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Post by rogue on Apr 10, 2016 19:28:31 GMT -7
The dying sun cast its last rays over the green hills as the shadows grew into each other, covering the ground in darkness. Rogue walked hurriedly to the train yard. They had just received a new job request and would waste no time in making head way to their secret lair. Well, that's what Rogue liked to think of it as. It was more so an abandoned, sealed train car that only they could enter and store stuff in, but secret lair sounded cooler. Melding into the darkness, Rogue slipped through the steel and into the hull of the rusty car.
There was no light inside the train as there was no reason for it. A weathered map of Emerald City adorned the peeling walls and several small knives and brass knuckle were scattered across the floor. Despite being old, the place was kept clean and a couple days worth of supplies was stored inside along with Rogue's disguise. Changing into their super outfit, Rogue began to think of a plan of attack. This time they were hired delay the departure of a boat allegedly carrying a cache of stolen firearms. Whether or not the illegal goods were going to end up in good hands was not something Rogue liked to think about, but a job's a job, especially when the reward is 500 dollars. From what Rogue understood, there weren't going to be any supers there, which allowed the rookie the take a small sigh of relief.
'Especially members of Pandemonium,' Rogue shuddered. Though they had never fought against another super, Rogue did not want to test their salt by going up against the violent and blood thirsty horde that would sometimes ravage the surrounding area.
'Besides that one, there's Bulwark and that illuminati one or something...' Rogue thought, distracted from the relatively easy planning of tonight's mission. Instinctively, the shadows moved Rogue's weapons closer to their outstretched hand and proceeded to store the metal objects in the inner pockets of the sweatshirt out of habit. Though none had magical properties, they were still useful in a pinch.
Finished and with some time to kill, Rogue decided to reflected more on the nature of those strange organizations.
"How do you even join one?" Rogue wondered out loud. Was there some secret chatroom or mystical invitation that the shadow user just didn't know about? A sound interrupted Rogue's meandering thoughts, causing them to freeze. They thought they heard something outside. Careful to stay concealed within the shadows, Rogue stuck their head out of the steel frame attempting to spot the odd visitor. This wasn't exactly a tourist site.
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Post by Eidolon on Apr 10, 2016 22:08:41 GMT -7
The sun was sinking below the horizon when Eidolon finally reached the train yard. To an onlooker, the super would appear to be nothing more extraordinary than an average dock denizen. Small frame, tattered clothing, a face aged early by hardship or perhaps something a bit more unhealthy. It was a common look so close to the slums. No one had paid her any mind on her way here. Much as Eidolon expected, the train yard appeared deserted, which meant she boded well for the completion of her task. Unless something unexpected popped up, she would get what she came for and return home with time to spare.
The last remaining strands of sunlight proved more than enough to maneuver across the yard unimpaired, and she soon found herself standing before a rusted out boxcar, it's side panel left carelessly ajar. A cloud of dirt flew off of it as she stepped up and through the gap in the side. The metal groaned under her feet as she shuffled forward into the darkened car. She dragged a gloved hand along the wall, smiling as her fingers found the small leather bag hidden within the shadows. Eidolon dumped the contents into her palm, and was pleased to see the USB drives were both in tact. If they held the information her informant had promised, then that man would certainly have earned a nice bonus.
Carefully pocketing the USB drives, she returned the bag to it's hook....and immediately froze. Had that been a voice? It had been such a muffled sound that she wasn't certain. Eidolon moved cautiously back to the entrance of the boxcar, her eyes darting back and forth in search of the source of the voice. Curiosity overcame her caution as she stepped out of the boxcar. Leaning down, she picked up a rock and threw it with as much strength as she could muster. It clattered against the wall of a train car several feet away, sending a metallic echo throughout the train yard. Then she waited.
It took her longer than she would have liked to notice the head materializing from one of the train cars. Eidolon squinted at it for a moment. She really shouldn't have been surprised. Weirder powers existed. Taking a step forward, she folded her hands in front of her chest, bowing slightly. "Oh, hello?" she called out in the crackly voice of someone who had obviously smoked far too often.
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Post by rogue on Apr 11, 2016 21:55:06 GMT -7
Rogue spotted a woman who could have been a clone of any of the dock's denizens. Why she was visiting the abandoned train yard was beyond Rogue, perhaps following the super's motive and enjoying the solitude. Preparing to simply fade back into the darkness of the car, Rogue froze. The simple hello sent chills down their spine as it was rather disconcerting that a normal citizen could spot the concealed super. Unless, the woman wasn't normal at all.
However, Rogue was curious and had time to kill. Slipping through the rest of the wall, Rogue stayed melded with the darkness as a less than physical form is ideal for a hasty escape if things turned south. Even if the aged woman was just a normal citizen, Rogue wouldn't put it past her to try and collect whatever reward the police offered for concrete evidence of super locations.
"Hello," the youth replied tentatively, "What are you doing so far out here?"
Rogue cursed their inability to master the art of speaking. Social finesse was not necessary for the line of work Rogue chose and this is clearly reflected in their speech. Hoping to maintain the upper hand, Rogue clung to side of the train car and was ready to retreat if the stranger attempted to get too close to the incorporeal form.
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Post by Eidolon on Apr 12, 2016 17:34:13 GMT -7
As she watched the figure materialize from the shadows, it seemed her curiosity was rewarded. There had been rumors circulating about the slums over the last month or so. Superstitious nonsense was not something Eidolon bought into. She didn't believe in demons or the like, but she did recognized the signs of a new player entering the game. She preferred to keep tabs on new supers as soon as possible. Even a tiny bit of information was better than a nasty surprise down the road. Her informants in the slums had offered her very little on their "boogeyman;" however, and the shadow user had yet to cause any truly significant waves. So, Eidolon had simply kept them in the back of her mind. As long as they weren't causing any trouble for her, she had no reason to hunt them down. Of course, she wasn't the type to so easily ignore a possible asset, especially when it was kind enough to reveal itself so easily.
"Oh, this and that really," she answered in a dismissive tone. Shrugging her shoulders, Eidolon took a half-step back, holding her hands up as if to show she meant no harm. "We're here for similar reasons, I imagine. It's usually such an empty place."
That was all Eidolon was willing to say on the matter. It wasn't so unusual for the dock dwellers or other parties to creep into the train yard from time to time for things best done in secrecy. She didn't bother to ask the super their purpose here. It seemed obvious, really, and hopefully the lack of questions would put the shadow a bit more at ease. The next question probably wouldn't help with that, though. "Am I correct in assuming I've encountered a boogeyman?"
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Post by rogue on Apr 12, 2016 18:16:04 GMT -7
The reply seemed dismissive, but then again Rogue wasn't ready to reveal much information either. In the slums, everyone learned very quickly to keep to themselves as rumors spread like wildfire, usually burning those the tales were about. Which is why Rogue took extra care to conceal their identity to the best of their ability. There was no doubt in their mind that the moment anyone found out their civilian identity it would be used quickly and efficiently against them.
It wasn't like the super hadn't encountered other people in the secluded area before. Whether the yard was a designated exchange point in a smuggling chain or someone just wanted to get away from it all, Rogue knew they were never truly alone. However, this is the first time someone else saw Rogue in the train yard and to say the super wasn't even a little interest in the acute senses of the seemingly normal woman would be a lie. To spot a super of darkness in the dark requires at least some skill.
Rogue wasn't fazed by being called the boogeyman, it had become the area's name for her after Rogue refused to catch on in the poorer parts of town. Plus boogeyman sounded more like a rumor, transforming Rogue from a super to a monster, which definitely helped in bringing in more jobs. Who wouldn't hire a demon?
"That's what some people call me," the shadowy figure answered with a tinny voice.
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Post by Eidolon on Apr 12, 2016 21:00:08 GMT -7
The "boogeyman" had confirmed her suspicions, though their answer was more guarded than Eidolon would have liked. Not that she could blame them. Most supers were guarded about their identities, with good reason, and only idiots would trust someone they just met in the middle of a deserted train yard. Just her presence here was enough to spark suspicion, she knew. There were plenty of people in this city who would jump at the chance to sell information on a super. Eidolon had several of them in her employ. A bit of caution was always a good sign. She'd just have to work around it.
Eidolon slid her hands into her pockets, naturally shifting into a more relaxed stance. Her lips curled up into a small smile. It likely didn't come off nearly as charming as she intended, of course, thanks to the cracked lips and yellowed teeth of her current face; but, she wasn't about to give her abilities away over something so insignificant as vanity.
"And what do other people call you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She doubted the boogeyman name had been one they had chosen themselves. Of course, the shadow had no reason to give real answers if they didn't receive any information in return. She paused briefly, weighing possible risks, before adding: "As for me, well, some people call me Eidolon."
It was a name they may have heard, if they payed attention. Her name was whispered amongst the underground, too, though not always with quite so much fear behind it. Eidolon didn't enjoy relieving her identity so easily, especially on missions like this. If word got around that she had been lurking about the train yard, it might bring undesired attention. But, if Eidolon was going to seek out this super's assistance in the future, some small line of trust would be required. She'd just have to avoid using the train yard for a while if this encounter went south.
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Post by rogue on Apr 16, 2016 8:29:38 GMT -7
Eidolon, the name had a familiar ring to it, often whispered rarely explained. The only thing Rogue knew about this woman is that nobody really knew what she looked like, which brought up the question of whether or not Rogue was seeing the real Eidolon. Of course that didn't necessarily matter, as Eidolon was a rumored super, and even amongst others of their kind they do not reveal their true identity. A rumored super. The thought sent a spark on adrenaline into Rogue as they had never encountered someone else who had other worldly abilities. Alone, Rogue had to learn the ins and outs of avoiding the police and contacting work. The concept of a mentor or at least an ally seemed very appealing.
Shaking themselves out of it, Rogue hardened their resolve. They had learned quickly from a young age that everyone has ulterior motives, motives often not linked to Rogue's well being. Trust given too quickly could easily cost Rogue their head, quite literally. Of course, Eidolon had trusted them with their name, and more importantly, the reputation that comes with it, which was not to be taken lightly. There was always the possibility that this was just some bum who happened to here Eidolon's name and hoped to earn a penny by selling the information Rogue gave them. They honestly hoped this wasn't the case. Thoughts coming in full circle, Rogue once again found themselves falling into the trap of overthinking.
Why couldn't socializing be a straightforward as fighting?
"I was dubbed by the newspapers as Rogue," they answered, feeling it at least polite to return Eidolon's gesture, "It just sort of stuck, though I'm not exactly on anyone's radar."
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