Asuras

-FV-

Late Morning. December 3rd, 21XX - Fort Five, Shanhu

Mason let out a gentle laugh, and shook his head at Iphigenia.

"My granddaughter is quite the tough one, even for her child-like excitement to meet you all. I'd be careful calling her a 'kiddo'! After all, she's no younger than Kyouko or Runa here," he said, gesturing to the two youngest Final Five. "I truly feel like an old man when I wish for only the best for her to eat, but I'm not senile yet either, and I've got my eyes still, so I know that she loves that DIHOP." Mason began to type something into his phone, googling the location of somewhere he'd had in memory.

"I believe there is one not too far from this complex," he began, "By what John had said though, you may not all have time for karaoke. I'm sure Victoria would be happy to be spared from singing, to be quite honest!" Mason laughed again. "I'll let her know where to meet you all," he said, sending a quick ping with his phone to relay the location of the DIHOP. Several stories down, and a mile away. Easily accessible by pedestrian bridges if the Final Five felt like getting cardio rather than calling a shuttle.

Evening. December 3rd, 21XX - Commercial Complex 16B, Shanhu

Ultimately, the Final Five would depart by whatever means, heading into the more middling levels of the city, and into an equally massive tower packed to bursting with commercial storefronts. Things were busy here in one of the spaces where countless residential complexes converged, as it served as a hub for just about anything anyone could need within a several mile radius. Their designated 'Denny's International House of Pancakes' had a decent amount of patronage at their dinner time, but most knew it was when the hour struck midnight that the place usually became its most full, assaulted by the oddities of the city for their late-night munchies. Thanks to robotics, the establishment could send its tired employees home whilst still maintaining a 24/7 schedule for the restaurant.

After being seated, for those who chose not to arrive in disguise, the group was themselves assaulted by curious stares. For the time being, they were spared requests for autographs, though the mumbling of citizens debating if they should was plain to anyone who listened in. A server, likely themselves withholding their own excitement to maintain a professional composure, approached the table.

"Welcome to DIHOP! What can I get you all?" the young woman asked cheerily, holding her tablet at the ready to record orders. Mason's granddaughter had yet to arrive, it seemed, looking around.

-FV-

Late Morning. December 3rd, 21XX - Fort Five, Shanhu

Mason wiggled his mustache and cleared his throat before responding to Runa as he lifted his newspaper back up to continue reading.

"In total, five unmanned vehicles have been sent in. Only one returned, but such a case seemed like the result of caution than anything notable. The unmanned Kurganets-70 only entered the area for about 5 minutes before returning back. The pilots... Ahem... 'chickened out' it seemed," he explained.

John nodded to the butler before returning his attention to the Final Five. Reaching across, he retrieved all of the dossiers except for the PSYBLOC incident casefile, leaving the details for the team themselves.

"Sounds like an agreement then. Worry not though, Runa. Iphigenia. We'll get to the other tasks in time. I don't currently have anyone that can or would take up the missions themselves, so most of these are on you... Not to rush you all or anything. The world might be rife with odd events, but it's been that way for awhile now, hasn't it?" John chuckled, standing up. "It can stand to deal with them for a bit longer I'd say. Let's hope none of them are the world-ending scenarios, and this PSYBLOC matter is the right call."

John gave a nod to Mason and headed for the exit to the room -ultimately he was several doors away from fully exiting the whole headquarters.

"I'll set up the transportation for you all ASAP. But until then, you've some free time. I'll call you all before the end of the day, almost certainly. I'd anticipate to be heading westbound for some harsh Russian weather within 24 hours," John explained, standing beneath the door to the hall. "And... feel free to decide on what you'll do after this mission's complete. Perhaps the Musicians or London's thieves? I'll talk to you all later." At that, John disappeared around a corner, followed by the shutting of the door behind him.

Mason ruffled his newspaper and folded it, setting it down.

"If I may, heroes, before you leave. I was hoping you could help me with a much simpler matter?" he asked, "Didn't wish to ask this of you while John was around, and risk his ire for burdening you with even more troubles. This old man simply wished to give his granddaughter a chance to meet those she looks up to."

-FV-

Late Morning. December 3rd, 21XX - Fort Five, Shanhu

"I may not be able to shoo away the paparazzi if they find you out on the streets in the forthcoming weeks, but I'm hoping that the places you'll be will give would-be camera crews the spine-tingle to stay away," John said, tapping the desk. "To that end, no more interviews. Sorry about forcing you into that one with EGN the other day, by the way, Iphigenia. My hands were tied," he hummed.

"Cobalt won't be joining us just for the hardware you might be thinking of," he said, looking between Runa and Jin-sun. "She's been through the paces with the Osprey PMC in Australia's Area Zero. Eventually worked for Hientje's R&D. You might be privvy to your own weaponry at will, Runa, but the time may call for something... integrative. To that end, the doctor was specifically sought after due to his involvement with the cleanup of Operation Unknown -the very same that made you." He continued,

"I'm not sure what you've learned yet in history classes with Kyouko, but there was somewhat of an Operation Paperclip following -the end of World War 2. Doctor Meyer was given an amount of the research materials to continue with where he could. If there's anyone out there who could heal you when you can't yourself, it's this guy." John paused, clearing his throat as Kyouko sifted through the various leads. When she finished with her exclamations, he elaborated on the menagerie of titles that the young girl relayed.

"Magical effects in general have surfaced at an alarming rate in the last few weeks. The kinds that we don't have much information about. Ever since the Awakening, no manner of scientific research has managed to quite piece together how to understand these things. Only Grimoire Group has come close with their Leyline Engines, ignoring the amount of information they're probably keeping well hidden. We don't know how to deal with cultists, mages, the like... Any one of them could turn out big, Tian-gui, or they may be tiny. It's hard to say for some of these."

John tapped a finger on each of the dossiers that Kyouko had moved around the table, speaking about it and re-organizing it at the same time. The first was labeled 'Bremen Musicians' as Kyouko had exclaimed.

"On the matter of Operation Unknown, it seems some misplaced research materials had eluded the grasp of the 'States. Given the presence of a few misbegotten... subjects appearing in Shanhu, and the simultaneous timing of some claims by the Musicians on their variously-frequented internet boards, it's clear that they're being used for... improper means."

The document described a certain 'Musicians of Bremen' anonymous group, made up of unsavory 'artists' who dealt in body modification as a kind of artistic expression. And it wasn't the tattoo'ing kind. Abominations were encountered and dealt with in Shanhu's lower levels, and not long after forum board messages appeared from vaguely-verified Musician members claiming responsibility for the creations. There was a threat of more encounters in the future.

"If you want to pursue this one, you'll want to talk to Yigga first," John said, moving onto the next, labeled 'Church of Gears'.

"After the news cycle beat the Skyfleet topic to death, this Church came out of the woodworks. Definite cultists that are believed to have been in meetings for about twenty or so years. They're highly secluded from global connectivity, so information on them is next to nothing. They're nearby an abandoned stellar cannon power plant, long abandoned by larger civilization. It'd be a task without a lot of amenities," John said.

The document described in better detail about the reason why the 'Church of Gears' was more than just an oddity; power failures in German towns nearest to the cult's own ramshackle town were loosely attributed to them, if only due to their centrality to the surrounding affected locations. The zone they lived in was considered 'Legacy Uncontrolled Territory', signifying it's possible importance in the future with regards to stellar cannon operation. Only those belonging to no nation settled there.

The third document Kyouko had spoke of, 'Yesterday's Promise' depicted a Changed individual, heavily augmented by cybernetics. A single red eye glowed from beneath a dark hood. John paused on speaking about them, appearing as if to gather his words.

"If you'll recall the incidents where the leyline engines were 'failing' leading up to the Thremont's big move," he began, "The investigations finally came through. Turns out it was deliberate. Terrorist attacks very well-disguised as inescapable engineering failures. Yesterday's Promise is the name, though it's clearly a codename. Leader of his own band of mercenaries. Seems as though the young man was convinced by Thremont himself to aid the company and his ultimate intents; world peace by force. Give the illusion that leyline engines can't work, so the world turns to Thremont's Abyssal Engine -the thing you recovered from the flagship," John explained.

"Whoever they are, Yesterday clearly knows his stuff with magic. Finding him has been impossible, but if we work together, I think we can narrow the search, and pick up a trail."

A fourth document was labeled 'Psybloc Incident'.

"This one is likely to be the most dubious, and yet the most straightforward... paradoxically," John said. The sound of crinkling newspaper followed suddenly, as Mason jostled forward.

"If I may, Mister Cornell" Mason said, clearing his throat. The butler folded the newspaper he had in his hand, placing it flat against the table and turning it towards the group.

[10k square miles of Sakha Republic, Russia, lost to unknown event]

The news headline, and its proceeding explanation, remained as vague as each other. 'Something' had happened, and a swathe of the land became uninhabitable. Investigators entering the area never returned, and satellites could pick up no signs, infrared or otherwise, of anything living besides the hardy permafrost vegetation.

"The only sign of anything having been there was a single record in a bank transfer database row from Switzerland. 'PSYBLOC', attributed to a non-existent rural town in the Sakha Republic, way up north. Whatever's there... regular investigators have given up on uncovering. Obviously we'd be sending you all in to figure out what the Hell happened. The last one I have for you all hits Iphigenia's home," John said, pushing forward the final folder.

"London's been seeing a number of museums and research companies being pilfered. The culprit is still at large, and the only unifying feature between the items stolen is apparently buried behind the state's MI6. All of the items were labeled as 'OSW', but the meaning behind the acronym is highest-tier confidential. I'm still trying to understand why their label is a state secret, but the items themselves are not. In any case, there are other known OSW items, which means you'd all be put up to the task of aiding local police in intercepting the next attack. Thus far they've been unsuccessful. The assailant has used utterly different methods every incident."

John returned each of the folders neatly into a staggered pile, and crossed his arms over one another as he leaned upon the dinner table.

"It's up to you all which you'd like to pursue first and, of course, I'm here for you if you've got any additional questions about them."

-FV-

Late Morning. December 3rd, 21XX - Fort Five, Shanhu

Holiday season decorations littered the streets, while grandiose displays of expendable cash hung from office buildings, no doubt obscuring many of the good views that office workers would otherwise have while suffering under their menial pencil-pushing jobs.

The air was a special breed of cold out in the middle of the Pacific, even dampened by the sheer volume of warm human bodies that permeated Shanhu. There was never any snow, unless one took a trip to an indoor mall that fancied itself festive, and installed snow-generation systems in its halls.

Streetside window-shop buildings offered sales that were probably only a few percentage-points higher than they were year-round, but enticed the population no less. A minuscule number of religious holdouts shouted "Merry Christmas!" with the signboards they taped up onto their windows, just echoes of a time when the holidays weren't simply about family, romance, and consumers.

After recent events, however distant they might have been to the people of Shanhu, there was an extra level of holiday cheer to their lives, knowing that a world-changing event had been averted... at the very least partially. Businesses were more festive, the people more excited, and the Fort Five, overlooking a busy column of hard streets and guided aerial lanes, had a fine view of it all.

With Thremont Corporation all but dissolved, its late leader destroyed, and the world rejoicing at the sudden resolution of a predicament that they had not even prepared for themselves, the Final Five were afforded a sudden influx of cash, albeit funneled into improving the group as a whole, rather than to spot them for whimsical desires.

The newly established "Fort Five" was their roomy headquarters, no longer confined to a penthouse that fit several supporting players, never mind the labs-worth of machinery that Anfisa had stuffed into one of the rooms. With several spaces just for things like research and technology on top of the more residential areas, the fort Five was a roomy, cozy, and downright lavishly contemporary double-penthouse situated on the sixty-third floor of a tower overlooking one of Shanhu's many lanes.

Though the size of the home base had increased considerably, the size of its fighting force had not. Only Mason, Amoix, and Yigga called the Fort "home" themselves, while Anfisa came by only to make use of the laboratory -a laboratory which was now "officially sanctioned" thanks to the organizations efforts and victories. Limov was a fleeting presence as usual, stopping by most often for free cold ones and a chat. And while John was a similarly enigmatic appearance to the Fort, he was present there on this chilly winter day.

Mason sat at the 8-person dining table of the Fort, feet away from their spacious kitchen of chrome luster, enjoying a mundane glass of water as he enjoyed some well-deserved rest. John sat at the head of the table, just beside Mason, himself sipping from a cup of coffee he had picked from the local Sundollars. Morning as it was, for The Informant, there was always work to do -that he was sitting and having a drink at all was nothing short of a miracle. Having just arrived and catching Mason and, perhaps, the Final Five themselves, he was nevertheless quick to get to the business of why he was there.

Before him lay a number of manila folders, color-coded and neatly stacked in a staggered fashion. Each one had a label, written in his characteristically no-nonsense handwriting.

[Hires]
[Leads]
[Meetings]

"I'll save you the dread of having to meet with some stuffy old men about zoning laws and sponsorships. The leads I've quickly scrounged up are probably the more interesting bits to you all, but I figured it'd be polite to solicit your opinions on some new hires as well, since you'll have to be working alongside them too, in the end," John explained, pulling down the 'Hires'-labeled folder.

"Mason and Amoix are no strangers to maintaining a place like this, though they've requested a couple more disciples to keep up with the size. More than doubled the square footage, after all," he continued. Mason nodded sagely, but maintained his usual stoic silence as he looked out the full-wall windows beside the dining space, where a cool morning light from outside drifted in.

"Mason and Amoix will take care of those, of course, but we have a few others. I'll have to vet them, much the same way I brought Jin-Sun in," he said, nodding to the cyborg. "If we don't like them, I'll just find another with Emi's help."

Contained within the list of possible hires was a dark-skinned and clearly Changed young woman, bearing elven ears and a glimmering tail. Her file bore no true name, instead labeled as "Cobalt". The position she was apparently meant to fill in was "Armorer/Equipment Expert/Supply Chain". No doubt meant to fill a niche for the growing Final Five team to ensure everyone had the tools they needed.

Next was a dour-looking man with slicked-back hair and a pale complexion, looking thirty-odd years in age. This "Walter Otto Meyer" had a whole host of accolades and titles surrounding his apparent medical expertise. Having a doctor on hand, and one who could actually handle the likely maddening variety of ailments that an organization such as the Final Five experienced, was a god-send.

Third, a bureaucrat. A middle-aged woman by the name of Francis Deloza stared back at them through the prim and uptight mugshot that featured on her dossier. Having been a lawyer, diplomat, and secretary for the European Union all within her lifetime, she appeared to have all the qualifications for handling all of the more grueling aspects of being a truly "global" heroic force, and coming into contact with all of the governments and corporations that they impacted.

"While I'm sure Iphigenia could handle such things, your talents are obviously better suited in combat where possible. Having you embroiled in arguments with politicians when bad guys need zapping is something I think we'd best avoid. Though, I'm sure no one would stop you if you wanted to 'tag along'," John chuckled.

Pulling out the second folder, labeled 'Leads', John pushed the contents more directly towards the gathered Final Five, no doubt leaving it to them to decide on what to pursue.

"With your notoriety skyrocketing into space, and an averted global catastrophe, it seems as though lots of things have been coming out of the woodwork... like the shock rattled some floorboards, and in the chaos, everyone's got an agenda they can finally start tackling. There's a lot to do, but that's what we're all here for, isn't it? For the time being, no world-changing death fleets, but I'm sure you'll encounter at least something to challenge you all."

-FV-

-RESERVED-

-FV-

[Original Five always welcome]
Spots open: ???/???
[Possibility for opening to new players in the future]

---

The end starts early
Fighting it starts young
But the end is already old
And we shall be late

---

An alien invasion met with overwhelming human ferocity. Two hundred years ago, the world had briefly united to combat an oncoming menace, seen long in advance. With great minds and tireless work, great weapons of war were forged in anticipation of the superior civilization. When at last they touched down, their efforts were not in vain. For two months the world burned, but humanity had kept them as but embers. Victory was won, and few questioned the cost.

Surrounding massive defensive cannons, the new major cities of the world had phased out the old, rife with novel and powerful technology. In their fear, mankind continued its martial progress, never ceasing in its quest to raise greater and greater weapons of war. It was only when their old enemy resurfaced did they halt the machine.

The old enemy was themselves.

With the threat of self annihilation imminent, as it had been for many decades before, the nations of Earth agreed to cease the mad dash into the apocalypse. Progress slowed, but remained no less fervent for success and imagination. The world saw "true" peace once more, returning to old ways. But with the latent power of those organizations that had spearheaded the scientific sprints still alive and well, the structure of power remained irrevocably changed.

珊
瑚

Shanhu stands at the center of it all. A hulking city upon the sea. A grey cancer spreading over blue waves. Surfaced from the joint efforts of Pacific states, now the monarch of the wider world. Shanhu is the largest city on Earth, nestled at the center of the Pacific Ocean where it links greater Asia and North America with two massive transportation bridges. Once a mere rest stop for several nations transporting cargo at expedient rates, its focal point as a place to exchange ideas, and its intrinsic value as a technological marvel attracted more and more research centers. Eventually, to carry the weight of the rising population, Shanhu became more like an urban sprawl than a research outpost.

Now it is home to millions upon millions.

Massive blocky structures layer the city at its core, while spires pierce the skies at its skirts. Disk-like platforms, hoisted by trios of towers, glimmer with greenery amidst a skyline of silver and black, whereupon the world's elite tread peacefully. Dark and narrow streets spindle as an impossible web through the lower rungs, hiding Shanhu's despondent within. The city embodies stratification.

Not content to rule the world in its expected aspects, the city would inevitably serve as the vanguard of an even more powerful force to be born into the world.

From deep beneath the waves, a mysterious energy rose. At first chalked up to the remnants of a forgotten weapon, its effects would not long be dismissed. Shanhu's residents began to notice peculiar events in every corner of the city, from strange apparitions to the appearance of unusual characteristics in its newborn children. The word 'magic' touched the lips of every citizen, at every level of the city.

Indeed, something truly arcane now haunted Shanhu. To some it was a gift -supernatural powers graced the bodies of a lucky few. To others, it was an omen -creatures both malevolent and beneficial lurked among the populace. The force did not stop in Shanhu, either, continuing on to infect the wider world insidiously, without obvious notice. Some took it in stride, while others found only destruction in its touch. The North American west coast fell to catastrophe during this "Awakening", reduced to an abandoned ruin of its former self in a maelstrom of unknowable events. Only transportation, hailing from deeper within the Americas, ever pass though now.

So near to the source of these strange forces, Shanhu remains the "supernatural capital of the world", as if it weren't at the apex of everything else already. Numerous notable individuals rose and fell in the early days of the Awakening, but none ever surpassed the excellence and notoriety of a particular few.

The Final Five.

Once but part of the dime-a-dozen "heroes" of Shanhu, the Final Five became the greatest in the world after one fateful day. Rising from beneath the Pacific waters, entities of pure blackness, dubbed "Abyssals" came to rain obliteration upon Shanhu. Their impervious bodies seemed utterly undefeatable by countless heroes trying to save the city. None could halt their march until the Final Five stepped in. Miraculously, be it by the willpower in their hearts, or the nature of their abilities, they stemmed the tide and eventually defeated the Abyssals, banishing them to a place none yet know.

Since the days following, the members of the Final Five have disappeared, leaving the public to wonder what had truly happened to them. Had they abandoned their identities to live in peace? Did something more powerful spirit them away? Only their remnants -the caretakers, allies, and officials of the Final Five's inner circle- remained. But in their stead, five new heroes had taken up the mantles.

Jin-Sun Takeda
Tian-Gui Jian
Runa Yggdrasil
Iphigenia Courtlandt
Kyouko Hiruma

Five young upstarts followed in their stead, fighting against the ills of the city (and abroad) which yet remained.

---

After welcoming a certain young Kyouko Hiruma onto the team, the Final Five experienced their first taste of what an Abyssal could achieve. Rampaging through a highway, a strange mechanically-altered Abyssal was engaged by the five heroes and ultimately destroyed. In its wake, a strange black orb was left, which they secured before moving on to a mission delving beneath Shanhu.

A research facility, hidden beneath the waves, was to be investigated for its apparent relation to the modified Abyssal. Within, they discovered a ghost town, eerily devoid of scientists and guards alike. What they found instead, was an equally haunting entity of shadow that assailed them. It took their utmost effort to deter the otherworldly entity, but they came out in one piece.

Returning to the Final Five's humble headquarters, the team enjoyed a pleasant dinner, and a not-so-chance encounter with three young women -the heirs of the Thremont Corporation. When an alert was made of an intrusion into the Final Five headquarters, the team rushed back to find the penthouse under attack by an unknown force, only to quickly realize that the Thremonts themselves were the cause. In the violence, former member Ling was pronounced KIA.

Stealing the Abyssal orb they had recovered earlier that day, the Final Five regrouped, planning to retrieve the mysterious but clearly important object.

With the Final Five reduced to four, John Cornell sought to fill in the spot. A cyborg mercenary by the name of Jin-Sun was recruited, and after partaking in a discrete side-mission, he quickly proved himself a formidable replacement.

A new 'Operation Cerberus' was to commence, ultimately seeking to retrieve the Abyssal Orb from the Thremont Sisters. By infiltrating their company -Heavyware- in Japan, they would accost the sisters, and find out where they could get the orb.

Their mission was initially easy-going, using disguised cover to enter the massive megafactory. When their cover was blown, they went loud. Meanwhile, Jin-Sun uncovered a massive aerial fleet being constructed within the factory, and fended off a cyborg attack.

All too late, the Final Five reached Valentine Thremont in an office, before she disappeared in a flash of light. Thanks to Tian-Gui's utter defensive ability, the group was spared from the impact of a massive cannon's projectile, mercilessly aimed at the building they were in.

The fleet that the Thremonts had constructed rose to life, becoming the greatest flying armada the world had ever witnessed. What's more, it appeared its flagship featured and impenetrable shield. Impenetrable, except by a single method...

To get inside the bubble shield surrounding the sky fleet's flagship, the Final Five would have to make a round trip to Mars and back, utilizing older tachyon technology. The group prepared for their first ever space flight, and boarded the Styx Accelerator.

On their way through tachyonic space, their shuttle was assaulted by an old friend; the strange shadow entity that had attacked them in the subaquatic facility. They defeated it once more, and reached the Mars facility. There, they found a strange temporal anomaly had gripped its halls, which Kyouko managed to unwind, ultimately freeing a familiar face...

Gigakill, the mechanical member of the original Five, had appeared to have been stuck on Mars all this time due to the anomaly. Together, the current Five and Gigakill faced down the original reason he had come to Mars:

A massive Abyssal stood upon the red planet's surface, and was preparing an apocalyptic strike against the Earth for years, still in the midst of charging. With everything they had, the Final Five felled the gargantuan Abyssal, saving the Earth, but annihilating the Martian facility in the process. Gigakill gave final farewells before his form disappeared in light, leaving the Five to wonder where he might be found next.

Using the Styx Accelerator to return to Earth, the shuttle found itself hurtling through the atmosphere inside of the skyfleet's shield. As they exited mid flight, a battle of epic proportions transpired through the sky. The Final Five wore down the fleets ability to fight back, culminating in a battle against Mary Thremont as she piloted a bleeding-edge mecha to combat them.

In the end, the team successfully breached the flagship, and wound their way through the mazelike interior. Tian-Gui and Kyouko battled against Valentine Thremont, who bore a strange technology to her suit, affording her the ability to fight toe-to-toe against two heroes. She too, was inevitably defeated, lying helpless upon the cold ground.

Once the group gathered inside the flagship, they reached the pinnacle, and found none other than the Thremont's head himself. Above them, the Abyssal orb they sought after seemed to be used for powering the flagship, and possibly even the entire fleet itself. After a brief exchange of values and intentions, the parties fell into mortal combat. The greatest foe they had ever faced nearly laid waste to the Final Five, but with an unexpected and unknown ally pouring their power into them, they triumphed.

In the aftermath of the battle, the fleet was destroyed, Thremont was killed, and the world rejoiced. An unstoppable tyrannical force had been vanquished, and the Final Five of the day were catapulted into worldwide stardom.

---

-FV-

[Original Five always welcome]
Spots open: ???/???
[Possibility for opening to new players in the future]

---

The end starts early
Fighting it starts young
But the end is already old
And we shall be late

---

An alien invasion met with overwhelming human ferocity. Two hundred years ago, the world had briefly united to combat an oncoming menace, seen long in advance. With great minds and tireless work, great weapons of war were forged in anticipation of the superior civilization. When at last they touched down, their efforts were not in vain. For two months the world burned, but humanity had kept them as but embers. Victory was won, and few questioned the cost.

Surrounding massive defensive cannons, the new major cities of the world had phased out the old, rife with novel and powerful technology. In their fear, mankind continued its martial progress, never ceasing in its quest to raise greater and greater weapons of war. It was only when their old enemy resurfaced did they halt the machine.

The old enemy was themselves.

With the threat of self annihilation imminent, as it had been for many decades before, the nations of Earth agreed to cease the mad dash into the apocalypse. Progress slowed, but remained no less fervent for success and imagination. The world saw "true" peace once more, returning to old ways. But with the latent power of those organizations that had spearheaded the scientific sprints still alive and well, the structure of power remained irrevocably changed.

珊
瑚

Shanhu stands at the center of it all. A hulking city upon the sea. A grey cancer spreading over blue waves. Surfaced from the joint efforts of Pacific states, now the monarch of the wider world. Shanhu is the largest city on Earth, nestled at the center of the Pacific Ocean where it links greater Asia and North America with two massive transportation bridges. Once a mere rest stop for several nations transporting cargo at expedient rates, its focal point as a place to exchange ideas, and its intrinsic value as a technological marvel attracted more and more research centers. Eventually, to carry the weight of the rising population, Shanhu became more like an urban sprawl than a research outpost.

Now it is home to millions upon millions.

Massive blocky structures layer the city at its core, while spires pierce the skies at its skirts. Disk-like platforms, hoisted by trios of towers, glimmer with greenery amidst a skyline of silver and black, whereupon the world's elite tread peacefully. Dark and narrow streets spindle as an impossible web through the lower rungs, hiding Shanhu's despondent within. The city embodies stratification.

Not content to rule the world in its expected aspects, the city would inevitably serve as the vanguard of an even more powerful force to be born into the world.

From deep beneath the waves, a mysterious energy rose. At first chalked up to the remnants of a forgotten weapon, its effects would not long be dismissed. Shanhu's residents began to notice peculiar events in every corner of the city, from strange apparitions to the appearance of unusual characteristics in its newborn children. The word 'magic' touched the lips of every citizen, at every level of the city.

Indeed, something truly arcane now haunted Shanhu. To some it was a gift -supernatural powers graced the bodies of a lucky few. To others, it was an omen -creatures both malevolent and beneficial lurked among the populace. The force did not stop in Shanhu, either, continuing on to infect the wider world insidiously, without obvious notice. Some took it in stride, while others found only destruction in its touch. The North American west coast fell to catastrophe during this "Awakening", reduced to an abandoned ruin of its former self in a maelstrom of unknowable events. Only transportation, hailing from deeper within the Americas, ever pass though now.

So near to the source of these strange forces, Shanhu remains the "supernatural capital of the world", as if it weren't at the apex of everything else already. Numerous notable individuals rose and fell in the early days of the Awakening, but none ever surpassed the excellence and notoriety of a particular few.

The Final Five.

Once but part of the dime-a-dozen "heroes" of Shanhu, the Final Five became the greatest in the world after one fateful day. Rising from beneath the Pacific waters, entities of pure blackness, dubbed "Abyssals" came to rain obliteration upon Shanhu. Their impervious bodies seemed utterly undefeatable by countless heroes trying to save the city. None could halt their march until the Final Five stepped in. Miraculously, be it by the willpower in their hearts, or the nature of their abilities, they stemmed the tide and eventually defeated the Abyssals, banishing them to a place none yet know.

Since the days following, the members of the Final Five have disappeared, leaving the public to wonder what had truly happened to them. Had they abandoned their identities to live in peace? Did something more powerful spirit them away? Only their remnants -the caretakers, allies, and officials of the Final Five's inner circle- remained. But in their stead, five new heroes had taken up the mantles.

Jin-Sun Takeda
Tian-Gui Jian
Runa Yggdrasil
Iphigenia Courtlandt
Kyouko Hiruma

Five young upstarts followed in their stead, fighting against the ills of the city (and abroad) which yet remained.

---

After welcoming a certain young Kyouko Hiruma onto the team, the Final Five experienced their first taste of what an Abyssal could achieve. Rampaging through a highway, a strange mechanically-altered Abyssal was engaged by the five heroes and ultimately destroyed. In its wake, a strange black orb was left, which they secured before moving on to a mission delving beneath Shanhu.

A research facility, hidden beneath the waves, was to be investigated for its apparent relation to the modified Abyssal. Within, they discovered a ghost town, eerily devoid of scientists and guards alike. What they found instead, was an equally haunting entity of shadow that assailed them. It took their utmost effort to deter the otherworldly entity, but they came out in one piece.

Returning to the Final Five's humble headquarters, the team enjoyed a pleasant dinner, and a not-so-chance encounter with three young women -the heirs of the Thremont Corporation. When an alert was made of an intrusion into the Final Five headquarters, the team rushed back to find the penthouse under attack by an unknown force, only to quickly realize that the Thremonts themselves were the cause. In the violence, former member Ling was pronounced KIA.

Stealing the Abyssal orb they had recovered earlier that day, the Final Five regrouped, planning to retrieve the mysterious but clearly important object.

With the Final Five reduced to four, John Cornell sought to fill in the spot. A cyborg mercenary by the name of Jin-Sun was recruited, and after partaking in a discrete side-mission, he quickly proved himself a formidable replacement.

A new 'Operation Cerberus' was to commence, ultimately seeking to retrieve the Abyssal Orb from the Thremont Sisters. By infiltrating their company -Heavyware- in Japan, they would accost the sisters, and find out where they could get the orb.

Their mission was initially easy-going, using disguised cover to enter the massive megafactory. When their cover was blown, they went loud. Meanwhile, Jin-Sun uncovered a massive aerial fleet being constructed within the factory, and fended off a cyborg attack.

All too late, the Final Five reached Valentine Thremont in an office, before she disappeared in a flash of light. Thanks to Tian-Gui's utter defensive ability, the group was spared from the impact of a massive cannon's projectile, mercilessly aimed at the building they were in.

The fleet that the Thremonts had constructed rose to life, becoming the greatest flying armada the world had ever witnessed. What's more, it appeared its flagship featured and impenetrable shield. Impenetrable, except by a single method...

To get inside the bubble shield surrounding the sky fleet's flagship, the Final Five would have to make a round trip to Mars and back, utilizing older tachyon technology. The group prepared for their first ever space flight, and boarded the Styx Accelerator.

On their way through tachyonic space, their shuttle was assaulted by an old friend; the strange shadow entity that had attacked them in the subaquatic facility. They defeated it once more, and reached the Mars facility. There, they found a strange temporal anomaly had gripped its halls, which Kyouko managed to unwind, ultimately freeing a familiar face...

Gigakill, the mechanical member of the original Five, had appeared to have been stuck on Mars all this time due to the anomaly. Together, the current Five and Gigakill faced down the original reason he had come to Mars:

A massive Abyssal stood upon the red planet's surface, and was preparing an apocalyptic strike against the Earth for years, still in the midst of charging. With everything they had, the Final Five felled the gargantuan Abyssal, saving the Earth, but annihilating the Martian facility in the process. Gigakill gave final farewells before his form disappeared in light, leaving the Five to wonder where he might be found next.

Using the Styx Accelerator to return to Earth, the shuttle found itself hurtling through the atmosphere inside of the skyfleet's shield. As they exited mid flight, a battle of epic proportions transpired through the sky. The Final Five wore down the fleets ability to fight back, culminating in a battle against Mary Thremont as she piloted a bleeding-edge mecha to combat them.

In the end, the team successfully breached the flagship, and wound their way through the mazelike interior. Tian-Gui and Kyouko battled against Valentine Thremont, who bore a strange technology to her suit, affording her the ability to fight toe-to-toe against two heroes. She too, was inevitably defeated, lying helpless upon the cold ground.

Once the group gathered inside the flagship, they reached the pinnacle, and found none other than the Thremont's head himself. Above them, the Abyssal orb they sought after seemed to be used for powering the flagship, and possibly even the entire fleet itself. After a brief exchange of values and intentions, the parties fell into mortal combat. The greatest foe they had ever faced nearly laid waste to the Final Five, but with an unexpected and unknown ally pouring their power into them, they triumphed.

In the aftermath of the battle, the fleet was destroyed, Thremont was killed, and the world rejoiced. An unstoppable tyrannical force had been vanquished, and the Final Five of the day were catapulted into worldwide stardom.

---

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Hey uh. You're still tagging me in your posts by the way. Two years after my last post.

The Wayfarer's Guild

V E L A F A D E

@Guilty Spark @Rune_Alchemist @ERode @Aerandir

Vela frowned a tad, not quite so much because the half-orc could deflect her shots, but because her only kills were seeming fodder. It put a bad taste in her mouth to think herself adept only at skewering goblins. Before she could lower her hand, offering as good an indication of a temporary truce as she felt comfortable with, the whizz of Finn's arrow just beside her shoulder triggered a moment of adrenaline and tension. Her hand shot back up to a readied position, but she held back any further magic.

"I'm afraid my supervisor here would not be very happy if I took your bribe," she began, "Maybe we can discuss it sometime later?" Vela tilted her head and smiled, feigning an innocence that her demeanor would never help carry.

"You know Mister Farron, you're quite dastardly. If it weren't for my knowing we're here to save the innocent citizens from the terror of dangerous substances, I wouldn't be able to tell if I was on the good or bad side. Perhaps we can be more kind to our friend here?" she said, playing the good cop.

The Wayfarer's Guild

V E L A F A D E

@Guilty Spark @Rune_Alchemist @ERode @Aerandir

Unfortunate that the guttersnipes were so quick to accuse the party of wrong-doing, but... They were sharp-witted in the end, and right to reach for their weapons. Vela let slip a wide smile as she stepped with a clack of her heels further into the alley, standing between the half-orcs posse and her own.

"You'll have me guessing for a bit then, won't you?" she chuckled back at Qantz. Facing the approaching back-alley brutes, she lifted a hand, as if beckoning something at her feet to rise. Barely perceptible, a thin sheet of glistening crystal cracked up her body. Against her white skin, it was difficult to tell the magic from her own body. With the very same hand, she extending a downward-facing hand towards the half-orc and the goblins.

"Lest I place us all in a compromising position, I'm afraid I'll have to assume that these fellows are in on the operation, and not merely mistaken. Unfortunate for them if I'm wrong or right," she said. With a flick of her hand, several finger-sized shards of ice materialized at her sides. The bluish-white vapor crystallized from thin air, coalescing into four mirror-surfaced fletchettes hanging patiently, but with ill-intent sharply vibrating within. Another simple motion, and they zipped with a whistle across the darkened way, straight for the bodies of her regretful enemies. One to a man, except the half-orc, which had earned two.