Futuristic The Genesis Bullet (Semi-futuristic Mutant RP, Open and Accepting!)

[Kiroshiven]

Heather looked around as the people passed her by without a second thought. The mindless droll of people rushing to and fro with only their own suffocating greed exuding. They were much like ants, working tirelessly to achieve a higher status that was achievable. They would forever be stuck in the role of the mindless ingrates pulled by the strings of the powerful. As one man nearly bulldozed her back into an alley, Heather merely felt irritation. Since her parents had died she'd lived like this. She lived in the dark hidden away from society; only finding shelter within the confines of public libraries where she could read tales of grandeur, learn about countries she could only dream of and concepts that were above that of the archaic crowds that surrounded her. Then it all came to a halt with a simple flash.


Suddenly, Heather awoke. That was strange. She reached for her chest and felt the rough skin of a scar. She bolted upright and looked around her. A cemetery? Why am I? The memory of a flash. The brief but powerful feeling of a bullet entering her chest. The fading into blackness as her body no longer was alive. I DIED?! Panic filled her as she forced herself to her feet only to feel something pulling at her. She looked over her shoulders to see a pair of wings jutting out of her. "I have wings?!" At first it was panic but it quickly settled as she moved the wings as if they'd been with her all her life. They were a part of her. She reached out with a hand and touched one of the feathers only to retract it. "OW!" Her finger bled as she realized the feathers weren't normal, they were razor sharp and seemed to be metallic. Don't touch em again.





Finally having gathered herself, Heather took note of a black dress with holes cut out for wings, a strange pistol and a note lying on top of it all. She quickly changed into the gown that seemed a bit large for her petite frame, but was thankful that she could get it on despite her.....appendages. She took hold of the pistol firmly as she finally arranged to read the note.


Heather, congratulations on surviving the initial phase. Now, you're not dead, but you'd best get to moving. The operative we've assigned to dig you up has called the cops and you really don't want to have them finding you with your new "upgrades" do you? Here are some clothes and a pistol armed with electropulse rounds. Use it to knockout anyone who sees you other than who we've assigned to meet you at the assigned location below. You will meet up with someone when you arrive. You should be able to figure out who quickly. Good luck and happy travels.


Great, I'm a freak experiment now for some kind of agency. Heather sighed as she started to flap her wings. As she lifted off the ground she realized that her wings could make her fly. Well, at least it'll be a bit easier to hide up here then. She rose into the skyline of the city and began her way to the corner of 4th and Oak. Let's see what this is about then huh?





Heather quickly made her way over to the area that she'd been told to go and landed on a building across the street. Now, who am I supposed to meet?





@LadyMatsudai







Noah finished the latest update for his company's computer right as the clock struck the end of his shift. With that he was glad to get to go home. He headed to the front door waving goodbye to the concierge only to bump into his coworkers outside.


"Noah! Just the man we were looking for. Come get some drinks with us buddy!"


"Sure thing." Noah smiled as the group started their way into downtown. It was just as busy as usual. There were countless blue and white collar workers moving about as they found themselves at their favorite bar. The place was enjoyable and quiet like always. Some new faces lined the crowds and as the large group sat down to drink Noah couldn't help but feel at ease.


Several hours later the gang had nearly drank themselves into a stupor and were causing a raucous. Joe even managed to start picking a fight with one of the other patrons there that night. It started off with the stranger ignoring him and Joe wouldn't stand for it. Joe became belligerent and start cussing out the patron in every way possible.


"Come on Joe just leave the guy alone." Noah said in a calm manner. He started to walk over when there was the sound of a gunshot. A stinging pain and then there was nothing.....


Noah awoke feeling sluggish and rather dazed. His mind was a blur as he rolled over, the sound of a coarse object moving over steel worried him and he opened his eyes. He was in a large room that was entirely made of steel. It looked like it had been designed to house something. He pushed himself up onto his feet and heard the clop of hooves. Noah looked down and saw that he had cloven hooves instead of feet suddenly. His head began to pound and he grabbed hold of his head. Horns. Noah's instincts kept him calm as he looked himself over to realize he now had four arms and he was much taller. However, the being on the other side of the room caught his attention. Male? Female? Neither. He looked at the creature before him. His instinctual desires reminded him not to attack just yet, but to wait for further information.





@TheLoneRook

 

[TheLoneRook]

"Marble, wake up! You've got work to be doing!"


White eyes gently opened as the old golem pulled himself to his feet, the rumbling of his stone-like form making the ground shudder as he came up to stand. His massive arms outstretched gently in a long, drawn out, yawn like movement. As they came down to rest against his sides again, the voice atop his head called to him.


"Good good. I know I interrupted your nap, but I was hoping you could keep an eye on this new unit? Just for a little while, so we can make sure he's alright?"


The woman's voice was familiar. Lauren. His translator. He always forgot she would talk to him from there sometimes. Oh well, no reason not to help out. He shrugged a casual affirmation of his compliance, and set his eyes on the newcomer. He was much less bulky, and his image reminded Marble of the storybook characters with goat's feet and horns. Those stories were his least favorite, or at least they always put him to sleep the fastest.


Marble took a few steps forward, his arms lulling gently to and fro as he walked, to get a closer look at the man...or not man. Thing? Whatever. His eyes didn't seem focused, or even oriented at the newcomer, but he was keeping an eye out, as he'd been instructed. Lauren's requests typically weren't very burdensome anyway. This was just a good way of giving back.


The newcomer was quiet, and seemed confused. Lauren had told him the best way to help a confused newcomer was to stimulate them with a simple input. Marble placed his hand against the floor and curled his fingers, tearing off a handful of metal from the ground. He took a moment rolling it into a simple ball, forming it with a surprising delicacy. Once he was finished, he took the ball and rolled it to the newcomer, to have it stop just beside his cloven feet. He waited patiently to see what would happen next, his blank white eyes gently gazing at the beast.


@Kiroshiven

 

[Kiroshiven]

Noah looked at the large male as it seemed to wake. The movements were slow and the creature obviously had been resting. However, it seemed a bit...uninterested with Noah. He was fine with that. The creature didn't stand much taller, but was definitely stone in form. The movement of making a fist on the ground set off warning bells in his head and Noah readied himself for a fight. Instead, the being created a ball and rolled it to him having it stop at his hooves.


Noah scooped up the ball in one of his four hands and looked at it closely. "Ball." He muttered. Even remembering the word felt difficult, but speaking it felt tiring. "Catch?" Noah, as far as he knew, gently threw the ball over to the golem. However, he immediately noticed the speed at which the ball flew. It was at a higher velocity than he anticipated.


Noah spread out his arms to stretch them before resting them by his side. It was a bit different, but luckily it felt natural. He looked around the room trying to discover if there was anything of interest besides the golem. However, seeing none he proceeded to wait for another reaction.


@TheLoneRook

 

[TheLoneRook]

Marble had forgotten to pay attention again. He noticed a shiny corner in the wall and leaned forward to look at it slowly. He should have kept watching the newcomer, maybe the ball would not have hit him so hard. It still hit him pretty hard, but it took him a moment to realize he'd been hit. He looked down to the ball which was now back at his feet. The newcomer had thrown it back to him. A game of catch. A simple response to a simple input. Lauren would find that interesting, he was sure.


He picked up the ball again and started to pull and twist at it, changing it into a new shape. A cube. He set down the new cube and took a few steps to the hole he'd already made, grabbing some new material and making another cube. He then set the second cube on top of the first. Taking a step back from his visual masterpiece, he plopped back down into a seated position and gestured at the tiny tower, wondering how the newcomer would react to something not directly related to himself. Old Gomo had taught him this trick when he was a newcomer. He hoped he did as good a job as Old Gomo did.


@Kiroshiven




Lyra woke up to a bright room with no windows, the LEDs in the ceiling almost blinding her as she rose out of the cot she suddenly realized she was in. She checked for her knives, they weren't where they usually were. Then she looked across the room. Her sister was very elegantly strewn across her own cot, and on the table beside her was a pile of gear. A helmet, a tactical vest, and a whole bunch of other shit. Her knives had been stuffed into the tactical pockets on the front of the vest. She didn't know whether to thank to mysterious culprit or punch them for frisking her. Oh wait, that's right.


She died.


Well, no, not dead, technically, right. I read that whole stupid form fine print bullshit, she thought. Her sister was still out, but thankfully not snoring for once. She pulled herself out of bed and examined the items on the table a bit more thoroughly. There was a note next to them, but all it said was "Don't break anything". Very helpful, thanks. She figured it must be hers if they left it for her and started to put the stuff on. It was heavier than she expected, but light on her body when she put it on. The pants were plated, so were the boots and the arm guards. The vest was kevlar, but not kevlar. It felt more firm, more durable, almost like kevlar on steroids, although that image made little sense. The chestplate that went under the vest was solid, but comfortable, and the vest fit on well. It came with a hoodie, and it looked like the hoodie had holes for the pointy bits on the helmet, which also seemed very high-end. It all looked expensive, way more expensive than her typical budget, which was nothing.


Normally someone in her situation might be panicking, or wondering what would happen next. Lyra never knew what would happen next, she never had. Her entire life was filled with mystery and a lack of consistency. This was just another chapter for her, although a bit more of an extravagant one. The armor was nice, and clean, and new, and she'd be doing what she'd always done. Kill people. Although according to what she'd heard, the people she was killing weren't people. Except they were, but not all the way. Something like that, she hadn't actually read what the papers had said, she just listened to her sister talk about it.


This didn't feel wrong, or strange. It felt like she'd been given a longer, more complicated assignment than she was used to, that's all. She was used to rooms with no windows, and her sister sprawled across the room, bed or no bed. This felt like a normal day for her. She looked to the weaponry on the floor next to the table. It was big and mechanical and it looked like something straight out of a giant robot movie, but she wasn't killing anyone just yet, so she saved it for later. She pulled the hood over her head, pulling her hair out from inside to have it rest against her chest instead. She looked in the mirror on the far wall, she looked like a real killer now. A pro, not some girl who'd been picked up and given a knife. It was a pleasant feeling, empowering even. She thought for a moment of what to do next...


She decided to wake her sister up with a swift kick to the rear.


@SniperBus

 

[SniperBus]

"Ow ow ow OW!" Lila said, grabbing her backside and rolling out of the cot she was on. She put her hands out to stop her fall, taking in the floor so clean you could eat off of it. She rolled onto her back, looking at the entirety of the pale room, glaring lights, and utter lack of windows. "What's with all these compounds and their anti-window policy? It makes things so much harder.." Lila put her hands under her and stood up, glaring at her sister who was giving her a tiny smile in return. Lila shook her head slowly, "Did you have to do that with combat boots on?" She said, gesturing at Lyra's feet.


Lila stepped forwards, remembering the contract details in her head as she picked up the gear and a note.


"Don't. Use. The weaponry. Indoors." Was all the note said. "Super helpful notes, guys." She gestured towards the camera in the corner of the room with her middle finger extended, putting on a bright smile before picking up the suit left for her. Lila put it on with ease- it was perfectly fitted, after all. "Wow" She couldn't even feel her movements as she flexed her arm and moved her hand, but the motions came easily and spontaneously. She left the helmet on the cot for now, focusing on the marvelous tight fitting armor.


A street urchin turned into a professional street urchin. Amazing. Lila took her hand and pressed against the side of her neck where she had been shot with their special "genesis bullet". Nothing. Not even a scratch. It made her head spin to think that she had died, then come back better off than she had been. She pressed her eyelids closed- this is just about survival. Anything I can do to make sure Ly and I make it out alive.





Lila looked at a huge sack on the cot that was making the cot sag. She picked it up easily, hearing the metallic clink of bullets inside. "No way..." She said, opening the bag. Inside were three sections, one with 4 massive shells that looked like they came out of a tank, one was filled with normal-sized assault rifle bullets, and the final section was filled with 8-gauge shells connected to each-other on a long belt. She smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks, then closed the bag. The final items were a pair of earbuds and a gun. She put the gun over her other shoulder, then picked up the earbuds and stuffed them into the ammo bag.


"So, Ly.." She said, putting her arm on her sister's shoulder. "Howya doin?"

 

[Verminlord]

Chloe was still a bit unsure of this partnership. She was currently heading further into the abandoned subway station, alongside her new 'partner'. What was really on her mind though was what she was meant to do now? The note has told her to meet with the metal man, but nothing beyond that.


Chloe glanced over at the man, face becoming somewhat puzzled at the sight of him plucking pipes off the wall and doing something to them, seemingly for no purpose. Then again he was a person made of metal so who know knows what sort of crazy powers he might have. Perhaps the pipes will come to life and show them the way to go.


No. That's too crazy.


Any further theorizing on the purpose of her partners actions was interrupted when Chloe realized she could hear voices coming from ahead, faint but definitely someone talking. She should have heard them earlier, but she had been focusing on not getting shot by her supposed comrade.


Her new sense might have had something to do with her inattention as well, she was still struggling to adapt to processing an entire new way of seeing the world. Though now she concentrated she could see signatures ahead, about human size.


Chloe slowed her pace, moving as silently as she could. She turned back to see what her companion wanted to do about the others, when she realized that she had never got his name. Or introduced herself. Damn.


It wasn't the time now however, so instead she just gave him a pointed look and nodded towards the direction of the others.


@TheLoneRook @Surprise Meteors

 

[Kiroshiven]

Noah watched as the golem completely lost interest in the ball and ended up getting hit with it. He cringed as the sound of metal hitting stone echoed in the room. It was like feeling that hit himself. The golem didn't seem to pay any mind though as it proceeded to turn the sphere into a cube and them make another one and stack them. Noah watched with intrigue as the golem stepped away. Copy? Noah nodded as he concluded on what he was supposed to do.


It took a second for him to find a space he could grab hold of, but he did manage. With a quick pull he ended up pulling out a large chunk of the floor. He looked at the solid piece before tearing it in half with a low grunt. Noah took one sheet in each pair of hands before bending and crushing them into cubes as well. However they were a bit larger than the ones the golem provided. He stacked them up together with a thud. The two blocks reaching midway up Noah's shin when stacked on top of each other. "Good?"


@TheLoneRook

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Margaret could feel the ground effortlessly roll beneath her feet as she was charging forward, her boots pressing firmly into the ground to give her the extra boost. Her eyes scanned through the treeline for any sign of...well anything at this point really. The note she was given had said nothing about who she would be meeting. What did they look like? Were they male or female? Did they wear an insignia or some kind of symbol of the little organization? It just left Margaret with more questions than answers as she never was a fan of that.


Soon, her eyes honed in on the entrance to the abandoned train tunnel not too far away. Planting her feet firmly to a halt, Margaret skid a little across the loose leaves on the forest floor, sighing to the relief of not really having to break a sweat with her new boots, inclining her to examine them a little bit once she came to a full stop. Watching the tunnel in the distance for a moment, Margaret's eyes soon started to pan around her, trying to look for any signs of someone else being nearby. Her brow furrowed with her back facing towards Heather's direction with her sword strapped to her back and her bo in hand.


"Who...and where are you?" asked Margaret to herself, still searching as she kept her feet glued right where they were.


@Kiroshiven

 

[IthacaAlexandria]

Michael sighed. The note didn't exactly provide them with a lot to go off of. Plus the only guy with any knowledge of what the hell they were supposed to be doing was gone with the damn wind. "I mean...the note says to wait for instructions. I guess that's the plan." he replied, setting the piece of paper down and finding himself a comfortable piece of wall to lay against. He pulled some locks and his chest piece cracked open, letting waves of heat out and brightening the whole space pretty nicely. His gloves slipped back and the concrete melted against his palms as he set them down onto the floor. That would probably take some getting used to, but it wasn't like it hurt or anything.
"So what did you get? Telepathy? Super speed? Underwater basket-weaving prowess?" he asked. Seeing as that he either melted or disintegrated most things that came within a 2 foot radius of him, he wasn't exactly smelling much lately.


@IthacaAlexandria

Aurora watched him 'flex' his powers with dismay. He could really kill her if he wanted to and there wasn't anything she could do to stop him. All she seemed to have now was nasty things attached to her legs and arms along with some scars (or something) on her face that she needed to cover up. And the creepy paint they gave her doesn't wipe off (even with all the sweating she's doing around him)!


The blonde shrugged when she was done worrying about her death. Her rational thought kicked in soon after he asked his questions. "I don't know. Maybe I just don't have any. They only gave me a few things..." She riffled through a pouch at her side, pulling out oddly shaped balls. They were mostly transparent. They had a dull gray ring that went around it. She held it out to him. "What does it look like to you?"


There was no mention of this or instructions in the note. Though, she noticed, as they both stared at it, that there was a small strip open on the dull line. She frowned. "It's like there's supposed to be something in there... or I'm supposed to somehow fit something in the slit... But it's too tiny for anything practical."

 

[Aevum]

Incessant and screeching sirens were going off in his head. Images flashed across his minds eye, like an internal projector carouseling photographs of his life. Even when presented with Joebs trick of altering the very fabric of reality, he had issue focusing on it do to his suit mental assault. A true mind Fuck that he felt could have been worse, perhaps if Joeb felt more threatened or the suit felt Hayden had been more inclined to pull the trigger.


Hayden lowered the weapon, Rooks touch giving him a momentary neurological reprieve. The assault ceased when the weapon was lowered. He recognized some of the images. Others were foreign. Were they his, but suppressed? The suits? Dreams? All questions that he knew weren't going to be answered just yet.


Hayden was taken by surprise by the slaughter that had been carried out in such proximity, but failed to register to either one of them. These weren't simple killings. This massacre was wet. Brutal. He would even go as far as saying sloppy if it wasn't for the fact it was done right under his nose.


"Lead the way then, killer. Don't see why you need a couple of blokes like us, though. Genetic lottery winners, maybe. But your employers seem to have things well in hand with you prowling about. These poor bastards never stood a chance."


Hayden posed a bit, resting the rifle against his shoulder, his free hand going to where his chin would be on the helmet. Like an art enthusiast staring at the works of Van Gogh.


"Though can't say I'm a fan of your style. Too primal. Messy. If it were me, their death would simply be a bullet whispering in their ear."


Hayden stepped aside, posturing out his arm down the tunnel.


"But I digress. Any man who murders this many of these Soviet bastards is a friend o'mine."

 

[Kiroshiven]

Heather watched the people passing beneath her with disdain. They shuffled about their lives not even realizing they could die at any moment. Who am I supposed to be meeting? There was nobody stopping at the subway station or at any of the shops. It was just an endless flow of traffic. "Guess I was tricked or they got caught." Just as heather was going to leap into the air she noticed a woman approach the abandoned train station. She looked curiously at the person when she realized she was carrying a sword. Guess that's who I'm supposed to meet.





A quick flick of her wings and Heather was gliding over to the station. She kept herself cloaked in the shadows of night until she finally landed. "I have to get her over here." Heather sighed as she flung her wings forward in irritation. Some of the feathers flew out and sunk into the stone wall she was facing while she thought. "That should do." Heather grinned as she then looked towards the woman and flung a bladed feather at her feet. "Hey! Over here." She called out quietly, trying her best not to draw attention to herself.


@LadyMatsudai

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Margaret's eyes trailed towards the direction of the street just to people watch for a moment. She used to be one of those people...one of the people just going about their daily business thinking of nothing but getting to whatever destination they were walking towards. A heavy sigh escaped her lips to the longing of wishing to be back in that state and not...not whatever she was right now. But the thought was quickly stopped upon the feeling of some blade digging into the ground just in front of her feet, immediately drawing out her sword and held it in a defensive position, quickly looking around in front of her for any signs of the attacker.


Her eyes, however, immediately locked on to the direction of the stranger who was calling out to her in front of her, keeping her place as she pressed her feet firmly into the ground beneath her. "Who are you?" she asked seriously, wanting to gather information first before revealing anything about herself in case it was a trap.


@Kiroshiven

 

[Kiroshiven]

Heather felt irritated. This person was wasting her time asking mindless questions. "Are you the person I'm supposed to meet here or not?" She growled with an edge in her voice. "I can't exactly come out right now so can we get inside?" Heather's impatience with people was a big part of her troubles in high school before her parents died. She had given up on them because they couldn't get with the program. You either adapt to the rules or you fall behind. That's how the world works. Heather turned away from the woman and slipped into the shadows of the abandoned station, wondering if the woman would follow her at all.


@LadyMatsudai

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Margaret sighed a little to the woman's remark her sword lowering just a little bit as she tilted her head to the side. "I must be. That is what my letter said when I woke up...that I was supposed to meet someone here," she concurred before watching the figure dash for the train station. Keeping her sword in hand just in case she needed to defend herself, the doctor hurried behind the figure, squinting into the darkness a little as she looked around. "So...who are you?" Margaret repeated after a moment's pause.


@Kiroshiven

 

[Kiroshiven]

"Name's Heather. Who are you?" Heather spun around to face her companion. "I wonder if this place has lights, or what we're supposed to do AFTER we meet up. the note didn't explain that part." Heather fell silent as she ran her hand along the wall trying to find a light switch. She figured that this person would see her wings eventually, might as well show her now. As she finally reached a control panel Heather smiled and opened it up. "Let's hope they still have power here." Heather flipped the switch and listened to the electricity coursing through the wires as the building slowly started to come to life.


@LadyMatsudai

 

[LadyMatsudai]

"Heather..." Margaret repeated more to herself, slowly placing her sword back into the sheath as she looked around a little for a light panel of some sort as well. "My name is Dr. Margaret Thompson...or that is who I was before all of this ended up happening. My note didn't get into too many details either. All it told me was to meet someone here...and that I was given a syringe of some medication to provoke logical thinking instead of panic. Must hinder the amygdala and promote synapse firing in the frontal lobe of the brain," theorized Margaret, feeling the wall carefully.


Upon the sound of the tunnel roaring with life with some of the lights flickering as others slowly died from their drained bulbs, Margaret gasped to see the giant wings on Heather's back, noticing the sheen on her feathers and remembered the one that landed on her feet. "Well...that's different," she said simply.


@Kiroshiven

 

[Kiroshiven]

Heather nodded. "Yeah, I woke up from that dirt nap and had wings. I feel a bit better than I was too. Like i'm.....I can't explain it. I'm just all around.....better." Heather shrugged. The feeling of being stronger, faster and more alert than her usual self wasn't something she could explain easily. She wasn't certain of the effects, but she just knew. Moving her hair out of her face, Heather sat down and looked to where the feathers she'd thrown had been in her wings. "Interesting. They grow back." She plucked one of the feathers. It hurt and she cringed in pain.


The feather felt light, but firm. It felt like it was some kind of metal alloy, but other than that she was unsure. Science wasn't her thing. Disappearing and going unnoticed? She could do that. She looked to Margaret with a cold gaze. She seems to have stayed pretty normal. "So, that bullet didn't do something to you it seems." Heather remembered that she didn't have wings, but then she got shot. After that she had wings. Simple deduction.


@LadyMatsudai

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Upon Heather removing the feather from her wings, Margaret grimaced a little to the site of pain on Heather's face when she yanked it out of its place. But it was quickly replaced with a stoic look of her own to meet with the cold stare from the younger woman. Undoing the first couple of buttons from her shirt, Margaret pushed aside some of her collar to reveal the scar of the bullet that pierced her heart perfectly. "Regardless that it did nothing to me...I was still hit with a bullet and I am alive now, having woken up in my own coffin," retorted the doctor, going back to buttoning up her shirt.


"Obviously, someone is a mastermind behind this and has a lot more information for us once we meet up with them. That has to be the reason why we would sneak around to get to a deserted place like this...outside of the public eye. I say we keep going further into the tunnel, there has to be something here," she continued, starting to walk down the tunnel while her sword and bo clanked a little against her back.


@Kiroshiven

 

[TheLoneRook]

Hours passed.


The recruits of Counter Initiative 9 were gathered in an abandoned subway tunnel, known by veteran operatives as Origin Point. There, they were escorted through a 5 foot sapphiron door, into ECHO headquarters.


ECHO headquarters itself is a mile-long under ground base, with 7 floors that tier in security clearances. The group, led by Joeb, went through the front door, at the first floor. Upon passing through the door, they were immediately sent to the 7th. No one bothered to ask any questions.


While Joeb led the group, he was immediately followed by a woman named Lauren. Sharply dressed in a sleek cocktail dress, you would have guessed that she was a receptionist until she turned around. A discreet but prominent augment ran all the way down her spine, noticeable due to her backless dress. The augment thrummed like there was an entire power line running inside it, and flickers of sparks flashed along its edges. Despite this, Lauren was exceptionally professional, and explained the layout of the building and its operations to the group very efficiently. ECHO operates under a hierarchical No Questions Asked policy. If someone with a level 5 clearance asks someone with a level 3 clearance to peform a task, that task must be done immediately, and without hesitation or inquiry. Though abusing that right is in no way tolerated, Lauren made that very clear.


As members of Counter Initiative 9, the new recruits were immediately granted level 7 clearance, as the 7th level of clearance was devoted to the Genesis Bullet program. The B7 floor itself was actually their home. Each person had their own room, and there were a variety of basic amenities, such as a kitchen, a gym, a pool, and a large living space, adaptable for various situations and events. Lauren was a part of Counter Initiative 4, as was Joeb, and Marble, an overgrown who the group had met (more like seen blankly stacking blocks with another Overgrown). They were some of the few remaining members of previous teams. Vex, another veteran, was a member of Counter Initiative 5, but she hadn't come out of her room to greet the newcomers. Something about "not wanting to deal with their shit".


Once the tour was over, the group was led to the center of the floor plan, where the large living space was located. The space had been cleared out, circular tables lining the walls. Colored lights, streamers, and balloons littered the space, and on the left wall, an open bar. Tended by a man with an eyepatch and a very, very large revolver strapped under his arm. The newcomers had been instructed to leave all their equipment and weapons when they went to their rooms, but according to Lauren the man behind the bar was there as a precautionary measure. Apparently welcoming parties hadn't gone so smoothly in the past.


Rook had quite enjoyed the tour, and quite enjoyed the sight of Lauren, though he immediately noticed the pretty gold band around her left ring finger. He'd noticed a similar gold band around the man behind the bar's hand, and while his curiosity was piqued, he made no queries. He did however, throughout the tour, keep eyes on Hayden. The poor guy still seemed a bit shaken, and even though Rook was sure that his suit was a contributing factor, the bearded man was still hesitant to leave it when asked to. Rook kept close to him throughout, nudging him for a quick laugh here and there. He didn't know Hayden too well, but he knew that there were people in here as powerful as he was naturally, and he had no idea if any of them were particularly friendly. Under different circumstances, he wouldn't be worried, but Hayden out of his suit was just Hayden, not the sniper-wielding Murder Jesus he knew and loved. The kind of person he was, Rook made himself a bit of a bodyguard, though he did his best to pretend he wasn't.


Michael had been hesitant to leave his sword in his room, but the elegant "Harnesser" woman had promised him it would be safe, and he had no choice but to trust her. He respected her professionalism in the situation, it countered Joeb's aloof demeanor quite well. It was obvious that the two had known each other for quite some time, as they moved through this tour as though it was as routine as making breakfast every morning. He was allowed to keep his augment of course, for the safety of all those close to him, and for a lot of other obvious reasons. They were comfortable enough, so it wasn't as though he really wanted to take it off. He’d check on Aurora occasionally from afar, it looked like being able to leave her weapons in her room made her feel a little better, but she still looked a bit shaken. He kept her in his peripheral, just in case.


Lyra had been beside Lila the entire tour, as she almost always was. While Lila would happily go anywhere her heart desired, Lyra was the cautious one, and she often found herself saving her sister’s tail, so her instincts in this room full of strangers, as someone who spent her whole life killing people, was to stay close to her twin and keep a low profile. The group stopped, and Lyra was forced to focus on her surroundings again. They were in the large living space that Lauren had talked about before, but it wasn’t what she expected. The lights were dim, party lights of reds blue and yellows shot across the open space. A large banner with “Welcome, CI9” in big poorly-painted letters hung from the high vaulted ceiling. There were tables on the outsides of the space, and the inner circle was empty. It looked like they’d turned the living room into a prom, but Lyra couldn’t help but smirk. All these vicious, killing machine-like people, and they had been thrown a little party.


There was a bar on the left hand side, and sitting behind it was a large man with an even larger magnum strapped under his arm. He had a monacle, of all things, but closer inspection revealed the gleam of a tech interface sending him information on the other side. Behind him was all of Lyra’s favorite things compiled into a lovely glass display, bourbons and whiskeys and vodkas and rums. She wanted to skip the party and just take some bottles to her room, but that probably wasn’t something the big gun-wielding gentleman planned on allowing.


There was a muffled cough from the far end of the room. Standing behind a small podium was a simply dressed, very not-mutant looking man. He gathered the attention of the newcomers.


“Ladies and gentlemen. Forgive me if this speech does not entice you, but I’m afraid after the 8th time I gave it, I ran out of funny jokes to make. My name is Robert Leumas, and if there is anyone to blame for your new lives, it is me. As it stands today, our continent’s enemies have armies comprised solely of men and women who’ve had their humanity torn away from them. They are of stone, blood, and death, and they are sent to take what you know and love away from you. Without this program, our continent would already have fallen to the Soviet Clans. You, the members of Counter Initiative 9, are our last line of defense. Our armies cannot defeat these soldiers, and our weapons only slow their progression. In my younger years, I realized that we could not fight against these monsters without playing their own card against them. I developed a serum that could turn a man into a one-man army. Our continent, in its desperation, gave me what I needed to continue my research. Despite all my work, and all my research, I was never able to find a way to bestow people this power without harming them.


You all were chosen because you are the only ones who could survive this serum. Your genome is a rare phenomenon, and it allows you to make the most of the serum’s mutative properties. More than anything, I am so very sorry for forcing you into this. I hope you will come to understand that this war will become larger than all of us.


Now, with that said, we’ve decided to throw you a little shindig, in honor of your arrival. Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Eat and drink your fill, dance and be merry. We have a lot of work to do, but for now let’s be thankful that you all arrived safe and sound. I will see you all very soon.”


The light on the podium went out and Dr. Leumas was gone. The man behind the bar tapped on the inside of the counter, and suddenly the space was wrapped in heavy bass-filled pounding dance music. Platters of various food were sent to every table, and the man behind the bar had mentally prepared himself.


The party, had begun.

 

[LadyMatsudai]

When the entire 'team' was collected and began to march their way through the tunnel towards the door into what Joeb had called the ECHO Headquarters, her eyes widening to the sheer size of the entire base but kept her silence while the entire group was given the grand tour. They were surprisingly swept up really quickly towards the seventh floor of the entire headquarters, Margaret's mind in a faint fog just from trying to absorb all of the information with what was happening to them. It just seemed so surreal...they would never be able to go back to their old lives...never...


Not paying much attention to the mention of the different clearance levels, Margaret took note of each of the other members that were present within the living quarters, attending to their own matters as she blinked to see the large behemoths that were stacking blocks to entertain themselves, tilting her head to the side a little. Her gaze fell to the multiple tables, trailing along the decorations along the ceiling and floor before she blinked at the site of the old man standing at the podium speaking to them.


A doctor? No...no 'doctor' would go through all of this and claim that he cares. A doctor is supposed to help people...not become the monster they swear to fight against. A strong tightening feeling in her chest began to grow, her blood boiling over as her fists clenched furiously to the point where her nails almost cut the skin on her palms. Her breathing grew a little heavy, struggling severely to save her energy to not race up and strangle the man. What good would that do her? He already ruined not just her life but the lives of all of the other people that would be living here.


As soon as the music started to blare, Margaret turned on her heel past the others of the group and made her way straight for the bar. Time to prescribe something for herself...


Glancing towards the man behind the bar, Margaret laid her hands gently on the counter, having sat down on a stool with her bare feet resting on the foot stand. "Could I have double of the strongest scotch you have here, please?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking up at the bartender politely.


@TheLoneRook @SniperBus @Kiroshiven @everyone

 

[Kiroshiven]

Demon

​

Noah was dragged away from the blocks to a gathering of sorts. There were people.....a lot of people. He felt uneasy as he looked down at them all even when sitting. The words they all spoke were too fast and complex for him to get a handle on. He looked to the man that spoke about a shindig, his mind was able to put it together with another word....party. Noah remembered how parties went before, but this time he was a bit more wild. He could barely contain the urge to assert dominance over the other males in the group. He was larger than them and he highly suspected that he'd be able to crush them easily. He scratched at his horns as he decided to sit in a corner. Sit. Watch. Good. He nodded as he continued to ponder his new life as a monster.

Feather

​

Feather merely watched on without any interest to the proceedings. The building was just what she expected from the government: expensive, flashy, unnecessary. The talk about clearance and ordering others to do her work sparked a slight interest, but when they mentioned the measures to not abusing this privilege she lost interest once more. She observed Margaret who was getting caught up in all the excitement and shook her head. Scientists and their tech. She spit on the ground as she continued her slow walk at the back.


When the scientist that had done this to them came forth, Heather nearly laughed at him. He was just some schlup that couldn't pull the trigger on himself so he did it to others. Coward. She felt her feathers rustling as she contained the urge to fire the blades at this old man. Too late to do anything now. Might as well keep "Daddy" alive until he screws up big time and the bosses don't want him anymore. Heather grinned as she thought about the day she'd be able to just crush the weakling beneath her boot. When the party started Heather immediately worked her way into a corner and covered herself with her wings. She wanted to blend in with the shadows and sleep through the entire waste of time.

Aqua

​

Marie merely walked on with the crowd thinking about how she'd never get the chance to compete in the Olympics again. Her whole future had been derailed by this place. And now I'm a freak. She looked at the bracers fused into her flesh and bone that adorned her ankles and her wrists. These devices made it so that she could control water. The very life blood of the world and yet she couldn't stop it from coming out of her body. It just poured endlessly. Her eyes gazed at the streams of water flowing along her tattoos. This was how she kept the water from getting everywhere. So long as the current continued to flow, she wouldn't create a lake underneath her.


Then he stepped forward. The man that had done this to her. Marie was angry, no angry wasn't even the beginning of how to describe how she felt. Marie was pissed the fuck off. She reached back and formed a spear out of water only to watch the man disappear from the stage. Bastard. I'll kill you yet. With a quick motion of her hand the spear returned to flowing along her tattoos. Marie looked around at the other freaks here as well. She didn't want to play nice or be their friends. She just wanted to wake up and have this all be a dream. After all, she woke up in a lake earlier.


Marie walked over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of rum before walking over to another corner. I'll drink until I wake up tomorrow and realize this was all a bad dream. Marie popped the top off the bottle and took a big swig feeling it run through her body. The burn was what made her grimace though. If it hurt, it was either a very vivid dream or it was reality. She let out a sigh and then a scream before throwing the bottle into the air. "Why the fuck did this have to happen?!" She screamed as she shot a small spear of water straight through the bottle shattering it into pieces, but it wasn't done. The water split into parts and then began to destroy the bottle until it was nothing but dust in the air. Marie was breathing heavily as she called the water back to her and the curled into a ball at her table.

 

[Lungfish]

Compartmentalizing the information about the motives of Counter Initiative 9 to analyze later, Fish focused on surveying her surroundings. The pounding bass was a welcome distraction from the gravity of their recruitment, and she let herself sway with the music. At thirty seven, parties were a thing of the past, but Fish felt better than she had in eleven years. This rebirth was a chance to compensate for her years lost to illness; to live at long last. She breathed in, centering herself, and exhaled with shake of her head, bringing herself back to the present.


Avoiding the turmoil by the bar and tables (drunkenness and teary outbursts annoyed Fish more than most other things), she wove her way to the dance floor. The other recruits seemed to be at least ten years her junior, though she supposed that age didn't matter all that much in this context. Fish twirled, amused at the movement of her new fins, and caught sight of two large beings, easily three times her height, in the corner of the room. Continuing dancing as she redirected her course, she approached them and grinned up at their high-above faces. "Wanna dance?" she asked. "Nobody else seems to be taking advantage of the music– you'd think that in their youth they'd be more likely to get moving." She chuckled, rolling her eyes and motioning with her head towards the drama near the bar.


@TheLoneRook @Kiroshiven

 

[IthacaAlexandria]

Aurora didn't know if she should glue herself to Michael or go back to the room designated for her and sulk. She was never one for parties and she didn't think it was that great of an idea to get drunk around everyone with bigger and brighter weapons than hers. Or at least it seemed that way.


So, she bargained with herself for a little while. Ultimately, poor little Aurora sat down on a couch near a corner of the room and sipped on some rum. She didn't know what kind of rum and didn't really care. The blonde figured she would be able to at least take off the depressing edge of this situation. Or she could possibly get plastered and then make a horrible mistake with her new found powers, getting herself killed.


Either way she should be a little happier, right?


@TheLoneRook @LadyMatsudai @Aevum @SniperBus @Verminlord @Kiroshiven @Lungfish

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Margaret took a hold of her glass and took a large sip of the scotch, hissing to the burning feeling running down her throat and coughed a little, beckoning the bartender to top off her glass. Her eyes widened as she turned to face the direction of a young woman with ribbons of water flowing endlessly down her arms, destroying a bottle of alcohol in the air as she struggled to understand her new reality. Spinning around in her bar stool to take a look at the scene, the young doctor began to thoroughly examine each of the physical features of the members of their team. Their bodies contorted and morphed beyond her own imagination...


So why didn't it affect her like it did the others?


Her eyes glanced towards the massive one called Demon, his towering figure huddled in a corner with his jade eyes examining the others. He had to be human too at one point in time...Her hand instinctively went to the scar just over her heart, sighing with another sip of her scotch. But her mind was soon distracted when she saw a piece of true art...


A Steinway & Sons piano, its black hue glossy, shining like a gem sitting comfortably by itself with no one tickling its keys. Unsure as to what came over her, Margaret stood up, her bare feet patting along the tile to walk towards the work of art. Sitting on the chair beside the keys, Margaret lowered her scotch to the table beside her and carefully set her fingers on the ivories, starting to play a sweet melody. She knew she would never get her life back, whether she wanted her old life or not, and this would be her new home. This was her new family, for what it was worth. They would all have to struggle together in their new home...and while she may not have the abilities they do...she was certainly skilled enough to become the new physician for the team.


Not too long after she concluded the thought, Margaret began to sing...

"Living for you...is easy living. It's easy to live when you're in love...and I'm so in love, there's nothing in life but you. I'll never regret...the years I'm giving. They're easy to give...when you're in love. I'm happy to do whatever I'd for you...For you, maybe I'm a fool but it's fun. People say you rule me with one...wave of your hand, darling, it's grand! They don't understand! Living for you...is easy living, it's easy to live...when you're in love and I'm so in love...there's nothing in life but you!"

​

[media]



[/media]

 

[Kiroshiven]

Noah was a bit worried as he saw the others starting to freak out. The stress of everything that had happened to them must be worrying them. He wasn't as bothered much though. His thoughts were now simple and he had to worry about trying to kill others from his current instincts. He didn't have the luxury the others had. However, one person didn't seem fazed by the sudden changes thrust upon her by this cruel twist of fate.


Easily the shortest person in the group, a girl walked out onto the dance floor and began to dance as if it was no big deal that she now had fins. She was something of a curiosity. She just smiled and enjoyed the music before approaching him and Marble. She asked if either of them wanted to dance. Dance? Images flashed across his mind and then he nearly started laughing as he pictured the two of them. A thirteen foot tall satyr dancing with a barely four and a half feet tall fish girl. It was amusing to him to say the least. However, it did calm his instincts down as she spoke with him. He didn't feel an urge to fight or kill at that moment. Demon stood up and nodded to the small girl his eyes catching sight of the woman walking over to the piano. Her song was slower and quieter than the pounding bass and thumping rhythms, but it was still a good song.


@Lungfish @LadyMatsudai