[IC] Never Normal - a Superhero Vigilante RP

[CloudyBlueDay]

Arc 1 : Umbra

Chapter One : The Beginning

Five days ago, the vigilante named Ditch broadcasted to every device in Millennium City for the first time.

"People of Millennium city," They said, voice garbled and twisted by an audio editing software. You couldn't even see their eyes, it was all completely blocked by the skeletal mask. "My name is Ditch. You all must've heard by now of the new criminal, Umbra. He's killed a few already, and taken abducted the vigilante Suiren. Suiren is known to be one of the most powerful vigilantes among us. If he has the strength to take her, then there's no telling what his plans are next."

"I will not let him destroy this city. I was taught by my father to protect the things I believe in, and I believe in our home. Umbra, you will be stopped. I can promise you that." Though it was obviously not Ditch's real voice, the passion was clear. The screen went black, and then everyone's devices had returned to normal.

Moments after that, you received a text, or an email. It was personalized, riddled with bits of info that this random stranger shouldn't know, but they did. They were contacting your personal phone number or email, and calling your by your vigilante alias. It was clear Ditch knew. They sent an address.

4315 Racket Avenue. Tomorrow, midnight. Come alone. If you're followed it means the end of us all.

---

It was an abandoned warehouse. 4315 Racket Avenue was dirty and filled with trash. It was clear no one had been here in a long time, at least, no one except bums and druggies and the like. The double doors to the warehouse was open just a sliver.

It was unclear what the warehouse had been used for because it was near completely empty. Any sound would easily echo and bounce of the walls. It was eerie, mysterious, and certainly uncomfortable for anyone walking in there without knowing what was to come.

But, as you stepped farther in, you realized it wasn't a warehouse. It was an auditorium. There were no chairs, but a stage at the very end of the room. The wood of the stage was covered in mold and dust, the once red curtains were torn and chewed and a dark muddy maroon color. It was, to put it simply, disgusting.

There was a hanging platform maybe fifteen feet above the stage. When this place might've been running, it looked like it would be used for effects. There was a switchboard attached to the rusty railing, for lights and sound, and a bucket of shredded paper, perhaps to be passed off as snow. It looked very unstable, but that didn't stop someone from resting on it.

Yes, the infamous Ditch, clothed in a black hoodie, jeans, boots, and gloves, and the recognizable skeleton mask. They were obviously not revealing their identity, at least, not yet. Their clothing was loose and baggy, and it was still incredibly hard to tell their gender. A large backpack lay on the floor of the platform. They seemed to be fiddling with the switchboard as if it were a toy, the lights in the warehouse flickering on and off, on and off. They were bored.

Despite the old age of the place, Ditch had somehow gotten both the switchboard and the lights to work. They seemed to care little about the instability of the platform they stood on, in fact, they didn't look like they cared at all.

Ditch was waiting. Waiting for the people they'd contacted to arrive. The digital watch on Ditch's wrist struck midnight. The coolest hour to meet, after all.

[CloseEnough]

Aurora

The sound of beating wings rang through the still air. A shadowy form of licking flames reflecting off the ebony sky, shimmering in light blues and whites at second glance. A bird, a large creature that landed a bit away from it's destination, a figure riding on it's back with ease. A stillness about the occupant.
Her steps silent she reaches out, her hand seeming to be a bit miss placed. A book open next to her takes it's place at her side. The cover closing it's sides, with the snap of leather upon leather the beast vanished under her fingertips. A sigh escaping her lips, a raven mask donning her head she tilted it up to the stagnant order of wherever she found herself in.

This wasn't right, the text that came on her Braille phone, the directions and promise to end this Umbra. Nothing was right, this was something that was getting to be larger and larger as moments passed by. Yet the words under her fingers pushed her forward, each step she began to think, thoughts of what would happen on this path she chosen.
A click sounding through her sense she gripped a handle, no longer than a sword's hilt. With a flick she uncoiled the creation, a cane of ebony that she tapped on the ground with each step. Her world coming to life with the sound that caused a slight echo to escape other buildings.

Feeling her cane end on a wall the woman reached out, grazing her hand across the surface before her till she found a plate with the numbers 4315 on it. This was it, this was the place, those numbers under her skin speaking volumes she took in a deep breath. Was everything in order? Did she remember to tell her neighbour she was going out tonight?
There was no turning back, with surprisingly low effort she pushed what felt to be a door out of her way. The air appearing to be warmer in she clicked her cane again. The sound echoing around yet it was enough to tell her she was in a enclosed space. Was she alone? Was there someone here? Silence was all that had greeted her, the leather book on her hip unclasping under her hand she allowed it to open at her side. Hand reaching over the pages to read the bumps on the aged pages.
"He seeks were we are lost, eyes the color of moss, with heart beating true he only wishes to find you."
As though a dream a great shadow formed before her, emerald eyes glaring through the night as it stood on four legs. A snake like tail and scaled hide, growling like a wolf from this world the beast only reached her waist. "Before me? Who are you?"

[Artifex]

Manny paused on a roof 15 minutes away from Racket Ave. He needed just a few more moments to ponder things. Was this legit or a trap? In all his time fighting crime, he has never been contacted personally, so this raised a bit of suspicion.

All Manny knows about Ditch is that they are some sort of cyber vigilante, who is apparently extremely talented. He still can't get the sound of that weird voice echoing from literally every screen in the city. Despite the voice distortion, you could tell Ditch meant business. If they would go as far as sending him a personal email, something had to be up.

Making up his mind, Manny continued on. There was no time to waste if he wanted to make it by midnight.

----------
The closer Manhattan got to Racket, the darker and dirtier it got. He didn't come to this part of town much. Nobody really did. This area was pretty much abandoned, save for all the junkies. This is where the trash ends up.

The buildings started to get shorter as he neared his destination, so he took to lower ground. He lowered his earbuds when he got to Racket Ave. The dank air was quite unpleasant, so he raised his collar to cover the lower half of his face.

Arriving at 4315, Manny thought it was a rather large place to be having a meeting and he figured he might not be the only one coming. He noticed the doors were slightly ajar as if someone had already gone in ahead of him. Was it Ditch? Perhaps someone else? Caution set in as Manny took one more good look around and carefully approached the door.

He stepped in and noticed that the place kind of looked like an auditorium. It was pretty dark until he saw lights flickering up ahead around what could be the stage.

Odd that the lights would be working…

Then, he heard the growling. He looked over to see two figures. They were hard to make out in the dark, but it looked like a young girl who seemed to be holding something and some sort of monster with emerald eyes. This would have definitely read as a trap, except for the fact that they weren't advancing on him. The girl was standing pretty still and the beast seemed to be protecting her. This couldn't have been Ditch; she appeared to be lost. Perhaps she was also summoned here.

Not wanting to startle anybody, he calmly called out to her.

“Excuse me…I guess you’re here for the meeting, too?”

[CloseEnough]

@Artifex

The grim gave her the information that she needed. Someone was here with her, yet for some reason she was met with silence. Tapping her cane once more she reached to find that her mask was still in place. It felt weightless, it was a gift and a burden, one slip and she would be found out.
Though her Grim had yet to snap, staying at her side the beast did not advance on any threats. For now it was safe, he was a creature that would act upon the future if there was misfortune for it's user. If he was calm than that had to mean that she was in safe hands, least for the next few moments.
Head shooting up from the sound of a voice behind her, Aurora turned, a raven head and loose robs acting as a barrier from whoever it was. Tilting her head she flicked her cane again, male, around her own age it seems. Asking her about her intentions she nodded her head, her hand leaving the underside of her book yet it stayed in place. "I was contacted yes, may I ask what it is you wish to be called?" Her voice light, faint. Yet it tapered off a bit as though she spoke in old times.

Listening to the Grim's paws she clicked her toung, the claws on the scraping ground halting, fallowed by the kicking of something. Long, scraping..a rod maybe? The information gathered she assumed the place was disgusting, again she was thankful her eyes never worked. "Strange, there’s another us, wonder where Ditch is."

[Inertia]

Interacting with: Anyone within the warehouse at the moment.

---

---

After his normal rounds around his area, Levi came across a peculiar message. His phone vibrated, he had never given anyone his phone number, hell he didn't even know why he carried one. The message appeared to be from 'Ditch' How did he get ahold of my Phone number? he asked himself in his thoughts

He opened it, and contained a cordial invitation to some gathering of 'vigilantes'. Levi scowled reading the letter, even he knew who the missing vigilante was and who 'Umbra' is, in the vague sense of the word. Levi wasn't above teaming up with others, buy he wasn't going to like it. He read the message's location to meet. With a sigh, he stuffed the message away, and began walking towards the destination.

"4315 Racket Avenue." he muttered to himself, eyeing the place. It was deteriorating and looked like it could fall at any given moment.
"Let's get this farce over with."

---

Levi had actually arrived a bit earlier than usual, silently perching himself on one of the support beams near the stage. He watched 'Ditch' play with the switches, and sighed momentarily to himself. Though it was odd, he couldn't tell if this Ditch individual was female or male, Ditch wore loose clothing, most likely to make his/her sex ambiguous.

He watched, his dark-amber eyes glowing against the shadows of the warehouse. He would have been invisible had it not for his eyes, which seemed to 'glow' by itself. One of the vigilantes entered, Raven Tale. Certain rumors go around about this particular vigilante, although scarce and few in-between, all Levi knew was that she could conjure up... things. Another one soon entered, Omega the gravity manipulator, known to be working alongside the MCPD. Impressive names.

He silently listened to them, perched on the beam. One could almost feel his intense stare- rather glare, and if they looked up maybe they could see him. Eitherway, he decided to make his presence known,

"Ditch." he called coldy, his voice reverberating across the large room in the warehouse, "Why did you summon me here, and how did you get ahold of my adress."

[Double Capybara]

Isabel

Where had she messed up? Who could have ever found so much information about her? The email called her by the name the internet had given to her, Gorgon Eyes, just that was enough to send a shiver down her spine, but it continued, it talked about her mother, about the laboratory in the distant tropical country, stuff that not even her mom knew.

Millennium City was supposed to be a new start, but goddamn did things get big quite fast, Umbra had scared her a bit, she was actually hoping to end her college year soon so she could lever this whole vigilante mess... But whoever Ditch was they knew too much, she didn't want to trigger more drama for her family so she complied.

An odd figure crawled trough the roofs, scouting the area ahead, being as stealthy as the mail demanded, dooming them all sounded like a bad deal. Then some sort of giant bird thing crossed the sky glowing in pale blue light, surely not the most subtlety of views.

"Huh, this is sounding like a bad deal" she grows claws in one of hands and give her eyes the well known yellow glow "Better to just sort this out already"

She jumped from the roof into the floor and once stable she puts her hoodie up and walks calmly into the warehouse. The place was... quite empty. There were other "vigilantes" people she had heard about on the internet and people who she had never seen before. Ditch was in the end of the building. "Too bad I don't have those animal smell skills, could have just discovered who the mysterious skeleton is" she whispered to herself "Oh well, time to wait"

[Artifex]

"Um, I'm called Omega…”

You could hear a hint of a giggle in his voice because of how she asked the question. What was this…the 12th century? As his eyes adjusted, he could see the creature more clearly. It looked like something from a fantasy novel. The girl was wearing a mask that resembled a raven and the object she was holding was a book…but she also had a cane. Did she have trouble walking? No, it didn't look like a walking cane. Maybe she's blind...and she’s a vigilante? Interesting.

“I think Ditch might be waiting at the stage up there. Let's go che…”

"Ditch."

Manny's heart skipped a couple beats as a voice echoed down from the rafters above. He looked up to see a pair of glowing amber eyes peering down toward the stage. He recognized those eyes. The “Electro Ninja” himself (at least that's what Manny called him). Manny shook his head and walked down to the stage, noticing yet another person coming into the building. How big was this group gonna get?

He finally noticed Ditch on the platform above the stage playing with the console. Rather than sit on the nasty floor or the moldy stage, Manny simply hovered and waited for Ditch’s announcement.

[CloseEnough]

"Omega...Gravity manipulation?" True curiosity in her voice she listened to the foot steps, keeping still as he walked past, the Grim's eyes following his every move. "Tis a pleasure" about to make her own path she took only a step before she found a gaze burning into her back. It was wasteful to look up, did he wish to not be seen?
The voice gotten to her though, bouncing off the walls chillingly she could tell there was something about the male above her. Irritation? No, cold curiosity, unlike herself who was here to advance her ability. He was here for different reasons, he didn't seem one to kiss up to anyone, nor did he seem to want to make friends.
She could already feel a smile tugging at her lips. Interesting now if only she could hear him say more. Perhaps she would be able to figure out more about him as well as the others.

Another person entering she found herself counting, four, four vigilantes so far? Just how dangerous could Umbra be if they needed so many. She was not someone who kept tabs on the others, she couldn't it would only draw more attention. Still she had to be standing around some pretty powerful people. "Animal senses wouldn't do anything, trust me I tried." The Grim was not just a phantom that would tell her about misfortune in the future. The beast was based off a canine, yet when he tried to find a scent he was blocked from something. Did Ditch cover himself in something? Was that his ability.

Tapping the ebony cane on the floor she began to move, the Grim following after her only to run ahead, nose to the ground the beast began to pull his lips back in a snarl from the situation it found itself in. he was a proud beast, not something that wanted to be hear anymore than she herself.
Her cane tapping on the edge of the stage she stopped, flicking once more only to hear the movement of a switch. There was the last person, board, silent, not much she could tell aside from that.

[Blazion]

Hours had already passed in the fading light of what was once a great building, bustling and busy, now reduced to nothing more than another abandoned shell of dust and decay in this city. Hours passed with a silent gargoyle keeping watch within the overarching shadows and deepening darkness of the warehouse, never moving to give its position away as night settled in. Hours passed with a grey-blue gaze never strayed from the equally decrepit building across from her, the sentinel’s blackened gaze never wavering.

To be honest Zoey’s muscles were getting rather stiff. The young woman resisted the urge to roll her shoulders beneath the warm hoodie in order to relieve the ache building up in them, silently – and rather bitterly – remembering the lessons her father had given her on one of their very first hunting trips. Prey moves; predators wait. Zoey had learned the lesson of patience that first trip, particularly when she got too excited on seeing her first deer and having it scatter when she shifted positions to get a better shot rather than wait for it to move into her line of fire. Her father had laughed, clapped her on the back and told her next time – she’d grow into it soon enough.

And Zoey had certainly grown into a predator.

However she would never admit how close she came to bolting like that same said deer the instant the ping of her phone alerted Zoey to a new email, and a quick glance had her almost dropping the phone. Someone had found out. More than found out – another vigilante, Ditch, seemed to know things they shouldn’t! It was enough to make her want to just pack up her things and disappear like the shadows she controlled in the rising sun, but something stopped Zoey. Something she was familiar with. A need. Maybe Zoey wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and the thought of Umbra sent a shiver of dread right to her stomach – and not just at what he had already done. It would be so easy to just disappear, she had the money, but…

Needless to say just before the sun set Reaper had already found Racket Avenue and scoped out the warehouse designated 4315. A quick, cautious preliminary scouting revealed only one beacon inside, seemingly stationary, but there was still time. It was tempting to just step in and confront them right away, but the words from earlier echoed in her head once more, causing Reaper to shadow step away to the roof of a warehouse just nearby, with a clear view of the parted entrance. It was here she settled, trained and alert as the night began to settle and their meeting point awaited. As time passed her own shadow seemed to wisp, tendrils of black smoke curling around her crouched legs and figures, but the beacon inside didn’t seem to move much at all. The bit of light spraying out into the street from the sliver of open space in the doors however seemed to flicker and dance at times, as midnight approached going to steady, rhythmic flicks. On, off, on off.

If this was a trap the only danger Reaper was in was falling asleep.

The first activity came just shortly before midnight, making Reaper’s muscles tense as her eyes followed the approaching figure. Of course Zoey knew of other vigilantes in the city, at least a little, and her brows furrowed seeing exactly who it was. A little lightning bug it seemed, and holding up position near the top of the roof if she was sensing it correctly – the close proximity of the two beacons began to meld together. What a strange time to be laying an ambush, a mere twenty minutes before the meeting time. Maybe they were going for shock and awe?

Zoey resisted the urge to snort at her own joke.

Twenty minutes of indecision passed quickly, and it was then that others began to appear. The second moving slowly, gracefully with fingers tracing along the wall. The third cautious, but brave. And another beacon, the owner unseen, crawling against the roof before joining the mass of dark blobs on the warehouse floor. When the lightning bug finally deemed to join the others Reaper had decided enough time had passed, and it was time to join them. It seemed Ditch sought out more than just another vigilante with a skeleton theme, and was following up with their words to stop Umbra. At least, to try and stop them.

Rising up from her crouched position Reaper took a brief moment to roll her back, muscles rippling beneath the hoodie as she stood tall. Then her shoulders slouched forward and a relaxed calm took over before she stepped back, the solid wall of the industrial vent behind her acting as a liquid surface as she moved into the shadow. Across from her she quickly stepped out of the shadow beside the door of her target, slipping in as inconspicuously as possible.

Well, Ditch certainly knew a bit about tension. A hanging platform above a stage that looked as though it would fall apart with enough weight, the source of the flickering lights apparent in the air. And the others, simply standing around waiting to be addressed? Perhaps she was more impatient than she thought, but Reaper was more than just some servant waiting for be acknowledged once she had finally made her move. Considering she hadn’t gone far into the auditorium in the first place it was simple to simple sink into her shadow and disappear once more without more than a low near-growl of frustration to the others, and reappear at her target.

The platform was rusted and unstable, Reaper could tell that from a glance, so she was careful with her steps as she moved from the darkness of the warehouse wall, cast from the large curtains, and almost casually moved beside Ditch. Shadows seemed to cling to her briefly like tar, soon wisping away like smoke on a breeze as they disappeared. Reaper tilted her head down a bit to glance at the skeleton mask, her own face covered by the balaclava – except for her eyes, no color nor whites distinguishable from the black orbs. Beneath the fabric one of her red brows raised unseen, a silent question and challenge all in one.

[CloudyBlueDay]

Ditch looked up from the switchboard as a new person entered. Raven Tale, and a story beast of hers. Ditch didn't seem to be very on guard, if anything, perhaps a little bit excited. "Before me? Who are you?" Assuming that she was speaking about Ditch, they leaned forward over the railing, preparing to speak, when Omega entered. "Strange, there’s another us, wonder where Ditch is."

Ditch laughed, voice twisted by the audio editing software. "I didn't know people in our line of work could be so blind!" They snorted, crossing their arms on the railing. Of course, no one could see Ditch's face, but they sounded quite giddy.

"Ditch." Ditch's head turned towards Levi's voice. Then they gave a small wave, fingers wiggling and all. "Why did you summon me here, and how did you get ahold of my address." "No need to be so bitter." Ditch said lightly. "You read the text, you know what you're here for. And please. Everything's available nowadays, no matter if you've spoken it or not."

It was then that Reaper decided to appear right beside Ditch, who did not so much as even flinch. "A bit of a bad idea to stand up here with me. Quite unstable, this thing is." Ditch said casually. "And my, do you have patience. You've been outside for quite some time." Ditch let that little piece of information sink in before they picked up the backpack laying on the floor and swung it over their shoulder. Ditch climbed onto the railing and sat down without a second thought. Of course, the dingy little platform swung quite harshly, creaking it's protest, but Ditch paid it no mind. They surveyed the room before bring a hand to their face and pulling off the mask.

Hider

"Here you are. A sign of peace. I've never revealed my face along with my vigilante identity for anyone, so I do hope I have your attention now." The audio muffler was most likely a part of the mask, because now Ditch's real voice was heard. Girlish and feminine, bubbly but almost mysterious. With that said and done, Ditch jumped off the railing of the platform, landing expertly on the stage with a satisfying thump.


"I've called quite a few more vigilantes here, I'd like to wait until they arrive before I start ranting." Ditch sat down on the edge of the stage and pulled back her black hoodie, long blonde hair falling out. "I'll take some questions. I'm sure you've got them." Ditch took a brief look at her watch before returning her gaze to those in front of her.

[Korkoa]

Turn Back

Jason Graves stared at his phone in surprise. Firstly, Ditch had contacted him. Secondly... Ditch knew who he was. He or she seemed to know everything about Jason. Third... Ditch wanted a meeting. Something was brewing, something even bigger than he'd suspected. Turn Back hadn't gone up against many superpowered villains, he mostly hunted muggers and thieves... But maybe this was his chance to make the world safer on a bigger scale...

----------------------------

Turn Back pulled his bandanna up over his mouth, the black fabric blending in with the rest of his dark clothes. The vigilante was a few minutes late, but he refused to enter the abandoned building before making sure there wasn't an ambush waiting. He saw a few familiar faces enter the building, more vigilantes with some weight behind them. He followed behind a moment later, making sure his folding staff was clutched tightly in his hand. He threw the door open, confident that he wouldn't be walking into a trap. Unfortunately, it seemed he was late to the party. There was a woman on the stage, nobody he knew. Looking around he noticed close to half a dozen other vigilantes paying very close attention to her.

She was asking for question. Turn Back raised his hand and cleared his throat. "Um yes, sorry to be behind the curve, but I missed a big reveal here. Are you Ditch?"

[General Scales]

Girard sat comfortably in his apartment contemplating one or two targets he could hit. He made a few adjustments among his newly made grenades which he had just finished preparing in anticipation when he heard his phone vibrate from the other side of his couch. He picked the device up curiously, he wasn't expecting a call any time today, having a look at the message he just got which had him place the last grenade in a row while he read about himself and the offer from Ditch. Honestly it could have been a trap despite hearing the message earlier as clear as day from Ditch who seemed vehement about dealing with this Umbra character. Sure he had thought about going after the bastard himself but hearing that the criminal managed to capture one of the better vigilantes in Millennium City even the mighty Tank was hesitant. The Word mighty made him smile slightly at the thought of people talking about him like he was some kind of big shot and maybe he was, big at the very least but he wasn't the only sheriff in town and never forgot it.

He tensed up ever so slightly at the meeting place in Racket Ave. which pique even some suspicion in him. Honestly it was a perfect place to meet in secret because no one smart would go into an abandoned junkie filled area that reeked to high heaven if they had the choice. However, it hardly made it any more appealing for the big man who had an idea about how to go about this meeting or how to enter it at least. It took a few moments to get set up in his gear, he also packed a couple surprises in case it was an unpleasant trap which could clear a room nicely, before heading out into the night. There really was nothing about this meeting that made him want to rush so he would take some time and maybe take out a small robbery on the way if he saw one.

---

Tank made his way to visual distance of the rather large building they were supposedly meeting in which made him like the area even less. It was an old theater his the design was right or a very fucked up warehouse, either way it had only one main entrance which was partially open suggesting people were already inside.

They really just left the door open? I mean its only a bit but seriously? Girard thought with some exasperation.

The big man opted to go around back of the building to see if he could find another way in besides the front door, one that would fit him preferably. Though he could make one if necessary and honestly with the building in the state it was it would take little effort not to mention it would surprise the shit out of whoever was inside. This sort of meeting never really happened among the crime fighters so if it had maybe he wouldn't have been so cautious or paranoid really about. It wasn't like he always deigned to work alone or by himself when working together could produce impressive results more so than by himself. He also knew he was so stealthy it would take a blind, deaf, and no touch sensitivity stricken man to not know he was coming under the most perfect of circumstance so it was a tactic he rarely bothered with beyond staying his distance.

It didn't take particularly long but he figured if the people inside were busy he would be in position while they were still preparing or to interrupt an ambush already going on. It would surprise him if someone had set up for more than one vigilante to take a fall so he was ready to back them up as well if it was the case. He found what seemed like a particularly weak portion of the back wall leading right into the center of the main room then started to back up judging how much force would be needed to go straight through it. Once he was satisfied he started a what was a jog for him slowly picking up some speed before making impact with the wall and found he overestimated what he needed. He wasn't sure exactly what he hit on the way in but it was promptly smashing and whatever ended up in his face smelled like mothballs before he felt something give way below his feet just as he got a flash of light in his face hearing something about questions.

There was a moment of quiet from him as he took in the situation realizing he was waist deep into a damn stage after having run through the dark back room taking down half the curtain with him and now was getting strange looks from everyone else in the room. He recognized some off the bat and had heard of a couple others and there was one who had no mask on who he really didn't know who it was. It didn't take him long to feel like an absolute idiot because it wasn't a trap or ambush and he had just made the biggest damn fool of himself.

"Well that answers my first question." Girard said from behind his helmet which he was very happy to have on at the moment.

The big man proceeded to try and find a way to not completely destroy the stage while getting out of it, it was going to be a long night.

[Lasrever]

Kara Banks / Wraith

Kara knew she was late. Midnight, that's what the message had said, and she'd kick herself if she missed an opportunity to deal out sweet, sweet justice to some evildoers. She just couldn't forgive herself if she let someone evil like that go, some kind of murderer or thug, or other pathetic criminal. No way was she letting that happen. To be honest, that was why she was late in the first place.

She sighed, looking at the body on the ground in front of her. She'd had it all planned out, you know. She'd tracked him down after seeing him grab hold of someone's purse on the street, but his location was supposed to be on the way to Racket Avenue anyway. How was she supposed to know he'd run away so quickly? And after he'd done that, well, she had to take her time. Can't have people trying to escape justice and getting away with it. She sighed in frustration.

Still, that type of thing made an awful mess, but she didn't have time to clean her gloves properly, only whatever she could wipe off on the wall. It wouldn't matter, probably. This 'Ditch' character already knew who she was, so it wasn't a stretch to think she'd know how she operated. No-one with any kind of dedication to justice would squeal at the sight of a little blood. If anything, Kara, or Wraith as she was known, felt she should get a pat on the back.

She headed out of the alley, and walked the few blocks remaining to Racket Avenue. She checked the time. 12:08. Just enough that she couldn't pretend to be late deliberately. She'd get away with it with her friends, but she doubted this was the same kind of thing. If it was, then she'd walk straight back out again. Not that she'd mind a decent conversation with Ditch. Which would probably consist of 'who are you' and 'did you have to send me the message in the middle of class?'. Very nearly got the message seen, and she'd spent far too long building relationships to let the people there find out she was a super.

Anyway, she turned to look at the door. It was open, which made her slightly suspicious, but she didn't have time to examine the area properly. I'll just have to hope it's not a trap. Here we go! Fixing her face with an open, friendly smile, she walked through the door and into the room. Looks like I'm not the only one Ditch tracked down.

She also didn't seem to be the only late one, so she strolled in with her head held high and a winning smile, trying to ignore the guy with his face halfway through the stage in hopes of making a half-decent entrance. She felt a little bit shown up, although she'd probably done better at the basic skill of being able to enter the building.

She grinned and walked to the middle of the room, where a few people and one creature.. thing were gathered around some strange girl, who looked like the only one sure of what was happening. Was that Ditch? Best to ask and make sure.

"Sorry I'm late, Ditch - whichever one you are. Justice sleeps for no man, and while I'm no man, it's certainly not gonna rest on my watch." She wasn't the only one wondering who to talk to, it seemed, though she recognized a few of the faces present. Good. She didn't want to work with amateurs that might hinder her pursuit of justice.

[Blaine Crommet]

Crap, crap, crap! I'm gonna be late!

Eric was trying to hurry as much as he could. He left home on time, but ran into a a car theft in action. The guy was trying to unlock the doors with some sort of wire, and he was muttering curse-words while trying to get it open. Ecto couldn't just pass it over.

The car thief was busy trying to open the door, so Ecto tried a stealthy approach and pushed himself against the ground to flatten into a pool of ectoplasmic puddle, slowly creeping towards the car. When he was close enough, he jumped into the man's body. There was a sudden luminescent blue light emanating for a second, then the thief froze in his movements, shocked.

"I wouldn't do this if I were you. Not very smart."

"What the - ?!" the man struggled against Ecto, who was holding him back.

"Go home, man, while you still can. Watch a sitcom. Or the adult channel, I don't care. Just leave the car alone and get off the streets."

The guy was panicking from the weird sensation of being unable to move, and frantically tried to get free from the binds. Sucker. Ecto suddenly released when the young man was struggling in the direction of the car, and he smashed his hands into the car's side window. There was a sound of shattering glass, and loud crack, as pain ran through both of them. Ecto tried not to groan, but the thief cried out in pain. The car alarm triggered, the whole street was echoing from the shrieking sound of the siren.

"Oh my god... Oh my god...!" The man grasping his hand, tried to stand up as Ecto exited from him through his mouth, forming into this spectral body. His hand hurt like hell. He took all the pain and channeled into an angry roar, his face distorted from anger.

"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?! COME ON!"

The guy broke, it was too much for him. He ran away, screaming. Easy. Too bad for the car. He had to get away fast, before anyone else comes. Ecto looked at his damaged hand, he could feel small cracks as the bones started to rearrange themselves. He didn't bother chasing after the would-be thief, he was clearly regretful. Besides, you cannot pick locks with a broken hand.

It was then he realized we was being late from the meeting with Ditch. Oh crap. He raced to the direction of Racket Avenue.

[Blaine Crommet]

He approached the building under the number 4315. It was an old, shoddy warehouse, in bad shape. Some lights were flickering inside, and as he approached, he could hear voices from inside.

I thought this was a one-on-one meeting...

When he was wondering if he should be cautious and scout the area from above, there was a loud cracking noise, like someone was breaking a cardboard. and then the silence of a settling house. In the quiet night, he heard a muffled voice.

"...for no man, and while I'm no man, it's certainly not gonna rest on my watch."

He peeked through the doors of the warehouse. The inside was more like an old, run-down theatre, than a place to store things. He saw a number of figures standing around, and recognized some of them.

"Holy crap, is that Omega? And the frikkin' Tank?!"

He quietly slipped through, trying to avoid attention, and stopped next to a woman with a raven mask. She was accompanied by some sort of crocodile with black scales and green eyes, but she had a strange calmness surrounding her. He quietly whispered to her:

"Did I miss something? Where's Ditch?"

[Dolerman]

Valencia was in her apartment when she got the encrypted message from Ditch. She was very aware of this anonymous vigilante even before she became one herself. The MCPD was all over that case, trying to crack the code of the motivations and methods of them. Valencia was somewhat indifferent, she didn't feel particularly curious about Ditch or Ditch's target Umbra. But she had made a vow to herself. To take action when ever action was needed. It was like the Graffiti persona had already made the decision for her, it was time to be a vigilante again.

Valencia finished her self made smoothie and lazily strolled towards her lockbox which held all her gear. Her special neon dye hoodie and short pants, her breathing filter bandanna, her trusty paintball gun, fully loaded and her rucksack and utility belt filled with 24 cans of assorted spray paint. She grabbed two extra orange cans for flight in each hand. The meeting spot was 25 mins away by car. But If Valencia flew there with her cans (using her own special aerial slipstream) she could get there in probably about 10 mins.

Okay Val, its hero time. Easy work, just stay frosty.

Valencia talked herself into confidence as she climbed on her 23rd floor apartment balcony, over looking the city. She was in full costume now and had to fully assume herself as Graffiti.

She jumped off the balcony, took a deep breath and began to press hard on each spray-can she was now in flight to Racket Avenue.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Valencia never liked using the front door and Graffiti liked it even less. Upon circling the roof of the auditorium she decided to land near one of the skylight windows, though cloudy and grimy she could still see inside, the Vigilantes had came to meet, they were already talking to each other. Graffiti instantly recognized some of the faces. She had seen them before on police reports when she was still a cop.

The first face she recognized was that of Girard Babcock the physical powerhouse. The Media had started calling him tank, because of his large frame and near invulnerability. He had smashed a lot of gang activity in Valencia's district which also massively cut the drug trade which she was grateful for. There was also the man named Omega the powerful gravity manipulator. The police had a close eye on him, as the FBI had requested extra surveillance based on his activity. Rumor has it that his powers have military applications.

There were a few other people there who Graffiti had heard rumors about or seen the odd newspaper article on but not much more beyond that.

'The Blind Monster Tamer'

'The Teen Ghost Boy'

'The City Gorgon'

and then she noticed one who she couldnt look away from, the one who was crackling with internal electricity, she had seen his face on a neighbourhood watch website. The title sprang to mind immediately Beware the Living Conduit! May cause blackouts near your home!

Graffiti could no longer watch these people in curiosity, she opened up the roof window and jumped through. She fell fast like a rock, but her landing was cushioned by a controlled air pressure 'blanket' that she landed in. She turned toward the blonde girl in the dark clothes, who she assumed was the legendary ditch.

I'm guessing you are the one who brought us here? You sure any cops didn't follow you? Theyve stepped up surveillance you know. The media wants a 'freak' or a 'mutant' in custody.

Graffiti turned toward the nearest wall while making very brief eye contact with the electrical vigilante and omega before breaking out some glowing pink spray paint, she began to tag the wall....

UMBRA IS FINISHED!!

[Inertia]

Interacting with: Everyone in the warehouse, particularly Tank @General Scales

---

---

Before he knew it, Levi noticed a few more vigilantes entering the mix, some with well known names and others whispered amongst the populace as myth. Levi didn't really have an alias, nor a reason to hide his identity so he wasn't exactly impressed by Ditch's knowledge about him, but was curious about her knowledge about the other vigilantes and of course about 'Umbra'.

A damp and dark aura could be felt around the area, and before Levi knew it, there was another person next to Ditch, darkness basically hanging off of her body. It was Reaper, another name whispered amongst the masses. Levi was slightly impressed at the studded cast of 'vigilantes' gathered around.

"No need to be so bitter."
"You read the text, you know what you're here for. And please. Everything's available nowadays, no matter if you've spoken it or not."

Ditch replied to his inquiry earlier, however the answer just darkened Levi's expression further, but for now he chose to stay silent. Levi didn't care much for the reveal of her true identity, sure she was a looker. Levi in particular didn't care much about his own identity, so after taking a glance at 'Ditch' he looked back at the encroaching darkness, his patience wearing thin waiting for the other vigilantes to make their flashy entrances.

Ironically the next vigilante came normally, Turn back. Asking a question about something, of course he himself didn't care about, as after giving a fleeting glance he turned back staring into the nothingness. Well, until everything started shaking, another one, burst through the scene, no quite literally burst in on the weakened walls. Levi scowled, he jumped down from the support beam, and landed on the floor, his yellow lightning beginning to encircle and crackle around him.

"You." Levi directed at Tank, his scowl darkening further, "Do you intend to kill everyone here? Did you not see the state of this building before you entered?" as he said this the intensity of his lightning grew, in the darkness you could clearly see Levi because of the lightning furiously cascading around him. It was stupid to burst in on a building that was basically about to collapse by itself

Before he could get the answer, three more vigilantes entered the fray, but Levi was too focused on 'Tank' because of his flashy stunt that could have potentially made the building collapse. He heard the faint sound of a spray can, which Levi would have guessed to be Graffiti. Nevertheless his attention was never fully taken away from 'Tank.'

[CloseEnough]

She could hear the gentle movement of taking off one's mask, this was Ditch? The person in front of her?
A female, once again her own age, maybe even younger? She had no clue. A kind spirit holding something back, something hiding, no surprise, in this line of work you had to do that. She didn't know much about Ditch, even without the mask, all Aurora could figure out was that she was interesting.

Her Grim next to her began to move. His claws scraping the ground she listened to the scaly hide brush the stage as it jumped, landing near the woman who orchestrated the meeting. Green eyes looking up at the blond in silence for a few seconds, the quite air broken by a snap of it's jaws. A strange shriek like noise escaping it's throat that belonged to no dog.
She knew that sound, least she thought she did. "He's a Grim, a beast that will tell it's victim if they will face great misfortune in the future. Whoever you are Ditch, do be careful in the future."

She herself has used the Grim before and she found he was never really wrong, sure he was not direct. You could never figure out the time, place or exactly what would happen. Its something that keeps her from using him too much. But she could not deny it was useful in situations like this at times.

It didn't take long for a crash to be heard, tearing wood and wire. The stage, someone had just smashed through the stage. It had to be Tank, there were some well known names here and Tank was the one for destruction.
Staying at her post she could hear the one with the piercing gaze land behind her, yet thankful his eyes were not locked on her back any-more. His voice claiming that Tan could destroy this place, she called forth her book again.
"Hold on, don't move...grim my friend, disperse" Flipping through a page with a single motion she ran her finger over one of the many lines. The Grim vanishing in a wisp of emerald smoke. "Don't move, hes right I can hear everything snapping around you. Guy could bring the stage down at least." With her warning told she began to speak.
"With wings of silent fire, and a heart ever so great, he takes you to the skies, so long as you understand the stake, a burden of hero's and a blade of fortune, I call forth the companion of flames and other's misfortune."

On her shoulder appeared the same bird like creature she rode here, the beast seeming to be far smaller with darken flames occasionally capturing the light to gain a blue and white hue.
"Get him out of there if you will." Spreading it's wings it seemed to be no larger than a peacock, beating its wings to fly to Tank he gripped it's talon's in the giant's shoulder.
"Don't struggle, he is a phoenix so moving you is nothing so long as you don't throw a fit. Going back the way you came will only cause more damage."
The bird slowly but surly lifting the Tank began to set the male down on the stage before releasing him, with the deed done Aurora once again closed the book, a word of thanks as the beast vanished.

Hearing a voice at her side she simply mentioned with her head. "The one before us of course, do not worry, we were simply waiting for others."

Indeed she was, in the span of a few words more were coming, females if she was not mistaken. Each one having a different voice and different way of moving. Intimidating to say the least.

[Artifex]

When Ditch unmasked herself, Manny wasn't entirely surprised. He kind of called it which brought a hint of a smirk to his face. Just as she came down to engage the group more closely, yet another guy walked into the meeting.

What’s that...seven of us now?

Immediately following the latest arrival, something - or someone, rather - crashed through the wall behind Ditch and… into the stage.

Tank…

Manny looked at him with a raised eyebrow and chuckled to himself. Was he trying to level this place? It's a good thing they were in an abandoned area or that would have definitely drawn some attention.

Just as Manny was about to turn his attention back to Ditch, there was yet another late arrival. This time it was a young girl whom he recognized, but he didn't actually know her name. He'd almost jumped in to rescue her once, thinking she was about to get mugged (or worse), until she beat the ever-loving crap out of her attackers. The way she fought, he figured she was a super, so he let her handle her biz.

Before the words finished coming out of the girl's mouth, Manny noticed another person quietly slipping into the room. And just when he thought the group couldn't get any bigger, a figure dropped in through the ceiling a moment later. Manny immediately recognized Graffiti, who proceeded to tag the nearest wall.

And all I did was walk in…

As Tank was lifted from his tangle of wood and ragged cloth, Manny silently assessed the damage and prayed once again that the place didn't come crashing down. He looked around at the sheer number of people in the room.

Umbra must be a bad dude if we need this many people to try and take him down. I mean, he did manage to capture Suiren…

He once again turned his attention to Ditch, who seemed as though she was still waiting for people. There were already eleven of them. How many more could be coming?

[CloudyBlueDay]

As Turn Back entered, Ditch turned her head to face him, a small grin arising on her face. "I am indeed," She said with a nod. "Glad you could make it." She looked at him a little longer, before adding, "You don't have to raise your hand, y'know. I'm not your teacher." Ditch gave a small laugh, though her happy expression disappeared instantly as there was a big crash, and Tank was suddenly waist-deep in the stage of the auditorium. Ditch looked almost devastated.


"Man.. come on." She mumbled, turning around to face him and the damage he'd done. "The minifridge was gonna go there. And this place isn't stable already." She said with a sigh, rubbing her temples. People were showing up, and fast. "Damn, I sent messages to a lot of vigilantes, but I didn't expect they'd all come." Ditch whispered to herself. She guessed they all thought it was clever to enter in spectacular ways, and hey, she wasn't gonna blame them. Graffiti jumped down from the skylight, and Ditch gave a small smirk.


"I'm guessing you are the one who brought us here? You sure any cops didn't follow you? Theyve stepped up surveillance you know. The media wants a 'freak' or a 'mutant' in custody." Ditch brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "Yep, I'm aware. And I'm sure no cops followed me. This place is abandoned for the most part, save for a few junkies, who won't be coming back. I've got surveillance of my own, too." Another quick look at her watch, then a smile back at Grafitti. "Also, while I appreciate the message you're spray painting on my wall.. I'm trying to keep this place nice," Ditch said, brows furrowed. "..Never mind." She muttered.

Seeing as everyone looked to be a bit confused about who was Ditch, she pulled the mask so it went just past her eyes and the majority of it rested on her head. "Casual reminder, I'm Ditch." She called out, casting a side-ways glance at Raven Tale, and then the phoenix. "Well then." Ditch breathed.


"Something stupid obviously had to happen when you put so many supers in one place," Ditch said with another laugh. "I just didn't expect it so soon."