Superhero RPG

[Demon Lord Gira]

"Hello, good morning Los Diamantes, and I hope you're all having a wonderful start to your day! It's a beautiful morning this winter day, with our temperatures currently in the mid 50's and expected to remain around there for the next two weeks. Expect occasional rain showers all through the week. We're predicting a whopping eight inches of rain from now until the end of February. All you suburban farmers love hearing that, don't you? Even when it's not the season for growing crops? I digress, you always love to hear that. The Los Diamantes Photons are on a seven game winning streak and show no signs of slowing down. At this rate, they may become our Basketball champions representing us! Let's hope they don't see greener pastures elsewhere and tear down the city when they win, hahahaha. How are things on your end, Jennifer?"

"On more urgent news, the South District Bank has experienced a robbery last night. Four armed gunmen broke into the bank and held the cashiers hostage. No one was hurt, but thirteen thousand dollars was stolen. Police are currently on the lookout for the robbers, who hid their identities with both ski masks and plastic bags over their heads. In related news, the Diamond Ring is expected to continue expanding to accommodate more high rises and shopping skyscrapers. Despite protests from a small vocal minority within the city, construction will continue as planned. Lastly, the Los Diamantes Aquarium has adopted three Coelocanths for its Living Fossil exhibit. These once believed extinct fish are extremely rare and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the pet trade and traditional medicine markets, so conservation efforts are ensuring this species has a bright future, and Los Damantes Aquarium is privilaged to be graced with such an archaic form of life. Back to you, Gerald."

"Some good, some bad, some very fishy things happening in our city, ahahaha. That's all we have for today on the Diamond News. Tune in at 6PM tonight for the last game of the season for the Los Diamantes Rocks."

[Voyager]

Fingers rattled on a desk as a sleek fan blew overhead and nothing but the smell of fresh air and the slight overheating of electronics filled the air. It was a pretty normal morning. The morning news was a guilty pleasure for Octavian, who enjoys the company of the newscasters. Of course, such novel things were by no means important to Callous. His leathery gloved hand reached out for the remote and turned the TV off, getting up from his chair.

Running his hands through his wavy hair, he walked towards the exit of his personal chamber, a long walk with a red carpet running from his desk to an elevator. Standing there are the elevator’s entrance was his right hand man, or woman in this case, Aileen ‘Tulpa’ Jansen, his most trusted elite guard. Octavian looked down upon Aileen with a faint smile, before the two walked into the elevator together.

“Morning, Aileen.” Octavian said, “It was very nice of you to wait for me. Today I want to run some things by you, y’know, for business reasons?”

Aileen spoke in an Afrikaner accent, but spoke perfect English. “You can just say it. Who is it that you want me to dispose of?” Aileen’s voice nearly rose to a bark, before simmering back down. There was a moment of brief silence before the doors opened, revealing a room lit by neon blue streaks running across aisles upon aisles of shelves containing records.

The two stepped out before resuming their conversation. “Well, today I thought we’d tone it down a little. I want you to scout out the heroes that pose the biggest threat to our operation, and after that report back to me. By 3PM, too. When you get back, I’d like to do something we haven’t done in a while.” Aileen’s skeptical face turned to a pout.

“With all due respect Callous; No. I am not doing that. It always goes the same way every time. I unleash my thoughtforms, you easily get rid of them, and I get thrashed.”

“Well, today, I’m on a tight schedule. Tonight I’m going out on a mission of my own, so we’ll only spar for… maybe an hour. Okay? Look, if you really want, I won’t use my psychic powers. To even the playing field. Does that sound good?”

Aileen didn’t respond, but it was clear she got the message. The two headed further into the archives, and as they ventured deeper, Octavian was collecting data pads from the various shelves. “Okay, here’s who I need you to find.” Octavian handed Aileen the data pads, and she read the info. She knew who’d to find, and all the possible info regarding their whereabouts.

“Now, do not engage. If they spot you, run, and if that’s not an option, fight. If you need help, just use your comms and I’ll be there. If civilians get in your way… you know what to do.” Aileen nodded and headed for the exit, dropping the data pads on an desk. They read the names;

‘Doctor Helper’
‘Foxtrot’
‘Blind’
‘Bloodless’

[Breakdown]

Franklin anxiously looked down at the paperwork on the table in front of him. On the top of the pile was a waiver from one "GenTech Pharmaceuticals" for an experimental treatment for his illness. The same illness that had recently rendered him wheelchair bound, emaciated, and at death's doorstep. An IV system attached to his wheelchair fed a tube into his skeletal arm. He raised a hand and looked at it with both dread and disgust; it looked like the hand of a desiccated corpse instead of that of a living person. He looked at the black veins in his hand that were also found all over his body. He put his hand down and looked back at the papers infront of him before picking up the pen next to the pile and began writing down his name on the line at the bottom of the sheet.

GenTech had contacted him around a month ago out of the blue, claiming they had developed a promising treatment for his particular illness. To his knowledge, he was one out of ten in the whole world who had this strange sickness, dubbed "Degenerative Kriebelosis" or "Kriebel's Disease", so receiving word that a cure for his affliction may be in the cards made him the happiest he's been since he met Marina Griffin, the love of his life. Picking up his phone, he unlocked it and was met with his homescreen wallpaper of him and Marina sharing a kiss on of the beaches in her hometown of Nantucket. The image brought a warm smile to his face as it reminded him of better times. Before his disease fully took hold of him, and before Marina's brother was killed. Since he died, Marina had slid down a dark path of grief and resentment. The media had claimed it was an "accident" and that one of the supes "lost control" of their powers. Marina knew her brother was in the wrong, but his crimes did not warrant a summary execution by not one, but a whole group of them.

Franklin tried his best to console her and be her rock, but every time she'd vent to him it only felt like a temporary fix. She'd often speak of violent thoughts and dreams she'd have where she took on the identity of someone named "Siren" and hunted down those that killed her brother and exacted revenge on them. Her emotional state was made worse by the fact that his condition was worsening to the point where death was on the horizon. He tried his best to assure her that everything was going to work out: he would take this treatment and he'd come out a new man and that together, they'd work through this. Just then, he received a text message from her.

"Hey babe, just wondering how you're doing! Did you finish that paperwork?" she wrote.

"Yeah, I just finished signing everything. All I have to do now is mail it out and they should contact me within the next day or so. I really appreciate you reaching out to me, hun"

He wrote, adding a kissing emoji at the end. Her reply came moments later, asking if she could come stay the night at his place so they could keep each other company, to which he agreed. Before she arrived, he made sure to place the sealed envelope containing his paperwork inside his apartment mailbox. He took one last look at the envelope before placing it inside the mailbox. This was his best hope of overcoming this disease that had ravaged him for most of his adult life. Marina made dealing with it easier, but it was a living hell, one that him and only other 10 other people in the whole world knew about. Franklin really hoped these guys had cooked up some kind of miracle pill, as every other treatment he had tried failed.

Eventually, Marina arrived at his apartment and the two sat on the couch watching Jaws, which was one of her favorite movies. Franklin could be out of his wheelchair for things like sitting down on the couch or walking to the kitchen, but anything requiring more than a very short walk necessitated its use. After a while, the two fell asleep in each other's arms. Franklin slept peacefully, but Marina's violent dreams bubbled to the surface. She awoke to find herself underwater at night. Her eyes had no trouble adjusting to the darkness and seeing in the water. Her palpitating gills circulated oxygen from the water throughout her body so she could breathe as easily as any sea creature. Suddenly, she sensed a disturbance in the water above her. With the aid of her webbed hands and feet, she propelled herself through the dark water like a torpedo towards the source of the disturbance.

Thrashing in the water was the one who killed her brother: A ridiculous fool dressed in a chrome jumpsuit who called himself "Silverlight", who's special ability was to absorb and reflect sunlight. She remembered her brother's body, how it was scorched to the bone in some places because of this fucking bastard. Predatory thoughts flooded her mind, her grief at the thought of her brother's charred corpse turned into white-hot fury. She curled her lips back, revealing sets of serrated, dagger like teeth as intimidating as that of any shark's. With a kick of her legs, she launched herself through the water at Silverlight and seized the man by the legs and pulled him under. He had barely enough time to scream before water flooded his mouth and the light of the moon was replaced with the pitch black abyss of the sea. Marina then grabbed her prey by the head and shoulder before sinking her teeth into Silverlight's neck. A muffled, gurgled scream came from the supe as Marina crushed his throat. With a tug, she tore loose a huge chunk of Silverlight's neck, the water around him turning crimson with his own blood.

His silver jumpsuit was stained with gore as Marina continued to bite and bite, his movements becoming increasingly weaker. Suddenly, Marina woke up from this dream covered in sweat and panting heavily. She looked down at her hands which had become webbed and her claws extended. She wiped the sweat off her brow and downed an entire bottle of water before laying down next to Franklin again. She felt her claws retract as her body exited "attack" mode and she began to relax. She looked at him as he slept and caressed his hair. Despite his condition, Franklin had maintained his inner strength and stayed by her in spite of everything going on. She was surprised he didn't just ditch her for a "normal" girl with less baggage, but at the same time was thankful he didn't. She felt like they shared a connection like no other, and wouldn't give it up for the world.

[Demon Lord Gira]

"On today's episode of Pride and Preju-"

Kala clicked the television off. She rolled over on the sofa onto her back and kicked her feet into the air. "Hey Vinnie, those bank robbers, think i should go after them?"

Across from her in a small chair was a young boy, no older than twelve. He had a phone in his hands, and looked up to Kala. He moved a bit of dull black hair from infront of his face. "I-I'm sure the police can handle this, or maybe another hero. I'm sure they'll be brought to justice in no time. I'll make some breakfast right away for you."

"But I'm so bored being cooped up in here!" Kala sat up straight and crossed her legs. She puffed her cheeks. "There's nothing to do in here but play with you and watch TV and play games, and you don't want to do any of that!"

"Because I need to make sure there's nothing strange going on." Vinnie sighed. He pinched the ridge of his nose. "Heng was nice enough to let us use her old house as a base, and we can't squander that with you rushing in with no plan."

"Forget Heng!" Kala huffed and inflated her cheeks further. "Not letting me touch any of her trophies or gadgets. I won't break them."

"Yes you would. That's what you did the first time she tried to give you something. You broke it."

"I ATE it."

"That's not a correction that needs to be made. And besides, we don't know where these robbers are. So let's just sit tight and-"

Vinnie yelped as he found himself pulled off the chair. He was thrown down to the ground and Kala pinned him there, a growing smile on her face. "Then play with me! I'm sure it will be fun! We can wrestle, or cuddle, or play one of those games you have! I just want to do something!"

Vinnie tried to push Kala off of him, but it was no use. She was almost twice his size, and far stronger than she looked. Her eyes were closed and her smile only grew wider. "Well? I won't let you go until-"

"Fine. We'll play. Just, please don't sprain my arm this time? It still hurts from the last time we played."

"Thank you! Oh thank you!" Kala picked up Vinnie and began to spin around with him in her arms, giggling and laughing the whole time. As Vinnie was reduced to being a helpless babe in the older womans arms, he couldn't help but wonder why things had to even be like this. Why did it have to be him that came across this breathtakingly pretty, yet airheaded lady and have to bare witness to her unique talents up close and personal? Why did it have to be him that had become her caretaker and unofficial brother, and only had a place to stay and live because of the generosity of the city doctor?

[Corzak The Mighty]

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The deafening blare of an alarm clock shook the bedside nightstand of a small apartment. A set of olive green eyes shot open, followed by signs of life stirring the small, worn out bed adjacent to the clock. A slim, brown hand emerged from beneath the mound of sheets and blankets, before slapping the "snooze" option. A loud yawn reverberated out from within the mountain of blankets, before the form of Dhriti emerged and stretched, shaking away the weariness of deep slumber. Quickly pulling herself out of bed, Dhriti turned on her TV, before running to the bathroom to take a quick shower to start her day.

As Dhriti took her shower to wash away the grime of the night before, she heard a report that quickly piqued her interest.

"On more urgent news, the South District Bank has experienced a robbery last night. Four armed gunmen broke into the bank and held the cashiers hostage. No one was hurt, but thirteen thousand dollars was stolen. Police are currently on the lookout for the robbers, who hid their identities with both ski masks and plastic bags over their heads."

Turning off the water and peeking her head out from behind the shower curtain, Dhriti's lips curled into a smile. South District? That's practically a skip and a jump down the road from here. Hell, knowing how the neighborhood could be, it's not unlikely that those robbers are still somewhere in the area nearby; that part of town wasn't exactly known for being glamorous. There were tons of places for them to hide out from the cops, not the cops would bother putting much effort into looking for them. Quickly getting dressed for the day, Dhriti dashed out of her humble apartment, locking her door before hustling down a flight of stairs, nearly knocking over a pudgy, middle-aged african american man carrying bags of groceries.

"Hey now!" The man yelped, nearly dropping his bags as Dhriti passed. "In a bit of a rush there ain't you, Durga?"

"Sorry, Mr. White!" Dhriti replied, only stopping for a brief moment to turn and face him. "There's some trouble going on at the South District Bank, they're getting robbed again!"

Mr. White chuckled, flashing her a wide, toothy smile. "Alright then, you do your thing, sweetheart. Do be careful out there, you here?"

Dhriti offered Mr. White a smile back. "I will! Thanks, Mr. White!" As quickly as they had interacted, the two parted ways, as Dhriti hastily made her way to the scene of the crime...
______________________________________________________________________________
Having her mission set out for her, stepped into the winter air of Los Diamantes, looking out over the city from Lord Callous' magnificent manor. Her deep blue eyes scanned the city, as she took in a deep breath of the frigid air. This city... what a wretched hive for humanity. A disgusting conglomerate of what mankind had ultimately become, a hellscape of iron towers that imprisoned the inhabitants. A series of interlocking warrens woven through the concrete fabric that formed the streets and pathways of this manmade penitentiary. How she longed for complete and utter silence, away from the noise, the complaints, the cries, the screams, the celebrations... she hated all of it. Lucky for her that her benefactor's neighborhood was so quiet; to endure the rabble so frequently would surely have driven her mad.

Activating a small device on her ear and a wristborn construct, Aileen mapped the last known whereabouts of the heroes Lord Callous had requested she investigate. The easiest to find would certainly be Doctor Helper; last she'd heard, she was working in a medical clinic that would be easy enough to find. She'd heard Bloodless was last seen in affiliation with Doctor Helper; perhaps this would be a good opportunity to glean information on that feral animal of a human as well. That left foxtrot and Blind; those two had very similar goals to one another. No doubt both of them had heard the news about the expansion of Los Diamantes' shopping district. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take a quick look there and around the Diamond district in general to see if they would "pop up" there to cause trouble.

Goals in mind, Aileen took her wide-brimmed sun hat off her head, before starting up one of lord Callous' cars - choosing a fairly inconspicuous grey sedan to avoid detection - and heading out to complete her mission. If everything went well, she'd be back in time for a late lunch and a quick sparring session...

[Voyager]

Callous wandered the vast catacombs of neon lighting and dark grey shelves, brushing his hand along them. In a nostalgic mood, Octavian reached up high to grab a data pad leaning over the edge. Pulling it down, a smirk grew across his face as he read the document title; ‘Termination of Renegade’. Returning to his personal quarters, he scanned the data pad and put it into a player, and watched it on his widescreen TV, a whopping 300 inches from corner to corner.

The record started to play, with a camera set up on a rooftop, viewing down on a battle between Lord Callous and a superhero named Renegade, a long time thorn in Callous’ side. As the clip progressed, and the two fought each other, Octavian’s smile turned from a smirk into a sadistic smile, nearly letting out a giggle every time the hero was hit hard.

Renegade war a brown trench coat with a red turtleneck underneath. He fought with, ironically, Callous-produced weaponry, like a Vibro-Axe and his own modified weapons, being a chain shocker, a long chain whip that would electrocute targets on contact. Needless to say, the fight was a glorious one — for Octavian. While Renegade was a challenge combatant up close, one thought was all it took to launch the 40 year old into a building. The fight itself was won from the beginning, but Octavian liked to give everybody a show they won’t forget. Renegade charged at Callous, lunging at the unarmed Lord, brandishing his axe in a stance ready to cleave the man’s head off. As the weapon swung down, Octavian effortlessly blocked with weapons of his own — the plasma cutter. The two knifes locked the axe in place, but it wasn’t able to lift the heavy weight of the axe off of Octavian.

“You’re gonna pay for what you did. With your life!” Renegade growled, pushing down further, gritting his teeth. Octavian played to Renegade’s emotions, a vile tactic that worked, too often for the hero community of Los Diamantés.

“Oh Renegade, my old friend, I’m sure your family wouldn’t want you to do this.” The villain pleaded, putting on an innocent voice.

A fire of rage bloomed in Renegade’s eyes as he raised the axe with speed and swung down with even greater speed. Octavian cackled as he smashed his knives together, elongating the blade and hilt, swooping upward keeping his sword behind him. The two weapons met, followed by an inhuman scream. Blood gushed all over Octavian as the armless man before him howled in pain. Jets of blood turned the streets red and the corridor become an echo-chamber of pain and suffering. Lord Callous laughed as he rose the man into the air, placing him inside a dumpster, along with the involuntarily amputated parts. Renegade started to fill the empty dumpster with his own blood, and his life drained away along with it. Grisly killings were not Callous’ marker but this had been a well deserved exception.

Before the clip could finish, a phone rang, and Octavian reached over to answer. “Hello?…. Yes, you have the two of them?…. Good, good… I’ll be here all day until around 5-ish. Just get it here by then.” The turned his phone downwards as he got up from his chair and exited the room, turning off the TV. I gotta change, business time, he thought. Retreating into his change room, he hung his flowing cape on the door. Now’s the time for Businessman Octavian Callous.

[MinorBone Good]

Jonathan spat out his toothpaste after he finished brushing his teeth, soon smiling at himself back at the mirror. Another fabulous morning in Los Diamantes it seemed. He put away the toothbrush and walked out of the bathroom, looking over at the TV. Standard news stuff it seemed. He went over towards his suit and pants laid out on the couch, almost ready to get out and prepare for his big speech today. It had been about a month since his last speech. It successfully of course, just like any other speech. This one was probably going to be the biggest yet however, not only due to the news itself, but a special appearance with the city's mascot as well. Supercell. With both of them there, it would be a surefire success. After he finished putting on his trousers, the news sparked his interest. Another damn robbery. So that was the commotion last night. He was too busy doing a small delivery mission for an unknown user. He didn't care what it was for. He got paid.

He pulled his phone from the table, shooting a quick text to his assistant to send some funds to the bank in an effort to reduce the damage to what those crooks had done. He sighed, but a smile soon spread on his face. Even better actually, he could sway the public even further to his side with this stunt. It's why he kept hoarding some of the profits not only from the tourism, but from the gigs as Ecotparasite. Use 65% on the general public, 25% on the hero's if they were willing, and the remaining percentage on Ectoparasite. Speaking of Ectoparasite, he hadn't checked the site for any jobs yet, has he? After finishing putting on the suit, he walked back into his small bedroom, pulling out a small box underneath his bed. He opened the lid and pulled out a small rectangle device, looking up for any new jobs that may have popped up when he was asleep. Nothing was seen however. Ah well, he was sure something would pop up while he was out.

After finishing his breakfast consisting of a simple two pieces of toast, he shut off the TV and towards the front door. He kneeled down next to his pair of black dress shoes, opening a secret compartment on the insole of the shoe. He places the rectangular Ectoparasite device into his shoe, and with a satisfying click the secret compartment snapped shut. Jonathan placed his feet within the shoes, grabbed his suitcase and walked on out of his apartment, locking his house. Despite being very wealthy, Jonathan preferred to lay low. Not only was it easier to hide his secret base within the poorer parts of the community, it also made him appear more like an average citizen, which helped improve relationship with the public. Hell, with the amount he did for this city, he was more liked than the mayor! He opened the door to his bright blue SUV and got in, putting the suitcase on the floor in the passenger seat. He checked his watch. 10:21 AM. The speech would begin 2 PM at St. Universe street in the park area. Not only was it easily accessible, it would make for a spectacular entrance for Supercell. It would also reduce the likelihood of any sort of super villain to try and interrupt the speech with Supercell. He started the care and started to drive towards the park to set things up.

This was going to be a good day, he knew it.

[HayesAJones]

As the plain-colored sedan ferrying Aileen rolled down the street, someone else trying to look inconspicuous followed, quickly left behind, as they were on foot, but headed in the same direction. Clad in a heavy, pale blue jacket, hood pulled tight over her head, and wearing tinted glasses pressed high up her nose, a short woman with wild curls of hair spilling out around around her chin walked towards the Diamond Ring, eyes on the sidewalk, but acutely aware of her surroundings. Her ears, both natural and electronic, something humming silently underneath her hoodie, listened closely for anything unusual.

After all, in a city like Los Diamantes, any construction projection meant opportunities for the ill-intentioned, whether it was trying to mask an illicit operation or secretly adding more than just footpaths to the city. It was no secret the Diamond Ring, the money-bleeding heart of Los Diamantes, had underground routes for all manners of contraband, even human.

And anything so out of sight was a natural target for Blind.

_____________________________

A long yawn curled through the cold morning air as a tall East Asian woman staggered out of the Los Diamantes Police Department building, quickly throwing a gray trench coat over her shoulders. She ran her fingers through dark hair cut close to the scalp, hardly falling below her ears, and glanced out at the towering buildings of the Diamond Ring. They were within throwing distance of both it and the poorer west neighborhoods, though one direction was definitely more of an eyesore than the other. All the skyscrapers hid the sea.

Glancing both ways to make sure most eyes were away from her, the khaki-clad policewoman walked a few buildings north, the police station falling out of sight behind her, then ducked into a narrow alleyway, the sun hardly able to peak into it. Crossing her arms, she leaned against a navy green dumpster and waited.

Directly to her right, spiraling away from the dumpster, was a swirling graffiti mural of a dancing fox.

[Voyager]

The elevator’s bell rang, and all at the ground floor-room turned to face it. As the doors opened, steam billowed out, fogging the room, but not obscuring the silhouette of a tall young man neatly presenting himself. Octavian stepped out, wearing a personally tailored suit. It was simple in design, yet Callous’ wealth was still clear. A navy blue fabric suit with a checkered pattern, a plain white shirt underneath it, and wrapping it up was a long red tie. His pants were as his suit; navy and checkered, and his shoes were polished and shined to a tee.

An arrogant smile rested upon Octavian’s face as he stepped forward, hair bouncing with each step. His receptionist greeted him, calling him over.

“Mr. Callous, you look spectacular this morning. What’s the occasion?”

“Well, Tina, I’m not going to miss Supercell’s speech now, am I? Anyone who’s anybody is going. It’ll be packed with celebrities and heroes. That’s where I’m off to.”

“If all these big names are going, why wasn’t I invited?” Tina remarked, drawing a chuckle from Octavian, who reached into his pocket, retrieving 5 hundred-dollar bills.

Placing the paper on the bench, Callous whispered, “Treat yourself, it’s really unfortunate you couldn’t come. But, y’know. It could get dangerous out there with all the heroes and whatever type of scumbags they attract.”

“Then why are you going?

“Because I’m Octavian Callous.” Octavian walked out the automated doors and disappeared into the garage. Getting into his favourite car, a Lamborghini Centanario, Octavian zoomed out of his business complex, disappearing into the streets, with the only trace being the loud roar of the engine.

Let’s see what this ‘Supercell’ is made of. Strong willed or easily manipulated? Ah, it probably doesn’t matter. No one can defeat me.

[Beast Blood]

In his cave carved into a mountainside, the Dragon Strunahkaar rested, listening to the sound of the cold wind. It was a sound that comforted him, brought him peace; a gentle lullaby to soothe him, suppressing the Dragon species’ innate desire to destroy and dominate.

The wind brought to his ears not only its howls, but a voice, deep and gentle - that of his father.

“Strunahkaar, my son... You have witnessed the instabilities of this world. A tear has unraveled between our home and another people’s.”

The voice of the Father of Dragons came to Strun like a whisper, like the tender caress of a parent upon a child's shoulder. The Dragon of winds stirred from his meditation, heeding the words.

He looked up, gazing at the split skies visible even from within his cave. A great tear rent the heavens open like a bolt of lightning, a jagged fissure from which red auroras swirled like a bleeding, ethereal wound. The occasional shudder, felt all around Bjornskar, rattled the branches of the World Tree, just barely visible beyond the veil of heavy snow clouds so typical of the Realm of Ice.

“I would like you to look into it.”

Heeding his father’s words, Strunahkaar lifted himself from his resting position, obediently lumbering out of his cave in preparation. Out of curiosity, he wondered what kind of place the rift led to - and why the Beasts had not been chosen for this task. The famous, fur-covered denizens of Bjornskar, chief protectors of this world, usually were the ones handling such things.

“The mighty children of the Beastmother, wise as they are... are a little large for this task,” the great Father of Dragons answered, as if aware of his son’s inquiries.

Indeed, the Borskall were among the largest of creatures living on Bjornskar, second only to very few species beyond the great Beast guardians themselves. Though many of the Dragons matched the Beasts’ sheer size, many others, like Strun himself, were smaller - squarely between the Borskall and the smaller races such as the Olgfolk or the yak-like denizens of the east. It seemed the Father of Dragons sought something specific for the current quest - something smaller than the powerful Borskall, but mightier than the Olgfolk, resourceful as these moose-folk were.

“You, son of the winds, mellower than most of your peers, must accomplish this task.”

“And so I shall,” Strun answered, as he spread his wings in the howling winds and departed on his quest...

[Breakdown]

Franklin awoke the next day to find Marina asleep, her head resting on his emaciated chest. He smiled and caressed her neck before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing his phone. He strained his eyes from the blinding light of the phone screen; his vision was still blurry and his eyes had not yet adjusted to the light of day, especially in the relatively dark bedroom. He noticed he had received an automated text message from....GenTech?! His eyes snapped open and he rubbed them for good measure, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. It was indeed from GenTech, and the message stated that his paperwork had been received and he is to call the provided number to schedule a therapy session. Franklin gasped in disbelief and excitement, but quickly tempered his emotions as he remembered that previous treatments for his illness had failed. Still though, just the idea that there may be a drug out there specifically made to treat his affliction lifted his spirits.

He eagerly woke Marina by shaking her shoulder as hard as his atrophied muscles would allow him. Marina groaned and blinked her yellow-amber eyes as she tried her best to focus her blurry vision on the phone that Franklin held right up to her face. After a few moments of processing what the message said, she grinned corner to corner and wrapped her arms around him. She made sure to mind her strength, especially with Franklin's frail physical shape.

"I'm so happy for you!! We need to call right away! Tell them to schedule an appointment as soon as possible!" Marina said enthusiastically.

"Alright, alright!" Franklin said.

He was glad that she was just as excited as he was to see this through. She had really pushed him to try take this offer by GenTech, even when previous treatments had failed and he was at his lowest. The idea of an experimental treatment specifically for his illness seemed too good to be true, but she was always there to encourage him to try. With a confident deep breath, Franklin sat up and dialed the number given in the text message and waited as the line began to ring. Within seconds, an automated voice came through the other end listing the various services, including a scheduling line bound to the number 4. Franklin tapped on the number 4 on the dialpad before the robotic voice could even finish listing the other options. Marina stretched her arms out and yawned, cracking her back in the process.

"Hey babe? I'm gonna go take a shower. Let me know how the call goes, okay?" she said as she got up and grabbed a towel off the hangar attached to the closet door.

Franklin nodded and kept his ear pressed against the smartphone. Usually for her, a shower served the double-purpose of also rehydrating her body. He was well aware of Marina's..."unique" physiology, being Merfolk and as such she needed to "recharge" of sorts in water after spending long stretches of time on land. Franklin laughed to himself quietly; Sure, there were plenty of fish in the sea, but he caught a mermaid. Well, minus the fish-tail of course. Franklin's thoughts were interrupted by the onset of horrible music on the wait line of the phone. What was it with companies and picking the most insufferable tunes to play over the phone while they made you wait? If Franklin had to guess, it was probably to drive you insane so they could also recommend you to a psychiatrist to earn extra credit or something. Finally, just as Franklin's patience was about to run out with this atrocious assault on the senses, a voice, a human voice, came through.

"This is GenTech's scheduling line, my name is Madiline, how can I help you?" the feminine voice inquired.

"Hello! My name is Franklin. Franklin Ferri. I sent in some paperwork regarding a treatment I was approached for a short while ago." Franklin replied.

After a few moments of silence and some voices in the background, the secretary returned to the call.

"Oh yes! We received your paperwork yesterday. We can have you in as early as either tonight at 5:30 or tomorrow at-"

"5:30 tonight, please!" Franklin cut off the secretary.

"O..kay...We'll put you down for 5:30. You are advised to not eat or drink anything leading up to the treatment. We'll see you tonight!" finished the secretary before hanging up the phone.

Franklin sighed in relief before falling back into bed. He began a series of light chuckles that became full blown laughter as he lay in bed. Taking this step had always felt both exciting and frightening, but in this instance these feelings were intensified by the fact that there's a chance that this may actually work. No more being largely relegated to a wheelchair, no more IVs, no more feeling of sickness, and most importantly, no more fear of impending doom. He'd be reborn like a phoenix from the ashes, and he could live out the rest of his days with Marina without his own body holding him back.

[Demon Lord Gira]

"Oi! Hi hi! Vinnie, are you there? Are you there as well, Kala?"

Kala slowly stopped spinning Vinnie around and turned to where the voice came from. The TV screen that had been turned off had turned back on, and instead of the news what was visible was the face of a woman who seemed slightly older than Kala. Her hair was brown and bunched up at the back, and she wore a large white labcoat that was open at the front. Her eyes were covered by a thick pair of sunglasses, and a cheerful grin was on her face. "Ah, having some play time together, I see? Just so long as you haven't broken anything, I'm fine with that."

"We haven't, Miss Heng." Vinnie was lowered down to the ground, yet he still felt a knot in his stomach. To have Heng call so early in the morning meant there was something going on, something important. He was simply glad she had been kind enough to allow him, and later Kala, a place to live, but he knew as well that despite the cheerful exterior, Heng was probably one of the scariest people in Los Diamantes, for who knew all the weaknesses of the human body better than a doctor? "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to check in on you and see how you are both doing. Kala, how is your left arm? Has it gotten any better after it almost got crushed by that pig man thing you fought?"

Kala nodded. "You fixed it up well, Doctor Helper. Feels good as new now. A couple days rest helped me!"

"That's good to know, but please don't call me that. And Vinnie, no need for the Miss. Just call me Heng. I feel like an old woman with the latter, and some dropout fanboy with the former." Heng's face blushed red, and she turned her face to avoid looking at the two of them. "Although, there is something I want you to look into."

Kala's eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer, her full attention now on the screen. "Go on?"

"It's not the burglars, but a client I had the other day has mentioned strange activity going on around the aquarium. Shady people hanging around the Living Fossils exhibit. The fear is once those fish are put in, they'll be stolen. The fish are due to be brought in today, in about an hour. SuperCell's speech is going to draw a lot of attention and guards over there, so the aquarium is likely to be not as well guarded..."

"Then you can leave it to me! I'll keep those fish protected!" Kala pushed her chest out and hit a hand against her chest. "And I won't break anything, I promise!"

"It's not so much breaking things that I'm most concerned with regarding you..." Heng nervously chuckled. "Just, try not to make a mess? Your popularity as Bloodless is already not too good with how you do things."

"But, if I don't be harsh on them, they'll just do it-"

"Ah, another patient! Vinnie, please keep your not!sister under control for this important outing! Ta ta for now! And praise my immaculate self!"

The screen cut off, and Vinnie let out a long, pained sigh. "Kala, please have just some degree of restraint, okay? We don't want the place to look like a murder zone, I beg of you."

His words fell on deaf ears. The woman had already ran her way up to the front door of the home they were in, and before Vinnie's eyes, her body darkened and sunk down into the shadows. The shadows slithered out beneath the door, and Vinnie groaned. All he could do now was pray for the best, and prepare for the worst.

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

A few blocks away from the South District Bank, the area was relatively quiet. Few people were up and about so early this morning, as the day shift workers were starting to get out of bed, and the night shift workers had already returned home to their beds. It was a perfect hour for the lesser scum of Los Diamantes to be active, and so it was that an armed group with large bags of money exited out of an armored truck into an alleyway. The head of the group, an older man with a grizzled beard and scarred complexion, lead the way. He scanned the alleyway for signs of a trap. Nothing obvious entered his vision, so he signaled for the rest to continue after him.

Several dozen meters into the alleyway, he stopped. His eyes looked at a spot in a wall to the side, and he held up an otherwise small blank card. He tilted it so the early rays of the sun that shone into the alley hit it at just the right angle, and strange markings were illuminated on the card. He took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it to the ground.

"These are the coordinates." he told his men. "And our business partner is supposed to be here. This is her card, after all."

"And that it is. You deciphered the invitation, my dear." A voice came from the wall. The wall lowered down until it was hole, and from it emerged a somewhat tall woman in a large black trenchcoat. Her eyes were a hazel brown that matched her long hair, and each step clicked against the ground with the heels she wore. She stopped, then turned to face the man and his gang. "And what may I have the pleasure of meeting with you today? Interested in my wares?"

"Why else would I be here?" The man coughed. "Rumors have been circulating of a Miss Viola Crima who for the right price can offer men and weapons better than even the military has. And I take it you are her?"

"The one and only." Viola gave a half-hearted bow. "If it is weapons and men you seek, I can supply all of that and more, if you have enough money to give me."

[Voyager]

As the hyper car drove along the busy roads, Octavian was struck with an odd feeling. A feeling that struck at his brain, over and over. Taking a sharp turn, the car is diverted from the bustling avenues and down a dark path. The diamond ring was known for its beauty and wealth, but there too lay a hidden, darker side. In and amongst the penthouses and malls sat a small bunker, about 10 feet tall, completely grey in colour. Octavian hid the car among the dirty street, covering it in garbage bags to appear as a broken down dumpster, a common sight for the outer levels of the diamond ring, and Los Diamantés itself.

Octavian took off his nice suit and tie, revealing his dark robes sitting underneath, as well as the rest of his outfit. Wrapping his scarf around his neck and chaining up the cape, he headed for the door to no opposition. Without a hitch the door opened. No handle, no code, nothing.

Inside with dark, only lit by poor quality LEDs, emitting a grainy yellow light. What greeted Octavian was a long hallway, one that seemed to never end. It felt like hours to him. Hours of walking down a bland hallway, illuminated by crappy lights and lined with a stinky carpet. The atmosphere was not new to Callous, but it still gave him a chill down his spine every time he ventured. With every step, Octavian felt heavier. His flowing cape felt like dragging tree trunks, and lifting his legs like pulling up iron bars. Even his eyelids turned against the Lord. Like metal gates they shut, until the cold feeling of deathly air and an unwelcoming presence awoke them.

Spring back to agility, Octavian no longer found himself in the unsettling hallway, but rather in a simple, pitch black room with the only form of lighting coming from ground-installed units shining up at an imposing, tall monolith. It’s very being was not understood, even by one such as smart as Callous. His psychic abilities were powerless against the brain fog let out by the tall monument. Nevertheless, Octavian did not cower in fear, but rather kneeled for an answer.

Octavian took a deep breath, before muttering the ancient phrase passed down in the family from generation to generation. An old Latin familial saying dating back to the Roman Era.

“Mors, Deceptio, Iacet. Codex familiae Callous.”

The room stood mostly silent as it did before, but after the words came an almost ambient buzz from the Monolith, low in pitch and soft. Octavian got back up to his feet and approached the tall black monument. It was truly a sight to behold. It was at least 5 times Octavian’s height, and the young man could feel the overwhelming presence of it. Removing his glove, Callous caressed his naked hand onto the strange monolith, rubbing it back and forth for some time. All the while Callous’ face had morphed from an expressionless look to angered, and even concerned. His pupils dilated faster than ever, his irises mocked a pinkish shade and his brain raced with information, his psychic abilities not able to take everything in at once.

His vision faded into a white light, before being fed small images — they didn’t appear much, but they meant something. A cloud, a rainy one at that. It was pouring over what appeared to be… the diamond ring. But most of all, a downpour onto an obsidian tower. The clouds disappeared, and from the rubble of the obsidian tower, which had fallen, were two figures. A younger man and an older. Not by much, but there was a difference. The older was in a dark costume while the younger was brightly coloured, even with shining lights. The dark-suited man was held in the grip of the light, being held by the neck, looking up in fear at the younger. The faint chants of the masses were in the background, and from the ruins of the old obsidian tower rose a beacon of light.

Octavian suddenly sprung back to reality, and fell back onto the ground. The buzzing was no longer whispering in his ears, and the presence of the monolith was nowhere to be noticed. Wiping his face with his glove, the leather was speckled with a red liquid from his nose. His eyes returned to his normal orange, and his brain ceased to overload. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fist, Octavian cried;

“I’ve got to stop that damn… Supercell!” Not very aware of the situation he was in, not in the room anymore, but rather out on the street where he began. A gasp escaped his mouth nearly as loud as his decree, as he scurried backwards into a corner, falling back down. Realising nobody was around, Octavian got back up and jumped into his car. With a newfound sense of urgency, he raced off to a spot where he wouldn’t be seen, so he can lie in wait. I’ll get him when the speech is done, I’ll make him appear ohhh sooo weak. Everything great he says will be contradicted by his spectacular defeat!

I won’t let you down, Grandfather.

[Corzak The Mighty]

It did not take Dhriti very long to reach the scene of the crime: the Los Diamantes South District Bank. A few police officers were still on the scene, with wooden barriers stilll blocking the surrounding streets, though it looked as though the witnesses and reporters had cleared out by now. The officers on site were quickly getting to work on cleaning up the crime scene, seeing as it had essentially led to a dead end. Deciding to try her luck, Dhriti made her way over the nearest officer, who was busy helping pack up one of the white and red barriers.

"Hey, officer," Dhriti asked, crossing her arms to try and look official. "So do you guys have any leads on those robbers?"

The cop looked up from his work, before letting out a snort upon seeing Dhriti. "We do, yeah. But what's it to you? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"

Dhriti's face turned to a scowl, placing her hands disapprovingly on her hips. "Hey, I'll have you know I'm old enough to drink!"

"Uh huh," The cop chuckled back in reply. "Got a driver's license or some form of identification?"

Rolling her eyes, Dhriti reaches into the pocket of her sweatpants, pulled out her wallet, and showed her ID to the officer. His expression immediately became more serious upon seeing it.

"So you're the one the people in the South-East district call "Durga" then," the officer asked, clearly surprised. Dhriti nodded, crossing her arms and shooting a proud smirk at the officer. The blood in the officer's face drains a bit before he continued. "I... uh... in that case. yes, we do have a bit of a lead. Witnesses say that the group was heading to the South-West district after the robbery..."

Dhriti smirked wider at this. She had a suspicion she knew exactly where those thieves were headed. It certainly made it easier for her to catch up to them if her hunch was correct. The south-West district was famous for its warehouses, with many of them having ended up abandoned since Octavian Industries took over most of the construction in Los Diamantes. Criminals commonly hid out in those warehouses and alleys there, since the police rarely bothered checking that far south.

"Thanks, I got every I need to know," Dhriti replied to the cop with a nod, before she began to jog southwestward.

"But I barely told you anything?" The cop shouted back as Dhriti departed. Shrugging, he went back to work, packing up the wooden barricade...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
After a few minutes of driving, the mundane grey sedan Aileen was driving pulled up the site where the newest construction project for Octavian Industries was taking place - a large site dedicated to the creation high rises and shopping infrastructure. Aileen's blue eyes scanned the construction site with disdain, watching as the orange-vested workers laboriously set the foundation for what would ultimately be another addition to Lord Callous' ever growing empire of iron and cement. Aileen let out a quiet sigh, before stepping out of her car, placing her wide-brimmed sun hat back onto her head, blonde hair blowing about in the light breeze.

The Afrikaner woman stepped up the site, approaching who looked to be the main overseer.

"ah, Mrs. Jansen." The overseer offered Aileen a dirty, gloved hand to shake. Aileen's expression changed to one of discomfort and anxiety, prompting the man to lower his hand. "Right, my apologies. So what brings you out here to the job site?"

"Octavian told me to take a look around here, to, um, make sure everything was in order," Aileen replied, twiddling her thumbs anxiously. "If, um, you don't mind of course."

"No no, of course not," the overseer replied with a friendly chuckle. "Need any goggles or anything?"

Aileen raised a hand. "No, I'm fine. I'll just be hanging out back here."

The overseer shrugged to Aileen. "Okay. suit yourself, Mrs. Jansen."

As the construction workers get back into the groove of things, Aileen simply stood silently, arms folded across her chest. No doubt one of those two vigilantes would come snooping around here... and she'd be the first to catch up on their whereabouts. Now it was merely a matter of waiting for them...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
From atop a nearby rooftop, a pair of focused, brown eyes watched the meet-up between the robbers and the woman from atop a roof. He had been tailing the criminals since they had made their move at the South District Bank. Moving as quickly as he good without grabbing any attention, Maximilian quickly took to the rooftops of the nearby buildings and warehouses, using the height to make up for his lack of speed in his base human form. It took him several minutes to catch back up to the robbers, but he managed to relocate them after a few moments of searching.

Maximilian now watched the interaction between the thieves and this "Viola Crima". He'd heard stories about this woman through the grapevine, that she was a powerful arms dealer. This could be his chance to cut off the head of the snake, and deal a sufficient blow to the underground scene in this city. He tightened his fist, feeling an icy cold overcome him. He'd strike soon enough. He just needed an opportunity to present itself...

[MinorBone Good]

Jonathan parked his car further down the road, looking up towards the sky. Perfect weather for Supercell to make his grand entrance. He grabbed his suitcase and opened the door. He took on a great big smile, already seeing a few people waving at him. He smiled back and gave them a big friendly wave. He could smell the positivity in the air. He shut the SUV door, and began to make his way to the park. Jonathan soon spotted his assistant coming up to the sidewalk to greet him.

"Welll, how are you doin' Sammy?" He greeted to her, shaking her hand as she got close.

"About as great as ever, Mr. Veraklages! We got a bigger crowd than expected!" She smiled at him, straightening her hair as she walked down the park with Jonathan. When it came to her appearance, she was of Japanese descent, with black medium length hair that just barley reached her shoulders. Much like Jonathan, her looks matched his. Bright and colorful. She was mostly in charge of the PR and budget. "Oh! We already started to get that bank situation fixed."

"Good. That'll help even more once I add it into the speech. How excited do you think they'll be?" He asked curiously, nudging her on the shoulder.

"Well considering you can already hear the commotion two blocks down, I say very much."

Jonathan exhaled out a laugh. "Supercell is in position right?" He looked up towards the sky, the dark grey clouds getting thicker by the second. The two turned the corner, heading towards the big stage near the center of the park.

"Yes! We should be already to go!" Samantha said excitedly. "I'm so glad I was able to get Opal up and close to the stage. Ever since I told her that I was getting to talk to Supercell, she got those big eyes of hers and begged me to get her a front row seat." She giggled lightly.

"That's right. But I bet she's most excited for Mommy's first big speech!" Jonathan teased, making his voice going a bit higher.

"Ohh shut up, you!" She pushed him lightly in a joking manner. "It's only the introductory. I'll just say your names and that's it."

"Hey, this is still a big step up! Much harder to do it in person than the media account isn't it?" Jonathan said smugly.

"I'm gonna beat you with that suitcase of yours if you keep making fun of me!"

"I'm not making fun of you! I'm sure you'll do great! You know you're gonna have to start doing more of these speeches on your own. I won't be available all the time."

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say Johnny." she said with a smirk on her face.

The two of them soon walked onto the large stage, an applause soon befalling upon them. Samantha opened up the suitcase for Jonathan, while Jonathan did a couple mic tests to make sure it was working. After he tapped the mic for one last time, he winked back at the audience before his assistant grabbed his attention. He looked over the small notes and script that was handed to him. He already knew most of it, but it was always handy to lean back on. After everything seemed to be in order, Jonathan nudged Samantha towards the podium, giving her a warm smile.

Samantha walked up to the podium fully, her legs a bit shaky, but a confidant look on her face. To be honest, she was still nervous as ever. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach trying to throw her off her game. She looked over at the now silenced crowd, feeling their stares. She then took a look in the front row, seeing her daughter Opal with those big eyes of her staring back into her own.

"That's my mom up there!"

A smirk fell on Samantha's face and looked back at the excited crowd, clearing her throat. She was ready! "Ladies and gentlemen, both from our lovely city Los Diamentes and tourers beyond, I'm proud to introduce you to one of the most influential people in our city! The one, the only... Jonathan Veraklages!" She pumped her fist into the air, causing the crowd of people to go in an uproar. She looked down at her daughter one last time before starting to take a seat where Jonathan was. As she did though, he tapped her on the shoulder and leaned in next to her ear.

"You did great."

Samantha watched as Jonathan took center stage, a her cheeks going to a slight pink. Either out of embarrassment or flattery. She would have time to reflect on it as she waited for him to finish.

As the cheers and applause from the audience started to die down, Jonathan inhaled deeply, taking in the warm, moist air. Looking back at the crowd was just like in the times back at his high school. Sure there were way more people here. Around 700 from he could tell. Hell, probably more. And just like he was doing back then, it was all an act. An act he would perform flawlessly.

"Goooood afternoon everyone! I hope you're doing super well today! Before we begin I would like to address something. I would like to thank every single person here for coming out today. And it wouldn't be like that if it weren't for our great heros of this city! Without you, this city would be in peril, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. And if you need any help, just call." He raised his hand to his head, imitating phone, causing parts of the crowd to chuckle lightly.

"Now let's get down to business. I know I know, you're not here just to only see me. But this is important. Ever since we started this touring business, we've always made it our goal to donate however much we can to those affected by the acts of evil. Well today I'm glad to share great news! Our Rebirth Project has gained over a 500% increase just this past year! Not just to our good ol' Supercell, but the ones who keep the city safe from the shadows. Again, thank you. With this increase, we were able to install better security, reconstruct at a faster rate, make everything a bit more ecofriendly, and help combat the forces of evil!" He slammed the podium in front of him, putting on a bit of a show before the main event.

"Why today, due to the extra resources we've had, we already replaced the stolen money in the bank, and currently helping with any security issues so that it won't happen again!" Jonathan glanced down at his paper, a raindrop now present. With a charismatic grin, he looked back out towards the crowd. "Now, with the extra budget we have, we were able to secure a place you may know as Los Genhana. As you know, is a place where only the highest percent live! Well, I'm proud to announce that will no longer be the case!"

He grinned up at the crowd in front of him, pausing at just the perfect time to keep the anticipation going. He placed both of his hands on the podium as it started to sprinkle with rain. "We're opening with our most ambitious tourist attraction yet, with over 75% proceeds this attraction makes going towards the poorer communities. He started to unscrew the wireless microphone from the stand, never taking his eyes off the excited crowd. "I am happy to announce Los Diamantes' very own... AMUSEMENT PARK!"

With a steady throw, Jonathan chucked the microphone high into the air, signaling Supercell's entrance!

[JAGzilla]

Right on cue, the drizzle cut off and the clouds above the area began to roil, flickering with lightning. All eyes turned expectantly toward a massive luxury apartment tower across the park, topped with a lightning rod shaped like Supercell's logo. A blinding bolt cracked down like the finger of God, striking the rod dramatically. The iconic opening chords to the Scorpions' 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' began to blare from the speakers surrounding the stage, and- there he was!

A tiny, gleaming figure emerged from the penthouse atop the tower. A miniature tornado formed around his legs, and he launched into the sky like a rocket, cape billowing behind him, climbing a few hundred feet into the air. After a moment he reached the apex of his climb, adjusted his angle in clear mimicry of a roller coaster train cresting its first hill, and plunged downward, streaking like a bullet toward the earth. At the last second, a howling gust of wind swept from nowhere to catch him, sending him back up into another climb! The crowd went wild. He performed a pair of back-to-back loops as he approached them, then swooped down to land on the ground in front of the stage just in time for the song's chorus to begin. A blast of wind buffeted the audience, sending umbrellas flying and forcing Jonathan to grab hold of his notes.

"HERE I AM! ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!"

Grinning broadly, Supercell walked quickly along the front row. Lighting crackled above and an echoing thunderclap accompanied each high-five he gave, culminating as he reached Opal. He gave her a double high-five (the thunderclap rattled every window in town), then handed her a small, autographed Supercell plushie. She burst into tears of joy, and the crowd redoubled their cheers.

Backing away, he summoned his personal tornado again, launching himself backwards up onto the stage. He made his way toward the podium, waving and posing and hamming it up for the crowd, and fistbumped Jonathan once he got there. The music and applause died down, and he began.

"What's up, Los Diamantes? Another day in paradise, huh? Our own amusement park! Hey, Johnny, any chance there'll be a roller coaster named after me?"

[Voyager]

The crowd burst into laughter, interspersed with loud whistles and cries of joy. One such attendee didn’t feel the same way, however. Octavian peered down from a rooftop, having a clear view of the whole stage and most of the crowd. Using Cal-Ind military grade binoculars, he watched as the young superhero proudly strutted his stuff across the field of view. A look of eagerness was plastered on Octavian’s face, as he furiously scrolled the zoom notch on the tool.

Through the green-tinted lenses of the binoculars, he saw two key figures he could use to make a show for everybody. This… “Johnny” and… the girl.. Lowering his binoculars, laid down on the rooftop, waiting until the right moment, listening in. His sinister grin and devious thoughts were wiped away as he felt something was not right here.

He looked to the clouds and saw nothing but the grey blobs rolling through the sky, but his brain told him otherwise. Crossing his legs, Octavian closed his eyes and begun to meditate. Opening his eyes was a pitch black landscape with only purple auras, each signifying a person. Looking down at the speech, he saw thousands, possibly even millions. It was hard to count. As he turned away from the epicentre of the purple dots, Octavian saw less and less, until he looked at the sky, in which there was one aura, but it wasn’t purple, but rather a dark blue.

Blinking, his vision returned to normal. I shouldn’t be worried. It’s probably just a bird or something. Octavian continued to listen in, fastening his boots and gloves, and climbing onto the building’s edge, crouching.

Let’s see what he says next.

[Demon Lord Gira]

It didn't take long for Kala to make her way to where the aquarium was. As a being that lurked within the shadows, it was near impossible for her to be detected by an ordinary person. She could hear the loud chants and praises of the people that were listening to Supercell's speech even from this far away, and while it was tempting for her to sneak on over and take a look, Heng's words stabbed at the back of her mind. A confrontation with Supercell could turn ugly, and while Kala wanted to test her strength against the city's mascot and possibly even take his place, Vinnie had been very vocal about her doing her best to avoid him at all costs, and especially if innocent people could be hurt during it. So, she continued on her way.

Just as Heng said, the aquarium was lightly guarded. She slithered her way through the entrance and past the lone security guard that patrolled the main plaza. She slithered her way past large glass exhibits that were filled with sea horses, sea stars, nursing sharks and manta rays. She only stopped for a moment in the heart of the empty underwater tunnel, to gaze upward in awe as a whale shark glided overhead. It was amazing, to think something so big could be so peaceful and eat such small things. It had to eat a lot of that small thing just to survive, and yet it did...

She blinked within her shadowy form, and continued onward, until she finally made her way to the Living Fossils corner of the aquarium. There were four enclosures in this section of the aquarium: One belonged to a pair of alligators, and another to a tank of horseshoe crabs, and a third belonged to a tank filled with weird shelled octopus almost as big as she was. And there was the fourth, with a pair of rocky looking fish that stared blankly at the dark spot that Kala was hiding within.

Kala looked around. There were a few security cameras in this large room, but that was all there seemed to be in regards to security, and none of them looked at a certain corner in the room. She moved herself over there, and waited. Hopefully, some fishnapper or animal thief would try to sneak in, and she'd be able to bring them to justice, her way.

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

"Boys, the bags of cash?"

The man gestured to Viola, and two of his men walked up and laid down two large duffel bags filled with hundred dollar bills. Viola raised an eyebrow. "From the bank not too far away? I hope you covered your tracks, dear sir, because I would hate to have our transaction ruined so early."

"They'll never find us." The man insisted. " Every other police member is making sure Supercell's speech is nice and safe, and we drove all over the city before we came here to make sure no one was following. Trust me, we're safe."

"If you insist..." Viola craned her head to look at the cash that was being offered. "Yes, thirteen thousand dollars. I have plenty of wares and services that I can offer you for that price range."

She snapped her fingers, and from the hole in the wall slid out two metallic containers and a chair for her to sit in. She lowered herself onto the chair, then kicked open one of the containers. Within was a narrow ended gun of sorts with a needle tip, and a larger cannon with side grooves into the firing chamber.

The man leaned forward. "So what exactly am I looking at here? State of the art weapons, or crap you're trying to scam me with?"

"The former, trust me. I have no reason to lie to a potential customer." Viola picked up the smaller gun first. "All of these weapons are hand crafted by yours truly, and like nothing you will ever see elsewhere. This fires a concentrated beam, less than an inch thin, at light speed toward where you aim it at. This beam injects special nanites onto the surface of the target, which then begin to eat away at the victim on a molecular level. Unless they remove either the article of clothing that was stricken, or cut off that piece of flesh fast, even someone like Supercell or Bloodless will find themselves no better than a chicken leg dunked in a vat of acid, or given to pirahnas. However, while it self regenerates the ammo, it takes time between each shot to recharge. Once per day."

"Precise, yet lethal, even more than a bullet." The man raised a hand to his chin. "And the big cannon?"

"Oh, that channels a specialized flame concoction at 1200 F and discharges it as a single fireball that can level a three story house, or shatter and cripple even a skyscraper. Or, if you just need to vaporize an entire police force or blockade. Like the smaller gun, it also requires a full day to recharge between shots, so make it count. And no, no risk of radiation from either of these, you have my word."

She leaned in closer, and a toothy smile spread on Viola's face. "So, do we have a deal. Both of these guns, for thirteen thousand dollars, the small one for five thousand, and the big one for eight thousand?"

[Beast Blood]

Strun emerged from the rift into a new world. He found himself in a forest - a fine, quiet area to instigate his investigation of this realm. Carefully maneuvering through the branches, piles of fallen leaves crunching beneath his paws, the Dragon wandered and wondered, taking note of what he saw. As far as he could tell, nothing around here seemed out of the ordinary, until he noticed, between branches, what appeared to be a sizable settlement.

As he preferred to keep his profile low and avoid presenting himself to the denizens of this place for now, Strun decided to scout from the skies. The grey covering of clouds would obscure him from view.

Rearing on his hind legs, Strunahkaar spread his wings just enough to be able to take flight in such a constrained area, the branches of the trees around him encircling him so tightly. The winds here appeared to be much tamer than those of Bjornskar, and so Strun mustered his command of the air to push himself fully off the ground and into the skies proper. Soon, the Iron Wind disappeared into the clouds, that pale, ominous shroud that obscured the city beneath a wide blanket of greyish gloom.

Soaring above, the Dragon glided over Los Diamantes. Just as he was hidden from view from below, so too was the city hidden from him from above. While his sharp eyes could catch certain glimpses - a structure marked with a picture of a stylized blue fish, a lone woman standing against a wall on which he noticed what appeared to be a painting of some sort of orange canine, and a wide gathering of little creatures he assumed were the primary locals in the area - it was his ears that were most useful. By redirecting the wind to his ears, Strun was able to listen to all that went down below. Here, a woman was talking about some troublemakers. There, a man and his partner exclaimed about some treatment. And in the park was a much louder voice, amplified by some sort of apparatus in front of the speaker’s mouth. Strun paid the most attention to this one.

Below him, the people cheered for someone they called “Supercell”. A few moments later, music began to blast, and Strun suddenly had to avoid several strikes of lightning. The Dragon snorted, an annoyed rush of air from his nostrils. While he was unaffected by thunder strikes, comfortably putting up with them in the tumultuous skies of his homeworld, these flashes of light surely must have shown some glimpses of his bulky shape for the people below. Hopefully, these creatures were paying more attention to the object of their adoration and attention to the sky.

Finding a tall skyscraper that pierced the overcast heavens, Strun hovered over. He touched the structure with his foot tentatively, unsure if it would be able to support his weight. He decided to lighten the load, channeling his airbending to push himself slightly upwards so that his bulk was not entirely distributed to the building. Settling onto the structure, one clawed paw holding onto its antenna, Strun curiously listened to what was going on down there, pointed ears shifted to that direction...

[Corzak The Mighty]

Maximilian's eyes narrowed as the criminals discussed below, while Viola paraded her fearsome weapons for the lowlifes to examine like toys in a store. Weapons like these could not be allowed to fall into the hands of common criminals; this city was ravaged with enough conflict as-is. With weapons like these proliferating uncontested throughout Los Diamantes' underworld, anarchy would consume the city, with crime and violence running rampant. Maximilian's hand tightened even more into a fist, as the waves of cold intensified around his body like a great cloak of hellish frost. Not while he was here would he allow this to happen. This Viola... she had to be stopped here and now.

The wave of cold, deathly magic washed over Maximilian in full, as his normal, human body began to change and warp. His arms became covered in a set of vicious, taloned black iron gauntlets, azure runes adorning the length of his arms, as his torso became encased in a thick cuirass of ridged metal. His waist became adorned with a tasset designed to invoke devilish wings, as his legs were adorned in a set of hellish greaves. His head was soon encased in a great horned helm, as his eyes burned with an ominous azure glow, glaring down upon the assembly of criminals below.

Now, it was time for Cocytus to do his work.
----
Behind Viola and the criminals, a sudden THUD shook the alleyway they had hid themselves down, followed by the rattle of chains. With a fearsome hiss and a devilish rattle, a trio of chains suddenly shot out, wrapping themselves around one of the armed robbers! The man yelped in pain as the chains coiled around him like a constrictor snake, screaming in pain as vicious, barbed chains dug into his flesh, leaving deep bloody wounds in their wake. The man was pulled into the darkness of the alley, before his screams of pain were silenced by a sickening SNAP.

"There will be no deal," A deep voice boomed from deep within the shadows of the alley. A set of four azure-hued lights lit up deeper in the alley, followed by heavily armored footsteps. Cocytus stepped forth in full from the darkness, holding the man pulled in earlier. He had been bent in half like a folding chair, blood spilling forth from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Cocytus callously tossed the hapless man's corpse in front of the assembled criminals, before he conjured a massive, two-handed axe as tall as he was to make his point clear.

"Hand over those weapons, and I may let you live."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
As Supercell's speech was broadcast across Los Diamantes for all to see, making his triumphant announcement of the new amusement park coming to their drab city, the Los Diamantes Aquarium received a new visitor, albeit one with less than pleasant intentions. A figure, clad in a tight white and black striped jumpsuit, sat atop the structure, watching for any signs of trouble. His furred ears flicked about, picking up any strange sounds that he could. His old pals, the Rabble Rousers, had recently hit him up with a big heist they were planning - they wanted to try and steal the new Coelacanths from their exhibit. Apparently the stupid things were worth a pretty penny on the black market, so his old "pals" had called him up to get some help on their mission.

"How's it looking up there, Ragg?" A voice said over an earbud in the jumpsuit-clad mean's ear.

"I told you, my name's 'White Claw' now," the jumpsuit clad figure, presumably White Claw, replied half-heartedly. "Still looks like an aquarium. So how about you? You actually gonna start your step of the plan or what?"

The man on the other end laughed. "We'll get started. Looks like there's not much in the way of security. Once we start the distraction in the parking lot, there shouldn't be much trouble getting those dino fish out of their enclosures."

"This better pay me good, Troubadour," White Claw sighed. "Water and i don't exactly get along, you know."

"I know a guy, don't worry!" troubadour laughed back to White Claw. "He promised us 10k per fish. And once we're through here, you won't hear from me and the boys again, promise you that!"

"You said that last time too, Troub," White Claw chuckled, wiry tail slithering back and forth. "See you once I get the fish."

"See ya, Ragg." With that, silence fell over the rooftop again. White Claw let out a sigh. Guess he'd better get to work; those fish weren't gonna hop out themselves! He began to make his way down the side of the building, before finding a window, extending one of his claws, and slowly getting to work cutting a hole for him to squeeze through...
----
Outside the front of the aquarium, a group of three young men sat in a small car. Each of them held a small firework in their hands.

The oldest, a man in his late 20s, looked back to the others in the car. "Okay, stage's set, boys. We ready?"

"Got you, boss!" The other two replied.

"Alright then. Light'em up, boys!"

Striking a match, each of the young men set the fuse of the fireworks off. Scattering across the parking lot, each of the men lit several other fuses they had their their persons, before wildly flinging their flashy explosives across the parking lot - primarily aiming for people's cars, traffic signs, small structures such as the ticket booth, and other noticeable locales. Scattering wildly while hooting and hollering the whole time, the parking lot suddenly came to life with the sounds of explosions, followed by sparks and flares of brilliant light shooting both up into the sky and into the parking lot itself! Alarms blared across the parking lot as people's cars found themselves agitated, while signs and small structures that were close by found themselves knocked down, broken, or destroyed by the mischievous devices!