Daxam

How high can we count before a mod gets involved?

147

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

By the time they reached the ship, the fighting had already broken out. Bodies of enemy pirates lay scattered along the harbor on the way to the ship and large, clay footprints dotted the ground here and there. Luna rounded the last corner and saw that Aquila stood at the stern of the ship, rifle against her shoulder as she fired shot after shot at the encroaching pirates and golems, putting each one of the former down with a well-placed shot, though her attempts were fruitless against the latter. Rufus ran up and down the line of fighters, restocking their ammunition while he gave orders, and though she couldn’t see him, Luna knew Galen was below deck, tending to the wounded. Meanwhile, as the rest of the crew fired into the approaching enemies, the ship had drifted away from where it had been docked, making it more difficult to be boarded. However, Luna could see that the golems had begun merging at the edge of the dock, their bodies combining to create a bridge reaching out toward the ship.

Luna moved to rush in, but stopped when she felt Josiah’s hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw that not only did Josiah follow her, but at least six other rebels had joined her. “We’ve got enough gypsum between us to keep a handle on most of those golems. We’ll distract them while you get to your ship and get out of here. Don’t worry about us, don’t worry about the island, we’ll–”

“Oh, come on,” Luna grumbled. ”You guys aren’t gonna throw your lives away so I can run off. I’m done hiding and since they’ve already got wanted posters of me out there, there’s no point in it, anyway.” She took the jar Josiah had in his hand and crushed it between her hands, soaking them in the mixture. Her nose wrinkled at the scent, but she ignored it as she added, ”Besides, there’s no way in hell I’ll let someone like this Sam Clay guy keep ruining this place. I can tell this used to be a beautiful island and I want it to be one, again.”

Josiah looked at Luna for a long few moments, then let out a sigh. “By the look in your eyes, I guess there’s no talking you out of it, huh?” He then gave her a smile and added, “Alright, then. I’ll be honored to fight by your side, my Princess.”

With that, the small band charged at the pirates and golems. Caught between the gunfire from the ship on one side and the approaching enemies from the other, the Clayfist pirates were slow to react, but the golems didn’t have that problem. One swung its arm at Luna, who ducked out of the way and countered with a straight punch to the golem’s knee. The gypsum-covered fist sank into the golem, causing it to fall over as its leg crumbled, but Luna didn’t stick around to make sure it stayed down, knowing she would only be wasting time.

A few of Clay’s pirates turned to face her, a pair of rifles leveled at her. The guns went off with a roar and Luna, letting instinct and reflex take over, sidestepped the shots at the last moment. Before they could get another shot off, Luna’s hands closed over their faces as she leapt at them. Using her momentum and body weight, she drove the pair to the ground, the back of their heads cracking against the hard ground. Continuing to use her momentum to her advantage, she brought her legs over her head, using the pirates’ faces as a foundation, and launched into a dive kick. The man felt something in his chest crack as Luna’s feet crashed into him before he was sent flying into the railing that ran along the port.

The princess took a moment to breathe and glanced around. Josiah and his men were holding their own, but the golems were gradually advancing toward them as their stock of gypsum started to run low. She turned her attention back toward her crew and felt her eyes widen as a golem trudged along the bridge, now within arm’s reach, its soft body effortlessly eating the rounds shot at it. She was moving before she knew it, the familiar tingling sensation of her electro springing to life, almost unbidden.

Luna closed the distance quickly, weaving between enemies as she pushed herself to move faster, her desperation to get to her crew urging her to ignore the pirates and golems she ran past. She felt a splash of pain every time a sword or bullet grazed past her, but all that mattered to her was to make sure no one else died because of her.

The golem had just stepped onto the deck of her ship by the time she reached the bridge. She watched as it raised a misshapen fist, but not at any of her friends. Instead, it was aiming straight down, as if it intended to punch straight through the deck. ”Oh, no you don’t, you lumpy bastard!” she yelled as she sprinted, then leapt, at the golem.

She lashed out with a devastating right cross, but to no effect. Her fist, the gypsum mixture having dried, sank harmlessly into the golem, nearly up to her elbow. She grabbed her forearm and tried to pull herself free, but she was stuck fast, her feet sinking into the golem’s back as she tried to leverage herself out. Luna watched as the golem’s fist swelled and tried again, then again to get free. Are you kidding me? she thought as time seemed to slow. This is how it ends? Everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve lost, everyone I’ve lost, and I’m about to drown, stuck to a gods damned mudclod?!

Sol’s face as she remembered him flashed through her mind and she felt her fuse reignite as the golem’s fist came down.

She grit her teeth as a spark of electricity jumped from her shoulder. She felt her desperation, her irritation, her rage build. ”Fuck that!” she roared. Her electro roared to life with her defiance, her body sparking like an active thunderhead. She let go of her forearm and slammed her left fist into the golem’s body. ”Marcus didn’t sacrifice himself so I could die here and I sure as hell couldn’t look my parents in the eye if I went out like this! Not before I’ve found Sol! Not before I could stop him from marching to his death!!”

The golem’s fist suddenly slowed, then stopped altogether, inches shy from the deck of the ship. Its mushy body began to harden and crack as its color dulled. With another defiant roar, Luna spread her arms and legs, blasting the golem apart from the inside, rendering it to little more than dust and clay rubble. She stood in place, catching her breath as her electro calmed down, though it continued to spark around her arms and shoulders. She then turned, facing the battle which had stopped when they noticed Luna’s lightshow. She cracked her knuckles and growled, ”Who’s next?”

---

Meanwhile, in the previous governor’s mansion, Sam Clay stood in the study, peering at the sea from one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that adorned the wall. He was a man of average height, with shoulder-length, dull red hair, similar in color to the clay he controls, small, dark brown eyes and a rather thin build. A red cloak with gold trim, taken from the old governor’s closet, rested on his shoulders, covering his otherwise bare torso. Though he couldn’t physically see what was going on at the dock, he chuckled and crossed his arms. “Well, well,” he mused in his raspy voice. “How interesting. I guess it really is that half-Mink on those wanted posters, huh?”

He placed his hand against the window, steadying himself as a wave of weariness washed over him, accompanied by a dull headache. He thought for a few moments, then smirked. “Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s make things a bit easier on myself, then…”

---

The remaining golems turned around and began to trudge away from the docks. The Clay pirates watched them, shocked and confused, then glanced back at Luna, still wreathed in electricity, before following suit, most of them grateful for the excuse to run away. It was only when the last pirate was out of sight did Luna relax. No longer fueled by her anger and adrenaline, Luna swayed on her feet, only to be caught by Rufus. “Easy there, Captain,” he muttered as he helped her sit down.

”Thanks,” she muttered. With a chuckle, she added, ”I haven’t had to use Electro like that in a long time. Wore me out more than I expected.”

Rufus chuckled, then regarded Josiah and his men as they picked themselves back up. “We’ll let your new friends on board, then we’ll talk about what to do next after you’ve rested up and had your wounds looked after.” He waited for Luna’s reply, but when none was forthcoming, he looked down to find her fast asleep. With a chuckle, he walked down the clay bridge to greet their new allies.

Young Justice

Location: Mosquito Hell (I wanna go home...)
Interactions: The Team

---

Vincent stood behind the treeline along with his comrades, out of sight as they observed the complex. He would have believed it to be a simple water treatment plant if it weren't for the armed guards patrolling the perimeter. He found himself wondering if it had been built by Kobra, themselves, or if they had "repurposed" it from the people who had worked there. Then, he decided it didn't matter. Kobra was there, now, obviously up to no good, and he was more than eager to start knocking heads together.

His thoughts drifted back to the dreadlocked stranger. He hadn't been given a chance to question the man before Stormcaller dropped from the sky, seemingly knocking him out. At least until he turned into a puff of smoke and skedaddled back to the treatment plant. He wondered about the man, who he was and what he was doing there, but Vincent decided he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

As the rest of his team continued to observe the plant, Vincent began to pace back and forth, much like a caged tiger, eager to break out and sow chaos. He was starting to get impatient, yet he continued to do his best to stay on his leash, at least for the time being. At one point, he had to stifle a laugh when he watched Zach make a guard slip. Before long, he leaned against a tree and started fiddling with a small piece of iron, using it to form random shapes. "Just let me go out there and start cracking some skulls," he eventually suggested. "I'll make enough noise for the rest of you to slip inside. I can handle whatever they throw at me and we all know I'm useless when it comes to sneaking around, anyway."

How high can we count before a mod gets involved?

75

Daxam's Awesome Interest Check of Epicosity (updated as ideas change/form; ignore post count)

Updated the first post with my last idea, just in case no one reads the bumps lol

Daxam's Awesome Interest Check of Epicosity (updated as ideas change/form; ignore post count)

As I've been absolutely hooked on Frieren: At Journey's End, I'd love to do an RP in the same vein. Maybe a pair or group of new adventurers that decide to follow the path the heroes of their world took to bring down an ultimate evil? It would be mostly slice-of-life, maybe some coming-of-age thrown into the mix, but I'm also open to bringing a new big bad into the mix

Young Justice

Location: Mosquito Hell
Interactions: The Team

---

Vincent raised an eyebrow when Daphne said not to go higher than the trees. He looked at the tree line, then back at his wings when he realized the trees were too close for him to properly fly. After a moment, an idea came to him as he withdrew his wings and gathered the steel around his torso, forearms, and shins. Now equipped with a vest, vambraces, and greaves of steel, Vincent focused and jumped from the boat, using his power to help him jump higher and farther than he otherwise could. He landed on a lower branch of a nearby tree and looked over his shoulder. "I'll go on ahead, then. Let you all know if I see anything." he said before jumping further into the swamp.

As he leapt from tree to tree, Vincent found himself glad to finally be moving around, again. If nothing else, it helped keep his mind off of the relentless itching from his nigh-on countless bug bites. Though, if he had to be honest, even being out among the mosquitoes and humidity was better than being stuck at the Sanctuary. At that, the thought of KJ crossed his mind and he had to tamp down a twinge of annoyance. By this point, he understood and accepted why the decision to leave him behind had been made, so he wasn't upset over that. What annoyed him was how much easier this mission could have gone if they -- Nope, none of that, he told himself as he took a seat on a branch and unwrapped a granola bar he had stashed away before the team made for Florida. What's done is done. Besides, we're doing alright, right now.

He took a bite and got ready to leap to the next tree, but the sound of voices nearby stopped him. His ears twitched as he worked out which direction they were coming from, a tough task for someone without enhanced hearing and surrounded by trees that acted like natural sound breaks. Eventually, he decided to just take a guess and picked a direction at random. It only took him two more leaps before the voices became clear. "What do you mean, 'private property?' This is nature, man, no one owns nature! People gotta know more about the elusive swamp elephant!"

Vincent turned his head to find three men standing on a wooden walkway. One of them was taller than the other two, well-muscled, bald, his eyes hidden by sunglasses, and equipped with a bulletproof vest and shotgun. Obviously a guard. The man standing next to him, his arms crossed, was a few inches shorter, a crown of dreadlocks on top of his head. No clue who this guy is. Both men were facing the third, who wore neon green leopard-print pants, a pink tank top with some kind of logo on the chest, and had short, blonde hair. "For the last time, sir, there's no such thing," the guard was saying, clearly exasperated. "And this land was purchased by a private group. If you don't leave now, I'll have to remove you by force."

Vincent took another bite of his granola bar and said to the rest of the team, "Talos, here. I've got an armed guard, some dude, and Florida Man bickering. I'll wait until Florida Man gets chased off and see where they go."

Just as he said that, Vincent watched as the man with dreadlocks nudged the guard and gave a slight nod toward Florida Man. He didn't outright say anything, but Vincent's instincts clued him in on the unspoken message.

"Change of plans. I'm going in." Without waiting for a response, Vincent, holding onto the last half of his granola bar in his mouth, leapt from the tree. Just as the guard raised his shotgun, Vincent landed between him and Florida Man, then grabbed the end of the gun's barrel. Softening the barrel, Vincent bent it backwards until it was facing the guard and wagged the index finger on his free hand. "I'm no expert, but I think you'll have a bad day if you pull that trigger," he said past the granola bar. He looked back at Florida Man and added, "You. Get out of here. Go chase your elephants somewhere else."

While Vincent was momentarily focused on the fleeing Florida Man, the guard let go of his shotgun and drew his combat knife. Vincent turned just in time to see the guard lunge forward, aiming for the young hero's stomach. There was a loud snap, followed by a splash as the knife's blade made contact with Vincent's carbon armor, snapped, and landed in the water. The guard, stunned, was too slow to react to Vincent's hand closing around one of the shoulder straps of his vest and even slower to react to the following hardened headbutt. He dropped the unconscious guard, then turned to Dreads. As steel encased his right hand, he asked, "Are you gonna behave or should I give you the same treatment?"

Young Justice

Location: Mosquito Hell
Interactions: The Team

---

SMACK!

"That's the tenth goddamn one in the last five minutes!" Vincent grumbled as he rubbed the crushed corpse of the latest mosquito against his pant leg. "How anyone can live with these buzzing vampires is beyond me." Sure, he knew he could cover himself in steel or even use his carbon armor, but the former sounded stifling and keeping up the latter for an extended period of time was too tiring. If it was only for five, ten, maybe even fifteen minutes, it would be no problem, but they had been in the swamps for hours, all thanks to the plants hounding Daphne like an army of excited kindergartners. Every time they made a wrong turn, doubled back, went in circles, or another mosquito decided Vincent's veins were an all-you-can-eat buffet, he felt his irritation rising higher and higher. He knew it wasn't Daphne's fault, but if they passed by that same rotting tree a seventh time, he was going to lose it.

Finally, Daphne steered the boat toward "dry" land and Vincent all but jumped to his feet. Hearing Zach comment on the chemicals in the water, Vincent replied, "If I could trade these damn mosquitoes for being a mutant, I'd fucking drink--" He was cut off by a sudden, almost violent coughing fit as a mosquito practically dive-bombed the back of his throat. Unclipping his water bottle from his belt, he swallowed a few mouthfuls, replaced the bottle, then closed his eyes and breathed. Between the humidity, the mosquitoes, and being lost for so long, he knew he was close to blowing his top, so he fell back on one of the first lessons the Old Man taught him: to control his anger. To use it and not let it use him.

Once he had calmed down, he listened to Viktor, then Cora as she offered to scout by herself. "Rain's got the right idea. If we're gonna do any scouting, it's best that we have more than one set of eyes up there, especially given how unnecessarily big these swamps are." He unfurled his wings and gave them a single flap before adding, "That good with you, Nymph?"

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

Twelve pirates, Sol thought to himself, quickly taking a mental headcount as the pirates began to rush toward him. Time seemed to slow for him as he prepared to “dance.” The first to reach him raised his club and brought it down, but Sol had no intention of staying still. With blinding speed, he cut through the pirate’s club as easily as if it wasn’t even there, then began his dance.

His first target was the one closest, the one with the club. Sol dashed past him and brought the edge of his blade across his side. From there, he wove between the pirates, moving as easily as water through the cracks and crevices of the side of a cliff. His movements could be described as graceful, even almost gentle, if he hadn’t been moving too fast for the pirates to keep track of him. Each time his sword met flesh, however, it was never to kill, only to incapacitate, to make sure they couldn’t fight back.

By the time the end of the first pirate’s club clattered to the ground, it was over. One by one, the pirates fell to the ground, the ones who were still conscious groaning as they clutched their injuries. ”I’ll make sure you all get medical attention as soon as possible,” he quietly told them before he made his way to the stairs nearby.

He steadily climbed his way up the tower, easily fending off the pirates that challenged him. As he walked and climbed, he kept seeing the same symbol over and over again, whether it be on a banner or tattoo: a set of scales in front of a ship’s wheel. As he was musing over the symbol as he approached the floor just below the roof, a large pirate, nearly twice Sol’s size, suddenly rounded the corner as he swung a hammer with both hands.

The pirate didn’t see Sol swing his sword, only that the head of his hammer had disappeared. While the pirate was confused, Sol kicked his opponent’s legs out from under him and pressed the tip of his sword against the pirate’s throat. ”Why this island?” he asked. ”You had your pick of easier targets. Why this one?”

“Screw you, Navy dog,” the pirate growled. “I don’t owe you nothing”

Sol shrugged. ”Fair enough,” he replied as he moved his sword away from the pirate’s throat. Before the pirate could get up, Sol swung his sword again, slamming the butt of the hilt against the pirate’s forehead, knocking him out.

Turning his attention to the last set of stairs, Sol added, ”I suppose I’ll have to ask your captain, then.”

One Piece: The Devil's Due (Always Accepting!)

---

Luna followed the man down a set of stairs, past a sentry posted just inside the door, who seemed unable to pull his eyes away from Luna as she passed. Before long, the pair entered a wide-open room, the basement of the building above, joining the dozen or so people already inside, all of whom were busy, either with maintaining weapons, treating others with injuries, or pouring over papers. Upon seeing the new arrivals, almost everyone’s gazes turned to look at them. Luna’s sharp ears easily picked up what they were saying. ”Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?” Luna commented.

“Not many half-Minks around, especially with stark-white hair like yours,” the man replied. He led Luna toward the center of the basement and gestured with his arm. “Name’s Josiah and welcome to our little rebellion. Not much to look at, but what can you do? Especially with a man like Low running things.”

”I take it those creatures were his?” Luna asked as she took a seat on a nearby crate. ”What were those things, anyway? Felt like I was punching mud.”

“Clay, actually.” Josiah picked up a rifle and ran his eyes over it while he spoke. “That’s Low’s power, the Clay-Clay Fruit. Those golems he makes are the reason why he was able to take over this island. You can hack, slash, bludgeon them all you want, but they’ll just reform. And I don’t know how, but it seems like whatever they can see, he sees, too. Otherwise, I doubt he’d be able to control them so well without leaving the governor’s villa.” He set the rifle down and pulled out a small, glass jar from a pack around his waist. He tossed it to Luna, who caught it, only for her nose to immediately wrinkle as an acrid scent wafted from the liquid inside, despite how well-sealed the jar was. “That’s a gypsum mixture,” Josiah explained. “Vineyards use that stuff all the time to keep their grapes healthy. Turns out, it does a good job of breaking down clay, too. Sorry about the smell, by the way. Ever since Low and his pirates set up shop here, it’s been tough getting a hold of purer stuff.”

Luna thought back to when Josiah saved her, how the golem’s arm crumbled when he threw that jar at it. ”If this stuff’s so good, why can’t you just fight back with it?” she asked as she handed the jar back. ”That’d take care of those golem things.”

“Two reasons. Number one: we don’t have much left. The vineyards have been doing what they can, sneaking as much as they can to us, but they can’t neglect their crops or else Low’s men will retaliate. Number two: it’s not permanent. The gypsum does make the golems take longer to regenerate, but they’ll be right back at it quicker than you’d expect.”

After a moment, he turned to Luna and asked, “You came here with a crew, right?”

”Yeah, why?”

Josiah sighed and rose to his feet. “If he hasn’t, yet, Low’s gonna send some men and golems to your ship, probably to kill everyone on board and take whatever’s not nailed down.”

He grabbed a few more jars from a nearby crate and slipped them into his pack before he turned to Luna, only to see that she had already started toward the exit. She looked over her shoulder at him and shot at him, ”The hell’re you waiting for, let’s go! I’m not gonna let some lumps of mud hurt my crew!”