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

[The Silhouette of Adventure]

The moment the grappling hook struck him in the back, it activated his powers, duplicating him forward. While the first duplicate was disabled down in front of her, the second one she inadvertently created simply turned around and sighed. "Seriously, lady?" He leaned down and absorbed the first duplicate, before jumping out of the way of her attack and duplicating himself several times. "You-" The first kicked at her, trying to get her to block with her baton so that the rest of the attacks would be more effective. "Can't-" The second punched towards her gut. "Think-" The third was another kick, this time towards the back of her legs. "You'll-" The fourth tried to ram his elbow into her head. "Win!" The last simply watched the others, ready to reabsorb and run if things went bad.

Vera ignores the firsts kick, letting it impact her armor, She instead blocks the fourth one going for her face. Though she can't stop the blow to her gut, she slices the dagger towards second one's arm. she does not see the kick in the back of the legs coming, however, which interrupts that slice and throws her off-balance, as well as breaks one of the braces on her leg with a loud crack. Now that her armor is getting damaged, and she's severely outnumbered, She smartens up, and tries escape by firing her grappling hook into one of the unfinished buildings at this site, and letting it drag her into it, slashing at any of the duplicates trying to stop her. Though she abandoned her second dagger, it will be a lot easier to replace that then the broken brace on her leg.

The replicas nursed their wounds for a moment before re-absorbing into the uninjured one. Picking up the dagger, he scoffed, returning to base. As he left, he sent several more duplicates to not only return to his scouting route, but also two to keep watch to ensure he wasn't followed. "You there, Me?" He called the Madrox-Prime.
"What's up, Me? You hung up so suddenly."
"I tripped, and the Cape saw me. I'm not sure if they're Good or Bad, but either way, they weren't exactly a challenge. No super-powers to speak of, etcetera etcetera. You'll know when you re-absorb me. Either way- Got a knife we can use. Trace ownership through white or black markets, see who's behind this mask."
"Nice one, Me."
"You know it, Myself."
"I feel like we're missing a third person here we call "I".

[New Rnclave]

" Um… yeah I know that symbol. That's the Turtle Hermits kanji. I don't know if you're thinking it or not, but I don't need you for the same reason as last time." The Hybrid commented, running a hand through his onyx hair, trying to shake away the weariness he was experiencing.

" There's another level of Super Saiyan beyond what I'm capable of achieving now, and I need a sparring partner who can push me beyond my limits so I can figure out this whole thing."

Emerald swirled within his golden eyes, his power stopping short of pushing over into Suoer Saiyan. Even now he could feel the barrier, the wall he'd hit in his own training. He'd hit the wall and thrown everything he had at it, yet it wouldn't budge. In order to begin understanding it, he had to feel it for what it truly was.

Myosai

"Yeah. I know. I wasn't asking you if I wanted to do that (but we could next time) *COUGH*-" She coughed, smiling innocently. "Anyways, I guess I'll help you spar and stuff." The majin grabbed her sword and strapped hit against her back, before taking a quick sip of Hiroshi's drink while she wasn't looking. On one condition, Hiroshi: You help me. I help you get to whatever Gold Hair level you want, and you help me find whoever this Turtle guy is, deal?"

She held out her hand, which, by the way, was still holding the chocolate bar.

---

Nanashi Strong
Satan City

Now where the hell is this thing...

Nanashi raised an eyebrow as he heard stomping behind his head. Quickly instant-transmissioning to the side, he just missed a Tail slash down and sever a building down the center, which likely would have killed him upon impact. Nanashi leaped back over the nearby building, thrusting his palms down into a charging stance.

"Kaio-Ken!" His voice boomed throughout the entire city. If he kept up all these fucking Kaio-Ken's, he'd be Kaio-Dead pretty soon.

The Z Fighter's palms were aimed right at Hirudegarn, in a fashion where he'd be charging a Kamehameha. "Kamehame-"

The monster suddenly disappeared into a ribbon-like mass of Ectoplasm, which flowed freely past His face. Nanashi Quickly cupped the Kamehameha into his palms, the sphere quickly expanding in size as he tried to anticipate which direction Hirudegarn would be coming from.

Fuck, this thing was speedy.

Nanashi narrowed his eyes as he saw the mass of dark energy appear right in front of his face. Hirudegarn seemed to be charging up a mouth-energy-beam of some sort, which, at this point blank of a range, would effectively Obliterate him and everything around him.

So, why not fire a Pissed Kamehameha into Hirudegarn's face?

"HA!!! Take this, you fucking piece of shi-"

The force of his own blast nearly took him off of his feet, as his Massive, red Kamehameha clashed with Hirudegarn's hellishly hot Gold beam.

This sent an explosion almost half the size of the city outwards, which would have killed everyone in the city, had the proper evacuation protocol not been in place.

Hirudegarn and Nanashi's beams clashed and exploded, producing a flash of light about the size and approximately as bright as an atomic bomb dropped over a Japanese city [or used to kill Godzilla].

The resulting shockwave sent Nanashi tumbling backwards through several buildings across a very long range, finally landing as he slid to a painful, blood-filled halt on the floor of one of Capsule Corp's buildings. Even hirudegarn didn't seem to fare well- His silhoette seemed to go still as his body became covered in some ceramic-like substance; possibly noting that he had fallen?

A smile suddenly appeared over Nanashi's face as he saw the bodies of Krillin and Yamcha stand up, groggily.

"Hey.. Guys.." He chuckled, letting his arm swing down as he leaned against the balcony for support. "I.. did it..."

His vision blurred and everything went dark, as Nanashi slumped over and fell to the floor with a Thud.

All seemed to be quiet. For now. About a minute or so had passed- the two other Z Fighters were busy trying to relocate Nanashi to a safer location, when they stopped.

A ghastly green light emerged from Hirudegarn's now statue-still body, slowly expanding as the crack increased in size. Yamcha and Krillin widened their eyes in shock and disbelief. "W-what...? T-that thing isn't finished?!"

First the back came out, next the tail, the wings, head, and now, the legs. Covered in ghastly green light, this new golden form of Hirudegarn was huge, muscled, and brimming with power that seemed immeasurable to the two.

The light slowly faded, and Hirudegarn's wings extended, as he gave off a mighty roar.

Looks like he wasn't finished.

Hiroshi:

Hiroshi smiled tiredly as he grasped her hand, signing when he pulled his hand away to find it smeared with chocolate.

" I suppose that's a fair trade. We can begin training whenever you want too, where do you usually stay? I'm sort of looking for a house." The Hybrid commented, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice over losing his house.

Exiting the bar, he floated gently into the air, a spark of golden energy enveloping his frame as he floated still, waiting for Myosai to join him, so he could find a place to stay.

[Illica Falki]

Vera continued her patrol after escaping the Multiple Man, and after being certain he wasn't following her again. She landed on the warehouse warehouses roof, not in the most discreet way, mostly thanks to her broken leg brace. Luckily the sound wouldn't be obvious from the inside, and she continues sneaking along the roof. She quickly climbs through a window and crawls along the ceiling, scouting the building. She quickly recognizes the crew that's there as the same teens from the rooftop by the zoo a few days earlier.
After surveying their setup, she was only confused on what they were trying to do with a Mattress and a Catwalk... She stays attached to the ceiling, waiting something to occur that might give her information about this group. As she sees one of them step off to the side, she follows slowly along the ceiling, trying not to make too much sound, as the roof could very likely creak under the weight of her and the armor she's wearing. She remains above him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to question him without attracting his friend's attention.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

Sarah, too, was able to pack up relatively quickly, and so, by the time Samantha had walked into her room, she was pretty much done with everything. She really envied Samantha sometimes, though, with her enchanted bag that could hold anything with ease. Sarah herself needed a pair of bags to pack everything she owned, which was mostly just clothes, her precious book that she never parted with, and a few other personal effects. Either way, she was all packed up by then, and so, she turned around immediately, looking at her sister with some curiosity, wondering what favor she wanted right now, but merely nodding. Then, hearing the whole request, she grinned mischievously. "Me? Why would you ask something like that from me, sis?" She said, rather amused by the favor asked, but not minding one bit as she stepped out of the room with her two bags in tow, struggling a bit to carry them. She had always been the weakest of the three, physically speaking, even if she had the most control of her powers.

Walking up to the couch, she tossed her two bags on the end opposite of John and then sat down next to him, letting out a sigh of relief that was only half false. She then looked at him. "So, this Disneyworld, do you know of any places we could sneak off to while my sisters ride the more family-friendly attractions?" She asked him, grinning playfully as her hand found his, her eyes practically forcing him to keep looking into them.

[Tomia]

Sam smiled at Sarah's enthusiastic request to her smile and rolled her eyes playfully as her sister headed out of the room. She would wait until John was thoroughly distracted before going toward the closet, though she knew that wouldn't take long.

John smiled when he saw Sarah coming toward him and watched her sit down next to him. She then took his hand and asked a suggestive question, looking into his eyes in a way that forced his attention being on her. John was a little unsettled by Sarah's supernatural ability to demand his attention, but he was so fascinated by it and attracted to her that he pushed the thought from his mind. He smiled and leaned a bi closer to her as he answered her question. "Well they have a few rides that take you slowly through dark tunnels. I'm sure we could find ways to pass the time in there." He said to her, Sarah still being the focus of his attention.

Meanwhile Samantha had made her way to closet and open the door, grabbing hold of the large bag of money and gold, she pulled it into her enchanted bag and closed the bag tight. Once she was done she stepped away from the closet and pretended to be just walking in and seeing Sarah and John. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Well, let's get going then. I'm all packed." She said with a grin, mischievously aware that she had interrupted their flirtations. She then turned her head towards Hannah's room. "Hannah? You ready to go?" She called out to her younger sister to get her attention.

[Charmera]

Rama paused, then nodded solemnly. "Blood weighs more than stone." She explained. A saying among Yamirans, commenting on the guilt of killing. "It is a shame that blood was spilled, yet in the defense of others it is not as shameful." She explained. "At least, that is what I've been taught. I don't have as much personal experience myself..." She paused. "You remind me of Yamira herself. The Prophet guards us and protects us from those who would harm us. She teaches us and helps us. She is a second mother to all our race. The thought of taking up arms against her... is unthinkable." She explained. "I... never met my parents. They were slain long ago..."

"My mother has likely also been slain." Orphra paused, "she was a lot like I am, her absence was hard to settle. Even while I live with out her presence, and have aged beyond dependency the 'hole' is never filled. This Yamira, the second mother, Orphra desires to know more of her. I have spent time alone for so long, and while we are even in our debt I ask of you a kindess; a story for a story as my senses have rarely been greeted with the presence of one such as your self. Losing your company so soon is not of my desire. Stay pray do stay so I may learn of this Yamira." The sound of glistening spring became the only sound as Orphra awaited a response from her guest.

"It is quite sad... I can't imagine what it'd be like for you. I never knew my own mother after all..."

"Yamira..." She paused, wondering where exactly she should start. She smiled lightly. "Well, Yamira was said to be a powerful being created by the Enlightened one to guide us all to ascension. Though... there's been some disagreement on that point, and Yamira doesn't confirm, nor deny those theories." She shrugged. "Otherwise, she helps us when we are stuck, often attempting to give us challenges, new knowledge, protect us from those whom would hurt us. She's quite caring of us, though I've seen she's one of those... big thinker types. The intellectuals who are never quite satisfied. She always seems somewhat distracted." She paused, then her mind remember the most important detail. "Oh! and she is the only one with two hands! Of course there are many others who are in the universe who are similar, but she is the only one on our world like that.

[Charmera]

Sam smiled at Sarah's enthusiastic request to her smile and rolled her eyes playfully as her sister headed out of the room. She would wait until John was thoroughly distracted before going toward the closet, though she knew that wouldn't take long.

John smiled when he saw Sarah coming toward him and watched her sit down next to him. She then took his hand and asked a suggestive question, looking into his eyes in a way that forced his attention being on her. John was a little unsettled by Sarah's supernatural ability to demand his attention, but he was so fascinated by it and attracted to her that he pushed the thought from his mind. He smiled and leaned a bi closer to her as he answered her question. "Well they have a few rides that take you slowly through dark tunnels. I'm sure we could find ways to pass the time in there." He said to her, Sarah still being the focus of his attention.

Meanwhile Samantha had made her way to closet and open the door, grabbing hold of the large bag of money and gold, she pulled it into her enchanted bag and closed the bag tight. Once she was done she stepped away from the closet and pretended to be just walking in and seeing Sarah and John. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Well, let's get going then. I'm all packed." She said with a grin, mischievously aware that she had interrupted their flirtations. She then turned her head towards Hannah's room. "Hannah? You ready to go?" She called out to her younger sister to get her attention.

"I'm always packed Sam, you already know that." She smiled, she hardly ever unpacked, a habit of one who moved around a lot. Honesty, while Sarah liked life on the road and Sam didn't, Hannah was somewhat apathetic towards it. It was a little like asking a fish what being in the ocean is like, Hannah never really knew anything else. She shrugged. "I suppose I could bag a few of these towels and toiletries if you want, girls gotta keep fresh after all." She paused as she looked over at Sarah. She frowned. Sighing. "She's going to ditch us at splash mountain isn't she?" She muttered, loud enough for Sam to here, but not enough for the lovebirds. Honestly, Hannah was semi used to this. Oh well... at least she had Sam.

Unless that shirt stealing lady came back.

Then she'd be all alone.

All alone.

[Charmera]

The dwarf like man was not hit by the punch, rather it hit a purple oversheild around him. He took one step back from the force of the punch. He grunted, the force managing to leave a bruise despite the dampening force. He scowled as he looked back at Tomia, suddenly lifting his mace. "That hurt!" he announced. About to bring down the mace onto Tomia, when it was suddenly stopped by Claudia, who grabbed the weapon. She then ripped it from his hands, tossing it away.

She wasn't short enough to punch him in the face, so she simply settled for kicking him, her brutal strike sending him flying into the arena wall. He grunted, eyes widdening as they saw the DUEGAR industries representative take a punch.

"I would say pick on someone your own size, but I thought it might be a bit crass," She quipped, a smile on her face. Which disapeared when she was hit by a purple ball of psychic force.

"Lass, I'd lay off the short jokes if I were you. They just make me mad." He grunted.

Claudia suddenly got back up. "I really couldn't care less." She retorted, but then leaped into the sky, aiming to land on her victim. "Me on the other hand, you definitely DONT want to piss off" She shouted, slamming her fists downwards onto him, sending him to the fioor, and then she kicked him into the wall. "Too late. I'm already mad."

The dwarf got up, frowning as he wiped blood from his nose. "You gotta hit harder than that lass..." he spoke.

"Oh trust me. That was just a love tap."

Tomia hopped back, panting from exhaustion.

Golden energy whipped around her frame as she prepared herself for the next part of the fight. She'd barely fought, yet she felt like she'd been doing so for hours. Her body was unaccustomed to the amount of power flowing through her veins.

Cowards always break under threat

The words would've rang true,mid this man had been a coward. Her father had taught her several things in the little bit of interaction they'd had since he fight, and while he refused to train her fully, he gave her advice to help her in self defense.

Fell out your opponents energy, find a weakness. There's no honor in fighting, onlywinning.

Rushing forward in a smooth motion, Tomia slid her foot across the ground, dust kicking up into the demons eyes. Screwing her eyes shut, she thrust both hands forward, azure ki detonating in her palms.

Suddenly the dwarf man grabbed Tomias hand, the dust clearing, his face rather burnt.

"Lessin number one wee Slaugghterer. Don take yoor eyees off yoor foe. Ever." Remarked the DUEGAR employee in his thick accent.

Damn, he's tough...Claudia thought to herself. But then she saw him rubbing his eyes. There was water there. Light had irritated his eyes. That was his weakeness.

'Thanks Tomia!" Shouted Claudia as she used her flames as a rocket boost to slam into the dwarf, and then produced a massive flash of fire and light with her hands in front of his eyes. he squeeled. Claudia smiled. Then the whaling began as she beat him repeatedly until he went unconscious.

There was a paused, during which Claudia walked over to the licked dropped Tomia. She craddled Tomia in her red, long arms. "Are you okay?" She smiled. "You really helped! I had no idea he was sensitive to light until you blasted him."

[Pyrade]

Hearing the voice of the fox demon speaking to him, Akihiko turned towards the creature, eyeing him warily. He was fairly reluctant to completely trust these people, even though he had to admit that they did free him, and the animosity that he could feel coming from Taro didn't help matters at all. Plus, he looked like some sort of creepy fox demon, as his mind was fond of remarking at every moment, and he had been taught not to trust demons if he ever met one. Reluctantly, he reached out for the blade, still observing Taro very carefully.

Only to swat it aside after hearing his last remark.

"And who are you to know about humans?!" He growled at the male Kitsune, grabbing his pipe and going through the door that led to two of the five Oni that he had been trying to fight. Not only was he angry about Taro's remark, but he also felt threatened. He had thought that they wouldn't really figure it out, but apparently he was wrong, and he didn't want them to find out that he was part Oni. Nobody was supposed to know except for his mother. He had been told very clearly that he had to avoid having it discovered at all costs, so he was understandably on edge at the moment.

---

Taro sheathed his blade and threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
"Live on the same planet as a species for a century and apparently it is poor taste to notice when someone's radiating magic . . . Which I might say most humans don't do."
Taro muttered softly and moodily as he checked his things and started off after the runaway magical human. As he stalked off after Akihiko.
"Stupid temperamental one. Of course I know about humans. Spend enough time living with them and you tend to learn. Hell, they're not bad. But apparently some of them are just too touchy to accept help from someone whose been protecting humans for decades."
Taro grumbled to himself, drawing his sword again as he caught up to Akihiko,
"I happen to know enough about humans to know that most of them don't resonate on the astral plane. You have magic of some kind in you."
Taro said pointedly to Akihiko, questioning for a second why he was explaining himself to this one. He sighed heavily and closed his mouth. The human clearly hadn't wanted to talk when he stormed off, and he was more than happy to oblige.

[The Republic of Atria]

"Alright then. We've got our plans. We've got our team." XAnder said. "So let's get to work. Valka, as much as I hate to be the one telling you what to do. We're going to need you to be dumping as much Uru as you can get on our doorstep. Naja. Your job is to grab the Vibranium. As much as you can find. The asteroid belt is chock full of it. Craig and Valka will do their thing and forge our alloy. I'll do some research on the best enchantments for our armor. Jamal is speaking with the Council now. When he gets back, we'll hopefully know what the Builders are after so we can get under their skin. Barring that. Craig, Plan B involves Pym Particles. I might need you to get in touch with Hank if our fleet doesn't fair as well as we hope. Because if Plan B fails. Then we are down to Plan C, which is probably worse than what the Builders will do if we get that desperate." He explained. "Let's get to work people! We've got a few days tops! Probably shouldn't waste time!"

Four days. That's all the time they had. It was gone and over in the blink of an eye. But humans can do absurd things with limited time. That was one of their greatest strength. That and the army of superhumans which continued to grow every day. Xander felt confident in his plan and backup plan. The backup backup plan? He wasn't sure about in the slightest. But if it came down to it. One person to kill is much better odds than billions.

[The Silhouette of Adventure]

"Alright then. We've got our plans. We've got our team." XAnder said. "So let's get to work. Valka, as much as I hate to be the one telling you what to do. We're going to need you to be dumping as much Uru as you can get on our doorstep. Naja. Your job is to grab the Vibranium. As much as you can find. The asteroid belt is chock full of it. Craig and Valka will do their thing and forge our alloy. I'll do some research on the best enchantments for our armor. Jamal is speaking with the Council now. When he gets back, we'll hopefully know what the Builders are after so we can get under their skin. Barring that. Craig, Plan B involves Pym Particles. I might need you to get in touch with Hank if our fleet doesn't fair as well as we hope. Because if Plan B fails. Then we are down to Plan C, which is probably worse than what the Builders will do if we get that desperate." He explained. "Let's get to work people! We've got a few days tops! Probably shouldn't waste time!"

Four days. That's all the time they had. It was gone and over in the blink of an eye. But humans can do absurd things with limited time. That was one of their greatest strength. That and the army of superhumans which continued to grow every day. Xander felt confident in his plan and backup plan. The backup backup plan? He wasn't sure about in the slightest. But if it came down to it. One person to kill is much better odds than billions.

"Craig, Pym should be one of the brains that SHIELD is putting on their Helicarrier. It's en route, and should be here-" Just as Manifest was speaking, a nearby SHIELD agent announced that the Helicarrier would arrive in half an hour. "Damn. I've got nice timing." He chuckled. "Anyone you could possibly need is on that ship- Beast, Pym, Banner, I think around half of STAAR Labs is on there. Most of the world's resident AIs, basically everybody. Hell, I think a couple supervillains with the brains we need are being kept in the back."
He suddenly had a thought. "Xander, do we know how Braniac and Annihilus are responding to this threat? Each of those two is an army in their own right, but to call them wild cards is an understatement."

[Osnil]

Eldara
Eldara inspected the target as he loomed up over her. She called up her combat situation programs. Highlighting Ice Age as the target for attack. Immediately her cyber mind began to fill up her vision with possible actions and the outcomes of each as it analysed the situation. She reacted with a simple cylinder of bronze energy hurled at Ice Age with enough force to stop him in his tracks if it hit. She turned to Ara,
"I'm going to try get him down, when he's down or at any other opportunity you see, strike him down."
She replied as bronze light emitted from her before she began to lift away from the clutches of gravity. She flew in close to Ice Age, firing off gouts of orange flames from her flamethrower.

Ara nodded said, "You have my word." She watched and awaited for Ice Age to become vulnerable.
Ice Age swerved to the side, avoiding Eldara's blast. "So, more challengers?" he laughed, "The Amazons failed-the Tribals lost many warriors-what makes you think that you can defeat me, Ice Age, ruler of the cold? I was only fooled by a childish trick-not defeated in plain battle when I was frozen in my Ice Cave, and I assure you-I will not make this mistake again." He narrowed his eyes at the Bronze Lantern. He was going to have fun with this one-let her know that she couldn't hurt him, then utterly destroy him.

[The Starlight]

-snip-

"The exercise was meant to build trust. Obviously, I forgot to account Xyri's weight, and I apologize for that, but the point is that if we're going to be a team, we are going to have to trust each other with our lives. I myself am here to make sure nobody here gets killed, that's my job. I also thought you were an interesting group of people. So despite you thinking it's worthless, give it a go. Because tell me Mars, honestly, do you trust us to watch your back, to make sure you don't get attacked from behind? I don't want you all to learn the hard way, through an actual experience where someone gets hurt before we bond together. This is the easy way. First we bond, then we kick butt," Elena said, cracking a smile. "But in the future, please try to fall where the mattress is, so something like this doesn't happen again."

"Oh, and why is there someone climbing on the ceiling?" Elena said, pointing up. "No need to sneak around!" she shouted up. "We don't bite! For the most part, I think..." the former Batgirl said, trailing off.

[Lavan Tiri]

"Alright then. We've got our plans. We've got our team." XAnder said. "So let's get to work. Valka, as much as I hate to be the one telling you what to do. We're going to need you to be dumping as much Uru as you can get on our doorstep. Naja. Your job is to grab the Vibranium. As much as you can find. The asteroid belt is chock full of it. Craig and Valka will do their thing and forge our alloy. I'll do some research on the best enchantments for our armor. Jamal is speaking with the Council now. When he gets back, we'll hopefully know what the Builders are after so we can get under their skin. Barring that. Craig, Plan B involves Pym Particles. I might need you to get in touch with Hank if our fleet doesn't fair as well as we hope. Because if Plan B fails. Then we are down to Plan C, which is probably worse than what the Builders will do if we get that desperate." He explained. "Let's get to work people! We've got a few days tops! Probably shouldn't waste time!"

Four days. That's all the time they had. It was gone and over in the blink of an eye. But humans can do absurd things with limited time. That was one of their greatest strength. That and the army of superhumans which continued to grow every day. Xander felt confident in his plan and backup plan. The backup backup plan? He wasn't sure about in the slightest. But if it came down to it. One person to kill is much better odds than billions.

"Fine, fine." Simon grumbled, flicking his wrist. A glass of water appeared, and, popping an Advil pill into it, he drank. The headache subsided, and Simon stood up, rubbing his temples. "I'll help you, Xander. I'll try to research the best magic we can deploy against these Builders. By the way," he said, looking around, "who and what are the Builders?"

---

Sonja Delacroix
Central City

"Phah! Laz, lookit. They're calling it 'The Civil War'. Please. It wasn't long enough to be a war."

Sonja was reading the newspaper on her computer, in the Knightstone Central City office. She'd moved from the Gotham office as soon as things calmed down, and brought Laz with her. Business was, as usual, good.

But then, her computer flashed blue, showing an "urgent" item. Sonja read it, her face paling. She snapped the computer shut, stowing it in her bag. "Mr. Hope, come with me. There's been a spaceship crash outside of Metropolis. Get the jet, please."

"Which one?" Laz asked, grabbing his suit.

"The blue one."

"Yes ma'am."

Within minutes, Sonja and Laz were aboard the CEO's plane, a sleek blue jet. It shot off from the roof, the AI pilot guiding the plane to the reported crash site. Sonja spun her pleather chair to face Laz, and smiled.

"So, Laz…a crashed ship. Do you know what that means? To us, I mean?"

[Mavorpen]

"It's fine, really, it is." Jamal said as he watched Aru bow in front of him. "Honestly, I had a feeling the situation was something like that. You're entirely right -- any intelligent race's government would know that a small force like that wouldn't be able to do anything to Earth. It also isn't really that uncommon for me to butt heads against a renegade group, so I've learned to be patient with these things and not jump to conclusions."

"Yes. I am a space cop." Jamal simply stated. "In any case, I'm able to track the ships that managed to flee, and I captured the soldiers who tried to escape on foot. Maybe you could find out what specific group they belong to or something." He mentioned to Aru.

"It is good that you understand we did not intend for this. Though unfortunately I'm not sure if Earth will take it the same way or not. That is why it is imperative that we deal with this posthaste, to avoid a diplomatic upset that this event might cause... or at least minimize the one present." She explained. "Besides, we'd wish to regain our lost pride in the face of letting something like this happen." She then nodded, noting it was good he was able to track them. And when he suggested that they question the prisoners she nodded once again. "Very well. If you would take me to them I should be able to hammer an answer of two out. You may not know the name of the hunters, but they do." She explained. Still a little salty. Surely they had gained some recognition by now...

"Yeah, humanity can be a little... ruthless when it comes to alien invasions. Kick someone down too much under the assumption that they're too weak to fight back, and eventually they kick back and lash out wildly at anyone even remotely threatening." Jamal nodded when Aru said to take her to the prisoners. "Alright, follow me. He exited the cafe, with the two behind him, and then floated into the air. He led them to the prisoners, still enclosed in their blue gravity field prisons. Upon seeing him, they all began shouting stuff that, again, he didn't need a translator for to understand that what they were saying wasn't welcoming. "Well, here they are, in all of their pirate glory."

[The Starlight]

-snip

-snip-

"I suppose it is strange, but after many years of Asgardian cuisine, we find your modern food to be...refreshing. Not that we dislike Asgardian food, but it is nice to experience such sweet tastes in one's mouth. Your choices of cuisine are much better than the Norsemen long ago. Greetings, Manifest of SHIELD. There was no rudeness in your statement and I take no offense." Valka said, bowing her head in response to his own head.

She lifted an eyebrow at Simon's saying of his name, but made no comment. "All-Mother is a fine term of address, Simon Black, though if we are to fight together, Valka shall suffice. All-Mother is a bit too long to shout during a battle. I am afraid that I brought no water with me. I presume this is a medicinie of yours, this Advil? There is a city near by," she said, pointing to New York. "Though, when headaches come upon us, we grab another Asgardian and knock heads with each other. The two are knocked out, and when they awake, the headache is gone," she said, moving forward to look at the ship. After a little silence, she turned back, "That was a joke. It is also good to see you again, Craig Thomsen, and I hope the fair Etla is well also."

-snip-

"Alexander, or Xander, now, I suppose. This will not be the first time I have received orders. I am All-Mother yes, basically Queen of Asgard yes, but I will be the Mother of none, the Queen of nothing, if we fail. Treat me as you would the rest of your comrades. That goes to you all. And now, to work!" she said, snapping away her armor, beginning to summon large amounts of uru. "Once the Vibranium is brought, it will be extremely hot once Craig and I forge the alloy. I shall render you all immune to fire, but you will still feel the heat." she cautioned.

-snip-

Craig
The young inventor nodded to Xander, expressing his agreement, and then turned to Manifest as the man spoke. "30 Minutes, alright then." Putting back on his suit with a thought, he headed back into the ship to continue his repairs, calling back to Valka. "It seems that we have a few tales to tell each other," he said, before descending back in with his robots.

[Lavan Tiri]

-snip

-snip-

"I suppose it is strange, but after many years of Asgardian cuisine, we find your modern food to be...refreshing. Not that we dislike Asgardian food, but it is nice to experience such sweet tastes in one's mouth. Your choices of cuisine are much better than the Norsemen long ago. Greetings, Manifest of SHIELD. There was no rudeness in your statement and I take no offense." Valka said, bowing her head in response to his own head.

She lifted an eyebrow at Simon's saying of his name, but made no comment. "All-Mother is a fine term of address, Simon Black, though if we are to fight together, Valka shall suffice. All-Mother is a bit too long to shout during a battle. I am afraid that I brought no water with me. I presume this is a medicinie of yours, this Advil? There is a city near by," she said, pointing to New York. "Though, when headaches come upon us, we grab another Asgardian and knock heads with each other. The two are knocked out, and when they awake, the headache is gone," she said, moving forward to look at the ship. After a little silence, she turned back, "That was a joke. It is also good to see you again, Craig Thomsen, and I hope the fair Etla is well also."

-snip-

"Alexander, or Xander, now, I suppose. This will not be the first time I have received orders. I am All-Mother yes, basically Queen of Asgard yes, but I will be the Mother of none, the Queen of nothing, if we fail. Treat me as you would the rest of your comrades. That goes to you all. And now, to work!" she said, snapping away her armor, beginning to summon large amounts of uru. "Once the Vibranium is brought, it will be extremely hot once Craig and I forge the alloy. I shall render you all immune to fire, but you will still feel the heat." she cautioned.

-snip-

Craig
The young inventor nodded to Xander, expressing his agreement, and then turned to Manifest as the man spoke. "30 Minutes, alright then." Putting back on his suit with a thought, he headed back into the ship to continue his repairs, calling back to Valka. "It seems that we have a few tales to tell each other," he said, before descending back in with his robots.

Simon smiled at Valka, his headache all but gone. "Your sense of humor is scintillating, All-Mo…Valka," he corrected himself, "and Advil is a medicine. Like Pop-Tarts, only it's addictive to those of us with malevolent, ancient sorcerers trying to either kill us or break into our conscious mind."

Then, more seriously, he added "And how can I help, besides with enchantments? Oh, wait," Simon said, clicking his fingers, "I can get some more help."

As the young magician snapped, a swirling green-and-gold portal opened, and through it came two figures: one resplendent in a black bodysuit and gold mask, the other dressed in a dark suit and tie, plus a cape. Doctors Fate and Strange.

"Xander, Valka, I'll gather the other magic-users of Earth. Together, all of us should be a formidable foe for the Builders…which no-one has told me who they are." Simon said, looking around. "How do we kill them? Where are they from?"

[The Republic of Atria]

"Awesome." Xander replied to Valka. "Let's get started. We don't have time to waste. We need those ships. Not just to keep Earth safe, but to keep the universe safe. That is our priority. If for no other reason, because we live in the universe. And enjoy living free. Billions of people are counting on someone to save them. Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar. They need help and they're taking what they can get. I think it's time we put our pieces on the board and started kicking ass. I want these ships up and running in no less than 4 days. Any longer and there might not be anything left for us to fight for. Let's get to work!" He said and turned to Simon. "Pay attention. The Builders are pretty much the oldest race in the universe. Therefore. They're much more advanced than... Everyone else. And they also help create life. Now they think that all life, human or alien or whatever, is theirs. That's about all we know. Other than that they all need a dose of size 12 up their ass."

He turned to Manifest. "I'm not sure about Braniac. Annihilus... I'm sure it's an enemy of my enemy sort of situation. They want to exterminate all life. He's life. His swarm is life. I know he'll be fighting. However, if you somehow manage to get into contact with either of them and learn what they're doing. It would be very useful. Hell, if you can recruit them, even just for a temporary alliance, that would be amazing. I might just turn Plan B into a phase 2 of our attack if it goes well."

"Be right back." Naja said and shot into space to start grabbing asteroids rich in raw vibranium. They were preparing for war. She didn't mind doing her part to save lives, but the way everyone was talking made her think they were going to use lethal force. She couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to kill. Even if it was monster who deserved it. Saving lives was her job. Ending them? She shuddered as she grabbed a large asteroid fill with Vibranium. It wasn't something she thought she could do. What made matters worse was that according to Xander, she was a heavy hitter.

As Xander was about to leave. A Hispanic man grabbed him by his arm. "A moment of your time. My name is Hernan. The telepath. I bring something to this table that might be useful."

"I'm not going to say no to a telepath. How powerful are you?"

"I was giving Xavier headaches when I was 8. I am in my mid 30s. But... What I have to offer is..." He said and cupped his hands, letting out a beautiful bright flame. "Do you know what this is my friend?"

"That's... The Phoenix. You're... You're a host?"

"And here is the best part. Few people have the strength of character to wield. I can control it! It has not reached me yet. But the power is building. It is getting stronger each day."

Xander was obviously uneasy. "Listen, Hernan. The Phoenix is a force of nature. It can't be controlled... Look. If it's clear that we can't win this. Then... Do feel free to light them ablaze. But only then. The last thing we want to do is have two unstoppable threats to the universe. WE now have two last resorts."

"What is the other one?"

"Something just as bad as the Phoenix."

[Illica Falki]

-snip-

"The exercise was meant to build trust. Obviously, I forgot to account Xyri's weight, and I apologize for that, but the point is that if we're going to be a team, we are going to have to trust each other with our lives. I myself am here to make sure nobody here gets killed, that's my job. I also thought you were an interesting group of people. So despite you thinking it's worthless, give it a go. Because tell me Mars, honestly, do you trust us to watch your back, to make sure you don't get attacked from behind? I don't want you all to learn the hard way, through an actual experience where someone gets hurt before we bond together. This is the easy way. First we bond, then we kick butt," Elena said, cracking a smile. "But in the future, please try to fall where the mattress is, so something like this doesn't happen again."

"Oh, and why is there someone climbing on the ceiling?" Elena said, pointing up. "No need to sneak around!" she shouted up. "We don't bite! For the most part, I think..." the former Batgirl said, trailing off.

Vera doesn't dropped down immediately, mostly stunned at the bluntness and simplicity of that request. She moves along the ceiling, to a better area where she won't be too close to the guy she followed, and so that she can keep an eye on almost everyone, before dropping down. She takes out her Baton as she falls, still collapsed, mostly so she has a weapon on hand before a fight could break out, and she still has one dagger left in case things go really bad. She stands up straight after landing, and faces Elena and simplify asks "How did you see me...and Why are you so calm?"

[Tomia]

Samantha Grimm and John Morgan
Samantha couldn't help but grin a bit at Hannah's comment about Sarah. "Ya probably" she admitted, not denying it. "But don't worry, I'll stick with you Hannah." She said, wrapping her arm around her younger sister.

Meanwhile John was finally released from Sarah's grasp and noticed that they were all ready to leave. "Alright, let's get going. My plane will be waiting for us on the roof of my penthouse." He told them before walking off with them to the cab which led them to his large tower in the heart of the city. He owned the whole tower, but most of it was offices while the top floor was his penthouse. He brought them into the lavishly decorated lobby and led them to the private elevator that would take them to the penthouse. Soon they arrived and stepped out of the elevator into John's living room and had a large couch and three love seats all facing an enormous television that sat over a fire place. The best part however was the clear windows that gave a beautiful view of the Gotham shore line. It was a simple but nice design. "You girls can make yourselves comfortable on the couch. I'll just be a few minutes." He told them before going into his room to pack. He packed a few days worth of clothes and toiletries, not knowing how long they might stay. When he came out the sound of engines could be heard above and be gave a smile. "There's our ride." He told the girls as he led them upstairs to the roof where a luxurious silver jet was waiting for them.

[The Silhouette of Adventure]

"Awesome." Xander replied to Valka. "Let's get started. We don't have time to waste. We need those ships. Not just to keep Earth safe, but to keep the universe safe. That is our priority. If for no other reason, because we live in the universe. And enjoy living free. Billions of people are counting on someone to save them. Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar. They need help and they're taking what they can get. I think it's time we put our pieces on the board and started kicking ass. I want these ships up and running in no less than 4 days. Any longer and there might not be anything left for us to fight for. Let's get to work!" He said and turned to Simon. "Pay attention. The Builders are pretty much the oldest race in the universe. Therefore. They're much more advanced than... Everyone else. And they also help create life. Now they think that all life, human or alien or whatever, is theirs. That's about all we know. Other than that they all need a dose of size 12 up their ass."

He turned to Manifest. "I'm not sure about Braniac. Annihilus... I'm sure it's an enemy of my enemy sort of situation. They want to exterminate all life. He's life. His swarm is life. I know he'll be fighting. However, if you somehow manage to get into contact with either of them and learn what they're doing. It would be very useful. Hell, if you can recruit them, even just for a temporary alliance, that would be amazing. I might just turn Plan B into a phase 2 of our attack if it goes well."

"Be right back." Naja said and shot into space to start grabbing asteroids rich in raw vibranium. They were preparing for war. She didn't mind doing her part to save lives, but the way everyone was talking made her think they were going to use lethal force. She couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to kill. Even if it was monster who deserved it. Saving lives was her job. Ending them? She shuddered as she grabbed a large asteroid fill with Vibranium. It wasn't something she thought she could do. What made matters worse was that according to Xander, she was a heavy hitter.

As Xander was about to leave. A Hispanic man grabbed him by his arm. "A moment of your time. My name is Hernan. The telepath. I bring something to this table that might be useful."

"I'm not going to say no to a telepath. How powerful are you?"

"I was giving Xavier headaches when I was 8. I am in my mid 30s. But... What I have to offer is..." He said and cupped his hands, letting out a beautiful bright flame. "Do you know what this is my friend?"

"That's... The Phoenix. You're... You're a host?"

"And here is the best part. Few people have the strength of character to wield. I can control it! It has not reached me yet. But the power is building. It is getting stronger each day."

Xander was obviously uneasy. "Listen, Hernan. The Phoenix is a force of nature. It can't be controlled... Look. If it's clear that we can't win this. Then... Do feel free to light them ablaze. But only then. The last thing we want to do is have two unstoppable threats to the universe. WE now have two last resorts."

"What is the other one?"

"Something just as bad as the Phoenix."

"I can't contact the Annihilation Wave, or Braniac's drones. But I have a feeling I know who can." Manifest glanced pointedly in the direction of several nearby League superheroes. "They have contacts through the known Universe, and you bet your ass Batman has a way to contact everybody. I'd say talk to Mar-Vell, but nobody's ever sure when he is and isn't off-world."

When the man started speaking about the Phoenix, Manifest paled and summoned Laughter, the tip of the spear nearly glowing with energy. "The Phoenix has almost killed us all dozens of times. If I even see a hint of you losing it, Hernan, I won't hesitate to hit you with everything I've got." He narrowed his eyes. "And you can be damn certain what I've got will end you a hundred times over." As he spoke, he grunted slightly, and hundreds of transparent, partially formed weapons filled the air behind him. "Don't lose control for a second."

[Harbertia]

"My mother has likely also been slain." Orphra paused, "she was a lot like I am, her absence was hard to settle. Even while I live with out her presence, and have aged beyond dependency the 'hole' is never filled. This Yamira, the second mother, Orphra desires to know more of her. I have spent time alone for so long, and while we are even in our debt I ask of you a kindess; a story for a story as my senses have rarely been greeted with the presence of one such as your self. Losing your company so soon is not of my desire. Stay pray do stay so I may learn of this Yamira." The sound of glistening spring became the only sound as Orphra awaited a response from her guest.

"It is quite sad... I can't imagine what it'd be like for you. I never knew my own mother after all..."

"Yamira..." She paused, wondering where exactly she should start. She smiled lightly. "Well, Yamira was said to be a powerful being created by the Enlightened one to guide us all to ascension. Though... there's been some disagreement on that point, and Yamira doesn't confirm, nor deny those theories." She shrugged. "Otherwise, she helps us when we are stuck, often attempting to give us challenges, new knowledge, protect us from those whom would hurt us. She's quite caring of us, though I've seen she's one of those... big thinker types. The intellectuals who are never quite satisfied. She always seems somewhat distracted." She paused, then her mind remember the most important detail. "Oh! and she is the only one with two hands! Of course there are many others who are in the universe who are similar, but she is the only one on our world like that.

Orphra chuckled and extended her vibrant wings outward as she spoke with a smile; "And here I am with no hands!" She moved the hooked claw thumbs on the tips of her wings before lowering them, and though she still had her glee began to speak of serious matters, "We who live for ages at times may seem detached or distracted from the present only as our mind is on the long term. Mortal races are short sighted- their perception of what should take precedent based on the span of their life in regard to the next generation. Where we our selves have not the concern of fleeting life." she lost her glee at those words, "Though as you Yamira has shown we are not heartless, even I know gratitude. Will you be staying?"

[The Republic of Atria]

"No one has ever been able to stop me from doing what I wish. Be they man or mutant. The difference between the previous failures of a host and me, is that I know how to control that much power. They have described it as overwhelming. I once took control over every creature with a functioning brain in the southern hemisphere. I will not lose control because I am going into this with knowledge that none of the previous hosts had. However." He explained, fully confident in his boast that he would be the one to completely control the Phoenix. "In the unlikely event that I cannot control it. Then by all means. If you must put me down, do so with no hesitation."

"Calm down, both of you. It's just a precaution. If things are as bad as we've been told, then turning down one of the most powerful forces in the universe would be a bad idea." He genuinely hoped Hernan could control the Phoenix. He doubted it, but if Hernan really could, then not only would that almost certainly solidify their victory, he wouldn't have to use his own backup plan: Tapping into the unstable power of Chaos Magic. He was fed every bit of information on the other being on the planet who used Chaos Magic: the Scarlet Witch. Who seemingly rewrote the entire universe several times. Her mind was damaged by her father, but he Xander believed himself to be much more mentally sound than she was.

[Turmenista]

Myosai

"Yeah. I know. I wasn't asking you if I wanted to do that (but we could next time) *COUGH*-" She coughed, smiling innocently. "Anyways, I guess I'll help you spar and stuff." The majin grabbed her sword and strapped hit against her back, before taking a quick sip of Hiroshi's drink while she wasn't looking. On one condition, Hiroshi: You help me. I help you get to whatever Gold Hair level you want, and you help me find whoever this Turtle guy is, deal?"

She held out her hand, which, by the way, was still holding the chocolate bar.

---

Hiroshi:

Hiroshi smiled tiredly as he grasped her hand, signing when he pulled his hand away to find it smeared with chocolate.

" I suppose that's a fair trade. We can begin training whenever you want too, where do you usually stay? I'm sort of looking for a house." The Hybrid commented, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice over losing his house.

Exiting the bar, he floated gently into the air, a spark of golden energy enveloping his frame as he floated still, waiting for Myosai to join him, so he could find a place to stay.

Myosai

Well. This was finally going to get interesting. Finally! A Full sparring buddy! This is going to be real exciting, she thought.

Following the Saiyan into the air, a clear-white aura of energy surrounded her as she powered up, taking to the sky and tailing right behind the Saiyan. She assumed she'd be following him around for most of the trip, until he asked her a very important question.

Seemingly, Hiroshi was homeless. Not a big deal, things like that happened.

"Well, if you say so.." She said. "We MIGHT have to fly a long way to that desert we fought and fucked *COUGH* in, but I actually know a place we can go to.."

She contemplated on whether or not Magnus wanted guests. Last time she checked, he was busy writing a very colorful and creatively worded Death Note to the UN on their policy about Dumping Leaflets on his island. Odysseus didn't really care, and half of the time Tina was too busy sleeping to notice anything real life-changing going on.

"I guess we have a place we can go to. I have some friends who wouldn't mind you staying at the Island. No big deal. You can stay as long as ya want, too!" She flashed a signature smile. "What do you think? We could Instant Transmission there or something, cause I think It's a long way.."

On the other hand, she didn't even know HOW long of a flight it was from there to Magnus's island. Probably really long.

[New Rnclave]

Hiroshi:

Hiroshi smiled tiredly as he grasped her hand, signing when he pulled his hand away to find it smeared with chocolate.

" I suppose that's a fair trade. We can begin training whenever you want too, where do you usually stay? I'm sort of looking for a house." The Hybrid commented, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice over losing his house.

Exiting the bar, he floated gently into the air, a spark of golden energy enveloping his frame as he floated still, waiting for Myosai to join him, so he could find a place to stay.

Myosai

Well. This was finally going to get interesting. Finally! A Full sparring buddy! This is going to be real exciting, she thought.

Following the Saiyan into the air, a clear-white aura of energy surrounded her as she powered up, taking to the sky and tailing right behind the Saiyan. She assumed she'd be following him around for most of the trip, until he asked her a very important question.

Seemingly, Hiroshi was homeless. Not a big deal, things like that happened.

"Well, if you say so.." She said. "We MIGHT have to fly a long way to that desert we fought and fucked *COUGH* in, but I actually know a place we can go to.."

She contemplated on whether or not Magnus wanted guests. Last time she checked, he was busy writing a very colorful and creatively worded Death Note to the UN on their policy about Dumping Leaflets on his island. Odysseus didn't really care, and half of the time Tina was too busy sleeping to notice anything real life-changing going on.

"I guess we have a place we can go to. I have some friends who wouldn't mind you staying at the Island. No big deal. You can stay as long as ya want, too!" She flashed a signature smile. "What do you think? We could Instant Transmission there or something, cause I think It's a long way.."

On the other hand, she didn't even know HOW long of a flight it was from there to Magnus's island. Probably really long.

Hiroshi:

Drumming his finger against his chin, Hiroshi contemplated for a moment whether it was best to expose his way of teleportation. Shrugging his shoulders, golden energy sparked around his frame, his eyes swirling with emerald as his hair spiked upwards.

" I can split open pocket dimensions pretty easily, that's how I usually go over long distances anymore." The Hybrid commented.

Swallowing, the Super Saiyan ripped his eyes away from the Majins attire. Not as bad as it was the last time they sparred, it was better not to let impure thoughts enter his mind, especially after the consequences of his last fuck up.