S.Y.S. Inc. (IC/PG-16/Still Accepting)

[Mr. Hyde 204]

S.Y.S. Incorporated

Chapter 1: Assembly

IC

 

The darkness began to vanish from the sky, as the sun's bright shine came barreling through the early morning clouds.  However, there was no sun here on the Other Side.  Instead, the light of Heaven was the only thing keeping the darkness at bay.  The light shone over the clouds, and across the rest of the afterlife, but it took it's time to reach one location.  A tall building, right outside of the Pearly Gates that lead to the stairway of Heaven, with the River Styx located close by.  The insistent ring of landline phone's rang throughout the air of the building, on each and every level.  It was another all-nighter for those who worked for S.Y.S. Inc.  Their 4,907th shift straight!

"I'm pretty sure God sends all of the Union Employees to hell...I've been working here for a millennia and I still don't have more than 40 hours of PTO!" Some murmuring came from a cubical, the phone visibly lifting on and off of the line.  The employee sighed as he reached for the call.  "Yes...this is S.Y.S. Inc...How can I save your soul tonight..."

On the top level of the building, an individual wearing a halo stood staring at the window, and into Heaven's Light.  Next to him, what looked to be like a peculiar assistant of some kind hovered beside him.  She sported a halo as well, and a feathery pair of wings.  The larger man's stature crumbled slowly, and into his chair.  He began to rub his temples profusely, trying to push out all of the noise pollution hanging about the air.  The constant ringing had been going on for at least a year now.

"What the H-E-Double hockey sticks is going on down there these days."  The man somehow sunk deeper into his chair.  "Lost Souls are becoming stronger, we're losing good Soulders, and our biggest competitor is damning the people we are supposed to save, left and right!"  

"Peter..."  The girl at his side's voice rang out like a thousand bells, rattling thy eardrum.  "Don't lose faith..."

Peter nodded.  

"No more mister nice Saint.  This calls for some drastic action."  He spun his chair around to meet a microphone.  He pressed a button on his desk, and began to speak into it. 

"Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher!  Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99.  We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes."

Releasing the button, Saint Peter sighed.  

"We're gonna need a miracle.  You got one on you, Sera?"  St. Peter turned to the winged-girl, who could only muster a giggle in response.  

 

OOC:

Spoiler

Yes, you are a Class 2 Soulder...hell you can be any class you think is necessary if you want!  Just go about your average day here at S.Y.S. HQ, and make your way into the conference room!

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Mr. Hyde

[Comrade Duck 178]

Blood on the Floor

 

Sharp sipped her coffee slowly this morning. She liked it with a bit of cream and sugar, but carefully determined portions. Too much and her coffee became weak. Too little, and it reminded her of swallowing molten metal. When the proportions were just right, it was perfect. After the first long, satisfying sip, she nodded and sat the porcelain mug down gently on the table in front of her. She sighed and quickly slid a coaster underneath the mug; she wasn't a barbarian after all. Headphones blared in her ears, and a simple but funky bass tab made her tap her foot on the floor as she softly sang along to the words of the song.

"... sitting here, knowing this ain't real," she recited. Despite the volume in her headphones, a piercing shriek rang out of the intercoms throughout Soulder HQ and disturbed what little peace she was able to observe. She paused her music right away and disconnected her headphones as a familiar voice came over the speakers.

"Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher!  Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99.  We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes."

Another sigh escaped her. Sharp didn't keep track of her Class ranking, but she remembered being at least a class 2 the last time she checked some four thousand days ago. That was the last time she had been interested in it at least. She made a mental note to inquire about her ranking and how to move up as soon as she had the opportunity. She wondered if there were available perks to climbing the ranks. She shrugged away the irritation as the sounds of ringing phones filled her ears now. "Fuck's sake," she groaned. "What is going on down there?"

She left the break-room as silently as she entered it and shut the door behind her. As she reached the service elevator and pressed the "up" indicator, she wondered if hell was literally breaking loose. A gentle ding was almost unnoticeable next to the buzzing of the phones of HQ. Two metallic doors separated and let Sharp inside, closing behind her. She directed the elevator to floor 99 where the conference room was located. Thankfully, any understanding of the passage of time she had while in HQ was skewed, because she arrived in what seemed like an instant. Sharp stepped out of the elevator and headed directly to the conference room. She took a seat toward the end of the conference table, but not quite at its foot. Leaning against the table and propping her head up with one arm, Sharp waited dutifully for the others.

"What've you got for me today, Saint Peter?" she asked aloud to no-one.

[Chaos Sonic 442]

BGM

Time moves strangely here...it always has for some, though not for others. But one thing remained true: it truly moved differently than it ever did within the mortal coil. And once again, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his room, watching the ceiling fan spin in it's normal hypnotic manner. Had he even slept a wink the night prior? Or perhaps he was left awake due to the nightmares? Honestly, he couldn't tell you...but he knew he was perfectly fine to go about the day...same as it always was, he supposed. Sitting up from his lounged position, he looked out his window to the sun's emergence blessed him with another day here in S.Y.S. Inc. ...oh wait...it wasn't the morning sunrise...but just the general light of Heaven, though either way...it greeted him the same.

Virgil sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck some before getting out of his bed and preparing his wardrobe, tossing his jacket on last. On the nightstand, lay his belt and two holsters with guns in them. His trusty sidearms...the ones with him through thick and thin. Another sigh escaped his lips as the young man grabbed his belt and fastened it around him, his belt and guns now firmly on his person...

...it's too early...but I do need to wake up... he thought, immediately walking out his room.

---

BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!

Virgil's guns fired off as he pointed them at two separate targets in the shooting range. Each one: around the bull's-eye...and then...with one final pull of the trigger from each pistol, immediately straight in the middle...point blank. He spun them around on his fingers a bit before finally holstering them with a satisfied sigh. Taking a deep breath, he could smell the strong scent of gunpowder and hot brass. The smell usually brought him some calmness in the mornings and on this morning, he'd surely need it. The moment he finished, he heard something over the speakers...

"Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher!  Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99.  We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes."

"Emergency meeting? Hmm...somethin's got St. Peter all a bother, I reckon..." Virgil pondered, before sighing. He thought about not doing anything at first, but he felt something inside him: the thirst for a challenge. Might this be something to finally shake things up for him and actually give him a challenge? "...best not get my hopes up...but let's see what he says."

With that, he made his way from the shooting range and towards the elevator. Of course, Virgil pondered the idea of taking the stairs, but he remembered...it was an emergency meeting in thirty minutes, so naturally...he had to get there as quickly as possibly. Pressing the button to be taken to the 99th floor, Virgil walked into the contraption and was whisked away straight to his destination. The gunslinger strolled right out of it, hands in his pocket as he noticed one other being here when he arrived. "Mornin' Sharp. Reckon you heard the ol' saint's message too?" he flashed a smirk, taking his seat at the end of the table...naturally propping his feet on said table. Some habits were harder to break than others, apparently.

[yui 573]

"Anna my beloved, what are you up to today?"

The amount of favors Letty had to do just for this one decoration. A painting, hung on the wall of her room, in the likeness of her living lover Anna. Letty had been frustratingly particular with the details, ensuring everything captured her image perfectly. The length of her hair, the angle of her nose, that one peculiar eyelash that was just a little bit shorter than the others, and the clothes she most loved to wear of course. All the back-breaking tedium Letty had to go through just to get this thing was without a doubt worth it. A better portrait one could not ask for, short of taking a photograph, and that meant it was the perfect conduit through which Letty could activate her Soulverdrive. Letty stared into the painting's eyes, feeling a part of herself being thrown into it almost, for lack of a better term. Her vision drifted away from headquarters, down from the heavens, to the mortal realm. To a cozy little suburb, far away from where the two met. Into Anna's house, to find...

A letter? A handwritten letter, in this day and age? To another woman, no less!? Was Letty not good enough!? After everything she had done, all the compromises she had made, doing everything in her power to make sure she and Anna would be together forever and that both of them would want nothing more in the world. The nerve! The audacity! There was the small matter of one of them being dead of course, but it wasn't unheard of for people to refuse to enter another relationship after their beloved passed away. Was Letty really that inadequate?

Who's the other woman? This... Edna, you're writing to? What's so special about her?

...

"Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher!  Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99.  We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes."

Letty's field of vision was jarringly pulled back to her own locale when the announcement sounded out. This Edna mystery wouldn't leave her alone, she just knew it. She'd be thinking about it all day. What a sour note to have to start work on.

"Well, another day, another step closer to meeting again. Have a lovely day, Anna."

Giving the portrait a kiss goodbye as a substitute for the genuine article, Letty made sure to stop and ensure she was presentable before heading out. Clothes neatly ironed, almost as if she'd bought them that very morning. Hair thoroughly brushed, not a single lock out of place. Horns properly washed, waxed, and just a little bit of red polish at the tips, which all was a part of the routine she still had to get used to, despite it being a few months since they showed up alongside her Soulverdrive. And of course, the conspicuous scar across her neck from when she was killed. Had to take care to cover that up.

In total, the process took twenty-five of the thirty minutes given to her before the meeting. That meant she'd make it just in time if she didn't stop along the way. For that reason, Letty's only detour along the way was a super-fast stop at the cafeteria, to get a bagel and a bottle of orange juice. She would have to eat on the way there. So she did.

By the time Letty made it to the meeting room, with but a few seconds to spare, exactly as she expected, she'd eaten the bagel almost entirely, and was just now opening the juice.

"Good morning, my fellow Soulders," Letty smiled. "It's not every day we have an emergency meeting. What could Saint Peter be so worked up about, I wonder?"

[Comrade Duck 178]

As Sharp as Ever

Olivia's head propped up right as footsteps approached the conference room. She lazily put her head back against her hand when she realized it was Virgil. With a smile on his face, he greeted Olivia.

"Mornin' Sharp. Reckon you heard the ol' saint's message too?"

She smiled back at him. "Morning to you too, gunslinger. Couldn't help but hear the old man ringin' away for us. I'm starting to think he likes us a little too much, y'know," she joked. Her eyes always rested upon Virgil's iron. She admired his weapons. Having been a former sharpshooter and hired gun, she knew good weapons when she saw them. "So, when are you gonna let me take those beautiful weapons of yours to the range for myself? It's been, what, ten or so odd years and I can't imagine you've gone through any more than ten thousand rounds. I'd like to show those ladies a good time," she said with an eager grin.

Moments later, another Soulder entered the room, only seconds left to spare before St. Peter would grace them with his presence. This particular Soulder was Letty. No one had better eyes than she did, even if their vision was perfect.

"Good morning, my fellow Soulders," she greeted them. "It's not every day we have an emergency meeting. What could Saint Peter be so worked up about, I wonder?"

Olivia perked up at Letty's entrance. "Good morning, my dear Letty," she said with a bit of gusto. "You're as adorable as ever. I'm willing to bet that's what St. Peter is all huffy about. He knows you get cuter every day," Olivia said with a chuckle. As Olivia scanned the room now, she couldn't help but notice that some of the staff was still missing. "Hmm. Where's what's-her-face? Petey's gonna be pissed if she's late. And I'm not fishin' her out of hell."

 

 

[FourEyesIsAFish 9]

Madison Yamane

In the depths, an ancient beast began to stir. As it awakened from its slumber, the beast opened its maw, letting out a silent roar. It rose to the surface of the water, getting closer and closer until-

BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!

Madison slapped her alarm clock with her dripping wet arm before dragging her body out of the water. Madison stretched and yawned as her tail retreaded back to its normal stubby state and her head retreated down to its normal height five feet from the ground. Moving over to her bathroom, Madison lazily grabbed her toothbrush and began to brush her sharpened teeth.

Madison got somewhat dressed, putting on a pair of board shorts, a t-shirt, and a jacket. She sat down at her desk, not really sure what to do at the moment. She picked up one of the assorted pieces of paper scattered on there, a note from the Celestial Bureaucracy thanking her for her services. Services? she thought to herself. I would have paid to watch over Aômikô! Love that dragon kid so much...

"Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher!  Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99.  We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes."

Madison snapped out of her thoughts, exclaiming Crap, I'm gonna be late! She grabbed her stuff and bolted down the hall, her legs extending and growing black scales as the deadline became more important in her mind than keeping her Soulverdrive completely in check.

Ever so slightly late, Madison leaped into the conference room and into a chair, accidentally knocking over a drink. Sorry I'm la-Oh gods! I'm so sorry about the drink. As she slipped back to normal, Madison grabbed a paper towel from her bag and started to desperately clean up the drink. I'm so sorry about that!

[Mr. Hyde 204]

The announcement was so loud, it had just barely managed to wake Tatsuo up.  In his past life, he had done his utmost to avoid all labor possible, and had resorted to organized crime to line his pockets.  Now he was forced to push paper and go on little missions day to day to save the one he loved.  If he missed this meeting, it would probably push him one step back towards his ultimate goal of reincarnating.  He sat straight up, and wiped away the crust from his eyes.  He managed to get out of bed, yawning the whole way, and dressing up in a suit and tie. 

He walked out of his room, not before briefly touching a picture of her on his night stand, and headed towards the 99th floor.  All types of Soulders were now crowding the elevators, so he opted to take the stairs.  

"Don't worry Petey, I'll get there on time!"  He said to no one in particular, as he lit a cigarette and continued his ascent.  

---

"Good morning, my dear Letty," Sharp chimed. "You're as adorable as ever. I'm willing to bet that's what St. Peter is all huffy about. He knows you get cuter every day,"

St. Peter's eyebrow twitched in response.

"That's not possible...she looks the same everyday."  He crossed his arms, and huffed.  "I quite happen to like the aged look, myself."  Sera, beside him, began to sympathetically pat him on his shoulder.  The two of them watched as Soulders began to fill out the room, making it seem quite packed.  Although, there weren't as many Soulders here as the last time they'd held an emergency meeting.  Class 2's were very hard to come by these days.  They were Soulders strong enough to go toe to toe with agents of hell.  St. Peter clasped his hands, and brought them to his face, as he began to clear his throat.  Just as he opened his mouth, the doors to the conference room flew open once more.

"HEY HEY!  What's happenin' party people!  You're all way too early to this meeting!"  Tatsuo paraded, as he touted finger guns at all of his fellow Soulders.  He looked to the Scarred Saint, and gave a playful wink.  In response, the Saint nudged Sera.  She looked to him, almost concerned.  Peter only responded with a nod.  Reluctantly, Sera turned her head towards Tatsuo, and opened her mouth.  She took in a deep breath, before whispering as softly as one could.  However, the chastising energy could be felt from the singular word she uttered. 

"Late!"  A boom filled the room almost blowing away every agent at the table.  However, the brunt of the soundwave had travelled towards the tardy Soulder, crushing his chest and sending him flying out of the room.

"That's one more year on your contract, Mr. Nagamine.  Please join us if you can pick yourself off the floor."  Tatsuo could be seen writhing on the floor as the doors to the conference room closed once more.  St. Peter cleared his throat yet again, patting Sera on the head who had began to tear up.  St. Peter scanned through the rest of them with his sharp eyes.  "As I'm sure you're all aware, S.Y.S. has been losing countless amounts of Lost Souls to Hell these days, and our number of Class 2 Soulders hasn't been this low since the foundation."  Sera moved to the side to reveal a chart that most Soulders were familiar with by now, showing the Classes of Soulders.  "Class 1 Soulders.  They're mainly pencil pushers, but they can handle Lost Souls well enough to escort them to the afterlife.  Class 2 Soulders are the ones capable of recruiting stronger lost souls to S.Y.S..  This has been your main goal since you were contracted.  Class 3 Soulders are used to fight off Hell itself."  

St. Peter abruptly slammed his fist on the desk.

"You Class 2's haven't been pulling your weight, and I'm getting pressure from the higher ups to run you ragged."  He took his fist away from the desk, and slowly sat back in his chair.  "But I don't want to do that.  I know you all work hard in your own ways, but S.Y.S. needs to step it up.  From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week."  He looked about the room once again.  "Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself.  After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day.  DISMISSED!"  

Tatsuo had sneaked in halfway, Soul fluid leaking from his mouth, as he hunched over the table.  

"Oh boy...this oughta shake things up..."

[Comrade Duck 178]

Shake-Up

"That's not possible...she looks the same everyday," St. Peter replied. "I quite happen to like the aged look, myself." 

Olivia could only chuckle softly to herself. Before St. Peter could get the meeting underway, a late Tatsuo burst through the doors and made himself the center of attention. "Uh-oh," Sharp said softly. "Sera's gonna yell again." Sharp prepared herself for the ensuing eruption from Sera as she sat back in her seat.

"HEY HEY!  What's happenin' party people!  You're all way too early to this meeting!" 

Sharp desperately tried to hold in her laugh as she waved to Tatsuo, who was shooting them all with finger guns. She did like his flair.

And then, as quickly as Sharp regained her composure, Sera blew Tatsuo away. "Late!" she boomed. Despite having been ready for Sera, Sharp was still pushed back into her seat, her heart racing.

"Gets me every time," she said as massaged her ears. Finally, St. Peter was able to begin.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, S.Y.S. has been losing countless amounts of Lost Souls to Hell these days, and our number of Class 2 Soulders hasn't been this low since the foundation. Class 1 Soulders.  They're mainly pencil pushers, but they can handle Lost Souls well enough to escort them to the afterlife.  Class 2 Soulders are the ones capable of recruiting stronger lost souls to S.Y.S..  This has been your main goal since you were contracted.  Class 3 Soulders are used to fight off Hell itself."

Right. She still needed to figure out what class she was in. Definitely at least two but had she ever graduated? Sharp silently shrugged and continued to listen in.

"You Class 2's haven't been pulling your weight, and I'm getting pressure from the higher ups to run you ragged. But I don't want to do that.  I know you all work hard in your own ways, but S.Y.S. needs to step it up.  From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week."

That sounded plenty doable in Sharp's head. But, a team? She hadn't really been apart of a team bigger than herself in... forever. It would push her abilities to the limit.

"Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself.  After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day.  DISMISSED!"

Sharp sighed as she remained seated in her chair. There were plenty of Soulders she liked, but she wasn't about to whore herself out and beg to be a part of a team. If anyone was interested in having her, she would rather be approached. Other avenues weren't her forte. The thought of trying to form a team on her own gave her shivers. She groaned softly to herself as she sank in her chair. She folded her arms as she lowered her head. "Well, shit."

Edited February 28, 2022 by Comrade Duck

[Chaos Sonic 442]

"So, when are you gonna let me take those beautiful weapons of yours to the range for myself? It's been, what, ten or so odd years and I can't imagine you've gone through any more than ten thousand rounds. I'd like to show those ladies a good time,"

Sharp had always been eyeing his weaponry for a while now, Virgil knew this well. She'd ask about five times a day about em sometimes, but the answer was always the same, a big old no. However, this time the young man decided to humor the young lady. "Sorry ma'am...but I reckon that won't be happening..." Virgil gave a bit of a smirk, wagging his finger slightly. He the proceeded to pat one of the two pistols he carried on his hip. "These lovely ladies are a one man kind of gun...but, I reckon, if the situation absolutely called fer it...then maybe I'd consider."

He had to play ball a little bit...besides, that would probably shake things up a bit...maybe.

---

"As I'm sure you're all aware, S.Y.S. has been losing countless amounts of Lost Souls to Hell these days, and our number of Class 2 Soulders hasn't been this low since the foundation. Class 1 Soulders. They're mainly pencil pushers, but they can handle Lost Souls well enough to escort them to the afterlife. Class 2 Soulders are the ones capable of recruiting stronger lost souls to S.Y.S.. This has been your main goal since you were contracted. Class 3 Soulders are used to fight off Hell itself."

This type of speech was something Virgil knew about all too well. It was something that St. Peter told him in these meetings quite a few times, well...the parts regarding what Class of Soulders did what. The low amount of Class 2s was something completely new to him.

"You Class 2's haven't been pulling your weight, and I'm getting pressure from the higher ups to run you ragged. But I don't want to do that.  I know you all work hard in your own ways, but S.Y.S. needs to step it up. From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week. Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself. After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day. DISMISSED!"

"Thankin' ya kindly on not runnin' us ragged there. Truly are a saint." Virgil nodded, before sighing heavily. "Still, if this was somethin' ya were wanting to bring to us at a bit of a faster time frame, I reckon ya should've brought this up to us earlier. But I s'pose ya had yer reasons for that. But then again...at the same time, iffin' ya were wanting a team fer this..." The gunslinger paused before counting the heads of each person here...and lo and behold that total brought up to... "We got five here...instead of lollygaggin' around with us tryin' to find a team of five, just have us here be the team of five and cut yer losses."

He leaned back in his chair and shrugged slightly. "Just thinkin' it could be a lot easier that way. But I'm just speakin' out loud and most likely out of turn and order, but I'm just bein' honest."

[Comrade Duck 178]

Empty Handed

While Olivia held her head low, she tried to distract herself by thinking about Virgil's guns. They were extremely appealing to the eye. They looked hefty, but looks could often be deceiving. While she wasn't sure what caliber of gun he carried, she knew they had to have some buck to them. In fact, Sharp was often impressed that Virgil managed to fire one with a single hand, considering it should've broken his wrist. But then, she too could manage up to a .50 desert eagle with one hand. That only meant that Virgil was likely a marksman for as long as she was, and had undergone a lot of practice with those two guns. She sighed hopefully as she thought about his playful, teasing words.

"These lovely ladies are a one man kind of gun...but, I reckon, if the situation absolutely called fer it...then maybe I'd consider."

A smirk crossed her face as she remained hopeful that she would get to fire them for herself one day. "I hate when men flirt with me like that," she joked to herself. But while she was distracted with the idea of hand-cannons, the topic of teamwork came up again and made her cringe.

"We got five here...instead of lollygaggin' around with us tryin' to find a team of five, just have us here be the team of five and cut yer losses."

It's not that she wasn't willing to work with a team. Rather, Sharp had a hard time not turning into a lone wolf and causing things to break apart. She had to learn how to work with a unit all over again and she was afraid of it. She was terrified of the thought that she would screw this up and cost heaven another heavy sum of losses. She gritted her teeth in anxiety, but stopped herself forcefully when she heard her teeth grinding.

"Fuck!" she belted out. She slapped her hands to her face and groaned. Instead of bitching, she needed to just get her ass in gear and put in the work. "Alright. Alright, no pussyfooting around. Virgil said we have five, so there's no reason to keep looking. Why don't we just get this shit-show over with?" she faked a smile beneath her mask, hoping it didn't give away her concerns in her own capabilities.

 

 

[yui 573]

As the rest of the circus that was her fellow Class 2s began filing into the room, Letty paid them little mind. She wasn't too keen on small talk right now; she'd been called away from her own busywork just to attend some sort of emergency meeting, and she wanted to give Saint Peter nothing but her undivided attention over what could have been so urgent that this meeting couldn't have been an e-mail or something. Even receiving and accepting her orders via carrier pigeon would have been better than this. Luckily, the good Saint wasn't one to dilly-dally, and got right down to business.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, S.Y.S. has been losing countless amounts of Lost Souls to Hell these days, and our number of Class 2 Soulders hasn't been this low since the foundation. Class 1 Soulders. They're mainly pencil pushers, but they can handle Lost Souls well enough to escort them to the afterlife. Class 2 Soulders are the ones capable of recruiting stronger lost souls to S.Y.S.. This has been your main goal since you were contracted. Class 3 Soulders are used to fight off Hell itself."

Maybe not right down to business. Rattling off some details everyone already knew seemed tedious and redundant, but it was probably for the sake of pacing or something. Still. A refresher never hurt though; some people in the room had probably forgotten what their job was with how little some Class 2s actually worked.

"You Class 2's haven't been pulling your weight, and I'm getting pressure from the higher ups to run you ragged. But I don't want to do that. I know you all work hard in your own ways, but S.Y.S. needs to step it up. From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week. Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself. After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day. DISMISSED!"

Oh. Only one per week? Well, this was awkward. Letty had already been doing a few more than that per week to try and shorten her contract. Ironically, the pressure to run Class 2s ragged was now telling Letty on an official level that she could get away with less work, and in a bigger team to boot! Then it was just a matter of assembling a team...

"We got five here...instead of lollygaggin' around with us tryin' to find a team of five, just have us here be the team of five and cut yer losses. Just thinkin' it could be a lot easier that way. But I'm just speakin' out loud and most likely out of turn and order, but I'm just bein' honest."

And the cowboy had a brilliant idea! Just grab whoever was nearby and hope for the best!

"Alright. Alright, no pussyfooting around. Virgil said we have five, so there's no reason to keep looking. Why don't we just get this shit-show over with?"

"A wonderful idea. I look forward to working with you all."

It's the easy afterlife from now on! More team, less work! And if I can work these suckers until they're blue in the face and rake in a ton of souls, surely I'll get a few years shaved off my contract!

With the team assembled, there was only the matter of actually doing the work. Though, getting to know the team was probably a good idea too.

"So, to our lovely teammates who I haven't met yet, I'm Letty. My Soulverdrive lets me track any target I make eye contact with, no matter how far they run or where they choose to hide. It also lets me destroy anything between me and them. If we're going to be a team, we should at least know that much about each other, don't you think?"

[FourEyesIsAFish 9]

Madison Yamane

Madison sat as St. Peter dug into all of them. Sure, it was likely a larger scale problem... but it still felt very, very personal to the girl. 

Then he dropped the bombshell.

"From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week. Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself. After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day. DISMISSED!"

Madison's face went blank as she processed the announcement and her feelings about it. On one hand, working on teams was a nice change of pace from normal operations, and having a support network on the job would help with any unwanted... outbursts. On the other hand, as much as it pained her heart to admit it... she didn't trust herself around anyone else. Sh-her soulverdrive, she corrected herself, was a primal power that no one, not even herself, could fully control. She felt like she'd just be a danger to those around her, a bomb with a short fuse destined to blow up everyone she held dear.

"We got five here...instead of lollygaggin' around with us tryin' to find a team of five, just have us here be the team of five and cut yer losses. Just thinkin' it could be a lot easier that way. But I'm just speakin' out loud and most likely out of turn and order, but I'm just bein' honest."

Virgil's voice drew Madison out of her thoughts like a riptide. While she knew some of the other soulders here, most of them were relatively new to her. While normally that would be a bad thing for a team... it would likely mean that they would be quicker to put her down if anything went wrong.  So of course...

"Sounds like a plan..." 

---

After Letty introduced herself to the group, Madison swallowed her courage and took the floor. 

"H-hi. I'm Madison, though some of you already know that. Uh... my soulverdrive..." She struggled on how to explain her nature to the group, but after a few seconds blurted out "My soulverdrive turns me into Godzilla and I... well to be honest I can barely control it." She let out a massive sigh as sweat rolled down her forehead. She felt her nails start to dig into her hands. "So if you see me start growing scales randomly for no reason uh.... I might need a hug?", her cheeks turning red from the embarrassing finish as a tiny bit of stage fright caused herself to shift ever so slightly, some one-off scales darkening.