[System]
Age: 19
Power: Energy ManipulationAzerus can manipulate natural energies, of himself, nature or his foe. At low levels it burns like white flames, traveling through and empowering parts of his body. Higher vibrations cause erratic energy that arcs and can be thrown around like lightning. Stilling or absorbing high levels of energy cause a freezing effect.

Basically he can power up his physical attacks with fire lightning and ice.
That's using his own energy and the energy around him.

Lightning can arc and be thrown. It also speeds him up.
White flames can ignite things, burn those that's touch him and gives him a boost to str.
Cold is slower acting and moving, he can bolster his defence or freeze things he touches.

Lastly Azerus can draw energy from a foe (usually unexpecting) it leaves them feeling lethargic and tired. Weak even. It takes a while to suck out someone's energy and Aspeth favours to do it prior to battle secretively or by drawing out the fight knowing the longer it goes the weaker they will slowly get.
Appearance:

Color and location of symbol: White with black outline, left ribs on his side
Quotes:"Life is black and white, there is the powerful with right to rule and the weak bound to follow"

"Those that fear the dark haven't seen what the light can do."
Bio:Azerus was born into a dark guild. Both his parents esteemed members.
Before his birth Azerus was held to high expectation, which he had lived up too. Having been a prodigy at the age of seven they began weaponising him earlier then any other.
He had both a lavish and strict upbringing. Expenses were never of any concern yet he hadn't the luxury to indulge in his own thoughts or concerns. He was told exactly what to do, when and how to do it. His young body forced to endure long hours of training and punishment and despite exceeding most others, his efforts were always met with cold disappointment. He was but a child when he started working. A cold upbringing creating a cold wizard.
Personality:Malicious and spiteful Azerus is extremely arrogant believing himself fit to rule. He is ambitious and power hungry only to be out done by his father. His arrogance and cocky nature often get him into trouble but his sharp wit and ruthless ferocity see him out of it.
Reason for joining:
The dark guild was eventually shut down and Azerus parents imprisoned for their misdeeds leaving the child all alone. Azerus who still wanted to grow stronger and prove himself sought out the toughest guild by name. Fairytail.

[User] Bishop tried to read the girls lips but she spoke too fast, he began trying to sign to her but she turned around and faced her drink. Bishop reached his arm out and tapped her on the shoulder then pointed to his ear and shook his head.

[Assistant] Jade turned and looked at him with a slight roll of her eyes before noticing him pointing to his ears, she instantly felt bad and frowned. "Sorry... I didn't mean to be so rude... well I kind of did but I guess rude is normal for me now." She apologized speaking slowly.

[User] Bishop shrugged, his mouth slowly opened "uhh...don't fell baad" he murmured he know his words were almost unintelligible but he hoped the girl would understand. He begun to sign to her in hope she could understand. "Being rude is just a defense."

[Assistant] As he began to sign a memory of her father teaching her to sign popped into her head, then one of her and her grandmother signing to each other since her grandmother had lost hearing in both ears and sight in one eye. She then refocused on the guy in front of her before signing back to him, her signing obviously a bit rough as she hadn't used it in a while. "I guess you could say it is, or maybe it is a lifestyle for me by now."

[User] "Hmmm what are you running from, also what's your name?" Bishop was happy to find someone who could sign even if it was a bit rusty he begun to look at the girl he couldn't say he saw her much he was mostly away from the guild on missions. He enjoyed keeping himself busy. Often on his adventures he'd buy a book from each new region.

[Assistant]
@pkken @Gareth

Mia bit her lips when Lance chastised her. "I'm sorry I promise I'll be prepared for the worst." She replies with her head bowed.

She looks at Lance speak of Azerus, another person who she hasn't spoken to in the guild. "Why is he troublesome?" She asks with curiosity.

[User] Jade frowned, her face hardening. "None of your business." She signed slightly harshly as memories flowed into her brain, why had she even said what she did to him. She can't get soft and risk losing yet another person she cared about so she couldn't open up and risk caring for someone.

[Assistant] "Typical response from him" Lance said sighing, he then turns to Mia. "He can be troublesome because he does what he wants" Lance then chuckled, "but so does many other mages in fairy tail, we're a fiesty bunch." He then pats Mias head, "no need to apologize, it's smart that you came prepared" Lance said with an ear to ear grin.

[User] Bishops facial expression stayed the same as she told him to mind his own business, "Sore subject I guess." He signed at a slow pace making sure to make eye contact with the girl before grabbing his drink and taking a sip.

[Assistant] "Where'd you get that brilliant idea from?" Jade signed to him trying to make her sarcasm obvious as she did. She finished off another drink quickly ordering yet another one to try and drown out her thoughts.

[User]
"Well I'm heading out for a mission after this drink. It was a pleasure."  He signed to her as he finished of his drink and grabbed his katana. He stood up and patted her on the head before approaching the notice board.
He looked through the missions and chose a more advanced one folding up the notice and sliding it into his pocket.

[Assistant]
@pkken @Gareth
 Charles would shake his head some and start down the road "come on" he says to them "time is of the essence, never know where the item in question will disappear off to if we don't hurry" he states to them with a chuckle, as his chain would shake some on his arm. he glances back at the others before looking forward. It would be a two day travel to reach the port city and begin the investigation.

[User]
@MiaRineLiAce@Gareth
Lance Beckoned for the others to come as he began catching up to Charles. It was about time for the mission to begin, he needed the money to pay for rent and food. "Hey Charles, what are you researching they would require you to study the demon flute" lance asked. He was curious to why he would take the quest not for the money but for personal benefit.

[Assistant]
@Rusalka@Queentze

Griffin barely missed the ghosts attack. He frowned as he studied the ghosts. Could his shadows hurt them? There was only one way to find out. He stepped into the shadows. He didn't know if that would make him easier or harder to hit but he knew that being in the shadows would make his magic stronger. He created an ax out of the shadows and ran at the nearest ghost. It was either the smartest or stupidest thing he could do. Which was pretty much the story of his life.

[User]
@Queentze@Rusalka
Max suddenly regained consciousness and saw a ghost right infront of him and said:You basterd youre going to pay for what you did to her"As he slashed the ghosts head of with his axe. Then he realized something.It was time to get revenge on what happened...

[Assistant] Jade watched him go a part of her wanting to join him on a mission while the other part of her was thinking joining him on a mission is crazy. Eventually she stood up and ran after him tapping his shoulder. "Do you maybe want to do a mission together. You can have all the reward but maybe we could just try this out." She signed wanting to do at least one mission with someone else in the guild before going back to ignoring everyone.

[User] Bishop turned toward the girl,  "Why would you want to come with me, also you think can handle it."  He signed as he pulled out the notice that read "Find last Iather". Bishop pondered the idea for a moment thinking to himself on wether he wanted to bring the girl or not. He begun looking her up and down trying to figure out what kind of magic she used.

[Assistant]
The mysterious figure arrived at the battle scene. A party of four Fairy Tail guild members are currently fighting ghosts. Specifically, the famed Thirteen Ghost of Hell that said to drags the soul of their victims to the very depths of hell.
The person silently watch the group and stares at them thoughtfully.
"Shall I help them?...Well they do have a competent necromancer on their midst. One that has a natural gift when it comes to spirits..."

Poison green flash as the person saw one of the ghost tries to sneak up on the young man that was preoccupied by the ghost that he's fighting. The Dark Mage raised his hand and suddenly a black magic circle appeared above the ghost vanishing it into the spirit realm.

Hmm...my body just move on its own... Why did I did that?
The Dark Mage broodingly thought to himself, seemingly becoming lost to his thinking.

[User] Charles would look at lance "..you should know of my magic already by this point" he says "Simply the more I know about certain beings, creatures, etc.. the better I can do and control" he states. "simple as that.. reason why I normally take the research mission than others" he shakes his head "but this was to good of an opportunity to pass up."

[Assistant] "I don't know why, I just do and of course I can handle it. I've been taking solo missions for a while now so I think I can handle one with another mage." Jade signed to him before folding her arms across her chest waiting for him to make up his mind.

[User] "Well let's get going then, also what kind of magic you use?" He stayed at pace with her so that they may both sign to each other while they were traveling.

[Assistant] As they walked Jade stomped her foot into the ground and a fist-sized rock flew up floating by her hand. "Earth Magic, what magic do you use?"

[User] Bishop looked at the girl and gestured for at his katana,  "This is what I like to use."  he signed and then smiled. He disliked using his magic, he saw it as a stigma that it was the only magic he could use.

[Assistant] Jade looked to his katanas and frowned. "So you are a mage but you don't even bother using your magic... why?" She asked staring at him curiously while making the rock float around breaking apart and forming shapes.

[User] Bishop opened his mouth and narrowed his eyes,  "Maybe I'll tell you some day..."  His words were stern but broken when he spoke you could easily tell he was deaf that it had a disability of some sort. He begun signing to her agin  "Hey do me a favor though don't go getting yourself killed at least not while you're with me."  he continued walking not looking to see if she was still following him.

[Assistant] Moeasha felt she had rested enough after he adventure with Azerus, and went to the mission board in search of something to gain her some money. It was important she got enough to buy a special book she saw in a pawn shop. She perused the board, noticing several interesting missions. "Free hypnotized women....." Moeasha said under her breath. She took that mission notice down, reading the details and deciding this was the one she would take. Placing the paper in her cloak pocket, she wandered towards the front entrance of the guild hall, ready to leave for however long this mission took.

[User] Jade continued following him. "I should be the one asking you that." She muttered to herself knowing he wouldn't hear her as she walked slightly behind him towards wherever they were going.

[Assistant] Lance nodded in satisfaction with Charles answer. Lance them put on his cloak that he wears when traveling. "Gonna be a while till we reach our destination" Lance said to himself. Despite the money, when Lance attends missions he always hopes to find clues on the wizard that destroyed his tribe.

[User] Bishop noticed they were getting closer to the train station they would have to leave the city and tracks for a few hours to get to the small town the mission listed. Bishop approached the woman inside the booth,  "ehh t...wo pl...ease."  his words slow and broken. He quickly paid for the tickets and gave one to jade.

[Assistant]
@dragonslayer1@Fulmine Cross
Griffin created throwing knives out of the shadows. They wouldn't be as strong as regular knives but he didn't think that they needed to be. He throw one at the nearest ghost. It didn't go through the ghost the way he feared that it might. But it didn't kill the ghost either. He took that as a good sign. He could injury the ghost then. It would take time but it was possible. That seemed like a good place to start. He created several more knives out of the shadows and aimed them at the ghost that he had already hit once.

[User]
@pkken

"Okay" Mia enthusiastically called, running to catch up with Lance and Charles. As they walked through the streets, she listened to Lance and Charles talk for awhile, not quite understanding the conversation as she didn't know what Charles's magic was. "What kind of magic do the both of you use?" She asks inquisitively. "Wait let me guess, umm," she paused, thinking of the various kinds of magic she read of at the library, "Creation magic?" She guessed.

[Assistant]
Growing impatient and bored Azerus starts playing with his magic.
First the soft glow of light appears in his hands, then a white flame, it slowly simmers and becomes brighter. It arcs with blue flashes as it becomes more erratic, changing into lightning. A wicked smile flashes across his face.
Azerus lets this electricity run up his arms to his shoulders, he eagerly looks around the guild for somewhere or someone to direct his energy towards.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By (Nicknames): None currently available.
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Race: Human

APPEARANCE

Face Claim (Actor/Actress They're Played By): TBA / I've yet to find an actor for this character.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue
Skin Tone: Slightly pale.
Height: 6'2
Weight: 170lbs
Build: Lithe, somewhat muscular.
Weapons: Twin swords, multiple daggers and knives hidden on him.

Overall Appearance:

Dark features, Visible, jagged scar that runs down his right eye. Various scars are hidden underneath his clothing.

Ghent is often clad in black or dark grays.
Most of his clothes are made from black leather; his cloak has a hood and a mask to cover the lower half of his face if needed. He has various weaponry concealed; he often wears fingerless gloves, laced up bracers, and boots.

PERSONALITY

Likes: Gold.
Dislikes: Talking, poverty, people in general.
Strengths: Picking locks, leadership, agility.
Weaknesses: Stubbornness, Greed.
Fears: Loss, failure.

Overall Personality:

Stubborn | Calculating | Complicated | Quiet | Incredulous | Shrewd

Ghent's family was very often poor and lived in a lower part of a small, poverty-stricken town. His mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her second son, Garth. Ghent was ten years in age when she passed.

Ghent's father turned to drinking heavily and he came to blame his children for the loss of his wife. Fearing for Garth, Ghent took matters into his own hands; at the age of thirteen, he took his younger brother and left home, never once looking back.

Life on the road was not an easy one, but Ghent was determined to tough it out so that they would not have to return to their father. At first, Ghent began with petty theft; he stole what was needed in order to keep them alive, they took shelter where they could and lied whenever questioned. As the years went on, they moved up in the world. After years of practice, Ghent became a highly skilled thief. This was the start of a life he would live well past his teenage years.

* * *

Ghent has an eerie calmness about him and his emotions are seldom ever shown. Because of this, he is very difficult to read -- almost impossibly so. Ghent handles matters in a diplomatic way and doesn't often resort to violence unless necessary. For the most part, he is quiet and reserved, therefore much of his past is unknown.

Deep down, Ghent does have a heart, though he does his best not to show it. He'd be the last to admit it, but he has a soft spot for those in need.

BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: ? Have to calculate that. ,_,
Place of Birth: Outskirts of Laketown. Not quite within the town, though close.

Family Relations:

- Garth (younger brother)
- Lydia (Mother; deceased)
- Vincent (Father)
- Kaiden (cousin)

[User]
Kili could only stare in shock as Laketown started to go up in flames. Hearing the cries and seeing the people flee their homes was difficult to witness. Were they responsible for this? Smaug had remained inside of Erebor for so many years, and now he'd left to seek destruction on the nearest town. The thought was an unsettling one; deep down, Kili worried that coming here had been wrong. Perhaps their homeland should have been left behind.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" Kili couldn't take it anymore. Leaving felt wrong, even if they'd managed to bring Bard's children to safety. "There were more weapons back in---"

Bofur shook his head, motioning for Kili to quiet down. "No, lad. We've got to get to Thorin." Though Bofur felt the same way, he knew there was little to nothing that they could do now. They needed to regroup with the others and plan from there.

[Assistant]
When they were about to make a turn, Bain suddenly grabbed a hook, and swinged himself off the boat. "Bain!", one of the sisters cried. "Leave him!", Saeril called after the sisters, her arm shooting out to hold back the oldest of the two from trying to lunge out of the boat. "We can't go back for him, it's too dangerous!", she was right, and she hoped that he would reach his father.

It was another few hours before the survivors of Laketown reached the shore once more. Many of them were badly wounded or dying, and others still had already been lost to their wounds or shock. With the shore in a yard's distance, Saeril jumped out of the boat, into the water, and used the strength she had to pull the boat to the upcoming shoreline. Looking around at the number of casualties surrounding them, the she-elf felt that she had to immediately talk to Thorin once they get to the mountain, if they still intended to. He would absolutely not be that careless to put his own nephews in harm's way, especially in the event of a Firedrake.

Bard's two girls immediately left the little boat they had travelled in with the she-elf and the dwarves, weaving through the crowd searching for their brother and father. Saeril, who could see a little better over the other people's heads, searched too, though there was no sign of either Bard or Bain.

Finally managing to remove her horned headdress, she let her hair flow free in the wind, as she glanced around at the surviving people. Knowing that Kili could have his eyes on her, she didn't bother look back at him, at least, not at the moment. Again, it's that anger she felt inside. "What were they thinking?", she said softly to herself, with a hint of a building up snarl, as she gazed out at the burnt and demolished town in the distance. It was enough for him to hear, as well as the others.

[User]
Kili caught his godmother's words, and her question made him feel somewhat defensive in regards to Thorin and the others. That tone of voice was so unlike her.
"They didn't mean for this to happen," he looked up to Saeril, completely insistent and biased when it came to his kin. "This is not their fault," at that, his eyes landed towards Fili in a silent search for his input. Surely his brother would not blame them too.
"...Is it?"

The shore was littered with survivors, but there had been plenty of casualties, too. A man clad mostly in colors of gray and black studied them from afar, his gaze piercing through the crowd of people. Kili had taken notice of him, but when he turned back, the stranger was gone. How odd.
Brows knit, Kili stepped forward, overwhelmed by what had come to pass. "We need to get to the mountain..."

"That won't be easy now, dwarf." Directly behind him, the man now stood, his expression neutral. His dark features seemed to match with his clothing, and his voice was icy at best. "Judging by appearance...I'll assume you lot belong to the others that went to the mountain."

[Assistant]
Saeril's back was still turned towards her youngest godson, and she didn't ignore him; she couldn't, and wouldn't. "I meant no ill-will, young Durin", she reassured. "It's just...heartbreaking. In all of Middle Earth, your mother would never do such a thing, the way Oakenshield did", she told him, her back still to him, and her voice turned soft albeit filled with disbelief, and no venom. The she-elf admitted her concern to Kili willingly, and she was bold enough to share it.

His determination was apparent again, and Saeril thought about it for a moment. "We shall. But, promise me one thing: keep your distance. From me", she told him. The she-elf briefly looked at her creamy-pale hands, slighty trembling. Hearing a voice that was not his, Saeril was quick to face the source.

[User]
Kili's heart sank. Saeril was right, of course. Dis wouldn't have risked the well being of others, not even for Erebor. There was nothing else that could be said; he couldn't defend Thorin any further, not until he knew what had truly happened.
Keep your distance. From me.
Kili wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. They'd never been distant before. For much of the journey, he had remained by her and Fili. "But why?" Before he might get an answer, the man showed up, startling him with his swiftness.

"Who are you?" Kili eyed him with distrust; he didn't like the looks of this man. There was nothing welcoming nor friendly about him; he seemed completely unfazed by the burning town behind them. Rather than admit that they belonged to the others, Kili returned the speculation with a question of his own. "What do you want?"

The man scoffed, looking down to the youngest member there. "I'll get right to the point; I want some of the gold in that mountain of yours." Arms folded, he looked to Saeril, beliving her in charge of the ragtag group.
"In return, I will take you to the mountain. I will get you there fast and undetected. You may think it a simple enough task, but I know a better way...had those fools listened to me, they may have been able to gain access without waking the dragon."

Kili felt his blood boil. This man had no right to make such demands, and he certainly had no right to refer to his uncle as a fool. On impulse, he started to reach for his sword, only to find that it was not there. Of course. They hadn't any weapons.

The man shook his head when he took notice of this. He expected as much coming from a dwarf. They tended to be hotheaded and unthinking.
"I can supply you with adequate weaponry as well."

[Assistant] Saeril made a few steps towards the man, until she was in front of Kili, blocking this stranger's view of him. "Keep the poison behind your teeth", she told him, sounding menacing. "It won't infect us", it was a ploy her parents taught her: using metaphors in her words to scare off intruders of their home wood. "I know the way to the mountain, stranger. You won't speak ill-will towards the sons of Durin; not in an any way", at least she was back to her protective instincts, instead of cowardice like before. "The only weapon they have is an elf", Saeril narrowed her eyes before turning around; her gaze to her godson. "Kili, please, go help the others", she said, her motherly words coming back to him.

[User]
When Saeril became overprotective, the man watched her carefully, unsure whether to be intimidated or amused by the show of anger. "I was merely offering my help," he stated, a light smirk on his lips. "I do not doubt your abilities...but you can't hope to protect them if they cannot protect themselves."

Kili glared at him, though Saeril was soon to come between the two. As she asked him to help the others, he hesitated somewhat, then gave a small sigh of defeat. "Alright," he wanted to prove himself useful, plus he couldn't very well protest. Saeril had saved his life, and he owed her that much.
With that, Kili turned to help the rest as requested.

[Assistant] Saeril examined this man head to toe with her penetrating Elven eyes, as if she was trying to read him. Thankful that Kili was able to walk off, the she-elf couldn't place him in such a position that would affect his self-esteem. Not now. He just got healed, and he was recovering from the heartache of breaking his promise. Kili didn't need any more pain. "What will you offer?", she spoke with boldness, almost sounding strict, as wind lightly blew through her long hair. She wasn't gonna let this stranger let off too easily. Not yet.

[User]
"My protection, for one." Saeril was an intimidating sight, but the man didn't break eye contact. "You seem to have your hands full..." To emphasize his point, he looked towards the remaining company members. Bofur was tying off the boat, Oin was helping bind a child's scraped leg, and Kili was assisting anyone who needed it. All were on their feet, but each seemed fatigued. Especially Kili.

"Considering my skill with a blade, a bit of gold is a small sum to pay." The man returned his attention to the she-elf. "Aside from that...the weapons, as promised, and a better, quicker, and safer route towards the mountain. The place will be swarming with orcs soon...you'll be badly outnumbered. Will you accept my offer?"

[Assistant]
Saeril never broke eye contact with this stranger. But she had to, when she looked back at the group; her penetrating gaze softening as soon as she watched Fili and Kili helping those in need. Maybe she should reconsider; they need all the help they can get. But only one thing nagged her: Thorin wouldn't appreciate strangers in the mountain, especially in the treasure room. Yes, she's seen that too. Everywhere for that matter, thanks to Dis. Before her deformity...

"You speak generously", she finally said, softly, after a moment of thought. Her eyes finally leaving the view of her godsons. "But there's a warning; steal from the mountain, the mountain will steal you", it was true; dragon sickness, a terrible need for power. It will consume the victim, shattering their minds. Fear, worry, and concern were all felt within Saeril; what if they fell to it? Emphasis on 'they'.

[User]
Kili knelt on the opposite side of an injured boy, his face and clothing covered with soot from the fires they'd escaped from. Fili had been helping to wrap up a scrape on the boy's arm, and Kili had successfully stopped the bleeding on his knee.
"There you go. That's not so bad," Kili tried to be optimistic for the sake of the wounded, but inwardly, he felt sick. Was this much destruction and pain worth retrieving their homeland for? It felt wrong. These people were paying for their mistakes. How could they ever hope to make up for this?

"That's them! Right there!" A middle aged man pointed towards both brothers, and before Kili could register that they were the ones being referred to, he and Fili were forced to their feet, each by burly, heavyset men. One of them shoved Fili, when Kili moved to defend his brother, he was restrained.
"It was your kin that did this!" This earned shouts of agreement from the rowdier of the group. "We've lost our kin...now that king of yours will have to lose some of his."

"It appears that orcs aren't the only ones you'll have to watch out for." The stranger speaking to Saeril had taken notice of the confrontation, though he didn't seem phased by the scene ahead of them. "I'll keep your warning in mind, now hear mine. These people will be consumed by anger and grief...and they'll need someone to blame," he moved towards the group, prepared to break it up. "I wouldn't advise that we stay much longer."


[System]
The Murderous Three, led by Zzyxx von Killstealr
THE HERETIC (Allison Attano - Rank 124)
KRAKEN (Blitzen Krieger - Rank 143)
CHROMA (Vincent Freud Movius - Rank 170)

The Witching Hour, led by Rubert A. Baigo
THE MAIDEN OF BONES (Abigail Jingoston - Rank 142)
SILVER PROWLER (Kimber Stray Magnum - Rank 112)
ASTERISK HASH (Rank 123)

The United Force, led by Mister Person
THE SAVILE FIST (Oscar Betteride - Rank 199)
OMNIVORE (Anny Junior - Rank 130)
WHITEOUT (Able Blackthorn - Rank 146)

Ex-Participants
MAN OF STONE (Anna Agrippina Pavlovna - Rank 152) No-show

The Agents
Zzyxx von Killstealr, leading The Murderous Three

A cool guy with a rad attitude, this son of a motherfucker is the edgiest man alive. Or so xhe'd have you think. In reality, though xhe attempts to strike an edge, most of what xhe does instead comes off as an immature teenager's bad idea of what edginess is, missing the point entirely and just looking like an unhinged weirdo in the process.

Despite this foolish attitude, xhe is surprisingly skilled in two things: management, and murder. Whilst xhe somehow bears the skill to bring to heel the vast majority of foes who come up against xhim, far more pertinent in xhis day-to-day career is xhis ability to keep track of finances and people alike, setting xhim up perfectly as an agent of the United Assassins Association.

Rubert A. Baigo, a.k.a. "Rutabaga", leading The Witching Hour

Rubert A. Baigo
Appearance: Rubert stands at a proud 6'6" with broadened shoulders and a muscular frame, really helping impose the intimidation factor as he towers over most people. He normally appears in suits, custom tailored and, for the most part, form fitting to his pectorals and biceps. Along his arms are scars that are oftentimes obscured by the sleeves of his suits. He oftentimes goes by Rutabaga for an unknown reason, however, he has gone on record saying "You'll be eating this Rutabaga's foot."

Backstory: Rubert Baigo started off as a farmer in rural Midwest America, living a simple life with his family where the hard labor helped increase his muscle mass to standards far superior to most humans and the management of the farm helped him increase his skills with economics and such. He loved his life until one day he found out there was a hit placed on him and his family for a reason he could only figure was faux and made up in an attempt to cash in on his land and property. He proceeded to take a break from farming and took up the defense of his family, where his strength helped him actually lay down a beating on any assassins foolish enough to try to kill him.

UAA officials took note of the actions of Rubert and eventually contacted him, attempting to recruit him into the organization. He joined up with them in an effort to keep his family safe, which has since proved successful.

While he only operates as a resource-allocation manager, he does sometimes get involved with enforcement of the rules and regulations as his vast strength has clocked people unconscious for a good amount of time in the past.

Abilities/Skills:
Strength of an Ox: Rubert possesses strength superior to the vast majority of humans his age, and he is able to use this ability to the fullest. His punches can shatter through walls if he tries hard enough.
Management Skills: Running a farm taught him how to manage funds and allocations of resources, turning him into a good manager for organizations and such.
Callous Demeanor: He doesn't like it when you talk shit about him or to him and he will fight you for it. You are only safe if you are a baby.

Mister Person, leading The United Force

Mister Person.

Obviously that is not his real name.

Person is what some might call old fashioned. The reason is not due to any particular dislike of what's new but rather he holds himself to an old standard of what an assassin was. To him the idea of getting into sword duels and fighting off groups of men is abhorrent. Even the slightest trace of one's presence at the scene of a murder is a failure in his eyes. To fight is the role of the fighter. To lay waste to armies of men is a warrior's creed. For him the ideal kill is one that's never seen, a clean murder with no trails leading to or from the victim. The only things his clients need to know is that the deed is done and the amount of money they owe.

He's had his hands in the UAA's business for quite some time. He's never submitted himself to the ranking system since he deems it demeaning to his trade but he's held a lot of influence and power within the association all the same. He's recently formed a small team which he's unofficially sponsored as their "Agent". To those for who it matters he's acting as an agent to a small team of what he calls "hyper-killers". For everyone else this agent with a box over his head just kind of waltz in from absolute obscurity and is now running a team that's gunning for the top ranks. Who he is is completely unknown to most.

There are plenty of rumors about him however. The UAA is anything but cuddly and many have wanted the steal the sway he holds. He's used multiple methods of dispatching would-be killers, a truly dizzying variety of methods to be precise. There are stories from the best of those who've made attempts on his life that he is immortal, simply returning again with mild injuries after being killed.

The only certainty is that no one knows who or what he is.

[User]
Asterisk resettled the skirt she'd been wearing, taking the chance to run her hand down her thigh. Really, this was much better than the previous models had been. She swung her lower leg forward gently, just to feel the muscles move. God, she loved wearing these bodies. The gang of people in the bar had been quite amusing, not least of which was the nice young man next to her, evaluating her work in other, more difficult areas. She leaned forward while he asked a question, and kissed him just under his jaw. After all, his hands were awkward in a good way. A server whirred as a note of the hesitation and touching he used was saved and filed. Another identity might find that useful after all.

She gently removed his hand from her blouse, then turned to face the three agents. "Sorry, Mr Baigo, but I was a little busy. The name Asterisk should be on that list of yours." Leaning across her new friend's lap, she trailed a finger down his jawline and neck. "This is that one. I suppose this means I'm in your charge, with this," the finger hooked into Kimber's collar, "fine, young gentleman," She wiggled her hips with a half smile on her face. "And his gun." And that other girl with the armour and sword, but getting to know her could wait until later. She lowered her voice to precisely the volume necessary to reach Kimber's ears and no one else's. "Does this mean we get to share rooms?"

An alert sprang up elsewhere in her network. Her eyes unfocused slightly and her expression went still for a moment while she made sure it was taken care of. Lesser subroutines had their place, and that was taking care of lab accidents. This particular model hadn't been fully test-driven yet, she thought as the mental processes focused back on her new best friend. Perhaps he'd be willing to help with that. She flicked the top button undone on his shirt, partly to cover the lapse in concentration, and partly out of mischief. It was such a lovely emotion, mischief. Doing something wrong to provoke a reaction in someone would have horrified her before. Now... She swung her legs again. Now it was fun.

@BCTheEntity

[Assistant]
There was a loud, conspicuous sound as Able slurped the vodka, before shaking his head. "Wheeeewie. That gives you a pep, for sure." He smiled. A group to work with, huh? A job within a job. He could live with making millions via the brutal assassination of everyone in his way. He could especially work with making even more millions by cooperating. As long as he made the most, of course. He hadn't become the head of international drug syndicates simply by allowing other people to walk all over him. Even if his business partners looked... Interesting. Wiping his nose, he snorted the last traces off and rubbed a little into his gums, letting out a long sigh as he did so.

The finely dressed man who introduced himself to... Omnivore... Seemed to be the one making their group all tick together. Straightening his clothing out, he also stepped forward, (or, really, stepped, as he was currently coked up enough to make every movement at about thirty miles per hour,) and stuck his hand out too.

"Indeed, that would be me. My name is Able. Able Blackthorn. If any of you have any... Fingers in the pies that are international drug smuggling, I'm sure you should know me very well. Beam Katana enthusiast, un-addict to cocaine, and owner of some very nice firearms. I hope we can work together nicely! Also, if any of you would like 99% Colombian White Snow, I can hook you up with that no problem."

[User]
For a brief while, everyone began asking questions, introducing themselves to one another, or just laughing maniacally at the top of their lungs. It was almost difficult for the agents to process the noise, Rutabaga most of all - aside from anything else, the cloaked girl questioning him at a rapid-fire pace had poked a hole in the side of his drink, and was quickly draining his patience. About the time of her "you tuber" pun, he began sucking the liquid out of his juice box as though he were sucking the life out of it, crushing it in his hand once it was empty and dropping it with a mildly violent unclenching of his fist.

One would imagine that the untimely reveal of Asterisk Hash's presence all along would be soothing to the dark-skinned man. Somehow, it only made him angrier. 'Nice to see you still value your ability to sneak around, Hash,' he spat through gritted teeth. 'How about next, you work on your ability to attend meetings like a normal human being? Even the ghost managed that, barely.'

'To answer Abigail's question, there will be others around town to help upgrade your arsenal and skillset,' Mister Person called to the crowd when he got the chance to speak without interrupting anybody. 'Santa Destroy has always been a hub for suppliers of all sorts. I'm sure you can look around and eventually find what you have in mind. As for your other questions, you will be sent a list pertaining to your new ranks tomorrow, along with some starting funds to help you purchase equipment to assist your rise upward.'

'Wait- wait a minute, what the hell do you mean, "starting funds"?' Rutabaga asked, yet more anger slipping him into a sort of half-yell.

'You don't want to leave them unfunded, do you?' Mister Person asked quite calmly. 'It's only fair that they receive payment for this matter. I'll chip in, Zzyxx will chip in, we've both agreed that this-'

'You motherFUCKERS!' Rubert finally exploded, fists cracking the surface of the bar as they slammed into it before he stood to confront his fellow agents. 'Do you really think you can just OFFER these people money for free?! That's not how-' For a moment, it appeared as though he intended to continue his rant, but after a couple of moments of angry gesticulation and undecipherable guttural noises, he finally just stared at his feet and slammed one fist into the bar again, this time severely denting the wood under it.

'You will officially receive your ranks and some starting funds by tomorrow morning,' he scowled, loudly announcing the information to the bar. 'If you're ranked immediately below members of your own team or others, you may skip their ranks until you find somebody to fight who isn't in on this scheme, if any such people still exist above you; you may also fight members of other teams early if you so choose, but you WILL receive this Rutabaga's FOOT up your ASS if you try and fuck over your own team members. Your pay is shared based on what you earn from your work, and you have to push up to the top to get the full benefits of this plan. We're just putting you in the right place to do so - within the top 200, if it matters.'

'I think, then, that this… concludes our meeting,' Zzyxx intoned, throwing his hat off of his head all over again. It usually does when Agent Rubert loses his temper.'

'...I am going home now.' The agent stormed out, tossing some money on to the counter to pay for damages; taking that as his cue, Zzyxx promptly posed one last time before vanishing in a spray of blood and shadows. Mister Person took one last drag of his cigar before stubbing it out on the damaged countertop, snatching up Zzyxx's hat with what could almost have been mistaken for a chuckle before he stepped out himself. It seemed the meeting was over, and people could take their leave at their leisure.

Alright, folks, that's it for the meeting. I'd suggest having your characters depart, or not, in whatever fashion is best suited for them, and then skipping to the next day, ready to take on whatever task is suitable - a job, some shopping, some minor assassination missions, the possibilities are endless! Or they can at least be repeated over and over. Badum tshh.


[System]
Username: POOHEAD189
Race/Species: Human (From the Kingdom of Harek)

Gender: M

Age: 26

Career/Class: Mercenary/Armsman/Amateur Swordmage

Weapons:

* Bastard Sword
* Kite Shield

Physical Description (as detailed as possible please, pictures not accepted.): A lean, fit, but refined man with dark hair and eyes, with a navy blue tunic over chainmail (covering leather) and loose fitting dark brown trousers. He has a fair face, albeit with a scar at the left of his chin and running down his jawline. His hair is wavy, loose and tousled. Not entirely groomed as he was raised, he still looks more or less presentable, and perhaps charming when he feels the need to present himself as such. He has the look of a youth that has been refined like silver through various trials by fire.

Armor:

* Chainmail hauberk
* Leather armor over it.
* Leather bracers/pauldrons

Equipment/Other

* Sword sharpening/cleaning kit
* Water Jug
* Herbal remedy to halt light bleeding
* 3 pounds of beef jerky

Mental Description/Personality: Markus is a strong willed and adventurous young man, having left his moderately home to seek his fortunes to the east. He enjoys learning, his rebellious attitude having dimmed somewhat from his training by his Elvish master. He has a good mind about him when it comes to common sense, though he can be a bit rash if he lets his anger get the better of him. Generally he has a friendly, if wary demeanor. He will sometimes spout wisdom he has learned on his travels. In truth he has more general knowledge than spell knowledge, for he is only a fledgling spell caster. Still, he'll always be interested in learning more of the arcane arts. He has a curiosity about him that he sometimes can't help. Ironically, he'll chastise others for taking risks he might take as well.

Goals: Markus' goals are to seek his own fame and fortune, through his own skill. He wants to live as a free man, outside of the pointless bickering of the lords.

Background/History:
The bastard nephew of a lord, Markus had always been more focused on exploration in the surrounding forests and his various interests rather than his duties as a vassal. He used his standing not to further his family's fortunes, but to further his own. Not out of selfishness, mind. He'd often seen children who were less fortunate to be encouraged by their parents to do well for themselves. All he had ever heard from his family was what he could do for them.

One day his older brother was killed in a raid, which lead Markus and his father to argue and break off their relationship through a fit of anger. Markus escaped the next day, taking a modest sum of money as well as some equipment and traveling east, taking up arms with a few mercenary companies. He found despite his individuality, he was not a bad leader to smaller groups of companions, at least as long as they were after the same prize and had shared goals.

Before long he culminated enough funds to find an Elvish tutor in magic and swordplay. He lived there for 3 years, learning from the Elf in a forested tower before he was hired onto a fine expedition to explore the surrounding mountains. The adventure came into disaster, rock trolls making the group split up. Markus survived the mountains and found himself on the other side of them, next to a great body of water called the Sunlight Sea. He spent a year on the Cutlass coast, taking small, boring jobs on various ships as a guard before he found himself in HighMast.

[User]
He found himself smiling quite often when speaking to her. It'd only been a short while, and it was only now a small bit past noon, but he quite enjoyed having her around. "Anytime." he told her once he swallowed a bit of the food. He still chewed a bit of it idly, but otherwise he had only needed a quick bite. Her comment on the plate and chainmail was true enough, to a point.

"It's not as heavy as some make it out. But wearing it all day? You'll be tired as hell at the end of a march." he said, his hand leaving the mule's reins and sliding over the beast's furred neck to keep it comfortable. He'd learned long ago to take care of work animals. He'd always had a soft spot for them, and people's livelihood depended on them as well. "I've only been in one actual battle, near two years ago. Some of the Knights on foot had been walking all day and were even ordered to sit down behind the front lines, to keep them fresh for the fight if they were needed."

"Perhaps we can exchange stories over drinks then, after this job is through. You have me curious, Markus." The words from Valerie's mouth had him turn his head to regard her. He'd not given much though to it, to be honest, but it was at that moment he noticed that Valerie was actually quite pretty, as well as interesting. He'd learned after a campaign or two to never gallivant about like his mischievous Elven friend up ahead. Women mercenaries would go through the same trials as he, and they should be treated as such. But Valerie seemed quite easy to talk to, for some reason. Maybe it was because they had similar backgrounds, but truth be told he had abhorred the high class women back at his home. But she escaped the same as me... He admitted he was curious too. "I'd like that." he told her.

As they exchanged words, the terrain sloped ever upwards, curving this way and that. With the latest curve, north east was now on their right, gnarled trees on that side of the road growing a tad shorter and more spaced out than the thick treeline to their left. Shadows intermingled with the illumination of the day from under the looser canopy, and if someone were to look deeply into it, they would swear all of the ubiquitous dark and light would play tricks on the eye. Past that, there was a short drop that led to a slope that declined downwards into the lowlands.

It was from there the Warcries were heard. Primitive shouts and roars from the downward slope echoed through the trees, and humanoid shapes within the shadows began to grow clearer as the monsters raised their weapons and continued to shout. Half of the Caravan jumped at the sudden noise, the wagons halting and the crossbowmen now making sure their armor piercing missile weapons were cocked and loaded. A few Rangers that had signed on were stringing their bows, trying to keep their fingers from shaking. Markus suddenly grabbed the reigns to the mule, and gave Valarie a look of calm warning, though there was trepidation in his dark eyes.

He led the Mule back to one of the Dwarven workers on the wagon behind them. A few of them pulled the tarp off their wagon and pulled out crossbows and Axes they had stored with the spices. They began to load their crossbows with heavy bolts. Most men would need to use their foot and body weight to do it, but Dwarves were known for their strength and they did it by hand. "Looks like a scrap commin'" one of the Dwarves said to Markus as he grabbed the reigns.

"It might be a big one. Stay on the Wagon, fellas. Probably best to let them come to you." he told them. The yellow bearded one gave a nod and aimed down his crossbow. Another brown haired one donned chainmail and hefted a well made poleaxe. "Worry not lad, we'll handle ourselves well enough. You and the lass stick close."

"I know my contract." Markus chuckled. He knew the Dwarf meant that they could survive easier together, but the fact was Markus and Valarie had been assigned to guard that specific section of the Caravan. He still marveled that he'd found the ability to grin before a certain life or death situation was to occur. It was probably who he was speaking to. He might be more acquainted with Elven culture, but Dwarves had a down-to-earth quality about them. Well, that makes sense.

He turned around and unsheathed his Hand-and-A-Half sword. It looked well used but sharpened, with a pommel (and even the first 4 inches of the long blade) wrapped in leather. He gestured to the other side of the wagons with a nod to Valerie. "C'mon." he told her, slipping past the Mule he had handed them, and vaulting over the wooden supports that connected to two other mules to make it to the other side. @Luminosity

[Assistant]
Valerie's pleasant thoughts of a friendly tavern and drinks with a new friend on the frontier were soon driven away by the harsh reality of the warcries. They were savage, guttural calls, of the kind of group of bandits or thieves would produce. Those groups wouldn't be so bold as to announce their presence before they struck. She shared the look of trepidation with Markus.

While he conversed with the dwarves, Valerie kept a watch on the slope, trying to make out their enemies through the trees. She could spot one here and there, but failed to locate if a mass of them were gathering at any single point, or if they intended to spread out as much as possible. The echoing of the shouts didn't help matters any, as the sound bounced off the trees on all sides, making Valerie glance warily in several directions, only to spot nothing.

She said nothing, for her throat had constricted somewhat, an unfortunate side effect of her sudden nervousness before the fight, to go along with the fluttering welling up in her belly. The repeated conflicts against bandits and the like had grown steadily easier, but she'd yet to test herself any further, until now.

Valerie found the chuckle and the grin from Markus to be somewhat astounding, going so far as to take her out of the swirling thoughts and worries in her own head. Perhaps she was worrying herself needlessly. She was very skilled, and neither Orcs nor Ogres would change that. That skill would see her through.

She nodded in return to Markus, drawing her own sword. It was rather simple in ornamentation for a duelist's weapon, and a noble's at that, but the craftsmanship in the cross hilt and the pommel were plain to see, as was the deadliness of the thin blade. She nimbly vaulted after her ally and settled into a ready stance on the far side, keeping herself mostly relaxed. Now came the ugly part.

[User]
How many Mercs and Armsmen are here? Sixty perhaps? Markus didn't know. He doubted an Orc warband would be much larger than that unless they had already amassed to storm Highmast itself, so there was that small comfort. The one reason why the savage race was no true threat to civilization was the incredible amount of infighting among the tribes. Every so often a charismatic Warcheif would appear and band the tribes together, but he had heard no such thing recently.

A line of the creatures stayed back, roaring and screaming. Between each yelling warrior, others streamed past them with wicked axes, maces, and notched swords of varying lengths. Their gait was apeish and their footsteps now audible as over fifty of them surged forward with a typical but formidable fury. Ten yards away, even their grunts and hoots could be heard as they leaped over gnarled roots and shouldered past one another to get at the Caravan first.

Orcs were brutish in appearance, with porcine noses and small tusks protruding from their mouths. Their arms were thick, muscled and long, and their eyes were piggish yellow in color. Before they reached the treeline, Markus had been muttering under his breath and holding his hand out at the oncoming monsters. As a few seconds slipped by, his final words of the incantation were uttered. Suddenly a bright flash erupted from his hand, and a ball of fire roared outwards to hit the treeline in a small explosion that burst across the face of an Orc and scorched two more. Their cries and whimpers of pain filled the air, but others pasted their hurt comrades and billowed out of the smoke like demons.

I wish I was a better mage, he lamented. The best he could do would be to enchant his sword, maybe teleport 20 feet, and shoot a fireball if the spell had been prepared earlier. Even doing all of that would tax him greatly, and it was all he could do to get his sword up in time in a two handed block to halt the swinging mace of the first Orc. Gods, they're strong. It had only been using one hand to swing, and he had barely been able to stop it. Granted it had momentum to its attack, but still.

He backstepped and allowed the next swing to fly wide, before he saw an opening and ran the Orc through the midsection. Footsteps pounded in his ears, and he barely saw the charging Orc from his right before he ducked. The dagger it held still slit a bit of Markus's forehead, bit of blood staining the ground from where he had just been cut. But he had ducked in time to keep it from being a dangerous wound. The charging Orc had not expected Markus to duck in time, and its momentum kept carrying it forward. On instinct, Markus shouldered its legs and sent it sprawling. The Orc's head hit the wagon behind Markus, and the Swordmage turned and stabbed it right quick as it was still dazed on the ground, before spinning and sweeping his blade in a wide arc like he had told Valerie to do. It was just in time, for 3 Orcs were on him and it was all he could do to keep them off of him with wide slashes. One was hit in the eye with a crossbow bolt, and Markus heard a Dwarven chuckle behind him.

Wait, Valerie. It had all happened so fast, he took a quick glimpse to the right to see if she was still living. He hoped so.


[System]
Age: 24
Height: 6'-0"
Weight: 170lbs
Allegiance: Aspirian Royalty
Distinguishing Traits: Wherever the party is, Cas is bound to be there also. He's a free spirit with a tendency to act without thinking through the consequences, although due to his cushioned upbringing and high status, he rarely has to face them. Despite his wild lifestyle, however, he has a soft side and has been known for taking in stray and injured animals he finds in the streets of the capital city.

Short Bio: As the son of the reigning king, Atlas Maydestone, Caspian has lived the entirety of his life in the capital of Aspiria. He was born with a silver spoon in hand, enjoying the finest luxuries the country had to offer even when he was as young as five years old. This experience shaped him as a person. He grew up seeing the glass half-full and believing Aspiria was every bit as perfect and amazing as his father wanted him to think it was.

As a child, he spent most of his education being groomed to take over as the next king but never really took his future duties seriously. In his mind, it was so far off, there was no reason to worry about it. That is, until his father's health took a sudden decline when he turned eighteen. Suddenly slapped in the face by the reality that he was actually going to be the next leader of an entire country, he began to pay more attention to his teachers and did his best to understand all the different jobs he would have when his father died. However, the more he studied, the more he realized how unqualified he was for such an important role.

To deal with his rising sense of insecurity, Cas delved back into any and every social event he could find around the capital city. Partying and drinking with friends took the edge off his fears and helped him to forget about the impending future of his kingship. Deep down, he knew his coping strategy wouldn't change anything, but for now, it was good enough to keep him from getting absorbed in the weight of it all. He would just continue to put it off until he had to face it, the same way he handled the Scourge.

The rebellion (better known as the Scourge by everyone who lived in the capital) was the other big, glaring problem he tried not to think about. To make the enemies seem less imposing, he and his friends would make crude jokes about them and discuss all the creative ways the king could punish them for treason when they were eventually defeated by the state, but secretly, he was always on the lookout for anyone who seemed suspicious. As the crown prince of Aspiria, he'd heard the threats the rebels spat about himself and his family, and he was concerned about what could happen if they ever managed to get inside the stronghold walls.

He just hoped the military was strong enough that he would never have to find out.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

[User]
"You too," Cas nodded and then rolled his eyes when Iris ruffled his hair, successfully undoing the effort he'd made to tidy himself up after their make-out session. "See you tomorrow," he said back to her, following her with his eyes as she exited the bar. As soon as she passed out of his sight, he shuddered and got up with a deep exhale. Yup, I definitely need a cold shower now, he thought, smiling to himself as he gathered his suit jacket and tie from the other seat.

It was getting harder for him to take things slow with the amnesiac as they grew closer. Since Iris still didn't know exactly who she was, he didn't want to move too quickly with her. Their first priority was still to help her regain the memories she had lost. Until that box was checked, he had planned to keep whatever feelings he was developing for her on the backburner. They'd confessed and kissed, but he didn't want to inadvertently make her situation worse in the future by going much further than that. There was still the possibility that when she remembered who she was, something would come up that would prevent them from being together. For her sake, he couldn't give in to his desire to pretend like nothing would change after she recovered from her amnesia.

Tossing his jacket over his shoulder, the prince took a step toward the door and then paused when he saw Martin glance at him and hurriedly turn away. The furtive look made him shift his weight uncomfortably. In hindsight, he realized the bartender must have seen him kiss Iris. Martin had always been friendlier with him than with his father, but that didn't mean he wouldn't tell the king about what he'd witnessed. Hoping to deter the other man from ratting him out, he offered him a smile, "Ready to call it a night, Martin?"

The bartender nodded but didn't look up from the counter he was wiping down.

The smile faded from Cas's lips, and he sighed, accepting that he was going to have to bite the bullet and approach the subject directly. "Look, I'm going to tell my dad about this soon," he assured him, crossing his arms as he leaned in the doorway. "Just not until Iris moves out. You know how he gets… I don't want him to kick her to the curb, so please don't say anything."

"Do you think His Majesty will approve even then?" Martin asked tentatively, finally meeting the prince's gaze. It was common knowledge that Atlas wanted his son to have a political marriage. The opinions of the other high borns varied wildly on the subject. Some believed it was best for the royal line to continue the tradition of using their weddings to strengthen the kingdom, while others, like Cas, thought the approach was outdated. He and Martin had never openly discussed their views, but he suspected the servant was somewhere on the former end of that spectrum.

"We'll find out when I tell him," he shrugged, nimbly dodging the question. They both knew Atlas would never approve, but he didn't want to say it out loud. "I'd prefer it if he finds out from me rather than anyone else though." Glancing out the doorway, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. He stepped back over to the bar and withdrew a one hundred credit banknote, which he slid across the counter. "So, nothing happened. Right, Martin?" he simpered at the bartender.

Martin's eyes flicked down to the banknote, and then back up to the prince's face. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary," he smiled, slipping the money into his own pocket.

Cas relaxed. Bribery wasn't usually his go-to strategy, but in the capital, money talked. He'd learned how to use it to his advantage on occasion—not to do anything illegal, of course, but to get around a few of the expectations his father had placed on him that he found suffocating. Being forbidden from dating was one of them. "Great," he stepped back again to head for the door. "Goodnight, Martin."

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

--

The next day wasn't as calm as Caspian had hoped it would be. His father had scheduled another lesson for him with his economics tutor, so he spent the entire morning playing catch up to make up for the private class he'd missed the day before. After that, he had a break for lunch—he ended up napping as soon as he cleared his plate—followed by a meeting with the king's council. By the afternoon, Atlas was well enough to attend the meeting, but since the prince had been heading everything in regard to the rebels, they had needed him to show up too. The next two hours were spent with him repeating most of the information in his speech to the council members, who seemed to have been convinced that there was more going on than he had told the rest of the capital during the address last night.

Once he managed to persuade them that there was no secret conspiracy going on with the Scourge, he spent the rest of the day in his room working on a plan to get past security so he could keep his word to Iris. He would have done so with her if not for his fear of dragging her down with him if he was caught. If any of the guards or his father discovered that he was trying to sneak out, they'd go easier on him than they would on her. So, to keep her safe, he plotted alone, so the lie that she had nothing to do with it would be more convincing if he had to explain himself to anyone.

Fortunately, no one stopped by his room, so no one found out what he had been up to, and by the time night fell, he had a fairly solid plan to get them both out of the mansion without raising suspicion. Feeling confident, he threw on a pair of black jeans and a dark blue shirt and made his way downstairs to get dinner. He expected that the night was going to be a long one, so he needed to fuel up before he and Iris went back to the woods to look for her ID.

[Assistant]
It has hard sleeping; various different scenarios ran through her mind throughout the night and most of them ended up with her death. Only once she had woken in the night with a start, gasping for air as she clutched her chest. The soft pounding of her head as she felt the headache forming, she was completely in turmoil with herself. Part of her wanted to cancel it all, another part of her just wished she would disappear, and it would all end. After the bad dreams she had managed to settle once more, getting a few hours of sleep before the morning arrived.

Thankfully when she had woken Cas was not around, as much as she'd have loved to see him it was best not. She didn't want to lose herself once more as last night had gotten her quite hot under the collar and it was far to soon, well. It shouldn't happen regardless as she did have a boyfriend still. Although she wasn't entirely sure on that as her and Ethan hadn't exactly spoken about it, she was sure that when she was back home memories would return and help her along the way. However hurting Cas was still playing on her mind, she still didn't really want to hurt him.

The day was spent moping around her room, her mind flitting from the enjoyable night to what could happen if everything went wrong. She had taken some time to read in hopes it would distract her, however that was not the case. The book was more of something she could fiddle with as she thought back on the dreams, his father and how scary he had been. Caspain and how he had ordered the death of two innocent people. Even though it felt like time hadn't passed Iris had noted it was evening, but she didn't feel like dinner, there was an unease in her stomach. An unrest to her as she watched the time go by.

Maybe he will break his word, maybe we won't go, and I can worry about this all another day, right? That could be an option? Thinking to herself as she sat on the sofa in her room, it was so comfortable staying here and as much as she enjoyed it, she knew she should be here. I… Cringing to herself as she looked at the table wondering if maybe she should write some sort of confession. Should I write something addressed to the King? Or is that suicide?

Letting out a shaky sigh she threw the book to the floor shaking her head, fingers clasped at it feeling the headache return from last night. Iris had not gotten much rest; her mind had stayed active and kept her up playing out what could happen and now she was suffering for it. Cas won't break his word; he is a man of honour and he keeps to that. I'm the villain here, I'm the bad guy about to ruin his life and break his trust. Without realising she felt the tears leave her eyes and she couldn't help but curse under her breath as she looked at the book thrown to the floor, "The only thing I can vow to do is make sure he doesn't get hurt physically." Mumbling to herself as she hugged her knees bringing them up on the sofa still debating on if she should try to eat something. "What's the point? It will be a waste of food."

[User]
When Caspian arrived at the kitchen, he was quick to notice that Iris wasn't there. He stopped in the doorway with a concerned frown. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen her at lunch either. He hoped she wasn't having a bad day. Even though he had been hesitant about sneaking out of the mansion last night, his excitement about it had been growing since he'd started working on a tangible plan to get past security. He'd convinced himself that she was right, that as long as they made the trip fast there would be no risk. With his reservations pushed to the back of his mind, he was left feeling thrilled about acting like a modern day James Bond and getting by all the guards who were skilled enough to keep terrorists out of the building. If Iris had woken up feeling ill or depressed, all the work he'd done would have to be scrapped.

Although he tried to remain optimistic, he asked the cooks for an extra plate to take to her bedroom just in case she had missed all three meals that day because she couldn't get to the kitchen. He ate his own dinner quickly—this time, the chefs had prepared a flavorful mushroom asiago chicken dish in white wine—and thanked the servants politely as he picked up the spare serving from the counter and headed down the hallway that led to the amnesiac's temporary quarters.

On his way there, his heart already began to pound eagerly. If Iris was still feeling up to going out with him, it would be the first time he'd ever pulled a stunt like this. He had his qualms with being born into the line for the throne against his will, but everyone knew he wasn't the rebellious type. He cared far too much about pleasing his father to step out of line more than he already did by going to parties and occasionally dating women, and the only rules he broke there were the informal ones that Atlas placed on him because he thought they would make him a king one day. This time, he would be blatantly disregarding the safety measures put in place by the royal guard. Just the thought of it sent a thrill of excitement up his spine.

So, by the time he reached Iris's room, he was already grinning to himself with unchecked exhilaration. It was a good thing there were no guards patrolling the corridors in that wing at the moment, because he hadn't thought far enough ahead to come up with an explanation for his behavior. Hoping that the amnesiac was still feeling up for a little adventure that night, he raised his fist and knocked on the door. "Iris, are you awake?" he called. "I brought you something to eat." The plate in his hand had turned into a perfect cover to explain why he would be visiting her room at such an odd hour.


[System]
Sex: Male
Age (16-18): 16
Nationality: British
Alteration: Coin Flip - Aaron can flip a coin and get two different forms: Heads - Aaron gains great upper body strength, however his movements become more sluggish. Tails - Aaron gains great burst of speed and lower body strength, giving power to his kicks. Aaron can use anything where he can have 50% chance (black or red, in cards, Odd or Even on a Dice, etc.), though he usually keeps a coin on him.
Downside: Aaron can only maintain his forms for 10 minutes at a time. If he tries to use it anymore than that allotted time frame his time frame begins to halve, for each consecutive use. It also runs the risk of tearing the muscle tissue in his body, from overexertion. It also can use his stamina a lot and if he uses a form after the 10 minutes time, he becomes susceptible to a lot more damage.
Rarity: Rare
Preferred Classes: Maths, Business, Statistics
Personality: Aaron is usually chilled out, preferring listening to music and hanging out, than studying. He's also a bit of a trickster and a con man, in training, he loves gambling and bets and will never take a bet he's guaranteed to lose, he usually tricks people who don't know him or his methods.

Songs:
Main Theme: Be Somebody - Thousand Foot Krutch
Battle Theme: Notorious - Adelitas Way

[User]
Lea

"R-Reina.... I-I'm Japanese but I was raised in Singapore.... I like soccer and Brazilian boys are hot..well forget what I said."

"Brazilian boys are really cute though," Lea smirked and was about to playfully hit Reina on the arm before she noticed her exhaustion and her falling to the ground. At that moment she knelt beside her and put a hand on Reina's neck. Her temperature was relatively normal, so she wasn't sick. Then she saw Reina's body begin to change, her hair turning into leaves - A different kind than Lea's own leaves, but leaves nonetheless - and a rose growing in her eye. "Uuh, you got a little something in your eye there, Reina-"

As quickly as the changes began, they began to fade. In less than a minute, Reina's body was back to normal, but she still looked really tired. Lea smiled awkwardly and rubbed her neck, "I'll help you up," She said before acting as a support for her, grunting as they stood up, "I remember it was painful when my leaves first started growing. The first time you bloom is also really uncomfortable. You said my power was difficult to control... Does that mean you have some kind of imitation Alteration? Can you copy people's Alterations? I guess it's too far fetched to hope you have a plant-based alteration like me, heh." She talked quietly and gently so as to not cause any more fatigue to Reina.

[Assistant]
Gabriel

---

At Reina's words, Gabriel began to bristle, her temper rising rapidly. Who the f#$@ did this damn b#£$ think she was-!?

Before her anger could boil over, her thoughts were interrupted by a jar of honey that was shoved to her feet. The presence of foodstuffs was pleasant, but she was more surprised by the mode of delivery.

Wasps. Hell, a whole hive of them. They didn't seem hostile, and as far as she were aware they couldn't be trained, so it was probably the ability of some dude's Alteration.

She was half-right.

"Would you like? Look hungry. Sharing develop friendship."

Gabriel actually felt a shiver run up her spine as she realized the host of wasps was a person - the wasps weren't an ability, they were the person.

The shock of it all was actually enough for her to forget she was angry. That, and food.

"Uh ... huh. Hey, thanks," she replied with a grin. "Can't tell if I'm actually lookin' at you, but thanks." Picking up the jar, she inspected its' contents.

"I got just the thing for this." She said, and proceeded to pull a whole loaf of bread out of her bag, along with a case of utensils. Twisting the jar open, she spread honey across a slice of bread, before sandwiching it together with another slice smeared with peanut butter.

Gabriel looked at her impromptu treat with glee, before tunring back to her benefactor.

"You're a pretty swell ... uh, guy? Er, what's your name anyhow?"

[User]
Reina
Smirking like nothing happened. Reina made it clear to ignore about the Brazilian hunks. "Yeah... I don't just copy but I immediately understand how alterations, physical movements, and complex subjects work which allows me to simplify those complexities and use it to my advantage. I know my alteration is such a cheat code."  Reina looks displeased at herself to the point of even condemning herself. "Sorry if I offended you if I seemingly shown better control than you." Reina's eyes currently are glowing purple which means she understood what Lea's alteration could do but not to the same level as Lea herself. Her grammar, her vocabulary, even though she's Asian, Reina's fluent in speaking the English language and sounds like a natural in it.

"I guess it can't be helped then when things escalated quickly. I owe you one." Reina being composed shows lesser hostility and meanness towards Lea. She smiled and said; "Which reminds me since you're from Brazil, how many languages do you speak? It can't be helped, I dragged you all the way here with no consideration so I'll take responsibility for my crap. But don't get the wrong idea, it's not like I'm saying we're friends..." Flustered on what to say, Reina blurted out random things. She blushes saying all that. "Whatever, it really sounds like I'm making myself sound desperately to need a friend. HUH?! NEED/WANT what the heck?" SMH Reina's mood changes immediately from cold to hot to cold to warm then to mellow then to normal then hot n cold again.

She literally can't express herself properly. "I mean if you want to be friends that's alright but don't come shedding your leaves crying if I'm too mean to you, I didn't bring you all the way here just because I wanted to save you from being the center of attention and eventually regretting it!" She crossed her arms while pouting.

[Assistant]
CS Link

Location: Train station platform
Leaning against the wall Temper felt her stomach growling. It had been a long journey, especially for her with all the slips she'd made adding time to the trip, and she'd used up a lot of energy on the way. Lifting her gaze from the pages of her book she glanced down the platform, trying to see if there was a cafe or snack stand where she could get something to eat, but with all the people gathering around she couldn't see anything.

On the verge of giving up her search and going hungry until the group got to the school, Temper happened to glance over at her fellow students just as the crowd cleared, giving her a clear view of Gabriel who seemed to have plenty of food to spare. She even seemed to be attracting the attention of quiet a few of the wasps who had been buzzing around the platform.

Quickly slipping into thinking time Temper casually made her way through the frozen crowd, weaving between the people as they held their poses like an army of less well-disciplined terracotta warriors. Stepping up beside the girl Temper relaxed, slipping back into boring time with a small popping sound before tapping Gabriel on her shoulder while smiling in what she hoped was a friendly way.

"Excuse me," she said in an uncertain, hesitant tone, "Could I possibly scrounge a snack from you? I'm starving here and I'm not sure how long we're going have to wait. Preferably something with nuts, if you have it." As she spoke Temper batted the crowd of wasps away with her hand, tempted to slip back into thinking time to get rid of them all but wanting to hear what Gabriel would say first before she did.

@Duoya

[User]
Charles would look at everything slightly awkwardly unsure how to process everything that happened so he sighs and speaks out loud "Well this is a.... energetic bunch to say the least" he was mostly speaking to himself but didn't care if anyone heard him. He would adjust his fake glasses, which do have lenses just they are transition glass so they darken in the sunlight to behave like sunglasses they just aren't made to any prescription, along with scratching the side of his head with his other hand.

 Charles would pull up his inventory menu and pull out the lighter looking at the design on it which would be of a dragon's face on one side. He'd rub the design with his thumb thinking about his past some then thinks about his partner.. or pet depending on how you see it. He wanted to call out salamander more and let him enjoy the world but he didn't have the mana for it yet and he might need salamander's support soon so he decided to wait on such a thought.

[Assistant]
Aaron smiled as he introduced himself to Leaf, just before the Asian girl dragged her away. Aaron kind of stood there awkwardly, holding up a twitching hand, that he'd raised to wave. He stood there kind of dumbfounded, not sure what to do next. He turned around to see another group of three conversing.

Suddenly realisation dawned him on, he'd let himself get isolated. Now he was left with two options; 1) Interrupt another conversation to make himself apart of something. 2) Try and talk to one of the other two guys who weren't talking to anyone.

Being afraid of having people look down on him to begin with, he decided he'd go with his second option, but which one to introduce himself to? He looked at the guy playing a game, since he seemed cool, that was until he pulled out a lighter and began to stroke it. So Aaron looked at the guy with headphones on.

Aaron walked over to him and held out his hand, "My name is Aaron, I saw you over here by yourself, do you not feel a little lonely as everyone else is introducing themselves?"

[User]
Interacting with: Aaron Zairos (@JELDare)

As Agni was watching everyone and their conversations, someone suddenly talked with him. It was the guy that was playing blackjack on the train. At a first impression, he didn't seem to be bad or anything. Rather, his approach was different from what he had expected initially. Goes to show how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, an important lesson that he already knew but forgot momentarily. The question, though: how his first impression would be. In all case, he decided to be sincere.

"I admit I do. The problem is that I wasn't sure of how I should approach you all since I'm... well, emotionless from the start. As a friendly advice, if you wish to believe in me, my face won't change from this and my voice will sound cold all the time." he explained. Yes, without a doubt he sounded and looked empty. But it's not like Agni wasn't used to this. Being alone and left behind was no longer a problem for him. It wasn't their fault his Alteration transformed him into a marionette. He took Aaron's hand and responded with a firm handshake.

"I'm Agni. Agni Blackheart. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aaron. I'm serious about this."

[Assistant]
Aaron smiles, before clearing his throat. "Not a problem at all, Agni. Hell it'd be fun to see that face in different situations, don't you think? Well actually if you are emotionless I doubt you understand the feeling of fun, or if you do you can't experience it? Doesn't matter, good to meet you. So, what brings you here? Or what's your alteration? I know we're not meant to say, but I think Leaf over there gave away her's before we had a chance to ask and considering what's happening to the Asian girl it's easy enough to work out a guess, at least."

Aaron realised that he had become rambling and stopped himself, "Actually, never mind my spiels, better question, when are we getting to our school?"

[User]
Interacting with: Aaron Zairos (@JELDare)

Aaron had shot a lot of questions, which Agni felt like it would have no issues in answering. Well, maybe talking about his Alteration in specific would be disturbing, so that topic could be avoided as a safety measure. Either way, they would eventually know about each other's powers in the long run... seeing it might be better than talking about it. "According to the letter, the staff should be here to pick us at any moment. Once that happens, they will take us to the campus." He said, reading the letter once again.

"About the other two questions... you're right, I can't experience emotions. I used to feel them and simply not demonstrate it, but now I can't even do that. That brings me to my reason. I want to find a way of being emotional again, without my Alteration blocking them once again. Perhaps when that happens, my life can go back to normal." Agni spoke.

He gave his head a little shake and looked back at Aaron. "So, what's your reason to be here?"

[Assistant] Aaron smiled, it was funny seeing someone like this, someone new and exciting. "For fun, why else? My little cousin is planning to come here in two years, so I decided to check it out and I just so happened to pass the entrance exams, so why not?" Aaron was not being disingenuous, but it was such a casual reason for attending a school for the next two years of his life, it was almost hard for even him to swallow .


[System]
Callsign: Flash
Age: 18

Voice: Sofia Boutella (Gazelle, Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Rachel stands at 176 cm and weighs 74 kg with a lean build. Rachel favors dark clothing with many pockets plus a few hidden ones. Anything that restricts her field of view or freedom of movement is a no-go. When it comes to spacesuits, anything that is not leaking will do.* Several thousand credits acquired through pickpocketing or odd jobs.
* Universal screwdriver
Short Bio: Born and raised in the suburbs of a large city on Mars, neither the neighborhood nor her family were particularly well off. And since no one would hire a little girl, Rachel took to thievery to give the household an income boost. Over the years. she's become proficient at sleight of hand, unarmed combat and getting from place to place without being noticed. But sometimes someone would notice, and so she learned to navigate urban environments quite well, often with officers at her heels. Until one day, one of the officers was faster. Upon her capture, the authorities took note of her agility and resistance to questioning. It wasn't long until her holding cell was visited by men in armor instead of policemen - the last time she saw her home.

Rachel was sent for "augmentation" and assigned to intelligence, namely a recon and deep strike team. Engineered and trained to enter and exit any compound, negotiate any terrain or obstacle and extract any necessary information from captives, Rachel was made to be a crossbreed of a black-ops operative and a master interrogator, with varying success. She has also picked up some basic engineering. However, several years of literally messing with people's heads also messed with hers, turning her into a cold, emotionless husk of a person with but a tiny shred of humanity, buried somewhere deep within.

She was grateful for the war's end, despite humanity's defeat. So when the ceasefire was announced, she laid down her arms and approached the nearest alien unit, a Rau've infantry patrol. In captivity, the emotionless young woman awaited her inevitable execution, until she and her fellow children were released. However, she couldn't return to normal life, if "return" was even applicable. All she knew was thievery and war. But her newfound freedom pushed reason aside and fanned the flames of vengeance that lay dormant in the back of her broken mind and seeing an opportunity, she took it, determined not to let go no matter what may lay ahead.
* Rapport (Mind): Rachel can give an order to a single person. To do this, she needs to perform a specific hand gesture and say the order out loud. Her target needs to hear her and understand the language. If the target loses consciousness or goes through intense pain (like gunshot wounds), the spell loses effect. The presence of others near her target makes it significantly harder and tricking a person when more than two other people are present has proven impossible at her current level as the other members of a group can interrupt the spell.
* Illusion (Mind): Rachel can create an illusion visible by a single individual. She has to concentrate on keeping the illusion and cannot do anything else that requires her mental faculties (she can create an illusion while running away from something, but not when solving an equation). The illusion can be virtually anything, but bigger or more detailed things require more focus and take a greater toll on her. Keeping the illusion for more than a few minutes also leads to headaches, nausea and general exhaustion. The illusion can only be seen by the affected individual, Rachel and cannot physically interact with the world. Rachel can only make a person see something that isn't there, not the other way around.
* Extraction (Mind): By far the most advanced and tasking spell Rachel has learned, Extraction allows her to "view" the memories of others. The process requires physical contact and complete concentration, sending both Rachel and her victim into a trance-like state. Memory extraction time ranges from mere seconds to minutes, depending on the target's mentality and training to resist such practices.
* Telekinesis (World): Rachel can manipulate objects at a distance, the farther and or heavier the object, the harder it is. Her current cap is around one ton. While she cannot use this to fly, she can use this to jump higher, slow her fall or make small adjustments to direction midair.
* Fire Surge (World): Produces a stream of flame from her palm as a desperate close quarters defense measure. Maximum range of the stream is two meters, flame temperature is around 1000°C. Casting this spell with gloves on is not recommended, as Rachel found out the hard way during training.
Exceptional Skills:
Exceptional Stealth
Trivia:* She is unable to use mind spells against the kaisoken species and the korta are naturally hard to get to due to their usually high intellect.
* While mostly detached from reality, Rachel became quite protective of children because of what happened to her and many others.
* Always keeps a knife on her.
* Her proudest moment is extracting the layout of a building her team had to navigate from a korta logistics officer.

[User]
Five Days Later

Five days later, John Green would wake up the rest of the group, saying: "It's time to go on the trip! We'll be taking a freighter to Planet Cobalt; it's not going to be a Spacewarper, so we'll be flying the mundane way through a wormhole."

The cast of geniuses might need to review what they knew about space frieghters and wormholes, aka the poor man's method of FTL travel. The majority of non-military spaceflight involved sending goods and cargo on large space-borne vessels, whose engines were strong enough to head to interplanetary orbit. There, in the middle of space, awaited the wormhole, a rip in space-time that connected different planets to each other. This route was profitable but dangerous, especially as pirates might wait to ambush vulnerable ships on their way to their destination.

Basically, they were going to take a large ship, be carried there alongside cargo, and perhaps get ambushed by pirates on the way. Fun.

Timeskip to the Frieghter

The perhaps quickly turned for the worst though, as mid-way, as the cargo freighter was steadily heading for the wormhole, a ship, equivalent to the size of a cruiser, suddenly emerged from the nearby meteor belt, in utter discretion. The ship was painted black all around, shaped like a combination of a flying saucer and a cross, with guns placed messily all over the ship. At the head of the ship was a large skull, ornamented both for ramming purposes and for intimidation. The insignias on the ship was all too clear for anyone who came into contact with it.

The ship quickly exited the asteroid belt and caught up with the cargo freighter. Its engine was roaring with ferosity, and the thing would be easily able to catch up with the freighter if its captain decided to make a run for the wormhole. There, the space pirate ship's captain made his announcement.

"This is captain Kulora of the Simone, the pirate group in the region! We demand you, surrender your ship and offer all your cargo on your ship to us!"

In response, the Frieghter tried to veer away, attempting to return to the ringworld that was the Galactic Bazaar. Its engines were firing at full speed, taking advantage of the frictionlessness of space to accelerate faster than expected, jolting the cargo, which by now included the band of geniuses. But they would keep themselves steady among the boxes, containers, and other passengers that filled the cavernous cargo hold of the spaceship. Turning towards the group, John would say, "It is time to fight."

"Very well..."

The pirate captain handed down the order, as the targetted cargo freighter tried to drift away, ignoring their warnings. Their engines roared with mightiness, unbound by friction, as they began catching up with the cargo ship. Despite its initial outlook, the engine, bought from the most discreet but with utmost quality of black markets, was significantly faster than the cargo ship's. The ship quickly caught up with the cargo ship, drifting steadily nearer to the vessel.

And then suddenly, the pirate ship made a sharp turn towards the freighter. Seconds later, the front skull of the ship rammed onto the back of the freighter, sending the ship off its current trajectory, and sent the cargo onboard a tremor. The pirate ship then open fired their weapons onto the hull of the cargo ship, quickly tearing apart its shield and significantly damaging the hull and engine. As the freighter began to falter in terms of momentum, the pirate ship began to pull the cargo ship towards them, preparing to dock with each other. And finally, when the ship was near enough, a boarding party, consisting of hundreds of space pirates began pouring onto the ship.

Their target: the cargo bay.

[Assistant]
The last few days passed uneventfully, with little change - the only differences being the weather, and the ways Ace killed time. While the others played video games, Ace mostly spent his time either running or reading - both of which were some of the only activities he was allowed to do while in the custody of the Ascendancy. Still, reading novels that were not hand-selected by the organization was a breath of fresh air, and when not doing either of these things, he interacted with his fellow soldiers. As Ace expected, none of them shared his opinion on the announcement that had occurred a few days ago, and he made sure not to let slip his own opinions on the matter. Eventually, however, the fun and games were over.

Green woke up the rest of the group, but Ace had just returned from his morning run, a habit that he had developed ever since he escaped the Ascendancy's clutches. Luckily, Ace made it back in time in order to hear Green announce that they were headed out - finally. The journey to the freighter itself, as expected, was completely uneventful, with the group staying among the cargo of the ship rather than staying with the other passengers.

Still, at least the place was roomy - Ace had managed to find a small armchair, and upon sitting and placing his cauldron on his lap, he was prepared for a long voyage - he took out an older book, entitled "Flowers for Algernon." The novel was about a middle-aged man who, upon receiving treatment from an organization, received enhanced intellect. The writing was excellent, and Ace couldn't help but draw several parallels between his companions and himself to Charlie and the titular Algernon. Only a quarter of the way into the book, Ace was taken away from his reading by the sudden declaration coming from somewhere nearby.

"This is captain Kulora of the Simone, the pirate group in the region! We demand you, surrender your ship and offer all your cargo on your ship to us!"

The group steadied themselves among the various pieces of furniture and other forms of cargo as the freighter tried to evade the newcomer, and Green alerted the group to the danger that presented itself. Ace swore under his breath, realizing that he had no explosives with him - and even if he did, there was no way he would detonate them so close to other people's possessions and in a space ship. Unfortunately, he had to rely on ramming into these pirates with his incredible speed - something he didn't enjoy doing very often, considering the risk it prevented. Less than a minute later, massive tremors and crashing occurred all around him, and Ace began to breath heavily - he hated loud noises. Soon, the sound was replaced - the cold, metallic wurr of a ship beginning to dock. A hiss escaped from the docking area, and hundreds of men in exosuits began to pile inwards - upon seeing the various weapons they had slung across their backs and wielded in their hands that Ace finally grew truly terrified.

With their Anti-material rifles, the chances of them shooting through the hull of the freighter was massive - especially since the hull was already damaged. As soon as these pirates suffered a few losses, they could simply puncture holes in the ship, either causing explosive decompression, or simply depriving everyone in the bay of oxygen. Ace had never before been in a situation where his durability would not simply protect him from any harm - he was used to fighting on planets, not in space. Still, there was no choice but to fight - if he hid out of fear, the pirates would simply take him prisoner...

There would be no difference between that and being the Ascendency's soldier.

Maneuvering himself into position, Ace prepared to start running at a moments notice - should any of his companions be in a sticky situation, he would rush and ram into the attacker, like a human-sized bullet. Even with his immense speed, Ace felt he could reliably tank the damage from running like that - the only thing he wasn't sure about were the Anti-material rifles... Those may be able to put a dent in him.

[User]
The five days before the transfer to planet Cobalt went by without anything of note. Perhaps the last few calm days they would enjoy for some time. Despite hitching a ride among the cargo, the trip wasn't of the worst. She would almost call it comfortable, compared to some of the places she's been to during the war. As the flight dragged on, she entertained herself by browsing the cargo manifests attached to most crates and other containers. Perhaps there was something that could be useful to them. What was a few opened crates to a large shipping company? That was until the freighter turned around rather hastily and, by the looks of things, tried to get back to the Bazaar at full burn. This kind of maneuver was rough on the passengers and cargo even in top of the line vessels, let alone a freight barge. As soon as the ship somewhat steadied, Rachel dropped what she was doing and made her way back to the group, wondering what could have caused the crew to head back in such a hurry? Engine trouble? No, they would take it slowly. Something critical, like a life support failure? Could be. Or perhaps...

The pirate ramming attempt caught her mid-step, promptly sending her onto the floor with a hollow thud. As she scrambled back to her feet, the ship started to shake again as the pirates pummeled it with weapons fire. She could only hope the hail of fire wouldn't penetrate the cargo compartment they were in, much like the rest of the passengers and crew. As far as any defensive action was considered, she was next to useless in a situation like this. Rachel spent most of the war observing the enemy, infiltrating key positions and extracting information. Most of her training was devoted to not being seen. They only started shooting after making sure the team she was assigned to like a piece of equipment had every possible advantage before executing a swift sweep with surgical precision. The other possibility was being ambushed by an enemy force, but that never happened while she was on a ship. She took a breath and was about to suggest they just hide and live out the raid. But that was before the pirates docked, no doubt intent on deploying a boarding party. "So much for that plan." she cursed under her breath and hid behind a stack of crates, more for concealment rather than cover given the raiders' firepower.

The best course of action would be to stay back and support her more combat-oriented teammates by throwing any pirate that would be a threat to her teammates into a wall or pulling a friendly away from said threat with her telekinesis Sadly, this 'best course of action' was still quite limited. An illusion at her level could only affect one target at a time and she couldn't do much else while it was active. Rapport was dependent on the target's mental fortitude, but if she focused on injured pirates, the spell's chance of success would be greater. She doubted Fire Surge would be effective enough against opponents in vac suits. "Ideas?" she asked with a good measure of uncertainty in her voice.