Bound to Earth: A CK2 Earthbound Quest in an 8-bit Dystopia

Picky Picks a Fight. (Omake)

---

"I'm bored…" Picky mumbled to himself, lying spread eagle in the grass outside his house. Normally he would find some way to occupy himself in town but…

The library was boring, city hall was boring, he didn't have any money to shop at any of the stores, the Sharks had claimed the arcade as their home turf, and Onett was currently on lockdown or whatever thanks to the police.

He tried to get into the arcade a few times after the Sharks took it over, but they always either told him to get lost or to pay the toll. Once he tried offering to join them if they let him play but they brushed him off because he was so young. One of them told him to "come back once he's finished Earthbound"

So that wasn't going to happen.

"That settles it." Picky got up, scooped up the nearest stick, and pointed it at the sky. "It's time for an adventure!"

Well, he can't go anywhere he hasn't been before considering Onett is on lockdown and he needs to be home in time for dinner, but he could still poke around somewhere. The Hill, The Woods, Beak Point?

After a little consideration, Picky shrugged and headed towards the hill, stick in hand. The view of the rest of town is awesome, and most people don't like the hike so he'll have the whole place to himself.

Probably.

Picky walked up the hill from his house with a childish spring in his step and a long wooden stick in his hand. It wasn't much of a tool or a weapon, but Picky liked to pretend that it was one. It made him feel cool to imagine he was carrying a sword or a magic wand or something.

The walk up the hill wasn't a particularly long or arduous one, even for a kid as young as Picky. But Picky wasn't beelining straight for the top of the hill, instead, he would walk off the beaten path and poke through the bushes or see if he could climb a tree.

What was an adventure without a little exploring?

Halfway up the trail he pushed aside some bushes and came face to face with a snake, which immediately coiled up like a spring and hissed at him.

"Woah!" Picky lept back and brandished the stick. "I could just leave Mr. Snake alone but…"

Adventures fought monsters, that's what his books and games always said. The snake was just an animal but, this was about as close to a random encounter as you could get.

Now humming a battle theme and circling the snake, Picky thought about his options, or at least the options his favorite game presented him. Attack, Defend, cast a Spell, use a Skill, or Run Away. Whacking it with the stick was always a good idea, not getting hurt was also good. He's never cast a spell before but he remembered the chant from one of his comics. Running away was for cowards, and he wasn't 100% sure what would he could do that could be called a "skill." So for now...

"Defend!" Picky called out before crossing his arms in front of his chest and ducking his head behind them.

After a few seconds, he poked his head out to see the Coil Snake staring at him.

"You're supposed to attack, it's your turn," Picky explained.

The Snake said nothing, just flicking its tongue at him

Picky's turn again. Defending wasn't going to get him anywhere so he should probably try actually attacking it. But just hitting it was boring. Why not cast a spell?

"Fire burning in my belly," Picky waved the stick around, trying to draw the shape of a flame in the air. It looked more like he was conducting an invisible band.

"Fire burning in the stars… uh, how did the rest of it go?" Picky froze for a moment before shaking his head and thrusting the stick forward. "Fire!" The stick hit the snake directly in the head.

The snake shot forward like a spring, using its tail to propel itself directly into Picky's face

"AHHHHHH!" Picky screamed and fell onto his back, flailing wildly as the snake whipped around his body like a long green noodle. After several drawn-out moments of panic, Picky managed to hit the snake with a lucky swish of his stick and send the green menace spiraling through the air before it crashed in a heap.

Picky sat up, breathing heavily and wiping sweat off his face as the dazed reptile lay still in a heap. The snake was on it's back, mouth open and tongue lolling out as if it were dead. After a moment of hesitation, Picky raised his stick to the sky and called out "Victory!" After holding the pose for a minute his arms got tired and he drooped back down to his normal stance. He wasn't really hurt or anything, but he felt a little scratched up, dirty, and most importantly...

"Man... adventuring is thirsty work. I hope mom has some lemonade at the house" Leaving his vanquished opponent on the floor, Picky headed back to his house. After making it about a 1/3rd of the way to the Hill

After Picky left the Snake remained flat on its back for another minute or so. After it felt sure he wouldn't return, the snake rolled back onto its stomach and quickly fled into the nearest patch of bushes.

Picky, unaware of his great enemy's revival, walked back home with a spring in his step, and an unquenchable thirst for lemonade. Although maybe some bandaids and a bath wouldn't be too bad either.

---

My autocorrect kept trying to turn Picky into Pocky and otherwise screwing with my writing. Having Picky go on his own misadventures on his own makes excellent fodder for Omakes, but if he joins our crew or gets busy being important I may back off.

Also, if anyone wants to take a crack at guessing where Picky got the incantation from I'd be very impressed. It's from a game "series" (there are only two of them) that got its start on the GBA so I don't know if that's good for this setting or not. It's just a tiny reference so I assume it's fine.

The answer is

Visit the Hill (Martial)

DC 30
1d100 = 3 +15 = 18
[FAILURE]

---

"I didn't know there we this many birds on this planet, never mind this fucking hill!"

The sun beats mercilessly down on you as you struggle to drag your feet forward.

It was supposed to be a simple jaunt up the hill.

Even if the path was winding and the hill itself loomed well over your own house, it wasn't really a place you were unfamiliar with.

You'd made the trek up there before in the past with ease.

Yet you had never walked up the hill while being continuously assaulted by birds.

Crows especially.

Hordes upon hordes of crows.

The first couple were easy to chase off. You actually felt bad as you sent several flying with a hard swat of your bat.

If that had been the end of them, it likely wouldn't have been a problem.

But some random coil snake had rushed up the hill like someone had scared it a good twenty minutes prior, scaring more and more crows into the air.

All of whom quickly become fixated on you.

So they kept coming. And what you heard about crows being smart seemed correct as they didn't come at you the way they did before.

They flew in and pecked at your eyes before flying off. Hitting you and flying out of reach before you could swing.

This repeated until you eventually managed to hit them.

And this also repeated until your face was a mess of peck marks, and your eyes stung to the verge of feeling like they were swelling shut.

Using your bat to support yourself, you reach the top of one of the inclines and turn to look up the next height.

And see a line of black birds waiting atop the next ride. Like a fencepost of doom looking down on you.

"No, fuck that."

You exhale in irritation, rubbing your face. "If I walk any further today, I'm going to end up with an eyepatch. And I don't need that addition to my appearance right now."

Frustration building in your chest, you shake your head with gritted teeth.

The hill, and whatever's on top of it, isn't going anywhere. And neither are the goddamn crows. You can always come back later and-

"Hey there stranger, want to come into my dark basement?"

You abruptly stop as you hear a voice behind you.

Slowly turning around to face the voice, you notice a shack that you had completely failed to see in your exhaustive.

Sitting off to the side of the path leading higher up the hill is a small, yellow shack with peeling paint, a bent weather vane, and a large sign sitting right beside the door.

Standing out front of the shack was a man. Oily black hair, five o-clock shadow, and circular black shades matching the darkness of his hair adorned the stranger.

He stood, leaned over on a pickax. His filthy clothes drenched clean through with sweat.

"What the hell did you just say?" You ask aloud, whatever patience you might have had for the situation rapidly disappearing with your growing fatigue.

"I said, want to come into my dark basement?"

Your eyes narrow at the man as you tap the head of your bat into the palm of your hand.

Within seconds the man seems to catch himself.

"Oh, uh...I could have probably phrased that better uh-"

The man looked around, not seeming completely lucid as he looked back to you.

"Look, I haven't spoken to anyone in a month and I just made the biggest breakthrough of my career. I kind of want to share this with SOMEONE. So will you please humor me?"

You resist the overwhelming urge to flip the man the bird and simply walk back to your house to shower, but your curosity manages to scratch through your irritation.

"What did you do exactly?" You sigh, approaching the man and making a point of keeping your bat tight in you grip as you do so.

"Well, I'm a treasure hunter by trade. So naturally I found some TREASURE!" The man beams with excitement. "But my day job is making signs. Corporations love sign advertisements! Here, take a look!"

Glancing to the side, you spy a large, garish sign:

"Lier X. Agerate"​

"Professional Treasure Hunter"​

"I can see why you want to quit your day job." You mutter, glancing back to Lier as he opens the door and invites you inside.

You stand there, eyeing him for several moments before he gets the hint to go first.

"You don't want to hang out? I understand that. We're not even related!" The man laughs to himself as you shut the door behind you, glancing around to see a single room shack...with most of the floorboards ripped up.

"Thank fuck for that..." You think to yourself as Lier steps onto an aluminum ladder and begins to climb down into the dark.

You have half the temptation just to grab the ladder and pull it up when you think he's no longer on it, but you swallow the urge.

Climbing down into the dark, you keep your wits about you as you reach the bottom. Gripping your bat tightly, you see Lier all but jumping up and down in place in the middle of a rather spacious tunnel.

"Did...did you do all this yourself?" You gruffly ask, glancing around.

"Of course I did! I wasn't going to waste a fortune on equipment, or importing nasty robots! Instead I've strengthened my body by eating garlic and working out on the cold hard ground!"

Lier doesn't wait a second longer as he pulls a torch off the wall and begins to walk into the darkness ahead of you.

"I heard another treasure hunter does the same thing and decided to follow his example!"

Following behind, you can't help but be simultaneously impressed and unsettled by the tunnel.

Makeshift torches instead of electric lights. Clean cut tunnels, going through dirt and solid rock. Its difficult to tell if the man simply got lucky and cut into some natural caves or if you're walking through feet up feet of hand dug tunnels.

Your wondering is brought to an abrupt stop as Lier steps into a small hole in a wall. Entering into a small, pitch black chamber.

Standing outside you see Lier gesture with his torch, attempting to illuminate something in front of him.

"Isn't it amazing! I've FINALLY kicked off my treasure hunting career! This is the BIG ONE! THE BIG ONE!"

As you look into the chamber, you see something half-excavated from the dirt and stone. You see a:
[] A strange golden statue
[] A small, but malefic looking idol
[] A stone tablet depicting a snake-haired figure
[] The remains of some dark place of worship

---

Talk to Buzz-Buzz More (Diplomacy)

[AUTOPASS]
The long dirt road leading away from town and winding back to your home on the outskirts is a path you're quite accustomed to.

You are used to walking it alone.

However the long dirt road is typically accompanied by an equally long stretch of silence.

Having someone, anyone, with you to talk to felt unnatural.

Felt alien.

"So how are you able to do all of this?" You ask Buzz Buzz, resting your bat on your shoulder after an otherwise uneventful day around town.

"Haven't I told you before? I didn't want to see innocent people die." Buzz Buzz spoke clearly, having made a habit of perching themselves atop your shoulder.

"That's not what I asked."

You keep your eyes on the road ahead of you.

"I asked how you're able to do all this. I mean, you fall out of the sky, you fly in through my bedroom window, I almost got strangled to death by a lamp, and now we're talking about stopping some genocidal space lunatic."

Though you try to speak as placidly as you can, you can't stop your eyes from reflexively narrowing.

"And I can't help but feel you're speaking from a place of experience on a lot of this stuff."

Silence came after the words left your mouth.

Buzz Buzz said nothing. It went on for so long that you actually stopped and looked to your shoulder, having to check to make sure he hadn't fallen or flown away.


As you turn your head, you look to the alien as the admission is voice.

"I was intended to be one of his lieutenants, you know? Albeit a 'minor' one."

Though his 'face' is far different from a humans, you can tell he's not looking at you.

"I wish I could say I was conscripted or forced. But the reality is I wanted to join."

You can tell he's staring off into the middle distance.

"I might be an 'alien' to you, but in the grand scheme of things I'm not that worldly. Giygas was just as much an alien to me as I was to you."

"The place where I came from doesn't even have a name. Giygas stopped by my world looking for recruits to invade some 'savage planet' whose inhabitants stole from his people. I wanted to go on an adventure, fight villains…"

The alien beetle's gaze flicks up to the sky above your heads.

"Feel important."

"So you signed up to invade this place?" You eventually find the words to speak and seem to startle Buzz-Buzz.

They turn in place on your shoulder and finally meet your gaze.

"Hmm? Oh, no. Not here. Your other world."

You stare at Buzz-Buzz, shaking your head in confusion.

"What other-"

You stop.

The memory of what Buzz Buzz had said in your bedroom offhandedly comes back clear as day.

"You're talking about Earth, aren't you? This isn't the first time Giygas has tried this, is it?"

Buzz-Buzz fluttered his wings.

"Nope. Second time, really. I was a part of the rank and file of the first invasion. Or well, the first 'war' as we called it. I was the operator of a small craft. In terms of size…I think you call them 'dinner plates'?"

You start walking again, no longer feeling comfortable standing in place.

Moving your legs helps you process things, or at the very least avoid feeling things you don't want to…

"They're costly to automate, even for Giygas's race, so they had me and beings my size operate them as pilots. Beings like me aren't really built for 'durability' apparently."

"Did you kill anyone?"

The question that burned in your mind fell from your mouth less than gracefully.

"I was prepared to, or I thought I was. I went in expecting some exciting, hectic battle but in reality most of my time during the 'war' was spent waiting around. Floating through forests, swamps, by a graveyard once. Waiting for orders and looking for 'enemies'."

Buzz Buzz flicked open the top layer of his shell that normally shielded his wings, in the equivalent of a shrug.

"I didn't end up seeing much action. But it's the reason why I know at least the basics of how your society works. Or is supposed to work anyway. There wasn't much to do besides wait, read road signs, root through garbage, and investigate what was around me."

Your eyes narrow again, this time in thought.

"How exactly did the 'war' end?"

"Suddenly." Buzz Buzz exhaled. "One minute I was told we'd be destroying some dangerous, savage aliens and the next I was ordered to make an immediate retreat as the mothership left the planet entirely. It wasn't long before I was back with the fleet."

"I didn't see combat. But…a lot of the people I trained with did. And a lot of them didn't make it. Since I survived, I got promoted. Though not because I was skilled, or proved myself."

"Giygas sensed I had an innate potential for PSI. So they allowed me to learn some techniques. At the time I saw my size as a weakness, but they saw my size as 'ideal' for what they wanted me to do."

"For a time, things were great. My disappointment from not seeing much action in the 'war' faded as I received training. I got special treatment to a degree. I didn't know everything, but I felt I was told more than most."

"Since plenty of my comrades died in the fighting, I didn't really question things at first. All I could really think about was getting another shot to prove myself. To be useful."

"But the more I heard about what I was supposed to do, and the more I heard tales from the war from my comrades, the less things started to make sense."

"I mean, we lost a small fleet of microsaucers, dozens of combat robots, alien ground troops, and three giant robots designed expressly for assassination and mass destruction…"

"To three adolescent humans and another with weird hair."

"Not an army, not some powerful being using the secrets stolen from Giygas's people. Just…children."
There's still a sense of disbelief in Buzz-Buzz's voice as he speaks, as if the idea was still difficult to grasp.

"I didn't want to believe it at first. I was more mad than shocked. To learn so many of my comrades had died what I felt were pathetic deaths. But…the more I thought about it, the more it sank in how wrong that was."
Buzz Buzz shook their entire body.

"And it wasn't long before everything started to feel wrong."

"The more I heard the more it made me think. The more I began to question things. I didn't feel comfortable raising any objections, but eventually I wanted to know more than what Giygas felt I needed to know."

"So I did a little snooping. And while what I found wasn't much…it made the full extent of what he wanted to do clear to me."

"After that, I knew what I had to do."

"Just like that?"

"Yep. Maybe it wasn't as instantaneous as I liked. I wasn't stupid. I've seen Giygas or…what he used to be. And caught a glimpse of what he turned into."

The alien paused. Shuddering briefly, as if the memory alone was enough to unsettle them.

"I knew what would happen if I got caught, or even if I didn't. But one of the reasons I joined Giygas was to go on an adventure and live a life without regrets. I'm happy to say I'd very much regret killing off an entire race of people."

"..."

"Do you fault me for what I did?" Buzz Buzz asks. "For fighting for the 'enemy'. Would you hate me if I had killed humans in the past?"

"No."

You shake your head, not hesitating as you speak.

"Most people on this world have done fucked up things. Either because they were tricked, they were stupid, or they just didn't care."

Dirt is kicked up as you walk, your shoes leaving print in the soft road as you move. As if your steps were made heavier by your unpleasant thoughts.

"You don't think my reputation is just an accident do you?" You look at Buzz Buzz.

"Just because I'm not the scary thug everyone thinks I am doesn't mean I haven't done bad things."

You glance over your shoulder, back at town.

"Things I regret…"

But you refuse to let yourself linger, and face forward once more. Gritting your teeth, masking old feelings with anger.

"If people can't change, then the world can't change. And I'm tired of believing that cynical bullshit."

"I don't hate you because you're an alien, and I don't hate you because you used to work for Giygas. As long as you don't get all teary eyed when we open your boss's head like a bag of chips, then we're still partners."

Buzz Buzz looks to you in genuine surprise. Their wings being to flutter, almost involuntarily as they hum with a happy energy.

"Thank you, C.D"

"You can thank me by continuing to talk." You glance away to hide your embarrassment, puffing out your chest as you speak. "If you're going to dump your baggage on me like that, at least tell me the juicy bits. The fact this happened before means Giygas lost. "

Idly you swing your bat.

"So tell me how that happened, even if you didn't fight yourself you had to have heard how your boss got his shit pushed in."

"Well, the humans who cut a swathe through our ranks couldn't beat Giygas in battle. I didn't think anyone could."

"But they still won, right?"

"In a sense. They appealed to his sense of empathy."
You're not able to stop yourself from looking at Buzz Buzz and frowning. The disbelief that wells up inside you is palpable. Just the thought of trying to stop someone, never mind someone powerful, by appealing to their 'better nature' seems ridiculous.

"It was somewhat taboo to talk about what happened after the fact, but I pieced some details together after enough Time. Giygas has some connection to humanity. Something the group of humans who fought him abused when they were on the verge of losing their fight. Whatever they did compromised him emotionally, prompted him to flee the planet entirely."
Yet there's no hint of a lie in Buzz Buzz's voice as he speaks.

"Will that work this time?" You ask. "I don't really want to try and appeal to the good nature of someone who's trying to commit genocide. I'd rather just kick his ass."

"No."
The alien's voice grows abruptly grave and Buzz Buzz shook his horned head.

"Giygas attempted to learn from his 'mistake' last time. He was…different after we retreated. He shut himself off from his emotions and became…"

Buzz Buzz stopped. Dropping the words that might leave his lips and abandoning them.
He didn't want to put into words what couldn't be put into words.

"Giygas isn't a thing that can be reasoned with. Not anymore. Not in any meaningful capacity anyway."

"Good." You say, flashing a grin.

"I'm bad at that touchy feely crap anyway. Giygas deserves to be beat, for good. If he's expecting the people to stop him this time to walk up and start singing songs, I'll enjoy seeing the look of surprise on his stupid face."

Buzz Buzz remains silent. He stares at you, as if still in awe of your attitude.

Yet you can tell there's a flicker of worry.

"So, what are our odds of beating Giygas?" You ask bluntly.

Buzz Buzz hesitates for a moment, before flying ahead of you.

"Don't be anxious about the future, have faith!"

The alien cheers, racing with you as you begin to run.

"Besides, if I've learned anything from humans it's that the odds mean nothing when a human is determined enough."

---

Bribe your way to the "Hangout Spot" (Stewardship)

DC 45
1d100 = 61+7 = 68
[SUCCESS!]

---

It takes you most of the month to get the plan in motion.

Collecting spare change here, fishing around in storm drains for lost bills there, and regularly checking the garbage and the delivery schedules of Mach Pizza and the Burger shop.

You wait outside the gates of the school until well after the bell has rung. The excuse being you were going to make sure your siblings weren't being held back for stupid reasons.

Waiting, you watched as the trickle of teens and kids out of the building slowed to almost nothing.

Squatting in the shadows beside the sign just outside the chain-link fence, you rise as soon as your target comes into view.

You don't know his name, but his distinct Mr. Baseball Cap makes him stand out like a sore thumb.

As you approach from behind you can hear him mumbling to himself.

"Ugh, I shouldn't be getting attention for swearing when the curse word was IN the actual book we were reading. They shouldn't ask me to read aloud if they don't want an authentic-"

"Hey, kid."

Immediately the boy freezes in place, his body stiffening with fear. Wheeling back, he locks eyes with you and you see the all too familiar reaction.

"Oh fuck." He whimpers, hands squeezing the straps of his backpack.

Immediately he clears his throat. "Uffh, uh, heeeeey there C.D! Haven't seen you around in forever! Hahaha..."

You can already see him taking small steps backwards, eyeing the street behind him. Hoping that putting cars between you and him will give him a chance to get away.

It's now or never.

"You know and your friends have a hang out spot where you don't have to worry about the Sharks, right?" You ask, leaning against the school sign with your arms crossed.

Sweat begins to collect on the boy's head, eyes filling with panic. "Uhhh-"

"Of course you do. I want to you to invite me to your hangout. I'm sick of dealing with the gang crap. So I want in."

Adjusting the Mr. Baseball Cap on his head, the boy visibly struggles to contain his anxiety. Eyes flickering about, desperate for some sort of plausible excuse or escape.

You can tell any moment, he's likely to just straight up run.

Which is the moment you step aside and reveal your trump card.

"I'm not going to bother twisting your arm if you say no, but if you do I'm eating all of this by myself."

The boy's confusion is palpable until you see him lay eyes on the collection you've made.

Nestled behind you, deliberately arranged atop a loose crate you pulled from an alley, was a display of every junk-food item you could imagine someone wanting.

A large pepperoni pizza sat with an open lid, visible heat rising from it's surface as the equivalent of a six-pack of burgers was packed in the box beside it.

Crisp lettuce and grilled meat mixing with the powerful scent of melted cheese pepperoni.

Looking on, you watched as the boy's fear faded and his hand instinctually went to his stomach.

You know the lunches at school are revolting. Apparently that's the one thing that was also carried from 'America' back on Earth.

Even pizza day is the equivalent of eating cheese off a piece of cardboard. Most days kids skip lunch to avoid feeling like they're going to die in the middle of class.

And hunger is the best spice.

"I don't..." The boy tries to speak, but his eyes keep flicking from item to item.

A big bag of fries, a six pack of colas, pork rinds...

All of it carefully laid out and, in some cases, cleaned. Mach Pizza and the Burger Shop apparently throw away prank orders when they're not paid for...

"There's not anything with shellfish in there, right?" The boy asks, and for a moment you feel a small surge of panic.

"...I think there's some garlic knots buried in here-?"

The boy's eyes light up like Christmas trees.

Carrying the stash of food, you allowed the Mr. Baseball Hat kid to lead you forward.

You weren't surprised when he started head of out of town, but you were surprised when he started heading towards the local library.

Leading you around back, you found yourself being guided through the woods. The canopy overhead so thick that a large portion of light was shut out, casting the world below into an obscured overcast.

Following them carefully, you started to wonder if he was intentionally trying to ditch you when the boy can to an abrupt stop next to a seemingly random tree.

"OK, we're here." The boy said, rapping loudly against the side of the tree with a rock off the ground.

Not a second sooner, a rope ladder unfurled from the leaves above and landed at the base. Someone shouting down with a "Finally! Get up here man, you're late!"

The boy looks between you, the food, and then up above before starting to climb up the ladder.

Carrying it up is a pain, but you do so. Moving slow enough that you hear the boy above you begin to talk.

"Uh, hey guys! Sorry I was late, but uh, some pretty weird stuff happened-"

"Don't try to excuse yourself with some dumb joke. We both know you got out of detention like, five minutes ago. What could have possibly happened that delayed you?"

"Hello boys."

You stick your head up into a well furnished tree house, spying three boys nestled around a large table that appears to have been some old industrial spool in the past.

All three of them turn, look at you, and go pallid as they recognize you.

The Mr. Baseball Hat kid laughs like someone just stole his organs in his sleep. "Uh, yeah! I decided to bring a plus one..."

"What the hell man!"

A boy in a fedora of all things shouted, looking at you in dismay as you fully climb up and into the treehouse.

"We had an agreement that this place would stay between us! You broke a sacred oath!"

"But--But garlic knots!"

As tension begin to rise, you plop down the box in the middle of the table and open it up for all to see. Calmly and deliberately placing and arranging the snacks and drinks, before stepping away and shutting the floor hatch at your feet.

Harsh looks are thrown your way by everyone...before their eyes sloooooowly begin to gravitate towards the food.

"...What do you want?" The boy in the fedora finally asks meeting your gaze.

"I just want a place to hang out and talk with people my age. Lot of weird stuff has been going on lately."

You lean against the wall and try your best to smile in a way that doesn't seem like a threat.

Slowly, one of the boys hands inches towards the box, taking a slice and sniffing it...before immediately digging in.

"You aren't going to tell the Sharks about this place, are you? Or the cops?" The Fedora boy asks as, one by one, his comrades give into their hunger and begin to partake in the bounty.

"Not if you don't want me to." You say, your smile coming to you more naturally. Walking over and sitting at the table.

"So, what do you usually talk about around here?"

The Fedora boy grabs hold of a burger, awkwardly looks between his friends, before meeting your gaze.

"Have uh, you ever watched the avant-garde film made during the middle of the Invader Wars called My Last Dinner with Andre?"

You have no idea what the boy said, but some part of you instinctually clenches itself as you realize you might be in for an agonizing conversation.

"This is for the survival of the human race...This is for the survival of the human race..."

---

Collect Information (Intrigue)

DC: 20/35/75
1d100 = 72+3 = 75
[Tier 3 SUCCESS!]

---

Normally it's rather difficult for you to get discretely get information. When you show up, all eyes tend to be on you. Which tends to make listening into conversations or asking things pretty hard.

However with the Sharks running amok and the police obsessed with keeping the down locked down, you find a rare opportunity where people aren't that concerned with you.

It allows you to listen in, ask around, and stick your face into things.

By the end of the month, you feel you have a pretty sizeable amount of information on not only the goings-on in Onnet, but on the major players too.

Frankie "Failproof" Fly & The Sharks:

• Everyone knows Frankie Fly is the leader of the "Sharks". He's really the only adult among the group but carries the same eagerness and anti-authoritarian bent as the other teens. From what some people have described, he's like a bigger slightly more responsible kid that has deliberately steered the Sharks from anything too nasty. He in particular is firmly against underage drinking, but couldn't care less about physical violence.
  
  
• Dressed in a red suit with shades, Frankie is rumored to carry two switchblades with him that he is surprisingly capable with. Though he seems to rarely get into fights, preferring to be the man quite literally behind the Sharks, he's by no means a slouch in a fight if rumors are to believed and isn't afraid to cut someone. Even if they're a kid.
  
  
• According to some older people around town, Frankie was an original resident of Onnet who immigrated out into The City to fight work. If the gossip is to be believed, Frankie tried to get a job at Wily Corp. And he did...only as a mail clerk instead of a roboticist. At least if gossip is to be believed. Since then he's apparently held a mad grudge against Wily and his creations, and once when he was drunk he went on a tyraid claiming he'd: "SHOW THAT WIZENED MUSTACHIO'D PLAGERIST."
  
  
• The Sharks themselves are a medium sized gang based out of the local Arcade, which you've heard Frankie technically owns through some legal and real-estate shenanigans. He has control of the property, but can't be held legally accountable for what goes on there. Which is likely why the Police haven't been able to raid the Arcade, at least not yet.
  
  
• They're kids and teens dressed in shark themed helmets and outfits. All of them seem to try to stay as mobile as possible using skates, scooters, and to a lesser degree pogo sticks. None of them seem to have received any special training, they're simply more experience then most kids in getting into scrapes. Putting them on level with you to a degree. Their weapons are usually their fists, sticks, rocks, clubs, and occasionally the rare knife. They're not packing anything serious, but getting beat over the head by three people with skateboards is still rough. Shark members tend to work in groups and use their mobile to either run away quickly, or run down people they're after.
  
  
• The goals of the Shark seem to be simple. Frankie seems to be pushing the gang to expand, both in terms of numbers and control. Something seems to have stirred his insecurities and has left him desperate to feel more in control. While not necessarily malicious, the Sharks aim to be the head honchos of Onnet. And are willing to throw fists and swing pipes to

Captain STRONG & The Onnet Police Force (O.P.F):

• Captain Strong is the captain and founder of the Onnet Police Force. He's an older man and one who's met a few times in the past, albeit not under pleasant or favorable circumstances. Your mother once said that he was a rookie cop back on Earth, and the chaos he saw during Earth's last days shook him up badly. Now, as an older man, he's a rock who refuses to compromise.
  
  
• While it might be easy to assume he's simply an old man on a power trip who has to hide behind his officers, the reality of the situation is that you've heard first hand accounts of him beating up groups of criminals entirely by himself.With his bare hands. Most of the 'criminals' were kids your age, but the fact it's clear he deliberately walks around without weapons to make a point.
  
  
• You've heard a rumor that he claims to use "Super Ultra Sambo Mambo martial arts". However one particular kid at a library said that he's simply apparently covering up the fact he learned something called "Saikyo Style". Whatever that is.
  
  
• The Onnet Police Force are a pretty big organization. With enough men to guard the borders of the Eagle Quarter and maintain security, and still get hired out to handle policing in cities like Fourson and Summers. Thankfully Onnet is where the least amount of the O.P.F are despite their HQ being based here. Making it, ironically, where they're the weakest.
  
  
• As far as you can tell, the O.P.F don't have a lot of guns. Energy weapons like Zappers and the like are pretty rare, and since the locally made knock-offs are more likely to shoot the user then the person they're aiming at, it makes sense why they'd rely on nightsticks and such. The few firearms they do have are old pre-crash guns, kept for such severe emergencies you've never seen them used before.
  
  
• Upside of the O.P.F is they very rarely go in intending to kill, unless they're dealing with mutants or something they don't see as 'human', or can't really arrest or detain. Even if they're unfair and thuggish, their main aim is to make arrests and solve crimes.
  
  
• Downside is that even rookie officers are pretty dangerous in close quarters and since their boss likes to randomly shoulder throw people, they tend to be quick on their feet. The most skilled , overzealous cops are hired out to Summers. Making the place a living nightmare for anyone who so much as litters. Watch out for their nightsticks and their cookie-cutter martial arts.
  
  
• Captain Strong has a zero tolerance policy for crime. Period. While the O.P.F are rent-a-cops, Strong has made it a point to never work for anyone who's technically a criminal. He wants to maintain order and the status quo, and will break the fingers of anyone who wants otherwise.
  
  
• The O.P.F's goals right now seem to be locking down Onnet and wiping the slate clean. Totally breaking the otherwise harmless back of Onnet's 'criminal underworld. You heard that, following the Meteor Crash, that Captain Strong began acting much more aggressively. One conversation you overheard between two cops mentioned that Captain Strong was having nightmares bordering on flashbacks to the Invader Wars. You don't know how they intend to do it, but it's clear the O.P.F intend to make Onnet a 'crime free city'. And once they've done that, they intend to tighten their influence over all of Onnet. Though you have no idea how they plan to do that, and maybe they don't know yet either...

B.H. Pirkle & ???

• Pirkle.INC is the local corporation that runs the city of Onnet. The owner is B.H Pirkle who likes to go by 'mayor' despite not really holding anything remotely resembling a democratic office.
  
  
• He owns a share in a lot of the small businesses in town as well as the baseball bat factories in town that process lumber from the nearby forests into the instruments of everyone's favorite American pastime. And it apparently it makes him fairly decent money, especially in the rare instances he's able to export the bats, since baseball bats made from real wood aren't super common in the rest of The City.
  
  
• You almost forgot to look into the mayor. Mostly because from your experience he's a passive loser who seeks to avoid responsibility for everything. Everyone in town more or less assumes the guy is just the O.P.F's puppet.
  
  
• ...However, given what you've recently learned about Captain Strong, a little poking around has made it clear that's not the case at all.
• Because Captain Strong is obsessed with order and the status quo, it means that despite having significantly more influence and leverage the Pirkle, he always tries to abide by his decrees. Since, as the local corp, he's the local 'government' and thus the issuer of the law Strong wishes to uphold.
  
  
• While it's clear Pirkle didn't seem to care about that until now, the weird decree to lock up the entertainers shack and the odd cave behind it feels out of character. The man always reacts to problems, never heads them off at the pass.
  
  
• Cornering Pirkle's secretary one night out front of Mach Pizza, you managed to startle them into talking. Getting them to drop that recently the mayor has been taking late into the night with someone. Initially they assumed it was them taking late night calls, but when they tried to listen in on the lines...it became clear if Pirkle was talking to someone it wasn't over the phone.
  
  
• Pirkle almost never leaves the mayor's office in the center of town, which is one of the most open and well fortified places in the city. While he doesn't have any 'minions' as far as you can tell, the police are at his beck and call and he's got a fair bit of money at his disposal. Meaning getting to him will be difficult, at least with all the trouble still going on around Onnet...

---

Ask Buzz-Buzz to Teach You about PSI (PSI) (Buzz-Buzz)

DC:25/50/75
1d100 = 98 + 8 +35 + Buzz Buzz's Loyalty Bonus (3.5 rounded down to 3) = 144
[SMAAAASH SUCCESS!]

---

"So, how do I learn this stuff exactly?"

You find yourself brought to the woods behind your house by Buzz-Buzz. Having asked him to show you how PSI works, he brought you to the most secluded place you knew of.

"That's the tricky thing about PSI, it can't necessarily be 'taught'." Buzz Buzz orbited around you as he spoke, going in and out of your view of vision.

"You either have latent PSI potential, or you don't. A being that doesn't possess the potential for PSI cannot gain them through other means, at least under any circumstances I've heard of anyway."

The flitter of insect wings stops, but you find yourself unable to hear Buzz Buzz.

"So do I have the potential or not? And if I do, how can you awaken this power? Do I have to sit down and meditate or something?"

Buzz Buzz actually laughs at that.

"No, no. Nothing like that. The powerful, and unusual thing, about PSI is that most of the time simply coming into contact with something possessing PSI or effected by PSI, is enough to awaken that latent power."

You're tempted to turn around, but your gut tells you to remain where you are.

"Of course, just because someone's powers are awakened doesn't mean they're aware of them. PSI is the power of the mind after all. If you aren't aware, or don't believe, you can do something then why would think to try it?"

Around you the forest seems far quieter then before. As if it's just you, Buzz Buzz, and your thoughts.

"Sometimes just the idea of the power is enough. Seeing an enemy use a strange technique, fighting animals or people influenced by PSI, finding notes in your basement from a long forgotten relative talking about strange powers..."

There's a pause in Buzz Buzz's explanation, his tone growing suddenly more severe.

"That's why Giygas wishes to eradicate humanity. A human stole the secrets of his race, and due to the nature of PSI, just the notes and knowledge he brought back were enough to risk changing everything. After all, PSI can develop in a vacuum. But if the 'idea' of it persists in a race long enough, it will begin to develop in more and more people."

You can't help but think about what Buzz Buzz is saying.

After all, even you knew the concept of 'psychic powers' before. It's a common element of fiction, of fantasy. And it has been for quite some time. Even in the old popular culture back on Earth, if some of the things your mother said in the past are any indication.

"Is that all it took?" You ask. "Just the idea that it could be done?"

"How one views things changes everything. Humans aren't perfectly rational beings after all, anymore then most aliens. But it's because of that irrationality that you're able to see the world as something else. And thus, change it into something else. Normally it's through more practical, mundane means, but the same principle applies for PSI."

"Where does the power come from, just inside of our heads?" As you speak, you can't help but feel a bit feverish.

"No. The energy released by PSI is drawn from something called the Dreamlands. It's a realm of consciousness, connecting many, many living things. Of course, that's only in a general sense. The focal point of a person's PSI comes from their 'Magicant'. Think of it like a personal slice of the Dreamlands. Private property."

Your face scrunches up as you try to understand what's being said, and Buzz Buzz seems to catch your confusion.

"Don't fixate on the 'where'. Just focus on the action itself. Now..."

There is a flash in front of you. Brilliant scattering of purple diamonds that form a wall in front of you. Behind it you can vaguely see Buzz Buzz flying. As it appears, you hear something in your mind.

"PSI SHIELD Σ!"​

"Now, close your eyes and focus! What do you think you can do? What comes naturally? Concentrate and try to push it outwards towards me. Don't worry, my shield can stop a Starman, I'll be safe!"

Heart beating heavily in your chest, the feverish feeling intensifies.

Closing your eyes tightly, you can still see the purple barrier even through your eyelids.

No, not with your eyes. You shut your eyes, but you didn't shut your mind.

Inhaling you try to focus. You imagine winding up a swing, or throwing a ball, but it all feels to physical.

So instead you relax. You let the first thing come to your mind guide you as you hold out your hand.

"PSI-"​

Your pulse quickens as a warmth spreads from your head, down your arms. Like a rush of water escaping. The feeling, the 'thought' pushes outwards-

"W-what!?"

You hear surprise, panic in Buzz-Buzz's voice, and your eyes snap open.

As you open your eyes you see the purple barrier in front of him unraveling.

Along with the trees, the ground, and the air itself.

Bits of matter and energy spindle off, like a stray thread pulled from a stuffed animal. Becoming threadbare before your eyes, threatening to come apart.

Yet as soon as hesitation fills you, the urge to stop enters your mind, the strange sight ceases to be. And the purple barrier abruptly snaps back together.

As it does, you're hit with a wave of exhaustion and you feel sick to your stomach.

"Ugh, what happened? Are you alright?" You nearly double over, your head burning as you drop to you knees.

"Yes, yes! I was just surprised! I've never seen anything like that before!"

The lack of fear in Buzz Buzz's voice surprises you as he flies over, all but zipping over as they hover in front of your face. The barrier disappearing behind them as they do so.

"What...what was that?"

"That? I don't know. It's like no other PSI technique I've seen. Which might mean it's unique to you."

Sick to your stomach, you look up with a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Unique to me?"

"Yes. PSI is a power of the mind after all. Naturally, the unique circumstances of someone's experiences or feelings manifests into an ability only they truly possess. Abilities like that don't have a normal name, they often carry the name of something important to that person."

You grasp your temples, breathing as you feel your fever on the verge of breaking.

"I don't...I don't remember what I was thinking about though. I doubt I could do that again."

"I'm sorry." Buzz Buzz apologies, awkwardly. "You didn't fully manifest the ability, probably out of concern for me. Don't worry though, if it happened once I assure you it will happen again!"

"Ugh, if I feel like this everytime I use PSI I don't know if it's worth learning..." You groan.

"Ah, you've likely burned your most of your 'PSI Power' or P.P. Using such a powerful technique is likely the reason you're feeling so awful. PSI is like any muscle. The more you work it, the easier it gets and the stronger your abilities get. The fact you didn't pass out shows that you already have a tremendous power inside of you."

You look down at your hands. Opening and closing.

For some reason things feel...different.

"And it appears you've awakened to your first 'normal' PSI ability." Buzz Buzz says, flying down and resting on your knee.

"Now, when it comes to PSI techniques, PSI users fall into certain categories. Those who possess mostly supportive or defensive techniques, those who primarily have offensive abilities, those who have a mix of both at the cost of being weaker across most fronts or taking longer to master them, or the rare few who possess singular elemental PSIs at a level no other can possess."

The fever disappears.

Something within you changes.

"Now, C.D, tell me...what kind of PSI user are you?"

Your answer comes naturally. It's instinctive, almost.

You are:

[] An Offensive PSI User (Learn PSI Freeze α. Locks C.D into mostly offensive, damaging, debuffing PSI)
[] A Supportive PSI User (Learn Lifeup α. Locks C.D into mostly defensive, healing, and buffing PSI)
[] A Balanced PSI User (Learn Shield α. Allows C.D to learn both offensive and defensive PSI, at the cost of learning them far slower and being barred from higher 'tiers' of them.)
[] A Specialized 'Kinetic' User (Learn a single random elemental PSI. You are barred from learning any PSI not related to that element, but are able to learn it at a tier beyond Ω)

---

Try to Lay Low (Buzz Buzz's Personal Action)

[No Roll Needed]

---

Buzz Buzz couldn't help but find it difficult to keep his head down.

Being so small, it was natural to assume many didn't see him. But to take extra caution, extra steps, to be seen at all was exhausting.

He couldn't know for certain if he was being followed, or being looked for. Part of him wondered if preparing was a better option then hiding.

However Buzz Buzz knew it wasn't just his life on the line anymore.

So he took his lumps and did what had had to. Fueled on by the knowledge, by the idea, that whoever could be looking for him would be biting their tongue in frustration.

Buzz Buzz knew a fight was inevitable...but he needed more time.

She needed more time.