To Save The World!

[Half-Dragon]

OOC: Sorry, I don't think I caught Surge's post. It seems to have gotten lost in the flood these last few pages. Anyone mind linking it if you know where it is? Come to think of it, there are others with him, I think.NPC: Ultionis finally had his sniper rifle back in position - after the bugs found him last time he'd had to relocate to the next rooftop. Luckily it was only a four-meter jump with a backpack full of heavy paramilitary equipment. He was now set up and ready to serve... except that one who now had the girl was several hundred feet in the air. It seemed he could be hurt, but it would drop her to the ground. Unacceptible. But he did have one trick he could use: The rifle was equipped to 'paint' a target for easy identification with an invisible laser (invisible to humans - if they could see into the infrared spectrum, maybe that'd be different) and he had long since found this useful for tracking targets to safehouses. Using a computer installed in his cycle he would be able to track them across the state. In the meantime, since it was perfectly clear they weren't planning to harm her (yet) he shifted his sights to someone he could shoot: Aquarius. The only one he recognized from previous intelligence briefings, the others were probably new or low-profile villains up to now. This one wasn't made of water or able to heal himself instantly or something. This one could get shot with an anti-tank round and die. But... he might be more useful alive. Reconsidering this, Ultionis selected a different round from his pack. The new one was more like a powerful stun dart; it would adhere to Aquarius' body and run a few hundred volts through it, rated to render most superhumans lacking enhanced durability unconscious. He knows because he checked. Load the new round, adjust power so it hits without going straight through the body, account for different weight, wind direction and strength, distance, et cetera and...BANG!H-D

[King Joe]

OOC: Lemme just say right now that Mr. No-One is awesome, despite Nihilo's thoughts on the matter. No powers, yet he still fights back. His gun is proven to be pretty much useless, but he still fires away, while THUMBING HIS NOSE in the villains faces. He has thousands of cool points in my book.IC (Nihilo): Nihilo happened to be near the emp spike when it went off, which was not a good thing. He just barely managed to survive. He was "recharging" off of all the negative energy flying around, when he got the call from Typhoon. Finally! he thought. Someone actually had the sense to grab the girl and go! With that, he made for the only open street as fast as he could, while still pulling negative energy from the surrounding area.OOC: And the last post made by anyone concerning the story Surge is in is here.

Edited December 5, 2011 by King Joe

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

OOC: Thank you. I'm rather fond of Nihilo as well - despite his lack of subtlety, he's a very fun opponent to deal with.An IC will come when I either figure out the best way to kill the rhino, or when something happens in the area of Aberdeen, Scotland, or when the League shows up at the scene of the fight, at which point Mr. No-One will conveniently wake up.

[King Joe]

OOC: well, he's been stalking the Coalition for a while now, so it's sorta built up un-subtle-ness.But thanks!

[Half-Dragon]

OOC: Thanks.NPC: Jona glanced over at Magneta and nodded apologetically. "Sorry, used to briefing detectives. Not a lot of women sign up for the job, and maybe half those make it through training. Anyway, Eisling's favorite hangouts are all in the same district. Head down to Soho and look for any bar that's still standing or that's been rebuilt. I know with your superpowers this probably shouldn't be a big deal, but watch yourselves anyway. Ever since the war, those bars are a haven for criminals. No prizes for guessing just how popular heroes are. You might even see some familiar faces, if you're the type to go around busting basic robberies."She closed the file on Dylan Eisling and extended it to the heroes assembled. "Here. Might be useful. Should tell you anything we know about him, not that that's as much as we'd like. If you need anything else or have any other questions, now's the time to ask. Otherwise, dismissed."H-D

[King Joe]

OOC: Since Surge can control light to a degree, could he manipulate it to cloak himself and others? Maybe with shadows still visible?IC (Surge! Yay!): "Okay then." said Surge. "Should be an interesting day. We gonna hit the streets?"OOC: I'm not expecting an answer, maybe a scene change? I didn't put myself at the first hangout because I didn't want to control the other characters if they wanted to say something else.

Edited December 5, 2011 by King Joe

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

.... and was it just me, or were alternate universes and any time-based powers banned originally and now all trace of those rules have mysteriously disappeared... hmmmmmm....

OOC: I can't remember there ever being a rule specifically forbidding alternate universes (and since we've got an alternate universe now, I think it's safe to say there isn't one ) but I'm pretty sure things like time powers and whatnot are still probably a no-no, even if it's not specifically listed in the rules. Probably wouldn't get approved, at the very least.IC:"So... uh... sorry about that, I guess," Hivemind said to the unconscious agent in the ditch, before bursting up into the sky.The others appeared to have successfully scooped up the girl despite the Newspaper Guy's best efforts, so she figured now would be the best time to start putting distance between herself. Typhoon wanted her to watch his back, so she spread her bee cloud up over the skies, watching Typhoon just a little bit below. That's the sort of thing she'd do, Hivemind supposed, since apparently she was the sort of person who cared about this mission succeeding. Fantastic.---Kaname had barely finished his sentence before he found a wristblade held just about an inch from his throat. It wasn't a threat; merely a warning."Don't trust you? Whatever could have given you that impression?" asked Fade. "Could it have been the fact you tried to give a madwoman - especially that madwoman, of all people - the keys to an inter-dimensional bridge, in the process selling out... oh, just about everybody that ever existed on an infinite number of worlds? Because I'm nice, I'm giving you about five seconds to explain yourself, and oh, you'd better have a really good excuse. Honestly, you're lucky I'm even coming back for you; I'm well within rights to just leave you here after a stunt like that..."[For Science!] Edited December 5, 2011 by Chronicler of Ko-Koro

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

OOC: I will have to find a list of what i consider as Elements when I get home from work(on lunch break)IC:Kaname stared at Fade, he lightly pushed aside his wrist before standing up and facing the other way. "You know how Frigid is now like supreme ruler of everything now? In this Universe she must have gotten a hold of something to get this powerful like a device or something. So i thought: Maybe if there was some sort of way to reverse her Power Boost then it's most likely that she used some sort of machine."his lighting flashed in his hand, hints of original lightning surged with Black lightning but it soon was enveloped, "The Dimensional Machine that brought us here, I'm pretty sure that whatever she did she used it. But then again..." He faced fade, "I then remembered hearing that it was your fault that she was able to do this so i thought that by joining her I could figure out the secrets to her powers and look up information on other things I needed to know. But.."He pointed at the bruises and Broken arm, "That didnt go well, I'm pretty sure that she knew what I was intending from the beginning. Other than that, i wants trying to sell you out at all." he looked at the massive Ice tower, "Everything I was saying and doing was an Act, yes it was bad but hey, couldn't think of anything else. Then i re-thought my idea to join her and just engage in a small one-sided battle, you saw that Snow tornado right? It was a series of invisible attacks that I wasn't really able to evade, I suffered a white-out in that thing."Kaname then walked away from fade, "Well..it dont seem that i made a good enough reason for me to redeem myself and besides, you didnt trust me from the beginning anyway. That's the kind of Life i lived. Anyway there is a cave outside this city that goes down very deep with a warm Lava-pit calling me, maybe I can find out If I really did Die in this universe..but then again We might as well head to the same place for now? oh well."he sneezed and coughed, "######..too much talking for an Old man like me...dont pay attention to my ramblings. In short it's your choice weather to trust me or not." he knew of thirty different outcomes to this, because he lived through pretty much all of them already.

[Snelly]

Though I'm not sure where to start once this is approved, not sure what's currently happening or whatever but I'm sure once I'm brought up to speed on current events I'll get rolling.

OOC: There's a plot going on right now which your character could jump into as soon as you're approved actually. Several members of the Coalition of Corruption (Typhoon, Aquarius, Negafire, Hivemind and Nihilo) are trying to kidnap the U.S. president's daughter (president in this RPG is a fictional character; her daughter is a girl called Danielle Thomas). It's happening outside of her school, and the only thing slowing the CoC's progress are the (rapidly dwindling) number of secret service agents that were guarding Danielle. Since the battle has been going on for a little while, it's logical that the League would have heard about it.I think Lord Rahl might have been planning on sending his League character, Loadstone, to join the battle as well, so since your character is a rookie it'd make sense if he was teamed up with someone more experienced.

OOC: Alright sweet, I've been approved. I guess I'll IC something to get started. I'll start my character off in the League's headquarters...wherever that is exactly...it be nice if someone could tell me where all the important places are IC: Nathan Stari a.k.a. SkyraNathan sat at a bench, we had just arrived at the League's headquarters, first time they'd ever summon him for well...anything. This was the chance he'd been waiting for, he'd been waiting for a chance to make a difference in the world, and stopping petty crime in Cleveland wasn't doing it. He'd been training nonstop, it looked like his patience and dedication were finally paying off."Now, I just have to wait for this new 'partner'. They told me this partner is a well known hero, I guess that makes sense, pairing me off with someone with experience. I'll learn everything I can from him...or her... Though I'll try not to be a 'noob', I'll have to act confident, I can do that ya... I've trained so hard, I've gotten pretty good with my powers, I'm a excellent swordsmen, I couldn't be more ready." Despite what he said to himself, he was shaking with excitement. "Alright, pull yourself together Nathan. You must remain calm, collected...even if I suck at it..."Nathan put his sunglasses on. "Ah, there, that should help." Edited December 5, 2011 by Snelly

[Kumata]

OOC: The main League HQ is in Mentor's Mansion on the outskirts of New York city, but they also have bases in most capital cities worldwide.Since there's a fair number of villains it only makes sense that the League would send as many heroes as they could to intervene, so I'll add an NPC hero of mine into the fray...IC: As Skyra waited, a heroine appeared around the corner of the corridor. Her supersuit was made of black material with shades of hot pink; her head was concealed by a featureless motorcycle helmet. She stopped as she reached Skya, then observed him with folded arms."Hey kid," she said, her voice muffled slightly behind the helmet, "you waiting for someone..?"

Edited December 5, 2011 by Kumata

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

OOC: Methinks you're missing a link for the appearance Rakata, but other than that you're approved.I may have once had a ban on time-travel powers, and you're unlikely to get approved if you have them now for that matter, but I don't think I've ever had a rule against alternate realities. They're like a comic book staple, how could I get rid of them?

Edited December 5, 2011 by The Power that Is

[Snelly]

IC: Nathan Stari. a.k.a Skyra"Um, ya, I was told to wait here for instructions. Suppose to get a 'partner' or something. They haven't told me much else."

[Oblitus]

OOC: Methinks you're missing a link for the appearance Rakata, but other than that you're approved.

OOC: Really? I'll fix it. :PIC:Hijek walke down the dark alleys of NYC. It was not his preffered place, rather Brno was, but he continued anyways. Mentor's Mansion was in the distance, and that was where he was not to go. The night was ominous, but not to what Hijek faced back in Brno. It wasn't far now-- only because he was at the entrance. NYC Int'l Airport. He needed to go to Ottawa, where he could seek a mission from Ms. Amandine. He snuck in around the luggage area where the workers were. "Hey! You're not supposed to be her-" a worker shouted as he and his other fellow workers were shot by the gun in Hijek's hand. He put on their clothes, and hid their bodies. The plane was a bout to take off, so he ran into the luggage area of the plane. He checked the destination earlier so he would not get the wrong flight. The plane accelerated and jerked, and Hijek felt like he was about to vomit. Planes weren't his thing, after all. Edited December 6, 2011 by Rakata

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

OOC: Er, Rakata, everyone there is a hero. And your character is a villain. So the only mission you can ask them for is one that involves beating you up

[Oblitus]

OOC: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I dunno why, but league really seems like a villan's group. I Edit now.

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

OOC: I sent a message to you but i dunno if you got it, anyway this is the list of what kind of elements for my new character. Hopefully I'm not immune to everyone in the RP lol.Fire relatedWater relatedWind relatedEarth relatedIce relatedLight relatedShadow/darknessLightning relatedIron relatedMagnetism relatedGravity relatedPlasma relatedSonics relatedRelated stands for the elements that I dont know what kind of connection they have with others.

[King Joe]

OOC: Er, Rakata, everyone there is a hero. And your character is a villain. So the only mission you can ask them for is one that involves beating you up

OOC: Dude. It would be hilarious if the League had a story like that.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

OOC: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I dunno why, but league really seems like a villan's group. I Edit now.

They're called the League of Salvation! How could you mistake them for villains!

[Snelly]

OOC: Ya, that's terrible, how could you mistake Skyra for a villain? That's horrible. :PWell, anyway, who wants to be the 'partner' that teams up with Skyra, I don't really care who, just whoever posts first.

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

OOC: Just to let everyone know me and ThePowerThatIs(i dont have a nickname to call you by) are discussing the List I posted a short bit ago, so no one comment or quote it please XD.

[Korkoa]

OOC: Just call him TPTI, Kenpachi. IC: Plasmafire nodded, although he hadn't gotten the answer he hoped for. "Fair enough, can't know everyone I guess." He took a step into the tunnel, then stopped. "Uh... maybe you should lead the way... I have no idea where I'm going. By the way, is Mentor still around in this universe?"IC: Negafire gave up on his attempts to find the sniper when Typhoon gave the order to cover for air attacks. He began scanning the skies, floating on his air currents and superheating the areas covered by foam, trying to crack it and brush it off.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Toa Korkoa: Toa of plasma

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

IC:"...You ought to consider yourself lucky. I still don't trust you, but right about now I need help from pretty much anywhere I can get it. Just prove you can help us survive long enough to get back to our own dimension, and then maybe we'll talk about trust. Longshot said she had a hideout near here, so that's where I'm headed," said Fade. "You're right about Frigid, by the way, just wrong about the how. There was a device called the Omega Supercharger; it was supposed to give normal people superpowers, but it could also be used to boost existing superpowers beyond their natural limits. I've done all this before; it just went... better last time."---Longshot got very quiet, very quickly."Mentor? No... no... New York was tha' first place Frigid targeted. Tha' League didn't know how dangerous she was... they didn' stand a chance... she froze over Mentor's mansion in minutes..." Longshot said, seemingly far away despite being right next to Plasmafire. "Lion'eart, he tried to stop her... marched o'er half the League into New York t' stop her right there... we fought hard, but we couldn' do it... she beat us... that's where I lost m' arm... where you died... an' then there was no one left to stand in Frigid's way..."She let out a pained groan, and collapsed onto the subway tracks. Longshot was fading fast, and needed medical attention fast.[For Science!]

[Korkoa]

IC: Plasmafire gasped and dropped to his knees next to Longshot. "Longshot! Hang on Longshot, we'll get you help! Listen, things are gonna get better! You've got us on your side now, we could help with Frigid... Just hang on..." He raised his voice, yelling into the darkness, "Help! Longshot's hurt, she needs help!" He raised his arms, creating a large plasma orb above him, a beacon in the dark to help guide anyone to him...

[King Joe]

IC: Plasmafire gasped and dropped to his knees next to Longshot. "Longshot! Hang on Longshot, we'll get you help! Listen, things are gonna get better! You've got us on your side now, we could help with Frigid... Just hang on..." He raised his voice, yelling into the darkness, "Help! Longshot's hurt, she needs help!" He raised his arms, creating a large plasma orb above him, a beacon in the dark to help guide anyone to him...

OOC: Not gonna say much cuz I'm not in this sub-arc, but wouldn't that let any villains and/or henchmen that Frigid allowed to live know your locale? I thought Longshot said that there wasn't many heroes left.

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

IC: Kaname blinked, "I never heard of such a device...Wow...so is there a way to reverse the process? Maybe even destroy it, cause an overload?" Kaname didnt know about this...for all he knew everyone's powers just evolved on their own..."So...there are other ways to Evolve your powers to such heights huh? makes almost 60 years of my life wasted..." Kaname now felt old. hard to believe that he was 25 when he started to evolve his original powers.."Ahem, anyway i guess we can agree that we need to work together for now so...Yeah, if we can survive this and get back home, then We can somehow Alter this universe by stopping Frigid before she gets her hands on the Omega Supercharger....But how do you do that..." Kaname didnt think that was possible, but good thought to know... "or maybe somehow tell ourselves about this...whatever."he followed Fade, this was going to be a difficult deal...

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

OOC: Joe, Frigid doesn't really have too many "allies" (she has one, but I'm getting to that); she can control the ice pretty much anywhere, so it's not like she needs boots on the ground for much of anything.IC:"Trying to preempt the creation of this universe would be pretty pointless. Putting aside the fact you'd need to time-travel - which I can't do - it'd just branch the timeline once again. This universe would still exist. And there already is a universe where Frigid gets stopped; it's our universe," said Fade, swinging down onto the street. "If you've never heard of this device, that just means I've done my job right. As far as I know, there's no way to 'reverse' the Supercharger process. If this universe progressed anything like it did on our side, Frigid's version of the machine should have been destroyed regardless of her success. But I won't know that for certain until we get to this hideout."---As the plasma globe lit up, so did another source of light. A hand in the darkness extended a blade, looking hastily-fastened together out of bits of twisted metal, and pointed the weapon at Plasmafire. Red energy crackled along the blade, the irregularities in the metal causing the energy field to look not unlike a blade of crimson flames. The light from the plasma orb fell upon the newcomer, revealing his features. He was dressed in a heavy black parka, a motorcycle helmet concealing his face. A long crack ran along the visor, and the pattern of flames that once adorned the helmet nearly completely faded away."Alright, talk," the hero known as X-Calibur said suspiciously to Plasmafire. "I want to know why I'm looking at a dead man..."[For Science]

Edited December 6, 2011 by Chronicler of Ko-Koro

[Rumpelstiltskin]

OOC: Okay, let's see here -@Trans - I remember what you're talking about. The rule said that time-based and reality-warping powers were off limits to both PCs and NPCs. Nothing about having alt. realities, just reality-warping powers. Considering, however, that TPTI has had characters that fall under both of those categories, I would assume that it's less of an outright ban, but that those types of powers are reserved for staff only. So, in other words, TPTI, since I only fall under the category of self-appointed pseudo-staff. :PWelcome to both Snelly and Rakata. Also, here's the guy you're waiting for, Snelly.IC: (Loadstone)As if summoned by Skyra's words, a blonde-haired man walked around the opposite corner as the woman did. He was reasonably tall, by most accounts incredibly good looking, with a touch of stubble along his jawline. His hair was spiked, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. His lean musculature was visible through his skintight spandex suit, metallic silver with an insignia of a horseshoe magnet with a lightningbolt between the tips across his chest. His gloves and boots were purple, a yellow lightningbolt prominent on both. He carried a metallic surfboard under his arm, and seemed to be scanning the corridor for something.His gaze locked onto Skyra, and he quickened his step. "You," he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at the Hero. "You're the new guy they told me to find, right? Sky-something or other?"IC: (Aquarius)With the other Villains beating a hasty retreat, Aquarius formed an ice ramp and began sliding up it, icy skates forming around his feet as he moved. The sudden movement meant that Ultionis' shot missed hitting the super, but struck the ice construct instead. The electricity surged into the ice and died out almost instantly, ice being far less conductive of electricity than it's liquid state. With a quick look over his shoulder, Aquarius formed an ice shield between himself and the direction that the shot had come from, skating along after the others.OOC: Sorry HD, I seriously considered having him get hit, but I want him to be conscious and ready to fight when Loadstone shows up.~Lord Rahl~

[Kumata]

IC: The helmeted heroine's head turned towards Loadstone as he approached Skyra. After he and the kid made their introductions, she spoke up:"I think I'm joining you two; they told me to give Loadstone a hand with his current mission..."OOC: Feel free to IC Skyra chatting to Loadstone before this comment occurs.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Kumata

[Snelly]

IC: Nathan Stari. a.k.a. Skyra"It's Skyra." Nathan commented before standing up. "Nice to meet you."The heroine with the helmet spoke. "I think I'm joining you two; they told me to give Loadstone a hand with his current mission...""About that, what is this current mission exactly? They didn't really fill me in on...anything, not even your names." Nathan said while scratching his head. He was acting surprisingly calm, though his heart was pounding with anticipation.

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

IC:Mystic took a step outside into the hall, putting her hands to her head in frustration. She'd been working with the subject from Hungary for hours now, with next to no progress made in regaining his memories. Her powers were useless in this situation, and she was starting to suspect this might be one mystery she might never get to the bottom off. Suddenly, a beeping noise filled the hall as her comm went off; Mystic picked up up from her belt and switched it on."Yes, Mystic responding- What? ...The President's daughter?" she exclaimed. "No, no, my other duties can wait... yes, far more important... I can be there as soon as the jet is fueled and ready... Goodbye."Mystic hung up the comm and headed back to the hanger. This matter would have to wait for another time; there was a far bigger crisis to deal with at the moment.OOC: Been eight pages, so I get the feeling Chalcon isn't likely to reply in a while. Figured I might as well try and get Mystic back into the game somehow (totally not so I can declare myself the "winner" no matter which side wins the fight, that would be wrong ).[For Science!]

[Rumpelstiltskin]

OOC: Great; three Heroes is far too few to send on a mission like this. :DIC: (Loadstone)"Walk and talk, gang," Loadstone said, motioning for the two to follow him. "We're heading down to the DC area. Some team of Villains is trying to kidnap the new President's daughter, and the Secret Service isn't equipped to deal with them. I'd like to have a few more Heroes along for the ride, but I suppose we can make do."He looked over his shoulder at Skyra. "Sorry, I never introduced myself. The name's Loadstone, ferro- and electrokinetic. Nice to meet you, Skyra."~Lord Rahl~

Edited December 6, 2011 by Lord Rahl

[Snelly]

IC: SkyraSkyra nodded. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention my power, wind manipulation." This guy seems pretty nice, will get along fine. Skyra thought as he followed Loadstone."So the president's daughter is in danger. That's a pretty big deal, so, how are we getting there?"

Edited December 6, 2011 by Snelly

[Rumpelstiltskin]

IC: (Loadstone)Loadstone chuckled. "Wow, you really are a newbie, aren't you?" he said with a sly smile. He stopped in front of a large metal door and pulled a small card out of a pocket in his suit. He held in front of a small scanner, and with an acknowledging beep the door began to slide open. "Well then, allow me to give you your first lesson in League travel. Whenever we need to get somewhere in a hurry, we take one of these babies." He gestured grandly toward the room beyond - an expansive underground hangar. A number of sleek black jets lined either side of the concrete cavern."Hypersonic League jets. They're at least twice as fast as the fastest passenger jets in use today. Even the government has nothing to compare to them. We'll be in DC before you know it."OOC: Image by moi. ~Lord Rahl~

[Snelly]

IC: Skyra"Yeah...like not even five minutes...." Skyra said, the hanger was quite an impressive site to see. "Well, I knew the League had money but...wow.""So, what do you have to do to get a license to fly one of these?" Skyra commented as they boarded one of the planes.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

IC: (Loadstone)"The League has its own pilot training progam," Loadstone replied, climbing up behind the others. "You've gotta be a League member to join, of course; all our pilots are Heroes who took the initiative to learn. Like yours truly, for example." He slipped around Skyra into the cockpit and settled into the pilot's chair. "Why? You interested in becoming a League pilot?"~Lord Rahl~

Edited December 6, 2011 by Lord Rahl

[Kumata]

IC: The helmeted heroine climbed into the League Jet after Loadstone and Skyra, considering her allies. She'd never met Loadstone before, but he was clearly the talkative type for she hadn't yet managed to slip a word in edgeways. It was also possible that he was a bit of a showoff given that she had been heading for the pilot's chair before he slipped past her.Skyra, judging by his questions, was clearly a newbie. She hoped that wouldn't become a problem; the mission sounded to be an important one. But she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt...

[Rumpelstiltskin]

OOC: Actually, she has met Loadstone before, shortly before the Technax Armada invaded. (When a bunch of us came together to look for Sluice's parents.) Of course, we've said several times that these guys meet so many people in the span of a day, it's practically impossible to expect them to remember everyone, so that's perfectly acceptable.Incidentally, I'm probably the only one who can identify characters like that simply from a physical description. :PIC: (Soundless)Soundless was unsure how long he was kneeling before he was roughly hoisted up and marched forward. He tried to maintain as much dignity as he could muster in his walk, but, not being able to see where he was going, he still stumbled and tripped at almost every step. He heard a door close behind him, but was herded onward, down what must have been a hallway. Another door opened, then closed, and the burlap sack was unceremoniously ripped off of his head.There seemed to be slightly more light here than in the previous room, but only because the near full moon shone through the slits of a boarded up window. Lanterns hung in the corners like before, though the shadows seemed still, in places seeming almost solid. The hooded figure behind him faded back into the door, vanishing into the darkness.The room’s sole occupant sat on a throne of solid obsidian behind a strangely commonplace wooden desk, the processes of decay affecting its once polished surface as much as the rest of the building. The man was dressed head to toe in black, from his vest to boots. To his credit, there did not seem to be an inch of spandex on him – most of his outfit seemed to be made of black leather or cloth, and the long black cape that lay draped over the arm of the throne appeared to be silk. He held onto an ornate black staff, the four prongs at its end clutching a glowing orange crystal.In contrast to his dark clothing and equally dark hair, his face seemed to be paler than should be possible, almost seeming to glow in the dim light. But it was not his odd attire or pallid skin that held Soundless’ attention, but his eyes – lacking iris and pupil, they were solid black, a dark that seemed to make shadows gray by comparison. Soundless could see his every sin, his every fault in those eyes, and he shivered in self-disgust. He lowered his gaze, refusing to look in those eyes again. Despite the lack of any discernible feature, Soundless had no doubt where those eyes were looking, and they were currently fixated on him.“Good evening,” the man said in a refined British accent. “I apologize for treating you roughly, but protocols must be kept to, and I do value my anonymity. You may call me the Shadowmaster.”Soundless didn’t dignify the Shadowmaster with a response, instead peering around and tying to discern where this building was, perhaps even formulate an escape plan. Nothing about the architecture revealed the building’s origins, and he wasn’t sure how long it had been since he had been taken from his cell. Something told him that even if he did manage to somehow escape the confines of this room, or even the building, he would still be at the mercy of dozens of the Shadowmaster’s shadowy followers."You're the observant type," the Shadowmaster said when he noticed Soundless studying the room. "Alas, it will do you no good here. I never meet with others in my true lair; all it would take is a GPS chip to reveal my abode to the world, and that simply wouldn't do. By the time you, or anyone else, can manage to find this place again, I will be long gone, never to return.""Intelligent," Soundless said, looking at the Shadowmaster's face but not his eyes. "I've found that only one in five crime lords employs precautions like that. So you're smart, and you're cautious. I've found two things about you to your one about me."“You are Jonas Bradley, alias of Soundless, ex-Hero and Villain for hire,” the Shadowmaster recited with a satisfied smile. “Ability to create a field of silence around himself, proficient in the arts of swordsmanship and fairly agile. Formerly a member of the League of Salvation, until shortly after you met a woman by the alias of Gale, who…”"Alright, I get the point," Soundless interruped, the pain blossoming in his chest at the mention of Gale. "You know all about me. You're smart, cautious, and connected. Are all those people lined up back there your info network?""Indeed they are. You're putting things together faster than I anticipated.""I took a lesson from Sherlock Holmes," Soundless retorted."Then perhaps you can deduce why you are here?""If you're meeting with your info network, I can only assume you intend to recruit me to their ranks," Soundless replied sourly. "Why bother with them, if you have a legion of shadow-traversing minions to do your bidding?""Well, they hardly blend in, do they?" the Shadowmaster replied offhandedly. "The Shadowpawns are a militant force, hardly good for anything except missions involving force. My intelligence reports must come from others. It is always good to have friends in high places; you never know what they will be able to do for you. But that is beside the point; I want you to work for me.""And what information am I to bring to you?" Soundless replied. "I'm a lowlife, a mercenary. I hardly have the connections to bring you useful information.""Everyone has their uses," the Shadowmaster said with a smile. "A lowly Villain tipped me off that a man named Deathstar was onto something...shall we say miraculous? Any information you can bring me - things you've seen or overheard, projects your employers are working on, anything at all - will be welcome, appreciated, and rewarded.""And what rewards will you give me? What do I stand to gain?""At the moment, you stand to escape prison with my aide. Do not forget that I am quite capable of having you returned to your cell if you refuse me." The Shadowmaster paused for a moment, considering. "Let's consider that a payment for your acceptance, and we can work out future payments as you bring me information.""You're good.""I know.""Since you're not leaving me much of a choice, I suppose that I'll accept your offer," Soundless said, his voice as nonchalant as he could make it. "If I may add one item to my fee, I would like my scimitar retrieved. I won't be able to do much without them.""Easily done," the Shadowmaster replied. "I believe that concludes our conversation. I do not believe that I need to tell you to keep this meeting to yourself, do I?"Soundless laughed. "Who would I tell?""Who indeed...now, where would you like to be taken? Wherever there is a shadow, my Shadowpawns can travel there.""St. Louis," Soundless said after a lengthy consideration. "It's far enough removed from any major activity that I doubt I'll attract much attention.""As you wish," the Shadowmaster replied, motioning toward one of the shadowy walls. A hooded figure emerged from it, and latched onto Soundless' shoulder with a gloved hand. It led the Villain back toward the wall, and the icy blackness consumed his world once again.OOC: Since no one's taken your offer, KN, perhaps Soundless could run into Gadgeteer? I have nothing else planned for him from here on out.~Lord Rahl~

Edited February 7, 2012 by Lord Rahl

[Kumata]

OOC: I wouldn't mind either way; I wasn't being hasty about using Gadgeteer because I've plenty of things to do with my other characters at present.And dang, I was hoping to surprise you when she introduced herself. :POh and not to be nitpicky, but the heroes didn't come together to save Sarah's parents - they were just going to apprehend G-Force. G-Force kidnapped Sarah's parents after that, during the invasion (which is why no-one knows where they are).IC: Gap had found the loose board. It unfastened with a soft click at her touch, then swung away. The hole it created was large enough for a person to climb through. She proceeded to do so, closing the board behind her and glancing around the interior of the warehouse. It was pretty dark. She began feeling for a light switch...

Edited December 6, 2011 by Kumata

[Oblitus]

IC:Hijek got of the plane as it landed, rolling around and breaking bones. The pain was much, but after a moment, the bones relocated each other and the scapes disappeared. He ran straight out of the runway. Hijek drove out on a stolen car in the parking lot, occupants lying dead on the ground.

[King Joe]

IC (Nihilo): When he reached the street, he turned around to provide cover for Typhoon. There wasn't much he could do in his weakened state, but at least he could fry a couple Secret Service agents, or maybe that sniper that was firing stuff like emp blasts and fire extinguisher foam. He would make a note to kill him later, like he did for the annoying newspaper man, but he had no idea who this sniper was. Hadn't even seen his face. Ah well.