Mr. Hyde

Before he had made it back to the fairgrounds, Stalag heard a mighty shout that seemed to shake the very earth beneath him. The booming voice had obviously come from the President, commanding all those who heard to stand down. There were no arguments from the massive crowd. The whole ordeal was taken care of just as swiftly as it had begun. Security detail was arresting those who had started the whole commotion, and now he was being asked to answer some questions. Stalag offered no resistance, and was more than happy to tell everyone of his brave exploits! He was quickly escorted to the lobby of Air Force Zero. He looked around the plane in awe. Never before had he seen such technology before! He was half-tempted to ask if they could make this magic machine take flight, just as the Pterror Clan themselves were able to do. The sensation of flight would be new for him. Stalag was joined in the questioning by three others who helped during the panic. They must all have been brave warriors to have taken action like he had! Before he could ask for their names, a man with a rather large scar on his face began to speak. "I'm Austin Lewis, the Secretary of Defense. Some of you may be in shock or not realize what happened about fifteen minutes ago, but a group of psychic terrorists belonging to an organization called MIRROR just made an attempt to assassinate President Jack Roosevelt. They failed, thanks to the bounty hunters he hired, but I hear at least one of you civilians also helped in disarming the threat levvied against us. If so, I'd like to personally thank any responsible parties for their contributions." The situation must've been stressful for one whose job it was to keep the nation safe against all threats foreign and domestic. A heavy burden to put on a smooth-skin. "Look, I need to be honest with all of you. I'm shit at work that involves talking to people, but I wanted any witnesses rounded up for extra questioning. If any of you have any insights about the attackers, or perhaps recognized one of them, I encourage you to come forward with that information. I'd also like to invite any volunteers to join a small squad we're assembling, to try and track down and wipe out the organization behind this attack. You will be generously compensated for this, all the more so since what I'm doing goes against every recruitment protocol we've got. That's all the cards on the table. Information, volunteers, questions, give me whatever you've got." His attention was then turned to the Mightjaw envoy. "Oh, as for you, the President said he'd like to speak with you in person after we're done here, in your capacity as an Aztec envoy. Seems you'll have quite the story to tell once you return home." "I would very much so like to be speaking with him as well! But first, I will offer any assistance I can! I will be assembled into this 'squad'! You would do well to have a Meteor Kin, especially THE Stalag Mightjaw, in any 'squad' you are to be assembling!" His tail wagged with enthusiasm. It sounded as if a mighty adventure was waiting for him! An Epic to be passed down through his people for generations. The Song of Stalag. It had a ring to it. "The only compensation I would require is the friendship of the United States and it's peoples! I do not suppose this is much to ask, is it?" His attention focused to the matter at hand. "You must have already questioned Friend, yes? She was the starter of the attack of terror. Although, she did not use a firearm...she was just the signaler. Your bounty hunter says she is criminal...I say she might be good person! She had run, but we did the catching! She did not wish to harm us. My only question is being why she would want to be involved in all of this...what does this MIRROR want?" Stalag turned his head towards his fellow interogatees. "Sorry for being the rude and doing all the talking! If you would all be so kind as to do the introducing! I wish to hear your tales as well!" "Yes, it may be good for you to get to know each other," Austin agreed. "But more than that, you should all be brought into the loop on MIRROR." Austin cleared his throat, briefly shuffling through his stack of papers again, before looking back up at the assembled questionees. "For those who don't know, let me recap. About three and a half years ago, the psychic terrorist organization named MIRROR was formed. I'm not at liberty to disclose everything I know about them, but the short version is, they're bad news. According to them, they're fighting to preserve our way of life and prevent a second Crisis. A goal we could all aspire to, of course, if they weren't trying to accomplish it by assassinating world leaders, destabilizing nations, inciting rebellions, and other acts meant to tear at civilization as we know it. Especially not when they don't even know when or how this second Crisis would happen," Austin scoffed. "And even that's assuming it's not some sorry attempt at justifying their actions. All of this is why it's my job to ensure they don't get their way here in the United States." Stalag nodded his head. "My people...they were born of this 'Crisis' you speak of...to us it is sacred...holy..." A swift breath spouted from his nostrils, "But I am understanding that for the soft-ski-....humans...it was not seen in that way. I can see why MIRROR and yourselves would want to make sure a second Crisis doesn't happen."

An announcement had rung out through the entire Fairgrounds, as Stalag had chomped into a large turkey leg. The President of the United States was landing, and his speech would begin at any moment. He ripped his mouth away from the leg, taking out a chunk of the succulent meat as he did so. He had finally found a good meal at one of these stands and now he was being interrupted. He now recalled his classes on human culture, where he learned that the President of the United States was much akin to that of his own village's chief. The chief was the best Specimen the village could produce, one who could take on all comers! However, Stalag's first impression of the President was rather poor. The Chief of the Mightjaw clan was enormous in stature, and quite boisterous. Stalag admired people like that! His opinion turned a complete one-eighty when the President had thrown away the magical voice boomer to instead speak naturally to the crowd. "Citizens and guests to the United States alike, I would like to thank you all for attending today's festivities. Now, all of you are surely eager to return to the rest of what this centennial anniversary has to offer, so in the interest of saving time, I will try to keep this brief." "If you would be so kind! I was in the middle of snacking, and I wish to return to devouring this Tur-key!" He shouted, presumably trying to talk to the President as an equal among the crowd. The speech continued on, and so did Stalag's snack time. His ears perked up at the mention of the wars against the New Aztec Republic, where he slightly shrinked. That was the Tribe that was sponsoring this mission of his. His people were a neutral faction, but they resided within the borders of the NAR. Would he be seen as an enemy by Americans? He pushed the thought out of his head. His mission was to make sure it was the opposite! His people were here to learn and be merry! "That is why I stare the future dead in the eyes, and why I promise to use every resource I have, and every power within my authority, to ensure that by the time I am forced to step down from my office, the United States will enter an age of peace an--" It sounded like thunder had roamed across the sky overhead, but he had seen no flash. It sounded like the battle cry of a weapon his people had unfortunately become familiar with, a gun. Had someone brought one of those tools of war here to a joyous occasion? It was enough to make him grimace. One thing he hadn't noticed until now is that he had not picked up the scent of gunpowder, a necessity to fire a gun. Was it an attempt on the President's life? He didn't have time to think, as the soft-skin's around him began to swell in a panic. "Calm yourselves my friends!" Stalag tried to reassure the masses, "Bullets do not even hurt! If anything, they itch very deep scratches! What are you all worried about?" However, the words coming from a walking tower of fangs and flesh didn't seem to be doing what they wanted him to do. There were shouts from all directions. Some shouts he could here were ushering people away from the commotion, but what was the fun in that. If that wasn't enough, fights were breaking out seemingly everywhere. It wouldn't look good if Stalag were to immediately jumped into the fray. That's when the he saw someone running away from the rest of the masses, away from the President. The flash of steel, and dodgy eyesight, was all he needed to begin pursuit. His predator instincts had taken ahold of him for a brief second before he realized he was chasing a frail, female smooth-skin. He called out ahead of him, keeping up in pace rather easily. "The excusing of me, but was it you who did the gun fire?!" He shouted. The girl turned when confronted, about to speak her piece. Until, that is, she noticed just what she was being pursued by. Magpie Harper, one of the greatest bounty hunters in the world... and a Meteor-Kin! As much as she'd always wanted to meet one, all this living fossil got out of her was an "Oh, shit," before she redoubled her escape efforts, moving herself away from the action while trying to stay parallel with the imposing walls of the nearby Air Force Zero. Seeing him must have really spooked her beyond belief. Stalag could only nod, it was the only acceptable response to seeing a specimen of his stature! But nevertheless, he needed to figure out why this soft-skin with a gun was running away! Maybe if he captured her, the reputation of the Meteor-Kin would improve! The thought made him put some effort into his stride, as the girl did the same. "I do not wish harm upon you! But I must do the asking of why you are doing the running away!" "Because she just tried to kill the President," Magpie interjected. "Very unsuccessfully, I might add!" With a flick of her wrist, a small knife appeared from out of her sleeve, which Magpie caught and promptly threw in the girl's direction. Her target, however, proved to be lighter on her feet than Magpie anticipated, as she sidestepped the flying blade quite effortlessly, before making a sudden turn in her escape route, now running directly for the nearby airship, where an open window was visible, albeit rather high up. "And if she gets in there, we're not catching her!" Stalag looked behind him to see that another woman was in pursuit with him. "Ah! I see we have the same goal! Then assist me in my doing of the interrogation!" He turned his head forward to follow the girl along the turn. He noticed that she was making a break for the flying machine ahead. "I cannot allow this! We must speak!" He turned back to Magpie. "Please, no more throwing! I shall intercept her!" Stalag grit his teeth, and dug his heel into the ground, before he launched himself into a full out sprint. He thrust his arms forward to try and latch onto a limb, trying his best not to use his jaws instead, making sure to gingerly grab the girl. As Stalag made his charge, the girl jumped up onto the near-vertical walls of Air Force Zero, and against reasonable expectations, was able to climb up it a short distance, just enough to get her fingers around the window frame. As she was pulling herself up to make her getaway, however, Stalag's hand was able to graze across her foot, the timing and weight of it being enough to make her slip, sliding her way back down the wall and landing on the dirt. "Well, well, well," Magpie whistled, strolling up to meet the would-be assassin and her newfound captor. "Start talking." "I'm not saying a thing." The girl's stance was defiant at first, but before long, her circumstances sunk in. The only reason she was able to make that climb was her running start, and these two were too close to make another escape. Shoulders slumped, she let out a long, resignated sigh, before putting her hands up. "...alright, fine, you got me. You can question me all you want, but I'm still not saying anything." "You did not shoot at the President. I know this. You carry a gun, yet I did not smell gunpowder in the crowd." The ridge of his left eye raised itself. "Then why run away?" She blinked a few times, surprised that Stalag was able to tell. Keeping one hand raised, she unholstered the gun with the other hand. She didn't point it at Stalag or Magpie however, and instead tossed it to the latter's feet. "Seems Meteor-Kin have pretty sharp snouts. It's a starter pistol, like they use at racetracks. My job was to shoot that and then run, and I can say that because I'm sure Miss Bounty Hunter over there already pieced that much together." "So you wished to start a commotion? A distraction?" The girl was not an assassin...yet she seemed to be in some shady dealings. "It does not matter. Why did you do this? I must know the reasoning. I was enjoying my meal, and wished to speak with the President! Yet you ruin this for me and my people." A large gust of air spouted from his nostrils. "I will forgive you this once, but I must know answers." He looked to Magpie. "Bounty Hunter will get hers too. I am assuring no harm will come against you while I am present." The spout of air from Stalag's nostrils seemed to take the spirit of defiance out of the girl. "You Meteor-Kin sure are intimidating up close, haha..." The compliment got a couple of wags out of his tail. Looking back over toward the scene of the crime, the girl considered just not answering, for a good while. After a long moment of nothing, however, she finally caved. "I'm here with a team meant to kill the President. That's the short of it. My job was to give the signal to get the show on the road." He closed his eyes in disappointment. "Kill the president? I cannot fathom such reason! Truly!" He literally couldn't. Politics were not his strong suit. He looked back to Magpie. "So what are your intentions with this frail thing? She did not commit crime, this I am sure of." Was she really not guilty? After all, she admitted association with a group of assassins. "She's definitely committed a crime," Magpie retorted. "She just confessed to working with a team of assassins here to kill the President. In fact, his orders are the only reason she's still breathing right now." "But the President is still alive? She just runs away..." He scratched his brow, but he could see how she was guilty after some thinking. "So what will you do, Miss Bounty Hunter? I, Stalag Mightjaw, will help in your endeavors! Will we save the President of United States!? Or shall we guard this perpetrator and make sure she does not do the escaping?" "I'll watch her. I have a lot of questions for our little wannabe assassin. You should go help the others." Stalag nodded. He looked back to the girl, this 'wannabee'. "What is your name?" "It's our policy to not namedrop ourselves on the job. But, it doesn't say anything against using our file names. So, you can call me Friend." "Your policy is the stupid!" He managed to flash a sly grin. "But this file name of yours...I like it." He knelt down to her level. "Friend...I wish you would not have gone down this road of violence. Perhaps we will talk more soon." Stalag stood up and turned towards Magpie. "As I have said, no harm is to come to her. Are we the clear crystal?" Stalag started another full sprint to lend his assistance. "I shall make short work of these assassins!"

FESTIVAL GROUNDS *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* His trek to Chicago had been a long one, but he had eventually made it all the way here. Everywhere he had gone, from New Arizona to where he was now, it was as if the sound of thunder followed behind each and every one of his footsteps. The haphazardly sprung up stands of the celebratory event shook with each step he took. He was met with slack-jawed stares, which he met with an enormous and toothy grin. Many people were not familiar with his kind, and he was quite used to that. But Stalag Mightjaw was an emissary of his clan for a reason. He found that the smooth-skins were easy to talk to and befriend. He liked that about them. "Hey buddy! Can you keep tip-toe or something? You're wrecking all the merchandise." Stalag looked to the fussing to see a stand worker visibly frustrated at the fact a glass of liquid had spilled on himself, probably thanks to all of Stalag's mighty strolling. "Ah! It is my apologies, smooth-friend. Stalag Mightjaw is still unsure of how to walk amongst your people! I assure you I will keep property damage to a minimal! You have my word." Stalag nodded his head with his arms crossed. "And a Mightjaw's word is his life! HIS HONOR! May it rest in your hands." "Calm down bub. Nobody's askin' about all that. Just get on with it." Stalag nodded once more. He took a deep breath. "On to the getting!" The roar almost shook the whole block. After all, this was what the smooth-skins called a "Carnival". A perfect event for a carnivore. It was a time for merriment and celebration. And what a time to do so! It was the anniversary of the Crisis, an event that brought his people back to the realm of the living. in the Meteor-kin's villages, it was a most holy time. The stars and sky had blessed them with a second chance on Earth. The thought of it almost brought a tear to Stalag's eye, but he had already cried his tear-ducts dry earlier in the day from the same thoughts. So instead, he pressed his palms together in a moment of solemn prayer. After a minute or two, Stalag began to 'get on with it', walking with utmost care, as he strolled down to the main center of the celebration. The smell coming from here was absolutely tantalizing. He towered over the crowd of smooth-skins, so locating prey here would be a piece of cake. He had never seen so many varied pieces of food in his life! Meats, cheeses, and Ales for every man and child here! One smell in particular caught his attention above the rest. Walking up to the stand, small puffs of yellow and white were being handed out in small paper bags. The stand owner looked to Stalag in somewhat of shock. "They make all kinds these days huh?" "They certainly do!" Stalag replied in kind. "What sorts of prey are you serving at this establishment. It is like nothing from my village!" "Uh...this is called Popcorn..." "Popped Corn! Wonderful! I will acquire one of your finest!" Stalag pulled out a crumpled up piece of 'money', and handed it to the owner. Trade was common in his village, but this 'money' was used to be able to trade anything. He had learned many things while attending classes of the NAR Government to become an Ambassador of his people, and currency was one of his favorite subjects. "Sure pal..." the owner grabbed a bag and scooped up a hefty amount of the food into it, before handing it to Stalag. "Ah! Thank you my smooth-friend!" Stalag popped one of the tiny bits of popcorn into his large maw, chomping down on it as if it were a deer. The salty flavor, and the butter mixed together superbly, followed by the light texture that almost seemed to evaporate with a flick of his tongue. The fleeting moment of deliciousness was gone. "This could use more meat! And I am talking of a lot more!" Pointing his nose to the sky, Stalag followed the scent of meat in the air, wherever it would lead him.

BALLIN'

Sign me interdested

Premise: The year is 2058. Internet Access is widely available to all parts of the world, and is a vital part of 70% of the daily lives of most people. Personal, Top Secret, and mundane information is stored in every corner of cyberspace. A safe and secure worldwide web is a must have in this day and age. As times have changed, so have the methods of cybersecurity. Governments across the globe have been able to access a world only a chosen handful of humans have seen, the Digital World. A means to access the literal embodiment of the internet. It is inhabited by strange and powerful creatures known as Digimon. However, some Digimon have been known to cause trouble around the globe, whether manmade or naturally occurring, such as the launching of a IBM towards Japan. This attack was suppressed with the help of Digimon as well. In the right hands, Digimon can be used to stop cyberattacks around the world. In 2050, the Global Digital Defense Force was established in a joint effort between the United States of America, and recruit young members of society to own and operate Digital Companions to combat terror threats inside the World Wide Web. You are one of the select few who have gotten through Recruitment Screening. Do you have what it takes to take on the looming, unseen threats of the Dark Web?

EARTH-5555 "So...this is how it ends for the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible Beatdown, huh? What a drag…" In the sky above New York City, a slender, black figure was hurtling towards the ground at break-neck speeds. Their limbs beating against the cold air as they fell helplessly through the higher levels of the atmosphere. It was hard to breath up here, and it was even harder to breath with her right lung collapsed. Today was just not her day. Earlier "Today is totally gonna be the day!" A young red haired girl peeked out of her studio-apartment building's blinds, peering down at the busy city sidewalks below. She watched them like a hawk, making sure nothing would get in the way of her big plans today. On a calendar, next to the window, a big red circle was marked around today's date. Inside the circle, in big bold red ink, read: 'Stop Dad For Good!'. Her father, of course, was Harry Osborn, current CEO and resident madman or Oscorp! And who was she, an outside viewer would ask? None other than DJ Osborne, the daughter of aforementioned madman. But of course, that was merely one identity she possessed. She made sure that the coast was clear, before closing her blinds. With a smile, a black, ooze-like substance shot out of her skin. It wrapped around her body tightly, forming around her in the shape of a sleek suit. It harbored the design of a white spider across her chest, probably symbolic of the alien spider that had bit her so long ago. With this suit, she was no longer related to the Osborns. Instead, she became New York City's one and only Spider-Girl, Beatdown! With her alter-ego dawned, she used her alien goo powers to turn into a pool of black liquid. In this form, she was way harder to detect by the average folk. The pool of liquid made it's way up the wall, and out of the window sills small opening, heading towards the roof of her apartment complex. Once she had made it to the top, she reverted back to her human shape. "I can't be late...gotta meet that weirdo today!" She jumped up and down three times to psyche herself up, only to take off with a whizzing run. Hopping onto the ledge of the building, she sprang forth into the city skyline. There was no feeling on earth quite like the thrill of pulling off things only she could! She fell what felt like a few minutes, the pavement rapidly approaching, before she shot her hand out. With her fingers spread wide, black tentacles spread forth from each digit, individually looking for a surface to stick onto. When they found their mark, they gripped each surface tightly, DJ reeling her arm back in to slingshot through the city. As people took notice, they would shout all kinds of names. "It's the Night Crawler!" "Actually my name's Beatdown! Spread it around please!!!" "Go, Goo Girl, Go!" "It's Beatdown!! tell your friends!!" "Nothing but a menace!" "HEY SCREW YOU PAL! I'LL SHOW YOU A MENACE WHEN I KICK YOUR TEETH IN!" "We love you Black Widow!" "Eh...close enough..." Couldn't they just get a consistent name going? Before she could correct anymore adoring fans, her rendezvous point was just in sight. The Brooklyn Bridge. However, before she could swing much further, she heard a large crash from the city street below. She sighed, stopping her swinging for a moment to hang onto the side of a building to scope the scene. The loud whirs of an engine could be heard in the street, the crashing of metal and glass was drawing closer. The culprit finally turned a corner, none other than Big Wheel himself! DJ sighed, hoping that the ruckus was caused by someone she could have a little more fun with. She jumped from her perpendicular perch to crash into the street below where the Wheel was treading through. There she waited, tapping her foot on the pavement with her fists on her hips. From the seat of his overblown carnival attraction, Big Wheel gave a hearty cry! "Haha! Today's the day I defeat the infamous Spider-Wench! The name, BIG WHEEL, is gonna be all over the Daily Bugle for the next year once I wipe the pavement with you!" Spikes shot themselves out of the treads of Big Wheels big wheel, crunching through the street like cardboard. Must've been some solid stuff...did this guy get his hands on some vibranium or something? DJ could only shrug. "You know, you should really get a Beatdown Rewards Club Membership. Your 15th asswhoopin' comes with a cushier cell!" DJ sprinted forward, almost animalistically, her arms trailing far behind her as black tentacles began to shape into giant hands. She met Big Wheel head on, firmly grasping the contraption with them, as the spikes protruded through the ooze. She winced, almost as if it were slightly uncomfortable to be impaled, but it wasn't her first rodeo. With a bit or resistance, she was able to bring the wheel to a halt. That's when a weapon was revealed on the side of the machine, spouting fire at DJ. She retreated immediately upon feeling the intense heat, every fiber of her alien DNA recoiling from the sight of the flames. Big Wheel revved up his engine again, looking to make a slime pancake out of her. The thought of a pancake gave her an idea. She began to run away, feigning fear for her life, but was leaving behind clumps of goo on the pavement that were still attached to the Spider-Girl's body. As Big Wheel ran them over they would attach themselves to the machine, and once enough had done so, DJ spread tentacles from each inky glob, snaring the machine from every crevice and direction. With his momentum almost ceased immediately, Big Wheel was ejected from his seat, his helmet colliding with the wheel in front of him. DJ used the string of goo left behind like the retraction of a tape measurer, flying through the air towards Big Wheel. Once she found an opening in his side, as he fumbled to get back into his seat, DJ crashed into him with a hard boot in the side. The man fell towards the pavement below, only to be caught with DJ's black, oozy, whip. "You know," DJ began to snark, "You really should be wearing a seatbelt in that thing. I wouldn't have to save you and make you look so pathetic." She turned around to look at his choice of contraption. "I mean...even more pathetic than you already do." The man looked as if he were about to cry. "Is it to late to sign up for that Rewards Club yet?" DJ's fist clenched. "Not at all. After signing up," She let her fist fly, "The first Beatdown's free!" *KERPOW* With her detour of justice now over, she had finally made her way to the top of the bridge. At the top of the building was a figure in a blue jumpsuit. Even though DJ had landed silently, it turned around to greet her with it's white mask. "Took you long enough." He berated her, sardonically. "Don't get your panties in a wad. You and I both know traffic in this town is absurd." "Always the comedian. Whatever. I'm billing you extra for that. So you got the money or not?" DJ reached into a pocket made of goo, pulling out an envelope full of one-hundred dollar bills. By it's thickness, one could easily guess that there was at least fifteen-thousand in it. "Saved up a year for this...you better have some good intel, Taskmaster." DJ threw the envelope over, with Taskmaster catching it in kind. "Hm." He counted the bills individually. It took a couple of minutes before he was done. "Yeah. As a matter of fact, I do. This city...this country...it's done for. You're too late, kid." "You gotta be kidding me!? No!" DJ Exclaimed. "I thought I had more time! You're not telling me he's actually going through with it!" Her fists clenched tightly, as she began to tremble. Taskmaster looked at her display of anger blankly. "You always hesitate to pull the trigger. You had the opportunity to kill that man more times than I have bills in this envelope. You coulda stopped Operation Dark Reign a long time ago...but you're too soft, Letdown. He's got too many powerful people working with him now. Ain't nothing your friendly neighborhood punky spidester can do about it. You're out of you're league now." "No! You're wrong! There's still time!" DJ pulled more cash from her inside her symbiotic shoe. "What if I hire you to help me stop him!? Tonight!?" Taskmaster stared at the handful of cash coldly. "He thought you might ask something like that." An all too familiar sense shot up DJ's spine. In a flash, Taskmaster had pulled his pistol out on her. "Osborne's got me on retainer...no hard feelings, right?" "You know that's not gonna hurt me." DJ growled, as she took her low fighting stance. "You should know that by now. We've done this dance way too many times." "Oscorp upgrades." A shot rang through the air above the Brooklyn Bridge, but something was different. The sound of the bullet travelling at her rang intensely in her ear, almost driving her insane. She hesitated, as the bullet lodged itself in her chest. As it burrowed into her symbiote skin, sonic vibrations resonated from the bullet, causing her intense pain. "There's a big difference between me and you, Beatdown." Taskmaster fired another bullet, aiming for DJ's head. "I never hesitate to pull the trigger. Even if it's you." With every fiber of strength she could muster, DJ was finally able to let her Spider-Sense guide her. She hopped off the bridge before she was shot again, however, the bullet inside of her was still emitting sonic vibrations. She couldn't concentrate at all to stop herself from plummeting into the cold ocean below. Before she could even do that, a trail of smoke could be seen in the distance, followed by a laugh that haunted her dreams. The Iron Goblin. Her Father, Harry Osborn. With a screech, he threw a Repulsor Pumpkin straight towards her. "So...this is how it ends for the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible Beatdown, huh? What a drag…" But just before the bomb could make it's mark, a rip in space and time had opened beneath her. She fell into the tear, as she clutched her chest. For some reason, it felt like she was weightless, but at the same time she was descending faster than she ever had before. The tear had vanished now, her father unable to trail her wherever she was headed. Her mind was clouded by the pain as the insane visuals of the weaving web that sprawled across infinite space racked her brain. With a grunt, she plunged her hand into her chest to grab the vibrating bullet. She vomited, as the intense pain and rollercoaster ride was too much of a trippy mix for her to handle. After another deep breath, she dislodged the bullet, as it now travelled side by side with her to the opening of another tear in space. On the other side was a booming, bright city. Her eyes lit up, her body repairing itself from the trauma, as she was ejected out of the portal and onto the pavement. She woke up to the sound of the bullet next to her, it's lasts vibrations cracking the ground beneath it. With a daze, she looked around her to see a bunch of weirdos that reminded her of...her...for some reason. "Is this spider-heaven?" She asked, before puking once more.

Oh yeah...you know this is one of mine

"What's a currency?" The chieftain questioned, looking towards Rumian as if to look for the answer. They didn't seem to know either. "I don't know what you mean by all that stuff, but I can tell you all about the food! We've got stuff like bread, and maize and millets and gazelles - oh there was this one time an elephant came too close to the town so we had to get rid of it. It was really tasty too, but I don't think we have any. Sometimes we also get berries when we go hunting and supply collecting." Maybe trade was the only means of getting what you wanted around here. It must've been an easier and simpler way to do things here. He could get behind that! No having to worry about being broke for now! "If you want some food we'll be happy to get some for you." At the mention of food, his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since halfway through the baseball game! And that was just popcorn from the stand. He drooled at the thought of what a world like this had to offer in terms of food quality! "Yeah! I don't know how it works where you're from, but here whenever you finish a task for the day you get your food provided to you. And you guys are the Exalted, which means you're job is to be heroes, and you've already done heroing today!" "I'll take whatever meat y'all can throw at me!" He said with a hearty smile, not noticing he already had a stream of drool starting to drip down the corner of his mouth. Then the topic of the Accursed was brought up again...the threat that they, the exalted, were supposed to put a stop to. A mission given to them by a Goddess no less. It seemed pretty simple...the Accursed cursed the land. If they beat them to a pulp, the world would probably get uncursed! Simple as pie. His stomach gurgled once more at the thought of a fruity pie. "Now that you're all done with questions, I can go show you guys around! Well, at least where you'll be sleeping." The thought never even crossed his mind about where they were going to say! His curiosity peaked as they made their way to the lodgings. It was a house, not dissimilar from the one they had just departed from, with all the dressings one would expect of something described as "cushy" or "cozy"! Drake was ecstatic! He had yet to own his first place, so one being given to him for free was a pretty sick perk of being 'Exalted'. Luca pointed out that there was another house they could use directly beside this one, with the same interior scheme. Must've been a bargain sale for Exalted only. Slay 6 Drenger, get 2 houses free! What a steal! "You've all done a lot of heroing for today so feel free to rest up! Oh, but I know you have important Exalted things to do too. So you can start doing those things too! I wish I could stay longer but I have chief things to do, especially with those stupid lousy no good Drenger attacking us. But I can't wait to learn more all about you guys!" However, before the girl could leave, she made one final, and ominous word of advice. "Oh and be careful when it rains!" "Noted." Drake heeded the warning with a nod of his head. "It was an honor meeting you too Luca. Hope we can talk more later." What a strange thing to worry about though...wasn't the Goddess a water deity of some sort...or was rain separated from the oceans? His thoughts were clouded when Marshall brought up the topic of living arrangements in their new homes. Abby brought up the most sensible idea of splitting it up by boys and girls. "Buzzkill!" Drake said with a laugh. "Just yanking your chain of course. I don't think that's a bad idea. Hell I can even sleep outside if things get too cramped on your side, boys." He began to walk outside, pointing his nose to the sky. "I bet this place has a hell of a view at night. Can't miss out on that opportunity, right?"

The walk back to town sure was a surreal one. Drake and the rest all looked so different from the denizens of the village, yet they were thanked for their help by all those who were told the group were the fabled exalted. It sure was a one-eighty from what he was used to after a battle, but he smiled and waved to all of those that had received them so graciously. In their hasty retreats back into their home, he could only reassure those they had protected. "All in a days work for the Exalted!" The phrase rolling off his tongue almost made his spine shiver. What a strange thing to say. Was he really so worthy of this role? The thoughts kept prodding the back of his mind until they had reached Luca's domain. "This is where we usually hold town meetings and stuff but to think I can have a super special meeting like this today! Rumian! Get the map! I don't know how much you guys know about Aerstroff, since you're outlanders and all, so if you have any questions ask away!" After they had all taken a seat, and Luca brought out her map of Aerstroff, the others took turn asking their own questions. Drake listened intently. Sabrina asked about the highest position of power in the land. Unfortunately, there was none higher at the moment in this village than Luca. Only fairy tails it seemed of ancient Kings. Next was Gene, who asked an important question of where the Exalted should venture next. A shrine blessed by the ocean would be their first destination. Drake leaned forward to take a look at the finely crafted parchment. No doubt that in this sort of society, such map drawing skills were priceless. However, upon further inspection, he sighed. He slumped back into his chair and shrugged. "This is why they didn't make me a field leader. I can't make heads or tails of the topography...but some important landmarks might be helpful to know." He pointed his finger to the one he'd like to call pretentious. It's too bad the adjective didn't fit the man at all. "Probably leave it to tall, pale, and wise over there. I'm sure he'll figure out a thing or too." He looked to Luca. "I've really got no questions Ma'am. I'm just gonna make sure the rest of these guys stay safe. That's my new mission." A loud growling could be heard around the room, emanating from Drake's stomach. "On second thought...what do you guys eat around here? Just wondering..." Ah! A new question actually did pop in that empty head of yours. "Speaking of food, how would one pay for such things. Does this land have multiple currencies? Or is it all centralized?"

The two Robots stared each other down for quite some time, neither making a single move. The first to speak was obviously Chimera. "You dare step foot on one of the mightiest ships of the Egg Fleet, a creation of the great Doctor Ivo Robotnik, uninvited." Chimera glare became more intense. "I implore you assess your situation more thoroughly before revealing your intentions...lest I rip you limb from limb and stain this ship's deck with your oil." Ken recoiled at the harsh fighting words from his metallic cohort. However, even though his words were chilling, the robot across from Chimera was anything but in a panic. He must have had nerves of steel! "Heh..." A slight noise slipped from the small Robot. "Hahahaha! Dude, you really need to relax those servos! No need to be so tense!" The robot placed his hands and weapon upon his hip. "You're the intruders here after all, treading upon the sacred waters of Cha'Aqua, you know?" "Cha'Aqua?" Ken's mind rang blank for the word, although he could've sworn he heard it before in one of Silver's lessons. He should've paid attention more to Mobian history. "I have no data of this 'Cha'Aqua' that you speak of." Chimera returned. "Not that I care that I happen to be sailing above it." "Security's tight right now." The aquamarine automaton replied. "Sorry, but I can't have you sailing around here." "WHY!?" Ken yelled from the cabin window. The robot turned it's head to the Hedgehog, pointing to him. "That's on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know!" It crossed his arms and tapped it's foot. "Sorry y'all, but I'm gonna have to ask you guys to turn around and sail to where you came from." The robot shrugged. "If you don't, I'll sadly have to sink this ship." Chimera's eyes sharpened. "A threat...against the Egg Piercer..." Chimera's turbines started whirling. "Cha'Aqua be damned...You will sink first." "Oh boy..." Ken shook his head. With a sonic boom, Chimera jetted towards the smaller robot, he seemed taken aback by the sudden turn to violence. "YIKES!" It perked up, using his fin like weapon to block Chimera's telegraphed punch. The sound of metal clanged all throughout the ship. Lower Decks As the temperature began to drop in the lower decks, the amorphous blob of an opponent that Zane faced had begun to move quite a bit slower. Parts and pieces of the creature began to crystallize, and chip away. It looked confused as it began to solidify, turning it's head swiftly towards Zane. Quickly, but quite slower than before, it shot it's arms towards Zane once again. His pleas for help would not be heard, but he would still hear the sounds of solid impacts ringing throughout the cabin. Flurry's Quarters With Flurry asleep at the wheel, all systems of the Egg Piercer would start to fail, one after the other. The most important of them being shut down were the life support systems connected to the submarine mode of the ship.

Drake's breathing was heavy. His attack landed perfectly. Blood gushed from the vital spot, soaking the Hyena's neck with a flowing curtain of crimson. Drake's eyes met his foes, as it struggled to remove the axe from the wound...an ultimately pointless goal in the end. Even if the axe was removed, that would only lead to more blood loss. Drake picked himself up to his feet, standing triumphant over the now deceased Beast Man. He silently thanked his enemy, with hopes that he would reach some sort of afterlife that he believed in. At the end of the day, they were both warriors fighting for what they thought was right. This wasn't his first confirmed kill, and he could guess it wouldn't be his last. Was this really how things were going to go again? He was going to fight another battle for a cause he wasn't familiar with. He looked over to Luca, her claws soaked with blood from the leader. He reminded himself of what might have happened had they not been here. Drake had finally caught his breath, as he stared beyond the destroyed wall of the city. "Whoa! I knew the Exalted were supposed to be great heroes but you guys were like, super strong! You all summoned those weapons and used magic that was so cool!" Drake's attention turned back towards Luca. "It came naturally...like I've always known how to do it..." What a weird feeling it was, doing something you'd never dreamed of in your life so seamlessly. He had controlled the earth as if he'd been doing it his whole life. How much more would he be able to do? A red glow caught his eye, as a gem appeared from the corpse of Dracona's opponent. Was this supposed to be like...loot or something? It whirled around the girl for a moment, before it was drawn towards her hand, and straight into her tattoo. Drake looked at his as well, as the sound of a small droplet rang out around them. Drake's pain had also vanished almost entirely, as he looked to the wound on his leg. However, it had almost completely vanished, with small traces of blood still remaining. "Whoa..." Is all Drake could manage to get out. He checked his leg once more. It was in perfect condition. "This is something else, huh?" He questioned to no one in particular. This probably meant that the others were also healed of wounds they might've received. He made his way towards Dracona and the others. "Is everyone all right? How'd the fight go on your guys' end?" He was truly concerned with his fellow Heroes' well being. "Next time, I won't get distracted!" Drake smiled, as he displayed his shield across his chest rather proudly. "Next time, I'll make sure no one else gets hurt!"

His attempt at a extemporaneous combo has failed, due to his newfound, enhanced athletic capabilities. Drake found himself driving his drop kick straight into the hyena's center of mass. Although his attack didn't have the exact outcome he was looking for, there was a new opportunity presented on the battlefield when the Hyena dropped his cruel axe. Drake landed on his ass after he had pushed off of the Hyena's abdomen, and quickly pulled off a reverse somersault from his downed position. He saw that the Hyena was hysterical now. His shield wasn't really meant to deal a finishing blow...unless he just bashed it into the Beastman's head over and over again...a bit too crude for his taste. He winced at the thought. However, now the Hyena was flinging himself at Drake in a desperate attempt to finish him off. Drake had something else in mind. The wild flailing of the Hyena's claws would be difficult to avoid, but if he could just make it past them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Boot Camp was way worse than this was. Drake then opened his eyes, and rushed towards the Hyena's dropped Axe. He preformed a dolphin dive, making sure to shield himself from the Beastman's wild attack, but wasn't able to protect his legs, as they were swiped and gouged by his enemy. Drake persevered, rolling and picking up the axe on the way. Once he rolled onto his feet, Drake pivoted, swinging the axe horizontally, aiming for the kneeling Hyena's jugular.

Drake made direct contact with his foe, as he pressed his attack forward and followed through. However, he was only able to knock the opponent back only a couple of feet. Drake grit his teeth. Maybe he'd have to put a little more oomph into his next attack. The Hyena coughed once they separated. Maybe he had collapsed a lung? Drake shook his head. It wasn't very likely that that bash had done that much damage. And thinking of that, he looked around to see all of his 'comrades' and the weapons they had manifested. It seemed that all of there's were tools for dealing a killing blow. Then what was the purpose of him having a shield? Defeating an enemy would be rather hard with just this, wouldn't it? His thought was interrupted upon the sound of the Hyena moving in for another attack! "Oh no!" Drake managed to exclaim in a panic. However, he was used to being under attack like this at any given moment. The Hyena swung it's axe, aiming for his midsection. With quick reflexes, Drake was able to barely block the attack in time. However, he hadn't enough time to brace properly for the Hyena's powerful blow, and it took all of Drake's strength to be able to withstand the attack. Drake tried to fling arm out to the side to deflect it, but was knocked back instead, and onto the grass. Even though some distance was created, it wouldn't be long before another assault was launched. A faint glow from his hand caught his eye. "Huh? What're these?" Two very distinct symbols shone on his hand, and he could read them in their entirety. One was simply named Earth, and the other also simply just Cure. However, his Earth one was the more showy of the two...maybe if he focused on it a little! He could feel some otherworldly feeling bubble up inside of him, somehow flowing into the ground right beneath his ass! He didn't know why, but he immediately knew that he could do something with this feeling! His focused immediately turned to the Hyena, who was now bloodlusted and charging the downed Drake. He waited for the perfect opportunity, and when the time came, Drake slapped the ground with force. "Earth Pillar!" The ground beneath his hand rumbled, as it sent a shockwave through the earth, travelling as quickly to the Hyena as it approached him. Once the two would meet, the quaking ground ruptured, spouting forth a large pillar of rock that resembled a thick tree stump of sorts. It sprung into the sky, until it's target was met. A man's most precious Jewels, that he was always to protect, but also his most glaring weak spot. The Hyena stopped his attack, as it whimpered and crumbled to the ground, grasping what was left. Drake almost felt sorry for the creature, before he got back to his feet and made a mad dash towards his stunned foe. He built up speed before throwing his shield parallel to the ground, aiming for the beastman's neck. Once it would make contact, Drake himself would preform a dropkick in midair, to slam the shield further into the beast's gullet.

This was the weirdest standoff of his life...or his newest one at least. Drake watched on with hesitation, as the Beastmen looked at the lot of them with not so much as a hint of fear on their face. Their leader, the lion, made a battle roar that sent a shiver down Drake's spine. As if he had fallen into some sort of zoo exhibit back home. He could feel the bloodlust dripping off each and every one of them. But he wasn't prey! He was Exalted!....Apparently! This time, Drake was slow to react, as Gene, Sabrina, and the rough and rowdy girl had made their move. "Don't get started without me! I'm exalted too, you know!" Drake smiled, as he made a mad dash towards the second Hyena on his left! Engaging him would prove more tactically sound, as he could offer assistance towards the loud lady, while also avoiding a pincer attack from 3 Hyenas all at once. However, as he charged, he noticed the crude weapon the Beast man wielded. He was charging into an axe fight with his bare fists! His heart was racing, but he somehow knew he'd be able to deflect any hit coming his way! He was probably the only guy here with actual combat experience after all! The distance was closing in fast, as the Hyena began to take notice of his approach. The beast brought up his hand, raising the weapon into the sky, preparing to bring it down with a slash. Drake watched on, time seemingly slowed down as he tried to think of options. "Tackle him?" He thought. This beast probably had way faster movements than he initially might have thought. A tackle would lead to an axe in his back, or limb loss. Not particularly the best idea. "Sweep the leg?" Dishonorable, but getting low to the ground might cause a mistimed swing. But there was another answer that was ringing in his head. That's when he looked to his fellow exalted, already drenched in combat. They held weapons of some kind! And looking at them, he felt something resonate with inside him! His plan of attack was set in stone! "BLOCK IT!" Drake said aloud, as the tattoo on his hand began to glow with a holy shimmer. He gripped something in his hand, and pulled it out of the aether! What he brought forth was his weapon! A shield! The Hyena brought his axe down with a mighty swing, but Drake met it with equal force. The sound of metal clanking rang through the air. Drake's muscles bulged as well, as he was able to put in a lot more strength into this effort than what he might've been able to do on Earth. As a matter of fact, he could tell that he could overpower this beast! With a grunt, Drake put a foot forward, and swung his shield out, deflecting the Hyena's attack entirely. The Beastman's arm flung out into the air beside him, his tongue hanging out loosely as he looked Drake in the eye with killer fury! In the meantime, Drake twisted his hips, bringing his shield in closer to his center of mass. He could feel power surge into his body, as he sprang forward, driving his shield into the Hyena's chest. "SHIELD! BASH!" He roared, as he followed through with his mighty tackle!