Layouts & Profiles (No posting please!!)

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

•••► Gregory Leonard Wood ✖✖
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Gregory Leonard Wood stood in the center of the empty common room with his hands dug deep within his pockets. The Ravenclaw tower was nearly empty at the time, seeing as everyone in the school was on their way to Hogsmeade by now. They would spend the weekend chatting with friends in various shops and restaurants. The young wizard standing alone in the tower would be spending his day quite differently. He and a few other friends had decided to sneak off campus and go by Rose a new broom. The seeker had been contemplating whether or not he should offer to pitch in since he was somewhat of the cause. If the two hadn't let their rivalry get out of hand once again, then the group would not have been in this predicament. He stared at the fire place with a stoic expression across his face. Would they really be able to get to Diagon Alley with a bag of floo powder? He sure hoped they could. A part of him was worried about this whole idea. Something was telling him that the school probably had some protection against such methods of transportation. Floo Powder would allow just about anyone to enter the castle as they saw fit, and there had been countless dark wizards who wanted to in the past. The boy glanced up at the staircase leading to the boys room. Dave was talking a little longer than anyone would have liked. Perhaps the sixth year was getting a bit antsy because of his nerves.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Gregory was about to take a seat on one of the couches when he bumped into someone. He fell onto his side with a thud and quickly spun around to see who had entered the common room while he was in deep thought. His jaw almost dropped when he realized that it was Amber. The young wizard scurried to help her pick up the things she dropped. The closest thing he could grab was a book so he snatched it up in order to hand it back to her. It probably was his fault that they both fell over. He was second guessing his decision to tag along and had completely forgot about his surroundings. A single eyebrow raised in interest when he realized what book he had been holding. Quidditch for Dummies? That's weird... The boy could not help but smirk when the girl grabbed the book from him with a bright red blush. Was she embarrassed about being caught with the book or because she had fallen over? It didn't really matter. Greg let out a soft chuckle as he got back to his feet. A yawn escaped his lips before he looked back down at Amber still on the ground. He was somewhat surprised when she aimed her wand at him. His disguise must have worked much better than he had initially believed. Maybe it was the glasses. "You really can't tell? he asked as he looked around the common room in order to check if anyone else had entered while all this was happening. It seemed like Amber was the first to return after try-outs had ended. Since his fellow six-year would not lower her weapon, the boy was forced to draw his. He slowly reached into his pockets and pulled out his redwood wand. The young wizard was confident he could block just about anything the prefect threw at him. Unfortunately, the common room would be a big mess if spells did start to fly.

Once again, everyone's favorite Scotsman arrived in the nick of time. Dave slid down the banister and landed a few feet away. A very amusing mental image of Amber blasting him off the stairs crossed his mind, but he shook his head to get rid of it. It was quite obvious it was the chaser, not only because of his behavior but he also lifted his cap to show his eyes. With a grin spread across his face, the Ravenclaw team captain lowered his hood and took of his glasses. He outstretched his hand to help up Amber with the most sincere smile he could muster. Once the girl was back up on her feet, the two boys could now continue what they were doing. "They're probably waiting for us, let's go," he told Dave as he put his disguise back on. It was quite funny that just his glasses made him look different. The hair not being all over the place probably helped as well. Gregory bowed in farewell to Amber before heading towards the door. Rose and Adaleigh were probably waiting for them outside of their tower. That just happened to be across the castle, so the boys needed to hurry. Right before the sixth year was about to exit, a thought popped into his head. He climbed back through the whole and was not too surprised to see Amber in the exact same spot they had left her. He let out a sigh before explaining to her what was going on. "You should come with us. You do still owe me an adventure." The girl had missed out on the groups previous adventure. It had actually occurred on the first night back to school. Rose had found a secret passage leading outside the castle. He had invited Amber to come with him, but the girl never showed up for her own reasons.

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[Snake_in_my_Boot]

Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.

Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

It's better to die upon your feet than to live upon your knees.

The best way out is always through.

We are still masters of our fate. We are still captains of our souls.

Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect.

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

Name: Ryoichi Yamamoto

Nickname: Ryo

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Appearance: [x]

Personality: Ryoichi is a reckless young man who would never pass up the chance to prove himself. He has a strong sense of justice that gets him in the midst of trouble more often than anyone would like. Most people see him as just another testosterone-filled teenager trying to show how much of a man he can be, but what they don't realize is that he longs to impress those he looks up to. He would do just about anything to have his heroes give him a pat on the back. Ryo also would not hesitate to help someone in need, especially if he considers them a friend. Friendship is a big deal to him and he hates it that some people take advantage of this. If you say Ryo is your friend, this young man will stick by your side until the very end.

Bio: Ryoichi's childhood was one of typical sorts. His parents cared deeply for him and they did whatever they could to make him happy. Whenever he wanted the latest and greatest, they got it for him. Some people would say that this spoiled the kid, but there was plenty of discipline at home. Being a police officer, Ryo's father had strict rules that had to be followed or there would be consequences. His mother was a detective, so she too took part in the disciplining. Not wanting to disappoint his parents at all, little Ryoichi did whatever he could to make them proud. School came easy to the young boy, he had plenty of friends, and life was going quite well.

Of course every cheerful story has some drama in it, and the life of Ryo is not an exception. When young Ryo was soon to turn the age of nine, he and his mother received a phone call that would change their lives. Ryoichi's father had been murdered earlier that day. Things took a complete one-eighty degrees that night. The boy soon became a recluse, staying indoors and finding ways to forget about his grief. The friends he had at school rarely saw him. He would go to school, not speak to anyone, and then hurry back home. Nobody heard a word come out of his mouth, except for his pet cat who he talked to on a regular basis. His mother dealt with her grief differently. She focused all of her time at work tracking down the person that murdered her husband. None of the evidence matched up, and many of her colleagues believed it was a wild goose chase. There were no eyewitnesses and the killer was never found.

Time passed and the Yamamoto family began cooping with their grief a lot better. Mrs. Yamamoto used her work to keep her mind off of things. She was rarely home, so Ryo soon learned how to fend for himself. There was plenty of stuff in the fridge, so the young boy would not starve. Ryoichi used video games and extracurricular activities to busy his mind. Both of them agreed that it was best if they did not dwell on the past. Once again, Ryo started building up his group of friends and did much better in school. He took up sports like baseball and tennis, which also helped boost his social skills. Most of his classmates thought of him as somewhat of a clown. He would act up in class occasionally, but his grades still stayed high. The depressed and grieving Ryoichi seemed long gone.

It was during his first few years of high school when Ryo started experiencing strange occurrences. His dreams were filled with voices and shadows, and he would always be startled awake at the same time of night. The numbers on the digital clock by his bed seemed to be ticking backwards, but he assumed his eyes were just playing tricks on himself. He would always fall back to sleep and never thought of checking the other clocks in the house. One morning, while he was taking the train to school, and young woman who started talking to him about his 'potential'. Ryoichi ignored her, thinking it was one of his mother's friends trying to mess with him, and hurried off to school. The clock event happened for the next few nights, and Ryo decided to go wake up his mom to tell her about it. She surprisingly would not wake up no matter how hard he tried. Even their cat would not stir when he poured a bit of water on it. The next morning, that same lady was on board the train and this time she introduced herself as Naoto Shirogane. They had a brief talk about this 'potential' and the destiny that waited for him. Since he had played several video games that had moments like this, the young man accepted her offer to stay in a dorm surrounded by other teenagers like him. His mother thought it would be a good idea for him to get away from the house, so he was allowed to go. After becoming part of the investigation team, it was starting to come clear to Ryoichi that perhaps his father was murdered by the shadows. This drove him to do the best he could for the team.

Likes:

✔ - Friends
✔ - Swords
✔ - Graham crackers
✔ - Butterscotch
✔ - Action movies

Dislikes:

✗ - Criminals
✗ - Alcohol (the effect it has on people)
✗ - Horror movies (they're so lame now)
✗ - Bullies
✗ - Waiting in line

Dorm Room #: 104

Arcana: Strength

Persona: Oni

Abilities:

Fatal End - Inflicts a moderate amount of Physical damage on one enemy. (Cost: 14% of HP)
Counter - 10% chance of repelling a Physical attack when not knocked "Down". (Passive)
Cruel Attack - Inflicts a moderate amount of Physical damage on one enemy. Bonus damage to Downed enemies. (14% of HP)

Weakness: None

Resists: Physical

Absorbs: None

Username: Snake_in_my_Boot

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

•••► Ryoichi Yamamoto ✖✖ > "the Strength Arcana" <
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Beep! Beep! Beep! With a loud groan, the massive pile of sheets and blankets started to move. Ryoichi Yamamoto poked is head out from under the covers in order to check what time it was. The bright red numbers in a sea of darkness made it quite clear that it was eleven o'clock at night. Even though he had set his alarm clock for this time earlier in the day, the young man still had to make sure he wasn't being lied to. Another groan escaped his lips as he tossed his blankets off the bed and onto the floor. He was smart enough to keep his day clothes on because nobody here wanted to be caught fighting shadows in their pajamas. No, Ryo did not sleep in the nude, but it would still be embarrassing if any of his colleagues caught him in nothing but his boxers. Tossing the embarrassing thought aside, Ryoichi sat up while letting out a loud yawn. Then he stretched and got to his feet.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. Ryoichi quickly spun around, curious as to who else could be up already. As he crossed his room, the voice of Shirogane-sama could be heard ordering everyone to meet at the dinning room. He flicked on the lights, illuminating his entire room, and examined himself in the mirror on his wall. Everything still looked decent, so he really did not have to spend time getting ready. His hair needed a bit of brushing, but Ryo did not see the point. They would be out in the rain fighting shadows. Things were sure to get messy. Though there was no need for physical preparation, the young man knew that he needed to prepare himself mentally. None of them had ever done something like this before, except the previous users of course. A few days ago, Ryo had no clue that shadows even existed. He was quite curious as to how these Personas actually worked. It was a lot to take in for your average high school student. Ryoichi shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his jacket and baseball bat before heading out the door.

The entire floor was still, only the faintest murmur of Shirogane-sama waking the others could be heard. Ryo wondered if any of the others had gotten as much sleep as he had. It was a really good idea to sleep whenever you had the chance here at Eclipse Dormitory. He figured the word sleep would be unknown here soon, especially with all the crap that was being thrown on their shoulders. It was quite funny how these dire things always fell into the hands of teenagers. The young student switched off the light in his room and locked the door behind him. He then jogged downstairs and out into the lobby. Nobody else had made it down here yet. One of his eyebrows raised when Ryo noticed something sprawled out on one of the coffee tables. The sofa looked as if someone had been recently sitting on it. As he approached what looked like a suitcase, the young man was surprised to see what could only be their evokers. So tonight the team would be going all out. Perhaps the adults would be able to witness the reverse hours. The voice of Shirogane-sama interrupted his thoughts as she did another round of waking up the others. With a heavy sigh, Ryoichi plopped down on the couch across from where Shirogane-sama must have been sitting recently. Hopefully the others would come down soon and then they all could head to the dinning room.

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Status/Mood > Tired, concerned, and eager
Current Location > Dorm Room 104 > Eclipse Dormitory - 1st Floor Lobby

{OOC > ... }

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

•••► Gavino "Gavin" Lombardi ✖✖
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Gavin let out a heavy sigh as he wiped the blood from his nose off with his forearm while strolling towards the sports car still in the process of being stolen. The hero had believed this could be solved with a single smoke bomb and a couple of punches, but the situation had quickly escalated. Guns were fired in just about every direction and innocent bystanders had appeared to make things more difficult. To top it all off, two of the thugs had hit him with a mini van. He could still feel the pain of the impact in his chest. Hopefully nothing was broken; the last thing he needed was a few cracked ribs. Trips to the doctor's office were always awkward. Sometimes he had to slow down his healing factor so none of the nurses witnessed his wounds stitching themselves up. It had happened before, and it took a lot to keep the doctor quite. Dr. Miller had actually become the person he went to for medical attention. She knew his secret identity, so it was much easier just to go to her when problems came up. The intelligent woman always scolded him about his late night activities, and assured him that it would lead to an early death. The trip to the hospital usually ended with him putting his shirt back on and blowing her off. Now that he was starting to feel the toll of crime fighting, he felt bad about ignoring her warnings.

"I think its time you get out of the car," the super hero suggested as he placed on hand the weapon at his hip. Hopefully the kid would get the message and do this the easy way. He let out a sigh of relief once the punk kid stepped out of the ruby red vehicle. Panthera took a step forward and was a little surprised when the young thug aimed a handgun at him. Those bastards had even equipped the rookie with some fire power. His hands were sweaty and shaking. It was starting to become obvious that this guy had never fired a gun in his life. It made Gavin wonder how he had been dragged into this sort of scene. The poor kid had probably racked up some debt with the wrong folks or perhaps some of his relatives pulled him in. A sound coming from the far right alerted the hero to something else going on. It must have been his enhanced senses working because the thug had not react in the same way. Sometimes the hero wondered if his ears perked up like a dogs whenever he heard a peculiar noise. Unfortunately, the jingling of keys wasn't the only alerting sound. An earsplitting hail that could only be a car alarm filled the entire parking garage. Out of sheer surprise, the punk aimed the gun in the direction of flashing lights. His finger must have slipped because a flash erupted from the muzzle and a bullet was fired. The projectile luckily missed the car and embedded itself in one of the concrete columns behind the car.

The spandex clad hero was forced to react much quicker than anyone would have liked. He lunged forward and rammed his shoulder up into the kid's rib cage, knocking him off balancing and forcing the gun out of his. Another shot was fired, but this time it went up into the light above them. Shards of broken glass rained down on the two wrestling for control of the situation. Even though Panthera had dealt him a blow that would put down just about anyone, the punk kid was still resisting him. This guy had a lot more stamina than it looked. "Why can't you just give up already!" the hero complained as he attempted to pin the punk kid's arms against his chest. Unfortunately, the thug had other plans. The young man took in a sharp intake of breath before exhaling a miniature storm. Panthera was hit by a hurricane strength gust of wind and sent flying backwards. He hit a cement column after flying through the air a few yards. With a grunt, he fell to the ground and landed on his stomach. Things weren't supposed to be happening this way. How had he not sensed that the kid was a super? The punk had super breath and it was more powerful than one would think. Gavin let out a groan as he propped himself up on his elbows. It was just in time for him to watch the two people speed away in the car that had been set off a few moments ago. As the vehicle passed him, the young super could see Taryn sitting in the passenger seat. What was wrong with that girl? She was starting to turn into the damsel in distress which would make him the knight in shinning armor. To be honest, he kind of liked the sound of that.

Gavin rolled over onto his back and sat up so he could see what had happened during his air time. Surprisingly, nothing much was different. The punk kid was still where he had been, except for the fact that he was now getting to his feet. When he noticed Panthera was still on the ground, he started to run away. "They never make it easy," groaned the hero as he scrambled to his feet. He could not let the last remaining criminal get through his hands. Panthera flicked open one of the pouches on his utility belt, and withdrew a bolas. It had taken him a little while to remember where everything was in his belt. There had been a few awkward situations where he couldn't find the tool he was looking for, but now he had it memorized. The hero swung the weapon over his head before hurling it at the punk's legs. With the momentum of the steel spheres, the bolas wrapped itself around its target. A grin spread across Panthera's face as he watched the criminal topple to the ground. He jogged over to the fallen thug in order to incapacitate him before things got out of hand again. Rolling the kid over onto his back, the hero made sure to clamp his lips shut with his thumb and index finger. "Try that again and I'm sure you'll blow your own head off." The terror in the thug's eyes made it obvious that it was probable.

The sound of police sirens could be heard all night, but they were starting to grow closer. That could only mean that Taryn or her driver had called the police. The authorities were on their way, and Panthera really didn't want to be here when they showed up. He never really got many problems from the paramedics, but the police sometimes tried to intimidate him. A few times they even threatened to arrest him if the hero didn't get out of their way. The worst of them all were the federal agents. The majority of them hated what the vigilantes did. One guy even tried to snap some cuffs around Gavin's wrists. That situation had gone completely wrong. He was forced to neutralize the man in order to get away. They treated him like a villain even though he was trying to make the city safer for everyone. People in the law enforcement career path would never understand what the heroes believed. The two group would be forever at odds. It was a sad but true fact that Gavin had to face each and every day. He snapped out of his depressing thoughts when his enhanced hearing picked up the sound of several cars entering the lower levels of the parking garage. Letting out a sigh, the hero pulled back his fist before landing a knock out blow to the punk. Now that the criminal was unconscious, Panthera used the bolas to tie up his hands. All the other criminals were out cold and the police were seconds away, so there was no need to tie them up. The blare of the sirens was so loud now that the police cars could only be a few floors below. Gavin needed to think of a way out soon or he would be caught in the headlights.

His mind raced to think of the quickest route out of the parking garage possible. The hero jogged over to the ledge and looked down at the street below. If he was foolish enough to jump, then he would be committing suicide. Even though he could mimic the strongest characteristic of any creature he came in contact, he unfortunately did not have the ability to fly. That was when he realized how stupid he was. All he had to do was take the stairs. He spun around to head towards his escape when the red and blue flashes of the police car could be seen coming straight for him. The police cars were speeding through the garage. If they didn't slow down soon, then it was possible that they could run over the unconscious criminals. The head cruiser skidded to a stop and the officers clambered out. They had noticed the men on the ground and rushed to see if they were still alive. One police officer made eye contact with Panthera, immediately reaching for the gun at his hip. The young hero took a step back as the officer pulled his handgun on him. What was this guy thinking? If it wasn't for Gavin's intervention, then the expensive sports car would have been stolen hours ago. Taryn could have been harmed as well. There was no way he would let him get arrest for protecting her. The policeman approached the super with his gun aimed at his chest. Without a second thought, Panthera spun around and jumped over the edge. A shot was fired at him, but it passed over his head as he fell through the air. The cop rushed over to the ledge just in time to see the hero slowing his decent by running his fingers against the side of the building. Using the wall crawling abilities of an arachnid, Gavin harmlessly slid all the way to the ground floor. His feet touched down on solid earth and he sprinted off in the direction of the nearest alleyway.

After jogging around the city in an unpredictable route so nobody could follow him, the tired super hero made his way home for the night. He strolled past the dinner he had visited earlier today. It looked so much more peaceful than before. That was probably because everyone was allowed to go home for the night after the whole ordeal with the armed robbers. All the lights were off now, and nobody was around. Panthera let out a sigh as he continued walking. Twisting his retracted staff in his right hand, the young man headed to a tall apartment building a few blocks down the street. It were times like this when he wished he had a cool means of transportation like some of the other super heroes around town. It took him about fifteen minutes to make it to his destination. Of course he couldn't walk through the front door and into the lobby that always had someone there, so he hurried around the building and up the fire escape. He tried his best to make the least amount of noise as he could. Using the climbing skills of a monkey, he slowly made his way up the side of the building until he reached his apartment window. It was a little foolish to leave it unlocked, even in this part of town, but he only did it when he knew for sure he would be fighting crime. His neighbors were nice enough to tell him if anything happened while he was out. He also had several other security measures in store for anyone trying to steal his secrets. Once he clambered through the window and into his bedroom, the tired hero took of his mask and tossed it onto his bed. He had done much more than he initially thought he would be doing on tonight's patrol. All he wanted now was to sleep for the rest of the night. Gavin locked his window and closed the blinds before falling onto his bed and immediately drifting off to sleep.

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⊱тнɛ ραитнɛяα⊰ ◄•••

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

Hero
superhero's
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James Everett Walker » Captain Gallant

Superhuman Strength| ♂ | Twenty-eight | Firebrick | Snake_in_my_Boot

Sidekick
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Matthew Jordan Hall » Velocity

Super Speed | ♂ | Eighteen | Dark Cyan | Sidekick for Psyche | Snake_in_my_Boot

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

█▌█ ▌x MatthewxxJordanxxHallxx

The coolest Sidekick with the power of Super Speed

▀ aka Only angry people call me by my full name, so please just call me Matt

▀ old age kills Eighteen and a half

▀ incase you didn't notice I have a p***s

▀ i'm attracted to Those pretty ladies I rescue each day

▀ my what pretty eyes you have Blue like the ocean

▀ height and weight I stand at five seven and weigh about one hundred forty-two pounds

▀ the backdrop Pull up a chair because this might take a little while. I suppose you could say my childhood was pretty normal. I was born into a middle class family as the second child of my parents. They had moved into a three bedroom house when my mother learned that she was pregnant with my older sister. Its a good thing they had that extra bedroom because my cute little face showed up a few years afterward. Growing up, me and my sister were basically inseparable. We are still pretty close today. We would rather play together than with the neighborhood kids. My parents once had evidence that she put me in a dress when I was little, but thank goodness that photo hasn't surfaced yet. Moving on, we both attended the local elementary school. Seeing as we were only a few years apart, we got to see plenty of each other there too. Unfortunately, all great duos eventually split, and so did me and my sister. While I was still in middle school, she moved on to the high life of High School. The group of friends she started to socialize would have picked on her if she brought her little brother along with her everywhere, so I was technically ditched. Oh well. Of course I wasn't left a loner after that. I too had my own group of friends by then, and everything was good. Me and my sister never really talked after that. There was no need to. We no longer had anything in common and we both were more focused on our separate friends. By the time I entered high school, she was already in her senior year. She graduated and soon left for college. I unfortunately had to continue living with my parents and attend public school. My parents weren't that bad, its just nobody wants to be the kid that only has their mom for a friend. Trust me, its not fun. Luckily, the group from middle school still tolerated me and we hung out all through high school.

Most stories like this always have their climax and its about time I told you mine. My parents thought it would be fun to take me and my best friend, also the girl I had a major crush on, to a renowned amusement park. I tried to play it cool and inform my parents that I had better thing to do then spend the day with some stupid mouse, but they insisted. The day went perfectly. We took tons of pictures and had a blast. I could even feel my relationship with my best friend growing. Unfortunately disaster struck on the way home. Some f**kers who believed they were dexterous enough to drive drunk sped down the freeway and slammed into the back of our car. My dad tried to keep control but we were pushed over the edge of the highway and down into a river. I was obviously the only one that survived. After that day I started having strange symptoms. There was no time for grieving, seeing as my body started to change. I could now run faster than a speeding bullet. I feel kind bad that their deaths did not affected me as much as it probably should, but I think they'd rather I not beat myself up for it. My sister cried for days. Seeing as I was now an orphan, I really had nowhere to go. We never really knew any of our outside family. My sister was nice enough to convince her boyfriend to take me in, so I was dropped into the hands of him and his sister. I couldn't have asked for any better place to go. It turns out Cameron doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut and he told me almost immediately that Auden has a power. It was now obvious she was that masked heroine I read about in the papers all the time. She wasn't quite sure about the whole crime fighting business at first, but I talked her into it pretty quickly. I reluctantly became her sidekick since she is the older one.

Auden and I have had plenty of run ins with our fellow supers. She occasionally runs off with Superhero 4 to show her the ropes, so I see her every once in awhile. I can't say I really know her all that much. Its obvious she has her hands full with Sidekick 4. Me and DJ have been friends since middle school. My mentor doesn't really like me hanging out with her all that much. She says she is a bad influence on me, but I haven't gotten into that much trouble yet. We've been friends for too long and there is no way I'll just stop hanging out with her. Of course me and Superhero 2 are close. We are like two peas in a pod. All my greatest memories include her in them some way. Plenty of criminals have been put away by this dynamic duo. Perhaps that is why that pesky Journalist has been following us around. I told my mentor I could easily fix the "situation" but she just shakes her head at me. Don't get me started on Sidekick 2! She is one of the coolest girls I know. I just wish she would tell me who she really is so I can chill with her when we both have a day off from hero work. She says she doesn't want to get me pulled into the troubles in her life. Its real cool that Superhero 3 has taken her in when she needs it the most. He seems like a pretty cool guy when he is not kicking a** and taking names.

█▌ Witty
I'm a teenage boy, what did you expect? Snappy comebacks are my specialty. I know what to say and when to say it. Unlike most people, I can think of the right thing to say then and there instead of coming up with something hours after. You know you eventually think of what you should have said the next morning while taking a shower. Not me! Its rare that I leave a room speechless with no sound other than crickets chirping; the people usually are rolling on the floor with laughter. That's me. The guy in the center of the commotion that makes everyone go "Ooooooooohhhh!".

█ Adventurous
Well, the dictionary defines it as having an eagerness for perilous undertakings. They couldn't have summed it up an better. I guess you can say my abilities have made me just as curious as my mentor. If something new is being advertised, I jump at the chance to try it. Snowboarding, check. Bungee jumping, check. Skydiving, check. My favorite would have to be leaping from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of vile men who need to be taught a lesson or two dozen. Is it really all that bad that I like to try new things? I guess if they all have a risk of death. Maybe I am addicted to the rush, that could be it. My sister has told me that this adventure seeking disease of mine will be the thing that kills me, but she doesn't know that I'm the kid running circles around the dude with 1.28 gigawatts of electricity flying from his fingertips

▌ Hyper
Its just so difficult for me to stay still for longer than a few minutes. I blame my power. Its the only noticeable side effect. I have to be constantly moving now. My legs tapped the ground whenever I stay in one spot and I fidget in my seat. Life is too short to be standing still! I need to be on the move. This bugs the hell out of everyone I know: teachers, friends, and family alike. They are all too slow for my tastes. In order to combat my short attention span, I have to constantly find things that can keep me busy. That is why duking it out with gang members in the dark of night is so thrilling. I can keep myself focused by whooping some a**.

▀ silly little crush Ummmm...Please don't tell anyone, but I've had a major crush on Superhero 2 from the moment I first saw her. Its kind of weird now that I live with her and her brother. I wonder if she knows. Sidekick 2 is just as cute, but I've never seen her without the mask. Is it a little weird that I find Villain 3 attractive as well? Don't tell my mentor because she'll flip!

▀ stuck forever Tattoos and piercings are just not my thing, but I do have plenty of scars from going toe to toe with this cities most notorious villains. If I showed you all of them, then we would be here for hours. The most noticeable one would have to be the long scar running down my back from right shoulder to my left hip. Everyone in the locker room liked to point it out. What I couldn't tell them was that it was actually caused by the fourteen inch knife of some crazed killer. Yeah, he caught me off guard. It won't ever happen again.

▀ personal background music Supersonic | I'm Still Here | Stand Out

█▌█ ▌xSnake_in_my_Boot

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

•••► The world is still sleeping, while I keep on dreaming for me ✖✖
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• • • • • •

тhe speedster let out a heavy sigh as his friend finally took notice of the attractive woman sitting at their table. He had thought they were actually going to have a complete conversation without any interruptions for once, but Jay had immediately turned his attention to the young lady sitting a few seats away from them. He had even stopped in the middle of his sentence, and only to send a not-so-suave greeting her way. The more Matt hung out with his friend, the more he could understand why some of the other supers could not tolerate him. All of the times he and Auden would team up with Jay and his guardian, the guy spent more times flirting with the people the witnesses than actually saving anyone. One time they were stopping a late night bank robbery and three of the team members chased the thieves all the way across town while one person decided to stay with the brunette bank teller in order to "comfort" her. It was obvious who that was. It seemed like he did that regularly because he was starting to get his own gaggle of fangirls following him around. Matt would hate that if he was in his friends shoes, but of course he would just zip away without anyone noticing. The sidekick's eyes widened for a moment when the damsel responded. He was surprised for a moment, but then could not help but laughing. The woman had not hesitated to shoot him down. Matthew wondered how many times that happened to Jay. A small tear came to his eye and he quickly wiped it away as the laughter subsided.

Matt let out a deep breath as he calmed himself down. It really wasn't that funny, but he had not expected that reaction from the damsel in distress. He was getting tired of having to refer to her like that even when she obviously wasn't in any sort of distress. Perhaps he should ask for her name. That was probably not going to happen seeing as his friend had failed with his greeting. The young super shook his head in pity and leaned back in his chair. He believed the correct term for her reply would have to be a burn. When he looked up, he could not help but blush slightly when he noticed the woman staring at him. His fidgeting leg came to an abrupt stop and he placed all for legs of the chair back on the ground. The woman was most likely trying to put a name to his face or figure out where she had seen him before. Would she really be able to match him without the domino mask covering half of his face and all that spandex? Matthew sure hoped not. His eyes fell upon the female's lips and images of that kiss flashed before his eyes. He felt a little stupid for being so entranced by it, but it did not happen often, especially not on the lips. Now the boy was sure his face was bright red. He quickly looked down at the floor to regain his composure.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here. He was raised by a pack of wolves and has no clue how to act in the presence of a beautiful woman. What he should have done was introduce himself first. My friends call me Matthew, and my suave friend over here is Jay," the speedster stated after mustering up a bit of confidence and gesturing with his thumb at Jericho sitting next to him. "I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?" He did not seriously expect a response and he was not too sure why he had asked. All of a sudden his pocket was filled with the buzzing of his cell phone. The teen grabbed the electronic device in order to see who had replied to his widespread plea for entertainment. Matt was slightly shocked to see that Auden had just sent him a text message. Had he accidentally included her in his list of recipients? It was usually something important when she texted him, so he hastily opened the message to see what she needed. He scratched the back of his head in confusion as he stared at the phrase "puppy food". Maybe her phone had made one of those annoying mistakes and she meant something completely different. The sidekick could not think of something close to that that she might have wanted to say. It took him a few moments to realize that she really wanted him to go pick up some puppy chow before he got home. So that was what she had left him to go do. His heart jumped in boyish delight and he tried his best to hide the silly grin that was pulling at his lips. Auden had dropped him off at the mall so she could go get a puppy. This was still a little confusing. From what he had observed, Matt had been led to believe that his mentor didn't like dogs. Why would she have changed her mind now? What was the occasion? It was the middle of June and it was long distance from anybody's birthday.

Ummmm...sure
I hope its not for you or Cameron
Interesting conversation when I get home?
I'll be back in a couple of hours
Unless you want me to stay out

Pressing down on the center button, the text messaged was sent. That was right about when he realized what exactly had happened. The new addition to the household could be none other than the poor puppy his sister had bought a few weeks ago. Roscoe was about the cutest thing in the world. Matt had spent almost an entire day at his sisters house just playing with the little border collie pup. He wondered why Auden had agreed to let Cameron keep it at their apartment. Then he wondered what his sister's excuse was this time. His sister had dumped yet another small creature at the Bennett house. She probably said it would only be for a few weeks, but those weeks would turn into months and then years. To be honest, the speedster did not mind. He now had a new dog. It took all of his resolve not to jump out of his chair and race home. A smile spread across his lips as he continued to read the other messages sent to him. The smile grew wider when that miss Flo Morris had just sent him a text telling him that she would be joining them shortly. She was a close friend from school even though he had only met her quite recently. Matthew didn't know much about her, but it was always a blast hanging out with her. In fact, whenever Jay mentioned girl problems, it usually meant Flo. The young super had unfortunately revealed to his best friend that he had strong feelings for the girl. Now he would never hear the end of it.

He tried to wipe the giddiness off of his face before his friend could notice. Unfortunately, his friend turned to continue speaking to him, so it was most likely he had seen. Jericho had said nothing about it, so maybe the sidekick was safe. Once again he commented about girl problems. Matt was starting to think that perhaps those were the only sorts of problems a regular kid his age would have. He let out a sigh as he figured he should just tell his friend what was going on in his frantic mind. Of course he would have to talk in code because they were surrounded by civilians. "There is no girl, work is just bothering me." He leaned back in his chair and it almost fell backward. His heart jumped into his throat and he quickly leaned forward so he wouldn't fall over. That was the worst feeling in the world. The speedster always needed his feet planted firmly on the ground. It was a side effect of the power. He hated being on a boat or plane, and not just because of the wait. Having no land around him made him quite fearful. He wasn't sure if he could run fast enough to stay on top of water, and there hadn't been a chance for him to test it out yet. Since his phone was already out on the table, the teen scooped it up in his hands and decided to text what he was really fretting over to Jay. He explained to his friend that something fishy was going on in their workplace and he wanted to do some investigating when the boss was gone. Of course it was still in code just in case someone was watching. By work he meant vigilante work, and the boss obviously meant the heroes. This would be an all sidekick investigation. A grin flashed across Matt's face when his friend informed him that he would probably never leave Central City. Too much crap had happened here for the young man to just leave this villain plagued city. The speedster could not help but smile when his best friend mentioned middle school. That was when they had first bumped into each other. If it wasn't for his help, Jay would probably dropped out of school then. From the sounds of it, Jay was here to stay and Matt wouldn't have it any other way. "That's good to hear..."

_______________________________________________________________________

They can't break me as long as I know who I am ◄•••

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

█▌█ ▌x JamesxxEverettxxWalkerxx

a Hero with the power of Super Strength

▀ aka Jim will do just fine

▀ old age kills Twenty-eight

▀ incase you didn't notice I am from Mars

▀ i'm attracted to Intelligent women

▀ my what pretty eyes you have A rather boring light brown

▀ height and weight I am six foot two inches and weigh one hundred sixty-four pounds

▀ the backdrop During one stormy night on December 20th, James Everett Walker was born into this world. My mother held me in her arms and told me I would do great things for this world. If only she could have seen me now. Like most of us supers out there, my childhood was carefree and fun. I played outside with all my friends from school and had no clue about the dangers of society. School was a breeze for me and my mother would always take me out to ice cream when my report card would come in. My mom and I were super close. I guess you could say I was somewhat of a momma's boy. That is only because my dad wasn't around all that much. I can't blame him for it, but I can blame his boss. The United States government. My dad was actually a high ranking official in the army. I only got to see him when he was allowed to come home from the base. Those were the greatest days in my life. There was nothing more enjoyable than going out somewhere with my family. Elementary school rolled on by faster than I would have liked it, and so did Middle School. I soon found my self in the wacky world of High School.

I wish I could tell you my life was all fun and games up until the present, but it unfortunately wasn't. I know you've heard plenty of tragic stories already, and I regret to inform you that here is another. It was near the end of my junior year in high school and I was extremely excited for school to end because my dad was coming back home that day. He had been off serving in some foreign war and the military had decided to give him some time off. I had no clue why, but I was damn excited to see him. Sixth period ended and I rushed home as fast as my scrawny legs could carry me. I burst through the door, announced my arrival, and headed straight for the kitchen. That was when I witnessed the most horrifying thing in my life. The lifeless body of my mother lay face down on the tile floor with a pool of blood surrounding her. My father towered over her with a sick expression across his face. He turned to look at me, but there was no emotion on his face. Completely traumatized, I lashed out at him. Little did we all know, this horrifying incident triggered something inside me. I slammed my fist into my dads chest, and he was shockingly sent crashing through the wall and into the neighbors house across the street. The police soon showed up to take care of the scene and some pretty lady in a suit took me away from it all. She left me in the care of a nice old couple a few blocks away. They helped me regain focus and get back on track with school. The rest of high school was forgetful, and soon I was off to college. Not wanting to leave the people who took me in, I continued living under their roof while going to the university a few miles away.

Upon exploring their quite home, I found some startling things in the basement. It turns out the old man had once been a super hero! His secret room was filled with old newspaper clippings of an old hero known as General Gallant. It was all so amazing. The old man had been in countless brawls with the most powerful villains of the time. In the corner of the room was where I stumbled upon the glass case containing the General's suit. As I wiped the drool off my chin, the old man found me snooping around. I figured I was in deep trouble, but he was actually cool with me finding his hero memorabilia. I told him about my new power and how it had manifested, and he instructed me on how to control it. His wife even sewed up a little outfit for me based off of her husband's old costume. We trained for months in the makeshift gym until my mentor felt I was ready to take things further. With the wisdom that the former hero granted me, I turned to a life of crime fighting along with my school work. While studying in college, I duked it out with the cities most powerful villains. Running across rooftops and fighting powerful enemies during the late ours of the night was the best thing in the world. My school time was always inadequate because I would have to rush out of class early in order to take down the giant robot terrorizing the east end of the city. Eventually I decided my schooling was more important and cut down on my hero work greatly. It only took me a few years to get a teaching degree and soon I was teaching history at the local high school. I know history can get a little boring at times for most people, but the kids seem to enjoy my teaching style. At least I hope they do.

A few weeks after winter break during my third year of teaching, a student of mine ask to speak to me after school. Feeling obligated to help the young man with whatever problem he had, I waited in my classroom after sixth period to speak with him. It took a lot of courage from him to tell me he was experiencing some strange things. With the increasing number of young meta humans in the country, I immediately knew what he meant. Anthony Bryne had a power and he needed someone to confide in. I showed him how I could pick up my computer desk without breaking a sweat, and he did not hesitate to show me how he could react much faster than the average human. Some say he could predict a few seconds into the future, but that wasn't the case. His synapses just fired extremely quickly and he was able to get out of the way of just about anything. Anthony knew I was Captain Gallant and talked me into fighting crime again. He found me one night while wearing his own superhero costume. After bugging me for a few weeks after class, I reluctantly took him as my sidekick. I mentored him just as my foster parents had done for me, and soon he became quite the crime fighter. Sometimes I couldn't keep up with his youthfulness. Anthony was always the first to burst through the warehouse window and deal the first strike. Then I would come in and put an end to things. It was quite a fun routine we had going there. Captain Gallant and his sidekick Synapse were the talk of the city. Our count of criminals taken down was on the rise. Anthony's parents came to my house once to discuss these extracurricular activities their son was participating in. They made me promise nothing would happen to their beloved son. There was no way I was going to let them down. Can you believe they even had me over for dinner a few times?

Unfortunately, my happy streak came to an end. It was a few days after Anthony's twentieth birthday and he asked if we could talk. We met a few blocks away on the roof of the high school. Anthony felt he was old enough and had enough experience to break away from sidekick duties and become his own hero. Something told me this wasn't a good idea, so I tried to convince him otherwise. It unfortunately turned into an argument, and Anthony stomped off. Wanting to blow off some steam, I headed to the docks were a expected arms deal was going to go down. While I was tossing armed felons around, something terrible happened. One of the villains the two of us had out behind bars a few years ago escaped somehow. He somehow learned about Anthony's identity and went to his home to take his revenge. My sidekick's powers must have failed him that night, its the only explanation. His head must have not been thinking straight. Anthony Bryne and his parents were murdered while sitting around their dinning room table. Each of them was shot through the chest and head. Anthony's sister was spared for some reason. Perhaps the villain did the deed and then fled before she returned to the table. With his last few breaths, Anthony managed to send a distress signal through our two-way communication devices. I rushed to their home in order to see what had happened. The scene was gruesome; something no child should have to see. Memories of the night my powers came to be flashed before my eyes. I knew I had to take the girl under my wing. I immediately signed the adoption papers when I learned that Anthony's sister would not be able to live on her own. I felt it was my duty to take care of the last remaining proof of my sidekicks existence. She is a sweet girl, and I just hope I'm not in over my head. She is still quite shaken up about it, which I completely understand because so am I, so I do my best to comfort her.

Flying solo is so damn lonely, so I leap at the chance to team up with my fellow supers. I am quite happy I have Sidekick 2 by my side now. I am doing my best to show her the ropes, but things aren't too stable at the moment. I foolishly took off my mask to comfort her one night and I guess that pesky Journalist spotted me. Sure hope she doesn't know who we truly are. Its been fun having her around. To be honest, I was a little reluctant to take her as my new sidekick after what recently happened. Whenever Superhero 2 is in need of assistance, I try my best to help her. Right now I really can't though. I have to focus on helping my new sidekick. I happen to be a teacher, so I have had my fare share of experiences with Sidekick 1 and Sidekick 4. I guess I saved the life of Superhero 4 during the first few years of my crime fighting activities. She kinda looks up to me, and we have nice chats whenever we run into each other during "work". At the moment, this new dynamic duo has been trying to figure out who the b*****d was who murdered my sidekick's family. Unfortunately we are having a few too many problems with Villain 2. Hopefully me and my new partner can put an end to all this soon.

█▌ Relaxed
Not much bothers me. Someone could be screaming at my face, and I'd just sit their with no emotion on my face. That seems to piss people off even more. It takes a lot to get me upset or stressed out. When things go wrong I know how to keep a level head and asses the situation maturely. You have to stay calm and think things through when the burning building around you is collapsing and you have three children in your arms. Lives depend on it.

█ Quiet
What can I say? I keep to myself most of the time. There is no reason to talk when there is nothing to talk about. If I have something important to say, then I'll say it. There is so much going on in this head of mine, and there is no reason for me to burden anyone else with it. That's why I keep my mouth shut most of the time. Those people who just blabber on about pretty much nothing annoy the hell out of me. Seeing as I live alone (well, not anymore), things can get pretty quite around the house. My fortress of solitude just happens to be an apartment on the far side of town.

▌ Protective
I don't think the word protective describes it all to well. It is closer to over-protective. Many people I have cared about have been hurt because of what I do, so I try my hardest not to let anything happen to them. Unfortunately, this means I can bug the crap out of them. Not many people like it when I insist on going everywhere with them just to make sure they stay safe. This city isn't as lovely as everyone thinks. They don't see what goes on after the sun sets. There are some wicked people roaming the streets, and I will protect the people I care about at all costs.

▀ silly little crush I can't really say I have a crush on anyone. All the supers in the area are much younger than I am, so that would just be weird. In addition, things have gotten way to busy for any of that childish stuff. Maybe someone will come along and catch my eye, but we'll see.

▀ stuck forever If I had any tattoos or piercings, then the public could easily identify my alter ego. That is why I have strayed away from such things. I don't need a shiny target for any villain to go after. Imagine getting your eyebrow piercings forced out of your skin, not pretty. On the other hand, I do have a plethora of scars. You really don't want to see them all. Some are only a few inches long some are a foot long. Hero business is risky business.

▀ personal background music Land of Confusion | Calling all Angels | Pretender

█▌█ ▌xSnake_in_my_Boot

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

• • • • • •

JＡＭＥＳ ＥVＥＲＥＴＴ ＷＡＬKＥＲ

• • • • • •

ιт ιs αʟωαчs вєsт тσ םιє σи чσυя ғєєт...

James Everett Walker stood in the living room of his apartment with his arms crossed in front of his chest and the television flashing in front of him. The channel 9 news had just covered the scene that had happened this morning at Central City University. Two of the most favored supers in the entire city had put away a man who had allegedly robbed a bank on the other side of town, stole the belongings of a college class, and took a young woman hostage in an attempt to escape police custody. He might have gotten away with it too if Psyche and Velocity hadn't stepped in. Of course the authorities did not see it that way. In their eyes, they had the situation under control. The duo had managed to rescue the pretty lady and incapacitate the criminal with minimal bloodshed. The pesky criminal could have done some serious damage by the time the police got a handle on the situation. Jim recognized the girl being rescued as the same damsel that one of his colleagues happened to rescue a countless number of times. It wasn't like she purposely went looking for trouble, like another certain person in distress he could think of. Trouble always seemed to find her. She was a really nice girl who didn't deserve the amount of bad luck she had collected over the years.

The anchors on the news went from one story to the next, covering just about every topic a viewer could wish for. Reporters covered stories from good to bad and then back to good. The man kept his arms crossed as his thoughts wandered. Flo had approached him so silently that he had not even noticed her. She announced that she was ready to go, and he snapped out of his thoughts. Jim was a little startled by what seemed like a sudden appearance, but her wide smile calmed him down. He could not help but return the happy expression. "No, not at all. I was just catching up on the news real quick," he replied as he gestured with the remote towards the television. The young girl informed him that she would call the elevator before she exited the apartment. James patted his pockets one last time to make sure he had everything he needed. Once he was sure he wasn't forgetting anything, he turned off the television and followed his sidekick out of the door. He locked the door before turning down the short hallway. Walking with his hands dug in his pockets, the older man took note of the expression on the girl's face. Something didn't quite seem right about it. He was taking her to meet up with her friends, but she didn't look too happy about it. Had he said something he shouldn't have? Maybe she was thinking of things they all hoped to forget about. As soon as he reached the elevator, her expression quickly changed to that wide smile she always had. James was starting to feel that there was much more going on behind the mask.

The ride down to the first floor lobby took longer than anyone would have liked. The apartment was only on the fifth floor, so it was not like they had to travel down seventeen different floors. Nobody else was using the elevator and not another stop was taking. It was simply the fact that silence seemed to make things take longer than normal. Not a word was spoken between the two as the elevator descended to the ground floor. James held his hands behind his back and was rocking back and forth on his heels to keep himself occupied. His mind was searching through all of his memory banks for the right words to say to the girl standing next to him. Flo wasn't even looking at him, she just stared at the metal doors in front of them. She was probably wishing they would open up soon or some deep thinking was going on in that young head of hers. The older super never had a clue what was going on in there, and that was something that bugged him to the core. It wasn't that he wanted to know what she was thinking at all times; he simply wanted to know more about her and the emotions going on within. Perhaps he should just tell her that he would be there for her if she ever needed someone to talk to. That did sound a bit corny, but it was the truth. Right when he opened his mouth to talk, the door to the elevator slid open with a chime. A small crowd of people were patiently waiting to use the elevator. The captain hurried out of the metal box and waited for his sidekick to follow. Jim continued walking towards the buildings exit once she was next to him.

Captain Gallant jogged down the small flight of steps in front of the apartment building and was not shocked to see that his Ford Mustang was already parked right in the front. One of the privileges of living at this building was free valet parking. Of course very generous tips were highly appreciated. It might have come as quite a shock that the man would allow complete strangers to handle such a beautiful car, but Jim was sure that these guys wouldn't try any funny business. The truth was that he had fully investigated the building and every employee before choosing this as his place of residence. Yes, he had done somethings that probably weren't considered legal, but a hero had to take advanced measures to ensure that his identity was not compromised. A young man in a suit and tie politely handed Jim his car keys, and the captain got into the drivers seat. It always felt great to be behind the wheel of his dream car. He had wanted a mustang for as long as he could remember. Jim leaned over and opened the passenger door for Flo and patiently waited for her to climb inside. It was impossible for anyone not to enjoy a ride in this car. As soon as the girl was inside and buckled up, Captain Gallant started up the engine and zipped out of the parking lot. There surprisingly wasn't too much traffic in this part of Central City this morning since the ordeal at the university had been cleared up. The hero drove a little over the speed limit in the direction of the mall. Now that they were in a more private place, James could say was what he had wanted to say in the elevator. It might have seemed a little sudden, but he needed to get it off his chest. "I know things might still be a little weird for the both of us and all, but I just wanted to tell you that I will always be here if you need to talk to someone. I don't care what its about; I will listen to anything you need to say. You and I are...family now, so communication is the key."

Silence fell upon the two again as the hero zoomed through the streets of Central City. The majority of the lights had been green, so they were getting to their destination much quicker than usual. It also helped that Captain Gallant knew various short cuts. That was only because he ran around the city on foot during the late hours of the night. It helped to know which alleys took you here and there when your foes were driving a car. Sometimes it seemed like he could teleport when a criminal left him in the dust but a few minutes later he was landing on the roof of their car. A grin flashed across his face when he remembered the face that punk had given him as he tore off the roof of his truck and pulled out the entire seat. Only a few minutes had passed and they were already arriving at the city mall. It was the biggest shopping center in the county. James pulled the car alongside the curb right outside the entrance closest to the food court. The doors unlocked and he smiled at the girl sitting in the passenger seat. "Call me if anything comes up or if you want to go somewhere else," Jim told Flo as she exited the car. The door closed behind her and he rolled down the window in order to say goodbye. A thought crossed his mind just as she was about to leave. "Hey, when I pick you up later we can go get some ice cream or something." Sometimes he really wished he could read minds. They said farewell for now, and James watched her walk inside the mall before starting up the car again and pulling away. Now he had some time to get some things done. First he would go get some milk and groceries, and then he could visit a few places he hadn't been in a long time. The orange car left the parking lot of the central city mall and got onto the freeway.

...тнєи тσ ʟιvє ғσяєvєя σи чσυя києєs

[Snake_in_my_Boot]

• Wrap your arms around my body

xxxxxxx• And hold on to me real tight, stay close

xxxxxxxxxxxx• Even if my back breaks, even if the world takes

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx• When the bomb drops, I'll be here when time stops

✿__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The last thing Ryoichi Yamamoto remembered was the smile that flashed across Raven's face just before she pulled the trigger. The echo of the gunshot was still going off in his head as he slowly came to. His face felt cold, so he assumed he was lying against the metal floor of the hangar. He stirred for a moment, and stopped when his chest started to feel heavy. Heaviness quickly transitioned to pain as he became aware of the wound. Breathing and heartbeat was relatively normal, so he had a feeling nothing critical had been hit. This time the rebellious hero had lucked out. Now that his body was becoming fully conscious, Ryo started feeling everything. All the old injuries started throbbing, and his shoulder felt a bit sore from the fall. He wanted to get up, back on his feet to finish the good fight, but he was afraid his body would just fall apart. Years of fighting and countless wounds were finally taking their toll on him. Suddenly, a warm hand was placed on his cheek; a warm hand that had come to take all the pain away. The presence was familiar and he almost opened his eyes to see who had come to save him. Maybe this was what it felt like when you passed on into the afterlife. Was some goddess here to take him to his final resting place? He had once caught a couple of warriors discussing what happened to a person after the died. One swore the only the bravest warriors in the arena could move on to a paradise filled with the finest women and drink. The other had believed what he read in some ancient text he found in a heap of garbage. He had spouted something about "heaven" and that you were only allowed in by complete faith in some god. The simple conversation quickly turned to the worse when the man talking about faith was punched in the noise by his colleague. Ryoichi had no care what was happening to him. All he knew as that he could lay here forever on the cold floor as long as the person never removed their warm hand. His brief moment of bliss was soon cut short when someone screamed out his name. The voice sounded familiar too, but he just couldn't place his finger on it. Who could be calling out his name now? Raven. It was Raven crying out to him. She needed help. She needed his help. Ryoichi's eyes snapped open and a scowl spread across his face when he discovered that the right side of his face was flat against the hard floor. In front of him stood Thracken, holding Raven hostage by her hair. The alien tyrant started spouting some bullshit to the crowd of frightened humans, but Ryo heard none of it. All he was focused on was saving Raven, and getting his people to safety. With a quiet groan he pushed himself off the ground and struggled to get to his feet. Everyone was too busy gaping at the scene with Thracken to notice a dead man rising back to his feet. It was time the Spectators paid for everything.

"You pathetic species! I knew the lot of you should have been wiped out completely! You really thought you would get away?"

The alien dictator shook his head as he started to laugh uncontrollably.

""Do you really think anyone is going to save you now? Some God? Some idol?!"

The expression on his face went from crazy to furious just before he fired a gunshot into the air.

"I saved you! I created what you are; I bred the strong ones, I made your pathetic species survive! And you repay me with a doomed rebellion?"

His grip on Raven's shoulder painfully tightened as he waved the gun at the crowd. All the humans took a step back in fear.

"I am your god, you're creator. And I will be the one to destroy you!"

With fury in his eyes, Thracken forcefully placed the gun to the back of Raven's head as he knocked her down to her knees.

"Pity, you will be the first to die. You were suck a wonderful fighter Raven, the first and only female. What a waste.You would have made a perfect breeding specimen..."

Thracken licked his lips as he ran an finger down the side of her face. When she moved her head in disgust, he pulled back the hammer to the ancient revolver.

"Time for you to die, just like your friend over th-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a blue blade of energy tore through his chest. Thracken stared down at it in disbelief as the room was filled with several gasps. The blade was yanked out of his body, sending alien blood cascading to the floor, and the alien turned around to gaze upon his sudden attacker. Thracken's eyes widened in horror when he discovered none other than Ryoichi Yamamoto standing behind him. Not letting the alien leader say a word, the human warrior slashed Thracken from left shoulder to right hip. The blade easily passed through his body, sending him into two parts that hit the floor with a dull thud. A shocked expression remained on the bastards cold, dead face even after the life faded from his wide eyes. Not missing a beat, the hero lunged at the nearest honor guard soldier. The energy blade passed through that foe's face mask before he forced it out the side of its head. Before the corpse could even topple over, Ryo moved onto the next one. He spun out of the way as the other guard thrust its lance at him, turning his spin into a powerful slash across the midsection. That enemy fell into two parts as well. Now the other Spectators realized what had just happened and aimed their weapons at the lone warrior. Ryoichi pointed the tip of his weapon at the tallest alien as he shouted for his comrades to open fire. Seeming like this had all been rehearsed, several of the men in the group of humans crouched down and sent a volley of bullets at their captors. Ryo charged forward, batting away blaster bolts with his blade, until he was close enough to lash out at his enemies. In less than a minute, the hangar had been cleared of the alien menace and the humans were free once again. The wounded hero switched of his weapon just as the chamber erupted with cheer. He turned around to smile upon his people as they all rushed forward to applaud him. Accepting the pats on the back, Ryoichi walked through the crowd until he found the one person he wanted to see. Raven was still sitting on the ground, looking up at him in disbelief. A smirk flashed across his face, and then he realized that he had been the one who placed her hand on his cheek. She had also been the one to wake him. Ryoichi stopped in front of her before dropping to his knees. He then grabbed her by the shoulders in order to pull her into a long and much needed kiss. They stayed there for a moment before Ryoichi pulled away in order to help her to her feet.

"I'm sorry I wasn't quicker..."

With his arm wrapped around her shoulder, the hero of the rebellion gestured for everyone to enter the ship. The men went first in order to make sure there were no stragglers hiding inside. Once someone issued everything was clear, the children and women hurried inside. The only few who remained at the foot of the boarding ramp were the people who had helped him through this whole ordeal. Akira shook his hand while complementing him on his dynamic return from the dead. Next to the agile swordsman was Rturogug, the half-alien who had proven a worthy ally when dealing with the facility's high tech systems. Without him they would have failed. Ryo shook his hand as well before being suddenly hugged by Schuyler. She held onto him tightly until he returned the friendly embrace. Then the fiery girl scolded him on cutting things so close. The entire group laughed before they traveled up the ramp together and entered the spacecraft that would bring them liberty. From there the group broke off and headed their separate ways, leaving Ryo and Raven to walk hand in hand down the long hall that would take them to the bridge. Neither had to say a word to each other as they quietly made their way through the ship. Finally reaching their destination, the door slid open with a mechanical hiss to reveal the magnificent bridge. Several of his comrades were scurrying around, trying to get everything up and running before take off. Ryoichi let go of Raven's hand before walking to the edge of the upper deck and placing his hands on the rails. Once everyone found their stations, Ryoichi stood up straight with his arms crossed and a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Every member of his new crew looked up at him for orders. Ryoichi, the hero of the rebellion and captain of their newly acquired ship, took a seat in the captains chair before barking out his orders.

"Let freedom ring..."

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• We're a team, fighting for the same thing

• Dreaming of the same dreamxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• Take my life if you mustxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• Like all of the heroes before usxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx