DClassified

Code Vein (Closed)

_{Location | The Crow’s Nest
Time | February 25^th - Early Morning
Collaboration | Erik @FunnyGuy}

---

The morning air was cold; the coldest he’d felt since his awakening long ago. His coat, and even his mask for once in ages, had not covered his skin while outside. However, the Sword cared little about those things in this moment, planted out in front of the entrance with his eyes on the distant horizon. He had watched until the figure of what he had been watching had vanished from sight and for even longer.

The weight of worry tugged on him and had pulled him out here. The weight of a guilty heart bore down on him though, and was what stuck him in place. He was sure that she left early, before the sun would rise, in an attempt to reduce the heartache of a more formal goodbye. Though, as the shimmer of the sun began to peek through the darkness, Ajax’s head bowed and his fists clenched.

“It’s different this time, huh?” Though Ajax recognised this to be Erik’s voice, it lacked its chipper tone. The quiet footsteps stopped beside, with their owner taking in the breaking dawn. Erik need not look to Ajax to empathize. Instead all he needed was to see what he saw. And to recall the feeling that had struck him years ago. A feeling that was a concoction of guilt, regret, and loathing all swirled in a deep pit. A pit in one’s gut that felt empty, yet full of the worst things simultaneously. The two had seen a few members come and go. A few from far worse circumstances than this, but Cerise’s departure was different. It wasn’t the length of time, but the quality of it. “Because you’re blaming yourself.” Erik’s eyes finally searched for his. He never knew Ajax to lie to him but Erik wondered if his closest and most honest friend would lie to himself.

”…It…feels like I’ve lost her twice.” Aj commented, frankly not feeling the need to answer the question. Being a revenant, the expression ‘deja vu’ was the story of their lives until they’ve gotten their vestiges. Being ‘alive’ as long as he’d been, with all the memories he’d ‘found’, it had never quite felt this bad. The fact that it felt like the second time made him wonder about the little girl in his memory. Despite knowing that Erik would understand, Aj couldn’t quite lift his head to look him square in the eye.

”…It is my fault, and I am not saying this in a downward spiral of emotion…I finally pushed her too hard.” His shoulders slowly rose and fell in the brief seconds he took to push the next words out to explain further. ”I let my mission, my need to find the past, cloud my judgement. I knew her fears and concerns…yet, the one time that she probably needed my support the most, I was the one that pushed her into it. I became the very thing I was trying to protect her from.”

“Aj!” Erik had begun to shake his head. “You can’t put so much blame on yourself.” His volume leveled out to prevent possibly disturbing the others inside. The Crow's Nest was huge but revenants had the keenest of senses. “You can’t… Because you don’t control things like some god or something. You were part of getting the vestige to her, but who says she wouldn’t have eventually wanted to know the truth behind her past.” Erik held his right hand out, forming the shape of a dormant vestige in his palm.

“And don’t say you lost her… She’s alive…” Erik found himself thinking of Sasha. A revenant that had founded the Observatory… technically even before he had. A revenant that died so he could live. “And this was something Cerise decided… Using hindsight is only going to make you feel worse. No one, not even she knew what memories would be uncovered in that vestige. We never know…”

Ajax’s gaze was trained on the ground ahead. His mind still looped around the possibilities. It was true that he was no god that could make her every decision, but it didn’t take a god to push someone in the wrong direction…Though the notion of it being ultimately Red’s own decision and that there was no way of knowing the effects, lessened some of the weight on his shoulders. For that, his crimson eyes clicked upward from his head’s bowed position to look at Erik at his side.

”Hindsight is what we need, Erik. Hindsight is what separates us from animals. We learn from our failures, to do better in the future. For us, revenants, it gets us closer to knowing who we were…” His fists unballed as the realization came to his mind. Sometimes to…become better in the future… There was a moment of silence, but Ajax sighed in frustration.

”I won’t accept an escape route for my culpability in driving her out…but, I understand what you’re saying. I am in pain…but I will heal. I will learn from this…”

“We all will.” Erik placed a hand on Ajax’s shoulder. Despite Erik's leveled tone, the pain of loss was heavily present in his heart. His sights returned to the landscape ahead. So many years behind us and it still feel like we have so many more ahead.

Ajax slowly nodded, some of the tension in his shoulders easing under Erik’s hand. “I’m going to get an early start on my conditioning…You coming?”

“Heh. As if I'd ever decline”

Young Justice

&

_{Interaction | Kassandra
AKA @Mistress Dizzy
Viktor AKA @FunnyGuy
Location | The Hotspot}

---

Completely unaware of the situation outside, Kassy was in the bathroom. Her head was bent to the sink and she was guzzling water straight from the tap, germs be damned. Most human viruses didn’t bother her anyway. Her face was still flushed, and her heart was thumping as if it wanted to escape her body.

After a solid 30 seconds of drinking, she pulled her face away from the spigot. “What’swrongwithme?” She stuck her hands into the running water and soaked her face.

Ja had been wondering that same question in the time that he stood awkwardly beside her. Ultimately, it had something to do with coffee. Though, perhaps that had to do with the fact that, being that they were always underwater, did Atlanteans drink coffee? Did they even really need to drink at all when submerged? It was a question that he felt he should have known, given his intimate knowledge of animals…but the ocean was new territory for him.

A hand extended to make contact with her back. “Are you hurt?”

Kassy flinched at what she felt was a sudden touch. “Hurt? Kinda. My chest hurts. And my skin.” She was trembling faintly. Her chest heaved as she tried to slow her breathing. “Have I been poisoned? Are we under attack?!” Her mind was flitting from thought to thought and she couldn’t land on any of them. There was a sense of sheer anxiety flowing through her.

The lad returned his hand to his side upon hearing that even her skin hurt. Though her other questions elicited a thoughtful shaking of his head. “No…No I don’t think that’s it. The motive of our target is that they are looking to kidnap, not kill…” He reasoned, instinctively reaching a hand towards his own head, only to realize his hair was down and braided. His senses felt out of whack, but he could still track certain chemical responses that people gave…the waitress seemed to have no ill intent.

“I wonder…during any of your time on land…have you ever had coffee before?”

Kassy looked at him, her dyed red hair dripping with water and sweat. “Coffee? Not really. It smells awful and I don’t like hot drinks. And Viktor only makes enough for himself.” She gripped the edge of the sink, trying to calm herself. The cool porcelain felt good on her palms, but it was doing nothing for her mental state.

“I didn’t drink any coffee, though.”

“Ah…I think you may have misunderstood what you ordered. ‘Expresso’ is simply a different, stronger form of coffee…Which doesn't necessarily need to be hot. From what I understand, people drink it to gain a burst of energy…which is probably why Red Robot doesn’t let me have any…” Ja explained his thoughts aloud, pacing a little bit, as if thinking.

“Oh! But the burst of energy is relatively temporary. It wears off in time…so maybe that will happen for you.”

“I really hope so. I feel very overwhelmed right now.” She tried to focus on her breathing again, but that didn’t last long as her thoughts flitted like a school of fish. She blinked and looked at her friend, having just realized something rather important. “...Ja. You do know we’re in the girls’ bathroom, right?” Thank goodness no one else was in here! “You should probably leave.”

Her sentence drew a chill up his spine as the realization sunk in. His eyes widened and, almost on cue, there was a knock on the door. Iwisa, as well as the rest of the Dzvuku Hyenas were very strict about these sorts of things back in Buredunia. A woman’s boundaries were to be expressly respected. If violated when they were around, the punishments were brutal. He didn’t mean to end up here, he just wanted to make sure Kassy was okay.

He felt his own heart rate kick up in his chest momentarily, wondering the impact something like this would have on the mission. He wasn’t sure how it was handled in America…Well, simply standing here wouldn’t accomplish anything. At least for now, Kassy wasn’t in need of immediate medical attention. Thus, Ja took a breath and opened the door to quickly step out.

When he did, he almost barreled right into— Viktor?

“Ja.” Viktor eyes darted over Ja’s shoulder to peer inside the restroom. He wasn’t able to see anything from his position and took a step back to allow the young lion some space to remove himself from the doorway. “What’s the problem?” There had to be one, right?

“I’m…not exactly sure. One moment we were talking, then everything changed. Her face went red, she was hot, her heart was pounding, and she was shaking…It seems like she’s coming back around now though. I think it was the coffee.”

“Coffee?” Viktor’s right eyebrow raised with his doubt but despite any underlying tension, Viktor felt Ja wasn’t capable of such a lie. “She couldn’t have drank so much that- She needs help getting water but…” Viktor glanced down the corridor towards the greater section of the restaurant before whispering. ”Our target might be here but I think I can buy you some time. Saw it on reality tv, so it should work,” Viktor gave a confident nod.

Once outside of the bathroom for a little longer, Ja’s face seemed to focus rather intently on the end of the corridor. His head rotated left and right furiously for a second, flicking the braids past his face purposefully. His nostrils flared, sharply inhaling.

”I…there is someone here that I…recognize?” The hushed statement seemed to confuse his own lips as they exited. Returning his attention to Viktor, Ja nodded. ”Do what it is that you must do.” Viktor was already making his first step away.

“Same to you.”

Ja watched him go before turning back to the door. Now more consciously, he knocked on the door to grab Kassy’s attention.

Kassy, who was dousing her face with water, startled at the knock on the door. Usually she wouldn’t have jumped, but everything was a bit too much right now.

Going to the door, she peered out. It was just Ja, so she smiled gratefully. “Hi. As long as my heart isn’t going to explode, I’ll be okay.” She still looked unwell, though not as bad as she initially had.

The jungle boy smiled back. “Good…It was V who came over to check if everything was alright…and apparently the…special someone may be here. I think I…” He paused and put up air quotes with his fingers, “‘recognize’ them. What they can do…sort of…Do you think you’re well enough to come back and sit down?”

Kassy nodded, tiny droplets of water scattering. “Yes, I think so.” Some of the redness in her face was going back to normal. “Just let me tidy up.” She closed the door again, wiping down all the surfaces she had inadvertently wet. Once that was done, she exited, trying to look as normal and casual as possible while she swept the cafe with a gaze. There was that dark haired girl, with a surprise.

She almost, almost spoke his name out loud, her lips clamping around the name ‘Riley’. She tore her eyes away and sat back at the table. Her leg started to jiggle almost immediately. She bit off a mouthful of the chicken sandwich, which was still warm. It was actually pretty good, but she was just eating it to hopefully counteract the caffeine in her belly.

Ja in the meantime had walked with something of a pep in his step, casually selling the idea that he was at ease. Inside though, the feeling of the red increased, sensing that someone else with animalistic abilities was near. Instead of looking directly in that direction, his head turned to the opposite and he inhaled. When he did, his hair became much more soft and limp, opposed to its natural state, prompting the beanie he wore to slide off of the braids and onto the ground.

Realizing his ‘mistake’, he turned to pick it up, sneaking a quick glance to the table where the alternative animal surge came from. The girl, it seemed, had some sort of reptilian ability…And seemed vaguely familiar. It was as though he had been in her presence before in some way…a familiar scent…but where did he see her before? He didn’t let his gaze linger, quickly turning his head and putting his hat back on. He didn’t want to be suspicious, and it wouldn’t be a good look to be studying another girl while on his…date…

Smiling, he took a seat next to her this time. With her at his side, he was able to turn his head away from the rest of the restaurant. “I think I found the guest…any idea where they might be from?”

Kassy put her chin in her hand, speaking low behind her fingers so her lips could not be read. “Yeah. Definitely reminds me of someone I may have met in Gotham. She looks… a little different, somehow. I’m not sure.” She let her gaze grow unfocused, listening for specifics in the conversation. So far, there were none. “The boy, I met him today, though. He’s nice.”

Ja slowly nodded. He knew that she was simply using Gotham as a code word for where she’d seen the suspect…Though that didn’t help him figure out where exactly he himself recognized her from, it at least established that Kassy’s seen her too before, so it must have been on a mission. If that was the case, it meant she was definitely the one they were looking for, and the nice boy she met definitely wasn’t safe.

There wasn’t much he could do without being too overt though…The animal boy leaned back in thought, reaching a hand out towards a chicken sandwich. His eye briefly clicked over to the other squad’s table…Zachy showed up…wait. Viktor said he had a plan! Maybe that would get things rolling.

He was soon to take a small victory bite of the sandwich until he realized there was already a bite mark on it. His eye twitched briefly in confusion before he remembered, he was on Kassy’s side of the table. His eyes widened momentarily and he looked at her. In goofy fashion, he laughed a little at his mistake before returning it.

”Heh! Sorry.”

Star Wars: Aeons

So, I happen to really like the idea of predators being introduced into the star wars universe but never had the circumstance or time before to do it in an RP.

What’s your view on it chief?

The Road to Sagehood: A Naruto AU

Here go sumn.

Lightning Lee

---

Played By
DClassified

Theme


痛みなくして得るものなし
“No pain, no gain.”

Name
Rai Lee
_{Alias | ショッカー
"Shocker"}

Selfhood
14 | M

Rank
Genin

Affiliations
Konohagakure
Lee Clan

Appearance

Despite his unassuming demeanor, Rai's appearance is rather striking. Rai is 5'8 with a muscular build, often making him appear intimidating for his age. Scars adorn his body through his rigorous training, mistakes, and penance. His black hair is short in length but stands tall on his head. It is rough and often tapered up on the sides. His eyes are a brownish hazel. What seems to be the most distinctive feature, though, is that his skin takes the darker tones of his mother, as a Lee. This is often the target of ridicule by his grandparents due to genetic defiance to tradition of the family being unified, even down to appearance.

When he was younger he covered it up, his hands, feet, and even over his face with masks. However after getting his nickname from his father, he's been more confident in the last year. Rai still, out of respect and some lingering insecurity, covers most of his skin, but he doesn't wear masks anymore. His clothing varies, but is typically green, as is often worn by those of his clan.

Persona

Rai was raised to have the three Cs: Calm, Critical, and Confident. This essentially gives him a reserved or laid back aura that follows him around, often putting off the impression that he doesn’t take things seriously or that he simply doesn’t care. Though, the truth is, he’s very determined in focusing his best efforts in whatever task he puts his mind to. Those who pay close attention, know him as a ninja of iron will, unwilling to give up on the things he believes in. Rai strives to prove that he belongs; to maintain the honor that his family name implies as descendents of the Great Ryu Lee.

When in public or even simply around those of his clan, excluding his father of course, he is more formal. The young man is fully aware of how much they don’t really like him despite their shared blood. Rai’s had to grow up with chiding words, exclusion, and overall general distance from them and other people. With always having to deal with the frustrations of his situation, he is very resilient to most verbal assaults. One could say those factors force him to remain humble; to keep his head down and only speak when spoken to. In essence, his actions typically speak louder than his words.

With those closer to him however, Rai is more willing to let emotion show. That he has a sense of humor, an adventurous spirit, and a fair share of kindness for others. He has a bit of a mischievous side as well.

Origin

Rai Lee was born to Saw Lee and Asoui. In his first year of life, his mother Asoui had left Rai in Konoha with Saw, presumably due to the scandalous nature of their relationship. With those of the clan seeing his mother as a deserter and her son in turn an outsider, it ultimately came down to his father speaking up for and claiming Rai as his son. With his father being the clan head, there was no real way to dispute it.

Still, this didn’t stop his family, especially his grandparents, from looking down on him. Other people looked at him strangely because of his foreign appearance. For a time, even his own father was distant to him. Whenever Rai asked about his mother, there was a negative tone that stemmed from the vague answers to his questions. Easily picking up that something bad had happened, he eventually stopped asking about it.

Rai proved to be a little disappointing to some in his training to become a shinobi. On one hand, he was typically stronger and faster than the kids his own age group. This made taijutsu come more easily for him. On the other hand, he had seemingly no talent in the other processes needed to pass certain exams; even for the reputation of a Lee. His grandparents were quick to pin him as a failure, but his father didn’t give up on him. Despite Saw’s initial distance, they grew closer and bonded through his shinobi training. With trial, error, and perseverance, Rai managed to pass and move on.

During his time in the academy, it was believed that his father had died when performing a secret shinobi mission. Fortunately enough though, his father did survive his final mission. However due to spinal injury, he was severely crippled. With medical aid, he could walk again, but his compromised mobility forced resignation from actively serving in the shinobi business. Although somewhat disheartened, Rai was more grateful that he came home.

During the period of his father’s supposed death, Rai lashed out which led to the discovery that he naturally radiated lightning chakra. With his newly found abilities, his raw potential gained a sharp incline. In tandem with Saw’s grooming, Rai was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with despite his lack in other ninjutsu forms. Upon passing the genin exams, Saw had given him a gift; a book that his mother had left behind. Looking into it initially, it seemed to be his mother’s journal of sorts on how she learned to control and master her inner lightning.

For most of the past year, he had been studying the book as a guide, trying to glean what he could from it to make his abilities stronger. He found from her comments relating to her past situations that in his journey of growing up so far, his struggles were like Asoui’s. Rai hadn’t seen his mother since he was too young to fully remember. Still, he held onto an anxious hope that perhaps one day, he could finally find her…

If she was still alive.

Showcase

The Lee Clan’s trademark is the Strong-Fist style of Taijutsu. As his family line down the generations has gotten weaker in ninjutsu, they have had to rely on their physical condition to keep up with other shinobi. Being trained in it from youth, made it his passion. Considering the physical demands of the style with the lightning chakra that he radiates, Rai naturally became much stronger, faster, and more durable than most genin to chunin level opponents. It has gotten to a point where he needs more advanced opponents than those of his own class in order to properly grow his skills.

Arms
Dual Tonfa

Nature Release
Lightning

Main Jutsu
Eight Gates
_{Capable of opening Gate Four.}

Lightning Overdrive
_{When used in this form, the lightning on his skin at times appears black opposed to bright colors.}

Flaws | POF
His largest weakness lies in the ability to fall susceptible to genjutsus, as he has little to no resistance to them. While he is intelligent enough to determine whether he is in one or not, skilled genjutsu users can still fool him. Rai hopes to one day learn how to use his lightning chakra to enhance his senses as his mother journaled herself capable of.

Furthermore, as a tradition mandates for Lee clan warriors, Rai often wears weighted clothing to learn endurance. The weight of which increases with his age and strength. It can be of hindrance however, as with them, he is capable of getting tired much quicker. On the flipside, he isn't fully used to his own strength and speed without them, which can make him cause mistakes.

Finally the Eight Gates, while powerful, are also quite dangerous as they exert his body beyond its limits. Despite his conditioning, Rai has been taught only to use them as a last resort. Especially without his weights, he requires more training before he can utilize the Gates efficiently.

Ninjutsu: 2
Taijutsu: 5
Genjutsu: 0
Intelligence: 4
Strength: 5
Speed: 4.5
Stamina: 3
Hand Seals: 3
Total Ability: 3
Latent Potential: 4

The Road to Sagehood: A Naruto AU

I might got a Lee/Guy taijutsu analogue in me if you’re down for that.

Code Vein (Closed)

_{Location | The Crow’s Nest
Time | February 24^th - Evening
Interaction | Dallas (CO-OP’d) @Pantothenic}

---

Ajax visibly winced a bit as the Akaia’s song began loud and proud. He knew it had been a while since he’d heard anyone other than Cerise sing, but the loud music and throat noises in the close proximity was mildly jarring. So long as they were having fun, he supposed. Returning his focus to Dallas, he took note of the fact that the man had gotten some liquor in his system. He assumed that he’d loosen up, but on initial interaction, the Sword didn’t quite know how loose. He wasn’t sure how he’d react moreso now than before, and with the others nearby, he’d rather not disturb them.

”Just follow me towards the medical area…we can talk there.” He coaxed, starting back out of the room. Dallas shrugged and abandoned his munchies on a nearby surface, following a few steps behind Ajax.

Once they were a little ways off from the noise, the Sword stopped in front of the garden nearby. There was a brief silence as he seemed to be looking for exactly how to start the inquiry. It could be interpreted that he had taken some care to appear non threatening as this was one of the rare occasions he wore a tank-top— nothing up his sleeve.

”In the Ruined City, we faced many dangers: Seen and unseen. We had originally thought that during our time there, the unseen was largely non-sentient or Lost. But that wasn’t the case. One of us was in a potentially dangerous situation when split up but neglected to tell the rest of us. What I want to know is why?”

Dallas crossed his arms and nodded along. He didn’t appear surprised that Ajax was suspicious of him.

”I thought I felt another pair of eyes on me out there. I figured that the creeper had brought an escort. I should have known it was you.” Dallas rubbed his chin pensively, seemingly unsure of how to answer Ajax’s question.

”Honestly, my first thought was to pack my things and disappear overnight. I didn’t want to get anyone here wrapped up in my problems. After we got home I realized that might be a dumb idea, so I was going to talk to you and Erik after this little celebration. I’ll tell you everything I know. If that doesn’t satisfy you then feel free to tie me up now. I won’t resist.”

”Not necessary. We’ve had a sample size during your time with us…Ultimately, in that time, you’ve given us little reason to mistrust you. You fought with and could have died beside us all the same. I wasn’t intending to ruin your night…but I didn’t want for the uncertainty to drag on much longer. I just want to know who that was, and who they work for.” Ajax replied calmly, pacing some between the cabinets with his arms behind him.

Dallas traced his finger along one of the metal trolleys that Poppy used to move tools around. “Shit man, I honestly don’t know. They’re affiliated with my past, one hundred percent. The problem is, that girl wouldn’t tell me a thing. All I know for certain is that she’s as much a victim as I am, or at least that’s what she wants me to believe. I think someone else is plotting against me. She gave me something. Take a look at this.” The burly man reached into his pants pocket and revealed the object he’d picked up in the alleyway. It was still wrapped in its cloth.

With the presentation of the object, he stopped pacing. He immediately caught onto the implication of the small object. ”A vestige…this makes things a lot more interesting…I’m willing to bet you were going to wait until tomorrow or after the little party to actually use it…?” The warrior thought aloud, thinking back to Lil Red, and how she despised her own past.

”It can wait until then. The team’s going through a lot…so, I understand the need for a night like this one; where you guys can unwind and reset. So, feel free to go back and relax. For now, we can keep this between the three of us, to tell the team later when we have more details.”

Code Vein (Closed)

_{Location | The Crow’s Nest
Time | February 24^th - Evening
Interaction | Dallas @Pantothenic}

---

The Sword hadn’t exactly rested easy the night before. The idea of a renegade group of revenants was nothing new, as the Commune themselves could be considered such. Further, with the recent shortage of blood beads, groups relocating from one area to another to search wasn’t uncommon. One that could be hunting for one of their newer members presented problems because there was no current knowledge of their capabilities. With no knowledge of their capabilities, there’d be little means to counter them. Knowing what he knew made him somewhat anxious, decidingly remaining on watch throughout the night.

In that time, he did what he could to repair the little stuffed horse, putting it with the other little trinkets that he’d found that reminded him of her. He kept them in the drawer of the desk that held his journal on top, which also held the prior day’s events. In all, the mission was a success, as they completed their goal with no casualties. In terms of team synergy, it needed improvement. Their first battle was won with injuries that required rather early use of their blood pack supply, as well as the endangerment of the humans.

When the Provisional Government’s agents returned, Ajax wasn’t so happy to see them. To be fair, he never was, so their praise meant little to nothing to him. What struck him though, was their snaking way of convincing the others to give up Ionna. Disillusioned by their tactics and reasoning long ago, Ajax knew that these men were only going to give the child a week to adjust before looking for a way to exploit her. Cerberus wasn’t against taking child revenants into their ranks to be tools, and even fed them the idea of it being ‘a great honor’…However, there were worse fates.

Regarding the Ruined City situation, Ajax brought it up to Erik earlier this morning. As it seemed, his comrade had found more alarming evidence of his own. A pile of ash in the music store without Lost lingering in the area implied the notion of a revenant falling to another incorrupt one. All of this pointed to the fact that they needed to talk to Dallas about this group, given that there was some sort of connection. Erik had put Ajax up to the task of confronting him, and while he would have done it straight away, he needed rest by that point.

Thus, he slept through a good portion of the day while the others were awake. Upon waking though, came the realization that the lot of them were planning the celebration of sorts. Preparation that Dallas was helping out with…Ajax was stern, but he wasn’t without care to nuance. Moreover, allowing him to have that time would also likely loosen him up to giving information he might not have if he felt targeted. It would likely still feel intrusive that Ajax had ‘spied’ on him, but that could possibly be reconciled with time and communication.

As he exited his room and started down the hall though, he noted activity nearer to Desmond and Amelia’s room. Some development was going on with the young man’s perpetually comatose sister, as his superhuman hearing had informed him. As others seemed to be handling it, he felt no need to investigate as he’d likely only be in the way. Instead, he kept walking towards the Great Room. With the little celebration seemingly on a ‘break’, now seemed as good a time as any to pull Dallas aside.

Which seemed convenient, as when Ajax was entering, Dallas seemed to be heading towards the kitchen. Briefly studying the room, he took note of Vincent and Cerise; the latter of which he offered a small smile and nod in acknowledgement. Refocusing on the task at hand though, Aj spoke up.

”Dallas, a word…please.”

Young Justice

_{Interaction | Israel & Jeremia
Location | Meta Youth Center; Basketball Court}

---

Thump…thump…thump…
A basketball bounced across the court, chased by one of the younger kids of the youth center. The boy eventually caught it and ran to his mentor, handing him the ball. Jeremia grabbed and immediately tossed it back onto the court. He was trying to tire this kid out. Israel was due for a nap.

“Tired yet Israel?” Jeremia called out to the curly haired boy. He stretched and groaned, resting his hands behind his head. At this rate he would be tired before this crazy tornado of a kid.

Ja, going by Ezekiel for the sake of this mission, had entered the court area. He had remembered the prompt for what the kidnappers were searching for; young and fit meta boys. Viktor had already gone to the gym, Zach to the pool, so Ja figured that this was a solid place to look for clues as well. As it were, there were a couple of guys playing a halfcourt game on one end and one guy on the other, seemingly keeping watch over another younger kid.

Basketball, while he didn’t play often in Buredunia, was something popular there as many players ended up coming to America to play professionally. With what he knew about the sport in mind, he wouldn’t try talking to the ones playing down the other end. Picking up a ball from one of the racks on the sidelines, Ja dribbled it as he walked, imitating what he’d seen on TV. Observing the older of the two, he seemed somewhat tuckered out.

Shifting a few braids from his face, Ja smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. When he got close enough to speak, a voice that wasn’t his own came out:

”Get into any good games?”

Jeremia’s brows shot up in surprise. This guy sounded exactly like Gerald from Hey Arnold. If that was his normal speaking voice that was awesome!

“Yo man can you do that again?”

He broke into a smile, though Israel wasn’t catching on. He didn’t grow up with the cartoon but Jeremia was having a serious fanboy moment. “You sound exactly like Gerald from Hey Arnold.”

“You can join us for a game if you can record some messages for my cousins.”
Jeremia had a cheeky look on his face. Israel was finally catching up to the conversation. He held the basketball under his arm, trying to look all grown up. The boy was clearly struggling to keep the ball from sliding down.

“So your superpower makes you sound like some cartoon character……that’s dumb.”

“Well, I guess it does seem a little dumb at first… Ja began, looking down at the younger boy with a smile. His breathing shifted just a little, and soon, the kid’s own voice came out, perfectly mimicked. ”It has its uses.”

”Name’s Ezekiel, but you can call me Eezy. Who’re you guys?

“Ahh!!!” Israel yelped and hid behind Jeremia, freaked out by the sound of his own voice coming from someone else.

Jeremia laughed and patted Israel's curls, letting him know things were okay.
“I’m Jeremia and this chicken behind me is Israel, nice to meet you Eezy.”

He covered the younger boy's ears with his hands and looked at Eezy with a more serious look in his eyes.

“It’s not a good idea to hang out around by yourself. Lately guys like you and me have been disappearing left and right. Stay with me and Israel for a bit.”

Eezy’s expression shifted to one of mild concern, and his voice returned to Gerald’s. “Really…? Thanks for the heads up…” He eyed little Israel a moment, deciding to speak up again briefly before little ears were uncovered.

“Did they have anything in common besides basketball?”

Code Vein (Closed)

_{Location | The Ruined City
Time | February 23^rd - Evening
Interaction | Akaia @Exit(Directly), Dallas @Pantothenic(Indirectly)}

---

As he always did, even when unprompted, Ajax kept on the lookout so the others could take the rest time. He wasn’t a fool to let his guard down just because they were now away from the Tsar Bomba. Surprises always lurked around every corner, and would only be unexpected if one weren’t prepared…Though too, this also gave him an opportunity to see if he noticed anything familiar. Anything that would click with the memories he yearned for or Poppy already had.

For those reasons, he decided to only briefly glance through the window of the music store but he didn’t stick there long. Instead, he walked around outside with his hands in his pockets and an ear to the wind. Whilst peeking through alleys full of garbage and debris, Aj didn’t find much of particular use. Though, adjacent from and across the cracked tarmac bordering the music store, he noticed something.

A glass window, covered partially in what he could only describe as colored dirt? He looked past the window towards the inside. It was darker inside, but he cupped his hands around his eyes for them to adjust. The roof of the middle of the room had caved in, making it hard to tell what specifically this room was used for at first glance. Still, he could make out, despite how dirty and desaturated it was, that the room was once colorful, with what were likely light blue walls. He could see the remains of a familiar yet warped plastic object that surely once stood on four metal legs.

It was the last thing that he noticed though, that made his leer linger. A stuffed animal of some sort, with a long face with a white line going down the middle of it, pointed ears at the joint of the head and neck. It had a black, cylindrical sort of body. It had three stumpy protrusions, but Ajax knew that there were supposed to be four. He recognized, despite laying on its side, that it was meant to have two bead-like eyes. That the few long bits of thread at the end were once a tail.

Ajax knew this because she had one, though not quite the same as this. Hers was light, like sand in color, with patches of copper mixed throughout. With her memory, the little thing always followed whether it be in the room or in her hand. This was not hers…but…

”Actually, I need a bathroom break. I’ll be right back.”

Catching that particular piece of dialogue from Dallas pulled Ajax back into the moment. Lowering his hands from his eyes, his head turned to catch the particular revenant walking off to handle his business. Although there was nothing specifically to be concerned about, the last time someone needed a bathroom break, they used it as cover to secretly investigate something. While Ajax wouldn’t hold those suspicions to everyone’s cases because of Lysandra, he decided to wordlessly tag along. At the very least as backup, should he get jumped.

Before he did though, Ajax looked back again at the glass window. He hadn’t necessarily paid it much attention before but there was a certain quality to the obscurity lining the bottom of the window…faded and dried blue paint? With it, there was a pattern of sorts…a handprint? Many small handprints next to each other, some overlapping— like a child might do. Then towards the top of the window, a larger, more obviously yellow handprint…

The sun over water…

---

---

Having traversed by rooftop again, Ajax kept a careful ear to Dallas footsteps ahead to follow without being initially intrusive. He was also quiet though too, so as not to be audible either. In his head, Ajax debated if the distance Dallas chose was necessary. A reasonable line of thinking could lead to the idea of not wanting his piss stream to be heard, but a counter thought: Did that even matter, given their current circumstances? Separating from the larger group was often how intelligent hunters picked off their prey; the ignorant, ill, and injured.

That was when Ajax heard a second set of footsteps as Dallas seemed to be finishing up. Peering over the building’s rooftop lip like a gargoyle, the Sword watched the interaction between the two. The veteran wasn’t convinced that it was a Lost that approached Dallas, its body language wasn’t aggressive. However, the sudden flash barrier to prevent his comrade from leaving the alley prompted Ajax to loose a stake from its place in his coat. He crept along the shadows of the structure to get a better angle without letting himself be detected.

Variables rolled in his mind. Could this have been an infernal after all? It seemed a little more intelligent and deliberate than most typically were. When Dallas got boxed in, the Sword had slowly cocked back his arm to headshot the interloper with the stake. What stopped him, was the fact that it spoke in response to Dallas’ question. Not only that, it— she knew his name.

This got more interesting, the longer she spoke. So this ‘attack’ was a ploy? There was fear and sorrow in the tone that the hooded revenant spoke with, as well as a form of urgency. She spoke of others that would become suspicious of her presence here, peaceably speaking to Dallas. Ajax certainly held his own suspicions, one of which, was that she wasn’t talking about the Commune. If she wasn’t, it meant that there was another group that must’ve been lurking about, possibly monitoring them. His eyes narrowed upon the object given the burly man, small and globular. Could that have been…?

Whoever this was had some kind of personal connection to Dallas. He had only been part of the Commune for a month, but what he had been doing before then…could be dealt with later. Ajax watched on as she walked away and around a corner out of sight. For now, as far as Ajax was concerned, his squad needed to vacate the city.

Whoever this hidden group was didn’t sound friendly, and the fact that this girl waited until Dallas was alone to ‘attack’ only cemented such. Thus, once Dallas was clear to head back, Ajax followed suit.

---

Soon after Poppy’s declaration, a door forcefully opened a little ways off. From the building he had been looking into earlier, Ajax exited wiping off an object he was holding. If one caught a glimpse of it before it went into a pocket, they’d see small, black stuffed horse with a white mane.

As he was walking, he stopped by the bench where Akaia and Cerise had been resting. Wordlessly, he waved to get Kaia’s attention. Taking that same hand, he extended it to the air away from his head, yet pinching the fingers towards his face. Taking the same hand again, he kept the pinched fingers and pressed them on his masked chin then cheek.

Moving on, he caught Desmond’s words, the Sword honestly couldn’t agree more. Less so about the hike, but more so about the fact that with the van, they’d be a bit less easy to follow.

Ajax eyed Dallas briefly as they both approached the group from opposite directions. Knowing what he did now, the Sword would bring this up to Erik before confronting Dallas straight up. With the way that he reacted in the alley, Ajax had convinced himself for now that he wasn’t directly involved with the mystery group anymore. That wasn’t to say that his presence though, was completely harmless, given that they surely knew Dallas was with the Commune now. Ajax didn’t like any of it.

However, if the Commune had to look over its shoulder, he’d prefer them to have home-field advantage on any pursuers.

Code Vein (Closed)

_{Location | The Ruined City
Time | February 23^rd - Evening
Interaction | V-C-A-L Squad; Lysandra (with @Force and Fury)}

---

Ajax kept on his way in the lead of the pack, senses on high alert. As their squad progressed further into the arid skeleton of the city, he kept his eyes moving. On the low, given that Cerise had found one of her memory fragments here, Ajax hoped that perhaps he could find one as well…It had been quite some time since the last one, and that agitated the hunter in the back of his mind. However, he was more than disciplined enough to keep to the course they were on; the safety of his squad depended on that.

As far as observation went, in the direction they were headed, the Sword took note of the growing amount of Grimes. Although the slime creatures didn’t impede their path, nor present much of a threat themselves, it could be an omen of more Lost ahead. Since their last encounter hadn’t exactly gone well, he was more on guard, as there were much less of them now and Vincent was still injured. That was when he felt it, and he stopped in place. He raised his hand as he did, indicating to the squad to pause.

Rumbling beneath his feet, barely audible to even his hearing, yet without pattern. Definitely not an earthquake, or footsteps…yet there was an eerie familiarity to it. As memory of Cerberus served him with regards to various Lost, as well as the implication made by Lysandra earlier…His head turned to her as she broke the news to their group.

Before he could make a call, Vincent had already broken into a sprint for the other group; running through walls in an already crumbling city. Good heart, boneheaded decisions. Regardless, as each member sprung into action in their own way, Ajax stuck close to Lysandra who had gone into her ‘drone zone’. The last thing they needed was for her to just be out in the open alone and somewhat unaware of her surroundings.

Lys was almost wholly immersed in a world of pure videogame combat, darting and dodging tentacles with Sky Princess as Sage hovered above her keeping a proximity alert. A notice flashed through her heads-up display as Poppy approached and the group's lone human gave a brief, blind thumbs-up.

With her clearly still being unstable on the ground at least, the Sword had a hand ready to catch the Sidhe pixie. Though with her determined task laid out to them, Ajax nodded as she flew off. Ajax recognized that they needed to move; he needed to be there for the distraction to be more effective.

”Alright Legs, we need to hit the ground runnin’.” He called before throwing an arm beneath and between her wheeled chair to lift it with one arm.

Lys died a little bit inside at the quip, but it was more or less a routine thing at this point. It was weird being around people and hearing them, but not feeling like she was around them. With the headset on, she was Sky Princess. Presently, a sharpened tendril came shooting out for Vincent and she blunted it with a rocket strike. It was enough to make the thing recoil, but Princess’ regular payload wasn’t having much of an impact except when it struck things like those ‘eyes’. Wasting my fucking ammo, dude. Goddammit! There was a brief pause in the action and she responded to Ajax, pursing her lips in unamused duckface. ”Alright, arms, let’s roll. Pops is right: we need to distract it. That means drawing Big Ugly off.”

Clearly not much fazed by how little she weighed, even with the chair, Ajax started on the rush down the street. His coat straightened and flapped behind him as he raced towards the increasing sounds of carnage. ”Once we’re close enough, I’m going to go in to help with the diversion directly.”

“Roger that, chief, and thanks for the lift.”

The crashing of debris and gunfire now much clearer in earshot, Ajax put Lys down, just out of sight. ”Alright. Keep an eye out, as soon as they are out of there, start rolling out. Once you have a good head start, signal to us with the drone and we’ll follow after you.”

Lys flicked Princess’ controls and the drone momentarily buzzed up outside of the Tsar Bomba’s reach. She flipped her headset up and glanced Ajax’s way. “Don’t have to tell me twice.” She paused for a moment, extricating her breath mask from a backpack pocket. “And watch out for that powder cloud thing it does. That shit messes with your eyes.” She slipped it over her nose and mouth and pulled the headset down over her eyes. “Stay safe out there. I’ve got your back.”

On that note, Ajax ducked out of the corner and sped for the action. Time was of the essence, but he would be very deliberate. Although to catch its attention, it’d need to take damage, the Sword would be wary of going for the kill. It would not be worth the risk of a final explosion, especially with his allies all so close. Thus when he arrived on the scene, he took notice of the direction where Poppy and Cerise were firing.

Calculating his route, he lowered into a crouch start with one hand on the ground. When the other unsheathed his blade, his body surely became a blur to the eye as he sprinted full force for the Tsar Bomba. He timed a jump as a tentacle was coming down, using a two-handed slicing motion to diagonally dismember that limb. Ignoring a possible roar of pain, the Sword nimbly flipped between retaliating spikes that protruded to impale him. With one quick strike in, he got out of range of the Bomba’s body. Using a perpendicular building as a springboard to repeat the process, this time he jumped nearer to the head.

Hopefully the ones inside got what they needed, because now all of them were on a dangerous time table…