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Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

Went with a slightly different storytelling angle on the Taskmaster post than I was initially intending... but figured I'd get his story back up and running.

If anyone is interested in continuing the Fury storyline, or if anyone is looking for an antagonist... The Taskmaster is back in business.

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

"Hold the line. As soon as that door opens, open fire and don't let up until your clip is empty. Whoever this monster is... he doesn't make it past us."

Luca tightened the grip on his rifle, his arthritis kicking in for the first time in weeks. Was it his own subconscious attempt to draw away from the fear of whatever was coming? Or was he squeezing so tightly on the barrel of the gun that his knuckles were white? It was hard to tell with the blinking red emergency lights... and the gloves. The goggles and mask certainly didn't help either. But none of that mattered right now... because right now, he had a facility to protect and a world to save. A new world that would be perfect for his wife and son. A world where they could reign supreme.

The only thing in his way was the-

_{Location: Berlin - Germany}

Reflections #1.02: Wind of Change

---

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: None

A loud thud pierced the stiff silence as the Hydra soldiers all flinched. They watched as the metal door shuddered slightly as something impacted against it. Everyone tightened their grips and settled into their positions, holding their volley of bullets until the door opened. And so they waited for a few precious moments, everyone holding their breaths. Luca saw what this white-clad demon was capable of. He had seen from the security cameras as he had mowed down his friends and co-workers. Watched them get picked apart as if this were nothing more than some dance. And now... Luca prayed that he could make the devil bleed.

The silence was broken as a loud bang ripped through the air, and a flash of light from behind the door signaled things were popping off. The door itself was launched from its hinges as an explosion shot it out into the line of Hydra soldiers, steamrolling over a few in the middle of the line. Luca watched Finn's neck snap at the impact of the door. But he didn't have time to grieve as the order was given, and he began opening fire on the empty doorway like everyone else. For what felt like an eternity, lead was pumped into the smoking maw their enemy must have been hiding in. That is, until the roar of gunfire began to die down one by one. And soon, all the soldiers were left in hopeful agony as they realized they had spent their magazines. And their combined thoughts were only to the fact that no man could have survived.

And yet, a shadowy figure moved into the doorframe, blue and orange suit striking against the white smoke. The Hydra soldiers stared in disbelief for a moment as they reached towards the ejected their spent cartridges to reload their weapons. But it was too late. In the blink of an eye, the figure knocked back three arrows and let them loose into their targets. Taskmaster then quickly flicked a switch on the bow and the metal frame straightened and the drawstring's tension was released. The newly formed javelin was hurled directly to Luca's right, impaling two of his friends to the wall behind them through their shoulder and stomach respectively. The soldiers were only just about finished reloading when the Taskmaster pulled a large circular shaped gun, firing some projectile past the group of soldiers on the opposite side of the room as Luca. The masked intruder was yanked through the air as he drew his sword in the other hand, slicing through the entire group with a singular swing. Before the Hydra soldiers had even finished reloading, two thirds of their rank had been slaughtered. Luca watched in horror as the skeletal mask turned it's gold gaze in his direction.

Luca let go of his rifle as he slowly backed up, his fellow soldiers lifting their reloaded weapons to fire towards their target. But it was no use. Taskmaster had already unhooked his shield and was charging forward, blocking their hail of bullets as he closed the distance in a moment. Two slices decapitated two of the five who remained, and a singular thrust of the sword gutted two more. Luca only noticed that the large blast doors the Hydra soldiers were guarding was sliding closed when the Taskmaster turned his gaze towards it and launched his shield at just the right time to get it wedged between them. Luca heard the futile grinding of gears that could not crumple Vibranium and let out a soft whimper, for the Taskmaster had turned his gaze back towards the remaining guard.

"Please... don't. I have a family. I just want to leave..."

Tony Masters slowly stepped towards the crying guard, his breath slow and steady as his eyes carefully scanned over his features. He was no threat, and completely defenseless. To be frank, Taskmaster was willing to let this one go. Time was of the essence, and he had more important matters to attend to. But as he turned to leave, his eyes caught scrolling text in his HUD.

<Interior data vault 40 meters north: retinal scan required.>

Taskmaster nodded upon reading the text, his left hand reaching out and grapping Luca by the throat to pin him against the wall next to his comrades. Luca's eyes were pleading, before they were sparked by recognition. "You... you trained us. Boot camp... you're the Taskmaster. You're like us... so... why?"

The unchanging mask gave no comfort and showed no signs of remorse or contemplation, not like that would have been evident if the mask was off. For Taskmaster did not hesitate to respond. "Because I have a job to do."

The Taskmaster pulled out his sidearm and shoved it firm into Luca's gut, nodding his head towards the squealing vault doors. Without another word, the two began making their way into the Hydra base's data vault.

---

Tony Masters leaned forward in his chair, quickly tapping the pause button on his playlist. He turned his gaze towards Dr. Pernell Solomon, the psychiatrist staring contently down the bridge of his nose through glasses that were certainly too small for his face. Dr. Solomon tapped his notebook with the back of his pen. "Breakthrough, Mr. Masters?"

Tony nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the reclining couch and beginning to readjust his suit jacket. "Of course. Music therapy seems to be helping for now, but it's not fast enough. Maybe another one of your clones will have a better idea next time."

Dr. Solomon's expression twisted from pleased to baffled, struggling to find words as Tony ripped the notepad from the psychiatrist's hands to toss it onto the desk. "What are you talking about? I run this fac-"

Before Pernell could finish his statement, a palm was already striking into the tip of his nose upwards to drive bone into his frontal cortex. Within a blink of an eye, Tony rounded out the assault by gripping the doctor's face and driving his head backwards against the chair until a loud crack filled the room. The corpse slid out of the chair, and Tony sighed as he scrolled over to his phone app and clicked on the only contact listed as a "favorite" on his phone. He lifted it up to his ear, quickly speaking as soon as he heard the line connected. "Why didn't you tell me about Berlin? Why send me here?"

The line was quiet for a moment, before a familiar feminine voice responded. "There is specific information in that memory that we need, and Doctor Solomon is an excellent psychiatrist."

Tony breathed heavily as he felt his blood pressure rising, his eyes only briefly scanning the shocked and partially mangled visage of the doctor in the chair. "You mean the clone?"

A sigh could be heard on the other end. "He is a valuable asset, but the Organization requires absolute secrecy. He serves his purpose. And now we need you to serve yours."

Tony moved over to the desk, sitting in the vacant office chair as he set the phone on the table and switched to speaker mode. "What do you need?"

The phone screen lit up bright, and a holographic 2d image appeared in the air above the phone. It showed a large documents folder, and someone was scrolling about through it. One of the folders clearly had a small lock icon over it, and the remote desktop attempted to open it. A password screen popped up with German text all over it. "We need the admin code you used while recovering these documents. Half the files didn't finish decrypting before extraction."

"Yes, the admin code was..."

---

Tony finished typing the code into the Hydra terminal, and nodded as the login screen gave way to a rather large file database system. In front of him, under where the keyboard had been before Luca lifted it, was a bright yellow sticky note with an admin code listed. Luca himself was quivering about a foot away, snot pooling down his upper lip and down his chin. "It was there, just like I said... so please... just let me-"

The gunshot pierced through the roaring industrial fans that were trying to keep this server room cool. Luca's body reflexively gasped out, but he was already dead before he even hit the floor. The shell casing clattered against the metal grating on the floor, but Tony didn't even notice. He was already busy at work going through the motions of copying the data over to the ghost drive on his utility belt. He didn't have time to worry about the corpse bleeding down onto the coolant pipes running below the servers.

After all, he'd forget about all of this in the morning.

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

Something Sinister storyline should be continuing in hot real soon with a collab piece. I'll be gunning to get the Web-slinger up a lot more consistently in the next few weeks.

I'm working on figuring out what to do with Taskmaster more long term at the moment... but I will be continuing with his introductory arc once I'm back in the writing groove.

Itiner: Heroes of Ardenfeld

The Smuggling Ranger

________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Who I Am

Timber was always, pun intended, a straight shooter. He always wanted to do the right thing, and was so bad at lying because he would always snarl and show the teeth on the right side of his face. He was always loyal to his friends, trying unsuccessfully any time his friends got in trouble to take the blame for them. Of course, given everything that has happened since Ardenfeld, Timber now has a very difficult time trusting anyone beyond his friends. Since his home and family were slaughtered, everyone Timber has met has always been trying to use him for one thing or another. That being said, Timber has learned that the best way to handle these people is to never let anyone know what he was thinking or feeling. The more you keep your cards close to your chest, the easier it is to get by in this cutthroat world. While Timber works for criminals, he finds he has a code that he is willing to bend to help distance himself from the more nefarious criminal activities that occur in the world. While willing to transport illegal goods in exchange for payment, he tries not to steal anything himself unless absolutely necessary... and so long as he's stealing from someone who doesn't deserve to keep what is being stolen. It may be because of the complexities in civilization that Timber tends to identify himself more with the laws and will of nature. The only place he ever feels truly free or safe are in the forests on the way to Pallaviel, where he can slip through the trees off the beaten path as if he were a fish in water.

My Story

Timber knew from an early age that he loved the forest. He loved to gather berries with his father to preserve into jams, or to sneak about with his mother as she was on the hunt for dinner. It was a nice, quiet life in Ardenfeld. Timber was naive and loyal to all the others as best as he could be, being on the younger end and only 8 at the time of the raid. He would do anything for his friends, especially if it meant he would take the brunt of any scoldings or punishments. He hated seeing them in trouble. It was his job to be the one in trouble.

No one ever claimed Timber, and he couldn't really blame them. He was a scrawny weak kid in the orphanage, and was timid and unsociable to strangers. The last strangers he had seen took everything from him. He only had his friends, who one by one left him as well. So when time came to leave the orphanage, Timber decided he would try to make his way in the forest. He ended up wandering, gathering just enough to keep himself trudging on. It was winter, and the snow chilled him to the bone. He was weary and dizzy and just a few months older than 14 when he found a dying fire in the woods, a clear sign someone was camping. There was a bedroll that seemed to be stuffed and covered by some traveller. The traveller had even left some rabbit cooking and burning over the fire. It was a shame to be wasteful, so Timber crept up and devoured what he could. As he finished his small feast, he turned his gaze to the bedroll and saw a middle-aged man pointing a hand crossbow at the boy. This man, known as Dain, couldn't bring himself to shoot the starving boy. But there was no way the smuggler was going to let some wandering tabaxi spill the fact that he was using the forest to smuggle things in and out of Pallaviel. So, a deal had to be made.

Timber didn't have much of a say, as Dain kept reminding him. Timber owed Dain a life debt for saving him from starving in those woods. Dain worked on behalf of a criminal organization known as the Crimson Claw that specialized in the procurement and transport of illicit goods. And so Dain took to teaching Timber all he knew about travelling carefully through the forest to smuggle goods. And beyond this, Dain taught Timber how to survive in the wild if the law ever seemed to be catching wind of their work. They would smuggle art pieces or small relics throughout the land, usually running them up to Pallaviel where they could be fenced to the elite. But Dain and Timber didn't just smuggle. When Timber was seventeen and already proficient with a bow and his swords, Dain accompanied his apprentice on a more volatile task. They tracked and hunted down a former member of the Crimson Claw who was trying to make off with a valuable painting. Of course, Timber and Dain knew the forest like the back of their hands, and Dain forced Timber to take the shot. As Timber watched in horror at what he had done, Dain looked pleased.

"We are even, Timber. You're one of us now. Don't ever forget it."

For the last year, Timber has only worked a handful of jobs for the Crimson Claw to keep himself afloat. Dain has been letting Timber work on his own, giving Timber assignments here and there and moving into the roll of a fixer within the organization. Timber has been preparing and gathering basic supplies to get ready to make his way back to Ardenfeld, and preparing himself to face his friends again.

Going Foward

Timber is ashamed deeply for his past actions. He has been forced into service to the Crimson Claw because of his perceived debt to Dain... but now is bound to the organization by blackmail regarding his murder of a former member. The relationship between Timber and the Crimson Claw is purely professional, and Timber very much is hoping for a way out. He does not want to turn to the Claw, but has always found himself relying upon their support to keep himself afloat for the past four years. Regarding his friends, Timber wants nothing more than for them to not know what he has been involved with. He has not made direct contact with any, but would almost certainly put out feelers about their whereabouts and well-being indirectly through his contacts. He wants to ensure that they succeed in their futures, and he has a deep yearning desire to hunt down and stop the bandits who ruined their lives. Timber doesn't think about his own future too much, but does see the best outcome as one where he is free from the bonds of the Crimson Claw and living in the forest like he was always meant to. He fears nothing more than being under the Crimson Claw's thumb for the rest of his life. But despite being considered "even" by Dain, he can't help but think his debt will never be considered unpaid. And that's not something Timber wants to think about for too long.

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

Still kicking and still alive. Past couple weeks have been hectic and I barely have had time to sit down, but that should settle down after this weekend. Still pumping at the Venom/Spidey collab, and I've got the Gamma World post and another TM post being worked on.

Itiner: Heroes of Ardenfeld

The Smuggling Ranger

________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Who I Am

Timber was always, pun intended, a straight shooter. He always wanted to do the right thing, and was so bad at lying because he would always snarl and show the teeth on the right side of his face. He was always loyal to his friends, trying unsuccessfully any time his friends got in trouble to take the blame for them. Of course, given everything that has happened since Ardenfeld, Timber now has a very difficult time trusting anyone beyond his friends. Since his home and family were slaughtered, everyone Timber has met has always been trying to use him for one thing or another. That being said, Timber has learned that the best way to handle these people is to never let anyone know what he was thinking or feeling. The more you keep your cards close to your chest, the easier it is to get by in this cutthroat world. While Timber works for criminals, he finds he has a code that he is willing to bend to help distance himself from the more nefarious criminal activities that occur in the world. While willing to transport illegal goods in exchange for payment, he tries not to steal anything himself unless absolutely necessary... and so long as he's stealing from someone who doesn't deserve to keep what is being stolen. It may be because of the complexities in civilization that Timber tends to identify himself more with the laws and will of nature. The only place he ever feels truly free or safe are in the forests on the way to Pallaviel, where he can slip through the trees off the beaten path as if he were a fish in water.

My Story

Timber knew from an early age that he loved the forest. He loved to gather berries with his father to preserve into jams, or to sneak about with his mother as she was on the hunt for dinner. It was a nice, quiet life in Ardenfeld. Timber was naive and loyal to all the others as best as he could be, being on the younger end and only 8 at the time of the raid. He would do anything for his friends, especially if it meant he would take the brunt of any scoldings or punishments. He hated seeing them in trouble. It was his job to be the one in trouble.

No one ever claimed Timber, and he couldn't really blame them. He was a scrawny weak kid in the orphanage, and was timid and unsociable to strangers. The last strangers he had seen took everything from him. He only had his friends, who one by one left him as well. So when time came to leave the orphanage, Timber decided he would try to make his way in the forest. He ended up wandering, gathering just enough to keep himself trudging on. It was winter, and the snow chilled him to the bone. He was weary and dizzy and just a few months older than 14 when he found a dying fire in the woods, a clear sign someone was camping. There was a bedroll that seemed to be stuffed and covered by some traveller. The traveller had even left some rabbit cooking and burning over the fire. It was a shame to be wasteful, so Timber crept up and devoured what he could. As he finished his small feast, he turned his gaze to the bedroll and saw a middle-aged man pointing a hand crossbow at the boy. This man, known as Dain, couldn't bring himself to shoot the starving boy. But there was no way the smuggler was going to let some wandering tabaxi spill the fact that he was using the forest to smuggle things in and out of Pallaviel. So, a deal had to be made.

Timber didn't have much of a say, as Dain kept reminding him. Timber owed Dain a life debt for saving him from starving in those woods. Dain worked on behalf of a criminal organization known as the Crimson Claw that specialized in the procurement and transport of illicit goods. And so Dain took to teaching Timber all he knew about travelling carefully through the forest to smuggle goods. And beyond this, Dain taught Timber how to survive in the wild if the law ever seemed to be catching wind of their work. They would smuggle art pieces or small relics throughout the land, usually running them up to Pallaviel where they could be fenced to the elite. But Dain and Timber didn't just smuggle. When Timber was seventeen and already proficient with a bow and his swords, Dain accompanied his apprentice on a more volatile task. They tracked and hunted down a former member of the Crimson Claw who was trying to make off with a valuable painting. Of course, Timber and Dain knew the forest like the back of their hands, and Dain forced Timber to take the shot. As Timber watched in horror at what he had done, Dain looked pleased.

"We are even, Timber. You're one of us now. Don't ever forget it."

For the last year, Timber has only worked a handful of jobs for the Crimson Claw to keep himself afloat. Dain has been letting Timber work on his own, giving Timber assignments here and there and moving into the roll of a fixer within the organization. Timber has been preparing and gathering basic supplies to get ready to make his way back to Ardenfeld, and preparing himself to face his friends again.

Going Foward

Timber is ashamed deeply for his past actions. He has been forced into service to the Crimson Claw because of his perceived debt to Dain... but now is bound to the organization by blackmail regarding his murder of a former member. The relationship between Timber and the Crimson Claw is purely professional, and Timber very much is hoping for a way out. He does not want to turn to the Claw, but has always found himself relying upon their support to keep himself afloat for the past four years. Regarding his friends, Timber wants nothing more than for them to not know what he has been involved with. He has not made direct contact with any, but would almost certainly put out feelers about their whereabouts and well-being indirectly through his contacts. He wants to ensure that they succeed in their futures, and he has a deep yearning desire to hunt down and stop the bandits who ruined their lives. Timber doesn't think about his own future too much, but does see the best outcome as one where he is free from the bonds of the Crimson Claw and living in the forest like he was always meant to. He fears nothing more than being under the Crimson Claw's thumb for the rest of his life. But despite being considered "even" by Dain, he can't help but think his debt will never be considered unpaid. And that's not something Timber wants to think about for too long.

Decided to go for it. The challenge of using almost entirely the PHB was fun to make a few character concepts, but Timber seemed to be the most interesting concept personally. Vague criminal organization connections, but most importantly just a guy with a bow who likes the woods felt the most appropriate for a low-magic setting.

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

Well if we're all providing updates, Spider-Man is locked up with two posts in the works at the moment, both collabs of sorts.

RETRO Slice of Life - 1988

Morning

---

Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he took another drag from the cigarette dangling from his lips, his hands occupied with pouring a dash of bourbon into his morning coffee. He then quickly screwed on the lid and stored it in the bottom drawer of his desk. Splayed out on his desk was the same drivel everyone else seemed to love to hate. His eyes scanned over the pages as he put out his cigarette on a freestanding ash tray next to his chair. As expected, most of the Gulf Gab was useless trash. He was just glad he wasn't reading his own name in the rumors and rants. But the very end caught his attention. Seemed the pretentious busybody running the paper had a particular disdain for some "Princess" and her band. Tony leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of his coffee. There was only one band of misfits he could think of that matched the description, and they were just the sort of sound that Tony needed for the Ballroom. He quickly scribbled down "Sena - Miami Rebellion" on a post-it before standing up and smacking it next to the thirty other notes left ignored on the cork board in his office. One of these days he'd get around to doing something proactive, instead of just keeping the business afloat.

Former MLB star Tony Rossi stepped out of his office into his new domain: the dimly lit arena of screaming children and electronic tunes that was Frankie's Arcade. He did his best not to grimace at the sight as he made his way to the front counter. He was sporting neon green shorts, a plain white t-shirt, and an unbuttoned red Hawaiian shirt. He dodged his way through the excited kids and teenagers trying their best to top the score boards on any number of cabinets. When he got to the front counter, he gave a nod to the recently graduated zit-faced teen who was holding down the fort. "How're we doing today, Randy?"

The teenage boy gave a half-hearted smile to his boss. He was wearing a white shirt, black tie, and khakis... and was very noticeably sweating through them as the AC was not working nearly hard enough to keep up with the heat generating in the arcade. Tony almost felt bad for making the kid wear a "uniform" as he was working there this summer to help pay for college in the fall, but this would build some character in the scrawny nerd before he shipped off to FSU. "We could be doing worse, sir. The Alvarez kids were bickering and causing problems again hogging the Pac-Man cabinet. Maybe you could...?"

The question, while unfinished, was clear as Tony sighed and chugged his coffee, tossing the cup in the trash behind the counter as he shot Randy a displeased glare. The kid was going to have to learn to deal with conflict one of these days... but until then, it was Tony's business. The owner stepped around the counter and made a b-line for the deepest part of the arcade, where he saw four kids huffing and whining while two boys were standing side by side at the Pac-Man machine. Tony walked over and rested an arm against the side of the cabinet as he cleared his throat, the two boys standing up a bit straighter but not letting their eyes or attention waver from the intense game. "You two enjoying the game?"

The two boys gave enthusiastic nods as they continued playing. Tony sighed. "Look, I don't know what your parents have been teaching you boys, but you need to start learning to share with other people and not just each other." Tony knew the boys were barely listening, so he took a step behind the cabinet and leaned down to quickly flick a small switch he had installed in the back of the cabinet. The whole machine quickly reset, with the intense game giving way to the title animations.

The two boys were silent for a moment, before their ear piercing cries were heard in this part of the campaign. Tony took a step towards them and crouched down to their level, pulling out two quarters from his pocket and holding them out to the Alvarez brothers. "Go find another cabinet, or wait for the others in line to have a turn, alright?"

The two boys scowled at Tony for a moment, whispered some mild swears in Spanish to each other, and snatched the two quarters as they went searching for another game to play. The kids in line smiled at Tony, who just simply nodded his head in acknowledgement as he wandered his way back to the counter where Randy was trying to look busy. "I've got a couple errands to run before lunch, I'm trusting you with the place while I'm gone. Remember, offer a couple quarters and use the switch if there are any more disputes. Ciao."

Before Randy could even respond, Tony was out the door and on the streets of Delta City.

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

"Have the treatments been working, Mr. Masters."

February 2013, Moscow Symphony Orchestra... the opening of Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony. A violent and explosive beginning... sixth floor, red door.

Tony Masters seamlessly floated down the narrow hallway and through the now open doorway in his memory palace as the music grew louder and louder. As he entered in, he felt a loss of control over his perception. He was back in his body once again, younger certainly. He was wearing a suit, the faint sound of the music floating in through the vent vent in the bathroom. Masters looked at his own reflection in the mirror as he screwed the silencer onto his pistol. A familiar voice came in over his earpiece.

"Turgenov has taken the bait, and is in motion to answer the call. You've got to move now. I would recommend putting that memory of yours to use... give him a classic Romanoff takedown."

Masters watched himself smile in his reflection as he paused, waiting for the footsteps outside the bathroom to grow louder. Masters waited until he could hear the frantic man softly speaking Russian stomp past the door before quickly stepping into the hallway. What he wasn't expecting was the blonde woman in a cocktail dress that was trailing his target. The woman had her hand in her purse as her eyes met Masters' for only a moment. In a match of pure instinct, the two agents aimed their sidearms at each other. Before the barrels of their respective guns could hover over the chest of their targets, the two lifted their off hand and swiftly disarmed each other. With their guns swapped, the two matched stance and speed as they aimed their weapons.

"Ah, American. CIA or SHIELD?"

"FSB or Red Room?"

The memory froze in place as Taskmaster felt questions swarm his mind. What was I even looking for? Red Room? That's Widow's past... or was it SHIELD? Who was SHIELD?

"Well, Mr. Masters? You seem lost in thought."

"It works... but the problem is knowing what I'm looking for. The music helps find a memory,
but once I'm there, I don't know where I'm supposed to go next."

"Then let's focus on something fresh. Your assistant said you were out of town this weekend.
We could try starting there? Start up your playlist from the last song you listened to?"

The music stopped, and a new song kicked in after a moment. Tony turned his head as he was back in the palace, and saw that the end of the hallway didn't appear to be the same sort of door that the rest of the rooms in the mansion were. It seemed to be a bay door opening downward, and Taskmaster began running towards it. The opening on the other side was silvery white, and Taskmaster realized it was the moon as he jumped out the back of the AC-130, closing his eyes as he made himself as narrow as possible as he dove head first towards the ground. He heard a feminine voice in his ear barking out his distance from the ground every few seconds. Tony realized as he fell into the darkness of the clouds below that he didn't even know why he was here anymore. Or who he was... who was he?

As he felt the air rush past him, he remembered an airport... maybe? Planes flying back and forth. Theatrics. Prop planes and jets. Golden and black parachutes. Was that him? No, couldn't be. He was on the ground. But he saw the moves through binoculars. The muscle memory... of course.

He was the Taskmaster.

_{Location: Berlin - Germany}

Reflections #1.01: 99 Luftballons

---

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: None

Right this moment, Tony Masters had a goal: land. His HUD highlighted a rooftop location, and Taskmaster readjusted himself accordingly to dive towards it. The voice in his ear kept repeating his height, but she dared not to scream for him to open his chute. She knew that he wasn't really listening. He was running on autopilot. At the last conceivable moment he pulled his parachute and immediately pulled his chute out into a tight aerial spin to lower his momentum, responding with two more in succession. The rooftop rapidly approached, and Taskmaster leveled out at the last second to pull just out above the designated spot. As soon as his boots touched the ground, Taskmaster pulled his black parachute in tight and removed the harness to stow the material out of eyesight from the street below. Within a moment, Taskmaster lifted a finger towards his ear. "Operative has touched down. Awaiting instructions."

"1 minute until shift change. Target is a terminal with encrypted data, exact location unknown."

Taskmaster walked to the edge of the Berlin rooftop to eye the warehouse across the street. He readjusted his Armored gloves, his eyes scanning over the scene from behind a skeletal face mask. Thirteen guards manning the side lot, covering the only entrance or exit into the warehouse... no, safe house. Taskmaster tapped the side of his helmet, magnifying his vision to focus on the neck of one of the street Thugs. His HUD highlighted over the fringes of the tattoo peaking over the collar of the Thug's jacket, and then provided a secondary image showing the symbol the tattoo was based on: a dark circle with a multi-headed Serpent in the center. Taskmaster nodded in recognition as the term "Hydra" appeared over the image. Flashes of instant recognition fired in Taskmaster's synapses as his muscles worked on their own. He removed a compressed bow from his belt and pumped his arm to expand it to its full size. He produced an arrow from a small holster on his right calf and tapped the knock against a small grapple on his belt. After attaching one end to the wall next to the roof access door behind him, Taskmaster fired the line arrow down towards the opposite rooftop. "Line set. Why am I stealing from my former employers?"

"I don't know, TM. You created this contract."

Taskmaster didn't have time to ponder the revelation as a small clicking sound in his ear signified the minute had passed. He collapsed the bow with one hand as another produced a small metal handle that attached to the zip line. Within a moment the Mercenary was sailing through the air as his free hand grasped onto three bat-shaped shuriken between his knuckles. With a flick of the wrist, the projectiles aimed true to impact against the flood lights in the parking lot to plunge the area into darkness as the moon's light was obscured by heavy cloud cover.

The thugs lifted their guns at the sudden change in light, and the Taskmaster drank in their fear from the shadows of the rooftop. He pressed a small button on the side if his mask to switch to night vision. He tapped his left wrist guard to reveal a small wrist mounted bow, knocking two small arrows and letting them loose to strike two separate Thugs in the northwest corner. They wouldn't be able to reveal much as they were busy choking on steel and their own blood, but they did helplessly fire their automatic weapons into the air. The Thugs turned their attention away from Taskmaster's location in response, giving the Mercenary an opportunity to jump down into the shadows of the parking lot.

Taskmaster produced a knife from his belt and moved swiftly, his footsteps silent and mirroring the movements of his scared prey... a little trick from the League of Shadows. One quick slice along the jugular and two stabs in the chest to puncture the left and right lung. The first thug didn't have any breath or energy to scream for help by the time Taskmaster had moved on to his best friend only a few paces away. The rest of the guards didn't notice something was wrong until seven in total were down for the count. With half their number gone, the remaining guards in the center of the parking lot recoiled at the sight of their adversary and raised their weapons. Taskmaster pulled his shield over his shoulder into his arm to intercept the hail of gunfire, rushing forward. He charged into one of the guards to catapult him backwards into a secondary guard while pulling out his sword into his main hand. Bullets were caught by the shield as the Taskmaster cut through the guards still standing, tearing through blood and flesh like paper. Once they were dispatched, Taskmaster twisted in the air to launch his shield back towards the guards he had charged into, who were getting back to their feet. The disk bounced off one of their skulls into the head of the other, and the sickening crunch confirmed their deaths as the Taskmaster caught his returning shield. He slung it over his shoulder as he reached a finger up to his ear. "Perimeter secure. That's got to be a record."

"Not even close, Operative. Stay on target."

Taskmaster nodded as he slung the shield back into place on his back and flicked the blood off his sword before sheathing it. He knelt down next to one of the dead guards, his visor scanning his face as he pulled his hood back. Lights on the mask began to shift and create a holographic image of the deceased guard. Taskmaster rolled a finger over his left gauntlet as footage of his observation of the parking lot rewound. With a few quick taps, he isolated the voice of the guard speaking to his comrades. After a couple of taps, Taskmaster plucked the guard's rifle from his dead hands and stalked towards the entrance. He slammed the butt of the rifle into the metal door, and an slit opened as the inside guard peeked out.

"Hail Hydra." Taskmaster's voice modulated inside the helmet and shifted into a recreation of the guard's voice in German.

"Hail Hydra. What was with the shooting?"

"Franz got scared shitless by a bat. I need to piss, mind letting me in?"

"Do it quick, before the officers get back."

Taskmaster nodded, and the door opened. He slipped inside and quickly bashed the hard end of the rifle into the guard's temple as the disguise faded and Taskmaster stood in front of five guards lounging about at the security checkpoint. Everyone stood still for a moment as Taskmaster's eyes darted around around room. Five vs one was hardly fair for the five when the one had the training of the Punisher... and had his hands on a loaded gun. As the Hydra guards reached for their weapons, Taskmaster swung the rifle in an arc while pressing down on the trigger. Blood sprayed against the back wall as the guards all fell limp. Taskmaster tossed the weapon aside as he tapped a small button on his gauntlet. "What is my objective here..."

Almost as if in response, text scrolled along the side of his HUD. <Objective: Copy SHIELD intercept files to ghost drive from terminal on sublevel 3. Delete all evidence.>

Taskmaster nodded, unholstering the sidearm from his side as he pushed deeper into the facility.

"Whatever you say... me."

Sensation & Wonder: An Absolute Comics Roleplay [DC & Marvel One Universe Style Game]

I have something I want to work on App wise but I'm going to sit on it as I don't have the time. How does everything think this is going? I know the pace has slowed but I think we're at quite a healthy place right now.

@Sep

Yeah, I've been slower to post than I would like. But dedication and interest doesn't seem to have slowed much. I have posts in the works that will drop this week once I'm back home.