Realistic or Modern [Closed] Magik Hero U In-Character

[Juju]

Marceline ☆ Prism

Interaction: Nellancholy jmann Solirus || Mention: Tiguidi​

The first to identify themselves was Gleam, but instead of putting Prism at ease, as she had hoped, it only made her shoulders tense with a different sort of stress. Something was off. Just a passerby? That didn’t add up at all. It was possible that they had all been selected at different times, but based on what she just read on her phone, it was highly unlikely a human could see their meeting without a healthy dose of amnesia.

It’s a good thing I read that information thoroughly. Good try, Gleam…

“You saw us and didn’t forget? What about the time it takes for our new magic to set in? Moki said it needed at least a day…” Prism frowned, not even trying to hide her suspicion.

To lie so easily, like breathing, in a situation such as this? How were they supposed to trust each other as a team when their first meeting was based on deception?

It was clear she didn't buy it. Like a mother who knew the truth behind a question she just asked, Prism placed her hands on her hips, “If we’re going to be a team, we should start by being honest with each other. Magical bonds of trust -- or whatever -- aside, these missions will be dangerous.”

Her eyes softened, “We need to be able to rely on one another.”

Hopefully her words would get through to Gleam, but the uneasy feeling in her gut said otherwise. She would have to watch that one in the future.

As if looking after Candace wasn't enough of a worry.

She was starting to have her doubts about the unity of her team, but thankfully the next name on her list was settled; Earthquake. Surprisingly, once he started talking the whole intimidation factor fell away.

Prism pretended not to notice the red gathering on Earthquake’s face. It was actually quite endearing for what looked like a mountain of a hero suffering from what she could only guess was social anxiety. Suddenly the sweater and clothing made sense. Everyone here was probably nervous, well perhaps not everyone, but at least the majority. At least Earthquake. Perhaps she should stop assuming the worst about her new team.

“Nice to meet you Earthquake. I figured the name belonged to one of you,” She said light-heartedly, nodding towards Sol Invictus, “Glad to have you on the team.”

Soon enough Earthquake put a name to yet another face of the team. Nexus. It seemed the two were familiar.

Prism smiled, pleased that Earthquake seemed to know someone else here. Having an established friend might help his confidence. It struck her that both she and Candace were kept together, just as Nexus and Earthquake were. Had Moki known that they were friends and planned this from the beginning?

Putting it out of her mind, Prism gave the newcomer a short wave of greeting. “So, you’re Nexus then? Looks like you two know each other. Well then, I guess introductions will be easier than I thought!”

“Right. The only one unaccounted for is Twilight...” Prism agreed, eyes scanning the crowd of heroes for any she thought the name could belong to. Should she call out their name again, in case they didn’t hear her? "Maybe I should ask again?"

 

[Tiguidi]

TWILIGHT​

“Oh, no need, that’s me! Sorry!”

Twilight had been a bit too preoccupied studying the other people in the park, only realizing a few short moments later that her name had been called. A lot of information had been shared in the last minutes and Twilight wasn’t keen on the idea of forgetting something important.

The cast seemed to be quite… colorful, to say the least. Well, most of the noise came from a certain Candace, who appeared to be somewhat popular amongst the people in the park. A popular player from the game, maybe? Sam didn’t really look into the game’s rankings and such, only playing for herself without preoccupying herself with others.

Her attention had been brought to Moki once it emerged from the phone of someone standing a bit further away from the others. The mushroom-clad person obviously seemed surprised at the sudden attention being brought to them -not that Twilight would judge. She heavily disliked being noticed at all, preferring to be left alone in her corner. But that was Samantha’s personality. Twilight would probably act a bit differently… ’Ayo, wait, what did he just say?’

“Um, excuse me, Moki? When you say that our bodies reacted well, does this mean that there was a chance of it… turning badly?”

Putting that little detail away, Twilight was admittedly excited by this whole magical girl prospect. The idea of fighting monsters and saving the world was extremely attractive. Fishy as hell but the mere notion of doing something more interesting in her life brushed those suspicions away. For now. Immediately trusting Moki (like, say, Candace) would be very rash but, inversely, it’s not like they had reasons to distrust it.

Twilight walked over to meet the rest of her team, giving them a quick glance. A maid-looking girl, giving off a hint of sci-fi. An admiral-looking guy with a serious air. This over-excited Candace (Twilight couldn’t blame the fun he seemed to have, she was pretty hyped too). A very muscular guy, who controversially looked a bit uncomfortable being here. ’To be fair, who would…?’. Finally, Prism, a tall, princess-like girl who seemed very familiar with Candace. Maybe they knew each other outside of this Magik Hero thing? Earthquake and Nexus also looked like they knew each other. 'Maybe I should've made more friends, yikes...'

“Team Beans…? Is that us? It sounds… cool.”, Twilight let out, giving a dry giggle at Candace’s antics. ’Oh my god, it’s so criiiiiinge…!’

Clearing her throat, Twilight gave a smile to the other members of the team. "With that being said and done, my... well, avatar's name is Twilight. It's nice to meet all of you.", she greeted, slightly bowing her head. The movement was a bit stiff as this kind of greeting was something Samantha would never do but it could easily be attributed to stress. Not to mention that this 'nice talk' was already getting a tiny bit exhausting.

Twilight wasn't oblivious to the sort of tension that was brewing between Prism and Gleam but decided that the best move would be to stay silent. Everyone was still a bit confused about the whole situation. Hopefully it would resolve itself by the end of tonight's mission. Wait...

Twilight blinked when Moki mentioned said mission. “Ah… Looks like we’re being thrown into action right away, huh… I’m not sure about everyone else but the magic I’m supposed to have isn’t exactly powerful right now…”

At this point in time, Twilight wasn’t exactly ready to ask questions for the moment, her mind still processing all the information she and the others have received. Well, actually…

“Moki? I think we all realize that we’ve transformed into our Magik Hero U avatars. What’s the link between the game and all of this… monster fighting stuff, exactly? Err, let me rephrase; does the game exist because of the monsters and whatever we’re supposed to do?”

 

[Juju]

☆Moki☆
Moki’s ears flicked towards Enoki, though they didn’t respond to what the mushroom hero said. It was unclear if their words were ignored, misheard, or put to the side simply due to Moki being distracted.

A few seconds later, the oddly colored creature was grabbed by Candace and pulled into a protective and loving hug. Moki let out a surprised squeak, blinking in confusion at what had just happened. Even though Candace had extended a similar gesture last night, it was just as surprising.

“Moki is overjoyed to know you are happy with your gifts, and cannot wait for your surprise!” they said, a catlike grin across their face.

Their beady eyes closed as they were pet and they let out a sound similar to a cat’s purr, though off by a few keys. It was higher pitched, more akin to tinkling bells.

They only stopped their ‘purring’ whenever Candace declared himself as their father. Eyes opened, confused, “This is strange. Moki isn’t your child? Oh, is this another joke? Or something else… hmm. Moki isn’t your child, but Moki would like to be your friend!”

Aside from the confusion about familial connection, Moki seemed to be enjoying the hug and continued to ragdoll in Candace’s arms for the time being.
seasonedcat

“Don’t worry, Moki wouldn't have let the other heroes attack you, Dopplewalker! Magik Heroes are not meant to harm one another.” Moki piped up cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the real reason behind Dopplewalker's disappointment.

Ironically, their ears stood up like a rabbit at the request, sloping as they tilted their head to the side. "All humans have virtue in them, even you! Sorry, but Moki is unable to disclose a Hero's virtue, as it is quite a personal thing. Moki cannot even disclose your own. Once a hero gets to know themselves, and know each other, it will become apparent. Moki wonders if the reason why you don't know your own virtue is because you listen too much to these people instead of your heart!"
Cresion Breezes

Moki swished their tail contentedly, enjoying the free ride in Candace's arms. The next to ask a question was Earthquake.

"Respawn? Well, not exactly. As outlined in Moki's notes, EGOs will regenerate after a fatal hit without limit. Like a respawn! Humans are different, and cannot respawn. When an EGO is defeated the human should retreat to safety immediately or risk permanent damage. Don't worry, heroes act as a team and can protect a fallen hero! Moki is also here to help!"
jmann

Safety questions were always to be expected, so Moki didn't seem overly surprised when someone asked about the magik's possible reaction to their bodies. "Yes of course, there is always a chance that even those with high potential may not be fully compatible with the Magik. However, you all should not be concerned, as your magic is now stable! Congratulations!"

It seemed like that was not the only question from Twilight. The next was about the relation of MHU and monsters. Starry eyes watched the girl until she was done speaking. The topic didn't seem to be as easily spoken about as the others.

Moki paused for a moment, thinking of their next words carefully.

"MHU does not exist because of monsters, well not quite. Actually, the monsters seen in MHU are the most basic and harmless forms of dark entities. They were perhaps not the best examples to use, in hindsight, but they helped to show how well a hero handles them alone and in teams. Well except…" Moki blinked, stopping themself before they spoke more than they should. They flicked their ears, fidgeting uncomfortably, "Oh, but the heroes shouldn't worry about monsters yet. That is skipping ahead too much for now! Please don't ask Moki more about it, it's supposed to be taught later. Tonight's training is a practical exercise of attuning to your new powers and your -- your surprise. Only when heroes are ready will they advance to dealing with the forces of evil."

Moki finally hopped out of Candace's arms and landed on the gravel pathway. They sat down, tail wrapped around their dainty paws. "It is almost time to begin! Are the heroes ready?"
Tiguidi

 

[Shreb]

Candace's face turned into confusion at the girl's reaction, "Uh no? I just call it Momo because he is just the cutest!~"

Makes enough sense to her!

Team Two shall include the heroes Dopplewalker, Enoki, Pandora, Potentia, Sol Invictus and Starponaria."

Damn, time flew by. She spaced out for one too many minutes...Introductions had already flown by before she could properly throw herself into the mix, and now she was kind of the odd one out. Not that she was expecting any less; she tended to drift off in her own little world when things started getting crowded. The kind of person to be on their phone and act like they're doing something while everyone else grooves it out.

"All humans have virtue in them, even you! Sorry, but Moki is unable to disclose a Hero's virtue, as it is quite a personal thing. Moki cannot even disclose your own. Once a hero gets to know themselves, and know each other, it will become apparent. Moki wonders if the reason why you don't know your own virtue is because you listen too much to these people instead of your heart!"

The beauty of eavesdropping. Virtue...What was virtue to her? A good trait? Was it trained, or discovered? Both? She imagined she'd have to dig far deeper into her own mind than she would like to hope in order to answer that question, the prospect of which didn't sit well with her, like expired milk.

"MHU does not exist because of monsters, well not quite. Actually, the monsters seen in MHU are the most basic and harmless forms of dark entities. They were perhaps not the best examples to use, in hindsight, but they helped to show how well a hero handles them alone and in teams. Well except…" Moki blinked, stopping themself before they spoke more than they should. They flicked their ears, fidgeting uncomfortably, "Oh, but the heroes shouldn't worry about monsters yet. That is skipping ahead too much for now! Please don't ask Moki more about it, it's supposed to be taught later. Tonight's training is a practical exercise of attuning to your new powers and your -- your surprise. Only when heroes are ready will they advance to dealing with the forces of evil."

...Spooky. A mix of exciting, strange, and still oddly bizarre.

She wasn't really ready. Hell, she hadn't even dropped by to see the heroes she was meeting with. She just ended up wasting that much time...She decided to go for the only one she could legitimately greet.

There's way too many people to keep track of, she was already getting dizzy.

Okay, so...Purple Ouroboros, Mushroom Head, White Buns, Smiles, and Rising Ab-Sun...Those are my fellow teammates. Let's uh...Say hi to one of them.

TEAM 2:
DOPPLEWALKER Cresion Breezes
ENOKI seasonedcat
PANDORA felideli
POTENTIA Glassred
SOL INVICTUS ThatWhichShouldBe
STARPONARIA (YOU) Shreb
INTERACTING WITH: POTENTIA Glassred

Don't worry, Misaki, no one's going to blame you for missing out on nearly a page's worth of dialogues and interactions, just go say hi, ask a neat question, and it'll all segue just fine.
Who was saying that to her, who knows? Probably herself.

Ironically, this person brought the most interest for her; she liked someone who was willing to ask the more alarming questions, ones that often wouldn't come about from a juvenile kid who just got told they could play super hero now just from the tap of their phone. Knowing that the question was brought up...What exactly was left for them? Would everyone actually come out of this a-okay, or would someone die? What if she became one of them, the first death?

It was concerning, at the very least...Terrifying at most, so she ended up resonating with this person moreso than she thought, even if this Potentia person did look to be all smiles and all hair. Like that ghost in that VCR tape.

She just sort of...Walked up to her. Awkward, but normal, but also not really. She didn't look that comfortable with so much people around her, but she got more confident as she actually locked onto this person.

"...Hi. I'm uh...One of your teammates, Starponaria." Wasn't quite so chatty this time around; it's hard to get along when it feels like she was being swept along the waves. Hopefully, the team would group in alongside them.

"I'm ready to go. Um, how about you?"

Juju
STARPONARIA IS READY.

No, she wasn't, but it was too late to prep up now so she would have to learn, one way or the other. She didn't like it, but they would have to start running by a "one mistake could mean final mistake" mindset once the fights began. Still...She wanted to at least talk to someone before she called herself ready.

 

[Juju]

☆ Moki ☆
Even though Moki had asked them a question, their gaze was not directed at the gathered heroes, but instead past them, towards the East. Their ears flipped to that direction as well, listening for something, then relaxed again. Moki nodded their head in silent approval then looked back at the group.

"Excellent! Then it's time for the heroes to make their next step! Oh Moki cannot wait to see the fruition of your magik! Come, this way everyone! Let's begin!"

Springing to life, Moki bounded down the garden path, stopping every now and then to make sure the others were behind them. To anyone who frequented the park it was clear what direction they were going, but to everyone else it wasn't too difficult to guess. Soon enough the pond loomed in front of the group, twinkling with the light of the city huddled around the greenery.

"Right this way, heroes! Follow Moki!" Said their guide, motioning to the center of the pond with their head.

Moki hopped delicately above the water, but instead of falling down with a splash they stood perfectly on the pond's surface. As their paws made contact, it sent out a ripple across the whole pond, smoothing out even the tiniest of movements as it travelled from Moki to all the way across the pond. Once it had reached the opposite bank, the pond was unnaturally still, reflecting the city lights and moon with complete clarity, like one giant mirror.

"There we go! Oh, this is so exciting. Moki can hardly wait!" The little creature trotted ahead on the water's surface, wagging their tail from side to side. Wherever their paws touched the surface, small ripples of purple light bloomed and faded. They stopped in their tracks and looked back, realizing that the others might not be following yet, "It's safe for heroes to walk now! Go on, you won't fall through. Moki promises!"

Without waiting for them, Moki scampered off ahead until they were in the very center of the pond. Only then did they wait, sitting with paws tucked under their tail and eyes watching the heroes expectantly. "Gather in a circle around Moki please!"

Just as it did for Moki, anywhere the heroes stepped would create a small circle of light that faded away slowly. Hopefully it wouldn't mesmerize them too much. To help guide any who might be nervous or unsure, a shimmering ring of purple spread around Moki, indicating where the heroes should stand. In the meantime, the creature's eyes shut as if in meditation. Moki did not respond to any questions, and seemed to be waiting for the heroes to organize themselves around them. It was perhaps unusual for the chatty creature, but a break from their lengthy monologues might even be a relief to some.

Once everyone had fallen into place, Moki's eyes shot open, glowing brightly like the night before when they received their EGO. Once again, the heroes found themselves unable to move for the time being, though it was not uncomfortable like last time.

The ring of light the heroes stood on now sharpened, brightened into intricate patterns and symbols that rotated slowly below them like the gears of a clock. They themselves stood unmoved. The pond around the magik circle began to shift, growing clearer until it no longer reflected the city lights but instead the galaxies hidden beyond light pollution. Blue, purple and pink bled across the pond like spilled ink, dotted with stars. Bubbles of light trickled upwards, lazily rising around the heroes.

The heroes couldn't see it, but they could feel something like a physical link that stretched from themselves to Moki, anchored from their chest. It was weightless and brought no discomfort, but it was difficult to shake the feeling nonetheless. Their inability to move probably didn't help either. Once again, that familiar feeling of water running across their skin returned.

Just as soon as they noticed the invisible link, it began to pull away from them. It was painless, but there was no mistaking the fact that something was being removed. Soon enough they could actually see it, a bubble of light appearing in front of their chest. In a heartbeat it grew in size, shifting and glowing brighter.

Differing between each hero, it began to change and transform. Just as their hero transformed, all the orbs of light changed in different ways except one; they all became strange (and rather cute) creatures. Those who played MHU for any length of time would easily recognize them as familiars of sorts, but they had never seen any in the game that looked like this. This one was unique. This one was theirs.

Moki's eyes returned to their usual colour and the summoning circle faded, though the starry sky below them remained unchanged. "Heroes, Moki would like to introduce you to your familiars, the very manifestations of your virtue! They will become your closest companions and act as your weapons against the forces of evil. The only weapon that will work, in fact. Though your magic is strong, only virtue can truly destroy darkness. Take care of them, and they will take care of you!"

They 'purred' again, "Oh isn't it wonderful? Look at how beautiful they are! Well, what are you waiting for? Say hello!"

GM NOTES!

☆Familiars do not know their own virtue
☆Familiars know the name of their hero, and can sense their personality, pains and wishes, but don't know their past or daily lives
☆Familiars do not have names. Your hero gives them one.
☆Familiars have a basic understanding of reality and how the world works, but are new to everything about human culture and technology.
☆Familiars know how to turn into their weapons and back, also how to use their own magic.
☆Familiars do not know anymore about Magik Heroes than your characters do, nor do they know anything more about Moki or monsters.

seasonedcat Solirus jmann Nellancholy Shreb Glassred felideli Cresion Breezes ThatWhichShouldBe Tiguidi

 

[Nellancholy]

"..."

Gleam angled herself slightly away from Prism. It felt like she was doing that a lot tonight. Maybe she shouldn't have continued to lie. Prism was right, they had to be able to trust one another. A little white lie didn't seem like it could hurt, but...

Either way, the fact that they were on the same team and would be working together meant there'd probably be plenty of chances to make it up to her later.

The conversation with Moki went on around the group, again elucidating some interesting details. Moki was either holding out on them or being quite honest about being unable to tell them their virtues outright. Not to mention that their EGOs formed a sort of safety net to allow them to get away if they happened to take a hard hit in battle...and supposedly, their magic had already been "stabilized". As if it wasn't before?

Presently Moki decided that Q&A time was over, and it was time for action.

"Whoa..." It was all Gleam could do to stare as Moki crossed the water with a little light show forming around them, waiting.

Of course, she couldn't miss her chance to be the first to venture into the unknown. Stepping forward, Gleam tentatively touched her toe on the water. Was it the usual trick? Were there rocks just under the surface of the water?

There weren't.

Gleam took a deep breath...and stepped off.

The small circles of light held her, as surely as they did Moki. For a moment, her calves tensed up as she tried to maintain her balance, but Gleam righted herself before she could topple over onto the water...or into it.

"Okay, deep breath..." Standing on the balls of her feet, Gleam turned slightly and launched into a ballet jeté, landing gracefully and trotting the rest of the distance across the water to Moki.

"Phew...now then, Mx. Moki, how shall I- ghk!"

Responding to her presence, the powerful magic that came from beyond intersected with that within her. Her...virtue. Her...potential.

Gleam's back arched as the invisible tether from Moki tugged at her chest like a fishing rod, and she instinctively clutched the spot where...whatever it was got extracted from her.

A fascinated gasp escaped her lips as it spun before her, crystalizing...solidifying.

Her virtue solidified, the manifestation of all her potential, her aspiration...

And it was...a plush rabbit? Gleam held out her hands to catch it.

Responding to the warmth of her hands, it stirred, beady eyes glowing red as it awakened.

"Hail! I see you are to be my partner. Come then! Embrace my power and we shall purge the shadows from this blighted world-"

In the middle of its bombastic, valorous speech, the rabbit seemed to wind down a little and stop, almost like a computer set to reboot. Indeed, it took scarcely a few seconds before it moved again, its eyes now without light.

"I do apologise for the...indiscretion you have just witnessed. Fufu..." The rabbit chuckled. "...you are my partner then. I hope to uncover all the secrets of this world and its precious little creatures during my time here."

Gleam blinked. This was...her virtue? What could it mean...?

 

[Shreb]

"Potentia, my pleasure. Feeling nervous? That's probably for the better."

The girl stopped herself, theatrically placing a gentle grip on her chin and leaning forward. She had drastically transformed in the span of mere seconds, but her gentle intonation and recited movements looked entirely natural. It would take a rather well-trained eye to spot anything unnatural about her behaviour.

"Hehe, not to worry, I'll look out for you. It's just. . . I'm getting a very good read on you, you see? You seem to understand the gravity of the situation. There are those who don't get it at all, though. They'll charge into the fray mindlessly and get hurt. We'll probably have to baby them all the time."

STARPONARIA has failed the perception check.

Like clockwork, she grooved with this person. Someone who cared, someone who recognized as well that there had to be more gravity in this situation than the notion of killing monsters like it was hunting game on a country land. Someone who felt a little bit more normal! Thank God!

Before she could finish lulling Starponaria into a sense of comfort around her, the rat called out to them again.

"Looks like we're up. Ready or not, let's go, shall we? Fufu, if you were younger, I'd offer to hold your hand. Ah, I bet you must've been super cute."

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

"T-Thanks?"

Kind of a weird comment...But with good intentions, Misaki felt.

"Well, I'd do it even now. If you asked."

u̦̘̞̅h̼͉̪̟͉̄̾ͮh̹͍̞̻͚̜̟̏ͦ̕ḧ̏͛͗ḣ͘-

"No...No, I'm fine. I appreciate the initiative!"

"There we go! Oh, this is so exciting. Moki can hardly wait!" The little creature trotted ahead on the water's surface, wagging their tail from side to side. Wherever their paws touched the surface, small ripples of purple light bloomed and faded. They stopped in their tracks and looked back, realizing that the others might not be following yet, "It's safe for heroes to walk now! Go on, you won't fall through. Moki promises!"

Without waiting for them, Moki scampered off ahead until they were in the very center of the pond. Only then did they wait, sitting with paws tucked under their tail and eyes watching the heroes expectantly. "Gather in a circle around Moki please!"

Purple lights...Walkable water...

What the hell...

...

!!!!!

...

The bubble just popped out of her. Misaki barely had the essence of ability to describe what just went through her, the ritual taking all words out of her mouth as she bore witness to this...Thing bear form. Before long, her attention had long averted from Potentia.

"Heroes, Moki would like to introduce you to your familiars, the very manifestations of your virtue! They will become your closest companions and act as your weapons against the forces of evil. The only weapon that will work, in fact. Though your magic is strong, only virtue can truly destroy darkness. Take care of them, and they will take care of you!"

It was a fox. Scar ran along its closed eye and the way the black fur smoothed into the pristine snow-white gave this fox a celestial look, like something that came out from the energies of the great divine. It hovered in the air, curled in a ball as if it was sleeping on the surface of air.

It was about the size of a cat. Kinda small.

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A FAMILIAR. CHERISH THEM WELL. TOGETHER, FACE THE FEAR.

​

"...You." The powerful voice of a queen.
"Me? I'm-"
"No pleasantries, Misaki."
She knows my name...
Well, it did come out of her, so that kind of made sense. Still, Misaki was already being tempted to prostrate and kneel in front of this fox.
"I see that my presence was deemed necessary for your assistance."
In a surprise, the fox's paw dug into her fur, withdrawing...A cigar. In a brief flash of blue and red sparking at the tips of the fox's claws, the tip went ablaze with smoke puffing out of the fox's mouth and unceremoniously blasting it into Misaki.
"Cough! Cough! Could...Could you not do that?"
"My mistake. My memory eludes me of my status. In another realm, this would've been seen as honorable."
"Did...Did you have a name?"
"...In a past world, maybe: Queen Ailun. An alias at best, only used to temporarily condense the power I once held. You see only a husk of what once was now."

This thing definitely fit her interests. She was always down for the badass cryptic type of character, the anti-hero in a dystopian world...Or something like that. It certainly was a part of her as she was a part of it.

"...Then I'll name you...Aila."
A snort left the pointed snout of the fox, as if scrutinizing the choice. "What you desire is what I am bound to...Quit your squirming. Your worries are concerning. Don't fret, the abyss will hold your hand."

a golden crow manifested in front of her. The crow spoke.

Starponaria turned her gaze, glancing at the crow that Potentia now held...

Woah. Crows were crazy smart, even in real life. Maybe Potentia held that same trait?

"That's a nice-looking bird!" She happily commented towards Potentia in particular.
A breath of fresh smoke exists out the snout of the fox as she inevitably sat next to Misaki. Aila cocks her head to the side, her black-tipped tail swaying like the wave of an ink brush. "Your enthusiasm is matched only by the flashiness of your getup."

Starponaria was not going to like this familiar much, was she?

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

Sol Invictus

"...Hi. I'm uh...One of your teammates, Starponaria." Wasn't quite so chatty this time around; it's hard to get along when it feels like she was being swept along the waves. Hopefully, the team would group in alongside them.

"Well, nice to meet you, Starponaria."

He's not entirely sure how this whole team business worked himself, but he was willing to give it a shot. After all... Heroes couldn't stand alone, could they? If they were going to be apparently fighting monsters and stuff, it was always better to be working together.

Just as it did for Moki, anywhere the heroes stepped would create a small circle of light that faded away slowly. Hopefully it wouldn't mesmerize them too much. To help guide any who might be nervous or unsure, a shimmering ring of purple spread around Moki, indicating where the heroes should stand. In the meantime, the creature's eyes shut as if in meditation. Moki did not respond to any questions, and seemed to be waiting for the heroes to organize themselves around them. It was perhaps unusual for the chatty creature, but a break from their lengthy monologues might even be a relief to some.

Sol steps out onto the lake with some trepidation, walking across slowly to the designated ring. It felt strange to be walking on water... Was he Jesus now? Were they all Jesus? Ah, hell. He just shuts up, and waits nervously for Moki to finish. And eventually, with a flash of light, two pigeons would appear, sitting on the water in front of Sol. They look up at him, before taking off into the air, flapping in front of him like big fluffballs, and in spite of himself... Sol can't help but giggle. Manifestations of his virtue, huh...? Well, they sure were cute.

The right one is the first to speak, its words ringing out like a series of bells. Its eye is ringed with an Argead Star, its voice surprisingly deep for its cute appearance.

"O' GREAT CHAMPION, ARISE! GREAT DEEDS AWAIT US!"

For a moment, Sol might actually have thought that one was the 'loud' one, before the otherone with its Eye-of-Horus marks speaks. And for its part, its voice booms like thunder, like a temple bell rung.

"INDEED."

Sol looks at the both of them with trepidation for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright. Nice to meet you both. I'll call you... Mithras and Horus. How's that feel?"

They both nod with enthusiasm, as they perch on his shoulders.

 

[jmann]

Hector Hughes | EARTHQUAKE

A dumbfounded awe covered Hector's face throughout the light show. He was glad the bright light distracted people from him going beet red at Prism's compliment. Was she really glad to have him? Or was it because he was a tank? It was probably just the polite thing to say.

His own ball of light transformed in a flash into a lump of meat suddenly given weight. Hector tried to catch the little creature but stumbled under its unexpected weight. It was only a little thing, but was alarmingly dense and had skin that was difficult to grip. They squirmed as Hector tried to raise them into his arms, so he tentatively let the creature go. It sat there for a solid few seconds, simply existing. It was a life Hector could respect.
In one efficient move, they turned and hopped between Hector's feet.

"Hey little guy..." Hector almost whispered, "I think I've seen a familiar like you before; a dragonfrog type. Lazy but sturdy. We're gonna get along."

Hector looked around at the other heroes naming their familiars. A lot of them had serious names for serious-looking familiars; creatures of elegant magical creation. Hector's dragonfrog was much simpler, a basic familiar with a lot of potential in the hands of an experienced trainer. Was that why they were chosen for him? The school had tried a number of 'leadership tests' that he'd failed. Maybe the game was giving him one last chance...

"Pogo," Hector reminded himself to stay in the moment, then in a terrible british accent he didn't expect: "little man is chuffed."

 

[Solirus]

Atrian​

Following closely behind Moki, Atrian figured the path they took led to the pond. He was baffled seeing Moki hop onto the surface of the water with little care landing as if it were a solid surface. From the nearby ground Atrian grabbed a small pebble before hopping on the water himself causing a large ripple. Continuing to follow Moki, he noted how each step caused a light to appear under his feet and even when ripples appeared his feet didn’t seem to have any water stuck on them. Dropping the pebble, Atrian saw it fall into the water, sinking shortly after.

Atrian continued, arriving at the circle Moki created and placing himself accordingly. After a sudden shock from the unexpected use of magic, two bubbles were seemingly ripped from him as were from others. Eventually these bubbles began taking form.

From the two bubbles did two crustaceans appear. Each with a blue shell and a striking outfit matching Atrian’s only instead the outfit was mostly white instead of white. Both the Crab and the Lobster looked up at Atrian, swinging their arm upwards and placing it on top of their heads.

It was a long and awkward pause as the both familiars decided to remain perfectly still, only then did Atrian realize what they were doing. “... At ease”

“Thank you sir, It’ll be a pleasure to be working with you!” The lobster spoke with enthusiasm.

“I’m so glad to meet you!” The crab then responded, their mannerisms seemed more calm and less formal.

“Hey, you should be calling him Sir, it’s a sign of disrespect otherwise!” the lobster snapped back at the crab in an offended tone.

“No, it’s fine” Atrian responded instinctively, “Feel free to call me however you like”

“Ah- Sorry sir!” The lobster quickly apologized, becoming stiff like a brick.

“Oh I’m sure you’re fine, I should’ve asked sir how he wanted to be called first.” The crab responded back to the lobster ensuring that the lobster wasn’t at fault.

“So, what shall I call you then?” Atrian pondered out loud.

“Anything you wish sir!” both creatures responded.

Atrian took a deep sigh, naming things wasn’t his strong suit and usually let others name things for him, but now wasn’t the time to ask others for names, Atrian thought that the familiars could see that as insulting.

“How about… Cer” Atrian pointed at the crab, “And you’ll be Pier.” with his other arm he pointed at the lobster. “How’s that?”

“I am perfectly content, thank you sir!” Pier responded with a glint of excitement.

“Cer... I really like the name, thank you a lot sir… heh, it even sounds like sir, perhaps we should address you as Nexus instead?”

“I don’t mind” Atrian said, a small grin forming, it was nice to have something of a conversation, even if he was being treated similarly to a commanding officer.

 

[Tiguidi]

TWILIGHT​

Twilight had to admit, the lore dump Moki was giving the group fascinated her. She truly had no idea that a situation coming straight out of an anime would be real, much less that she got to be a part of it. Of course, she wasn’t blind to the fact that this would mean that danger was involved but the perks seemed to greatly outshine the cons.

With that being said, though, Moki’s answer to Earthquake’s question mentioned that they’d regenerate when dealt ‘mortal’ wounds. From the sound of it, that would happen a lot… Was the world unseen by normal people really that dangerous?

And unfortunately, the new heroes couldn’t really use their knowledge of the game since the monsters they knew of were apparently weak sauce. ’Well, whatever, let’s see what happens…’ Twilight couldn’t help but ever-so-slightly furrow her brows at Moki’s… vague answer to her question. From the looks of it, there was a lot the little magical creature didn’t want to tell them. Well, it couldn’t be helped for now…

Cue Moki guiding the new Magik Heroes deeper inside the park, heading toward a familiar pond. “Oooh, water walking? Just like in Naruto…” Lightly coughing to herself and hoping no one heard that, Twilight walked to the edge of the water, hesitating for a short moment before placing a foot on the water, relaxing when she confirmed for herself that it was safe to walk on. Without another word, she followed the small creature and stood along the others, forming a circle around it.

Squinting her eyes at the sudden light show from Moki, Twilight wanted to comment but instead stayed mute, fascinated by the abstract motifs and colors their guide had conjured. So fascinated, in fact, that she almost didn’t notice the physical link that slowly but surely detached itself from her being. ’The fuck’s happ- Oh.’

“Ahhhh, greetings, Twilight! It seems that fate has bound us together. Let us make the most out of it!” While the voice that spoke those words sounded reassuring, as if a kind grandfather had said them, the fact that it came from a monkey that suddenly appeared in front of Twilight made it… weird. Standing upright, a simian with almost glistening white fur looked up at Twilight with eyes full of intelligence, awaiting a reply.

“Huh? Uh, right, right!” Those words came out almost automatically. If she understood correctly, this monkey was her familiar. She expected a cute little animal, like a cat or a bunny, but a monkey was great too! “Looks like we’re partners, then… uh, do you have a name…? I’m not sure you’d like to be called ‘Mr. Monkey’.”

“It indeed might sound a little… generic.”, the simian replied with an amused smile. “This one currently has no name, as the honor of baptizing me befalls onto you, Twilight.”

“Err, okay… I’ll think of something later! It’d be best to properly think of something like this!”, came the young girl’s reply. Fortunately, her familiar seemed to accept the answer, giving her a nod and a salute. ’The hell kinda name am I supposed to give an old monkey…? Urgh, I dodged it for now but I’ll have to think on it later…’

“Much obliged. Although I must say, it appears as though some of your teammates were quite hasty in naming their own partners.”, the monkey familiar commented, giving a sideways glance to Earthquake and Pogo.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that, Pogo’s awesome! If anything, it’s the accent that needs a tiny bit of work.”, Twilight commented herself, giving Hector a grin to show she was only kidding. Despite appearances, everyone should remember that they were all kids on the inside. “Well, can’t say I was expecting to receive a magical anima- err, partner, tonight.”

Interacting with: Earthquake ( jmann )

 

[Juju]

Marceline ☆ Prism ☆ Rex

Interaction: N/A || Mention: Nellancholy seasonedcat​

---

Prism couldn't help but be transfixed by the sight of the water beneath Moki. Everything up until this point had been surreal, threatening to overturn everything she knew about this world. It was easier when she was given something to do, to set her mind to; sleep, go to school, wait until evening, go to the park. It gave her a structure to cling to whenever her mind tried to grapple with the impending 'otherness', like a bucket of realization hanging over her head. Keeping busy had always been her coping mechanism, and even when faced with her day-old initiation into the world of Magik Heroes, she tried to keep her eyes looking forward and trudge onwards.

It was all impossible, something she only could see in dreams and films. She could only hold onto those precious familiar things like spotting a liar in her tracks, trying to make an unsociable teammate feel welcome, or even worrying about Ez. Yet when Moki stood on the water she was left with no choice but to face the music. Everything that was once her life was gone. This was reality now, wonderous and unknown. The bucket of disbelief spilled over, and the water that crashed down over her was both cold and uncaring.

Prism stood at the edge of the pond uncertain and untrusting of the water's surface. She glanced at the others to her side, wondering who would test it first, and watched in mild surprise when it was none other than Gleam. Perhaps what she lacked in honesty, she made up for in bravery.

Snap out of it, Marcie. How can you be there for the team if you're too scared to walk on water? She thought and frowned silently at herself.

Prism took a deep breath, then stepped onto the water. Just as Moki said, it took her weight effortlessly. She marveled at the light beneath her steps, trying her hardest not to let out a laugh of pure childish glee. She followed the others and took her place at the circle, forcing away the panic at losing control of her body. Was this going to be a regular part of being a Magik Hero? She hoped not.

What she thought was just fear in her chest bubbled outwards in a sickening pull, turning into a ball of bright light. It was just like last night, when she first transformed. With that knowledge, she found herself less afraid and reached out a hand towards the light. Before she could touch it, it grew and shifted, becoming the shape of a small furry animal. Just as quickly as it formed, the animal gained the pull of gravity and fell from the air. Quickly, Prism caught it in her hands.

The first thing that struck her was how incredibly soft it was. The other was that it was talking to her. "Hello Prism, its a pleasure to meet you. I'm your familiar now, which means we're partners. I look forward to working with you! I'm ready whenever, just say the word and we'll be off. Err, wherever that is!"

The creature looked up at her with eyes sparkling in expectation and excitement. Prism couldn't help but smile at the fuzzy creature's eagerness, taken aback by just how adorable it was. She always had a soft spot for animals, but somehow she felt like comparing her familiar to an animal might be insulting. "I look forward to working with you as well. So you know my name, but what should I call you? What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry for being so rude not to introduce myself beforehand. It's just that I don't have a name!"

Now Prism felt bad, "Wait, wait, don't apologize it wasn't rude at all! Well, lets see. Would you like me to give you a name or would you like to pick one out for yourself?"

"I'm certain any name given by Prism will be just swell!"

Prism smiled, "Well, as my partner you should have a say as well. How about I give you a selection and you tell me which you like best? OK uh..." Prism's eyes widened, realizing she couldn't think of anything now that she was put on the spot. She froze, and in doing so thought of the first name that sprung in her mind, and regretted how uncreative it was, "Well there is Rex --"

In her panic she had blurted the name of one of her favorite characters in the Game of Dragons series.

"Rex, I like that one!" The familiar declared, "It has a good ring to it! A good energy too!"

"Alright, Rex it is. Nice to meet you Rex!" Prism said cheerfully, though wondered what he would think if he found out the origin.

For now, Rex looked exceptionally proud of his new name and held his head high with chest puffed out. His fluffy tail wagged happily and he didn't seem to mind being held for so long.

Manifestations of virtue, huh? Marcie thought as she held Rex against her chest, feeling the slight warmth of his body. What could this familiar be a manifestation of? Honestly, she couldn't say what was her strongest virtue. Maybe kindness? Loyalty? She also couldn't shake what Moki had said about darkness. What exactly would they be facing? Her phone appeared in her hand -- still something she was getting used to -- and she scrolled through the new information about familiars. In all the magikal nonsense she hadn't noticed the alert on her phone.

"Don't be afraid Prism, I'm here to protect you!" Rex said, looking up at her from his place nestled in her arms. "We're in this together, no matter what!"

Had he read her thoughts? Then again, her grandma always said her face was about as easy to read as an open book. Prism shook her head and smiled at her new friend. If she was honest, having Rex here did actually make her feel better. "Thanks, Rex."

 

[Cresion Breezes]

#776598 #c6b5c9​

The answer Moki gave was obviously...not an answer. To an extent that would be expected, it seems like whether one is nice or harsh doesn't factor into getting information at all. It was quite a tight-lipped strange animal, not bending either way, or perhaps it was just dumb and oblivious in that way, like a program only designed to dispense certain things. "Even me, huh?" Kiva was never interested in being virtuous much, she wouldn't bat an eye if someone walks up to her and calls her worthless, she does what makes her happy regardless of what others think. Perhaps that is her virtue in a way, quite twisted but also quite fitting. Although it was clear that not everyone around was as oblivious as Moki, but as long as they don't get too much in her way, things can perhaps work out.

As the others followed the weird animal...or Moki or whatever, Kiva hopped around from tree to streetlamp until they arrived at the pond. "Talk about a God complex, at least in presentation." She muttered and shrugged while looking at the animal and the other people around step onto the pond, being granted the magical ability to walk on water. That's not even that practical of a magical ability anyways, I don't know why everyone hypes it up so much. Kiva thought as she leaped from the street lamp pole that she perched on and landed with a roll right into the pond, large irregularly shaped ripples radiated from her landing spot.

When the bubbles came up Kiva took a quick backstep almost on instinct, she disliked the sensation that came afterward. She hated when others tried to insert themselves into her life, with that preachy stuff about changing her ways or whatever, like those pricks on the school council. Although this feels somewhat different, it was rawer.

"Geez. That sure felt violating." She said emotionlessly as she looked down at something that had formed in the light. It was a snake-like creature, much similar to the halo above her head for a moment Kiva thought it was her hippocampus that was torn out.

She just stared at it in silence.

"Are you...gonna talk to me?" The creature yelled after it looked around at the others all greeting their newfound familiars.

"Sorry. You were so hideous that I lost my ability to speak for a moment upon seeing you." Kiva said with the same almost comedically flat tone.

"What? Who just starts a conversation like that?"

"I didn't start it, you did."

There was a long silence afterward as the familiar looked at Kiva, it seems to be grasping just what exactly it has gotten itself into.

"You. Are. Awful." The snake creature said while pointing towards its human with its tail.

"And you're supposed to represent me, that'll make you awful by extension." Kiva kneeled down and picked up the familiar by its tail and dangled the creature around a bit.

"Look, I didn't sign-up for this, and clearly neither did you, let's just have a strictly professional relationship until someday we're liberated from our mortal shells, deal?"

Upside down the familiar grumbled a bit, but reluctantly it replied. "Fine. Deal."

"Alright then, deal it is, Spare Cables."

"..."

"...Wait! That can't be my real name! Tell me my real name you bastard!"

Kiva yawned and swung the snake on her shoulder as it squirmed around while yelling.

 

[seasonedcat]

Candace
as Moki jumped from Candace's arms he let out a strangled cry, face filling with pain at the loss of his child. Wiping away tears he listened to his child, following behind them sniffling lightly. He didn't even realized he followed Moki onto the lake's surface until a small yellow light from bellow him caught his attention. Suddenly his 'sadness' was replace by childish awe as he stared down at it, "Mar-I mean Prism look! Look! I am walking on water! I am the chosen one!" he giggled as he turned to face the other until he realized that others were also doing the exact same thing as him,

"well my light is yellow which is cooler anyway," he huffed out in defense to himself. Doing as Moki instructed, he gathered in a circle, paying more attention the water under his feet than he was to what Moki was saying. The bright light created by Moki was again flash banged Candace as he cried out in surprise, as he blinked away the pain from his tired eyes(noticeably less tired than they normal were).

the link seemed to pull a string from somewhere inside him, his body trying to move in the direction the string is pulling him but to no avail. The invisible string seemed to pull something loose from himself, tearing away something deep inside himself he did not know of. It was soon a light bubbled from his chest, breaking free from inside himself and slowly forming a shape out of yellow light until a chubby cat formed in the air and began to fall with gravity, to which Candace reached out as if on instinct and caught the creature.

Candace stared down at the creature for a moment as it stared back at him before he let out a loud squeal that pierced the air. He quickly brought the cat to his chest and hugged it tight, her paws pushing hard against his face to remove the distance, "Oh I love you so much yes I do~ I will call you beans! Yes I will!" Candace's other hand moved and began to squish the fat cheeks of Beans until Beans had enough of it and pushed away, jumping onto the water with a huff, tail swiping in the air in annoyance,

"Enough of that with you! I am no cat to be cuddled and pat!" it puffed out,

"you kind of look like a cat to me?" Candace spoke to Beans to which she hissed at him,

"I am no cat! I am Beans as you call it! Your familiar! Now I require you to leave me be so I can go sleep! Give me your hands!" she ordered. Confused Candace did as she said, she jumped up and then made her way to his shoulders, laying herself down and began to doze off. This of course made Candace ecstatic again as he turned to Prism and Rex,

"Look M-Prism! Its Beans, look at her~" he swooned at the cat as he spoke to his friend.
Juju
---
𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊Enoki𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
as Enoki hid with their worries, the sound of voices retreating caught their attention. Enoki, turned quickly, seeing the backs of the groups fleeing as they let out a small 'eep', scrambling themself foreword, almost falling twice, before they managed to stand up, taking off after them. Of course their newly short legs got them where they were going slower than the rest and slower than they were used to, why did they have to make their avatar so short?

as Moki instructed them to go into a circle on the water, Enoki struggled to push themself forward onto the water, scared they might fall in. Holding their breath, they closed their eyes and jumped forward, expecting a splash to follow. It was only when a soft green light hit their closed eyes that they slowly opened them and saw themself standing just on the edge of the water. Taking a few small steps to test the strength, they pushed themself forward until they were just on the edge of the circle, to scared to speak up to Moki while the others were there.

it was only when they felt their body go rigid like before that worry encased them, what exactly was Moki doing? They found that thought racing through their head as their eyes scrambled back and forth between the other magik heroes. They whimpered internally as they felt the pull from inside them, anxiety flowing through them as they were confused at what exactly was happening. When something broke free, separating from them they felt a deep sense of loss until they saw a green light from their chest begin to form in front of them.

for a moment, their anxiety was gone as the bubble formed into a long creature until it popped into being and jumped onto them. Enoki gasped, falling back in surprise as they landed on the water as if it were hard stone, wincing in pain as the creature proudly stood on their chest. "Gaze upon me in glory minion! I am the destroyer of darkness and you are my servant! Gaze on me and bask! Now my minion, what name does this one give me?!" she exclaimed proudly on their chest as their tail swirled proudly behind her as she glanced down at them.

"hu-huh?" they squeaked out, only for an annoyed sound to come from its throat,

"My name minion! It is my first order! Give me a name!" Enoki meekly nodded at her, swallowing through their dry throat as they managed to push through the first thought that came to their mind, "Audrina?"

"Yes I like it! Your Lord Audrina! I will destroy the darkness with you by my side!" she exclaimed proudly. Enoki flushed, shifting uncomfortably as they prayed for someone to rescue them.

 

[Juju]

☆ Moki ☆

seasonedcat Solirus jmann Nellancholy Shreb Glassred Cresion Breezes ThatWhichShouldBe Tiguidi​

---

Moki watched with pride as the familiars manifested and acquainted themselves with their new partners. Everything seemed to be going just as they hoped. Well, most of them. Moki hopped over towards Dopplewalker and her companion, who had just been named ‘Spare Cable’.

“You ought to be a lot nicer to your familiar, Dopplewalker!” Moki said shrilly, tail standing up and puffed out like some frightened cat. “This is no way to treat your new friend!”

They stood at a respectable distance, still remembering the time they were lifted up by the ears. “Oh, Moki would very much like to teach Dopplewalker some proper manners to familiars, but Moki must keep to the schedule. It is almost time for your first mission, afterall.”

Reluctantly, Moki left ‘Spare Cable’ and Dopplewalker to their conversation and returned to the centre of the group to address the heroes. Before speaking, Moki glanced once again towards the Eastern end of town, though this time it was obvious that there was a harsh light on the horizon. Somewhere in the city, a firetruck’s siren could be heard. “Moki shall be brief; Magik Heroes not only defeat the darkness, but spread light by saving human lives. Remember this. Since you all have just received your familiars, it is best to avoid fighting the darkness until you have gotten used to each other. This is why today’s mission is a simple search and rescue. Moki has sensed that a chemical plant on the outskirts of town has suffered an explosion. Workers are trapped inside, and the fire has spread to the surrounding forest and neighborhood."

“As evaluator of Magik Hero progress, Moki shall keep watch over the heroes during this mission, and will provide aid only when needed. Your Magik powers should be in full capacity now, and may prove useful. Please exercise caution and good luck heroes!"

All it took was a single touch of Moki's paw for the spell to collapse around the heroes. What once held them above the water finally let go, and instead sent them plummeting into a free fall. The starry water swallowed them, yet there was no sensation of wetness or drowning at all. Air pumped into and out of their lungs normally, though some might not notice during their sudden plunge. Maybe they were even screaming. As they fell, all the heroes could see was a vast expanse of pastel light and twinkling stars. They were alone, except for their familiar who was within arms reach.

After a few seconds of falling, the inertia began to reverse and the heroes found themselves floating upwards. Slowly, they came to a stop and the cloudy stars around them faded away. Hard earth was beneath their feet now, the smooth asphalt of a road. The place they found themselves in was almost the complete opposite of the moonlit park. Harsh yellow light burned against their skin and their senses were bombarded with the choking smell of smoke and the crackling of flames. Strangely enough, the effects of the smoke seemed minimal to their EGO forms, though it was unclear how far this resistance could go.

Northside City gleamed to the West far off in the distance, about 20 minutes away. They stood in what appeared to be a rural road, one way leading to some sort of factory while the other ended in a small neighborhood. Both were shrouded in smoke and flame while the surrounding forest blazed.

From what you could see, the neighborhood started with a small hooby-farm, with a barn that was already aflame. The unmistakable screams of horses could be heard from inside the smoking barn. Further down the road was an intersection that lead towards more houses, some of which were on fire. A large tree seems to have fallen across the road leading out of the neighborhood, though the cause of its fall could not be clearly determined at this distance.

On the other end of the road, the factory was also on fire, giving off a terrible stench. The grounds were surrounded by a chain-link fence, with an empty security office just inside. Both the door to the factory and the security office were left ajar, the former spilling out smoke. The parking lot had three cars and was flooded with a stinking fluid that looked to only be fueling the fire. Metal and debris were scattered around the side of the building from the explosion and the sign at the front of the factory read; McDonald Agri-Solutions. Anyone acquainted with farming would immediately recognize this as a liquid fertilizer company.

As if it couldn't be more out of place, a cheery alert from the heroes phones rang in the ashy air. Moki's voice, albeit a little pixelated, spoke from their phones in unison.

To be time efficient, each team should cover one area; the factory and the neighborhood. Please organize yourselves accordingly and remember to prioritize civilians! ​

Spoiler: [[SUPER HIGH QUALITY]] Mission 1 Map!

 

[Shreb]

All it took was a single touch of Moki's paw for the spell to collapse around the heroes. What once held them above the water finally let go, and instead sent them plummeting into a free fall. The starry water swallowed them, yet there was no sensation of wetness or drowning at all. Air pumped into and out of their lungs normally, though some might not notice during their sudden plunge. Maybe they were even screaming. As they fell, all the heroes could see was a vast expanse of pastel light and twinkling stars. They were alone, except for their familiar who was within arms reach.

After a few seconds of falling, the inertia began to reverse and the heroes found themselves floating upwards. Slowly, they came to a stop and the cloudy stars around them faded away. Hard earth was beneath their feet now, the smooth asphalt of a road. The place they found themselves in was almost the complete opposite of the moonlit park. Harsh yellow light burned against their skin and their senses were bombarded with the choking smell of smoke and the crackling of flames. Strangely enough, the effects of the smoke seemed minimal to their EGO forms, though it was unclear how far this resistance could go.​

Dopplewalker, Enoki, Pandora, Potentia, Sol Invictus and Starponaria.
​

Following the vomit-inducing experience, she had managed to land very unceremoniously onto the floor. At least the stars were pretty, even if it killed her eyes to the point of no return.

Smoke, fire, and blaze. It was almost even more uncomfortable realizing how normal the air felt to her, if at all just a bit stuffy. The powers of the EGO really were incomprehensible. Would it help her cheat on her next statistics exam?

Still...

On the other end of the road, the factory was also on fire, giving off a terrible stench. The grounds were surrounded by a chain-link fence, with an empty security office just inside. Both the door to the factory and the security office were left ajar, the former spilling out smoke. The parking lot had three cars and was flooded with a stinking fluid that looked to only be fueling the fire. Metal and debris were scattered around the side of the building from the explosion and the sign at the front of the factory read; McDonald Agri-Solutions. Anyone acquainted with farming would immediately recognize this as a liquid fertilizer company.

Yeah, she failed that perception check. She was no farmgirl.

“As evaluator of Magik Hero progress, Moki shall keep watch over the heroes during this mission, and will provide aid only when needed. Your Magik powers should be in full capacity now, and may prove useful. Please exercise caution and good luck heroes!"

The words had caught in her mind. It was absolutely true that she felt something different, to the point to where Aila was uncomfortably leaning close to her, as if scrutinizing the girl for questioning if she had two hands.

As if it couldn't be more out of place, a cheery alert from the heroes phones rang in the ashy air. Moki's voice, albeit a little pixelated, spoke from their phones in unison.

"I can't follow your desires if you gawk at your fingers."
"I know! H-hang on..."
"It's time for you, I, and the rest of us to make our decisions. What you seek is what I am responsible to fulfill."
She glanced at the fox, clicking her teeth before turning to the first person she believed leader material.

Glassred

"Hey. I have an idea of what I can do. I think...I can protect people. I...I don't know, I've never done it, but I can...I feel something weird. Like I could protect everyone around me, and I can feel it in my veins...I think we should go to the neighborhood." Potentia would probably have a good choice of knowing a gameplan.

Inherently, Starponaria was worried about the lack of control. She might have an idea of how it works, but she had never even done it before; put too much effort into it, and risk doing more than using a shield to protect the people and instead make a prison where the smoke can collect. Too little, and...Well, that was obvious enough. But the forest, she could easily stop a fire if her output was too great, rather than risk being in the smaller spaces of the factory where too little or too much would end up potentially proving fatal for the citizens who needed saving. With a more open area, she wouldn't have to worry about letting loose.

Hopefully, it would go as she was hypothesizing.

 

[Nellancholy]

"Urgh..." Barely had Gleam finished coughing and gasping instinctively out of the sensation of rushing water when it was replaced by the heat and stench of a massive conflagration. Well, Moki certainly wasn't lying. This was the kind of thing that came up much less often in the game...but was understandably a part of the new, strange reality they found themselves in. Terrible things would happen. And it was up to "heroes" like them to save lives.

Wait...it was pretty convenient that something like this would happen on a night like this, right? Just when Moki wanted to gather them all together as teams and introduce them to missions...

Did Moki or their master...?

No, it'd be dangerous to jump to conclusions. That creature was a talkative one. Sooner or later they'd let something slip, and Gleam would bet on "sooner".

In the meantime...

"Hey, those people need help! Come on, let's go! Nexus, you with me?" Gleam found herself smiling somehow as she sprinted down the road, rushing towards the factory. Solirus

McDonald Agri-Solutions...agriculture? That meant...it was probably a fertilizer explosion. Ammonium nitrate...neutralized by...

Dammit, she knew this. It involved...making bubbles in the solution?

Then again, she couldn't tell if rendering the fertilizer inert would help in any way by now. What mattered was extinguishing the fire and saving those who were still trapped.

"Fiends! Those bastards!" The rabbit plush's eyes glowed red as it sat on Gleam's shoulder. "Come! We must find these damnable arsonists and smite them thusly-"

Its squeaking was interrupted as Gleam grabbed it, squeezing it in her hand. She wasn't too sure why she even did it, but...

As she clenched her fist, the rabbit crumpled...and then expanded, forming into a bright, silver disc in her hand, the size of a serving tray.

"Hm..." It felt...if not exactly familiar, at least natural. Like it was made for her, which it probably was. She twirled it around her arm for a moment, tossing it upwards and then spreading her arms, letting it come down on the back of one and then roll over to the other like a gymnast's hoop.

"...ah!" But there was no more time to show off. What to do..."Aha!" Winding up, Gleam spun and threw the chakram at an angle, letting it sail upwards...and break a window. Without her even intending it, it ricocheted off a girder and crashed through another window, flying back into Gleam's waiting hand.

With the sudden change in air pressure, the flames flared up for a moment. But what it really meant was that the buildup of heat and smoke in the building would be slowed by creating openings in the building and allowing it to flow out. She'd bought the people inside a bit more time, but...how to get in?

"Crap..." She ran her fingers across the back of her neck. Wait...? The moment her fingers brushed across the strange extrusion that had formed on her neck, she knew what to do. Pulling out the cable, she leaned against the burning hot bricks from the outside, and plugged it straight in.

"Guhhh..." Her body went limp as data rushed into her brain. When the exact brick she plugged into was laid, all the chemicals and machinery that went in and out, working hard to produce what farms needed...she forced herself to concentrate and sift through the most immediate information...

"That's it!" Gleam snapped back to attention, turning to the other members of Team 1. "Skylights! On top! If one of you can get us up there, we can enter from there without risking the flames!"

seasonedcat Tiguidi Juju jmann

 

[Juju]

​

Prism ★ Rex

Interaction: Shreb Glassred Nellancholy jmann || Mention: Solirus Tiguidi seasonedcat​

---

Prism shielded her face from the burst of light and heat, screwing her eyes shut until they adjusted. Naturally, she expected to be coughing terribly from the smoke but to her surprise her body felt only minimal discomfort. Could this be her EGO at work? Moki did say it was physically superior.

"What could have done this? Such destruction!" Rex pondered aloud, his eyes wide and his head swiveling around to take in the flaming carnage. He squirmed out of Prism's arms to stand on her shoulders, tail flicking, "We need to do something at once!"

Prism looked between the factory and the neighborhood. Her familiar was right, there was nothing to be gained by gawking at the forest fire. This wasn't a game. There were real human lives at stake here. Despite the heat, she felt a shard of ice in her gut. "Wildfires are almost impossible to control, but we can get those people out of harm's way."

"Hey. I have an idea of what I can do. I think...I can protect people. I...I don't know, I've never done it, but I can...I feel something weird. Like I could protect everyone around me, and I can feel it in my veins...I think we should go to the neighborhood."

"Okay, let's do just that."

Prism listened to the others and nodded her head in agreement, seeing no objection to the split. "Right, we'll go to the factory then. Be careful everyone!"

She turned to address the rest of her team and saw that Gleam was already running off towards the factory. "Gleam wait! No, nevermind. We need to hurry, there are people trapped inside! Come on!"

Prism motioned for the others to follow and took off after Gleam. She came to a stop beside Gleam just as she was busy communing with the immediate history of the building. Uncertain of what was happening, Prism peered down worriedly at her teammate, muttering, "Uh, Gleam?"

"Oh, Gleam is using her power!" Rex said helpfully in light of Prism's confusion, "Looks like she is listening to something, not sure what though!"

Prism took a step back when Gleam came to and glanced up at the flaming building after hearing what she had to say. It didn't really matter how she knew this information if it could be used to help the survivors. A frown of contemplation crossed her face "The skylights? Hmm, maybe there is a ladder outside we could use? But that may take too much time to find..."

Nellancholy (Gleam) Juju (Prism) Gleam spun and threw the chakram at an angle, letting it sail upwards...and break a window. Without her even intending it, it ricocheted off a girder and crashed through another window, flying back into Gleam's waiting hand. With the sudden change in air pressure, the flames flared up for a moment. But what it really meant was that the buildup of heat and smoke in the building would be slowed by creating openings in the building and allowing it to flow out. She'd bought the people inside a bit more time, but...how to get in? A loud, metallic groan could be heard right after the chakram bounced off the girder. It held for a time, but eventually, a portion of the factory's roof sagged inward. The metal roofing buckled and snapped, before ultimately collapsing with an enormous crash. Debris flew as part of the wall crumbled, and stinking smoke billowed out in a black wave. A large opening into the building had been made by the collapse. Someone let out a scream of utter pain and fear, horrifyingly easy to hear now that part of the wall had crumbled down. From the deeper tone, it sounded like a man. Spoiler: Updated Factory Map

"Dammit!" Prism cried as part of the building collapsed. She raised her arms and instinctively her power responded by summoning a large crystal from the ground that tanked any stray rubble that was flung at she and Gleam. After the rubble settled the crystal glowed faintly as it stood firmly despite the chips and scratches on its glassy frame.

"Are you alright?" Prism said, her familiar peering over her shoulder as they both looked over Gleam for any injuries. To her relief, she saw none.

The screams took her attention next, and Prism rushed forward. Thanks to her EGO form, she was easily able to remove a few of the smaller pieces of rubble to reveal a uniformed man caught under bricks and metal. It looked like a security guard, though he didn't seem to see her in his delirious state. Soot covered his clothes, but it did nothing to hide the enormous spot of blood across his abdomen. She could smell the blood beneath the smoke.

Prism choked back a gasp of chilled surprise and tried to remove the other rubble without much effect. It seemed that cooperation or someone stronger was needed to get the man out safely.

"Oh no, this isn't good!" Rex chirped in alarm. "He's bleeding! Badly!"

"Earthquake! Quick, help me!" Prism shouted, whipping her head back towards the brawniest of her teammates.

 

[Solirus]

Nexus
Mentions: Nellancholy Juju ​

Suddenly falling into the water Nexus reflexively took a deep breath before fully immersing himself into the water letting go of his breath as the disorienting trip ended and he was placed onto new terrain. He didn't feel wet and looking at his surroundings, holding his breath proved unnecessary. Breathing in once more he smelt the stench of smoke mixed in with other chemicals.

Before being able to say anything in the matter gleam rushed off to the nearby factory, calling out to Nexus like they had just become buddies, with prism quickly following behind her. Nexus followed behind them as Pier and Cer jumped onto Nexus's shoulders.

"Let us not waste a single minute" hastily spoke Cer

"Agreed" coldly responded Pier as both took a small leap forward becoming enveloped by their own uniforms and turning into silk which quickly surrounded Nexus's hands turning into white gloves. And odd choice for his weapon, however Nexus was glad he wouldn't be encumbered by any potential weapons.

"It appears your teammates are using their own powers. Nexus are you accustomed to using your powers?" Pier asked.

Before being able to respond Nexus saw as Gleam threw her chakram, causing it to crack open the window and eventually causing part of the building to collapse. Nexus went cold for a second hearing the screams of pain and fear from what was assumed to be a guard.

"N-no, will it help get the guard out of the debris?"

"Positive" responded pier.

"Then please explain."

"Yes sir, I'll keep it brief: You can create shapes and through these you can teleport things from each other, additionally, we can also be teleporting points, so if you extend your hand near the guard they can be teleported to the other hand."

Nexus wasted no time moving near the guard where Prism attempted to lift up the debris, "Here, I can get them out long as you hold the debris" Nexus moved their hand as close as possible to the guard, unable to fit in his hand fully.

"As long as there is some open space between your hand and the target you can teleport them, you just have to focus on the teleportation itself, it might help to do an action as a trigger for the teleportation, for instance snapping your fingers." Pier explained.

Heeding Pier's words Nexus focused on the action of teleportation and snapped one of his fingers, in an instant the guard was no longer beneath the rubble and was instead laying down, near where Nexus left his other hand.

"They're bleeding, we need to staunch the flow!" Cer exclaimed

"Agreed, however Nexus doesn't have any abilities that can heal the guard." Pier calmly explained

Nexus kneeled down at the guard, lifting up their shirt and seeing their body riddled with knife wounds. Continuing his search he noticed the guard also didn't have his weapon. "The guard's been stabbed and he's missing his weapon, so someone is responsible for the fire and they might still be here." Nexus said to all those near him. His head was somewhat dizzy at the sight of blood and the chemicals in the air but he was used to keeping it cool under pressure. "Is there anyone here who can heal the guard or stop the bleeding?" Nexus asked again looking at his teammates.

 

[seasonedcat]

Candace
as the ground, or like water, fell out from under him, Candace let out a loud scream of a mix of fear and pain. The pain came from bean's claws that dug into his shoulder painfully to keep her from going flying. As they came back to sold ground, Candace stumbled a moment, placing his hands on his knees as he heaved, "I think," he gasped, " I think I am going to puke." he wheezed out as Beans corrected her sleeping perch on his shoulders. Candace then proceeded to vomit a mix of coffee and glitter. Beans simply let out a noise of disgust at this.

by the time Candace recovered from his moment, his team had already taken off running. Wiping some vomit that was on his face Candace let out a heavy breath as he began to run after them, coming to a stop behind them as they began to do stuff with the rubble. Candace was heaving again, the nausea from before coming back, "If you puke again I will scratch you." Beans hissed at him as he hissed back at her, "I am trying! Not my fault I have motion sickness." "that wasn't even a vehicle" "that wasn't even a vehicle~" Candace mocked in a high pitch voice. Beans hissed at him, about to respond when the mention of the guard being injured. The two blinked at each other, before returning to standing awkwardly.

"Can't you heal people Candace?" Beans spoke, opening one of her eyes as she groomed herself, "First of all, I CAN??? Second of all DON'T CLEAN YOURSELF ON MY SHOULDER?!" Candace quickly pushed Beans off of himself, landing on the ground with a sound of discontent. "To be honest I never got my power working the first night..." he mumbled out, rubbing his neck,

"That's probably because you tried mimicking the game instead of using your own power~" Beans sang, "I DID NOT!" Candace screeched, his face beet red. It was only the sound of grunted pain, that brought a sense of anxiety crushing into Candace. His skin itched from the eyes of his teammates. He was the only one who could heal? This was all up to him? He shivered, swallowing back bile in his throat. This wasn't so cash money...

without thinking he grabbed Beans, who let out a strangled meow in surprise, "You do something Beans?!" he hissed out, "I don't want to!" she hissed, "Beans this guy over here is going to die!" he hissed back at her, his words leaking a small amount of panic at her. She let out a sigh before engulfing herself in a yellow light, a guitar now sitting in his hands. Candace blinked down at it before something inside him clicked.

swallowing back more anxiety, Candace positioned his hands on the instrument, hesitating for a moment before pushing his fingers to move. A soft tune flowed through the air, delicately bouncing into each person's ears. Their body would begin to feel better, even better than they had felt when they had first used their egos. All their tiredness and aches would vanish as the music went on, a warm sensation filling them. Each person's body was encased in a yellow light, music notes appearing in the air around them. The guard's skin slowly began to knit itself back together as Candace moved his fingers, a peaceful look crossing his face as for once in his life he was quiet. Eventually the tune came to an end with one last note. As the sound of raging fire filled the air.

Candace opened his eyes, ones he didn't know he closed, as the song finished. The calm look on his face faded as a smile spread across his face, "Yooo! That was sick!" he spoke, the guitar resting on his shoulders with a strap that seemed to appear out of nowhere, the graphic of a cat tail depicted on it, "So uh, what's next?" Candace offered as he looked at the group.
Juju jmann Solirus Tiguidi
---
𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊Enoki𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
Enoki gripped their hat as they fell, closing their eyes as their stomach dropped, small tears leaking from their eyes. As they met solid ground again, their knees gave out as they fell to ground. Letting out a heavy breath they opened their eyes, flinching as the sight of smoke and fire reached their eyes. Glancing at the notification on their phone they flinched. They had to go into the fire??? Enoki swallowed back panic.

as Potentia summed a gun of some sorts Enoki shuffled back from his team, uncomfortable at the sight of it. As Enoki looked around while everyone was talking, the sight of more fire in the distance caught his gaze. Squinting Enoki realized that it was another house on fire, far away from the barn they were near. Enoki swallowed, if they all worked here the other side of the neighborhood would be destroyed, people could die. Enoki's face morphed in panic at the thought, pushing themself up tentatively as they stood at the edge of the group.

they opened their mouth a few times, but no sound managed to get out of their mouth, they couldn't bring themself to talk to their teammates. They looked at the burning buildings in the distance helplessly. A memory bubbled in their head. The feeling of being crushed by cold water, waiting to be saved. They shivered again, gripping their arms together. They couldn't let anyone experience that.

they couldn't speak up but they couldn't do nothing. Taking a step forward, then another, they took off running from their team, leaving behind the burning barn as they ran to the other houses. Nearly falling over from speed at the cross road. Enoki heaved out as he stared down the road, glancing at the houses before him. Two houses were on fire, having been seated next to the flaming trees. Both had cars in the driveway, it was likely they were still trapped inside, in the distance they also noticed another car, they could see the airbag had went off as it was crashed into a post.

right now the flames were getting worse in the houses, they had to help them first. They quickly ran to the door of the nearest house, one which had a strangely yellow car. A child was crying in front of the house, Enoki rushed towards them, "H-hey there, it-it's going to be okay," they offered, swallowing back their heart in their throat. The child began to cry louder at his words. Enoki bit back panic as they spoke again, "Hey, look at how funny I am dressed! I am a- a super hero! I am here to help you, but you have to be brave. Can you tell me if you are okay? Is there anyone trapped inside?" they smiled at the child.

the child whipped its tears, sobbing out at Enoki, "M-mommy went back inside to-to get my brother! We were playing hide and seek and he must still think we are playing! Please you have to save mommy Misses" Enoki flinched at the nickname, before offering a shaky smile, "Don't worry, I will go save them." the child nodded as Enoki stood up. Taking a deep breath, though it was mostly smoke, before stepping into the doorframe, "Hello!? I am here to help! Please shout to me and tell me where you are!"
Juju Shreb Glassred Cresion Breezes ThatWhichShouldBe

 

[jmann]

Hector | EARTHQUAKE

Fire. Chaos. The scream of horses. Hector didn't know what to do. Moki didn't explain. Nobody did. Hector wasn't a firefighter. He wasn't anything. Hector picked up Pogo and held them tight. People were running everywhere. A roof collapsed, a scream rang out that made him sick to his stomach. As chaotic as everything was, Hector felt little of it. The world was a blur around him and he had no idea how to handle it.
Prism shouted for Earthquake. That wasn't Hector, that wasn't even a person he recognised. Earthquake was strong, brave, and loyal and Hector froze at danger. But he knew who he was supposed to be. A sound came out of his mouth; an awkward mix between an exhale and a voice crack. Even talking would be better than whatever it is he was doing. All he needed to do was act. He was meant to be a hero. He was chosen, after all.

'Move.' he said to himself. But his feet remained locked in place. 'Do something. Go.' The paralysis was maddening. There was nothing he could do. 'You have to act.' There were people counting on him. Nexus had to solve problems because Hector couldn't. 'Just walk. Anything.' He could see what needed to be done, he knew he was big and strong but there were people counting on him. 'Go. Go. GO.'
Hector was moving before he even realised it. He was shouting too, a cry of surprise and fear.

Moving faster than he'd ever done before Hector, or rather Earthquake, was headed in a full sprint directly where the wall met the cave-in, holding Pogo in one meaty death grip. In that moment he had more drive than brains, and it was that drive that sent his entire body crashing through the rubble. He tumbled to the ground but easily rolled back onto his feet and kept his pace. The support beams groaned as more of the wall gave way, but Earthquake didn't care. He only got a glimpse of the inside before tears filled his eyes; big round vats were leaking some sort of flaming liquid. It looked bad. On the far side was a room with a bunch of button panels. It must have been important so he kept his sprint up.
A muffled shout broke through his trance and sent him screeching to a halt, stumbling over his own feet and crashing over fallen pipes. He picked himself back up, the smoke stabbing his lungs like a thousand knives. He could barely see it, but there was a room near him, and somebody needed help. He needed to be a hero.

Earthquake kicked off again into a full sprint, holding what little breath he had. He didn't care where the door was, he didn't have time. Earthquake pushed himself faster and faster again, headed straight for the wall. A light pulsed from Earthquake's hands as Pogo had transformed, in a flash they had become a glistening golden shield crackling with potential. He was a hero now, this was their moment. Earthquake threw his entire weight behind his shield and exploded through the wall of the southmost room.
An older balding man with a large moustache was sheltered in the corner opposite a flaming door. Earthquake slammed to a halt into a wall of pipes. He looked mostly uninjured, though the smoke wouldn't help. Earthquake needed to get him out fast.

"With me," he coughed, smoke billowing into the room.
Earthquake fastened the shield and prepared to move.

---

Juju

 

[Tiguidi]

TWILIGHT​

Information about the newly-formed group of heroes was finally shared, and… ’Wait, a chemical plant’s on FIRE?? When did that happen…?’ That was not what Samantha expected to do. But then again, going straight into fighting monsters would be a bit ahead… Sighing to herself, Twilight tried to keep a smile on her face, taking in the information given by the group’s mentor/guide/teacher/whatever.

Fast-forward a few minutes, Twilight now stood in a completely chaotic neighborhood, fire and fumes everywhere. “What… even happened here?”, she idly asked no one, her mind blanking out. This… wasn’t a game. There was actual danger. People were in danger for real. And somehow, a bunch of kids were supposed to be the heroes. Weren’t some people paid to put their lives in danger like that?

Moki’s previous words came to her mind. ’That’s right, ain’t we supposed to have some BS regen and durability…? Urgh, maybe we’re the right choice for something like this after all. Just… calm down.’

Taking a second to breathe, Twilight glanced about, noticing people from the other team rushing to the neighborhood while her own team took on the factory. “Well, time to be a hero, I guess.”, she commented, forcing a smile as she ran to follow Gleam, Prism, Nexus, Earthquake and Candace. Her mind was racing. It was obviously a rescue mission, and she knew she had lightning capabilities but… how would that even help? Visions of her blasting away debris to help people escape came to mind but was her electricity even powerful enough? Moki mentioned they should be at ‘full capacity’, but the doubt still lingered.

Gleam, however, had immediately sprung into action, throwing a chakram at windows to break them and let the fire and heat flow out. Wait, chakram…? Oh, right!

“I’m sorry for being blunt, but how can you help?”, Twilight glanced at the monkey familiar, who was closely following her. If anyone had answers, it’d be him.

“It would be my pleasure to answer, Twilight.”, the primate familiar replied. “In all honesty, our capabilities work much better in combat against monsters. From what I personally understand, destruction and damage would appear to be your forte. However, I am certain an ingenious use of this destruction would be possible once we learn more about this building’s interior. But on that note, please extend your hand.”

Furrowing her brow, the hero didn’t linger too much on that request and did as instructed, her eyes lighting in surprise when the monkey started shining in a silvery light, enveloping her hand. When it faded away, it revealed an ornate, crystalline staff, held tightly between Twilight’s fingers. “Whoa… pretty cool.”, she commented, admiring the weapon.

“The skylights?”, she repeated Gleam’s words, looking up and nodding in understanding. “Ah, I see! That could be-” She didn’t have the time to finish as the loud noise of the wall crumbling and falling made itself known. Twilight instinctively brought her free hand to her face to protect herself from the smoke and fumes. “What… now?”

At least that took care of the entrance part but the first wounded person was already in sight. Twilight could sense her stomach twist but she knew she’d need to bear it for now. The security guard had a visible, bloody wound and was trapped by some of the rubble. Clenching her teeth, Twilight stepped forward, about to offer to blast the debris away to free him. ’Wait, what the fuck am I thinking!? This isn’t a game, that’ll kill him!’ Slapping her own cheeks at this would-be blunder, she instead tried to observe the interior of the factory.

Wait, did Nexus mention stab wounds? “Are you saying that it’s not even a monster, but a person?”, she let out. What would anyone have to gain from doing all of this?

Before the hero could start overthinking about this, a soft tune, coming from Candace’s instrument, made itself heard, snapping Twilight back to reality. Her heart rate slowed down to a regular rhythm. “... Whew, that’s better… Not sure I completely understand everything, but thanks!”

Now thinking a bit more clearly, Twilight was able to notice Earthquake rushing in. “Earthquake, wait! The smoke-!” Twilight’s eyes lit up in realization. They were much tougher than regular humans. If anything, braving the fire and smoke to rescue people who couldn’t was exactly what they needed to do! “I’ll go with Earthquake in case he needs support!”, she then announced to the rest of the team. Taking a deep breath of fresh-ish air, Twilight rushed inside the factory, trying to keep up with Earthquake. 'Holy shit, what’s up with him!? It’s like he went full-on Terminator mode…!’

While the big man was rushing forward, Twilight was brought to attention by his coughs. They had to do something about the smoke. Raising her eyes to look upward, she squinted to prevent the fumes from entering her eyes but Twilight was able to notice the glass surface of a few windows not far from the front of the factory. That would do. “Alright, let’s see what you can do…”, she mumbled, raising her staff in the air, which began to crackle with electricity. Taking a few short moments to aim, Twilight pursed her lips and let go of her power.

With that thought, the surroundings briefly lit up as an arc of lightning went from her staff to one of the windows above, the force of impact shattering the glass, giving the smoke and heat another way out.

Twilight repeated the motion on another window up above, destroying it with a bolt of lightning. Then again, and again. Hopefully that’d give everyone more room to breathe. “There you *cough* go! Earthquake, get the guy outta here!”

While on the lookout for more windows to destroy, Twilight kept an eye open for anyone looking suspicious. The first person they saw had stab wounds and the factory seemed completely closed off before the wall had crumbled. That meant that the culprit was probably still inside. They had to look for them!

Juju seasonedcat Nellancholy Solirus jmann

 

[Juju]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Factory ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
[@Solirus seasonedcat jmann Nellancholy Tiguidi ]​

Heeding Pier's words Nexus focused on the action of teleportation and snapped one of his fingers, in an instant the guard was no longer beneath the rubble and was instead laying down, near where Nexus left his other hand.

swallowing back more anxiety, Candace positioned his hands on the instrument, hesitating for a moment before pushing his fingers to move. A soft tune flowed through the air, delicately bouncing into each person's ears. Their body would begin to feel better, even better than they had felt when they had first used their egos. All their tiredness and aches would vanish as the music went on, a warm sensation filling them. Each person's body was encased in a yellow light, music notes appearing in the air around them. The guard's skin slowly began to knit itself back together as Candace moved his fingers, a peaceful look crossing his face as for once in his life he was quiet. Eventually the tune came to an end with one last note. As the sound of raging fire filled the air.

Thanks to the quick actions of Nexus and Candace, the guard's condition was stabilized. The man's pained sobs grew quiet with the music, before stopping entirely. Pain-glazed eyes refocused, stirred with confusion and disbelief. His hands shot to his abdomen, pulling up his blood soaked shirt to see that the stab wounds were completely gone. "The fu-. What the F***!?"

He sat up, chest heaving as he finally took in the motley cast that had saved him. It was almost comical how his mouth gaped, speechless. The guard's eyes caught the firelight as his mind sluggishly pieced things together. A shaky finger pointed at Candace, "You... you just healed me?"

Everything the man knew about the world was flipped, but even the most mature of adults were once children. Visions of superheroes and magic rushed to his mind like a waterfall, held back by the dam of realism. It had been built up over many years, just waiting for one thing to break it.

Mostly coming back to his senses, and the gravity of the situation, the guard tried to stand. He felt for his gun and found it missing, "F***, f***, f***, he took it. Ok listen, it was Mr. Smith. He works here. I saw him wrestling with John and then he pulled out a knife. Man was crazy fast and kept mumbling messed up shit about keeping me alive. He went to the control room and next thing I knew the world's on fire."

Just as he said this, the guard wobbled and lost his balance, falling quickly to the floor unless caught. It appeared that while healed, blood loss was still a factor.

Earthquake threw his entire weight behind his shield and exploded through the wall of the southmost room.
"With me," he coughed, smoke billowing into the room.
Earthquake fastened the shield and prepared to move.

With that thought, the surroundings briefly lit up as an arc of lightning went from her staff to one of the windows above, the force of impact shattering the glass, giving the smoke and heat another way out.

Twilight repeated the motion on another window up above, destroying it with a bolt of lightning. Then again, and again. Hopefully that’d give everyone more room to breathe. “There you *cough* go! Earthquake, get the guy outta here!”

The man let out a girlish screech as the wall was broken down by a towering figure. He cowered to the ground and covered his head, pleading, "Please, please don't -"

When he heard the command to move, the man looked up in bewilderment. Was this a savior or a conspirer? And what was with that thing on his arm? A shield? Mixed with intrigue and fear (not even counting the fact he had no other choice to make in the smoky room) the man followed Earthquake out. He covered his mouth and nose with his shirt, coughing haggardly. Tears gathered around his eyes from the smoke.

He stopped in his tracked when he saw the exploded barrels of chemical. More importantly, he seemed to be focused on the unexploded ones. His eyes moved between the sprinklers on the ceiling and the large filtration devices that took up the lower portion of the building. "Damn bastard must have shut down the coolant system and manually cancelled the sprinklers after he locked me up. We need to cool down those tanks or else this place will explode! Control room, I need to get to the control room! Flood the damn place if I have to."

Twilight and Gleam's actions in breaking the windows had made the smoke a bit more bearable, allowing those inside the building to see more clearly. However, in exchange it also served to suck in more air for the fire. The flames nearest to Earthquake and the man roared higher. It seemed that a choice had to be made; between trying to solve things in the control room, or retreating as quickly as possible.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Meanwhile, in the Neighborhood ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
[@seasonedcat Shreb Cresion Breezes Glassred ThatWhichShouldBe ]
​

Pandora always had a soft-spot for animals, especially puppies and kittens. They were pure in spirit, unjudging and unconditional in their love. So when she heard the panicked screams of horses, and saw the burning barn, she sprang into action.

"We have to save them!" She declared, her voice brimming with confidence and urgency.

She never looked back at her team, unconcerned if they followed or not. After Moki had mentioned it, she felt something deep in her bones, a power surging just under her skin and making each of her steps quicker than before. She skidded to a halt in front of the barn door and tried to open it, only to find that it was locked. Dashing around the barn, she tried the back entrance and found the same result. "Ugh, its no use!"

"Why not add a bit more force?" Elvira suggested, prancing up behind Pandora.

Without needing clarification, Pandora reached for her power and ripped the barn doors open. Smoke billowed out, but she didn't even pause as she rushed in. The straw on the ground had caught fire, but Pandora brushed them to the side with her gravity power, plunging it as a ball into the nearby water dish. Quickly, she opened the door to the horse stalls and had to jump back as the beasts rushed past her.

"Open the pasture door!" Elvira cried, narrowly dodging a horse's hooves.

Pandora reached with her power, opening the gate, but it was too late of a reaction. While one of the horses sprinted into the pasture, the other took off across the yard and down the street.

"No, come back!" Pandora shouted, chasing after the panicked horse.

"Don't worry, I will go save them." the child nodded as Enoki stood up. Taking a deep breath, though it was mostly smoke, before stepping into the doorframe, "Hello!? I am here to help! Please shout to me and tell me where you are!"

Underneath the crackling of flames, a child's screams could be heard, broken by bouts of coughing. "Help! Over here! Please, somebody help!!"

It was coming from a bedroom at the end of the hallway. The smoke concentrated in the house made it almost impossible to see anything as Enoki trudged onwards towards the voice. Even the door was difficult to see, blackened by soot and obscured by smoke.

As Enoki tried to open the door, it got stuck halfway, blocked by something on the other side. It was soft and heavy, giving away slightly with some force. Two dark shapes could just be seen sticking out from behind the door, which Enoki could vaguely make out as legs. Whoever it was, seems to have fallen on the ground in front of the door, weighing it down. Perhaps some more force could move them out of the way? The physical condition of the body in front of the door was unclear, however.

Although Enoki could not see them in the room, the kid's hoarse voice rose up again from behind the door, "Mommy, please wake up! Please!"

Spoiler: updated hood

[/SPOIL
ER]

 

[Nellancholy]

The dense clouds of smoke and the blazing heat did little to diminish Gleam's sigh of relief as her new teammates got to work, liberating the survivors from the building that was blazing and collapsing before their eyes. It was a small relief, perhaps, that one of them was able to get the wounded guard out, another saving another trapped worker from a different room, and still another to heal the guard's wounds. Their abilities seemed to come quite naturally to them, with a bit of prodding. Gleam still wasn't too sure what she was capable of...what exactly happened earlier? The strange flashes of vision, electricity coursing through her brain...well, more so than usual anyway.

That sigh of relief she exhaled, however, was dampened not by the danger that had yet to abate, but the fact that she could have endangered them further by her impulsive actions...as well as the fact that the perpetrator was still there, at large. She swallowed her worries. There were still things to do.

"Huzzah!" The rabid rabbit bellowed into Gleam's head. "That contemptible, putrid little insect is there! Right behind that door! They set the fire! Let us sally forthwith and tear off their-"

"Ahem." The other voice asserted itself once more. "And direct them to a firm line of questioning regarding their motives and methods towards this crime. It would be a shame if their knowledge died with them."

"Yes, yes, I hear you..." Gleam muttered, shaking her head before turning back to her teammates. Candace and Twilight seemed like the least occupied at the moment, but she was sure none of them would back down from a chance to safely put out the fire and question the criminal. "Come on, there's little time to lose!" seasonedcat Tiguidi

Gleam's heels echoed through the hall as she broke into a sprint again, grabbing the handle of the door to the control room and giving it a firm turn. And as expected, it didn't give. Damn. How to get in...how to get in...

"Crap..." There was nothing for it. Gleam squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the strange sensation as she grabbed the plug from her neck again, shoving it straight into the door. Every inch of the sturdy, reinforced wood forced itself into her mind, the tree it came from, the day it was cut down...no. She forced herself to examine the other end of the door...and the room the door was adjoining.

Nothing blocked the door. A small mercy. And there were the controls, monitoring system...someone slumped in a chair at the other end of the room, pointing...something, at the door.

Gleam gasped, sucking in a lungful of smoke that came back out as she coughed. "Metal...something...pick the lock..." She mumbled under her breath, taking a knee. One of the very few good things about this situation was the abundance of mangled, torn metal strewn across the site. It didn't take long for her to come back up with a thin, pliant piece of metal and a longer, firmer one, both of which she promptly shoved into the keyhole. Good thing it wasn't a complex one, too...

Slowly but steadily rake the pins, apply torque, let the cylinder rotate once all the pins were raised...

Click.

There it was. "Let's go!" And with that, Gleam threw the doors open...her gaze falling on the person in the chair.

And there it was. The figure she had observed.

And the thing in their hand...

A gun.

Of course.

Who knew who they were expecting? Their heroic coworkers? The police? Firefighters?

No matter who it was...the person sitting in that chair was ready to kill. With the weapon in their hand, as much as with the fire that had already claimed many. In their no doubt volatile state, pulling a trigger was something that could happen without even thinking about it.

A roar rang out, louder than the sounds of the crackling, blazing fire.

Lightning surged through every nerve in Gleam's body. Her muscles contracted, bringing up her chakram just in time-

Clang!

The bullet ricocheted off harmlessly. Gleam gave just an inch from the impact. But even as she reflexively dropped to her knee, shielding herself further, the danger in that room was far from past.

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Meanwhile, in the Neighborhood ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
[@seasonedcat Shreb Cresion Breezes Glassred ThatWhichShouldBe ]

Sol Invictus

The muscled hero found himself moving with the rest of team two, and while two of his teammates would split off to take the first house, Sol would take the second. His feet take him across the ground swiftly, every step made with a little more force than before as his power surges through him. The birds on his shoulders have already.... Changed? Transformed? It was a strange, bizarre, transition, as they flowed like molten gold into gauntlets on his hands that thrummed with weight, and a sense of authority over weight. How could he use it? He stretches out his hands and pulls on the world around him, and finds himself flung forward.

It takes a bit for him to get the hang of it, before he eventually arrives at the second house. Immediately, he amplifies the pressure of gravity in a 'burst', snuffing out some of the flames as if a giant foot had stepped upon them, as he circles around the house looking for an entryway that wouldn't involve breaking through a possibly load-bearing wall.