Lord of Evil

Alveos Adventure Academy

Well, I'm here. Not sure about anyone else.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The being did not follow the rats, which was within expectations. Disappointing, certainly, but within expectations. What wasn't within expectations was the woman that appeared. Surprisingly, Adrian knew who it was. The director of science at Marlon university, where'd he'd studied so long ago. He had no idea she had become a parahuman. Her presence complicated matters somewhat, as he had been planning to talk to the creature while they were still isolated. Still, the being seemed not unwelcome to her presence, especially when she brought him some medical supplies. The swarm couldn't really make any moves here, they didn't know what the woman could do. So, they decided to watch.

The rats on the scene spread out into a surveilance network, on the watch for outside dangers, while the ones closer to the building kept a vigilant eye on the situation at hand. Adrian had never interacted with the director of science on any level so he couldn't be sure of her allegiance, though he had heard rumours of her displeasure of the Lorne corporation. Likewise, he wasn't sure how the energy being felt, though he guessed they didn't appreciate the corporation's treatment. The swarm was ready to act if necessary, but he hoped they would prove to be allies to his cause.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The rats had been busy searching the facility when the explosions rocked the building. A little while later, one of the rats nearby witnessed an oddity. A creature of some sort emerging from a building. The structure of its body was unlike anything they had seen before, like a mass of energy given life. The rat could feel heat coming off of it, but the energy seemed to be fading. The being made towards the poorer parts of Marlon, the rat's home turf.

The rats began to follow the being. The rats inside the base had confirmed some panic at the explosions, which meant the being in front of him was likely the perpetrator of the incident, and an escapee. How they had escaped was another question entirely. But more importantly, what did the being want now? Judging by where it was going, it seemed that it wanted to avoid pursuit. Unfortunately, that was a difficult task in itself. For the most part, Lorne had support of the general public, which meant they had eyes and ears everywhere. The being had made the right decision by going towards the seedier parts of Marlon, but they wouldn't get too far without help.

Rats gathered in front of the being's path, trying their best to get its attention. The rats slowly began converging from throughout the city. Some still tailed their marks, but the rest scouted out a safe route to pass through. Once they had a path, the rat in front beckoned the being to follow it, and began to go through the path. They would try to lead it towards abandoned sewer tunnels, built up in some ancient city improving plan which had never come into fruition. They hoped that the being understood their intentions, because they had many questions they wished to ask it.
@EliteCommander

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The rats scurried across the city, scouring the streets for clues. The chaos helped them pass undetected, but it also hindered their activities. Some leads turned out to be accidents brought about by paranoia. Other leads stayed hidden, repulsed by the commotion. Nevertheless, they couldn't afford to let anything go. So many leads and so little time, but at least they had a lot of bodies.

One rat passed by the donut store he'd left his mark on. The police were already on the scene, though that wasn't too worrying. They wouldn't get anything by trying to catch Ratman's tail. The mouse moved on.

Somewhere else in the city, in the nearby sewers, one rat caught something unexpected. A girl ran through the tunnels, chased by a strange swordsman with a rabbit mask. Ratman had seen the girl on the streets, and he'd heard of the swordsman. Why the latter was chasing the former wasn't immediately obvious, but they couldn't spare much power on finding out. Adrian doubted that it would help him find the answers he was looking for, but he sent a few rats to tail the pair regardless. After all, they couldn't afford to let anything go.

At the same time, on another street, a confrontation began between 2 parahumans. One rather large, the other looking homeless. The confrontation was over soon enough, but it had put the homeless man into another confrontation, this time with the police. There wasn't much the rats could do to stop the homeless parahuman's capture; they didn't deal with robots very well, and they didn't have the numbers for that kind of attack in the first place. Still, he was sure he knew where they were headed, and he had a mind to follow them.

When the car arrived at the facility, the rats had already arrived. Adrian remembered the place when he was alive. He'd never been inside, but he knew about it. About half of the swarm had settled in the nearby area, hiding whever they could. The other half remained in the rest of the city, still searching. The swarm had been watching the facility for a while, as they knew it was a place where lots of parahumans went in and not many came out of. Nevertheless, they'd never entered before. Security was always tight, after all, and not even a rat could enter unnoticed. This time, then, they would send in a handful of rats instead.

The van entered the facility and its occupants emerged, dragging their prisoner into the facility. Unbenownst to them, the rats shadowed their movements. They moved only when their marks moved, making as little noise as they possibly could. As soon as they were inside the threshold, the rats scattered, dividing their forces. It was time to see what exactly was inside the facility.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The Ratman stood on the rooftop, looking out at the city below. Marlon never slept, but today it was filled with a confused energy. He knew what it was, and he was sure everyone in the city knew too. The face that had invaded every screen in Marlon for just a few moments. People no doubt wanted to find who that had been, and why. Naturally, the Ratman wanted to know too.

He turned away from the edge of the building and began walking towards the fire escape.
"You are not alone."
A cryptic message, in spite of its simplicity. It was safe to assume that the message was the result of one or more powerful parahumans, due to the nature of the event.

The message itself meant nothing to the Ratman, and it wouldn't mean much to normal humans. It didn't seem like something the government or the corporation would do, even accepting the possibility of a grand conspiracy. That left 2 options, the Para Protection Society, and the Church of the Para. Of the two, this was more likely an act of the church. He didn't know much about them, but he knew the Para Protection Society, for the most part, tried their best not to draw the attention of the public. Nevertheless, he couldn't make any conclusions yet. It was entirely possible that this was the opening act of a new third party, or maybe just the efforts of an individual. He didn't have much information to go on, which meant it was time for him to do something about it.

As the Ratman approached the fire escape, his body squirmed. His body's shape deformed as rats poured out of his clothes. The wave swept away his coat, his hat, his bandages, everything, until only his bones remained. One by one, they divided Adrian's skeleton and moved away. The swarm moved down the fire escape carefully, until they hit the streets below. They immediately split off into small groups, some carrying his possessions for safe keeping, the rest moving into the city to find information.

What they needed now was knowledge. Who or what had done it, and whether or not they were friend or foe - these were the things they needed to know the most. Ratman didn't know where to start, so he'd need the entire swarm to search. He wasn't sure he would find anything, but the pack hadn't failed him yet.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

So we're starting now?

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Adrian

Name: The Ratman
Alias: Adrian Romano
Age: 26
Appearance: A tall man, completely covered in bandages, wearing a heavily worn trench coat and an old hat. His physical appearance varies, but if one looks close enough, they might see something squirm under the bandages.

Para Category: Alpha, threat level 3

Brief History

Rumours have begun swirling in the back streets of Marlon, of a mysterious vigilante hellbent on revenge. A bandaged man in an old trench coat, prowling the alleyways to fight injustice. His hatred for the Lorne corporation is only matched by the ferocity of the rats he commands as they tear the flesh of his foes. Those who know of his existence often speculate on his identity. A man burned by a chemical accident, a parahuman disfigured by his own powers, and more theories thrown to the wind. In peeling back the bandages, one finds the truth - a mass of rats in the shape of a man, hiding the gnawed bones of whom they once were.

The Ratman began his life as Adrian Romano, proud son of Claudius and Rachel Romano, and brother to a number of siblings. His parents were high level managers in the Lorne corporation who had worked their way up from nothing, and Adrian's older brother also worked there. Adrian followed suit and sped up the ranks, hoping to use his position for good. Sadly, his rapid rise had attracted jealousy, and there were those already plotting his downfall.

Stabbed in the back by someone he trusted, Adrian was taken through the back streets of Marlon to die. They threw him into a pit, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back and a bullet in his head. Barely alive and in shock, Adrian weakly called for help, but his call attracted a swarm of hungry rats instead. Only a miracle would have saved him, and funnily enough, one came. The energy wave came from the tower, imbuing various people with special powers. This did nothing to dissuade the ravenous rats, however, and Adrian was promptly eaten. As they ate, however, they were slowly coming under Adrian's influence. The more they ate, the more they became like him. When they had gnawed him down to the bone, he was reborn. His will had been transferred to them, and there was no going back.

It took some time to get used to being a swarm of rats, but that allowed him time to get used to his environment. He became familiar with the lowest rung of society, making him lose more faith in the Lorne corporation. The shock at his situation had given way to anger, and now he planned against the corporation which ignored the plight of the poor and who had, in some ways, facilitated the betrayal.

When the Lorne corporation began their sweep, he was ready. Hiding their identity, Adrian and his swarm of rats became the Ratman, fighting the Lorne corporation and the corrupt government as best they can, carving their legend into the back alley streets of Marlon.

Powers/Abilities

Blood ties
The Ratman's sole power. His flesh and blood act as a conduit for his will. By ingesting parts of his body, a part of Adrian's consciousness is transferred and the recipient becomes a part of him, allowing the effect to proliferate. The effects of this power are affected by certain factors, however. The mind control is strongest from Adrian himself, but takes a back seat to stronger wills. A secondary host exhibits weaker powers, but the effects are stronger if the secondary host infects another host similar to itself. This way, the rats of Ratman can create other rats for the mass. There is a limit, however, as if there are too many minds to control, some will resist the effects.

Those under the effects function as a hivemind of sorts, many minds making one whole.

Strengths:

• Infiltration and surveilance
  The small size of Adrian's rats allow for discreet infiltration, and they can pass information around the hivemind.
• Survival
  As long as one rat survives, the pack can be remade. In an emergency the entire mass scatters in different directions, maximising survival chances.
• Knowledge of the Lorne corporation
  As an ex-employee of the corporation, he knows of some secrets. Though they have most likely scrubbed his credentials from the system, he knows other ways to enter the headquarters.

Weaknesses:

• Strength of many
  The strength of the Ratman is the strength of numbers. In situations where they are outnumbered, Adrian doesn't have many options. Thus, he prefers avoiding large engagements where he can't just pick off targets one at a time.
• Human contact
  The Ratman is a group of rats in a trench coat. While he can communicate through language, it's obvious that he's at the very least a parahuman. This makes communicating with non-parahumans difficult.
• Hunger
  In order to ensure their survival, every member of the pack needs to eat. Finding food for a large pack of rats every day is a task in and of itself.

Sample Post

It was a calm, moonlit night. The bandaged man walked the back streets of Marlon as he usually did, traversing the maze of concrete with measured ease. Rats accompanied his every step, skittering to and fro, exploring every unturned rock and dustbin in their path. Suddenly, the he stopped dead in his tracks, prompting the other rats to follow suit. They looked at him with curiosity as, in a hundred little voices, the Ratman sighed. As the bandaged man turned to stare at the moon, the other rats turned to the sky as well. He wanted nothing more than to simply stand there, staring at the beauty of the world. It was something he wished for everyone, in some ways. But not tonight. He had snagged something on his information network, which meant he had work to do.

It was a quiet night, which meant that he could hear it pretty soon. Grunts, thwacks, and occasional sobs. The bandaged man turned the corner and found what he was looking for. In the alleyway, a man relentlessly pounded a scantily clad woman with his fists. Judging from the man's clothes, he was from Marlon's upper crust. The woman was likely a sex worker of some sort. The bandaged man didn't know their story, and he didn't care. The bandaged man knew him as a government official, and it was time to pay his respects.

His shadow loomed over the pair, and the squeeking of rats heralded his arrival. The man turned, his face twisted in anger melting into horror as it beheld the bandaged man.
"Y-You!"
"Me." The Ratman rasped.
The man was angry, but his voice was tinted with fear. So they had heard of him up there. Good.

He stepped forward with measured ease, slowly closing the distance between them. The government man scrambled through his pockets and withdrew a gun.
"Back off! Now!" He barked.
The bandaged man stopped stopped. A hundred voices spoke in unison.
"Don't bother. You'll only put more holes in my coat." He said.
The government man opened fire. The bandaged man's flesh shifted under his coat. Blood splattered from the holes that formed in his chest. The man grinned, but his triumph melted into confusion, as the being in front of him stood right where he was. His expression once again turned to fear, as the bandaged man brushed off the blood and took another step forward. The government man gritted his teeth and took aim, shooting at the bandaged man's head. 2 shots landed, and the bandages unfurled. The bandaged man put a hand to his face.
"Y-you see that? Get the hell out of here, freak!" The man yelled with renewed bravado.
"My, my. Look at what you've done to us." The bandaged man replied calmly.
He rose to his feet and 2 bloodied rats scurried out of his hand. His head bluged and shifted under the now bloody bandages.

The bandaged man took step forward.
"S-Stop!"
And another.
"I mean it this time!"
And another.

The government man turned his gun towards the woman.
"Take another step and I'll blow her brains out!" He yelled.
But it was too late for him. Rats swooped down onto the flustered man from the rooftops, biting down on his gun hand. The government man screamed. The rats at his feet scurried into his clothes, biting and scratching wherever they could.

It was over quickly. The bandaged man surveyed his handiwork. The only thing left was bones and clothes, the rest had been eaten by the rats. The woman had run off in the mean time, but he didn't mind. There was only one thing left to do now. He issued a command and a wave of rats picked up the remains.

The night was transitioning to day. In an hour the sun would rise, and the citizens of Marlon would begin their day. But there was no rest for the police, especially not with parahumans running amok. The donut shop was a popular place for them to relax, as it was open 24 hours a day. In other words, it was the perfect place to send a message to the right people.

A policeman sat outside the store with a box of donuts on his lap. He was the only one to see it happen. A mass of rats dropped from the rooftop, scattering as they hit the ground. The cop jumped up and drew his gun, but they were gone as fast as they appeared, taking some donuts for the ride. Left on the scene was the skeleton. The policeman scrambled to the car and yelled a report through his radio. He had served for a while, he knew what he was dealing with. The Ratman's eyes watched as the policeman howled his name with fury, dozens of pairs of tiny little eyes, watching from the shadows. As the sirens drew closer, they turned away and disappeared into the night.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Alright, there we go. Sorry about that.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

@Lord of Evil You're missing one thing, I suggest you read the rules.

@Enalais

Oh right, whoops. Gimme a sec.

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Alright, here we are. Inspired by a certain iteration of spiderman. If it's too whack, I have a backup.

Adrian

Name: The Ratman
Alias: Adrian Romano
Age: 26
Appearance: A tall man, completely covered in bandages, wearing a heavily worn trench coat and an old hat. His physical appearance varies, but if one looks close enough, they might see something squirm under the bandages.

Para Category: Alpha, threat level 3

Brief History

Rumours have begun swirling in the back streets of Marlon, of a mysterious vigilante hellbent on revenge. A bandaged man in an old trench coat, prowling the alleyways to fight injustice. His hatred for the Lorne corporation is only matched by the ferocity of the rats he commands as they tear the flesh of his foes. Those who know of his existence often speculate on his identity. A man burned by a chemical accident, a parahuman disfigured by his own powers, and more theories thrown to the wind. In peeling back the bandages, one finds the truth - a mass of rats in the shape of a man, hiding the gnawed bones of whom they once were.

The Ratman began his life as Adrian Romano, proud son of Claudius and Rachel Romano, and brother to a number of siblings. His parents were high level managers in the Lorne corporation who had worked their way up from nothing, and Adrian's older brother also worked there. Adrian followed suit and sped up the ranks, hoping to use his position for good. Sadly, his rapid rise had attracted jealousy, and there were those already plotting his downfall.

Stabbed in the back by someone he trusted, Adrian was taken through the back streets of Marlon to die. They threw him into a pit, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back and a bullet in his head. Barely alive and in shock, Adrian weakly called for help, but his call attracted a swarm of hungry rats instead. Only a miracle would have saved him, and funnily enough, one came. The energy wave came from the tower, imbuing various people with special powers. This did nothing to dissuade the ravenous rats, however, and Adrian was promptly eaten. As they ate, however, they were slowly coming under Adrian's influence. The more they ate, the more they became like him. When they had gnawed him down to the bone, he was reborn. His will had been transferred to them, and there was no going back.

It took some time to get used to being a swarm of rats, but that allowed him time to get used to his environment. He became familiar with the lowest rung of society, making him lose more faith in the Lorne corporation. The shock at his situation had given way to anger, and now he planned against the corporation which ignored the plight of the poor and who had, in some ways, facilitated the betrayal.

When the Lorne corporation began their sweep, he was ready. Hiding their identity, Adrian and his swarm of rats became the Ratman, fighting the Lorne corporation and the corrupt government as best they can, carving their legend into the back alley streets of Marlon.

Powers/Abilities

Blood ties
The Ratman's sole power. His flesh and blood act as a conduit for his will. By ingesting parts of his body, a part of Adrian's consciousness is transferred and the recipient becomes a part of him, allowing the effect to proliferate. The effects of this power are affected by certain factors, however. The mind control is strongest from Adrian himself, but takes a back seat to stronger wills. A secondary host exhibits weaker powers, but the effects are stronger if the secondary host infects another host similar to itself. This way, the rats of Ratman can create other rats for the mass. There is a limit, however, as if there are too many minds to control, some will resist the effects.

Those under the effects function as a hivemind of sorts, many minds making one whole.

Strengths:

• Infiltration and surveilance
  The small size of Adrian's rats allow for discreet infiltration, and they can pass information around the hivemind.
• Survival
  As long as one rat survives, the pack can be remade. In an emergency the entire mass scatters in different directions, maximising survival chances.
• Knowledge of the Lorne corporation
  As an ex-employee of the corporation, he knows of some secrets. Though they have most likely scrubbed his credentials from the system, he knows other ways to enter the headquarters.

Weaknesses:

• Strength of many
  The strength of the Ratman is the strength of numbers. In situations where they are outnumbered, Adrian doesn't have many options. Thus, he prefers avoiding large engagements where he can't just pick off targets one at a time.
• Human contact
  The Ratman is a group of rats in a trench coat. While he can communicate through language, it's obvious that he's at the very least a parahuman. This makes communicating with non-parahumans difficult.
• Hunger
  In order to ensure their survival, every member of the pack needs to eat. Finding food for a large pack of rats every day is a task in and of itself.

Sample Post

It was a calm, moonlit night. The bandaged man walked the back streets of Marlon as he usually did, traversing the maze of concrete with measured ease. Rats accompanied his every step, skittering to and fro, exploring every unturned rock and dustbin in their path. Suddenly, the he stopped dead in his tracks, prompting the other rats to follow suit. They looked at him with curiosity as, in a hundred little voices, the Ratman sighed. As the bandaged man turned to stare at the moon, the other rats turned to the sky as well. He wanted nothing more than to simply stand there, staring at the beauty of the world. It was something he wished for everyone, in some ways. But not tonight. He had snagged something on his information network, which meant he had work to do.

It was a quiet night, which meant that he could hear it pretty soon. Grunts, thwacks, and occasional sobs. The bandaged man turned the corner and found what he was looking for. In the alleyway, a man relentlessly pounded a scantily clad woman with his fists. Judging from the man's clothes, he was from Marlon's upper crust. The woman was likely a sex worker of some sort. The bandaged man didn't know their story, and he didn't care. The bandaged man knew him as a government official, and it was time to pay his respects.

His shadow loomed over the pair, and the squeeking of rats heralded his arrival. The man turned, his face twisted in anger melting into horror as it beheld the bandaged man.
"Y-You!"
"Me." The Ratman rasped.
The man was angry, but his voice was tinted with fear. So they had heard of him up there. Good.

He stepped forward with measured ease, slowly closing the distance between them. The government man scrambled through his pockets and withdrew a gun.
"Back off! Now!" He barked.
The bandaged man stopped stopped. A hundred voices spoke in unison.
"Don't bother. You'll only put more holes in my coat." He said.
The government man opened fire. The bandaged man's flesh shifted under his coat. Blood splattered from the holes that formed in his chest. The man grinned, but his triumph melted into confusion, as the being in front of him stood right where he was. His expression once again turned to fear, as the bandaged man brushed off the blood and took another step forward. The government man gritted his teeth and took aim, shooting at the bandaged man's head. 2 shots landed, and the bandages unfurled. The bandaged man put a hand to his face.
"Y-you see that? Get the hell out of here, freak!" The man yelled with renewed bravado.
"My, my. Look at what you've done to us." The bandaged man replied calmly.
He rose to his feet and 2 bloodied rats scurried out of his hand. His head bluged and shifted under the now bloody bandages.

The bandaged man took step forward.
"S-Stop!"
And another.
"I mean it this time!"
And another.

The government man turned his gun towards the woman.
"Take another step and I'll blow her brains out!" He yelled.
But it was too late for him. Rats swooped down onto the flustered man from the rooftops, biting down on his gun hand. The government man screamed. The rats at his feet scurried into his clothes, biting and scratching wherever they could.

It was over quickly. The bandaged man surveyed his handiwork. The only thing left was bones and clothes, the rest had been eaten by the rats. The woman had run off in the mean time, but he didn't mind. There was only one thing left to do now. He issued a command and a wave of rats picked up the remains.

The night was transitioning to day. In an hour the sun would rise, and the citizens of Marlon would begin their day. But there was no rest for the police, especially not with parahumans running amok. The donut shop was a popular place for them to relax, as it was open 24 hours a day. In other words, it was the perfect place to send a message to the right people.

A policeman sat outside the store with a box of donuts on his lap. He was the only one to see it happen. A mass of rats dropped from the rooftop, scattering as they hit the ground. The cop jumped up and drew his gun, but they were gone as fast as they appeared, taking some donuts for the ride. Left on the scene was the skeleton. The policeman scrambled to the car and yelled a report through his radio. He had served for a while, he knew what he was dealing with. The Ratman's eyes watched as the policeman howled his name with fury, dozens of pairs of tiny little eyes, watching from the shadows. As the sirens drew closer, they turned away and disappeared into the night.