Bork Lazer

Discord and role-playing, a good idea or a no-no?

Yeah, it would be great if there wasn't such bullshit like character limits. I swear to god, the amount of times I had to cut up a Discord post into several just because it was too long.....

Walmageddon: Shopping Spree [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]

SCATS

---

@Mercenary Lord

The Tron’s aim was true as the pair of bolts lodged into the Mister’s body, first in his chest and then his jaw. Scat had managed to push himself away from the mad shopper in time. The first arrow in the pirate’s left breast made him hunch over while the second one struck his jaw and sent him spinning to the ground. His handheld crossbow splashed into the inundated floor of the storage cabin.

Soon to be dead. Scat wasn’t sure whether to euthanize him or let the Spillway take him to a watery burial. He didn’t have time to decide as the Detergent continued to topple on top of itself, threatening to send them all plunging into a drowning death if they didn’t escape soon. In the madness, Scat somehow found purchase on the Tron’s hand, his plate size palms grabbing on for dear life with a bone crushing grip. The Q-Tip sent a jolt of agony with every slight movement he made. Even the simple task of standing was a trial, a marathon of his willpower. Paw. He focused on that. I need to find Pa-

Another Q-Tip hit him from behind and Scat was regretting not having crushed the Mister’s head underneath his boot. The hot burning sensation bounced up and down his spine like a rabid Chihuahua, boiling his nerves. By the time he was sensate, he tried to get up.

But couldn’t. Scat frowned. He was no baby chick. This was a simple matter of -

Nothing. Simply nothing. Scat looked back and found the answer to his predicament. The Q-Tip had penetrated firmly in the lower back of his spine.

His legs were now just lumps of dead meat. Stiff. Frozen forever. The Mister laughed a low chuckle, deluded and separated from the Wal around him. Scat found it a miracle that he was still able to speak.

“ If any of you realised what your friend’s got there…” One of the Mister’s hands pointed towards the card in Scat’s grasp. “....you’d kill him for it too.” Scat noticed a tuft of white fur skulking behind the Mister. “ You’ll be a pack of fish food soon, Lifter. Got any final words for me?”

Scat replied with a sharp whistle.The pirate chuckled darkly.

“ Perhaps, you’ve bled too much red already, Pet-Mas”

His words became a blood-sputtering garble, Paw taking the opportunity to clamp his jaws around the Misters neck. Scat watched with satisfaction as the rabbit wrenched his head back and tore out a massive dripping chunk of the former helmsman throat. The Mister’s bald head shook left and right like a bobble head, spasming as what looked like a tongue slapped out of the wound in his neck like a wriggling earthworm. Muzzle tinged red, Paw hopped towards him, each hop becoming more slowly as he neared him. The rabbit’s button nose flared to take in the scents before chittering rapidly. Scar hand’s rubbed through his Pet’s fur. It was something he did to calm himself.

The life floaties had docked into the open hole blown on the side of the Detergent, boots stepping down on the sinking floor. The apparent leader, a clothshanger strapped to his stump of a left hand, signalled them with a beckoning wave.

“ WHAT ARE YE ALL ‘TANDING THERE FOR! GET IN OR GET SHAM WOWED!”

Bork Lazer's Storage Bunker

WIZARD COPS - NEW ORLEANS

DISCLAIMER: WIZARD COPS IS FILMED WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF ANY MAGICAL SPECIES OF MAGIC LAW ENFORCEMENT. ALL WIZARDS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT IN A COURT OF LAW.

concepts

- script style format like the TV show?
- no big bad guy. dark wizards are like the equivalent of serial killers.
- tv show being filmed live to educate modern society about the dangers that the Wiz-Cops face on a daily basis.

crimes
- wand licenses, broom licenses,
- potions and talisman and rare magical parts trafficking
- magical creatures
- drug stings
- voodoo doll assaults

Boxing Arena RP

Can I do a paraplegic boxer?

[Approved] Cleqq Yrsbahk - Bounty Hunter

Ssorry, but I'm already cold-blooded. I prefer to kill in hot blood.

OoC

How long do you usually write?
Several paragraphs or more.
Do you enjoy writing collaborative posts for things like conversations, combat, etc.?
Absolutely.
Is grammar and depth of writing important to you?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring?
Moral ambiguity. Angst. Regret. War. Normalization of violence. Honor.
Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague?
Sexual violence. ERP fetishization. Slavery fetishization. Gratuitous scenes of sadism and torture porn.
Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character?
Nope. The mos I would be uncomfortable is if some player hijacked my character and did something with them without my say-so.
Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character?

My short terms with this character is to explore the underworld of the galaxy, interact with multiple different characters that are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are on top of the barrel as well as fun bounty hunting jobs with gratuitous consumption of flesh on the side. My long term goals overall are to explore whether or not a Trandoshan can still be a real lizard bean and a real hero, despite their status as a monster, by forcing him through morally complex situations, along with his ambition to form a new Bounty Hunter House in the Guild.

Peacekeepers Holonet Ad

Name: Cleqq Yrsbahk
Species: Trandoshan
Homeworld: Trandosha
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Recorded Specialization: Close Quarters Brutalization Assassination
Current Area of Operation: [UNKNOWN] Individual's last known sighting was within the Nal Hutta system.

Peacekeepers Holonet Metadata Summary

_{Detailed appearance. Imagery insufficient.}

Standing a head and a half above most individuals in the Mid-Rim, Cleqq boasts the typical recognizable reptilian characteristics of a Trandoshan. Having suffered enough combat for multiple lifetimes, his coat of scaly emerald skin is positively riddled with the past signs of blaster burns and grievous scars. His left nostril looks as if it's been chewed off by a sarlacc and black, pupiless eyes stare out from his frilled head. The amputated claws on his left hand have been replaced with durasteel substitutes, no less deadly than their original counterparts. His mouth is locked in a permanent fanged smirk, more than often subconsciously licking his lips with his slimy tongue. He bears a tattoo of the Trandoshan sigil for 'Hunt' on his left jowl.

Given that there's no footwear in the galaxy that can accommodate Trandoshan claws, Cleqq forgoes boots and mostly walks around bare-foot, unless under exceptional circumstances. Cleqq prefers to heighten his bulk with a suit of protective armor, preferring to walk around in a full tanned body-suit all the time with thick pauldrons and heavy plating. Both of his pauldrons have been decorated to include the symbol of the Bounty Hunter Guild as well as his serial bar code from his time spent as a Republic mercenary on his left breast.

_{Report on skills and talents, including level of skill.}

Cleqq, like every Trandoshan, has an inborn talent for hunting and tracking down his targets, having spent most of his childhood tracking beasts through the jungles of Trandosha. A city is just a jungle with buildings and skylanes. Years of serving on the Bounty Hunter Guild sharpened and honed his innate tracking instincts by looking for and connecting together clues that would seemingly have no relation with one another. His relentlessness allows him to track targets located systems away.

In a bounty hunter’s short yet terribly exciting life, they are bound to encounter numerous cultures and races from every sector of the galaxy and are expected to communicate with all manner of creature. Cleqq is able to to speak fluent Dosh and Basic, whilst being conversational in Jawa Trade Talk and a beginner in Huttese. Nevertheless, he has picked up a truly impressive amount of slang from all cultures in the galaxy; half of which consists of heinous profanity, a quarter of which consists of directions to the nearest space dock and another quarter that consists of sexual innuendos.

Cleqq is a terrible pilot and every neophyte pilot with a probationary space license could probably outfly him. He knows how to park a vehicle and safely engage hyperspace but the amount of times he’s had to pay for spaceship repairs because of his negligence has cut into his yearly salary. Therefore, Cleqq usually hires pilots for his job or takes public transportation.

A history of violence and survival is embedded in a Trandoshan's genetic code which is responsible for their reputation as being the rivals of the savage Wookies. Cleqq possesses his species extranormal strength and physical constitution, allowing him to crack necks with a twitch of his hands and snap blasters in half with ease, as well as being able to regenerate lost tissue and limbs from wounds sustained during missions. His natural claws can be useful in a pinch to flay unarmored targets. As the Trandoshan are a warrior species, every member of their species is noted to have an especially high pain tolerance as well. Infrared vision supported by hypersensitive pupils help him in tracking down a target.

Also, he’s a great cook. Just don’t ask where he gets his meat from……

_{Report on known combat experience, training and weapons training.}

Having taken over 300 bounty hunting contracts throughout his 15 year career and having been mentored thoroughly by Treak, Cleqq has experienced a wide array of hostile combat situations ranging from Outer Rim pirates, rogue mercenaries, hired guns and even the odd Force user. There is rarely anything that will phase him nor is there anything that he doesn't have a backup plan for.

Cleqq's reputation as the SlaughterHouse within the Bounty Hunter Guild are mainly due to his preference for close quarters brawling, mixing firepower and his Trandoshan strength to absolutely destroy anyone who gets in the way of his acquistions. His unarmed skills focus on crippling and dismantling the target with as little fuss, striking vital points and preferring lethal incapacitation whilst using superior firepower to blast away anyone else who tries to make it close to him. Unless you’re one of those stinkin’ Force sensitives, a combat droid or another Wookie, going into personal combat with Cleqq is considered hazardous for your health.

However, he has a great deal of difficulty using weapons that are not adapted for Trandoshan digits, finding it difficult to adapt in situations whereby blasters of his size are not avaliable. Likewise, Cleqq has a reputation within the Bounty Hunter's Guild for being horrendous at being a sniper, thus, his preference to do close quarters assassinations with his bare hands rather than killing someone from far away through the lens of a scope.

_{Detailed notes on common/favored employers and any noteworthy contacts.}

//Yiilo Vans - A Pyke member of the Black Sun Syndicate and a notable employer of Cleqq's who wants to advance his way up the totem pole of the organisation ladder by having Cleqq do his dirty deeds.

//Aiolin Gavell - A corrupt Republic peacekeeper who cooperates with the underworld and bounty hunters, believing it to be the only way to control crime in the Outer Rim. He frequently employs Cleqq to assist him in Republic peacekeeping matters in return for keeping him clean on Republic records.

//Bim Bom - A Jawa tech smuggler and tinkerer who uses the guise of a space-borne restaurant as a front for his illicit activities. He considers Cleqq to be his most reliable customer and supplies the Guild with tech to use on their contracts. In return for his services, Bim Bom gets a small cut of Cleqq's bounties.

//Kuyaipa Gjunc - A Rodian representative of the Bounty Hunter's Guild who acts as Cleqq's handler and fixer of sorts, informing him of current bounties to pursue and acting as a middle man for Cleqq's clients.

_{Detailed notes on known rivals and enemies.}

// Rann Dyhl - Famed Mandalorian mercenary. Cleqq suspects him of having murdering his old mentor.

// Racallakrsk - A Wookie Bounty Hunter who possesses a deep hatred of Trandoshans as his father was a veteran of the Trandoshan-Wookie wars. He’s itching to find an excuse to kill Cleqq by any means necessary.

// Zym Gesell - The leader of a notorious band of Outer Rim pirates, Azure Glaive, and the survivor of the Red Rancors, a pirate crew that was exterminated by none other than Cleqq Yrsbahk himself on a government contract.

_{List and description of other known associates, including subordinates.}

// Khoss Liell - Cleqq's professional partner whom he owns a life debt to and unofficial second-in-command of the Venataan Consortium, even though he pathologically insists on striking out on his own.

_{List of known belongings, including but not limited to planetary surface property, civilian and military vessels, vehicles, weapons, tools.}

// Biragwin DXR-A - Formerly belonging to his former mentor, Treak Villis, this gun fires a high -powered energy blast that wreaks havoc on the molecular structure of anything it touches. Flesh,duraplast, starship hulls, nothing is immune except for the strongest of materials in the galaxy. This devastating power comes at the cost of being hideously ineffective at long ranges and heavy recoil. Modifications have been made such as filing the grip to be used with Trandoshan digits, Tibanna porting to reduce recoil as well as a LR scope.

// The TripTrap - A makeshift bola launcher scavenged from the remnants of a Wookie bowcaster. This contraption uses a gas compressed mechanism similar to slugthrowers to launch a bola composed of carbon-durasteel fibre. The momentum is enough to knock the wind out of most acquisitions and any of those who are still sensate will find themselves unable to move.

// BL-90 Special - Heavy blaster pistol. Reliable, durable and packs a punch in a tiny package.

// Chalon Hatchet - Chalon is the discount version of the Mandalorian’s Bes’kar steel. It can’t resist lightsabers but it’s versatility is almost as reknowned as its rarity, only being available in small deposits on Trandosha. This hatchet was a birthday gift to Cleqq from one of his Trandoshan friends.

// Armored Vac-Suit - Cleqq’s old security guard vac-suit, a keep-sake from his time in Kuat Drive Yards, has been modified with duraplast and durasteel plating for protection. No helmet, of course. It’s Trandoshan tradition to never wear a helmet into combat.

// ZX Dual-Spectrum Electroscope - A portable electroscope with modular magnification with a maximum range of 3.0 klicks. It includes thermal imaging software for one to spot their targets from far away during night time.

// Utility Bandoliers - Instead of carrying on him in one giant pack, Cleqq instead has multiple bandoliers strapped on his person to carry all his supplies such as water purification tablets, his set of playing cards and ammo for his blasters.

// Mystery Meat Ration Sausage - As Trandoshan are obligate carnivores, this dried log of meat is packed full of proteins, with each bite a full meal. The recipe on how to make it is a family secret. Just don’t question what’s in it and the taste is bearable.

_{Psychological evaluation Of Bounty Hunter.}

Cleqq is ruthless, vicious and utterly unrelenting in fulfilling the requirements of a contract, possessing a thirst for blood that makes him prone to sudden bouts of violence when provoked. However, unlike most bounty hunters who do it for the fame or greed, Cleqq's motivations for pursuing a career choice such as this are of superstition, believing that each bounty done successfully will earn him Jagganath points and increase his so-called Score, the crux of social status within Trandoshan society. He also possesses a honor code, only hunting down acquisitions that he believe can fight back or provide him with a good battle. Furthermore, Cleqq fully believes in honoring life-debts and will make sure to pay back those who saved his life in full.

Years of spending time in the Bounty Hunter's Guild have mellowed him down considerably as much as a Trandoshan can, having a sardonic disposition whilst also casually interspersing threats of disembowelment and beheadings like an afternoon conversation over tea.

_{List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.}

Whilst Cleqq is good at tactics for killing people or bringing in people alive, he has a twitchy blaster finger and is always eager to start fights rather than to let others start fights. Combined with his lack of patience, Cleqq approaches delicate operations with the metaphorical finesse of a hammer which increases his chance of getting killed on the job. He regularly consumes the flesh of other species or individuals, taking every opportunity he can to either slice a body part off a corpse or a dead acquisition to store in his freezer. His appetite is voracious and can be naturally quite distressing to many people who are looking to work with him.

_{Known interests of the Bounty Hunter.}

Cleqq takes an interest in eating and cooking the meat of other species. He is also a fan of combat sports and sparring in general, particularly the brutal game of shock boxing. In terms of collections, he likes carving out statues from wooden branches picked up during his galactic ventures. Like any yellow-blooded Trandoshan, he also is fond of a good bit of hunting every now and then, but don't ask him to do fishing. Being a blaster nut is a recent interest he’s picked up out of necessity, especially from Bim-Bom’s incessant meddling.

_{Major achievements on record.}

- Earned 'Employee Of the Month' award as security guard at Kuat Drive Yards and was responsible for a 50% reduction in illegal tech trafficking from their Corellian Ship Reclamation Center.
- Accidentally captured and successfully subduing an Sith Warrior.
- Responsible for leading the destablization and elimination of the Azure Glaives, a notorious band of Outer Rim pirates, with a crew of hand-chosen bounty hunters.
- Successfully assassinated the manager of Czerka Corporation in broad daylight and managed to escape away from Coruscant alive.

_{Major failures on record. Confidential.}

- Nearly died on his first bounty detaining a jail escapee from Belsavis Prison due to overconfidence in his abilities and was forced to spent a week in a Bacta tank to recuperate from his injuries.
- Disobeyed instructions numerous times to not kill or disintegrate his acquistions. Too many to count or say.
- Accidentally captured and subdued an Sith Warrior by mistaking them for another acquistion through a series of unfortunate coincidences and bad luck. Blasting off and eating the Sith Warrior's arm for lunch didn't exactly help matters either. Cleqq's mistake nearly led to war between the Bounty Hunter Guild and the Sith Empire, if it wasn't for careful diplomacy. As a result, Cleqq had his license suspended for a period of one year.

REPUBLIC PEACEKEEPER HOLO-AUDIO FILE-A-534

ADDENDUM: This recording of a conversation on 3.8.5 ATC between Khoss Liell and Cheqq Yrsbahk in Mon Eisley was obtained from the remnants of a high-frequency audio recorder by Larsoon Kells. It is unfortunate that Second Lieutenant Kells was unable to survive alongside the vital information that he transmitted to us about the inner workings of the Bounty Hunter Guilds.

We have the Trandoshan to thank for that. Scum didn't even have the courtesy to give us an open body funeral......

- Captain Krost, Republic Peacekeeper Division A-34

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, well, well. If it isn't Khoss Liell, the Huntsman of Hoth. Last I heard, you were operating . I don't suppose you came back all the way to Hutt Space just for little old me.

KHOSS LIELL: Came to turn in several bail jumpers at a Republic outpost south of here. Heard you were in town and figured I would stop by to meet a fellow professional.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Sshould I be flattered, Liell?

KHOSS LIELL: Stop looking so down, Yrsbahk. I didn't come here with empty platitudes and empty hands.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. Alderaan liqueur. Blowing all your credits like this ain’t considered a wise move, Hoth Man.

KHOSS LIELL: Look, scale-skin. The way I seen it, you’ve earned it after that job you pulled down in the Core. Everyone in the Guild’s been talking about what you did on Coruscant with House Berkaat.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Costed me a good ship. I'm not gonna blow all my credits right now just to get another vehicle.

KHOSS LIELL: So, what? You're the headline in the entire parsec, Yrsbahk!

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, wait a few weeks and some Mando hotshot will probably be the new face in the spotlight. Besides, it's nothing to warrant celebration over.

KHOSS LIELL: Lucky day for me, then. Guess I'll enjoy this bottle all to myself....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Fine. Beats a swig of Jawa Juice from Bim Bom any day. Cheers.

KHOSS LIELL: Cheers.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Oh, and one more thing. Call me scale-skin again and I'll hang you with your own intestines.

KHOSS LIELL: I wouldn't expect anything less from the Slaughterhouse. So, tell me, Cleqq. How exactly did you get into bounty hunting in the first place?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: You expect a little refreshment to loosen my tongue, Liell? 'Cause you ain't getting anything out of me.

KHOSS LIELL: Fine, I'll just make it up in my head. I know you grew up on Trandosha. Your mother died after giving birth to you. Your clutch bullied you, which I assume is the origin of your stunning anger management issues. I'm guessing your father was a little hard on you when you were young, perhaps a little too strict, gave out regular beatings with a shock baton -

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: My father tried to eat me.

KHOSS LIELL: Go on.....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: It happened after my first molt. I still have the shedding with me in my ship cabin. In our culture, its expected for the siblings of a brood to fight each other to the death until the fittest and the strongest is left remaining. Combat means everything on Trandosha. It's how we paid tribute to the Scorekeeper. It's how we got Jagganath points. Get enough and you get to go to paradise when you die. When it came on that day where I was to fight my brothers and sisters...., I was the odd one out.

KHOSS LIELL: Your father didn't take it well, I suppose.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: He didn't. He threatened to suck out my marrow and boil my eyes into a stew if I didn't kill my siblings. So, I did what any Trandoshan should have done at that moment. I killed him and ate him back. Costed me my left claw, though.

KHOSS LIELL: And your mother?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: She didn't take my choice of meal very kindly, so, she decided to kick me out of Trandosha after telling the other clans about my ' lapse in judgement'. It was worth it, though. Some of my siblings are still kicking around to this day, although, some of them weren't grateful for what I did to Father. Heh. One of them's even an ambassador in the Republic senate for Trandosha.

KHOSS LIELL: So, what happened after all of that? You just signed up on the Bounty Hunter Guild as a fresh rookie?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Nah. I stowed away on a merchant freighter to a Mid-Rim space-dock and ended up in one of Kuat Drive Yard's ship reclamation centers as extra muscle. It was….Corellia if I remember correctly. You'd be surprised at the amount of scavs that try and loot the place. Orders were simple: warn once, shoot twice, don’t think thrice. That's how I first met Bim Bom.

KHOSS LIELL: Our Bim Bom?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Yeah, our Bim Bom. I caught him trying to scavenge a class 1.5 hyperdrive. Once I got him in the corner of an engine room, he begged me to spare him. My Jawa was a little rusty back then, but if I remember correctly, he said that he would pay me back a thousandfold if I let him go alive.

KHOSS LIELL: So, why'd you leave?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Leave? I was fired. Got caught by the boss for engaging in my dietary habits. What? You used to live on a blasted frost-pit. Didn’t you get desperate sometimes?

KHOSS LIELL: The most we did was sleep in a taun-taun, not eat other people as daily meals.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. But if I had to admit, I would have left eventually.

KHOSS LIELL: Why?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: For me, Corellia was too quiet. Too safe. It's the type of place where you went to die slowly. Sure, there was some good excitement once every now and then, but those were too far and few. You get me, Liell? Sure, there was excitement on the job but it was rare.

KHOSS LIELL: So, how'd you found out about the Bounty Hunter Guild?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: I found out about a Guild Outpost on Nar Shaara on a Holo-Ad and got in contact with a representativ. Paperwork was a maze to get through though. Guess the Republic doesn’t just hand out bounty hunting certificates on a whim. I would have nearly gotten killed on my first contract if it wasn’t for Treak.

KHOSS LIELL: Treak?...I’ve heard about him once or twice. We’re talking about the same Ortos Treak. The HeadHunter?

CLEQQ YRSBAHKL: Yup. Taught me everything I knew. He was tough but bounty hunting’s tough. Those were the good days, the both of us working together bounty by bounty. Racking up my Score. I...I thought I could earn enough to return back to Trandosha. Then, the Great Galactic War reached the Outer Rim.

KHOSS LIELL: I heard about it. Treak died. ?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: It was 10 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. He spoke to me about retirement plans. Wanted to make a Nysillin Farm. He had just one more contract to go through before he was out of the Guild. I offered to join up with him, just out of old time’s sake but he wasn’t having it. Next thing, I know, I’m reading on the holonet that Ortos Treak was found dead in a garbage bin on Nal Hutta. Half of his body was disintegrated.

KHOSS LIELL: Now, you're here.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: And I'm here now, alive and breathing. Curiosity satisfied for now, Hoth-Man?

KHOSS LIELL: Definitely. The Slaughterhouse acting all sentimental in front of me....The amount of credits I could get if I got a holo-vid of this....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. You didn't happen to miss the Republic peacekeeper whose been looking at us right?

KHOSS LIELL: Yup. Oh, he's spooked now.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Didn't even know you humans could sweat that much...... And he's making a break for it.

KHOSS LIELL: Thanks for telling him that, Cleqq. Must have bugged the table whilst we were having this conversation.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, you know the drill. I'm going around the back.

KHOSS LIELL: Guess that means I'm front.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Right. Take care of that bug, will you?

KHOSS LIELL: Alright, alright. Where could it - BZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTT

---

I'm expecting to do a revision of this again but this is the basic concept I have in mind for now. Thinking I'll revise a few things after feedback.

Bork Lazer's Storage Bunker

THE BOUNTY HUNTER'S GUILD

TERMINOLOGY

HISTORY

HOUSE SYSTEM

THE BOUNTY HUNTER'S CREED

NO BOUNTY IS WORTH DYING FOR

PEOPLE DON'T HAVE BOUNTIES. ACQUISTIONS HAVE BOUNTIES.

CAPTURE BY DESIGN. KILL BY NECESSITY.

NO HUNTER SHALL EVER SLAY ANOTHER HUNTER

NO HUNT SHALL EVER INTERFERE WITH ANOTHER HUNT

IN THE HUNT, ONE CAPTURES OR KILLS, NEVER BOTH

NO HUNTER SHALL EVER REFUSE ANOTHER HUNTER

THOSE WHO VIOLATE THE CREED SHALL BE HUNTED

The Venataan Coalition

REPUBLIC PEACEKEEPER FILE DELTA_O_33 - Security Level 2 - RESTRICTED ACCESS

The Venataan Coalition

Thick Through Blood

---

As of now, we're no longer ruffians scrapping by on ration bars. We're bounty hunters. We stick with each other through thick and thin. - Cleqq Yrsbahk

Status: Minor House

Chapter Leader: Mac Ordwell (DECEASED)

Current House Leader: Cheqq Yrsbhek

Specializations: Group Missions, Guerilla Tactics, Stealth Infiltration, Unorthodox Tactics

Current Members: Khoss Liell

Chapter History:

Bork Lazer's Storage Bunker

Ssorry, but I'm already cold-blooded. I prefer to kill in hot blood.

OoC

How long do you usually write?
Several paragraphs or more.
Do you enjoy writing collaborative posts for things like conversations, combat, etc.?
Absolutely.
Is grammar and depth of writing important to you?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring?
Moral ambiguity. Angst. Regret. War. Normalization of violence. Honor.
Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague?
Sexual violence. ERP fetishization. Slavery fetishization. Gratuitous scenes of sadism and torture porn.
Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character?
Nope. The mos I would be uncomfortable is if some player hijacked my character and did something with them without my say-so.
Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character?

My short terms with this character is to explore the underworld of the galaxy, interact with multiple different characters that are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are on top of the barrel as well as fun bounty hunting jobs with gratuitous consumption of flesh on the side. My long term goals overall are to explore whether or not a Trandoshan can still be a real lizard bean and a real hero, despite their status as a monster, by forcing him through morally complex situations, along with his ambition to form a new Bounty Hunter House in the Guild.

Peacekeepers Holonet Ad

Name: Cleqq Yrsbahk
Species: Trandoshan
Homeworld: Trandosha
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Recorded Specialization: Close Quarters Brutalization Assassination
Current Area of Operation: [UNKNOWN] Individual's last known sighting was within the Nal Hutta system.

Peacekeepers Holonet Metadata Summary

_{Detailed appearance. Imagery insufficient.}

Standing a head and a half above most individuals in the Mid-Rim, Cleqq boasts the typical recognizable reptilian characteristics of a Trandoshan. Having suffered enough combat for multiple lifetimes, his coat of scaly emerald skin is positively riddled with the past signs of blaster burns and grievous scars. His left nostril looks as if it's been chewed off by a sarlacc and black, pupiless eyes stare out from his frilled head. The amputated claws on his left hand have been replaced with durasteel substitutes, no less deadly than their original counterparts. His mouth is locked in a permanent fanged smirk, more than often subconsciously licking his lips with his slimy tongue. He bears a tattoo of the Trandoshan sigil for 'Hunt' on his left jowl.

Given that there's no footwear in the galaxy that can accommodate Trandoshan claws, Cleqq forgoes boots and mostly walks around bare-foot, unless under exceptional circumstances. Cleqq prefers to heighten his bulk with a suit of protective armor, preferring to walk around in a full tanned body-suit all the time with thick pauldrons and heavy plating. Both of his pauldrons have been decorated to include the symbol of the Bounty Hunter Guild as well as his serial bar code from his time spent as a Republic mercenary on his left breast. Whilst he doesn't prefer to wear a helmet under the justification that it restricts his line of sight, Cleqq has acquired a simple uni-visored helmet to avoid getting his head blown off.

_{Report on skills and talents, including level of skill.}

Cleqq, like every Trandoshan, has an inborn talent for hunting and tracking down his targets, having spent most of his childhood tracking beasts through the jungles of Trandosha. A city is just a jungle with buildings and skylanes. Years of serving on the Bounty Hunter Guild sharpened and honed his innate tracking instincts by looking for and connecting together clues that would seemingly have no relation with one another. His relentlessness allows him to track targets systems away.

In a bounty hunter’s short yet terribly exciting life, they are bound to encounter numerous cultures and races from every sector of the galaxy and are expected to communicate with all manner of creature. Cleqq is able to to speak fluent Dosh and Basic, whilst being conversational in Jawa Trade Talk and a beginner in Huttese. Nevertheless, he has picked up a truly impressive amount of slang from all cultures in the galaxy; half of which consists of heinous profanity, a quarter of which consists of directions to the nearest space dock and another quarter that consists of sexual innuendos.

Cleqq is a terrible pilot and every neophyte pilot with a probationary space license could probably outfly him. He knows how to park a vehicle and safely engage hyperspace but the amount of times he’s had to pay for spaceship repairs because of his negligence has cut into his yearly salary. Therefore, Cleqq usually hires pilots for his job or takes public transportation.

A history of violence and survival is embedded in a Trandoshan's genetic code which is responsible for their reputation as being the rivals of the savage Wookies. Cleqq possesses his species extranormal strength and physical constitution, allowing him to crack necks with a twitch of his hands and snap blasters in half with ease, as well as being able to regenerate lost tissue and limbs from wounds sustained during missions. His natural claws can be useful in a pinch to flay unarmored targets. As the Trandoshan are a warrior species, every member of their species is noted to have an especially high pain tolerance as well. Infrared vision supported by hypersensitive pupils help him in tracking down a target.

Also, he’s a great cook. Just don’t ask where he gets his meat from……

_{Report on known combat experience, training and weapons training.}

Having taken over 300 bounty hunting contracts throughout his 15 year career and having been mentored thoroughly by Treak, Cleqq has experienced a wide array of hostile combat situations ranging from Outer Rim pirates, rogue mercenaries, hired guns and even the odd Force user. There is rarely anything that will phase him nor is there anything that he doesn't have a backup plan for.

Cleqq's reputation as the SlaughterHouse within the Bounty Hunter Guild are mainly due to his preference for close quarters brawling, mixing firepower and his Trandoshan strength to absolutely destroy anyone who gets in the way of his acquistions. His unarmed skills focus on crippling and dismantling the target with as little fuss, striking vital points and preferring lethal incapacitation whilst using superior firepower to blast away anyone else who tries to make it close to him. Unless you’re one of those stinkin’ Force sensitives, a combat droid or another Wookie, going into personal combat with Cleqq is considered hazardous for your health.

However, he has a great deal of difficulty using weapons that are not adapted for Trandoshan digits, finding it difficult to adapt in situations whereby blasters of his size are not avaliable. Likewise, Cleqq has a reputation within the Bounty Hunter's Guild for being horrendous at being a sniper, thus, his preference to do close quarters assassinations with his bare hands rather than killing someone from far away through the lens of a scope.

_{Detailed notes on common/favored employers and any noteworthy contacts.}

//Yiilo Vans - A Pyke member of the Black Sun Syndicate and a notable employer of Cleqq's who wants to advance his way up the totem pole of the organisation ladder by having Cleqq do his dirty deeds.

//Aiolin Gavell - A corrupt Republic peacekeeper who cooperates with the underworld and bounty hunters, believing it to be the only way to control crime in the Outer Rim. He frequently employs Cleqq to assist him in Republic peacekeeping matters in return for keeping him clean on Republic records.

//Bim Bom - A Jawa tech smuggler and tinkerer who uses the guise of a space-borne restaurant as a front for his illicit activities. He considers Cleqq to be his most reliable customer and supplies the Guild with tech to use on their contracts. In return for his services, Bim Bom gets a small cut of Cleqq's bounties.

//Kuyaipa Gjunc - A Rodian representative of the Bounty Hunter's Guild who acts as Cleqq's handler and fixer of sorts, informing him of current bounties to pursue and acting as a middle man for Cleqq's clients.

_{Detailed notes on known rivals and enemies.}

// Rann Dyhl - Famed Mandalorian mercenary. Cleqq suspects him of having murdering his old mentor.

// Racallakrsk - A Wookie Bounty Hunter who possesses a deep hatred of Trandoshans as his father was a veteran of the Trandoshan-Wookie wars. He’s itching to find an excuse to kill Cleqq by any means necessary.

// Zym Gesell - The leader of a notorious band of Outer Rim pirates, Azure Glaive, and the survivor of the Red Rancors, a pirate crew that was exterminated by none other than Cleqq Yrsbahk himself on a government contract.

_{List and description of other known associates, including subordinates.}

// Khoss Liell - Cleqq's professional partner whom he owns a life debt to and unofficial second-in-command of the Venataan Consortium, even though he pathologically insists on striking out on his own.

_{List of known belongings, including but not limited to planetary surface property, civilian and military vessels, vehicles, weapons, tools.}

// Biragwin DXR-A - Formerly belonging to his former mentor, Treak Villis, this gun fires a high -powered energy blast that wreaks havoc on the molecular structure of anything it touches. Flesh,duraplast, starship hulls, nothing is immune except for the strongest of materials in the galaxy. This devastating power comes at the cost of being hideously ineffective at long ranges and heavy recoil. Modifications have been made such as filing the grip to be used with Trandoshan digits, Tibanna porting to reduce recoil as well as a LR scope.

// The TripTrap - A makeshift bola launcher scavenged from the remnants of a Wookie bowcaster. This contraption uses a gas compressed mechanism similar to slugthrowers to launch a bola composed of carbon-durasteel fibre. The momentum is enough to knock the wind out of most acquisitions and any of those who are still sensate will find themselves unable to move.

// BL-90 Special - Heavy blaster pistol. Reliable, durable and packs a punch in a tiny package.

// Chalon Hatchet - Chalon is the discount version of the Mandalorian’s Bes’kar steel. It can’t resist lightsabers but it’s versatility is almost as reknowned as its rarity, only being available in small deposits on Trandosha. This hatchet was a birthday gift to Cleqq from one of his Trandoshan friends.

// Armored Vac-Suit - Cleqq’s old security guard vac-suit, a keep-sake from his time in Kuat Drive Yards, has been modified with duraplast and durasteel plating for protection. No helmet, of course. It’s Trandoshan tradition to never wear a helmet into combat.

// ZX Dual-Spectrum Electroscope - A portable electroscope with modular magnification with a maximum range of 3.0 klicks. It includes thermal imaging software for one to spot their targets from far away during night time.

// Utility Bandoliers - Instead of carrying on him in one giant pack, Cleqq instead has multiple bandoliers strapped on his person to carry all his supplies such as water purification tablets, his set of playing cards and ammo for his blasters.

// Mystery Meat Ration Sausage - As Trandoshan are obligate carnivores, this dried log of meat is packed full of proteins, with each bite a full meal. The recipe on how to make it is a family secret. Just don’t question what’s in it and the taste is bearable.

_{Psychological evaluation Of Bounty Hunter.}

_{List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.}

Cleqq regularly consumes the flesh of other species or individuals, taking every opportunity he can to either slice a body part off a corpse or a dead acquisition to store in his freezer. His appetite is voracious and can be naturally quite distressing to many people who are looking to work with him.

_{Known interests of the Bounty Hunter.}

Cleqq takes an interest in eating and cooking the meat of other species. He is also a fan of combat sports and sparring in general, particularly the brutal game of shock boxing. In terms of collections, he likes carving out statues from wooden branches picked up during his galactic ventures. Like any yellow-blooded Trandoshan, he also is fond of a good bit of hunting every now and then, but don't ask him to do fishing. Being a blaster nut is a recent interest he’s picked up out of necessity, especially from Bim-Bom’s incessant meddling.

_{Major achievements on record.}

- Earned 'Employee Of the Month' award as security guard at Kuat Drive Yards and was responsible for a 50% reduction in illegal tech trafficking from their Corellian Ship Reclamation Center.
-
- Accidentally captured and successfully subduing an Sith Knight.
- Responsible for single-handily destabilizing and eliminating the Azure Glaives, a notorious band of Outer Rim pirates, with minimal assistance.

_{Major failures on record. Confidential.}

- Accidentally murdered ?
- Failed to ......
- Violated Bounty Hunter Guild codes......
- Accidentally captured and subdued an Sith Warrior by mistaking them for another acquistion, who was by pure chance, their twin brother, along with sawing off and eating their arm. Cleqq's mistake nearly led to war between the Bounty Hunter Guild and the Sith Empire, if it wasn't for careful diplomacy. As a result, Cleqq had his license suspended for a period of one year.

REPUBLIC PEACEKEEPER HOLO-AUDIO FILE-A-534

ADDENDUM: This recording of a conversation on 3.8.5 ATC between Khoss Liell and Cheqq Yrsbahk in Mon Eisley was obtained from the remnants of a high-frequency audio recorder by Larsoon Kells. It is unfortunate that Second Lieutenant Kells was unable to survive alongside the vital information that he transmitted to us about the inner workings of the Bounty Hunter Guilds.

We have the Trandoshan to thank for that. Scum didn't even have the courtesy to give us an open body funeral......

- Captain Krost, Republic Peacekeeper Division A-34

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, well, well. If it isn't Khoss Liell, the Huntsman of Hoth. Last I heard, you were operating . I don't suppose you came back all the way to Hutt Space just for little old me.

KHOSS LIELL: Came to turn in several bail jumpers at a Republic outpost south of here. Heard you were in town and figured I would stop by to meet a fellow professional.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Sshould I be flattered, Liell?

KHOSS LIELL: Stop looking so down, Yrsbahk. I didn't come here with empty platitudes and empty hands.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. Alderaan liqueur. Blowing all your credits like this ain’t considered a wise move, Hoth Man.

KHOSS LIELL: Look, scale-skin. The way I seen it, you’ve earned it after that job you pulled down in the Core. Everyone in the Guild’s been talking about what you did on Coruscant with House Berkaat.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Costed me a good ship. I'm not gonna blow all my credits right now just to get another vehicle.

KHOSS LIELL: So, what? You're the headline in the entire parsec, Yrsbahk!

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, wait a few weeks and some Mando hotshot will probably be the new face in the spotlight. Besides, it's nothing to warrant celebration over.

KHOSS LIELL: Lucky day for me, then. Guess I'll enjoy this bottle all to myself....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Fine. Beats a swig of Jawa Juice from Bim Bom any day. Cheers.

KHOSS LIELL: Cheers.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Oh, and one more thing. Call me scale-skin again and I'll hang you with your own intestines.

KHOSS LIELL: I wouldn't expect anything less from the Slaughterhouse. So, tell me, Cleqq. How exactly did you get into bounty hunting in the first place?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: You expect a little refreshment to loosen my tongue, Liell? 'Cause you ain't getting anything out of me.

KHOSS LIELL: Fine, I'll just make it up in my head. I know you grew up on Trandosha. Your mother died after giving birth to you. Your clutch bullied you, which I assume is the origin of your stunning anger management issues. I'm guessing your father was a little hard on you when you were young, perhaps a little too strict, gave out regular beatings with a shock baton -

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: My father tried to eat me.

KHOSS LIELL: Go on.....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: It happened after my first molt. I still have the shedding with me in my ship cabin. In our culture, its expected for the siblings of a brood to fight each other to the death until the fittest and the strongest is left remaining. Combat means everything on Trandosha. It's how we paid tribute to the Scorekeeper. It's how we got Jagganath points. Get enough and you get to go to paradise when you die. When it came on that day where I was to fight my brothers and sisters...., I was the odd one out.

KHOSS LIELL: Your father didn't take it well, I suppose.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: He didn't. He threatened to suck out my marrow and boil my eyes into a stew if I didn't kill my siblings. So, I did what any Trandoshan should have done at that moment. I killed him and ate him back. Costed me my left claw, though.

KHOSS LIELL: And your mother?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: She didn't take my choice of meal very kindly, so, she decided to kick me out of Trandosha after telling the other clans about my ' lapse in judgement'. It was worth it, though. Some of my siblings are still kicking around to this day, although, some of them weren't grateful for what I did to Father. Heh. One of them's even an ambassador in the Republic senate for Trandosha.

KHOSS LIELL: So, what happened after all of that? You just signed up on the Bounty Hunter Guild as a fresh rookie?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Nah. I stowed away on a merchant freighter to a Mid-Rim space-dock and ended up in one of Kuat Drive Yard's ship reclamation centers as extra muscle. It was….Corellia if I remember correctly. You'd be surprised at the amount of scavs that try and loot the place. Orders were simple: warn once, shoot twice, don’t think thrice. That's how I first met Bim Bom.

KHOSS LIELL: Our Bim Bom?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Yeah, our Bim Bom. I caught him trying to scavenge a class 1.5 hyperdrive. Once I got him in the corner of an engine room, he begged me to spare him. My Jawa was a little rusty back then, but if I remember correctly, he said that he would pay me back a thousandfold if I let him go alive.

KHOSS LIELL: So, why'd you leave?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Leave? I was fired. Got caught by the boss for engaging in my dietary habits. What? You used to live on a blasted frost-pit. Didn’t you get desperate sometimes?

KHOSS LIELL: The most we did was sleep in a taun-taun, not eat other people as daily meals.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. But if I had to admit, I would have left eventually.

KHOSS LIELL: Why?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: For me, Corellia was too quiet. Too safe. It's the type of place where you went to die slowly. Sure, there was some good excitement once every now and then, but those were too far and few. You get me, Liell? Sure, there was excitement on the job but it was rare.

KHOSS LIELL: So, how'd you found out about the Bounty Hunter Guild?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: I found out about a Guild Outpost on Nar Shaara on a Holo-Ad and got in contact with a representativ. Paperwork was a maze to get through though. Guess the Republic doesn’t just hand out bounty hunting certificates on a whim. I would have nearly gotten killed on my first contract if it wasn’t for Treak.

KHOSS LIELL: Treak?...I’ve heard about him once or twice. We’re talking about the same Ortos Treak. The HeadHunter?

CLEQQ YRSBAHKL: Yup. Taught me everything I knew. He was tough but bounty hunting’s tough. Those were the good days, the both of us working together bounty by bounty. Racking up my Score. I...I thought I could earn enough to return back to Trandosha. Then, the Great Galactic War reached the Outer Rim.

KHOSS LIELL: I heard about it. Treak died. ?

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: It was 10 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. He spoke to me about retirement plans. Wanted to make a Nysillin Farm. He had just one more contract to go through before he was out of the Guild. I offered to join up with him, just out of old time’s sake but he wasn’t having it. Next thing, I know, I’m reading on the holonet that Ortos Treak was found dead in a garbage bin on Nal Hutta. Half of his body was disintegrated.

KHOSS LIELL: Now, you're here.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: And I'm here now, alive and breathing. Curiosity satisfied for now, Hoth-Man?

KHOSS LIELL: Definitely. The Slaughterhouse acting all sentimental in front of me....The amount of credits I could get if I got a holo-vid of this....

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Hrm. You didn't happen to miss the Republic peacekeeper whose been looking at us right?

KHOSS LIELL: Yup. Oh, he's spooked now.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Didn't even know you humans could sweat that much...... And he's making a break for it.

KHOSS LIELL: Thanks for telling him that, Cleqq. Must have bugged the table whilst we were having this conversation.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Well, you know the drill. I'm going around the back.

KHOSS LIELL: Guess that means I'm front.

CLEQQ YRSBAHK: Right. Take care of that bug, will you?

KHOSS LIELL: Alright, alright. Where could it - BZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Giving chances to bad RPs

First of all, wrong forum to post it in.

Second of all, bad RPs are subjective and relative to our standards. Is an RP bad because of a good concept but not enough players or a horrible concept but having a large player base?

Third of all, since it’s an 1x1, you can probably negotiate and state that you don’t like their character. Try to ask them to tone it done or something. Or dump them. Who cares?It’s an RP, mate. It’s not like they’re gonna stalk you to your house for revenge and dump your carcass in a river.

Fourth and this is my personal opinion, if you’re going into RPs specifically to get romance booty, maybe your priorities should be crafting an interesting storyline to supplement that romance?

Battle of Mount Olympus Interest Check

Yo, where ma bois Hephasteus, Hestia, Nemesis and Nike at?

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

_{A @The Bork Lazer and @Moskau Spieluhr Collaboration}

Dakota City Chronicles: Static and The Vixen

Special Issue #1: Loose Change

---

location:19th crowley, washington avenue, dakota city, michigan

time: 22:45

“ Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Shouldn’t I be more responsible for myself by doing my homework and not going out fighting crime while buying groceries at your store? Instead of asking that question, how about I ask you several? Do you have to drag shoplifters along with you to the police station?” His right wrist jangles as he tugs on a dozing criminal, lazing on the floor. “ His name’s - uh - Mike by the way but that’s beside the point. The point is, Do you fight murderous superpowered Bang Babies every week? Do you have to brew a thermos of coffee every night to stay asleep on your patrols? Have you ever rescued a box of puppies from being frozen out in the middle of Dakota City winter? ” He lifts up his mangled sleeve for emphasis. “ You haven’t. And I respect that, mister, because you have a much more harder job than me. I’m tired but you’re even more tired. You’re in a late-night shift. It’s eleven pm. You think I’m just some dumb punk in a costume harassing you for a discount. All we could use right now in Dakota is a little less tired. So, whaddya say we forgive the fact I don’t have 75 cents on hand for this carton of eggs and we do a ‘ I owe you a solid, you owe me a solid’ thing right now.” Virgil flashed a smile along with a thumbs up. “ Sounds good?”

“ Sir, this is a Seven-Eleven.” The shopkeeper kept a thin lip of patience throughout his entire rant. “ Please give the required amount or I will be forced to eject you from the store.”

Virgil signed. He didn’t like November nights in Dakota. The chills came in with a vengeance, riding on the coat-tails of autumn’s truce between summer’s baleful heat and winter’s cold fury. He swore that a meta or a Bang Baby somewhere was somehow responsible for the dropping temperatures that made his breath fog up into a peaky mist. Somehow, it affected the people as well. They became more moodier, more disagreeable, more grouchy like this gentleman in front of him here.

So, screw him if he expected just a little more gratitude from his fellow Dakotans, right?”

The shoplifter at his feet decided now was the best time to wake up.

“ Yoooo, man - “ Mike coughed. “ Can I...like….get some hangover food, man? You got any refried beans on hand-”

“ Now is not a good time, Mike.” Virgil chided him softly. “ We’ll go there after I get my carton of eggs.”

He then paused. Of course. He was an idiot. Sharon did always told him that he was blind as a bat when it came to obvious solutions. He leaned down and gently forced Mike’s inebriated face to look at him.
“ Uh, Mike, sorry about this but I need cash from you. 75 cents, specifically. ” The drunk criminal glanced at him with suspicion. “ Look. If you do this, I’ll buy you a capuccino.” Mike raised his eyebrows even further. “ And a sandwich from Delmar’s.”

“ Well…” The robber shrugged apologetically as he slid something out from his grimy pockets into Virgil’s hands. “ Sorry but this is all I had on hand. I don’t even know the PIN code….”

His face reflected off the Mastercard’s moulded plastic lettering, staring back at him like it was mocking him. The shopkeeper chose that moment to speak out.

“ The distribution of electronic payment has not been offered to this Seven-Eleven outlet due to - “

The flourescent lights overhead crackled and the corporate babbling stopped. Finally. Virgil was relieved for a moment for his lack of emotional control.

“ Sir, be aware, that according to Seven-Eleven’s policy on metahuman damages, damage to any 7-11 property will be fined - “

“ Zip it!” Virgil hissed out loud. He only got a deep frown from the shopkeeper as he returned back to mussing over the cash register. Virgil paced around the shop, Mike’s head following him like a sports fan at a tennis rally. He could stop Talon, Aquamaria, Kangorr, Armadillo and Shocker but…..He stared at the metallic name-tag on the shopkeepers lape...Ashwin just had to be his greatest enemy?

“ Sir-” The shopkeeper tersely spoke out again in his bored tone. “ Please stop pacing around. You are disturbing the other customers.”

The sliding doors to the 7-11 opened with a sudden welcoming *pling* and Mari strode into the convenience store with a grin on her face. Coffee time was her favorite time of the day. She’d been camped outside of the non-descript bank for hours. She was cold. She was tired. But worst of all she was bored. Bank robberies were not as fun as Hollywood movies had suggested. The planning phase was a great disappointment and she had long since tired of Nancy’s banter. His cryptic comments about fortuitous meetings had gotten old and she wasn’t sure what a spider wanted with a Boston creme donut at least three times his size.

Nodding towards the store clerk, she made a beeline towards the filthy looking coffee pot that stood sadly on a counter that had seen far better days and fewer layers of accumulated grease. Grabbing an empty paper cup, she flipped the lever, and listened to the welcome sound of coffee hitting paper.

Crossing her arms as she waited for her coffee to cool, Mari turned towards the costumed figure pacing in front of the cashier and his tied up victim. She did her best to look bored. The scarf wrapped around her face worked as well as any mask and her hoodie hid the rest of her features.

“Yo, fuck face, what’s up with the suit and your tied up friend? Did I miss the comic convention?”

It felt like a slap to his face. Fuckface? All thoughts of pestering the cashier some more disappeared as his face swiveled to the right towards whoever it was that called him out.

“ Okay, who the hell called me - “ His right hand began to burn with voltage before he saw the cup of coffee next to the person who’d spoken to him. She was wrapped in thick clothing, hooded with her mouth hidden by a scarf. Not a thief. Hopefully. He pushed down the instinct to fight as the white glow in his hand receded back.

His eyes were squinted in disbelief behind his polarized visor. “ First of all, ComicFest 2019 is actually 3 months away from now. Second - “ He pointed towards the stylised lightning bolt on his black t-shirt. “ have you been living underneath a rock by any chance? I’m Static. The Kilowatt Kid? The Bang Baby hero? Ring any bells?”

“ Actually - “ Mike piped up. “ - to be fair to the lady, I’ve only heard ‘bout you today after you stopped me from crackin’ open that ATM machine - YOOWCH!”

The amateur thief yelped in pain as a minute bolt skipped from Virgil’s pinky to his butt. Virgil stared pointedly at him. “ If you keep quiet for the next hour, I’ll buy you two sandwiches.”

“ Pastrami with pickles.”

“ Deal.” Virgil turned back to her. “ Third, he’s not my friend.” He then looked longingly at the cup of steaming coffee on the counter before rubbing the dark circles in his eye. It was getting late. Too late. “ Look, miss. I’ve had a really long day. All I want is 75 cents so I can get my carton of eggs and go home.”

“Yeah, and I’m Wonderwoman,” Mari said with a roll of her eyes. The kid couldn’t be Static. Static was supposed to be 6’7’’. He was supposed to have an 8-pack, he was supposed to be shredded. Nancy said that he rode a cloud like some modern day Zeus and threw lightning bolts at his enemies. This bargain bin knock-off was disappointing and Mari didn’t buy it. Sparky just seemed like a kid.

Narrowing her eyes, she cast a quick glance towards the 7-11 clerk. He didn’t look like he was afraid. There didn’t seem to be any danger. The clerk seemed bored. Maybe the costumed kid wasn’t telling the truth, but he wasn’t a robber. He wasn’t a threat. He was just annoying. The stellar quip that Mari had primed was interrupted by the sight of her cheerful spider companion hanging above the cash register. Mari wasn’t sure how or when Nancy had entered the 7-11, but she was glad he was quiet for once. The spider flashed a terrifying, impossible smile as he gestured wildly towards the costumed punk with one of his eight legs.

Hearts and minds. Mari thought with an irritated sigh as she caught on to the scheme. If the dude was Static, she’d have to make friends, and she’d have to play nice. Nancy had told her that they needed him. They needed the Kilowatt Kid. He hadn’t said why. But she trusted Nancy. He was the spider with a plan.

Grabbing her coffee, Mari stepped up to the counter, “Well, Sparky, it’s your lucky day. I’m going to give you a whole dollar.”

Nodding towards the pair of comedians, Mari reached into the pocket of her hoodie. She pulled out her wallet and watched as the pistol she had stolen fell onto the floor with a plastic thud. The words “Dakota City Police Department” were emblazoned on the barrel.

“Oh, fuck. I can explain...Let’s just be cool about this,” Mari said holding both her hands up in the international sign of the Fonz as she shifted between the costumed kid and the clerk. She watched the 7-11 clerk inch closer to the silent alarm that she knew was hidden beneath the counter. Choosing her battle, she pointed a menacing finger at the clerk, “Ashwin, I swear to God, if you press that button I will cut you.”

“ Ma’am,” The clerk’s voice was considerably more quiet now. “ 7-11 does not allow customers with handheld firearms to be allowed within store vicinity…..”

Ashwin’s voice became lost amidst the buzzing in his brain. It looked like a prank gone wrong. The moment the pistol clattered on the floor, the fluorescent light above the both of them flickered erratically as his breathing became strained. His forearm tingled. Just phantom shock. He hadn’t even noticed that his left arm had raised out towards Mari reflexively, electricity dripping off it like a leaking faucet. It took seemingly an eternity for him to raise his arm down, his mind providing excuses but his body paralysed in paranoia.

His crackling palm was still raised towards her as he kneeled down to pick up the pistol, eyes trained on her. Gripping it brings back memories of Paris Island, of pressing a barrel against Ivan Evan’s cheeks, of revenge. He pushes them down and focuses on the present. The now. The initials on the gun were DCPD. His teeth chattered as he breathed in, slowly breaking into a nervous smile.

“ Cool,” he chuckled. “ I think I could use some of that no-”

Virgil paused as something glowed behind the woman's shoulder. A dim orange. Had tomorrow come already or was it just hallucinations from his fatigue? The orange was becoming brighter. No, it was moving. He smelt the air.

Burning.

It wasn't sunlight. It was a sedan on fire heading straight for the store.

Without thinking, he pushed the woman down, forcing her behind him and ripping the aluminium shelves out of the wall to form a barrier, a wall, crumpling the frames apart to mesh into one -

It was too late. The mass of flaming metal shattered the windows into mist and rammed into his arms. Something broke. His joints popped and his bones buckled and bent. He wasn’t sure how his body had broke but he didn’t want to find out. His back slammed against the wall and sent him spiraling into unconsciousness, the sensation of his singed skin fading.