NOVEL NEXT Mob 5.11
Mob 5.11
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
April 19, 2011
5:12 PM
-258
[Status Effect: Cracked Ribs] - 20 Minutes
His mouth was open in a silent gasp, blue eyes wide with pain as Greg struggled to process the situation. The ground had vanished under his feet before he could even blink and all Greg could do was as what felt like a cannonball struck his torso, an instinctive attempt at reinforcing his body shattering under his scattered focus.
Sent flying into the air at startling speed, it took Greg a moment to recover from the blow. The abrupt shock from the pressure wave warring with simple fear. Greg's limbs flailed before he suddenly went rigid, the subtle calm of Gamer's Mind making its presence known. The jackhammer that was his pounding heart slowed to something approaching normal.
Awareness of his situation came too late to do much, though.
-34
Even with a quickened perception of time, the impact came far too fast for him to react to. His back hit the asphalt with a jarring force that rocked his body. A pained groan spilled from his lips the second he hit the ground, but Greg kept moving all the same. With ingrained skill, the blond quickly shifted the momentum of the harsh fall into a hurried roll before jumping back to his feet with a sense of urgency that only the fear of death could bring.
Shit! As urgent as the situation was, Greg couldn't shake off the pain as quickly as he would like. Something about this injury made the pain persist despite his power's usual quick recovery, and Greg recalled the status effect that flashed in front of him as he fell for a moment. God… Goddammit… what was that?
Throwing one hand out to the side to catch his balance as he stumbled backwards on unsteady legs, Greg simply held his chest for a few seconds, trying his very best to force air into his pained lungs. The mouth and nose-enclosing portions of his balaclava, like a good portion of his costume was in complete tatters, barely held together by more than two or three pieces of thread. While that would normally be cause for annoyance, Greg couldn't help but appreciate the fact that it let him gulp down desperately needed air. Seriously… what hit me… like that?
Still gasping for air, Greg forced himself to stare back up towards the restaurant's roof, hoping to catch sight of what struck him so hard. Instead, he found himself stepping back in shock, mouth agape at the sight of the building.
Or rather, what remained of it.
Whatever had sent him flying had apparently done far worse to the building he had just been on. The entire roof and a good chunk of the third floor was just... gone.The only remnants of what had once been there lay scattered all across the asphalt in front of the building, coating the street in a carpet of golden tiling and other scattered detritus.
But the building's destruction wasn't as heart-stopping as what Greg spotted next. He forgot his injuries entirely as he scrambled back again, nearly stumbling on the rubble-covered street. All the while, the cause of his shock stared down at him, hair buffeting around the brilliant source of light that hid her face from the world. As she hovered several meters above the wrecked restaurant, body aglow with the incandescence of a sun in miniature, one wouldn't be faulted for thinking she might have been an angel.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Oh…
Those Wacky Nazis II: Movers and Shakers… and Blasters
Details: Survive an encounter with the Empire 88's best.
Success: Highly increased reputation with the Empire 88, +12500 XP, + 5 Stat Points
Failure: Death/Conscription into the Empire
Bonus: Gain the respect of your attackers.
Greg's jaw snapped back together with a click, teeth slamming into each other. Oh no.
The blond twitched, the back of his head pulsing a repeated warning as he stared up at Purity with wide, blue eyes. His fingers trembled as he saw the Empire cape begin to move, her floating form drifting over the wrecked rooftop that Greg couldn't help but shudder at. She must have barely missed me, Greg reasoned to himself, taking several unsteady steps back as Purity slowly floated closer towards the street below. Either that or…
His body sprung into overdrive as the warning in his head suddenly screamed for his attention. He shot backwards, body twisting into a powerful somersault as some sort of distortion in the air rushed beneath him with alarming speed. The screech of tearing metal tore into his ears as the distortion passed, and the boy's eyes widened as another warning sounded off in his skull an instant later.
-67
-53
-49
-31
-21
-19
[Status Effect: Severe Bleeding] - 10 Minutes
Resistance: Slashing Lvl Up!
17→18
A strained hiss forced itself through gritted teeth as an explosion solely made up of razor blades tore through his right side, blood sent flying as it ate through his costume just as easily as it did skin. Greg Veder dropped to the ground in an uncontrolled heap, body a twitching mess amid blood-stained rubble. The white of his ribs stood out amid blood and viscera so fresh that it did not belong anywhere outside of the confines of a human body.
Yet despite all this, Greg didn't scream. No, instead, vicious growls left his open mouth as the blond clawed mindlessly at the wreckage surrounding him. Blue eyes remained unblinkingly wide behind the remains of a silver skull mask, tears welling up inside them as the blond continued to thrash like a wounded animal.
A sound like a thousand glass windows shattering at once rung out and he screamed as something slammed into him and then so much…
So much…
[Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] negated by Gamer's Mind
Greg Veder flipped back onto his feet, angry heat surging through his skull as both hands curled at his sides like claws. Raw, vibrant flames burst to life around each limb, engulfing the both of them before pooling into fireballs in his palms that quickly ate away at what remained of his gloves. Mouth open in a wordless shout, he turned to face the direction his most recent surprise attack had come from. His cry only escalated in volume as he spotted his target, transforming into a roar as the shirtless man drew his arm back.
Greg bared his teeth and ignored the furious pounding in his skull in lieu of quickly jerking to the side to let the collection of distorted air pass by him. Raising his hands, the blonde shot balls of fire forward with intensity that he had never given it before, searing spheres of flame appearing ex nihilo from his outspread palms and launching themselves at high speed.
Basic Pyrokinesis Lvl Up!
7→8
A wall of that same distorted air formed once more in front of Greg's shirtless target, the fire dissipating from the blond's palms as he suddenly launched himself forward, screaming all the while. Behind him, two bright helixes of white light lanced into the ground where he stood, each creating a new crater in the process.
Greg paid it no mind as he moved, screaming as he swerved around another ripple in the air. The man in chains dropped his barrier and made to run, words leaving his mouth that Greg couldn't bring himself to care to understand. From behind, the blond leapt, pouncing over a discarded wooden beam and the remnants of a golden dragon sculpture with cat-like grace to wrap his arms around the man's neck. As they fell to the ground in a pile, Greg tightened his grip, muscles tensing as he began to pu-
[Mindless Rage] negated by Gamer's Mind.
Thoughtless anger faded away, replaced by an unflinching calm as Greg took in his surroundings for an instant. As his brain caught up enough to recall the events of the last few seconds, that calm was quickly replaced by confusion… which was then overtaken by frustration.
"...whaaaat theee fuuuuuuck?" The words left him in a low whisper as he realized just who he was currently restraining in what could only be described as a prone sleeper hold. "Stormtiger?"
The man let out a wet gurgling sound as Greg's arm tightened around his neck, the look in his eyes both frantic and murderous as he continued to thrash. Whether it was the sudden lack of oxygen, the pain of the hold or just simple humiliation, the cape continued his protest as best as he could, voice limited to nothing but errant choking noises.
While the sounds of a windpipe being slowly crushed did little to answer his question, the wind currently buffeting around the both of them as well as the signature half-mask and chains wrapped across the man's torso told Greg all he needed to know. The blond shook his head in bewildered annoyance at the situation in front of him and shot another glance up in the sky as he kept his arm-lock tight around Stormtiger's throat. What now, bitch? Can't risk blasting me again, can you?
The focus of Greg's current attention, Purity hung just meters above the street itself. The glare from her power died down, making her somewhat easier to look at as she drew closer. Greg let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as he noted — with no small amount of relief— that her arms were crossed over her chest. Okay, at least she's definitely not gonna blast me now.
On that note, Greg began to drag himself up to his feet, pulling the shirtless villain up with him by his neck as the man desperately clawed and struggled against the teen's iron grip and encroaching death by asphyxiation. The wind continued to furiously beat at the both of them, but Greg ignored it, as it seemed that Stormtiger couldn't generate anything truly powerful from this angle. After all, anything the cape could do to him was next to nothing compared to the slowly fading pain of the gaping hole in his side or the ever-present and continuously oppressive vise in his chest that was his damaged ribs. Not the worst I've ever been, though, Greg noted calmly, a defiant glare firmly on his face as he fixed his gaze on Purity. So, there's that going for me.
"Listen," Greg began, his raised voice only slightly strained as Purity finally came to a stop a little under a dozen feet high and several yards away. "I have been doing my very best not to lose my head this whole day. I've tried to keep calm. I've tried to act… normal, for what little it's worth. But if you make a single move, I will turn his face into my favorite type of steak."
Despite being unable to actually see a change of expression on the glowing cape's face due to her luminosity, Greg could almost feel the air of confusion wafting off of her as he finished speaking. Stormtiger's attempts at escape only doubled as Greg spoke, the cape's fingers frantically pulling and clawing at the reinforced limb flush against his windpipe.
Greg spoke up again in an attempt to clarify his previous statement, carefully adjusting his arms until one of his open palms was held directly in front of the aerokinetic's face. "Well done."
Purity's head moved, the cape nodding her head as she spoke up with a surprisingly restrained, "I understand."
"Great to hear! So, what's this all about?" Greg finally asked, forcing cheer into his tone once again. "I mean, one attack from behind, I can forgive. Two… well, accidents happen. Three on the other hand," Greg gave the glowing woman a sharp smile as he flexed his arms around Stormtiger's neck, loosening just enough for the man to take in a lungful of air and re-tightening his hold a quick second later. "Three feels like you're trying to kill me."
"Listen, there's a misunderstanding here," Purity began, her voice far meeker than Greg would expect from someone as imposing and powerful as she seemed.
"There is?" Greg blinked, smile dipping slightly. His confusion grew slightly as he stared at Purity, the edge he believed he had in the form of Stormtiger's life possibly no longer the bargaining chip he thought it was. Stay confident. Bluff it out.
"Le… let… g…!"
-17
"Okay. T-tell me, then," Greg answered back, voice jumping an octave as Stormtiger's continued struggling managed to force an elbow into his partially exposed side. A jerk of his arm and a sudden pull forced the animal-themed cape to rise up off his knees slightly, choking noises redoubled as the villain's face began to redden in earnest all over again.
Directing the next sentence to his captive parahuman, Greg snarled a warning. "Bad kitty."
Taunt Lvl Up!
10→11
Not even bothering to wait for so much as a nod in return, Greg did his best to ignore the renewed pain from the wound as he turned his gaze back up to a silent Purity. "I… shit… I don't hear an explanation."
"Look… we… What we assumed was…" Purity hesitated for a moment, unfolding and refolding her arms as - Greg assumed - she tried to get her words together. "The two of us w-" The glowing woman paused again as Stormtiger renewed his struggling efforts, desperate to get a word out as he forced himself to speak up.
"I… Ihwaa… accide-"
This attempt was met with another flexing movement by Greg, the blond tightening the hold just that much more as he growled a response into Stormtiger's ear. "Shut. Up."
Taking the moment to speak again, Purity continued. "The two of us were heading down here to… look for something..."
Greg raised an eyebrow at that, his gaze flicking over to the half-wrecked Chinese restaurant just at the end of the street. Were they doing what I think...
"...when I saw you on top of the building and…"
"And?" Greg's smile vanished entirely, his grip unconsciously getting tighter around Stormtiger's windpipe as he rose to his full height. "And what? You saw me up there and you thought you'd take potshots at some cape kid 'cause you could?"
"No!" Purity's forceful shout threw him off guard, the woman sounding oddly sincere with the amount of emotion she put into the single syllable. "It wasn't like that. I just assumed..."
"Assumed what?" Greg snapped, taking a few steps back. Stormtiger's body came with, the man barely struggling anymore as he took in quick, sharp breaths where he could, having realized he wasn't going to escape the hold under his own power.
"Listen… k-kid," Stormtiger began, voice barely above a strained whisper from the tightness of Greg's hold. "It… w-"
"Not you, Nazi. Her, Nazi."
Purity shifted in the air as she darted a bit closer, putting Greg on guard as her glow brightened slightly. The blond was ready to drop Stormtiger the second she aimed, not really caring if the Empire cape died so long as he didn't. "I assumed you were Oni Lee and I acted accordingly," she finally replied, voice losing nearly all of the meekness it had possessed previously. Now, Greg could see the villain standing in front of him, the voice finally completing the entire package.
Sadly, he didn't have time to appreciate that, far too caught up with Purity's last words. "Oni Lee?" The blond scoffed, lips pulled back in an unintended sneer. "You seriously thought I was… Do I look like Oni Lee to you?"
"From behind, yes," Purity replied, tone intimidatingly even. "Your costumes are… similar."
Note to self: remodel secondary costume. A single blue eye twitched beneath a shattered half-mask along with the thought. "I guess we both wear black, suuuure, but you know what…" Greg's smile popped back into place as if it never left, grin wide and bright despite the blood on his teeth. "You might be right. I'll give you benefit of the doubt… y'know as long as you don't try to kill me again."
"Agreed," Purity shot back, voice gaining a tone of urgency. "Now, would you mind releasing Stormtiger?"
Greg raised an eyebrow before glancing back at the cape in question, the musclebound man's face on the verge of turning an uncomfortable purple hue by this point. "Not sure I can do that. See, he's my collateral. How do I know you won't laser me soon as I let him go?"
"You have my word that I won't attack you unless you try and attack us," Purity responded, her voice brimming with the confidence of someone who believed they actually made a good point.
Greg was silent for a few seconds, blinking at that declaration. Realizing that she had actually said something that dumb, Greg couldn't quite repress a snort as he replied. "Yes, because if there's anyone considered a paragon of trust and honesty, it would be a supervillain...ess."
"That's… fair, I suppose," Purity replied, her voice level as ever. "I understand why you might feel the way you do."
"I really don't think you do." This time, he actually did laugh. "You already blasted me and then this guy tries to wind claw me to death. Fuck. Both of you. Seriously." Greg paused, shaking his head for a moment before continuing on. "Then you say, 'You have my word.' Wow, the villains who tried to kill me are now saying they won't if I give them another free shot. That sounds like a great idea. Not."
Greg rolled his eyes, letting out another snort as he did so. He partially regretted that a moment later, given the immense amount of wood dust and brick shards floating through the air. "Jesus, you might as well be a pedo fresh out of jail trying to get a job as a nanny by promising not to diddle any more kids. I mean, c-"
"Alright!" Purity audibly inhaled, her glow visibly brightening. "Your point is made, alright. Just… just tell me what you want."
Blue eyes narrowed at the glowing woman in the sky, several questions on the tip of Greg's tongue. Rather than ask them, the blond decided to seek answers another way. [Observe.]
Purity Lvl 70
Title: Queen of Light
HP: 235/235
Long-time member of the Empire 88, Purity is known all over Brockton Bay as the 'Queen of the Empire', much in the same way Kaiser is king. With blasts strong enough to level buildings, she's a serious threat and one of the most dangerous capes in Brockton Bay off of sheer firepower and speed alone. Attempting to turn over a new leaf but still pretty racist.
"... Nah, I'm good."
With that said, Greg let go of Stormtiger and jumped back, letting the man drop to the floor to the audible surprise of both capes. Pushing himself up to all fours, the shirtless cape coughed and heaved as he greedily took in air, burly chest expanding and contracting to its limits. Casting a shocked glance up at Greg, one hand cradled the growing bruises on his neck as the villain tried his best not to make his backwards scramble away from the younger cape look like the actions of a man terrified for his life.
Purity herself let out a small noise of surprise at her partner's release, radiance fading from what it once was to a more manageable gleam. The woman glided forward, dropping several feet until she hovered only a few yards away from Greg, Stormtiger still on the floor behind her. "But you just-"
"Yeah-yeah-yeah," Greg waved her words off with a roll of his eyes as he dropped both hands to his sides again. "I know what I said but I really don't have the time to stretch this out any further. I came out here to hunt down ABB, to stop the bombings… not choke out a dude dressed like a pro wrestler." The blond fought the urge to wince again, his side twinging as his HP continued it's slow upward crawl. As much as I would like to, that's not what I'm here for.
As if on cue, Stormtiger let out another ragged wheeze, a hand still on his neck as he supported his weight on the rubble-laden asphalt. Apart from tilting her head to glance down at him, her facial features still hidden by her ever-present glow, Purity paid the man even less mind than Greg did, turning back to him to ask, "ABB? You've been hunting down ABB?"
What does she care? Greg narrowed his gaze, eyes darting between a slowly recovering Stormtiger and Purity's hovering form, slight frown exposing his suspicion. "...Yeah. Yeah, I have. Hell, right before you blew up that roof, I just took down a couple dozen of them using that restaurant as a front."
This time, Purity actually turned her head completely, giving the aforementioned building a once-over before turning back to Greg just as quickly. "Hmm, we suspected as much. I didn't expect anyone else to be taking the fight to the ABB so quickly, though."
Greg didn't bother to hide the derisive snort that left him at Purity's words. "So quickly? I've been at this since one in the morning. This is the third base I've taken down today. Where have you been?"
"Busy." Stormtiger's voice was raspy from the abuse his neck had taken, but he was speaking with surprising clarity. Greg tensed; the man was once more on his own two feet, and was stretching his neck and shoulder muscles back and forth in a way that screamed 'threat.'
"That's nice. I mean, I guess you guys were too caught up with…" Greg scoffed, rolling his eyes, "I dunno, cleaning out attics, to fight the assholes bombing the city you live in or even do anything about it. Whatever."
He shook his head again and began to turn around, marginally reinforced body already poised to dodge the instant his Danger Sense flared even the slightest of warnings. He had barely taken more than two steps when a call from behind caught his attention.
Greg glanced over his shoulder, gaze darting over Stormtiger back up to Purity, one arm outstretched toward him. For a moment, he tensed to run, but,with nothing giving him a sense of warning, the young cape forced a breath out and remained still. "What?"
Purity spoke up again, floating just the slightest bit closer. "I've been taking the fight to the ABB myself an-"
"We." Stormtiger interjected, strained voice slowly regaining the rich, smug depths that Greg had found himself dreading weeks ago. He glanced up at Purity, mouth set in a flat line as he gave her a meaningful look. "We are taking the fight to the ABB and someone like you… A Brute and a Blaster, y'know, could make the job a looot easier."
Again with this guy? Jesus. Greg felt his eye twitch again at the absurdity of three recruitment pitches in a month from the same cape. "...Nah, I'm good on my own."
Greg's quick rejection didn't seem to deter Stormtiger much at all, the cape taking one step forward with seemingly renewed confidence. "You sure about that, kid?"
"What part of nah do you not get?" Greg shot back, frustration more than annoyance tinging his voice with just the slightest heat. "I'm best as a solo act. As in, by myself."
"But if y-"
"Dude… fuckin'... Jesus, I don't want your help," Greg quickly interjected, stopping the aerokinetic before he could build up momentum. He threw his hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh. "I literally could not want it less. You couldn't even pay me to consider it."
"You can talk tough all you want, little man," Stormtiger rumbled, voice already recovered and just as clear as ever, "but everybody could use some backup."
"Huh." Greg rolled his eyes and faked a yawn, the blond patting his open mouth with one hand. "I get that. Anywho, you guys just do your own thing. I'm sure you'll be fine." After a moment, he shrugged and with a click of his tongue, added, "And if you're not, well… that wasn't really my problem in the first place."
"You're not getting the point, are you?" Stormtiger began again, clearly working himself up to deliver some kind of Nazi After-School Special message. "Y-"
"Just let it go, Stormtiger!" Purity spoke up, an exasperated sigh leaving her as she shook her head. Her voice rang with a sense of command, Greg recognizing it as the way people spoke when they expected to be listened to. "We"re leaving. He's made his choice already."
"Wow, one of you finally gets it," Greg answered back, drawing out the sentence. "If you were any slower on the uptake, you'd probably have to kill yourselves considering… well, yaknow…"
From how quickly Purity's head snapped back to him, Greg had to imagine that if it wasn't for the glow obscuring the entirety of her face, he'd be on the receiving end of quite the impressive glare right now. While her attempt at glaring him down didn't do much to worsen his mood, what she said next did the trick. "You've got two minutes, Stormtiger. Use them wisely."
Fuck.
"Listen, kid," Greg directed his attention back at Stormtiger as the muscular villain pointed a finger at him. The man's voice seemed to deepen by another octave as he spoke, his pose so resembling an overblown anime tough-guy to Greg's mind that it nearly made him snort. "This ain't a regular fight. These crazy fucks are terrorists and they've made that shit clear when they put their fucking bombs everywhere."
Stormtiger dropped his arms to his sides as he began to pace the width of the street, the air visibly flaring around him as he stared back at Greg with a gaze so intense that the younger cape couldn't doubt the man believed what he was saying completely. "Everyone in this city got family to protect from these monsters. They're the ones who made this shit personal! They're the ones bombing hospitals! They're the ones killing kids! It's a war against these chinks and they fucking started it. People like us... Shit, it's our god-given duty to end it."
...Fuck. As Stormtiger finished his spiel, Greg stood there saying nothing as he stared daggers at the Empire cape in front of him. It said a good deal about how much the man's words had struck a chord with him that Greg was seriously considering getting their help even if only to bring this whole fucked up situation to an end that much quicker. Well played, Nazi. Well played.
Thankfully, it said just as much that Greg also felt like punching himself in the face for even thinking something like that. Not in a million years, though.
"You know what... " Greg began slowly, Stormtiger and Purity visibly leaning in with some anticipation. "Maybe if you had found me around sunrise, I'd still be pissed off enough to jump in with you… at least for a little bit. Hell, I'm pretty sure I was angry enough to cut a deal with the Slaughterhouse if they would get me what I wanted." Pausing, Greg let out a low breath and closed his eyes, only to reopen them a moment later. "That was twelve hours ago, though and I've had a lot of time to get my head together." As true as that was, Greg didn't bother to add in the fact that it hadn't exactly been by choice.
While Gamer's Mind hadn't been rearing its head much over the past day, his repeated rejection of it early this morning seeming to keep it at bay, he couldn't help but face the fact that the skill was constantly active; a passive that he couldn't fully turn off, no matter how hard he tried. By the time he got to the first base, he could feel his rage fading and fading until eventually, it became something that couldn't really be called rage anymore.
He hated it.
Still, it wasn't like he couldn't feel any anger at all. What he woke up with consumed every inch of him, screaming for him to hurt someone but what he had now... It was almost content to remain firmly at its place in the back of his mind, only spiking with every ABB he spotted. It was easier to deal with, Greg reasoned, if not what he preferred.
Even now, Greg knew that Gamer's Mind was working under the surface, doing its best to keep him from pissing himself over the fact that he was facing someone who was basically the zero-calorie version of Legend himself. As much as he was beginning to despise it, the skill was damn persistent when it came to preventing anything someone could consider mental trauma. If he really thought about it, Greg supposed that being filled with homicidal rage for long periods of time counted as traumatic… even if only technically.
"Since then," Greg shook his head as he spoke up again, "I've gone through three ABB hideouts and a bunch of random thugs on the street and you know what I learned?"
"I assume you're going to tell us anyway," Purity commented drily.
Greg didn't even bother to pause, ignoring Purity's comment as he kept on speaking. "I learned that there's only so many pointless mooks you can mow down before you realize that none of this matters! These guys are just random thugs and without a boss, they're nothing. You're talking about fighting a war like I'm supposed to eat that up? These shitheads are literally nothing. They're only confident because of their capes. I get that it took me a few hours to get over myself but you've been at this for years. What's your excuse?" Greg took an angry step forward, his right foot crushing some half-broken piece of red brick to dust in his anger.
"Go fight Lung if you want to get something done! I don't need your help in fighting random thugs and considering you,"Greg pointed to Purity, "can take down buildings and you," his pointer finger shifted to Stormtiger, "can tear a car open with your powers, you sure as hell don't need mine."
Purity's hands clenched into fists, her glow brightening as Greg finished speaking while Stormtiger just stared, eyes like ice behind his white tiger mask. Greg stared back, fingers flexing as he waited for the slightest pulse of danger to hit him, ready to fight or run at a moment's notice.
The tension in the air suddenly vanished as Stormtiger let out a short bark of laughter, the man's shoulders actually shaking as he turned away from Greg for a moment. The older cape shook his head, his feet stomping the ground as his belly laugh died down. "You got guts, kid. I'm not gonna lie, I couldn't give two shits about you being a Brute or not..." A wide grin spread across the villain's face as he rubbed his chin. "I just wanna see how you fight for real. You ever change your mind, the offer's on the table."
Greg tilted his head and shot Stormtiger an unamused look, the frayed fabric of his gloves tightening around his fingers as he flexed them. "Look… I'm going to repeat the same thing I told you the first time we met," Greg growled back, patience already frayed. "It's kinda racist that just 'cause I look a certain way, you assume I'm down with the Empire."
Stormtiger froze at that, mouth forming a small 'o' as he stared at Greg. None of this went unnoticed by either Purity or Greg.
"Wait a minute, you've met already?" asked Purity, sounding more and more confused with each word. This entire conversation had likely been a lesson in patience for the woman. "Stormtiger, you know him?"
"I think…" Stormtiger was silent for a second or two, his grin vanishing as he took a slight step forward. "I'm thinking I do…" A moment later, a set of bright white teeth were on display again, the expression seeming almost forced as the cape stared him down. "Fuck me, you're that same kid, aren't you?"
"Yep." Greg shot, fingers flexing again as his frown stayed in place. "Guilty as charged."
A glint appeared in Stormtiger's gaze as he took a calm step back, chains making some slight noise as he straightened shoulders. "Branching out from the druggies to the chinks, huh?" The amusement in his voice didn't go unnoticed and neither did the villain's eyes, Greg frowning even more as Stormtiger's gaze seemed to trail over the blood splatters on his costume. "And you've definitely been busy since last time."
A laugh spilled from the man's throat, Stormtiger's grin a rictus of excitement as he nodded his head. "How many?"
The younger cape shut his eyes at the question, Stormtiger's words dripping with context that Greg wished he could act like he didn't understand. Just answer him. Worst case scenario, he wants to fight you. Best case, he leaves. He grit his teeth as he glanced up at Stormtiger's face again, still glaring daggers at the Empire cape. "... Enough."
Another barking laugh came pouring out, the sound swelling like an orchestra as Stormtiger clapped his hands like a proud dad at a baseball game. "I knew it! I fucking knew it! I know killer instinct when I see it. You've got the blood lust, kid. You can hide it all you want but you've got it!"
Greg didn't reply this time, staying quiet as Stormtiger let out another laugh just on the edge of manic, the man still wearing his grin. Still hovering above, Purity's head continued to flick between the two of them, the woman likely wishing someone would clue her in to the nature of the conversation.
As his laughter petered out, the tiger-themed villain turned his back to Greg and waved up at Purity. "Sorry about that, boss lady. Looks like you were right. The kid's made his choice."
"Just like that?" From the tone of her voice, Purity was unconvinced. "And you weren't convinced when I told you the same before why?"
Stormtiger glanced over his shoulder at Greg, grin ratcheting up a few notches. "With us or not, he's cutting down the competition. Let's leave the kid to his work."
"Whatever."
Just like that, Stormtiger leapt up to a rooftop and quickly thrust himself into the air with a burst of wind that Greg could feel from as far away as he was. Purity turned to give him one more parting glance and vanished herself in a burst of light that had Greg blinking the dots from his eyes.
The teen stared up at them, mouth still turned down in a scowl. The sound of sirens in the distance, as faint as they were, didn't go unnoticed. Greg had to wonder if they were here because of his call or because of the Empire. Not like it matters, anyway.
The scowl he wore only deepened as a series of screens popped up in front of him, the words on them doing very little to make him feel better.
Quest "Those Wacky Nazis II: Movers and Shakers… and Blasters" Completed!
Gained highly increased reputation with the Empire 88
Gained 12500 XP
Gained 5 Stat Points
Bonus: Gained + 2 CHA, Gained + 10 to [Basic Aerokinesis], Gained Skill: [Mana Bolt]
Adept Aerokinesis Skill Unlocked
Basic Aerokinesis → Adept Aerokinesis
Manipulation: Mana (Limited) Ability Unlocked
Awareness: Mana → Manipulation: Mana (Limited)
Adept Aerokinesis Lv 1
"Storm's a brewin'... Metaphorically too."
Exert the force of your air control over the range of a football field and with the raw wind speed of a Category 7 Hurricane.
Cost: 100 MP per second of sustained use at maximum range & power.
Manipulation: Mana (Limited) Lv 1
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It all rests in the palm of your hand to command.
Your awareness of mana has advanced to an understanding of how to force the energy resting within your mind and soul to your eager and unprepared will. Adds a 1% bonus to effect of all mana-based skills.
Mana Bolt Lv 1
Magic Missile for the uninitiated.
A projectile of raw kinetic force that flies with incredible speed toward your chosen target.
Damage: 50
Cost: 100 MP
Spitting out a chunk of blood onto the street, Greg Veder raised the back of a hand to wipe his mouth and began to run in the opposite direction of Stormtiger and Purity, mind clouded with another set of uncomfortable thoughts.
"Fuckin' Nazis."
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Spoiler: STATUS