NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This should be the only OOC post in here. I just want to say a few things before this thread begins: 1) No signatures allowed. To help the flow of the RP, please do not add signatures to your posts. 2) No OOC talking. This is also to help the flow of the RP. Please hold all OOC conversations about this in the original character selection thread. 3) No pictures or quotes. These will also impede the feeling of this IC thread. 4) This thread is open to me, Rave Shentavo, Kecha, Slagkattunger, Five Civilized Nations, Cyberutopia, Sakkra, Sigma Octavus, The Weegies, and Aelosia only. Thank you very much for your consideration, let the story begin (not that there is much of a story yet). You start out with a blank paper and let it develop from there.

IC: Cliff looked up from his book. There was some kind of noise on the windowsill. He sighed, closing the book, but dog-earing the page, and decided to take a break. Walking over to the windowsill, he discovered that the anonymous sound had only been that of a pigeon, which had already taken flight in persuit of fresh bread crumbs in the park. He closed the window tightly and turned back to his dorm room.

It was a nice day, he needed a walk. Donning his black coat and cap, he walked out the door and left a note for his roommate, John, saying not to lock the door. He then proceeded down the hall, down the flight of rickety metal stairs, and out the side exit to the park, perhaps following the route that the pigeon had taken.

The month was December, and it was a cold day. Though there was not yet any snow, the frost nipped and bit at him as though with teeth of its own. He shivered in the wind and pulled his jacket more tightly around him, arriving at the park and settling down on a bench. After a quick glance around to make sure that nobody else was there but the pigeons, he started moving his arms rhythmically, as if swimming, and managed somehow to take a slow but steady flight off of the bench, gaining speed as he went up, until he reached the top of an old oak and settled down in the branches to sit.

It was the beginning of winter vacation. He should not still be at school. But what to do? There was nowhere else to go...

-tag-

Twas a chilly fall day on the small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Jheer rose from his heating chamber groggily. A full two days spent upgrading and maintaining the Rick automoton, his only source of outside contact for now, took its toll in the form of a 12 hour rest.

Hrrrrrr...Of all the places I could have set down, why New England? The weather will be my end one day. I'd rather be in the Caribbean. The Rick unit was against the wall, plugged into its electrical recharger. Its lifeless eyelids were closed and it slumped forward slightly in its sitting position. Jheer decided to groom it, since humans seem to have a strange obsession with their hair and clothing. He combed the long, black hair, and did it up in a pony-tail. A fresh set of casual clothing and a backwards-turned baseball cap completed the look of a local mechanic. He then groomed himself, soaking his scales in olive oil to maintain pliability, and removing plaque and the like from his two rows of serrated teeth.

Checking the power levels, and the lubricant containers, the Rick automoton was ready to go. Jheer opened a canister of instant oatmeal and loaded it with roast meat, then put it into the microwave for his breakfast. Mentally checklisting everything that needed to be done while finishing his breakfast, he entered the neural interface chamber and strapped himself in.

All systems go, power levels at green, satellite feed optimal, diagnostics giving the go-ahead. Ok, i'm off to work. The neural interface display made it seem that Jheer was looking through Rick's eyes as the automoton came to life. Jheer's movements were mimicked by the android, as legs and arms moved and gyrated. When Jheer spoke, a bass human voice came out of Rick's mouth. He piloted the android outside, to a small boat docked on the tiny, secluded island, and made his way to land.

As he sat pondering what was to become of him in the lonely tree, Cliff noticed a pigeon on the branch next to him picking at something. Some piece of bread that it had found as the reward to its scavenging. He wondered why it hadn't left with all the other birds, migrating down to the south. No, it seemed that the birds no longer migrated these days. The campus was infested with pigeons, and had almost no students now that they had all gone home to their families or friends or girlfriends...

Cliff's father, a kindhearted and loving man, had died of cancer when he was only 3. His mother, on the other hand, had been so depressed by his death that she entered a state where only medications could keep her in the present from day to day. But alas, one day she disappeared when he had only been 15 and was not to be seen again. He was 24 now, and had long since dropped from his mind the possibility that she was alive. His family had always been very kind, but he knew little of his cousins and aunts and uncles, who he had only had the pleasure of meeting twice in his life. His younger brother was an entrepreneur of sorts, always putting together some new scheme over in New York City. But they had not spoken much as of late, what with Cliff being in his last year of college studying biology.

As for friends, Cliff had been somewhat of a recluse in high school. He hadn't really gotten himself an image, due to his introvert personality focused on his crumbling family life and weight problems. But when he got to college, he made a small group of friends and opened up to people much more. He had taken 2 years off at age 20 to go with his friends to Europe, and was now doing catch up work to get out of college so he could experience the real world. With his newfound friends, he realized that his weight situation wasn't a 'problem', just a unique characteristic that he should take pride in and cherish.

Though, of course, nobody knew of it. He seldom spoke of his flying, or rather, swimming abilities. And when he did, it was always to the dorm's janitor, whom he had met upon his first year there. The man was something like sixty years old, yet managed to be more lively and athletic than most of the jocks at the school that Cliff knew. This was a mystery to him and everyone else on the campus, as well as what the rest of the old man's life consisted of. But from time to time, they talked, and though the janitor (his name was Mr. O'Mally) would not open up much, Cliff often would.

Cliff's thoughts began to fade and his mind suddenly focused on the pigeon sitting on the branch next to him. The bird took off suddenly, describing an arc in its flight, and then vanished into the distance of the hazy white horizon of winter. Cliff was looking after it, wondering where it went when it did go, and producing foolish thoughts of chasing after it, soaring through the sky. But he did not get far with his solitude's reflections, for he heard the crackle of leaves beneath him and voices, and looked down to see some juniors walking on the grounds below.

Silently, as though the air could pass through him and he would never feel it, Cliff took off, swimming from the top of the mighty oak, towards the roof of the nearest campus building.

A woman with sharp hazel eyes and a sunburnt cheek walked along the cold winter streets. Snow lightly fell from the sky, and clung to her light lashes. A black knit hat was pullet tightly over her head, covering her bleach blond roots. Her hair was short and twisted like small mango-colored snakes. Her soft lips curved slightly, welcoming the refreshing snow.
A long, black coat was pulled tightly around her, covering a peach colored sweater and a black skirt. Tough charcoal colored boots were laced tightly up to the knee. She walked slowely toward a park, her boots making light imprints in the snow. She found satisfaction in the crunch, and the crispness of the air was just to fit her liking. She passed a park bench, but then turned back and decided to sit down.
So much had happened to her. She had just graduated from the Academy...and left her brother to pursue her interests. Crisula Shentavo is what should have been her name, but she was unable to accept it. She kept her last name the same. Mar and her had always been close. Mar was a necromancer, and took after Qui the most. He was somewhat of a pacifist, though when it got down to it, he could to serious damage.
Crisula, whom was also known as C.J., however, looked to Genesis for guidance. Genesis was an ice elemental, but taught telekenetics at the academy. She had been trained by Gene, and Mar by Qui. She decided to leave all that behind for a while. She leaned back on the bench, her eye lashing catching the soft snow as it drifted down to her.

-Double post-

The plastic disk was flying in the air, its bright yellow color contrasting with the quiet blue of the clear sky. Suddenly it exploded with a cracking sound, the pieces resembling the feathers of a falling bird.

The barrel of the rifle didn't moved an inch. The gloved hand was keeping it steady. Another disk was flung by the machine , just to explode after flying a few meters.

"Oh, this is boring", says the elven woman holding the weapon, "I have played videogames tougher than this. Can't you make this machine shoots the disks faster?"

The lieutenant handling the disk throwing device was surprised, she had been practicing for a year with this machine, and never had complained before "In my humble opinion, madam, you..."

"I'm not interested in your humble opinion. I'm just interested in something faster to practice", interrumpted the woman. She was dressed in the uniform of the Crawlers of Darkness, the most silent and deadly unit of the Aelosian special forces, a very tight bodysuit made of black ecrolatex. Her hair was long and silver, and her blue eyes could be beautiful if they would be more expressive. Many men considered her very attractive, until her temperament showed up.

"I will rest for a while, I need a good bath and a change of clothes", said the commander, starting to disarm her rifle. The lieutenant breathed deep, after eight hours of pulling the lever of the stupid machine he could rest at last. The commander approaches him, her rifle inside the portable suitcase. "You wait for me here, it won't take me too long. Stand firm". She leaves, smiling. Discipline is always a good thing

On the rooftop, Cliff sat down, smiling at the three juniors below, and swung his legs over the edge of the building. His joints ached from not having had much exercise recently, and the feeling in his chest from the cold air was only reminding him every second of his ever impending mortality. As he looked down to the walk below, the bushes bare and the windows frosted, he noticed something bright. A flyer.

Swooping down elegantly, as if doing a dive, he flew down and picked up the piece of paper, flying with it across the walk and up onto the rooftop of the building opposite before anyone would have time to notice. Now with it in his hand, he sat back to look over it, lying down and staring into the emotionless white sky. The flyer had the usual big words and flashy colors that you would expect one to have, but the message seemed to be somewhat scrambled:

"Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!" it read.

It gave the sign-up location as the gymnasium, located on the other side of the campus, and said that sign-ups were to be collected by the 10th. Cliff laughed and tossed the paper, swirling, back down towards the ground. Top professionals... why would they come here anyway? He chuckled to himself and walked over to the fire escape, where he proceeded down to the ground floor, so that he could go find a place to catch some dinner.

As C.J. sat there, a flyer brushed past her feet. She outstretched her hand and the paper immediately obeyed her, willingly being recieved in her right hand. She read it over slowely.
Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!
She laughed slightly. Top professionals? She wondered if they had ever met Rave. She chuckled slightly at her thoughts, and leaned back, tossing the flyer onto the ground. She did not need to go, but still, the alluring bright colors provoked her to delve into it deeper.
She got up from the bench and walked toward the park's exit. She wanted to have some fun on her vacation, maybe this could be intersesting.

Elfira was bored. A year without a good challenge, just practicing over and over. I'm rusting. If I keep like this, I will lose the taste of fighting[i/]. After the Cyberutopian affair she hadn't any kind of action, just firing against the disks, and the occassionnal visit to the gym. [i]Maybe Khaine has forget about me. I have become softer, anyway.

Once she reached her bedroom, she opened the suitcase. Inside was the reaver sniper rifle, custom built just for her. She passed her hand over the black barrel, knowing that this weapon was a prolongation of her body and her soul. When she touches it, she could almost feel the psychic bond between her and the rifle.

A strange piece of paper was lying next to the space reserved for the magazine of the rifle. She took it, and readed its content:

"Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!"

Unique abilities?. Well, if someone has them is me, she says to herself."Looks interesting. I will apply, anyway, anything is better than the disk shooting".

Cliff did not sleep well that night. He tossed and turned in his bed, blaming it on the bad lamb soup he had eaten for dinner. Finally, at two o'clock, he had taken enough sleeplessness and went to the bathroom. There, he looked at his dissheveled face in the mirror and sighed, down into the sink's drain, which fell away from him in black spirals with the grace of ripples from an infinite pebble.

He tried to avert his gaze, but the harder he tried, the more he was mesmerized by the awning, gaping black hole leading to infinite. Finally, his face was inches from the sink, and he lost his footing and fell, banging his head lightly on the sink, and sunk down, floating like a feather, to the floor. And there, amid clustered thoughts and insomnia, he finally managed to fall asleep.

But it was an uneasy sleep. He did not dream of school, friends, family, or anything else normal in his life for that matter. He dreamt that he was at a competition. And the banner overhead said, "Pushing Our Generation To Greatness!". And the crowds roared triumphantly as a starter bell rang, and suddenly he was swimming, flying, up into the air. And the further he went, the further the roaring crowd sank into the background. And he just kept going further and further, through the roof and into the clouds, through the clouds and into space, and he was just about to touch the sun when suddenly, his mother appeared before him and struck him down.

And then he woke up.

He went in his robe to the coffee shop off campus. It was only 8:00 am, but for some reason he felt as though he had been sleeping for eternity, eons. He groggily ordered a cappuchino and payed his money, as if in a trance, to the cashier, who took it expressionessly and handed him his change and a receipt.

Later on, he walked through the campus grounds, and his feet somehow lead him to the gym. But it was as if he had been meant to come here all this time, and it wasn't anything accidental. No, it was something greater than that. It was fate. And Cliff acknowledged this, entering the gym and looking around. But, as was to be expected, it was empty. Empty save a table in the back, in the darkest corner of the gym, where a pen and multiple papers lay in a heap on top of eachother.

He approached the table with ease, finishing his coffee, and threw the paper cup on the ground and swept his arms forward in a stroke, soaring up into the air straight towards the table. He overshot, unfortunately, and crashed into a wall, which sent his light body reeling back, so that he could catch onto the table and ground himself.

Amused at his games, and irritated by the new bump on his head from crashing into the wall, Cliff looked down at the papers. On one was a sign up list, empty. He signed it. Then, he delve further into the papers, pulling one out about a fraternity. Wrong paper. The next one he pulled out was the right one. It had information about the contest.

It was to be an international contest, and sign-up sheets had been sent to almost every city around the world for contestants to join. And what was even better, it was to be held in Tokyo and flights were paid for by the organization setting it up! His heart filled with glee. He read on, skimming down the lines, 'All entries must be submitted by Dec. 10... experience Japanese culture... contestants from around the globe... Fabulous mystery prize for top 10 contestants!'.

It sounded too good to be true. But when was December 10th... it was tomorrow! So that meant that, according to the sheet, he would be on an airplane headed for Japan in three days, on the 12th, when they came around to collect all the signed contestants! He felt so elated that he forgot completely about the bump on his head, and didn't notice that he was flying up towards the rafters, where he banged his head nastily again and fell back down towards the floor.

((Hmm, if this takes place after the Cyberutopian civil war, then I better not give tto much away...))

Rith walked through the ruined streets of Solitaria. The debris crunched under her feet, and she wandered aimlessly though what was once her hometown. In a small pile, propped up by a bit of broken concrete, was a small teddy bear. Rith picked up the bear, and just stared at it for a moment. Sighing, she placed the bear back down in it's resting place. As she bent down, a bit of bright paper caught her eye. Rith picked it up, and read it.

Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!

She noticed a small note in pencil near the bottom.

In Tokyo, remember to go!

"Hmph." She said, and pocketed the paper. "Tokyo, eh? Might as well, it's close to home, at least. Well, what's left of home, anyway."

Rith started to walk away from the ruins, heading towards Tokyo.

Elfira was packing her stuff. Clothes, weapons, food, her luggage was going to be a very light one. Don't own anything that you fear to lost, was one of her directives in life. Her rifle was maybe the only exception of the rule, but it's just another part of my body, I also fear to lose a hand, she says to herself.

Tokyo. The name was magical to her, an elf born in a very distant land. The only thing I have left is the hunger for war. I never had any parents, lovers, boyfriends, family, firned. Well, maybe one or two very interesting battle companions, but nothing else.

The only way she could fly to Tokyo with her weapons was using an Aelosian plane. But the goverment gave the permission, no question asked. It's kind of weird, they aren't that easy

The 12th rolled around quickly enough. Cliff had taken the previous two days to pack his bags and say goodbye to his friends (mostly over the phone, due to them being on vacation). And, with a heavy sigh and a shake of his head suggesting that he didn't know what to think, he left the campus and took a taxi to the airport.

As he boarded the plane, comfortable with his pre-paid tickets, he looked out the window. This was maybe the third time that he had ever been in a plane, and he was somewhat anxious. But he looked back to the inside of the airplane, to the people getting out their toothbrushes, pillows, blankets and sleeping materials for the overnight flight from the northeast coast of the United States over to Tokyo.

He settled down into the chair and began flipping through the pages of the in-flight magazine.

------

Halfway across the world, Mirian Thurgood was looking at the same magazine as she sat in Tokyo International Airport, waiting for a colleague.

The construct known to the residents of the small, sleepy town of Salem as Rick Wrall stopped his jeep at the service station he owned. Mark Duffey, the mechanic and fill-up guy, was there waiting for the shop to open and his shift to begin. He looked up at Rick and nodded his head. There was a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Mornin, Rick. Someone went and stuck this on the door. Figured you might wanna take a look. You're the best fix-it guy in the East Coast; thought you might wanna check it out." He hands the paper to Rick, who looks at it as he opens the service station for business.

"Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!"

In Jheer's island home, his eyes scanned the paper through Rick's optic sensors. The neural-lines in the automoton's hands registered the feel of paper, and his olfactory sensors registered the smell as well. This might be somewhat interesting. Perhaps i'll give it a look. The Rick construct looks up from under the brim of his Red Sox baseball cap at Mark.

"Hey, Mark. This looks like a conference in Tokyo. I'm going to call Jimmy and get him to man the fort while i'm there. You work on Mr. Granger's truck; it's supposed to be ready today." Rick dialed up Jimmy Nesmith, the assistant manager, and informed him that he's in charge until Rick gets back from the conference.

After Jimmy showed up and took over, the Rick unit drove back to the boat at the landing, rowed over to the island and was placed in the wall recharging unit once again. Jheer looked at the flyer, wondering if it could be some trick. Most likely a recruitment drive. But I won't know unless I go see. I'll have to pack some things, of course. He heads to the underground laboratory, where an experimental chassis is waiting. Jheer had been working on some way of getting around himself, but making a suit large enough would be too noticeable.

Layering on the last of the synthetic skin, Jheer puts his legs into the new android body, then tucks himself into a ball, with his head just below the neck-line of the shell. Then his arms slide into the arm-sockets and his hands grip the controls inside. Some experimental movements make servo-motors whirr slightly to obey their commands. From the outside, the shell looks like an obese 6'10" bald man. Jheer pilots the shell to the boat, and then to his jeep. Tickets have already been purchased, and a fake ID, so close to the real thing only a master could tell the difference, was in hand.

And so off I go to Tokyo. This could be interesting. I must remember to miniaturize some components. It's a bit cramped in here.

[tag]
((I presume my entry for the enemy forces didn't make it in))

A few days ago. (Sorry, I'm a bit late.....)

Dom was wandering the streets of some distant country, he didn't even know the name of it. He had been all but kicked out of the Gekidoku for insubordination and had gone to wandering the world. He heard the crunch of paper as he wandered over it. He read the paper. A contest of some sort. Needed skill. In Japan. He hadn't been to Japan in many years and decided,"Eh, what the hell."

The time had come. He went to the airport to board his flight to Japan, and got through security with a bit of difficulty due to the 3 foot sword he carried. After having checked it, he boarded the plane and sat down for a long flight. He back and tried to remember the names of good arms dealers in Japan, in case he needed it. He felt naked without a good gun by his side and his sword in the belly of the plane.

Rith's pace quickened as the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo came into view. She entered the borders of the city with no conflict, and easily blended into the ever present crowd. After asking around a bit, which was no problem as her native language was Japanese, she got the address of the contest. The woman soon arrived at the arena. She ran a hand though her golden hair, adjusted the tanktop and tight jeans that effectively outlined the contours of her body, took a deep breath, and walked inside.

The plane to Tokyo began descending, and Jheer could see the sprawling city below. There was only a slight hitch at the security check-in when some metal in the android's shell set it off, but Jheer pointed out some hip surgery that was causing the detection device to go off. The shell was massive, so apparently that lent some credence to this excuse.

Disembarking from the plane, Jheer picked up his massive duffel bag with all manner of sensetive electronics within. An x-ray obfuscator made the items within appear to be no more than some really huge sets of clothing, and some common electronics.

He kept the flyer in a pocket of the shell's clothes, and pulled it out. Hailing a taxi, he showed the driver the address on the flyer. Cueing his translator, he spoke in halty japanese. "Take me here."

Dom was awakened and grabbed the one who was doing it. It was reflexive. But it was just the flight attendant informing him that they had landed. He thanked her and went off the plane. He went to baggage claim and grabbed his stuff. He hailed a taxi and read the directions of the now battered pamphlet. The driver said,"Hai." and drove towards Doms destination. Dom muttered "Domo..." and trailed off to watch the city pass by.

The private jet was approching the Japanese airspace inside Lotus Purrlinda was reading a thick novel, she looked up from the book at a throat clearing rumble from her butler.

"Yes James?" she asked sweetly.

"The pilot reports that we are approching the Japanese airspace and will be touching down within two hours." Replied James a large black minotaur in a tuxedo. "Ambassador Howlarman has informed us that he has a limmo ready to take you to your destination in Tokyo."

Lotus smiled "Thank you James, give the pilot my thanks that's all for now." As James went forward Lotus lean backed and thought about the reason she was on her way to tokyo.

"Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!" read the card lotus was holding.

"You will go to this with James." Her sister Jade had told her "Find out what this is about and pass the information onto Ambassador Howlarman. With your abilities you should be okay even if you are still a kid." she said with a smile.

After a while the jet landed and Lotus disembarked and was met by the limmo driver, with a bow the driver led Lotus back to the limmo. Lotus got in the limmo while James packed Lotus luggage away, soon he joined Lotus and the limmo drove away to the destination on the card.

C.J. passed by the airport, watching various people pget off the planes and leave the center. She saw the flyer again on the wall, and tore it off, stuffing it into her already filled pocket. In being labeled a half-breed in her nation, Tokyo was the ideal place for a vacation and to get away from it all. Luckily, she foung that the tournament was held here. She didn't have to understand the language...just basically take what she wanted, rather needed.
She bumped into a few passengers on her way by. They must have just gotten of the plane. Her hazel eyes fixed on one whom got into a taxi. Strangely, she felt connected to him. Little did she know it was because of her blood... She continued to walk toward the address on the pamphlet.

***In cave on Skyfire Mountains***

Omnus is sitting crosslegged in a state of prana bindu suspension, meditating. The cave entrance had been walled up by snow. Omnus had been caught in a blizzard and utilizing his training was waiting the blizzard out in the cave. Suddenly the sound of snowing was shut out, as the sounds of a chopper's blades drown it out.

Moments later, the entrance of the cave is dug out and several men walk into the cave. Omnus still in a state of prana bindu suspension, doesn't even care about the presence of the newcomers...

One of the strangers steps forth and proffers a card saying, "Ah... You must be Omnus Stormrider. The international community has a need for you..."

Omnus comes out of suspension and rises, taking the card and scrutinized it. The card read, "Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories Dec. 15-16!!!"

Omnus glares at the newcomers. "I will consider this..."

That date was December 10...

***Two Days later, in the City of March***

Omnus prepares to ride atop the Storm Dragon, Khadim, bound for Japan

December 7th.

James woke up. He smelt the stale smells of cigarette smoke and vomit, a little nasal cacophony to go with the dull bass throbbing inside of his brain. What did he do last night? Of course. Drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Again. He looked around at his filthy little hovel of a place, and swore loudly. Where did it all go wrong?

That was a stupid question. When he was discovered. A moment of weakness, of frailty, and you get burned. A top spy, a comfortable lifestyle, and he could have kept it, had he kept his guard up. Now he was just your average con-artist, scraping a living charming his way into people's flats. He'd lost his passion for the talent, now that he had to use it for such base functions.

He couldn't go back either, of course. The price on his head back home was gone, but that was only because there was no longer any secret service. The bloody commies got rid of it as soon as they were voted in. "Transparency and honesty." He laughed to himself. No, there wasn't anything left for him there...

As he stood up, trying to clear his head, his eyes fell on a little leaflet on his dresser:

"Unique abilities? Physical? Mental? If you're more than just 'above-average', try out your skills against some of the world's top professionals in all mental and physical categories. Dec. 15-16!!!"

That was only the start, and he was already intrigued. A chance to use the talent properly again? It was a little garish, certainly, but then...

Ah. Japan. He'd always wanted to see Tokyo. He made up his mind. He'd go, see what it was all about. He wasn't expecting anything, but there was always that chance. Withdraw the meagre amount in his bank, pack a little, use the talent to blag a way to travel in style...

He got washed and dressed quickly, making sure he looked as best as he could before starting off. Confidence and style were everything, or no-one would believe even him.

He picked up his small bag, and said goodbye to that little pit.

Things were looking up...

Rith looked around and noted a distinct lack of other people. She took the black reinforced combat staff from it's sling on her back, and started to go through a few simple manuvers to warm up with.

tag

In his over-sized android suit, Jheer looked like a very tall, very fat bald man with a goatee. A black undershirt with white jacket and pants, and sensible black shoes, made him appear to ba a Panamanian plantation owner.

He entered what he assumed was the conference center, and took a scan around. Neuro-sensors on the android suit's 'skin' told him condensation was forming on the synthetic substance. It looked a bit like sweat. Excellent. All the better for the disguise. He moved the arm of the suit to make it appear that he was wiping.

Looking around, Jheer was trying to get a sense of what was going on here.

Cliff's plane landed, sure enough, in one piece. Matter of fact, it was 4 minutes earlier than predicted as well. He used the extra time to buy himself a candy bar at a small stand and then picked up his one bag of luggage, proceeding outside to a taxi. Besides what he had learned in his 'Idiot's Guide' book, he was useless in Japanese. Luckily enough, however, English was the language of travel.

He managed to find a taxi with an English speaking driver, by some chance, it seemed, and pointed to a hotel address that he had found searching his university's internet. The taxi driver nodded and the cab roared ahead, barrelling down streets, until finally, the shaken Cliff arrived at his destination and got out.

The hotel staff was sweet enough, with a nice girl to greet him at the front desk and a pleasant young man to carry his one bag for him, though he insisted that he did not need the help. When he got to his room, on the 13th floor, he quickly put on new clothes, dumped his stuff, and decided to take a night out on the town.

But the 15th rolled around quickly enough... He had managed to see much of modern and historic Tokyo, and had even been lucky enough to meet a small group of people the previous night with whom he had dined. They were also American tourists, on their winter vacation from Harvard. They, however, could speak Japanese. He laughed with them and had quite a night, but he could feel the effects of it the next morning when he woke up with a hangover.

But he was not about to appear at this contest, this one opportunity, whatever it was, dissheveled and half asleep. He washed, shaved, dressed... managed to groom himself to a perfection that he had never previously cared to achieve. And he was on his way. He wasn't so lucky this time, and the only cab he could find was with a driver fluent in only one language: money. Cliff had a copy of the flyer, however, and that widened the driver's eyes. But the car arrived at the domo, as it was called, half an hour before the contest started.

Cliff walked in, not knowing what to expect to see.

It was quite different than what he had expected, really. There was no flying banner, there were no throngs or crowds. There were a few friends who had come with some of the contestants, but apparently, the modest competition runners did not believe in mass events. All the better, less distractions and competitive feeling.

Cliff walked over to a small sign up table and showed the young female clerk there his name, down the list a ways. She nodded in recognition and checked him off, smiling, then asked him to please remove his shoes and put on some special slippers. As Cliff was sitting next to the shoe cubby holes, he looked around the inside of the domo, getting a feeling for the place.

It was an extraordinary place indeed, full of interesting people. You might even call them extraordinary as well. Extraordinary ladies and gentlemen. The floor was completely wooden, and divided into large blocks, almost giving the appearance of stages, that were about 2 inches thick. These large blocks, which raised anything on top two inches from the floor, expanded for about the size of a boxing ring, segregating the huge indoor stadium into many different parts, all blocks, and the entrance hall.

But the people struck him as odder than the floor. There was a girl working on swallowing some liquid, then spelling things out in the air and on the ground with fire. There was a fat, bald man with a goatee, standing on the side pouring over something in his hands. There were all kinds of people... apparent geniuses going through last minute calculus in their books, strong ones lifting hundreds of pounds above their heads, and others with 'special' talents, such as a woman bathing in a pool of ice, an old man commanding dogs and birds to do tricks, but as if he could communicate to them and they talked back to him...

Cliff knew that he was up against a lot. But he didn't have even the slightest idea of how much he was to be up against...
------
Meanwhile, Miranda Thurgood assembled a high-powered sniper rifle on the roof of a building, across from a large stadium. She and her accomplice were both dressed in tight black, as they had been instructed, and were awaiting a target to present themself.

Dom came to the address. He exited the taxi, paid the driver his yen, and entered the building. He strapped the Dao sword behind his back, and looked around. There were quite a few people here. None of them particuarly powerful looking. He quickly noted the quickest way out of the building, and where everyone was. It was in his training to check his surroundings. He smiled thinking about how they had him trained, revealing his fangs for a second. He stopped smiling, remembering the reactions of most people when they found out what he was.

..

Lotus limmo pull up outside the domo, the driver quickly got out and moved to the passanger door and opened it. Lotus got out and looked around, her face show an intense curiousity for her sourronding as she waited for her butler to finish talking with the driver.

Once James had finished he walked over to lotus and they then entered the domo, inside Lotus registered her arrival and then folowed the instructions provided by the receptionist. Inside she could see people performing what she considered to be tricks, Lotus gave a small sigh and hope more interesting people will soon show up. She couldn't understand why her sister thought she had to be here, with a small shrug she move to a vantage point where she could watch people enter the main area of the domo.

Jheer continued pacing around slightly. He walked up to the sign-up desk, and gave his name as Jharrod Eers. His name was registered in the log of the contest-givers book. Now he cruised around looking over the other people in the area.

Someone walking around with a large sword strapped to his back. A little Neko girl, seemingly bored as her butler or whatever followed her around. Some people were walking around wearing sandals. Jheer declined the sandals himself; they were an unknown type, and inside his suit, he couldn't tell if they were technological or not. Best to be safe after all. What an odd collection of beings.

The arm of the android suit started giving a little lag in processing commands. Better compensate fast, or it'll become noticable. Using his talent, Jheer sent his mind into the network of optical circuitry and quantum CPUs in his suit. He located the problem, which was some servos not getting appropriate lubricant. He then snapped back to his body and cued in some additional lubricant discharge from the reserve tanks.

*Tag for later, detailed post*

#Tagged#

After warming up while other contestants arrived, Rith consented with watching them. There was no need to practice her skill, she had honed it for many years, after all, and she observed the others with a quiet smugness.

'This is sad.' She thought. 'Might as well go get checked in.

Rith went over to the desk.

"Are you on the list?" The woman manning the desk asked her politely.

"No, the place to sign up was destroyed. May I sign up here?" She responded, injecting a tad of subtle melancholy into her voice.

"Ah, yes, certainly." The woman answered, obviously swayed by Rith.

The woman dug in a deep pile of papers for a few minutes, and finally looked up at Rith, triumphantly holding a form. Rith filled it out, and the woman hastily added her to the list.

Rith went over to stand by a wall again, and brushed a finger along the tattoo of her church that was emblazoned on her upper left arm out of a nervous habit. It was three crimson crescents joined at their curves by a golden star. Her bright eyes scanned the domo again. Something didn't feel right deep in her gut, but she pushed it out of her mind, telling herself it was just nervousness.

IC: Ariel had been working as a Teacher in the same College that Cliff had been attending when she had noticed the ad, it had perked her interest and she had decided to go to Tokyo, she had always been a reclusive type of Teacher, even though allmost everybody at the College knew her name or had caught sight of her somewhere, some of her associates even said she might be a full-fledged Introvert, she taught small sessions, and not many per day either, outside of these small classes she didn't entertain many visitors, and she had pretty much 0 friends, she kept the existence of Shadow, her Symbiote, a tight secret from most people, prefering to seem as normal as possible, but she creeped alot of people out with her general attitude, she walked to the Domo on the appointed day, walked inside, and looked around, "Nice place" a low voice said in the back of her mind, Shadow of course, she sighed as she took in the scene, wand walked further inside to see if she could find out about anyone else who was here.

Elfira was staring at the rest of the contestants. Many of them looked like clowns, their "abilities" just normal or just fake. But many people were looking strange enough, and interesting enough. However, they weren't the cause of the uprise of her nerves.

She approached to the girl in the desk. Her name was in the list, after all the goverment of Aelosia sent a copy of her application a week ago. Everything was going nice, she has avoided the common troubles about her elven features with a plain black hat, looking more like a helmet than a hat, anyway. A bench, that's what I need

Elfira found the bench and takes a seat, at least no male humans has disturbed her with their hormonal desires, that was a relief. She opened the suitcase for a moment, just checking if her rifle was ok. Everything was fine, so she just closed the suitcase. Then why I feel so uncomfortable?. I feel like something important is going to happen. Something dangerous. Maybe one of those people is more dangerous than I think. My heart never betrays me, something is wrong here.

Rith watched intently as two formidible looking women entered, one shortly after the other.

'Interesting...at least I'm not the only woman with any skill here.' She pondered to herself.

Dom gave the desk his entry, and began to wander.

Heh, wander. Is that all I do anymore?

Elfira looks at Rith, realizing that she is looking at her too. What she wants?. Why is she staring at me?. And she looks so normal, so...domestic. What is her unique ability?, clean all the house in five minutes? The Elven woman raise form the bench, walking to the place where Rith stands. "Nice day, Don't you think?" she says, looking at Kirith's eyes, her hand squeezing the handle of the suitcase.

((Lol. Wrong thread for Kirith, Aelosia.))

Rith returned her stare, and sighed a little.

"Depends if your hometown got blasted into the ground or not." She said softly.

Dom decided to sit down. He walked over to a bench and slumped onto it, shoulders drooping and head dropped. He liked the quiet in his head.

((Oh...the lack of sleeping is betraying me already. LOL, anyway, the names are similar no?))

Elfira stops for a moment, pounding in what to say, Maybe she's looking for vengueance, I had been involved in too many raids and assaults, maybe her hometown was one of those, finally she says "I never had a hometown, I was raised in a military base. And in case you want to know, yes, it was razed to the ground too. Where are you from?"

Crisula stretched her arms behind her head, and filled out an entry form. There were many gathering. She brushed a piece of stray, orange hair from her piercing eyes, and handed in her entry form. She sat down, and looked at the people around her. A pen lie on the ground. She outstretched her hand, and it flew toward her. Her hand gripped around it tightly, and she observed it before beginning to doodle on a small notebook cover from her bag.

Airel had taken all the necessary steps to enter this event, so now she stood and waited, several people seemed to be trying to show off their "Special abilities" so she figured it couldn't do any harm, but for now she stood quietly and did nothing, simply scanning the room.

The sun over the building was suddenly blotted out as the Storm Dragon Khadim flies into the city. Khadim lands with a thud in the courtyard.

Omnus jumps off and strokes Khadim's head. "Thank you for bearing my burden, old friend..."

Your welcome. I will willingly bear your burden anytime. You have been a great friend and have protected me and my brethren from interlopers for many years. It is now time for me to repay you... Khadim replies, and then flies off...

Omnus glances around and notices all the weird looks he's getting... Eh... Not everyone has seen a real dragon before... he thought... Omnus gathers his belongings and heads into the building.

"Now that's what I call an excessive show", says Elfira, looking to the dragon. It was a spectacular specimen, anyway, the Aelosian dragons were usually smaller. However, her attention was still focused on the girl in front of her, expecting her answer.

Omnus walks to the registration desk and hands in his invitation card and then walks past out into the courtyard to find a tree for him to take a nap under...

Hm....a dragon. There's something you don't see very often. Oh well, seen one, you've seen 'em all.

Dom once again scanned the room. There were many people here, most just with party tricks or little stunts. Dom began to play with some of the stuff he had learned at the Shentavo academy. Namely, he kept bringing up a little whisp of fire in his palm.

Heh, those were the good days.

Ariel finally decided to start testing with her powers, just a little bit to make ready, she raised her right arm and pulled back the sleeve, revealing the Black substance that usually covered her whole body from the neck on down, she concentrated and Shadow complied, her arm began to chang from the elbow to the wrist, turning odd colors and getting scaly, till it looked like some kind of lizard's arm, not hers, then she changed it back.

Jheer kept looking around the room from his suit's sensors as more entrants showed up. Some flagrant displays of ability were being thrown around. Hrrrrmph. Show-offs. If I could get out without there being a panic or something, I would. The heap of parts over there looks inviting. Ooh, schematics! Mental schematics! Ah, hell with it. I can't remain in here all day. Someone would guess sooner or later anyway.

Jheer cues an evac sequence in his android suit with his tail, which is wrapped around his waist. The suit stands stock still for a moment, and then the chest opens in thin layers with a hiss of steam from the suit's hydraulics. He steps out, one clawed foot at a time, and removes himself completely. Lifting up a fore-arm with some manner of console control on it, he presses a button and the suit seals shut.

Already, Cliff felt out of place. Yet, somehow, he felt calmly in place as well. He stood up off of his bench to stretch out his arms, when a man walked in beside him. The man emanated a cold air, and he gazed piously around the room, with a debonair yet tense manner. He wore horn rimmed glasses and had his jet black hair trimmed neatly and slicked back with what looked to be grease.

Cliff looked away, trying to find something else on which to focus his intention, for the newcomer had startled him and shocked him a bit, in a way. The man made his way suavely to the front desk, held a brief conversation with the receptionist, and then made his way into the room. Cliff noted that he had not decided to put on slippers, and had not even unruffled his tie. He was dressed in a black suit, to match his hair and eyes, and moved into the room with haste and calm.

Cliff, seeing him come into the room, again turned his eyes away. He sat at the side of the giant stadium on his bench, and looked down anxiously and embarrassedly at his feet. The man moved into the room, and moved over to one of the platforms. His stride showed off his calm gait, however Cliff suspected that he was somehow wound up and tense on the inside, like a spring waiting to unwind.

The man made his way to the platform and halted their, having a brief conversation with one of the many referees in the white and black striped shirts. Then, the man looked to the current participant practicing on the platform, and called the participant over to talk. The competitor, obviously annoyed at having been distracted from his practice (doing some sort of martial arts trick), walked slowly over to the man in black, making sure to show his annoyance as he did so.

Cliff could not tear his eyes from the scene. The suave gentleman asked the rough and edgy competitor something, to which the man replied no, shaking his head. However, the referee insisted on whatever it was that the competitor was denying, and the man in black turned back to him thoughtfully for a second. Then, after scanning the irritated participant's eyes for what seemed a full minute, the man in black thrust out a hand and sent the stocky competitor flying back, across the platform and over some of the others, straight into a wall.

The suave man turned back to the referee and nodded, then said calmly, over the deafening silence that had fallen, "Bribery is punishable by expulsion from the competition. You may pick up your items at the front desk. And then leave. Good day." And with that, the man in black strode calmly to the front of the room, his tensions now apparently gone, and turned the the large but silent crowd of competitors.

"Now is the time," he said aloud, "For us to begin. Please, will each participant look at their number"-he indicated a large board on the wall-"and go to their designated platform. Thank you." And with that, he strode out of the room.

IC: Ariel calmly walked over to her platform after looking for her number, she then waited quietly, doing Mental Excercises, then something caught her eye, she thought she recognized one of the other competitors.

Elfira raised her head, something was wrong in the air, she could felt the scent of troubles in the air. "There's something rotten in Japan", she thought. She took the suitcase where her rifle, her whip and her daggers were guarded, and searched for her number. She quietly walked to the platform, her suitcase well held against her body.

Cliff made his way through the thronging and pushing masses of crowds to his platform. This was going to be a challenge. So many talented competitors... It made him sick. Even the less talented ones seemed to have that somewhat cocky, yet truly confident air of those who do not just expect, but know that they are going to win.

He found his platform and stood on it, amazed that the stadium was huge enough to have platforms for everyone. But his amazement was once again explained as he noted that, at the edges, hundreds of competitors were lining up against the wall to wait their turns on the platforms. He had just been lucky that he had been early to show up.

Cliff felt someone's gaze on his back, and turned around to see if he was correct in his suspicions. He saw nobody looking at him from the platforms behind him, but continued turning further to his left. He saw a woman a few platforms away seem to glance shyly back in some other direction, but she had been staring at him. There was no doubt of that. "Why would she be staring at me?" Cliff wondered. Of course. It must have been because he looked so average, so normal.

And he was, really. He did not have the look of superpowered people that the rest of them had. He did not have that military confidence, nor that arrogant knowledge that you surpass others around you. He was just plain old Cliff, the kid from the East Coast, trying his luck at a game where odds were scrambling themselves up in his head. He tried to turn his mind back on his own troubles and persuits, and breathed in and out slowly, trying to make himself focus and calm down.

As a boy, he had seemingly had Attention Deficit Disorder, and had used to take aderall pills to keep his mind focused on things. Well, he had stopped that long ago and he knew that he didn't need any pills to keep him going now. He breathed in and out slowly one last time, holding the exhale, and then looked up as a referee approached his platform.
-----
Mirian was finished completing the rifle. She turned to her partner and called sharply, "K16! Get over here and focus on the crosshair, I'm going to scope in with binoculars." The man turned to her and, letting out an audible sigh, made his way over to the sniper rifle and lied down behind it, with his eyes to the crosshair.

"What are we waiting for, J-27?"
"Silence, for one."
"I'm serious."
"So am I, let me concentrate!"

She scanned the crowds anxiously and... ah. There he was. A man standing in a bright red jumpsuit, torn... or cut, rather, so that his massive chest bulged out of it. One of the most skilled and feared men in Tokyo, Tanaka Kiribati. Why he had a girl's name was a mystery, but those who ridiculed him found that their lives dropped significantly in value and span shortly afterwards. She focused closer in on him, mesmerized by his haughty air and stern features. This was the man she was going to kill? The fabled Yakuza gunman, sword fighter, martial arts expert and mastermind?

IC: Ariel looked at Cliff again, yes, that was him alright, but what was he doing here? of all places? then again, if he recognized her, he'd probably ask the same thing about her, back at the College, most people, if they'd heard of her, or met her, or whatever, called her "Professor Creepy" because she was so dark and morbid, she'd seen Cliff many times before, though she couldn't remember ever teaching a class he was in, she tore her gaze from him and looked ahead, then it struck her, she had taught a class of his, substituting for a Professor who was ill, what class was it anyhow?

Jheer had not caused too much of a stir after exiting from his android suit. After seeing dragons and such, I suppose nothing is too much of a shock here. Just as well....

He digs into the suit's pocket, and pulls out his slip. Number 045. I guess it will be a short wait. Very good, it will give me time to prepare.

Elfira sitted in the platform, opening her suitcase. She started to ensemble the rifle, cleaning the parts of the weapon. Once she finished she took her whip and her daggers and put them in her belt. Then she raises, her rifle armed and ready in her hand. What a collection of freaks. Everybody here is a phenomena, including me, of course. "Now I'm ready, let Khaine do his job", she says in a low voice, praying for the blessings of the elven war god.

Dom pulled the slip of paper that he had recieved out of his pocket. He got up slowly, almost as though he was weary of life or the lack there of. He moved slowly and calmly to his platform. He slipped his gloved hands into the pockets of his red/black trenchcoat, and started humming a tune he had learned as a young recruit.

Lotus watched the crowd push & shove to get to their respective platforms, with a sigh she looked at her butler James "James can you please carry me to my platform, once I'm on it you can return back here and watch the show."
"Yes Miss Purrlinda." said James as he bent down and lifted Lotus up to his shoulder, making sure not to catch her dress up in his horns. He then proceeded to carry Lotus to her platform, moving through the crowd like an icebreaker through ice. They soon reached the designated platform and James helped Lotus down onto the platform "Here you are Miss."
"Thank you James" Lotus replied as she watch James make his way back to the seats they had just left. She looked around at the other participants and wondered how she would demostrate her abilities....it's not like would see her when she used it.

The referee walked up to Cliff, checking his watch and making a few observational notes on a clipboard. He stopped at the edge of the platform and looked up at Cliff, scanning him from top to bottom. "You would be Cliff Thurgood?"

"Yes," responded Cliff, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"From the United States?"
"Yes."
"Ability is flight?"
"Yes."
"Social security number 1950-13942-45960, born Cliff Thurgood Marx to a Mirian Thurgood who later ran away when you were 15, throwing you into a state of depression, especially due to your weight condition, have a small mole on the back of your right shoulder"-Cliff felt his right shoulder-"are majoring in neurology, height 6'3", birthday January 28, inner fears of cockroaches, communism, and plagues?"
"Wha-... How did...?" Cliff gasped, taken completely aback.

The referee put down his clipboard beside him, slowly laying it on the ground, then stood back up and clasped his hands behind his back. "So, Cliff Thurgood, give us a little flying demonstration please. A few pirouettes and dives, if you want to show off. That's why you're here, isn't it? To show off?" The referee made a wry smile and his facial expressions indicated that it was time for Cliff to begin.

Cliff had no idea what to say to this, but instead, stumbling a bit, launched himself off the ground and into the air, making long and powerful strokes with his arms up to the ceiling, then kicking off it and making a dive straight back down towards the platform, where he landed on one finger and launched himself back up, into a summersault, back down onto his feet. All of this he accomplished in the slow motion that a swimmer would have diving into a pool.

He suddenly remembered the familiar face and looked back over to the misterious woman, but she was gone now. She had vanished and someone else had taken her place on the stage. But there was something awry... as he concentrated, the newcomer distorted themself and shifted back to her. He was even more taken aback than before. He gasped in amazement and would have continued staring, when the referee grasped his shoulder.

"Get used to it kid. We had to train to be able to take in this kind of stuff, I'd expect you'd already be used to it," he said, calmingly. Cliff stared at him, his mouth agape, not knowing just what to say, "You'll be seeing a lot more of that from the sidelines today. Come back for final evaluation at 5:30, and then for the final results tomorrow at 12:00 pm sharp." And with that, the referee turned and started walking away, to his next contestant.

"Wait," Cliff yelled, holding out his hand, and the referee turned around with a look of impatience and mild curiousity. "Have you ever... you know... done this thing before?" asked Cliff.

"This is the first time one of these competitions has ever been held. And I'm not even sure why it IS being held, kid. Don't even know what the damn top 10 prize is. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some more English speaking competitors to attend to."

Arielt proceeded to shed her clothes, some people around her gasped untill they saw the Black material covering her body, she began shifting shapes, first just to the shapes of assorted animals, then to Hybrids, then, to people, she even shifted to look like Cliff for a brief period, she lacked his powers, but the look-alike effect was uncanny, then she shifted back to her normal form, now for a few partial shifts, with a thought her arms suddenly were covered in Black spikes, then smoothed out again, she formed her fists into hammers, then back again.

She filled out her interview, chewing on the end of the pen she had received.
Name: C.J.
Location: From Hyki
Ability: Telekenetic
Social security number 003-26-2784
Additional Comments: Half brother, Mar Shentavo
height: 5"9"
Birthday: December 28
She handed in her application, checking it over for a while. She needed to practice. What would be a good way to let them know of her skills. "Crisula?" A man said, walking towards her.
"Yes," she said, standing hup. Her hat was left on the bench as they perceeded to an area with few people, but a numerous amount of spectators. The man had a whim of arrogance about him. She didn't quite like it very much.
"So," he said, observing her, pacing around her like a wolf to it's prey. "What do you do?"
"I'm a telekenetic," she said with a slight shiver as he passed her. He chuckled slighlty at her.
"A telekenetic?" he asked with an immense laugh. "There are no times for parlor tricks"
"I think I'm better than just parlor tricks," she said as her nerves slowely started to wear away.
"Well," he said, as he pulled a chair to him and sat on it, watching her. "How about a demonstration...something better than bending a spoon."
She thought for a moment. She let the insult burn within her. Something ignited. She turned to him, with her hazel eyes looking him over. "What about bending a chair?"
"What?" he asked, but was too late. The chair beneath him whirled out from under his body, as he fell on his back. She raised her hand, and he rose into the air. She was slightly shaky, but nonetheless, interesting. She broke her concentration and let him fall to the ground.
"Is that what their considering parlor tricks?" she asked, helping him up, and walking away. He watched in disbeleif.

The judge came to Dom.

"Dominic Skyler Wrathe?"
"Yes."
"Says you are are immortal and an excellent shot."
"Pretty good with a blade too."
"Yes....Born in Shieldan, Sigma Octavus. Parents unknown. Criminal record and outstanding military service. Large scar on left arm. Vampire. Commando. Fear of......the number 13. Triskadecaphobia."
"Yep."
The judge nodded. Care to show your talents?"
"Sure, why not."

With this, Dom pulled a pistol out of his jacket and threw a 50 yen peice in the air. He raised his gun with inhuman speed and fired. The coin landed with the center blown clean thru. Then Dom put the gun to his left chest above his heart and fired twice. He smiled as nothing happened except for blood darkening his white shirt and droplets fell to the ground.

"Sorry about the mess."

"Yes. Come back for the final evaluation at 5:30. Final results are tomorrow at 12 pm."

"Roger that." Dom looked down as the judge walked away.

Damn, my white shirt. Oh well, I can buy a new one. I got enough.

Lotus stood on the platform awaiting her turn to demonstrate her ability; she could see other participants already showing off to the referees already. One of them jumped up into the air pumping his arms as he started to fly, in fact she thought he looked like he was swimming through the air.
A polite cough brought her attention back to earth, looking down she saw a male referee and another gentleman holding a black suitcase “You would be Miss Lotus Purrlinda correct?” the referee asked.
“Yes that is I.” she replied.
“Sister to Jade Purrlinda ambassador to the Free Land of Slagkattunger; member of one of the wealthiest families in Slagkattunger in fact you’re family is currently the most powerful in your nation.”
“That is common knowledge, but yes that is correct.”
“Let’s see what I have here…..Age is 8 years old, born March 22nd, species commonly known as a catperson or neko, currently 128 centimeters in height, green eyes, favorite color is blue, you like wearing nice clothes, you hate hot weather, environmental vandals and you also have a fear of dogs.”
Lotus blinked “Err yes...you are well informed.”
“Indeed we are Miss Purrlinda; it says here that your main ability is ‘Time Sliding’ the gentleman to my right is here to help you demonstrate your ability for us. If you would please hop down and walk over to the demonstration area we have set up for you, please stand on the red cross and we will begin.”
Lotus hopped down and proceeded over to what looked like a shooting range with a wall of sandbags at one end, and stood on the red ‘X’ on the floor in front of the wall of sandbags. Looking back at the referee and his companion she saw him remove a Submachine gun (SMG) out of the case, in an instance she realized how they were going to get her to demonstrate her ability.
The referee nodded at the gentleman and said “You may begin.”
The man pointed the SMG at Lotus and fired, but Lotus had already slipped into ‘Go Slow” mode and could easily see the bullets approaching her. As they slowly approached she dodged and weaved between the individual bullets, making sure none of them hit her or her dress. Soon the gun stopped firing and Lotus came out of the ”Go Slow” mode still standing on the red ‘X’, she looked at the referee and raised an eyebrow.
The referee nodded and said “Come back for final evaluation at 5:30, and then for the final results tomorrow at 12:00 pm sharp." And with that, the referee and his companion turned and started walking away towards the next contestant.
Lotus staggered a bit as the after effect of using her ability hit her, just then she saw James approaching and she held out her arms to him. James scooped her up and carried her to the side lines while she took a quick catnap.

At last one of the referees stopped at Jheer's platform. The referee looked him up and down, and then at his clipboard. "Ah, here we are. Jharred Eers aka Rick Wrall aka Marvin Ashton aka etc etc...."

A long list of surnames was read, and several social security numbers, and finally calling out "Real name Jheer. Male Sakkran of the subterranean nation of Sakkra."

Jheer tapped a small hexagonal disk below his throat. "You are correct."

The referee continued. "Socially stunted, orphaned at birth. Says you have an affinity with machines and invention."

"Correct."

"Okay, let's see what you have for us."

A large pile of scrap parts was brought up to the platform via a forklift and a palette. It looked like a small scrapyard had been delivered. Okay, focus and concentrate. Let's see what the parts tell me. Jheer let his mind slip into the pile, sifting through them to see what was still usable and what were decoy bits of scrap. It seemed like an hour had passed for Jheer, but in actuality it was about six seconds.

Then he began. He opened his duffel-bag full of tools, and began pulling pieces of electronic equipment out. A tubular thing here, and oblong shape there. Circuit boards, CPUs, old vacuum tubes; everything was yanked, welded and screwed in place.

After 10 minutes of frenzied activity, Jheer held up his work. "It is an electro-magnetic mass driver. One moment while I demonstrate." He pulled out a solid block of metal that weighed 100 pounds easily, and placed it on the opposite end of his platform. After motioning the crowd away from the firing area, he chambered what appeared to be nothing more than an old D battery.

The cannon is hoisted to his shoulder, and a soft humming sound can be heard. The trigger is pressed gently. A soft TOOMP sound is heard, and the target of metal flies back about 6 meters. On inspection, the D battery almost passes through the chunk of metal. A lump on the opposite end is evident.

The referee looks, but remains silent. "Come back for the final evaluation at 5:30, and then for final results tomorrow at 12 pm on the dot." He then continues moving on to the other platforms.

IC: A Referee stopped at Ariel's platform and examined her quickly, then he looked at a clipboard in his hand "Let's see" he said, tapping at the clipboard with a pen "Name is Ariel McQueen, species is Human, born in the Holy Empire of Kecha, age 34, parents Joshua and Bernadette McQueen, both deceased, says here you're a Xenophobe, that mean you don't like people?" Ariel looked at him, then Shadow spoke through her "Yeah, we don't like people" the Symbiote said, the Referee nodded, then looked back at the clipboard "Name is Shadow, species is Symbiote, born in the Holy Empire of Kecha, age is unknown, parents listed as 'none', antisocial, am I right?" "Yeah" Shadow said, the Referee nodded "And you're collectivley believed to suffer from some kind of instability under extreme pressure" Ariel nodded, so did the Referee "Well, let's see a demonstration of your abilities" Ariel nodded and closed her eyes, she concentrated and began to change, just for laughs she first shifted to the form of a Kitten, then to a small Puppy, the Referee shook his head "Now that's just wierd" he muttered, Ariel smiled to herself, then shifted to the somewhat massive form of an Asian Elephant, she wrapped her trunk lightly around the Referee's waist and lifted him off the ground, then set him down, shifted back to her Human form, and stared "No, it's just unique"

Omnus is still sitting under the tree, in a state of prana bindu suspension, meditating. A referee walks up to him and nudges Omnus with his foot. Like a whiplash, Omnus's hand snakes out and trips the referee. Standing up, Omnus stares at the fallen referee.

"You're Omnus Stormrider of the Five Civilized Nations?"

"I am Omnus... What can I do for you..."

"You were born in 209 5CN in the City of the March in the Borderlands. Member of the faculty of the Swordmasters of Ginaz..."

Like a flash, Omnus's sword is in the referee's face...

"Who are you and why do you have this information about me?"

"I don't really know, I'm just refereeing the competition... We need you to demonstrate a show of your abilities..."

"Fine."

Omnus walks towards the demonstration area, where eight combat meks wielding swords.

"These are my competitors?"

"Yes..."

"Well stand back... I'll be finished in no time..."

As he speaks, Omnus leaps towards the combat meks diving under their swords, wielding his two Yin and Yang swords. Each sword pierces two of the meks, rendering them useless. Then rolling away from the questing blades of the other meks, Omnus throws his Yang blade, running another mek through. Then Omnus flips over another mek and ran him through with his Yin sword. Then picking up his Yang sword, Omnus runs towards the remaining four meks, easily blocking their swords and cutting the heads of two of the meks off. The two surviving meks move back. Omnus moves up and using his Flame Lightning Sword Technique, he blasts the two meks to kingdom come...

The referee looks, but remains silent. "Come back for the final evaluation at 5:30, and then for final results tomorrow at 12 pm on the dot." He then continues on.

The referee approached Elfire with the clipboard in his hand. "So, you're the elven girl, no?". "The name is Elfira, and I'm a woman, not a girl".

"Well, 254 years old is not a very accurate measure in human standards", said the referee "Elfira D'nan, Coronel-Commander of the Aelosian Armed Forces, of elven heritage, age 250 aprox, without registration in the social security. You were an orphan, found after a retaliation attack against a base of Drow slavers. No relatives known. Raised by soldiers?, interesting. Talents vary from melee combat to piloting aircraft. Weapon of choice: Sniper Rifle. Left shoulder tattoed with the blazon of the Crawlers of Darkness, Aelosia's ATF unit. Active during the border war with Yamata no Orochi, the raids against the Drow slavers, the Aelosian Civil War, the invasion of Elfhaters and the Cyberutopian Civil War. Awarded with the Valar's Boon, the Legion of Merit in Second Class, the Maia's Medal and the Cúthalion Condecoration. Registered high problems with authority and aggressive tendencies, specially in berserker state. Why you don't have a birthday?"

Elfira smiled "In the file says that I'm an orphan, found and raised by a patrol of soldiers. Nobody knows my birthday, even my age is an assumption".

"Do you have something prepared to show your skills?" asks the man, dressed in a white shirt with black stripes.

She turned around, then she saw the vampire firing a pair of rounds against a coin in the air. "Maybe yes". She throwed a coin into the air, aiming at it with her Reaver Special Concussion sniper rifle. The first bullet hitted the coin just in the border of it, making the coin fly higher. She fired the ten bullets of the rifle's magazine, each shot hitting the coin and making it stay in the air. She dropped her rifle and pulled out her whip, slashing three times at the coin with the tip of the weapon, finally making it enter the referee's pocket.

She recovered her rifle, smiling at the referee. "That's all I can do right now. However I have more surprises."

A referee, perhaps 45, sauntered up to Rith, whipped out a clipboard and smirked at her like she was a little girl who just asked a silly question.

"Rith Har'Xel, aged 23, hometown of Solitaria, Shi district, southern Cyberutopia, was firebombed in the civil war, you lost the church you served, your two brothers, and your mother. Father's whereabouts unknown." He said, reading rapidly off of a list.

"I didn't come here for a casualty list." She said, glaring at him.

"Sure, whatever. So, you say your abilities are expert use of a quarterstaff, and 'clerical healing', whatever that is." He said, skipping to the bottom of the list. "How are you going to demonstrate that?"

"I just found a way." She said, picking up the black combat staff that was beside her.

In a small motion, Rith brought the staff down in a low sweep, knockong the man onto his back. As he lay there, winded, she spun the staff once and brought the pole down hard into his shoulder. There was a loud pop, and the man groaned in pain.

Rith knelt down next to him, and with a small flick of her fingers, golden tendrils of energy seeped into his dislocated shoulder, and it snapped back into place.

"Oooo, my shoulder..." The referee said, standing up and rubbing his sore shoulder. "Come back for the finals at 5:30, and then the results at 12 tomorrow."

"Sure thing." She says, giving him a decepively sweet smile.

Cliff sat on the benches at the side of the stadium, flipping a quarter over and over in his fingers. The money wouldn't seem to work in the soda machine here, so he had no other practical use for it. Looking around the stadium, he was hoping that nobody was planning to shoot a hole through it, as that wouldn't go very well for his stomach. Just in case, however, he pocketed the small coin and headed outside.

In the chilly evening air outside the stadium, a small group of 3 or 4 competitors was huddled, talking somewhat excitedly in English, which seemed to be somewhat peculiar. One of them noticed him, however, and offered him a smoke, which he politely declined with a, "No thanks."

"You speak English, eh mate?" asked the man, cocking an eyebrow.
"My first and only language," responded Cliff, joining the group at the man's beckoning.
"We were now just discussing Mr. Tanaka's amazing show of power," revealed the stranger to Cliff, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow, "You heard of the fellow?"
Cliff nodded that he had not.
"Well I don't see how that's possible! Amazing man, this Tanaka fellow. Said to be with the bloody Yakuza, not that I'd know a damn thing, tell you straight. But the man can fend and defend for himself," said the stranger, winking at Cliff with another rough nudge, "You know what he asked them to let him do for his demonstration? He challenged any and every other competitor who thought themselves to be better than him to a fight. And a fight is what the bloke bloody got! I'm talking karate bloody masters and sharp shooters all going in on him at once. And the son of a bitch comes out without a damn scratch, mate!"
"Sounds like they have a winner," said Cliff, without much emotion.
"Bloody winner is right! After that, I just fucking quit and left the whole damn competition! No way I'm going to be standing up against that guy!" yelled the man excitedly.
"What's your ability?" asked Cliff, with the mildest curiousity possible.
"I can take a lot of poison, mate. See this cigarette? Won't do a bloody fucking god-damn thing to me! Shame really, when you think of all it does to the other chaps who do this shit. But hey, all the better for me! Want me to prove it? Let's go see who can drink who under the bloody table first, eh?" he responded, with wide and excited eyes, "But what's your power then, mate? Do tell!"
"This," said Cliff, tired of talking to the man. And with that, he flew up, no, swam up, across the street towards the roof tops. Not knowing what was there awaiting him.

((Nicely done. It's an excellent setup.))

Rith walked along the streets of Tokyo, and she saw a man go flying over her head.

"Showoff." She mumbled.

Out of boredom, she only half-followed the flying man's trail. She looked up curiously when she could get a glimpse at him through the buildings.

'Odd, looks like he's swimming. But in the air. Very odd, indeed.' Rith thought to herself, craning her neck upwards to look.

The cold wind bit at her skin as she walked briskly through the masses of people. The sheer amount of people all moving was generally enough to keep her warm, however. She stiffened as a hand ran up her thigh, obviously not by mistake. In a spilt second, the staff was in her hand jabbing into the man's gut. She withdrew it just as quickly, and walked on at a faster pace.

Cliff made his way to the rooftop across the street from the stadium, and settled down, pulling out a cigarette. Smoking was an awful and dirty habit, but he did it when he felt he needed to, when his nerves had been worn to shreds, and now was one of those times.

He lit it up and sucked on the end, exhaling slowly and marveling at the thing he held in his hand which calmed him so. But then, suddenly, he heard a rustling movement to his right. He jerked his head to the side, but not quickly enough. A somewhat slim man grabbed him and covered his mouth with a gloved hand, holding him there with force too great for someone who showed so little muscle. The man was clothed from head to toe in black, impossible for Cliff to identify.

A few feet away sat someone who appeared to be his counterpart, a woman in black. The sky had now gone pitch black, and the figures on the rooftop could not be seen whatsoever. It was maybe... 8:00, and the contestants were beginning to shuffle out of the stadium. As Cliff struggled against the man holding him down, he saw the woman excitedly pull a pair of what appeared to be binoculars away from her face, and switch over, instead, to a sniper rifle.

"Got him!" she said enthusiastically. And with that, she stuck her eye to the crosshair, and fired two muffled shots at someone down on the street. "Or rather... now I do! Ha ha, say goodnight, Mr. Tanaka!" With this comment, Cliff's eyes widened, just as the man holding him down struck him with something heavy and metallic on the back of his head. And at that moment, everything in Cliff's mind went black.
-------
Mirian looked down at the unconscious boy with annoyance. "Great, we'll just leave him up here, shall we?" she asked the other agent.
"He has nothing linked to us. Now let's leave. Quickly," he responded.
"You get the gun, I'll get the binos."
"Are you sure you hit him?"
"Two shots dead on in the head, yeah I'm fucking sure."
"Hey, I grew up here in the Yakuza, I know that some of these fuckers take more than just ni damn shots to take out."
"Fuck you and your 'ni'. Now let's get the hell out of here."

And with that, the two departed, down the flight of emergency stairs, but not before the woman had taken a long, and somewhat surprised, look at Cliff. But they left all the same, leaving Cliff behind to an unknown fate.
-------
Cliff awoke and it was light out. He was down on the sidewalk again, and they had someone bundled up on a stretcher in an ambulance. He tried to sit up, but he was tied down to a stretcher. He shouted for help, and a medic came to him.

"Hai?" asked the medic.
"Umm... Ingirisu desu?" responded Cliff, unsurely.
"O! Ingirisu!" exclaimed the medic, and rushed off.

Who he came back with was the man in the horn rimmed glasses. The man looked down at Cliff, and then said something rapidly in Japanese to the medic, who rapidly turned and walked away. The man stared down at Cliff for some time, not saying anything, and Cliff stared back in equal fascination, unable to speak. The man did not appear to be of any particular descent; he had traits belonging to each culture. Finally, the man spoke:

"You know you killed our finest competitor," he said expressionlessly.
"It wasn't me!" exclaimed Cliff, "There were two people up there! In black! Last night! One of them had a gun... a, a... a big gun! Up there! I swear it!"
"The police report that no weapon has been found, so you appear to be clean. However," said the man, leaving it at that.
"I swear this on my life, I do! Do I look like a killer?"
"No. You are a fellow competitor. Mr. Cliff Thurgood, the flyer."
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Armed with a motive, but apparently not with a weapon."
"You see?"
"Mr. Thurgood, how dumb do you think I am?"
"Sir... I... I'm telling the truth!"

The man leant over, clasping his hands behind his back and looking with an emotionless stare straight into Cliff's eyes. The stare bored into him and made it painful to look back, but he could not tear his gaze away. The man sighed, and straightened back up, with a look of impatience, and said:

"You know that I could snap you like a twig right now and the police wouldn't do a thing about it?"
"I doubt that, sir..."
"Don't. It's true."
"Why?"
"Because. I have no time for Q and A games."
"Then let me out."
"Tell me first, who was it that did this?"
"Two people in black up there on the roof last night! That's all I know!"
"Mr. Thurgood. I am not asking you why you were there, nor if you were associated, nor if you liked, disliked, or even knew the victim. Quite frankly: I-DON'T-CARE. I am asking you for the identity of the two murderers, and that is all."
"I told you I don't know! Now let me go!" screamed back Cliff, pushing anxiously against the ropes.
"Very well. Remember, Mr. Thurgood: final scores at 12:00 sharp today. That is 3 hours from now. Be there or don't bother ever returning."

And with that, the man with the horn rimmed glasses strode away. Cliff looked after him, in wonder, until he was out of sight behind the assorted police, paramedics, ambulances, squad cars and such on the street. If Tanaka was really... this important, then the man might be in the Yakuza! Cliff kept thinking about this until a medic came and untied his bonds, which he realized only a few minutes later. He walked back to his hotel not knowing what to think.

Rith watched in silent disbelief as two blurs shot down from the rooftop where the flying man had landed, lodging themselves solidly in the one named Tanaka's head. He fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. Rith tried to get to him, and perhaps bring him back from the brink of death, but the crowd was too dense, and did not listen to her pleas.

As the flyer was found on the top of the roof and brought down, Rith stood over him for a minute, wondering how he could do such a thing. She gave him one last glare, though he could not see it, and went off to find a place to stay the night.

Elfira heard the news, and the statement of Cliff. She was just resting in one of the rooftops, cleaning the barrel of her rifle. She quickly stands and says "So, the flying boy killed somebody down there, and now he's blaming a figure dressed in black with a big rifle, who fired from a rooftop. So here I am, dressed in black, standing in a rooftop with a huge sniper rifle in my hand. That puts me in a uncomfortable position, I better leave now". She pauses, thinking about other thing "I didn't hear any shots, it was a very advanced rifle, then. That boy doesn't look like a good marksman. I smell something rotten here"

"It wasn't me, so why he's trying to frame me?", she says, jumping to another rooftop and climbing down the stairs. "He don't even know me!"


((The plot twists. It's natural that Elfira thinks that Cliff is blaming her))

Crisula watched the fiasco from the shadows. She didn't like to be seen, but to watch. 5:30 they had said to come back....and she would wait until then. Her hair twisted in bleach blond strands fading into a sharp orange. Her catlike eyes darted from figure to figure. Her black shirt fell off one shoulder slightly, and flared sleaves fell to her knuckles. Black pants clung tightly to her skin. A snakelike belt was tamed, and wrapped around her hips.
She placed her fingertips to her face in contemplation of what was to happen next. Maybe it wasn't so wise to have agitated the referee. She just didn't like being talked to condecendingly.
She leaned her back against the wall, and placed her hands in her pockets. During this time she was here, she had met no one, and simply watched everything going on, making small notes of weaknesses and strengths of other competitors. In this she found something to be content with until the time came where the results would be posted.

Omnius Stormrider patiently waited, sitting under the tree, meditating in a state of prana bindu suspension. He knew that it was already past 5:30PM and he also knew that one of the contestants had been killed. But he didn't care, as long as he wasn't targeted...

At 6:00PM, Omnius stood up and began to stroll around. As he circled the building he accidently bumped into another human. The stranger glanced at Omnius and cursed.

"Why, if it isn't Omnius... How have you been since the Ginaz Academy days?" as he spoke, the stranger drew his sword and pointed it at Omnius.

Omnius stopped and turned. Sudden recognition hit him. The person was his archrival, Toran Ackran. Suddenly Omnius jumped and with a quick chop to Ackran's wrist, disarmed him... Omnius then kneed him in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of Ackran... Ackran, in pain, collapses to the floor.

"Don't let me see you again, or you will die..." Omnius sneered and wheeled off into the darkness...

Cliff got no rest for the next three hours. He was haunted by the memories from the last night and that morning, and was unsure the whole time of if this were a dream or if anything was really happening around him. In a daze, he walked down the streets, a coffee in his hand that had now grown cold.

And suddenly, here he was. Standing outside the stadium. The same stadium. Where so much had happened. He walked slowly in. It was only 11:30, yet people were already gathering for the final announcements. Though they mattered nothing to him now. Over and over, again and again, all he could think was that he saw them. He saw them fire. He saw them kill a man. He saw a dead man.

But just then, he jerked his head up, and standing in the crowd... there she was! The asassin was lined up with the others to see the final results! Had the murder been her test? No, because the man in black was upset about it... but... she must be the murderer! Unable to think, let alone breathe, Cliff ducked into a bathroom and shut the door, locking it.

Elfira looked at Cliff as he left running the stadium and entered a bathroom. "Now I'm surprised. Why is he running from me?. First he tries to frame me in a murder and now he's scared?, let's find out what's happening with him".

She left, pursuing Cliff, opening the door of the bathroom with a well placed kick. She says with a sharp, harsh voice "Hey you, flying boy. I need several explanations, and I think you have them".

She entered the bathroom without even reading the sign in the door....

It hadn't gone well for James. He had the feeling that they wouldn't even consider him. His talent was useful, undoubtedly, but he had a feeling they'd go for the flashier powers. His just seemed to pale in cmparison to some of them.

It hadn't helped that he'd got into trouble over punching that annoying little squirt, either. He'd asked for a light. He then found out what that squirt's power was. He nearly got a fireball in the face. While the kid was laughing, of course, he took his revenge. The kid was unconscious before he hit the ground, but that hadn't exactly endeared himself to the judges.

So he was hiding out in this bathroom. Getting in a quick smoke before the announcement was made. When a kid rushed right into the bathroom, with a deathly look upon his face.

James looked at the kid that had just dashed straight into the bathroom.
The guy looked as if he was going to throw up.

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he said: "Hey, kid. What are you looking so shaken up about? Contest nerves?"

Cliff turned around looking back at the locked door, and then to the stranger with the cigarette. But before he could even stammer out an answer, there came a knocking at the door. With a pleading look in his eye, he tried to get the stranger out of the way so he could find a place to hide, but to no avail. A second later, the door came down nearly on top of him.

The stranger with the cigarette looked on for a second, perhaps wondering why she was in a mens room, but Cliff immediately stopped paying attention to him. He turned instead, in fright, to the asassin. "Please don't hurt me! I never said a word to them! I didn't do anything to impede you! Please!"

Cliff had never thought about the prospect of seeing his life flash before his eyes, but the thought was ocurring to him now, as he crawled backwards, unable to stand up, until his back met the wall and he was nearly face to face with the ferocious woman. Everything else had faded into the background. He knew he was going to die.

Elfira put her hands in her hips, looking surprised at the boy. Then she said "Oh, C'mon. Stand up, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to know why are you afraid of me....Wait a minute, I got it. You think that I'm the assassin. Well, lad. I'm sorry. It wasn't me". She grabbed Cliff's arm, making him raise from the floor, almost falling to the floor backwards, because of the excess of impulse. "You're very light, don't you?. Listen to me, I didn't killed that Tanaka guy. Was the killer dressed like me?, Did you saw her face?".

"Stop trembling, I'm not going to hurt you, ok?, all I want it's some information!", shouted Elfira, visibly disturbed by Cliff's behavior.

Jheer was at the stadium, just standing in the middle of a throng craning their necks to hear the news. None jostled him, however. Socially stunted as he was, he still had a bit of an intimidating look about him. But that was the last thing on his mind.

Ghaaaarrrrr, why did I drink so much of that awful carbonated beverage. My stomach is all out of whack now. And to top it off, the stress of waiting. I wish I could get a mug of Paroo like back home. He craned his own neck over the heights of the crowd for the most part. he could see a strangely garbed woman running into a men's room. Very strange. Hmmmm....

Ariel was waiting for news on what had occured, she stood in the same crowd of people as Jheer, standing clamly, only moving when she was jostled by someone else, she didn't wear her normal clothes now, standing in her Black "Organisuit" generated by Shadow, with a change of clothes stored in a gym bag on her shoulder, she was smoking a cigarette, and to anyone around her, she seemed to be just standing there, but she was really conversing with Shadow, nothing of importance, just talking.

Lotus sat on James shoulder while waiting for the final results and announcement of what would happen next. Today she was wearing a red dress with a dark blue ribbon around her waist finishing in a big bow on her back, her hair was tied back with another blue ribbon to form a ponytail. She looked a bit bored with the waiting as she was slowly swinging her legs, her red shoes softly banging against James chest in a rythmic patten.

Ariel began moving through the crowd, dealing with the urge to move before her legs got stiff, her slow, steady migration eventually took her to a spot next to James and Lotus, she looked at James first, then her eyes scanned up to Lotus, she nodded a greeting to Lotus, then settled down for more idle standing "Nice little girl, no?" "Stop that, I need to think" she thought in response "Well, she's cute, think so?" "I'm not that way sicko" "I hope not, I couldn't live with you like that, I can hardly live with you as it is" "Go away" "Can't, I'm stuck in your head" "Yeah? well someday I'll stick my head into a cement mixer, then you'll be sorry!" she accidentally snapped the last part aloud, startling a few people around here "Sorry" she said.

Lotus saw the lady in black moving through the crowd until she came to stand near her and James, Lotus return the nod with a polite one of her own. "She smells strange" Lotus thought "and she moves quitely to, I didn't hear her walking." with that thought one of Lotus ears twitched. When the lady spoke Lotus jerked a little with a soft "mew" of surprise escaping from her, with a glace at the lady who had just appologise Lotus went back to scanning the crowd from her perch.

Ariel stood next to Lotus and James for awhile, trying to stay calm, and to organize her thoughts, but a young man behind her kept bumping into her, each time he quickly said "Sorry" but his tone suggested he was doing it all on purpose, eventually, right after he apologized, shadow spoke through Ariel, in the in-Human, virbating voice he always used "You have said that many times, next time, it will not be enough" then he retreated back and Ariel began fishing in the bag on her shoulder, she came out with a pack of Winterfresh gum, smashing out her cigarette, she pulled out a piece and popped it into her mouth, then dropped the pack into her bag, the man bumped into her again "Sorry" he said, still not seeming to mean it, Shadow proceeded to turn around and shove him, sending him into the person behind him "Sorry" Shadow said, with as little sincerity as he had used.

Cliff stood up, but his back was still against the wall. The woman's piercing gaze was now gone from her eyes. Also, her voice sounded so much more... gruff. So much more rough and coarse than that of the asassin on the rooftops. The asassin had spoken with a cool, calm voice of one who knows what they are doing. This woman spoke like a military general, like one used to being condescending and giving orders. Maybe she wasn't the same person...

He brushed his hair back out of his face and apologized, "S-sorry..." he said slowly. He attempted a half smile and shook his head in a sheepish manner. But then he remembered that they weren't alone in the bathroom. He turned to the other man, the one with the cigarettes, and asked if he could bum one.

A few minutes later, he was walking back into the crowd. The eloquent stranger had been so nice as to give him a cigarette, and quite a good one, at that. And the woman in black must have left the bathroom while he wasn't looking. But he saw her again in the crowds. He felt he owed her something... an apology, maybe. So he pushed his way through the crowds, attempting to get to her. However, the crowds were unforgiving, pushing back two times as hard. Yet he reached her and managed to tug her sleeve. As she turned around, he smiled and said, "Sorry for the mix up. I-" but he was cut off, as the man in the black suit came before them at that moment and posted the final results on a large telescreen.

It listed the winners, all people whom Cliff had not heard of. He shook his head disappointedly, but not surprisedly. And then, when he reached the bottom, he saw the last one to make the list. It was him. Right there, on the list. Cliff Thurgood.

He looked up at the man with the horn rimmed glasses, and the man looked back, as if to say, "We had to pick someone when he died." But then, the man's somewhat calm and compassionate look was gone, and he turned back to the crowd, with his same expressionless face, and said, "We must ask all the contestants who did not make the top 10 to leave please. Your flights out shall be tomorrow. Thank you for participating. All winners must remain here until the others have left."
-----
Meanwhile, Mirian had come back to the hideout to realize that it had been burned to the ground. Someone had found their headquarters. And now it was a headquarters no more. Deserted. Empty. Barren.

"Shit..." she said slowly, to the other agent.
"You're telling me," he replied.

Elfira had left the bathroom to be on time in the announcement of the winners. Suddenly someone touched her in her arm. She turned, a grin of anger making her face. There was the flying boy, muttering something about being sorry for the "mix up", she was ready to tell him several things about stop messing with her when the telescreen started to show the names of the winners "Elfira D'nan", could be readed in the screen. I made it. It wasn't a tough assigment after all. The others names were unknown to her, expect for...the Rith girl was there, and Cliff Thurgood, the flying boy, the last one, in the place of the dead Yakuza assasin.

She turned again pointing at Cliff's chest with her finger "And about you, I will not tell anything about that Tanaka guy you killed, but stop telling everyone that I did it, understood?. I will keep your secret". I need to find out about the others, maybe the Aelosian Intelligence Agency knows something about them

Cliff was repelled by this woman's comments. Wait, he thought to himself, She thinks that I killed him? That's preposterous! Why would I... He stopped for a second. He had made it in instead of Tanaka! If Tanaka had been alive, he wouldn't have made it in! That's the motive they had him pinned for! But then... why wasn't he already in custody? Maybe it was some kind of trap! With his mind spinning, he became absorbed in thoughts of his own, until he noticed that the crowd had cleared, and he was left standing with nine others. The woman who looked like the asassin among them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the man in black, coming forward, "I understand you may have questions. Though I have answers, there is no time. There is never any time. Understand that. You may adress me as Ha Nozri. Now follow me." And with that, he turned, pressing a button on the telescreen, and it opened up to a passageway. The others followed his lead, and so, therefore, did Chris, not knowing what lay ahead of him.

Ariel followed Ha Nozri along, staying in the back of the group, walking with allmost no noise at all, except for a ruffling sound every now and again as she adjusted her bag, she pulled out a second piece of gum and popped it into her mouth, then fell silent.

Elfira looked at the others nine, then she turned to Ha Nozri, starting to follow him. "What a strange lot", she said in high voice. Then she raise her wrist communicator, making the input of the nine names of the others.

Elfira looked at the others nine, then she turned to Ha Nozri, starting to follow him. "What a strange lot", she said in high voice. Then she raise her wrist communicator, making the input of the nine names of the others. "And you're not strange lady?" Ariel said quietly, just low enough noone more then maybe 2 people in front of her could hear her.

"Yes I am", said Elfira in a amused voice "I'm part of the lot. However, that black skin of yours give me the chills. And I'm not easy to scare".

"Yes I am", said Elfira in a amused voice "I'm part of the lot. However, that black skin of yours give me the chills. And I'm not easy to scare". "Yeah, we have that effect on people" Ariel said, she raised a Black-covered hand and flexed it, then lowered it.

"However, as odd as it seems, I can understand your relationship. Me and my rifle are more and less the same thing". She smiles, and says to Ariel "That black thing do many interesting and funny things apart of just looking scary and awesome no?".

Well, unlikely as he'd thought it would be, he was through. Right there in the middle of the list, he'd been mentioned. And so here he was, walking down the narrow passageway with nine other... well, he had to call them people. A strange little girl with cat ears was right in front of him, and behind him, the elf that nearly scared that kid to death.

James didn't like elves. Nothing personal against them, of course. He wasn't a racist like some of those anti-elf nuts out there in the world. His was a purely practical reason. Elves weren't affected by the talent at all - it was all bluff and confidence, and elves saw through things like that very quickly - so he always felt uneasy around them.

Behind the elf... the kid. He'd got through, although James wasn't sure what his power was. James liked him, although he wasn't sure why. He wouldn't have given a cigarette to anyone he didn't like, even ones that had just been terrified by an elf with an attitude problem. He decided to do something about it.

He craned his neck back to the elf, and snarled "Listen, Tinkerbell. I don't know what the hell you've got against the kid back there, but quit it right now. Unless you want me to make sure that the judges have to make another last minute change to the selection, leave off him. I mean, you could toss him about like a ragdoll, and that just seems to me like arrogant bullying. And I don't like arrogant bullies."

He prepared himself. Addressing an elf like that always had serious consequences...

"I'm not messing with him anymore, so could you just shut up?. That's not your problem, little hidden smoking guy. And I'm not a bully, I'm not good with words, that's all. He's not complaining about it, so why are you taken the place of the whining boy?. Leave me alone, will you?", said Elfira, very disturbed about the intrusion of the unknown man. She was just a harsh woman, but her intention wasn't to scare the boy, or to act like a bully. She just wanted a single explanation about the Tanaka's assasination and why he was trying to involve her. As a matter of fact, the kid still was owing her that, but this wasn't the right time to ask for it.

C.J. looked at the moniter. She had made it. Strange, the referee didn't seem to like her that much. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She walked out of the shadows toward the group that was gathering. She recognized none of them, except for one name. Dominic... wasn't that on the list of enrollee's at the academy? She had stopped by breifly to see her brother.
She walked toward them cautiously, bringing a stray strand of orange hair back from her sunburnt face. Her hazel eyes expressed her caution and warning.

"Yes, yes he can, I should know, I helped make him"

Rith grinned in silent content as she read her name off the list.

"That wasn't so hard." She said quietly to herself as the group walked through the passageway.

She listened only half way as the Elf and one of the other winners had a brief quarrel. Deciding it would be best to stay out of it, she walked up ahead of them, trying to see what was at the end of this long, stark hall.

Crisula was at her highest senses. Two of the contestants were apparently having a quarrel of such a sort in which she should stay out of. She looked amongst the rest of the group. There was one girl that stood out to her. She looked at Rith, not knowing that that was her name. She gave her a smile, her hazel eyes flickering slightly.
She looked down the hall as if it were a dark tunnel leaning to sheer terror. A slight feeling of trepidation arose within her heart.

Rith trailed a hand along the wall, golden energy snaking in a trail behind her. Feeling someone watching her, she looked over her shoulder to see Crisula looking at her. She returned her smile, and dropped back a bit.

"Hello." She said, getting a feeling this wouldn't be some normal cash prize, and that she might want to get to know the other winners. "What's your name?"

"Crisula Shen...."she was about to let her last name slip, but stopped before she could finish it. It would have immediately given away her background. She used her adopted name instaed. "Jentulen," she continued. "Just call me C.J...and you are?"

Someone beginning with the letter R....she thought to herself, but the name didn't come to her. She had too much stress for one day.

"If he isn't complaining about it, how can he be whining?" enquired James, now unable to stop himself from arguing further with the elf.

"And of course, if you had just been absolutely terrified, would you be likely to speak up about it? And I can verify, that kid looks completely terrified by you. As you would be if you were a young kid and a huge elf burst into a bathroom and threatened you."

"Leave you alone? When you wouldn't do the same to him? I don't see why I should. I'm watching you now, elf. Especially if you go near him. And that's a promise."

James motioned to the kid, trudging behind both of them.

Then he walked ahead, trying to put as much distance between him and the elf as possible.

"Rith Har'Xel. Nice to meet you, CJ. What's your ability?" rith asked, Making aimless small talk.

"Rith Har'Xel. Nice to meet you, CJ. What's your ability?" rith asked, Making aimless small talk.

That could have gone worse, he thought. He could have suddenly found himself with a severe lack of kidneys if he'd gone any further, he supposed...

He decided to start talking to one of the other winners. Pass the time.

James saw two already in conversation with one another. Well, they wouldn't be annoyed with another person joining in, would they?

He walked straight up to them. "Hello. I hope I'm not imposing in your conversation, am I?"

As the man talked to Rith, she could smell the faint traces of tobacco on his breath. Though it was repulsive to her, she attempted to keep her thoughts from showing themselves on her face.

"No, not at all." She answered. "I"m Rith. You are...?"

Elfira's face turned red. "I already left him alone. And he's not the one whining, I was talking about you", she said as her last words.

She approached Rith, the little girl dressed as a cleric. "You are from Cyberutopia, no?. I was in a mission there some time ago, a mission to save the cyberutopian elves from some Death Camps".

Cliff walked along, wishing to remain silent. She is obviously not the killer... yet she must think I was blaming her... because I saw her yesterday and needed someone to blame... she must think I did the murder... his thoughts spoke to him, I should apologize and explain it... but she seems to be in 'permanent bitch' mode. At this, he smiled ruefully to himself. Still, however... I have to take some time at one point to set things right between us... and who is the gentleman to the left of her? He seems to be a pretty nice guy... too bad he's suffering her wrath right now. I should intervene- no. No, I should stay quiet.

And with this, he walked along, thinking to himself, wondering what had become of him. A few days ago, he was sitting in his university campus, his home, wondering what was to become of him. Well, now it seemed that he knew. He was in some strange tunnel, which didn't look to be ending any time soon, walking towards god-knows-what. He sighed sadly and looked down at his feet as he walked. He would need to become more assertive if he wanted to make a good impression on the other winners.

Speaking of winners, what did they win? He had no idea. He began whistling to himself but stopped abruptly at a glance back from the man in black. It wasn't a mean glance, so much as one that suggested that this was not what he was supposed to be doing. Not knowing what to do, he tried searching around in his pockets, where he had shoved his hands long ago. Nothing. A wallet... some yen... a cigarette stub and a gum wrapper... He looked up again, and, not seeing any light at the end, decided to approach the man who had been so kind to him.

But the man had moved on to another group of people, obviously a very charismatic devil. And not bad looking either, Cliff decided. He looked depressedly up at the ceiling of the tunnel... or where the ceiling would be if he could see it in the darkness. There didn't seem to be any one source of light flowing into the tunnel. Yet everything glowed with that eerie feeling...
----
Ha Nozri heard all the conversations from behind his back with ever evasive ears. He made a practice out of not missing information. He sighed and checked his watch. It would be time soon enough. The tunnel had no ending. In fact, it was not so much a tunnel as a vacuum in time. The walls and floor were nearly impossible to see, completely black but radiating a slight glow that made everything just visible.

But the tunnel was a certain pride of Ha Nozri's, something he had designed himself. It was a paradox in the space/time continuum. As soon as you entered it, outside time no longer applied to you until you exited. And space no longer applied either. If they wanted, they could walk along the tunnel until they died, and they would never reach an end. Quite simply because it had no end. The tunnel was a final final evaluation test of his own. It was meant to see how the contestants would react with eachother.

But at any time he could press a button, and there they would be, in the secret room that he was leading them to.

..

"Rith?" she said making sure she was correct. So I wasn't that far off. "I'm a telekenetic." she added with a slight smile. Her orange hair was pushed behind her ears. She had a piercing on her lip in the form of an angelic word that was untranslatable to the uneducated. "What exactly do you do?"

Ariel walked up to Cliff after a moment, coming up behind him "Hey" she said "Don't I know you?"

"Oh, sorry, of course. I am James Tarantov, Agent No. 2..." James stopped before he went any further. Close, too close. He still spat his number out mechanically when he said his name. He'd have to rectify that for the future, in case he gave away the entire 6-digit ID number. Then it would be much to easy to find out everything about him. There were still a few things he did not wish to be revealed, specifically the whole double agent fiasco. He wouldn't be trusted then, no matter how much he tried to charm his way out of it.

"Ahem. Um, do I really need a mint that badly, or do you have some kind of super-senses that detect things like that really easily, er... Rith, isn't it?"

"Before you ask, no, I'm not a telepath or anything like that. I don't read minds. Well, not in the psychic style I-know-your-deepest-subconscious-feelings-and-desires type thing anyway. I picked up on your body language. I can "read" into that sort of thing. I picked up a very slight sense of revulsion from you, and I figured it must be the ash breath. Sorry. I know it's harmful, and awful, and etc., but I can't seem to stop myself."

"Anyway, I know how to "read" body language because of my skill. Quite a subtle one compared to most of the powers on display back there. The power of persuation, I call it. The ability to manipulate people to my own advantage, to suggest things almost subconsciously for them to do... It's very insidious, the whole psychological thing, I feel. The reason body language is useful is to tell a person's mood before you even talk to them. It's amazing what we give away just by the way we stand. It helps me work out the best way to approach a person, the best way to manipulate them."

"And your power, Rith?"

Cliff turned around, seeing the woman. He knew her. He had seen her before. Dammit, why couldn't he have telepathy... Wait. Telepathy... Something strange hit him.

"Umm," he said, "I think so. I may have seen you on my university campus... can you excuse me one second?"

With that, Cliff turned around and ran up to another woman with orange hair, tapping her on the shoulder. When she turned around, he gulped and said, "You said you were close to her name due to telekinesis. I thought telekinesis moved objects. Isn't telepathy the tecnique for reading thoughts?"

He then turned back to the familiar woman, waving her over to the crowd.

Ariel saw Cliff waving her over, at least it seemed like he was, so she walked over, brushing back her hair with one hand as she did "You motion for me to come over?" she asked.

Jheer was lost in thought at the moment. Absent-mindedly stroking his crest; it was a nervous habit. His android suit folded nicely and fit into his bag along with his tools, since he didn't think he needed them anymore. I have won. What it is i've won remains to be seen. For all I know, I won a free trip into the after-life.

The sounds of conversation from the others around him were little more than background noise to him. This mysterious Ha Nozri, however, was a different story. Jheer kept one eye on him at all times, looking for some clue as to their destination. The other eye was scanning the barely discernable details of the corridor they were now walking down.

This is beginning to get very suspicious.

C.J looked at him suprised. "I never said anything of the sort..." Can he read my thoughts? Can he hear what i'm saying right now?! It's a vampiric trait...not one of mortals...he can't...he can't. She turned to him, her hazel eyes piercing into his. She took out a pen and lay it flat on her palm. She threw it up into the hair, and flicked her wrist, controlling it with her mind, it slowely settled just above his chest. "I'm a telekenetic...as in telekenesis."

C.J looked at him suprised. "I never said anything of the sort..." Can he read my thoughts? Can he hear what i'm saying right now?! It's a vampiric trait...not one of mortals...he can't...he can't. She turned to him, her hazel eyes piercing into his. She took out a pen and lay it flat on her palm. She threw it up into the hair, and flicked her wrist, controlling it with her mind, it slowely settled just above his chest. "I'm a telekenetic...as in telekenesis."

Elfira suddenly stopped , saying to the others. "Hey, wait a moment"...

She could hear inside her mind a buzzing sound, the same buzzing sound that she has always heard when she was aboard on an Aelosian starship entering Warpspace. The sound that appears when you are being ripped off of the natural dimensions. She was sure of that, she had entered Warpspace, the alternative dimension that the starships of the Aelosian navy used as an hyperspace to travel long distances in a relative short time. She was leaving the natural boundaries of time and space, she could feel it. Usually the sensation was disturbing, that's why she remembered it. All elves suffered from headaches and something like seasickness for several hours after they entered Warpspace

"Where the hell are we going?. I don't like what I'm feeling right now", she said, putting her hands over her ears. "This...hallway, it's too strange. I'm just a soldier, but many of you are psychics, Can you feel this odd sensation?"

(Im back.)

Dom was in a near trance like state. He liked it quiet. No people to annoy him. He was thinking about the assassination and who could have possibly done it. All the assassins he knew the names of had their own styles, and shooting someone down in broad daylight wasn't something one of them would do. And he sure as hell didn't do it.

Who could it be?

Rith smiled a little at James.

"It's not that bad, I'm just rather sensitive to the scent." She said, looking over at him briefly. "Yes, it's Rith. Nice to meet you, James. Those are some impressive skills that you speak of."

"Clerical healing. I can heal wounds, any kind. I can even bring people back from the brink of death, so long as you've got a drop of life left in you." She said to both of them.

"Sensation..." She said, slowing her walk for a moment. "Yes, I can feel something, faintly. I'm not a psychic though, so I'm not too good at sensing something like that."

Omnus once again moved towards and sat under the tree. Ignoring, everything occuring around him, Omnus wanted to meditate to help prolong his already long patience. In addition, Omnus wanted to meditate to overcome the interminable buzzing that was begin to occur in his head...

Cliff stopped, noticing that the others had stopped as well. The party seemed to be dissolving into confusion. Accusations were being thrown around here and there... space... time... some kind of argument was erupting from the multiple people. He shrank out, heading towards the side of the corridor... or where it should be. He needed some rest, really, really badly. The orange haired telekinetic... the elven warrioress... the familiar woman... the asassination... it was all too much for him to take in right now.

He made his way to the side, stumbling, falling against the wall, and gripping his head. He needed to rest. Behind him, shouts erupted and questions were frantically escaping the people. Ha Nozri looked on somewhat impassively as they turned on him. Cliff didn't care. He was writhing on the ground. He needed some peace and quiet. He needed some rest... He was going to collapse.

Suddenly, he felt a hand dragging him upwards. It was Ha Nozri. The man's strong and firm grip felt somehow calming amidst this potpourri of sound and noise, the screaming and confusion. But then, suddenly, it was all clear again. Or light. White maybe. They were suddenly standing in... what might have been a room. They were surrounded completely by white light. Not a single thing was visible beside them, just a completely white background, dropping off into infinity. Yet it was not a harsh white light, but a calming and easy light, with multiple textures, hues, and densities of its own. A whole different world.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ha Nozri began, "Thank you for being so kind as to follow me. I know you have many questions. They shall be answered, but not now. There is never enough time. So then, shall we proceed?" And with that, he turned around, to the blank white space, and a door appeared there. A door. A door made completely of the whitest ebony, leading to what might have been heaven.

Ha Nozri opened the door.

Omnus stood up from his meditations and walked over to the postings and saw that he had made through the finals and had won something...

In confusion, Omnus saw Ha Nozri drag Cliff towards a doorway. Seeing that Ha Nozri was gesturing the winners towards the doorway, Omnus, curious, walks through the door and into a brightly lit room...

Ariel followed along, following closley after Cliff and Ha Nozri.

Elfira entered behind the others, following Ha Nozri. I'm feeling a little dizzy, and can't focus my sight in anything. But I must carry on, I can't show any weakness to this people. She tried to regain her composture, acting as normal, with her icy glance and her rude manners. Only the cowards are not proud enough to hide their weakness. If you show that you're weak, nobody is going to respect you.

Inside the room, there was nothing. And then, there was a table. A long, mahogany table. It stretched out into the distance, then came roaring back, along with the walls. The walls zoomed in from all sides at the group, and Cliff cringed and jumped back. It seemed as if they were going to be crushed.

But the walls stopped, making a square room. The ripples moving through everything eventually died down and ceased. States of matter went back to normal. They were out of the time/space paradox.

"Welcome to the real world," said Ha Nozri, somewhat bitterly.

He walked around the mahogany table, to a large screen dominating the wall across the room from the entrance doorway. "I designed most of this room's features myself," he said, flipping on the screen. "Through here, you can view anything in this world that you so choose to. And, what is more, you can zoom in or search for specific targets," he continued, pressing different buttons popping up on the screen. Suddenly, it flashed to the Eiffel Tower, then to the Washington Monument, then to the Gaza Pyramids. "I call it WorldView. Original."

He did not even give the slightest hint that this statement may have been a joke. But instead, he traveled around the table, back towards the group, but stopped along the left wall. The entire group was watching him. Cliff noticed just now that, apart from the giant screen dominating most of the wall in front of them, the other three walls were lined with book shelves. Books of all kinds sat on these shelves. Huge, old, and dusty tomes cluttering them. Ha Nozri picked a book up out of the wall.

"Think of anything you'd like to read about," he said, "How about you, boy?" He pointed to Cliff. Cliff thought for a second, trying to collect his thoughts, and then said, "Human anatomy." Ha Nozri tossed the book to him and, as he turned through the pages, it was a book of updated human anatomical science. He gasped, along with the others.

"Any book contains any subject that you want it to. From quantum physics to pornography. There is not much use having all these books when no one book has a specific value, but it allows me to fill in the space nicely," Ha Nozri said. He glanced at Elfira, noting her queasiness, and said, "This is not a continuum paradox, I simply twisted some properties around to... facilitate information location in our headquarters. Now, if you shall all be seated."

Ha Nozri gestured to the huge mahogany table, surrounded on all sides by comfortable armchairs. There were 12 in all, 5 on either side of the table and 1 at each end. Ha Nozri took the seat at the end towards the left wall, and gestured for the group, "Take a seat. You will see that each seat has a file folder on it. That file is about and for you, and you only. It records your history since birth and continues to do so at this very moment. It is your unfinished diary file. It also contains your League name. I will explain this now, but please, take your seats first."

Not knowing which seat may be theirs, each group member took random seats. "It does not matter which seat you take," continued Ha Nozri, "The files also do not have any specific value. They respond only to the viewer. So one file, if read by this gentleman here," he indicated the man who had given Cliff a cigarette, "Will look exactly like another file if read by him. The files appear blank to non-members. Oh, and one more thing: From now on, you are known by your League names. Your real names no longer matter, and are not allowed to be revealed between eachother. That is the first rule."

Omnus Stormrider saw his pseudonym, Hellrider, on the seat at the end of the table. Realizing, that it was his chair he took it. Hellrider picked up the folder and began to skim through the messages. Hellrider looked up at Ha Nozri pacing around the table and asks, "Who are you? Why are we all here?"

Elfira opened her file, the name ShadowElf in capitals outside it. It was updated, but the names of her true family didn't appeared, just reading "Family: Orphan, relatives unknown". I suppose the file have everything I know about myself, but it can't tell me the things that I want to know. "Rules, ahem...I can live with that, but I have a single question. I'm guessing the reasons of our presence here, and what you want. But I want to know what we win in this. We had came here without even asking for an explanation. I can work for you, yes, but I want some reasons, and I hope they're a very good ones".

Jheer took up his folder and sat. Tinker. How ..... creative. He leafed through the file, making certain everything was correct, as well as grounding himself somewhat. Yes, it is all in order. Good. He closed the folder, and focused one eye on Ha Nozri, the other eye scans the other people in the room.

These are the people i'll be working with. To what end is still inknown. And the one i'm working for. Also to an unknown end. This just smacks of intrigue. He breathes deeply, attempting to remain calm.

Ariel picked up her folder, sure enough, right acrossed the front was THE SHADOW, she arched an eyebrow "Interesting"

Dom picked up his folder. The Blood was labeled, and he smiled at this.

Appropriate.

He skimmed over the inside, never before realizing that he had done this much in his lifetime. He was now actually impressed by this 'league'. It even had minute details that weren't commonly documented.

James flicked laconically through his file, noting that everything was in there. Even more than Nozri had revealed in public. Silvertongue, that was his name now. At least it would stop him from blurting out that number again.

The elf had asked Nozri something. A pertinent question, one he'd only half figured out. And only because of the deep secrecy...

"Elf, can't you see? The exceptional secrecy, the files, the names, the "WorldView" screen, the endless information in the books, the reference to a League... It's... well, I suppose the best way to describe ourselves would be... superheroes, as clichéd as that sounds. We are powerful, and this was to find a way to put our powers to good use. All we win is the chance to participate."

"Although, Ha Nozri, I would have thought you'd have come up with a better way to find candidates than a competition. Surely things like that attract far too much attention for an organisation such as this?"

"From now on the name is ShadowElf for you", says Elfira smiling, pointing at Silvertongue. "So, I had fought for my country for the last 200 years and now I will fight to save the world", she laughs, "Looks like an improvement to me. I'll take it".

Omnus lounges back in his seat, considering the magnitude of the situation.

"I have secluded myself from the world for many years now... What evil is there in the world that rquires my return to the world?"

At this, Ha Nozri let out a loud, piercing laugh, that echoed the room. "The questions have only begun to fill your minds," he said, "Just wait until tonight, when you shall lie awake in your beds thinking about the REAL ones you have to ask. Not these small and petty materialistic ones. But, as I have promised, I shall answer them. Firstly, HellRider's questions: Who am I, and why are we all here."

"I am Ha Nozri. At least, that is the code name that you shall know me by. Jesus Christ's Hebrew name was actually Yeshua Ha Nozri. And so, I have taken that name upon myself. What my first name is, or my real name for that matter, you shall never find out. The same as all of your names. Secondly, why are you all here? I think your comrades here have answered that one for you. You are here to help me fight evil. That is the general reason."

He then turned, pacing back towards his seat, to ShadowElf. He looked at her with a somewhat twisted smile on his face and stood silently for a moment, as if searching her mind, and then continued, "Rules... you won't have to live with for long. After we are done in here, and you are out in the world, you will find that it is rather... boundless. However, to answer your question about what YOU get out of this: Think of what you want most out of anything in this world. That is what I shall grant you if you serve well as upholders of justice. In Swimmer's case, it would be his long lost mother. In your case," he turned back to ShadowElf as Cliff's mouth hung open, "It would be your past. Yes. I know that at night, in your bed, you yearn for your past to be brought back. You struggle with reason and time and explanations, but you can never, ever, really get back to why you are here and what happened back... then."

By this time, ShadowElf had an amazed, yet incredulous look on her face, as if she could only believe half of what she had heard. "Yes, I know. I know. It is amazing. But you forget, if I can twist the world of reality into my own small matrix as I so please, build a camera that goes the world over, and give you any writing material you could ever ask for, who says that I do not know a lot too?"

He then turned to Silvertongue, the last one whom had asked any questions thus far. "A competition is fine. Right now, my agents are already rewriting your government files. As far as anyone will be concerned, you won a free trip to Disneyworld, Florida," at this, he laughed aloud for a second, "The plane had a turbulence accident over the Pacific and an engine was knocked out, crashing us into the water. You ten and I were all killed in the accident. Finito. Nobody can suspect anything, because nobody is in a position to question 11 dead people, now are they?"

He finally had returned to his seat, saying, "Now, as you see here, there are 12 seats. I sit at one end of the table, and you 10 sit on both sides of it. But if you will see, the seat at the very opposite end of the table remains empty. In time, you will know who it belongs to. But only in time. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the Q & A session is open. Ask away, though I may not be able to give you all the answers right now."

Cliff, meanwhile, sat astounded at this. As the other members fired questions towards Ha Nozri, he just looked, gaping, through his file. His entire life was documented there, from birth to this moment, flipping through his file. He could not take this much longer without any rest. He hoped that they would be getting comfy accomodations... But even with the best beds, he would not be able to sleep a wink that night.

Omnus is not pacified by Ha Nozri's answer.

"What is the threat to the world that requires the expertise of us? Why couldn't you just gather a group of commandos?"

Omnus was not happy with the situation...

"Maybe this threat is to great for just any old Special Forces group?" Ariel said, posing it as a qustion to Ha Nozri, then Shadow spoke "Yes, perhaps the sort of evil that requires a little something extra, no?"

Omnus was getting increasingly suspicious of Ha Nozri.

"Why are you leading this mission... Shouldn't some international agency be running it?"

Omnus felt that something was not right, but he could not place it.

"What is your motive for getting us here?"

"Maybe there's no Agencey big enough, or with enough cajones to be handling whatever it is we're here to handle" Ariel shrugged "Maybe the Agencies are what we're here to handle in the first place" she shrugged "Just a thought"

ShadowElf was amazed indeed. If this man could about her past and about her real parents, who they were, and what happened to them, facing the entire Melkorian army all by herself would be a little price indeed. This man could make her dream true, to find out who she was, and from where she was.

Her steel eyes were fixed in the strange face of Ha Nozri, this man is not human, as a matter of fact, he's something very ancient and powerful, maybe more ancient than the first elf"I'm in. Let's make a pact, I will work for you, but the blanks spots in my file must be written. Can you really do that?".

After having her answer, her jaw almost fell to the ground. She regained her composture and turned to the others "I used to be an special forces member. Maybe we are just a group of commandos, after all. A very special and colorful one, I must admit"

Rith flipped through her file. Amethyst was her name now. Appropriate for her power, as the amethyst has long been linked to healing. She remained quiet and thoughtful as the others rapidly fired questions at Ha Nozri, but her mind was swimming in confusion. This was too odd to be real. At any moment, a television crew would appear, or she would wake up. It just couldn't be real. No one had that much power, that much information.

'This can't be real...' She thought, and sat back in her chair, stunned.

"Commando units gathered multinationaly usually are quite colorfull"

"But maybe we still need to know each other, and to know what we can expect from the others. The best special forces squads are those who know each other perfectly. What I want to know is what can each one of you do in a difficult situation, so we could work as a team, and not like a clown's coterie".

"Define a difficult situation"

"To me, as a soldier, a fort that needs to be taken, guarded by a hundreds of guards well trained and armed all expecting you is the perfect example of a difficult situation. However, I must recognize that any problem or conflict that we could face it's per se a difficult situation".

"I do not feel it would be logical to gather a group that barely knows each other unless a 'difficult situation' was already present, and such a group was desperately needed. Unless a situation has been foreseen, which is feasible, considering the power that Ha Nozri obviously has." Amethyst said, voicing her thoughts.

Ha Nozri turned calmly to HellRider, "If this were a movie, we'd have the United Nations running it, and Arnold Swarzhenegger starring in your place. But it is no movie. No, the bad guys in this case ARE an agency. But an agency that is... how shall I put it... too powerful. It is an agency of evil, dedicated to enslaving humanity to its will. Its messages are preached everyday, and already have widespread effect. It is a... conglomerate worse than any you could ever imagine. Its doctrine is in practice today and is practically unstoppable. People have been killed repeatedly over it, wars started over it... it is too powerful for any one person to handle. Yet, there is a single conscious being who DOES in fact look over all of it. Though they can not see into this room, as I have created this... matrix effect to prevent it. But this conscious being who runs the agency... it, and I say it because it is no person, it is the most evil being ever to set its eyes on this fair planet. And because of it, I must ask you to aid me in my quest to enslave it and save our fair earth."

He smiled at this, a beaming and bright smile, flawless, that seemed to entrance Cliff. And, by the look of it, some of the other members in the group as well. Turning to ShadowElf, Ha Nozri nodded. And that was all he needed to do. He clapped his hands once, and a ripple was sent through the room. And then, ShadowElf looked down and gasped. A small part of her history, very very small, had just been written as the ripple passed through all the matter in the room.

Ha Nozri then looked around the room. "Amigos," he said, "I am asking you to take part in a mission of life and death. Of mortality and immortality. I am asking you to make worlds collide, and bring down giants with toothpicks. I am asking, not the impossible, but the improbable of you. This is no fortress, there are no guards, it is much, much more complex than that. The sentient being who we are to take down is more powerful and resourceful than even I, which is why we must remain clandestine. Eternally. However, with your help and acceptance, I shall see to it that you are properly trained... though you may be already... and that you all take time to get to know eachother well. We have to take advantage of our time as it is, yet we have months with which to train and to get to know eachother... inside of the matrixes that I have conjured.

Cliff could only understand half of this, but he nodded along with Ha Nozri anyway. The man was hypnotic.

"This is all very interesting" Shadow said "But one thing still confuses me, if you're powerful enough to do some of the things you've done here, and yet you cannot beat this enemy, how can you honestly expect us to do so?"

C.J She read. Wow...that's original. Note to self, get a hell of a better name. *she laughed at herself. She looked at a chair. And there sat Mar's sister. Infamous in her line of work in espionage. Unbeknownst to all of them. Her identity was secret. As far as anyone was concerned with her, she was the orange hair girl who could make pens float. She reached toward a chair as it scrapped across the floor in a shriek, and she sat down in it. Clearly it had broken the brief silence, and was a painful noise to hear. She looked toward Nozri. "And what exactly do I get out of it. You know hardly anything about me that couldn't be found on the interned. Why am I here?"
Her training had been extensive. Her best class: Telekenetics and Manipulations...Qui and Genesis. Not even Dom had recognized her. She smiled slighlty, her teeth white, but slightly not revealed.

Amethyst listened dutifully as Ha Nozri spoke, attempting to take it all in and comprehend it. Her mind still swam, but the pieces were starting to fall into place.

"Shall we eventually understand this 'evil', or are we merely to be the middlemen, the soldiers, in a conflict between two powers?" She asked curiously. "And I, too, wish to know how you expect us to defeat it."

Lotus had left James when she had joined the other winners and had listen closely to the conversations between the other contestants. It had been an unnerving experiance with in the tunnel, now she finds that her sister thinks she had been killed in a plane crash. Lotus did not like the idea of her sister mourning her when she wasn't really dead, it also ment that Slagkattunger officials wouldn't be able to help her now.

Lotus flipped through the folder eyeing the information inside "No surprise here." she thought to herself, "So my name going to be Slider/ Kid looks like they are going to let either apply to me, look's like I'm the youngest here so I suspect The Kid bit is going to stick harder."

Slider looked up and said "I'm in, but only if after this is all over you fix it so that my sister knows I'm still alive."

"I'd personally not care if people knew I was alive or not untill this was all over, I've no friends, but a small Family"

Dom spoke up. "You said life and death. I'm fine with either, what, me being already dead and all. As long as it isn't boring, I'll go anywhere, do anything."

Crisula looked at Dom. Now she realized why Ravelyn had taken such a liking to him. She smiled halfly. "Are you always one to provoke such danger? There ARE other ways to kill a vampire."

"Yeah, I like.......life when it gets exciting. I'm perfectly aware that I could die, but I've been ready for that since long before I became a vampire."

Perfect answer, she thought to herself silently as she looked him over. Strange that her path would lead her here. She gave him a slight smile. Now she knew what they had been talking about the whole time. "You are one of the few who are aware, and that's a good thing."

"Yes, I owe a lot to Rave."

"To Rave?" she said suprised. She was quite taken back and continued. "Mar Shentavo...my half brother..." She smiled to him. "What's your name?"

Being a halfling wan't easy. In not being a vampire, she was not considered a shentavo, and becasue she wasn't an angel, she wasn't part of Rave's world...and becasue she wasn't human, she didn't fit in with the rest of society. She remained half demon.

Ha Nozri looked around at all of them. "Again, with these unimportant questions," he said, as if annoyed. Nevertheless, he answered them dutifully, "How do I expect you to defeat these forces? And why you? Well, powerful as I may be, I still need an army. There are some places that I can not travel that you can, so to speak. And thus, I need you ten to help me. You are my generals. You will command an army of... more average fighters... but that comes later. Before then, you will train, and, of course, learn more about this enemy that you are fighting. Because you can not defeat an enemy unless you know it. You will learn of new dimensions and other worlds, of the dawn of history and the reasons behind your existence as a whole. All that will come in time."

He then turned to CJ, "I can give you anything you ask of. Anything you could possibly want. I know that, among other things, you seek an identity and a purpose. That is why you have traveled here, away from your hidden family, under a false name, to see what fate brings you. Well, here is what it has brought. Are you satisfied?"

He then turned to the entire group, addressing them from the head of the table, and said, "I promise that this will be nowhere even near the concept of boring. Cross my heart, hope to die-" and at this, he laughed, "And yes, when this is all over and done, I can restore your identities and make it as if nothing had ever happened. Why should you trust me? Well, what else can you do? You can leave, go back to a world where you don't exist anymore, or you can answer the call of fate and trust me, a brother and a guide, to take you where you wish and where you belong."

He then finished by saying, "I know you all have many more questions. And more yet shall come to you. But we must retire for the... night. I also can see in your eyes that you are all weary. Time, as it is, has caught up to you. It is time to revitalize. We have many big days ahead of us."

"Thank god," thought Cliff.

"Yes," said Ha Nozri, turning to him, "Thank God."

"*quietly* You know Rave? I'm Dominic Wrathe, or Blood now, I guess. I went to the Shentavo academy and learned under her and the other teachers. And I'll be quiet now as our host seems annoyed."

"Somewhat satisfied," she said with a smile to the host. She slightly wondered why she had been chosen, and wonder if the host knew more than he was letting on. "Is there anything else we should know about?"

...I'm a half-breed. Not considered one of them...yet Mar looks after me. Strange things have been going on there...I had to get away. *she pauses for a moment and smiles. A deep crimson flickers in her eyes, and then it was gone. Her eyes revealed the truth to Dominic.*
http://www.allrpg.com/games/devilmaycry2/artwork/4.jpg new character pic

This is just too odd. A story like this normally would not be believed. And yet, here I am in a pocket dimension listening to one so powerful address us in such a casual manner. Jheer, or Tinker as he was now called, shifted a bit uneasily in his seat.

"If we are to do these extraordinary things, as you say, and defeat this all-consumng evil; what then? The nature of evil is that there is always another to assume its predecessors place. Would we be needed again? And again?"

"This is something to give us purpose, we shall trust you" Ariel said, Shadow finished with "As much as is wise, given the circumstances, of courser"

"Unimportant?" Amethyst remarked quietly in a slightly annoyed tone.

This man's arrogance was getting to her, and if there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was arrogance.

Omnus not satisfied with Ha Nozri's answer begins to meditate to make his decision, but finds an intense buzzing that fills his mind and makes him grimace in pain. Omnus screams and collapses to the floor, unconscious.

Elfira raised from the table and said "I have heard more than enough. Where do I sign?, I'm ready to...", suddenly she was interrumpted by the sound of Omnus falling to the floor. "What now?...Oh, I suppose he couldn't take it".

But Ha Nozri had left the room. Cliff stood up, walking over to where Hellrider had fallen, and suddenly, the room changed. It was no longer the same meeting room. It was now a bedroom. There were 10 beds, each separated by partitions, each made to accommodate each person's specific needs. Ha Nozri was... too good at this. But he seemed to be such a noble host.

Yet there had been so many questions only half answered or not answered at all. Cliff shook his head sadly and helped the others as they put the unconscious Hellrider into his bed. Then, Cliff decided to retire to his own without saying a word. As Ha Nozri had said, there would be lots of time for meeting eachother and making acquaintances. Now was not the time.

Cliff needed his rest. He needed it badly.

Ha Nozri was nowhere to be seen on the face of earth. Or anywhere, for that matter. Down below the crust, in a completely different dimension, a much more warped and twisted face laughed as it's misshapen body settled back into an armchair. Fire and ice alike both decorated every facet of the room. The being, looking more horrendous than one's imagination could even begin to ponder, let out a laugh that echoed down the hallways.

And suddenly, the hideous being was no more. Instead, in it's place, was a beautiful woman. And the woman stood up, and walked outside of the room she had been in. She walked down empty corridors of dust and rot, looking at the faces of prisoners on either side, taunting them and tempting them. She laughed and threw back her head when she did so. And whenever a man came to his cell's bars to see her, she would merely point a finger at him. And he would suddenly cry out in pain.

This was the land of despair. A place where the master had no one face, but any face it so chose to have. A deep and dark hell, where gloom rang out in waves and screams and cries of pain echoed the empty corridors like music. It was a dungeon where those were sent for eternity, and where the wicked went to party. It was evil's playground.

And suddenly, the woman changed again, and instead of her, Ha Nozri was standing there. He turned around, and addressed a shadow in the corner of one of the many hallways. "Infidel!" he roared, and the shadow slunk towards him. It was shapeless and colorless, like a smudge made accidentally on some artist's canvas. "For today's torture, give my subjects ice. Lots of ice. Strip them naked and have them thrown into the pits of ice."

There was no maniacal laugh with this command, no display of any particular emotion towards the act. The voice was empty and hollow, it could have been that of a man, a woman, a bear, or any number of things. The shadow slunk back away, down the empty hallways, screams of pain coming from either side of it as ice erupted into the cells of the damned. Ha Nozri gave a brief look of disgust, maybe only for the appearance of it, and then disappeared.

Omnus is somehow teleported to the bed and is laid on one of the beds. Omnus's mind is in turmoil. The surge of his mental energies when he tried to meditate had strained him badly. Omnus's mind tried frantically to repair the damage.

Dom decides to lay in bed. He never really sleeps for more than 2 or 3 hours a night. It's all he ever really needs. He wonders how the other Gekidoku will react to his 'death'. They would probably dismiss it as lies, as they knew how hard it was to kill him, even before he became a vampire.

Bastards are probably replacing me already. Must have thought that dying twice qualified to get me replace.

Mirian had nowhere left to go. The other agent had abandoned her long ago to some unkown fate. Coward. She roamed the streets of Japan now, without purpose. Her dirty blonde hair fell over a face now somewhat wrinkled by age. How old was she? 50 something. She didn't bother to keep track. Or much of an identity, for that matter. She existed only to carry out the work that brought her meals, and the work that she enjoyed.

Such a life. Grown up a farm girl, moving to the big city, becoming a fashion designer and marrying a man who died after her second child, then running away and joining the Yakuza. It was one for the books. Sadly, though, she did not want to write any books. Her feet were carrying her around without destination and all she wanted to do was get a coffee. But she wouldn't let herself. Not yet.

And suddenly, there she was. In front of that same stadium where she had killed Tanaka. The doors were still open... it was maybe 3:00. Supposedly, whatever competition was being held had ended and some new organization was holding something there tonight. She looked through one of the glass doors and saw people already setting up. Hitching her rifle onto her shoulder, she made her way in through the open door.

Some people looked up, but nobody really reacted to her. She guessed that they had seen more odd things than her that day. She walked around, inside the giant stadium, as if nostalgic. She stroked the walls and looked at the platforms. She then picked up a paper lying on the ground. Contestants. Ha.

She was about to throw it into the trash when a name caught her eye. She frantically searched the paper and read it again. Cliff Thurgood. Cliff Thurgood. Cliff Thurgood. Her Cliff? No. It was impossible. She put down the paper and looked around the stadium. It said he was from the US. From the east coast... from... It was impossible. She ran over to one of the people setting up tables and asked where the contest winners had gone in Japanese.

But the lady, confused, said she did not know of any contest. Nor did anybody there. It was as if it had never existed. Mirian ran out of the building and searched wildly for a newspaper. Surely, the contest must be in the papers. She found one and grabbed it, to read on the front page of a contest. Yes. This must be it. Contest... held in Domo Stadium... 10 winners... assorted people... international... large turnout... flight to Florida... plane crash... no survivors.

She put down the paper and stared into empty space. It was impossible. Dead...

Ariel simply sat on her bed for a moment, seeing no reason to hide the fact that she was a Symbiote, she also saw no reason to sleep like a normal Human like she did when sleeping in the presence of normal Humans, she lay down on her bed and the Black Organisuit seemed to expand, liquifying and covering her in a Black, body-shaped cocoon, which sat on the bed motionless, and noiseless.

Lotus looked around her new bedroom, with a shrug she shed her outer clothes and hung them in the wardrobe by her bed. "I wonder if our 'host' will provide us with more clothes and other items?" she thought. With a big yawn she climbed into her nice cold bed and went to sleep, she was soon dreaming of playing in the Slagkattunger mountain forests.

Tinker looked around at the furnishings in his room. All made of fine resin, just like home. Ah, a top-of-the-line heat chamber. Excellent! His browsing around revealed numerous tools, devices and many, many technological parts. It was like his dreams come true.

He walked over to his heat-chamber and set the timer for eight hours, at 90 degrees. He then entered the spacious chamber, lay upon the shale layer of bedding, and closed it up. Warmth spread in all directions on the stone, and a UVb light came on. This is perfect.

His sleep came soon afterwards.

Crisula looked over her room, a gothic theme. Perfect she said to herself in approval. It looked as if the room was fitted for her. She jumped onto her bed and fell straight on her back. She stretched and pulled the covers about her. She was way to tired to ignore the plush bed that lay before her. The blinds were open, and she groaned slighlty, at having to close them. She raised her hand and they shut instantly. She closed her eyes and slowely drifted off into a light sleep...yet her dreams plagued her mind with visions of what she had already seen, and things that had not happened, that might not happen. She ran through different scenarios in her head...what's the worst that could happen?

Omnus wakes with a start from his mental wanderings. He groans at his head-splitting migraine.

"Why am I unable to meditate. I must need semuta, the musical hallucination drug..."

Omnus stands up and rummages through his bag and takes out an injector to insert the semuta into him. After the injection, Omnus's mind once again, begins to float around.

"Great, now my spirit is going to haunt the ruins." She mumbled, and entered her room, closing the door tightly behind her.

Amethyst sighed and looked around. Modest, but not spartan. She had been raised poor, and this was perfect for her. Lavish settings made her uncomfortable. She slipped into the bed, and smiled contently as she felt the soft sheets. Soon, she was sleeping, but her mind still swam with suspicion and confusion.

Blood (Dom) wakes up, and decides that he has slept enough. He goes to his crumpled up trenchcoat that he threw on a chair and pulls out a vial.

Man, I need this.

Inside was the latest thing by the SOGP Medicinal sector. It was a liquid that was artificial blood, but was more substantial and could hold him over for a few days. He put the vial in a small injection gun and placed it against his arm. He pulled the trigger and felt the warmth spread through him. He sat down, refreshed, and pulled on his shirt. He notices something. There is still a large red stain on the shirt. He decides to remove it and go shirtless until he can obtain a new one. He simply straps on his utility vest and pulls a magazine out of his trench coat.

Man, it sucks to be dead.

Wombat News Report (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1967488#1967488)

Crisula's dreams are plagued with visions of her aunt. It was as if she was calling to her. Then, silence. She at up in her bed, and got up immediately. She couldn't sleep. Everytime she slept, the visions returned of Her dying. Always...always the same dream. She walked to the bathroom slowely, then took a quick shower. She looked in the mirror as she brushed her wet hair back into a tight clip. Her hazel eyes sparkled. She would have been quite the catch had it not been for her dark demeanor. Her skin was sunkissed, yet contrasted with the black shirt she pulled over her head. She rumaged through her duffle bag, finding a pair of satin black pants appropriate. She put them on, tying a sunset-orange colored belt around her waist. She put on her boots that had lain by her bed, and stretched. Though her strength was nothing to boost about, she was rather flexiable. She walked toward the door, which opened for her. It was early, but maybe one of the other contestants wanted to talk.
One person sprang to mind. Blood. She hadn't nearly finished her conversation with him...but maybe there was a subliminal cause in her unconsciousness that wanted to see him again. She walked about the halls, and slowely knocked on his door.

Blood, looked up as there came a knock on his door. He went to it and opened the door. It was the young lady he had been talking to during the meeting earlier. He invited her in.

Slider woke up and gave a small "Mew" as she streched, sitting up she noticed a note on the cabinet beside her bed she picked it and quickly read it. Slider you have been provided with what you have wished for. It was short and to the point Slider quickly hopped out of her bed and checked the wardrobe, inside was a large selection of clothes and other personal items a good catgirl needed. With a small squeek of delight Slider made a selection and then went to the ajoining barthroom and made good use of it.

An hour later she exited the bathroom dressed in a blue dress that came down to her ankles, it was tied at the waist with a big pink sash with bow at the back. She had blue shoes with soft pink socks and her long flowing hair was tied in a ponytail with another pink bow, near the tip of her tail was yet another pink ribbon tied in a bow. Around her neck was a soft leather choker with a small golden bell on it, Slider checked herself in the full length mirror inside the wardrobe door as was pleased with her appearance.

"If they are going to call me Kid." she thought "I better look like a cute one, people don't take me seriously when I look cute. Boy are they surprised when I show how effective I am later, there is nothing more dangerous than underestimating a Purrlinda." With a charming little giggle Slider left her room and begain looking for a dining room to have some breakfast.

The small elven girl was running, the endless hallway seemed to be endless. Bodies were scattered in the floor, and many stains of blood were decorating the walls in a grotesque manner. Signs were written in blood, signs of hate and evil purposes. She was dressed only with a white nightgown, and her flowing silver hair was running loose. Her bare feet stumbled several times with a fallen corpse, slipping over the puddles of blood in the corners.

Suddenly her hair was pulled backwards, and a knife was pressed against her throat. "Hi, little girl, Are you looking for your parents?", says a sharp voice, in the dark elven dialect. The face that owned the voice was as dark as the shadows, the pointy ears scarred and malformed. It was a Drow Slaver, the Stalkers of the night, the Merchants of flesh.

"Now, let's have a little fun, ok?. You will follow my orders, if you don't want five inches of DarkSteel through your throat"

He slapped her face, one time, two times, three times...

"NO!, LET ME GO!", shouted Elfira, her sweated and tired body raising from the bed, her eyes crying out of desperation. "That dream again. When can I free myself of that night, of that nightmare?", she said, falling in the bed again.

Blood, looked up as there came a knock on his door. He went to it and opened the door. It was the young lady he had been talking to during the meeting earlier. He invited her in.

Crisula smiled, and walked in on his invitation. She stretched slightly, and turned to him. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. "Dominic...right?"

IC: Ariel woke up quietly, her Organisuit simply liquified, uncovered, her head, and solidified, leaving the rest of her form clad in the Black material, she stood up and looked around her room, she saw her bag, still sitting next to her bed, she fished out a few things and got ready, she left her room wearing a simple, Black cloak that went down to her ankles, it had a hood, but that was down, she also had on a pair of black mirror-lensed, wraparound sunglasses, she walked without making so much as a creak, as she walked she saw Slider come out of her room "Look, it's the Kid" Shadow commented in her mind "Yeah, yeah it is, your point?" she asked "Well, don't just look at her, say hello why don't you?" "Very well, if I must" Ariel cleared her throat to get the girl's attention "Hey, it's Slider, right?"

Slider stopped when the strange smelling lady spoke to her "Hi, yes I am Slider." She replied sweatly "But I failed to catch your name yesterday"she looked at Ariel & shadow with a smile then she stopped and said"...I think it was yesterday." Slider frowned as she pondered that thought, her left hand mindlessly played with the bell at her throat making a high tinkerling sound.

Cliff woke up with a start. He had been dreaming... of his mother. Of how she had been. He saw her in his eyes, in his mind, in the past. He missed her so much, but she was gone for all eternity. He knew it. He would not see her until he reached the promised lands of death. And even then, his search would be long.

He looked around for a clock or watch but, not finding one, sat up in the bed and rubbed his sleep-stained eyes. He swung his legs over the side into slippers, magically there as of... he didn't know. He didn't care. He had to go and meet the others. He had to know who he was playing with on his sides.

Sleepily, he stood up and slowly stretched, turning the key in the door and opening it. He stepped outside into the hallway and fell back. Ha Nozri had been standing right outside his door. Cliff checked again and there was nobody there. Maybe he hadn't had enough sleep. He shook his head and headed to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Great. Already being used. He sighed and went a floor up to explore the castle, and, upon finding a balcony, walked outside into the fresh air.

Ha Nozri sat agitatedly up in the top room of the castle; a room inaccessible to anyone else. It had no doors, nor windows. Simply a desk and a one way glass floor. The walls were also one way glass. From the outside, they managed to blend perfectly into the castle, forming the very top of the spire, but on the inside, you could see what went on in the room below you (the room with the table and WorldView) and what went on around the castle and on its balconies.

He tapped his fingers, as if trying to solve a complex problem in his head, and gave an annoyed sigh. His plans were becoming more complex as the days developed. He gave a small twitch and seemed to flash for a second, as if he was a projection and there was a second's static. He then stood up and paced the room, looking outside at the various Leaguers wondering on the balconies. Suddenly, he changed form, and instead, there stood an elderly gentleman who gave off the impression of a butler.

The butler snapped his fingers and appeared on the balcony behind one of the Leaguers. It was Swimmer. "May I help you, master?" asked the butler. Swimmer turned around and politely shook his head no, thanks. So the man, apparently displeased, walked back into the castle, where he again changed form and became a raven, flying out a window and away into the mountains.

And then, with a flicker, the raven disappeared. And down in the dark dimensions, the beautiful woman turned around in her seat and exhaled deeply. Earth was such a trifle. She suddenly changed into a man, handsome and portly, muscular almost beyond belief, and took a quick few steps. Apparently not enjoying it, the being again changed and reappeared as a white tiger. Then, a final change left it in its original form: that of the hideous beast beyond description. The one it felt most at home in.

The beast walked along the same darkened corridors of dispair until it came up to a small red man, the symbolic devil, a man with a steel black pitchfork and gnarled brown horns, with a small yet completely muscular body colored blood red and stained from fires. The beast boomed down to him, and the red one turned to face its master. "Azrael," boomed the beast, "I am to meditate. You will watch over the damned." The red one nodded at the instructions and rushed away.

Happily, the beast looked up to where the skies would be if it were not trapped in this inferno, and reappeared in a silent room of white, purgatory, where nothing but the blinding white was visible. It seemed more relaxed, and began to search its mind, placing an image of itself on earth: that of Ha Nozri.

Meanwhile, back in the dimensions of dispair, Azrael called the lesser demons to him using a twisted trumpet, maybe at one time carved of some fine wood, now misshapen and bent like a worn bugle. They came to Azrael. Among them were Woland, the black smudge without features, Lucifer, a muscular minotaur eight feet tall, Satan, a red faced man in a red suit and hat, with a white beard and jolly disposition, Beelzebub, a ziz with a beak sharpened to the point of a sword, Abaddon, a vampire-like being with completely white features but black pupils, Apollyon, a redcap, Belial, a doppelganger looking like a small child, and Leviathan, a roaring phoenix with wings of fire.

When the lesser demons were gathered, Azrael boomed out in a deep voice, "HE has called us forth to do our duties. Now is the time. Leviathan, Woland, Lucifer, and Satan are to watch over the damned. Beelzebub, Abaddon, Apollyon, Belial, and I are to begin forging the eternal armies of the damned for The Great War." And, without a word, the creatures all went off to their seperate duties.

Meanwhile, Mirian sat outside the stadium. She had been so close. At that moment, she looked up at the sky and cursed it. She broke into tears and swore then and there that she would sell her soul to the devil to see her son again. And that was all there was to it.

Ha Nozri appeared in front of the woman, broken down into her sorrows like a fallen temple. He reached out his hand and she grasped it, wiping her eyes slowly as he helped her up. She opened her mouth to ask who he was, but he held out a hand to silence her. "If you join my eternal armies as a general, you will fight alongside your son."

"Yeah, but I prefer Dom. Not sure on what the rules around here are on the names, but oh well. Why are you up?"

"Can't sleep I guess," she said with a smile, and sat down at the edge of his bed. It was clearly seen that she was tired, but her mind wouldn't slow down. She turned to him with a slight smile. "Might I ask you the same thing?"

Never really sleep. Training and military time have it so I only need a few hours a night. Also, there's the whole being dead thing." He sat in a chair so as not to feel akward.

"What is it like?" She asked, curious. "I'm a half breed. Not even half vampire at that...I've never gotten a straight answer, not even from my brother."

"I think it was yesterday, at least by some definition or other" Ariel said, then, Shadow took over "You can call us Shadow, may we ask where you are heading little girl?" as usual, the Symbiote's voice had a kind of in-Human echo to it "Sorry, my Symbiote is sometimes very rude, the 'little girl' part didn't offend you, did it?"

"It's......interesting. The heightened reflexes and senses, you notice pretty much everything. You see everything from a different angle. Basically, everything in your life changes for the better or for the worse. Might be pretty vague, but that's the best answer I can come up with."

Slider grined "No I wasn't offended because I am a little girl you can call me Kid if you want to Shadow, and I am seeking the dinning room to have some breakfast." Slider paused and cocked her head to the left "Is this Symbiote the reason you sometimes sound different and smell funny?" She paused waiting for a reply.

Amethyst dreamed briefly. She was standing in her hometown, Solitaria. People all around were happy and busy. She let a small smile creep on her face.

'So, it was all a dream. Everyone's still here, the town is still here, the civil war never broke out. There's no Cortez, never was.' She thought, smiling more.

A sound like the screaming of souls cut through the air, and she was standing in Solitaria again. But now it was covered in ash and smoke. It's once brilliant buildings now were a muted grey. She looked around again. The plants were dead and smothered by machines of war, and fortifications dotted the small city. A man in black armor and a grey cloak spoke to an elven woman with silver hair and a scar down her cheek. Elite commandoes surrounded to two as they discussed battle plans. Then they all disappeared in a flash, like ghosts that were never there. Amethyst stood in the center of the city again. Plasma fire raged around her. She sat down and cried as the fire came closer. Just as it was about to envelop her, she awoke in a cold sweat.

Sighing and wiping the tears from her cheeks, Amethyst rose from the bed and took a quick, cold shower. She put on some modest clothes, and walked out of her room.

- :evil: -

"Yeah, yeah the Symbiote does sound different when it speaks Kid" she stopped for a moment "But I don't think I smell funny" Ariel/Shadow smiled, a rare sight "I'll go with you if you don't mind it"

Slider bounced up and down on her toes, her hair bouncing in counter point to her movement, her tail was swishing back and forth as she spoke with a cheaky grin "Well you smell funny to me, oh well not everyone can smell as nice as I do." As she said this a smell of apple blossoms reached Shadow nose "No I don't mind if you come with me." Slider said as she started to skip down the passage "Thats if you can keep up with me that is!" She sang over her shoulder.

(Tinker) rose up out of his heat chamber when the timer went off. He gave himself a quick wipe-down with some olive oil, and felt a rumbling from his gut. Hhhhrrrg. Breakfast. I better bring this with me! He reached down and oicked up a PDA. He used it whenever he had an idea for a new invention. Inspiration can strike at odd moments, and it pays to be ready when it did.

He put on a loose-fitting sleeveless robe, and headed out to the dining area, his claws making a k-clack k-clack sound as he walked. Another dreamless night. I haven't dreamt since I left the home-land.

As Slider skipped down the corridor, she heard Shadow's voice behind her, sounding an inhuman as always "Oh I can little, girl, rest assured, I can" she heard movement behind her "If one form doesn't work, I try another" Ariel suddenly began to shrink, shifting form, her sunglasses and cloak vanished wit her shifting form, and she ended her transformation in the form of a Black Cat, she ran swiftly down the hallway at high speed after Slider.

Amethyst found her feet leading her towards the dining area, and she did not attempt to alter her course. Up ahead she could hear the k-clack of the Sakkran's talons echo off of the hall, and she let the rhythm soothe her slightly.

"It's......interesting. The heightened reflexes and senses, you notice pretty much everything. You see everything from a different angle. Basically, everything in your life changes for the better or for the worse. Might be pretty vague, but that's the best answer I can come up with."
"It's better than the answers I receive," she said, slowly laying back. She didn't know why she was drawn to talk to Dom at all. It seems as if they had met before, but she couldn't recall where.

Omnus returning from his hallucination found himself very hungry. He untied his two swords from his back and laid them on the bed. He stood up and walked out of his room towards the direction of the dining area. His mind was still filled with the aftereffects of the semuta drug, so Omnus did not notice anyone else.

Ariel caught up with Slide in her Cat form, and started padding along at a steady pace, keeping up with her, then she noticed Omnus, looking more stoned than a Rock Quarry, she kept moving along beside Slider.

"Well, I haven't been a vampire for too long, only a few years. I'm probably not the best authority on this."

Elfira left her bedroom, washing away the tears and cleaning the cold sweat, the last remaining things of her dream. She was wearing half of her battle suit, with her whip in her hand "It must be a training area in this castle. I need to meditate and find a way to channel this anger".

Again those faces, the dark elves that kidnapped me and tried to sell me as a sex toy. But why I can recall those faces, and exactly what happened, and I can't remember the names of my parents?. I suppose bad memories are more powerful than the nice ones.

James had slept a dreamless sleep in his minimalist little room. He'd never seen any place as "home", he'd moved around so much, and so he didn't really give any place he lived in the personal touch. Nozri must have picked up on that. He picked up on lots of things, he did. While James... got nothing in return. Blankness whenever he stared into those glasses. He must have mentally controlled his subconscious. A few people could. Being this secretive, he expected nothing else...

He grabbed his black jacket, since the castle seemed to chill him to the bone. That, or Ha Nozri.

He left the room, and proceeded downstairs. He smelt food, good food, of the kind he hadn't eaten since his exile. As he proceeded out he saw the Elf, ShadowElf, looking surprisingly emotional, clearing her eyes of tears...

He put it in the back of his mind, and went downstairs.

Omnus stumbled into the kitchen and proceeded to make himself and everyone else subs, with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pork, beef, and chicken.

Omnus took a sub for himself, grabbed a soda from the fridge and plopped down on the table, and began to eat...

just to get this above the spam BUMP

As Slider approched the dining area she could hear Omnus doing something in the kitchen, she looked down at shadow and said with a smile "Does kitty want some milk?" with a giggle she ran into the kitchen and saw what Omnus had been doing.

"You have that for breakfast? Ewwwwwwww I couldn't eat that in the morning!" With that Slider got out some strawberries, apples and other fruit and made a fruit salad, as an after thought she snagged some chicken and added it to the salad. Then she sat down at the dining table with a big glass of milk and had her breakfast.

"Well, I haven't been a vampire for too long, only a few years. I'm probably not the best authority on this."

"It's alright," she said softly. She stood up from the edge of his bed and looked out the window. "I'm still trying to find out where I belong. It seems that eveywhere I go, a part of me is not accepted, or doesn't fit into the whole picture, you know?"
She wasn't quite sure why she had felt so comfortable with Dom. She laughed at her self. "You know, I'm sorry. You probably think I'm crazy, knocking at your door at this hour. God I hardly even know you..." She stood up, and moved slowely toward the door. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. I am stupid..."she said fumbling on her words.

Shadow meowed at Slider and padded after her into the Kitchen, then she transformed again, turning back into her usual, dark self, she looked at the subs Omnus had made "Nice" she said, then looked at Slider "Good girl, a young lady like you needs to eat healthy, me? I don't give a rats hind end what I'm eating" she took one of the subs and a soda, then plopped down at the table, sitting next to Slider "You're letting her get to you Ariel" Shadow said in her mind, his voice thick with warning "Huh?" "Don't 'huh?' me, OK? you're letting her cuteness get to you, keep up your usually stony self, or you might find yourself emotionally bonding to her without noticing, and if she then gets killed?" "I see your point, but I see no trouble in making friends"

Tinker walked into the dining area, preceeded by the sound of his claws clacking on the floor. Seeing the others had already begun, he gave his 'good morning'. "Grrmmmmph."

He walked over to the refridgerator and rummages around until he finds what he wants. A large pork shank with the bone still in it. He brings it over to a table and sets it on a platter. Puring himself a large mug of coffee, he sits and pulls out his datapad and begins designing his next creation. The sound of crunching can be heard as he bites into the shank, crushing the bone and swallowing it down in gulps.

Several small, round stones are produced, and he swallows these down as well. Coffee is drank rather noisily.

Elfira finds the butler not too far from her room "Hey!, you. I need to find a training room. Your master said that we will train here, so take me to the right place to do it", she said to the servant. Her mind was still troubled with the memories that the dream had brought up to the surface of her mind, the screams, the gunfire, the carnage, the blood, the pain. She just wanted to destroy something, to channel her anger in a proper, disciplined way, still feeling the urge of Khaine calling her.

"No, you're not stupid. I understand the curiosity."

Crisula turned back for a moment, noting the sun that was rising. Half of her welcomed it, and half of her hated it. She smiled softly. She laughed, feeling slightly foolish. "I'm sorry, still. but... maybe I should leave you to get read, morning is approaching...I should probably go.."

Cliff walked back into the castle and off of the balcony. The others were already having breakfast when he found his way into the dining room. He, however, did not much feel like sitting at some table again. At least not this morning. He searched the refrigerator, and, upon finding almost exactly what he would have picked, he made himself some ego waffles, a glass of milk, and made his way over to a couch.

The couch was intensely comfortable, and he lifted his feet up to rest on the footrest. But before he began, he looked up and, deciding finally to speak for the first time to the others, he said, "Hey, you guys. Is it just me, or is it strange how good Ha Nozri's sources seem to be? I mean... the guy must run the CIA or something."

Cliff had been too absorbed in himself lately to think about much else. He had not noticed the beautiful paintings adorning the walls of the castle hallways, nor even its size. He had, however, been walking around it when he went to look for the dining room. Among other things, the castle had an indoor pool, weight and exercise room, game and television room, sauna and hot tub... It was definitely a good castle.

But it made him question why Ha Nozri would give them all this. Besides, they were just ordinary people. More or less. Maybe a bit more gifted than most. But why did they deserve and get all of this?

Meanwhile, Ha Nozri, disguised as the butler, directed Elfira outside to a firing range. He had designed its properties himself. It was simple, with targets varying in visibility, but efficient. Though it was only a small firing range (there was a larger one at the castle's lake), it was the closest one to the actual castle.

Ha Nozri made his way back inside after showing the elf, and he decided that he needed a staff of his own so that he wouldn't have to do things manually. He turned back into his form as Ha Nozri, and snapped his fingers repeatedly. Before him appeared a butler, two maids, a cook, a nurse, and a gardener. "Tend to our guests," he said simply.

And as he turned away, he felt a sudden volt go through his body. Somebody was selling their soul. He concentrated for a second, and then disappeared with a 'pop'. Down in hell, the beast pulled it's head back up, let its eyes come back into focus, and viewed earth to find who had been willing to sell their soul. A woman by the name of Mirian Thurgood. The Mirian Thurgood. Well, what a coincidence. He started projecting an image on earth. The place: Tokyo, Japan.

As the master concentrated on earthly matters, Azrael concentrated on his current duty. He must start to forge people out of clay. He took the other lesser demons, all marching behind him, and directed them to the Forge Of Life, where they were to begin molding their eternal army to sweep over the land of god.

"Hey, you guys. Is it just me, or is it strange how good Ha Nozri's sources seem to be? I mean... the guy must run the CIA or something."

Tinker looks up from his work, and levels one yellow eye at the small human. "CIA, KGB, Skeen. It is all the same. I do not know what to think of our benefactor, but I have a feeling that there are ulterior motives at work here. Super-heroes? Indeed. Save the world? From what?"

Elfira grasped her rifle, cleaning her mind from all disturbing thoughts, concentrating only in her eye, the scope, her finger and the trigger. You must be one with your weapon. There's no weapon, just a prolongation of your arm. She fired once, putting a bullet in the perfect place on a mobile target. She pointed and shooted for the second time, placing the bullet in the hole opened by the first shot.

Then another, and another, and another, she fired without pause, taking down all targets she could find. The clicking sound warned her that the magazine was empty. "I can't take them all with just a bullet at a time, I should have brought an automatic weapon", she said to herself.

She reloaded, she needs to be satisfied, drive her anger out. She fired again, and again, until she ran out of bullets. "Bah, this is not challenge, this reminds me of the stupid disks".

Omnus stood up and shoke his head, ridding himself of the influence of the semuta. He walked downstairs and out of the castle doors bound for the forest and its quiet seclusion for practice.

Omnus walked into the dark forest and sat down in a clearing, meditating... After a long meditation period of two hours, Omnus stood up and began to practice.

Omnus weaved his swords about, stabbing, cutting, weaving and other stuff, practicing his sword skill...

James grabbed one of the subs that the man with the glazed look on his face had made. Not bad... In fact excellent, especially for someone who hadn't eaten properly in days.

"Kudos, sir, on the sandwiches." he muttered as he chomped his way through it.

Then he heard that kid speak up. He couldn't stop himself as he heard the words pour out from him...

"Yeah, right. No intelligence force is that omnipotent. Even with all your security gadgets, listening devices, the best hackers, all eyes on any potential threats, whatever, you always miss something. Mostly, it isn't important. Sometimes, it is, and you screw everything up because you didn't get that piece of vital info about thanking your host after a meal from International Traditions and Customs because the briefing guy doesn't like you, and hasn't ever since he found out you slept with his sister..."

He coughed.

"Never mind that. The point is, with all the internal stuff in an intelligence service, nobody ever knows the whole picture. Not even the head guy knows everything that's going on, because of the obligatory secrecy. Ha Nozri isn't running an intelligence service. He knows too much to be running an intelligence service. Maybe he's a telepath... I couldn't "read" his face, certainly."

Rith looked up slightly from the sub she had quietly been eating, and gave James a slightly amused look.

"You'll have to tell me the ending of that story sometime." She said with a soft chuckle. "But, you're right. No intelligence agency is that powerful. We come from all over the globe, some of us from beyond it. I bet he is a psychic of some sort, that's the only reasonable explaination.

"It got ugly. It normally does with organised crime lords in foreign countries. And as for the IT&C guy? Never did see him again. Or his sister. I got exiled soon after."

"Hmm. Pardon my curiosity, but why is that? Surely your country is not so uptight so as to exile a man for pissing off someone." She asked, taking a sip of ice water while still looking at James.

Cliff interrupted there, somewhat frantically, as if nervous, to say, "No, no, I don't think he has ulterior motives or anything... well... not really. It's just funny how he's one guy, yet he knows all this information. I mean, there has GOT to be some big agency behind this whole thing. It must be some kind of operation. But it's way too elaborate to be a spoof, yet it's almost as if they WANT us to be incredulous. They've thrown all this right in our faces... like they want us to be suspicious.

But anyway, my point is that, there has to be some kind of secret intelligence agency working with or for Ha Nozri on this one. He's obviously the head, and they are very skilled. Maybe they have worms or moles or something in... like, the UN or something. Maybe there are moles in every single country's government. I don't know. But it just seems funny that he, or rather they, know so much.

And even moreso, that they're willing to tell us so little. He answered not one of our questions directly last night, skipping over all of the real points. We still don't know anything about what we're supposed to be doing... I say that the next time he comes here, we confront him and demand to be told the complete story, or we won't work for him.

But, as to his motives... I think he is being sincere about the whole thing. I mean, I just get that feeling. It doesn't seem like he'd want us as anything else, except for terrorists, and I certainly know that I wouldn't engage in terrorism. So he obviously wants us to fight crime. Obviously."

And with this, Cliff remembered suddenly how loud he was talking and, in fear of Ha Nozri having heard, he went back to eating his now cold waffles, awaiting the mixed responses from the rest of the people in the room. What bugged him more than Ha Nozri, though, were the two fighters of the group: ShadowElf and HellRider. The two were extremely anti-social, but to a point where they might even know something...

Ha Nozri, meanwhile, appeared before Mirian Thurgood in Tokyo. He extended his hand, after explaining to her as little as he possibly could, and she took it. They instantly appeared in the dining room of the castle. After looking around for a brief second, Mirian seemed to become aware of her surroundings, shocked somewhat because she had no idea how she had gotten there, but aware.

And then, she saw her son. She rushed forwards to hug and embrace him, but instead, she ran right through him. Not knowing how this could be, she heard Ha Nozri's voice from behind her, "Not yet. You may only see him now. You must wait if you wish to talk with him. But the time shall come, the time shall come."

And meanwhile, down on the shooting range, Elfira managed to nail each and every shot she made. She smirked and shook her head, as if it was too easy. But that was where the hard part of the shooting range came in. As soon as she had lowered her rifle, the sensors in the targets became suddenly aware. And then, without warning, they unloaded their own ammo straight back at her.

But, as to his motives... I think he is being sincere about the whole thing. I mean, I just get that feeling. It doesn't seem like he'd want us as anything else, except for terrorists, and I certainly know that I wouldn't engage in terrorism. So he obviously wants us to fight crime. Obviously."



"Yes, obviously. Or maybe not. My sire once told me before I left the homeland 'Sometimes what is obvious, is not. Trust your nose more than your eyes'. So far that advice has served well, and will continue to do so." Gripping his pork shank by the protruding bone, Tinker bites into it once again.

"I will not work for terrorists as well, but I would not let them know that. I would make things for them, that would cease function in a short time. Hrr hrrr hrrrr hrrrrr. But whether there is an organization, government or even an eccentric billionare behind this ...."And he sweeps an arm, meant to encompass a whole building "...place, and our being here, remains to be seen."

Elfira did a complicated side sommersault in the air, dodging the first bullets, she wasn't prepared, the sudden assault caught her unaware. She landed near the first target, then the world seems too insignificant, her life meaningless. The void of the true battle filled her senses, her soul mixing with her body in a perfect balance. Only those without fear of death can face the reaper and survive. Only the absolute self confidence can save you.

She almost saw the first bullet racing through the air toward her chest, looking for her heart. Her whip slashed it away, with a lightning movement. Then came the second one, a third, and a fourth one, but now she was prepared.

All gunfire has a pattern, survival against many guns it's just a matter of getting out of that pattern. She saw the pattern in her mind, her bullets was simply going the opposite way she fired them, escaping the trayectory of the proyectiles with a perfectly balanced backflip.

She smiled, never a bullet could harm her. Never trust too much on your own skills. Even the slightest mistake can kill you. She didn't know how those words from her academy teacher appeared in her mind. One last bullet, too late to dodge it, was in front of her, she almost saw the dark silouette of the proyectile approaching her face. She extended her hand, sliding her face to her right side, using her elven reflexes. She felt as the bullet stroke her gloved hand, launching her backwards with the impact.

She stood, her fist clenched, the bullet inside her hand. She opened it slowly to see the rubber bullet lying between her fingers. "Lady Luck blessed me today, I could say". She tried to close her hand again, but a deep pain stopped her for keep trying. "Broken finger, it seems, nothing to worry about I could say, a real bullet would tore apart my whole hand".

As she listened to the other's speculate about how the host knew so much, Slider ate her breakfast while her left hand started to play with the bell at her throat. She finished her breakfast and gulped down the last of her milk, then she stood up and said "I don't really care how he knows, what I want to know is what I'm are going to be facing so I can prepare for it." With that she bounced over to the kitchen sink and started to clean up her dishes.

James looked back at Rith, half-eaten sub still in hand and snorted.

"Of course not. I don't know a single country where people are that uptight. I wasn't actually exiled. I suppose it doesn't matter now, I can tell you anyway - without having to kill you." He grinned humourlessly.

"A couple of years ago, I was, as you could probably tell from that little story, a spy. I went around the world, negating threats to my country's security, stealing secrets, sabotaging other nations' infrastructure. You name it."

"A few years before that, however, I realised that I had no loyalty to my country. Why should I? It was just a bit of land. What I did have loyalty to, however, was money. I'd gained a few... expensive tastes on my travels. So I did the spy's equivalent of moonlighting. I became a double agent, selling secrets from one country to another. I congratulated myself on my way of aiding my greed."

"Unfortunately, another spy suspected me. Jonas McPhail. One far more loyal than me. When he finally got paired up with me on a mission, he followed me, and saw me go straight into the embassy with a briefcase full of plans for our country's nuclear program. He'd looked in the briefcase while I wasn't in my room in that country. He took photos of everything - the plans I'd taken, the entering into the embassy, even my meeting with the man I was handing things over to. I'd become far too complacent, and I paid for that."

James sighed as he mulled over the story in his mind.

"I was, to put it bluntly, a dead man. I got arrested before I even set foot back on home soil. Jonas wired the photos back before we came back. He go a medal, I got a death sentence."

"On my way to prison, in a private van, I managed to persuade the two guards guarding me to let me out of the back. I said I was going to throw up, possibly even die. Then the fun began. I began to set them against one another, putting paranoid thoughts in their heads. After another hour, they weren't taking any notice of me. One shot the other. I knocked him out, grabbed his gun, and got the hell out of there as soon as I could. Although that's another story."

"But I was effectively exiled. I couldn't go back. I still can't, even though the government's changed. The socialists stopped the intelligence service. There's nothing left for me there."

He turned back to Rith and stared straight at her.

"Dramatic enough for you?"

(OOC I do not believe this, I did this great piece of writing and it said invalid session. I am angry at myself. I have to do this all over again now....I might have gone way over the top, or I might have done completely the wrong thing, please feedback on this.)

Azrael looked at the clay. He began to form the creature of his dreams, with his demonic hands working effortlessly, putting in every detail.

He began with the head. He thought of what it would need in the field of battle. He made the eyes slanted and which would promise swift death. People would look into those eyes and see the glory and might of the dark powers in the universe.

Upon this great head had massive horns, which could be used to batter down any angelic wall. They where not cloven, they where of a demonic material, organic and impossibly sharp.

Within it's mouth Azrael put great fangs into it, which could rip anything apart. Behind these teeth he made long whips, which should spring out and strike its enemies with lighting speed.

It had a great mane of hair, which Azrael would change later on.

He grabbed another piece of clay and formed the chest. he did half of it first so that he could place the organs and such. He placed within the beast's chest a great back heart, which would beat black blood around the body, which would make it tireless, immortal and full of the rage for battle. Then a great cocoon of bones where formed, so that nothing could get in that. Within each bone, he put spikes within, so that it could out at will to impale its enemies through it's chest. These spikes could go quite some distance.

He created a great lung within the chest, one that had black liquid constantly lining it the outer part, making the gasses within it more toxic than any man made chemical. It would never breath in; it could breath out constantly as air was created within the lung due to the runes etched within it.

Azrael on this back continued to hair, but with each strand of hair did he inscribe runes to make them special. He planted them into it’s red skin. The great mane of hair would provide protection. The hair could be shed at will and ignite to destroy its enemies. The hair would then be replaced almost immediately. Even if the beast chose not to ignite it, each hair was like a spear, deadly and capable of impaling almost any amour.

Thinking of the enemies it would face, Azrael took another piece of clay and began to make great hulking wings. These wings where great in proportion and where scaled. They had spikes on the wings, so that the demon could close the wings around and enemy and spike them with the wings and its chest.

Pleased with this, Azrael moved onto the legs. He formed the tendons, and bone, and made tentacles which could be produce from the leg to impaled and constrict. The same fur covered these legs, which would protect the demon.

For thee feet, Azrael made them like feet capable of picking up items and such. But this was not for weapons, although they could be. This was for spells, so that the demon could fight in combat with weapons and spells, or four weapons, or four spells being cast at the same time. At the base of these hands, Azrael made the same tentacles. With these tentacles, the demon could slam them downwards to leap great heights.

"Now to the equipment." Azrael said to himself as he looked at what it needed. He made a piece of clay into a breastplate. He made it in thousands of layers; each layer had a multitude of runes to protect the demon. The amour moved in accordance to the demons movements, it would protect him always. It had the symbols of Him upon it. Azrael fashioned great greaves like the breastplate.

A great copper collar was made next, in the same way. But different runes where put upon it. It would absorb any magic against the demon, and offer the demon constant communication with it's lords and comrades. The absorbing power of this collar was extremely great, no normal mage could cast a single spell against it, without the spell being absorbed into the collar.

Next the weapons. Azrael made many layers of a head of a double-headed axe, runes of destruction upon it. He placed the thousands of layers together. The result was an axe, which could go through any defense, magical or physical. Azrael then put this weapon into the beast left hand and worked on the next weapon.

A long thin strand was made, with tiny and countless runes upon it. Azrael made so many of these threads that they looked like hair. He gathered them all up am smiled. He placed them within a devise and turned a lever. The strands began to wind together, forming a cord. A whip.

This whip was similar to the axe, it could piece any amour. But the whip acted on its own accord, it could reach massive lengths. It had barbs upon it, and if it grabbed any target, thousands of barbed would impale the target.

Azrael was pleased with his creation. He looked over it again, checking for flaws. There where none. He put it carefully in a forge and pulled a lever. The devise began to make ghoulish noises, they where music to Azrael's ears. The words sounded by the devise where pure evil, those words had never been heard by a mortal.

After long minutes it stopped. The door to the forge opened and black fog came out belching. Azrael looked exited and proud at his new creation and asked the great hulking being:

"Whom do you serve demon?"

The voice that replied was wondrous to hear to Azrael, the words sang endless praise to Him, to His power. The enemies of Him would tremble by even hearing the words.

"I SERVE THE MASTER!"


(OOC That was fun to write! Picture of the demon should you want it. http://www.gorfinkle.demon.co.uk/Bloodthirster.jpg )

Dom decides to go through the clothes in his closet. He finds a black shirt, and puts that on, under his vest, and leaves the trench in the room. He then decides to go see what his fellow 'superheroes' are doing. He grabs his sword as he leaves the room, and straps it on while walking down the hall.

He comes to the kitchen and sees that most of them are here. He has no reason to eat, so he just sits down at the table.

ShadowElf meets with Dom in her way back to the kitchen, holding a grey handerchief as a bandage over her hand. She looks at Blood, instantly noting the scent of the dead-that-walk in his body. "Going to practice?, be careful, you could find some surprises, as sunlight, for example", says ShadowElf, chuckling.

"I don't really feel like working out, it's all I really do anymore. Sunlight doesn't affect me as much as most vampires. Gene therapy and all that stuff. Scientists insisted in tinkering with me."

"It's a shame. Your kind shouldn't exist, you're nothing but a plague, sick humans, guest of a virus. However, I have heard that vampires regenerates and have the strength of several men. It will be nice to be on your side". She extends her wounded hand to him.

"Plenty dramatic for me." Rith said, looking down at her sub. "I'm exiled in a way too. My hometown was plasma bombed into dust, so I have nowhere else to go, like you."

She sighed and took another sip of water, finished off her sub, and waled over to where Lotus was to wash her dishes.

(ooc: Azrael...sounds familiar doesn't it? ;-) )

IC: Crisula heads back to her room. She looks in the mirror. She saw, confused, homeless, without friend nor family, and potential...not being used. She grabs two black guns from her bureau, strapping them on either side. She motions to her black coat behind her. As she grasped it in her hands, she swung in around her shoulders, concealing the weapons. Morning had finally arrived, and it was time for her journey to begin again. She opened the door and slipped out quietly...unaware, and unbeknownst to the others.

Dom takes her hands and shakes it. "Hey, maybe you'll realize we're not all bad. And its not my choice that I am what I am."

The hand of Elfira makes a crackling sound when Blood shakes it, the broken finger sliding out of place. But she doesn't even flinch, ignoring the pain. "See you later, then. I need something to eat, elves can't feed on blood, at least not this one".

She finds her way back to the kitchen, her hand covered by her hankerchief, a stain of blood on it. She sits on a chair, her boots over the table. "We have a good training ground here. A little aggressive, but good after all".

He had felt and heard the cracking but made nothing of it if she didn't.