Zen

[size=1] Des just looks like Des. I based his whole appearance off of pictures I've seen of him around the boards, haha. But now that I think about it, he does look a bit like Carridine just off-handedly. I just needed a guy to play my master, and Des seemed like the best choice, being both an Admin and a long time member. Also, his appearance I've already seen, and I figured he'd 'look' the best in that sort of situation. Basically everyone's appearance is based off of pictures I've seen of them (save Sakura who gave me a description). So yeah.[/size]

[size=1] Thanks for the comments you guys, I appreciate it. Hopefully things'll get better as I continue. Here's the next chapter. Please forgive the briefness of it. I was rushed and I needed to get this part out of the way. Enjoy. [center] [IMG]http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4992/thehit0oa.jpg[/IMG] [/center] [color=darkred] [center][b]Chapter 14:[/b] Knocking On Heaven?s Door[/center] [b] ?Ugh....?[/b] escaped my raspy throat. I tasted blood on my tongue. My head rolled over to the side and through blurry eyes I saw DW sitting next to me. He was dressed in what looked like a dress shirt and tie. His sleeves were rolled up, he was apparently sweaty and a bit nervous. I looked to his face and we made eye contact. His face lightened up a bit and he turned to the side, [b] ?Hey! I think sleeping f?ugly is coming to!?[/b] Looking back at me, he removed his glasses and peaked into my eyes. [b] ?Doin? alright. pal??[/b] Looking all around, I attempted to answer. [b] ?Am... I gonna be... alri-.?[/b] some God awful pain racked my stomach and insides, blood filled in my mouth, causing me to cough up some of the crimson liquid. [b] ?Shit! Hey doc! Hurry up!?[/b] DW became frantic, screaming towards the entrance of the room we sat in. My vision began to blur yet again, the sound of a fast-paced beeping lulling me back into sleep. [i]Back on the field of battle, I stood with my shining Irish companion. We gazed on into the charging Persian ranks. With a large spear in hand, he began to charge himself into the middle of the valley. Standing back for a moment, I watched his magnificent figure sprint onward. My mind came to me and I drew my sword from it?s scabbard and followed him close. The two of us let out a ferocious battle cry as we sped forward into war. The sun rose over the valley, causing the Persians to become shadows in our path. The bright light became slowly stronger and stronger, until the point of being unbearable...[/i] I woke up again, this time I there was a bright light directly in my pupil. A doctor stood over me, holding my eyelid open and flashing his pin light into it.[b] ?It would seem you are awake now...?[/b] he spoke in a European accent. I shook my head and looked onto his jacket. A name tag read ?Dr. Sandy?. I began to think to myself how strange it sounded, but my train of thought was interrupted by DW?s shrill tone again. [b] ?All better yet, douche??[/b] he looked into my face with a weird expression. I looked past him to see Sakura sitting in a chair in the corner. Her expression was bright and hopeful. [b] You gave us a real scare, there...?[/b] Smacking my lips, I tried to move my arms, but they felt like stone slabs on my shoulders. [b] ?Can I get a glass of water... or something??[/b] My voice was like sand paper covered in tar. [b] ?I?ll get it!?[/b] Sakura leaped from her seat and rushed out into the room. I smirked a little and looked back to DW. [b] ?So how are you feeling, big guy??[/b] he asked me. [b] ?Not very well I would guess...?[/b] Sandy spoke sarcastically. [b] ?I wasn?t asking you!?[/b] [b] ?He?s right... I feel like shit.?[/b] DW frowned at my response. I looked around the room to see a sterile white hospital room. I lay on pale linens, an IV steadily flowing into my arm. [b] ?How the hell did I get here, anyways??[/b] DW?s face became troubled. [b] ?I dunno man... Some Irish guy called me a week ago and told me you were here. You?ve been out for a while.?[/b] [b] ? Irish...??[/b] [b] ?Yeah, some guy named... what was it.... Gavin??[/b] My heart sank from DW?s words. It fell deep into the pits of my stomach. [b] ?.....what??[/b][/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] As Cameron descended towards the ground, Xavier began concentrating. His eyes shutting, he placed his hands in a strange position before his body and strange feelings of shifting wind and condensation surrounded Mugen. Cameron shouted aloud to the group through her bird?s beak [b] ?Get ready to land on your feet!?[/b] The warning was barely realized before she quickly shape-shifted back into her normal form, causing everyone on her back to land hard onto the pavement. Mugen, Xavier, and LeCrosse were the only ones to land on their feet, the rest fell into a slight heap on the concrete. A few cries of anger and annoyance passed through the group who had fallen, but were ignored by Xavier and Mugen. The two gazed up towards the bright-colored building before them, a large Victorian-style theatre decorated with modern neon-lights. Mugen spoke off to the side, [b] ?Joseph Crowley was it??[/b] [b] ?Yes, he?s a head liner here...?[/b] Xavier motioned to the large sign, indicating the words ?Master of Illusion, Master Crowley!?. LeCrosse stepped up with an interested smirk, [b] ?Le?s get to it, the?.?[/b] He stepped smoothly up to the large door way, barely touching the enormous entrance. Mystifyingly, it swung open with ease, he held it back to allow the others in. [b] ?Come nah. Come...?[/b] Xavier nodded seriously and stepped forward. Mugen, wearing a smirk, turned towards the remaining magicians, motioning them inside. They entered in almost single file, save Albrecht and Amelia, who followed side by side, holding some amusing conversation. Mugen was the last to enter, LeCrosse pealing off the door beside him. [b] ?So, Mu?en...?[/b] Mugen laughed at LeCrosse?s pronunciation of his name, [b] ?Wha? good do ya be thinkin? a human wi? be ta us??[/b] [b] ?I?m not completely sure, but I trust Xavier. He knows the city better than anyone else here. Inside and out, he?s got the best connections we could hope for...?[/b] Mugen shugged to his Cajun friend. [b] ?So tha? mean???[/b] LeCrosse retorted with a cocked eyebrow. [b] ?I guess we?ll see.?[/b] The group followed Xavier, snaking around cast and crew men in the theater unnoticed. It soon became apparent to Mugen that Xavier must have cast some invisible illusion around them. The group of magicians soon found themselves in the back stage area, surrounded by murky hallways and bustling dressing rooms. The group?s line soon became congested and haulted at a single door. Xavier opened it slowly, peeking in. [b] ?Dear God....?[/b] Xavier muttered in utter horror. [b] ?What is it??[/b] Nikkie stepped in through the crowd and stopped in her tracks, letting out a shrill screech. Mugen and LeCrosse exchanged concerned looks and pushed through the group and into the room. Xavier stood still, holding Nikki?s crying head in his chest, his left hand covering his own mouth. The pair gazed across the room, despair and disgust replacing concerned expressions. The figure of a former human being lay huddled against the wall. A large puddle of blood sit beneath a man dressed in a black suit, stains of crimson splattered behind him. His skin now a paper-white, black patches covering it?s paleness. His face was distorted and inhuman. For a moment, Mugen couldn?t react. [b] ?Thi? ain?t no good...?[/b] LeCrosse whispered to himself, looking at the wall in front of him. Mugen?s eyes followed his and saw what he was gazing upon. Written in strokes of blood, the words were spelled out in a streaking font... [center][b][size=2]Join Us Or Die[/size][/b][/color][/size] ********************************* [i]Chapter 1 End[/I] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/TheMagicianspromosplash.png[/img] [b][u][size=2]Chapter 2:[/b] Rolling Up The Sleeves[/u] [/center][/size] [color=black][size=1] [b]OOC:[/b] Alright then, this is the beginning of the second chapter. It has been revealed that the dark magicians are not beyond murder to get what they want. Aswell, they know that our group has formed. Where do we go from here? It's up to you guys...[/size][/color]

[color=darkred][size=1] Sincere thanks you Beth and White for moving this along. I never expected that we would finish, let alone win the challenge. I feel bad for letting this not reach it's full potential, but it got the job done. Sorry I gave up so early, I just never thought we could finish it (aswell, I didn't know it was for a SHORT film, haha). [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I concur with Gavin on all points presented. Yes, many martial artists don't have a grasp on actual combat. The ones that do are the ones that fight and spar often. Even then, in a situation with no rules, you gotta change your game and adapt. No amount of sparring and bag hitting is going to fix the fact that a striker doesn't know how to stop a grappler or a grappler doesn't know how to stop a good striker. Which is why I cross train with Jujutsu and Hap-Ki-Do in my Tae Kwon Do school. Even then, you must practice in realistic situations to know how well you would fair in a fight. You won't know just how much a chance you stand in the streets until you take a few fists and feet to the jaw, or get dropped to the floor for a little grappling. Me and my friends in the class go to the Do Jang after hours often and have harder rounds of sparring where legs kicks and take downs are go. Once on the ground, we can mount and feign face punches or go for some Jujutsu. Best practice for martial arts in real life. Also on the grounds of kicking, I agree. Yeah, against a skilled fighter, a mediocre martial artist might get a kick grabbed (again, I study grappling just in this case. Grab my leg, and you get a flying elbow directly after in the face). But a person such as myself, who kicks more than he punches and knows how, can prevent that sort of thing from happening. I've never had a kick grabbed because I know how to gauge an opponent at a certain level. I'm not saying it can't happen, because I know it could (with a guy who can take a good hit to the ribs) but it hasn't in a very very long time. When it comes down to it, fighting is left to just how well an individual knows how to fight. An experienced street fighter could definetly beat a martial artist who's never been in a real fight. But a good martial artist could more than likely beat about any opponent off the street. Remember, if your fighting some dude who doesn't know you, then he's not going to expect that reverse downward axe kick. Oh, and Farto, yeah we kinda do learn more amazing moves as we go on. A yellow belt isn't going to grasp that 540 Turning Kick that a black belt is trying to perfect. Also, as we become more experienced, we're proned to look into other martial arts for moves. Like, me, I've begun incorparating Muay Thai elbow strikes, knee thrusts, and the famous Thai Clench into my free-form style (because I can't use said techniques in regulated sparring matches with TKD). Also, not all martial arts schools are equal. Example, I went to my first tournament as a red belt and it soon dawned on me that I could easily defeat the majority of the black belts at the school who hosted the tournament. The funniest thing was, that each of them boasted about how they have "amazing defense" or "unpredicatable kicks" and yet none of them sparred and their form techniques were awful and lazy. After taking first place in both my divisions sparring and forms rounds, one of them came to me and said "You don't need to go all out like that... it's not good." Here I am, holding two first place trophies and wondering to myself "That must be why you don't have these...". I was taught to put 100% into whatever I was doing. Granted I was fighting lower belts, these guys where several years older than me one a college student and the other a U.S. Marine. So please don't generalize all martial arts schools from one. A commercial school with hundreds of students may seem appealing and 'the best that can be offered' but the school I attend is behind a grocery store and beside a small church. It has about fifteen adult-level students, and yet it's the best martial arts school I've seen in my state thus far. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Boy... I really wish that 'short movie' bit had been placed in before me and my team plotted a feature length film-style script.[/color][/size]

[size=1]Thanks again for all the comments you guys. I'm glad that I seem to be improving over time. I hope this chapter helps in that line. It was pretty late when I wrote this (2:00 am to 3:00 am) so forgive if anything is out of order. But I did try and I here it goes. [color=darkred][center][IMG]http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4992/thehit0oa.jpg[/IMG] [/center] [center][b]Chapter 13:[/b] Red Sands[/center] The former human being that was Zeke appeared to me as a bloody visage. Her clothes now mere tatters, her face and skin covered in crimson liquid. Blood stained the ground beneath her, the expression she wore was that of complete exhaustion. Once lively eyes were now dull and glossy. I sensed that she would drift into unconsciousness within seconds. Some how, though, she stood, and held a cutlass firmly in her right hand. She spoke in between short, stuttering breathes. [b] ?Let?s finish this...?[/b] she held up her sword and prepared to attack. I poised myself as well, ready to strike. The mere sight of her brought guilt unto my character. I couldn?t bring myself to just kill the obviously helpless woman. [b] ?Listen... we don?t need to do this.?[/b] I attempted to reason with her. [b] ?....we both can still leave this alive.?[/b] [b] ?Shut ya... yap...?[/b] she struggled to speak, her breathing now audible from a distance. [b] ?You?re goin? down.... just like... those other pricks...?[/b] she motioned her blade towards the wreckage out in the ocean. With that, she slid her bare feet in the sand and began charging at me with her cutlass raised high to attack. Now was the time, I knew it. I would have to end this life to preserve my own. I pushed my body with the little energy left in my legs, and jetted towards Zeke. Sand clouded in a trail behind the both of us as we bolted, our weapons cocked to kill. Despite the resistance from the sand, we both propelled at high speeds, deep battle roars accompanying our rallying charge. As we approached each other, our blades clashed with a torrent of sparks and ferocity. Our swords grinded and growled against one another, each of us pushing to gain ground on the other. No thought traced either of our minds, killer instinct now controlling our bodies. A sudden change in weight alerted me, Zeke began spinning out of our deadlock and spun to attack me. I spun with her quickly. My sword reached around with a whistle in the wind as hers made an opposite motion. The blades missed one another. They had found their targets in the flesh of myself and Zeke. I heard Zeke spurt out a gulp of agony or some similar sensation. An immense pain wracked my lower body, causing me to grind my teeth and grunt. I realized that my stomach had just been sliced open deep. Blood spilled heavily onto my feet and the ground beneath it. I began to fall backwards from the blow and I caught Zeke?s image in my eyes. My sword still lay buried deep in her clavicle and neck. She was a goner. I was to, I knew I would die now. But a lack of energy and blood prevented my mind to create the proper angst and sadness. Falling, I simply carried thoughts of how bothersome the impact would be. I blacked out before my body hit the sand. [/color] [b] ?Do you understand now, Michael??[/b] Des spoke in his beyond reality voice. I stared upon my felled target, a stone slab now in two pieces in front of me. My fine steel grasped tightly in hand, I viewed in near disbelief. But that wasn?t what this lesson was about. Quite the opposite. [b] ?Belief in one?s self, or the lack of disbelief is the defining factor in the mind of the warrior.?[/b] [b] ?You mean, like....?[/b] I massaged the bottom of my chin in deep thought. [b] ?Do not think!?[/b] Des? voice became stern. [b] ?That is the key to success in battle. Do not allow your mind to hinder your body?s actions. Serenity of the mind is the only way you can allow your body to act, attack, and defend on it?s own. Free your mind and let the techniques burned into your consciousness defend you and your body.?[/b] A sudden flash of sensation racked my body and my blade was side ways in the air before I knew it, slicing a large rock in half. It had been throne by Des, who now stood in front of me directly, as if challenging. [b] ?You see how you allowed your body to defend itself? That is because you had no time to think, only to react.?[/b] Des stomped the ground in front of him and presented a short Kodachi* from his side. [b] ?However...?[/b] Suddenly, Des was rushing me at lightning speed, slashing from all direction. I panicked and my body halted all function. I simply fell backwards on my feet, attempting not to die. A foot shot into my gut and caused me to fly back several feet onto my back. I grunted in pain and looked to the sky yet again. The sun was becoming a familiar sight after having my ass beat. [b] ?See what you just did? Clearing your mind allowed you to attack and defend against small, or unthreatening obstacles.?[/b] Des began the process of retying his hair in a more comfortable fashion. I stay on the ground groaning as I listened to his hard lesson. [b] ?You must learn to completely free your mind and senses, and don?t allow a human opponent to frighten you. Thought must be left behind, you must fight by instinct. You must move and react by this alone. Otherwise, a skilled opponent will kill you. Never faulter, never retreat. That is the core of my teachings to you. Those are the teachings of our style... The school of...?[/b] [color=darkred] The sound of scattered voices and an steady beeping slowly shook me from my dream. My memory. I stared into a heavy bright light and for a moment, I thought I was on the fast track to the pearly gates. [b] ?Listen! I?ll handle the expenses!?[/b] DW?s venomous shriek disproved that theory.[b] ?Shit!?[/b][/color] [center]*******************************[/center] *Kodachi: a japanese short sword, a step above a dagger.[/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [center][IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/TheBossForHire.jpg[/IMG][/center] I am, as you all know, The Boss. I Boss people for a living. This includes telling them what to do, how to do it, when to do it, regardless of what it may be. The repercussions for not following orders are a swift and painful punishment which would usually intel a swift kick to the face or a similar maiming strike. [b]Do you have a job? If so, where and what do you do? If not, where would you want to work?[/b] I'm a full time student. I have no 'real' job. I do a bit of volunteering at my Tae Kwon Do class by helping teach lower belts, small children, and warming up the classes. If that would be considered a job, then that's mine. My real dream job is to become one or all of three things. A full-time author/writer who travels often. A Mixed Martial Artist, which is, of course, a full-time athlete. Or to own and teach at my own martial arts studio. Those would be my dream jobs. Other than that, though, I think I'll stick with the bossin'. [b]If you were an assistant of Donald Trump, what would your job be?[/b] Simple. I would be his daughter's little slave boy... oh wait. That came out wrong. I think I would his a bodyguard if anything. That's what my talents entail and that's all the talent of mine I think he would need. Also I'm pretty sure he'd give me a solid-gold rocket launcher. Maybe even some diamonds to season my food with. [b]How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? [/b] Based on my calculations using many of Einstein's theories of relativity, the average woodchuck should, in prime conditions, be able to chuck atleast 22378008 ounces of wood. I don't know if that's accurate, but that's what my calculator says... Hey, if I turn it upside down it says "Boobless"! [/color] *Forgive the hassle with the image earlier, Raiyuu. Photobucket was being stupid with the resizing and it took a while to change the image size. It should be fine now.[/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] After the few pleasantries and greetings, Mugen got straight to business. He gathered the disorganized group into a circle and surveyed their eyes carefully, each and everyone. The outsider?s point of view was a strange one, a small mob of colorful characters, some famous, other?s little more than obscure gathered in a small huddle, whispering something of importance. Mugen himself spoke broadly to each of them, however his words seemed to reach the individuals on a personal level. [b] ?Listen guys, I?m no leader, that?s why I called you all. I needed help from people I could trust.?[/b] Mugen gazed into their faces again. [b] ?Seeing as how each of you already know the present situation, we can skip the formalities and briefings. Who ever the hell these guys are, their obviously hunting down magicians, right??[/b] The lot of them nodded in agreement, Albrecht adding a short [b] ?Ja, ja...?[/b]. LeCrosse stepped up and spoke out, [b] ?So th?n we kno? who we shoul? be lookin? for... our kind.... other magicians.?[/b] [b] ?I have plenty of connections in the city.?[/b] Xavier?s baritone rumbled in unexpectedly. [b] ?Luckily for us, Broadway is a haven for magic users. Not to mention the constant flow of immigrants from countries where magicians are considered ?undesirables?. We can find just about all of them in the city.?[/b] [b] ?So you?re saying you know every magician in NYC personally??[/b] Nikki interrupted with skepticism. [b] ?No, that?s not what I?m saying. But I know how to find them, every person here should know at least a hand full of magicians. Mugen obviously did the best thing by contacting the one?s he knew first. This means that we can contact the other one?s we know, like a web of association.?[/b] He brought his hands out, and held them in the air in front of him. [b] ?We can prevent others from falling into this... mysterious figure?s trap, and then we?ll have a small following to help us.?[/b] [b] ?Wha? if our contacts are already turned??[/b] LeCrosse came questioned. [b] ?Then we just killed two birds with one stone. We eliminate threats and gather our resources.?[/b] [b] ?You mean we....[/b] Cameron stopped, hesitating to finish the undeniable, awful truth. [b] ?It?s the only way. Our only choice.?[/b] Mugen came back in, his face stern now. There was a short silence, solemn and quiet. A deep German accent broke the uncomfortable pause, [b] ?My friend, I?m afraid I know very little of the people in this city. As you can tell I?m obviously not from around here...?[/b] Albrecht laughed in his hesitant confession. Darius brightened up and came in loudly, his animated tone catching everyone?s ear. [b] ?I know plenty... don?t worry, I can probably make up for three people if I needed to, haha.?[/b] [b] ?I only know a few... you gotta remember I?m still a teenager.?[/b] Nikki added. [b] ?Don?t sell yourself short Nikki. You knew me, after all.?[/b] Mugen looked to her, attempting to calm her obvious discomfort in the group. [b] ?Yeah, but our connections aren?t exactly a happy one...?[/b] [b] ?Hey, hey, hey!?[/b] Amelia burst in as she began to talk with her hands. [b] ?Why don?t we just get to work. Mr... smart-stuff has a good plan. We just gotta put it into action.?[/b] [b] ?So what, do we split up then??[/b] Cameron whispered in. [b] ?That wouldn?t be smart, seeing as how we could risk being attacked individually, again.?[/b] Ivy spoke out as a voice of reason. [b] ?So zen ve vork as un group??[/b] Albrecht said almost jovially. Mugen brought his head back for a moment, and then came back down. All eyes on him, he spoke in a false reassurance. [b] ?That?s our best bet... so know we gotta start somewhere.?[/b] Mugen looked to Xavier, the man with the plan. [b] ?So where do [I]you[/I] think we should start looking??[/b] [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Similar to you, I've been in alot of what people would consider 'fights'. I take Tae Kwon Do, and we frequently spar, so I 'fight' all the time. As for serious conflicts between individuals on the street, however, I've been in maybe three. All of them ended before they could be finished, and two of the three I've been in were against mutliple opponents. The first fight I was in, I can barely remember as I was but a lad. The second, I was in sixth grade, and fought two kids who had been messing with me far too long and ended with a stair down between me and the bigger of the two after the other had been dispatched. It was eventually broken up. The last real fight I can remember was between me and three other guys (who I'd actually later become friends with). One held my arms, while two tried to slug me. Luckily I had already begun taking Tae Kwon Do and was good enough at kicking to keep them at bay until they got tired of trying. I can't count how many sparring matches I've been in, or Jiu-Jitsu rounds I fought, but I know it's plenty (possibly over 100). I've seen more fights that I've actually been in, be them televised or in real life. The real life ones are always dissapointing, because the majority of people don't know how to fight, they just swing their arms at each other until some get's tired of being hit in the head. Or it's a tackle. Either way, they suck. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I don't think I'll have the time to do characters. If Sandy will let me get them in late, I may, but I doubt it'd be worth it. I suppose a good title would be.... [b]Children of Cronus[/b] That's the most poetic thing I could think of. I wanted it to be elegant, but have some kind of depth and also coincide with our team name. Cronus was the first Titan in Greek mythology, and as mentioned before, the father of the Olympians. Thought it sounded appropriate. Any objections?[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Sorry, writing the Hit in first person is getting to me. Haha. I'm glad you like it though.[/color][/size]

[size=1] Thanks for the comments guys. I'll try to work on it. Here's the next to last chapter in the current arc. I took some of Alex's advice, maybe this'll work out some of my character's back ground. [center][IMG]http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4992/thehit0oa.jpg[/IMG] [/center] [color=darkred] [center][b]Chapter 12:[/b] Motivational Speaking[/center] The loaded police car hit the deep blue ocean with a loud, disastrous splash. The metal sounded as if it was imploding as it sank into the white and blue haze. Before I could take a deep breath, I was sunk into the ocean, salt water blinding me. I couldn?t see anything for a moment. The water rushing into my mouth caused me to feel nausea. Attempting to hold onto my composure, I gripped my blade tightly and tried to find my way to the surface, but my air ran out. I watched the sun in the glare of the water slowly disappear. Drifting down, blackness over took my vision and before I knew it, everything was dark. My last thought was [I] Damn...[/I][/color] [b] ?Michael... You?ll never amount to anything if you don?t rid of your self doubt.?[/b] A deep, unusual accent spoke strictly. I looked up from the sunlight and into the face of my master. He was a blonde man, shorter than myself. He wore a long pony-tail, his face pale, but hidden by the shadow cast by the sun. His face seemed like a void, as I stared into the dark abyss. [b] ?Get up a try again.?[/b] I grunted to myself and felt a sharp pain spread across my lower back. Slowly, I regained my footing and readied the long wooden sword in my hands. My feet sank into the soft-grass plain, and I readied my eyes on his darkened face. He seemed invisible, standing there with no weapon, he wore a pair of black hakama, the kimono top hanging from his waist line. His body seemed so thin and frail, yet muscle tone was apparent. I had learned to fear the sight of him standing before me, despite the fact that I was much larger than he. I brought the wooden blade down in front of me and gritted my teeth. With a burst of energy, my body jetted forward and slashed down onto his body. To my great surprise, I made a heavy contact, the wooden blade feeling as though it was sinking into his body. A big smile spread across my face in triumph. Then I looked to my master?s face. That black void, unmoving. Not a hint of pain, or even sensation. With an ungodly speed, he grabbed my wrist with a vice grip and slung my body to the ground viciously. [b] ?You still carry self doubt. You struck me, but didn?t believe you could... therefore, your strike was weak and uninspired. You must learn to strike true every time you swing the blade, Michael....?[/b] his voice trailed off, as if he was speaking to the ether, and not to me. I?d begun to understand that his experience and deep mind caused this. But damned if it didn?t get on my nerves when he was beating my ass. [b] ?What?s the point? The problem is that your just better than me.?[/b] I spoke from the ground. My body hurt to much to move, so I just lay there. I looked up to the sky back into the sun. I could hear my master walking towards me. He stood above me yet again and looked down into my face with his shadowy void. [b] ?Stop doubting yourself, Michael. You give up far too easily... the heart of the warrior never falters. Never give up, under any circumstance. Only then will you find your true potential. And only then will you broaden your limits in mind, body, and soul...?[/b] His hand extended down to me and I gripped it tight. He raised me back up and the sun blinded me. [color=darkred] Suddenly, I began coughing uncontrollably. I was floating on the surface of the water. Blood surrounded me, the police cruiser sunken deep, I saw two well dressed bodies floating face down in the water. Crimson liquid surrounded them. [I] Two down... one to go...[/I] I searched the horizon desperately, but couldn?t find Zeke. With a deep breath and a shrug, I began swimming for the beach. Luckily it wasn?t too far out. My mind continued to wander on what had just happened, and my past. Two people were dead. My body count was growing, and despite myself, my conscious felt guilty. I eventually reached the beach, my body feeling heavy from the soaking wet clothing on my back. Sopping, I stepped onto the white sand and fell onto my stomach, sword in hand. I was so tired.... so, so tired. But something didn?t seem right. I felt a presence approaching, but I just didn?t care. My exhaustion was too great. I knew who it was before she even said the words. [b] ?Get up, ya coward. Time to finish this...?[/b] spoke that tiresome British voice. For a moment, I considered playing dead. Or just letting her kill me on the ground. But I couldn?t. My master?s memory wouldn?t let me. I slowly pushed myself up and cursed underneath my breathe. [b] ?Damn it, Des... this is all your fault...?[/b] I breathed deep and looked at Zeke?s bloody character. She looked awful, but I wasn?t gonna win a beauty pageant any time soon either. Lazily swinging my sword in front of me, I readied for the final battle. Man... I really hope she just kills me...[/color][/size]

[size=1] Tell me what you think everyone. Four typed pages. [color=darkred] The students and Ms. Beth gather together in the front, Ms. Beth turned around, attempting to apologize to the security guards leading them out. The students all appear indifferent as they individually stare off into the sky. Close ups to their faces reveal expressions of ignorance, each one ignoring the other and patiently daydreaming. Ms. Beth (turned around towards the students) Very well, students.... Due to this unfortunate accident, I?m afraid we must all leave. I suppose you may all board the bus and we?ll leave. Mary So what are we going to be doing the for the rest of the day, then? Stephen (crossing his fingers, he whispers to himself hopefully) Early dismissal, early dismissal... come on. Ms. Beth (eyes Stephen slightly) I suppose you may all go home early today. Nothing else is planned for you all. Mike and Stephen in unison Yes! Ms. Beth BUT! You must all use what you saw today in an essay to be written and handed into me by next week. The groups of students begin to moan and groan together, Mike cursing aloud and ignored by Ms. Beth. The group begins to walk away unmotivated towards the bus, Ms. Beth making a head count before giving a thumbs up to the driver and boarding herself. We fade to black. We have a montage of each character. First we see Ms. Beth returning to a nicely decorated apartment. She turns on the apartment lights and sighs. She begins to rub her eyes as she enters further to reveal a japanese-influenced decoration style, several antiques spread out in various places. She greets a small short-haired gray cat at her feet and then sits down her bag and sits down onto a plush red couch, crossing her legs. Stephen is seen frantically swinging the controller of a Nintendo Wii. His enthusiasm is apparent in laughs and taunts towards the video game. Mary is seen typing at a computer, her attention focused on the screen. Very little light enters the room, and she seems to be enthralled by the piece of writing she is currently involved with. We turn the camera to see her typing the essay that is due. Tiana is seen at a large drafting table lit by a lamp to her right. She is elegantly drawing some large picture with long strokes of a pencil. The creative spirit glistens in her eyes as she admirably glares at the drawing. JJ is seen sitting at a desk chair, body spread out as he swerves around and speaks animatedly into a phone. Laughter and importance are involved in his silent conversation. Mike is seen at a public gym, his fists wrapped and shirtless, he pounds on a hanging punching bag with his fists and legs. His concentration is completely taken by his work out. We fade to black once again and show each character in similar fashion, but now in bed. Each one slumbers uneasily, as if plagued by some pain or nightmare. Ms. Beth seems to be in a state of disbelief as she sleeps. Mary has an expression of shock and terror. Stephen looks as if he is mystified or in wonder. Tiana covers her ears with a pillow, as if trying to stop some unwanted noise. JJ desperately scratches his skin all over in his slumber. Mike wears an expression of fury, anger and internal pain. The next day, a sunny Saturday morning, each character is involved doing something or another. We see Mary awaken, slowly she opens her eyes and takes in her surroundings. Slowly, she realizes where she is. In her bed, but now several times smaller. Wrinkles in the sheets seem like tidal waves, her pillow like a mountain, she begins to scream. Mary Oh God.... W-what!? This is a dream... yeah of course. It?s gotta be a dream!!! We slowly move away to see just how small she is, hearing her desperate cries against reality in a small, squeaking voice. Ms. Beth is in her kitchen, watching as her coffee machine works itself bored, she looks down to a small novel in her hands. She is dressed in a night robe, her hair up in a towel and skin wet from a shower. For a moment she sits, enthralled by her novel. Then the phone rings. She steps out to answer, but screams in suprise as she trips over her pet cat. She begins to fall and attempts to grab at the air, but fails to save herself. She continues to scream and clenches her eyes, but then realizes the lack of pain. She opens her eyes to stare at the floor below her, turning her head, she looks around her body and realizes that she is floating gently in the air. At this realization she drops to the floor with a loud THUD! She slowly gets up and looks around in disbelief. The phone continues to ring, but she is too mesmerized and white eyed. Slowly she gets up and answers the phone. Ms. Beth Can?t talk.... right now... She then hangs the phone up without care. Stephen is up playing his video game in his pajamas. He hears a distant call from the distance, his mother. Mother Stephen! I need some help! Stephen scoffs One sec! I?m busy! Mother Now Stephen!!! Stephen ALRIGHT! After his yell, he drops his controller and mumbles to himself Stephen (in a whisper) Can?t wait a damned minute, God.... He makes his way down stairs and calls to his mother. Stephen What is it ma?.... Ma? MA?! He begin to look for her, annoyed, and then finds that she is standing in a still pose, as if frozen. Her mouth open in a mid-call, hand raised to her mouth while her other holds a basket of laundry. Stephen (softly now) Ma....? Tiana sits alone at a breakfast table eating a piece of jelly toast. A glass of orange juice sits away from her, as does a TV remote. A small television sits off at a counter a few feet away from her. Her eyes seem lazy and she reaches for the orange juice. It?s too far for her reach, but she tries hard anyway, concentrating on the glass as she leans her body over to it. The glass begin to edge along the table by itself slowly. Unnoticed at first by Tiana, the glass lunges at her and into her open hand. She leaps back shocked and spills the glass. Tiana ....whoa.... As if testing herself, she raises her eyebrow and pokes her tongue from between her lips. She begins concentrating on the TV remote in front of her. As if by magic, the remote trembles at first and the flies across the air and into her hands. Tiana Awesome! Haha! Looking to the TV, then back the remote, she relinquishes the object and concentrates on the television. To her delight, the television blinks on. She begins to clap happily. JJ is outside of his home, sitting on a stoop as he ties his shoes. He hears the sound of a car horn, and is startled by the noise. As he jumps, he loses his balance on the stoop step and falls over, and onto his forehead on the hard granite sidewalk. For a moment, he sits, then slowly raised up unfazed. Visibly confused, he raises his hand up and wipes his forehead only to brush off small particles of concrete. JJ Huh.... lucky me. JJ begins to ponder, and wonder. He looks over to his stoop?s hand-guide, a stone-slab leading up the stairs. Balling up his fist, at first hesitantly. He rids his mind of fear and takes his hand, ramming it into the stone at full force. He cringes at first, and then his face takes on an aura of wonder yet again. He looks to his hand to see it is undamaged. JJ ....huh? Mike is walking down the street in a visibly rough neighborhood. Graffiti-ed walls and cracked sidewalks abound as he makes his way down the block. His attention is taken away quickly by a fast motion behind me. A rough looking Caucasian man dressed in layered clothing is behind him, a pocket knife poking into Mike?s back. Thug Give me all ya cash and you won?t get hurt, kid. Mike is obviously unafraid and spins around, grabbing the man by the wrist (which is holding the knife). Mike How about not? Yanking the man towards him, Mike sends a knee into the man?s sternum and releases him. The blow sends the man flying back into an alley way at great speed and with heavy force. He slams into a brick wall, causing pieces of rubble to fall onto his head as he lands into a pile of garbage. He lays unconscious without so much as a groan. Mike Damn... where?d that come from? Fade to black.[/color][/size]

[center][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/TheMagicianspromosplash.png[/img] [color=red][Rated PG-13][/color] [b][u]Chapter 1:[/b][/u] Ladies and Gentlemen...[/center] [color=darkred][size=1] Mugen sat impatiently on a bench, watching for certain faces in the massive human traffic flowing through Central Park. He wore a dark red hooded jacket and faded blue jeans. His red-Nike covered foot tapped nervously on the pavement as his eyes shifted back and forth. It was a noon, and the sun warmed the brightly lit day. The ground was still wet from rain the night before, but the clouds had cleared up well, shining sunlight reflecting from puddles on the ground. Mugen was tired and weary. His night before had been long from phone calls and e-mails. The situation was dire, and he had contacted as many people as he could. Now it was time to wait. He told his allies where to meet, but their tardiness caused him to grow more and more fearful that they had been reached by the cloaked men before he could warn them. He knew that the cloaked ones were dangerous, but each person on his list was a powerful sorcerer or sorceress in their own right. That?s why he needed their help, and that?s why he could have them being played against him. He couldn?t imagine having to face one of his contacts in combat, each one would surely be a troubling, if not terrifying opponent. All calls had been confirmed, but the time was passing far to fast for Mugen?s comfort. He sat uneasily and awaited their presence... they couldn?t arrive sooner.[/color][/size] [size=1] [center]______________________________________[/center] Now you must all forgive the short post, but I didn?t want to be redundant. You all know the deal. In your first post though, I want it to be a bit longer. Write your character arriving home, receiving Mugen?s message (be it by phone call or e-mail). After that, write them meeting Mugen at Central Park, where he will be waiting. After the initial meeting and greeting, end your post so I can place us in the right direction. Thanks, - Mike[/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Me and Sakura have some more plot points now. It's gonna be me, Mary,Tiana, JJ, and Stephen as five senior roll students from different social groups and what not, other wise not friends, who go on a field trip with their teacher (Mrs. Beth) to an big labratory. There, they are experimenting on genetic mutations in animals to hopefully cure diseases an what not. Stephen will mess something up (what a loser) and we'll get our powers from some wronged experiment. The whole story is going to have an underlying tone: "In the end, despite or social differences, creeds, or colors, we are all humans, and should accept one another as such." It's gonna be about breaking social paradigms. When these kids with otherwise no interest in one another find that they are bonded by these extra-ordinary gifts, they learn to accept one anothers differences slowly. Mainly through the tragedy of JJ's death at the climax. For somet time, they attempt to keep it a secret, but there teacher Beth, will attempt to organize them and then tragedy strikes and they are faced with having to deal with the crime syndicates. This story is obviously going to be serious in nature, heh.[/color][/size]

[size=1] Thanks for the comments you guys. You guys have a better opinion of my work than I do, haha. Here's a chapter that I hope will satisfy. Alot of crazy, over the top action. Please enjoy. [center][img]http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4992/thehit0oa.jpg[/img][/center] [color=darkred][center][b]Chapter 11:[/b] Rough Riders[/center] I sat shaking, my life hanging on a thread as I observed the obvious shock on the faces of those in power. Those with weapons. Eyes quickly shifted back and forth from person to person and before I could blink, everyone was bailing for the front entrance. Me and DW were the only ones left behind, and DW was busy dialing his cell phone. [b] ?Hurry your ass up! Now!?[/b] he shouted into the receiver. He slammed the phone and shoved it back into his pocket. Leaping over the counter, he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and hoisted me up with an unexpected burst of strength. We ran out of the room and out to the front entrance. There I saw a scene of great violence, guns trading bullets back and forth. Zeke was nowhere to be seen, but Retribution and White stood their ground strong, unmoving and blasting away at a police firing squad of several men. They felled a few before the sound of screeching tires interrupted the battle. I could hear the sound growing closer and closer, and then a familiar black car slid neatly in place right behind the police cars. DW yanked at me again and we bolted past the distracted gunmen and cops. We both leaped over the trunk and hood of two connected cop cars before leaping into open back window of JP?s Jaguar. [b] ?GO! GO! GO!?[/b] [b] ?Fasten your seat belts, mates...?[/b] with that said, JP stomped on the floorboard and we zoomed off away from the battleground. I ducked my head down for a few moments before gaining to courage to look behind us. The bullets continued, this time, however, several of the police officers fell to their death with a few final cries of life. White and Retribution quickly exited the restaurant and knocked down the remaining cops with their bare hands. After this they hijacked a police cruiser and sped off in our direction. [b] ?Fuck.... JP, man. You?re gonna have to lose those guys...?[/b] I stammered in my speech as we hauled ass at ungodly speed. JP smirked at my comment, and suddenly wove between oncoming cars. I gritted my teeth and mentally prayed while DW shuffled around the floor, lifting up a panel and withdrawing an odd AK-47 from a compartment. [b] ?This outta make ?em think twice.?[/b] DW said while rolling down his window and poking his upper-torso out. [b] ?Keep it smooth, J!?[/b] he screamed to front. With that, he began firing off, loud sputtering accompanying several brass shells popping out of the side of the gun and into my lap. I hollered from the heat and leaped back a little, then watched as Retribution, at the wheel of the cop car, dodged the bullets but swerving from side to side between cars. I looked a bit closer and thought I saw something odd on the car, watching as White stuck his arm out of the passenger window, I coulda swore I saw a flash of red. A stray round flying past my head caused me to divert my eyes and duck down again. Then, a loud thud on the hood of the car shocked me. DW didn?t seem to notice as he continued fire away. Looking back up, I noticed that White and Retribution seemed a bit distracted by something above our car. I tried to follow their eyes up, but a shining blade plunging through the roof of the car startled me... just a little bit. [b] ?Shit! Eh! Boy-o! Take care of that!?[/b] JP yelled back at me, his eyes steady on the road. [b] ?With what, asshole?! My hands?!?[/b] I retorted. [b] ?Damn it! Here!?[/b] he tossed a black stick back towards me, and I caught it. I looked down to recognize it as my odachi. [b] ?I grabbed it up from the house when I heard the sirens. Use it!?[/b] I unsheathed the blade and looked at my reflection in the steel. [I] Finally...[/I] I thought to myself excitedly, [I] It?s go time![/I] I took my blade from it?s sheath and tossed it to the floor. Taking the blade up, I postured it around in the cramped car?s space and thrust it through the ceiling, and hopefully into what could have only been Zeke?s stomach. [b] ?Fucking A! Stop stabbin? me ride!?[/b] JP screamed furiously. [b] ?Oh, sorry...?[/b] I yanked the blade down, no blood in sight. It would seem I would have to follow her up there... lucky me. Crawling towards the window, I peaked my upper body out of the window, but quickly had to toss my blade up in order to block a furious blow from Zeke?s cutlass. I smirked at her shocked expression. [b] ?Look it what I got!?[/b] With a deep grunt, I pushed up with all my might and forced her back a few inches, far enough for me to maneuver my body around the window and on top of the car. We both crouched low, trying to stay stable on the Jag. [b] ?What a way to go... you?ll have an interesting story to tell in hell!?[/b] Zeke laughed and thrust her Cutlass forward, attempting to stab me in the chest. I rolled over to the side and countered with my own slash, which was blocked. Unfortunately, it didn?t take long for White and Retribution to realize we were there. White repositioned his aim towards us and Retri gained some ground, coming up behind the straightened Jaguar. He bumped the back end, causing me and Zeke to shake uneasily. I thought I could hear JP scream the f-word in the car. DW was hangin out the window still, hurriedly reloading his AK. White ignored him and continued firing his weapon at me and Zeke. We attempted our best to deflect the stray lead. I scooted back a few inches and looked behind me, towards where we were heading. I could see a deep tunnel and I soon knew where we were. A bridge would come after the tunnel... Looking back towards my target, I growled and gathered what manhood I had left. With a deep gulp, I pumped my thigh muscles and leaped from the roof of the Jaguar and onto the hood of the swerving cruiser. Zeke cursed something out of what must of been amazement and seemed to steady herself. I was busy trying to avoid getting shot by Retribution, who now had his APS ready to kill me. I took my sword back and went to thrust it into Retri?s chest through the windshield. Meanwhile, White reloaded and Zeke leaped onto the hood along with me. Then darkness. The tunnel?s lights obscured our vision with flashes of action. Muzzle fire, breaking glass, and blood flooded my eyes for what seemed like a terrifying eternity. Then the sunlight blinded us. Before anyone could make a move, I began stabbing frantically into the windshield, Zeke began swinging her cutlass like a machete, slamming it across the glass as well, shattering it into a massive mess. DW and JP had disappeared into traffic and the whole police cruiser looked like a screen shot from hell. Sirens could be heard catching up to us, the cops were on our tails now. I glanced to see several cruiser cars and black police issue Berrettas aiming at us. It was a hail storm of lead and steel, muzzle fire from the APSs and the cops. A loud bang alerted everyone on the cop car and a sudden shift of weight startled us. The back tires had been blown... I looked over to the side and saw the long drop from the bridge into the marina around Otaku City. Retribution lost control of the car and we all swerved viciously to the side and slammed through the bridge barrier with a disgusting, metallic screech. No one said a thing. No screams, no cries for help or God. The gun shots had stopped and the attacks were done. Just silence as four killers plunged from chaos into the deep blue sea.... What a day...[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] AH! Great idea! That works with my idea too, the JJ part. We need a climax to bring us together in the end. The Climax can be JJ's death. I love it, cool cool? We need to get him a power though, because I don't want a Mary Jane Watson in this story, haha. Hm.... how about impentrable skin? That way his death will be all the more dramatic, when his body is finally destroyed. Good?[/color][/size]

[center][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/PicKitty/TheMagicianspromosplash.png[/img][/center] [size=1][i] Mugen returned home shortly after the event with the cloaked warlock. He knew he'd have to work quickly if he wanted to prevent other's from being tempted to accept his offer. This was his and many other's nightmare. It would seem someone in the magical underground was becoming a little too amibitious, and power was the perfect insentive if Mugen's hunch was correct. He came to his run-down apartment and quickly ascended the broken stair case, dim light-bulbs illuminating each dark floor.He eventually came to his apartment, number 13. Bursting in a great clatter, he quickly slammed the door behind him and began searching desperately through drawers and cluttered desk-tops for his little black book. It contained a short list of names, other magicians he had met and gained some form of trust with since his move to New York. Taking his entire arm, he shoved a stack of papers from a computer desktop, then looking down, his eyes glistened. Reaching down, he cracked open the small booklet-slash-binder and flipped to the second page. There before him, a list of named connected to screen names, phone numbers, and addresses. The list read: [/i] [center] [b]LeCrosse[/b] - Screen Name: Blayze [b]Xavier[/b] - Screen Name: BK Styles [b]Nikki Landry[/b] - Screen Name: Kitty [b]Ivy Sheppard[/b] - Screen Name: Eclipse [b]Cameron Hille[/b] - Screen Name: Sakura [b]Darius Sorél[/b] - Screen Name: Allamorph [b]Albert (That German Guy)[/b] - Screen Name: Ezekiel [b]Amelia DiMaggio[/b] - Screen Name: Revelation[/center] [i] Laying the book flat open in front of his computer, Mugen logged in a hurried to see if any of them had logged on. If not, it'd be a long night of phone calls for him... [/i] [center]________________________________________________[/center] [color=darkred] Alrighy then. That's the acceptance list above. I thank you all for your sign ups, especially those who didn't get in. You guys made it really hard to pick and choose, but I had a set number I was going to go by, my apologies. Now for the technical stuff. I'm going to be going by a free-post/chapter system. You people post all you like, and when the time comes, I'll make a post that will summarize a major plot point when it occurs, and then begin a new chapter possibly on a similar note, or in a new direction which we need to follow. Also beware, I choset he number I have set because I wanted room to kill people in. Originally there was only going to be six cast member, but I added on so I could have that extra space for death-drama. If you don't post, then your character may fall victim to such an event. No worries though, for I'm the only person allowed to make this descision. Please post any questions ( I know there has to be some) here in this thread, or simply discuss any plot points you'd like to work in. Thanks again to all of you, - Mike/The Boss[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] So I suppose it will be: Me as the muscle straight forward fighter. Sakura as the infiltration person. SunfallE as the reconaissance person. White as the crowd control/security. I suppose those will be our basic talents given our powers, and used together in teamwork, could create just about an unstoppable force. Sakura's and SunfallE's powers work perfectly together for their given talents, as do mine and White's considering he can control who and what he controls (alá, slow down a bad guy while I lay a good punch or two into him before you let him go and send him flying). I think the other teams should have some degree of superpower themselves. It'd make them more interesting, in my eyes. Or atleast special abilities. Like The Mercenaries can take on a Kraven The Hunter/The Punisher kind of roll do to their name. The Laugh Out Louds could be like The Joker from Batman and his gang. And Team Argo would be artifact hunters/smugglers/thieves with a fetish for old sword combat and mythological magic-items. Maybe we could work Sandy into the story as possibly the head of the criminal's councel or something. The final bad guy with extreme power (possibly super-speed like The Flash/Quicksilver). Our little squad wouldn't have a real name, but the newspapers and general public would collectively refer to us as "The Titans" (unrelated to the Teen Titans for originality's sake). Cool? Sounding good?[/color][/size]

[color=darkred] [b][u]Sign Ups Closed![/b][/u] [size=1] Thank you everyone for signing up. Please check the coming Underground thread for the accpetance list. I thank you all again for signing up, and I appreciate it. PS- Sorry for the spam Zeke, I'm not used to the underground for pre-RP stuff. Thanks for signing up.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] White - Time Control? Cool. Kinda like the main character from 009. That would mean more like advanced super speed, which would be cool. KW - Like telepathy/mind control? Cool. Yeah, that whole Titans theme seems.... inaccurate. The Titans weren't element beings, the Titans were a race of giants and the parents of the Gods. Like Chronus was a Titan and the father of the original Olympians. The Gods had a big war with them, and came out on top. Zeus killed his Dad, freed the Olympians from his stomach, and organized them to have a big war. Disney isn't reknowned for it's mytyological accuracy. So we good with my direction?[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [b]Dethklok[/b]: They are an animated Metal band from an [adult swim] show, but God their great. They should have a few songs on iTunes or Napster or whatever if you look. Heavy heavy stuff, but the lyrics are always about some ridiculous subject matter. From Duncan Hills Coffee to Go Into The Water. All good stuff though. [b] Chamillionaire:[/b] You said you liked a little rap, well Chamillionaire is more than just a little. Probably the second best lyricist in the south. Which brings me to... [b] Lil' Wayne:[/b] Don't let the name and swagger fool you, this guy is, by his and many other's decree, the best rapper alive. His flow, delivery, voice, freestyle ability, and lyrics are all perfect. And even if he often references making and dealing cocain, he's songs still have some of the best lyrics around. [b] E-40/Keak Da Sneak/The Pack:[/b] Three Hyphy artists from Oakland California. They may not be the best lyricists or anything, but their music definetly makes you move. Dance, go Hyphy, go Dumb, whatever you want to call it. Don't be confused by their references to "Riding the yellow bus" or "Go stupid, dumb dumb...", these guys are just fun to listen to. Influenced by the ecstacy culture along with high energy parties, their music is all trunk-thumpin', foot-stompin', grill-showin', stunna shade showin', Thizz face goodness. Also a little skateboarding from The Pack. Look them all up on YouTube. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Sakura would be right, and I have zero ability to create graphics, nor can I host any music. I can write and that's about it. I've done two or three screen-play formats before, so I have more experience in over all writing than anything else. My ideas go as follows: We, the four Titans, have our little superhero group. The plot would start with us gaining our powers alá "Fantastic Four" or something. Maybe we are all just a group of different people, or maybe we are friends, when by strange circumstances, we all come into contact with something that renders us superhuman. Each of us can come up with our own superpowers, as I already have decided mine, you guys can decide what your own will be. I suppose originality would be appreciated by Sandy. The other teams will portray the villains (seeing as how they are the opposition already). I was leaning on them being like, a collective crime syndicate. Each team has it's own specific gang and style, but also ally themselves with one another to handle police, us, and the like. The plot would begin with us interacting, then gaining our powers, being faced with inner conflict, overcoming that to momentarily face our first enemies, face our conflict again, and then some tragedy happens, which unites us to finally take down the bad guys. Now, I suppose we should all post who your prefered superpower would be. That is if you guys are cool with my story direction. I don't want to take away from anybody, but it would seem we are in some agreement. Mine shall be hyper-induced adrenaline combined with a super human body structure. Not Superman strong, but more like a Spider-Man or Wolverine. Fast, strong, and with a berserker-like inducable rage (no, not Hulk rage). My character would stay the same size, but his speed, strenght, and reaction time would improve. Forgive me if I'm presenting a strange character, but like I said, I think originality would help us for the victory. Any objections to this?[/color][/size]

[size=1] Forgive the briefness of this chapter, I was being rushed... I'll try to make the next one extra long. But this sets up for something even more interesting. Bad to worse, to awful. [color=darkred] [center][img]http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/4992/thehit0oa.jpg[/img] [b]Chapter 10:[/b] Cherry Tops [/center] It was an entertaining sight unfolding before my eyes. General rampage had consumed this once lavish restaurant, a talk between friends had turned into a sword fight, and a sword fight had turned into a gun fight. Now the gunfight has become a strange free-for-all. I lay deathly still with a gun pointed at me whilst DW shakily aimed his oversized pistol at White. White?s aim quickly switched to DW, and the two stared off. For a moment, it seemed like an interesting match. But then I remembered that one of the was a trained killer and the other was a bit of a pussy. Still interesting, though. I looked down in my hand and realized I was still holding Zeke?s trusty old cutlass. Then I noticed that White?s attention was away from me at the moment. Must have forgotten I was a threat. I watched carefully as the two stared off for seconds, then I slowly lifted the cutlass. The countdown began, [i]1, 2?. 3![/i] I flung the cutlass at a wicked speed and followed after it. The blade slammed handle-first into White?s gun hand, causing him to shout in pain and drop his heavy handgun. Before he could react further, I was on top of him. Time for a little pay back. I unleashed on White, letting him feel all the frustrations that had built up over the past few days. Kicks, elbows, fists, knees, all onto his downed body. I screamed and hollered as I thrust my foot into his ribs, my knee into his jaw. He was helpless for a while until a jolt of ungodly pain cringed up into my shoulder. I had been shot. I didn?t know how many times, but enough for me to stop attacking, and for White to kick me in the stomach. I flew back onto my ass once again and coughed hard, grabbing at my shoulder. Two red spots stained my jacket? my favorite jacket. White was busy scattering for his gun, but a thundering shot from DW?s Israeli masterpiece stopped that. I looked behind me to see Retribution holding the smoking gun. He walked in with a smooth confidence in each step. Zeke wasn?t in sight, and I could only think the worst had happened to her. Now it was my turn?. Lucky me. He aimed his APS squarely at me. Then looked up to DW. [b] ?Step off, big guy. Or your friend here?s a grey spot.?[/b] he spoke with a reassured arrogance. I couldn?t stand it, but he made you believe it. DW, still in a great panic, switched his gun around and aimed at Retribution who immediately turned his piece on DW. White grabbed up his gun and aimed at him also. [b] ?What are ya gonna do now, tough guy!??[/b] White screamed in a shaky voice. DW?s eyes widened at Retribution and for a moment, everybody watched him. I was about to react myself before I noticed just what DW was staring at. White?s glance averted towards Retribution as well and soon enough, all eyes were on him. [b] ?What the hell you all lookin? a-?[/b] his voice was cut off by a chrome blade sliding off the side of his neck and settling over his throat. [b] ?I ain?t done yet, ya cocker??[/b] said a shivering British woman. Zeke stood behind him with her sword pressed against his throat. Her clothes had been torn to shreds from bullets, blood drenches her clothes visibly, and despite the red she wore. She was injured badly, but she just kept ticking. [b] ?So? what?s it gonna be??[/b] she asked teasingly, pressing her blade closer to his throat drawing a trickle of blood. Everybody was silent for a moment. The scene was like something out of a Quentin Tarantino flick. This formerly beautiful restaurant, now a shell of it?s former self. Shell casings and blood everywhere, four trained killers and a gun dealer, facing off. You could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife. Hands shook, sweat beaded, and no one breathed. Suddenly, police sirens could be heard right outside the door. The sounds of cocking guns and code-talk could be heard. The cops were here?.[/color][/size]