Recent Content by mindstorm787
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Date - April 12th, 2021, 17:57
Location - Downtown District, Location Unknown
Current Track - Glitchtale OST - Impasse
While everyone could only assume where the youngest Valin could be, it turns out he had once again done what he did best - hide in plain sight. Any low-rent apartment in Purgos or Downtown was ideal, and so far during the past few months have been nothing short of blessing. Naturally, it was very hard for his usual habits to die. He never left Chrinistar; it was his home. He couldn’t, not after he’d live most of already. Not after there was still a lot of work to be done.
Heading up the steps up to his apartment, making sure he wasn’t seen, he unlocked the front door, entering and locking it behind him. He sighs heavily, walking into the kitchen as he fished his pockets, removing every wallet he’d yanked from the thugs he’d dealt with in that alleyway in Purgos. Normally, Rex didn’t agree with stealing on any measure, even from criminals. But with his family’s assets frozen and with most of his brother’s equipment in the hands of authority, he had very little options to work with in terms of getting through the next day.
He headed into the living room and sat in a chair that stood by a nearby window, looking out to it as he removed his hooded jacket. He held his head as he listened to the streets below, the obnoxious honking of passerby and the occasional quarrel of two or more men having a disagreement. Not that it was any better in the apartment; it was old and the walls were thin, and every once in a while, Rex every so often heard the couple having a few beers too many. Or worse. Thank the gods he was a heavy sleeper.
The three years in prison changed him. He’d lost weight, and he looked slightly more gaunt. All because of what happened. All because he chose to take the fall for something he never did. All because of people pointing the wrong fingers. All because of what he was. Rex’s eyes narrowed as he quickly ran down the list of what had happened over the past time up to his escape. When he lost his power, he was weak and unable to properly execute his ability. Not that he wanted to for the past years. He’d always intended to serve his time and then be released. But someone freed him. Everything happens for a reason and the fact that the power grid to the HQ of the branch of government specifically made to police supers going down just seemed a little too coincendental. Someone had opened the door for Rex, and he was not sure who. But it mattered not; he saw an opportunity and took it.
After he left the prison, all qualms of his morality had all but faded. For the first few months he angrily searched for remnants of the Church of Eight Hands attacking any thug he came across. Police and local authorities were baffled by mass turf wars in Purgos and outskirts of Downtown seemingly stopped for no reason, thugs either knocked out cold, needing weeks of physical recovery due to broken limbs, or occasional Months of mental recovery for the things that they’d seen; a red-eyed man seemingly showing up out of nowhere and single-handedly beating or incapacitating armed men packed with enough heat to light up Christmas morning.
As Rex began to re-adjust to life outside the bars, however, he began to realize that he needed a new tactic. Whoever freed him from A-7 knew who he was and was attempting to make him follow his original task, and taking out low-brow thugs and two-bit criminals otherwise unrelated to the Church was the same as shooting a man in the appendages. He needed to find Nuckelavee. Problem was, he wasn’t sure where to start. Not to mention that he was still getting used to his abilities. Sure, his LV was more than high enough for him to hold his own, but with only one of his eyes glowing, he’d have trouble from more professional expertise like those from A-7.
Growing sick of the view, he stood up, went over to the bathroom. He opened one of the cabinets and pulled out an LV Bracelet, latching it on, pressing the black screen. The screen lit, immediately flicking through numbers, landing on an orange-red 28. He took it off, placing it back where it belonged and inspected himself in the grimy mirror.
He nearly forgot that superhumans had an accelerated recovery rate, having been decked in the face at least 5 times, and shot in the chest at least 3 times during his incursion, but the bruises healed just as Rex got back to the apartment, and the bullets were pushed out of his body easily enough for him to get each and dispose of them without a trace. He huffed, stepping out the bathroom, going back into the kitchen, raiding his cupboard for some instant cup noodles. This essentially was his daily routine; get up, go out and do some crackdowns, come back, check himself, and then laze around until something new comes up on his police scanner, which sat on the dining table. Not exactly much of a life, but it was not like he could do much about it.
Just as Rex finished his cup noodles, on cue, the police scanner went live, talking about a possible shootout in progress near the Purgos outskirts. It wasn’t far from Rex’s apartment, and would be easy to parkour to. He looked from the sofa to a clock on the wall. 6:22pm already. The male sighed, setting his half-empty noodles on the dining table as he grabbed his hooded jacket again, heading out the door.
“So much for ‘me’ time.” He muttered as he closed the door behind him. -
Nicholas let out a subtle huff, closing his eyes. He then raised a hand lazily, snapping it. Immediately, all the cameras in the room revealed themselves again, and the door unlocked.
“One final thing,” Nicholas said as he lowered his arm, shoving it into his pants pocket and taking out a folded piece of slightly burnt up paper. Nicholas opened his eyes, bright and purple Occuli showing. The burnt paper glowed the same color as his eyes, and it began to gravitate toward one of Danni’s hands.
Obtained Entry #28!
Entry #28
August 17th, 2021
Nuckelavee… is gone. I [Illegible]. It’s been a few weeks since Alessa, [Illegible], Katherine and I stormed their base of operations and have taken out everyone in the way. There is nothing left of the Church for it to survive. The more prominent cells still need to be dissolved, but so far, my efforts have finally been worth it all. I simply wished Teslar would’ve seen his 40 years of effort be realized. Theo would be proud. Garrett would be ecstatic. And Luci… well. I’d assume that she's finally going to rest in the care of the Three Brothers Grimm. She deserves it the most of all.
Honestly though, I truly wish all of this could’ve been avoided. But unfortunately, Mehk[Illegible]. If Luci hadn’t died that day, I’d assume things would occur differently, among other things. [Illegible] is very fickle. If you change something that is bound to happen, the very Gaian Laws that the world, even the universe we live in follows, has to compensate for even the smallest change. As for me? I think it’s finally time that I stopped donning my mask. Though my last fight empowered me further, it’s time I decided to step back a bit.
Even someone like me deserves to rest. I should definitely stop by Luci’s grave for a bit before that though. I never actually got to see her before the Academy closed. Besides, it’s been a while.
“About 3 days ago, an unstable Temporal Fracture opened up in front of the North Gate.” Nicholas said as his eyes faded back to their natural blue color. “It’s what prompted the Council to present this task at all. The Fracture only remained open for 8 seconds, that paper being the only thing that came through. But it was different. Temporal Fractures tend to have blue and purple hues to them, symbolizing entry and exits respectively. This one was an orange color.”
He leaned into his seat. “And based on the date of that sheet, the Council has reason to believe that Rex had done something we aren’t fully aware of that’s causing all of this... instability in the city. That entry is in his handwriting. But the carbon dating also doesn’t lie; we’ve tested the results over and over. That sheet literally came from 4 months from now. That’s why the Council, and I personally, want you to find him and get those answers, as he may be the only one that actually knows what in the world is going on.”
He sighed, waving them off. “You’re all free to go. I hope for your sake, and for your peace of mind, that you all succeed.” He said.
MISSION START!> Track down Rex Valin.
> Find any whereabouts as to what happened during the Chrinistar Timestop. -
Back/Step
Inventory Thread
Name Power Classification Base LV HP ATK DEF SPD STA ENR Credits Stat Points Active Inventory Jaycob Van Rompaye Watchdog Artificial 10 160 25% 35% 35% 60 50 1,000 0 NaN Spectre Slim Shady Enhancer 10 155 35% 30% 35% 60 50 1,000 0 NaN Zeke Hollilaster Two Become One Arcane 10 150 35% 35% 30% 50 65 1,000 0 NaN Daniela Hensley Electricity Elemental 10 150 30% 25% 40% 60 55 1,000 0 NaN
- Your powers and your classification are everything. Based on how you chose your character at the beginning depends on what benefits and deficits you must deal with over time.
- Enhancers have the benefit of gaining an extra 5 STA per post during resting (both in and out of combat).
- Elementals cannot recharge their ENG naturally unless by interacting with the environment around them every post, and if they do, they cannot attack for the turn if they are in a fight. Trade off is that they gain 30 ENG when they do manually recharge and have an extra 5 ATK points at the start of the game.
- Artificials’ ENG meter doubles as a “durability” meter. In and out of combat, or if they don’t naturally block, their ENG will absorb any damage taken equal to the current DEF stat. Downside is that they cannot recharge their ENG naturally by any means. They must purchase special items from shops to replenish it.
- Arcanes gain an extra 5 ENG buff during rest, the opposite of Enhancer.
- Gaians, meaning those that are classified as such at the start of the game, don’t need to use STA and ENG for most of their abilites, and have an extra 5 Base LV at the start. Their trade-off is that most, if not all of their abilities are cooldown-based, and need to wait out before using them again.
- Enhancers have the benefit of gaining an extra 5 STA per post during resting (both in and out of combat).
- Throughout the game, each of you will gain different items that will assist you on your journey. Depending on the current conditions, some of these items can be used in the world around you. Keep in mind that your inventory space, however, is limited to your base level.
- Two types - active and regular. Anything in the active inventory can usually be used automatically in battle.
- There can only be up to 6 items in your active inventory.
- New items can either be found by exploring the world, completing tasks, or buying items from a shop with Credits.
- Any item picked up that cannot fit in the inventory must be either discarded or exchanged. Only take what you need.
- Key Items usually cannot be used in combat, but can be held on to and used when certain conditions are met.
- Weapons come in two types. Melee and Ranged. Some will require ammunition to use. The good news is that ammunition occupies the same inventory slot as the required weapon.
- Consumables are items that can be used and stacked. They are also the only item that can be used regardless whether it's in an active slot or not.
- Armor are items that when used modify your stats until they are removed.
- Two types - active and regular. Anything in the active inventory can usually be used automatically in battle.
- There will be times where you will need to fight. Fighting improves your ability to deal with greater and harder threats later on. Keep your team alive and safe!
- Players may make as many movements as they need in one post. However, damage dealt defines the energy cost necessary.
- Different moves can have an additional move cost.
- Moves must be properly defined. If they are used multiple times, players need to copy-paste the action multiple times.
- Blocking and dodging can be defined multiple times. They both have their costs, however.
- Players can equip up to two weapons at a time (Unless one of them is two-handed).
- Weapons can have up to 5 moves that don’t need to be unlocked.
- Players may make as many movements as they need in one post. However, damage dealt defines the energy cost necessary.
- To get stronger, you will need to gain experience. The stronger you are, the more efficient you’ll be in a fight.
- Stat Points are awarded when a mission is completed or a battle is one. They are used to improve your stats or even unlock new abilities and skills.
- HP - Sum total of your overall health. Maxes to 1,000, and players can use Stat Points to improve it. Players regain 40 HP per post if they haven’t attacked.
- LV - Your current Level of Violence. Maxes to 400. Increase this stat to increase your threshold of other stats. Costs 5 Stat points to LV up by 1.
- ATK - Total modified damage output. Acts as a percentage. Any damage dealt is modified by this stat.
- DEF - Total amount of damage that is defendable. Acts as a percentage. Any damage negated is modified by this stat.
- SPD - Movement speed. Acts as a percentage. Dictates the battle order of combat as well as the initiative.
- STA and ENG - Energy statistics for combat and actions. You regain 10 STA and 10 ENG per post (Not counting classification conditions).
- Stat Points are awarded when a mission is completed or a battle is one. They are used to improve your stats or even unlock new abilities and skills.
- There are various shops in Chrinistar. Each must be discovered to have access to it, and your character must be physically at the location to buy or sell items.
Every shop has something different to offer. Make sure to check them often; they may have something new depending on the situation!
- Your powers and your classification are everything. Based on how you chose your character at the beginning depends on what benefits and deficits you must deal with over time.
To be added!
To be added!
- Main Thread
- Inventory Thread (You are here!)
- OOC/Sign-Up’s Thread
-
“I recommend starting by looking at places where Rex could be. But I also recommend asking those who know of him or have history with him.” Nicholas replied to Danni. “I really don’t care how you do it. Just find him and detain him.” He shoved a hand in his pocket, and drew a keycard, sliding it towards Jaycob on the table. “Jaycob, since you have experience in law enforcement and have dealt in these kinds of matters, you’re in charge of leading this assignment. As such, you may use this Level 5 Access Keycard to return here to resupply should you need to. Assuming you haven’t done something to piss off my superiors, that is.”
Obtained an A-7 Level 5 Keycard!
Inventory Thread Unlocked!
- Your powers and your classification are everything. Based on how you chose your character at the beginning depends on what benefits and deficits you must deal with over time.
- Enhancers have the benefit of gaining an extra 5 STA per post during resting (both in and out of combat).
- Elementals cannot recharge their ENG naturally unless by interacting with the environment around them every post, and if they do, they cannot attack for the turn if they are in a fight. Trade off is that they gain 30 ENG when they do manually recharge and have an extra 5 ATK points at the start of the game.
- Artificials’ ENG meter doubles as a “durability” meter. In and out of combat, or if they don’t naturally block, their ENG will absorb any damage taken equal to the current DEF stat. Downside is that they cannot recharge their ENG naturally by any means. They must purchase special items from shops to replenish it.
- Arcanes gain an extra 5 ENG buff during rest, the opposite of Enhancer.
- Gaians, meaning those that are classified as such at the start of the game, don’t need to use STA and ENG for most of their abilites, and have an extra 5 Base LV at the start. Their trade-off is that most, if not all of their abilities are cooldown-based, and need to wait out before using them again.
- Enhancers have the benefit of gaining an extra 5 STA per post during resting (both in and out of combat).
- Throughout the game, each of you will gain different items that will assist you on your journey. Depending on the current conditions, some of these items can be used in the world around you. Keep in mind that your inventory space, however, is limited to your base level.
- Two types - active and regular. Anything in the active inventory can usually be used automatically in battle.
- There can only be up to 6 items in your active inventory.
- New items can either be found by exploring the world, completing tasks, or buying items from a shop with Credits.
- Any item picked up that cannot fit in the inventory must be either discarded or exchanged. Only take what you need.
- Key Items usually cannot be used in combat, but can be held on to and used when certain conditions are met.
- Weapons come in two types. Melee and Ranged. Some will require ammunition to use. The good news is that ammunition occupies the same inventory slot as the required weapon.
- Consumables are items that can be used and stacked. They are also the only item that can be used regardless whether it's in an active slot or not.
- Armor are items that when used modify your stats until they are removed.
- Two types - active and regular. Anything in the active inventory can usually be used automatically in battle.
- There will be times where you will need to fight. Fighting improves your ability to deal with greater and harder threats later on. Keep your team alive and safe!
- Players may make as many movements as they need in one post. However, damage dealt defines the energy cost necessary.
- Different moves can have an additional move cost.
- Moves must be properly defined. If they are used multiple times, players need to copy-paste the action multiple times.
- Blocking and dodging can be defined multiple times. They both have their costs, however.
- Players can equip up to two weapons at a time (Unless one of them is two-handed).
- Weapons can have up to 5 moves that don’t need to be unlocked.
- Players may make as many movements as they need in one post. However, damage dealt defines the energy cost necessary.
- To get stronger, you will need to gain experience. The stronger you are, the more efficient you’ll be in a fight.
- Stat Points are awarded when a mission is completed or a battle is one. They are used to improve your stats or even unlock new abilities and skills.
- HP - Sum total of your overall health. Maxes to 1,000, and players can use Stat Points to improve it. Players regain 40 HP per post if they haven’t attacked.
- LV - Your current Level of Violence. Maxes to 400. Increase this stat to increase your threshold of other stats. Costs 5 Stat points to LV up by 1.
- ATK - Total modified damage output. Acts as a percentage. Any damage dealt is modified by this stat.
- DEF - Total amount of damage that is defendable. Acts as a percentage. Any damage negated is modified by this stat.
- SPD - Movement speed. Acts as a percentage. Dictates the battle order of combat as well as the initiative.
- STA and ENG - Energy statistics for combat and actions. You regain 10 STA and 15 ENG per post (Not counting classification conditions).
- Stat Points are awarded when a mission is completed or a battle is one. They are used to improve your stats or even unlock new abilities and skills.
- There are various shops in Chrinistar. Each must be discovered to have access to it, and your character must be physically at the location to buy or sell items.
Every shop has something different to offer. Make sure to check them often; they may have something new depending on the situation!
- Your powers and your classification are everything. Based on how you chose your character at the beginning depends on what benefits and deficits you must deal with over time.
-
Current Track - Black Mesa OST - Inbound Part 3
"I know it's been three years now, but there's a few things that I have questions about... Is there a possibility that other people could have been sucked into this time vortex?" Danni has asked, causing Nicholas to look back in her direction. “Like while time was stopped, some people could still walk around and be unaffected by it?”
“I wouldn’t call it a time vortex, per say. At least, not from what Rex described.” He scratched the side of his cheek, as if he had trouble grasping the concept. “According to him, he could stop time in short bursts in a large area of effect. In his case, as long as he did it for a few seconds at a time, he claimed the range is infinite. But I could never wrap my head around such an abstract concept.”
He stopped to look back at her again. “As for people moving through the time stop itself, only one person was able to move through it normally, and that was our very own A-7/5, whom reported the incident; Jameson Lee. His ability to move in and out of electronics saved him, and was out on an assignment of his own. He was the one who made it known of what happened. As for anyone else, I know of two people who could theoretically move through it. One is dead at Rex’s hands, and the other... well. A-7’s data was lost on that one. So even I don’t have the answer to that.” He sighed again this. “I’ve been getting more questions than answers myself lately.”
"... Did he have a previous hatred or motive to target the Church?” Danni pressed. “Like I know I heard some not so good things, but... Was there anything in his history that suggested he had a personal tie to them in some way to target them at all?"
“Hah.” Nicholas huffed with a grim laugh. “The question is asked.” He turned to her more fully. “Indeed he did. Rex supposedly wanted to be a vigilante for A-7’s needs. But he did it in an unorthodox way. At the time, our late A-7/1, Ermand Teslar, also kept Rex’s Gaian trait secret, allowing Rex to work as an unregistered vigilante. I didn’t understand why until I learned the truth, but, being the class president and the liaison to the school staff at the time, I kept my mouth shut.” He tilted his head. “Teslar’s aim in 2017 was to create a school as a bridge to gap the differences between Regs and Supers; a little experiment to quell anti-super thought process, especially since it was beginning to come to a head back then, only worsening now. Naturally, the Church of Eight Hands thrive on discord, and thus sought to try to shut it down by any means. Rex, working under Teslar’s guidance, went after the Church many times to protect the school,”
He tapped a button on his remote to show a blurry picture of a man dressed in black facing away from the camera, only looking back to reveal what looked like a white smiling mask and a red Occuli. “As the vigilante Ze Operator. He was the vigilante that no one knew of, including A-7 at the time. Teslar Academy had a chance to be what A-7 needed to bring peace. Until Rex’s meltdown, of course.” He lowered his gaze. “I’d never seen him so angry before.” He muttered before he looked back up. “He tended to be a tad hot-headed, but when they came to round him up, he didn’t say a word. All he did was allow them to cuff him. So to this day, I don’t know what his relationship to the Church is.” He turned back. “In the end, Rex was considered collateral, and Teslar and I had to claim ignorance. However, Teslar still took the fall, and the Academy was shut down anyway, and the headmaster was forced to retire from A-7. Whereas I was given position of Speaker as a means to keep an eye on my motives.”
"So you want us to catch this Rex guy for you?” Jay chimed in. “Sending freaks against freaks to deal with the situation. I suppose I can manage that."
Nicholas looked to Jay. “Naturally, we could’ve sent an elite team after him. But Rex was trained by White Impulse, who at the time, was the best among the vigilantes on the payroll. Besides, Rex won’t listen to anyone within A-7 ranks. So naturally, we needed someone completely unrelated to A-7. That’s where you come in.”
"So what sort of resources do we have for this?” Jay asked Nicholas. “Police records? City cameras? Do I have to hack into the legal system for this crap still, or do we get access to anything we need. Also immunity from the law. Most of my helpful abilities aren't considered particularly legal."
Nicholas pulled a flat look, his regular mannerism returning. “This task is considered ghost protocol. This means that if you raise flags for A-7, I will have no choice but to send a cleanup squad.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “You may still return to resupply and to recuperate, but if you’re going to do something obscenely stupid, make sure you take care of it covertly so that I don’t have so much brass up my ass that I’d be playing Star-Spangled Banner.”
He leaned in his chair. “It’s important to catch Rex, as at this phase, he’s unpredictable. And I already have enough problems to deal with. Thanks to that nimrod’s meddling, his tantrum seemingly has caused Temporal and Dimensional Fractures to become more commonplace and harder to deal with, and Nuckelavee and his band of psycho Sarkic maniacs are becoming unbearable. If I didn’t know any better, it’s as if all of this is a chain reaction.” -
Nicholas looked around to see hear each of the individual’s responses. He wasn’t surprised that Danni seemed to be the only one that was unsure about all of this, as she was as normal as they come. Having suppressed her powers for so long to appease her parents, living a quiet life on her own. That’s what made her a viable candidate. What he was surprised or was both Spectre and Zeke were on board, albeit tentatively. They were the most unlikely people to accept such a task, especially if asked by A-7. Then again, if they were detained, there would be no chance that they would agree anyway. He nodded to the group in turn at their responses. He then ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Explaining the task in turn was not going to be easy.
Current Track - Black Mesa OST - Inbound Part 2
“AEGIS, lock this room down. Level 5 clearance on override 32712.” Nicholas said to no one in particular. Immediately, a garage-like door closed the entrance to the room and the lights dimmed slightly. Even the cameras in the room, one on each corner, closed inward and up into the ceiling.
“AEGIS, the AI system of the barracks.” Nicholas stated to anyone who’d be worried. “Had to install it about a month ago due to recent events. Recent events that particularly relate to your assignment.”
He tapped a button on a remote, causing the screen to turn on. It turned on to reveal a male, with messy, raven-black hair, deep brown eyes and glasses, and a slightly pale complexion grace the screen. He looked almost tired, but behind those eyes almost appeared like guilt.
“About 4 years ago, an anomaly occurred in the Teslar District. You probably wouldn’t have felt it or even realized it happened. But it did. It was what A-7, and then the press, ultimately called the Chrinistar Timestop. At 13:24, this man,” He pointed the remote, which revealed to have a laser pointer, circling around the boy’s face, “Unleashed a devastating power that nearly bordered on a Mavericking event, stopping the entire US for 30 minutes and 22 seconds.”
- Mavericking is a phenomena unique to superhumans that acts as a power boost, and can heal any Occuli-related injury instantaneously. Activated usually on command when a superhuman has reached a Base or Threshold LV of 50, this phenomena occurs when a superhuman gives into their raw emotions or inhibitions. Thus most superhuman Maverick cases involving anger are commonplace, but it’s not unheard of when a superhuman Mavericks as a result of extreme sadness or even happiness, either.
When a superhuman Mavericks, the whites of their eyes instead become a black color when their Occuli manifests. They also receive a permanent boost in raw prowess of their powers and a boost in Base LV, allowing for possible reclassification to Gaian.
There are 3 manifestations to Maverick superhumans, each presenting their own unique cases;
Unstable Mavercism, being the most common, causes the individual to lose control of both their powers and their mind, reducing them to an almost feral state, and can be recognized by the superhuman’s Occuli not being visible. Prolonged exposure can lead to cardiac arrest or even the subject becoming comatose should they burn out their energy. Longest documented case was two weeks of prolonged exposure. The only possible way to bring the individual out of the state is to detain them well enough to calm down, or allow them catharsis of what caused them to Maverick in the first place.
Stable Mavercism, the second and a bit more uncommon case is when the individual in question is conscious, but still unable to control their powers, recognized when the subject’s Occuli are considered a “glassy” look to their color. What makes this state unique is that Stable Mavericism typically occurs as a result of unique cases, and has the lowest reclassification rate. Lack of power control in a Stable Mavericks typically involve either as ability output, function, or even simply when certain conditions are met for the ability to activate or be utilized.
Finally, Conscious Mavericism, the last and most rare scenario, recognized by no change in Occuli other than the whites of their eyes, is when the subject has both control of their mind and powers, and function well synchronously with both. This state allows the individual to be able to slip into and out of the state, and anyone who enters it is immediately reclassified as a Gaian. People who have achieved this state are considered one of the strongest superhumans to date, and only 1/12 people of the 8% actually reach this stage.
Nicholas looked back to the group. “This person you see before you, is Rex Argus Valin. He’s the youngest of 4 siblings, brother to the retired vigilante White Impulse, and son of the wealthy textile tycoon, Robert Valin.” He said matter-of-factly. “He was originally assumed to be an Enhancer; speedster class, like the rest of his siblings, and he was one of the 42 hand-picked students that went to Ermand Teslar’s experimental Academy for Superhumans, like I was.” His look became more narrow, serious even. “In reality, he was misclassified.” He tapped a button on his remote, changing the slide. This time, Rex’s eyes changed. His left eye became black, voided, meaning he had Occuli trauma. His right eye, however, became a heavy crimson that glared to anyone who looked.
“Rex, in reality, is a True Gaian class superhuman, who can stop time for up to a few seconds.” Nicholas said quietly. “Even I didn’t know that he was at the time. When arrested and questioned, he claimed to have been able to stop time for up to 5 seconds from his perspective with little effort. But when he caused the Chrinistar Timestop, he had failed to Maverick, ultimately hurting himself and losing control of his left Occuli. A lot of power emitted on that particular scale needs a lot of energy to maintain. It was also another reason why his time stop was... incomplete to some extents. Some clocks still functioned, machines still ran. That’s why there was a bit of panic relating to possible meltdowns of the reactors in the US after the event - some of them were still running. After that, Rex claimed he had difficulty stopping time for any reason, maximally for 3 seconds at most. But that’s only scratching the surface.”
- A special feature of superhumans are their eyes. Whenever a superhuman sends message signals from the brain throughout the body to designate activation of their abilities, regardless of type, their eyes will change to a different color, be it complementary or opposite of their natural birth color (blue eyes > iridescent turquoise OR green > yellow). This change of the eyes is referred to as Occuli. Every superhuman, even at a young age and can manifest their powers, can manifest their Occuli, consciously or not with little effort. It should be noted, however, that the Occuli also link back to the individual’s powers. As a result, overuse can cause “flickering” of the Occuli, in which the color erratically transitions between the natural-born color and when power is used. Permanent outages aren’t unheard of either. Through emotional or physical trauma, superhumans can lose the ability to transmit said body signals to activate their powers. From this, one or both Occuli may not manifest at all.
He tapped the remote again to reveal a new photograph. There, with a younger and seemingly happier Rex in the middle, was a girl about Rex’s age with golden blonde hair stuck into ponytail, with green eyes to his right and a Brazilian looking boy to his left with black eyes and glasses somewhat larger than Rex’s and some strange goggles sitting on top of his dark brown hair. They seemed happy.
“To Rex’s left is Ronaldo Maxwell, current owner of Maxwell Prosthetics in the Kings district, and to Rex’s right...” He hesitated a second before recomposing himself. “Is Lucina Everdeen. She was supposedly killed during the timestop by Rex. But details were muddled. All in all, all three of them were particularly close and A-7 had probably cause to arrest Rex. Him standing over the body of one of his closest friends and having stopped time for over half an hour.” He looked back to everyone. “As for what Rex did in those 30 minutes lost, no one knows. And when we questioned him about it, he resorted to silence. We found 3 storehouses belonging to the Church that were utterly destroyed after the fiasco and have reason to believe he caused the mess.”
Nicholas looked back, tapping the remote again listlessly. “About a month ago, 3 years into his prison sentence here, Rex escaped during a huge power outage at A-7. We’re still trying to figure out if it was related or coincidental.” The next slide traversed to what looked like camera footage. It showed a camera looking from one corner of the North Gate. It was the day Rex had escaped confinement, speaking to Staff Sergeant Terrence at the time. There was no audio, but it had looked like Rex had said something the to soldier that shook him. Then, the feed suddenly cut out, showing no signal. All that was left in the room was silence and white noise emanating from the feed as Nicholas put down the remote, holding and rubbing his forehead, as if he’d regretted what he’d seen. - Mavericking is a phenomena unique to superhumans that acts as a power boost, and can heal any Occuli-related injury instantaneously. Activated usually on command when a superhuman has reached a Base or Threshold LV of 50, this phenomena occurs when a superhuman gives into their raw emotions or inhibitions. Thus most superhuman Maverick cases involving anger are commonplace, but it’s not unheard of when a superhuman Mavericks as a result of extreme sadness or even happiness, either.
-
☉ Chapter 2 - Sinner
- - -Date - April 12th, 2021, 17:14
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, North Gate
Current Track - Black Mesa OST - Office Complex (Mesa Remix)
With Zeke on the same page as the rest, Jaycob drove the group back to Corps Row to meet back with Nicholas and to finally figure out what was going on. Little would any of them know that they would get more than what they’ve bargained for.
Upon arriving at the North Gate, the heavy vault doors opened as they approached, with Nicholas stepping out, accompanied by two other guards from the rear.
“Jaycob.” Nicholas stated, his usual leer replaced by a satisfied look. “Glad you were able to make it.” He leaned over to look at the entourage. “And with everyone in tow. Daniella, Lily, and even Zeke. I assumed you would have trouble, but I think now it’s safe to say that I can put my faith in a fellow officer, hm?” He smirked, but it wasn’t a cocky one. Seemed like the speaker was beginning to loosen up a bit. He motioned to the group.
“I’m sure that you all have questions.” He said. “But I ask that for now you keep them on your mind for now. In the meantime, please follow me.”
They all began to head past the North Gate, the doors noisily shutting behind them. They entered into the hallways lined with office doors and entered into the one labeled Office 5.
Office might’ve been a bit of a stretch. The room was larger than any office pretty much known, not even a conference room. It didn’t even seem to agree with the proportions of the barracks, seemingly bigger then the door containing it. At the opposite end of where everyone entered, a huge screen hung from the walls that stretched to the ceiling. A conference table reaching both ends of the room sat, with nearly 28 office chairs surrounding it. Aside from that, the room was blank aside from a water and coffee dispenser in the left corner. Nicholas went and sat nearest to the screen, putting an arm under the table and pulling out a remote of sorts.
“So.” He said. “For those of you whom don’t know, my name is Nicholas Jafreet. I am the senior officer and Speaker to the Council of 7 here. Thus, their word is my enforcement.” He sat more comfortably. “Now, I am going to be blunt. To some degree, you all already know that the Council has kept their eyes on you. We do this for everyone, of course. Matter of national security. Even if you haven’t registered for one reason or another. But if you have powers, and have been seen by the public eye, we know about you. We know everything about what makes you and your powers tick. We know about your flaws. Your deficits, pasts, sins, transgressions, blah-d blah blah.”
He blows his cheeks. “In short, if you step out of line, my superiors aren’t afraid to take their own measures. And I won’t be able to do anything to stop them.” He tilted his head. “On the other hand, should you perform this task, and you will all be compensated individually based on the information we know.” He looked to Dani. “Whether it be answers,” Then to Zeke, “To true freedom,” Then further still to Spectre. “To a real proper life.” He breathed in. “From this point forward, whether you choose to take this task or not, you are to be sworn to secrecy on the count of a Level 5 offense. Should you break this agreement, you are subject to detainment of up to 20 years. I kid you not, you do not want to do that. Especially with whom you’ll be dealing with. And we can find you, assuming the compiled profiles aren’t proof enough.” He placed a hand to his chest. “I am your liaison on this, and I want nothing but your own good. So after this agreement, should you choose to not take this assignment, I nor the Council of 7 hold you in contempt. You will be allowed to go back to the lives you’ve been having at your own discretion.” He leaned towards the group. “I will need to hear you all agree.” -
The sound of gunshots and slander filled the air as the alley became alight with muzzle flashes. It has only taken one disagreement with two drug dealing gangs before itchy trigger fingers began to do the talking. By that logic, it would come as no surprise as to why human life was so finite. They were so eager to kill each other.
In this case though, no party involved, not even Jay, Danni, or the mysterious girl that saved them noticed a figure that had walked in through from the opposite end from where Jay and Danni were about to enter. Any superhuman in range felt a heavy sensation, an LV spike of massive power. Not more than a moment passes, and the gunfire abruptly stops. All the thugs lay there, unconscious, either with broken limbs or joints. Almost as if the skirmish never happened, but by some unseen force that stopped it. All that was heard were heavy footfalls walking back in the direction from where they came; male figure with a right red Occuli, walking off as if nothing ever happened. -
Date - April 12th, 2021, 16:28
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, North Gate, Office 31
Nicholas listened calmly to Jay’s explanation, only raising his eyebrow questioningly when Jay brushed his ego. Mental note to his file said that he was egotistical, but it did remind Nicholas of a particular individual during his younger years. He smirked as to when Jay mentioned how much he loathed paperwork. Typical, considering his power, Watchdog, as the scientists called it, had the ability to infiltrate technology to arm it, gather or disseminate information, or even manipulate it to his will. Brick and mortar was all well and good, but thanks to the Alyx Wave and the appearance of Artificials among superhumans in particular, it was no wonder that the world was at least 3 years ahead of its time technology-wise.
“I can assure you, in that case, that what I have called you for is a bit more... unorthodox than how A-7 operates, Jay.” Nicholas calmly reassured, feeling slightly more at ease. “Currently, I have brought you here because my superiors need you and your particular set of skills, both during your time as a police officer, your time with your previous...” He looked at the sheets again. “Gang... and because your abilities will assist you in gathering your team.”
He threw a manila folder on the table toward Jay. “My superiors have asked me to clean up a certain situation that had occurred a while back and that has begun to fester.” He said, looking a bit more serious. “Problem is that we do not have the manpower to deal with at the moment due to the increase in Fabrics that keep appearing on the streets and the occasional string of murders caused by the Church of Eight Hands; both of which I would assume the PD has been dealing with as of late.” He motioned to the folder, sitting back down in the office chair. “Inside that file contains 3 individuals that you will need to speak to and bring back here, containing information regarding their powers and other miscellaneous information about them. Then, I will speak to you all your task en masse. One of them in particular needs to be brought in for questioning. All in all, they all will be needed if you want your task to succeed.” -
Date - April 12th, 2021, 16:27
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, North Gate, Office 31
Current Track - Skullgirls OST - An Uncertain Fate
A knock on the door and an immaculately enthusiastic voice disturbs Nicholas from his thoughts.
"The highlight of your day has arrived at last. Hope you're happy!"
Nicholas blinked, both in exasperation and subtle annoyance, sighing deeply. He stood up from his office seat, and walked up to the door, pressing his hand to the scanner on the wall to the door frame. Since Rex’s escape, A-7 had begun to retrofit the barrack doors with magnetic locks which activate in the event of a lockdown. However, vault doors, like the North and South Gates, would take time to tweak.
The door scanner winked green at Nicholas’ handprint, opening to reveal himself. He was shorter than Jaycob by a margin, standing 5’7”. His hair was brown and curled neatly on his head. He wore a simple white suit and black bowtie, complete with pointed curtails and ironed gray slacks. His eyes were a striking blue and was fair skinned. He would’ve even been handsome, if it weren’t his neutral scowl he always wore, as if he was thinking too hard.
“My highlight, huh?” He said, his scowl leering up to Jay. “My kind of highlight would be making sure that A-7 gives me the right to throw reprobates and troublemakers from here to Ares.”
The only habitable planet in the universe is referred to as Gaia, named after one of the 7 gods that supposedly ruled it. It is the 3rd planet in the system, with Hermès being the 1st, Aphrodite being 2nd, Ares being 4th, Zeus 5th, Chronos 6th, and Posiden at the very end.
“Moreover,” He said, pointing to Jay’s left arm, “It seems that you’ve neglected to put on your LV Bangle. You’re lucky your job at the PD has granted you some liberties in allowing you to live normally, otherwise, I wouldn’t be the one arresting you for neglect of public notice. But I will allow it. Especially for the assignment I have for you.”
LV, or Level of Violence, is a unique phenomena exclusive to superhumans. Acting like an invisible output wave, it signifies as a means of the individual outputting power. Regular humans normally can’t sense LV in superhumans, leading to the creation of LV Bangles being placed on the arms for public safety. However, at higher outputs, superhumans and regular humans alike can sense the LV of the perpetrator, with symptoms ranging from simple goosebumps to a heavy sense of dread. The higher a superhuman’s LV, stronger the effect that is felt by individuals around them, and increases with distance.
LV is unique in the sense that it can easily fluctuate while it can increase when a superhumans will to stand firm grows, it has been shown that it can drop severely, even going as far into negative range. In this case, a superhuman’s powers become inoperable, and their strength becomes the same, if not less, than a regular humans.
The Speaker brought up his hand in greeting. “My name Nicholas Jafreet. I am the current Speaker of the A-7 Council.” His usual leer loosened a bit as he attempted a small approachable smile. “I’ve seen your file, Mr. Rompaye. Quite a track record you have, if I do say so myself. I’d assume it would be hard for someone like yourself to transition from a street upbringing to the police force. Especially with your powers.” -
Date - April 12th, 2021, 15:35
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, North Gate, Office 56
Transmissional Line open; call secured. Call to Jaycob Van Rompaye successful.
"Y'ello, Jay here, and what can I do for you?" Asked Jaycob as he answered. On the other line, a female responded.
“Hello Jaycob. My name is Lily.” The voice said. “I’m the secretary of the Speaker of the Council of 7. He’s requested that you come to Corps District immediately.”
A noticeable scoff was heard. "What does the Council of 7 want with me? I know I am irresistible and all, but I thought they had too big sticks up their butts to ever even see that. Anyways, it might be a little difficult. My Chief Officer is a bit peeved at me. I doubt he will let me just walk out of here, or believe me when I tell them that the Council of 7 called for me. Now he, he is a real stick in the mud.”
There was a noticeable pause for a few moments on Lily’s end. Then, a dial tone is heard before the voice on the other end returns.
“I have entered into the PD’s system and flagged your personnel as on assignment.” She said. “An email will be sent to your Chief Officer momentarily. He should be receiving it by now as we speak. Do you need any transportation accommodations?”
"Thanks doll. I wouldn't say no to transportation. I could always take one of the cop cars, but I think it is too flashy. And will you be picking me up personally?
A light giggle is heard from Lily. “As nice as that would sound, I’m afraid the Speaker has other tasks for me at the moment. A black car will be arriving at your location in precisely 25 minutes. The license plate is XVN-234. It will take you directly to Sector 1. In the car, there will be a blue keycard. You must keep it on you at all times or you will not be allowed to enter. Present it to the guard as you enter the building, and they will let you past the North Gate. The Speaker will be waiting for you. Alright?”
"Alright. Alright. The driver better be hot though. I will get there when I get there. See ya."
Transmissional Line closed.
- - -
Date - April 12th, 2021, 16:00
Location - Chrinistar PD, Entrance
True to Lily’s word, a black car slid up quietly to the sidewalk of the Chrinistar PD at precisely 4pm. It was glossed down, as if it was furnished for the elite, and black tinted windows prevented passerby from properly seeing inside. It sat there, waiting for Jay to step out. -
Everyone has a role to play in this convoluted game of chess. The question is, shall you make the first move to win the game? Or is there a deeper meaning in all this?
- > This roleplay follows the rules of KH-Vids in its entirety. Treat them as an extension of the rules currently listed.
> This roleplay is rated above PG-13. Thus, swearing is allowed to be slipped here, and any sexual and violent themes that pass PG-13 rules should be put in spoilers. If things get too hardcore, it doesn't belong, and I won't allow it.
> If you're confused on something, contact me either by a DM here on KH-Vids, or send me a buzz on Discord. There is nothing worse than to make a mistake when it could be clarified so it can be avoided.
> 1 character per person.
> Wish to kill off a character? Ask me AND who controls the character first before you start throwing dangerous magicks around.
> No Godmodding or metagaming allowed in any capacity. I get angrier for every 'missed' attacks or 'movements that don't count'.
> Mary or Gary Stues are not allowed. Every character has a fatal flaw, and an all-perfect character is a boring one. Give your character some depth.
> Posts should generally be 1-3 paragraphs at minimum, but I won't penalize you for putting in the extra effort. Just make sure to put breaks in between paragraphs.
> Each player is given a week per post. I understand that some of you have obligations, but if you're going to be too busy to participate at some point, let me know, and I'll move on.
> Give respect to earn respect. We're all fellow RPers here, and the best stories are made when people work well together.
> I, or any administration I see fit to appoint, reserve the right to change or modify rules as needed. - ☉Chapter 1 - Baggage
☉ Chapter 2 - Sinner
Population: 8,744,835
Chrinistar City sits close to the edge of the Florida peninsula, just off near Tampa. Thanks to the Alyx Wave, part of the climate shifts between arid to humid on the dime, with Purgos and Downtown landlocked by a small desert region and Arkadian acting as a coastal shirk. The only viable port in and out of the city by freshwater trade means lies in between the territorial halves of Purgos and Corps Row, Downtown and Kings, and running through Teslar, dividing the latter to east and west.
- Teslar District
- Arkadian District
- Kings District
- Cardiff District
- Corps Row District
- Downtown Chrinistar District
- Purgos District
- The semi-rural part of Chrinistar, given in honor of the founder of A-7 and the 5 Gaian Physic Laws thanks to his continued contribution to superhuman society as a whole. Makes up 35% of the city’s land, and by Teslar’s wishes, he willed it to be his land as a haven for his last and now defunct project, the Teslar Academy for Superhumans.
Otherwise somewhat green land with a few sparse residences, bus stops, and areas of interest.
Landmarks
- Teslar Academy of Superhumans - Ermand Teslar’s last project before an early retirement; a means to allow Superhumans to enter the workforce with their powers as catalysts for coexistence. This place was ground zero for the Chrinistar Timestop, which caused Teslar’s resignation of A-7 and the boarding school becoming desecrated. Built by the headmaster’s own abilities, it’s an academy with crumbling rooms supposedly bigger on the inside, and rumor has it that it can support well over 500 students despite its modest size. Around the back of the academy looks to be similar to an arena of sorts.
- Rowland Forest - A small plot of forest that surrounds the Academy and leads to the cemetery. Not thick enough to be overtly dangerous, but not small enough to get lost, this forest sticks out like a few sore thumbs in the sparse territory.
- Teslar Cemetery - Local cemetery near Teslar Academy. Most of the departed were people that the headmaster supposedly knew personally.
- Residential district of the middle-class and well-off. Not too many sights aside from many houses that dot the coastline that borders outward of the city. Many great (and infamous) families live, or have lived here in the past. The second smallest single district in the city.
Border territory, occasionally rains there more often due to being near the coast.
Landmarks
- Valin Residence - Home to the only current resident and ex-vigilante, Theodore Valin. He is the elder brother to Rex Valin, the supposed perpetrator of the Chrinistar Timestop, forcing him to stop being a vigilante. The rest family left because they couldn’t face the “disgrace” left behind by their youngest son, while the eldest remained, hoping his youngest brother could be pardoned. Maybe he has clues to what happened?
- Evernathy Residence - Home to Valencia Evernathy. Her husband had passed from a cardiac arrest during the Alyx Event and her daughter was killed during the Chrinistar Timestop. Now, she’s a broken woman on the brink of depression, pills, and perpetual grief. Valencia claims that her daughter and Rex Valin were apparently close, and the latter had made a promise to the mother he couldn’t keep.
- Inner city, twin district to Cardiff. Contains mostly the middle to poor class. Likened to almost be similar to Queens, New York in some respect. The territory being closer to Downtown makes it a partial place of commerce.
Busy territory with bustling streets and crowds.
Landmarks
- Maxwell Prosthetics - Home to Arnoldo Maxwell, and key area to improving technology. The story goes that Maxwell not only started the shop with his father, making prosthetic parts for the poor since he was 10 years, but he also went to Teslar Academy before it shut down and he was close friends with Rex Valin. Otherwise, he’s a valuable source of information and technology… For a price of course.
- Black Oracle Tavern - Somewhat seedy bar with musical entertainment stage. A lot of anti A-7 and anti Church supporters come here to drown their sorrows. Others have stories, some pertaining to more… particular slabs of information.
- Inner city, twin district to Kings. Contains mostly the middle to poor class. Likened to almost be similar to the Big Apple, New York in some respect. The territory being closer to Arkadian makes it a partial place of entertainment.
Busy territory with bustling streets and crowds.
Landmarks
- Cardiff Battledome - Home of the sport of Jetskate Soccer and host to many later legal gladiatorial combat matches. On the surface, a lot checks out, but everyone knows that the owner, Amadeus Karthage, tends to run his own, more illegal gig during “special nights”, as he calls it.
- Ellsee's Nightclub - Popular night club out of the twin districts, sporting a top-tier dance floor and even karaoke rooms. The Vacuoe Twins, two twins with music control powers and a mad taste for music, frequent there as DJs. Both are graduates from Teslar Academy and each have plenty to say about what happened there.
- Capital territory and second largest district in the city. All major policing forces and political endeavors reside there. Busiest part of the city overall, dawn, afternoon, and dusk.
District is the busiest of both Kings and Cardiff combined.
Landmarks
- Arthur Chrinistar Town Hall - Home and office to the mayor of the city.
- A-7 Council Sector-1 - HQ and Capital of the council of seven that delegates and polices superhumans. Sits behind the Town hall, and is structurally like a barracks. Able to house at least an entire military force. Depending on how you approach your problems, these guys could be your best friends or worst possible foes.
- Considered “Port” district of the city, and third-largest territory on the map. Despite its industrial nature, it’s considered the second poorest area on the map. Not a lot seemingly goes on here… if you can overlook the occasional drug smuggling and black market deals.
Port district with the only source of a freshwater trade route in the entire city and one of the dividers between the east and west parts of the city.
Landmarks
- Scardino Casino - Home to the superhuman crime boss of the European mafia, Dom Scardino, and his daughter. While a bit more proper in the 21st Century, they aren’t too above making underhanded deals to benefit “the family”.
- Abydos Hotel - [DATA REDACTED]
- Edison Docks - Only port in the city. Easy area for smuggling, along with a few nearby warehouses for shady business.
- The true poverty district and the smallest piece in the city. It comes as no surprise that Purgos is both the most overlooked and uninhabited part of the entire city. This slab of territory is known to be home to the cultists belonging to the Church of Eight Hands, but nothing can be done, because the mayor is worried about causing mass panic simply to siege a near-empty piece of the city.
Composed of poverty, abandoned streets and desecrated areas, and one of the dividers between the east and west parts of the city.
Landmarks
- Church of the Seven Sovereigns - One of the few churches still under operation despite the mass poverty surrounding it. Despite too many diverging religions, the building and their pastors remain under the guise of their one true god and Christianity. However, there have been some rumors regarding that it’s a front for the cultists, the actual Church of Eight Hands, and supposedly, it came under new management after the Chrinistar Timestop resolved. Try not to take this area lightly.
- Main Thread (You are here!)
- Inventory Thread
- OOC/Sign-Up’s Thread
☉ Chapter 1 - Baggage
- - -Date - March 2nd, 2021, 05:45
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, Prison Block A, Cell 103
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Prisoner Processing
A knock was heard at the cell door. Sgt. Terrence Kelly, aged 35 and in service for 3 years at A-7, slid open the small metal peephole into the dark cell, peering for his current assignment
“Prisoner A-721, today’s the hearing. Time to get up and at ‘em.” He grunted through the hole. Prisoner A-721, however, did not move. Instead, he sighed, rubbing his eyes, blinking upward. The guard tried again.
“Come on, man,” He said, formality slightly breaking. “You need to get up or the Head’s gonna be on my ass. Get up, make this easier on both our lives, so that I can open the door, make sure you ain’t got nothing suspicious on ya, and take you down so that the men upstairs can bug you about nonsense ‘till you can come back here, and I can get my fat paycheck.”
The prisoner looked to the guard with incredulous striking deep brown eyed look meeting the guard’s own deep blue.
“Hold up, who said anything about a fat paycheck?” The prisoner responded, sitting up from his cot with a tired smirk. He sounded much younger than the sergeant.
“Just received a promotion not more than a few days.” Terrence responded. “And I’d like to keep it, if you don’t mind.” The man tilted his head through the hole. “So are we gonna get this over with..?”
A-721 simply nodded. He stood up from his cot as the lights activated their white lights in the room, illuminating a chrome colored cell, with a toilet, a small desk with some paper and pencils, and a modest cot that folded into the wall. The prisoner folded his cot inward to the wall, and stood facing the door, raising his figure to a T-pose. Terrence, seeing this, promptly shut the peephole, swiping his keycard on the card reader.
“Opening Cell 103!” Terrence called. The door slid open with a dull mechanical whine, opening to reveal A-721 in the flesh as the sergeant stepped in.
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Safe Room 1
Despite his age, A-721 stood full height at 5’11”. He had pale skin, 2 tones lighter than average, not too tan, but not too light, sitting somewhere in between. His hair was raven-black, curly and messy, with some strands falling over his own face, as if no matter how much he groomed, they remained in their exact manner. He wore a grey jumpsuit with a marking of the A-7 council’s symbol on the right side of his chest, an encircled hand holding a handful of lightning bolts and scripture tattooed on the wrist, and his prisoner name on his left. On his face sat a tired grimace, as if his smile faded with age, and wire-rimmed, beveled square glasses, sitting in front of deep brown, almost abyss-like eyes, with slight marking of bags, as if he had one too many nights of insomnia. A-721 always looked and acted like he lacked sleep.
According to the file that Terrence read when he first gained post in guarding A-721, the prisoner’s Occuli supposedly turned a heavy crimson when his powers were used, but the soldier rarely ever saw his ward angered by anything, even other prisoner’s shenanigans during recess, and a mechanical Ordinance collar around the boy’s neck prevented his LV from ever going higher than 1, rendering power use near useless and impossible. Not to mention, the prisoner had suffered trauma, so he could only manifest only the Occuli in his right eye. Not that he ever attempted.
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Safe Room 2
A-721’s track record in terms of behavior was flawless, and because of it, he was transferred from the rowdy Prison C Block to the much more lenient Prison A Block in less than 6 months. He rarely caused an issue, and complied with all procedures during more stressful events, never even disobeying the guards, including the ones who were so power drunk to start abusing the prisoners in some cases. No, A-721 was extremely docile. Almost to the point where he was lifeless.
Granted, he did have a personality, but it almost seemed like a shade of one. Outside of Terrence’s initial brief, he knew very little about who he was guarding aside from his initial crime; breaking the 2nd Gaian Physic Law of Time, stopping the entire US for 25 minutes and 13 seconds in a bubble that not only was caused on the end of Mavericking that resulted in inconsistencies, but weakened his own power to almost nothing. Terrence spoke a bit about his life as a means to help garner more information, but it yielded close to nothing from the closed vault that was Rex Argus Valin, youngest of a family 4 and runt of the litter.
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Checkpoint
Sgt. Terrence entered, holstering his M4 to his back as he began to pat down his prisoner for any weapons, even though he knew Rex wouldn’t have armed himself. Though the boy never revealed much, he had no motive to escape. Every part of his demeanor said that he wanted nothing more than to live out his sentence in peace. It’s been 4 years since he was sentenced, and with 1 more year to go, it was about time again for Rex’s yearly hearing from the Council of 7. As the sergeant finished patting Rex down, he stepped back, taking his M4 again to low-port carry, and motioned his head to the prisoner to follow. Rex obeyed, following the sergeant out of his cell.
As they entered the hall, lined with rows and rows of mostly empty cells, two other nameless guards came up from the rear as Terrence took out a pair of chrome-like ring handcuffs, turning around to Rex. Rex, who knew what came next presented his wrists, to which the soldier secured each ring on Rex’s wrists. A light on one of them went from red to green, followed by a metal hum as the two rings forced Rex’s arms together. As long as the prisoner’s LV was below 5, they would be unable to force the magnetized cuffs off. And so, Terrence, Rex, and the two guards bringing up the rear navigated the halls, toward the North Gate. They passed the South Gate without any problems, past security screening as the heavy metal doors of the gate closed behind them.
“How are the kids?” Rex suddenly asks listlessly to Terrence. He was referring to the sergeant’s children, whom the latter told Rex a few months back.
“Billy’s beginning to speak rather well.” Terrence replied. “Felicity and I are planning on getting him to start school early because he’s learning so fast and we’re running out of things to give him as input. As for Molly...” The man grimaced a bit. “I’m a bit worried how she’s developing. She just turned 5 not more than a few days ago.”
“Ah.” Rex stated, eyes fluttering. “Congratulations.”
Terrence scoffed half-heartedly. “Yeah well, growth is all well and good. We’re just worried she’ll...”
“Develop as a superhuman?” Rex asked, finishing Terrence’s sentence, causing him to look sidealong at his ward, nodding.
“She hasn’t developed powers yet, and Felicity and I don’t have the superhuman gene in either of our family lines,” Terrence said. “But with the chance that regs can still produce a superhuman child in this day and age, and since it’s impossible to know, I’m worried that we’ll be unable to handle it.”
“You still love your daughter, no?”
Terrence’s face contorted into one of incredulity. “Of course I love my daughter!” He exclaimed. “I’d never trade her for the world! And I can deal with her being a superhuman just fine, thanks. You’re literal training wheels for that.”
“I feel honored.” Rex’s tone held salted amusement.
“It’s just that I’m worried that Felicity won’t.” Terrence continued, his tone more leveled. “She’s had a bad experience with superhumans in the past and she’s just wanting to be a good mother. As for Molly, it’s a matter of whether her abilities would be a challenge should we need to register her and if it’ll change her for the worse.”
“Terrence.” Rex said. He had stopped, causing the sergeant to stop and turn back. This little stop, however, didn’t sit well with one of the guards bringing up the rear.
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - The Cantina
“Hey, keep moving, scum.” The soldier to the left replied, his voice only made harsher by his radio synthesizer. He tapped Rex’s back with the side of his rifle barrel. Rex’s eyes lowered to half-lids, looking back to the instigator. Normally, he’d punch people like them. But now wouldn’t be the time nor place.
“No, it’s fine.” The sergeant reassured waving his hand to try to allow Rex to speak his piece. But the soldier wouldn’t budge.
“With respect, sergeant,” The left soldier replied, “This one has an appointment with the A-7’s themselves. And last I checked, they have a tight schedule. So they can’t afford to make time for a criminal to do whatever. Especially superhuman scum like him who stopped the world to a crawl.”
“And last I checked, you have a lot to learn on your first day here, Private Micheals.” Terrence growled, stepping past Rex. “Do you know why this scum that you refer to isn’t sitting in C Block? Because he doesn’t act like an entitled little **** like you, newbie.”
The private took a step back, surprised.
“Yeah that’s right. I know you and your buddy are new.” Terrence said, arrogantly, and with every reason to be. “I’ve been taking care of this one for at least 2 years now, going on 3. So I know every single soldier tasked to this post in rotation. You both also keep your battle goggles on, which also gave it away that you're new to this. Let me both give you a pro tip; you only get to walk my shoes when you learn how to give respect. Obviously, Basic training hasn’t taught you any of it. So you know what?” The sergeant glowered at the two. “You can both take a hike back to Block C for the rest of your shift. I’ll take A-721 to the North Gate on my own. Now get the hell out of my sight.” He motioned with his trigger hand, making a sweeping motion. “Shoo.”
Rex knew that Terrence was a Drill Sergeant when he served the US Army 4 years back before entering under A-7 contract, but rarely had he seen a guard defend a prisoner out of sheer respect. Still, he said nothing, watching almost boredly as the scene unfolded. The left soldier, dumbfounded at the response, said nothing. His right counterpart on the other hand, only sighed tiredly, replying, “Yes sergeant. Right away.” He grabbed his partner, saying. “C’mon, bub. This is what happens when you can’t keep your damn mouth shut.”
Terrence only tsk’d as the two privates walked off in the opposite direction, leaving him and Rex alone.
“You were saying?” He inquired, facing back to the prisoner after the soldiers were out of earshot.
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Safe Room 3
“...There is nothing worse than treating a child differently because they’re not considered normal.” Rex continued, as he began to walk forward, eyeing the sergeant, moving in front.
Terrence followed, bringing up Rex’s rear as he listened. “There is nothing in this life that defines ‘normal’. Nothing in my life nor yours classified as normal.” Rex looked to his jailer. “How you raise your child is how she’s going to define herself in this world. If you treat her like some sort of freak, she will never see her as enough for those around her. Or, she may even consider herself too much to the point where others will fear her.”
Current Track - Underhell Chapter 1 OST - Safe Room 4
They reached the end of that hall that opened into a room leading to the North Gate, wide and spacious like that of the South Gate. 4 guards stood firm in each corner of the room, observing the newcomers.
“You and your wife are her parents. Her guides.” Rex stated, not in the voice of someone with exhaustion, but in a voice of someone who held wisdom beyond his age. “Love her and teach her to cultivate her gifts and rise above her flaws. Guide her, and she will make your proud, superhuman or not.” He looked sidealong to Terrence, a thin smile forming across his face. “Believe me. I know. My folks never learned to teach me, instead opting to snub who I was. Now, they get to pay the price for it as their embarrassment. Hmph.” He grunted at the thought as he approached the North Gate entrance.
The sergeant could only stare at Rex, surprised at his words. Despite the boy only being 21 years old, Rex’s words gave away more depth to his personality than any of what the 3 years of guarding him had garnered. It also gave the soldier some comfort, knowing his fears were not unfounded, and granted him some extra confidence to what his family had ahead. He followed Rex, standing beside him, waving to the gate operator on the upper rail to open up the North Gate.
“Thank you, Rex.” Terrence said earnestly. To his surprise, Rex gave him a patient, yet sincere smile.
“You’re welcome, sergeant.” He replied.
The North Gate, which led to the front of the A-7 Barracks and led into the Town Hall, opened slowly with a dull grinding of gears, pulleys and levers. Soon, the Gate sat wide open, an open maw leading to the Room of 7.
“North Gate, Open!”
Terrence patted Rex’s shoulder. “Well.” He said. “Show must go on. Let’s get going.”
Rex, however, did not move, his face becoming downcast and out of vision of the sergeant’s sight, causing the sergeant to look back in concern at his prisoner.
“Rex?” Terrence asked.
The boy looked up a bit, and a twinge of pity was felt in the soldier’s stomach. There was a small light now in Rex’s eyes, but they seemed to be almost dying, as if that whatever compelled Rex was slowly dying out, the boy seemingly only relighting his spark for this moment. He spoke.
“Y’know sergeant, you’ve been very good to me for these past few years I’ve been locked up here.” Rex said, his usual insincere tone replaced with one of almost longing. “You’re a respectful man, and from what you’ve told me you have a loving wife and family. My advice to you is to spend as much time with them as possible.” He looked down to his hands. His right one had begun to tremble, as if he’d remembered something, using his left to grapple it and calm down. “...Any moment you don’t have time to cherish, you’ll regret not having spent it, even ones that you don’t put much stock into.” He looked back up to the sergeant giving a sad, almost forced smile. “Maybe in another life, we could’ve been friends. I would’ve liked that.”
Terrence blinked, unsure what to make of what Rex was saying. He instead played it off with a playful scoff.
“Well thanks, man I really appreciate it!” He replied. “Maybe we still could after you finish your sentence. Hell, maybe the Council may consider letting you off the hook early for making my job easier!” He laughed.
Rex didn’t laugh with his jailer. Instead, his face became further downcast. When he looked back up again, his face was cold, almost emotionless.
“I hope for your family’s sake and for mine, that you’ll choose a safer occupation than this.” He said quietly. “I don’t think Gaia will allow me to stay put any longer. Not after today.”
Terrence’s good vibes faltered a bit. “W-what do you mean-?” He asked carefully.
Just as Terrence had finished his sentence, the emergency klaxons began to sound.
“Attention! Massive power surge detected! Tier 4 anomalous power surge affecting facility systems! Main and reserve power systems compromised...-“
The loudspeaker’s female voice pitched awkwardly downward as the lights began to go out one by one. Soon, the North Gate entrance sat open and in the dark.
Darkness.
Soldiers shouting, running to and from their posts, trying to find the cause.
A metallic hum of struggling cuffs, and the breaking of a metal Ordinance collar.
An impact is heard in the sound of a heavy punch.
The sound of heavy beeping of various LV detectors on soldiers raising above LV 50.
One crimson Occuli glows in the dark, like a monster’s eye.
More shouting.
Clicking of safeties off on various M4s.
Shooting, accompanied by the smell of belched rounds and smoking barrels.
More punching is heard, some accompanied by the sound of broken wrists and legs and soldier’s cries of pain.
Silence falls.
The smell of gunpowder remains.
A retreat of footsteps, hurrying at an even pace, leaving their one chance of redemption behind in the smoke of combat.
A late outcry of one who’d never accept the cards he’d been dealt.
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Current Track - Zayde Wølf - OBLIVION
Back/Step
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“To live without hope is to cease to live.” - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Date - April 12th, 2021, 15:32
Location - Corps Row District, A-7 Council Sector 1, North Gate, Office 31
Nicholas Jafreet sat in a office chair in one of A-7’s many office rooms, flipping a coin listlessly, metallic clinking the only break in the silence of the room as the skin of his finger met metal. He was sitting in front of a television screen showing footage of nearly 1 month ago, the current frame right as the power outage occurred; 0600 hours precisely. He’d seen the footage about 12 times at this point, knowing what happens from to back. Right at the moment that Rex Valin, his so-called model prisoner, had waltzed out from the North Gate scott-free amidst the confusion that was the attack on the Sector that morning, a Tier 4 power surge that knocked out both the main and reserve power system, also hitting 1/3 of the city’s power grid as collateral.
And because of the entire situation, never in Nicholas’ career as Speaker of the Council of 7 had he been more stressed. And no one, not even the Council’s best electricians and brightest scientists could figure out how such an event happened or why, and currently it doesn’t help that the top brass is breathing down his neck and the current hired help of vigilantes isn’t enough to search for one man. Rex, for all intents and purposes, had vanished.
Gaia must have been smiling upon Nicholas to some degree, as no one had gotten hurt. Apparently the target of the attack was A-7, as most of the bulk of the anomalous surge was directed toward the barracks, and during Rex’s escape, he was gracious to allow the soldiers who pelted him with hundreds of 5.56 NATO rounds in the dark to live another day to see their families, including a certain Terrence Kelly, currently now Staff Sergeant.
Nicholas grew tired of flicking the coin, catching in a fist, his blue eyes temporarily flickering to a royal purple as he felt the coin crushing into itself. Nothing added up about that day. Rex was supposed to serve a 4 year sentence with the chance of 1 year early parole, for his crimes and 3 years into it, being docile as can be, suddenly a coincidental event comes along, opportune for a superhuman like him to waltz out and he takes it? He couldn’t have planned this.
Which is why action needed to be taken. Because of what he did and what he was capable of he was public enemy number 5, right behind the top 4 people of interest in the Church of Eight Hands, Rex needed to be detained and questioned. Nicholas himself couldn’t do anything about it, what with the growing concern of the instability of Temporal and Dimensional Fractures. Supposedly, after the Chrinistar Timestop and Rex’s subsequent arrest, the Fractures, rifts in time and space that usually went in an outward direction, had somehow become more frequent in occurrence. They were also becoming larger and more difficult to resolve.
The Church of Eight Hands were also another problem; Sarkic cultists who worshiped the goddess Yaladabaoth and wanted to bring her back along with the dark ages with blood rituals and sacrifices of the flesh. This made them the most dangerous individuals in the city, and they were growing in numbers significantly by the day.
Thirdly and lastly, the city was falling into further turmoil with regs protesting to eliminate the ‘superhuman’ threat. 21 years later and there was still no ease in tension between supers and regs, and seemingly had only gotten worse.
No, Nicholas’ hands were too full. Rex definitely took priority, but he needed to be dealt with by an outside party. A-7 simply had no manpower to spare at the moment. He looked back at the manila folder on the table, eyes once again skimming over the four profiles in front of him. He fished through his pocket, taking out his phone, dialing on it, then putting it to his ear.
“Lily?” He said. “Yes. Right. I need you to make a call to a certain officer at the Chrinistar PD.” He looked over to the top-most profile on the folder. “Jay Rompaye? Yes. Yes. Tell him that the Council requests his presence as soon as possible. Thanks.” - > This roleplay follows the rules of KH-Vids in its entirety. Treat them as an extension of the rules currently listed.
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Your character is accepted an hoo boy do I love it!