Collaberation Post

Venture Academy - School Grounds

A deep, well-earned breath traveled past pale lips. A droplet of sweat made its way down the boy’s temple, his concentration remaining unphased by a spectating crowd. He could not lose this, it was the thought traveling through his mind in a continuous spiral, a never fading determination which tugged at every sense. Clenching his teeth, Neoh furrowed his thin brow, that raven black hair a stark contrast to his otherwise ghostly pale skin. It was now, or never, as he would say, a decision for the ages. An act which would define the outcome of his current predicament. Tightening his fist, Neoh raised his remaining limb to wipe the pearls glistening upon his forehead.

Finally, he was prepared, ready to take that step which would determine his position, his victory. Extending a slender, scrawny arm, Neoh pointed his finger forward, an expression of absolute conviction prevalent upon his features. ”That one,” came a soft, if dauntless voice, the resolve seeping from it like a brimming sun. Gulping, Neoh leaned forward, eyes glued on the cups displayed upon a table. He had managed to successfully guess the right sequence twice in a row, now. If he managed once more time, he would be the winner. The winner of what, one might ask? A candy bar.

The cup was raised, his classmates nearly falling over one another as they had gathered to watch the event unfold, in the teacher’s absence. With a hand placed on the cup, Neoh noted how his classmate tilted it somewhat, a soft smirk making its way to the illusionist’s visage. “You have chosen..,” the girl spoke, imitating a famous line from Indiana Jones, “...wisely!” She finished, lifting the cup fully to reveal the small pebble beneath.

Without a word, Neoh shoved his fist into the air, victoriously, displaying his great achievement.
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It was nervewracking really, when there was a candy bar on the line. One wrong answer and all would be lost. He knew, however, that he could trust his brother to choose the right one, Neoh had managed to get two correct already.

Miles stood next to his brother, bent over slightly as one hand was on Neoh's shoulder as he watched the event unfold. He didn't say a word, for he didn't want to break the concentration Neoh had worked so hard to build up. Miles had almost started sweating in anticipation while his brother made his choice, wondering if it would all be worth it in the end.

Two fists raised high for his brother's victory as it was revealed that Neoh had chosen correctly. Many of the other student in the room cheered for Neoh or stood in awe at his correct answer, having guessed the answer themselves just to play along.
Miles lightly shook his brothers shoulder in congratulations for the small, but exciting, victory.
"How did you know?" Milly asked, scratching his head as he watched the illusionist shuffle the cups again, a few of the other students wanting to give it a try.
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Smirking as Neoh swiped the candy bar resting so eagerly upon the table, he unwrapped the sweet and broke it in half, as was natural for the boy. He proceeded to share the victory with his brother, handing him one piece of the prize. ”A well educated guess,” Neoh noted, biting into the candy, ”or blind luck,” the boy shrugged, ”one of the two.” Indeed, blind luck, it was quite true. Neoh had not been able to follow the motions of the cups as they were spun, neither was he acute enough to determine the psychological factor of this most peculiar guessing game. He was simply lucky, three times in a row. Though nearly impossible, it was not quite out of the realm they all presented themselves within.

Dropping onto his chair, Neoh reached into his pocket and produced a small bag of treats, before Lemon scurried down the boy’s arm and towards his hand where the ferret began sniffing the delicious nuggets. His owner handed the eager critter what Lemon was so desperately seeking. Tracing slender, dainty fingers through the ferret’s fur and behind his ears, Neoh turned back to his brother with a small smirk. ”That’s probably this week’s luck used up."
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”Well shit,” Miles said, laughing, ”Guess we better be careful on our next assignment.” The young boy took his gifted half of the candy bar and took a bite, watching as Neoh treated his ferret to a few treats.
Miles reached put and scratched Lemon behind his ears, smiling at the small animal before pulling a seat up next to his brother. He spread out his arms and legs out, stretching every muscle for a few long moments before sighing and looking over at his brother.
”Next time we stay up late we're watching a movie. No more of these damn games that end up taking three hours.” Miles teased, letting his head fall back as he closed his eyes for a moment.
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Yes, the brothers tended towards activities which had a tendency of keeping them from the pleasant embrace of rest. Video games, role playing games or merely enjoying a prolonged conversation, the two enjoyed each other’s company enough to shift an otherwise rigid schedule. It was not an uncommon development, in the slightest, but rather, a norm. ”Mh, sure,” Neoh shrugged his shoulders, as Lemon balled up on the desk with a soft yawn. The critter embodied Miles’ fatigue, to be sure. ”I’d watch 300 again,” Neoh admitted, his fingers absentmindedly combing their way through Lemon’s fur, where he laid. The critter was constantly a point of interest for the other students, where they tended to compliment the ferret on its cute nature, and often wished to pet it. Considering Lemon’s curious and most certainly social demeanor, it was a commonly granted gift. ”Never got to watching Wonder Woman,” Neoh tapped his chin as the boy delved into deeper thought. ”Think she’s based on a real person?” The boy presented, leaning back with crossed arms. ”I hear Greece has a bunch of those.., Olympian heroes. Sticking with the theme and all that.”
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”Mm, I dunno.” Miles replied, eyes still closed as he tried to imagine who Wonder Woman could represent in this world. ”I'd like to watch something where people aren’t stabbing each other every five seconds.” he said, opening his eyes and looking at his brother.
”Something like,” Miles took a bite of his candy bar, ”Oh I dunno.., Harry Potter or something.”
After a few moments of thinking he looked back up at the ceiling and asked, ”What would you do if you had to fight Voldemort?” He took another bite of the bar, ”Like, he can kill you with one word and a fancy stick. What would you do?”
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Blinking, Neoh squinted at his brother for a moment, before tilting his head. ”You know we can do that without fancy sticks or words, right?” Neoh’s abilities allowed for him to conjure forth spectral spears and launch them like bullets, or spinning them like saw blades. Powers were generally more powerful than the magic displayed in the Harry Potter universe, and they were most certainly more efficient, words taking a step back in lieu of systematic use. No words, simply power. Even more defensive abilities, like Miles’ own, were incredibly dangerous. Neoh’s brother, if creative with his ability, could exact absolute chaos with his powers. Caging someone in a bubble, locking them in a room by creating a barrier at the exit during a raging fire, or simply attacking with his shields. Shields which would block Voldemort’s spells, one might add. ”But sure, I’ll humor you. What would I do when fighting Snake Face.” Neoh tapped his chin. The teacher was taking her precious time, for sure. ”He is actually powerful enough to use magic without words.., in some scenes. The continuity is a bit fucked,” Neoh noted, turning to his brother before placing Lemon on his lap. ”Me and him would probably have a really quick fight. All comes down to who hits the other first. You’d be able to draw that shit out, for a while.” Raising a finger as he spoke, Neoh continued, ”I think my best tactic against someone like Voldemort would be to keep him on the defensive. Overwhelm him with attacks until I break his defenses.”
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"Dude, it's magic, you never know what that shit could do." Miles asked, attempting to defend his question, "Like, for all I know it could go through my barriers. I dunno."
He took a couple final bites of his candy bar, licking his fingers and wiping them on his pants before thinking about Neoh's response. Miles thought about a fight between him and Voldemort, he'd have to be pretty careful not to let his guard down; could be easy enough as long as he preserves his energy when using his shields. If he lost the ability to conjure a shield he'd be doomed.
His brother on the other hand wasn't as lucky with having barriers to put in between him and the spell. He would probably have to remain light and agile to be able to evade Voldemort's attacks.
"Well what if-"

Miles cut off his next question as he heard the door open, as did a few others students.

"Alright alright, I know I took awhile but don't start having a party without me."
Many of the students wandering about hurried to their desks, while others fixed a few chairs and also got into place.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_{Location: Dorm
Time 7:45 AM}

---

"Mom, I'd talk more, but I have to go. Need to be early to class, you know how it is. Give dad a hug for me, alright?" After the customary chatter on the end, Josephine sighed softly, a smile gracing her lips. "Love you too Mom, I'll see you this weekend." And with that, she hung up, slipping the flip phone away on her person, somehow. Thirty minutes. She checked herself. Everything was accounted for. Perfect. Eyes flicked around her room, before grabbing the only thing she took to class, a leather bound binder type item, which contained a slot for papers, a notepad of paper that was eight inches by eleven, and of course, a pen. And like that, she was out the door, but not before grabbing a water bottle on the way. Feet hurried down the corridor, her short height making it easier to duck and weave around people, avoiding them with relative ease. But it wasn't five minutes later before she was inside the classroom, moving to the back, taking her seat in the corner furthermost from the front and exits. Call it edge or whatever, but she wanted to be alone for the moment. At least until others filtered in.

Once seated, she opened her bottle of water, and took a single sip, before closing it, wiping her lips with her sleeve, placing it down with a silent impact. She opened her binder, and pulled her pen out, hitting the end that pushed the tip out, beginning to sketch something on a free page of paper. Hopefully she wouldn't get interrupted. It wasn't until the teacher came in, that she glanced up, pausing her sketch. Seemed most of the others had filtered in already, making her smile under her breath. This would be interesting, one way or another...

//Not my best, but posts after will be better, hopefully.

Venture Academy - School Grounds

Interactions - None

Tapping his fingers against the wooden surface of Neoh's desk, the boy's attention maintained focus on a passing summer breeze, beyond a large, reflective window. Black eyes met the rattling of branches and leaves in response to nature's breath, the teenager's slender digits carefully caressing his beloved pet.

Neoh could still recall how he came across Lemon, the blonde colored ferret refusing to leave its owner's side. Since before the academy brought Neoh and his brother into its embrace, the child found great comfort amidst the warmth of feral beasts. A bleeding heart went out to them, their innocence and primal purity a sense of perfection in itself. He was never able to ignore their plight, and would consistently take steps required to aid those of lesser fortune, who crossed his path.

Lemon was one of these unfortunate souls, a furred tree dweller calling Venture Island its home. It was by the virtue of coincidence that Neoh came across the ferret, wounded and abused. Another student was first to the scene, their presence forcing a most heated scenario. Onlookers would note that the student in question was making himself known as a nuisance towards unfortunate animal.

Neoh faced exile, nearly finding himself expelled after confronting the culprit. It was clearly branded in stone, from that day, that Neoh's temper was a dangerous furnace. His salvation came in the form of an accepted duel, regulations shielding him from ultimate punishment.

Following the battle, Neoh left his fellow student barely clinging to a thread of life. It earned the young soldier a reputation among others, indeed. For Neoh, however, this was an irrelevant side effect. He spent weeks nursing the ferret back to health, earning the creature's trust and love.

Unlike his brother Miles, Neoh was an unforgiving zealot shackled to his beliefs, and ideals. He would not shy away from anger, but rather embraced it as the hero he was known. Javelin, the relentless spear. Truly, the relaxed, laid back and even serene persona displayed for others to view was easily dispelled, in response to unwarranted cruelty.

That ferret on his shoulder was not only an endearing sight, but a reminder. A statement. Where Neoh's sweet if moody state was prevelant, it could easily shift and sway.

Turning his head back to the teacher, Neoh exhaled a tired sigh. The lesson would soon be over, and he could indulge in a long awaited lunch. 

Some assumed Neoh's stance on nourishment, but he was in fact not opposed to eating meat. It was the circle of life, undeniable to all. He even enjoyed hunting, and had done so in the past, when time allowed. Students of Venture Academy were taught to survive, after all, which included hunting and sleeping under the stars. Not every mission took place on an urban battlefield.

Kane Anderson

Fuck

That's the word going through Kane's mind as he ran through the hallway. Ever since he never had to be to class on time, he had a terrible habit of being late. Not that he didn't care about school, he took all his classes serious and valued the work he put in. However, he had a terrible habit of being late. It wasn't all the time, but Kane tries to stay active and make good use of his time. Whether that meant going to the gym or playing his PS4 til 3 in the morning, he found it productive.

The reason why he was late this time was that he had just come back from a mission the other day, and he was dead tired from it. A surveillance mission, he was keeping tabs on gang activity in the New York area. Even though he didn't have to fight anybody, using his power for long periods of time takes up a lot of energy. He's been working on this, and he hasn't passed out from it in quite some time, but he wasn't above getting food, even if he was late. Breakfast is, after all, the most important meal of the day. How could you say no to bacon and french toast?

With his normal routine of going to the gym before class pushed a bit later, he was finally strolling up to his classroom. Kane was sporting black nike sweatpants and a white sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off. His messenger bag was slung over his shoulder, his laptop, a book, and a notebook shoved in and ready for class. His cyan blue hair was a bit messy, sticking up in random places. He was going for the just rolled out of bed look today.

Kane phased, seemingly disappearing out of nowhere as he passed through the classroom door and sat in the chair, before unphasing in a relaxed, sprawled out position. The girl next to him jumped and almost had a heart attack, while the class turned their attention to him. "Kane... you do realize you don't have this class until tomorrow?" The teacher said, sighing and chuckling softly. She was his professor for emergency medical procedures on the field, and while a very interesting class, it was the wrong class. It was a class he very much enjoyed, but his other class was directly below him.

So not only was he late... he was also in the wrong classroom.

The teacher smacked his head with a ruler, causing him to grab his head and chuckle. "You're supposed to be a role model to the younger students. Come on, get down there and actually learn something. You're already late." she said in a motherly way. It was nice to know that some of the teachers actually cared for their students, even if they weren't the most star students.

"Yes Ma'am" Kane announced, saluting before phasing, as he was gone in an instant. Falling through the floor, he phased and sat in the seat he happened to land in, next to some of his classmates. It seemed as though they were varying age, some his age, some as young as 12. He couldn't even remember what class this was. Did one of his classmates have a pet? Honestly with all the kids with powers running around the place, weird things didn't really seem so weird to him.

As Kane unphased, he already had his laptop out and was typing softly, looking up and very quickly typing all the notes he missed. He'll just act like he was there the whole time. What could go wrong? IT's perfect normal for students to disappear and reappear.

Miles didn't hate his studies. He, for the most part, was able to keep up on his work; get it done ahead of time, turn it in early, or ace an exam. He was an As and Bs student and has been ever since he and his brother started living at the Academy. He took a few days off from class here and there, but usually it was because he was feeling ill or was exhausted from a mission the day before.

Today though, Milly was having a rough time staying awake in class. After nodding off a couple times, the young teen started to take extra notes in his notebook, hum to himself, or reach over and pet Lemon just to keep from falling asleep. He knew why too, because of the roleplaying game he and his brother had played the night before.
It had taken two hours longer than he had planned, thus landing him in bed about 6 hours before the current class.
Sleep is something Milly valued dearly, often taking a nap halfway through the day or dozing off outside under his favorite oak tree.

When he wasn't taking naps or hanging out with his brother, Milly was usually outside taking notes on the various creatures he could find under rocks, up in trees, and in the bushes: bugs, squirrels, chipmunks, and various kinds of birds. Older kids used to make fun of him for "playing in the dirt" so they'd say, but Milly learned not to let it bother him. He loved the outdoors, and had fond memories of some of the many times he and his brother would go fishing, hunting, or even the occasional hike.

Despite their studies and missions taking up a majority of their time now, the brothers always tried to get outside and do something together when free time allowed. Spending time with his brother was something Miles always had time for.

Venture Academy - School Grounds

Interactions - None

Students came and went at their leisure, as one would say. They were responsible for their own development, a sense of maturity placed upon children of an early age. This was, as could have been expected, often case a starting point of debates and discussion. Should children be given the freedom to shape their own education? A heavy responsibility, indeed. However, with the mantle of heroics at their backs, the students of Venture Academy did not quite fall under the same jurisdiction as those within the public school system.

Neoh, though a single coin in the pond, reasoned that it offered him a desire to attend class, more so than when he was younger. The days where his presence was a forced addition behind that desk. Then, considering the nature of Venture Academy, he would be forgiven for the all too casual reaction to yet another student's entrance into the classroom.

However, the scenario did not fall under a more general application. A young man had fallen through the ceiling, undoubtedly the start of a creepypasta, had fingers been present upon a keyboard. Unable to stifle the chuckle escaping his lips, Neoh noted the startled reaction of more than a few. Lime's attention was peaked, naturally, the ferret's ears standing erect and attentive. "How nice of you to join us, Mr. Anderson." Came the teacher's voice, as she paused the development of class. "Use the door next time, yes?" She finished, before proceeding with the curriculum.

Yes, Neoh had come across this young man, before. Kane, if the boy recalled. Laid back, relaxed and with little consideration for a day's less pleasant scenarios, he was what one would be right to expect from a young man of twenty winters. Of course, like any student at the academy, his powers were an aspect many would be interested in unearthing. They would, however, have that curiosity sated at the sight of his arrival.

A specialized operative, one might say. Neoh was more or less informed of his classmates' abilities, and of their exploits. This was, after all, the main talking point of any student. Missions were the absolute focus, both in interest and conversation, without fail. One would surely be deprived of ears if rumors and gossip passed, leaving nothing behind.

Neoh was not exempt from this. Missions were oftentimes a vast source of exchange between himself and Miles, or rather, Milly. This served a purpose, of course. Neoh and Miles and were primary team mates. They fought as one, these brothers, the relentless spear and the unyielding shield. Javelin and Barrier. They had been dubbed The Nova Brothers, which was a title they decided to maintain.

They were not above resorting to this theme at costume parties, which, despite expression, Neoh quite enjoyed. Though, dressing to reflect one's powers was a commodity at Venture. Crimes thwarted at the day of Halloween were colorful, to say the least. Neoh could still point towards last year, when an emergency forced him onto the field, still dressed as a dog. An animal theme sounded good beforehand, but reached a point of laughter in more ways than one.

Shifting his attention back to the single most impressive feature of his reportire, vacant of a battle zone, Neoh continued working on a picture he had been drawing. It was an outfit, something a tad more flamboyant than what he and his brother wore. Something which borrowed elements from the mystical desert with a decorated vest and silken sash. This was merely one of the countless outfits Neoh had been working on.

He decided on something simple for one reason alone. He could not make up his mind. It was, however, never a bad idea to work on more aspirations.

Armor was far too heavy for him, and tactical gear was too boring. He wanted to find something more akin to his powers, flashy but straight forward. Mystical and dangerous.

Tapping his pen against the page of his sketchbook, Neoh occasionally looked toward the teacher, only halfway regarding her, before smirking at his brother for nearly dozing off. It was no particular individual's fault, make no mistake. They had enjoyed a far too engaging game of Dungeons and Dragons, so, who could possibly blame the brothers?

Indeed, roleplaying. An activity heroes of Venture enjoyed, like any other teenager with the interest. Even though they had been blessed with the very powers displayed upon game boards, in rule books or character sheets, few disregarded the prospect of imagination. The pursuit of something fantastical, in the safety of one's own mind.

It was quite entertaining, however, to compare heroes to what had been offered on the pages of this material. If Neoh found himself in a roleplaying game, what would he be? A wizard? Yes, perhaps. Would Miles follow the same route? They were very alike in abilities, after all, but polar opposites, all the same. Would Kane, who had made his entrance known only recently, fall under the category of a Rouge? It was a playful notion, to be sure. One which occupied Neoh's mind occasionally.

Everyday Nathan would wake up early, right before sunrise to start his morning routine. First he would go to this little spot he used for his own personal garden to start feeding and watering the plants. After that he would go and run laps for thirty minutes, take a shower then go eat breakfast before slowly but surely making his way to class. Today he did something different he went back to his room and pulled out a video camera, the only thing to survive the house colapyse of his home. It started with his mom and dad singing happy birthday to him then it stops. Sitting there he mumbles *happy birthday Nathan*. Realizing the time he put on his uniform and ran to class. Just when he opens the door he says *sorry ma'am I lost track of time.* he would rush to his seat in the back corner and start taking notes day dreaming about dungeons and dragons wanting to finally get to play it.

"Hostage damaged. Simulation failed"

A cry of anger and a loud slam echoed through the now empty white room, projections and holograms fading into the background as the blonde haired bombshell took a few deep breaths. Dressed in her skin tight hero costume, her hood plastered to her back, and a few beads of sweat dripping from her brow, she had been running this simulation over and over again. When she wasn't in here practicing, she was running the scenario in her head through classes. Those robotic words and the fading of holograms was all to familiar to her, and it ripped her insides to bits thinking about it.

Meleena was no stranger to tests and exams, especially for hero work. She passed most with flying colors, an experienced and passionate hero, there were almost no obstacles that could stand in her way, no mountain she couldn't climb over. Or, in her case, bast through the walls that bogged her down. Nobody dared duel her now after the countless attempts before ending in hospital visits for the other students. As a foe, she was quite the menace. But not all missions required brute force...



Kane Anderson and Meleena Steele were assigned to take down a small criminal base located in New York, which happened to be part of a long series of investigations that Kane worked on in the future. At the time they didn't know that this would lead to something so large. It was your normal, run of the mill sting operation. Beat the bad guys, arrest them, get out of there. Simple enough, and something that Meleena was especially good in. Kane could hold his own in a fight, but having that much fire power on your team was always a good thing.

They both normally worked solo, but when a partner was necessary, they normally chose each other. While their powers contrasted greatly, they also complimented each other well. Meleena was very powerful, but sometimes unstable, and sometimes others would be caught in the cross fire if they didn't get the hell out of the way. Kane could be in the thick of the fight and easily avoid her attacks, phasing and unphasing through them. This way, Mel could go all out and not have to worry about her teammate. Likewise, Kane could appreciate her offensive power being a great distraction, so that he could easily weave through the battlefield and take out unsuspecting victims. Also, it was very common for Kane to keep her out of trouble, phasing her or others that were in harms way. It was an unlikely duo, but there was not much they couldn't do together. They weren't a famous duo, more respected and well known for individual feats, but they weren't a bad team for not working with others.

Except, this mission quickly turned sideways. New intelligence came in, and it seemed like there was an underground slave trade going on, and the place where they were about to raid had them inside. This was now a hostage situation, and they needed to extract them without putting them in harm's way. This complicated things quite a bit. There was a lot more steps and precautions involved now to assure the safety of the victims involved.

"Supernova... I'm sorry to say, but due to the nature of this mission, I'll have to ask you to step down." The mission leader said, keeping his face straight and his voice stern. He knew how this was going to go.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" the super heroine said, getting out of her chair and looking at him face to face. "I can handle this, I am one of the best heroes in the academy. Just because there's civilians at stake doesn't mean I can't handle it. I could do this entire thing by myself, no thanks to your sorry ass."

"Mel..." Kane said, putting a hand on Meleena's shoulder. She tensed up, then slowly relaxed and breathed slowly. "Look, I know it's hard for anybody to tell you no... especially me. But he's right. Sometimes it's a little bit dangerous, for everybody, when you're involved. But that's not your fault, you're still controlling your powers."

Meleena turns to him, her face going from angry to sad as she looked up at him. Her "big brother", who she looked up to all the time, now telling her that she couldn't do it either. "I can do it. I've been practicing! Just give me a chance Kane. I promise I won't let you down."

"You never let me down." Kane smiled, holding both her hands in his, looking down at her. "But sometimes people are good at different things. I'm good at spy work and hostage situations, and you're good and ass kicking. I know you want to do this, but you have to trust me that I'll do a good job too. Come on, don't you have faith in Ghost?"Kane laughed, tucking some blonde hair behind Mel's ear.

Meleena simply nodded, tears welling on her cheeks as she buried her head in his chest. The two embraced, and Kane slowly brushed her hair as she quietly sobbed into her supersuit. She was frustrated and upset, but she understood what he was saying... but that didn't mean she liked it.

She looked up, wiping away one of her tears. She smiled back too, punching his arm. "You better do a good job, or I'll use those ass kicking skills on you."



After a few deep breaths, Meleena sighed and cracked her knuckles. She had to do this for him. To prove to him and everybody else that she was in control. That she could save people. What good was being a superhero if you couldn't even save the people that you're sworn to protect? If she ever wanted to be a good superhero, she needed to save people. She needed to not be a danger to the people she was protecting.

"Run the hostage simulation again."

"This is the 137th time you are running this simulation. Are you sure you want to continue?"

Meleena flipped her hood, her hands glowing red with energy, sparking and crackling. Her eyes turned a blood orange color. She smirked.

"I said run the damn simulation. Don't make me tell you again or I'll scrap you for parts, you metallic excuse for a robot."

Dex' Schaffner
Location: New York City
Interactions: None

Late Morning

"Move, MOVE! Venture Hero, coming through!" Dex' shouts trying to weave through the throng of people crowding NYC's sidewalks in pursuit their target; a measly jewelry thief. It was a woefully inadequate use of someone with their kind of powers, Dex' thought to themselves, but somebody needed to be on call to lend a hand and the suspect had been listed as armed and dangerous. Crisscrossing their way through the streets in pursuit, the chase winds it's way into a rougher neighborhood before coming to a halt in a dead-end alleyway.

"What IS it with you.. FREAKS!?!" The robber shouts, a ragged looking man in his late 20's shouts, panting for air as he brandishes a handgun. "Look, put the gun down, surrender peacefully and I'm sure the cops'll be happy to listen to whatever sob-story got you into this mess." Dex' says with a sigh, standing at the mouth of the alley. "Just leave me alone! I'm warning you, I will shoot!" The man yells, desperately looking around the alley for a way out. "All that pea-shooter's gonna do is scratch my armor. Do the smart thing, take the easy way out an~"

BANG

Dex' staggers back a half-step, a streak of lead marring one shoulder plate. "Really? Why does it always have to be the hard way?" The shape-shifter laments aloud as the robber's eyes widen in terror. With a sigh, Dex' whips up their stun rifle, leveling the sights on the panicked thief. "My turn." Dex' says, unloading half-a-dozen stun rounds. Watching the man slump to the ground with a soft moan, Dex' taps their earpiece. {Shifter here. Suspect is neutralized on my position. Requesting pickup.} {Acknowledged Shifter. We'll have a patrol car to you in 5.} Well, that takes care of that. With any luck, I can make it back to campus in time for lunch. Dex' thinks to themselves as they wait for the police car to arrive.

What would he do after class?
Perhaps a workout in the form of a game of frisbee. He could throw pretty far and catch pretty, after all, considering Milly used barrier projectiles in the shapes of frisbees. They packed quite a punch if he could hit his target, so practice in throwing them was essential. Every once in awhile he'd manage to get Neoh in on a game, although he won more times than not. It gave them a good reason to hang out and get out of their dorm.
Or maybe practice running different simulations. He and Neoh had ran over one-hundred together in their time at the Academy, most of them varying situations in the same simulation. This allowed for, as some would say, "practice makes perfect."

Milly turned to his brother, tired eyes blinking for a few moments as he gathered up his question. "Did you want to do anything after class?" he whispered as the teacher took a brief moment from his lecture to check the computer. "A game of frisbee perhaps?" he teased, "Or we could run some simulations. Maybe check up on any new missions." Milly shrugged as he couldn't recall any other ideas, then paid his attention back to the teacher as the lesson was being wrapped up.

Venture Academy - School Grounds

Interactions - @Bea

There were many scenes at Venture Academy which could very well have been appropriated from any public school in America. Once class reached its long anticipated end, students leaked through the door like water in a sinking ship. One would be able to note the younger students initially pouring out, followed by their older peers. It was a pursuit of freedom and summer air, the thought of professionally made food strong enough to linger with a scent ever so suductive.

With several options at their disposal, each putting mundane establishments to shame, students were, without a doubt, spoiled. Though most had been whisked from a lower class, and others from poverty, one would quickly grow to enjoy the extravagant nature of Venture Academy.

Menus with meals spanning the globe, several restaurants were erected to offer what felt most familiar to the multicultural nature of Venture. It could very well be a learning experience, a lesson in itself. Neoh, for one, had no knowledge of cuisine, before Venture welcomed him into its embrace. Beef filet wellington, boiled lobster, risotto, all meals the boy had never been in close proximity of, and some he had never heard of. A new world had opened up for him, indeed.

Despite this, Neoh felt most at home with a more common option. Burgers and fries went a long way, for the young hero. Hailing from a humble background of orphan strife, Neoh and Miles were not typically versed in the finer parts of what Venture presented. "Wouldn't mind lunch. Then we can go and check The Board." Missions, what every moment at Venture prepared the students for.

Neoh had participated in countless missions in the past two years, his track record showing active participation. In fact, the Nova Brothers were incredibly popular among children and younger teenagers. The shield and the spear, Venture's twins brought in as orphans, turned warriors.

A preferred mission would involve combat, a lot of combat. Neoh grew quite bored on more withdrawn assignments, where conflict was preferably avoided. Unlike his brother, the blue twin relished in violence. The adrenaline, the anger and the blazing inferno, it was akin to getting a fix. As if a drug. Where Miles avoided extreme violence, Neoh leaped into the cackling flame. Was it an internal struggle? Unresolved issues, perhaps? Or, was the boy simply aggressively inclined?

They had clashed heads before, because of this, Neoh and Miles. One of the brothers cherished life, while the other lived for the thrill. One attempted to keep their opponents from severe harm, while the other was eager to present this very punishment. Almost identical in appearance, the brothers were opposites in many other ways.

"Protection duty was a thing," Neoh explained as he adjusted his shoulder bag where they walked, leaving the classroom behind. "Some artifact or another," he shrugged. "I think it's some big shot religious trinket. Some cult was after it. Want to protect a car?" Neoh would not suggest the mission if it wasn't labeled a dangerous conquest. Guard duty could be the most boring type of assignment, depending on the charge. This particular mission emboldened the risks involved. A dangerous enemy sought to apprehend the relic, and they were said to include Mutants.

"Ah, right," Neoh snapped his fingers, recalling the item in question, "it was a mummy. Okay, so a corpse. Want to guard a corpse?"

If anyone was to read the mission details, they would note that Neoh's casual retorts related to a somewhat more serious scenario. The corpse, as Neoh stated, was the mummified remains of an ancient ruler. He was correct to believe that the religious aspect of this assignment which spoke of magic and mysticism branched into the realm of fantasy. However, the actual threat was no laughing matter.

King Amun from the vast deserts of Egypt was believed to have been a mutant, in life. Following his death, not much changed. His body contained a plague-like substance which caused severe necrosis in biological matter, and with his passing, became airborne. It was said to have brought decimation to his kingdom, before they managed to seal him away. Researchers believed that the ruler could control his powers, where they were shackled to his will. However, once the man met the reaper, his mutation remained.

Amun's body was going to be transported to a safehouse where the biological weapon could be stored, and it wasn't in a car, as Neoh had said. It was in an armored truck. Sealing Amun's sarcophagus beforehand had lowered the threat range of this assignment. However, if the seal was broken and the tomb opened, there was no telling how disastrous the situation could become. "Unless you wanted to play with your invisible friend," Neoh continued, thumbing over his shoulder, towards the classroom. "Pretty certain I've seen you two play Frisbee while dancing in the meadows," the boy teased, with a soft smirk.

Retaining solitude when he wasn't with Miles, Neoh was happy to know that his brother gathered friends elsewhere. One day, he would surely need them. Neoh, on the other hand, wasn't quite as easy to get along with. It was common for him to retire into his drawings when Miles found himself in a different locale, and while he loved his brother more than life itself, Neoh did not want to add a layer of difficulty to social interaction. He had attempted to be less snappy, with miniscule results. Eventually, the twin of blue decided to leave the situation as it was. He would never be able to adopt Milly's charm. There was little use in pursuing it.

At the end of the first morning class, an announcement was made over the loud speaker. It could be heard all throughout campus, in every dorm, and even outside of it, so that everybody could hear it. "Attention students. After school today there will be sign ups for a school sponsored capture the flag game. This is purely optional, but students are encouraged to participate and compete. For those of you who want to get noticed, this is a great way to show off your skills to the world, as it will be broadcast live all around the world! A true test of might, skill, and teamwork. Please sign up at the main gymnasium before this weekend, as it will be all weekend long! Have a wonderful day." The speakers cut off, and suddenly hundreds of students started to chatter. There were already details going around from some of the students who were involved, but the event went like this. There were two teams, randomly assigned and split up, and with officers chosen to lead those teams. However, only a handful of students out of those who applied will be chosen. The two teams will meet Friday and plan out their weekend before competing. The arena is in the process of being made, and will be a secret until the day starts.

All equipment and powers are allowed, and there will be staff and medical teams standing by, as well as the entire battlefield being televised. After that, there's not much details left, being a surprise. Sign ups merely consisted of your name, and you would be notified of what team you were on Friday morning, team red, or team blue. Apparently, the winners of the capture the flag tournament would win a prize. Dozens of students started flocking to the gymnasium, excited for what was to come. It wasn't odd for the school to hold events like these, but this one was totally new to the school. Not to mention, these things were never shown to the public. It seemed like people really wanted to see their heroes in action, and you can only imagine how many agencies are desperate to find some star quality heroes to endorse. Even if you aren't into all that, what could be more fun than beating the shit out of your classmates legally? There was something for everybody, and there were very few students who weren't signing up it seemed.

Despite the numerous options available in terms of fine dining; chicken pesto flatbreads, charcuterie boards, ratatouille, there were too many to name and Miles had tried most. His favorite kind of food to eat was simply Chinese food; some chicken fried rice, teriyaki beef, white sticky rice, it was all delicious. Though he couldn't deny he liked the occasional sushi boat, despite how he could never finish all of it by himself.

"Lunch would be good," Miles said simply, shrugging his shoulders and looking to his brother, "and Kane is pretty cool. I get a real workout when playing frisbee with him, he's pretty good at it."

The Board, a place he and Neoh had visited too many times to count in their years at the Academy. No doubt they could visit it a thousand more times before they graduated. Despite Milly's lack of finding thrill in violence, he still preferred combat missions over simple recon or guard missions. He had tried many but couldn't get over the feeling that he could've been somewhere else, saving an innocent or stopping a villian.

"A mummy?" Milly repeated, visibly shuddering as the thought back to the many movies he and Neoh had watched. Mummy's coming alive and chasing an unfortunate soul, haunting them until they finally attacked and ate their- or maybe those were more zombie movies than mummy. Regardless, Milly couldn't shake the disgust, but also the curiosity he found when thinking about guarding a mummy. At least they didn't have to look at it, if it was inside a car.
"The mummy could be cool. Who wouldn't love to guard a dead body knowing if it gets opened the whole world could become infected," Miles said, having heard a few of the details of the mission from other students. He glanced over at a large view window as they walked by, watching the light breeze shake the leaves of the trees outside, "Eh, it's on occupational hazard I guess."

The intercom suddenly burst to life, and Miles listened quietly as the announcement was made. He could see it, a fight-to-the-near-death among all the classmates, completely legal. He figured Neoh might be all over it. Hopefully they could find a mission or two that worked around the planned event.
"Whaddya think about that?" Milly asked, looking at his twin.

Venture Academy - School Grounds

Interactions - @Bea

Perking at the announcement leaking through Venture's loud speakers, Neoh halted his stride. Thoughts came washing their way across the boy's mind as he considered the situation. An event, a capture the flag game? Was it time, already? Neoh could recall the previous events put on display across the academy, but nothing to this extent. This was going to be broadcasted for the world to see, something which had not been done, in the past. Venture tended towards a very reclusive state, where it maintained a distance from the surrounding world. The school had, after all, been built on an island, away from the peering eyes of public masses.

Placing his hand on the large door separating Neoh and his brother from the outside gardens, he pushed it open before stepping into the warm, comforting sun laying itself upon his exposed skin. There were not many students within the academy who dressed like Neoh. None, in fact. Those ripped jeans were a fashion statement, surely. A tank top coating his slender torso tightly hugged the boy's frame, barely visible beneath the vest worn above. With arms laid bare, lithe appendages one would be right to assume weak, and dianty, Neoh enjoyed the summer heat as it massaged his pale surface.

Several bracelets donned the young hero's forearms, black and blue in color to remind onlookers of his preferred theme. Of course, he was rarely seen without those fingerless leather gloves donning his hands. They had, however, not been designed with real leather in mind, something he would be quick to point out. However, their decorated state with blue inlines and accents was enough to draw the fabric quite beautiful in nature. Neoh did not shy away from the more mystical aspects of his powers, to the point where he enjoyed a bombastic expression.

Motioning towards a restaurant, one of the Asian variants, Neoh was well aware of his brother's preferred dining spot. They had indulged in the options of Venture Wok's mouth watering menu notable times in the past, and it had yet to bore their taste.

Upon entering a dimly lit interior, they were immidatly struck by the trademark scent of oriental food, the sound of sizzling pans and the soothing touch of Asian instruments. A soft carpet colored red to symbolize a most prevelant contrast within the silken orient met the boys' in a welcoming stride.

Of course, to complete the experience, there was a blissfully familiar sensation, one of warmth and tranquility elevated by not a dark, but rather cozy atmosphere finding a delicate balance between dusk and dawn. One could point at the restaurant's name and claim that creativity wasn't in focus, but the criticism would quickly find itself stifled upon entering the establishment.

"Hey, guys!" Came an all too familiar voice, accompanied by an excited wave. "Gonna' eat winner food before winning the competition?" Connie, the waitress, laughed. She knew the brothers well, and had been working at her mother's restaurant for many years, now. The only individuals soldiering through life without the blessing of powers, on Venture's shores, were the company denizens.

Paid by proxy of missions, Venture Academy was a business like any other. Heroes were hired, after all. The more dangerous the mission, the more expensive. Venture required income in some way, not to mention the money paid to the school when its heroes were likened in the creation of merchandise. Though students seldom considered the economical process of ever moving gears, their assignments were the foremost income of their most luxurious lifestyle. In other words, they surely deserved the comfort they had been afforded.

"Hey, Connie," Neoh offered, letting Lemon scurry into the girl's embrace as she reached for the critter. It enjoyed the smell upon the waitress' clothes, for sure, the restaurant's scent lingering upon her fabrics. "We were going to grab a mission after lunch."

"Missions always come first," Connie offered in a mock tone, imitating a typical faculty member. "What kind of mission is it?" She lead the boys to a booth where they were sat.

"Guarding a corpse," Neoh offered, returning Lemon to his lap. "I think we will have time to sign up, after."

"You have to uphold the family name!" Connie giggled, "and that should probably be Milly. He won't kill everyone on the enemy team."

"I'm not that bad," Neoh continued, turning to his brother. The more offensive actor in their due did have a tendency of getting carried away. "Mh, hold up," Noeh stated, reaching into his pocket to produce a phone with the Venture logo branded onto the back. Akin to an iPhone, the device appeared to be of high quality, and offered a myriad of apps unique to Venture Academy. One of them was The Board. Tapping a section dubbed 'Saved Missions,' he scrolled down to the time stamp. "Well, look at this plot convenience. The transport will take a few hours, we should be back in time for the sign-ups," he finished, "but I won't be held responsible for my actions." Neoh finished. It had been decided, then. The Nova Brothers would join the event.

He could only imagine what was going through Neoh's head after the announcement. Oh the fun the two boys would have. Milly knew his brother would enjoy the combat, whereas they both would enjoy the competitive nature of the game. It was true Milly disliked extreme violence and more importantly, killing, but it was something he had grown used to in terms of fighting alongside his brother.
Milly found himself absent-mindedly staring at the flowers as they walked by, thinking about the announcement, but also thinking about the mission they had planned to go for soon.

A kind greeting snapped Milly out of his daze. He looked up to an all too familiar face and smiled, Hey there Connie." he said, giving a small wave at the young woman.

"I mean I'll try not to kill everyone. Some of these other supers can be quite a pain in the arse if they get bragging rights." he joked, snickering at Connie's comment.
Once Neoh pulled out the phone, Milly looked at the information about it before sitting across from his brother in the booth.
"What's your special today Connie?" Milly asked before glancing down at the menu, "Oh! What's the soup of the day?" he added. Venture Wok's soups were one of Milly's favorites.

As class ended Nathan would get up and start to gathering his books when he heard the announcement over the loud speakers. Thinking to himself he says "might be some fun, like one big mosh pit. I wonder who would be on my team". He would then rush back to his room to drop off his things and switch into his red t shirt and black basketball shorts before heading off to sign up for the event. After signing up he meanders over to the cafeteria to grab an order of general tso chicken and two vitamin waters, smiling at a few of his friends as he passes neoh and miles saying as he sits table next to them "you guys joining the event?". He would then take a bite out of his food. The taste was amazing like always and then orders a side of crab lagoon.

The charcoal haired girl had been lounging outside with her handheld console in hand - her completionist nature grinding to get all the possible collectables in her Kirby game - when a rattling voice sounded across the Venture campus from the speakers, alerting people of an upcoming competition. This sparked interest in Astra: capture the flag? That was definitely just her kind of activity, she could just mess with people and win her team multiple flags.
The announcement ended, but it had already brought Astra's attention back to this plane of existence from her game. Now the girl noticed how the time had passed by as she'd spent the whole morning gaming by herself. Whoops, Astra thought, saving and slipping the device into her pocket.
The first class of the day had already ended. Good, Astra hadn't been planning on attending anyway. It wasn't mandatory for her anymore, and she just felt like completing her safe file to 100% before getting anything else done. It had bothered her for a while now.
A low grumble alerted Astra to how hungry she actually was.
"Is it already lunchtime?" the girl wondered out loud, her habit of chatting to herself bothering no one because there were very few people around.
Astra made her way to the Venture Wok restaurant with little haste, thinking of a dish that would treat her hunger. As soon as Astra stepped into the mood-lit restaurant, she was overwhelmed with a plethora of mouth-watering scents. Instead of the usual greeting of Connie, however, there was no one to greet her in. Soon Astra found out why, and her face lit as a result. Connie was at a table occupied by two raven haired boys Astra was familiar with. There was a fourth person there too, Nathan. Astra smiled wide, her dimples deepening on her freckle adorned face.
She sat down on a bench so she'd be in the right position when she used her ability.
"Sup, Milly! Neoh, too. Bet you didn't see that comin'," Astra greeted right as she blinked into existence into an empty chair at the boys' table. Only then she had the brief afterthought of being polite.
"Mind if I sit here?"

Alex was the sort of person who really could not stand normal classes, she had a natural desire for more practical actions, yet she rarely skipped on any class as she still desired to do well in school, and if she took notes, Alexya would help her understand it, it was much easier for her to focus when someone was talking directly to her.

Still, when the bell rang, she was quick to rush out of the class and escape to the fields, today was not a day in which she would have a particular training session, but that did not stop her from still doing it, although still following a few set rules given to her by the academy’s physician so she would not overwork herself.

Changing into the athletic outfit that was better suited for her powers, Alex would start running across the running tracks of the academy. When she was younger, she assumed it was best to just aim for the most speed she could get when using her powers, however, the more experienced guidance she had now had made it clear that while speed was good, her ability to use her power was also tied to her balance, how well she could handle her direction while ‘skating’ and to discover new types of movement the lack of friction made possible.

When in simple movement it was easy to assume her power was just “ice skating but on any surface”, however, these were merely aesthetic similarities, as she moved with aquaplaning caused by a layer of water covering her feet, as that was a flat surface, it reacted to her movement in a very different manner than the blades of an ice skate. In truth, she had almost zero maneuverability until she went to Azure, where her trainer instructed her to see if she could change the thickness of the ‘water aura’ in an uneven manner, which of course started to steer her movement. That had been years ago, and while her skills made noticeable leaps in each year, she still constantly trained simple things such as sharp turns, just making one had been an achievement, but Alex aimed to make it the least wide of a turn as possible.

Another thing she could train on her own was balancing things while she moved, it was not like she would need to carry a book on her head while using her powers, but it was a method to make her train her stability, which was useful in more complex movements. She really would much rather train those complex movements, it was ‘fun’ to try to go from a lying position to a standing position without breaking her glide, but it was always obvious when she was trying to rush her training, bruises were telling and a broken nose was impossible to hide.

With one last failed u-turn, she sighed, it was time to wrap up. Though after changing, she couldn’t help but feel a bit hungry, so a quick trip to the cafeteria was in order. On her way, she noticed a few whispers of some sort of event, and while buying her food, she saw the flyer. Somehow she missed the announcement and almost the whole capture the flag event, but that was about to be fixed. She couldn’t help but say to herself.

“Hah, this ought to be fun. I remember being the champion of C T F in the second grade.” though back then most of the kids didn’t have many powers, not that Alex was scared of those, or even remotely taking that into account to properly plan a course of action.

Class came and went. Faster than Josephine had expected. That's what happens when its a class you enjoy, blink and its over. She didn't have anything to do right after her class, nor would there be any classes in the room for a bit, so she could remain there. Sketching. Josephine's fingers moved back and forth, holding her pencil carefully, as she made a careful sketch of a phoenix. She was almost finished when the intercom came on. The sudden noise broke her concentration, making her pencil jerk. A jagged line now where the Phoneix's head would have been, a hole torn into the paper. And the page below. She groaned in annoyance, only catching the tail end of everything. With a heavy sigh, she put her writing piece away, and shut her binder. Might as well go get something to eat.

Eventually, she entered the cafeteria, paying no one any heed, and took a seat at one of the tables, by herself, gazing across the space, towards the nearest display for the lunch time supply, debating about what she wanted to get. Tough decision, all things considered. Josephine was...rather picky when it came to eating, if she was honest. She'd think of something, probably. Perhaps just grab some pizza, and be done with it.