Chapter 1: What is a Hero? (COMPLETED)

[Error404RealityFailed]

"I'll call you Astra, it seems like a much better name than 'scum'." He muttered loudly, driving off at a slow pace, seeing Astra terrified. The srive took about thirty minutes, considering that there was traffic. He parked right in front of the building, hopping out of his truck." You're welcome to follow me inside if you'll like." He shouted after Astra, walking inside the huge building. A Secretary walked up to him." Mr. Crunch, we're expecting you, please follow me." She briskly walked towards the elevator, leavong no time for Earl to say anything.


@Echo Dreamsong

Astra panicked, being left alone. The car seemed large and ominous, and she did not like it. The little red head, or muck covered red head, scurried after Earl, cradling her bread. The building freaked her out too, so the child stayed close to Earl. She reached her hand out, moving towards his hand. Astra hesitated, looking at how much dirt covered it. Finally, hearing the elevator ding, the little hand shot into the man's much larger one as Astra clutched it tightly. She remembered it being a sign of trust, something she had seen other kids do with their companions. Her own mother had even done the same with her.


Bad Scum! No thinking about that!


Astra chided herself, a deep frown etched into her face.

 

[BlueClover]

Barney looked up at the guy, his eye beaming as he thought it over.  He looked down at the goldfish "What do you think?"  The goldfish didn't respond for about 5 minutes til it did a little twirl which made Barney smile.  "I'm in!"  Out of excitement he grabbed the mans hand to show his gratitude but he control his strength so it was like shaking a angry gorillas hand.  Finally letting go he just looked up with a determined look to him, this place could finally make him what he's wanted to be since yesterday, the strongest hero.....it was silly but he wouldn't rest til he did.


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

"Truth be told, I was curious." He said as he let the girl go. "Though at least you can be spared of the shame this city and other proponents against the Hero Association might give. However..." He looked around at the construction taking place in the area. "It seems there's not much for me to do here personally. Did you see what happened here from City-22?" He asked. Deep down, curiosity scratched at him to see if anyone else thought it was strange at what happened, let alone the type of thing that attacked.


@Elision of Ecritures

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

The man had to be honest, he was perplexed at Barney's interaction with the fist... and the cats... and the raccoons. But he was told to invite the young being in. "Great, then let us begin." He walked over to a nearby machine with a cushion sticking out. "First, what do you think you're good at? What powers do you think you have? Magic, strength, speed, flight, anything?"


@Shammy the Shamrock

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

The elevator would stop on the 5th floor, opening to a massive room. The entire floor itself was a giant room. Pillars scattered the area to support the ceiling and a single chair sat in the center. Near the window sat five chairs and a desk. There was a tripod projector screen to the right in between the single chair and the desk and five chairs. In the chairs sat five bodies. An old man in his late 60's with a grizzled looking face and a middle aged women with hair hair balled up. The other three, who sat in the center of those two were harder to see due to the shadow over their figures. But as Crunch would enter, their faces would be illuminated by the ceiling lights above them. The other two already had theirs on. Were these higher executives of the Hero Association?


Of the three, one was of a brown skin color. Maybe a bloodline from the equator of the planet or some island far off the main continent of the world. There were some, though very scarce in numbers. His slightly curly black hair and brown eyes seemed to piece the soul of those walking in, especially the desk worker. A slight smile was on his face that was welcoming and warm, but his eyes burned with intelligence. There was no amount of lies or disingenuous rhetoric that could sneak past his eyes.


The other one was much darker in skin. He might have blended in the dark a lot easier than the others. He cleared his throat at the door opening and revealing those inside. "We welcome your presence, hero  of City-5, A-class hero Crunch." The dark skinned man said in such formality with his extremely deep and booming voice. He had very little hair on his head. Not because he was balding, but he just kept it a nice close cut.


Finally, the other one was sat with his elbows on the desk and hands clasped together, covering his mouth. No emotion or any kind of expression. His eyes were serious and calculating. Long dirty blonde hair with bangs just above his eyes. He didn't need to say anything for his thoughts to be conveyed. He was a busy man. Of the five people, all wore pins on their suits, but the three in the center had a special unique one, such as a gold and red tint in their small coat pins.


@Naloth @Echo Dreamsong

 

[Elision of Ecritures]

"Truth be told, I was curious." He said as he let the girl go. "Though at least you can be spared of the shame this city and other proponents against the Hero Association might give. However..." He looked around at the construction taking place in the area. "It seems there's not much for me to do here personally. Did you see what happened here from City-22?" He asked. Deep down, curiosity scratched at him to see if anyone else thought it was strange at what happened, let alone the type of thing that attacked.

"I assure you I'm not spared from any humiliation, albeit mostly in myself due to my late arrival here. I saw what was on the news and immediately flew here as fast as possible, by the time I arrived the fight was practically over and all I could do was help citizens evacuate and move rubble around. Even with my speed the trip here was quite a long one. But," he said interrupting himself with a small cough as he put his hands in his pockets and gave a small sigh, trying to get over the tar in his lungs. "That's neither here nor there. The attack sort of just appeared out of nowhere, and demons? That's a bit unnerving to say in the least. We'eve faced others before, but never something this extreme. I'm afraid now that something big is going to happen with the association to combat this for future incidents. And I might just be demoted as a result of this. What rank was I again? 13 or so last time I checked....something like that anyway."


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Malikai]

Edward stood by the large window in his office. He had the lights off and only the illumination that reached in from the outside. It was his way to feel calm, at peace, and certain of his thoughts. He used to be a hero. Well, what a hero was before the Association was created. Just petty thugs. He only had his martial arts and his experience with weaponry and in the military. It made him harsher back then, when he was young. The thought of how he was compared to today's heroes made him uneasy. Leaping from building to building. If people knew you, they might ridicule you and the state would come for you. Then you'd have to explain to mom and dad and your girlfriend why you dressed like some animal, in tights, and ran around the city at night beating people up. It was never truly his thing and was glad such history of him was long gone from the minds of people and the files of officials.


"Ahhhh" he sighed as he closed his eyes and then opened to look up at the sky. "So the time has come." He then looked at the folder that sat on his desk with a stamp of red signaling the importance. His stare at it lasted for a good five minutes, contemplating the many things to come with only the sound of the object on his wrist. Between the contents of this file sent to him by the board plus the rise in activity and strange sightings around the planet as of late was bothering the Association. Resources were not as strained, but the bodies were.


The sound of ticking from his wrist watch pounded. Each time the hand moves, it seemed to echo louder and louder and louder. Insanity. But another sound drowned his watch out. Finally. It was his cellphone. It was from the receptionist. He picked it up and answered "Yes? He's here? Great, I'll be happy to see him. Hmm? No... No, I;ll go out and meet him. Better that way than to rush him in the room." He hung up and walked to a door, opening it and appearing in the hall, making his way to the receptionist desk.


This man looked like the rest. Suit, nice shoes, well groomed hair, though brushed to the side, and a small scar on his chin with some facial hair growing. He greeted Leo with a warm smile, hands behind his back as one reached from behind and extended out to shake the heroes hand. "Mr. Leo Kingston. Please to meet you." He smiled widely with his teeth on full display.


@Kingmalikai

Seeing the man made Leo realize his appearance was... not quite up to par.  Leo looked himself up and down, quickly evaluating what he looked like.  The nice dress shirt he had put on was ruffled, and had clearly been well-worn down.  His hair was also completely messy, and still had some flecks of blood due to him not showering.  Thankfully the blood on his leg was starting to die down, and wasn't visible through his jeans, however his jeans were not in the best shape themselves.  With a few small holes and tears throughout them, they weren't in the best of condition.  Leo rubbed the side of his head before extending out his other hand, his right hand and shaking the man's hand.  Leo smiled, "It's nice to meet you as well, though I don't believe I know your name.  So I'll ask, what might your name be?"  Leo was trying hard to remain polite and businesslike, as he was unsure of how this man acts and expects other people to act.  There's also the fact that his personality can come off as brash and a bit too confident, or so he's been told by... almost everyone.


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

"I assure you I'm not spared from any humiliation, albeit mostly in myself due to my late arrival here. I saw what was on the news and immediately flew here as fast as possible, by the time I arrived the fight was practically over and all I could do was help citizens evacuate and move rubble around. Even with my speed the trip here was quite a long one. But," he said interrupting himself with a small cough as he put his hands in his pockets and gave a small sigh, trying to get over the tar in his lungs. "That's neither here nor there. The attack sort of just appeared out of nowhere, and demons? That's a bit unnerving to say in the least. We'eve faced others before, but never something this extreme. I'm afraid now that something big is going to happen with the association to combat this for future incidents. And I might just be demoted as a result of this. What rank was I again? 13 or so last time I checked....something like that anyway."


@VY Canis Majoris

"Hmmhmmhmm, no need to act too kosher, Leo. My name's Edward. I oversee the roasters for City-1 and confidential events. Have you heard of a giant marshmallow monster terrorizing a city? Of course not, because some things we keep under wraps." He gestured to the hall that extended down. "If you don't mind" arm extended out to show Leo the way. "We're glad you came. We have important things to talk about. The future of the Hero Association, your position in it, and events that others will not have heard about. Are you read?"


Edward had a small smile as he finished. In his mind he was hoping to make the hero feel at home. Most people always act over polite. Was it the fact they were in not just a building of the Hero Association, but the headquarters in City-1? Was it the floor and the invitation that seemed exclusive? Maybe the luxury design of the interior? He saw Leo had attempted to look nice, which he respected, but he never would demand or hope they would. They were not white collar people generally. "In the case of a future invite, you don't have to be dressed up" he said as he walked down the hall. "When we enter the room, try not to feel over intimidated. Not everyone is, though who you will meet normally causes the lower tier heroes to feel uncomfortable. They always feel like they're trying to land a high positioned job in an interview. By the way, why did you join the Hero Association?" He asked hoping to get a few answers before they came to the door.


@Kingmalikai

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

"I don't think you'll be demoted. They know generally how fast you might move and how far you live. It's to be expected. And helping the people is just as important as fighting off some demon." He looked at the memorial in the distance and thought about what he had said. "Still... I can't help but wonder what they were. I've seen mysterious beings appear before, but never like some slightly organized army, coming from some portal, and claiming to be not of this world, and maybe not of this dimension. Claiming to have conquered other worlds. Then there was that seal." As he said it, a flash back to seeing some glowing magic seal on the back of the demons neck all before everything faded to black. "I guess we should just take the time to prepare ourselves. If so many people died from one demon like that, what happens if there's an army like them to match each one of us? What will the Hero Association? What do they truly think about the matters of City-5? I'm curious to see what they have in their backlog on their computer systems. You're in City-22, I can only assume they'll be the most prepared and most curious about the events here. If anyone created some portal to another world, I think it would be your city that would do it."


@Elision of Ecritures

 

[Malikai]

Leo nodded, "Thanks, it's been a weird day, and I appreciate any chance I can to act like it is one."  Leo relaxed slightly, his posture slackening ever so slightly.  He looked again at the building and took a few moments to appreciate the design of it... a few moments were over.  Leo once again shook his head as he continued to listen to Edward speak, specifically listening to the part about not having to dress up.  Leo smiled and chuckled slightly, "That's a relief.  I only have on pair of nice clothes, so I will enjoy just being able to put on some regular clothes."  Leo's voice changed subtly, moving into a more friendly and relaxed tone.  It was something that even Leo himself had noticed, and he found it somewhat strange.  Why was it now that he had changed his tone?  More importantly... had Edward continued talking?  Leo caught the last part of his speech, a question he wasn't too sure of.  Leo thought for a couple seconds before just sighing, scratching his head slightly, "Well... when you have powers, you should use them.  More importantly, you should use them for the right thing.  I understand that the Heroes Association is the right thing to be a part of.  The other reason is my mentor would have wanted me to join the organization."  Leo finished with a confident tone, having been a little unsure in the beginning.


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

"Mentor? Interesting" Edward muttered, leaving it there as not wanting to push the topic as it seemed like it could be a soft topic. They did continue to walk, but the silence didn't last long as a set of two doors of dark mahogany wood stood at the end. Stopping at the door, Edward's tone turn heavy and serious" We're here". He turned to Leo and smiled a comforting one as he pulled the doors open for Leo to enter. A room dark with a few figures that could be made out. Inside of the room sat a large table in the shape of a U that wasn't wood. On the sides sat roughly 9 other people. In the center, however, sat eight. The windows on both sides and behind he eight in front of him were darkly tinted, letting little light in, yet you could see through them perfectly. However, not a single thing could see through them from outside. Edward himself had entered and closed the door. Between them and the table was large projector and a screen for use, likely one that would be used soon. That's when it happened.


"Leo Kingston" a smooth, yet deep voice addressed. The lights of the room turned on, illuminating the area. Those 9 were all dressed similar to him in some way if not costumes; they were heroes. But they didn't appear like they would participate at all. The one that spoke was a man in a tan suit, well fitted to his body. His red and golden pin on his suit. "I don't have that much time as I have a holographic image of me at another meeting with another hero whom you've already met." The man said. With the lights on, he seemed to be one of the highest members in the room. For that assumed position, he looked really young. About 18 or 24. A hair color mixed between dirty blonde and light brown that hung half way to his shoulders, the bangs cut so they hang just above the bright blue eyes that held a seriousness to them. His face was baby smooth and youthful, like that of a model and his chin, well defined. A face that both men and women would kill for. Something that might be bought with money for the right price. He gestured to Leo to take any seat in the room, which really was only one seat. "My name is Bernard Bolin. I am the highest member of the Hero Association you will likely ever met. Take a seat."


@Kingmalikai

 

[Malikai]

Leo looks in surprise at the room around him, admiring it's scale and craftsmanship for moments before his eyes turned to the one speaking.  The man clearly had an authoritative figure about him... and was kind of easy on the eyes.  Leo's eyebrows raised slightly, before he slowly walks over to the seat and promptly sits down.  Leo fidgets in his seat, being a little intimidated by the members in the room.  He clears his throat, a spark of electricity shooting around between his teeth before he says, "So, I'm quite curious as to why I've been brought here.  I assume it has something to do with what I did in City-5, as the letter implied, yet I've still got questions.  Of course, I guess you'll be answering those questions now."  Leo shut his mouth and let the man talk, still feeling slightly intimidated by the room.  It was making him wish he had brought his jacket with him, but it was a bit too late to go get it now.


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

The man closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again. "The reason you're here, all of you, is because of the decision by the Hero Association executive board. In the wake of the City-5 disaster, we have come to a common conclusion. Those of you here know your spot in the class. Leo, this is the top 10 Class A hero meeting. We normally never form one without good reason, let alone do I ever appear. Up until now, I was a man with no face to most of the people here. However, this has brought my out to address you all." He pressed a button and the lights dimmed, turning the projector on which played recorded events of the invasion. Showing the untold devastation, the fight Leo had and the skill he displayed, but then there was the single blast that took out half of City-5, the initial invasion, the death of a big name hero. Dead bodies showed, people being devoured, faceless monstrosities. Bernard looked at Leo during the projection.


Next to Leo was a tall human being, glad in heavy armor that might stop a cannonball. He weighed nearly 300 pounds and stood 7'5". "Hey, Leo Kingston of City-1, right? Very flashy, and I mean that in the good way. You seem like a man of justice."


"The reason you're all here is the Hero Association is in need to create a new class. I'm sure some of you might have figured that with this new information and the top ten of Class-A here, what that might mean. This isn't a vote, but telling you of your new spot. But first, Leo, you were originally going to be officially promoted into the top ten of Class A, but with this new system, that will not happen. The Hero Association will now open the newest class, one that houses our strongest heroes. The Class-S intuitive. There is no top ten in the S class rank, there simply is the rank from top to bottom, all of the most highly skilled. That is why you were included, Leo. You displayed amazing skill during the battle with Kyon and even the smaller minions. You drew on the electricity of the entire city, entered the body of the demon who was a threat level demon, and even reconstructed his body. That's only half of it. Even Star was there who has similar powers to yours and you still stood out among the entire mass of heroes there. You may not fully realize it, but the actions you displayed were remarkable to say the least.


"With this new system we wanted to welcome you in as part of the S Class heroes. But that only will happen if you accept the promotion. We can not give it to you. If you wish to decline, you will remain in Class-A, but as rank 1. The same position as Galactic Shield prior to his death, and prior to the formation of the S class." He cleared his throat before taking a glass of water to drink.


"Everyone here has already accepted. Gluttony, whom you might recall from City-5. Paragon of Justice, the giant of a man beside you in armor. Dragon Lord, who was the man ranked behind Galactic Shield." He nodded his head to the bearded man who had his eyes closed, only listening with his ears. His monk-esque clothing stood out, but not that much compared to some of the heroes here. "As of now, he's S-Class, rank 1. If you accept the offer into the S-Class, you'll rank 6. If you accept, you'll remain in the meeting for the next announcement."


@Kingmalikai

 

[Malikai]

Leo's eyes widened, A top 10 class A hero meeting?  What could they want with me?  Leo shut his thoughts up, pausing as he phrased that in his head, before watching the projector with some interest.  The projection showcased his whole fight, along with other scenes that happened to the city.  Leo looked down in a pause of mourning as Galactic Shield's death was shown, before raising his head at the approval from Gluttony.  Leo rubbed the back of his head, "Thanks!  I try to be-"  Leo was cut off again as the man at the head of the table began speaking again.  Leo was... astonished to say the least.  Mostly at the saying of there even being an S-Class, but also now at the fact that he was Rank 6.  Rank 6!  Leo stumbled over his words before saying, "T-thank you so much!  For the compliment and the huge honor!  Don't worry about that feat of power I showed, because I could do that any other day,"  Leo thought on that carefully, coming to a conclusion after a few seconds, "Actually, no I can not.  That was kind of difficult to do, and it gave me a hole through my leg.  So maybe only do that on some days."  Leo smiled before staring at the other members around him.  Still impressed at how quickly he's climbed the ranks.


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[BlueClover]

Barney thought long and hard about it "Well.....Does Goku count?  I did hear the doctor said something about being fast, strong, resulenct(Resistant) and I shot a energy from my hands.  The problem is that they..........I don't know how they work.  Sometimes my shots are really strong but other times all it does it burn the sidewalk."  He let out a sigh of disappointment, looking down at the fish for advice which it gave none.    


@VY Canis Majoris   

 

[Bum Bear]

What defined a man? Was it the size of his scrotum? The mere fact that he had a scrotum? The thickness of his abs? Maybe the strength of his beliefs? Or could it be something so simple as the will of his heart? The answer was unclear but on this day in City-14, there stood a man. Rippling folds of skin on his stomach, pecs that could best any woman's breast in the mere size of them, and outstanding 5'6" ,shorter than the average male of his age, but manly none the less. From the hair on his head to the nails on his toes, he was far from the perfect male specimen. However, a man still. Standing not so tall against the sweltering heat of this even numbered city he was ready. A bouquet of red roses in hand, sweat dribbling down his cheeks, and a pair of blue sacred undergarments that may look like panties, in fact not panties at all, stood Kishi. A human of phenomenal will power. A man of many accomplishments. A person of dignity! A manly man's man! This was Kishi. This was his life. This is his story. And these were not his panties.


A beautiful day it was. Birds humming, not a single cloud in the sky, flowers in full blossom, a broken scooter, sweltering heat, cars blowing their horn at any and all those around, an old lady arguing with her husband on the bus, a cat sneaking up on him from the alley, a woman mistaking him for a pedophile . . . A lie. Today was hell personified. The heat was overbearing, the sun too dense to realize that it was frying the people of this town alive. Especially a fat man walking down a path of burning rocks, a sidewalk with no shade other than the carts of food vendors that took up shop on them. Kishi tromped forward, face and shirt covered in the pools of his own making. Not of pee but of sweat. Each step brought on it's own adversity. The burning of the sole of his sandals, the sweet scent of Taiyaki baking, the occasional rude pedestrian who so happened to be a Cacomorphobic or just harbored an unjust hatred for the big boned. Something they'd have to get fixed if they wanted to live in this ever growing obese world. Kishi took a quick pause deciding it was high time for him to have a break. He had been walking for the past twenty-five minutes, the bus stopping a few blocks away from his destination. Originally, he had no plans on leaving the flower shop this morning, his scooter having broken down a week prior, having to deal with a busted engine. His main goal had been to simply work the store floor, but a sudden call from a distraught father had brought him all the way here. 


Apparently, a stray dog had somehow found it's way into the location of the customer's daughter's wedding area and went about making a mess of the place, the bouquet needed for the bride included. The nearest florist had closed down shop due to some familial issue in City-5 and the only other shop that had been relatively close had been his. Normally, he'd have to decline such a request, his policy stating that all deliveries must be phoned in at least twenty four hours before delivery date. However, hearing the urgency in the man's voice the part-time hero in him could not allow his plea to go unanswered and so here he was. Call upon the devil and he will appear. That's how the saying went. A sudden shiver brought him back on his feet, his presence having caught the attention of a couple of high school kids. Time to go. If he learned anything in his forty-seven years of living it was that high school students were to be avoided at all cost else they'd sink their fangs into him immediately. Before they could start chattering, Kishi mustered the strength to march on despite the intense sunlight. He made the mistake of walking too fast, an uncomfortable rubbing in between his bum causing him to jump. Oh no. The panties were now wedge between his two cheeks threatening to destroy the little shred of manhood he had left. Slowing his step he kept forward, clenching his bum in order to avoid danger of god-like proportions.


Almost there. He could see his destination a block ahead of him, the sign "La Fleur" glistening in the sunlight reflecting back a bright gold. It was fancy. Quite fancy. Fancy enough to make him want to hobble back to the bus without completing his job. But alas, his conscience would not allow him to flake on a job he had taken upon himself. And so he stood under the sun roof of the wedding parlor and opened the glass knob into a world that he could only dream of.


This place was astounding, for lack of a better term. Beautiful white walls decorated in golden flowers, a cake the size of his body and that was saying something. The tables were decorated in a lovely lace, that draped over the edge like water droplets. Had he really been invited to such a grand place? Of course he wasn't. He was simply here to deliver the flowers, nothing more. Looking for the father who called him, he was met by a woman in a skin tight black dress that caressed her body wonderfully, revealing every single curve on her. The only thing hidden were her breast as locks of red hid them from view.


"Uhm, sir. I think you've entered the wrong establishment. This here is reserved for the bride and groom to be." she stated, snapping him out of his awe.


"I ya. I brought flowers. A bouquet of red roses that had been requested by a Mr. Price." he assured, lifting the delicately crafted bouquet in his hands as proof he had been sent here.


"Flowers? Oh, you must be the man Ms. Price had called earlier." she replied, motioning her hand to follow behind. Kishi couldn't deal with women. Not as if he was batting for the other team, but the memories he had of them weren't very fond ones. This woman, especially, held an aura of superiority about her that made him question his person. She was a beauty, that much was apparent, but also a leader in some regard. As he helplessly followed behind her, he couldn't help but recall her saying a "Ms. Price". He was sure a man had called him on the phone. Could the phone had distorted her voice or something.


"Ms. Price, I've brought him."


"Thank you darling." she thanked as the red-head took her leave of the room, leaving Ms. Price and himself alone together.


"Sorry for the rude reception. Maria can get a little grumpy while busy." she told him.


"Oh no trouble at all. She couldn't have known . . ." he paused as she revealed herself, spinning the chair that she was seated in facing the window that hid her body. This. This was a woman? Her chest was broad, her muscles were disgustingly big, her legs unusually thick, and her magical area horribly heavy. A woman? This was a man if he'd ever seen one! She was more of a man than he was! ". . . I was coming." he finished as a look of confusion took over her face.


"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. You've brought the flowers I requested, yes?" she asked, her voice inexplicably deep, too deep.


"Uh, oh yeah right! The flowers. I've brought them as you've requested. Thorns trimmed and wrapped in a golden ribbon." he responded, the sweat returning to his face, this time for reasons other than the heat.


"I thank you. Without you this entire wedding would be ruined. How can I ever repay you?"


" $13.43 would suffice." he replied, handing the she-man her order.


"There has to be something more I can offer." She pleaded in a tone which he supposed was trying to sound seductive which brought about the opposite effect that it was supposed to have on him.


"I-it's quite alright. I'm just doing my job." he assured, the sweat increasing at their prolonged conversation.


"Are you sure. I mean ever since my husband left I haven't been able to do anything right without a man-" danger. Kishi did not like the sound of that raspy 'man' of hers. His panties pull themselves out of his rear and headed towards the door pitching a tent in the back instead of the usual front. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. When would he ever get a chance to be with a wom...an. Examining the look in her eyes he determined that if stayed any longer he wasn't sure if he or his bum would make it in one piece, the beast growling within Ms. Price's eyes. Panties were right as always. He had to make a run for it. Handing him twenty dollars, she told him to keep the change and with that he bowed and ran out the room, a thick hand attempting to stop him before he exited out. 


Whoa! Another second and he might've transformed back there. Having escaped the clutches of doom, he headed back to the bus stop prepared to return to his sanctuary, his own personal garden at the top of the shop. However, rest does not exist for a part-timer as he happened to pass by a news broadcast involving a sudden demon attack on City-5. By the looks of it, the immediate threat had been taken care of, but the damages done appeared to be quite severe. Thinking about it, it wouldn't hurt to simply take a look around the area to check for any civilian casualties. The fighting may be over, but there was still much hero work to be done. They might need his assistance in repairs. Checking to see no one was around, he dashed into a nearby alley where he took a deep breath while holding his chest, feeling the erratic beating of his heart. Must be from the running earlier.


"Puri Puri Snow Transform!" he shouted, a glowing blue light emanating from his crotch area before illuminating his entire body in the same blue light. Kishi's round body began to flatten and then slightly curve, his height decreasing drastically along with the length of his hair. A second later, a book and unusually large pen appeared, the light fading until nothing but a small lightly dressed girl with flowing white hair and fox ears were left. He transformed into his hero persona "Puri Snow" as dubbed by her fan base he found on the internet when he first began this job. Picking up the floating pen-like wand and grimoire she shot up to the sky and flew towards the City-5. With a flick of her wand she called about her contracted familiar Aquarius, a small water platypus appearing in a bowl of water with a bag of chips in hands, crumbs swimming in his self-made pool.


"Yo. What'chu call me fo'." he inquired, a deep voice along with loud crunching escaping his bill.


"I want to go check out the ... are you eating my deluxe limited addition fried barbecue chips!" she hollered more than asked.


"Hmm? You say something Snow?" he ignored her as he stuck another barbecue scented chip in his mouth.


"Why you lit- fine! We don't have time to worry about your thievery." she sighed. "What I was saying is ,there's been an attack on City-5 that's been recently put down. I just want to do a little check to see if I can help a little." she stated Aquarius seemingly more interested in eating her chips rather than listening. She decided to ignore him the rest of the way, the twenty minute flight time it took to get there spent in silence. Puri Snow landed in a darken alley way a few feet from the destruction point. Walking through the back ways, she and Aquarius kept quiet, the platypus throwing away an empty bag of chips on the ground leaving Snow to pick it up and throw it away in a nearby trashcan. She didn't care much for littering.


"Now to have a look around town. Aquarius! Camouflage if you'd please."


"I don't please."


"Just do it you stinkin' duck, mammal, whatever you are!"


"Aight." he said nonchalantly before turning her into a girl of bronze skin, darker blue eyes, and white chopped hair.


"Let's have a quick looksies around here." and with that she went about skulking around the city through the rubble, looking to  find any potential threats or dangers.

Spoiler

Current disguise.

 

[Joonster]

Crash pulled off his helmet and sighed tiredly, his face dripping with sweat. One of the many cons about his suit was that it had no air conditioning. It was one of the many reasons why he wished he could build his own suit of armor instead of settling for the erratic behavior of his current one. Sure it protected him from laser beams, falls, bullets, and trains. Sure it let him carry lots of weapons around. Sure it had gotten him out of several dire situations. But that gave it no right to be an absolute dick on a daily basis. He facepalmed himself for his thoughts, trying to understand why he was thinking a suit could have feelings. It was the heat. Considering his temper problems, that was the last thing he needed.


He needed to go home. The battle was won and the people were safe. He stood next to a large garbage bin filled with the bodies of demons. As far as he could tell, they were already dead and needed to be disposed of. He was so tired, he thought about just tossing them in the ocean. Or just leaving them there for the garbage truck to come and do its thing. Eventually he decided to call the Hero Association to deal with it since they did have people who specifically handled clean-up duty. With the mess handled, it meant he could finally go home. With his suit removed, he no longer had to worry about the media surrounding him as he strolled over to the train station only to find that it was out of service due to the demon attacks.


He checked his wallet for cash. He scowled at the lack of funds and walked around the city, finding destruction everywhere he went as heroes and civilians worked together to repair. All sorts of things were on the ground, including packaged foods that he occasionally picked up after checking to see if no one was looking at him. Silencing his growling stomach with a deli sandwich, he checked his cell phone to see that he had several missed calls and texts. He could tell already that he missed the party. He called home, got no answer after five tries, and then called Jack.


"How mad is she?"


"Those demons that attacked would have killed themselves just to avoid her." Jack's said flatly, leaving Crash wondering whether or not the guy was being sarcastic. "Where are you anyway?"


"Still in City-5. Train service is out though, so I'll be walking back home."


"Like some noob?"


"Like a Suited Savior."


"So you got something to eat then. Good thing you're not a total idiot. I told you how dumb it was going to be to go there. If you died, what the hell did you think I was supposed to tell her?!"


Crash winced at the sound of Jack's raised voice. "I don't like letting problems fester into something worse."


"I didn't even see you on the news! If you don't let them recognize you, you won't get compensated."


"Jack, I know I fucked up, alright? Now is Carly alright or not?"


"Of course she's alright. You know I always make sure of that. How fast can you get home."


"Can't say. Never tried this way before."


"It better be in three hours. You still have that interview, remember?"


Crash groaned at the sound of that. The interview! "I'll be home soon."


"You better. Stay safe man." He hung up.


=======================================


By the time Crash got home, it was midnight. His resident was a small apartment that had two rooms, a living room with a kitchen and a nice view that let him see over some of the city. Carly had her "Do Not Disturb," sign on it, meaning she was either sleep or mad or both. Crash was tired. He didn't make any money today and the rent was due in three days. The threatening rent was due in four. Several crimes in his city caused him to miss his interview, and because of his sour mood prior to arriving there, the employers didn't want to schedule another interview, causing Crash to curse them out in several languages. That's what recording random things on a daily basis will do to you. You start repeating stuff and you don't even know what you're talking about. He facepalmed himself, thinking back.


But the one thing that really irked him was that he missed his sister's birthday. He tried counting to ten to calm himself, snorting like a madman and stomping out the door. He slammed it, marched down the stairs and went outside. A ferocious scream pierced the night air, but it was just the beginning of Crash's bad night. He got a phone call.


"Time to make that next payment."


=======================================


"Help." The voice was hoarse, weak, but loud and close enough to reach Puri-Puri Snow's ears. The voice came from a surviving demon, crawling out of the rubble with its wings torn clean off. Just inches away from the demon was an open manhole. There was a foul stench emitting from it, and anyone could tell that it wasn't the smell of the sewers, but something far more dangerous. "How can such a planet... that houses such weak beings... have something down there so..." The demon stopped, spat blood from its mouth, holding out a hand that wanted to be held.

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

"Good, then we can move on." Bernard commented before pressing down on the remote for the projector. On it was a few pictures of locations, maps below them, and names of the locations. There was a snowy small town with a port that looked far too cold to be used for ship deployment. The other was in a sea of forests with an archaic pyramid in the center, towering over the sea of green. The one next to it was in the outskirts of City-13. Nothing more. Bernard left it there for a second for the heroes to look on. When he pressed the button again it changed to one of the locations.


On screen was the icy village. Snow covered the landscape and the picture captures how cold it was. The water of the port was freezing over, yet people lived here. "Years ago, long before technology took over, this was the place that thrived on exotic fish exports. That time is long gone, but there are those who still will pay. The reason this is listed has mainly to do with this..." As he clicked the button on the remote, the screen showed a white graph with markings in meters and kilometers, going as far as 5 kilometers. It showed a seismic chart of the activity starting from .9 to a 8.5. It showed a giant blob for the estimated size based on activity at 1.5 kilometers, or 1,500 meters long. "The people here have a legend of the fish who gave life to all living creatures in the ocean. It's about half the size on this chart. They thought it was the fist, but it's obviously not. Both because the size difference and because it's a simple superstition. However, this is a huge threat that they have requested the aid of the Hero Association to deal with this."


"Is it a fish? That would be delicious." Gluttony commented half awake and holding his fat face with his hands.


"No, it is an evil that must be defeated with JUSTICE!" Paragon replied enthusiastically.


Dragon Lord sat here eyes closed as if in meditation. "Do we know what it is?" the teenage boy next to dragon Lord asked.


"No. It could be anything from Tiger, which I highly doubt, to Demon. That is why it is listed here. The town had remained due to the sheer amount of ice and infrastructure. The objective is simple. I want someone to go there and find out what is happening and stop it. The town lies in the far north where your blood may freeze. So bring protection." Bernard explained.


"What of the others?" A female asked.


"The other is far from any civilization. It lies in the ruins of old pyramids made by our people long ago. It has been under research by the City-22 College Institute of Archeology and all connection has ceased. No one knows what's going on or what happened. They fear the worst, and with how the connection was lost so arbitrarily and suddenly, I want to send heroes out there to investigate the missing archaeologists." He stopped himself as he took a sip of his water. "So I have any questions? If you have any, now is the time."


@Kingmalikai

 

[Naloth]

Earl gripped Astra's hand, excitement running through his body. He just got ranked up, how amazing is that? While he had a mix of feelings inside him, his face sttod rigid, his maw gaping a bit."I assume that's all you wanted to talk about, right? If so, I'm taking my leave then." He motioned for Astra to follow him out, as he slowly walked towards the elevator.


@Echo Dreamsong


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Autumn McJavabean]

Barney thought long and hard about it "Well.....Does Goku count?  I did hear the doctor said something about being fast, strong, resulenct(Resistant) and I shot a energy from my hands.  The problem is that they..........I don't know how they work.  Sometimes my shots are really strong but other times all it does it burn the sidewalk."  He let out a sigh of disappointment, looking down at the fish for advice which it gave none.    


@VY Canis Majoris   

That was troublesome. From the report he read, Barney did manage to do well with his powers at the scene in City-5. But Paragon of Justice alluded to the fact he helped Barney stabilize it with his own power. He had to think on this and getting Barney to be able to take control of his untapped potential was the first step. "May I ask you a question? Can you recall the two times you released a powerful attack and two times you didn't? If so, what state where you in? Were you emotionally driven?"


It was possible that Barney might hold the key to his power in his memories. Maybe if they could slowly recreate those moments. Barney wasn't human, so his physiology was still unknown to the Hero Association. The man gazed at the small alien, looking him up and down and the animals with him. An idea sparked to life in his head, but he would keep it hidden until he could figure out what needed to be done. For now, knowing his physical feats was important to place him in the classes and ranks of the Hero Association.


@Shammy the Shamrock

 

[Malikai]

Leo looked at all the images, taking a peculiar interest in the pyramid.  For some reason he had a feeling about that place... it was hard to put it into thoughts, impossible to put into words.  Leo shivered at the icy village, wondering if that was to be his destination.  Though the village's legend is probably untrue, he did still wonder what could have caused those earthquakes.  The pyramid is also interesting, as it most likely also contains a danger as well.  As Bernard finished up his explanation, Leo cleared his throat, "So the choice is between giant fish, and unknown threat?  Sounds fun for a first mission,"  Although Leo chuckled as he said this, nervousness crept into his heart.  He pushed this down quickly, putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward with his head in his hands, "I'm not sure I have any particular preferences on where I go, that is, if you intended on us choosing where we go."  


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[BlueClover]

Barney thought about it, he made little noises while he thought.  "Well.......I remember when that piece of rubble came to meet me, for some reason my speed didn't seem to work.  Then when I saw the thing that was destroying the city.......I barely made a dent the first time."  He then thought about the times his attacks worked.  "Well one of the guys in the battle kept telling me how I was important and counted on me.  The fear seemed to vanish, it made my abilities and my blast stronger, much stronger.  Then there was the one time a guy tried to steal my potato and I gave him a simple tap on the chest out of anger but it just made him fly through a window."  It seemed like fear or weaker emotions made his powers weak while confident and stronger emotions brought out his potential.  "Was that the right answer?"
@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Elision of Ecritures]

"I don't think you'll be demoted. They know generally how fast you might move and how far you live. It's to be expected. And helping the people is just as important as fighting off some demon." He looked at the memorial in the distance and thought about what he had said. "Still... I can't help but wonder what they were. I've seen mysterious beings appear before, but never like some slightly organized army, coming from some portal, and claiming to be not of this world, and maybe not of this dimension. Claiming to have conquered other worlds. Then there was that seal." As he said it, a flash back to seeing some glowing magic seal on the back of the demons neck all before everything faded to black. "I guess we should just take the time to prepare ourselves. If so many people died from one demon like that, what happens if there's an army like them to match each one of us? What will the Hero Association? What do they truly think about the matters of City-5? I'm curious to see what they have in their backlog on their computer systems. You're in City-22, I can only assume they'll be the most prepared and most curious about the events here. If anyone created some portal to another world, I think it would be your city that would do it."

"My city summoning demons?" Hajime inquired with a small whistle. "I suppose it makes sense from a more objective viewpoint concerning  how City 22 is, for lack of a better word, not very reputable. But I keep a firm eye on the goings on of City 22, if something that big were transpiring, I would hear about it." He gave a loose shrug before he saw the other hero look at the memorial. "The Hero Association is going to act like the Hero Association, I assure you. They'll start ruffling feathers, cracking down and changing the pecking order to remind people of their place and assemble an effective force against new age threats. Not just that but they'll also find ways of contingency against these threats and the like. But, the best part about these events is that it gives us some perspective on our enemies we don't need to hunt for with the bureaucratic Association. Besides," he said, his finger twitching upward as a small stone flew up to greet him as he grabbed it out of the air holding it up for Nagoya to see. "The next time, with this amount of preparation, we'll be able to take them head on." He smiled, flicking the stone into the ground using his telekinesis as it carved a hot hole into the pavement. "I don't know about you, but I'm itching for a fight right about now." 


@VY Canis Majoris

 

[Bum Bear]

Strands of white jumped at the sound of someone calling for help. The voice was hoarse and raspy leaving her to believe that something was terribly wrong. Bopping her head she chastised herself for such an idiotic thought, the fact that they were asking for help should be reason enough to believe something was wrong. Breaking free of her disguise, she couldn't help but here Aquarius sighing profusely in the background. Aw, had the poor platypus been mad that he had to transform only to revert back into his original form? Pointed ears perked with joy, the bastard deserve every ounce of dissatisfaction for being such an overwhelming douche to her as Kishi. She understood that he had been waiting to serve some perky young girl with C-cup breast, ebony hair, dazzling emerald eyes, with a small yet firm booty . . . or so she believed if his constant yearning for this mystery child was anything to go off of. And when she said constant yearning, she meant constant as in every millisecond of every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every month of every year including the leap ones. So in short, he'd never shut up about her! Whether she was supposed to be the panties original owners or not he didn't know, but considering that Aquarius was a spirit that's been around for millenniums, she knew one thing. This made him a pedophile, and a . . . Her thoughts were interrupted by a putrid odor, a scent that nearly caused her to puke everything in her guts. Forcing both hands over her nose, she mumbled something soft underneath her breath, a slight coolness gently stroking her nose and mouth. It didn't rid her of the awful stench, but at least it helped to alleviate the stomach pains that grew the closer she got to the origin of the stench.


"Snow. I don't think you should go in there." the duck advised, the watery being rising up to his front paws in his makeshift pool. It was that serious? Whenever he did something so strenuous as to move, it spelled danger. Her animal senses told her that he was right about this one. Something back there did not seem human at all, but someone had called for her help and she was not about to let them down.


"Aquarius, do you think you can transform into a gask mask for me?" she asked.


"I can't turn into anything for you. I don't want to turn into anything for you."


"This shit again. Can't you ever keep that smart mouth of your closed for a second and do one thing that I ask you!" she growled, coughing as the scent became abnormally stronger.


"No." he replied.


"Just do it!" she yelled, another set of coughs destroying her throat.


With a sigh, he did as she asked, turning into a kiddish looking mask with the words "I'mma dude" written across one of the filter cartridges. Oh how she wanted to stomp him into the ground, but again, now was not the time to address his attitude. Opening her book, holding her pink wand in hand, she hid behind a large trash bin that sat near the entrance of the alleyway where the voice had come from. Taking a deep breath, the smell having dissipated, she felt prepared for what was to come. Another breath and she lunged forward,  her grimoire open as she began reading an incantation that formulated a medium ice shard next to her. What she saw was completely unexpected. A demon with his hand stretched out, eyes filled with fear, surrounded by a green liquid she could only assume to be it's blood. 


"What the ..." she couldn't help but keep her distance, the ice shard still floating next to her releasing a refreshing burst of cool wind. It was comforting, something she needed when looking at this horrid scene. Had this thing been the reason for that God awful stench? Taking a quick scan of the area, it could have been. However, judging from the corpse, she might be wrong, The scent smelled like rotting flesh, and this thing had just recently kicked the bucket. Examining the body in further detail she took note of the outstretch hand, the red of it skin, the length of it claws. It couldn't be. Had it been the someone she was looking for? The 'help' she heard a few moments ago came from this? A crazy thought, but it's pose told her everything she needed to know. This demon wasn't the one causing that foul odor, but if it wasn't then what did? Slowly approaching the dead corpse, she noticed a small man hole a couple of inches a way, the monster appearing to have been trying to escape from it.


"Snow. We shouldn't get any closer to this thing." Aquarius commanded, no longer advising the old man he hated. There was something off about this whole situation. There had to be if Aquarius was this worried about her. But what? What was so scary that made him and her body react in such a way? If only...


@Joonster

 

[Error404RealityFailed]

Earl gripped Astra's hand, excitement running through his body. He just got ranked up, how amazing is that? While he had a mix of feelings inside him, his face sttod rigid, his maw gaping a bit."I assume that's all you wanted to talk about, right? If so, I'm taking my leave then." He motioned for Astra to follow him out, as he slowly walked towards the elevator.


@Echo Dreamsong


@VY Canis Majoris

Astra ran forward and gripped Earl's hand, practically dragging him out of the building. When they emerged, a man quickly glanced over. He was tall, though with the way he slouched, it was impossible to tell. He wore a green plaid hat, along with a fuzzy green jacket that contrasted with the ugly yellow leather pants he donned. The metal shoes tapped on the ground as he walked towards them with a brisk pace, maybe even distress.

"I see you've met Miss Conover... Thank you for finding her. I dearly hope she hasn't caused any trouble." His voice wasn't deep, but it wasn't quite high either. His words had a sort of honey coated to them. Astra had ducked behind Earl and was practically squeezing his arm to death as she shivered. The man held out a hand with a friendly smile.

"Charles Larky, Astraea's adoption agent. Though she seems to be wishing I were a lawyer with all the trouble she's caused." He chuckled. Astra whimpered slightly, instinctively holding her arm with the bruises. She'd been missing for almost three months now, so someone had clearly told Charles where she was. With panicked movements, knowing Larky wouldn't understand, she began signing at Earl.

'Please! Don't let him take me back! H-he hurt me and did...' She stopped, seeing the death glare she received from the agent. She quickly blinked away her tears and subconsciously pulled down her sleeves to better hide the deep cuts. Never let them see, for seeing is an advantage she could not give them.