POWER LEVEL
45,859
Tech Points
8
Forms
Adrenaline Rush [x4]
Zeni
3,474
Archived
|
Apr 11, 2022 10:59:57 GMT -5
Post by Anastasia on Apr 11, 2022 10:59:57 GMT -5
Power Level: 23,457
Weighted Power Level: 5,864
It was a peaceable enough day in the town. People were going about their day to day lives. Jobs to be done. Money to be earned. Anastasia let herself be awash in the sea of anonymity. She focused carefully on keeping her power level controlled. She was practicing on blending in with the crowd. Not just her power level and presence, but also in her baring and appearance. Anastasia was doing her best to appear as non-descript and average as possible. She walked along as though she had a destination in mind, but no great hurry to get there. The picture of nonchalance. In truth it was a reverse. She had no destination and was working studiously on appearing casual.
This was a sort of training in and of it's self. The practice of stealth may not seem obvious in terms of combat. But to be able to hide in plain site was a powerful tool. As Anastasia found herself growing stronger, she realized that she might attract trouble. Those who were interested in her strength beyond just a friendly spar. There was powers at work that might want to recruit her strength, and they might not care if it were willing or not... Thus Anastasia's new focus on stealth.
The human focused on studiously keeping her power level suppressed to just slightly above the human average. She felt it might be a bit TOO obvious if she suppressed herself too far. So she struggled to keep her ki at a consistent level, not letting it waver too high or too low. Anastasia was actually a little surprised at how hard it was to keep her suppressed level even. It was one thing to dampen your power, but it was another to dampen your power to a specific level and not let it waver. It was like trying to control the temperature of boiling water on a campfire. One had to make constant adjustments. She found it mentally taxing, but stimulating.
Ana had been so focused on her 'training' that she hadn't notice the soft rumble of the earth underneath her feet. The crowd of people around her paused in it's movement as everyone stopped and looked about. The soft rumble grew and soon the ground was practically jumping under foot! Anastasia was literally jolted out of her thoughts by the concrete beneath her feet jumping a few inches. She crouched, lowering her center of gravity, while those around her either flailed for balance, or outright fell over.
Was this area prone to earthquakes? Anastasia couldn't be sure. Surely there would have been some sort of earthquake warning to the people in general for one as strong as this? Once again something else she couldn't be sure about.
There was a dull crunch and then a staccato of crashes that cracked across the sky, and soon people were screaming and pointing. Anastasia whipped her head over to where people were pointing. A skyscraper had a crack along it's length, and the windows had shattered. The glass was raining down like pin pricks of deadly rain. The crowd of people beneath it were in danger of being cut to ribbons. They ran like panicked ants, but they wouldn't be able to escape all the slivers and shards of glass.
Anastasia flew rapidly through the sky to meet the glass before it crashed to the ground and threw her arms forward. She took her carefully channeled ki and created a wide barrier that halted the glass in it's fall. There was another crack, and another chunk of the sky scraper broke off. Whatever glass that hadn't shattered before, shattered now, and joined the others on Anastasia's ki shield. Shimmering and deadly.
Anastasia looked over to the people milling about in panicked frenzy. She gritted her teeth and carefully formed her ki into a ball, gathering the glass into a sphere, and then lowered it to a clear area. Meanwhile there was another rumble and another building cracked. Anastasia cursed under her breath. She couldn't be everywhere at once! What would be more efficient, evacuation, or damage control?
CRACK!
Damnit! She didn't have the time to debate this with herself! With a flash of ki Anastasia blasted over to another group of screaming people, and gathered as many of them into her arms as she could, pulling them away from falling debris. She pushed them to a relatively safe area, and then pointed, "Take cover!!"With out waiting for a response Ana flew back to the first skyscraper, she could see people screaming within. It was going to collapse. She growled low in her throat in frustration. This wasn't a cartoon! She couldn't stop the skyscraper from falling by pushing against it! She was one small point of pressure across a wide surface! She'd just punch through whatever wall she tried to push against. Damnit, damnit, damnit. She thought back to the energy shield she had created... could she make one large enough? Could she make one strong enough to hold several tons, or would she be better off trying to evacuate as many people as poss- stop over thinking Anastasia! Just act!
Anastasia threw her arms out again and gathered every ounce of strength she could muster, then projected it out in a wide ki barrier. She stretched it and stretched it and stretched it as far as it could go until she felt her very self get stretched thin. Then she pressed it against the groaning sky scraper and PUSHED. She used all her might and it felt like she was an ant against a giant and yet-It held. Unbelievably it held. But for how long? How long could she keep this up? Could she possibly hold this building up until the people could evacuate?
She would have to try.
No.
She would do it.
Word Count: 976
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|
POWER LEVEL
23,131
Tech Points
3
Forms
True Form [x11]
Zeni
3,368
Archived
|
Apr 13, 2022 19:21:31 GMT -5
Post by Tundra on Apr 13, 2022 19:21:31 GMT -5
Power Level:
A cloaked hooded figure stood atop a building looking down upon the humans below. It was Tundra, a loyal member of the Planet Trade Organization. Unfortunately, this little cloak was the best he could do. He couldn't exactly walk into the nearest store and get some earthly clothes. Someone who looked as he did would draw way too much attention. With Changelings originating from the Planet Frost, an infamous enemy of the USD, there was no telling who was watching or what would happen if he was exposed. For now, he would just have to get use to this until he could figure something else out.
Tundra would've preferred to not be out in broad daylight, but this was when the Earthlings were most active. He wanted to study them and get used to their culture. After all, knowledge is power. If he was going to someday bring these people to their knees, he needed to know about more about their habits and mannerisms and more. Were there any military defenses? What was the battle power of the average person? What kind of structures did they create and inhabit? How far have they advanced in technology? He had learned about Earth growing up, but seeing it first hand was a whole lot more educational than by hearing it from someone else.
So far, there wasn't anything too significant in terms how capable this planet was at defending itself from an incoming threat. At least, not in this city. Other than the police vehicle that would occasionally pass by, it looked like there was nothing stopping someone from just walking in and raising hell. They appeared to be more put together than the Namekians were, as they at least had something more than a few small huts and miles of nothing but grass. However, that was about the only compliment Tundra could think of.
The average battle power was shockingly low. Normally, Tundra would've at least given them the benefit of the doubt and entertain the possibility of Ki Suppression, but the fact that they use land vehicles to get around instead of flight was very telling. 'It's a little hard to believe that this planet has anyone capable of defending it at all, let alone-'
Tundra's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tremor that radiated throughout the city. Feeling the building he stood on shake, he stumbled a little before he raised himself into the air and hovered over where he was standing. Looking around, it looked like things were quickly starting to get more intense. It wasn't long before everyone was running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. The whole situation caused a grin to force itself onto Tundra's face. Given the spontaneity, this was actually pretty hilarious. In one moment it was every day shenanigans, and then the next it was absolute chaos!
'Well, I suppose I now know how they respond to emergencies... How have Earthlings lasted this long?' Tundra thought, a little disappointed. However, maybe it was his own fault for expecting even the bare minimum from some of these worlds. As he continued to watch, something caught his attention. Out of nowhere, a significantly higher power appeared in the area. Turning towards it, he saw that it was one of the humans! It looked like their were some hidden gems among this race after all. It appeared that she was trying to save the surrounding citizens from the collateral damage. Tundra noted that she had some impressive Ki control, catching the glass and getting rid of it before anyone could get hurt.
Tundra took interest and continued to watch so he could see what else she could do. As he watched her go back to the skyscraper filled with people, he frowned. He would never understand why these lower life forms always tried these ludicrous hailmary attempts to save everyone when it was clear that it’s already a lost cause. ‘Well, this should be good.’
|
|
POWER LEVEL
7,617
Tech Points
0
Forms
Hyper-Focus [x5]
Zeni
6,478
Archived
|
Apr 15, 2022 10:09:10 GMT -5
Post by Katrina Russel on Apr 15, 2022 10:09:10 GMT -5
PL: 1,660 Her work took her to all the nicest places.
This was her first time in Orange City, clear on the other side of the world from her hometown. So far, she wasn’t sure what she thought; it was an entirely different feel to her own, frozen, Northern Continent town. Warm and sunny, with more than one person walking around half-naked, Katrina couldn’t help but feel exposed and out of sorts. She welcomed the night even more so than usual; at least when shadows clogged the streets, she didn’t feel like she stood out for wearing her usual business suit; though, she should have expected as much. Orange City was widely-lauded as a tropical paradise, and though it would be well within the norm, Katrina refused to be caught dead in a bikini.
Her target today was Martinez, a drug dealer and arms merchant. Katrina hated drug dealers; nasty, disgusting filth that rotted the mind and destroyed the body. Martinez was a particularly vile sort, though; he specialized in dealing to children, getting them hooked young. It was a pleasure to put a bullet in his skull. And the act itself was easier than some of her other jobs; he was a man who concerned himself with gluttony. How ironic for him to be the victim of a random mugging. Just another statistic in the books, the only evidence a hole in his torso. It’s not often a professional killer has a series of events line up perfectly, so Katrina was celebrating.
How so? Well, certainly not by “tanning” on the beach, or whatever it is they call it.Gross. She was sitting parallel to one of the many large buildings in town, camped safely underneath an umbrella - she had quite a fair complexion, you see, and wanted to keep it that way - at a local juice bar, blatantly ignoring the advances of one of the local “bad boys”, as was obvious by his slicked back hair and aggressive attitude. She just wanted to sip her fruity, non-alcoholic drink, but no. People. With a sigh, she put her drink down perhaps a bit too aggressively, glass clinking and chipping on the polished wood table, just as the man, thinking he’d gotten his way, grabbed her by the arm.
He was on his back so quickly he got whiplash.
He was spared further harm, however, laying on the ruined table as he was by a sudden vibrating in the ground. For a split, horrible moment, Katrina thought she did that; surely she wasn’t that strong! But, no … despite his mangled nose and bleeding lip, he would be fine, though he certainly did not deserve to be. Letting go of his wrist, the arm falling limply to the ground, Katrina could only watch as things escalated out of control. The single, simple rumble turned into five, turned into ten, and then things went straight to Hell.
On reflex, Ki spread to her body, her sapphire eyes turning gold, and as the ground ruptured underneath her she leapt, riding the wave of debris upwards. With a graceful flip, she landed on less ruined earth, but those were few and far between as the ground tore up beneath them. It seemed to move in slow motion; the earth swallowing up buildings, or shaking like this city had done it a personal wrong. There wasn’t much she could do; after all, how does one fight Mother Nature? Perhaps this was revenge for the sins humanity has plagued upon her. It certainly was up there with some of the worst she had seen; despite her experience and body count, nature was, ultimately, the most prolific killer to ever exist.
As if on cue, reacting to her thoughts, another violent shake and the building she had just been admiring, all glass and steel, a modern thing for sure. But it had not been built with this kind of raw, primal fury in mind; it buckled, its supports snapping like so many toothpicks. Glass shards like raining daggers fell amid the crowd, and even as she watched, two fell to the debris. Seeing this, Katrina couldn’t do nothing; as if her body was moving on its own, ki filling her muscles, filling her veins, she moved. Not quite supersonic, she was a golden blur, rushing into the disaster with a desperate desire to save someone, anyone.
The civilians hardly knew what happened, only that they saw a flash of light and suddenly they were clear from the falling grass. Most of them didn’t question it, assuming some sort of temporary memory loss, but a couple stopped and looked around for their savior; they didn’t find anyone, of course, only the faint glow of golden energy and the faint smell of rain. Katrina paid the individuals she rescued no further mind; after all, a new player had entered the game. The Ki barrier that had been erected had come out of nowhere, even for her, but it had served its purpose, saving many lives she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get to in time.
Then, of course, there was another problem, a far more pressing one than some falling glass, though the cause of it; the falling building. She could only stare at the collapsing building, desperate for something to- and the mysterious rescuer saved the day once again, it appeared. Displaying a control of Ki and physical strength that made Katrina feel dizzy, she proceeded to hold up the damn building with just her Ki! Katrina didn’t curse much, even in her internal dialogue, but this made her utter a word she hadn’t said since she accidentally kicked the corner of her table a couple years ago.
This was her chance; while the building was struggling between gravity and the support of this stranger, Katrina could save the people inside. Gods, to be killed in such a way, crushed and suffocated and afraid … she could think of few worse fates, and that alone was reason to save them. Again, she moved, silent despite her speed, moving only to turn her head as she pass this woman, a golden blur. She was pretty, Katrina was surprised to see, though not distractingly so, her arms currently furrowed with the effort of maintaining the Ki. Katrina had to work fast. With a deep breath, focusing on the energy within her, she was off like a bat out of hell.
One by one, they were saved; to the people in the building, their minds were not adjusted to the movement. One moment they were in a collapsing building, the next they were down the street. And to Katrina, the world wasn’t horizontal; windows and ledges were opportunities, walls mere suggestions, a slight detour to her. Every moment she spent running, leaving a trail of flowers and fresh rain, she hoped against hope that the building would hold until she could save everyone.
And finally, she did just that. The last person, a kindly old woman who clung to her like a wet cat even as Katrina tried to put her down, was saved, and Katrina took her first deep breath in what felt like hours, but was realistically only minutes. The sudden influx of oxygen and lack of focus made her head swim for a second, knees buckling and she gripped the nearest wall for support. Moving that fast while carrying people took a toll out of her, her ki overstimulating her body to compensate. She did not like the feeling of weakness, no matter how temporary.
Dizzy spell over, she gritted her teeth and pressed on; a flicker of movement and again the perfume of flowers and rainwater, and she was by the girls side.
”Katrina. They are all saved. You can let it collapse now.”
Her voice was soft, but carried an iron-hard edge, a tone of command that demanded respect, even if it came off a bit cold. Letting the Ki fade from her body, the gold faded from her eyes, letting Katrina turn her blue eyes onto this stranger, getting a good look at her for the first time, and vice versa. Though slightly smudged with dust, her features were pale and cold, almost doll-like, and framed by raven locks that feel pin-straight even as they were picked up by grasping fingers of wind. Her outfit was nothing special; a skirt and blouse that wouldn’t be out of place in a boardroom. It was with questioning eyes that Katrina looked at her, waiting to see what she would do next.
OOC: WC: 1,425 |
|
POWER LEVEL
45,859
Tech Points
8
Forms
Adrenaline Rush [x4]
Zeni
3,474
Archived
|
Apr 15, 2022 12:25:16 GMT -5
Post by Anastasia on Apr 15, 2022 12:25:16 GMT -5
Power Level: 23,457
Weighted Power Level: 5,864
Anastasia's muscles strained with the effort it took to keep the building from toppling. It took every bit of her concentration, forcing her to blot out the rest of the world. She was oblivious to the other power levels she should sense and eyes upon her. There was nothing else but the titanic effort of keeping the building from falling.
Her power flickered briefly and the building shifted with a horrible grinding crunch. Anastasia redoubled her efforts, but she could feel the weights dragging her down. The heft of them made just standing a trial, much less floating hundreds of feet in the air while trying to keep several tons of building from collapsing. If only she could just remove her weights... She needed to figure out a way to do it so that she won't ever be caught off guard again.
Anastasia snapped out of her thoughts at the voice speaking to her. She glanced to the women at her side. Seeing her, seemingly, to be flying and sensing her above average human power level, Ana felt that she could trust this stranger's assessment. Anastasia's arms fell away from their outstretched position, and with a horrifying roar the entire building collapsed and crumbled to the ground. There was an explosive gust of dirt and debris that blanketed across the streets beneath her and the woman.
She took a few seconds to catch her breath and assess the woman. She held herself well. No-nonsense. Tone soft but firm. Much like Anastasia's own when the stoic woman spoke. Ana could tell she had steel in her spine, and was a warrior of some sort, but she dressed crisply almost business-like. It was quite different from Anastasia's loose casual wear and red scarf. She had chosen over sized clothes that she could wear over her weights, plus a dark under-suit that resembled a full body surfer's rash guard.
Anastasia wiped sweat from her brow, and then straightened from her slumped posture, gathering herself. What had the woman said before? Katrina? Anastasia's brow furrowed very so slightly.
"My name is Anastasia... not Katrina. I think you have me confused for some-," Anastasia cut off when she heard another rumble. She turned and saw another building cracking. No no no!
Ana turned quickly to the other woman, "Help me save as many as we can."
Then she ripped off her hooded jacket, the fabric tearing like paper under her strength. She revealed the various weights that were strapped to her chest and arms. Anastasia knew she didn't have any time to waste as the building tilted. But she had to at least get some of this weight off! Ana unbuckled the weights on her chest and arms and let them drop to the ground. They plummeted with such force that they actually landed on top of a simple hover car and crushed it.
Heavy Weights Reduced to Light Weights
New Weighted Power Level:17,592
She didn't have time to remove her leg weights, but this was more than enough. She shook out her arms and then summoned her power with a blast of white ki surrounding her like a burning candle flame. She gave the woman and nod, and then blasted toward the crumbling building. With more of her power available to her Anastasia was much more easily able to shape it into a large shield and press it against the side of the leaning building. It was still a herculean task, but now Ana felt more confident she could hold it up long enough for rescue. Especially as speedy a rescue as the other woman provided.
They might be able to actually save these people...
WC: 602
TWC: 1,574
|
|
POWER LEVEL
23,131
Tech Points
3
Forms
True Form [x11]
Zeni
3,368
Archived
|
Apr 15, 2022 15:00:34 GMT -5
Post by Tundra on Apr 15, 2022 15:00:34 GMT -5
Power Level: 5,182
Tundra felt another power level pop up out of seemingly nowhere. He went to see, or what, it was, but could make out nothing but a blur (...and flowers?). The blur had gone to quickly move civilians in and out of the building at breakneck speeds. The Changeling rolled his eyes, seeing that the young woman lucked out. A few more moments and he was sure that she would lose control and let the building fall. 'Of course, someone bails her out at the last moment.' It felt like someone cheated at a video game.
After the people had cleared out, the blur had stopped next to the woman and said something that he couldn't quite hear. After that, the building was allowed to crumble to the ground. At last, Tundra was able to see who the newcomer was. It was another woman with above average battle power. 'Tch, are they all coming out of the woodwork now?' He thought, slightly annoyed. If there was anything he didn't like, it was surprises. The last thing he needed was to put a meticulously designed plan into action, only for it to be ruined by something out of left field. That being said, he was still new to this planet. Maybe there was a method to the madness.
Tundra watched as the one that was holding up the building dropped their weights. It looked like the crisis she was in just moments ago was a wakeup call for her to stop messing around. As she immediately went over to the next building to help other people in need, the Changeling was considering his next move. Standing here wasn't really doing much and considering there were two individuals here who looked like they knew what they were doing, at least more than the average life form in this city, he figured that they might hold some valuable information on this planet other than the surface level nonsense that Tundra had learned growing up.
'Considering how goody-two-shoes they seem, they might be willing to cough up some information if I can gain even a shred of their trust.' Tundra thought to himself. With that, he decided to help. Besides, it'd allow him to stretch his legs a little. He allowed his purple aura to cover his short body and the hooded cloak he wore. Flying down towards the building held up by the ki shield, he would bust in through a window and quickly look around. He was about to grab just anyone, but then he found a child. "Perfect." He muttered to himself, knowing that he'd gain more favor if he was seen rescuing a kid. He grabbed him before heading out the way he came in. While he had the strength to hold two people at a time, he was barely putting any effort. The goal wasn't to save as many lives as he could, it was look like he was trying to. Now outside of the building once more, he gently placed the child further down the street and away from the building.
'Hopefully, the faster one can clear out most of them. This is tedious.' He thought, sighing as he flew back towards the building again.
WC: 536
TWC: 1,201
|
|
POWER LEVEL
7,617
Tech Points
0
Forms
Hyper-Focus [x5]
Zeni
6,478
Archived
|
Apr 18, 2022 12:48:15 GMT -5
Post by Katrina Russel on Apr 18, 2022 12:48:15 GMT -5
”Huh? No, that’s not what I-”
Her cool demeanor was shattered; it appears there was some sort of communication error, this powerful stranger thinking “Katrina” was referring to her rather than an ill-put means of introduction! That was, of course, not the intention, but her correction was cut short by the tell-tale sounds of another building cracking. Now wasn’t the time for introductions; clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she nodded at the other woman, holding her tongue for fear of any other slip-ups. They couldn’t afford another miscommunication, not when more lives were in danger.
A graceful flip, parting the haze of dust and smoke that permeated the air, took her to the ground, where she landed in a slight crouch before disappearing in a golden haze once again. Moving this quickly could get tiresome, so she’d have to pace herself; not quite as quick, not quite as agile, but still plenty fast for their needs. So focused was she on focusing her Ki, she nearly missed the veritable projectiles that fell from the stranger in the sky, crushing a hover car nearby. Katrina could only gasp; the amount of weight that must have been required was ridiculous to crush a car from such a paltry height.
’What have I gotten myself into …’
Katrina typically tried to avoid associating with people far stronger than her, as she wasn’t in a habit of picking fights she couldn’t win. Those who exceeded her power always fell into one of two camps; either those who train to be a force of good, in which case her chosen profession - however noble her intentions - tended to cause friction, or they trained for the opposite cause, forces of chaos, in which case Katrina was simply collateral damage or in their way. Neither of them were particularly appealing choices, but she didn’t have much of a choice here. No innocent deserved to suffer for the wrath of the earth.
Leaving her hesitations behind, she took a deep breath, her eyes closing for the briefest of moments; when they opened, the sapphire orbs were once again eclipsed by golden light and she was off like a rocket, into the building barely held up by the effort of the powerful stranger. There were less people in this building, thankfully, but still enough that Katrina could feel her muscles and bones straining from the effort. She had never used this technique this much before, reserving it mostly for brief bursts to close the distance to her targets. Her arms aching from carrying the dozenth grown man, she paused, letting her weary body rest.
She wasn’t invulnerable, after all.
It was at that point she saw the strange figure cloaked in violet and covered in strange … armor? It certainly looked it, even on his long, whip-like tail, but Katrina didn’t have time to admire the powerful-looking limbs. The child in his arms was terrified, obviously, but safe now, and Katrina gave him an understanding nod. This strange, armored alien had an aura about him that sent a chill up Katrina’s back; she prided herself on reading people, after all, but there was no time to act on her instinct. Her muscles mostly recovered, she took another deep breath, the scent of spring flowers and rain again filling the area, before she off, her trajectory taking her to the highest parts of the tower. She didn’t bother running back downstairs, instead choosing a more direct route. With the sound of the CEO’s screams echoing in her revolver seemed to fly to her hand; focusing her Ki, a golden blast shattered the reinforced windows of the uppermost floor, Katrina jumping out amid the raining glass and landing on a nearby rooftop.
”You’re safe now.”
She dropped the man, sobbing with a face caked in dust, but Katrina ignored him, turning towards the flying stranger again. The building was clear, all living creatures evacuated, and she nodded towards the stranger again, a signal to let the building fall now. A deep sigh and she sat on the edge of the building, her sharp eyes keeping an eye out for any other falling buildings. For a moment, silence fell over the streets before Katrina ended up correcting her mistake from earlier, the misunderstanding gnawing at her.
”There was some misunderstanding. I am Katrina, I was introducing myself.”
It was more awkward than before, averting her blue eyes from Anastasia’s. She hates making mistakes, which is why she tended to avoid social situations.
”Is he with you?”
Her eyes fell again on the alien down below, who had rescued the child. Despite the uneasy feeling she got when seeing him, chalking it up to his weird appearance, she figured he was a good guy. How bad could he be, if he helped rescued children?
WC: 806
|
|
POWER LEVEL
45,859
Tech Points
8
Forms
Adrenaline Rush [x4]
Zeni
3,474
Archived
|
Apr 18, 2022 16:19:31 GMT -5
Post by Anastasia on Apr 18, 2022 16:19:31 GMT -5
Power Level: 23,457
Weighted Power Level:17,592
Anastasia was able to catch the second flare of ki that had arrived just before she saw the figure that was cloaked both literally and figuratively enter the building as well, and leave with a child. Anastasia could have sagged with relief. With two rescuers they had even more of a chance to help people. Knowing that she had back up gave Anastasia even more resolve. With a firm nod she pressed forward with her ki to keep the building up.
The girl from earlier returned and was flashing through the building again with breakneck speed that Anastasia couldn't help but admire. She moved with impressive speed in spite of her level of power. She definitely outstripped Anastasia when she had been at that strength. She wouldn't have had a chance to keep up with her. Anastasia had a feeling that a race with this girl might have given her a run for her money if she had been fully weighted. Speed hadn't been Anastasia's typical fighting style. She was more the slow and steady type, usually tanking through her speedy enemy's and pressing her advantage when they were tired out.
On their second fly through Anastasia was able to get a better look at the purple ki'd figure. A Changeling? That was an odd sight. It wasn't that there weren't any changelings on earth, they just were very uncommon. People tended to associate changelings with the PTO and with the strained relationships between the PTO and the Earth well... people didn't need much of an excuse to be racist, and that was a good a reason as any. So, due to this persecution, Changelings had made themselves scarce.
But not this one, apparently. They were sacrificing their anonymity in exchange for saving the lives of others. Ana couldn't help but feel some respect for the stranger.
When the girl from before gave Anastasia the signal, she practically sighed in relief. But things weren't over yet. She couldn't just drop her shield like she had with the previous building. If she could afford to, she wanted to cause as little property damage as she could. At least now she had the time and strength to do so. Carefully Anastasia loosened her shield to let the building crumble in a more controlled manner. In some ways, this was more strenuous than just holding the damn thing up. It took a tremendous amount of control and judgement.
God, if so many lives weren't on the line Anastasia would have considered this an excellent training method...
Finally, after what felt like hours, but was more like several minutes, Anastasia was able to sink to the ground in an exhausted slump. Sweat dripped from her face and she was struggling to get her breath under control. All of her limbs were shaking from the burn of muscles over extending trying to channel all the ki she needed to.
It took Ana a moment to register that someone was talking to her. She ponderously lifted her head to meet the gaze of the girl who had come to the aid of every person in the building. What was she saying? Oh. Her name. That made sense.
"Oh. I see...Thank you. You saved me. Well... them," Anastasia gestured vaguely in the direction that she had last scene the civilian's feeling. Her arm was so weak it was more like the boneless flop of a rubber chicken, but Ana hopped she got the point across.
When Katrina asked about the other one, Anastasia looked over. Oh, she was asking about the changeling. She turned back to Katrina and shook her head no, "I don't know him..."
Anastasia gritted her teeth and took a deep breath before using the last of her strength to stand up, her legs trembling with exertion, muscles screaming. She turned to face the Changeling and raised a hand to him as well, " And thank you, too."
Word Count: 654
Total Word Count: 2,228
|
|
POWER LEVEL
23,131
Tech Points
3
Forms
True Form [x11]
Zeni
3,368
Archived
|
Apr 18, 2022 17:19:19 GMT -5
Post by Tundra on Apr 18, 2022 17:19:19 GMT -5
'Oh, thank goodness.'
Tundra let out a sigh of relief as he saw a blur speed ahead of him and clear out the building in record time. It saved him the trouble of playing "hero" for longer than he would've wanted. He saw the signal the speedster gave the stronger stranger that would allow the latter to let the building down. He stopped flying at this point, floating in the air a short distance away from the two and waited until it had completely collapsed. Looking around, it looked like things had finally calmed down. Now the shenanigans were over, it was time to do what he did best. 'Now, where was I.'
He heard the faster woman introduce herself as Katrina, explaining that there was some kind of prior misunderstanding? Tundra had no idea what they were talking about, but he doubted it was important now. He lowered himself to the ground and walked over to the, now exhausted, woman who had basically been doing the heavy lifting throughout this entire thing. As he got closer, he heard himself becoming the subject of the conversation. Showtime.
"And thank you, too."
"No need for a thank you, it was my pleasure." Tundra replied, playing up a convincing benevolent attitude. "Though, I must say, I would've never been able to do what you two have done. I felt like was hardly able to keep up." Though the Changeling hadn't quite figured out how to mask his own power level, he felt that his First Form suppressed his true power enough to for them to not consider him an immediate threat. All he had to was make sure to drive it home by downplaying his own abilities. After all, he had already had his foot in the door.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Zero. I was in the area when the earthquake started. My apologies for not helping sooner, but my appearance tends to set people off. I wasn't sure if it was the best idea to reveal myself, but I just couldn't stand by and watch as I saw innocent lives in danger." He said, looking at both of them. He had come up with a fake name on the spot, not wanting his true identity to potentially spread to whoever these people may be in contact with. Tundra was really trying to sell the "noble but misunderstood hero" role, hoping that it would make them feel more sympathetic towards him. After all, once everybody gets in their feelings, they're much more willing to bend over backwards for you.
"In any case, are you two okay? That was quite the task you both took on."
WC: 447
TWC: 1,648
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POWER LEVEL
7,617
Tech Points
0
Forms
Hyper-Focus [x5]
Zeni
6,478
Archived
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Apr 23, 2022 2:43:23 GMT -5
Post by Katrina Russel on Apr 23, 2022 2:43:23 GMT -5
It was somewhat a relief to see Anastasia, as she introduced herself as, be similarly exhausted; it made Katrina’s own aching, quivering muscles feel a little better. Schadenfreude was, unfortunately, one of her tragic character flaws and not one she was liable to get over any time soon. Her legs were dangling over the open air, her leggings torn and cut by debris, though not a single cut on the pale skin underneath. As the dust settled, Katrina made a concerted effort, even with her sore muscles, to keep the dust from her hair; it was a pain to wash it once it settled in, and frankly she didn’t have the time. Slim fingers, painted a fetching shade of blue, consistently ran through her hair, somehow managing to keep the ebony locks free of ash and debris.
Katrina could only admire the control that Anastasia had over her Ki; even after the building was let to crumble, it stuck in her mind. She had always admired strength, but control was another matter entirely; often, one was sacrificed for the other, many fighters gaining massive strength but sacrificing the ability to control it. Anastasia, it appeared, was not one of those. Stiffly standing as Anastasia came to stand on the rooftop with her, Katrain balanced on the edge, her birds-eye view of the city letting get a good view of the chaos these earthquakes caused. Something about the whole thing didn’t sit right with her; a city succumbing so suddenly to disaster just didn’t happen anymore.
There was something sinister at work, or so her paranoia would have her believe.
Thankfully, it didn’t sem to have gripped the populace yet; perhaps too stunned by the devastation and chaos, what few were still present were milling around, covered in ash and coughing up the remnants of their livelihoods. The human nature to seek answers, perhaps, kept them here, but Katrina could only speculate; with as much experience as she had judging the villainous acts of humanity, she had far less with the more virtuous.
”’twas nothing. I could not stand by and let innocents suffer, not if I have the power to stop it.”
And then Zero introduced himself.
Honeyed words surely - kind, even - but nonetheless, something didn’t sit quite right with Katrina. They were aliens to him; and in her admittedly limited grasp of their visitors from beyond the stars, it was not common for their altruism to extend beyond the bounds of their own race. And honestly, Katrina could understand; were it the choice to save a human or save a Saiyan, she would choose a human, a hundred percent of the time, unless doing so would endanger a greater number of humans. It was simply natural to flock to those who looked like you, had similar experiences, shared stories. To risk it all for those not even of your own race was unheard of in her narrative of the world.
Call you old-fashioned, but she didn’t trust anyone without an ulterior motive.
”Zero. I am Katrina Russel.” Her voice had lost it’s commanding tone, instead gaining something almost musical; her natural tone, one adopted when life and limb were not at stake. Despite that, the edge of ice and steel remained, and her face remained an impassive mask. ”Do not sell yourself short. I may not be able to sense Ki, but you are no slouch, I can tell.” Despite her misgivings, Katrain wasn’t so petty she couldn’t give compliments where it was due. His toned body was more than testament to his training method - though she didn’t know if his race, whatever it was, could even have fat - and the ease of which he plucked the child from danger. It was quite admirable.
”I am quite fine, thank you for the concern.” She had an odd way of speaking; equal parts regal and stiff, as if trained in the use of etiquette and politeness but lacking skill with employing it. ’tis most unusual to carrying great weights. My muscles are ill adapted for it, though I suppose this is as good of a workout as any. I am sure Miss Anastasia, however, has far more serious complaints.” She turned her brilliantly blue eyes, standing sharply out against the pale of her face and black of her hair, to Anastasia now, a wry smile twisting her lip.
”’twas with great strength and better discipline you held those buildings, Anastasia. Were it not for your efforts, the floor would surely have given out below me in my attempt to save the citizenry, and I would be buried under two hundred tons of steel right now. I commend you for your efforts, and allow me to say you are quite impressive. I certainly could not have done what you have done, though my abilities are quite a bit more … specialized.”
She left it intentionally vague, moving on to other topics quickly.
”With introductions behind us, perhaps we should move onto grander matters? Namely, the many below us, bereaved of a proper outlet for their confusion, may take to looting the sections of the city not-yet beleaguered by the disaster. If we make haste, we may yet prove a deterrent to riot.” WC: 875 |
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POWER LEVEL
45,859
Tech Points
8
Forms
Adrenaline Rush [x4]
Zeni
3,474
Archived
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Apr 26, 2022 12:44:22 GMT -5
Post by Anastasia on Apr 26, 2022 12:44:22 GMT -5
Power Level: 23,457
Weighted Power Level:17,592
Both the Changeling, Zero, and the Katrina were showering her with compliments about her strength and control. Anastasia didn't try to brush off their words with false modesty. It would just come off as disingenuous. But neither did she indulge in it. She had done what she had needed to. She needed to try and help the people and she had managed to. If only just barely.
"I only just barely managed, truth told," Anastasia admitted to them, "I may have kept the building from collapsing, but that was buying time. You both managed to actually save the civilians. Do not discount your own contributions..."
Speaking of false modesty, Ana cocked her head and subtly felt Zero's ki with her own. He was definitely strong. At least stronger than the average earthling. And if he was anything like other changelings that she had fought in the pits, he could transform into even stronger forms. Ana wasn't sure if he was downplaying is ability on purpose, or if he genuinely didn't have an accurate basis of comparison to the average power level. Changelings tended to be naturally strong and could easily underestimate the average human.
The same could be said for Katrina. She was also strong, and in some ways it was more impressively so. She didn't have the natural advantages that Changeling's or Saiyans did. At least Anastasia didn't think so? She appeared human, but that didn't account for much in a universe with tail-less saiyans, androids, and other alien races.
Katrina's strength expressed herself in her ludicrous speed it seemed. But she said that she was unaccustomed to carrying weights. Anastasia thought back to her progress after she added weight training to her regimen and wondering how much Katrina could grow if she did add carrying great weights to her own work outs. How much faster could she become?
What about the mysterious Zero? What was his training regimen? Did he get his strength with out trying like some Changelings claim? Or did he too use extraneous methods like her?
Either way, both of these fighters were much more than they were presenting themselves to be.
Thinking about the two warriors training methods reminded Anastasia of her own, and the lack of weights on her upper body. She had dropped them with out care and now she was concerned they may be lost in the rubble after the building collapsed. She looked towards the approximate area that she had been earlier and scanned the floor with dark eyes and a slight frown. They had fallen on a car, right? She needed to find them, not only were they expensive, but they were an integral part of her routine. She couldn't believe the burst of power she felt when she had taken them off and wasn't restrained by the extra weight. It had made all the difference in the end.
When both Zero and Katrina expressed their concerns, Ana snapped back from her search for her weights and looked back at them. She shook her head, "I'm fine. Exhausted, but uninjured. I just need a minute to catch my breath and regain my stamina."
Katrina mentioned moving past introductions and on to other matters such as preventing riots and looting. Right. Ana hadn't thought that far ahead. She had been fixed on the immediate threat, and then her own fatigue. She mentally face palmed and then shook herself out of it. Katrina was right. There was still more work for them to do.
"How do you suggest we proceed?" Anastasia looked to Katrina for leadership, as it had been her comment that brought their attention to the task at hand. Even though Anastasia technically seemed to be the strongest of the three by sheer power level, she was a soldier more accustomed to taking orders than leading. She was more than happy to defer to another, whether it was Zero or Katrina.
Anastasia was sure that she could find her weights, and then speed off to the next task. Call her priorities skewed if you must. But she would get her weights first.
Word Count: 683
Total Word Count: 2,911
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POWER LEVEL
23,131
Tech Points
3
Forms
True Form [x11]
Zeni
3,368
Archived
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Apr 26, 2022 19:09:33 GMT -5
Post by Tundra on Apr 26, 2022 19:09:33 GMT -5
Katrina and Anastasia. Tundra would make it a point to remember those names. If he was going to eventually take over the Planet, he figured it would only be a matter of time before he saw them again. While the compliments Anastasia and Katrina gave him regarding his ability slightly fueled his own ego, he'd make a mental note to come off more vulnerable. Then again, how many times did he expect himself to be playing pretend?
So far, so good. It didn't seem like either of them were suspicious of him and that was good enough. Still, he had to do something to take back control over the conversation. Katrina must've of been quite the "go getter" because she was already ready to help out even more.
"Katrina, would you shut the fuck up?"
Is what he WANTED to say, but obviously he had to keep that to himself. Tundra had to think fast, because "Zero" had other places to be.
"Actually, I'm not able to stay. Someone like me tends to be seen as an enemy on this planet. You two have been friendly, but I'm afraid the average Earthling isn't so open-minded. I have to keep myself hidden and on the move for my own protection."
It was time to start getting information. For now, locations would be enough.
"If you have a minute to spare, I'm actually looking for some shelter. I heard the Universal Syndicate of Defense was stationed somewhere on this planet. If you don't mind, I could use some directions. I believe they are the only ones that can help with my er... "unique" situation."
If he could get the actual location of the headquarters, that'd be amazing. In truth, however, he only actually needed any kind of USD outpost. He could then locate it himself and follow the trail from there. He wasn't really trying to attack them just yet, but he needed to know for... future reference.
WC: 326
TWC: 1,974
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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May 4, 2022 19:41:37 GMT -5
Post by Admin on May 4, 2022 19:41:37 GMT -5
Tundra!
You're looking at 1,629 Power level and... 1,271 Zeni!
Katrina, adding up your word count I got you at 3,106.
You're getting 2,393 Power level and 2,213 Zeni!
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