[IC] Maximum City: Superhero Sandbox Adventure

[King Tai]

Coming outside, closing the door to Street Wise Gym, a place he calls home on the second floor above the place that a friend of his rented out to him, Tiger turned to take a look around his surroundings. The neighborhood he grew up in, South Maximum. Toting his duffel bag, Tiger turned to start walking down the side walk. Walking a little ways, there were a few people that knew him by name and some that didn't as they gave a simple greeting to him while he passed by. Others simply stared at him, some were mean muggin. Was expected here on the southside. This area have not had the best treatment in regards to law enforcement.

It's been some time but Tiger have been living with power bestowed upon him and despite the police doing "what they can" to help with lowering the crime, Tiger found himself doing what the police should be doing. With the power of tactile telekinesis solely used to enhance himself physically to make his fighting skills more effective, There were a couple times Tiger would take the law in his hands if he was witnessing a mugging or a youngster about to get his ass kicked by a group of guys chasing him down. Whatever the case may be, He did what he had to to help some of the locals in his part of town.

Now...Tiger didn't really consider himself to be a hero like what he's seen on the news. He felt he was just a man looking out for the people on his block. He was not an everyday crime fighter but he does love his job as a physical therapist. He occasionally taught self defense classes but that's about it besides fighting hoodlums here and there. Some people talked a little about him, hearing rumors of him taking down a couple of thugs and and petty goons but he may have had a run-in with one or two people with abilities while doing the deed of fighting crime. It was problematic to say the least but hey, it's part of the game. You never know what you're going to get when fighting crime. Tiger still had much to learn about his power.

On his way to the rehab center not too far from him, Tiger walked by and alley, noticing something out the corner of his eye, stopping in his tracks to notice 3 guys cornering a young teen against the brick wall. Getting a closer look, the boy seemed familiar. One of the guys spoke to him.
Thought you could hide from us you little pussy!?

No, man...look I...I...I can't do that. Too much risk involved. I mean...I almost got caught.

Because your clumsy ass made too much noise and got those guy's attention! Now...the security is going to be beefed up and more than likely, they will have a gun on them next time. I told you get in, get the shit, and get out. but no!! Now...you owe us!

Look I'm sorry! All I got is 10 bucks. You can have that. The boy pulled the 10 bucks out. The young thug snatched the money out the boy's hand.

Nah! You're takin' your ass back there and you're gonna get dem watches, bracelets, chains, and rings. If you don't, I'll kill you myself!

Tiger gave a sigh before walking into the alley. Jordan! He called out to the boy. You know you should be in school right now. Walking over to the guys. Hey! Man get yo old ass outta here. Tiger turned his attention from Jordan to the 3 thugs. I should be telling you that. And why are you three older boys ganging up on this kid?

Mr. Jones...I'm...I'm good. You heard em. Go... Quietly staring at the thug, Tiger turned back to Jordan. Who were you trying to steal from? Hey! I said Go man! It ain't none of your business!

I already made it my business. I know this boy and I'm here to tell you now...he's not one of you. He's not down with whatever crew you're with. So...how about you leave the kid alone and go about your business and you'll never have to see him again.

How about we beat your ass and then we beat his ass. You know who you talkin to? We rep the Mercer Bros. So...I'm tellin you one last time. Back up...or get jacked up!

With that, Tiger dropped his duffel bag to the ground before smirking and moving over to get in front of Jordan to defend him. He began to pop his knuckles along with his neck Make your move...

To Be Continued...

[Duoya]

Tony looked out of the corner of his eye, making sure that the man behind the counter was preoccupied with other customers. He was in a blind spot of the camera and now was the perfect opportunity to sure up his food supply for the coming few days. Or, at the very least, get a few more snacks for free. Tony tagged a few bags of chips and some cup noodles before he felt he was safe for the rest of the week. Grabbing a few TV dinners, Tony made his way up to the counter and laid them out for the cashier to scan.

"You know, these things are pretty bad for you."

Tony knew that very well - if he made more money, then he'd probably eat better. Unfortunately, he didn't. He simply shrugged at the man, trying to ignore the fact that the store was slowly emptying out.

"I know - they're quick though, and even a bachelor like me can make them."

That earned Tony a laugh, just like he expected it to - the guy was older, and the ring on his finger showed that he was married.

"Trust me, soon as you find a woman, you'll be wishing for that single lifestyle again!"

Tony did all the acts, chuckled at the statement, and was already on his way out the store. Toyn gave a friendly wave goodbye, using his other hand to stash the cards into the plastic bag the man gave him. Before he knew it, he was out and on the streets of Little Asia. The sun was still up, and based on what his watch said, Tony still had a few hours before he had to go to work. Maybe he could try and win some cash by going to the Siren Strip early, or he could finally start jogging like he said he would.

At the very least, Miss Min said that she wanted some help with installing an air conditioner. It was the least he could do after everything that she did for him...

Tony stopped walking to the subway, groaned, and turned on his heel to walk back to the convenience store. Why did that guy have to be so friendly and not just another asshole? It'd be a hell of a lot easier to shoplift from him if he said that Tony was a greasy Italian or something.

"Question; Why go back?"

Ah, there it was - that annoying voice in the back of his head that was apparently a hideous monster. The thing had at first settled for totally taking over Tony's dreams, but just a few days ago it actually started talking to him while he was awake. Guess it started getting lonely during the day.

"I'm giving the shit I stole back - Cashier had a wife and wasn't an asshole, so I think he's an alright guy."

---

Thankfully, The House was quiet the whole walk back to the convenience store. It was pretty damn creepy having some obviously alien voice in your head while you're just walking around, so Tony was glad that it wasn't too much of a talker. By the time he got back, Tony saw that there was only a single car in the parking lot, and no one was walking around on the street. Shit, that was gonna make returning the stuff subtly a little more difficult...

As Tony pushed open the door, he was greeted by the sight of the older cashier, hands held above his head and staring nervously at a young man in a hoodie, holding a gun to his head. Tony barely had time to register what was happening when both of them turned in his direction.

The door chime gave him away.

[DocRock]

It was another slow day, a few folks coming in with easy repair jobs, but nothing too hefty. On the one hand, that was good, easy money. On the other hand...a slow day leaves one feeling out of sorts. In being relative, folks dropped off their jobs with her land lady, she went upstairs to get it, and brought it back down to her basement flat. But for Serene, it was something at least. Better than just sitting around, doing nothing. Beyond having to discharge energy now and again. But as her fingers drummed against the top of her kitchen counter, trying to make a decision of what to do, as the sun sank towards the horizon, Serene thought of her father. It made her freeze, remembering the last time she'd seen him alive. It had been the morning of the accident, she'd been getting ready for school, and had over heard her Grandmother and Father talking, but it hadn't been clear. She'd stepped out, the discussion stopped, her father reached over to pat her shoulder, wish her well, and head off. And that was all she had for a last memory.

It was only a sudden pain that made her realize she was squeezing her leg too tightly with her free hand, and snapped her out of her thoughts. Slowly, Serene took in a breath, then let it out. Her skinsuit thankfully, remained intact. She glanced over to her fridge, thinking to herself. She needed food, and she had enough to afford a trip to something other than cheap fast food. But at the same time...did she want to risk the trip all the way to say, one of the higher end parts of the city? She checked her phone, the one thing she always made sure to pay each month's bill on. No new bounty board requests, at least nothing she could handle with her gear. Her gaze lifted, as she walked into one of the rooms of her flat, gazing at the suit of armor that sat on its stand, the arm cannon resting on a table. She tapped a hand against her thigh, groaning slightly. Why couldn't her father have left her more? Hell, why didn't the government he had had contracts with come by? Then again, that was probably a good thing. Still, she needed to upgrade the suit at some point, perhaps find a way to develop energy based shields...she had the intelligence, but not the funds or resources.

(...Think Serene, think...)

It was then a knock on the door to her flat, followed by her landlady's voice, got Serene's attention, she turned, leaving her bedroom, walking up to the front door, looking through to confirm it was her, one could never be too careful. Once she was sure it was her, and nothing seemed off, that she undid the deadbolt, and opened the door, an eyebrow being lifted.

"Something wrong? I'm not overdue on any bills, right?" Concern was present in her voice, even if a tad joking. She didn't pay as much as the rest of the tenants, given she fixed stuff for the complex, but it was always better safe than sorry.

"No bills sweetie. But the family in 301 needs their AC looked at, they're out for the next two hours. Since its-" The landlady stopped as Serene lifted a hand, smiling gently. "No need to say anything more, I gotcha, I shouldn't be more than an hour tops, but if I'm not done, I'll give you a call a quarter to, so you can tell them I need more time." Relief crossed her landlady's face, as Serene knew how important heat would be during the winter. Hopefully it wasn't too serious. "Just give me the key, and I'll slip it back under your door when I'm done. I'll go get my tools."

One hour passed. It had been easier than she had expected. It was just an issue with the filter, seems it had been clogged. Thankfully, the type was reusable, so a quick usage of the apartment sink to clean out the filter, and a confirmation all was working, and she was able to put it back in, but did check to make sure there wasn't anything else wrong, and thankfully, there wasn't. Relief had flooded her, and she'd come back downstairs, after putting everything back together, and slipped the key to the room under her landlady's door. The agreement for this one was that the family owed her nothing if it was an easy fix. The text she sent to her landlady told her it was just the filter, and that whatever she felt was proper could be left in her mailbox. Now back inside her apartment, Serene sank back down onto the couch in her living room, a sigh leaving her. Part of her wanted to go out, but the other part of her wanted to go back to tinkering on her inventions. She glanced over to the notepad on her coffee table, which held a list of ideas, leaning forward to study the writings. A sigh left her a second time, as she realized that most of what she wanted meant having to wander around, looking for people selling scrap, thrift stores, or just buying electronics from the nearby toy store and cannibalizing the toys. But that meant taking a toy that a child might like.

"Damnit, there's gotta be something I can do...The nearest junkyard is an hour away, and that's on foot...I'll think of something, eventually."

Groaning, she leaned back against the couch, arms sprawling out, deciding that for the moment, turning on the TV might her best option. But she didn't turn it on just yet. Deciding to just stare up at the ceiling fan overhead, waiting for something, anything to happen...even a rogue running around that she could at least watch would be something...or some robbers who she could catch up to...But the nearest bank was what, four blocks or more? She'd be lucky there...So for now, she just sat there, waiting.

//Hope this suffices for a starting entry, best I could come up with.

[Stern Algorithm]

@King Tai

In the gutter of an alley in South Maximum, under a manhole, Embryon knelt in ankle-deep sewage, cupping its hands to the fluid and bringing it to its mouth. It remembered the days that it cried and retched with each mouthful, but those days were gone. Food was for humans, and Embryon would have to suffice with this. Suddenly it heard the sounds of an altercation from above. Such incidents happened all the time in South Maximum, but it wasn't Embryon's place to intervene or judge. It had no idea who was part of what gang, or the individual circumstances that led to the altercation. But what it did know was that in the end, someone would be injured, and Embryon would help then. Embryon felt little to no urgency in preventing the harm, since revealing itself would create a potentially more dangerous incident. Besides, being left for dead, and actually being dead, were two very different things that Embryon knew well. Embryon climbed up closer to the manhole to listen and wait for the fight to end so that it could climb out, heal the injured parties, and slink back into the darkness from whence it came.

[Reflection]

West Maximum - Little Asia
Latchkey Kids

Straps... Check.
Goggles... Check.
MOTH... Double Check.
Self Control... Nope :3c LMAO

_{Who uses that?4real? #Superheroshit}

It was a nice night to be rooftop sitting, but that wasn't the plan. Nope. Instead, standing there on, the edge, slurping a bowl of noodles, was a superhero. Stupid outfit, flight goggles, and glowing like a lightbulb. It didn't do much to stand out from the neon lights, or the big signs that declared 'prostitutes XXX rated' proudly for all to see. The noodles though, this was the real deal. Really sweet, without a hint of sour. Though there were quite a few pork slices along the side, and she practically drowned the whole thing in broth, but hey, that's just how you make a good thing of ramen. The last of the noodles went into the hero's mouth, and after making sure to drain the bowl, she placed it down on the roof. Somebody would stop by and pick it up later. This was her routine every night since she became a hero a few months ago.

Then, without a spark of hesitation, Nightlight jumped. MOTH blinked to life, and a beam of solid light lifted her into the air. The massive generator that looked like the butt of a moth began to glow, shimmer, and release the energy needed. LIFTOFF! PWeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Nightlight was flying, skimming the buildings beneath her with her boots, and then giving herself just a little more boost. Always a good way to declare she was out on patrol. But while she was enjoying her flight, crooks were out there enjoying the night.

Below her, at an ATM Didn't they shut down the last of those years ago? Eh, some people just love to use out of date tech were three people two of them clearly goons, and the non-gun waving guy being a citizen. Eh, kinda lame, but if Nightlight was gonna start off her night, smashing in some goons wasn't that bad a start.

"Old man, just shut up and type in your info. Then, we will leave you be." The first goon said, adjusting his grip on the semi-automatic pistol. The old man pressed some buttons, and once more it was the wrong number. Eesh, some people just can't handle the stress. Goon #1 raised his gun a bit higher, pressing cold metal to the back of a the old man's head. Goon #2 just sighed, checked his shoes, and then looked up. Just in time for...

"HASHTAG SUPERHERO LANDING!"
KER-POW!

Goon #1 didn't know what hit him. Because the next thing he knew he was unconscious, with a boot stepping firmly down upon his head. For Nightlight it was as simple as cutting the jets and falling like a brick onto his head. For him, it was as hard as concrete. And a few medical bills up ahead. Goon #2 raised his gun, and was greeted with the nearest wall after a quick flash of light. Pwee pwee! The encounter was a modest 0.8 seconds long. Still not as good as her record of 0.2 seconds when she accidentally knocked a sign off a building, and flattened five goons at once.

"Sorry about that, you should take their guns and run off." Nightlight said, flashing a grin from ear to ear. Then, before there could be a reply, she was off again. Blasting off into the night sky, leaving a trail of light behind her.

[King Tai]

FIGHT!

Tiger's eyes scanned the three fools who thought they could simply gang up on him and beat his ass. The lead guy smirking with confidence while his boys stood on both sides while he himself was in the middle. Jordan stayed against the wall as this older man stood as his shield. The two goons on the sides started their attacks first, both rushing in while Tiger shook his head before jumping up to perform a splitting kick to simultaneously have the boys get acquainted with a foot to each other their faces...well...chins to be exact, causing the guys to fall back.

Once Tiger's feet touched the ground, he looked at the lead guy raising an eyebrow. You guys must be part of the bootleg version of the Mercer Bros. He said while one of two men that were dropped stood once more and went into a flurry a punches while the lead guy watched. Come on bro drop his ass!! He cheered while Tiger effortlessly defended each thrown punch. Seeing the extent of what this guy could do, showing he must be an amateur boxer, Tiger placed a frontal kick to the guy's chest, pushing him back enough for Tiger to deliver a roundhouse kick to the guy's face, knocking him out.

The second guy finally got up and rushed after Tiger obviously aiming for a take down tackle. Wrestling? Freestyle? Whatever that bullshit was, Tiger brought this attempt to a halt with a swift knee to the face, taking this one out as well. Tiger's eyes rolled over to the leading guy as if he was saying, "next".

To hell with this! The guy said, going for his gun. Why the hell did these guys always go for the gun to avoid an ass whooping. They see their boys beat up and knocked out and their first choice is to pull a gun out as if it would make things better? Whatever happened to just running away like the coward they are? Tiger focused for a moment, inhaling while he brought his forearms up while his finger tips faced each other with his palms pointing upwards. With the guy fumbling for his gun, the moment he pulled the gun to aim it at Tiger, the martial artist extended his right arm outward towards the guy with his palm facing the male releasing a force that slammed into the man's torso, knocking him into a nearby dumpster making him hit it hard enough to dent. The guy dropped the gun and with that, Tiger walked over, grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up.

The man coughed and grumble and mumbled. Shit...man...the fuck-...some magic shit?...ghetto zen mode...genie shit...almost piss my pants... While the man continued to mumble to himself, Tiger stared him down. Gonna get raped...by a buff as Eddie Gordo... For now on...stay the hell away from this kid or this pain you feeling will be the best case scenario for you... He said as the man fell to the ground close to passing out.

Damn Mr. Jones! That's was on point! You got powers or some mystical matrix shi- Tiger took his index finger knuckle to knock the boy over his head. OW! Dang Mr. Jones! What wa- You know, you grandma would slap the black off you if she found out about this. I ought to slap you. What hell are you doing trying to hang out with this crowd? Huh? Mr. Jones I just joined because man...I don't want anyone beating my ass like I'm some bit- Tiger hits him again. Stop cussin'... look, you're heading to school now but I want you to meet me at the Street Wise Gym tomorrow after school. I have a job for you and I want to talk to you about something. Don't make me come find you. Alright Mr. Jones Dam-...dang... Tiger stared at the boy for a moment before letting him go about his business and sighed. He looked at the bodies on the ground and shook his head. Hopefully these hoodlums would change but knowing them, they'll probably get backup later and they'll meet again.

Tiger didn't like having to use his powers in front of others but sometimes he had no choice. He walked over to pick up his bag, walking out of the alley which checking his watch. He was running late. he checked his phone next to see he got a text from a special someone and read it for a moment but he could've sworn he saw some movement in the alley...may have been the guys he beat but he needed to go. he couldn't concern himself with this riffraff.

@Stern Algorithm

[Stern Algorithm]

Embryon

Embryon listened as the violence erupted above and ended just as abruptly. No gunshots, good. Embryon heard some talking before it became quiet. Normally, after such altercations, the perpetrators would run so as not be be caught at the scene by witnesses. Because of this assumption, Embryon exited the sewer quickly, creating quite a racket with the manhole cover scraping noisily as it was moved. After all, Embryon didn't want to waste a second in case any of these victims were close to death. Above ground, Embryon noticed three slumped figure, one had apparently collided with the dumpster hard enough to dent it. Embryon inspected the others first, detecting only concussions, broken teeth, and dislocated jaws. Embryon was surprised that these kids had been dealt with in a non-lethal manner. Embryon set their jaws back in place, stabbing a claw into their cheeks to inject some cells to repair any minor fractures and staunch oral bleeding. The other must be worse off though, given how hard he had collided with the dumpster. Embryon went to inspect that one, and detected broken ribs, among other minor injuries. Embryon stabbed its claws into this one's chest to help mend the bones, but this one was still partially conscious and the sight of Embryon induced the young man to scream. Embryon quickly pulled one hand out of the man's chest to cover his mouth, but the man wouldn't stop struggling. In the end Embryon headbutted the man hard enough to render him unconscious so that it could continue its work of healing the man. Embryon was too used to dealing with individuals who had been fatally injured. Still, Embryon realized that it had caused too much noise, and stayed above ground just a little too long. It wanted to leave, but couldn't bring itself to do so until it had finished its work, so it crouched there with its claws in the man's chest, healing him.

[DocRock]

Rockwoman

A Night on the Town

Part 1 of ???

Eventually, her patience ran out, and with a sigh, Serene pulled herself to her feet, the genius shaking her head, as she reached up a hand, rubbing her forehead. She felt a bit of a headache from the sudden movement, as the blood in her body sloshed in the vessels. Taking a moment to steady herself, Serene walked back over to where her phone was charging, just as it beeped. Unlocked the device, she saw it was a text from her grandmother, just a simple check in message. It brought a smile to her face.

Hey Grandma, doing fine, just bored, considering going to the junkyard on the edge of town, see if I can get stuff. You?

She sent it, turning, walking into her bedroom, grabbing her jacket on the bed, pulling it on over top of her skinsuit, sighing, as another beep came, checking confirmed it was her grandmother. A quick read made her pause, her eyes widening.

Serene, it just so happens that I was having a nice chat with Detective Ridley, you know, the nice fellow who looked into your father's accident? Apparently there's been some gang activity in the area. You should be careful, but there is a reward for some of them.

Gang activity. That wasn't good. She remembered the Detective, he'd been a lower ranked cop when her father had died, and while the official report had said it had been an accident, apparently now Detective Ridley had never been sure, but had followed orders from higher up. It made her consider seeing him later, to talk about it, since he'd never gone into detail, in part due to her young age, and a desire perhaps to shield her. Her Grandmother probably knew the full story, with all the connections the now elder heroine had. She considered how to respond, before sending a text back finally.

I'll be careful, I need the parts, I'll take my pistol, even if its useless. Any news on my application for concealed carry?

She kept her phone in her hand, switching to the bounty board app, confirming that there was a general purpose bounty for any and all information leading to arrests of various gang members, and a higher reward for bringing one in. It was worth considering, the two bounties weren't chump change, but nor were they like, eyebrow raising. Enough to perhaps consider bagging a few to get enough money for a down payment on a wheeled form of transportation, or just to put ads in the paper for her repair business. A beep, and she checked again.

Nothing yet, but I'll let you know, as I did ask the Detective about that. Have fun!

Thanks Gran, I will. I'm still coming for dinner this Friday, so make sure the twins don't eat everything before I get there, alright?

She was already moving back out of her bedroom, grabbing her pistol from its spot, sure, it was a visible weapon, but the orange markings was to let the cops know it was a taser type weapon, and thus harmless. Granted, being the daughter of a former hero, and a distinguished one at that(even if she didn't know any of his antics due to her father never talking of them, let alone who his arch-nemesis was), had its perks, but she tried to be by the book as much as possible. In part that was due to her desire to be above the criminals who preyed upon the city, but also...to not use her position as the Drake's daughter to earn favors and the like. She'd do it of her own accord. Though an energy weapon like the one her power suit had was bound to get her into trouble eventually, hence the desire for a concealed weapon permit. Another text, but just her grandmother confirming her request. So no need to respond.

Stepping to the door out, she checked to make sure she had everything, her wallet snug in her jacket pocket, her phone in the other. She really needed to buy some clothing that could go over top of the suit, even if just a pair of shorts, to put stuff into. Even if it'd look weird. The sensation of the weight created by her belongings...yeah. The taser was strapped to her thigh, and out she stepped, locking the door behind her. Seeing Martha as she stepped up the stairs, she offered a light wave and nod, the same being returned, before she moved through the doors, out into the early evening air, letting the portals to her apartment building swing shut behind her. She stretched, before glancing around, trying to decide where to go...The streets quiet for the moment, no one seemingly nearby her on the side walk. But that could change, easily. So, she turned, and began to walk along the street, heading for the junkyard. She figured she'd be there in about forty-five minutes at her current pace, more if she ran into trouble, but that'd be unlikely, right?

Yeah, totally...