RPG Hunters of the Apocalypse: A Predetermined Fate [M-LSV]

[Redemption]

[Font=Times New Roman][Color=DimGray][Size=4][center][u]Hunters of the Apocalypse: A Predetermined Fate[/u][/center][/size]

[I][b]The Apocalypse[/I][/b]

It?s the year 2100. The world is on the verge of becoming totally engulfed in darkness.

In this day and age, demons run the world. They control everything ? from the world?s economy to the world?s natural resources. They have massacred millions of people and destroyed whole cities, leaving humans with no power and no hope.

But how did this happen?

Not long ago, about 75 years, cultists all around the world began to gather and summon things from the depths of Hell. Monsters of all shape and form rose to the Earthly plane and began to wreak havoc. The more powerful demons were able to transform into human form and infiltrate our society. With a growing power behind them, they soon rose to the top ranks of the world, assuming some of the most powerful positions in companies and countries. From then on, mankind began to fall.

At the present, mankind is a dying species. Demons have wiped most of the population out. The survivors have all migrated to a place called Carden City. Only 10 million of us still remain. Some of those who still remain, are called Hunters.

[I][b]The Hunters[/I][/b]

Hunters.

These special people are the only things demons fear. The Hunters don?t know themselves why the demons fear them, but it helps them get an advantage over the beasts. All have abilities that surpass a normal human?s capabilities.

With the halt of man?s advances in science twenty years ago, the Hunters use mostly combat weapons, not guns. These weapons prove to be more effective in slaying the demons than a normal handgun. Ammunition is a prized commodity among the remaining humans, be it their only defence against the demons since none know how to effectively wield any of these olden day weapons.

The Hunters protect the survivors of the human race in Carden City who live in underground caverns below the city. However, there is only one obstacle that is in the way of their goal of freeing the city. The Tower of Fate.

[I][b]The Tower of Fate[/I][/b]

The Tower of Fate is a massive skyscraper in the centre of Carden City. It looks like a normal skyscraper except the tower was never finished. The construction equipment still stands there to this day. Its dark and commanding presence towers over the landscape, which consists mostly of half destroyed buildings and rubble.

There are three layers to the Tower of Fate. First, there is the Lower Town where most of the minion demons reside. Next up is the Belt Line. This is where the most powerful demons reside. And at the very top is Eden City. No one, not demon, human or Hunter, knows who or what resides in Eden City. But, whoever lives in Eden City is rumoured to be able to control every single creature?s fate. And whoever they are, they are so powerful that they are able to cheat death and wipe out entire countries.

The goal of the Hunters is to take over the Tower of Fate and converse with the creatures that controls everyone?s fate. Then, maybe, humankind might be saved.[/color][/font]

[center]------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[color=#990066][font=Arial]Lightning streaked across the dark, clouded sky. Thunder rumbled over the rubble landscape. Purplish-white hair danced around Jace?s shoulders as she slashed as an oncoming foe.

The wind swirled around her, aiding her in her ?Dance of Death? ? technique that killed any opponent within close range with a constant defence of blades. They glimmered every time lightning crashed around them, vibrating when the thunder clapped.

Jace back flipped, landing on a half crumbled pole that was jutting out in the air. The storm swirled around above her. For a few moments, she had time to see her fellow comrades, the Hunters, slaying the oncoming demon force. The ground was steaming from the dead bodies of the demons. Blood was splattered all over Jace?s body ? on her Hunter outfit, her face, her face. It even stained her purplish-white hair a dull red.

A demon launched itself at her. She readied her katana, her stance neither defensive nor offensive. The demon kept coming. With a precise strike, Jace cleanly cleaved off its head, causing the body to jerk and twitch, as well as fall back to the ground.

Moving quickly off the half-crumbled pole, Jace leapt down into the fray again as lightning struck the pole, causing it to explode. Dust and rubble flew everywhere, causing a dust cloud to engulf Jace and her section of demons. Coughing and spluttering, Jace kept her guard up. One? no two demons attacked amidst the chaos.

? Shit!? Jace cursed before relieving the demons of their bodily functions.

Three more came. Dodging and weaving their clawed attacks, Jace managed not to get struck. Although, she thought this thought too soon. A clawed hand of a demon came from behind and grabbed her around the throat. Gagging for air, she managed to cut the hand off, it dropping to the ground. Three claw gashes now became evident in her left cheek. Blood dribbled out of it. This made the demons get more and more excited ? just the smell of human blood sent them into a frenzy. More attacked her.

? When will these bastards ever learn not to mess with a Hunter?!?!? Jace yelled as she masterfully slew the enemy in two strokes.

Something caught her attention. She sniffed the air for a second before dodging another scratch attack. It was the smell of petrol.

? SHHIIIIITT!?

Leaping inhumanly away from the smell, Jace only made it out of the way before lightning struck the place where the petrol was kept. An all-mighty explosion erupted and tore the landscape apart. Jace was thrown backwards against a heavy, upright slab of concrete. Her head slammed into it, making her a little dazed.

Standing up, dizzy, she leant on her sword for a minute, observing the torn demon body parts around her. Steam rose from the freshly spilt blood. Jace looked around, observing her comrades. Phoenix was fighting to her direct left some distance away. Nuca, Jace?s only female comrade, was fighting to her direct right. Caleb was directly behind her. Ikraugi was diagonally to her left and Matthew was diagonally her right. Last, but not least, was Vincent who was diagonally left behind her. All six of her comrades were fighting with everything they had.

Before long, though, another demon came for Jace?s blood. Jace held up her katana in that neutral stance again.

? Bring it bitch!?[/color][/font]

[b]OOC: There you go. My first post for this RPG. All I want you to do is fight. I?ll explain more in my next post. ^_^[/b]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]Nuca panted, in each of her hands were her twin guns that she carried. Her knuckles were white from her grip. She sharp hearing picked up the sound of something behind her. She spun quickly and crouched with her right knee and the ground, supported by the flat foot of her left. Her guns were pointed out at the demon who was flying through the air. Nuca squeezed the triggers repeatedly, her silver bullets pierced through the body of the demon. When she knew the demon was dead she stopped firing as to not waste bullets.

But then Nuca realised that the demon had been a diversion, there was a semi-circle of demons around her and she was on the edge of a bridge with solid concrete beneath her. She grinned at the demons. She winked and did a backflip over the edge, as she did she fired the remaining rounds of bullets she had into the demons. She heard a hollow clicking sound and swore, she landed safely on the ground and ran for cover as the demons that weren't killed by her bullets jumped down too.

Nuca leaned against the thick block that suspended the bridge above. She hurriedly pulled out the empty cartridges and put them in her pockets, replacing them with full cartridges. Nuca loaded the guns with a click and she twirled them, sliding them safely into her hip holsters. She reached over her right shoulder and pulled the hilt of her sword. The blade slid easily from the sheath and Nuca looked at the blue, semi-transparent weapon.

Nuca charged from her hiding place and targeted the closest demon, she let out a cry as she swung the weapon over her head, bringing it down heavily to slice through the demon diagonally, the two pieces falling. Nuca hefted the weapon over her shoulder and ran toward the next, swinging it horizontally to decapitate the demon.

Nuca saw there were three more remaining. The dark sky rumbled loudly with the crash of thunder. Her blade was tainted with the dark blood of the demons, she slipped it back into its sheath and walked forward to face the three remaining demons, she wanted to go hand-to-hand against them.

[b]"Come and get me, if you dare." [/b]Nuca smirked, her brown eyes glimmered with the challenge.

The demons moved to surround her in a triangle formation. She rushed forward to the one directly in front of her, the 'point' of the triangle. She lifted her leg and kicked the demon in the chest with her heavy boot, pushing off from its chest she did a backflip and continued with a flurry of punches, then ended with a roundhouse kick, knocking the thing to the ground. Nuca stepped onto its neck and rested her weight, crushing the bone there and killing it. She turned to see the other two coming toward her. She ducked and weaved between their attacks and fought back. She grabbed a hand of each and did a somersault before swinging them into each other. Nuca killed each by snapping their necks, this time twisting their heads to breaking point.

Nuca looked at the mess around her and the blood on her clothes. She sighed and climbed up to the level where everyone else was, she rested her hands on her guns, ready for any other demons coming toward her.
[/color]

[Blayze]

[size=1]Phoenix grabbed the first demon that came to him, and ran it through with his sword. Blood splattered out from the wound, and the demon fell to the floor, writhing in agony. Phoenix pulled his sword out and dropped the demon's corpse, letting it fall to the floor in a bleeding heap.

He jumped backwards out of the way of the next demon's attack, and drew one of his knives from his bandoleer, stabbing it firmly into the demon's foot, pinning it to the floor. As it struggled to release it's foot, he ran over to a third demon, his sword flashing as he whirled it around in his hand. The blade sang as he whipped it through a demon's neck, removing it's head completely. He smiled, seeing the demon fall to the floor, then grabbed a handful of throwing knives and launched them at the nearest group of demons. The knives struck various body parts, some demons getting them in the eye, others in the forehead, and some in non-lethal places like the arm or leg, but not a single knife missed a demon.

He jumped, his long coat fanning out as he twisted through the air, and as demons jumped towards him, he slashed them out of the air, making their bloodied corpses fall to the floor, landing with hard thuds as they struck the broken concrete.

Phoenix landed, in a crouched position, on a huge chunk of concrete that had been pulled up from the road, both of his swords drawn now. A dozen or so demons came towards him, and in a flurry of blades, claws and teeth, demons fell to the floor, and Phoenix was left standing, his swords now stained with thick, ebony blood, and a small cut leaking blood down his cheek. He wiped the blood from his face, and then realised there was another cut above his eye, causing blood to drip down into his eye, cutting off his sight partially. He wiped this blood away as well, and then saw the demon who was pinned to the floor. He smiled and walked calmly over to him, blood now seeping gradually down his face, matting his hair to the side of his face. He sheathed both his swords, and then cracked his knuckles and walked towards the demon.

He delivered a powerful blow to the chest, crushing a few rib bones, followed by two powerful blows to the kidneys, probably damaging them severely. He proceeded to punch the demon in many different places, bones crunching under his inhuman strength. He was different now, this Phoenix. His eyes burned with hatred, and he seemed to be working out all his aggression on the demon.

A few more punches made the demon's face battered and bruised, blood now pouring from it's nose and mouth, and still it snarled at him animalistically. Phoenix delivered a crunching blow to the demon's face, simultaneously breaking the nose and shattering the neck. The demon slumped to the floor, it's foot still pinned by Phoenix's knife, which he promptly drew from the foot.

He turned, and saw a demon leaping at his teammate, Nuca. He checked around himself, and apart from the knife he had just picked up, which had been bent and buckled from the stress, he had no knives left. Thinking quickly, he drew one of his swords, and with a single swift motion, he threw it. It flew through the air, towards the demon, and crunched into it's chest, knocking it backwards. Nuca looked at Phoenix, suddenly very aware that he just saved her life. He winked and smiled at her, and she raised an eyebrow. She picked up the sword and threw it back to Phoenix, who, in one motion, caught it and sheathed it again.

"Thanks for that, Phoenix, but I had it covered," she said.

"Didn't look like it from here," he replied, taunting her slightly.

The group was getting closer together, and Phoenix and Nuca were pushed closer to each other by the oncoming horde of demons.

"Well, it looks like you have a chance to make it up to me now," said Phoenix, drawing his swords. He charged at the horde...

(OOC: Hope this is okay for you, Reiku. Also, has Venge gotten back to you on the issue of the angel parent? Doesn't matter if he hasn't, I was just wondering)
[/size]

[Engel]

[color=darkslategray][size=1][center]The demon that Phoenix was rushing was soon right at his face. With two bullet holes in the back of its head. Behind the demon, now on the ground and twitching in a horrifiying way, was Ikraugi, a slight smirk on his face. He brought his unique Shotgun Sword down on the demon, severing its head. It stopped twitching.

[b]"Rushing blindly. Not a good factor, Phoenix."[/b] Ikraugi sheathed his Shotgun Sword, and drew his katana, blending into the dark background with his midnight black clothes he wore just for this. The world was dark, damp, and horrible anymore. Might as well fit in.

[b]"I thought you were farther away then that..."[/b] Phoenix muttered as he took out another one. Ikraugi sighed.

[b]"I move fast."[/b] He narrowed his eyes at a slight ramp, and ran for it, jumping off at the end where it was no longer existant. He drew his Shotgun sword again, in his left hand. Ikraugi rained heavy shots down on the demonic crowd, crippling some. He'd have to conserve his ammunition.

As his acent turned into a decent, he held his katana, the handle red with an eternally blood drenched red sharkskin, the blade dark and dripping with the putrid blood only temporary. Ikraugi held it at an angle, along with his other sword, and beheaded a few demons. He came behind one of them and kicked one to the ground, and snapped its neck with his foot. He turned around, swinging his katana, and head was flying over others within a matter of seconds.

Ikraugi leaned against a wall, resting for a moment. Four demons ran at him, but he leapt off from the wall, grabbing a lead pipe before his ascent. He landed behind them. The end of the pipe went into one's head, and Ikarugi's foot into another's stomach. He smashed the end into the demon's teeth, busting and breaking them.

The lead pipe found a home inside of the demon's stomach, through its mouth. Ikarugi let go of the pipe, and ran at the crazed, and in pain, creature. He jumped into the air, his foot flying forward, into the stomach of it. It crashed through many more. As they were dazed, Ikarugi drew his special blade, and charged them, blowing brain matter and stomach contents away.

[b]"Happy entrails..."'[/b] Just because he was silent didn't mean he didn't love battle puns. Killing a few more, he ran at one, and stabbed it through the spinal cord, making it fall limp on his blade.

[b]"You should watch your back better..."[/b] A demon was rushing him from behind, but he did nothing.

[b]"Or have someone do it for you."[/b] Ikraugi's left arm shot out, the shotgun blade digging into the demon's stomach, blood leaking off of the creature's back. He blew a hole in it, and it fell to the ground. Still many more to clean up. Just another day in the dandy life.

He looked at Jace, a ring of 8 demons circling her, and two more leaping from high buildings. His eyes narrowed as he ran for the same ramp he had used before, now higher from an explosion. Once again, he was in the air, and two bodies weren't. Ikarugi soon followed them, as he landed on the head of one, and stood on its head for a while.

[b]"Hello."[/b] Ikarugi said to Jace, and cut his stand from under his feet. He fell to the ground silently, killing two more.[/color][/size][/center]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]Nuca had been too occupied to notice the demon behind her since there had been more in front of her. Phoenix rescued her easily and Nuca kept up the act that she could take care of herself. Before either of them knew it, they were back to back, facing a ring of demons.

Nuca pulled out her guns and twirled them, she pushed down the safety on each and held her arms outstretched, resting her fingers on the trigger. Phoenix charged forward with his sword. Nuca started firing at the demons, aiming for their vital organs, the silver bullets pierced right through. The monsters dropped to the ground, their dark blood flowing out. Nuca twisted and fired at any that weren't dead on Phoenix's side.

Nuca saw that more kept spawning up, she fired, taking careful aim, though quickly. She was glad that she had a good skill with accuracy, never missing a target. After a while she heard the hollow clicking sound coming from her guns. Nuca swore and slid them into their holsters. She reached into her pouch on her left hip, coming out with a hand full throwing knives.

Nuca ran forward as the battle started to move backward. She put a finger through one of the holes in the blade and spun it, releasing it with a flick to imbed itself into the throat of a demon coming behind Phoenix. She was more of a back up person since she mainly carried long range weapons, excluding her sword.

Nuca saw that there weren't many left and tucked the spare throwing knives into her pouch. She pulled out her still tainted blade and rushed forward to catch up with Phoenix, hacking at the neck to kill quickly.

[b]"Made it up to you yet?" [/b]Nuca smirked as they sliced through the demons.

[b]"I'll have to think about that. Don't know if you've done enough yet." [/b]Phoenix smirked back.

Nuca saw a large one ahead, she didn't want to use her sword for this one. Nuca charged forward, weaving through the small, insignificant demons, she wanted to get to the large one. She pulled her right fist back and slammed it into the abdomen of the large demon. It didn't seem to do much damage since the demon grinned in its scary way and hit her back. Nuca flew back but did a backflip so she could land safely. She got up again and released a flurry of kicks and punches. She jumped off the ground and made a side directly to its right temple.

Nuca flipped over his head and landed on the otherside, doing a sweep kick to fell the demon. It flopped and Nuca stood with its heads between her legs, she sat on its neck and squeezed her thighs around the base of its skull and wiggled, twisting all the way to the right and she heard a snap, feeling the struggling demon go limp. Nuca smiled and did a back-handspring of its body.

She looked over and saw Phoenix was almost done with hacking the demons. He finished and looked up at her. Nuca winked and gave him the victory sign before running off for more demons that plagued the area.
[/color]

[Venge]

[font=Tahoma][size=1]OOC: I went ahead and changed my characters angel parent. Fire can be just as fun as lightning! ^-^[/size][/font]

[size=1]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]Matthew landed on his knees, skidding to a halt as he sheathed his sword on his back. He let out a sigh as he stood and turned around to come almost face to face to 4 demons. [/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"Pathetic creatures..."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]Matthew lunged at them, his hands on the sword handles at his sides. He drew them out with ease, the sound of metal sliding on metal ringing throughout the area. The swords sliced through 2 of the demons stomachs and got another one in the shoulder as it jumped away. The last one had dodged as Matthew lunged. The two with the stomach slashes fell to the ground, twitching slightly. [/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"Can't even take an attack to the gut...these demons are weaklings..."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]He sheathed his hip swords as the other two demons lunged at him from the sides. He went down, doing the splits, one leg going forward and the other one going backwards. The demons collided against each other as Matthew drew out the sword on his back and lunged it upward at a slightly awkward angle, the blade going through one demons chin and through the others skull, into the brain. He slammed the sword to the ground at his side, the blade cutting through the demons heads cleanly in two. Getting up, he swung his sword around, trying to get the blood off. [/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"Dammit..."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]Matthew looked around as he spotted Jace and Ikraugi fighting off a ring of demons. He smirked to himself as he ran towards them, sword at ready. One demon was heading towards Ikraugis back, ready to strike. Matthew slid past it, cutting off the arm from the elbow. Ikraugi turned around after beheading the demon in front of him.[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"Always watch your back kid." [/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"I'm not a kid, Matthew."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"To me, you still are."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]Matthew jumped up slightly and swung his sword over Ikraugis head. A demon body hit the back of Ikraugi, as the head flew over him and landed a couple yards away. [/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]"Always listen to your elders.."[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]He then slammed his sword behind him, blade first as he slammed it into a demons gut. It let out a blood curdling scream and fell as Matthew withdrew his blade.[/size]
[size=1][/size]
[size=1]~~~~~~~~~[/size]
[size=1]OOC: I hope that is good enough. Like I said, I already changed my profile, so there you go! ^_^[/size]

[demonchild781]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][FONT=Arial Narrow][I][B]I remember my mothers screams every time I look at them; their ugly faces shrouded by darkness. How I had grown to hate them.[/B][/I]

Caleb brushed a tangled clump of hair and blood away from his eyes as he prepared to take on his next opponent. The thunder clashing in the background and the sudden flash of lightening was all the pretty boy needed.

He raced forward, his leather trench swipping behind him as he traveled across the rubble. Pushing himself into the air effortlessly, Caleb swung his legs around to connect with the demon's jaw with his right foot. A sharp snap broke free as the creature spun to the ground. Caleb landed perfectly on his feet and rushed towards his fallen enemy.

Without a sound, Caleb pulled his sword from within his trench and severed the demon's head. The almost ebony blood poured from the body as the head rolled a bit to the side.

Caleb stood up, dangling his sword at his side. The others were fighting hoardes of demons, the ground littered with bodies. Some of the hunters now fought beside Jace. Caleb let out a small chuckle as he perried an on coming demon. He shook his head, shoved the demon back, and chopped off its head.

[I][B]This is far too easy.[/B][/I] Caleb told himself. He ran his hand across his blade, removing the ebony blood that had found its way onto it, then shealthed his weapon. Slowly, small clusters of demons moved towards him.

He smiled brightly as he raced forward. He swept three to the ground by knocking their feet from under them. He brought himself up to catch a punch within his own hand. He twisted it, watching the demon slowly sink to the ground in pain. A wicked smile slid across his face as he brought his leg up to brake the demon's neck with the heel of his foot. The body dropped lifelessly as more came rushing at him.

"Now this is more like it," Caleb chuckled aloud.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]Vincent stood still, yet to be cluttered with the blood of demons as the others had been. He swung a chain swiftly above his head, each link tight with that of the next. Demons surrounded him, but none were quite sure when to attack, some even laughed at the thought of a man swinging a long metal chain in the midst of a thunderstorm. His eyes were closed, he did his best to keep control of his essence and concentrate, despite all the commotion around him.

The first demon attacked, lunging towards Vincent, his forked tongue licking his lips and teeth as saliva fell from his mouth. With a jerk of his wrist the chain wrapped around the demon's neck, slamming him to the ground with colossal force. Although the first attack was unsuccessful, demons continued to run forward, attempting to thwart the young man, who still refrained from opening his eyes. The chain lashed back and forth with great speed, striking demons from all directions.

More and more seemed to overwhelm the area around him. He tightend his grip on the chain and used his essence to straighten it out, forming a long pole in his hand constructed from the tensed links. He thrust it forward, ripping through a demon's chest and erupting from the opposite side. He withdrew the weapon and began to spin it slightly, gaining momentum with each rotation. He used his essence to sharpen the edge, slicing fluently through demon limbs. Not one could get close to him, the end of his weapon spinning with great speed.

The smaller demons began to move aside, making way for a much larger one. It wore immense steel gauntlets and grabbed Vincent's chain, wripping it from his hands and throwing it to the ground. "Hah, no more little weapons for you," it grunted with a smile drapped across it's face. Vincent regained his composure, gazing up upon the demon's vile face. Vincent spat to the ground, his hands clapping like thunder in front of him, his fingers interlocking. He began to emit a dim blue glow as his hair fluttered wildly in the wind.[/SIZE]

[Redemption]

[color=#990066][font=Arial][b]OOC: Sorry about the absence guys. University exams take it out of you. But I'm finished for the semester. ^_^[/b]


Jace sliced an oncoming demon in perfect halves with relative ease. Ikarugi and Matthew were close by, taking out as many demons as they could. Vincent and Caleb were also close by. Nuca and Phoenix were making their way through the sea of claws and fangs.

" All right... that's it... you've really pissed me off now," Jace growled. " Come to Mama you bitches!"

The demon army was lessening. There was light at the end of the tunnel. Lightning blinded them, thunder rumbled in their ears. This definitely was some sort of apocalypse.

Soon than Jace thought, there was nothing left of the army of demons that had tried to enter the underground Caverns of Carden City via a tunnel entrance on the west side. Luckily, the Hunters received eyewitness reports of their oncoming and were there to meet them.

All the Hunters gathered around, panting heavily with demonic blood splattered all over their bodies. Jace breathed in deeply before sighing.

" Well done all. I'm sure Master Zindell will be pleased with our minor victory against the demonic plague. Since there are no more threats to the Cavern's safety for now, we will inform the city's inhabitants that we have won this minor victory. Let them celebrate this victory, since we have had nothing to celebrate in quite a while. Join in the festivities if you wish because you, too, are also inhabitants of this city," Jace said, wiping the demonic blood off her katana before sheathing it. Her cold grey eyes displayed no emotion over the victory they had just achieved, however, her eyes rarely betrayed her feelings.

In the distance, the ominous Tower of Fate stood there looming over the battlefield from whence the Hunters came from. Jace scanned over the building's structure. It was once a magnificent skyscraper project that had brought an inventive marvel to the world stage. Now, it was the remnants of a once prosperous race. Even more amazing was the fact that it still stood even though all other buildings around it collapsed from the endless war with the demons. But, there were rumours that the now called Tower of Fate was inhabitant of demons of a power kind in the mid-level. The lower level consisted of the demons the Hunters had just slain, except more numerous with various species among them. In the very top level, rumours of Angels of God existing there flew around like wildfire. However, Jace dismissed this as ludicrous. If there ever was a God, he would have spared the human race the torment and destruction of the demons.

Silently turning, she started to walk down the tunnel's entrance, passing through the alloy titanium-iron gates, allowing all of the Hunters to pass through before locking it shut. The tunnel was pitch-black and rocky, however, every one of the Hunters knew all paths to the outside world like the back of their hands. It was required in case of an emergency, or something to that accord. Following down the dark paths, Jace followed the rest of the Hunters. All of them today, had proven their worthiness in battle. Master Zindell would be pleased with the progress of his Hunters.

Master Zindell, otherwise known as Marco Zindell, was the man who started the Hunters many years ago when the first demons arrived on this plane. Now there was no end to them. He was beginning to age quite gracefully now, being at an age of 64. But there was no surpassing him in knowledge of the demonic world, nor the abilities of all the Hunters, from past to present. He taught each of the Hunters personally from the day they joined the ranks. His skill with any weapon was quite masterful, and even if you had mastered the techniques he had taught you, you were never able to beat him in a mock battle.

Half an hour had passed since the Hunters began their return trip to Little Carden, or so the city in the Cavern had been named. The city was lit with flaming torches and a strange fluorescent glow from a special fungi. This fungi provided the outer fields with the substitute for sunlight for the crops. It was a scientific marvel how the crops reacted to this strange light. Now, the Hunters had now arrived on the outskirts of the modest city. Children ran out to meet them, all in awe of the Hunters who were heroes in their starry eyes. Adults of all ages came out of their houses or away from their work to hear what the Hunters had to say about the battle. Hence, a great procession proceeded. All the city folk gathered in the Great Circle, the meeting place between the populace and the Hunters.

Jace then delivered the message that they had returned triumphant and allow celebrations to begin. She warned that no one is to violate any laws while this celebration is occurring and be wary at all times. Then she turned to her comrades and gave a small smile.

" You have a choice. You may stay here and join in the celebrations, or return to the Mansion. Whichever you decide, you may do without punishment. I will be returning to the Mansion to deliver the news to Master Zindell. If you decide to stay here, please do return to the Mansion sometime. I don't want to have to send out a search party to find some drunk."

With that, Jace left.

[center]----------------------------------------------------[/center]

Pushing the gigantic ebony doors open, Jace walked into the foyer of the Mansion. The Mansion was the headquarters of the Hunters ever since they began. The first Hunters built the walls, the halls and the rooms themselves. Their history was depicted throughout the Mansion, in hope that someone in the future would write down their achievements in this shadow of a world.

The Mansion was split into three sections, one underground. The upper floor was were the Hunters' rooms and bathrooms were, plus the Library. The ground floor was the dining hall, the great lounge, the laundry and the kitchen. Lastly, the underground level was the training facility. There was a gym, electronic training room, target range and other facilities to enhance the Hunters' abilities.

Jace walked up the Grand Staircase to the upper level, heading for Master Zindell's room. Upon arriving at the door, she knocked on them softly.

" Come in," came a smooth elderly voice from the other side.

Jace opened the door and entered, seeing Master Zindell standing, silhouetted against the window. She gave a slight nod in respect before delivering the report on the battle and various Hunters' statistics. Zindell turned to Jace who stared at him with her emotionless face. he gave a small smile.

" Your generation of Hunters, Jace, are extremely special," Zindell said, sitting down in a chair. " In times past, the Hunters would have had a rather difficult time dispensing the amount of demons your generation has swatted so quickly. It only took them, what, about three hours to defeat over 5000 demons?"

Jace stood there. " Yes sir."

Zindell smiled to himself. " As I thought. Your generation far surpasses any previous generation, including my own. Five generations of Hunters. That's quite a marvel in such a short time." He chuckled.

Jace stood there. Zindell normally didn't speak in riddles, however, this time, he was cautious in what he said.
" Sir, I believe it is a ripe time to start our assault on the Tower of Fate. Rumours have been flying around in the city folk about what live in the most upper level. I heavily doubt that [i]angels of God[/i] reside there."

" You may be right Jace," Zindell said as he looked up at her with mysteriously sparkling eyes. " But then again, you are cynical, are you not?"

Jace decided not to answer.

" As I thought," Zindell sighed. " However, you shouldn't rule out the possibility that they may exist. Just because you don't believe in such things, don't necessary mean that they don't exist Jace. Remember that well."

Jace's eyes narrowed. He was slowly, ever so slowly, coming to a point. She decided to egg him on.
" So, you are saying that there are angels atop this building? What bullshit. I'll repeat what I thought earlier today. If there was a God, he would have spared the human race the torment and destruction of the demons."

Zindell laughed. " Jace, sometimes, seeing isn't believing."

" You've said that many times old man, and yet I hardly see proof."

" Then what if I were to say that I believe that your father was an Angel of God."

Jace smiled. She wasn't going to fall for this one. " As if. Even though I doubt I know about him, I'd hardly think my old man would be an Angel when I was born with no extraordinary talents. Wouldn't that occur old man?"

" Very well pointed out. Then can you wrap your head around this? What if I were to say that all of comrades are the same as you, that one of their parents was an Angel of God?" Zindell said finally, a serious look in his eyes.

Jace almost burst out laughing. " It's true what you said previously, that my generation far surpasses any of the previous Hunter generations. But..." Suddenly Jace began serious. " ... we have grown up in an environment of constant war and apocalyptic circumstances. All the other generations have had a taste of peace. We all desire to know what that is like... all of my comrades and myself."

" Well spoken. However, I know factually that every one of your comrades' are half Angel, including yourself."

Jace's eyes narrowed suspiciously. " I don't believe what you are saying old man."

Zindell stood up, a fire smouldering in his eyes. Jace was rarely disobedient, but at times, she was rather a hand-full.
" Jace, have you ever wondered what the two curious scars on each of your shoulder blades have been from? No doubt you've had these from since birth. When you were born, you were born with a set of wings, and 'extraordinary talents' as you so put it. God has done something to save the struggling human race. He has given us you and your comrades, the Hunters, half Angel Hunters."

Jace took a step back. " How can you expect me to believe such ridiculous accusations??

? Whether or not you believe it Jace, it is the truth, and nothing can change that. Neither can it change your comrades. For now, you must accept what you are before you tell the others.?

? Prove it! Prove that I?m half Angel!? Jace shouted at him in disbelief.

Zindell glared at her before confronting her. Quicker than Jace could see, Zindell stabbed her with two fingers on one of her neck muscles. It hurt so much Jace gripped her throat and coughed, her oesophageus being hit in the wrong spot. When she stopped coughing, she removed her hand and, in the reflection of a nearby mirror, saw a small sun symbol on her neck. Without Zindell to instruct her, she touched it curiously. That was what he wanted her to do.

A searing hot pain ran down those two scars on Jace?s shoulder blades. She screamed. It was the most intense pain she had ever felt before. Her shoulder blades felt like they were piercing through her skin. Soon, two dark wings emerged from her back, dripping with a little blood from being stored inside her body. The dark glossy feathers ruffled as Jace awkwardly stood up, feeling the weight on her back. She quickly looked in the mirror and saw the wings.

? That is the brand of the sun ? the Angel who governs the sun?s powers ? Lucifer,? Zindell said, looking at her horrified look. ? Only his chosen mortal child bears that brand and wields his powers.?

? No? no? you are lying??

? You wanted proof? It is there, right in front of you.?

The wings soon moved back into Jace?s body, leaving her physically exhausted. Her two scars were now red hot and dribbling with blood. Zindell walked up behind her.

? Tell the others when you are ready.?[/color][/font]

OOC: You can either stay and party, or return to the mansion.

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]The team split up and each person went their seperate ways. Vincent decided to return to the mansion. Thoughts of the day's events cluttered his mind. He would give his life for the well-being of his people, but the battle that had ensued was nothing to celebrate. He was also tired, fighting demons and monsters of the sort wore him out, especially when he was forced to use extensive aura attacks.

He sighed quietly as he entered the mansion, cherishing the first silence the day had blessed him with. He walked quietly to his room and upon entering tossed his chain to the bed. He'd forgotten it was still tainted with demon blood and gave a frustrated look, knowing he'd have to use his power once again. He stared at his weapon and as the metal links rose so did his arms. Each piece glowed a faint blue and as Vincent clenched his fist the blood burst from the metal, evaporating almost instantly.

He rested for a bit and left his room to find Jace who had also come to the mansion after the mission. Her room was empty and common halls were barren as well. As he approached Master Zindell's chambers he heard a loud conversation and Jace becoming increasingly hostile. He pondered whether or not to listen in but he was interrupted by the click of the opening door.[/SIZE]

[Redemption]

[color=#990066][font=Arial]Jace came bursting out of the door, running straight into Vincent. She knocked both of them to the floor.

? Ow, shit!?
? Sorry Vincent,? Jace said as she stood up, hoisting him up with her. To Vincent, she looked quite flustered. Her hair was a mess and she covered her neck with one hand.

? I was walking past and I heard you and the Master arguing. Is it something serious?? Vincent asked, crossing his arms.
? Serious? you could say that,? Jace replied, purposely dodging the question. Vincent didn?t look too impressed by the answer. To be honest, Jace didn?t really believe what Master Zindell had told her and shown her, but it was plainly evident that she was half-Angel, just like everyone else in the Hunters at this present time.

? Vincent? did you know both your parents?? she asked, straightening up, still hiding the brand on her neck.
? No? I never knew my father?? Vincent replied, wondering where this was going.
? Just like me?? Jace muttered.

[I]So my father was the angel Lucifer. I thought he was allied with the Devil. Why would the Angels of God have mortal children here on Earth? Why? It doesn?t make sense. Unless? the Tower of Fate has something to do with it?[/I]

Vincent looked at Jace. Something had ruffled her beyond comprehension. He had never seen her like this, no one had. Something must have happened very major to have her this distracted.

? I ask again Jace, is it something serious?? Vincent asked, looking down at her.
? You are curious aren?t you? You know what they say? curiosity killed the cat? but in this case, it will cause you great pain?? Jace replied.
? Tell me.?
? Fine. Follow me.?

The two walked down to the training facility underneath the Mansion. They stood in a wooden-panelled room, opposite each other. Jace looked at Vincent. He was determined to know what was happening.

[I]I hope this shocks him as much as it shocked me.[/I]

She let her hand drop from her neck, the brand still glowing like fire upon her neck. Vincent noticed it immediately.

? What?s that on your neck??
? This is the brand of the Sun. When pressured correctly, it appears. This brand is the symbol of Lucifer?s mortal child,? Jace said, looking Vincent in the eyes. She knew this wouldn?t make much sense.
? Brand? Lucifer? Mortal child? Jace, have you got a fever or something? Lucifer is an angel.?
? Exactly.?

Before Vincent could do anything, Jace raced towards him and jabbed his neck where Master Zindell jabbed hers. Vincent doubled over, coughing and wheezing. He held his throat, trying to regain his breathing pattern. When he recovered, he looked up.

? What? was that for??
? Look at your neck.?

Jace held up a small mirror she normally carried for surveillance purposes. Vincent looked himself in the mirror. In the exact same position where Jace?s Sun brand was, a Moon brand appeared.

? What?s this?? he asked.
? I?m guessing that?s the Moon brand. You are the mortal child of the Angel of the Moon ? Gabriel,? Jace answered.
? WHAT!?
? Touch your neck like this. Be ready for a lot of pain.?

Jace touched the Sun brand and immediately her dark feathered wings sprouted out of her shoulders from her back. It was less painful than the first time, but still enough to make her growl in agony. Vincent started to back away as Jace moved her shoulders around, trying to adjust to the weight of the wings.

? Touch your neck Vincent, and it?ll prove what I?m saying.?
? No way!?

Vincent instinctively touched it.

[b]OOC: Kamuro, you can post having your wings coming out. All the others, return to the mansion asap so Jace can reveal this secret.[/b][/color][/font]

[Blayze]

[size=1]Phoenix made his excuses and trudged back to the mansion. Parties were usually his thing, but tonight he just didn't feel like it for some reason. Maybe it was simply because he was tired from fighting off an army of demons. His swords were stained with blood, and his face and hands were also covered in the ebony blood of the demons.

He pushed the vast doors of the mansion open, and they swung inwards, revealing the mansion's inner delights. The dusty, cobweb-covered walls were dull and lifeless, the grey stone cold to the touch. Flaming torches hanging in braziers lit the walls, so the only light that shone was a flickering, orange light.

Phoenix walked up the stairs to the upper floors, where the Hunters lived and slept. Phoenix went to his room, threw his belongings down onto the messy floor, and headed for the library. He needed some information about the Tower of Fate, a subject which fascinated him, as there was so little information about it, yet it was so close.

He hauled a huge tome onto the desk and flipped it open. Dust flew up from the book, and the pages crackled as they moved. Suddenly, a hugely magnified voice echoed throughout the mansion. It said:

"All Hunters report to the training facility for debriefing."

Phoenix thought this was a little strange. They had never needed debriefing before, so why now? It wasn't even like that was the toughest challenge they had ever faced either. So why now?

Putting these thoughts aside, he put the book back on the shelf and moved to the training facility.
[/size]

[Engel]

[color=darkslategray][size=1]Ikraugi had made his way through the grounds, to his own room. Blades with him, he took them to the Crystal Fountain, on the Cleansing Grounds, and washed the blades of the...unworthy blood. All the time, he said nothing to no one. His robe clung to him lightly, comfortable.

Ikraugi produced a cloth from one of his inner pockets, and cleared off the water and remnants of the staining blood. Sheathing the blades, he made off to the place no one knew he'd have enough heart to go to. A special place, where autistics came when orphaned or in severe need.

Stepping through the door, he pulled off his robe, and his weapons, and stood in his street clothes. Orange hair swept the air, naturally that way. People regarded him with a strange look when they didn't know him. They were so...stale. They had a definition of japanese too...confined for him. Black or brown hair, brown or green eyes. He had orange hair and blue eyes.

It disgusted him. Diversity. Dig it. Ikraugi sighed,

[b]"Oy! I'm here."[/b] Every day, after everything, he came to help these children. They were fond of him, even if they were indifferent, quiet. He loved the dearly for that. They didn't judge, pressure, or hate him. They only regarded him as an equal. They were just like him, only more severe.

One kid looked up. He had no name but Randal. They had called him Randal Six, because five other Randals had come and gone here. They didn't look for orginality here. That was obivious. Ikraugi smiled at Randal. That was something few saw. For the record, Ikraugi has only smiled 10 times in his whole life. Not a lot to smile about. Especially for him.

After a while, an annoucement brought him to the debrefing room, where Jace was. He was mystified.[/color][/size]

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]Vincent didn't want to believe her, but the events of his life, things that had happened, there was just no other explanation for it. But how could he be part angel? That was a great responsibility he wasn't so sure he could bare. And the child of Gabriel? The Moon Brand? It was all so overwhelming. But he had to do it, he had to fulfill his destiny. And as his hand raised to meet the brand he fell to the floor.

He panted heavily, trying hard to control himself as he felt every muscle in his body tense and distort for a short time. He could feel the blood in his veins changing, he could feel it become even thicker then before, flowing through every inch of his body and causing pain as the heavenly spirit traveled through each and every crevice. He could feel the pain center and stop towards his upper back and he cried out in agony as his skin parted.

Wings of a light ivory color sprouted from the wounds upon his back and burst into the air. Feathers floated to the ground around him, a bloody circle of the most beautiful white plumes. He put his fist to the ground and pushed himself upwards, stumbling as he rose to his feet. Jace had felt this very same pain but it seemed much worse for Vincent. Perhaps those of holier decent are more in touch with their heavenly counterparts? Who knows, however she did notice that his wings were different. Although tainted with his own blood, they were white. Even the faded crimson was overshadowed by the divine glow of the ivory sails floating upon his back.

Vincent clenched his fists as he stretched the wings, splattering blood upon the walls as they shot into a great white span. As they returned to their original position the very tips glided towards his face, wiping the tears from just under his eyes and smearing a bit of blood across his cheek. "T-This power, I've never felt it before," he spoke quietly. Jace was in awe, even after experiencing this ordeal first hand she was amazed at the first transformation she'd actually scene with her very own eyes. She reached out her hands, running her fingers along the soft feathers that cluttered his wings.

"They're beautiful," she sighed, a slight smile upon her face. Vincent had never heard her talk like this, she was usually so outspoken and seldom lost her cool in even the most heated situations. However, her eyes were glazed over and glimmered as that of a child as she stroked his divine appendage. There was truly something different about her, and even himself in this form. His aura had always been powerful, but never like this. It was truly amazing, he felt as though he could do no wrong, his own power controlled him to protect those who could not protect themselves.

"Who else? Who else is like this?" he asked Jace who had ceased in stroking his wings. "All of us, the hunters, we all possess this power," she spoke, glancing towards the ground. "I'm not sure how they'll take it," she mumbled. "They have to listen, this is their destiny, we were given this gift and we must take full advantage of it," he spoke. Jace sighed, "I'm not so sure it's a gift, Vincent. You see, my wings...they're different," she said, wiping a drop of Vincents blood from her cheek. "Very different..."

[B]OOC: Hope this is alright Reiku.[/B][/SIZE]