Topic: RPG-Superhumans

"Could you hand me the slide to my Desert Eagle? It's over there on that workbench."

Jack laughed.  He moved to the bench and tossed Jericho the slide. 

"Thanks," Jericho said. 

"I believe we shall all become very good friends."

Oni wasn't buying it, "Grabbing a slide hardly proves your allegiance.  I would believe you if you beat up one of your friends."

((Kaster, Mel, hurry up and get Sunburn over here.  MUAHAHAHAHAHA))

"Hey, that proves he isn't lazy." Jericho slid the slide onto the grip, then put the barrel on. "I did notice you have a use for guns yourself."

Haze reached for Chromium's arm. "I think we need to get over there."

"Will you come with us?" Chromium asked Sunburn.

Sunburn nodded, "Okay I'll come. Jack might have gone that way."

Once again Chromium rapped his arms around Haze and they few with Sunburn close behind them. They landed on the ground only a block away and Haze could have sworn that she'd seen the tall muscular man as they flew over, but she couldn't be sure.

As usual Chromium transformed into the silver belt, while Haze and Sunburn went into the Happy Harry's. Haze gritted her teeth. Something very bad was in here, she'd never felt such evil before. It was almost tangible. "I don't like this," Haze told both Sunburn and Chromium.

Acero easily pulled himself up the side of Happy Harry's. Alright, maybe not so easily. He was still a little winded from tracking Haze and those other two across the sky.

Once on the roof, the hero nimbly crawled over to a torn space in the structure where two walls met. The first person in the room below that he took notice of was Oni. Another man with a fearful grin was handing a slide over to another character who plugged the slide into the grip of his deagle. Something about the first man gave Acero the creeps.

Acero silently and expertly settled into a more comfortable lying position on the rooftop by the peep hole waiting for more villains to arrive.

((The big meeting'll go down this afternoon when I have to post the uber-post, but prepare for the shat to hit the fan.))

Starbright returned to her apartment, and noticed Flame had escaped. She had hoped to keep him there as a bargaining chip against Oni, but it appeared that Oni had foiled her plan. Fine. She would just have to wait for the big meeting.

(sadly i wont be bak for a while so just assume flame is silent or somthing)

Frost led Don in the direction of Happy Harry's. "Okay", he said, "something's gonna go down here. I know that this is where Oni is holed up, so that means something's up, man."

"Okay... so what are we gonna do?"

"Well, I'm a sniper, so I'll find a concealed, preferably high spot, and watch. And you need to go find Haze."

"I thought you said leave that to you!"

"I did, ummmm, start at Starbright's apartment, and then pretend to be a bloodhound. There, I took care of it. Now sick 'er, dude!"

"Whatever..." Don began to walk off dejectedly.

Frost then jumped into the air, making ice materialize in the air below him. Deploying the ice skates from his boots, he landed on the ice, making more in a spiral trail leading up to the top of a building, he skated up the trail of ice, using powerful leg muscles built from years of skating. Then, withdrawing the skates, he landed on the top of the building. He took the sniper rifle off his back, set up his tripod, aimed at the door of Happy Harry's, and got comfortable, watching...

The time was approaching, judgment at hand.  The players were in position, and the stage was set.  HE rose, like a dark phoenix from an abyssal chasm, his body coalescing into a humanoid form, pieces of shadow drifting behind him in the form of dark tendrils.  He stepped out from his dark realm, and appeared in the land of humanity.  Now was the time to strike....

((I'll be gone this afternoon too, so you can just add my dialogue/actions in if you want too.))

Jericho put the freshly-cleaned DE on the bench next to his 30mm APFSDS Sniper Rifle.

"Oni, You got one of those scopes that can see through walls and have infared capabilities?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I have a feeling I'm gonna need it."

((I see a sniper battle in the making..:)))

Frost was getting restless. He'd been waiting for 5 minutes already, yet nothing was happening. He was a trained sniper, and knew about patience, but for him, that took a WHOLE lot of self-discipline. He looked through the scope of his white Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifle, specially adapted for cold climates... It was Frost's joy, and he was almost obsessive about keeping it clean and in peak condition. The scope was outfitted with X-ray vision, and a new feature, the ability to "see" sound. It could identify waves made by vibrations, which in turn was translated by a optical-audio to audible-audio device on Frost's belt. The sounds were then reproduced into Frosts' ear through a headphone. Thus, he heared the conversation between Jack, Jericho, and Oni.

"Infrared, eh? Dude, that'd be cool. I gotta get you that, little buddy." Frost said, speaking to his rifle. "Heh, too bad infrared won't do squat for these dudes against me." Frost then lowered the temperature of his body until it was the same temperature as the atmosphere around him. "Sweeeet, noe I'm infraredly invisible, man... Does that make sense? Whatever..." He then made an ice cube that he proceeded to chew on to pass the time, and settled down to wait again...

As Haze and Sunburn stood in the bar Haze realised that Sunburn would be recognised if she took him in. "You might need to stay in the bar. Oni knows your face now."

Sunburn nodded, "Okay, but give me a shout if you need me."

Haze gave a nod in return and headed downstairs. Flame stood looking a little out of sorts. You okay?

Been better. Flame admitted.

It was then that Haze saw something that surprised her, Jack was here. He turned in his seat and Haze knew where the evil was emanating from. Jack's face was pale, his eyes sunken and touches of sickly yellow were flecked through his irises. "Hello Haze," he said.

A chill went through Haze's body, something was very wrong with Jack.

((Guys, im sorry to report that I will be going on a retreat for the next three days. This is my last post until i get out at 3:00 on friday...miami time of course(meaning that yes to those of you that do not know i live in miami,fl for future reference) Mel, since Chromium is with you right now I ask that u please take over him for the time being. Although I do regret not having control over my own character for the big showdown, I must depart. Mel, take good care of him please, he is a powerful super...use him well.))

Chromium took comfort in knowing that he was very close to Haze. She seemed to be the center of attention these days and that meant she was in constant danger. He was relieved he was close enough to protect her if the need be.

He saw Jack as Haze walked into the bar and was intrigued by what he saw. He had become a very sullen faced wretch it seemed. Something was seriously wrong...

At last, at long last, the time was at hand. Happy Harry's was closed & deserted, as far as anyone from the outside looking in could tell, but in actuality the bar was filled with every big-time despot in Mission City. They sat around a large round table, food and drink prepared for them. Haze, Jack, Jericho and Flame stood at the 4 corners of the bar. After the guests had time to eat their fill, Oni decloaked, appearing the middle of the table.

"I'm proud of you guys for showing. And I know you're here because you're frustrated with what you have versus what you know you deserve. I know that feeling. And for you, for us, that feeling is right.

"But now that we're here...now. All of us together...organized under one roof...things are going to change."

Oni paused and removed his mask, showing his crew cut blonde hair, barely visible. His eyes were blue, and filled with the kind of confidence that instills it in others. A peach-fuzz mustache adroned his upper lip.

"My name is Aleksander Uy. They call me the Oni." He continued, placing his mask back on his face. "And I have a vision for the future. A vision which includes all of you. And all of you get that which is rightfully yours.

"We're going to organize. Work togehter. We'll help eachother get what we want, when we want it. Because I know you're sick of Rykenkroft and you're sick of The Cell and sick of living in the shadows wondering where you'll get your next loaf of bread or wondering which brightly colored %$&*# is going to bust up in your business and destroy everything you worked so hard for. But I've got news for y'all. That time is past. Darklight is dead and every super-yutz is busy looking for his killer.

"Ever since this business began, we've had no structure. None. I say we replace all that madness with something new. With us. The plan is simple: If you're having trouble with something, you don't take it head-on and end up behind bars. You come to me, or one of the people in the corners. These guys, Flame, Jericho, Haze, and Jack...(maybe not Jack)...are my informants, my second in command, my horsemen if you will. You go to me or them and we make a plan to target and eliminate the problem before it screws you up. We work together, with teamwork and strength in numbers.

"Also--no plan on the street goes down without my OK so we don't trip over eachother like idiots. No job gets without paying up front. If you have problems with eachother, you come to me and I'll deal with it.

"You're not paying for nothing. You're paying for leadership & organization. You're paying for the group."

"Why it gotta be you?" Piped up Slow Burn, heavily stoned.

"Eh?"

"Why it gotta be you in charge? What if I don't like how you do business?"

"Oh...I thought of that. Jericho, the envelopes."

Jericho began to pass around envelopes to each villain.

"Open 'em."

Inside was 25 grand.

"25 biggin's. Seed money. Go out, buy some new tech or pay back child support or whatever...do whatever it is you gotta do to be you. They you come to me and tell me what else you need and I send out a team specifically designed for that thing. And if a hero rears his ugly head, we handle it. The way it should always have been done. We go after their loved ones and their family. Break them spiritually...then they'll do whatEVER you want."

"If'n it was that easy, we'd a done it years ago." Chimed in the bloated cajun baddie called "The Colonel".

Oni said nothing. He merely activated his cloaker and dissappeared before reappearing behind the Colonel.

"That was then." Oni crooned behind the stunned villain. "This is now. Now things are different. Imagine. We get them one by one, pick 'em off like flies. All of 'em. None of 'em get a free pass. Not the top dogs, not the up-and-comers. We squeeze 'em like a stress reliever. We make them too terrrified of us to lift a finger. The buckle, fall apart, disorganize as we organize.

"Now, sorry Harry, but Double H's is closed. To anyone outside the know, it's the building site for another Starbucks. There's so many under construction, no one will notice. I'll put an image projector over this whole thing, making it look deserted 24-7, even if it never is. Noone'll find out, 'cuz you guys'll enter through the back. We clear?"

"What's keepin us from splittin with the cash?" Asked The Colonel.

"Heh. Well if you think you're only worth 25 large, than there's nothing from stopping you. But I promise, in 6 months, 7 tops, you will look back and laugh at the times when you that was big money. Laugh a big belly laugh. The money you will be making will be enough to buy an island the shape of your head and live on it. You'll be untouchable. Are you seeing it, mon freres ? Are you seeing the future? It's nice, isn't it? You get it?"

As Oni cloncluded and the villains arranged a date to regroup, no one noticed Happy Harry sneak out of the bar. He mosied a few blocks before miraculously scaling a building. He stood on top of it and watched as Starbright flew by. This was in her usual patrolling area, Harry figured he'd find her eventually. As she flew past, she notcied the balding bartender.

"I know you, you work for him! You work for Oni!" Starbright screamed, landing in front of Harry.

"N-no..." Harry smirked, color suddenly draining from his figure as he transformed into a living shadow akin to Voidhunter. "N-n-no-not really." He growled as he hit the heroine right in the chest with a blast of darkness.

"W...what on...?" Starbright could not collect her thoughts.

"Hehe..can you k-k-keep a s-sec-secret, Starbright?" Harry stuttered, the darkness of his body turning to silver, a la Chromium. Each of his hands grew into massive claws with razor-sharp fingers, and one hand grabbed Starbirght's legs, the other her arms. He pulled his arms gently in opposite directions.

"I c-ca-can mimmick abi-abi-abili-abilities, Starbright. Su-su-superpowers. All I ha-ha-ave to do is be n-ne-near them when th-they're u-u-u-used. Th-that's all. Isn't that sp-sp-special?" He yanked both ends of Starbright firmly when she did not respond.

"Ahh!" Starbrigh screamed.

"I n-n-know it's cliche, but I have to k-ki-kill you now that you know. G-g-g-g-g-goodbye." He pulled as hard as he could on the young super, until the desired effect occured. Then Harry reassumed his normal form and flew away.

As Starbright lay on the rooftop, a deep burgundy puddle forming between her two halves, she muttered one word before passing.

"Nicholas."

((Yeah.))

After flying alongside Haze and Chromium, Sunburn cautiously entered Happy Harry's.  Looking around the bar for any immediate danger, he only came across a few bikers, hardly worth fighting.  So, he stepped into the dimly lit bar.....

Flame stood in the back left corner of the bar. He leaned against the wall, flipping, igniting, then estinguishing the silver dollar he had. Oni's plan sounded very good, and he hoped that Haze would either join them, or remain neutral, as she had before. He leaned back against the wall, continued to watch, listen, and feel.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Haze didn’t know what exactly but she felt such turmoil she wanted to leave. She didn’t like the idea of super’s families being slaughter just so a bunch of power hungry villains could sate their greed. But Haze stood appearing impassive.

There was something else, other than Jack’s strangeness, which seemed wrong. She felt something touch her mind and immediately doubled her defences. Vandal was awake. But there was something else, it was like something important had happened and it wasn’t for the better.

Haze looked briefly at Flame and realised that he was impressed with Oni’s speech and that only made her more on edge. She touched her belt for reassurance, it was good to know that Chromium was there, she found it grounded her.

Oni turned to look at her briefly and Haze smiled at him with encouragement. She didn’t want to end up on his hit list.

-

Vandal felt a lot of minds around her, some were not as dark as others, and then she found one that was familiar. Sunburn was here. She reached out to him, Sunburn, I’m being held prisoner. Can you break me out? she called and sent images of her location hoping he would know what to do.

Oni's plan was interesting, but there were some rough edges. Killing their families would not accomplish anything, it would just make it worse, and bring new civilians to their cause. He would speak to Oni about this later, for now though, he felt some one below. Looks like Oni's guest is up. he voiced to Haze. He walked over to Oni, and leaned in, so the guests could not hear. "Vandal is up."

What was done was done.  From the concealment of the shadows he watched, waited, and listened to Oni's plan.  It was a good one.  A smart one.  But he would never be part of it.  His quarrel was not with other petty colourfully clothed people with unusual abilities.  His enemy was taken care of; he was free.  Nothing any hero could do would have any permanent affect on him.  There are the deadly dangerous people in the world, and then there are the scary danegrous.  He was not a killer for the sake of killing.  He did what he did becuase he no longer cared.  He no longer cared about consequences. They could capture him; so what?  He would break free.  They could maim him; not when there were shadows around to heal his wounds.  He could die, but they would not like that either.  No, not at all.  The most dangerous people on Earth are those who do whatever they feel, without regard to consequences.  Laws were just words and text to such people.  And he was one such person.  With a smirk, he vanished from the shadows, reapearing on a rooftop that he had scouted out beforehand for being very dark.  And there he was treated with a surprise. 

There was a man laying prone on the rooftop, pering through the scope of a sniper, unmoving.  His first instinct was to kill, to rend and tear, slaughter and annihilate.  But he held back.  It would be intersting to observe what would happen next.  To do so, he made himself like a shadow, neither solid nor with mass.  And then he crept along the rooftop until he joined the man's shadow.  He then linked himself to it, looking or all the world to BE the man's very own shadow. And then he waited, and watched...

"Vandal is up." Flame whispered in Oni's ear.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I left the kettle on, I'll be back in a moment." Oni addressed his guests.

As Oni and Flame walked down into the bunker, Flame voiced his distrust about killing the families of heroes.

"Oh, don't worry, bubelah. I don't intend to kill their families, merely use them as leverage. Threaten to kill, but nothing more, unless absolutely neccesary."

"Now let's go see what's up with Vandal."

"Oni..."

"What?"

"Someone else just entered the bar. Sunburn."

"Ah well, there's an army up there. They can take care of him. Comeo n. We have an unhappy house guest."

Oni took Jack aside.  "Hey Jack I know you want to join us but we have a problem.  Sunburn your little friend has entered my bar and he may disturb my balance I have in here,"  He motioned to Sunburn on the security cameras, "I need you to get rid of him."  Jack made his way upstairs.  He made his way to Sunburn who was looking around the bar for someone.  Sunburn noticed Jack and headed over to him. 

"Jack I've been looking for you!  You look terrible!"

"I'm sorry Sunburn.  I'm doing this for Darklight Sunburn really I am."

"What are you-"  Jack slugged Sunburn across the face being sure to pull his punch because of his newly found strength.  "Jack?!  What was that for?"  But Jack just kept coming.  A kick and a punch, and a jab. 

"So you want to play like that Jack?"  Sunburn ignited himself and all people scattered.  He threw fireball after fireball but Jack dodged him.  Jack kept coming punch after punch with his skin healing from burns as soon as he pulled back.  Eventually Sunburn collapsed and extinguished.  Jack picked him up and threw him out the front door.

((Don't worry guys I talked this over with Kaster.))

The fiery one was defeated, his friend having fought him.  Good.  It was all moving in accordance to his plans.  Only a few more steps before the fall...

Oni and Flame proceded to the room where Vandal was being held. Flame opened the door, and stepped in, ready to defend himself.

Vandal stood with her back to them. She didn’t need to see her captors to know they were there. She also knew that Sunburn would not be helping her, he was either unconscious or dead.

Vandal turned her head to look over her shoulder at the two men. One was the scaled menace she’d attacked before and the other was Oni who she was yet to face. She’d been tampering at the edges of Oni’s mind while captured and knew exactly what she was going to do.

Without even moving Vandal threw a barrage of images into Oni’s mind. It showed him the pain of all his victims. He would feel the flames of being burnt alive, he would know what it was like to be drowned and he would know the unending sorrow of his victims’ families.

Oni dropped to his knees holding his head. The scaled man raised his fists and Vandal turned, smiled and sent a burst of psychic energy into his brain that would send pain through every neuron in his body. He collapsed to the floor also. Vandal moved to the open door and ventured outside.

Vandal was stupid. Flame had been, after seeing what had happened to Haze, preparing. He got up, and followed her, placing his hand on her shoulder, she spun, punching at him, and he caught it. He looked at her, calm, as he always was, before he seriously hurt, or killed some one. He sent her his experiences, showing her, and letting her feel the pain he had felt when he was changed into what he was now.

"You..." Oni snarled, regaining his composure. "You sent me...to hell. A little too early, might I add." Oni unsheathed his wristblades. And he knew Vandal would attack him again. He countered by thinking up the most dreadful thoughts he could imagine. Vandal, disembowled in a ditch surrounded by locusts. Children burning on an apolcalyptic city street. Maggots crawling over the heroine's own body. She recoiled in horror of what Oni could dredge up.

"A door opened can be travelled through both ways. You'd make a great villain, you know." Oni stated, smugness filling his voice. He began screaming random numbers in his head. 3! 47! 1110000! 3.141758642938! Pi! English Muffins! Charcoal! Frank Sinatra!

Vandal laughed at Flame. “You don’t think you can harm me with your mediocre power do you?”

Vandal took the opportunity to amplified Flame’s own feelings and turned them back on him. Flame gritted his teeth and tried to bare it. Vandal twisted the memories to make them worse than they actually had been and stormed off before the reptilian could grasp at her again.

Vandal flinched at Oni's attack but she'd had worse. She also sent a jolt of psychic energy through Oni and quickly departed.

-

Haze met Vandal at the exit. “Get out of my way,” Vandal warned.

“You attacked me for no reason before,” Haze pointed out standing her ground.

“I didn’t know who you were. Now I do. For Starbright’s sake, move.” Vandal snarled.

“Keep Starbright out of this.” Haze said stepping forward.

Vandal’s face turned sombre, “Starbright is already out. Go check the roof, you won’t like what one of your new friends has done.”

Haze blinked suddenly concerned, “Tell me.”

“The Voidhunter has killed your cousin.” Vandal said stepping around Haze who now stood unmoving.

“Why?” Haze whispered.

“Because he’s evil, that’s why.” Vandal told then ran off, leaving Haze standing alone with a building anger.

((Fixed the post, hope it makes more sense))

((it's VoidHUNTER.  Or you could call him Void; that's easier.  Okay, I got it now.  Thanks.  Sorry, I'm slightly touchy about characters' names...My apologies if I came off as a bit too snobbish.))

(hmmm. Flame will have his revenge....as soon as he gets up....)
Flame staggered up. He could function, and he ran after her, pushing past Haze, he drew the sword, and ignited his other hand. He caught her, and yelled. She turned, and grinned, assuming that he could not do anything to her. He sent her the worst experiance, and she screamed, and collapsed.
(Flame was human once, imagine having your bones reshaped, while you were kept awake with drugs. Kinds that wont dull pain.)

Haze saw Flame prepare to make the final blow and stopped him with her mind, Don't. She voiced to him simply.

Flame looked at her, Why?

I need to see if she was right about Starbright. Haze told and made her way to the roof.

What? Flame asked, remotly confused as to why his revenge was being interupted.
While he waited, he took all the false memories Vandal had caused, and gave them back, causing her to moan, and curl into a fetal position, whimpering.

Haze climbed her way up the ladder to the roof and stopped as she reached the top. There was blood and lots of it. Two chunks lay on the ground and they wore the colourful outfit that had been Starbright’s.

Haze walked forward and saw her cousin’s beautiful face staring blankly into the sky while her mouth remained open in what could only be described as shock.

A sob tore through Haze as she dropped to the ground. She covered her face with her hands as she tried to stop the tears from rolling. She felt Chromium start to move around her waist and she placed a hand over his form, “No stay there.” She said simply.

Haze jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, I didn’t know. Flame’s voice said quietly in her head.

Vandal said it was Void who did this. Haze voiced back to him. “I can’t even take her body back to her parents, not like this.” Haze said out loud.

All was darkness.  The shadow claimed even the brightest of souls.  In the end, everything fades into black.  He smirked as he watched the events unfold at the bar from his vantage point from the sniper's shadows.

"I can help you find what did this, you can have your vengance." He turned her away from the corpse. He crouched, looking at the body. He reached out, put his fore and middle finger on her eyelids, and closed them.

Haze stood looking out into the distance with tears running down her face. She’d just started to connect with Starbright and now she was gone. Haze wanted to tell her Aunt and Uncle of Starbright’s fate, she thought they deserved to find out off her rather than the media.

Haze turned to look at Flame, he’d mentioned vengeance but right now Haze felt like something inside her had died. Besides she only had Vandal’s word that Void had done this. It could have been a ploy to have her go against the human shadow but Haze doubted it. There had been truth in Vandal’s eyes.

“I need to talk to Vandal. I need to know what she knows.” Haze told Flame.

Flame didn’t look happy, “Vandal’s our enemy. Remember what she did to you.” He said as he touched the side of her face.

“I know, but she’s the only one with any answers.” Haze reminded him.

Flame nodded rather reluctantly.

“I need to go.” Haze said as she headed back towards the ladder.

“I’ll come with you,” Flame told.

“No, I’m going alone. I need to tell Starbright’s parents that their daughter is dead.” Haze said coldly.

Flame stepped back at her attitude. “Okay, I’ll bundle up Vandal and you can talk to her when you get back. Oni’s not going to be happy.”

“Is Oni ever happy?” Haze said, not really wanting an answer as she departed.

-

Haze was three blocks away before she felt Chromium shifting from around her waist. He appeared beside her and reached out to stop her from walking any further. Haze opened her mouth to protest but Chromium pulled her into his arms for a hug.

Haze found herself wrapping her arms around him in response. She needed comfort right now more than anything. She was unsure just how long she stood their holding him and being held. “There was no reason…” Haze started.

“Shh, now is not the time to ask why. Now is the time to grieve.” Chromium said to her as he cradled her head against his shoulder.

“I want to go home.” Haze said quietly between sobs.

She felt Chromium draw her closer and then she felt the breeze and realised that they were flying. It took no time to get back to her apartment block. Chromium shifted back into Tanis as they stood in the alleyway. “I don’t know which one is your apartment.”

Haze led Tanis into the building and up the stairs to her apartment. She didn’t hesitate in letting him in, it seemed he was her only friend at that moment. Elmo was immediately at her feet rubbing around her as if sensing her distress. Then he noticed Tanis and walked over to sniff him.

Tanis picked up Elmo and gave him a scratch behind the ears. “Do you need anything?” Tanis asked Haze.

She shook her head. “I’m going to have a shower. It might clear my head. I’ll call my Aunt and Uncle then.”

Tanis nodded in understanding and left her to do what she had to.

Flame carried Vandal back to Oni's base.
"Wait, you were supposed to kill her"Oni said, enraged.
Shut up.

Flame took her into the room she had occupied before, and dropped her on the table, he moved into the shadows, the only trace of him the slight shine from coin he was flipping, and the reflection from his eyes.

She woke up later upon sensing him she stood, and looked ready for combat. "Relax. A freind wants you alive. You may remember her. She wants to talk to you, but she may be a while, so I sugest you take a seat." She looked like she was going to run out. Flame stopped her. "Remember what happened earlier, I can, and will do that agian." She sat down, and he leaned against the wall, eyed closed, thinking.

Don wondered the streets. He needed a drink, he passed by a number of real fancy pancy bars, but he didnt want a fancy one he wanted a good old fashioned dump. Just so he could drink a few and maybe get drunk. He decided to try out a bar called: Happy Harrys.

He walked through the doors and looked around: where the hell was the barteder?....where was anyone?

Jericho sat in the back room of the bar with his rifle aimed at the wall. He peered through the scope, looking around for a spot to appear, but got nothing. Jericho smirked and looked through the Infared X-ray scope again, but this time, he saw something. It was almost human-shaped, warping slightly.

"What the hell is that?" Jercho pulled the trigger...it was like thunder. The walls were scorched from the muzzleflash alone...15 feet away.

He was puzzled at first, it looked like a spattered outline of a person right next to where he shot.

((That's you Night. And what I shot was Voidhunter, he splattered all over you.))

The Void super had ruined everything. The chief was not going to be happy.

The occupants of the bar sprang from their chairs as the roof of Happy Harry's exploded. Acero had transformed. His boots slammed into the table cleanly breaking it into two. There was a whooshing metallic sound as his hands gleamed silver and the eyes beneath his mask became smooth and glossy. He was steel; living steel. Nothing could hurt him now, nothing could melt him. He was invincible. The remaining villains stared at the newcomer surrounded by rubble in shock.

Finally the one called the Colonel got the sense to attack.

"Hero..." he coughed bitterly as dust from the obliterated roof settled down to the bar floor. He leaped forward throwing a confident punch at the assailant.

Acero's right chain was around the Colonel's wrist before it was halfway to his face. Without the slightest effort, the hulking, metal warrior flicked his arm behind him sending the unfortunate Colonel flying into the back wall.

Guns were aimed at him in a second. A thick barrage of bullets rebounded uselessly off every inch of Acero's body. Villains were still squeezing triggers when their clips ran out. Acero lowered himself into a battle stance as his chains became deadly spinning fans.

Bodies were flying left and right with no remorse. When all the men were down, Acero turned to the doorway to see Oni and Jericho striding in; the latter already has his weapon trained on him.

Acero raised an arm to point at Oni. The chain swayed back and forth from his manacled wrist menacingly. The hero pressed the button on the manacle and the rotating head of the chief of police sprang into view.

Oni lowered his head slowly taking a cautious step into the room.

"Aleksander Uy," said the recording of the chief. "You are under arrest for conspiracy against the League of Heroes. Stand and desist. You have the right to remain silent..."

Naturally, Acero didn't like saying the speech which is why he'd had the hologram installed into his wrist piece. Still, it didn't really matter. He didn't really expect Oni to come queitly. He'd almost be disappointed if he did.

(sory, but flame is watching Vandal, making sure she dosnt try anything.)

"So, what happened?" Flame asked, trying to pass the time.

Void was getting edgy; he'd been waiting here for quite a while, and it wasn't easy to keep oneself to the consistancy of a shadow, and repress an aura of fear at the same time, and this sniper wasn't even targetting the doorway.  He had caught a glimpse of a silver streak rising into th sy a minute or so ago, but other than that, there was nothing of any interest.  He was almost contemplating returning home, but in the end decided against it. He would wait this one out.  I didn't go quite as he planned.

The sniper was lucky, and the missile that exploded from the building missed him, but tore a gash through his shoulder.  However, Void wasn't so lucky, and got hit head on. The impact was followed by a sound akin to thunder.  The bullet (if it could be called that) struck, sending fiery streams of pin throughout his body, and flinging pieces of his essence in all directions, much of it landing on the sniper's shocked form.  Ouch.  That one had hurt.

Vandal watched the scaled man with slitted eyes. She didn’t trust him and wondered who his ‘friend’ was. As she sat she started shifting through the images thrown back at her and sorted them into useful categories. Vandal wasn’t fazed. She’d been horrified at the feelings the images had induced, but the images themselves weren’t anything she hasn’t seen before.

Vandal had seen much pain and suffering in her time. Because of this she had sided with the heroes. The villains never knew the pain they inflicted, they only new the glorification it gave them.

Vandal glared at Flame, repulsed by his very presence. No friend of yours, would be a friend of mine.

Flame didn’t answer, instead he ran off at Oni’s beckoning.

“Paracite,” Vandal snarled standing and catching the door before it slammed shut.

Vandal smiled as she realised she wasn’t alone, another hero had joined the fight and she was happy to assist. Vandal charged in after Flame, he stood with Oni and Jericho and aimed at the steel man that Vandal recognised as Acero. She’d never fought with him but she’d heard the rumours.

I will fight with you, my friend. Vandal voiced to Acero telepathically then she prepared to fight. At that moment Vandal sent a high pitched squeal through the minds of all the villains and grinned as they all tried to block it by holding their ears.

((Sorry Adeptus, I liked this post too much ;) ))

Void was concentrating, hard. He hd to pull his essence back together, before that shooter shot his pieces to, well, pieces.  The globs of goo slowly moved towards each other, as they worked to reform his body.

Flame watched the others try to block the noise, he went along, hoping that she was stupid enough to belive it. He turned quickly, and let a cone of fire spray from his hand, at the same time, he began to send random images to Vandal, trying to confuse her.

Vandal had been ready for Flame’s mind assault. Her barriers were up and she’d been yet to meet a telepath who could get passed them once they were at full capacity.

Vandal leapt and hovered in the air as Flame shot a few fireballs her way. Touchy, aren’t you? And here I was thinking that you wanted answers for your friend.

Shut up and stay still. Flame growled back at her.

Vandal pushed off a wall and bounced into the pit of villains who were shooting at Acero. It was potential suicide for a telepath who had no healing abilities but Vandal had a plan. She slotted herself behind Acero’s metal body, which shielded her from the gunfire. “Hey buddy, I’m here to help.”

Acero said nothing but Vandal stayed at his back. She tricked several villains into believing that the person next to them was their enemy. She laughed as they fired upon each other. Five of Oni’s would-be colleagues were now dead.

"HOLY SHIZZ BALLS!!" yelled Don as he dove behind a turned over table for cover. Bullets and other assorted weapons were flying all over the place directed at the werid man in metal swing chains all over the place and killing people. Right after he begain to get his barrings, a loud screaching noise blew up inside his head. He yelled in pain, covering his ears. "Ok time for a redo..." Don checked his suits status: Green and ready to go. Don punched the button, and time was reversed. The ceiling repaired itsself and the man in steel flew upwards, and everyone returned to there seats backwards. Don ran through it all and went into one of the back hall ways as fast as he could before the suit short circuited. His suits alarms went off, and all of a sudden time retured to normal...then slowed down...then stoped...then went ultra fast...then the suit went out all together. "What the heck," Thought Don. "its not supposed to speed up time!" Don looked up and saw a guy with scales running down the hall at full speed, torwards him.

(( just so you know you dont have to repost, time is almost exactly where it was when the suit went out, give or take a few minutes))

Haze sat on her bed with her towel wrapped around her. Her dark hair was wet and stuck against her left collarbone and down her sternum. She looked at the cordless phone in her hand. She had to ring them. They deserved to know.

With a shaky finger Haze dialed the number. Her Aunt answered the phone. “It’s Kaylene, I’ve got some terrible news.” Haze informed her Aunt of Maria’s death. The older woman burst into tears immediately. Haze didn’t divulge the details but said she had a suspect for Starbright’s killer.

Once the conversation was over Haze hung up the phone and placed it on the bedside table. There was a knock at her bedroom door. “Come in,” Haze said as she looked out the window.

Tanis stepped into the room, “Are you okay?”

Haze shook her head, “No. That was the hardest call I’ve had to make in my life.”

Tanis sat down beside her. “I know what it’s like to lose family.”

Haze looked at him. “I feel so bad because I never really got to know her.”

Tanis put an arm around her and drew her into a hug. “We all think we have all the time in the world to get to know our loved ones. It’s a terrible shock when we realise we don’t.”

Haze didn’t say anything, she just hugged him back not wanting to think anymore.

Tanis wasn’t blind to the fact that Haze was only wearing a towel. His right hand was on her bare back and he relished how soft her skin was. He shifted her closer and her wet hair brushed his face. He ran his left hand up her spine and to the nape of her neck turning her head to face him. “Don’t ever blame yourself for Starbright’s death. The burden is too much to live with.”

Haze looked directly into his eyes, her own eyes still tear filled. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

“Now is not the time to talk about it.” Tanis said wanting to drop the subject.

Haze took the hint. “Thank you for being here.”

“There’s no other place I’d rather be.” Tanis admitted.

Haze’s eyes moved to look at Tanis’ lips and he needed no further prompting, he leant forward and kissed Haze like a man starved for love.

((Is it hot in here, or is that just me? I think even Frost would agree with me...lol))

Something was wrong, Frost could feel it. Out of nowhere, darkness had, as weird as it sounded, splattered all over him. And the dread he felt in his gut was almost physically heavy. He rolled over, looking around, but saw only his shadow. "Look at that, you're so nervous you're scared of your own shadow... heh heh," Frost told himself nervously. He rolled back over into his prone position, looking across the expanse at the roof of Happy Harry's. He saw the severed body of Starbright, whom he had seen killed by some immense dark octopus-like mass. But had been unable to do anything as he couldn't figure out what to shoot at. After, Haze herself showed up after a short confrontation with Vandal, and mourned briefly over the body of Starbright on the rooftop. "Well," Frost said, "At least I know where Chromium's been hiding..." Then all hell had broken loose, the roof of Double H's had exploded, Frost thought because of Acero, and then shots and bodies were flying all over. "Party time, dude..." Frost said, then began unloading sniper rounds into random villains when he had the chance, yet always keeping an eye out for Oni, that liitle twerp was the one who forced Frost out of the game originally, framing him when a store clerk had been found frozen behind the counter, discrediting Frost. A hero has nothing if no one believes he's a hero. So, alert for the armored man... Frost still waited in the shadows, shooting into the fray all the while...

((Sorry I didn't post for a while, I was working for the last couple of hours...))

Jack was up on the rooftop observing Starbright's body.  Hm.  It didn't seem right.  He didn't think Void had the strength to tear someone in two.  He filed the thought into the back of his mind when he heard a thunder clap to his left.  He looked over and saw a hero in white camo he did not recognize.  And a black goo had just appeared from his shadow and was now all over the new hero.  Jack looked at the now shell-shocked hero and saw the goo slowly forming up again.  Until it resembled a man.  But it quickly jumped back into the hero's shadow when the hero turned around.  Jack smiled with glee.  Void!  He quickly made his way to the other building hoping from roof top to roof top with leg bones fracturing if the jump was a bit far but immediately healing.  He pulled out his gun and began firing at  Void.  He laughed to himself.  Must be pretty funny looking from the hero's perspective.

((Sev, hasn't the roof exploded already?))