Gothic Burns

@pyrogram: Well I gotta smush KI first anyway :D @thisisgonnahurt: Nice! Can't wait.

@amaranth:

Something's wrong. Very wrong.

He hurried as best he could through the underground of Gothic City, tripping over his own two feet, ignoring his characteristic limp as part of the necessary equation for bipedal movement. Sounds familiar to him were exploding above his head, shaking the concrete foundation he called home. He hugged the wall, balancing on the ladder with his only hand, the empty sleeve on the other side dangling uselessly. He had to push against the confines of the upward tunnel with his shoulder blades and wrench the manhole cover out of socket, throwing it unceremoniously as far as he could with the poor leverage he possessed. Finally topside, another sickening pop crashed in front of him. The smell hit his nostrils through the mask harder than the impact of cooked flesh, but that did not disturb him the most.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no,"

Repeat. Keep focus. Repeat.

Hobbling over to the body, there would be no logical way he could recognize anything about it given the burns. But the armor could not be anyone else's. It had to be...

"Alive?" he questioned hoarsely, putting his ear as close to the chest as he could without suffering secondary shocks. Yet tongues of static electricity still shot out at him, forcing him away.

He hissed. Despite everything he had the ability to do, the victim in question had no features distinguishable from the carnage wrought. Lungs were popped like grapes. Heart ruptured. Every point of evidence he could manage to find manifested in a blunt:

"Yes."

Pulse still existed. Somehow. Stronger than this, Old Man. Stronger than even this.

He quickly pulled off his jacket and wrapped the blackened revolutionary as best he could. The weight of death still applied, and the homeless conspiracy theorist had not eaten for days. Lifting the massive man simply did not exist as a possibility. Pulling him to safety, however, did.

'Dear Kieran I have found all I know conflicted. Truth is I was born and raised to hate and kill mutants. Meta humans even became part of my hate. How many lives have I taken I dare not count but remember them all. Time with teams, others and mainly you had caused my perception to alter. Last night though I truelly saw the wickedry I've harbored. I can't take what I've done this is my redemption. Should this be my last day I just wanted to confess to the one individual that might matter most.

Raise a glass to what could of been, Victoria'

Hey Eddy, been awhile we both know what we do. And that kind of placed on opposite ends. Efforts to change are about to be made but I don't expect to come out of this in good shape. Logic just suggests this can't end well. So should this turn out my end just wanted to say. I love you and regardless what either of us does you're still my brother.

Your sister, the lion of the concrete jungle Victoria'

With the two emails sent and her armor ready the Lioness scooped up a bag of teleporting devices. "Stark you might be to busy to hear this but I've got a few toys from the old Black List arsenal. I'll try and port all the people I can as I go. God speed don't let this act stand." And with that the armored soldier leapt from the jet she was on gravity instantly pooling her to the streets below. Various mechanical devices documenting the lay out. Mid fall she released her drone the small bot giving her constant feed on things going on.

Thrusters halted her fall evading deadly grown collision. A burst of energy flew past her. Instinctively she rocketed forward her blade slamming into the mutants heart. "Sorry, but I had to" Victoria a little disgruntled by the fact that she cared. She took a few minutes to check the buildings and give teleporters to any living citizens she found in the area.

(So there's my reluctant 'human' side and 'mutant'[syapt] side. Idk if I'll drop anyone else in lol)

@antonia: Could I come at you before you get the chance to celebrate your victory?

@ziah_darksong: @killer_instinct

They'd been preparing for this for months. And now, finally, it seemed it was here.

War.

"Obi, I'm in Gothic and I have Ziah Darksong in my sights. It seems you will finally have a chance to test out that armour of yours."

Jacob Stark had never been a resourceful vigilante. He'd spent most of his time being reactive, letting the world treat him as it saw fit. That had changed, and along with it, him. Whilst far from a super genius, the young hero was an individual of extreme intellect, and as such after gauging the world and realizing that in order to protect it he would have to broaden his capabilities, he'd set to synthesising a serum that would access both the God Virus and the Peak Serum within his genetic code and amplify it's potency, risking potential deformation in the process. Utilizing the laboratories of several scientists he'd allied with over the years, Assault had managed to create something that would allow him to live up to his namesake and fulfil his good-willed desires.

The effects of his concocted serum had nearly killed him.

But he'd emerged triumphant, the amplified God Virus had formulated entirely new abilities for him, rendering him a complete metahuman with nigh perfected senses, telekinesis, photographic reflexes and a physiology powerful enough to survive blows from the Champion himself. The only drawback had been the total deterioration of his eyesight, Anthony Stark's younger brother left ultimately blind as a consequence of his ambitious tinkering with fate.

It had made him more capable. That was all that mattered.

Assault had been in Gothic when Amaranth's video had gone online and less than seconds later he was on the streets combating crazed mutates and rescuing civilians in need. Moments later his attention was drawn towards the arrival of a being moving at incredible speeds, landing in the centre of the road just a block or two away from his position. He hadn't required any further incentive, and had propelled himself through the air with his newly acquired telekinesis. The Crimson Curator of Criminals hit the gravel a few feet away from the foreboding female and took up a subtle fighting stance derived from ancient ninja hand-to-hand combat.

"Evening, Ms. Darksong. My name is Assault."

He did not mean to kill anybody tonight. But he would not let anybody get killed as a result of that.

He tilted his head and let the reverberations of the city floor detail her appearance, not quite yet accustomed to his new physiology. He'd seen the footage. Jacob knew what she could do. In terms of using the weapon that was his body, he was inexperienced. He could only hope that his ally arrived soon.

"I'm only going to ask you once, ma'am... Stand down."

Ha, this looks like fun

@mr__mercury: [ Thanks ;-) ]

@strigidae_23: Woah. When they said he dropped I was expecting something that'd make me feel guilty of nerfing. But....that was really well-done. Like, woah.

I'm keeping him. My prisoner. Both halves. Taking him.

@cormac:

Seven feet of five hundred thirty six pounds of compounding muscle enveloped by layers upon layers of protective fat roamed Gothic's tainted streets. A cool smirk of unwavering cockiness gracing The Mauler's visage, his gargantuan frame swaggering forward with every step, the overt quantity of Japanese kanji tattooed on his flesh partially veiled by the encompassing darkness of the somber city. "Hehehe", tame laughter escaping him, slitted emerald eyes setting upon the sight of a feral character. Boldly refusing to halt his steps, the Hoodaki Heavyweight continued, predatory body language advertising the 100th Strigidae's faith in the bullying, god-like power of his fists. Surrounding infrastructure, splattered corpses, rearranged topography, all victims of his might.

Halting three feet from his selected victim, he haughtily grinned, showcasing no ethical obligation towards the fallen Arcani constituents slain by the Quantum Wolf's metallic claws. Towering over his adversary with a domineering posture, dark slits remaining transfixed on his inherently indignant opponent, the Martial Mauler's left arm swung sideways in a semi-arc with instantaneous rapidity, his leviathan fist seemingly yearning for violent contact with his victim's skull. And yet, as his fist approached, his X-Gene's vaunted gift was delivered. Shattering the air like glass, his fist's thundering roar generating a fulminant vibration, the gargantuan shock-wave targeting the entirety of Cormac's exposed frame with the unmitigated force of a 5.6 magnitude earthquake.

3.8 kilotons of TNT collapsing the encompassing architecture, liquefying soil, and rupturing the ground beneath their feet.

@antonia: [ Well thank you. I was pleased with that one myself. ]

I hate school...

@thisisgonnahurt: [ That was really good, by the way. I'm glad to see Freeman out and about again. ]

@strigidae_23:

He just wants to protect the only real friend he's had, regardless of who says what.

Hm....

@shogunate: There'll be no celebrating tonight. Hold the phone.

(Almost done with a post for this, I'll finish it up when I get back from seeing a movie.)

@pyrogram: Is Kurt evacuating prisoners as well?

@troy_walker: Nope.

@pyrogram: Is he leaving them in prison? :\

Yup, fck them.

Yeah, we're gonna have a talk...

Fine, if you want I'll try to stop Mercy when she tries to blow up the prison, not because he believes that it is wrong but out of spite.

Mercy's blowing up the asylum, not the prison...

@mercy_, right?

Should I post or should I smile and wave? Hmmmm.......

@valerie_huntington: If you're gonna bring in the Phoenix Force, I'm coming at you.

@troy_walker:

I assumed that Gothic asylum and penitentiary shared location.

@_nobody_: [ Post :-) ]

@strigidae_23: Hmm, I might consider that. I really have no idea about what to write, not my brighter day =/

@dark_vengeance_: Maybe you're right.

@pyrogram Do Gothic Asylum and penitentiary share location?

@_nobody_: [ It doesn't have to be today, this event will probably go on for a while. Plenty of time for you to get your equilibrium back. But I would like to see you join. All Deadpool jokes aside I'd like to see where you're going with Nobody now. ]

In spite of her (self-thought) impeccable planning and execution, the aged mutant leader, true to form, put on a brief display worthy of his reputation as a fearsome, quick-thinking warrior. It was these qualities which made him so well-respected, even in the eyes of his worst enemies. As he dispensed the grenades with nary a worry, Antonia experienced but a moment of worry, though she would not let it impede her in any way. Plans seldom worked to perfection; she did not hesitate.

In what could be ultimately described as a combination of his remarkable reflexes and a slight miscalculation, Amaranth chose to swat the nodes rather than avoid them - a mistake which cost him dearly. A satisfied smirk spread over her face as the Noir Rose sailed through the air, her blade scything through his midsection.

Cut from his base, the giant timbered and she stepped aside to avoid being crushed by his massive frame. Kneeling, she began to prepare him for extraction. First, an adjustable collar was placed around his neck, intended with the capability to selectively disable the abilities afforded by his mutation; in the moment, all but his regenerative capabilities were to be targeted.

"Target is down. Aeon, prep for instantaneous extraction." With that, she placed two separate nodes on the body, allowing for an instantaneous lock on his position, after which he vanished from where he lie.

Following the extraction, Antonia turned her attention elsewhere. A hydra short one head is still a danger. With that in mind, she prepared herself to take her leave.

@_avatar_: Then I'll gladly grant your death wish ;)

@shogunate: @thisisgonnahurt: Okay now you can come at me. >_>

@assault, @ziah_darksong:

I hate this site. I had a post in the works and I even copied and pasted it several times, but over the course of the several dozen times it failed to load I somehow lost the capability to save it.

Just...pretend that Obi made a perimeter with his Die Luiperde mercenary regiments. They have armor like you and me, so they'll be fine. They started evacuating refugees and civilians to medical facilities outside the combat zone. Obi landed next to you and the fight begins or something.

I'm too mad right now to recreate that post.

@valerie_huntington: Don't underestimate the power of Will.

@antonia: Did Warsman in post 152 not just drag Amaranth away?

@cormac:

Attempted to.

I thought Antonia was just going to kick Freeman's ass, but I think I'll just post again with Freeman in the gutter xD

@emperor_von_doom: It would have been funner to watch if Antonia tried to fight you for the body :P But yeah, Freeman's done anyway. Dude's a cripple!

F***********ck....I was going to join this -_-

@cormac:

Well, at least he tried :P

@_stretch_: join most ppl are on 1st posts anyway only a few characters are on their 2nd tis still early

@emperor_von_doom: @cormac: Well, the first post kinda neglected to account for me and assumed she left and left the body behind, which I had no intention of doing. So I PM'd him and said I didn't plan on leaving it, but rather stealing it (Liberty said I could port him elsewhere because I realize he's heavy and trying to lug him out would be stupid anyway); we were going to work something out, but he said no big deal, he'd delete and come back later. I mentioned him taking revenge and he made that face that Gambler makes when he says or sees something shocking. Not sure what that means, so I did my post. That said, I'm not totally against the idea of letting him say "stop, you" before the old man poofs if all parties are fine.

@antonia:

I'll still delete it. Just not right now :P

@_stretch_: [ Join away! ]

@strigidae_23: I have no idea how to get in here though, like who to go after >_< I'll figure it out.

I have no idea what's going on with individual characters... someone really needs to sum it up :\

@troy_walker: @_stretch_: You to should just fight between yourselves lol if you're both lost.

@pyrogram: Nah, Troy doesn't fight random people on the streets :P

If I created a 'Gothic Summery' thread where you could post summeries of your characters actions like

• Amaranath arrived in X place.
• Then he did Y and Z.
• V arrived. Talked smack.
• Amaranth attacked.

Would that be helpful? I'm happy to post it if it would help people keep things organized in their minds.