[System]
Clan: Shinobu Clan (deceased)

Age: 12

Appearance:

Personality: Hauna was a quiet, but happy girl. Liked a simple life with friends and family all about her. Now, she is quiet for a different reason. She doesn't create ties. She does what needs to be done and retreats into herself. Even her words are short and to the point. Simply, she is cold.

Fighting style (Ninjutsu element?/Genjutsu/Taijutsu): Ninjitsu: Crystal User

Trademark ability (what are you known for?): Crystal Chrysalis. She is able to cover her whole body in a crystal shell to conserve energy and go into a hibernation like state. In certain conditions, she can heal herself.

Rank: Chuunin

History:Haruna was from a small mining village in the west. The villages was responsible for excavating the best ore for weapons and building. A peaceful town that was pretty remote in the mountains.A young ninja showed up one and changed the landscape forever. His name, Mangetsu. It was said that he had to slaughter the town and it's people for him to fulfill his test. To earn his place among the legendary 7 swordsmen. He brutally killed them all and left a sizable scar on Haruna's face, which she covers. If it wasn't for her chrysalis ability, she would be just like the rest of her family. An intense inferno of hatred resides for his village because they produced a monster like him.

[User]
The Village Hidden in the Twilight was more than a moniker for the Yukage... it was a deadline. The Yukage had as of late picked up intelligence that even the Mist's own was upset about the growth and would likely try to procure talented ninjas underneath their ranks, Let alone the other lands and villages. Her advisors called her paranoid but she knew better. Tapping into the mysterious supply of chakra these lands gathered, along with her own allowed her to cover the land hidden in the twilight in genjutsu as well. With a deep breath, "Focus"she exhaled, sitting with her legs crossed, dark skin glistening beneath the moon. Dragon-Serpent-Bird-Sage. Her hands smoothly and quickly entered each signal,and she released.A translucent barrier enveloped the entirety of the Mist. The barrier sparkled and then dissipated from view.

She stood off and patted the dust. "Good...now all those subpar ninja who pass by our border will see nothing beyond a broken hollowed out bridge that dips into the waters edge... Those who know better though will see fears into fruition..."She smiled her half dastardly smirk but in all seriousness she knew that as much energy she expended into this genjutsu, most ninjas had considerable prowess. At most this would stop E or D rank ninja (genin) on reconaissance. C and above? Well thats were things started to get tricky. She looked up to the moon and did a quick prayer before heading back to her office.

---
Yuuto was up early this morning, behind his small hut, practicing in the forest. Shooting a Sharp pointed bone like kunai out of his palm, He hit his mark and just as quickly pulls it out of the tree and starts practicing his taijutsu with it. Jump. Reverse Spin. Slash. Flip Back. Gain some Distance, Yuuto. Reabsorb...Jump and Shoot Again!. This time he missed his mark. He also didn't appreciate the time it takes for him to fully absorb his bone and shoot it out again. As the last of his line, It was up to Yuuto to help protect the town that had given him a sense of family... Although he lived alone, towns people would always check that he had enough food. They would prod him about moving closer into the heart of the village but as much as Yuuto said no, he appreciated the offer.

Frustrated in himself, it was getting about that time to reconvene with his shinobi advisor, Kiragi, known for her water based techniques... Yuuto went down by the waters edge and freshened up, slipping into his shinobi outfit, by now noticing that the sun had at least hit its mark at ten. If one thing was his weakness it was letting his mind wander while freshining up. He almost yelp and he ran back into the forest and took to the trees to hasten his venture to the schoold lot. He could already see his instructors upset face . Hopefully his teammates were late as well so he wouldn't get the brunt of the punishment!

[Assistant]
Yuta tossed and turned in his sleep. He hid his head under the blanket trying to block out the sunlight creeping through the curtains of his curtains. When that failed, he let out a sigh. He slowly sat up in his bed and stretched. The night before, Yuta stayed awake practicing his chakra control. He took a deep breath and crawled out of bed.

Yuta walked across the floor of his small apartment. He glanced at a letter on his dresser. It was from his mother. Yuta slowly reached for it. It arrived last night while Yuta was training deep in the woods. He unrolled the scroll and read it. The paper gave off his mother's scent. It reminded him of home. The letter said that his younger brother and sister were doing well and that she was keeping them occupied to avoid them messing with Farmer Yuma's piglets. His father and uncle were working diligently to keep the peace and that they had been an excellent job at it.

Yuta believed his mother's words but could tell she was hiding something. There was a certain tone to the letter that unsettled him. Like, "We're okay. We still have a target on our backs but we will be fine. Worry about yourself." He picked his head up and looked out the window. The sun was higher; it was probably around the ten o' clock hour.

"Crap!" Yuta exclaimed. He rushed to prepare for the meeting with his advisor, Kiragi. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and threw his clothes on. He grabbed his katana from its stand and holstered in on his back. He opened the window to his room and, with no hesitation, jumped from the window to the nearest rooftop. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Yuta raced to the schoolyard.

'Hopefully, I'm not the only one who's late,' Yuta thought.

[User]
Haruna sat quietly under the tree of her new home. School children passed her by and she didn't pay them any mind. Of course, there wasn't anyone to tell her that she shouldn't reside there or when to run to school. She lived alone. The village had been gracious enough to appoint her someone to make sure she had her basic needs. Unfortunately, it was only the basics. Hiyaritoshita (Hiyari-san) only spoke to Haruna when scheduled to. Their interactions made her feel like a plant. Just make sure she had her light, her water, food, and nothing else. It didn't matter. Haruna treated this all the same. Just means to an end.

"Play their game... Play it until the right piece is on the field." She thought to herself. Her visible eye fixated straight ahead at the gates to the town.

Her mind always lingered to her home. The smell of ore, the soot that her and her family were always covered him. The sound of the wind turbines. The little things like children running along dirt road in their sandals was the music box tune she loved. If only it was still there.

Her eye wandered to her hands. The fact that she was here and they were because of her ability killed her inside.

"Why didn't everyone have the Chrysalis?" Another thought poked her in her side. "Why am I here?"

A series of sad thoughts filled her mind. Dragged her further away from her light memory and the feet running by. More pain filled her head, along with screaming. The cold filled her deep down. The motivation was slipping further and further away.

"He'll pay!" A voice within rang out.

The rage within centered her again. There was no time for pity or sadness. There was only time to get revenge. Haruna's lean body rose up from the ground. Her walk started off like a stalk of a ghoul. Her arms low to the ground, her back in a hunch, and head fixed in the direction she should go. Haruna had no concept of time or importance, just a where and that she wouldn't be alone.

(She was very late)

[Assistant]
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Yuta tip towing into the middle of the schoolyard's open field after making his way out of the forest. In a flash Haruna was present and the same could be said of Yuuto. "Ōtsutsuki, Takahiro & Takara...You're all late."

"If you think this is still academy days you're sorely mistaken. You're not children anymore. You'll show up on time or find a new instructor. Kiragi's face was serious but internally she had a different outlook on the issue. haha...only i can't quit because the Yukage would literally have my head on this one... Teaching is definitely a drag...I'd rather be on a real mission right now but 'For the sake of the village you must put your pride aside and inspire the young' blah blah blah. I'm not even the teaching type! She's just forcing us jonins into it because of this impending war....sighhh!

"I was going to take it easy on you the first day and say only 20 laps around the school but since you guys have a blatant disrespect for my time, we're going to skip the warm-up. It'll be 50 laps around the school and after, shuriken practice throws (she pointed twrds the old shed behind the school)...until your arms fall off. And don't you dare slack off."She said this with a smirk and then poofed away (unbeknownst to them in the trees). Sitting at the edge of the forest on one of the tallest branches, she went through her folder. Information of each member of her squad was printed on the paper. Reading through the information, she took out her fine brush and started scribbling information.

Yuuto sighed and scratched the back of his head. What a terrible first impression he had just laid out for his sensei. Luckily his teammates had no room to judge as they were late too. He realized their teach didn't even try to introduce them to each other...probably because she was so pissed...
"Erm...I'm Yu-" A shuriken whizzed by barely missing Yuuto's head.

A voice bellowed "I SAID NO SLACKING OFF!"

Yuuto flinched and then with a quickness started on his first lap around the school.

[User]
If she was younger, that gaze would have scared her. If she was who she was before the trauma, she would gripe about being late and the punishment. None of that phased her. She didn't even look at her teammates. Her body moved on its own. It was like a daze.

"Do the request. Do not complain." She told herself as she continued on.

She was still running in her ghoul like haunt. She made sure to conserve her energy. She kept thinking of the crystallize Chakra creeping over her skin as the attack happened. The cold tickle over her skin. Her classmate's movement disjointed the thought. She didn't realize he was there.

"Just another distraction."

[Assistant]
The shuriken was all motivation Yuta needed to start running. The school grounds stretched over seven miles and running fifty miles was more than cruel and unusual punishment. The was the first time this new squad had been assembled since they were announced; and on the first day all three members were late.

'This is going to be a lot of fun,' he thought.

The trio had finished their fifth lap.

"Well, she seems nice," Yuta said between breaths. "Since we have time to kill, I'm Yuta."

[User]
Hesitantly Yuuto decided to keep the pace with Yuta. There was no reason to go all out early on...well besides some death shurikens thrown his way. "...I'm... Yuuto."He said arms thrown back. Tenth Lap done. He noticed the female teammate hadn't even acknowledged them but Yuuto chalked it up to diligence. I probably should be more like her when it comes to it but... at this point getting to know my teammates probably wouldn't cause any more damage. He had resolved himself to continue the conversation but didn't know what else to say. Struggling to time breathes and talking at the same time it was around lap twenty Yuuto said, "I'm never being late again." and then proceeded to trip over a stray branch near the shed stumbling into some underbrush. Fresh Cuts along his arm with blood surfacing, as the momentum pushed him a good 12 feet and back seemingly rammed against a tree.

Kiragi noticed him and had to stifle a laugh. That one definitely reminded her of herself during her own days as a genin. Noticeably different than what happened to her though as she could see he had extended two claw-like bones from his back into the tree's trunk, to stop his movement. So that's the Kaguya clan Kekkai Genkai huh.... She continued to watch the scene unfold, resolving to get somewhat of a grasp on this teams character dynamics.

Arms slightly aching, Yuuto breathed a sigh of relief. Couldve been a lot worse had he not reacted just in time.

[Assistant]
The counter in her head logged the laps automatically. She didn't think about how many she was on, yet she knew.

"Must get through this." The voice in her head boomed.

Without thinking, she nodded in agreement.

After a few more laps, she noticed the two others running about the same speed. She only noticed them again because they had become one big mass in her peripheral. She craned her neck to look at them talking to each other. Something she had not done in a bit. Chatting with someone who seemed to enjoy the conversation. Her right leg swung the wrong way when she looked at them. The balance that she worked so hard to maintain was now gone.

"W-Whoa!" She screamed instinctively and tried to right herself


[System]
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Age: 31
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 125 lbs
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Significant Other: Hugh Van Halder
Hair color, texture, length, style: Dirty ash blonde with layers from ears to shoulders. Her hair is usually worn with shorter layers crimped and pulled back with a few loose strands around her face, the longer layers are curled under and left loose falling to her shoulders.

Eye look, shape & color: Milk Chocolate with amber specks, round eyes with a slight slant at the outer corners.

Skin Tone: Tanned with olive undertones.

Body Type: Toned body over all with very defined arm muscles.

Voice/Accent: Her voice has a tad deeper intonation than most women and is slightly raspy. Though not skilled in the magical arts of her people Sana has a stunningly beautiful voice when she sings but it is something that she rarely ever does.

Clothing: She wears a very simple halter top made of tanned leather that tied around the back of her neck and is trimmed in a deep brown rawhide. She wears a matching shorts that is slit on each side of her thighs as to not to hinder her movements. Her boots are a soft suede material that come up to just below her knees and lace up the entire way, soft soles, no heels. She wears a sheer mantle that flows to the ground and is trimmed in the same material as her halter top, usually pulled over her arms to hide their definition.

Armor: Snake Band Arm Cuff with Enchanted Garnet (Barkskin)

Weapons: She carried one small dagger that is used for cutting up meat before cooking for the most part though is works as a throwing dagger if need be. Nothing special about it, the blade is 6 inches of plain steel while the hilt is carved oak. Her other and main weapon is a Recurve Bow that was hand carved for her, she uses cedar arrows that resist warping. Silver Dagger found in the chest of a Liches Layer.

Spells: None

Natural Abilities: Agility, acrobatics, gymnastics, ambidextrous

Skilled: Excellent marksman with a bow and skilled dagger thrower. Knows some close combat fighting, using her bow in a staff like manner. When weaponless Sana will use her knowledge of acrobatics and gymnastics, combined with her agility, to attack and defend herself.

Personality: Quiet and untrusting, hard to get close to. She prefers to be left alone and detests asking for help. A very stubborn woman who prefers to do things alone than in a group. She can be quite volatile if provoked and tends to be a bit moody.

History: She comes from a wandering band of gypsy that she left long ago for she refused to become what they wanted her to be. Another dancer and entertainer for the group. She was a tom boy growing up who preferred to spend time with a bow and arrow than a person. Though she never sought the way of her people she is very defensive of them and knows their ways. Skilled in song, dance, showmanship. Nothing traumatic happened during her childhood or growing up but being the typical teenager, hated what her parents wanted for her and in the end left those she knew for a world she wanted to know.

After she reached maturity she decided to leave the home and family she knew and set out on her own. Over the years she has worked in various towns trading furs from animals she has killed on her journeys and worked mercenary from time to time as wars broke out, utilizing her skills as a marksman. Currently she wanders the land hunting and selling fur when she reaches a new town.
(A more in-depth history can be provided if needed.)

[User]
Sana listened to what was said as she sat at the bar, perking a brow slightly as Ellis mentioned that she could stay behind. She didn't want to split up from the group but as she rose from her place and wandered over to take a glance at the maps, she had to wonder how useful a bow could truly be in the catacombs. They did not give a great amount of room for maneuverability, and with the size of the group and some of its members she could possibly have to ride on someone's shoulders to get a clear shot.

 "I can stay behind but Hugh would be an asset down there. He's already proven that he can fight well in close quarters," she said as she stood there looking at the map before turning and seeing that Ellis had gone back into the basement. Sighing she poked her head down the stairs. "You go ahead, I'll keep a defense here. Someone needs to stay behind for when reinforcements arrive as well if anything tries to come after your all from this end and keep the exit open," she said before righting herself and beginning to take a closer look at the main tavern itself. The rafters, the tables, the layout in general; she wanted to know what she had there she could use an advantage. Taking a deep breath she looked for Delia and once she found her she pointed towards the entrance of the catacombs. "Keep them safe," she said and smiled before giving her a hug and motioning for her to go ahead.

 Sana had that feeling pulling in her gut again and feared for them down there. She wanted to go but knew sometimes what you wanted and what was needed from you were two different things. Taking a deep breath she looked for Hugh, she doubted he would like her idea of staying behind alone any better than she did. She didn't want to leave his side but she had seen what he was capable of and for all she knew he was capable of so much more. Finding him she forced a smile and rested her hand on his cheek, cupping it in her palm. "They need you down there," she whispered as she looked up at him. "I'll see you soon," she added as she leaned in and kissed him softly. "I promise," she whispered against his lips.

 There was more she wanted to say, more time that she wanted to have, but it would have to wait. Kissing him once more she quickly moved away from him and removed her cloak; draping it over the bar top as she removed her pack and dug out her daggers, placing them around her belt with the silver one before looking up at the rafters and figuring it was as good a spot as any. A single step and she leapt up on the bar top before jumping and grabbing the rope that was holding up a chandelier of candles; swinging up into the rafters and landing crouched in a place that would give her a clear view of the entrance to the basement and the door to the tavern. Pulling an arrow from her quiver she nocked it into place after she unslung her bow from her back.

 "Now, I wait," she said to herself as she hoped for the best but prepared for the worst.

[Assistant]
Hugh was hesitant to move, until after Sana left the wagon. He sat and relaxed for a moment, puffing on his pipe. He took a large gulp of water from a skin that lay by his side, and finally stood up. Sana made him aware of where she would be off to, and Hugh nodded in acknowledgement. He lifted his hand to her side, letting his fingers trail off her as she suddenly took leave from his presence.

He sat down, looking a little stuck in the moment. He looked at the tavern, remembering how pleasant it was when he first met Sana and the group. Back then, all he had thought about was being friendly and having a good time. It turned into so much more. Something he never asked for and never thought he would experience ever again. He nursed the pipe, giving small puffs, just to keep it burning.

Hugh suddenly stood up and walked inside the tavern, pushing through the doors. He looked to the group and listened to hear a little of the plan that was formulating. There was word that he would stay up and guard the tavern with Sana, but Sana made a different proposition; one that involved Hugh going into the catacombs with the others. It seemed almost completely agreed to. Hugh was not so thrilled with the idea, but he knew he was the best to be fighting in a cramped space such as the catacombs.

Sana came over to him and spoke to him in an attempt to reassure him. He would not feel reassured while he was down there and she was away from him, so it would be a futile attempt on her part. Hugh breathed in her kiss, trying to accept her words and reassure himself that everything would be fine. He didn't feel it at all. He would be away from her.

He simply turned away, letting her kiss linger. He said nothing as he followed the others, then stopping just before heading to the basement. "It's not my fucking fight? Why would I do this?" He angrily muttered. He shook his fist at the ground, and turned. He watched Sana as she climbed into the rafters. She was an archer, she would have a turkey shoot. She would be fine. He would be more at risk.

His face turned to a look of determination as he surveyed the room and shouted, "I'LL BE BACK! BE AROUND WHEN I GET BACK." He felt almost a little choked up when he shouted the words. He was more than determined to make it back out of the depths of the catacombs, but she had to be there for him when he got back. His life would just go back to the way it always had been, if she was not there. There would be no difference without her, except for this time, if he lost it all again, he would feel like an empty husk of a man, wandering the planet alone.

[User]
Sana watched Hugh from the rafters, she wanted to jump down and run to him; to be in his arms again but she knew if she did she would never let go. Hearing his words caused her heart to skip a beat, aching slightly in her chest as her breath caught. Forcing a long deep breath she opened her eyes and looked back down to him; fighting the urge to leap to him and stand by his side. "You better be! I don't wait around for just anyone," she yelled down after him, smiling slightly as she did.

 As hard as she might, she couldn't stay up in the rafters. "Hugh!" she called out as she quickly jumped down and landed gently on the ground below; slinging her bow across her back as her arrow dropped back in its quiver. Running to him, she leapt to him; wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly. "Don't forget, I'm with you," she said in a soft voice as she leaned back to gaze into his eyes; her fingers trailing along his neck and pulling out the ring she had slipped there, holding it up for him to see before tucking it back away.

 With one arm wrapped around his shoulder, her free hand trailed along his neck and with a feathers touch gradually trailed up to his lips; tracing them softly before she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him. Her lips pressing passionately to his as her breath went ragged and her body trembled softly against his. She knew she shouldn't have jumped down but she needed to taste him again, to feel him again. She didn't know how long they would be down there or what would happen. She had faith that he would return her and that she would be waiting for him. "Damn it, you are going to have a happy ending," she whispered into the kiss before pulling away from him once again.

 Every time she left his arms it felt like leaving part of herself behind. She hated just being away from him a few moments to take care of simple things, to be away from him now was nearly unbearable. Turning she looked at him, placing her hand on his chest. "Mine," was all she could think to say but for them it seemed that it was all that was needed much of the time. One simple word they shared that conveyed so much more than anything else they could say. Taking a breath she turned and went back to her place in the rafters as she grabbed her pack. She wasn't going to let anything through to harm him or the rest of the group.


[System]
Fame always brings loneliness. Success is as ice cold and lonely as the North Pole.
Age
17
Gender
Female
Soul Weapon
Oathstabber

Magic Element
Ice
Personality
Due to Kireina being the element of ice and all, her personality is very cold towards a lot of people, except for teachers, friends and her family members. She isn't hesitant to tell her thoughts on a certain subject, despite how negative it may even be. Most of the time she is a massive smart-ass to other students, most likely due to the high grades that she gets on big tests. She has a massive soft spot for cats, and will almost instantly lose her cold attitude to go and pet one. Kireina rarely ever smiles to anybody, only to those people who she seems trustworthy and safe, like her family members.
Other
Glasses - Kireina wears glasses in the classroom and when studying at home.
Sexuality - Pansexual
Kamidere - She is somewhat of a kamidere.
Theme Song

[User]
Emi Sugihara
"Ugh... that idiot. Hey he's not doing too bad...wait.. What the... Did he just give up? EHHHHHHH?" And that was what went through Emi's head as the fight went on.

She slumped into the back of her seat and sighed. "I don't get that guy..." she muttered softly, feeling exhausted just from watching the fight. Then she remembered something and sat back up straight. "Wait... Do we have to fight next? Jeez..."

Though she had to admit, after watching Hisoka's fight, she was kind of pumped. She wanted to show off a little bit too... maybe... if her opponent didn't kill her first.

[Assistant] Arata laughed as Hisoka was launched into the wall. You deserved that. Too much talk and... well, you're still standing. I'll give you credit. Most may not be breathing after a blow like that. The fight wasn't very long, not that it was expected to be, but it ended abruptly. Hisoka... surrendered? But didn't he want this? Arata noticed Sakura's stance shift slightly, noting her fear. Of what, he wasn't sure. "Odd." Arata said, his thoughts trying to come up with a reason for Sakura's reaction.

[User]
Kireina Tohsaka

Current Theme: If you leave

Kireina had her arms crossed as she watched the fight, trying to detect as much magic power and energy that she could. She could feel the heat that was for sure, but more of it was from the female student, she focused on her mostly. "This fight is as good as one for her, he stands no chance." Kireina said as she stood up from her seat, walking sideways to the exit of the arena. Once she walked outside she looked up at the blue sky, as if she were being embraced by the sky itself. She looked back towards the arena as she heard a massive crash, she calmly sighed as she looked towards the sky one last time. She waited a bit before walking back inside, seeing the both of them pointing their blades to each other, she was somewhat surprised for the 'hero' to have put her into this position.

Then he surrendered, Kireina was wanting to start laughing at his stupid mistake of fighting this girl, he should have just withdrew whenever he had the chance. Kireina stood at the entrance of the arena, crossing her arms in disgust at the sight below her. "How about this." Kireina said to herself as she brought one hand up in front of herself, closing her eyes.

"Change Environment... Ice!" Kireina whispered to herself as the entire arena turned to that of ice, except for the people so that they could see this scenery. There were some ice flowers scattered around the arena, she gave a glare to the rest of the students before walking out of the arena once again.

They should remember that. I will not allow myself to be forgotten.

[Assistant] Aki sat and watched the fight quietly he could feel the energy coming from each of them. It was a strong energy that was full of the need to fight. He was having a tough time not letting this energy control him. As the fight ended he felt a new feeling from the girl in the arena it seemed that of fear but he wasn't sure he would have to be weary that Hisoka guy if that was the case. Though it also made Aki want to learn more about the guy. Then the arena turned to ice. Aki looked around the group of new arrivals one of them could control ice but he didn't know which. Since his plane was late he seemed to have missed the commotion of people finding out each others powers. Looks like he had some catch up to do on all of them. He calmed his mind and used the energy left from the heated battle to project an energy that showed Aki could use his powers to find things out if needed.

[User]
Saturday September 1st 2020 9:03AM Morning

Sakura noticed the arena change to ice as she scowled and raised her hand "Clear Enviroment Change!" She called out as the arena that was once covered in ice was reverted back to normal. Sakura then looked up as she tracked the source of the magic by putting her aura in her eyes "Kireina Tohsaka! Changing the arena when not in the match is against school rules! You wouldn't want to get in trouble on your first day here now?" Sakura said as she turned to face all of the new students "The next match up will be announced at 12 noon and will begin soon after! The opponent will be Crimson Beast Member #2, Saitama Tsukiyama! Please head to your houses and prepare in case you are the chosen fighter! Note you do not have to attend the match if you so choose to!" She called out as she began to make her way out.

[Assistant] "huh, oh it ended" Djura hadn't been paying attention to the match. He realized when the arena was turned to ice and was changed back a moment later and another student was reprimanded for it. After Sakura announced when the next match was meant to be and that they were to go to their houses until then He stood up and looked to Koken "Would you like to walk with me toward our house, or would you prefer we took the bus?" He held out a hand to help her up from her seat. @LizLegend

[User]
While the fight was going on, Damien found himself shaking his head at Hisoka's arrogance. He reached into his pack grabbing that tattered leather binding, deciding to read, though keeping a small eye on the fight, paying attention to the abilities being displayed to gauge any weaknesses. Towards the end of the fight, Damien closed the book, putting it away before looking at the fight again, as the fight stalled with their weapons pointed at each other. He leaned forward in his seat curiously as Hisoka gave up. Raising a brow, he expected it to be a tactic, which would have been smarter than he thought Hisoka was capable of. Not that smart of a tactic, but smart enough. He was disappointed when he see's that Hisoka was serious. Chalk that up to two weaknesses: Arrogance, and lack of tactics.

His attention was diverted, when the arena started to freeze over. He turned towards Kireina with a calculated expression, before retuning his gaze on the arena, almost amused. He hoped the arena didn't change if he was the next person to fight, though he doubted that. He was, after all, an unknown. The teachers probably knew what his ability was, but the students didn't. And, that's how he wanted it. Not to mention even the teachers didn't know anything about him prior to the academy. If they did... that was not something worth thinking about now.

A voice cut the air as the girl Hisoka was fighting changed the arena back, and reprimanded Kireina. Damien mentally shrugged. He should've figured. They probably want the arena to be standard for these particular fights. He continued to listen as it was mentioned that the next fight would be later, and that everyone should prepare just in case. He shook his head, slinging his pack over his shoulder. He certainly wouldn't be preparing. He wouldn't need it. It wasn't the he, himself was arrogant, he just had no plans to use or even reveal his abilities before it became necessary. He would rely on his weapon only. Some might see it as a foolish move, but it paints him in a lower light to everyone. The more people underestimated him, the greater advantage. That and he was used to keeping his power secret, when most normal people feared, or hated him because of his power.

[Assistant]
At first Koken had every interest for where this fight was going to go, but the one thing that makes her lose that interest is a fight lacking action. In other words, a fight with too much talking. Annoyed with that, she pretty much spaced out for the majority of the battle. She would pay a little attention to where there actually was action just for the sake of observing, but her mind would tune out here and there. It would have been easier if the start of the match had a better attention getter; well, if heard right there was probably a little backstory. But most of it was just filled with...egotism. And that was when the interest flew away.

Koken's attention briefly returned to the fight just as it ended, with Hisoka forfeiting. '...Well that's the end of that match then!' Koken thought to herself in a rather cheery-like tone. In all honesty Koken was slightly surprised on Hisoka's forfeit. Only slightly, though. Strategically, it's probably a smart move. Actually, it's a smart move anywhere depending on the situation. It's probably what Koken should have expected, but Hisoka's arrogance blocked that perhaps. Before Koken knew it the arena became covered in ice, some ice flowers around as decorations as well. Probably Kireina's work, for whatever mood she was in. Koken simply blinked at the scenery, as if somewhat unamused. That's honestly not the case however. "...Wow. Nice." Koken managed to say in a half-monotone and half-sarcastic voice before the arena was put back to normal. Only half-sarcastic because it did look a little nice. That and Koken enjoyed feeling a chill every now and then; she might just be realizing this.

Koken's interest started to pique again when Sakura had mentioned there was going to be another fight later that day. The opponent, Saitama, versus to be revealed. Koken couldn't help but at least let a small smirk find its way to her face. Appalling how they're making new students fight when they literally just got there, yes, but-- actually, Koken shouldn't get too excited yet before thinking too much into it. And she knew that. So Koken saved the thinking for later. Meanwhile, everyone was to go to their houses. Looking to Djura who had asked her about her opinon of the method of transport, it took Koken no more than a few short seconds to come up with an answer. "I've no preference," Koken took the hand that Djura held out before standing up. Quite the gentleman, he was. Koken stretched out her arms from where she stood, "Bus, on foot, whatever suits you best."

[User]
Current Theme: Lonely Pilgrimage

Kireina took a look around at all of the faces of everybody in the arena, seeing their facial expressions on the sight they were seeing. Before Kireina could say anything, she heard a voice coming towards herself as turned towards it. She kept a normal and ice cold glare on her face as she heard the scolding, but she was annoyed yet again by the heroic duties these people must do. She breathed in before saying one last one thing to the lava hero. "Villains always get into trouble, you heroes are who I despise. Eventually, you will end up like me if you keep that up." Kireina said before she turned away, walking down the street towards her home. She remained having the same contract with Damien, and that was not to talk, or share any of our personal details with each other.

She looked behind her one last time, realizing that she had an ice trail behind where she was. She then clicked her fingers together as she closed her eyes, the ice breaking into small snowflakes and disappearing.

Trust me, you don't want to become a villain.


[System]
Attributes: Middleweight, decent speed, decent jump, kinda hard to launch. His Psynergy-based specials deal less damage on average, but they have higher launch power.

Attacks:

Neutral: A 3-hit combo with his Sol Blade
Side tilt: A horizontal blow with his Sol Blade.
Up tilt: An upward stab with his Sol Blade
Down tilt: A low sweeping kick
Dash attack: A horizontal blow with his Sol Blade
Forward charge: His Sol Blade unleashes Centurion, where he stabs a foe several times (up to 6 hits, combo lock, more powerful and higher launch at the tip)
Up charge: The Sol Blade unleashes Radiatn Fire. Isaac swings upward, and a flame energy emerges from the Sol Blade. Foes hit by the blade take more damage and are launched further than those merely caught in the blast.
Down charge: The Sol Blade unleashes Purgatory. Isaac strikes the ground in front of him, causing a small, fiery explosion in front of Isaac. Foes hit by the blade take more damage and are launched further than those merely caught in the blast.
Neutral aerial: A vertical spinning swing with the Sol Blade
Forward aerial: A forward swing with the Sol Blade.
Back aerial: A backward stab with the Sol Blade
Up aerial: An upward stab with the Sol Blade
Down aerial: Isaac casts Spire (meteors foes that are directly below it)
Grab: Uses Catch to grab a foe. Acts as a tether grab.
Pummel: Isaac strikes a foe with the Sol Blade.
Forward throw: Isaac casts Psynergy Slam, forcefully charging himself into them to send them flying.
Back throw: Isaac throws a foe backwards while casting Rockfall (a rock comes up and slams into the foe)
Up throw: Isaac throws a foe upward before casting Briar to send them flying up.
Down throw: Isaac casts Psynergy Surge, grasping his foe before jumping up and slamming them into the ground.
Floor attack (front): Isaac rolls into a vertical swing with the Sol Blade
Floor attack (back): Isaac kicks backwards with his feet before getting up.
Floor attack (trip): Isaac flips standing, swing the Sol Blade in a vertical circle
Edge attack: Isaac pulls himself up, stabbing forward

Specials:

Neutral special: Isaac casts Gaia, causing the earth to erupt in front of him, pelting foes with pure Venus energy.
Side special: Isaac casts Quake, which causes a chunk of earth to launch a foe to the side.
Up special: Isaac casts Helm Splitter, where he leaps up before plummeting to the earth. The second half of the attack can be cancelled out. Deals lower damage than even his other specials, but has a higher launch power too.
Down special: Isaac casts Oddysee, which may pin a foe with four mini energy swords before he strikes. Each mini-sword deals 1%.

Final Smash: Megiddo- The Sol Blade visibly flashes and lets out a howl. Then, Isaac leaps high enough to wind up in outer space, where he hits an oncoming meteor downward. The meteor crashes into the battlefield. Isaac then follows, striking one foe (or more, if they are close enough). Any foe above 85% that Isaac strikes is KO'd instantly.

Taunts:
Up taunt: Isaac assumes his battle Psynergy casting stance
Side taunt: Isaac pulls out a Venus Djinni, which flies around before disappearing
Down taunt: Isaac swings the Sol Blade, beckoning his foes to come closer.

Alternate colors:
1. Color scheme based on Garet
2. Color scheme based on Ivan
3. Color scheme based on Mia
4. Color scheme based on Dora
5. Color scheme based on Kyle
6. Color scheme based on Felix
7. Color scheme based on
8. Color scheme based on

Palutena's Guidance:

Pit: Lady Palutena, who is that! I sense a strong power coming from him.
Palutena: Be careful, Pit! That's Isaac, a Venus Adept!
Pit: Venus Adept? What's that?
Viridi: Isaac hails from a planet called 'Weyerd'. There, several people are born with the ability to manipulate one of the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind. These people are called 'Adepts'. Venus Adpets use the power of plants, rocks, and the earth itself to attack.
Palutena: In addition, Isaac is a very skilled warrior. Be wary of his Sol Blade, as it is a very powerful blade, and one that Isaac is used to using.
Pit: Wow, this guy's pretty strong! Anything to watch out for?
Viridi: His Psynergy is weaker than most other special attacks, but they have a higher luanch power as well.
Palutena: In addition, the Sol Blade has four unique attacks which Isaac has at his disposal.

[User]
On that day, just a week ago, the Capital World of Subspace was attacked by a dark force. It was just like 8 years ago, during the events we now call The Brawl, only it was on a bigger scale, and without the guidence of Master or Crazy Hand. Yes, the shadow bugs were indeed back, but they were backed up by dark and infected Koopas, Knights, Space Pirates, ghosts, demons, and various others. The heroes protected Subspace with all of their might, killing many that stood in their way, yet they were quickly picked off, one by one, by unknown slashes coming seemingly out of nowhere!

Mario was the first to be turned into a trophy, followed by his brother Luigi, then Link, DK, Samus, Pikachu, Marth, Megaman, Ike, everyone protecting the Capital had fallen. As they lay helplessly frozen in gold, small transport skiffs came and quickly picked them up with their large, mechanical claws. Not even Megaman, Pac-Man, Lucas, and Ryu were spared as they became prisoners frozen in the trophies that were cursed upon them. Eventually, even the heroes and "villains" from the nearby regions were also captured as well.

Only three of the entire hero force of Subspace survived... who head into hiding beyond the outer perimeters of the territory to the east. They were; Pit, the Angel-Captain of Goddess Palutena's army, Lucina, the warrior princess and daughter of Chrom, and the newcomer Cloud Strife, a powerful swordsman that wields the legendary Buster Sword. Those three were the only survivors of the invasion and thanks to their wits and capabilities, they were able to fight another day. They will become known as The Big 3, for being the original roster survivors of the invasion.

They had to defeat this new threat, its a must, but what does one do when all but three of the original roster members had been captured? They just need to contact fighters from beyond the boundaries. Surely there has to be some out there right? With that, they casted a message that was be sent to the outer and unknown regions and provinces of Smash. This message was now their only hope, the fate of Smash. Weather it will reach to new heroes or not, weather they accepted it or not, all the 3 warriors need to do now... is wait and hope for the best...

And so... our story begins, one week later...

---

Monster Hunter

Gerudo Valley. A hot and rather desolate place, its known for being one of the main stages for a fight to take place, usually amongst Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganon, and even Toon Link, along with anyone related to the Zelda realm. The stage is mostly flat, with the middle being a large gap, with a river running through it, only being connected by a wooden bridge. Two platforms can also be seen, one on each side, along with a tent on the left side. The trail is otherwise used by coming citizens and miis, which connects Hyrule, to the left, and Subspace, on the right, respectively.

Walking down this path, a male Monster Hunter stops several meters behind the bridge as he takes a look at his surroundings. His armor, made of a Rathalos he killed, gleams in the sunlight as he slightly pants from the running he did previously. Forming from the ground, he seems to have encountered several shadow troops, these being in the form of Bulblins and skeletons. He takes out one of the weapons he uses, that being a charge axe, and runs towards them, issuing a dash attack by swinging his hammer down on them, taking out three of the units. Another skeleton rushes behind him, but the hunter greets it with a forward smash, using his great sword to jab and knock him out of the stage. Then the last bulbin leaps towards the hunter, only to be hit by his up special, Hammer Swing, initially getting hit on the hammers ascend and then pounded into oblivion on its decent, taking it out of the match too.

The fight was indeed quick and easy, with the Monster Hunter making a slight grunt as he goes about his way. Yet after walking across the stage, he senses that the battle was not over yet. More shadow units began to form from the ground, along with new Shadow Knights wanting to join the fray. With a sigh, the hunter simply takes his great sword out once again as he prepares to do combat with the enemy once more...

[Assistant]
Adam Jensen

 It was rather convenient, the timing of the call. Everything was starting to die down, and the sense of adventure and danger was slightly rubbing off of him. Bringing justice was something that usually only occurred once, and it was unlikely that even the slightest riot would've, though it could've, broken out in this day of age. As far as he enjoyed it, peace can be somewhat disappointing in the terms of doing your job. If you were in this position, you'd have done your job, and would serve little purpose. Having this opportunity, which he knew very little about, proved to be one hell of a chance to get back into the saddle. However, this was something slightly different to what Adam was used to, he had no idea what he was getting into. His whereabouts, his role...all just seemed a little too bleak for his liking.

 Adam Jensen looked from his window. The rural ground below him began to fly past quickly as the VTOL kept on moving. He wasn't so sure to even trust this whole mission area, as things seemed a bit skinny information wise. Perhaps another attempt to bring down the New-Age legend. Instead, he decided to call up the communications call to the man responsible for agreeing to this contract. Sarif, of course. Typing in the specific frequency code and pin number that allowed him to directly communicate to his superior. Soon enough, the voice communication, though mildly unstable, seemed to pop in within seconds.

"This is about the job, isn't it?" The voice was slow, not very excited to hear his field-operator calling in.

"Maybe if I got a Little more information than 'You are going to do some stuff.' then maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation..." Adam said glumly. It was clear that this wasn't the everyday 'Shoot-A-Terrorist-In-The-Back' sort of thing.

"All I can say, from what I know is that something is going on far-out where you are headed. Something about a transmission distress signal for help, asking for some of the greatest fighters and what-not. Who's better to send instead of the one and only Mr Jensen, ey?" There was no response. "Alright, that's all I know. The message didn't really send very well from the distance it must've been sent."

"So you didn't hear the entire message because of the distant frequency? Basically, this could be people asking for the greatest fighters to hunt down some sort of hospital, for all we kno-"

"Sceptic, as usual, I see. Try to relax, for once in a while. You should be there in about 10 to 20 minutes. For now, just watch the scenery go by..." The comm-link cut itself out. A deep sigh exited from his mouth as he sat back down, waiting for the arrival to the ever-strange world outside his own.

[User]
Isaac sighed. Things had calmed down after his adventure that took him to every corner of Weyard. Now that the seal on Alchemy was gone, it was up to him and his fellow Adepts to make sure that power wasn't abused. However, it looked like that particular job would have to wait...

Isaac stared at the location he'd found himself in. All he'd done was head towards Mt. Aleph, which is where the message seemed to be coming from. Oh, sure, the Elders weren't too keen to let Isaac through until he reminded them just how strong he'd gotten over his journey. After that, they were a bit more willing to let him through. Once he'd reached the entrance, however, he saw something unusual. A slight distortion in space. Isaac stepped through and found himself gaping.

He'd arrived on a stage-like area that reminded him of his time spent as an Assist Trophy during The Brawl. He was on a big platform, with three moving platforms above him. In the background, Mt. Aleph (before the Golden Sun Event) loomed in the distance. Before Isaac could contemplate his location any further, a familiar black substance started forming shapes from the ground. The shapes soon formed into some of the local monsters (Skeletons [3], Ghosts[2], Zombies [5]). Isaac drew his Sol Blade. Did these things think they would really be able to best him with those forms?

One of the Zombies had formed close to where Isaac was, and wound up being hit with a three-hit combo. After a quick casting of Quake, that Zombie was out of the fight. Another Zombie and a Ghost were approaching from behind. Isaac charged up for a strike, feeling his Sol Blade unleash some of its hidden power. As Isaac turned around, he felt the Centurion unleash go into effect. At first, Isaac was disappointed when he only caught his foes at the tip of the attack, until he saw just how far they went flying off the stage... enough for a couple more KO's. A Skeleton decided to go hand-to-hand with Isaac, who backstepped out of the way and used Catch to grab his foe. After hitting it twice with his Sol Blade, he cast Psynergy Slam, sending it flying forward and off the stage. The poor thing tried to recover, but didn't have the jumping power needed.

The rest of the foes were quickly taken care of (especially the three that were caught up in Isaac's Odyssey attack). Isaac panted, sheathing the Sol Blade. So, this is what it was like to be a Smash fighter, huh? Isaac continued forward, and was about ready to step into the distortion that led into Subspace, when he felt more beings behind him. Isaac unsheathed his Sol Blade again. Did these things ever learn?


[System]
Age: 16

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Appearance:

A bright eyed girl from the Steppes of the Northeastern highlands, she carries with her a brightness and optimism that would lead one to believe her a simple runaway girl with dreams of adventure. Her complexion is tanned from her time spent under the open sky, and she seems to be in a perpetual good mood, judging from her omnipresent smile. She is of a lithe build, and has a slightly bowlegged stance from her life spent riding on a horse. Her arms and legs are fairly toned and muscular for her frame, making her a lot stronger than your average girl from a farm.

She is almost perpetually seen with her hair in a ratty mess, the only restraint to it being her hairband that keeps her bangs from blocking her vision entirely. Her outfit usually consists of a traditional tunic of the Steppe, with large sleeves that give her arms free movement, a black long skirt that has been ripped at the sides to allow her legs more freedom, and a pair of leather sandals. When adventuring, she wears a leather breastplate beneath her dress for added protection.

Height: 5'7"
Eye Color: Amber
Hair Color: White

Personality:
A little ball of sunshine and happiness, there doesn't seem to be much in this life that can get the Steppe Archer down. She carries with her an almost infectious energy that brightens up the room, seemingly always in high spirits.

Her optimism is matched by her keen observation skills. In just a few minutes, she can identify the people in a room at a glance, and tell how someone is feeling by their expression. Despite her perceptive nature, she herself is very blunt, and often unable to think before she speaks. It is not uncommon for something she says to come across as harsh due to her lack of common sense compared to most other people.

Likes: Horses, Sweet Meats, and Flowers
Dislikes: Enclosed spaces, Negative thinking, and Insects
Hobbies: Leather working, Cooking, and Stargazing

History:
On the large rolling plains of the Northeastern Highlands, one is born, lives, and dies on the move. There is no pause available to the nomadic people, with each waking moment spent with focus being on procuring food, supplies, and, once those begin to run low, the focus shifts to uprooting the camps and moving elsewhere on the Steppe. Their society is organized by numerous small "tribes" that have banded together to form a Confederacy, overseen by a leader who rules for a period of ten years after a martial tournament is held between the greatest fighters of the tribes.

Before she was born, her father was heralded as the mightiest man on the Steppe, unbested in archery, and a master of wrestling. On the second year after she was born, he was dethroned and retired to his previous life of being a hunter to provide. In the time she spent with her father, she would learn the art of the hunt, and come to grow into a young girl. Life would proceed as it did, the circle of life in an unending loop, marching onwards with the beat of the people who's lives were spent chasing life. It wasn't all bad, not in the slightest. The meat was plentiful, the hunt was thrilling, and the life lead was one far from purposeless.

Eventually however, the decade-held tournament would be held, and with the rise of a new chief came new and bizarre laws. One of which being that a "bride" of each tribe was to be offered to his son, as if they were pieces of meat to be handed out. And quite unfortunately, she was "selected" as the delegated bride. Rather than accept some impish demand for her virtue and hand in marriage to some spineless whelp, she would instead flee the Steppe with her father and mother's blessings, figuring that she could eek out a living as a mercenary or adventurer.

With no military willing to accept such a young girl despite her demonstrated skills, she was left with no avenue but to become an adventurer, arriving in Palisade town on the Frontier due to its closeness to home.

Adventuring Rank: Porcelain

Equipment:
Nomad Bow: A composite recurve bow of Steppe Archer's own making, made out of horn, wood, and sinew. It is well used from the years that Steppe Archer has spent hunting. Due to its smaller overall size compared to a normal bow, it is ideal for shooting on horseback and while moving, while not sacrificing the power of a full bow.

Nomad's Sword: A steel curved sword resembling a slightly less curved scimitar. Ideal for slashing things apart, or gliding past something with a slash. Has a large enough grip to be two-handed.

Torchfire: A beautiful mature auburn colored horse that Steppe Archer rode into town on. Despite the fact that she isn't able to bring it on many adventures due to the danger, she still insists on keeping it stabled up in Palisade Town, just in case she needs it. She is Steppe Archer's pride and joy, and her greatest asset in battle on a more open plain.

Skinning Knife: A small knife that's sharp enough to cut through flesh. Usually used by Steppe Archer to skin the beasts that she slays, in order to sell the pelts for a sizable sum. Steppe life taught her never to be wasteful.

Steppe Ensemble: Steppe Archer's protective leather breastplate beneath her folk-style dress. Her clothes keep her cool in just about any climate, and the leather armor beneath provides enough protection to shield her from light damage.

Porcelain Adventurer's Tag

Skills:
Horseback Riding: There are few that can match the riders of the Steppe when it comes to equestrian based combat, and as a proud Steppe child, Steppe Archer can ride with the best of them.

Trap Setting/Disarming: Much of the Steppe's hunting is done using traps to catch prey. As such, Steppe Archer is proficient in finding the perfect spots to place traps, whether that be to aid her friends, or harm her foes.

Handy Woman: On the Steppe, work is divided amongst the men and women equally. As such, Steppe Archer is skilled with physical labor, capable of many tasks that many in the realm would consider "men's" work.

[User]
Slowly lowering their lantern to the floor, Shade squinted as he maintained a lingering gaze on the corpse. While neither the first nor the last cadaver he would come across, the boy took a moment to trace his fingertips across the bones. Several bite marks could be seen, clearly strewn across its shape. The head had fallen off, and nothing remained but the very shell of what had once carried a person. "It's been a while..," Shade commented, feeling the dry nature of the bones against his dainty fingers, "must have been a sewage worker," he continued, before managing a soft sigh, "or an adventurer." This could very well be the fate of all three, killed and forgotten within the disgusting confines of a sewer. It was somewhat fitting, one might add, at least for the assassin. He was born in darkness, and perhaps he would die in it, as well.

With the lantern lighting their surroundings from where Shade had left it upon the floor, the boy stared into ever-growing darkness with streams of light weakly peering through grates above. Clenching his teeth, the Dark Elf was unable to ignore sounds of squeaking, accompanied by the padding of small, filthy feet. Rats were coming. "Archer," Shade spoke, the word leaving his lips at a rapid pace once the forms of two rats made themselves known.

Large, furry creatures leaped into the circle of light which spread its way around the party, gnashing and gnawing teeth attempting to hungrily dig their way into flesh. Behind them, another two rats charged the group with a lone halberdier tasked to keep them at bay. "Damn, a pincer move," Shade clenched his teeth. They were rats, but they were also hunters, and they had killed humans, before. A pile of bones next to the party made that abundantly clear.

Shade leaned towards his quick reflexes and dashed aside, avoiding the devastating pounce of a rabid, filthy beast. The boy's footwork allowed for him to rapidly swing his blade, leaving a trail of blood on the floor, before the sound of a squealing rat filled their ears. It would not allow such a meager wound to slow the beast down, however. Swiping at Shade, the rat pounced forth and managed to knock the assassin into a hard, stone wall. Sharp, rotting teeth attempted to sink their way into his skin, before biting down on the edge of his blade, where he guarded himself against the otherwise finishing blow. He slid the blade out from between his enemy's teeth, leaving a long cut across the rat's cheeks, but was yet again standing against a viciously pouncing beast.

"Shit..," Shade yelped, moments before he was pushed over and hit the floor, a massive rat climbing atop of his small frame. Through pure reflex, the assassin shoved his blade through the rat's temple only moments before its teeth managed to reach his face. Instead, the beast slumped on his body, deadweight now pushing him down without remorse. "Goblins would..," he panted, slowly pushing himself out from beneath the monster, "have been better..," Shade finished.

[Assistant]
Rats! Litterally and figuratively!

The little monsters had cleverly laid an ambush, clearly using the pile of bones as bait to draw in unexpecting prey, only to pounce on them with the all the cunning and skill of a master assassin! ... Or, perhaps not... Regardless, the situation was nevertheless very real and very dangerous. With one of the vermin rushing straight past Guard Lady, the half-elf turned as quickly as she could in order to intercept it. Alas it was too late, the little mongrel had already begun attacking the hooded boy. What a failure on her part, or so she thought, she had been in charge of front and yet she had let their very first enemy just slip by her, shameful.

Still, there was time to redeem herself yet! A second rat from behind was dashing towards their archer-friend, hell-bent on catching them from behind. Even if she were to try and help the boy fend off his attacker, her weapon wasn't exactly suited for small, precise attacks and chances were that she'd take the head off her companion just as well as the rat if she tried swinging for it. Thus, she decided to move infront of their forgeiner-friend, placing herself between the other girl and the oncoming rat. With a swift, determined movement she raised the polearm and brought it down sideways in an attempted horizontal slash.

Sadly, the rat - while much bigger than usual - was able to see the attack coming and somehow managed to evade the cleaving swing. Having missed her mark, Guard Lady became unbalanced and had to recover from her failed attack. This moment of disarray allowed the huge vermin the chance to counter, and so it did - leaping into te air and biting down on the girl's torso. HEr leather armor buckled and deformed slightly under the large frontal fang of the rat, but it was durable enough to withstand being pierced through at the very least. The sudden addition of weight on her torso was enough to stagger the half-elf though, and in a clumbsy backwards motion, she dropped her weapon and fell on her bum, trying with all her might to pull the beast loose from herself, all the while cursing under her breath.

[User]
As soon as the squeaks were heard, Steppe Archer's hand moved to her sword's hilt, while her other hand drew her bow. Her quiver, mounted on her hip was poised in such a way that she could draw from either her sheath or quiver in an instant, suited for switch-hitting just in case someone thought an archer foolish enough to go in with a bow and naught else. Two Rats approached, nothing too dangerous from the flank. In an instant, an arrow flicked into her fingers, immediately being knocked, drawn, and shot, piercing the rat's eye and tearing straight into the brain. The remaining rat would turn its head up to meet Steppe Archer's eyes, and, to a beast, her wild appearance would seem intimidating. Her large hair only added to her mass, making her 5'7" lithe form more akin to a beast of almost six feet in height and double her width. It was as if they were staring down a bear with golden eyes, trained to kill and transfixed on the twosome that flanked.

Perhaps there was a moment of regret in the rat's eyes before an arrow pierced its skull, its last second of life spent feeling the agony of grey matter being twisted into a bloodied puree. Or perhaps it just lamented not clawing the archer's throat out. It was no matter what it thought however, as Steppe Archer heard the quickening squeaks and squeals behind her, forcing her to refocus on the party. In just a split second, everything was starting to go awry. Shade had been grappled, but managed to slay his adversary in the nick of time. The Guard Lady however was faring less well, having received a bite to her armor in a bid to intercept the rat that was no doubt dashing past her given her position. Steppe Archer had to act quickly, and drew her blade. Hurriedly sidestepping Guard Lady, she would drop her bow to the ground before Shade and draw her skinning knife as well, driving the knife into the back of the rat in order to distract it, then with all her might shift its weight off of Guard Lady before going in to behead it. Once that was fininshed, she would look around hurriedly, trying to see if there were any more rats.

She was...brutally efficient in her dispensing of beasts. In an instant she would draw the skinning knife free of the beast and relax a smidge if the coast was clear. Offering a hand to her half elven compatriot, she asked: "Are you both doing alright!? It didn't bite through, did it?"


[System]
Alias: N/A (undecided)

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Parents: Skurge the Executioner (Asgardian) and Hope Taya (Amazonian)

Powers and abilities: Most of her powers are inherent and shared by her parents. Because many of them are also a blessing from the Amazonian gods all of her abilities lean heavily toward being magic in nature.

Allspeak - As with all Asgardians, Frea has the ability to speak and all understand her in their own language. She also understands all forms of speech.

Enhanced Intellect - A benefit of being half Amazonian. This does not make her a super genius by any means. Frea learns and processes information quicker than the majority of the human population.

Superhuman strength - Being a quarter Storm Giant, Frea possesses the strength to overpower both the average Asgardian and Amazonian adult. Though young she is capable of lifting upward of 55 tons.

Superhuman speed - While no speedster she can top off at 55 mph, well above even a peak human but comparable to Captain America.

Superhuman Stamina - She can literally fight for days before tiring.

Superhuman Durability - A majority of this comes from her father's side. While not invulnerable she can take great impacts with minimal injury, resist most poisons and toxins, shrug off high-caliber rounds, and withstand extreme environmental conditions for extended periods of time.

Superhuman Agility - Her agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.

Superhuman Reflexes - Her reflexes are superior to most, able to react to movements several time that of a human.

Immortality - Inherited from her mother, the blessing to the Amazonians extends to Frea as well. This does not mean she cannot die, but she will eventually stop aging and will not die of old age. Outside forces can still kill her though.

Magic Affinity - Shared by both her parents Frea has great potential for the mystic arts that scales with age. She however does not have any formal training in such and currently only knows basic illusionary magic and the abilities granted by her connection with the Nether Realm.

Nether Realm Enhancement - A trait specifically from her father. Frea can draw magic from the other world to project magical blasts and further enhance her own physical capabilities. Considered an enchantment, currently the only way she has access to this is by entering a berserker rage. The benefits gained are offset by her loss of focus and finer judgement. Frea does not like using this ability much and will only ever use it out of desperation.
Personality: Despite her father being a ruthless warrior and one of the finest Asgard has to offer, Frea airs more with her mother. Calm and collected under most circumstances she prefers to use her cunning over her brute strength. Her earliest years spent with her mother among humans is likely to thank for that. She at times enjoys the simpler lives humans seem to lead. An immortal among men she realizes that she will likely outlive most of what's around her so she tries to make the most of the moment.

It would be advisable not to let that fool you though. When things get serious she can be relentless. Knowing her limits she will not hesitate to make use of her own abilities to gain the upperhand. Having seen the blood lust of her father though she has a fear of losing control. Because of this her greatest potential she walls off from herself. It also means that despite being able to toss cars like toys she is surprisingly gentle and even playful at times. All this is to try and run from the the possible future rage could turn her into.

Bio: Born into two warrior cultures, Frea was destined to be a warrior. Her father was a great and well known warrior, one of the finest Asgard had to offer, Skurge. He was often on the side of the villains Loki and The Enchantress but not exclusively evil. Much of this reputation was due to the axe he possessed called Bloodaxe. The weapon through the years built a curse that placed a bloodlust on the wielder. Skurge often had ventures of his own across many realms. Frea's mother did not have such a grand or infamous reputation. She was an Amazonian that had left Themyscira and worked alongside Mercy Graves as Lex Luthor's bodyguards. The more level headed of the two, Hope was not in the lime light nearly as much as Grace or her employer.

Skerge and Hope's meeting was a result of one of Lex's schemes before a ceasefire was established. The two didn't exactly hit it off but from one warrior to the other a respect was forged which eventually lead into a relationship. For the uninitiated Skerge had a history of being manipulated by women through magic. So a strong non-magic using, non-Asgardian woman touched by the gods but not out for a power grab had a certain appeal.

Born on earth, Frea spent her first several years among human children. Her mother taught her to hide her strength and grew up relatively normal, attending public school and learning about the world. Of course neither of her parents expected "peace" to last and from the time she could walk she was taught to fight. In her latter teens Frea was taken to Asgard and trained their by her father and his fellow Asgardians. Given armor and two blades of her own she was on track to become either a great heroine or potentially a villainess if the rage she'd inherited from her father continued to grow.

At the behest of her mother, Frea was returned to Earth and enrolled in the Academy. Like both her parents she was a free agent and had potential for both good and bad. That was more than could be said for some of the other students. Several either came from one side of the other. Growing up in the moral gray area Frea was interested to see how the others might influence her path.

Appearance:

[User]
[quote=@CajunRobinHood]
"We'll skip the formalities for now. Do either of you have a plan?"[/color] he asks, "Because if you don't, I do."
[/quote]

@KatherinWinter

"I have electricity and open palm style fighting. I just need to get in close to use it. What's your-" Makoto spoke in a raised voice over the noise. The wind picked up dirt and debris, flinging it around and making it hard to breathe. "We need better cover." she gasped.

The simulation was overwhelming, she felt hopeless as the elements and enemies seemed to get stronger. The only positive thing was that the wind began forcing the enemies back a bit and the looters into buildings instead of the streets.

"The civilians, what's your plan?" She continued, barely able to open her eyes and look straight at the boy in front of her.

[Assistant]
Dante stops in front of the door to the classroom a little out of breath. she had gotten lost amongst the pathways and corridors of the Academy and now she was late.
Of, freakin, course I'm late on my first day...
she takes in a deep breath and lets her heart rate go down.
It's fine Dante, just don't do it too much.. and Its not like they're going to expel you after accidentally being late once.
after thoroughly preparing herself Dante slides open the door to the classroom quietly, peeking inside as she does. She see's most of the students are wearing some kind of helmet and becomes somewhat confused. She fully enters the room and looks at the teacher with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry I'm late I got kind of lost on the way here. um... What is our assignment?"

[User]
Cole had been enjoying himself. Probably too too much for what would be perceived as a hero. The now high speed winds did not seem to deter him much, but something made him pause. That odd feeling from earlier...it was stronger now.

Cole started following that feeling and spotted someone...different. He twirled the sword in his hand and straightened his blood stained black suit jacket. "So...you're the cause. Who are you" his grey eyes took on an intensity as he stared at her. He had to know why he was getting that weird feeling...simulation be damned.

[Assistant]
Modlen quickly found herself in what she could only describe as a warzone. There were looters and fires all around her. Instinctively she spread her wing, preparing to fly away before realising that she had put on a VR headset. Looking around in awe, she could brealy believe what she was seeing, much less feeling. This wasn't like any VR headset she'd ever tried, this felt real. She could feel the heat from the flames.
It was then that she noticed the plain looking boy with grey hair and eyes, wearing the bloodstained suit wielding a sword. He was talking to her. Modlen suddenly found herself hoping he was part of the simulation too, or at least that she couldn't be hurt while inside of it. She also realised that the disonant tone she had been hearing earlier had returned, and it seemed to be coming from him. She wondered if it was his mutant power. He was wielding a sword after all, perhaps he made it resonate at a frequency that allowed it to cut better?

Looking around at the chaos, Modlen answered the stranger. "I'm... I'm Modlen. Is this supposed to be part of the class? Are you an NPC?" It was at that moment she realised that in order to put on the headset, she had needed to remove her goggle, leaving her four pupils exposed. Performing a quick check, Modlen noticed to her horror that, while she still wore the same clothes she had when she put on the headset, her hood had stayed down and her googles were gone, fully exposing her winged, grey-skinned, four-pupiled mutant appearance. Even her tail was free. Modlen froze at the revelation.

@KatherinWinter

[User]
Lilly @Mistress Dizzy @KatherinWinter

Magnus nods, "That'll come in handy." He points out a Hydra soldier wearing the telltale, shiny insignia of an officer and asks, "Do you see that man? I think he's the officer in charge of their mission. If you could use your electricity to knock him out, I could put on his uniform and maybe trick the others into standing down. He looks kind of similar to me, and with all the wind and dust blowing around, they might not notice the difference." He turns to the black clad stranger next to him and asks, "Would you be able to get us close by taking out any soldiers in our way? Preferably quietly, if possible"

[Assistant]
Cole stared at her in utter disbelief. How could she think he was an npc? His ego felt bruised. "I'm no more an npc then you are human so tell me why am I getting such an odd feeling from you" he pointed the sword at her and it slowly morphed back to a knife.

Cole stuck the knife in his pocket and circled the girl. "Did my father send you as some sort of retriever? Because I'm not going back" he hadn't said his name. He felt if she was sent by his father she would know it. His eyes narrowed as he stood in front of her. He was clearly suspicious. Also lacking a bit in the communication department, but that should be somewhat expected.

[User]
"Oh you're unconscious?" The white-haired teen drops the comatose soldier, "That was boring.. eh?" The sudden strong winds catching his attention, the strong gusts making him pause and blink. Sol watches, off from a distance, at the scenes that were unfolding; the looters, HYDRA soldiers, classmates who were right now schooling the two groups and not to mention the burning buildings, speaking of which..

With a wave of his hand the pyrokinetic torches up the nearest structure on fire: a modest-looking apartment complex, with the much hotter cosmic flames eating up the source of oxygen, the regular ol' plain fires had little time before they were snuffed out with the lack of fuel to burn. Satisfied with his work he disperses his own flames, leaving the apartment somewhat charred but no longer on fire. "Neat." Sol murmurs to himself before flying off to other burning buildings to the same.

Dizzy@KatherinWinter

[Assistant] Modlen raised her hands and started to apologize. "I'm sorry! I'm not used to this kind of VR and I don't know who's what!" She looked around lost and clearly overwhelmed and a little confused, "I only just transferred here! The lady at reception told me to see Batman then he sent me to class and now I'm here. I really don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here. Are we supposed to be saving our classmates or the NPC's? What is happening?!"

[User]
Frea
Arriving in the middle of class time was not ideal. She had been slowed by paperwork of all things. Her parents were not ones to deal with such in advance. Well maybe her mother was, but Frea was largely left to manage her own affairs now. Being pretty much off the grid in Asgard and other realms meant she was having to make up all those years of absent documents.

Having met with all the necessary staff and given a brief orientation she was given directions to Power Development. Stepping in while the others were already set up she was caught up with the basics. Before putting on the helmet she made note of the other student's appearances. That didn't really tell her much.

---

Being dropped into the ongoing simulation, Frea was greeted with utter chaos. Buildings were damaged, things were on fire, people were looting, the weather was poor, armed soldiers and tanks were showing up, and the students were scurrying around every which way trying to control the situation. Having appeared fully clothed in her armor and possessing her twin blades (to be fair that is what she showed up in in real life for class) she was pretty much ready to go.

It took a moment for the woman to get her bearings. There were quite a few problems to manage all at once and it was somewhat difficult to single out which was more pressing. The decision was made for her though as a tank took aim at her. Just managing to notice a shell coming her way she narrowly managed to brace for impact. The resulting explosion threw Frea through the wall of a nearby building. While she could survive the blast it did daze her a bit. She hadn't expected to step into a warzone. Gritting her teeth she climbed back out of the hole her body had created. "Very well, you are first to taste my blade."

Breaking into a sprint she began to close the gap at an inhuman speed. Passing several other students she made a Beeline toward the tank. Dodging a second shot without stopping, a soldier had the misfortune of being in the way and Frea ran him over like a truck. Now up close and personal with the armored vehicle she slashed at one of the treads and shattered the track. The tank itself would weigh too much for her to lift but that didn't mean she couldn't trash the thing. Sheathing her blades and stepping atop the tank she dropped a fist against the main turret, bending in out of shape and making firing a bad idea. Grabbing the lip of the turret she began to lift. The metal began to groan as the top of the tank began to pry away. The soldiers inside began to panic as it appeared an insane woman was about to open the top like a can and beat the ever living stars out of them.


[System]
Nickname(Optional): Pfft, no.
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: Of Average build with short dark hair, Neil isn't exactly the most unique specimen. He is fit but not noticeably so. He isn't big at all, but he is also not small. He has a face girls can find cute, but not exactly dreamy. Tanned skin and a ruddy complexion from all of the machine's he's worked on, coupled with the calluses on his hands gives him an experienced look despite the very youthful appearance he has. All in all, other than the twinkling of his eyes and the trademark grin, he is essentially average. He has dark eyes and very dark brown hair, enough to be considered black under most light. He's about 5'10 and 165 pounds.
Clothing: He often wears baggy pants, mostly military cargo. He likes to wear single colored T-Shirts. Usually he wears red.
Personality: Oh, now that is a question. To say Neil is eccentric is...well, that hits the nail on the head. Very good with hand-eye coordination, competent combatant, good engineer, and a daring pilot. But prone to sarcasm, snide remarks, unorthodox behavior, and just good old fashioned explosions. He's a born jokester, though behind his charming yet insufferable demeanor belies a certain intelligence, and to those he enjoys, he does tend to have a big heart.

[User]
Neil had slept some, needing at least a decent amount of shut eye to function. But he'd turned on the alarm for him much earlier than Sayeeda, which surprised him. Not his early alarm, but hers giving her a longer sleep. She was usually very vigilant, far more than he thought healthy. But then again, she was a bigger badass than he. He guessed she was still very beat from all they had done. He'd had time to rest after she had gotten hurt from the initial encounter back on X-792b.

Once Neil hopped up, he stretched and took a quick shower, his black hair matted to his neck as he walked out and changed. Tugging on his shirt and pants, slipping on the belt and shoes, he wasn't even fully dry by the time he got back with the items from the junk area he'd weaseled his way into. The guard there learned who he was and let him in, not wanting to keep out a guest of the Dukes'. Though the amount of junk Neil hauled out still had him questioning just what the mechanic needed it for. Neil gave him vague hints as he borrowed the grav-transporter.

Dumping the items onto the main cargo hold of the ship, Neil had already placed on his headphones, listening to some classical music. Once in the bay with the materials unceremoniously dumped, he fell to his knees and unlatched his toolkit, goggles on his head and metal plating spread out before him on Highlander's floor. "Alright, first things first," he breathed to himself, taking a few of the smaller pieces and measuring them.

"Going into salvage are we?" Sayeeda asked from behind him. He didn't hear her at first through the music, needing the Captain to repeat herself before he took note of someone else here. Unusually for Neil, he seemed startled and slightly embarrassed. "H-Hey," he said, attempting nonchalance. "What's uh, what's up?" He asked her, taking an earbud out and lifting his goggles. "Oh this? This is nothing. Nothing at all! Why it's so very nothing that you're probably just... hallucinating right now. Yeah I'm in the other room asleep, actually. Or masturbating, whatever you'd believe is most likely."

Her look caused him to slump his shoulders and sigh. "Aight, take a seat." He told her, waving his wrench at the chairs to the left. "Just give me a minute. You'll thank me." He promised her, and before Syeeda knew it, his welding torch was ignited. The flame lighting up his goggles and illuminating his growing feral grin. It was no wonder his arms and hands were callused and parched, the proximity to the flames and the way he handled the metal as he bent and shaped it. Before long, he was setting up wires in what looked to be a serpentine contraption.

Three classical songs after he had finished shaping the steel, he began to attach the various items he'd made. At first glance, it looked like a half body medical device, but once he was finished welding it together and hooking up the right spots, bolting this and that, he took his goggles off and wiped his forehead, sweat beading down, slipping past his collarbone. His hair was slightly matted yet again, though this time from exertion. But his dark eyes were just as bright as his usual grin.

He placed down what he'd finished in front of Sayeeda, and now that it was before her eyes, the contraption was easily identifiable. It was a hydraulic exo-suit. Much smaller than most standard issue ones given to Storm Troopers, but nevertheless... Sayeeda could slip her arms into the skeletal steel 'gloves', increasing her strength and durability with melee attacks while giving her enough dexterity to wield her gun effectively, and the center between the two arms was a back brace she could hook around her waist, increasing her back stability and allowing her ease of movement with them.

"Sexy right?" He asked, and he rubbed his nose with the edge of his thumb, facetiously smug. "Yeah, wasn't planning on making you something initially, but I had some extra scrap and you had a shit time at the medical facility." He shrugged. "Thought I'd give you something to think about."

Behind him, there was still a huge amount of scrap, something that would take days for even Neil to work on. Lonney politely reminded Sayeeda they had 90 minutes before meeting with the mysterious messenger.

[Assistant]
Sayeeda tentatively inserted her hand into the glove rig and closed her hand. With a whiring of servos, little louder than the background hum of a datapad the mechanical hand closed in syconrony with her fist. Slowly she spread her fingers and then closed them one by one. The machine moved fluidly with her without any hinderance to her movement. She wondered how quicly she could jetision it in face of an emp, but such weaponry wasn't likely on most worlds they were likely to venture to.

"It is sort of sexy," she admitted, "Thank you Neil."

"I wonder if I could get it on over my..."

"90 minutes to the mysterious meetn-greet cap'n!" Lonney chirruped in his irritating accent. Sayeeda withdrew her hand from the half finished rig with a sigh.

"I swear to the Goddess if this is some prank they will never find the body."

Sayeeda and Neil moved rapidly through the streets. The hab was unusually quiet even though the streets were packed. MOst people had downed tools in face of the alien invasion and with every armed man preparing to defend the hab there was no one to force the laborers back to work. Instead they congregated in bars and on street corners, watching vids and buying food where there could. It wasn't quite hoarding yet but people were definitely getting the notion that things were more serious than the authorities were letting on. Pretty soon someone would have the bright idea to start looting and then the city would become real interesting.

Although she had agonized over the choice Junebug had lost the inner argument about wearing her armor. Beat up as she was the idea of strapping twenty pounds of ceramic plate over her torso had not appealed. Instead she had dressed in what she had explained to Neil as business causal. As usual she wore fatigue pants of mottled green fabric with many convenient pockets and her heavy back combat boots. Somewhat more uncharacteristic was a dark blue tank top with the word Timebomb written across it at a jaunty descending angle in white exaggerated font. Junebug dimly remembered it as a band from one of they worlds she had served on towards the end of her tour although she couldn't have said anything else about it. The garment was light and airy and exposed the owl tattoo snaking down over her shoulder. In a shocking departure from protocol she had even left her como helmet behind, opting for a pistol belt and a bandoleer of reloads that she carried slung over her shoulder.

"Might have been a mistake to roll so light," she commented as they headed deeper into the more deserted manufacturing sections. Neil snorted.

"Would have attracted attention if we had come armed for an assault drop," he pointed out, reaching forth to brush back some dangling cables so she could step clear unobstructed.

"I've always found that a 20mm plasma gun makes people fairly uncurious after they get a look at it," she countered, earning another snort of amusement from her companion.

The walked for about half an hour, doubling back and taking rapid blind corners to throw off any pursuit. It would be difficult with things so quiet although Junebug had known intel ops who could have managed the trick well enough. Well if there were people of that calibre following them their mysterious petitioner was going to be in for a shock. Eventually they entered the AB13 manu, designated by the stenciled characters above a large starship style hatch. They had passed dozens of other similar signs. The interior was a large open warehouse perhaps a hundred feet long by half that wide. Large mechanical components, engines of some sort sat on large roller ways, not unlike old fashioned rail lines. Cranes and lifting apparatus hung from the ceiling like skeletal arms. The whole place smelled of metal and old lubricant as well as the ozone residues of arc welders.

There was a momentary static pop as the overhead speakers crackled to life.

"Thank you for coming," a deliberately distorted voice said from the speakers, as sexless and lacking in distinction as an AI. An unmodified AI anyway Sayeeda thought sourly.

"Your welcome," Sayeeda replied in a deceptively mild tone her eyes scanning the shadowed receses of the warehouse. Always a mistake not to bring the helmet, she could have used IR.

"Who I am is not important..." Sayeeda broke in without waiting, her clear voice, used to calling orders across a battlefield filling the inside of the warehouse more efficiently than the cheaply installed speaker system.

"Listen, whoever the fuck you are, you have about 3 seconds to cut the shit and come out or my friend and I are walking." The speakers cut of suddenly as though the operator was shocked. Sayeeda waited a few moments eyebrows raised and then turned as if to leave. There was a sudden comotion from an upper level gangway an a young woman, dressed in conservative black street clothes and holding an expensive datapad scrambled out of a concealed position.

"Wait wait!" she called, her voice useful and a stark contrast to the modulated filter she had been using.

"I'm coming down." As the girl came down the metal stairs in a series of clanks Sayeeda measured her with her eyes. Early twenties, asiatic features with hear a shockingly vibrant blue that could only be a synthetic implant job. It looked as though she had made some attempt to conceal it with a hood while she had been playing incognito. The girl had an attractive open face although she was clearly flustered at having things depart so radically from her prepared script.

"I'm Taya Cho-Lan," the girl said as she stopped in front of the two spacer. She had a long barreled pistol sticking out of her belt sash, doubtless it was intended to be practical but Sayeeda doubted the girl had ever fired, or expected to have fire the thing.

"You're Junebug Cyckali right, the mercenary?" the girl burbled nervously. Sayeeda exchanged a long glance with Neil.

"Yes I suppose I am," Sayeeda replied.

"What can we do for you Misstress Cho-Lan?" Her tone suggested that it had better be good. To her surprise the girl didn't flinch but rather turned grave.

"I need you to get me off this planet before the Duke has my family killed and, before my father has the pair of you killed." There was a moment of stunned silence.

"Uhhh... you are going to have to back that up for me Taya," Junebug confessed, irritation giving way to perplexity.

[User]
Neil's confident bravado fled when he realized she actually did think it was pretty appealing. He blinked, not used to actually being patted on the back for doing something good. First time for everything, he supposed. But there was no time to dwell on it, thanks to Lonney's timely warning, and the two partner's-in-crime ducked and dodged their way through the machinery and alleys of the factorum world.

Once they made it there, the genderless and utterly devoid of emotion voice that echoed across the corridor had Neil a tad interested. Only someone who paid handsomely for certain services would deign to conceal themselves, and the two had already been paid handsomely recently. If they kept this up, Neil could afford decent tools to work with, and upgrade the shields on the Highlander. He might also give Lonney a holographic image...

His thoughts on the matter disappeared when the voice was reduced to what reminded him of a nervous school girl. He stuck in his hands in his pockets as Sayeeda played this girl like a fiddle with her no nonsense style, and he shook his head as the girl fumbled. It was kinda cute, he thought. Though Neil was into older and more mature women. He wasn't really wanting someone who needed their hand held.

You could basically hear the record scratching when she mentioned Cho-Lan was to have them killed, and the Duke was going after Cho-Lan. "Well that's...news." Neil deadpanned.

Taya bit her bottom lip, eyes flickering to the side as if she was suddenly unsure if she should even be here, and if there was a way out just in case. But she steeled herself and breathed deeply, and continued with her thought. "I don't know much..." she admitted. "Other than what I've overheard. But the Duke has suspicions of my father and his business partners." She went on, wringing her hands. "The Duke wants to rule this world as its only sovereign, and with this war being initiated as it had, he just might be given the executive power to do it. And my father's rivals...they're angered at you two for your part in the discovery of the Xenos."

Neil let out a breath of air that caused the fringe of his hair to sway, knowing where this was going. "They want your blood, and a very large sum of money of they'll cut off ties with him, and target him and...his family." She looked down at her feet. "You're only a symbol of good faith to them. What they really wish for is business assets. If you, or I, am gone before they can find us, they'll not be too disappointed. If all my father loses is a few factories, he'll deserve what he gets."

"But the R.I.P. is out of control. Where would we hide, one of the asteroids?" Neil asked, not entirely confident he could fly through the blockade of Xenonid bioships in Orbit. Not if the Fornax Navy was losing.