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@myinneroblivion@ShadowsofNight@Leophael

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"Hero City was built alongside Champion City hundreds of years ago among the verdant woodlands and rolling hills of Massachusetts.

It may have been the jewel of the region at one time but no more. The surrounding area's woodland has been deforested and developed into industrial sites and mass housing complexes. The once serene skyline is riddled with elaborate skyscrapers, Neon signs, and a fleet of airships that constantly patrol the streets from a bird's eye view through smog clouded skies. Numerous cultures have left their mark not just on the city's development and identity, for better or for worse. What historically was a city of simplicity and humility has grown into a multicultural hub of decadence and corruption.

Yes Hero City, the City of Tomorrow...and Champion City's less flattering sister city.

Despite what the news and radio shows tell Hero City itself was in a worse state than the local government let on...not that it fools any average Joe and Jane that hasn't been living underneath a rock for their whole lives. No, Hero City is rife with villains and ne'er-do-wells that prey upon the honest citizens of this city. They operate in the shadows and gutters of this city, like the vermin they are, so the corrupt officials are easier paid to look the other way to their activities. Almost every day, evil goes unpunished...but not today! For today the CHAMP roster has been bolstered by fresh new heroes! Evil beware the CHAMPs are after you!"

Manny proclaims proudly to nobody in particular while he uses a hairbrush as an impromptu mic and raising his hands upward as if basking in the love of an invisible crowd. Just as he's bowing to his imaginary audience, Paul enters the dingy one room apartment with a box of donuts and a tray of coffee.

"Manny, you really need to tone down a little. Especially when doing these monologues. The neighbors are starting to think you're crazy." Paul said with a slightly concerned tone, hoping that his best friend hasn't gone and lost his mind.

Manuel turns to look at his long time friend with a wide grin and a sparkle in his eyes. "How can I, Pau? We got three. Not one. Not two. But THREE email application in one night. This is an outstanding success! Mark my words, Pau. This is a turning point for the CHAMP."

"Well be a CHAMP and help me with the donuts and coffee." Paul says while setting down the box of donuts and coffee on a kitchen counter top only to grimace as he feels a wetness on the back of his hand as it touches the surface. "Jesus, Manny. When was the last time you properly cleaned this dump?" The Asian man says as he frowns at the motor oil that stained the back of his hand.

"Roughly two months ago, but that isn't the point. The point is that we got to make our first impression count with these applicants. What makes a better first impression than a rousing speech, donuts, and coffee?"

"Meeting in a dirty cramped apartment that smells and looks like an auto shop barfed in it." Paul said with no thin layer of sarcasm.

"Touché. Help me clean before the applicants arrive. They could be here at any moment." Manuel finally agreed and began haphazardly sweeping trash and junk into areas where it wouldn't be seen easily.

The Jersey Devil bounced, swung, and ran across the city roofs, his mask playing "Breaking Out" by Protomen to pump him up. A real gig. Interesting. He definitely never thought to do something like this, but in the time he had spent here, homeless and prowling the city, he had already been pranking the lowlifes while trying to find money and food. He refused to steal from the innocent, but lowlifes... that was fair game. But now he was going to be doing something about them as part of a cause. Being a good guy... maybe even a hero. He sprang high off a ledge, flipped, and landed on a chimney that was billowing out smoke. He perched there, hidden in the cloud, though the mask still allowed him to breath and think. And he wouldn't be alone. He had been alone since the day he watched his friends die. Painful images ripped through his mind, and he used them to solidify his resolve. He was going to stop people from suffering the way he had. He was going to save people.

He looked around, checking his location, and the Jersey Devil Sprang out from the smoke, flipped, and was on the move again. Jersey Devil? He had come up with that name based on where he had come from... but he wasn't there anymore... probably never would be again. Hero City Devil just didn't have the same ring. Eh, work in progress.

Coming to the building, he jumped and landed on the wall, using his claws to hold onto the windowsill. Slowly he moved around the building, looking for the right room. After a time, he came to a room where two men were cleaning. There were donuts and coffee, like they were preparing for company. Probably the place... kinda shoddy for an HQ of the City's Protectors.... but what did he expect, an massive cave under a billionaires mansion?

Through the window of the one room apartment, the bug eyed gas mask of the Jersey Devil watched the men clean. Waiting to be seen, or waiting for further developments

@myinneroblivion

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Just as The Jersey Devil peered into the dingy room, Paul saw Jacob's vaguely humanoid silhouette and soulless lenses of the gasmask that protected his identity. It was reasonable for Paul to immediately go into a panic and scrambling away from the window, knocking over and scattering the trash he had the responsibility of cleaning. "Manny! MANNY! Monster outside your window! KILL IT!"

"Wait...what?" Manny, dumbfounded, asked incredulously before turning to see what Paul was seeing. Initially, the sight startled the founder of the CHAMP, and was ready to fight for his life, but after a moment or two of processing what he was looking at he finally realized who it was outside his window. It was the same guy from one of the application emails! "Paul. Calm down. That ain't no monster." Manny said to his friend before excitedly approaching the window to open it and let Jacob in. "This is one of the newest recruits of CHAMP. THE JERSEY DEVIL!" Manny announced with arms outstretched and hands shaking jazzily to the open window.

The sunlight coming in from the window slowly made its way into the thin crack's of Link's eyelids, gradually stirring him back to consciousness. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry and tacky. As his eyes began to open, he found himself staring at a ceiling fan he didn't recognize. Out of the four blades that were supposed to be there, it appeared as though there were only two blades left intact while the others appeared to have broken off. Odd.

His blurred vision began to sharpen. He turned to his side and beheld a sleeping woman in her birthday suit who probably looked more attractive when there was less light about. Link cocked his head a little in a sort of shrug. Whatever, he thought. A good time is a good time. He just wished he could remember it.

The more he came awake, the harder his head seemed to throb. Link forced himself to sit up in the bed he was in to try and get his wits back. As he did, he noticed a small thing wrapped in green and red nestled toward the foot of the bed. ...the fuck is that? Before he had a chance to investigate, his peripheral vision caught the shape of something else at his side. As he turned, he took in the vision of a very rotund woman adorned in a tight leather outfit that screamed dominance. It looked absolutely brutal to sleep in, and yet here she was, passed out, snoozing like a baby. Link paused for a moment to admire the craftsmanship of the getup. The fact that it still held its integrity against the woman's overabundance of thickness was damn near miraculous. Wild.

His attention quickly fell back on the slowly pulsating pile of red and green cloth at the foot of the bed. He leaned forward and held out his hand, pointing all of his fingers in its direction. There was only one finger that stood above the rest, however. With a symphony of small cracks and pops, his middle finger began to grow and stretch like an elastic tendril as it found its way to its target. With a small flick, Link twisted the pile, flipping it over to reveal yet another surprise. It wasn't a pile of cloth at all but, rather, a middle aged little person dressed in an elf costume with an abnormal amount of drool covering his chin. No friggin way... he thought as he took it all in.

His finger quickly retracted to its normal size and that's when the smell started to hit him. Odorous, rotten... fishy? Link sniffed the air, trying to track the scent. It was close... very close. He looked at the bed sheets, trying to find the source of offense, but there wasn't anything left. He began to scratch his head, perplexed. That's when the odor got stronger... The slow realization of horror began to paint itself upon Link's face as his eyes wandered to his hand. Hesitantly, begrudgingly, he brought the tips of his fingers to his nostrils...

"Oh god!" The words shrilly escaped his lips as he tried to maintain control over his gag reflex. Almost immediately, Link rolled over off the bed, trying to avoid waking up any of his new, unconscious friends. As he stood there, buck naked, he could see he was definitely in a hotel room - a cheap one at that - and whatever they got into last night was definitely rowdy. There were broken bottles on the floor, discarded clothing in every corner of the room and what appeared to be a big red velvet sack filled with something that sat upon the chest of drawers.

Link tried to ignore it all and scurry to the bathroom, trying to watch every step as to not cut his feet on any glass. He stepped inside, shut the door, and switched on the florescent lights that emitted a bothersome humming sound. His hands quickly found their way to the faucet as he turned the water on full blast and tried fervently to wash them clean. As he did so, he heard the... the sound of... Was that a sad duck?

He glanced over toward the bathtub. Lying there, dressed only in red velvet pants, was an unconscious old burly man with a beard as white as snow. You've got to be fuggin kidding me. That's when the smell of raw eggs hit him like a freight train. Link could no longer breathe. That sound from before was no fucking duck!

He burst out of the bathroom, slamming the door as it opened, no longer giving a damn if he would stir the others. He frantically grabbed the askew articles of his clothing and clumsily began to dress himself as he made his way toward the exit door. He couldn't remember anything from last night and, at this point, he wasn't sure he even wanted to.

Finally clothed and in the safety of the parking lot, he scanned the vehicles and quickly found his own. He reached into his jean pockets to retrieve his keys. Just as he did, his cell phone began chiming. He pulled both items out and looked at the screen. "Meeting at CHAMP HQ" was all the screen said, along with an option to Snooze the alarm. He had nearly forgotten. This was his chance to land a real job, be an upstanding citizen, be respected in the community. He looked at the time in the corner of the screen. He still had plenty. He stuffed the cell phone back into his pocket, jumped into his car and started the ignition. It was time to head to the CHAMP HQ. But first, he would have to stop for a little hair of the dog. His head was killing him.

---

KNOCK, KNOCK

Link stood outside the apartment door, a half emptied flask in hand. This was not the sort of HQ he was expecting. It sort of made sense, though. Only an operation like this would be interested in the likes of him. He didn't care. This was fine. A first step. Everyone's gotta start somewhere. He took another quick swig before shoving the flask in his back pocket. He heard movement on the other side of the threshold. Slowly, he took a deep breath and waited with anticipation for the door to open.

@Leophael

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The knocking of the apartment's front door was audible enough to snap Paul's attention away from the open window with the new hero(?) his best friend recruited for his heroic organization. Rather than waiting for the gasmasked figure to enter the room, he opted to go and see who was knocking at the door. As the Asian man peers into the peep hole of the apartment's front door, he sees a rather gruff individual patiently waiting for something. Likely him opening the door. Seemed normal enough in that get up if not a little rough looking, he opens the door for the man outside.

Paul's nose would soon regret that decision as the odorous mixture of booze, sweat, and sex assaulted his nostrils. " *gagging* O-oh sweet Lord that is foul. S-sorry...not trying to be rude but...goddamn." Paul was forced to begin breathing through his mouth to prevent his eyes from watering. "Uhh. Are you one of the applicants, Manny was waiting for?"

The aforementioned man takes a peek at whoever Paul was speaking to. Eyes widened even more and the sheer mirth could be heard in his voice as it raised in pitch and cadence. "Oh my God, you must be The Finger! The one applicant with a legit super power! You came to the meeting, AWESOME!"

Jacob practically rolled up into the room as the window opened, sitting on the window frame. His eyebrow was raised at the odd people, not that the lifeless eyes of the mask showed this. He simply cooked his head a little and chuckled. "Jaz hands... nice." His attention instantly went to the door and the noise coming from there. How many had answered the email?

'Talia Rose... no no The Performer, the city's new superhero'... The Asian girl sighed contentedly, pulling her long, black jacket closer around her for security and familiarity, mulling the idea over in her mind. She was sitting in the back of a vehicle on the way to the headquarters where she was supposed to meet and hopefully get this job. She wondered how many others might have answered this desperate call for help and wondered what they might act or look like... Her young and rather sheltered mind filled with ideas and images of imagined heroes both male and female. What would they think of her? Would they all be able to be a team and work together? She knew she didn't look like she could do much other than look pretty, but a lot of people underestimated her. Talia was used to that by now.

All through her childhood and teen years, everyone in her family just tried to make her into this petite, graceful, beautiful dancing girl. They even gave her a name befitting of her exotic beauty: Talia Rose and even Talia meant "dew drop." In fact, she felt more like a doll than a child as both of her parents doted on her and hovered about trying to mold her to fit the imagined destiny that they worked so hard to build. Trouble was that no one bothered to ask her how she felt about it or if she was happy with this life. Women of her nationality didn't really get much of a say in their preferences or opinions, so she just learned to keep quiet and practice her own tricks and challenges alone in her room or on the way to the various performances.

One night however, when she was a little girl of ten years old, her father had come to her and told her about the energy and life force that is all around and within every living being. He said it was called Chi and Talia, utterly enthralled, took it upon herself to learn to practice and master understanding Chi and how it worked. As she studied and meditated and practiced diligently every day and night, she shared her experiences with no one. This gave her the ability to harness her own capabilities of movement and even the movement of her own dancing sashes and ribbons and make them into something more extraordinary. Sometimes, if viewers of her performances were lucky, she might even add a little extra flourish into the dances themselves... and all because of her father sharing his knowledge with her that one night...

Talia's thoughts broke off slightly when she remembered, with a slight pang of guilt, the message that she had left her family and friends with back home: basically, a lie saying that she would stay safe and send them any pictures and information regarding her next performance. 'They would be proud someday,' she convinced herself, straightening up and lifting her head in confidence and excitement. The enthusiasm on her face drained a little bit, however, when the car stopped in front of a run-down looking building and the driver looked back at her expectantly. With a start, Talia realized that this must be the headquarters and she quickly paid the man then grabbed her cloth bag and stepped out of the car.

It was slightly windy, and she was glad to have the black jacket covering her almost-bare midriff, chest and shoulders. The dance attire of the blouse and harem pants was skimpy, yet the only suitable thing she could think of to wear to such a thing since it was literally her special outfit worn anywhere that she performed. Still, for the moment she was glad that no one could see anything. Talia knew it wasn't her time to be "onstage" so to speak. She walked into the building and up the hallway of the correct door and then started slightly as she saw a rough, unkempt-looking man standing at the same door where she was supposed to be. Her face fell slightly but she covered it well and stayed a little at a distance as she caught the strong scent of alcohol and God knew what else on him.

Link's eyebrows furrowed at the less-than-welcoming reception from the Asian man who answered his summons. The other fellow's praise, however, was just enough to calm Link's nerves as he looked toward him and gave a solemn nod, simultaneously confirming his identity and thanking him for the recognition.

Just as he was about to step inside, another caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Young, fit... shy? As she seemed to hide her face, he made it a point to shrug off the behavior and continued his advance into the apartment.

After two steps, he paused briefly as he found himself face to face with a freak in a gas mask. For a solid four seconds, he just stared in silence, taking in the man's image. Finally, he gave a horned gesture with his hands and declared, "I dig it. Rock fuggin' on, man." A smirk quickly flashed on his face before he made his way to an open seat on the couch and collapsed upon it dramatically. It wasn't long before his feet were kicked up and resting on the coffee table.

Jovially he began to hum, allowing sporadic murmurs of lyrics to escape his mouth. "HmmHmmm Weeee are dahh Champions, muh fray-yunds! HmmHmm We'll duhduh fighting, til the end! Hah! So what is this place? Is this apartment like a front for the real HQ? Do we need badges to get in? OH! Do we get company cars?! Shotgun, 'Shag'n Wagon'! Don't even look at me that way, Gas Mask!" Link jested. "I called it first. You can call yours the Respirator Rod or something..."

@Leophael@ShadowsofNight@myinneroblivion

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As Link took a seat and made himself comfortable on the sofa, he politely gestured for Jacob to do the same if he wanted to unwind. As Manny had no doubt that climbing to the second floor to reach his apartment must have taken significant effort. Turning his attention to Link to answer his questions his confidence in meeting the new heroes grew weaker. Things had not been going well for the CHAMP even since the beginnings of the hero group...he really didn't want to tell that to the new guys the truth but how could he call himself the founder of the CHAMP, or even more a hero, if he lied to his teammates? "Uhh...funny thing is that this is ^{kind of really what CHAMP Head Quarters is.} BUT! I promise you all that once we get out of bottom ranking in Rent-A-Hero^® and getting a decent reputation, the money will flow and we'll be getting a proper hideout for HQ and even individual vehicles." Manny paused for a good long while before finally getting the courage to say it. "^{butfornowwehavetosettlehereandusepublictransporttogettojobs.}" He spat the words out so fast that even a Rap God would have been jealous.

While Manny was talking, Paul finally noticed the lady wearing a jacket and harem pants in the hallway. From his memory, he's never leased any of the building's rooms to a woman like her nor did the current tenants had any relatives or visitors like her. Hazarding a guess, he calls out to the woman. "Hey. You. If you're the last of the three applying heroes for CHAMP, well, just feel free to go in. The meeting already started. I, on the other hand, need to go back to the ground floor and man the laundromat café before I loose any more customers." And with that, the Asian man waves off the growing bunch of weirdos that his best friend was gathering.

Ah. The things he'd do for friendship...

Starting suddenly at the voice calling her way, Talia stepped said a quick and rushed “oh thank you” before walking swiftly yet gracefully into the room with the other guys. She looked them each up and down briefly, a bit nervously, before saying a soft “hello, my name is Talia and it’s nice to meet all of you.” She added a sweet smile.

Some of her nerves and shyness was already evaporating because traveling and performing for years had taught her how to break the social awkwardness with groups of people and how to fit in best as possible. It was a facade but.. she was well-versed in it all and the stage didn’t care. Her voice was soft and gentle and quite the direct opposite of the man that she’d briefly seen in the hallway. She had seen and known his kind before, but didn’t judge. Besides, if this was indeed headquarters, they would be some kind of oddly matched team by the end of this.

Her sharp eyes combed the room and took in the other odd man standing by the window… wearing a kind of gas mask? That was interesting and a bit confusing, Talia thought but again, no judgment, just intrigue as she looked around for some kind of chair to sit comfortably but straight, just like she’d been taught.

Jacob gives a double devil horns hand gesture in response to Link's, then shifts to sit on the floor in front of the window in a kind of yoga position. As the woman walks in, there is a kind of echoing whistle from inside the gas mask as the blank eyes of the mask follow her for a moment. Not a lewd whistle, just one of appreciation.

He noted the mention that there were only three applicants, so assumed this was it. Once the door closed, he reached up and pulled off the helmet like mask, running a hand through his hair to ruffle it out. The soft echoes of music drifting barely out from inside. "Yeah, most people just call me Bob. Or the Jersey Devil if I'm performing."

@Leophael@myinneroblivion@ShadowsofNight

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Manny let out a mental sigh of relief when the new members of the CHAMP didn't seem to mind that they were not doing well financially nor were they highly regarded by the citizens of Hero City nor their fellow heroes. But hopefully they'd be with CHAMP long enough to prove their nay-sayers wrong. The man perked up when the members began introducing themselves to one another. "Hello all. I am Manuel Donaire, also known as, The Grey Gadgeteer and the founder of the Council of Heroes Against Malicious Persons. It is a pleasure to meet you and an honor to call you all my fellow CHAMPs."

He truly was grateful for the three misfit heroes that sat before him. It had nearly been two months since Slug Girl had retired from her hero duties after the Barton's Rock Salt Mine incident...poor Slug Girl won't be the same ever again. But now was not the time for regrets, now was a time for celebration. The CHAMP now had more than enough heroes to be fully active once more. "I know it may be a little early, but I just couldn't help it." Manny said before walking to his laptop and opening it to show the others present. "I got us a debut job."

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"The job in itself was a simple one. The client wanted them to go and capture Volk Bucur, the owner of a popular nightclub in downtown Hero City after bribing his way out of arrest for a hit and run three weeks ago that left our client with a broken leg." Manny then pulls up a handful of headlines that show the incident as well as a prominent portrait of the aforementioned club owner to help the group familiarize themselves with what Volk looked like. "But this is the part where it gets difficult for us. I've done some digging and a contact of mine from the Hero City Police Department shared with me that the nightclub is only a front and is a suspected distribution center of this new drug called 'Diamond Dust'. Real nasty stuff from what I understood from the info. Makes you feel like a billion bucks and gives you temporarily enhanced physical abilities, but fucks up your brain chemistry so bad that if you take in another dose within 24 hours, you go nuttier than squirrel poop." Manny then pulls up the police files that were given to him and to say the aftermath of a berserk Diamond Dust junkie was messy was sugar coating the scene. It looked like a typhoon swept through the areas in the pictures, leaving tens of thousands of dollars worth of property damage and scores of injuries and even some deaths.

"A couple hero groups tried to do this a few days ago and wound up in the ICU or dead. So they'll be expecting us to go in guns blazing...figuratively and literally like the other groups did. So I suggest that we do this all sneaky like and strike only when we are sure that we can capture Volk and maybe even stop the Diamond Dust distribution in the area there." Manny paused to let the information sink in with the others present. He knew that this was definitely one of the more dangerous jobs available in Rent-A-Hero® for smaller and less powerful hero groups but if they managed to pull this off they'd be finally be respected as proper heroes and even get a good sum of cash for completing it. "So...what do you guys say? Wanna kick some bad guy's ass and deal with a drug problem in the process?"

Link's face was stone, emotionless as he listened to the briefing. Super powered junkies and henchmen were cause for an awkward, audible gulp as he took in the information. He hadn't seen any of his teammates in action and, frankly, he had never swam in waters this deep, himself.

The name Volk Bucur didn't ring any bells. Link had been to plenty of clubs and had countless single-serving friends who also enjoyed the night life. He began to wonder if he had ever been in Bucur's club in particular or if he knew any shallow acquaintances who had.

"I mean..." he finally answered. His voice uncharacteristically lacked his usual electric confidence. "...what else are we gonna do?" His eyes bounced from one face to the other, trying to gauge body language. "We're in, right? Incognito style. Full ninja. But, uh... how?"

@Leophael @myinneroblivion @ShadowsofNight

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As Link tried to remember any acquaintance that he knew that had any relation to the nightclub, Manny began to explain to them the possible ways they can tackle this job.

"Well I have a couple of suggestions to how we'd get inside of the nightclub and launch the surprise attack. The first is that we pretend that we're club goers that are looking to get 'dusted' as they would say and attack when we reach the club's VIP area. Our gear can be smuggled piece by piece into the building but I think I'll be the only one that would need to get my gear smuggled inside as most of you have inconspicuous gear that could be passed off as fashion items." Manny paused to approach a pile of seemingly nondescript garbage covered by a thick motor oil stained sheet to pull it off, revealing the Grey Gadgeteer Suit. "As you can see, mine is significantly more conspicuous. Thus leading me to the second suggested plan of action." He walks away from the poor clunky hodgepodge excuse of an exoskeletal suit he lovingly called his hero suit and towards his laptop once more. Sifting through the files in it for the one he was looking for. "We could use the adjacent buildings' roofs to gain access to the roof of the nightclub and launch our attack to the VIP area from there...but I am open to your suggestions if you have any."

Link would then remember a hazy memory from last night. The rotund woman, that he had the pleasure or displeasure of bedding, mentioned in passing that she was the one responsible for dispatching all the liquor deliveries to the shitty clubs in the downtown area. Likely including Bucur's nightclub.

Maybe that memory could be useful to finding alternative ways into infiltrating the club without rousing unnecessary attention?

Bob shrugs a little, smirking. "I'm pretty good at sneaking into places I don't belong... fuzzy already looks like a club goer, and can probably just walk in. Probably best for you that way too, miss. Do we have any fancy spy gear to help us communicate and stuff? I can check things out from above, and you guys from inside?"

Jacob never liked drugs. Maybe pot, but nothing more than that. And Any kind of drugs could be fatal with parkour, so he never touched the stuff himself. This was definitely the kind of crimes he wanted to stop. "I'm in though" He was already moving closer to take a look at the suit that their employer uncovered, having some thoughts of his own.

@Leophael @myinneroblivion @ShadowsofNight

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"Glad to hear that Jersey Devil. Also, two-pronged attack plan? Brilliant. I doubt Bucur and his thugs will be expecting being attacked from within and from above. But as for communications...I think I still have the sub-compact micro radios when CHAMP still had a decent number of heroes." He runs to a swept up-pile of what was assumed to junk and spare parts. "Yep. Definitely here." Manny says before metaphorically diving into the pile and scrounges for something. Before long, the man stands back up; producing a sealed wooden case.

Opening it for the others to see, revealed six pairs of small black devices no bigger than a modestly sized earstud. "These bad boys are custom made by yours truly from high end electronic waste I've scavenged." Manny then gives a demonstration on how these things worked. He takes a pair and lets the miniscule device rest firmly but comfortably on his left earlobe. "Kinetically powered batteries to ensure 24/7 activity; removing the need for external power sources. Precise but simple maglock system to ensure no slippage during vigorous movement as well as providing a snug one-size-fit-all design. A captive touch surface enclosed in a super thin, ultra durable, and stylish black polymer alloy casing that houses a one-of-a kind radio transmitter-receiver hybrid allowing secure closed communications among the remaining five sets with a simple upward or downward flick of a finger within a 4 to 6 mile radius."

He lets out a content sigh before offering the three heroes present the remaining pairs. "Top of the line stuff if you ask me. I hope these serve you as well as they served the former members."

Images of the debut job descriptions and of the consequences and results of the diamond dust issue played through Talia's mind as she continued to read while accurately observing the situation and the others' responses. Her ability to multitask very efficiently allowed her to still listen to and analyze the ideas the others have, but she did not have a very high self-esteem herself and had never even worked in a group setting that was not choreographed by someone that knew far more than she. Quietly, she stood there, leaned over to peer at the screen of the laptop where the information was presented. She had not remained off to herself, however, for it was time to look and act like a member of this team... even though it was quite odd and unique and confusingly grouped. That sounded like a recipe for some adventure and freedom and risk-taking, which sounded to Talia like a great time.

She had not glossed over the understanding that other previous heroes doing similar things, had died... but she wasn't about to let the next victims be her or any others with her, not if she could help it. As the man named Manny started describing the electronic ear-piece things that would allow them to connect and stay in touch even at vast distances, it was difficult to pay close attention to the details and to remember descriptions of technology that she had never before even heard discussed. She quickly deduced that Manny likely knew a lot about what he was talking about, and she looked around to see if her other fellow heroes were equally confused. She was thankful for the public transportation to and from places, because she was not really from around here. She had journeyed around the area for shows and such but never stayed long enough to get more than basic familiarity of the city.

With a start, she realized that no one here had yet discussed with each other what their strengths or abilities or powers even were... likely, only Manny knew and if he had okayed each of them, then there must be a good reason. But she wondered if any of them would share with her about what would stop them from being easily killed? Were they in it just for the adventure and fun? Did they care about helping people and righting wrongs and pursuing justice? Did they have some kind of thing of their past to avenge? She longed to be able to ask but silently and patiently waited her turn, green eyes gently resting on each of their faces as they spoke or reacted to what was being shared. It did not feel like her place, especially as the only female, to just start blurting out suggestions and fighting for the same breath of space to talk in and speak opinions and ideas. Besides, she didn't have much yet to add... unless they tried to end this meeting without even talking about what qualified each for this kind of danger...

Bob admittedly glossed over most of the technical jargin Manny was using, but was smirking by the time he had finished. He would take the offered earpiece, and turn mostly to Manny. "You sound a lot like my old friend Zane. He used to do all the hacking and tinkering back in the day." he tapped the gas mask, indicating the modifications that were made in it. "If we're good, think you'd be able to tinker with some more stuff? I have some ideas I have been thinking about. Not sure what everyone else can do... But I'm no Superman." He lifts one hand, flexing the fingers some to pop out the sharp claws, then retracting them again. "I haven't the foggiest idea how these things work, just know that they do." He rolls back on his heel's some, the boots pushing him back up into a small hop.

He turns to the others, a brow lifting questioningly. "Any of yall bullet proof, or flying or something? Hear there's a guy who can lift a who city bus... Any of yall able to do something like that?" He picked up a lot of random information while bouncing around the city. Thugs tend to talk about heros and villains when they're scared of getting caught. He had heard a lot about the Big time heroes just like everyone, but he'd never heard of these smaller groups back in Jersey.

Link gingerly placed the micro devices in his inner jacket pocket. He looked on intently as Bob displayed his demo of abilities. Are we bullet proof?, he silently repeated Bob's question in his mind. If I were bullet proof, I wouldn't be sitting in this apartment, that's for sure. What he could do, though, paled in comparison to An Indestructible, A Muscle or a Flier. At least, it certainly wasn't as traditional. Then again, neither was Link.

"So Metal Man, with a super suit, and Gas Mask, with the hoppity hops and the pokey pokes, are coming in from the roof. Me and Chatty Cathy are shooting for general entry. And, all the while, we've got to avoid suspicion, get passed any security, find Bucur and successfully extract him without dying." It nearly sounded like a question, but was purely rhetorical. Link just had to keep it all straight in his mind and an audible recap was typically his go-to.

His eyes shot over to Talia's. For a few beats, he remained silent, sizing her up. These roles they were about to play were either going to require a lot personality or a lot of honed skill. He could probably provide the former. He just hoped she could at least cover the latter. They could get stuck in queue purgatory if the bouncer decided they weren't worthy of admission and its not like Link had the scratch to bribe their way in. Usually the quickest way in was to bring some skimpy party girl with you, but Talia didn't seem the type. Maybe he could call in a club rat or two just to get in the door?

He finally broke contact and, with a closed mouth, his tongue began to run along the sides of his teeth, an automatic tic that occurred when he was mulling something over in his head. How were they going to do this...? Maybe if they-

"MESSAGE, MUDDAFUKKA!
MESSAGE, MUDDAFUKKA!"

Link was snapped out of his thought by the text notification on his cell phone. He scrambled to pull it out and unlock the screen.

From: Bertha McBigTiddies

Where did you go, Finger Man? You were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! A deal is a deal. You showed me what you can do, I'll show you what I can do. Tonight you're drinking free anywhere downtown as my VIP. All the bar tenders and owners know me. They'll treat you like a king. Password is 'Banana Hammock'. Don't be a stranger! XOXO

A grimace formed on Link's face, but soon softened into a state of intrigue. He couldn't remember her real name, but that lady could drink. I guess being in the liquor business would provide anyone ample time to build up a tolera-

"Oh-ho!" Link couldn't help the outburst. An epiphany hit him like a freight train. He looked up at Talia again, his hungover mind racing as fast as it could under the circumstances. This was it. This was the In. "Alright, Chatty, you better have your glass slippers ready, because I just got us tickets to the ball. You can be Cinderella and I'll be Prince Charming."

Feeling a small sense of accomplishment, Link felt he was deserving of a little reward. They wanted a show and tell? Fine. Without leaning forward in his seat, he extended his hand toward the pile of donuts. He was well short of the necessary distance, but he wasn't done, yet. Gradually, his middle finger began to stretch and pop, extending further and further until it plunged itself into one of the donut holes. With a flick and a turn of his wrist, the ringed donut slid all the way down his now two foot long finger and stopped abruptly at his knuckles. The finger shrank back to normal size as Link took a healthy bite of the donut, grabbing what was left of it with his other hand.

"Ah lihk da pink ones wif sprinklez bedder," Prince Charming announced as he chewed, some bits of the donut falling into his beard. He looked over to Talia. "So whatchoo do, pinsess?"

@Leophael @myinneroblivion @ShadowsofNight

---

Things were going better than expected. Lady luck was finally smiling down upon them after a year and a half of getting kicked in the teeth by her metaphorically and literally at one point for a former hero of CHAMP, Pearly Whites. Poor guy had to get dentures after getting a face full of boot...seven times in one fight.

"Sure thing, Bob. Maybe you can even invite your friend Zane to help me tinker with your gear." Manny says innocently with a friendly thumbs up before turning to Link and Talia. "That would be the plan as the client would prefer that Bucur to face justice but...has no qualms if we kill him. He'd still consider the job done and we'd still get renown and paid." Manny pauses and scratches the back of his head while slightly looking down to the floor. "I know that killing people is unavoidable at times in our line of work but I follow a strict no-kill rule that Captain Amazing followed." Manny believed that the late great hero did it out of the altruistic sense of righteousness of giving a bad soul to reform and be good. But in truth it was simply bad for the sponsors if their 'hero' had any blood on his hands.

"But I know that the thugs in the nightclub will likely have guns in their possession and I've learned from my mistakes over the past year and a half. I don't have them with me right now...but I will have them by tonight. They're personal shield generators. The kind that people like the President have. I'd go into detail on how I made these from junk but I think it'd take too long and it'll just bore you guys. Just keep in mind that these things will protect you from a few bullets but not so much from slower moving things like thrown objects, fists, or melee weapons."