Infinite Justice: Beyond (Marvel,DC,DBZ X/Over, IC, Open)

[The Republic of Atria]

It took a few minutes, but Stark had a new armor sent to him and finally made it back to New York. Naja was going to be a pain and a half to deal with. However, he had one of her few weaknesses: Her boyfriend. Speaking of pains in the ass, he thought as he returned to the podium to see Okarot questioning Alex, whose only response included staring at him as if he wasn't really there. "I can answer that for you. Speak of the Devil, right? I was just going to start tracking you down. Thank you for saving me a couple of hours. I know you've met Alex. Don't worry about what's wrong with him, he was being annoyingly stubborn before we managed to convince him to join the right side. And while you're here, it's probably a good time to get registered." Stark said.

There were two ways that this was going to go. Either Okarot decided to sign up and things go on. Or they honeypot doesn't work and he as to use vinegar instead. "You're a Saiyan according to my information. The tail gives it away. Anyways. We could use someone like you on the team. You'd be our designated Wolverine slash heavy hitter. Once Blondie here is done here, he's probably going to go back to magic, which we could also use. Which, again, opens up that spot. Don't worry. You will be well compensated for your time, and you'll get to fight people worth your time. I'm sure sparring with a partner is more effective than going at it alone." Stark explained. He wanted to avoid a fight, but he knew how trigger happy Saiyans could be.

[Charmera]

"I heard you're a killer."

Virgillooked up at the youth who spoke, her hat naturally tipping up as she looked up. Her hands slowly went to her pistol in her holster. She left it there. She had no reason to kill her. And it would only draw attention to herself when she was mostly just trying to scoot on by. How this girl knew anything about her was... uncertain. She didn't have a reputation here unlike other planets. Seeing as this place was rather backwater.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Despite being backwater, this was a pretty nice bar. The place was futuristic, having a pretty neon look to it. Outside the floating cars gave it a busy look without being too overwhelming, and the windows were nice and big, letting all the street light in. It was dark, and it looked more seedy than suave, but it brewed decent drinks and the bartender was good enough. Of course Virgil did not apreciate any of this in the slightest. She looked back to the person on the other side of the table. A young, adventurous character by the name of Dixia. Or that's what she called herself. She had a frown of someone who had something to prove on her face. Someone who wanted to impress the world.

Virgil wasn't impressed. But then again she rarely ever was.

She leaned back, tipping her hat forward to cover her face as if it might ward off this fool. "You must be confused. I'm just a simple farmer, trying to have a drin-"

"You're the one who burned Shinar aren't you? And Ulek?"

Virgil paused, then said nothing.

Dixia smiled. The lack of any response validation in her eyes. She leaned forward and tipped Virgils hat back so she could see her face. Virgil frowned at this.

"I've heard stories. One's about a single figure burning entire worlds, leaving nothing but ash in her wake." She spoke, in awe of the woman before her. She was already leaned across the table, so she propped her head up with her hands. Her frown turned to a childishly validated smile. Dixia was now in Virgil's full view.

Virgil looked into Dixia's eyes. "That was some time ago." She spoke. She leaned back. "Look for someone else. I don't burn any worlds anymore, and I wouldn't even if I could?" She remarked. She slapped Dixia's hand away and pushed her hat back down. She was telling the truth. She had given up on the killing. Too many setbacks. Too many worlds. Now she just wanted to think about things.

There was a pause. And Dixia turned around. But before Virgil could once again go back to sleep, Dixia spoke once more.

"Fine then. I won't tell you about the job and the money."

Virgil paused. Normally she would not care for something like money. But if she got enough she could make upgrades to her system, make the necessary adjustments to get out of this pisshole and... Somewhere. Somewhere she's been wanting to go for a while. And meet someone. Someone she wanted to meet.

"How much does it pay?' She asked.

"Five hundred Thousand Ceni."

The hat tipped upward again.

"Who am I suppose to kill?"

"We." Stressed Dixia. "We are supposed to kill two men." She spoke, getting off the table and sitting on a chair next to Virgil. "They hurt a whore pretty bad, nearly fried her with their wierd ass powers." She explained. "County sheriff didn't do shit, so her buddies are offering 50 thousand for anyone who can kill them."

"Interested?"

Virgil paused. Her calculations told her it was more than enough, even if split five ways, to get what she wanted. She drummed her fingers against the table. She didn't really want to do this. She still hated life with a passion. Life was nothing but verminous scum to her. But... She could sleep. She could dream. And when she did, she saw the faces of the freshly dead.

She didn't want to add to her nightmares. She didn't like them.

But... She needed the money.

"Fine." She replied. "But we're going to need someone for something like this."

---

Frank Mayhem

---

Sometimes, I'm good at predictions. Sometimes, I feel like an astrologist. Well, what do you expect from someone whose brain can process things hundreds of times faster than an elite supercomputer and can give off the likely results of an event in near-perfect percentages. It helps in battle, and it also helps in politics. Four months ago, the government of this planet decided to issue the Registration Act - a bill which makes it mandatory for all metahumans and superpowered beings on the planet to register, reveal their secret identities, while at the same time betraying them by trying to build weapons against them. Back then, I predicted that the planet will go to hell and no meta with at least the slightest sense of honor and self-reliance would even consider following this law. Riots. Chaos. Fighting. Darn. I was so right this time...

I went through these thoughts as I flew across the skylines of Washington D.C., the supposed capital of the United States of America. If you are wondering if I registered - come on. Really? That's a stupid question, and you either don't know me or are joking. Or both - that too is an option. Really, I am a Celestial Android, one of the two strongest members of my race (and with my training and .ew abilities, probably even stronger) - do you think someone like me would listen to Earthling chatter and commands? You're lucky I don't bother with destroying planets, Earth.

Obviously, I didn't come here, to DC, for no other reason than to rant and talk about life. No, though hat is certainly somewhere at the top. While I was landing on one of the taller buildings, I searched for any signs of noise. Yes, that is what I am talking about, noise. There is supposed to be an anti-Registration demostration, and an important person is within the group... I looked to the busy street below. Not much besides cars and pedestrians. I quickly leaped over to the next building, then flew across the spiky and boring mass that is an ordinary city block in this country. Sometimes Earthlings have no style of originality. Or making things interesting.

The massive white house in a park caught my attention. The scanners detected it, too. It was... The White House. Told you. And in the streets nearby - perfect - lots of demonstrators. The person in question is nearby. I took off into the sky and started scanning the landscape from a mile above. You must be somewhere...

"Motherfucker!" Someone shouted, looking strait at frank. A white protest sign was in her hand saying "Registration is the Enemy!" in red. She dropped it, a look of anger on her face. "Bastard! He must have come here for me... another fight?" She spoke out loud to herself. She had come here as soon as she had heard that the "motherfuckers in washington" had not only put a compulsory registration act into effect, but had also tortured another hero. Librety could not let shit like this fly. She had let the US government exist mainly because it wasn't too bad (And because it was protected by more metahumans than even have the right to exist, but that wasn't important) but this shit was inexcusable. And now her shit samwidge had just got a dressing of piss. "Well if he wants a rematch, why should I complain?" She said to herself, flying into the air near him.

"Hey Asshole!" She spoke. "Remember me?"

[Osnil]

It took a few minutes, but Stark had a new armor sent to him and finally made it back to New York. Naja was going to be a pain and a half to deal with. However, he had one of her few weaknesses: Her boyfriend. Speaking of pains in the ass, he thought as he returned to the podium to see Okarot questioning Alex, whose only response included staring at him as if he wasn't really there. "I can answer that for you. Speak of the Devil, right? I was just going to start tracking you down. Thank you for saving me a couple of hours. I know you've met Alex. Don't worry about what's wrong with him, he was being annoyingly stubborn before we managed to convince him to join the right side. And while you're here, it's probably a good time to get registered." Stark said.

There were two ways that this was going to go. Either Okarot decided to sign up and things go on. Or they honeypot doesn't work and he as to use vinegar instead. "You're a Saiyan according to my information. The tail gives it away. Anyways. We could use someone like you on the team. You'd be our designated Wolverine slash heavy hitter. Once Blondie here is done here, he's probably going to go back to magic, which we could also use. Which, again, opens up that spot. Don't worry. You will be well compensated for your time, and you'll get to fight people worth your time. I'm sure sparring with a partner is more effective than going at it alone." Stark explained. He wanted to avoid a fight, but he knew how trigger happy Saiyans could be.

Cyberlantern flew back to New York. "Stark, your competition, Owen Grady, just admitted that he is a superhuman-Star Warrior and that he refuses to register. He also terminated all government contracts in response to the Registration Act. He seems to stay ahead of the police, yet leaves a trail for them to follow. I wonder if it's some sort of trap. Either way, he's been spotted with a couple of other superhumans. He recently left view of the camera."

[Pygmalionia]

-snip-

"I'm sure you're aware most laws have flaws. In my opinion, you should have your legal personnel study the act as thoroughly as possible." Lazarus said, his eyes not looking away from the reports. He was still conflicted on his stance on the subject. On one hand, Waller was scum, and aiding those against the act would be the most obvious action. On the other, he had the lingering presence of the nihilistic Woman ready to take over his mind once he loses control in the heat of battle.

"I'm not entirely sure what the Act requires yet, but if all it's asking for is a supes' registration; things may get easier to deal with. I assume being registered doesn't automatically mean aiding them, so having a superhuman under Knightstone register and just leave it at that isn't too bad of an idea." Lazarus says, as he eyes the next news clip featuring a Supe taking out the UN.

"We wouldn't have to fight as much, really. As you can see, that man just attacked the UN. If you can find ways to aid him without being caught, then the government will barely be able to carry the situation on their shoulders. Strikes, Thomsen's Torture, and so far the attack on the UN will leave them way too preoccupied to try and sniff you out, Ms. Delacroix." Lazarus finally states.

"While the attack on the UN may cause in the loss of hero supporters, the release of Thomsen's torture will do the same to those supporting the act. It operates on keeping supes in check, not the government having a plan to kill them on a moment's notice." reasons the Butcher as he pulls out his armaments and placing them on a table.

"By the way, I might be insensitive to your situation but I did come here initially to ask about these. Is Knighstone capable of replicating the Desert Eagle in such a way that it'll be able to harm even supes? If it was, I'd need two as a precaution. Fighting in melee has been wrecking my mental state lately." Lazarus asked his boss.

[Finland SSR]

Frank Mayhem

---

Sometimes, I'm good at predictions. Sometimes, I feel like an astrologist. Well, what do you expect from someone whose brain can process things hundreds of times faster than an elite supercomputer and can give off the likely results of an event in near-perfect percentages. It helps in battle, and it also helps in politics. Four months ago, the government of this planet decided to issue the Registration Act - a bill which makes it mandatory for all metahumans and superpowered beings on the planet to register, reveal their secret identities, while at the same time betraying them by trying to build weapons against them. Back then, I predicted that the planet will go to hell and no meta with at least the slightest sense of honor and self-reliance would even consider following this law. Riots. Chaos. Fighting. Darn. I was so right this time...

I went through these thoughts as I flew across the skylines of Washington D.C., the supposed capital of the United States of America. If you are wondering if I registered - come on. Really? That's a stupid question, and you either don't know me or are joking. Or both - that too is an option. Really, I am a Celestial Android, one of the two strongest members of my race (and with my training and .ew abilities, probably even stronger) - do you think someone like me would listen to Earthling chatter and commands? You're lucky I don't bother with destroying planets, Earth.

Obviously, I didn't come here, to DC, for no other reason than to rant and talk about life. No, though hat is certainly somewhere at the top. While I was landing on one of the taller buildings, I searched for any signs of noise. Yes, that is what I am talking about, noise. There is supposed to be an anti-Registration demostration, and an important person is within the group... I looked to the busy street below. Not much besides cars and pedestrians. I quickly leaped over to the next building, then flew across the spiky and boring mass that is an ordinary city block in this country. Sometimes Earthlings have no style of originality. Or making things interesting.

The massive white house in a park caught my attention. The scanners detected it, too. It was... The White House. Told you. And in the streets nearby - perfect - lots of demonstrators. The person in question is nearby. I took off into the sky and started scanning the landscape from a mile above. You must be somewhere...

"Motherfucker!" Someone shouted, looking strait at frank. A white protest sign was in her hand saying "Registration is the Enemy!" in red. She dropped it, a look of anger on her face. "Bastard! He must have come here for me... another fight?" She spoke out loud to herself. She had come here as soon as she had heard that the "motherfuckers in washington" had not only put a compulsory registration act into effect, but had also tortured another hero. Librety could not let shit like this fly. She had let the US government exist mainly because it wasn't too bad (And because it was protected by more metahumans than even have the right to exist, but that wasn't important) but this shit was inexcusable. And now her shit samwidge had just got a dressing of piss. "Well if he wants a rematch, why should I complain?" She said to herself, flying into the air near him.

"Hey Asshole!" She spoke. "Remember me?"

Frank Mayhem

---

"How polite of you, Liberty!" I exclaimed, obviously in a sarcastic demeanor. Jackpot. That's what I was looking for. Liberty, the android... and the first person in my life that I had to strive to surpass, and not the other way. Knowing her, and her desire for freedom, liberty, and overall a more left-leaning perspective, I thought I would find her here. And, once again, my intuition did not fail me.

"We both know why I'm here, and just to be clear, you're the ass in a more literal sense." Hah. "What else can I say? My rival should be strong enough to keep me sharp, and with massive fighting happening like, 50 kilometers from here, I don't want to get surpassed." I held my knuckles in a cracking position. That's what humans usually do to show readyness for battle. I can't crack knuckles myself, though - I need bones for that. "Technically, we're on the same side of the barricade, but since 95% of metas are too, it's just not fun."

[Charmera]

"Motherfucker!" Someone shouted, looking strait at frank. A white protest sign was in her hand saying "Registration is the Enemy!" in red. She dropped it, a look of anger on her face. "Bastard! He must have come here for me... another fight?" She spoke out loud to herself. She had come here as soon as she had heard that the "motherfuckers in washington" had not only put a compulsory registration act into effect, but had also tortured another hero. Librety could not let shit like this fly. She had let the US government exist mainly because it wasn't too bad (And because it was protected by more metahumans than even have the right to exist, but that wasn't important) but this shit was inexcusable. And now her shit samwidge had just got a dressing of piss. "Well if he wants a rematch, why should I complain?" She said to herself, flying into the air near him.

"Hey Asshole!" She spoke. "Remember me?"

Frank Mayhem

---

"How polite of you, Liberty!" I exclaimed, obviously in a sarcastic demeanor. Jackpot. That's what I was looking for. Liberty, the android... and the first person in my life that I had to strive to surpass, and not the other way. Knowing her, and her desire for freedom, liberty, and overall a more left-leaning perspective, I thought I would find her here. And, once again, my intuition did not fail me.

"We both know why I'm here, and just to be clear, you're the ass in a more literal sense." Hah. "What else can I say? My rival should be strong enough to keep me sharp, and with massive fighting happening like, 50 kilometers from here, I don't want to get surpassed." I held my knuckles in a cracking position. That's what humans usually do to show readyness for battle. I can't crack knuckles myself, though - I need bones for that. "Technically, we're on the same side of the barricade, but since 95% of metas are too, it's just not fun."

"Cute..." She muttered in response to the Ass comment. She face-palmed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. This guy really doesn't know when to quit, but Liberty supposed that was something they sorta had in common. "You really chose a piss poor time... but fuck it. Not like I was getting shit done down there." She remarked. Sighing. She noticed her rival cracking her knuckles and raising her eyebrow. "Do you even have bones? What's the point of doing that if you can't feel it." She asked. Then folded her arms. "Alright then. Where do you want to do this? Cause here is a bad place."

[Charmera]

---

---

Garnet, too, ran along the rooftops of Tokyo with the rest of the group, having to admit to herself that there really was something exhilarating about the experience. Their little squad was growing, and she had to say that she was rather fond of them... well, she wasn't actually all that happy with Akari's snobbery and she had known Taro for less than a day considering he had randomly popped in during their fight with Azami's goons, so she supposed that pretty much left only Masami, but either way, it was a nice group to be in. She felt that she belonged, in that silly group of complete misfits.

Coming to a halt behind the others, she couldn't help chuckling at Masami's reaction to Akari's comment, and then glanced at Taro.

"The same plan we always use, newcomer. Go in and shoot, stab, or set all the bad guys ablaze until the problem's solved." She nodded, grabbing Misery and nearly checking the ammunition before remembering that the thing reloaded itself.

"So, this is the spot, the place where the Onis are? Is the sixth one here too?" She asked Masami, knowing that she was the one who could track them.

Masami paused as Garnet asked her question. It was a simple one, but it seemed to have Masami stumped. She opened her mouth to answer, but then found herself closing it. She took in a few sniffs, and then shrugged. "Yes... No... Perhaps?" She gave a sheepish look. "To be honest, now it's sorta hard to tell, but the five are definitely there." She remarked. Nodding. She looked to all of them, and they all seemed ready to go, so Masami leaped very high, and then landed down in front of the building quite gracefully.

She looked at the building, then behind her to see Akari simply stepping through a portal. Masami was about to question why she did not offer to do this before but reasoned it wasn't worth asking. The sophisticated cat lady imediatly began walking toward the building.

"I won't lie, this is quite magnificent." She remarked. "It almost makes you feel small."

Masami walked through the door, having followed her sister, coming to a white reception room. She looked around. This looked surprisingly legitimate for an evil organisation. She sniff again, then looked down. "We're going to the basement." She spoke, walking towards the elevator when someone grabbed her hand. Masami's eyes widdened when her skin peeled off to reveal blood red skin.

"No one but the masters go to the basement." Spoke the Oni. Masami simply brushed her off and drew her blade, severing her opponents head. This was a half oni, but not with a human. Some other unfortunate Yokai, the name of which eluded Masami, sired this spawn, and it was weaker as a result, yet more vicious and ready to follow orders from their red skinned parents.

She saw a mutlitude of this Oni spawn begin to draw blades and guns in the lobby. She sighed, supposing they would have to deal with this lot quickly before going downstairs.

---

Though the mention of her dear wayward brother, Asra, was like the stab of a needle through her metaphorical heart, Etla forced herself to smile warmly for her older sister's sake, brushing past the pain of the tragedy she herself had caused. Idly, she wondered where in the vast universe her brother could possibly be, but once again, she had to dismiss these thoughts, even if it was sadness which drove them this time and not anger. After all, regardless of whatever thoughts crossed through her mind, she was well aware that what she had to do now was comfort her sister and mend her lover.

Placing a hand on Ihra's shoulder, the shorter Rainborn nodded at her. "I hope you do, Ihra. There's too many wonderful things in this world for you to let the words of a big red meanie sour you. There's no reason that you should listen to him more than to your cool sister, right?" She said cheerfully. She didn't want her sister to get bitter so soon after all, to give up on the world that to her had been so full of wonder, despite being so full of terror as well. A year ago, she and Craig had spent some time showing Ihra around, and yet, she felt that there was still so much more to explore, not just for Ihra, but for herself as well. She had seen it in her arrival and even throughout the Secret Wars, and she wanted Ihra to see it too.

Alas, now was not the time for that, and a mellow voice soon brought this fact to the front of Etla's thoughts.

"We have everything you asked for, ma'am." The female employee stated without much emotion, adjusting her glasses. "We brought you some tools as well."

Noticing that, indeed, all her demands had been properly satisfied, Etla nodded at them and dismissed them, before turning to Ihra. "I have some work to do now, but you're free to stay here with me if you want, Ihra. Just... feel free to talk but don't interfere, alright? I'll be completely fine, I promise, so don't worry even if it looks like I'm not." She said softly, her ominous words likely making the redhead begin worrying already, though the blonde Rainborn felt that, despite that, it was a necessary statement.

Now done speaking, Etla walked towards the table where all of the components had been laid out, in order to begin working on the Core that would encase her beloved's frail heart. It did not seem, at first, that she would have any use for the tools provided, as Craig's blood, which she now used as a Core, granted her technopathic capabilities, allowing her to assemble all of the raw components provided into more complicated forms with ease, without having to move a finger. However, this was only a small part of the process, as it had been evident to her from the start that human technology, while indeed very sophisticated and helpful, was entirely incapable of replicating the abstract technological miracle that was a Core. For that, certain components would be needed, components that had no equivalent in terms of human technology, and indeed, no equivalent whatsoever in the whole of the universe, as they were created beyond.

It was thus that Etla reached into her own chest with one of the tools laid out on the table and retrieved a small black piece, and then another, and another. If her dear Craig needed pieces of a Core in order to survive, then so be it. She would give him pieces of her Core.

Ihra stood with a look of horror and fear. She wanted to help. but she heeded Etla's warning. She stepped forward, but didn't do anything. She lifted a hand and then put it down. "Etla...?" She asked. Her voice full of concern. She didn't understand, and her medical knowledge told her that while what Etla was removing was not necessarily life threatening, if she were to screw up she could seriously hurt herself. But she stayed put, trusting in her sister.

[Finland SSR]

Frank Mayhem

---

"How polite of you, Liberty!" I exclaimed, obviously in a sarcastic demeanor. Jackpot. That's what I was looking for. Liberty, the android... and the first person in my life that I had to strive to surpass, and not the other way. Knowing her, and her desire for freedom, liberty, and overall a more left-leaning perspective, I thought I would find her here. And, once again, my intuition did not fail me.

"We both know why I'm here, and just to be clear, you're the ass in a more literal sense." Hah. "What else can I say? My rival should be strong enough to keep me sharp, and with massive fighting happening like, 50 kilometers from here, I don't want to get surpassed." I held my knuckles in a cracking position. That's what humans usually do to show readyness for battle. I can't crack knuckles myself, though - I need bones for that. "Technically, we're on the same side of the barricade, but since 95% of metas are too, it's just not fun."

"Cute..." She muttered in response to the Ass comment. She face-palmed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. This guy really doesn't know when to quit, but Liberty supposed that was something they sorta had in common. "You really chose a piss poor time... but fuck it. Not like I was getting shit done down there." She remarked. Sighing. She noticed her rival cracking her knuckles and raising her eyebrow. "Do you even have bones? What's the point of doing that if you can't feel it." She asked. Then folded her arms. "Alright then. Where do you want to do this? Cause here is a bad place."

Frank Mayhem

"Fighting with me - a certainly good decision. Still better than standing there holding a sign all day. If you want, after the match we'll be able to raze down the White House together to show our discontent." Now then, where to fight it out? I already had the minimap up for the possible locations. Let's see... Canada, South America, Sahara, Siberia... How about the last one? No pedestrians to get in the way, quite a few natural structures to throw... Distance doesn't matter much - I'm faster than light, I can move wherever I want in a milisecond.

"I already have the place determined. This will be a nice time!" I then grabbed Liberty's hand with my iwn and flew east through the Earth's skies at maximum speeds. Not gently or carefully, though - quite in a crude way, as if moving the other person with a chain. Obviously, the flight took not that much - maybe a few seconds, and that's because I was still at my base form, and as soon as I stopped a mile above Western Siberia, I let go of the female Android and chugged her towards the snowy forests below as hard as I could. Why did I hold her like that...

[The Starlight]

-snip-

The All-Mother watched in awe, and not a little fear, as Darkstar obliterated the Super Celestial with a mere snap of his fingers. She sent a message through her mind to Max. "A greater than I has come, Maxwell, and his power is such that he destroyed the Super Celestial with a snap of his fingers. I am weak, and my death will be of no use to you. So it must be, that to my shame, I must flee. Once I have recovered, I shall come and aid you once more to the best of my ability."

She used Gungnir as a staff as she stood tall, shaking off her weariness and injuries for the moment. "The only name you shall know from me is All-Mother. But perhaps, later, when you are defeated, I shall whisper my name to thee before giving you a taste of my sword. But I am not foolish, Darkstar. That day will not be today."

One Valkyrie whispered to her, "My lady, let us fight!"

Valka scoffed at that, quietly responding. "Fight and you die. No. This is but an intermission," she said to Darkstar, wrapping her arms around the Valkyries and disappearing in a flash, teleporting back to Asgard. Asgardians never flee, but even they must rest for a short time."The Valkasleep beckons," said the All-Mother, leaning heavily on her staff. Thor Odinson soon met her, his face confused. "But the sleep should not have occurred for several months!"

She chuckled at that. "Headbutting the Mighty Galactus after defeating Darkseid and Highfather will do that to you, my friend. Now, let me sleep. And pray, Asgardians, pray to a mad God, or our destruction is nigh."

[New Rob Halfordia]

It took a few minutes, but Stark had a new armor sent to him and finally made it back to New York. Naja was going to be a pain and a half to deal with. However, he had one of her few weaknesses: Her boyfriend. Speaking of pains in the ass, he thought as he returned to the podium to see Okarot questioning Alex, whose only response included staring at him as if he wasn't really there. "I can answer that for you. Speak of the Devil, right? I was just going to start tracking you down. Thank you for saving me a couple of hours. I know you've met Alex. Don't worry about what's wrong with him, he was being annoyingly stubborn before we managed to convince him to join the right side. And while you're here, it's probably a good time to get registered." Stark said.

There were two ways that this was going to go. Either Okarot decided to sign up and things go on. Or they honeypot doesn't work and he as to use vinegar instead. "You're a Saiyan according to my information. The tail gives it away. Anyways. We could use someone like you on the team. You'd be our designated Wolverine slash heavy hitter. Once Blondie here is done here, he's probably going to go back to magic, which we could also use. Which, again, opens up that spot. Don't worry. You will be well compensated for your time, and you'll get to fight people worth your time. I'm sure sparring with a partner is more effective than going at it alone." Stark explained. He wanted to avoid a fight, but he knew how trigger happy Saiyans could be.

As Okarot stared at Alex, he heard Stark's words, but did not truly listen. One thing became painfully clear however. This was not Alex. Okarot's gaze suddenly snapped towards Stark, a white aura starting to blaze around him, "You want me to join you?", he asked, with a tone of angry disbelief, "And, you think the best way to convince me that you are in the right, is to show me your new blank machine?", he continued, motioning his hand towards Alex. Okarot was not happy, not in the slightest, although, he did his best to maintain his mental composure. One slip up, and he would once more allow the insidious dark energy of the Celestial Super Saiyan to take hold on his body.

The Saiyan's aura grew larger, and the windows of the surrounding buildings began to crack, "What you forget, human, is that Alex is still part Saiyan, and for him to be put into such a state as this is shameful not only to him, but the entire Saiyan race.", Okarot said, his voice loudened and angry, "I'd rather die than allow such an insult to be left without retort. So, what will you do, little man? Sic your new dog on me?", he finished, his aura briefly flaring up before dissipating, his power increased to fighting levels.

[Servinta]

This stranger almost had a likeable tone to him, yet, not so likeable. Maybe it was the glowing eyes, but despite that, the stranger seemed to agree with him on registration, calling him "a like-minded individual", even going so far as to offer him help and warn him about the thugs. He kept his distance, but stayed close enough to see where the stranger was going off to. He saw the stranger pull out some kind of shard. It looked like some kind of diamond of some sort. Following the stranger into a new tunnel, he crawled in one of the subway cars and went to sleep.

While Owen slept in one of the less deteriorated mothballed subway cars, Patho took the time to retrieve the radio from the service tunnel they had met in only hours ago.On his way there and back he tried to piece together the days events and make a full picture of the situation in New York for him to plan, but each time he ended up at the same sad conclusion.He realized that no matter what happened the Pro and Anti Regulation forces would clash either with words or with fists over this new law, causing untold mayhem as the groups that were supposed to protect and serve the public were locked in a veritable civil war.This mayhem would lead to an upsurge in violence and crime across the globe, which was something both sides would have to counter as they fought among themselves.

He returned to the subway train depot and found the stranger still asleep, tired and worn out from whatever the day before had caused him to seek safety in the tunnels of Patho's protectorate.But still Patho felt no desire to sleep and while he knew it would pain him latter once he returned to human form, he stayed awake and on gaurd listening to the radio as news of yesterdays fighting and todays breaking news stories flooded in on the low voice of the radio announcer.And while the time passed slowly it also gave him insight into the minor crimes that had been out-shined by the massive battle around Avengers Tower.

"In other news a murder suicide has rocked the jeweler and diamond trade community as two of the most renowned appraisers in New York have been found dead this morning.Police say this may have resulted from an argument over an earlier incident when several African nationals were escorted out of their office after offering dimonds from an anonymous source to the two men.The investigation is ongoing but the likely story is that the two had different opinions on the buying of possible conflict dimonds and a fight may have broken out that resulted in ones murder and the other likely committed suicide in sorrow.Speaking of murder the DOW was practically murdered as the stock market plunged ....." Patho stopped listening as the crime watch news moved into the financial segment, causing him to lose interest imminently.

He remembered the thugs with guns hat had been using the service tunnel as a meeting place for whatever dealings they had, and recalled them speaking some sort of African dialect.This sparked his interest and caused him to pull out the glass chuck again, to examine it for something he may have missed in the pitch dark of the service tunnel where he found it.Almost not believing he could have missed something so obvious he ran from the radio and into the subway car where Owen slept, and shook him awake.

"What does this look like to you?" He held the thumbnail size chuck out to the man and knew it would be odd being shaken from his sleep by Patho but his mind almost could comprehend what he had missed and he needed someone to confirm his suspicions.

[Osnil]

NYC
Owen lay asleep for a while, then he was flung awake by the stranger, who demanded, "What does this look like to you?"

"Easy, buddy. I just woke up from a deep sleep," Owen yawned, then looked at the stranger's outstretched hand. "It's a diamond, I think. Why? Is there some sort of problem?" He began processing all possibilities. "Did this belong to the thugs you mentioned earlier-I can't tell if it was yesterday or earlier."

[New Rob Halfordia]

The Celestials floated through space, their armor shattered, and their life force diminished. Only one stood still alive, the Celestial known as Exitar, in the face of the powerful foe before him. Despite being puny in size, this foe's power was massive, far greater than that of even great. His skin was the color of blood, but was entirely obscured over the dark red flame like energy that surrounded him, making a humanoid appearance. It had no face aside from eye's that were entirely black, aside from small white dots in the middle, which simply gazed forward into the emptiness of space.

The massive Celestial stuck out his hand, forming a fist, before sticking his thumb downwards, passing his judgement upon the warrior, and sentencing him to death. However, the the sentenced warrior simply peered forward, unphased by the Celestial executioner's judgement. This being before the Celestial different from most who challenged the Celestial's authority. The warrior had killed almost everything in the universe with a single attack, one designed to wipe out all but the strongest beings. And then, one by one, he began to destroy those who he deemed worthy, but, time and time again, proved they were not. Darkseid, Galactus, Thanos, and even the Celestials fell by his hand. Now, there was only Exitar.

The mighty Celestial made his actions with haste, and prepared to destroy the insect before him, and perhaps then, life in the universe could begin anew. But, the warrior slowly raised his arms to his side, his palms facing upwards in a motion of divine power, before uttering two words which would end the battle before Exitar could even make his move.

"Almighty Pulse."

What occurred after this action, was absolute destruction. The entire universe became empty, containing nothing but one being, as the Celestials were completely destroyed, along with every atom of matter left in the universe. The cleansing blast was the result of a bored god finding no more enjoyment to be had in the contents of the universe he had inhabited. For at that moment, he had felt something that interested him far more than any Celestial. He felt the presence of one like him, a being with the potential to have destructive power that match even his own, in an entirely different universe. The being growled with anticipatory excitement. There was another Celestial Super Saiyan.

[New Rnclave]

Hiroshi:

Raising an eyebrow, Hiroshi narrowed his gaze and crossed his a DMs, his emerald eyes ur rowing into Myosais as he floated steadily in the air.

" Why so cocky? We've only just begun the fight. I dodged all of your Ki attacks and struck at you, while you haven't gotten a scratch on me yet." The Super Saiyan shouted, his voice coming out muffled by the shriek of his Super Saiyan aura.

Then it happened. Somehting about the way she tossed her hair, the air of confidence, yet it was unbearably teasing to the Saiyan. Swallowing, Hiroshi's eyes darted around her petite frame, noticing every curve of her body. His throat had tightened, his tongue dragging against the roof of his now dry mouth. A heat had begun to form in the pit of his stomach, the heat spreading throughout his frame and ending at the tip of his now unfurled tail.

Shaking his head, Hiroshi had mere seconds to notice the pink fist that slammed into his cheek, his head jerking backwards violently, a bruise exploding on the flesh. The momentum of the strike carrying him backwards, Hiroshi snapped out his leg, the heel of his boot impacting her abdomen, his fist arcing from the side, his knuckles snapping across her jawline.

Myosai

Well, that worked.

Hiroshi's leg slammed into the side of Myosai's chest in a rather Painful area, causing her to double over in pain for a split second. This gave Hiroshi an opening to strike her again, where, this time, he punched her in the face, of all places.

Myosai's beautiful face pushed against the fist forcefully. Realizing they were fighting in close combat while floating, Myosai lowered their bodies to the sand, where she dug her heels and feet into the powdery sand. This gave her enough support to yank Hiroshi up from the floor, where she then lobbed him behind her back, as hard as she could.

She knew if she was really quick, then she could complete this next move. She flew back towards where Hiroshi was sailing now, leaving a trail of smoky sand behind her feet. She launched the helpless Saiyan into the sky, where she then Instant Transmissioned to the Saiyab, now flying high into the clouds.

Alone, punches and kicks would not be enough to hurt this Saiyan. He was a tank. Her ki blasts did some damage, she knew. Maybe if the combined her ki to her Melee combat like that one move, she could have an upper hand in this fight.

"Hey, can you hold this?" She asked. "Thanks."

A ki sphere the size of a basketball materialized in her palm, and she handed the heavy ki ball to Hiroshi, generously. This would have caused the Saiyan to plummet like an anvil, almost comically. If he did not lose that Ki ball soon, he'd be in some big trouble.

Hiroshi:

The unbelievably heavy orb did its job, carrying the Hybrid downwards at an incredible rate. When the bolt of energy detonated, it was breathtaking to see, a massive dome of pink energy bursting into existence, scorching the landscape. When Hiroshi's energy collided with the rampant energy in the air, it was hardly a contest. Golden energy burst out of every seam, the dome rupturing. A magnificent event occurred afterwards, golden and pink energy rocketing skywards, before drowning out the world in a corona of energy, several seconds passing before it began to calm.

A small buzz was the only indication of his arrival, his entire dogi shredded and burned. Emerald eyes bore into Myosai, his arms crossed dangerously. Not because he was tiring, but Hiroshi had encountered a different barrier.

As he floated silently in the air, all he could hear was blood pounding in his ears, his breath coming out raggidly and labored. Whatever effect this woman was having on him, it wa sonny made worse by her torn clothing, leaving little to the Hybrids imagination. His entire frame was tense, his tail snapping violently, his pants now unbelievably tight, the last part a tad embarrassing to the Super Saiyan.

" What are you doing to me?" The Hybrid growled in a low voice, his breath coming out labored.

[The Fallen Jedi]

Kazuko Masaki/The Founding Masaki
Masaki Training Arena
The Battle Comes Upon the Horizon - Kazuko Masaki vs Superman
Soundtrack: Kazuko Masaki vs Kal-El

"HA!!!!!" Kazuko yelled, a massive energy wave which was as blue as the ocean shot from his cupped palms, having performed one of his earliest known techniques, called the Sleeping Dragon Beam, it was the very technique that assisted Kazuko in defeating Daud all those years ago, and due to Kazuko's own spike in energy, which was attributed to his Celestial Transformation, this version of the Sleeping Dragon Energy Wave was far more potent and even more devastating than before, usually such an energy beam would be of planet-destroying capabilities, but like Superman, Kazuko sought to avoid the needless deaths of the innocent. The massive energy beam barreled itself towards the Earth, where Superman had watched Kazuko prepare his technique, Superman knew that such an energy beam would not significantly damage the Earth, but it would do some damage, but even the Kryptonian knew that Kazuko was not a killer, and didn't want to kill anyone whatsoever.

"Is he actually trying to damage the Earth?" Superman wondered, dodging the massive energy beam, said ocean blue wave of energy came crashing into the ground, however, as quickly as it crashed into the Earth, the energy beam disappeared in it's entirety, this threw Superman off somewhat, something was amiss and he knew it, an energy wave of that caliber wouldn't just simply disappear just like that. Kal-El quickly turned his head, watching as Kazuko came barreling down to Earth, ready to deliver a powerful punch to his opponent, Superman did the obvious thing and caught the Grand Warlord's fist right in the nick of time. "I don't know what that was, but energy beams don't simply disappear like that, what did you just do?" Superman asked his opponent, who simply smiled. What Superman was not aware of was that Kazuko had a deep understanding of his own powers, even able to use them in conjunction with each other, even having his energy absorbed by the thick roots beneath the Earth, making the energy wave, which had been divided into differing portions of the ground run through the tunnel system of roots he had established.

"Ah and right you are Superman." Kazuko said with a chuckle, planting his foot squarely on Kal-El's chest and applying a great amount of stamina, power, and speed into his foot, effectively forcing Superman to lose his hold on Kazuko's fist "You see," Within moments, a great tremor gained Kal-El's attention as he took a glance down towards the ground and then back to Kazuko "I may not have as much physical strength as you do, but my tactics are unparalleled." Multiple roots shot up from the ground and then seemingly opened up, unleashing numerous energy beams that were similar in coloration and power to the Sleeping Dragon Beam. Kal-El delivered a swift punch to Kazuko, which sent him flying down to the ground "Can you avoid all of them?" Kazuko asked, another root rose up from the ground and Kazuko grabbed hold of it, gaining his balance and watching as a few of the beams impacted the Man of Steel, and this attack was actually doing a decent amount of damage to Superman "I hope you're done gathering the energy Asumar, because I'm pretty sure he won't fall for that again..."

Superman bared his teeth as he actually felt the energy beams damage him somewhat, even though it wasn't crippling, it was getting really annoying, now the battle was taking too long, and he wanted to end this as quickly as possible "They really are persistent." Superman remarked inwardly, shooting out of the smoke that had gathered around him, planted his fist into the root that held Kazuko, causing it to shatter, and not only did this shock his opponent, Superman brought his fist out again, clenched it up and shot it towards Kazuko's face "This battle ends right here, right now!" Superman exclaimed, his punch sending Kazuko crashing violently to the ground. Without any further thought, Superman shot right after Kazuko, ready to deliver the finishing blow to the Grand Warlord, Superman had his chance to strike and he took it, closing in on Kazuko, but not before a blow hit his ribcage, a very powerful kick that nearly bruised the bone itself, causing Superman to go flying into the ground while crashing into it like a stone in the water.

Asumar, who stood proudly in his Celestial Transformation was responsible for the attack that sent Superman crashing into the ground, turning his head to Kazuko, Asumar smiled "Stay back Kazuko, just a little bit more and then we will be able to retreat, though I think it would be wise to prepare our departure as soon as possible, at the rate this is going, he will actually try to take us out of this battle." Asumar's entire form started flickering between his normal form and his Celestial form, he had absorbed the power of Sigma Galli Prime, gaining a unprecedented level of power that rivaled Superman's held back state. Asumar watched with an entertained smile on his face as Superman shot up out of the ground with an angered expression on his face "I have to admit Kryptonian, the only one to give me this much fun was Kazuko, but even though I am excited to say the least, I have an objective here, and that is to make sure that my son is safe, I will not let the Government keep me from my objective, I won't let the Pro-Reg members get in my way, no one will stand in the way of the very thing that made me change my priorities for the better, you can keep trying, but my willpower is strong!"

Superman rose out of the ground, his expression serious, as if he was ready to go all out, but there was still that part within him that stopped him from doing such a thing, but where did Asumar get that type of power? Such a level of power already rivaled him in his current state, and it was both astonishing and shocking to the Kryptonian, it was as if Asumar had gathered the power of "His home world..." Superman whispered to himself before looking back up to Asumar "I see now, you have a unique connection to your homeworld, and all other planets connected to it, not only did your connection allow you to absorb energy from your planet, but it has given you a great level of strength, I'm genuinely impressed Masaki." Superman remarked as he flew forward without any inhibitions and brought his fist out, clashing with Asumar's fist that had been brought out "Shall we commence round 2?"

[Osnil]

Ara
Ara awoke, rubbing her head. She looked around. A woman with black hair stood by. "W-where am I?" Ara asked, sitting up.

"Welcome to Themyscira, stranger," the woman said, "I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons, but you might know me as Wonder Woman."

"I am Ara of the Tribals-not the Ara that Unga married, but his adopted daughter," Ara replied.

"How is it that you're even here in this world?" asked Diana, "let alone the fact that you do not look like a Tribal."

"I was born here, and left to die," Ara explained, "Unga took pity on me and took me in. Jealousy mounted when my brother, Sawa, became jealous of the fact that I had been chosen to lead the Tribals."

"That still doesn't explain why you back on Earth," Diana replied.

"Two years ago, Sawa killed Unga and raised a group of people that he had swayed," Ara replied, "and then we fought a civil war and not too long ago, our shaman saw a future that a world would be engulfed in darkness, and that to prevent it, I would have to go. So here I am trying to save the world that left me to die. I joined the Defenders in Asia for a short time, hoping to locate the darkness I was to face, but now things have gotten worse. Anyway, how did I get here?"

"One of my sister Amazons found you on the beach," Diana said.

"That's right-the ship I was sailing on hit a storm. I must have washed overboard," Ara sighed, then winced, "my head."

"You're going to be in that bed for a while, Ara," Diana replied, "get comfortable."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

Though the pinkish red-haired Hadrian singer was currently devoting a large part of her focus and concentration to the maintenance of the powerful spellsong that was making the heroism of her new friends swell within their hearts and placing greater power at their disposal so that they could earn victory in that battle, she was still somewhat aware of what was going on in her vicinity, within reason as she naturally could not see with her eyes closed. She could still hear and feel, though, and so, when she felt the presence of a strange, alien magic behind her, she was understandably startled, her voice slightly wavering for a moment as she sang, though she forced herself to recover quite quickly as if nothing had happened. She knew that she needed to keep the spellsong going in order to help her friends, she only hoped that there was someone watching her back. She was sorely tempted to open her eyes and glance behind her, but she knew that such a thing would only disrupt her concentration and undo everything she had done, so she steeled herself and continued singing for the sake of her friends.

However, when she heard the voice of a man of about her age simply talking to her, complimenting her and her singing and then saying something strange that she didn't quite understand, some of Kirisvala's apprehension was dispelled and replaced by satisfaction and curiosity. She was quite happy that someone appreciated her singing and told her about it, but who was this man? Where had he come from? What kind of magic did he have? And what were these 'drugs' that he compared to her song supposed to be? She had no idea, but for now, at least, she knew that he wasn't going to hurt her. She felt sorely tempted to ask him all those questions, but stopped herself once again, instead continuing to work her magic on her teammates.

Hearing the man continue speaking, what remained of Kirisvala's concern evaporated quickly. Not only did this man like her songs, he was also offering to protect her from the Rantu! To 'watch her back' like the expression went (she had used it already, but she'd never really stopped to think what it actually meant until now; linguistic assimilation was a weird thing, despite being very useful). The Hadrian would have smiled, had her lips not been in constant movement due to the song, but her tail indeed displayed her happiness as it began to draw circles in the air once again.

She briefly considered thanking him and introducing herself as well, but that could wait, she decided. For now, she had to sing.

---

---

Garnet shrugged back at Masami upon hearing the answer to her question. She had expected the fox lady to be able to tell, considering how she had been able to detect them from so far away, but if she couldn't, then it probably wasn't important anyway. Masami was still able to smell the five Oni that they were supposed to track down and destroy, so they could still carry on with their mission. The other one was probably no threat after all.

Seeing Masami jump down, the blonde woman was about to do the same, when she noticed Akari opening up a portal and heading down without having to jump, simply walking through. Surprised, Garnet glanced at Akari and then at Masami.

"Well, that's certainly a smarter idea." She thought to herself, activating Longing. Not a moment later, she stepped out of a blue portal that had appeared next to the other two girls. The portal remained open for Taro to use it if he so desired, but in the mean time, Garnet followed the catgirl and the foxgirl into the large skyscraper, entering what appeared to be a completely mundane reception. She was about to ask if they had gotten the wrong place somehow, but before she could do that, Masami advanced, saying that the basement was where they had to go.

That was when things started getting ugly.

"We should've just teleported to the basement, guys." Garnet remarked, before drawing her pistol and firing off the entire clip faster than the Oni could react. Afterwards, she put away the arcane pistol and manifested Agony on her hand, her fist sending tremors through the air as it struck the Oni spawn.

---

---

Etla paused her work for a moment upon hearing her sister call her name, and, putting her tools down, she turned around. "I'm fine." The golden-haired Rainborn spoke, though her voice was noticeably different now. It lacked the emotional nuances always possessed by living creatures, and instead sounded somewhat monotonous, but not quite. The voice was quite the contrast in her face, which was as bright and chipper as ever, though for one as close to Etla as Ihra was, it would likely be easy to notice that she was trying to hide the pain she was feeling. She was, after all, chipping away parts of her very being in order to use them to build the imperfect Core she was working on, and this was not without consequence. For one, she had caused her speech system to deteriorate slightly, though that had been inevitable, as one of the components she needed was connected to it.

Turning back to her work, Etla continued pulling out pieces of herself, until eventually stopping, looking at the assortment of different items, some of them man-made and some of them born from Rain. Raising her hand above them, she used Craig's technopathic powers in order to cause them to converge, assembling them into forms that were more and more complicated until they nearly-completely trascended the realm of human technology, while still remaining remarkably small.

Almost done with her work, she allowed the separate pieces to come to rest on the table, pausing for a moment. This was it, the first and last trial. If it didn't fizzle out or explode, then the crafting of the pseudo-Core could be considered a success, and so, clenching her fist, Etla caused the materials to converge once again. The end result, hovering in the air in front of her, was probably not what one would call a miracle machine at a first glance. It appeared to be little more than a black and white and grey hollow sphere, completely smooth save for several orifices on its surface. However, Etla was well aware of the power held within that thing, and so, she waited, praying to Father Sky that it wouldn't fail.

But several moments passed, and the Core did not falter or explode. Smiling, Etla allowed it to disassemble, since it was no use to keep it whole before installing it on Craig's body.

Sitting down, she let out a sigh of relief, and then looked up at Ihra, flashing her a weak smile.

"Power Shift: Sentry Core." She said, speaking the command that allowed her to change between Cores instantly. Now that she was done creating Craig's Core, she no longer needed to use his blood, and so, she could use the Sentry Core to regenerate what parts she had given away for his sake. It would be a lengthy, slightly painful process, but in Etla's mind, it had all been worth it. As far as she was concerned, she had just saved the man she loved.

"Again." She thought with a smile as she closed her eyes.

[Pyrade]

Taro
Taro chuckled at Garnet's explanation of the plan,
"Simple, effective, easy to remember. What gifted strategist thought of that one?"
He replied as he was about to take off down the side of the building but then he noticed the portal Garnet had left open and stepped through joining Garnet, Akari and Masami rapidly. He turned to the former and bowed his head slightly, "Thank you kindly." He said and paused at the door, noting the others weren't attempting to hide their magical nature. He stepped through the door, bending down slightly to avoid hitting his head. He walked behind the two, hanging back slightly as he inspected the room. His white glyph was glowing still, and when the strange, red skinned oni appeared, his blade had immediately been unsheathed. As others closed in on them he couldn't help but smile slightly as he charged the creatures. His blade moved rapidly as his senses faded back into the real world. Kiba-tsune sliced into one oni on the downstroke which Taro rapidly kicked out of the way. Next two horizontal slashed dissected an oncoming brute before the curved blade was imbedded in the chest of a third. Taro removed it and tore into the group even more, shredding with sword, tooth and claw. Not even bothering with his magic for the time being. He had already drained himself slightly when he fought the bakeneko, so long as the oni we're reasonably un challenging he could handle them with his enchanted blade. He chuckled at Garnet's remark and shouted out,
"Now where's the fun in that Garnet-sama?"
He asked before he sank his teeth into the throat of a charging oni, snapping their fragile spine easily. He snarled angrily as an oni struck him on the back, causing him to lash out with his many tails, confusing the oni briefly before Kiba-tsune severed the creatures neck.
"Although, if we fight towards the elevator we might not be here until the turn of next century executing ashigaru."
Taro said above the furor of combat.

Eldara
Eldara had been flying quite high in the atmosphere for a while now. According to her thermometer, it was significantly colder than when she had come hurtling through the atmosphere at several hundred meters per second. She had been following a lead regarding the news report. Apparently this island was somewhere in the middle of an ocean, something Eldara had discovered Earth had quite a lot of. But her internet trawling had picked up on a location that looked promising. Logically it made sense that if one where to look for something that had evaded the vast network of human mapping satellites, she would go to the place where human technology seemed to have a habit of disappearing, the Bermuda Triangle. An odd place, and for strange reasons the humans placed strange superstitions on the triangle, illogical, seeing as there were far better explanations for the disappearances. It was a mix of curiosity and amusement that drew Eldara to the triangle. What she was not expecting though, was the island that awaited her when she arrived.
"Clearly humans need better mapping technology."
She murmured, wondering just how it was that the mapping sites she had consulted had not known of this island. While giving many url's a firm admonishing for outdated data, the gynoid approached the island, scanning it for life. There were indeed life forms on this island, quite a few to Eldara's surprise. She alighted next to a building containing two such life forms (Ara and Wonder Woman) and paused at the door. She gave a polite knock and waited. Not entirely sure how they would react to the android.

[The Starlight]

-snip-

-snip-

Craig Thomsen/Silverwing

The young inventor nodded, trusting the motion to convey his agreement, and meaning, and departed to the shower, sighing in delight as the water came over him. However, he froze, all of a sudden, a flashback of icy cold water being poured over his head occurred as Craig remembered the methods used to wake him up, and the waterboarding he had undergone. Gritting his teeth, he banished away those thoughts, turning up the heat to prevent another flashback.

A year's worth of blood, sweat and tears came off as he scrubbed, and when he had finished he looked down on the murky water, a symbolic act as well as a physical one. Drying himself, Craig dressed in pants, a brown longcoat and a plaid shirt, packing several essentials.

He then went to the storage rooms, taking the shield generators he had kept, and started placing them strategically. If an attack on Thomsen Tech occurred once they were gone, he was sure that they would want his tech, especially Stark, whom Craig had sensed always desired his stuff. But thanks to the shields being able to absorb forms of energy and use it to power itself further, he doubted Stark or anyone else would be able to get to it. He packed several of his small inventions as well, disabling the ones remaining in the storage room, removing key components to prevent usage. He had a few, unfinished, unpatented inventions there as well, and he packed them along, figuring that they might be of some use.

Keeping two generators, one to shield the entire building and another for Daniel's house, he gathered together the employees in the refreshment room. Sighing once, he ran a hand through his hair, and began. "It's been just a little while since I've returned, and yet, I've realized that I have to leave again. There is a very real possibility that some branch of the government will come after me, and by extension, Thomsen Tech, and if it comes to an assault on this building, well, I can't allow that possibility. For that reason, I am shutting down operations until this all blows over, until my return. The building will be locked and secured. You will all be put on paid leave. Our overseas branches will remain operational, so if any of you wish to go aid operations there until the U.S. branch is back, your airfare will be paid for again."

He gazed at each of their faces. They were his family, and he would miss them, while he was gone. "And when I'm back I will explain everything. But for now, as they say, ignorance is bliss."

Saying tearful goodbyes, he was hugged and patted and kissed on the cheek( his relationship with Etla being common knowledge now, as it seemed). And so, he walked through the empty halls, coming upon Etla and Ihra at last.

Looking at the tray, his technopathy soon gave him the answer. "You've done it," he said, looking to Etla, a frown on his face at her expression of pain, Craig taking another look at the assorted pieces to see things certainly not of human origins. A quick glance at Ihra confirmed his fears, Etla had sacrificed some parts of her Core to create his.

Taking her face in his hands, he softly kissed her, settling for a simple, "Thank you. Will you be ok?" Turning his attention to the Core, he used his technopathic powers to assemble it once again, the procedure taking a little while due to the unfamiliar technology that was beyond even him. Craig held the assembled Core in his hands, and shrugged. "Let's see how this goes," pressing it to his chest directly over his heart, the Core phasing through, connecting to his veins and encircling his heart.

Craig gave a loud gasp, pressing a hand to his heart and sensing all was well. It felt strange, foreign, which was exactly what it was, but he supposed that it would grow more comfortable in time. "I feel different," he said, still adjusting. "But, good-different," taking a seat and thanking Etla again.

He looked to the Rainborn sisters, once more, explaining why they couldn't stay and who it was that had come, and his offer to Craig, which he had accepted with Etla's approval. He had started this, and so, he had to finish it too, the only way he knew.

[Osnil]

Eldara
Eldara had been flying quite high in the atmosphere for a while now. According to her thermometer, it was significantly colder than when she had come hurtling through the atmosphere at several hundred meters per second. She had been following a lead regarding the news report. Apparently this island was somewhere in the middle of an ocean, something Eldara had discovered Earth had quite a lot of. But her internet trawling had picked up on a location that looked promising. Logically it made sense that if one where to look for something that had evaded the vast network of human mapping satellites, she would go to the place where human technology seemed to have a habit of disappearing, the Bermuda Triangle. An odd place, and for strange reasons the humans placed strange superstitions on the triangle, illogical, seeing as there were far better explanations for the disappearances. It was a mix of curiosity and amusement that drew Eldara to the triangle. What she was not expecting though, was the island that awaited her when she arrived.
"Clearly humans need better mapping technology."
She murmured, wondering just how it was that the mapping sites she had consulted had not known of this island. While giving many url's a firm admonishing for outdated data, the gynoid approached the island, scanning it for life. There were indeed life forms on this island, quite a few to Eldara's surprise. She alighted next to a building containing two such life forms (Ara and Wonder Woman) and paused at the door. She gave a polite knock and waited. Not entirely sure how they would react to the android.

Ara had lain her head down again, for it hurt too much to sit up. A sharp rapping on the door interrupted her. Diana rose up then opened the door to see an android. "Welcome to Themyscira. I assume you are here for Ara?"

Ara turned her head toward the voices. "I've never seen that metal machine before in my life-unless it's one of Bolin's, because the Tribals don't even use metal."

"Who are you and what is your business on Themyscira?" asked Wonder Woman.

[The Fallen Jedi]

Asumar Masaki & Kazuko Masaki
Masaki Training Arena
The Battle Comes Upon the Horizon - The Great Conclusion

"Quickly Kazuko, release all of your power, don't hold back whatsoever!" Asumar yelled to his brother, while he too began to power up to his absolute limit, the ground cracking beneath him, the very Earth trembling underneath his feet, followed by a column of purple energy rising up from around Asumar, his body briefly buffing up before his muscles compressed back into their original state, even Asumar's ethereal cloak started to change in color, from it's standard white robe and black magatama to a flaming red cloak, black flames lined around the lowest parts of his cloak, along with twelve golden magatama that had manifested themselves on the back of his cloak, Asumar's hair also transitioned from it's snow white coloration to an angry red color that seemingly began to glow "HAA!!!!" Asumar yelled from within the column of purple energy, his yell causing the column of energy to shatter in every direction.

As soon as the blinding light appeared, Superman put his hand over his forehead, his eyes squinting by the display of power, as soon as the light died down, Asumar was nowhere to be seen, then Superman felt a fist impact him from behind, sending the Kryptonian "This may cause some problems..." Superman said silently, before he felt a foot impact him from behind, sending him flying forward, rebounding and then firing his heat vision in the direction of where the punch had impacted him, he saw that Asumar fell to his knees and actually slid right under the angry red beams of death. A massive root then emerged from the ground and propelled Asumar forward by pushing his feet forward "They're working in conjunction with each other's techniques." Superman told himself, watching as Asumar attempted to sideswipe Superman, who just as easily propelled himself backwards.

This proved to be a very poor decision as Kazuko slammed his palms into the ground "Forward!" Kazuko commanded the large network of roots that had been established right under the arena. By his command, hundreds of roots shot up around, beside, and even behind of Superman, the roots that shot out behind Superman crashed right into his back and sent the Kryptonian flying forward, sending him crashing to the ground. Within seconds, the swarm of thick roots were upon the downed Kryptonian, crashing into him with unrelentless force "Now," Kazuko brought both of his hands up into the air, a thin aura of green energy surrounding the Grand Warlord "Transform!" Kazuko exclaimed, the massive assortment of roots then wrapped themselves around the now immobile Kryptonian before they all shot up into the sky and began to wrap themselves into the shape of a majestic and massive tree trunk, the ends of the roots then scattering in all directions in the sky, with leaves beginning to form on these branches, thus the massive tree's formation was now complete.

A dark blue hue of energy began to surround Asumar's body, morphing into multiple stages of constructs before achieving it's largest known form, which rivaled the massive tree in height "Let's finish this!" Asumar exclaimed from within the Energy Armor Construct, which seemingly let out a low growl, two ethereal swords appearing in the two humanoid hands of the armor, which were half as tall as Asumar's Energy Armor Construct. The construct raised both of its swords, ready to come down onto the mid section of the tree, where Kal-El had been effectively imprisoned. However, right before the twin swords could strike, Superman emerged from the tree, barreling himself right into the forehead of the Energy Armor, grabbing hold of Asumar's midsection "Enough!!!" Superman exclaimed, spinning around until he and Asumar appeared to be nothing but two blurs. Asumar didn't have enough time to react before Superman released his grip on Asumar, sending him hurtling to the ground with extremely violent force "This has gone on far enough, this battle is going to end right here right now!" Exclaimed Kal-El, who came crashing into the ground where Asumar had fallen.

To his surprize however, Asumar, who had been badly damaged by Superman's show of force, was already healing from his injuries Hahaha!!!" Asumar laughed with glee as every wound that he had gathered on his body disappeared as quickly as they appeared "This form accelerated my metabolism to the point that even severe wounds will heal within seconds!" Asumar stated with a smile before he jumped right out of the large crater, with Kazuko landing alongside him "Kazuko, finish it, now!" Asumar exclaimed, watching as his brother brought one palm up towards the tree before closing it. In response, the center of the tree began to glow bright orange before the massive tree exploded, it's massive explosion being similar to a thermonuclear detonation, causing even the vast network of roots beneath to began exploding, as if the Massive Tree was the spark that would blow up a powder keg.

Superman lunged towards the two Masaki Brothers, who eluded Superman and the rapidly expanding explosion thanks to Asumar's use of the Rapid Flicker Technique "Dammit!" Superman exclaimed before he soared up into the sky, narrowly avoiding the vast explosion which rocked the very foundations of Earth itself and even caused the ground where Superman had stood before to crack and even explode along with the network of roots "I should have known that they would do something like that..." Superman said to particularly no one. The ground had effectively been razed to the ground, with every source of life within the general radius of the arena to become nothing but a barren wasteland, fortunately, the explosion was well out of reach of civilization, and ironically, the forest that surrounded the arena was unharmed "Huh, it didn't reach the forest at all, they must had decided to prevent the explosion from reaching the nearby forests." Superman said, slowly landing to the ground, looking all around him as all life within the area had been reduced to nothing but a wasteland

[Servinta]

NYC
Owen lay asleep for a while, then he was flung awake by the stranger, who demanded, "What does this look like to you?"

"Easy, buddy. I just woke up from a deep sleep," Owen yawned, then looked at the stranger's outstretched hand. "It's a diamond, I think. Why? Is there some sort of problem?" He began processing all possibilities. "Did this belong to the thugs you mentioned earlier-I can't tell if it was yesterday or earlier."

"This diamond did in fact belong to them, and I was a fool to have mistaken it as something else with its edges and surface so rough and un-refined.Almost half an hour before we met those three thugs where waiting in that service tunnel for some sort of meeting or deal, I don't know which but what what I do know is that they spoke some sort of African dialect and after I scared them off they accidentally left this behind in their haste." Patho explained the events prior to their meeting and how he had come to find the diamond in more detail to the surprised and drowsy Owen.Holding the diamond up in the air so that even with its rough cut exterior you could see the glimmer of its buety from the semi-translucent interior.

"I just heard a report on the radio as you slept, there was a murder-suicide yesterday evening and the victims who worked as jewelers were last seen with African nationals being thrown out of their buissness.You have to see some sort of correlation between these two events as well do you not?" He was hoping he wasn't going crazy, hoping this made as much sense out loud as it did in his mind.

"I you are still trying to give all the other non-registered heroes a head-start, why not give them an example as well.Help me find out what this rock has to do with the murders and you'll show the Pro-Regulationists that even without goverment backing we can do good for the people, besides what better way to leave a trail for the Pro's to follow than a trail of criminal bodies!?" Patho offered the deal as a sort of repayment for the nights rest, even though he would have been happy to see the man go back to the surface and forget he ever met him.Because to Patho it was all perspective of how to better society, not of how to advance his own personal gains.And after hearing Owens plan Patho thought that this man was almost the same as he was, looking out for the general group instead of himself.That gave him admiration of him and a desire to work with such a man to try and continue their true calling which was to protect the good and punish the evil.

[Myrobia]

Abyssinia Gifts From Africa antiques store

The Abyssinia Gifts From Africa store was closed for the day due to 'Special repairs' that had to be done on the air conditioner which spat nothing but hot air and dirt every time it was turned on.The Security shutters on the front windows and door were drawn down and locked to prevent the passers-bye on the Hollywood sidewalk from peaking into the shop, but also to prevent them from seeing that no real work was being done.Instead the true reason the shop had closed was because the three South Africans working there were in hiding from the murder suicide that had befallen two diamond experts that had occurred only yesterday.
Jabez was prepared for their extended stay inside and had claimed his seat on the couch in their two bedroom apartment upstairs, while his two partners in crime were respectively busy looking outside the second story window for any signs of police and working on the finicky air conditioner in an attempt to make their cover story appear legit.Jakko was growing more and more bored as he watched tourists and locals alike walk up and down the sidewalk all a gossip about the reent fighting around the Tower, and Adeze was having little to no success in his attempts to empty out the vents of their years worth of dirt.

The story of their crime was not blamed on them as they had found when it came on the Channel 9 news, instead their master had covered for them by making the scrawny man kill his fat friend and then leap from a roof.This made Jabez happy to have someone looking out for them but he was not going to take chances on this as he had given the skinny one their business fronts card just before leaving.It would likely be missed as nothing important by the investigators but it was still something connecting them to the crime.

"JAAABEZ!" A voice cried out form the dark purple diamond that was placed in the center of their apartment, causing them all to jump from fright.though they knew who it was that called them they never could get used to magic like that, for the blood dimond had been enchanted by their master and warlord Giza Daktari using blood rituals and dark magic back in Africa to keep them in contact with him from here in America.

"Yes Masta, I hear your call." He got down off the couch and turned off the television before getting on his knees in respect to the mighty.The others came as soon as they heard his call and knelt beside him as well.

"Last night when I took control of that skinny fool, I felt a presence there New York, an item of powerful magic and powerful spirits there.I have sought the console of the bones and I have divined the form and location of this item as a dimond ring in Harlem, you shall collect it for me and kill the fool who owns it." The Dark Sangoma ordered his goons through the vibrating diamond before them.

"It shall be done Masta." all three men said in unison.

"And one more thing, you must not allow this ring to be used by any other but me.I will arrive there on the marrow to inspect it personally.DO NOT DISAPIONT ME!" The Sangoma's last words echoed through out the building before the diamond ceased its vibrating and the light within it dimmed

"Well we can't go anywhere unit all this police activity has died down, we'll head out tomorrow and scout the place." Jabez shooed the other two away as he picked up the diamond and held it in his hand, observing how its point magically moved in his palm to point in the direction of Harlem like a compass.

[Confederation of imperial states]

Ranger holstered his Pistol,
"Stark's off his Gord alright. and a Tip Owen, stay underground to try and avoid any Pro-Reg confirtation. that's metaphorically but i guess you can go literally if you want". Ranger walked to the edge of the roof,

"I need to go gentlemen, Someone needs to clean up stark's mess" The Ranger then shot his grappel and swung off.

"I think it's best you get going. I was foolish for seeing you as an ally, when in reality, all there are in these times are enemies. Good luck". Randall said before following Ranger, using kinetic energy to keep up. Now that his mind was clear, he was able to put some meaning into what he said intead of blind rage. There truly is no good or evil in this war, and no matter what, there will be destruction unless a common ground is found.

As he cought up with Ranger, he turned to him and said, "Mind if I follow you? There's no way I'll last in this mess alone, and if you want peace, I can help, sort of"

"The Ranger"

Ranger pulled himself up to a ledge and turned to Randall,
"No, 2 Reasons why. 1.) I work better alone handeling this situation, and having someone along will only make me screw up and/or slow me down, No offense kid but this is how i've handeled things for the past 8 years. 2.) after that bloodthirst you just went into after Owen said stark's name (yes i said stark, I did because I'm a person and i'm allowed to say words no matter your vendetta), and you almost went on a rampage which could've killed everyone within a 3 block radius.". Ranger turned when he heard a loud explosion comign from the fight area, "crap, I need to go" the Ranger then grappeled off away from Randall.

[Siliarba]

CeeCee

It was a bit uncomfortable, coming back to the military so soon after leaving it, and even sooner compared to this ring I got. Naturally this was seen as an amazing opportunity by the guys deciding how to make this press conference kind of thing. Instead of walking in I had to fly or sort off float in with a red suit with some military decorations. It showed of both a high ranking military general, and the fact there was a red lantern on the side of the military. Well, it was a show specifically designed to make the public known supers on the governments side is the only place they belong so I guess it all makes sense. Let's just hope I don't mess it up with my awkwardness when addressing non military personnel.

Well, better just go right for it the moment I land. Landing on the stage I walked up to the front of the podium, creating a microphone with her new lantern powers to address the crowd. "Greetings everyone, fellow generals, officers, soldiers, members of the press and everyone else. My name is CeeCee, no last name and I'm a major general in the military and I'm a red lantern, a super hero. Even though red lanterns are usually seen as villains rather than heroes. Regardless I'm here to show the benefits of being part of the government as a hero.

I started passing around on the stage, I don't like standing still, especially when in a place I'm not at comfort. "In the past years I have been active in the army under a codename fighting for our country." As I was talking, clips were being shown above the stage to accentuate everything I was saying. "Through sending me out many lives were saved, the lives of our soldiers, the lives of the locals, and all that with minimal effort. Several examples are ..." The list of examples were long, terrorists, enemy armies, enemy supers, all successful missions, all only showing the positive sides, none of the acts like torture which the government had authorized me to use. Some would react to that badly, and I wouldn't be able to blame them, some things are needed even if they can never leave the shadows.

After a rather long speech it was time for a conclusion "Simply put, supers working with or for the government leads to many benefits all working for everyone's security, and a quick crackdown on villains and any law breaker in a fair, formal and fitting way. Any super out there not having signed the government hero act should do to help work together in making this world a safer place from those braking the law. And as a final note, if a super openly refuses to sign up with the government program then they become law breakers and we, I, will go after you and bring you to justice."

After that serious note and stance I returned to a more relaxed pose and asked one final thing "So, any more questions?" A ton of questions arose and many were answered and one thing was clear, the point had been made.