Artifex

Tales of Millennium

He was impressed at her resolve considering the current situation. She apparently looked much worse off than she actually was as she didn't claim to have any serious injuries. Walking around to where the rider's leg was pinned, Manny braced himself to lift the horse. He could feel the significant drop in body temperature compared to a few minutes ago and a tiny bit more grief hit his heart. Slowly, he raised the heavy weight of the animal off of the girl’s leg.

“Think you’ll be able to move yourself with your good arm?”

“Yeah…”

Carefully Aurora began to feel around the saddle, biting her lip she began to push herself away from Sweet Tea. Blood rushing through her veins that have been stilled almost too long causing pins and needles to run down her entire leg.
She didn’t want to know what her leg looked like under the riding pants. With unsteady movements she began to try and stand. Though like a newborn she simply fell back, her leg refusing to give her the support she needs right away. “Shit….”
Taking a few deep breaths she tried again. Her muscles screaming in protest while her joints gave a sickening crack at the movement. Yet she stood, a great deal of effort it took but she was still able to stand. Stand to her full height in fact, for her head did not even brush the lowest beam. “There a way out….?”

“Yeah...here…”

Manny offered his arm to the girl, now very noticeably short, seeing that she had some trouble standing. He imagined her leg was recovering from being held down under the mass of the horse and she might be dizzy from the small head injury she appeared to have gotten. He carefully guided her out of the mess of debris.

“Maybe we should sit you down for a sec...”

Carefully feeling through the air, Aurora found her hand grasping an arm. No surprise it was more muscular than some, whoever he was had strength that of a super….
The thought drifting through her mind. She leaned on him as one would a cane. Limping through debriee till she finally felt the open wind that threatened to knock her over.

The offer for rest was indeed a sweet one. Nodding her head, she moved in the direction of a bench. Goliath at her feet in a heartbeat, his whines and sniffing bringing a bittersweet smile to her face. “I’m okay boy…..”
Yeah...she was okay, yet she couldn’t help but slowly turn her head in the direction of the arena. Sweet Tea….how horrid she must look, how scared she must have been that she could not even move….
“Th-”

“Aurora!” A frantic cry sounding through the path ways, she could hear the crunching of gravel under one’s boots. The panting breath and skidding moves showing all signs of worry. “Oh my god! Aurora, I heard the roof collapse, I-I’ll call an ambulance. Is the filly okay?”

At the mention of the filly, Aurora allowed her head to hang. A new set of tears falling from her eyes, and marring the crimson that painted her face. The Groom that found them began to step back, his own face falling at the news. “I’ll be right back….you, you helped her right? Can you stay with her, keep her awake?”

Manny nodded to the groom as he went to call for help. He turned to the girl and once again donned his comforting tone.

“I’m glad I was able to get to you in time...um, my name’s Manny.”

He gave her a smile, even though he knew she couldn’t see it, hoping in some way she could maybe ‘feel’ it.

Tales of Millennium

"We're here! Please, my horse is stuck!"

Oh, good...a response is good…

As Manny got closer to the site of the collapse, the figures of the horse and its rider became clearer. The rider was a young female who seemed to be trapped under the horse...but the horse wasn’t in as good of a position. Even from far away, he could see the animal probably wouldn’t make it. It had taken most if not all of the debris and was pretty much crushed. The weight of all that on the girl could not be favorable and he wondered what injuries she had sustained. He slid to a halt as soon as he reached the wreckage.

Holy…

The scene was not pretty...not at all anything he was expecting to see today. The girl cradled the small horse in her arm. The other arm seeming to hang limp at her side. And the horse was a mangled mess...and it looked rather young. Poor thing didn’t even get to live a full life. The girl’s face was streaked with blood, dirt, and tears. Manny’s heart broke at the sad sight.

But there was no time for sadness, he had to act. He knelt down and placed his hand on the young filly. She was still warm, but lifeless. She didn’t make it very long after the collapse. He looked up at the girl and spoke as gently and urgently as he could.

“Hey, I’m gonna get you out, but I need to move all this heavy stuff first, alright?”

Manny appeared to have inhuman strength as he quickly began moving broken wood beams and heavy slabs of roofing carefully to the side which would have taken a few men to lift. He noticed some of the beams were a bit rotted and weak, and the pressure of the wind must have taken its toll on them. They were lucky more of the roof didn’t come down. The wind howled through the large hole above, though not as loudly as it had a few minutes prior. It seemed the wind was dying down a bit -- at least enough to where the hole wouldn’t get any larger. When it came time to move the horse, he swallowed hard. He couldn’t imagine how the girl must feel about what happened to the little filly. He knelt down to speak to her again, this time realizing that she hadn’t opened her eyes. He thought at first it was because she was crying, but now he saw she was keeping them deliberately closed. He immediately thought back to the red vest on the dog...seeing-eye dog…

She’s blind…she didn’t even see it coming...

It was one of the most heartbreaking things Manny had seen in awhile. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke to the rider once again.

“I, um, got your horse free, so now it’s your turn, okay?”

Tales of Millennium

Man, I really should check the weather more often before I go out…

Once again, the weather did not favor Manny’s hobby. The winds kicked up all kinds of debris and caused the older structures to rattle in protest. The buildings in this part of town, which was actually on the outskirts, were worn and badly maintained. Several of the buildings were altogether deserted, left empty and crumbling. There weren’t as many people out here as there were in the city proper, so that meant less crowds and noise and…

You know...this might not be a bad place for another hideout…

Manny stood in the middle of the upper room of an abandoned bar. It appeared the owners had just picked up and left...and took the booze with them. He was surprised that no one homeless was holed up in the place, though this area wasn’t really known for that. It was just dated and in need of some...love. The walls creaked slightly under the pressure of the gusts outside and the wind whistled through those crevices that weren’t airtight. He carefully walked back down the stairs and out of the back entrance, checking one last time for any ‘liquid treasures’ he might happen upon before leaving. He walked down the blustery street, keeping himself grounded with his gravity powers while random papers and cans sailed past him on the currents. There weren’t many people out today -- perhaps because they weren’t idiots who didn’t keep up with the forecast -- so it was a rather lonely stroll. As he moved into more open air (and more prominent winds), he neared an arena that looked like it was used for horses. Then, a particularly strong gust rose up, and he heard a rumbling sound indicative of a building collapsing -- possibly just in part. He knew that sound all too well and it appeared to come from the arena, which surprised Manny because it looked to be one of the more intact structures in the area.

I guess everything around here is getting old...hope no one got hurt or anything...

His mind suddenly and quickly flashed back to the day he rescued his brother from a pile of debris as the everything around him was ablaze. The heat of the flames, the blinding smoke, the searing hot chunks of rubble Manny to toss aside to free his brother, all rushed through his brain in an instant, bringing a frown to his face. He snapped out of it as a dog started barking nearby. He looked up to see a Rottweiler in a red vest running frantically from the arena looking as if it needed help. Manny’s vigilante instincts kicked in and he approached the dog as it whined and yelped.

“What’s wrong, boy? Someone need help?”

The dog barked in response as it darted back into the building. As Manny was lead to a locked gate, he could already see the pile of debris from the apparent roof collapse. The dog stood at the gate, barked once more, and began to whine, looking desperately at the pile on the other side. Manny sprinted, hopped the gate, and dashed for the rubble.

“Hey! Anyone in there?!”

Tales of Millennium

Relief, annoyance, and surprise all hit the gravity manipulator at once as he watched the hellish beast disappear and listened to the ever-fading roar of the bird girl’s motorcycle. Not many had been able to get away from Omega, especially when he had them cornered. It seemed she had some sort of summoning powers, and he wondered whether they got any worse than a huge demon dog.

Probably...which is why she must be so dangerous…

As the adrenaline started to fade out of his system, he began to feel just how much damage the Grim had actually inflicted. There were several cuts on his arms, shoulders, and chest. None of them were deep enough to warrant immediate attention, but they wouldn’t just heal overnight, either. He decided it was time to pay someone special a visit.

“I haven’t seen Ma in a bit, anyway.”

Still slightly shocked at his most recent encounter, he shook his head and called it a night.

The next morning, Manny made his way to his parents’ home outside the city. His father would already be at work and his mother wouldn’t be home from working the night shift until around noon. So, he would just wait and surprise his mother. He arrived and made his way around to the backyard where Sonya’s immense and immaculate garden was planted. After hanging out for a few hours, Manny heard his mom emerge from the back door.

“Manny! How good to see you! How are you, sweetheart?” Sonya cheerfully asked as she walked over to greet her son.

“I’m just fine, Ma,” Manny said as he rose from the chair he was sitting in to give his mother a hug. He winced under the pressure of the embrace.

“You sure about that, son?” Sonya had a slight frown and a motherly “you can’t fool me” look in her eyes. Manny avoided her gaze as she attempted to make direct eye contact.

“Of course, I am.” Manny flashed a weak grin.

“Manny…”

“It’s nothing bad, Ma. Just a few scratches from trying to catch a bird.”

“You expect me to believe that, Sir Newton?”

Manny let out a light laugh as he returned to his chair. “Look, Ma, we’ve both had a long night, so why you just relax with me?” He grabbed a guitar that was propped nearby and motioned to an empty chair.

Sonya gave a sigh and shook her head as she sat down. She was actually quite relieved to be off her feet and enjoyed the extra bonus of Manny’s visit. As Manny began to play, she took a deep breath, taking in the many aromas of her vast collection of flowers. Eventually, she accompanied his playing with singing and let her healing powers work their magic.

“Don’t expect to come running to me every time you have a ‘bird-related’ injury.”

“Don’t worry, Ma. It won’t be a problem for long,” Manny said with a prematurely satisfied grin.

-----

Of course, he was wrong. Every time Omega managed to corner the Raven, she would slip away. Not only that, her summons had gotten even creepier. She seemed to be enjoying the getaway, perhaps even toying with him. Though on the other hand, he still hadn’t brought himself to come down on her full force. He wasn’t sure why, but he continued to show the girl restraint. Maybe it was because she never actually attacked him...or perhaps it was her constant claims of being one of the good guys. Whatever the case, Raven Tale had intrigued him, to say the least - especially with this latest escape. Not many supers without flight powers would willingly jump from a building...and then to be caught by a phoenix...he had to give her style points for sure.

He stood there on the ledge watching the bike leave the scene without even bothering to give chase. He folded his arms as his smirk faded to neutral and Raven’s words came to mind.

...I have caused no such trouble, ponder my words sometime...for the tenth moon, I was not the cause of that battle…

“Well, I can’t really be sure of that until I actually catch you...and believe me, that day is coming soon.”

It wasn’t a threat...but a complete and utter certainty.

Tales of Millennium

“Huh?”

Before he could further question what was going on, a large demon dog had appeared right in front of him and lunged at him full force, teeth bared and jaws snapping.

“Oh, sh-...!”

Caught off-guard, Omega couldn’t prevent the beast from tackling him to the ground. Grabbing and pushing at various spots to counter the Grim’s attempts at tearing into him, he momentarily lost his concentration on his prey, allowing her to summon her...motorcycle?...and ride away.

“Ugh...dammit!”

He continued to wrestle with the beast until he finally was able to get his bearings and hurl it to the side. He quickly got to his feet and darted after the girl, though the Grim had recovered just as quickly and was right on his heels. As much ground as Omega gained on the bird girl, the demon dog gained just as much on him.

“Son of a…!”

He made a quick decision to break off the chase and try to shake the Grim. It wasn’t like this would be his only chance to catch this girl and it didn’t look like the beast was backing off anytime soon. He dove into the next empty alley, rolling into a tumble, and sprinted toward the nearest wall. As the Grim skidded into the alley right behind him, he started to run up the wall toward the roof, hoping that the beast wasn’t able to do the same.

Tales of Millennium

A slight feeling of joy overcame Omega when the super whipped around. He was sure they were gonna run. He lowered the pull of gravity around him, priming for the chase. He’d let them get a good run in before he pinned them down - he had to have a little fun.

But they didn’t immediately take off. What were they planning? Instead, the super spoke to him.

"For opposing to someone bringing death to one's face? The one before me seems to be misguided indeed, following blindly like tis once done...."

Hmm...she’s a girl? This super that’s scaring everyone is a girl? And what’s with the weird language?

Omega folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. He was a bit thrown off by her reaction. He was fully expecting her to bolt….her...yeah, his game plan would have to change ever so slightly because she was a girl. You know...chivalry and all that. He had to pause a moment to put together what she was saying before he spoke again.

“Uh, look, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I can’t let you run around causing any more trouble. Let’s not make this difficult. I’ve already got you.”

He really had no idea why he was being so lax with a super that was supposed to be such a danger. Perhaps it was overconfidence because he caught her so easily. No matter what it was, he knew this was a wrap already.

Tales of Millennium

Omega stood silently on the roof of a building in one of the rougher parts of town where the ‘little birdie’ was reported to have appeared. It was a pretty typical place to catch a bad guy or two, so he wasn’t really surprised. If this dude really was a troublemaker, this was a perfect place to catch them prowling around.

He had spent the evening reviewing some of the news articles and such surrounding this mysterious super, but hadn’t really turned up much information. There did seem to be a dark nature about their power and they seemed to always be fleeing the scene of whatever crime they just committed. Runners were no problem at all for Omega - in fact one of his favorite parts about his job was a good chase. A smirk crept onto his face at the thought.

He was using his gravity aura to repel the rain away from him, which was keeping him dry enough, though it didn’t do anything to help visibility. Rather than patrol the rooftops looking down dark alleyways on a rainy night like this one, he had concluded earlier that it would be easier to pick a central location and listen for…

“Sirens.”

Just then, the blaring traveled through the muggy air, originating from just a street or two to the east. As Omega made his way toward the disturbance, he could hear the roar of a motorcycle engine along with the sirens.

“Not the most discreet mode of transportation…”

Rather than follow the police cars, he bypassed them and went to pursue the motorcycle directly. He wasn’t totally surprised that the chase was short-lived for the authorities, since it sounded like the bike was moving much faster than their vehicles. Plus, it was MCPD...he couldn’t expect much in the first place. The sound of the engine came to a stop in an even more desolate area than the chase had begun, and Omega peered down just in time to see a dark figure taking shelter near an empty building. The police were nowhere in sight.

“Guess this is why they needed me to catch this guy.”

He carefully moved to a spot just above the place where the super was crouched and paused slightly before advancing, recalling the fact that he didn’t exactly know the extent of this person’s powers. The news classified them as dangerous, so he proceeded with caution. Hopping down from the roof, he landed rather lightly considering how far the drop was and faced the dark-clad super. He kept enough distance between them to be ready for any surprises.

“Hello, my fine, feathered friend...you’re not getting off that easy…”

Tales of Millennium

Manny

It was terrible weather for exploring. The moisture hung thick in the air, intensifying the smell of mold and mildew. The leaky ceiling dripped water in various spots, and one could swear that the roof would collapse in any moment. It wasn’t necessarily the fact that the building was in any better condition on a dry day, but the dampness didn’t exactly improve the environment.

Manny rose from his perch high above the atrium of what used to be a rather classy hotel and hopped onto the nearby wall, sliding his way down until he came to a point just above the floor where he simply stepped off the wall and began walking. He discreetly exited the building, noticing that the rain had ceased, though a quick glance at the sky indicated that round two was on its way. He decided that was enough ‘fun’ for now and headed down the muggy street to the nearest subway, homeward bound. It wouldn’t however, be the end of his activities for the day. The police had been keeping tabs on a creepy super with a bird head and had the nerve to recruit Omega to help them take care of the threat. What was he their errand boy or something? Audacity aside, it did pique his interests, and he figured he may owe the boys-in-blue a favor or two for not throwing him behind bars. So, Manny decided that he would take a shot at this ‘mysterious’ super, so they would stop blabbing about it in the news...as much as he hated working in the rain.

Effortlessly weaving his way through the crowds, he boarded the train and took a seat near an elderly lady whose eyes lingered a bit too long on his dreadhawk. He pretended not to notice as he threw on his headphones, started one of his ‘subway’ playlists, and thanked the heavens that his destination wasn’t too far.

Tales of Millennium

Name: Manhattan McClain
Quote: “And who’s gonna stop me? …You?”
Alias: Omega
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Family: Mother - Sonya (super); Father - Richard, older brother - Ellis (non-super)

Occupation:
Coming from a family who manages their finances pretty well, Manny makes his money work for him, giving him time to train most days. He does, however, help his father with his construction business quite often.

Appearance:

Manny is 5'9” and about 185lbs. He has a muscular build but isn't massively buff. He does like to show off his arms, so most of his wardrobe is short sleeved or sleeveless.

His ‘hero’ wear consists of a black base layer underneath a dark grey/black vest. He wears black shoulder pads over the vest which are strapped in place with an Omega-shaped buckle. He wears dark gray fingerless gloves that go halfway up his forearm, loose-fitting black pants with padded knees, and boots with the same color scheme as his vest. On his head, he wears a set of ski-like goggles that wrap completely around his head and a wrap over the top of his head to cover his hair.

Method of Operation:
His home base is in a secret location, but he can usually be found cruising the rooftops, surveilling the city from above. He has enough cooperation with the authorities that he hasn't been arrested yet. Since he can easily take out larger groups, he usually looks out for gang activity.

Superpower:
Gravity Manipulation
Manny can alter his own gravity or the gravity of a given area, the largest being about the size of a school gymnasium. He also uses a few gravity-based attacks. Specific abilities include:

Upforce/Downforce: decrease/increase the effect of the planet's gravity in a specific area
Force Push/Pull: repel/attract objects using force (precision is somewhat limited)
Concussive Blast: emit a burst of force in single direction
Zero Point Gravity: can attract all matter within a small area to a single point in space
Personal Gravity Manipulation/Gravity Aura: can alter the effects of gravity on himself enhancing his jumping ability, allowing him to walk on walls/ceilings, and giving him levitation and gliding abilities (though he can't technically ‘fly’). He also uses this power to land harder strikes when fighting and repel things like bullets (he has to be consciously doing this; he's not bulletproof).

Manny is limited to the amount of alteration happening at one time. This includes area of effect, the strength of the alteration, and the amount of time the area is affected.

Reckless use of his power can also cause a good bit of collateral damage, so he has to be careful when affecting the gravity of something other than himself.

Skills:
Since his vigilante work involves frequent contact with bad guys, Manny has become a skilled fighter. He trains at several different gravity levels and, at times, with weighted clothing. He also has very good parkour skills. Also, thanks to his father, he knows a good bit about construction.

Equipment:
Goggles - altering gravity can sometimes loosen up a lot of floating particles
Music player - never goes anywhere without his music

Personality:
Being born a super has given Manny a thick skin when it comes to negativity. He doesn't let many things bother him and humbly recognizes his superiority over humans. He understands the human disdain for supers: some are jealous, some scared, others are just put off by the abnormal. As a matter of fact, he has a certain animosity himself for supers who misuse or abuse their powers. Jeopardizing innocent lives is wrong no matter what a person's genetic code happens to be.

Manny likes adventure and exploration, and living in Millennium City ensures he's never bored. Having powers gives him freedom from a normal human lifestyle and using those powers for good gives him a sense of purpose.

When faced with a challenge, he is confident in his abilities but still errs on the side of caution. He knows how to stay level-headed in most situations, seeing panic and doubt as surefire ways to fail.

Manny tends to keep people in the neutral zone until he sees their true nature. He prefers independence, but still cooperates with others if necessary. He likes to crack a joke or two, whether or not the humor is appreciated. Since Manny has earbuds permanently attached to his head, he tends to quote a lot of lyrics and sing/hum to himself.

Biography:
Manny grew up just outside Millennium City. His father, Richard, owns a construction company which started locally and moved into the city when business grew, and his mother, Sonya, works at the local children's hospital. His parents met in high school and married soon afterward. Sonya revealed her power to Richard a little after they got engaged which she was certain would drive him away, but he was only upset that she hadn't mentioned it sooner. This may had only been because she had a ‘good’ power, but to this day, he claims that it was because of ‘true love’. His mother has the ability to physically heal bio-mass with her singing voice.

Sonya had to pretty much beg for children, the second being an easier sell because the first didn't have powers. Richard's human genes apparently dominated in Manny’s older brother, Ellis, so Manhattan is the only child of theirs with powers. Growing up, Sonya helped Manny develop his powers while always urging him to keep it to himself. He didn't quite understand why he had to be so secretive when his mom used her powers for work, but she always told him he would get it one day.

When ‘one day’ came, Manny was in his late teens and he decided to pack up his things and move into the city. His parents reluctantly let him go, reminding him that the city was dangerous even for a super, and especially for a teenager, but they couldn't change his mind. He needed a place to freely explore his powers, and he promised to never get his family involved or even reveal his relation to them (in case he gained some enemies).

Manny took to the city pretty well and spent a lot of time exploring, but he didn't really get serious about being a vigilante until his brother was injured in a fire caused by a pyrokinetic. Ellis ended up trapped underneath some fallen rubble, and even though Manny was able to rescue him, Ellis was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. At that moment, Manhattan dedicated himself fully to ridding the city of crime and finding the person responsible for his brother's injury.

Theme Song:
Weapons of Mass Distortion - The Crystal Method

Never Normal - a Superhero Vigilante RP

Manny flashed an innocent grin as Ditch glared at him. Even though he barely knew her, he already figured out how to push her buttons. Raven’s offer of sleep meds was kind of amusing, too. Knowing that she was a rider, Manny figured it probably had to do with horses since she said it could level Tank. An image of their ‘fearless leader’ high on horse pills made its way into his head and he chuckled inwardly.

She may not like me keeping this from her, but if she actually does get some rest, she’ll thank me later.

When the scuffle broke out between TB and Wraith, Manny frowned a bit in frustration. The last thing they needed right now was even more dissension within the group, even if TB made a good point about Wraith’s disregard for the kid’s well-being. Manny figured it was just another case of her being young and self-centered, though even for her it seemed a bit severe. She’d remain on his ‘watch’ list. Thankfully, the argument was cut off by both Reaper and Ditch, and Wraith actually apologized for her actions.

That’s...kind of promising, actually.

Ditch started speaking once again, dismissing Reaper’s (and Manny’s) concerns about the hideout being compromised, and also informing them that things were expected to get worse. This particular comment didn’t necessarily come as a surprise considering who they were dealing with, but it was still quite unnerving to hear it spoken out loud.

When everyone started offering up their homes to keep the boy safe, Manny decided not to volunteer. His home was hidden and he wanted to keep it that way. He wasn’t just going to leave the kid hanging, though.

“I’m kind of on the side of Raven and Tank. I can’t provide an actual place, but I’m more than willing to pitch in and help wherever it’s needed. I’ve even got another medical contact in case Reaper’s guy gets, uh...busy. I mean, the kid’s injuries don’t look more than skin-deep, but you never know. His value as far as inside information goes is massive, as Ditch pointed out, so we gotta take care of the little guy. Heh, everything happens for a reason, right? We should take this as sort of a good sign.”

Manny looked down at the boy, watching his chest rise and fall slowly with each breath he took in his deep sleep. He had a soft spot for children and hated to see the little dude in such bad shape. Manny gave him a small grin, even though he clearly wouldn’t see it.

“As freaked out as we all are about the mind control, this kid might even know something about how it works. It’s a good idea for him to stay with Ditch for a bit, since he responds to her the best. Even the smallest bit of info will help for now.”

Manny put his hand back in his pocket, debating whether he should actually keep the bracelet from Ditch or not. Seeing how frazzled and weathered she was -- and also the writing all over her arm -- he decided to stand by his earlier statement. He sincerely hoped she would take his advice and rest up.

“And Tank makes a good point. We all need to be at the top of our game from here on out. As if it wasn’t already blatantly apparent, seeing how Umbra treated this kid shows how freakin’ ruthless he can be. Leaving ourselves vulnerable is the last thing we wanna do...especially since we’ve teamed up.”

Manny kicked up his feet and leaned back into a hover as if he were relaxing in an invisible midair lounging chair and put his hands behind his head.

“But, anyway...no need for me to keep being redundant…”