[System]
Death Korp Trooper Number:
Trooper 17431

Appearance:

Height:
5'6"

Age:
27

Sex:
Male

Class:
Death Korp Grenadier

Equipment:
- Type XIV Lasgun (Heavy) -
Also known as a Hellgun or, more rarely, a Hotshot lasgun, the Type XIV (Heavy) is the standard issue weapon for all Grenadiers serving in Death Korp regiments. They are, at least by the Grenadiers themselves, intensely disliked due to perceived unreliability in the field during extended operations and a Krieger's general preference for the default Type XIV Lasgun (More commonly known outside of Krieg as the Lucian Pattern Lasgun). However, with the proper maintence that each Grenadier performs routinely, the weapon performs its intended role as a high power Lasgun, capable of punching through heavier armor and providing, on full auto, a withering rate of fire. The Type XIV (Heavy) utilizes a backpack unit to power it, and a Quick Recharge Generator included in the backpack unit is generally overtaxed, due to the design of the weapon and its power output. Ansgar, like many Grenadiers, would have preferred a Type XIV Lasgun over the Heavy variant, but as a Grenadier, he is required to carry it.

- Grenadier Carapace Armor -
Intended for deployment where the fighting is fiercest, Death Korps Grenadiers are equipped with heavy Carapace Armour that has been integrated into the standard Krieg kit. This comprises the Mark IX helmet, a rebreather facemask, three-piece shoulder guards, a chest plate with additional abdomen plates and shin and knee guards. All are made of Plasteel and reinforced with a layer of Ceramite for additional strength, heat resistance and weight reduction. The armor, coupled with uniform and Type XIV Lasgun (Heavy) makes a very heavy loadout, adding in the miscellaneous equipment they carry as well, however, the protection is vastly appreciated by the Grenadiers in general, due to their role as the leading edge in storming trenches and hostile emplacements, needing the protection to get close enough to do their jobs, not so much concerned with survival.

- Explosives -
As his former squads Demolitions expert, Ansgar carried the standard explosives load out alongside extra tools, for when the Engineers could not keep up with the assault but were preoccupied elsewhere. Besides several Frag and Krak grenades, Ansgar also has several demolition charges, rated for taking out hardened bunkers when put in place. Ansgar modified the charges so that, in a hurry, he can pull a detonation cable and heave the charge at a target, the normally delicate and precise procedure for arming the charges ditched in favor of emergency target removal. And, as a Krieg Engineer before he was assigned as a Grenadier, he has learned to build improvised explosives that served him well in the trenches when supplies on conventional explosives were running short, as well as utilize Chemical weapons safely.

- Melee Gear -
Ansgar carries two weapons for melee combat, one obligatory and the other actually used. The obligatory is his bayonet, which the Type XIV Lasgun (Heavy) lacks a mount for, another reason it remains unpopular among Grenadiers, and typically serves as much as a tool and last resort weapon than anything else. His actual go to is a Entrenching Tool, edges sharpened to allow him to carve through hostiles as well as bludgeon them, and retain the intended purpose of digging trenches and other necessary fighting positions.

Notable Deeds:
- Tyranid Assault on Thresis IV -
Raised from birth to be a Death Korp Engineer, Ansgar Staudinger, or known by his Trooper designation 17431, will never state when he was sent to war, something that tends to bother people who ask that are outsiders to Krieg and their necessary methods of providing the Imperium the soldiers it needs. Assigned fresh to an Engineering Platoon, Ansgar would spend a great deal of time digging trenches and laying mines in the defense of a Shrine World, Thresis IV, directly in the path of a Tyranid Hive Fleet Splinter. The Tyranids, despite being vastly reduced in numbers compared to a true Hive Fleet, descended like mad locusts, slaughtering over 90% of the Death Korp forces deployed on the planet. Of that 10%, Ansgar Staudinger was one of the survivors, the only from his platoon, found near death after turning an entire trench line into a raging biochemical inferno, equal parts fire and chemical weapon that was effective on the Tyranids. Sharing the compound make up with other Death Korp Engineers, the biochemical fire was used to great extent to halt and drive back the Tyranids, making the then rookie Staudinger's trial by fire a literal, and resounding, success.

- Nightmares Beneath Thrasis II -
As part of the Thrasis campaign his regiment was assigned to, and the arrival of Tyranid complicating greatly, Ansgar Staudinger was deployed with a fresh Engineering platoon to assist in the breaking of a siege on Chaos held factories on the system's forge world, Thrasis II. Utilizing conventional tunneling and, when they detected they were almost at the entry point, Hades Breaching Drill, to punch into the Chaos held Foundry, Ansgar and his fellow Guardsmen stumbled into something straight out of the most feverish of a heretic's nightmares. The Warp had bled over into the belly of the foundry, with daemons and mutants in equal measures assaulting the woefully unprepared Krieg Guardsmen. However, they had a job to do, and they were able to hold their ground, keeping a secure tunnel long enough for support to arrive and push deep enough into the Chaos corrupted foundry, to the dark heart and plant enough explosives for the resulting explosion spotted from orbit. Whether it was the sheer amount of explosives put in place, or partially due to Chaos corruption was never decided. However, as one of the only survivors again by virtue of Luck or being Blessed, Ansgar was reassigned by a surviving Commissar to the Death Korp Grenadiers.

- Hellscape of Thrasis I -
Nearing the end of the Thrasis System Campaign, Ansgar found himself a freshly minted Grenadier, no longer an Engineer although he often worked closely with them during breaching actions against enemy defensive lines. However, upon touching down on Thrasis I, the Kriegers found something unlike anything anyone could be prepared for. The Foundry was merely a foretaste of what was to come, as planet spanning rituals had allowed the Warp to taint and corrupt great stretches of the planet, forcing Guard forces to struggle through conventional defenses one day, and make a mad dash through Daemon infested hellscapes that should not be the next. What Ansgar refuses to mention to a soul, due to an oath he was put under at the end of the conflict, was the arrival of Grey Knights, of the Emperor's most holy Ordos Malleus. Alongside Adeptus Sororitas support, which Ansgar learned to have a deep, healthy respect for, the combined arms forces stormed the capital of Thrasis I, a den of pure evil and corruption that made the rest of the planet look like a Shrine World in comparison. Once again, whether by luck or the Emperor's own intervention, Ansgar found himself as one of the only Grenadiers, and Krieger's period, to survive the assaults into the city, arriving at the Hall of Governing as it had been christened during Thrasis I's founding as a colony, only to find horrors so unspeakable even the Krieg born Grenadier refuses to speak of them now. But, between the Grey Knights and Sisters of Battle alongside his own humble contributions at that point, which mostly consisted of survival, Ansgar lived to see the end of the hellish campaign on Thrasis I. With literally no regiment to return to, and having become aware of the most secretive of Space Marine chapters, it was decided to induct him into the Inquisition, sending him to serve where needed most.

[User]
"Great... someone's sounds quite unsecure about their skills... You sure that you haven't just finished the academy or whatever it was?" Vala asked with a smirk at Adrainne's hissing comments. She sounded and looked about as intimidating as a ten year old. It made the mercenary just smile all the more, but not really enjoy the situation of having an inexperienced person requesting the reigns of the shuttle. Vala herself was on ships all her life and knew how to fly them, but then again she grew up around and on space vessels. This Adrianne woman knew nothing of it... academy... bah... just a few successful landings on a sim didn't make you a pilot no matter your fail to succes ration." Careful! Those door controls weren't covered in the sims!" Vala chirped as the psyker went ahead and closed hte door towards the cockpit.

 "Well... time for a nap." The merc suddenly said, pulling her helmet and putting it on, before relaxing her hand on the gun on her hip as her breathing calmed and slowed down, turnign more rythmic than before. She was used to ships so the sounds of the engines or idle chatter wouldn't really wake her up.

[Assistant]
The shuttles cockpit lit up with soft azure lights as Celestian Andromedai's hands traveled across its numerous controls and interfaces, preparing it for immediate departure. The doors to the shuttle quickly shut themselves and with in a moment's notice, they were airborne.

Peering through her visors HUD that had now connected itself to the shuttle, Celestian Andromedai responded to Adrianne's request to fly with a simple but stern sounding "No." followed by her flipping a switch next to her that opened the door that lead from the cockpit into the passenger compartment. "Don't cause me any trouble Adrianne, just stay seated and do your job as the co-pilot." By now, the shuttle was heading towards the large city in the distance.

"Attention retinue, once we arrive at Valencia, your orders are to depart from the shuttle immediately and follow behind me. Keep your conversations and the volume of your voice at a bare minimum, I won't suffer fools or stupidity while at the chapel."

Suddenly, the voice of yet another Sister of Battle came over the shuttles coms inside of the cockpit. "Inquisitorial shuttle number three eighty three, you are clear to land at pad (C-21) Crews are standing by for your arrival." Celestian Andromedai spoke into the microphone that was built into her helmet and responded, acknowledging the information that she had just been given. "Affirmative, will arrive in thirty seconds at designated docking pad."

The shuttle would drive sharply into the city before leveling itself out and coming to an abrupt but gentle stop upon pad (C-21) The doors to the shuttle would open with a soft hissing sound as Celestian Andromedai unbuckled herself from her seat and quickly made her way out of the shuttle and onto the metal floor.

Around them was the massive, lavishly decorated Sister of Battle structure known as the chapel. From where they had landed, the retinue could see a large number of other aircraft parked around them in the hanger, as well as an incredible amount of personnel going about their own business.

As Celestian Andromeai departed from the shuttle, another high ranking Adepta Sororitas swiftly made her way to Andromedai, giving her a crisp salute. The first thing the retinue would notice about this newcomer would be that her armors shading and coloring matched Andromedais but the armor itself was quite different. "Sister Seraphim Superior Solares, it is good to see you again. I am glad you will be joining us on our assignment." Solares nodded her head and motioned for all of them to follow her with three words, "Same, follow me."

As the group walked, Celestian Andromedai noticed they were heading towards a large elevator that would bring them down to where ground vehicles were stored. The large glowing sign that hanged above the entrance to the elevator gave that away. "I have acquired a Rhino for us that we can use in the city, it's not a rare sight to see them driving through the streets at times so we should be able to move about with little suspicion." Said Solares as she stepped onto the elevator and waited for the rest of the group to join her. Once they had, the elevator quickly descended to the designated floor where their transport was waiting for them. "Alright, everyone get in, someone take the armored turret position on top while Solares and myself handle its controls."

[User]
Ansgar had little to say as the shuttle went about its trip, continuing to maintain his silence whilst considering what was going on thus far. The Arbites trooper had given him a rather dirty look when they first met, but Ansgar was justified, as far as he reckoned. Inquisition demanded higher alertness and security considerations, so he would not be found wanting in those regards. As such, an armed and armored individual, even wearing the trappings of an Arbites, was to be treated with due suspicion. Besides, things had been far too quiet for the Krieger's liking, he had expected more out of the Inquisition. Then again, his only dealings with them had been on a planet plunging headlong into Daemon planet status, so he really did not have the entire picture in that regard. As they touched down and orders were given out, Ansgar had no qualms with following through with them. As he had mused before, orders were orders, and that was that in that regard.

The Grenadier, unsurprisingly, had little to say as he marched forward with the rest of the retinue, the Sister's orders clear in that regard. Also, considering how lacking he had been in the vocal, communication department, so it was hardly surprising that he was likely the most silent of the group, literally saying nothing as a new Sister reported and they were informed of a Rhino on standby. He preferred a Chimera, really, but he wouldn't turn his nose up at a Rhino. It was leaps and bounds better than any sort of aircraft, after all. If he had to choose a vehicle he'd be most comfortable with? Hades Breaching Drill, those things were his pride and joy whenever he got his hands on one as an Engineer. But, not the most suitable for transport, so he would content himself with the fact that the Rhino would be rather good of an option to take over any sort of air travel. Still, he missed the Guard vehicles of choice, and that would not likely change. He was more likely to be able to drive a Guard vehicle than any other.

The first thing Ansgar noted upon reaching and boarding the Rhino was that the cargo hold area for troops was clearly designed for power armor in mind. It was spacious and large, for an unarmored human, so it was not as cramped as a Chimera. Then again, Chimeras also did not carry Space Marines, Sisters of Battle, so on and so forth, into battle. However, when the order was given to take up position in the turret, Ansgar was ahead of everyone else, moving forward towards the hatch that did not have all the mechanical crap in the way, and had one of the Storm Bolters, having spotted it when approaching the vehicle. Perhaps the other was controlled from within? Regardless, Ansgar worked the hatch open and hauled himself up into position, checking over the Storm Bolter. Not his usual choice of heavy weapon, understanding that they often were not heavy weapons for Space Marines or Sisters, but the amount of bolter rounds he'd seen the things spit out was impressive, to say the least. He kept his report clipped and precise, already scanning their surroundings for anything awry, regardless of the situation dictating it or not.

"Turret Manned, ma'am. Scanning for potential threats, active and passive. Will report as necessary."


[System]
Age
28

Gender
Female

Race
Human

Magic
Fire
(Unbeknownst to her)

Personality
Addison is a strong minded, rational individual who can stay fairly calm under intense pressure. She isn't someone to lose herself to emotion, but that doesn't mean she has any problem expressing it. In fact, she can be very loud mouth about her opinion, often times taking the stance of "Your an idiot and hear's why" in any argument or disagreement. This has led to people either loving her or hating her. Some may say she's a bit arrogant, but it couldn't be further from the truth. In actuality, Addison is very self critical and is constantly questioning her own purpose and motives. Deeper down, someone might even find a girl who has no real idea of who she is or who she wants to be, just confusion and paralyzing fear that one day she might have to face her friends without having any answers.

Background
Addison worked as a combat medic for the United States Air Force for most of her life. She originally joined to eventually become a pilot, but her dreams of flying were shattered when a training accident significantly messed up her back. During her recovery, she pulled herself out of a depression of losing any chance to fly after being inspired by those who had saved her from a life of wheelchairs and crutches. She joined the combat medics and became part of an Army unit tasked with evacuating wounded from the battlefield.

Throughout plenty of deployments, Addison saved lives the best she could, and saw plenty die in her very hands. This seem to never deterred her from her duties, but nobody could get through this job with their minds completely intact. Everyone has a breaking point, and Addison's was on one particular mission. An Afghan village had just been attacked by Taliban forces out of retaliation for aiding US forces in the area. Addison's squad was sent into the mountains via helicopter to evac wounded civilians who were caught in the crossfire. Upon landing and rushing to the scene, Addison found the very hastily made aid station where they were being treated.

Of course, among the several civilians wounded, one was a young boy, no older than seven years old. Addison worked as hard she could to save the lives of the child, to keep the little kid breathing as they flew him back. However, there was truly nothing she could do. He had taken a round to a major artery and was bleeding uncontrollably. By the time the helicopter had reached the base, the kid was dead. Yet Addison refused to stop. She kept trying to operate the on the boy, continually attempting to revive the child over and over again. Eventually her squad leader had to pull Addison off the kid so that the soldiers could get the corpse off the helicopter.

Addison was given three months leave and was returned to the States.

Likes
Spicy Food
Dogs and cats
Guns
Aircraft

Dislikes
The nickname "Addy"
Sour Food
Passive Aggressive People
Tree Hugging Hippies!
Marines (damn jarheads!)

Theme

[User]
Ryan Dreane

Royal Capital Lugnica

---

"They're called fruit loops, it's kind of a sugary cereal. I've got to admit, I've always had kind of a weakness for them." Ryan said opening the box and the bag within. It wasn't exactly normal to eat cereal dry, but it wouldn't be his first time by any stretch. Grabbing a few of the O shaped pieces and throwing them in his mouth. He offered the box to Maria. "They're good, I promise."

"As for my home, I can tell you plenty." He said in response. "I live in a small-well relatively small town. It only has about forty thousand citizens in comparison to some of the larger cities. Just about everyone owns a car-well I guess you wouldn't really know what that was either." He sighed, it wouldn't exactly be easy to describe a lot of these things without any reference. "Imagine a carriage that propels itself." He said taking the easiest route.

Earlier he had seen a carriage drawn by what seemed to be an over sized lizard, that or a really small dragon. It would be one thing if it was just some kind of medieval thing going on, but this seemed to be a full on fantasy world. He spotted another one of the wolf people from earlier. "So, I've never seen a wolf person before." He said trying to get some kind of explanation. The wolf man was clearly sentient, so it wouldn't really be right to point or anything. It was safe to assume that these humanoid things were regular citizens seeing as they were wearing clothes and shopping just like everyone else, but it just seemed bizarre.

[Assistant]
Aya

The girl finally came a little bit back to senses after the heavy blow she took. She expected the fox to give some sort of reply but she could only hear a muffled sound. Now she thought about it, her chest was tickling lightly. Something was still pressing onto her... chest... Aya turned completely red in almost the blink of an eye. Her face held an embarrassed look on it. She removed the hands from her face and looked down at the girl with her face still buried into her chest.

"WHAT DID YOU... HOW DARE YOU!"

As the fox girl sat upright she immediately hugged her chest tightly as she stared wide aired at the fox girl. Even if she was a cute fox girl she definitly wasn't allowed to do things like this without permission. Especially when she didn't even know the person doing things like this. Aya puffed out through her nose, almost letting out smoke so hot her face was. Her eyes widened less as she looked to the side of her still hugging her chest tightly just like she was still completely flustered by it. She quietly muttered to the girl.

"Baka."

The girl blamed her for getting handy with the fox while the fox got her first! This was getting annoying, this wasn't her day at all. Aya glanced back at the girl who blamed her, still with her head tilted sideways. The blush on her face almost disappeared instantly, while her eyes sharpened. Aya made a clicking sound with her tongue definitly looking annoyed at the fox.

"Shut up! You were the one getting me into this situation!"

She snapped at the fox, this wasn't a joke getting her hurt. With her body being so fragile at the moment she was even more annoyed that she felt so damn sensitive. She could be home eating hot dinner right now!

"I'm not fine, I got lost..."

Aya looked over towards the side again while saying it and peered momentarily at the girl with somewhat sad eyes, but went back to her grumpy personality not saying any more.

Kondo

Kondo gave the giant a chill smile when he said it himself, that new things appear plenty enough to make them not so special anymore. Just enjoy life a little. The giant took the the drink Kondo offered to him, he needed a lot more than Kondo but he understood himself that it was a little extravagant to take a bigger mug. The giant was kind though, he didn't complain about his problems and just took it with a little sugar. Him sitting on such a small chair looked quite funny though.

Kondo raised his mug in the air to drink together with one of his friends. When Kondo drank from his drink the giant asked if Kondo knew any more jobs that he could do. Kondo knew he had some work problems but he didn't think he had to help. Kondo raised his hand to his chin and pondered. Did he knew any jobs? Not really no but perhaps ideas could help him.

"I would say a big guy like you is great for getting some new booze. They won't deliver new booze directly to my tavern so perhaps you can get a few vats of them? I don't really know much more. You see the lack of customers so standing behind the bar isn't much fun either. Witches? What of them?"

Kondo listened to the giant as he folded his arms, closed his eyes and listened carefully giving quite nods from time to time.

"Yes, I understand. Perhaps I can get you a good weapon one way or the other. I know some people, let's say it like that."

He let out a small chuckle and took another gulp of his booze.

Hamaguchi

A light blush went over Hamaguchi's face as she felt praised by the woman only by hearing that she was right about one thing at least. She got a little excited by this, now that she knew that the woman was nice to her and that the conversation had a good mood.

"Well, you don't look like you are from here to be honest. Your clothes look muddy, didn't you have a carriage? You don't really get dirty on the roads unless you walk. Did you fall?"

Hamaguchi angled her body forwards a little to get her face closer to her clothes as her finger raised at her clothes too. She tried peeling off some of the dirt and likes but it didn't come off. She peeled a little harder but it looked like it was molded into her clothes.

"Miss! I think the mud got into your clothes."

Clearly the cat girl didn't understand that it was part of the woman her suit obviously. While she was onto trying to peel harder she noticed something. The woman appeared to be pretty injured. Various cuts and blisters. The cat stepped back and raised both hands in front of her mouth in shock. Her tail was shaking and her ears were lying flat onto her head. She scanned the woman over once more to see about all the pains she had.

"So you DID fell, here I can help you miss."

Hamaguchi stepped closer towards the woman again and placed both hands just above the bite mark on her hand. A blue glow surrounded her hands. Small magical sparks sprung about as the wound slowly healed. The cat girl looked concentrated on her job but also had a hint of confidence in her eyes. She did try to lecture the woman.

"You shouldn't walk about with injuries like this. You'll get your hand chopped off like this one day! Any more pains? You're not going away untill all your pains are healed nya!"

'FUCK'

[User]
~Tsuiho~

Well, she was adorable when she was angry. Tsuiho knew that much at least. Wasn't every day she met someone quite adorable as this. This was...interesting. Really interesting. Maybe she'd play with her for a bit? Could be fun, seeing just who this human was. She was dressed quite oddly, and she seemed a bit out of sorts. As she thought about the possible things she could play around with the human, the fox simply smiled idly, tail still swishing behind her happily as the girl hugged her chest tightly.

Yep, 100% adorable.

"Shut up! You were the one getting me into this situation! I'm not fine, I got lost..."

It was only for a moment, the girl looked at her with somewhat sad perhaps even pleading, eyes. It was a similar look she had seen many times - usually on her victims, not some random girl she just met. Well, technically this girl could count as a victim of different sorts at the moment though, heh.

"Bwuh? I already said I was sorry." She pouted, ears flattening against her head feeling somewhat hurt she was being yelled at. "But hey, if it'll make you feel better you can pet my fluffy tail again!~" She grinned brightly, tail renewing its wagging back and forth. "Just ehehe, be prepared to take responsibility for your actions if you do!~" All joking aside though, the girl had said she was lost. That was quite a problem, yep yep. If she wasn't a cold, heartless, war machine she might have actually genuinely felt sorry for her instead of the fake concern she was about to show.

"Uhm, joking aside, you're lost? That's no good. It's dangerous out here for a cute little girl like yourself." Her ears stayed flattened against her head, tail ceasing its moving as it curled around her waist, resting on her leg and easily within petting distance of the girl should she desire it. "You're lucky there wasn't any bad sorts in this alley using it for some sort of shady stuff." Hmm...she didn't want to leave the girl here. Mostly because she was just curious as to her origins, and she looked like fun.

...well, might as well invite her back to her place, heh!~

"U-uhm, it might be a bit sudden, but my name is Tsuiho. There's a nice little tavern I stay at nearby called the Crescent Moon...if you're lost it'd be a good place to get your bearings. Has some good food and drink too." She fidgeted sheepishly, obviously a bit embarrassed. "I'll buy ya something nice to make up for me being well, a klutz heh~" She had a permanent room rented there more or less. It was a nice place to drink, relax, and...well, get up to no good.

She conveniently still also forgot to get off of Aya.

[Assistant]
Addison watched as this strange, adorable cat girl picked at her uniform. She knew that this level of ignorance must be more unique to this girl, as opposed to the other locals. Once again restraining herself, Addison simply chuckled and said, "You can stop now, that's not dirt. My clothes are designed this way so that I can blend into the countryside better. You know, sneak around if I need to." However, the girl was relentless and continued her investigation. This cat girl leaned in to get a closer look, but then suddenly recoiled.

"So you DID fell, here I can help you miss."

"Oh that's not necessary, its just some minor damage, I can han-" Addison suddenly stopped and stared in awe as this silly little cat girl preformed an act that, only moments ago, Addison would have never thought possible. She placed two hands over a particularly nasty cut on Addison's hand. Suddenly, blue glow surrounded her hands, magic sparking off of it as the wound suddenly healed. Addison felt no pain and in fact, felt slightly better than before. When the cat girl had finished, Addison simply stared at her hand, rotating it around, testing it. It felt better than ever to her... Addison was silent for a moment as the cat girl lectured her. Her mind drifting away, thinking of all the people she could of saved with this kind of power...

"You shouldn't walk about with injuries like this. You'll get your hand chopped off like this one day! Any more pains? You're not going away until all your pains are healed nya!"

Addison quickly snapped back into focus with a slight shake and smiled again. "Well you didn't have to do that, little missy! Thank you, I do feel a lot better now. Sorry if I seemed shocked for a second there, it's just that, were I'm from, nobody really uses...." Addison took a shot in the dark. "...magic. Yeah... But you seemed quite skillful with that little ability of yours. I wish I could repay you, but uhh..." Addison suddenly came to the full realization she had absolutely no money, neither dollars (like they would take them), or whatever the locals used. In fact, Addison wondered if they might not even have currency and worked on a purely bartering type system. Pushing those thoughts aside, she finished her sentence. "... I don't have any money..."


[System]
Appearance/Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Career/Profession: Mercenary

Background: If you were to ask someone to list the most bad ass killers in the universe, Killshot would be somewhere on the top ten. He keeps most of his history a secret for the sake of protecting old family and friends, though it isn't all that interesting anyway. He's known best for his record of more than 300 confirmed kills, though he doesn't keep count himself, and his ability to complete almost every contract ever assigned to him. His weakness is his conscious. Those few uncompleted contracts are from when he would side with those he was hired to kill because he felt that they they didn't deserved to die. He's also used to working alone, but is willing to readjust to keep the people of Sector Serena safe.

Gear:
- Two .45 Caliber Handguns
- One Machete
- Various lethal and non-lethal hand grenades
- Body armor that can stop most non-sustained small arms fire
- Helmet with tactical display

Other:

The V-17 Cobra Dropship is a re-purposed troop carrier meant to quickly transport up to twelve. Killshot's since customized it for deep space travel and more firepower. There's also a small armory where he keeps various weaponry (including assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, etc.) for missions that may require something more than his handguns can handle. It's no bigger than a Black Hawk Helicopter of the 21st century. After his last contract though, the Cobra was wrecked and Killshot is currently planing on using his cut from this job to pay for the repairs.

Credits: ₡0.00

[User]
R0807 Hearing the quick wit and discussion of Winston, flipped his foot blades out and zipped through the alleyway around and spotted the dumpsters, through the wall he could sense the enemies ahead, he opened his arm to reveal sub machine guns. He adjusted himself in the rain, turned his foot slightly outward pointed almost horizontally while pushing forward, almost flat this time gaining so much force from each push he zoomed right past the enemies, opening fire on the two behind a dumpster hitting one directly in the head and missing another, he ducked as his friend got brain bits on him.

R0807 Wouldn't let him get away, as soon as he realized he missed he bent backwards grabbing a piece of rebar laying beside the dumpster, he flipped it around his his fingers and threw it like a dart into the other man's neck behind the dumpster. He turned his foot slightly and pushed off the ground, zipping forward and grabbing the rebar, ripping the mans head off as he tore it from his neck.

He waited for the others to make a move, hiding behind the dumpster evading any gunfire coming in.

[Assistant]
The heads-up-display on John's helmet glowed with the information that Winston had sent him and the others. An escort job. Why does it always have to be an escort job? Assaults and assassinations are almost always fun, but escorts are usually annoying. Ah well, let's get this over with. John followed Winston to the VIP's location, though it didn't take long before they were close enough to just follow the sound of gunfire.

Once the small group of mercs, robots, and aliens had reached their destination, John quickly slid behind cover. With a press of a button, his helmet highlighted all six of the same hostiles Winston had spotted. This guy hired nine mercs, one of them being myself, to protect himself from six obviously very untrained thugs. I'd say this is overkill if it wasn't for the fact that I'm sure there'll be more on their way now that we're here. He turned to Winston as the pilot explained the plan. "Sounds good to me," John replied with a nod.

As soon as Winston gave the word, John vaulted over the hood of the car that he had been crouching behind, making a straight beeline toward Mr. Graton. Unholstering his two handguns, John started taking pot shots at the three men farthest away, keeping them from getting a lucky shot on the gray coat-wearing man. "Harrison Graton, pleased to meet you. My name's Killshot and the people here with me that are not shooting at your ass are here to rescue you." A bullet whizzed by John's head from the direction of the rooftops. Apparently the guy that Winston's been suppressing has been getting a bit impatient. He'll need to be dealt with. "Be right back."

John began sprinting toward the two story building that the thug was camped up on. Latching onto a pipe leading up the side of the building, he quickly climbed up. A normal person would begin to slide back down, especially with the rain soaking it and him, but with the press of another button the boots of his armor were magnetized to the metal pipe. Bullets ricocheted around him, a couple of them even him though they harmlessly bounced off, but he made it to the top before any real damage could be done. As soon as Winston stopped firing to reload, John jumped on the roof with the shooter, quickly grabbing his arm and breaking it with a single quick motion. Then, he threw the thug off the side of the building, head first. No way was he going to survive that fall.

Looking off into the distance, John eyed the three thugs left and reached for a grenade. With a second thought, he replaced back in the pouch. These guys aren't worth the money to buy a replacement grenade. He pulled his machete out and scratched another tally mark onto his armor before shouting to his teammates below. "Guy on the rooftop's taken care of! Now move the VIP away from the fire zone before he finds himself with a new bullet facial piercing!"

[User]
Eloln was quick to act and decided to split him and the big guy up. "Copperhead go help Killshot protect the target, and don't let him die understand."

With a nod Copperhead was off fast than he looked like he could go. He dashed right next to the target. "Mr. Graton, I'm here to help." Graton looked scared ass hell, Copperhead thought it was because of his size and appearance. With bullets hitting the van he needed to lay some cover down so that the man could get around the corner with the others. He reached up and grabbed his favorite gun Big Bite and charged it up. The gun fired a electric pulse so powerful that it turned what ever it came to contact in to much. Eloln once described the effect as taking a sledge hammer to squash. With the gun charged he aimed it at one of the men out of cover from the car. He fired and it made contact with the man dead in the chest. He exploded and pieces of him were everywhere, gun fire stopped and Copperhead got back into cover to recharge his weapon.

Meanwhile Eloln took off after the Android after giving Copperhead his job. He was fast so Eloln had to get on all fours just to keep up. He looked like a lizard running through the rain forest. He came up next to the machine and watched as the man exploded. The gun fire stopped due to initial shock but it pick up just as quick. He saw the two men behind the car and looked up and saw Killshot on the roof. He took this idea and began to run on all fours to the building he was on. Eloln climbed up the side of the building on all fours until he hit the top and saw Killshot. He ran over to him and pointed at the men behind the car.

Who
"We need to get ride of them before more show up." Eloln said with a hiss.

[Assistant]
Claire De la Noye
&
Natasi

Claire would quickly follow along after hearing the arrangements for the gathered group, a gentle hand patting her thigh as she took to a sprint. The lanky legged Sorvath titled Natasi close to her side as they remained off to the side of the group avoiding getting muddled within it. The sound of echoing shots being fired in the distance caught Claire's attention, while Natasi's over-sized ears perked up, dark ebony nasal panels pulling at the air as a deep rumble emerged though she remained tight to her mistress's heel.

Upon reaching the destination and remaining hidden she'd nod lightly at the orders being barked by Winston. Eyes quickly trail over the form of R0807 taking off and disappearing down an alley before shifting to the sound of Killshot sprinting for the protection target. Claire would reach for the large rifle upon her back and sling it into position, one hand gripping and balancing the lengthy barrel while the other held tightly to the grip and she pulled it to her shoulder.

Crouched lowly, Claire would begin moving across the street sideways, gun aimed directly down at those hidden behind the vehicle. Claire would suddenly halt in position in the middle of the street, bullet whizzing by as she'd tilt her head and rest her cheek upon part of the gun, eye closing to look down the scope.

"Taz, bring it to me!" she'd shout, the large pale toned creature would suddenly take off from her mistress's side. Winding past some vehicles and causing some confusion to those watching, Natasi would head straight towards the two hidden, one poked their head out just enough. Claire barely moved to line up the shot and pulled the trigger, the rifle emitting a faint sound as a bullet went flying.

Opening her second eye again, Claire watched as Natasi barely even stopped. She continued racing across the road, ears low to the sides and tail extended behind her as she'd launch onto the bonnet of the car darkened maroon hues glancing at the already dead man behind it before grunting lightly before she heard an unsteady foot slip near the other end. Head snapping to one side she'd glance at the other man who appeared to be trying to remain out of line of fire and she'd dip her head, her lips twitching as they curled up slightly to bare ivory fangs. Natasi knew little on how to kill properly, but she'd step down from the car's hood with no necessary effort and began pressing on with slow paces towards the man trying to reload his weapon.

Claire would watch closely, eyes fixated on the vehicle barely able to see the large beast now hidden behind it, hands lightly shifting on the guns as she adjusted her position and begin to move off to more cover near the alleyway. "Natasi! Bring it to me!" she'd bark once more, the hound unsure exactly what to bring would launch at the fumbling person and latch onto his weapon, one giant paw pressed into his chest as deep vocals rumbled in her chest. Natasi would then quickly shake her head violently, the mans hand releasing the weapon under the sudden force and the hound would quickly take off once the prize was freed.

A partial grin spread over Claires hidden face as the Sorvath winded through further obstacles only to find herself once more beside her mistress, maw grasped tightly over the now unarmed mans gun while a lizard-like tail whipped side-to-side. The beast almost looked to have a gleaming expression barely resembling a smile upon her face as her ears perked up and she remain holding the trophy.

Claire lost sight of the second gunman and huffed as she'd remain out of sight. Her gun pointed around a corner as she'd spot Copperhead with the target they had to protect, nodding at that knowledge she'd begin heading their way ready to pop the last guy behind the car if by chance he'd pop out. Though this wasn't likely with him now unarmed while Natasi followed close to her mistress with it wrapped within her daggery jowls.

[User]
John leaned against the railing on the roof of the building, looking down at the shootout below him. The remaining three thugs - scratch that, two thugs thanks to Copperhead's lightning gun - down below were so far off that the likelihood they'd be able to hit Harrison or one of his teammates was extremely low, admittedly anything could happen though. That's why he didn't even bother firing at them. John hadn't been paying much attention to those that had gone into the alley to take on the two by the dumpster, not after he saw that they were neutralized that is, so he didn't know Eloln was on the roof with him until the Parzon spoke. John showed no sign of this lack of knowledge though.

"There's only two left-" a silenced bullet from Claire's rifle struck one of the thugs making him need to recount. "Make that one left. I could easily take him on my own, heck I could have taken all six of these guys on my own, but we're a team here and there's no 'I' in team. So that's why I'm watching from up here for now. Reinforcements arrive and you can be sure that I'll jump back in, but for now I want to see what the rest of us can do. Know our strengths and weaknesses. That way we'll all be able to improve. So, wanna watch with me?"


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 23

Birthday: December 7

Blood type: O-

Height: 6'4

Weight: 170 Ibs.

Likes: Fellow Black Egrets, proving himself to those who doubted him, the Canopy Kingdom and it's royal family, guns, women that are way out of his league, rock and roll music.

Dislikes: Criminals, people with a lack of respect, anyone who shows him up, anything sticky.

Parasite/living weapon: None. Just uses the Black Egret standard issue MP40, Luger P08, and Model 24 grenade.

Appearance:

Blockbusters:
1. Boom Baby - Scott throws one of his grenades after shouting "Boom baby!". Does mild amount of damage, stuns opponent for one second, and throws them back a few feet.

2. Hasta la vista, baby - A fellow Black Egret pulls up in a motorcycle and gives it to Scott before running off. Scott then drives towards his opponent and grabs them by their collar before throwing them in the air and unleashing an entire magazine from his MP40 on them. He then drives away before turning back around and crashing the motorcycle into them. Does moderate amount of damage.

3. Overkill - Scott calls in a squad of fighter planes to make five strafing runs toward his opponent. Each strafing run will also throw his enemy into the air. Does extreme amounts of damage.

Bio: Scott's parents both worked for the Black Egrets, so it was only natural that he would join them himself. As soon as he turned eighteen, Scott volunteered for service. It was during his first few days at boot camp that he met his best friend Liam MacTaggart. The pair became fast friends, as they shared very similar interests and world views. The only difference between the two was their confidence. Scott often second-guessed every decision he made, even though it more-often-than-not the right decision. Liam, on the other hand, would be able to quickly figure out what needed to be done and then do it. This allowed Liam to ascend in rank with less struggle than Scott.

Rumors have spread from the intelligence division of the Black Egrets that the Skull Heart might have resurfaced. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity for them to gain recognition among the higher-ups, if the rumors are true of course, Scott has talked Liam into teaming up to search for the weapon of mass destruction.

Currently, both Liam and Scott are the Black Egret's equivalent to the rank of Sergeant. While Scott is single, he helped play wingman for Liam several months ago and is proud to have helped his friend meet the woman that Liam now calls his fiancée.

[User] Ash perks up, having been absent mindedly eating for Gale's explanation "Yeah, although I've never really met another Gigan myself, I've mostly been around Ferals and Elves," the Gigan explains "I think I've never actually seen a fellow Gigan before."

[Assistant]
Gale nodded before wrinkling her nose, the sudden smell of new people within the restaurant causing her stomach to do flips. She bit her purple lower lip and tugged on her bat ears angrily. "That smells like..." she snarled to herself, tapping her nails on the table almost in a frenzied manner. "That can't be!" she screeched angrily inside of her head, feeling like she was about to go over the edge. It was the exact same smell from so long ago, the exact same one. He knocked, she opened, her parents were dead, he said. "It's...city scum," she growled harshly, ripping her bandana off so that she could direct her red pupil in the newcomers' exact direction. Though she was blind, the restaurant was already mapped out in her mind, and due to how long she'd been here to experience the obstacles, the obstacles around her had already been mapped as well. These two entering the area stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs to her, so it was easy to pinpoint where in the room they were.

"Ash," she hissed, almost clawing at her friend's shirt sleeve, "we have company." Gale took another sniff as her blind eyes stared at the door for a few moments, flattening her ears just like before. "Not only is it city scum," she began silently, "but they're Egrets. That smell is all too familiar, I know who they are." As she struggled to contain her contempt, a soft voice echoed inside her head, "Your blood is boiling."

That was a voice she hadn't heard in a few days. "Brandy, is that you?" she wondered, smoothing her purple pompadour as she did so. "It's me," he replied back in a monotonous tone, filling her head with a jarring static. "Don't do that static noise, it's hurting my ears," she snapped through her mind, to which the sword responded by turning down the noise. "Now?" it questioned, and she visibly winced as the weapon's connections became almost overwhelming. "Stop!" she ordered, and Brandy obeyed. "Not yet, I can't rush out right now," she explained, feeling bad for how rude her last remark sounded. "I'll be here," it replied calmly, the static growing softer and softer. "Sorry for the noise," it replied in an apologetic but soothing tone. Gale had relaxed a bit hearing her weapon's reassurance of its presence, but she had most certainly not forgotten what riled her up in the first place. She had to think of a way to chase them out, but this was not her family's house from all those years ago in which they chased out whomever they pleased.

No, it'd probably be much more complicated than that.

[User]
"WE ARE BEING WATCHED."

"Shush Marionette, no one could really see us, or even bother to look up."

Reaching the alleyway, she quickly slid down a fire escape ladder to the pavement below, landing just behind the couple with nary a sound. It helps that the din from the main road still reached here, masking any noise her good leather shoes made. Taking out one of those expandable police baton from her belt, Juno walked leisurely to the bodyguard's back, and gave him a solid whack on the nape with the baton. The lady looked upon her bodyguard collapsing with surprise, barely able to register that he had collapsed, before she too was knocked out cold.

Juno raised her baton for a moment, eyeing the both of them to make sure they were really unconscious. Satisfied that it was so, she started rummaging through their person. Judging from that man, he would have given her a fair amount of trouble had he put up a fight; more trouble than the mugging was worth.

"And done. We can't have the steak-"

"WHY WON'T YOU LET ME EAT STEAK?" came Marionette's muffled voice from the bandaged hand.

"-but we certainly can have the cheesecake in one of the cafe nearby."

"THAT PLEASES ME."

[Assistant]
As Scott and Liam waited for the waitress to return to take their orders, Scott noticed through his peripheral vision that one of the other diners was staring at the two of them. He started searching through the several pouches on his uniform and pulled out three t-shirts, each with the Black Egret logo on them, and leaned over to the girls. "Here ya go, miss," he said as he placed the shirts on the corner of their table. Usually, just giving citizens a souvenir would get admirers to stop gawking at him. He didn't give enough attention to the girl to notice that her look was not of admiration, but of hate. Liam hadn't even noticed the other diners though as he was paying too much attention to the menu, something Scott always found strange since Liam always ordered the same thing every time.

"Alright, Scott. Seriously, what's the plan?" Liam said without even looking up from the menu.

"Plan? We don't need a plan. We're us. We just wait for more information. Keep our ears to the ground and all that. I'm sure we'll find a lead or something soon," Scott responded.

Liam sighed with disappointment. "You know what's going to happen if you don't come up with a plan. You'll start second-guessing yourself at the most inopportune time and our chance will pass us by."

"Well do you have anything in mind? All we have to go on is confirmation of its existence."

Liam gave Scott a questioning look that said everything Liam was thinking: "Confirmation? Really?"

"Fine, not exact confirmation, but my point still stands. You can't think of anything better."

Liam sighed in defeat before rising out of his seat a bit to look for the waitress. Scott did the same. Still, neither seemed to notice the enraged teenager only a table away from them.

[User]
In that very moment, something snapped inside of Gale. "A t-shirt," she echoed in her mind, her entire body filling with a surreal rage. That deafening static had returned, indicating that Brandy Station was most certainly ready to take over. "Are you sure you want me to go on?" he whispered, and she felt her impaired eyes burning from the intense, burning light that was finding its way through her pupils. "Do it," she replied, relinquishing all control over her actions and her body to let Brandy take over. While Brandy slowly began to take control, he reached up using her delicate, thin fingers and opened her eyelids manually, revealing that her entire eye had been submerged in a ghostly yellow light. "I'll keep you safe, you just watch," he breathed softly to her despite the fact that she was too disoriented to properly reply.

After he had complete control over her mind and body, he slipped the obsidian sword out of its polished sheath, pointing it directly in the Egrets' direction. "Hello, all," he announced in a voice that sounded vaguely like Gale's, but it had a twist of a garbled male voice and a roaring static accent. "On Gale's judgement, I have been commanded to take over from here," he explained to the soldiers, increasing the light coming from her wide yellow eyes to a blinding intensity. "You may leave peacefully, and I will do no harm," Brandy remarked, tilting Gale's head to the side, "but if you stay and put this girl's life in danger, I will stop your actions indefinitely. An eye for an eye." He turned to Ash and pointed the feral's free hand in her direction. "Stay put," he whispered to her, making sure that it was in a language that only her hidden parasite would understand. He adjusted his host's iron grip on the sabre's handle, raising it in the air. "And don't you dare think of using your filthy guns and tear gas on me," he snarled through her closed teeth, swiping the air with such force that it caused a surprisingly strong wind to blow in the men's direction. "An entity such as me is still affected, but I recover much faster than your average opponent. The repercussions will be great if you dare do so."

Gale's being, entrapped within her own mind, watched through blind eyes and listened to her weapon's words. "Them's fighting words," she echoed through his control, causing her feminine voice to be projected through her own throat. "Please keep quiet, Gale," he warned mentally, "if you distract me at the wrong time, our lives will be in danger. Keep in mind that while I am in your body, I, too, can be killed." Curling up on the floor and hugging her knees against her chest, she slowly replied with a delicate, "Okay," to reassure him that she understood the urgency of the situation.

[Assistant]
Scoot and Liam were just taking a sip of the coffee the waitress had put down before them, when the bat feral from earlier stood up and began threatening them with violence. Not only that, but she showed the sure signs of having a parasite. In unison, Scott and Liam let out a disappointed sigh before taking another sip of their drinks. Scott was the first to speak.

"Miss, you do realize that parasites are illegal don't you?" He pulled out a small notepad from another pouch on his uniform and began asking questions while quickly reading several pages in the notepad. "I'm just going to assume right off the bat that this parasite has not been approved by the Renoir family." Scott looked up from the notepad just to see if she had any reaction to his absolute disregard for her earlier threats. "I'm going to have to ask you a few questions ma'am. First off, I'm going to need your name. Then I need to know what type of parasite it is that you are currently hosting: natural or synthetic. And finally, I'm going to have to ask your friends if they knew of your parasite before now and if they have ones of their own." Scott closed the notepad and returned it to it's pouch. "If we can settle this without violence, I'd much appreciate it. Your actions so far will definitely get you a few years in juvie and I'd hate for them to have to send a young girl like you to prison because of your actions here today."


[System]
S02 - Scott Riley (MercuryHg34) [Sabre Squad Leader / Jack-of-all-Trades]
S03 - Rory Phayne (Rhymer) [Heavy Weapons / Assault Combat]
S04 - Seth Garron (Dragonite777) [Stealth / Reconnaissance]
S05 - James Alexander (Shadowman215) [Decoy / Scout]
S06 - Jax Orion (GhostReaper) [Precision Combat / Survival]
S07 - Jackson Indar (nk1506) [Medic / Tactician]
S08 - Cyprian Sigmund (Light) [Information / Technology]
S09 - Saffron Bridges (SimplyJhon) [Tank / CQC]

[User] Jackson was excited to test his new equipment. He had seen some of the other walk off to test area to try out their suits and equipment. "Ok Jackson, we're ready to test now" A voice said through a helmet mounted microphone. Jackson walked out of the armoury and towards the designated testing area, ready for what they would throw at him. Needless to say, he was disappointed at the small room with a small pile of assorted scrap objects. "What the f...." Jackson began, but the helmet mic cut him off. "Ahem, Jackson Indar, are you ready to commence training?" The feminine voice asked. "Uh, I guess" Jackson said as he retrieved his assault rifle. "Ah, there's no need for that Indar. We know you can shoot a gun. But do take your sidearm and reload it please, just to show you understand it" Jackson obeyed and put his assault rifle back on his back, and instead took the revolver off of his leg. There were two buttons, one on either side. Jackson pressed one of the buttons and half of the barrel pushed out, revealing three chambers for cartridges. Loading them up, he did the same for the other side. "Good. Now I'd like you to use a medikit on yourself. Simply pla-" The pretentious voice began again, and Indar simple rolled his eyes and obeyed. "Yeah, yeah, I know what I'm doing" Jackson said dryly. He placed the tube against his upper arm and pressed the button on top. He felt a small prick as the microscopic needles punctured both skin and clothing, filling him with medical nanites. "Ahem, well then. For your information, medikits can also be used on others, and even through heavy armour. Now they are typically one use only, so used them wisely. But, if necessary, you, and only you, can refill them with your nanites. There will be a replacement waiting for you outside the door. Now, as you probably know, you can change scrap metals into more useful objects. Try making some of your revolver cartridges with the scrap over there. Three will do" The pretentious woman continued. Jackson sighed and approached the scrap, picking up a piece of metal. With a small bit of effort, the metal scrap turned into a battle ready cartridge. "Good job. I'm sure you've been informed of your other abilities. Underwater breathing, healing nanites. You're ready to fight Jackson" The voice finally stopped and Indar was free to leave the room. He picked up the replacement medkit and navigated back to the armoury where he came from.

[Assistant]
James sighed as the others proceeded through their respective training courses, then the female voice popped in his earpiece that linked to his optic. "Alright James, you're up." He nodded quietly and stood up, proceeding to his respective training area.

First off there was your basic firing range, simple enough, he strode to a booth and slapped a mag into his SMG, grasping the foregrip and pressing the stock into his shoulder. "The SMG is calibrated already, just need to get data on you." After that, targets began popping up, each one taken down with tight focused bursts. Some targets moved slightly, some dived for cover. Each one got picked off quick, and soon the range was empty, his clip included. "Grab your shotgun, that needs to be tested." He nodded and strode back to the door, then turned toward the next range, only to see a holo jump out at him. Quick as a wink he flicked his shotgun up and squeezed the trigger, blasting the target with buckshot, though when it hit the wall, it burned through the metal. "Thermite ammo...Nice." He said quietly, the voice popped up again, with a cockier tone. "Like my trick?" He shook his head and sighed, this one thought they were witty? "Not really, pretty boring." He smiled in his rebuttal, waiting for her to be offended, but she didn't. Instead she ushered him to a room with drones and stationary targets. "Take a charge and jack one of the drone turrets here, then order it to take out a target, then make it destroy itself." He nodded and slapped a charge on the closest turret, stepping back as he remotely detonated it, and watched as nanites seep into the machinery, slowly taking it over as the info of the turret popped into his HUD. "Freaky shit.." He thought aloud as he watched the final processes be under his command. "Alright, lets do this shit." He ordered it to destroy the targets, which it did, but when it shot the turret.

The turret registered as friendly after the first shot, the nanites had coated the ammo and now act as a virus, infecting the machine it attacks. "Impressed?" the female voice asked, rather proud of herself. He nodded and chuckled "Color me impressed miss, that's fucking amazing. Even in college this shit was just a theory." She replied smoothly with a curt "Yes, but now we need to see how it works on moving units, don't worry, nothing will try and kill you." In his thoughts were the words: 'That is reassuring..' he sighed and proceeded forward as he saw a large tank-like drone (envision one of the drones from Black Ops 2). "Just place a charge." He did so, placed a charge, detonated it, soon he had control of this as well. He then ordered it to move, he had to sigh of boredom. Primarily since he was used to thick jungles and every day being a risk. "Soon you'll be in-field 05, just be patient, now command the drone to move and shoot." Using the interface he had in his optic, he did so. Though the machine didn't fire, instead in informed him it lacked ammo. The voice came up again. "Alright, thats good on interface testing, your personal drone is in the next room, use your retinal interface to take over the drone and see the room." She lied, he was watching the armory, everyone registered as friendlies on the drones FFID software. Then he heard the sound of holo footsteps, and immediately hid behind his larger drone. "Use one of your Seeker Mines to handle these holograms." He nodded and rolled it towards the noise, only hearing the thump of it launching, and the miniature explosions from its cluster bombs hitting the ground. "Alright James, you're good. All data calibrated." He nodded and returned to his allies, impressed with what was available, and how quick his interface went on and off.

[User]
Walking back down to her locker after finishing her training session Saf almost bumped into Sgt. Garron. "Whoa, sorry I didn't..." She started to say, holding her hand up by way of apology. Immediately her suit took over, projecting a shield wall forwards and pinning Seth back against the rack of guns behind him. For a moment Saf didn't know what was happening, before recognising the golden yellow glow which surrounded her own suit being created in front of her.

Gentle lowering her hand she watched the wall fade into nonexistence before bending down towards where Seth lay crumpled on the floor, "Sorry about that too... I guess these suits will take a little getting used to." She said with as friendly a tone as she could, holding her hand out and offering to help her teammate back up onto his feet.

[Assistant]
Seth didn't notice 09 walk by, but was going to wave off her apology. He wasn't able to due to the wall of energy her outstretched hand created, which, due to the force of its creation, pinned Seth against the weapons rack with his feet an inch or two off the ground. Once the female teammate realized it was her suit that had created the hard place that pinned Seth between it and the rock that was the weapons rack, she made it disappear with a releasing gesture. Once gone, Seth fell to the ground, catching himself on one foot and one knee. He was still getting used to the lack of nerve endings on his feet bottoms, or he would have stayed up on his feet.
 Interesting, gesture-based restricted energy fields. Useful for defensive and offensive tactics. Exponentially so for defensive, yet innovative uses may create more offensive possibilities. Note made. 09 seems to offer help and friendliness, which may just due to the fact that I haven't said anything towards her, forcing paranoia of possible negative feelings. Previously noted to keep her in a positive mood while outside combat to avoid possible battlefield quarrels; therefore, accepting her help and reciprocating positive attitude towards her would be most beneficial to avoiding possible future volatility.
 After deliberating and rationalizing, while feigning impact shock, Seth clasped his hand on the woman's forearm and used his own strength to get up, releasing once he regained balance. "Agreed." Nodding with a slight, forced smile, Seth checked his person to make sure nothing fell out, namely his boot-knife. That's all he saw as necessary to reply to 09's talk of the calibration of the self-to-suit integration. Small talk didn't interest him, but analysing the rest of the team's post-calibration conditions would seem to be priority, as there would be hurdles to overcome with having suits that acted as though they were exoskeletons for each person, enhancing their natural abilities further than the augmentations done on them have. Remembering the pores on his neck and the fact that they'd put a gauze pad over them post-operation, Seth lowered his suit's neck line to take off the gauze and test out his new breathing abilities. After sliding the neck line up, he was able to breathe without inhaling from his nose or mouth. After a few moments of consciously switching breathing patterns around, he was able to balance the pore-breathing and nostril breathing, causing almost no noticeable breathing noise from him. Almost completely silent when standing still and moving, with his feet made to make as close to no noise as possible.

[User]
After helping Sgt. Garron to his feet Saf was a little unnerved by his unnatural smile and quickly turned her gaze away glancing down the row of lockers at the other Sabers before turning back to the strong silent one in front of her, "So, what toys did they give you?" She asked as Sgt. Garron picked at something on his neck.

As she waited for a response something seemed... wrong with the former sergeant, and for a moment Saf couldn't quite place her finger on what it was, but suddenly it dawned on her. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked, her voice worried as she reached forwards and took hold of Sgt. Garron's arm, "Did you stop breathing or something?"

[Assistant]
Seth cocked an eyebrow and pulled his arm from 09's grasp. "Breathing pores: allows near-silent breathing." Deciding that it's courteous to continue to answer her question, Seth adds, "synthetic foot pads: silent steps when barefoot. Seventy-percent nightvision mode. Chameleon camo function in suit. ... Yours?" Getting through everything with minimal wording, Seth figures it's customary in conversation to ask the other about a subject with which each can describe, list, or otherwise talk about. This is the most interaction Seth has had with a live female since before his right brain shut down.
 Interesting. Compassionate towards teammates, even though volatile. Not afraid to cause pain nor relieve it. Very interesting dynamic. Or simply trying to gain favor after the events in the briefing room. Should keep an eye on emotional levels throughout the training mission. Find high and low points and their causes. Seth nods at 09 before turning and joining the others who have finished their self-suit integration calibration.

[User]
Lifting her arms Saf activated her shielding and her blades, giving Sgt. Garron the full light show. "Protective shields and what I think are variable-yield emitters in the gauntlets. I'm still getting a hang on those." As she explained the Warrant Officer tried imagining different sized blades and to her delight the long sharp beams shortened and widened, changing from what she thought of as lances to machetes and finally to shovels.

When she tried to pull them back further a gauge suddenly appeared on her HUD and the gauntlets whined for a moment before sending a wave of force up into the ceiling, leaving a noticeable dent in the armoured plating there. "Okay, and they can be overcharged to act as some sort of recharging ranged attack." She said, watching as the gauge slowly began to shrink.

Saf tried to activate her blades again but the emitters just glowed weakly for a moment before cutting out. "Gotta be careful with that though, seems it breaks the blade emitters at least for a short while, there's a gauge here that seems to be indicating the recovery time." Saf tapped at her faceplate to indicate to Sgt. Garron what she was talking about, as she knew the HUD was probably an internal projection not visible to others. "There's also some sort of rainbow strength gauge over here," She continued, moving her hand to the other side of her helmet, "Which I think is something to do with the shielding. It flickered slightly while under constant attack by six training turrets, but I've no idea how much of an indication of actual shield strength."

Turning to look over Sgt. Garron's shoulder Saf called down the room to the Sabre standing at the locker beside hers. "Hey, Dr. Sigmund? You said earlier you were involved with the creation of these... systems," She said, waving her hand down the front of the top-of-the-line, form-fitting, technological marvel of a cybersuit, "I was just wondering what the maximum protective power the shielding on my suit could withstand? In terms a soldier could understand, if you can."

[Assistant] "Well, the short answer is 'a lot.' More so than the rest of us, actually." The doctor responded from the front of the testing course. He, alongside Scott, were already used to the suits. His voice echoed through the helms of all the Sabres as he spoke through radio. "Each suit was designed to compliment your strengths while covering your weaknesses. The capabilities of offense, defense, mobility and utility appropriately vary among all of us to begin with, and so too should any equipment you use."


[System]
* Age: 17 years old
* Gender: Male
* Race: Human
* Appearance: Standing 5' 11" and a sleek 155 lbs, Lucas carries himself with the graceful posture of both an athlete and an artist. His smile is polite and unassuming, his eyes are bright and steel-coloured, and his hair is as white as snow.
* Personality: Although a little withdrawn in light of the relatively recent death of his parents, Lucas is slowly but surely returning to his old self: A warm and friendly young man who will always seek to raise his friends spirits, whether it's with an unfunny joke or an arm around the shoulder and an open ear. He also has an odd quirk of being fearless. Not courageous, no - courage requires the presence of fear - but complete fearlessness. Danger simply does not move him. He has somewhat of a darker side that went undiscovered until he started weapons training... he does like to 'talk a little trash,' seeking to press the emotional buttons of his opponent and get them off their game. It is a little jarring to witness, for anyone that knows him, to see him in this arrogant and malicious state. Aside from that, he likes card games, climbing trees and reading books about heroic deeds, adventure and rescuing princesses.
* Brief Backstory: Lucas Storm was born to Penny and Harold aka 'The Storms' - a double act in a travelling circus troupe that lived on the roads of Thain. They were not quite the main event, but between Penny's acrobatics and Harold's knife-throwing expertise, the two had their act down to a tee and made a good living at the top of the card. Lucas however, had shot into stardom as a gifted trapeze artist and worked with his parents friends often as the main event. Every night he risked his life to entertain the audience, and strangely the dizzying heights or the danger had never even slightly bothered the boy, not even the first time.

Life was good. Simple, yes, but contented and full of love. Living on the road meant one was always an outsider and so the troupe had a trust and loyalty between them that went beyond community. More like family. They looked out for each other, lied for each other (certainly when thieves and pickpockets in the troupe began to make their extra money off the current town,) and they would no-doubt die for each other... something many of them eventually did. This circus life would indeed come to an end when they were assaulted in Velt by slaver unit. The troupe resisted as best they could, but were no match for amply-armed slavers. Many of them died, including Lucas' parents, Penny and Harold. Lucas was taken prisoner and caged, ready for sale.

No more than three days after Lucas was thrown into a cage, the slaver encampment was set upon by a mercenary band who captured the place after a bloody battle. Lucas was awestruck as a hero straight out of one of his books, fought evil men valiantly and freed him from the cage. That man, he would find out, was Gerard Segremors. From that day forward, Lucas Storm wanted to be a hero, like in his books. A hero like Gerard Segremors. His first act a free person again, was to go to the quartermaster of the mercenary band and request to be recruited. Perhaps the quartermaster took note of the young lad's strong body and graceful gait. Perhaps it was the look of determination and fearlessness in his eyes. For whatever reason, Lucas' request was accepted and he began training under the quartermaster.

This life as a mercenary did not last long however, as no more than some weeks - maybe months - later, the mercenary band was dissolved and folded into the military arm of the Church. Lucas didn't care, he simply waited to see what Gerard would do, and when his idol joined the Blades of Iron Roses, Lucas followed him into the order.

Now, Lucas finds himself training under a real regiment, in an order of knights where he might truly become a hero from his books - a hero like Gerard Segremors. And he works hard to make it happen.
* Equipment: A set of battered plate mail. A longsword. All standard basic Order issue. He likes to carry several daggers on his person, preferably balanced for throwing or using in a tight situation.
* Skills: Free-climbing. Juggling. Dizzying acrobatics. Knife throwing. Hold Em Poker. Pickpocketing. Cheering friends up. Sneaking.

[User]
Tyaethe

"Ah, but I mean that it all tastes the same if I only focus on what my body is telling me. There's something magical in it, vampirism is very intricate in some ways. Where it came from and how it got to this stage... I don't think anybody knows except the gods, and it's not the sort of thing they like to answer questions about."

His last question was answered by the vampire picking up the spiced tart, taking a bite before continuing. "No great magic, but there's enough in there to be somewhat usable. I don't know if it would be enough to take up any sort of spellblade path without being implausibly efficient, but you could probably learn a few useful things like fire starting or creating light. It's more common amongst humans than you'd think, especially in parts of the Velt population; it's just below the threshold most people will spontaneously cause anything to happen and people don't have time or means to test."

It also wasn't something most mages considered. She only knew because 'trying to understand your status as a vampire' brought you into contact with the most obscure theorists sometimes.

And if Fionn wanted to talk, Tyaethe wasn't going to force him to leave. Probably. "No, most people don't want to talk. It's hardly a loss, I'm content with things as they are."

[Assistant]
Fionn MacKerracher

---

Daze

---

Must be the possible elvish admixture in parts of Velt, he imagined. The idea that he might have some small amount of magical talent to harness was an interesting one, though, even if it wouldn't amount to too much more than parlor tricks; he'd have to look into it. Maybe it'd be enough to get him lateral movement from the knight career track to the paladin one if he had enough to work with.

But before that, there was cheesecake. Reduced down to only one plate and fork, he took a quick bite of the sambocade. Truth be told, elderflower wasn't something he normally went for, but even if he had any notable dislike of the flavour he doubt he'd have minded it much in the cake, even if it didn't have berries and honey atop. He might've grabbed the bread pudding as well, if it weren't for the fact that cold bread pudding was a travesty.

"Hardly implies that it still is one, though," he observed between bites. "Don't see any reason I should be one of the ones contributing to it if that's the case. Spontaneous bloodletting involved or no." Best not to dwell on that albeit-minimal loss overlong, though, lest he help ruin her talkative, seemingly-good mood entirely.

"Thinking of—now that we've established some of your favourite bloods, now you've got to tell me your favourite dessert. So that I know how best to bribe you in the future, of course."

[User]
Tyaethe

"Tarts are good," Tyaethe said, holding up a fork full of the dessert as evidence, "But custard tarts are better. Particularly the spiced variants. There was a chef in the past who was particularly in favour of putting whatever savoury ingredients we had spares of in tarts like that, they seemed to be a particular fan of experimenting with custard."

Any similarity with the perceived flavour and texture of elven blood was unlikely to be a coincidence, although whether the preference for this particular dessert came first or the way blood was perceived would be hard to tell--the girl had both been initially raised amongst the higher levels of nobility, and the chance she had much opportunity to sample elves before the Iron Roses were founded was low. She couldn't, herself, remember which she had first tried, only that there was a distinct similarity between the two.

"You don't have to force yourself to talk to me, no matter how little anyone else might. I am both a vampire and your considerable elder, it's only to be expected."

[Assistant]
Fionn MacKerracher

---

Daze

---

"Knew I should have grabbed one of the custard tarts."

It had been a quick, spur-of-the-moment choice between a custard tart or the fruit tart; in the end, he decided to grab one that might be less commonly taken just in case Tyaethe was the type to prefer something different from the majority. In a way, she still was, but it seemed like everywhere he looked people were always wanting custard tarts. At least it meant more of the others for him!

Momentary muttering aside; "I'm really not forcing myself to do this," he said after another bite. "Getting asked for my blood so immediately was a bit of a shock, sure, but am I not allowed to take an interest in how my fellow knights are doing?"

[User]
Tyaethe

Tyaethe sighed. There was no point pursuing this conversation if he was going to be stubborn about it for some reason. Might as well make the most of the situation, if Fionn was willing to tough it out for whatever reason. The guy was being entirely too nice for his own good, after all.

"If you don't have anything else to talk about than my health, I could show you the most basic magical exercise," the paladin said. Honestly, calling it an 'exercise' might be a stretch--it was the metaphorical equivalent of moving your arm simply to show that you could. But for anyone that hadn't unintentionally done anything magical in their life, it was a necessary requirement to actually trying to learn anything more advanced. And the one part of formal magical tutelage that Tyaethe was experienced with, or knew enough to show other people.

Otter

[Assistant]
Fionn MacKerracher

---

Daze

---

He wouldn't let himself grin too widely, but Fionn would take the win where he could find it. Truth be told, he also had more that he could turn the conversation to, but he was just as capable of being obstinately friendly as she was at remaining stubbornly alone. The fact that she was now offering to show him something new, without any need for him to ask after it, argue or wheedle for it, or the like, only sweetened the small victory.

"Gotta get started learning it like when I first learned to hold a sword, aye? Sure, let's see if I've got any talent to go with the potential!" Having something new to add to his bag of tricks once he developed some useful minor spells would, at the very least, help him break any possible stalemates he might run into with Renar or Gerard.

By the Goddesses, he could see the expressions on their faces now.

"Hope you can be patient with me, though; I'm more physically minded than anything else." A fact that was blatantly obvious given his build and role within the order.

[User]
Lucas gave Fleuri a dead stare for a moment. The Iron Roses hadn't been back long and already Fleuri wanted to train. It was admirable, for sure... admirable from afar. The younger knight was exhausted both physically and mentally from the slog of his first mission, no matter how relatively smoothly it had gone. The training yard wasn't exactly the most inviting place right now. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to refuse such an offer to train with one of the order's most skilled knights. Not only would it be a missed opportunity to learn something, but it might reflect poorly on his work ethic.

"Sure, it'd be an honour to train with you, Sir Fleuri. Just giz a moment for the old belly to settle, eh."

After a short spell to finish his drink, they got up and headed outside to the training yard. On the way, Lucas considered the Flower's words on performing for a crowd. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the (no pun intended) flowery words. What the young man took from it - right or wrong - was that their crazy actions may have inspired, intimidated or mislead their comrades. But which was it? And why? For Lucas' part, he wasn't performing, merely trying to help. It was after the fact, that he considered his ridiculous course of action might make a good story. Now he was left wondering what was going through the mind of Fleuri during the battle.

Seeking to fill the silence between them, as they made their way outside, Lucas piped up. "I'm not sure what dagger techniques I could show you, to be perfectly fair," he said. "Unless you want to learn how to juggle and throw knives. If that's what you're after, then boy, do I have a few tricks to show you."

On the training yard, he went over to the racks. "Sparring with swords or...?" he asked, hoping Fleuri had something in mind. He would be glad of instruction from an experienced fighter, a thought which prompted his follow up question. "Can you teach me to fight like Sir Gerard?" He pulled out a regular wooden longsword and started pushing forward aggressively against an invisible foe, giving the air a few swings. "He's amazing. All rough and tumble-like, huh-hah..." slipping his head under and around centre-line, he lunged into a stab. "Hah!" Then he relaxed and looked at Fleuri with a hopeful grin. "Like that... I think. I wanna fight like him."

Since Gerard had encouraged Lucas to find another fighting style, the young man had been relegated to simply watching his idol spar with others, then try to copy the moves later on. Perhaps Fleuri would have some insight on the matter. Lucas' footwork was decent for a rookie, but everything else left a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, he was stood ready to follow Fleuri's lead and get to work.


[System]
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail
Age: Older than most

Race: Fallen Angle

Appearance: Albert is a plump older gentleman. He has gray hair, wrinkled skin, and a warm smile. He can look absented mind at times but do know he is always listening. Being as ancient as him, habits are hard to break. He always has the subtle scent of a fresh cigar to him and he is never seen without one on his person. He is also forever stuck in the late 1800s and early 1900s as his fashion sense is strictly a bowler hat and a suit, plus a tie or bow tie because bow ties are cool.

Personality: Albert is a kind gentleman and treats everyone as if they were his grandchild. He always has a story to share as he loves to tell tales of everything he has seen and share all the wisdom he has acquired. He speaks very slowly and deliberately, often taking pauses to think about his next word. He also prefers to wait for people to speak first rather than starting a conversation because people who speak first always need something, and he doesn't need anything from anyone.

Background: Albert was once an angel of justice, punishing all that have committed a crime severe enough to inherit his attention. Though after doing this for a millennium, he has grown tired of the repetition of his job and decided to quit. He hated the amount of work he needed to do to track down his target, determine what kind of punishment they need, and guide their soul to the right level of hell. It was all tedious, and he cared little for it anymore. After being cast from the celestial realm, Albert traveled the world and saw everything it had to offer before moving on to other dimensions and the worlds. He eventually settled in a small village and opened a bed and breakfast. He wanted to hear the stories of others but was growing too lazy to actually travel and find those stories. So what is a man to do and open a Bed and Breakfast?

His bed and breakfast is a special place that exists inside of its own pocket dimension. One cannot find it on Google Maps or make a reservation over the phone. Only people who are lost and are needing a place to stay will find a bed and breakfast. It is free to all who enter, and they are welcome to stay for as long as they want. One day, he heard stories from his guest about a city and its outcast. Having the urge to travel again, he manifested his bed and breakfast somewhere in the city and decided to see what all the fuss was about. This is when he was greeted by the Detective.

Skills and Abilities:
Albert can cook since he owns a bed and breakfast.

Albert only has one magical ability, the power to make a contract capable of bending the laws of nature. Contract written in his blood can have an effect ranging from immorality to bringing back the dead. Though this is not an all-potent ability as a sufficient sacrifice is needed for the contract to take effect. This sacrifice scale depends on what the intended effect should be. He also has a bit of power over the effect of the contract and can temporarily change the terms or outright cancel its effect.

Known contracts:
"To Life and Death"
The individual named Albert shall become immortal and invulnerable to any form of harm in exchange for the inability to hurt another creature. Termination of this contract will result in the death of the individual named Albert.

"Hidden Eyes of the Gods"
The space called Bed and Breakfast shall be protected from gods and humans alike, but shall lose the right to exist in the normal flow of reality.

"Temptation of Lost Soul"
Those who are deemed lost shall be attracted to the space called Bed and Breakfast. This contract will only function if the owner is present within the space called, Bed and Breakfast.

Weakness: Writing a contract requires a lot of time to tinker with the words. It is like a puzzle to piece together for a contract to work the way it is intended. Some contracts even require many sub-contracts to supplement the main effect. Albert is lazy and does not have the patience to do this. The last contract he made was over 1000 years ago.

He cannot harm another living thing.

Equipment: A Partagas Cigar

Quips: Forever stuck in the past meaning he does not know how to operate most modern inventions like phones and computers. He is an old man, don't judge him.

[User]
Setepenre
Lesser Pride

Penny screwed up her mouth in discomfort at the offer of powerful magical protection for her descendants... for an as-yet unnamed price. These charismatic contractual types could be dangerous, feeding off the desperate and feeble-minded and other such negative traits that Setepenre would not stand to emulate.

Glancing through the files on these Innocent victims, however, gave further weight to the opposing argument. So many teenagers reduced to photos and words on a stack of paper. Just the age to possess that dangerous cocktail of believing they are old and wise enough to make their own choices, and really, really not being wise enough. Penny considered how tragically easy it could be for her beautiful talented 17-year-old to be led away by supernatural villains. Heck, Penny was a little surprised Marwa hadn't already started to date a vampire or some other attractive, definitely dangerous bad boy just to spite her.

No. Penny's children were obviously among the most precious and innocent of Innocents. If they hadn't been targeted yet, it was only a matter of time. They in particular needed protection at all costs.

Penny couldn't help shooting a momentary sharp glance toward Albert. 'Out of the goodness of his heart.' Mmmhm. Was that going to be the verbiage in his so-called contract?

"What I have to lose," Penny began with a soft growl entering her voice, "is the same thing that would be at risk if I did nothing. I have deep connections to Innocents - particularly kind and talented and thus at-risk Innocents, I might add - within the City. The thought of harvesting the souls of children, even those not of my own blood, makes it boil with rage. If I want to protect the Innocents I love, I will strive to stop this threat as soon as possible."

Penny paused for a second. She retracted the small bits of claws that had subconsciously begun to unsheath. Then her posture and voice softened a bit as she turned to the Detective.

"Of course, I don't intend to take part in this battle for a net zero at the end. I must admit I've been having some trouble with... ordinances, licenses, all that bureaucratic nonsense the law requires of me to care for my youngest son. I imagine someone as influential as The Detective may have some way to wave it all away."

[Assistant]
The Detective clenched a hand into a tight fist as their gaze focused on wall above the door across from where they were sitting, "They're dead. I just don't have bodies to give families closure."

If The Detective could find bodies to place in places where they could be found they would do so in a heartbeat. Some of the Innocents had families and friends that were desperate for any sign that their loved ones were safe and coming home. It might be cruel of The Detective to want to dash those hopes, but the people wouldn't be able to start healing until they knew what had happened to their missing loved ones. The Detective didn't want to be unkind, but they could fathom allowing people to live with false hopes. That being said right now they had no proof to give anyone that the Innocents were dead. The Detective knew when they had died. Or more importantly The City knew. That would have to be enough.

The Detective gave their head a shake and turned their gaze to mother across the table, "Of course. I will smooth things over before I begin my Sleep. After all, for some of us family is all we have." They looked around the table, "In the past I discussed payment for this job with some of you. For others that is something we still need to discuss. Some of it I will be able to take care of before my Sleep as I can for the Lesser Pride. Some of it will have to wait until the situation is resolved, but you will all be paid. I keep my word." Then The Detective said that it that might of seemed as if they let something slip but was deliberately planned, "Breaking my word is against The Rules."

It was true. Breaking promises made meant breaking the Rules and The Detective tried to avoid that. For some of them it would be easy enough. Setepenre just wanted to be able to take care of her children no matter what form they might take. Calling in the right favors to make that happen was something they had already started and would finish up this afternoon. On the other hand, Juniper Murik wanted exclusive and first-person access to events, restaurants, museums, and other such things that would look good on her social media. That was also fairly easy but ongoing. It would have to wait. For others The Detective wasn't sure exactly what they want or required but wasn't too worried. They were all intrigued enough by the threat to the Innocents to come here to this meeting free of charge or bribe or threat. They might not be reasonable, but The Detective was willing to wager they wouldn't be completely unreasonable either.

They nodded to the Lesser Sloth, "Thank you for the invitation, but I have already prepared a place for me to rest. It will be safer than most other places and I am comfortable with it." Then they looked around the room and asked the question that would confirm either their fears or their hopes, "Will you all be working against these Outcasts?"

August 15th, 2022

[User]
Argenti looked at the woman who mentioned avoided "net zero" and basically implied that she wouldn't help without something in return. Well, that was fair, and it wasn't even that ridiculous a price. She was right. Something like that should be easy enough for the so-called Detective. Rumor had it that they practically ran the town. Of course, that was just rumor. Still, it had to be easier than what the two of them discussed. Argenti had been about to kill The Detective when he had been summoned. Luckily, they had been a fast speaker. In the end Argenti had agreed to come to this meeting if the Detective had agreed to help find an eliminate all the ways to summon Argenti. In the succubus's opinion that was a fair price for helping with these Outcasts as well. Though it sounded like he might have to wait until the problem was solved to be paid. That was alright. Argenti would be paid, one way or another.

He did claim another pastry, this one a plain glazed donut, "I'm in. I have no problem trying to figure out these Outcasts and their goals and then eliminating them." He smirked at no one and nothing, "I don't even have a problem with working with the others in this room."

That was true enough. Argenti had worked with others in the past and figured that he would work with others in the future. Many supernatural types were loners and Argenti certainly fell into that category well enough, but he wasn't such a loner that he refused to deal with others. Besides this was bigger than any personal preferences. This wasn't even just about justice at this point. The sooner then figured out what was going on with these Outcasts the more Innocents would be protected from whatever this plan of theirs was. Though justice had a part of it as well. Argenti would have to figure out exactly what type of Fae Eris was as well as what type of demon Samael was. That would help him figure out how to make them suffer. Though more important, not that Argenti would ever say this bit out loud, was finding the bodies or proof that the Innocents were dead so their families could have closure. It may have been cruel, but the truth was that even too much hope could be poisonous. Hopefully it wouldn't reach that point.

Argenti reached for another file. It wouldn't hurt to look at more information. Perhaps he would see something that the investigators hadn't. It wasn't likely, but who knew. Right now, reading files was all he could do. After this meeting was over, he could try poking around for information on Samael and Eris, but even that would probably reveal next to nothing new. Still, he had a few sources that he knew for fact this Juniper didn't have. He wasn't sure about The Detective. It wouldn't hurt to ask the other minor demons of The City. At the very least they would know that things in The City were changing and know how demons were reacting to the change. Any information would be valuable at this point. Right?

[Assistant]
"Ah yes, payment," Cain had yet to discuss exactly what it was he had wanted from the Detective. "We can talk about it once this is all resolved. I suspect what I want would take too much out of you before you go in to this sleep, whatever it is exactly." Setepenre's concern for her family was admirable, the fact she had so many that she cared about was something Cain envied. Ever since he killed his brother he never had a family. There had been others he had met, some of whom he got very close with, but none that he would call family.

His payment from the Detective would hopefully close millennia old wounds and allow him the closure he so desperately wanted. "And if it wasn't obvious from me expecting payment, yes, I will join this crusade to take down these Outcasts. Killing Innocents is grotesque and they must be stopped."

[User]
Setepenre
Lesser Pride

"I'm in," Penny announced with a solemn nod. "It's been a long while since I had the opportunity to truly use my abilities for their intended purpose."

The golden-eyed woman turned to The Detective with a concerned frown.

"I trust when you say you're prepared for your Sleep, but are you certain there's nothing any of us can do to make it safer? Or at least a little more comfortable for you?"

[Assistant]
"It goes without saying that I will indeed help," Albert said with a nod. He didn't really do it due to a strong moral compass or anything. Sure he did feel sorry for the lives that have been lost, but he wanted to experience what kind of story this would bring. He has always been a sucker for a good story.

"Oh before I forget, may I ask who would be moving into my bed and breakfast? I would like a headcount to prepare the rooms beforehand," Albert asked because he wanted to prepare the rooms. Currently, the B&B was nothing more than a small cottage. If more than 4 people were moving in he would need to make space and expand the building.