to post without changing anything...

[MToolen]

TPM Comics newly endorses...
RESONANCE
Issue #1 - Visibly Jarred
[Patrick Langley|Resonance|Male|Seattle, WA]
Time: 2:03 pm

Again, that shriek...

This time, it was louder, more piercing, more deadly. Like its eyes, the alien's cry went not just skin deep but through a person, into their very bones. Resonance's bones weren't all bone, though- a good chunk were a special resonant metal. Skin stings and muscles ache, but bone burns- and the pain brought Patrick to his knees.

That was, until he felt himself being raised up by some force. A force that was distinctly... blue. Sure enough, Scion had made his way back over. Fighting off the pain, Patrick muttered, "I thought you had to go, goggles."

Though tempted to drop him on the spot, Scion responded in stride: "Nah, it seems they solved their problems on their own." Spying the gathering crowd of what appeared to be supers, he offered Patrick a shoulder and they limped across the street to the group.

"Another wounded?" one asked.

"Just jarred," Patrick answered. Shrugging off of Scion's shoulder, he looked around the group. There was an obsidian giant, a fit blonde with glowing eyes, a man in a green cloak, and a kid with some huge swords. Also incoming was a small child next to what appeared to be a dinosaur. Had this been another day, this would've seemed odd. Now, however, Patrick's thoughts turned back to asking about his father.

Just then behind him, though, was played a haunting flute melody that, similarly, was augmented in his bones. Compared to the shriek, it was soothing, but normal music wasn't this effective. Something must've been different. Turning around, he saw a brunette in a long skirt sitting on what may at some time have been a car.

"What a mess," she said, smirking, "Did I miss anything?"

"You mean besides the whole damn alien being blown up?" another of the group blurted out.

"Relax," the flautist retorted adjusting her skirt against the wreck. "I'm just trying to ease the mood is all. Looks like that big beastie is gone now, though."

Patrick spoke up: "That begs the question, though- do we go after it or wait until it strikes again?"

[Sorry I've been lax on posts lately. I take all responsibility for my actions. Also, it's now evening CST, but I did my best to leave Shengmingli and Demon well enough alone.]

[Roy Karrde]

Jason Landrew
~~~[Sentinel | 5:20 in the evening | Flying above the street in Seattle ] ~~~

Glass exploded all around me as the fellow super and I broke through the window of some building, the taste of copper or warm blood filled my throat as I skidded across the floor, slamming into the desk with enough force to send my head cracking back against it. "Dang it.." I moaned, spitting out blood as I got onto all fours, outside the battle was raging on but all I could hear was the ringing inside of my head.

"Next time I am going to school." I moaned, blood dripping from my mouth as I used the desk as leverage, rising to my feet as the room continued to wobble and spin around me. I took a few more breaths, shaking my head to clear my vision only to have pain stab through my chest as well as pierce my brain.

The sudden shock of pain brought about another gurgled cry of shock, blood spewing from my mouth. "Great, a cracked rib" I rubbed my side, one of the Alien's tentacles had swatted at my side in mid battle just a few minutes earlier, that and flying through a glass window had probably cracked or broken a rib.

"You saved him." A male voice brought me back into reality and away from the pain as I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my costume. "You saved my partner... Thank you."

Even through the pain I couldn't help but give a embarrassed smile, I wasn't really used to being congratulated. "Don't mention it." I laughed, doing my best to clear my head of the pain, I was no good if I let the pain overwhelm me. "All in a day's work, y'know."

"What is your name?" The man called out as I walked over to the edge of the window, gazing down at the battle.

"Call me Sentinel." I replied bluntly, my voice trailing off as I tried to understand what was happening.

"Sentinel... Thank you, Sentinel. My name is Ivan. And that... is..." The man named Ivan said as I turned back to look at the two, or really it was one. "...Enigma." He added, noticing as well that his... partner? wasn't there.

Ivan rushed back to the window, swearing along the way, a blast rocked the building, signaling that "Enigma" had probably gone back on the offensive again. "Hold on." I grabbed his hand as we both lept from the window, with one hand holding onto Ivan, and the other angled at the ground, I did my best to cushion the fall, by the time we reached the concrete, it felt like we were landing on a pad of marshmallows.

Ivan rushed off to his partner as my mind flashed through the battle, the fire had made it stronger so wouldn't... "The water!" I ran up behind them, screaming at the top of my lungs causing pain to rack my body. "The water! Those hydrants! Fire strengthens that thing, blast it with water!"

By the time the words had left my mouth the others were moving quickly, following the same line of thought as I dropped to my knees, blood running freely out of my mouth. My breath was coming out weaker, more staggered as I found it harder to draw in breath. Before I could even look up to see what was happening, a pair of hands grabbed my waist, leaping both of us out of the way and narrowly missing the torrent of water.

"I think one of my lungs is busted." I wheezed, my voice coming out as a near whisper as I glanced up at Ivan to see him screaming something, at this point the pain was so loud, the ringing echoing in my ears, that I couldn't even make out a single word.

"I don't think I can fi.." Before I finished the sentence a pair of explosions rocked both of us, the shock wave threatening to send both of us flying backwards into the building we had just escaped.

"Fight.." My words drifted off as the sight of dozens of soldiers filled my vision.

[Bulbasaur4]

Shengmingli
[ F | Seattle, WA ]



Shengmingli had wandered away from the group, following the reptilian creature she managed to scamper to his tail and give it a light tug. His massive head swiveled around to look at her, and he had responded to her. She didn't know how he knew her language- but then again, Alex had known her language so she was beginning to believe that this was not an unusual thing.

"Shengmingli." She said, pointing to herself. Tilting her head to the side, she gave a light bow to him. "You?" She inquired in her native tongue, as the large creature stood up a little straighter.

"Demon." He replied, and then turned his head to continue walking his path away.
"Wait!" She grabbed his tail again lightly, and he jerked his head around once more. A slight look of aggitation perhaps filled his features, but she was unaware.

"Where are you going?" She looked at him brightly, her large crimson eyes showing her geniune interest.

"Home..." He rumbled low, his eyes gazing off into an alleyway, as if suggesting the direction of where he was about to head.

Shengmingli perhaps would have fidgeted, as she struggled to find what she was looking to say. Yet, her years of experience had her lacking in the emotional department, along with lacking a bit in her own tongue. Finally however she seemed to settle upon what she was going to say as she pointed over to the group of supers.

"Stay with us?" She nodded, as if this was only the most natural decision. Demon opened his mouth as if to reply, when suddenly a voice rang out that caused Shengmingli's head to turn.

"Shengmingli! Over here!" Alex's familiar voice rang out in Chinese, and she could recognize the urgency in his tone. Looking back to Demon, she gave a hurried bow as her delicate tendrils of black bounced with her movements.

"Please." She added politely, as she turned and dashed away.

**

"I was meaning to ask why you had brought a girl with you..." A low, perturbed voice asked, the man having a darkened aura about him.

"She's like us... and I think she healed the big green guy over there..." Alex responded in English, as Shengmingli scampered over to the group. Her eyes swiftly settled upon the guy who had earlier climbed into their truck, the one who fought with swords. He was lying out in the street, the sun's rays harshly falling upon his skin- ironic, a sunny day in Seattle.

"Can you heal him?" Alex asked in Chinese, his eyes looking over her with slight curiousity. She nodded for a moment and her eyes gazed about. Many of them looked injured. There were Jason's swords, but she knew that they would be too large for her to use them as she had used the needles. She couldn't ask Alex to stab her... she doubted that they would understand the need for her to be impaled, and then twisted consistently.

Her eyes glanced at the soldiers with their guns, the shards of the glass and other debris... but she knew it would cause trouble if she were to bother the angry soldiers and glass wouldn't do. Her eyes then raised up slightly, taking notice of a rather large, opening building that seemed to have no walls or windows, but various strange 'vehicles' were inside. (She had thought cars were monsters at first, but now was informed they were things man controlled.)

"Wait." She said to Alex, and then dashed off into the parking garage.
"What the fuck is she doing? Hijacking a car?" A voice coughed.
"I imagine it has something to do with her power." The same low tone resonated.
"She needs to melt a car?"
"Perhaps she requires darkness to gather energy."
"Well, she does seem to regenerate massivel-"


SHPLACK

A body fell not too far from the supers, blood spattering everywhere as the sickening sounds of bones cracking and tissues ripping sounded in the air.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"...S-s-shengmingli?!" Alex's voice cracked, his eyes wide with shock and horror at the sight of her crumbled, bloody heap of a body. There were several comments as Alex dashed over to her, disbelief in his eyes at the gore. Her blood pooled on the ground, gathering from the uneven road side. But unseen to Alex, her body was going into a frenzy.

Her vitals were the first to be repaired, the cells working at a frenzied, hyper-active rate. Then the vital bone structure began to reconstruct itself, forming the full ribcage around the tender tissues. A strange, barely audible bubbling sound trickled into the air as her body continued to mend. Muscle tissues were torn, stretched and repaired as the non-vitals were beginning to be reconstructed....

Shengmingli's eyes blinked for a moment, her body not fully healed but she was awake. Pushing her ripped hands to the ground, she tried to rise to her feet but immediately Alex was at her side.

"Are you crazy?! You don't jump from buildings!" He said in English, and then shook his head and respoke in Chinese. He was wincing still, his face flushed as he clutched his side with one arm and her with the other. He had been hurt too.

Blood got upon Alex as Shengmingli forced herself to rise, the skin around her legs reforming at the rate one would pour syrup from a container.

"The blood... he needs..." She said quietly, breathing heavily as she motioned at Jason.
"Put his body here." Alex motioned to them, pointing at the pool that was still fresh.

"Dude, that's just gross." The large one retorted, but Jason's body was put into the pool of blood. Shengmingli sat down, told to by Alex, and motioned at the blood again.
"Injuries... in blood will heal..." She said, and Alex translated. She then motioned to Alex. "You too, before it goes away...."

Shengmingli blinked a few times, her eyelids going heavy as she tried to watch them and hear their conversation. Her head was dizzy, a familiar sensation to her, as a heavy desire of sleep began to place pressure upon her mind. She could hear Jason speaking now, but her vision blurred slightly as she closed her eyes and softly rested herself on the cement ground.





[Crap post, I know. >.>;; Sorry. But I did find it funny as I was thinking of all the ways the girl could scar Alex by stabbing herself with a katana before I gave up on that. xD ]

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Twist of Fate
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 2:14 PM
Location: Seattle, Washington. Street level.

The little Chinese girl, Shengmingli, had stopped Demon from leaving the group, and going to his home. But what was more surprising, was that she asked him to stay, with the other Supers still gathered on the sidewalk. Even as she walked away…

“Please”

Demon, more or less, was dumbfounded. Someone was asking him to stay. Sincerely asking him, the thing that looked like a living dinosaur, a giant reptile, to stay and not run, not hide himself away.

Acceptance. That was what he had wanted for so long now. And as he thought about it, it seemed as if these other Supers were going to accept him. The tall one talked with him as an equal, Sigil, the calm one who seemed unphased by most anything, and now this young girl, Shengmingli.

Shengmingli… he thought, his mind piecing together the words of Chinese. Life force?

Carefully, he turned around and peeked out of the alley at the other Supers, keeping his body low to the ground, using his arms to help maintain his balance. His rectangular head watched them, and he could hear them.

“She's like us... and I think she healed the big green guy over there…” Demon snorted. I’m NOT green, and I’m NOT a dinosaur! his mind raced with annoyance at the one in white, black, and green cloak who had insulted him twice unknowingly.

The others were huddled around the one in orange armor, who had collapsed. Perhaps he was injured more than Demon had thought. Shengmingli dashed off towards a parking complex, asking the others to wait. Demon’s head tilted in confusion, like a cat or wolf staring at something. The others were talking amongst themselves, but Demon caught the sight of movement from the car garage…

As Shengmingli jumped from the third story.

“NO!” he roared, scampering against the concrete. His hands and feet digging troughs into the ground as he clambered for friction. Demon’s movements were frantic and he tore up a good chunk of the concrete and sidewalk as he tried to run up to catch Shengmingli before she hit.

But he was too late.

Her body hit the ground with a sickening “Shplack” that even made Demon’s instincts shrink back from the image. Demon slowed to a stop, his claws digging into the sidewalk again.

His mind shifted as the scent of her blood wafted into his nostrils. Blood. Lots of blood. A kill? Dead. Food. FOOD. Demon shook his head, even going so far as to slam it into the side of a building to stop his instincts from doing something he’d never be able to forgive himself for.

The cloaked one ran up to Shengmingli just as Demon hit his head against the building. He shook his head, bits o brick and plaster falling from his head. The cloaked one started talking to Shengmingli, saying how she shouldn’t fall off of buildings as her blood feel to the ground.

“Put his body here,” the man said. And then it clicked for Demon. Her blood… That’s why he could smell her blood and his mixed, why he could smell her blood on him. Her blood had saved him, and as he thought this, he could hear the snapping of bone and flesh of her body, similar to the way his own body repaired itself.

Turning on a dime, Demon walked up to the orange armored one on the ground. With his clawed arms he picked up the teenager and walked towards the puddle of Shengmingli’s blood collecting on the sidewalk. Carefully, he rested him on his back, before rolling him around like making a log out of clay. Shengmingli’s blood got on Demon’s hands again, and he could feel a little bit of energy return to him, but he rolled the orange-clad one a few more times before letting him rest on his back.

Demon turned towards where Shengmingli was starting to waver, looking drained. Standing up he walked towards her, his footfalls soft for something that nearly weighed two tons. Standing over her as she started to lay down, he walked around her in a tight circle, before laying down around her, curling his body around her so she would having something softer than the sidewalk to lay on.

He had managed to get a bit of his tail under her head as she lay down. Demon did as well, laying on the sidewalk, curled around the Chinese girl, his massive head looking at her, and anyone that came close.

“Uuuhg,” he heard the teenager mumble. “Wha-? Why am I covered in blood?” Okay, so he was awake now.

Demon could feel footsteps walk up behind him.

“Hey,” it was the green cloaked one again. “Dino-boy.”

He snorted, talking softly. “I am not a dinosaur…” turning his head gently to look at him, glaring.

“Okay, you’re not. But just the same… Thanks.”

Demon looked up at him, some of the other Supers muttering to themselves.

“I did what I could,” Demon replied and was silent for a while. “Demon.”

”What?” the one asked, possibly distracted.

“It’s his name,” he heard Sigil reply, standing next to the wall of the building.

“Demon… Not very imaginative are you?”

The Demon snorted in annoyance.

“Whatever the reason for his name,” the tall one said. “He has shown himself to be more than he appears..”

“Sure,” Demon muttered, finding himself more talkative than normal. “I’m just a monster that everyone runs away from, screams at, or shoots at.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Sigil stated. “You are not a monster. You are unique.”

Demon wanted to add the comment Uniquely a monster from hell, but refrained. For so many years he had wanted company, wanted someone to talk to that wouldn’t yell or scream at him. Here others seemed to be making an effort to him, and he was throwing them away at every turn. Could he gain friends again? Would it be possible? How long could he keep his instincts in check before he lashed out at someone?

Someone kneeled in front of him, and Demon looked. It was the tall one, with the black wings.

“She speaks the truth Demon. You are unique, just like everyone else is unique in their own way.” He offered a hand. “Ivan.”

Demon looked at the hand, looked at him, then grasped Ivan’s hand with his own in a firm grip, shaking.

“Yeah Dino-uh, I mean Demon,” the green cloaked one added. “I’m Chaotix.” Demon could still smell Chaotix’s blood on him, but there was also the scent of Shengmingli’s blood on him too.

The one in orange armor stumbled up, holding his head, trying to wipe the blood off. “And you can call me Sentinel,” then he stopped as he realized he was looking at a 21-foot long saurian curled around Shengmingli. He pointed at Demon before asking, “What’s a dinosaur doing here?”

Demon let out a low growl.

“It’s Demon… you know, the one that threw the alien?” Chaotix replied.

Sentinel thought for a moment. “Oh… OH yeah! That was you?”

Demon nodded. He didn’t like being termed “the freak” out of a group of people, even if they were Supers, and different by nature.

“Yeah! I remember. I saw you tangle with that thing earlier. It was like watching a Godzilla movie or something…”

Demon wanted to shrug, but he didn’t want to wake up Shengmingli as she rested on his tail.

Two more individuals came up, and Demon recognized them from the fight earlier. They had Shengmingli’s blood on them, and were starting to look better. One of them had the scent of metal just under the skin, even though he looked “normal” enough to pass for human. Oh yes, he was the one that let out enough sonic screeches that hurt Demon’s ears. The other was wearing goggles, and a purple body suit with no sleeves.

A soft melody played on the wind.

The Supers turned towards the source, and saw a woman sitting on the wrecked hood of a car, content with herself that she had gotten their attention.

“What a mess,” she said with a smirk, “Did I miss anything?”

“You mean besides the whole damn alien being blown up?” he heard Sentinel blurt out.

“Shhh!” Demon added, using a clawed hand to his mouth at Sentinel.

“Relax,” the woman replied as she re-adjusted her skirt. “I'm just trying to ease the mood is all. Looks like that big beastie is gone now, though.”

“That begs the question, though,” the screeching one said. “Do we go after it or wait until it strikes again?”

“First,” Chaotix said. “Who are you guys? The rest of us already went through the introductions.”

“Resonance,” said the one who smelt of metal. One of the ones that smelt like metal and flesh, the other was Sigil Demon had just noticed.

“Psion,” said the one with the bright red goggles.

The woman was looking disinterested with the whole thing, not giving her name.

“And you?” Ivan asked her specifically.

“Hmm?” she said, either playfully distant or naturally distracted Demon wasn’t sure. “You can call me Aria.”

“Okay,” Chaotix added. “Now we can talk about whether to go after it or not…”

They discussed their options, but Demon stayed quiet, watching them. He sniffed the air before he commented. “I… don’t smell it. I can tell it’s still out there though, but it’s far enough from here that I don’t want to rush out and kill it.”

Some of the others looked at him, whether disturbed by the saruain’s words or naturally curious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Muwahaha… Character Interaction Powers GO! *dramatic pose* Oh… and I got nothing else beyond that <<U!

Oh yes.. and Demon Knows Chinese because he knows several languages! XD Including Sign Language. Yeah.. he liked them before the Change, and still tries to keep them updated in his mind.

EDIT: Misspelled Shingmingli's name there for a bit... sorry ^^U

[Houndoom_Lover]

(*Look up blearily from my tissue box* Urrg...posting)

The twisted piece of sidewalk art reared up on its cement body as millipede like legs erupted out of the stony piece of art. They were slate and gravel, bits of stone flung out as it metamorphic. The bits were flung into building and lamps- sounds of broken glass and beeping cars joined the stones of moving stone.

The thing that the gargoyle had made rushed at the pretentious artist with the force of five run away trains, its body sinking and soaring, and its many legs did that creepy thing millipede’s legs do.

“Do you question me now, User of the Flames?” The stone beast roared, flapping its wings as though in excitement. Nazerith’s creature suck deep into the ground right before the head of it reached its goal. But then it shot back out of the ground, its once square head now buggy jaws of doom. It held the fiery artist in its claws as the gargoyle crackled gravelly in the background.

“Feel the full pain of the suffering artists, the true suffering artists!”

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
HELLFIRE
Rock and a Hot Place
Robert Wiles~#~Hellfire#~#Male
Time: 12:01 PM EST
Location: New York's performer square

Robert didn’t like being put between a rock and a hard place. However, the fire angel found himself in just such a situation.

The gargoyle’s creation of stone and concrete sprouted legs and manipulated itself into a withering millipede, complete with teeth after it had seemed to gather raw materials from the asphalt. It lunged at Robert, snatching him in its claws, the mandibles chattering and grinding like stone on stone, moving him closer to the crushing maw.

Robert concentrated, creating small barriers between himself and the ‘pede’s legs, giving him some leeway. His wings roared as he gave himself just enough space to slip free before letting the millipede chatter in confusion and rage. The gargoyle was upset as well, meaning to either injure him or kill him.

He flew back a ways, drawing the living stone millipede out towards the open, away from some of the buildings. Wiping a new trail of blood from his nose, his hand reached into his satchel, wings condensed into jets to dodge the next attack as the millipede continued to slither around like a giant snake. Flying up, Robert had found what he needed.

Pulling out a piece of paper with a rose drawn on it, he let it out of his hand, and it went ridged, floating in midair.

“What’s this?” the gargoyle commented, curious. “You try to show me art now? How pathetic to save your life such as this. Your judgment has already been chosen and your punishment is now delivered. Why fight such a fate?”

“Because my Fate is in my own hands,” he replied, the paper bursting into flames and disintegrating.

“WHAT?!” the gargoyle roared as it saw the destruction of the drawing. “You dare to insult me?! Caller of flame, I.. will….”

The gargoyle was cut off as it noticed a spark of flame start before it. The spark was small, delicate, before growing, forming into a rose bud. It grew larger, a flower summoned of flames and fire. The petals opening as it became very tall, the bud getting as large as an SUV, and standing nearly 30 feet tall.

“Such… wondrous spirit,” the gargoyle commented. “The spark of art made real, flower of flame. You have impressed me, Artisan of Fire. My second test you have passed.”

Robert hovered since the gargoyle’s attention kept his millipede stationary as the controller was distracted. I’m not here to pass your tests, he thought as his concentration continued on what his own summoning was doing.

The flower grew, until the center petals seemed to burn away, revealing a maw of deformed teeth. It reared back, letting out a howling, screeching roar, as tendrils of fire sprout forth from it, whipping around the area, lighting even the sidewalk on fire. Each tendril had a large bud at the end that split into another maw with teeth.

Staring at amazement, the gargoyle’s look switched from amazement and curiosity, to shock as the fire rose’s tendrils lashed out towards it! Willing its stone creature forth, the millipede slammed into the rose, knocking it into a small building. Fire kicked up, lighting along the rocks as anything remotely flammable caught fire, causing newspaper stands to burst into death traps.

The two summoned things of fire and brimstone clashed, sending their respected pieces elsewhere. Fire flew and dissipated on the air, while chunks of sidewalk were tossed to the wayside. Both beings of rock and flame latched onto one another. The flaming rose wrapped its many tendrils around the millipede, while the ‘pede used its dozens of legs to poke and prod into the rose’s flaming form.

Wrapping around it, the millipede sent both of them rolling into the middle of the artist’s square. Each was screeching, roaring, or chittering as they fought. Both structures of art, of fire, of flame, of rock, of earth battled each withering and slithering. The fight lasted long and hard, both Robert and the gargoyle kept up and out of the way as the fight burnt the concrete and carved it up with the two combatants fought with each other.

Robert could feel his influence start to waver. His little headache was starting to turn into a major migraine keeping control of his flaming rose and fly at the same time. There was also the millipede, that seemed to become sluggish in its own movements, bits of its body falling to the ground as rubble.

He felt his Monster Rose start to falter as the millipede slammed into it, causing him to lose control of it, and the rose burst apart into individual flames and the ‘pede to break into a line of rubble. Robert’s head ache was unbearable as he lowered himself down and let his wings reform into his back. Blood dripped from his nose, eyes and ears, collecting into a pool below him as he held himself up on all fours. He looked up, trying to see through blood streaked glasses as his drawing reformed into paper and came to him. Weakly he caught it, trying to slide it back into its folder in his satchel.

His headache was subsiding, but it would take a bit before the pain would leave him.

“Da-damnit,” he muttered, pushing himself up.

There was the clinking of stone on stone, and he could see the red eyes of the gargoyle coming closer towards him. The statue looked… drained, nearly dry. Water seemed to seep from it, and oddly enough, seemed just as weak as Robert felt right now.

It looked down at Robert as the human pushed himself back, resting against a piece of rubble.

“Ah, Lord of Fire, Artison of Flame. You have passed my third test,” it grinned at him.

He forced himself to talk, as much as he wanted to stay quiet and let his mind be free from pain. “How many of these… tests do you have? Or do you keep rambling on till you tell me?”

It smiled at him, the tail wagging side to side energetically, “For now… Tonight… Or always? It does not matter, either way you have pleased my senses.”

Robert sat there, his brain on fire from pain. This thing had a slight advantage, however it controlled its abilities to manipulate rock and earth, it had a bit more for it than Robert did at the moment. Which meant that Hellfire was now on his own against this thing…

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Houndoom, I leave what happens next to you. Hope you start feeling better ^^

[kalad1]

Name:Susan Hearthwood
Alias: Valkyrie
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Nationality: American
Alignment: Neutral Good
Powers: being a prototype full conversion cyborg, she has Superhuman strength, speed, and endurance, Jumpjets mounted in back, superhuman vision and hearing, as well as built-in equipment, a vibrosword mounted on her right arm, high output electroshock prongs in her hands, as well as interface plugs for other high tech weapons like plasma rifles.
Power Source: Various technological systems, some of reverse engineered alien origin, all of which run off of plasma fuel cells.
Weaknesses: EMPs can disrupt some of her systems, as well, she can only run in combat mode for an hour before depleting her power cells and needing to obtain new, also, she has an obedience circuit mounted at the base of what used to be her skull, which will induce pain if she defies orders.
Personality: While she'll be friendly when she can, she is often forced to be cold and distant, and she bears a lot of remorse over making the decisions she has made, and wishes she'd never gotten involved with Project Einherjar.
Appearance: She's about 5'8", with a body clearly made of metal, while retaining a classic female shape. The only part of her that appears made of flesh is her face and hair, and even that's artificial, bearing tan skin, blue eyes and short blonde hair. On her right arm, clearly visible, is her vibroblade unit. On her back, situated near her shoulders are two protruding nodules with downward pointing holes, her jumpjets. She doesn't really wear clothing anymore, as she doesn't really have anything to cover up.
Weapons: Her vibroblade and shocking systems, as well, she can be outfitted with weaponry such as plasma rifles and such.
History: At the age of twenty, Susan ended up in a car wreck, which left her body mangled and her permanently on life support. A month later, a man from the government came, offering her the opportunity to volunteer for a 'Revolutionary New Treatment' which would free her from the constraints of the hospital. She accepted, and was inducted into Project Einherjar, a top secret government project whose purpose was to find a way to create effective, affordable, and controllable shocktroops for handling superhumans. Now, three years later, she's ready for field testing.
Theme(s):Another Timediver
Shippu Jinrai
Relationships: She has had little to no contact with her family, or anyone she's cared about for three years.
Other:


Susan Hearthwood
Valkyrie
Following Orders
Time: 2:10 PM
___________________________________
I frowned, double-checking my systems in silence as the APC rushed to the epicenter of what the military was already calling the "Seattle Incident". I remembered my orders, the beast had already fled, but I was to rendevous with the supers that had fought it, and obtain any information from them that I could, and if they decided to pursue the creature, I was to accompany them. Most importantly, I was to obtain as much data on the creature as possible, all but myself were expendable towards this end. I was issued a plasma gatling gun, a spare power cell, and a pistol that was to be used if slaying the beast proved impossible, it would send a special tracking dart that would, hopefully, stick to the creature, and allow bombardment trajectories to be calculated.

I sighed, wishing for the millionth time that I hadn't accepted the devil's deal the government had given me, but it was too late for that, the most I could do was do my best to protect people the way I was. I then felt the vehicle screech to a stop, and slung the powercell canister and gatling gun over my shoulders before popping the side door and stepping out to see an odd assortment of people, including a young child, some guy in armor with swords, and a multi-ton lizardman.

I spoke before they could, approaching them as I held my face and voice as cool and steady as ice, "Greetings, you may call me Valkyrie, and if I could have a moment of your time, I have been sent by the United States Government to debrief you on the nature of the creature you encountered. Do not worry, you will be monetarily compensated for your time."

[Heald]

Ok guys, I'm going to be offline for a while (see post in the Away thread) so there will be no activity from the alien (who is in hiding recuperating and surveying) or from Red Bear (who is having his arm reattached). So feel free to disperse from Seattle, since he isn't going to reappear there. Timewise, it'll be a few days in-game before he rears his head again. Hopefully I'll be back within a week.

[classy_cat18]

Nia Windfall ~ AKA Aria ~ Seattle, WA

It was shortly after I started speaking with the Supers that I got an answer from the mysterious Poltergeist. Her manner of speech was smooth and relaxed, something that captivated me when I heard her on the news. After a moment of silently debating on how to talk to someone that was speaking in my mind, she spoke to me again. "You don't have to say anything out loud, dear. Just form the words in your mind."

Damn, this is creepy. Um, first I wanted to tell you that I liked your little speech on the news.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

I interruped our internal conversation to give one of the Supers my name. "My ancestors were hunted down like they were dangerous beasts. I feared my fate would be the same. These supers seem to be okay but I think they're more concerned for the little humans than for their own safety. We could...support each other."

I heard her giggle in my mind. "I think that's a splendid idea. Unfortunately I'm unable to leave Brooklyn so you'll have to come here."

"Beautiful," I sighed. "At the other side of the country. The big problem is separating myself from the others."

I temporarily snapped to attention as a strange metal woman stood before the group, a cyborg that seemed too advanced to have been designed by humans. "Greetings, you may call me Valkyrie, and if I could have a moment of your time, I have been sent by the United States Government to debrief you on the nature of the creature you encountered. Do not worry, you will be monetarily compensated for your time."

Great, the government. Poltergeist would have to wait for now. "I'm all ears, but only because I'm curious about this creature I happened to miss. And because I'll be paid. But after your debriefing I have somewhere to go."

[Mew Master]

Um, just a notice. This isn't for my character or anything. I'm posting this on behalf of Houndoom Lover, who's net connection has been... less than favorable.

Nazerith felt its joints stiffen, but to leave a battle when it was this hot- this passionate! It would gladly give up all movement just to see this man flutter across the sky like a mighty moth. And he would, it would make this man dance across the sky for all eternity, along with it. His fire reminded Nazerith’s of its own- and of the artist it once knew. The idea stuck it so hard, like a baseball through a frail window that you just could not repair!

Now, only to make him come follow. Nazerith would refill, and then!

Nazerith gave a joyful leap, which was much more difficult then need be. It was drying, much too fast. Estimating based on other times of dry spells; it figured it had one good creation left in it.

“…No,” Nazerith started, over-dramatically, its voice getting more and more like slate against stone, eyes glowing feverishly, “A final test, a final test-!“

It spread its stony bat wings like an avenging condor of Hell and took to the air with one grand flap, sloshing water down as it lifted itself up.

That’s not all that was lifting itself up…

The ground beneath Robert, that rubble, started to shake like a mighty earthquake was ripping through New York. (Fun fact: This Earthquake could be felt right along all of New York, shaking water glasses all around.) If Robert had any fears about what he was sitting on was about to transform, they were soon alleviated, for hands- massive molten rock one, tore a hole in the earth.

Water raced from the gargoyles holes at top speed, making a whirling hissing noise as his molten rock giant rose from the earth.
“Stop my beast!” It roared above rocks, the shifting, and the smelting above, “Your final grade will be known!”

In a great flap he disappeared into the clouds. If Robert wanted to, he could easily catch up to him, but…

The Molten Golem smashed its hand through the Ku-Po Discount store. Glass smashing-screams-wall tearing. It was like a scene from a Marvel comic.

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
HELLFIRE
Washout
Robert Wiles~#~Hellfire#~#Male
Time: 12:12 PM EST
Location: New York's performer square, destroyed

Robert felt the ground shake under him as the gargoyle blabbered something about another test. The concrete under and around him buckled as he felt the shift in inertia. Such a brash movement caused his head to hurt even more, keeping him from even calling forth his wings to get away. A set of molten hands burst forth, ripping apart the concrete and brick of the performer’s square.

What could best be described as a golem comprised of molten rock and lava pushed itself up, knocking Robert down, grabbing onto the edge of the hole it had made as it pulled itself up with a rumbling roar. The artist’s head was burning and hurt, unable to keep a hold of the edge of the pit-fall, and he feel down below to where the now walking mass of concrete and rebar that had been there.

His landing was hard as he ended up soaking wet and three feet down in water. Kicking himself up, even with the weight of his satchel and coat, he broke the surface, gasping for air, his body being carried away by the current.

Robert struggled to keep his head above the water. The combined weight of his clothes and satchel were making it difficult to keep his head up. His feet kicked against the water as he struggled to get to the side, reaching for a ledge. Fingers brushed against stone. A ledge! He kicked harder, against the current.

Grabbing the edge, he reached for a piece of piping, giving himself some more leverage and pulled himself out of the rushing water. His glasses were in his hands, they would have been swept away if he hadn’t grabbed them as he fell. Pulled out of the water, soaked, exhausted and head still hurting, Robert tried to look around to where he was.

Not in the sewer, he thought. Doesn’t smell that bad. He pushed himself up, using the wall as a brace. Flicking the water off his glasses he slipped them on. Water droplets distorted his vision, but he could still see somewhat. Must be the water works.

Robert looked back to where the water was running from, and where he had been. He couldn’t hear the sounds of the gargoyle or its summoned golem. Just as well, he really didn’t want to deal with it anymore.

Using the wall as a brace he started walking along the flow of water. His clothes were heavy and he was soaked to the bone. Robert was even sure that his art supplies and drawings were soaked and might be destroyed. When his headache was gone, he could dry his stuff off and then find his way to his home, if it wasn’t destroyed by now.

First he needed to get out of the water system.

He walked for ten minutes, following the path of water, looking for a way out. The water on his glasses had dried, but through the water caked lenses he could see what he was looking for.

A grate.

His headache was subsiding, and he jumped up, letting his wings out to jet him up for a little extra push. The grate gave with a loud creek, turning out and away from him. He dropped back down, smirking to himself. One more push… he jumped, letting his wings out again so he could grab onto the edge of the ledge.

Taking a bit to swing himself and haul himself up and through the grate, which luckily he could fit through. Pulling his satchel up, and resting it on the level he was climbing up to, Robert managed to get up and out of the water circuit. Moving away from the grate, he stood up, letting his satchel drop to the floor with a wet slurp.

He rolled his shoulders and peeled his trench coat off, and started to wring it out, small torrents of water splashing on the floor. Glancing around, the floor seemed dusty, and the dust would come off when his stuff dried. So he tossed his coat down on the ground.

Robert grabbed his satchel, and could feel water moving around in it. So he held it by the edge, and tipped it, pouring the water down on the ground.

“And who are you, praytell?” he heard a woman’s voice behind him.

He glanced back at the voice, learning that he wasn’t alone. There was a woman standing there, her arms crossed and looking at him, interested in the artist. Great, he thought. Someone’s home or something. Oh well. Five minutes and I’m gone.

Calmly he stood up, taking out his various wet drawings. Holding them out-front on the palm of his hand, he started turning, causing individual pages to stay, and floating in the air. His movement caused them to float around him, surrounding him like a floating dome of drawings on paper. He could still see through it, and she could see him.

He replied as he concentrated his fire, causing the paper to dry and straighten out. Steam rose from the paper, floating around and dropping to the ground. “Hellfire.”

The woman looked at him for a bit, watching him, almost taking him in. A smile came over her face.

“That’s not a very polite way in which to introduce yourself… Robert.”

Robert’s eyes widened from his concentration, the papers wobbling before he regained his composure. Narrowing his eyes at her.

“Telepath?”

What is a telepath but one who can see through the windows of the mind? he heard her voice echo in his mind, like she was finding him amusing.

“Telepath,” Robert replied, keeping his concentration on drying his work before they were all ruined. “Who are you?”

“Poltergeist,” she said vocally this time.

“Poltergeist?”

The dead have no names.

Robert didn’t like this. Facing an art-themed gargoyle with rock and earth was one thing. But he didn’t have much of a defense against anyone manipulating his mind left and right.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

There ya go Dru. Enjoy.

[Blademaster]

Ivan and Enigma


'Where is Enigma?'

Despite having almost no other friends (if Enigma could even be called that), the battle and the aftermath had distracted Ivan for long enough to only NOW realize his partner was still missing.

"Demon."

The mammoth reptilian opened one eye - he seemed to be dozing off, just like the little girl he was guarding had.

"Grrmh...?" he growled sleepily. "Whuh?"


"Demon, I don't know where Enigma is." Ivan said (softly, so as not to wake up his new 'friend'). "Can you pick up his scent? He's badly injured."

Demon didn't look particularly concerned about the guy who'd tried to shoot him several times that same day, but he sniffed the air nonetheless.


"I smell... blood?" he finally replied, a sour look on his face. "Ugh. Does he ALWAYS smell that bad?"


"His blood is a conglomeration of that of many other Supers." Ivan replied. "That is why it's so muddled."


"Fair enough... But he doesn't BATHE very often either, does he?"


".....No."


Demon chuckled, then pointed at a large hole in a building behind the one Ivan and Sentinel had been knocked into earlier. "He's in there. Smells like he's bleeding pretty bad."


'Just what I feared...' Ivan thought, taking to the air and zooming through the hole within seconds. He touched down, light as a feather, and looked around.


The room was a cubicle room; Enigma had evidently barreled through two walls, knocked down the third, and landed in a storage closet.


"Enigma?" Ivan called. "Enigma, where are you?"


No answer... Ivan looked through the rubble, biting his lip. Enigma wouldn't be this quiet if he wasn't hurt... Ivan started digging through the broken appliances, chunks of drywall, scattered papers...


His heart stopped: Enigma was slumped against the far wall, his left arm unnaturally bent and a shaft of bone poking from his left leg. Blood dripped from his lips, scratches and cuts scattered across his face and ripping through the costume that was his skin, which only furthered the bleeding. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow.


"ENIGMA!!" Ivan shrieked, rushing to his partner's aid. "Enigma, wake up!"


Again, nothing.


Ivan lifted up his partner.


'No. Not him, too. I WON'T let him die!' Ivan swore to himself, turning and flying from the building; he landed back where the other Supers were recovering. They all looked at Enigma in shock.


"You all live here." Ivan asked, voice shaking. "Tell me how to get to a hospital."


"The little girl-" one of them whose name Ivan didn't learn yet began.


"No." Ivan's response was immediate. "She's exhausted. She's suffered enough for us all today. Get me to someone who can heal him without putting themselves at risk. Hurry!"



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



We got a man down, folks. Anybody that lives in Seattle, you're up.


And no, Ivan will not take Shenmingli's blood under ANY circumstances. Sorry, but that's just too easy.


NEXT!

[Mew Master]

TPM Comics Presents...
DEMON
Friendship
Steven Wiles ~*~Demon*~*Male
Time: 2:31 PM WST
Location: Seattle, Washington. Street level.

“What you fought was a Class 3, Form-forming…” the woman who smelled of metal and oil, Valkyrie, started telling the group of Supers on the side walk of Seattle.

Demon found himself annoyed and afraid. He wasn’t used to being around so many people for such a long time. Not only was that, but the monotone of Valkyrie’s voice starting to bore him, and lure him to sleep. Shenmingli was still asleep on the saurian’s tail, her breathing constant. She likely exhausted by the whole ordeal. Best to let her rest.

His annoyance, however, was brought on the fact that Valkyrie had said that they would be monetarily compensated.

Do I look like I have a wallet? he thought, letting out a light snort.

The other Supers, describing the fight, the alien, and what it was capable of, answered Valkyrie. Demon yawned, keeping quiet about the whole thing. He was a bit on edge still, so many people, conflicting scents, seeing soldiers with guns. The saurian was also tired.

With Shenmingli fast asleep on his tail, Demon lowered his head. His lower jaw resting on the concrete. He wasn’t saying anything, rather to keep his mouth shut than anything. Quiet, on the ground, curled up, tired, he was tempted to sleep right there. Demon’s eyes closed as his mind started to shut down.

“Demon.” Said a familiar voice.

The saurian opened one eye, letting out a tired growl. “Whuh?” His eye moved around, looking at the one who had spoke. It was Ivan.

“Demon,” he said softly. “I don’t know where Enigma is. Can you pick up his scent, he’s badly injured.”

Arching his head up, Demon sniffed the air. Indifferent towards Enigma, he inhaled the air. Through the smell of people, smoke, gunpowder, and fire, the saurian caught the familiar maddening scent of Enigma. One with a scent like his name.

“I smell … blood?” The sudden whiff of Enigma’s raw blood burned Demon’s nostrils and he shook his head. “Uhg. Does he always smell that bad?”

“His blood is a conglomeration of that of many other Supers. That is why it’s so muddled.”

“Fair enough,” the saurian replied. “But he doesn’t bathe very often, does he?”

Ivan was silent for a bit before he replied, “No.”

Demon let out a snorted laugh. He would have twitched his tail along with the laughter, but he had the girl laying on it. Carefully he pointed towards a building that looked like a truck-sized wrecking-ball had hit it. “He’s in there. Smells like he’s bleeding pretty bad.”

Ivan looked up at the building, his face contorting slightly before he flew off towards the building. Demon watched him disappear into it, and heard the angel’s frantic shouts for his friend. The saurian curled up around Shenmingli again, resting his head on the concrete.

He heard footsteps behind him, and opened one eye. There was Chaotix standing above him.

“Demon?”

“Yeah,”

“It’s… not good for her to sleep on the concrete, she needs something better. You’re not going to bite if I try to pick her up are you?”

Demon, considered it. Then he thought about how Chaotix seemed to care for Shenmingli just as much as he wanted to protect her for saving his life.

“No,” he replied, letting Chaotix pick up the sleeping Chinese girl, who let out a sleepy groan from being moved, but never the less seemed to remain asleep.

With Chaotix holding Shenmingli, Demon stood up, stretching his body. After a yawn and his muscles stretched, he looked at the group of Super’s that were gathering, just as Ivan burst out of the building with a bleeding Enigma in tow. There was the discussion, however short it was, to use Shenmingli’s blood to heal him, and Ivan refused, leaving no room for argument.

Demon watched them as they started to leave the scene. The National Guard was on damage control, and behind him was the line of people who had gathered to watch and see if the Supers were going to take on the United States Military. He caught the flashes of some cameras and the clicks of cellular phones from the line of people, getting an image of him and the other Supers as he stood there, and the Supers walked away.

Shenmingli had asked him to stay, and he wanted to. But. He viewed himself as too different. The Supers treated him as if he were normal, when he was nowhere near that human of appearance. They could still have normal lives if they wanted. He was shouted at by people, Animal Control, and sometimes shot at when someone happened to have a gun.

Turning he started to head into the mouth-way of an alley. He stopped, looking one last time at Ivan, Sigil, and Shenmingli, the three that seemed less taken aback by him and his appearance. His eyes watched them for another second, before he disappeared into the alley.

Demon was on his own again.

The saurian made his way through the back alleys. Familiar smells of trash and dead air met his nostrils and he snorted. His feet gripped the concrete as he navigated the alleys, trotting along to his den.

Almost to his den, Demon caught the scent of someone following him. Instinct took over. Threat. Danger. Stalk. Turning around a corner, his den close by, he silently climbed up the wall, hiding himself in a shadow produced from the sun’s current position. Instincts still roared in his mind, only now he was the hunter, not the hunted.

Clinging to the wall of the building he stared down, unmoving, breathing silently. A figure came through the same path he had taken, stopping at where he had disappeared, but still entering the alley near his den. He felt his lips curl back, a silent snarl from his mouth. The person stood there, looking in the direction of his den. Demon primed himself to jump down onto the person, a low growl in his throat.

A whiff of something familiar cut through his instincts and he looked at the person below with a clearer mind. The smell was familiar, a concoction of metal and flesh molded together. A memory came associated with the scent, and then a face and name.

Sigil.

She had stopped, looking right at his den. Instincts for defending his territory clashing with Demon’s own mind.

“What do you want?” he asked, with a subconscious growl to his voice.

Sigil turned her head up to him, no emotion of surprise or shock registering on her face.

“I believe you would call it curiosity,” she replied.

Demon was silent for a second, before he climbed down the wall a bit and then jumping the rest of the distance down, his legs bending to relieve the stress as his own weight buckled concrete.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he warned as he walked past her to his den. “I almost attacked you…”

Sigil was silent before she spoke again, “But satisfaction brought it back.”

“Satisfaction?” he replied as the Demon disappeared behind the wall that hid his den. The saurian started shifting his blankets around with his snout, arranging them as best he could. Grabbing some with his hands he spread them out a bit more before curling up on the blankets, which only made a slight barrier between the concrete and his skin.

He could hear Sigil slowly walk up to the entrance to his den, and he angled his head to see her form stand in the entryway. She seemed to wait, confused on her next course of action.

“May I enter?”

Demon felt his instincts clash. Packmate? Intruder! Ally? Danger! His head twitched a bit, as he fought with himself. A few minutes of fighting over his own instincts, he finally nodded to her, allowing her in.

Carefully, Sigil entered the den, looking around. “Why did you ask about satisfaction?”

“I wasn’t sure what you meant,” he replied. “Whether you were talking about the cat or yourself.”

“I believe it is meant to put the speaker as the cat…”

“Hmm… I don’t know,” he replied, laying his head down on the blankets.

“This is your home,” she asked, bluntly.

His head came up. Demon’s first reaction to the question was going to be No, but he stopped himself short. He had nowhere else. This was his home, for the time being, and he was ashamed of it.

“Yes…” he laid his head back down, pointed away from her.

“Your reaction is confusing,” she said. “You are unhappy you have a home?”

“It’s,” he started. “A hole in the wall. This isn’t a home. I can’t stay anywhere else though. … So… I make do with where I can find to stay.”

There was silence between the cyborg and the saurian before Sigil turned on a heel and started to walk out of the den. She stopped at the entrance before she turned back towards him, “I will provide you with a home then.” Demon watched her go, her scent dissipating on the wind. He sighed before lowering his head back down on the blankets.

Less than a minute later, Sigil came back standing in the entry way.

“Come with me.”

He looked at her confused. “Where? I leave the alleys and I’ll be screamed at, shot at,” he thought back to a particular incident. “They called Animal Control on me!”

Sigil’s reaction didn’t change as she looked at the saurian, “Do you need a reason to follow me?”

“I don’t know… I barely know you.”

“I have not ran from you, screamed, shot, or otherwise done anything in the ways you have describe other people doing. I have helped you, and proven myself as an ally. But, if you need another reason than what I would presume to be obvious...” she said looking at him. Then her expression showed some emotion, as she looked at him. “You totaled my car. The least you could do is trust me.”

Demon blinked at her, his thoughts scattered and surprised. He didn’t know what Sigil wanted with him, he didn’t know if he could trust her either.

“… Okay,” he said, thinking If nothing else… I can find a new place to live. Demon stood up, stretching his limbs.

Sigil’s expression went back to it’s unreadable way as she said, “Follow me.”

Demon followed the cyborg carefully, moving silently behind her. At the end of the familiar exit of the alley, Demon saw it blocked mostly by a large SUV. The windows were tinted black and it was large enough to block the alley and anyone looking in.

“That vehicle will take us to our destination,” she said calmly.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” Demon said, stopping short of the van.

“Home.”

He stood there, confused. Tilting his head, “Your home?”

“No,” Sigil replied turning towards him. Her face melted into a more human expression of sincerity. “Our home.”

“Our… home?!”

Sigil nodded.

Demon seemed to fidget, shifting his weight on his legs while his hands fidgeted with each other. He looked at Sigil, the van, the alley behind him, before looking at Sigil again.

The cyborg tilted her head. “Is there something wrong with this arrangement?”

“I… um… huh… why?” he stuttered. The first thing that came to his mind as a reasonable purpose for her wanting him to go to her home, was him sitting on a lawn, behind a white picket fence, wearing a spiked collar, roaring and snapping at anyone who got too close while Sigil watched wearing only a robe.

Sigil was silent for a bit. “There is no definition for it. Take it as an offering to be…” She seemed to think for a bit, looking for the word. “Friends.”

“Friends…” he replied.

Sigil nodded.

“And you want me… to come live with you?” Demon seemed to fidget a bit more, confused, worried.

She nodded again.

“You’re not going to stick me in the front lawn with a collar and a name tag?”

Sigil blinked before answering, “No. There is room inside I believe will be large enough for you to find comfortable.”

Demon stood there for a minute, thinking. Could he trust her? Was there any reason not to? She was right in a few parts, and she actually wanted to be his friend? Was she sincere with that?

“Wait here for a moment,” and Demon dashed down the alley, back towards his den.

For Sigil, the wait was for a few moments when Demon came back, holding his several blankets, one resting over his body, hiding his form mostly from anyone watching. He also had the images and photos from his den clutched in his mouth. The backdoors of the SUV opened up and Demon stepped inside. The vehicle shifted with his weight as he got in, getting some confused looks from the surrounding people on the side-walk.

After he was inside, the two doors closed behind him as he laid down in the back, still covered in the largest blanket he had. He tried to make sure he was laying down under the windows, but he was still a bit too big.

With a latch, the back doors closed, Sigil got into the driver’s seat, and the SUV roared to life, lurching out of the alley to wherever Sigil was going to take them both.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Ultimate Charizard]

Just letting u guys know im still in this, i just Chose New York as my base before i knew where you were going to stage it with a charachter unwilling to use her powers so not likely to rush off on some heroic rampage.

I have an idea to get involved though and also a possible Sidekick for her....if you can call it that ;)

[Heald]

Red Bear

"He's coming around. Call for the commander."
He opened his eyes and the blurry vision of men surrounding him filled his eyes. He was lying on a metal table. He tried to sit up, but a hand was put on his shoulder.
"You need to conserve your strength. You've just had a serious operation."
Red Bear looked at his arms: his severed one had somehow been reattached. A door opened and several men in the room stood to attention.
"At ease men. Is he awake?"
"Yes, Sir, but he's in-"
"Silence. That's an order."
The commander stood at the foot of the table and stared at Red Bear right in the eye.
"Looks like you've gotten rusty...figuratively speaking."
Red Bear coughed and asked,
"Urgh...what happened?"
The commander scowled.
"We were hoping you'd be able to fill us in. We found you unconscious in the snow, your arm severed and no sign of the xeno. Furthermore, we've since learnt that it since crossed Siberia to Canada and we believe it is the source of the attack on an American city, and now those pigs think we're the ones who sent it in the first place!"
"The xeno...so it's...an alien?"
"In a word, yes. We found it shortly after the alien invasion in 1963. After some testing we found it was just some sort of alien organism, but never imagined it would grow into this. This was back in the Cold War era, we were trying to see if we could adapt their technology for our own arms race and-"
"I don't care. So I didn't kill it?"
"No, in fact, if anything you helped it. Luckily, we had managed to salvage a specimen from the part of it you severed and we have spent the last day analyzing it. It works on a purely molecular level - each cell is like a lifeform in itself, and when they bond together, its strength and personality increase exponentially. As such, it is a very adaptive lifeform, and like molecules, heat hastens the transfer rate, strengthening it. We have, however, managed to deduce that its weakness is, in fact, cold. This is why, considering the sub-zero temperatures in Siberia, it took so long to awaken. However, we have yet to find the temperature that will stop it completely. During your operation, we did take the liberty of replacing the flame thrower in your severed arm with a liquid-nitrogen pump."
Jaecar laughed.
"You expect me, after facing this thing and having my arm cut off, to go and face this thing again? No thanks."
Jaecar began to hop off the table and was about to walk away when the commander stood in front of him.
"If you recall, I asked you to take care of it, which you didn't do. That means no passport."
Jaecar scowled.
"Furthermore, we haven't yet refilled your fuel tank, and unless you fancy a 2 week walk to the nearest bit of civilization, I suggest you obey orders."
Jaecar sat back down again.
"Okay, fine. Tell me what we're going to do then."

---

OOC: For the rest of you, here is something you might see if you go anywhere near a television or radio.


http://www.b3tards.com/u/f94979c65cdf16050eb2/bush_speech.gif

"My fellow Americans,

As many of you will already know, our borders today were breached by an unknown threat and it has caused many casualties in Washington and the Seattle area. We do not know where this threat has originated from, but we are working towards finding out.

Footage, both from amateurs and news crews, has been coming in in the last hour detailing the story of Seattle. Several of our brave citizens put their powers to good use in order to defend the city and the American people, and we cannot thank them enough for their contribution. The contributions of the Washington National Guard is also commended, and my heart goes out to the families who have had their loved ones taken away by this threat as they heroically defended this nation.

The threat, however, is said to be still at large, and its whereabouts are currently unknown. As such, I am now declaring a state of national emergency. All state national guards are being deployed amongst our national armed forces as we speak in order to track down and nullify the threat. As Commander-in-Chief of this nation's military, I promise I will do my utmost to guarantee the safety of the American people."

"My advice to you is this: stay indoors, do not leave your house unless it is an absolute emergency, and report any information you have on this threat as fast as you can.

I would also like to invite any heroic individuals with the power to help, anyone with any information and was present in Seattle today, to answer this nation's call. I am calling upon the Supers of America to join our forces. We have had reports that our conventional weapons may not be sufficient in dealing with the threat, and to minimise the loss of life we call upon anyone with the power to to join us. In thirty-six hours time from now, at noon on Thursday, at a military base in Mercury, Nevada, our armed forces and our specialist Super contingent will be holding a conference in order to plan our nations defence. Military convoys and planes from all major cities will be advertising transit to the base. I call upon any Super with America at their heart to attend; the future of our planet may depend on it.

Thank you, and good night America."

[Dr.McNinja]

Chaotix sat on the edge of the hotel bed, a rather nice one at that. He had enough money stashed away and invested that, to an extent, he could afford such things in the present. All a part of his plans, he mused grimly to himself, his plans to get onto the larger stage. Well here he was. And at that moment Mr. George Bush Jr came on to give his awkwardly paced speech to the American Hero community. Chaotix watched and could feel his heartrate increase as the speech went on.

Yes! Finally! They need us! And with me having participated in the fight already, maybe they’ll take me seriously and give me something important to do! It’s perfect! It’s just what I want….shit

Chaotix, in his mental ramblings, had begun pacing about the room until, turning, his eyes fell upon the sleeping form of Shengmingli. A sigh heaved from his chest as he saw her slight form breathing lightly underneath the sheets. A grimace crossed his face as he recalled her plummet form a skyscraper, what had possessed her to do that when they had to have been other less…spectacular ways of doing so. He watched her for a moment before a second sigh passed his lips.

I called her here from wherever she was before…I’ve dragged her around into horrible danger…am I going to drag her into the concerns of a country she isn’t even from? Am I going to let my own ambition ruin this little girl’s life?

He absently reached into a nearby drawer, his eyes flickering briefly, and pulled out a bag of potato chips. Sitting back on the bed he watched the talking heads of the news channel ponder endlessly about the attack, repeating themselves at least twenty times in as many minutes as he watched. He was so engrossed in the ineptitude that he started when a faint voice came from behind him.

“….Alex?”

He turned and looked into her half-closed eyes, “Mornin…er….I guess afternoon now. How are you?”

Shengmingli gave a small smile and waved her hands as if to show they were unharmed, “I told you that I would be okay. See?”

Alex nodded, not realizing that Bush’s speech was repeating on TV behind him. Shengmingli stared past him a moment before she spoke, “What is the man saying?”

Halfway turning, Alex saw the screen and shrugged, “He wants Supers to meet somewhere for a meeting to help decide how to fight against that…thing.”

Her smile reappeared, “Are we going?”

An uncertain expression crossed Alex’s eyes even as the hand Shengmingli couldn’t see clutched at the bunched sheets. His eyes calmed in a moment however and he shook his head, “No, I think you’ve been through enough for a bit don’t you? And since I brought you here I have to look after you y’know? We can just keep track of things and if they need our help we’ll find them. How’s that sound?”

As he waited for his response he could feel his dream slipping out his grasp. It wasn’t as bad as he had thought, he mused. He watched Shengmingli shift a little before answering and realized that maybe one didn’t always have to be in the center of things to make a difference, at least this way he could protect the ones in his sight and, if it had to be, that would be enough for him.