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Post by Beriadan on Apr 10, 2023 10:19:16 GMT
Like Jet, Shinja was aware of the sounds from above the clouds. Perhaps unlike Jet, she knew what the conditions would be like. No sane pilot would be flying in this weather... she pulled her coat close about her, glad when Jet mentioned about heading back to his place. She felt exposed, vulnerable, like a small mammal out in the open when eagles soared overhead.
To Kako, she gave a strained smile, but squeezed the other girl with the crook of her arm as the arm slipped through hers.
"Yeah... getting there. I'll be better once I get a clear head and some rest."
The information coming at Shinja was a lot. She ate quietly as Jet spoke, only pausing her food as he in turn paused to eat his.
"So this Red Baroness... she might not have even been involved with Aeronaut'a death? Grandfather wasn't exactly young when he died... the original baron would be quite old now."
Shinja paused, mental calculations bouncing around in her head. Come to think of it... if KK was truly the one behind the hit, then he couldn't have been much older than she was now. She bit her lip, took a mouthful of rice and chicken while thinking.
"Thing is... even if we confront Team Air-raid, there'd no guarantee they're the same villains as before. What we need... is a way to find out more information. Maybe they know about Cerberus... perhaps we can squeeze them for information about KK, or the other heads. I have no grudge against any of them that didn't even have a hand in my grandfather's murder, villain or not. Can we pinpoint exactly who is still active? If this list of villains already departed the group after all this time, we'd be betting on the wrong horse."
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 10, 2023 21:32:07 GMT
Kako's request for him not to hate her caught Tanzo by surprise. For all he had noticed or inferred about Kako's current state of mind and trajectory in life... he couldn't read everything going on in her head. Why would he hate her? Did it have to do with the revenge debate maybe? Or did she feel like she wasn't helping enough? Or was it because she wanted to stay out instead of going back to UA and was worried she was putting him out? He had no idea, he'd have to talk to her directly later... but asking her right now in front of everyone wouldn't do anyone any good
So for now he'd focus on the info being given, first it was revealed Cerberus was more than just a front organization
"I say front because we know KK and Team Confidence were involved, they probably used Cerberus as an intermediary or something to distance themselves from the crime. Manipulation and information control are their M.O. so while Cerberus may be real, they weren't the brains behind this." Tanzo said "still, if they were more than just a shell organization that means they had more involvement than I thought, my investigating them through my contacts might bear more fruit than I hoped."
When they reached the house they'd be staying at, Tanzo was a bit cramped, but he waved off the apology "not the first time I've had to deal with this and it won't be the last. I apologize in advance if I break anything. I'm very careful but most things aren't built to be ok after someone my size interacts with them."
Tanzo would eat quietly as team Air Raid was discussed. So the Baron and Aeronaut grew up in the same town... that fit the profile of KK and their team. What he wouldn't give to have Moonbeam's records about Team Confidence right now... but he couldn't access those without tipping the hero off to what they were doing so he had to operate on his memory of the files.
"It's going to be hard digging into this further... But our best bet might be the still potentially living members of Cerberus. Annabelle Joji was involved in the Glass Cage incident, which means she's still alive and directly tied to KK. There's also Kunimi Dorikawa who went missing. If they're alive the report mentions they were likely a head of Cerberus, but they've been off the grid for so long it'll be tough to find them now." Tanzo mused "the other option we have is a hell of a lot more risky..."
Tanzo hesitated, he didn't like this idea on principle, but if they had backup from the NJPD maybe it would turn out ok.
"Team Air Raid is still an active group with current members, if we bait them into showing themselves and capture one or more of them maybe we could get some info out of them." Tanzo said "they have a former base in the area, if we snoop around there it could tip them off they're being investigated and prompt them to move against us... unfortunately that means we're basically painting targets on our backs for professional hitmen to shoot at. Frankly I don't like this idea, but we don't have a lot of great leads to pursue here, it's an old and ice cold case. Still I don't think we should do this until out other options are exhausted."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 11, 2023 7:04:15 GMT
OOC: Moonbeam wouldn't have much info on TC. She hadn't dealt with them in rp.
Kako felt a bit reassured with Shinja's response but still was weary about expressing herself fully like that. With a hesitant eye at Tanzo and then at Shinja, she recoiled back to stare at her own plate. How did they feel about her? She was beginning to feel alien amongst her friends, though partial fault lay with her in not opening up properly. She listened closely as everyone said their piece. "...J" She stopped herself. She'd never seen Jet break his usual cool. As the conversation went on and on, he leveled from his normally upbeat attitude. In fact, he frowned a bit. "Yeah, they're all still active. The ones who aren't dead at least... even the first Baron." His expression grim, he couldn't help but think of those planes. His attention turned to Tanzo when the young man began to speak. He'd stir the rice with his chopstick.
"KK is Kunimi Durikawa, if that helps. " He turned to Shinja, though the gestures were fitting the depiction of a kid. The more glaring detail with the upcoming description was he'd met the guy as well. "Blonde... cocky, smart, and eats a lot? Super annoying way of poking ideas in your head before you can speak for yourself?" Her calculations were right on the money. A mere teenager planned out this hit, pulled some like minds in and had the financial means to make it happen. Even if the heads of Cerberus all didn't agree, it meant he had enough pull to get whatever he wanted done."But that means, he's not missing at all, according to Senpai." Kako chimed in. "But if he had so much "power" why'd he go dark for so long?"
"I would say, a lot of the deaths during the Silver age had to do with Cerberus, not even just him... but timing wise... Strive came into society and changed everything. It's probably the smartest move to break up a group like that when you think about it... An unstoppable force like that can't be beaten with a few sharp minds." He was finished eating, but there was plenty of food left on his plate. Something was bothering him. He'd start toward Tanzo- " And as for the painting a target comment. If you heard those planes, it means you know who is in the sky. Dunno why their flying, but it doesn't make sense to fly with those kinds of clouds in the sky. I... I just really need to say something really quickly..." Bringing it back to Shinja.
Whatever it was the was sitting on his chest to say, he'd look directly in her eyes. "Shinja could I speak to you in private?"He'd stand up and aim to lead her to another room. He obviously had something important to say, but what? If Shinja took the man up on his offer, it would mean Kako and Tanzo would be left alone to talk... All Kako could hear was how passionately he spoke to Shinja about not killing. Reluctantly she would stare at him, unable to start even their usual banter. Did he see her as some sort of murderous figure now, maybe a lost person to feel sorry for? An idiot? Even in wanting to not make judgemental comments, the tone he took made it seem like it was wrong to follow the path she was on... specifically wrong if Shinja did it... Where did that leave herself, Kako wondered? He made comments about doing good as a vigilante, but what did that even mean in this context? A part of her wanted Shinja to go with Jet so she could hear his thoughts in earnest.
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Post by Beriadan on Apr 11, 2023 7:19:08 GMT
"Yeah, that's KK alright... he's smart, fickle, and seems to know every outcome of a situation. He plotted to kidnap me right out of U.A. and succeeded. Somehow he even evaded capture at the Glassbox. He's dangerous. If he's still involved..."
Shinja carefully pushed her bowl away. KK... she still couldn't believe it. He had been playing on her mind since her second year incident, mastermind behind her kidnapping and the Glass Box battle. Now... she rose to her feet as Jet requested to speak with her alone. She didn't trust him, or really any of the NJPD, even the likes of Nyana. Still, Tanzo and Kako both did, and he was helping them, right? She glanced at Kako, Tanzo, then nodded wordlessly, stepping into the next room.
Out of sight of the other two, Shinja let out a deep exhalation. The planes overhead were obviously on Jet's mind as well... if they put a target on their back, then they might all be in danger. Shinja wondered if this had been the right thing to do, after all. What would she do if either of her friends were put in danger? She clenched her fists. What if her personal retribution harmed those closest to her?
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 11, 2023 22:49:33 GMT
Tanzo didn't like the implication that the planes he had heard had been team Air Raid... if they were already on the move then it was looking like they might end up fighting those villains whether they wanted too or not. He was worried about Shinja... if this team could take down the pro-hero version of Shinja, then she stood little chance if they went after her... not to mention she was emotionally compromised right now. Part of him really wanted to pull the plug on this whole thing right now while the going was good and they all were unscathed. But Shinja would never forgive him...
For now, Kako was an issue he could tackle, as Shinja was pulled aside for a private chat, it gave him and Kako time to chat as well.
"I would never hate you Kako." Tanzo said "and I say that being fully aware of what the NJPD is and your interest in them."
It was straightforward, but he was putting his cards on the table. Whatever was prompting Kako's anxiety about him hating her, he would cover as many bases as he could. "I'm also aware that the NJPD probably has a body count beyond just the one I know about for sure." he said "I don't think Shinja has figured all this out yet, and I don't know how she'll react when she does figure it out, but as far as I'm concerned, if you think this is the path for you, I wouldn't think less of you for it. Vigilantism is a valid form of heroism in my eyes... so long as it's done well and for good reasons. There are bad vigilante gangs out there that hurt people... but the NJPD seems like they're better than that. It may not be a path I can allow myself to walk, but it has merits."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 12, 2023 1:15:21 GMT
While as much of a joy it was to hear he didn't hate her it still didn't negate how there seemed to be a line drawn in the sand somewhere along getting to this point. Kako poked her lip out in a soured expression. Her eyes were sad, but she was understanding where he was going with this. Tanzo was kind but that's why it stung so bad to always hit him with bad news. It's why she chose their silly banter over more serious notes of the conversation. He likely had his own problems, and she didn't want to burden him or anyone else. It was why she kept quiet about her feelings for so long, even to Shinja. Their kindness was hurtful as times. Not because they mean to, but because there are some things that are just hard to accept. In the future, Kako pondered what would happen if she met Tanzo or Shinja on the battlefield and they were on opposing sides of a problem... Perhaps that was the line in the sand she envisioned. Despite her emotional flight from highs to lows, she was intuitive enough to know being with the NJPD meant having far more enemies than allies. She could only pray for her friends to forever be allies and hope the day never came when they'd have to go at one another. "Yeah..." A dejected response. "I don't think Shinja has figured all this out yet, and I don't know how she'll react when she does figure it out, but as far as I'm concerned, if you think this is the path for you, I wouldn't think less of you for it. Vigilantism is a valid form of heroism in my eyes... so long as it's done well and for good reasons. There are bad vigilante gangs out there that hurt people... but the NJPD seems like they're better than that. It may not be a path I can allow myself to walk, but it has merits.""Well done...good reasons..." She didn't care about that stuff, but Tanzo did. She just wanted acceptance, a place to call home, and people who fully accepted her. Tanzo was accepting because it was her not because it was NJPD in particular... she could tell that much. He hadn't met everyone in the org. And Shinja? Kako struggled with the thought. "I've been trying not to get in the way, but that just seems to always be the case. It just feels like I'm drowning sometimes..., and they are a breath of fresh air... that's all. They're my home." She brought her knees up and rested herself on them. "I don't expect you guys to understand everything, but I'm just trying my best...."In the other room, Kako made up her mind to crawl closer to Tanzo. It wasn't fair to treat him so distant all of the sudden. " I'm just so deep in shit. I wish you knew the half of it." She sighed, placing a hand on Tanzo's arm. She'd tell him something she hadn't even told Shinja yet. "I'm not going back there, to UA. My time there has passed..." She didn't belong. Perhaps she never did. Her mind was made up far before this rogue mission... When the time came, she'd tell Shinja herself. _______________________ In the other room Jet would fall to his knees and bow to Shinja, forehead pressing against the floor. "I'm SO SORRY..."For what? The man was pained to even be around the girl. To see her quirk up close, it was bringing back memories he wished he'd forgotten. The feeling was itching at him since he laid eyes on her. "For Aeronaut's death and my part in it." He pressed his forehead harder into the ground, unable to look up and see her expression. An apology wouldn't bring the man back, if he sat and pretended like he didn't know, he'd hate himself. His was almost 20 years ago, and he was a completely different person, but saying that wouldn't make up for it either. "My name is Jet Bluesky. Najimi Bluesky is my uncle...and I saw him take Aeronaut's life after we weakened him. I was around your age when it happened... They called me Ace back then." Finally looking up, the once cool demeanor was a cracked expression. The face of a person who wanted to make things right. "When I heard from Flora something was going down in my hometown, I knew it had to be something with Team Air Raid. I finally have a chance to confront them, but I had no clue it would be this. "
He'd gather himself if only a little bit, knowing it was an impossible ask. "Allow me to help you in any way I can. It's the least I can do."
________________________ OOC: NPC REVEAL Legal Name: Jet Bluesky Alias: "Ace Pilot" or "Ace" Quirk Name: Flame Body Picture:  Notable Achievements: Made the neighborhood news as an arson. Former high-ranking member of team air raid |
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Post by Beriadan on Apr 12, 2023 8:41:08 GMT
Shinja wasn't sure what she felt. Anger? Pain? She watched the man grovel at her feet, doing his best to apologise for tearing her grandfather away from her. From having a life alongside someone who would understand her. Her fists clenched, fans whirring... then, unexpectedly, out of the dark shadows of her face, Shinja laughed. Not hollow, or sarcastic, but a pure, ringing happiness, like sunshine parting through a storm.
"Amazing. All those villains, and you still had to wear him down. I knew he was strong, but he nearly single-handedly took the lot of you on! He really was a fantastic hero."
Her expression hardened slightly as she stared down at Jet, or Ace, or whatever he wanted to call himself right now. This wasn't the Shinja from before. Now she knew how she felt. These bastards... including the one kneeling before her... they were villains through and through. Her eyes weren't that of a child. This was someone who, even at a young age, had gone through so much already. This was someone who was ready to take the fight back to the world.
"Listen. I'm not a good hero like Tanzo or Kako. Kako has a big heart, and will trust to let anyone in. Tanzo is amazingly forgiving, and knows when to look past someone's history. I can't help seeing the world in black and white. Heroes, villains, laws and crime... it's two sides of the same coin. I don't believe in middle grounds."
She looked towards the door, where Kako and Tanzo sat beyond, and sighed. Shinja knew what was going on, even if she didn't want to believe it. Kako... the NJPD... slowly she took a step towards Jet, looking down at him with an impassive face.
"I know what you and the NJPD do. The reason I don't do or say anything about it... is because I trust my friends. They trust you enough, so I have no choice. But listen well, Ace. I'm willing to use you in anyway I can to confront the people that killed my grandfather, but if any harm comes to either of my friends, or if you try and double cross us..."
A small smirk crossed her lips. Shinja's eyes flashed with malevolence.
"Well, you know what it was like to fight one Aeronaut. Quirks evolve through generations, and I inherited my grandfather's Quirk from my mum. Whatever you think you knew about murdering Aeronaut, you will find ten-fold at the end of my fans."
Her expression softened, fading into a nicer smile. Shinja extended a hand.
"Just tell me one thing. What was he like when you fought him? Was he brave, even in the face of overwhelming odds? Did you fear him before you helped to kill him?"
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 13, 2023 0:55:04 GMT
"Believe it or not, I know how it feels to feel like you're drowning" Tanzo said after taking some time to process what Kako was saying "I know I don't show it like... ever. But I'm not as put together as I force myself to seem. Under the surface I'm a bit of a mess."
Tanzo sighed, letting the lid off how bad his emotional state was even a little bit felt even more draining than keeping that lid sealed tight somehow, but he wanted Kako to know she wasn't alone in her feelings.
"I work really hard to be the guy everyone sees me as, patient, in control, gentle, all of that. It's a constant effort to be all of those things when underneath it all I feel like I'm floundering a lot of the time, or just making shit up as I go along and hoping for the best. I don't have a home to go to for that breath of fresh air... Mom is..." Tanzo trailed off, instinctively clamming up about the topic of his family, it was enough to mention it without burdening Kako with the details... probably. "If the NJPD is a home to you, a rock that helps you be happy and stay afloat through everything. You should hold onto them."
When Kako revealed she was leaving UA, Tanzo nodded "I figured, I didn't know when you planned to leave... but I knew it was coming. I know others did too. I'm sad that your home won't be with us at UA. But you won't stop being my friend, and we might still be on the same side tackling things together sometimes." he said "I already let Flora know. I intend to turn a blind eye to the vigilantism of the NJPD as much as possible. So you don't have to worry about me being your enemy. I'll always be your senpai... even if you refuse to call me that"
Tanzo added a joking wink at the end there,
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Post by notdomino on Apr 13, 2023 5:45:11 GMT
Jet looked to Shinja as she spoke, admiring her ability to stay calm. He knew this was coming and still was having trouble taking in the earful. He couldn't pay for all of his sins, but he could do his best to procure a better future for his community... his safe haven. NJPD. He'd protect them at all costs. "Listen. I'm not a good hero like Tanzo or Kako. Kako has a big heart, and will trust to let anyone in. Tanzo is amazingly forgiving, and knows when to look past someone's history. I can't help seeing the world in black and white. Heroes, villains, laws and crime... it's two sides of the same coin. I don't believe in middle grounds." She'd say.
"If you don't believe in middle ground, that must mean you don't believe in change." He replied, resolute in his purpose of being an aid rather than a hindrance. He frowned as Shinja mentions the very thought of double crossing them. He'd never do that to Kako or betray Flora's trust. The faction picked him up from the mud. Running from Team Air Raid wasn't an option and yet he did. With nowhere to go, they gave him true acceptance, in the same way they gave the same to Kako or any other member. With an outstretch hand Shinja was at the very least able to help him up when he accepted with his own hand.
With hesitation, "He fought well and made snap decisions without second guessing himself. He was a worthy hero of the Silver Age..." He was weary to say too much. Not only was there plenty of casualties, KK's plan made is disgustingly simple. To an extant all Jet had to do was play his part as a domino when the fight between the two aerial quirk users went at it. "A large weight of the battle was waged by The Baron. They both fought for hours until one finally gave out." With a bit more confidence, and some of his usual warmth return, he-"He'd be very proud of who you became."
_____________________________________
"I work really hard to be the guy everyone sees me as, patient, in control, gentle, all of that. It's a constant effort to be all of those things when underneath it all I feel like I'm floundering a lot of the time, or just making shit up as I go along and hoping for the best. I don't have a home to go to for that breath of fresh air... Mom is..." Tanzo trailed off, instinctively clamming up about the topic of his family, it was enough to mention it without burdening Kako with the details... probably."If the NJPD is a home to you, a rock that helps you be happy and stay afloat through everything. You should hold onto them."
Kako's eyes widened. What? Tanzo never seemed like anything was wrong, EVER. How was he able to keep himself like that??? She turned to him, and stared, eyes sympathetic. She was right about him having his own shit to deal with. While she wanted to pry, she knew all too well how hard it was to speak about family. "You're not floundering at all. Everyone is just moving at their own pace on their own paths..." She tried to find some strength, if any to carefully give him warm words. "I think your mom would love how sweet you are to your friends, and how you can help Shinja guide a loser like me." She giggled nervously.
It was comforting to know he would still be her friend but she wasn't entirely sure he'd be accepting of everyone. Not every member was the same, she learned that fairly quickly. But still, the sentiment was incredibly kind. "PAI-SEN" She stuck her tongue out at him. She could feel it. Slowly but surely, the lifting weight off her shoulders. She still had to chat with Shinja, but she couldn't figure out an appropriate time. She and Jet were taking a while... Actually. She checked her phone. Her own contact had been unusually quiet. ---Where are you?---She'd text.
Black rain boots sloshed about with heavy steps, streaks of red peeling off as raindrops hit. ---Around. Found some goons who were creeping around near house :thumbsup: I'll be a bit busy dealing with them, but I'm close by. Watching.--- The woman would shove her phone back into her pocket, and proceed to dig a grave for the Air Raid members who thought they could get the jump on the student gang. The pidder padder of rain droplets hit the brim of her hat as she hummed a soft tune, the thunder would roar in the background.
---OK :winky: --- Kako replied. She turned her attention back to Tanzo, or more over the lack of Shinja and Jet in the room. They'd been taking a while. "GUYS?"
_____________________________
Jet would shake his head. "Call me Jet... Ace Pilot is dead to me." He reassured her once more. "But my love of the skies never died. " Pointing to his goggles. It was a small gesture, but building tiny common ground would be a nice foundation to be trust, even if only a little. He was going to try and make a bit more conversation but he could hear Kako. "Guess we should head back..."
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Post by Beriadan on Apr 13, 2023 16:07:53 GMT
Shinja shrugged, unshaken by Jet's commitment to his cause. To her, the law was the law. Change happened, and was often a good thing, but it happened through the correct pathways. Branching out as Vigilantes, rejecting society as a whole... it made people no better than villains. Still, she would use this man, and the trust that Kako and Tanzo had in the NJPD.
"We can talk semantics another time. Both of us might be walking different paths, but our goal right now is the same."
Still... it was bitter-sweet to hear the man praising her. Shinja smiled, then looked towards the door, where Kako was calling for them.
"We best get back in there... Jet. I won't let slip what you just told me. Kako... she seems to hold a lot of trust in you. I wouldn't ever hurt her. She's like a little sister to me. You can keep this secret between us. Let's go... Jet."
Shinja lead them back to the other two, giving Tanzo and Kako a smile. Had they been talking about serious stuff as well? She took a seat, letting out a deep breath.
"Tomorrow... we should be able to make some headway."
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 14, 2023 22:32:39 GMT
"I think your mom would love how sweet you are to your friends, and how you can help Shinja guide a loser like me."
"I appreciate you saying that. I hope you're right... and I hope one day she'll be sober enough for me to find that out" Tanzo said "you're not a loser though. I've met plenty of losers, you aren't one. You've got your flaws and are struggling to find your way forward, but you're a good person deep down, and so long as that's true I can give you an alphabetized list of very successful people who are bigger losers than you'll ever be."
Tanzo sighed at the thought, he was going to have to call in favors from some of those losers soon to investigate Cerberus. He really hated interacting with those social circles, but they were useful, and making enemies of them would make his life difficult... so he'd play nice.
Shinja and Jet reentered the room not long after that
"Tomorrow sounds good, I think we've had a long enough day, time for rest." Tanzo agreed I'll uh... find a corner to sleep in. I highly doubt your bedframes will survive me laying on them and there's not really much space for me to forge my own."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 17, 2023 2:18:23 GMT
"We best get back in there... Jet. I won't let slip what you just told me. Kako... she seems to hold a lot of trust in you. I wouldn't ever hurt her. She's like a little sister to me. You can keep this secret between us. Let's go... Jet."Jet paused when she referenced keeping it a secret from Kako. She knew he was a villain in the past... but he hadn't told her about team air raid. Kako was kind indeed, but she was learning about the darker ends of NJPD recently. He waan't quite sure if he could tell her in earnest just yet. "Mmmm, yes. A secret." before continuing "Kako... I'm not sure it'd matter to her... She sees people at their core. Once she accepts you, she accepts you. I don't have much say in the matter. I've learned that much " He'd say before turning and rejoining the room with Shinja. Thunder roared at the flash of lightning. Kako reluctantly would smile back at Shinja. Tanzo took it well, but would she? The teen decided to stay quiet about it for now. She eyed Jet who finally seemed to be getting his smile back. Whatever he and Shinja talked about gave him some relief. "Tomorrow?" Kako nervously repeated looking at her phone. Her contact already had faced a bit of combat... She couldn't stay quiet about this. "Tomorrow sounds good, I think we've had a long enough day, time for rest." Tanzo agreed "I'll uh... find a corner to sleep in. I highly doubt your bedframes will survive me laying on them and there's not really much space for me to forge my own.""Lucky for you, we've only got futons here. The house may be big, but we don't have stuff like that." Jet replied, urging Tanzo that he'd be fine. Kako fought the want to relate, and interrupted, "We can't wait til tomorrow. There were guys sneaking about already." She'd chuck her phone to Jet, who'd pass it along for the others to see. "Oh... she's here?" There was distinct disgust in his voice. Kako was boiling in response. "Just cause you don't like her doesn't mean I have to follow your lead." Jet didn't respond, instead, he passed a glance at Shinja. The girl was proving what he'd just said. Jet rolled a few thoughts in his head. "Yeaaaa... Things are starting to look bad. I think we oughtta stay on the move."Jet put two hands on his hip. Before he could continue a voice could be heard, "PLANES!" "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" JET yelled! He dove to floor, as the sound of planes came incredibly close. Kako slid under the table and covered her head. Bullets would shake the house as they hit, and the neighboring houses was blown up entirely as a warning. The sounds would trail off, into the whirling storm. Thunder would roar, lightning striking a nearby pole would shut the lights out for a minute. Explosions could be heard in the far distance, but an unsettling quiet would take over only to be interrupted every once in a while by thunder. With the flicker of lights finally cutting on, a woman stood at the open sliding door. " Those people are NOT happy to know you folks in town. They didn't blow this place up, so I guess we can say that was quite the explosive greeting." An awful joke, from a horrifying woman. A killer who was all over the news a few years ago. Pun, a butcher killer from Yokohama... This person was actually Kako's help, sent by the regent herself. If Kako were in danger, she'd send one of the finest combatants on the roster. Water pummeled the woman's brim, and her naturally red and black eyes glanced over the room. Legal Name: Lola Asakaze Alias: Pun Quirk Name: Major-Minor Picture:  Notable Achievements: Former Villain Butchered about 45 people Broken out of jail 6 times
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Post by Beriadan on Apr 17, 2023 7:09:26 GMT
Shinja felt her tired mind ebbing at the edges, but Kako and Jet seemed adamant that they had to stay on the move. She frowned, understanding now that they had entered a hornet's nest. Her friends were in danger because she had brought them this far. Shinja was wondering if there was any turning back when the shout rang out. Planes? Her eyes widened, and in a second she threw herself over Kako before the house was torn apart like an origami model in a hailstorm.
Shinja rose slowly from underneath the table, shaking. She looked across at Tanzo, checking the big guy wasn't hurt. It would take more than bullets to harm him, but the sudden attack had been terrifying, unexpected. She wanted to check he was alright, not just physically. Around them, the house seemed to shudder, as if it was waiting for another assault in fear. Explosions could be heard around them as their neighbouring dwellings succumbed to the assault. Shinja turned to Jet with a stony face.
"Does anyone live around here? Is it all abandoned, or could there be casualties?"
It was then she heard the voice again. She turned to face the newcomer, standing in the doorway like a harbinger of death. Shinja felt a cold chill run down her spine. This person... their eyes... she swallowed. Was this who Kako had brought in? Their eyes looked like something seen in the night, in the darkness cowled by fear of the shadows, of what lurks within. Shinja clenched her fists, but knew they needed all the help they could get. She made a promise to talk to Kako after this.
"Thanks for the warning... Shinja Sanyo. Guess we owe you one." |
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Post by cmd1095 on Apr 19, 2023 1:54:46 GMT
At the warning Tanzo threw himself to the ground, but placed himself between Shinja and Kako and the onslaught. The wooden walls of the building wouldn't be able to stop bullets, but his thick metal body could. Not that he'd be uninjured, but better they hit him than his friends. He'd survive at least so long as he got bandaged up, the regular fleshy bodied people might not.
Luckily it seemed the attack was more a warning than an all out assault, since the neighboring houses were blown up but their own only got riddled with some bullets. The assault died down, and he got back up as Shinja asked about if the area was abandoned.
"Whether the area is abandoned or not, we need to move. If there ARE people here the last thing they need is for another round of bullets and bombs. If there aren't then we also have no reason to stick around for another raid." Tanzo said as he grabbed his bag and opened it up, sliding on the gauntlets he'd packed. If they were in for a battle, it was no time to be hiding these. He also popped a few metal pods to begin melting them down so he'd have some strong metal alloys capable of standing up to gunfire and bombs ready to go.
As far as the newcomer went, Tanzo didn't like the first impression, but not every vigilante could be as well-adjusted as Flora or Jet, so long as she was on their side and didn't kill any innocents, he wasn't going to complain about the extra help.
"stay by me as we move, I'm not exactly immune to gunfire, but my metal body resists bullets pretty well, I can certainly take them a lot better than you two. Don't hesitate to use me as cover. I'll recover, you guys won't" Tanzo said to Kako and Shinja "Jet, I hope you've got a plan for where we can go. Sneaking away isn't really in the cards unless I split from the group. You're the local, where can we go hunker down? I can build fortifications and stuff wherever we end up, but I'll need time and space to make the metal thick enough."
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Post by notdomino on Apr 19, 2023 5:53:38 GMT
Jet snapped up right and ran to the open sliding door where Lola occupied. The woman would point to where she saw them go. "Tch..." The vigilante wanted to make chase, but he couldn't leave the kids behind, nor could he fly in these conditions. He looked back at the room to assess everyone condition. Kako was nuzzled between her friends, pulling herself from underneath the desk. To answer Shinja's question, "No, most people struggle living so far apart from the main streets of town. Everyone moves out, and just keeps these as summer homes or sells them to developers." To be honest, he was planning on cutting ties with his own childhood home. These walls had been through enough. Knocking everything down and building some sort of shopping complex would do the local economy some good. Jet would someone who believed in rebirth through and through. He wouldn't detract from his focus on the conversation though.
As much as Kako wanted to say they'll be fine, nothing was guaranteed. Although with her and Shinja's speed, the likelihood of getting hit was very slim. She worried for Tanzo just as he did for them.
Lola would keep her distance and wave. She knew how badly she scared people on first impressions... She used to revel in it after all. "Pun, or if you're more comfortable, Lola Asakaze." She held no fear in letting them know her old moniker. For the sake of missions, she'd still go by it. Kako smiled to her and waved, but she couldn't quite move her mind away from what had just happened. In fact, both her and Jets minds were already in sync on what to do next.
"We Split Up." They'd say in unison. Jet would take the lead, mainly to answer Tanzo. He scratched his head. "I've been in Osaka with the NJPD since its inception. Almost 10 years. Things are the same, but it's not like we have loads of options. I'd say some of us go the old home base, some of us do damage control here. I do think confronting the baron head on may be an option. Those were his planes after all. " He passed a look to Shinja. As a deserter of a hitman group his name was as good as dirt, the very reason why his house was targeted. Based on their promise he couldn't air out the latter end of his explanation. There also was the fact that, as the owner, he'd have to stay.
"Just looking for a new hidey hole isn't going to do anything. They found us here, and we weren't even on the street for that long. It's not like this house is on main street. " Kako said slowly realizing the differences in her new learnings versus her hero classmates. Heroes dealt with crisis management, of course, they'd view it from a much more docile angle. From the few mission, Kako had been apart of, she'd already learned to take aggressive steps while still remaining careful. Rustling papers from her hoodie, "Well, there's some document a hero license could have access to right?" She looked between Tanzo and Shinja as she didn't have one of her own. Tanzo had already stated sneaking about wasn't his strong suit. Perhaps he could call his contacts, and combine the information with the findings at the police station.
Speaking of... in the distance, sirens could be heard fast approaching; two fire trucks, and a few police cars. Just being in earshot, Lola seemingly vanished. Jet restrained himself from doing the same, but Kako was already outside in a jolt of electricity. With no hero license, she had no business being there under any circumstances... She knew her role in this scenario already, 'stay out of the way!' It was a glaring detail revealing to her friends, she had run from the cops before. Her hero instincts were being replaced by the instincts of a vigilante, little by little. That left Shinja and Tanzo. How were they going to play this off?
Jet-"You either hide like those two or pretend you came to the scene to "help me" when you heard all that go off. You're a local too, Shinja... They'd be glad to see you helping out. That's the only way it'll check out. " Lying to the cops, he wasn't sure the heroes could do it. With Kako and Lola getting out of sight early, it would give them a bit of time to devise before the authorities show up. It also would give a bit more insight into how they'd split up.
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