Hitman

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

<Snipped quote by DarkRecon>

Uh Hitman. Sorry if you missed this. I just needed an opinion on it.

@DarkRecon

It does say in your OOC post that it still needs touching up. I'd prefer everything be complete before being presented.

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

Hey any chance I can join the Discord while I wait on a spot? I just like chatting along with the story.

Also I have a concept for Starbright as a background NPC character sort of thing. It won't take up narrative room but more just what hes up to now, if you all want that.

@Jumbus

Good news for you, there now IS a new spot ready for you, so feel free to hop on in.

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

@canaryrose you're fired

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

_{September 21st, 2064
Aboard N-Train
Brookside, South Castle Island}

Miles smiled warmly. This whole 'socialization' thing was going much better than anticipated. Miles had always been told to 'be himself' by all sorts of teachers and mentors and whatnot, but he had never thought that being a classic fiction nerd would be able to score that many brownie points. Mrs. Gilligan from 11th-grade English would be proud. "VHS? Wow, that's really something." Miles tried to envision what an actual VHS tape would look like. While he had heard of them before, they weren't something that any teenager in the year 2064 would have ever been exposed to in person. The idea that a physical reel of tape had to be inserted into a physical box to play a movie or TV show was absurd in an era where everything was holographically projected. "Sounds valuable. And cool. Maybe we should watch it sometime."

Miles' successes on board the train were cut short with Blitz's hysterical laughter. Any ounce of confidence that Miles had managed to accrue over the last 5 or so minutes vanished into the dark crevice of Miles' heart as quickly as it had come, and Miles turned beet-red once again. He wasn't the type to enjoy this type of ribbing, even something so benign as the suggestion that Blitz had made. Miles, in both a physical and metaphorical sense, had very thick skin. Miles quickly found, however, that Sophie did not have such social hesitancies, as she quickly fired back at Blitz with a comment of her own, a comment that gave Miles a bit of a chuckle.

The pale-skinned youth took a breath as he focused back on the situation at hand. He mustered up his confidence with a deep breath and scootched a smidgen closer to Sophie. "S-so, Soph. Can I c-call you Soph?" Miles stammered, before continuining. "I was just w-wondering, y'know, if maybe sometime you'd like to-"

Before Miles could finish the sentence, a loud BOOM echoed throughout the vicinity, and the bullet train came to a bullet halt as sirens began to go off. Miles found himself tumbling over Sophie and rolling into the wall with a thud. It was then that Miles learned how important seatbelts were. But he also learned, of course, that this was no random malfunction. Funtime was over. The pirates were here. His rumors were confirmed when the PA system came online, and the conductor's soothing voice resonated over the loudspeaker. "Sorry, folks, we currently have...well, an obstruction on the tracks ahead. I'm currently phoning back to HQ to get info as to how to proceed- woah! Hey! Please, I'm unarmed! I have a wife and kids, sir, please don't-" The conductor's bloodcurling screech then resonated throughout the train, accompanied by the sounds of electricity, signaling to Miles that the man had likely been tazed or electrocuted in some way.

The young hero immediately understood what the pirates were going for here. Put the people that couldn't defend themselves in danger and force the heroes away from their defensive positions and directly into a trap. It was smart planning on the pirates' behalf, and it was effective, as there was no doubt in Miles' mind as to where he was going to immediately. The weapon, while dangerous, could be retrieved. Human lives, once ended, could not.

With that thought, Miles quickly scuttled to his feet, removing Crimson Vengeance from his jacket and activating it. With a hum, the red blade of energy arced out from the hilt. Miles turned to face the rest of the group. "S-somebody keep the nuke safe," Miles commanded, though his tone had minimal authority to it. With that, Miles dashed out from the rear train car, moving forwards across the train with one goal in mind- save people. That's what being a hero was about, anyway, right?

Miles dashed through a couple train cars, including one full of people that Miles vaguely recognized as fellow heroes, before his sprint was stopped in the adjacent car, where two armored pirates had just walked in from the other side. Miles may have been a bit of a pushover, but Dhampir was not known for his restraint, especially with hostage-taking nuke-stealing jetpack pirates. The pale youth, in a marked departure from the rambling nerd that had been sitting on the N-Train moments earlier, flicked his weapon at one of the pirates. The laser blade arced across the car and caught one of the pirates before he could even react, slicing through his armor like butter and sending him toppling backwards into the wall. If he survived, his days of piracy were long over by now.

Before Miles could address the other pirate, he was hit by a concussive wave of sound that blasted him into the wall of the traincar. Miles yelped like an injured puppy as the pirate approached Miles, holding a shotgun-sized weapon with a large cone-like muzzle- a sonic blaster, used for both nonlethal and lethal incapacitation. The uninjured partner of the two pirates aimed the weapon at the teenager. "Time to die, freak!" he shouted with as much bravado as he could muster as he prepared to fire.

Meanwhile, back in the storage car, one of the pirates, using a laser cutter, quickly cut himself a round entry into the car. As soon as the circular slab of metal fell, jetpack-enhanced pirates hopped into the storage car one-by-one, weapons drawn and at the ready as they prepared to secure their loot.

---

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_{September 21st, 2064
'Totally Innocuous Warehouse'
Brookside, South Castle Island}

Piranha Boy was hardly paying attention to the job. Instead, he was smoking a gigantic vape, which was exuding a foul-smelling banana-mint combination smoke. After all, while there had been numerous studies connecting vaping to popcorn lung, there had not been a single one connecting it to popcorn gill, so Piranha Boy considered himself pretty much invinicible in that regard.

As he continued to slack off on the job, though, he was hit by a dose of divine justice as his entire body was suddenly ensnared by a bolas. His vape sent flying, the Piranha Boy's upper body was wrapped up by the gadget, and he was sent careening to the floor with a loud yell, his restrained figure flopping around like...well, a fish.

As he yelled for help, the other interns/drug workers continued with the act despite the very real pressure they were under (credit to their theater minor in undergrad!) They ran around the room willy-nilly, yelling things like "SHE'S HERE" and "HIDE THE DRUGS" and "WE'RE ALL GOING TO JAIL!" as they scattered like birds in the wind. This was, of course, signaling for the heroes (at least, the remaining ones) to act fast. It was also incredibly over-the-top, but in a world where crime was super, everything was over the top. Maybe the smartest of the smarts could figure out the act, but of course, the smartest of the smarts generally were smart enough to stray away from this kind of spandex superhero/vigilante crime-fighting business. Generally.

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

_{September 21st, 2064
Unspecified Apartment
Brookside, Castleburg}

"Holy shit, now that's what I call hot."

"Let me see! Let me see!"

"Ooh, yeah, talk about an hourglass bod, that one!"

This type of locker room chatter was flying around a small apartment in Brookside. The studio room was not being used to live in, however. It was a temporary hideout being used by the Rocketeers for their next big sting. The peeling wallpaper was covered with blueprints, maps, and photographs, the kitchen counter and table covered with all manner of weapons, and dirty rug covered in beer cans. A group of stocky, armored pirates were gathered around a coffee table, looking at holographic projections of a group of heroes that were supposedly aboard the train. The Captain had said that there might be a heightened response to this heist, so the pirates had simply kidnapped the family of one of the waiters aboard the N-Train and coerced him into working for them and getting photographs and ID from the passengers onboard. This was simply matched with the HERO database to get some dossiers as to who the pirates would be up against. Their 'research' and 'preparation,' however, had quickly devolved into a comparison of all the female heroes onboard.

As the pirates continued to ogle the holo-images they had, the door to the apartment swung open, and a woman walked in. This woman was Captain Sam Everett, suited up in her armor and with her jetpack at the ready. As the men she commanded shuffled to attention, Sam ran a hand through her half-shaven head of blonde hair while scrunching up her face in disgust. "Holy shit," she reprimanded. "Cool the fucking jets, you apes. The testosterone in here is starting to smell worse than the fucking mildew."

A chorus of "Yes, boss" and "Yes, captain" filtered through the room. An outside would certainly be surprised at how much respect this short, regular human woman had over this group of hardened pirates. An insider would run and hide, lest Sam laid a few bullets through their skull for even daring to shit-talk her. Sam Everett was a no-nonsense type of woman.

"Let's go over the plan again, because clearly we have some fucking middle-school IQ pirates here," Sam said, changing the holographic image to a projection of the N-Train's path with a swipe of her hand. "Train should be crossing towards Brookside now. Means we gotta start getting ready to fly. Once it passes by this apartment, Strike Team C is going to launch a rocket at the rails right here, just by the river. Bammo. Train has to pump the emergency brakes. Then, Strike Team B lands on the northern end of the train, makes a distraction, forces security to defend the civilians instead of the mark. Then, Strike Team C moves in on the Vulture, picks up our cargo, and ships off to our HQ. That crazy Iranian terrorist guy meets us there, we give him the nuke, he gives us the cash, we kill him, take the nuke back, and done. Any questions?"

One of the pirates tentatively raised his hand.

"Yes, dumbass?"

"What about the heroes, Captain?"

Sam laughed. "Heroes? That's who you're worried about? Let me let you in on a little secret. Heroes are just beauty pageant winners, but dumber, weaker, and with more spandex. You do to them what we do to anybody else- put them down like dogs." Sam cleared her throat. "Just don't be scared of them. We're Rocketeers, for Christ's sake. We scare the daylights out of this damn city. The heroes may look tough, but believe me, they're just a bunch of softies on the inside. Now, let's go!"

---

_{September 21st, 2064
Aboard the N-Train
Watervale en route to Brookside}

Meanwhile, Miles was busy being a softy.

In all fairness, he had expected the girl that he had almost skewered like a shish kebab to maybe hate him forever. He had considered that the most reasonable course of action, and had fully prepared for that reality. Instead, however, the pretty blonde girl sat next to him, immediately shattering any rules about personal space, and Miles felt her arm rub against his. Miles immediately developed several theories as to how what was going on. Either this blonde hero was a vampire hunter trying to get Miles to lower his guard, a double agent working for the pirates, or she was just a regular old hero that was perhaps trying to hit on him.

Somehow, Miles felt the first two options were more likely.

The lanky vampire hero shifted uncomfortably as he processed the situation. This had never quite happened to him before, especially mid-mission, so he was definitely trekking into uncertain territory right now. Miles made the immediate decision to simply try and act as natural as possible, and so he spoke up. "I guess. Still, I should have recognized that you weren't a pirate. You're m-missing the eyepatch," Miles said, giving a thin but warm smile at his nearly-botched joke, a smile that just barely showed a hint of his two, inhumanly large, serpent-like fangs.

Through his peripheral vision, he noticed that the girl was showing him a book. A book! She was giving him an out! Miles looked down at the cover of the book, before speaking again. "That's a really great choice of novel, by the way. Urban fantasy is just such a killer genre. Did you know that the book was actually adapted from a TV series? It aired all the way back in 1996, way before they had holo-screens. I don't mind the old-fashioned plasma TVs though, they definitely bring a lot to the table in terms of quality. Anyway, ramble aside, really really great, intelligent, fun book by a really great, underrated author." Miles took a breath. "I, uhh, never caught your name, by the way. I'm Miles. Err, or Dhampir, if we're doing hero names. I never really know which way to go. You?" he asked with a weak smile, his pale cheeks still tinged with a touch of pink as he held out a hand for her to shake.

---

---

_{September 21st, 2064
'Totally Innocuous Warehouse'
Brookside, Castleburg}

Piranha Man looked down at the smaller, younger, newer hero. "Hey there, newbie. I'm Piranha Boy. Not that I'm a boy, just that my dad was Piranha Man, so that name was taken...anyway, no, the other guy isn't here yet. Still waiting for him to show up, as well as the mark. You can hang around here until she shows up, no need to rush, oh, and be sure not to snort anything. I know I shouldn't have to say that, but I will just in case." The fish-faced man then looked down at his watch. "Never mind, we got a sighting. Everybody, in position. Alright, so remember the plan! I'm the guy running this place, so I'm gonna lure the girl to me. Once she attacks me, just take her down. Should be a quick and easy paycheck! Places, everybody!"

Meanwhile, outside the building, Firestarter smiled from her apartment perch. Her job was already done. Now, she just sat back, made sure this superpowerless vigilante didn't single-handedly wipe out a two B-tier heroes and a room full of interns, and collect her cash. As she sat back with a cocky grin on her face, though, she didn't notice the group of men approaching from behind her. In an instant, a black bag wrapped around the girl's head. The hero screamed and clawed, but her cries went unheard as the well-dressed men behind her waited for her to pass out from a lack of oxygen before allowing her limp body to fall to the floor.

---

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_{September 21st, 2064
Academy of Young Heroes
Lighthouse Island, Castleburg}

Principal Lee smiled fondly (or at least, she appeared to smile fondly) at the arrival of the young heroes. She greeted the two alumni that she did recall. "Oh, of course I haven't forgotten you two! Lucian and Aurora, two of my favorite students," she gushed, pretending that the memories of hypnotized teachers and destroyed faculty bathrooms had never actually happened. "And it's wonderful to meet the rest of you young men and women too! I do have to insist that we treat these children with kindness and dignity, though. They are just kids, and our goal here isn't to incarcerate them, but to reform them!" Principal Lee smiled, before turning to the older man of the group. "Well, first and foremost, welcome back to Castleburg, Mr. Lindall! And second, I don't have too much personal details on them. I just have a gist of the situation. Our four miscreants are Ricky Sullivan, Jack Fernandez, Michelle Lewis, and Drew Reedworth. They were caught after going on a 'shopping spree' across Castleburg. Of course, by shopping, I mean shoplifting, and in the process they did cause a few injuries, though nothing severe. Sullivan's power is some sort of vibration manipulation, Fernandez's power is pyrokinesis, Lewis's power is electrokinesis, and Reedworth's power is gravity manipulation. They are...quite bull-headed,” the Principal said. “Let’s go meet them.”

Principal Lee guided them through the polished halls of the Academy. Well, ‘polished’ was a bit of an overstatement- the Academy was about as polished as a building could be for one that was routinely destroyed by pubescent, superpowered kids. She then opened a heavy, steel door to enter the room where the delinquents were being kept for the time being, inside their little plastic bubble. The smoke from Drew’s cigarette had formed a small cloud at the top of their cell.

Principal Lee looked at the heroes. “Hopefully, the group of you can show them the meaning of being a hero. Or at least, convince them to stop robbing people. If you need any help, find me in my office or call one of my staff. I need to go attend to a kid that is currently puking lava.” With that, Principal Lee gave a polite wave to the gathered group before heading off to make sure that the science lab wasn’t turned into a caldera.

The kids just absent-mindedly sat there in their little cell. Eventually, one of them spoke up with a single word- “Laaaaaame.”

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《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

Spark Gal

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Spark Gal

"Just because they look cool, that doesn't mean my fireworks can burn like hell!"

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[ NAME ]

Elizabeth May Jackson

[ HERO IDENTITY ]

Spark Gal

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

Beth, Firefly, Sparklers, Mayday

[ AGE ]

20

[ GENDER ]

Female

[ AFFILIATION ]

H.E.R.O. [Present]

Student of Kingsdale University [Present]

Barista at Starbunks [Former]

[ APPEARANCE ]

Beth stands 5'6 and likes to wear nothing but pink, glittery and feminine clothes that kinda look like she can be a singer of a teen pop group with her light blonde highlights of hers

Same goes to her hero outfit as well, with pink in her outfit supposed to represent fireworks while the black is the night sky

Hero Outfit

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

+ OUTGOING
+ ADVENTUROUS
+ SMART

- INSECURE
- BLUNT
- LOUD

[ BIO ]

Elizabeth May Jackson was born and raised in a town in East Flank with a professor father and an artist mother, you know, normal things, normal life....Well, except for Beth.

Beth show signs of her powers at a very young age, they were first discovered when young Beth got so excited for her six birthday, her hands start shooting out light-like fireworks from her hands and almost burn the house down (At least she got a Barbie doll...It was Malibu Barbie, she wanted a ballerina Barbie) Despite not being heroes themselves, Beth parents try to teach Beth to control her powers as the best as they can.

When middle school rolls around, Beth grades show that she is a pretty smart kid, especially in her science class but just like any nerdy kid, she was often alone and didn't have many friends and the only way to get some, is to change her looks and personality entirely. So Beth ditch her nerdy clothes, nerdy glasses and her nerdy mind and become a popular girl throughout middle school and high school!.....It wasn't fun as she thought up to be.

After Beth graduated, she got accepted to Kingsdale University and although she doesn't keep touch with her popular friends, she still feel pressured from society, so she keep still being a popular valley but she still join a chemistry class (girl loves science, what can she say?) In order to pay rent for her apartment, Beth decided to get a job and that job was....Starbunks!.....But after working there for five weeks with little pay, Beth realize that she has powers, she doesn't need to work at this dead end job! So she quit right on the spot and join HERO and it was the best decision of her life!

| MISCELLANEOUS |

Beth Sexuality is pansexual
She has a pet cat name Mimi
Beth has 1964 Ford Falcon, it use to belong to her father. She want a fancy car
Although she goes wear contacts, Beth still has her glasses

Abilities

[ RANKING ]

B+

[ POWERS ]

Pyrotechnic Projection

Beth has the ability to psychically generate and manipulate pure energy light, at will. She uses this in a form of colorful blasts that are akin to or resemble fireworks but instead are made up of intense light that is more of a searing effect to objects or people than an outright burn from fire when it “explodes”. Furthermore, she can psychically direct, bend, and distort some natural light which can be used for things such as invisibility or manipulating the properties of light (ie brightness and color). However, this takes up a lot of energy so after 5-10 blasts, it starts to wear her down and makes her feel weaker. There is a strain on her body if she bends natural light for too long so it is easier to do as needed or just from the angle someone is looking but this risks someone else showing up and seeing through the slight illusion, this also does not work at night as there is no natural lighting. She is especially weak against those with shadow powers to drown out the pure energy light, anyone immune to photokinesis, or has a reflect type ability.

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □ □
(4/10)

[ AGILITY ]
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □
(6/10)

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □ □
(4/10)

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
(7/10)

[ LETHALITY ]
■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □ □ □ □
(3/10)

[ ENDURANCE ]
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □
(7/10)

[ EFFICACY ]
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ □ □ □
(6/10)

[ SKILLS ]

Expert Chemistry Skills

[ EQUIPMENT ]

Phone
Makeup
Carkeys
Sweets
Chemistry and college books
Notebook and pen
Glasses
Cold Waterbottles

@sassy1085

Like the changes, she's accepted now! You can move her on over.

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

A Hunter’s Son

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KANATI

"A strong man stands for himself. A stronger one stands for others…Or at least that’s my Até what tells me."

---

---

[ NAME ]
Kane’Tohopka Wernicke
_{CAH-NAY-TAW-HOPE-CAH}

[ HERO IDENTITY ]
Kanati

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]
K, Kane, Hairball, Prince of the Wild

[ AGE ]
18

[ GENDER ]
Male

[ AFFILIATION ]
H.E.R.O.

[ APPEARANCE ]

Fun Visual References

Kane stands at 6’6 even with a bronze skin tone and brown eyes. He possesses a mesomorphic and burley build, easily mirroring his father in a few years. His hair is naturally a dark brown in color, though in certain lightings it can be mistaken for black. It is thick, shoulder-length, and sparsely braided but most often wild. He also has some dark markings on his forehead, reminiscent of tribal tattoos.
^{*Further details on these markings will be found under Abilities.}

Kay’s style of dress can be seen as fairly conservative. Despite his musculature, he doesn’t flaunt it much, with the most skin seen on average coming through the exposed arms of varying shirts. Otherwise, jeans, combat pants, khakis, and sweats are all things he would be seen in. He also tends to like wearing different sorts of Stetsons, no matter what he wears casually. Kay also isn’t the type to dress up and would have to be talked into doing so.

Inherited Heroic Uniform Example

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]
| Adventurous |
| Honest |
| Determined |
| Kind |
| Insecure |
| Ignorant |
| Mischievous |
| Wrathful |

[ BIO ]

Kane’Tohopka is the first born son of Samson and Kia Wernicke. His Father, also known as Kanati the Hunter, is a retired longtime agent of HERO. Kane was raised in the country, on the Wernicke Family Farm that his own father was raised on. The boy had a peaceful home life. His father worked hard to make sure that his family lacked nothing secularly. His mother managed the home as best she could emotionally. As a result, Kane’Tohopka had a stable childhood.

Except for one thing: The Chazeka.

Ever since childhood the Chazeka, or Rage, has afflicted Kane. What was worse, unlike other children, his powers began to develop much earlier. It was what kept him from conventional schooling as when he lashed out, even as a little boy, he was a danger to most. It had gotten bad enough to the point that his mother feared she gave birth to a Wendigo. Sam, while similarly distraught, did not panic.

Instead, he made a call to an old friend of his. This old friend wrote symbols on Kane’Tohopka to help manage the Chazeka. After that, outside of the Incident, they managed to live a relatively peaceful life. Kane learned and laughed just as any other boy. He took particular interest in tending to the farm’s animals, naming them all and making it his personal mission to tend to them when sick or injured. The boy often journeyed into the forest around the farm to explore, even christening himself the Prince of The Wild.

It was while he was getting older though that Sam recognized that Kane couldn’t stay on the farm forever. Eventually, his boy would have to go out into the world and that adventurous spirit made that time fly to nearness. A world that was full of stresses and pains. Kane would have to learn how to deal with such things without losing himself to the Chazeka. In which case, a good place to learn would be at the famed Academy for Junior Heroes.

Thus, despite some minor protest from his wife and the boy himself, the family bought a second home and moved to the suburbs near to the big city of Castleburg. A fish out of water would be an understatement to describe how overwhelmed Kane was at first. The city was loud, it stank, was bright, was fast, and technology was confusing. It was hard but with his support group, it became great and he caught on fine.

More recently with becoming 18, Kane’s father promised him the keys to his old place in the East Flank. He was told that it was a big responsibility in maintaining a home of his own, but Kane was ready for it. There’s always been the concern of the Chazeka but it’s been a while since the last outburst. Besides, he’d just signed over to start working for HERO officially now. The future was brightening up for him as he was following in his father’s footsteps.

What does he have to fear?

| MISCELLANEOUS |
Kane is multi-lingual separate of his power, speaking English, Lakota, and Spanish in that order of fluency.

He has a six year old little sister named Xima, who hasn’t displayed any super powers as of yet.

---

---

[ RANKING ]
Average = B+
The Chazeka ≥ A

[ POWERS ]

Reactive/Environmental Adaptation
Kanati from a young age has had the ability to adapt to the world around him in a variety of ways. It is a passive ability for the most part, that acts instantaneously to ensure his survival. It can act in two different ways, being short term and long term adaptations.

In short term situations, it provides short term solutions. For example, if he were to be submerged in water for a couple of minutes, he will have developed gills and can breathe underwater for a while. However, once he’s back to breathing air for the amount of time the adaptation was needed, he reverts to his normal state.

In long term situations, it provides longer lasting adaptations. Long term situations usually mean repeated situations over a long period of time. For example, he has developed borderline superhuman physical attributes after many years of rigorous physical work alongside his largely superhuman father. For this to die down, it would take many years of him not doing imposing physical labor.

While his adaptation is instantaneous, the situation to adapt to must be introduced to his system at least once before. This would mean that one-hit kill or incapacitating attacks to his system would definitely do the trick. This would obviously mean that he can’t carelessly throw himself into any situation. Another limitation is that while he can go for longer without food and water, he still indeed needs those things or he’ll die. It also doesn’t give him more intelligence, he still has to make smart decisions on his own.

The Forehead Runes Keep The Chazeka At Bay

However, these limitations are temporarily exuded when Kane is overtaken by the Chazeka. When The Chazeka is in control, the passive nature of his ability is overridden by stress and he goes into a fight or flight state. If Chazeka is in fight, it will attack the stressor, enhancing his physical prowess as damage is taken until the stressor is incapacitated or it flees. If Chazeka is in flight, it will flee the situation by whatever means necessary.

Once it feels safe, Kane’Tohopka will go into a state of unconsciousness as his body is recovering which can stretch from a couple days to even a month, depending on how long he was overtaken.

There are several ways to counteract the Chazeka:
1. A being, or group, of sufficient enough power can overpower the Chazeka, at least briefly before the adaptations stack.
2. A being, or group, of sufficient emotional connection to Kane can manage to calm the Chazeka down, or at least put it into flight by leaving with that person.
3. A sufficient dose of power dampeners.

_{Filled Boxes Represent Average.}

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■■■■■□□□□□
(5/10)

[ AGILITY ]
■■■■□□□□□□
(4/10)

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■■□□□□□□□
(2/10)

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■■■■□□□□□□
(4/10)

[ LETHALITY ]
■■■■■□□□□□
(5/10)

[ ENDURANCE ]
■■■■■■■□□□
(7/10)

[ EFFICACY ]
■■■■■■■■□□
(8/10)

[ SKILLS ]
Advanced-Level Hunter/Fisherman

Adept-Level CQCombatant/Marksman

Adept-Level Survivalist

Adept-Level Animal Handler/Veterinarian

Intermediate-Level Farmer

Intermediate-Level Guitarist

Intermediate-Level Lumberjack

[ EQUIPMENT ]
Hunter’s Bow - Kanati has a composite bow that Samson built early in his career. It has a draw-strength of 250 lbs that he could pull back casually enough to quickdraw with. For Kane, he can pull it back with little difficulty, but has to build up to be able to similarly quickly fire arrows with accuracy.

Arrows - Carries 15 on average; 10 Regular Arrows, 5 Trick Arrows.

Tomahawk - The small, durable, axe-like weapon that Kanati has had since the heroic golden age. It may not be the most flashy weapon, especially in this new age, but it’s definitely one of the most reliable.

@DClassified

epic.

With sort of spellcraft at his side, the Modern Warlock takes center stage!

Modern Warlock

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Modern Warlock

"I was given a gift, and I'll use it for good!....But if I get an epic adventure or two out of it, that's awesome too!"

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[ NAME ]

Owen Gallard

[ HERO IDENTITY ]

Modern Warlock! (...He wanted to be called 'Modern Wizard', but apparently it was already taken)

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

Big O (his nickname at the Academy)

[ AGE ]

22 (give or take a year that he may have spent in a self-made timeloop)

[ GENDER ]

Male

[ AFFILIATION ]

Full-Time Hero, and proud of it! also hosts D&D on weekends if the week hasn't been super hectic

[ APPEARANCE ]

While on occasion you'll meet Owen as he is in the image; which is to say, fairly slender and well-built for his age, it's more often than not that you find him a bit on the stockier side, a trait relating to his ability. While Owen never gets fat per se, normally he's more...Broadly built. Luckily, his exercise routines keep him from looking pudgy. He typically stands on average about 5'10, give or take a few inches depending, and weighs solidly around 180 under normal circumstances.

Owen actually grows out his facial hair quite often, but it never quite seems to grow in all the way, so just as soon as you might see him with some, it'll just as quickly be shaved away. His hair is a pleasant blonde tone, and while not the cleanliest, it is clear enough he puts some effort into it, and his pale green eyes are almost always filled with energy and enthusiasm for what comes next.

When he's just a civilian on the street, Owen keeps it casual. A black beanie which gives him total hipster vibes is almost always a part of the ensemble, unless it's hotter than hell outside (and even then he'll try and manage), along with a grey t-shirt/sweatpants combo, complete with a tied-off checkered jacket that he wears proper during the colder months, and reddish thick boots with plenty of space for him to grow into, if he ends up shaving off a couple more pounds than he intends to...

For hero work, he dons his sorcerous cowl (basically just a black cloak) and brandishes his elder staff (literally just a big-ass, gnarled tree root) as none other than MODERN WARLOCK! He definitely looks a bit heavy on the dorky side in the get-up, but it helps him get stoked for combat, so....As long as it works.

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

BUDDY-BUDDY:Owen is an immensely friendly dude. Sometimes a bit too friendly...Even with people he hasn't met before, he treats them like old pals all the same, and that makes his real friendships all the stronger as well. However, it also means he tends to push a lot of boundaries, and can make less outgoing people more uncomfortable. It's never his intention, but it happens, and while he'll learn from it, well...Sometimes he can't resist a friendly shoulder bump or side hug.

FEARLESS & HEROIC:Owen is a nigh unshakeable individual, rooted all the way back on that faithful day so long ago...Regardless, he's known for his daring heroic acts, unwilling to let fear halt him for even a moment's breath! Sometimes, though, his heroic acts can borderline on self-sacrificial and reckless, and while he's aware that's not the healthiest way to go about it, he'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.

DORK-TACULAR:In spite of his outward appearance at times, Owen is a total dweeb. I mean, his favorite hobby is Dungeons and Dragons, for crying out loud. He loves to read (particularly about epic journeys, so typically high fantasy is his cup of tea), and not just reading on Holo like a normal person. No...He reads hardbacks. Like a major dork. He also used to be a drama kid, which helps him play up his heroics very well.

SELF-DOUBT:While outwardly an outgoing, confident, and brave individual, he feels like he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Some of it he placed on himself...His desire to do so much as only one man is always heavy on his mind, and while it pushes him to greatness, it also slowly erodes at his mental state. Not to mention that, given the true nature of his power (which he's actually done his best to keep under wraps for some time), many people are expecting him to 'grow out' of using D&D spells as a 'template' of sorts, and start seriously using his power. But...He likes it how it is. If it ain't broke, right? Heh...The point is, while he can put on an excellent brave face, his real confidence in himself is really an in-the-moment thing, and not something he manages to carry around for long.

[ BIO ]

Owen grew up on the East Flank, and he had a pretty solid childhood! Well, except for one thing...His dad, the guy little Owen looked up to so dearly, well...He was taken away from him early on in his life, about when he was four. However, it was a formative moment for the young man as well, because as ashamed as he'd be to admit it nowadays, when his dad was on his deathbed, hooked up and wired to half a dozen different gadgets and gizmos, well...His young brain thought that he'd stopped looking like his dad. It scared him. So much so that, when the moment came for him to have a chance to say goodbye to dad...He couldn't muster that courage.

From that day, Owen swore to himself that fear would never rule him again.

He was quick to follow through on that, too. As he grew up, Owen was never afraid of anything or anyone. He stood up for those who couldn't, a friendly smile always on his face; he wanted to be there for others when no one else could be, and be a shoulder willing to uplift anyone. That was the kind of person he wanted to be.

When he discovered his powers, well...It went from a state of mind to a state of being. He really could be there for anyone...If he became a hero.

However, his powers, even by some of the strangest standards in the books, was a peculiar one to comprehend. The power to make things he thought...Reality. It's the kind of ability so overwhelming in scope, that even trying to imagine a single use for it caused the poor guy to wrack his brain. Eventually, though, he found his muse.

While young Owen was quite the sporty guy, he had one dweebish hobby; Dungeons and Dragons. Before this came in his life, he found himself unable to properly use his power. But with the right outlet, anything was possible...Because now, the kind of heroes he could imagine himself as in that world could be a reality.

Thus, while it's far from what his power could really be for, he began using it to mimic spells in D&D. From a simple Mage Hand to help lift things around and handle chores, to the almighty Fireball!....Mom wasn't happy when he first tested that one in his room. Still, he was starting to learn how to really use his powers, and the magical arts of D&D gave him the perfect bag of tricks to work towards heroics in the real world!

At his soonest convenience, he sought to enroll in the Academy for Junior Heroes, and by 14, he did just that! However...His path got thorny rather quickly there. Not only did he not find many who were interested in his favorite pastime, but many folks, teachers included, remarked that he lacked focus; his powers gave him variety, yes, but since he never truly honed anything, he was considered a knock-off grab-bag of Meta abilities many other students could perform with more precision, power, and efficiency. Not to mention how utterly different his power was. It felt like no teacher could truly help him with this...

Thankfully, as it turned out, there was one man who could actually help him...Mr. Lindall. While there powers weren't exactly 1:1, anything even close to Owen's was more than he could ask for. Truth be told, Owen wasn't always the best student, but Mr. Lindall's passion for the work got the kid through his own self-doubt about this whole thing that had been compounded by what the others had thought of the young man and his ability.

Eventually, all good things must come to an end. His time at the Academy was invaluable, but it passed by all the same at his graduation. However, even after that, Owen was still a bit skeptical about entering the scene, still spending a couple of years on his own practicing his power, and occasionally visiting his favorite teacher.

However, by the time he was 21, he had gathered up the courage needed to step through the doors of HERO...And he came out as Modern Warlock. Since then, things've been...Something, for sure, but he wouldn't change it for the world.

Miscellaneous 'Spells'

| MISCELLANEOUS |

Here, I'm going to list some of Owen's go-to 'spells'.

Eldritch Blast! - Eldritch Blast is, well...A blast of forceful energy, from either his staff or, if necessary, his hands. They act as concussive blasts, and can be fired in quick succession (able to launch about four within a handful of seconds, and they travel as impressive speeds). Perfect for subduing low-danger threats, like villain grunts, or acting as a distraction. It also has a low consumption of energy, so it makes it effective to pepper out.

Mage Hand! - Mage Hand is a utility ability by all means. He simply creates a small, blueish tinged hand in the air. It can lift about a dozen lbs., and can be commanded mentally by Owen to do menial tasks. He uses it very commonly in casual settings, like cracking open a soda and giving him a sip from it while he pages through a new book. It also takes very little energy to manifest, and none to maintain.

Absorb Elements! - It's shocking (heh) how often elemental assaults come into play as a Hero, whether it's a villain trying to cook you alive, or maybe you're just caught up in a teammate's massive lightning blast! Regardless, Absorb Elements is just what the doctor ordered. Temporarily, it grants Owen incredible resilience to the elements (fire, cold, lightning, and less commonly useful, acid and sound-based assaults) and absorbs it into him, granting a few of his strikes or a smack of his Elder Staff a bit of elemental punch to 'em! The best offense is a good defense, after all! Speaking of...

Shield! - If you aren't getting cooked and/or blasted, then Shield is what you probably need. Put simply, it forms a temporary but potent barrier of kinetic force around Owen, which is incredibly effective against most physical forms of assault, like blades, firearms, or giant crushing fists.

Enhance Ability! - Owen might not be naturally superhuman, but with a touch of Enhance Ability, that's a different story! This nifty trick can temporarily enhance a facet of an individual, such as their strength or agility. He can also use it on others, to incredible results! However, this is an ability that needs his focus, and if he tries to spread too many focus-necessary spells around, it'll probably overwhelm him. He typically sticks to one at a time for abilities like these.

Enlarge/Reduce! - While it isn't always the most helpful, it is always fun. Using this, Owen enlarges or reduces a creature's size, either doubling or halving it. If used on an unwilling target, it usually requires much more focus on his part to actually use the ability. This ability isn't typically super useful, but sometimes, making a really buff dude suddenly 15 ft. tall is worth it.

Fireball! - Ah, a time-honored classic...While Owen does have quite a few dangerous options up his sleeve, most pale in comparison to the destructive might of the Fireball. A massive explosive of flaming goodness can send even the strongest villains packing! Though it ain't easy to shoot them out willy nilly, and they do have a tendency to cause heavy property damage...

Haste! - Have you ever needed to be just a little faster? Maybe quicker to the draw, to dodge that important attack? Owen's got just the thing! Haste, while requiring his focus like Enlarge/Reduce and Enhance Ability, it totally worth it, as the recipient gets a great increase to their speed and reaction time, and a touch more durable as well! It's a great package deal, and if he gives it to the right person, it can make a huge difference!

Abilities

[ RANKING ]

A

[ POWERS ]

With Imagination, anything could be possible.

Owen's power is, quite simply, to make his imagination a reality. However, that kind of power was not made for human hands...Much less a guy just getting out of his teens. As such, in his time training to become a Hero, he simplified his power in order to use it more properly, instead choosing to emulate many of the Spells present in his favorite TTRPG, Dungeons and Dragons.

This offers him lots of variably. In fact, it's still a bit overwhelming to him; not quite as bad as the full scope of his potential, but still a hefty load to keep track of. As such, while he's capable of producing a plethora of effects, it's hard for him to use most without a bit of prepwork, essentially preparing a few 'spells' in mind for the days' work.

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■■■■■□□□□□

Owen is given a generous score here. While normally he'd land about a 3/10, he has ways of improving his own physique through Imagination, which allow him to measure up to the average super-muscled individual...Roughly, at least. Get ready, because this is going to be for a lot of his things. 5/10.

[ AGILITY ]
■■■■■□□□□□

Yet again, sparing him a bit more than he deserves. While he was on track, and is no slouch when it comes to training, he'd probably still earn a 2/10 here if it weren't for some tricks up his sleeve, most notably Haste, which can allow him to match car speeds fairly casually, and Fly, which can allow him (or others) to, well...Fly. 5/10.

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■■■□□□□□□□

Owen's a pretty smart kid when he puts his mind to something...But rarely puts his mind to something unless there are dire straits, or he has a dungeon to plan out before Sunday comes to kick his DM rear. 3/10.

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■■■■■□□□□□

In truth, Owen could score quite a bit higher on his Destructiveness scale, but he tends to stray away from using his powers that cause too much widespread damage when he can. Still, they are there, ready to be used...5/10.

[ LETHALITY ]
■■■■■□□□□□

In a similar case to Destructiveness, he keeps his more dangerous, lethal powers in reserve. Mostly because those are the ones that eat up too much energy, but also because of the inherent deadly nature some of them possess, such as Fireball. Again, though, there is always the potential.... 5/10.

[ ENDURANCE ]
■■■■■■■□□□

Owen has a particular focus on defensive tricks to protect others and himself, so it earns him a higher slot here. Things like Absorb Elements and Shield provide him with a variety of defenses, and more generically strong options like Stoneskin (which makes him quite resilient to physical attacks, as well as making his punches and whatnot hurt more due to the sheer durability he gains) grant him a lot of protective prowess. 7/10.

[ EFFICACY ]
■■■□□□□□□□

The power to create things out of nothing has to come from something....And that something is Owen. The reason he so freely puts on pounds and eats like garbage is because his power consumes spare energy and fat to power itself, before turning to more...Vital sources. If overtaxed, his power would eventually cause him to pass out, or worse, die outright. However, this is rarely a problem, since he actually understands how to be fairly conservative with his power. Mostly. 3/10.

[ SKILLS ]

If you ever wanted to try out a tabletop, or need a way to speed your off-days in heroics, and you're into some nerdy shit (or at least willing to give it a shot), hit up Owen; he's a long-time Dungeon Master and always excited for new blood in the game.

[ EQUIPMENT ]

Owen's hero gear of his Sorcerous Cowl and Elder Staff, while normally just a black cloak and a gnarly old tree root, are empowered by Imagination, and help to protect him and focus his abilities. It does look incredibly nerdy though.

@Mintz

Really like Owen and the idea of a mage-hero seems super neat! If possible, I would like to see maybe some other type of restriction in the Imagination power. From where I'm at it seems that so long as the complexities of the Imagination power are put into writing, there's really no end to the potential of the power. There really should be some sort of 'top end' or time limit or some sort of cap on how much imagination he could use. Outside of that though, really do love him, he'll fit in great!

Hi all. While I had NPC ideas, I FINALLY got around to making an actual character. Though this is still WIP, I'd like opinions on it before I continue:

Crimson Setsuka

Crimson Setsuka

"...I'm here to help, NOT replace..."

[ NAME ]

-Classified-

[ HERO IDENTITY ]

Crimson Setsuka

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

Setsuka

[ AGE ]

-Classified-

[ GENDER ]

Machine (Female Design)

[ AFFILIATION ]

East H.E.R.O. Branch, Japan

[ APPEARANCE ]

Long blonde hair. Light colored skin and eyes with red pupils. More often than not, wearing a ninja garb of some colors. Usually Red if possible. She also has a garb can actually change color. Even her own apperance can be modified but that requires resources and preparation.

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

Although a machine and mostly quiet, it has surprisingly good people skills when not on mission or when necessary to talk to others. Always learning and being polite unless threatened. When threatened or on mission, usually talks in robotic terms unless around other team members.

[ BIO ]

At first glance, one would or perhaps COULD expect Crimson Setsuka to be a normal human female with the strengh, agility and grace of a normal human athlete or perhaps past normal human limits. So many would be shocked to learn that Setsuka is actually a machine with an advanced Artifical Intelligence or A.I. for short in her metal body.

While information about Setsuka is classified by the East H.E.R.O. Japan branch, the general information that is accessable is that she was first created in response for the need of machines to help enforce the law but at the same time, the fear of "over relying" on said machines. While Setsuka's creator is unknown, the "rumor" that is being heard online is that a "child prodigy" created Setsuka and the REAL reason for her creation was to be a "mom" to her creator. While there are other rumors and stories, one thing that can't be denied is this.

Crimson Setsuka is not your every day E-Hero.

Already she has had an excellent service record. While not TOO powerful, it's Setsuka's ability to work with others, both normal and meta, that has made it stand out amonst other machines. In the east, there are some who even believe that Setsuka is a perfect example of what a E-Hero should aspire to should it have self-awareness.

Even it's favorite line, "I'm here to help, NOT replace" is infamous among eastern meta and normal humans alike. Even Setsuka's own body has some "human limitations" installed to help it better understand the "human condition" as it puts it. Others, though, see it as giving itself weaknesses should it ever go rouge. Regardless, Crimson Setsuka is a well known name even among other heroes.

However, a day came where Setsuka had to make a choice for itself.

One night at the East H.E.R.O. branch when it was in sleep mode, Setsuka had a "dream" of sorts. While her A.I. isn't human enough for it or perhaps impossible for a machine to have a dream, Setsuka felt that was the best way to describe it for a lack of better term. In it, she heard a voice...and the voice gave it an order. An order that even Setsuka felt great concern over.

"Terminate all meta humans."

She immedately reported this to it's creator come the next morning. After doing a full system check on her, nothing appeared wrong with Setsuka. None the less, Setsuka felt something. Something that would also show her a part of the human condition.

She was afraid of the order.

Seeing this, Setsuka's creator immedately reported this to the higher ranked officials. At the time, Japan as a whole wasn't fully onboard with having machines fully replacing it's HERO teams. Even more so now after this report since the "nightmare" senario with machines taking over was coming to furition. Hearing about Setsuka's "dream", now they were more than concerned.

When questioned about the details of the dream, Setsuka then said this.

"...I felt it...no...tracked it...location: west...somewhere...east coast of the U.S.A...exact source unknown..."

That's when Setsuka's creator decided on a decision as well. It was going to transfer Setsuka to the west. More ever, she was going to be the first "robot apprentice" to a well known hero of days long past. A hero who helped and survived the battles with then then ZERO organization.

K Nine aka Alpha just became a teacher to the Crimson Setsuka.

| MISCELLANEOUS |

K Nine once visited Japan to support it's local law enforcement agencies to help bridge the gap between normal and meta humans. It was because of this service that high ranking heroes and even Setsuka's creator felt that K Nine would be an excellent teacher for it's trip westward. As of right now, Setsuka has not yet found the source of that "dream" she had...

@DarkRecon

Interesting concept, but there's a lot that's missing from the table right now.

• The whole powers/abilities section is absent, and that's kind of a must-have.
• The classified intel should be DMed to me and Canary. Let me know if I missed it, but I don't think I've received anything of the sort.
• HERO is not an international organization. HERO would have zero jurisdiction as to Japan's hero activity- that would belong to PHANTOM. As such, she can't just travel the globe willy-nilly.
• Again, full backstory should be DMed to me and Canary before I can accept the character. ​
• The entire concept of "e-Heroes" isn't clear to me, as your bio references both traditional law enforcement and hero companies as being Crimson Satsuka's employer. The former would really make her just a special forces ekop, while the latter wouldn't make much sense from a logical perspective. Hero companies employ metahumans, not robots, and robots are in fact singlehandedly weighing down the broader hero community. Hero companies would see no need to, and would in fact be STRONGLY opposed to, any form of electronic hero.
• Going by the former point's logic, it would also make zero sense why one hero company would ship what they view as a defective robot off to another continent. Wouldn't she just have been destroyed on the spot, or at least re-programmed in some way? Just saying 'here, we'll send the potentially compromised goods to another company to deal with' doesn't really make any sense.

A good idea, but there are a lot of flaws in the blueprint.

Hey, whole team is back. Mind if I read along in my off time?

Also I could probably manage a character if space opens up.

@Jumbus

Of course! I couldn't consider myself a GM if I didn't make an exception for Starbright tbh

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

A crowd quickly started to form in the storage room. Miles had expected some of the others to have the same ideas that he had, so he wasn't so much surprised that people started to filter in as he saw the people themselves. First, was that pro football player or something- Blast? Bomb? BreaK? Something destructive-sounding for sure. The other person was significantly smaller than Miles was and looked almost dainty, in a way, and reminded the youngster of some sort of snake. Maybe he had snake powers. Animal powers were cool.

Miles was hardly surprised and not remotely offended that the man-mountain ("Oh, Blitz! That was his name!") forgot his identity. It wasn't like they had worked before much, anyway. Miles' style was subtle. Deliberate, but subtle. He worked best in the shadows, removing obstacles and erasing evidence. Blitz, on the other hand, was about as subtle as a bazooka, and his demeanor showed that, what with him pouring out more smoke from his vape than an entire forest fire. It was interesting that the two were now grouped together on this mission. Miles flipped to the next page of his book, allowing the other individual that Miles had mentally termed 'Snake Man' to introduce him to the footballing hero. Miles kept his nose in his book, only briefly pausing to nod at Blitz's remark before continuing to read. His downtime was interrupted, however, when a woman dropped down from the ceiling.

Miles' reaction was instinctive and very spontaneous. As soon as the mystery blonde dropped down from the ceiling Miles hopped to his feet, his book toppling to the ground, and he whipped out his blade's hilt, from which a glowing red blade of energy ignited, pointed directly at the intruder, before the realization set in that Miles was not threatening a sky pirate, but in fact pointing an energy sword at one of his colleagues. Miles' pale-ish face immediately turned beet red, and with a whoooosh the energy sword retracted back into the hilt as Miles put the blade back into his coat pocket. "S-sorry," he stammered embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head as he looked at the ground. "Thought you were a pirate. And, uh, you really scared the bejeezus out of me." Miles gave a weak smile. "My bad," the Dhampir added quickly as he sat back down in his spot, picking his book off the floor and holding it by his side. "We, uhh, we do have to keep an eye out for any, you know, real pirates though! Actual pirates," he clarified as he wafted some strawberry smoke out of his face. "Stay vigilant, and all that. Heh."

《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

_{September 21st, 2064
Castleburg Bullet N-Train
Heading North from Watervale Central Station}

Castleburg's E-Train system is operated by the Castleburg Transit Authority, with construction first beginning in the late 2040s after the original railway system was destroyed by The Conductor, a surprisingly dangerous train-themed villain. Using "maglev" technology, these trains hover above the rails using opposite magnets, and the lack of friction allows the trains to zoom down the tracks at incredible speeds. The E-Train system was a shocking success, replacing the old, slow, outdated train system with a form of public transportation that people have become to trust. From the opening of the F-Train in 2048 until the September 14th of 2064, there was not a single fatality or even injury onboard one of the ElectroTrain systems in Castleburg.

With 19 railways (F-X) running in Castleburg, the E-Train system has been a major success. However, on the 14th of September, the Rocketeers launched an attack on the M-Train of Castleburg, destroying the entire train and causing 4 deaths and countless injuries, while also stealing an entire train car full of gold ingots. The Castleburg Transit Authority has contacted HERO to prevent another attack, which they anticipate will be on the N-Train, a train that runs from Watervale to the suburbs north of Castleburg and is transporting a train car full of weapon-grade fissile thorium to a Taurus Aerospace facility just outside the city. A group of heroes have been tasked with riding the train to its destination, and stopping any potential jetpacking pirates hot in their tracks. Pun not intended.

---

Miles Kadojkovic was enjoying the mission.

The train had left Watervale Central Station about 10 or so minutes ago, and in that time, Miles had found himself quite enjoying this train. Most of the trains for public transit in Castleburg were definitely not bad. They were mostly clean, had plenty of seats, got from point A to point B with minimal delays, and did their job. Miles had expected cargo lines, such as the N-Train, to be like a cattle car, caked in dirt with patches of hay instead of chairs. The train Miles had walked into, though, was incredibly luxurious. Miles' car had comfortable gel pad cushions that adjusted to his ideal sitting position, and he was also equipped with a call button that Miles had already used twice to order several platefuls of hors d’oeuvres. Overall, pretty good experience- Miles supposed that the train was designed with the wealthy security people and company executives that would travel on it in mind.

The best part was, though, no pirates. At least, so far.

Miles shrugged as he sat back in his luxury chair. His body was shrouded in a black body-length trench coat, beneath that a dress shirt and a red tie. To his right was a plateful of lovely canapés, and to his left was a hardcover book, divided by a velvet bookmark, that Miles was midway through. Hardcover books were mostly a thing of the past, but Miles much preferred the feel of the pages between his fingers than flipping through a holobook. The novel was titled "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." It was an old series from more than half a century ago, the type of book that would be assigned for homework, but Miles quite enjoyed it. Magic was pretty cool.

Miles finished off his appetizers and was just about to return to Harry's first challenge when a sharp crackling sound resonated in his eardrum. Miles winced and grasped the side of his head as he recoiled from the sound, which had come from the earpiece. Replacing the static sound was the voice of Assistant Director Ray Blum, who was observing the train's path in his own vehicle from a distance away. "Afternoon, heroes. It's a lovely Wednesday afternoon, sun is shining...anyway, make sure a few of you are keeping an eye on the safe at all times. The Rocketeers generally err on the side of loud and destructive, but they may attempt a quiet raid if they know you're onboard. That's all. Man-Titan, over and out."

Miles sighed. His car was pretty close to the storage car; he might as well check it out. Begrudgingly, he dropped his almost-empty plate into a small trashcan bot that was rolling around the ground. He then took his book, holding it in his arms like a baby, before making his way down the train. Walking while the train was moving so quickly was almost uncomfortable. It made Miles a bit queasy. He wasn't the motion-sick type, but he wasn't used wandering across a bullet train stuffed with finger food while simultaneously wondering if he was about to get blown up by pirates. This was a weird, weird job.

Miles eventually made his way over to the caboose of the train, holding his HERO I.D. card up to the keyfob. The doors to the room whirred and slid open, allowing Miles to step into the storage area. It really wasn't anything much; the room was mostly occupied by a single, long cylinder with a glowing blue stripe. This was the heavy metal casing of the radioactive, fissile material that the US government wanted. "To put in a storage facility somewhere," Miles grumbled as he sat back against the wall, allowing his back to slide down the wall until he hit the floor. He sat there, uninterestedly watching guard over the long tube of death. At least it was going to a storage facility, and not into the hands of some crazy jetpack pirates. Or at least, that was the goal of the mission.

Miles yawned and opened his book back to the bookmarked section. There were more important things to think about, in any case.

---

---

_{September 21st, 2064
'Totally Innocuous Warehouse'
Brookside, South Castle Island}

HERO's Castleburg division has held onto a good smattering of real-estate in the city, an example of which being a warehouse in a particularly bad area of Brookside that was formerly being used as a large-scale Nova lab. The facility was busted by a group of heroes a few years ago, and HERO decided to hold onto the facility in case it would become useful. With the mission to capture the annoying vigilante underway, the facility became useful again.

A few interns were sent days prior to the 21st to refurbish the place and make it look like a meth lab. The poor interns then disguised them as meth makers and anonymously alerted Shadow Scythe Vengeance the day before to the presence of the facility, before returning to be a part of the massive ruse. The heroes taking part in the ambush have been tasked with bringing in Shadow Scythe Vengeance alive (unless that is absolutely impossible) and hopefully without getting any interns killed. Probably not by the vigilante, but by all the authentic chemicals in the lab.

---

"Who else was working this mission again?"

Two heroes were standing in the middle of the 'bustling' fake meth lab. A tall, 6'2" man with a strange, orange, fleshy piranha head known as Pirahna Boy spoke to a shorter but well-built woman with dirty blonde locks named Firestarter. The two were surrounded by a bunch of college-age, non-superpowered interns that had 'bravely volunteered' to be a part of the trap (in actuality, they were defintely being paid off-the-books for this gig. The risk of getting socked in the gut was too high to be working pro bono). Piranha Boy cleared his throat (gills?) before responding to his female counterpart. "Couple a newbies. One of them, the Asian girl, I've seen around Paragon before. The others, I got no clue."

Firestarter shrugged. "The more, the merrier, right?"

"It would be even fuckin' merrier if I didn't have to split my paycheck, like, ten ways. I'm takin' my girl out to sushi after this gig is up."

Firestarted looked at Piranha Boy strangely. "Wouldn't that be cannibalism-"

"Shut your trap," the pirahna mutant retorted, crossing his arms indignantly. "You just don't understand me, Lucy."

"The only thing I understand is that you need a shower." Firestarter wafted the air around her face. "Anyway, I'm gonna go take position at the lookout post. You stay here and fill the newbies in on the plan. I alert you when she's comin', and then, easy snag. Badabing, badaboom. We left an air vent half-unscrewed on the rooftop, so she'll probably come in that way."

"Roger dodger," Piranha Boy responded as he watched his partner slip out of the warehouse, before staring up at the air vent, waiting for the Descent of Justice to come in a few minutes.

---

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_{September 21st, 2064
Academy of Young Heroes
Lighthouse Island, Castleburg}

Lighthouse Island was previously habitated by shepherds before HERO appropriated the entire island for their new institution, the Academy for Young Heroes. A magnet school for metahumans, the Academy of Young Heroes offers three different paths for the many youngsters that attend- a path for metahuman kids that want to live a normal life and want to learn how to control their superpowers, a path for students to join HERO at 16, and a path for students who want to wait until they legally become an adult before making that decision. The Academy has proven to be a successful project, with a dedicated staff comprised of active heroes, retired heroes, and other top personnel in the industry working together to forge a great educational experience. That being said, not every youngster gets the chance to succeed at the Academy.

The juveniles that are in need of a 'special field trip' are Ricky Sullivan, Jack Fernandez, Michelle Lewis, and Drew Reedworth, all of whom are budding superhumans and all of whom were apprehended after robbing several liquor stores and smoke shops across Castleburg in a very bad effort to look 'cool.' The Director has tasked Mr. Jeremy Lindall, a longtime instructor at the Academy, to help move these kids to the right path, with help from a few of HERO's younger and thus more relatable heroes. Sullivan's power is some sort of vibration manipulation, apparently a smaller scale version of Quake's, Fernandez's power is pyrokinesis, Lewis's power is generating and controlling electricity, and Reedworth's power is local gravity manipulation.

---

Barbara Lee strode through the hallways of the Academy for Young Heroes. Lee, a middle-aged Korean American with poofy dark hair dressed in a tan pantsuit, was the principal of the Academy, and was running the school for the past few years. Though she did an admirable job and was passionate about her position, it was undeniable that the role had certainly taken a toll on her. Principal Lee had previously been Professor Lee of the University of Castleburg in New Athens, teaching classes on superhuman psychology. She was ecstatic to have been offered the position at the Academy, despite having no superpowers of her own. Dealing with college students, however, was vastly different from dealing with the screaming demons of middle/high school aged metahumans. Principal Lee continued to shake her head as she made her way through the hallway. The Director had, very spontaneously, told Lee that she would need to hold a few juvenile delinquents in her school for a short while, something Lee was firmly against. Still, Barbara did not call the shots, so here she was.

Principal Lee entered the holding cell area, something that a regular school would never have, but was also a necessity in a school where powers would spontaneously go off. It was a pleasant enough place for sure, with the cells being made of superhardened plastic to prevent any sort of destruction or escape. Inside were four freckly kids, three boys and one girl, two of which had somehow obtained cigarettes. Cigarettes. The old coffin nails that Barbara's grandmother smoked.

"Put those down!" the principal commanded to the kids, but of course, they didn't listen to the middle-aged powerless lady on the other side of the glass. One of them made a snarky face before taking an extra-long puff of lung cancer. Barbara sighed. She loved most kids, but she wished she could drop some of them right into the harbor.

After this quick visit, Barbara Lee strode through the hallways once again, this time exiting the new, brick-built university hall-style facility through a pair of sliding glass doors. The crisp sea air filled her lungs as Barbara Lee approached a small dock at the edge of the island. Hopefully, the heroes would be arriving soon. The delinquents clearly didn't respect her authority, but maybe one of these heroes would do the trick.

From across the sound, a cozy HERO cabin cruisher made its way towards the lovely Lighthouse Island, piercing through the fog to come in range of the island's academy and famous antique lighthouse. The boat pulled up to one of the docks and laid down a ramp that led right to the frazzled Principal Lee, who hid her worries away with a bright smile that she had termed her 'school day is almost over' smile. "So these are the heroes Director Steel told me about! If I could have the pleasure of learning your names?" she asked, her face a mix of genuine enthusiasm and total hatred of everything around her. Thus was the life of a teacher.

---

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《 H.E.R.O. 2064 》

Bloom

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"...be useful, be silent, be normal."

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[ NAME ]

Viridian "Vee" Elliot Montecroix (Harlow by birth)

[ HERO IDENTITY ]

Bloom

[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]

Vee, Elle, Vir, basically any one-syllable reduction of their name. Some people they know from the street call them "Green" affectionately.

[ AGE ]

Seventeen

[ GENDER ]

Nonbinary (they/them)

[ AFFILIATION ]

Unaffiliated, full-time fugitive

[ APPEARANCE ]

Vee's hair is the first thing most people notice about them; it's incredibly fluffy, unkempt and short around their ears, and colored in a messy blend of green. It's full of leaves and stems that seem almost attached to their scalp (spoiler alert - they are.) Aside from that, though, and the occasional flowering stem poking up from under their shirt collar, they seem to be a fairly nondescript (if grubby) teenager. They stand at a rather average-for-humans stature of five feet, seven inches, and appear downright fragile in their frame, undernourished and sickly. They move with little grace or coordination, as though they're not entirely sure where their limbs are (they aren't - they've grown five inches in the last few months.) Their pale skin is grubby and unclean, patched with dirt and scrapes. There are often sores on their shoulders and arms and particularly the palms of their hands.

In terms of clothing, Vee doesn't have much variety, and all of theirs are ragged and dirty. They're often seen in holey jeans that are about two inches too short for them, either a faded blue or grey-brown tee shirt, and a threadbare brown sweatshirt with sleeves that end three inches up their arms. They have shoes, sneakers that used to be white and are now vaguely brown, with the soles falling out of them.

[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

⚘ P A R A N O I D Vee's trust issues understandably stem from a lot of betrayals, but they are numerous. They are constantly convinced that there is someone who is out to get them, that their home isn't safe, that nothing in the adult world is as it really seems. Sometimes they're right; they do seem to attract a disproportionate amount of danger.

⚘ F L I G H T Y As a result of their paranoia, Vee is constantly hypervigilant, always on the highest alert for anything that seems "not-right." When their alarm bells start going off, they're gone, leaving behind whatever fledgling friendship or well-intentioned intervention. They have several "homes", humble shelters dotted around the green spaces in the city's East Flank, that they bounce between whenever they think they might have been discovered.

⚘ S E L F - R E L I A N T Vee is adamant that they are doing fine and that they don't need any help to make it through the world. After all, they've been out here for a year and they haven't died yet. (They're also scared that they'll get taken back to the Montecroix's if they're found, but that aside.) Though their thoughts alternate between "I don't want help" and "I don't deserve help", they are rather self-sufficient all the same.

⚘ C H I L D I S H Just as they were late growing into their body and their powers, they're only now starting to drift into teenage moodiness and emotions. They daydream as an escape and have an overactive imagination full of whimsical, fantastical stories. They collect shiny things that they find and decorate their hiding spaces with them; they're obsessive about their hoard and don't like the thought of sharing what little they have.

⚘ P R I N C I P L E D Despite their current situation, Vee doesn't shoplift or pickpocket, for the most part. They have a strict moral code about not taking things that are rightfully other people's, and they don't want to end up in even more legal trouble than they already are. Usually, they try to take foodstuffs from the trash rather than from people, but they can't always bring themself to do that or find a good target, so when times are really tough they will sometimes snatch from a picnicker's basket or a distracted businessman's lunch.

⚘ D E S P E R A T E Vee is starved for affection and cripplingly lonely. Though they struggle to trust and form bonds, and are confident that it will never happen, it's their deepest desire to find a group of people who accept them as they are.

[ BIO ]

Vee's birth mother went to jail when they were four. That was their earliest memory, flashing lights and cop cars outside of their home. The man they thought was their father knelt down in front of them, roughly wiping away a tear from under their eye. "You're a big kid now, Vir," he said. "And big kids don't cry. I'll make sure someone takes care of you."

They thought that meant he was going to be there for him. But they were wrong. He was frosty, distant in the following days. A week later, a police officer showed up to collect them and take them to live with their mother's sister. Aunt Magdalene was twenty-five, unmarried and less than enthused to be their new caretaker. But she took them in, because that's what family did.

Aunt Magdalene did her best to hide that Vee existed in her life. After all, she was a pretty young woman, and she had her eye on a rich, recently divorced businessman, and having a kid - even not her own kid - would've overcomplicated that matter. So Vee got to exist in the background, bouncing between school and underfunded after-school programs and the houses of best friends who's parents secretly resent them.

Doctor Alan Montecroix, Vee's soon-to-be uncle-in-law, found out about them when they were seven. Aunt M was furious, but he didn't kick her to the curb for it as she had feared. In fact, he was quite magnanimous about it. After all, he had just won the custody over the kids from his previous marriage. There was always room for more in their picture-perfect life, right?

Wrong.

There were three rules for them in the Montecroix household. Be useful, be silent, be normal. Vee had lots of practice at blending into the background, and was for the most part good at it - with no more formal schooling past the age of ten, they spent their days working in the garden alongside the manor home's extensive staff, and did the best they could (which was admirable for their age, but never enough for Dr. Montecroix) while keeping their head down. At first they hated it, but they grew to thrive, and only sometimes felt the tears prickling at their eyes. Big kids don't cry.

Their powers grew in gradually around their fifteenth birthday, slow to begin like the rest of their development. At first, they were excited about them. The plants they had grown to love began to show them the same kind of care, trailing stems out to brush their fingertips and revealing berries that had been missed in the wine harvest - perfect for a quick snack when they were hungry. Their straw-brown hair began to turn green, their skin no longer sunburning, and they found themself more energetic under even the midday sun. Seeds would sprout into shoots and flowers would bloom in their fingers; struggling shoots would be reinvigorated. Leaves whispered things that sounded like words in a pitch just slightly too low to hear.

They thought their family would be happy for them, and they showed one of their step-siblings one night after dinner.

Wrong again.

At once they were different, they were weird, and their origin story was the threat to the very Montecroix name. were told at the mature age of fifteen that they had two hours to get off the grounds and stop freeloading on the Montecroix's goodwill, or else law enforcement would drag them to the foster care system that Aunt M had worked so hard for them to avoid.

So they left. They packed a backpack with the few non-uniform clothes they owned, and left, scraping together just enough of their saved wages for a train ticket to New Athens' Central Garden Station. They almost cried on the train, but held it together. Big kids don't cry. You're practically an adult, now, you can do this.

They met a boy there, scruffy-clothed but well-fed, who took one look at the expression on their face and the bag and stuffed animal in their hand and asked where their home was. They didn't have one anymore, they said. So he offered to help.

He helped them build a little shelter behind a garden outbuilding, then in the night while they slept took the 'first watch' and what little they had left. All of their clothes, their extra shoes, their pitiful amount of money, and then he vanished without a trace.

Since then, they've been on their own, and they've been doing okay. Well, that's a lie. They stink, they're always sick from the pesticides that the city uses, people keep calling the robocops on them for being homeless, and their powers are really unpredictable when they're anxious and desperate. They're always itchy or mildly injured from weeding plants out of their skin. But they're self-reliant, which means no one can let them down. ...Even if they also have no options for advancement and their hope for the future is dwindling.

As they're growing into an adult, their powers are becoming more volatile and dramatic. Someone is going to notice them for what they are someday. But whether its a HERO, or a villain... that remains to be seen.

| MISCELLANEOUS |

Technically, Vee doesn't need to eat. Their hair photosynthesizes some energy, and they can tap into the energy of green life around them as a form of sustenance or actually drawing nutrients from the fluids that run through plant stems and trunks. It's not particularly satisfying sustenance, leaving them undernourished and lacking in minerals, but it keeps them alive when food is scarce.

Green Thumb

[ RANKING ]

C

[ POWERS ]

Vee says they have a "green thumb" but the truth of the matter is that they can manipulate plants beyond the bounds of conventional physics. They can draw energy from photosynthetic life around them, or deposit their own energy into plants as vessels. Additionally, with contact between their circulatory system (usually via a small pinprick or one of their many accidental injuries) and a large plant's (such as a tree or a particularly hardy vine infestation), they can pull nutrients directly into their system. As part of their exchange with nature, they've become progressively more plantlike themself. Their skin doesn't burn and their hair photosynthesizes. Plants can take root into their skin if given an opening, or enough time, and they've used that to their advantage before. However, that does hurt them, or at least itch miserably. Since the little vines started growing in their hair, they've started randomly blossoming plants, mostly wildflowers from their shoulders and palms and behind their collarbones - they're not sure what that is about, either.

When channeling plant energy, their own wounds heal at an accelerated rate, but only to a point. And it doesn't work on anyone else.

Plants they encounter in the wild will bend and move to their whim, when they're in contact with them or their root system. They can make vines or flexible branches wrap around objects or reach for things. Without prompting, plants tend to extend towards them over time. Vee is also certain that plants have a language or some way of communicating - they hear things that aren't quite decipherable, but they get ideas in their head that almost always lead them to cleaner water or fresh food.

Even passively, plants grow faster and hardier when Vee is near them. They can rapidly accelerate growth with focus and an external energy source, accomplishing in seconds what might take months. This has become one of their defense mechanisms, gathering seeds for spiny or poisonous plants and clutching them into their fists when threatened, creating thorny vines that shoot out of their palms (and sometimes cause themself injury while doing so). They think it might be possible to augment their own strength with the support of wood or fiber grafted to their skin, but they've never been quite so desperate that they have to try.

Interestingly, animals tend to treat Vee as though they themself are a plant. Birds will frequently land on them or in their hair and most small creatures show no fear of them.

[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ]
■■■□□□□□□□
Though Vee's never been desperate enough to try, they think they could probably reinforce their own skeletal strength and lifting capacity with wood or other plant matter. They do use plants to help support heavy objects when digging out a place to stay and could probably turn it into a more direct show of brute-force strength.

[ AGILITY ]
■■□□□□□□□□
Their power offers no help here, but they're relatively fit and agile from being constantly active as a young child.

[ INTELLIGENCE ]
■□□□□□□□□□
They have a fifth-grade education. There was no bus to the middle school from the Montecroix estate and asking for one made them too much of a burden, so they just... didn't get to continue. They have some life-smarts but almost no book-smarts.

[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ]
■■■■■■■□□□
WHile not as instantaneously destructive as some hero powers, Vee can tap into root systems and dislodge sidewalks, water mains, or power lines. With enough time and well-placed trees, they can probably crack foundations. It takes more energy than it's usually worth but if the need for it arises... they've done it before.

[ LETHALITY ]
■■■□□□□□□□
Being suffocated to death by a plant blooming into your nose and throat or strangled by a thorny vine... not a pleasant way to go for sure. Vee could probably come up with more ways of killing people but that's against their principles and the chance has never really come up.

[ ENDURANCE ]
■■■■□□□□□□
Because of their ability to draw energy from any photosynthetic organism they touch, it's pretty hard to knock Vee down completely or get them to a point where they're too exhausted to use their power.

[ EFFICACY ]
■■■□□□□□□□
Quite frankly, Vee sucks at controlling their power. They have no finesse with it; it's purely utilitarian for them. It's easily triggered out by their emotions and is quite volatile, destroying things around them as they try to protect themself from threats real or imagined. It hurts them almost as much as it helps them. Still, a plant manipulator is a certainly unique power, and one that could have many versatile applications. Even if the concrete jungle of the metropolis makes it a little different for their plants to find an opening.

[ SKILLS ]

Adept at identifying plants
Good survivalist
Excellent sense of stranger-danger
Good knowledge of the surface streets of New Athens and the East Side

[ EQUIPMENT ]

The clothes on their back
A threadbare backpack full of "treasures" - cool rocks, bits of smooth glass, a random book they found in the gutter, interesting newspaper pages, scraps of receipt paper or stained napkins folded around seeds, probably at least a few long-rotten berries and roots they harvested and forgot about.

@Amethyst

Accepted! They look super cool C: