Superhero RPG

[JAGzilla]

Supercell watched the crowd disperse, arms folded sternly across his chest, rain plinking on his armor and running harmlessly down the waterproof fabric of his bodysuit. He probably looked awesome, and he was satisfied at another job well done. Well... no, he wasn't satisfied, not really. He should never have had to break up that riot. There should never have been a riot. A few distraught family members terrified for their loved ones, sure. Some reporters barging in with cameras and questions, to be expected. A hundred plus random people, acting like common thugs? Like animals, even, mindlessly attacking everything in sight? No part of that shit was okay. What was wrong with everyone? Not just the people here, either. Some days he looked down at this city, and just... well, looked down. So many criminals, so many villains, so much evil, lazy scum. When his immigrant grandfather had moved to Los Diamantes over fifty years ago, penniless, no support network, a pregnant wife relying on him, it would've been easy for him to turn to crime, rob a bank or something to get rich quick. Had he? Hell no, he had not. He'd gotten a job like every other decent person and worked for his living. He'd worked his way up and earned his American Dream through sweat and grit and honest business practices, not... blowing up his competitors. This city gave him every opportunity to do the right thing, and Issac had no sympathy for the vermin who turned that opportunity down.

Furious, now, he whirled around, storming back toward the lab and its employees. He located the woman he'd talked to earlier, and seized her by the arm, half dragging her along with him to the ruins. "Hey!" she complained. "Ow! What are you-"

"Come on," he snapped. "We're getting this bullshit over with. We're gonna look at the crime scene and get whatever info we need, and then I'm gonna start kicking down doors. I can't stand people like these scumbags."

He pointed at a passing police officer. "You! Where is the forensics team? Why aren't they down here yet?"

The officer shrugged. "Last I heard they were checking out the docks first. Some major league weapons were involved in the shootout." She paused, eyes widening as she realized Supercell was heading for the lab. "Hey, hold up! It isn't even safe to go in there, yet! That place is falling apart, and we'll need demolition equipment just to-"

"No time for that!" Supercell called over his shoulder. "I guess I have to do everything myself! Lucky for you people, I can!"

Sweeping his left arm forcefully before him, he sent a 400-mph gust of wind tearing across the building's front face, shattering the rickety, half-melted entrance and lobby and blowing them into the adjacent parking lot. The way was clear into the lab's smoking, wrecked interior.

He shoved the GenTech woman ahead of him. "All right, lead the way! Where did the bomb go off?"

"W-wait!" she stammered, turning back and holding up her hands to stop him. "I didn't know you wanted to go in right now. That's not smart, there's smoke and debris-"

"-Which I can handle," Supercell cut in. "Go on."

"Uh, and I do think it makes more sense to wait for trained police specialists that know what they're looking for! I'm not an explosive ordnance expert, are you? We'll just contaminate the crime scene if we aren't careful, so-"

But Isaac wasn't listening anymore. He'd been distracted by something else: the sight of a man appearing out of the lab. The same man who'd been butting in earlier, trying so hard to get into the building. Looked like he'd taken advantage of the chaos to make his move.

"Oh, no," Supercell growled, shaking his head as he strode toward the intruder. "Uh-uh, dude, I tried to be nice about this. I told you to wait, and you couldn't, could you?"

Thinking about it, a terrible suspicion entered his mind. It was obvious, really. His eyes narrowed.

"And you gave yourself away! You're so interested in getting in there, you know all about bombs, you're willing to trespass? That's strike three, man, you're out."

He lunged, grabbing the man's arms and wrenching them behind his back, then marched him toward the police officer he'd talked to a moment ago. "Get some handcuffs on this guy!" he called. "I'm pretty damn sure he's the bomber!"

[Voyager]

Growing impatient, Callous insisted he'd make a move first. "Forget it," he scowled, "I'm going in. You can follow if you so wish." Just like that Callous had disappeared from where Aileen had been standing. He stealthily made his way down to where the crowd had been, and carefully eyed the situation. Supercell had a guy in his grasp, and the authorities were not too far away. Thanks to Aileen's handywork, the hero seemed agitated. A more than ideal state for Callous' plot. The villain pondered for a moment, a satisified grin crawling across his chisled face. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the open, staring directly at the hero.

"How do you know he's the bomber, may I ask?" Octavian called. "There are lots of bad people in this city. Could have been anyone." The authorites locked eyes with the villain, not long before Supercell did the same. The re-emergence of Callous only made him more angry, Octavian sensing the fiery fury within the hero, bubbling and nearly ready to burst at the seems. "I, for instance, am I self-proclaimed villain. I could have bombed Gen Tech." He continued to hold a perfect smile, eyes squinting as a mockery of the hero's hardship and annoyance.

Pointing the plasma cutter towards the hero, a bright red light illuminated Callous' face. "I'm going to be frank with you, Supercell." He calmly spoke, "I don't want you in my city. I don't wany any of you heroes and villains in my city... So I'm going to have to get you out one way or another."

The police took away the man Supercell had apprehended, and turnt has full attention to the villain he had fought just earlier.

[JAGzilla]

Supercell wouldn't have been able to believe his eyes, if not for the fact that this was clearly just that kind of day. Everything at once. Well, this worked out: he caught the bomber, now he was on pace to mop up this clown a minute later. That had to be some kind of record.

"Your city?" he replied. "Who the hell told you this was your city? Who do you think you are?"

[Voyager]

“I think I’m better than you.” Callous snickered, starting to pace back and forth, keeping his eyes - and his blade - on the hero. “Los Diamantés is a business, and I’m the CEO. You are my competitors trying to usurp me, and well… I can’t let that happen.”

Supercell would not let up, he seemed to remain firm in the face of Octavian’s intimidation. Time for a different approach.

[Corzak The Mighty]

Snapped from her focus, Aileen watched as Callous passed, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. She'd somehow become so focused on Supercell that she hadn't seen or heard him come up behind her. She hoped he would forgive her... but now was not the time to rethink one's choices. There was a task to be done. Quickly regaining her regal posture, Aileen moved to beside her only true companion in this world and folded her arms to cover her chest, her sapphire eyes looking upon Supercell will cold indifference. Water dripped down the rim of her hat as she allowed a smile to creep onto her lips.
-----
Maximilian let out a snarl of pain as Supercell grabbed him across the collar, feeling his shirt tug across the still raw burn wound on his chest. His dark-colored eyes glanced angrily down towards the super, clenching his teeth.

"I'm not the bomber, you dolt!" Maximilian snarled to the hero. "And there never was a bomb! I found-"

Before Maximilian could finish, Lord Callous emerged from the darkness, along with a white-dressed woman he did not recognize. Supercell's attention was immediately grabbed by Callous' presence, and the two seemed poised to initiate conflict. This was Maximilian's chance to wriggle free and recalculate about tonight... but here before him, was the devil who stalked this town himself... the villain who terrorized Los Diamantes and ruled with an iron fist. Now was his chance to cut off the head of the snake.

A voice suddenly snuck into Maximilian's mind. "Go on, my champion... you see him here in the flesh. The snake that lies in plain view. Why not seize this opportunity?"

Maximilian gritted his teeth, but remained silent. He refused to entertain the voice's requests. Not here... not now. There were too many prying eyes. He did not need his identity known, or else he would risk having little respite.

The voice scoffed at his silence. "Pathetic. All your sacrifice, and still you fear exposure. What matter is exposure? You are blessed by my hand; you have nothing to fear."

Maximilian remained silent, ignoring the voice's taunting.

The voice grumbled with his mind. "So be it then."

As the presence vanished, Maximilian's eyes instead shifted to Supercell, whose focus seemed to be primarily on Callous, Maximilian attempted to gently grab the man's hands and pry them loose enough for his jacket to slip out from between his fingers...

While Supercell poised against Lord Callous, Dhriti emerged from the side alley where she had investigated. Gathering a small bundle of what she'd found nearby, along with snapping a couple pictures of the site on her phone, she prepared to move out and call it a day to escape the freezing rain, but she stopped cold as she saw the ominous form of Lord Callous, alongside the white-dressed woman. Dhriti ducked to avoid being spotted yet. Were these guys criminals? Investigators? What? She wasn't sure yet... but she'd listen and know pretty soon!

[JAGzilla]

Supercell was done talking. This was too much. Today was supposed to have been a good day, a triumphant day. The announcement of the amusement park should have lifted the spirits of the whole city, promising fun and a prosperous future. And the selfish scum had to crush it. The aquarium thieves, the shooters at the docks, the bomber, and especially this punk with a glowing butter knife, had to take all that shared promise and make it about themselves, turning hope into fear and violence.

Well, they'd get their violence.

"It's happening," he declared.

Thrusting his hands out before him, he willed the water all around him to condense into a small, jet black cloud around the size of a beach ball, crackling with charged ions. The wind whipped around him and lifted him off the ground. Cape billowing behind him, he swept up and to the right, flanking around the villain, throwing a barrage of rapid punches at the air. The black cloud flew along in front of him, each punch triggering a bolt of lightning that screamed down toward the smirking swordsman below...

[MinorBone Good]

Cider had the air in her lungs knocked out of her lungs once Strun had caught the aspiring superhero. She coughed for a few seconds, gripping onto his finger for dear life. She had to take in what exactly happened. Ectoparasite drooped her, and as she was falling, she felt the wind shift, and Stun caught her. ...This dragon ALSO had powers besides talking!? Her ears stood straight up, patting Stun's palms. "Thanks again Drago-bud!"

Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, Ectoparasite pulled himself back onto his feet, and incredible heatwave still flowing through his body. All systems seemed to be good, minimal damage to his boots, but still enough fuel. Looking down, he saw that pieces of his armor were peeling and melting away. Damn. Not that big of a deal, but an annoyance for sure. Ectoparasite jumped onto the high wall of the skyscraper, peering down at the dragon flying between the skyscrapers. A thrill came over Jonathan. He hadn't felt a challenge like this in months! With a cruel laugh, Ectoparasite leaped from the building, his jet boots aiding him in his flight.

"That's two I owe you now, isn't it buddy?" Cider said in a joking tone. She pumped her fists into the air, now ready for the fight. "Let's take this guy down together, bud!"

Traveling through the air like a rocket, Ectoparasite grabbed hold four of his special E. G. Grenades, 2 for each hand. A smiley face on Ectoparasite's helmet, he chucked the grenades like baseballs, each one exploding against Strun's right side, causing him to veer towards and soon crash against a large skyscraper, also dropping Cider in the process. However, this time she was ready, already jumping off of Strun's body and leaping towards Ectoparasite! With a lucky twirl quick, she actually managed to land her kick against Ectoparasite's head! She jumped off from his head, and began to wall run against a nearby skyscraper.

Ectoparasite's helmet flashed a ban symbol, looking over at the wall running bunny. This annoyance wasn't going to let up was it? "Lightning Coil." A long piece of blue wire snaked it's way through opening, looking like an octopus tentacle. A loud buzz started to hum from the device, and he waited for the moment he could strike. He wouldn't have to wait long, as Cider was forced to leap from the building, once again trying to kick Ectoparasite. Jonathan's arm shot backwards, the whip extended even further outwards, revealing a white glow from within the device, electricity starting to crackle from hit. He whipped his arm forward, the lightning coil wrapping around Cider's leg!

Pain exploded throughout Cider's body, lightning soon encasing her body. It was like she was in a giant bug zapper! Elodie screamed out in pain, shutting her eyes tightly and gritting her teeth. A robotic laugh came from Ectoparasite. He probably wouldn't be able to take down that dragon today, but he could sure as hell kill this pest. Ectoparasite looked behind him, trying to see what Strun was doing. Good thing that he did, as he spotted a large tail trying to knock him out of the air! He quickly evaded the move, spiraling the to left, and soon making a sharp left onto another street, to try and lose this dragon for the moment. All the while Cider was still being pumped with 50,000 volts. "Looks like you're hanging on by a thread. Here, let me help you."

Twirling around Cider, he finally let loose of the poor girl, sending her crashing through the large window. Her body crashed into the floor and bounced back into the air, crashing through yet another window. Glass shard stuck to her like bee stingers, digging their way into her skin. Time was slow for that brief moment. The nauseating feeling of being upside down, so high up. And she could also see Ectoparasite flying right back towards her, his right hand protruding claws. However, the might Strun had returned back into the chase! With great speed, Strun was able to quickly catch up to the two. While still holding onto Cider, he pulled out one of his pistols, aiming at the dragon. He fired twice, trying to aim for the eyes. However, it seemed this creatures was impervious to his weapons here. Strun flapped his wings violently, starting to use his air bending powers to bring Ectoparasite and Cider closer.

Cider tried to swing her body in any way to trying and fight back, but Ectoparasite was just able to grab onto her leg again. Moving lower to the streets, Ectoparasite continued to bang Cider against the walls of the tall building, trying to move out of Strun's airbending powers. Alas, he finally started to feel his body moving back towards the dragon. With a rush of adrenaline, Cider forced her body to curl upwards, throwing a right hook at Ectoparasite's chest. Ectoparasite grunted, looking back down at her. A frowny face now present on his helmet. If he couldn't escape from the dragon's wind grasp, then he could flow with. Suddenly moving towards Strun, the villain and hero crashed on top of Strun. Ectoparasite quickly stabbed into Strun's flesh to right himself up, looking down at Cider.\, who was starting to clamber to her feet as well.

The two of them stared down at each other for a few seconds, Cider making the first move. Straightening her ears, she rushed forward, getting a few punches off. Ectoparasite countered back, swiping at Cider's chest, putting more cuts into her hoodie and flesh with his right claws. As if the glass from earlier wasn't enough. tightening her fist, she came up with a plan. "DRAGO-BUDDY! GO DOWN! NOW!" There was a moment from hesitation from Strun, before he did what Cider asked. Strun tucked his wings in slightly, staring to drop down a bit. Both Cider and Ectoparasite and now falling through the air, but Cider was prepared. She jumped off from Strun's back, and kicked Ectoparasite away from the two of them as far as she could! Strun, seeming having planned for this part as well, slammed his tail down onto Jonathan as he was sent flying back. "Alrighty! Nice job, buddy!" Cider shouted at Strun, who only nodded back at her.

Ectoparasite groaned as he felt like he was hit by a car with that strike. Jonathan wasn't ready to give up though, and watched as the bunny and dragon narrowly dodge crashing into one of the buildings. They made a right, and Ectoparasite switched to his thermal vision. Perhaps he could cut them off, and finish the bunny girl quickly. The perhaps he could learn more about this dragon. With this plan set in motion, he darted through the nearby skyscraper windows, cutting through the fastest path to get to Cider. After several breaking through several more windows, he readied his whip once more. White electricity zapped through the entire device, and with one last window crash, Joanthan was right above the two again. He quickly wrapped the whip around Cider again, and snatched her from the dragon's backside. Ectoparasite knew what he had to do. He went straight down to the ground, shocking Cider all the way. Just before the two hit the ground however, Ectoparasite swerved upwards, moving down an alleyway to hopefully get rid of the dragon for now.

After moving through several more alleyways and roads near the ground, Ectoparasite steered to the right and he swung Cider through yet another window, sending her sprawling across the ground of an office area. She was pretty sure she had already few broken bones, and her hands try to push her off the ground. She leaned against an office cubicle, looking to see Ectoparasite float on in, a skull on his helmet. Hey eyes widened in fear, now realizing she wasn't strong enough to take him head on. She had to run. Cider turned around, trying to run out of this luckily vacant office area. Ectoparasite was quick on his feet however, and blasted off towards Cider. Using quick thinking, she was able to backflip over his grab and tried to leave the way came in.

The thrill seeker was not going to let that happen however. Kicking off the wall, he flew towards Cider, this time successfully grabbing onto her. He slammed her against the wall, his right hand extending the claws back out again. He swiped at her face, four scratch marks now on her face. Ectoparasite formed a fist in his right hand, and proceeded to punch Cider repeatedly. Once. Twice. Thrice. Cider soon lost count. Maybe she was in the twenties now. It felt like for thirty seconds straight she was being rocked in the face constantly. Ectoparasite finally stopped, only to grab onto her large ears and slam her face right into her knee.

Cider fell to the ground, blood gushing from her not even being to see correctly at the moment. She just lay on the ground, breathing heavily. "You should be honored, honestly." Ectoparasite said, his voice sounding demonic to Cider's ears. He slammed his foot down onto Cider's ankle, a resounding crack and scream following suit. "Being killed by yours truly. At least then you'll be famous." He kicked her straight in the head, tossing her head. back. He quickly pulled out his gun, aiming at Cider's torso. He fired, striking her right in the belly. A shriek of pain came out, Cider's bloodied fingers digging into the carpeted floor.

FFff...FUCK YOU!" She swung her uninjured foot upwards, kicking Ectoparasite right in the crotch! He was flung into the ceiling, his head breaking through. Cider coughed, quickly scampering to her feet. Despite all the pain she was going through, it barley felt like anything. Probably due to the adrenaline rushing through her. She had to escape. Looking to her right, she saw a nearby building she could jump to, and hopefully make it back home and escape. Sucking on her busted lip, she began to ran out, crashing through yet another window, making her getaway.

Jonathan's boots and gloves extended their blades, sticking them into the ceiling so he could pull himself out. He scanned the area, noticing this bunny bitch was leaving. He couldn't have that, could he? Activating his boots once more, he continued to fly after her, giving chase. A hearty laugh coming from Ectoparasite. "Awww, going down the rabbit hole to retreat so soon?" Ectoparasite glided down, slashing at Cider's back. She attempted to throw another punch, but he countered back, grabbing hold of her fist. Using his entire strength, Ectoparasite swung around, throwing Cider off the roof.

Panicking for her life, Cider could do nothing but watch as she plummeted down towards the ground. Her eyes widened. She wasn't a cat, but maybe she could land on her feet! As Cider fell down several stories, she braced herself to hopefully land this time! Sucking in a deep breath, she felt both of her feet touching the ground, her legs bending down and jumping back up again! S-She did it! Thank the lord... Her hope quickly ended though as she saw Ectoparasite right back on her! Couldn't he just leave her alone!?

They both collided in the air, both exchanging some hits. Though Ectoparasite's dug much deeper, digging into her skin. Before Cider knew it, she was back on the defense, and started to be dragged around by Ectoparasite again. Using her remaining strength, she was able to guide where the two would be going. They were now heading into the poorer district. At least there weren't many skyscrapers here, Cider thought. The two crashed onto the roof of a 7 story building, Cider's knees scarping against the stone floor. Tears flowed down her face, just wanting to live.

Ectoparasite slowly rose to his feet, moving slowly like some old 80's slasher character. What wasn't slow though was his quickness on the draw, shooting her directly into the knee. Cider bit down on her lips, trying to prevent herself from screaming out anymore. She kicked the ground beneath her, sending her off the building, and crashing her back against a brick apartment complex. Ectoparasite continued to follow, still not giving up the chase. He pulled out yet another grenade, throwing it towards Cider! Elodie felt her heartbeat going a million beats per second. She saw as the grenade come at her. Time seemed to slow again. This would be it. This would be her death. Unconsciously however, as she was still falling to the ground, she raised her right leg up. As the grenade sped towards her, she pushed out her leg as far as she could. The grenade bounced off of her foot, sending it back towards Ectoparasite's direction. He didn't have enough time to cancel his command, and it blew up 8 meters away from his face.

Cider's body began to plummet down towards the alleyway, hey body hitting a metal pipe and some air conditioning units before finally landing in a dumpster. A low grown exited out from Cider's mouth, her body refusing to move now.

All the while, Ectoparasite was blown back towards a nearby street, bits of his armor scattered across the blacktop. Damn. He had to admit, that was a nice play. A notification popped up on the side of his helmet. Ah, his boots suffered a bit from that explosion. Oh well. He'll get it repaired. He scanned the area, but there were too many heat signatures around to decipher which one was Cider. Shit. She got away, it seemed. Pulling himself to his feet, he started to fly back up, heading back towards his lair. He would need to build a new suit for that dragon. Heat resistant. Probably more advanced flying tech as well. And as for Cider, he would get her eventually. It would only be a matter of time..

12 Minutes passed, and Cider was still in the dumpster. She was still unmoving. It felt like it had been hours to her. Her body hurt, it stank, she was tired. She was pretty sure she was dying, yet she couldn't move. Oh god, she wasn't paralyzed was she? She lay there for another minute, looking at the dark sky above her. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she think she saw a draconic-like shape flying overhead. With a snort, her hand gripped the edge of the dumpster. "Heh... Guess I gotta pull through for you, Drago-bud.. Don't wanna keep you waiting for long." She soon pulled herself out of the dumpster, having a coughing fit. Her body hurt so much. She could barley walk. Yeah.. There was no way she was getting home. She needed a hospital. Her ears folded down, now in deep thought. She tried to remember where the nearest hospital was..

That's right. Doctor Helper was it? Or something along those lines. She needed to get to that clinic fast... She didn't know how much time passed, but she was nearly on her knees when she finally got there, out of breath. She knocked weakly on the door, looking down at the ground and coughing out blood.

[Demon Lord Gira]

The door to the clinic was quick to open in response to Cider's knocking. If she had been expecting Doctor Helper herself to answer, that simply was not the case. Instead, it was a young adult woman with long black hair and golden eyes that had red hues in them. Her skin was ivory in its complexion, and she wore a black pair of jeans and a white shirt beneath the white medical lab coat she had on. The woman looked down at Cider, and held a hand to her right cheek, the long blackened nails like claws that tapped against her flesh. A soft O formed from her lips.

"A medical patient, and after Heng has already left. An annoying development, but that is why I am here." She said, her voice monotone and low. "You are Cider, aren't you? Numerous lacerations, severe blunt trama, and opened bullet wounds freshly caused. Come inside."

She didn't give Cider a choice in the matter. The much taller woman hoisted the rabbit like hero into her arms and carried her inside into the clinic. Even if Heng was not present for the rest of the night, she could handle this.

"I will give you pain killers first to ease your pain, then begin removing the bullets from inside your body. Once that is done I will begin surgical operations to address any and all internal damage and remedy them. Afterwards, the open wounds will be cleaned out and sewn closed, and a regenerative drug will be applied to help expedite the recovery process. Is all of this okay with you?" She looked down at Cider as she walked past the empty front desk and waiting room, and took Cider to one of the otherwise plain back rooms with an operating table bare and ready...

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

"We are so fucking close! COME THE HELL ON!"

Racliff's screams assaulted Vinnie's eardrums. He had to quickly tab over to the voice settings for the group to lower him down just a notch. "Trident, you just need to last a little longer-"

"What does it look like I am doing, Vinnie?!" Trident snapped on the other end. "Me and Hoodie are doing the best we- SHIT!"

"So it's just me, again. And people say boys are better gamers than girls." Hoodie let out a weak coughing laugh. "If you guys can revive any faster, I'd appreciate that."

"We really should have expected that double AOE nuke to signify his third phase." Gumps's voice came through. " They've thrown every single mechanic under the sun into this asshole. I really think we're not meant to win this."

"Then why can't we progress when we do fail?" Vinnie asked. "There's something we are missing, or we're just not doing it good enough."

"Don't overwork that brain of yours, Vinnie." Hoodie replied back. "Or actually, go ahead because now I'm dead."

As Hoodie's character perished, once more the screen was filled with the gloating form of the King of Mages, and a "Retry?" option formed over him. Three groans of exasperation and frustration filled the voice chat.

"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT! That fucker was like 50,000 health away from dying!"

"It's the giant laser he fires. There's so little warning, and it covers the entire stage. I just can't avoid that."

"None of us could, Hoodie. You and Vinnie are the only ones who can even get there consistently. I can't even avoid those energy pillar circles."

"It would be so much easier if someone knew how to tank properly and not get us all chunked down by the AOE tank buster."

"Fuck off, Trident. I only have two hands! This game was meant for freaks with three hands!"

Vinnie wanted to hit his head against the wall. They had been at this for three hours, and this was as far as they had gotten, only to always get stonewalled here at the insta-kill unavoidable laser. While it was nice to keep his mind off the ever looming issue of where Kala was, it was maddening all the same to never make progress. They had to be missing something obvious, some clear solution that was needed to progress, but what? It wasn't like they could just block the la-

Vinnie buried his head into his hands. "We're idiots. We are such big idiots." He said. "The answer is right there, plain as day!"

"Oh? Do tell, Vinnie. What is it?" Hoodie asked.

"If it's have Racliff face tank the laser, I'm strangling you."

"I SAID FUCK OFF! I can't tank that! It's an instant kill!"

"Maybe actually hit no on the retry option?"

"Whatcha doing, Vinnie?"

Vinnie cleared his throat. "The answer is obvious, guys. We need to use-"

"Whoa, who's the chick with the hot voice on your end, Vinnie?"

"Is that your mom?"

"Are you single?"

"Lucky bastard, he has a woman with him!"

Vinnie was confused by the sudden change in everyone's discussions, when the realization suddenly hit him as a pair of cold, long fingers reached down his back and sent shivers up his spine. Almost by reflex, he reached for the laptop screen and closed it down, amidst confused and annoyed shouts from his friends. The hands grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out of the chair and into Kala's chest.

"K-Kala... You're finally back..." Vinnie managed to speak out. "What... took you so long? I was waiting all day."

Kala sat down on the chair that Vinnie had been on, and Vinnie saw that though she had a smile on her face, her eyes seemed strangely empty, hollow almost. "I, uh, I stopped the fish robbery, but..."

"You killed again, didn't you?" Vinnie cut her off. That look Kala had was one he was well familiar with, and he could see there were slight burn marks and closed cuts on her. "Was it in self-defense at least, or did you even give them a chance?"

Kala let go of the young boy, and crossed her arms against her chest. "There were four of them. One was in the aquarium trying to steal the fish, and three were causing damage in the parking lot. I..." She paused, and Vinnie knew she was trying to figure out what best to say to appease him, and not what actually happened. He knew Kala too well by this point, what her preferred habits were when being pressured and her usual outs. Up until now it had been the truth given how freely Kala was speaking of it, but now he was ready to dissect the lies.

"I told them to surrender peacefully but... but... but.. They, uh, they attacked me. They had knives and fireworks and guns and... I needed to protect myself, Vinnie. They didn't give me a choice."

"You are a terrible liar, you know that right?"

The voice was not from Vinnie. Standing in the hallway was Heng, her sunglasses covering her eyes, and yet both a surprised Vinnie and Kala could tell she did not seem to be in a good mood. There was a large pair of boxes in her hands that she set aside on a table, then turned her attention back to Kala. "I've been trying to contact you to see if Kala was back, Vinnie, but you didn't answer. I come back and not only is Kala super late back here, she's clearly lost control of herself, again. Two teenagers drained to the bone, and a third flattened by a car. Kala, in what word does this constitute as 'self-defense?'"

Vinnie's face paled. Though he was happy his gaming habits were not being brought up, Kala's behavior was a much bigger problem, and one that Heng and he had tried hard to deal with. Every time Kala went to save the day or stop a crime, there was always a death toll involved, no matter how minor the crime was. Shoplifting, theft, money scalping, even just bullying had been met with Bloodless living up to her name and leaving the criminal or criminals as little more than lifeless husks. There was always a pattern as well, usually if they tried to fight back or run from her it triggered some kind of predatory instinct in the woman. Only if the criminal surrendered right on the spot were they likely to be spared, and given how quickly Bloodless's reputation had built up, it was far more likely for criminals to try and run from her on sight than to surrender, and all that invited was death.

"I... I-um, I..." Kala stammered for an answer, as she fidgeted and squirmed in the chair. " I, I um... I didn't kill the one who was trying to steal the fish. He got away before I could get him, but then the police arrived and I slipped past and-"

Heng held up a finger to Kala's lips. "Kala, I am doing everything in my power to keep you from being hunted down by someone like Supercell or Tenmus's hit squad. If this continues, where you are murdering people and making everyone frightened of you, I don't know how much longer I can keep doing that, how much longer I can keep them off your trail in good faith. You and Vinnie are precious to me, the children I never had. You especially are the daughter I always wanted, and I want you to be able to live in this city peacefully and do good and be recognized as such. I can see it in your eyes, that you are trying as well to suppress that murderous instinct, you finally are trying, but it's not enough. I've tried everything I can to help change your view on the world and those who deserve to live or die, but I am simply a doctor who mends flesh and bone, not someone who can help with the mind or will."

"I'm sorry..." Kala finally blurted out. She cradled her head in her hands. "I know you don't want me to, and I try not to even when I don't see the point of it, but... I can't help myself. I'm sorry."

"I know you are, but sorry won't bring back those boys who have families and loved ones who will miss them." Heng sighed. "I do however have one last idea in mind, one possibility that can hopefully steer you on the right path."

Kala lifted her eyes, drenched in tears, up to Heng. "You... You do?"

Heng nodded. "There is a church at the Diamond Ring University. Well, more a gathering of many religious beliefs and ideologies in one or two dorms there, but the priests who organize the whole thing, there are members in there who have soothed the hearts of even the worst criminals who came to them in repentance and steered them to a better life. Vinnie, can I ask you to go with Kala to DRU and meet up with one of those priests? Just to make sure she doesn't wander off and get into trouble? I would volunteer to but I have my hands full the next few days with what Tenmus has asked of me."

Vinnie gave a quick nod. "Yes, Miss Heng. I'll do that."

A slight twitch was visible on Heng's face behind the glasses. "Vincent, please don't call me Miss Heng. It makes me feel older than I am." She turned to Kala. "And are we clear on this? Tomorrow morning, you and Vinnie head to DRU and get some help on your mental wiring. Until I get word back from them that you are in a better mindset and not a wolf in a sheep cage, you are only allowed to go from here to there and otherwise not leave the house without Vinnie by your side. This means no heroics."

"But, what if-"

Heng gripped Kala's shoulder and leaned in close. Her glasses lowered, and Kala could see that her eyes were closed behind them, yet that made the false smile on Heng's face all the more imposing. "DO. YOU. UNDER. STAND?"

"Y-y-yes, Doctor Helper, I mean Heng! I understand!"

Heng pushed her glasses back up to cover her eyes, and let go of Kala. "Then it's settled. Get some rest for tonight, and I'll be sleeping over. I'll be making breakfast for both of you in the morning before you leave. It'll be pancakes and bacon with omelettes and grits!"

"Oooooh!" Both Vinnie and Kala gasped at the same time. Only Vinnie continued on, "It's rare for you to stay over, let alone make us breakfast. Usually I have to do that."

"Well, I can't leave Kala alone for the night in good faith with this latest happening, and my breakfasts are as immaculate as I myself am! Now, let's get ready for bed, you two."

Kala raised herself off the chair and moved off to where her bedroom was. As Heng sat down in that chair, Vinnie began to walk off as well. With any hope, tomorrow would be the beginning of some true progress for Kala and the help she needed. If she could freely just interact with society and not become a murderous monster, that would make life for her that much easier instead of being cooped up in the house aside from being a hero on a leash. And hopefully, Racliff and the rest of the group would understand why he had to dip so sudden-

"OH VINNIE!" Heng's voice cut into the boy like a knife through butter. "HI HI, YES, YOU LITTLE VINNIE."

Vinnie turned, and saw that the laptop was opened back up, on the voice chat page, with varying angry messages from the group, especially Racliff, all visible and for all to see. Heng let a low chuckle escape from her lips, and her head tilted to the side.

"Now, about what you are doing on the computer I loaned to you, and your choices in friends with such colorful vocabulary... And interest in women, I see."

[HayesAJones]

With the night eerily quiet, the city sleeping heavily after the turmoil of the previous day, it was easy for Viola's sharp senses to pick up a distant sound, one growing louder with every second: the shrill scrapping of claws against concrete. Before she could raise her tear-stained face to investigate, it stopped, and a large, spindly shape hurled from the darkness into the dim aura of light that surrounded the fast food restaurant.

BAM!

Viola was struck by a jolt of motion as the spidery object crashed down atop the dumpster she was huddled against, making it boom like a drum. The long-limbed shape, seemingly at the end of a tremendous jump, crouched for a moment, low and cautious like a creeping predator, then swelled up, stretching far taller than the arms dealer. She also appeared to be younger, hardly in her twenties if not an outright teenager. The hood tugged tightly over her face made it hard to tell which. What was not difficult to make out, however, was a pair of dark, glaring eyes that turned to look down at Viola.

The face under the hood, soft and heart-shaped despite the frown it was twisted into, tensed to say something, likely a bark or shout to leave, but the sight of red eyes and wet cheeks seemed to give the stranger pause. Rather than annoyance, her face distorted with confusion, and the words died in her throat. Viola's sad state seemed to have taken any fight out of her.

As she struggled to formulate a proper response to quite literally falling down upon a crying woman, a cold wind whipped across the towering stranger, tearing back her hood. Though she was quick to snatch it back and hide her face with a flattened hand, Viola got a good glimpse of a pair of faun-like horns upon her forehead.

"W- What are you doing here?" the stranger finally managed to mutter, eyes set firmly away from Viola.

[Demon Lord Gira]

"You.. .You're not human, are you?"

Viola slowly wiped the tears away, as new emotions overtook the sadness of her prior existence. She rose to her feet and backed up a step. This new figure was very tall, and likely powerful if they could drop from such a height. A fight here and now was the last thing Viola wanted, and yet there was something about her, something that clicked with the woman.

"No, you're not human at all." Viola said again, this time, a strange hint of joy in her voice. She glances to the left, and then to the right, and only once she was certain there was no one else around did she continue. "Those eyes, those horns and your skin... Yes, you're like me, not exactly like me but... a demon in a way, a non-human. I'm not alone in this city."

Before the demon's eyes, Viola's frame began to change. The short brown hair turned into a bright red, and three small horns protruded from the front of her head. A long red serpentine tail flickered out behind Viola, and a pair of wings extended from her back through the clothes that were likewise changing with her. Where once there was a trenchcoat, now there were tattered short jeans and a torn black shirt with a jacket over it.

"I never thought there would be others like me in the city." Viola said, "even if we're not truly one and the same kind. Are you a native here, or from... elsewhere like I?"

[Voyager]

Callous didn’t budge as he saw the lightning hurtle towards him, only bending a knee and raising his blade. Closing his eyes, he felt a jolt of power course through his veins for every bolt that slammed into the plasma, creating a cloud of smoke surrounding him. Supercell looked over as the villain was encompassed by a grey smoke, seemingly eaten by it. As the smoke cleared, Callous was nowhere to be seen. The hero looked around, turning to his left and then his right. No Callous anywhere.

The hero scoffed in frustration as he turned to face his original view, only to see — Callous lunging towards him! The villain’s amber eyes shone bright as did his scarlet blade. The villain reached within blade’s distance from the hero and swung up, creating a wave of scarlet light. Supercell managed to evade the strike and jumped backwards, putting a fair distance between the two.

“I’m not some old thug, Supes. It’s gonna take a little more than your sparkles to put me out.”

[HayesAJones]

The stranger, previously hunched and trying to conceal herself behind nothing, shyly hoping the very air would hide her, suddenly swelled angrily.

"I am not a demon," she snarled.

Flesh hissed against fabric, and a tapering tail unwrapped from around her waist, spilling out from under her hoodie. While heavy and longer than the stranger was tall, it seemed short compared to the transformed Viola's slithering tail. It slammed angrily against the lid of the dumpster.

"I am... I am not. I am only half."

Once again, the stranger looked away from Viola, no confidence left now that her rage subsided.

[Demon Lord Gira]

"O-oooh..."

Viola's eyes darkened as she took another step back from the stranger's outburst. "I... didn't realize it was a sore spot for you. My apologies."

She stepped back up toward the stranger. "But, though you're only half demon, you still aren't human. Neither of us truly fits into this world. We're the other to those who live here, especially the ones who control this city. To them, we're the monsters they have to live and fear from, the ones they-"

She cut herself off. This was not the right way to introduce herself to someone. She shook her head. "Forgive me. Just... rambling. My name is Viola. It's not the name I was born with, but that identity and life died a long time ago. What is your name, sweetie?"

[Corzak The Mighty]

Intense wind billowed around the battlefield, as thunder and rain boomed across the ruins of the GenTech building. The blistering breeze and biting rain splattered against Aileen's hat and summer dress, her eyes locked intently on Supercell's movements. Her eyes flashed once more as she sent intense emotions deeper into the storm-themed hero's being. Instead of anger, however, Aileen sent a different emotion into him - fear. His heart began to beat faster in his chest, as cold sweats began to appear across his body, and a pit of anxiety formed in his stomach. He could feel his breaths intensifying, threatening to hyperventilate from the sudden wave of anxious energy washing over him. Aileen's smile broadened maliciously. How well would Supercell fight when violent rage succumbed to primal, feral fear?
----
Watching the battle from the sidelines, Dhriti's fists tightened. Why the hell would anyone want to get into a fight with Supercell for no reason? Whoever these guys were, they must be really cocky... and really dangerous. A smirk appeared on her face; guess it was time for Durga to make her big official entrance! Pulling herself out from behind the corner, Dhriti dashed towards the sounds of conflict inside of the building, splashing her way through the puddles of water that had accumulated outside. Before she could get close enough to interfere with the battle, however, she saw the woman in the white hat's deep blue eyes flash toward her, before she suddenly felt a powerful force smack into her from the waters!

Slamming into the side of the building in a spray of water, Dhriti let out a pained curse. What the fuck was that?! Scanning her surroundings, Dhriti watched for any signs of movement besides herself, yet she didn't see anything; no footsteps, no waves in the water, nothing. In the corner of her vision, however, she could make out something ever so slightly slithering discreetly within the puddles around her. Dhriti held her breath and focused; instead of panicking and giving whatever this was the advantage, she needed to keep a cool head.

As the slithering stopped and sprung toward her, Dhriti rolled out of the way, causing the invisible assailant to slam into the side of the building! For a brief moment, Dhriti could see it - a strange, briny beast seemingly composed of water, looking akin to a hybrid of fish and octopus. The creature slithered back into the puddles nearby and disappeared from sight. Dhriti retained a defensive stance, keeping her eyes peeled for the entity. Whatever the hell this thing was, she wasn't about to let it stop her from stopping these assholes!
----
As the battle between Supercell and Callous raged, Maximilian pulled himself to his feet. He let out a pained huff, reflexively grasping his chest; that fall from Supercell's grasp only further agitated his already existing wound. His eyes looked to the terrified woman nearby, who was cowering not too far away from himself. Even if he could not make a move in the open, he had an obligation to do what he could to get people out of danger.

Moving over to the woman, Maximilian let out a grunt, before placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Let's get out of here. There's an alley along the side of the building; we can use that to slip away from this." Maximilian led the way, gesturing for the woman to follow him...

[Voyager]

Callous looked to his side, seeing Aileen thwart an attempted attack. Well done, he thought. Turning back to face Supercell, Octavian continued his monologue.

“People like you are the reason people like us exist.” Callous snarled, once again pointing the red blade towards Supercell. “We were all doing our business, keeping innocents out of our way until you brought them in with your bombastic powers and arrogant attitudes. They’re really scared of you.” Callous raised his unarmed hand, and behind him pieces of rubble from the GenTech ruins levitated above his head. Slowly walking towards Supercell, rubble in toe, Octavian gripped his blade ever tighter.

Callous’ eyes narrowed and he bent forward and prepared for a strike, until a devilish thought crawled into his mind, seeding it’s evil idea into being. Callous stood back up, lowering his blade, a smile staring into Supercell’s frustrated and fearful face. A sadistic smile, one that’s in control of the situation.

“You’ll be the death of them.” Callous tenderly called. Flicking his other raised hand, the boulders of fused stone rubble flung from their static position in the air, and were launched at the crowd of people. Supercell’s eyes widened as the rubble hurtled towards the helpless crowd.

He had to stop it. He didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t. And Callous would know what happen if he did.

[HayesAJones]

Before the stranger could begin to answer- or excuse herself from answering, if her conflicted expression was anything to go off- her sweatshirt contorted and bulged. Slithering up from beneath her chin, the enormous cat she had tucked safely against her chest before leaping from the adjacent building leaped down and stood arched in front of Viola.

"A- Agatha," the girl stammered, looking down at the cat with wide, concerned eyes.

Not unlike Viola herself a few moments before, the cat began to change, its black fur surging up and swelling into a curly mop of hair that parted to reveal a human woman, short but fitted very nicely into the charcoal pantsuit she wore. The gentle slopes of her face were strikingly similar to those of the half-demon before Viola, and a pair of thorny antlers curled up from her brow.

"Not another word, dear," the transformed cat said. "Not until we know just what and who this demon is."

She stepped forward, hands on hips and chest puffed up as if she was ten feet tall, not a full head shorter than Viola, let alone the giant behind her.

"So?" she asked sharply. "How did a demon come to the city of supers? Are you bound to a witch here? Or are you an agent of my ward's wretch of a father?"

The woman stepped forward again, and asked more directly, "Do you work for Ardaelphus?"

[Demon Lord Gira]

The demon found it hard to not stare blankly at half of what was going on or being said to her. Having a moral guardian of sorts for what was starting to become apparent as an otherwise naive teenager made sense, but it was annoying to deal with. Viola would have to choose her words carefully to avoid setting off this guardian. She didn't seem powerful, but looks were deceiving, something she was only too well aware of.

"No, no! At least, I don't believe so. Honestly, I don't know what you are talking about." Viola said to the transformed cat. " I- I come from a realm known as Hudai, and a specific region in there called Sheol. I'm not bound to anyone but... How I got here is, I'll admit, I'm not fully aware of."

She looked away from the stranger and the cat. "It was a time of change there. I used to serve under the old king of Sheol, a demon named Belphor. There were those who didn't like him, and a rebellion was formed. The one who helped to kill him took over and became a tyrant in his place. Everyone who was associated with him was hunted down and killed, and that included myself."

Viola's fists tightened, and her tail cracked against the ground. "I lost everything to that cold, emotionless bitch and her green eyed advisor and that cowardly dragon runt who crawled and begged for his own life to be spared. He sold me out, and I was tortured, and executed... or, I was supposed to. But when I died... or, right before I died, everything went black, and I was here, in this city, no wounds or torn wrists or gouges, and in an old mining cave under a bridge."

She took a deep breath. "The name you mentioned, Ardaelphus... I have never heard it before."

[JAGzilla]

Supercell's eyes bulged as he watched the rubble fly toward the crowd. He had to stop it. He didn't know what he'd do if he didn't. He went to leap into action... but he couldn't. He couldn't even move. He froze, rooted to the spot, sweat beading on his brow, heart pounding like a jackhammer in his chest. His eyes flicked back to Callous, to the sinister glee in his mad eyes, behind which lay a mind so powerful it could bend physical objects to its will. To the evil red glare of his energy blade. The blade that had swatted his lightning bolts aside like tennis balls. Who was this maniac? How was he so powerful? What had Isaac been thinking, trying to fight him? He was a monster, a dark god, unstoppable! And he, Isaac, 'Supercell'- who was he? A kid in a cape? What chance did he have?

His knees buckled and he fell forward, hands pressed to the sides of his helmet. The debris had landed by now, done its grim work. He couldn't look. How had everything spiralled out of control so quickly?! It was too much. He was too afraid, too terrified . With a wordless cry of anguish, he turned around and launched himself back into the air, fleeing like a child back to the safety of the Diamond Ring.

[Voyager]

Callous laughed manically, staring crazily into the blood mess that tattered the area. Flickering his eyes to Aileen, he nodded in approval, before tracking the flying hero. The deed was done. He and Aileen broke Supercell. Finally, a victory that Callous was due. A triumph over the largest obstacle in his way. Turning off his blade, he turned back and started to walk towards his confidant. Aileen couldn’t help but have an uneasy smile plastered across her face.

“We did it, Tulpa. I must admit, your manipulation was masterful. I applaud you. Good work, Aileen.” Callous patted her on the shoulder, sheathing his hilt and leaving the screaming crowd — or what remained of it. “With that big baby out of the picture, nobody stands in my way. Nobody.”

[Corzak The Mighty]

A malicious smile spread across Aileen's lips, as a cold, heartless giggle escaped her mouth. Her sapphire eyes watched as the beloved Supercell withdrew from the battlefield, overwhelmed. She had to admit, she'd expected the heroes to put up more resistance than they had. Were they really that easily manipulated? Maybe her patron's ambitions would prove easier than she thought.

Her eyes looked to Callous, an uncharacteristic admiration appearing in the glint of her eye as he departed. "Praise be to you, Lord Callous. May your reign be as long as it is infamous!"

To their side, a cry of horror echoed across the now dust-shrouded battlefield. Dhriti collapsed onto her knees in despair as the cloud obscured the majority of the crowd. If only she was a little bit faster... if only she had a little bit more power... so many things, and she couldn't do any of them! She couldn't save a single person here! Her gaze shifted toward Callous and Tulpa, her fists tightening. She was gonna make these fuckers pay! Pushing herself to her feet, Dhriti rushed toward Callous and Tulpa, as two pairs of shimmering, ethereal arms erupted from her back. Dhriti prepared to lunge at the duo, strike a decisive blow upon one of them... only to be sideswiped by the watery assailant, and swiftly pinned to the ground, tendrils of water locking her limbs.

Aileen's eyes look back toward the now pinned Dhriti. Aileen offered no words to the visibly furious woman, before she walked off of the premises. A few seconds passed, and the Thoughtform faded, leaving Dhriti wet, confused, and defeated.

A keen observer would note visible movement among the cloud of stones after a minute or so - it was as if the rubble had come to life! Several massive chunks found themselves pushed aside, causing fear and confusion among the civilians - and Dhriti. What was going on? Had Callous returned for a round 2? The truth revealed itself shortly, however, as the dust cloud cleared. A distinctive, black-armored form emerged from beneath the rubble, chunks of rebar sticking out from parts of the armor, blood dripping from their wounds and mingling with the dust. Beneath the rubble, about 5 people were visible, among them the woman that Supercell had been talking to who represented GenTech. All of them were covered in debris, but otherwise unharmed.

Dhriti's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you... when did you-"

"I saved who I could," Cocytus stated flatly. "I only wish I was able to punish Callous before the coward could flee." Despite his emotionless speech, it was clear he was not happy with tonight's results. "Him and the blonde woman will suffer for what they have done here..."