Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 20, 2016 16:26:41 GMT -7
Hope closed the door behind him, a door audibly ringing in stereotypical fashion as he exited the store. Emblazoned in overzealous, yet evidently cheap marketing above his head was 'Big Joe's'. A pizza parlor, central in town, quite clearly popular, but cheap. In his hands was a fairly sizable box, emanating the odor of freshly cooked food; one with a particularly impressive nose would detect smoked meats, cheeses and the spice of JalapeƱo peppers. He smiled, looking down to the box, before striding down the street with it in hand.
He was dressed in his more casual style: A black and white t-shirt, with black jeans and canvas shoes. Clearly, he was not dressed for work. He wasn't on company time, so to speak. His plan was to walk to the park to enjoy his food in peace, grab a few more cans of coffee, and head back to base for the evening to watch some awful sitcom; unfortunately for Hope, nothing ever goes to plan. As he sashayed through the streets of the city's downtown sector, his pleasant time off was interrupted.
A muffled yelp, then the crack of leather. Sighing, Hope turned his head to the alleyway to his right. In his field of view stood two individuals, one holding the other, a gloved hand over her mouth. A knife was held to her throat, with the aggressor in question beckoning Hope to move along. Hope spoke: "Listen pal, I just bought this here New Yorker, and I really don't want it to go cold... So how's about ya' let the girl go, and I can enjoy my pizza; you dig?". He looked over his shoulders, as if searching for someone else to deal with the problem at hand. The attacker did not react.
Sighing once again, he walked ahead, placing the pizza box on the ground, shortly ahead of the alleyway, so as to be out of sight of the two individuals, before drawing his telescopic baton from his back pocket, then inhaling deeply and quickly; in the form of a short gasp. Like that, Hope was imperceptible. Strutting down the alleyway once more, the male had moved the female to a wall, holding her against it. He whispered words inaudible to the male as he moved to his back. "That fuckin' cheese had better still be melted when I get back.".
Hope swung fast and true, striking the male in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious immediately; and bringing himself back to a state of visibility. The female ran off, making no noise besides muffled cries as she held in an obviously emotive experience. Issuing a quick kick to the unconscious male's ribs, he stood there briefly, over to what would appear to be a corpse, or to those with genuinely decent perceptive skills, an unconscious male, with a melee weapon in hand. It would very much appear that Hope was the attacker.
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 21, 2016 1:32:17 GMT -7
Since the battle with the dragon, Ophiuchus had not ventured back to the downtown area. His desire to protect snakes had kept him to the parts of the city that were a bit closer to nature. However, the snake-man's wanderings had brought him downtown, accompanied by a ball python, boa constrictor and a flying snake. The ball python and the flying snake were coiled around his arms and the boa was draped around his shoulders. As Ophiuchus skulked around the alleyways, he smelled freshly cooked food. He followed the smell until he found a pizza box on the ground.
The snake hybrid wasn't going to pass up a chance for a free meal so he walked towards it and attempted to grab a slice or two.
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Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 21, 2016 7:31:37 GMT -7
Hope strolls back round to where he'd left his food, at this point having shortened his baton and placed it back into his pockets, he was unarmed. Surprised to find someone voraciously tucking into the box, he becomes filled with an almost 'hangry' rage. After all, all he'd wanted was to sit in the park with a New Yorker and watch the people cycle by. To make things worse, the pizza thief was covered in snakes; how peculiar. "Drop the pizza, Monty.". An obvious attempt at a bad joke, that might even slip past Ophiuchus himself.
Hope steps forward almost menacingly, as the male already had a slice in hand. "That's my New Yorker... The cheese is still melted, the crust is still hot... Put it back. Now.". Evidently the only thing Hope was remotely interested in, besides those he took pity in, was his food. Placing a hand in his back pocket, he stands steadfast; after all, he didn't have his guns to keep him company this time.
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 22, 2016 0:32:55 GMT -7
Although Ophiuchus could feel the vibrations of the other man's footsteps, he didn't look up until the stranger spoke. It did not take long for him to get the fellow's terrible joke, either. "How original, did you come up with that yourself?" The snake-man looked back down at his newfound meal.
However, Ophiuchus' antagonist refused to move on. He stood up straight and his snakes hissed in warning as the stranger got closer. "Actually, that's a pizza someone left on the ground. Perhaps I should try it for myself. Why, is it poisoned or something?" The snake hybrid chuckled and smiled at the other male, revealing his fangs.
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Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 22, 2016 4:22:16 GMT -7
Hope looks the male up and down, spotting the fangs, and noticing that the snakes were very much responding to his mood and demeanor. "Ah, I see... Mama had a thing for snakes.". Slowly, he pulls the baton from his back pocket, holding it tightly in his right hand. With a flick of the wrist the baton is open and extended, a full length, metal baton. "Now, y'all can either run along, and leave that pizza to its rightful owner... Or Kaa there on your shoulder, just might find himself to be hiss-tory.".
Hope gently pivots one foot facing towards the wall, away from the male, keeping a shoulder facing him. He begins to breathe slowly, methodically; clearly with some sort of intent. Noticeably, as he'd pulled out the baton once more, the strange object, almost like a choker on his neck, began to flash. A small red LED, barely noticeable, but it flashed. What it did was unknown, but it was definitely happening. At the slightest sign of trouble, or even if the male before him decided to simply stand his ground, it would not take long for Hope to activate his power; however, at this point, that was unnecessary. "Pizza's gettin' cold, bud... You couldn't eat it with those teeth anyway. What'cha gonna' do? Pretend the stuffed crust is a mouse? Gimme' a break...".
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 23, 2016 0:42:24 GMT -7
Ophiuchus raised an eyebrow as the other man began showing off his gadgets. "And yours obviously had a thing for Robocop and Inspector Gadget." He rolled his eyes as the stranger made another terrible snake pun. "The pizza doesn't have a rightful owner if it was just left on the ground. His name's not Kaa and you need to work on your comedy."
The snake-man sighed as the other guy would not give up. "Well, it's only going to get colder the longer you keep pestering me. These fangs are not just for show. Eat like a normal person. I don't need to pretend, although I wouldn't mind trying a mouse-flavoured pizza. If you insist." Ophiuchus chuckled again and took a bite of the slice he was still holding.
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Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 23, 2016 8:54:41 GMT -7
Hope quirked his face slightly. "What?". There was only a single piece of technology on his person, and for all intents and purposes, it looked to be rather similar to an ankle bracelet issued by law enforcement agencies. Ophiuchus's joke had gone slightly awry, and even more over Hope's head. Either way, he regained his composure, and spoke. "Listen up, snake-eater. I bought that pizza not ten minutes ago, before havin' to put it down, to knock the crap outta' some shithead in the alley there.".
Hope grips the baton tighter, twisting it in his hand. "I'm only gonna as-...". Hope was interrupted by the male biting into the slice, gritting his teeth audibly. "Big mistake, pal... Big mistake.". Like a flash, Hope inhaled deeply and quickly, in the form of a gasp, disappearing into thin air as he activated his ability. Routing round to the left, with no real sense of urgency, as presently, the male (and his snakes) would have absolutely no method of detecting his location.
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 24, 2016 1:33:46 GMT -7
Ophiuchus rolled his eyes again at the other man. "Never mind." He hissed in distaste as the man called him a snake-eater. "I don't eat snakes, I protect them. Why, did they try to take the pizza, too?"
The snake-man sighed as the other fellow became more tense. "There's no need to overreact." Ophiuchus was puzzled by the stranger's reaction. "I'm not the only one who is making a mistake." As the other male vanished, he wolfed down the rest of the slice and attempted to run off into the alleyways with the rest of the pizza, moving with reptilian swiftness.
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Rein Initiative
Posts 36
Power Level 15
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Post by Jersey on Oct 24, 2016 12:40:25 GMT -7
Emerald City was a vast and unfamiliar place to Jersey. Her recent placement in the area had left her feeling alienated, even with her experience with moving between homes and towns. Of course, moving to the opposite coast is an entirely different leap altogether. Every weaving street of the concrete jungle made for a series of confusing twists and turns which convinced her she was simply moving in a circle. Differentiating between which towering brick block was which, and where each street merged with another, left her presently rather confused in seeking her destination. It didn't help that she had never met her target, and that his particular power made him incredibly hard to track down. Only the small pager clipped to the belt loop of her shorts gave her an indication of his location, and that he either needed help or reigning in.
Sat in the back of an unmarked taxi, a black jacket hugging her figure and concealing the double pistol holsters either side of her ribs, she watched the grey-toned city hurtle by. The sinking sun cast long, dark shadows that obscured the view of the alleyways, truly leaving her only guide the pinging device attached to her. Eventually, around seven minutes from the original alert which had ordered her out, she arrived a few metres from the mouth of the alleyway where the two stood. Leaning over the front seat, she shoved a banknote towards the driver and stepped out onto the pavement.
Treading towards the mouth of the alleyway, the bleeping from the pager died out, informing her that her target was precisely within range. Jersey cautiously unzipped the top of her jacket, giving her ease of reach into either of the holsters at her side as she turns to the alley, thusfar not giving away any intentions.
Pivotting on her feet, she sent her attention down the length of the alleyway. Locking eyes with the tail end of the snake-like super, she took increasingly swift steps in his direction, debating the idea of pursuit whilst not permitting him to get too far away from her that it would no longer be possible. In the meantime, she stuffs her hands into the pockets of the hoodie, slipping each of her fingers into the brass knuckles within, whilst not withdrawing them, so as not to give away any potentially hostile intentions that may be misplaced. As she half-jogs, she twists her head around in an attempt to locate her target, who thusfar still appears to be concealed. Muttering the only codename she knew to give him under her breath, she continued on in the hope that he was only so far behind.
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Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 24, 2016 12:56:27 GMT -7
Hope gasps as he spots the rather attractive woman dash past him in pursuit of Ophiuchus; deactivating his power. Making chase of the two, not knowing the female's intent, having not met her yet; he decidedly pursues Ophiuchus as his main objective, unpowered but with his baton still in hand. "For God's sakes...". Hope mutters under his breath, unheard to the two; but continuing to run towards Ophiuchus. Hope navigates the terrain with quite deft steps, leaping over a few trash cans onto a dumpster, pushing himself over the top with his left hand in the form of a vault.
Pushing off from the top of the dumpster, Hope jumps with quite an impressive reach, grabbing hold of a ladder coming off the fire-escape of a building onto his left, and pushing off once again, showing quite an awe-inspiring display of agility. Landing on the ground with a thud, forgoing the familiar 'breakfall' common in parkour, he continues to follow Ophiuchus, dashing with all his might; though not very far behind at this stage.
"I don't ask twice! Why don't you hold up, and we'll have ourselves a Black Mambo!". Despite his frustration, Hope was keeping the puns flying, even while starting to run out of breath. It was clear he wouldn't be letting Ophiuchus run from him without a fair fight.
Hope pivots his head as he continues to run, looking over at Jersey curiously; mouthing something between: "What the fuck?" and "Who are you?" Though within mere milliseconds, he turns back to Ophiuchus, following the snake-like male with all physical prowess he has.
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 25, 2016 1:20:21 GMT -7
Ophiuchus felt footsteps behind him but was surprised to see a woman following him instead of the other man. He considered allowing her to catch up to him, but his original pursuer reappeared and he continued to run in an attempt to evade his pursuers. The snake-man glanced back briefly as the white-haired male let loose with yet another terrible snake pun. "You haven't even asked once. Perhaps you should stop pestering me and work on your jokes instead."
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Rein Initiative
Posts 36
Power Level 15
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Post by Jersey on Oct 25, 2016 4:19:36 GMT -7
Clearly unaware of the petty nature of the argument, Jersey sprints on after the hybrid. Shocked as Hope reappears within her field of view, she staggers over a few steps, encouraging her to pick up the pace until she is hot on the tail of the snake. Mouthing back to Hope as she turns her head, she offers a small explanation for her sudden arrival on the scene. "Jersey, Rein." It was a brief and fleetig introduction, one cut abruptly from anything more detailed as she finally got the opportunity to see Ophiuchus close up. The half-eaten pizza slice, the box that he tries to flee with. The context clicks into place with Jersey and whilst she does not cease to chase, she casts a look back at Hope to suggest anger that she had gotten all the way over here to intercept a potentially dangerous fight over a pizza.
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Rein Initiative
"Now you see me..."
Posts 62
Power Level 15
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Post by Hope on Oct 25, 2016 4:26:52 GMT -7
"Tell you what then, Snake-Boy! I'll ask nicely!". Hope panted through words, still very much shouting as he dashed to keep up with the male who seemed to have no qualms or difficulties running, whilst holding a pizza box that was wider than he was, and having a plethora of snakes wrapped around his upper body. Hope yelled again, calling out in an effort to try and get Ophiuchus to finally hand back his pizza. "Please give me back my goddamn pizza! I paid ten dollars for that!". He continued running with all his might, baton still very much extended in his right hand; clearly, if this didn't end soon, Hope would not be happy, and he would very much be out for blood; after all, he knew Ophiuchus couldn't run forever.
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The Keepers
Posts 24
Power Level 18
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Post by Ophiuchus on Oct 26, 2016 0:47:43 GMT -7
Ophiuchus began searching for an escape route so he could get away from his pursuers, only glancing back when then man shouted to him again. "Well, at least you got closer to my name that time."He chuckled as he heard the man panting behind him. "I thought it was a New Yorker. Perhaps you should have thought of that before you left it out in the open where anyone could steal it."
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Rein Initiative
Posts 36
Power Level 15
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Post by Jersey on Oct 26, 2016 2:40:07 GMT -7
Jersey wasn't about to open fire on someone just because they'd stolen a pizza, even if it looked damn good. At the same time, for some reason she wasn't stopping the pursuit, continuing on for no real reason beyond her doubt that Hope would ever stop, even if she did. "Why the hell can't you just share the goddamn pizza," she screeched through the air that buffetted her face, clearly angered by the petty nature of the pursuit, "Why the hell am I involved in this?" Yet, of her own volition, she still didn't simply stop, instead still beating the pavement with heavy, fast-paced steps.
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