Blayze

[size=1][b]"Goddamn Triad," [/b]cursed Shadow, looing back quickly to see how close they were. The blue and white car was close behind them, and closing in. Three men were leaning out of the windows, holding automatic weapons. A spatter of bullets strafed across the side of the Heroes' car, and Shadow swerved to avoid any more damage. [b]"Holy shit!" [/b]he cried out as the window next to him shattered. That was most of the windows gone now. Mario got something small and black out of his pocket, and hurled it at the Triad car. An explosion mushroomed just in front of the car, and it flipped onto its roof, skidding along behind the Heroes, smashing into the back of the car. Shadow was flung forward into the dashboard, and Crash almost dropped his bazooka. Mario tumbled over the roof of the vehicle, hitting the concrete in front of the car. [b]"I guess-a we need a new car-a," [/b]he said sheepishly. Shadow leapt out of the car and ran towards another parked car. Crash and Mario hauled the crate full of weapons out of the trunk, and dragged it over to where Shadow was harassing another driver. He eventually dragged the protesting man out of the car and flung him onto the road. [b]"Hey, you!" [/b]came a voice. Shadow looked around and groaned. The cops. They had spotted Shadow dragging the guy out of his car, and were probably coming over to arrest him. [b]"What the hell do you think you're doing?" [/b]asked the cop, [b]"Are you car-jacking him?" "Of course not, officer, me and my friend were merely having a conversation, and...now!" [/b]shouted the hedgehog, throwing the former driver at the cop, knocking him over, and leaping into the car. The other two followed suit, hurling the crate onto the back seat. Shadow smiled, and was about to put his foot down, when Mario grabbed his shoulder. [b]"Let-a me drive this-a time," [/b]he said, and Shadow switched places with him. Mario slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and they sped quickly towards their destination, however this time they had the Triad [i]and [/i]the cops after them... [/size]

[center][u][b][size=1]Chapter III: A little Flashback... (Part I)[/size][/b][/u] [/center] [size=1] Blayze settled back into his chair, relaxing a little after their run-in with the law. They hadn't been clear of this kind of thing for a long time... Not since... ------- [/size][center][size=1][b]In the early 32nd Century, the planet Earth, mother planet to the human race, had become overcrowded. The population from the 21st Century had almost tripled over 100 years, meaning that there were something in the region of 18 billion people living on Earth. Thus, living standards became much poorer than they had been. Extra cities were built on the ocean beds, as well as on the Moon's surface. But it still wasn't enough.[/b][/size] [size=1][b]The Exodus began, and over four million Earth ships left their home planet, in search of a new homeworld. The search took over two hundred years, and by the time they had found our new galaxy, the original crew members were long dead, replaced by later generations of their own families. But the long search was over. A new galaxy was found, with over fourteen different inhabitable planets, as well as many terraformed moons, where the human race planted their feet and began to build civilisations.[/b][/size] [size=1][b]But anarchy soon gained control over most of the planets, so it was decided that, instead of a single government for each planet, one government would rule all the planets. Thus, the Theocracy of Planets was formed, with fourteen members, one from each of the inhabitable planets in the new Solar System making up the council of leaders.[/b][/size] [size=1][b]But there were some moons on the edges of the galaxy that did not agree with the Theocracy, and refused to join. They broke off and became a force known as the Separatists, who began to wage war on the Theocracy. The war which broke out was bloody, but the Separatists were driven back. The Theocracy ruled once more...fzzt[/b][/size] [/center] [size=1] The information film ended as Stark thumped the screen, bored of watching his government's history. He turned away from it, back to his luxurious quarters aboard the Grandice. He smled and breathed in a lungful of fresh, recycled air. A knock at his door disturbed him, and he strode irritably over to the hatchway. Pressing a button, the door whizzed up, to reveal a young female soldier, dressed in the standard black leather jumpsuit of the Theocracy Guard. Three small red pips on her shoulder recognised her as a lieutenant. [b]"Sir,"[/b] she said, snapping a salute, [b]"We have encountered hostiles. Your presence is requested on the bridge immediately." [/b] [b]"Very good, soldier,"[/b] replied Stark lazily, and he responded to her salute in kind. He grabbed his captain's tunic and threw it on, buttoning it up as he walked towards the bridge. He knew the way around the Grandice by heart. After all, it was his ship. He strode onto the bridge, his presence commanding and powerful. He looked to the viewscreen, where three enemy vessels were heading towards the ship. He grinned. These Separatist ships were no match for the pride of the Theocracy's fleet. [b]"Was I really needed here, soldiers?"[/b] he asked, [b]"You know what to do. Fire upon them immediately."[/b] [b]"But sir, they have broadcast a message, directed straight to you,"[/b] said a slightly older man, the ship's weapons expert, or something. [b]"Play the message."[/b] The man tapped a few commands into the control panel, and a holographic recording played in mid-air. "We request this message is passed on directly to Captain Philip Stark," said one of the men on the recording, a grizzled-looking man with long, greasy dreadlocks, [b]"We are part of the Separatists. We are currently on cease-fire. However, if you destroy the three ships that are heading towards you currently, a hundred more like them will rise from the planet and destroy your ship. If you manage to destroy all of them, a thousand more will rise, then a hundred thousand. We have almost unlimited resources, Captain. End recording."[/b] The recording fizzled out of sight. [b]"What do we do, Captain?"[/b] asked the lieutenant who had collected him from his quarters, smoothing her short blonde hair nervously. [b]"We do what we should always do when we encounter hostiles. We fire upon them,"[/b] replied the Captain, [b]"Fire upon the three ships, destroy them, then send four Inferno detonators down to the planet's surface. We'll fry those bastards alive." [/b] [b]"But sir," [/b]replied another member of the crew, Stark couldn't remember his name, Shin-something, [b]"There are Theocracy bases down on that planet, as well as civilians loyal to the Theocracy. If we send four Infernos down there, every bit of life on the planet will be wiped out!"[/b] [b]"That's a risk I'm willing to take, and I would hope you will not disobey your Captain, Private,"[/b] replied Stark. The private nodded humbly. [b]"Fire upon the ships,"[/b] said Stark, and he watched as three missiles blasted the Separatist vessels apart, [b]"Now drop the detonators."[/b] The blonde lieutenant nodded and pressed a red button. Four large red capsules ejected from the bottom of the ship, and hurtled down to the planet's surface. The crew watched as the entire surface of the planet was scorched, blasting away all signs of life, both Separatist and Theocracy... ----- [b]"Captain Philip Stark, you are hereby discharged for war crimes. Your mind will be wiped, along with the minds of Lieutenant Jamie Keller and Weapons Expert Joseph White. You will then be wiped from any Theocracy records. Do you understand your crime and your punishment?"[/b] asked a booming voice that came from somewhere within the darkened room. [b]"I do, sir,"[/b] replied the hadcuffed and disgraced Philip Stark, now nicknamed "Blayze" withing the ranks of the Theocracy Guard, for the fiery method of execution he brought upon a mostly-innocent planet. ----- Mind-wiping is simple enough. It basically uses a computer to delete certain clusters of memories directly from the brain. In Blayze's case, every mention of Theocracy work, every mention of any of the inner workings of Theocracy ships was erased. However, with as much knowledge as his, there was always a possibility of some snippets of information resurfacing in time. Jamie was erased of pretty much the same stuff, but what the Theocracy didn't realise was that she had hidden tapes of herself reciting Theocracy knowledge in a Time Capsule, to be found once she had undergone the mind-wipe. The location of this Time Capsule was overlooked as harmless knowledge, and thus it wasn't wiped. White was a different story altogether. He was a close friend of the Wipers, and he paid a generous sum of money, as well as offering many favours over the years, just to make sure that if he was one day sentenced to a wipe, they would miss several vital portion of information. Therefore, White kept most of his knowledge about Theocracy weapons, as well as the location of much of the missing information, safe within his mind. ----- [b]"Get the hell out of here,"[/b] said the government agent as he hurled the last of the trio out of the car. Blayze slammed into the floor next to White, and then jumped to his feet, shouting curses and various other obscenities at the drivers of the car. [b]"Jesus, Blayze, you gotta calm down,"[/b] said Jamie, [b]"It's not the end of the world. We can easily get to Otaku City from here, and we can get jobs or something there, and it'll be easy to move on."[/b] [b]"You think it's gonna be that easy for us to get jobs?! Look at us! We look a mess! And how the hell are we supposed to get five miles across an open desert wasteland within the next three days before we starve?!"[/b] shouted Blayze, slightly hysterical. [b]"Maybe this guy can help us,"[/b] said White, sticking a thumb out towards a dusty red convertible that was driving towards them. The driver slowed down, and pulled to a stop just next to the trio. [b]"What can I do for you, strangers?"[/b] he asked, his dark hair blowing in the wind. [b]"Can you give us a lift to Otaku City?"[/b] asked White. [b]"Sure thing. Just headed that way myself," [/b]he said, [b]"Hop in." [/b] The trio jumped into the car hurriedly. [b]"Friendly warning,"[/b] siad the driver, [b]"You might wanna put your seatbelts on. I'm told I'm a mean driver." [/b] [b]"I don't need a seatbelt..." [/b]said Blayze, before being slammed back into his seat by the sudden acceleration. He fumbled to strap his seatbelt around him quickly. [b]"The name's Joko,"[/b] said the driver, [b]"I'm a commercial airline pilot. But job's looking a little weak around this area. We're right on the edge of the Theocracy, and no-one wants to come out here after the war."[/b] [i]The name's Joko...[/i] [b]To be continued...[/b] ----- Ok, no new guest appearances this chapter, but a nice little bit of history for you. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed. [/size]

[size=1]Ok, I'm having a little trouble with Chapter III, so I would welcome your input as to the content. I have two options for you: 1. A flashback chapter, giving some history of the whole story. This includes the beginning of the Theocracy of Planets, the reason Blayze's crew is against them, and how Blayze's crew came to be together in the first place. This would be done in flashback form through Blayze's eyes. 2. A chapter continuing the story, where the crew go back to their homeworld to drop off the money and pick up supplies. This would include some more character detail and some glimpses into people's pasts. So it is up to you. Which chapter would you like to see next? I will end up doing both chapters at some point, it is very much just a case of which one comes first. I appreciate all your feedback, it is nice to know that my work is enjoyed. [/size]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter II: Striker[/size][/u][/b] [/center] [size=1] Blayze stumbled into the cockpit, trying to keep steady with the ship's violent lurches. He grabbed on to one of the cockpit's many control panels and righted himself. [b]"What just hit us?"[/b] he asked Joko, who was throwing his flight harness on, buckling it together over his chest. He grabbed the twin joysticks and jerked them aggressively to the left. The ship lurched, and he replied: [b]"It was a large, solid object with a fair velocity behind it."[/b] He flicked the joysticks to the right, dodging and weaving away from some unseen enemy. [b]"Ok,"[/b] said Blayze, feeling that this hadn't helped much, [b]"Like a meteorite? Or a missile?"[/b] [b]"I'd say more like a missile,"[/b] replied Joko slamming on the airbrakes and then hurling the ship into reverse, [b]"And I'd guess that's what fired it."[/b] Something came into sight on the viewscreen, a dark silhouette against the bright morning sky. It was another ship, much sleeker and powerful-looking than Blayze's own, a black, dart-shaped vessel with a tail much like that of a scorpion. [b]"That's a government ship,"[/b] said Blayze staring at it, [b]"Striker class. The fastest, stealthiest ship available to the Theocracy. It looks like we've taken higher priority in the government's eyes."[/b] At that moment, Citrus bounded into the cockpit, and saw Joko at the controls. A shocked look crossed her normally joyful face. [b]"Joko!"[/b] she shouted, flicking her flame-red hair out of her face, [b]"I told you that you're not supposed to do anything stressful! Your stitches will break!"[/b] [b]"This is how I relax,"[/b] he replied with a grimace as a jolt of pain went through his body. He pushed the joysticks hard forward, and sent the ship sailing over the enemy vessel. [b]"Citrus,"[/b] said Blayze calmly, [b]"We need Joko to pilot us out of this mess. Then you can stitch him up all you like, ok?"[/b] [b]"But he has to relax!"[/b] she said, her breaths becoming gasps. [b]"Ok, breathe, Citrus,"[/b] said Blayze, sitting her down in the navigator's chair, just behind the pilot, [b]"Breathe. You need to keep calm." [/b] [b]"I'm...trying..."[/b] she said between gasping breaths. Ezekiel strutted into the cockpit, keeping her balance as well as her usual swagger against all the movement of the ship. [b]"What's the sitch?"[/b] she asked, placing herself down in the chair next to the pilot's, and placing her feet calmly upon the control panel. [b]"Striker,"[/b] replied Joko, focusing his entire attention on piloting the ship, reducing his vocabulary to only single words. [b]"Do we know who's?"[/b] she asked. Blayze stopped and turned to her. [b]"How the hell are we supposed to know that?"[/b] he asked incredulously. [b]"The ship has a built-in scanner,"[/b] she replied, and added, seeing Blayze's blank look, [b]"Every Theocracy ship has an identification chip in the engine. This is so that they can identify the ships if they crash. That also means every Theocracy ship, like this one we are currently piloting, has a built-in ID chip scanner. Just push that button behind you."[/b] Blayze turned and saw a small orange button. He pushed it, and a screen above it whirred into life. It loaded for a few seconds, then produced a set of results. Blayze stared at them for a moment, then got to his feet and said: [b]"Ezekiel, you read them, I can't understand a word that thing is saying."[/b] Ezekiel rolled her eyes and swaggered over to the screen. [b]"Ship number 198754, Striker class, armed with air to air missiles, yada yada yada,"[/b] she read, skipping through a bundle of important information, [b]"Pilot's name..."[/b] ---------- [b]"I'm gonna get you, Blayze,"[/b] shouted the pilot of the Striker, even though no-one could hear him, [b]"No-one can escape the wrath of Special Agent Shinmaru!" [/b] He flipped the Striker on it's end and hurtled towards his target. He pressed down on the trigger of the ship's secondary weapon. A flurry of bullets fired from the nose of the Marauder, scoring marks along the side of his target. He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. ---------- [b]"Shinmaru,"[/b] said Blayze thoughtfully, [b]"Where have I heard that name before?" [/b] [b]"You beat him up to escape arrest once,"[/b] replied Citrus, now breathing with a paper bag over her face, [b]"He tried to hit you with his buzz-baton, and you pounded him to the ground. I'm guessing Shinmaru holds a grudge."[/b] [b]"Oh,"[/b] said Blayze, [b]"Well, hopefully we won't have to finish him off today."[/b] Something buzzed from the pilot's control panel. [b]"What was that?"[/b] asked Blayze. [b]"Someone's got a lock on us,"[/b] replied Joko, his eyes flicking from the computer screen to the viewscreen and back, [b]"But it's not Shinmaru. There must be another Striker somewhere."[/b] [b]"Another one?!"[/b] cried Blayze, [b]"Seriously, what did I do to deserve this?"[/b] Ezekiel hit the scanner button once more, and read off the results. [b]"This one's piloted by someone called Asphyxia. You beat anyone called Asphyxia up, Blayze?"[/b] [b]"Not that I can think of...oh no," [/b]he groaned. [b]"What did you do to this one?"[/b] asked Citrus. [b]"I may have stolen something of hers and not given it back,"[/b] he said, putting his head in his hands. [b]"What? What did you steal?"[/b] asked Citrus. Blayze hesitated and then answered. [b]"I may have kinda stolen her...house."[/b] [b]"Her house?!"[/b] cried Citrus, [b]"How did you steal her house?"[/b] [b]"Long story, one for another time, I think,"[/b] said Joko, wrenching the joysticks to the side, throwing the ship sideways, [b]"Perfect."[/b] [b]"What are you doing now? Why are you stopping?"[/b] shouted Blayze, lapsing into panic [b]"I don't want to be killed!"[/b] [b]"Relax, captain,"[/b] said Joko, releasing the controls and flicking a switch, [b]"Everything's under control."[/b] [b]"Why did you just turn the ignition off? Why are you shutting the ship down?" [/b] The ship stopped, and the two Strikers hurtled towards it from different angles. The lights turned off on the ship, and, after a few seconds, it dropped out of the sky. The two Strikers were going too fast to stop, and they smashed into each other, each exploding in a fiery mushroom. [b]"Looks like the pilots got out ok,"[/b] said Joko, looking out of the viewscreen to see the two black-clad figures, still in their seats, floating gracefully down to the ground on their parachutes. He flicked the engine back on, and accelerated out of there. ---------- [b]"Sir, agents Shinmaru and Asphyxia have transmitted their positions. Both of them failed to capture Blayze and his crew,"[/b] said the young man in a suit. [b]"Dammit!" [/b]shouted Chief James, slamming his fist down on the desk, [b]"How did Shinmaru screw up this time?" [/b] [b]"Apparently it was neither of their faults, sir. They both underestimated the skill of Blayze's pilot."[/b] [b]"Then they were clearly both to blame! Bring them in, then wipe them and send them on their way. They're no good to me any more,"[/b] shouted James, settling back into his leather seat. The young man nodded and left the room promptly. [b]"You're beginning to test me, Blayze. You get one more chance before I bring you down with everything I have,"[/b] he snarled to no-one but himself... -------- Here is Chapter II, hope you enjoyed it. The new characters who have been seen in this Chapter were: Agent Shinmaru - Shinmaru Agent Asphyxia - Lady Asphyxia Chapter III is on it's way [/size]

[b][size=1]"Now this is my kinda challenge," [/size][/b][size=1]said Shadow, pulling his gloves on and whipping out his handgun. Crash rolled his eyes and looked towards Mario, who smiled and shrugged. Shadow ran straight for the first car he could find, a sleek red convertible, and knocked on the window. The driver turned from doing...certain activities...with a woman in the other seat, and rolled the window down. [b]"Can I help you?" [/b]he asked irritably. Shadow pulled the gun on him, aiming it at his head. [b]"Get out of the car, and take the girl with you," [/b]he said sinisterly, [b]"We need a ride." [/b]The man hurriedly fell out of the car, dragging the woman with him, and ran as fast as he could away from the demented hedgehog. Shadow got into the driver's seat, and signalled for the other two to follow him. Crash flipped the seat forward, and Mario got in the back, then Crash got in the passenger seat. [b]"This is gonna be fast," [/b]murmured Shadow, pressing a hand against the dashboard. He managed to transfer a little of his own speed into the vehicle, and then slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The vehicle sped forward, faster than any vehicle like that should have been able to, and Crash quickly wrapped his seatbelt around him. [b]"Mamma mia! There's-a no seatbelts in-a the back!" [/b]cried Mario, deciding instead to grab onto the seat and hold on for dear life. Shadow laughed as they sped towards their destination. They were easily gonna win at this rate... [/size]

[center][u][b][size=1]Chapter I: Robin Hood[/size][/b][/u] [/center] [size=1] [b]"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the number one most wanted criminal in the known galaxy. Captain Phil "Blayze" Stark. He is wanted for several counts of larceny, grand theft auto, numerous counts of perjury, masquerading as a minister to try and escape custody, impersonating a police officer to try and escape custody, interfering with legal matters, and, his most recent and devious crime, robbing the inter-spacial "bullion" ship,"[/b] said Police Chief James matter-of-factly. [b]"As you know, the inter-spacial bullion ship carries, monthly, over two hundred and fifty million credits, to the various banks across the galaxy. It is also the most heavily armoured and well-protected vehicles in the history of space travel. With hull plating over eleven inches thick, painted with silicon carbide, and carrying three high-powered plasma blasters, as well as an escort of two Marauder-class Government ships. Somehow, Captain Blayze managed to evade all these weapons, apparently without the bullion ship ever having to fire a shot, and penetrate the hull before making off with over half of the ship's supply of credits. What we want to find out, people, is how the hell he did this?."[/b] [b]"His crew consists of just four people, five including Blayze himself. The first is a female soldier who used to fight for the Theocracy of Planets. Her codename is Ezekiel, but at this point we are unsure of her real name." [/b]A holographic image of a reasonably young girl appeared and hovered, rotating slowly, in the air[b], "She may look sweet and innocent, but believe me when I say she's nothing of the sort. She is a highly trained soldier, proficient with most types of Theocracy weaponry, and her file suggests she may have training in weapons that exist outside the Theocracy. She is well-versed in stealth techniques and special tactics. She used to be one of our own, so don't underestimate her."[/b] [b]"Next up is the weapons expert, and, bizarrely, the ship's priest." A holographic image of a middle-aged, slightly knarled-looking man replaced Ezekiel's, battle-scarred but wearing the dog collar that was the universal symbol of a Christian Priest. "We don't know a lot about him, aside from the fact that he was most likely in one of our more elite squadrons, before being injured in an oil explosion. A piece of shrapnel was lodged in his right thigh, and as such the entire right leg had to be amputated. He is now only mobile in a wheelchair which we believe to be of his own design, complete with automated weapons. He is the ship's weapons expert, and he has knowledge of almost all different types of weapon that are known to the Theocracy. He's also pretty handy if you're trying to find someone to sell you those weapons. Goes by the name of Father White, but more commonly just White."[/b] [b]"The third member of the crew is the pilot, apparently the luckiest man alive. He is able to get out of any tight squeeze involving his ship, with merely the flick of a few switches. He has amazingly heightened reactions, and is able to react to things almost before anyone else has registered that they have happened. He goes by the nickname "Joko," and there is only one person in the galaxy who knows his real name."[/b] [b]"The final member of the crew, aside from Captain Blayze himself, is the ship's doctor. She goes by the name of Citrus McCarthy. She has only the very basics of medical knowledge, however, so some say she is not technically qualified to be called the ship's doctor, but her ability to improvise on important treatments is what makes her a great asset to them. She is only young, but she knows how to hold a weapon, so by no means take her lightly.""Now you know their faces, memorise them, learn them until they are the one and only thing you can see before you go to sleep and when you wake up. You are hereby ordered to hunt down and capture these felons at any cost, dead or alive. Dismissed."[/b] ---------- [b]"Hey. Citrus, how's Joko lookin'?"[/b] shouted Blayze into the back of the ship, where Citrus was tending to the wounds Joko had received on their landing. He was a tall, handsome man, albeit with slightly squashed features. Currently he had his heavy brown cowboy boots resting on the flight control panel. [b] "Joko's looking fine, and get your damn legs off my control panel,"[/b] commanded Joko, striding back into the cockpit, his bare torso strapped heavily with bandages. Blayze did as he was told. That was the problem with this crew, you had to take orders right back from them, as each one was irreplacable. [b]"How're the credits coming along?"[/b] Blayze yelled, taking long strides into the cargo hold, where Ezekiel was finishing off the straps on a large crate made of light wood that looked as though it would snap easily. From what he could see, it was stuffed full of credits, glimmering slightly in the dim light of the cargo bay. Father White was sitting in his wheelchair on the metal gantry above, overseeing Ezekiel's work. [b] "We're almost done on this end,"[/b] said White, giving Blayze a thumbs-up and a broad grin. Blayze nodded and walked over to Ezekiel, who hadn't said a word since the heist. [b]"Ezekiel,"[/b] he said, [b]"We are on the same page with this, aren't we? I'd hate to do something without you agreeing first." "I just don't see why we have to give so much of it away. We'd be set for life if we just took it all and ran,"[/b] she replied, never making eye contact with Blayze. [b]"That's not how we work, Ezekiel. We've never worked like that. It's always been a "steal from the rich, give to the poor", Robin Hood-type deal. You know that much. And anyway, we still got a quarter of what we stole. That's more than enough to set us on our way,"[/b] he said with a devlish grin. Ezekiel hesitated for a moment, then responded with a braod grin of her own. She nodded, and yelled: [b]"Let's sock it to those government bastards!"[/b] She slammed her fist down onto the cargo bay door release button, and a hatch opened in the bottom of the ship, dropping the crate to the ground. Blayze and Ezekiel looked down through the hatch to the ground below, where the crate smashed on landing. Sparkling gold credits showered across the streets of the slums in Otaku City. Eventually some of the less well-off residents of Otaku City would find it and share the wealth. [b]"Yes!"[/b] shouted Ezekiel triumphantly, slapping a high-five into Blayze's outstretched palm, [b]"We did it!"[/b] [b]"We sure did,"[/b] replied Blayze. Suddenly, something rocked the ship, and the sound of an explosion could be heard throughout the vessel, knocking Blayze and Ezekiel to the floor... ---------- Ok, here's my attempt at a semi-serious piece of OB fan fiction, based on the TV series Firefly and the resulting movie Serenity. A short list of members involved so far (many cameos will appear during the course of the story, no doubt from all the Mods): Blayze-Captain Phil "Blayze" Stark Ezekiel-Ezekiel, Female Soldier White-Father White, priest/weapons expert Citrus-Citrus McCarthy, ship's doctor Jokopoko-Joko, ship's pilot James-Police Chief H. James CC is encouraged. Chapter II will follow soon. Sorry, this has been a very talky chapter, just trying to get everything basically explained. I'll do better next time. And don't worry, the relevance of the title will become apparent soon enough. [/size]

[size=1]I would be very interested in this idea. I've suddenly got right back into Saiyuki, and a Saiyuki RP of my own died after a few posts back in summer. Anyway, your idea seems a little better fleshed-out than mine, I like the idea of Gyumaoh already having been resurrected, and the introduction of War Prince Nataku is very interesting. Just wondering: would people create entirely new characters? Or could some of the original cast be used again? If we do have to create entirely new characters, could they be the same sort of half-youkai people? Sorry, lots of questions, hope you can answer them all. I'm happy to help with this in any way I can, so just give me a PM and I'll see what I can do. [/size]

[center][size=1][b][u]1. The Legionnaires [/u][/b]This has been the most fun I have had RPing in a long while, and Shy keeps us all interested with as many twists and turns as possible. He has the ability to see when certain posting styles are not working, and change them, to keep the RP flowing. There was a slight lull just before Body Bags began, but then the pace picked right back up. I can't really see this not making the Fifty. [u][b]2. OB Survivor [/b][/u]I'm not just showing off that I am participating in all these big events, but OB Survivor has been one of the best-controlled RPs I have ever taken part in. Sandy has kept each challenge different, to make sure no-one loses interest. Although, the Pokemon challenge was a little overlong, the rest has been top-notch stuff. [u][b]3. Ozymandius Jones [/b][/u]She has done a top-class job of moderating the Arena, and has a gentle way of telling people that they are spammers. It is something I don't think I could ever do with such style and panache as Ozy manages. [u][b]4. Arena Underground [/b][/u]Expertly moderated by Bio, this is somewhere that several of my own RPs would never have gotten off the ground without. It is also excellent for keeping people up-to-date with the main areas of the stories of RPs, and, all-round, a very useful forum. [u][b]5. Everyone who checks the Art By Request forum [/b][/u]Without you guys, I would never have avatars or banners. I would try making my own, but I know I would just mess it up. These guys manage to get back to you in the blink of an eye, producing products of amazingly high standard within days. [u][b]6. DW Threads [/b][/u]These include, to name but a few: Fell Took, Dusty DW and the Otaku Kid, Slackers in Slacks and Crazy Cartooning. All these threads have given me endless enjoyment during those long, boring holidays. DW, I salute you. [u][b]7. Dagger and Desbreko [/b][/u]Without you two, this site would fall apart. We owe you a whole lot, especially me, as without you I couldn't change my name so often, as some of you will know that I love to. You are truly the glue that holds the OB together. There will, no doubt, be others in the near future... [/size][size=1][/size][/center]

[size=1]Hade saw his friends fighting, and held his hands out, hoping for some kind of weapon to appear. But nothing did. He turned to Athena, a worried look on his face. [b]"Why don't I have a weapon?" [/b]he asked, [b]"Why am I different?" "Your weapons do not come to you simply because you wish them to. They come to you because you need your weapons," [/b]she replied, [b]"You must fight, and only then will your weapons come to you." [/b][i]Seems a little unfair to me, [/i]thought Hade, running into battle with his friends. He leapt towards one of the creatures, his boot outstretched, and planted it directly in the face of the oncoming creature. It fell backwards, but not before grabbing Hade's foot and slamming him to the ground. He skidded a few feet before grinding to a halt. Jumping to his feet, he ran into battle once more, slamming his fist into the nearest creature. But as his fist travelled through the air towards the creature, an orb of red energy appeared around it, and as it collided with the creature's chest, red energy lanced out from underneath the creature's skin, and it fragmented, exploding into its single particles. Hade stared at his fist. [b]"Whoah," [/b]he said, not believing what had just happened. Suddenly, he felt a weight in his other hand. He lifted it. A long, slightly curved dagger had appeared in it, and as he looked at it, another, identical one appeared in the other hand. He turned as a creature rushed at him, its fist raised, ready to strike him, and slashed one dagger across its stomach. It doubled over and fell to the floor, blood pouring from its wound. Hade raised the other dagger and rammed it into the creature's back. He pushed the blade in further until he felt the creature die, blood gurgling in it's throat. He pulled his weapon out and turned to the rest of the horde of creatures. [b]"It's showtime..."[/b] [/size]

[size=1]I took the liberty of just about wrapping up the investigation on our part. If someone else would like to do the honours of finishing it off... [/size]

[size=1]Shadow leapt down the last three steps to the Crypt. He wrenched the door open and ran to the single coffin which sat in there, leaning against the opposite wall. He ran up to it and kicked it. The dorr creaked open slowly, and a heavily-bandaged man stumbled out. [b]"Hey, who woke me up?" [/b]he said, his voice a little hoarse, [b]"I had a good nap going there!" "I woke you up, you dead freak!" [/b]shouted Shadow, grabbing hold of the dead guy by his bandages, [b]"Why did you kill the hamster? Tell me!" "What, Ed's hamster?" [/b]he asked, [b]"Oh, well I heard him squeaking in my sleep a couple of days ago. That's the last I saw of him. He almost woke me up. You hear, that, hedgehog? [i]Almost[/i]!" "So, you were angry with the hamster?" [/b]asked Shadow, loosening his grip a little. [b]"I never had time. I was asleep the whole time the thing happened," [/b]replied the dead guy. Shadow saw, out of the corner of his eye, a splatter of blood on the bandages that wrapped the dead guy up. He put his finger in it. It was still wet. [b]"Tell me, do you have any flesh wounds on your person?" [/b]asked Shadow, suddenly jumping to an idea. [b]"Well, none that could let blood out. I don't have any," [/b]he added, seeing Shadow's confused expression, [b]"I guess it must be someone else's." "It could be...or it could be hamster blood! Tell me, Dead Cousin Ted, do you have a history of sleepwalking?" [/b]said Shadow. [b]"Not that I know of," [/b]said Ted. [b]"Oh yes you do!" [/b]shouted a voice, croaky as though withered with the ages, [b]"You sleepwalk all the time!" [/b]The group turned around, and saw an old lady, dressed in the old-fashioned uniform of a nurse, tottering down the stairs. [b]"I do?" [/b]asked Ted. [b]"Of course you do. You're a mummy, isn't that what they do?" [/b]she croaked. She held out her hand to Shadow. [b]"Edna Edison," [/b]she said, and Shadow shook her hand. It was wrinkly. Ew. [b]"So it could have been you sleepwalking!" [/b]shouted Shadow triumphantly, [b]"All we have to do is find out if this blood that is on your bandages is hamster blood! To the laboratory!" [/b]Shadow grabbed Cousin Ted and slung him over his shoulder, and marched back up the stairs. The rest of the group shrugged, and followed him, with Edna taking the rear. [/size]

[b][size=1]"Why did you do it, plant?" [/size][/b][size=1]Shadow yelled, pointing accusingly at a pot plant, [b]"Why did you kill the hamster?" "Shadow," [/b]said Crash witheringly, [b]"That's a pot plant. It's less likely to have done it than that carpet you were accusing five minutes ago." "Oh. Right," [/b]said the hedgehog, [b]"Well, have you managed to get any information?" "Well, Kuja was listening in on the girls when they were in the kitchen," [/b]replied Crash, [b]"And he heard that the hamster was put in the microwave. And some creepy kid wanted to put him back together." "Ok, so we have a lead, even if we didn't get it entirely fairly," [/b]said Shadow, with a shrug, [b]"We need to find someone else to accuse...I mean question." "Well, how about him?" [/b]asked Crash, pointing to a nerdy looking kid who was wondering around the lower floor. Shadow ran over to him and smacked him to the floor, smashing his calculator. [b]"Where were you on the night of the murder?" [/b]he shouted, [b]"Where were you!" [/b]He began to slap the nerd viciously round the face, until he cried out, between gasping sobs: [b]"I was fixing the microwave! Something had happened to it, and it was broken! I was asked to fix it!" "Who asked you to fix the microwave, boy?" [/b]said Shadow, raising his hand again. [b]"Razor! The girl in some punk band, a friend of Dave's!" "Who's Razor? Who's Dave?" [/b]shouted Shadow, getting a little caught up in the moment. [b]"We know who they are, Shadow," [/b]said Crash, [b]"Mog introduced them to us, remember?" "Oh. Yeah, I remember," [/b]said Shadow, getting up off the kid, and helping him to his feet, [b]"Thanks, Bernard." "No problem," [/b]stammered the nerd, straightening his glasses. [b]"I guess-a we need to find-a this Razor-a, then," [/b]said Mario, bouncing off in the opposite direction. The rest of the ragtag group of detectives followed. [/size]

[center][size=1][b]Name: [/b]Project G-173 (although most just call him "G") [b]Gender: [/b]Male [b]Age: [/b]36 [b]Gang: [/b]The Experiment [b]Weapon of Choice: [/b]G doesn't truly need any weapons. He is one of the most powerful hand-to-hand comabatants you are ever likely to find, combining his genetically-enhanced super-strength and speed to make darting, yet bone-breaking blows against his opponent. He can drive his hands through bone and metal, and has an innate knowledge of the human anatomy, making him dangerous to face in combat. He is trained in several different forms of martial art, which he combines to create a deadly fighting style. However, when circumstances become grave, G has a short sword strapped to his back, although he very rarely needs to use it. [b]Speciality: [/b]G has the ability to control an amount of a certain type of hormone which is released into his blood. Through the genetic engineering he underwent, this is produced naturally by his pituitary gland. He can release controlled amounts of this hormone into his bloodstream simply through thought. The effect this hormone gives is to greatly increase his intelligence, as well as his speed and reflexes. This means he can react to things almost twice as fast as a normal human, sometimes even before they have occured. This means he can dodge bullets, predict attacks and think things through much more quickly than usual. He also has the standard abilities of any super-soldier, namely increased strength and agility, and heightened senses. [b]Appearance: [/b]G looks normal enough, standing at 6'4", with jet black hair styled into lazy spikes, which occasionally flop down over his face. His eyes are crimson, a by-product of the genetic engineering that allowed him to have such strength. There is a serial number printed on the back of his head, but he has long since allowed his hair to grow over this, hiding a remnant of a past he wishes to forget. His body is not very muscular, but this lack of muscle structure is made up for by the immense strength stored inside each of his muscles. His body is covered in scars, something which happened unexpectedly during his creation, and he wears a tight black t-shirt and black trousers, with soft-soled black shoes on his feet and a black waist-length jacket, which he hides his short sword under. His only real physical disfigurements are a set of sharp barbs, formed out of irregular bone structure, which protrude from the skin on his arms, down from his shoulders, where they are larger, to his wrists, gradually getting smaller and smaller as they go down. He also has a set of these barbs running from the base of his neck down to the small of his back, getting bigger into the middle, and then smaller down to the bottom. Usually these barbs are hidden by his clothes, but when he is going into battle, they get longer, and usually rip through any clothing he is wearing. [b]Personality: [/b]G has been driven partially insane by his genetic engineering. He is now masochistic and unneccessarily violent, but he goes about these traits in a calm, collected sort of way. His icy-cool exterior hides a seething mass of insanity, paranoia and other such mental handicaps. His mind has blocked out everything, except one thing. Lust for revenge. This is all he can see, all he can think about, all he can do. He searches for revenge in an attempt to regain his sanity, something which a small part of him knows will never happen. [b]Bio: [/b]Project G-173 is all he has ever known. From his awakening, to his rebellion, to now, all he has known of himself is his serial number. He is a product, an item, not a human being, no longer a man but a weapon, used only for destruction. He knows that he was a man once, but that is as far as he knows of his past. He was 27 when they began the genetic treatment on him, but he may as well have been a child for all he knows. 9 years, the treatment lasted. 9 years of his life forgotten, destroyed by scientists with no care for his personal health. He was used as a weapon against the gangs that ruled Bolest City, sent out by the government that created him to destroy those who now ruled over the government. But his lust for revenge against the men who did this to him took him over. He wanted to find them, to find out his past and then to destroy them. That is all that will make him happy. But he doesn't wish to die during this quest. He wishes to survive it, and to take his life back. He works ferociously alongside Project D-085, who also wants revenge, but he wishes to perish along with those he kills. His relationship with D is stronger than it is with B or W, as they are both driven by the same thing. But he works in perfect harmony with all three other Experiments. [b]Character Snippet: [/b]He was crouched atop a telegraph pole, silhouetted against the bright silver moon. He smelt the air, taking in the scent of rubber, iron, canvas. These were washed with the scents of dirt, and blood. Government troops. Rubber boots, metal body armour, canvas bodysuits, covered in dirt from the ground and blood of their innocent victims. A smile crossed G's thin lips, revealing a mouth full of slightly pointed teeth. It was almost time. He leapt down from the telegraph pole, landing on the ground with a thud. It was a drop that would have killed any lesser man, but G was a super-soldier, designed to be more tolerant to injury than a human. He blended into the shadows perfectly, sneaking silently towards the soldiers. They were armed with automatic rifles, grenades, tear gas, and riot shields. This was not enough. G darted out of the shadows towards the men, the barbs on his arms ripping through the body armour with ease, slicing across their backs. Spines were severed. But when the others turned, he was gone again, leaving only three men, lying on the floor, their spines sliced in two. [b]"What the hell?" [/b]said the captain, [b]"Everyone, weapons ready!" [/b]The group cocked their rifles, and took aim all around. Hmm. They were well trained. Time to reveal himself. G stepped from the shadows. The men turned and pointed their rifles at this single figure, who had blades running all the way up his arms. [b]"Halt! Do not move any closer, or my men will be forced to shoot!" [/b]shouted the captain. G smiled, that devilish smile of his, the fangs in his mouth glinting in the moonlight. He closed his eyes, and, with a single thought, released a small amount of his specialised hormone into his bloodstream. He felt it rush through his body, and suddenly, he could almost tell what the men were thinking. He took a single step forwards, and the captain shouted: [b]"I warned you! Fire!" [/b]The men began to shoot, but their target was gone, now high above them, the blades on his arms rushing towards them. They sliced through metal and flesh, ripping bones apart, tearing limbs from their sockets. All that could be heard were the screams of eleven government soldiers as they were mutilated. One of them crawled away, the skin almost completely torn from his face. One eyeball was a bloody mess. His left arm had been torn from it's socket, and his right leg was mutilated beyond repair. He crawled desperately away, leaving a thick trail of blood behind him. [b]"You think you can get away?" [/b]said a harsh voice from above him, [b]"You are far too badly injured to escape." [/b]It was G, standing over him, the head of his captain dangling from his hand, blood pouring from the bottom. G reached down, and punched his hand through the soldier's plate armour, straight through kevlar, skin and bone, punching through his ribcage to his heart. He felt the soft pulsing of the man's main organ, and squeezed his hand around it... [b]Finally finished, along with edits you wanted, ULX[/b] [/size][/center]

[size=1]The saber blade blasted into life, and the familiar electric crackle resounded through the air. Corin listened to it, and was comforted by it, breathing in the air around him, feeling the atmosphere tingle with power. The Force flowed around him and through his body, gave him strength and energy, and allowed him to see things others would not normally be able to. He felt something stir behind him, and whirled round, his saber flashing, deflecting a bolt of blaster fire straight back into the probe droid that had fired it. Another droid behind him, destroyed. More and more droids firing their weapons at him, he deflected them all, destroying the droids. [b]"Corin!" [/b]said a voice from the doorway. The Padawan learner was distracted for a moment, and a droid blasted him in the back. He was stunned for a second, before swinging round and smashing the droid to the floor with his saber. [b]"End training," [/b]he said, pulling off the helmet with its specially blackened visor. The droids stopped appearing from their holes in the walls. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to the doorway. His Master, Jedi Knight Torrin Zalrock, stood in the doorway, smiling warmly. [b]"You were doing well," [/b]he said, [b]"But you shouldn't have let me distract you. That was a dangerous mistake. You should have been able to feel my presence and still concentrate on the task at hand." "I know, Master. It's hard to concentrate on so many things at once," [/b]replied the Padawan, walking over to his Master, who was over two decades his superior. [b]"But you will learn to in time. You are still young, you have time to learn the ways of the Force. But you are powerful for your age, Corin, never let anyone tell you otherwise," [/b]said the Master warmly, turning to walk alongside his Padawan. [b]"What did you need to see me for?" [/b]Corin asked. [b]"We need to see the Council immediately. They have something planned for us," [/b]he replied, [b]"Don't bother asking me what, Corin, for I don't know," [/b]he added, seeing the questioning look on Corin's face. A few minutes later, they pushed open the doors to the Council chamber. As etiquette demanded, Torrin walked in first, followed closely by his Padawan. They both bowed deeply as they reached the centre of the floor. [b]"Master Zalrock," [/b]said one of the Council members, [b]"I will keep this brief. You are needed to investigate mysterious happenings in the Expansionist regions of the Brak Sector. You and your Padawan will accompany a group of other Jedi Knights and Padawans, as well as Master Asi-Mar-Umdal, to help investigate these happenings. Please proceed to the Temple Spire and meet the rest of your group. Is this understood, Master Zalrock?" "It is understood, Masters," [/b]Torrin replied, bowing deeply. Corin did the same, showing no emotion on his face, even though below he was erupting with excitement. As soon as Master Zalrock and his Padawan had left the Council Chamber, Corin launched into an excited, rambling speech about his excitement. [b]"I can't believe the Council is letting me go to the Expansionist Region and I'm not even a Knight yet! This is unbelievable! I can't believe I'm going on my very first mission as a Jedi! It is going to be great!" [/b]he said. [b]"Calm down, Corin," [/b]Zalrock said with a smile and a laugh, [b]"You are too young to understand fully the importance of this mission. It is no training mission, this is a real, threatening situation. There is a possibility of death. You should not enter into these things too lightly." [/b]This sudden shock calmed Corin down, and he said barely anything on the way to the Temple Spire, and resorted to simply fiddling with his lightsaber as he walked. Torrin looked at his Padawan and smiled. [i]So young... [/i]he thought, [i]Most Jedi forget how the joys of youth had to be shrugged off during training. But any good Jedi remembers those times of joy, no matter how little they had. [/i]Corin turned to Zalrock just before they reached the Temple Spire. He looked around to check that no-one was listening. [b]"Master," [/b]he said, [b]"If Master Umdal is going to be there, does that mean that Galren Jeth will be as well?" "I imagine so. Galren is Master Umdal's Padawan after all. Why do you ask?" "I'm a little frightened by him. He's only a few years older than me and he's already nearing the trials. It's a little intimidating, that's all," [/b]said Corin, hanging his head. [b]"A little intimidation can be a good thing, Corin. Just don't let any little fears you have of him grow into something larger. Remember, fear..." "Is the path to the Dark Side, I remember," [/b]finished Corin, a little exasperated, having heard this speech many times during his training. [b]"Good, you would do well to remember that, Corin. It is one of the most important lessons I will ever teach you. And anyway, Galren is six years older than you. I'm sure by the time you reach his age, you will be able to pass the trials easily," [/b]said the Jedi Knight comfortingly. [b]"You really think so?" [/b]said the Padawan, his eyes lighting up. [b]"I have no doubt you will make an excellent Jedi some day, Corin. It matters not when you take the trials, but how good a Jedi you become before and after them," [/b]said Torrin with a small laugh, [b]"And now it is time for us to meet our partners for this mission." [/b]He pushed the doors of the Temple Spire open... --------- OOC: Ok, I have taken the liberty of including Outlaw's character fairly heavily in my post, as his computer is broken at the moment, so he cannot post. Maybe we can get this thing moving. [/size]

[i][size=1]2200 hours 14 hours remaining [/size][/i][size=1][b]"Quickly," [/b]said Sparks as she helped Sakura down onto the ferry, [b]"We only have a few hours." [/b]Sparks then offered her hand to Impulse, but he declined and merely jumped down from the harbour wall onto the ferry. Vernacular lowered herself gently onto the boat. [b]"This ferry ride should only take about 40 minutes," [/b]said Sparks, [b]"So if that is 40 minutes each way, that still gives us..." [/b]she did a little mental arithmetic, [b]"A little over 12 hours to do what we need to on this island. So once we get there, we need to be quick in finding it." "Sorry to be sounding dense," [/b]said Impulse dryly, [b]"But finding what?" "I'm sorry?" "What is it we are trying to find? Why are we even going to this island? And why were we picked for this mission?" [/b]he asked. [b]"I thought you were told in the briefing? Apparently not," [/b]she said with a sigh, [b]"Well, Hercules has gone mad. You know that much, I would hope. Vernacular had to be brought along to translate the ancient form of Greek dialect that Hercules will be using. We have to travel to this island to find a form of asphodel plant which will hopefully bring Hercules back to his senses." "And who gave us this information?" [/b]asked Sakura, suddenly becoming very interested. [b]"I did," [/b]said a voice from behind them. The team whirled around, to see a tall, thin man, handsome in an odd, old-fashioned kind of way, hovering a few inches above the floor. Upon closer inspection, his sandals had wings on the heels, and his helmet had metal wings, probably purely for decoration. [b]"And you are?" [/b]asked Impulse lazily. [b]"My name is Hermes," [/b]he replied, dropping down slowly to the floor, [b]"I am messenger for the gods of Ancient Greece. I came to your leader, the one who calls himself The Arbiter, telling him of our problem. Hercules has gone rather off-course with this enslavement business, and his father isn't all too happy." "His father?" [/b]asked Sakura, not knowing much about Greek myth and legend. [b]"Zeus, king of the gods," [/b]whispered Sparks. [b]"Indeed. Anyway, the rules of existence forbid the gods, including myself, from interfering with human affairs. Hercules, in his stead as a demi-god, the son of Zeus, is able to travel at will between the home of the gods and the mortal realm, and he is technically free from any rules that work against the gods. But up on Olympus, home of the gods, they're not happy. And we can't interfere with human affairs, but we can give you a little nudge in the right direction. And I suggested to The Arbiter that it might be worth his while to send a group to a certain island a little off the shore of mainland Greece to find a certain asphodel plant. So really, I didn't interfere at all," [/b]said the messenger. [b]"That leaves one question," [/b]said Impulse, [b]"If we needed Vernacular to translate anything Hercules said, how come you speak perfect English?" "I'm a god," [/b]replied Hermes, somewhat sarcastically, [b]"It kind of removes little problems like language barriers. Anyway, good luck with your mission...whatever it is..." [/b]he said, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, and disappeared. [b]"This is a weird mission," [/b]said Sakura, hsaking her head, [b]"We're on a mission from gods?" "Apparently so," [/b]replied Impulse, turning his head out over the sea. [b]"Everyone gather up your stuff," [/b]said Sparks, [b]"We're almost there." [/b] --------- OOC: Please tell me if I'm treading on anyone's toes here [/size]

[size=1]Of course, at this point Shadow was so desperate to win a challenge that he was practically accusing everyone and everything in sight. [b]"We know you did it, girl!" [/b]he shouted, ignoring the sobs from underneath the sheet. He ripped it off and yelled some more, something about slapping the girl until her hair fell out. [b]"Stop accusing her," [/b]said the Dr Edison, [b]"She's just my lab experiment. I need to find out how quickly hair grows back once pulled out by the roots." "Why do you need to find that out?" [/b]asked Crash, vaguely disgusted by the scientist, who merely shrugged. [b]"It seemed like the sensible thing to do. What?" [/b]he questioned, seeing that most of the team were giving him rather odd looks, [b]"Hello? Mad scientist? Does crazy not factor into the equation?" [/b]Shadow shrugged and turned back to the girl on the table, who, fortunately, hadn't had her hair ripped out yet. [b]"Tell us everything you know! Where were you on the night of the murder?" [/b]Shadow yelled, spouting every detective-movie cliche he could find in his average-sized brain. [b]"I was here," [/b]replied the girl between gasping sobs, [b]"I was right here on this table. That nice scientist man was using me to test which chocoloate tasted the best, and now you come with your bloody yelling and...and...and scared me!" "Is this true, Dr Edison?" [/b]the hedgehog-turned-detective asked, [b]"Was this girl here on the night of the murder?" "Yes, she was, and I have a photgraph of her here reading yesterday's newspaper to prove it," [/b]replied Edison, holding out a conveniently placed photograph. [b]"You have a picture of her? Coincidence? I think not!" [/b]said Shadow, looking into the distance. Crash looked from him back to the others and shrugged, leading them out of the laboratory. Shadow looked around and noticed that no-one was looking at him, then slumped out of the room. [/size]

[size=1]My brother got the first season on DVD for Christmas, and although we've only watched the first disc, I'm absolutely loving it. The first sketch is still to my mind one of the best (the one with the dancing cow-things, I'm not even going to attempt to spell the name of the song they sing here, because it is not even a real word). My other favourite sketch had to be the one with Zoot playing a saxophone solo, that consisted of one note every dozen or so bars, and he then ended up accompanied by a small hairy guy who played a bell. I think one of my favourite Muppets is Animal, purely because, even though the gags involving him are just pure stupidity and slapstick violence, they can make me laugh just by making Animal do his famous wide-mouthed laugh. So, to summarise, the Muppets are teh awesome. [/size]

[size=1]Thanks, that looks great! I was only using that set while I was waiting, it was an old one. Thank you very much. [/size]

[center][b][size=1]Name: [/size][/b][size=1]Austin Maxworth [Number 3] [b]Age: [/b]26 [b]Gender: [/b]Male [b]Group: [/b]Numbers [b]Appearance: [url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/Austin.jpg"]Austin[/url][/b] [b]Weapon(s): [/b]Austin carries one of [b][url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/beretta.jpg"]these[/url][/b] handguns, the Beretta 92FS, chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge His main weapon, though, is a Barrett M99 Sniper Rifle, shown [b][url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/barrett_m99.jpg"]here[/url][url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/barett_m99-1.jpg"][/url][/b] on a bipod and [u][url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/barett_m99-1.jpg"]here[/url][/u] without. [b]Bio: [/b]Born into the Maxworth family, a powerful family with large bluechip stock, Austin was often seen as a spoilt child, who never felt the need to go outside and play with other children. As far as he saw it, he had everything he needed right there in his house, his toys, people to look after him, food, drink, and as much of it as he could ever want. He was a reclusive child, often locking himself in his room for weeks at a time to concentrate on one of his little "projects," whatever those were. He often missed school, saying that he was "far too advanced for the public schooling system to teach him anything worth knowing." He was an arrogant, unfriendly child. But that changed when he was at his eighteenth birthday party, one thrown for him by his parents. Every wealthy family in town attended, but Austin was not keen. He didn't like interacting with other people, and wished that his parents hadn't invited so many people. But he was forced to talk to a young woman, a glamorous, intelligent young woman, and he realised that she was the most important thing in his life from that moment on. He worked hard at improving himself. He got out of his room more, spent hours in the gym, toning his weak body, training with various martial-arts instructors to keep himself fit. But by the time he had reached his peak, the woman he had fallen in love with had married another man and run away to Barbados. Seeking solace, he headed to the bars around Highrise. He went to some of the seediest joints around, and when he was assaulted by a group of men outside one of them, he dispatched all of them quickly and with ruthless efficiency. During this whole affair, he was being watched by a member of the Stefani Organization, one Brody Radley. Radley approached him and offered him a position in Division 4 of the Stefani Organization, the Assassination Department. Seeing no better alternative, Austin accepted. He gradually worked his way up the ranks of the AD, and, when Radley was put on the hit list for his mess-up over the Collect Boss, he was promoted to the position of Division 4 Boss, where he is in charge of finding and "offing" Radley. EDIT: Added a primary weapon [/size][/center]

[center][size=1][b]Name: [/b]Agent Alexander Kremona (goes by just "Alex") [b]Age: [/b]Looks to be around twenty-one [b]Gender: [/b]Male [b]Race: [/b]Human, apparently [b]Origin: [/b]Alex claims to have been brought up on Earth in the late 51st Century, although the reality behind this claim seems unclear [b]Items/Gadgets: [/b]As a former Time Agent, Alex has access to amazing technology. His primary equipment consists of a Sonic Blaster (manufactured by the same company as the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver), and a belt full of handy items, including a multi-platform comm-link, which allows him to communicate with the Doctor through any type of communication equipment. [b]Special Skills/Abilities: [/b]Being a trained Time Agent, Alex is skilled in many forms of unarmed combat, but he is altogether more keen on the armed forms of combat, whether it is close-quarters or long-range combat. He also has an inquisitive mind, and will always wish to find the answers to a problem, no matter how long it takes. Most who know him say he has the most perseverance they have ever seen in a human. [b]Position: [/b]The Doctor's companion [b]Appearance: [/b][u][url="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/mal.jpg"]Alex[/url] [/u][b]Personality: [/b]Alex is very much a team player, but he respects each person's role in the team. He also respects that, ultimately, the leader has control over the team (you have to realise this in order to co-exist peacefully with the Doctor). He is fun-loving, possibly more outgoing than many of the Doctor's companions, and is, most importantly, a loyal friend and companion. [b]Biography: [/b]Born in the late 51st Century, Alex was almost immediately signed up to join the Time Agents, an organization set up to protect the Earth from changes in the Timestream. He was trained from a young age, and never truly knew his parents. He became a skilled Agent, one of the best there was, and although he was offered promotion many times, he turned them down, preferring to work in the field rather than behind a desk. It was on a routine "bag-and-tag" mission to 30th Century Earth, to stop a band of "time-frauds," people who altered time for their own personal gain, that Alex lost two important things. The time-frauds had stolen experimental weaponry from a highly developed race, and had travelled to Earth in order to change history in their favour. When Alex and his partner arrived at the scene, their Sonic Blasters were no match for the criminals. Their high-tech weapons ripped through Alex's partner, and blew his ship to pieces, leaving Alex stranded on 30th Century Earth. He spent three years trying to track down the time-frauds that destroyed his ship and killed his best friend, and eventually he did, erasing them from the time-stream, putting everything back as it was. It was this time anomaly that caught the Doctor's attention, and he travelled to find out what had caused it. It was here he found Alex, distraught that he had no purpose left on this Earth that wasn't his, and took him aboard to take him home. But Alex believed that too much would have changed, that he would no longer fit in back at the Time Agency, so he asked the Doctor if he could travel with him, and the Doctor, realising that it would be useful to have a companion with knowledge of the Time-Stream on board, accepted. [b]OOC: Hope this is ok for you, vicky, tell me if not and I'll edit it[/b] [/size][/center]

[size=1]Well done Lotuses, you really deserved that one. I have no idea how you managed to post something like 70 times altogether, though. Hopefully the Iron Fists will be able to pull it out in time for the next challenge, because it looks like we're going to be another member down. [/size]

[size=1]Ok, let's see what I get: [/size] [list=1] [*]Rolling Sly Stone-Red Hot Chili Peppers [*]Sarah-Thin Lizzy [*]Higher Ground-Red Hot Chili Peppers [*]She Has A Girlfriend Now-Reel Big Fish [*]Moon Chavs-Jay Foreman (Don't ask) [*]Baker Street-Foo Fighters Cover [*]Shoot To Thrill-AC/DC [*]Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-The Beatles [*]Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life-Monty Python [*]I Got Life-Nina Simone [/list] [size=1]Hmm, an eclectic mix of music.[/size]

[size=1]With kind permission of Crucifix... [/size] [center][size=1][b]Name: [/b]Anthony aka Hade [b]Age: [/b]16 [b]Appearance: [/b]A tall, imposing figure disguises his shy personality. His hair is jet black, and hangs down roughly over his face, down to just below the eyebrows, hanging slightly into his eyes, which are bright crimson. He is well-matured for his age, having already been able to grow a rough, stubbly beard over his chin. His physique is muscular, although not in an overly obvious way. He wears a relatively tight white t-shirt, with a v-neck, and blue, boot-cut jeans. His top is covered by a black canvas jacket with a high collar. On his hands he wears black, fingerless leather gloves, and his right index finger has a chunky but blank pewter ring on it. His neck is hung with a plain pewter chain. [b]Weapon: [/b]Hade wields two long daggers, with slightly curved, jet-black blades, which go up into a chrome-coloured hilt, the finger guard lopping tightly round his fingers, giving the extra option of using the finger guards as knuckle dusters. He is also a good hand-to-hand combatant. [b]Personality: [/b]Although at first glance, Hade seems to be the macho type, he is actually pretty shy. He has always had a problem talking to girls, and he was lucky to find Peres. He sometimes has a problem with her being that sarcastic [i]all [/i]the time, but he has learnt to handle it. He is a loyal friend, and would die before betraying Helios and the others. He is also a good fighter, so he is one you want to have in battle beside you. [b]Powers: [/b]Hade has a strange power. His body is a store for massive internal energies, which threaten to rip him apart if he does not siphon excess energy off every so often. This requires him to release energy from his body at least once every two days, if not more. However, when it comes to battle, he can release this energy in the form of blasts of black fire (he calls it Hell-Fire), which he can hurl from his hands. It will have different effects depending on the amount of energy released. If he releases enough, he can cause massive explosions. A slight release of this energy can also result in increased speed and strength. Another way Hade can siphon this energy is by transferring some of it to corpses, reanimating them. He only very rarely uses this, as he is terrified of the possible consequences, but it can be useful in a tight corner. He has complete control over the corpses, which, depending on their state of decay, either become zombie-like creatures, or walking skeletons. [b]Bio: [/b]Born in the centre of Central City, Antony had never been away from huge crowds at all. He was used to the hustle and bustle of a busy metropolis, and he eventually found himself enjoying this busy lifestyle. His parents never had a lot of time for him, as they worked hard for the Royal Family, just as servants, but they had long hours and arduous work. So Anthony was sent to a full-time fighting academy, where he met a young boy named Robert, and a girl named Steph, who, although she was as sarcastic as they come, he felt a growing attraction to. He became close friends with Robert, and ended up going out with Steph. They soon gained more friends, Cilla, Noelle, Anthony, Mark and Becca. At Mark's suggestion, they named themselves the Council of Eight. They were given nicknames as well, Anthony taking Hade. They became, in essence, the city's protectors, as well as those of Gaia itself. They have rallied together to protect the city from the invading armies. [b] Writing Sample: [/b]The school was completely destroyed, that was for sure. Hade jumped to his feet, and searched amongst his friends for Peres. He dragged her out from underneath a chunk of concrete, and checked her pulse. She was still alive, thank god. Her pulse even seemed normal. And she didn't seem to have a scratch on her. For that matter, neither did he. He saw an altercation involving Helios and Achilles, and some woman that Hade did not recognise. He rushed over to his two friends, who faced the woman. [b]"What's going on? Who's she?" [/b]he asked, panicking slightly. [b]"I am Athena. I will show the Council how to use their abilities to their full advantage," [/b]she said. [b]"What? How does she know about the Council? I thought that was just between us?" [/b]said Hade, slightly confused by the whole situation. [b]"I think she knows a lot more than that, mate," [/b]replied Helios, indicating the ashes that remained of Athena's spear, now blowing away in the wind. [b]"Hade, isn't it?" [/b]she asked smoothly. Hade nodded nervously. [b]"Hmmm," [/b]she said, [b]"Tell me, you have felt your body threatening to burst with energy, haven't you? You've felt it threatening to rip you apart? Those migraines you get all the time, they are caused by your inner strength breaking out. I will help you control them." [/b]She held out her hand towards Hade, and he cried out as energy as black as his hair blasted from his mouth and eyes. He threw his head back, and watched the dark beams of energy lance away into the sky. Energy blasted from his hands as well, shredding the stone ground beneath him. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the energy stopped. Hade blinked a few times. [b]"The migraines," [/b]he said, smiling, [b]"They're gone! My body doesn't feel so stretched any more! Thank you, Athena!" "I can show you much more about yourself, young Hade," [/b]she said with a smile, [b]"As long as you trust me..." [/b] OOC: Hope this is all in order, Crucifix, PM me if not and I'll do some editing. [/size][/center]

[size=1]Shadow looked up and down at the spindly figure that stood in front of him. It was holding two spoons, both of which had just bent with no extra physical contact. The thing's mind was strong. Shadow ran towards it, Pokeball outstretched. But there was some kind of psychic barrier in the way. Shadow reached out towards what he thought was clear air, and his hand made contact with something. It felt kind of like a bubble, not completely solid, a little flexible. [i]Kadabra... [/i][b]"You can't get in my head," [/b]said Shadow, [b]"Not again. I'm prepared. I'm...ugh..." [/b]He stood completely still, his eyes having a glazed-over, far-away look. His arms snapped to his sides and his legs snapped together. He fell to the floor, and was unable to move. [b]"I really don't wanna say this, but...Go! Alakazam!" [/b]he shouted. One of his Pokeballs vibrated, and the larger creature he had just captured emerged. It looked at him, and then to the Kadabra. [i]Alakazam... Kadabra... [/i]Suddenly, a hazy blob moved from Alakazam's head towards Kadabra, at high speeds. It smashed through the psychic barrier that Kadabra had erected, and threw Kadabra backward into a tree, knocking it out. Shadow was released from the psychic control. [b]"Yes! I knew capturing the bigger one first would pay off!" [/b]he indulged himself in a small victory dance. He then picked an empty Pokeball (he was fast running out), and captured Kadabra. [b]Congratulations. You have....captured......a.....Kadabra.... "You're quick," [/b]he said to his Pokedex. He re-absorbed Abra and Alakazam into their Pokeballs and walked away. [/size]

[size=1]You're right, the storyline would be kinda tricky. I think basing it around the Time War is a good idea, though. It would be interesting to kind of delve a little deeper into this event which is mentioned but not elaborated on throughout the show. I was planning on making at least a Doctor Who-style RP, but I found it difficult to come up with a decent storyline. I'm sure, however, that combining our creative talents we could probably come up with something pretty special, if you'll have me. I've really gotten into Doctor Who since the new series started, and I especially liked the Christmas Special. 'Twas excellent entertainment. So, yeah, I'd be interested in participating if not helping in the creation of this RP. [/size]