Blizz

Titans of Gotham

The Lab Rat who Became a Gym Rat

🎶Man in the Mask🎶

Secret ID: Oscar Nash

Alias: Monolith

Age: 17

Home Location: Gotham

Powers:
Tank with Legs: Oscar's body is made of muscle dozens of times more dense than what any human can naturally achieve, giving him enough strength to outshine a hundred venom-boosted street thugs. With one arm, he could easily lift an object weighing over five tons above his head and throw it far enough to hit something a hundred feet away. Thanks to this, Oscar's body is also highly resistant to extreme force, meaning he could take a punch to the face from Bane himself and walk away with an intact face, or fall from a skyscraper without breaking a single bone.

Weaknesses:
Heaviest Person Alive: Being strong enough to make people think you're the second coming of Superman isn't always as glorious as people think. The big difference between Monolith and someone like Superman is that he can't fly, or even attempt to. Due to his near-impossible muscle density, he weighs more than a semi-truck, which prevents him from flinging himself into the air with a well-executed jump. This also means that any situation requiring someone to swim freely through water is one where Monolith is completely useless. Unless particularly powerful magic is involved, Monolith will sink in open water like a navy battleship's anchor. Fragile ice over a frozen lake would give way the moment he stepped on it, and anyone within a hundred feet of Oscar could feel if he lands on the ground from somewhere high up.

One Trick Metahuman: Despite having near-unmatched endurance, Monolith's power to tank damage works like a shield. It's impact resistant and will stop things that make him bleed to a much greater extent than most people could handle, but all that toughness does nothing to stop him from being poisoned, burned by fire and chemicals, electrocuted or even drugged. A .50 caliber bullet would be stopped dead between his ribs before it hit something vital, but a single whiff of Scarecrow toxin would drop him like a hat.

Equipment:

• Body armor with a medieval theme. Including crenellated shoulders, convex knee guards, insulated boots and a helmet styled after a knight.
• Team communication device

Appearance: As Monolith, Oscar resembles a walking fortress, decked out in highly durable combat armor from head to toe. As just a normal kid, he clocks in at a solid 6'3", with slightly messy hair and a lot of visible scars. He tends to wear practical things like boots and big bomber jackets... Mostly because those are the only things that actually fit.

Personality: Stoic, determined, intelligent, kind, tired.

Brief Bio: Once upon a time, there was something called Project Avalon. It was an initiative to augment the metagenes of certain individuals well beyond their conceived potential. Project Avalon was carried out in secret, far underneath the surface of Gotham in underground labs. There was only one known test subject to survive the original administering of the chemical agent they used. He was given the designation M1. Subject M1 was meant to be an enforcer for an international shadow entity that deal in black market businesses and superhuman politics, who simply invested in Project Avalon out of mutual benefit. For as long as he could remember, he was trained in close-quarters combat and intelligence management, while chemicals were used to constantly boost his physical superpowers beyond their limits.

Eventually, the manager of Project Avalon wanted to do "field tests," so Subject M1 was sent out to criminal dealings to take out their benefactor's competition. Entire gangs of criminals were laid waste to, but innocents occasionally got caught in the crossfire. Sometimes it was just a back-alley gun deal in Gotham, sometimes it was a suit-and-tie negotiation in another country, but it was all a blur to M1, until a mission in Biyalia, where M1 was dispatched to destroy a lab conducting similar research. It was here that he murdered innocent civilians and levelled an entire building. The incident stirred something in him, and once he was extracted, subject M1 began questioning things.

One month after that mission, Gotham experienced an earthquake. The city rumbled as if a meteor shower had rained down, but there was no sign of trouble beyond broken windows and disturbed cars. Far underground, though, the vast facilities of Project Avalon were reduced to rubble in a fit of rage. Subject M1, destroyed everything, and left no survivors. He went into hiding, and started calling himself Monolith as he spent the next two years using his strength for something more productive: Hurting the criminals he was sent after because they were criminals, and for no other reason. It took another two years for Oracle to find the veritable giant mid-fight, and offer him a place on a team.

Sample Post

Another cold night in Gotham. Nothing he wasn't used to.

Monolith stared down at the Venom transport operation from atop a skyscraper. Nothing more than street-level thugs shipping crates of that poison to other thugs and the occasional metahuman criminal. He almost felt disappointed, but then again, he felt disappointed every time he came across something like this. Looking around, Monolith couldn't see any of them acting overly aggressive. In fact, he couldn't even see anyone who stood out as an enforcer. They seemed to be running somewhat independently, which meant they were trying to strike out on their own, or their boss trusted them enough to handle it. The latter was least likely, but presented a greater risk that they'd be competent in a fight.

This high up, Monolith couldn't hear anything the criminals were saying, but he could tell by their body language that they were in a hurry. A small detail, but one that implied they had somewhere to be. He couldn't outrun a van, so the prospect of catching two birds with one stone had to be pursued the hard way. Monolith stepped towards the ledge, and dropped down, back into the city below. Gotham had been near dead-silent for hours, when a sound like an explosion woke up every sleeping citizen for miles. The ground shattered between the transport and their way out, scaring most of the thugs out of their skin, and knocking all of them off their feet. Crates of Venom were dropped, and spilled open. Monolith trudged forward, unbothered by the meteoric landing, and the ground beneath him quaked as he passed.

"Surrender, and I'll go easy on all of you."

But they didn't listen, they never did.

One of them pulled out a handgun, and fired several shots directly at Monolith's face. The bullets crumpled and fell down as if they had hit solid concrete. Monolith looked at the shooter with a mix of disappointment and thinning patience. A few of them broke and scattered like flies.

"I'll say it one more time. Surrender, and-"

"That won't be necessary."

A large, floating drone descended before him, hovering silently as a camera adjusted to look at him behind the motorcycle helmet he used to hide his face.

"You've been causing a lot of commotion lately. GCPD owes a lot of its criminals getting caught to you recently."

Monolith looked down at the drone, and back at the criminals trying to pile into the van. He lunged forward and slammed a shoulder into its engine, causing it to fold like a lawn chair. Oil and other fluids leaked out.

"Who are you?" He asked the drone.

"You can call me Oracle. I've been looking for you for a while now, Monolith. I need your help, we need your help."

The van started smoking. "We?"

"Me, and a few other like-minded individuals who have an edge like yours. I think you'll like them, but your... skills could help us take back this city. The drone can lead you to where we meet, if you're interested."

"Alright, I'll follow it. But if this is a trap, you'll regret it."

Oracle's drone led Monolith away from the scene, and the remaining thugs scattered just before the van exploded, destroying all the nearby venom patches in a fiery blaze that kept the city awake for a few hours.

Titans of Gotham

We ride at dawn fuckers

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

---

Time: 6pm
Location: Sorian Park
Interactions: @ReusableSword Roman, @Mole Prince Felix, @Conscripts John, @JJ Doe Fritz @Tpartywithzombi @Rodiak Zarai/Matthias @Lava Alckon Drake

By all accounts, no one seemed entirely bothered by Lyra's intrusion. This made it easier. She didn't dare leave while it was walking around. Certainly not when someone like Sadie was this close along with her family.

"Oh, well, it's a pleasure to meet them." She said, warmly."General Carris. A pleasure, gentlemen." Lyra addressed the boys present, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Violet. If they locked eyes, then surely she'd notice something off about Lyra, but that couldn't happen just yet. "I hope I'm not disrupting anything by being here, I just happened to be walking by and saw you. Since we parted ways earlier, I found myself in the throes of combat with a Shezadi. Layla, I think her name was. She had a temper, but I went easy on her." Lyra boasted without a care in the world. She certainly looked the type to duel others with the sword she wore so openly.

The enigmatic greeting of △△△ was not lost on her. Nor was that enrapturing familiarity. His face looked so much like theirs, enough that Lyra could remember that steely undertone in every word that echoed the halls. But why?

"Count." She greeted him, having heard Lord Ravenwood address him as "Count Fritz." It perplexed her enough to take her mind off of Violet for a moment, but if it really was true, then she couldn't have said it here. That would-

Lyra was snapped out of her thoughts when a stranger came by to hand Sadie a letter. She caught the red flush on her face, and leaned over to read it. And she couldn't help but grin.

"Oh, of course. He certainly has a way with words, doesn't he? But, they all find their way with words when they see a prize they want. Mind yourself around men like this, Sadie," Lyra said, "Men are rarely worth your hand in marriage, especially as a princess. So many men these day only want the status of a wealthy woman's name, and not the love in her heart. Most are more trouble than they're worth." She said this, knowing she was surrounded by multiple men. Most of which were royalty. But alas, Lyra's demeanor didn't seem to convey instigation. Perhaps she was just being honest?

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Port Vanarosa, The Seagull
Interactions: Arlen, Amisra
Mentions: Ismael
Equipment: Sword, ring, and some amas.

The captain spent the next stretch of time minding his own business. The mates around him talking about money, swapping stories and drinking like mad. Drosis was content to tune then out and just enjoy his food. By the time Arlen and Amisra came by, he was about to leave and look for them.

”There you are. Yes, I need you for something. Both if need be.” He began, ”Ismael being human makes his presence here a problem. Moment the king finds out, he’ll have this place turned upside down. I need you to keep an ear open for what the king’s guards say. You hear anything about humans, or a human being here, you come and tell me. Warden Luumis’ll be informed soon as word gets out. And she’ll spread it to the rest of the world. Your job until we leave is to keep that information as it is- Undisclosed.”

”That means tailin’ guards that act unusual, and spying on them when they look like they’re reporting anything. I’ll leave it up to you how to deal with them if the secret gets out, but don’t let them go.”

Captain Morr leaned back in his seat. ”Are either of you up to that task?”

Avengers Academy 💥

Sabine Bassard

and

Leah Jordan

---

Location: Spaceship -> Into The Sunset
Skills: N/A

---

---

"Heh... I figured." Externally, Leah was playing it cool. Internally, she was panicking. Sabine was very clearly attracted to her, but then again... Would Sabine be bothered by the countless scars and old burns that Leah had? Or the sandpaper hair she had? Leah's heart was hammering in her throat, but she didn't seem to care. "So... Now what?"

"Oh I think you know what." Sabine pushed Leah on to the bed. "Hard to believe we got to this point huh? Remember the day we first met?" The memory was not all-together unpleasant, though she was sure Leah had other thoughts. "They put the two least likely people to get along in one room together. Almost like they did so on purpose."

"Yeah..." She sat down and put an arm over Sabine. "That was... A rough day." Sabine likely put it together in her head, after earlier...

---

Today marked the first full week Mayra killed her dad. She managed to salvage a few spare dollars from the car outside that wasn't buried, but she didn't know how to drive it, so she had to make the 450 mile trip through the Sonoran Desert on a flying boulder. Mayra was tired, but even this cold classroom was better than the medical bed she had to sleep in after the worse days. All these other kids didn't pay any attention to the small girl in the back. And Mayra didn't pay attention to them. She didn't know how to talk to people, so she just stared out a window, as if he'd come crashing through at any second to take her back home.

Sabine held her phone up trying to get the best angle. She had only just started her account and she needed to get followers quickly. If she was going to run this school from the inside, it was crucial she have presence. Two girls next to her were talking, but Sabine had tuned them out. Their conversations never interested her. Sabine took some photos in rapid succession and was looking to filter and adjust when she noticed an anomaly. Or, rather, a person who may as well be an anomaly. It was that weird girl who never talked. Sabine chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Guess I'll retake that one. Got something unfortunate in frame.' The two girls cackled next to her, unaware of who she was talking to but desperate not to make it seem like they didn't know.

She definitely overheard that though, and proceeded to look at the self-obsessed blondie confusingly. Her face scrunched up in a "the fuck?" expression as she continued to cloud Sabine's selfies in the background. Though not entirely intentional, it did make it seem like Leah was offended by her in some way. "I heard that."

Sabine rolled her eyes and turned to look at the girl. "You were meant to. I wasn't exactly being subtle about it. Why don't you go back to sitting there like a rock." Sabine shook her head. It really was sad when the lessers felt they could speak up to their betters. "Who am I kidding, a rock has more personality and actually does something to improve the environment."

"You wouldn't understand rocks if they hit you in the face," She barked, as a rock did, in fact, fly through the window behind Mayra and clock Sabine right across the face. The "lesser" didn't even move an inch. She did, however, start cackling in response.

Sabine brushed her cheek where the rock hit her. "Oh so your power is moving pebbles? Adorable. I'll keep you in mind when I need to redo my zen garden." She brushed it off before staring back at the girl. Sabine took a picture before starting to write the caption. "Let's see, what to say. Do you know this girl? Terrible attitude and decides to assault someone who pisses her off? #Unfortunate. I don't have a huge following, but I am willing to bet those that do follow me would love to know who to stay away from."

"FUCK YOU! STUPID FUCKING BLONDE ASS BRATTY LITTLE SHIT! THE ONLY REASON THOSE BITCHES LIKE YOU IS BECAUSE THEY THINK HANGING OUT WITH YOU GIVES THEM A FUCKING PERSONALITY!" She howled, and the floor rumbled. Mayra stood up and stormed out of the classroom, unaware that the entire class was gawking at the two. She slammed the door hard enough that the glass and hinges shattered, and ran through the halls at full speed, as if there were something at the end that could make this day somehow better.

She didn't want to be here anymore. She didn't want to keep pretending she actually had a family to go home to when someone asked. Everything about this place just felt wrong, Mayra was acting like someone she wasn't, using a completely different name because she was terrified that one of dad's old mercenary friends might find her. Mayra held back the stupid tears that were trying to stream down her face, and ignored the awful pit in her stomach. He always said that weakness meant surrender.

She hated this place, and she wanted to go home. But she didn't have a home.

Sabine watched as the girl had a meltdown. It was low-key hilarious. As the girl stormed off in a huff, Sabine chuckled, "Can dish it out but can't take it? Not surprised. Come get me when you are ready for the main event."

The two girls next to her started laughing. Sabine stopped short and looked at them. "Shut up. Girl may be unfortunate but she's right. You bitches need to slobber on your own brand and lay off mine." Sabine took a selfie and tagged the two girls in it. "Brianna and Michele are #NotSquadGoals. Wouldn't be surprised if they bought their stuff at a flea market. #SoSad." And with the click of a button, the two girls felt the brunt of social shame.

She would have to thank the girl later. In private.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

---

"Magic as a field of study was not known until centuries ago. Kareet is right about that, though... The history books do not tell of the first mage to walk this world. That would be me. I have lived long enough to witness the second, third, and every other mage to follow come into their own power. The Heat Domain, as the scholars call it currently, is the oldest form of magic. One could say that I invented Heat magic, and they would not be entirely incorrect in that assumption."

Shirk was, objectively speaking, telling the truth. When they nearly burned to death during the Day of Black Clouds, they witnessed experienced the first Awakening. Though, anyone alive today was likely to simply interpret the recounting of such a story as Shirik boasting about their magic abilities, or simply talking like a crazy old man. Even a more inquisitive mind such as Kareet could only dig up folktales, documentation of near-mythological stories telling of an Iriad who was one with fire. As far as the humans were concerned, Shirik could've been a literal deity and they'd be none the wiser. Still, they enjoyed storytelling.

Shirik's proverbial vibe was soured upon seeing Silbermine walk up to Nellara and her small crowd. Breaking bread was not something nobles did with the peasantry, let alone enemies unless they thought it was advantageous. "Beware the warrior who walks with empty hands," Shirik muttered, in their usual strange demeanor. He made his way over with no armor, and his escorts followed in minimal armor. Just enough to convey power, but little enough to convey amicability. Shirik's knew the phrase "shit-eating grin," courtesy of Ixtaro, and felt it was quite fitting for this situation. Upon hearing Nellara put the Lord in his place, Shirik cackled.

No human could ever possibly prepare themselves for the reality that was a cackling, sentient, ever-burning tree with a voice like sandpaper. It sounded like a million pieces of charcoal crumbling all at once, mixed with noise reminiscent of a cancerous wet cough. It was absolutely rancid on the ears of everyone outside the ship, given how loud it was, but anyone could tell that it was, in fact, laughter. "This day is going to be interesting, the soldier boy and his knights being lead like animals around after intruding on the land of scared survivors... Oh, I haven't laughed like this in centuries." For better or for worse, Shirik's voice easily carried far enough that Silbermine and his companions heard Shirik refer to a Mythadian lord as "soldier boy."

"Keep your eyes on that one, Ixtaro."

Young Justice

The One Where Discount John Wick and an Electrical Hazard do Devious Shit Together

---

Whoever the hell Quiver actually was, he didn't seem to stick around. Cora didn't feel like asking Green Arrow about the dude either, so she just tuned him out. In the time between Metamorph coming to his senses and the League showing up to bring the team back to the cave, Cora scoured the entire bank for any remaining weapons used by the robbers. She came up with several energy-based and magnetic guns, as well as another repulsor glove like the one used on her. She ignored the curious looks that the League gave her as she carried roughly ten different weapons on her back, and the first thing Stormcaller did was take all of her newfound war trophies to the Mount Justice laboratory. Cora scrambled for every possible electrical tool she could get her hands on and laid all of the guns and fancy fuck-off gloves out on one table. On another, she slowly and curiously disassembled one of the rifles, setting apart each component she removed and placing any bolts or screws in a plastic bag. She scribbled things down on a notebook she balanced on her knee. About thirty minutes in, one of the lasers had been completely taken apart. The power supplies, refractors, and even the parts someone like Batman probably couldn't name were all laid out nicely and neatly.

And Cora was taking notes, clearly neck-deep in whatever work she was doing.

“Now this is interesting.” Viktor's voice cut through the quiet laboratory, interrupting Cora's crafting-montage from the room's entryway. Since returning from the mission, the resident grump was actually in a better mood than usual. Who knew a completely successful mission would have such an effect on him? I only ever find Alisa in here but it appears Cora and I are sharing the same ideas today. There were two different rifles held firmly in each hand. One was the rifle from the bank heist mission that fired a hardening foam. The other was one Cora didn't recognize. It was the dart rifle Viktor had taken for himself after facing off against the serpentine Kobra agent. “And here I thought you would just hang those up like ornaments from your ceiling.” He strode over to the next table over to set the two rifles down while eyeing Cora's workm Viktor was genuinely impressed by how far she'd gotten with taking the weapons apart as well as her organization of each of the many components. “Forensics? Or are you building something?”

“Both,” She responded without looking up, as she was currently unscrewing a fragile, high-voltage refractor pin from an array in the weapon’s barrel. “This isn’t just run-of-the-mill advanced tech. This stuff is top dollar, and someone with access to it decided to rob a bank. But if you can get your hands on stuff like this, you shouldn’t need money. Something there doesn’t add up. And I’m sure Batman and the other leaguers are gonna wanna know about it. Also, I had an idea to make something as soon as one of those robbers blasted me with one of what I’m calling the Fuck-Off Gloves. So I’m studying these weapons as much as possible. I can apply my powers to this tech if I reverse-engineer it.” During her rambling, Cora set the rest of the barrel’s internals aside, organized for easy reassembly. Viktor on the other hand could barely hide his intrigue.

This can't be the same person… She's smart? It doesn't… It doesn't matter. I'll take it over my initial assessment of her.

He started disassembling the rifle from the bank heist first before he gave his take on what Cora shared.

“I admit that I agree with you. I also believe there was more to the bank heist. These weapons, while impressive, aren't what I would use to threaten lives with. Electrified bolas, hardening foam, soundwave emitters, and the shock- the 'fuck-off gloves'… They're weapons that would have the primary purpose of incapacitation. I hypothesize the use of these weapons wasn't always part of their plan. That a third party wanted to see them field tested. I'm sure Green Arrow knows more but him being a leaguer, I doubt we'll ever get further details from him.” It was easy to tell Viktor was annoyed when voicing the last part of what he said. “I admire your dedication toward our superiors… and, more importantly, yourself. Every mission is just another step.”

High praise, coming from Mr. Perfect. “Thanks. I’m trying to pull my weight, and this just feels like it’s a perfect step forward. Between you and me, though… I have a feeling the League is gonna take all of this from me the moment they realize there’s something shifty going on here. Probably so they can study it themselves or whatever. I’ve noticed they don’t really tell us stuff- They like keeping things quiet if they can. If Batman walked in and snatched up these guns, I bet I’d never see them again. I got enough to spare, honestly but- Y’know. Figured I’d beat him to it before he tries to make a Batlaser or a Batblaster. I’m gonna build- Uh… A Stormblaster. Yeah, that sounds badass.”

Viktor raised a brow at Cora's naming conventions but also realized he'd never named any of his equipment before. Rainblade. Rainikens. Rainvisor. Rainsuit- Damn.

She held up an unscrewed port on the power supply and noted down the prongs on the inside, then glanced over at Viktor’s table. ”Is that a… Rainblaster? Okay- I’ll stop now.”

“Please.” He almost begged as he'd already mentally bruised himself with previous names he came up with in his head. “Unfortunately, I'm not entirely savvy with creating weapons. However, I am familiar with the components and can determine their function. If I can figure out these two rifles… and perhaps even two more of the weapons you have there, I'm certain I could make rough schematics to pass off…” By this time, both of his rifles were disassembled but not completely. He quickly took a photo of them respectively before typing into his phone while he continued. “...I was going to take my idea outside of our team but perhaps you could be useful instead. I'd pay, of course.”

Cora gave him a curious look. “You’re asking me to… Build you a weapon? I’m sure I can. I’m thinking I’ll either build a gun that just shoots concentrated lightning and uses me as the power source, or an actual gauss rifle. What are you thinking about? Some sorta weapon like what I took from the robbers or something more like what you’ve got there?” She asks, pointing to the dart rifle he took apart.

“All of the above.” He clasped his hands behind his back as he started pacing the length of the table in front of him. “But to be more specific. I require a mid to long-range collapsible semi-automatic rifle that fires nonlethal projectiles. The ammunition stored in separate types of magazines won’t be too much of a hindrance on my mobility as I intend to retire my bow and arrows.” He spoke as if he had been waiting years for this very specific type of weapon. It was easy for Cora to grasp that Viktor didn’t share these ideas with the others. Stopping in his tracks, he faced Cora again. “Initially, I favored only this dart rifle, due to its range but it lacked versatility. Despite this, I had planned to spraypaint this very colorful weapon into something that fits my… style.” Viktor barely took a breath as he continued.

“Fortunately, our recent mission bore unanticipated fruit. The hardening foam rifle is one of my favorites as it is the least lethal of the weapons we discovered. The electrified bolas would need a change in design. Perhaps a lightweight round with prongs that can electrify a target. Lastly, the sound emitter could prove useful. It doesn’t use rounds, so it could be an attachment to the weapon in a similar fashion to the M203 grenade launcher or infrared lasersight. I’m not too interested in the shockwave-generating gloves. Not with the type of missions we’re typically tasked with. You know… keeping people alive.” Viktor was sure shockwaves could be useful, but he was concerned with accidentally administering them in combination with his enhanced strength while striking an enemy. Even if he created a method of implementing with the rifle, it would be inferior to the other weapon functions Viktor planned to utilize.

”I’m pretty sure I can do all of that. The cool thing about getting struck by lightning is that I got turned into a walking generator. If a shockwave glove needs a power source, all I have to do is rig it so there’s a receiver on the inside and send a signal through it. I could insulate it and build some conductors that redirect lighting around it for when I need to zap someone and not shockwave them.” She could tell Viktor was feeling like a kid in a candy store right now.

“Semi-auto, collapsible and nonlethal… I can make that, but the ammo’s gonna be the tricky part. How does that gunfire the darts? Do they have some kind of compressed gas in them?”

“I'm not actually interested in the darts or what's in them. Though, your mention of gas reminds me that we should use the same type of gas chamber if not this one from the dart rifle. It'll keep the shots quiet and we can sacrifice stopping power as we're not intending on shooting through anything.” Viktor set the gas chamber from the dart rifle aside before running his hand across the barrel. “We can shorten this barrel but the width… It will have to be determined based on the rounds containing the hardening foam. Once we have that, we can also make the… taser rounds. I guess that's the best way to describe them. We can make those the same caliber as the… 'HF' rounds. And that's not even including testing the volume of the foaming agent and voltage needed.” Viktor sighed. This would take plenty of work but he was fortunate to have someone just as or even more excited in making some new equipment.

“Okay… taser rounds could be pretty easy to make, just stick a cylinder of ionic sodium in a rubber casing, and put a set of prongs on one end and flight stabilizers on the other end. That’s not a problem. For hardening foam, the barrel’s length might be beneficial. I’m thinking the best way to expel that stuff would be something like a shotgun shell. It could fire, an inner casing would be launched, and the barrel’s rifling would keep it stable and flying fast. It would be like a really small grenade launcher shell and would explode to release the foam on contact. Sort of like Green Arrow’s foam arrows. But we sure as shit aren’t getting his help on this, considering.” She joked, referring to how the League was usually frustrating when it came to information.

“Perfect.” It was a word Viktor used sparingly.

Cora tore a clean sheet out of the notebook and started writing down ideas for a gun. She made two columns, labeled “Cora” and “Viktor.” In Viktor’s column, she wrote “grenade launcher” and “taser rounds.”

In hers, she wrote “railgun” and “lightning gun.”

Viktor gave a swift nod at the sheet before shifting toward the disassembled rifle from the bank heist. He grabbed a clear canister of sealed light blue liquid from the laid-out parts, eyeing it for just a moment.

“I’ll start with analyzing the foam so I can figure out how much is appropriate for each round. You can… I guess I’m following your lead after that.” Viktor felt slightly uncomfortable with this kind of humbling but a part of him was glad to have someone who was quite crafty to help him.

And like that, the two got to work. They were getting a hell of a lot done too. Both were fixated and meticulous. There were no cut corners, no whining, and there was no such thing as “just good enough.” Cora and Viktor tinkered for hours, only exchanging a few words of either praise or correction in between. With neither having the capacity to leave their work undone, they continued until they had something to work with.

Sometime later…

“I’ll keep it steady.” Viktor was holding up one of the newly designed weapons for Cora to put some finishing touches on.

“Okay, let me juuuuust….” Cora inserted a pre-machined rod of solid graphene into a socket on the side of a weapon, she then fit a hollow cylinder around it and screwed a plate over the whole thing. The weapon lit up like a Christmas tree in Viktor’s hands. Neon-teal rings lining the barrel started to crackle and hum with electricity, while a digital display of a wave began to spit out numbers that made no sense to anyone other than them. Mounted onto a rail on the gun, a holographic sight began to faintly light up with the same color.

Their first successful prototype worked. Cora smiled wickedly while Viktor grinned slightly as the first of their creations. “It’s charged up. All we need to do now is fire it at something- And put on glasses. It’ll be bright.” Viktor glanced around.

“The best we have here are safety glasses… Take it outside, by the obstacle course. The tires. I’ll acquire something for our eyes. Hmm… or just for mine?” He narrowed his eyes at her glowing blue ones, wondering if they were resistant to bright light since they were bright lights themselves.

“Just yours, yeah. I’m kinda flashbang-proof. If we take it outside we might attract attention. But it would be safer than here… Hmm… Yeah, let’s go outside and do it. I’ll blast some tires and you can jab me for not knowing how to shoot a gun.” She joked, before packing the gun for the obstacle course with Viktor, along with whatever he wanted to test. They made a quick stop to his room where he grabbed his visored helmet.

Once they were outside they realized it just before dawn. The sky was dark with a faint hint of light rising from the horizon. Cora stacked a bunch of tires on top of each other, took a position roughly 60 feet away, and aimed her weapon. Viktor positioned himself 45 degrees and about 30 feet away from her.

“Okay… You ready to take notes over there?”

“Affirmative!” Viktor declared as he held up his phone to record the event while leaving formal notetaking for later. “Fire when you're ready!”

“Okay…” She held the gun up and squared her shoulders. Remembering that Viktor told her beforehand not to put the sight directly against her face, she lined the glowing dot up with the tires, as close to center as possible. And…

A sound like the last few seconds before a transformer exploded filled the air. It was the hum of extreme voltage, heavy enough to feel against one’s skin. As she pulled the trigger, a flash of blue and white streaked across the field. The tires they used as target practice were still standing, but there was a smoldering hole where the shot landed. The rubber had been vaporized at the point of contact and melted around it.

Cora didn’t even flinch at the flash of light. She saw the entire thing as clear as day, from the moment the charge left the barrel to when it turned the rubber into smoke. She had a proud smile on her face as she turned and looked at Viktor who had just removed his helmet and was sharing the same smile.

“It WORKS!”

“You hit your mark as well.” Viktor was making his way to Cora with his helmet tucked under his arm. “Want to try it again? One shot isn’t legitimate enough for-” The sound of a blaring alarm sounded from Mount Justice. “Oh shit.” Viktor lowered his head with a sigh.

“Uh… That’s not good- Is it?” Cora asked, switching the breaker on the weapon. It was now incapable of firing, even if it was charged. The information displayed on it reflected the charge of the battery, showing it was empty.

“Not again.” Viktor groaned.

“Please don’t tell me we just accidentally ripped open a hole in spacetime or something.”

Viktor shook his head. He was quickly reminded of the night when Alisa totaled the team’s jeep.

“Haven’t done that before… It’s less of an effect on the universe and more of an effect on… us.” Viktor sighed again. “Ever been grounded?” Viktor asked as if it was only a punishment administered at Mount Justice.

“Once or twice. If anyone asks, we’ll just tell them it was here or in a lab with a bunch of lab equipment that could’ve been obliterated.” She said, making a mental note to write down that the weapon felt warmer than it should in her hands.

“No. Just hand it over to me and get out of here.” Viktor donned his helmet and reached his hands out to Cora. Though Viktor was the least bit afraid of whatever would come out of this from the League, he wasn't sure what would happen to Cora. New members of the team were very easily let go after committing actions that deemed them unfit. “It's now or never. Give me the weapon.”

Cora was visibly confused. Social cues were not her specialty. ”Why? What’s happening?” Cora asked, looking around only to find that they weren’t alone anymore. There was the sound of gusts before none other than Red Tornado landed in front of them.

“Nevermind, Cora. Just… let me do the talking.” Viktor had given up on her, mentally dialing back a bit of the praise he had given Cora previously. There was no use trying to avoid it, the two of them just had to face whatever Red Tornado had in store.

Viktor explained everything, from the procurement of the weapons from the mission to the testfire of one of the newly assembled weapons. There were a few questions from Red Tornado concerning the purpose and design of the new weapons, which led to more of an intellectual discussion rather than stern reprimanding. There was a moment where Red Tornado considered what their corrective punishment might be but Viktor and Cora hadn't actually done anything wrong except damage training equipment and unknowingly set off an alarm that likely gave everyone alerted a brief yet sudden scare. Still, the red robot would need to at least report this event to the rest of the League. There would be much to talk through with the other members of the League but it would go smoother than Viktor and Cora explaining to their teammates why they were woken to a blaring alarm at the crack of dawn.

Avengers Academy 💥

Leah Jordan

---

Location: Dorms
Skills: N/A

Things were still spinning around in Leah's head like crazy. With Sabine all people... Her? Them? It was hard to imagine to her, but Sabine was... Well, she's Sabine. And they did just kiss like crazy. Leah's skin felt warm, and her heartbeat was considerably higher than normal. Sabine's hand felt even warmer. This didn't feel real, but Leah wasn't complaining. For about as long as Leah and Sabine were friends, they just barely every got along normally. They always bantered back and forth and got on each other's nerves so much, but they first they had a real heart-to-heart, they were heading to the dorms for redacted activities. They were moving fast, but Leah, if she was being honest with herself, didn't mind. She was fine with this. She just felt anxious about it. Was it because she was still reeling from the very personal things Sabine saw in her head? Or the fact that this was happening at all? Who knew? It definitely wasn't her.

Then her phone went off, Leah checked and it was a text from April... Fuck. April.

Now she didn't know what to think. She felt a million different things about April, but she was feeling a million different things right now. Her body now in autopilot, Leah thought about what to send back. Maybe April wouldn't be mad- Why would she? Unless this secret had something to do with her. Too many thoughts were happening, but Leah's heart had been laid bare already... Couldn't hurt to give it a shot. Leah slipped her hand out of Sabine's for a second. "Hang on." And she quickly shot back what was... Certainly one of the texts of all time.

@April

I got something to tell you too. I won't laugh a twhatever you're gonna tell me if you don't laugh. I'v ehad kind of a lot of feelings about you for a while now. And Sabine. Both of you. Is that weird? Maybe. I dunno but today's been a day and I'm riding some kind of emotional high and im probably gonna regret sending this and im sorry if this weirds you out but. Yeah. Im not good at this. but im love with two different people and you're one of them. I'm with sabien right now and my hands are jittey so ill talk to you later if you wanna laugh

She stared at the wall of text she just typed out and somehow didn't notice the multiple typos. She clicked the "send" button and instantly regretted it, but dropped her phone into a pocket regardless. "I'm- I'm gonna pretend I didn't send that for a while. Let's go." She reached for Sabine's hand and kept walking. Her skin now warmer than before. Something told her she was going to be taking a long nap, a lot of swings on a punching bag, or both by the time she and Sabine were done reading each other's Bibles. As far as she was concerned, the bees just didn't exist anymore. "It's been- Been pretty quiet while you weren't here. I didn't touch any of your stuff." Leah had the dorm to herself the whole summer, since she basically lived here the full-time. Wait- Didn't Sabine drop by the dorm before Leah woke up? If she did, it didn't register in Leah's head.

What a fucking day this had turned out to be.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Port Vanarosa, The Seagull
Interactions: Tanelia, Amisra
Mentions: Ismael
Equipment: Sword, ring, and some amas.

Drosis strode off the deck, Leaving Arlen and apparently Amisra on deck. "When you're through here, Amisra, come and find me at the Seagull. I have something for you as well, after everyone's wound down a touch." He said, on his way off the ramp. Knowing her, she'd probably be below deck or upstairs somewhere with Arlen and Solaris knows who else. Not that it mattered to the captain where his crew relaxed. They all knew they had responsibilities and he trusted them all with his life. Amisra in particular was a capable bastard in her own right, so he left her to it. Drosis strode down the docks with his hands in his pockets, headed for a tavern. It was the break of dawn when the Saltrunner arrived, but Port Vanarosa was just that- a port. This was the kind of place that never slept, given that ships were constantly anchoring and leaving at any possible hour.

He swung the door of the Seagull open and headed directly for the bar in one motion. This was a place where Drosis had spent enough amas to fund a whole dreadnought by now. Among the pirates who ate and slept here, Drosis was a well known face. Typically, a pirate could measure their own reputation by what happened when they walked into a place full of their own kind. In his case, no one even acknowledged his presence. People knew not to bother the old elf, and that the sword wasn't for show. Drosis could count on one hand the number of times he had to put some brazen pirate in his place during a barfight that lasted but ten seconds. These were his people, and it felt great to be on solid ground again. He waited for the bartender, Tanelia, to come by and place three gold amas on the counter. Enough for food and coffee, and something extra for her to keep.

"Shrimp and coffee. Black. Good to see you, Tanelia." Drosis wasn't the type to flirt with bartenders, but he respected people who fed others. As a pirate who made enemies daily, he made a point of never disrespecting someone that handled food for a living.

"Busy as ever, I see."

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

---

Time: 6pm
Location: Sorian Park
Interactions: @Rodiak Matthias/Zarai, @ReusableSword Roman, @Conscripts John, @JJ Doe Count Fritz @Mole Prince Felix @Potter Sadie @Tpartywithzombi Violet

Lyra, in the aftermath of her deliberate loss against a Shehzadi, strolled the city of Sorian in quiet contemplation. The city had become quiet beautiful in its age. There was something noble about a place with history as long-standing as the kingdom of Caesonia. Kingdoms rose and fell like the tides of an ocean, and we’re often brought forth through time at the behest of a history marked with blood and death. Lyra was a soldier, she knew this much. And yet still, life remained.

On her walk, she found herself in a park. Beautiful green grass and a lovely sky. Her boots and the distant sounds of children running together were the most present sounds. Lyra was at peace in this moment, she felt calm and unbothered. Perhaps she could-

She stopped. Out in the open field, Lyra’s body went stiff as stone. Her breathing halted, and her grip flexes on the hilt of her sword. The air around her darkened suddenly to something wrong. There was something in this park that should not exist. Dread crept up the General’s back, this was not a feeling others could feel, let alone understand. But Lyra knew it well. It was a feeling that she had felt before, and she abhorred it. It made her feel like an animal among predators, among monsters.

Looking around, it was clear nothing immediately alarming was happening. That much was good, but the urge to hurt something was burning in Lyra’s throat by now. She wanted blood. But if things were to be different, she knew she had to be. So, Lyra continued her strides in a straight line, and her eyes scanned every blade of grass, every face, and every motion around her with the scrutiny of a master tactician. Her mind had become an empty vessel, not a stray thought beyond the will to survive and seek out danger. Her senses felt dulled, and Lyra could only imagine what she’d do if she wasn’t aware of that fact in and of itself.

She came to a stop and was jarred out of her mindset when she saw a group off in the distance. Sadie’s face anchored her enough that she could take a breath, after what could’ve been two full minutes. Sadie was having a picnic with a few other people. Some men who seemed to look like her, and older-looking man and… A woman. Just looking at her, something felt wrong. Her skin looked deathly pale, she looked dejected, and her eyes. There was only one person alive who had eyes red as blood. And she didn’t walk with a cane. They were distracted, and Lyra was a considerable distance away, but Lyra’s senses were trained on the woman like a starving animal.

Too many emotions were rendered unfettered.

No.

She resisted the temptation to cleave the woman in half, by turning around and shutting her eyes. She inhaled, and exhaled. Breathe in… Breathe out. Breathe in, and breathe out.

”This will be different,” she told herself.

Lyra steadied herself, and undid the death grip on her hilt. She turned around, and put forth all her will to act as normal as she knew how. And so, she walked over to the picnic, and approached them.

”Sadie! I was wondering where you had wandered off to. The fireworks, oh- You had to see them from here, yes?” She exclaimed, an endearing smile on her face that betrayed a murderous instinct in her heart. She tossed an arm around the princess’ shoulder amicably. ”They we’re almost as radiant as you. Almost… Are these young men your brothers?”