Darth Vectis

This is extraordinary! I am in for sure.

Name: Harvest Tigan Age: 26 Sex: Female Personality: Harvest is considered a sobering force amongst her people and in her work environment. She has a hard trained military mind set and looks at all people and subjects around her as pieces to be moved on a board. Having an overly analytical mind, she doesn’t have the easiest time communicating with people in the form of conveying emotion but shows little of her ability to care for others, besides her brother. Abilities: Harvest was gifted with the strengths of their father, granted powers from the mystical side in the form of runes that were imprinted on her body since she was born. The runes only number as twenty total, typically scrawled on her chest and across the top of her back. The symbols can be moved, rearranged, changed and resized to serve whatever function she requires. The change is almost instant, but to move them across her body and to resize them requires about four seconds to change. And once she does this, it takes a toll on her body for every rune she has to change. The toll growing heavier with each rune she changes, requiring her to take longer periods of rest per rune that is altered. Changing a single rune demands she take an hour of rest before she can alter that rune again without causing damage to her body. She can alter them outside of her rest period, but that can cause substantial damage to both her physical form and her mental ability. Appearance: Standing at an average height of 5’6”, a tanned complexion from their families heritage and short cut dirty blonde hair. She has a fit build, not being very outwardly muscular but toned and with more muscle definition. She is usually wearing a more formal attire of a typical pantsuit when in her work environment but has clothes she wears for times of ‘relaxation’. Harvest as rather soft features but hard green eyes that cuts into people like daggers. Background: Occupation: Harvest is the High Commander of the Private Government agency called IRIS. Working both in the office setting, running the operation over all but takes fieldwork from time to time to escape the monotony of an office life.

Hey there everyone! If you are reading this now it means you are interested in at least what is in this thread. Well, i'll keep it simple a straight to the point. I've started doing Youtube, Vine and other media things like that and I have noticed I am lacking a recognizable symbol or emblem that will set me apart. So, I need help, as I am art incapable and only mildly knowledgeable in Photoshop and other programs of the kind. I need help creating one for my channel, something I will put up on every video, will be seen by any and everyone who looks at any of my channels. Can you help me? If you can, fantastic! I appreciate any kind of help with this. Below will be the things I am looking for, and i will post up anything that I can put up for the artists references. If you need anything else form me, please let me know! Below is a crappy version i threw together for a kind of general idea. The main points i would love are: A crest like shield, preferably a little beat up/chipped on the edges.Curved horns very similar to the ones in the image, something that will fit in the shield as well.The middle symbol, id just like integrated better into the image overall, how that is done is up to youId like a Rod and a dagger like blade together. How they are incorporated is also up in the air, whatever works with the overall design.The color scheme is super basic in the picture as well, Id like Red and black for the primary colors and Gold as the trim.And that is all, I hope that whoever finds this has a blast working on this and I appreciate all the help! - Ronin

The world around them echoed with noises, meaningless conversations, gestures of romance, cat calls, laughter, screaming and many others that added to the cacophony of sound waves that filtered through Corâ??taks sound recognition system.   â??I despise coming to this place.â? Corâ??tak said in his harsh, mechanical voice sitting beside E as she held a cold bottle. Her favorite beer, or something like that as she took a swig of the liquid form the dark brown bottle.   â??You know we come here to get paid right? Youâ??ll survive Metallo.â? He looked around at all the destitute people around him. People screaming, laughing, objects being thrown as they collided with either prefab walls or the rocky surface of the asteroids own walls. These people called it an engineering marvel, building within an asteroid and having a functioning city. Corâ??tak ignored E for several moments as he just watched everyone around the Bounty Board. He could see mountains of men and women, all abound in their own worlds as they constantly checked the board, or shuffled through the crowd or any other activity they could manage. He felt a twinge in his brain, a part deep within his cybernetics that desired to carve a path through this place.   â??This forsaken rock could use a proper purging.â?? Corâ??tak hadnâ??t made a move before he felt a familiar tap on his forearm. Looking down he found the barrel of Eâ??s pistol, before seeing it casually pointed at the temple of her own head.   â??You know I hear you when you think thoughts like that.â? Another time he wish he could express something across his face, E raised a brow with a  mischievous smile that made Corâ??tak settle back down a their reclusive table. He maintained his composure before looking away from E.   â??Hardly worth the effort.â? E put her empty bottle on the table, Corâ??tak keeping his eyes focused elsewhere.   â??Letâ??s go check out the Bounty Board, you seem antsy Metallo and we should keep you moving.â? Scooting her chair out, E rose and then started forward. Corâ??tak swiftly followed, trailing behind E as he stood tall and the one everyone called E strolled forward with a strong aura of confidence. His eyes scanned the people as they pushed their way through them, until finally getting to the board. E casually touched the board, the bounties springing to life as she shifted through the ones available.   â??Hmmmmm, this one seems interesting.â? She pulled the bounty up in full form and read over a few bits, transferring over to her personal system before reading on with the details.   â??Interesting, they call him Jumper. Lookâ??s like heâ??s got himself a special artifact that makes him a slippery one. Sounds like itâ??s right up our alley.â? She smiled, transferring the data to Corâ??tak who could see it flash before his robotic eyes right before another set of information appeared and flashed before him.   â??Seems another hunter has taken this bounty as well. Kahleesi Ovaren Sora Trovinma. How would you like to handle this situation Syn? Do we terminate?â? E looked over the bounty with her metallic bodyguard standing ready to enact his â??idealâ?? plan.   â??Corâ??tak, that isnâ??t necessary. We should try working with this other hunter. Itâ??s a pretty hefty bounty, and if you can get a hold of that artifact, iâ??m sure we could do more.â? He looked down to E, doing his best to try and force a grin on his mechanical face.   â??Ruining my fun as usual, but clever E. Let us proceed then. Where shall we start first to locate her?â? She gestured for him to take the lead.   â??Youâ??re taller, you can see better in this crowd then I will. I leave that up to you Metallo.â? He let out an annoyed groaned, which sounded more like machinery scraping together in protest from being moved. He went about his usual routines, correlating information with what was around him and gathered what he could with stray words, voice analyzing and whatever other tricks he could sum up to piece together the other hunter was. It only took him a few minutes to compile all of the data he needed before he turned toward a direction.   â??Over there, she is further out than anticipated. We will pinpoint her exact location as we move. Let us continue.â? Corâ??tak took the lead, pushing past others with no discernable concern for anyone else. E followed along happily, sarcastically apologizing to a few here and there as Corâ??tak continued to scout out more data before finally stopping before a building and pointing within.   â??There, she is located within the Blazing Comet. Thatâ??s a rather quaint place, terribly original as well.â? E gave him a hard jab into his ribs, her look mildly annoyed before moving on.   â??Play nice Metallo, letâ??s at least try and make this a pleasurable experience for all of us.â? E went in first, Corâ??tak right behind he as they pushed through the doors. Drunk stupors crowded the establishment, most were blitzed out of their skulls and others were rousing about with raucous laughter and poorly sung lyrics. Corâ??tak was the first to spot their, new acquaintances.   â??Over there, the one with the horns and and tattoos.â? E looked in the direction he was gesturing, E looked around for several seconds. Her eyes still scanning as she spoke.   â??I donâ??t think anyone could have been more vague than you my friend.â?   â??On your two oâ??clock, speaking with one of the bartenders. I believe she is a Vulâ??orcha.â?   â??A Vulâ??orcha as a hunter huh? Thats different, thought they were all sex slaves these days.â?   â??It appears that is not true, I will have to discover more to Archive what makes her different.â? E looked up and over at Corâ??tak with a sly grin on her face.   â??Got you with the pheromones already did she? Havenâ??t even talked to her yet, but it looks as if youâ??ll be able to prove your machoness as a mate.â? Corâ??tak did his best to give her not satisfaction with a response as he looked over, seeing a male terran having made his way over to the pair of women. He didnâ??t seem rather threatening, but body language determined that his attention was unwanted. Corâ??tak went forth, people moving out of his way or being pushed aside before coming up to the terrans immediate left.   â??I just wanted to talk to you ladies, I mean you donâ??t see a Vulâ??orcha often. I just want a little taste.â? Corâ??takâ??s metal hand reached out and grasped the terran by the neck and lifted him off the ground. The terran clawing at the unforgiving grip, E appearing quickly behind Corâ??tak and giving them girls a friendly smile.   â??Hello ladies, more specifically, Kahleesi is it?â? She looked at the two, E still showing her best smile while Corâ??tak held the terran in his grip even though his gaze had shifted toward her.   â??Yes, but iâ??m not some slave girl. You canâ??t buy me, especially not with a robot.â? E held her hands up, trying to her best to show her genuine nature.   â??Not at all, but you are on a bounty and we saw you might need a bit of help. Thatâ??s where we come in.â? E looked over her shoulder at Corâ??tak. â??Looks like you are out of luck though Metallo.â? Corâ??tak ignored her once more as his eyes returned to the barely struggling terran   â??He seems to be running out of air, should I finish the job Syn?â?   â??Let the poor fellow go, iâ??m sure he learned his lesson.â? Corâ??tak threw the terran off to his right, sending him sprawling into the ground as he gasped for breath. Croâ??tak turned back to them, E smiling as she clapped her hands together.   â??Now, since that is settled. Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am E, Galactic bounty hunter extraordinaire! And this,â? E pointed casually with her thumb. â??Is my personal assistant, Metallo.â?   â??Corâ??tak.â? He said curtly, E pulling up a chair as she sat down with the two women.   â??Heâ??s always like that, donâ??t worry about him. Now, shall we get down to business?â?   OOC: This is a combined post for both Orcus and myself, whoo team of 3!

â??Do we really need to go with this approach? This seem gratuitous.â? Corâ?? tak relayed through the link between him and E, standing in the haphazardly filled cargo bay. The lights dim in comparison to the green glow emanating from his body, casting ominous shadows that shifted as he altered his gaze throughout the bay. He shifted items around, boxes of miscellaneous items for E to maintain the ship or for personal use. Especially with that battle suit she loved so much, that alone required more specialized parts then Corâ??tak would have assumed otherwise.   â??Itâ??ll be fine Metallo, Since I didnâ??t get to take you on the last hunt, I figured this would give you a chance to stretch your legs.â? He shifted boxes and materials around, placing them where he thought they would be best, until he finally came across what he was searching for in the mess.   â??I donâ??t need to stretch my legs, their Plarian starmetal plated and Sarâ??vul ligaments to-â?   â??I know what they are freezing made of Corâ?? tak, why are you so literal sometimes?â? He moved a few more items as he found his Vul, using his connection to open the giant coffin as the seamless slab parted and folded back as the green glow illuminated the interior just enough. He reached in, pulling free the cloak as he lifted it over his head as he placed the clasps on his shoulders. His body reacting as a section on his shoulder opened up, two bars extending vertically, putting the bars through two open notches on the cloak before the top of the bars opened up into a flat dish shape and retracted back into his body to secure the cloak. The cloak gave a low hum as it started to charge.   â??It seems to bother you, I could be more fanciful such as you Organics. But there is too many of you already, how does it feel to get old?â? The ship shifted as Corâ??tak pulled free a metal staff, bare of any sharp implements. He wasn't particularly sure he would need them, but they were just a call away if he really needed them.   â??I donâ??t know Metallo, you tell me.â? He would have smirked if he could, but the servos in his face didn't allow for that sort of emoting. Maybe it was time for an upgrade, if not for the pleasure of annoying E a little bit more.   â??Weâ??re over the base now, get your creepy coffin thing ready for drop.â? Corâ??tak walked over to the control panel on the side of the doors, his steps scraping metal against metal, and pressed the button down. Lights went off as the sound of pistons and motors started their motion, opening the bay doors as air rushed into the cargo bay. Sending any papers whipping around the bay or getting shot out the open doors and rattling some of the lighter boxes. His eyes looked out at the world they had come to for this odd job. Water covering most of the surface, a few pieces of land could be seen dotted here and there. Even with his far reacting sight, he could only make out maybe 5-6 more lonely islands. He looked down to the one they were aiming for, standing precariously on the edge to get a clear view. He could see the complex made of concrete and metal as it floated on the water with artificial gas chambers to let it float freely.   â??Corâ??tak, weâ??re eight hundred meters over the target, you ready to drop in?â? He took a moment to search his memory banks, gauging several factors that might make the job easier. He couldn't see the weapons that were being carried by the guards, but he could see them moving like ants along walls meant to fortify the area.   â??Can you remind me who we are looking for again? My old age has made me rather forgetful.â?   â??Har har, your target is Harold Rackson. A Terran with a long rap sheet of extortion and blackmail, he isn't anything really special but he has stolen a lot of money from a lot of â??stand upâ?? officials in the past few years. Iâ??ll send you the information now.â? His systems were hooked up to the ship, making it easier for E to relay information to him and for him to control the ship when they both had to vacate it. The image of Harold came up on the screen, and overweight man with a greasy look to his face and hair. A memory sparked in Corâ?? taks mind as he attributed it to a mob boss one of the past Vanguards had come across on Terra in the 1921 AD, as they classified it.   â??A terran all the way out here, he must of done a number on their accounts.â?   â??Hence the fat bounty on his head.â? Corâ?? tak gauged the complex again, they were closer now but not enough for him to gather enough information on the tech within. He shifted slightly before he heard E blast her voice over their link.   â??Iâ??m sure you are enjoying the view right now, but you need to drop now.  Your coffin thing will drop right through the roof of that thing, easy entrance and you can take him back in it. Like we planned Metallo.â? He kept gazing at the buildings as they got slowly closer, all the while his Vul closed itâ??s doors and rotated in the air before floating slowly toward him, pushing aside more cargo and resting behind him.   â??How far are we up now?â?   â??Seven hundred and thirty-four meters.â?   â??Thatâ??s odd, why haven't they started shooting? They can see us clearly, maybe their censors are only designed for short range. This will be simpler-â? The ship rocked and Corâ??tak was tossed aside into one of the side walls, the sound of small aircraft flew past. His eyes caught them for just a moment, but it was all he needed as they had been within the area he needed.   â??Atmospheric Class fighters: one main weapon energy based. They are built for speed, we wonâ??t be able to outrun them if we keep a predictable pattern.â?   â??What in the bluehills Metallo? We need to abort, avoid these fighters and then hopefully, we can come back and try again.â? Corâ??tak picked himself up and charged the Open bay doors.   â??I have another idea, fly them away from the base, return when you have dealt with them. I will be waiting for you.â? As he reached the doors, he send his pistons and motors into overdrive, pushing himself forward as he leaped out the open doors and plummeted through the thin air. Only having moments to determine that the atmospherics composition was indeed thinner than some of the eden worlds, his velocity would be greater when he made contact but that was a concern for when he touched down. He changed his position, aiming straight down as he watched the target rush closer. Only when he judged the target to be about two hundred meters away did he pull his arm back and launch the staff forward as it flew faster then him. Now, he could see the ants aiming up and firing at the rapidly descending object. Corâ?? tak did very little to avoid the shots, many missed as they fire without precision and the ones that did hit their mark bounced off his armor at this distance.   He continued to calculate as he fell, reaching terminal at the one hundred and forty-three meter mark, he started to shift his body. Changing up position again so his legs would hit the ground first, he let his arms float over his head but kept his eyes on the ground as he counted down the meters.   â??One Hundred meters.â?? He scanned to see if his landing zone would be clear, it was for now but he had a distance to go.   â??Sixty-two meters.â?? He unlocked his legs, letting the dampeners prepare to absorb the shock throughout his body.   â??Forty-six meters.â?? He could feel a bit of heat developing from his rapid fall, his cloak was slowing it enough for his calculations, the heat would wouldn't affect his landing.   â??Twenty-one meters.â?? He felt a crack reverberate through his body as a round collided with his torso, the crack was undetermined as he searched his systems. He groaned internally as he discovered it was a primary shock dissipation in his chest cavity. This landing wasn't going to be very smooth.   â??Twelve meters, eight, five, twoâ?? The sound he made as he impacted was deafening to anyone nearby, the infrastructure he smashed into cracked and bowed, within seconds of his landing, before it gave way and sent Corâ??tak into another level. The first Impact was absorbed enough with the initial landing site giving way, but the next level was plenty strong enough to take his weight. The same couldn't be said for his left leg, the first hit had been absorbed enough but cracked the ligaments within. The second, harder landing, ripped the leg free, from mid-thigh, and sent it flying into a near by way, jutting from the wall like a coat hanger. His right leg was still function, a few parts having come loose during landing. He tried to rise, but found it rather difficult with only one leg, but eventually found something to grab to lift himself up. Scanning his surroundings, he found himself in a storage area and farther from his target then he would have liked.   â??Metallo, are you ok? I heard that hit from out here!â? He hopped over to the wall that held his leg, taking a firm grasp and tearing it from the wall.   â??I am fine, rough landing was all.â?   â??Status report Corâ??tak.â? He checked to see if he could reattach the leg in its current status, but was disappointed too much had sheared away for reattachment at this time. He would need to find more material to repair it.   â??Core systems: 100%. Neural communications: 100%. Battle Capacity: 73%. Mobility:24%â?   â??By the Bluehills, 24% mobility? What happened?â? The green glow emanating from his body grew brighter as he could hear the N.E.C.R.O.S react to his right legs damage and piecing it back together.   â??Correction, Mobility: 43%. Searching for Target now. Will regain mobility ASAP.â? He hopped to a storage container, scanning the materials of the container and the items within. Determining that the metal used was sufficient for a temporary fix. He jammed his bony-like fingers into the side and tore free a large strip, wrapping it around the outside of the lost limb and then sliding it harder for the stump. The N.E.C.R.O.S. sprang to life once again, connecting the two objects to Corâ??tak before he stood on it to test its stability. His movement was sluggish, but it would hold for the time of this mission.   â??Corâ??tak, fighters have been dealt with, Iâ??m on my way back.â? He pushed his way out of the storage room, his left leg functioning with a slight limp that impeded his progress, but he would not be stopped. It was long before the halls he was traversing were starting to get louder with the sounds of footfalls and equipment bouncing with the motion. His scrapping feet made stealth impossible for him, but he wouldnâ??t need it. Turning a corner, he saw a cluster of guards in the hallway before him. Some on their knees to give the ones behind a better shot, all had their guns aimed on him.   â??Foreign entity, stand down and weâ??ll make sure your death is quick.â? A voice echoed over a PA system, he looked around and spotted the speaker and instantly saw the object deconstructed in his mind. The wiring, the frequency it operated on, the operation of the mechanism, the energy input and the areas it would connect through and central hubs it would be using to transmit the information.   â??Your voice pattern determines you are not Harold Rackon and that you are lying. Dishonesty is a punishable crime in the Necropolis.â? He heard a chuckle come from the system.   â??Youâ??re right, we have to take you apart since you didnâ??t explode when hitting the ground. We need to know more about what kind of Simulant you are.â?   â??Are all Organics just simple minded as yourself? As a Vanguard of Ark World 147, itâ??ll be my pleasure to purge this complex. Deliver Harold Rackson, stand aside and I wonâ??t purge you all. Just some of you.â?   â??Thatâ??s cute, letâ??s show him what business we deal in boys.â? His eyes seeing the weapons, took them apart just as he did the PA. Classifying the weapons as Aegris manufactured Field Use Battle And Resistance pulse rifles, also know as F.U.B.A.R. An appropriate name for the amount of rounds these weapons unleashed in a short amount of time. He calculated in his head what the damage would be.   â??Damage:Minimal.â?? The word appeared in his mind, another moment he would have smirked if he could. The weapons came to life as triggers were squeezed, the rounds suddenly pouring out as Corâ??tak stood through it. They were quiet as they fired their weapons, hinting at a more professional training. Tactical and precise, but their guns werenâ??t powerful enough to tear through his body as the N.E.C.R.O.S. rapidly fixed the dents created and chips in his plates. He started walking forward, moving slowly because of his leg he just kept looking forward. The fire was continues, but he could see them start to waiver as it barely impeded his progress. He was only about three meters from them when they started to disperse and make a tactical retreat. Unfortunately, the hall was tighter with them all trying to escape at once, while a few were able to make a full turn and run for a better firing position, others were not so lucky as Corâ??tak managed to get a hold of them one at a time.   Grabbing one by his vest, he lifted him off the ground and swung him into a wall with audible crunch before moving on to another and ending his life with one swift back hand that caught him across his helmeted head. The force violently contorted his neck until it broke and he slumped to the ground, Corâ??tak taking everything in strides as he overpowered many of them in sheer strength and size alone. He had killed four more guards before grabbing one more, others had scattered into other halls as he lifted this one in the air by his neck and holding him under his jaw.   â??Where is Harold Ruckson?â? The guard squirmed and struggled to breath, but managed to squeeze out some words.   â??Heâ??s- heâ??s in his panic room on the other side of the complex. When the rod fell through the roof, he hid. Itâ??s behind three meters of solid starsteel. Youâ??ll never get through.â?   â??We will see.â? Another, smaller, group of guards came around the corner to see the scene. Corâ??Tak turned his head, his emotionless face stared at them as he clenched his occupied hand and completely collapsed the lower half of the mans head and severing his neck from his torso. The corpse falling to the ground as he turned on them, gore dripping from his hand as he walked toward them now.The guards parted as another came through, this one with a sleeker looking weapon, Corâ??tak kept walking but let his eyes take it apart. This was a Malix High Powered Single Shot Solid Ammunition Rifle-H.P.S.S.S.A.R. This time the words that crossed his mind were, less than appealing.   â??Damage: High, parts suitable for limb replacement.â?? He would have groaned but instead kept his pace, the weapon was pointed at him and the marksman kneeled down to brace for the recoil on the weapon. Firing the rifle, the slug parted the barrel with a loud boom, Corâ??tak trying to move out of the way of the round, but his size impeding his chances as the round missed but skimmed across his arm and tore apart several servos. He upped his moving speed, but his limp held him back as he the marksman reloaded the weapon and took aim once more. Able to fire another shot, Corâ??tak moved to try and avoid the shot, his success being minor as it took out a chunk of his torso and exposed the N.E.C.R.O.S. floating around and flowing through him. The Marksman reloaded for a third time and aimed once more, releasing the third shot and hitting the target dead on.   This time, the round collided with his left leg, ripping apart his quick fix and shredding the leg as it tore through the metal and sent him tumbling to the ground. Catching himself with his one good arm, he managed to just lift his body up and look up to see the barrel of the Malix in his face. The guard who held it wore a mask, his eyes taking apart the guard and determined it was a targeting unit, equipped with a low level A.I. to determined weak points in opponents and calculate all the variables a good marksman would need.   â??Not so tough now, machines are their superiority complex. Pick him up, weâ??re taking him to Harold for some answers.â? It took four guards to carry him to their boss, a fifth carried his destroyed leg as a souvenir. All the while, the sniper kept the weapon trained on him from behind. They plopped him down in a large chair once, the chair gave way immediately and they were forced to improvise and make something sturdier for him. Long enough for their boss to interrogate him, the sniper coming along the front to keep a better eye on him as the large form of Harold appeared from a behind a massive sliding door. The room itself was nothing special as it only contained enough items to constitute as an office, but the room behind it was luxurious and filled with rich carpets and old tapestries. Paintings hung on the walls, likely very highly valued with other items that made it seem more like a palace rather than a panic room.   â??So this is the thing that came crashing into my home, and look at how beat up it is. Must be a bounty hunters surrogate or something.â? He waddled his way closer to Corâ??tak, looking the cold figure over and rested his large body against the desk, which creaked at the shift in weight.   â??Now, since you were too much of a ***** to come and face me yourself, iâ??ll tell you what, you have twelve hours to come and reclaim your hardware here and maybe I wonâ??t kill you after you tell me everything you know.â? Corâ??taks face look around, turning in a mechanical way to try and influence their fear. The sniper was the one to speak up to Harold.   â??He said something about Ark World 147, I donâ??t think this is a suit or a surrogate.â? Harold snorted, a fitting sound for a man who looked like a large swine.   â??What the hell kind of planet would an Ark World be?â?   â??It is a dead one, culled long ago. Do you have my staff?â? Corâ??tak spoke plainly now, more machine now. Harold snapped his fat fingers, some sort of moisture splashing away as one of the guards handed him the solid metal staff.   â??Oh this thing? Thought it was a bomb when it came crashing through my roof, but looks like it was just a ruse. Throwing rods at me, what do you think that will do?â? He let out a harsh laugh, part giggle and part snort, Corâ??tak hardly cared what he sounded like.   â??No, that is a useful tool. The ruse was something else entirely, Organics. You have five seconds to release me and surrender without further incident. Otherwise, I will have to resolve it violently.â? His laugh grew louder as the sniper chuckled, a shoulder shrug indicating their amusement. Corâ??tak mimicked the laugh, his harsh robotic sound killing the fun they were experiencing and made more the one guard shift uneasily. Harold used the staff to strike Corâ??tak, the sound of metal on metal ringing throughout the room. It did nothing, but Corâ??tak stopped laughing and stared at the terran.   â??You have a surprising amount of courage for a organic of your size, especially one that only steals money from people.â? The guard came to Harolds side, taking the staff from him and stepping aside.   â??Iâ??m done with this thing, Caitlyn, finish this thing.â?   â??With pleasure.â? The sniper raised the gun directly to his head, the barrel point blank.   â??Donâ??t miss.â? Caitlyn froze for just a second, but reasserting her stance she prepared to pull the trigger when a soft humming sound caught her attention.   â??What in the seven levels is that?â? Caitlyn said, her eyes searching for the source.   â??Your end.â? Corâ??tak said, his lidless eyes staring at her as his cloak powered up before discharging a brilliant light. The few in front of him were blinded by it, the direction of the heat shooting behind him. He could hear the sizzle of skin as the heat washed over them, screamings echoing throughout the room as Corâ??tak acted. Seizing the weapon, he tore it from her hands before smashing it into her head, sending her to the ground. The few moments he had, were used to attach the gun to his leg, the N.E.C.R.O.S. coming to life to start attaching the leg he lost. When the ones blinded were able to see again, the Necrocyte stood tall once more. His arm repaired and his leg being reshaped as he assaulted the guard who carried his staff, grabbing the staff he tore it away from him and smashed the man with it. The sound of his chest caving in was muffled by the continuing screams. With his staff in hand, the connection was made and the weapon came to life. The blades shooting out from each end, and the familiar green glow of N.E.C.R.O.S. activating within. He leveled the weapon at a guard and fired without hesitation, the Gauss weapon struck him and disintegrated his form to dust.   â??Corâ??tak! Iâ??m over the base right now, what is going on?â? E screamed over the link.   â??Is the bay door open still?â? He swung his weapon at a guard trying to get a few good shots up, carving up the weapon with on swing and following up with another that bisected the man.   â??Yes, all of my **** is probably gone now. Thanks Metallo.â? He ignored her snide comment, another command went out, the Vul coming to life as it jettisoned itself from the Stryx and plummeted to the ground. Corâ??tak swung his staff once more, severing the head of another guard and the lifeless body falling to the ground. The room was quiet now, the screams of the burned victims died off with them and all there was left was Harold standing on his feet and Caitlyn unconscious on the ground. Harold turned to rush back into his panic room, Corâ??tak far enough away he could hide within. That hope was smashed, quite literally, as the Vul impacted the panic rooms roof and landed within it. Caught between the two, Harold lost the nerve as Corâ??tak was upon him then, grabbing the scruff of his brown jacket and pulling him along.   â??Wait, we can make a deal! Anything you want, I can get it for you! I took a lot of money from them, theyâ??ll kill me! Please, you canâ??t take me back!â? Harold started to cry as Corâ??tak opened the Vul, and tossed him within, holding out his staff as the doors closed on him. He didnâ??t wish to occupy the pod with the little man.   â??Need a pick up E, this has been a taxing endeavor.â? E came over the gaping hole and lowered a platform down, with her on it. Corâ??tak walked to the platform and stood beside E, the Vul turning on its back and hovered forward until it was also on the platfom before it started to ascend.   â??See, thats wasnâ??t so bad Metallo.â? He looked down at her, his face cold as he held up his staff, releasing a shot from his Gauss weapon. The screams of another guard echoed for a second before he disappeared into nothing. He looked away then, the blades disappearing back into the staff. The silence stretch on for several seconds before Corâ??tak spoke up. â??My leg hurts.â?

Name: Corâ??tak â??Metalloâ?   Age:  Undetermined   Height: 1.91 m (6â??3â?)   Weight: 136 kg (300 lbs)   Gender: Male   Species: Necrocytes: One of the oldest races in the known universe, they are a species of cold metal and barely living flesh hanging on mechanical bones. Very few are seen at any one time, but when they roam the stars it is typically seen as a sign of great peril. Necrocytes, also known as Necros, typically have a metal body made of any material they can fine; they are seemingly able to build themselves from almost nothing. Additionally, they all produce an eerie green glow from their bodies. It is rumored that they weren't always a race of metal, but an organic one that lived rather peacefully until they discovered something on their homeworld. But to many, these are just stories spread around to humanize the machines that march tirelessly through the galaxy, and leave behind barren planets in their wake.   Appearance: Cor' Tak: While most current Necrocytes are 'healthy' mix of organic and mechanical, there are some Necros that predate many of the younger models. These are classified as Generation one, two, and three, and these Necros has far outlived the skin they were once born into. Cor'tak is classified as a Generation one by Necrocytes standards, his skin has completely decayed, leaving only the metal body behind and a few internal organs within. While most of his organs are no longer in use, they remain as energy to burn in desperate times if he is required to rebuild himself rapidly. The only organ that still remains fully intact is his brain, and that is locked behind some of the most dense material that could be found.   Cor'tak is easy to identify as a G1 because of the unique etching that is hidden around the back of his skull, the words N.E.C.R.O.S. carved into the metal with precision and care of an original. While on 'downtime' with E, he doesn't carry around the Ion Cloak, which doesn't have the crown, and stashes both his staff and his cloak in his Vul, though mostly he finds he only needs the items when intimidating bounties or other hunters able to rely on his only strength instead of his weapons.   Home Planet: Ark World 147: Like many Ark world of the Necrocytes, it is a seemingly barren world where life is almost inhospitable save for the most hardy of creatures. Most of the surface is covered in jagged rock formations, empty plains and lava pools. But, on this Ark world, many of the landscapes are littered with ancient, derelict ships and scars from scenes of battle. Below the surface, few dare to venture, but for the ones that have and returned to tell the stories, find it to be honey-combed with tunnels and caverns that contain massive structures that withstand the test of time and remain pristine, if rather cold and distant from organic sensibilities and aesthetic tastes.   Equipment:   N.E.C.R.O.S.- New Ectoplasy Replicating Organic Substance, this material is the source of the ominous green glow that courses through the body of all Necrocytes. This substance was discovered long ago, and is the greatest tool for the mechanical race. As long as a single drops remains, it can create more of the N.E.C.R.O.S. material and reconstitute the original host shape and personality(if there is one)with any other material around. N.E.C.R.O.S is also surprisingly energetic; when it comes in contact with old and new machines, it can give them power or boost performance in already operating ones. It also seems to have the ability to recreate organic matter in small doses, large doses actually dissolves organic matter in an effort to create more energy.   Ka Ik Tar- A staff that stands 1.96 meters tall and .13 meters wide, it has a set of blades on each side and on both ends of the shaft, the middle glows the same green glow as the N.E.C.R.O.S. On one end of the staff is an opening from which a Gauss weapons resides. With mental commands, the weapon can be activated and uses to blast away any who get in the way, disintegrating anything not adequately protected and sending a nasty impact into those who are. The weapons itself has no limit on the times it can be fire, but has a rather slow rate of fire-- only being able to let off a single blast every 3 seconds. The concussive force of this weapon makes it unwieldy for most humanoids, and the lack of physical controls makes it difficult to use.   Ion Cloak- This piece of equipment is carried by higher ranks of the Necrocyte forces, the Vanguards being the most prominent carriers. The cloak moves and functions as a piece of clothing would, but it made of segments of nanometal that flexes and moves easily and also acts as a solar panel. Gathering energy from any source, if not using N.E.C.R.O.S. on it, and building it up until the weare releases is into a massive energy burst. The greater the energy source, the faster the build up. The burst is both blinding and hazardous to any in close proximity; beings 12-15 meters away can be momentarily dazed by the pure light released while those in a 6-10 meter radius can be blinded for up to 45 seconds. Creatures 1-5 meters away can severely burned by the heat produced and some can even be incinerated.   Special Skills: The Necrocytes gave up their individuality to become a more effective force, and because of that Corâ??tak can use their â??hive mindâ? to pull information on anything that have been learned by the Necros. The more complicated the information the longer it takes to transmit to him, as well as the older the information is the longer it takes to find. Through several millennia of being exposed to N.E.C.R.O.S., Corâ??tak has developed and innate ability to understand other machines through close proximity. Mechanical objects and beings can be as far as 15 meters away with Corâ??tak able to fully identify the machine, able to break down its operations and schematics of the machine before storing the information away.   Vehicle: Vul : Corâ??tak has but a single vessel to his ownership, but as is common with the Necro race, it serves multiple functions. The vessel is shaped like a large coffin, this ones is adorned with deep lines and ancient symbols that glow with the same green color, powered by N.E.C.R.O.S. The Vessel functions as a drop pod on to planets, to create maximum destruction while still protecting anyone inside, able to hold two Necrocytes of Corâ??taks size. When the pod is dropped and Corâ??tak exists, it can convert into a hover platform, using anti-gravity to push it off the ground and propel it in any direction. In this mode, Corâ??tak forgoes his legs by locking them in place. When using this mode, he gains agility and speed in any direction but leaves his upper body exposed.   When his Vul isn't in use as either a drop pod, or a hover platform, it acts as a stasis pod. Even though it is an ancient technology, the stasis is perfect in how it works by imprinting the current occupants neural pathways and sealing the hosts body away from anything thrown at it, even the minute particles of radiation canâ??t breach the Vul once it is sealed for stasis.   Known Allies:  E, though he typically refers to her as Synd or Organic when she tests his patience, and usually finds himself more annoyed with her then not.   Reputation: Corâ??tak doesn't maintain a personal reputation, the few races old enough to remember Necrocytes associate him with that terror. While younger, and bolder races associate him as a merciless bodyguard/muscle for E.

Name: Kurogane Tsukino   Gender: Male   Age: 340   Position: Squad 10   Appearance: Kurogane- Kurogane is a rather simple man, he is of average height of 5'10" and average build but is a bit more toned. He wears the traditional Shinigami uniform with the regular Haori over it. The only difference he makes is that he wears a dark red sash and purple prayer beads around his wrists. He walks with confidence in most situations but can falter when a beautiful woman gives him her attention. His hair is medium length and is black in color and is usually let to sit wildly, his face has a slight scruff but tries to remain as presentable as possible. His eyes are a light brown color that reflects his inner warmth.   Personality: Kurogane is a rather sedentary man, he takes more joy out of relaxing throughout his day and pondering simple things. He hardly argues with others, whether it bothers them or not, and is always first to yield when a conflict a rises. Whether it be his fault or not, he does not care as he does not enjoy fighting in the least bit. But, while he is a laid back individual, he will not tolerate laziness or fools when he believes work needs to be done.   He has a sense of cynicism running through him that leads others to find his actions somewhat unpredictable, as he acts based on how he is feeling that day; he might snap at you for deciding to play a joke with him that you have done a dozens time before. Though his personality may snap between two different ideals, he follows the Gotei 13 with conviction and does his best to maintain the peace amongst the other Captains when conflict rises amongst them.   Background: Kurogane, unlike most of his fellow captains, grew up in a rather more privileged lifestyle by being born into one of the lower noble house of Tsukino. Though they were never known for producing powerful shinigami or great leaders, or other such military oriented individuals, they did make a successful living off of painting and mercantile prowess. The work the family produced was some of the finest created and has been highly sought after for many centuries since they came into power. They are also one of the few houses that usually doesnâ??t play into the politics of the the other nobles. They are far from aggressive, as they prefer the motto of â??Live and let liveâ?? to keep a peace within their own lives and remain a neutral party in the more volatile situations.  This sort of attitude and mindset of the entire family was easily the biggest influence on Kurogane as he grew and learned-- he let his own personality and lifestyle becoming the embodiment of their beliefs.   Even as a child, he abhorred violence to the point where he wouldnâ??t fight back when his brothers and sisters would pick on him and beat him up. With his desire to not fight, his mother took him under her tutelage, as she had become a Shinigami while his father ran the business side. His mother was one of the more skilled shunpo practitioners and tried to see where her sonâ??s aptitudes were as she trained him in basic skills. She did see his reluctance to learn proper sword techniques and fighting styles, but she was able to help him overcome this by presenting it to him as a means to secure the peace when all options were exhausted. When he let his walls down, she could see he was an apt fighter and rather light on his feet as he was able to move faster than his siblings and out maneuver them. He never took the â??killingâ?? blow when he practiced with them, and frequently lost his matches even though he could outpace them.   That changed when his training went through a rather hot day, and his oldest brother had been picking at him and accosting him all day long. When they reached their training session, Kuroganeâ??s normal relaxed attitude had shifted dramatically to a darker place. He was more aggressive, swinging at his brother wildly and then with precision strikes and moves he had never tried before. He did everything he could to throw his brother off and never let up for even a moment, not even when when he fell to the ground with his training sword swatted from his hand. Kurogane simply disregarded his lost weapon and proceeded to assault his brother with his bare hands. It took three of his other siblings to pull him free, and the rest of the day for the animal that was Kurogane to settle back into his cave. The oldest never picked on him again, and the others did so at their own risk though Kurogane was peaceful since then.   It wasnâ??t long before he was entered into the Academy and trained to be a shingami. He passed all the tests with ease as the information came to him easily and was retained for later use. While he did learn all the kido forms fairly easily, the ones that he developed and built upon were Bakudo style and was heavily drawn to Shunpo as he felt it was part of his calling. When it came time for squad assignment, he was originally designated for squad 2, for his proficiency in Shunpo and Bakudo, but was changed to squad 10 when he refused to be part of the assassination duties. Unlike most Captains to date, he didnâ??t rise quickly in the ranks because of his continued desire to not fight, which put him in the lowest seats for many years. It wasnâ??t until the former Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, observed Kurogane using his Shunpo and his Shikai in combination with his Bakudo to easily take down several hollows at once when the squad had come under attack on a routine patrol. After that, he paid special attention to Kurogane, and often referred to him by his surname as it fit his gentle nature more. As time went on, Kurogane rose through the ranks at Hitsugayaâ??s guidance. When the Captain of squad 10 was promoted to Squad 1 he had pulled Kurogane aside and spoke to him about becoming the next Captain for the 10th Division. With a strong effort and finally applying himself to this one task, he managed to access his Bankai before the new Captain-Commander, Saburou Sugawara and Arakawa Chie and cemented his new role as Captain of the 10th Division.   Noncombat Skills: Kurogane has an excellent eye for detail, able to see something just once and dedicate it to memory and recall it as if he was staring at it. He is also a very creative mind and rather talented at crafting pieces of art using any medium and utensil to make his creation come to life.   Zanpakto: Kuroganeâ??s Zanpakto looks very general in itâ??s sealed form, looking just like a plain katana with nothing remarkable about the blade save for a few dings and scratches on the scabbard itself             Majishan (Magician): When Kurogane unleashes his Shikai form, simply saying Perform Majishan changes the form of the katana into a gentleman's cane-- solid black with a simple white cape atop the cane that narrows down into a point. The shaft of the cane is actually hundreds of blades lined tightly together and concealed by the coloring, making it a deceptive weapon, matching the theme of his Shikai ability.             His Shikai is one of deception and uses illusions to control his opponents and deceive their eyes and senses. When Majishan is released, it instantly releases a massive wave of reiatsu that then seeps into the ground and into the eyes, ears, and even the skin of hostile entities. With his shikai released, he is able to project images that commonly take on the appearance of carnival or circus performances that bombard the visual and auditory senses. The massive dispersion of reiatsu makes Kurogane virtually invisible, as itâ??s nearly impossible for the enemy to pinpoint him within the mass of his spiritual pressure. This he uses to demoralize his enemies so that they will give up the fight before it has even begun.             Majishan no batsu (Magicianâ??s Punishment): The Bankai form of Majishan is released through the phrase â??Let the Final Act begin!â? When Kurogane activates his Bankai, the illusion that his Shikai creates becomes real and pulls those affected into a breathing world that is then crafted and changed to fit the fears and doubts of his opponents. It is affected by the thoughts of the people caught in his Shikai and what it reveals from them. The nightmares they experience cause true bodily harm, striking fear into even the most hardy of warriors who stare their own deepest horror that they themselves create.   But his Bankai also has a profound affect on Kurogane as well, as it changes him as well as the appearance of his Zanpakuto. His own visage changes to fit the scene, usually into one of a hellish nature.  Horns sprout from his head and his eyes glow a monstrous red, causing him to look more beast than man. Majishan leaves behind the shape of a cane, and takes on one of nightmare as well, twisted and curved into improbable angles-- it is nonetheless an effective weapon. Kurogane takes a different combat approach in this world, no longer relying on illusion to scare away his foe. He instead stands toe-to-toe with them and fights them head on with the ferocity of the very devils he embodies. Though Majishan is his primary weapon, once he activates his Bankai, there is no telling how he will fight you, whether it be with Majishan or with his bare hands to simply tear you apart.   Other Notable Combat Skills: Kurogane is a Shunpo master, as his apprehension to battle has allowed him to hone and grow this skill above most, if not all, the other Captains. He has developed his own unique forms of Shunpo as well, but typically uses them only in dire needs. Also, as a measure to make his Shikai more effective and further provide a deterrent to fighting, he has mastered the Binding Kido Bakudo. Using this almost exclusively over offensive abilities of other forms of kido, this has given him a deeper knowledge of binding methods and barriers that are more powerful and longer lasting even with a short sentenced uttered. While still capable of using other Kidos for combat, they dramatically lack power in comparison to his Bakudo.   But this also changes when he activates his Bankai, the switch is almost instant as his Bakudo becomes weaker than before and his Hado sky rockets in power and efficiency. As if a switch clicks in his mind to unleash the full force of everything he knows, but since he keeps his Bankai heavily under wraps save for the two other Captains who witness his Proficiency exam and the Captain-commander know that he makes this switch.   Writing Sample: â??Please, do come in.â? Kurogane stepped to the side, gesturing for the woman to enter his home. She seemed a bit off put by the fact he was the one to answer the door, with his family being of noble class, she expected that one of the servants would have done it for him. Would have left the lord of the house to do as he wished and perform his Captainâ??s duties. His home was rather simple, though it had some flourishes here and there, whenever he had allowed his paint brush to touch and create something new to adorn the rather plain, traditional walls. House Tsukino was North of the Seireitei, but his own home was slightly west of the main home and where he prefered to be so that he could be alone for most of his off time. It was by no means humble in its stature, easily towering over most homes in soul Society with its multiple floors and balconies and the twin spiral stair cases in the main hall. But the materials were simple stone and wood, giving it a charm of hand crafted and build with pride, at least in Kuroganeâ??s eyes.   â??You must really get new servants, they are severely lacking in their duties for you to answer the door Captain Tsukino.â? The woman said as she looked around the home.   â??I prefer to answer the door myself, especially when a messenger of the Kuchiki clan comes to my door step. Please, come sit.â? Closing the door and walking casually to his workshop where he did most of his artwork, when he had the time, and seated himself down at a small table with only two seats and a tea set was already prepared for him and a guest. He took the pot of hot tea and carefully poured the contents into the cups before setting it back down and gesturing for his company to sit.   â??Why thank you Captain, this is very pleasant of you.â? Kurogane smiled at her respectfully, warmth radiating off of him as he felt comfortable in his element.   â??I try my best, now, why would the Kuchiki send someone to my doorstep?â? She eyed him as she brought the cup to her lips, wrapping them around the edge with care before taking the small sip and pulling the cup away and licking her red lips lightly. Kurogane didnâ??t move as he waited patiently for her response, his own cup held firmly in his hand and the smile firmly planted on his face.   â??They sent me in regards to Byakuyaâ??s will-â?   â??Captain Byakuyaâ??s will.â? Kurogane interrupted before sitting silent again, the woman let out a small laugh.   â??Yes, Captain Byakuyaâ??s will. He has requested-â?   â??Requested that Rukia Kuchiki be promoted to Captain of Squad 6, I know that much. But I hardly see what that has to do with me, I am just a Captain.â? She took another sip of her tea, and setting it down gently before speaking again.   â??Yes, you are exactly that Kurogane. A Captain of the 13 court guard and Chinatsu Kuchiki needs the help of Captains like you to make sure the right person is put in the place of Captain of Squad 6. She is willing to offer much to your family in return for your loyalty and services. I know your father runs the business for your family, is there anyway he can be involved in this negotiation?â? Kuroganeâ??s smile faded then as a sadness seemed to seep in then.   â??No, he cannot be here. Since mother passed, he has lost himself to work. You will negotiate with me, if that is what to happen here. But, to be honest with you, I donâ??t like when people think they can buy off others for their own gain. My family has always been honest with our practices.â? She fidgeted lightly in her chair, her slight movement causing Kurogane to take in her womanly figure for the first time since she had walked into his home. Her hourglass figure and the rather tight kimono she had arrived in, her long black hair was pinned back to give it a cascading look to show the beautiful features of her face. It was all created to present the most desirable woman, to give her shape and life in the world. As an artist, he could appreciate the painstaking work that went into creating her looks, to get every curve fitted perfectly and make sure the light hit her curves perfect for maximum effect. Her tone took on a more direct approach, her posture shifting as well to show off her otherâ?¦ assets to try and persuade him.   â??Chinatsu is willing to offer your family a higher place in the nobles, she could make your family the fifth noble house. Your brothers and sisters would be much happier with that, and your father could retire from his work.â? Kurogane never missed a detail, her saw the sash on her kimono slip ever so slightly as the fabric pulled taut against her chest. His cheeks turned slightly red at the whole thing, they knew where to push him and how to do it. It was rather unfair to be honest, he was always nervous around beautiful women and they seemed to find that cute. And even having been with a fair share of them, he always found his child-like behavior cropping back up. He cleared his throat as he averted his eyes to her face.   â??As pleasant as that sounds, I will not be bought off by a woman who canâ??t deal with losing. Byakuya was a respected Captain and his will should be the same.â? The woman rose from her seat, and took two steps to him before settling down on his lap and putting her arms around his neck. Kurogane was taken back by this forwardness, failing to do anything more but look at her ruby red lips and feel the redness grow in his cheeks.   â??With the offer of power, also comes another offer for you personally Kurogane.â? He tried to swallow back the dry feeling in his throat as he trusted himself to speak.   â??What would that be?â? He knew the answer before he had spoke the words, but it was all he could muster as she kissed him firmly on the lips. Using her arms to tightly draw him in before pulling again and whispering in his ear.   â??You can have me, Kurogane Tsukino.â? He grew flustered quickly, rising instantly as she rose with him, her arms still secured behind his neck. He felt as if he had to pry them off as he let out a nervous chuckle.   â??While that is all well and good, my lady, I have to decline the offer. I will not sell my services, or the services of my squad to Chinatsu for her personal gain. No matter howâ?¦â?¦ tempting, she may think her offer is.â? He released her arms, but only after the moment he released he had been holding her soft hands in his own, and took a firm step back before crossing his arms and trying to push the redness away.   â??And now I must ask you to leave, inform her that I am not to be bought and I will not fight for anyone short of Captain-Commander himself.â? He escorted her to the door, she staring at him with her green eyes and his firmly focused on the door ahead. Opening it, he gestured for her to exit, while still doing his best to avoid her gaze. She had a coy smile on her face when he peaked at her, walking out with a confident stride that made her hips sway. She walked out the door, stopping just at the frame as she spun around and looked at him.   â??You never asked me my name, Kurogane.â?   â??Captain Tsukino, and very well, what is your name?â? She smiled at him again, the hunter still stalking her prey, he could see the look in her eyes.   â??Katsumi, Captain Tsukino. Chinatsu will be most disappointed with the news, I do hope i return to maybe persuade you again.â? He swallowed back the dryness again, but this time he hearned himself to her charm. Just for this time.   â??Iâ??m sure you will find that you will both be disappointed, Miss Katsumi. Good day to you.â? He closed the door as evenly as he could manage, letting out a huge breath as he leaned against the door. â??Damn women will be the death of me, if I never see that woman again it will be too soon.â? He started the walk back to his workshop, letting his mind try to relax when he came back to her red lips and shiver ever so slightly.   OC: I hope this is good Lawiet, let me know if I need to change anything.

Orcus convinced me to participate, we tried a few bleach rps and never got them off the ground so id like to be apart of one that does.

Everything was dark, devoid of any semblance of life or warmth. Things that made the world bearable and right was missing from this barren land. The world of shadow and darkness, the birth place of gods and demons alike and where the light goes to die, a world Dassem had been to before and would return to until the end of his life. But today was not the day for his end, at least he hoped it wouldnâ??t end too soon, he still had more to do before his clock ticked to midnight. He looked around in the shadow world, trying to forget how many times he had been here, and could see all the aberrations and murky shadows that taunted him, reached for him and called to him. Those who were gifted with power in the shadow realm, like Neos and Chiron, were strong enough willed and strong enough to block the aberrations with ease. They did it without trying, it was more effort for them to focus on the entities then worth, but for Dassem it was a nightmare world filled with monsters and ghostly beings that wanted nothing more than to consume the souls and bodies of Dassem and Victor.   The creatures didnâ??t reach for the three men, feeling the power radiate off Chiron deterred them from him easy enough, and Victor being blind oddly enough made him less of a target as these creatures fed off being seen and feared. Victor learned from a young age that there was nothing to fear in the eternal darkness that he lived in, giving him a sort of immunity to the haunting beings. The entities would have gone for Dassem, but two things helped him out in the dismal place. One, he bore the mark that Chiron had bestowed upon him, making him highly resistant to his degree of shadow and the places he traveled in the realm. The other was his many pervious ventures to this place, even creatures that didnâ??t have physical possessions or bodies remembered the ones who survive their onslaught and return the favor in kind. Though time seemed to drag on in this dark world, it wasnâ??t long before they were welcomed back into the light, though the warmth was still absent as the cold air touched Dassems skin, nipping at his nose and fingers. The moment they touched down and were firmly on the ground, Victor held out one hand and Dassem responded quickly.   His fingers started to dance in Victors palm; it was a form of sign language they had developed on their own. Getting across quick messages and used for situations where speech was impossible or restricted. It was simple, getting across what needed to be said, like the telegraph machines of old, it was a similar idea.   â??Can you sense them from here Victor?â?? Dassem held out his palm and Victor replied quickly with a simple yes.   â??I will remain here. Flank them. Bring the pain.â?? Victor pulled his hand away, Dassem taking the signal and holding out his own palm while he let his eyes look into the whiteness and seeing the mass of shuffling bodies not to far off.   â??Full force?â??   â??Full force. No bodies left.â?? Victor was facing forward and simply nodded as Chiron watched the exchange of hand signals.   â??Wait for my signal. Then attack. Safety not a priority.â?? Victor had to â??lookâ?? at him then, his blind eyes still scrutinizing Dassem as the First Sword looked at the Corpses. His safety wasnâ??t an issue, Victor needed to hit them hard and fast, and he would just need to hit harder and faster than Victor. Dassem looked to Chrion, turning his head as much as possible to direct his whispers toward the Blood mage.   â??Take Victor to another position, and then move to your own location. Weâ??ll hit them from all sides, go now.â? Chiron nodded as he took hold of Victor and vanished into the darkness, leaving Dassem alone to stare at the dispersed mass of Corpses. They were so docile, looking more like cattle then as dangerous monsters, their disturbing visage gave them credence, but their lack of instinct and predatory nature was unnatural and seemed designed. He hadnâ??t brought his satchel of tricks this time, no grenades or ways to hide anything he needed to. It was a risk he would have to take; line of sight was needed for Chiron, and Victor needed to focus on using his powers rather then moving through the distraction of scent of smoke. He waited for several minutes, not moving a muscle as he didnâ??t want to alert them to his presence just yet. The silence let him think to himself, combing through his thoughts carefully and planning his moves as precisely as he could. But in the silence, in the solitude that was the nation of Dassem, he heard it once more. The soft rattle of metal on metal, shook by an invisible hand, the rattle of the chain could be heard clearly now. Links clinking together gently to make just enough noise to alert the First Sword to its existence and he felt a chill run down his spin, as if fingers danced gently down his spine and tried to crawl its way into his brain. He had to shake himself to make the feeling pass, and even then the ghost of the touch lingered on his body and in his mind as he drew his sword and rose from his hiding place in the snow. Lunging forward, jumping down the snow bank they had perched on he roared loudly as he gripped the sword in both hands. Grotesque heads turned on awkward necks and looked to their new prey, their movements halted for just a moment as they seemed to just stare at the human running at them.   He lashed out with his two-handed swing, the power behind it cutting down and through one of the arms of the closes Corpse. Severing it completely from the ruined body, the creature didnâ??t respond with a sound or a cry of pain. It didnâ??t reach for the numb of its severed limb; it just stared for several more seconds before its lips pulled back and revealed its twisted, yellow teeth and reached out for Dassem. It had only moments as the sword was making its trip around and swung again, the soldiers roaring as he swung as hard as possible and tore through the creatureâ??s neck. Passing through and exiting the neck the Corpse continued its forward moment, but Dassem was already moving away as its head and body started moving in different directions. Dassem had no time to access the kill as the rest of the horde suddenly dashed for him, their speed and agility was remarkable for creatures that had been shambling moments ago. He had to relinquish his two-handed grip for a one-handed swing, using the other to deflect and maneuver around the bodies trying to converge on him. He had no time to see the body kneel to the ground as the head rolled away before its body rose again and started moving again. Moving toward the vibrations of the rest of them, its movements uncertain and sloppy but still trying to push forward to hunt down its prey, the head stared up at nothingness with unblinking eyes.   â??Come on! Fight me!â? He made as much noise as he could, seeing one of the creatures barreling down on him, he saw where it would hit, and he jumped forward, appearing right where he needed and swung in the torso of the creature, the sword moving out of its body. A killing blow, at least on normal creatures as it tore through where lungs and the heart would sit. It hardly seemed to matter to the creature before staggering forward and turning on a dime to lung at his new position. Dassem had to jump again, the creatures surrounding him quickly as he was jumping faster and faster each time to try and avoid the mass. He swung when he could, inflict wounds that would have killed other creatures, but these Corpses cared little as they wanted his blood more. Reaching and clawing for him, he was starting to lose ground quickly, having to jump around ever few seconds to avoid getting swarmed. He had to keep their attentions until Victor and Chiron struck, he would have to if he wanted to live pass this day.

I will try to get a post up tomorrow

0430- Dassem rose from his bed with a light fogginess, but became quickly alert as he touched one of his lamps and illuminated the solitary room with his legs thrown over the edge of the bed. Rolling his shoulders before fully getting up and making his way to the bathroom, turning on the hot water and letting the steam gather, breathing it in deeply before stepping into the shower and letting the water cleanse his body. A few bruises throbbed as he touched them, but the pain was reduced greatly from the previous day, the med team having done their job well enough. He had refused their healing abilities and opted for more traditional ointments. He had his fill of magic and metas with powers that affected the world, after his meet with Neos he had been at the end of his rope. He needed the time away from being touched by that stuff, from feeling its power intrude on his body, and he was also starting to suspect, he was becoming resistant to those forms of power.   It was just a suspicion, could be that he was just resisting it in his mind and making the user work harder against his own stubborn will. Whatever the reason, he needed time to heal on his own, the traditional methods would do for now and the sword would make up for the rest when he needed it. Turning the water off and stepping out, he dried off before wrapping the towel around his waste and stopping in front of the mirror, wiping away some of the condensation to look at his reflection. Taking in the details, finding it refreshing and rather eye opening to actually look yourself in the face, to stare yourself in the eyes and see whats changed about you. Dassem could always see more then he liked, always see the ever evolving being that he was, as each new responsibility settled its mantle on his shoulders and clung to his flesh. He had little time to reflect, he had much to do before the briefing commenced and he needed to push forward with his routine. But, before he pulled away from the mirror and its impeccable ability to show all the flaws, he thought he heard a sound. Faint and lost in the rest of the noise, something he had never heard before, his eyes looking around for what he thought he heard.   'Was that the sound of, chains?' He strained for the noise for a moment longer, but as quickly as it had come, it had vanished again and left the soldier standing alone once more. Disregarding it quickly, he went about his routine and dressed into his training clothes and carrying a gym back with him as he departed and made his way to the gym and training area.   0545- The sounds of wrapped hands smashing into the leather bag rang in the quiet room, being the only one there made it easy for him to focus as he bounced around on the balls of his feet and striking quickly. His attacks varying as he struck with his right hand, then the left foot, then right foot, right hand again, left hook. Letting his mind imagine the parts he was hitting as he picked up the pace, hitting harder and faster and visualizing the damage each hit did. Fractured ribs, broken clavicle, snapped ulna and radius, torn ACL, compound fracture of the tibia. Each hit became more furious and focused then the last, his body remembering all the training he went through since he was a boy, the culmination of many different fighting styles layered on top of one another and evolving into a new style all of his own. The sound was unending, each successful hit smacking against the bag making it swing more and more until finally he swung one last time, a powerful round house kick dead center of the bag.   The bag swung, straining the chain until finally a link gave out, snapping away and sending the bag tumbling to the ground with a heavy thud. He stood ten feet away, his chest rising and falling heavily as he let the sweat trickle down his brow, his body still tense and his fists clenched. In that moment, he heard the sound again, faint as before but slightly louder and his eyes traveled upwards to the changing hanging from the ceiling. Reaching up he grabbed the loose end, stopping the rattle from the broken link, hoping deep down that the sound was coming from the chain he held in his hand. And for a split second, he felt the false hope of relief as the sound was gone, until it came again,just loud enough to hear but gone in an instant again. He searched around the gym, trying to see if he could hear it once more and find the source, but the place it emanated from was no where near by, the sound was gone and he was left with nothing but frustration. He was forced to abandon his search as he cleaned himself off in the gym shower, thinking to himself how ridiculous it was he took two showers in one day, but his military lifestyle made all his habits and routine important to his day.   "I am losing my bloody mind." He said softly to himself as he dressed once more, this time in his proper attire before heading off to his office where rosters, briefings and stacks of paperwork waited for him. He only had a moment, but he took what he could and looked to the clock on the wall and let out a soft sigh.   0638- "Move it boys and girls, we don't have all day!" The pounding of boots on hard ground as the cadets ran around the indoor track, a massive pack of them trying to out pace one another. Dassem stood on a platform as two of the drill sergeants ran with the cadets, hollering and egging them on. Another sergeant was beside Dassem with a clipboard, making notes as he watched them go and taking further ones as Dassem spoke, scoring them on their strength, speed, and most importantly to Dassem, cunning. All of the recruits ran with ease and kept pace with one another, but a few were not using their full ability, they were holding back and seemed adept at keeping themselves relatively concealed amongst the pack. Those were the ones he was spotting right now, he was separating them out now into the kind of training they would receive. One fact about his training no one ever spoke of, or truly knew about, was it was also broken down into different forms of training depending on the skills and abilities of the person. The people who graduated his course, which was actually a higher percentage then he had given the recruits to begin with, made more then just special forces units, they were all specialized in some area. These people he had picked out were going to be put into an intelligence gathering, better at blending and fitting while still having powerful abilities and strong physical ability as well.   "Recruits Anderson, Bellows, Tores, Lawson, Mengsk, and Carson. Select them for further testing, specifically Advance Intelligence, I want to see them all in that training course today." Dassem touched the button on the side of his radio, the signal broadcasting over all the radios of his Sergeants.   "Sergeant Ark, 4,16,18,22,31,43. Protocol 10." With those words, Ark halted the pack and called out their numbers then instructed them to head off into the locker room. He could see the discord that created in the pack, one of their more dominate personalities had just been sent out of the pack with no explanation and the rest was forced to continue onward. He would divide them up, and send them on their ways to becoming better soldiers, tailoring them to their own unique strengths and then further dived them into squads that would run on missions only 12 hours after they graduated, if they graduated. He put them through several more trials, obstacle courses and short drills, he whittled out a few more and sent them into their respective training as well while still leaving every last one of them in a moment of uncertainty. He suddenly felt his pocket vibrate, pulling out his phone he saw Victor calling him, which was odd anyways as Vic usually just would find him. As he pressed the phone to his ear, he heard nothing on the other side but random voices and the sound of Victor grunting.   "Victor? Hello Victor? Talk to me Victor." He heard nothing and then the line went dead, putting his phone away he jumped from the platform and took off without a word. His sergeants knew what was needed to be done, they could separate the rest of the cadets and would make sure they reported everything they did. He was on the scene rather quickly, coming to Victors aid as Chiron had found him as well. It was rather unsettling to feel the presence of that witch still around, when she was locked away within the sword pushing the caravan like the rest. He had to eat, his stomach was finally catching up to him as he had eaten nothing before this time. Before they had even set off to the mess hall, the words that escaped Chirons lips had set the tone of the conversation then.   "Dassem, I've been meaning to tell you something." When they finally got to the mess hall, Dassem listened intently as Chiron spoke of Dassems saving of his soul, and the ramifications of what might of happen had events occurred differently. It was enlightening and helped him gauge him the person that was Chiron easier, and then he did something wholly unexpected, tasking him with killing him if ever he lost control and then bestowing upon him another rune. One meant to fight his power in particular, he could feel the hold of a new mantle settle on his shoulders and the weight was rather light for now. He watched as Chiron left him alone, heading to the meeting room on his own. All he did was stare at the glass of mango juice, seeing the stillness of the surface until someone walked by or bumped his table a bit. The tension was always present now, and he knew he knew he would need to hold up to the task. It didn't matter if he had promised or if he had struck a deal, he was given something important to do upon certain conditions and he would hold up that end, to perform where no one else could or would. Dassem let out a sigh before he drank down the juice quickly, wiping his face he rose from his seat and finally made his way to the briefing room.

"That was just a mess, might as well have thrown a hammer on our heads." Victor grumbled as he walked behind Dassem, the blind soldier keeping pace easy enough. Dassem didn't bother guiding him with touch, simply uttering short commands to keep him on the right track.   "It was a long time coming, they had been holding out on us for many years now and it was about bloody time they came clean." Victor raised a brow at the soldier, though Dassem couldn't read the expression, he could feel the questions boring into the back of his head.   "Don't play games with me, you didn't know jack about this whole Alpha, beta, delta switch garbage."   "Turn left." Both of them made the turn, Victor still waiting on the other to speak up.   "No, I didn't actually know. But I had a suspicion that things were uneven within the ranks. You don't give a member of Delta their own special forces training program, no matter how good they are." Victor nodded as he came up on Dassems left.   "You are right, but no one can deny your strength when it comes to fighting." Dassem let out a snort, his eyes focused only on moving forward as he let his peripheral take in the details on the sides.   "Hardly, I am just talented at fighting. We've been given liberties other squads never received, you may never noticed because you shake yourself up in your room all the time, but I certainly did."   "I may be blind, Dassem, but I notice things as well. Rebecca makes sure I keep on things enough. Speaking of Rebecca, what did you two talk about?"   "Right." Taking the turn easily, Dassem could see the signage for the med ward as he mulled over the question.   "Not a whole lot, just how you can't seem to walk ten steps without getting hurt in the field." Victor gave him a shove, a small smile on both of their faces. Dassem's expression returned to its neutral look quickly as he reached back and tied his air back in a loose pony tail. His memory flitting back to his conversation with Rebecca.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   "Go ahead Vic, I gotta speak with Dassem for a moment." He wasn't sure what was going on, his eyes shifting between the two as he thought it may be about the sorry state Victor had returned in.     "Don't tell me, it's about the injuries..   "No no, otherwise I would have said it openly, duh"   'Damn, I was sure it was about his injuries. What does she need me for?' Dassem watched as Victor disappeared from sight, leaving Dassem and Rebecca alone. The solider feeling slightly uncomfortable being left alone with Rebecca, she was a pleasant girl and certainly heard things spoken of her amongst his younger recruits. Words he was quick to stifle with harsh training lessons, which was typically more satisfying then he would admit to anyone.   "What is it you wanted to talk about?" Dassem said as he got to the point, holding his hands behind his back, Rebecca simply shook her head at him.   "You need to relax when you are home, please sit down with me." He let his relax as he looked to the chair as he pulled it out and seated himself, Rebecca sitting beside him  as she showed him a kind smile.   "I wanted to thank you for bringing victor back, alive and relatively well." Dassem just shrugged before speaking.   "I was just doing my job, you had requested he comeback alive. And truthfully, he saved my life as with his excellent timing even in the grim moments that followed." Suddenly Rebecca's hand was over his and he was slightly thrown off at her soft hand upon his calloused knuckles.   "Dassem! I was stressing over Victor so much, I didn't even think about how you are doing."   "I am fine, trust me. I'm in better shape then Victor is, I will make sure he is taken care of before we leave." He saw her face light up, her eyes seem to sparkle in the light and her cheeks were slightly rosier then they had been just a moment ago.   "Thank you Dassem, I appreciate you taking care of my brother." She leaned over the table and planted a soft kiss on Dassem's weathered face, the First Sword unsure of how to react, only able to give her a small smile and a nod of his head.   "I do what I can, I must be going now. If you need me to do anything else, you can reach me anytime. Have a good evening." He rose from his chair, Rebecca doing the same before she followed him out. When he turned around from opening the door, she had her arms thrown around him and gave him a tight hug, squeezing his ribs as all he could do was hug her back before leaving her alone.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   "You are the least informative person I know Dassem Ultor, I would have a better chance of getting information from a badger." Dassem nodded to himself.   "That sound's about right, the badger would also smile more for you. Though that could be right before he sinks those pearly whites into your face." Victor gave him a face, placing his hand against the wall as they reached the door to the med ward. The raised bumps and dashes reading exactly that to Victor.   "Seems we have arrived, I will be waiting for you out here when you are done." Victor shook his head at Dassem.   "I'll be fine, I'm blind, not stupid. Go on and get some rest, I promise I'll be able to walk back on my own."   "Very well, I will come for you in the morning then. Rest well Vic, we have more trouble ahead of us." Daseem departed with those final words and tried his best to move through the hallways unnoticed. It became apparently clear that he would receive no such peace as one of his drill sergeants approached him with updated dossiers and material. It wasn't long before several others found him and posed more questions, updated information, training program updates, location details, and many other things he needed to deal with. Dishing out orders quickly, direction his sergeants one at a time, some received answers for their questions, others left with questions from Dassem himself they needed to answer before moving forward. He was surrounded by three sergeants as he continued to walk, his eyes switching between the papers and files presented to him and the only slightly busy hallway. He rounded the corner to his quarters when he stopped dead in his track, his eyes now focused on the man standing to the side of his quarters, his head turned away and looking off somewhere else before he turned to look at the First Sword.   "The rest will have to wait, put non-vital papers on my desk and the rest I will address in the morning before I depart again. Dismissed." All three stood at attention and saluted in unison before disappearing with files in hand. Dassem walked forward, coming to the man and then passing him as he unlocked his door. Dassem entered the room and the other followed without a word spoken between the two of them.   "I didn't expect to see you here, considering how much you hate this place." Dassem said as he peeled off his armor and tossed it on the bed. The other man crossed his arms and leaned against a support pillar in the large apartment, his eyes never leaving Dassem.   "I don't hate this place, I just don't see the purpose it serves anymore. Not when so many people die for nothing." Dassem smirked at that, but the smirk was mocking and rather angry.   "You certainly know Neos, that's fair enough to say. How are my sisters?" Neos didn't move and inch as Dassem unbuckled the bracers and tossed them aside as well before moving into the bathroom and turning on the cold water.   "They are doing well, Valerie found out last week that she is pregnant, as is Misha. They are quiet excited about the whole thing." Dassem drentched his face and neck with cold water, shaking his hands of the excess as he used a nearby towel to wipe away the remaining water.   "I bet they are, what is this, second, third kid? Just breeding them left and right over there in the Demos house. How are your boys taking the news?"   "Rather apathetically, they seem to have coped with the other five running around these days." He pulled his shirt off and tossed it into a hamper basket of to his side, looking at himself in the mirror as he saw the bruises and cuts on his body. His hands were mark free, however, and the rest of his body was healing just as quickly. The sword at his belt still hung there, forgotten by its master as he cleaned himself in the easiest manner.   "I'm sure your wife is rather happy to see more small ones, rebuilding the great house of Demos. You'll have your own army at this rate." Neos didn't say anything for a time a she moved of the wall, navigating to Dassems room and taking a seat in one of the few chairs in the apartment.   "Hardly, and army would not be the wisest idea right now. Aren't you going to ask about Nicholas?" Dassem walked out of the bathroom with the towel thrown over one bare shoulder.   "I almost forgot, how is he and your daughter doing? I bet they are making kids as fast as my sisters." Neos leaned forward then, his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together before leaning forward, Dassem picking up on the change of mood from the man. Dassem walked over to the glass bottle holding a brown liquor, a whiskey he had taken a fancy too when they were last in Ireland, pouring himself a small glass before taking a sip.   "The is... unfortunately not the case. We found out that Carleen is unable to conceive children, some sort of genetic problem. It has been hard for all of us." Dassem felt his grip tighten on the glass, his teeth gritting before he forced another sip from the glass.   "The Demos clan thrives, more runelords running around and ready to wreak havoc on the world with all their great gifts. Mean while, the Ultor line falls to the wayside and burns out." Neos looked up quickly.   "That is hardly what is happening, there are many things they can do to conceive. It will just take time First Sword, just have patience." Dassem whirled his head toward the mystic, an anger flaring in his eyes that few had seen.   "I am patient, I have had nothing but patience with you and your family. I took on the title, the duty and carry the burden so that I my brothers and sisters don't fall into the same fate as our grandfather and our father! I have patience but the rewards for it are out of my grasp, and I am tired of it. I'm tired of it!" Dassem roared as he turned and hurled his glass at the wall, the crystal colliding and shattering into a brilliant cloud of twinkling shards and sprinkling on the floor, his chest rising and falling quickly.   "It is all for bloody nothing! I gave your family everything, I gave my loyalty, my trust, my sisters, my brothers and what have we gotten in return? The death of one brother for your family and the damned sword that never is satisfied." Neos took all of the rage and anger from him, letting him vent it out in his righteous rage.   "A sword that you have yet to take off." Dassem realized then that he was squeezing the handle, his eyes traveling to the unassuming form before removing it from his belt and setting it down against the wall. Walking over to his bed and sitting down with a hard thump, his elbows on his thighs as his head hung now, his strands of his ropy hair dangling before his eyes. Silence hung the air between the two men, neither moving or saying anything as they let the dust settle. Neos was the first to move as he walked over to the where the shattered pieces lay, reaching out and summoning his power as the glass reconstituted itself in an instant. Walking over to the whiskey, he poured one glass, then pulled another an pour that one as well before picking up both glasses and turning to Dassem, holding out one to him. He reached up and grasped the glass and held it in his hand without doing anything else as Neos took a seat beside him.   "I know what we have asked of you is beyond difficult, it is something I questioned for a while. But, in the end, you have proven time and time again, that you are the only one who can truly bear the sword and the weight that comes with it. You are trusted as First Sword for a reason, never forget that." Dassem turned his head ever so slightly, seeing the man out of the corner of his eye. The marks on his skin showed faintly, the sign his father had granted him when he was born, his true power showing though few could really understand it. Neos held his glass out, Dassem responded in kind by tapping them together gently, giving off a clear ringing sound before both men brought the glass to their lips and finished the drink in one swift gulp. The familiar burn running down Dassems throat and warming his insides, it was far smoother then other whiskeys, but it certainty did the job.   "Things will work out Dassem, but for now I need you stay vigilant. I know you used the blade on the witch on your last mission, I did hear you used the smoke to keep the secret of the sword, and the secret to the true extent of your gift."   "Of course, I did what I had been told when I first took the pledge as First Sword. Another is chained to the cause, it's hunger grows all the time and it gets harder to find stronger souls to feed it." Neos nodded, understanding all to well what the weapon needed, what was required to keep the secret moving in that lost plane.   "I understand, it's demands grow all the time. But, there is something in the works right now, and right now, I suggest you use it only when you deem it worthy, not when the sword wants it. I'll rely on you to make the call from now on, I trust you." Dassem didn't look to Neos, simply stared at the sword propped against the wall, silent and plain.   "I'll do my best, Master Demos. Take care of my family." Neos nodded, rising form the bed before walking over the tray holding the whiskey bottle and setting his glass down. He started for the door, stopping when he hit the threshold and turning enough to look back at Dassem.   "Things are changing, there are events happening right now that have left us in a difficult spot. Things will get more complicated, and when the time comes, I will need you to make an impossible choice. When that happens, life will change for everyone. Be ready." Neos remaine din the doorway for just a bit longer, before speaking up once more.   "They ask about you, all the time. Any parting words for them?" Dassem kept staring, fiddling with the empty glass as he slowly turned it in his hands.   "No, better they forget me for now. Better their children never know Uncle Dassem, they should only know me as Dassem Ultor; First Sword, Knight of High House Demos and of High House Shadow. Maybe they'll grow up on better stories then I did." Neos didn't say anything more as he walked out the door, closing it behind him and leaving Dassem alone once more.

Things hadn't improved with Nayomi's dive into the ocean of bodies and lifeless corpses walking around. The demon had taken the opportunity to bolster her defenses and strike at the pair, Dassem having to duck and dodge, moving out of the blasts of her hellfire that want to burn his skin away. His runes had saved his life so far, but with his armor already compromised by her claws and the scorched runes fading out, he was running out of options. Chiron was doing his best, hurling his own power back but the connection between the two was doing something Dassem wasn't able to identify. She seemed resistant to his attacks, even ones that hit seemed to be less effective then they should have been. The First Sword charged forward, his blade in hand as he dodged another blast and tried to close the gab, only for her to vanish once more and to reappear further away.   'This is not working, where is Victor when I need him?' Dassem twisted through the air as a bolt of black energy ripped through the air past him, his sword still screaming and howling with rage and desire. All he needed to do was sink the blade into her ribs, anywhere would do, as long as it found its way home she would be done for. He was, however, skeptical on what would happen to Chiron if he ripped the soul out of this witch, it was something he couldn't worry about now as his windows of opportunity continued to narrow down and Dassem was losing out on chances without more distractions. And then the light bulb went off in his head, his eyes quickly drifted to where his satchel had been laying and he searched for a brief second before he saw it budding out from the rubble and he knew what he could do.   'They wanted to me to keep it hidden, i'll keep it hidden.' Dassem bolted towards his satchel, off at an angle from the witch and tried to stay low. He was almost there when he felt something latch on to his leg, unable to see the witch he hadn't been able to see her movements. What had latched on to his leg started to burn before it yanked him back, his free hand gripping the derbies, tearing into his palm though it mattered little to him. His other hand clenched the sword tightly as its scream grew in volume, even when the wood scored his knuckles, only for the marks to vanish with the howls growing in magnitude. Lifted into the air, Dassem struggled to find a away free but was jarred out of his thoughts when he flung through the air and skid and bounced across the hard ground. He grunted as he rose, steady even though he was a bit dazed.   "By the nine! Chiron, where was the warning for that one?"   "I tried to tell you, but that damn screaming is impossible to talk over!" He understood enough of what Chiron said to know his sword was getting restless, it's hunger was getting worse. He needed to get to his satchel, at any cost. Gritting his teeth, he charged for it again, this time keeping the witch in his line of sight. Her moves becoming predictable as he twisted and turned, moving quickly as the sword fed his body and kept him in fighting condition. He reached the satchel once more and this time scooped it up, running past and skidding to a halt only to be forced to duck down and then roll away as a whip of energy lashed out at him with hatred and malice.   "Human! You are pathetic! Fight me you worm!" She roared at him as she tried to lash out once more, Chiron putting up a defense quickly that diverted her lash, but she was back at it as she fought the shadow mage as Dassem quickly rummaged through the bag with only one hand. His fingers gripped around the canister, pulling it out as he happened to look up at the time to see the black whip coming back at him. He wasn't able to dodge it this time, his sight of it was too late as he was already moving to throw his sword into the air to deflect it. A roaring coming from his lips as he swung the blade with all the strength he could muster. The edge met the whip, the two forces colliding together in a spark of light before the blade finished its arc and the section of whip tore away and evaporated in the air. A scream of pain came from the witch, while the blade seemed to let out a hideous laugh. She gripped her arm as she showed her fanged teeth and her eyes glowed bright with rage and power.   "You will regret that, now die!" She lashed out with power once more, Dassem moving out of the way but was smashed with another force, hidden behind the first blast that sent him sprawling to the ground. Rising slowly, using his sword to give him leverage but only able to rise to one knee and his head hanging down as he caught his breath. He was recovering quickly, feeling the sword push him harder and harder into the fight to reach what it wanted most. He couldn't let go of it until he killed the witch, or until she killed him and even then they would have to cut it out of his hand. He looked up then as he saw a figure standing near him, his blue eyes staring into the dark ones of Claire.   "Seems you aren't as formidable as you might have thought mortal."   "And you aren't nearly as smart as you play to be, Witch." She let out a grow as she reached her hand back, power building over it as she prepared to strike him. Dassem watched her the whole time, his eyes focused on her hate filled face, every curve and wrinkle that was created as she clenched her teeth, furled her brow and let out a scream. He saw it then, the smallest detail most would have missed, but something he would always catch, the smallest dew drop of water hanging in the air for longer then it should have. And then it struck, like a hammer hitting the anvil with the force of a raging river, the water smashed into her and crashed down on her as it broke her concentration. Any sounds she made were drowned out by the water, the sword was all he could hear now as he looked to see Victor standing not to far off. The water obeying his will as he used it to swirl and move around her with precises movements and practiced power. Dassem took hold of the moment, thank his friend in his mind and knowing he would have to say something more later, as he reached into the satchel and pulled free the first canister and pulled the pin with his teeth and dropping it at his feet before reaching in and pulling out another one.   Spitting out the pin he pulled free the second canister, smoke pouring out of the first one as the next one dropped and smoke billowed out as the first. Pulling out one more, he repeated the process and released the last one as the smoke ate up everything around it. The wind being dead in this place allowed the smoke to remained stationary, Victors river water falling away leaving Claire to cough as she gathered her bearings. Seeing only Dassem, she prepared to strike again, but when she reached back, she felt a firm hand grab her arm, her head snapping back to see the same cold blue eyes staring at her. Reaching with the other hand, it was quickly held in the same grasp, blue eyes staring at her as she felt more hands reaching out and grabbing her and holding her back. He body trying to struggle against the unrelenting force, the hands were no longer countable to her as the bodies uses their strength and weight to over power her and force her to her knees. The smoke held out still, though it would only last for a few more moments, it was more then enough time for Dassem as he suddenly appeared before her with his sword firmly in hand.   "For what I do today, I condemn you to a fate worse then any I know of, but your crimes seem to fit the punishment." He pulled the sword arm back, the point directed toward her chest, dead center of her rib cage. She tried to thrash and fight but was held fast, it was a fight that would end with her fighting to the end.   "You will pull the wagon, and when you do, give the Patriarch my regards!" He thrust the sword forward, the tip piercing her body and passing through her body with such force that it cut clean through the bone. She wailed for just a moment, Dassem yanking the blade free as the hands released, all the forms vanishing and the sword went silent with its victory still on its tongue. He sheathed the blade and took a deep breath, the smoke was starting to dissipate, leaving Dassem to catch his breath as he felt the new weight settle in to his bones. Another soul for their sword, another night to live through, he could only hope that everything was done with as Claire lie lifeless on the floor.

As Nayomi charged the temptress it seemed savage and fearsome, but to Dassem's ear it was lacking in something that was needed for rending flesh from bone. She would charge, and she would would fail in her attack. It was part of her plan, but it was a plan that would hardly see any fruition and without Chiron involved, this would get messy. The link would need to be broken between the two, something he would of heard numerous times from any member of the Demos family. But, that wasn't his area of expertise, he wasn't a mage or a sorcerer or a rune lord, he was just a soldiers whose talents lie in his sword. And now the sword at his belt, came to life as it moan and tried to set its cry's free from its metal bound prison. It wanted to taste the blood of the demon, to peel her skin away and bite deep into the muscle, severing tendons and ligaments. Leaving the hell spawn crippled and pleading for it's life, asking for a deal to be struck or a bargain made over its worthless existence. He placed the flat of his hand over the guard of the sword, realize he couldn't pull it just yet and instead, pulling the satchel over his head and reaching in to pull out two cylindrical objects.   "Hey Witch! See how your magic does against this!" Dassem roared as he yanked the pins off the two canisters and sent them flying past Nayomi.   "Cover your eyes Wolf!" He roared as best he could before turning his body away and clamping his hands over his ears, Victor quickly shielded his ears from anything and Naymoi managed to shield herself enough for the canisters to fly past and stop in mid air before the demon.   "You think this enough to stop me? I will eat-" Two loud bangs rang through the room, lights exploding in the air as it left a ring echoing in the empty church. Dassem wasn't sure Chiron had covered himself, but he was pretty sure he heard the warning. The demon screamed a she covered her eyes and tried to rub the blinding light from. Nayomi took the opportunity to strike, lunging forward as she crashed her body and full weight into demon and striking her with the flats of her paws. The attempt to spare the body was obvious, she was doing everything she could to hold her at bay without hurting the body of the boy. Their bodies were a twisted mess of limbs and fur, thrashing about as one tried to dislodge the other, and it ended as was to be expected. The demon hurled the body of fur and muscle away from itself, tossing her into the pews with a loud crash and a growl from the massive furred form as she rose on shaky legs. Dassem left the satchel on the floor as he approached the demon, his eyes focused on the monster before him as she showed her rage in her face.   "Allow me to buy some time, I am sure I can hold her off for now." He heard a laugh rise from her throat, the sound of it was a mixture of pleasure and twisted hatred.   "Foolish human! You will burn like the rest!" Her hand lashed out, fire spewing from her palm that twisted like liquid in midair. The world greyed for Dassem, everything seemed to halt as he saw what was to come. The way it would fall, how it would strike, the trajectory of the blast and the several that would follow it afterwards. It took only seconds for him to see it, but even less time for him to react as he shifted out of the blast, his body moving fluidly as it splashed behind him, avoiding each splashed spark as the next one came at him. It was all as he had seen, easy to dodge and move as his body twisted and turned and flipped through the air to out maneuver her blasts as he steadily advanced. Her anger grew with each missed missile, and the attacks became more furious until finally he was standing before here and caught her arm, preventing her from flinging another missile.   "Power only matters if you can hit me, but you can't seem to hit the broad side of this church, let alone a single human." She roared with a hallow sound erupting from her throat as she swung at him with her clawed hand. Dassem moved out of the path, releasing her other arm as she swung at him again, her claws trying to tear into him as moved out of her path as quickly as his body would allow. He was doing well but her strength and speed were quickly adapting and his was starting to fail as her swipes drew closer and he was losing space to avoid her. It was over when he felt the claws crash into his cloak, the runed surface reflecting the hit before he threw his arms back, his cloak flying open and pulling itself free before she swiped again at him. This time the claws tearing into his armor, having already built a resistance to the runes and sliced his armor with ease before her hands coming down on him. His vision could see it coming, kneeling before her as she hissed with satisfaction as she could see that her prey was vulnerable. That was, until she heard an inhuman sound wail, the sound of both a cruel laughter and joyous pain emanating from the same source. The demon's eyes drifted to the blade, the sound unnerving but her eyes followed it's edge to the man standing to the side with the blade in hand and widened for just a moment as she saw the same piercing blue eyes staring her dead in the face.   "Time is a cruel mistress, bending to no man, simply giving us direction in our time of need." The Dassem on the ground kneeling drew his blade and moved to swing the weapon. But before it could make contact, the man and his sword blurred and became a shadow of his former self before melding into the standing to the side.   "Hear the screams, the laughter witch? It craves your blood, your soul is it's prize and it want's to taste the darkness within you." Dassem pushed her hands away with the flat edge of the blade, she swiped at him again as he batted the clawed hands away with the flat of his blade before spinning away from her.   "Could we make some progress on the child link, I don't know how long this will last."

Dassem sat on his bed with a single light on, having hardly slept since receiving the news about the mission and finally being able to be out in the field once more. His program would be on hold for now, until they could get a suitable replacement who would follow his curriculum properly, but that was the least of his concern these days. His duty to the HDF always came first, but he was forever bound to the Demos clan as well and they were an intricate part of this organization and they had left their mark on him. He was dressed in only his pants as his rope of hair hung over his face and his eyes just looked at the floor for several minutes, he looked up when he heard his phone go off. Standing up he walked over to his end table and picked up the phone, he saw who the message was from and slid the bar to pop up the message.   "Bring him home alive...for me..." He stared at it for several moments, those words burning into his memory before he tossed the phone on to his bed with a soft bounce. He went to work, gathering up the uniform he had been given by the Demos family, sliding on his fabric shirt and strapping on the vambraces. He wore the traditional garb that the Demos family had gifted him when his life became intertwined with theirs; it had been odd at first for him, all of them dressing in their mystic garbs and archaic ways. But, it didnâ??t take him long to grow accustomed to it, even though he had spent many years in camies and ballistic vests. As time went on, he wore it willingly, finding their markings and rune magic was more than enough to stop bullets as well and he fell into the trend when out on missions. At home, he had a different uniform that felt both comforting and foreign whenever he wore it around the base. For now, the feeling would be forgotten as he finished dressing and laced up his boots before looking up and to the weapon given to him years ago.   â??You have been so quite all this time, I hope your song hasnâ??t withered and died while housed in your prison.â? Dassem said softly as he lifted the sword by its scabbard and secured it to his belt, after which he strapped a knife to his boot before throwing on his cloak, another article of clothing given by the Demosâ?? that he readily wore. When he was done he made his way to the hanger, but made one quick stop at the armory picking up one last weapon and storing it in a satchel he had requested. After that, there were no further delays as he wound his way through the building until he was about to enter in the hanger when he was pulled aside by a shadowy hand. The touch alone getting him to stop as he whirled on the person with his hand reaching for the blade at his side, the face was the only thing stopping him from swinging.   â??Cloak, by the Nine! You know better than to sneak up on me like that, I could have run you through.â? Cloak kept his face hidden and his body motionless for several moments.   â??That is always possible Dassem, I am glad to see you are still sharp as you were when they put you on leave.â? Dassem released his grip on his blade, but left his hand on the pommel. The Demos family talked of Cloak more then was coincidental, he was something of a legend around the HDF and more so with the clan. He had been told stories about Cloak, some seemed reasonable while others were so farfetched that it seemed to be true for the fact they couldnâ??t have happened. Dassem was always cautious around Cloak, if even half the things he had been told were true, this manâ??s roots went deeper than anyone could conceive.   â??I have a task for you, First Sword.â? Dassemâ??s brow twitch for a just a moment, the formal use of his title was rather disconcerting in this place. It was usually saved for the manor of the mystics, or when someone thought to make a point with him. In any matter, this was a serious situation and the HDF operative was a rather serious man.   â??What do you need? I am about to be off on a mission, if you have anything for me I hope it can wait until after we are done.â?   â??Your mission is what this matter concerns, I need your eyes and ears on this one First Sword. You are to report back when this mission is complete, and I want your full evaluation on this one.â?   â??All of my reports are very thorough, you will have to read them along with everyone else sir.â? Dassem was about to turn away when Cloak grabbed his arm.   â??No, it is not a simple matter of being thorough. I need every detail, no matter how small; I need to make sure everything is going as it should be. I simply ask that you give me another, verbal report when you return. That is all.â? Dassem stared at the man, trying to look through the shadows of his hood before looking down to the arm and pulling his out of the others grasp.   â??As you wish, I will deliver a verbal report to you when we return. Now, I must depart; make sure my cadets are ready for when I return.â? He turned away then, not willing to hear anymore from Cloak, he didnâ??t need to know anything more and he was glad to be out of his presence. Walking into the hanger he saw the rest of the team and made his proper salutations and quickly boarded the aircraft, his mind taking in everything for his report later as he took a seat near Victor, and then looking over the new member of Delta. This was going to be an interesting trip indeed.

Name: Dassem Ultor   Age: 32   Gender: Male   Appearance: Dassem Dassem in Gear   Ability: Daseemâ??s ability is one of premonition, though his is rather limited compared to some of the greater seers of the world. His ability to see the future is focused on moments in time; only moments shortly ahead of him, such as minutes or even seconds, while he can use it for regular moments and conversations, it becomes more difficult as those moments constantly change, battles generally tend to be the easiest to predict for him. This allows him to foretell the moments his opponent will be at their weakest and allow him to strike.   Now, most think that his ability is restricted to seeing the moments and being able to act on them, however it is a bit more complicated than that. His power of premonition is more of a passive strength as his real ability is to warp time around him that actually allows multiple versions of him to exist within the same moment. To avoid creating a paradox and breaking the fabric of space and time, he can only exist in the time for a few seconds before the past image is integrated into the â??futureâ?? self.   Snippet: â??Cadets, line up!â? A commanding voice rang out, a man with dark blue eyes stood tall with his hands behind his back as he waited patiently for his score of soldiers to line up in front of him. Standing at attention in a line that was five people wide and six people deep, leaving him with thirty cadets for his program.   â??Welcome boys and girls, I am your commanding officer Dassem Ultor. One hundred of you had been selected for this training, each one recommended by their team leader and then submitted to the Commander for further scrutiny. While my input, we narrowed that list down to sixty recruits, where you were all subjected to further testing while in the field without your knowledge.â? Dassem paced slowly before them, his hair hung in thin ropes and swayed as he moved and shot his head around as he looked at all his cadets.   â??Sir, permission to speak sir.â? A cadet said, standing further at attention to show who the one that spoke. Dassem simply nodded to the young man, blue eyes focusing on him intently.   â??Sir, there are only thirty of us here; you just informed us that sixty HDF operatives had been selected for this training. Where is the rest sir?â? Dassem paused for just a moment, letting his eyes focus on the young man before moving on.   â??What is your name cadet?â?   â??Sir, HDF Operative Lawrence.â?   â??You are correct Lawrence, sixty total had been picked for this training. The ones you donâ??t see here already went through the training process, and not a single one made it through.â? He saw the unease settle in the cadets, he would have smiled with how well that worked but he showed nothing to them. Letting them squirm in their own minds, allowing them to create their own doubts.   â??My training is one of the most challenging and sought after program in the HDF, a lot of the techniques and strategies we use to this day were developed and perfected by me and a handful of other operatives. Very few actually make it through the first half of the program, even less finish it and succeeded in completing it with a passing mark.â? Dassem paced in front of the cadets for a few more seconds before he started to move down the columns.   â??In all the years I have been in charge of this training, I have seen two thousand recruits come through those doors. Some were like you, early in their careers and eager to further their path. Others were veterans of many years worth of battles, lost friends and haunting memories keeping them going. I have even seen the greenest recruits make it into this program because they have special circumstance that make them acceptable.â? His eyes moved between all the recruits, looking over faces, checking expressions and seeing who was on the verge of cracking and who would progress further. Changing his direction he moved through the rows now as he continued to speak.   â??Out of those two thousand recruits, of all kinds of strengths, experience and abilities, only one hundred and ninety-three have ever fully completed the training to a satisfactory degree. Less than ten percent have ever been able to walk away with success on their shoulders, and the respect they have earned.â? He let those words mull around in their minds a little bit longer, moving through the group once more until he was standing before them again.   â??I give you all one chance; you all have the opportunity to leave right now. Just walk out those doors, there will be no repercussions and no effect on your record for this; you may reapply for the program after one year. However, those who choose to stay, and fail in the program, are no longer eligible for this training and are forever banned from applying again.â? Dassem was going to continued until another HDF member arrived, walking in with a confident air and standing beside Dassem before saluting and then speaking softly to him. Dassem listened carefully, absorbing the information and then dismissing the HDF member.   â??Recruits, you are in luck. I have urgent matters to attend to, it gives you all and opportunity to consider how you will proceed from this point on. You will all be dismissed for now, and when you next receive my call, that is your chance to decide whether you will return or not. Think carefully on it. Dismissed!â?

Bane looked around as the convoy sped through the landscape, dust kicking up and leaving a sprawling trail of sand and dirt in their wake. Bouncing lightly with each small rock or obstruction encountered, but the masked Exorcist was not interested in the bumps in the road. Holding the rectangular prison in his large hand, he rolled it around a bit as he waited patiently for its resident to speak once more.   â??You can ignore me all you want Phantom; your punishment will come in time.â? No response came from the box, and the mercenary was satisfied with that for now. The hummer bounced more, reaching one of the â??no humanâ?? zones, rolling over larger rocks, metal objects and even left over skeletons. The convoy itself had been waiting for Baneâ??s return only a couple miles from the location of where his trap had been laid. The convoy being eight vehicles strong, mixture of â??confiscatedâ?? UWG hummers and Ferret tanks, modified to the best of their abilities and resources. It was enough to deter any raiders, mainly the small gangs but also the larger ones, and even patrolling UWG Iron Guards would deviate from crossing them if it was possible. Much more time passed as the sun set in the west, the night growing dark for only a few moments before the light of the fires reached the eyes of the humans still travelling the darkness.   â??This is futile human.â? Bane didnâ??t bother to look at the box.   â??Ah yes, you speak. I was wondering when you would grace us with your words.â?   â??There is nothing you can conceivably do to me that would truly hurt me; you will just have to kill me.â?   â??This would be true, for the uneducated masses. But for us, it is just a matter of when rather than a matter of if. You will learn the meaning of pain, and once you have understood what it feels like to suffer to the brink, and you have seen your people burn and fade from this world,â? Bane looked to the box then, his eyes seeing the swirling energy within the box and could feel the force staring back at him, â??Then you have my permission to die.â? Bane kept his gaze on the box for a few more moments before turning away once more to look ahead. He stood up from his seat, poking his head out of the gunnerâ??s port. Gesturing to the other vehicles, they all formed a single file line as they approached an abandoned factory. The walls had been clearly rebuilt recently, the cement crisp and new though it was ignored as they passed through the steel gates, before closing up behind the convoy.  Climbing out of the hummer, Bane made his way through the yard where the vehicles parked for inspection before a large rolling door was pulled up to allow them to crawl into the complex one at a time.  Bane took a different path through the building, passing dozens of guards who patrolled the inside of the complex. All of them wielding automatic weapons, varying degrees of quality with some being of being makeshift parts, others were Exorcist quality and fewer were of UWG standard. As men patrolled the complex, Bane made his way through the halls, ignoring everything else around him as he came to a chamber with a set of massive rings.   â??Activate the rings.â? The switch was flipped, several buttons clicked and the rings began to spin. Slowly at first, but quickly picked up speed and energy began to jump between the rings as they passed one another and spun faster and faster until finally they were almost invisible with the speed they rotated. The energy around the rings spun with it and created a soft glowing orb that held fast. Bane approached the rings while pulling out the box containing Revenant, placing the box in a mechanism that locked into place with a loud clank. The box opened then, Revenant flowing out and appearing in the glowing orb and taking his chance as soon as possible to pass out of the orb. However, he was met with a solid resistance as he was repelled back into prison. Revenant tried his best to crash into the energy, exerting as much force to press through the field but finding himself unable to do anything but float in his new jail.   â??You cannot escape; it was built just for you Revenant.â? The Phantom looked to the human, the face forming in his ghostly shape to express some sort of emotions and speak to the mortal.   â??Is this all part of your plan, human?â? Bane crossed his arms and held his ground.   â??Of course, but only the first step.â? Bane gestured with his fingers over his shoulder, two soldiers coming forward and pushing a third man along with them as Bane turned away from the Phantom.   â??Do your work Doctor, he wonâ??t wait for long.â? With a shove, one of the soldiers pushed the man forward and Revenant could see him more clearly.   â??Dr. Krass? Youâ??re alive!â? Revenant expressed some sort of shock, though it was hollow in sound and feeling. The doctor did his best not to look at Revenant in the â??eyesâ??, but Revenant knew who it was without actually looking into his demon slated eyes. The only feature that gave him away as one of the half breeds, and he was still very much alive.   â??Doctor! Why didnâ??t you return to V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E? We could use your mind more than ever; things are in a disappointing state.â? Krass kept quite as he worked on his equipment, doing his best not to look to Revenant. A sense of anger and frustration built in Revenant, though it was slight and would hardly affect normal souls; Revenant was hardly accustomed to this feeling and reacted violently.   â??Look at me dammit!â? He roared as he smashed into the walls of his prison, the Doctor finally looking up and Revenant saw it clear as day on his face, could see all of the wear and the finest detail that revealed what it was the Doctor was experiencing. He saw fear, fear of something greater coming to this world.   â??Doctor, you canâ??t be afraid. Especially not of this human, he is nothing.â? Krass stared into the chamber for several moments, showing his nervousness as he gripped the keyboard in front of him.   â??You are a fool Revenant, he is more than that and thinking like that is what got you caught here. Iâ??m sorry, Shadow of War.â? Krass clicked a few keays on his keyboard and sent a powerful charge through the orb, this caused Revenants body to freeze for a moment before he let out a deafening scream as his body seemed to pull apart and some evaporated into thin air. Bane sat not far off in the room, leaning forward as he watched the Doctor work for several minutes with his gaze unwavering.

"I demand to see Lord Malik, this is vital to our consolidation of power." Standing before the guards in front of Malikâ??s main chamber, Revenant did his best to convey a sense of urgency. It was, however, falling on deaf ears as the guards remained in his path, communicating with one another through telepathic links. Each hand picked by Malik for that exact ability, making sure they were all in sync to keep in constant contact. He was prepared to start pushing through them, or even disembarking from his suit and passing through to Malik unhindered. He could handle an hour or tow outside of his suit before he began to feel the effects of nothing anchoring him, another three days before he started to lose his mind and almost two weeks before his body completely evaporated. He was ready to shed his skin when an all too familiar figure appeared of Xavier made his way out, guards covering him as well as he approached the Phantom. â??Did you have something to tell us Revenant?â? â??I did not come to speak to you, iâ??ve come to speak to Malik.â? Xavier turned ever so much to look in the direction Malik was before turning back. â??He is a very busy man, leading our group and with Ragnarok in effect now he has many pressing matters. You can tell me what you have, and iâ??ll determine if it is worthwhile.â? Revenant shifted his head, trying to convey his irritation and distaste. â??I am his Shadow of War, my rights dictate that I am allowed access to him in times of war. We are officially at war, with the coming of Ragnarok. Out of my way.â? Revenant pushed forward then, moving Xavier aside and coming to a stout wall of armed bodyguards. â??Get out of the way brothers, or you may not see the end of this war.â? â??They will not move, Malik has ordered to be left alone and will not be disturbed. As his Shadow, you are expected to lead the fight, now do your job and lead the army.â? Revenant prepared to strike out, but changed his mind as he shoved passed Xavier. He had no intention of leading these hybrids today, not while his father maintained control of a massive army. It was time to bring him down, to take control of what he had and solidify their power. Walking with a purpose, Revenant returned back to the embarking area, his suit still in itâ??s chamber to defuse the pulses of hellfire. Stepping into its locking position, the suit he occupied locked into itâ??s old home and he pulled the values, releasing himself as his essence snaked and floated its way into the seals and filled the Hellfire. Closing the values, he removed himself from the container, his purpose burning brighter and hotter like the hellfire bubbling within him. Without another word, he touched the stone in his suit and within in moments he vanished, returning to the place he had been before. The Iron Guard bodies still nearby, with Farin laying not far off. He immediately headed off, using the V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E amulet as a signal, catching the S.O.S flickering on and off. Time passed quickly, it was quiet where he was lead, trees started out sparse and ruined buildings but changed as he followed the trail. The buildings gradually waned and the trees began to take over, finally leading him to a clearing where a solitary factory building stood. Unlike the others, that had been broken and run down, this one has seem some work done. The windows mainly boarded up with slots available for weapons to be aimed outward, barbed wire trimmed the edges of the roof and doorways all held plates of metal and rivet bolts. â??Secure for a small siege maybe, perfect place for meeting or hiding if it is empty.â? Revenant said quietly to himself, the hellfire burst has gone off a few times during his travel, stealth having been lost long ago. He waited for another burst, his hands held forward, waiting for another surge. It took several minutes before the energy came to the surface, surging to life as it rocketed out of his hands and into the side of the building tearing apart the stone work and creating a large enough hole for him to step through. As he walked in, expecting to see the others around here in cages or even have been killed their their amulets left on their corpses. But, what he found was odd to his â??eyesâ??, a piece of wood standing straight up in the room with all the amulets hanging from pegs in the piece of lumber. â??What in the Nine Hells is this?â? â??Itâ??s a trap, isnâ??t it obvious?â? Revenant looked over to the voice, seeing a man step out from one of the smaller rooms connected to the area the wooden pole stood. â??Who are you? A UWG lackey looking for his thrill?â? The masked man moved casually into the room, his boots thudding lightly against the ground as he held onto the straps on his vest. His voice distorted as he spoke. â??No, they are hardly worth my time. I am here for another reason, you could say I am a mercenary, or call me an Exorcist. Whichever doesnâ??t really matter.â? â??You are just an ant, where is the team these amulets belong to? Where are the demon commanders?â? Revenant demanded in the best threatening voice he could muster, his own hollow words already sounding ghostly and invoking fear into weaker minds. â??Ghost voice, a powerful tool against the uninitiated. But we are initiated, in V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E arenâ??t we Revenant?â? The Phantom had to simply stall the human, wait for the energy to charge and then unleash a blast to waste this mortal. â??Hardly, I donâ??t even know who you are mortal.â? He stood several feet away, the light on him now showing off the intricate mask on his face and the gear he wore. Outfitted differently, he carried no visible weapons and seemed to be unarmed for the most part. Larger in physique than most men he had seen, the cold confidence of this man was off in Revenantâ??s mind. Humans, in his experience with them, were always afraid and the confidence was through battles. But this man, he showed no fear, no amount of uncertainty in his stance or posture even though he was unarmed and held his hands to his chest. â??Your team is dead, the â??informationâ?? they were given. False, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to fall into the trap. And now it seems, you are the one to die.â? â??One masked, unnamed man will not bring me down. The Iron Guard were no match, you will prove to be less.â? â??When this is over, you will know why they call me Bane.â? Revenant didnâ??t hesitate, charging in as his hellfire burst wasnâ??t ready yet. Swinging with his metal fists at the feeble mortal, but his blows met nothing but air as Bane dipped and dodged before striking back with unexpected force. Baneâ??s impacts on the suit were jarring, leaving impacts and dents into the suit that made lights start to go off within the head of the suit. Revenant swung back, making contact this time, a satisfying thud as it impacted his chest but showed to hardly affect the Exorcist as he came back with a flurry of his own hits. Each one hitting like a freight train, denting into the armor further and creating breaches in the suit. Revenant having to try and dodge the best he could, finding it hard to maneuver in the suit, especially with the new reshaping of the suit. Bane swung into the facepiece of the suit, each swing powerful and destructive as he put his skills to use. He breathed in deeply as the numbing agent seeped into his body, giving him just enough to numb any pain in his hands. Revenant wasnâ??t able to fight back after so many hits, the suit having lost much of itâ??s agility, trying to fight back. Bane swung into the midsection, batting away a blow from Revenant before ducking down and hitting him in the knee joint causing Revenant to stumble before Bane stood over him and lashed out with a violent kick to the chest and sending Revenant tumbling in the ground several feet away. â??Do you see how frail you really are demon? How powerless you really are in our world? Before we are done here, I will break you.â? He walked to the fallen Revenant, slamming a foot into the body and crumpling more metal. â??You would hardly stand against your father if you canâ??t fight one human. You defeated yourself long ago.â? Revenant was trying to make sense of all the lights flashing as he was reorienting himself, stumbling to stand as the suit was becoming unresponsive. Rising to the maximum height it would allow, he tried to see if the discharge would go off, but found it was difficult to find and even when he did it wasnâ??t near ready to discharge. With that in mind, he did the only thing he could muster, reaching up and disengaging both valves on his chest. Releasing his ethereal body from the suit a sit collapsed to the ground in a solid, useless mass and his energy floating freely. â??Ah, I was wondering what would break first, youâ??re spirit or your body.â? Gesturing toward the fallen heap as he looked at the ghostly form. â??Quite impressive, but, I know where this leads and I have a surprise for you.â? Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled a metal box. Perfectly squared off in cube, he pushed on a button on the top that glowed momentarily before it lifted and became a rectangle with a hollow middle that held the two sides together with thin bars in each corner. A smaller shape spun within the center of the rectangle and was consistently moving, until Bane held up toward Revenant. The Phantom creating enough of a face to show he was not sure of the device, but cared little for it as he manifest his Centaur form. The ethereal halberg held firmly in his hands as he raised it over his head and charged forward, swinging the weapon with all his might to kill the foolish human. The moment his weapon came in contact with the device, it flared to life and latched on to the energy. Pulling it in with enormous force, Revenant trying to escape the pull as he used his hooves to plant himself and try to move backwards, but to no avail as it tore him down and pulled him in. It seemed to take hours, but it was mere moments to pull the enormous Phantom into his new prison.

Name: Leroy â??Baneâ? Wrex Age: 33 Gender: Male Appearance: Bane Bane Coat Bane is a rather large human, standing at a height of 6'2" and weighing about 280 lbs, he is built like a tank but is surprisingly agile enough to maneuver and dodge attacks. He shaves his head regularly to make sure the mask slips on easily, and always wears the same military vest. Having inserted metal plates individually, giving him freedom to move and fight but still providing enough protection incase something tries to pierce one of his more vital organs. Personality: Bane is a stalwart and hard human being as he was born outside of the domes to fend for them. He is rough around the edges and even pricklier the deeper you go as demon have left their scars on his soul and his body. Though he canâ??t identify half-demons on sight, when he can he holds no grudge against them and has been known to simply move on without an altercation. He is, however, considered to be merciless and as cruel as some demons when it comes to his methods of information gathering and executing his targets.   He is very intelligent, which has gotten him into trouble with both the UWG and the V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E. organization as he is considered a terrorist within both groups, though the UWG tends to be more forgiving, as he has become a rather effective Exorcist. Species: Human Abilities: Bane has no real powers beyond his own physical strength and ability, though he is abnormally strong for a human it is believed to come from his life spent in a harsh environment and his huge stature and size. Other than that he has received training in bare knuckle boxing, and mixed and matched pieces of martial arts that were available. These combinations make him an extremely hard hitting and precise fighter, while also allowing him to use his size and strength to grapple larger creatures. Supplies: Baneâ??s mask has multiple uses; it functions as a gas mask for filtering out poisons airborne particles. The tubes are also capable of delivering an aerosol numbing agent that can help him keeping fighting if he is heavily injured, the gas can be replaced with an adrenal enhancement to further increase his damage. He, however, can only have one gas going on at a time as both would counter act each other or leave him in a comatose state with over charging his body and his system shuts down. The mask also serves to cover his face to preserve his identity, distorting his voice and changing his tones. This prevents any sort of retaliation or continued manhunt in case either side decides he is too much trouble.   Bane is not afraid to use guns as needed, carrying a small assortment of firearms in a command vehicle called C.A.M.E.L. that is the size of a typical military jeep, but contains many technological advancements that only a few have implemented. Background: (Will have this done tomorrow)

Malik moved about the Vorzik, the sound of hammers pounding and the roar of fire being blasted at the metal platings. Malik having to shield his sensitive eyes from the burning light from the skilled mage hands wielding the fires. Looking over other areas as foreman would run around trying to find Malik and showing him blueprints and asking him for his approval on other areas being worked on. Only a few places were off limits to the constructions crew, one of them vehemently protected by Morgan himself with curses and the occasional strike of flashy magic. Malik had just advised everyone to steer clear of that and a few other places for their safety and for confidentiality purposes and his requests were met and work continued on as the Dragon Commander made his way to his chambers. Getting into the room, he closed the door and sat down in one of the armchairs and let out a groan as he rubbed his eyes with one hand, trying to drown out the noise of the on going construction. He briefly heard the noise get louder, his eyes looking up to see Cassandra closing the door behind her and waving her hand, a silence engulfing the room instantly and Malik felt his body relax just a little bit.   â??Thank the Nine, that was starting to get on my last nerve.â?   â??Yes, I could see that, hence the silence shield.â? Cassandra stood with her arms folded and her face showing little of her inner thoughts. Malik leaned back in the chair, gripping the arms tighter than he had anticipated and pain shot up his arm, the injury he acquired in the rescue of Haytham still bothered him though it had been tended to and healed to the mages best ability. Gripping his arm and massaging the place the best he could through the interlinking armor plates, Cassandra had moved to his side and looked down at him shaking her head slightly. â??You know, it would be easier if you took off the armor.â? Malik didnâ??t look at her as he touched a few places on the plates and clicked them out of place, pulling one gauntlet off and then the other before setting them on his lap and rubbing at the still tender scar in an agitated way. â??Seems like more is bothering you then just the noise and the wound Malik.â? He flicked his eye to her this time, taking in her piercing gaze and the knowing look she seemed to hold when it came to him. â??Itâ??s been three days Cassandra. We collected multiple sources of information, and attempt on the Empresses life has been uncovered and yet nothing is amiss. I can stand for long, drawn out battles and even plots on leaders lives that sometimes happened and other times never even got close. But this, this feels all wrong, different and wrong.â? â??You forget about the threat on your own life as well Commander.â? Malik waved off her comment. â??That is hardly important.â? Cassandra let out an annoyed breath as she reached down and gripped his face in her hand and twisted him towards her glare. â??You diminish your worth to readily, like when you threw yourself into battle against that other knights rather than stay on board with your crew. You forget your value to this cause sometimes and it drives me insane. Chuâ??val, himself, would beat some sense into you if he could.â? â??Glad he I never met him then, though you never did either Lady Cassandra.â? She rolled her eyes at him before releasing his face, a small smile on her face. â??All the same Malik, you need to worry about your own life. We canâ??t lose you too.â? Malik could see the concern in her eyes, his shoulders slumped a little then as he felt the pressure push on him a little bit more. â??I will worry about my own life when Corvin is dead Cassandra, no sooner, no later. Once this war is over, we can try to settle the dust and bring peace again. Maybe iâ??ll retire, disappear into the woods in that little house i've told you about.â? â??You would leave all this? Go hide in some forgotten place while we maintain the order you helped create.â? Cassandra had turned away, looking out the large windows to the city and the people who were going about their day. Picking up his gauntlets, he rose from his seat and walked to stand beside her, sharing the view. â??After Corvin dies, I have no idea what I will do. Will this world be able to deal with an old fossil like me? Will the knights be effective and manageable in my hands, or will I make another mistake and create a schism again within our ranks? Only time will tell, I just ask you stay by my side until it unfolds.â? Her hand reached out for just a second, grazing his fingers with her before reaching up and smacking him upside his head. â??Of course I am, you really think I would abandon you through everything weâ??ve done?â? Malik gave a small chuckle though a smile never touched his lips. â??Good, I will need you more now with all of this madness. Send a message to the Empress, I am going for a visit in the next few hours.â? He turned and walked to the door, opening it and breaking the silence spell as the noise flooded back into the room. He groaned as he put his gauntlets back on, his face hardening to the world as Cassandra spoke over the noise. â??Where do you think you are going until then?â? Looking over his shoulder as he finished locking the gauntlets back into place. â??To see the people, and to see the Disciples of Chuâ??val as well. Hopefully Iâ??ll find this â??Chuâ??val Rebornâ?? fellow and can bring and end to this madness. Donâ??t wait up.â? He walked out the door, hearing her trying to object to his choice but her voice being drowned out by all the construction work. Malik could feel the anticipation of walking through the city for the first time, he was unsure how this would go, and how his meeting with the Empress would go. He lost interest in the whole thing as he left the Vorzik and entered the city, walking the streets now for the first time in three days and hearing the information from the others. He had sent messages to the Empress with the pertinent information, making sure she remained safe, even though they were having their difference with her trying to pull the Knight back into the empire fold. He wouldn't allow it, even with this commonality they had now, Malik didn't trust the empire anymore than they trusted the Knights to remain neutral in political matters. Malik had walked deeper into the city without noticing much, forgetting where he was for a few moments before coming back and seeing the people walking around in the bizarre, the voices filling the streets, the yelling of peddlers trying to sell their wears. But the most prominent feature of this place was the eyes of all the people, and all of them were focused toward him, he could feel their stares trying to burn through his armor right into his soul. He didn't feel threatened by them, he could kill them all really, but he knew he would fall to their fists before really hurting any of them. Moving through the crowds, he started to notice a few people following him, cloaked figures slowly grew in numbers the further he walked. Malik began to walk quicker, catching a glimpse of Garrick, an ally for the time being even if the two didn't see eye to eye at all he made his way to Garrick quickly and pulled him away from his browsing.   "Oh, the Dragon commander has finally decided to come out of his hole. I am so pleased to be graced with your presence." Malik ignored the comment as they kept walking.   "Pleased to see you as well Battle-Mage, right now I am being followed and we need to loose them. I'm sure they were following you as well, and if that is true, then the others are in the same situation." Garrick shrugged his shoulders at Malik.   "I know, I saw them before. I'm sure the others could take care of themselves, or is the First born scared?"   "Just listen to me for one second, we will find the others together. There will be no splitting up this time, we will stand as one and no killing these followers as they may just be innocents involved. I heard about your last encounter, we will avoid killing more." The Virdisian just shrugged again.   "Easy enough, keep up if you can."   "Don't worry about me, just watch out for the others."     OOC: Go about business as usual, we will all meet up and once we all have those posts in, the fan will be hit by the proverbial fecal matter.

â??Speak demon, I do not wish to waste my time further.â? The hollow voice breaking the silence, the metal body standing over the bloodied creature under the boot. The multi horned head gritting sharpened teeth, blood still streaming from wounds on its body and drying on itâ??s face. â??Never abomination! I will never speak!â? The metal boot pressed down into the body further, the sound of bones creaking before finally snapping and a roaring coming from the demon. It struggled and trashed, always trying to use its arms to tear at the body above him, and instantly remembering they had both been blown off and the wounds cauterized. The legs would try as well, but as both had been broken and twisted so even if this demon regenerated, it would be in worse condition than before. â??You will tell me all your secrets.â? The metal man felt it welling up inside of him once more, a discharge ready to blow out and burn all around him and he wasnâ??t done yet. Much to his convenience, another demon was coming around from the hit to the head it had received from the metal man before. A twitch, a shaking of the head and snort of steam and fire passing out of the nostrils of itâ??s bull shaped head. The roar came next as it charged him, the centaur legs lifting it back up and carrying it forward with itâ??s head lowered. A hand held out toward the creature, its â??eyesâ?? turning just long enough to see where it was and waiting for the burst to happen. He wasnâ??t sure if it would come in time, but he knew it was coming, if he didnâ??t channel it than the two still alive would be burned away in a wave. Fortunately for the metal man, the burst occurred quickly, the man aiming the blast and launched a straight beam of concentrated Hellfire. The lowered head took the brunt of the head, but the force sheared through the solid mass and lancing out the other side. The demon holding only itâ??s momentum and tumbled to the ground in a heap, rolling around as its heavy mass snapped itâ??s horse legs and the horns on itâ??s head and distorting itâ??s limbs. â??Another one lost for Hellâ??s Shadow of War, another victory for V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E.â??s Shadow of War.â? He heard a gurgling come from the body beneath him, the demon laughing as it was starting to drown in its own blood. â??Amused demon?â? He pressed harder and felt the bones break further and some sprouted from the skin, tearing new holes and leaking more blood, the screams echoing in the empty fields before more subdued laughter broke from the demons lips. â??Yes. You are no Shadow of War, only one holds that title, and only one will hold it for eternity. Lord Hecarim!â? The metal boot pressed harder, the bone piercing skin went up further as the chest compressed further. â??Lord Hecarim will rule nothing, Revenant shall become the new Shadow of War, for both V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E and the Inferno. None will stand against our order, and you all will bow to Revenant and carry out our will.â? â??We will never submit to a half-breed like you!â? Revenant could show no emotion, nothing could be seen from the metallic visage of his suit. â??Then you will all die.â? Raising his boot and slamming it down will all his force crashing into the demonâ??s chest and everything contained within exploding out through any openings available. The blood and gore splashing on the lower half of Revenantâ??s armored body, stepping away from the body he moved through the rest of the corpses of burnt and broken corpses to the still form he had come for in the beginning. The humanoid being laying on the ground, still and lifeless with the eyes open to the ashy sky. He kneeled to the body, reaching to his chest he turned one of the valves and a small amount of the blue energy escaping and rushing into the dead body. The body suddenly twitching to life as the eyes blinked and came back to life, the whole form moving as Revenant hovered over the creature. â??What happened? Where did those demons go?â? â??They are dead. I killed them.â? The young man looked up at the metal face, looking around frantically as his now yellow slitted eyes searched for something. â??How did you kill them all? Who are you? I thought I was dead!â? â??I am Revenant, you are still dead young one.â? Shock settled into his face, tears trying to come to his eyes but the ducts ceasing to function as it was non-essential to his current state of life. â??How long will I being like this?â? â??Not long.â? The hollow voice said with little feeling behind it, his words short and to the point as he needed this demonspawn to get a grip so he could learn anything from him. â??What is your name child?â? â??Farin, spawn of Gorc of the Tocrus demons.  V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E member 756B9A.â? Farin swallowed hard as he tried to get a better understanding of what was going on. â??Very good, why were you out here?â? Farin was stumbling with his words now, blue energy starting to slowly leak out. â??Speak up boy, time is running out.â? â??We were sent out on intelligence gathering for Lord Malik. Leads on a possible gathering of demon commanders was leaked to us, we were sent to find the leak and determine the validity of the information." â??Were you successful?â? Revenant kept his focus on the boy, the energy seeping out a quicker pace as he coughed and he started to turn pale white once more. â??We were, but, Iâ??m having trouble recall what we learned. Please, find my team, they should have the information. They are being.... being-â? The coughing racked his body as he was unable to talk any further with blue energy ejecting itself from his body until he gave one final violent cough, gripping his throat with eyes wide before falling dead once more. The energy finding its way back to Revenant through the open valve, sealing it once more. Lifting the corpse up in his arms, he slung the body over his shoulder, touching the amulet attached to the suit and disappearing instantly. Handing the corpse over to the attending body, he walked his suit over to its containment center, stepping into the locking mechanism and jamming the hands of the suit into the holding containers. A member walked up to the suit, turning both valves and releasing the blue energy as a shield moved over the suit, a wave of hellfire releasing into the container and sending power into the Nidhogg. Revenant snaked through the air until he found his other suit, the valves already open as he slid into the new metal form. The arms releasing as he sealed the valves and removed his HQ armor from its holding port. â??I will speak with Malik, there is much he needs to hear.â?

Name: Revenant Age: 160 Gender: Revenant has a male voice, though no discernible gender Appearance: Revenant Field Armor. This set is one of his field suits, used for combat and use in most hazardous of situations, and is powered by a Hellfire core (See equipment)   Revenant Heavy Armor: The heavy armor is used for a different purpose, weapons can be attached to the exterior of the suit and can hold anti-vehicle weapons in the hands. It is slower then his other suits, and the power generated is nothing compared to his Hellfire core, but it keeps the suit powered and is great value if the Nidhogg comes under siege for any reason.   Revenant HQ Armor: As both of his previous sets of armor are dangerous or too cumbersome to move about the Nidhogg freely, Revenant uses this as a means move about and interact with people more easily.   As Revenantâ??s armor is one of the only things that gives him enough of a corporeal form on the planet, he is hardly seen without it on. However, on the front of the breastplate there are two turn valves, that when open allows Revenant to escape his containment suit and move freely. When he releases his true form from the containment suit, he looks as his father did, a phantasmal being of blue energy that has a vague humanoid shape. Though he lacks the anatomy for speech, all can still hear his voice as a hollow and ominous source, and with enough effort he can create facial features for the purpose of expressing things during conversations as well as individual digits for hands and feet. Personality: Revenant is an unreadable figure, even without his suit covering his entire being. His personality is far from many of his demonspawn kin, cold and brutal are only a small piece of who he is but it is a side that has kept him alive since the beginning. He only feels compassion towards those he identifies as kin, as people who can further the goal of the organization and prove themselves in the war they fight against humans and demons. He will never extend a hand toward others to provided assistance, he will never speak reassuring words in a dark time, he will never put himself in danger for someone else. He will, however, give all his time and energy to prevent his allies from falling into situations that would prove fatal, he will speak plainly so that all may hear the truth, he will destroy danger before it befalls his kin. Revenant is indeed, cold and brutal towards all who threaten the organization and the war effort. As he follows in his fathers footsteps, doing all he can to try and become V.I.O.L.E.N.C.Eâ??s Shadow of War. If to not further the organizations goals, but to get him closer to both Hecarim and Thresh, to prove to his people that he is truly the dominate species of Phantom and become the only Shadow of War. Species: Half-Phantom Species Description: Phantomâ??s are a natural denizen of the Inferno, most reside within Cocytus and float freely on the the Allfire as they scream and terrorize all the souls of humankind. However, Revenantâ??s particular brand of Phantom resided within the Styx. Foregoing their cousins desires to fly through the air and took to the land, choosing to run down their haunted souls. With the shift in where they resided and their new methods of torturing the souls of the damned, many adopted new visages and created new terror with those forms. One of the most terrifying and dominate species of Phantom were the centaur incarnations, one in particular known as Hecarim was the most horrifying of all. A demon who not only struck fear in the hearts of mortals and the damned souls, but in other demons as well as he became known as the Shadow of War. His appearance signified the beginning of another battle, thus becoming one of the â??Generalsâ?? of the demon army that arrived in the world. Another Phantom was named Thresh, the Chain Warden, and as his sole duty is to take the souls of the fallen and keep them within a lantern he carries at his side. The two Phantoms being the most prominent, are rivals to the end as both have their own agenda as both have gone to war with each other as much as the humans. Abilities: Revenantâ??s powers vary depending on what form he is assuming at the time of the encounter. When he is within his containment suit, his abilities are limited to greater strength and speed above the human ability. In his suit, he can create a beam of Hellfire discharged from the suit if he so chooses. Otherwise, Revenant must leave the confines of his suit to put his abilities to better use. Being Phantom he has the ability to possess things, his strongest possession is around those that have already passed. Able to resurrect the body and mind enough to learn what the deceased knew at the time, and use the corpse until he chooses to leave or is no longer viable. The bodies he possess still go through the decomposing process, if not accelerated a bit more by the energy burning through the body. He is also able to manipulate mechanical devices, being more durable than flesh they can last as long as Revenant can maintain the connection, or until the mechanical host is destroyed beyond viability. Living beings he cannot possess, but he can influence and tamper with their minds on a subconscious level. Whether the tampering sticks is completely up to the mind he has planted the idea in, also depending on the severity of the idea can also affects how well it takes. Revenantâ??s final form is that like his father Hecarim, a Centaur made of pure energy that can interactive the living world, swinging a massive ethereal polearm. Able to summon a group of cavalrymen that can rundown other beings and fight as if living creatures. This form is a last resort for Revenant as it severally burns on his Phantom body and dissipates his energy the longer he tries to maintain it, effectively killing him if he stays in his last form. Supplies: Revenant carries nothing with him but the containment suit he wears around, The suit itself is a prototype created by the UWG for the Iron Guard, a suit that houses an experimental core that is powered by Hellfire. A grand achievement indeed, the suit gives off immense amounts of heat and energy, a quality that made it attractive to the UWG for field use and powering someone of their more lucrative weaponry. However, the suit was impossible to cool down to levels that were usable by humans, and even more insane was that they created a fail-safe to siphon off the excess energy that resulted in the suit creating an explosion of Hellfire. With only a single test performed, with disastrous results for the pilot and a few of the researchers the project was scrapped and the suit put into storage. V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E retrieved the suit in raid as it was being transported, before Revenant had arrived it was to be taken apart and the core to be used to power the mobile fortress Nidhogg. Before the procedure could be underway, Revenant had been brought into the organization, and being rather incorporeal was able to crawl into the suit and put it to use right away. The discharges of the Hellfire continue to happen, but at random intervals, but Revenant is able to channel the energy for a safer release. Background: When Revenant was born, it was a strange birthing as he was born a normal baby boy. But within moments of coming into this world, his body began to change and he dissolved into energy that didnâ??t exist for several days. This left his mother in shambles, his father uncaring as he went about his business with the demon armies and forgot about his only born. After the time passed, Revenant reformed as vaguely human form, having gained a sentient mind in his early years to keep his body together. Looking more like his father then most demonspawn, he was immediately deemed a monster and attempts were made to kill him. These people found that, whether it was a surprise attack or not, the boy was immune to all physical forms of attack. Unable to take any sort of harm from their conventional weapons, or able to simply evaporate for short periods of time caused them to strike out at his only human connection. His mother was taken from their home, Revenant was in his early teens at this time when he saw his mother snatched up and dragged out into the open town square. He followed in an ethereal form, gliding on the wind to the square, only to see his mother tied to a wooden pole with kindling and wood at her feet. They set her ablaze that day, and Revenant discovered the only time he could remember becoming genuinely angry and becoming the centaur phantom that charged the square and murdered the entire village with no pity. After the massacre, Revenant was left with no home and no one in his life. He wandered for many years, the next year spent in a isolation as he moved on the wind and wandered the desolate world with no regard for his existence as everyday his body broke off another small piece and evaporated into the ether. Before he could completely waste his body away, he was discovered by V.I.O.L.E.N.C.E and placed in a special room designed for Phantoms. Giving him the opportunity to regenerate his lost form and refocus himself, he came to understand that he wasnâ??t alone in this world and that his plight was like the others. Finding the suit gave him the ability to be able to interact with people on a physical level he wasnâ??t normally able to do. Over the next several decades, he came and went from the organization freely as he operated outside to the best of his ability. Using a natural born traits to insight conflict and battles amongst humans and to give demons enough direction toward the prey that is humanity.

With wings beating hard, pushing Maliks massive form through the air with speed and power while weaving in the air with his head swiveling to see in all directions. The sounds of the weapons being fired from the Vorzik boomed through the air as the sound of explosions followed and the shrapnel flying through the air at high velocity. Malik was able to turn his head far enough to see the carnage as the ships fell from the sky in extravagant colors, engulfed in flames as smaller explosions were going off within the vessels. The feeling of satisfaction was short lived as his draconic eyes caught the sight of a large transport ship, with a handful of smaller vessels surrounding it that carried more soldiers. A growl rumbled from his throat as he turned his body upward, flapping his wings harder as he tucked his arms and legs in closer to his body, flying higher and higher above the battle before turning in the air and went into a nose dive. Pulling the wings back and straightening himself out as much as possible, picking up speed as anyone looking from the airship saw a black and red blur flew past. The feeling of heat and fire building inside of him, glowing brighter as his mouth open with flames licking his teeth and a ball launched free, flying with the combined speed to smash into one of the smaller ships. The ship struck by the blast staggered and came to a stop as a high pitch whine came from the ship moments before it exploded in a mass of fire and shrapnel, the shockwave rocked the other ships long enough for Malik to reach them. His front talons extended out as he roared, catching one ship with his claws, tearing the engines to shreds as he collided with another smashing through it like tissue paper. Coming up sharply he crashed into another shipâ??s port side, ripping one of the engines off completely and side of the airship causing it to lean and fall through the air as it spun to itâ??s death. Malik climbed higher into the sky and hovered over the transport ship, soldiers were gathered on the deck and being killed by Amirah and Haytham with ferocious strength and precision strikes. The dragon quickly accelerated upwards once more, only going a few hundred feet higher before turning back and falling into a nose dive. The transport ship was prepared this time, even with the Dragon Slayers assaulting their troops they had enough to man the cannons and aim them upward. Explosions going off in the sky all around Malik as he twisted and turned and dodge the best he could, seeing that the closer he came the more concentrated the fire became. â??Clear the deck!â?? The words in Malikâ??s mind roaring out to the Slayers below him, not concerned with controlling the level of the voice as the fire glowed in his gaping maw once more but fired quickly as it was a much smaller blast. The ball of flame smashed into the deck and created a great hole, the Slayers had done their best to get out of the way. Once he saw the blast leave him, the smell of spice came back and Malik blurred as he had drawn closer to the ship and fell into the hole that he had just created and vanished from Amirah and Haytham's sight. It was silent for just a second before the whole ship rumbled and everyone caught the scent of spice, the slayers ducked for cover as the deck exploded out and Malikâ??s dragon form rose from below. Roaring he began slashing with his talons, his wings spreading out to tear into the ship, as his claws descended into the supports. The troops trying to fight off the dragons assault but found only death and skin tougher than any weapons they carried at the time. As Malik swung his powerful hands, the supports creaking and the wood and metal groaning and splitting before the front half of the ship started to lean forward while the back half remained in place. With a loud snap, the ship finally split apart and the front half hinged  forward before ripping off completely and plummeting down tothe earth. The rest of the ship rocked back and  couldnâ??t maintainaltitude as it turned and smoked as it started to fall. Amirah and Haytham, without a hesitation from them, leaped off the derelict vessel and fell through the air, arms and legs spread eagle to slow their descent. Spotting their shapes Malik turned to them, seeing they had a distance ahead of him, seeing them looking and moving through the air trying to find something to launch Haytham's spear into. Malik caught up quick enough to Amirah, snatching her with a taloned hand, but Haytham was further ahead, Malik trying to catch up. â??Shoot it at Malik Slayer!â? Amirah screamed through the connection, commanding him over anything else. Turning around, he launched the spear of light towards Malik, the hand went out for the grab and missed. The spear returning to Haytham once more, and another attempt was made, this time it was closer but still a failed attempt. Malik could see the colors of the ground now, his wings flapping harder to try and catch him. With his dragon arm extended, Haytham took another shot and hit his target, right through Malikâ??s forearm and locking in place. The dragon roared and stopped dropping slow enough to pull Haytham up as the flew back to the Vorzik, seeing smoke rising from the ship along with torn out chunks. Malik was more impressed it was still hovering and maintaining itâ??s altitude, flying higher than the deck he could see the scorched bodies and the others on the deck waiting for their return. Malik set down Haytham first, and then Amirah before hovering above them and tearing out the spear in his arm with a loud roar and then descending down to the deck, spice filling the air and Malik blurring as he stood before them again. Bayel moving to his side as she assessed the damage on his arm, the blood dripping off his armor and onto the deck. â??You are hurt sir, you need medical attention.â? Malik pulled his arm away, angry at the destruction of the vessel, and feeling his blood boil more as he saw crewmen dead with weapon in their hands. â??Iâ??m fine, tend to the crew and get me the captain.â? Garrick spoke up then, a tone of scorn in his words. â??Heâ??s dead, Dragon Commander. No thanks to you.â? Malik whirled around, looking the Virdisian in the eyes. â??Where does he lay Battle-Mage?â?Garrick pointed, unflinching under Malikâ??s gaze, turning away from him quickly to the dead form rendered open, his entrails spilled all over the deck with his dead eyes staring up to the sky. Malik clenched his fists, his muscles in his wounded arm cause pain to flare through his body. But it was a pain he could manage, a pain he could deal with and overcome quickly. â??How many crew are left Cassandra?â? She stepped forward. â??Roughly half sir, his first mate made it through the battle, he can fly the ship.â? Malik nodded slowly. â??Very well then, inform him we will continue to Babel then. Find Morgan, make sure we are still operational.â? â??This is insane! You are really going to keep pushing this suicidal quest?â? Garrick roared, standing quickly from where he had been resting.   "Don't you talk to the first born like that! He's really trying and he went and fought the mean dragons!" Julian shouted as he balled his small hands into fists, Malik gestured for Julian to calm down. Garrick looking only briefly at the boy before going off once more.   â??Youâ??ve lost half the crew, this ship is barely holding together and we are hardly an hour out from the tower. We should go back and you should continue on this journey on your own.â? â??If you wish to leave Mr. Flynt then go right ahead, I will warn you though, it is a ways down.â? Cassandra leaned in closer to him now, speaking in a hushed tone. â??Malik, we are in poor condition and we need to rethink this plan. We were attacked by a large force, much larger than a patrol to be out roaming around here.â? â??Exactly, the entire ordeal is too convenient. This wasnâ??t an accident, and if they went to this extent to destroy us this early in our trip, we are ruffling someones scales.â? Malik turned to the others as Cassandra walked away. â??This is a tough fight, I know that, but if all of you rather give up now than you can depart in Babel. I need no cowards aboard the Vorzik or in my company, but remember that now someone knows you are all invovled, and your safety isnâ??t guaranteed if you leave us.â? â??Lord Malik, what of the dead?â? Haytham said with his eyes wandering over the corpses. â??We do what he have to Slayer, good soldiers died today and we give them proper respects.â? Amirah stepped in as she shoved his shoulder with a bright smile on her face, Malik nodding to her when their eyes met. â??Well said, letâ??s get to work soldiers and get these crewmen ready for when we get into Babel.â?     OOC: Alright everyone, your next posts will start out in the city of Babel, and each of you will receive info that will go into your next post.

â??Huh, now what would you make that boss?â? Kezic said as he looked out over the hanger, seeing the two female figures trying their best to push through the guards as they screamed in the direction of the Vorzik. Placing his forearms on the railing of an exterior balcony on the aft end of the airship, leaning forward and standing in a relaxed position. Malik walked forward to stand by his side to look out at the scene that Kezic was seeing, squinting his eyes even though his eyes could clearly see who they were. â??Are you speaking of the two rather surely and upset women over there? That is rather unusual, I wonder why they are here.â? â??Now what are the odds that two jilted lovers would be in the same town at the same time as our newest battle-mage, almost as if someone had planned it out.â? Kezic looked to Malik for just a moment, a smirk plastered on his face as he let out a small chuckle before turning back to the struggling guards. â??Odd isnâ??t it, seems the fates have greater plans for Garrick Flynt.â? Malik signaled for the guards to take the women away, thinking the display had gone on long enough. Turning his body to a crystal that sat on top of a metal dish, perfectly clear in color and smooth on all its edges. Malik touched the crystal and it began to resonate, glowing a blue color before it started to vibrate for a moment before settling once more. â??Orders sir?â? The crystal vibrated with each word, sending the waves out to create the voice for him to hear. â??Take us out captain, tell Morgan I will check on him shortly.â? â??Aye sir.â? The crystal  stopped vibrating and the color faded as a pressure build up around everyone for a moment right before the ship lifted off the ground slowly and began to slowly drift out of the hanger bay. Malik looked back at the other ships in their armada, something he hoped would never be used for war time like he had heard from some of his advisers. â??Still, could have picked someone more reliable boss. What about Ollen? He was a damn fine soldier, did his job well enough and infrequently enough to be an asset to you.â? Malikâ??s attitude soured then, Kezic taking notice of the change when he the silence started to creep into awkward and he was forced to look at the commander. â??Ollen is dead, burned to death in his home. Fortunately his family was spared, seems Corvin paid him a personal visit.â? Kezic could only shake his head before speaking. â??Damn shame, he was a good man.â? Kezic stood up straight and placed a hand on Maliks armored shoulder. â??Donâ??t worry bossman, he will answer for all of his crimes when the time comes.â? Malik simply nodded as the battle-mage turned and walked back into the ship. Malik continued to stand on the balcony even as they started to pull away from the Battle tower, leaving itâ??s confines for the first time in many years on the rather swift energy sails of Vorzik. He stayed on the balcony until the sun finally touched his face and he felt the warmth kiss his skin. Closing his eyes for just a moment as he only slightly lifted his arms with his palms facing out to feel itâ??s embrace and let a small smile break his face. Letting his worries go for just a second, but the moment faded and everything came back as he opened his eyes and let his lips fall back into itâ??s normal serious tone. He turned to the ship and walked through his quarters, taking no time to admire any of the craftsmanship put into the wooden desk in the room or the plush nature of the red velvet arm chair that sat before the desk for guests to sit in. He briefly looked to the wall of messenger scrolls, none of them giving off the distinctive glow of an unread message written on the pages. A weapons rack was hook to the wall closest to the single door in and out of the room, save for the balcony, with the rack giving him a light variety of weapons. A single edged longsword with a saw edge on the blunt side sat on top, the next was a double-edged war axe meant to be wielded with two hands. After that was a polearm with a rather large bladed end that was split in the middle with a large shield hanging on the side of the rack that had an edge of spikes of dragons teeth and dragon skin stretch over a piece of bone. Malik walked out the door through a small hallway that lead to a few other quarters before he ascended a single flight of stairs and found himself on the deck of the ship. While it was shaped like an ocean bounded vessel, it was not as deep but was wider and had a two protruding observation decks on either side. The sails on the ship were not necessary for propulsion as the crystal provided energy for thrust, but they captured sunlight to supply power to more mundane systems while the crystal focused on movement and weapons. The sails were also designed to catch any radiant energy given off from the experimental hybrid that Morgan seemed fit to test on Malikâ??s ship. Malik looked up at the sails, seeing the blue sky as well, their altitude wasnâ??t near high enough for the sails to retract and the dome to seal the deck. He moved quickly and walked through a few bulkheads and down another set of stairs before reaching a large metal vault door. Reaching up he spun the wheel on the door and the locks disengaged and the door swung open slowly under itâ??s massive weight. Looking at the depth of the door it appeared to be about four feet deep and six feet high, making it one of the strongest and most weighty door in the entire ship. With the path clear, he walked forward to another room with a catwalk that encircled a glowing object and a figure going back and forth from looking at his machines and dials to staring down at the massive crystal hovering in place. â??Morgan, I am pleased to see that you havenâ??t blown my ship out of the sky yet which is promising.â? Morgan turned, a contraption on his head that seemed to move on itâ??s own accord as separate magnified lenses moved up and down to changed the magnification, a great big smile of enthusiasm and glee showing clearly on his young face. â??Yes, yes I am very excited to see what she can do. We should push her to maximum speed and get to Babel as quickly as possible, maybe fire the guns off at the same time. I doubt sheâ??ll implode from the strain.â? Malik placed his face in his palm for a moment as he let out a small groan. â??I told you before we left Morgan, this is not an experiment trip, this is a mission for saving our world. We are not going to risk our lives for your special brand of curiosity, understand?â? Morgan flopped down on the ground in a heap, his legs crossed and his face in moppy frown as the magnification lenses seem to react to his feigned sadness. â??Oh alright Malik, I guess it can wait for the return trip home to try it out.â? â??Good, now how is it faring so far?â? Morgan sparked right back up, leaping to his feet as his face glowed with excitement. â??Yes it is indeed, the output for both the engines is only at 40 percent and we are moving at the normal speed of other airships who are at ¾ energy use. Without testing the weapons though, it is still hard to judge but powering them up only taxes .15 percent of the crystal which is phenomenal for our current artillery ships standards.â? Malik nodded as he was slightly unsure of the significance of all the numbers but was sure they were a positive outlook and would be installed in future ships. â??That is excellent news, I have to see the captain now to get a feel for our time for this journey. Carry on, and by the Nine do not activate those weapons without my consent.â? â??Yes, yes I will make sure we donâ??t lose power and crash into millions of pieces.â? Malik shook his head before turning away and walking out the room, leaving the door open before trekking to the bridge and having a short conversation with the captain. once his questions were answer, he instructed the captain to bring increase the speed and keep in communication with Morgan for readouts on the crystal, also instructing the captain to close the dome and climb in altitude. As the started to ascend Malik turned on the crystal intercom system and spoke to all aboard the ship. â??We are currently climbing to twenty-thousand feet, it should be rather painless and we should be arriving in Babel in four hours. For the time being get comfortable and donâ??t-â? The entire ship shook as it tossed the occupants to one side, the sound of crashing and tearing of metal echoed in the ship before Malik rose to his feet looking out the glass window as he saw a shape fly past. His entire presence shifted as he went back to the intercom system. â??Bayel, meet me on the deck now. All crew arm yourselves and prepare for battle.â? Malik turned to the captain then. â??How high up are we right now?â? The captain scrambled to the altimeter, holding onto the panel as the ship was struck again, a roar following the hit this time. â??We are only at nine thousand feet sir, we stopped climbing when we took the first hit.â? â??Can I activate the weapons now?â? A new voice could be heard, identified as Morgan quickly enough. â??Tell him to prepare to power them up, only on my order.â? Malik had just managed to exit the doorway when he found Julian standing in his path. â??Malik, whatâ??s going on? Are we going to see dragons? Can I help you at all?â? Cassandra appeared quickly enough to stand near the boy. â??Both of you cover our backs, we donâ??t know anything yet be prepared for anything.â? Malik was about to keep walking when he poked his head back into the bridge. â??Retract the dome in thirty seconds, I am going flying.â? He pushed his way past Cassandra and made it only thirty feet from the bridge before a sword swung in his face. Malik dodging the weapon before reaching out and grabbing his arm, twisting quickly until it snapped and the figure screamed. Pulling back his other hand to deliver a blow to his assailants head only to be interrupted as a ray of fire shot at the assassin and incinerated his chest and made him go limp. Malik looked up to Cassandra first, but quickly saw the boy had his hands forward and the flame extinguishing in his palms. Malik released the arm and nodded to the boy before picking up the single edge scimitar the man had carried and charged forward. They were accosted three more times by eight more soldiers, Malik striking down two and Cassandra turning another into nothing but dust. They made it to the deck and the dome was retracted and the wind ripped over the deck in swirling gusts. The sound of the wind drowned out anything else but the sounds of battle were growing closer and louder, moving to the side that was hit first and saw the gaping hole and flashes of fire and could barely make out the sounds of metal clashing. A speck in the air could be seen far off to the side, and Malik knew what it was instantly. The speck was joined by another and they were coming towards his ship, but Malik wasnâ??t going to allow them to come closer. He fought through the wind back to Julian and Cassandra with Bayel arriving just in time. â??There are more troops on board, Cassandra I need you to find Kezic and bring him back here to defend the deck. Julian, you will hold the entrance ways until they get back, no one you donâ??t know doesnâ??t get on this deck, understand?â? Malik yelled over the roaring wind, seeing the nodding heads from them all he turned back to Bayel. â??Ready to jump?â? Bayel smiled and nodded as she moved with Malik who looked toward the specks who had grown in size, the massive wings were easy to see now as the sound of a draconic roar whipped past them. Looking to Bayel one more time and seeing her unshaken confidence as she nodded her readiness. With the final check he sprinted to the edge, Bayel hot on his heels as they both leaped off the edge of the ship and dropped through the air, the sudden smell of spice surrounded both of them as they blurred and shifted mid air. Black and red wings spreading out to catch the air and the massive body scarred from past battles and metal plates replacing damaged parts. A roar broke from his throat as he flew through the air with Beyel at his side, racing through the skies to spill the blood of old brothers.