Multiple Settings Heroes of the New Age: The New Wardens [CLOSED]

[Infab]

"At any rate... I fought alongside your old allies during the Kilidian Invasion. I'll admit I'm not exactly friends with Kaluga. He thinks I'm just another tool of the American Empire to spread western interest eastwards, yaddah yaddah. But he's a good ally to have in a fight." Sentinel then chuckled: "I must say, you had quite the colorful group of friends, always dealing with the strangest things affecting the Union, no?"

Felicia smiled, as Sentinel spoke of the Red Guard. "Indeed. Mutants, machines, relics, mummies... I think an interdimensional gremlin at one point. Strange times and misadventures. Feels like only yesterday... though that was decades ago." she responds, with a faint smile. "...Nice to hear that Kaluga is still stuck in his ways. Nothing can ever change that man... though at times I wish he were better with the public. I may be a good speaker, but I view things from a more... machine standpoint at times. Blunt truths and all."

"Now that I think about it, when the invasion happened I did hear of a strange heroine who fought the Kilidians alongside the national guard here in Chicago." Sentinel then said, a grin growing on his face. "Pardon me if I'm assuming but, you fit her description! And that tells me everything I need to know about you - which is to say, you're exactly what I'm looking for."

"Yes. I did not wish harm to come to the people of Chicago, or the woman that had been sheltering me from the federal government. I chose battles where my skills were needed most, and avoided large federal presences unless I needed to be there." responded Felicia, with a nod. "If you are curious, I was brought to the United States by the Central Intelligence Agency during the mid-1990s. I believe it was to research the technology built into me. There was an accident on the highway while passing through Champaign, Illinois, where my containment unit was breached and I escaped. A former East German immigrant by the name of Edith Sackler took me in, and eventually we moved here to Chicago. I've been with her this entire time... until her recent death."

When Sentinel mentioned that she was exactly what he was looking for, she raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Soon, Sentinel explained why.

"You work in a clean, efficient way, and show great discipline... qualities I need in a new team I'm making. I intend to recruit street heroes, young talent mostly, but I also want to recruit those with more experience like yourself."

"I'm sure you're aware of how crime is on the rise, as well as all the monster attacks throughout the country. The American 10 and Wonderful 8 are stretched thin, unable to help every city out there... but it's hard for street heroes to help when the government does everything in its power to stop us." He then snapped his fingers: "But I intend to change that! And thus I would like to extend an invitation to you, Panzerfrau."

Ah, so he's looking to recruit me. Felicia hesitated for a moment glancing to the goons. It seems like the most logical thing for me to do. I've always worked best with a team, and... I have no one to go home to anymore... Perhaps this would be more beneficient compared to simply wandering Chicago alone.

She then reached out and shook Sentinel's hand. "I accept your invitation... though on one condition." she says. "...I need somewhere to take up residence. As my caretaker is... gone... I have been wandering Chicago and simply returning to sit on the fire escape outside her old apartment. I would... rather not do that... anymore."

 

[Breadman]

The pair of heroes had their moment interrupted by a voice behind them. For a couple of seconds they stared into space before turning around to see who it was. Neither of them would believe their eyes when they saw that it was in fact the voice of Sentinel.

"What the...Holy sh-...

"Dove, its freaking Sentinel!" Knight had his head in his hands "Holly molly, its really him!"

"Yeah, I can see." She thought she was just as shocked as her partner, but judging by his muffled excitement, that was clearly not the case. Especially with that weird sound he just made. That cool exterior he had just a few moments ago was gone. Was he like that when he met Shadowboxer or did he only get like this for the really big names?

"Sir, I am a huge fan."

"I think he can see that."

"Sorry...I just...Holy heck!"

"Knight, please calm down." Normally she would be annoyed in a situation like this, but something about Knight's dorky fanboying was funny to her. "I'm sure he can autograph something for you later."

"Aw man, that old action figure I had would have been perfect. The Mattel one made from that really durable plastic. Could change the capes and everything." He stopped for a few seconds to realize where he was again. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, you're lucky its in private." She padded him on the shoulder. "Hi, sir!" Dove returned her attention to Sentinel. "Oh man, this is actually surreal. We thought we'd be on this for a few more days to bust the whole operation, but if you have more intel, then we can break the whole thing by morning." She paused for a moment before realizing that they didn't do proper introductions either. "Oh, sorry! I'm Black Dove and this is my friend, Knight."

"I'm new at this, but Dove has been showing me the ropes. She's really good at this patrol stuff."

 

[joshuadim]

[MAMIMI PROLOGUE]​

Sentinel took a seat at the foot of Mamimi's bed and listened to her story, allowing the pieces to fall together naturally rather than trying to needing to interrogate her. Things began to click: why she was so antagonistic when they first met, how Shadeling's initial reaction gave off the wrong impression, how her upbringing influenced the way she is now. It was a tough tale for anyone to live through, especially as she put it out that her appearance made her more susceptible to such difficulties, but it gave some comfort to the hero that she was - at least, outwardly - better off aside from the hospitalization. She apologized and even thanked Sentinel for helping her, which made him smile.

She gave her name - not her birth name but a new one - that she claimed as her own, to which Sentinel nodded to. "I like it." he said before looking towards the IV drops. "Guess you'll be let out of here sooner rather than later." he then commented looking back to Mamimi. He had something more to say yet found it caught in his throat; but what could he say? What words of advice could he possibly give to such a topic in the first place? It was this lived experience that he was wholly divorced from, which in turn made it so very difficult to possibly comment or give said advice in the first place.

"Listen, Mamimi." Sentinel then spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder as he got up. "There's much I want to talk with you about. But, sadly, I'm running out of time at the moment. The world needs me for a few hours... but I want to keep talking." He gave her a genuine smile, "I want you to come to a place that means a lot to me. It's called 'De Barahona al Corazon', it's a dominican restaurant here in the Bronx." His gaze then turned when he heard the pulse of another person walk by the room, and saw Anna still holding her coffee.

"Don't worry," she says, taking another sip of her coffee before continuing. "I'll tell her how to get there." She smiles, having learned how to get there the time Sentinel's friend Judgement needed emergency surgery after having fought the Black Line, and going directly to a hospital was out of the question. She then looked to Mamimi and smiled: "Hey their girly. Figured you'd wake up any second now." she said, approaching the bed and looking at the notes on the clipboard that the nurses had transcribed her vitals onto during monitoring. "Now go on big guy, three cyclops are attacking Turkey and the Olympians could use a hand."

Sentinel nodded, before looking back to Mamimi a final time: "Don't feel pressured to come, of course... but... I would appreciate it. I'll be waiting for you either way." he said before walking over to the window and opened it. A cool Augustian breeze crept into the room as he positioned himself along the edge before jumping out and flying off. For Anna, this was a usual end to their interactions that she never got tired of - as the miracle of flight was always something to behold. "Now, we've got a lot to talk about." Anna then said to Mamimi, "But first, we need to make sure you're okay. Vitals look good..."

Several hours pass by, where Anna kept Mamimi on observation just in case along with a few minor medical tests to ensure that she was, in fact, healthy enough to be discharged. After having been in a perceived coma for a week, she wasn't taking any chances even with a supe. But once everything came back normal, Anna asked Mamimi - "Jane" - to stay in the room for a bit as they gathered her belongings. During this time, she was given food and the TV remote, where she could see Sentinel fight alongside the mythic warriors of the Olympians fight off the monstrous creatures.

When Anna returned, she was holding a bag with Mamimi's clothes that were all washed and cleaned - even sewn where needed in some parts - as well as a new set of clothes that was similar to what she already had. "This is very important." the doctor then said as she offered the girl what appeared to be an ID card. "Remember when I asked to take a picture of you for your file? Well, I lied..." she said with a cheeky grin, "But for good reason. This is a superhuman identification, which also serves as a regular ID... if a cop stops you, you show them this immediately and it will get them to back off most of the time. But don't give them a reason to look any further, 'cause they will find it on the national registry. And the picture on file doesn't belong to you."

She then nodded: "Like I said earlier, the restaurant is only a couple blocks away. Three blocks straight from the entrance of the hospital, then two blocks right. Can't miss it." Anna then gave Mamimi a small hug: "I have to get back to the E.R., but please be safe."

Whether or not the hug was reciprocated, Mamimi woould soon be discharged with a clean bill of health and ultimately allowed to leave the hospital. New York itself was a city of contradictions, which she would come to experience firsthand as she walked through the neighborhood and observed the happenings and doings of daily life - both the good and bad - that everyone had to deal with on some level. Pedestrians and drivers were rude to each other, with the former often being small confrontations over petty things and the latter being horns honking in the streets and people flipping each other off for bad driving. It seemed to chaotic over these little things, and it only got worse when Mamimi witnessed a street fight between two homeless men over food from a garbage bin.

To have to resort to such lesser... baser instincts to simply survive... especially in a country like this, it was unfathomable to most. Though the reality was often masked by the comforts of modernity, and thus many of these people fell through the cracks with their suffering never known or understood... like Mamimi's. And then there was also the matter of the law... or rather, how corrupt it could be. A patrol officer across the street from where Mamimi walked pointed seemingly at her and approached, hand on his pistol; it almost as if he seemed to want to harass her, but the officer simply walked past her and instead went on to harass a cat-faced man for no reason. She could overhear how the cop pulled forth some bullshit justifications and statures for such harassment, and seemed to relish in this power over someone who was a registered supe.

But beyond all this, there was also those with acted with kidness and generosity to others; acts that would often go unseen to the world at large, but would be so profound to those living in the moment that it made them all the more beautiful and fleeting. An old man slips off the steps of a bus and onto the sidewalk below, which catches the attention of a group of youngsters playing basketball on a court and they quickly rush over to help the man up. They put him on a bench and ask to make sure that he's alright, and they exchange small talk between generations... just talking about the little things that made disparate lives connected together.

She also saw an old Italian man, coming from a local deli/cafe with a bag full of everything one could want, and gave a salami sandwich over to a homeless man sitting nearby along with a small cup of espresso. They would sit and talk about life, and about the weather, and forget the problems of age and woe together through laughter and smiles. And another patrol officer, speaking to a young woman in distress that Mamimi overhears: she lives out of her car, and that she can't even afford a ticket fine for simply staying a bit too long in the zone she was in. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't live with even a steady roof over her head and that she was reduced to this. And the officer took kindness to heart as he simply smiled and let her know that she wasn't in any real trouble. He would then turn and walk away, pretending as though he never saw the violation in the first place, and moved past Mamimi - to whom he would tip his cap towards as a friendly gesture.

And on one of the many buildings that she would pass on her way over, she would see a colorful and large mural of Sentinel himself. He stood even taller than he did in person, giving him a magnanimous presence for everyone in the Bronx to look at him with pride and joy towards knowing that he was there for them. A young boy - walking with his father - pointed up to the mural with excitement, and shouted aloud: "I wanna meet him one day!" the kid said with an innocent joy, "I wanna be like him!" His father, playing along with his son's imagination, lifted him up and made it seem as though he was flying on his own as they walked further down the street. Mamimi could hear the kid's laughter even as they grew further away, before she rounded the corner and got to the street where the restaurant was at.

There, she would see another mural that seemed to be in two parts, disjointed by the main road itself; it showed the faces of gang crime - ordinary men and boys - as well as homages to the injustices of certain vigilantes and of the police... commentary on the state of affairs when it came to such relations. But there was also another mural, right on the side of Sentinel's restaurant, that held the face of a man in high esteem with his name painted below: Carter Davis.

​

She could hear how busy it was inside, even through the windows of the front, as the establishment was lively and busy with all the customers it could possibly ask for. But when she entered, the commotion practically disappeared as everyone's eyes trailed over to the newcomer and her strange appearance. The silence hung, and made it all the more wracking as people were either whispering to one another or kept their mouths shut as they waited for what would happen next. But a man walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel and looking not concerned at all. She didn't recognize him until he spoke: "Welcome! We've been expecting you. I'll be with you in a moment, Mamimi." said Tyrell Willaims, in his plainclothes attire for work at the restaurant.

Other members of his family had also stopped what they were doing and streamed towards the doorways to the kitchen to see what had made the restaurant so quiet. But Tyrell quickly walked over and whispered to them, which made them smile and nod to one another collectively. His mother also gave him a hug and went to gather some plates as Mamimi took her seat in the restaurant. Not a moment later, she was approached with a platter full of food by Tyrell's mother: "Eat as much as you want sweetheart. Any friend of my son is free to eat as much as they want!"

As time passed, Mamimi would get served as much as she wanted without any objections and by the time evening falls, only a few customers remained at the far ends of the restaurant which allowed some privacy for her as well as Tyrell; he approached her, taking off his bandana wiped his brow before taking a seat opposite from her. "Hey." he smiles, before whispering. "My name is Tyrell Williams... but you met me as Sentinel. And I'd like to ask you about something. I see potential in you to do good... the question is, do you want to fight the good fight?"

---

[PANZERFRAU PROLOGUE]​

Red Ghast looked visibly aghast when Panzerfrau asked for a place to stay, as he interpreted it in completely the wrong way as he quickly darted his head between the two of them and let out an annoyed groan: "Gah! First you stroll on in here before I can make my moves, and now you're MOVING IN TOGETHER!?" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air and turning away. "I can never win..." he then muttered to himself, walking a few steps away to kill some glass in self-pity as Sentinel laughed off the insinuation. Wordlessly, he shook his head before continuing the conversation at hand.

"Of course! I wouldn't have anyone living on the streets if I could help it." Sentinel said to Panzerfrau with a nod, "Wouldn't make sense to have anyone I want to work with out on the streets on their lonesome."

"Hah! Imagine that: supes on welfare and living out of cardboard..." Red Ghast then chimed in, crunching on glass to entertain himself nearby.

"There's a place in the Bronx in New York which is very dear to me. It's called 'De Barahona al Corazon', a dominican restaurant. Head on over and meet me there."

"AHA! I KNEW IT! You're going on a ~date~ with the robot-commie-mommy!" Red Ghast then shouted, pointing at Sentinel in an accusatory manner.

"...please ignore him." Sentinel then said, shaking his head and chuckling.

---

[DERBY PROLOGUE]​

Sentinel let out a chuckle as Derby put on a show to act tough, and shook his head: "Trust me, I'm not here to do that." the hero responded with a smile. "Though, it's a *bit* hard for me to simply forget the heroism that I witnessed." he then said, glancing over to the unconscious Mauler. "Trust me, you've got the makings of a hero... even if you don't believe it yourself yet."
The young man was certainly strong, stronger than his appearance suggested, and wondered if that was on purpose to blend in or simply just an afterthought compared to his choices in style and wear.

He also wondered *why* this young man felt such a way, despite acting in another, with regards to herodom. And as such, he decided to probe a little further into why this was. In the worst case, he would simply be brushed off with another snarky comment. "So, Derby, if you *aren't* a hero... why'd you go and deal with Mauler here then?" Sentinel then asked, crossing his arms with a bemused look.

---

[BLACK DOVE PROLOGUE]​

Sentinel chuckled as Knight fanboyed in front of him and his partner and smiled to Dove: “Don’t worry about it. I always enjoy meeting people who are as enthusiastic as your friend.” He then nodded to Knight as Dove introduced themselves, maintaining his smile all the while as he observed them. A slightly quirky duo, though they certainly were up for the task at hand. “Pleasure to meet the both of you.” Sentinel said, shaking Knight’s hand and then Dove’s.

There was still that feeling he had with Black Dove that he couldn't explain, in that she was familiar yet a stranger all the same. "I feel like I know you from somewhere..." Sentinel said first to Black Dove before motioning his head off towards the distance, in the direction of his next destination that he had planned already. “ But that can wait for now. You wanna beat up some mobsters?” he then asked, “You’re more than welcome to join me over at the ‘Naughty Girls’ parking lot, and stop that deal from going through between both crews.”

---

[ZEYNEP PROLOGUE]​

A deathly silence hung in the air following Zeynep's defiance, and both Bokors that flanked Kriminel looked to one another in surprise from under their shades before putting their hands on their weapons in preparation for what seemed to be the inevitable reaction from their boss. Mr. Din himself took a few steps back to offer space for his boss and his lackeys to operate without him getting in the way, both for practical purposes as well as his own craven nature seeking to keep himself out of harms way. And their intuition was correct, as Kriminel let out a toothy smile before wordlessly lifting the hat a bit off the top of his head. Almost immediately, like rabid dogs let loose from cages, shadowy tendrils shot out in place of his dreads and snaked their way over to their intended victim.

The way they moved was... unnatural, to say the least as they seeme to both slither on the ground itself and melt into it at the same time. It was a trick of the senses as well as of dark magics, as they quickly found their target and snaked themselves onto her limbs. With great force, they pulled at her to force her onto her knees as the bokors pulled loose their machetes and charged at Zeynep. What they saw was a helpless target seemed to be the case initially, as they hacked and slashed at her body without any hesitation nor troubles and splattered her blood across the pavement below. Then with brutal stabs, they impaled her with their blades in both her chest and her abdomen.

However, they didn't take into account the strength of their target as she would quickly break free - blades lodged inside her still - and bought herself some breathing room by jumping back some meters. The machetes themselves would come loose with ease as she simply pulled them out and dropped them at her feet. As a vampire, such trivialities were of no concern to her in the moment. The bokors would switch tactics by pulling out their pistols and fire upon her, peppering the air with gunshots in their attempt to riddle her full of holes. Kriminel, however, remained unfazed as he maintained his crazed, devilish grin while continuing to send his tendrils after her. He seemed to be almost toying with her, in this respect, while the bokors were deathly serious about their job; a stark contrast between those who served and the one that ruled without worry.

---

[KISARA PROLOGUE]​

Sentinel look at the name card that Kisara had given him, twirling it in between his fingers as he observed its writing, before smiling to himself as a crowd had gathered at the sight of the burning building. He wanted to go after her, though he knew that she perhaps wanted the space and also wasn't perhaps in the mood. Given what she said about the 'spotlight', he couldn't blame her. He'd have to approach her some other time... and he did have the address of her business for such an occasion. As such, Sentinel decided that it would be best to approach the woman with his proposition with the luxury of privacy and away from the prying eyes of the public. Where she was more comfortable to talk freely rather than keep up outward appearances on nonchalance.

He tucked it into a crevice of his suit as he looked around, seeing the first responders get to work dealing with both the unconscious criminals - moving them to ambulances and patrol cars where needed - and the rescued children, who were tended to by EMTs to make sure they were alright. Sentinel took a bit of time to make sure that all the kids were fine, and when he was given the all-good by those on the job he left it in their hands. He first floated upwards and then flew off, making sure to patrol the city from above for the time that he had remaining in the night.

The Next Day…

Sentinel walked up the steps to the address that had been given to him, the floorboard and steps squeaking under his feet after having passed near a Chinese medicine shop. Rather than draw too much attention himself by approaching as the hero everyone knew, he instead wore plainclothes and thus was incognito to the people on the streets below with the presence of Tyrell Williams. It was certainly remarkable what a simple change of clothes and some other minor things could do to people's perceptions. And the privacy afforded by this little stowaway office space meant that he wouldn’t need to worry about his identity when speaking to the woman he had met last night either. Given the only door that was labelled made itself known to him, he figured that this was the place he was looking for: Gyoshi Detective Agency.

Despite appearances, he knew that given her actions last night that she was doing as much good as she could. And so, without hesitation, he knocked on the door and awaited a response from within.

---

[GEMINI FLASHBACK]​

Sentinel kept pushing at the nose of the train, trying to slow it down at a pace that wasn't dangerous to anyone on-board still and felt the strength of the train grow less by the moment. However, he also had noticed the same problem that the twins had with the platform up ahead that they were about to very soon speed on through. The hero's eyes widened as he realized just how much danger all those people, who had been out on this day to witness a marvel of engineering in action for the future of transporation, were in now in the presence of what was essentially a giant, magnetic bullet. The situation was difficult not only because of the people there, but of how he himself was preoccupied now...

If he let go to help save the people, then the train itself was at risk of gaining speed again and thus setting back all the work he had done to try to slow it down. In turn, this would hinder the speedsters he had just now worked with in their efforts. In turn, it would doom the people on the train most likely. On the other hand, if he stayed then the people at the next station would most assuredly die since he couldn't afford to stop the train at full force lest it would kill the people inside. It was an impossible choice, and one that Sentinel himself could never reckon with as he hurriedly tried to make sense of all this and come up with a plan.

Fortunately, however, there was a plan coming from the duo as he noticed their signalling. At first it took a moment to get what they wanted to signal/say over the intense chaos of the train and the destructive commotion. But soon it became apparent when they signalled to smash something that Tobi was pointing towards at the rear of the first car. He figured that this meant that they had figured out a way to deal with the train, and so he quickly left the front of the train to investigate. The coupling mechanism seemed to have been weakened enough that - with enough force - it could separate the front from the passenger cars that it held hostage.

"Ok! Get ready!" Sentinel shouted aloud, before driving a fist into the mechanism. The first strike rattled the entire train, and the mechanism loosened slightly until he struck at it again with another powerful thud. This time, thanks to his haste, the mechanism broke off completely and the passenger cars immediately began to slow without anything tugging them along the route. "Get the people safe!" Sentinel then shouted to the twins, "I'll get the other car out of harm's way!" The hero quickly flew to the front once more, keeping pace and quickly observed how it was being sped along the tracks. He wouldn't be able to stop it reliable in time, and so instead opted for another idea.

He positioned himself in front of the main car so that it would just overtake him, leaving him in the gap below thanks to its electromagnetism. The energies of the system gave Sentinel a bit of a frizz, feeling it dance across his skin and head as he position himself in such a manner to lift it off into the skies above by planting his hands on the bottom of the car and began to push upwards to bring it up to an upwards tilt...

---

[GEMMA PROLOGUE]​

An explosion rocked Samoa's capital of Apia as a wicked cackle filled the air. Bolts of magic flew throughout, destroying buildings and causing the people to flee in panic as the Witch-Empress Tsukijotei made her presence more than known. She stood atop a large cliff, wreaking havoc on the people below without a care in the world while General Buta, her main military commander, stood beside and observed the destruction being wrought by his mistress. He was always impressed by her capacity to destroy, but was also on the lookout for any trouble until he finally spoke: "Your eminence, what do you hope to get from them?"

"Why, what else but to make their lives miserable!" Tsukijotei spoke with a malicious grin before throwing another bolt of magic down below that destroyed an apartment building and cackled. "Oh, but also to get me to tell where their precious Master Engineer is... this entire island is my hostage!"

Buta looked on towards the chaos below and nodded, "A most wise and devious plan, your eminence... surely the Marshals will not risk all these people's lives."

"Oh, but you underestimate the pridefulness of those brats!" Tsukijotei retorted confidently before turning her gaze to the sky nearby and squinted. A wicked smile crossed her face as she spotted a familiar sight. "And speaking of..."

Then, as if on cue, an aircraft flew over the island and made its rapid approach to the same cliffside where the witch and her minion stood. Before long, a colorful squad of fighters was dropped off one by one in a dramatic fashion some meters away from the Empress. They all went about either kicking or flipping to accentuate their presence, as was the usual for their operations. This was the Super Buntai Marshals in action as they faced the Empress herself, and they took up their usual combat positions as both their introduction and their preparation. "What are you after Tsukijotei!?" shouted Kenshi, the captain of the group and the Red Marshal, as he pointing towards the Witch-Empress with contempt.

"That's *Empress* to you, worm!" shouted the witch.

"And don't you forget it!" shouted General Buta, shaking a fist towards the Marshals.

Though Tsukijotei rolled her eyes as she turned to him. "Let me deal with the talking myself, alright?"

"What's she doing out here? She rarely appears herself on Earth..." Samantha - the Pink Marshal - then said into the Marshal's comms, keeping the conversation private.

"Whatever its for, it can't be good." Connor - the Green Marshal - said worringly, "We struggled a lot to beat her back last time..."

"We can worry later. Right now, let's focus on the people below." Kenshi then said, getting an affirmation from the others before speaking to the witch once more. "Again, what do you want!?"

"Come now, can't a girl have a bit of fun?" taunted Tsukijotei, before sighing. "Fine, if you so desire to be spoilsports... I want to know where the Master Engineer is! Either you tell me... or I destroy this pathetic island and all the people on it!"

A moment of silence passes, as the Marshals look between one another with concern and worry. On one hand, to refuse would be to risk the lives of so many innocents here... on the other, it would doom how many more to the destruction and devastation that rampant kaijus and the Empress would wreak should she get her hands on him. They all knew that, ultimately, there was only a single answer that could be given and the team wordlessly made it known to Kenshi as he turned to Tsukijotei and gave her a blunt response: "We refuse!"

Tsukijotei then let out a wicked cackle, as if enjoying the defiance and relishing in the opportunity to wreak havoc more. "I was HOPING you'd say that!" she shouted, before turning to her General and flowing magic into him. As if anticipating this, he quickly braced himself and allowed it to flow over him as he grew double, then triple in size, and kept growing until he was as big as the Marshal's mech was. She then extended an arm outwards to the island itself. A sickly green spell enshrouded the land, trapping the spirits that be before morphing them into what the Marshals recognized as Fiend Patrollers. They were clearly outnumbered, and Tsukijotei had every intention of killing them all through this advantage as she let out another wicked cackle. "Time to die, fools!"

"No one's dying today." a voice then sounded from the skies above, surprising everyone as they looked up to see Sentinel floating in the air with his hands on his hips.

For the Marshals, this sight brought palpable relief but for Tsukijotei she let out an annoyed 'tsk' and pointed at Sentinel with a long nail: "Stay out of this, boy scout! This business is between me and them!"

"It became my business when you decided to hold an entire island hostage." Sentinel responded with a frown, before looking towards the Marshals. "You deal with the Witch and her goons. I got the big man." he simply said before flying towards Buta and colliding with him full force. This was enough to knock his onto his back almost half a mile away as the two began their own separate tussle. In the meantime, the Marshals rallied together as Kenshi shouted: "Marshals, attack!"

​

Sentinel flew around Buta as he got up and swiped at him, his enlarged form having a large area of attack to deal with. "I won't fail the Empress!" he shouted, his voice deeper due to his new form, "I will make sure-" A crack then filled the air as Sentinel punched Buta full force in the face, sending him stumbling back across the rocky outcrops of the shoreline as he grasped at his now bruised cheek. But he retaliated with a slap that sent Sentinel tumbling to the ground below in a manner that left craters behind. He quickly rebounded back up, only to be slapped again, this time directly into the ground underneath.

Sentinel found himself a bit dazed as he got up, and felt the taste of blood in his mouth. Damn, it's been a while since someone's actually made me hurt like that. he thought to himself before grinning and looking up. "Guess I can cut loose a little!" he shouted as he rebounded back into the air with greater force than before to meet the challenge head on with yet another massive strike to Buta's head, sending him stumbling back more.

For the Marshals, however, the fight was not going nearly as well as they continued to deal with the overwhelming amount of Fiend Patrollers charging towards them without regards for their well-beings, all the while juggling the task of dodging Tsukijotei's attacks. Her cackles filled the air as she lazily flung out spells, mainly to stress out the Marshals as they continued to fight for their lives. "Yes! Dance! Dance little insects!" she shouted with glee, before firing a bolt of wicked purple magic that hit Kenshi straight in the chest. Although his armor protected him from the worst, he was still knocked down and had the wind taken out of him as he struggled to get back up. "Kenshi!" shouted Yukiko - the Yellow Marshal - as she rushed to his side after kicking one of the ghastly fiends in the face. The others quickly rallied around their hurt leader, though it was obvious that things weren't going well at all. But it is then that a roar is heard, to which both the Marshals and the Empress see Buta be knocked on his back again, this time likely for good as he looked thoroughly pummeled. The witch's eyes widened as she then saw Sentinel make fly over, to reinforce the Marshals. One by one, her army fell and the spirits she had so quickly enslaved were now freed again.

By this point, Tsukijotei growled in anger as she faced defeat yet again before opening a portal behind her. "You only won because you got lucky!" she shouted angrily, before looking over to Buta - who had now returned to his normal size - limping over by her side.

"S-sorry... your eminence..." he muttered, but she ignored his apology because of his livid she was.

"I WILL RETURN!" she then shouted, stepping through her escape and was swiftly followed by Buta.

With the Empress and her lacky having escaped, the Marshals could collectively sigh in relief as they turned to Sentinel - who sported some bruises from his bout with Buta. "Arigato, Sentinel-sama." Kenshi managed to get out, having caught his breath at least. "I don't know what we would have done if you weren't here."

"Probably gotten our asses kicked completely." said Jumpei - the Blue Marshal - as he crossed his arms. Although he was grateful for Sentinel's help, he wouldn't let it show due to his own pride. "...we should've summoned the mech off the bat."

Kenshi shot a glance over to his lancer, before nodding to Sentinel who in turn smiled. "Always happy to help. I've got the word out about what's happened here. Rescue and aid should be arriving here soon to help the people." he said with a finger salute before floating into the air above. He gave the Marshals a wave goodbye, who reciprocated much the same, as he flew off into the distance. He still had time to kill, and as a result planned on patrolling the west coast of the US for a bit to see if any major trouble had been brewing while he took on this detour. But it was then, very faintly, he heard gunshots; this made him stop in the air as he looked confused.

He was still at least fifty miles from the coast, which meant that either he was hearing very powerful gunshots with his heightened hearing - perhaps from a range or a military exercise - or there was something afoot closer by. He heard another shot, and his head darted to the direction of the source. Unusual as it was in its location, he thus decided to investigate and flew quickly. Breaking the sound barrier as he did so, he would then come to see an island off the coast of Oregon and figured that this was the source; he could also hear the panicked breathing and fears of those being chased, which made him worry as he descended to investigate further.

But there was also another presence that seemed to deal with those troubledoers as he flew close by and saw a figure with a scythe preparing to leave, and was visibly wounded. When she noticed his presence, he smiled and descended: "I heard you dealing with these guys." he said, motioning his head over to where she had tied up the criminals. "What's this whole thing about here?" he then asked, looking around. "Pretty remote place for people to be out here this late..."

---

[OTIS PROLOGUE]​

Fifteen Minutes Earlier...

A young cashier, who really was only there to do the bare minimum for minimum wage at a bodega, looked on in terror as a gun was pointed straight at his head. He had spent most of his shift simply scrolling through his phone, as per usual, but now his life had become much more eventful than he had ever wanted. But today, a figure wearing a helmet and sporting a monstrous appearance, was panting heavily like an animal as if he *wanted* an excuse to pull the trigger. For the cashier, he simply raised his hands up and was breathing in a panicked manner looked between the man and the gun for a bit before managing to muster the courage to speak.

"L-look man, there ain't m-much in the register-"

A sudden strike to the face sent him tumbling back into his chair, leaving him clutching at his nose as the robber then jumped atop the counter and kept the gun trained at him.

"Fool! I'm not after MONEY!!" he shouted angrily, as if the insinuation itself was insulting to his character. His red eyes scanned the store for any sign of trouble before he growled to the cashier. "I'm after for something very... *very* specific..."

The young cashier nodded, eager to try to soothe over the situation out of desperation: "L-look man, whatever it is, you can h-have it!"

"Well... you *better* have it! I, Lazon, have been searching every store in town for it!!"

"W-wha-?"

"I WANT TWINKIES!"

The announcement resounded throughout the store to a resounding silence, as the cashier looked towards Lazon in disbelief. This guy... was really threatening his life over some shitty snacks? The situation was almost comical were it not for the possibility of having his brains blown out, especially since he *knew* that this bodega didn't stock Hostess products. And so, he decided to play for time: "I... I dunno man...? C-check the back? I just work here..."

Lazon let out a howl towards this clue, scrambling off the desk like a creature from a horror story and ran to the back of the story. This allowed the clerk to make a dash for the front door as he heard the storage room having its door kicked open. Fleeing onto the street, this allowed the young man to catch his breath from all the adrenaline pumping through his system. He needed to call the cops or something! But he realized that he had left his phone inside too... which made him shout out in anger, bringing eyes over to him. "Someone help!" he then shouted, trying to get someone to do the deed for him, "There's a crazy bastard in the store with a gun!"

A few pedestrians nearby looked on with concern and pulled out their phones to call the police, but it had also drawn the attention of someone else. "Is he still inside?" asked Sentinel, floating down from the air much to the shock of the cashier and others. "H-holy shit..." the cashier managed to get out in awe, before nodding. "Y-yeah! Crazy motherfucker pointed a gun at me... I thought he was robbing for cash, but he's just after fucking *Twinkies* for some reason!"

This made the hero look towards the barred windows of the store before sighing. He recognized this MO as being a figure who definitely needed help. "I'll handle it." Sentinel said with a faint smile, "I'll be back with what he wants... that'll get him to calm down."

Sentinel quickly flew off, knowing a bodega that had exactly what the crazed robber wanted more than anything in life. On entering, he drew the attention of the few people inside as they snapped photos and waved at him; but they also were curious as to why he then picked up seven boxes of twinkies and brought them over to the cashier. He quickly dropped a hundred dollar bill in haste. "Keep the change, it's an emergency." Sentinel said with a smile, to which the owner of the bodega - a slightly rotund Puerto Rican man with thick black hair - simply took the cash and nodded.

Sentinel thus made his way back with a large bundle of negotiating cakes, and saw that Lazon had now made it out of the store in a fury as sirens sounded in the distance. He looked visibly distraught as he clutched his helmet and thrashed around. "WHY DOESN'T ANYONE HAVE WHAT I WANT!?" he shouted, stomping his feet like a child.

"Lazon! Calm down!" Sentinel shouted, landing nearby with the peace offering. "I have what you want here, alright?"

The would-be robber snapped his head over to where Sentinel stood, remaining quiet for a moment, before growling. "No... this is a trick! A TRICK!"

"I promise you it isn't-" Sentinel started to say but the robber let out a monstrous scream.

"IT IS! YOU'RE ALL OUT TO GET ME!" Lazon then said, turning a knob on his helmet. His eyes grew more intense, radiating power that made Sentinel wide-eyed. The hero dropped the boxes to the ground and dodged out of the way as a blast of laser energy shot out and melted a nearby car. This sudden commotion made everyone on the street duck for cover as Lazon let out another blast, melting a hole into the asphalt as Sentinel dodged it with ease. Lazon was in a paranoid fury, letting loose another blast that destroyed a fire hydrant and made water spray out everywhere. But Sentinel quickly closed the distance and punched the man in the chest with enough force to knock the air out of him and sent him tumbling over to the outer walls of the bodega he had just tried to rob.

Lazon struggled to breathe for a moment, before starting to sob uncontrollably as he clutched his knees and rocked back and forth. Sentinel looked on towards the man in pity as he stood over him, before grabbing two of the boxes that he had dropped. Opening one, he handed one of the wrapped cakes over to Lazon wordlessly and gave a smile as the broken man looked up to see the golden spongey treat. "I'll be sure to find you help." Sentinel simply said as Lazon ripped open the first treat and ate it. "...I hope you get better."

When two patrol cars arrived, they came with guns drawn to the scene but Sentinel was quick to defuse the situation. "Officers, he's harmless now that he has his treats... he needs to be put on a psychiatric hold, not a jail cell." Sentinel explained, which made the officers looked to one another in confusion. The damage done by the would-be robber made them hesitate, but Sentinel's presence made them more amicable to the request as one of them radio'd in an ambulance at the hero's request. Sentinel spared a glance over to Lazon again, who was now chowing down on a third treat by this point and completely ignoring his surroundings, before letting out a sigh.

With his job done, he flew away from the scene for whatever else needed his attention. His hearing picked up a commotion about a mile away and quickly flew over to investigate. A car wreck had taken place, and it looked pretty bad for the occupants of the SUV in question. But as he prepared to descend, he noticed a figure jump into the fray to help those inside. And, in spectacular fashion, the occupants had been rescued! And with what seemed to be an interesting ability to boot. Sentinel smiled on seeing such a display, and decided to meet this man after everything had been settled so as to not rain on his parade.

"I saw what you did, friend!" Sentinel said, floating on down to meet Otis on the street. "Incredible work." He then offered the man a handshake: "I'm Sentinel. And I want to ask: do you want to fight the good fight?"

 

[Infab]

"There's a place in the Bronx in New York which is very dear to me. It's called 'De Barahona al Corazon', a dominican restaurant. Head on over and meet me there."

"I understand. I will make my way there immediately. And... thank you." responded Felicia, smiling faintly as she thanked him.

As Red Ghast spoke up again, she turned her attention to him.

"AHA! I KNEW IT! You're going on a ~date~ with the robot-commie-mommy!" Red Ghast then shouted, pointing at Sentinel in an accusatory manner.

"...please ignore him." Sentinel then said, shaking his head and chuckling.

"...Excuse me for a moment." she said, glancing to Sentinel briefly. She then turned about, making her way over towards Red Ghast. She had a trick in mind that may calm him down a bit. She had seen it done on some of the romance movies and soap operas that her caretaker used to watch over the years. Perhaps it would work here?

As she arrived next to Red Ghast, she bent over carefully and slowly took his head in her hands. Then she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"...Listen..." she began, whispering sweetly into his ear. "...Be a good boy, and I may return... You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

 

[Breadman]

"Maybe you're thinking of the original Black Dove." The heroine shrugged "She was prolific enough back in the day."

Once Sentinel gave the invitation to join him on a mobster hunt, Dove could feel Knight's excitement. She thought the night was going to be this hit and then try to track down the source, but now? Now they're invited on a patrol by the Sentinel himself. Even if her partner wasn't standing next to her being giddy like a school boy, she wouldn't even think of a reason to say no. Why would they.

"Oh, yes! Lets go kick some mobster ass!"

 

[Roda the Red]

[DERBY PROLOGUE]
​

Derby folded his arms, puffing his chest out, an irritating smug expression on his face. Part of it was due to the relief of knowing Sentinel had no aggressive intentions, and because he also somewhat enjoyed this game of playing hard to get, not like he was just gonna yield with some honeyed words, or EVER, for that matter. But the stoicism was swiftly erased once the elephant in the room was adressed. He pursed his lips, looking over his shoulder at the beaten up gang. "Well, uh, so you see."

He hopped to the side. "So I was just walkin' here, right?" He points forward with both open hands while looking to the side back at the Hero. "And then these guys pass by me, and one of 'em just steps on me!" He raised his arms in the air, angrily staring at the air. "So I was like 'Hey what's the matter with you?', cuz you know, I can't let these bozos just trample over me, got a reputation to upkeep, and they didn't give me a single fucking apology, instead they just started looking fo' beef, ya know?" He began to fisticuff at the air. But a simple glance at Sentinel was enough to tell the veteran could see through his deception like a glass house. "...Still not working? Damn, how're ya so good at this?" He kicked a tiny pebble away while putting his hands in his pockets.

"Alright, alright...So I've got this friend, ya see? He's a really cool dude, but the guy's a little too into having a tough reputation, and on these streets? Well you can bet he gets into a buncha trouble with random punks three days a week, at least." He paused, scratching the side of his head from under his beanie while looking back at the original employer. "That guy over there, Donald, has some big beef with my friend, so he hired that meathead over there for some petty revenge." He shrugged. "Sounded like they wanted to kill the guy, so i'm just looking out for a friend."

He looked down, a droplet falling down his side. "Well uhm...There was also some guy they were trying to mug and...well I couldn't just ignore that, could I?" He didn't know why he mentioned it, why the hell would he mention it? Somehow it just felt wrong to keep that piece of information secret, a loose tongue is hard to stop once it gets going, after all.

 

[simj26]

Kisara McDowell
It barely took a day before the edits started popping up on her doomscrolling. Bowie's Starman slapped over footages, some shaky, some steady, of Sentinel and the children. Crapshoot AI voices explaining what happened, misspellings in captions, hashtags taking up more space than the caption itself, anything for a minute of exposure to fame. She set her phone aside on the coffee table with a clatter.

No mention of her, of course. Why would they? Probably some weirdo who just happened to be there. Ain't no hero. Just a passerby. Better they didn't too. Recognising her might have gotten Sentinel some flak for ‘collaborating with known criminals’. The man didn't need the negative attention. Ride it out. Eventually, time will make people forget. Hopefully.

She stood up from the couch, and chucked her now-empty cup of noodles at the bin on the far side of the room. She watched it bounce off the rim, once, twice, then dip into the bottom. She pumped her fist. It's the little things.

She started around the office, setting things up. Bottles of water on a nice tray on the coffee table, miscellaneous trash in the bin, dust swept up, desk tidied.

Little things were what she had left, to tell the truth.
Pretty soon, if money wasn't starting to roll in, she would have to give this place up. Out on the streets again, and nowhere to go now. Couldn't even go live with her parents. They would let her, but she didn't want to. She told them she'd make it on her own, and by the Gods, she was a woman of her word.

A knock on the door. Pretty early for a customer. Pretty rare for one too. Business wasn't exactly booming, and finding a client twice a week honestly surprised her. She tugged her jacket off the head of the couch, and drew it on. She checked her hair (not that it mattered) and straightened out her jacket. Work time. She pulled open the door.

“Gyoshi Detective Agency, how can I–” she started, then paused, as she looked up at the tall man in her doorway.

She sniffed once.

Garlic, onion, tomato. Pepper? Mixed together for an aromatic blend. Unforgettable. Not entirely sure what or where it came from, but the scent was familiar. The same kind that Sentinel had on him. Masked slightly by the smoke and the debris, and the crowding of bodies, but it was detectable all the same. Either the man with about the same build as Sentinel, with the same superficial features that he had, frequented the same eatery that everyone's favourite superhero did, or she had had the opportunity to be visited by that very superhero.

She drew in a deep breath, the aroma of the spices further invading her senses. Keep it professional. No need to blow his cover. He didn't need to know she knew. Or thought she knew.

“Sorry about that! Come in, come in! Have a seat!” she waved the man in, directing him towards the couch that she had vacated. “Water’s free of charge, so take one if you want.” No one ever did.

She slid a folding chair towards herself as she made her way opposite the couch. “Thank you for choosing Gyoshi’s Detective Agency, what you lose, we’ll find it. Got someone to follow, we’ll tail ‘em. Need bodyguard services, that’s also up for offer.” She led with the spiel. As always. Unlike her previous client, he wasn't collapsing into tears and desperation, in search for something, seeking reprieve from the pain. His eyes said something else. He wasn't looking to just hire her. He was going to make some stupid offer. She braced herself. “So, how can I, Kisara McDowell, help you today?”

EdwardDewey98
@

 

[joshuadim]

[AVERY PROLOGUE]​

With the matter settled with regards to her powers, the next thing on the menu - literally and figuratively - was dinner; Avery would find herself snacking on a small bowl of Kraft mac and cheese at Roy's kitchen table, while he swept up the floors with a broom to deal with the aftermath of his pantry being raided and demolished. And while he knew how much she had ate, he was still surprised at the fact as he let out a chuckle: "You won't have to worry about sugar rushes or crashes again I bet." he commented aloud, emptying the dustbin's contents into the trash. "Or diabetes."

"Actually, I think I'm getting full already." Avery replied with a mouthful of pasta, before looking at the gooey, cheesy bowl in front of her. "Kraft isn't as good as I remember it being..."

"Living on a budget usually ain't tasty." Shadeling responded lightheartedly as he took stock of what he would need to buy the next time he was at the supermarket.In that moment of silence which followed, the newscaster on the TV spoke up again about the appearance of a massive aerial explosion in the sky in the aftermath of a Penwright Industries truck exploding. And when asking for comment, Luther Penwright himself gave a statement as he was leaving his limosine for a board meeting: "I have nothing to comment at this time. Our internal investigation teams are looking into what happened." the magnate simply stated, not even turning to face the cameras as he entered his company's headquarters. "Multiple sitting representatives of Congress have called upon an official congressional hearing with regards to the matter which, as many have stated their fears, perhaps could be the work of foreign sabotage or terrorism."

Avery knew that wasn't what happened, but then realized with wide eyes and jumped out of her chair. "Oh crap!" Shadeling darted his gaze over to her in confusion, to which she quickly elaborated: "My mom is gonna KILL me! She probably thinks I'm in a hospital or something! Crap, crap, crap..." she then began to pace around the table, clutching at her head in anxiety at the thought of what her mother would say. "I gotta get back!"

Before Roy could try to ease the girl's nerves, a gust of wind followed by a knock at the door caught his attention. He figured that he wouldn't have to deal with Avery's concerns alone, which gave him some relief as he approached the door. And his prayers were answered when it was Sentinel standing out front, still blushing a bit from his exchange with Anna. Roy figured this was the case and said nothing aside from clearing his throat.

"Sorry for taking so long." Sentinel said, scratching the back of his head as he recomposed himself.

"No worries. I talked with Avery... she's taking all this well, surprisingly." Roy said, turning back to where Avery was pacing and mumbling to herself. "Though, she's a bit worried right now about her mother."

Sentinel smiled and let out a sigh of relief: "I'm glad." he said, before walking over to her. "Hey there little lady, how're you feeling?"

Avery stopped in place when Sentinel approached and stumbled over her words for a moment: "Fine, I guess... I don't feel weird or anything. But I gotta get home!" she said, turning attention to her own concerns. "What if people think I'm dead or something?"

"Don't worry, I'll take you back right now." Sentinel reaffirmed, before looking back to Shadeling. "Thanks for everything, really."

"Ah don't mention it big guy, I'll always have your back. And hey, I'll send you a message when I got the prototypes ready... how many you think you'll need?"

"As many as you can make. I'm going to try to get as many volunteers as I can." Sentinel said with a smile, which made Shadeling gesture visibly as he ran through the calculations of what he would need. When it all clicked together, he snapped his fingers and grinned with mischief.

"Damn, the facility is gonna be pissed on losing so many parts from storage... but the good thing is that the shadows are my field, hmm?" Roy says with a grin.

"Prototypes...?" Avery mused aloud with a confused look, which made Roy all the more excited to share the bare details.

"Think of it as the easiest way to get us all connected together, no matter where you are in the states." Roy says, nodding eagerly, "Your, er, *condition* actually inspired the science behind it."

Avery didn't press on, considering that this was well beyond anything she could discern or understand and simply nodded. "See you soon big man, and you too Avery." Roy then said, retreating back downstairs as the duo let themselves out of his house.

"Alright, hold on tight." Sentinel said as he brought up Avery to carry before flying upwards - which made her yelp in surprise as they suddenly ascended hundreds of feet in the air.

"Holeeey..." Avery managed to get out, looking down below at the fading lights of Atlanta as they flew back to Philadelphia. "This is nuts!" Her attention then turned out of excitement as she realized that - in this brief period - she could ask whatever she wanted! "How long have you been doing this for?" she first asked, not waiting for the answer before moving to the next question: "When did you find out you were a supe? Do you have a secret identity? What's Captain Norton like?..."

Sentinel slowed his speed a bit so he could properly answer the girl's questions and chuckled. "I started when I was 18... so that means around 29 years of service." Sentinel started off with the first question before moving on, "Had a feeling since the day I was able to walk and talk that I was different. And that was confirmed when I broke a door off its hinges with just a slight yank when I was 8." Then came the subject of his identity, which made him quiet for a moment: "I have one, and I'll tell you all about it. But not today. As you can imagine, I need to do some things to ensure the safety and security of my family." It was an honest, if not a bit blunt, answer that made Avery nod along as she listened - not at all dissuaded by the secrecy.

"As for Norton, well... he's stoic and too serious. Can't run a joke by him on most days." Sentinel commented, chuckling as he remembered the one time he tried to run a gag by the man only to be met with a resounding silence. "But he's a good man." And as they flew, Sentinel also gave some advice that he had to learn the hard way early on in his career: "Also, close your mouth. Bugs are a flying superhero's worst nightmare."

Avery's eyes widened in surprise, as such an inconvenience was something that had never come across her - or really most people's minds - at all. It seemed so... *ordinary* of a concern to people like Sentinel, but Avery couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Really? I would think-" she started to say before she felt a small fly hit her mouth, forcing her to spit out reflexively and leaving trying to remove the bug.

"Told you so." Sentinel said with a laugh, before picking up speed again. Within the half-hour, they entered Pennsylvanian airspace and went down towards Philadelphia. Avery gave the directions to the rented duplex building where she and her mother lived at, before landing at the front door. But Avery was nervous as worked up the nerve to ring the doorbell, before looking to Sentinel: "Look, can you tell her that... uh..." she said, before realizing she didn't know WHAT kind of cover story would work best for all the insanity that had transpired. But she wouldn't get the chance to come up with a plan as the front door flung open and her mother looked with anxious, teary eyes.

"Where have you been young lady!?" said Amelia Turris, grabbing her daughter tight and bringing her into a hug. "I looked and looked across the city in hospitals... I tried calling the police several times..."

"I-I know mom, s-sorry, but-"

"Sam told me what happened! I thought you were hurt! Or worse!" her mother then said, fluctuating between anger and relief before realizing that Sentinel was standing there too, leaving her surprised and speechless.

"Hi there Ms. Turris, sorry for the scare and all. I had to take Avery here someplace safe after the incident to make sure she was okay." he said, raising his hands. "Admittedly, I may have over reacted. But I had to make sure that after-"

"That I was okay!" Avery interjected quickly, flashing a look over to Sentinel that he read clearly as 'please don't worry her more'.

Sentinel nodded: "Yeah, that. She's perfectly healthy and alright." he said to Amelia with a smile, playing along with the white lie. "Can't be too careful around strange technology exploding."

Amelia was quiet for a moment, looking between her daughter and the greatest hero, before sighing. "I... I saw that on the news. That damn Penwright asshole bringing a *bomb* into our city."

The truth was obviously more complicated than that, but Sentinel simply nodded and smiled. "The important thing is your daughter is safe and sound."

"Thank you." said Ms. Turris, wiping her eyes. "I don't know how I can repay you-"

"No need." Sentinel said with reassurance, "Have a safe day."

"We will. And you little lady," said Amelia with a scowl, "You are SO grounded! Playing hooky nearly got you killed!"

"Wha-!? But-" Avery tried to say, looking over to where Sentinel had been only to realize that he had then flown off. For a moment, she could see his silhouette against the moon but he quickly flew off after that. As her mother chewed her out for her recklessness, Avery could only think in disappointment for the moment: Darn it...

*Some Days Later*​

Avery grabbed at the straps of her backpack as she walked out of school, lost in thought as she had been ever since everything that had transpired. She had kept mostly to herself both in order to think as well as out of fear of accidentally *discharging* whatever it was that now embroiled every cell in her body. But as she walked home, a quick pattering of footsteps preceded Samantha's appraoch as she practically almost tackled Avery as they made the distance from everyone else. "Holy shit you're alive!" Sam said with awe, looking up and down her friend. "I thought you were toast or something! What happened!?"

"It's... uh... complicated..." Avery said, remaining reserved on the details which only made Sam groan aloud in annoyance.

"Come on! Spill the tea! I gotta know! Especially since I was there..." she said, before tapping her phone. "My footage made the rounds on TikTok y'know? Got thousands of likes!"

"Is that *really* important?" Avery then said, scolding her friend for her nonchalence over the matter.

"Ok but seriously, how the hell did you not die!?" Sam then asked, walking in front to block Avery's path. She scowled, showing intent that she was not going to let this go; this in turn left Avery only to sigh in resignation. "Okay, but only if you promise to not tell another living *soul*." she then says with a serious tone.

A few minutes later...

Using the privacy of an alleyway, Avery spilled the details of everything that had transpired to a shocked Sam - whose mouth was agape in awe of what was being told - and had also left Avery reliving the memory of a man being disintegrated in front of her eyes and very nearly dying herself. It was something that she hadn't really come to terms with, and she was surprised herself as to how *numb* she felt about it... perhaps she was still processing it? The thought crossed her mind that everything had happened so fast that she hadn't had really any time to actually reflect on things...

"Holy shit... you're a *supe*?" Sam then asked quietly. "Holy SHIT, my best friend is a SUPE. And she's teaming up with *the* SENTINEL."

"Please don't tell ANYONE." Avery then asked, clasping Sam's hands into her own with worried eyes.

"I promise." Sam quickly said, nodding. "My lips are sealed."

Avery then rubbed her own eyes and face, pacing around nearby in anxiety as the next obvious question then came up: "I... I've never even punched someone before. How the heck am I going to be a hero...?" she muttered to herself.

 

[AzaleaWonderland]

{Gemma}​

{Karma}​

What the hell?! He's actually here? She thought she was simply being paranoid. Gemma glanced over to the group of psychopaths she tied up. All unconscious, Sentinel could easily kill her without anyone being any wiser. Though, supposedly with super speed like his, he could do that way cleaner any time. Gemma felt her heart pounding, adrenaline filling her from the mere presence of sentinel. The fact death could be so close, and she couldn't do anything about it was a mortifying feeling. Subtle clues definitely wouldn't be picked up on, she felt it essential to leave some trace that Sentinel was with her. Going through several ideas, she landed on one that was simple, but since he hadn't immediately killed her, it seemed viable. Karma reached into her bag and quickly typed a message saying 'Sentinel' to post, she then pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Gemma's so happy she keeps Karma's phone on silent during missions, allowing her to mask her actions as just pulling out paper. "Interesting, since you don't know, I doubt the police sent you. I can only assume you must've been out dealing with another threat, or were you doing one of your famous dine and dashes?" Gemma framed that question in an accusatory manner on purpose, snickering. Cracking jokes was something her parents did whenever she was scared. It worked a lot better when they did it instead of her. The pit in her stomach was like one you get before a huge drop on a rollercoaster amplified by a thousand. Karma tried her best to push down that feeling to explain the situation, and she grabbed a piece of paper.

"As for this place, as far as my research goes the owner of this private island, Ash Aspen, has been luring others to their island for months and hunting them for sport with a group of others in a sick competition. It's annoying how long it took me to track their meeting times, if I was faster I'm sure I could've gotten here last month," Gemma explained, she also figured if she had been here last month she wouldn't have risked the encounter with him. And even though their last meeting was the exact day Gemma was tipped off to look into them, she still felt as they she could've gotten the entire thing done in a day if she had more experience. Karma let out a quick sigh dispelling her regrets for the time being, "I decided to leave the search for the victims up to the police since they'd complain if I left them nothing to do. Also, not to drift off topic but could I bother you for an autograph?" Karma extended her arm with the paper and pen, staring at Sentinel. She didn't care if she got one or not, in the best-case scenario it could pay for some of their upgrades. Worst case, he snaps her arm and kills her. Admiration or respect were absent from her feelings, Gemma could only feel dread around such a powerful force. Gemma just prayed it wasn't obvious.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

[PANZERFRAU PROLOGUE FINALE]​

Red Ghast remained silent as Panzerfrau walked out of the bank, too stunned to respond in the moment to the "tall German commie-mommy". It as as though he had seen the light of God in that very moment, bathing in its glory for that brief moment, and only realized that once she was gone that he NEEDED to follow up on that. He turned to Sentinel and got onto his hands and knees: "PLEASE! PLEEASE please please! You've GOT to let me go to this meeting of yours!"

Uncharacteristically, Sentinel snapped a look at Red Ghast before speaking: "Hell NO, motherfuc-" he began to say before stopping short of bringing out an insult. But Red Ghast looked as Sentinel with a huge, silly grin hidden beneath his mask. "Damn it, Red!" Sentinel then said, rubbing a finger on his temple as though he was getting a headache from the man's presence. "Every single time I'm around you, I cuss."

"Hey, cussing is badass! Shows you aren't entirely some PG boy scout!" Red said, quickly getting up and wrapping an arm around Sentinel's shoulders like a cat taking over a perch. "Sooo~ about this meeting of yours..."

"The answer is still no."

"OH COME ON!" Red then shouted, making his annoyance known as he paced in front of Sentinel and threw his arms up in the air.

"You kill too many people, Red." Sentinel explained, crossing his arms. "Just last month, you killed forty seven members of a racist militia."

"Well... YEAH!? DUH! They're racist assholes! They kidnapped those two girls, someone had to do SOMETHING y'know!?"

"They had to pay the price for their actions while also giving them a chance of recovery and redemption. Death prevents both of those things."

"Oh don't give me that bullshit Sent, you probably invited Judgment and Gung Ho too right!?"

Sentinel was quiet for a moment before nodding: "I trust Judgment. Gung Ho tries her best..." the hero said, looking away. "The two of them ain't like us Red. Judgment is a normal person, and Gung Ho's mist powers only go on for 13 seconds. Other than that, she's a normal person like anyone else. They have to fight back the way they do."

"So, because I can die and resurrect, I am suddenly supposed to be better than them?" Red asked sarcastically with a scoff, "What's next, you gonna tell me 'with great power comes great responsibility', Uncle Ben?" Red Ghast crossed his arms and let out another sarcastic scoff. "If I promise I will kill LESS people from now on, will you let me go to this meeting of yours?"

Sentinel thought about it for a moment, realizing that this was the first time he had ever heard Red Ghast promise something like this to... anyone, really. "No." he then answered, turning and walking out of the bank which left Red Ghast dumbstruck and silent before shouting with a fist shaking in the air. "WELL... FINE! I'll make my OWN superhero club, with blackjack and hookers!" he shouted as Sentinel flew off. This left him alone to sink his head down like a sad dog, before an idea popped into his twisted head. "...oooorrr, I could try to... hmm..." he muttered, quickly grabbing a phone of one of the unconscious robbers and used their finger to unlock it. He then opened Maps to look for the location Sentinel mentioned and grinned from under his mask: "...hehehe... time to crash this party!~"

[BLACK DOVE PROLOGUE]​

The loud sound of reggaetón music echoed across the seedy hallways of Naughty Girls, whose patrons consisted of mostly tired and depressed businessmen looking to throw some cash to forget about their problems and unsavory characters who dealt in the seedy underbelly of the city - who also shouted all matter of vulgarities to the dancers and waitresses without a care - one of whom even getting handsy with the girls only to be grabbed by the neck by a large, fat black man who practically drags the guy across the room and throws them into the "repayment room". Slams could be heard of a hammer along with a man's screams, where his fingers are broken and his hand left a bruised and battered mess by the bouncers.

It was a stark reminder for everyone to follow the rules set forth by the Mazolla Crew, as they helped run the joint with the Latin Kings - the latter of whom provided the girls and drugs necessary for its function. The Mazollas handled the legal end of things as well as general distribution, which made for a nice and comfy system for both parties but was also regarded as a strange alliance to those unaware of the New York underground. But such alliances were common, especially among those trying to get into the good graces of the Five Families and especially the Black Line.

In the manager's office, Ricky Mazolla snorted two lines of cocaine before letting out an excited shout. Slapping his own face a few times as the drugs kicked in, he then shouted to his second in command Tony to let the guests in. Martin Mancuso of the Cutaia Crew - working with the Lucchese Crime Family - entered the room with two of his men shortly thereafter; the older gangster gave Ricky a smile before hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. "How ya' doin' Ricky? All good? How's ya mother?" Martin asked as he took a seat.

"Cranky as always, mothers am I right?" Ricky responded with a grin, before looking over to Tony. "Ey Tony, get Enzo in here too."

Tony nodded his head and wlkaed off to get the boss of the Kings in this area with him, though Martin rolled his eyes. "C'moooon, do we really gotta have him in here while we talk business?" His distaste and bigotry was self-evident based on his tone, but Ricky only laughed in response.

"Hey c'mon now, they provide the product and that brings in the dough." Ricky said, shaking his head.

But before Martin could speak further, Tony burst into the office in a hurry and sweating. "Ricky! Its fookin' Sentinel and two other supes!" Both Ricky and Martin looked at one another, first in surprise then in a panic, as they quickly got up from their seats. The thought had crossed the former's mind that he had been set up, but knew that someone like Sentinel would never work with the families just to take down an upstart. Or work with any of them for that matter. In fact, Martin was just as dumbstruck as he was: "Well, shit." the older gangster said, pulling out a pistol from his coat. His bodyguards did the same as they got ready for a fight.

Outside the office, the entire establishment fell silent as Sentinel stood by the door with Dove and Knight at his sides. Both members of the Mazolla Crew and Latin Kings pulled out their weapons - ranging from small arms and melee weapons to an AK-47 held by Enzo himself - and pointed their weapons at the heroes. Even the dancers and waitresses had pulled out their guns and aimed at the trio. "The FUCK you want?" asked the boss of the Latin Kings. Based on his pupils, he was also high and a bit twitchy.

"My friends here put an end to your associates' smuggling operation. I know the Cutaia Crew wanted to make a deal for smuggled goods. I think this is the perfect opportunity to put an end to this establishment as well."

"You mother-FUCKER!" Ricky shouted as he emerged from the office alongside Martin and the Cutaia goons.

"Ricky! Nice to see you again. Say, can you tell your friends to lower their guns? There's no need to hurt anyone here. Besides, the place is unusually packed today... we don't want any innocents getting hurt, right?" Sentinel asked with a friendly grin.

"Fuck you Sentinel! How the fuck did you know about our shit at the docks!?" he asked, further enraged by the hero's happy demeanour.

"I didn't. They did." Sentinel pointed towards Dove and Knight with his eyes. "We're just using the opportunity to put you behind bars, since the cops you've been paying off aren't doing their jobs... don't worry, I'll get them arrested soon too."

"Motherfucker, Dom! Kill this fucker!" shouted Ricky towards his main bouncer. The massive black man at first looked like normal by all means, until he took a sumo pose and his muscles grew in tremendous size. His expression became more demonic, almost Oni-like, signalling that he was a mythical superhuman; magic was one of the few weaknesses Sentinel had, though he remained confident with a smile as he knew things were going to get interesting. Dom then charged at Sentinel, who grabbed both of the bouncer's fists. "You're strong Dom, but not strong enough!" he said, before throwing the enormous man across the room and crashing into the DJ booth.

​

The music picked up once more, and Sentinel looked over to Dove and Knight for a moment before back at the goons. "Ready? Let's do this!"

[DERBY PROLOGUE]​

Sentinel listened, though made it clear that that the young man's outwardly tough persona did little to mask the actual reality of both his intentions and the penultimate choices he made. It was when Derby explained further with regards to his motivations that Sentinel's demeanor also softened and a soft smile grew on his face as he listened to the comraderie that Derby had with his friend and the lengths he would go to - as he put it - look out for him. That alone was admirable as is, but there was also the added detail of him stopping a mugging which surprised Sentinel as to how much he downplayed that aspect as well. "Actions always speak louder than words." Sentinel said with a smile, "And this is no different."

He looked over to where Mauler lay again and nodded: "Having each other's back is what friends are all about. It speaks to the quality of your character that you went out of your way for him." He then looked back to Derby, "And hey, helping a random somebody from being mugged also speaks to that too." He then let out a teasing grin to the young man: "Quite heroic, wouldn't you say?"

[KISARA PROLOGUE]​

Before Sentinel could even speak, Kisara had already ushered him inside the office and him to both herself and to what her line of work entailed through her agency. He wasn't one to judge, but he could tell that things weren't particularly on the up and up for her business as the water being free was a major selling point for the hospitality towards clients. But he still extended a smile and a handshake before sitting on the couch as Tyrell Williams and spared another glance to their immediate surroundings. "Quite a lot of work you offer." he commented with a nod, "I imagine it isn't easy."

He then looked over to her and smiled: "Especially last night... going up against all those guys to help those kids." He then unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt and pulled it apart to confirm her suspicions of who he was exactly. "Sorry for the bit of secrecy. Didn't want to raise a fuss coming over here."

He then grinned: "I wanted to ask last night but I didn't get the chance. Do you want to fight the good fight?"

[GEMMA PROLOGUE]​

Hunting people for sport? Sentinel looked off into the woods with concern as the young lady explained the depraved activities that were occurring here. At the very least she had put an end to it... but at the same time it made him realize that it was things like these that always seemed to be never revealed or caught. If such a thing like this could slip under his watch, then it meant that there were other such horrific things happening without his knowing. He couldn't be everywhere at once, and neither could other hero groups... there were just too many gaps and openings to cover and deal with. It's why his idea of a new team was necessary in the long run.

However, such thoughts dissipated when she unexpectedly asked for his autograph; this made him blink in surprise, before letting out a chuckle. He gently grabbed the pen and paper and signed as best as he could given their current circumstances: "Never been asked for an autograph on a remote island before. I can cross that off my bucket list." Sentinel said playfully before handing both back to Gemma. He could tell there was some level of apprehension in her posture, perhaps because of his own presence, and thus he quickly spoke to dissipate such thoughts. "You did a great job here, really." he spoke with a smile, "Do you want to do more like this?"

 

[dikdik]

Adrenaline and horror and action now beginning to crash into a shudder here and there, a swelling of anxiety in his throat, hands folding and unfolding, balling into fists and coming undone, Otis stood with a police officer, who was distractingly charming, and was trying to get words out into anything coherent. He’d need to give an account of what happened, of course, but how would he explain how he knew exactly what to do? I'm losing it I'm losing it I'm losing it.

“I, um…” More fidgeting. “I just had this feeling in my gut, and felt like the cyclist lady was in danger so I tried to push her out of the way and then the car came crashing through and then I guess it’s a little blurry but I got people to help me pull the old man out of the car and then he wasn’t breathing so I did CPR and then you guys all got here and took him and now I’m talking to you.” A sharp inhale, Otis had no idea how long he’d been talking without a breath and tension was building in his neck and shoulders. He was suddenly extremely thirsty, extremely tired, and extremely late for sound check at his show. A slight panic arose at the realization of being late! A few shades popped into view: one sprinting towards the bar before puffing into mist, one finding the nearest corner to sit in while hyperventilating and shaking, one dramatically fainting so as to force attention from the attractive police officer, one looking up and realizing there was a man floating down from the sky and landing right beside him and the officer.

Acting in tandem with that shade, Otis rubbed his eyes, fearing the adrenaline crash and life-altering afternoon might be causing him to hallucinate until the police officer and yelped, “Sentinel?!”

Hallucinations, be gone! Shades, welcome back! Exploding, panicking, legitimately fainting, running around screaming, ripping out a phone to snap a picture, but Otis ignored all of them. Star-struck, bodied by so many emotions in such a short amount of time, hearing the police officer chatter away as the Hero of Heroes, a god among men, The Actual Real In The Flesh Tangible Incredible Sentinel was speaking to him?!

“I-i-incredible work?” Odie reached out for a handshake, palm clammy and shaking and particularly weak. Fight the good fight? This wasn’t real, this wasn’t real. “Are you real?” His voice cracked, weak. “I don’t really like to fight, Sent-inel, sir.” He was still holding the hero’s hand in a grip he thought might be the only thing keeping him from actually falling over. “But I wanna help-” His legs were numb. “I wanna help people.” A thin smile cracked at the edges of his lips. He did. And he succeeded today! If this wasn’t just some weird delusion, Odie was on track to change the course of his entire life.

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Zeynep bint Ahmed - Upiór
EdwardDewey98​

It was always the same. The same methods. Same weapons. Same blood lust. Perhaps that's why, as Kriminel's tendrils seized her and the bokors lashed at her with their machetes, she was nothing but bored.

Zeynep leaped away, taking their blades with her. She laughed, baring the sharp canines as the bokors whipped out their pistols. One murder tool after another, she thought. People never change. Gunfire filled the streets. Zeynep swiped her overcoat around her body, and like a magician's trick, she vanished, and the coat flew into the sky. The machetes clattered on the floor. Replacing her was a swarm of chittering bats, flying around like an asteroid and weaving around the tendrils with ease.

The bokors had no time to react. The swarm rushed by, knocking them over and swiping the guns from their hands. On the second bokor, the bats engulfed in smoke. From the cloud came Zeynep, a hand latching around his face as she drove him into the pavement. The impact was enough to knock him out.

Dancing around the tendrils like an acrobat, she bounced back to the first bokor, who was still dazed from the initial swipe. With one hand, she lifted him off the ground just in time to shield herself from incoming tendrils. He screamed in undoubtedly abject horror as they ran into his skin. "Tu ne te soucies pas du petit bonhomme?" (No care for the little guy?) she jested.

Tossing him away, Zeynep set her sights on Kriminel. He seemed to be enjoying this. They were similar in that regard. Perhaps it came with age—a lifetime surpassing many others and what they can even fathom to see. And who was Zeynep to disappoint?

She morphed into the cloud of bats again to dodge the incoming tendrils, darting upward in an arch and with Kriminel at its terminus. At the last second, she reformed, sharpened claws poised to slash across his chest...

 

[Roda the Red]

[DERBY PROLOGUE]

​

"Hmmmm..." Derby eyes drifted to the side, his brow heavily furrowed as he buried his face deeper into the large collar of his jacket, shrinking the pale gap between it and his beanie. His body resembled a lemon-and-orange popsicle, the boy spitefully kicking at a random pebble lying in front of him. "Tch, alright, I'll bite, let's hear what you gotta say, but first..." He looked over his shoulder once more, the unconscious bodies still scattered around the alley. "We should probably deal with this, hold on."

He quickly skipped towards one of the criminals, dexterous hands scouring through the contents in his pockets, slender fingers pulling out a worn phone from it. Pressing a button, he was met with a security lock, earning a click of the boy's tongue, quickly tossing the device on the man's face. He repeated the process three more times, repeatedly groaning at the sight of password requirements, but contrary to the saying, fourth time was the charm, with a phone that welcomed him to the home screen. "Aha!" A few quick tappings later, he brought the device to his ear, a professional-sounding voice coming from the other end.

"Queens Nine-One-One."

"HELP, I NEED HELP, HOLY SHIT!"

"Sir, please calm down, what is your emergency?"

"MY BUDDIES ARE ALL FUCKED UP, I-I EVEN HEARD A GUNSHOT!"

"What is the address?"

He squinted his eyes, focusing on the narrow exit to the streets, informing dispatch with the exact location.

"Very well, stay somewhere safe, who is the aggressor?"

"I-IT'S SOME GUY, HE'S BATSHIT INSANE, REAL HANDSOME TOO!"

"A unit will arrive at your location soon."

"PLEASE HURRY I'M SHITTING MY PANTS HE- Wait, no! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, NOOOOOOOOO-"

*click*

After smudging the screen with his sleeve, the phone was tossed behind him, a subtle smug written on his face. "Alright pal, the popo's a-coming so we gotta scram, ain't gonna deal with this bullshit." Taking a couple steps back, the boy shifted a running start, leaping high in the air, fingers gripping at the ledge of the building in front of him, propelling himself atop with a quick pull. He turned to look down at Sentinel, motioning at the hero to follow him.

A couple minutes of rooftop-hopping later, Derby sat atop an aluminum vent, a handful of locks of hair flailing from the ventilation fan beside him. "So, what's going on, really?" He stared at the hero, a brow raising quizzically as his legs kicked the air. "Why's America's darling asking  me to become a hero? Trouble in paradise much?" His words might've been a smidge harsh, but his tone was soft and easy-going. "I'm just a little confused here."

 

[Breadman]

"You guys should put those down." Knight prepared his mace. "I know you think you have a chance with those and..." The gangsters already raised their weapons to aim at him.

"He said, put them DOWN!" Dove's voice amplified as the decibels were cranked up. The last word echoed through the skulls of the closest three thugs. The one standing closest to Dove flew backwards and collided with the other two, causing them to collapse on the ground. The rest of the goons dropped their guns and reached for their ears. Dove's signature move that she inherited from her mother did the trick in regards to the gun problem. "They never listen." She shrugged. Taking advantage of the confusion, the heroine went on the attack, smashing her knee into one someone's face. Knight on the other hand began to swing the mace with impressive precision as he smacked two or three of the Mazolla crew without causing too much harm. A broken bone here and flying teeth weren't an issue.

"Hey Lancelot!" One of the dancers shouted from across the room and took potshots at Knight. The armor's magical properties managed to deflect the bullets, but there was still the worry for shrapnel.

"Knight, can you take care of her?" Dove yelled as she just gave a goon a hurricanrana and send him spinning in the air.

"Uh...I dont hit women."

"You what?" Dove was distracted enough for a Mazolla to try and hit her with two fists raised in the air. She picked up on his movement and stopped him by grabbing his wrists. He was stronger than her and she wasn't going to hold him in place for long.

"It just doesn't feel right."

"Oh for..." Dove delivered a kneed in between the goon's legs, feeling how her reinforced boot met with the family jewels. "Is this a chivalry thing?" The man grunted as he fell to his knees. Dove spun in place and kicked him in the temple "I appreciate it, but you can hit a woman who's trying to kill you, its fine!" A bartender emerged from behind the bar, clutching her ears and took a shot at Dove. She missed as the bullet hit the table in front of her. "I am talking to my partner you rude, bitch!" The hero grabbed a half full bottle of beer and chucked it to the bartender, smacking her head back into the wall. She was impressed with how well that throw went.

"Look, I can take care of the mooks no problem, just...I don't know you take the ladies out, ok?"

"Oh god you...fine, but you owe me!" Dove took a longer route to get to the dancer that was still taking shots at Knight. It was going to be a gable, but when hasn't any big thing like this? She was quick enough to catch the dancer by surprise. The heroine jumped and managed to lock her arm around the other woman's head. Carrying the momentum, Dove slammed her head against the floor with a vicious DDT. After that she got up on her feet and looked ahead. There were more dancers ready to take a piece of her or try to at least. "Girls, do we really need to do this?" Another one emerged from backstage carrying a machete. "Shit!"

 

[joshuadim]

[DERBY PROLOGUE]​

Following the young man across the rooftops, away from the scene, Sentinel stood nearby where Derby sat with his arms crossed and a faint smile on his face. The million-dollar question came, and rightfully so; having to go around and recruit people like this was something of concern to any normal person. Derby's intuition was correct, as Sentinel went to explain: "Truth is, heroes and their teams as you know it are overextended. Too few to go around dealing with the big issues, and too many problems sprouting up all the time. It leaves too many gaps left open, too many bad players left unchecked." It was a difficult truth, but one that needed to be said if he was gonna get this man on board.

"And too many vigilantes are... well..." Sentinel then said, hesitating for a moment. "Some of them are just as bad as the villains they claim to be fighting against." Sentinel then looked out towards the skyline of the city, pondering the situation further before speaking up again. "I'm asking you because I see something in you. Something that is needed out in the world now more than ever. That is: a level head, and a kind heart." He then turned back to Derby, and smiled again. He could tell that the young man was hesitant, and ultimately that it would have to be his choice. "I can't and won't force you, if that's what you're thinking. You can go back to being with your friends and go about your life if that's what you want."

He then took a step forward and nodded: "But if you do change your mind, head over to the Bronx. There's a restaurant there called 'De Barahona al Corazon'. Just head on inside." He smiled again to Derby before jerking his head to the side, having heard a distant commotion. A jewelry store was being robbed over in Manhattan, and the police were having trouble dealing with heavily armed goons. "Gotta go. I hope to see you there." Sentinel said with a smile before floating off the ground and flying away to the scene.

Roda the Red

---

[OTIS PROLOGUE]​

For a moment Sentinel thought the man in front of him would faint out of anxiety, and wondered if he should help him sit down or something. But fortunately that wasn't to be the case as he continued to speak rather excitedly. In turn, the hero smiled when Otis spoke of his intentions and his desires. This fellow was a bit odd, certainly, but the man had a purity that was sought after; something that seemed to be certainly in short supply among many heroes these days. It was exactly what was needed in these times.

"Helping those who need it is the good fight." Sentinel responded with a smile, "And help people we shall, you and others like you together." He then looked around to see the passerbys nearby looking in awe, taking photos and trying to catch his attention. A bit too much commotion, considering the situation that had just unfolded. "If you're interested in all this," Sentinel then spoke, turning back to Otis with a grin. "There's a place where we can be away from the crowds and cameras. It's a restaurant in the Bronx, called 'De Barahona al Corazon'."

Sentinel then offered Otis a handshake to seal the deal in a figurative sense: "It's a place that's important to me. I hope to see you there soon."

dikdik

 

[dikdik]

What on God’s green earth did Sentinel mean by that? Helping people was a form of… Otis’ thoughts swirls in magnitudes he thought weren’t possible. Crowds thickened, and star-struck passersby were snapping pictures and causing a raucous. Odie’s shades were interspersed with them, puffing into mist as they fainted, took photos, ran around screaming “Sentinel’s here he’s really here this is amazing oh my goodness wow!”

It was Sentinel’s invitation and handshake that tugged him just slightly enough away from his tunneling vision that caught Otis genuinely shocked. He had saved someone’s life. He had saved someone’s life and that in turn could change his for the better. Selling his soul hadn’t worked, but now its effects could continue saving and helping people around him. He’d have to cancel his open mic, hell he could just disappear. “Sentinel?” Oh boy. “I could meet whenever’s convenient.” How was this real? “When you can. I can cancel my plans for later. This seems more important, anyways.”

 

[AzaleaWonderland]

{Gemma}

{Karma}​

Sentinel almost looked shocked from that report. A fair response, but Gemma would've imagined he saw more deprived stuff than this daily. Though she supposed it's only natural that the truly depraved are experts at hiding in shadows.

Either way, by now she would definitely be dead, especially after that autograph ask. So, she can mark the chance of Sentinel killing her down to a 5 for the moment. Karma folded the paper neatly before putting it away. That should sell pretty well. "Definitely an oddly specific thing to have on your bucket list, but I suppose Im too young to judge," Gemma spun her scythe to slam into the ground so she could lean on it as the conversation continued.

Sentinel's next words were... curious. She studied the hero for a moment, what was the meaning behind this question. Sentinel seemed like the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve and she couldn't see any clear disappointment or disapproval. So, Gemma doubted it was going to lead into a lecture about her current approach being unsustainable or anything. Gemma took a second to imagine her posing the question instead, if someone said yes... what would she say.

Gemma concluded two possibilities either a generous sponsor from Sentinel, or some kind of recruitment. Other than his known reputation of being a good tipper, Sentinel doesn't throw loads of money around. What he can throw around is his name and influence... could it be that he's... interesting. If she were to answer his question honestly, he'd probably not enjoy it too much. So, she'll shoot it back, "First, why don't you tell me what you're recruiting nobodies for?"

 

[Roda the Red]

[DERBY PROLOGUE]
​

With folded arms, Derby listened closely to Sentinel's reasoning, nodding every few words, it was clear that the veteran's words were clear and sincere, and the facts made his claims hard to be argued against. "Yeah, so I've heard, cousin told me how things are over at Chicago, rough stuff. He's still dealing with the insurance because apparently a crazy mutant shooting fire outta his hands doesn't count as vandalism." He then shrugged, his eyes drifting to the side. "But you might wanna get those super eyes checked, 'cuz I may sock some asshole in the nose every now and then, but I'm just some normal guy, going out saving people is a tad too grandiose for me."

He took a moment to look at horizon alongside the seasoned hero. Tiny figures walking down on the streets with either ignorance or a lack of care for their own frailty, a fact hard to overlook to a super such as himself...Perhaps it was better that way.

"I...hmm."

Unable to give the man a proper answer, he watched the symbol of peace's iconic silhouette take flight into the blue expanse, which had recently began to become bathed by the orange and purple tinges of the early sunset. Derby remained there, left to his own thoughts, eyes focused on his kicking feet. "You've really done it this time, moron."


. . .


"DAMN FUCKING RIGHT, WHO'S THE KING OF THE COURT, EH?" Exclaimed a boisterous Randy, his chest heaving heavily as sweat glistened on his forehead, his right arm holding onto a basketball. Agnes approached him, wiping at her own build-up with a towel, the collar of her tank top visibly damp. "I mean, didn't you faceplant on the floor a minute ag-"

"THAT'S RIGHT, THIS FUCKING GUY!" A free thumb pointed at himself, his wide toothy grin reaching from ear to ear. It was only after spotting the unmistakeable sights of yellow and orange that his attention was taken away from his usual ego-stroking. "Christ, Derby, 'bout time ya showed up!" The faux-greaser held the ball on his fingertips, then tossed it at the purple-maned newcomer.

"Sorry, Boss!" He smiled awkwardly, catching the incoming projectile with both hands, proceeding to dribble it a couple times. "I uh...ate a hot dog on the way back and had to puke, believe me it was a mess." He then tossed the ball at agnes. "Too much info, dude."

"That's a shame, missed me kicking Brady's ass just now." A man just a few feet away turned towards Randy with a fiery glare. "Hey, fuck you!"

"Fuck you!" He talked back, giving the man the middle finger. "Same hour tomorrow?"

"Alright, sure." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"So, Boss...Remember Donald?" Randy faced Derby with a quizzical stare, his eyes squinting as the shifted to the corner. "Hmm...Was it that prick from the other day? I think I made his ugly ass mug even worse, if that's even possible." A cackle escaped his lips afterwards. "Yeah...I think he's, like, REAL pissed with ya. Heard some guys talking, 's all."

"Yeah, so?" Derby earned a cocked eyebrow from the delinquent. "Already beat the shit outta 'im, what's he gonna do, hire a fucking hitman? HAH!" He closed his eyes and lifted his chin up, hands placed firmly on his waist. "It's not the first time some asshole talks big about revenge, they never go through with it."

And it's not the first time I save your ass like this, man.

"Alright then, if you say so then it's probably okay, boss." Randy's smile remained like a beacon of his endless confidence. "Trust me, I ain't gotta waste my time worrying over small fry, they'll need a nuke to take me out."

Derby smiled at his friend. It was true that Randy's arrogance could come off as grating sometimes, and it was true that if Derby wasn't dealing with the real danger from the shadows, he might've gotten an important lesson in humility by now. But said hubris was a core element of his character, and without it, it just really wouldn't be the same. This humble lackey wanted to protect his arrogance no matter what.

"So...Derby, what about the drinks?"

"...Ah."


. . .


It was late at night, darkness engulfed the humble bedroom, with only a faint degree of moonlight seeping through the courtain's cloth, dying it a soft cerulean. Derby lied comfortably to the side on his bed, wearing only an oversized t-shirt and a pair of boxers. But even in that sweet-spot of a position, and all of his nighttime rituals dealt with, he eyes remained wide as plates, his mind busy with an overloard of traffic, in the shape of recent words and pictures, lodging themselves amidst a sea of memories of old.



Derwent, never let anyone know about your powers, it's too risky.



Sorry, kiddo. Only the state gets to say who's a hero.



Name's Randy, you'd do well to remember that, Rapunzel.



I'm asking you because I see something in you.



"Ugh..." His hand reached for the burgundy covers, pulling them over his whole body, hoping for Morpheus' embrace to take his doubts away.



-2 Days Later-


There he stood, stifled in front of the restaurant's front door. His aquamarine eyes nearly burning a hole into the sign, checking for the 26th time in his memory that he got the right place. At this point it was too late to be getting second thoughts, thus he was ready to step in...Or at least that was the plan, if it wasn't that his legs refused to work. "Oh, don't do this to me now you barstards!" He leaned down, slapping his knees repeatedly like a pair of squishy bongos. It lasted just enough time to earn him the confused looks of random passerbys. "Alright." He sighed, straightening back up. "Here goes nothing, I guess."

His limbs now feeling cooperative, Derby twisted the doorknob, at last stepping into the unknown.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

[Zeynep Prologue - The Baron]

​

"Incroyable~!" shouted the Baron as the vampiress endured the savage attack of his sorcerer lackeys. When axes failed, and one attempted to use one of their other weapons, it was Zeynep who fought back with the elegant ferocity and cunning of a vampire. Kriminel couldn't help but grin, and how could a normal person describe such a wicked grin? His eyes glowed as they obsessively tracked Zeynep's moves, using his dread tendrils in continued attempts to immobilize her. However, she had managed to use one of the Bokors as a shield and in turn took the brunt of the attack.

His grin grew even wider and more deranged as his tendrils clawed at the bokors back, as he himself was enthralled by Zeynep's skill. He needed her, even if she didn't want to serve him; but there was always ways to force those that struggle into compliance. "Je ferai de toi un zombi~" he then said, pulling out a bottle from his hat. But the vampiress was not threatened by the Loa's mystic powers, unaware that he always held an ace up his sleeve. "Monsieur Din, pourriez-vous m'aider?" the Baron then asked, lifting the chin of his old butler with his cane.

Mr. Din, who had remained silent during this entire exchange, gently pushed the cane away before looking towards Zeynep. The previously unassuming old man quickly straightened in his posture before cracking his neck and giving off his own malicious smile. "Toujours prête à remettre les gens comme elle à leur place." he stated.

Suddenly, silver chains broke the asphalt beneath Zeynep's feet as a surprise attack; although she was able to leap away with her enhanced ability and senses, the onslaught was far from over as he then summoned forth a whip that - when swung - gave off the sound of the horrifying screams of millions. This man was no normal human, as incredible power radiated from him now not too dissimilar from the Baron. She knew that she was not dealing with Dinclinsin, the Lord of the Lash, the Slaver. But why was he serving Kriminel? How did the lord of crime and murder hold control over another Lwa?

Both Lwa now attacked the vampiress, as silver chains shot out from the ground beneath her while the dread tendrils snaked through the air in their attempts to grab her in each jump she made to evade the former. Their combined efforts would prove to be overwhelming, as the whip of the Slaver wrapped around Zeynep's neck; this made Dinclinsin laugh like a maniac as he pulled Zeynep down onto her knees with brutal force. She could not pull or tear at the whip, as he hands were soon bound by the dread tendrils of Kriminel who himself approached Zeynep with a skip in his step.

"C'était un bon combat, mais la lutte ne sert à rien." he muttered, caressing Zeynep's face as she remained ever defiant. He raised the flask of powder above her face and uncorked its contents. Victory was so close, as it would spell her doom if it made contact with her. But, within a split moment, the entire situation changed as Kriminel found himself being shoved into the wall nearby with tremendous force. Dinclinsin's whip was also torn apart as a figure dashed with incredible speed before also being forced back with great force. It quickly became evident to both of the Lwa that the great hero Sentinel had intervened as he stood with all his might in front of Zeynep with a smile.

"Hope you're okay ma'am." he said, taking note of her fangs and eyes. "Vampire I assume? Hope you're on my side, considering you're fighting them." He then turned to look at Kriminel, who emerged from the fallen bricks and concrete of the wall with more ego damage than physical.

"YOU! How DARE you attack a Lwa!?" he shouted with a thick Haitian accent, his eyes glowing with dark and arcane power. "You don't show your face much here, in MY domain."

Sentinel smiled in response: "Since Madame Midnight's been busy with the American Ten, I thought about checking out good ol' New Orleans. Specially when I keep hearing about you... is it true? Are you a commander of the Black Line?"

The question deeply amused the Baron, and were he in a better mood he would have given another grin. Instead, he bared his teeth and prepared his dread tendrils and other arcane attacks. "Wouldn't you like to know, toi le grand bouffon bleu!?"

"I'll get my answers one way or another, Baron." Sentinel said stoically, before quickly glancing back to Zeynep. "You're free to go if you want, mademoiselle, but I would appreciate some assistance if possible. I'll take care of the Baron, can you deal with..." Sentinel glared over to Dinclinsin, who looked at the hero with his own wicked grin. "...him."

[Black Dove Prologue - The Mazolla Crew]

​

Sentinel had to give it to Dom: while his punches didn't cause any actual harm to the hero, the fact that he could feel them at all was an accomplishment on its own. But the bouncer with Oni ancestry had taken quite a beating by now, having been thrown across the strip club like a ragdoll. And yet, he kept standing up with his fists up to continue the fight. "Give it up, man." said Sentinel with a concerned look, "I don't want to-"

"Momma ain't raise no bitch!" said the half-Oni as he spat out a tooth.

"If you weren't fighting for criminals and mobsters, you'd make quite the hero."

"I tried being one, and that only got me into debt." The bouncer took a sumo position once more, "Gotta feed my family." he then said before roaring and charging at Sentinel once more. Sentinel grabbed the portly man after sidestepping his charge with ease and heaved him towards another wall again. While he was committed to dealing with this, Sentinel didn't feel any sense of pride from all this. The bouncer's words reminded him again as to why so many superhumans choose a life of crime.

TOMA!

TOMA!

TOMA!​

As the loud reggaetón music blasted through the various loudspeakers of the strip club, both Dove and Knight fought the onslaught of mobsters, Latin Kings, and the working girls. Upon seeing Knight's unwillingness to fight the dancers, Sentinel flew towards the pair and looked at Knight. "It's good you have a code my friend, but in a fight everyone is fair game." the hero stated as one of the dancers swung a metal bat to the back of his head. The impact did nothing other than bend the metal and nearly wrap it around his head. Sentinel simply sent a quick jab to her jaw in retaliation, knocking her out. "There will be many situations where you'll be forced to fight a woman. Don't allow a villain to cause more havoc because of chivalry."

"Now... where's Ricky?" Sentinel muttered to himself as he looked across the unfolding chaos in the establishment. There were still too many members of the Mazolla Crew and the Latin Kings taking shots at the trio. Thankfully, many happened to be lousy shots since they were still disoriented from Dove's powerful scream; meanwhile, Ricky and Martin were back in the office hunkering down as their goons did all the fighting. With the main door blocked by the three heroes, they needed to find another way out. At least, Martin was interested in leaving and gave a look of confusion over to Ricky as he fumbled the lock to the safe at his desk.

"The fuck you doin', we need to get the fuck outta here kid!" shouted Martin, aiming his gun at the door in anticipation of it being breached by any of the heroes outside. "Shut the fuck up!" the coked up mobster shouted back, continuing the fumble with the safe.

"The fuck did you say to me, punk!? Did ya forget I'm a captain!?" Martin shouted back, turning in anger at the insubordination shown by this younger upstart. But the bravado quickly gave way to shock as Ricky managed to open the safe and whipped out a large plasma pistol. In a silent rage, he pointed the weapon directly into Martin's face, which made him take a step back and raise his hands up: "Woah, woah, take it easy! Where'd ya find that toy?"

"Smuggled from a Penwright shipment, now shut the fuck up! AND DO AS I SAY YOU OLD FUCK!"

Outside the office, the combined efforts of the three heroes had taken a toll on the mobsters with many covering their ears after another scream attack from Dove. This opened them up to being beaten into submission by either Sentinel or Knight, but many still remained. But, as if on queue, Ricky emerged from the office - practically kicking the door down - and was holding Martin at gunpoint by pressing the plasma pistol to the man's head.

"T-the fuck y-ya doin!?"

"SHUT UP!" he roared, before aiming the gun at Sentinel. "You three are gonna let me go, or I swear to FUCK I'll melt his face off and THEN melt that shouty broad and the metal boy! Ya hear me Sentinel!? I'll kill as many of you as i can in this fuckin' room before you take me out!"

Everyone, even the other gangsters, went silent at this turn of events and were now looking at each other. Sentinel knew Martin was a hardened and violent mob captain, but didn't want him to die all the same. He had to be brought to justice, as did everyone else who participated in this kerfuffle. Sentinel thought about using his incredible speed to take the plasma gun away from Ricky, but this wasn't the experimental weapon that the Black Line had used in their L.A. bank robbery a few days ago. One false move, and Martin's head would turn into a pile of steaming flesh. As a result, Sentinel looked over to Dove for a different course of action.

"The floor is yours." he whispered to her, before raising his hands to allow Ricky the illusion that he had the upper hand. But he was, in truth, unaware of what was going to happen next.

[Gemma Prologue]​

Sentinel smiled at Gemma's question: "There's no such thing as nobodies." he spoke, illuminating a light into his perspective. "If given the opportunity, anyone can rise to the occasion. Even I had my own humble beginnings, just being a street hero and all, before becoming what I am today." He then looked back to the work that Gemma had done, motioning to it with a hand. "Heroes as we know are overextended as is. Too many things fall between the cracks, leaving things like this to run amok until someone happens upon it. Fortunately for the people being hunted here, you were on this case and ended these awful activities. But too many times, there isn't anyone capable to deal with things like these. And it's ordinary people who pay the price for it all."

Sentinel then looked back to Gemma, maintaining his smile: "That's why I'm building something new. I'm looking for heroes like you that can step up to deal with the things that are overlooked and happen to fall out of the sights of the greatest. A team that can help fill in the gaps of what's being missed." He then extended a hand out to her, offering a handshake to see if she would answer the call to action. "And I want you to be there with us."

 

[AzaleaWonderland]

{Gemma}

{Karma}​

Sentinels explaination was really illuminating, it actually explained a lot. Karma turned her head away to hide her expression. This man... is a complete idealistic moron. And somehow that's almost as scary as him being a hero. She had to turn away to hide the exasperation on her face. Karma composed herself before turning back. Either way you slice it, a team endorsed by sentinel would be harder to bust without extreme backlash. Gemma wished the idea came to him sooner but late is better than never.


She then paused, if this was all to his recruiting process... it left much to be desired. Karma looked around the island, scratching her head and tapping her foot. Honestly, she really wanted to go home and curl up in bed with a nice cup of cocoa. But Karma wouldn't let herself do that. Plus, in a roundabout way, she did owe Sentinel for busting that gang, even if it was too late. Saved her the trouble of revenge at least. And, if she joined she could potentially prevent that happening to others. Karma let out a sigh, then clicked a button on the scythe to collapse it. She slid it back into its holster before stepping up to sentinel. Karma looked at the extended hand, she slowly swung her hand towards his before quickly balling it into a fist and softly hitting sentinels palm. "Side ways turkey. I'm willing to join, but I am no hero, so please don't call me that... Though, I have one more question I believe you should think on for a bit," Karma chuckled to herself, before her demeanor suddenly changed. She looked up to Sentinel, her hollow silver eyes watched his as she started to speak, "What do you think happens when one of those 'heroes' you recruited turns into a 'villian'?"

 

[AriAriAbabwa]

Zeynep bint Ahmed - Upiór
EdwardDewey98​

She should have known the Baron dreaded the thought of even battles. Just when it was one-on-one, he begged for the help of Dinclinsin, and now she was irritated. How desperate was he to enlist the help of a slaver of all people? Zeynep went quiet as he finally restrained her. She didn't fear the impending death in the bottle Kriminel carried; she knew she'd make it out. As soon as she came up with a plan...

Which, thankfully, was unneeded. Zeynep bounced away to safety, quickly realizing it was none other than Sentinel coming to her aid. And here she thought a hero's presence in New Orleans would never come to be.

Sentinel gave her an out, a return to her night club and the never-ending nights of debauchery. But why would she ever take up that offer? His second request was far more appealing. Cracking her neck, Zeynep walked to his side. "Mon plaisir, espèce de 'grand bouffon bleu'." (My pleasure, you 'big blue jester'.)

At that, Zeynep grabbed the front of a parked car, swinging it upward with a ferocious yell. She crushed Dinclinsin with the vehicle. Her hands morphed into claw-like limbs, and she leaped onto the wreckage, clawing at where the Lwa once was. She tore straight through the metal and structure, aiming to sink her hands into the spirit.

 

[Breadman]

The floor is yours.

"You know the worst thing about my shouting, Sentinel?" She looked at the big hero for a few moments "It hurts to do multiple times and if I do it too much..." She looked back at Ricky "I lose control of the VOLUME!" The second soundwave left Dove's lips and reverberated through the air with more force than her last. Where the last one made the gangsters drop to their knees in pain and ringing ears, this one was like a concussive blast that send them falling backwards. Ricky and Martin and any dumb underling standing too close could feel their ear drums beat like bongos, their brains rattling around in their skulls like a rubber ball.

Knight took the opportunity to start dispatching any remaining mooks that haven't been thoroughly beaten down. His armor gauntlet make a loud clang from certain strong skulls. One punch managed to dislodge three gold studded teeth from a gangster's mouth. A personal best. Dove could feel the pain in her throat start to rack up from that last shout, but it did little to deter her from kicking and beating down any stragglers. They were stunned from the screech even not being it its path, leaving them to be wide open for an attack. The final man had just recovered enough to raise his head to see her jump kick coming straight to his face. 'Fu-' The sound he made before her heel gave him an impromptu piercing and he started yelping. A punch from Knight put an end to that.

"That all of them?"

"For the ones we can take down, sure." Dove commented as she observed the damages. She narrowed her eyes in disbelief as she saw Ricky tring to crawl away. What was this guy made of? The heroine walked to him in a brisk pace and planted a boot on his head. "Move again and I'm blowing your ears out again."

"WHAT?" She was about to repeat her warning until she remembered that he was likely deaf for the time being. Instead she lifted her leg, took a step back and punted him into dreamland.

"I think we got them." She said as he dusted off her hands. "Holy shit, we got them."

 

[joshuadim]

[Zeynep Prologue - The Baron]​

Metal was torn asunder from Zeynep's grasp as she turned her assault onto the Baron's Lwa minion, who only just managed to leap out of the way as he tumbled onto the ground before quickly getting up on his feet with a snarl. His whip cracked in the air once more as he lashed out, hitting the air as Zeynep jumped and dodged between his attacks. Furious as he was from this sudden change in events, she could practically *feel* the hatred that emanated from his actions as the whip swung around and about. Another crack filled the air as his whip struck at a wall she had jumped off of, causing the bricks to shatter from the impact into a flurry of debris. She would take advantage of this, grabbing some of the larger pieces and throwing them at full force.

Her projectiles pelted Dinclinsin with such force that he stumbled off his footing for a brief moment, bringing his forearms up to shield his head. But this provided an opening then for Zeynep to do a leg sweep that sent him tumbling down onto his back - leaving him entirely exposed for the attack! Or so it seemed at first as she leapt atop him to claw at him, but quickly realized that he was not so defenseless even without the range. His whip wrapped itself around her neck again, and pulled her off before being flung into another wall nearby. Dust clouded where she had been thrown into, leaving Dinclinsin to marvel at his work as he returned the whip into a roll bunched up in his hand as he readied for the inevitable retaliation. At the first sight of what seemed to be a shadow, he lashed his whip out again in anticipation of Zeynep's approach. But his eyes widened from surprise as he hit nothing, only to then quickly turn his head in surprise to see Zeynep's claws swing towards him.

Sentinel in the meantime had to content with Kriminel's more overt showcase of his powers, as the dark tendrils seemed to be endless in their quantity regardless of how many he squashed in his fists. His strength was enough to crush these constructs, but that would only get him so far as he felt one of the tendrils coiled around his arm. Kriminel was trying to restrain the hero the same way he had done so to Zeynep earlier, but realized just how outclassed he was when he was quickly lifted off his feet as Sentinel jerked the tendrils towards him. It was only from instinct that Kriminel managed to put up a barrier of his dark magic to block the retaliatory punch that was sent his way. The Lwa was sent into another wall, and he growled in rage as he saw that his suit had been spoiled from all this.

Dark magic pooled at his fingertips, and he grinned as he pointed them towards the hero with a vicious smile: "Let's see how you like this!" the Baron shouted angrily, as his magic shot out in a black tide with a terrible speed. Several bolts flew out, homing in onto Sentinel as he flew upwards and around in the air to avoid being hit. Sentinel knew that while he wouldn't be killed, he preferred to not be hit with one method of attack that he was more susceptible to despite his power. Weaving in the air between the bolts, he flew with grace as he did his best to keep track of Kriminel's attack. But was ultimately knocked down to the ground below, with a surprised gasp, as he felt a bolt hit him in the shoulder. Tumbling onto the asphalt below, Sentinel quickly got back up but felt a strange sensation take root in his left arm. He gripped at his shoulder where he had been hit, realizing that the strength had been - at least for the time being - been sapped.

Kriminel quickly looked over to where Din was, who was staggering over to him now and clutching at his side. He had been harshly rebuked by the vampiress' actions, and the Slaver was thus humbled despite being a Lwa. This made Kriminel make the quick decision to leave by opening a dark gate and wordlessly dragging Din with him into its depths before disappearing from sight altogether.

The dust settled and a silence took hold of the alleyway that the fight had thoroughly trashed, save for Sentinel and Zeynep wandering to look for any sign of the escaped villains to no avail. Sentinel himself rolled his shoulder as he felt strength return to his arm, but felt a shiver go down his spine as the aftereffects wore off. It was both strange and uncomfortable for him to have felt such a dark magic have an effect on his own body, and was yet another reminder of a major weakness that he had to be more mindful of in the future. "...I hate magic." he muttered with a chuckle before turning and walking to Zeynep.

"You fight well, don't think I even saw how you got behind that other one." the hero complimented before turning to a more serious subject. "While you are a vampire, I won't think any less of you. I've known some good ones in my time, the ones who keep their hands clean and their noses out of trouble. Or even go and do what I do..." His mind trailed off to one of the more legendary heroes from some decades past, who operated in Chicago in the midst of its mafia wars and saw a major uptick in supervillains making an appearance. The one called the Night Hunter who was rumoured to be a powerful vampire.

"The Baron is just one of many problems that we all face. Too few heroes to go around to deal with the many problems that pop up daily. That's why I'm building a team, and I want you to join. If you accept, I'll find a way to get you on over to New York to meet the others that I've found or will find. So, the only question that really needs answering is... do you want to fight the good fight?"

---

[Black Dove Prologue - The Mazolla Crew]​

Sentinel looked around in the aftermath, having himself swooped in to deal with some of the stragglers in the aftermath of the heroine's sonic blast. Martin, while unconscious himself, was saved the possibility of having his head melted by someone he had just earlier called a compatriot; it was the most preferable outcome, as both gangsters and their associates would be turned over first to the EMTs and then the police. All in all, this entire endeavour had been a resounding success as Sentinel smiled and turned to both of the heroes that he had brought along with him for this.

"We got all of them alright. Great work both of you." Sentinel said with a nod, "We've dealt a crippling blow to their operations for sure." The hero turned his head back over to where Ricky lay, frowning as he wondered how that the man had gotten a weapon of that caliber in his hands. It wasn't something one expected a street thug - even a high ranking one - to be packing. "But there's always more work to be done. There are always other players out there seeking to carve their own territory. To get rich off these kinds of activities."

He first looked over to Knight and shook his hand: "And I feel better knowing you're one of the people out there trying to put a stop to all that."

He then turned to Dove with a smile, and shook her hand: "And seeing how you work, and what your abilities are, I'd like to make an offer. Are you willing to take it a step up to fight the good fight?"

---

[Gemma Prologue]​

Sentinel nodded as Gemma made her comment about the term "hero" and its non-application to herself. He wasn't one to force any such labels or titles onto anyway, least of all to those who thought they weren't deserving of it. There were plenty of heroes who were more than willing - and capable of - doing things that one would consider unheroic... Red Ghast came to mind first and foremost. But there were others too who took the time to destroy criminal organizations or intervene in a robbery, not because of some code or duty but for their own personal reasons. If anything the girl in front of him reminded him of Judgement in a few ways, though the latter's tactics and prominence were far more known to him than the former's.

Her other comment, however, elicited a chuckle from him as he crossed his arms. "I like to think I'm a good judge of character." he stated confidently; if he was peeved from such a statement, it didn't show as he maintained his friendly demeanor. "I've found good people for this, people who I think can and will make a difference... people who I think aren't going to turn over to the dark side as you mention." He put a bit of emphasis on those words as a bit of a jest, but took a more serious outlook as he knew that it wouldn't particularly dissuade such pessimism.

"I think when you come on over to New York, you'll see that for yourself." he added with a smile, promoting a heartfelt confidence for this entire operation. "And don't worry, I'll supply you with the means for getting there."

 

[joshuadim]

[AVERY PROLOGUE - END]​

Avery's question was sincere, considering her circumstances; just a week ago she was quite literally a nobody who lived an ordinary life, only to now be faced with a world that was for all intents and purposes leagues above anything she had ever known. She was in the realm with the likes of *Sentinel* and *Captain Norton*, as well as types of villains and threats they were constantly up against. Avery was pretty sure she had just read about yet another kaiju appearance over in Samoa, and she quickly felt so very small. Sam, however, had a more lighthearted perspective as she smirked: "You curl up your fist and throw it at someone." her friend replied with snark, which only made Avery shoot a glance back in annoyance.

"Come on I'm being serious here!" Avery said, clasping her hands at the sides of her own face. "What am I gonna do if, like, a fomorian comes after me!"

"In Philly?"

"Come on, you KNOW what I mean..."

"Don't worry about that, I'll help you learn to defend yourself." A gentle gust of air from above turned both their attentions upwards as Sentinel landed a few feet away, leaving Avery surprised and Sam with mouth agape. The hero approached with a smile, and looked over to Avery's friend as she looked as though she was having a minor stroke from sheer awe. "Holy crap holy crap..." she whispered, before shaking her head and shaking the heroes' hand with excitement. "Don't worry, I know what she's up to. Her secret is safe with me!"

"Unlikely..." Avery muttered half-jokingly, which made Sam scoff at the remark.

"Glad to hear Avery here has good friends." Sentinel said, looking over to the girl with a smile. "Sorry about the delay, I've been busy. But, I've gotten I think everyone I've wanted for this. Are you ready?"

Avery's eyes widened as she quickly looked over to Sam, who reciprocated the look and quickly turned back: "Go to New York? Yeah! Yeah, but... ok well, uh... I got homework and school still... I want to do this but like, how do I balance this and that?"

"Seriously dude? You're gonna be a *superhero* and you're worried about homework?" Sam asked jokingly, barely able to contain laughter.

"No, no, it's a legitimate question." Sentinel reaffirmed to Sam with a smile, "Plenty of folk have issues balancing their regular lives with these kinds of things... not always easy to make up excuses for where you are sometimes. Or to lie in general." He turned his attention back to Avery. "I'm sure we'll figure something out, school is important after all. Fortunately, Philly and New York aren't too far apart..."

Avery looked over to Sam for a moment, who looked more eager than she was: "I'll make something up to cover for you, don't worry!" her friend said with a double thumbs up. This was enough to boost her confidence enough that she looked back to Sentinel with a determined look and nodded. "Alright, let's go!"

Helping her up, Sentinel carried Avery on his back and started to float upwards. The feeling of being off the ground made Avery cling on as she looked down nervously, before Sentinel spoke to her again: "Make sure to hang on tight!" he said, before speeding off with a burst. This made Avery yelp in surprise from the suddenness, considering that the last time she had hitched a ride with the world's greatest hero he flew at a more comfortable pace. Philadelphia grew smaller as they gained altitude, leaving behind Pennsylvania before making a straight shot towards the Big Apple. For Avery, despite clinging on for dear life - and keeping her mouth closed as much as she should so as to not repeat the mistake of last time's bug mishap - she couldn't help but chime in. "Honestly I kinda thought you forgot about me." Avery joked, "A week felt like a whole year."

"Partly my fault. As I said, I've been gathering others who - like you - want to fight the good fight. You're gonna to meet them all today." Sentinel said, "They're all unique and strong in their own ways."

"A real supe team..." Avery mused aloud, "Ok, come on, there's gotta be a name for it."

"Hm? Oh, uh..." Sentinel spoke, trying to think of something. "Honestly, I haven't had the time to really think on that."

"Whaaaaaaaat!? Every supe team has a cool name attached to it! Except the Wonderful Eight. That one's just corny."

"Hey, they were made in the 80s. It was cool back then!" the hero replied with a chuckle, "That's before your time, when we still had casettes and everything."

"Yeah and dinosaurs roamed the Earth too." Avery teased with a snicker, "Ok but seriously, there's gotta be a name for this thing you're leading! I mean, you're the friggin *Sentinel*! Gotta have a cool team name too."

"I'll think about it." Sentinel then said as the skyline of New York City grew ever closer, and at their pace they soon entered the city's airspace. Avery took a look down to see just how busy the city was from a bird's eye view. She had been the the Big Apple a few times in the past, once for a school trip and another time with her mother, but this was the first time she could really appreciate just how *big* it really was. And it was also the first time for her to see any of the other boroughs that weren't Brooklyn or Manhattan as they flew over the Bronx. "Philly really looks so small in comparison." Avery muttered.

"Takes my breath away sometimes too, and I live here." Sentinel commented with a smile as he then took a sharp turn before landing in the alleyway behind his family's restaurant. He first let Avery hop off, and she patted herself off as she figured she collected some dust on the way over. But it was also then, when her attention was preoccupied, that another burst of air filled the air that caught her attention. But rather than being greeted with the hero in his suit, she instead... saw Sentinel in a cook outfit. The scene didn't register at first for her and she stared blankly, before audibly guffawing at the revelation.

"YOU'RE A FRY COOK!?" she asked aloud, incredulously.

"Chef." he quickly corrected her, tightening his apron. "I'll be making dinner."

"I would've thought the world's greatest hero had a cooler job..." Avery then said, pouting with some disappointment. "Like... I dunno..."

Sentinel chuckled as he opened the back door, "Head on through the front. Gotta keep up appearances and all, y'know?" he simply said as he walked into the kitchen. Avery herself did not hesitate as she ran around the alleyway, onto the sidewalk and quickly made it to the front door.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"There is no doubt in my mind that Sentinel has the best intentions for the American public, as seen by his actions. And yet, why does the "greatest hero" refuse to speak with the authorities? Sentinel, whether purposefully or not, shows contempt for the rule of law and of both state and federal governance. Even with the best of intentions, can you imagine what kind of image that sells to any supe out there that you can just flagrantly ignore the law of the land?" asked Senator Joseph Jacobs (D) of Massachusetts at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "And how exactly can we deal with the greatest hero that has ever existed? We don't even know where he's from and can only assume that he is American because of how he acts in our great nation. It is why I propose to further invest in the American Ten and the Wonderful Eight, because our heroes are beloved by all Americans and are known to be as such. We can't have a rogue actor outshine the likes of our best and brightest, both with military backgrounds and-"

"Senator, I must interject." spoke Captain Norton, having taken a seat in front of the Committee and pulled the microphone closer to him.

"Captain Norton, I assure you that my proposal is only for the betterment of y-" the Senator started to speak, but was quickly cut off by the leader of the Ten.

"I can't in good conscience allow my name to be brought up in such a manner. I may not approve of his methods, but I trust Sentinel. Not only because he is an American hero, but because we fought together against the greatest calamity that the world has ever faced. It was him who saved us and the Southern Cone army against the Kilidians."

"We are well aware of that Captain Norton, but-"

"It was great heroes who fought and died in the Patagonian fields. I watched as Oswald Killjoy sacrificed himself to take down two Kilidian fleets." Norton continued, jamming a finger down onto the table in front of him so as to drive the point home. "And we wouldn't have stood a chance if it weren't for Sentinel! That is all."

"This was earlier this morning when Captain Norton interrupted a proposal to raise the budget of the official superhuman organizations of the United States. It was impassioned, patriotic, but perhaps a bit irrational." said Jesse Watters as he looked to the camera on his prime-time show. "There's no doubt that Captain Norton is among the greatest heroes of our country, that is simply the truth. However, we can't put him on a pedestal. During the Syrian Crisis, Norton broke chain of command to join the efforts of the White Helmets and then joined the Syrian police teams to combat ISIS with no regards to orders or respect to his superiors. Heroic? Maybe. Dishonorable? Well, it certainly would be enough to get any normal marine a court martial. The fact of the matter is, these things put our government's authority - and reliability - into question, just like what Sentinel's done. And Democrats seem to be running around like headless chickens on what to do about this! I think it's about time to accept the flaws of Captain Norton and perhaps put into question whether or not he's fit to continue leading the American Ten."

"Shut your mouth you ghoulish lookin' motherfucker..." said Marcus as he changed the channel, garnering a laugh from Bruce. "You do this to yourself Mark! Why do you put on Fox News when you hate 'em?" he asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Shut up and let me enjoy my misery, man."

Marcus raised his head when he heard the front door bell ring, and saw a young little lady walk in. As if on cue, his son walked into the kitchen from the backdoor, having finished his deliveries. He greeted his family, kissing his grandparents' foreheads before walking over to his father. "Sup pops?" he asked before looking at Avery, "Hey! Avery!" he said, walking over to her. Marcus was a bit curious, given the circumstances: how did his son know this child and why was she alone? His son was quick to dispel such inquiries has he came back with the menu of table two. "Hey pops, that's Averys. She's the daughter of a friend, can we give her a... small discount for today?"

"Sure, of course!" he said, waving at Avery. "Though, we're almost done for the day. We close early, remember?" Hakim and Lyanna were taking off their aprons after having cleaned down their stations, and Tyrell nodded.

"Don't worry pops, we can close for the day... right Mimi?" he then asked aloud, looking over to Mamimi who was currently chopping up some vegetables for a mofongo.

"You sure? I can stay for a bit if you want. Help you close it down." Marcus asked, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. But before Tyrell could answer, the old man grinned: "You still workin' out boy? Look at the size of these arms!" he said with a playful pinch. Tyrell laughed.

"Everyday! Training and an apple a day keeps to docs away."

"You sure? Saw that doctor lady asking for you the other day!" Lyanna commented as she walked by, which made Sentinel blush a bit. Marcus chuckled and Tyrell quickly recomposed himself and sighed. "...but really, dad, we can close down for the day. I wanted to teach Mimi how to close up shop anyway, and I was out most of the day. Don't worry, we've got it all covered."

Marcus smiled before tapping his son's shoulder; he took his apron off and looked at Bruce, who was still sipping his coffee, before turning back to Tyrell with a grin. "Just make sure this ol' fool doesn't have a heart attack when he lifts his fat ass off the stool." Bruce laughed aloud at the jest: "He's angry 'cuz I've been bustin' his balls all day since the Mets lost!" Marcus didn't even humour this as he tossed his apron over the counter and straight into the man's face. He bid farewell to Avery as he walked by the door, soon followed by Hakim and Lyanna. This left Bruce, Avery, Tyrell and Mamimi in the restaurant.

"Okay..." Tyrell muttered as he walked to the front door and flipped the open sign. "We're closed for the day, you can come on out Shade." Suddenly, from the shadows casted by Bruce, emerged Shadeling who was carrying some small tied up boxes in his hands. Avery looked at Shadeling and then at the seemingly normal customer sitting by the counter.

Avery waved at Shadeling with excitement, before quickly composing herself. "Sorry for the pantry stuff again..." she said, before looking over towards Bruce. "So, who's he?" she asked, confused, and was about to speak more before realizing that she should probably keep her mouth shut with regards to anything supe related. "Not that I care! Nothing suspicious going on here, just normal and ordinary people... talking... and uh..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over to the plainclothes Sentinel with concern and confusion.

Shadeling looked to Avery and waved back as Sentinel approached the older man. "That's Bruce, the only civilian that knows my secret identity. I think he can tell you how that happened." said the hero as the man finished his coffee.

"Well, before the invasion I was just a sorry drunk. I was sleepin' behind the dumpster out back, and saw Tyrell changing into his suit. I had a lot of bad thoughts when he flew off... thought about using it to my benefit. But then I realized, this is the man that saves the world! What kind of man would I be if I sold him out?" Tyrell smiled and patted Bruce's shoulder as he continued to speak, "He's helped me get sober, and got me to reconnect with my daughter. And I was those close to selling him off to the police for more drinkin' money... can you believe that?"

"But you didn't, and for that I'm forever thankful."

Bruce smiled but then rolled his eyes: "C'mon now, do your hero thing. I'm invisible here!" he said before getting up and walking to the restroom, grabbing a newspaper from the counter on the way there. It was then that Shadeling looked over to Sentinel and chuckled: "It's always a bit weird talking about hero stuff when there's a sixty-something Italian man around."

Sentinel smiled. "You'll get used to it... so, these are the devices?"

"Yup! Only one missing since I didn't have enough time to make it. But the prototype is resting in my workshop back in Atlanta." Shadeling said, noticing Mamimi standing by the kitchen doorway and gave her an acknowledging nod. "I guess we don't have to worry about her or Avy... you said one of the volunteers is from Queens right?"

"Yeah, he's getting here soon. Don't worry. There's also the robot woman I spoke to you about, she's nearby and will be here soon so you don't have to worry about her. As for the others, they told me they often are in these locations." he said before handing Shadeling a map on the phone. "Hmm... I see, well the only one I worry about is the Cascadian one... it's quite a ways away. But I think there won't be any issues getting her here. I do wonder if she'll feel weird after using it though."

"What... do you mean?"

"Teleportation is like, ugh... I hate explaining it. You are being moved from one place to another on a molecular level. But distance affects this too, not in the amount of time but-" Shadeling started to say, but was halted when Sentinel put a palm up.

"The fact you made these is enough for my to trust you. I just hope Gemma doesn't feel weird getting here... so, you ready?"

"Oh yeah! Wish me luck!" Shadeling then said, disappearing into the shadow casted by Sentinel. He then looked at Mamimi and Avery and smiled: "You girls ready? Wait, first you should get to know one another!"