The Super Hero RP Deluxe! (Closed, Started)

[TheNaut131]

The Crick

The Crick came soaring down, landing hard in front of Sirius and putting his arm up. A riot shield quickly folded out from his forearm, blocking the shadow-powered shotgun blast. The Crick staggered backwards slightly. Where did this guy get those guns from? He looked down, noticing the pennies clattering around his feet, a faint black shimmer steaming off them. The Crick looked up, finally realizing the shadows weren't shadows, like he'd initially thought early, when he was watching and listening to the scene unfold from a distance.

The shadows sounded weird. Like and infinite mass of...nothing. Like an empty room that stretched on for eternity, but had that high-pitched noise that came with it. Nails moving across and endless chalkboard. with the faint sound of...screaming?

"Hey Donnie Darko, that's a neat trick you got there but it ain't exactly fair against an unarmed opponent."

The Crick looked back at Sirius. He thought he'd recognized the voice. This guy was showing up more and more, was he trying to 'go hero'? He quickly shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the problem at hand.

"Look, I wanted to go for a walk, clear my head, play some Crossy Roads on my phone, you know chill. But you don't seem like the kinda guy to just yield easily and I've had up to hear with the supernatural. So, how bout me and my friend...Grey-haired man, bring you in?"

 

[IFS]

Tess

"And I wouldn't challenge martial users to a fist-fight that easily, if I were you."

And he knows martial arts, interesting not many heroes around here seem to bother to learn them. Or villains for that matter, I wonder what he practices. This didn't seem to intimidate the villain though, who seemed to create coin firing shotguns out of his shadows, only to be blocked by the sudden arrival of the Crick. Wonder if he's going to invite Sirius into his super-club as well. Needs to work on his names though, Grey-haired man? Come on.

Still this was proving quite amusing, though at the moment she saw no reason to step in. At the moment it was far more entertaining to be a bystander than to be a hero or a villain, besides she didn't have a costume with her to be anything else.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tom

The movie proved quite enjoyable, and Tom had to restrain himself repeatedly from pointing out various references to the comics as he watched. George seemed to enjoy it quite a bit as well, and he was sure Tim was having fun, if rooting for the villain the whole time. All too soon though they were leaving the theater, Tom munching on the last of the popcorn that was left.

"Well what did you guys think?" he said.

"It was fun," George said "th-thanks for bringing us out here."

 

[DarkRawen]

Tim Merridy

"Well what did you guys think?"

"It was fun, th-thanks for bringing us out here."

"I liked the first one better, had a more fun villain," Tim replied, rubbing his arm. It had gotten quite stiff from him being unable to move it much, though the itching was definitely the worst part of the whole "cast" experience.

Only a few days now... I wonder if I could remove it myself, I mean, it's only supposed to be on this long so that it's perfectly healed, right?

"Even so, I don't think it's completely totally garbage. It was enjoyable," he grinned, pushing away his thoughts about getting away from the bandages. If he really was going to take the chance, he'd rather not let it become apparent. Perhaps he could surprise Tom, considering that the other would assume he was keeping them on until his doctor's appointment.

It'd be perfect. And, with the people of the city thinking the heroes are bad guys... I could ruin his reputation.

Innocently, he looked at George, and back at Tom. He figured he would have to say something to not appear as if he was scheming.

"Also, before I forget, I think I had a question... oh, yeah, the two of you, how'd you become friends? With George being all quiet and cute, and Tom being a noisy comic-book fanboy, you've got to have something in common."

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Sirius Hamilton

It seemed like Sirius' shock had been too gentle, and the bad guy quickly got back up. It had become rather clear that this was the robber, why else would he act like this?

That means I won't have to go easy on him either.

"I'll hafta keep that in mind,"

the stranger said, and the shadows crept up his arms again. Sirius raised his hands, ready to apply another dose of "shock-therapy", only to realize too late that the other was forming guns this time. Reverting back to his state of no emotions, Sirius attempted to cancel the power, but it soon became clear that he had acted too slowly, the guns were already fully formed by the time he tried to cancel it. Since the things being shot at him were coins, he was powerless to stop them. His only choice was to step back and try to get out of the way, and as he was about to dodge, someone jumped in front of him.

"Hey Donnie Darko, that's a neat trick you got there but it ain't exactly fair against an unarmed opponent. Look, I wanted to go for a walk, clear my head, play some Crossy Roads on my phone, you know chill. But you don't seem like the kinda guy to just yield easily and I've had up to here with the supernatural. So, how bout me and my friend...Grey-haired man, bring you in?"

"I'm not grey-haired," Sirius replied, a bit insulted. "And I'm not a hero, so I don't need a title," he continued, backing away a little more and to the side. However, rather than running away, he went back to the mixed emotions state, feeling a bit more amused -he wondered why Tess was amused, though- and fired an electric bolt. He was aiming at the bad guy from a direction unblocked by the power ranger, and suddenly ran towards the bad guy as well, hoping to tackle him and take him by surprise.

 

[hiei82]

Theodore​

"...thanks for treating us like this." Ivaan said. Theodore just smiled and replied "It's my pleasure."

A few minutes later, Theodore was done looking through the menu and placed his order. The conversation wandered to several odd topics - weather, plans, etc - before Theodore broached his secondary topic. "So, before we get too deep into the party mood, there's an item I'd like to discuss with all of you. As I'm sure you know, Summerfest is coming up. Loveless Media is looking for people to put on stage and I was wondering if you'd be interested in performing. It's going to be on one of the off days and not the ideal time slot, but it's still on the main stage and it's still the biggest day in music here in the city. You don't need to give me an answer today, but please think it over." Theodore said.

Then his soup arrived and the famished radio host dug into it.

Mina​

Mina took notes on all of the ideas the doctor offered and added them where necessary to the drafts. The ideas were solid and bore testing out. Still, she was certain others would be sure to take advantage of the information to improve the design.

"Thank Dr. Schwertner. I will come by occasionally for further input. If there are any design problems you'd like fresh eyes looking at, send me the draft and the problem to be solved and I'll see the engineers and scientists take a look. In the mean time, I'll see about expediting your special equipment. Now, unless there's anything you need from me. I have other meetings and projects to attend to." Mina said, casting the doctor a questioning glance.

 

[Lunar Templar]

As the food arrived Loveless made then band an offer, and as Bom and Ivaan dug, along with Theo, Rias gave the only answer she really could "I wanna say 'yes, of course' but we do need to run it by Claire first, she is kind of the boss. I'm pretty sure she'll say yes though." she said as her steak started cutting it self free of the bone.

"I'm sure she, as well as us, are concerned about a repeat of the festival." Rias paused for a second, like she was thinking about something. "By the way, why is Coil getting so much attention? I mean it's not even 'cause she's new' it's more like 'she's the only one anyone talks about' and I KNOW Unicorn is out there doing stuff. Had to take her to the hospital after the Blimp exploded."

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]Jack Crosby[/HEADING]

"Hey Donnie Darko, that's a neat trick you got there but it ain't exactly fair against an unarmed opponent. Look, I wanted to go for a walk, clear my head, play some Crossy Roads on my phone, you know chill. But you don't seem like the kinda guy to just yield easily and I've had up to hear with the supernatural. So, how bout me and my friend...Grey-haired man, bring you in?"

"Unarmed?" The Shadow Rider asked jovially, arms wide in accusation. "Looks like he's got two perfectly good arms to me. And you ain't bringin' me anywhere. Been locked up once already, it ain't my scene, know what I mean? So I'll tell ya what, Skippy. You an' your friend, the Human Bug-Zapper over there, can go find an old lady to help across the street or someth-"

Suddenly a bolt of lightning was headed right for Jack. His Shadow formed a misshapen shield in a hurry and absorbed the bolt, though there was a residual tingling the Shadow Rider felt in his arm. He peered over the shield and saw the redhead running at him. "Whoa-ho-ho," Jack guffawed at the man's shot. "Well look who's fightin' dirty now." With a push, he extended the black mass straight at his opponent. A black chain kept it tethered while the solid Shadow hurtled through the air.

[HEADING=3]Dr. Schwertner[/HEADING]

"Thank Dr. Schwertner. I will come by occasionally for further input. If there are any design problems you'd like fresh eyes looking at, send me the draft and the problem to be solved and I'll see the engineers and scientists take a look. In the mean time, I'll see about expediting your special equipment. Now, unless there's anything you need from me. I have other meetings and projects to attend to."

"Und sank you, Ms. Fukao," Vinzenz nodded. "Sis meeting vas...refreshing. If I should sink of anysing, I vill be sure to send a request. But for now, please, don't let me keep you from your duties."

 

[IFS]

Tom and George

"Also, before I forget, I think I had a question... oh, yeah, the two of you, how'd you become friends? With George being all quiet and cute, and Tom being a noisy comic-book fanboy, you've got to have something in common."

"Uh, I think we met in a class or something?" Tom said, trying to remember "we go to the same university after all."

"Y-you weren't watching where you were going and knocked me over," George said "you were really sorry and since I was new offered to show me around campus."

"Oh yeah! That was it!" Tom said "then we met again in line for a movie right?"

"Y-yeah I think so," George said, then paused suddenly realizing he had been called cute by Tim and looked away awkwardly for a few moments.

"S-so how did you two meet?" George asked, mainly directing the question at Tim "like did you learn you had a brother from the adoption agency or something?"

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tess

"And I'm not a hero, so I don't need a title,"

Oh better and better, though really he sorta is a hero given that he's jumped to help people every time I've seen him. And yet he's emotionless, sorta, why does he do it then? Might have to ask him later. The villain Sirius was fighting suddenly went on the offensive, flinging out a shadowy chain though, somewhat surprising Tess who turned to see how Sirius and Crick would react.

The villain was outnumbered after all, at this point it would be smartest to run away. Crick would be able to pursue but at least one of them would stay to help the victim, evening the odds again. Man some villains are just as stupid as heroes huh?

 

[DarkRawen]

Tim Merridy

"S-so how did you two meet? Like did you learn you had a brother from the adoption agency or something?"

"Hah, no," Tim grinned. He hadn't noticed George looking away, but the idea of getting to know about it from an adoption agency seemed ridiculous, considering how it had happened.

"We just ran into each other. Or rather, we both ran over to a certain famous individual, and met, a couple of weeks ago. Then, we met as friends, but I couldn't help but think that something was off, so I asked my parents, and bam, we're twins. It was the weirdest coincidence ever," he explained, not taking his eyes off the sky. He spoke almost absent-mindedly, it was a good effect.

"Of course, then that happened, and a weird coincidence turned out to be more like a destiny, as if we were supposed to meet again like this. Odd, right?" He chuckled. Tom would get the latter part, but George wouldn't, and he liked keeping it a bit secret. After all, he was a villain and a criminal, but that didn't mean he'd break the special rules around a secret identity.

Not even I would stoop that low.

Revealing someone's secret identity was beyond morals and the law, it was the "code", to be unbroken. Besides, it removed a lot of the fun.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Sirius Hamilton

"Well look who's fightin' dirty now."

"I never said I was aiming for a fair fight," Sirius replied, and stepped away. He used small movements to get out of the way, and around the villain, trying to grab him. As he did, he sent electricity out around them, it would be unsafe to step closer, and the stranger could definitely feel some of it, stinging and hurting. Sirius himself didn't feel it, but according to his father it was not that bad. Then again, Sirius no longer aimed to harm the stranger.

I think it should be safe to try to take him in unharmed. Especially if a trained hero is here.

"Come on, give up," he finally said. "You're just wasting everyone's time by now." What he didn't mention, however, was that he was trying to make sure the villain didn't go after the hurt driver or Coil.

 

[hiei82]

Theodore​

"I'm sure she, as well as us, are concerned about a repeat of the festival." Rias said, drawing a nod from Theodore. "Take your time; just let me know regardless." he said. Given how crazy things had been lately, he could hardly fault their caution. The business with the last festival and Psyclone in general had been utterly unmanageable; even for the heroes. Hence, prudence.

However, what Rias said after got him thinking. "By the way, why is Coil getting so much attention? I mean it's not even 'cause she's new' it's more like 'she's the only one anyone talks about' and I KNOW Unicorn is out there doing stuff. Had to take her to the hospital after the Blimp exploded." It was a fair assessment... but why? Thedore quickly responded with a "I don't really know; not my shows.", but the point stuck to him. For the remainder of the meal, the comment hung in Theodore's mind even as the conversation moved to different topics.

Toward the end of the meal, it hit him. Coil WAS the point! Psyclone and everything that happened served to build up Coil as a true hero even as the others failed in the public eye. Even The Crick who a week ago would have been untouchable was now tarnished. So, the question was really "who benefited from Coil succeeding while other heroes failed?". The answer was obvious... but unprovable.

When the bill came, Theodore put his money (plus a very generous tip) on the table and turned to the group. "Thank you for coming Ms. DeDannan." he said, before similarly addressing the rest of the small group. "Let's do this again sometime. The conversation was quite enlightening." he said, smiling slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me; I have a great deal of research to do."

Once the pleasantries were done, Theodore made his way onto the street. He hardly made it a block before sending The Crick a message. "C, it's T. I think I've made some progress into the Psyclone investigation. I'm heading to track down some leads and see what I can dredge up. There's nothing solid yet, but do me a favor and keep an eye on Coil. I don't know for certain, but I think she's very near the center of all this whether she knows it or not."

Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, Theodore took a short smoke before making his first move.

"Siri, google 'Mina Fukau'"

 

[TheNaut131]

The Crick

The Crick watched in as electricity arched around Sirius, keeping 'Shadow Man' (as The Crick had decided to name him) at bay. This guy was getting more interesting by the second...he hadn't used any of those powers at the festival though. He needed to have a word with him sooner or later.

"Come on, give up," he finally said. "You're just wasting everyone's time by now."

"I'd listen to the man." The Crick said, releasing his fiddlers and having them silently rotate around the man.

"It's two against one, you're out-manned and out-gunned."

The Crick could hear the haggered, faint breathing nearby, Shadow Man's victim, but he could also hear someone else's breathing attending to them.

"But if you want to discuss these terms, we can gladly take this somewhere else."

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]Jack Crosby[/HEADING]

"Come on, give up. You're just wasting everyone's time by now."

Jack reeled at the sensation at another electric shock. He was prepared to charge the man with all the force his powers would permit, but the man in the exo-suit had released a few drones that were revolving around him.

"I'd listen to the man. It's two against one, you're out-manned and out-gunned. But if you want to discuss these terms, we can gladly take this somewhere else."

As much as he'd like to keep up the fight, and as much as the cloudy overhang would permit, Jack's Shadow wasn't at its full potential. It would be stupid to try to take them both on now. "Nah, ya don't seem like a fun guy to talk to," said the Shadow Rider. "But I'm sure you and the Walking Joy Buzzer can swap party crashin' tips. I'm outta here."

Jack's Shadow materialized beneath him, the handlebars of his bike solidifying in his closed fists. He revved the engine and peeled out, the tires flinging the loose coins from the pavement as it turned. "Keep the change!" The Shadow Rider shouted back before he sped off down the road.

 

[IFS]

Tom and George

"Of course, then that happened, and a weird coincidence turned out to be more like a destiny, as if we were supposed to meet again like this. Odd, right?"

"Right, destiny," Tom said, rolling his eyes.

"So what was it like learning you have a brother?" George asked "I remember really wanting siblings when I was younger..."

"More trouble than its worth," Tom joked, then paused to think "nah, its weird I guess, sorta like having a friend who looks like me I guess."

George nodded and turned to Tim to see what his answer might be.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tess

Tess hadn't quite expected the shadow bike, but it made for a decent conclusion to the fight. Sirius, unless he could also fly or something, would not be able to give chase, though the Crick might be able to. Smarter than I thought if he kept that ace up his sleeve.

"I guess he wanted to take it somewhere else," Tess said, lowering her voice to disguise it somewhat from the Crick. Can't have him figuring out my secret identity, not with what I'm going to have to do soon enough.

She glanced at Sirius, wondering what he was going to do now. The victim seemed like he'd be fine, maybe require a trip to the emergency room for a check over, so there wasn't too much need for her to hang around. In fact she felt she should leave before more people started arriving, though she couldn't exactly leave Sirius alone now that he knew who she was. She grabbed a small rock from the ground and using her power caused it to crack itself into the shape of a phone number, before letting it scurry itself over to Sirius and into his shoe. That done she turned and left.

 

[DarkRawen]

Tim Merridy


"Right, destiny."

"Say what you will, non-believer. One day you'll get it," Tim snickered, making clear it was a joke. Mostly, anyways.

"So what was it like learning you have a brother? I remember really wanting siblings when I was younger..."

"More trouble than its worth. Nah, its weird I guess, sorta like having a friend who looks like me I guess."

Tim looked back and forth the two as they spoke, then realized that George was looking for an reply from him as well. Rubbing his neck, he shrugged.

"Well, it was weird. Like, super-weird, it still somehow feels like a movie. Besides, we're not that similar, Tom is like, fatter, and not as clever. Of course," he used his one good hand to suddenly embrace Tom, boldy.

"But he's got some good points too. He's a lot nicer, and trustworthy, and doesn't get into as much trouble, right Tom? You're a good guy, I may tease, but I honestly mean that." Before Tom could reply, Tim let go of him, chuckling to himself.

"I'll see you later, Tom, George. I've got something to do, you see." He raised his bandaged arm, indicating that he was going to get the cast removed. What he didn't tell them, however, was that he was going to do it himself, because, quite frankly, he was sick of the whole being hurt thing.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Sirius Hamilton

"Nah, ya don't seem like a fun guy to talk to. But I'm sure you and the Walking Joy Buzzer can swap party crashin' tips. I'm outta here."

Sirius decided not to try to run after the motorcyclist. It wasn't that he didn't want the bad guy to get caught, but he couldn't catch up to a vehicle. Besides, there was an actual hero there who had appeared all out of nowhere, surely the masked -helmeted?- Crick would do a better job.

"Keep the change!"

What was that, though?

There was a bit of curiosity and shock remaining, though there was something... else. Sirius ignored the remark, however, and turned off his connection to Coil. Instead, he addressed Crick.

"Mr. Cricket, you can follow him if you want to. I'm going to stay here and---" he turned towards where Coil had been, and tilted his head. She was gone.

I wonder why she was in such a hurry.

"... Keep an eye on the hurt man, I suppose. You can pursue the bad guy, if you want to." He started walking over to the driver, but stopped, an annoying feeling in one of his feet. Apparently a rock had rolled into his shoe, and he bent down to remove it. As he did, he noticed the number on it.

Was this Coil? Is this... her number?

How? And how had she made it appear in his shoes? An enigma, surely. Sitting down next to the driver, taking a quick look, he decided that the other would do better getting a check-up at an emergency-room. Supporting the driver as they walked, he felt at the rock, safely nested in his pocket.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]

Sunday Morning in Neutropolis​

[/HEADING]

The sky was clear and the wind was a comfortable cool coming from the sea when it all began. The sun had only just risen and was still low on the horizon. The day was just beginning; some citizens were out and about, but almost nothing was yet open. For the most part, the few people were the early risers who liked to exercise in the mornings. Because of this, most of them were gathered in the few "natural" places in the city, most notably Neutropolis City Park. It was a generally happy day with all the promise of staying that way.

Then it happened. In the center of Neutropolis City Park, at the "Fallen Heroes Memorial" where Neutropolis honored those heroes who gave their life for the good of the city, the first light turned on. It began to blink, it's rate increasing at an accelerating rate. Those directly around it had hardly a moment to react as the light stopped and an explosion ripped the statue apart from the inside, sending heavy blocks of concrete and steel sailing across the park and squashing those poor unfortunate fools unlucky enough to be in it's range.

Across the city, more such explosions boomed through. Then, before even the sirens of police and fire could raise the alarm, a voice rang out. "I trust I have your attention". The thickly-accented voice seemed to resonate though the entire city. "I am Aldric 'The Butcher' and I'm responsible for all the explosions to shake your fair city; including those that freed and killed the villainous Psyclone."

Understandably, the city was now alive in a panic of activity. Emergency personnel - police, fire, medical, and specially equipped - were racing through the city trying to contain the chaos however they could. "I have a little challenge for your "beloved" heroes. Throughout this city I've placed a number of my bombs, set so that one will go off randomly every fifteen minutes. Some are little more than firecrackers, others are a bit more substantial. One is a city killer of my own design."

At the end of those words, the chaos became unstoppable. "Of course, I'd like to keep this a fair game. I know where all the bombs are. I'm on Station Island in the old immigration port. If you can beat me at my game, I'll tell you where they are." he said before adding "Good luck heroes". With that, he turned around and faced the crowd of people all dressed like him with bombs strapped to their chests and forced to stand still else risking the bomb explodes.

Theodore & Mina​

While others may have been concerned with what was going on, Theodore wasn't. Not because he wouldn't be, but because he didn't know. Hours earlier, his investigation had taken him to a large office building downtown where he thought he might find answers. After a little bit of planning, he'd made the decision to break in and see what he could find. His investigation had taken him deep underground and far outside easy contact with the outside world.

 

[TheNaut131]

Terry

The Crick had attempted to keep up with the shadow biker, following him down a few side streets before losing him as the sun set. When you can manipulate of shadows, blending into them must be as easy as breathing, he thought to himself. He'd decided not to go to his apartment and repair whatever he could in the...Cricket Cave? Hero's Holdout? It didn't matter really, he'd never really had a reason to call everyone down here. Never really needed to coordinate for anything...hopefully they'd never had to.

Theodore was still making in their investigation but Terry had pretty much exhausted all he could with Psyclone. It was clear that this was some plot to build down the heroes and that Coil was centered around it, whether she knew it or not, Theodore had alluded to that much in the message. It was just another question in sea of confusion.

Ultimately, all Terry had on anyone specific was the name "Al", thanks to Psyclone's arrogance.

"Dead end details from a dead man...fair enough." Terry thought as he finished putting things back together. The base looked right as rain.

He leaned back in a chair and let himself nod off. Tomorrow, he'd get back to work. Real hero work. So what if the public had an issue with him thanks to some bad press, he still had a job to do. Protecting the public. He'd do anything to uphold that.

Terry awoke to the sounds of explosions of ringing in his ears and rocking the city. The distance of the biggest explosion indicated it was Neutropolis City Park as he strapped into his suit and bounded to the nearest rooftop. A voice with a thick French accent rang out. The first few words hit him like a punch in the face.

"I am Aldric 'The Butcher' and I'm responsible for all the explosions to shake your fair city; including those that freed and killed the villainous Psyclone.

"Aldaric...Alda-AL!" Terry yelled. Terry listened to the man's "game" with intense irritation as he jumped back into the lair and sent out the call, first to Loveless and then the rest.

"Loveless, if you heaven't heard by now, I just figured out who "Al" is...we know part of their real game, we know they want to knock heroes down a peg and-look, they built up Psyclone's tyranny and then killed him. What if they're trying to do the same with Coil. Build up her good and then end it. The final nail in the coffin for heroes of Neutropolis. She's a good hero, probably an even better person and I don't want to see that happen to her. I'll keep you posted but head's up I'm calling in everyone...even her. I'm letting them all in on it and then...then we form a plan of attack. And we start ending this by getting a few answers."

He left Theodore the message, hoping he'd hear from him soon. He then switched over and contacted the heroes.

"I'm calling in everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. Even you Spectre if you're up for it. Any other heroes you're allied welcome to join in. Your communicators will guide you toward the base of operations. Yes, it's in the abandoned subway lines don't be alarmed or confused. I need to debrief you all on what's happening. What's really happening..."

Terry thought for a bit. Might as well let him on the codename he'd come up with.

"Deluxe protocol is in affect.Report in as immediately as possible. Team Deluxe, assemble!"

He hit send a shook his head slightly as he called up officer Wilkins and started organizing data on the computer terminals.

"Team Deluxe...it's cheesy but hey, morale is morale."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Rage, rage, against the dying of the light"

The park ranger rolled up to the site of the fire and investigated. The trees in the were mangled and burnt to a crisp, as if they'd been tossed around. As he got out, he was immediately hit with air burned of ash and flame but that was it. Not much propellant had been added to the campfire at the center of it. And yet, it had spread quickly. He figured high winds must've picked carried the fire and built it up. He leaned in to inspect it more thoroughly and noticed something strange.

The air and ground around him was still hot, almost to an abnormal point, and yet the remains of this camp fire was cold. As if it had been lit weeks ago...he looked around the site, as if expecting some kind of answer, but only found the poorly constructed tent burnt to a crisp. So, someone had been living out here...He walked back to his truck to call it in and drive back down the path. Ask about any reports of missing people and call up a fire crew to be on the safe side. As he walked over, the radio chattered with talks of terrorists and bombs going off in Neutropolis.

Same shit, different day.

He was half way to his truck when he noticed something. A boot print in the scorched Earth, smoke still billowing of it. And then another, and another, all heading towards his truck.

He heard the engine roar to life and watched as it tore down the path and back towards the ranger's cabin. Then onto the highway. And towards the city.

Smoke billowed out of the driver's seat all the way down.

 

[DarkRawen]

Specter

" ... Of course, I'd like to keep this a fair game. I know where all the bombs are. I'm on Station Island in the old immigration port. If you can beat me at my game, I'll tell you where they are."

The Specter hadn't had any radios on in his room, yet he heard this... What was his name? Butcher? Talk about his evil plans about blowing everything up. The murdered explained that he had been behind the explosion that killed Psyclone -and, by extension, had killed Frederick a second time- and that there would be an explosion every fifteen minute. He didn't understand that, he didn't understand any of this, not with a weary mind that hadn't gathered itself, and that had been drugged down to both help him sleep, and in an attempt from keeping him from using his powers in his sleep. The Specter sat up, slowly.

People'll get hurt.

That much he had understood despite his current fuzzy mind. He'd consider it, slowly, though he didn't get that much time to do so, as he heard something from his small bag of items, and picked up the old cell-phone-device he had received from the Crick long ago. It felt like a long time ago, at least.

"I'm calling in everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. Even you Spectre if you're up for it. Any other heroes you're allied welcome to join in. Your communicators will guide you toward the base of operations. Yes, it's in the abandoned subway lines don't be alarmed or confused. I need to debrief you all on what's happening. What's really happening... Deluxe protocol is in effect. Report in as immediately as possible. Team Deluxe, assemble!"

Team Deluxe is a ridiculous name.

The Specter thought, though he supposed there might be some worth in coming in. Even if his telekinesis was going haywire. With what had happened before, he sort of owed the Crick that. He didn't want to leave his body behind though, not again, not this time. If he did, he would be empty again, broken.

Instead, he raised his hand towards the camera in the room, and watched as it got destroyed by his telekinesis, and then scattered in the room. The first part had been intentional, but not the latter. Picking up the more whole of the masks, the tragedy mask and putting it on, he made himself invisible and left, he knew where the Crick's headquarters were and could make his way there from the hospital in no time, activating a couple of car alarms and breaking a window as he still struggled to keep his telekinesis calm. At least the other powers seemed okay, he found it easier to fly than to actually walk.

In less than five minutes, the Specter was in the base of operations, remembering that he had almost killed the Crick there, and therefore deciding to stay hidden for now.

______________________________________________________________________________________________


Tim Merridy

It took a couple of explosions for Tim to wake up, but when he did, he kept an eye on what was going on with what could be considered a morbid curiosity. Well, at least he heard this "Aldric" speak, then that curiosity turned into something more dire.

"I trust I have your attention. I am Aldric 'The Butcher' and I'm responsible for all the explosions to shake your fair city; including those that freed and killed the villainous Psyclone."

Of course he's French. Wouldn't be a nutty villain without a silly accent, after all.

Tim thought bitterly, he didn't like this. Bombs were... impersonal and far too destructive, one didn't know who could get killed or why. Cowardly.

"I have a little challenge for your "beloved" heroes. Throughout this city I've placed a number of my bombs, set so that one will go off randomly every fifteen minutes. Some are little more than firecrackers, others are a bit more substantial. One is a city killer of my own design. Of course, I'd like to keep this a fair game. I know where all the bombs are. I'm on Station Island in the old immigration port. If you can beat me at my game, I'll tell you where they are."

Fuck.

It wasn't that Tim didn't understand what being a villain was about, he did. However, getting rid of an entire city? Just for this mess? Just because it was some sort of game? That was fucked up, Tim wasn't that kind of villain. He refused to let some French guy murder a whole city. How many millions lived there?

This isn't going to go well.

However, he then overheard Tom speaking to someone on a phone-thingy, and tilted his head, getting closer as he heard the other voice speak.

"...Yes, it's in the abandoned subway lines don't be alarmed or confused. I need to debrief you all on what's happening. What's really happening... Deluxe protocol is in effect. Report in as immediately as possible. Team Deluxe, assemble!"

"Team Deluxe, huh?" Tim chuckled as he got closer, making sure that his voice couldn't get heard in the other end. Last he wanted was for "What kind of name is that? Anyways, get dressed and lets go to this totally not creepy hero meeting place," he urged Tom, almost dragging the other with him.

"As much as I'd like to stay behind and laugh at the lot of you, I don't want this place to get blown up either, where else would I fight heroes on such a scale? I'll help this Team Deluxe, but only this once, and only because it benefits me." He spoke in a way that made it clear he wasn't going to be some hero.

"So? Get up already, it's an emergency and your magnificently evil brother is offering to help you out, things are about to get really serious."

______________________________________________________________________________________________


Sirius Hamilton

" ... If you can beat me at my game, I'll tell you where they are."

Sirius had been awakened by the explosions, but it was not until he heard this Butcher speak he really woke up, his window opened slightly to make sure he could hear it. Tilting his head, he looked out the window. One of the explosions so far hadn't been too far from him, yet he couldn't bring himself to panic. Sometimes he wondered if his calm nature was going to get him killed, or worse.

Should I get out of here?

He asked himself, as he turned on the TV to see if he could see just how much damage had been done. It was already all over the TV, panic and hurt people, and people rushing to buses and cars, anything to get out of town. In not long, the streets would be filled with people trying to get away. The chaos would probably result in more people getting hurt too.

But what can I do?

He sighed, perhaps nothing. However, he tried to consider something, call Coil? No, she must already know about this, besides, what would that accomplish?

 

[TheNaut131]

The Crick

"Every fifteen minutes...every fifteen minutes..." The Crick muttered as he set up timers on stop watches in front of him. He knew gathering the other heroes here would burn time but this wasn't a situation where they could just jump into action and punch their opposition. They had to tread lightly be smart. Their weren't merely hostages, but hostages disguised as their kidnapper with bombs spread throughout the city. Even with all that, this entire situation was apart of some bigger plan.

A game of chess had been being played against them. A game where one of the sides was blindfolded and facing the wrong way for half the game.

Today the blindfold was coming off.

Or at least he hoped it was, he thought to himself as he leaped across the base and into his workshop. He grabbed a smaller project he'd been working on and strapped it into his suit. It folded and concealed itself on his back, blending in to the rest of the suit, covered by a set of panels on his back. He wasn't taking any chances after what had happened with the blimp. As he turned to enter the main area of the base once more, he stared at the storage unit for his main project. He was hoping he wouldn't need it, considering he hadn't had a chance to really test it, but...

"Set arrival mode for codename 'Jiminy'."

He walked back into the base, staring at the timer in his helmet's display. The Crick let out a sigh, but heard a slight 'whoosh' pass by as he said so. He chuckled slightly.

"Didn't expect you to show up so quickly Specter."

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]Daniel Luxe[/HEADING]

The morning began peacefully enough in the Winnfield's penthouse suite. Room service had just run up an order of eggs Benedict and enough orange juice and champagne for a considerable quantity of mimosas. Near one of the suite's many windows was a table on which this breakfast sat before Daniel, who was occupied with half-full glass and the screen of a tablet that displayed one of the local news stories. An armored truck was hit by a masked man who had the ability to materialize his shadow. Reckless, stupid, and desperate for money. Can't say I'm all that surprised.

Daniel prepared to take the first bite of his meal when the light of the first explosion's fire in the park. Then came the boom. It was followed by several more, most of which he could see from his suite. He raised his brow as the flashing lights and sirens of emergency vehicles soon after. There was chaos in the streets, and Daniel certainly hadn't expected anything of the sort to happen in this city. The demon returned his gaze to his tablet to see what reports were saying about the sudden bombings, averting his eyes as he took a moment to consider the nearly-empty bottle of champagne. I suppose ordering another might be in poor taste...

[HEADING=3]Jack Crosby[/HEADING]

There was a low rumble in the distance when the explosions began. They steadily grew louder, though Jack was fast asleep. At least until a nearby bomb blasted away the wall to his side of the apartment building. The floor below him started to collapse and he was still in the process of waking up, it happened so fast. When he fell, he landed on an exposed piece of rebar. The steel pushed up through his side, separating a pair of ribs. The pain hit him like a truck and pulled him from his stupor. He gasped sharply and wanted to cry out in pain but he was robbed of his voice and breath. If he could think of anything other than the agony of being impaled at the moment, he would probably find himself failing to recall a worse morning, though not for lack of trying...

 

[Lunar Templar]

Karen

Karen wasted no time flying off toward the base Crick had mentioned. "What the plan?" she asked as she walked into the base and laid eyes on Crick. Time was against them, so she was hoping Crick had something to justify the delay. Karen's mannerisms said she was still hurt from the explosion that killed Psyclone. Was little things like how she stood that hinted she was still not 100%


Rias

Rias just sat, stewing, and getting angry. The city hasn't even fully recovered from the last psycho path that tore through the city, now there's another one, and he's even worse then the last one. She made a call to her friends, her band, her bosses at the bar to make sure they where safe for now. She wasn't sure what else she could do right now.

 

[TheNaut131]

The Crick

"What the plan?" the winged hero waltzed in, obviously wondering what they were waiting on. She still appeared tense, probably still sore from their last bout with Psyclone. The Crick was as well, but Adrenaline and planning kept his mind and body focused.

"Unicorn, okay, short version. Aldric is 'Al'. Psyclone knew Al before he broke Psyclone out. Meaning 'Al' is probably apart of the bigger plan. The bigger plan being this: to ruin the reputation and status of heroes in the city so that whoever this 'Aldric' works for can initiate whatever their larger goal is. Also with that known, this whole situation reeks of 'obvious setup' and today we can't just have any random hero just rush in.

Then again, with most of the heroes in town either arrested, in hiding, or getting the hell out of town that shouldn't be a problem...

"See, we get there, we 'play his game' and something goes wrong. Cause I doubt he actually wants to be captured, so either he isn't actually there we waste time, people die in the city, some hero panics, everyone on that island dies. Or, he is there and we somehow figure it out but of course he has some contingency plan...which we're not ready for. Point is, this isn't gonna be simple..."

"and I don't have a plan...yet. Right now I'm hoping I can put together something that can block a signal from any ignition switches connected to the bombs on the hostages. It's a start. I can't possibly build one for the city and from what evidence I managed to find on the police department explosion, the explosives he used were about the size of a pencils...they could be anywhere."