Diluculo de Inhio [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

[yui 573]

-April 16th, 2000-
-5 AM-
-Cafeteria, Diluculo Branch 22-

Was anyone else even up yet? Jet lag sure was something. Oh well. While Sergei hadn't been up all that long himself just yet, he had been up long enough to at least get out of bed, get dressed, and assemble a basic breakfast. Nothing fancy of course, but it would at least get his stomach filled. Combined with a hot mug of coffee, it would perk him right up for the day. Just in time for the device he'd been given to let off a blaring noise. Well, that sure got him awake and alert as if the coffee wasn't about to do that. Sergei gave it a look to see what the fuss was all about. Missions.

Both of them required him to report to the front hall, but at different times. The first mission involved heading across state borders to do some investigation. The second was to get a better lay of the land in this state. Bringing cash along for sightseeing, food, etc, was advised. And the rewards were appropriately set for each mission, with the higher-risk one having a higher reward. All that being said, he was still in a strange new country, and he wasn't much of a fighter to begin with. Something more laid-back that let him get familiar with his immediate surroundings seemed best. And so, Sergei penned himself in for the second mission offered up for the day. So now that he had a few hours to kill... back to the breakfast. Toast wasn't gonna eat itself.

---

-April 16th, 2000-
-8:45 AM-
-Front Hall, Diluculo Branch 22-

Not much to Sergei's surprise, Captain Maddy was the one in charge of this mission. And if he didn't know any better, he'd swear she was a tourist with that outfit. Not that he looked any different. Casual clothes, t-shirt and cargo shorts, hair could probably do with some combing but honestly it was fine.

"Who's ready to have a day of fun? I mean, yeah, there's some official business... but we have a few hours before that, so let's get going! Anywhere you guys wanna visit first?"

"I didn't get a very good look at it during my flight in, but perhaps seeing the Statue of Liberty would work," Sergei suggested. "It is a world-famous landmark."

[PhoenixOfCute 54]

-April 16th, 2000-

-5 AM-

-Diliculo Branch 22-

 

Akiko gave a small groan as she heard the miniscule demon screaming tablet, reaching over and groggily mumbling. She picked up her pad, her eyes spinning a bit as she looked at the words floating off of the screen, "Nnnngh... Austin, turn off the thing..." She glanced to the screen, starting to yell back at hers, "Off, turn... off! Shut Down, Restart!" She huffed, fluttering her eyelashes awake as her ears rung from her own screaming back at the blasted device, "...Y'know what, Nika seems to have kept getting some crap... Maybe... I can make myself more useful by going to combat?" She reached up to touch the screen, pulling her hand back for a moment, "No, I shouldn't... if it's dangerous I could... hurt someone.." She bites her lips, before pressing the screen and letting out a breath, sweating a little and panting.

Codename: Aka Manto registered for 7 AM Mission, Leader: Major Volkov

"Well... hopefully I don't ruin anything... guess I clicked the thing so now I'll lie in it." She groaned as she rolled out of bed, crashing against the floor, "Gotta get up now..."

_____________________________________________

-April 16th, 2000-

-6:55 AM-

-Diliculo Branch 22-

Akiko had managed to find a small cafe nearby, taking a moment to eat a light breakfast and grab a coffee to go before she managed to return to Diliculo and grab herself a shower, walking herself over to get some equipment. She picked up a Katana, she had practiced enough swordplay when she was younger so she should be fine. She also grabbed a small pouch to tie around her thigh, slipping around 5 shuriken inside in case she needed them.

Akiko walked up to the bus, giving a small wave and yawning, still a bit sleepy from the alarm, "Morning you guys." She gave a few glances around, "Didn't you say like a shuttle or something would be around?"

Akiko tilted her head before possibly hearing some grumbling from Nika, waiting for the bus to arrive, which it finally did at around 7:05! 

"Pile in. This is not our vehicle, but the organization's, so please do not damage it."

Once everyone made it in , the ride began, leaving them with enough time to talk, eat some food, drink some coffee, or sleep. The Major stayed mostly quiet through the trip, leaving the recruits to their devices.

Akiko hummed, sitting near the front of the bus and setting the sheathed sword next to herself, taking small sips of her coffee as she glanced at the passing scenery.

[reparoni 161]

-April 16th, 2000-
-5 AM-
-Diluculo Branch 22-

Lucia was awoken by the device that they had given to them. Slowly, she picked herself out of the bed, rubbing her eyes as she turned towards the source of the sound. Picking the tablet on, she winced as the bright light blinded her for a moment. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she saw what seemed like notifications about their missions on it. "Pero porque tan temprano...?" She mumbled, taking a moment to read what was actually in front of her.

Standing up from her bed, she pressed on the combat one. Considering when they had to meet up for it, there wasn't much reason to go back to bed. With a light sigh, she stood up, and got herself ready for the day.

-April 16th, 2000-
-7:00 AM-
-Front Hall, Diluculo Branch 22-

Lucia arrived a bit later than everyone else, having gotten caught up in conversation at the local coffee shop. Luckily, it didn't seem like she was late, as her group were just standing around, waiting for their ride. She brought her backpack which had a few things in it - notably, it had her baseball bat that was sticking out of the right side. She waved at everyone as she walked towards them, joining them as they waited.

It didn't take long before their ride showed up and, on Nika's queue, they got into the shuttle. Lucia took a seat in the car, anxious about the mission that was coming up. Anxious, and excited, to get to fully use her abilities. There was a lot she didn't now yet, so much she had to experiment with.

[Blake 312]

-April 16th, 2000-
-7:30 AM-
-En Route to Branch 25-

 "...Major Volkov? When we arrive at the destination, what's the first thing we should prepare to do? I can't say I know much about... New Jersey, really. It didn't come up when I reading up on the plane ride over much."

"We won't be doing much in the way of meeting locals or sightseeing, so there's not much you need to know about New Jersey. We will be arriving at Branch 25 at first to receive a short briefing on what occurred from the branch's lead, then it's on to the mission proper. It will be a very brief stop, but we will make a longer stop before we head back, later on."

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-9 AM-
-Front Entrance, Diluculo Branch 25-

The rest of the ride turned out to be uneventful, with no one really speaking much. Despite the slightly late start, the shuttle arrived with perfect time, stopping in front of the branch, which looked almost exactly the same as the one the group had first been introduced to just the day before. Nika cut the group a glance as she started to climb out.

"If you have any business, do it now. We will probably be out in the barrens for a few hours."

Upon entering, the group would find the building was undergoing some construction and painting inside, with tarps laid all over the place. It seemed warmer than their own branch's front hall, but the disarray from the work in progress cut that feeling back. Not too far from the entrance stood a man with fiery hair held a clipboard, directing some of the workers, before turning as he heard footsteps.

"Ah, Major Volkov, thank you for coming on such quick notice."

"Is the rest of the information ready, Major Drake?"

"Cutting to the chase as always..." The man sighed and rubbed the back of his head, before pulling a manila envelope from the clipboard, "Everything you need to know about what occurred is in there. I would tell you more, but I haven't been out there, personally."

"Mm. Of course not." Nika averted her gaze, then gave the slightest bow, "Then I will head straight to the location with my recruits. We will see you once the mission is resolved."

Turning on her heel, Nika returned to the vehicle, waiting just a few minutes for the foursome to return, as well. Once they were all in, the car resumed its trip towards the Pine Barrens, with Nika reading the documents within the manila envelope as the trip continued.

It only took about 10 minutes to arrive to the entrance of the forest, with Nika departing the vehicle once more, motioning for her recruits to follow. With a sigh, she straightened her suit ever so slightly, before addressing the four recruits.

"We will not be splitting up. We are hunting for a supposed amalgam of a creature, with exaggerated features, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for any signs of unnatural life. I assume you will be able to help us with that, Cucuy?" The major looked Lucia in the eye as she spoke, "After all, you have spent much time with animals, have you not? The rest of you do what you can. I don't fully believe the information we've been given, but it's best to stay on our toes. Move out."

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-9 AM-
-Front Hall, Diluculo Branch 22-

"Aww, only the boys signed up for this? That's a little lame." Maddy pouted as the group of four headed out of the building and into the sun, "But sure, we can hit the statue of liberty first! I'm sure none of you have been there before, so it's a perfect place to start... aaaafter I grab a breakfast burrito~"

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-10:00 AM-
-New York City-

After Maddy and whoever else that so desired had their burritos from a nearby taco truck, which Maddy swore up and down was the best in the city, the group began their trek towards the statue. It wasn't until after the burritos that they were informed of just how bad traffic was in the city, so the hour and a half walk towards the statue would actually be more efficient than taking a cab or government vehicle, at this time of day.

"Oooh, that's the best stand for a chili dog! Well, if we're not considering Coney Island..." Maddy mused as the trip neared its halfway point, "By the by, I expected at least two of you to jump at the chance to take a combat mission. Is there any reason you chose to tag along with me instead of going for glory?"

As they walked, the group would find that quite a few people were happy to see their captain, giving her a wave, a good morning, or a smile. One shop in particular, Heraldica, seemed to beckon the group over, with the elderly white lady running it seeming delighted.

"You finally bringing those new customers you promised, are ye?" the crone cackled a bit, "If you even told them about little old me."

"Weeeell, I haven't told them yeeeeet," Maddy rocked a bit on her heels, "But I was planning to. Luckily, you're en route to where these guys wanna go. So, everyone, this is Elsa Mackenzie. She actually is like us, if you catch my drift... And she has a contract with us. Whenever you have some extra cash, you can come here to order a custom weapon that fits your fighting style, work to improve or repair your weaponry, or just buy general gear. You could even call this place a forge, if that's to your tastes! So, think about what you think works best with your you-know-what, and then come and see her when you have some free time! Oooor you could order it through your tablet, but you'll have to pick it up in person. Well, how's that for a sales pitch?"

"Perfect, perfect!" Elsa grinned, taking each of the boy's hands in for a shake, "And we can do just about anything for you. Despite calling it an armory, we have quite a bit of support from Diluculo here, so we can accommodate any ideas you have, though I can't say everyone's ideas have been perfect..."

The woman shot Maddy a sidelong glance as the latter had produced another burrito and began to munch on it, before realizing the attention had turned to her.

"H-hey, I didn't know any better!" She sputtered through a mouth of burrito, then gulped it down, "Most people mess up their first order!"

"Of course," Elsa laughed, turning back to the boys, "Just let me know when I can do something for you, and I will whip it up as fast as I can. I have no ability, but my son is quite talented at manipulating alloys, so it shouldn't take too long, with his help. And make sure to tell your friends at the base, as well!"

[Chaos Sonic 442]

"Aww, only the boys signed up for this? That's a little lame. But sure, we can hit the statue of liberty first! I'm sure none of you have been there before, so it's a perfect place to start... aaaafter I grab a breakfast burrito~"

Austin only wanted to facepalm harder at his face...not only did he pick the wrong mission...but he was stuck with: A.) No eye-candy for him to sneak glances at...aside from Maddy, so this definitely could be turned around...and B.) Two of the worst picks for him to try and copy Ids...especially with the Russian. He let out a slight growl of annoyance at this, but kept himself quiet...perhaps the breakfast burrito would keep him from getting anymore upset.

To his surprise...it did. New York food...it's a wonder.

---

-April 16th, 2000-
-10:00 AM-
-New York City-

"Oooh, that's the best stand for a chili dog! Well, if we're not considering Coney Island...By the by, I expected at least two of you to jump at the chance to take a combat mission. Is there any reason you chose to tag along with me instead of going for glory?"

The young man frowned, rolling his eyes. "Tch...I don't want to talk about it, aight?" he snapped with a bit of a grumble. Short of the matter was, he pretty much failed in selecting what he wanted until it was too late. Again, however, Austin wasn't about to just announce he screwed up...just wasn't his nature.

Still, the trip didn't seem too much of a waste thus far...especially when Maddy brought them to a shop known as "Heraldica". And from the sounds of the elderly woman, this was quite the shop that Diluculo dealt with greatly.

"Despite calling it an armory, we have quite a bit of support from Diluculo here, so we can accommodate any ideas you have, though I can't say everyone's ideas have been perfect..."

Now this piqued Austin's interest, to now which he was thinking about something a bit. If this shop could come up with any idea imaginable, perhaps it could assist him in something regarding his Idposter ability. Now that, if anything, would make this trip even more the worthwhile!

"Just let me know when I can do something for you, and I will whip it up as fast as I can. I have no ability, but my son is quite talented at manipulating alloys, so it shouldn't take too long, with his help. And make sure to tell your friends at the base, as well!"

"Yeah...I got a question of sorts." Austin piped up. "Say you have...something...that can sort of...mimic a certain something of others. Would there be any possible way of assisting that individual?" He made sure to put emphasis on the 'somethings', just to get across to the elderly woman what he was talking about without just blatantly saying it.

[PhoenixOfCute 54]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9 AM-
-Front Entrance, Diluculo Branch 25-

"We will not be splitting up. We are hunting for a supposed amalgam of a creature, with exaggerated features, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for any signs of unnatural life. I assume you will be able to help us with that, Cucuy?" The major looked Lucia in the eye as she spoke, "After all, you have spent much time with animals, have you not? The rest of you do what you can. I don't fully believe the information we've been given, but it's best to stay on our toes. Move out."

Akiko nods, frowning to herself as she spoke up, "Apologies, Major Volkov, but it came to my attention that you harbored what seemed to be some sort of disdain for Major Drake when you spoke with him? Is he an entity that we should be more careful around?" She scratches her cheek, "I know it doesn't have that much to do with the mission but I couldn't help but notice the slight tone change you had when you were speaking with him. Kinda like how I think I sound around Pervert."

She'd begin walking with the rest of the girls and Cade to follow Nika, keeping a hand down towards her thigh with the shuriken pouch, "An amalgam with ex...age...rated features? That doesn't sound like any kind of animal I'd be aware of besides maybe some stuff in movies." Akiko frowned at her uncertainty of if she may have misunderstood that word in particular. 

"Hey, you guys?" She glanced over to the other 3 members of the group, "My Id isn't very combat-focused as you all know but I can probably be a good distraction if any of you need anything like time to activate your own Ids, I know Cucuy's Id well enough but figured I should ask if there's anyone I should prioritize keeping an... enemy? Away from?"

[Kazooie 167]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9 AM-
-Front Entrance, Diluculo Branch 25-

Branch 25, then on to the mission proper. He wasn't sure if he should be nervous, but he... Really wasn't. Growing up, he was taught that he was meant to be seen, not heard, and that tend to go well in this sort of environment. With the warning that they were going to be in the barrens for a while, well... He wasn't sure if he needed to prepare more than he had, he brought most of what he thought he would've needed already... 

That said, the quick interaction there between the Major and that man caught his attention. It was definitely quick and to the point, that wasn't surprising for Volkov really. But there definitely seemed to be a hint of... Distaste for the other major, it was hard for someone to hide that level of sourness. Even by her standards, that was straight to the point. He wasn't going to question it, himself. He made his way back towards the bus once it was near time to leave, a little sigh escaping him as he settled back down. It was hard to get a good read on what was going on with this operation at times. Commanders contradicting each other, a sense of disrespect as a result... Were all government entities this odd?

· · ─────── ·?· ─────── · ·

"We will not be splitting up. We are hunting for a supposed amalgam of a creature, with exaggerated features, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for any signs of unnatural life. I assume you will be able to help us with that, Cucuy?"

Ah. A reminder. He had almost forgotten about the code name deal, even though he had been trying to figure out what the hell a Pangurban actually was. Ah well, he would have to try and recall the other codenames as he went along. Cucuy was given to him, which lowered the amount he would have to bring back to mind...

Then there was the matter of her warning. An amalgam of creatures was not something that was going to be pleasant. Even worse, she seemed to have information about some weird... Abilities it might have. Strange information would be nice to know ahead of time, but he wasn't about to try and pull information out of her. No... His hand twitched a bit as he lifted his hand up, the books from his bag starting to lift up and into the air. Five large books began to orbit around him steadily, evenly spaced apart as he took a small glance around. He started to move along with the others, his movements attempting to stay on the quiet side...

"Apologies, Major Volkov, but it came to my attention that you harbored what seemed to be some sort of disdain for Major Drake when you spoke with him? Is he an entity that we should be more careful around?"

Oh, seems like he wasn't the only one to have noticed how tense Major Volkov had been. In fact, she seemed to have even more of an idea of how bad it was, compared to him... But he wasn't sure he wanted to get into that himself.

"Hey, you guys?" She glanced over to the other 3 members of the group, "My Id isn't very combat-focused as you all know but I can probably be a good distraction if any of you need anything like time to activate your own Ids, I know Cucuy's Id well enough but figured I should ask if there's anyone I should prioritize keeping an... enemy? Away from?"

He blinked for a moment as he heard Akiko speak up again, "That's a good question. We need to be flexible, my Id is good for defense too. I should be able to intercept things if something happens, so if one of the other two get targeted... Probably try and direct it towards me." What a world, telling someone to direct something potentially life threatening towards him. He had no idea what to expect either, his fingers twitched a tiny bit, the orbit of the books around him starting to speed up a tiny bit as he smiled.

Look at him. He was acting a little bit like that loud mouth.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Kazooie

[JellisOP 20]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9:10 AM-
-Pine Barrens, New Jersey-

Ann had been in almost a state of bliss. The relatively uninhabited New Jersey countryside was nice, in terms of scenery and amount of pain. It would have stayed like that, had they not reached Branch 25, and met with Major Drake. Ann could feel that there was some bad blood between the two Major's. Not true pain, per se, but it just felt like there was an echo of what was.

But that matters little for what they are here for. Now, they have a 'amalgam' to catch. As long as it is hurting, she can feel and find it.

Which she is currently failing to do.

"I am not feeling anything around us." She said to her teammates. "I there is a creature out there, it is healthy, or at minimum uninjured."

They proceeded to talk about stratagy, which would have been a novel idea, except for the fact that they are trying to hunt something.

' It is easier to hide from a mob than a lone hunter.'

Needless, they should know the victory condition for this battle.

"In my own opinion, if you really want to know what I think, uh, is the easiest way to beat a creature, is to, uh, have enough distractions for me to get in close, and then with simple skin contact, I should be able to knock them out, if I can flood him with a big enough wave of pain. But, when it comes down to it, location has a lot to do with it. Cucuy, do you see any signs of this amalgam? However, after this bit of conversation, we should fall silent, in order to avoid it running away from us."

She wasn't looking forward to using her power to project pain into a creature, but she knew it would be necessary, if there was a creature to fight.

[|0P| 24]

    Marcel thought the trip was going at least as well as it could so far. The Captain had recommended a food truck that had turned out to be not half bad and the walk wasn't any more excruciating than normal. Eventually they stopped at some sort of shop run by an older woman and, although he'd never admit it, Marcel was grateful for the break.

    ". . . this is Elsa Mackenzie. She actually is like us, if you catch my drift... And she has a contract with us. Whenever you have some extra cash, you can come here to order a custom weapon that fits your fighting style, work to improve or repair your weaponry, or just buy general gear."

    Marcel figured they'd have some sort of armory, but somewhere out in the open like this? didn't seem strategically sound to him.

    "Just let me know when I can do something for you, and I will whip it up as fast as I can. I have no ability, but my son is quite talented at manipulating alloys, so it shouldn't take too long, with his help. And make sure to tell your friends at the base, as well!"

    Though he thought it was kind of cool that he could basically custom order any kind of weapon or gear he could think of Marcel didn't see himself coming here that often, His Id wasn't that complicated and the only kind of support item he needed was something sharp. Something to stop the bleeding would be useful but he doubted this woman and her metal-controlling son could take care of that. Maybe he could do some research on it and stop by some other time.

[yui 573]

The mission was... about what Sergei had expected. Nothing all that serious, and a glorified tourist's day out when all was said and done. Although the Captain seemed upset that only the boys had signed up - bar Cade, who was probably in the next state over by now - Sergei couldn't imagine why that would be. Eventually, the group was brought to a store called Heraldica. Managed by an old lady who the Captain said was privvy to the secrets of Ids, named Elsa Mackenzie, this was effectively a place to order custom weapons that suited the user. Fascinating!

"Just let me know when I can do something for you, and I will whip it up as fast as I can. I have no ability, but my son is quite talented at manipulating alloys, so it shouldn't take too long, with his help. And make sure to tell your friends at the base, as well!"

Austin seemed to not have any ideas. Nor Marcel. Though when he tried to think about weapons suited for someone with rapid regeneration, one thing did come to mind for Sergei.

"Excuse me, I've got an idea," Sergei said, raising his hand a bit. "Something suitable for rapid regeneration. The first thing I thought of was a metal frame for my arm. I can ignore the human mind's limiters on our strength to perform incredible feats, but while the muscles heal in no time flat, the same can't be said for my bones. Something that allows me to continue using my arm even after doing that so I'm not just good for one big punch might work, right? I don't know the first thing about engineering though, so I can't say how it would work..."

[reparoni 161]

"Of course!" Lucia responded, wincing a bit when she called her Cucuy. It was her codename, but it would take some time to get used being called that regularly. They were looking for some sort of Amalgam. For a moment, she considered what would happen if she were to use her Id on it, if it would even work with her Id due to the genetic mashup that this creature would theoretically be. Apparently it had weird abilities - would she inherit those?

Her attention was brought towards Akiko, as she brought up her concern. Lucia knew her Id from the lab examination, at least to some extent, and she knew the girl was right. She nodded. "We'll keep you safe, don't worry!" She said, turning towards Cade, who also assured her and Ann.

Ann's scan of the area didn't reveal anything about the amalgam - if it was out there, it was healthy. As they were talking about their plan, Lucia noticed a hawk a bit off the distance. The ability to fly would be pretty useful to scout the area, although due to it being a forest there was a limit to that, but more importantly hawks had astonishingly good eyesight. Plus, she had never used her abilities on a bird or prey like this before. "Hold that thought." She said to Ann, making her way towards the hawk.

Much to her surprise, the hawk wasn't startled as Lucia slowly walked towards it. It was the same with the spider earlier, and she had noticed it with other animals before coming here. Her Id seemed to have some sort of soothing effect on animals, which was helpful. Seeing as the hawk was high up on the tree, Lucia decided to try and whistle for it, extending her arm out. Much to her surprise, the hawk came down, landing on her arm. Lucia winced as its talons pierced her skin, but they left nothing more than light scars. "Thanks, friend." She said, petting the top of the bird's head as she felt her body start to warm up. The bird let out a small squawk before spreading its wings once more, flying away.

When Lucia returned to the group, they would see her as some sort of bird person; her legs bent the way bird legs did and had talons and, more obviously, she had a pair of wings growing out of her back. She was staggering a bit as she approached the group again, getting used to her eyesight. As she had expected, it was excellent - she could see a lot more than she had ever seen before. She now had her backpack that she brought slung over one of her feather covered shoulders, as the wings didn't allow her to wear it conventionally anymore. "Alright, let's get looking. Starting with..." Her hawk eyes snapped onto the hoof marks on the ground, gesturing the others to follow in her step. "...these."

As she followed the trail, she noticed bits of fur here and there. She would occasionally stop to pick them up, noting that they seemed off, although it was hard to tell if it was actually from the amalgam or just from the local wildlife. Some of the trees were scorched, others were broken. She clearly saw other creatures in the forest, some that the others would definitely miss, but no sight of the amalgam. "I'll let you all know if I see anything." She said, taking another scan of the place.

[Blake 312]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9:10 AM-
-Pine Barrens, New Jersey-

"Apologies, Major Volkov, but it came to my attention that you harbored what seemed to be some sort of disdain for Major Drake when you spoke with him? Is he an entity that we should be more careful around?" Akiko scratched her cheek, "I know it doesn't have that much to do with the mission but I couldn't help but notice the slight tone change you had when you were speaking with him. Kinda like how I think I sound around Pervert."

"He's a lazy fool." Nika responded instantly, not even turning back to address Akiko directly, "He is not harmful, but he is certainly not helpful. I would avoid him so that he doesn't rub off on you." She left Akiko's next comment alone, letting the group discuss as they headed deeper into the area.

' It is easier to hide from a mob than a lone hunter.'

The major took note of Ann's comment, but held her tongue. It was important for them to learn on their own, just as much as her own tutelage. She simply walked along and listened to the group's discussion while Lucia led the way, tracking the creature down, taking her own notes of the area, such as the burned trees... Which were not mentioned in the file.

"I'll let you all know if I see anything."

"Cucuy." Nika turned and faced the shifter, "Have you ever tried copying multiple animals at once?"

"No, not yet."

"Consider it. It might help us with our mystery creature."

After about 20 minutes, the signs of struggle seemed to fade away... But the hoof prints seemed to grow more abundant, with claw marks on certain trees at random. The wildlife seemed to grow scarce, despite the giant deer-like hoofprints, with a strange stillness filling the air alongside an odd scent... Until the group would happen upon a gruesome sight.

Laying before them, in a small clearing, was half the corpse of a large black bear, with a pile of bones from assorted animals not far from it, not a scrap of meat left on them. The stench from the slowly rotting corpse, covered in flies, was overwhelming at this point, so much so that Nika put her hand over her face and grimaced.

"Well, this is not what I was expecting to find out here... But I suppose this graveyard was made by our target." 

As the group began to investigate the area, Nika stared intently at the pile of bones, eyes moving ever so slightly, as if looking at each individual bone.

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-10:20 AM-
-Heraldica, NYC-

 

"Yeah...I got a question of sorts." Austin piped up. "Say you have...something...that can sort of...mimic a certain something of others. Would there be any possible way of assisting that individual?"

"Not at this time, no..." Elsa shook her head, a sad look on her face, "I'm sorry about that, but we don't have the ability to imbue what we make with any abilities, and I don't think we know of anyone who can... I wish I could do more for you in that regard."

"Excuse me, I've got an idea," Sergei said, raising his hand a bit. "Something suitable for rapid regeneration. The first thing I thought of was a metal frame for my arm. I can ignore the human mind's limiters on our strength to perform incredible feats, but while the muscles heal in no time flat, the same can't be said for my bones. Something that allows me to continue using my arm even after doing that so I'm not just good for one big punch might work, right? I don't know the first thing about engineering though, so I can't say how it would work..."

"A suit of armor or braces, eh? I'm sure we could work with that request. We would need you to come by for measurements, but a supportive suit is completely within our capabilities. And I suppose the other young man doesn't need anything?"

"Doesn't seem like it," Maddy chimed in, pursing her lips a bit, "Besides, these guys can't quiiiite afford anything here just yet. This is only their second day, so I'm just giving them the rounds."

"I see..." Elsa muttered, "Well, our establishment will be here for the considerable future. Aside from you guys, we're mostly just seen as a novelty store, so we appreciate the business."

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-12:30 PM-
-Stature of Liberty, NYC-

After leaving Heraldica, the group made a few more stops along the way. Hitting up another food truck, stopping on the beach, and dealing with a seagull attacking Austin randomly, the group arrived at the Statue of Liberty, finding it... oddly quiet, for the time of day.

"Looks like they got my message~"

Maddy walked onto the viewing deck of the massive structure, finding no one else in the area. Walking over to look over the city, Maddy leaned on the railing with her cheek on her hand, humming.

"It's such a nice view, don't you think? An entire city full of people, with an entire world unbeknownst to them... Sure, it's been that way for ages, but Ids only make the gap even wider. And it's our job to hold that peace... After all, this wonderful city would fall into chaos if they knew and people with Id were allowed to run free... Well, what do you guys think?"

[yui 573]

"A suit of armor or braces, eh? I'm sure we could work with that request. We would need you to come by for measurements, but a supportive suit is completely within our capabilities."

"Of course. I'll come by for measuring when I'm able to pay for the suit."

From there, it was another food truck, a trip to the beach, and a seagull attacking Austin. Maybe it sensed his attitude. As they arrived, the first thing Sergei noticed about the Statue of Liberty, aside from the fact that it was something that pictures didn't really do justice for, was the people. Or rather, the distinct lack of people. Sergei had imagined that a world-famous landmark would be packed to the brim with tourists. Apparently someone had gotten Maddy's message. Had she said something to get the grounds cleared? Nothing sinister, he hoped.

"It's such a nice view, don't you think? An entire city full of people, with an entire world unbeknownst to them... Sure, it's been that way for ages, but Ids only make the gap even wider. And it's our job to hold that peace... After all, this wonderful city would fall into chaos if they knew and people with Id were allowed to run free... Well, what do you guys think?"

"The problem is their rarity," Sergei pondered. "The way I was told back in Russia, having an Id is incredibly rare, and only a few thousand people have them. It's hard to hold only a few accountable when they have that kind of power. But if it were say, 80% of the population, it would be a lot easier to let that information go. A criminal with an Id will be deterred if he knows his target probably also has one, will he not?"

[Kazooie 167]

 "Alright, let's get looking. Starting with these."

Cade had to admit, that was pretty interesting. She was given the freedom of flight and enhanced sight, that freedom was only something he could imagine. It was too bad her abilities were limited to touching animals, if she could pull things like that from memory alone... Was it really limited to touch? Would it work with animals that were not longer alive? What about products made from animals? His mind was wandering a bit as the search went on, but... It was boring.

There wasn't really anything dangerous happening yet, and his books were in free orbit around him, which didn't take too much focus to keep up. The trail was growing more interesting as they went deeper, hoof marks and trees clawed made it clear that something was happening here, but what it was... Well, that was still up in the air...

What wasn't up in the air was the stench that was in it. As they moved forward, it was getting worse and worse, the group stumbled up a half-eaten, decaying bear, which promptly caused Cade to wrinkle his nose. He grumbled a tiny bit, the orbit of his books seeming to slow down as he had them turn horizontal, his hand tilting to match, ends touching around him as they started to move up and down instead. He took a small look around the area as he mumbled, "Obviously that one is... Fresh. But the rest of these have been picked clean it looks like..."

He frowned as he glanced towards the others, "Be on guard. Whatever this is, it did take down a bear. We don't want to be caught unprepared."

 

[Chaos Sonic 442]

-April 16th, 2000-
-10:20 AM-
-Heraldica, NYC-

"Not at this time, no...I'm sorry about that, but we don't have the ability to imbue what we make with any abilities, and I don't think we know of anyone who can... I wish I could do more for you in that regard."

Then your absolutely useless to me...tch, figures. Get one of the more interesting Ids out there, but not a damn way to do anything about fixing it. Austin remained silent, at this point not even caring about what anyone else was saying nor what conversations were going on. As far as he was concerned...this meeting was over for him.

---

-April 16th, 2000-
-12:30 PM-
-Statue of Liberty, NYC-

For the Statue of Liberty being so popular and iconic for NYC tourism, it was very...quiet. ...then again, this day was going to shit very quickly for Austin, especially after the seagull attack he had to deal with. Annoying vermin those seagulls...but at the same time, the time of day and the excessive quiet at the statue made no sense. But of course, there was also probably some government dealings here so that's probably why it was so vacant.

"It's such a nice view, don't you think? An entire city full of people, with an entire world unbeknownst to them... Sure, it's been that way for ages, but Ids only make the gap even wider. And it's our job to hold that peace... After all, this wonderful city would fall into chaos if they knew and people with Id were allowed to run free... Well, what do you guys think?"

"Yeah yeah...view's real nice." Austin muttered, rolling his eyes some. So far this trip seemed to be a waste of his time and this just wasn't what he wanted in the slightest. ...if only I hit the right damn mission... he thought, before shrugging some. "Because a good portion of these people are idiots. Plain and simple. They freak out over almost everything. And giving them actually something to freak out about? Yeah, that'd be a great thing to do."

He threw his hands over his head, rolling his eyes slightly. "In any case, don't feel like this ending up becoming some sort of university lecture..."

[JellisOP 20]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9:30 AM-
-Pine Barrens, New Jersey-

As they walked through the forest, Ann began to feel something. It wasn't pain as she knew it. It gave off this feeling of hunger, of savagery, of pure want of carnage. It was bloodlust, and it showed no signs of ending. She didn't understand. This wasn't pain in any form she normally felt, yet she could feel it being stored in the catalog of her mind. Ann began to eat the rest of her sandwich. It didn't help the feeling, and she felt like she could explode at any moment. She also thought her teammates should know so that they are ready for whatever is coming.

"I would recommend that you all be on guard. I can feel it now. It wants blood, and it is ready to devour us at any moment. Also, another warning, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I can apparently feel bloodlust, so, just a suggestion, keep some distance from me. I don't want to hurt you by mistake."

The sight of the bones did not help either. She could see them all, and the raging hunger began to swell inside her. However, she simply began to center herself. Breath in, Breath out. Deep breaths. The last thing she needed was this pain to overtake her. She HAD to remain in control.

Otherwise, who knows how many people could get hurt? The least she could do is be ready to subdue such a creature, to end such feelings in herself and in the creature.

[|0P| 24]

    The statue was a lot nicer than Marcel had expected, instead of some decrepit, over-glorified, reminder of what a hellscape this city most likely was for most people it was well kept and, at least from a distance, sort of picturesque.

    "It's such a nice view, don't you think? An entire city full of people, with an entire world unbeknownst to them... Sure, it's been that way for ages, but Ids only make the gap even wider. And it's our job to hold that peace... After all, this wonderful city would fall into chaos if they knew and people with Id were allowed to run free... Well, what do you guys think?"

    "The problem is their rarity, the way I was told back in Russia, having an Id is incredibly rare, and only a few thousand people have them. It's hard to hold only a few accountable when they have that kind of power. But if it were say, 80% of the population, it would be a lot easier to let that information go. A criminal with an Id will be deterred if he knows his target probably also has one, will he not?"

    "Because a good portion of these people are idiots. Plain and simple. They freak out over almost everything. And giving them actually something to freak out about? Yeah, that'd be a great thing to do."

    Marcel had never taken the time to think about how people with powers like theirs would affect society, he didn't really care, but for the sake of conversation he threw in his opinion as it came to him. "I s'pose ya both kinda right. Right now we're in the minority a people but that ain't gonna last long. People're definitely gonna freak out when this whole thing breaks, and it will, cause that's just what happens. But eventually most of 'em are gonna have an Id and nobody'll care. Once we get ta that point all a society might hafta change to accommodate and it'll be the ones without an abnormality that'll be outcasts." As he finished he realized the whole rant had gotten a little closer to home than he'd expected. He'd almost sounded hopeful for that hypothetical future, one where he was that much closer to being an average person. "No matter how it happens, once everybody knows what's goin' on there's gonna be all sorts trying to figure out how ta regulate Id's in a way that they get the most outta, somebody without one will want using 'em ta be illegal for the sake of 'fairness', somebody that doesn't like theirs'll probably try to fund research ta destroy them all together, it's gonna be chaos at first but the outcome is what'll matter." Marcel looked away from the group, feeling awkward after saying so much.

[PhoenixOfCute 54]

-April 16th, 2000-

-9:10 AM-
-Pine Barrens, New Jersey-

Akiko glanced over to Cade, giving a small nod as he told her to try and keep attacks directed towards him, "Er, understood!" She gives a small, quick nod to confirm what she had heard before moving to the clearing with everyone else.

The stench as they entered was awful, forcing her to gag and have to shoot a hand up to cover her nostrils, "Eugh!" She did her best to keep quiet, trying to breathe through her mouth in order to avoid the stench. Akiko made sure to keep a hand on her weapon as she moved to a tree, running her fingers along the scratch marks. She hummed to herself quietly before moving back to the rest of the group, "Major, I think it's safe to say whatever it is doesn't seem to be a normal animal, right? Is there some truth in those reports you talked about or anything significant about them...?"

[reparoni 161]

The situation in the forest seemed to get worse and worse as the group marched on. Lucia noticed that, as they marched, fewer and fewer animals seemed to approach her, until it got to the point where they were actively avoiding her. Luckily for her, her current transformation didn't enhance her sense of smell, as a putrid aroma filled the air. Ann mentioned about something around them hungering for blood, which wasn't a very pleasant thing to hear, but as far as she could see there was nothing around them just yet.

Of course, what was around them was the carcass of a bear, or what was left of it. Now she was very lucky to not have enhanced scent right now, as the smell of the dead body was already pretty bad as it was. She was used to bad smell, but she couldn't recall anything that was as bad as this. She walked up next to Nika, taking a closer look at the bone pile. It seemed to be a pile of various animal bones, probably left by whatever did this. "Fox. Hawk. Badger. So many different bones..." She said, hand over her nose. "...nothing human, though. Not yet." She took a glance around her, trying to see if she could see the creature around them. "Stay on guard! Whatever did this is obviously some kind of predator. Anything that makes a bear its prey is not a thing you mess with." She said, turning her head in the other direction, wary of any kind of ambush.

[Blake 312]

-April 16th, 2000-
-9:30 AM-
-Pine Barrens, New Jersey-

Nika didn't pay much attention to the words coming out of her subordinate's mouths, instead focusing on the slight inconsistencies in the area. For example... why were there fire marks earlier, yet none further in? No one with an Id related to fire should have come out this way, yet the creature itself didn't appear to have any sort of fire ability...

As the four recruits investigated, a sudden snapping caught Nika's attention. Her Id activated as she pushed Akiko down, taking a direct hit from whatever lunged at the girl, grunting from the impact. As the dust settled, a horrific beast could be seen on top of the major, a high pitched growl escaping it as it tried to sink its claws into her. Its back had giant, leathery wings sprouting from it, while the rest of it looked like an amalgam, as described. Hooves on its hind legs, long, sharp claws that looked closer to knives slapped onto the hands of a monkey. A long, lion-like tail flicked as it lowered its face, shaped much like a deer with antlers and all, to bite at Nika's face, sharp fangs revealing themselves as it opened its mouth. From how it was poised, the creature looked to be nearly double Nika's height, growling and biting at the fallen Major.

"Don't just stand there gawking! Take this thing out while I keep it occupied!"

Suddenly, the beast stopped biting, its eyes rolling nearly backwards in its strange head as it looked to the others, a noise like a hiss escaping it... Before it flapped off of Nika, disappearing into some of the trees around them, rustling able to be heard occasionally, along with its growls.

"I guess our creature is smarter than it looks," The leader spoke as she picked herself up. Some of her clothing was falling off from where the creature's claws tore into her, as well as saliva coating her face. For the first time, the group would see that she was covered in a charcoal-colored substance, but no damage seemed to have been done beyond her clothing being ruined. "If it understood that, well... Cucuy, you're with me. We're going to have to be the ones to subdue this thing when it comes back. Pangurban, you're on protection duty. Rusalka, try and keep us updated on its location, especially Akamanto. As for you," Nika glanced to Akiko, "You're going to be giving the orders from now on. You know what I mean, right?"

Nika stepped forward, giving the group a nod as she cracked her knuckles, sharpened claws having appeared on her fingertips with the coating.

"We're counting on you, Akamanto."

-----

-April 16th, 2000-
-12:35 PM-
-Stature of Liberty, NYC-

"The problem is their rarity. The way I was told back in Russia, having an Id is incredibly rare, and only a few thousand people have them. It's hard to hold only a few accountable when they have that kind of power. But if it were say, 80% of the population, it would be a lot easier to let that information go. A criminal with an Id will be deterred if he knows his target probably also has one, will he not?"

Because a good portion of these people are idiots. Plain and simple. They freak out over almost everything. And giving them actually something to freak out about? Yeah, that'd be a great thing to do. In any case, don't feel like this ending up becoming some sort of university lecture..."

Maddy just listened as the first two boys responded, preparing a response in her mind, before Marcel followed them up.

 "I s'pose ya both kinda right. Right now we're in the minority a people but that ain't gonna last long. People're definitely gonna freak out when this whole thing breaks, and it will, cause that's just what happens. But eventually most of 'em are gonna have an Id and nobody'll care. Once we get ta that point all a society might hafta change to accommodate and it'll be the ones without an abnormality that'll be outcasts. No matter how it happens, once everybody knows what's goin' on there's gonna be all sorts trying to figure out how ta regulate Id's in a way that they get the most outta, somebody without one will want using 'em ta be illegal for the sake of 'fairness', somebody that doesn't like theirs'll probably try to fund research ta destroy them all together, it's gonna be chaos at first but the outcome is what'll matter." 

"You know, I agree with you, Marcel." The captain turned and smiled at him, "It's only a matter of time. Even you guys, half a generation after people like Nika, Alec, or myself have many, many more Id users than we did in ours. And people are already trying to scramble and figure out how we handle this, moving forward. Hell, that politician Nika had to deal with is a great example of such, since he doesn't have one. He wants all the info he can get on it... In the interest of figuring out how best to use it."

Maddy sighed and shook her head, glancing back at NYC across the water, frowning a bit.

"But should we really wait? Sure, it could cause a panic... But doesn't withholding this information just make things worse? Who could trust governments that lied to them about such a drastic shift? Every government is guilty of it, at this point... All trying to figure out where Ids are going, how it came to be, so they can weaponize it... But I'm not so sure the secrecy is really what we need, right now. Ah, look at me, rambling... This is supposed to be a fun day! Where to next?" Maddy looked to the group with a grin, yet with maybe the smallest bit of a tear in the corner of her eye.

[JellisOP 20]

Ann could understand the bloodlust. It was an abomination, an unnatural beast. It was slipping tree to tree with very little noise. Although in it's mind, it was a howling inferno of hunger. Although it was intelligent, it could't possibly be patient. She pulled out the dagger she had brought, always keeping her eyes on it. This pain she felt, for some reason kept her focused, on edge, even. She felt much like this creature did, ready to pounce at the opportune moment. 

Ann immediately went to Akiko to inform her. "I am not sure how to point it out to you, but just keep track of where I am looking and pointing." Ann then pointed it directly at the creature's location, moving it when it maneuvered around. "Also, don't worry if it rushes you. That is the easiest way for it to fall, because I can hopefully neutralize it." The creature then suddenly stopped moving, and from what Ann could tell, it was readying to pounce on Lucia. 

"Warn Cucuy. It is on her left. Alarm her immediately." She warned. "It could pounce at any moment." If it did, at least in her current form, it could pin her easily. Then, Ann shuddered, she would feel her death. 'She must not die. Even for a selfish reason like that, No one can die.'

[Chaos Sonic 442]

Austin listened to the other two's answers (not like he had a choice), and just kept silent the entire time. What else was there to say? People were always scared of what they couldn't explain, this was an established fact since day one. Regardless, the young man just stood there, until finally Maddy spoke up.

"It's only a matter of time. Even you guys, half a generation after people like Nika, Alec, or myself have many, many more Id users than we did in ours. And people are already trying to scramble and figure out how we handle this, moving forward. Hell, that politician Nika had to deal with is a great example of such, since he doesn't have one. He wants all the info he can get on it... In the interest of figuring out how best to use it."

Politicians wanting to know how these powers worked? Yeah...cause that sounds like a simple feat. That can only go soooooooo well... Austin thought sarcastically, as Maddy continued.

"But should we really wait? Sure, it could cause a panic... But doesn't withholding this information just make things worse? Who could trust governments that lied to them about such a drastic shift? Every government is guilty of it, at this point... All trying to figure out where Ids are going, how it came to be, so they can weaponize it... But I'm not so sure the secrecy is really what we need, right now. Ah, look at me, rambling... This is supposed to be a fun day! Where to next?"

"And you honestly think we could trust the government now?" Austin finally piped up, rolling his eyes. "Let's be totally truthful here: politicians lie through their teeth, all in a hope to get what they want when it comes time for voting. You honestly think a bunch of us don't already see that? Yeah, they're looking to weaponize these things, not surprising."

He was being brutally honest right now, only cause he couldn't think of much of anything else to say. But governments and politicians lying about something as this or even trying to find ways to weaponize something? The saying with most things is "learn from history or we'll be doomed to repeat it", and Austin for sure was taking this into consideration when speaking.

"Most of them are all wanting to know what to do with these things...how to harness it...and how to properly use it to win the next war. Ain't that how half America and other countries' histories go?" Austin groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "At this point, them lying about this isn't anything new. If fact, they should keep the act up at least. Like I mentioned before, people are idiots...and they get freaked out and scared about things they can't fully explain. So telling them this now? Yeah, would go over extremely well..."

[PhoenixOfCute 54]

As the four recruits investigated, a sudden snapping caught Nika's attention. Her Id activated as she pushed Akiko down, taking a direct hit from whatever lunged at the girl, grunting from the impact. 

"Don't just stand there gawking! Take this thing out while I keep it occupied!"

 

"I guess our creature is smarter than it looks," The leader spoke as she picked herself up. Some of her clothing was falling off from where the creature's claws tore into her, as well as saliva coating her face. For the first time, the group would see that she was covered in a charcoal-colored substance, but no damage seemed to have been done beyond her clothing being ruined. "If it understood that, well... Cucuy, you're with me. We're going to have to be the ones to subdue this thing when it comes back. Pangurban, you're on protection duty. Rusalka, try and keep us updated on its location, especially Akamanto. As for you," Nika glanced to Akiko, "You're going to be giving the orders from now on. You know what I mean, right?"

Nika stepped forward, giving the group a nod as she cracked her knuckles, sharpened claws having appeared on her fingertips with the coating.

"We're counting on you, Akamanto."

Akiko was definitely a little shocked at being given the command to take over leadership, once they were in a more safe situation it might actually dawn on her just why her quirk could be useful in combat roles to update in battlefield operations!

Ann immediately went to Akiko to inform her. "I am not sure how to point it out to you, but just keep track of where I am looking and pointing." Ann then pointed it directly at the creature's location, moving it when it maneuvered around. "Also, don't worry if it rushes you. That is the easiest way for it to fall, because I can hopefully neutralize it." The creature then suddenly stopped moving, and from what Ann could tell, it was readying to pounce on Lucia. 

"Warn Cucuy. It is on her left. Alarm her immediately." She warned. "It could pounce at any moment." If it did, at least in her current form, it could pin her easily. Then, Ann shuddered, she would feel her death. 'She must not die. Even for a selfish reason like that, No one can die.'

Akiko glanced over to Ann as she came up to inform her, immediately opening her mouth and drawing a pair of shuriken as she readied to throw them to create something like a loud noise against a trunk in order to scare it if it was indeed just an animal. "Cucuy, on your left, it is readying to pounce!/The creature is on your right! It's going to lunge from below!" She did her best to keep her quirk 'targeted' towards the location Ann was pointing out.

Akiko moved to throw a shuriken at the spot she had falsely made the creature hear in order to try and sell the lie that she knew it's location, keeping the other shuriken hidden in a palm ready to be used as a makeshift spike in case it somehow decided to change attacks!

[yui 573]

"But should we really wait?"

"Let's be totally truthful here: politicians lie through their teeth, all in a hope to get what they want when it comes time for voting."

"I can't say he's wrong," Sergei agreed. With a shrug, he added "But that's a bridge people can't cross until they get to it. For now, today is supposed to be a fun day." That just left the question of where to go next. What else was there to do around the town? Sergei had already given the World Trade Center a visit earlier, and now he was here at the Statue of Liberty... Broadway? But, unless he was mistaken, didn't they only do shows there at night? That would not only have to wait until a bit later, but getting tickets on such short notice would probably be a pain.

"You're all the locals here. Er... more than I am anyway. Are there any other must-sees around New York?"

[Kazooie 167]

"Don't just stand there gawking! Take this thing out while I keep it occupied!"

Cade immediately snapped to focus on the Major, his hand rising up into the air, flattening out as he gave it a quick jab forward. One of the thick books rotating around him, suddenly lashed forward to smack against the side of the beast, while the others began to rotate out from around him. With the sudden jump away from the Major, his focus shifted to look over the monster in front of them, a little mumble escaping him, "Horrid creature..."

The fact that it suddenly jumped back and seemed to be done didn't really ease his nerves though. As it rushed off, he drew the book he had lobbed in it's direction towards him once again, having it return to the proper orbit. He was tasked with protection here, and that was going to be rough. Akiko and Ann weren't built for combat in the slightest, he would have to be on top of things at this point. That meant listening to every single word that was said...

His books began to orbit around him a little faster as he planted his feet on the ground firmly, bring his arms together. The books quickly began to group together, leaving no gaps between them as they floated in the air nearby, listening to the directions that Ann was starting to give out. The location of the beast was critical, and the makeshift shield floated towards that side of him, ready for him to launch it outwards. He took a few steps closer to Ann and Akiko, ready to get between them and the creature if necessary. "Akamanto, if the creature charges, let me block it first."

Edited June 23, 2020 by Mothiva