DeLarge

I like the fact that we're all using the Backstage thread, it makes for a much smoother RPing experience. In other news, one of the teasers on the front page will be answered in my next post, but I won't be posting until some of the training has started. If that's not an incentive, I don't know what is!

Slate slowly hauled himself to his feet, his muscles screaming at him after the combined stress of the punishment McKnight had just dished out and his own response to it. But the thing that hurt the most was the realisation that McKnight was right. Not about his theory that Supers were a 'plague', Slate knew he was way off the mark on that one; but about his own training. If the team went up against the Big Five as they were now, they would be taken apart without a second thought. He walked slowly over to the wall he had ripped the metal panels from and grabbed the bent edge of the next panel along, yanking it a few times until it came loose and hit the ground with a loud clang. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stooped to pick the panel up. Struggling a little, he hauled the heavy metal slab over to the training room's pommel horse and leaned the slab up against it. He placed a hand against the slab for a moment, and took several deep breaths, his eyes closed. Once he had recovered, he turned and began walking away from the makeshift target, reaching out with his abilities as he moved, tapping into the magnetic fields present in the room and drawing as much of the metal debris from his training session with McKnight towards him. Breathing deeply, he did his best to block out everything else in the room, from the bright halogen lights above him to the sound of the metal spheres clattering across the floor towards him. Once had reached approximately fifteen feet away from the slab, he stopped walking and turned around to face it. He felt calm, the pain in his muscles subsiding and his mind clear of everything except the task at hand. He reached a hand out, and felt one of the metal spheres rise slowly from the ground until it was hovering in front of him, gently rotating. He flicked his hand forward, and the sphere shot off much faster than he had intended, spinning away into the back wall of the training room, where it impacted with a clang and fell to the floor. Slate flinched, disappointed in himself, but didn't let it put him off. He reached for a second sphere, and waited a moment before flicking his wrist this time. He tried to control the direction of the sphere, but lost power and watched as it flew in a lazy arc and hit the ground, four or five feet away from the slab. Calming himself with another deep breath, he reached for a third sphere, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, before flicking his wrist again, this time making sure he willed the sphere forward with his ability, keeping the speed and direction of the projectile steady as it went. This time, the sphere slammed into the very centre of the slab, punching a hole straight through it and embedding itself into the back wall of the training room. Slate smiled, and reached for another sphere, going through the same motion as the previous sphere, and directed this one directly through the hole he had just made, the sphere not even touching the side as it went. He smiled again and tried it three more times, gaining more and more confidence as the spheres passed through the hole each time. [b]"No control, my ass..."[/b] murmured Slate, although his thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice from the entrance of the training room. [b]"Slate!"[/b] it shouted, and Slate cursed under his breath as he dropped the sphere he was holding and turned to the doorway, seeing Tyler rushing across the room towards him. [b]"What the hell did McKnight do to you?"[/b] Tyler asked, seeing the bruises on Slate's exposed skin. [b]"He opened my eyes,"[/b] groaned Slate as he got up,[b] "He might be an arrogant asshole and a traitorous ******* *****, but he was right about our abilities. We need training if we're going to beat the Big Five, so that's what I was doing. Training." "Jesus, I don't wanna know what he's gonna do to me,"[/b] said Tyler, looking Slate up and down as the latter made his way slowly out of the training room, [b]"Wait, what [i]can[/i] he do?" "Huh?" "What can McKnight do? What's his ability?"[/b] Slate paused, looking at the ground, before turning back to Tyler and responding. [b]"I have no idea. Some kind of fine telekinesis or something. He made those,"[/b] he pointed at the spheres on the ground, then moved his hand to the slab leaning against the pommel horse,[b] "Out of a couple of those."[/b] Tyler looked at the two objects in awe, clearly worrying about what they were getting into. [b]"Good luck with the training,"[/b] Slate said, making his way out of the training room and heading back to his room. As he got there, he sat down on the end of his bed and cradled his head in his hands. What was it McKnight had told him to look at? Project...All-Star? How was he supposed to find that out? [b]"Hey Slate,"[/b] said a voice from his doorway, and he looked up to see Autumn leaning on the doorframe,[b] "Tyler told me what happened, are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine,"[/b] mumbled Slate with a nod, [b]"I mean, aside from having my ass handed to me by a scientist." "Nothing wrong with that,"[/b] she replied, [b]"The geeks shall inherit the earth!"[/b] Slate laughed, and Autumn turned to go, realising that he needed to be on his own. [b]"Wait, Autumn," [/b]said Slate as she left, rushing to the door as she turned around, [b]"This is probably a long shot, but do you know where to find any information about Geist? I wouldn't have any idea where to start." "Yeah, sure,"[/b] said Autumn,[b] "If you go around the corner there's a staircase, head up it and you'll get to a door marked 'Archives'. There's an old guy in there who just calls himself 'The Curator', and he seems pretty knowledgable about Geist. If you ask nicely, he might even give you access to the digital archives." "Thanks, Autumn,"[/b] replied Slate, [b]"I owe you one."[/b] He smiled, and she grinned back. He dashed back into his room, yanked the fridge open and grabbed a six-pack of the beer Geist had provided him with. [b]"Man's greatest bargaining chip,"[/b] he murmured, rushing out of his room towards the staircase Autumn had directed him to.

Ok, quick update on how the training's going to go down. Myself and Gavin have been discussing what the best way to do it is, and worked out that we're going to split you into three groups, as follows: [b][u]MOVEMENT-BASED ABILITIES[/u][/b] Esfir 'Martian' Veselov Addley 'Warp' Raynes [b][u]PHYSICAL-BASED ABILITIES[/u][/b] Carter 'Brawler' Grey Cody 'Critter' Aneel Tyler 'Vegas' Reins [b][u]ELEMENTAL-BASED ABILITIES[/u][/b] Riona 'Phoenix' Sharp Aimanan 'Night Terror' Fathi Derek 'Flare' DeWitt Autumn 'Echo' Finley This is to make the training go a little quicker - basically, you are separated into groups depending on [i]how[/i] your abilities will be trained, so Michael can teach you all similar techniques at the same time. He won't be giving you as much of a beating as he gave Slate, that was a special case. I've also discussed with most of you how you want your abilities to develop, and I've shared this information with Gavin, so he'll know where you're going with your abilities. If you have any more ideas about your character's ability, feel free to PM myself or Gavin (myself if it's likely to affect the plot as a whole, Gavin if it's mostly just for the training session, although please CC me in if you message Gavin). In the meantime, I will be making posts from Slate's point of view, as well as a few more people. Eventually, Slate and McKnight will be having a rematch, and once that's all done we'll be on our way to fight Starlighter, and then things will REALLY kick off. Depending on how quickly people feel they can post, we'll be heading out to take on Starlighter fairly soon, so it's on you guys now really.

Ok, I accept that things are a bit muddled at the moment. My intention was to have a more extended training session in order to develop characters somewhat, as well as to make it obvious that the team has a long way to go in order to be powerful enough to beat the Big Five, but it would appear people are not 100% happy with that. I have assigned sub-plots to the characters I believe suit them best, but I can't do that for everyone as that really will end up being too muddled. As ever, I am open to suggestions from anyone as to how to move the story along quickly, but for now my only suggestion is to use this time to develop your characters. Interact with the other characters, write some flashbacks to your lives before Geist abducted you, explore the enormous and well-equipped skybase we find ourselves on (pretty much anything you want to find will be there, just let me know what you're adding to the base before you do it). Yes, it's a lull action-wise, but it doesn't have to be one story-wise. This really isn't just my RP, it's yours as well, so use your imaginations!

It's ok, I'd rather wait and have you at your full capacity than make you rush to get a post done!

Apologies for things being a little slow, I realise the situation I've placed us in at present is slightly on the limiting side. Once we're into the meat of the training then things should hopefully run a little smoother. I will also be making sporadic posts from other groups of people within the RP as we continue. As you can see, I have just made one concerning what the Big Five are doing, and the purpose for this was twofold: firstly, it gives a few hints about where the story's going, and secondly it gives you an idea of the characters of the members of the Big Five so you will be able to write for their characters more effectively. In the near future I will also be making posts from the POVs of the Curator, Dr. Ambrose and a couple of groups of people yet to be introduced, so you all have that to look forward to! Good work thus far people, keep it up and we should have a great RP on our hands!

The wall exploded into rubble as the young man's limp form smashed through it, an impact that would have killed a lesser man, but this one merely slammed to the floor and shakily got to his feet, dusting his black-and-blue costume off, and yanking the cowl down into a hood as he stood up. [b]"You stupid kid!" [/b]growled the man standing in front of him, his own costume emblazoned with various patches of red, white and blue, his own cowl pulled down in a manner similar to the younger man he had just hurled through the wall. The older man's hair was golden-blonde, short and sticking up in tufts, his blue eyes blazing with rage. [b]"What did I do?"[/b] pleaded the younger man, his hair jet-black, matching his eyes, thin rivulets of sticky red blood running down his olive-skinned face from cuts just below his hairline. [b]"What did you do?"[/b] boomed the older man, his voice now seeming huge, [b]"As if it wasn't bad enough hiring a bunch of amateurs like the Blanks to do your dirty work, you actively engage the new Geist team in combat? Are you ******* braindead?" "I was...I was just sending them a warning, John,"[/b] the younger man stammered, before another sledgehammer blow caught him in the solar plexus, throwing him back into the wall behind him. As he crumpled to the floor, a spider-web of cracks became visible in the wall behind him. [b]"Don't. Use. My. Name,"[/b] snarled the older man,[b] "I've left that name behind, we've all left them behind." "I'm s...sorry,"[/b] sobbed the younger man, still slumped in a heap by the wall, clearly in some pain. [b]"I'm sorry...what?" "I'm sorry...Patriot..." "Much better. Now get up, Starlighter,"[/b] growled the Patriot, watching as the injured man slowly pushed himself up the wall to his feet. [b]"What are we going to do about this new Geist team, Patriot?"[/b] asked the hulking man standing behind the Patriot, flexing his muscles and cracking his knuckles as he spoke, [b]"Are we gonna kill 'em?" "Eventually,"[/b] replied the Patriot coldly, [b]"For now they're just a distraction. If they ever become more than that, then we can eliminate them." "So what's the next move?"[/b] asked a silky voice from behind the Patriot, and he turned to see a stunning young woman dressed all in ice-blue appear from another room, an ice-cold drink in her hand. [b]"We need to consult her,"[/b] replied the Patriot, a small smile creeping across his face as he said it,[b] "We need to know exactly what Geist are mobilizing against us. If there's any chance this team is more than just a bunch of amateurs we must know about it so we can act accordingly. That, and we need to know what we do next." "Should I wake her?"[/b] asked Starlighter shakily. [b]"No,"[/b] sneered the Patriot, [b]"You've done enough. I'll talk to her."[/b] He turned on his heel and walked through to the next room. The lights were dimmed down to almost nothing, the curtains closed, but the midday sun still blazing through the point where the two curtains met. The room was sparsely furnished, with just a double bed pushed against the wall and a small bedside cabinet to the right of the bed, which was covered in pill-bottles of various shapes and sizes. A young, but frail-looking woman lay on the bed, her chest moving up and down gently as she slept. Her skin was pale, and her eyes had dark rings under them, and her head was framed by thin, light-brown hair, falling down to her shoulders. The Patriot made his way over to her slowly, gently taking a seat on the bed beside her and brushing his hand over her hair softly. She smiled a little in her sleep, before her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, her dark eyes racing around the room, her smile gone and her breathing ragged and panicked. [b]"It's ok, it's ok,"[/b] said the Patriot softly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his chest,[b] "I'm here." "I saw him...I saw him again..."[/b] she stammered, her terror obvious in her voice, [b]"He's coming...coming to kill us all. There's no way we can stop him...not even you..." "Don't worry about him,"[/b] the Patriot whispered, [b]"He's long gone. I'm really sorry I have to do this, but I need some information. I need you to tell me what I have to do next." "Soon...destruction...you will destroy so much. Everything...everything will change. The blood, the fire, the rage...and when you do it will bring only more death..." "What do I have to destroy? What do I need to do next?" "The...the city...drowned...so many dead..." "Drowned? You mean it's something Hydro-Girl has to do?"[/b] The young woman nodded furiously, her eyes still betraying her fear. [b]"The pretty lady...she will stand over the destruction and laugh..." "Which city? What's our target?" "The place...where it all began..." "Where what all began?" "You..."[/b] she stammered, looking into his eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. He stared back for a moment, before he realised what she was talking about. Smiling, he wiped the tears off her cheeks and held her close again. [b]"Thank you," [/b]he whispered in her ear. She didn't reply, but sobbed into his shoulder. He reached for a bottle of pills from the bedside table and popped the cap off. Disengaging from the embrace softly, he tipped a few of the pills into his hand and handed them to her. She looked down at them, then back up at him, nodded and placed the pills into her mouth, taking the bottle of water the Patriot subsequently handed her and washing them down with a generous swig, then laid back down on the bed, her eyes becoming heavy and gradually closing. [b]"Sleep well,"[/b] murmured the Patriot, leaning over her and kissing her gently on the forehead, before getting up and quietly leaving the room. [b]"Well?"[/b] asked Freight Train as he reached the other side of the door, [b]"What'd she say?" "She told me we're about to change everything,"[/b] he replied, a devilish smile crossing his face,[b] "Hydro-Girl, I have a job for you."[/b]

RPing as therapy? I'm down with that. It sounds like a really interesting idea, as much as I try to create flawed characters as they're more interesting to play, none of them are anywhere near as flawed as I am. I think the idea of leaving some mystery about what has happened to the world is a cool one, too, at the very least it'll help drive the story along, at least at the beginning. I'm never quite sure how I would react to that kind of thing, and exploring it through writing is definitely something I'd be up for. So count me in, basically!

[quote=Gavin]If you have something specific you want to do, feel free to drop me a PM (CC DeLarge too) with what you want to cover and I'll do the best I can.[/quote] This goes for all of you, for your own individual training sessions. [quote=Gavin]@DeLarge: Those are some interesting teasers.[/quote] Why thank you, I'm endeavouring to keep the RP interesting, and I [i]promise[/i] that if this RP continues to the end, the answers to all of those questions will be revealed.

It's actually entirely up to Gavin as to who the training session is with. Myself and Gavin have discussed how the training is going to go, so I'd go by his next post. Also, I've added a 'Teasers' section to the first post of this thread, so if you want to get some hints about the future of the RP then take a look there. It basically outlines the various plot strands and the mysteries we're going to be attempting to uncover, so it could be pretty helpful if you like that kind of thing!

[b]"That's pretty intense,"[/b] said Slate, hunched over the canteen table, playing with his cup of weak coffee. Addley sat opposite him, his own coffee drained, having just told Slate about his dream. He looked traumatised, he had dark rings under his eyes and bruises around the bridge of his nose from the fight with Starlighter. [b]"Yeah, it was kinda crazy,"[/b] replied Addley, rubbing his eyes, [b]"I just wish I knew who those people were, maybe that would make things easier. Or even when that conversation took place - I mean, it could have been happening right then and there, or it could have happened fifty years ago for all I know. Maybe it didn't even happen at all!"[/b] [b]"It's probably best not to think about it too much,"[/b] said Slate, slowly taking a sip of his coffee, and grimacing as the bitter, watery liquid ran across his tongue, [b]"You'll go crazy if you start over-analysing it."[/b] [b]"You're probably right,"[/b] sighed Addley, [b]"So what about you? You said there's a super working for Geist?"[/b] Slate nodded, resting his head on his hand, and his elbow on the table. [b]"Some guy named McKnight,"[/b] he replied, [b]"He works for Advanced Biology, or something. Welsh said he's being inserted into the team before we take on the Big Five, to train us."[/b] [b]"Sounds like it could be a good idea,"[/b] said Addley, [b]"With some proper training, we might stand a chance against the Big Five. We've got no hope, the way we're going, Starlighter could have destroyed us if he'd wanted to."[/b] Slate looked up at Addley, the realisation that he was probably right doing very little to soothe the anger Slate felt when he thought about the idea of a super working for Geist. [b]"But...a super, working for them? After what they've been doing to us, after what they've probably done to countless other supers just like us? That's pretty messed up, don't you think?"[/b] [b]"A little, I guess,"[/b] replied Addley, [b]"But you're judging the guy before you even know him. Maybe they're keeping him here like the rest of us. Did you see any power inhibitors?"[/b] Slate shook his head. [b]"There was no scar on the back of his neck either. He clearly isn't being held here against his will."[/b] [b]"Well, there must be some explanation for it. Maybe the Geist healthcare plan is [i]really[/i] good?"[/b] Addley joked, and Slate couldn't help but laugh. As angry as he was, he couldn't help but admit Addley was right - there was bound to be something more sinister in McKnight's past than he was giving him credit for, this was Geist they were talking about. They didn't exactly play by the rules. [b]"I should get some sleep,"[/b] said Slate, suddenly realising that he felt completely fatigued. Addley nodded, and Slate got to his feet, slapped his team-mate on the shoulder and ambled out of the canteen, heading back towards his room. He had just made it into the room and locked the door behind him when there was a faint knock. He sighed, turned around and unlocked the door, opening it to reveal Autumn standing there. He was tired, but seeing Autumn standing there made him feel slightly guilty - he felt like he owed her a conversation at least, after what had happened to her at the bank. [b]"Autumn! I'm surprised you're out of the infirmary so soon, how are you feeling?"[/b] he said, as cheery as he could bring himself to be, and he swung the door open and gestured for her to enter. After a short conversation, in which she leafed through his dossier, she slipped out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. [i]Why had she seemed so interested in my file?[/i] The thought crept into his head and popped up unannounced, and at once he shook his head, chastising himself for not trusting Autumn. He was sure she was probably just curious, it was probably just being stuck in this place making him paranoid. He sighed, threw the file off his bed and onto his desk, and flopped down face-first on the mattress. --- He awoke much later to a loud knocking on his door. He groaned as the light crept under his eyelids, and forced himself up out of the position he had collapsed in, shuffling over to the door and yanking it open, to reveal the last person he wanted to see. [b]"McKnight,"[/b] he groaned, and the sandy-haired man nodded, [b]"What do you want?"[/b] [b]"First training session, Slate. Get down to the training room ASAP, in full uniform,"[/b] McKnight replied, [b]"And bring your A-game, I'm not going easy on you."[/b] He walked off at the end of the last sentence, not giving Slate any time to retort. He groaned again, slamming the door and grabbing his uniform off the back of his desk chair. A familiar, yet long-dormant feeling crept into the back of his head, and a single thought accompanied it. [i]I don't wanna go to school today...[/i]

No worries, [b]Knuckles' Girl[/b], stuff does tend to get in the way sometimes. Basically, if you just take a look at the post above yours it should give you a vague idea about what you should be doing, but if you have any specific questions then please feel free to PM me and we can bounce some ideas around. Same goes for anyone who hasn't contact me already (although I think all of you have so far).

Kincaid stirred, the pale light of dawn creeping into his eyes as he slowly lifted his eyelids. He blinked a few times, a little bleary-eyed, and looked around the tent. The group were sleeping soundly, their chests moving up and down gently, their Digimon laying around them, all except Coronamon. Kincaid slowly got to his feet, rubbing his eyes, and made his way out of the tent, seeing Coronamon sitting by the now-extinguished fire pit in the centre of the village. [b]"Coronamon,"[/b] Kincaid said as he stretched out, feeling a few of his tendons crack as he did, [b]"Is everything alright?"[/b] He saw his Digimon partner stir, and turn around to face him, a small smile creeping across his face as he saw him. [b]"Your hair looks funny,"[/b] Coronamon said, and Kincaid reached a hand up to his head, feeling his hair sticking out in all directions. [b]"You're one to talk,"[/b] replied Kincaid, attempting to flatten his hair down, and taking a seat next to Coronamon, [b]"At least mine's not on fire."[/b] Coronamon giggled and turned back to the small pile of ash that had previously been the camp-fire. [b]"Are you ok?"[/b] Kincaid asked after a beat, worrying slightly about his new friend. [b]"I'm worried,"[/b] replied Coronamon, [b]"Worried about all these aggressive Digimon, I don't know what's turning them on the others. Garurumon was one of the strongest, most loyal Digimon you could hope to meet, it must be something powerful that made him turn on his friends."[/b] [b]"Whatever it is, we'll beat it, buddy,"[/b] said Kincaid, placing his hand on Coronamon's arm, [b]"We all saw how easily you beat Chameleonmon back there, if all of you guys can do that then we'll have no problem!"[/b] [b]"But there are Digimon stronger than all of our Champion forms put together. Dark Digimon, hiding in the shadows until the right time to strike and take control of the Digital World."[/b] [b]"Fair enough,"[/b] said Kincaid, [b]"But there's one thing they haven't got."[/b] [b]"What's that?"[/b] [b]"They haven't got us,"[/b] Kincaid replied with a grin, and Coronamon's face burst out into a wide, toothy grin, and he started to laugh. [b]"Geez, guys, keep it down,"[/b] said Edward, emerging from the tent, Gaomon close behind, [b]"There's people trying to sleep in there."[/b] [b]"Sorry about that,"[/b] replied Coronamon, as Edward and Gaomon sat down next to Kincaid and Coronamon, [b]"We were just talking."[/b] [b]"Oh yeah?"[/b] said Gaomon, [b]"About what?"[/b] [b]"About the..."[/b] Kincaid started, but he was cut off by a booming howl, and a sheet of blue-white fire raged through the air above the village. The group sat by the fire started, leaping to their feet instantly, and the rest of the group began to wake up and venture out of the tent. [b]"What's going on?"[/b] asked Wyatt, rubbing his eyes. [b]"It's Garurumon!"[/b] cried Agumon, bursting out of a tent and running towards the group, [b]"And he seems upset about something!"[/b] [b]"Here we go again..."[/b] sighed Kincaid, and the group turned to the direction the howl had come from, ready for battle. But they saw no sign of Garurumon venturing into the village. [b]"Where is he?"[/b] asked Edward, [b]"Previous experience suggests he should have attacked us by now."[/b] [b]"Maybe he doesn't want to enter the village,"[/b] said Agumon, [b]"He may have been possessed by something evil, but there's still some of the old Garurumon in there. I think some part of him doesn't [i]want[/i] to attack us."[/b] [b]"The phrase 'wishful thinking' comes to mind,"[/b] muttered Kincaid with a smirk, which was changed to a scowl as Riley hit him on the arm. [b]"I'll go out there and face him,"[/b] said Edward, puffing his chest out, [b]"Maybe I can talk some sense into him. You guys protect the village, the Digimon here can't be harmed."[/b] [b]"Are you sure, Ed?"[/b] asked Riley, [b]"It could be dangerous."[/b] [b]"I'll have Gaomon to help me,"[/b] replied Edward, running through the village with Gaomon bounding after him. [b]"So long, I guess..."[/b] said Kincaid, waving at Edward's back, and then he heard something behind him. A sniggering, cackling something. And he knew exactly what it was. [b]"Goblinmon..."[/b] he sighed, turning round, with Coronamon at his side. Sure enough, the village was crowded with Goblinmon, crawling over the tents and chasing after the native Digimon with their clubs, balls of flame soaring around. [b]"These guys again?"[/b] groaned Wyatt, as the group's Digimon launched themselves into battle.

LeCrosse rushed forwards and ducked under one of Akil's arms, hauling him to his feet and providing support as the group moved forward. They reached a large wooden door set into the crumbling stone of what used to be an inner wall of Hogwarts Castle, and as Ewan placed his hand against the door, it swung slowly open. [b]"Huh, gone are the days that Hogwarts' security was the best in the world,"[/b] Ewan muttered, raising his wand, [b]"[i]Lumos[/i]."[/b] The tip of Ewan's wand lit up, casting pale white light across the darkened chamber the door revealed. He moved slowly into the chamber, trying his best to illuminate as much of it as possible. The rest of the team followed him in, and as the pair reached the chamber, LeCrosse helped Akil ease himself into a chair by the door, and looked around. There were tattered, faded-blue banners hanging from the walls, covered, like everything else, with a thick coating of dust and grime. Smashed splinters of wood and twisted metal were scattered across the floor, empty picture-frames hung awkwardly on the walls and everything was pale with dust. [b]"What is this place?"[/b] asked Cid, looking around, his own wand illuminated at the end like Ewan's. [b]"The Ravenclaw common room,"[/b] replied LeCrosse, [b]"A place of knowledge and intelligence, forgotten. There should be dormitories above us, this is the base of the Ravenclaw tower."[/b] The Frenchman bounded over to the spiral staircase in the corner of the room, leaping over an overturned bench that was blocking his way. He illuminated the end of his wand and made his way slowly up the stairs. Clutter and debris was scattered across the staircase, forcing LeCrosse to pick his way carefully over the objects in his way. Eventually, he reached the top of the stairs, and they opened out into a high-ceilinged room, with the broken shards of what used to be four-poster beds scattered across the floor, and everything covered in an even thicker coating of dust than downstairs. Faded blue fabric poked out of the rubble here and there, but the most obvious detail of the dormitory was an enormous hole in the wall, opening out onto the cold air. LeCross looked up, staring through the hole, and saw the shapes of the mountains in the distance, and the tiniest of smiles crossed his face. [b]"Something big must have happened here,"[/b] said a voice from behind him, and LeCrosse spun round to see Cid standing behind him, surveying the damage surrounding them. [b]"Many things happened here,"[/b] replied LeCrosse, [b]"Presents were opened on Christmas morning, children leapt out of bed eager to start their first day of classes, friendships were formed, and ended, all in this room. But I suppose you are referring to the hole in the wall, [i]oui[/i]?"[/b] He shot a devilish grin at his comrade, and moved over to the hole, shining the light from his wand around the edges of the hole. [b]"Any idea what could have caused this?"[/b] [b]"I will in [i]un moment[/i],"[/b] LeCrosse replied, raising his wand to his mouth and whispering [b]"[i]Nox[/i]."[/b] The light extinguished itself, and he aimed the tip of his wand back at the edges of the hole. [b]"[i]Manifesto[/i]..."[/b] he said, his voice clear and distinct, and a faint blue light shone from the end of his wand. He traced his wand around the edges of the hole, and a faint red glow began to emanate from the jagged, broken stone. LeCrosse moved a little closer, and ran his hand through the soft glow, feeling the make-up of the spell that caused it, and suddenly a tiny spark of crimson lightning shocked his hand, causing him to flinch away. He shook his hand and smiled a little as he took a close look. [b]"This was a powerful curse,"[/b] he said, without taking his eyes away from the newly-Revealed magical energy, [b]"Very powerful. I can't tell, but I would assume that it was fired during the initial assault on the Castle, probably by one of the higher-ranking Death Eaters. Possibly even Voldemort himself."[/b] He raised up from his crouched position and turned to the rest of the room, moving his wand in a wide arc across the room, the faint blue light causing patches of different coloured light to blink into existence, Revealing the residue of all the spells that were cast in the room during the final battle. LeCrosse registered the faint yellow light of Shield spells, patches of bright red Stupefying Charms littering the ground, and a number of bright green trails, formed from the unmistakably energy of the Killing Curse. He walked around the room, running his fingers through the energy left over by spells he couldn't distinguish simply from the colour of the residue, and sweeping his boot through the dust, feeling shards of wood and metal underfoot that he knew without looking were the remnants of students' wands. [b]"This is pretty impressive,"[/b] said Cid, although LeCrosse knew the Spaniard wouldn't be able to see the trails as vividly as he could, [b]"Hey, are you ok?"[/b] LeCrosse turned to his comrade, who was pointing to his nose, and the Frenchman reached up and felt his nose, his fingers coming away wet with blood. He grinned a little at the spots of blood on his fingers, then, with a wave of his wand, dismissed the Revealing Charm and watched as the trails of light dissipated. He staggered backwards a step, the memory of how strenuous the Charm was flooding back to him. [b]"I'm fine,"[/b] he replied, [b]"The Revealing Charm requires a lot of effort, but it provides useful results. Come on, let us rejoin the others."[/b] He gestured for Cid to head down the stairs, and then followed him, pausing for just a moment at the top of the stairs to look back at the dormitory. [b]"Such a waste..."[/b]

A sudden beeping snapped Slate out of his daze, and he realised he had been in the shower for much longer than he had anticipated. He turned the shower off, stepped out of the cubicle and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around himself as he headed out of the bathroom. The beeping was coming from the phone on his desk, which he picked up and held to his ear. [b] "Hello?" "Mr Slate,"[/b] replied the voice on the other end of the line, which Slate immediately recognised as Welsh's,[b] "I need to see you in my office in ten minutes. I've got a surprise for you!"[/b] He hung up at the end of the sentence, not allowing Slate any time to argue. He looked at the phone, confused, for a while, and then placed it back on the hook. He dried himself off and gingerly pulled on a fresh set of clothes, taking care not to further damage his broken ribs. They were pretty tender, but the painkillers Elena had provided him with had taken the edge off significantly, numbing the pain but without the side-effect of drowsiness that strong painkillers often caused. [i]Non-narcotic painkillers...I should remember to ask Elena where she gets these...[/i] he thought as he headed out of his room, pulling on a zip-up hooded sweater as he went. He moved slowly, grimacing a little as shreds of abdominal pain slipped through the drug-induced haze, his mind drifting back to what had happened in the bank. He was furious with himself for leading the team into a situation like that, and even more furious after he'd seen what had happened to Autumn - he'd led her into a situation that had literally scarred her for life, and he hated himself for that. His anger was tinged with worry, however, as he realised that Starlighter had attacked them at night, when his power was greatly reduced, and had still beaten them easily. If he was the least skilled of the Big Five, how were they ever going to face The Patriot? He realised he had reached Welsh's office, and had been standing outside the door for the past few minutes. Welsh's secretary looked up at him, confusion etched on her face. [b]"Sorry...?"[/b] Slate murmured, and she rolled her heavily made-up eyes. [b]"You can go in now,"[/b] she replied, gesturing to the door. He nodded vaguely, shook his head to focus himself, and pushed the door open. Welsh's office was a cavernous room, with black-and-white painted walls, filled with glass and brushed chrome, a number of paintings and objet-d'art on various surfaces throughout. In front of the door, but set back against an enormous wall of windows, the clear blue sky filling them, was a large chrome-and-glass desk, behind which sat Welsh, and in front of which sat a second man, and an empty chair. The other man was lean, yet relatively muscular, and even though he was sitting down, Slate could tell he was around the same height as him. He had sandy-brown hair and blue eyes hidden behind thin-rimmed glasses, and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie over it. [b]"Ah, Mr Slate,"[/b] said Welsh, gesturing to the seat next to the newcomer. Slate walked over slowly and took a seat. [b]"Yes, Dr Ambrose informed me you'd taken a bit of a beating,"[/b] Welsh said, registering Slate's apparent discomfort, [b]"Still, that's what lack of experience gets you." "You sent us into that situation with almost no training," [/b]replied Slate, wary of raising his voice in case he put any unnecessary strain on his ribs, [b]"It was your fault as much as ours that Starlighter took us down." "Well I assumed you were powerful enough to take the least skilled of the Big Five, particularly at a time when he was at a diminished power level,"[/b] Welsh said, leaning back in his chair, [b]"Apparently I assumed wrong." "He's still more powerful than any of us, even at night. If I hadn't done what I did, he would have killed us!" "If he was attempting to kill you, believe me, he'd have killed you,"[/b] said Welsh coldly, [b]"Aren't you curious as to why he used non-lethal attacks? He used concussive blasts and low-power lasers, when he could easily have sliced you all to ribbons. He was warning you against fighting them, you idiot, trying to turn you to The Patriot's way of thinking."[/b] Slate almost slapped himself - how could he have missed that? Welsh clearly saw Slate flinch as the realisation hit him, as he grinned widely. [b]"You're finally beginning to figure out how these assholes work,"[/b] said Welsh, [b]"That's a start, but for the rest you'll need training, and lots of it. That's where Dr McKnight comes in."[/b] He gestured to the man sitting next to Slate, who turned to him and outstretched his hand. [b]"Pleased to meet you, Mr Slate,"[/b] McKnight said, his tone official and formal, clearly he was an employee of Geist,[b] "I've read a lot about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." "Who the hell are you?"[/b] replied Slate, refusing the doctor's offered hand. He gradually withdrew his hand and sat back a little in his seat. [b]"My name's Michael McKnight,"[/b] he said, [b]"I'm a member of Geist's Advanced Biology Division, and I've been tasked with studying you and your team. I must say, I'm impressed with your power levels, but your training definitely leaves something to be desired."[/b] Slate's eyes widened in anger, and he was about to say something when McKnight clearly realised how this comment could have been construed and corrected himself. [b]"That's not an insult, Mr Slate,"[/b] he said quickly,[b] "Your skill levels are undoubtedly impressive for a team with no formal training, but you will benefit from an improved training regime." "What's this all about?"[/b] asked Slate, looking from McKnight to Welsh. [b]"Dr McKnight is going to be joining the team, Mr Slate,"[/b] replied Welsh,[b] "He will be your trainer and official liaison to Geist Industries." "Wait..." [/b]murmured Slate, piecing things together in his head, [b]"You're a super?" "I have some abilities, yes,"[/b] replied McKnight, [b]"But I am somewhat...out of practice. I will be training alongside the rest of the team, and I will accompany you on your field missions." "You're...you're a super," [/b]repeated Slate, getting out of his chair,[b] "And you're working for [i]them[/i]? After what they did to us?" "We anticipated you might have a reaction like this, Mr Slate,"[/b] said Welsh, [b]"But it will be to your advantage to have Dr McKnight on the team. In fact, if you don't, I don't believe you stand a chance of defeating the Big Five." "This is ******* insane!"[/b] shouted Slate, no longer concerned about exacerbating his physical condition. In any other situation, he would have used his abilities to lash out, but in this situation all he could was turn and impotently storm out of the office. He heard Welsh and McKnight murmuring behind him, but couldn't make out any words, and slammed the door behind him and stormed down the corridor.

Hello happy people! I just wanted to inform you of the next stages of the RP, so you've all got an idea of what your characters should be doing. Now we're back from our first less-than-successful encounter with a member of the Big Five, Geist wants us to be trained more effectively, and to mesh us together as a team better. What this means is an extended period where we will be at HQ. I have spoken to some of you about what your characters should be doing during this time, but if anyone's having difficulty finding something to write about then please let me know and I'll try and give you some guidance. In order to get us working together better, Michael McKnight/Novus (Gavin's character) will be introduced to the group in my next post. After a short introductory sequence (the details of which Gavin knows, so he'll be able to guide us through that), each member of the team will enter into training with Michael (both group training sessions and one-on-ones), which will last however long it takes. Again, during this time some of you know what you need to be doing, if I haven't contacted you then either message me or play it by ear, get some character interaction going, and just try and develop your characters somewhat. This training period is also the time when your abilities themselves and your skill in using them should be improving, I know a number of you have very concrete ideas about how your abilities will develop, again if you're having difficulty then let me know and we can bounce some ideas around. As an example, Magnus' abilities are already pretty strong, but with training he will be able to focus them in order to utilise fine motor control, and also how to do big stuff without expending all the excess energy he does at the moment (and to stop himself blacking out when he does something strenuous). He's something of a brawler in terms of strength of power, but he has very little experience with the smaller stuff, so that's the kind of thing he needs to learn. Similarly, if your character is powerful but with problems controlling their ability, then that's the area they will be training, or if your character is in a great deal of control with a slightly weaker ability, then they'll be attempting to increase their power. Some abilities may even change, and develop secondary abilities (although please contact me before you give your character anything along these lines) that, while different from the primary ones, are still intrinsically linked. Also, as a side-note, make sure to read and remember Anomaly's latest post, there are some details in there which will be important to the rest of the RP.

The group gathered back in the lobby of the bank, all of the Blanks either dead or unconscious and the vault door safely locked, complete with all the money inside. Magnus smiled at his team, they had done incredibly well for first-timers. Sure, the mission had been a little sloppy, probably with a few more casualties than was strictly necessary, but they had successfully taken down a dangerous gang and saved a lot of money, along with a large number of hostages. Slate saw that as a victory, no matter how it had been achieved. [b]"Well, those guys sucked,"[/b] said Vegas with a smirk, dropping the pistol he had acquired onto the ground with a clatter. [b]"Don't get cocky, Vegas," [/b]Magnus replied, although in the back of his mind he agreed with Vegas - the Blanks had been no match for such a group of superhumans. In fact, he was wondering what Geist were doing sending them into a situation the police could have handled. [b]"Sorry, boss-"[/b] Vegas was cut off as something in the high ceiling of the bank lobby exploded in a burst of blinding white light, large chunks of concrete falling down and smashing as they hit the polished floor of the room. Magnus shielded his eyes, but still attempted to look up at the source of the explosion. The light was too bright, however, and instead he turned to Flare. [b]"Flare, what can you see? Switch to heat vision, or something, and tell me what's up there!"[/b] he yelled, and Flare nodded and looked up, his visor whirring as the settings changed. [b]"It looks like a man, but I don't understand how that's possible..."[/b] Suddenly it dawned on Magnus. [b]"Oh, ****,"[/b] he murmured, looking back up at the ceiling. [b]"You ******* pricks!"[/b] came a booming voice from the ceiling, and a young man, clad in a black one-piece costume, emblazoned with electric-blue lightning bolts came floating down to the floor, his clenched fists glowing from within, as though he was attempting to hold it in. [b]"Who the hell is that?"[/b] asked Phoenix, still shielding her eyes as she sparked her lighter into life, but the rest of the team already knew. Starlighter. The youngest member of the Big Five, but still no pushover in terms of power, and he was pissed off. [b]"Starlighter!"[/b] shouted Magnus, taking a step forward, [b]"You were running these goons?"[/b] He gestured to the unconscious Blanks with a wave of his arm as he said the last couple of words. [b]"You think I'm an amateur like these assholes?"[/b] Starlighter shouted in response, aiming his hand at Magnus and letting loose with a concentrated blast of light that hurled him back across the bank, slamming him into the far wall, three or four feet up. He felt the concrete, and at least two of his ribs crack under the impact, and then saw the floor coming up fast, before a burst of pain rushed through his body. He clambered shakily to his knees, looking up through a daze at the rest of the team - they were trying to attack Starlighter, but with virtually no success. Phoenix blasted him with a wall of flame, but he temporarily blinded her with a flash of light, causing her to lose control of the flame; Echo tried screaming, but he dodged the sonic boom and sliced a long, thin laser beam from his fingertip across her torso, not powerful enough to do any real damage but enough to hurt her considerably; Addley teleported behind him, but he was too quick, and slammed an elbow into the youngster's face the second he materialised; Vegas threw a punch, connecting with Starlighter's chin, but the Big Five member was barely phased, raining a series of blows into Vegas' chest and solar plexus, hard enough to break a few ribs, although Magnus suspected Vegas would be fine; a large male gorilla had suddenly appeared, and was charging at Starlighter, who dodged and used the creature's weight to topple it over, slamming it's chin hard into the floor. Brawler, meanwhile, had rushed over to Magnus, skidding on his knees the last foot or so, and began helping him to his feet. [b]"We're not strong enough for this,"[/b] he groaned, [b]"He's gonna kill us..."[/b] [b]"He'll never let us get away,"[/b] replied Brawler, [b]"He'll chase us down and kill us before we can escape."[/b] [b]"Not if I can distract him,"[/b] said Magnus, staggering as he went, his breathing heavy and laboured. He stood a few feet in front of the cracked wall, and raised his hand, aiming towards Starlighter. He felt for the magnetic fields around the room, and then shifted his focus to the space below Starlighter, feeling the metal in the ground. He raised his other hand and aimed it towards the high ceiling, feeling more metal there, and focusing his psychic grip on it. [b]"Magnus, you're too weak,"[/b] said Brawler, rushing to his side, [b]"You've just had the living **** beaten out of you, you can't do this!" "I HAVE TO!"[/b] Magnus shouted, more through the strain of what he was doing than any anger he was feeling. He focused harder, increasing his grip on the metal in the floor and the ceiling, grateful to his team-mates for providing a distraction. Suddenly, with a twist of his arms, metal pipes wrenched themselves free of their moorings in the floor, bursting through the concrete and forming a sort of twisted cage around Starlighter. The more experience super looked around, laughed and began to fly upwards, but at that moment metal girders that were supporting sections of the ceiling pulled away from the ceiling and slammed down to the ground in a makeshift lattice around Starlighter, rendering him totally trapped. For a few minutes, at least. [b]"GO!" [/b]shouted Magnus, pulling an amazed Brawler along with him as he ran for the stairs, and the rest of the team pursued. They ran as fast as they could up the stairs, nursing their various wounds as they went, until finally Magnus burst through the door to the roof, feeling the cold night air on his face, and seeing the inviting sight of the hovering jet they had come in on, the cargo bay doors open, willing them to come inside. He jogged over, glad that Starlighter hadn't been able to get out of his cage, and used the last of his strength to leap into the jet. He watched for a second to make sure everyone had made it out and onto the jet, then promptly fell asleep in his chair. --- For the second time in as many days, he awoke in the medical centre. The only difference this time was that there were a lot more people in there, both staff and patients. He sat up in his bed, only to be stopped by a jagged streak of pain running through his abdomen, which, when looking down, he remembered was caused by his broken ribs. He was completely shirtless this time, although his jacket was still in one piece and hanging on the back of the chair next to his bed, and he had bandages wrapped around the lower part of his ribcage. He had a vague, fuzzy feeling in his head which he knew could only have been caused by painkillers, but at that moment he was grateful for them. Reaching up to his forehead, he felt the familiar metal nodules of the power inhibitors that had been placed back on him, and groaned a little. He laid his head back, and rolled it over to one side. Autumn was in the bed next to him, a large dressing over her stomach, asleep. A pang of guilt rushed through Slate's stomach as he saw her, and he felt that her condition was somehow his fault. [b]"I can tell you're going to be a peculiar nuisance to me, Mr Slate,"[/b] came a chirpy voice from across the ward, and as he turned his head he saw Elena walking over to him, her high-heels clicking on the vinyl floor as she moved. As she reached his bed, she noticed his concern over Autumn. [b]"She'll be fine,"[/b] she said softly,[b] "A pretty nasty laser burn, but it wasn't too deep. The beauty of laser burns is they cauterize themselves, so there was no chance of infection. She'll have a scar, but that's kind of a miracle in this case." "I led her into that,"[/b] murmured Slate. [b]"You had no idea Starlighter would turn up like that,"[/b] Elena replied, and Slate eyed her quizzically,[b] "No, they didn't tell me what had happened, but people coming in with all sorts of light-based injuries, laser burns and temporary blindness, I put two and two together. I'm not just a pretty face, you know?"[/b] She shot him a devilish grin as she said the last part, and he couldn't help but crack a smile. [b]"You're pretty perceptive,"[/b] said Slate, [b]"Kind of hoping I'm not too much of an open book, here." "No, actually, you're pretty much exactly the opposite,"[/b] she replied, studying him,[b] "I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on in that head."[/b] Slate smiled to himself for a moment, and then swung his legs off the bed, dropping to the floor and grabbing his tank-top. [b]"Nope,"[/b] said Elena, placing her hands on his chest,[b] "No, you're not going anywhere. You've got two broken ribs, Jacob, you're getting back into bed." "As much as I appreciate a beautiful woman trying to get me into bed, I can't stay here,"[/b] he replied, gently removing her hands from his chest and pulling his tank-top on. She smiled and lowered her head, then nodded slowly and moved out of the way. He silently picked up his boots and his jacket and left the medical centre, limping slightly. He headed towards his room, feeling the need to shower. For a long time. --- OOC: Ok, guys, we're dealing with some major fallout from the mission here. For the next few posts, I want you all to show your recovery from Starlighter's attack - we're all back at HQ, power inhibitors are back on, and we've all been beaten pretty badly. In the next couple of days I will post the next stage of the story, until then if you have any questions, as always don't hesitate to PM me, or use the Backstage thread.

[quote]Sooooooo what happens next? C:[/quote] In short, a gamechanger.

@Lilt: That's absolutely fine, I realise I threw something of a spanner in the works for your character in the costume department, so any modifications you want to make are absolutely fine by me. Also, and this applies to everyone, Gavin messaged me with a very good idea, and that is to implement a Geist-wide system of 'Power Levels', meaning a categorisation of the supers in terms of the strength and general control levels of their abilities. The levels will be as follows: 5 - very weak, uncontrolled powers, probably only just manifested 4 - some control over powers, still unstable but without much power 3 - average, most untrained supers in their early twenties are likely to be this level 2 - higher-than-average strength, proficient at controlling their abilities 1 - very high power levels, highly skilled at both force and fine motor control 0/Alpha-Level - potentially the most powerful beings on the planet, only a small number of Alpha-Levels exist Your characters are likely to be level 3, possibly level 2 at a push. To put it into perspective, the Big Five are all classified as follows: [b]Oracle:[/b] Level 1 - her precognitive abilities are incredibly powerful, but almost entirely uncontrollable [b]Starlighter:[/b] Level 0/1 - during the day, he has incredibly high power levels, but during night, his power is greatly diminished, however at all times his level of skill and control is very high [b]Freight Train:[/b] Level 1 - he has some of the highest physical power levels of anyone on the planet, but almost no control over it [b]Hydro-Girl:[/b] Level 0 - high levels of power and incredibly fine control over her ability [b]The Patriot:[/b] Level 0 - incredibly high power levels and total control over his abilities I should also say, if any of you have any ideas about the future of the RP, either to do with your characters or the RP as a whole, please don't hesitate to PM me with them and we can discuss things and try and work them into the story.

LeCrosse bowed his head to Mai and Cid as he left, and slapped a hand on Bakr's shoulder as he exited the room. He was excited about working with other Aurors again, he had been on his own for a long time, but at the same time he was nervous about visiting Hogwarts. He leant against the cold stone wall and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for just a second, and when he opened them again, Mai was standing just in front of him. [b]"Everything alright, Mr LeCrosse?"[/b] she asked, her dark brown eyes wide as she looked up at the taller man. [b]"Please, [i]madame[/i], just call me LeCrosse,"[/b] he replied, shifting his body away from the wall, [b]"I can't stand all this formal stuff."[/b] [b]"Apologies,"[/b] Mai replied, [b]"Is everything ok, LeCrosse?"[/b] [b]"It is nice to be working with others again. I have been alone for longer than I would have liked to be, and while I am no stranger to my own company, I started talking to myself. Turns out, I'm actually quite annoying!"[/b] LeCrosse said with a smile as he began sauntering along the corridor with Mai alongside him. Mai laughed, and responded softly. [b]"It certainly is unusual in these times for such a large group of Aurors to be working together,"[/b] she replied, [b]"The IMU seems to believe that the Death Eaters will realise something is happening and mobilise against us with everything they have. An understandable concern. But that isn't what is concerning you, is it?"[/b] [b]"You are perceptive, Mai,"[/b] LeCrosse replied with a chuckle, [b]"I worry. About many things, these days, as we all do, but particularly about Hogwarts. I have been to a great many battles, I saw the destruction of Arcadius manor, I was present when Beauxbatons was attacked, and I fought alongside many good men who died at the Battle of Edinburgh. I have been to the sites of battles, seen the destruction and the death, and each and every moment of those battles has stayed with me, ingrained into my mind."[/b] [b]"And you worry what seeing the site of the Battle of Hogwarts will do to you?"[/b] [b]"Not exactly,"[/b] replied LeCrosse, [b]"I worry that it [i]won't[/i] do anything to me. Many people died at Hogwarts, it was perhaps the greatest and bloodiest battle in recent wizarding history, and I will be able to feel them all. But I am concerned that these deaths do not affect me any more. There are only a few steps between the man who doesn't care about death, and the Death Eater."[/b] Mai stopped walking and turned to LeCrosse, who stopped walking and faced her. [b]"Then you will just have to do everything you can to avoid that fate,"[/b] she said firmly, [b]"The Death Eaters can't recruit you simply because you have been desensitised to death, it takes more than that. And you will just have to make sure your will is not broken. I will hear no more of this, LeCrosse."[/b] LeCrosse threw his head back and laughed, a hearty, booming noise that echoed around the cavernous hallway. [b]"As you wish, [i]mon cherie[/i],"[/b] he replied, bowing his head to her. She nodded, a smile on her face, and opened the door behind her, stepping through into a room with a warm glow emanating from the doorway, and closing the heavy oak door behind her. LeCrosse watched as the door closed, then looked around the corridor and realised he was lost - Mai had led him into a part of the manor he was not familiar with. He rolled his eyes, reached into his inside pocket and pulled out his wand. He held his right hand out, the palm turned upwards, and placed his wand in his outstretched palm, then leaned his head in close and whispered: [b]"[i]Perductor.[/i]"[/b] The wand began to spin in his hand, before settling on what would have been North-East on a compass. He smiled and followed the direction the wand was pointing in, which in theory should lead to the room he had been given.

[b]Knuckles' Girl:[/b] We'll see how things are going by then - we might be done or we might still be going, but your participation thus far is good, keep it up! [b]Lrb:[/b] That's awesome, I'll definitely be using that! Also, I've updated the first post with some new information, go check it out!

Dammit Gavin, your knowledge of the Bro Code is too extensive! But on a more serious note, I'd like to inform you all of something that is likely to be happening during the course of the RP. As you can imagine, managing an RP with this many participants is fairly tricky, and I'm attempting to keep things going, but I can't do that without everyone's commitment to the RP. As such, while everyone is safe for now, in the near future of the story I will be implementing a 'do-or-die' system. In a situation such as the one our characters are placed in, casualties are to be expected. To the combined end of maintaining realism in the RP and making sure the team we have are the best we can get, I will begin killing off characters whose players I believe are not 'pulling their weight'. Please be aware that if your character is killed off, it is absolutely nothing personal and I don't want you to take offence. In fact, I will even allow you to write your own final post so you can get closure on the RP. It is merely a way to make sure the RP continues successfully, and those players who are able to post more often are not held back or put off by the lack of participation from others. I will also be implementing a warning system connected to this: basically, if you are looking like you're having difficulty keeping up, I will send you a PM with a query as to whether you wish to continue your participation. If you respond by telling me you no longer wish to participate, then I will kill off your character at the next appropriate juncture. If you tell me that you wish to continue, I will allow it. However, if you tell me that you wish to continue and then do not, your character will be killed off. I apologise to all involved if this seems unfair, it was a system I used in one of the very few RPs I actually finished, and it seemed to work well for that, so I thought I'd give it another try.

Dibs were implied!

No that's fine, you go ahead and end it. I'll make a wrap-up post once everyone's done!

I don't know, Gavin, I invent a hot woman and five minutes later you're all over her! Everything's going well guys, just make sure to keep posting! We'll be going after the Big Five soon enough, and that's when things will start to get really interesting.