Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

[chickenbouillon]

Candidate L
Name: Aiden Greyson
Age: 18
Stats: HIT 2, ESPIONAGE 5, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 4
Tolerance: 6

Chaucer's Notes: An orphan and a street urchin from the day he was born, Aiden eked out his living in the Industrial District by embarking on a life of pickpocketing and petty theft. He responded to our call for applicants in hopes of receiving a better life and a full stomach, but his criminal record might pose a few problems should anyone recognize him. He possesses a surprisingly laidback disposition despite his rough upbringing.
Lady Leizi: He's quick on his feet and possesses a lot of street smarts which is to be expected, but despite this, he's hopelessly out of his depth in other fields due to his lack of formal education, which may prove troublesome.. his questionable record certainly hasn't won him any friends either.


A/N: My first Ambrosia Candidate.. sorry if anything is wrong! I did my best

 

[Rovos]

you know might as well throw in a suggestion in the ring

Candidate B
Name: Khaela Ghudura

Spoiler: reference image

Age: 32
Stats: 3 Hit, 2 Espionage, 1 Reputation, 1 Operations
Tolerence: 7
Chauser's notes: Not the oldest of our candidates but definately on the older side of the spectrum. Miss Ghudura works a dayjob as a Bouncer for one of the many clubs around the city by the name of the Djinn and Tonic. She has no outstanding police records. She however also lacks any Academic achievements, by her own admission she dropped out of high school at age 16. The reason for this was rather simple, her older brother and at the time recently married wife died in a villain attack while out in the city, this left Khaela to care for her Recently born niece Mensha. All in all she is a woman in great physical fitness due to the demands of her job even and a high tolerence to Ambrosia.
Lady Leizie Notes: I am aware of her for a simple reason, the Djinn and Tonic is one of the major mob fronts of the city, Perfectly legal itself of course. It isn't surprising that a 16 year old in need of a job to support an infant would fall into this type of place. Khaela herself is not a major member of the underworld for all that she has spend much of her time on it's surface. Her official job is that of a bouncer, it's also how she spends most of her time, but on occasion she fills the role of bodyguard during particulairly... Delicate buisiness meetings. She is someone we would need to keep an eye on for some time after joining, to be sure if nothing else. I should also look into who was behind the attack that killed her brother, just in case.

don't know if i made the tone of the notes right but i think it works. Khaela was my most recent cities of mist character and i am currently also using her in another thing. but i think her backstory broadly works in this scenario

(also just to note, her Mythos in cities of mist was Scylla, so dog headed tentacles from her waist, wonder if that's anything we could do, maybe by using maddie's sample somehow)

 

[Suleverf]

This is a delightful new quest to have found, the setting is quite intriguing and even the offscreen characters feel very distinctive!

Like many others I couldn't resist the urge to try and write up some hypothetical candidates. After seeing the power of tolerance 10 I wanted to try and see if something interesting could be done with candidates at tolerance 1. I haven't deeply considered the balance (as opposed to cool-sounding ideas and homages) or how far the starting stats can be cranked up before veering into metahuman territory. It's also kind of fascinating to compare stats for existing characters though difficult to draw direct comparisons for because HERO covers such broad categories.

Name: Alonso Salazar
Age: 50
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 1, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 1
Tolerance: 1
Chaucer's Notes: Alonso signed on with Justice Unlimited in its early days and requested to work as a hero despite having no powers whatsoever. When informed that it was far too dangerous a job for civilians, he claimed that he had a tremendous latent power that would awaken if only we would give him the chance. Any protests about how that was impossible at his age merely strengthened this conviction. We persuaded him to work in the office instead, but somehow he convinced himself that we were just waiting to call upon him when the time was right. That didn't stop him from begging any heroes passing by his desk to regale him with tales of their adventures though.
Unfortunately when Project Prometheus launched, his Ambrosia tolerance tested as one of the lowest we've seen so far. With no other remarkable qualities to speak of, I cannot recommend him. It should go without saying due to his insufficient clearance level, but please refrain from mentioning the project around him, as it would probably break his heart.
Lady Leizi: After Dr. Ibis completed his work on raising tolerances, he asked to review Alonso's data again, curious as to how a candidate with undeveloped abilities could also sport an extremely low tolerance. Much to our collective surprise, he discovered that Alonso could receive exponential benefits from successive treatments of refined goldnine up to an unprecedented ceiling. However, each successive treatment will have to be calibrated ever more precisely to avoid death.
It would be a massive investment that we can ill afford at the moment, and Alonso's delusions of grandeur and black-and-white views on justice may not play well with the realities of hero work. But I can't dismiss the possibility of needing such potential in the future.
Special: Each "A Spoonful of Sugar" treatment will give exponentially increasing bonuses up to a maximum tolerance of 16 (first is +1, second is +2, third is +4, fourth is +8, and then no more can be administered). The price of the treatments will also increase exponentially, tripling after each time.

Name: Samuel Minamoto
Age: 44
Stats: HIT 6, ESPIONAGE 6, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 6
Tolerance: 1
Chaucer's Notes: Samuel is a former underworld assassin notorious for having the audacity to target metahumans and the skills to get away with it. He killed minor heroes and villains alike for a large criminal syndicate until it was destroyed by a metahuman coalition, after which he worked freelance and then disappeared entirely. According to Lady Leizi he became a wanderer during the long interim before entering into her service.
Though his Ambrosia tolerance is abysmally low, he wields custom-made weapons paired with a well-honed combat style that is especially effective against unaware or arrogant metahumans who fail to guard. In addition to combat prowess, he has a keen eye for assessing the abilities of his targets and figuring out countermeasures in both preplanned strategies and improvised tactics.
Personally, I have serious doubts about bringing a "reformed" hitman onto the team, let alone someone who killed heroes. Whatever loyalty he has, it's likely to his own personal code rather than to Justice Unlimited's ideals or even Lady Leizi.
Lady Leizi: Rare is the person who has spent their entire life killing to grow tired of it on their own before they get caught or killed, and rarer still is for them to genuinely try for atonement. Perhaps it's hypocritical to even think about extending this opportunity to someone like him, but it's no more hypocritical than giving clemency to rogue metahumans because their powers might do some good in the future.
He's deeply cynical and may clash with more idealistic teammates or bring much needed perspective depending on the situation. My impression is that he feels it is all too common for the world to make hollow mockeries of those who believe in the ideals of higher causes rather than those derived from the self.

 

[chickenbouillon]

CANDIDATE J
Name: Lily Parker
Age: 30
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 4, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Notes: Lily originates from the Worker's Mitt, and seems to have lived a relatively normal life. She doesn't have any violations on her record, and lives with her elderly mother in their own apartment. She admits to being a massive fan of Justice Unlimited back in the heyday, but some of her expectations might be.. difficult to deal with.
Lady Leizi: She possesses the desire to do good that is essential for a good hero, but I fear that the pressure of being a hero might be too much for her. Lily means well, but at the end of the day, her idealism can be a hindrance. She believes that she can save everyone, and possesses frankly unrealistic expectations for her heroes; she'll have to shed that to be a true addition to Justice Unlimited.


METAHUMAN INSECTA
Name: Franz Marshall
Age: 23
Codename: Hive
Stats: HIT 7, ESPIONAGE 3, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 5
Powers: Franz's body hosts a swarm of flesh eating insects that he may expel from the holes on his body. They are loyal towards him, but indiscriminately hostile towards every being in sight. The swarm actively replicates after they devour organic matter, and can chew through seemingly anything. The insects in his body are too deformed to bear any similarities to any known species, but they vaguely resemble locusts. He may also disperse his body and reform it to avoid damage.

Franz's power actively demands that he devour matter to expand and grow, and it has actively taken a toll on his sanity, turning him into a raving lunatic. If he allows himself to starve, the insects will turn on him and begin devouring him from the inside out.

Origin: Franz was by all means, an ordinary businessman. All those who knew him described him as a meek, solitary figure. He kept to himself and never bothered anyone, and it was not known if he had any family. His apartment was always empty, and all his lights were off when he was at work.

One day, his neighbors complained of hearing an odd sound from his apartment, and Franz himself hasn't been seen in weeks. Worried, they broke open the door, only for a veritable swarm to shatter the door and begin attacking everything in sight. In the resulting chaos, he escaped.

Now, the neighborhood hears rumors of a disheveled man wandering around, leaving a trail of half devoured animal carcasses in his wake.

Franz does not wish to hurt anyone, but the insanity caused by his powers may result in him being a danger to everyone in his wake, despite this, he still holds an impossible wish, a desire to be a hero. A wish to do good. It is the one thing his feverish mind has held on to even after all this time.


A/N: New ambrosia candidate!! And a metahuman too.. MrKermie inspired me with his Jun sheet.. anyway here's Franz! He's an old OC of mine. Also I'm not good at planning, so take this for my apology for such a dry reply.

 

[Qudrim8054]

Alright, so had an idea for a potential candidate, so I'm gonna create one.

Candidate S:
Name: Jason Carpenter
Age: 24
Stats: HIT 2, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 1, OPERATION 6
Tolerance: 5
Chauser's Notes: A Horizon native who had recently returned after studying abroad, Mr. Carpenter somehow found managed to find our base and came to us with hand-drawn maps of the city down to some of the smallest details, as well as some home-made gadgets. Requesting to join the organization in the hopes of becoming a hero. Apparently he planted the foundations for an entire vigilante career since he was a preteen, but slowly losing confident as time went on. He apparently has a ed belt in Karate, took archery classes and learned how to use handguns while abroad, where he studied engineering and chemistry. He also seems to be rather altruistic, meaning he might have potential as a member, but his nervousness around women is noteworthy.
Lady Leizi: Mr. Carpenter seems capable when it comes to gathering intel, as his hand-drawn maps of the city had some notes that would imply that he went to the streets himself to assess the situation. His combat skills are moderate at best but have some level of versitility and apparently his home-made gadgets seem rather interesting. He also seems to have a desire to help, as he still isn't aware of the program yet wants to help in any way he can. He does seem rather nervous around women, though. That is something needed to be fixed.

---

So what do you guys think? Should I change some of the stats based on the description I gave or is this solid?

 

[Kermie]

Snippets Of Life Next To The Leviathan
By MrKermie​

Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest – The Worker's Mitt– December 6, 2067

You take a breath of relief, as you finish dusting off the old painting. Looks like even through the Movement, your stuff stayed secure.

You are Shelley Marie. The woman who knows everybody in the Worker's Mitt, and also probably in like, the top 10 richest in the Worker's Mitt. Which doesn't mean much, considering where you are right now, but hey. Turns out rich people by the Foot pay a lot for a good piano and trumpet teacher.

Well, or they used to, before the Movement happened. Since the Movement, you've been coordinating efforts to get medical supplies to all the workers who were injured by all the shadow birds. The shadow birds that disappeared when…

Well. Turns out Mona was secretly a hero the whole time. Or for at least 3 years. Maybe you should check up on how the news and forums are treating her. Just for a second.

But before you can start checking for any account activity on Hero For Hire, you hear a loud knock at the door. "Coming!"

The small apartment that you're in is almost definitely living below your means, but you still like it. You dodge some letters and pencils that you accidentally let fall on the floor, before opening the door.

The woman at the door looks like you, but while you're in an outfit that's whatever shirt and shorts were on the top of your drawer (you don't need one of your suits, city hall was a while ago) she's in a bomber jacket with slick pants and sunglasses. She takes off her glasses, and offers you a high-five, which you gladly return. Besides, it's your twin sister, Fran Marie!

Fran walks into your apartment, and takes a look around. "So this is your new place, Shelley? Seems nice."

You jokingly punch her on the shoulder. "Oh please, anything seems nice compared to the dump that is your room."

"I'll have you know, Ms. Socialite, that while my room may not look nice, my dojo is one of the cleanest locations in the whole Mitt. Besides, you've just got that old painting smack dab in the middle of your room! You aren't much cleaner."

You turn towards the painting, and push it and its easel a bit closer to the edge of the room. "Well, I personally think that it lends a bit of panache to this dreary apartment. And besides, I think it looks nice! What do you think?"

Fran takes off her jacket and throws it on one of your spare chairs. She walks closer to the painting and squints. "That was… something you did while you were trying out all those clubs in high school senior year, right? Around when we got to Horizon. It looks nice, but it doesn't really look like a self-portrait like I think your teacher wanted."

The painting itself is accurate to Fran's assessment of it. While it includes you, you're not really the center of it. Just a detailed splotch of red in a bustling gray crowd. The real bulk of the painting is the background that surrounds you.

Neon skyscrapers and a seemingly incessant rain surround you, the only person without an umbrella. Holographic advertisements shine down on you, showing some of the faces and visages of the heroes you were admiring at the time (and still do admire). Valiant Silver, Adamant, Red Huntress…

But the rest is still familiar. The street signs are the same as the ones from your now well traveled daily commute, and in the background, the white dome of the Apiary still shines bright. It's the "Worker's Mitt of the future" you pictured so long ago.

"It's very avant-garde. Probably not something I'll be doing again, though." you comment. "…do you think it's in bad taste now, considering the Movement?"

Fran plops down on the old couch, which you nabbed for practically pennies at a garage sale. "I've seen artists post the porn Valiant Silver commissioned of Uiara posthumously. It's not. Honestly, if I was you, I'd be wondering about making a sequel."

"With Mona in it? Personally, I'm unsure. Besides, how long do you think she's really had those powers?"

Fran sits up a bit. "Pardon?"

"I think a lot of people who were watching her fight the shadow birds definitely noticed that she lost a finger or two when she shot off a few attacks. If she really had those powers for so long…"

"Then how did she not blow off an arm a few years ago?" Fran finishes. "Honestly, I don't know. If there's one person who would, it's Lady Leizhi, the hatchet-woman."

She stands up one more time, to admire the painting again with you. You two stand in silence for a bit. Eventually, Fran decides to ask you another question. "…you thinking of looking for Justice Unlimited? If you are, I don't think I need to tell you how dumb that one is."

It doesn't really feel like she's looking at the painting right now, or you. It's more like she's looking through you, looking politely in your general direction. You take a deep breath, and close your eyes.

Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest – Old Industrial District—August 8, 2058

9 Years Ago.

It was a long time ago. You and your family had just immigrated from America, after the successor to Thrule and his cronies had been trying to take away your rights. And your autonomy. And Fran's budding job prospects. You all just didn't want to be the next unlucky idiots caught up in the second Liberty Tower, whenever that would happen…

(Which had taken your old brother-in-law Ren ten years ago in 2048, bless his soul.)

Oh, and you wouldn't have been surprised if he was going to take away your soul. "Not judging people by the color of their skin" wasn't really something that the current president seemed to have been paying attention to in social studies.

You were about 18, and you had been having a bad day. It was ridiculously hot in Horizon compared to where you were living in America, and while you didn't hate your family's house in the Worker's Mitt, it just felt… unfamiliar.

It was an afterschool day. You had just done PE, and you didn't feel energized enough to be going home just yet. So you were loitering around and sitting on some Old Industrial sidewalk, just down in the dumps. Everything was so unfamiliar, and your assignments were so much harder than back in your school in America.

You were about to fall asleep, when you heard a voice coming from above you. "Hey, are you ok?"

You look up, and oh, ew. You might have fallen asleep already.

"...Are you a Silver Behemoth or a metahuman? I'm too sleepy to tell the difference." you say.

The woman(?) laughed. She was tall, taller than your father or any of your uncles. Her mouth was split into mandibles, and her red eyes were covered by the compound pieces of a fly's eyes. "That's actually one of the friendlier things I've heard today. I'm Apiary, part of NuGen, New Dawn's new team. You ok?"

You blink the grogginess out of your eyes. "I'm fine, don't worry. Don't you have anything better to do?"

"No, not really. What's got you loitering around?"

It was the first time in a while that someone had asked you that question. So you spilled it all out. Your feelings, everything.

When you were done, you finally were able to look up into the eyes of the woman who stopped for you, and you recoiled back in shock. "Hey, you're bleeding from your face and cheeks! Uh, should I call 911? Do they have 911 here? W-why did you talk to me, shouldn't you be with your team?"

Apiary smiles again, before shrugging. "Don't worry kid, I can replicate myself. I'm on my way to my teammates right now. As for your question… I don't know. I was just feeling like being kind for the sake of being kind."

Huh. Being kind for the sake of being kind…

That was the first time you met Apiary, or Rosemary.

It would also be the last, as she died one year later.

When you heard that news, it was like something broke inside your heart. Why?

So you started investigating. You learned about hero culture for fun. You got those teaching credentials, and started helping out all the kids in your community. Big Sis Shelley, they called you.

And even if Apiary herself hadn't put much thought into her words, you could never stop yourself from doing so. Because they were the exact and only words that could have pulled you out of the darkness into the light.

Being kind for the sake of being kind. That's what you think about when you see the Apiary, when you saw Justice Unlimited.

"What would it be like, to be someone saying those kinds of things?" you wondered.

Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest – The Worker's Mitt– December 6, 2067

With that in mind, you take another look at your painting. Through the neon-drenched skyscrapers of the future Mitt, there's a metallic statue, noticeable with just a glance, on the left side of the painting. Right in front of the white dome of the Apiary, you've drawn an almost perfect replica of a statue of a woman with insectoid features, but an undeniably friendly face.

Holding out a helping hand to a girl who needs it.

You go to wash your hands of any grime or dirt, before stepping past Fran and getting to the door. "Alright, now that you're here, could you make sure nobody gets in the house? I'm going to be making some inquiries with Justice Unlimited. They might not be at the Apiary, but they're still alive, and I think I might have a hunch about where."

You've made some trips to the Foot, after all. Considering that POWERS is on a recruiting spree, this might be your last chance to find them around the Ladder.

Fran scoffs, but there's clearly some worry beneath it. "I mean, I was just here to grab some ingredients from your pantry, but sure. Just wanna let you know, though, at least nine different things at a time will be out to kill you if you want to be a hero. Trust me. I know better than anyone else in our family, even mom, that the world's way too unkind. It would chew up and spit someone like you right out." she says.

But as she says that, she seems to stop looking through you, and actually into your eyes. And as different as she is from you, she's still your twin. She knows.

You nod. "Well, that's too bad for the world. I'm perfectly fine with being kind anyways."

And you step out the door, going on your way to find a certain Mona Merola-Morales.

(Ok, now that you're thinking about it, maybe you should go and find her mom. You know Marisa better anyways.)

---

Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest – The Worker's Mitt– December 7, 2067

The agenda is overcrowded, and your head hurts from everything that's been going on. The Movement, the state of the Foot… any chance of planning this week out is gone.

You are Rei Maruki. Girlfailure extraordinaire. Or at least, that's how you're feeling right now.

Your extremely well paying job at the Foot Of The Ladder? Gone. You're staying at a friend's apartment in your old home, the Mitt.

Your coworkers (and best friends aside from Mona and Akemi), Arata and Mai? Dead in a riot. Along with the anime store that you had such a cushy job at. You take a deep breath in to calm yourself down, like Akemi said you should.

It doesn't work. Actually, you feel more sick to your stomach. Ok then, time to try something more effective. You open up your phone, and start doomscrolling Hero For Hire.

Hey, it's more effective, not more healthy for you. A lot of HFH is exactly as you saw it when you last left: so much Movement doomposting. New Dawn's good, most of Global Justice is dead…

Hey, at least Justice Unlimited is good. Everybody saw Mona at town hall a few weeks ago, and while that might not be common knowledge yet, the shadow birds are gone. Good riddance, now you can go back to taking that shortcut by Third North that you used to always use. Doesn't take away the fact that your friend is now putting herself in mortal danger on a daily basis now, but she'll be fine!

At the very least, you got ten likes and one hug on your post. That's nice.

Eventually, however, your phone starts ringing. You pick up the call without looking at the number.

"Rei Maruki here. If you're trying to scam me, go and try again in a few more months."

The voice on the other end is peppy and cheerful. "Rei, it's me, Mona!"

You snap to attention instantly, back straightening up in seconds. "Mona! How's it been? You're a superhero now, what's that like?"

Mona giggles a bit. "Oh, it's awesome. I fought Earthern Owl, met a talking beetle named Valiant Kabuto, and made a new friend! Say hi, Maddie."

A timid and young voice answers the phone this time. "Um… hi."

"Hi there. I'm Rei." As you say that, you consider what Mona said. You heard about Earthern Owl already, but a talking beetle…

Ah. Dr. Mammoth Ibis. Of course.

As you hear the phone be passed back, you continue. "I can't believe that you're in the Apiary and with Justice Unlimited. Man, did they give you your merch for free? Is that how you got that collection?"

You can hear Mona nodding excitedly on the other end of the phone. "No, that's all either from the cooking competitions and what I bought from the Apiary shops. And I'm not in the Apiary right now, I'm in… um, give me a second."

You hear some inaudible chatter in the background, so you tap your fingers to calm your nerves and pass the time. As you wait, you also hear…

Wait. You know that voice actress. Is Mona seriously watching ♥️Moe Moe Kyun Magical Girl-Maid Monica♥️ right now?!

As you hear Mona get back on the phone, you immediately start speaking. "Mona. Really? Magical Girl-Maid Monica?!"

Mona clearly holds back a laugh on the other end of the phone. "Hey! I wanted to introduce Maddie to it. And besides, it's great!"

And then she start singing the first few lines of the theme song. Leviathan's Blood. "Girl, I'd throw a pillow at you if I wasn't in the Mitt right now!" You yell.

Mona seems to be ready to laugh her way into a heart attack at this rate, but bravely (annoyingly) holds it back. "It's still peak magical girl, and you like 💙Doki Doki Magical Girl-Motorcyclist Makoto💙! Don't judge me!"

"Makoto is way cooler, more mature, and is also more independent than Monica, and I will die on that hill." You assert, trying to hold back your laughter as well.

"Oh yeah, and before I forget. I was just talking with LL." Mona offhandedly mentions, "she says I can't tell you about where we are."

LL? Wait…

"Girl, you can't tell me that you talked with Lady Leizhi and then leave it there! Where even are you right now!?"

"Well, we're actually going to get the Apiary back in a few days. We're training up Rhys right now…"

You stand up, and look out the window. Yup. Floating Venom Morpheme is still there. Shit. "Mona, answer me. How many teammates do you have?"

"…three? We've got Rhys training his powers right now."

Four metahumans. Four metahumans, one of whom you're pretty sure just made her debut less than a month ago, and one who is literally in training right now.

Four metahumans against a Named Behemoth. You do not like those odds. Not at all.

Wait, and how long has Mona even been using her powers? She's at best a mediocre liar, and she definitely would have been the type of girl to fly instead of walking. And what did she say again?

"See! I can shoot lasers and stuff! And I'm a black hole? Technically, maybe?"

Click to shrink...

Mona is a nerd for superheroes. She should have known her own powers better.

"-ei? Rei?"

"It's nothing," you answer. "I just feel like you should probably have more help with this. Be careful out there, ok? Stay safe, Mona."

You put down the phone, and begin to walk out of the apartment. It looks like if you want your peaceful life back, you're going to have to get some things done yourself.

---

Author's Note:
I took some time off the corkboard to write about my candidates. Then it got a bit out of hand.

I hope that this encourages you all to vote for my candidates if we roll them. Rei's already canonically shown up in the quest, so I wanted to give Shelley some love.

(And speaking of Shelley, if you liked her here and/or like HSR, read Space Oddity! We're right in the finale of Belobog! Read now, or be cursed to have to catch up on Xianzhou!)

Thank you all for reading.

 

[Suleverf]

While waiting in between updates I wrote up an omake backstory for one of my candidates. As it's for the edgelord Samuel, it's darker in tone compared to the main story (even Maddie's intro) or comparable omakes.

Please observe the following trigger warnings before reading:

Spoiler: Trigger warnings

Descriptions of gore, violence, suicide. Explicit violence against children

Spoiler: Until Death

All are equal in the face of death.

As a turn of phrase it's patently absurd. In a world of metahumans powerful enough to level cities and survive nuclear bombs, how could it be anything other than the world picking favorites? The chosen few, destined to either lord over or shepherd the rest of us.

And yet, many of them were but feathers under the wings of corporations, squabbling with each other over money and politics in an endless cycle. The faces may change, but the game remains the same. Not so different from the underworld you were familiar with, but fought with cleaner hands the majority of the time.

All are equal in the face of death.

The mantra was useful to cling to when fighting a losing duel. When you were sticking shards of metal in some hapless person's heart. When your own life was draining out onto the floor before your eyes. When you first adopted the moniker Samuel.

And now that phrase continues to echo through your mind as your eyes scan over this latest report. The glowing words on the dimly-lit screen come across as fiction, written by an immature teenager imagining a doomed world in lieu of their own sheltered life. You readily believe and disbelieve them in equal measure. Leviathan stirring from its eternal rest. The majority of the world's heroes dying or going missing. Wonderland collapsing. How many among Justice Unlimited's best could have imagined that they would be puddles of goldnine by the end of the month?

As you flip through multiple displays to corroborate the facts across various sources, you try to avoid thinking too deeply about the implications for your employers. They shall either survive or be consumed in the ensuing chaos. It would be better to not have to change jobs, as it's rare to find organizations in this city that have need of your skills and aren't so two-faced. Though the reason for that is obvious and understandable. Regardless, you will complete your task. Your fingers at the keyboard clack onwards, preparing a compilation that may or may not fall upon closed eyes.

One thing is for certain. It is the end of an era, and the start of a new cycle.

---

It all began with a simple agreement. A childish contract proposed by a grownup, and then a handshake. Little did the naive boy know, he had shaken hands with the devil. From that day forth his soul fell down to hell.

"Excellent work kid. Sometimes it ain't the strongest who wins," said a suave voice from the edge of the darkness. The person it belonged to stepped out into the light surrounding a ramshackle arena, revealing a wiry man dressed in an immaculate suit. His head was comfortably covered up beneath a fat pork pie hat, tinted sunglasses, and a crimson bandana. He raised his velvet gloves to give a slow clap.

The blood-soaked boy, standing some distance opposite to him among a pile of fresh corpses, did nothing but suck in air with gasping breaths. The clapping stopped, and an expectant silence followed.

"Well c'mon then, what are you waiting for? A cookie?" asked the man.

It was then that something metallic clattered to the floor, and the child cocked his head behind himself to see what it was.

There was a small girl in dirty clothes staring at the boy, wide-eyed. Her right palm was open, and down on the floor below it a pristine dagger came to a rest. He had only seen her at the very start of the game and never again until now. Did she hide the whole time? Maybe she thought that the boy would lay down his knife too, and that together they could stand in defiance of this sadistic game. Or maybe she was about to take her own desperate swing at survival but couldn't muster the will to follow through with it.

"Why?" whispered the boy.

"This game is so stupid. I don't wanna play anymore," said the girl.

His mind flicked back to the start of the game. One of the very first contestants to die flashed in his memory. Everyone had to watch as that poor kid stabbed himself over and over again, compelled by oath. All for the simple act of refusing to step onto the stage.

A solitary bell chimed from up above. "Alright lovebirds, I know you're having a touching farewell but do wrap it up. I have some spare time but we still need to keep to a schedule, so decide who's living and who's dying or you'll both make like Romeo and Juliet."

The boy couldn't comprehend. "Don't you want to live?"

She nodded but her lips curled into a sad smile. "No one will let me."

His mouth opened but he held his tongue. It was a monstrous idea, but it was true. The boy had fought and fought, expending nearly every last ounce of his strength just to last for a few more precious seconds moment by moment. The life he so greedily won from others, to be given away to someone who just stood still and waited for the right moment?

But that was precisely what had happened. His life had been in her hands, and she let go of it. She wouldn't let herself live by staining her own hands. Who knew if the mastermind behind all of this would even let the last survivor go? Still she stood there stubbornly, refusing to try to either live or die. It was maddening. Someone had to make a choice, or they would all be choosing death!

"Why," he could only repeat pathetically.

The girl did not answer him. Could not answer him. So he made the choice that he always made.

After what seemed like an eternity, his leaded feet marched over mechanically. They kicked away the girl's dagger. She did nothing but look away in an attempt to steel herself, like a kid waiting for a jab in the arm at the doctor's office.

He didn't dare meet her gaze. Instead he tightened the grip on his own knife, before winding it up and plunging it directly into her heart. His hand retracted the blade soon after, causing her to stagger backwards as she clutched at her chest. With a dying gasp, she slumped to the ground.

But he swore that he could hear her rasp out some final words.

"Make that man pay…"

The nameless girl stopped moving.

And for a short while, so did the boy.

Another bell rang out.

Out of nowhere a hand grabbed the boy's shoulder, startling him.

"And that's a wrap. First heartbreak is the worst, but you'll get over it." The man bored into him with those pitch black shades of his. They had come to resemble empty sockets more than anything else. "Damn shame that you still don't have powers. We only ended up having a couple kids with them this time and they somehow died to a whelp like you."

This close to the man, the boy contemplated cutting his throat out right then and there. The man had never demonstrated any other powers besides the infernal oath binding them together. If there was just enough delay in the contract's punishment clause, he could drag this devil back to hell along with him.

"Hah, I know that look. You won't get even halfway through your swing if you break your oath now. I'll make you slit your own throat faster than you can cry mommy."

So this was it then. From the beginning the girl saw things more clearly than he did. There was no way this guy would let anyone go after he had his fun.

The man's hand shoved off the boy, who regained his footing a few steps back. "However, to cut loose the star actor of tonight's show like that would leave a bad taste in my mouth. So I'm going to give you a severance package. A contract renegotiation if you will." He reached out to offer another handshake.

The boy's eyes darted back and forth between the twin voids the man had for eyes and the outstretched hand. He blurted, "What's your name, mister?"

"My name?" the man scoffed.

"I can't trust you anymore if I don't know your name."

He gave a menacing chuckle. "You sure are a hoot, kid. The name's Until Death. Promise me that you'll never try to lay hands on me or mess with my business after this now and forever and I'll let you go."

"I promise." The words were sandpaper leaving his mouth. His hand let go of the dripping dagger it was so desperately clinging onto and clasped the man's hand. At the very least, by doing this he could dirty those clean expensive gloves with blood spatters.

"Very good. Now if I were you, I'd skip town. Some random kid going on a psycho massacre doesn't draw much sympathy in these parts as I hear. Especially one murdering an innocent little girl."

With that, the masked man strode off back into the darkness. The harsh spotlights overhead the arena soon followed, leaving the child with nothing but a bitter vow of vengeance.

Spoiler: Author's notes

This is the result of having just watched Battle Royale. It's pretty gratuitous, I imagine it will be changed if Samuel comes up as a candidate. As he is, it's pretty hard to justify JU approving his candidacy. There may be a continuation later on if I care to write it. I am starting to realize that my 2 candidates somewhat reflect more extreme versions of existing characters in the story, not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet.

Until Death | Next: Starfall>>

 

[ScorpioSting]

Potential Energy, an omake by ScorpioSting
​

It was a day like any other when it happened. As much as any day in the post-Leviathan chaotic world could be a 'day like any other'.

Ernesto Cruz, owner of a small bodega in the Old Industrial District, had started off his day normally. People came in, bought what they needed, and then left.

That changed when they came in.

"Money in the bag, and nobody gets hurt!"

Three men in ski masks take control of the small bodega, armed with two pistols and a shotgun. The shotgun-toting leader aims it at the man behind the register, while Subordinate One places a bag on the counter, his gun trained at the door to keep an eye out for anyone trying to come in. Subordinate Two has a gun trained at the few people inside, to keep them from getting out.

"And don't even think about trying to press any sort of button under the counter." The leader of the trio leans forward a little more, the shotgun's barrel looming in the store owner's face.

"O-okay, okay! Calm down!" The owner opens the cash register and takes the bag, starting to fill it.

But as he does so, he looks at one of the customers, a girl with red hair, around 17. She sees his look and nods, and slyly, pulls her phone out. She takes care to hide it as she types out a fast message.

"bodega on fifth help"

---

Keith Mondego is, technically, a hero. People like him.

But there is a major gap between the big players- New Dawn, Justice Unlimited, Powers, Global Justice… and someone like him.

He doesn't have flashy bases, high-tech security systems, support gear, or big vehicles.

No, he has a shitty apartment, a few contacts, a beat-up old motorcycle, and determination.

He is a metahuman. He can claim that at least. But he doesn't have the biggest power in the world.

Whenever he's struck with physical force, whether it be a brief shoulder check, a push, a punch or kick, or even a gunshot wound, his body absorbs the kinetic energy enacted against him. Once absorbed, it's stored, and he can release it back, either through his own punches and kicks, or in a wider, but more destructive, blast.

Hence, the codename: Counterstrike.

The problem is that Keith isn't any tougher than the average person. There's no defensive reduction in order to make him more able to absorb the energy needed to strike back with real force. And a power that requires you to get the shit kicked out of you in order to use it is not the most useful thing in the world.

Gym visits and his boxing club do help him get energy into his system on a semi-consistent basis, so he can do something when a fight starts without having to take something to the face, at least. But it's not the biggest or flashiest power in the world, not like Uiara's hydrokinesis, or the raw genius of an Algernon, or anything on that level.

But it's enough for street-level gangbangers, the occasional bigger one like that Demon Flamez splinter group…

And with Horizon royally fucked by Leviathan killing everyone, everywhere, that meant that a lot of the smaller fry were coming out of the woodwork, using the chaos as an opportunity to expand, make quick cash, or just get some semblance of power before some new order took over.

And with the big shots tending their own wounds, the little guys are getting fucked over extra hard. Which means the street-level heroes, the ones without flashy sponsorships and advertisements and labs, have to work overtime.

Keith felt like he'd been working overtime for a goddamn year. Within the last few days, he'd dealt with muggers, thieves, a few gangs, and more streakers than you could shake a stick at.

Still, you had to pull your big boy pants up sometimes and do the right fucking thing. Which meant answering Hazel's distress text and stopping by the bodega on Fifth Street to stop whatever was happening.

Keith slid on his motorcycle jacket and helmet and drove over quickly, parking in a nearby alleyway and moving in on foot, moving around the corner before peaking through a window.

Hazel. Señor Cruz, the owner. Other people. Three thieves.

"Oy! Pendejos!"

Keith-no, now it's Counterstrike, motorcycle helmet and jacket still on, moves into the bodega, cracking his knuckles.

"Who the fuck is that?" Subordinate One asks, training the gun on him.

"Shit. It's that rookie with the strength and the force blast!" The leader with the shotgun turns, letting Mr. Cruz duck to the floor.

"I see you've heard of me. But call me Counterstrike."

Subordinate One fires his pistol, but Counterstrike rolls to the side, out of the bullet's way. He gets into a boxing stance and then dashes forward, punching the first man in the gut.

When he went into the store, his internal storage of kinetic energy was at about 45% of his maximum. From what Counterstrike had read, most metahumans who relied on some source of energy for their powers managed to get a good sense of gauging how much they had in them as they got more experienced. That had been true of him. Once he got used to taking in the energy from attacks and then unleashing it for strength and blasts, he started developing an internal meter for how much he was using and how much he had stored up.

Counterstrike let loose 5% of the stored energy, sending the man flying back into the wall, not enough to dent the plaster but further than a normal punch would have sent him flying.

That stunned the group enough that Counterstrike could grab the leader by the wrist and twist the shotgun to the ground, disarming him. Moving into a judo throw, grappling the leader by his shirt and wrist, Counterstrike used another 3% to hoist the man over his head and slam him into the ground behind him.

At that point, Subordinate Two was shaking a little, but still held his pistol at Counterstrike, whose gaze was hidden behind the motorcycle helmet.

"If you surrender now, I'll be a little more lenient. Are you free agents? Did the Flamez set you up for this? Maybe you have a contract with Powers, the assholes that they are?"

The pistol-holding robber doesn't emote, owing to the ski mask, but he still seems nervous.

"B-boss?"

Shit. Kept his eye off him!

Keith turned to look at the boss, who had re-grabbed his shotgun and aimed at his back behind him.

"Be a good little boy, walk and stay with the rest of them, and let us have our money."

"Mr. Cruz?" Keith spoke to the bodega owner, still hiding behind the counter.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"It is fine. You did your best. You are stretched very thin these days."

"What? No. I'm not sorry for not being able to stop them. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."

In a fast moment, Keith turned around and punched at the boss of the operation, letting loose a blast of about 11%, more than enough to send the shotgun wielder flying through the glass doors and into the street.

The glass shatters on impact, spraying outwards as the leader of the thief trio slams into the ground. Keith looks over his shoulder at Subordinate Two, who runs past him, and Subordinate One joins him as they dash away, picking up their boss and running into an alleyway.

"TRY THAT SHIT ANOTHER TIME, AND I KICK YOUR ASS AGAIN!" Keith shouted at the fleeing criminals, before turning around to make sure everyone is okay.

"Thanks for coming." Hazel stood up and came closer to Keith.

"It's no problem. This is my role, helping the little guys that are beneath notice."

"…you're still going to have to help clean that up…" Señor Cruz cut in, a little annoyed.

"Oh, of course. Point me to the broom and I'll sweep the glass up myself."

"I'll help as well, I did send him here."

Señor Cruz got the cleaning supplies and soon enough, Keith and Hazel were sweeping the glass to be disposed of.

"Do you already have a repair guy who can handle this, or could I recommend my uncle help with this?" Hazel asked the bodega owner.

"I do know someone, but if your uncle has better rates, I'll listen."

Keith smirked under his helmet. Hazel was a ruthless self-promoter. In addition to basically doing his PR for free, texting him if a situation was happening where he could help, she also had plenty of cousins, uncles, and aunts who lived in Horizon and were willing to use her as a marketing tactic. Oh, you just so happened to need something? I have a family member who can do it!

It was part of what Keith found charming about her, her rugged determination. No metahuman powers but a relentless can-do attitude and connections. Hopefully one day it'd pay off and actually make her family a bit more money.

But for now, she had to keep hustling.

After a bit of work, the glass was all swept up, "Uncle Vic" had a lead on a new glass door to repair, and Keith got back on his bike, with Hazel on the back.

"Where you headed?"

"You caught me at a good time, I didn't really have anything to do at the time. But now? I wanna catch up with Mr. Song. That throw he taught me worked perfectly."

"I saw! You hurled that guy right over your head, how much did you use?"

"3%."

"Wow. I would have thought 7%, at least."

"It's not about having the most strength, it's about how you use it. Firm footing and a good grip, those help a lot."

"I'll come along, but I won't stay for a full session. I'll probably swing by Jack's bookstore and read something."

"That reminds me, do you still have a copy of Pride and Prejudice? I'm thinking of doing it for my book report."

"Oh, yeah, sure, I can loan you it in a day or two."

"Great."

Hazel latched her hands around Keith's stomach as they drove to Mr. Song's dojo, parking the bike in front of it.

"Mr. Song?" Keith spoke loudly but didn't yell as he walked in.

"Mondego? You're here early. And Miss Evans, as well."

"Just dealt with some cheap thieves that were trying to hold up Mr. Cruz's bodega on Fifth."

"You clearly won, obviously." Mr. Song smirked as he said that, proud of his star pupil.

"Yeah. That throw, with just a little bit of my power, threw a guy over my head. Complete 180-degree arc."

"I'm glad you're using my teachings well, Mondego. The city needs a next generation of heroes, and even if people like me or Miss Evans can't go flying around blasting lasers out of our hands, we can set people like you up for success."

Keith blushed a little. "… thank you, sensei."

"Well, then, I still think you can improve. Get on the mat and let's see how you apply what you've learned. And don't worry, I'll get some more kinetic energy into you." Mr. Song's smirk widened as he moved back.

"Alright, enjoy beating the snot out of each other. See you in 3rd period, Keith."

"Love you, Haze." Keith blew a kiss at his girlfriend as he went to take off his motorcycle jacket and prepare to spar.

The world was in a chaotic state.

But in times of chaos, talented youth will rise with it, with the guidance of supportive elders and the assistance of peers.

"Why don't you try applying to one of the other groups, Mondego?" Mr. Song asked as Keith got into position.

"…Honestly? I like staying local. I'm certain I could do more with my power, but… I don't want to lose touch with my roots. I don't want to be living in some ivory tower, only dealing with big threats."

"Well, you could still try to link up with them. Be a liaison, assisting in some capacity."

"…I'll think about it, at least. I'm certain that Hazel would relish the opportunity to plug her family's businesses to them."

"You're still young. You have time. That new Black Swan girl in Justice Unlimited is only two years older than you. Hell, they've got a girl younger than you who just joined up with them."

Keith moved in to strike, and Mr. Song moved like a snake to grab him by the wrist and throw him onto the ground.

"And you are still easily distracted."

Keith exhaled as he hit the ground, then got back up.

He still had a ways to go, but in Horizon, the sky was the limit.

 

[chickenbouillon]

Under My Skin: An Omake By Chickenbouillon

Trigger Warning for Trypophobia, Body Horror, Self Harm and Generally Gross Stuff

You are Franz Marshall, and there is something wet under your skin.

It is warm. Spongey. It forms holes in your skin and burrows its way deeply. You try to pick at them with a lot of things. First your fingernails, and then a knife. You rip at them until they bleed and weep pus onto the ground, and at first you were disgusted but now it's beautiful and freeing, like the concept of purification.

The thing beneath your skin sings again, and it buzzes and crawls and you can feel it crawling beneath your pores. How lovely. How beautiful.

Your eyes, which are no longer yours alone, trawls onto the screen. Pictures of bright men and women on the screen. Once they were your idols, your heroes. Those who you loved with your entire heart and soul.

Now, they are a mockery. A hollow husk. A lot of them died out.

You can understand that.

..You're hollow too.


This apartment felt comforting to you now. With its fleshy walls, warm and tight. Inviting and welcoming. You think any guest would love to be inside, but it's difficult because nobody ever comes to visit you.

If you were a hero, you're sure you'd be loved. You'd finally do something useful for once. You wouldn't be despised anymore. No more days of dealing with ugly, icky businessmen in cold suits and unflinching stares. No more dealing with coworkers who whisper behind your back.

You'll just hollow it out now. Hollow all of it out. Deep deep deep deep deeeeeeeeeeeep down.. until all of it becomes as ugly beautiful as you are.

The worms sense your agitation, and they vomit themselves into the air, squirming from the open holes in your skin. Their wet sounds add to the orchestra. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the lit screen and find yourself flinching away in horror, before you laugh. How silly of you! Nothing was wrong. You just ate a lot more now but that's fine because eating makes you feel good and complete and..

There was a knock at the door. You don't answer.

The wings of your friends drown out the screams outside with their beautiful symphony and you appreciate nothing more.

You want to curl up here forever, curl up like a cocoon and burst out like a heavenly butterfly. Brilliant and sharp and beautiful. You don't know when this changed. You just knew that you woke up like this once and you are repulsed with the creature you've become

couldn't be happier.

The door is caving in now, and you want to scream. "Leave me alone!" Why now? Why care now? They've never cared about you before, so why are they ripping away your happiness now?


The door shatters and that horrid light pours in. You hate it. Hate it with your soul and being. You have to flee! Need to run!

You pour yourself through the gaps and fly out. Past past paaaaaaast the screams.

---

Abigail Bailey was.. not someone you'd call polite.


She'd never seen the need to mince her words or be polite to her tenants more than what was strictly necessary. False pleasantries reeked of an unctuous pretense, and she detested pretenses more than anything in this world.


That being said, she was still a human being with a heart, so when one of the tenants complained about the man living in room 432 not having left his room in almost a month now and an odd smell radiating from his room, she had been.. worried.

So here she was. Pounding on the door like a madwoman, surrounded by a group she'd managed to press into helping her. "Sir?" She called out, and her voice was shaky and odd, which she despised. She didn't falter for anything. The odor was almost unbearable, and it wasn't anything that she could describe. It smelled like a festering wound that's been left open to rot.

"Is everything alright in there? Sir?" She pounded on the door again, and pressed her head onto the doorway so she could attempt to listen to what's inside.

There's nothing but buzzing on the other side, and that's when she made up her mind. Something was seriously odd here. She gestured to the group behind her and motioned for them to break the door down. The men threw themselves at the thing, pounding on it with as much force as their bodies could muster.

It splintered, cracked, and ultimately shattered under the onslaught.

And that was when everything went to hell.

There was a veritable torrent of insects that hurled out of the doorway. Thousands of them. Tens of thousands of them even. She however, was currently not in any position to examine how many of them there were, because they were currently nipping at her skin, and it hurts. How it hurts.

It wasn't like a normal insect bite. It was like someone had poured acid on her skin and it was now rotting away. She could feel herself melting.. her skin curling under the onslaught of acidic venom. She felt her eyes rolling into her skull as they poured themselves down her throat, her muscles contracting and seizing up. And they were growing, the more insects gorged themselves on her flesh, the more popped up from beneath her skin. They were inside, inside of her.

And the final sight she could muster before her vision gave way to nothing was the barely humanoid figure surrounded by insects floating up towards the night sky.

A/N: Wanted to try something horror like! Yippee! It turned out pretty well :3 Here's the backstory for my metahuman!

 

[Wing101r]

Behemoth Hunt​

Behemoths were a fact of life in Horizon.

Odd and Powerful monster that require powerful weapons or Metahumans to take down. Hunting Behemoths was considered a Routine but one that can pay bills if you could do it. Unless you ended up facing Named which usually meant it was best to run away.

Golem, Samson Road didn't consider himself to be an exceptional metahuman, but he also never denied his strenghts and his power was one that made it suitable for him for facing Behemoths.

Covered in Stone Armor about 3 meters tall Golem looked at his target calmply. Smart as they were Gold rank behemoths were more than capable of hiding in order to avoid being hunted and while powerful they in his opinion lacked the Metahuman Powers that truly made Named Behemoths a treat.

Golem prey taking the form of a Tiger with Blade like wings on its back was an impressive figure to be sure but in Golems eyes he was just a prey to hunted. Afterall while Golem had never taken down a Named Behemoth like some of the most powerful heroes in Horizon he was more than capable of taking a Gold Rank behemoth by himself.

"Right then, Operator I've got eyes on target engaging." Golem informed his friend that helped him reach his target and then proceded to activate his power.

Golem Stone Armor originally akin to a Tank, gathered more stone and earth gaining bigger until he controlled a 6 meter tall Armored figure a Stone Robot as he called it. His Physical Body now positioned at his armors head in order to see things clearly, while protected a stone cages. Golems costume consisting of Black Karate gi covering a body armor and a simple Bandana mask visible to Gold Rank.

"Grr" The Gold rank eyed me as I approach, animal instinct making them wary yet also confident in fighting me. Gold Ranks were smart enough to run when needed but as monsters they wouldn't flee unless they considered it dangerous enough to need it. A walking pile stone a bit smaller than them wasn't enough for a Gold rank to flee. A fact that golem knew and used to temp Behemoths to attack.

Golem took a karate universal stance feet shoulder width apart one foot forward and the other foot parallel to big toe of the back foot. His right hand clenched in a fist and pulled back ready to punch while the left hand faced faced forward ready to block attacks. Despite his armor being made of Earth and thus generally infelxible his power more than allowed Golem to control the stone armor akin to his body.

Golem and Gold ranked faced each in a standoff, Golem more than willing to wait patiently for an attack. In the end the Gold Ranked attacked first launching towards golem, at first it seemed like an attack with a bite only to reveal it to be a feint, the gold ranked instead used the lounge to dash pass Golem and cut him down with its blade extending pass along with the momentum.

It was a good attack, but in the end Golem had more than enough experience in facing Behemoths along with confidence in his own Power. Golem didn't have the speed to dodge but through sheer reflexes and experience he was able to use his left hand to catch to blade and using his Giant Armors Durability and strength managed to break blade even as it cut through to his Stone Robos hand.

The Sudden imbalance from its broken blade led to the Gold Rank to crashed in the Ground. Without hesitation Golem close attacking with a stomp at the behemoth leg the weight and Strenght of stone Robot allowing Golem to break its leg despite a Behemoths own durability.

"ROOOR" The Behemoth cried in pain as it tried to shake Golem off yet rather than retreting, Golem threw a right forward punch straight at the Behemoth stunning it. And allowing Golem put the Gold Ranks Head in a grapple and Break its neck with a twist.

"This is Golem, Gold Rank behemoth eliminated." Golem reported after having made sure of its death. Just another day in his job as a Behemoth Hunter.
///////////////////////

A.N. A simple omake to both show off my Original DNA submission and shamelessly get bonus for Leizi to dodge. Anyway when I created Golem I just wanted someone with earth powers and figured stone armor and Stone Mech would be cool powerset. Thinking about it further I realize thats actually a good powerset for hunting Behemoths apart from Named Ranks, so he becaem Hero specialized in hunting behemoths. I added Karate as a fighting style in Homage of Mecha anime originating from japan same with custome.

If i get a +1 put it on leizi if she needs it