Fantasy Visionary Panic

Cresion Breezes · Feb 19, 2022

["Bzzt- Bzzt- M-mm-morning radio broadcast from Station Soulbound Fog here. The weather today is clear skies beyond upper mist levels, residences would not need to worry about precipitation when going outdoors."]

["This is a reminder that all non-combatant residence should be cautioned to bring protective eyewear while being outdoors, and head indoors as soon as possible if the Muduo sirens in your vicinity sounds-"]

["We will now proceed with our mist density report. Center Block: Strong. Eastern Central Streets: Fair. Commercial District Outbound: Fair to Waning..."]

As the morning radio updates for the day ran its course, the newly appointed members of Misthart's Special Task Force AMH000 would be heading to their first assigned meeting, at the assign meeting spot. It was an old warehouse far from the Center Block, at least far for the standards for a Special Task Force's operating base. It was also oddly barren, although the meeting spot was not designated as a living space of any kind, it was simply a place for the members to join and discuss things. Misthart Tower's influence was falling off in a place so far from the center, where if one just crook their neck at a higher angle they could maybe even catch a glimpse at the real sky, so an inconspicuous location was maybe for the best.

Despite its barrenness, there was a few pieces that did not fit with the industrial scenery. In the middle of the warehouse, close to the half elevated platform and the staircase to the skylight, was a hardwood low table. Upon the table was a potted bonsai plant, as well as a letter addressed to Task Force AMH000, marked with the seal of Misthart Tower and the signature of its Chief of Operations.

Honoured Operators of Task Force AMH000,

First I must apologize for my lack of personal appearance on this occasion, for I have been duty bound by more than enough work that requires my attention. But I doubt most of you would care for formalities in the first place, I hope this is a sufficient set up.

I am sure by just looking at your fellow teammates around you, that you have some questions about the purpose of this task force and the reason why a group that lacks consistency in both allegiance and capabilities were chosen for it. I believe I should clear this up on this personal occasion rather than your official transfer notices, due its special nature. In short, AMH000 is a special investigatory unit. Please do not feel pressured by what I am about to propose, but I created this task force in hopes of finding a method to kill all Muduo.

In spirt of my position, I am still quite clueless about the ways of this world, and I hope that in my swamp of duty there could be someone to investigate this matter in my steed. I attempted to gather members from all walks of life, those who can view things with different eyes, as the me who is entrapped in this tower lacks the ability to do so. Please try to get along with each other, sometimes it is someone vastly different from you who would make the best consultant.

Of course, beyond waxing poetics about my ultimate goal, I also chose members who have access to information I might not. As you know, there is a non-insignificant portion of residence in this city that Misthart Tower have never gained the trust of, I hope your individual connections would prove to be of use in future endeavors.

For now, you are to act as a standard combat and patrol task force stationed at the outer sectors of the city, but I am personally authorizing Task Force AMH000 to be able to make independent decision inconsistent with the rest of this organization. If any high authorities from Misthart Tower were to give you trouble in your investigations, please refer them to me. I wish you best of luck, Visionaries, may your investigations be fruitful.

Misthart Tower, Chief of Operations

Emmerson Luden

P.S. The bonsai plant is rather lively, isn't it? I hope it helps to relieve the stress a little. I understand your meeting base might be meager for a special task force, but the area you are in does not have many people who would take kindly to real estate purchase offers made by Misthart Tower.

The mist swirls on and the bustling of the city's boundaries didn't slow down for anyone in the barren warehouse. They are blissfully unaware of the heavy burden that the souls standing in that room have just been given. They are blissfully unaware of the truth behind it all, unaware of the chaos and panic that it shall bring.

EnvelopeBees · Feb 20, 2022

The metal door creaks as it opens, revealing an empty warehouse spotted with sunlight. Omeda's grey eyes take in the walkway along the side, walls lined with large windows and in the centre an unassuming desk decorated with a bonsai plant and a letter. His footsteps echo in the empty space. Punctual as always the man wears his usual pristine black attire, old but well-maintained sword sheathed at the waist and glasses perched on the crest of his nose. Motes of dust drift downwards to cast the room in a dreamlike haze. The sounds of the city fade further away behind the closed door. This location is far from Misthart Tower's area of power, an unusual choice for a task force assembled by Misthart itself. Omeda's curious why such secrecy and strategy were required. At least the walk from his apartment wasn't too bad. The sudden news of transfer had been a surprise, though no doubt it's an exciting and incredibly unique opportunity to be assigned to the newly established special taskforce. The fact his superiors deem him a capable asset to the mission fills him with pride. Omeda's not so childish as to let this keep him up at night, but he'll admit it was difficult to find sleep when so many thoughts of today filled his mind. AMH000. Just a few numbers and letters yet they hold untold possibility.

Omeda had expected a supervisor to brief them, or to meet his fellow teammates but it seems he's arrived early. Instead there's only an unassuming letter waiting to be opened. Omeda picks up the letter, eyes narrowing with each paragraph, and sets it down with a slightly trembling hand. Disbelief is his first instinct. He shakes his head at the absurdity, however on a closer look this letter is written too confidently to be the instructions of a madman. And the tower wouldn't waste resources on a task force if there wasn't something backing up this mission to 'investigate and kill all mudou'. What a bold statement. He wonders what research was unearthed to prompt the creation of AMH000. The information must have had significant leads or promise. Unless this really was authorised by a madman, but something tells Omeda that's not the case. Emmerson luden is mysterious and eccentric, and a man Omeda trusts implicitly. He's kind, perhaps too kind, and has good intentions at heart. Or so Omeda believes.

Omeda takes a breath in and out. Walking in here he hadn't expected his world to be turned upside down. At least the skylight was a nice surprise. He glances at the small bonsai. It's doing it's best to brighten up the empty room but that's a big task to ask. Omeda sympathises with it. Let's both work hard, he thinks.

Omeda takes a step back and casually crosses his arms. He leans against the pillar next to the desk to watch for his team's arrival. Improbabilities of success aside, he is curious about these other members the letter mentions. People from all walks of life... Just what kinds of folk did the chief find?

alleycat · Feb 21, 2022

The low, grating rumble of the skateboard's polyurethane wheels was ill-suited for the morning, according to most. Maybe Carson was only imagining it, but she always felt that the early crowds' lazy gazes towards the incoming girl were met with a universal sort of sleepy irritation. If the young woman had to guess, it was because of its lazy connotations. Time, money, and work was always precious, particularly early in the morning. After all, why else would anyone get up? The vehicle of choice for a working person was seldom a skateboard; instead, Carson was sure they saw her as some vagrant idling in their space. Oh, well. They could think what they wanted. This was the easiest way to get to her new assignment, and the most fun, too. She would be damned if she had to walk there.

The trek was some distance from her home, which she had lef tespecially early to ensure there was enough of a window to not disappoint her new task force. The doors to her mother and father's rooms, seperate since the incident, were fastened shut. She had, like most mornings, eaten a simple meal by herself, the single small window of their home's kitchen inviting a cold, pinkish light to cut through. She had allowed herself only the slightest frown in this moment. She had told her mother a few days prior about her new assignment, and was perhaps foolishly hoping for a commendation. Moving up in the world was tough, after all. All that Carson's mother had offered was a bleak, almost betrayed gaze. Carson would not bring it up again. It was no longer a promotion - it was, like everything, just work.

Reaching her destination, Carson sidestepped off her board, walking alongside it for a moment before kicking it into her outstretched hand. A dilapidated warehouse loomed over her, a far cry from the commanding and gallant authority of Misthart Tower. She wondered for a brief moment how the residents of this Block tolerated what had certainly been a large presence here securing the area. Then again, this was special forces. Maybe the rules she was used to were different.

Entering with her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, board tucked under an arm and bat resting comfortably in her back harness, she gazed lazily around the most empty room. Alone?....no, there was someone else. Hard to ignore him, despite being tucked away into a corner. His clothes, in contrast to her, were meticulously arranged, buckled, and prepped. His long dark hair framed a small wireframe pair of glasses, and behind them, eyes of a pale radiance. A Visionary task force, likely.

Offering a small nod, but keeping her guard up, Carson walked coolly over to the table, studying the contents of the letter. She felt herself deflate slightly: she was hoping to meet the Chief today. She should have known that was a pipe dream. Still, all Muduo? Why on earth was she selected for something that unrealistically ambitious?

She returned her attention to the tall man in the corner. "Nice sword." she stated plainly.

BuggaBoo · Feb 21, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

There really was no need to do it but she had done it anyways.

A tilt of the head, blue eyes narrowed at pink sky, and another plume of smoke exhaled from her mouth. She tapped the cigarette butt twice allowing the excess ash to fall from tip of the smoking thing and onto her shined up black boot. A glance to the left, and to the right, then a curt nod. The premises were secured from immediate prying eyes as far as she could tell. Normally she would have waited to be the last to enter, but she was not commisioned as a Shadow right now. So she decided that it was time to convene with the others that had already entered.

Another drag from the cigarette, another plume of smoke from out of her mouth. She snugged the brim of the black box cap down over her brow making sure to keep her bangs covering neatly over one eye. After flexing out strong brown hands, she then adjusted the free-flowing blue pony tail poking out from the back of said cap. No, she did not have to scout and scour the exterior of the warehouse but she had done it anyways. It was best practice as always. It was as her former squad leader taught: Measure twice, cut once; better safe then sorry. Yes, that was the same woman that had said, 'It's easier to cut your losses when you know the exact worth of what you leave behind.'

Safety, security, survival. Damn you, Laila...

One last drag, one last plume of smoke from out of her mouth and she flicked the glowing remains of the cigarette up high and over the edge. A single long stride and off the rooftop she dropped. The fabric of her black combat fatigues snapped away in the wind as she fell, alarmingly fast, to the concrete below. Just before hitting ground, her irises shifted immediately into that familiar electric blue hue broken up by streaks and webs of what looked like white lightning. There was no impact; her fall was cushioned by her Wicked Hold ability. The Visionary was caught with ease by her giant, telekinetic, invisible claws. She landed with but a whisper from the soles of her black shined up boots.

Another snug of her black box cap, another adjusting of her blue ponytail. She stood now at the entrance to the warehouse, eyes still crackling away. A muscular left arm shot outward, angling upward toward the sky. Brown fingertips snapped. The cigarette butt that followed her descent to the concrete was sliced in twain by an invisible razor sharp claw. Both ends bounced uncerimoniously between the bars of the long metal grate at her feet and fell, fluttering downward into darkness.

Without a single touch of her own hands, she opened the door and finally the intense electric blue of her eyes returned to the normal sky blue hue just like Mama's eyes.

The young Agent marched inside, the sound of her boots echoing out into the misty pink outside until the main doors thunked close behind her.

"Agent Rai'Shauni reporting to Special Task Force," was all she said to the others when she arrived around that table with that damned note from that damned bastard Luden and that damned bastard's damned little living, leafy-green gift.

Of course, she had tried to keep the surprised look to a minimum when she saw that Luden had addressed them personally for this gathering. Even though only in printed copy, she never knew the misguided messiah to ever be in direct contact with his 'underlings.' But should she really be surprised? So we are AHM000...

STF's always had that style of naming convention. The blue-headed Agent knew this because her old STF had such a kind of designation; 3 letters followed by 3 numbers. But this new squad she found herself signed up for? Those three zeroes after whatever the AHM stood for...? No, she had never known of any STF with such a triple-oh designation. That should have tipped her off that the megalomaniac in his tower was meddling in this STF.

Oh, how she wanted to shake her head free from the cap and have her bangs obscure her face, chin dangerously angled like her gaze and intent. But no, she kept her crisp pose, dressed up in her black combat fatigues: muscular arms clasped firmly behind her in that attentive resting stance, proud chin high, shined up boots shoulder width apart, glinting blue eyes forward. But from the corner of her eyes, she just could not help but still see that gift from that bastard. His oh-so-precious little bonsai tree.

What was the meaning behind such a gift? A living thing for all of them to bond over as they fostered it and took care of it? Meh. It mattered not.

Rai's eyes sparked once more into glowing electric blue, white lightning lines spraying outward from her dilated pupils. A limb of the oh-so-precious little bonsai was severed violently and it swiftly shot its way back to her, tossed by an invisible telekinetic claw. A smirk held up at the corner of Deva's mouth. If Luden wanted to offer some kind of peace to one from Clan Wicked and the Immortal Lotus, she would take a piece all right.

Deva broke her crisp pose to snatch the piece of precious bonsai right out of mid-air. "Defile that of the Defiler. I will serve as long as that oh-so-precious thing can still grow and survive despite given such a deep wound that it did not deserve. If it dies, so does my union with this squad. Same thing he always done to us... to my people."

What was it he wanted from them? 'Those who can view things with different eyes?' Oh, Rai'Shauni just could not wait till Mama and the rest of Clan Wicked found out who was using her as a mortal-weapon this time around.

The scowling Visionary quickly inspected the severed limb then just as quickly, she pocketed it. "It don't matter to him anyway. He knows exactly what we are to him--"

The crackling intensity of those electric blue eyes fell away and Rai resumed her crisp resting pose. This defiling of the oh-so-precious bonsai was not about revoking loyalty. No, Rai's loyalty had already been bought the day she accepted the hefty payment to join this outfit. No, this was symbolic. This was about what was owed to her people of the Immortal Lotus. This was about pride. And respect.

Her old squad was STF FIE016. Over time such a designation turned into the squad being known infamously as The FiendBreakers.

This new squad was STF AHM000. Instantly she saw exactly what this squad was to be known for by that damned bastard Luden.

They were all AHM000 now. They were--

"--Ammo..."

Gaius Danius Griinia · Feb 21, 2022

Ryan had woken up that morning after sleeping like a log the previous night. It wasn't like his prison accommodations were TERRIBLE. They were certainly much better than what he had growing up. Today was the day when he'd finally meet up with the rest of his squad. While Ryan usually preferred flying solo. He didn't really get much choice. A lengthy jail sentence or being a government lackey were both terrible choices. So he chose the line of work that would hopefully pay more. He needed to eat and he'd especially like it if he could eat regularly. Holstered on his belt was his trusty revolver. It was a little beat up and rusty. However it had carried him through a number of jobs that went sideways. He'd had it taken away while they locked him up. Not having his gun made him feel naked after owning it for so long. Ryan had been working the mercenary game for five years now. Not everyone could believe that until they saw him put two holes in a man without looking from 100m. Hell the guys from Armament that caught him kept asking where he learned to shoot. Ryan really didn't go out of his way to get in scrapes. He just tended to find conflict on far too many of his jobs. So he had to get good, really fast. Otherwise it would be him full of holes and bleeding out in an alley.

Rolling up to the warehouse that would be his new living space for a while. Ryan was greeted by the sight of a barren looking space with nothing except the bonsai tree on the coffee table. Reading over the letter and furrowing his brow. His next move was to sigh. Ryan had been evicted from his previous temporary residence due to the owner not wanting the heat from his criminal offense to ruin her business. Effectively homeless by this point. Ryan was hoping there would at least be something like a couch or break-room to crash. Looking around, he was able to see that his teammates were all being subdued with one another. Hopefully this was first time jitters or something. Otherwise he'd be a bit tense when he had to face Muduo with these guys. Stomach rumbling from lack of sustenance. Ryan also cursed that he didn't have any money to go out and buy food. He'd had to use it to pay for property damage to his former landlady. Hungry and without anywhere to live. Ryan at least to solace in the fact that he might get money in the future.

"So anyone have any food on them orrrrr...." said the starving former mercenary...

BFabulous · Feb 22, 2022

The pink of the morning was clear through the mist, giving way for Jaclyn to peer through her scope with more clarity. Ever careful, Jaclyn's sniper's perch allowed her a clear view of the warehouse's windows and entrance with minimal exposure. The first to show up was of a masculine frame, lean, proper clothes, long hair, and handsome,"...Strikingly..." She whispered to herself as she followed the man with her eyes into the building. She watched him read the letter as a look of disbelief formed on his face. Whatever was in that letter was shocking. Pulling back Jaclyn noticed another person skating who was slightly familiar.

Jaclyn didn't know her personally but had seen the skater around before, "What was her name...Ugh...Somethinnng wiiith a C? I think..."If she was here did that mean that the man was also from Misthart? Seeing Carson did put Jaclyn at ease a bit since what she could recall the young woman was very diligent, which lowers the chance of this being something shady. That was what Jaclyn was thinking until a figure dropped down in front of the warehouse, their velocity being cut with what she assumed was a visionary ability. As the dust settled Jaclyn could see their muscles through their clothes, "Oh, she's jacked! Can I take her...Hell yeah, I can....from behind....by surprise." She mumbled to herself as she observed the woman entering the warehouse and making a declaration that seemed to be in anger. Whatever was on that letter upset her. This spurred Jaclyn to go in.

Jaclyn eye's shone their bright lavender as she sent her rifle back, while she simultaneously teleported herself from building to building until she was on top of the warehouse. Teleporting through the roof, she landed softly on the top floor and out of view. Catching the last word from the muscular woman's speech, Jaclyn began to descend the stairs when another person entered. He looked innocent, and his reaction to the letter was more so disappointed compared to the others, which made Jaclyn even more curious as to what was in this letter. With the man's declaration of hunger Jaclyn finally made her presence known, "Good morning," Greeting them politely she turned to Ryan," If nobody else has food I can take you to get some later."

TreasureSniper · Feb 23, 2022

"Hmm should I really be joining a team?" Spoke the ashen-haired male, to no one in particular as he chowed down on his roasted skewered meat. His eyes gaze dat the clouds, as he contemplated his next move. He never would have thought an outsider like him would be selected to take part in such an ambitious task, but he didn't really have a reason to say no. After all, the only good Muduo, is a dead Muduo, he's more than happy to make all of them good. "Guess they were right...they do taste better when killed fresh." He finished the skewered meat, before finishing up on his solo expedition, returning to town with a trail of barely recognizable Muduo corpses, all of which look like they've been turned inside out by an unknown force. It was a good start to the day.

He returned to the blue market to collect his bounty, the other visionaries would always find it interesting how someone like him would come back looking as clean as ever, despite often leaving a trail of disemboweled entrails in his wake. But no one can argue that he was one of the more reliable ones. He was known as the Red Devil among the Muduo hunting community of blue market. He is never seen without his signature red trench coat, dual custom pistols. and his trusty Zweihander, rumored to be a family heirloom. Though his violence against Muduo often has some members questioning if he has killed people before. In fact, there are times when he is enjoying his job, a little too much.

Shortly after that, Tony would collect his complimentary pizza make his way to the designated meeting spot, a warehouse, a very quaint choice. Upon arrival, he was surprised to see that the one who recruited him wasn't actually there, but at least who got to see his peers, who were of varying size and stature. "Yo. You guys want some Pizza?" Was all he said, as he opened his box to reveal the cheesy goodness of a pepperoni delight. He could already hear one of them screaming in hunger, so he might as well start making friends by sharing his food. "So wheres the chief? Isn't he suppose to be here to give us some sort of a debrief or something?" His voice carried an air of carefreeness, clearly someone who doesn't take anything too seriously. "Well, if we're supposed to be a team, its only proper that introduce myself. The name is Anthony Redgrave, but you guys can call me Tony. I look forward to working with all of you." He finished the sentence with a smirk accompanied by a two-finger playful salute and wink.

EnvelopeBees · Feb 24, 2022

Omeda returns a small smile to the young girls comment on his sword. One cannot fight with a broken instrument after all, and Omeda takes pride in keeping his weapons in top shape despite the many years they've weathered. Omeda watches the team assemble with curiosity. The chief was serious when he said he'd recruited from all walks of life. Omeda's sharp gaze drifts over each member, except for the hulking monster of a woman who he doubts would take kindly to judging eyes. Omeda shifts his weight off the pillar and straightens his posture.

There's no denying this group is the definition of ragtag and mismatched. Different people feels a shallow descriptor when you have everyone in the same room. This taskforce is practically made of polar opposites, young and older, approachable and dangerous. Omeda wonders whether they'll get along well enough to even cooperate in combat. Not that he's a prime example of teamwork, as the constant complaints on his previous records will show.

The black haired man had been quite surprised to see the infamous Deva - last member of the esteemed FiendBreakers, here. Rumours say she's cursed, a demon in human clothing, though he doesn't believe such nonsense. Omeda rubs what's left of the bonsai's severed branches between thumb and forefinger.

"Please keep the aggression to a minimum, Agent Rai'Shauni." He says calmly. Last survivor or not a rouge member with unchecked anger could put the whole mission, not to mention their lives, in jeopardy. Omeda's own status as an employee at Misthart Tower puts him at unease, though his expression and posture don't show it. He hopes this grudge Deva has doesn't put him on her shit list.

The other members at least seem approachable. He raises an eyebrow at the pizza. This is a Special TaskForce meeting, not a college party. What if there had been a liaison here? Was he planning to eat pizza in front of a Misthart representative, or worse, the chief himself? And then we have someone who looks like he just rolled out of bed, no, an alleyway and didn't even bother to eat beforehand. Omeda sighs internally and wonders what exactly Luden was thinking with this roster. Still, it would be impolite to not introduce himself. Despite his judgements his expression is poised and calm as an undisturbed pond, he's not the type to openly display emotions though his eyes tend to betray him.

Omeda places a gloved hand over the right side of his chest and inclines in a shallow yet dignified bow.

"I am Omeda Daizai, Senior Operator from Misthart Tower. It is my pleasure to be working with you all for the foreseeable future." His voice is soft and smooth, with an almost velvet quality. Almost relaxing were it not for an undertone of command.

"As you can confirm on the written instructions left by our employer, our Taskforce is assigned with the duty to investigate and combat threats of Mudou incursions." Omeda answers Tony's question and gestures to the letter on the table. His glasses glint with light as he adjusts them.

"Our mission, to put it bluntly, is to eliminate all mudou."

alleycat · Feb 25, 2022

Carson watched silently as more colorful operatives assembled into the space, relegating herself to one of the small, raised horizontal beams near the stairway. She absentmindedly kicked her feet as she marked to approach of each newcomer - all of them visionaries. The onely one she recognized was Barrera. She hadn't ever spoken with her, but someone as inquisitive and outspoken as her in the Sentinel Department was no new topic of conversation. Carson doubted the girl knew much of who she was, but offered her a nod of recognition nevertheless.

As she sat, she eyed the pizza, her expression ouckered into a thoughtful frown. Offering a small sigh of resignation, she hopped down, grabbing two slices and folding them across to make them easier to hold as she returned to her position. "Seems like a lofty goal." she commented, nibbling on her new treat. "We weren't chosen from the same backgrounds. Something made us good choices." she swallowed, before closing her eyes and nodding solemnly. "This pizza is good. Thanks."

BuggaBoo · Feb 27, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

So it looked like pretty-boy here was all butthurt over the oh-so-precious little bansai.

EnvelopeBees said:
Omeda rubs what's left of the bonsai's severed branches between thumb and forefinger.

"Please keep the aggression to a minimum, Agent Rai'Shauni."

"Aggression is why I get paid to do what I do. Deal with it, or stay out of my way," said Rai still standing in her solid resting pose, hands clasped behind back, eyes bright under a partial scowl. That last part she said was with a bit of piss and vinegar in her voice and a scan of the faces and postures in this room. Pizza, really? That's how this squad was supposed to kick things off; as if they were invited to some kind of preschooler's first day at school party. Where was the punch bowl then?

Rai felt like literally spitting out the soured taste in her mouth. It was bad enough that she had signed onto a STF being used as underlings, i.e. toys, for that damned bastards Luden's whims, but no way she was going to be part of these goofy kids if they acted like they were going to star in some gimpy kid's show clubhouse. At least pretty-boy had the decency to introduce himself. Senior Operator to a unit that probably never saw front line action, but one big check-mark for him was that he showed he had the balls to confront Rai with his concerns that she had hurt his feelings when she defiled the little, leafy gift from Luden. Of course she knew there was more to it from his point of view though. He sounded like he knew what he was being paid to do and knew what a Senior should sound and act like. Firm, straight to the point and hey, pretty-boy did say 'please' too. Probably going to butt heads, bitch vs. douchebag and all that but she could respect a professional and their opinions. Just needed to know what he could do in the field live and in the raw. But just looking at his expression as he regarded the others, she could tell the disdain he had was similar to hers and that told her that at least Pretty-boy was looking out for what was best for all of them all here.

Then sneaking in two slices was cool-kid so cool they had no name to give. As she was sneaking back to her little cool-kid so cool perch, Rai's gaze traced her as she went. Non-chalant but cool-kid-so-cool seemed like one who knew why they would be a good choice as they had so cooly stated but would wait for the just right coolest time to show them all why. Probably on their too cool skateboard too. Blue eyes slid from Cool-kid-so-cool to the provider of the provisions. Pizza-pops here might have a smooth easiness about him and get her vote for top goofy kid for starting up the pizza party for preschoolers, but those guns and two-handed weapon he toted in plain view told her different about him than that coyness he exuded. At least he dropped his name. Meh. I like Pizza-pops better...

From crisp red jacket her eyes traipsed over to frumpy teen. This kid looked barely even old enough to shave! But then again, others of her kind had openly scoffed at her when she was about his age the moment she joined a Muduo hunting group from Lotus. Oh, but how quickly had she shut them all up and maybe Hungry-mumbles here would impress here too. Then her eyes slid over to the woman who had tip-toed down the steps. Big rifle and all she had strut in... and did not even read the note. Instead, Tip-toes had offered to feed good ol' Hungry-mumbles. A show of priorities or a misstep? Whatever, unless another popped in, this was them. This was 'Ammo.'

"Agent Rai'Shauni," said the proud Visionary as she lifted her chin, "Shadow for former designation STF FIE016. Mandate: search and destroy with extreme prejudice."

Rai's jaw clenched as she bit back the rage upon seeing a flash in her mind's eye of her former squad's final moments together out in the field: blood, bodies, betrayal. A noisy inhale she took in as she felt the crackling white lightning lines attempt to break free in her irises. She held her breath. They did not expose themselves and so the big woman let out a slow exhale. The glint in blue eyes returned. So too did that killer smirk.

"STF AHM000 is supposed to be a special investigatory unit to eliminate all Muduo... So. Who is expected to lead this squad?"

Cresion Breezes · Feb 28, 2022

The mist on the streets swirled a little, and settled, and disappeared. At the same time, sirens rang out through the street, its sharp whirling sounds echoing through out the foggy streets, crashing against the steel doors of the warehouse. The sound was slightly muffled through the building walls, but there was no mistaking it, an emergency assault siren for the area.

Outside, a few blocks down the street to the east side of the city, the mist was thinning slightly. It was thinner than usual, the clear blue sky and the bright midday sun beamed down on the buildings and people beneath, dew drops on the few potted plants upon balconies shined brilliantly. However tranquil the scene is, to the normal citizens who can only afford to live in the outer boundaries of the city, it was the most terrifying thing possible.

The mist thinning means only one thing: the Muduo would be coming for them.

[Bzzt-]

A radio that sat on the stair case of a nearby store front gave out a burst of static as the morning music it was playing grinded to a halt, a female announcer's voice could be heard through the slightly distored broadcast.

[-T-t-t-t-this is an emergency broad cast for all residents of the Eastern Commercial District. The outer bounds have just been breeched by numerous Primordial Muduo, including sighted amounts of Amalgam Muduo. All non-combatant residents within the vicinity are advised to take shelter immediately, all combat capable Visionaries available in the area please provide defence, I repeat...]

As the announcement went on some scurrying footsteps and even a few shouts and screams could be heard outside. Although Muduo breeches in the outbound areas are not uncommon, the Eastern Districts has traditionally been safer overall. To the point where little to no Mistol affiliated Visionaries were stationed here, and independent Visionaries did not do much business around here either, as there was no business to be done.

Another ear-piercing rang out from the East side, in the direction of the city's boundary. The panicked shouts, the siren, the repeating announcement from the old static filled radio blended together into a harrowing orchestra as they were carried forth into the city, into the AHM000's newly established base.

alleycat · Feb 28, 2022

To most people, the tension inside the warehouse and its amplified silence would have come as a very unwelcome ailment. For Carson, who was somewhat accustomed to discomforting silences, this seemed only to further confirm her place in this new task force. They were certainly not assembled by an entity with any pursuit of harmony in character. Moreover, it didn't seem as though everyone in the group was even affiliated with Misthart. That left several possible motivations. One, the Chief was not fully informed or prepared for this outcome. Carson dismissed that immediately. The Chief shouldered the burden of an entire company, and, to a lesser extent, a city - intel on these visionaries was more than likely readily available. That left her with the second option being the more plausible: that this group was designed around the difference. "Nobody, if I had to guess. Otherwise, we'd have a company figure here. We're on our own." she answered the blue-haired girl, Rai'Shauni. What that revealed, only time would tell.

Silences like these seemed perfectly catered to the world of the city; to the world of the mist. The swirling intoxication of the pink clouds lended itself to solemn, quiet moments, moments where one dreamed of what life might sound like with a crisp, completely unobstructed sky above. Paradoxically, silence was rarely what was given. The stiff meeting of the new force was cut through by a ascending shriek, as if all the life of the city was suddenly threatened. Carson shoved off of the post she was leaning on. There was trouble. Instantly, her face darkened into a focused frown. She looked across the warehouse to her new task force. They could figure out what they were doing here later. For now, well....this was technically a part of their mission.

"Attacks. Should split up. I'm close-range." she stated quickly and plainly. She hoped this group communicated similarly to Sentinels, able to catch the tactical meaning of her final statement. She needed distance support, and could help someone with range buy some time or open up shots. No matter what, they needed to act quickly.

BFabulous · Feb 28, 2022

Tension was paralyzing but extremely enlightening to Jaclyn. Just from observing, she could read the others like a preview for their story, some clearer than others. Tony's rambunctious entrance was welcomed but it didn't alleviate the hostile aura of the muscle woman, who looks like she was ready to take everyone's head off. Jaclyn wasn't the only one feeling it. The tall man fixed his posture and told Rai to cool her jets, but something told Jaclyn she wouldn't take too kindly to that. And she was right because Rai's rebuttal was quick as she and Omaeda both took time to judge Tony and his peace offering.

If she thinks that aggression is the only reason she gets paid, then she isn't too bright or she has a serious problem with the Taskforce. She seems to be looking for a reason to fight or leave.

Jaclyn scanned Rai as the boulder of muscle continued to formulate her view of the others their eyes caught each other for a second. With a head tilt and sly smile, Jaclyn waved,"I agree with him. Are we not supposed to be working together? Besides, what did the bonsai do to you?" The words had a sternness about them and were followed with a coy wink. Jaclyn's attention turned back to Omaeda as he introduced himself.

He's stiff. More than likely uptight, strict, and detail-oriented. All of that is good, but he presumably has a hard time letting the reigns go, or he might spiral without any...

Being caught up in her thoughts, Omaeda's words almost eluded Jaclyn's ears,"Eliminate...all...muduo...I-is that even possible?" Those three simple words made the young woman retreat into her own mind. What even would be the first step? Muduos have been plaguing us for years, so why now? Is something happe--

The blaring sound of the siren interrupted Jaclyn's thoughts, bringing her back to reality. A shift in the young woman's demeanor was obvious as she began to walk over to the door, "Operator Barrera. Long-range or civie evac!" She said in earnest. Jaclyn was prepared to cover the other with suppressive fire or help evacuate the civilians, either way, she wanted to make sure there were minimal casualties.

TreasureSniper · Mar 2, 2022

"Well..you guys sound like a fun bunch!" Tony laughed as he chowed down on the remaining Pizza. Based on their small interactions, Tony could already tell what their surface-level personality disposition for the majority of the squad. How quite happy to see that most of them are friendly enough to take his pizza. Some of them of course stood out more than others, such as Rai, the muscle girl and Omaeda, Mr fancy pants. Seems like only a few of them were keen on introducing themselves, with the rest preferring to remain anonymous for some reason.

While he definitely had a lot he could say about their initial reactions with one another, he didn't really have any personal motivation to cause any conflict between any of them. So he chose to remain silent and enjoy his Pizza. Seems like some of them had preexisting relationships that could complicate the team chemistry, probably part of a team prior to this one.

"Eliminate all Muduos huh?...." he muttered as he finished the last slice. "Now that's something I can get behind." He simply said with a grin, without any need for explanation. Tony thought it would be prudent to talk about something they had common ground about. He didn't like all this talk about leadership, was thankful to hear that it was likely they didn't have a designated team lead, just the way he liked it. Unfortunately, before he could come up with anything, the alarm siren rang, indicating it was time for them to get to work.

"Hmm Duty calls. See you all on the flipside..." He said with a sly smile as he exited the warehouse. He took a step outside of the warehouse, quickly hopped onto his custom-made red motorbike, which roared to life. He rarely came to Mistol, but on one of the occasions he did come was to commission a motorcycle, something that cost countless amounts of Muduo bounties to obtain. He called it, the Red Queen. It'd be a damn shame if anything were to happen to it.

Tony quickly arrived at the east side border, his motorcycle violently skidding to a stop. Hopping off his motorcycle with noticeable finesse, he tightened his gloves and prepared to dirty his hands. "Alright then...time to make donuts.." He quipped with a grin of anticipation.

BuggaBoo · Mar 2, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

The voice on the radio crackling and pleading away. The tension in the air as adrenaline rose. The ascending musical note of the 'horn from the heavens' warbling out, tickling in her ears and blaring out loudly to any of those who lived under the pink skies.

"Time to get paid..." Rai's smokey-sounding voice lilted out through a half sneer, half smile pulling up at her lips. Then instantly that familiar look on her face fell as did her heart after a quick glance around the room.

There was no Carver there tossing up blades to the ceiling, tilting his head back and mocking the alarm. No braided-beard-beast Lil' Boom grunting as he slapped hands, bumped hips n' elbows and dapped fists with others in their choreographed handshake. No Cherry Bomber smiling brightly as always, shoving her hard and Deva herself shoving back then both embracing before putting each others goggles on. No GunMother clapping her hands together, stomping her feet and singing smoothly into the comms with a newly improvised tune. No Twins Mayhem n' Murder reciting in unison the pledge to Mistol in their oh-so-accurate impersonation of Luden. No Ice Queen there letting out a sharp whistle then yelling out in her annoyed voice,"Alright FIE, knock it off!! Eyes, ears n' hearts to me now--"

Safety. Security. Survival. Damn you, Laila... Right. And who was supposed to lead 'Ammo' again?

alleycat said:
Cool-Kid-So-Cool: "Nobody, if I had to guess. Otherwise, we'd have a company figure here. We're on our own." she answered the blue-haired girl, Rai'Shauni.

This time she really did spit out that soured taste in her mouth. Glowering eyes peeled away from Cool-kid-so-cool and fell upon the remains of the bonsai. What the hell really was this outfit other than ill prepared, leaderless and non-unified under Luden's thumb? They did not even have proper direction to carry out their mandate let alone comms to link them together at a bare minimum. But hey, at least they had pizza...

BFabulous said:
Tip-Toes: With a head tilt and sly smile, Jaclyn waved,"I agree with him. Are we not supposed to be working together? Besides, what did the bonsai do to you?" The words had a sternness about them and were followed with a coy wink.

"Aww. Did I hurt someone's feelings...?" Rai glanced over her shoulder and dropped an emotionless kiss in the other womans direction, "That better?"

TreasureSniper said:
"Well..you guys sound like a fun bunch!" Tony laughed as he chowed down on the remaining Pizza.

The blue-haired woman just shrugged and rolled her eyes in response. Then after a bit of hesitation and bit of a sigh, big, shined-up black combat boots stomped on over to the table that harboured that damned oh-so-precious sliced up little bonsai. Without breaking stride, Rai reached down at the table and the familiar white lightning broke free in her now electric blue irises. The FiendBreakers unofficial symbol was the head of a devil or demon of some kind, gun pointed at its temple, with several lines scratching out its eyes. Deva was no artist like her ol' squad mate Carver and so she etched onto the table with her Wicked Hold ability the closest thing to that symbol. Her carving looked like a grumpy emoji frowning with lines for eyebrows slanting downwards over its mismatched eyes.

A lone brown hand then reached down and grabbed what she came for.

"Fine..." said Deva softly before taking a little but ferocious bite out of a pizza slice. The big woman conceded a small shrug and popped up her eyebrows whilst looking towards Tony, the red-jacketed Pizza-Pops; 'a fun bunch' they were indeed... Without turning her head, she glanced over at Hungry-Mumbles to see if his demeanour changed after getting some food in him. Low-key she did concur with Cool-Kid though; it was good. But without even a second thought, she then tossed the slice down accidentally on purpose at the bonsai. It flopped on top of it like some kind of gooey and oily beanie.

"Oops." she said emotionlessly as she cast a glance over her shoulder at elegant rifle-toting Tip-Toes. Electric blue eyes then glinted as they side-eyed on over at SO Omeda.

"Don't worry. That wasn't aggression..." Deva lowered her black combat fatigue covered body, wound up like a predatory spring. A smirk pulled at her lips as she broke gaze from the SO and strapped on her goggles, "...this is, Pretty-Boy..."

The Visionary's Wicked Hold ability launched her like she was shot out of a cannon. Teeth clenched and hands balled into fists as she flew like a bullet towards the wall of the upper floor. From behind tinted protective lenses, electric blue eyes spawned more white lines of lightning across their glistening surfaces. Both hands then snapped fingers and, as if hit by an invisible canon shell, a glass window on the upper floor blew outward into the pink skies beyond. A heartbeat later Deva zipped through the new exit and was free from the confines of this gimpy kid's show clubhouse and veering towards the roof once more.

---

The reverberating wail of the alarms covered up almost all sound she made but nonetheless, she landed with but a whisper from the soles of her black shined up boots. Once more, after flexing out strong brown hands, she then adjusted the free-flowing blue pony tail poking out from the back of said cap but this time, she swiftly whirled it up. Into a sock bun it went tightly, neatly and securely at the back of her head. Once more, she snugged the brim of the black box cap down over her brow making sure to keep her bangs covering neatly over one eye.

This was not a stealth mission but she should still do as a Shadow should. For her, it was best to do what she did best in a scramble sortie: Recon, Confirm, Report. A quick re-scan of the immediate area gave her the framework of which to apply her skills and techniques. A firm nod she gave once she mentally set up three potential pathways for herself. Even without knowing their Visionary abilities, STF 'Ammo' had long range capablilties with the firearms she saw them touting. That and a rifle's scope gave them even more advantage for eyes on enemy and eyes on friendlies too. Judging by the gun's make, Tip-Toes should be a sniper Agent or Sentinel and undoubtedly understand basic hand signals the Shadow would send back. Another confirming nod she gave as she saw the red-jacketed rider, Pizza-Pops roaring off to the frontlines. Good. The others would most likely set up perimeter around their position since most civillians-- But wait.

Now really, without a proper leader here, just who in the hell was going to tell her what to do...?

Or what not to do.

The note from that damned bastard Luden did state: "...but I am personally authorizing Task Force AMH000 to be able to make independent decision inconsistent with the rest of this organization..." That's right. Hard copy and signed right there. Independant decision. The killer smirk returned. Oh, but she was being paid to do whatever the hell she pleased.

This was what she was trained for was it not? Battle Angel. FiendBreaker. The mortal-weapon from Clan Wicked who found her Way as a child; Mama's girl. Yes, the name and reputation that she earned had been dulled a bit ever since she accepted role as a Shadow. But here she was now. Carte Blanche by the damned bastard man himself to do what she did best. White lightning lines spawned anew once electric blue eyes glowed into life yet again. A deep inhale she took in as she scanned for signs of the first wave of the Muduo invasion.

"That's fine. Juuuuuust fine..."

Deva would live up to her namesake all right.

"...I'll kill them all by myself then..."

The name Deva was short for Devastation afterall.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Mar 3, 2022

Ryan thanked whatever constituted a god in their screwed up world. He would cease being hungry for a little while longer at the very least. As for his teammates. Things seemed to be going alright, save for the blue haired lady identifying herself as Rai'Shauni. There was a personality that would take some getting used to. The Muduo alert couldn't have come at worse time as Ryan tried to stomach his food. Pizza Man already took off on a bike that was worth as much as a whole ass apartment by Ryans standards. A nice one too, as opposed to the crappy ones on the outskirts. Could probably even afford indoor heating that didn't suck. Rai also made her exit from the building. The little skateboarder recommended they head out. Which really didn't vibe with Ryan right now. Going out meant they might have to meet MUDUO. Which obviously meant DANGER. It also ensured blood, screaming and the sounds of combat. Ryan was far too familiar with all of the above. He wanted very much to avoid such things as much as he could. Even if his new job pretty much entailed taking out ALL Muduo. Ryan couldn't see that happening anytime soon. Not to be a pessimist but Muduo had been ruling the planet for a long time now. If there was a way to so easily wipe them out. The species would be a footnote in a textbook they'd make you read in school for Ancient History class.

"Right, I guess we should form pairs. Having a single partner to focus on for now should help get over some of the jitters. Omeda you go with the sniper and I'll offer SUPPORT to our friend with the big metal stick. We'll need to do a clean sweep to try and minimize some of the damage. Try to vary some of your attacks as well. Never get into a set method or they'll remember it. The Muduo learn quite a bit if they manage to get away. Finally try not to die... I'm not covering your shift if you get your eye-holes dug out" said Ryan as he methodically loaded his revolver. Sure he wasn't some military genius or experienced special ops guy. However he had a lot of practical experience dealing with Muduo. Which he hoped would be enough to make sure he didn't have to work too hard. After all, he didn't even know his pay-rate yet. Nor if he got any bonuses for merit. No way was he accepting stamps and medals. Those were neither food nor currency. Plus he still had to figure out the whole living situation. Going off to his first mission without any money or a home was probably his second lowest point. Right behind the time that time his clothes were stolen by scam artists. Holstering his weapon and gesturing at his newly appointed squadmate. Ryan made his way to the scene on foot, cursing his lack of a vehicle as well.

Cresion Breezes · Mar 5, 2022

Down the block there was still considerable chaos, although many have fled the scene or went indoors already, some stragglers were still out and about. A large group of primordial Muduo squirmed down a narrow alley way, their numbers were so numerous that some of the slimy creatures were squished by their brethren up the walls of the passageway. The shadowy wave of flesh was slow, but it was advancing forward, threatening to swarm and devour anything that got in the way of its fleshy advance. The alleyway was a desolate one with almost nobody ever walking through it, but the wave of dripping molasses-like tissue inched towards the main street where people were running in the direction of the inner city. The visibility on the horizon down the street was low, that was their destination, where the mist is thicker.

"Eek----------"

A high pitch shriek came from a low rise window, a slimy primordial Muduo was squished up to the windowsill. Its almost melting flesh was squeezing itself through the cracks of the window frame. It pushed itself hard towards whatever human was inside, even if the pressure it was putting on its own formless body is getting high enough to split the entire thing into pieces. However, this stopped when the window was slammed open aggressively, as the apartment's owner must have mustered up some courage. The windowpanes struck the Muduo so hard it flicked the slime-like creature across the street, pass most visionaries and ordinary people on the scene, but it hit one of the later arrivals of AHM000, Ryan Potra. The small creature tried to climb up the boy's leg while gnawing on the clothing and skin.

The wave of small primordial Muduo didn't let up its advance just because one of their kind was catapulted across the street, but they did seem to detect something. There were Visionaries on the scene now, the most delicious and succulent meals for these mindless creatures. The wave gradually split up a bit into two riling rancid masses that kept on squirming, towards the Visionaries that stood in their way.

A little more up ahead laid a corner store, it sat somewhat closer to central Mistol, but a few primordial Muduo that broke off from the main pack still sniffed their way into the area. A short and hunched over old man stood in front of the store, he was holding a mop and diligently working on his store front, occasionally blowing away the stray strands of greying hair from his eyes. The man's half lidded and cloudy eyes stared down the similarly cloudy street, he squinted at the few primordial Muduo that sluggishly crawled up to his store front.

"Oi oi, sluggies!" The man shouted in a hoarse and somewhat pitched voice. "Don't get your slime on the tiles!" He yelled again as the Muduo showed no signs of stopping. Raising the mop over his head, the old man brought down a mighty bonk on the closest Muduo. The blunt weapon entered its flesh with a 'squish' sound, the mop pressed down on the Muduo, yet it kept on squirming. The old man looked at it as his bushy eyebrows furrowed up, and brought a flurry of blows onto the shadowy creature. He poked the now nearly motionless hunk of flesh and looked around at the other primordial Muduo closing in on him, but also caught eye of something else.

Despite being hard of hearing from old age, it was hard to miss the roar of an engine this far from central Mistol. A young man on a motorcycle was zipping right to the area, and a little further was a few others roaring up to go. "Oi oi, what eager young people. Didn't think we had those around here." The old man muttered as he raised the mop one more time.

"Hey hey laddy, run over these sluggies for me will ya!" Shouting at Tony, who was arriving on motorbike, the old man wacked the already severely deformed primordial Muduo in the path of the motorbike and began bonking another one that has gotten close.

As the old man worked away at wacking the smaller Muduo, a shadow creeped up from the side alley beside his shop. A hulking figure about the size of a horse skittered into the open. Its horse-like torso was covered in eyeballs that all wiggled and squirmed around in different directions as the creature wobbled and banged into its narrow surroundings. Its legs were disproportionate thin in the calves, and seemed to have three joints that twisted and cracked in unnatural angles with the beast's every turn. On the middle of the torso was a protrusion, that upon closer examination, was a human head that had an array of eyeballs in place of the mouth, it was in the same pitch shadowy hue and featureless otherwise. The creature walked towards the old man step by step, seeming completely unbothered by the heavy crashing into every element of its surroundings.

TreasureSniper · Mar 6, 2022

To think these lesser Muduo somehow got past the border, they probably did not achieve this all on their own. And he did remember the announcement mentioning the amalgam Muduo, something he found exceptionally entertaining to fight. "You got it, old man!" Hearing the old's man request for assistance, Tony wasted no time hopping onto his bike once more, quickly accelerating to probably illegal speeds. With a confident smile and nudge of the accelerator, he charged forward, reducing the Muduo in front of him into little more than roadkill. Right after flattening the last of the Muduo that the old man has so generously lined up for him. As confident as he was in his abilities, the was probably more Muduo nearby outside of vision, but thankfully he had teammates that would be able to cover those positions...hopefully. He didn't see any of them having vehicles...how exactly were they suppose to travel to the area?

"Thanks for the assist!" He said, happy to see that despite his old age he still had some spunk to him. Turning around, he noticed something creeping up on the old man. "The real fight begins ,now!" He announced, quickly zipping towards the old man and placing himself between him and the monstrosity that seems to resemble a horse. "Alright pops, you've pulled your weight, so let me return the favor." He gestured him to return to his shop for shelter while he dealt with this horse/human Muduo. Getting off his bike, his eyes began glowing red indicating that it was time to show this monster where he got the nickname, Red Devil. He mirrored the monster's forward movement, with each step getting close to one another. Each step he took, a red aura manifested around Tony, getting stronger and stronger as the distance between the two shrank. Brandishing both his firearms, he unloaded a barrage of armor-piercing bullets towards the creature, specifically aiming for the eyes, all of them. His firing pattern was strange since it looked like his guns had no recoil whatsoever, showcasing him using his power to dampen such motions while also absorbing the kinetic energy for later use.

After emptying both his guns, continued to approach the creature, holstering both his guns, and calmly walked toward it. "Come on, you want my eyes too right?" He taunted the creature with grin. The creature had a of lot eyes on him, indicating that it had eaten quite a lot of living things throughout its life, which happened to include human beings, but such sights do not scare him. If anything, it fuels his determination to exterminate these horrid things. He had a simple plan in mind, something that seemed to work against most Muduo. He would purposely goad the creature to strike him, charging him up with kinetic energy. After absorbing said energy, he would then, immediately follow up with a deadly counterstrike that is several times stronger than the original attack. He called it, the "Redgrave Handshake." something he frequently used to turn his enemies inside-out with one well-placed strike.

BuggaBoo · Mar 7, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

The big Agent was thrust onward from one rooftop to the next, launched by her Wicked Hold ability. She glanced downward at the flood of gelatinous things bumbling one over another. Another rooftop. The flow of the flood of creatures was moving at the pace of molten lava, but the sheer number and predatory nature of those gelantinous things still posed a grave danger. Another rooftop. She on the other hand felt no danger from them; it should be the other way around really. Electric blue eyes flashed twice behind her tinted goggles and this time she made her descent, aiming to land right into the middle of those gelatinous things.

"The eyes..." Rai's smokey-sounding voice lilted out through a half sneer, half grimace pulling up at her lips. The proud, arrogant even, pose of the blue-headed woman shrank back. Even the electric blue hue of her eyes dulled a touch, white electric lines spraying across her irises receding just as much.

When Rai'Shauni was but a little girl, she was told many stories by her prominent aunts. One in particular, Pasha, told her a bit of a story about how Muduo were made. She always told lil' Rai'Shauni to be a good girl and do as her Mama told her. Only good girls found their 'Way' afterall. And only bad girls would be tossed to the Primordial. Such a powerful word it was to lil' Rai'Shauni back then. And back then the Clan Wicked name did not exist. No, back then she was just lil' Rai'Shauni Calvillo-Holmes. And back then the little girl was told that those in their family who died and did not find their Way were tossed into the Primordial-- especially the little bad girls. that did not listen to their Mamas. Those Muduo that lurk in the dark neath your bed seeking to suck your eyes out, the slimy ones-- gelatinous things-- those were actually the bad girls that were tossed into the Primordial. They did not truly die, and, failure to find their Way twisted the end of their mortal lives and so they began anew tortured into form as corrupted black-souled ooze.

"And that's why they want your eyes, dear," said Auntie Pasha, "Oh, my lil' Rainy... do you not know--"

Deva landed and just stood there, shoulders slumped, chin lowered, eyes even lower. The Primordials sloshed in closer, surrounding her by the dozens. Greedy and hungry looks in their eyes. Their eyes.

"The eyes..." Rai's smokey-sounding voice sounded melancholic. Apologetic even as the electric blue of her eyes flashed fully into life once more, white lightning striking out bright across her irises. "The eyes are the gateway to the soul."

In the blink of an eye, Deva spun once and an fierce wind shoved back at the army of Primordials encircling her, pausing their encroachment but a mere arms length away.

When lil' Rai'Shauni found her Way, she was told that she had a big, big responsibility now for only big, big girls. She was to help the lost little girls that died and were tossed into the Primordial. She had a purpose now as a big, big girl now. Warrior. Shadow. Survivor. It was up to her now to do as a big, big girl was taught; as a mortal-weapon it was her purpose to help the lost dead little girls lie down, sleep and close their eyes.

Forever.

Lil' Rainy cried the first time she killed a Muduo. To her it was like killing a little girl and that little girl just had to die all over again. But that was back then.

This was now. "Do you not know...?"

Deva snapped fingers of both hands. The first line of Primordials were sliced in twain by vicious invisible claws. Eyes and ooze sprayed back into the next line. She let out a sound not melancholic in the least. It was more like desire. Pleasure. Gunfire echoed out in the distance. In the blink of an eye, Deva spun around once and the next line held at bay. Another snap of those brown fingers. Another splash of eyes and ooze. Another sound, this time more of a growl. Hungry. Insatiable. Another spin. Another snap. Another spray. A roar. Ferocious. Demanding. Another spin. Another snap. Another spray. But this time the sides of buildings took gashes and brick and concrete sprayed too. Another spin. Another snap. Another spray of eyes, ooze, brick, concrete. Gunfire sounded out no more. A screech she let out and the ground cracked neath her feet as she rocketed toward the glorious blue sky as if launched out of a cannon.

"Do you not know my name?"

If no one knew yet, then they should now if they were to see the mess of rubbery flesh, ichor, rubble, eyes and dust, that surrounded the small clean circle in the middle of the road. This was the way of a mortal-weapon. This was the 'Way' she found as a little girl.

This was the Way of Devastation.

alleycat · Mar 11, 2022

BFabulous said:
The blaring sound of the siren interrupted Jaclyn's thoughts, bringing her back to reality. A shift in the young woman's demeanor was obvious as she began to walk over to the door, "Operator Barrera. Long-range or civie evac!" She said in earnest. Jaclyn was prepared to cover the other with suppressive fire or help evacuate the civilians, either way, she wanted to make sure there were minimal casualties.

Carson directed her attention to this annoucement, paying little attention to the group coordinations. This was something she could work with. "Right!" she exclaimed to Jaclyn, turning on her heel and beginning to run from the warehouse, "Head to the main road and find some cover! I'll keep them on me." Throwing her skateboard in front of her, the dusted wheels groaned as she nimbly leapt onto the skateboard, taking off towards the action.

She arrived onto the scene to see the blue-haired girl, Rai'Shauni, leaping off into the air, presumably heading to some other area prone to destruction. The girl had certainly left behind her fair share of carnage - but an equal number of civilians to concern herself with, as well. Leaping off the skateboard into a full sprint, Carson drew the bat from her back, locating a mustering Muduo massing through the final corners of the alleyway. A good number of them had been eliminated - lucky. She wondered how long that girl could sustain such firepower.

Closing her eyes, she furrowed her brow and attempted to clear her mind. A small glass marquise, long and reflective, began to appear in the void of her mind. As a child, it frightened her to see such a shape when she tried to sleep, or closed her eyes to play childish games. She felt herself move towards it; a feeling and action indescribable and intimate. She thought of her father. She thought of the bonsai.

The marquise mirror shattered into three pieces, jagged and uneven, their cracking rattling in the corners of her skull. She opened her eyes upon the break, her eyes shining brilliantly, to find three seperate fields of view, which morphed and blurred into one another like some strange, amnesiatic dream. "Fight." she whispered.

The first of Carson's images peeled to the left, springing off a small table bearing fruits and coming down on top of one of the leading Muduo. Her bat followed a moment later, its edge smearing the Muduo's visage into the earth beneath her. Another Muduo, hungry for its new prize, leapt for her, its primordial body trembling. It was met with Carson Prime's foot, which had whipped into a roundhouse kick that launched it onto the wall of the alley's end. Carson Prime ducked down onto one knee, swinging her bat low as her second clone leapt over her, connecting into the mass and delivering two lethal bat swings. "Fall back." Carson commanded dispassionately, now filled with the unemotional calculus of battle. Flipping away from the mass after the initial damage had been done, Carson and her two images gazed towards the oncoming Muduo horde. So long as she could buy enough time for civilian evacuation, she was certain the rest would fall into place.

Gaius Danius Griinia · Mar 12, 2022

Ryan really had no idea where his new teammates got all their energy from. He was under the impression this was a draft type situation. Were they really so eager to throw their lives away for what amounted to a death sentence? Ryan was still less than enthused about the idea of handling such a large Muduo attack. However he had to pay the bills somehow. Which was why he was running down the brightly lit street, chasing after his skateboarding partner. He really needed to invest in his own method of transportation. Perhaps his own car or bike would be at the very bottom of his list of necessities once his pay started coming in. Up ahead he could see that things were beginning to heat up. A mass of Muduo was making its way towards them. Things weren't looking too pretty. What was worse was that a tiny Muduo landed right on his leg. It ate through his pants as if it didn't realize just how hard it was to find suitable pants for his line of work. Irritated at such disrespect to his clothing. Ryan smacked the creature to the ground with the back of his hand. When it tried to pounce on him once more. He simply whipped out his revolver and pulled the trigger. The little goo pile burst into small chunks.

Turning to find his team members beginning their assault on the Muduo horde. He was able to get some glimpses of their abilities. Pizza Man looked like he could store and release kinetic energy. Bluebird seemed to have some degree of telekinesis. Finally his partner, Skateboard could make replicas of herself. Each of these powers was distinct from once another and could compliment each other quite well. Although Ryan's power was no less useful, if it worked like he wanted it to. Which wasn't as often as he'd have liked. Resting his gun on his shoulder like a briefcase. Ryan began moving forward towards his targets. Swarmed by a group of small Muduo. His first move was to backflip onto a nearby vehicle. With trained precision and marksmanship; Ryan gunned down five of the dark slimes. Flicking out the cylinder of his weapon. Ryan activated his ability and shot into the air with a familiar upward force.

This was Ryans ability, the most volatile tool in his arsenal. He could manifest things into the world based on his memory of them. Which meant seeing Bluebird rocket around had given him some ideas. As he made his descent towards the ground. Ryan discarded his empty shells and reloaded his weapon whilst falling. Landing on the crater he made in the newly busted car he jumped off. He quickly finished off the rest of his attackers. With his gun on his shoulder once more. Ryan made his way over to Skateboard and noticed she was getting ready for a showdown with the oncoming horde. Without breaking a sweat, Ryan duplicated himself and had each Ryan empty their guns on the mass of slimey ooze. Spinning his weapon and reloading once more. He greeted Skateboard as if he hadn't just casually copied her power.

BFabulous · Mar 12, 2022

Jaclyn stared at Ryan for a second, surprised at his reaction and intelligence. She gathered herself quickly since he was chosen by Mr. Luden to be a part of this Task Force. He demonstrated why he should be here instantly, and earned some respect from Jaclyn as well,"Sir, yes sir! Good plan," Jaclyn gave Ryan a gentle nod as she and Carson left the warehouse. For a quick second, the light of Jaclyn's eyes sprang to life and dissipated as quickly as it came, replacing her combat boots with her roller skates, leaving only small & dim lights akin to fireflies that dissolved over a short time. With skates, she was able to keep up with Carson

Upon getting on the scene, Jaclyn quickly scanned over everything. Rai was a lone wolf who was wreaking havoc, Carson was strategically covering as much ground as she could, and as Ryan appeared on the scene he covered Carson's back. Jaclyn's eyes flickered back to lavender as the dim firefly-like lights formed upon her causing her to disappear like a shadow. Keeping her momentum she reappeared scaling up the side of a building, but before she lost all of her kinetic energy to gravity she teleported herself once more to the roof. Sliding to the edge of the building, Jaclyn summoned her rifle, Epilogue, to her hands.

Bang! Click. BANG! Click. BANG! Click.

Her first bullet whizzed past Tony's head, aiming to pierce one of the amalgam's weaker joints, the second pierced two primordial near the old man, and the third was aimed at amalgam's humanoid face. Before Jaclyn had even champer her next shot she was on the move towards the storefront, "Hey! Mister! You need to get inside!" She yelled down to the old man, not knowing that he was hard of hearing. Skating over the roof tops, Jaclyn's main focus was to eliminate this amalgam before it could do any more damage. She had no clue what Tony's visionary ability was, but he was obviously confident in his ability. Or arrogant, at the moment Jaclyn couldn't tell.

BuggaBoo · Mar 12, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

Once more on a rooftop. Once more she spit. What the hell was with this part of town and their damned bonsai trees?

She had glanced over to see Cool-Kid and Hungry-Mumbles pair up to take on a horde of Primordials at one juncture. Cool-kid had shown her cool power and as Deva predicted there was a cool skateboard involved. Suddenly something just as cool, perhaps even cooler, she witnessed; the newly-sprouted 'selves' of the skater-chick was matched up by the lil' bossy-boy. A lone blue eyebrow raised. Surely that damned Luden would not be so foolish as to double up Visionary abilities? The answer hit her and blue eyes popped wide behind tinted lenses; the youngest member of 'Ammo' was a copy-cat whose ability surpassed that of reflexively mimicking movents. The teenaged cluster of clones should do well to stave off and mow down the oncoming horde, she surmised.

"Cute couples..." Deva quipped, gave a shrug, then turned her cheek and slid to the opposite side to get eyes on the shooter of the gunfire she heard earlier. A smirk pulled up at the corner of her mouth as soon as she saw the red-jacketed Pizza-Pops squaring off against a large Muduo; an Amalgam with dozens of bobbing eyes and mismatched body parts. She wondered for a moment if this 'Gam held any body parts of her Clan Wicked brethren. The moment passed as soon as she saw that reddish glow in the eyes of Pizza-Pops. Deva's own eyes flashed electric blue and she rocketed upward once more, angling towards the Amalgam. If this silvery-headed guy was who she suspected he was, she would not have to worry about timing. She would have to worry about getting out of his way once he unleashed his counter.

Several loud reports rang out from a nearby building. Two of those shots were aimed directly at the Amalgam. Both shots were of the hard calibre type; the burgundy-headed Tip-Toes, no doubt. But wait, oh look, she was trying to out-compete Cool-Kid with her own brand of quaint, small-wheelie transport. So, Hungry-Mumbles could copy abilities, Tip-toes on the otherhand... Girl, you just copy styles. Try-hard...

Deva let out a disdaining exhale, shook her head then turned to wave a brown hand, attempting to get Pizza-Pops' attention from high up and behind the horsenoid Muduo. On her descent, she pointed at the upper area of the eyeball-sucking thing and with her other hand, she mimed a hard push. Deva was going to shove the thing towards him to increase the impact of the 'Gam's strike upon the silvery-headed motorcyclist. And depending on where his counterstrike hit, once he blasted it back she would re-adjust her position and use her Wicked Hold ablility to claw the hell out of the thing to try to finish it off.

"All right, if you really are 'Red Devil'... then let's see whacha got." Deva muttered underneath her breath as she leaned back, pulling up both her knees, readying one hellacious stomp to the back of the horsenoid Muduo.

Cresion Breezes · Mar 14, 2022

The hoard of small primordial Muduo kept on scurrying ahead, but now they have changed their target to the two Visionaries fighting side by side. It was like a fountain of gelatinous ooze that turned and began to pile up on the two attackers, even though the duplication made assaults easier, it appears that the instinct of the Muduo can tell just which body contains the original version of those humans. However, pellets of steel and blunt hits disintegrated the small creatures into puddles of shadowy liquid, it trickled down the street down the curbs, gathering in the ditches of roads.

The few straggling civilians ran and hopped their way towards the thicker mist, while some dashed into buildings and shut tight steel plates windows and doors. The primordial hoard continued to scurry about, undeterred by the liquified corpses of their kind that now splatter the streets, only turning back when it reaches the threshold of thicker mist.

Meanwhile, in front of the convenience shop, the amalgam Muduo lumbered forward, yet it stepped right past the old man as if he was nothing but a bit of fleshy debris of no value to it. The old man's squinted, smiling eyes fluttered open, to reveal one empty socket, and another with an orb so clouded that it almost matches the mist of the city streets.

"Alas...These old bones aren't much use to those things, other than the sluggies..." He chuckled and scratched his head, sighed with a somewhat sad smile. "With you youngsters out here, they're sure to target you after all. The rest of us are spare change compared to what you hold." The old man began squinting again at the direction where Ryan and Carson were combating the smaller Muduos, the shadowy fountain of oozy flesh squirmed in the distance, consisting of the creatures that have halted their advancement on other people to focus on the most attractive prey.

The man ducked past Tony's attack, with a strange nonchalant expression. He walked back into his shop and began to shutter the heavy steel rolling door. "Most of us ain't want to leave this place, youngins. Do ya best." With that, the heavy rolling doors sealed shut, on them painted the words CLOSED - OPEN AT 5 AM.

Tony's attack clearly worked, as the horse-like creature shrieked and twisted. Its joints were mangled and its flesh splattered out in ribbon-like wounds, one of its legs twisted so many times around that the flesh thinned out, and snapping of what sounds like bones could be heard. Pitch black ichor dripped out of the distorted wounds and dripped on the pavement. From one of the creature's now empty eye sockets grew a tongue-like tendril, attempting to lick its own disembodied dripping flesh off of the pavement.

But that did not last long as the joint turned tongue tendril was shot right through by a bullet from the distance, the entire limbed exploded off in a mangled mess that got hurled down the alleyway in an explosion of force. An eyeball fell out behind the socket, hidden away by the "bones" of the limb. The entire appendage flopped on the ground like a fish out of water for a moment, with the tongue-like tendril attempting to slurp up the eyeball multiple times before finally going limp and completely silent. The horse-like creature, after losing two of its limbs, had its torso crash sideways into the ground, sliding in its own excreted ichor down a curb and the rest of its two limbs flailing hysterically. With the creature now off balance and off its original angle from the multitude of attacks, the telekinetic shove from Rai launched it at a slightly off direction. The still twitching hunk of flesh was propelled ahead, crashing into a thin, metal street sign that cut deep into the creature. Half of the body attempted to crawl away from the portion stuck mingled to the street sign, and in the process began to rip itself apart like shadowy moldy gunk being slowly pulled into strings.

This was when the ground began quaking.

After Rai's initial attack on the wave of primordial Muduo finished, a figure hovered over a rooftop railing and looked down at the incoming destruction. A few shreds of the primordial ooze were flung up to the person but were deflected by a strange, gelatinous shield that parried the projectile almost like extra limbs. After the shield was let down it revealed that the tendrils were attached to a human, or Visionary in this case. A young man with an ashy skin tone and dusty blonde hair, his clear, muted color tones making him almost blend into the pink-blue skies of Mistol city.

"Interesting." The man muttered, laced with similar amounts of disinterest and intrigue simultaneously. "Didn't think this many would show up here..." A few slug-like creatures that were flung up managed to crawl up the building and squeeze themselves through the thin spacing between the railing, clearly targeting the human. The young man turned his head towards some of them, raising his eyebrow slightly. "I thought there would be more, but I suppose it's because of them." It sounded almost like a complaint. A few more of those gelatinous tendrils manifested and caught the shadowy oozes, picking them up from the ground and suspending their wiggling bodies in midair. The clear, sky blue ooze of the man's ability was clouded somewhat at the point of contact with the primordial Muduo, as if drops of ink dispersing in a cup of clear liquid.

Without much warning, the tendrils ripped one of the small creatures apart. The one who did the deep stared at their dripping remains and stretched out his hand to gather some. Then, slowly, licked a bit of the ooze off of his index finger.

"Ugh." The young man made a slightly scowling expression and hurled whatever remained of the primordial Muduo away. "Not even close." He muttered as he hopped from one rooftop to another further from the city's center. Seemingly searching for something. As he got further away, there was something that towered in the distance. Something that wasn't there before. Its towering physique shuffled a little.

This was when the ground began quaking.

From beyond the street sign that the Amalgam Muduo was caught on was a building, however, there was clearly something abnormal within it as the ground and walls began to shake. The wall suddenly shattered, and from within the building, a thick, shadowy arm flung out. It was an appendage that seemed to be made out of variously shaded muscle fibers, intertwined strings of flesh that were forcefully twisted together into a limb. It grabbed the still twitching half of the Amalgam Muduo and dragged it into the dark depth of building's interior.

For just a few seconds the sound of slurping and the crunching of bones...or perhaps the metal of the street sign's pole can be heard echoing from inside the building, along with the sounds of distress. But that only lasted a few fleeting seconds as the entire building's wall shattered, something burst out in a cloud of dust and debris as one corner of the complex completely collapsed.

A stream of dust zipped from the worst of the collapse, upon closer examination it was a person. It was a young man with dusty blonde hair and an ashy complexion, although whether the dust and ash are his natural colouring or from the environment was hard to tell. Behind him was some sort of strange gelatinous blob, like tentacles that had several unconscious civilians wrapped within them. He turned his head and looked around the location that he had just emerged in. "HOLY SHIT!" He yelled first thing as he noticed other people still being in the vicinity. "Everyone needs to get out of here, there's a—"

The sirens rang out once more, but this time it could be heard from far far away, even in central Mistol. An announcement followed up, muffled by the ichor and gunk that got on the PA systems nearby and a bit static-y from any damages they sustained.

[E-Emergency! This is a city-wide emergency announcement! There has been a confirmed sighting of Humanoid Muduo in the Outer Easter Commerical District! I repeat, there has been a confirmed Humanoid Muduo in city boundaries! Combatants will be dispatched immediately, all non-combatants are to evacuate the area immediately. Independent Visionaries and combatants, do not attempt to engage alone, please attempt to evacuate the premise as well. I repeat, do not engage..."]

The announcement's volume fizzled out in the area as one of the nearby PA systems crackled in static while being crushed to bits. A towering figure rose up from the debris. It was three or four times tall as an average human, it was not the biggest Muduo that most have seen, but it was the most eerily human-looking. Even hunched back it was easily three times the size of any person present, its disproportionately long and winded arms were retracted in front of it much like a rodent's, attached to a chest that also seemed like a twisted amalgamation of various muscle fibers. A few streaks of flesh were loosely hanging out of the humanoid's chest, behind those streaks a cluster of eyeballs can be seen, all whirling and blinking rapidly. More eyes can be seen peeking through the ribbon-like fibers that the creature's entire body. Upon its shoulders, which looked like an explosion of shadowy tumors sat a half sphere-like object, seemingly acting as ahead. The half-sphere was connected by a thick, trunk-like strip of flesh with two joint-like twists in them. Upon closer inspection, the other half of the sphere is actually a wicker basket-looking structure weaved out of thin muscle fibers, inside the basket sat numerous amount of eyeballs soaked in a small pool of blood.

"He-He-Helllllllll— Hellllllllllll—"

A harrowing screech pierced and echoed through the misty streets as the fleshy ribbons of the humanoid creature began to flail around, aiming at any breathing thing it would reach.

BuggaBoo · Mar 15, 2022

'Deva' - Agent Rai'Shauni

The sound of a lighter being flicked open, flint sparking and flame igniting. The crackling sound of tabacco and paper burning. The whispery sound of an inhale, a pause, then the sighing satisfaction of letting out a plume of smoke underneath the glorious blue skies.

The scowl held firmly, angling downward over watchful blue eyes. Three more drags from her cigarette then she would head on over and finish off the deed. She pushed up the brim of her black box cap with the back of one hand and with the other, she wiped away at the sweat starting to bead at her forehead. Two more drags left. Several small smoke ringlets she blew out in succession as she watched what was left of the horsenoid 'Gam struggle to free itself from the sign post.

And so... It was over just like that. Gunfire of the hard calibre kind from Tip-Toes. Massive concussive blowback from Pizza-Pops (oh, and she was correct in her assumption of who he was). And, of course, plain and simple sheer baddassery from Miss Devastation herself. Blue eyebrows popped up weakly as she shrugged with the same amount of effort.

"Not bad..." she said neath her breath. A thumbs up she raised high for the others without looking over her shoulder. Then with the same hand she pointed at herself, then at the 'Gam. Finally, the thumbs up turned sideways and slid across her throat. "Not bad... at all..."

One more drag left. Leaving a trail of ichor behind, black boots marched on over to confirm the kill. The ritual was the same as always. A simple adjustment of her blue bangs to cover a lone goggled-up eye in that 'just right' fashion. A stretch of her neck to the right, then left. Eyes lighting up electric blue, the spray of white lightning streaking across glistening irises then--

The building wall exploded, her kill was stolen and in the aftermath, he stood there. Of all people. Of all times. Of all places. The man of the Blue Markets Himself... Both hands balled into tight fists and her black combat fatigue covered body lowered, winding up like a predatory spring.

Memories screamed out from the dark of her mind. The metallic eyes of her former squad leader flashed bright and burning like no other, then milky white and empty. A smile of her little brother Mik'Andre, a laugh from her cousin Da'Kanya then the ragged, yellowed sight of just their eyeless bodies being dragged away. Mama and Auntie Mercy wailing and crying, huddled over the empty caskets. Names, faces, voices, screams all lost in the darkness. Missing. Missing corpses. Missing body parts. So many questions. No answers. Only dead end leads. Bad little girls and boys get tossed into the Primordial when they die... Miki and Day were not bad... "No. They are not bad. They are my family... and yoooooou... you false idol..."

Deva was less than 50ft from him. Well within range. There was no running from Clan Wicked now.

Last drag.

Suddenly the sirens wailed, slicing her intent into ribbons. The voice on the PA was killed instantly as it came crashing over and severed its electronic vocal cords.

Cresion Breezes said:
"He-He-Helllllllll— Hellllllllllll—"

The last bit of focus on Owenios died the moment that thing screeched. Deva launched upward once more and landed upon a roof top to get a better look at it. She had never heard such a sound at any one time in her life. But she was told that as soon as she did she would remember it no matter what she did to scrub it clean from her mind. 'The Beginning of Life-altering Trauma.' That is what Auntie Pasha called such a sound.

And it was here where she instantly realized the ineptness of this STF. As glorious as it was to not have some squad leader cram orders down her throat so that Rai could do as she pleased for once, the hollowness she felt was too real; in a situation no one could never prep for, she knew in her heart of hearts, Ice Queen would have known what to do.

Oh well. Time to improvise then... Deva glanced above her, paused and considered a moment, then she snapped her brown fingers. The big red and white metallic thing that hung above her fell. Swiftly and deftly she caught the loud speaker. Measure twice, cut once. Damn you, Laila...

"EYY!! 'Red Devil'... I'mma go high. Take out the arms. Left first, then right..." Deva yelled down below at the red-jacketed man. If she had only turned her cheek a little to the left she would have seen the geyser of Primodials launching at Hungry-Mumbles and Cool-Kid, but her focus was squarely on the huge, twisted, shambling flesh-basket-headed thing coming their way. She hefted up and down the loud speaker in her hands a couple times as she spoke, "...but first I'mma see how hard Basket-case can swat things."

A solid nod she gave him then waved out a hand towards the sniper. Clearly as possible she signalled intent to Tip-Toes. Deva would go on shots fired.

"The Beginning of Life-altering Trauma..."

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