Young Bloods(IC, Reboot Open)

[New Finnish Republic]

Kross Mathews

Red watched as the man walk away, feeling as if he been given more questions than he had been given answers during the short conversation between the two. A mixture of emotions stirred within his chest, from dread to relief as his mind ran over what Kross had told him. Whether this man was actually a friend was still up for debate, but for the time being Red knew was that there were more than just tabloids and villains seeking to find out the hidden truths behind not only himself but the remainder of the team. Every single moment they spent in the spotlight only amplified the curious eyes of those who sought to use the young group of heroes for their own agendas, whether that meant parading them around at a dinner or getting them out of the way by any means necessary. However, the words that that resonated the most with Red at the moment was not the vague threats, although they certainly held a large space in the back of his mind.

"Don't let some asshole dance with your girl..." Red repeated the man's words under his breath, letting out a small hmph before glancing one last time as Kross disappeared into the crow. "Coming from an asshole himself..."

Shaking his head, Red got up from the wall he had been leaning against for some time and began to head towards the dance floor. Several individuals attempted to stop and greet him along the way, but Red quickly brushed them aside as he scanned the crowd in search for the person he was looking for. For as much as Red despised the entire concept of the event, he couldn't help but concede that the guy running the whole show knew how to throw a party as the entire dance floor was packed with guests. He caught a glance with Roy dancing with Wendy along the way, giving the team leader a small nod as if to reassure him he wasn't up to any trouble. At least, in the traditional sense.

Pushing his way through the sea of dancing couples on the dance floor, Red stopped in his tracks as he saw Yoshiro and Surge talking with one another. With the sound of nearby chatter and the music, it was impossible for him to hear what it was they were talking about, but based on the facial expressions worn by the two, something was clearly up. For a brief moment, Red felt a sense of hesitation build up as he halted in his steps, accidently tipping over the plate of a passing by cocktail waiter in the process. Sheer instincts kicked in for the redhead as he reached outwards and grasped onto the still upright glass of champagne that had fallen off to the side, stopping all but a few sloshed droplets of the drink from spilling onto the floor below. Red gave a small rushed apology to the man who seemed about to speak up before noticing who Red was, in which afterwards he soon gave a small bow before quickly rushing off.

Letting out a small groan, Red shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts. Why the hell am I so damn nervous about this? It's not like it's the first time I've asked a girl to dance...granted, this is the first time I've ever asked an ex to dance with me, so... Red scratched at the back of his head nervously as he tried to calm himself down. His conversation with Kross had shaken him to the core, making his thoughts seem to run around in his head like a thunderous cloud and leaving him unable to thinks straight. The fact that he was even approaching Yoshiro given what had occurred between them was unexplainable to him, yet his feet continued to place one step in front of the other in the direction of where she was, regardless of the inner turmoil he currently felt.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat, Red found himself standing in front of the two, having clearly interrupted whatever conversation the two had been having as his gaze remained on the floor below them. For a few moments, he didn't speak, his mind drawing a blank as he suddenly realized he hadn't planned on what to say when he actually got to Yoshiro. He could feel the heat rushing to his face as he stood there in a panic, his eyes wide as he tried to think of what to say. Before the urge to simply run away from the situation overcame him, however, an idea suddenly crossed his mind.

"I just overheard a bunch of reporters saying they were about to snag some pictures of the infamous Surge dancing around with a member of the Young Bloods," Red finally spoke, his gaze meeting Surge's as he placed his hands in his pockets. "I don't know about you, but I have a feeling that there might be a certain...someone that wouldn't want to see that." Red gave the former vigilante a small wink as he referenced Renata, who Red was well aware of the relationship the two had. "So, to save you the plasma burns…"

Before Surge could interject or the courage within him could run out, Red suddenly reached towards Yoshiro's hands, whisking the girl away from his grip as he spun Yoshiro around the dance floor in cadence with the music. Red was well accustomed to formal dancing, as much as he hated the practice, and when combined with his natural athleticism, the two easily melded in with the rest of the crowd, separating them from what was likely a baffled Surge as they disappeared. After they had gained enough distance, Red looked down at the surprised Yoshiro, letting out a small gulp before he gathered himself enough to give the girl a small smile out of the corner of his lips.

"So before you even ask, yeah, that was a lie," he said, prompting the girl to give a small twirl as the two continued to dance. As they recovered, Red bit at his lip for a moment before continuing. "And to answer the other question of what the hell I'm doing...Honestly, I have no fucking idea."

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

Renata Martinez, the heroic Stella!

---

After hearing Renata speak her heart out, Wyatt's tone suddenly changed - he made it clear that he understood her concerns and that he's gone through much of the same. Feeling unrecognized, he teamed up with Floyd to take down a Warwolf base and-

Wait, what?

The name and description immediately made the girl recall her own incident with the swordsman, one also motivated by the same feeling of being powerless as Wyatt - and even after months had passed, she still remembered it vividly. You don't just forget people who almost killed you so easily... A-a-and I did the exact same thing just a few hours ago. I knew what I did back then was stupid, and yet that part of my brain must have gotten a lobotomy or something...

Renata released a faint grunt, staring to the side, and listened to Wyatt finish his point - he quickly realized it was stupid, and yet it only left him in a worse position than if he had never accepted Floyd's offer in the first place - and so, even today, he was still ashamed of what he had done. Renata waited a few seconds to respond, staying silent, hoping that she'd find anything else she could use to reject her teammate with, before she ultimately spoke:

"...so what did you do then? I-I mean, what would you recommend me to do?"

---

Bael

Sina As'tari, sponsored by the Desert Sandstorms!

---

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Sina laughed hysterically as she overheard the yelling complaints from behind her. Bael was acting bitter with having gotten played like a fiddle, how much of that bitterness was actually real was up to the beholder. With a wide grin on her face, Sina turned her face towards Bael. "So you mean that you ain't gonna be trying to beat me with one hand behind your back now?" That sounds like a positive and not a negative. With an another grin, Sina suddenly activated her fire breath and blew a small ball of flame at Bael, then burst forth with an another boost in speed.

You think that's cheating? You haven't even seen me cheat!

Good thing Aegi's not here to watch, because she's going to be breaking all the rules of sportsmanship like they were a shopping list.

[New Neros]

Cosmic | Orion
Calamity, Part Two

Giant and studded with muscle, Mustafa Gaul was a master at hand to hand combat, his immense size somehow unable to hinder his speed as he tore into Mark Nemo. Blasting his fist into Cosmic’s face and body, the young hero had to tank the hits piece by piece, dipping to the side as he found an opening to counter, charging his fist with energy and crashing the force into Gaul’s ribcage. Grunting and barely adjusting his form, Gaul returned the hit with a strong overhead blow to Mark’s face, blowing him back through a wall behind him.

“You’re out of your element, kid.” Gaul taunted, “You don’t even know who you’re fighting, we’re the type of people who run up on the biggest superheroes on the west coast without a thought.”

“I don’t give a fuck who you are,” Mark shot back, “Fuck you.” Cosmic charged a ball of energy in his palm and blasted it at Gaul, hitting him square in the chest and sending him backwards as well, Cosmic leaping towards him to continue their subterranean brawl. From the corner of his eye, a white spot formed on one of the walls, Cosmic turning his head to look at the spot as it rapidly expanded and exploded, blowing out chunks of granite and stone. From the epicenter, a crazed juggernaut emerged, locking eyes with Mark and smiling wide.

“I was so fuckin’ bored, sitting in my room and staring at the wall.” Cannon declared, steam still rising from his explosive fist, “Thank God you decided to ruin our perfectly good anthill, you piece of shit.” Cosmic’s head snapped to attention as the other villain reared his fist back, concentrating tremendous kinetic energy between his knuckles, and unleashing it well before he would have contacted Mark’s own body, sending a concussive blast against the teen hero. Crossing his arms to tank the blow, Mark was struck by a freight train on the side of his head.

Gaul had returned and delivered a straight kick to the ear, unflinching as Cannon’s blast washed over both of them and blew the pair backwards through more walls of the underground lair. Mark flared his energy aura, pushing Gaul’s body away and gaining his footing as Cannon approached through the destroyed walls at a walking pace. “Fuck,” Mark thought solemnly, “I need open air to manuver, I feel too contrained in here.” Cosmic roared and poured more energy into his body, blasting Gaul away and charging at Cannon, his immense speed allowing him to punch the supervillain solidly in the stomach, cratering his abdominal wall and forcing the villain to crash through the Labyrinth in another direction, sending very concerning shockwaves throughout the facility.

Cosmic raised his hand to the ceiling and gathered a massive sphere of energy in his palm, swirls of the Ultra Force dancing around the open room as the teen hero filled the attack to bursting, yelling incoherently as he formed the sphere into a linear blast aimed upwards, destroying several floors above him and punching a massive hole right to the outside. The dim twilight added to the clouds of dust to obscure movement, Cosmic lifting himself up and flying out of the hidden base of the villains.

As he pierced the dusty cloud, a lone man stood high above the base, dressed in heavy black armor, Cosmic felt a sense of dread wash over him as the man’s helmet directly faced him. “You’ve saved me time and effort,” The man declared, “I didn’t want to flip the entire base in order to find you.” Extending a hand out, Cosmic felt a massive tug slow his ascent, wave upon wave of gravitational energy bearing down upon his body, “You should feel honored to face me in your final moments, no one else in our organization will grant you such a quick end.” With his hand still extended and Cosmic held in place by the villain’s gravity, he began to curl his fingers as he slowly began to close his hand into a fist. “Let my name be your last thought, interloper, know that you were crushed by Black Luminous.”

Closing his hand fully and forcibly, Mark screamed wildly as the last of his air was forced out of his lungs. An unimaginable gravitational force squeezed his chest to physical deformation, crushing and pulverizing his ribcage, stabbing his internal organs with shards and splinters as he attempted to pour in more energy to counteract the forces acting on his body to no avail. Feeling the burning sensation of drowning as his lungs filled with blood, Cosmic forced his hand to point directly at Black Luminous, a small sphere of energy forming on the tip, and rapidly exploding forward against the foe. Faster than he could react, the laser-like beam shot straight through the villain’s outstretched hand, cutting a tennis-ball sized hole in his hand and liberating him of his middle and ring fingers.

Recoiling from the hit, Cosmic’s body dropped as Black Luminous’ attention turned to his injury, the battle-hardened teen taking the initiative to fly fast and far from the villain, his vision blurring as he neared the waters of the bay. He used the Ultra Force to inflate his chest and pop his ribs out of his organs, spitting blood out and nearly passing out on the spot from pain, forcing his lungs to bring in air with his energy acting like an iron lung, trying his best to stall the internal bleeding. As he left the beach and flew over the water, though, a pair of feet planted themselves onto his back, and forced him to slam face-first into the water.

Taking no time to see who had hit him, Cosmic twisted around with both hands already exploding with energy, coming face to face with Mustafa Gaul, whose first instinct was to reach out and grab Mark’s hands, preemptively exploding his attack and sending the two of them apart - Gaul back out of the water, and Mark deeper into the sea. His lungs were now mixed with seawater and blood, the red substance leaking out of his body and dying the water around him as the last bits of light faded from his vision. Though he was panicked, Mark began to calm his mind and concentrate, retracting his energy aura and meticulously sending it throughout his body, replacing his bodily energy with Ultra Force, bypassing his biological limitations and entering the Flow State.

Reversing his descent, Cosmic exploded forward to the surface, leaping out of the water with impressive vigor and ability for a man on death’s doorstep. Standing on the water due to his precise energy control, Mark bounced slightly due to the waves he had made, his hair rising and falling with his internalized power source, the Corpsman came face to face with ten figures. Three of them he recognized from the battle, yet Invader was not among them, with seven new faces he didn’t recognize. He weighed his options, trying to figure out if the three he fought were the absolute strongest members of this organization, meaning he could edge out the others in a fight. Still, the beating he got from just those three were enough to make him consider retreat, on the off chance that any of the new members were of comparable power. Orion as a whole returned his gaze, waiting for his next move, preparing to absolutely eviscerate the teen should this display of force not give him enough motivation to evacuate. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that you came to our home.” One of the central figures stated, armed with some pistols on his sides, light body armor, and a faceless mask, “Try us, Mark Nemo.”

Hearing his name made him snap to attention, but he lowered his chin as he figured Invader had been feeding them intel, and watched as some of the Orion goons tensed up when he slightly moved. It was an unwinnable fight and he knew it, the Flow State gave him a major power boost, but his injuries were very real and very fatal, continuing the fight without a clear path to victory was suicide. Mark grit his teeth and clenched his fists, recalling Dark Star and her power over the heroes back in New York, proving once more that he was simply outmatched by the forces of evil still. He mustered all of his courage and might, and turned away from the villains, “Orion,” He muttered, lifting himself up off the water and flying away from Coronado.

“I’ll remember that.”

[The Republic of Atria]

Andrew

He looked down, a little embarrassed at oversharing, but Andrew seemed to not mind. "Sorry. You gave me kind of a broad question, so I wasn't really sure how to best answer." He said and listened as he explained his backstory. Bad memories of Captain Quake and the team resurfaced. "Yeah... Quake came by not long before the tournament. He threw some... Less than kind words, but it turns out we've got a couple of people who are just as capable of being mouthy dickheads right back." He said, remembering both Jason and Casimir not taking any of Quake's crap.

Then, Andrew asked him why he grappled so much when he was so strong. "Well, it's pretty much impossible for me to guess if someone is strong enough to take it. Case and point." He motioned to Andrew. "Your power protected you from the worst of it. If I were to hit someone whose power didn't offer them very much, if any, protection... Well, they'd be a bloody mess. I'd be traumatized and up to my neck in trouble. Grappling is a safer strategy I use when I'm not sure how tough my opponent is. If I know that he or she can take it, then I won't bother holding back. If it's just someone with the power that lets them blast things, well, I can't exactly steamroll without causing fatal damage." He explained.

"As for why I don't use my tail..." He said, looking embarrassed again. "Well, it's uh... For my people it's used more or less like... Uhh..." He paused to think of a comparison. "A woman showing cleavage to attract a guy. Since we're reptiles, we don't have a lot of sexual dimorphism. So people like to show their tails off to try and attract someone. It'd be very awkward for me to use it in combat. It is prehensile though." He said, bring it around and flicking it about before returning it to it's resting position.

Renata

He kept quiet as Renata slowly broke down and thought about what he told her before finally speaking up, asking what he did and what she should do. Success. He sighed a sigh of relief at having gotten through to her. "Well. I got scolded and had to sit out the next mission because it was Warwolf related. Not that it would have mattered much if I'm being honest. Anyways, what you should do is, first. Go apologize to Mars. It probably won't make up for you shooting him, but hey, learning to live with your mistakes is something we all have to learn."

"Second. You and I, starting tomorrow, are going to start practicing together at least a few times a week. One reason is so we can talk. Something is obviously bothering you and we're going to work it out. Second, you want to be a better hero? Part of that is training. It'll let you blow off some steam, try some new things and develop your powers more. I don't want a repeat of this happening, intentionally, ever again. Understood?

"Good. Go apologize."

Sina

He bringing up sportsmanship and rules only earned him laughter from Sina. "Not anymore you jerk! I'm going to-" He didn't get to finish because Sina decided to spit a fireball at him. It hit him, but did little to impede his invulnerable body. He was slightly more shocked than anything, but the shock quickly turned into more determination as he thrust forward with unnatural speed, unfettered by the normal limitations of a Draq'unni, gaining ground on his supposed girlfriend and attacker.

He reached out and grabbed her leg, yanking her back. "You want to play dirty? I can do that too!"

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

Renata Martinez, the heroic Stella!

---

"You know... you're definitely right there. After all that happened, I really wouldn't mind blasting something to smithereens." Renata gushed out, folding her arms, and glared to the side. "I, um... fine. I don't know if he even wants to see me, but I'll give it a shot." Though with some hesitation, she stepped away from the Dra'Quinni and turned back towards the corridors of the tower.

She didn't end up making her way very far, however. After the very first sharp turn, the girl came to a halt, seeing Naja approach her from right before her eyes.

"O-oh, miss Naja! Uh..." Renata immediately began trying to explain herself while scratching the back of her head, only to come to a halt when Naja faintly raised her hand.

"Don't worry, I already know everything." the famous heroine said in response, which did little to calm Renata down. If anything, that only left her... more worried, even though Naja's expression didn't really show any anger. The woman began slowly making her way through the corridor and Renata followed, her pace far more hasty, so it ended up looking like she was constantly running forward and waiting Naja to catch up.

"It was... actually adult of you to concede there at the end. Well, almost."

"What do you mean almo-" Renata was about to speak back, only to suddenly stop. "Wait... You were watching us?"

"I didn't intend to, no," Naja explained. "I was going to approach you myself, but when I found you, it turned out that Wyatt had approached you first. I'd say I am surprised that he actually managed to break your ice, but, as you can tell, he's gone through much of the same you did."

Renata offered Naja a brief glare, then sighed and turned to the side, slowing down in her walking pace for good.

"I... still stand by what I said about what I felt back there. It's just... that it wasn't the right way to express it."

"By a wide margin. I'm sure if the roles were reversed and it was Mars who shot you for trying to help, you'd be out here demanding him to choose between banishment and a guillotine."

"I-uh..." Renata muttered under her breath. "Well, he wouldn't do that, so..."

"And there's nothing that makes you better than him, now, is there?" Seeing that Renata said nothing in response, merely looked at the side with a frown on her face, Naja continued, this time with a blunt statement:

"I'll give you a month."

"Huh?"

"A month. That's how long you'll be suspended from any missions for. Now that you've signed up for Wyatt's training course, you will have things to do, anyway. After that month has passed, I'll see whether your act has improved and you'd be able to continue working with the rest of the team, and decide on whether to lift that suspension or not."

Renata said nothing.

"And just to make it sure, if you drop out while suspended, you won't be accepted back again."

"F-fine." the girl gushed out. "Don't need to pressure me like that..."

"Good. Now go apologize to Mars. If you can find him."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

October 3rd

---

Even though it wasn't yet past midnight and most of her teammates were still wide awake and more or less celebrating after the mission, it had already been a very long night for Alexis. Between having to deal with their leader's incapacitation, participating in a mission against one of the world's most dangerous criminals, watching her girlfriend and one of her best friends get injured in front of her, yelling at an irresponsible teammate... suffice to say, Alexis was exhausted by the time she made it to her lab to continue working on a cure. Not physically, of course, as she simply did not tire, but she was mentally exhausted, and that was not a good mindset to work on an important project. So, after leaving some samples to be analyzed and giving some orders to her fairies, the blonde girl made her way back out of her lab.

Looking up at the night sky and the looming central building of Wonder Island, she frowned a little. Wow, it really sucks having to come up from under the earth and go all the way up there just to hang out with everything else... I should work on something to fix that. She thought. Unfortunately there was little she could do at the moment except suck it up and keep going.

Not that there weren't ways to make it easier. Activating her rocket boots, she flew up to an open window that led to a hallway on the same floor as the meeting room and made her way into the tower. Thank god for science. She smiled to herself as she started walking over to the meeting room, though before she arrived there, she came across one of her teammates on the hallway.

"Hey there, dragon boy." The genius girl greeted her friend. "Good thing I find you here, actually. I wanted to talk to you about the raid. I know you really wanted to lead, and I totally think you did a good job, so I wanted to apologize if it looked like I was trying to take over towards the end of the mission. I just felt like things were getting out of hand without anyone giving out orders and all that."

[Galnius]

Mika

Jan Sorok, the champion of Heaven!

---

Seeing Mika suddenly grow frustrated took Jan's mood down as well - with a somber expression on his face, Jan turned his gaze to the side while the girl continued to berate him.

"Sorry, yeah, that was probably too far. I... just want to make sure you're safe, you know? The guardian in my title is not just there for show..." And San Diego was seeing more and more collections of demonic forces by the day - Jan chose to leave that out, however, Mika clearly didn't want any more worries drilled into her head. It did mean that he was going to have to activate the mortal allies he's recruited very soon...

But where are they going to strike first?

Jan sat down on the floor, folding his legs. "Just... don't say words like that."

Mika had already started on her glass as Jan began apologizing. He seemed to be misinterpreting her reason for calling for him, and felt the need to passive-aggressively assert his role as a protector. So...Mika ignored him.

Instead, she kept glancing at her phone, waiting for a response floor Ash into Jan seemingly answered her question about the breathing remark. "Shit, sorry. I am trying to work on the whole socializing thing, but I'm a quick learner. I won't make comments like that again."

Passing him his glass once more, she decided to just try and hang out with him and get some practice in for when she had a real friend. Ash, for her part, was doing very well. On top of that, Ash let Mika run the show so far, so there wasn't any annoying little arguments.

" I've decided, you are going to teach me. In this kind of situation, what do two kids usually hanging out do? I don't want to fuck up my first sleepover. Do you think she'll have video games, or should I bring mine?"

[The Republic of Atria]

Alexis

Well that went... Well. Bael thought as Renata sheepishly made her way back into the Tower to apologize to Mars. Though he did let out a huge breath of relief and waited a few seconds outside. He didn't want to call the night a trainwreck, because it wasn't. They did manage to break up the ring and help Roy, but Ares showing up out of nowhere and the resulting chaos was not a highlight of the night for certain. He kicked the dirt a bit as he headed back to the Tower himself. Some leader he turned out to be.

He went inside, grabbed a drink of water and was about to just go lie down and pass out when he met Alexis who seemed to be in better spirits than she was a few minutes ago. Though she was floating with her rocket boots, probably to get some air and relax herself. She started by saying that he did a good job and apologized for taking over at the end of the mission.

"Oh, don't feel the least bit bad about that." He started. "I was going to start giving out some more orders, but then Ares showed up and I had to deal with that summoner who was much harder to bring down than I thought. I couldn't have really led if I wanted to. I actually wanted to thank you for doing it, since there was no way I'd have been able to coordinate with those two monsters trying to kill me. And like I said, I wanted radio silence specifically for emergencies LIKE that. That way if I or anyone really, had to say something, we weren't all talking over each other." He explained. "I'm mad I couldn't help with Ares. I'm more mad that Renata kinda blew it. To top it all off, now Mike's got a perfectly valid reason to constantly be antagonizing both Mars and Renata. Mars is pretty good about ignoring it but Renata..." He sighed and trailed off.

"Be honest with me. Am I doing a good job? Half my squad hates each other, one committed intentional friendly fire because she wanted to prove something. One won't keep his mouth shut when it comes to being an asshole. And the other hasn't shown up at all in like a week or two. My blood pressure is probably well over what it's supposed to be, and I've got no freaking clue what to do. I think, THINK, I talked some sense into Renata. Mike and Red are next on the scolding list. Both of which I'm sure can't wait to ignore everything I have to say and then hate me because they both think they're always right." He finished his rant and slumped against the wall.

"I'm going to be honest. I thought the biggest problem I'd have to deal with would be Ares or Darkstar. NO! Bring either of them back! Please, I at least know where I stand with them, and I'm not responsible for their bodies!"

[Auropa]

Casimir

Icarus

Mike Mathews
Gala
‘Oh come on! Really?! What are the chances that the one person I end up badmouthing is the girlfriend of the guy I’m trying to apologize to! And why is Casimir always such an asshole!’

Running his head through different wild ideas that could potentially salvage his apology, Mike eventually gave up as he considered Icarus’ words and shoved another desert under his mask. It didn’t take a genius to pick up on the concern and doubt in his voice, and it wasn't something he could just ignore. Some of the others in the team would know how to be properly handle something this, the'd probably know how to be supporting, kind and accepting while still pushing to do the right thing. But that’s what made them who they are and was why everyone, himself included, tended to gravitate towards them so often. Maybe someday he’d figure out how to emulate them a bit, but for now at least, Mike figured he only really understood one approach and he didn’t have it in him to try and lie about it.

“I can apologise about the name calling, but I’m not taking back that she’s got issues. And I don’t know what you were watching BB, but her shot wasn’t even close to being a warning. I mean I beefed up Rocket’s defences and I still felt it hit! And let’s not forget she was the one that threatened to melt my face off when I called out ‘boy wonder’ for losing Kiris to warwolf.” It might be a harsh re-cap, but if Icarus didn’t know what was happening in the tower, then Mike had to make it clear to him. So letting out an audible sigh and crossing his arms, he did his best to avoid looking at the blonde hero and continued.

“Though I’m not too bothered about it, I don’t know her well and I don’t see her changing her ways. Even with half the team laying into her, I still reckon she’s just going to end up doing it all over again. My guess is that she either ends up quitting or getting kicked out, and as long as it happens before I get a burning a hole in my chest, then I’m good with which ever she goes for.”

‘Or maybe someone who actually knows her could try talking to her for change?!’ he thought to himself as he held back the urge to grind his teeth and shout out what everyone needed to do.

Based on what little he had seen, Mike did not like Renata. She was arrogant, impulsive, selfish and just like Mars, Casimir and nearly every other big hero out there, powerful. Just thinking about the waste made him frustrated at the unfairness of it all. It seemed like every time a chance to do some real good came up, each and every one of them would give it up or risk everything and everyone just for the sake of feeding their ego. Whatever his opinions on her were though, she needed someone to help her and Mike wasn’t the person who could do that. ‘Here’s to hoping you are.’ he thought to himself as he let himself take a sidelong glance at Icarus, only to be met with Casimir.

'Screw it.' If he had gone so far off track already, then why even pretend like there wasn't other problems? Even now, with him apologizing and trying to do better, Casimir still refused to show even the slightest hint of a decent person. Instead, all that mattered to him was about getting the glory of the win, everyone else be damned.

“And so we’re clear Bugsie. Our job is to protect people, not get the first drop of blood. Though what would you know about protecting anyone? Afterall a ‘great and mighty hero’ like you wouldn't know a thing about being powerless. Guess the joke's on me for thinking an idiot would know otherwise.”

[Finland SSR]

Renata Martinez, the heroic Stella!

---

The sounds of drilling coming from the tower laboratory got Renata to release a relieved sigh. Well, the easiest part of her promise is done. Now, the harder part...

Come on. You managed to make peace with Shi of all people. Explaining yourself to Mars is nothing compared to that. When it comes to oozing positive energy, he's almost as prolific as Kiris...

Renata opened the door of the laboratory and saw her squadmate busy repairing the leg which she had opened fire at during the mission. Ah yes, she's got to be instantly reminded of that... The girl gulped and spoke up:

"So, uh... I didn't leave it out of commission forever, right?"

---

Bael

Sina As'tari, sponsored by the Desert Sandstorms!

---

A little fireball was not going to do anything to a Dra'Quinni elder and Sina knew that - so Bael suddenly catching up to her and grabbing her came as no surprise to her. The girl glared over her shoulder and yelled back:

"You're trying to look at my tail from up close, aren't you?"

Holding back a giggle, Sina turned back to the race, and a nefarious plan suddenly hatched in her head. Suddenly, she turned around in mid-air, grabbed Bael's arm by the wrist and, with him in tow, dove straight at the ground. The race to the park dropped off her mind and Sina turned at an industrial park below them. A rather dreary looking place, with plenty of pipes, narrow gaps, loose wires, cement pillars and arcs... a perfect obstacle ground for her.

Flying towards one of the narrow "streets" in the industrial park, chock full of pipes extending from one side to another, leaving only barely enough space fora Dra'Quinni to fly through, she awaited for whether Bael would stick with her or bail while he can.

---

Mika

Jan Sorok, the Champion of Heaven!

---

Holding the glass in his hand without taking any sip, Jan let the girl's words drill into his head. That...

"...that's not something I can offer much help at." His eyes turned to the ceiling. "I mean, the only friends I've had in either plane of existence have been more battle buddies rather than... well, what you're looking forward to here."

Well, there's got to be something he can do to help, right? Come on, hanging out with a person roughly her age, there's gotta be a million things to do, all he has to do is think of a few activities...

"I don't know, does your friend play video games? If she does, then maybe she will." Lost in thought, the Virgil rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose you should start with what she likes if you want to figure out what you could do hanging out..."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

October 3rd

---

---

Alexis smiled at the Dra'Qunni boy as he assured her that he did not mind her attempt to take charge at the end of the raid and, in fact, was thankful for it. However, things quickly took a 180 degree turn when he started lamenting that he couldn't help more against Ares, and that he couldn't do a better job as a leader and keep his teammates, and especially his squadmates, under control. It was a lot to take in.

Once Wyatt was done speaking, the blonde girl kept quiet for a few seconds.

"Oookay, looks like I'm not the only one with frayed nerves after that mess of a mission." She said, walking up to Wyatt and slightly leaning on the wall next to him - even slumped back, he was a good bit taller than her. "Let's see here, first things first, you don't have to apologize for not getting to do more against Ares, you were busy holding your own against the other baddies, and who knows how much worse it would've gone if you weren't there. So yeah, don't feel bad over that. You maybe a hero, but you're still..." Here she paused for a second, looking for the right word to use. "...A person, so you can't be expected to do perfectly on missions every single time."

Before continuing, she patted the dragon boy's shoulder and then looked up at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. "As for your squad... well that's more complicated. Mike's really got to learn to stop being an asshole, but his heart's in the right place and I don't think he's stupid enough to jeopardize a mission just because he thinks he's better than someone else." She stated. "I... really don't want to talk about Renata. I'm a little sick of her to be honest. I still remember when she blurted out my name when we were in the middle of rescuing Kiris, I'm really lucky they didn't pick up on that. And then that whole thing with Drake, and now this... I'm glad you managed to talk some sense into her, but I think this really calls for more than a slap on the wrist."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "As for Red, I don't really know, he's never been the most sociable or attentive team member, sometimes I'm amazed he's around at all." She shrugged, before pushing herself off the wall and standing in front of Wyatt, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"But to go back to your question, yeah, you're doing as good a job as you can with the hand you were dealt. I'm not gonna pretend we're in the same boat, I got pretty lucky with my squad. But that just means you're trying your hardest to keep your squad afloat under additional pressure and that takes dedication." She smiled at him. "The only tip I can think of is to take a firmer stance the next time something happens - you have that power, Naja handpicked you to lead after all - but really, just trust your gut and I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're a good leader."

---

October 7th

---

---

Immersed in thoughts as he was regarding the situation with Renata he had just learned about, Icarus wasn't keen on continuing the conversation, and the last thing he wanted was to keep listening to listening to someone like Mike. And yet, that was exactly what happened, the brunet continued insisting with his pseudo-apologies while he continued to complain about other people. Complaining about Renata. Complaining about Casimir. Even complaining about the hero who saved the city hall. Just going on and on about everyone's problems but his own.

The blond boy's fists clenched as a scowl set in on his face. Throughout the night he had been on edge to a greater or lesser degree since hearing the host's speech, the thought of the swordswoman lingering in the back of his head. And though his previous conversations that night had been quite pleasant, this whole mess quickly sent him tumbling back to dark places until he was sick of it.

"Shut up already." Icarus growled, barely restraining himself from shouting so as to avoid making a commotion.

"Seriously, what's your problem? Why are you such an asshole? It's one thing to bring up a troublesome teammate but it's another entirely to just keep yapping and yapping about how everyone else has issues and is flawed as if you were fucking perfect, all while making half assed apologies that just feel like excuses for you to claim the moral high ground." He said, gradually standing up while keeping his hands on the table, glaring at Mike all the while. He held the glare for a few moments before simply shaking his head. "I didn't come here for this crap."

He glanced around at the table, stopping briefly on the few friends he had on the Young Bloods before looking back at the annoying brunet. "You should practice apologizing to people, because you suck."

And with that, he walked away from the table and looked for a spot to clear his mind.

[Absolon-7]

Red

Casimir Herman October 4th

---

An unmistakable grin filled Casimir's face as he finally got Red to come around but it felt strange. He mostly agreed with Red's sentiments as his own problems to be slain by his own hands and not someone else. Hell he might've done the exact same thing as Red if he was in the same situation but he just couldn't complacently sit with that idea. But he just didn't want to think about it. It was a stupid problem that kept popping into his head anyway. His convoluted thoughts were thankfully interrupted by Red's apology which signaled a mission complete for his goal.

"You can try kicking my ass but I don't think a broken ankle is a good look on you," said Casimir returning the quip, "But if you ever do for Marionette again don't forget to call me up first. I need to make up for having my gamble of her and the power stealer kill each other off failing. That damn bitch."

His last words made Casimir raise up his fist slightly to clench it as he still bitterly remembered letting that psycho go off on her own. He was the goddamn Great Kabuto! He should've been strong enough to fight both!

Icarus

Mike

Icarus again

Casimir Herman October 7th

---

Casimir nodded along with Icarus having the same concerns about Renata but he noticed a slight change in how he spoke. It was as if something within him was faltering upon learning this about his girlfriend. He wasn't the biggest fan of her but she at least seemed serious about being a hero so this recent event didn't sit well with him. His concern was diluted by the amusement of Mike's apology backfiring once the 'troll doll' comment caught up to him. He was lucky that his helmet didn't betray his gleeful expression at Mike rightfully being at the end of such a retort. But his glee was replaced by a growing frustration as Mike kept going in his spiel.

He was content on ignoring most of what Mike said and just letting Icarus deal with the sod but Mike had the brilliant idea of laying it down on Casimir himself. He actually dared to imply that Casimir wasn't a real hero. He dared to mock him for not protecting people. I couldn't protect Jan...I couldn't protect Roy...I couldn't protect... His hand was gripping the table and the pressure from his anger was enough to begin the hints of cracks on its surface but he let go and slapped his hands to grip his knees.

"Don't ever call me an idiot," seethed Casimir with every word filled with the same venom of wasps but his tone returned to a more frustrated one, "You don't know a thing about me. And you're one to talk about powerless. You can manipulate any matter to whatever you damn well want for fuck's sake."

He stayed silent for a while before he popped off the bottom of his helmet to down a gulp of punch to cool himself down. Casimir was then astounded by the tirade Icarus unleashed on Mike. Eventually his friend had enough and stormed off but not before giving one last pained look at the team.

Casimir simply looked up at Mike, his helmet's blank crimson eyes not betraying anything, "Well look what you did now Mike."

Mars

Viviana Couture

---

Yoshi was soon abducted by Alexis and right after the business lady was soon whisked away with business having to do with Lexi which left the table for the sole purpose of showing off the team. Her thoughts wandered back to when she was first reading up on news on the Young Bloods and learning how Casi was one of them. She had initially jumped in head first because of him but maybe things like this could make her be part of something bigger then some town's basketball team. Speaking of bug boy maybe she could ask him to dance later. But for now she turned once again to face Mars.

"Say Mars, back on the robot discussion, I've been wondering, oh and I assure you it has nothing do with me binging Terminator 1 and 2 last night, but have you ever thought what you'd do if Rocket went rogue. Like he develops some AI and is fed up. Like 'I'm tired of being Rocket I always wanted to be a Roomba!' So yeah," said Viviana looking away at the corner for a bit, "I also have no clue how Rocket works so y'know."

Far across the table rising voices from several of the guys drew her attention, especially Icarus storming off, "Wonder what that was about."

[New Neros]

Ava Waldstein
Ultra Invaders

Carefully, very carefully, Ava tiptoed up her staircase, balancing the ceramic bowl in her hands by moving ever so slightly, somehow crunching her small frame up and twisting the knob of her bedroom door and slipping inside. Within, her eyes quickly fell upon the bloodied body laying on her light red carpet, the young teen widening her eyes and making sure her cereal was clutched tight. Her breath quickened, primal fear setting in, but her senses taking over as she moved to place her bowl on her dresser, stepping over the body to do so.

Tracing the path out, Ava saw her window forced open, the only means of entry beyond her bedroom door. Ava formed a glove of energy over her hands, softly grabbing the shoulder of the man and flipping him off of his stomach and onto his back, ready to punch him square in the nose if this was some ploy to attack an unsuspecting teenage girl. “Oh fuck,” She whispered aloud, “Mark, what the fuck happened to you?” He breathed light and shallow, his collapsed ribcage and sternum stifling his intake, the pieces of his ribs stabbing in all the wrong places to produce immense agony and internal bleeding.

“Dude, seriously, what the fuck…” She said, grabbing her bowl and getting a spoonful of off-brand captain crunch in her mouth. Crunching loudly as she used her off hand to glow her moonlight powers over Cosmic’s battered and broken body, the young heroine formed an exoskeleton over his torso that began to take over his breathing manually. The first large intake of air immediately made Mark spit up blood, Darklight quickly using her constructs to make a mouthguard before the blood could stain her room anymore. She took more bites of her cereal, “I’m focused on you, don’t worry,” She said as she swallowed a really big spoonful, “Ouch, fuck, it’s so good but it’s like eating glass. I can’t let it get soggy though, need the munch.” She candidly replied, Cosmic far too unconscious to make a reply, prompting Ava to eat some more.

Inside Cosmic’s chest, a soft orange glow began to fade in and out, Ava breathing a sigh of relief. “Whew, there you go. Internalized healing, right?” She dropped her voice and imitated Mark, “My powers will start healing me even when I’m on the verge of death, I’ve fought with half of my organs ripped out before, hurr hurr.” She crunched her cereal with resentment, staring hard at her friend. “I could have helped, you know? I’d have come with you, made sure you didn’t get this bad. How do you even know where I live, anyways?” Just then, a flash out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, Ava looking quickly at the still-open window, an unnatural yellow glow illuminating the alley her window faced. Slurping her milk remnants and keeping an eye open to watch the window, Ava formed a throwing knife construct in her off hand, ready to use it without hesitation.

As the last drops of milk sank behind her lips, the face of a female with incredibly sharp teeth peeked curiously into the open window, Ava’s stomach tightening as he body reacted immediately, flinging her knife construct and leaping forward towards the window, bathing her body in moonlight aura as fight or flight kicked in, her body choosing fight in order to protect her home and Mark. The girls’ face recoiled away to dodge the knife, flying backwards slowly, watching the light-construct dagger slam hard into the neighboring brick wall with sizable force. Turning back to the window, the sharp-toothed girl was taken by surprise as a white bowl took up her vision, with what little remained consisting of a small framed human girl that gave off a faint white glow. The ceramic bowl shattered on the intruders forehead, spraying shards all over, Ava extending out a white-light mace from her left hand and slamming it hard into the opposite girl’s torso, sending her flying down the alley. It all happened in a moment, Darklight being a fighter who wants to end it as fast as possible, knowing her limits and how to use them to her advantage.

“You’re fast,” The girl retorted, “I was just takin’ a peek is all!” Ava leaned back, the sharp-toothed girl appearing suddenly and taking a wild swing at the heroine. Darklight formed a gauntlet with spikes and knuckle rings on her right hand, uppercutting her opponent hard enough to shatter her construct and whip the sharp-toothed girls’ head back abruptly. Ava put distance between herself and her enemy, the hit clearly stunning the other. “Wow, wow, wow, you’re strong too. What’s ya name?” She twisted her head side to side, cracking it both ways as she seemed to limber up, Darklight gritting her teeth and accepting that a hard-fought battle is underway, “Call me Bubbly, please!”

---

While the battle raged in the back alley, the front of Ava’s house seemed relatively quiet and normal, a pair of mismatched alien invaders making their way down the sidewalk, nodding towards the heroines’ residence. “Are you sure this is what they wear on this world, Captain?” A short, draconian-like humanoid girl asked, glancing sideways at her tall, muscle-bound male companion. She wore a loose t-shirt and tight jeans, extremely unbecoming of her style, while he wore a tight v-neck with snug-fit jeans, complimenting his frame and physique all too well. “I couldn’t help but feel like I’m the butt of some joke here.”

“A joke only I and my apprentice will laugh at, Regis.” He replied, the two of them entering the white fenced yard and walking towards the front porch, hiding a half-smile as he stood ready to knock on the door.

“That’s enough for me to be worried, Murphy.” Regis reached out with her crystalline arm, lightly tapping against the wooden door, her arm appearing like glass containing a raging inferno, giving no thought that her general appearance that screamed non-human, while Captain Murphy’s own appearance was passable, his silver hair seemed a bit too far-fetched for a younger man. Coming to the door was a middle-aged man, giving out a warm smile through a pair of half-moon reading glasses.

“Can I help ya folks? Er…” His eyes wandered over the two, looking at both with a squint, “Gilda, honey, is tomorrow November?” A woman hollered back no, confirming that it wasn’t Halloween, and that the pair had some other motive for showing up at his doorstep. Before, he’d simply close the door and ignore them, but ever since Ava started her hero gig, he figured these two were somehow related. “Welp, I’m Robert, I, uh, figure you’re here to see my step-daughter?”

“Friendly, I like that,” Captain Murphy stated, offering his hand out to shake, him and Robert sharing a quick handshake as Regismora spoke for the pair.

“We’re here about the young man bleeding out in your daughters’ room, if you’d excuse us.” She said informally, slipping into the house uninvited and walking towards the stairs.

“The what? In where??” He demanded, turning around and following the young Hadrian, Captain Murphy holding a smirk as he joined the parade, closing the door behind him as he was polite about things, more often than not. “This better not be some elaborate ploy to rob me or rape me in front of my family Deliverance style, but a boy in Ava’s room is just as terrible of a - Oh fuck.” He said as Regis swung open Ava’s bedroom door without a knock, revealing Mark’s bloodied and breathing-assisted form, “Oh fuck it’s real, you weren’t lying. What the fuck did Ava doooo..” He said, putting his hand on his head and leaning his full weight against the hallway wall.

“This wasn’t your step-daughters work, she’s busy fighting one of our members in the alley.” Regismora bluntly stated, a flash of white light suddenly appearing from the window as two figures carefully danced around each other in the distance. “We’re not exactly here because he’s like this, either, he was more of a homing beacon for us. He’ll get better in a day or so. We’re going to be taking him now, thank you, Robert.”

“N-no police or anything, right? Just take him and go? He’s Ava’s friend, though, Gilda told me about him. I don’t want anything bad to happen to Mark, he’s a good guy and all.” Robert stammered, Murphy nodding along as he spoke, and answered him plainly.

“We’re not some weird interstellar enemies coming to interrogate and torture him, we’re part of the Ultra Corps, same space cops as Mark here. We’re here on official business, he’ll be pretty happy when he wakes up and sees our smiling faces. Watch.” Captain Murphy stepped into the teenage girls’ room and walked over to where Mark laid on the floor, kneeling down and eyeing the young man. Reaching out, Murphy closed Mark’s nose, making him gasp for air even more than usual, the Young Blood twisting his face and opening his eyes wildly. In that same instant, Cosmic jutted out his hands and grabbed Captain Murphy by the throat, breaking free of Ava’s make-shift iron lung and and crashing out the window still clutching the Captain by the throat, “Ah fuck, you don’t want to do this, Cosmic, you’re not in the right mind, I can see it in your eyes…” Murphy said as his words tailed off, Cosmic’s harsh grip threatening to collapse his throat.

Robert hit his knees and clutched his head, “My window!” He yelled, Regismora sighing extremely loud, walking towards it. “Do you have insurance?!” He screamed, Regismora ignoring him for the time being.

With her crystal arm glowing a more vibrant orange, the flames within growing restless and more aggressive, “I swear to the Great Black Dragon, I will incinerate all of you if you don’t stop fighting.”

[Auropa]

Icarus

Casimir
"Well look what you did now Mike."

Mike Mathews
Gala

“Look, Ren needs help and he needed to know what was going on, I’m sorry if I wasn’t all that gentle about it but she shot a teammate in the middle of a fight she was loosing. I figured that if his own friends weren't going tell him about it, then I would. And I’ll be as blunt as I need to be if it helps get the point across.” Mike stated as he shoved a dry biscuit into his mouth and tried not to think about who exactly he was trying to convince.

Despite his little show, he didn’t want to piss off Icarus, or at the very least he didn’t want Icarus to be pissed off at him. What he wanted was for him to be worried enough to reach out and help Renata, the main problem was that he didn't have the first clue about how to do that nicely. So sure enough, without a better idea to go off and a strong desire to not get hit by lasers in the near future, he ran his mouth. He said what he thought and what he was worried about happening, then he hit Icarus with it as hard as he could. Annoyed at himself for not having a better idea and at everyone else for acting like there wasn't a problem, his gaze shifted around the table before finally falling on the newly formed cracks Casimir had imprinted into the table.

‘I guess I hit a nerve... Oh for the love of god please don’t poke it!’ He thought to himself with enough conviction to hold back for close to a full half-second. But being as frustrated as he was and looking for a way to vent, rational thinking was already well out the window.

“And in case you've forgotten, I’m not exactly bullet proof. I need to work hard to be able to use my powers like I can, but no matter what I do, every time we’re out there I need to be terrified of getting hit since the smallest screw up could end me. But you? You don't need to worry about any of that. Though all I've ever seen you do is practice what you're already good at, jump at any chance to have an audience and bring strays into the tower but worst of all, you somehow think all this means people need to respect you. The thing is Cas, I think I know you plenty. You’re some wimpy kid who woke up strong and chose to think it was enough. But however tough you are now, you’re not a hero and I think the reason I piss you off so much is because some part of you knows I’m right.”

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

"Psh. What would I wanna look at that dinky little tail for?" He sneered with a silly grin on his face that vanished when Sina grabbed his arm and pulled him down with her towards an industrial area. Obviously to take advantage of her ability to maneuver far better than him. He looked at the loose rubble and metal waiting to be made into some building and got an idea.

He folded his wings and went limp, while returning Sina's grasp with his own. "Let's see how good you really are at flying!" He called prepared to let them both drop down to the ground.

Alexis

He closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing his stiff body a bit as Alexis reassured him that he was doing a good job and her own thoughts on the three bold personalities he was stuck with. "Thanks, I just felt like there was probably something I could've done. Maybe if I'd beaten the summoner faster or something... I didn't even beat her. Jason knocked her out and they vanished."

She then went on to explain that at least Mike wasn't as up his own ass as much as Renata wants, along with her own grievances with her. "I honestly think the problem between Mike, Red and myself is that they don't respect me. They've admittedly got more experience with this whole, and they know that. So I don't really know how to approach them and get them to cooperate as much." He explained. "And I've got no idea how to earn their respect, and I'm even wondering if it's going to be worth the effort."

"As for Renata... Yeah, I'm not really sure how to... I don't want to say punish because that sounds wrong. Discipline I guess would be a better term. Anyways, my current idea is to run her ragged over the next little while. A friend told me that when he was training, if someone got out of line, they'd "smoke" him or everyone. Which is just exercise until exhaustion. We could all use more practice and if she's that high strung, then she needs to burn it off, but I'm open to suggestions." He said thinking about it. Running and pushups would sap the strength out of anyone.

"Hm. Maybe I'll drag all of them outside and smoke them at some point. Make sure they don't have the energy to argue and get them in better shape. Maybe it'll even get Mike and Red to trust and respect me. I don't know..." He sighed. "I'm just spitballing here."

[Bentus]

The Amazing Ashen Moth!
San Diego

---

Ash couldn’t help but grin greedily at the seemingly endless spread of food that lay before her. Even during the introductory speech, she had been unable to sit still as she impatiently gazed longingly towards the buffet. She’d wanted nothing more than to jump up and start piling servings onto her plate, but Naja had clearly told her that she’d have to wait in order to be polite. Deep down, Ash knew that she couldn’t be rude to their hosts, not after they’d been invited to something so fantastic! But none of that stopped the girl from practically leaping through the air and flying in a bee-line towards her goal. Now she moved seamlessly down the buffet, all four of her hands darting in and out of serving plates as she alternated between piling up the reserves on her plate and gorging herself on some of the incredible food as she went.

There were a few concerned glances towards her and her less-than-perfect etiquette, but for once Ash was entirely oblivious to them. The team’s excitement for the gala had been contagious, and the mutant had been eagerly awaiting the first ‘party’ that she could remember. It was all even fancier than she had expected, and she found herself falling in love with the happy, social atmosphere around her. Compared to during the tournament, Ash felt like people were far friendlier here. They’d applauded them and treated them more like how Kabuto said that fans should treat their heroes.

“Ms. Ash, is it?” Suddenly a voice from beside her caused the mutant’s head to whirl around in surprise, her mouth filled with a handful of chicken strips. She was greeted by a man dressed in a crisp white suit, a soft smile adorning his features as he chuckled at the heroine in amusement. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was hoping that I’d be able to catch you tonight and offer you a proposition. I trust that you’re enjoying yourself? Jordan Scott certainly knows how to throw a party.”

Ash didn’t immediately respond, instead running her eyes across the stranger as she tried to gauge his intentions. Swallowing, she wondered if he was one of her fans. The thought made her hesitate. Even though she knew that she was supposed to always smile and be kind to her fans, her memories of the tournament filled her with a certain sense of dread.

“Y-yes.” She managed, glancing over the man’s shoulder to see that Casimir was engrossed in another conversation. She was on her own for now. Still, a nagging curiosity pulled at the back of the girl’s mind. “And I am definitely enjoying myself. This is a very fun party, and the food is very good.” Pausing, Ash tilted her head as she studied the man. “You are one of our fans, yes?”

The corner of the man’s lips twisted upwards at the question. “Oh yes, Ash - in a manner of speaking, at least.” Reaching out, he extended a firm hand towards the girl. “But where are my manners? You probably don’t recognise me! My name is Harry Hope, Founder and CEO of the Wonder Foundation. I think that we have a lot to talk about.”

The Investigative Steven Short!
San Diego

---

Getting into the gala hadn’t been easy. It had been the exact opposite of easy, actually. But a few calls to the right people and more than a couple underhanded bribes were no barriers in the relentless pursuit of the truth. It was all part of the trade, for Steven Short - investigative reporter extraordinaire. His audience demanded nothing but the raw, unfiltered facts through the lens of his insightful commentary, and he had made a name for himself by always going to the heart of a story. So, when he’d heard that the bigshot of Scott Industries was hosting a closed-door event for some of the State’s major hero teams - and those young delinquents would be invited - he knew that he’d have to find a way in. Nothing screamed public interest like a deliberate attempt to shut out the fourth estate!

Dressed in a crisp suit, the reporter glided through the crowds like a spectre of truth. Years of experience had taught him how to mingle with the rich and powerful while keeping a low profile. As far as he was concerned, all of the men and women there were part of the corrupt deep corporate state that undermined the freedoms and democracy of the people. Here in their ivory tower, they mingled and laughed with their millions and billions as they used their sponsored heroes as convenient distractions to pull the wool over the eyes of the masses. But they wouldn’t get away with it, not when Steven Short was on the case. He knew that there was a Pullitzer at the end of this, he could practically smell it. All he had to do was sniff out the story.

Swiping a glass of wine from one of the waiting staff, earning a stern frown in response, Steven idly scanned his surroundings for anything of interest. He recognised a number of party-goers, but most of them were the typical crowd mingling among themselves. What he needed was a hint of something juicier than the normal tabloid gossip. Hold on, what do we have here? Ducking his head slightly to try and mask his features, the journalist glanced sideways towards a pair of figures loitering besides one of the buffet tables. Anyone could have recognised the four-armed mutant from a mile away, him more than most since he’d been suspicious of her dark and monstrous origins from the start. But it was the figure that had approached her that caught his eye the most. Harry Hope? What does the Wonder Foundation have to do with the Young Bloods? Sipping on his drink, Steven recalled what he knew about the mutant’s origins. Didn’t she appear not long after the team was involved in a theft at one of their facilities? The connection immediately spiked his journalistic instincts, and Steven slowly began to maneuver himself closer in an effort to overhear their exchange.

Jordan Scott
San Diego

---

Alice smiled as Alexis accepted the offer, as she’d been certain that she would. For a girl like her, dreaming of big things and with the impressive credentials at her age to show for it, it would have been foolish to turn down the chance for a big break. And if Alice’s background research on Makeshift had told her anything, the girl was anything but foolish.

“Alice is fine, Makeshift. And that’s great to hear! Now, if you’d please follow me.” Turning on her heels, the woman began to lead the way through the crowded ballroom as the teenager followed closely behind. As she walked, Alice spoke over her shoulder towards the excited hero. “When you do meet him, it’d be best for you to address him as Mr. Scott. I’d also recommend that you refrain from any improper language, or interrupting while he’s speaking. Mr. Scott’s schedule is very busy, especially tonight, so try to use the time he’s set aside wisely, okay?”

Glancing towards the girl, Alice offered her an encouraging smile. “Just be yourself, and you’ll do fine.”

By this point, the pair were approaching a part of the space that had been set aside as standing room. A number of tall tables, with entrees delicately placed on their surfaces, had wealthy guests clustered around them as they gossipped and chatted among themselves. The result was a background din of conversation, interspersed with the clinking of glasses, until a booming laugh echoed out from in front of them. Slapping another party-goer on his back as their group seemed to laugh at a shared joke, Jordan Scott stood comfortably at ease as the centre of attention. He wore an easy smile as he held a liquor glass lightly in his hand, mingling effortlessly with the rich and powerful that flocked around him.

Clearing her throat as they approached, Alice offered the gathered elites a polite smile as she interrupted them. “Mr. Scott?” She stated simply, causing the man’s head to turn towards his number two. Immediately, his expression lit up.

“Ah, Alice! It’s good to see you. Ladies, gentlemen, I’m going to have to excuse myself - but please just carry on without me.” There were a few offered farewells as Scott stepped aside, reaching out to offer a handshake towards the young heroine. “Makeshift, I’m sorry to drag you away from your friends like this, but I wanted the chance to talk to you personally.”

Standing behind Alexis, Alice offered her boss a knowing smirk. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it. I promised Mr and Mrs Aveline an introduction with the team they’ve been supporting, so I’ll go arrange that now.”

Jordan offered her a curt nod in response, although Alice did offer one final glance of encouragement towards the teenager as she left.

Turning his attention to his guest, Jordan continued. “So Makeshift, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve been following your accomplishments, and I’ve got to say that I’m impressed. More than impressed, actually. You’ve done an awful lot for someone your age, and I wanted to get a feeling for what kind of a person you are beyond the achievements written down on a sheet of paper.”

[Finland SSR]

Bael

Sina As'tari, sponsored by the Desert Sandstorms!

---

Bael neither mustered the courage to follow Sina nor dropped out - instead, he responded to her gambit with one of his own. He suddenly grabbed her by the arm and yanked her, all while folding his wings and letting himself drop. Even with her own wings extended out, she wasn't strong enough to keep the two of them in flight. So, the girl instead chose to play along.

"Not 'till you show me how strong you are!" Sina suddenly yelled and folded her own wings as well - then, in mid-air, she grabbed Bael by the shoulders and pulled him down, pointing the fellow Dra'Quinni's back to the ground.

---

Mike Mathews
Gala

Mizuma Ishiwara, the trickstery Selene!

---

Mizu... imagined the Gala to be more fun when she first signed up for it along with the rest of the team. Turns out the event itself was somewhat more formal and restrained than she would have found comfortable. Or maybe it was that she ended up separated from the rest of the team and so didn't really have anyone to talk to. Renata wasn't attending - this wasn't a mission and so Naja didn't forbade her from tagging along, but she chose to stay in the tower anyway. Mizu decided to not poke her on the reasons why - she had yet to fully recover after the impact their mission has had on her.

But she's certainly taken Wyatt's demand to train with him with enthusiasm. Mizu didn't think Renata could push herself even more than the furiously-blasting-any-place-where-Mizu's-illusions-were enthusiasm she's shown so far, but that misconception's been broken quickly...

Slowly making her way through the gala, occassionally listening in on conversations, Mizu stumbled across a scene taking place by a table in the distance. More accurately, a tall blonde man suddenly leaving two others, fury easy to glean from the way he ranted and stormed off.

Wait, isn't that?.. Blackout, right... And the other two were...

Forge and Kabuto. Both of her former squadmates, as a funny coincidence, before the squad got dissolved and all of them separated into other squads... Mizu's mind quickly connected the dots, and she released a defeated sigh. Mike said something dumb again, hasn't he?

Without saying a single word, Mizu made her way through the crowd, the conversation between the two boys reaching her - and the tone with which they blasted each other did not leave her optimistic, either... She took Icarus's seat, not saying anything just yet, waiting for her cue - or to be noticed. Maybe reminding them that there's a world outside of their bubble of hostility will convince them to stop...

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

Bael was somewhat surprised that Sina elected to do the same thing and the pair plummet towards the ground. Even in his inebriated state, he had to wonder what her thought process was. He could survive the fall without issue, but she would wind up hurt. Then again, that was how she always played it, and not willing to fall for her nonsense again, he loosened his grip so she could get free and continued his plummet.

"Suit yourself! When we hit the ground, it'll just be a nice fluffy cloud to me! Can't say the same for you!"

The Gala

Jason and Bael had arrived a little later to the Gala than they would have liked, though it was solely because Bael went to pick up some Dra'Qunni formal wear that he felt didn't look horrendous. Jason simply went to Kohls and bought a cheap suit while waiting for him. Meanwhile Bael had arrived, wearing a white robe with an elegant, almost priest-like tabard. Elegant design hemmed into it all around, but not so much as to look gaudy. "Took you long enough."

"I'm sorry. Next time you make a round trip halfway across the planet, I'll make sure to nag you about it." Bael shot back.

Jason snickered. "I'm just messing you man. Not like we're missing much, just looking fancy and showing off to the public. By the way, I'm definitely not a part of the Young Bloods or anything, I'm just your plus one. I'd go in costume, but uhh... It's not what you'd call. What's the word?"

"Picturesque? The kind of thing that gives small children nightmares?"

"Ha, yeah something like that," Jason replied as they entered the gala. "I'm gonna poke around and snag some overpriced finger foods. You're what people came here to see and more people are gonna wanna talk to the six and a half foot lizard man than me. Best of luck amigo." He said and quickly separated from his friend to go eat a fancy snack and see if he couldn't strike up a conversation with someone. He made his way over to the hor d'oeuvres and snagged a few for himself while looking around at all the nearly identically dressed people. At least the girls put some colors on with their dresses, because the men all looked almost the same bar the masks.

As he was munching and looking around, he spotted Casimir just getting out of a heated argument with Mike, and decided that if there was ever a time to strike, it was now. He made his way over to him. "Now, I didn't hear much of the words exchanged, but me thinks that arguing with the team at a formal event is not the smartest PR move."

[Segral]

Carter Graystone
Chapter 3: Crisis

Carter looked down in horror at what looked like a Glock pistol pointed right at his heart, his eyes widening in surprise. Arun's face, which had been relaxed and all smiles just a few seconds ago, was transformed into a hard scowl, his eyes showing none of the warmth that Carter had felt at the airport. Harley whimpered somewhere to his left, a whimper that turned into a thin growl as he fixed his eyes on the gun pointed towards Carter's heart.

"Quiet." Arun said firmly, the look in his eyes enough to silence Harley for a few seconds. "Now, let's do this the easy way. Hands up where I can see them. Any funny business, and I shoot. Got it?" he said with gritted teeth, pushing the barrel forward so that the muzzle pressed against his chest. Carter glared back, staring daggers at the other man, but obliged, slowly lifting his hands. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath, eliciting a laugh from Arun.

"That's better. Now, we're going to exit the car. I'm going to crawl to the back and follow you out the door. If you run, I shoot you in the back. If your dog tries to attack, I shoot both of you. Clear?" Arun said lightly, as if he was proposing that they go on a beachfront walk.

"...Alright." Carter said with a nervous nod after a small pause, but still remaining rooted in place. "One thing, though. You let the dog go. If he takes one scratch, I beat the crap out of you. Got it?"

"With all due respect Aeolus, you are in no position to ask for demands. Now cooperate, or I'll start shooting." Arun said with a grin, revealing a mouthful of teeth that were slightly rotten, a chip on his front tooth. His hair was scraggly, unsightly stubble was covering his chin, little things that Carter hadn't noticed before. But even though he was a solid 4/10 in looks, his arm was still muscled and tanned, and the gun didn't tremble even once in his hand. What an ass.

"Alright, fine." Carter spat, grasping the door handle and pulling back. The gun's muzzle left his chest for a brief second, before shifting to his neck as Arun began to follow him out the door by crawling through the narrow space between the two front seats. The hot Indian sun struck Carter's face as he slid outside, the dry air practically stifling him as he hit the ground. He his knees buckled the second he touched the ground, both of them half-asleep after sitting down for hours. Desperately, he looked around for a car, a truck, any witness to this fucking nutcase pointing a Glock .19 at the back of his head. How'd he even get a Glock 19? And where was his witness, the guardian angel that would save him from the guy who Carter had thought was his guardian angel and turned out not to be his guardian angel, but instead turned out to be the opposite of his guardian angel? What even was the opposite of a guardian angel...a guardian devil? Jesus Christ, he sounded stupid. Was this what it felt like to be Casimir?

"Stand up." Arun instructed, his voice sounding more like a tired high school teacher than a murderer. Maybe that was a good sign. Carter obeyed, standing up with his hands still behind his head, feeling the muzzle tap that sensitive area between his shoulder blades. One of Harley's favorite spots to get scratched, right up there with behind his ears. He could hear Harley's leash jangling behind him, along with Harley's thin growl returning. Thankfully, it didn't get any louder than a growl. If it did, Arun would probably shoot him.

"I have the dog, no need to worry. Here's what we'll do." Arun started, pointing towards a patch of scraggly trees in the distance. "You see that patch? We're going to walk there. I have a few...friends over there who are waiting for you. They are also armed to the teeth with Kalashnikov rifles."

"Don't you mean AK-47's?"

"...Whatever!" Arun snapped, giving him an aggressive shove as punishment for Carter's cheekiness. "It doesn't matter. They're all deadly."

"If you don't even know what their common names are, are they really that deadly?" Carter asked with a very polite air. He was either digging his own grave or...no, he was digging his own grave for sure. The conclusion was confirmed when Arun, grabbed him roughly by the shoulders, whipped him around to face him, and slammed the butt of the pistol into Carter's nose, breaking it with a resounding CRACK. The impact sent him staggering backwards before eventually tripping over a loose stone and falling hard on his own butt, letting out a groan as he felt warm blood beginning to stream down his face.

"BRO! Whad wa' dat for..." Carter moaned as Arun grabbed him roughly by the scruff of his neck and pulled him upright, leaning in and hissing into his ear. "Listen here. No more funny business, or I'll break a few more bones. If I have to drag you over to those trees with both of your legs broken, I'll do it. Now, march." he said, spinning Carter around and planting the gun on the back of his head again. Reluctantly, Carter began to stiffly half-walk, half-stumble to the trees, blood now dripping from his chin. He could hear Harley's whine and the leash behind him, reassuring him somewhat. Supposedly, there were a few men...or women waiting in the trees, but Carter couldn't hear them. He couldn't hear much of anything besides his own footsteps, Harley's leash, and the autumn wind in his ears. Maybe if he used his air field, he would hear something else.

"So...I tho' thi' wa' subbose to be a buzy highway." Carter said, struggling to make himself clear with a broken nose and blood all in his mouth. "Where are awl th' beoble?"

"They've been...detoured by a construction roadblock." Arun said, apparently pleased at Carter's pace. "The water bottle I gave you was drugged. You were fast asleep, you didn't even wake up when we passed right through the signs and kept driving down the road." he said, his words plunking on Carter's head and making him feel like a fool. Wait, "feel" like a fool? He was a fool, plain and simple. Then, another thought that made him realize his foolishness.

"You we' thnever muh driver, we' ya?" Carter slurred, the pieces in his brain beginning to click together. "How thid ya know when I wo' ge' ou' the airbort?"

"Simple. Vikram mentioned in passing that you were flying in from Tokyo." Arun said casually, as if complimenting his words with a slight shrug. "There's only so many flights that come in from Tokyo to New Delhi in a day. It was easy to tell which one it was. All I had to do was construct my own sign and find you. You're very famous here, Mr. Graystone. There are a lot of Indian people that love you. I also love you, but only because you're useful to me. Useful to my movement."

"Your movementh?"

"Yes, my movement. India will finally be liberated from these conservative tyrants that currently plague our country, and you will help us achieve it." Arun said, kissing Carter on the back of his neck. Gross. However, unbeknownst to Arun's kissy self, Carter had been expanding his field of air, using his radar sense to try to find the location of the men in the trees as he inched ever closer. Ever since he had left the Young Bloods, he had been working like crazy to bring his new aero-telekinesis thing under control, and now, it was actually useful. He could feel the tiniest ridges, hear a pin drop, sense things dozens of feet away. He had picked up faint disturbances in the air, small movements, but as he got closer, they grew bigger, four large masses disturbing the natural flow of the air. He tried to amplify the vibrations coming from that area, but all he got was louder footsteps, louder jangling of his leash, and louder breeze in his ears. Helpful.

However, what was seriously helpful was the four large masses he had detected. From what he could tell, they were roughly fifty feet away from him, and he was getting ever closer. A plan started to formulate in his head, a plan that would most likely get him killed, but a plan nonetheless. There was no use trying to call for help, he was practically in the middle of nowhere by this point, but he had gotten out of stickier situations. Compared to Dante, this was a joke. Even Red was scarier than this clown, Carter just needed to bide his time.

Forty feet...

Thirty feet...

Twenty feet, and Arun was shouting something in a foreign language. Gesturing with his hand. Carter tried amplifying the vibrations again, agitating the air and pushing them towards him. This time, he got feedback. Whispers and mutters, what sounded like boots crunching on the ground. The click of a gun. They were clearly armed to the teeth. He had to act now, while they were still some distance away.

Ten feet.

"SIC 'EM, HARLEY!"



BANG

[Tomia]

Mars at the Tower
Mars was busy at work with his soldering iron as he worked to fix some of the external armor augmentations on Rocket's leg. He had been so deep in thought he didn't notice Renata enter the room. He lifted up his protective mask and turned to see her behind him. She looked uncharacteristically nervous as she asked about Rocket. "Oh, hi Renata, he's going to need a few hours of work but no he certainly isn't destroyed. Not like city hall, thankfully." He told her, curious as to what she was doing here. He had been pretty annoyed in the moment that Renata had seemingly shot at him on purpose, but he had calmed down and wasn't that bothered by it anymore.

"So uh, what happened back there exactly? I had a clear path towards Floyd, and it kind of seemed like you shot at me on purpose..."

Mars at the Gala
Mars found himself a little scandalized at Viv's lack of knowledge about how Rocket worked, though he found the idea of Rocket becoming a Roomba very amusing. "Uh ya, that's not really how that works. Rocket isn't intelligent you see, some of his processes are automated but he doesn't have a consciousness like you and I do, so he can't just up and decide he doesn't want to listen to me one day. Though I have always wanted to try to build an intelligent machine..." His thought was interrupted when Viv pointed out the ruckus that Icarus seemed to be involved in. "Ya, I don't know what's going on over there, but hopefully they don't make too much of a scene..."

[Bentus]

Lisette Aveline - The Nefarious Marionette!
San Diego

---

Frowning slightly, Alice watched as Surge stormed away from the Young Blood’s table. It wasn’t so overt as to draw the attention of most of the gala’s engrossed guests, but she nevertheless made a mental note to look into what could have prompted the exchange. The last thing that they needed was a public spat between the young team and the Stars. Or at least one worse than what they’d already had to deal with. Thrusting a polite smile onto her features with a practiced ease, the woman made no indications that anything was amiss as she walked up to the Young Bloods, even though she noted the tension in the air.

“Catching up, were you? I wanted to give you the chance to meet some of the people who’ve been helping you from behind the scenes.” She offered, drawing the teenagers’ attention while subtly gesturing towards the extra ears that she’d brought with her. Hopefully that would be enough of a hint for them to behave themselves. Even if there weren’t any cameras, people could still talk. “This is Mr and Mrs Aveline. They were both very early supporters of the team when we needed some initial funding. They’ve been instrumental in helping get you to where you are today, and it’s been a pretty thankless job so far.”

With his arm wrapped loosely around his wife’s waist, Mr. Aveline chuckled as he made a false show of brushing aside the praise. Both of them appeared to be perfectly at ease with their lavish surroundings, taking the gala in their stride. The pair were dressed in a suit and dress that had evidently each cost a small fortune. Mrs. Aveline’s flowing dress in particular exuded its value as it shimmered slightly in the lights, managing to draw the eye without being too gaudy or ostentatious. And yet, it was but one of countless such items that regularly rotated their way through the woman’s wardrobe as new fashions came and went.

“Alice, please. There was nothing to it, and we’ve always been willing to do what we can for a noble cause. Isn’t that right dear?” Mr. Aveline said, turning towards his wife, who nodded in agreement.

“Of course. And you would not believe how popular you have become in all of our circles! It’s so exciting to be so involved in an up-and-coming team, and you’re all such a diverse bunch of personalities that it never fails to be interesting.” The woman appraised the young heroes like a visitor might have looked at animals in a zoo. “Tell me Alice, who’s who? It’s simply been impossible to keep all the names straight when there’s so many!”

Humouring the wealthy patron, Alice began to go around the table. “Well, in that case I’d like to introduce you to Rocket and Chicle. Rocket is one of the team’s two main tech whizzes.” She gestured towards the pair at the far end of the table as Mrs. Aveline’s gaze glanced at each of the heroes in turn. “And over here is Forge and -”

“Bug boy!” Mrs. Aveline interjected suddenly, her features lighting up as she saw Casimir. “Oh Alice, please give me at least some credit.” Chuckling, she turned towards the hero. “I have to say, your escapades have been all the rage lately. I think that it was just such a great idea from Naja to include some comedic relief within the team!” Suddenly, her features lit up as an idea struck her. “Edward, you know what would be absolutely splendid? A photo with Bug Boy! That would blow Sarah’s constant boasting about her private concert with whoever-it-was out of the water.”

As his wife stepped forward, Edward Aveline nodded in agreement and pulled out his phone to hand it to Alice. “That does sound like a lovely idea, dear. Alice, would you mind? And Bug Boy, could you perhaps strike one of those ridiculous poses of yours? They’re always a good laugh.”

“Mother, father!” The third voice was distraught. “His name is Kabuto, not Bug Boy - please, you’re embarrassing me!” Horrified at the scene that was unfurling before her, Lisette Aveline. Born into the exuberant wealth of her family name, her attire was just as elegant as her parents’. With her hair hanging down her back with a casual tidiness that only a personal coiffeur could have provided, the girl’s cocktail dress was a far cry from the ostentatious style of her alter ego. Despite her appearance, she could have easily been overlooked up until that point as she trailed obediently behind her parents, almost being lost in their shadows.

Pausing in surprise as he was fiddling with his phone, almost as if he had forgotten the presence of his own daughter, Lisette’s father glanced back towards Kabuto before offering him an apologetic smile. “Ah, our bad my boy. I must say that your outfit is very similar to Bug Boy’s. Innocent mistake on our part, Lisette has always been far more up to date on all this NASL stuff.” He chuckled. “I suppose it’s all the rage with you kids these days. Back in the day we’d get this excited about football and baseball instead, can you imagine it?”

Looking disappointed at the case of mistaken identity, Mrs. Aveline stepped away from Kabuto as she continued. “Actually Alice, did you know that it was Lisette who talked us into supporting this venture of Scott’s in the first place?” Beside her parents, the girl’s cheeks suddenly began to flush pink as attention turned back towards her. “We said no at first, of course. But I swear, I have never seen her be so insistent about anything before in her entire life!” A sly smirk spread across the woman’s features. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d wager that she had a crush on one of the boys.”

“Mother!” Lisette exclaimed in desperation once again, groaning inwardly at her parents. She knew that having them with her when she met the Young Bloods was going to be a problem, but beggars could hardly be choosers. “Would you please cut it out?”

Laughing at her daughter, Mrs. Aveline brushed aside her concern. “Edward, how about we leave the kids to their own devices? I heard from Madeline that she and her husband are up in the gallery.”

Seeing an opportunity to delegate the responsibility for his daughter onto someone else for the night, Lisette’s father agreed immediately. “Really? It would be great to catch up with them.” He turned towards Alice who suddenly looked like she was a deer that had been caught in a pair of headlights. “Alice, would you mind making sure that Lisette gets to the chauffeur when she’s done for the night? Wouldn’t want to take her to the bar, after all.”

Collecting herself and silently cursing Jordan for putting her in the role of babysitter, she offered the wealthy couple a faint smile. “I suppose I could have someone keep an eye on her.” The Avelines were already in the process of leaving before she had fully replied, offering the team a wave as they went.

“Splendid! And it was a pleasure to meet all of you.” Lisette’s father said, while her mother offered her a quick finger wag.

“Make sure you get home in time, your father and I might not be back till late. Viktor will be waiting by the limo, ok?”

Resisting the urge to sigh as she silently willed for her parents to leave even faster than they already were, Lisette maintained an obedient smile as she waved at their backs. “Yes mother, I know.” She waited for a few seconds until the couple were safely distracted and out of earshot before she allowed for a loud groan to escape from her lips. Turning towards the Young Bloods, she offered them an apologetic glance. “Oh my god, I am so sorry about that. They can be absolutely ridiculous, you know?”

Sighing herself, Alice glanced towards her watch. “Your parents have a lot to manage on their plates, Lisette. I’m sure that they’re doing their best to keep up with everything. Now, I have to get going too - but I’ll have one of the staff head over to check on you every now and then.” Lisette offered the woman a quick scowl, irritated that she was being spoken back to by what she considered to be Jordan Scott’s ‘help’. Though Alice paid the look no mind if she noticed it. “Until then, you can stay here with the others. Ok?” Satisfied with the nod she received in response, the woman offered the now sparsely populated table a final glance before turning to leave herself. I hope the rest of them aren’t getting into trouble, the grownups are enough of a headache, thank you very much.

As she left, Lisette turned back to the Young Blood’s with a beaming smile on her features. “Ok, wow. I bet that you guys get this like, all of the time. But I am totally your biggest fan! You guys are all just so amazing.” There was a glimmer in her eyes as she looked over the heroes, her words clearly genuine. Sure, she’d met them as Marionette, but that was so different to being here as Lisette! Glancing around, she seemed to notice the lacklustre presence for the first time. “Hey, where’s everyone else though?” A look of disappointment seemed to flash across her features. “I thought more of you would show up.” Like the Mask…

[Absolon-7]

Mike

Mizu

Jason

Aveline Family

Casimir Herman October 7th

---

Casimir rolled his eyes at the pathetic backtracking Mike began spewing astounded that Mike forgot on the spot that over half of the crap he breathed out before wasn't even related to Renata. He then had the audacity to refocus his anger back on the imaginary problems he imagined Casimir himself to have. Of course he practiced what he was already good at otherwise how would he get even better at those things. Of course he jumped at any chance to get an audience because power needs to be shown. The hell does he mean by bring in strays? The only person I've brought over was Ash. Casimir tightly clenched his teeth when Mike had the stones to outright say he wasn't a hero but Mike was spared having his eardrums burst by storming off before Casimir could get in a word.

"Keep thinking that's why you piss me off its not like there's anything else," muttered Casimir but his eyes soon fell on Mizu waiting like a cat expecting to be noticed where Icarus used to be. He sighed and tugged at his tie to loosen it slightly before he spoke, "Hey Mizu."

"So I guess you where there the entire time? I don't suppose you want to go swoop Prince Charming over there so he doesn't blow something up?" he jokingly said to Mizu before noticing that Jason had just joined in as well next to him talking about the team's PR, "Might not be but that jerk had it coming for acting like he's better then me and Surge....whatever I shouldn't let him get to me."

In yet another interjection Alice came back to introduce two rich snobs and their daughter to the team. They were apparently some early benefactors or something equally trivial but once they turned their attention to Casimir he was simply silenced by how mind boggingly stupid they were. They dared to get his name wrong to that ever present thorn of a nickname 'Bug Boy' that followed him around like a blood-lusted mosquito. They wanted a photo which he obliged but they had the audacity to call his poses ridiculous! Those poses were an instrumental part of his presence as a hero! Luckily their daughter rightfully corrected them on his actual name. His head started to hurt from listening to their avalanche of empty words until they finally left where their daughter finally revealed herself to be a huge fan of the team.

"Well there's a few of us dancing somewhere around here. Rest are back in the Tower, Lisette right?" answered Casimir before proudly crossing his arms, "You should know that the Spectacular Kabuto thanks you for correcting that dumb name. Even my tournament fights haven't overshadowed it, dammit."

Mars

Viviana Couture

---

Viviana nodded along to Mars explanation amused that her joke had gotten a more detailed explanation about Rocket's inner workings. Being around a team filled with awesome robots was one of her favorite perceived perks so this was a nice bonus. It seemed like every other person had their own robot like Mars had Rocket, Alexis had Oberon, Wendy had Spot, Cassandra *was* a robot. Having her own robot would be cool. Preferably a fish robot.

"Ah so that's a no on the AI. Hmm so it's like he's a highly destructive glove of destruction," mused Viviana stroking her chin, "Speaking of complete and total annihilation there was one time Casi tried to retrofit his old bike with a new engine but once he turned it on he almost lit up his whole butt on fire! Okay so moral of the story is pushing something to its limits. And that leads to you ever tried to push the new Rocket to its limits? Or is it confidential information that would earn me my death?"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

October 3rd

---

---

Alexis held a hand to her chin as if in contemplation while listening to Wyatt wonder how to earn the respect of his teammates and his ideas for disciplining them. "Well, I suppose smoking them is a good start, hopefully it'll make them feel more cooperative. But honestly, if that doesn't work, you're going to have to start looking at some administrative measures. Like what we did with Yoshi, you know? It wasn't easy to talk in favor of benching her for a while, but it was for the better, to ensure the safety of the team and her own and all that. It was kind of harsh, but it was for a good cause, and I think some of those concerns apply here too. If you think they might be at risk of putting themselves or others in too much danger on missions, you have every right to take measures and I'm sure Naja will support you." She assured the Dra'Qunni boy.

"Not that I think that will do much good with Red, considering what he does is precisely sit out of missions. Maybe if you leave him out on the few occasions he's here he'll get the hint and fix up his act, I guess. Maybe." She shrugged.

"But anyways, if they don't respect you, they can go get stuffed. You may not be the most experienced person around, but if experience was everything most of us wouldn't be around. You've more than proven yourself out there and it's not your fault they can't see that, you don't have to earn anything." She stated, hoping to cheer Wyatt up. "But hey, if you really want it, maybe they'll learn to respect you after you're done smoking them." She snickered.

---

October 7th

---

---

Trailing behind Alice and offering a nod or an idle 'uh-huh' at her suggestions, Alexis couldn't have been giddier about what was going on, wearing a bright smile on her face as she walked and casually looked around. She took note of the businesswoman's tips for addressing Jordan, but didn't concern herself too much with them - she was sure that her lively, magnetic personality would do just fine in impressing him.

It wasn't long until the two reached Jordan Scott, who was at the moment socializing with some of his distinguished guests. Alexis rolled her eyes at the sight of business people laughing and chatting together. What are they talking about, gold-plated toilets? She wondered, needing to make a conscious effort to avoid laughing at the thought. She simply continued smiling as Alice got Jordan's attention and prompted him to depart from his previous companions, exchanging farewells and then walking up to her and offering a hand to shake. Grinning, the blonde girl eagerly shook the CEO's hand.

"It's no problem, Mr. Scott, it's really nice to meet you!" She replied cheerfully to his apology. A moment later, Alice bid the two farewell, and the short girl offered a wave before turning back to Jordan, listening to what he had to say. However, her confidence seemed to break down a little now that she was actually in front of the man - obviously, she really didn't want to blow it here.

"Oh um well I'm actually a pretty normal girl outside of the whole superheroing business you know Mr. Scott? I go to high school and everything - some people tell me I should just skip ahead to college but I really don't want to be the fifteen year old outcast and I don't want to miss out on the best few years of my life so yeah. I like sports and acting, I actually got a spot in the track club but the drama club was up to the cheeks with snobby wannabe thespians before I even found out we had one so that was a big no. My dad says I have a lot of talent though so I've been thinking of recruiting some people to make my own rendition of Hamilton and show those guys what they're missing out on. Anyways, besides going out on missions or staying at home inventing this or that to help the team with that's the kind of thing I do at school and on some of my free time."

Stopping to take a breath - out of ingrained habit rather than true need - she smiled sheepishly at Scott. "Sorry sometimes I start rambling and talking fast when I'm excited or nervous and it gets really bad when it's both."

[Finland SSR]

Bael

Sina As'tari, sponsored by the Desert Sandstorms!

---

Bael wasn't going to let himself go down that quickly, suddenly breaking himself free from Sina's grasp and declaring that only she was going to get hurt when they both hit the ground. Hearing his confidence, Sina suddenly broke into a sharp laugh and flapped her wings to burst forth with newfound speed yet again - this time straight at the Elder.

"That's why you're gonna be my shield when we land!" she yelled, aiming to headbutt Bael and push both of them towards the ground as fast as possible, hopefully before he can react again.

---

Mars at the Tower

Renata Martinez, the heroic Stella!

---

Renata blinked a few times, unsure how to respond to Mars's question. She had been thinking of what she was going to say if Mars proved to be accepting, or accused her of trying to kill him, but this... Didn't she kinda make it clear that she fired at the teen at purpose? At least, Mizu, Wyatt and Alexis certainly picked up on what she meant when she asserted that Ares is hers to fight... The pink-haired girl sighed, turned her eyes from Mars, and blurted out:

"...come on, Mars, don't be like that, you and everyone else know what happened there." Renata then struck a slight frown. "I, uh, wanted to apologize to you for that... please, don't make this more difficult by toying with my emotions."

Her mind noted something else which Mars mentioned, however. "Wait, that guy's called Ares, though, right? Where'd you get Floyd from?"

[New Neros]

Mark Nemo | Ava Waldstein
Ultra Invaders, II

Cosmic slammed his knee into Captain Murphy's stomach, winding the senior officer, the wild look in the rookie's eyes painting a pretty clear picture: He was still knocked out. Gerard smiled despite the harsh hit, returning the blow with a headbutt to Mark's nose and causing him to loosen his grip and turn the corpsman loose. Mark balled his fists and surrounded them with energy, swinging quickly at the Captain as he dodged left and right fluidly, trivializing Cosmic's efforts. "You're in an adrenaline-fueled dream, Mark, you still think you're fighting and can't see you're friends are here to help you!" Gerard Murphy yelled, swiftly uppercutting Nemo's chin and sending him falling backwards.

Ava seemed to be fairing better against her opponent, consistently planning around the alien girl's moveset and powers, having had tons of experience training with Mark and sparring against him. Not only that, but a strong desire to be someone who could beat him lead to her development of very specific and niche constructs and tactics to wear down a high-powered, energy-projecting monster until victory. Weaving around a blast of energy, Ava flew fast and hard at Bubbly, hitting her side with a low punch, ducking down lower to avoid her opponent's counter-attack. With her eyes focused on Ava, Bubbly was unable to see the solid block of energy Ava formed above her, the weight and power of the construct crashing hard against the alien girl, sending her straight to the ground ungraciously.

"Gahh!" She yelled, rubbing the back of her skull carefully, checking her palm for blood, "That really hurt, I'm going to start using my powers since you keep using yours." She said with a pout, Ava's eyes growing wide, wondering what additional powers she had, be them alien or through the Ultra Force. She reckoned it would be an auxiliary power, similar to Cosmic's shatter-sight, but had nothing to base it on, and simply prepared for whatever was coming. A sphere suddenly formed around Bubbly, the girl standing up quickly, turning to look directly at Ava, a sharp-toothed grin on her face. Ava felt that the girl was a bit of a talker, and could possibly spill the beans on her abilities.

"Bubbly," Ava began, the girl perking up and listening intently almost immediately, "What kind of powers do you have? It looks pretty cool so far."

"Oh! Haha, well, I can make bubbles." She said with a sweet smile, Ava feeling a pain in her heart from the amount of cuteness an alien girl could give off. Showing off her ability, forming several medium-sized bubbles inside her shield, flaring her energy a bit and infusing the bubbles with impactful elements of the Ultra Force, allowing the bubbles to lazily float out of the barrier. With the flick of her wrist, the collection of bubbles converged quickly on Ava's position, who leapt back instinctively. The bubbles hit the ground and exploded violently, taking pieces of the alley with it, the bubbles somehow amplifying the power just prior to their rupture. They kept pursuing her, Ava trying to avoid the bubbles as Bubbly simply directed towards her, making more and more and sending them towards her opponent.

Elsewhere in the alley, Captain Murphy bounced Cosmic's chin off his knee cap, further injuring the young hero, adding more onto the battle-hardened teen's body. Mark Nemo's body flew back horribly limp, sliding along the ground and tumbling over a few times. Murphy walked briskly towards the groaning body, hands at his sides, relaxed and fully in control. "I'm trying my hardest to keep this minimal, Cosmic, we're friends, comrades, members of the same corps. I don't want to fight you despite splintering your jawline, just come to your senses already."

Cosmic flexed his body abruptly, letting out a primal groan and turning his head to look directly at Captain Murphy approaching, his eyes glowing yellow and his capillaries expanding and spreading in a noticeable tree-like pattern. Gerard shook his head and stopped approaching Cosmic, spreading his feet and and putting his hands up to fight, Cosmic rising only to his knees, filling his fists with energy once more, punching down at the ground abruptly and with tremendous force, flooding the surrounding area with energy from his hands. The alleyway and several backyards and houses broke from the power, the entire walkway shattered from Cosmic to the street and beyond. The outpouring of force made Ava and Bubbly pause, while the crossed arms of Captain Murphy protected the pair from the bulk of Cosmic's attack.

Ripped and bloodied, burned and charred to the bone in the characteristic shattered glass pattern, Murphy seemed unphased by the attack as he uncrossed his arms and stood in the same spot he was hit. In real time, Captain Murphy's entire front began to peel away it's burnt pieces and close up his wounds, faster than possible even with the Ultra Force's passive ability. A small flash of lightning arced across his face as the final touches were set in stone, Gerard Murphy's body completely returned to normal in mere moments. "I had to play my power, Cosmic, and that means I'm done playing around." He took a single step towards Mark Nemo, his eyes widening and turning slightly, an intense and burning spear of moonlight racing it's way to his body.

Piecing through Bubbly's barrier and leaving an exact spear shaped hole in it's wake, Bubbly was surprised at the attack as well, unable to turn fast enough to watch it fly, much less dodged if it were aimed at her. Looking at Ava directly, the girl was a javelin throwers end stance, yelling out the name of her epic attack, strong enough to give pause to the gathered corpsmen, "Ten Cubit Spear," She hollered, Murphy leaning to the side, dodging the majority of the attack, but catching the sharp wind of it's passing. It tore a spear-sized gash across his chest and sternum, and now was directly ready to impact Mark Nemo head-on. A sound of thunder cracking erupted without warning, the small frame of Regismora entering the impromptu battlefield.

Slamming her heel on Cosmic's head and driving it down into the asphalt, the teen was knocked unconscious almost immediately, the powerful Zodiac reaching out with her crystalline right arm and grabbing the moonlight construct, Ten Cubit Spear, and crushing it between her talons. Moonlight flooded the area for a moment, immediately replaced and overwritten by a burning inferno that stretched up into the skies and barreled it's way down the alley. Gerard Murphy once more took the brunt of the force, incinerating most of his body down to the bone. Ava collapsed from her attack, but awoke to find Bubbly on top of her, covering her body as much as possible as her bubble shield buckled and distorted against the flames.

Standing alone in the ashy remains of the alley, Regismora breathed a short sigh, lifting her foot off of Cosmic and crunching the burnt ground under her as she walked past Captain Murphy, who let out a short groan as his body rapidly repaired itself, intent on seeing what level of creature could produce such a sudden and dangerous ability. Ava stared closely at Bubbly as the alien girl held on tight, the human teen seeing that she was pretty cute and attractive, despite the teeth situation. "D-did you save me?" Darklight asked quietly, Bubbly opening her eyes and finding herself face to face with Ava.

"Y-yeah..." She replied back, shy and quiet as well, "I-it's what we do... We help people..."

"Could you...?" Ava asked, Bubbly nodding quickly and getting off of her, dropping her bubble shield in the process, kneeling in front of the heroine. "Thanks, I just-" She locked eyes with the Hadrian standing behind Bubbly, the one who stopped her Ten Cubit Spear, the powerful alien staring sharply at the human. An image of Kiris flashed in her mind, Ava remembering the Young Blood she met months ago and her impressive powers, wondering how this woman compared to her. "I..."

"That was dangerous and irresponsible, why did you unleash such an attack?" Regismora demanded, her arms folded, Bubbly looking back and scrambling away from the Zodiac. "What relation do you have to Cosmic?"

"He's my friend," Darklight replied quickly, narrowing her eyes, "And I wasn't about to let that guy keep hurting him."

"So," Regis said with the roll of her wrist, "You're willing to kill and maim if it means your friends are safe and sound?"

Without skipping a beat, Ava replied, "Of course. I'll defend my friends to the end, even if it means my morals are turned upside down. That's why I fought Bubbly as soon as I saw her, Cosmic came to my house beaten and busted up. I didn't know if she was part of the people who did it, but I wasn't about to take a chance and let her take him. Frankly, I don't know who any of you are, or what you want with Mark, but I'll defend him until I physically can't. He'd do the same for me and then some." Ava had a certain fire in her eyes, Regismora seeing it immediately, closing the distance between herself and the heroine. She reached out her crystalline hand, Ava recoiling for a moment, but judging it to be a friendly gesture.

Regis placed her hand on Darklight's shoulder, kneeling down to her level. "That's very heroic of you. We're here to help Cosmic, my name is Regismora, I am one of the twelve Zodiacs of the Ultra Corps, I lead the squads operating in this section of space. Come with us and we'll both help and defend Cosmic together. You've met Bubbly already, but this is Captain Gerard Murphy," She gestured to the reforming mass of muscles and skin, who held up a fist in the air, "And we're here to oversee Ultra Corps actions in the sector, but came as soon as we detected Cosmic's energy flaring and falling. You're someone I'd like to have as an ally, join us for a while, Miss...?"

"Darklight, just Darklight." She replied, standing up on her wobbly knees, "I'd love to, I really don't have a choice otherwise."

"Why is that?" Regis asked.

"I used way too much energy and shouldn't have stood up." At that, Ava collapsed back onto the ground in a cloud of ash and dust, completely exhausted, adrift in a deep sleep as the three Ultra Corps members congregated, speaking among themselves and plotting the next course of events.