Descending down a silver metallic staircase, Annabeth takes a brief glance up from her tablet to see a large door. Looking over at the scanner by the door, she looks behind her shoulder to make sure no one is watching before looking into the retina scanner. A blue light briefly flashes, before a robotic voice responded.
"Identification: Annabeth Chase, Warrior. Clearance: User-Designated Approval, Cfp, Former Administration. You may proceed."
The door opened, and Annabeth walked inside the containment cells for the DFederal Battledome. Looking over the thirteen warriors selected, she couldn't help but reminisce about when she worked at the Battledome's predecessor, the Arena. The resting tubes were a great addition, providing necessary nutrients to the warriors while they slept and allowing them to relive memories from their past lives. They were at least more merciful compared to the dingy, otherworldly cells that warriors used to be forced into.
Shuddering at the memory, Annabeth's train of thought was interrupted as a notification chimed on her tablet. Opening it up, she saw the face of her boss.
"Everything ready down there?" Cfp asked, clearly distracted by something off-screen.
"I still don't get why you had to use her," Annabeth complains. "Athena's my mom, after all. Plus I could use the new house."
"If you're concerned about that challenge Ramona told you about, don't be. Until I get you a match you can actually win, it's not happening." Annabeth pretended not to hear the "probably" he whispered under his breath as she entered the approval code for the last warrior.
"I'm done down here." Annabeth said, and Cfp disconnected the call. "Thanks Annabeth, you're so great. What would I do without you?" Annabeth mumbles to herself in annoyance.
She went back the way she came, and entered the lobby of the Battledome. Outside the door, a line of a couple dozen or so people had already formed in anticipation of the match. Although battles in the dome always drew at least a couple non-user spectators, events like this always tended to invite a larger crowd.
She ventured down a hallway, and in a few moments she arrived at the Battledome's simulation control room. Cfp sat in a chair, typing away on a computer. Taking a glance out of the large window, she saw the grey metallic space that was the Battledome's deactivated zone. To the left, she saw the penthouse suite, where the users had already begun to conglomerate and place their bets.
"Annabeth, please begin the upload."
She takes a seat at the desk typically reserved for users that are collaborators, feeling giddy about the chance in spite of herself. She presses a few buttons, and the grey metallic space begins to morph. Seeming to defy physics, the once only couple hundred yard arena rapidly expands outward. A large island formed, lush with plant life and animals, while an ocean at least several hundred miles large formed around it.
The dozens of TV monitors hummed to life, with the thirteen clearest focused on currently empty pedestals. Cfp took one last glance at the field, before looking at Annabeth.
"Start the countdown."
No intro should be necessary. Another battle royale, and this time I did a somewhat decent job of sticking to the theme.
The Combatants[]
“ | People always fear what they don’t understand, and that fear turns them into monsters. But we can’t let it turn us into monsters, too. We have to be better than them.
— Zari Tomaz
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” |
A key member of the Legends superhero team, Zari Tomaz is a fugitive hacker from an alternate timeline and wielder of the Air Totem. Born in the early 2010's, Zari and her Muslim family were among the many families persecuted by A.R.G.U.S. after the metahuman crackdown began. She and her brother Behrad joined a resistance cell, but tragedy struck when Behrad was killed by A.R.G.U.S. soldiers. With the help of the Legends, Zari acquired her brother's totem and worked alongside them to stop the Legion of Doom.
After this, Zari joined the team of the Legends full-time as their resident hacker and engineer. While working with the Legends, she struck up a relationship with team member Nate Heywood. When the demon Neron began his plan to trigger the metahuman persecutions that created Zari's timeline via staging magical terrorist attacks, Zari and the Legends attempted to stop him by getting humans and magical creatures to get along. The plan succeeded, but at the cost of Zari's existence when she helped bring Nate back to life. With her timeline eliminated, Zari was replaced on the Legends by her now-living brother Behrad. She resides within the Totem itself, providing guidance to Behrad and the new timeline's version of herself.
“ | I couldn't let A.R.G.U.S. keep it. With my brother gone, I needed its power to help me protect my parents.
— Zari Tomaz
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” |
Zari's Air Totem is an ancient magical item that grants Zari various forms of aerokinesis. Taking possession of the totem after her brother's death, Zari has become a master of its usage. She wears it in a specially designed bracelet around her wrist.
The Air Totem's primary method of attack is gusts of wind, strong enough to knockback fully grown men and projectiles with ease. She can also create vortexes that she can use offensively, to trap people within twisters, or defensively, to create barriers. She can also give herself and others flight using these similar methods. One of her more powerful abilities is to draw the air from within a person, capable of suffocating them if given enough time, although she has only been pushed to use this once.
The Air Totem primarily works off of concentration and requires an active decision to use its powers, meaning Zari must consciously activate and maintain her air attacks to use them.
“ | Hey, I know what it's like to lose the people you love in a senseless war. It makes you desperate, but... if you really want peace, it starts with you.
— Zari Tomaz
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” |
- Master Hacker
- Zari is a highly skilled hacker, capable of breaking into the complex futuristic hardware of GIDEON's A.I. on multiple occasions and other such devices that are from outside her familiarity, timeline, and even dimension.
- Expert Engineer
- After the departure of Jax, Zari became the Legends' primary engineer. Given enough time, she's capable of working with and repairing a number of highly complicated devices. She is also capable of using said devices to invent her own devices, such as a theoretical timeline creator.
- Selfless
- Zari fiercely protects those who cannot help themselves. A combination of a life spent on the run just for practicing her faith, the loss of her brother to a tyrannical government, and her adventures as a superhero have made her willing to sacrifice herself and her happiness for the greater good.
- Practical
- Zari is a practical person. She isn't likely to make decisions on a whim, and tries to think through a problem rather than improvise.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Zari's Air Totem only controls the power of air. While she can use it creatively, her typical attacks of air blasts or twisters don't do a lot of damage. She can potentially do more lethal techniques, like suffocation, but she rarely does.
- Training
- Zari has no formal training, given that as part of a guerilla movement she rarely had time to truly dedicate herself. Most of her amulet training is self-taught, with only supplementary guidance from Amaya.
- Experience
- Zari spent most of her adult life on the run from A.R.G.U.S., giving her a lot of experience with that lifestyle. As a member of the Legends, Zari's traveled throughout history facing a variety of magical threats, from time demons to fairy godmothers to unicorns and a Hindu god. There's very little on any front, be it survival and mundane combat to magic and superpowers, that could genuinely surprise her.
- Charisma
Zari is best girl. #ZNationForeverZari presents a tough, gruff front, but she's capable of appealing to people's nicer sides if she needs or wants to. She's a good enough actress to convincingly lie about her motives to the Legends upon meeting them, and she was able to play the part of Nate's girlfriend to fool his parents easily.- Creativity
- Zari has learned to come up with a variety of ways to use her totem in a way that is both effective and nonlethal, all by herself. Likewise, she was the one person on the Legends who showed the ingenuity to actually alter history without damaging it, showing an ability to analyze and solve complex problems.
- Brutality
- Zari doesn't try to kill, but is one of the more cynical members of the crew. She's willing to push the boundaries of being a hero a bit more than the others, given her history of survival.
“ | But you didn't know me. You only saw a sheltered princess. You never thought I'd fight back. You didn't know me, Delilah, but you will.
— Emily Kaldwin
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” |
The rightful Empress of the Isles, Emily Kaldwin was the child of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin and her lover, Corvo Attano. Raised to be brave and adventurous, Emily was kidnapped as a child when her mother was assassinated and her father framed for the crime. She is rescued by Corvo and hidden away with the Loyalist Conspiracy, who seek to reinstate her to the throne. After the Loyalists betray Corvo, she is held captive once again until Corvo rescues her, and then formally reinstated as Empress.
As Empress, Emily oversaw an era of prosperity that saw the eradication of the rat plague, an increase in imperial trade, and reorganization of the police. When the Crown Killer begins to target critics of her reign, Emily is targeted in another coup by her aunt Delilah Copperspoon. Emily travels to Karnaca to uncover the conspiracy, where she accepts the Mark of the Outsider like her father had. Emily recruits several allies to help retake her throne, ultimately finding out the secret to Delilah's immortality and trapping her in Delilah's favorite painting. Emily reclaims her throne, once again becoming the rightful empress.
“ | Why can't we study sword fighting? And sailing? And monsters?
— Emily Kaldwin
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” |
Emily uses a variety of equipment and weapons in her quest. They are listed below:
- Folding Blade
- The blade's mechanism is resilient and efficient for both stealthy assassinations and open melee combat. This utility combined with its dense metal makes it perfect for defensive maneuvers. Emily's blade has been equipped with masterwork upgrades, so that it deals more damage to robotic and magical foes.
- Pistol
- Emily utilizes what appears to be a wheelock pistol as one of her primary ranged weapons. The pistol utilizes either standard bullets or explosive bullets.
- Crossbow
- A simple pistol crossbow that favors mobility and concealment over power and range. Emily utilizes standard crossbow bolts, incendiary bolts, and sleep darts for nonlethal attacks.
“ | So what are you prepared to do about it, your imperial majesty? And are you clever enough to do it without spilling a river of blood? I asked Corvo those questions fifteen years ago. This is the moment that changed him. Now it's your turn.
— The Outsider
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” |
Emily has been granted a variety of powers by the mysterious being known as the Outsider.
- Dark Vision
- Dark Version is a power that allows Emily to see better in darkness, observe livings beings through walls, and see representations of the sound she makes. She can also use it to see objects through walls and keep track of enemy movements.
- Domino
- Domino is a power that allows Emily to link the fate of one person to two other people. There is a limited range to how far Emily can go from the target, as well as how far the linked targets are. However, range seems to be the only limit to Domino's usage. This applies to effects as well, such as throwing the initial target will cause the other two to be moved as if they were thrown as well.
- Doppelganger
- Doppelganger is a power that allows Emily to create a magical copy of herself to distract enemies. The Doppelganger naturally attracts enemies in a limited range, and can only be summoned on flat ground. The Doppelganger will confuse enemies upon disappearance, and is realistic enough to fool people that the real Emily was killed in its place.
- Far Reach
- Far Reach is a power that allows Emily to shoot a long tendril from her hand, allowing access to high and difficult to reach areas. It works similarly to a grappling hook and rope, requiring Emily to use a tether to pull herself to a fixed location.
- Mesmerize
- Mesmerize is a power that allows Emily to summon a void spirit to distract living enemies and keep them trapped into a dream-like state for a short time. The void can distract up to four people or canines at once. It lasts for about 20 seconds.
- Shadow Walk
- Shadow Walk is the supernatural ability to turn oneself into a dark, smoke-like state. While in this state, Emily is much more stealthy, though can still interact with enemies. However, her ability to interact with objects is limited to doors, latches, and pickpocketing. Emily can attack one person per Shadow Walk before it deactivates by force. She also cannot jump or climb. It also deactivates the instance she interacts with an enemy outside of pickpocketing or attacking them.
“ | It’s a funny thing, ambition. It can take one to sublime heights or harrowing depths. And sometimes they are one and the same.
— Emily Kaldwin
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” |
- Stealth Expert
- Emily is an expert in stealthy movement, trained by her father and honed over decades. This is further bolstered by her powers from the Outsiders, making her a master of disappearing and hiding at any moment.
- Calculated
- Emily is a calculating figure, and has a knack for thinking in the long-term on how to execute her plans. Her infiltrations often allow her to accomplish her objective without leaving a mark behind.
- Enhancements
- Emily possesses several miscallaneous magical enhancements. Among them include several physical boosts, the ability to deflect projectiles with her sword, and turning the bodies of her opponents into ash.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Emily's powers are focused on stealth and precision, which translates to them not being really destructive. While they help to give Emily plenty of opportunities, her powers and weapons do little by themselves.
- Training
- Emily has been trained in fighting, stealth, and acrobatics, as well as the general practice of how to rule. Emily's training has made her an especially skilled assassin and fighter.
- Experience
- Emily is only a young adult, but in her life she has encountered several obstacles. She has ruled her kingdom for almost a decade, and she fought against a variety of magical, criminal, and robotic enemies in her quest to take that kingdom back from her aunt.
- Charisma
- Emily is a cold and aloof individual, due to the sycophantic nature of the royal court. She rarely lets her emotions show to those she doesn't deeply trust, but can make allies out of convenience if she sees a need.
- Creativity
- Emily, given the subtle and stealthy nature of her arsenal, relies on her wit and creativity to set up opportunities to utilize her talents. She knows how to set up ambushes and set-ups in her favor, as well as escaping those that do not.
- Brutality
- Emily is a ruthless and pragmatic assassin, making her more than willing to kill an unsuspecting foe if she sees an opportunity. However, she will avoid a fight when she can, preferring to sneak past an enemy than cut them down on sight.
“ | I am a son of Argus! I was not merely declared a god by befuddled commoners, Buluc.
— Rain
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” |
Born a refugee of Shao Khan's conquest, Rain grew up as a member of the Edenian Resistance. With his fighting prowess and skill, Rain soon became a highly ranked member of the resistance. When Rain sought a position of leadership within the resistance, he was denied. Angry at this, he betrayed the resistance and joined Shao Kahn's court. Taking command of part of Shao Kahn's army, Rain decided to bide his time until he would be able to betray Kahn and become Edenia's sole leader.
After Kahn's death, Rain joined Mileena's faction in their war against Kotal Kahn. Rain proves himself an adept strategist, serving as a key advisor to Mileena. Rain advised Mileena to use Shinnok's amulet as a weapon, well aware that it would kill her with each use. As Mileena and Kotal Kahn weakened each other, Rain planned to usurp the throne of Outworld for himself. When D'Vorah and Cassie Cage ambush Mileena's camp, Rain is forced to reveal his plans. He is defeated in battle by D'Vorah, who decides to let Rain live at Cage's suggestion.
“ | Rain falls where it may.
— Rain
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” |
Rain can control two things that involve weather: water and lightning. His powers being related to such, he is able to pressurize jet streams of water to either propel himself or slice his opponents like a blade. Rain's control over water and lightning is so powerful he can create massive storm clouds to block out the sun from the sky. He is most noted for his ability to trap opponents in a spherical prison of water that gives him limited control over their body.
In addition, he is able to conjure up lightning blasts from the sky to blast his opponents into the air. He also possesses the ability to liquefy himself, turning himself into water and reconstituting behind them in a swift manner akin to teleporting. He can also create weapons b y solidifying water or summon tidal waves to wash an opponent away.
“ | My intentions are to teach the difference between pretension and godhood.
— Rain
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” |
- Fickle
- Rain is an opportunistic backstabber, more than willing to betray his allies the moment he finds someone who can provide him what he needs.
- God Complex
- Rain knows he is only half-god, but he still believes in his own divinity to the point that it makes him arrogant.
- Calculating
- Rain is also a calculating and methodical thinker, making him an adept strategist when it comes to forming and executing plans. His plans are effective in abstract, with his ego being the only thing in his way.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Rain's weather manipulation allows for some dangerous and powerful techniques. The water he creates can be manipulated into a variety of shapes, from razor sharp blades to suffocating prisons. This is helped by Rain's hand-to-hand combat skills, making him a deadly opponent in battle.
- Training
- Rain spent all of his young life being trained by the Edenian rebellion, who taught him just as much about strategy as they did martial combat.
- Experience
- Rain has participated in several wars in Outworld, and thus has plenty of experience. He's fought as a rebel, a general, and as a terrorist, making him thoroughly prepared outside the initial surprise.
- Charisma
- Rain is a convincing liar when he wants to be, but he's also egotistical to the point of arrogance. He can take up and maintain alliances well enough, but his slippery nature makes him difficult to inherently trust.
- Creativity
- Rain uses his powers in a variety of unique ways, especially in terms of how he kills people. His techniques are all designed to compliment his aggressive style of fighting, and he's a competent strategist as well.
- Brutality
- Rain kills without mercy. He will backstab, trick, maim, or murder anyone who he deems fit, and his god complex means he considers most people totally beneath him.
“ | I would prefer to walk my own path. One in which the only person in control of my actions... is me.
— Haru Okumura
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” |
The daughter of wealthy food tycoon Kunikazu Okumura, Haru Okumura is a member of the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Initially a shy and reserved upperclassman begging for screentime, Haru slowly becomes acquainted with Joker over the school year. Haru learns of the Phantom Thieves when she encounters an embittered Morgana, temporarily teaming up with him alone before joining the rest of the Thieves to steal her father's treasure in the Metaverse. Haru becomes a vital member of the Thieves, becoming Joker's girlfriend over the course of the rest of the year after he helps her stand up to her fiance and her uncle.
“ | How's this? Painful?
— Haru Okumura
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” |
Haru has a preference for battle axes and grenade launchers for her weapons. Haru's grenade launcher only has one round per "fight", but that explosive round reappears after the end of the fight. Haru's weapons are:
- Felurs Du Mal R
- Fleurs Du Mal R is a battle axe forged from executing Beezlebub. It increases Haru's magic (effectiveness of her magical talents), and has a high chance of inflicting a target with dizziness.
- Yagrush EX
- Yagrush EX is a grenade launcher that holds 1 explosive round, forged from executing Baal. Aside from being a grenade launcher, it also has a chance of inflicting a target with shock (basically, being paralyzed).
“ | I can finally display my true strength. I am thou, thou art I...Let us adorn your departure into freedom with a beautiful betrayal.
— Milady
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” |
Haru's persona is Lucy, an English courtier that was the inspiration for the infamous Milady character in The Three Musketeers. Lucy utilizes Psychokinesis and Gun attacks, as well as offering several defensive skills. She has the following spells:
- Psiodyne
- Heavy Psy damage to 1 foe.
- Mapsiodyne
- Heavy Psy damage to all foes.
- One-Shot Kill
- Severe Gun damage to 1 foe, high critical rate.
- Makarakarn
- Erect a shield to repel 1 (non-Almighty) magical attack.
- Tetrakarn
- Erect a shield to repel 1 Physical or Gun attack.
- Heat Riser
- Increase Attack, Defense, & Agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.
- Amrita Shower
- Cure all non-special ailments of party.
- Life Wall
- Erect a shield on party to repel 1 (non-Almighty) attack.
- Cool Customer
- Decreases allies' chance of being inflicted by ailments by 50%. Lucy's passive.
“ | Before I can really determine who I trust, I first need to know what it means to have others trust in me. So, I'm going to get stronger...strong enough for you and the others to rely on me!
— Haru Okumura
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” |
- Kind-Hearted
- Haru is fundamentally a nice and wholesome person, often trying to see the best in people. This can occasionally lead to moments of naivete, but overall it makes her a nice person. She sticks up for the weak, looks after animals, and will try to avoid violent fighting if she can.
- Vicious Streak
- Likely as a result of some suppressed anger, Haru has a bit of a sadistic streak when she finally decides to fight someone. She regularly expresses joy and excitement at hacking into Shadows with her battleaxe, and she will fight anybody who dares to hurt or insult her friends.
- Forgiving
- Haru is a forgiving person, rare to hold any grudges for too long. Even though she was reluctant to, Haru was willing to work with and forgive Akechi even after she learned he killed her father. She also forgives her father despite his terrible actions, and effortlessly integrates herself into the Thieves the moment Morgana
stops being an assholeagrees to rejoin them. - Ring of Greed
- Haru uses the ring created from her father's will seeds, the Ring of Greed. With it, Haru can cast a spell that allows for a magical attack to do double the damage it normally would.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Haru's Persona is one built more for support than offense, although she has several useful abilities for offense. She can create barriers to physical or magical attacks, she boosts powerful psychokinetic and firearm spells, and can boost the power of her allies or herself.
- Training
- Haru possesses no formal training outside of quick lessons on how her Persona works from Morgana.
- Experience
- Haru is one of the last members to join the Phantom Thieves, and thus only has a couple of months under her belt. However, the things she accomplished in that month are impressive, from fighting two different reality warping gods to multiple Shadows with unique and unpredictable magical powers.
- Charisma
- Haru is a nice person, but she is also reserved and deferential. She could convince someone who has similar values to her if she wanted, but it would be rare and she prefers to be a follower than a leader.
- Creativity
- Haru is limited by her sheltered upbringing, making her a bit naive compared to her colleagues. She isn't foolish by any stretch of the word, but she also does not possess a noteworthy level of creativity or outside-the-box thinking skill.
- Brutality
- Haru's kindheartedness goes a long way, but if anyone ends up breaking past that point she will unleash everything she has onto them. She follows the Thieves' rule of no killing people, but she won't hold back against anyone she deems an enemy.
“ | I mean, it's sort of exciting isn't it? Breaking the rules.
— Hermione Granger
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” |
The daughter of Muggle parents, Hermione Granger was a bright, ambitious child who was delighted to learn that she was a wizard and was invited to Hogwarts. Meeting Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, Hermione struck up a friendship with the two, and the trio quickly became inseparable, with Hermione often acting as the brains of the group. Hermione's intelligence made her a star pupil at Hogwarts, and she became a prefect in her fifth year.
In her sixth year, Hermione found herself grappling with both feelings for Ron and the return of Voldemort, the dark wizard and Harry's arch-enemy, culminating with her joining the Order of the Pheonix and going on the run with Harry and Ron to find the Horcruxes, six magical objects that Voldemort used to become immortal. After destroying the Horcruxes, Hermione took part in the Battle of Hogwarts, finally admitting her feelings for Ron, and was pivotal to the defeat of Bellatrix Lestrange. After the defeat of Voldemort, Hermione completed her Hogwarts education and got a job within to the Ministry of Magic, eventually working her way to Minister of Magic, while her and Ron's daughter, Rose, attended Hogwarts.
“ | Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember.
— Garrick Ollivander
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” |
“ | An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do.
— Hagrid
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” |
Hermione Granger is one of the most talented and exceptional witches of her era, second only to Harry Potter in dueling magic and superior to him in all other regards. Unlike other magicians, she was capable of mixing combat and noncombat spells seamlessly into her dueling style, making her a particularly skilled witch. She was able to best several older wizards in the Death Eaters with her mastery of magic, and could utilize a variety of other magical skills outside of combat purposes.
Her primary school of magic was charms, which focused on adding properties to individuals or objects. She was skilled in dueling magic of both the defensive and offensive nature, as well as transfiguration and healing magic. Finally, she had mastered Apparition - essentially teleportation magic - in her sixth year, and by the time she was hunting for Horcruxes she proved able to Apparate in mid-air.
“ | I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We all could've been killed. Or worse, expelled.
— Hermione Granger
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” |
- Scholar
- Hermione is obsessed in the pursuit of knowledge, and is remarkably intelligent in the ways of magic. She has mastered increasingly complex spells at a young age, and has even invented some of her own by experimenting with what she knows.
- Righteous
- Hermione has a powerful moral compass, refusing to compromise in her beliefs. She fights for the weak and was one of the first volunteers to join the Second Wizarding War despite only being a teenager.
- Logical
- Hermione tries to be rational and logical with how she solves problems, often unwilling to think outside the box unless forced to.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Hermione's magic offers her several combat or utility options. Her hexes and jinxes make more potent, nonlethal attacks, from freezing people in place to levitating them to disarming them of their weapons. She even has a theoretical knowledge of some of the more damaging spells like curses, but she prefers not to use them.
- Training
- Hermione is one of the most gifted witches of her era, and her years studying at Hogwarts provide an ample wealth of knowledge for her to work with. In addition, her time training with Dumbledore's Army means she's also capable of applying that theoretical knowledge into real, practical ways.
- Experience
- Hermione has gone on numerous adventures and battled several threats well beyond her own strength since her first year of Hogwarts, and she regularly found herself at the frontlines of the Second Wizarding World, which pitted her against ruthless, extremely powerful wizards and witches on a regular basis.
- Charisma
- Hermione is courageous and determined, which makes her a compelling leader in her own way. She could easily lead her peers in moments of crisis, and became a de facto second-in-command to Harry Potter when it came to leading the other students of Hogwarts.
- Creativity
- Hermione has shown herself to be capable of adapting to situations ably, but she doesn't like to work outside the box. She lacks a natural sense of intuition to piece together a truly unique plan, and she doesn't stray outside of what she knows until she's gotten a chance to thoroughly study it.
- Brutality
- Hermione refuses to kill, and has specifically developed her magical talents to avoid doing so.
“ | If you intend to fight me, don't expect any mercy.
— Kuroh Yatogami
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” |
A member of the Silver Clan, Kuroh Yatogami is the pupil of the recently deceased Colorless King Ichigen Miwa. After his family was killed in a car accident, Kuroh was passed to various relatives who either died in accidents or abused him. Kuroh eventually found himself in the care of Ichigen Miwa. The older man adopted the boy, training him to be a member of the Colorless Clan. When Miwa died, Kuroh was tasked to slay his successor if they turned out to be evil.
Kuroh believed he found the next Colorless King in Yashiro Isana, a student at Ashinaka High School. The two work together with the Strain Neko to prove Yashiro's innocence, and discover he is actually the amnesiac Silver King. They find the new Colorless King, who seeks to possess the bodies of the other Kings to absorb their power. Yashiro and Kuroh trick the Colorless King into possessing Yashiro, who sacrifices himself to kill the Colorless King. Kuroh, believing Yashiro to still be alive, works with Neko to find their missing King.
“ | What is there for me to question? I'm supposed to be empty... both me and this sword.
— Kuroh Yatogami
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” |
Kuroh Yatogami's primary weapon is a katana, owned by his father-figure and mentor Ichigen Miwa. Kotowari is a very powerful sword, capable of slicing through the impenetrable magical barrier of the Silver King.
Kuroh is a very skilled swordsman, capable of defeating Misaki Yata and Saruhiko Fushimi at the same time without ever unsheathing it.
“ | Kuroh Yatogami. The Black Dog. Apparently this is going to be more difficult than I thought.
— Izuma Kusanagi
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” |
Kuroh's original aura is as a member of the Colorless clan, which has manifested as a supernatural ability that allows him to manifest a wispy, lavender gel-like hand. He can use this magic for offensive, defensive, and utility purposes, from grabbing opponents to throw them to forming a magical barrier around his hand to block magic attacks.
He also uses it for mobility, either as a traditional grappel hook or in a more unique spatial pull. Using this ability, Kuroh can compress the distance of a space in order to pull himself much further distances.
“ | My name—a Clansman of the First King, the Silver King Adolf K. Weismann—is Kuroh Yatogami. This sword will never be used for my own need. This sword will open the path and guide me to my King. And, I wield it only to protect my King!
— Kuroh Yatogami
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” |
“ | What's inside doesn't really matter to me... nor do appearences. I think a man should be judged only on his actions.
— Kuroh Yatogami
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” |
- Honorable
- Kuroh Yatogami is an honorable person, often to a fault. He is unwilling to use his blade against anyone that he does not need to use it against, and prefers to fight in the open instead of using underhanded tactics.
- Stubborn
- When Kuroh picks a goal, he will stop at nothing to achieve it. He tends to be set in his way, and has little tolerance for those that would insult or treat casually any of their duties.
- Gullible
- Kuroh's honorable and stubborn mindset makes him somewhat gullible, where a skilled liar can appeal to his sense of honor to lie and deceive him.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Kuroh Yatogami's auras and skill with a sword make him a deadly opponent to underestimate, but outside of these talents he doesn't have a significant amount of options offensively.
- Training
- Kuroh Yatogami has spent most of his life preparing and training to being able to kill the Silver King. He has been trained in swordsmanship first and foremost, but he is also trained in more mundane talents like piloting different vehicles and cooking with the bare necessities.
- Experience
- Kuroh Yatogami has fought over the course of several days prior to the Academy Island incident, where he fought off members of HOMRA and Scepter 4 with ease. Afterwards, Kuroh Yatogami became heavily involved in the politics between the clans, serving as the primary bodyguard and fighter of the Silver Clan.
- Charisma
- Kuroh Yatogami is a stoic and quiet individual, but his noble nature has attracted attention from others before. He can often make a convincing appeal to opponents like Seri Awashima when the moment calls for it, but overall he prefers to be a follower rather than a leader.
- Creativity
- Kuroh Yatogami is a stubborn individual, and his preference for honorable methods leads to him making some very simple mistakes when it comes to strategizing. Despite that, he isn't really foolish and he can creatively use his powers against a wide variety of foes for different uses.
- Brutality
- Kuroh Yatogami tries to avoid fighting when he can, but will kill without hesitation if it is the name of protecting others or if the opponent tries to attack them.
“ | I'll take on any job... for the right price.
— Cad Bane
|
” |
A Duros bounty hunter from the Outer Rim, Cad Bane made a name for himself in the early years of the Clone Wars building a reputation for himself by taking difficult jobs, such as killing Jedi. Once the Clone Wars began and the premiere bounty hunter Jango Fett was killed, Bane became the most sought-after bounty hunter in the galaxy for his skill and professionalism.
Bane soon entered the employ of Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, where he quickly made himself infamous among Jedi ranks for his elaborate plans. Bane went on to work for the Hutts as well, working his way through the criminal underworld loyal to no one but himself. Bane's career lasted into the beginning of the Galactic Empire, where he continued to work as one of the Empire's top freelancers before fading into history once Boba Fett took his place as the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy.
“ | Any imbecile can kill a Jedi with a lousy sniper blast. You want my respect? You do it face to face.
— Cad Bane
|
” |
“ | You're not much of a challenge, youngling. I got you right where I want you.
— Cad Bane
|
” |
“ | Master Cad Bane, I presume. I've heard much about you. Who hasn't? The greatest hunter since Jango lost his head…
— Count Dooku
|
” |
“ | Sure, sure. As long as I get paid, it makes no difference to me.
— Cad Bane
|
” |
- Pragmatic
- Cad Bane is a professional and rational. He is willing to work with old enemies like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker without question, and let go of grudges incredibly well. His sole passion is his dedication to the job, but otherwise Bane thinks in terms of practicality.
- Ruthless
- Bane is a cold-hearted bounty hunter, and no job is too depraved if he is paid the right amount. He is willing to kill anyone, torture his captives for information, and even engage in child slavery if its necessary.
- Weapons Master
- Cad Bane prefers his blasters, but he's a good enough warrior to use almost any weapon he's given. He was a skilled sniper with a blaster rifle and could operate heavy equipment, as well as competently use a lightsaber in melee combat when he had to.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Cad Bane's equipment all offers several different attack options for him to use, but the man himself has nothing too special. He's a skill fighter, but his strength isn't anything to marvel at and he has no actual powers.
- Training
- Cad Bane relies on experience as his primary teacher, although throughout his life Bane has picked up a variety of skills from different masters. He's never been able to settle down long enough to master anything, but he's highly skilled in a variety of tasks all the same.
- Experience
- Cad Bane has spent his entire life as a bounty hunter, operating in the most active parts of the Clone Wars. Bane went up against run-of-the-mill pirates and mercenaries to masters of combat like Obi-Wan Kenobi, all while walking away alive.
- Charisma
- Cad Bane is a stern and pragmatic individual, which makes him capable of getting people to line up in mutual self-interest. Other than this, Cad Bane is not noteworthily charismatic or dull.
- Creativity
- Cad Bane's deadliest asset is his mind, being one of the smartest tacticians and bounty hunters during the Clone Wars. He was fully capable of outwitting Jedi masters and criminal overlords time after time, and he had the foresight to take over Jango Fett's place in the underworld almost immediately.
- Brutality
- Cad Bane, as previously said, is ruthless and cold-hearted. Nothing is too severe if it means completing the mission.
“ | The people fear what we can do, but to use that fear to bludgeon us into submission is wrong! And they do it with our blessing!
— Anders
|
” |
An apostate mage originally from Ferelden, Anders is a human mage who has staged multiple escape attempts from Ferelden's Circle. On one such escape attempt, Anders and the templars guarding him stumbled into a darkspawn attack on Vigil's Keep. The templars died, and Anders assisted the Hero of Ferelden in repelling the invaders. Anders was conscripted into the Wardens for his service, where he helped to defeat the Mother. After the Warden's mysterious disappearance, Anders fled from the Grey Wardens alongside his companion Justice.
Inspired by Justice's rhetoric, Anders allowed himself to become possessed, where his anger for the plight of mages turned Justice into Vengeance. Anders fled to Kirkwall, where he befriended fellow mage and refugee Hawke. Anders accompanied Hawke on many adventures, including his expedition into the Deep Roads and during the Qunari invasion. As the Mage-Templar conflict heightened to a boiling point, Anders decided escalate the conflict by blowing up the Chantry, killing hundreds. Anders was initially remorseful, but worked alongside Hawke to defend the Circle mages from the Templars.
“ | I'll show you why mages are feared!
— Anders
|
” |
“ | All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools.
— Anders
|
” |
Anders is a mage, giving him access to a wide variety of spells both offensive and defensive. The spells and magic he has access to are below:
- Elemental Spells
- Fireball
- Searing Fireball
- Winter's Grasp
- Winer's Blast
- Cone of Cold
- Deep Freeze
- Arcane Spells
- Mind Blast
- Stunning Blast
- Arcane Shield
- Arcane Wall
- Elemental Shield
- Elemental Weapons
- Barrier
- Crushing Prison
- Creation Spells
- Heal
- Greater Heal
- Heroic Aura
- Valiant Aura
- Glyph of Paralysis
- Glyph of Repulsion
- Haste
“ | Since when is Justice happy? Justice is righteous. Justice is hard.
— Anders
|
” |
The rage that Anders feels over the Chantry's mistreatment of mages rapidly transformed Justice into Vengeance. With the spells of this Vengeance specialization, Anders has access to the following spells:
- Activated
- Aid Allies
- Regroup
- Martyr
- Sustained
- Vengeance
- Wrath
- Panacea
- Passive
- Eye to Eye
- Blood of my Enemy
- Swift Justice
“ | I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals, while those who would lead us bow to their templar jailors!
— Anders
|
” |
- Zealous
- Anders is absolutely devoted to his cause, believing in the freedom of mages and the abolishment of the Circle at all costs. For the sake of his goals, Anders will do anything, which is further compounded by the influence of Justice in his mind.
- Devout
- Anders, despite how clearly the Chantry despises him, is still a devout Andrastian. This means he avoids deals with demons, and feels immense guilt over his actions.
- Split Identity
- Anders is possessed by Justice, a spirit of Justice. The two share a dangerously co-dependent relationship, with Justice often pushing Anders to be even bolder and more reckless in his actions. When Anders is particularly distracted or conflicted, Justice has taken over Anders' body before to finish the job.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Even though Anders is a healer, he has access to a wide variety of spells that can inflict massive amounts of damage. He can throw fireballs or lightning bolts, as well as freeze people in place or crush them with telekinesis.
- Training
- Anders has spent most of his life in the Circle of Magi, constantly learning and studying his magic in his youth. Additionally, he spent a brief amount of time with the Wardens, further training his magical skills without the restrictions of the Circle.
- Experience
- Anders has spent almost a decade as an adventurer, working alongside both the Hero of Ferelden and Hawke in their various quests. He's fought darkspawn, demons, Templars, dragons, and even the run of the mill bandits on almost a daily basis.
- Charisma
- Anders, while relaxed with strangers, is a fundamentally stoic and serious character. His stubborn dedication to himself and his cause have alienated people in the past, and he has a tendency to drive people away if they aren't willing to go those extra steps.
- Creativity
- Anders is somewhat limited by his indoctrination into the Chantry and Justice's refusal to compromise, but otherwise has shown the ability to adapt as a fighter. Ultimately he's not notably creative or thick.
- Brutality
- Anders has killed hundreds of beings in his decade adventuring, not counting the hundreds more killed by his blowing up the Chantry. He doesn't like to kill those that can't fight back, but he is willing to do it if Justice pushes him on.
“ | Well what choice do I have? Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way.
— Azula
|
” |
The second child and only daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, Azula is the sadistic princess of the Fire Nation. Raised without the love of her mother and under the equally sadistic eye of her father, Azula's mental instabilities pushed her to become a firebending prodigy. Unlike her more compassionate brother Zuko, Azula relished in her role as an instrument of her father's desire for conquest. After her brother's betrayal at the Battle at the North Pole, Azula was put in charge of hunting and locating the Avatar.
Azula eventually found an opportunity to accomplish two goals at once when the Avatar traveled to Ba Sing Se. Although her initial invasion attempt was thwarted, Azula managed to successfully infiltrate the city under disguise and get its secret police to launch a coup. She nearly managed to kill the Avatar as well, and was welcomed in the Fire Nation as a conquering hero. Upon the arrival of Sozin's Comet, Azula was briefly crowned Fire Lord, only to lose in a duel with Zuko and Katara and be sent away to a mental health facility to cure her from the resulting breakdown.
“ | You want to be Fire Lord? Fine, let's settle this. Just you and me brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!
— Azula
|
” |
“ | Almost isn't good enough!
— Azula
|
” |
“ | My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right of course.
— Azula
|
” |
- Expert Acrobat
- Benefitting from her bending skills, Azula is a highly skilled acrobat. She could run along walls, perform spins and flips mid-air, and was so agile that even Aang could not catch her with his airbending. She is also a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, using her acrobatics to fight Aang and his allies without her bending.
- Expert Strategist
- Azula is a highly skilled manipulator and strategist, coming up with multiple plans that made her a dangerous opponent. She captured the previously impenetrable city of Ba Sing Se, manipulated Zuko to betray his own uncle, and masterminded multiple near-successful capture attempts of both her brother and the Avatar.
- Psychopath
- Azula is a narcissistic, prideful, arrogant, and ruthless person; she is a textbook psychopath. Azula will stop at nothing to accomplish her goals, and there is no method too depraved or strategy too barbaric if it allows her to achieve her wishes. This has gotten the better of her on occasion, but only in truly personal encounters such as her Agni Kai with Zuko or when Mai and Ty Lee betrayed her.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Azula's firebending is an incredibly powerful and versatile skill despite only being limited to one element. She's capable of creating explosions and incinerating metal without a second thought, while her lightningbending is just as deadly.
- Training
- Azula has spent her entire life practicing and honing her firebending talent, to the point that she's been able to develop her own techniques and style of firebending that is wholly unique to her.
- Experience
- Azula is a young woman, but in her lifetime she's accomplished several noteworthy tasks. In addition to effectively hunting the Avatar and fighting his group of benders, Azula has participated in several notable battles in the latter stage of the One Hundred Year War.
- Charisma
- Azula is an expert manipulator and liar, with a keen sense of judging people. She can pick apart people mentally and emotionally to get them to do what they want, and she's a skilled enough liar that she could effortlessly lie to Toph, a bender capable of detecting lies via heartbeat. She's also a skilled actress, capable of impersonating a Kyoshi warrior without anyone knowing otherwise.
- Creativity
- Azula is a skilled strategist and tactician; she was the one who masterminded both the invasion Ba Sing Se and the successful defense of the Black Sun Invasion. She's developed her own way of firebending, and only her intense insanity has ever blinded her enough to cause her to lose.
- Brutality
- Azula is ruthless. She will use civilian hostages, betray her family and friends, and kill anyone who stands in her way. She will not hold back unless there is a tangible benefit to doing so.
“ | This is the Zeppeli Family Spirit, from the past to the future! It's the human spirit!
— Caesar Zeppeli
|
” |
The latest member of the Zeppeli family line, Caesar Zeppeli is an Italian man and student of the Hamon master Lisa Lisa. The grandson of Jonathan Joestar's mentor William Zeppeli, Caesar took up a life of crime when his father abandoned his family. Tracking him down to Rome, Caesar was horrified to discover his father was actually trying to find a way to stop the Pillar Men, who killed Caesar's father. Vowing revenge, Caesar sought out Lisa Lisa and trained under her to wield Hamon.
Caesar Zeppeli eventually became acquainted with Joseph Joestar, the newest member of the Joestar family, and became his fellow classmate in the ways of Hamon. Caesar and Joseph initially clashed, but bonded together to survive Lisa Lisa's pillar challenge. The trio eventually tracked down the remaining Pillar Men, where Caesar's hotheaded vengeance caused him to try to engage Wammu alone. Nearly beating the ancient being, one small mistake gave Wammu an opening to score a fatal attack against Caesar. Rather than give up, Caesar used the last of his life's energy to steal Wammu's nose ring containing an antidote to a poison that had infected Joseph, creating a bubble to preserve it for Joseph.
“ | A man as magnificent and as fleeting as his bubbles.
— Wammu
|
” |
“ | JoJo! This is the last of my Hamon! Take it from me!
— Caesar Zeppeli
|
” |
Caesar Zeppeli is a highly skilled wielder of Hamon, a mystical energy powered by the user's breathing. It is a positive force with similar properties to sunlight, and is thereby highly effective against vampires and other undead beings.
Caesar primarily uses his Hamon to infuse his bubbles with unique properties, often hardening them and causing them to explode with great power on contact. His bubbles can also trap humans within them, create powerful shields, or become disc-like projectiles that can cut through flesh and bone.
“ | He committed theft, arson, muggings, assault...everything short of murder. Even the Mafia feared him.
— The Narrator
|
” |
- Hot-Headed
- Caesar Zeppeli often lets the heat of the moment and his emotions get the best of him. Although hardly overconfident or arrogant to dangerous degree, he will often make small mistakes in key moments due to his temper and his skill.
- Gentlemen
- Caesar Zeppeli is, unlike the True Woman Respecter Joseph, is a gentlemanly and polite person. He is quick to show respect to women whether he intends to seduce them or not, and prides himself on his politeness to women. He detests using underhanded tactics unless absolutely necessary, and is annoyed by more buffoonish people like Joseph.
- Peak Human Physicality
- A benefit of his Hamon training, Caesar has pushed himself and his body to the physical limits of a human being. He can perform the classic technique of the Sitting Jump, and was able to survive Wammu's overwhelming Holy Sandstorm attack.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Caesar's Hamon Bubbles are a creative and unorthodox weapon, but by themselves do very little harm. Hamon is overspecialized to taking down undead opponents, and against normal people it would take multiple Hamon bubbles to truly subdue them in any meaningful fashion.
- Training
- Caesar has spent a majority of his adult life training under Lisa Lisa, mastering the usage of Hamon and developing his talents to use it in unique and creative ways.
- Experience
- Caesar's life has been spent doing a variety of things, from his days as a street hoodlum to acting as a vampire fighter under the guidance of Lisa Lisa. Although little detail is provided, Caesar's adventures prior to meeting Joseph Joestar allowed him to develop his techniques and ability to a flawless level of execution.
- Charisma
- Caesar is a polite and seductive figure, easily winning over women with his gentlemanly ways and his physical beauty. He is also a noble figure, earning the admiration of Joseph after a few days together. Despite this, his hotheadedness and his self-confidence can put people at odds upon first meeting him.
- Creativity
- Caesar's usage of bubbles and Hamon shows an incredible creativity when it comes to fighting. From using them as projectiles for basic combat to creating shields and mirrors to reflect sunlight, Caesar's creativity is impressive, if slightly restricted by his strict training under Lisa Lisa.
- Brutality
- Caesar is perfectly willing to get into a fight and rarely holds back even against his friends. If he views someone as an enemy or a threat, Caesar is perfectly willing to kill an opponent if he views it as necessary.
“ | I got no problem wit' thieves, Redhand. Some of my best friends are in de profession.
— Gambit
|
” |
Raised by the secretive Thieves Guild, Gambit was taught from childhood to become a master thief. Initially betrothed to the heir of the Assassin's Guild, Belladona, LeBeau was sent into exile after he killed Belladona's relative in a dual. As his powers slowly grew to become too strong for him to control, Gambit contacted Mr. Sinister to remove part of his brain; this allowed him to control his powers in exchange for less destructive ability.
Soon after, Gambit became acquainted with the X-Man Storm, who had been turned into an amnesiac child. The two became partners and stole for survival, until Professor X returned from his outer space adventures. Restored to her former self, Storm vouched for Gambit to join the X-Men.
“ | You can drain my energy any time, Chere. Gambit has plenty.
— Gambit
|
” |
Gambit has the power to take the potential energy stored in an object and convert it to kinetic energy, thus “charging” that item with explosive results. He prefers to charge smaller objects, such as his ever-present playing cards, as the time required to charge them is greatly reduced and they are much easier for him to throw. The only real limitation to this ability is the time required to charge the object. The larger it is, the more time it takes.
There are additional limits of Gambit's power as well. He cannot infuse organic material with his power, and he must use skin contact to infuse an item.
He can use his kinetic manipulation for various other purposes as well. He can dissolve the molecules of an object, such as removing shrapnel from a wound. He can also control the detonation of his explosions, allowing his playing cards to slice through steel before exploding or infusing his bo staff with more power in a pinch.
“ | The gentleman assumes the pot is his to win... but I have a literal ace up my sleeve.
— Gambit
|
” |
“ | Step right up, then -- follow the spinning staff -- take your best shot -- if you dare!
— Gambit
|
” |
“ | Relax Darling'. I wrested alligators before I could write my own name. This just feels like goin' home.
— Gambit
|
” |
- Guild Uniform
- Gambit wears his thieves guild armor instead of the traditional X-Men uniform. This provides additional protection around the legs and arms.
- Enhanced Physicality
- A byproduct of his energy manipulation allows Gambit to become slightly above the peak of human physical conditioning. He typically uses this to increase his agility and speed mid-combat, highlighting his already acrobatic fighting style to slightly above human levels.
- Expert Martial Artist
- Regarded by Nick Fury as one of the most skilled martial artists he's ever faced, Gambit utilizes his speed and skill to easily move his way around the battlefield. His style relies on employing martial arts, street fighting, and acrobatics. He is well adept in the martial arts Savate, and Bojutsu, the art of using a bo staff.
- Master Thief
- Gambit is a master in virtually every form of thievery possible, from sleight of hand to pickpocketing to good old-fashioned breaking and entering. His flamboyant style means he rarely utilizes the latter type of thievery, but he's certainly capable of it. He has all of the skills required to be a thief as well, including skills in stealth, lockpicking, improvising solutions, and escape artistry.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Gambit's powers have a significant amount of power to them, capable of creating explosions as large as grenades in objects as weak as playing cards. He's often used this power in a variety of ways as well, from enhancing his melee to slicing through objects. It carries a lot of potential for raw, destructive power, held back only by Gambit's own personality.
- Training
- Gambit spent almost all of his childhood honing his skills as a thief and a fighter, living under the watchful eyes of the Thieves Guild to teach him these skills. He has traveled the globe as an adult, often picking up skills along the way, and never failing to hone his already impressive talents.
- Experience
- Gambit's entire life has been on of adventure and excitement, from his days in the Thieves Guild to the X-Men. He's taken on so many types of threats it'd be impossible to surprise him beyond the initial shock.
- Charisma
- Gambit is a cocky and magnetic figure, always prepared with a good quip and a classic case of Southern charm. There is an additional layer that, as a byproduct of his energy manipulation, allows small amounts of psionic energy to travel from his voice to make him especially convincing to the untrained ear.
- Creativity
- Gambit is a very creative person, often relying on his wits and his creativity over the raw destructive powers at his disposal. His preference for using unique weapons like throwing spikes and playing cards are an example, as well as his ability to use his powers to heal wounds. His skills as a thief likewise make him quick to think on his feet.
- Brutality
- Gambit has no desire to kill or severely harm others. While he's certainly willing to lay down punishment on those that get in his way, he rarely seeks to do more harm than is necessary in order to get what he needs. He even limits himself, infusing large items like barrels or chairs with about the same level of explosive power as his playing cards.
“ | Oh they're going to have to glue you back together - in Hell!
— Demoman
|
” |
Born Tavish Finnegan DeGroot, The Demoman is one of many violent and erratic mercenaries that is employed by the Administrator to oversee and protect the assets of Redmond Manning. The resident explosive expert of RED Team, Demoman was born and raised in the Scottish highlands. As a child, he hatched a plan to kill the Loch Ness Monster. Using his instinctual knowledge of explosives, the plan failed and resulted in the death of Demoman's parents and his left eye.
From that point, Demoman was watched over by the Crypt Grammar School for orphans. As word of his explosive tendencies spread, Demoman was found by his real parents, who reintegrated him back into the family once he had proven his mettle in crafting explosives. Demoman became a mercenary for RED as an adult, drowning his pent up anger and pain with alcohol and brimstone.
“ | I'm goin' ta blast ya into thin gruel!
— Demoman
|
” |
The Demoman uses two types of grenade launchers as his primary weapons.
- Grenade Launcher
- The Grenade Launcher is the primary weapon of the Demoman. It is a 4-round, break-action grenade launcher with adjustable weapon sights, wooden stock and foregrip. Grenades bounce with a degree of unpredictability because they have a spin, and arc significantly downward after being fired and launch slightly to the right of the cross-hair. Grenades explode on contact with enemies, but not other surfaces.
- Stickybomb Launcher
- The Stickybomb Launcher is the secondary weapon of the Demoman. This weapon launches small, glowing, spiked bombs that adhere to almost any surface (a notable exception being people). It holds eight rounds before having to be reloaded. The Demoman can be place up to eight bombs at once before previous bombs automatically detonate. The stickybombs themselves are weak, and can be easily destroyed by bullets or melee attacks without detonating. The Demoman also has the ability to detonate them underneath of him to propel himself into the air.
“ | Demoknights instill fear.
|
” |
For melee encounters, Demoman switches to a sword-and-shield based combat.
- Chargin' Targe
- The Chargin' Targe is a wooden and metal shield that gives Demoman access to a "Charge" attack. The Charge in question allows the Demoman to perform a straight-forward charge for 1.5 seconds. The shield also provides a small resistance to fire and explosives.
- Eyelander
- The Eyelander is a claymore sword wielded by the Demoman. The weapon itself makes the Demoman more vulnerable to damage, but in exchange it boosts his durability and damage for every time he kills someone with it.
“ | One crossed wire, one wayward pinch of potassium chlorate, one errant twitch...and kablooie!
— Demoman
|
” |
- One-Eye
- Demoman only has one eye. This seems to do little to affect his abilities, but he is missing his left eye and thus has to compensate.
- Explosives Expert
- Demoman, despite his habitual drunkenness, is a genius when it comes to matters of explosives. All of his equipment and explosives recipes are of his own making, and he was capable of creating explosives even as young as six years old.
- Alcoholic Anatomy
- Demoman has surgically altered his stomach and lungs to act as a distillery for bone marrow. This ensures that Demoman has a constant supply of alcohol streaming through his body.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Aside from his weapons, which as grenade launchers are very powerful, Demoman has no noteworthy powers or abilities that separate him from a normal human being.
- Training
- Demoman honed his knowledge of explosives as a child, being mostly self-taught until he was "found" by his parents. From there, Demoman became aware of all of his families' secrets regarding how to use explosives.
- Experience
- Demoman's experience has had him go up against a truly wacky and insane cast of characters, and has survived multiple conflicts with them. He's also taken part in fighting robots based off of the other eight mercenaries. He's only truly experienced fighting these types of foes, even if he's done so for the solid part of two decades.
- Charisma
- Demoman is a boisterous and abrasive person, and he spends 90% of the time when he's not fighting sitting in a drunken haze. While he's a fun friend to have, on the battlefield he does little to take charge of his comrades.
- Creativity
- Demoman is a deceptively creative warrior. Given the somewhat limited nature of his weapons, Demoman has found creative ways to utilize his explosives in the battlefield. From stickybomb jumping to ambushes and traps, Demoman has a reasonably creative approach to fighting.
- Brutality
- Demoman takes a sadistic glee in blowing up his opponents, and twenty years of constant fighting in a proxy war have dulled any sense of a conscious he has.
“ | The lesson here is that I shouldn't care either. Dracula will bring a pure world into being; I believe that. I believe him. I want, of all things, a pure world, a clean world, where there is only loyalty and only love.
— Isaac
|
” |
A Devil Forgemaster employed by Dracula, Isaac was born in the Middle-East as a slave to Christian priests. His master was a brutal and violent abuser, who convinced Isaac that humanity was a cancer to be eradicated and destroyed. After he killed his master, Isaac briefly wandered the world before being kidnapped by bandits, where he was freed by Dracula. Isaac decided to follow Dracula, who returned Isaac's loyalty with honor and dignity. Isaac fully participated in Dracula's plans to genocide humanity, only being stopped when Dracula sent Isaac away to save his life.
Lost in the desert, Isaac began to create his own army of night creatures to enact revenge of the traitors that led to Dracula's defeat. Using a Distance Mirror given to him by a mysterious vendor, Isaac sailed from Africa to Europe with a friendly captain who tried to restore Isaac's faith in humanity. THis ends up failing when the town Isaac arrives at attempts to kill him, and Isaac begins a campaign to gather creatures in his quest for revenge. He stumbles upon a town under the control of a wizard, and he slaughters his way to the wizard, killing him and claiming his horde of people for his own.
“ | This is the work we were born for.
— Quote author
|
” |
“ | No such thing as love in this world.
— Isaac
|
” |
“ | Bring me fresh material!
— Isaac
|
” |
“ | It likes to be called "sir".
— The Collector
|
” |
“ | You know... one day, the last of you will ask me: "Why did you work with Dracula himself, to murder all the people?" And you know what I'll say? It's because you're all so fucking rude.
— Isaac
|
” |
- Misanthrope
- Isaac hates all of humanity, finding them to be cruel, violent, and hopeless as a species. He was more than willing to eradicate the entire species with Dracula, and he has slaughtered entire towns by himself. He has made exceptions to humans that show him kindness first, such as the Captain and Miranda, but is just as ready to slaughter them without question.
- Loyalty-Obsessed
- Isaac values loyalty above all else, and once he finds a worthy master he will do everything in his power to serve them faithfully.
- Masochist
- Isaac extends part of his hatred for humanity onto himself. He often punishes himself with his whip to remind himself of the inherent cruelty of mankind. He was even willing to die at Dracula's hands once the rest of humanity had been killed.
- Willpower
- Isaac has an exceptionally powerful will. He was able to ignore mind control purely from his will alone, and survived in the desert for weeks with just a pack of Night Demons to aid him.
- Raw Power & Versatility
- Isaac's Night Demons are all varying degrees of powerful to the mundane, but often present little difficulty to those that actually know their weaknesses or possess magic to get around them. Isaac himself is also a highly skilled combatant, but is ultimately human and has no unique, non-Forgemaster powers of his own.
- Training
- Isaac is mostly self-taught, relying on the teachings of discovered books and trial-and-error to develop his talents as a fighter and Forgemaster.
- Experience
- Isaac is well-traveled, but very little is known about his experience before meeting Dracula. Afterwards, he primarily served in an advisory role before being dismissed, and has since trekked across the Mediterranean to return home, slaughtering towns that opposed him all the way.
- Charisma
- Isaac is a solitary and cynical individual, preferring to be left unbothered. He is typically nonoffensive though, and isn't openly hostile unless he needs to defend himself.
- Creativity
- Isaac uses the limited tools at his disposal in a unique fighting style, while his Devil Forging allows him to create unique opportunities. Ultimately though he hasn't displayed a notable skill or lack in this department.
- Brutality
- Isaac is ruthless and vicious to those that end up his enemies. He slaughtered entire towns and sought to genocide the human race, while letting his Night Creatures tear into them without any hesitation.
Notes[]
- For voting, rank warriors from last to first to determine if they will win under the conditions imposed in the Situation tab.
- All votes must contain proper grammar and spelling.
- All votes must clearly express a winner/if there is a tie. Don't beat around the bush, people.
- The warrior with the most points will win. 13th place gets 1 point, 12th gets 2 points, etc.
- Rankings that are a tie will demote to the lower number. For example, a tie for the 8th/7th rank will count as 1 point for each warrior.
- I will declare votes as full or none - the style of battle does not reflect well into half votes. A full vote will have at least three sentences for why a warrior ranks where they do.
- These requirements are abstract; I reserve the right to count or discount votes depending on their individual merit.
- My rebuttal policy is as follows; the initial rebuttal will reduce a vote to half, and a particularly outstanding rebuttal will reduce it to nothing. The first counter-argument, if adequate, will raise the vote back to full value. Going forward from there, all rebuttals and counter-arguments will only affect a vote if I believe it does so adequately. I will render a final verdict on the vote two days after the last comment of rebuttal.
- I will also no longer accept rebuttals one hour before voting is scheduled to close, to ensure that this policy may not be abused.
The situation is simple - last man standing. No warrior will be allowed to leave the island until they are the last survivor.
The island itself is a circular one, surrounded by an ocean with no other islands in sight. The geography of the island is composed of forests and fields, with small creeks and caves dotting the landscape at random. There are six cabins also around the island spread at random, providing shelter and emergency medical supplies. The island is populated with game animals, like deer, rabbits, and squirrels, and domestic animals, like cows, chicken, and pigs.
In the center of the island is a small, abandoned city. It is mostly populated with main street-style mom and pop shops, but also has important city structures like a police station, a high school, a hospital, a courthouse, and a shopping mall. Electricity in the city is functional.
Win
- Do not lose.
Loss
- Die.
- Be crippled or otherwise incapacitated in a manner that would unambiguously render someone permanently unable to fight.
- Being knocked unconscious would not constitute a loss.
- A successful retreat would not constitute a loss.
Battle[]
Part I: Birds of a Feather[]
Isaac opens his eyes in a panic, his hand instinctively going to his side for his dagger. He found himself standing in a forest clearing, with the Distance Mirror laying dormant on his folded cloak in front of him. Before he could move a step, brief pain penetrated his head as information swarmed into his brain. Shaking his head in disbelief, Isaac grabs his cloak and throws it over his head. If this is my punishment, so be it.
He bends down to pick up the mirror, and a rustling behind him catches his attention. He quickly turns and snaps his whip towards the noise. It wraps itself around the handle of Haru's axe, and he yanks the weapon towards him. "Wait, I don't want to-"
Haru's pleas go unheeded as she falls forward and Isaac throws himself towards her, knife drawn. Thinking quickly, she tosses off her mask and summons Lucy, creating a physical barrier in front of her. Isaac looks at the beige giant behind her in shock, before his knife collides with Haru's barrier. The magical shield stops his knife dead in its track, and sends him flying backwards.
"Do not think you can deceive me, young woman," Isaac says, drawing his whip and knife to strike again. "I will not die today."
Rolling her eyes, Haru beckons to Lucy. The Persona sends a weak blast of Psy at Isaac, who is knocked to his feet. He gets onto his knees, looking as Haru stood confidently and Lucy opened her dress, revealing an arsenal of strange metal firearms.
"Please don't make me hurt you," Haru pleads, throwing her hands up in a sign of peace. Realizing he would be outmatched at this point, Isaac cautiously retreats from a combative stance.
"I must assume that you have the same rules as myself. Only one of us will be able to leave this island alive."
Haru awkwardly nods, keeping an eye on Isaac as she retrieves her axe. "I know. But that doesn't mean we have to...hurt each other right away. There are eleven others, after all."
Isaac contemplates her offer, before nodding his head. "You make an excellent point. For now, we have a pact," he says, putting his weapons back onto his belt. "I am Isaac."
"My name is Haru Okumura. It's nice to meet you, Isaac." She tips her hat to him and curtsies, and he returns the gesture with a nod.
"So, Isaac...now what should we do?"
Making sure to keep an eye on his new ally, Isaac sits down on the ground and grabs the discarded mirror. Opening the top, several shards of glass floated in the air until it took its proper shape. Haru marveled at the magic, and Isaac couldn't help but to smile at her innocence.
"It likes to be called "sir"," Isaac remarked, gesturing for Haru to sit. She does so, and Isaac looks at the mirror.
"Show me the most powerful person on this island, sir."
Grunting in frustration, Azula tossed yet another branch from her face as she trudged through the thick forest. Judging by the map she had been given, she was still a ways to go until she made it to the city. I don't deserve this. I am the princess of the Fire Nation, not some-
Her thoughts are interrupted as another branch swings into her face, delivering a swift whack to the nose. Rubbing it in pain, she let out a yell of anger and crossed her arms in front of her. Pulling them back to form a small fireball, she breathes out a column of flame, incinerating several yards of foliage in front of her.
As the smoke clears, Azula smiles as she sees one of the cabins, left miraculously intact aside from the black scorch mark of her fire. As she walked forward, she sees a flash of purple and stops in her tracks. Three playing cards land at her feet, before exploding and knocking her back into a tree.
"That was quite a show there, 'lil lady," Gambit remarks, leaning casually against a tree on the other side of the clearing. "You're gon' be a big problem, I can tell." The young girl shows a smile that doesn't reach her eyes, and Gambit subtly draws another hand of cards beneath his jacket sleeve.
"Surely there's no need to be so hostile," she says, raising her hands in a sign of surrender.
"Oh you're gonna be a tricky one, ain't ya?"
Azula merely shrugs, before rocking herself backwards and pushing herself into the air with backflip. She sails into the air, kicking one leg and lashing out a blast of fire. Gambit effortlessly rolls to the side, tossing cards at Azula. She punches forward with a pair of fireballs, incinerating the cards. They travel towards Gambit, who rolls underneath them and tosses another card toward her. He continues his barrage as he stands, sprinting towards Azula.
She barely avoids each one, grunting in surprise as her opponent rapidly closes the distance. She retaliates with a wave of fire, which he flips over. As she prepares another fireball, Gambit changes his attack by opening his staff. The metal weapon swings into Azula, who barely manages to raise her wrist to block the strike. Gambit follows it up with a swing beneath the legs, knocking her off her feet.
"How dare you strike a woman with such an underhanded blow!"
Gambit and Azula look in confusion as Caesar charges into the clearings, his fists glowing with a strange energy. Caesar rubs his hands together, and throws out several Hamon-fused bubbles toward Gambit. The thief smirks at the display, only for the projectiles to slam into his chest. The crackle of Hamon bursts as the bubbles pop, sending Gambit flying back in surprise.
The blond man offers a hand to Azula, who smiles at her temporary savior. Gambit looks at the two, drawing a pair of cards and twirling his staff. The three people take a battle stance, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Caesar goes first, charging forward and his fists crackling with Hamon. Gambit shoves the end of the staff into Caesar's stomach, forcing him to double over. He tosses the cards over Caesar and at Azula, before swinging his staff at Caesar's feet. Zeppeli uses the momentum to roll backwards, launching a stream of bubbles at Gambit. Azula follows up with a fireball, forcing Gambit on the defensive as he flips away to avoid both attacks.
"Two on one ain't exactly fair, is it Blondie?" Gambit smirks, collapsing his staff and drawing a dozen cards in both hands. Caesar lunges forward without a response, bubbles descending toward Gambit. The thief responds by dodging them, flipping and rolling with cards in hand. He tosses one hand at Caesar and the other into the air. Zeppeli forms a bubble shield in front of him, blocking the first dozen cards before a rain of explosive blasts falls upon him.
Azula sends a whip of fire at Gambit, who dodges it and throws another couple cards at Azula. He throws several more into the air, the explosive projectiles raining down from the sky as he starts to flee. "I think I'll let you two lovebirds have some time to yourself,. See ya around, cheri," he taunts, blowing a kiss at Azula. The princess creates a giant wave of fire in attempt to burn through the cards, but an explosion of red and purple blinds her as they collide.
She blinks her eyes a few times to reorient, seeing an empty clearing save for the cabin reduced to cinders and the badly charred body of Caesar Zeppeli. He groans as his eyes briefly flutter open, looking at Azula in a plea for help. She scoffs and walk pasts him, barely fazed at the sacrifice of her attempted savior.
As Azula leaves the clearing behind and Caesar's breaths grow more labored, he catches a rustling of branches to the side. A mess of shadows approaches him, before a woman in black robes rises from them. Emily Kaldwin, taking pity on the poor man, lays her hands on his and gives a brief look of sympathy.
"Thank you for this small mercy, my lady," Caesar says, gratefully closing his eyes as Emily unsheathes her sword. She quickly slits his throat without ceremony, and then dashes into the shadows of the trees once more.
A cannon blast disrupts the silence that Rain had been growing accustomed to. As he smoothly jumps from one branch to another, he recalled that a cannon blast meant one of his enemies had been defeated. The bright sun slowly started to pierce its way through the forest, signaling his arrival to the city. Recognizing the tall stone buildings that were distinctive of Earthrelm establishments, Rain stops to observe from the edge of the forest. Just as he prepares to climb down, the sound of another explosion rips his ears.
To his left, a lean man in a black coat dashed past him. Rain watched as Yatogami Kuroh created a silver hand and threw it backwards, sending up shards of stone and debris behind him. The attack was met with a fireball, clearing a path in the destruction for Anders to run through. He threw forward several smaller fire bolts from his staff, which Kuroh dodged with ease.
He dashed towards Anders, sword drawn and swung it at the mage, who quickly created a force field around himself. The blade pierced the magical defense, and Anders hastily blocked Kuroh's sword with his staff. He deflected the next swing and threw his staff into the ground, placing a glowing green symbol on the ground. The glyph sent Kuroh flying backwards, but he easily rolled with the momentum to return to a standing attack position.
Before the two men could charge at each other again, Rain leaped in front of them. He landed before Kuroh, delivering a swift jab to the stomach, sending him reeling to catch his breath. Rain then turns and creates a whirlpool of water, trapping Anders within it and disorienting him. Anders took a deep breath and dispelled the whirlpool, only for Rain to dash towards him and swept him off his feet with a kick.
"That's enough for now." Rain commands, looking at the fallen combatants to his side. Kuroh looked at Anders, who pushed himself back into a standing position with his staff. Reluctantly, Kuroh lowered his sword, keeping it drawn and narrowing his eyes at Rain.
"The three of us alone could easily kill one another," Rain says, lowering his hands as well. "But it would be prudent of us to wait until we're the only ones left to do so."
Kuroh shakes his head. "That would just delay the inevitable. One way or another, we will have to fight."
Anders took a moment to consider it. "Our purple friend here makes a good point. I don't look forward to having to kill anyone, after all," he explains. "Better to stick to groups, at least for now."
"If you choose not to, that would be your loss. Your swift loss," Rain says, all hint of friendliness gone. Anders looks at Kuroh, placing his hands in a peaceful gesture.
"It'd be two on one, friend. You won't beat those odds."
"Make that three."
The trio look to the sound of the voice, where Azula had emerged from another path from the forest. "I have no intention of losing this to any of you, but together we can make it so that we're the last ones left."
Realizing he was outnumbered, Kuroh reluctantly sheathed Kotowari. "In that case, we should find shelter."
The four warriors all relaxed, putting a healthy distance between each other. Azula took the lead, taking out her map. "Everyone will be trying to get here," she explains, pointing to a spot in the center, "...for food and shelter. We can set-up a base at the guard station, and hunt the others down from there."
Anders and Kuroh nodded in agreement, walking with Azula. Rain narrows his eyes at the young girl in front of him, warily following at a distance. This girl will be a problem...for another time.
The sound of rushing water filled Cad Bane's ears as he stepped into a riverbank. Taking a glance at his map, he took stock of his situation. Another mile south of the river, and he would be in the city. I'll have to get to high ground. Once I get into the city, I'll be able to set up a proper perimeter. Bane kneels to the river, taking some water into his hands to satiate his thirst.
A brief rustle in the bushes quietly disturbed his peace. Careful not to give away he had heard the disturbance, Bane put his hand to his side and unholstered his blaster pistol. Scanning the forest for the sound, Bane stood back up. "Whoever's out there, let's make a deal," Bane says, lowering the barrel of his blaster and facing the sound of the disturbance. "There's no need to do anything rash. Not yet."
He was met by silence, and Bane's eyes narrowed as he scanned the forest line. "Come on now, step out."
"LEEEEET'S DO IT!"
Cad Bane looked to his right in shock as the Demoman emerged from the forest, swinging his Eyelander with reckless abandon. The bounty hunter shot off a blaster bolt at the raging lunatic, who blocked it with his targe. The Demoman's large broadsword swung towards him, and Bane launched himself backwards with his rocket boots. The blade clipped his leg, grazing his shin as he flew into the air. Shooting out a blast of flame from his gauntlet, Bane took to the sky to escape.
"Where do ya think you're goin', laddy?" The Demoman taunts, pulling out his stickybomb launcher. He shoots one in front of him, blowing it up and blasting himself into the air. Bane barely dodges the initial jump, and Demoman falls towards him Eyelander redrawn. "Ya ain't gettin' away that easy!"
The Demoman grabs Cad Bane in a bear hug, sending them both to the ground. Bane desperately tries to shove Demoman off of him, but the Scotsman's boot plants him firmly in the ground. Grabbing his leg, Bane activates the taser in his gauntlet. To his horror, the Demoman merely laughs in his face. "'At tickles somethin' fierce! Why don't I return the favor!"
Without a second thought, Demoman takes a swing with his Eyelander, beheading Cad Bane in a single fell swoop. "Take that, ya blue, tubed freakshow!" The Eyelander's magic takes effect, and Demoman feels himself growing faster and stronger. Another cannon blast punctuates the air, and Demoman laughs with sadistic glee.
"Old McGroot is goin' ta show all these two-eyed bastards how to get it done!"
Before he leaves, he notices Cad Bane's wide-brimmed hat, miraculously still in tact. Picking it up, Demoman puts on the head piece and admires his appearance in the reflection of the river. "I'll be takin' this. Hopin' ya don't mind, it ain't nothing to lose yer head over!" He cackles, pulling out his grenade launcher and heading for the city.
Part II: The Waifu Wars[]
Landing with a quiet thud, Zari Tomaz dissipates her tornado and takes stock of her environment. She looks down into the street below and the buildings surrounding the police station. Satisfied she was alone, Zari opened the rooftop access and walks into the two-story building.
After a few seconds of exploration, Zari grins in triumph as she enters the station's security room. "Hell yeah," she mutters, quickly typing away and hacking into the building's server. "At least whoever put me here had the decency to give me good wi-fi."
Finding her way into the city's camera network, Zari watched the five monitors before her hum to life before showing the surrounding block. Looking in the drawers revealed a spare cell phone, and Zari spends another couple minutes tinkering to connect it to her new camera network.
Zari walks down to the first floor of the station. She arrived into a hallway with three doors on one side and a path to an open reception area. A quick search of the three rooms confirmed what she'd feared - the station had been picked clean, save for an empty duffel bag.
Returning to the second floor, Zari lets out a groan of annoyance, realizing she'd have to leave for supplies. "That's gonna make things way-"
"Stupefy!
Zari drops to the floor as a ball of red energy flies past where her head once was, and she turns to see Hermione Granger, wand at the ready. Zari retaliates with a quick blast of air, knocking Hermione off her feet. She stands up, blowing another gust of air to keep Hermione pinned to the ground.
The witch apparates, teleporting out of Zari's view. Reappearing behind her, Hermione casts another spell. A length of rope flies from the tip of her wand, wrapping around Zari's leg. Undeterred, Zari responds by locking Hermione in a twister. The rope uncoils around her legs, and Zari uses a blast of wind to throw Hermione's wand from her hand.
Zari takes a good look at Hermione for the first time, and starts to slow down the tornado, "Holy crap, you're just a kid."
Gasping for breath, Hermione takes a moment to shakily stand up. Zari offers a hand, and Hermione maintains eye contact as she stands on her own. "You're not going to attack me?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Zari says with a nervous laugh. "Sorry about the whole wind thing."
"Apologies for attacking you. I'm not quite sure who you can trust with all that's going on," she replies. "Hermione Granger."
"Zari Tomaz."
The two women relax, and they head back upstairs. As they walk into the security office, they're greeted by a man in a brown trenchcoat, casually shuffling a deck of cards.
"You really gon' have to tighten up ya security around here, cherie,"
Hermione points her wand at Gambit's chest as Zari triggers the Air Totem, each unsure how to deal with the stranger. Gambit put the deck down and raised his hands in surrender. "No need to get hostile, ladies."
"Not too sure about that Bayou Bill," Zari retorts angrily. "I don't like it when strangers show up uninvited."
"Bayou Bill? You gon' have to do better than that to keep up with Remy LeBeau," Gambit snarks, standing up from his chair. "Besides, you were pretty nice to our lil' friend from across the pond. Don't see why we can't be friends neither."
The two women look at each other, standing down. Gambit claps and smiles, offering a hand to each of them. "Ain't that better? Glad you listened to me, since I'm gonna take a guess that we ain't the only ones who deciding to buddy up."
Gambit walks over to a corner of the office, where he picks up a small backpack. Gambit spills the contents of the bag to reveal a loaf of bread, deli meats, and assorted cheeses. "Don't ever say that I never showed up without gifts."
Emily Kaldwin sprints from the last of the tree line to the city's edge, painfully aware of how exposed she was. As she approaches the city, she could hear the sound of explosions and yelling behind her. That one-eyed freak is gonna kill me if I can't get out of the open.
She reaches the city, gratefully slinking into an alley and losing herself in the city sprawl. Just as she slips into an alley, Emily watches Demoman fall from the sky. "Where ya think you're going lass? Just want to give ya a whiff of the ole brimstone!"
Looking around in frustration, Demoman snarls and launches into the air. Emily sighs in relief, and proceeds to venture further in the opposite direction. Finding the back entrance to a cafe, she picks the lock and enters. Careful to close the door behind her, she takes a few steps in only to immediately freeze as the sound of voices reaches her ears.
"You're not very talkative, Isaac-san," a lighter one said, distinctly female.
"I am sorry if I am poor company, Ms. Haru," Isaac replied. "The circumstances do not lend themselves well to small talk."
Morphing into a shadow, Emily crawled along the walls into the room to observe. She saw Isaac and Haru sitting at a table, the latter pouring coffee into a cup. "That's fine, Isaac-san. You don't have to worry about me," Haru offers the drink to Isaac before pouring another for herself. "You remind me of a friend of mine. Intense, quiet, but still very friendly."
"In my years traveling, I have never been described as "friendly"," Isaac says with a chuckle. He takes a sip of the warm beverage, and looks over his cup to see Haru's eager expression. "Thank you, Haru. I am grateful for your kindness."
Blushing, Haru takes a sip of her own. "I'm glad you like it, Isaac-san." Looking to the side, she notices movement out of the corner of her eye. "Isaac-san, do those shadows look like they're moving to you?"
He looks over to where Haru is pointing, nonchalantly pulling out his whip. Emily stops moving and watches, carefully waiting to see Isaac's next move. He lashes the whip out, and Emily easily adjusts to avoid the whip. She fails to notice the cup of coffee flung at her, the liquid spilling over her and dissipating her shadow form.
Haru grabs her axe and jumps forward, moving with a downward chop. Emily barely pulls out her sword in time, deflecting the blow and following up with a swift punch to Haru's face. The girl recoils from the blow, giving Isaac the room to move in with his knife.
He makes a horizontal slash with it, with Emily barely stepping back in time to dodge it. She draws her pistol and fires blindly at him, only for a magical barrier to rise up and deflect the bullet back to her. "Move, Isaac-san!"
The two look to see Haru wielding a grenade launcher, and Isaac rolls out of the way. Haru fires, and Emily conjures a tendril which drags her towards the window to avoid it. She crashes into it, flying into the street outside.
Brushing bits of glass off of her, Emily looks to see Haru and Isaac following her out the window. She creates a Void Spirit, managing to trap Isaac in its grasp. Haru creates a magical barrier from the attack for herself, before having Lucy attack with a blast of psy energy.
Emily's head pulses with pain, and she quickly draws her sword to defend herself. Haru leaps forward, axe in hand, and Emily pivots to the side. Haru goes for another vertical swing, Emily sidestepping and countering with another sword swing. Haru barely raises her axe in time to block, using the shaft to block the blow. She kicks Emily back, and makes a horizontal swing across Emily's exposed stomach. The blow connects, and Emily crumples to the floor.
Before she can celebrate, Haru gasps as a firm hand wraps around her throat from behind. Emily rises from the shadows, and thrusts her sword deep into Haru's back. The young girl falls onto her knees, looking at Emily's doppelganger in confusion. Emily feels a pang of regret, before morphing into shadows and fleeing from the scene.
Isaac's sense return as the Void Spirit disappears, and he looks to see Haru on the ground. He approaches the girl, kneeling down and looking at the wound. "You will not survive this, Haru."
Her breaths quickening, she takes Isaac's hand and looks at him with tears. "It hurts, Isaac. It hurts so much."
He takes her hand and nods, looking into her eyes. Unable to think of a comforting thought, he only closes his eyes as she lets out her last breath. A cannon blast punctuates the air, and Isaac takes a deep breath for resolve. Drawing his knife, glowing with the red energy of a Forgemaster, he smoothly stabs Haru's corpse.
A flash of red flame and the smell of brimstone pierces the air, before Haru's body dissolves into a mist. In its place forms a dark black horse, garish horns upon its head and large black wings on its back. The Night Creature lets out a bestial roar, bowing its head to Isaac. He mounts the creature, pulling out the distance mirror.
"Sir, show me the other dead. I must find fresh materials."
As their small group approaches the police station, Azula gestures to halt. "We split up. Can any of you get up to the roof?" Kuroh nods, unbuckling his sword from his belt in preparation. "Kuroh and I will enter from the top. You two go in through the main entrance, and if anyone's inside we take them from both sides."
"I don't take orders from you, child," Rain retorts. Azula shrugs, folding her arms.
"Then don't listen to me. If any of you have a better idea, I'm sure we can come to an arrangement," Azula looks to the group, seeing no objections. "That's what I thought." She nods to Kuroh, who summons a colorless hand from his arm. He throws the hand to the roof, and wraps his arm around Azula. The two fling themselves upward, leaving Anders and Rain alone.
The two men walk into the station, looking carefully for any traps. Before they can go upstairs, an explosion rips through the building and the floor above them crashes down. They barely avoid the debris as they see Kuroh and Gambit fall down, followed by two women in a small tornado. Zari turns to see the new arrivals, and launches a blast of air towards them. Grabbing Gambit, they drag him outside.
"Don't just stand there!" Azula's voice shouts to them. They look up to see Azula floating in the air, visibly angry. "We can't let them get away!"
Kuroh and Rain run out the door, while Anders can't help but smile at the dangling Azula. "Can't you get me down?"
"Poor choice of words," Anders dispels the magic, causing Azula to fall through the hole with a thud. Laughing in spite of himself, Anders gestures for the door. "Shall we?"
Gambit greets them with a pair of exploding cards, knocking them on their feet as they exit. He rolls to the side to dodge a swing from Kuroh's sword, collapsing his bo staff. He spins it in a circle to gain distance, with Kuroh using Kotowari to stop it in its tracks. He follows up with a diagonal slash, which Gambit parries. Unfazed, Kuroh summons his colorless aura and smashes the spectral fist into the ground, sending Gambit flying backwards.
On the other side of the street, Zari and Hermione each take turns trying to attack Rain. Hermione casts Stupefy, but Rain dissolves into a puddle. He reforms behind her and forms a dagger of water, attempting to thrust it into Hermione's back. A tornado forms around her, acting as a barrier and sending Rain off course. Hermione apparates away, reappearing and casting a body lock spell. Rain's body stiffens as the bluish ball of magic collides with him, and he flails awkwardly to the ground.
Hermione barely has time to react before Anders approaches her, launching bolts of fire towards her. She casts a shield charm, before retaliating with Expelliarmus. Anders' staff flies from his hands, but does little to stop him as he casts Winter's Grasp. The ball of icy magic is sent off course by a blast of air from Zari, who quickly returns to deflecting fireballs from Azula. Anders offhandedly dispels the spell over Rain, who decides to join Kuroh in attacking Gambit. Hermione and Anders continue their magical duel, casting spell after spell at each other.
Zari deflects another fireball from Azula, who follows it up with a whip of fire. She creates a tornado to protect herself, before hardening the air and sending it towards Azula. The blast knocks her off her feet, and Zari continues the assault with a constant stream of air. She looks over to Hermione, who flicks her wand and blasts a crater beneath Anders' feet to send him flying. Hermione apparates over to Zari, who lets out a desperate laugh. "I think it's going well. Could be worse."
"Don't know about that one, darlin'!" Gambit yells with a laugh, swinging his staff at Kuroh to gain distance. Infusing it with kinetic energy, he takes another swing at Rain, who blocks it with his arm. The demigod barely flinches as he dashes forward and lands a quick jab to Gambit's gut.
The thief doubles over, but he counters by wrapping Rain in a headlock. He throws them both backwards, slamming Rain's head into the concrete street. He raises his staff to block another swing from Kuroh, and pushes him away. The two men glare at each other, but a loud explosion disrupts the fighting.
"I'm goin' to be takin' all of you to hell!"
The group of fighters looks in confusion as Demoman falls towards them from the sky, launching stickybomb after stickybomb into the group. Demoman pulls the trigger, and the bombs send everyone scattering. Demoman lands with a thud, pulling out his grenade launcher. He launches a pipe at Zari, who reflects it back at him with an air blast. "Now that's not good," he manages to say before flailing back from the explosion. Realizing he was outmatched, Demoman fled the scene as the other warriors recovered from his bombardment.
Hermione apparates over to Gambit, who winces as she helps him up. Zari runs over to them, handing them her cell phone. "Get to the hospital, keep an eye on the cameras. I can catch up to you but you need to go now."
"We're not going to-" Hermione starts to protest, before Zari shoves them both away. Gambit reluctantly nods, and the two apparate away. Zari forms a twister to follow them, but a telekinetic force holds her in place. Looking at her feet, a magical green symbol on the ground flares before exploding and knocking her off her feet.
Zari stands as Anders sends more bolts of fire towards her from his staff, which she deflects with an air blast. Azula attacks from her right, a steady stream of flames roaring towards her. She raises her hand and creates another blast of air. The wind halts the stream steadily in its tracks. Rain launches a blast of pressurized water at Zari, who forms a tornado around herself. The winds form a protective barrier around her, launching every blast of fire, ice, and water away from her.
She throws her arms outward, creating a massive shockwave of air that sends the three to their feet. Forming fists, she starts to draw out the air within their bodies. The trio claw at their throats, suffocating as Zari continues the onslaught. She relents, and the three fighters cough as they try to regain their breath.
She tries to lift off to escape once again, but a spectral hand holds her in place. Kuroh's aura pulls her out of the twister and towards him, and he lunges forward. He thrusts Kotowari cleanly through Zari's chest. After looking down in shock and coughing up blood, Zari falls lifeless onto the ground as he withdraws the sword. He wipes the blade before sheathing it, and looks to his companions. A cannon blast confirms her death, and the group relaxes.
"We will need to find the others," Rain commands, but Azula shakes her head and starts to walk inside.
"They're long gone by now. It's a better idea to hunt down the other lone wolves before we go after them again."
The two glare at each other, neither willing to back down. After a few tense moments of silence, Anders steps between them. "Now's not the time. It's almost night fall. Better to rest now, and decide our next course of action tomorrow."
Rain breaks eye contact by walking forward, purposefully bumping into Azula. Anders follows, leaving Azula to quietly fume as she is followed by Kuroh for the night.
Part III: Fatality[]
Demoman limps away from the police station, looking back with a panic as the sound of fighting dies down. He shoots a pipe into a wall, blowing it apart. He walks through the hole and staggers into his new home. Placing several more stickybombs around his improvised entrance, Demoman takes a moment to check his surroundings. To his wonder, he's stumbled into a bar. Demoman eagerly goes behind the counter and grabs a large whiskey bottle.
"Time for a bottle 'o scrumpy to take the edge off," He gleefully says to himself, chugging the whole bottle down in a single drink. He belches and grabs another bottle, taking a seat on the ground as he pops the cork off. He takes off his new cowboy hat and lays it to the side, sighing in content.
Footsteps interrupt his moment of peace, and he looks in confusion as Emily Kaldwin wanders into the room. The empress looks in surprise at the red-clad man before her, who grabs an empty bottle. "This'll teach ya to interrupt my drinkin' lass!"
Emily barely reacts in time as Demoman vaults over the bar and charges at her, bottle in hand. He smashes it against her skull, sending her stumbling down as the glass shatters. He tries to thrust the jagged edge into her gut, but she grabs his wrist and twists it. Turning his back to her, she forcefully kicks him away as she draws her pistol. She fires one shot, and the bullet slams into Demoman's shoulder. He recoils back, grabbing his stickybomb launcher as he falls.
"It appears yer trodding on me mine, lassy!" He taunts as he pulls the trigger. The bombs explode around Emily, blowing the empress into several red chunks and throwing the pieces of her body around the room. Given a moment to relax, Demoman grabs his shoulder and winces in pain. "'At's goin' to leave a scratch."
"This is unfortunate," a voice echoes from outside. Isaac walks into the room, glancing at the wounded man before him. "I needed that body."
"Ain't that a shame, aye?" Demoman slowly grips his weapon, aiming directly at Isaac. "Yer lucky I'm a bit tired at the moment. If ya ask real nicely, I'll let ya-"
Before he could finish his threat, a large fist slams through the wall to his back. Scurrying away, Demoman watched as a large, blue beast crashed into the room. Demoman raised his stickybomb launcher, only for the Night Creature to grab him by the scruff of its neck. Its skeletal face looked curiously at Demoman, two long tubes protruding from its bottom jaw to its neck.
"Kill him cleanly; I need to harvest the body," Isaac ordered, already turning his back. The Night Creature nodded, taking Demoman's head into its long claws. With a brutal twist, the Night Creature snapped Demoman's neck. Dropping his corpse, the beast dragged him outside by the leg and presented it to Isaac. He channeled his Forgemaster magic and stabbed the body, and it transformed. Out of the mist rose a dark red cyclops, its pitch black pupil glaring and a permanent grin upon its face. The Night Creature formerly known as Tavish McGroot let out a disturbing cackle, hefting the Eyelander in its hand.
Satisfied with his new minion, Isaac swung onto the back of his mount. "We have work to do." He says sternly, and gallops towards his next destination. Behind him, his four other Night Creatures dutifully followed, growling and snarling as the sun set.
As the rest of his companions settle in to rest, Anders grabs his staff and walks outside. He takes a seat with him and arrives on the police station's roof. His back to the door, Anders looks out into the night sky. Justice's raspy voice protrudes into his mind. "We must remain vigilant Anders. I do not trust your allies."
"I don't either. Kuroh tried to kill me after all, and Rain's made his dislike for us perfectly clear. Azula reminds me too much of Velanna...Maker, you remember her?"
The spirit remained silent, leaving Anders to talk to himself. "Quite a temper on that one. Still, she wasn't too bad on the-" Anders' thoughts are cut-off as he sees a man approaching on horseback. Behind him, a horde of strange beasts walked in perfect sync.
"Foul beasts approach us, Anders. We must warn the others."
"Couldn't agree with-" Anders starts, only to turn and see Rain standing before him. "Rain, get the others ready to go." The man remains quiet, before raising his hand and sending out a blast of water. It forms a large bubble around Anders' head, drowning the mage within. Anders desperately clutches at his throat, before his eyes flare white and Justice possesses him. The demon dispels the magic just as Rain dissolves into a puddle.
"Do not think to run from me, traitor," Justice roars, twirling his staff in defiance. Rain reemerges behind Anders, delivering a swift palm strike to Anders' back. He's sent sprawling, and swings his staff out defensively.
Rain catches it, before kicking Anders in the gut. Before the mage can even draw another breath, Rain closes the distances and delivers a flurry of jabs to his stomach.
He conjures a bubble, trapping it around Anders, before summoning a small storm cloud above it. The cloud releases several strokes of lightning, and Anders' body convulses as he's electrocuted inside the bubble. It dissipates, dropping the singed and soaked corpse of Anders into a heap.
Rain looks out into the crowd of monsters down below, who had stopped to listen to the commotion. Isaac looks up to see the purple-clad warrior, who whistles down to him. Not waiting for a reaction, Rain turns around and creates a bolt of lightning, destroying the roof access behind him. He smiles and collapses into a puddle, leaving the others to the horde.
Hermione anxiously looks out the window, drawing her jacket closer to her body and letting out a shiver. She hears footsteps behind her, and peers over her shoulder as Gambit approaches. "She should be here by now, Remy. We have to go look for her," she says, worry on her face. Gambit shakes his head, a pained expression on his face.
"It's been hours, little lady. If Zari ain't here, it means she ain't comin'."
The young witch frowns and lowers her head in grief, knowing Gambit is right. Wiping a tear from her eye, she feels a hand on her shoulder as Gambit pats her reassuringly. "Don't worry, cheri. We gon' get through this together."
Hermione narrows her eyes at the thief, careful to put distance between them. "Only one of us gets to leave, Remy."
He shrugs, absentmindedly shuffling cards in his hands. "We can cross that bridge when we get to it." When he notices Hermione doesn't seem relaxed, he pockets the cards and crosses his heart. "I swear by the blessed virgin herself, you ain't got nothin' to worry about long as Big Brother Gambit's got your back."
She looks at Gambit briefly, before nodding resolutely. "Why don't you take the first rest? I can keep watch for the night," Gambit offers, grabbing the phone Zari had given as a parting gift. Hermione nods and leaves the room, leaving the thief to himself. As he swipes through the security feeds, Gambit cracks his neck and smiled. He didn't need to use any of his smooth talking for that- he meant every word.
On the top floor of the police station, Kuroh parries a blow from a Night Creature, easily deflecting its large broadsword. He summons his aura and grips the cyclops, and tosses it into a wall. He barely has time to move in when another one launches a bright yellow beam at him, throwing him to the ground. The Night Creature pounds its chest and charges, aiming its horns for the downed warrior. Kuroh quickly stands and jumps over the charge, slashing across its back. The Night Creature screams in pain, turning to breathe another blast at Kuroh.
"We need to move, Azula!" Kuroh yells, forming his spectral hand. He throws it through a wall, crushing stone and creating an opening. Beside him, Azula stops throwing blasts of fire at the staircase, allowing for another Night Creature to finally break through. The two jump out of the opening, heading out into the streets. They barely have time to react before the Night Creatures follow them. The three beasts roar, waiting for an opening, while from above a piercing screech echoes.
Isaac pulls his dagger from Anders' corpse, morphing the corpse into a large bird-like Night Creature. It raises its long beak and lets out another screech, before opening its wings and diving towards Kuroh. He swings his sword, forcing it to glide back into the air to avoid the blow. Azula creates a wave of fire, putting distance between them and the Night Creatures.
"You have any ideas how to get out of this?" Azula barks, trying to launch fireballs at the soaring Night Creature. It effortlessly weaves around them, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Kuroh wordlessly sheathes his sword, forming his colorless aura. He whips the hand as far as he can down the open street behind them. The spectral limb smashes through a distant window and grips something within. Nodding to Azula, Kuroh grabs her and pulls them towards it. The space between the duo and the window compresses, allowing them to cross the mile in a moment. As they go, Azula blasts a fireball towards their destination, making another hole large enough for them to enter. The space decompresses, and they see the police station far behind them.
Isaac growls as his quarry escapes, digging his heels into his winged mount and pointing in their direction. "Find them!"
Part IV: All Roads Lead[]
As the morning sun starts to rise, Hermione and Gambit eat in comfortable silence in the hospital's cafeteria. "This Ron fellow sounds like a real treat," Gambit says between mouthfuls of eggs.
"He's quite nice, if a bit of a fool," Hermione says, smiling as she thinks back on her memories. "I must admit that this school of yours doesn't sound as believable. "School for Gifted Youngsters" sounds like something from an old cartoon."
"Yeah, old Charlie ain't exactly up with the times."
"I can't imagine you as a teacher, either," Hermione continues as she drinks from her glass. Gambit puts his hands to his chest in disbelief, mock horror playing on his face. "Do you doubt my gifted intellect, cheri?"
Before the conversation can continue, a loud explosion echoes in their ears. Gambit collapses his staff as Hermione grabs the security phone. She watches as Azula and Kuroh walk into the hospital, a hole blown through the wall for an entrance. "I guess subtlety is no longer the plan," she mutters, pulling her wand from her pocket.
"Go get our supplies upstairs. I'll distract them, take 'em to the plaza. When you're ready, meet me and we'll scram."
Hermione nods, leaving the cafeteria. Behind her, she hears the sound of explosions. Gambit's voice echoes in the halls, in the opposite direction. "Aye, Hot Shot! You and your new boyfriend 'bout to get into a whole heap 'o trouble!"
As she sprints up the stairs to their base, Hermione curses to herself as the sound of fighting starts to fade away. When she gets to the top floor, she enters the dimly lit hallway and heads towards the room. She suddenly loses her feet beneath her, slipping on a puddle. She starts to stand, only for the puddle to rematerialize into Rain. The demigod grabs the young witch by the throat, but she apparates out of his grip and further down the hall. She sends a curse towards him, which he swiftly avoids by dematerializing again.
He rises back, launching a bolt of lightning at Hermione, who raises a shield charm just barely catching it.
"This is over, young girl," Rain commands as Hermione runs further away. "There's no use to prolong your demise."
Gambit dodges another fireball from Azula, retaliating with another card as he sprints through the hospital hallways. Kuroh's silver hand reaches around to intercept him, which he narrowly avoids as he slides underneath it on his knees. "You gone have to do better than that!"
Azula roars as she sends forth a large column of flame, abandoning precision for an overwhelming blast. Sensing the heat approaching, Gambit takes several cards and tosses them at the wall in front of him. The explosives tears through the concrete and, swinging his staff, Gambit busts through the weakened wall and into the outside. Noticing the wide green space of the hospital's visitor plaza, Gambit spins his staff and turns, just in time to block a sword swing from Kuroh.
The clansman retracts Kotowari before Gambit can knock him off balance, swiftly swinging to the opposite side. Gambit barely manages to block in time, putting both hands on his staff to protect himself. Kuroh sweeps his feet forward, knocking Gambit onto his feet, and thrust Kotowari down to his chest. Gambit catches the blade, which cuts through his gloves and draws blood, slowing it down just enough for him to kick Kuroh away from him.
Kuroh moves with the kick, retracting and throwing his colorless aura at Gambit, who backflips away. The silvery hand smashes into the ground, before grabbing loose debris and throwing it into Gambit, who raises his hands to cover his eyes. Kuroh sees Azula come flying from behind him, flames jetting out of her hands as she slams into Gambit with a swift kick. The thief keeps moving, tossing several cards at the two, knocking them to the floor.
The three steadily stand back up, each taking deep breaths. Gambit chuckles as he wipes dust off his jacket and readjusts his headband. "Don't suppose we could call it a truce?"
"You had your chance to be with the strongest," Azula replies, her mouth transforming into a wicked snarl of a smile. "Now you get to burn."
Rain arrogantly follows Hermione, avoiding each spell cast at him by either moving or shifting into his liquid form. Keep trying, little girl. They always do.
Hermione finally arrives into their headquarters, slamming the door behind her. She grabs a duffel bag, and starts shoving their supplies into it. Just as she finishes packing, the door splinters apart. Rain walks in, confident as he sees his target's back to the wall. "Nowhere to run now," he taunts, launching a tentacle of water at Hermione. It wraps around Hermione's throat before she can raise her wand at Rain. She claws at the water surrounding her throat as she begins to suffocate.
Rain wordlessly approaches Hermione, tightening his grip. Hermione carefully watches him, and smirks as he arrives just inches from her. She catches the glimpse of confusion in Rain's eyes just as she raises her wand, using a freezing spell at Rain's feet. Ice forms around him before he can dodge the spell, and he collapses the water tentacle. He pounds away at the ice, giving Hermione a chance to apparate behind him.
He looks at her just as Hermione raises her wand, launching a curse at him. The spell sends Rain flying, and he sees Hermione's illusion shimmer away to reveal a large glass window. He sails through it, screaming and cursing as he free-falls to the ground, several stories below. The witch grimaces as she looks at his broken body, only to gasp as she sees Isaac's horde surround it.
A large dark shape obscures her view of the monsters, and she gasps as Isaac flies up to her on his night creature. Briefly hesitating at seeing the young girl before him, Isaac fails to react as Hermione launches a stunning curse at him. The Night Creature soars to avoid it, and Isaac leaps off the beast and through the window. He lithely rolls into the room, avoiding another spell from Hermione, and he tosses his whip forward. The weapon wraps itself around Hermione's wand hand, and he yanks it back.
The spiked whip tears through Hermione's wrist, blood pouring and causing her to scream in pain at her shredded flesh. Her pain is silenced as Isaac wordlessly moves in and stabs her in the gut, before ripping side ways and disemboweling the witch. Before she even hits the ground, Isaac's Forgemaster magic begins and she morphs into a shadowy, cloaked figure; yet another Night Creature for Isaac's horde.
Kuroh dodges a thrown card from Gambit, feeling the energy of the projectile singe the air as it flies by his head, and takes another swing with Kotowari. The blade clashes with Gambit's staff, and the thief swings the staff and sword to the ground. Using the staff as a pole, Gambit lifts himself into the air and kicks Kuroh away. Before he can gather his breath, a fireball from Azula slams into his chest. This is followed up by Kuroh's colorless aura scooping him up and tossing him into the air.
Gambit crashes into the ground, rising only to receive a heavy boot slamming into his chest. Kuroh points his sword right at Gambit's throat, prepared to cut him down. "Now think about this real careful, mon ami," Gambit says, his lips glowing just barely with purple energy. Pulling his sword back for the death blow, Kuroh hesitates.
"When I'm gone, you think she's gonna leave you be?" Gambit asks, his voice now crackling with energy. "She's gonna burn you real bad, and I ain't just talkin' bout them fireballs."
"Couldn't I say the same for you?"
Gambit attempts a shrug. "Probably, but who you think you gon' have a better time with? All I got is a couple fancy cards and a stick. She..." he lets the sentence hanging, gauging Kuroh's reaction. "Plus, I ain't alone. I got my own friend on my side, and we gonna find a way outta here."
Kuroh grimaces, his grip on the sword loosening just a bit. Gambit smirks in triumph, only for his victory to be dashed as the sound of a fireball flings through the air. Kuroh gasps as his chest burns, and looks ahead at the fireball sailing in front of him. A confused look is the final on Kuroh's face, and Gambit watches in horror at the burning hole clean through Kuroh's chest. The clansman collapses, and Azula's extended fist goes back to her side.
"Tragic - I was hoping you two would just kill each other," Azula laments, taking another fighting stance.
Gambit rises and twirls his staff, a firm frown on his face. "Sorry to disappoint you."
"Just you and me, then." Azula smirks, only for a gutteral roar to interrupt them.
All around the two, a horde of Night Creatures enters the atrium. Without a word, Azula and Gambit go back to back as the monsters surround them. The same sound pierces the room, and a large purple minotaur makes way for Isaac. The Forgemaster scowls, weapons in hand. "Do not ask to surrender," Isaac says nonchalantly. "It will not be accepted."
Gambit smirks and draws another pair of cards, while Azula raises her fists. "And get eaten up by your beasties? Don't sound like too good a fate, mon ami."
Isaac knits his eyebrows and frowns at the insolence. He falls back, clicking his tongue. With that, the horde roars in defiance and charges at the waiting duo.
Part V: The Bender and the Thief[]
Gambit twirls his staff as the beasts roar, with a minotaur being the first to charge. He flips over the charge, tossing several cards into its exposed back. The cards explode, reducing its top to a bloody mess. Before he can catch his breath, a cloak-like Night Creature flies at him, its white claws digging into his chest. Recoiling in pain, Gambit rolls backwards and tosses more cards to gain distance.
Azula forms two fiery whips in her hands, glaring at the first Night Creature who would dare approach her. A greenish Night Creature responds to her challenge, opening its wings and screeching. She lashes out at it, and the Night Creature takes to the sky as a sword-wielding cyclops charges at her. It swings, the faint smell of brimstone and whiskey on its blade, and Azula dodges the strike before leaping into the air. She wraps one fiery whip around its neck and throws it at the flying Night Creature, knocking both down.
Isaac furrows his eyebrows, gesturing for his horde to continue. A large blue Night Creature barrels forward, bringing its two gargantuan fists towards Azula. She barely avoids them, grabbing the tubes that hung from its chin and using them as handholds to flip into the air. She flings her whips through the giant's neck, decapitating it in one clean blow. The headless corpse falls to the ground, and Azula lands with a roll, a kick of fire sending the cloaked Night Creature away from Gambit. In turn, he tosses several cards over Azula's head. The flying Night Creature screeches as the cards turn it into paste.
As Gambit and Azula can catch their breath, they see what remains; the cyclops and the wraith, a yellow dragon, a gargoyle with glowing red eyes, and a large purple serpent. Gambit notices Isaac approaching Kuroh's corpse, knife glowing red. "Distract the beasties; I'm goin' for the big bad," he says, sprinting ahead before Azula can respond. She takes a deep breath, moving her hands in fluid motions before striking out with a bolt of lightning. It strikes cyclops' eye, forcing it to fall screaming in agony as the rest charge at Azula.
Gambit tosses a card at Isaac as he charges, who hastily moves to avoid it. The thief brings his staff down, which Isaac blocks with his knife while lashing out with his whip. Gambit catches the whip in his staff, before pulling Isaac towards him and headbutting him. As he recoils, Isaac swings his whip, which strikes Gambit across the chest, spikes tearing pieces of fabric and skin from him.
Azula greets a large beam crackling with heat from the dragon with a column of flame, the two attacks stopping each other. She ducks to avoid a strike from the cloaked creature, but loses her feet as the purple serpent coils around her legs. It wraps further around her body and squeezes, hissing in her face. Barely managing to get her hands free, she lights her hand on fire and presses it into its scales, forcing it to relent. She breathes fire, incinerating the serpent and the cloaked creature before it charge again.
Gambit and Isaac continue their duel, neither giving an inch. Isaac attempts to wrap Gambit's staff in his whip, but misses and gives Gambit an opening to jam the staff into Isaac's gut. Winding Isaac, Gambit follows up with sweeping the staff under his legs, putting him on the floor.
Staring down the dragon and the gargoyle, Azula launches a fireball at each of them, who take to the sky to avoid it. The gargoyle's eyes flare, flapping its wings and sending several crescent-shaped blades of air at Azula while the dragon shoots another beam. The princess counters by bringing her hands to her mouth, and blowing a large wave of fire at them. The blast consumes both Night Creatures, who screech before collapsing into heaps of ash.
Isaac looks up at Gambit, who pushes the tip of his staff into Isaac's throat. "Do it!" Isaac yells, defiantly glaring into Gambit's eyes. He hesitates briefly, just in time for the final Night Creature slams its head into Gambit's side. The thief screams as one of its horns punctures his side, before being thrown off. Landing in a heap, Gambit looks up at the Night Creature staring at him. It raises its hooves and neighs, defiantly standing over its master. Before it could charge, a bolt of lightning strikes it from behind. The Night Creature screeches, turning to see Azula glowering at it.
The beast charges, aiming its horns directly at Azula's heart. She responds by jumping into the air, grabbing the beast's horns, and pulling up. The beast stands on its back legs to try to throw Azula off, who barely keeps her grip on the bucking creature. Isaac stands up, walking over to the wounded thief, dagger glowing. "You hesitated," Isaac states, planting his boot firmly into Gambit's wound.
"Can't exactly kill you with a stick, mon ami," Gambit groans through gritted teeth, a smirk still playing on his face. Isaac genuinely laughs at the comment, raising his dagger, absent its red glow.
"That is true."
Before he can land the killing blow, he notices the braying of his Night Creature grows closer. Isaac turns in surprise as Azula steers the Night Creature into Isaac, one of its horns impaling him through the chest. He coughs blood as the beast continues charging, crashing into a wall just as Azula flips off its back. She follows up with another fireball, burning a hole through the creature's flanks.
As the two lay dying on the ground, the Night Creature looks up weakly at Isaac. Its eyes' fiery red glow subside, revealing a soft brown color, as it looks at Isaac with fear. Glancing down at his own wound, his vision growing darker, Isaac pats the creature's head. "Thank you, Haru. We will rest now."
Part VI: There Are No Strings on Me[]
As Gambit gingerly stands, he looks at the panting Azula, who stares back at him with loathing but also a sparkle of respect. "Don't suppose...we can take a breather?" he asks, putting his hand to his side in an attempt to force his wound to heal. The kinetic energy sizzles as it touches his skin, cauterizing the wound.
"When we're so close to being finished, old man?"
"I'm not that old..." Gambit mutters, reluctantly drawing a pair of cards. Azula quickly launches a flurry of fireballs at Gambit, who simply rolls out of the way to avoid them. He retaliates with his cards, each one hitting Azula in the chest. Gambit makes a break for the exit as she is thrown backwards. He dashes through the hospital's entrance and into the open street, looking for any advantage he could take. He tosses dozens of cards around the building's entrance, forming an arch of explosives ready to blow just as the hospital doors melt from Azula's flames. She marches forward just as the cards explode, sending debris falling towards her.
She shoots two blasts of flame under her hands, propelling herself out of the way and into Gambit. She tackles him and carries them up into the sky, landing on a nearby roof. She gracefully stands and tosses Gambit onto the ground. "Any last words, thief?" she barks, an insane grin on her face.
"I always got an ace up the sleeve," he cockily responds, "Or in this case, yours."
Gambit smiles as Azula raises her arms, two glowing cards on her wrists. She yells in surprise as they explode, her skin charring and bones breaking as the kinetic energy shatters the wrists underneath. She looks down at her two useless hands, before glaring at the Gambit's triumphant grin.
"Need a hand?"
Azula howls with rage and leaps at Gambit, lashing out with a desperate kick, a gout of flame forcing him to duck. In her rage, Azula overextends and sails over Gambit's head over the roof's edge. He quickly turns and grabs her leg, leaving her dangling as he tries desperately to keep hold of her. "I refuse to lose! Not again!" Azula yells, her eyes flaring and thrashing in Gambit's grip. "NOT AGAIN!"
In a last ditch attack, she breathes a blast of flame into Gambit's face, who lets go of Azula to shield himself from the attack. Azula's screams of anger are drowned out as the fire engulfs his upper body, burning through the coat and burning the skin. He desperately smacks his face and arms to put out the flames, his struggle drowning out the unceremonial flop of Azula's body hitting the floor. A cannon goes off, and Gambit's burning vision is replaced by a white, flashing light.
Gambit's eyes open with a start, finding himself in an office. Sitting in a chair, Gambit nervously adjusts his bearings and just notices the man before him, wearing a maroon long sleeve shirt and a yellow mask on his face. "Congratulations, Gambit - you have won the Olympian Royale."
The memories of his situation come flooding back to him, and he plays off the shock with a smile. "Well, guess that's good for me."
Cfp nods in agreement, pouring a glass of brown liquid into two glasses. "A Cordon Rogue. I've always preferred whiskey, not huge on how sweet brandy is, but I figured something more up your alley was appropriate."
Gambit nods, savoring the sweet scent from the glass he is handed, before putting it to his lips. He sighs in contentment, before looking at Cfp. "Now this is the part where you offer to grant me a wish, right?"
Cfp raises his eyebrow. "Where did you get that impression?"
"I was here when y'all started to concoct these royale schemes" Gambit answers, his voice rising. "The winner always got a wish; I'm ready for mine."
Weighing how to respond, Cfp merely shrugs. "Those wishes were a product of the past. Now that you're all here, there's not really a point to them is there?"
Before Gambit can protest further, Cfp clicks his tongue, teleporting the thief to his new mansion.
Epilogue[]
Beast walks out of his office, whistling a merry tune to himself. "Good night Ramona! Can't wait to see you at Scott's show tomorrow night."
"The show was last night," Ramona says without looking up, packing the last of her things in her satchel. A janitor walks past Beast, who he accidentally bumps into. "Sorry 'bout that!" Beast says, turning to face and walk right into the elevator's closed doors. Ramona rolls her eyes, before opening the star door Farouk had installed in the office. Kind of miss him she thinks to herself, putting her headphones in and skating back home.
Left alone, Arsene Lupin smirks as he strolls over to Ramona's desk, pulling out a flash drive. "For a user, this Beast isn't too bad," he says into the earpiece. A gruff voice greets him on the other end.
"A pig is still a pig, even the dumb ones," Mick Rory grunts, watching from outside Beast's office as the user leaves the building. "This one doesn't even have good taste in Nolan movies. "Film Bro" my ass, Dunkirk is crap."
A voice from headquarters answers Mick. "You guys have never gotten the "sneak" part of being a "sneak thief", have you?" Gambit orders, overlooking monitors that showed the small body cameras each of his field operators was wearing. Turning off his microphone, Gambit looks at the young girl packing her things at his table. "You sure you don' wanna get in on this? The Thieves Guild would be happy to have a tech-savvy youngster like you."
Futaba shakes her head, lifting the comically large goggles from her eyes. "Don't mention it Gramps. The Phantom Thieves are always happy to help out!" She does a mock salute, which Gambit cheerfully returns. "That bug will be undetectable. Except for maybe Leo, but my friend's made sure we don't have to worry about that."
With that done, Futaba leaves Gambit's mansion. The guildmaster goes to his telephone, which he picks up. After a few brief moments, a voice on the other end answers. "Is it done?"
"Rounding it up right as we speak. I'll send one of my people to you to drop off the first server of info we get."
"Thank you, Remy. We appreciate it."
"No problem, Elijah. What else are neighbors for, mon ami?"
Expert's Opinion[]
- 13th - Caesar Zeppeli, 14 points: Salad Boy was poorly suited for this kind of royale. While Hamon is a versatile power and Caesar is skilled in its usage, its not nearly powerful enough to overpower others. With that in mind, Caesar wasn't disciplined or creative enough to get around that weakness, making him one of the weakest contestants.
- 12th - Cad Bane, 19 points: Cad Bane's ruthless strategic mind was his only benefit in this match, with lackluster equipment and no actual powers leaving him as the weakest fighter in this match. He needed everything to work out perfectly, and that was never going to happen here.
- 11th - Haru Okumura, 33 points: Haru's Persona is a potentially powerful one, but her lack of experience and training meant that it would be easy to get around Lucy. Haru's personality would've helped her further down the line in alliances, but she couldn't survive long enough to get to that point.
- 10th - Zari Tomaz, 46 points: Zari's Air Totem and hacking would've made her a strong late-game contender, but her lack of raw offensive power ensured she couldn't last long enough to get there.
- 9th - Emily Kaldwin, 51 points: Emily's stealth allowed her to survive this long, but when that strategy inevitably would fail she didn't have the tools or power to last long in a fight against any other contenders.
- 8th - The Demoman, 53 points: The Demoman was a wild card in this fight, armed with several explosives and an unpredictable fighting style. His sheer wackiness allowed him to blow up most of the weaker competition, but by this point smarter and stronger warriors were capable of getting past him.
- 7th - Anders, 70 points: Anders was a good all-around candidate, hampered by his spells primarily being supporting and Justice's influence on his mind. By this point, the stress and circumstances turned Anders from useful into a liability, where craftier warriors would be able to eliminate him.
- 6th - Rain, 81 points: Rain was a crafty manipulator and a powerful fighter, but his straightforward approach meant that he couldn't really out-trick anyone else in the fight. With that strategy gone, Rain was going up against fighters with a more powerful or versatile fighting style, putting him in a weak position.
- 5th - Hermione Granger, 86 points: Hermione got this far due to her intelligence and the versatility of her magic, but by now her inherent moral compass has gotten the better of her. She could only defend and disable people for so long, and her hesitance to land a killing blow leaves her dealing with warriors more powerful than her.
- 4th - Yatogami Kuroh, 99 points: Kuroh is probably the most skilled of the fighters in this royale, with his Auras and swordsmanship giving him a well-rounded fighting style. What hampers him is his somewhat gullible nature, making him an easy victim to all the more cunning warriors that ranked above him. He would've gotten 100 points, but Appel decided to fuck with the vibe.
- 3rd - Isaac, 108 points: Isaac was an unexpectedly powerful contender. While he himself his normal, his cunning mind allowed him to survive to the point where there were plenty of corpses to build himself a horde of Night Creatures. These beasts allowed him to carry himself up to the top, but the remaining two were capable of beating the horde and then Isaac himself.
- 2nd - Azula, 119 points: Azula had the complete package for a winner; her firebending is exceptionally powerful, while her strategic mind and ability to manipulate made her capable of forming and breaking alliances with ease. Azula's only flaw is a short temper, a small weakness that was elevated into a huge one with the final winner.
- WINNER - Gambit, 124 points: Gambit's card tricks may not appear to be much on paper, but the man himself is perfectly built for a situation like this. His easy-going personality made him a good person to form alliances with, while his wealth of experience and his kinetic powers ensured he could survive alone. His versatility, his experience, his intelligence, and his skill were all great enough to overcome any competitor who might be better in one area; in short, Gambit had a whole deck.