For Honor And Justice [IC, CLOSED, SEE OOC PAGE 16]

[Forest State]

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[Forest State]

SEASON 1; EPISODE 1: PRISONER OF GENEVA

Captain Canada stared straight up at the sky, and for the first time in ages, she felt like she’d met her match. Her heightened physicality and healing factor wasn’t doing anything to put the air back into her lungs after she’d been slammed into the ground, and she felt like something was broken. A rib, maybe. There was definitely blood, too, even though her red uniform made it impossible to see where she was bleeding. Except for the one spot where it was torn, where bone from her attacker stuck out of the wound in the middle of the tear. It was usually pretty tough, but it just showed that the bone was tougher than she thought.

She made a mental note to make sure the wound didn’t get infected. She was already losing a lot of blood from it, and it looked messy when she pulled the shard of bone out of her side, grimacing in pain in the process. She could handle more pain, yes, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel things like this, like a sharp bone that had splintered in her side and embedded itself within her skin. She guessed that it was intentional that it had splintered like that, and she could still feel some of the smaller shards there.

She’d have to worry about that later.

Another attack came in, and she raised her shield just in time to deflect the brunt of it. The shock of the attack still ran through her body, and it was painful because she was already against the ground and couldn’t roll with the hit. Another hit came shortly afterwards and… Wait, this was impossible. Her shield split into two halves, dangling from the handle, and she saw a scythe of bone hovering above her and preparing to make the killing blow.

She rolled out of the way just in time, and switched to the communications channel. “This is Canada, I need an evac bird at the LZ location… Collective is here, and I think we underestimated them. One of them split my fucking shield… Yeah, I’ll try not to die, just get over here before that happens.”

***

Beatrice Leclerc sat up as the doctor finished placing a patch on her side, but she cringed with pain. Everyone thought it was easy to be her. Well, they hadn’t experienced days like this, when there was no action and plenty of pain from injuries sustained earlier. She hated days like this, but it was part of being a hero and the face of the Guardians. “Make sure to check in tonight and we can begin the cryotherapy treatment,” said the doctor, as she stood up and pulled a red jacket on over her grey tee shirt. “And stay away from combat training until it’s healed up more.”

“Right. Thanks,” she mumbled, still somewhat distracted by her current situation and not focusing on what was going on right now. She made her way through the hallways of the Guardians HQ and eventually reached the brig area, where she wanted to talk to one very specific prisoner. The one she had retrieved on the same trip to Romania that had given her these injuries.

“Hello, Captain. What can I do for you today?” asked the warden, greeting her just past the entrance.

“I’m looking for the prisoner that I brought in yesterday. Sari Dragoi. I want to have a bit of a talk with her, tell her why she’s in here.”

The warden led her to the end of the row of cells, and she stared through the bars at the teenage girl that was sitting on a bed inside the cell that the warden pointed to. “You’ve come to rub it in and taunt me about the murder of my village,” she said solemnly,

“I didn’t murder your village. The Collective did, and you’re not here because you did anything wrong, but to protect you from that. That’s why I came to the village, and they attacked. Not me. I did my best to protect you. Kept you out of their hands and fought them off for as long as I could-”

“I could have saved them. I could have killed the attackers. You murdered my people when you made the choice to restrain me instead of letting me go after them. I’m stronger than they are. I usurped a tribe before I was eighteen, damn it! I would have taken out every last one of them, and instead you restrained me and ran. Like a coward. You just had to do that and take me with you-”

Beatrice spoke again to silence the angry prisoner, who was staring at her with hard eyes. “The result was never my intention. You have to understand that, and you have to realize how powerful the Collective are! They would have won, hell, they beat me in a fight and we all know how long it’s been since someone dominated me like that in combat! They’re strong. Real strong. They might be the biggest threat in the world right now, and we don’t know a lot about them. They would have captured you, and that would have been disastrous.”

Sari was resolute. “And if that happened, I would give in to the darkness that’s been eating away at me for as long as I can remember. And may their deities have mercy on their souls, if that ever happens to them. You should leave. I’m not in the mood to hear you justify this.”

“Don’t think of it as a justification. Think of it as an apology and a promise that this prison stay isn’t permanent-”

“Why do I need to be in prison at all?”

“Because when you’re supposed to be the most powerful metahuman since Charlemagne, people are going to want to get their hands on you. Bad people. People that don’t want the best for your tribe. They’d be fine wiping it out, like the Collective showed they’d be fine with doing-”

“Apparently you Guardians don’t care.”

“I do. But I’m only one person, and I could only hold them off for so long.”

“Bullshit. You could have let me loose. And I’m telling you, I would have sent them back to where they came from. It’s too late, now. I can save the living, but my powers don’t yet extend to the dead-”

Beatrice was thrown off of her feet when the building shook, and it seemed like most others in the area were thrown to the ground, too. An alarm started to sound, and then doors started to lock as the building entered lockdown mode. That would be a bitch to get past. She’d have to call for someone else to undo the locks. “Motherfucker…” she muttered, reaching instinctively for her shield before realizing she didn’t have it. And she wasn’t supposed to do any fighting at a time like this. Well, it seemed she couldn’t follow the doctor’s orders right now. If something was happening at the HQ, she needed to be in the middle of it. “We’ll finish this talk later-”

“Like hell.”

Beatrice watched as darkness spread from Sari’s hand, reaching the bars of the cell and melting through them as if the darkness was acid. She stepped out, still wearing the clothes and holding the greatsword that she’d had when she was captured. They didn’t take her stuff because she wasn’t a real prisoner, and now Beatrice was happy that they’d let her hold onto her things for now. “If you think you can be useful, come on. We’ll head to the command room and see what’s happening, as soon as these doors unlock. Or you can do your little darkness thing and get us out of here. Your choice.”

The sirens were getting louder and the entire block was covered in a reddish light right now. Anyone else in the Guardians HQ would see the same thing, and the sirens were set to sound throughout the entire building. There were also announcements asking for all Guardians to be in a combat ready state, because of an ongoing emergency that had unknown details… Beatrice shifted her attention from that and looked back at Sari, who seemed to have a darker and murderous vibe emanating from her body. “My pleasure, Canuck,” she said with a grin, but her rough and aggressive tone didn’t match the expression on her face.

Beatrice sure hoped that this wasn’t something serious going on downstairs.

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

Peter

Peter had been sleeping. It was actually pretty restful for once. Normally sleep meant more nightmares about setting the planet on fire, but this night it was actually allright for once. A dream of eating some Gyro back at home with mom and dad. Who even knew if that was there home anymore. For all Peter knew, they had moved to some far away country, had another child, and forgot the boy with fire for hair. Shaking his still unlit head awake, Peter stretched out and grimaced a little wondering what had woken him. It was way too early, especially on an off duty day. Then he heard the sirens and saw the flashing red lights. Quickly igniting his hair, and making sure his harness was undamaged, he ran out into the hall wearing just his harness, boxers, and a sock on his right foot.

Looking around the hallway for anyone else he yelled over the sirens "Can someone please tell me what the ever loving fuck is going on right now?"

[Auphelia]

Stormbringer/ Heather McNamara

This was just what she needed. She had been having some lovely ramen alone in her room, reading a book and listening to the tinkling of a small fountain in the corner. The noodles were warm and salty, the book was engaging, and the fountain was soothing. She could not have been having a better day. Then there was a rumbling below her, causing water from the fountain to splash and her to drop her noodles with a soft plop onto her clean duvet. Then came the blaring klaxons and the red lights in the ceiling, unbearably loud and bright. She shouted at the lights, knowing it would do nothing but feeling irritated that her morning was being interrupted.

"WE GET IT! THERE'S AN EMERGENCY! SHUT UP!!!"

Huffing with irritation she set her bowl down, hurled to covers off of herself and went to her small closet where she had her regular clothes and three copies of her costume. Thankfully easier to put on than real spandex, her costume had been designed by one of the nameless engineers that worked for the Guardians. When it was off it acted like a loose pair of sweatpants, but when activated by voice command it would tighten up to fit her perfectly, bending in the extra fabric for protection. She didn't know how she had managed before, spending at least five minutes struggling into a poorly made costume created out of supplies she managed to scrounge up so as not to reveal her identity by accident. It had been hard and taken weeks to complete, and now it was probably incinerated or at the bottom of a dumpster out back. It didn't really matter, because she had upgraded now. She got steady pay, access to resources, and ultimate job security. Speaking of her job, she had better get moving.

She opened her door and stepped out, using her power to make herself fly quickly down the hallway. Outside her power was already at work, with clouds quickly beginning to multiply and swirl together while a steady rain began to pour. The beginnings of lightning began to charge up in the clouds as the winds picked up. She could feel a fire somewhere below her, perhaps ten floors or so, but the feeling of water turning to steam was hard to pinpoint exactly. She sent gusts of wind rustling through the building to try and find the approximate shape of . . . Captain Canada was either in the front lobby area, the main dining area for the Cadets, or the super max prison cells based on the general shape of her body. Taking a chance, Stormbringer took several turns until she found herself in the kitchen, but the figure was just one of the kitchen staff who had been refilling the refrigerator with cans of soft drinks but was now frozen in fear. Signalling for the woman to go back to the kitchens, she waited until
she ran off, then continued to the next most likely place: the prison.

Pushing the elevator shaft doors open was easy with the right leverage and enough air in the right place, and Stormbringer flew up the shafts to where someone who may or may not be Captain Canada had been when she last checked. When she got out of the shaft she saw quite the sight, a pretty Eastern European girl arguing, or at least emanating bad vibes, with Captain Canada about something. The girl appeared to be using some sort of dark inky blackness to apparently tear a hole in the side of her cell and had drawn a sword on a shield-less Captain Canada. Quickly building up a force field of air around herself, Stormbringer glided forward on the air, gathering up her energy to unleash her winds if nescessary. Outside the storm had reached the power of a weak typhoon in the few minutes it had taken her to get here, quickly spreading across the city. The rain was coming down hard and the fire on the building seemed to have ceased. She could feel the electricity building up to a critical mass in the clouds, but she held it back for now in case she needed it for a potential follow-up attack.

"Captain, madame? Do you need any help?"

She carefully looked the unknown woman up and down. She could either be a hindrance or a great help, though hindrance was more likely as she had escaped from a prison cell.

"In case you couldn't tell, something has attacked the building. What are your orders?"

[Union Princes]

Failsafe

Conagher sure enjoyed the feeling of welding especially when it comes to creating new machines. But Life had other plans for him as the sirens gave a screeching cry of alarm.

In response, Conagher took out a remote and activated half-dozen robots stationed at the wall. The six robots took up arms in a form of shotguns and proceeded to advance along side their creator. Conagher then took his revolver and shoved into his pocket before getting his blowtorch and refitting it with napalm.

He ran down the hallway followed by his mechanical minions.

"Can someone please tell me what the ever loving fuck is going one right now?!" Cried Peter who was standing only in his boxers.

"We're under attack!" answered Conagher in his Texan accent, stopping to speak to Peter with the robots following suit, "They're either stealing our German chocolate or robbing the Swiss banks, depending on which is closer to our base!"

[The Rebel Alliances]

Dalton Parks/Raptor-Gym and Training Level

Each day was the same. I woke up at 4:30 every morning. Several hours before most of the other cadets were even close to pouring their cereal. By 5:00 I am always finished with my morning routine of showering, shaving and getting into my training outfit for the day. And on the way to the mess hall for my breakfast. I was among the first ones there, outside some of the instructors who of course also rose early to prepare for classes for the cadets. The kitchen staff also knew me well as when I arrived there were not too many faces eating. This morning was the same as all the other ones, with a well balanced meal of all the nutrients and hydration I would need for my initial warm up routines. This began with study by 5:30, I find that reading gets my mind alert for the day. Today I have been working on criminology. This lasts for precisely an hour and a half and at 7:00 I go for my run. Leaving the tower I am running at a brisk and steady pace for 3 kilometers. This part varies in time, but I managed it in just under an 20 minutes. I could do it in almost 15 if I was pushing it. After I take a half hour break and eat a snack. As I proceed to my morning classes. After lunch I head straight to the Gym for physical training. Which is where I am now. And the rest of my day will be just as planned and productive as I need it to be. Every day I have to keep up this routine. Some of the other students have called me a cyborg as I never seem to stop for a moment to actually enjoy myself. Which is ironic as we have an actual android as a cadet somewhere in the Tower. Why do I go to such great extremes to practice, train and improve myself?

Because my name is Dalton Parks, AKA the hero cadet Raptor.

And I have no Superpowers.

In fact, I am not supposed to be enrolled in this Academy at all. They only accept meta-humans. I lied to get in here. And not just to the school. To my parents as well. They believe that I am in a overseas university for law degree to be a Prosecutor. As a result of my deception, I need to work 10x as hard as anyone to achieve a 5th of the results. My meta-human condition is supposed to be 'Enhanced Intellect'. And even with a entrance exam tailored to that, I still only barely managed to pass and qualify here.

So, I have to prove that I belong here. One punch at a time. As I moved swiftly through the arranged obstacle course various wooden targets would spring up from the floor. And with a solid punch or kick, I tore through them. One at a time. Placing my blows at their center mass, to break through most easily and reduce the time that I spent in the obstacle course. As I would roll beneath training lasers here or leap over electric rails there to reach my next target.

With the final target in sight I had to maneuver through a 'mine field' which was in reality a patchwork of certain tiles which simulated mission failure if stepped on, and then dive in between a small gap in training lasers to destroy the last target which simulated an enemy. Just like every other day, I managed past the randomly generated 'mine field' as per usual. Agilely surpassing the lasers and throwing a full force kick at my sworn enemy.

"HYAH!" I roared as I blasted through the final target and allowed myself some deep breaths as I awaited my score to appear on the large screen which adorned the far wall.

Eagerly anticipating my results as I watched as the numbers rolled in and then placed my new score on the overall list. 63rd. With a wave of frustration I slammed my fist into the punching bag next to me as it swung back and forth wildly from the bow of the punch. As well as my arm go numb from the force of the strike.

It was only a improvement of 3 places, my last score was 66th. I wanted to be in the top 50. But with each and every passing day, the increments of my growth grow smaller and smaller. And the work exerted to maintain them grows harder and harder.

I knew in the back of my head that it could not be helped. But that did not make it any easier to accept the truth.

That I am inferior to my fellow cadets. That no matter how hard I train, no matter how much I want it. I will never surpass natural born ability and talent. But that is certainly no excuse for me to quit. With a sigh I was just about to begin my other gym routines before I go off to study combat tactics.

But that was before I and everyone else was interrupted by something, or someone crashing into the tower. Followed immediately by the screaming sirens and pulsing red lights. I instinctively dashed over to my locked and pulled out my bag that I carried with me all day. Throwing it upon the floor and removing it's contents I snatched up the red and white armor and changed in less than a minute in the locker room. Equipping myself with my bow staff but keeping it in it's collapsed state so to make it easier to run through the halls with I raced out of the Gym and up the stairs to the floor above me. In the direction of the impact as I knew that is where I would be needed.

[Keruma]

Alexander

Alexander lays on his bed, dreaming. Figures of his parents appear in front of him, side by side, a bright light behind the couple.
“Why didn’t you help us, Lex?” his mother spoke, tones of sorrow in her voice.
“W-what?” Alexander asks.
"You left us there, Alex. Why?" this time, it was his father. A sad look on his eyes that Alexander was never able to stand. It broke his heart every time he sees it.
"I-i tried-" he said but his voice was cut out by a cacophony of 'Why's from them. The lights get brighter. The question gets louder. Their faces contort into a scream as the light engulfs their bodies, burning them. Their charred limbs reach out to Alexander, begging him to save them.
"Go back! Save us, Alexander!" they scream in unison. Alexander reaches out but the same force pushes him back, sending him into the abyss that awaits below.

*GASP*

Alexander stumbles out of his bed. He slowly stands up to take in whatever the hell just happened. Scorch marks are on his bedsheets. "God Damn me… I’m gonna get killed!" he mentally groans, thinking about the continuous sermon he's gonna get from one of the Guardians but another thing has caught his attention. Sirens and flashy red lights. "there's an emergency?" he thought. How can this be possible? This building was supposed to be safe from external attacks. Is he really safe here? And why is the building under attack?

He put on his beanie and jacket and tried to open the door. Locked. "well fuck you too then" he muttered. He transformed into smoke and went through the vents, materializing in the hallway. He dashed through using his power. Surely he could be of help, right? He can hear screams asking what the ever loving fuck is going on but he decided to keep silent; he needs to find Captain Canada and ask what to do. He goes to the elevator and sees it is… a total wreck. He decides to go to the prison to check if any of the prisoners went loose. He made quick work of traversing the elevator shaft thanks to a mixture of his free running abilities and powers, not to mention the strong wind flowing towards the prison.

When he reached the prison, there were 3 people in close proximity to one another. One is Captain Canada, though not in a good state. Next to her is a European girl who seems to be arguing with Captain Canada. There seems to be a pitch black energy surrounding her and her sword is focused on the Captain. Finally, the floating woman exudes power. Gusts of wind encircle her, keeping her safe from most attacks.

"Oh, I-I thought t-this was the place for the b-boy's sleepover party" he says, trying to lighten the mood.

[Laurvier]

Rowen

Rowen was awake and inspecting the slide of his 1911, making sure it was racking properly. It was a special one that had a double stack magazine to carry 14 rounds and a compensator he had specially attached. The handle was fatter to accommodate the larger magazines but it suited his hands just fine. Often he would like to admire the black finish of the gun still finding it a privilege to own something so beautiful. He never owned anything nice growing up. The decorations of Rowen's room were sparse. He kept the maroon beret of the Parachute Regiment displayed on a shelf with a picture of him and his former squad mates. There was a picture of his family too. He hardly spoke to either these days. The Regiment flag hung on the wall along with the flag of Scotland. Aside from that, those were the only personal touches and everything else seemed to be functional. On the walls were his various weapons. There were two desks. One had a computer and the other was a workbench for cleaning and maintaining firearms. A vent had been put on top of the workbench to vent out the noxious gasses that came from the cleaning chemicals that were needed.

When the alarm sounded and the lights to his room turned red, Rowen looked up then sighed. He did not quite know the protocols here yet and perhaps it was a drill. No, Rowen felt the building shake. Quickly, he inserted a magazine into the pistol. Then came on the combat webbing which held spare magazines. Other than the belt he wore a pair of jeans, black chuck taylors and a plain black t-shirt. The magazines were of different types of ammunition. Some were your standard round nose and hollow tip. But being with the Guardians got him access to more cutting edge ammunition like incendiary and explosive even for a pistol. These were especially useful during engagements with meta-humans. Expensive and hard to get. Rowen had made a mental note that he would have to find out who was supplying the Guardians and if he would ever get them to sell to him privately.

He scanned both ends of the hallway before exiting the room then began to proceed down, the barrel of his gun leveled. Despite having superhuman precision he remember his training to move slowly. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. The problem was he was alone at the moment. Usually fire and maneuver in any environment required a squad. There was just simply too many angles to cover for one person. While training with the Guardians, Rowen had come to the stark realization that in the future it could easily end becoming a one man show on many occasions. He did not fancy the thought of that. It was at this moment he cursed himself for not grabbing one of the long arms or even the TMP machine pistol. The entire surprise had caused Rowen to blunder. "Brilliant. Just fooking brilliant." He said to himself then pressed on.

Continuing to move, Rowen came across the others. People that he recognized but did not really know including their commander, Captain Canada. He let the barrel of his pistol drop open seeing them but still kept a tight two handed grip. "What the hell is going on?" He said in a harsh whisper then looked around. "Looks like we've got to sweep this place hall by hall." Realizing the situation was more serious than he thought, Rowen tapped the magazine on his belt that was filled with incendiary rounds to make sure he knew were it was. That would be needed if there was metas around.

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

For Honor And Justice
Training Level/Gym
Lance

Dalton wasn't the only hero to wake up just as the new day began, clean himself with the fascinating water disc, and put on that foul-tasting, but pleasant smelling bar of he-didn't-know-what. There was also Lance, the resident Demon Lord who had been stripped of his power and reduced to a human form, that followed a similar obsessive routine of physical and mental improvement. He was one of the few faces that could be seen in the mess so early in the morning, usually eating more than enough for three people, letting it sit for just a moment before he began his intense routine.

It was this time of the day that he was most focused, coming off as the strong and silent type. And if you were one of the ones to see him in the gym, or in such clothes that complimented his physique, you'd probably say he was a little intimidating.

To start the day, he'd dedicate a couple hours simply to summoning a weapon of as high a quality as he could, dispelling it, then repeating. On some other days, if there was some more privacy, he'd shift to his true self and subject himself to extreme mental and physical stress to improve the duration he could hold the form.

When it came to training his human body, which still remained a frustrating chore, he'd make his way to the area that resembled a more conventional civilian gym with a lot more weight.

After a good 5-15 minutes of stretches, he'd move on to his warmup. Usually, he'd just set the treadmill to a 15" incline, set the speed to seven our eight, and hold the run for a good ten minutes.

His actual workout was something that was a little more dynamic than most, simply being what he knew he should do next to keep his body burning and working. Then, to end, he'd usually burn himself out with a sled pull outside the building or flip a tractor tire for a good 20 minutes.

Sadly for him, today wasn't going to be as much fun as his usual, since he was hot with an interruption mid-workout.

Red lights began to flash throughout the room, and a siren loud enough to interrupt the loud music he was blasting through his earbuds sounded off. Letting out a sigh, he moved back to his feet when he met the message to prepare for a fight.

So, he did just that, and summoned his Signature Blunderbuss. While the weapon sounded primitive by name, it was more than one would expect. It was sleek, composed of a dark metal, and built unlike any before it. It was an infernal machine that possessed power of its own, which made it's blast just that much more lethal if you happened to stand within 15 or so feet.

Then, he made his way to the first sound that had interrupted his flow, one that preceded the sirens. A fight was a good way to not get rusty, so it didn't bother him that much.

In fact, his blood was pumping and his adrenaline was already flowing from.his workout.

For Honor And Justice
Bed
Zakiti

Falling asleep wasn't typically the easiest thing for him, even when exhausted, since his synapse were always firing and he had more than enough energy for himself and a few other people. There were also his enhanced senses, which made him aware of just about everything around him, so so much as a mouse in the wall could keep him up until eat morning.

Today, fortunately, wasn't one of those days. He was able to close his eyes and be out like a light. Unfortunately for him, an alarm would sound off before he needed to get up. It was loud, piercing, and was worse on so many more levels for him. He'd jump out of bed in a panic, making a high-pitched whine along to that of a hurt dog, and his unusual ears would fold over themselves in an effort to minimize the pain.

The same message that had sounded off to ready for battle reached him, and he did so, even if all he wanted was to lay back down for another five minutes. When given a command from higher authority, he always felt a compulsion to obey. Being swift, he'd run through the bare minimal of his mourning routine, changing from his pajamas to one of the cute outfits that let him feel a little more comfortable with his face, that also exaggerated his more feminine traits just a little.

Then, once he was done, he'd grab his Glocks and move out, more than ready for a fight.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

For Honour and Justice
Benedetta Capuccini
Actually her own room

In a way she regretted having chosen to become a part of the cadet program. Sure, it had many advantages like an own cozy room with a warm and comfy bed, 3 meals a day and no need to constantly watch out wether your host wanted to actually slit your throat rather than take your money and be done with it. But since she had come here she had not been allowed to leave again to let the sinners of the world face god's holy wrath. And it was infuriating. She knew that every moment that she was not out there, dealing appropriate punishment to those people, innocents were at their mercy. But no, she had to stay here and train with a bunch of other weak willed sissies. Honestly, she admired them for their relative innocence but that was exactly why she loathed having to train with them. She could already see it coming that there would be disagreements about moraility and work ethics in the future.

Alas, she could atleast prepare for any punishments she'd get to mete out in the future. Hence why she was in her room just like any other morning, her G3 battle rifle disassembled before her and busy cleaning all the parts. Everything about her weapon with which she dealt the Lord's allmighty punishment to the lowly thugs, killers, rapists and others had to be in pristine condition else it was not worthy of being a weapon for God. And she would have continued with her Berettas if something hadn't struck the building, alarms suddenly blaring through the corridors and a red light in her room flashing annoyingly. Even worse though, when the alarms had suddenly sounded, she had jolted from her seat, knocking many of the parts of her rifle off the bloody desk. Muttering some barely audible curses, she started crouching around on the floor trying to gather everything. It took her two minutes to find the parts and then assemble her weapon, the scope being the last addition.

When she had finally gathered everything adn stepped out of her room, a dark plan started to form in her mind. She knew that there was a prison compound in this facility, right? And there were probably people imprisoned there more than deserving off proper punishment. A smile formed on her usually cold face in expectance of the work she would do for the Lord soon. Nobody would mind if she were to kill some prisoners who had obviously escaped during this chaos? And so she knew where to go and what to do, heading straight to the elevators.

When she arrived, she had to sigh heavily. The devil was protecting his unknowing servants till their very last breaths. None of the elevators were in working condition. Well, she would have to work with what was there. A broken elevator would not stop her from carrying out the will of the Lord. She shouldered her rifle and took one last breath before she jumped into the elevator shaft and grabbed a hold of one of the steel cables used to lift the elevators. Now she wasn't so stupid to slide down on one of these cables. She didn't wear any thick gloves and wasn't keen to lose her entire hand to the friction created when sliding down. No, she went slowly, putting one hand after another to get down. It was a slow but secure way to get there.

Eventually she reached the right floor and swung around on the cable, imagine Tarzan but with a thick steel cable rather than a liana, and graciously catapulted herself out of the shaft, performing a combat roll as she impacted outside, immediately unshouldering her rifle and having it ready when she came to a stop. No one here. All the better, she would get to the prison compound without having to explain herself. And then she was on her way again.

However, when she came around the corner and found herself in the holding facility for the criminals, she found that she had apparently not been the only one who had had the idea to come here. Two guys, three girls. And as if that wasn't bad enough already, one of the girls, or more like a woman, was Captain Canada. Well, then she would have to postpone the punishment session. That was when she noticed the other girl, literally emanating darkness and pointing her sword at the Captain. Hell, if this was not a golden opportunity to kill someone who was so obviously a dark figure of evil, she didn't know what was. And so she aimed the battle rifle at her and said patiently:

"Give me just one reason to pull the trigger...Now step away from the Captain."

[The Cross and Davids Star]

For Honor And Justice
Eli Stephens

At the time, Eli was in his room, reading away at the fifth volume of Artamene as he enjoyed the sight his glasses allowed him. His room was rather basic, a closet for his clothing along with a nightstand with a lamp, but the elephant in the room was the massive bookshelf which took up an entire wall, filled up with an array of novels, dictionaries, among other written items. He was rather deep into the book when the alarms sounded, forcing him to mark his page and put his book away.
"And it was just getting good..." He said, getting off of his bed and opening his closet before grabbing and throwing on a leather jacket, with kevlar lined on the inside. Reaching deeper into the closet, he pulled out a rather large carbon fiber bo staff, exactly 6 feet long, before running out of his room.

"We're under attack! They're either stealing our German chocolate or robbing the Swiss banks, depending on which is closer to our base!" He heard Conagher say as Eli ran to catch up.

"Whatever it may be, I'm going to go help detain any escapees in our prison!" He said, rounding a corner to make his way to the holding facility, keeping the form of Usain Bolt, which helped him run faster, but not as fast as the sprinter himself. He rounded another corner to the facility, coming upon the standoff between Captain Canada, a detainee, and Benedetta.

"Give me just one reason to pull the trigger...Now step away from the Captain." Benedetta said.

"Calm down Madame Exorcist, you can see the bars were melted, I doubt that bullets will have an effect." Eli interjected. "Besides, we're wasting time by standing around here, we need to figure out what's going on."

[Lunas Legion]

Gabriella Sara Bianchi-Costa

She awoke to alarms blaring and those red warning lights they insisted on having in every damn room flashing. Why did they have to hold a drill at this time? It was the morning, for God's sake. Probably. She was still groggy from being woken up in such a rude and inconsiderate manner.

With a sigh, she shifted around, entrenching herself deeper into her duvet and bed. It was probably a drill, no need to get up. When they asked to see if she was there, she'd get the little mental ping of someone she'd used her powers on thinking about her, she'd have a duplicate appear-

And then said duplicate would appear in the exact state that she was now, which was to say completely naked. Ah. Not the ideal state of affairs, to appear naked before one superiors or fellows. Respect was important, and that was a quick way to lose it all. Damnit. She would have to get out of bed for this bloody drill after all.

With a sigh, a yawn and a stretch of her arms, Gabriella hauled herself out of bed. The sirens were still blaring, deafeningly loud, the red light still cast that weird on-off glow over her room. Jesus, you'd think they'd have turned them off by now, but nope. Still making everyone in the building deaf, still casting red light over everything. She dressed herself quickly; no time for anything fancy, shirt, jeans, jacket, trainers. Good enough.

Satisfied, she left the room at a slow walk; no need to run, it wasn't like this was something worth exerting herself too badly over. Of course, now she had to find her way to wherever the hell something was going on, but that wasn't too hard. Just had to poke at those minds she could sense nearby. She didn't poke too deeply; no need to exert herself that much, she only needed surface thoughts.

Hmm. There was a fire or an impact or something many floors down or something, but from the few minds of her fellow Cadets that were in range all seemed to be heading towards the prison for whatever reason. Well, who was she to argue? If enough people were heading in a general direction, it was usually for a valid reason. Now with a destination in mind, she continued her way through the halls to the elevators.

She pressed a button on the control panel; nothing. Of course. With a sigh and a shake of the head, she turned to use the stairs instead. As she went down, she picked up other points of reference; people moving off to different locations as they came into or left her range. She recognised the minds of other members of the Cadets as she made her way down, heading off to somewhere further down, where there'd apparently been an impact of some form or another. A break-out of one of the prisoners, perhaps, given the movement of her fellows?

Well, from their movements and surface thoughts, most of them seemed to be headed to the prison block, which naturally meant that she should go to the breach since there would be fewer people covering it; equally, she was not a fighter in any sense of the word, and had exactly no intention of getting involved in a fight of any kind, well, ever.

With a sigh, she continued down to the level with the breach. All she had to do was get in range of the breach, note who the attackers were and why they were there, and then she could make a tactical retreat with the newly-gathered information. It seemed like a good plan, at least for now.

[Segral]

Mike Manson

All the Cadets had their own dorms, it was the free baggage that came along with being recruited. Many were neat, tidy, and precise dorms, possibly a few knickknacks or evidences of superhumans living inside. The usual stuff. All in all, organized, hospital corners, not a speck of dust or a single wrinkle.

That was not the case for Mike's dorm.

The whole place was a mess. The bed was unmade, the sink was piled with dirty dishes, the hamper overflowed with dirty laundry. The couch was coated in a mix of blankets, books, crumpled balls of paper, a half cup of tea, and a pair of dirty socks. The kitchen's countertops were coated with ring marks and the occasional stain, the fridge sparse and untidy. His own bedroom was the worst, with dirty clothes strewn on the unmade heap of blankets on the bed, the nightstand and dresser were covered with objects and books to the point where you could barely see the actual surface, and his desk's drawers and surface were filled to the brim with half-finished cartoons and stories. The lamp was still on, and one person was still sleeping at the desk itself, head resting upon its computer in content silence, still in the jeans and t-shirt from last night.

And then, a rude awakening.

Mike sputtered back to reality, head leaping off the laptop. For a second, he simply flailed...before tipping over and falling right out of his chair onto a beanbag with a wrinkled Portland Trail Blazers jersey on it. Shaking his head and rubbing the grogginess out of his eyes, a result of falling sleep at 2 AM. Quickly fumbling for his prescription glasses while muttering moans and questions under his breath, he slid them on his face and dashed out the door, still in his sneakers. The dirt tracks on the floor were proof of it.

The red lights and sirens were loud....so loud. Like, the ambulance. Images began to flash through his head. The scorched alleyway, the ventilator, the paramedics with the pursed lips, the notepad...NO! He couldn't think of it. Biting back tears, he began to bolt as fast as his skinny legs would carry him towards the stairs, scrambling down them and leaping over the rail to skip the last few. He was now further down. The last vibrations of the rumbling...he could still feel them. It was either a bomb, an earthquake, or the biggest sex toy on the planet. Fuck...where was he? The complex was so big, he was still losing himself inside. The wailing sirens didn't help either. Where was he?

"UHHH....CANADA! CANADA...EH? ANYONE? WHERE THE FUCK DO I GO?!"

[Union Princes]

Failsafe

"Escapees in our prison?" Called after Conagher, "Blast, I may need more reinforcements to enforce our security."

The boy genius took out a remote from one of his any overall pockets and set the dial to "12" before pressing the button. Soon, rumbles of clanking metal could be heard as a dozen armed robots were making their way towards Conagher's location.

"Peter! We got to support Canada's efforts into this defense." shouted Conagher as he and his column of mechanical minions ran to the prison faculty, "I will secure the exits and entrances, you fight whatever busting out the iron bars!"

***

"Captain Canada!" called Conagher as soon as he saw her, "Have we identified the breach?!"

Conagher had already pulled out his Peacemaker double-action revolver and was ready to shoot at the moments notice. The robots fan out in a semi-circle with the shotguns aimed forward to no one in particular.

[Kraicia]

For Honor And Justice
Z1
Dorm Room

The peaceful ticking of the clock clicked away in a particular dorm room; however, the clock was not the only thing generating a sound of antiquity. Amid the 'tick-tock', there was another faint source of the same sound that came from the window. Standing in front of the window was a young woman not many laid their eyes on before - though there was something unusual about the young woman's presence.

Z1 was looking out towards the window of her dorm room, not weather outside, but rather the place down below. Her mechanical computer ticked and clicked away quietly as she observed the HQ below; however, at the same time, she was also writing without even looking down. Her small black diary and pencil were in her hands while she was observing whatever was down below from her dorm room.

Her handwriting was swift yet casual - the cursive was legible yet antique. If one were to read Z1's handwriting, one might believe that she may be writing in Old German; however, this would be an irony once somebody reads Z1's handwriting. Instead, Z1's vocabulary among her handwriting was actually simple and based around an oligosynthetic manner - combining small and simple words to form statements.

Dressed in her ordinary blue and white outfit (coat, pants, and boots, plus white shirt and garments underneath), one may think that Z1 was just another android schoolgirl; however, that was only until one were to carefully hear the ticking and clicking sounds occurring from underneath Z1's human exterior. She was a pure mechanical machine, not like an ordinary robot with electronic parts. Curiosity and calmness were plastered on Z1's face, some made possible by her complex mechanical internal parts.

Eventually, the calm quietness was eventually broken by the blaring of the red alarms, which only earned Z1 to swivel her head to the right and stop her writing. At that moment, before her head completely swiveled to the right, her mechanical computer quickly went into curious overdrive as she stood up and exited her dorm to figure out what was going on. Red alerts don't occur for no reason unless it's a false alarm or an actual threat is running amok.

"Was is los?"

Z1's voice, while feminine as well as friendly and passive, was mostly metallic. Unlike her electronic counterparts, Z1's voice was non-electronic, which was made possible by the bellows in her chest and mechanical vocal cords. If one was deaf and/or standing from a distance, one might think Z1 was actually human; however, careful listening can indicate that Z1 looked but didn't sound entirely human...

Otherwise, Z1 looked around among the halls to find out what was going on. The red alert lights and sirens were utterly loud indeed, but Z1 only had to censor it out as she seemingly walked down the hallways unfazed by the noise and lights. She was legitimately confused to the situation at hand, unaware that she was walking into the threat even if she was curious; however, that was only as she kept walking down the halls and down a flight of stairs that she would be undergoing her first fight among superheroes...

[Forest State]

The door finally opened after Sari did her work attacking the locks with darkness, and even though the doors here were some of the strongest that Beatrice had seen, the darkness did its job and burned the mechanism within. When they stepped outside the door, they found Stormbringer approaching, and asking for instructions. There were others that gathered, too. “Moving through here hall by hall is going to take too long. I’m not sure what happened, but it seems to be downstairs on one of the lower floors… We’ll head to the command room and ask if they have any more info on what the hell is going on,” Beatrice said, before sighing. “But I don’t have my shield, or any other parts of my costume right now. If someone could get it from the repair shop downstairs-”

An announcement came over the intercom system again, cutting through the noise of the klaxons that were still blaring through the building. “It appears that Guardians HQ is under attack. A high speed projectile has impacted the side of the building and there are currently fires somewhere around the middle floors. All costumed Guardians members are expected to report to the perimeter and watch for a follow up attack. Everyone else is advised to stay in the dormitory area and wait for further instructions,” the voice said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

But Sari wasn’t really listening to that, because she was focused on the person that pointed a gun at her. “We’re on the same side right now, ya slag. Pick a fight with me if you feel like it, but don’t blame me when you get in trouble for ignoring the orders and everything else that’s going on right now,” she snapped.

Beatrice turned to both of them. “There isn’t time to argue. Let’s go, everyone. To the perimeter, and we’ll help the others in making sure there isn’t a follow up attack. But be ready for a fight, because I have the feeling that this wasn’t just one incident…”

***

At the perimeter, it was soon revealed that Captain Canada had been right. There were multiple flashes, and people began to teleport in just outside of the range of the HQ’s defense systems, which included countermeasures against teleporters. First, there was a woman in black who seemed to be the one behind the teleportation. Then there was Rush, the leader of the Collective, and other Collective operatives including Skull, the bone based villain that had split the shield of Captain Canada, and The Hammer, a villain that carried a noticeably large war hammer in addition to having the massive muscles required to lift it.

“They don’t think we’re going to walk straight through the front door. So we’re going to walk through the front door, and we’re going to do it with confidence,” said Rush, nodding towards his group and twirling his pistol in the direction he wanted them to move. If there was any fear on his part, he wasn’t showing it. But then again, that wasn’t surprising. It was a central part of his act, really.

“I don’t see anyone… I’m ready to smash something, though,” said The Hammer.

“Soon,” remarked Skull. “I think I can see them coming now…”

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

The door finally opened after Sari did her work attacking the locks with darkness, and even though the doors here were some of the strongest that Beatrice had seen, the darkness did its job and burned the mechanism within. When they stepped outside the door, they found Stormbringer approaching, and asking for instructions. There were others that gathered, too. “Moving through here hall by hall is going to take too long. I’m not sure what happened, but it seems to be downstairs on one of the lower floors… We’ll head to the command room and ask if they have any more info on what the hell is going on,” Beatrice said, before sighing. “But I don’t have my shield, or any other parts of my costume right now. If someone could get it from the repair shop downstairs-”

An announcement came over the intercom system again, cutting through the noise of the klaxons that were still blaring through the building. “It appears that Guardians HQ is under attack. A high speed projectile has impacted the side of the building and there are currently fires somewhere around the middle floors. All costumed Guardians members are expected to report to the perimeter and watch for a follow up attack. Everyone else is advised to stay in the dormitory area and wait for further instructions,” the voice said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

But Sari wasn’t really listening to that, because she was focused on the person that pointed a gun at her. “We’re on the same side right now, ya slag. Pick a fight with me if you feel like it, but don’t blame me when you get in trouble for ignoring the orders and everything else that’s going on right now,” she snapped.

Beatrice turned to both of them. “There isn’t time to argue. Let’s go, everyone. To the perimeter, and we’ll help the others in making sure there isn’t a follow up attack. But be ready for a fight, because I have the feeling that this wasn’t just one incident…”

***

At the perimeter, it was soon revealed that Captain Canada had been right. There were multiple flashes, and people began to teleport in just outside of the range of the HQ’s defense systems, which included countermeasures against teleporters. First, there was a woman in black who seemed to be the one behind the teleportation. Then there was Rush, the leader of the Collective, and other Collective operatives including Skull, the bone based villain that had split the shield of Captain Canada, and The Hammer, a villain that carried a noticeably large war hammer in addition to having the massive muscles required to lift it.

“They don’t think we’re going to walk straight through the front door. So we’re going to walk through the front door, and we’re going to do it with confidence,” said Rush, nodding towards his group and twirling his pistol in the direction he wanted them to move. If there was any fear on his part, he wasn’t showing it. But then again, that wasn’t surprising. It was a central part of his act, really.

“I don’t see anyone… I’m ready to smash something, though,” said The Hammer.

“Soon,” remarked Skull. “I think I can see them coming now…”

For Honor and Justice
Perimeter
Lance

The demon left the building once the command sounded throughout the building, even if he didn't fit the demanded criteria. Even on a professional basis, he wasn't one for costumes, usually preferring to wear whatever felt comfortable or would give him the defense his frail human body needed. This time, however, was a little different, seeing that he stood dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a breathable shirt that remained tight against his body, even if it was a large. He had since dispelled his Blunderbuss, as there wasn't much use for a short range firearm when you can barely see your enemies in the distance.

"Hey, Captain!" He'd shout, making his way through the crowds of newer cadets and veterans alike, all standing prepared for a fight. Once he made his way to the small group, he gestured around, giving a glance to the chaos that surrounded them, as he asked, "What's happening here?"

For Honor and Justice
Perimeter
Zakiti

He was on his way up the building to check out what had happened when the next announcement came through, calling all costumed cadets to the perimeter to form a defense for a follow-up attack. Luckily for them, Zakiti was dressed and ready to go, even if he only had his sidearms on hand. His costume was almost at its best, leaving him wearing some shorts that barely made their way down his legs, drew a little more attention to his girly butt with them and his thigh-high socks paired with some combat boots. Over his top, he wore a clean, white undershirt that was covered in a blue and white cloak that always looked spectacular in his occasional photos with fans.

Naturally, he was one of the first to leave the building, having spared time for nothing other than carrying out the given order. And it was there that he stood ready for the upcoming fight, awaiting his chance to defend the freedom he cherishes. His look of determination may have been cute, even, if it were the time for such things.

[The Cross and Davids Star]

Eli Stephens

Eli nodded, gripping his bo staff tightly as he prepared to head to the perimeter.

Nev Hurn; AKA: Smiley

Along with the other Operatives, Nev also appeared among them, already going through the firewalls that protected the building's defense system.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Hammer, gimme a second and I'll have thier defenses do our job for us." He said, fingers cracking away at the small keyboard on his wrist.

[A m e n r i a]

Tigress
A. Malika Andjani
Condition: Normal

"Oh no, oh no.." said Malika as she rushed through the halls of the Guardians HQ in her Tigress costume. Her long, black hair danced about as she ran through the facility towards the source of the commotion. Only minutes ago she was watching the Kpop group Cosmic Boys on WhoTube and fawning over Yeonsung, the main vocalist of the group. After a while, she caught up with the group. "Hey guys, what's..." as soon as she saw what's beyond the perimeter, her expression suddenly changed into a smirk. She looked at her companions. "You guys ready to fight whoever's stupid enough to attack our HQ?" she asked enthusiastically.

[Auphelia]

Beatrice turned to both of them. “There isn’t time to argue. Let’s go, everyone. To the perimeter, and we’ll help the others in making sure there isn’t a follow up attack. But be ready for a fight, because I have the feeling that this wasn’t just one incident…”

***

“I don’t see anyone… I’m ready to smash something, though,” said The Hammer.

“Soon,” remarked Skull. “I think I can see them coming now…”

Stormbringer/ Heather McNamara

She nodded at Captain Canada and flew off, followed by some of the faster heroes. She exited the tower by smashing through an already cracked window and felt the howling wind, the hard rain, and the charge of ozone in the air. She stirred up the storm even more. She would have to be careful. The tower could handle this weather, but the buildings around could not. She increased the wind speed just a little while calling up a large portion of the water present, creating a small orb that would be ready for her when she came back down. It would be good to have a necessary weapon when facing whatever was out there.

She flew up to the top of the tower and peered through the storm. She could sense several figures that were below, the shapes they made under the steady rain and the gusty winds implied that there were around five of them, though precision wasn't really possible. Still, it was close enough. Flying upwards with a burst, she was soon almost a kilometre in the air, high enough for what she had to do. She Bracing herself, she called down all of the energy that had been building in the clouds in one burst, channelling the burst of energy down her raised arm, down her shoulders and across her pointing finger. She felt paralysed and plummeted, her storm continuing and her air shield remaining in place but her flying wind was completely dispersed. She fell down, past the lower clouds, past the top of the tower, almost to the ground . . . then she burst up nearly halfway up the tower again, stirring the storm up stronger again and making the winds around the tower almost too much for a human to stand in. She hated how specifying where the bolts went paralysed her. The doctors suspected that she opened up her body to the energy, coding it to respond to her and that was why she seized up, but knowing why it happened didn't make it any less annoying. She lightened the rain to a drizzle but kept up the wind, trying to see what had happened. She saw the spot where her bolts had landed and what appeared to be two individuals lying in the bowl of the crater. One began to move and grabbed for some sort of scythe but the other remained still. The other three were nowhere to be seen.

She circled the scene, going lower with each pass, until she was a mere two stories above the ground. She didn't dare go lower than that for fear that she might be made vulnerable to ground attacks. Her storm had made the bright morning as dark as night and even with the rain lessened she couldn't see much. She was about to go back to
the control room to report when suddenly a giant hammer came out of nowhere and smashed into her shield, breaking past it but being diverted enough that it merely clipped her upper arm rather than hit her straight in the chest like it seemed to be aimed. Her arm exploded in pain but she still had the presence of mind to fly upwards, to get away from the threat that had almost killed her as soon as possible. In response to her distress the storm whirled up stronger than ever. She was too out of her mind to stop it, the buffeting winds getting stronger and stronger, the rains once again falling from the heavens. She could feel the streets begin to flood and the trees lining the streets begin to tear up at the roots. But her arm . . . it didn't quite feel like it was broken but it seared with intense pain that she couldn't exactly analyse right then. She hurled herself up further until she was by the control room window, smashed through it using her winds as a buffer and only not then crashing to the floor because her flight set her more gently on the ground, though she still rolled several times, upsetting her arm further. The storm increased its fury, and now it was inside of the tower, ripping monitors from the walls and letting in buckets of rain. Stormbringer tried to control it, but the pain has opened the floodgates and her power was just trying to protect her. She was nearing the line of unconsciousness, but had yet to succumb. She looked for Captain Canada but she could only see dark blurs.

"Help . . ."

She tried to get up and suddenly her arm popped back into its socket, and felt immensely better, the pain that was still there felt almost blissful compared to what she had felt before. Now able to focus, she reached out and tried to quell the storm and concentrated. The winds lessened and the rain let up a little, but the control room was still trashed and it would take a while to de-escalate the storm from the state it was in. She put up a wind shield to help keep the control room clear of further damage.

"Oh no. I am so, so sorry. I - augh," Stormbringer winced as she used her injured arm to stand up, still wobbly from the pain. "Some giant hammer tried to smash into me and I think he dislocated my shoulder. Do we have any doctors here right now?"

She stumbled over to a chair in the control room and sat down. Trying to reign in the storm, keeping rain and wind from getting into the control room, and explaining what had happened all at once. A monumental task in her current state, but the least she could do was clean up her own mess. "There were maybe five people outside, and I sent a lighting strike at them. I got two and one might be down, but I'm not quite sure. There was a dark figure with a scythe, a villain with a hammer, and a few others I couldn't identify. I'm not sure if that's helpful or not." Stormbringer grimaced in pain and regret. She had been stupid, getting that low with no information on who she was facing. It was complacency, that was what it was. Her powers had made her overconfident. Just because she were one of the most powerful Cadets was no excuse to be cocky. She kept berating herself to distract from the pain, hoping medical attention was on the way. Or maybe just some drugs.

[Union Princes]

Failsafe

Conagher, along with his robots and his comapanions, went down to secure the perimeter. The intruders were already waiting for them by the time everybody caught up. Conagher put his left hand on his hip and used his right to aim his revolver at the big muscular dude. Conagher's robots also pont their shotguns at the five people who caused the chaos.

"Reach for the sky," drawled Conagher in his Texan accent, "Or me and my friends will send you there pronto."

Looking directly at the person who seem to be their leader: "You came a long way to Switzerland to get your ass kicked till the cows come home. What's your business here anyway?"

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

Peter

Peter nodded as Conagher explained what was going on. Not taking the time to put on his uniform, mostly because he was really fucking pissed off, Peter ran back into his room, and forced open his window through the lockdown procedures. Quickly flying towards the ground, he met Conagher down there, hovering slightly in front of the texan.

Peter cracked his neck and said "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Collective. It's an honor to see you boys again, especially after Vienna. Now, here's what's happening." Peter opened a palm and fired a fusion beam, melting a line in the ground in front of him, in between Conagher and him, and the Collective.

Pointing at it, Peter said "That's the line in the Earth. Cross it and I will be forced to do some damage."

[Keruma]

Alexander Urie

Alexander was kind of sad that no one paid attention to his little quip. Regardless, When Captain Canada gave the command, he and the other heroes followed. He saw the flying lady completely smash through the window. "Does anyone give a damn to this building?" he asked. Regardless, it did give him and anyone else capable an easier path to the perimeter. He jumped through the broken glass, greeted by the rain and cold air. The climate doesn't affect him though as he slows his descent using jets of smoke and flame from his arm. When he realized who the intruder was (or who the intruders were), it sent a chill down his spine.

The collective.

But no, Alexander will not let fear get the better of him. This is why he is a cadet; to control his powers and to protect people. Seeing all his comrades standing side by side ready to face the enemy ahead renews Alexander's spirit. He is one of them, and he'll be damned if these villains get their way. His arms burns, awaiting the will of its creator. "You lot try to move and I swear you will feel hellfire" he says, his eyes turning bright orange.

[A m e n r i a]

"Yea, what he said!" Malika cried out in excitement, glancing at her friend and nodding, lighting her fists on fire as well. She took her fighting stance, ready to dash and dish out a flame-powered strike on her opponents.

[The Rebel Alliances]

Dalton Parks/Raptor-Ground Zero Impact Site

I was never a religious man. I never saw the need honestly. But if there is a Hell. I am standing in the middle of it. It was not some place located in a different dimension where demons torture and torment you, but rather a burning tower in Geneva where the cries of the wounded haunt you as you shuffle from one body to the next. Working over the corpses and trying to separate the living from the screaming dead. For the past half hour, which seemed like a eternity, which only provides further evidence of the Hell that I am standing in. I have been evacuating the wounded from a floor just below the impact site. Half of this level is entirely blocked off from the rest of the tower. Going up or down. And the only way to escape the encroaching smoke and burning flames was through a hole as which had collapsed from the floor above us. But it would prove to be not so simple, the best point for lowering oneself down to this floor and raising yourself back up in on a literal edge. Because on one side of you, you have a burning tower with no where to go. Above you, you have an escape which you can pull yourself up with should you have something like my grappling hook. And behind you? Well that is the best part.

Nothing. Nothing but a long drop thirty seven stories.

The actual impact occurred on the opposite side of the tower, but the force literally blew out the windows and honestly I cannot explain the exact way this damage occurred. I am no damn architect.

What I am, is a Guardian.

And right now I have people to evacuate. Making things easier, was that my suit was well equipped for environmental protection. The uniform protects me from extreme weather and temperatures as the helmet is environmentally sealed I can work without breathing in the smoke. The visor also provides a HUD, giving me some basic information on my environment and providing situational awareness.

I had just returned with the sixth living victim, and from my recon of the damaged floor beneath me. That leaves only one more life to save. And she is furthest away from my evac point. There is a small team of three others whom I met up with aiding me in this ordeal. With two of them keeping the fires clear from the above floor with their hydrokinetic powers and the last one helping those who cannot move on their own out of here when I bring them up. Looking over to the small team I told them that I was going back in.

"Make it fast, we can only put so many of these fires out and who knows what is gonna happen down there next. Good Luck, Raptor." I gave a nod and fired my grapple gun only to hear the call for all combat ready Guardians to report to the perimeter.

Turning to my allies I told them to go on ahead.

"Continue the search and rescue operations elsewhere. There will be plenty of fresh heroes to hold the line at the perimeter. But there are still people trapped inside who need our help. I can handle the last one here, we will be right behind you." With that the heroes looked at each other and complied. Telling me they will see me and the survivor on the other side. With that said, we went our separate ways as I descended into the mouth of the beast once more.

My feet touching the ground I attached my grapple gun to my belt after unhooking it from the support beams as I moved cautiously through the infernal maze which used to be a rec room.

I was guided by the wounded cries and whimpers of a young girl barely older than I. I called through the smoke and ash to reassure her.

"Help is coming! Your getting out of here!" Little comfort when you have several broken bones, likely bleeding internally and trapped under a fallen beam unable to move. I had already located her before so that saved me the precious moments having to hunt her down. As soon as I stepped into the room, her eyes locked on to mine and I could see the desperation mixed with the one thing that she so desperately needed.

Hope.

The girl was probably 19 or 20 and had shoulder length blonde hair. Judging by her accent she was French. With green eyes that sparked with flames as they danced across her gaze. She was covered completely ash and soot as well as some blood. Her once clean and beautiful hair in a mangled mess. Coughing and wheezing It was obvious she was struggling to breathe.

"P...P...Please...-" She sputtered weakly. "Do not leave again."

"I am not going anywhere. Its your turn to survive this. What is your name?" I asked, trying to distract her as I worked on moving the beam off of her.

"J...J...Jeanne..." She stuttered. I kept talking to her as I exerted all of my strength to move the beam, I did not need to move it entirely, just far enough.

"After Jeanne D'Arc by chance? She was a brave hero, just like you. Please, be brave for me now. Can you do that for me Jeanne?" Her only answer was a furious head nod up and down as she gritted her teeth from the pain she was in. From the look of the damage to her lower body, it was likely she would never walk again.

But the beam gave way and I kneeled next to her, only to find her frantically clutching a seared travel brochure. "What do you have here?" I asked her as I removed my helmet, if I did not get her some filtered air, she could die before I get her out of here. She did not answer until after I secured my helmet around her own head.

"The...wonders...of...t...the world. My dream...to see them all."

"And you will." I promised her. After that, I picked her up and held her with both of my arms outstretched before me, and her arms around my neck. As I coughed and choked on the smoke. I resisted speaking, not until I got us to the evac point where I could get us out of here. Finally reaching our destination I had to brace myself against the weather as it seemed that a storm had rolled in from outside. Too much of a coincidence to be natural, it had to be the work of some meta human. But the question remained, ours or theirs?

Regardless I still had a life to save.

But this time I needed my helmet. I set her at rest in a secure spot and removed the helmet as I assured her that I needed it. Replacing it on my head I looked up and used the HUD to find the best target for the grapple gun as I shot it and secured a line for the both of us to get out of here.

"This is it, your getting out of here Jeanne." I attached the grapple gun to my belt and held on to her as best I could, as we very slowly were pulled up as the line struggled to support our weight. But the line held firm. But as we got half way to our destination, the storms seemed to lose all control, and we were whipped with wind as my arm started to slip and as she felt herself begin to drop away from me, she started to panic. Frantically grabbing at whatever she could latch onto as I used every ounce of strength I could muster to both keep a grip on her and get us up the line.

"Do not let go of me Jeanne, I swear to you we are nearly there!" But before I could resecure her a violent gust of wind snatched the french heroine away from me, her arms flailing wildly as she tried to defy the fates as she started to plummet at terminal velocity nearly three dozen stories down.

And no one could hear me scream as I hung there, only managing to save her brochure that I clutched between my fingers.