Talon

[color=teal]So it goes for me. I used to get into fights repeatedly. Then, once upon a time, I found that my reason for my self-hatred (which was ill-aimed, as I never once lost a fight) was no reason at all, I quit. Yet I still box, occasionally, and I find it hard to lose. I'm not a very strong person, though, and I don't mean to brag, but I was built to be an agile, smart person. Yet I avoid fights at all costs around innocent people. I hate anyone but myself getting hurt. After every fight I penance myself by either allowing my sister to play Britney Spears at full volume or by beating myself as my opponent did not.[/color]

[color=teal][i]John woke up, his eyes unfocused. he listened to hi parents' fight and sighed. He remembered so many fights in the past, fights between him and his closest friends. He began to cry gently as he stared out the window, the haunting yells of his best friends echoing in his mind. He drew out his particle gun, holding it fimly between his teeth, prepared to pull the trigger. Suddenly, a vision appeared in his head. He remembered Setsuna and dropped the gun, clenching his knees to his chest and letting the tears flow freely. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John wiped away the remnants of the tears twenty minutes later, turning on his favorite Kenny Loggins song, "Highway to the Dangerzone", on at full blast. He almost danced to it as he practiced his swordsmanship, his ornamental emerald wings furling and unfurling as he wished. He switched off his stereo, took off his shirt, and headed for the showers, deliberately passing Setsuna's room in the mansion as he flexed his chest. He could only think of his father's shrewdness in playing host to the chosen people for the USC Project, even if Lord Valentyne's own son was one of those people. He knocked on Setsuna's door as he passed, walking down the hall to the shower.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][i]John jumped off the plane, shouldering his pack and waving off his chauffer. He jumped on the motorcycle in the hangar, kicked the throttle open, and revved out, leaving James in the dust. He knew James was just going to lead him to his parents, so he drove off to the mansion down the road. He stopped, parked, and stood up, walking into his room. As he dumped his gear, he heard his parents talking about him. He leaped down, remembering the girl he'd met years before. Her haunting image flooded his mind as he drifted to sleep. He whispered to himself as the fatigue finally caught up to him...[/i] [b]John:[/b]Setsuna....I love you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [i]John awoke, fully rested. As he sat up, he reached over and grabbed his jean jacket, placing it around his shoulders and climbing from bed. He saw two thieves attempting to rob his personal vault, where a bunch of magazines and a few sentimental items and pictures, and immediately took offense. The personal pictures he'd taken of Setsuna were not to be taken from him, so he drew out his katana. The thieves drew out their daggers and guns, but John had disappeared. He suddenly popped up behind them, slashing one clean through the chest, the other falling under a neck-breaking kick. John then turned, locked the window, and retreated to bed, leaving a note for James to clean the bodies up. John turned out his bedside light, muttering more about Setsuna.[/i][/color]

[color=teal][i]Fox sat in a corner, crying uncontrollably after they settled into the cabin. Siren held him close, feeling every pang of pain he had. Deedlit noticed it wasn't just his wing that was drawing the sobs from her son's throat, She saw him holding a note in his hand, a note he'd snatched off the door of the Crystal Forest Inn before Ortega had snapped his pinion.[/i] [b]Note:[/b]Here in Valis, we are attending the funeral of the hero, Parn Lightblade, so he is named for his feats of defeating Karla. We are closed for this reason. May Parn rest in peace, and may his wife and son lead long, fruitful lives. We mourn for you, Deedlit and Fox. [i]Deedlit clenched the note, tears forming in her own eyes. She couldn't believe her husband, Fox's father, Parn, was dead. Fox continued weeping in Siren's arms, his head against her shoulder. Deedlit then saw something else Ortega had done to Fox without his noticing. Fox was bleeding violently, but painlessly, through his left side. Deedlit wrapped a bandage around his waist, staunching the flow, and also wrapped her arms around him. She'd lost him once, and now she'd lost Parn. She wasn't going to let her son go. Fox's sobs slowed down as he fell asleep in the two womens' arms.[/color][/i]

[i][color=silver]Xion leaned back in his chair, admiring her. He stood up after a while, adjusting his left hand in its socket. As he did so, a small capsule in his wrist exploded, flooding his head with a fluid that restored his memory. Inside his head, an image of Dr. Light appeared.[/i] [b]Dr. Light:[/b]Ah, my son...it is so good to see you again. Alas, I cannot be there in body to tell you how sorry I am for the turn of events in your birth and death. I must now restore your memory, James. Or do you now call yourself Xion? [i]Satina stared as Xion suddenly arched his back in pain, grabbing his head and grunting against the pain. Suddenly, it stopped. He stood up, breathing harshly. He began to tell the story of his creation.[/i] [b]Xion:[/b]James Alaris Light.....when he was born, his heart was too weak to carry his life, but Dr. light made him a pump that would help him go on. James' mother, a woman named Celeste, did not approve, for she had taken drugs during labor to weaken the boy. She hadn't wanted a son. When James turned nineteen, his father left him alone with his mother to work on his new robot workers, six in total, a red robot named Blues, and a robot named Rock. Celeste took the opportunity and shut James' heart pump off by a remote Dr. Light had created. When Dr. Light came home, he saw that his son had died. He put the body in a cryo-freezer to work on turning Rock into Rockman, aka Megaman, for the robot masters had been stolen and so had Blues. Eventually, Dr. Light removed James from the freezer after transforming Megaman into MegaMan X for future generations. He tried to find a way to bring his son to life and he found that it lay in his design of MegaMan X. He began to put mechanical and electronic parts inside James' body, slowly restoring his vital signs. James changed his name in his program as Dr. Light restored his body to what you see before you. After that, Dr. Light finished the organic restoration and put me to sleep for future generations as well. And now you know my story. [i]Satina stared at him with keener interest. he'd just revealed his whole past to her. Maybe I should tell him what I'm here for, she thought.[/i][/color]

[color=silver][i]After his run-in with Proteus, Xion turned and began a heated discussion with the reploid holding his foster father's arm. Xion checked the model number, the design, and finally the joint security system. It was most definitely his foster father's arm. Xion let out a small whimper as Proteus placed an arm on his shoulder in compassion, but Xion shook it off. He grabbed the Alaris, comming Signas that he would be on the isand for a while, something personal. He quickly sped off towards the district where he'd once lived before his foster parents had suggested he become a Maverick-Hunter. He slowed down considerably, just in time to see something that shouldn't be. He pulled out his new A-Buster, walking silently up to the thug pressing a handbuster into a young woman's back. Suddenly, the thug heard the A-Buster charging and saw a longsword flash up to his neck. The thug dropped the gun instantly, wetting his pants and swearing he wasn't up to any trouble. Xion let the thug go, staring at the young girl. She was the one he'd seen in the window earlier.[/i] [b]Xion:[/b]Hello, madame. My name's Xion...Xion Light. I'm a Maverick-Hunter. Are you alright? This place used to be better than this. [b]Satina:[/b]Yes, I'm fine. This is my first time here, so I wouldn't know. you said something about a Maverick-Hunter? You don't look like a reploid. You look like an ordinary human to me. [i]Xion led Satina to a cafe he knew of that was empty. It had belonged to Gato, his foster father. As he poured some cola for Satina, he fixed himself a coffee, explaining about his "construction".[/i] [b]Xion:[/b]You know the Dr. Light, Dr. Wily story. Well, Dr. Light had hidden plans for a cross-reploid. A creature half-human and half-robot. The good doctor found that only he had the abilities to create such a creature wothout consequence, but he needed the proper DNA. The DNA he used was garnered from an unexpected source. It came from his son, James Alaris Light. His son had died of a heart attack, and he wanted him back. So he built me. Luck saw to it that the DNA was perfect. Nobody ever knew that Light had had a son. My real mother was a woman by the name of Danae, but I never found out more about her. So that's my history. [b]Satina:[/b]You're half-human...how is that possible? [b]Xion:[/b]I don't know. My human capabilities are reproduction, heightened nerve senses, more emotions, and bleeding. Robot powers of mine are heightened reflexes, timed reactions, enhanced strength, weapon capabilities, and such. [i]Satina looked awed at Xion's abilities. Xion looked awed at her.[/i] [b]Xion(thinking):[/b]What's wrong with me? She's a human...I'd outlive her. It would hurt too much...unless I deactivated myself when she died...but I'm a reploid...I can't fall in love![/color]

[color=teal]I'm way ahead of you. What I do with my half-human idea is that he tries to do some super-human feats, but his human half won't allow him to. That's where he has to learn to cope with limits.[/color]

[color=teal]Well....actually, she's the only true human, but my guy is half-human. I'm not gonna delve into that until the RPG gets that far to where I reveal WHO my DNA is based on.... you may find it surprising, at any rate. However, if Warlock, Flash, or Medra PM me about it, I will tell them because they're mods. Anywho, I should've put that in my classification...I'll edit it. But he's mostly robot, so that's what I put...sorry. He's only human in that he can reproduce, feel pain(and other such things, like happiness, sadness, heat, cold, and such), and naturally make his own choices.[/color]

[color=silver][i]Xion finished upgrading his new bike, naming it an Alaris after himself. He immediately walked into Signas' office to get some news on his family's whereabouts, and also to see exactly what had caused the destruction to that area. Signas could only look up at him with a sadness that Xion could hardly translate until Signa explained.[/i] [b]Signas:[/b]Xion...I'm sorry. We found your adoptive family.....they were in the area that was destroyed. I'm sorry. [b]Xion:[/b]But..no! It can't be! Alice... Gato..... They can't be! [b]Signas:[/b]I'm sorry. We got a comm from the security drones that they'd found one of Gato's... one of his arms. Its design is unmistakably Gato's. I'm sorry. [i]The last "I'm sorry" was unneeded, for Xion had rushed out, grabbed the Alaris, and sped to the area, tears flowing. When he reached the area, he jumped off of the Alaris, letting people marvel at the speed and design of the new hoverbike, and failed to watch where he was going. He slammed right into Proteus, who was talking to a security reploid, the one that had commed in the report, by accident.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][b]Name:[/b]Maverick "John" Valentyne [b]Age:[/b]19 [b]Sex:[/b]Male [b]Height:[/b]5'8" [b]Weight:[/b]142 lbs [b]Planet:[/b]Earth/Gaea [b]Appearance:[/b]Maverick, known as John to his closest friends, has braided silver hair that falls to the small of his back. His eyes gleam crystal-ice-blue, and his strong, yet gentle physique has attracted many stray looks from girls. His light tan, fierce when compared to his family's skin, has branded John an outcast. John is never seen without his jean jacket or his small, silver ring. He obtainbed through severe surgery and weight transversal a pair of emerald wings used mainly for in-atmosphere flight and decoration. [b]Bio:[/b]John was born on Earth in London to an aristocratic family, though he soon bailed out on them for a young woman from Venus when he realized they cared for him only as a figurehead and not as a son. He tried his hardest to meet the young woman, whose name he believes is Setsuna. He first fell in love when he saw her parents' misguided parenting and saw the distress in her eyes. John often trains with a katana, a longsword, and a dagger. He loathes far-range combat, though if he must use it, he will employ his particle gun. He finds himself exceptionally skilled at mechanics, electronics, and cooking. He hopes to find love, though, in the USC project. He was the second teen approached due to his skills and lack of trust and feelings for his parents. He came second in school only to his professors. [b]Uniform color:[/b]Emerald [b]Persona:[/b]Open, intelligent, skilled, strong, quick to react passively, and slightly reserved. Aggressive only when severely angered, and truly, genuinely caring about young women. Gets along better with girls than guys.[/color] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The pic is what John looks like.

[color=royal blue][i]Nathan and Artemis battled it out, Nathan steadily losing ground against his grandson's new wolfish abilities. But as the kraken jumped out of the lake, howling in pain and beginning to suffocate, Artemis grabbed his throat as if he were gasping for breath. The kraken was sending its airlessness into the parasite. Nathan took the chance to yell to Henry.[/i] [b]Nathan:[/b]YOU FOOL!!!! IF THE KRAKEN STOPS BREATHING, SO DOES ARTEMIS! THE ONLY PAIN THEY DON'T SHARE IS IN THE BEAST'S BRAIN!!!! [i]Misty suddenly got an idea. She prayed that it didn't hurt her fiancee, but she would have to try. She held her hands aloft as Henry realized he could shoot the beast in its eyes...[/i][/color]

[color=teal][i]Fox stood, walking outside. He briefly grasped Siren's hand before rushing out into the darkness, unfurling his wings and flying upward, up towards the canopy of the forest. He stared in the direction of Valis, his hometown, aware that Siren had arisen and followed him. He flew into the city, landing gracefully in the streets and staring at a nearby inn-sign. It read "Crystal Forest Inn". Fox suddenly crumpled to the ground, his wings splaying out around him in a painful and undignified manner, but he didn't care. He couldn't believe his father was dead. He felt a cold hand grab his shoulder forcefully and he turned. There, in front of him, stood Ortega, who moved his hand down Fox's wing, stopping about midpoint down. Suddenly, before Fox could react, Ortega shook his hand violently to the side, snapping Fox's frail emerald pinion. Ortega then jumped a wall, laughing victoriously. Fox simply sat in the street, crying from the pain and from the loss of his wing.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][b]Name:[/b]Aldra Srilvesti (called Hunter for his superb hunting skills) [b]Age:[/b]19 [b]Species:[/b]Elven/Silver Dragon [b]Sub-species:[/b]Silvanesti [b]Class:[/b]Ranger/Knight [b]Order:[/b]Order of Majere, Symbol of the Rose [b]Weapons:[/b]Blessed silver longsword, personally crafted, named Alaris; two daggers: one in his boot, one in his belt; a spear, collapsible, tucks into case on the small of his back; and a bow, collapsible, fits into a quiver strapped to his thigh. [b]Armor:[/b]Green longsleeve shirt underneath brown laquered armor, black pants under thigh-high leather boots, a billowing green cloak, and brown gauntlets. Longsword sheath strapped across back, spear, collapsible, sheath on belt near the small of his back, one dagger sheath on belt, one in the side of left boot in a covered and hidden pocket, and a bow, collapsible, quiver strapped to right thigh just above the boot. [b]Hair:[/b]Light brown [b]Eyes:[/b]Hazel, though through use of a medicine can be changed ice-crystal-blue, though this medicine is rare and highly sought after. Hunter spends all of his time finding the final ingredient for the medicine. [b]Alignment:[/b]Neutral Good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Is that ok, Ykonis?[/color]

[color=royal blue][i]Logan stood up, walking into his room to change his clothes. He walked outside, wearing a noticeably different outfit. He stood, wearing black leather armor and a black cloak. He cared nothing of his outfit anymore. He just wanted Rogue back. Or somebody like Rogue. As he opened the mansion doors to walk outside to the Danger Pen, the outdoor equivalent to the Danger Room, he came face-to-face with Siren. He allowed her inside, standing aside and whispering into her ear as she passed.[/i] [b]Logan:[/b]I've fallen for you........[/color]

[color=teal]Speaking of dreams, sometimes I find myself in a freakish position in a dream, like I'm fighting twenty people at once. These dreams occur frequently, and I tie myself to the bed to prove that I don't sleepwalk, but I wake up with scars and cuts that I didn't have the day before. Right now, my chest has three long, red horizontal scars from sword fights in my dreams.[/color]

[color=silver][i]As Xion walked into the abandoned factory, passing the remains of deactivated and destroyed Mavericks and former members of the 17th unit, he shuddered. He saw the huge, roundish Maverick-Crusher that was capable of eliminating a city in a few days. Xion searched his scanner for the source of the tremors that had Signas worried. He found an old hoverbike in need of repair. He made a mental note to come back and take it to the garage as a special project. He then jumped into a pit, moving through some shutter-doors into the central area. Almost immediately he had to jump to avoid getting crushed by a huge mace. He looked up and saw the source of the seismic activity, an upgraded Mav-Crusher. Xion jumped into the air, up against the wall, and jumped back towards the robot's head, slashing the head. Yet the huge split in the thing's head had no effect. It laughed as well as a robot could, smashing Xion into a wall with its mace hand. It pulled back its other mace hand, getting ready to crush Xion quickly. Xion commed the base for back-up as he slashed the mace hand that was holding him, cutting it cleanly in half and releasing him. Xion found the remains of an old buster on the ground, picked it up, and forced his energy into it, charging it up fast. He fired, releasing a huge beam at the thing. It never moved again. Xion then climbed up the wall, grabbed the bike, and walked it to the garage. Xion wondered if he'd ever be considered elite as he began to upgrade his hoverbike, building it to be better and faster than the Hunter Standard Issue hoverbikes...[/color][/i]

[color=teal]OOC: I kissed her cheek like I do all of my friends. Except guys. I don't do that to guys. -------------------------------------------- [i]Hunter strolled in, hating his real name, but going by his nickname. He walked up to Tyron, yelled at the guards who's come back, and announced that Tyron was to be allowed in the castle at all times. He then strolled off towards the tavern, muttering something about rum and hard-luck.[/i][/color]

[i][color=royal blue]Logan stooped down, smiling at the cubs as they crowded around him. Suddenly, he smelled something familiar, a familiar power.[/i] [b]Logan:[/b]*sniff*What the..? It can't be! But I smell an airless void near here.....Aerid? Can it be her? [i]Aerid's slender form walked in, beckoning Logan to follow her. Suddenly, the Sabretooth cubs growled at her, clawing at her. Sudenly, Logan saw her eyes. They weren't Aerid's color eyes.[/i] [b]Logan:[/b]So you're the one that ended Mystique's life! You must be....The Herald. I owe you for what you did to Rogue, to Aerid! [i]He screamed, his regenerative abilities adapting to the lack of air in his lungs, keeping his blood circulating. Wolverine felt the effects nonetheless, his eyes beginning to haze. The Herald had been confident that Wolverine would die within seconds, but this unexpected ability allowed Wolverine to unsheathe his claws and slash The Herald's shoulder open, making him bellow and lose focus. Wolverine found himself able to breathe and performed his Berserker Rage, slashing The Herald beyond recognition. The Herald regained composure, teleporting away leaving Wolverine with a final message.[/i] [b]The Herald:[/b]Her power is my power. Your lover resides in me. I shall return to destroy you, Logan Wolvenis! [i]As he teleported, he murdered all of the Sabretooth cubs, taking their powers with him. Wolverine bellowed with rage, running back to the X-mansion with tears in his eyes. He stumbled into the lab, where Gravitonne had just finished the Cerebro log. Wolverine sat in the chair, entering his own report, Gravitonne's expression growing more and more sad as he realized how many X-Men had fallen to The Herald in the past, seeing The Herald's blood on Wolverine's jacket and claws.[/i] [b]Logan:[/b]Logan's Log, March 13, 2902. A clan of cubs descended from the once-immortal Sabretooth has been added to the casualty list of The Herald. In a battle between myself, the use of the former Aerid's powers left The Herald open to an attack. Before using Aerid's power on me, he showed himself in Aerid's form, revealing that he was the person that destroyed Mystique. Also, after a brutal Berserker, he teleported out and took the lives of the cubs, revealing that he had also taken Nightwalker's power, but not before renewing my feelings of loss about Rogue. May Mother and Son rejoice together in Heaven. End Log. [i]Gravitonne banged his hands hard upon a desk, bending it harshly. Tears fell from his eyes and from Logan's eyes. They just stood there, vowing vengeance upon The Herald.[/color][/i]

[color=teal][i]Hunter woke up, walking into karina's room, watching her study her book ferociously. He walked in, kissed her cheek, and reminded her to be courageous and confident in her work, then he stalked off to save the kid in the courtyard.[/color][/i]

[color=royal blue][i]Artemis had only time for one scream before the kraken thrust an egg down Artemis' throat, where it hatched a parasitic creature that took over Artemis' body. "Artemis" then stood still, seeing Ryan above him. The parasite made Artemis jump up to the ledge, and Ryan gasped. A huge purple scar pulsated across Artemis' bare chest, showing where the parasite was. Henry realized that he couldn't destroy the creature without destroying Artemis. And Carrie was too weak for a resurrection this soon after she'd accomplished her first one. Suddenly, an odd spirit appeared from nowhere. Misty thought it looked familiar when it shifted from its mist form.[/i] [b]???:[/b]Attack the kraken! It controls the parasite! [i]Henry shook his head, trying to work out who the shadow-vampire was and why he was familiar, also realizing that his bullets would have next to no effect on the scaled beast, and his electricity was useless as it would carry through to the parasite and kill Artemis. Suddenly, the vampire pulled off his cloak revealing himself to be.... Nathan Graves himself.[/i] [b]Nathan:[/b]Contrary to what my grandson believed, I did not die. I became a vampire, bitten by my friend Alucard after I sealed his father, Dracula, into the sleep that just ended. I passed the whip to Artemis for no vampire may be a Vampire-Hunter, but a dhampile can! Artemis is such a creature, though his blood is far too diluted for him to gain anything except enhanced senses. Now I take up the whip one last time to sting the evil! [i]Nathan snapped up the whip that lay on the ground, swinging it in his ever-awe-inspiring Circle of the Moon, chanting the latin that would give him the ultimate whip, the Morning Star Vampire Killer and swinging the deadly end at Artemis to sting the parasite. Maria just stared in awe at her former lover's splendor as he seemed to hover in the air, fighting a deadly battle with his grandson. Maria then remembered the rhyme she had learned from Richter Belmont about the heirs of the next Hunter clan.[/i] [b]Maria:[/b][i]When evils rise from whence they came, Graves versus Graves, rulers untamed Shall decide the victory over their fate Delaying the evil's return to hate.[/i] [b]Henry:[/b]Wha....DESTROY THE KRAKEN!!!! NATHAN WILL KEEP ARTEMIS BUSY!!!![/color]

[color=silver][i]Xion sighed loudly, realizing he's made a huge mistake. As he walked out of Signas' office, he made a slow, unsteady pace to the abandoned desert factory. As he walked outside the headquarters, he saw a cute reploid in the apartments putting up her hair. Then she looked out the window, right at Xion. Xion froze up, not sure what to do. He panicked and fired his leg boosters, making good time to the deserted factory that X had raided with the 17th Unit some time before, slapping himsefl mentally the whole way. The reports of seismic activity within the factory had been enough to unnerve Xion as he passed the remains of a Cannon-legger...[/i][/color]

[color=teal][i]The nonchalant wave made Artemis feel more at ease....until the Kraken that lived in the lake reached out, grabbing Artemis around the waist and drgging him under. All Henry could do was sigh exasperatedly and shake his head.[/i] [b]Henry:[/b]That kid....why do they always go for him?[/color]

[color=silver]OOC: I know Flash. Signas has cameras all over the base. Wanna know soomething about Doc. Cain? He's ALWAYS drunk. He works best that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [i]Xion sat up grudgingly after the two hours passed. He went in search of Signas to get his orders on where to go. If he got latrine duty again, he would follow the Mavericks' example and get his hands soiled with Hunter....was it blood or motor oil? Whatever it was, if he got latrine duty again, his hands would be stained with it![/color][/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OOC:Sorry about the short post. I just have absolutely nothing to do except pay the utmost attention to my girlfriend. Sorry.

[color=teal]You can get it repeatedly, but you only really NEED to use it once to progress the game forward in the first cycle.[/color]

[color=royal blue][i]Wolverine noticed that Siren was intently watching him, so he sheathed his claws after jumping up and slashing the defense mechanism that was pressing into her back. He smiled grimly, remembering the impossible love between himself and Rogue. Why did things feel so similar, aside from the impossible, when he was near her. He shook those feelings off and ran into a cave nearby, smelling a rotting scent, yet it was vaguely familiar. Inside, he found something he could never have expected. Sabretooth cubs, thousands of them, surrounding the rotted corpse of the eons-dead Sabretooth...this wasn't good![/color][/i]