[IC] Epic City: Starburst

[Dealdric]

I never lost before. Now, my search needs a new start, but the telepath that threw me, it was powerful, but not quite as strong as the telepath.

I wandered the rooftop for a while, thinking of a plan. Then, I remembered. The group that attacked the husk now known Void were part of a larger group. DAAAMMMNNNIITTT!!!!! I thought before I punched a air conditioning unit. Why didn't I think of it before? I could ask them, unless they are trying to stop m- I was cut short by a sight over the horizon...the very place he escaped.

NO! I won't go back, not now! My form there is my thought process and soul, but not my body. The beings of the warp are there! I ran as I protested across the rooftops and streets, scaring many. I didn't care if I was seen, but not back into chaos. It sped up, until my consciousness was back there. I blacked out. I woke, and my body had...changed. I knew that this is what my essence was now. Gray skin, pointy ears, and orb like eyes. I need to get back, so I must wait a day as usual...yeaaa, more deamons. Absolutely great. I started my weekly visit to my mental home prison

[TheHangedMan]

Charlotte

---

She was barely even paying attention to the movie. In all honesty, she had only chosen it for lack of better things to do - and Charlotte hated that feeling intensely. It was no surprise, really. For over three years she had spent every waking minute guided by a singular objective, and pursued that objective like mad. Breaks were things done to regain energy, energy to be used to accomplish more meaningful tasks. It was small wonder why she had such trouble interacting with Dragon and Roxanna on the day they met; her social skills were all but nonexistent.

Back to the matter at hand though, the young girl was truly wondering how long this state of ennui would last. She understood, perhaps more than a child her age should have, the gravity of what she had committed, and yet she found that she would have preferred a more immediate punishment as opposed to simply waiting like this.

She wanted to do something, anything to ease the listless feeling.

She wondered perhaps if it was her simply hating the feeling that she was useless.

Roxanna's friend was missing. From what she had gathered she was a hero like her, an Epic that went by the alias traveler. That being the case it was hihgly likely that she got involved with something dangerous - Roxanna was worried out of her mind, and Dragon was doing his best to help her; the only thing she could do was persuade her to involve him in the first place. It worked somewhat, and her lovers presence calmed her down enough to stop pacing everywhere, at least.

Still, and this irked her more than she deserved to be, she wished she were out there doing something to help. With Aida and Cheshire, she was sure they could at least find something.

In any case, Dragon had returned, and almost predictably, nothing had turned up yet. She had to hold back a sigh of frustration.

"Just some movie, Dragon," she responded politely. Not that she thought about it, she didn't even know the movie's name. It was unusual for her to miss details like that, even for something as mundane as this.

She was about to pause the movie and speak with Roxanna, to help her somehow, when the volume suddenly kicked up.

∆I can protect you, but only if you stay there, understand?∆

She whirled around, surprise evident on her face. She had passed part a minute ago. She stared at the screen intently, and at Dragon's words, she shook her head.

"I say, 'tis not me nor my kens doing, Great Wyrm," said Cheshire, suddenly materializing from atop the fridge where he was perched, a grin on his face. "Nay, tis not any of our doing, truly. Might it be perhaps, a glitch in the matrix?" He snickered at his own little joke.

Charlotte had little time to indulge him. "No, it isn't us Dragon. The T.V.-"

And again, it rewound, the same scene, the same eerie message. And it kept repeating, stubbornly refusing to move further than that.

∆I can protect you, but only if you stay there, understand?∆

"I . . . think that someone is trying to tell us something," she said, her quiet voice tinged with just a hint of trepidation.

---

@Regitnui @Old Amsterdam

[Regitnui]

Reality Frays

Dragon flinched when the cat spoke, and Roxana followed, white pulsing over her limbs and face. "Jesus High Christ!" She ended up sprawled over Dragon's lap in her efforts to get as far from the kitchen as she could. "Cheshire! I told you to stop sneaking up on me! You fuzzy pervert!" She looked around for something to throw, but ended up silently fuming as Dragon took her in his arms. "Creepy, talking, silent, feline son of a-" Her phone chirped, and she ended up climbing over Dragon again to reach it on the floor, where it had landed. "It's from Alex!" She squealed, turning, then blushing bright pink when she realized her butt was in Dragon's face.

"Um..." He said, trying not to look like he enjoyed it as she settled back into his lap, staring at her phone. "Good news?" Roxana opened her mouth to answer, but a bright flare of light cast sharp shadows over the room as the windows rattled. Turning to the window, a firestorm could be seen spinning in the middle of downtown. Dragon made to get up, "That looks like trouble."

An exaggerated rewinding noise reminiscent of a VCR from his childhood brought their attention back to the screen. ΔTrouble's my middle name. You just sit tight.Δ A soldier covered in dirt grimaced onscreen.

---

The girl swung her arms and hummed a cheerful tune as she walked down the street. "Look at this! Epic City! It's like a smorgasbord!" She giggled, turning a full circle with her arms outstretched, forcing a few pedestrians to duck away for fear of getting hit. "I can feel it, Dian! Feel it in the air and the energy!" She smiled behind her blank white mask, barely able to contain her excitement. "And we get the absolute best assignment! Dragon and Spectrum! I want to play with them and steal their powers and play with them and then play with them!"

The skull-faced child next to her grumbled, "I wish you'd calm down. If they see us I won't ever get to see how her light skin works." They wore similar uniforms, though the older girl wore hers so much better that Dian couldn't help but be jealous. "You just want to sleep with him before."

"No I do not!" the other girl shouted. The crowd around them had thinned, and the cars had stopped travelling this way a few blocks ago. "It's not like he's that cute. I wouldn't, and you're a short, skinny liar if you think I do."

A cracking of bone from the younger girl drove off the last few passersby, though neither of them noticed. "I'm not the one who makes puppy eyes at Rend every time he walks into a room. 'Oh, notice me, Rend,'" She mocked, "'Look at my boobies. I want you to hold them.'"

Chips of sidewalk flew up from an energy blast at her feet. "Shut up, you little squeaky insect. At least I have boobies, and people aren't always calling me a 'little boy'."

"Make me shut up, Mimic," Dian said, suddenly tall enough to stare her partner in the eyes. "Oh, that's right, you can't do anything on your own. You have to wait for someone else to help you. Can't even talk to R-"

Mimic shoved the other girl backwards. "You shut up now or I'll kick your butt so hard that you'll have to pull it out of your face." She started glowing bright purple, the shadows suddenly bending towards her.

ΔAre you two really the best they could send?Δ The apparition of a man appeared in the middle of the road. ΔThat iron-marrowed bastard couldn't find anything besides you two? I'm insulted.Δ The two girls turned, their anger at each other easily turned on the person interrupting them. Bone shards and a punch sailed harmlessly through the form, which rolled its eyes. ΔGo home, you useless children. You're not getting past me.Δ
"Oh yeah?" Mimic shouted, swinging her hand through the illusion a few more times. "Looks like I can go right through you. You can't stop either of us."

"Mimic...,"

"You're an old ghost who's lost his way. Shoo before a wind kicks up." She turned around and started walking off, but Dian grabbed her hand. Mimic shook her off with visible fear. "What?"

"That's..."

Lightning began to arc off every metal surface around them, from the lampposts to the manholes and the doorknobs. The apparition stood at the centre of it, glowing brighter as if at the centre of a Van der Graaf generator. ΔI AM THE HIGH ELECTRICΔ The voice thummed in the air around them, a mocking expression on the illusion's face. ΔAND CHILDREN SHOULD LISTEN TO THEIR ELDERSΔ With a rumble of thunder that rattled every window in the street, the light show vanished.

"Dian."

"Mimic."

"I think he knows why we're here."

"Maybe."

---

ΔDispatch calling all available PART Units. Supervillain sighting. Please respond.Δ The voice on the radio interrupted the two policewomen as they laughed and teased each other. ΔThis is Dispatch, calling all available PART officers and units in the vicinity of West Central. Supervillain sighting. Subjects are two young women in black school uniforms. Be advised, suspects are dangerous. Please respond.Δ The message repeated again before the first officer responded, declaring his ETA. An ASAC announced his unit ready to roll out, then calling for available agents to rendezvous at a predetermined point.

ΔDispatch calling you two lovebirds sitting in the tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. You're needed, so move it.Δ

@TheHangedMan@ihinka@Old Amsterdam

[Gardevoiran]

Anomaly

Xoxi walked through the town, trying to keep a low profile around people. Her jacket was nice for that, but it didn't work for everyone. A few people smiled at her while she walked, not like a friendly "How do you do, neighbor!" smile, but more or less a creepy... stalker-ish style. She got a bit nervous as she saw one man walking towards her quickly, his eyes fixated on her. Xoxi's eyes darted left and right, looking for an escape, before she eventually ducked into an alley and watched behind her as the man walked in behind her.

"Hey there, cutie. You should really be careful..." His voice was gruff and strained, and his clothes were wrinkled. He wore glasses that really accented his facial structure, which was objectively unappealing to Xoxi in the first place. He had a strong beer-gut going, and his hands were large and broad. He continued walking towards Xoxi as she backed away. She tried to run, but the man grabbed her by her hood, pulling her towards him and gripping her in a tight hug. His hand rubbed her stomach and shoulders as he whispered in her ear, hot breath grazing the hair that rested in front of her ear.

"... because people like me would love to have you." Xoxi felt a wet sensation ride her ear as she panicked, her psychic hands coming out instinctively and punching the man in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. He looked back up and saw two giant hands orbiting this amputee, her scar barely showing under her jacket, peeking out from her shirt's neck. Her left hand soared forward, colliding with the man's gut as he was forced backwards.

The man raised his hands in front of him as he stuttered, trying to muster his words into a cohesive sentence. "W-woah! I'm sorry, p-please let me go!" The hands dispelled as Xoxi turned around, walking out of the alley way. She muttered something as she walked onto the sidewalk, looking back at the man one last time. "If I ever see you doing that again, you won't have it so easy."

Xoxi shook herself off as she returned to her path, trying not to think about what just happened.

[Sedjwick]

After the incident with the Snapper in Central Park, things had been relatively calm for Edward. He even got a bit of fame for his role in the incident a week later in the form of a rare back-to-back card, one side showing him raising up the wall of earth to stop Finch and his bank robbers while the other showed his cloud over the Snapper. Nathan had been ecstatic when he saw the card in one of the shipments for the store, and so Edward was forced to look up the value of the card and sell it to the teen at his special employee discount which still cost Magus's biggest fan a full day's wages.

Another week later, though, and things were getting weird, even for Epic City. The first was a giant wielding a hammer that the High Island himself personally removed. But then more powerful Epics began to show up in the city. After the giant with the hammer, the next person to show up was a powerful telekinetic who picked up everything around him in a swirling cloud of debris. And when the Epics stepped in to try to stop him, he defeated them all. Even Guilt, who, during her short time in the city, had proven herself to be a powerful Epic, had been killed by the destructive telekinetic. Edward had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. He only hoped that whatever it was would leave him alone.

@Regitnui@Old Amsterdam

[Old Amsterdam]

Lucky - An Alley... Again.

@Banana

---

As Xoxi started walking along, she found herself feeling that seems of being followed and stared at again.

Except this time it was a woman, with a bow on her back.

If Xoxi tried to run, she'd find herself losing the woman, only to have her appear in front of her.

If she stopped, the woman would approach slowly, her eyes never leaving Xoxi's face.

---

@Sedjwick

---

As Edward was inspecting his inventory, a small radio near him blasted static for a moment.

Several seconds passed with nothing. The radio had definitely been turned off. Hell, the thing wasn't even plugged in.

When Edward looked away it happened again, but this time it sounded like a dozen songs had been mixed together, creating a message.

Δ The walls. are. needed. The two. contained. May. gus. Come.Δ

[Gardevoiran]

Anomaly

Xoxi kept watching out for the woman as she walked, becoming more and more concerned as she continued her slow pace towards her. A set of psychic hands poked out from Xoxi's sleeves as they flew up to protect her face, seemingly ready for a fight should one break out. She didn't know how effective they'd be at blocking arrows, but hopefully, they'd be able to take care of a few shots. Her eyes narrowed as one of her hands ran across her scar, reminding her of what she had been through, in case she needed reminding. "W-what do you want?"

@Old Amsterdam

[Flamelord]

Finch

Left on his own, Finch found himself exploring the base that he had been deposited in by his new allies. He seemed to have the time on his hands, so if he was going to be staying here for a while then he might as well get some idea of what the place looked like. He didn't particularly care about what was going on in the city right now, figuring that somebody would handle it. And if they didn't, well, it wasn't his problem anymore.

Looking around though, he wasn't entirely impressed. Well okay that wasn't fair. The entire thing was made of metal, from the walls to the floor, and it was pretty sturdy and solid. He was impressed by that, since he couldn't think of any place like it in his own memory. He just wasn't all that impressed by the decor, since aside from being metal it wasn't all that fancy. He supposed they most likely cared more about utility than aesthetics. Which he could understand, but if you were going to have power you might as well live a little.

There were a few things not metal though, like the chairs. He supposed he had to be grateful for that, or at least his back would be if they were going to have meetings here. It could be that there was a more practical reason related to whomever had made the place, but he liked to think it was just because no one wanted to sit in metal chairs all the time.

But for now he spent the time wandering a bit, eventually shifting to looking for a room and not just random exploration. There were some good options there, though geographically he didn't know how much of a difference it made. He ended up choosing one that was relatively equidistant from one of the studies and the dining areas. It could have been worse.

It was too bad that he didn't have his stuff with him though. Maybe they'd let him go back and retrieve some of it? He supposed it wasn't that big of a deal, but he had some sentimental attachment to some of the things he had. There was no harm in asking about it later.

Finch was about to move on when he caught sight of the mask on his bed, suddenly there when it had not been before. He would have been more confused by it had he suddenly not remembered that the Alkahest had an Epic with teleportation related abilities with them. So that probably explained it.

Picking up the mask, he looked it over and noted the blobs where the eyes would be, and the star where the beak would have been on an owl. Keeping things close to theme, but not being too incredibly obvious. He was okay with it.

Thinking on it for a moment, he slipped on the mask before turning to resume his exploration. So far so good, and he was interested in seeing what else this place had in store for him.

[Old Amsterdam]

Lucky - Street

@Banana

---

Lucky raised an eyebrow, her eyes becoming visible.

"You did well back there. I was waiting to intervene, and am glad I didn't have to," she said quietly. "I wanted to congratulate you on that. Perhaps you'd like to get a drink?"

---

Null - Alkahest HQ

@Flamelord

---

Now that you're situated, perhaps you'd like to discuss your concerns... a female voice sounded in Finch's head.

Turning around he'd find Null, her mask showing him his own face as a horror, distorted. He would like to talk with you personally shortly, as well. We will walk and talk.

Without further comment the woman turned and began walking slowly down the hallway, her right hand tracing the wall as she went. Come along, now. We don't want to be late.

[Flood]

Ace

@Old Amsterdam

As Ace walked back to his bike he couldn't help but hear something coming from behind him. Which was pretty weird seeing as how he had made sure that low life scum was dead, that and the sound was oddly... wet? He turned and grimaced as the corpses began to form into a horrible amalgam of flesh, bones, and blood. But as time passed it took shape into what was just about the uglies woman he had ever seen.

#Hello, my child. You have been seeking what you cannot find.# Well that was ominous as fuck. The mass of meat began to walk towards him, Ace already looking around to see if this was an Epic with some sick sense of humour. If it was he couldn't see them, so they were long distance.

#I can give you answers that you seek... If you think you're strong enough. Ready enough. Can you handle the Justice you must give in return? Can you lose everything, again? Come with me. Be with me. Come to me, my child...#

As the figure spoke of that which he lost, his head began to pound, lost memories struggling to surface in the roiling ocean of his mind. A flash of a man in a suit, a high class casino, guns firing. But as Ace tried to grasp them, they slipped through his fingers like oil. Nonetheless Ace stared at the meat puppet and frowned. "I don't know who the hell you are, but Justice is only served to those who deserve it. I haven't done anything wrong. And I don't think I'm your child, my momma wasn't a horrifying pile of blood and guts." Hopefully not anyways, that would be really gross if it was.

[Old Amsterdam]

Meat Puppet

@floodtalon

---

The figure shifted more, losing the appearance of mangled flesh and turning into... Quite possibly the most beautiful lady Ace had ever seen. Fully nude with long blonde hair and bright green eyes.

#Now, child, that's rude.# A slender finger traced his jawline as she sauntered around him. #I am your mother, as I am the mother of all Freaks. I am the little piece that resides in everything, the little things left unnoticed for centuries.# she whispered into his ear, lips grazing the lobe.

#I can give you everything you need. Show you the way to deal Justice to those who deserve it. The true evils that exist. Not just these petty things you've preyed on so far.#

A hand drifted along his shoulders, pulling him gently.
#What do you say, my child? Will you do as Mother asks?#

[thewizardguy]

♖ Jack of Spades ♠ Starting the Game ♖

Strange Epics with immense power breaking into the city and going about their business here. And the High remained silent. And yet there were strange stories from across the city, incidents of the High supposedly directly interfering in affairs. With a rumble like thunder, the wheels were slowly beginning to spin. It was clear that things were going to change. The order that had existed up until now, the seemingly untouchable hierarchy, was being challenged. And if the ivory tower of the High's power crumbled, then Epic City might well crumble with it. But could there truly be other Epics out there in the world, who possessed the power to challenge the High? Were the wastelands concealing such a power?

Grinning, Nikitovich sat in his office. Just what was going on? He was dying to know. But what was for certain was that this was his chance, to make his own claim for the throne. Two great dogs were fighting, and while they were distracted, he would walk away with the bone. Steal it right from under their noses. Those who cannot win through power must win through subterfuge, through wit. And soon, this entire city would belong to him.

First, he reviewed his troops. Those normal, unpowered humans, who had chosen to accept his 'enhancements'. Some had taken the trial run and then returned to their normal lives. Some hadn't been able to resist the temptation of the power, and returned to him like an addict to a dealer. Others had taken his offer because of the money, pay they wouldn't be able to get elsewhere. Currently, they were being trained to be 'heroes'. Soldiers, really. How to use their powers, how to fight. Specialised training. Soon he would have a complete 'first wave' of super soldiers, ready to do his bidding. Originally this first wave had been intended as little more than a trial run, to test how well his 'networks' would work when inscribed onto humans. But with events spiralling so rapidly out of control, there was no doubt he would need to proceed to more serious tests. He would need to update his schedule....

As he looked through the list of names and powers, he considered the roles each of them would serve. He had made sure to evaluate them on their mental and emotional stability, as well as their determination and talent. A few had been eliminated from the lineup as being simply not skilled or stable enough to function on his team. Those that remained were showing more progress than he had hoped. The people of Epic City were more relaxed than anywhere else in the world, but Nikitovich had chosen those normals who had come from the outside. Those who knew what a life of danger was like. Once someone had had a taste of danger, once they had known weakness and peril, it became far easier to acclimate them to the life of a soldier. Soon, they would be Team Epsilon, a new faction of supers. A 'brand' for his army, an 'ideal' he could work through to influence the city. To take it over, from the inside.

Superhero List

Achilles
Real Name - Daniel Norik
Disposition - Determined to save his little brother, Falco Norik. Beginning to have heroic aspirations.
Ability - Negates impact damage from physical attacks, slightly enhanced strength/speed
Skill - Moderate hand-to-hand skill, brawler, no experience with firearms or blades. Good endurance, good willpower, follows orders. Below average charisma, low self-confidence.
Equipment - Light armour, metal 'spartan' theme. With training, a weapon may be added.
Role - Melee powerhouse, distraction.

Dusk
Real Name - Pieter Moss
Disposition - Quiet and contemplative. Idealist. Wants to change the city's social structure.
Ability - Capable of manipulating ambient light levels to make areas darker or brighter. Significant precision. With focus, he is able to fire beams of concentrated light, but this uses up a lot of energy.
Skill - Good hand-to-hand skills and firearm knowledge. Former soldier. Handles himself well in a fight. Occasionally unruly. May be bad in a team situation. Good stealth.
Equipment - Nightvision goggles, moderate armour, assault rifle, silenced sidearm, combat knife.
Role - Battlefield control and ranged combat support, stealth team with Blademaster

Emblem
Real Name - Junn-Si Midoka
Disposition - Friendly and active. Glory hound, enticed by the money and power.
Ability - Flight and superhuman strength. Mildly superhuman durability.
Skill - Clumsy and uncoordinated, but possesses significant natural strength and durability. High charisma, works well with others. No skill with firearms.
Equipment - Bright red uniform, moderate armour.
Role - Team leader and melee powerhouse

Blademaster
Real Name - Maria Stint
Disposition - Quiet, but fierce. Has a problem with Freaks. Mildly bound to a vague 'code of honour'.
Ability - Superhuman spatial sense extending out for 10m. Can 'feel' anything within that area with supreme precision. Dense materials may decrease the range of sensing. Low power requirement.
Skill - Very high skill with the sword. No aptitude for firearms, but plenty of combat experience. Doesn't communicate well, and doesn't work particularly well in a team. Good stealth abilities.
Equipment - Specialised ceramic blade, light armour
Role - Melee finisher, stealth team with Blacklight.

Inferno
Real Name - Misha Tray
Disposition - Hotheaded, impulsive, brave. Dangerous, but loyal and useful. Strong heroic allusions.
Ability - Capable of manipulating heat. Can control flaming gasses within 10m. Immune to her own flames.
Skill - Good aim, bad at close-quarters combat. Surprisingly quick reflexes. Respects authority, but gets over-exited. Works well socially, but may cause friction within the team.
Equipment - Moderate armour, small gas tanks.

But, even as he won the hearts and minds of the city, he would need to prepare for more drastic action. After all, war was brewing, and he was not so optimistic as to think he could merely sit on the sidelines. One of the two sides, at some point, would notice his preparations, and would try to either recruit or destroy him. As such, he needed to be fully prepared for either situation. His current base of operation was a fancy mansion and a 'normie' appartment building. The first as his personal home, the second as the future base of Epsilon. However, he would require an extensive power source, and more advanced equipment. While such things were technically available within Epic City, it would be quite difficult to acquire them without attracting attention. This meant an expedition to the outside, to the contacts Nikitovich still had in the nearby surviving areas.

He would have to send Achilles and Blademaster. They weren't the best duo, but both of them had been on the outside for a while. And they wouldn't be missed much here in the city. He needed Emblem and Inferno to build up reputations, to attract attention. They were supposed to be flashy, and fancy. And while Blacklight was well suited for the task, Nikitovich simply couldn't spare him. After all, Blacklight was his most reliable way of... removing... his enemies. And there were plenty of obstacles he needed dealing with before Achilles and Blademaster were to return from their trip.

Now, the pieces had been placed. The game was about to commence...

[Flood]

Ace

@Old Amsterdam

Ace was startled by the sudden change in appearance, from horrible flesh monster to impossibly beautiful woman. In the nude. If the tone of the situation wasn't so serious he would be offering his coat to cover her up. As it was he doubted she would accept or even retain form long enough for the coat to be worth a damn.

#Now, child, that's rude.# Ace unconsciously shuddered at her touch, whether from fear or pleasure not even he could tell. #I am your mother, as I am the mother of all Freaks. I am the little piece that resides in everything, the little things left unnoticed for centuries.# She whispered into his ear, Ace pulling away from her warm breath as it tickled his ear. So this was the High Venom? Well obviously it wasn't her in person, but it was her communicating. Interesting. #I can give you everything you need. Show you the way to deal Justice to those who deserve it. The true evils that exist. Not just these petty things you've preyed on so far.#

This caught ace's attention. If you wanted him on board, you needed to give him a way to dole out Justice and that's just what she was offering. #What do you say, my child? Will you do as Mother asks?# Ace felt her pulling on him, but he held firmly in place.

"I want to meet you in person. That way we can talk face to face, rather than face to... this. But I'll hear you out m'am. Consider me firmly on the maybe list as of right now."

[Sedjwick]

The message was garbled and awkward, but Edward was able to make it out. The fact that the message had come from a radio that was not even plugged in suggested that the message was likely from one of the High, and if the High were reaching out to him it was probably something important. Unfortunately, it was also terribly vague. "Come? Come where?" Magus asked the radio, or rather, whoever had manipulated the radio to speak to him, most likely the High Electric since he was communicating via an electronic device, and he was the "patron" of elementalists such as Magus.

[pandapolio]

The first sound Landen heard as he got out of the black SUV was one of his soldiers shouting ,"Who put the box with the grenades upside down!!!" Landen took a deep breath and smiled, looking at the city lights behind him he asked one of his bodyguards ,"Moving day how exciting, wouldn't you agree?" Without waiting for the man next to him to answer he started walking towards to the closest of the line of the warehouses his company had recently purchased. Today close to one thousand members of his PMC were being re stationed to the newly purchased property in Epic City, a move that had depleted massive amounts of his funds. It was a risky move to bring his business to a place such as this, where almost all crime was stopped from the epics that protect this city. While most would go for the safer route Landen was excited for the challenge. He had become bored dealing with normal humans, finding them easy to out maneuver and defeat. He wanted to have a challenge, and for that to happen he needed to get the attention of the city. He knew just how to do that.

[Gardevoiran]

The Produce Aisle Presents...

"Drinking Heavily"

A collaboration between @Old Amsterdam and @Banana

---

"A drink?" Xoxi's hands were dispelled as she returned to a normal stance. She walked a bit closer to Lucky as she responded to her with an actual answer. "Where're we getting the drink from...?"

"There's a nifty little retro bar about a block away," Lucky shrugged. "They've got some great liquor there."

"... okay, sure." Xoxi smiled. At least this person had the decency of buying her a drink before grabbing her... if she even would.

Lucky smiled gently, walking past Xoxi and leading the way.

The way the woman moved through the crowd was... Interesting to say the least. Weaving through tight spots like it was nothing, never even once touching anything person.

Once they got closer to the bar she even caught a drunk before he fell into the street without even thinking about it.

"Call a cab, man. You don't need to be walking," she murmured, dropping a twenty into his hands.

"You're right," Xoxi whispered at Lucky before the two stepped inside the bar.

The place wasn't exactly the finest, but it was definitely a bar. A pool table sat in the corner of the room, a group of large men gathering around it playing a game. The counter looked like it had its fair share of bar fights, but it would hold up for at least another ten of them. Neon signs of all shapes lined the walls, illuminating the room with pinks, blues, and yellows. In front of a small stage off to the side, various people sat at tables placed around the stage, passing the time away with booze and brotherhood. A sign above the wall of various bottles read "Epic's Elation - Cheap Beer, Sold Here".

"Woah," Xoxi's eyes widened as she felt the dive bar feel. This was a new experience, drinking somewhere that was actually a bar.

Lucky laughed at the look on Xoxi's face, taking a stool from the bar and balancing it on one leg as she sat.

"So, I'm Lucky," she murmured, waving at the bartender.

"You gonna stack all kinds of shit again tonight?" He chuckled as he moved over to the pair.

"Only if I get drunk enough," she grinned. "Speaking of, the usual if you please."

"Xo-Anomaly," Xoxi corrected herself before she revealed her real name. That might bite her in the ass later, anyway.

Lucky gave the bartender her order, while Xoxi followed up with hers, just assuming that she could... although she didn't exactly know what to order. It was time to either nut up or shut up... even though she didn't have nuts... whatever. "I'll have what she's having, if that's okay..."

Lucky raised an eyebrow again. "Hope you can handle your vodka, Anomaly," she said with a grin. "Because this girl won't drink anything else."

Two shot glasses were set in front of them, and Lucky dropped hers within seconds.

"So..." She left it hanging. She never was great at small talk.

"Vodka? Pshhhh, I can handle that." She totally couldn't. She lifted up the glass before hesitantly downing the entire shot in a single gulp, coughing as she tried to get a hold on herself.

She took a deep breath before attempting to talk again. "S-so... nice bow."

Lucky laughed at the sputtering Xoxi, downing another shot.

"Special bow, though I don't need a special bow. Had it made for me years ago. Don't go anywhere without it," she said with pride. "Draws more attention than these eyes, at least."

"I can relate. People typically notice the 'no arms' thing before they notice... well..." A pink ethereal hand raised up Xoxi's hoodie, revealing the massive scar on her side. "... this."

The same hand lowered the hoodie down before picking up another shot, downing it. This one went down more smoothly, but it still caused Xoxi to cough. "M-motherfuck," she muttered under her breath.

"Mhmm." Lucky shook her head. "Before or after the powers manifested?" She asked quietly.

"Does it really matter?" Xoxi's tone changed slightly, her voice becoming very slightly slurred. The alcohol was getting to her quickly. "Scar was there when the powers manifested. As for the arms... they didn't have a name for the disease."

"So before. And, I mean, it's part of you ain't it? So it matters," Lucky replied softly. "I got these eyes and screwed up vision with the powers. Technically a Freak, even if no one sees me as one. At last you don't get that label."

"I wouldn't care if I was seen like that, to be honest. Some freaks are pretty cool." Pudding immediately came to mind. He was willing to help others, and Xoxi was really fond of him. He was her best friend.

Xoxi grabbed another shot and downed it, managing not to cough that time. "You're pretty cool too."

Lucky shook her head. "Nah, I'm not."

She waved at the bartender, who set a bottle down in front of her. Promptly she took a big swig.

"I'm damned. Damned and dangerous. I kill the evils, but that still makes me evil by technicality," she muttered. "Damned and dangerous..."

"W-well... at least I think you're cool..." Xoxi stuttered as her voice became more slurred. She slumped over onto Lucky's shoulder, resting her head on it ever so slightly. "... whah... what's your story...?" A psychic hand flew up and gently grabbed Lucky's wrist, allowing her to move it, but keeping Xoxi feeling safe. That's something she felt around Lucky.

"Prep bitch. Hell of a Marksman. Was gonna win a big tournament. Things went wrong, was gonna place second. Powers hit me, and I ended up shooting the kid through the heart. Fucking arrows go where I most want them to, no matter what's in my way. Might even go through time, I don't know. If my heart wanted you dead, you'd die the next time I fired my bow," Lucky muttered darkly. "It's not easy, having so little control over my own power. At least I get good reflexes and weird eyes that both hinder and help me see."

"... damn... well... I can't compete with that," Xoxi said as she sat back up, spinning her stool to face Lucky.

"I was born to a shit mom and a sweet pop. Mom divorced dad when I was around a year and pop got custody over me. We got by, but life got hard when my arms started to bruise entirely, rotting away on my body. Amputation, dropout, helped dad with whatever I could because I loved him. Fire broke out, dad died in it, and I got the scar. Something told me I could use 'the hands that guided me', found out I had psychic fists, and got out of the complex. Got to the hospital here, was held in the burn ward as my scars healed. Left, found a guy called Pudding, rest is history." A small tear formed under Xoxi's right eye as she told her story, despite her voice remaining completely calm.

She leaned back onto Lucky, downing another shot as she did so. "... I like yew." She was definitely drunk.

Lucky finished the bottle, her stool landing on the floor with a loud CLACK .
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't..." She said, barely audible. She took Xoxi's glass, her other glass, and started balancing them on the upside down bottle.

"Well, you at least turned out fine, I think," she said over a hiccup. "I, uh, I'm a mess. And drunk. Kinda. Can I - I'mma tell you a secret. I kill people. Bad people. I killed a professor at that University in the Wilds. Guy had powers and beat people and raped and shit. I want people to know I killed them. Because...I don't know. They should know what horror hunted them. Or something."

"I understans... justice and shits... I gotchu..." Xoxi watched as Lucky balanced the glassware on the bottle like it was nothing, her jaw agape. "Whah... why are yew tellin me thess... I mean... I can keep secress, but why...?"

Lucky shrugged. "Drunk."

"... fairs..." Xoxi slurred as she kept leaning against Lucky.

"I wan hug you but I don't got arms."

Lucky ruffled Xoxi's hair a little. "Should go home. Before I stack the entire bar on top of itself."

Xoxi made an odd, but cute noise as her hair was ruffled, before actually speaking again. "I'd kills to see that."

Lucky laughed. "The bartender wouldn't."

"... speaking of bartenders..." Xoxi raised her psychic hand, waving the bartender over. "Scotch pliss." That was more of her style, and now she was drunk. She wanted a bit more now that she was adjusting to the feeling again.

Lucky shook her head. "Aight, then, another bottle since we're continuing."

"I thought yew only drank Russian alcohol?" The bottle was calmly placed on the bar, along with two glasses as Xoxi cracked off the top and poured herself a glass, chugging it down rapidly. Yep, that was more her style. Not as harsh going down as the Vodka.

"... hey... why did yew follow meee?" Yep. She was hammered.

"He knows what bottle I mean..." Lucky shook her head. "And, I don't know, cause I wasn't sure what you'd do after that thing."

"... I think I would hab carried on." Xoxi let off of Lucky as she poured another glass of scotch, gulping it down before speaking again. "What do yer eyeses do?"

"See?" Lucky replied in confusion. "Or... Oh! You mean how do I see, don't you?"

She tapped the counter idly, drinking hey vodka. "It's... Different. More look - err - more like spiritual? Ghostly? Mhmm. Something else. Ethereal? Yeah, ethereal. And when I'm really thinking - I mean - focused it's like I can see where my arrows will go."

"Like this?" Xoxi's psychic hand floated in front of Lucky, simply being a model. The wispy form of it was a bit... disorienting to any other bar patrons, but Xoxi was so used to it at this point that she didn't really... care. She was interested, however, in a very certain thing about Lucky, maybe pertaining to her favorite pastime.

One of the men playing pool walked over to the duo, sitting down beside Xoxi. "Hello ladies... might I ask why you dames are here on this fine day?"

Lucky glanced at the man before replying to Anomaly. "Looks normal to me."

Turning back to the man, she gave him a deadpan stare. "Not interested."

"Yew heard th'eye candy, man, we're not interested." Xoxi returned to Lucky before commenting on how Lucky 'saw' the hands. "Woah, really?"

Lucky shrugged, stacking her now empty bottle on top of the tower she'd started.

"Life is hard. Being a hero is harder."

"... it could become easier, righty?" Xoxi inquired as she poured the last of a scotch glass, pushing the bottle to Lucky and downing the glass. She was done drinking for the night. She didn't drink often, but when she did, she got slammed.

As Lucky was adding the latest bottle to get ever growing pyramid tower, the man came back and caused it all to fall by slapping the table.

Barely managing to catch the bottles, Lucky winced as a glass shattered on the floor.

"The fuck man," she grunted, flipping the bottles around to set back onto the table. "Didn't I really say not interested?"

"Yeah, well, I think you might have changed your mind," the man said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Remove it."

"Don't be like that baby, I'm just - "

Lucky cut him off by twisting his wrist, a loud crack being heard before she kicked the stool out from under him. Before he could regain his breath a drawn arrow was pointing at his face.

"Fucking dirty bastards can't take no for an answer. Fucking dirty sorry assbasket..."

"We said no!" Xoxi semi-shouted as a psychic fist slammed into the head of the man, knocking him out cold and onto the floor. He landed in the glass, but only slightly, shown by a small pool of blood leaking from it. One of the other pool men came over and hoisted up his friend, carrying him back to his buddies. "I have a stream fer' that shit."

Lucky flared after the men for a moment before tugging Anomaly out the door.

"Stream?" She asked quietly.

"Y-yeah... a livestream." Xoxi had an awkward smile on her face as she responded, obviously a bit nervous about how Lucky would respond.

"Like...a gaming steam?" Lucky asked, thoroughly confused. "Like that... What's it called. Snitch? Glitch? No... Twitch. Yeah. Twitch."

"I has a Twitch and a... well... let's say it violates Twitch's terms of serviceses, so iss a different stream." She had both, and they were semi-connected. She was just surprised Twitch didn't take any action against her for it.

"So... Like, what. You flash your toys? I don't get it," Lucky said with a shake of her head. "Where are we walking?" She asked, suddenly aware they had been walking aimlessly.

Lucky looked around, completely lost.

"Uhhh....I was hoping you knew..." she muttered.

"O-oh! A sign!" Xoxi skipped over to the sign and looked up at it. "I knows where we are! Follow meeee!" Xoxi's psychic hand raised up and pointed off down the street, walking towards nowhere in particular.

Lucky followed after Anomaly, keeping a hand on her bow.

One of the perks of her powers, she supposed. She didn't have to worry about not being able to aim properly when the arrow would do the work for her.

A few minutes passed before the two wound up at... the hospital. That was the only place Xoxi could remember on hand. "... oh hey, the thingy... I hate that place..."

Xoxi looked around a bit, trying to get her bearings back. "... um... I don't know wheres to go..."

"Mhmm..."

Lucky looked around. "My place... Isn't horribly far...I think. Assuming this is the hospital I'm thinking it is."

"... d'you mind if I sleep overs...? I don't remember how to get homes..." That was true for the time being. Xoxi didn't remember her home easily when she got drunk, among other things. One time she forgot how to walk, and that didn't end so well.

"Eh? Sure. It's not very big, and I'm not home often. So I hope you'll excuse the mess..." Lucky murmured, leading the way North. It'd take about thirty minutes walking, if she had to estimate.

"I lives with a guy called 'Pudding'. I'm used to messes." Xoxi mentioned.

The two girls walked to an apartment complex on one side of Epic City, around thirty-five minutes later, traffic included.

Lucky's place was small, but fitting for someone like her. There weren't a lot of rooms, barely stretching over the number five. The kitchen was the only clean room, it would seem, as the bathroom door was closed. Aside from that, the living room and bedroom were both covered in stray papers, books, magazines, and the dining room had an assortment of random items on it. Off in the corner sat a small desk with a computer at it, and in front of an old, but sturdy sofa, rested a coffee table, a TV hanging from the wall even further beyond that. A stack of clean clothes sat on Lucky's bed, neatly folded and displayed to the eyes of Xoxi.

Immediately as the door closed, Xoxi stepped over to the couch and stripped down to her undergarments, unzipping her hoodie afterwards. "Goodnights," she slurred as she sprawled out onto the couch, covering her body with the hoodie.

"... night," Lucky stepped into her room, closing the door behind her.

---

(OOC NOTE : Almost 15,000 characters. Holy shit.)

[Old Amsterdam]

High Venom - Down the Rabbit Hole, Alice..

@floodtalon

---

#Excellent.# The woman drug out the 's' sound in the word, releasing Ace. #You will get to see what so many have tried to, what few have been allowed to,# she purred. #Come, let's go to Undertown, my child.#

The woman started walking away. Ace was assumed to be following, though she'd know if he didn't.

---

Guidance

@Sedjwick

---

The front Bell for the door rang several times at Magus' question as the radio announced for him to follow.

Upon him exciting the store, there would a lights, signs, radios... Whatever was a little ahead to direct him along the way... Straight into the disturbance created by the two new women.

[Sedjwick]

One thing was certain: the High certainly had interesting ways of communicating with their citizens. Edward asked Zander and Nathan to hold down the fort while he ran some "errands," then left by the back door, quickly grabbing his staff and donning his customary frock just as he noticed oddly flashing lights, signs, and other electronic devices kindly directing him in the way the Electric needed him to go.

With the guidance of the High Electric, Magus was quickly able to arrive at the site of the disturbance. The two schoolgirls certainly didn't look like much, but everyone who lived in Epic City knew that to judge someone based on how they looked could easily be a fatal mistake, and the fact that no one else was around was enough for anyone to know something was up with these two. If the High Electric himself needed Magus to deal with these two, they were certainly trouble, and Magus wasn't going to waste time with pleasantries. There was a stiff breeze blowing, and with a thought, Magus whipped up a small amount of it into a gale which he then threw right into the two girls.

@Old Amsterdam

[Regitnui]

"Wait, stop!" Dian grabbed the other girl's sleeve, pointing down the block. "There, Dragon! Just like the photo!" She began moving towards the figure, but a purple blast flew past her to splash against him. The figure buckled, and Dian turned to confront Mimic. "What do you think you're doing?"

Mimic stuck her tongue out and bent over to emphasize the movement. "I got him! I got him before you could." She stood, walked over to Dian, and rested an elbow on the younger girl's head. "Now we just get him and find the other one, and Boss will be happy. Maybe Rend found the other one, and we can all..." A roar swept through the city, and they both turned to see a firestorm whirling into the sky. "That's not one of ours."

Her elbow was almost thrown to the floor as Dian turned to her. "Y'think? If your brains dissolve when you grew those bumps, I hope I never grow up."

"Shut up, a-cup." She raised her middle finger. Dian hissed, slapping the hand down. "Ow. You little-" A gust of wind interrupted their fight and almost blew them off their feet. A nearby radio began blaring music as they picked themselves up to face the attacker. It wasn't Dragon, or Spectrum. It was some weirdo in a robe. "Who the fuck are you? Gandalf?" Mimic twirled her finger and burned a white hot ring into the air. "Wrong hobbit, jackass." She threw the disc in an almost dismissive motion.

ΔI wanna run away
I wanna run away
Anywhere out this placeΔ

Dian's knuckles, elbows, then shoulders cracked as her arms and fingers lengthened. "He's not on the list." Her fingers, now little more than sharpened bone knives, stabbed through the hero's robes. "I'm going to take you apart slowly."

@Sedjwick

[Sedjwick]

OOC: Technically it's more a long jacket than a robe, but that is the image he's going for.

Magus's gale had barely unbalanced the two girls for a second before they counterattacked, immediately putting Magus on the defensive. The fiery disk the older girl conjured flew at him and he dodged only for his coat to get skewered on the younger girl's fingers (if they could still be called fingers).

"He's not on the list," she had said just before stabbing his jacket.

"What list?" he asked, twirling his staff to smack the schoolgirl upside the head before jumping back in an attempt to free himself from her claws (a much more adequate term for what her fingers had become). "What are you doing here?"