What Happened in Edmonton

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

"Well, I do have some very useful skills, but... I might jeopardize the... Whatever-it-is you intend to do. Oh. And 'Please-Don't-Kill-Any-Innocents-Right-Now' isn't part of my name, I just nervous around other Epics."

Jade had been trying to find words that could be taken as either slight interest or polite disinterest in Liam's proposition, but Nate's statement buried her thoughts in a rush of panic. 

Other Epics. 

He was talking about Kokichi. He had to be. They were the only obvious Epic at the table; they were who Nate would refer to when he talked about other Epics. Unless Nate had some sort of power enabling him to seek and find anyone unlucky enough to be like him, he'd have to go by sight, and his sight would tell him there were three ordinary people and one Epic engaged in tense conversation over a box of donuts. 

But if he did have that power….

Jade had never been one to hide one of her powers, not in the way most Epics did, anyhow; she still wasn't sure if pretending one belonged to Nathan fit the bill. But from all she'd seen, the revelation of a hidden power was never received well by the Epic's opponent. It was a common trick, but a dirty one—and whoever played it had to be mostly certain they'd win that fight. Losing to an Epic was never a desirable option, but losing to an enraged one with a personal vendetta toward you was a waking nightmare. 

She'd never hidden either of her powers before, but now she'd hidden them both, from two Epics, both of whom were calm now but who might decide at any moment that calmness was for losers and pick a fight. She could get herself and Nathan out of there, of course, but she wouldn't tip her hand unless she had no other choice. And for now, as little as she might like it, she had a choice. 

There were donuts on the table, and those donuts could become any number of things. A smoke bomb, a rubber chicken, something with no other purpose but to make noise and a lot of it—but she couldn't port it to the other side of the shop without porting herself with it, and throwing it would be far too obvious. She thought she heard a frantic skittering noise, but it seemed to come from behind her, and she needed Kokichi and Liam to look behind them if her distraction were to work. 

So, she opted for a more time-tested method. 

Her hand flew to her mouth, and she focused her gaze on the space behind Kokichi and Liam. "Oh my god. Oh…oh my god." 

Nathan, always good at playing along, followed her lead, contorting his face into an expression of horror and disgust. "Oh yeah. That…that looks bad." 

With her free hand, she found Nathan's, and clasped it beneath the table. As soon as the attention of their companions was elsewhere, she could port out of the shop. 

Edited December 1, 2018 by DirtyOoklafaceFullOfLame

[The Young Pyromancer]

Jacklyn was terrified.  Or was she?

She was being escorted somewhere else.  Meeting with someone called... Quietus?  She checked the pamphlet.  Head of security.  The guards around her were giving her pitying glances.  She was visibly nervous, and that might have contributed, but still...

"So, um... who is Quietus?"

The man walked through the base.  It was tricky, what with the hidden paths, the pitfalls, and the spikes in the northern part.  It was a pretty routine day, if any day working for a mysterious Epic overlord was routine.  Still, he admitted with a smirk, he was pretty indispensable, if he did say so himself.  He walked along the path, using a wooden stick, just to be careful.  And then a woman walked out of a place the man knew to be a wall.

Edited December 1, 2018 by Ookla of the Flame

[the winter system]

Lee made to invite Nate-Please-Don’t-Kill-Any-Innocents-Right-Now on their epic quest of murderifcation, which Kokichi was fine with. The more the merrier, if they did say so themself, and they totally did. 

Unfortunately, Nate-Please-Don’t-Kill-Any-Innocents-Right-Now didn’t seem too enthusiastic about the idea. 

“Well, I do have some very useful skills, but... I might jeorparafizs the.. Whatever-it-is you intend to do. Oh. And ‘Nate-Please-Don’t-Kill-Any-Innocents-Right-Now’ isn’t part of my name, I just nervous around other Epics.”

Other Epics? Does that mean he’s one too?

Jeez. They couldn’t swing a cat around in Edmonton without wacking it into one Epic or another. What unfortunate cats. 

They were about to ask if ‘Nate-Please-Don’t-Kill-Any-Innocents-Right-Now’ was their father’s name, but their train of thought was interrupted by an INCRIDBLE UN SUSPiCOUS DISTACTION.

”Oh my god. Oh... oh my god,” Jade said, the ruse as paper thin as... uh, paper. 

”Oh yeah. That... that looks bad,” Nathan added on. 

The INCRIDBLE UN SUSPiCOUS DISTACTION was incredibly suspicious. So, of course, everyone fell for it. Even people who weren’t LISTENING turned their heads. 

Kokichi did not simply turn their head. They turned their entire body, their VERY TOTALLY LONG legs following too. They shot out behind them, the exposed skin of the top of their making contact with Jade’s ankles at the most contrived angle possible with an improbably soft touch at the last possible moment.

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

I just nervous around other Epics.

Nate’s words. Liam raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the slip. Yet another Epic. He almost chuckled. How many Epics could he meet in one day and still stay alive? Who knows…

Before he could speculate Nate’s abilities, Jade’s eyes went wide. “Oh my god. Oh... oh my god,” she said, staring off behind them. Without missing a beat, Nathan grimaced. “Oh yeah. That… that looks bad.” Liam frowned. He hadn’t heard anything, no commotion to herald an accident.

He was about to call out the pair for their ill-timed attempt at distraction when Kokichi spun around to look behind them, limbs spinning out like helicopter blades. Liam ducked on reflex, nearly sliding backwards. For a startled second, Liam blinked.

And when he opened his eyes, Kokichi was gone. He stared at the space where the exuberant Epic had just been for a moment, then realized Jade and Nathan were gone as well. Could it have been Kokichi? The thought crossed Liam’s mind, but he shook his head. Never had they spontaneously disappeared, at least not without a cue of some sort.

So, the question was, Jade or Nathan?

After a moment of thought, Liam stood and gripped Nate’s shoulder. “Well, looks like you’re along for the ride. Time to find some Epics,” he said.

[Ataraxian Wist]

“Well, looks like you’re along for the ride. Time to find some Epics,” Liam said, gripping Nate's shoulder as he stood up.

"I... Well... Yeah, that seems as good an idea as any. Plus you'll be safer - physically, aside from some pain - if I'm there. No telling what he can do."

Liam gave him a funny look.

"What's with-" Nate muttered "... Oh. I meant Nathan, not Ko... kichi, was it?. Nathan seemed suspicious."

Nate checked both hips for his guns, then pulled the airsoft model from his left holster. He didn't want to kill someone by mistake, but if he was hit then the guns would be virtually the same within his power-range.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Ookla the Palindrome
added "if"

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

"I... Well... Yeah, that seems as good an idea as any. Plus you'll be safer—physically, aside from some pain—If I'm there. No telling what he can do."

Liam gave him a funny look. The stammering made it difficult to understand the man sometimes. Something about his powers?

"What's with-" Nate muttered "... Oh. I meant Nathan, not Ko... kichi, was it? Nathan seemed suspicious."

“Nathan?” Liam considered it. “He could be the Epic of the two, or Jade is, or both. And I’m sure Kokichi will be fine.” A smile crossed his face as he thought about what might be going on wherever they were. He couldn’t fathom exactly what Kokichi might do, but it would be ridiculous. And likely very inhibiting for their captors.

Liam grabbed a doughnut from the neglected box on his way towards the exit. Now, where could they be, he wondered. Kokichi must have some sort of effect on the teleporter… somewhere thematically-appropriate…

“Hey Nate, know of anything… peculiar or important happening in town? Or maybe something to do with Karabiner?”

[Ataraxian Wist]

“Hey Nate, know of anything… peculiar or important happening in town? Or maybe something to do with Karabiner?”

"Karabiner? The weapons Epic?" Fought to control of his voice, which had risen to a much higher tone than  his usual baritone. "I can only imagine. I'm new here, but I have a car." His voice slowly returned to normal as he finished.

"That must have sounded weird," he muttered.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

They weren't outside the shop. 

That had been Jade's goal. Not a flashy one, not a terribly ambitious one—and that was the point. Just port outside the shop, somewhere out back, and hightail it to the nearest place offering relative privacy so they could determine what to do next. Jade would have argued to leave the city; she wasn't sure what Nathan would have wanted to do, but it probably wouldn't have involved staying near the shop. 

She stood on a street, one that hadn't weathered Calamity well, if the cracks and potholes were anything to go by. To one side, a tree-lined street, the branches overgrown and tangled up with each other, forming a haphazard canopy over driveways and rooftops. To the other, a stadium. The sports team it hosted was probably long defunct, the audience who watched them long gone, but the stadium still stood beside her. 

So did Kokichi. 

They didn't stand, technically speaking; whatever weird dance move Jade had only caught a glimpse of had sent them into an awkward sprawling position, and that was the position they'd ported in. 

Kokichi was there. 

They'd known, they'd apparently been one of the only people in the shop who had guessed what Jade was about to do, and they'd tagged along on purpose. 

Jade's first thought was for some sort of weapon, but the mere idea of holding a gun or a baseball bat turned her stomach, and it was too late for subtlety anyway. Somehow, Kokichi had guessed what she was and pretending otherwise was pointless—and possibly deadly now, if Kokichi had planned to exploit her powers, or to do something to her, or to Nathan. 

Kokichi was already starting to their feet, complicating Jade's original idea, but she went with it anyway. A puddle of cooking oil appeared beneath their shoes, spreading outward about two feet as the topmost surface of the asphalt was transformed to the slick substance, the second layer becoming smooth concrete. Jade folded her arms. 

"I can do a lot worse than that, if you don't explain why we're here instead of the place I picked." 

Edited December 2, 2018 by DirtyOoklafaceFullOfLame

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

“Karabiner?” Nate’s voice shot up in pitch. “The weapons Epic? I can only imagine. I’m new here, but I have a car.” Liam was about to ask if he needed a ride and was pleased to have his question answered. Nate then mumbled something, but Liam didn’t catch it.

Liam walked outside, leading Nate along. “Well, you can follow my van then,” he said over his shoulder. The way Nate’s voice peaked when he mentioned Karabiner intrigued him, but he let it slide. He could get around to possibly interrogating him after they found Kokichi.

They crossed the street, and Liam walked to the alley where the van was parked. He turned to Nate, hand on the door. “If you happen to see anything out of the ordinary, flash your brights. Okay?”

[The Young Pyromancer]

Nicroburst was walking down the street with Blindside when all of a sudden three figures appeared in front of them.  The one directly in front of them gestured, and the thing in front of her fell to the ground again.  The woman folded her arms.  "I can do a lot worse than that, if you don't explain why we're here instead of the place I picked."

Nicroburst looked at the sky and let out a loud groan.  

"Of course, not one, not two, but three in one day.  And if you count them individually, it's what, 8?  First an ambush, then the sky blacks out, then I just have to be noble and help someone up, and they turn out to be a sparking perception Epic who gives me a headache, and then, when I finally get a handle on things, a pair of Epics appear from thin air and start a fight!  Oh, and the whole thing happens to be on my sparking birthday!"

Edited December 2, 2018 by Ookla of the Flame

[Ataraxian Wist]

"... Out of the ordinary, flash your brights. Okay?" Liam finished, walking a bit further and into an alley, ostensibly the location of his van.

Nate turned to get into his car, then thought better and went to the trunk first. Opening the spare tire compartment, he removed a black and red armored vest, took off his jacket and put the vest on, then returned his jacket to his shoulders.

"... Offer much protection, but the mags are worth it. Neither will really matter if I go Bloodlight, but they might keep me stable."

He took bracers of the same style and purpose from it and put them on, sliding each sleeve up to strap them to his forearms, fingers sliding neatly through holes at the first knuckle.

"... Hope I don't need these," he was saying. "Knee guards? No, they don't go well over jeans, might pinch." With more time, he would have put them on underneath, or changed into better pants for it, but just then he was in a hurry.

"Ready," he confirmed to himself, closing the trunk and walking to the driver door. He unlocked it and climbed in, then started the Saab, which let out a beautiful purring sound.

A van pulled out of the alley Liam had gone into. Looking through the window, Nate saw that it was Liam driving, and he put his foot on the accelerator to follow him.

It would be a few minutes before he realized there was another van following him.

[the winter system]

One moment, Kokichi was crooning to examine the DISTACTION. The next moment, they were... no longer doing that. 

It wasn’t the sort of subtle jump cut they were used to— this was a violent uprooting of reality. There wasn’t any sort of understanding of how they’d hypothetically gotten here, wherever the heck here was. 

Teleportation. A rare ability, made rarer ever since a good twenty or so of them got roasted to the death in Oregon. Some peeps would categorize Kokichi’s cuts as teleporting, but some peeps were idiots who’d never experienced both.

Nathan and Jade had come with Kokichi. 

They’d guessed those two were hiding something— they’d KNOWN they were. Jade and (?) Nathan being secret Epics made sense. It was the exact sort of stupid nonsense that happened sometimes. 

They recovered from the shock easily, jumping up and brushing clouds of dust off their clothes and took stock of the strangers again. If they could be friends, that’d be pretty rad. 

Jade’s face indicated she wasn’t in the friend making mood. Suspicion was etched into the lines of her face, and she positioned herself in front of Nathan in the same way they’d done for Lee. Yikes. 

The ground beneath them melted, turning from solid asphalt into some sorta liquid. The transition was quick, shooting from their feet outwards. Kokichi’s bright blue crocs sunk into the Earth; the unrecognizable yellow liquid rising up to their knees. 

A strand of Jade’s curly black hair fell in her face and shadows covered her eyes in a rather ominous manner as she crossed her arms. She didn’t step forward or make any grand proclamations about her name or her purpose. This wasn’t about ego, and it wasn’t some sort of test. 

“I can do a lot worse than that, if you don’t explain why we’re here instead of the place I picked.” 

Kokichi was frozen, a deer in the headlights of a car that was considering running them over.

Any attempt at threatening her in return would fall flat. There wasn’t any specific time limit on their nightmare face, but their uncontrolled flash back made them too unstable. It didn’t really matter. Whatever they could conjur, hers was stronger. 

Did she know she was using their power? 

If she did, what did that mean? 

Jade didn’t laugh cruelly. No smile, sharp and sadistic, split her lips. All they saw was the thin line of determination. 

The question...

“Not on purpose,” Kokichi managed, the playful note gone. If this was an ordinary exchange, with an ordinary Epic, they’d never acquiesce to demands. Turning the tables was what they did. “Things... just sort of happen around me.”

Understatement of the century. Things just sort of happened around them in the same way that hurricanes were a little bit wind. 

They toyed with a strand of hair with one hand, twirling and untwirling it, trying to ignore the sloshing liquid filling their shoes.

Matter manipulator. Teleporter. Two of the more powerful abilities, things they could only mimic with their temperamental reality warping. They’d heard rumors of someone who had that particular combob of powers. Someone who they’d been compared to in terms of style. It probably wasn’t her, though. Not enough sparkles. Besides, most people said she’d died two years back.

And then things got weirder.

The sound of loud complaining broke off The Stare from Actually Really Terrifying Epic Jade, so they quickly turned to face the Hopefully Less Terrifying New Epic.

“Of course, not one, not two, but three in one day.  And if you count them individually, it's what, 8?  First an ambush, then the sky blacks out, then I just have to be noble and help someone up, and they turn out to be a sparking perception Epic who gives me a headache, and then, when I finally get a handle on things, a pair of Epics appear from thin air and start a fight!  Oh, and the whole thing happens to be on my sparking birthday!"

“Happy birthday?” Kokichi said, unsure of how to react. Eight Epics in one day wasn’t that uncommon for them, but their luck was weird. Just, the weirdest. 

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Kokichi sank up to their knees in oil. 

Jade hadn't meant to do that. 

In an instant, a thought was in her head—a dark basement, another Epic, a teleporter who couldn't manipulate emotion but she hadn't known that, sunk in concrete. 

"I'm going to kill you…." 

Bile rose in her throat, and she forced it back. She hadn't meant to trap Kokichi in oil; she'd just meant to put a puddle of it beneath their feet, make escaping without face-planting on the asphalt a lot more difficult. She didn't want them dead. She just wanted answers. 

“Not on purpose." The playful note in their voice was gone, replaced by something closer to fear. Not terror, it wasn't terror, no matter how much Jade's mind might be telling her so. “Things... just sort of happen around me.”

Not an implausible statement, corroborated by the way their sprinkle-covered donut had become a work of sugary, deep-fried art in their hand and how Jade's puddle of oil had turned into a small sinkhole. Still, doubt niggled at the back of her mind. It seemed too neat, too convenient, like the sort of thing that would happen to the resident bad luck magnet on some kid's show. Standing in place, twirling their hair and shuffling their feet as much as the oil would allow—it could all be an act. For all Jade knew Kokichi could have had some reason for bringing them all to some stadium.

“Of course, not one, not two, but three in one day.  And if you count them individually, it's what, 8?  First an ambush, then the sky blacks out, then I just have to be noble and help someone up, and they turn out to be a sparking perception Epic who gives me a headache, and then, when I finally get a handle on things, a pair of Epics appear from thin air and start a fight!  Oh, and the whole thing happens to be on my sparking birthday!"

….a stadium haunted by someone—probably an Epic, given how Jade's day had gone thus far—who was apparently having a more action-packed day than anyone in their little group combined. 

She was about to turn the oil to water, just to prevent danger from any sudden bursts of flame, but remembered there were Epics who could enhance another Epic's powers. Maybe that's what this newcomer was. Maybe turning the oil to water would strand Kokichi in the middle of a brand-new lake, complete with lake monsters and undertows that usually didn't appear in bodies of water that small.

She left the oil as it was. Best not to make a bad situation worse. 

Especially not when she could maybe possibly make it a little bit better. 

"Happy birthday?" Kokichi said, sounding as unsure as Jade felt. 

"I…I can make you a cake, if you want?" She turned from Kokichi, stealing a glimpse of the newcomer. "I mean, if it's your birthday." 

"She does make good cake," Nathan put in. 

Edited December 2, 2018 by DirtyOoklafaceFullOfLame

[The Young Pyromancer]

"Happy birthday?' the strange figure in the oil offered.

The woman offered cake, which was recommended by her male entourage.

Nicroburst thought about it.

"You know what?  Why not."  He grinned.  "I'm Nicroburst.  I'd shake your hand, but, well, you probably wouldn't appreciate it.  This is the aforementioned perception Epic, who doesn't realize her power has stopped working."  He jerked a thumb at his covert companion.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Ookla of the Flame

[Ataraxian Wist]

Amanda's sight had returned several minutes before the van pulled out of the alleyway by the doughnut shop.

Her delusions, however, remained shattered.

She knew Skeet was a lying backstabber of an Epic, worse even then others of his kind because he had pretended to care about her. Pathetic, she thought. That's what he called me, but can I really blame him? I am pathetic, really.

But somehow, despite his clear disregard for her feelings, she loved him. She would never say it, but she could no more easily deny it outright. She needed him. His smiles that went clear through his eyes when nobody else was there, the stability and warmth of his embrace, and the little security she got from his being ther3e on her ventures. She knew, of course, that he could never save her from those parts of her missions that she most hated, but... Well... He couldn't. Could he?

In any case, his comment bit. As the van rolled out, Amanda decided not to even bother with stopping herself from sliding around on the floor. It just wasn't worth it. Karabiner had tech at the Picket that would patch up any scrapes she got, so she wouldn't scar or be in pain for too long.

That was far from true of her mind.

Nudge drove the van out of the alley to follow the target - a red Saab 9000 Aero, driven by a young man whom Karabiner had confirmed as the Epic Bloodlight. he didn't think he had been noticed yet, and hoped to keep it that way, but, well... City blocks only helped one stay out of sight and on target if one knew where the target was going. Which Nudge didn't. Yet.

Nudge hit a button on the dash.

"How may I be of assistance, Operative Nudge?" It was Charles the artificial intelligence from the Picket. He was connected to all of the mobiles.

"Our target is that red car we're following, and we want to keep out of sight by taking an alternate route," Nudge answered. He almost continued, put paused to confirm "you do have our cameras, right?"

"I am logged on to the cameras installed in and on your vehicle, yes.," replied Charles.

"Great. Do you have footage of that doughnut place?"

"Only from the van, but I caught the disappearance of two or three Epics inside. The vehicles Master karabiner sent ahead to secure the stadium where he's going later show the same three people, along with two others."

Nudge was a bit lost by that information. "And the point is...?"

"I suspect - and I'm just a computer, so this could be wrong - that the driver of the van your target is following, if not your target himself,  is looking for his friends from Destination Doughnuts. In other words, the stadium is your "best bet."

Nudge drove toward the stadium, trying to steer his route as close to Bloodlight as possible, so as to see him a few times from behind. He didn't seem to be going to the stadium directly, but he was going in more or less the right direction.

Skeet had remained silent that whole time, and Nudge looked over to see what he was up to. Skeet was staring at his knees, his face a mask of pure loathing. For whom - or what, as the case may have been - though, Nudge had no idea.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

It took a moment for all of what Nicroburst—or was it Microburst?—said to really kick in. 

It was his birthday, or so he claimed. Jade didn't much care whether or not that bit was true. Real birthdays and fake birthdays alike called for cake, cake was awesome, and only Epics like Lightwards were not only capable of ignoring cake, but liable to make some grouchy remark about it and maybe knock it the slice you had out of your hand before munching on a piece of fried Spam. 

She'd said it before and she'd say it again: Lightwards should have changed his name to Captain Lame-O. 

Birthdays and cake aside, there was another Epic with him. Two Epics, both in good enough moods from the look of it, but she knew better than most how quickly that could change. 

"A pair of Epics appear from thin air and start a fight!"

She hadn't meant to start a fight, and she could see now from the look on Kokichi's face that they hadn't tried to either. Maybe they'd brought Jade and Nathan there to the stadium, but a fight hadn't seemed to be their intention. And now they were up to their knees in oil and looking like...

She had to get them out of there, before more memories could gush out and leave her a blubbering mess. Now would be ideal, but what with Micro-Nicroburst and his Epic companion standing there with Nathan behind her, she'd have to settle for soon. 

With some difficulty, she flashed a grin. Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't, and she hoped it would work this time. "So before I get started on that cake, could you guys scootch back just a little bit? Just while I get Kokichi out of all that oil? Won't take long." 

[the winter system]

“I... I can make a cake, if you want?” Jade suggested, with an equally uncertain tone. “I mean, if it’s your birthday.”

”She does make good cake.” Speaking of birthdays... Theirs had to be coming up soon-ish. It wasn’t very important to them, given how loosely they kept track of their own age, but it was a thing. They were pretty sure they were nineteen now. In the future, they’d be twenty.

Every day felt long, every night felt longer, and all the time in between had been exhausting. 

They stopped looking back. It was pointless to dwell on the past or the future anyway. The present was all that mattered.

“You know what?  Why not." He didn’t seem to have realized how badly he’d interrupted the tense situation, which Kokichi chalked up to their abilities. They were grateful for his timing anyway. "I'm Nicroburst.  I'd shake your hand, but, well, you probably wouldn't appreciate it.  This is the aforementioned perception Epic, who doesn't realize her power has stopped working." 

A threat? Or just a statement of fact? Maybe both, but he didn’t seem anywhere near as threatening as Jade.

They followed finger to the aforementioned perception Epic, before turning back to Nicroburst.

“So before I get started on that cake, could you guys scootch back just a little bit? Just while I get Kokichi out of all that oil. Won’t take long.” 

 

Her smile trembled a little, a crack in a casual facade, faint lines wriggling around her to indicate a mild tremor. Kokichi understood, if her powers worked the same way as theirs did. Most other Epics didn’t talk about the costs of their abilities, but they knew plenty got tired or hungry after using them. Bad memories rising to the surface was probably something like that. To get something, peeps always have to give something of equal value.

 

“Is there something I should do, or...?” 

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

"Is there something I should do, or….?" 

"No! Nope, I mean, just…" There were a number of things that could eased the process of getting Kokichi out of that oil—a rope lift, maybe, or a set of steps leading out of the hole and onto solid ground—but Jade wasn't about to risk…whatever had happened to get Kokichi in the oil. If her powers had interacted with theirs, chances were a rope would turn into some kind of python and a set of stairs would become a ramp just as they reached the final step. Best to do things the old-fashioned way. 

Jade took both of Kokichi's hands in hers and pulled, but she'd never been all that strong and her powers hadn't exactly encouraged her to build up much upper-body strength. She felt Kokichi strain, trying to get out, and briefly considered just teleporting them out. 

Briefly.

"Here. Uh…" 

Jade gratefully moved aside, and Nathan took one of Kokichi's hands. She pulled, gave it her all, trying not to think how awkward the scene must look to Nicroburst or the multitude of other Epics who were probably watching, given her luck that day. 

[+Ark1002]

Ichor grinned as he shoved his hand into the chest. With a meer touch, his body had become devoid of any stop on bleeding. His blood would no longer clot. Smiling, he pulled out a massive knife, reveling in the fear ripe in the face of the teenager. The screams continued for hours.

Ochor gestured, and the brutish man took the corpse away. He grinned wildly, looking at his next subject. A thirteen year old girl, chained to the table, wearing nothing. This would be a large experiment. How far it could go. "So, you have a few options." He leaned in, breathing on her neck. Her face was full of pure terror. "You can die." She shook her head, trying to speak through the gag. Tears filled her eyes. "Or you can become mine." She nodded, panicking. Then the nod turned to screams. She was a new species by the time it was over.

Artemis looked on, a feeling of disgust filling her. Ichor was showing off his newest creation. His pet. She dealt with him because he was the most powerful of the Olympians let alive, now that Kronos was dead. But that... that was disgusting. He loved his toys. He was disgusting. She turned, walking out.

[the winter system]

"No! Nope, I mean, just…" 

The hesitation and shift in tone was accompanied with a high jump, a background of pink, smaller pupils... all the typical indicators of minor panic, before Jade settled down. The clarification had her blushing. 

She reached out her hands, clasping Kokichi’s with them. Her grip wasn’t anything special, and their core strength was practically non existent. No magic buffness, they observed. It took a few moments of sweating for her to give up.

“Here. Uh...” 

Nathan took one of their hands, helping her out. He was stronger but not unmaple-y so. Together, they helped Kokichi clamber out of the surprisingly deep pit.

To be fair, it wouldn’t have been that hard to get out of for a taller person —NOT THAT THEY WERE SHORT OR ANYTHING. 

They stood up and shook off most of the oil, splattering it onto their new partners in crime, or whatever. Speaking of partners in crime, Kokichi needed to track down Lee. Or, at the very least, guarantee his safety.

”Can you teleport people to you?” they asked Jade, melodramatically. “I need to find Lee. He’ll be hopelessly lost and in max danger without me. I’m sure he’s almost dead in the gutter or something!”  

There, Kokichi thought, somewhat smugly as they gestured, orange and yellow background around them. He’d show up safe, and they’d be shown as silly slash overprotective. Probably with Nate-Please-Don’t... whatever, they’d just call him Nate P.D.K... in tow. He wasn’t getting away from that nickname so easily. 

[DrakeMarshall]

"A few things," his new epic purred, sending tendrils of blood to unlock her cuffs with a click. Quietus smiled. It confirmed the prospect that she was stronger than she looked. She hadn't genuinely been defeated by a handful of ERA mooks.

"Some boring. Tracking and empathy aren't much." Translation: I haven't properly cultivated those abilities.

"Others?"

She bowed in front of him, her jacket slipping off to expose her bare skin. The scars didn't subtract very much from her appeal. Blood lanced out from her back, and yet more blood gathered along her skin, coalescing in two long feelers. They unfurled and stretched out behind her back like two extra limbs, which made an approximation of jazz hands.

"Biokinesis," Quietus observed. "Charming. I can work with this."

He began walking, motioning for her to follow without waiting for her to keep up. The enforcers would clean up the aftermath; lets be honest, it was all they were good for.

"In the future, if I see fit to restrain you, you will not free yourself without permission. The same does not extend to any other members of this organization, of which you are not a part of. You are my tool. As with any tool, I must learn the ins and outs, so to speak."
He paused.
"When we finish testing your ability, I will hurt you. It's important to establish our relationship. It will also give me a clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, I would do all of this more... Comprehensively. As it is, we are going to do some of it on the job. There's a meeting I would like you to attend."

He converged on a squat grey building, in better repair than most.

"This barracks bunks ten enforcers. Kill them. To keep things interesting, I will raise the alarm five seconds after you enter the building."

"Now, that's hardly fair. You're blowing this grossly out of proportion. I didn't attack your headquarters. Er, well, I guess I sort of did, but it was an accident, I swear."

Guns cocked in response. Five uniformed Alberta police glared her down.

"Are you sure we can't talk about it? Maybe over a box of donuts?"

A warning shot broke the silence, devestating a perfectly good spot of pavement a few inches in front of Taya's right foot.

"Phooey," she retorted.

She ducked behind a sturdy(ish?) looking corner of appartment, avoiding a salvo of bullets. This time, they were actually positioned to kill her. Somebody threw a sparking grenade near the bend. These guys weren't messing around. Probably 'cause she was supposedly an epic. In the interests of not exploding, she risked exposing her leg to boot the grenade down the street. It was still uncomfortably loud. She really hoped that storefront hadn't belonged to anyone.

"Any time now..."

Gunshots continued to rip sporadically through the air, and Taya could hear voices and heavy footfalls converging on her retreat.

A red Volkswagon bus appeared up the street. She expected that.

What she didn't expect was the two cars that were tailing it.

[the winter system]

“Biokinesis," Quietus remarked, with marginal interest. Red didn’t clarify; it was close enough to accurate, although somewhat overstating her range of options. “Charming. I can work with this."

Red flickered the tendrils back and forth, before returning most of the blood to where it’d rested, reforming the armor beneath her clothes as she pulled her coat back on.

It was slightly chilly out, and the air bit at her exposed skin. Nothing particularly extreme, so nothing worth the attention. 

Elsewhere in the city, three heartbeats vanished before reappearing elsewhere. They’d faded into the background, but their sudden shift drew Red’s attention. She’d heard those patterns before. One belonged to a teleporter, and since teleporters were rare...

Who...?

He’d begun talking again— walking forward— so she hurried to catch up. 

"In the future, if I see fit to restrain you, you will not free yourself without permission. The same does not extend to any other members of this organization, of which you are not a part of. You are my tool. As with any tool, I must learn the ins and outs, so to speak."

Red had been prey, a hunk of meat, a dog, a toy, and many other things, several too lewd to think explicitly. Tool was a familiar label, and like the others, it came with its own sets of rewards. It was a style, one practiced by distinct masters, and mistresses, and bosses of entirely unique genders. 

She had no preferences, only standards. Quietus spoke to set expectations and boundaries. He was in part clinical, but there was a passion behind his plain yet harsh words. Experimentation, trial and error... it would be her pleasure to be his.

And her master was part of an organization, one she would not be. A fair arrangement, presumably to prevent his colleagues from stealing her away. Quietus was a man who would not tolerate competition in his affairs. Understandable, even admirable.

If not ordered against such an act, Red would most certainly slay anyone who competed with her for her master’s attention. 

"When we finish testing your ability, I will hurt you.” 

He did not look at her, though she imagined he would predict her reaction. Her own heart pounded with excitement, natural blush joining artificial beneath the skin on her cheeks. She considered slicing herself a wider grin to express her enthusiasm, but hey, who knew if Quietus was into that sorta thing anyway?

Besides, that was the sorta thing someone did to her, not something she’d do to herself. It’d ruin a perfectly good bonding opportunity! 

“It's important to establish our relationship. It will also give me a clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, I would do all of this more... Comprehensively. As it is, we are going to do some of it on the job. There's a meeting I would like you to attend."

A meeting? Not one he had to attend, with her along as a show of strength to the rest of the boring lame-o Epics around town, but one he wanted her to attend? Oh, this was forward indeed. 

"This barracks bunks ten enforcers. Kill them. To keep things interesting, I will raise the alarm five seconds after you enter the building."

A command already? And one that seemed to go against some sort of order? Maybe the one he was in? Would she be a tool of treason? Quite risqué of him. She’d be happy to oblidge. 

Red stepped forward, the blood separating off of her. Based on the heartbeats, she could estimate where the heads of the enforcers would be. Still, no need to be precise when blunt force would do. 

Waves of rusty red snuck through every opening in the building, coalescing around areas just outside where the enforcers were eating. Once a good hundred or so relatively dense gallons of blood surrounded every exit, she flooded the room. 

Panic. 

Dread.

Resignation. 

She couldn’t see their faces. The sensory feedback from her blood was faint, and it grew more so the further away from her it was. Still, the acceleration and eventual stop of all ten beats told her everything she needed to know. 

Water was dangerous, in large volumes and especially when moving quickly. Objects could get caught in its waves. Hydrokinetics, particularly those with the range of Regalia, were powerful.

To call an ocean of controlled blood dangerous would be an understatement. Its viscosity made it hard to escape, and most maples, along with some failures of Epics, panicked when faced with so much of the stuff.

Red had long since grown used to the omnipresent smell of rust, so she used the natural disgust against her victims. Their revulsion didn’t let them think. The panic made them breath quickly, letting the blood into their lungs and drowning them. 

It was, from what she’d witnessed, a rather unpleasant way to die. And this was just the second trick up her coat sleeves.

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

As he put the key in ignition, Liam instinctively relaxed. He could trust the van. It was his own creation. Carefully, he pulled out of the alley and checked over his shoulder for Nate and his ride, whatever that might be. An old red car pulled up behind him after a moment. Assuming that was Nate, Liam accelerated.

Unfortunately, there was one wrench in the plan: Liam had no idea where Kokichi could be. They had no earpiece that the Circle could track, no indication of their location that had been left behind. And, now that he thought about it, he didn’t have much clue of where he was currently.

Liam tapped on the dash, and the interface dinged. A rotating maple icon hovered for a few seconds while it calibrated before dissolving into a map of Edmonton. A blinking dot indicated the van. Northwest of city center, he repeated to himself. Quite the jump from before.

He pressed another icon on the dash and waited a second. “Greetings, Agent Moose.” Call desk.

“Run a search of unusually high groupings of Epics in the Edmonton area.”

There was the clattering of a keyboard. “Yes, sir. Low intel will slow down the process, I’m afraid.”

Liam anxiously drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Is Margaret’s counter finished? I remember it was in development,” he said as he turned the corner.

“I am unaware—wait, here she is.” Shuffling noises and hints of muttering filtered through the com before Margaret’s voice came through. “Hello, Moose.”

“Hello Margaret. Is the power counter complete?” Liam inquired.

“No—” A burst of gunfire outside drowned out her words. “—But more importantly, find ‘Agent Rook.’” There was an explosion, followed by more gunfire.

Liam slowed the van to a stop just as a figure sprinted out into the street. He leaned over the com. “Sorry, a bit busy all of a sudden. Will get back to you about Rook,” he said hastily, then ended the transmission. He scooped up his shotgun and scrambled to put his jacket on but paused. Did he want to get in a fight right now? The decision was simple; Liam laid on the horn and gestured for the person to sparking get out of the road.

[DrakeMarshall]

On 12/19/2018 at 0:46 PM, winter devotion said:

Red had been prey, a hunk of meat, a dog, a toy, and many other things, several too lewd to think explicitly. Tool was a familiar label, and like the others, it came with its own sets of rewards. It was a style, one practiced by distinct masters, and mistresses, and bosses of entirely unique genders. 

Lets be honest, the only reason Quietus is calling Red a tool because she is one

 

Blindside followed Nathaniel or whatever his name was, not really paying that much attention. Interesting that the government didn't have epics. She wasn't sure if that meant she would automatically be higher up in the organization if she decided to join them, or if they would shut her out for being epic. Something to look into.

"I'm Nicroburst. I'd shake your hand, but, well, you probably wouldn't appreciate it. This is the aforementioned perception Epic, who doesn't realize her power has stopped working."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. He was an epic? Blindside cursed internally.

"This is awkward. I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Blindside. To be honest, I already forgot my fake name, so it's just as well."

It was Stephany, her other self supplied.

You're still there?

"Ummm I think my powers still work," she added.

Blindside stood there for a prolonged moment, searching for something to say.

"Happy Birthday? Please don't threaten me again or I'll give you more than a headache."

There was like, 4 other epics. Should she run?

Wait and see.

The sparking colorful epic that was dripping oily grossness everywhere was asking about his missing friend. He-- No, she-- No, they sounded concerned. Anybody who cared that much about their friends couldn't be too bad, right?

"Sorry, but who are you three?"

 

Quietus said he would raise the alarm once she entered the barracks, and so she did the deed all while standing outside. She had followed the rule to the letter.

He threw his head back and laughed, his whole being wracked by mirth.

"Well executed."

The blood seeped through the cracks. Ten employees murdered.

"That's enough for now." He kept moving, the expression sliding off his face. Don't care all that much about the details, anyway.

 

"Here we are. Headquarters. I recommend you only ever enter through the front door."

He made a beeline for Epoch, but was intercepted by Ashla.

"There's been an attack. One of the barracks--"

"Yeah, heard about that. Guess I was too slow to prevent the epic from causing some collateral damage. Simply tragic." He smiled disingenuously, flashing his best cross-me-and-i-will-paint-the-walls-and-ceilings-with-your-blood-three-times-over look. "She'll be disciplined of course."

Ashla narrowed her eyes, but remained silent. She knew she was powerless. The act was calculated, with enough leeway that Epoch wouldn't take her side if she petitioned to him over this. Epoch was careful about how he picked his battles.

Satisfied, Quietus shouldered her aside, approaching Epoch. He was dressed elegantly, and lounged on a plush brown armchair. He lacked the solidness some epics had, his frame relatively short and slender, his face marked by lines of premature age brought on by overuse of his powers. Nonetheless, Quietus knew from experience that Epoch was stronger than he looked, in every sense of the word.

"I see you've mopped up the border situation." Epoch looked over Red, raising an eyebrow.

"My meeting will happen at eight tonight. Before then, I have a prisoner for you to deal with."

Epoch handed Quietus a file. An epic by the name of Jacklyn. He leafed through the mugshots.

"I'd be happy to 'deal with' her, if you know what I mean."

"That won't be necessary," Epoch said, annoyance creeping into his voice. "You can hurt her a little; nothing permanent. Just verify that she doesn't mean any harm."

"Of course."

[Voidus]

Neverthere applauded softly, stepping out of a wall as Amethyst rounded a corner. The girl had moved through the border and into the city proper, and with much less of an interruption than some other recent arrivals in the city had caused. Seemed like she'd be useful after all.

"You left the one that touched you alive." Neverthere noted. "But I suppose we can overlook that given that you don't know what the power balance in the city is like. You never know if the Epics here are the kind to have unreasonable attachment to their pets."

She dissipated into mist momentarily, reappearing at Amethyst's side a moment later and beginning to walk in step with her.

"Well you've managed to get into the city now, I'm sure you'll be able to figure all of that out for yourself. And if not, well, I might drop by to give you a hint from time to time."

Would Amethyst manage to keep herself alive long enough to be worth the trouble of looking after her? Neverthere wasn't entirely convinced but the city had seemed more stable than those of Oregon so far, which didn't exactly count for much, but it was something. For now, best to treat the girl as though she would be a useful tool, if needed she could always dispose of her later. But what to do with her now?

"I'm going to be busy for a while, I would just hate for you to get bored without me though." Neverthere said with another too-sweet smile. "Tell you what, there's a meeting not too far away. See if you can make some new friends there."

She gave Amethyst directions, steering her clear of the hotspots of Epic activity occurring throughout the city.

"I'll catch up with you later to see how it goes, just don't be too taken in by any of the others there." She concluded. "I want to have you to myself for a while so don't make me regret helping you."

Without waiting for a reply, Neverthere vanished once more.