Heroes of Tomorrow Redux [IC | DONE]

[Endem]

Elek Mohave

"How hard is it to find one goddamn cafeteria, "

Elek asked himself while strolling the lush and beautiful gardens, he saw a group of people apparently talking so he did what any rational person lost did and went to them, about halfway through he saw the girl that's constantly on meds join in
"I hope I won't interrupt anybody,"

Elek thought to himself while getting ever closer and closer to the group, he finally got to the distance that they would hear him and without much consideration, he asked

"Hey, did any of you know the way to the cafeteria... Ah sorry did I interrupt you?"

Elek said while turning his head on the girl apparently named Lora

"I didn't mean to, sorry, name's Elek I'm kinda lost"

[Lunas Legion]

Gabriella Sara Bianchi-Costa a.k.a Apothecary

Gabriella had set to unpacking immediately. Everything had to be... Just so. This was going to be her home for however long, anything except nigh-perfection was, well, entirely unacceptable. And she had brought quite a lot of luggage too, heavy luggage.

So she set to unpacking, humming quietly to herself as she pulled clothes out of bags and cases and folded them neatly into drawers. There'd be plenty of time for meeting people later. Her stuff was her priority now.

---

Mariam ‘Mari’ Easton-Roux a.k.a Trailblazer

She totally hadn't run for her room as soon as they'd gotten off the bus. Most certainly not. She'd just been eager to unpack her things and settle back in and not be out there were both of her younger siblings were. Why couldn't they just fuck off to the other end of the Earth and leave her be? This was her turf. Hers. Not theirs. So why was she worried?

She let out a breath and stood up, breathing out to calm herself as she set to unpacking. It was a good, silent distraction, away from people.

---

Sophia Rykova a.k.a Euclid

It was... A distinctly odd feeling, standing outside of the dorms for C rather than A. Oh, they'd given their reasons for transferring her; her 'poor synergy' with A, but she knew what the real reason was. Keeping her under their thumb in the gilded cage they had for her for longer. They both knew she could slip the bars whenever she so wished, she was here by her own choice not force, but she had no reason to leave the comfortable cage.

Or not yet, at least. She had no doubts that C would be as... Unbearable as A. For different reasons, perhaps. But the end result would be the same. She was not here to become a hero, she was here as... Denial. Stopping other groups from getting her. Oh, she knew she was powerful, but she was crippled. An easy target.

And so she sat on the steps in front of the building in silence, chin resting on her hands and her eyes shut. Staying was the safer option, but... Her head twitched. She'd wait. Play it safe. Caution was better than recklessness.

[Forest State]

Serge "Riot" Easton-Roux

“I can say I’ve been in kill or be killed fights but it’s not something I was forced into, I used to be a vigilante in Canada and you had to be pretty careful in that line of work. The villains want to kill you and you’ve got less support than a sanctioned hero, and the authorities, they just want to arrest you. They don’t care to help you and it makes it pretty dangerous. But hey, at least there was a family to head back to when I got out of prison, like you said,” replied Serge. The girl’s experiences seemed fairly interesting. She hadn’t been a willing fighter, apparently, even though she looked like someone that would do great as one. “Sometimes having them is nice, sometimes having them is overrated.”

Serge paused to think of how to explain that. It was a pretty dramatic statement, one that would sound exaggerated. But it also wasn’t something that was simply the result of regular young adult angst. No, sometimes being from this family really was overrated, and it was hard to not complain about parents that would flat out abandon their other children for periods so they could focus on their oldest child and the one that followed after them. There was a difference between having a favorite child and just leaving the others with strangers because they wanted to give more attention to that child. And Serge felt like he had the right to complain about that treatment.

“They didn’t just want something from me, and Jess, they practically wanted the world from us. I’ve never been opposed to the idea of being a hero, I know for a fact that Jess hasn’t been either. I wouldn’t have been a vigilante if I was and she wouldn’t have went overseas to join a hero team over there, the Gamblers. They basically wanted us to be exactly like themselves and there wasn’t any other answer but yes that they would take. Me, Jess, and Mari might have had the same parents. But only one of us feels like we had any parents at all.”

[Gudmund]

Alasdair Francis Damon, Blackfire
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"No offence taking." Alasdair replied back, his monotone voice making it hard to determine if he either didn't care or was seriously offended. "The Seven Seals of Penodris is not a magic that I expect anyone, new to magic or an experienced master, to know about. Its good for what it was designed for. Nothing more, nothing less. So in a way, you could say its a rather dull type of magic. Unlike that."

With that Alasdair pointed to and looked at the gem in Jacob's chest. "Now that is interesting. Am I correct to assume that this gem is connected to your undocumented magic? So, you have little memory regarding how you got this gem? What do you remember about obtaining it? Do you remember where you got it? Do you remember any strange occurrences around where you got it? Do you remember how it seems to have gotten inserted into your chest?"

"Those last few questions are all just out of interest... and could help narrow down what it is." Alasdair said and looked at Jacob in the eyes, "But right now, I can say that if it is connected to your powers, then we are likely looking at some magic relic or artifact or whatever you wish to call it... though I wouldn't be surprised if it is also a magic parasite, parasitoid or symbiotic being that some how managed to find its way into our world from the other side. However, at this moment, I can only theorize."

Jacob Philander - Smog | Section C Residence

Lowering his shirt, Jacob thinks for a moment. Scientists, psychics, doctors... many had asked questions about the gem in Jacob's chest. Yet none of them had answers as to what it was, so to no one's surprise, Jacob's enthusiasm was slightly crushed at the mage's answer, "I've asked myself such questions many times before, and you are correct in believing this is some kind of artifact. Aside from that I don't know much else," sighing, Jacob looks at the ceiling for a moment, "My story appeared in the news for a little while, missing Antarctic scientists and a sole child survivor, the media ate that shit right up," pausing, Jacob curses under his breath,"It's basically public info now, so I don't mind sharing."

Stepping back a bit, he continues, "Now, I recall living in Antarctica for many years with my parents, but when I awoke in an overseas hospital, the last few weeks prior to that were completely erased from memory. I'm... aware that I likely caused the deaths of many people, especially my own parents, because of something this gem made me do. The doctors and police questioned me for a while, informing me, but I just don't understand why or how it made me do such a thing. For what reason did I or it slaughter everyone? The first time I transformed in the hospital, I was fully aware of what I was doing, completely in control... and yet the fearful looks those people gave me..."

Before Jacob could continue, he shudders, quickly apologising, "Sorry... nevermind. I tend to ramble on about this thing, I'm sure you've got better things to do than listen to my sob story. I'm humbled to meet an actual mage for once, and would love to speak with again, but I think I'll go ahead and continue searching for the library."

Before anything else could be said between them, Jacob hurriedly walks off in the other direction.

---

Charlie Burkhall - Shifty | Section C Residence

Charlie was in search of some food, going so far as to shift his snoz into a dog's nose. He was quite literally tracking down something to eat, on the search for more mass to change into a larger form. His stockpile was running low, so instead of meeting the others, eating was somehow more important. It wasn't as if Charlie didn't want to meet his new team members, it would happen sooner or later anyway. He wouldn't be surprised to simply bump into another person among the halls, perhaps he could even analyze them long enough to take on their forms as well. Something that would provide useful some time in the future.

In all honesty, Charlie was too nervous to stay still. Walking around was about all he could do without damaging his reputation among the Guardians. Changing his form too much would provide unnecessary confusion amongst anyone here. He'd once even considered using his abilities to commit crime before the Young Guardians program showed up. It would be easy, the only thing making him reconsider at the time was the thought of being tracked down and arrested by other supers. Hiding from a telepath was much harder than changing his appearance after all, but here, maybe he could even learn to erase that weakness. Do everything legit, help those in need, punish the wicked. It was all very fantastical, unreal even.

Smirking as he began talking to himself, he mumbled, "I might even make lasting friendships while I'm here."

177cm tall, 65kg, brown shoulder length hair, female version of base form.

[The Verdantderm Lands]

Kana Kaleikaumaka, Gyges
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"Bad leg. Singular. Even with one eye I can still see that." Kana chuckled and then sighed, "Taking things at face value isn't how I roll. Pun intended. Taking things at face value and trusting others is how I ended up like this... not a mistake I am eager to make again. I may come across as harsh and crass, but I really should try not to be... its not like anyone here is going to... never mind."

"As for you pitying me..." Kana began again after a moment of silence, "Don't lie. I'm not stupid. Most everyone I've met has at most a sliver of pity for me... especially when they learn about my past... which is why if you ask about it, I'm going to tell you to fuck right off and start rolling away, got it? Why am I talking this much... I've just met you after all..."

"Anyways..." Kana turned her wheelchair to face Klara again, "So, which way are you heading?"

"Fine," said Klara in huff, then continued more softly, normally, "I was thinking of going over to the training areas. In the last four years I haven't had much opportunity to..., 'cut loose'. I'm sure, now with missions and training that I won't feel that itch, but that's what I feel like doing, now."

"And you're right, like most people, I couldn't help feeling a little sad," Klara said with a soft smile. "But I honestly didn't think you were a weakling that needed my help." Klara's worst physical problem to date was finding women's clothes that fit her well, but she wouldn't mention that.

Klara's smile widened a little bit. "As for why you're talking so much to someone you've just met, I'm going to take that a good sign. But I promise to do my best not to pester you with questions and be demanding to know your secrets, like that silly girl in the Bluebeard opera." She paused and then put some hesitation in her voice, "But..., I know I said I would pester you, but..., where were you thinking of going?"

[Confederation of the Equator]

[minecraft villager sound]

[Forest State]

Kodiak "Phantom" Marsden

The door slid open and Kodiak was rather surprised by the person she saw within the holding cell, as guards stood next to her and kept a tight grip on their weapons as if they expected the person inside the cell to lunge at them at any moment. And that was what happened, but it turned out the person in that cell wasn’t lunging at the guards but at Kodiak, and the lunge wasn’t for an attack, but a hug. Even if the hug felt like being hit in the chest by a pile of bricks, or more specifically, a pile of bricks that were intent in driving you all the way to the wall on the other side of the hallway. Still, Kodiak had enough time before the ‘impact’ to get a look at the person that was hugging her, and she was shocked to see that person here and now. This was the one event she hadn’t been expecting when she arrived in New York.

“Aqua?” she asked as her eyes widened. She knew good and well that it was Aqua, otherwise nicknamed Kurfurst, but she had no idea how she had gotten here. She didn’t even know that Aqua had gotten out from the grasp of the Hawk Institute, let alone that she had somehow come to New York. And now she was being held by the Guardians? Something strange was definitely up, but Kodiak couldn’t explain what. “How did you get here? Since when have you been out of Hawk and… Why the hell are you locked up by the Guardians?”

It was like Kodiak was in a vice press and it was hard for her to talk to even get the questions out. The squeak of her voice under pressure was pretty different from Aqua’s tone, which was a lot more energetic and almost sing-song in a way. Aqua was always like that, it seemed. Even when she was ripping someone’s arm off in combat. Yes, this was very much the same Aqua that Kodiak knew, and not some kind of poser. “I came here looking for you, dumbass. They locked me up saying I came into the country illegally or something like that. Said they would detain me here because you weren’t here yet and I would get arrested by the USA if I stepped out of Angel’s Village,” she explained. “I saw your face as one of the new Young Guardians and decided it was a good time to get away from that dictator Bigshot.”

Kodiak’s mind flashed back to her final commanding officer when she was with Hawk. It was really no wonder that Aqua had wanted to get away, she had always been treated poorly under Bigshot’s lead. “Jesus, Aqua, you were still under Bigshot? I thought she would have gotten reassigned by now. Did she treat you badly?”

“She only became more of a dictator after you left because your escape was some kind of big failure on her part and she took it out on the rest of us. And she fucking hates me, man. You’d think I pissed in her cereal or something from the way she acts. I swear all I have to do is breathe the wrong way or just look at her and she assigns me hard labor. Not because there’s anything that actually needs to be done but because she hates my guts. She’s fucking insane, dude,” Aqua said, her voice picking up speed and shaking as she talked about something that was more emotional for her. The memories couldn’t have been pleasant.

Aqua’s voice took on an almost hysterical tone as she described what she had been through. “She was always a bitch but you missed the worst of it, when you were there she didn’t do shit like filling a room with heavy junk and then making me clean it out and move every single piece of scrap before filling it up and telling me to do it again as a punishment a week or two later. Pitbull has it bad too, man, she’s probably next in line to be CO if she hangs in there but sometimes I wonder if she’s doing alright or if she’s just going to snap and start shooting at some point. We took a downhill fucking turn after you left, Kodiak, and boy am I glad to see you once again.”

Kodiak put her hand on Aqua’s head and looked around at the others. “As you heard, her situation is a bit complex,” said Li Guan, almost on cue. “She was caught entering the States illegally to find you, but technically this is international ground. She can’t really leave without being arrested by the authorities. As long as she’s here, she’s somewhat safe, and we’re trying to work out where she’s from. However, she doesn’t appear to have any papers regarding her nationality and for all intents and purposes, it seems like she doesn’t exist-”

“I know where she’s from. The same place as me. Unfortunately, though… I can’t give you a location. She was with the Hawk Institute, whether or not you believe that it actually exists, but none of us agents knew the exact location where our home bases were. I was told that we were in the Korean peninsula but I have some reason to believe that we were further north than we were actually informed. Perhaps even across the Yalu River, near the border area between North Korea and China,” Kodiak stated. “Either way, it’s irrelevant. She doesn’t exist legally because Hawk covers their tracks very well and she doesn’t even know where she escaped from. She most likely ran away while working for a front company and followed me here.”

“Right. Until we can figure out more about where she’s from and what to do with her, we’ll have to either hold her here or she’ll have to stay with someone else in Angel’s Village, where she has some immunity from the fact that she entered the United States illegally. Since you seem to know her, I was going to suggest-”

It didn’t take long for Kodiak to realize what was being implied, and she took one more look at Aqua before nodding. She’d already made things worse on her friend. She wasn’t just going to abandon her here, in a holding cell after she had already probably traveled hundreds or thousands of miles just to find her, probably with nothing more than the clothes on her back. “You don’t have to worry about it,” said Kodiak, nodding. “I’ll take her in, don’t worry about it.”

[Lunas Legion]

Sophia Rykova a.k.a Euclid

"Wasn't there." Sophia shrugged after a few seconds as she mentally translated the accented English, trying to understand and interpret it, looking up at the person that had approached her as she scratched her leg. "And no. Sophia." Her English was heavy with a Russian accent and strangely constructed, nor did she turn around and she spoke.

She was silent for a few seconds, before she elaborated. "Transfer from A, not... New like others. Or you. Been here some time, but-" She held up her hands, showing the stumps on her hands where her thumbs should've been, as well as a stump on her left hand where her middle finger should've been. "Cripple, toes are worse-" She tapped the tip of one of her boots, "-and bad English, so never did much..." She paused, searching for the words. "Out there. Don't mind. Less dangerous, and comfortable here anyways."

Sophia fell back into silence. She was never the most talkative person, even in her native Russian. Bad English just made her even less talkative than normal.

[Doughertania]

Lora/Gwen, Dichotomy
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

Lora was not among the group that Dagon had approached. Instead, she was standing off to the side, around a corner, just out of sight but within earshot. She had wanted to introduce herself, but when she got close to the group, she tensed up and made a decision then and there to not introduce herself. After all, the closer she would get to people, the more likely they would leave her when she came out. However as she listened in, she heard something that not only got her interest, but something that she could relate to in away. So, with a deep breath, she turned around the corner and looked in Dagon's direction, not making eye contact as she waved to him.

"H-Hello..." Lora said as she slowly edged forward. "I'm Lora... You said there is a-another person in your h-head... Is that true?"

Dagon Argrave
Whether due to Dagon's strange entrance or lack of addressing any one person specifically, the group largely continued to ambiguously ignore him. He was considering trying another, more drastic way of getting someone's attention, but was thankfully stopped by a soft voice behind him, asking if he'd really had another person in his mind.

"Huh?" He turned around, and found himself face to top of the head with a girl, timidly waving as she inched forward, as if afraid talking to him would burn her. After a moment of considering whether or not he should wait for her to look at him, he decided against it, instead just answering her question. "Oh yeah, it's crowded in here for sure." Rapping his temple with his index finger, he grinned "Between Des, the bread turtle, and my near encyclopedic knowledge of 1991 horror cult classic 'Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2 in Shocking 2-D,' it's a wonder I remember anything at all!"

Desmond voice called from the recesses of his mind, unable to let Dagon ramble for too long. Oh come on, that movie is just made up.

"How dare you, sir!" Dagon chastised a nearby lamp, his finger pointed emphatically at the offending appliance. "James Riffel was a visionary director who never got the praise he deserved!" The lamp stood tall against the tirade, saying nothing, for it was a lamp, and as such incapable of speech.

Er, Dagon? Maybe you wanna keep your outbursts down? Your new friend doesn't exactly seem like the kinda person who appreciates the noise.

Remembering the girl who sparked the conversation, he cleared his throat sheepishly. "Right. Sorry about that." With a shrug he continued, thumbs hooked in his pockets. "Anyway, it ain't all bad. We fight sure, but at least I never get bored, always got someone to talk to, and if I wanna get outta stuff I can just tag myself out."

His piece over, he gave a small grin to the girl who started it all. "So then, my boisterous compatriot, does that clear things up?" After a moment, he added, his blue eyes trying to meet her downturned ones. "And if you don't mind me asking, why the curiosity? Normally all people wanna talk about here is what kinda powers they got."

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Lora/Gwen, Dichotomy
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"I... I... Please stop trying to l-look at m-me..." Lora said as she turned her head away for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning it back to face Dagon. However, she didn't look directly at him, but tried to look behind him in an attempt to not freak herself out. "I also share my mind... with my sister... Though, we don't have the same r-relation as you and Des... She scares me... She hurts people... Hurts people I try and make friends with. S-Sorry, I shouldn't b-be here..."

It was then another person entered the equation, and Lora's eyes returned to looking downward and to the side, instead she seemed to shrink more as she stood there.

"N-No..." Lora said, "A-And, I guess its fine..."

---

Kana Kaleikaumaka, Gyges
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"Absolutely nowhere." Kana said with a chuckle, "I had no place I was searching for. I was planning to just wander around, and you know. Though, a training room would be nice... It would be nice to atleast check out facilities... Maybe get a little training in too. After all, by honing my power, I think I can work on getting the limit on it to, well, technically increase, but that's a good thing."

---

Admina Kyrene, Amazon
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"I can't say I understand that." Admina said with a nervous chuckle, "Anyways, how about we talk about something other than family, which I don't remember and you seem to be unhappy with. Anyways, I was looking for somewhere to train... after all it is one of the only things I know. Do you have any idea if there is a place to train in the building?"

[The Cross and Davids Star]

Nev Hurn

Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village

June 6th, 2024

While everybody else was getting to know each other, Nev was busy with something else entirely. An idea was hatching in the inventor's head, and was he loving it. But first, he needed some basic materials, something where he can start and improve upon as his idea grows. That's when he took a look at a dumpster. To many, that would just be a place to store trash until it was gotten rid of, but to Nev, it was a limited time treasure trove. So he put his suitcase next to the dumpster, opened the lid, and simply dove in to see what junk he could use in his project, even if people would look at him funny from then on, but he didn't care. He was making something, and was he gonna build it or make something else while trying.

[Forest State]

Serge "Riot" Easton-Roux

Training was a much easier thing to think about and it was something relevant to both of them at the moment. Serge would have to find out where to train too, considering his fighting style which involved movement and athleticism. Losing that edge wouldn’t help when it came to winning battles, but Serge had some idea already of where the facilities around here were. “We’re in the wrong building for it,” said Serge, gesturing in the general direction of the outside. “Outside of the housing area I know we passed at least one gym building, looked pretty huge from the looks of it but they have three sections of Young Guardians here plus the New York Dynamo and a lot of staff so that makes sense. Maybe you’ll even run into a celebrity there.”

[Endem]

Elek Mohave

"Oh that's great, I was worried for a second... wait a moment you both said you had another person in your head, I wonder how it feels, at least you always have somebody to talk to"

After that overly big response, Elek said one more thing

" What other powers do you have, I can only absorb metal and make blades out of it"

with that, he used the last bit of aluminum in his arm and made a knife,he then waited for any of the two to answer the question looking at then with a small, barely noticeable smile.

[Union Princes]

Szarlota Raczkowska

"You're seriously gonna go around looking at that?" Andżelika asks with her hand holding up her chin while she sat on her end of the seat. They were traveling together on the same ride to the Young Guardian's base. It will be a new home for them.

Szarlota took a deep breath to calm her growing frustration at her sister. "For the last time, we went this far with me looking at what I now. Alright? I look normal."

"Normal?" Andżelika squints her eyes. "You're dressed as a jester with makeup completely covering your face. Not only that, you have a jester mask too that has jingle bells at the end."

"Then what would you have me do?" Szarlota smiled showing her gritted teeth. "Dress like you?"

"I mean, at least I'm not wearing what seems to be a costume." Andżelika gestured at the clothes that she was wearing: a black strapless tube top with a white booty short jeans.

WIth that Szarlota looked down at herself to see the clothes she was wearing, the black, grey, and red does seem a little off due to the color pattern. Her long sleeve shirt completely exposes her belly and tug tightly at her breasts while her pants were snug around her legs and thighs though a bit baggy around her waist.SHe could feel the presence of the deck of cards thats he carried on her.

She then looked over her mask. It was a white faced smiling jester with a long pointy nose and a couple fanged teeth. It spoke of cruel comedy and unrestricted humor. It's eyes always looking off to the side avoiding eye contact with Szarlota's blue eyes. Quite annoying really, the mask always laughing.

Suddenly, her attention was diverted when her sister Andżelika shook her quite heavily. "Szarlota, look! We've finally arrive!"

---

They finally got their luggage out of the bus and Szarlota made sure her lute was still in one piece, which it was thank God. Expensive but it brought peace in mind whenever she plays it. As the sisters made their way towards the apartment, Szarlota quickly took notice of a curious individual quickly scurrying off around the corner. Very faintly she could hear the familiar song of the Polka Bandit radio which made her all the more intrigued.

She gave her bags to her sister much to the frustration of Andżelika before taking her lute and scampering off to follow the music. She quickly put on her jester mask and had her lute ready to be played when she approached him. He was dumpster diving, searching for etal bits and pieces while listening to that annoyingly catchy song.

When she got close enough, Szarlota leaned against the wall and played a lute cover of the Soldier of Dance while she watched the boy rummage through the trash. The bells on her mask jingling whenever she tilted her head.

[Confederation of the Equator]

[minecraft villager sound]

[Lunas Legion]

Sophia Rykova a.k.a Euclid

"Hardly veteran." Sophia shook her head dismissively. Sure, she'd been here for a few years, but time with the program hardly counted as actual genuine experience. "Haven't actually been out being hero more than..." She paused, seemingly mentally counting as she bobbed her head from side to side, her lips moving but no sound coming out. "Six? Seven? Around that many times since I got here. Not many more. Cripple, didn't get on with others, bad English makes talking difficult in battle. Will be others in our group with more 'hero-ing' experience and better English. Probably." She shrugged dismissively. She was used to others overshadowing her. She didn't really mind, let them. As long as they didn't get in her way they could do whatever they wished.

"If you want, but don't need or want you help." Sophia stood up slowly, slightly unsteady on her feet as she all but spat the last few words out, laced with a venom that hadn't been there before, her face hardened into a scowl from her previous slightly irritated, but mostly impassive one. "Not big place, shouldn't take long. Come on." She set off at a slow, carefully-measured walk.

[Doughertania]

Lora/Gwen, Dichotomy
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"I... I... Please stop trying to l-look at m-me..." Lora said as she turned her head away for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning it back to face Dagon. However, she didn't look directly at him, but tried to look behind him in an attempt to not freak herself out. "I also share my mind... with my sister... Though, we don't have the same r-relation as you and Des... She scares me... She hurts people... Hurts people I try and make friends with. S-Sorry, I shouldn't b-be here..."

It was then another person entered the equation, and Lora's eyes returned to looking downward and to the side, instead she seemed to shrink more as she stood there.

"N-No..." Lora said, "A-And, I guess its fine..."

Dagon Argrave
Rather than putting the girl at ease, Dagon's attempts at meeting her gaze only seemed to fluster her more. With great effort, she managed to turn to face him, her pink eyes staring at the space behind him. In the Hawk Institute, he was used to people throwing their weight around, whether it be squadmates or officers, and as such grown accustomed to holding his ground, staring them dead in the eye to show them just what he thought of their attempts at intimidation. Even among those he actually liked, it was important never to show weakness. It was easy to make enemies in the Institute, and those who seemed weak had a tendency to suffer accidents.

Clearly things were different here. She wasn't afraid to show that she was nervous by his attention, nor was she shy about revealing the reason why. She suffered from the same condition he did, two souls bound to one body, but it was clear that such a union wasn't nearly as friendly as his and Des's. Her other half was violent, lashing out at those that Lora tried to befriend. Lora wasn't just shy, wasn't merely afraid of social interactions. No, she was trying to protect him, worried that by interacting with him too long her other half would hurt him.

Dagon's expression softened, not used to people thinking about others aside from themselves. Returning the favor, he looked at the wall to the left of her face, keeping her in his peripherals but no longer trying to meet her eyes. "Hey, relax Lora." He spoke a little calmer, his manic energy slowing down. "We can still be friends, I don't scare easily."

Raising his right hand, palm outward, he held it out slightly, making sure she'd be able to see it but wasn't the only thing in her view. With his left, he pulled out a small knife, its black blade flashing with red runes, and drew a long diagonal cut across his right palm before returning it to his pocket. Crimson soon colored the slash, turning dark as the scarlet liquid oozed out immediately, but just as quickly as it appeared did the wound begin to close. Dagon continued to talk, his eyes now watching the cut shrink. "See, pain and I are old friends. My powers are all about taking punishment and still standing tall, if a bit perforated. And my old-" He paused, stopping himself from sharing more than he needed to. "Where I came from, those abilities were tested often."

The wound now closed, he lowered his hand, whipping the blood off on his pants, his eyes settling back on the wall he was looking at before. "So I promise you, anything she can dish out, I can take."

Elek Mohave

"Oh that's great, I was worried for a second... wait a moment you both said you had another person in your head, I wonder how it feels, at least you always have somebody to talk to"

After that overly big response, Elek said one more thing

" What other powers do you have, I can only absorb metal and make blades out of it"

with that, he used the last bit of aluminum in his arm and made a knife,he then waited for any of the two to answer the question looking at then with a small, barely noticeable smile.

Another person joined their conversation, a brown haired man in a white t-shirt and jeans, asking about what it was like to have someone else in your head. Dagon thought for a moment, before realizing he couldn't really explain it. After all, for as long as he could remember he was never alone with his thoughts. Even before his merger with his partner, he had the narrator to keep him company. So instead of answering the question himself, he let Desmond explain it to him, before saying it aloud to the others.

Dagon speech was stilted, stopping at awkward intervals, his impatience preventing him from waiting to hear Desmond's full explanation before speaking. "Well, go ahead and think for a moment. That voice you hear is yours, right? It's familiar, speaks the same way you do, you know you can help direct it even when it wanders."

"Now imagine a different voice. It speaks differently, sounds differently, and you can't stop it when it starts talking about whatever lame thing it wants to talk about." Dagon paused, waiting to see if there was anything more for him to add, but Desmond had gone silent. With a shrug, Dagon faced Elek. "That's more or less it."

When the man showed off his powers, he didn't exactly seem happy with them, as if he saw his abilities as lesser than others. Dagon smiled reassuringly. "Hey, metal absorption's not a bad power, provided you know how to use those blades you make." As he spoke, he eyed the knife Elek was wielding. Dagon wasn't sure what the meta was planning on doing with the knife, but assumed he was just keeping it out for show. That wasn't the opinion shared with his other tenant, his thoughts darkening as he focused on how best to disarm the meta before he took a stab at anyone in the room.

"Easy Des," Dagon mumbled, for once not speaking in his normal brash tone. "He's just showin' off."

Eager to move on, Dagon nodded as Elek asked about powers. "I heal real good and make people hit me instead of my squishier friends."

Ever the wordsmith Dagon.

"Am I wrong?" Dagon asked, his eyes looking up at the ceiling before turning back to Elek. In an effort to appease his brooding partner, he figured he'd try to learn more about the metal manipulator's powers. "So, how do you absorb the metal? Is it just through your hands, or can you do it from anywhere?"

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Lora/Gwen, Dichotomy
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

Lora's attention was grabbed fully when the blade was pulled out, as she looked directly at it and the wound it created on Dagon's hand. By showing off his regenerative ability, and seeming lack of a sense of pain, there was a slight bit of hope now glowing within Lora. If he could regenerate, not feel pain, and understood her condition, then perhaps being friends with him, and not having to worry about losing him was possible. It was after that that Elek spoke, and Dagon answered him.

"M-Maybe if they are friendly... But she s-scares me..." Lora spoke, still not looking at Elek, "S-She's not friendly... I'd... I'd prefer not to hear her. Because, w-when she starts speaking, s-she is getting ready to come out, and then... people get hurt."

"As for my p-power..." Lora looked around, "Since we are indoors... you would have seen it already... if y-you were incredibly observant... A side-effect of my p-power. No matter the place, no matter the time... the area around me will always be brighter than normal... S-Shadow absorption. But the main power is photokinesis, the manipulation and generation of light. I can use it to fight and to create constructs... but I don't like fighting... So I use it in other ways..."

With that she took a deep breath and turned invisible for a moment or two, before appearing in the exact same place.

"Bending light to turn invisible... Using light to create illusions and holographic projections is also possible. I... I also can use light to heal others." It was then she gave a rather sad smirk as she looked downward, "I can heal... but she only hurts... A-Anyways, if the natural light is bright enough... I can also heal myself."

"D-Dagon..." Lora now spoke to Dagon, "E-Even if she tries to kill you? Will we still be friends if she tries to kill you? W-Will we still be friends if she... if she almost kills you?"

---

Admina Kyrene, Amazon
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

"Then why stand around here?" Admina said with a rather sizable smile, "I don't care about meeting celebrity there. I just want to train. Got to keep these body honed and ready right. Though, it would be best to spar with someone, as my big power kinda needs someone to fight me to make use of. So, lead the way, if you are heading that way as well."

---

Alasdair Francis Damon, Blackfire
Young Guardians Program, Section C Residence, Angel Village
June 6th, 2024

---

After Jacob left Alasdair, he continued his wanderings through the building. Eventually he was making his way down a stairwell, when something interesting caught his attention. At first he was about to launch an attack on the numerous small monstrous beings, trying to push a rectangular, bed sized, black thing. The only thing that stopped him from making a move against the creatures was the fact that it quickly became obvious that they were being controlled by the woman who was also trying to move it.

"Do you require any assistance?" Alasdair asked as he looked down to the struggling swarm and its mistress.

[Khasinkonia]

The Village
Section C Residence
Zekulu Alemu Nazwari

He was finally here, finally here at the Young Guardians grounds. He could barely contain himself during the VTOL trip, where he gets to train and work with real heroes. This was truly a dream come true to him and the stepping stone to becoming a hero. Zekulu after getting off of the VTOL was quick to take in the sight and did not notice to how cold it was. He was not used to the cold and that took effect after two minutes. He was quiet during the time when questions were being asked. He had few questions and some were answered already. He was surprised to the girl that had fallen turned invisible. That is bound to be useful for her and for the guardians. He wondered what the other powers his fellow guardians. After the announcements, he got on the bus that departed to the apartments.

Zekulu once he got off the bus, he got his key and made way to his room. He held his hand close together and briefly summoned a small flame in between his hands. An attempt to warm himself which he succeeded in. He found his room and entered, he found the interior to be rather nice. Once as he found the bed, he started to unpack. Unpacking his crossbow last and took the time to make sure that it was in working condition. Tinkering with it and looking down the iron sights. It was in good shape and he gently put it away. He thought that since he is done unpacking his things, he figured he should meet with at least one of his future teammates. Leaving his room and entering the hall. Walking down it to find someone else that he could meet.

Corentina-Elouana Koaduuiueg

I never did figure out what those animals were saying, as we got on the bus before I could clarify fully. We reached the apartments soon enough, and the key fit perfectly to my door. I looked around for a moment, and saw that everything was in order.

So the apartments were cozy, that was good. A few plants would fit nicely to get it less barren, but otherwise it was all perfectly fine. My clothes went neatly into the dresser quickly enough; they were already folded, after all. I could’ve hung plenty of things that I instead folded, but of course there was no need, as folding was a strong suit of mine. It was a relaxing act, something that, were it not for the requirement of a dresser to put the folded clothes in, I’d enjoy doing outside on a picnic blanket. All my things went in their places, although I’d surely rearrange some time whenever I devised a more efficient setup.

I considering flopping in bed for a moment, but thought better of it. I should really look around sooner rather than later. I stepped out into the hall, and saw another person idly wandering. No time like the present to meet a likely colleague.

“This apartment building is very nice,” I commented, walking beside the boy.

[Durmatagno]

Sage/Carolina Shields

Carolina opened the door to their room, pulling the heavy case with her into the room and setting it down, looking around at the space they would now be calling home. Just this one room was larger than anything else they'd ever had, and a small smile crept on Carolina's face. Maybe, just maybe Sage's suggestion for this had been a better one than Carolina had originally thought. As Sage brought the rest of their stuff into the room, Carolina explored the rest of the space, checking that the fridge was working, and finding the bedroom. It was so big for just a place to sleep. Carolina was about to 'say' something when Sage spoke first.

"You take the bed, that couch is softer than the cots or floors I'm used to. Get your stuff packed away while I get everything else unpacked, and see about our grocery list."

Sage put a reassuring hand on Carolina's head, holding out her bag with her other hand. Carolina smiled, and took it, shutting the door behind her to stay out of the way while Sage got everything else sorted. Sage turned to the meager pile of cases and bags that made up the, admittedly mostly stolen, possessions of the pair. Sage started by shifting the furniture around to free up floor space. From there she unpacked and put everything away, including the meager exercise equipment, actually for Carolina as they were all to light to mean much to Sage. Hooking up all the electronics, and figuring out the wifi, she made sure everything was connected properly before moving to kitchen. In the kitchen she checked to see what, if anything, was already there before putting together a mental list of what they'd need in the immediate, and moved on to checking to make sure the furniture could support her bulk. About this time, Carolina emerged from her room, wearing a change of clothes, and her shoes kicked off. Sage peaked inside, and found that the room was neat, and the amount of free space maximized. If she wanted to she could probably fit a second bed in here, but she thought Carolina needed her own space. She noted that there was no desk, and added it to the list of things to add to the apartment.

[Theyra]

I never did figure out what those animals were saying, as we got on the bus before I could clarify fully. We reached the apartments soon enough, and the key fit perfectly to my door. I looked around for a moment, and saw that everything was in order.

So the apartments were cozy, that was good. A few plants would fit nicely to get it less barren, but otherwise it was all perfectly fine. My clothes went neatly into the dresser quickly enough; they were already folded, after all. I could’ve hung plenty of things that I instead folded, but of course there was no need, as folding was a strong suit of mine. It was a relaxing act, something that, were it not for the requirement of a dresser to put the folded clothes in, I’d enjoy doing outside on a picnic blanket. All my things went in their places, although I’d surely rearrange some time whenever I devised a more efficient setup.

I considering flopping in bed for a moment, but thought better of it. I should really look around sooner rather than later. I stepped out into the hall, and saw another person idly wandering. No time like the present to meet a likely colleague.

“This apartment building is very nice,” I commented, walking beside the boy.

"Oh frick, I did not hear you come up! Zekulu jumped a bit and a spark of fire come out of his fingertips. He stopped in place and put his right hand behind his head. "Sorry about that, my fire tends to come out when I am startled and yeah, the apartment building is nice". He spoke with an Ethiopian accent and put his right hand in one of his jacket's pocket. My room is nice and through it cannot beat my old room though I am biased. Still getting used to America and this cold weather. Not used to it and I should introduce myself. I am Zekulu Alemu Nazwari or well, just Zekulu Nazwari since that works better outside of Ethiopia. So who are you and I like your hair, never seen someone with blue hair before".

[Shark isle]

Harold's smile quickly turned into a unsure frown. He wasn't sure whether or not to tell him about the exoskeleton and it's past. He then thought to himself," Should i tell him bout Lin's creation? On one hand, I will have to show it off the Guardians eventually. So, why not get it over with now. But, on the other hand, he might ask uncomfortable questions." Harold then shrugged and said" Well Partner, i have what some call a exoskeleton. It enhances my strength and my durability. It keep yer average mean Mother Hubbard from doin me in with a snap of their finger." Harold then pulled down his shirt collar a bit, showing off a metallic shell covering his torso.

An exoskeleton. Nice. "Cool. I got superstrength with some tough skin to match. What's your weight limit? Mine's around 6000 pounds, maybe higher."

It had never occured to Jack that other heroes on the team might not be all natural. Still, if they could pull their weight, it'd be just fine.

Harold put his fingers to his chin and started to rub it, as if thinking about the question. Ge then said to him, Don't know fer sure partner. But, if I were to guess, i would say bout 10 times my own body-weight, and I am about 145. That's a lot if you ask Me. He then starts to laugh good-naturedly.

[Endem]

Elek Mohave

"Nice powers,"

Elek said a moment later he heard the question of Dagon, Elek at least he heard Dagon or something close to it, and then Lora's question to Dagon it was strange at best and plain scary at worst but Elek wasn't entirely spoken out he heard stranger things, especially in his half of life when he was living on streets, but enough of Elek's thoughts Dagon's question needs answering

"Metal Absorption... Oh well, I don't know 100% how it works but it goes something like this when I grab a metal I can either absorb it or leave it when I decide to absorb it is heated by my hand to point of melting and... I don't know how to say it... the best word for this is I guess my fingers kinda drink in the liquid metal where it is stored until I make a blade out of it, I can only store the metal in my arms, I never tried keeping it in more than arm but because whenever I get to full capacity I feel awful I guess storing more than in arms would kill me"

Elek's answer was accompanied with him reabsorbing the aluminum knife he made earlier

"I got to dump this metal sometime, aluminum is fun and all but you won't gonna cut much with it"

[The Cross and Davids Star]

Nev Hurn

Dumpster Diving

As Nev was busy digging through the piles of trash, he did manage to find a few things worth keeping, such as a busted coffee machine, a worn out blender, and even an accordion, albeit with a big hole in it. That's when he heard the music, one that was drowning out his own, causing him to pop up from the dumpster to find out where it was coming from. Evidently, it was coming from one of the other recruits playing a strange instrument Nev had yet to see. Even then, the music was like heaven to him, and he had to dance. He jumped out of the dumpster and as soon as his feet hit the ground, he squatted down and started doing the hopak with vigor as he sung his own song in Russian.

Though outside of the music, he could hear the mentioning of metal, something Nev definitely needed, so he had to abandon his dance to investigate, running over to Elek.

"You don't want metal? I take metal, no questions asked." Nev offered.

[Lessoni]

Harold put his fingers to his chin and started to rub it, as if thinking about the question. Ge then said to him, Don't know fer sure partner. But, if I were to guess, i would say bout 10 times my own body-weight, and I am about 145. That's a lot if you ask Me. He then starts to laugh good-naturedly.

Damn. 10 times his own weight, so that'd be 10 times 145... "1,450? Nice. Not quite 6000, but still, no one's getting the drop on you."

That raised another couple questions in his head. One, who waa the strongest here? He was guessing, and, if he was being honest with himself, hoping it was him. Out of the few metas he'd ever met and the two he'd fought, none were stronger than him.

It'd be nice to know for sure now, but he'd find out in time. But his second question...

"So, is strength all that exo does? I'm guessing the standard bullet blocking, but anything else?", Jack asked Rawhide.