Steel Speedster

Hello, welcome back! Fenna is still active, so that plot-line is still open if you want. We’d just have to fill in some details, since it’s been a year in-universe.

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom Fenna landed lightly on the ground and dashed after Aradan as he took off down the hall. She rolled as he turned to fire a pistol backwards, ducking under the bullets. Flaring pewter, she launched herself into a full sprint. As she sped down the hallway towards her quarry, she drew an aluminum dagger--crafted from a stolen spearhead she had acquired during her visit to New Hallandren a year previous--and prepared to strike. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

I am not very familiar with that series, but I’m guessing you could use Hemalurgy.

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom Fenna turned in surprise as the prisoner, Aradan, broke free of the guards and knocked Mask to the floor, apparently recovering his metals. Storing weight, Fenna leapt up and kicked off a nearby wall, flaring pewter, and launched herself across the room. @Qianweilian

Mask, Underground, Saferoom Mask turned back, raising an eyebrow at the JinDo. "All in good time, Saitaku," he said. "While I appreciate your advice, I assure you, we are thoroughly versed in Hemalurgic practices." Though he made no outward sign of discomfort, Mask was beginning to wonder if he had been a bit hasty in inviting this man into their ranks. The more they interacted, the more unreliable and erratic Saitaku seemed to be. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom Fenna looked back and forth apprehensively between Mask and Aradan. The former looked the prisoner up and down in silence. "So, be it," Mask finally said. "Take him to the laboratory." A pair of guards put rough hands on Aradan's shoulders and began steering him towards a door at the back of the room. Fenna stayed put, unsure whether she was allowed to follow. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

I did post on Monday. (Edit: maybe you weren’t referring to me. If so, disregard.) I'm starting on something right now. I might not have time to finish today, but I'll do so by noon tomorrow at the latest. (Edit: it’s done.)

Busy couple days. I’ll get around to it by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I’m on break starting Saturday.

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom "Because" Mask responded. "Why would you risk yourself for someone you don't know? You don't matter to him. He left you behind. You owe him nothing." Mask turned and began pacing up and down the room. "Even if you refuse me, it doesn't matter. We will find Talin eventually. But you have much to gain by aiding us. And much to lose by refusing." @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom Fenna watched as Mask's eyes narrowed and a subtle smile appeared on his face. "You may call me 'Mask'," he told Aradan. "As you can see, poor Cuvel is unconscious. Your handiwork, I believe." He jerked his head in the direction of the speaker's limp form. "If what you say is true," Mask continued. "Then you acted out of ignorance, not malice. That can be forgiven. In exchange, I only require one thing. Where is this hideout you speak of?"

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom One of the guards handed Mask a bag containing the prisoner's supplies. Mask withdrew a gold ring, briefly contemplating it before tossing it to Aradan. "New here," Mask repeated. "Interesting. In that case, perhaps we can come to an arrangement. You are Twinborn? That is well for you. Otherwise, we might find a less pleasant use for your abilities. But power is precious, and it would be a shame to waste yours. "First, tell me everything you know about Thavel Talin. If your information is good, we can discuss future possibilities." @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom "That is one of our uninvited guests," Mask said. "Very well, Saitaku, you may be released." A nearby grunt knelt down to untie the Selish man. "Now," Mask continued, turning to the other prisoner. "I too would like to know: Who are you? For what purpose did you infiltrate our gathering? What affiliation do you have with young Talin?"

Fenna, Underground, Saferoom Mask stood over the two prisoners and folded his arms. "We have much to talk about," he said. "Let's start with you." He turned to the second of the two, who Fenna now noticed--in the slightly better lighting of this room--appeared to be Selish rather than Scadrian. "I invited you personally," Mask said. "I would like to know why you turned against your fellow guests. All may yet be forgiven. I do not believe I was mistaken in my selection." @Mistfallen Soldier @Qianweilian

Thav, Underground, Meeting Cavern There was no sign of Aradan. If only he could burn bronze, he might be able to locate his companion. Thav quickly dashed forward, dropping a coin on the ground and Pushed off it. Compared to a normal Coinshot, the leap was pathetic--low enough that his use of Allomancy wouldn't be obvious--but it allowed him to get a clearer view of the room. Tapping zinc, he located the men who he thought to be Smokers and fired off a burst of clean shots before landing in a roll. Burning bronze, Thav was rewarded with Allomantic pulses bombarding him from all sides. He tried to eliminate distractions, searching for Aradan's unique signature of iron and pewter combined, but found nothing. Aradan had either escaped already or wasn't burning his metals. Sorry, friend, Thav thought. But I have to get out of here. A Thug charged at him burning pewter, but Thav anticipated the swing, tapping his zincmind, and fired a shot straight into the man's chest. Making another short steel jump over another attacker's head, Thav scanned the room for a way out. Oddly, he detected an Allomantic signature coming from under the floor. As he ran towards it, Thav turned to fire a barrage of shots backwards, sending his pursuers ducking for cover. In the corner of the room, there was a small open crack in the wall. Slipping inside, Thav stumbled down a short set of stairs, leading further down. He slipped and crashed to the floor of a narrow tunnel. Three men stood there, looking down at him in surprise. One held a lantern and two others carried the unconscious form of Cuvel. Before the men could react, Thav tapped zinc and burned bronze, desiphering their Allomantic signatures. Lurcher. Coinshot. Tineye. The Coinshot, who held a lantern in one hand, reached for his gun, but Thav was faster, dropping him with a well-placed aluminum bullet. He scrambled to his feet and forced his way past the other two, causing them to stumble, dropping Cuvel to the floor and then tripping over him. Thav kept running, hearing shouts echoing down the tunnel after him. Other tunnels branched out in various directions. Thav had no idea where he was going, so he randomly selected one of these and started down it, turning off his metals to ensure he couldn't be tracked via bronze. After several minutes, he found himself back in a sewer tunnel. There were no signs of pursuit, so he sank to the ground, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath. Fenna, Underground, Meeting Cavern After several minutes, the group that had pursued Thavel into the secret exit returned empty-handed. Bairn, who had taken charge of the situation, cursed, then climbed onto the platform to address the remaining guests, though many had fled during the chaos. "Those of you who want to join us, come with me," he said, shortly. "Otherwise clear out!" There were two unconscious prisoners in the middle of the room. The first was one of the two interlopers. Fenna didn't know who the other was. Their hands had been tied behind their backs, and a guard--likely a Leecher--stood over them. "Deal with the dead," Bairn ordered one group of grunts as he passed. "This way!" He led the way the secret exit. A group carrying the two prisoners and the unconscious Cuvel followed. Fenna looked around, then did the same. She quickly lost track of direction as they made their way through a series of winding tunnels. After what felt like a long time, the tunnel sloped up, and eventually the group stopped. Bairn reached up and opened a trap door, allowing the group to climb into what appeared to be a basement of some sort. "What is this?" demanded a familiar voice, as the prisoners were lifted through the trapdoor. Fenna climbed up last and recognized Mask standing nearby. "There were...complications, Master Mask," Bairn said. "The Twinborn, Talin, escaped, and his partner didn't show. He brought this one though." Bairn jabbed a finger at Aradan. Mask turned his attention to the large group of new recruits. "Show them out of here," he ordered. Bairn nodded and led the way through a door on the far wall. Fenna made no move to follow and Mask jerked his head in acceptance. Only a few grunts remained in the room. "Wake the prisoners," Mask ordered. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Thav, Underground, Meeting Cavern "Where's your friend?" the Brute demanded, his muscles deflating. "The Steelrunner? I was expecting to have to put two of you down." Thav didn't reply, but instead tapped zinc, thinking through his options. It was hard to tell what was happening outside as everything was moving blurringly fast, but it didn't seem like anyone was taking proper advantage of the situation to surround the bubble. Maybe Aradan was creating a distraction. "Well?" the Brute repeated. "Is he skulking around out there?" Thav looked up and grinned, hoping the bluff would work. The Brute seemed to realize that no one was coming to help him take care of Thav, and he turned in confusion to see what was holding them up. At that moment, Thav scrambled to his feet and dove for the edge of the bubble. The Brute spun back around, cursing and lunged for him, swelling with muscles again, but Thav was just beyond his reach. As he passed through the barrier of the bubble, Thav tapped zinc, quickly taking in the three men waiting for him on the other side and brought down two with well-placed bullets, then nudged the other's gun aside with steel causing the shot to miss, and rammed into him with his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Time to leave, time to leave! He tapped zinc again, looking for a way out. Fenna, Underground, Meeting Cavern Fenna began storing weight and dashed forward as the other man Pulled Cuvel off the platform. She noted the latter's use of steel as he sent a spray of coins at his opponent before being knocked out cold. So, he's a Coinshot and a Soother... She tracked her target's movement through the crowd, then leapt into the air, flying towards him. At the height of her jump, she tapped weight and dropped towards the man preparing a hefty kick. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Cuvel, Underground, Meeting Place Cuvel was taken off guard by the Ironpull and lurched across the room towards Thavel's companion. He wasn't sure where this man had come from, but he certainly hadn't been expecting to deal with a Lurcher. As the man pulled out a pistol, Cuvel reached into his pocket and flung a hand full of coins into the air, then Pushed them straight towards him. @Qianweilian

NPCs associated with the underground organization I've introduced a few characters affiliated with this organization, so I figured I should get character sheets up for them. These will start out a little empty, but I'll try to update them as more information comes out about them. Mask Bairn Cuvel

Thav, Underground, Meeting Cavern "But there are those who would stand in our way," Cuvel continued, and Thav's skin crawled as he realized the man was looking straight at him. "Tell me, Thavel Talin, why are you here? Why do you seek us?" Heads turned in confusion before eventually finding Thav, who now sat with the room's full attention on him. "Do you not see the truth we stand for?" Cuvel demanded, raising his voice. "Why would you oppose us?" Heart racing, Thav tapped zinc considering the speaker's words. He still found it hard to dispute what he had said. "I have one good reason," Thav said, standing. "I'm not hear because of your ideology. I'm here because you sent an Inquisitor to kill me and my friends!" The people around him began whispering loudly, their voices echoing in the cavern. Cuvel smiled. Rusts, Thav cursed. He wanted me to say that. This wasn't going well. Thav took a deep breath, then drew his guns. A strong arm grabbed him from behind and flung him to the side. The air was knocked from his lungs as he slammed into the stone wall and slumped to the ground. He looked up dazed as a man bulging with muscles stepped towards him. A Brute. Thav tapped zinc trying to clear his head. He needed to take out the Smokers so he could use his bronzesense. He quickly identified a pair of guards hanging back in the corners of the room and lined up his shots. Just as he fired, however, the air shimmered and everything began moving at blurring speed, except the musclebound man striding towards him. Rusts. Fenna, Underground, Meeting Cavern Fenna turned in confusion with the rest of the crowd as Cuvel turned his attention to one man in the middle of the crowd. She recognized him as one of the last people to arrive at the meeting. Glancing around, she took a step closer, in case this was something she was supposed to intervene in. Fenna tensed as the man stood, then reached for his guns. Before she could react, however, Bairn--who had apparently been hiding with the rest of the crowd--flung the man across the room and strode towards him. The air shimmered as a cadmium bubble popped up, slowing both Bairn and his opponent to a crawl relative to the rest of the cave. @Qianweilian

Jerrin, Smokestack, Hideout "Normal people don't go in Alleys," Jerrin said. "Even to avoid being captured by the police. It's far too dangerous. Unless...you're the so-called 'Prince of the Alleys'..." He stood up and started pacing. "It all seems so random," he continued. "A Fused, an anti-Investiture explosion, Perses. I don't know why they would be connected, but I have a feeling they are. And whatever is happening, it isn't good." @KnightSkye Reforged Thav, Underground, Meeting Cavern Thav turned his steel on, tracking pieces of metal around him. He couldn't tell for sure who might be Metalborn, but he could tell who wasn't. Unfortunately, most people in the cave had some metal on them, and it was difficult to tell if it was in the form of metal vial or metalminds, or mundane accessories. He kept his steel on to alert him of any sudden movements. A man wearing a brown suit stepped up to the raised platform at one end of the cavern. Immediately, voices quieted down, and people began finding seats. Thav sat down in one of the rows near the back. "Welcome, friends," the man said, smiling broadly. "I hope that you have enjoyed this gathering so far." His eyes swept the room. "But I imagine, you all would like to know why you were invited here." He paused, letting the anticipation build. Clearly a gifted speaker, Thav thought. But I don't think he's in charge of all of this. Just a spokesman. "Allow me to introduce myself," continued the speaker. "You may call me Cuvel. You may not feel it yet, but I can see that there is great kinship between all of us in this room. I may not know you, but I know why you came. You were drawn by the rumors you've heard whispered about us. About what we are doing. All of us are here because of weakness." There were some confused murmurs throughout the cavern, but Cuvel only grinned wider. "I do not say this to insult you, friends. We are all weak to begin with. Some of you may think you have power: perhaps you are an Allomancer, or a noble lord. Some of you know you have nothing. In our own ways, we are weak. We are here because we need more." Many in the crowd were nodding, and Thav himself found himself considering what was being said. "We need more," Cuvel repeated. "to protect our friends; to provide for our families; to stand up for our own dignity. We need more!" Thav found himself being swayed by the argument. He remembered the bodies of his allies--dead because he was too weak. Useless. Come on, keep it together, he told himself. He's just trying to manipulate us. Fenna, Underground, Meeting Cavern Fenna still leaned against the wall near the cavern exit. Cuvel's words seemed to be resonating with his audience. She found herself agreeing. He certainly-- Wait... Fenna smiled. She could feel a faint touch on her emotions. An old strategy, but undoubtedly effective. @Qianweilian @Mistfallen Soldier

Jerrin, Smokestack, Hideout "Thav and I are fine," Jerrin said, curtly. "We're still working together. Just...separately. He's spent his whole life following orders. I need to give him some autonomy right now." "Anyway," he continued, grabbing notepad from one of his desk drawers, "That Fused escape through an Alley. The same one you sent me to investigate. Whoever went through there before him must be an accomplice. But there was someone else. That kid--I don't know if he's a Radiant, or an Allomancer, or something else--was there too. He went through the Alley just before the Fused arrived. I don't know how or if he's involved, but I have my suspicions about who that other person was..." @KnightSkye Reforged @Qianweilian

Oh, yes they are, sorry. I guess I was being a little too secretive. But, yeah, same place.