Red7VII

Marvel World War M

Location: NYC, Cerberus HQ | Interaction: Open

The glow of the computer screen danced upon the curves and crevices of his face. Of Max's face. He stared blankly at a revolving assortment of images and words, absorbing the information like a sponge. His supernatural garb was back in its metal case mere feet away from where he currently sat. With his elbows resting on the table, hands clasped around themselves in a manner that almost looked as if he were praying, Max sat in silence in his work uniform at the center of his dimly lit office that sat thirteen stories up in a building just outside of the heart of New York.

After The Hood had brought those world-be victims down to safety, it was time for him to change tactics. Hood was strong, powerful even, but only when compared to normal humans. Against these mutants and government sanctioned super powered maniacs, The Hood could only accurately describe himself as a small fish in a great sea. While he was deficient in godly might, he was confident he could make up for it in tactical expertise.

Earlier, The Hood had made his way back to his parked vehicle just outside the dock, figuratively tip-toeing under the noses of sentinel and MRD agents alike as he employed various measures of stealth to traverse the distance without incident. Is was only when he was back safely in his car that he dared to remove his cloak and boots, becoming Max Robbins once more. From there, his next moves were clear; Retreat and regroup.

His stomach had churned at the mention of calamity at the Oscorp building and it took everything in him not to throw on the cloak once more and charge into the fray, but that would be a fool's errand. Instead, he kept his wits about him. He needed to do more research if he was planning to inject himself into this ongoing hostility.

"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight."

Video footage continued to play on Max's computer screen. Overhead shots of various mutant terroristic incidents (as they were labelled in the media) displayed some familiar faces and showcased some of the powers they possessed. With each demonstration, Max made a mental note. That one seems to be able to shoot blasts from their eyes. That other one healed from nearly being decapitated in what seemed like mere seconds...

He continued taking it all in silently as the images shifted from mutant to Ultimates. He looked for even the most minute tells, anything that could indicate a weakness or irritant. His first-hand experience told him all he needed to know about Venom and his particular limitations. As he continued compiling his mental notes, he began pondering on how he could exploit those vulnerabilities. What upgrades and alterations could he make to force gods to falter?

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."

Suddenly the phone upon Max's desk chirped to life. The display screen illuminated the name 'Derek Eastwind'. Max took hold of the mouse just long enough to pause the digital footage on the computer before pressing a button on the phone.

"Derek." His tone was solemn, matter of fact.

"Mr. Robbins, sorry to bother. We've got a problem," announced the deep, raspy voice on the other end of line. Max's heart sank just a bit. No one officially knew he was The Hood, not even the people he employed. If 'we have a problem,' then it was a Max problem. Just icing on the cake of chaos that was already entangling his super hero alter ego.

"Speak on it," Max demanded stoically.

"It's Mr. Li, sir." The Roxxon millionaire that Max had escorted to work just that morning.

"What about him?" Emotion was slowly creeping out of Max's throat. Mr. Li was one of Cerberus' whale accounts. Max made his life a priority and would even personally dedicate his own time to making sure Mr. Li was untouchable.

"I'm sure you heard about that battle royale," Derek began to explain, referring to the afternoon's super powered spectacle. "Well Murphy received Mr. Li after his meeting this morning was was taking him back to his penthouse. Murphy's GPS showed steady movement for the majority of the travel duration, but then the signal went dark."

"Where did it go dark?"

"The GPS stopped transmitting in Midtown."

"Manhattan." The word seethed out from Max's teeth as he skin began to flush with warmth.

"Yes, sir. Right around-"

"-where the Ultimates took on the Phoenix Order," Max finished, his voice increasingly louder with each word. "FUCK!" He grabbed hold of the phone and threw it against the wall, letting the dark plastic shatter into fragments. He could feel the tempo of his heartbeat racing. Was his most prized client still alive? Did those super powered homicidal maniacs just turn him into another casualty? Max forced himself to breath slower as he leaned over his desk in defeat. It was all just too much...

No. His eyebrows raised as an epiphany began settling in. You're not defeated. You're just getting started.

With his breathing back under control, he pulled his chair out for himself and sat back down before hitting the play button on the footage again. Hopefully Mr. Li was still alive, but running back out into the storm right now would be a fruitless effort. It was time to prepare. If the tyrannical 'heroes' and the chaotic mutants insisted on having their war at the expense of everyone else, then it was high time Max got off the sideline.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
-Sun Tzu

Marvel World War M

Location: The Docks | Interaction: @Chulance

Max, or rather The Hood, exhaled. Immediately light began to reflect off of his skin and clothing as his visibility returned. The vigilante found himself standing at the backside of an MRD operative, the sound of blasts, shouts and commotion ringing out in the background. It was the Ultimates and the MRD versus a rag tag group of mutants, some of whom were firing out in self defense. Unfair odds, for sure. When in doubt, he thought, protect the underdog. While Hood was a capable combatant, he could hardly categorize himself as a heavy hitter when compared to the likes of his super powered counterparts. That in mind, he decided being loud and eye-catching would be bad for his health.

Stealthily holstering his guns, he then sprung out at the operative, employing a choke hold and letting the weight of his own body drag the man down to the ground as the suffocation soon begat unconsciousness. Hurriedly, he pulled the limp body further out of sight behind the cover of the vehicle. As he poked his head out, he took in the scene of the hulking ebon alien sending the young mutant flying through the window of a warehouse.

He's going to need help, Hood concluded silently, though whether or not he was the right guy to provide it was tougher to determine. Venom's brutality and eagerness to kill was more than offputting. As famous and adored as these Ultimates were, Hood was witnessing very little that justified such admiration. There was no doubt in Hood's mind that Venom was a murderous bully. Perhaps all the Ultimates were when the cameras were off...

Regardless, he needed to act now and he really didn't need to get shot in the process. Hood took in a big breath and said farewell to the visible spectrum as he sprinted toward the rumbling warehouse. As he ran, two plasma rifles flew overhead, greatly outpacing his own speed as they floated into the warehouse and began to open fire.

Well, maybe he doesn't need the help, he thought, slightly elated that the mutant was starting to hold his own a little better. The notion came too soon, however, as the warehouse quickly caved in on the two adversaries. Hood stopped in his tracks and caught his breath. One of the resistance fighters showed up to his left and began firing at the alien as he emerged from the rubble.

"Are you fucking stup-" but before Hood could finish chastising the shooter, he looked on in horror as the young man was pulled in and devoured. Hood's jaw dropped, his entire body paralyzed. The two in front of him continued to focus on eachother, letting loose hell while Hood continued to be frozen in utter shock. How in the fuck could anyone look at this thing and think its a hero?

Hood's mind finally snapped back to the issue at hand once the fight had gone aerial. He looked on from below as the mutant sent venom down like a comet into the street in close proximity to pedestrians.

"Shit! HEY... uh... 'NOT-VENOM'" he shouted at them as he sprinted towards the site of the collision, trying to get the mutant's attention. "There's people! You're going to hurt som-" Just then, the mutant had used two hover vehicles as weapons in a pincered slam that immediately resulted in an explosion. "FUCK!"

Hood dove for the nearest group of onlookers, grabbed the edges of his cloak and extended his hands skyward like a bird stretching their wings. The mystical Norn stone embedded within immediately reacted, imbuing his cloak with rigid durability as rogue metal debris bounced off of it, missing the gathered few that was around him.

"Shit. Are you alright?" Hood's forehead was covered in beads of sweat, panic painted upon his face. The young men and women slowly got out of their protective positions to give Hood somber looks and affirmations that none were seriously injured.

Hood let his cloak fall at ease as he looked around. He saved a group of five onlookers from injury and mutilation. For that, he felt accomplished, but it was a fleeting feeling as he looked around the rest of the street. Scattered along the sidewalks were people on the ground bleeding, cries of shock and woe, desperate calls for help... He saved five, but he failed so many more...

Quickly his opinion was changing. Venom was quick to earn his ire, but Hood was realizing that the mutant was just as reckless, just as violent and haphazardous about the sanctity of innocent life. They both needed to be stopped.

Hood's fists tightened into balls as he watched the mayhem ensue further down the street. The two idiots barreled into a moving SUV before taking it apart with a family inside. I've got to get there, he concluded intensely. Weaving through moving traffic was an obstacle that would only cost him time. Time that the family was running out of. He looked down at his boots for just a moment and then put them to work.

As if climbing an invisible staircase, the boots of levitation allowed Hood to ascend thin air just high enough to be over the head of any vehicular roofs. Once elevated enough, he took off in a straight sprint toward the SUV that was now wobbling in recoil from the impact of its collision with the super powered morons. As soon as Hood got within arms reach, he grabbed the arms of two of the occupants, forcefully pulling them out of the untamed vehicle and slinging them over each of his shoulders as he continued to sprint to keep pace. Reaching in once more, he grabbed the remaining occupants and held them up, stopping in his tracks as he stood on open air. The vehicle finally succumbed to gravity and flipped, screeching down the street on its side. Solemnly, Hood carried the four people over to the nearest sidewalk and set them down one-by-one.

His hearing began to muffle as his anger intensified. He couldn't hear the words the man was saying, but surely it was something about dismay for his car. He couldn't really hear the screams of horror and excitement for the people around him, but he knew they were happening. It was like his head was underwater. His eyes moved like lasers as his gaze craned over. Those metaphorical lasers quickly fixated on Venom and the mutant once more.

They were skyward now and then they chaotically collided into an office building. Hood felt something inside him itching to crawl out. Something caged within clawing at the walls. His veins started feeling hot and his eyes began to illuminate...

He dashed out through the sky, his cloak flapping behind him as he ran on an endless supply of invisible platforms until he reached the gaping hole in the office building. More screams... more mayhem... Hood bore witness to the mutant expelling fire wildly, the flames engulfing Venom and the innocent workers alike. One of the workers suddenly, violently, took flight and crashed mercilessly and brutally into a metal bell, serving as its organic gong. That wasn't a power that Venom possessed. That was the mutant using someone's life like a toy.

Just as Hood was about to pull out his guns and intervene, he felt a hand on his shoulder followed by a blood curdling screech. As he turned, he found himself face to face with a woman flailing in the flames that were consuming her. The smell of melted skin filled Hood's nostrils. Her eye sockets were drooping and her scalp was completely charred. Boils rapidly grew and popped in clusters on her cheeks. It was enough to knock Hood's psyche completely off balance. With a swoop of his arm, he brought the woman in under his cloak to extinguish the flame and slowly brought her down to the ground to let her lay. Even though the fire was out, the sickening sizzle remained. She was breathing, thank goodness, but he wasn't sure sure she'd ultimately be happy that he saved her life. She was destined for a lifetime of deformity and pain, physical and psychological.

As he looked up, Hood quickly realized he lost sight of the two homicidal maniacs. It wasn't long after that he could feel the building begin to rumble as if an earthquake had begun. Panic swept the office floor as people began screaming about the building coming down. There were too many of them... he couldn't save them all...

Tears began to well up in his eyes as he ran toward the destructive opening of the office windows, quickly grabbing two people by the waist and slinging them over his shoulders. He then did a low sweep, grabbing the burn victim off the ground and securing her in his grasp. And finally, just as someone was running across him in a disorganized frenzy, he grabbed them by the belt with his last free hand and took them in tow, too. With each step toward the opening, he could feel that the ground was no longer solid. He couldn't afford to look back, but he had to imagine that he was only just ahead of the ever-expanding crumble that would eventually take the entire structure down.

With one last leap, he and his four passengers went airborne. After a small drop, the boots found their footing in the air and Hood's descent was halted. Slowly, begrudgingly, he turned to watch as the rest of the building fell in a cacophony of screams. All those souls lost for the sake of two gods' egos. Hood was disgusted. As he slowly made his way down from the sky, he couldn't help but feel like it was a descent into hell.

New Here!

Welcome - hope you enjoy it

The Guild Inn & Tavern (Reopen For Business)

bump!

the alphabet game. lol

Jubilee

Questions and Answers

There once was a user who I will refer to as OnFireKitten (not the real name) who just seemed to have a chip on their shoulder for as long as I have ever known them (They've been away from the site for many years now).

Anyway, they created a character for a superhero RP that was supposed to have a country twang, I guess, but the attempt at a written accent was just terrible. It was very hard not to grin when trying to mentally picture what this character was trying to articulate. To that end, the character was also a bit of a Leeroy Jenkins type in that they always had an agenda of their own and they always rushed head first into conflict without ever calculating risks. Picture 5 characters huddled together, trying to think of a plan, and this Maverick with a super awkward country accent just jumping out and charging in, lol.

The character was short lived as the user ended up dropping the RP for various issues, but a marks of notoriety was left in my mind.

---

Have you ever finished an RP on this site and saw the game through to its natural conclusion? Which was the most recent RP that you were able to do that with?

Word association Game!

Wheels

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

I expected more

Marvel World War M

Location: Brooklyn Streets | Interaction: Open

Day time. Sometimes Max hated it. Sometimes he felt it kept him grounded. Day time was where Max Robbins, Private Security Entrepreneur lived. Night time was the world of The Hood, mystically enhanced protector of the city.

On an average night, The Hood would be literally running across the night sky, taking down baddies, shrugging off bullets, appearing and disappearing out of nowhere... He was light a living myth. A whisper. The boogeyman to malevolent. During the day, he was as he is now; a well-built bearded man in a black business suit with two concealed guns hidden in holsters under his jacket, driving one of his many clients from one meeting to the next in a black bulletproof sedan at a red light.

Comparatively, it was painstakingly boring.

"Mr. Robbins," came a voice from the back of the car with a distinct, elegant Asian accent. "The shareholder's meeting is starting in 12 minutes."

"I understand that, Mr. Li," Max assured his client. "I will get you there as quickly, and as safely, as possible." There were times when he would have to remind his clients of his own personal priorities. Max Robbins and his crew were angels of protection. When they were 'on the clock', their clients could rest assured that they were practically invincible under the team's umbrella. However, there were often times when clients would mistake them as drivers, butlers and secretaries and such poor assumptions needed correction. Cerberus Security makes it's money off of peoples' breaths. If you're client is breathing, you're getting paid. Max Robbins didn't really give a shit if Mr. Li was late to his meeting or not.

Finally the green light. Max eased the pedal down and took off toward Roxxon Two Tower, the satellite location for one of New York's most notorious oil and energy industries. As he pulled up to the lobby, he could see two men with black business suits matching his own with a small patch on their breast pocket - an image of a 3-headed dog. Max exited the vehicle and gave the two men a nod as he made his way to the back seat to open his client's door. Max's two subordinates then took custody of Mr. Li and escorted him into the building, leaving Max alone with his car.

As he boarded his vehicle once more, he pulled out into the street and just sighed.

God, I am so bored, he thought to himself as he hit the steering wheel with his palm in a hard thud. He glanced over at the clock just above his radio before rolling his eyes. Night time was still out of reach. As he slowly glided through traffic, he looked over at the briefcase that was settled in the front passengers seat. Within it was his mystically enhanced cloak and boots. It was as if they were calling out to him, begging him to take them out, to wear them, to become him. To become The Hood.

Anonymous vigilantism was hard enough in the shroud of darkness. Being a caped crusader during daylight hours was asking for trouble. If he were ever found out, it could lead the criminal underworld right to his very home, to his friends and associates, to his business... It could potentially ruin him. He had to remain steadfast. Max by day, Hood by night. That was his rule.

And then he heard it. Gunshots, explosions, shouting. It wasn't far. Max's grip tightened on the wheel. It's not my business, he told himself. Whatever is happening over there has nothing to do with me, has nothing to do with my clients. I need to just keep going. I've got to get back to the office, I've got to check in with Sigma Team, I've got to map routes to the airport for next week, I've got to stay on task. He rolled down the window of his armored sedan just to let some fresh air in and stay focused.

"Oh my god" shouted a woman from the sidewalk. "Venom's down there! I'm getting a selfie!!"

Fuuuuuck, Max thought to himself before slamming his hand on the steering wheel again. One of the Ultimates. Which means there could be all manners of something crazy happening over there. All Max would have to do to find out is to take the next left... But a smart Max would just keep going straight. A smart Max would just get back to the office. A smart Max... just clocked out.

With the screech of his tires, Max hit the gas and spun the wheel, taking a hard left turn down the alley between two buildings. The sound of fighting was getting louder. He knew the skirmish was just ahead. As he pulled to a stop be a large green dumpster, he looked over at the briefcase beside him and stared at it intently. This was a bad idea. He knew this was a bad idea. And, yet...

"Fuck it."

He popped the locks on the briefcase and wrapped his cloak around his neck. Instantly, his body reacted. He could feel the magics that fueled the cloak's power wash over him, making him stronger, faster, tougher. He quickly took off his black, shiny shoes and replaced them with the boots of levitation. The guns in their holsters also took on a transformation of their own, becoming slightly golden while emitting a sort of pulse that only Max could feel. Its like they were now living extensions of himself.

All suited up, Max got out of the car and pulled over his eponymous hood, concealing his face in darkness, before venturing out of the alley and into the fray. What he saw was not necessarily what he was prepared for. Portals opening and closing, plasma rifles going off, exploding hovercars, and one big pissed off alien symbiote.

Hood flexed his hands and, instantly, his guns flew from their holsters and into his grip. He then took in a very deep breath and held it. Just as he did, his entire body left the visible spectrum, rendering himself completely invisible to the naked eye. He could hold that breath for about two minutes, which means his invisibility would only last for that same amount of time.

If there were any onlookers, they might see his footstep as he splashed through a large puddle, the unseen entity making his way to the center of the maelstrom. So much for Max's squeaky clean daytime living. Shit was about to get messy.

Marvel World War M

Masked:

Unmasked:

Name: "Max" Robbins
Codename: The Hood
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Religion: Catholic
Occupation: Private Security

Powers/Abilities: Max Robbins is human, however the artifacts he possesses grant him supernatural powers.

Nisanti Cloak
Empowered by demonic energy, when the cloak is worn by Max it offers a few supernatural traits.

1) When Max holds his breath, the cloak renders him invisible for as long as his breath is held.

2) The cloak passively imbues Max with the ability to see passed illusions.

3) The cloak passively enhances Max's strength and durability to superhuman levels. While the peak of these enhancements are unknown, it is safe to say that Max is capable of walking away from a car crash with minimal repercussions and can lift upwards of 500 lbs.

4) An unfortunate side effect of possessing the cloak: If Max becomes particularly enraged, the demonic energy may take over, transforming his physical form to that of an otherwordly monster. In this form, Max's abilities are further enhanced. He can produce electrical discharge and even spikes from his hands. However he lacks intelligent control, relying on pure base instincts and, once his stamina runs out, he becomes severely weakened for a significant amount of time. Max is currently unaware of this drawback as he has never transformed before.

Nasanti Boots of Levitation
Max's boots allow him to 'walk on air'. A novice user can use this effect to traverse the city with ease at the same speed as they can run, but an expert user can eventually master flight. Max is currently inexperienced.

Norn Stone
One from a set of Asgardian artifacts once used by his father, the Norn Stones have a unique effect for each person who possesses them. For Max, the stone he has transforms his guns into magical weapons that project concussive blasts of energy that have varying degrees of lethality. Generally, Max is looking for a knockout rather than a kill, but these projectiles can be greatly amplified to break through most obstructions.

The stone has been interweaved within the fabric of Max's cloak and has granted the cloak shielding properties that render the fabrics impenetrable by most weapons, elements and projectiles.

Twin Pistols
Without the cloak, these pistols are regular, Earthly firearms.

With the cloak on his person, these weapons become magically enhanced. The velocity and durability of the projectiles (concussive blasts) can be modified at will and, should the guns ever leave Max's hands, they can be recalled from anywhere on a whim, much akin to Thor and his hammer.

Background: Max's father, Parker Robbins, was a fairly notorious criminal mastermind in his day but his genius failed him when the Avengers took him down during one of his schemes. Destined for a life in prison, he was offered a chance to use his powers for good and would receive a full pardon if he took up arms and fought alongside the American-Allied forces in the midst of World War 3. Sadly, Parker did not survive the ordeal and, with his dying breath, made his makeshift comrades swear to pass his mantle unto his young son.

Max's mother refused to grant that dying wish, instead locking the cloak and boots up in a safety deposit box. In her mind, those artifacts were the reason Parker became corrupted to begin with and she would not wish such a fate on her own son.

As Max grew up, his mother shielded him from the stories of Parker's misdeeds and, instead, showered him with tales of valor from the later years of Parker's life. She made sure to teach Max to be honorable and to protect those who need protecting. This eventually led Max to his career in private security where he would protect individuals, industries, and whoever else might need his expertise.

As his security career gained success, his mother's health declined rapidly. Cancer took hold of her quick and, despite how much money Max threw at her doctors, she simply could not recover.

On the week that she died, their lawyer gave Max the deed to his mother's home, the title to her car, and a key to a lock box of unknown content. Once Max finally got to the box and opened it up, waiting for him were his father's mystical artifacts. Hesitant at first, Max eventually succumbed to curiosity and put them on. From that day forward his life was forever changed.

Private security by day, Vigilante by night, he would go on to use his inheritance to take on bigger foes and protect an even greater number of people as the dark hero known only as The Hood.