ViceVersus
The character on the box art.
OOC: Welcome to MASKS, an open world superhero sandbox where all existing comic book/superhero universes are canon. Whether you stand for good, evil, or somewhere in between -- suit up, take flight, and dive in! This is YOUR origin story.
No character sheets required. OCs welcome. Existing heroes/villains welcome. Play as you post.
________________________
Liberty City
The signal led her here. Regan stopped to catch her breath, leaning against the brick as she peered down the alley. "Amber?"
"Stay away, please!" a young, thin voice begged from the other side of the green dumpster.
"Amber, my name's Regan. I'm here to help you, honey!" Regan maintained an upbeat, nonthreatening tone. She took a few steps deeper in. Amber was huddled against the dumpster, sitting on her pink backpack with her knees drawn to her chest.
"There are bad men trying to get me," dark thick curls hid her small face. "They chase me."
"I know, baby," Regan took a knee, heart breaking. "You've been so brave."
"Please stay away!" Amber whispered. Her hair fell away. Her eyes were wide like saucers. "I'm scared. And I hurt people when I'm scared."
“What’re you scared of, sweetie?”
Amber clapped her hands against her head. She trembled. Then she pointed at herself.
"You're scared of yourself?" Regan leaned forward. "I used to be scared of myself, too. I could do things with my mind that no one understood. It was scary, being different. I just wanted to be like everyone else. Do you know what that’s like?”
Amber nodded. She pushed tears from her eyes with the grubby palm of her hand, and regarded Regan somberly. “ ..What can you do?”
“I can make things move, sweetie!” Regan smiled with her biggest, sunniest smile. “Someone came to me and helped me, talked to me how I’m talking to you. And helped me control my powers by understanding what was happening. That’s what I want to do for you, Amber. I want to help you learn and understand. Can I do that?”
“Are you still scared?” Amber asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“Sometimes. But bad men, like the ones who’re after you? They’re scared of you. If anyone ever hurts you, you come to me first, okay?” Regan reached out a hand. “Come with me, sweet girl.”
Amber’s eyes became distrustful.
“Amber, I want to take you somewhere that you’ll be safe from bad men. And you’ll be able to learn about the things you can do. And no one will make you feel like you are different or bad.”
“Will you be there too?” Amber leaned away.
Regan laughed. “It’s my home too, sweetheart!”
Amber smiled. She reached out and took Regan’s hand. Regan pulled her to her feet, and gave her a hug.
“My friends have a cool jet that will take us to this place!” Regan picked up Amber's backpack, and brushed the wet off of it brisky. She took Amber's hand, and walked the child out of the alley. "You're gonna love it there. I--"
A tentacle slammed in from the side, attempting to curl around Amber’s waist. Regan’s force shields flared blue, barely managing to block the blow. Amber screamed.
Regan heard a familiar whistling from up above. She acted reflexively, deflecting two spinning blades. They went skittering down the alley.
“Amber, we have to GO!” Regan shouted, squeezing the girl’s hand. They ran into the street.
Having never run with a child before, Regan felt a stab of dismay at how slowly Amber followed. The tentacles had time for another strike, and the Bladesmaster dropped in from up high.
“No fair.. ” Wayne whirled his chain through the air. The blades at the end glinted in the streetlight with every rotation making a whomp-whomp-whomp sound as the spiky-haired man made a step-by-step approach. “We saw her first.”
Amber drew herself to Regan’s side.
“I see you and Zok have graduated to kidnapping,” Regan declared, standing tall, pink backpack in one hand, child hugging at her leg.
Wayne laughed. “Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
Zok emerged from the alley. He cut a startling figure, a bipedal humanoid alien with a grossly mutated fleshy mass attached to his back, shoulders, and neck that he could manipulate — and, indeed, shoot out as tentacles. Zok's mandibles chattered.
“The bad man!” Amber squeaked.
Wayne smacked the blade end of his swinging chain into the pavement a few times, causing sparks. “Why don’t you—”
They never got to find out the rest of that sentence. A new figure materialized out of seemingly nowhere directly above Wayne’s head, smashing the Bladesmaster to the ground from the force of a full-sized human landing on his head. Regan and Amber bolted.
“Sorry man!” Jack Uly, the Crow, patted the stunned form of Wayne on the shoulder, gathering himself up for the chase.
Zok had plunged after Amber, the true target. He lengthened the mass on his back, using them as massive arms, pounding the ground and sling-shotting himself through the air, where he cannonballed into Regan. Regan went tumbling, separated from Amber.
“NO!” Amber wailed, as Zok turned on her. Regan was up in a flash, lashing out with a double-fist concussive blast of power. The first slammed into Zok's shoulder, jerking him aside. The second, Zok tanked dead-on, spitting to the side wetly.
“Don’t hurt her!” Amber shouted. She brushed back her long, thick curls, revealing a pale heart-shaped face. She curled her fists. The air began to shimmer.
Jack scrambled away from Wayne, who was beginning to stir.
“REGAN,” Jack screamed. “GET AWAY!”
The air heated, a blast of warmth. Regan’s eyes widened. She spun on her heel, whipping two pinwheel blasts of force into the pavement, causing an isolated collapse around where Zok's mutated appendages lay, burying them for a moment. She propelled herself to the side.
Amber opened the air in a pure cone of flame. Regan hit the ground and covered her face. The fire seared, with its hotness, and her extreme proximity. There was a charred mound where Zok had once been. Amber stood, panting heavily, eyes glowing red. The ground still burned freely. Regan slapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
“Time to go—” Jack pulled Regan to her feet. Amber turned, stepped away from the destruction.
Regan came for Amber, clamping her hand in her own. It was cold and clammy, with zero indication of the inferno released a seconds ago.
Above them, Jack and Regan heard the whine of the NEST shuttle as it approached. Blue lights lasered Amber used her free hand to shield her eyes as the ship settled, trying to find a free space to lower a platform amid all the burning.
Jack dashed past, beckoning them as the landing platform lowered. Amber stumbled. Regan caught her. They hurried into the shuttle. As the door began to shut, Regan turned and looked behind her at the wasteland of a street. She saw Wayne’s lithe form darting around the diminishing flames, searching for his partner. The hatch closed, the heat cut short.
Regan reached up and grabbed hold of the holding room handles as the thrusters hit full power, propelling them into the sky. Amber buried her head into Regan’s stomach. Regan used a free hand to press the girl to her.
The lights in Holding were bright red and blinking as they made their ascent. Everyone’s ears popped. Then, the floor lighting changed to yellow briefly, then green. The pressure in the cabin equalized.
"You're okay, honey," Regan murmured, stroking Amber's hair. Her skin pricked at how close she had come to being barbequed. She made eye contact with Jack, who gave her a grimly knowing look. "You're okay..."
No character sheets required. OCs welcome. Existing heroes/villains welcome. Play as you post.
________________________
Liberty City
The signal led her here. Regan stopped to catch her breath, leaning against the brick as she peered down the alley. "Amber?"
"Stay away, please!" a young, thin voice begged from the other side of the green dumpster.
"Amber, my name's Regan. I'm here to help you, honey!" Regan maintained an upbeat, nonthreatening tone. She took a few steps deeper in. Amber was huddled against the dumpster, sitting on her pink backpack with her knees drawn to her chest.
"There are bad men trying to get me," dark thick curls hid her small face. "They chase me."
"I know, baby," Regan took a knee, heart breaking. "You've been so brave."
"Please stay away!" Amber whispered. Her hair fell away. Her eyes were wide like saucers. "I'm scared. And I hurt people when I'm scared."
“What’re you scared of, sweetie?”
Amber clapped her hands against her head. She trembled. Then she pointed at herself.
"You're scared of yourself?" Regan leaned forward. "I used to be scared of myself, too. I could do things with my mind that no one understood. It was scary, being different. I just wanted to be like everyone else. Do you know what that’s like?”
Amber nodded. She pushed tears from her eyes with the grubby palm of her hand, and regarded Regan somberly. “ ..What can you do?”
“I can make things move, sweetie!” Regan smiled with her biggest, sunniest smile. “Someone came to me and helped me, talked to me how I’m talking to you. And helped me control my powers by understanding what was happening. That’s what I want to do for you, Amber. I want to help you learn and understand. Can I do that?”
“Are you still scared?” Amber asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“Sometimes. But bad men, like the ones who’re after you? They’re scared of you. If anyone ever hurts you, you come to me first, okay?” Regan reached out a hand. “Come with me, sweet girl.”
Amber’s eyes became distrustful.
“Amber, I want to take you somewhere that you’ll be safe from bad men. And you’ll be able to learn about the things you can do. And no one will make you feel like you are different or bad.”
“Will you be there too?” Amber leaned away.
Regan laughed. “It’s my home too, sweetheart!”
Amber smiled. She reached out and took Regan’s hand. Regan pulled her to her feet, and gave her a hug.
“My friends have a cool jet that will take us to this place!” Regan picked up Amber's backpack, and brushed the wet off of it brisky. She took Amber's hand, and walked the child out of the alley. "You're gonna love it there. I--"
A tentacle slammed in from the side, attempting to curl around Amber’s waist. Regan’s force shields flared blue, barely managing to block the blow. Amber screamed.
Regan heard a familiar whistling from up above. She acted reflexively, deflecting two spinning blades. They went skittering down the alley.
“Amber, we have to GO!” Regan shouted, squeezing the girl’s hand. They ran into the street.
Having never run with a child before, Regan felt a stab of dismay at how slowly Amber followed. The tentacles had time for another strike, and the Bladesmaster dropped in from up high.
“No fair.. ” Wayne whirled his chain through the air. The blades at the end glinted in the streetlight with every rotation making a whomp-whomp-whomp sound as the spiky-haired man made a step-by-step approach. “We saw her first.”
Amber drew herself to Regan’s side.
“I see you and Zok have graduated to kidnapping,” Regan declared, standing tall, pink backpack in one hand, child hugging at her leg.
Wayne laughed. “Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
Zok emerged from the alley. He cut a startling figure, a bipedal humanoid alien with a grossly mutated fleshy mass attached to his back, shoulders, and neck that he could manipulate — and, indeed, shoot out as tentacles. Zok's mandibles chattered.
“The bad man!” Amber squeaked.
Wayne smacked the blade end of his swinging chain into the pavement a few times, causing sparks. “Why don’t you—”
They never got to find out the rest of that sentence. A new figure materialized out of seemingly nowhere directly above Wayne’s head, smashing the Bladesmaster to the ground from the force of a full-sized human landing on his head. Regan and Amber bolted.
“Sorry man!” Jack Uly, the Crow, patted the stunned form of Wayne on the shoulder, gathering himself up for the chase.
Zok had plunged after Amber, the true target. He lengthened the mass on his back, using them as massive arms, pounding the ground and sling-shotting himself through the air, where he cannonballed into Regan. Regan went tumbling, separated from Amber.
“NO!” Amber wailed, as Zok turned on her. Regan was up in a flash, lashing out with a double-fist concussive blast of power. The first slammed into Zok's shoulder, jerking him aside. The second, Zok tanked dead-on, spitting to the side wetly.
“Don’t hurt her!” Amber shouted. She brushed back her long, thick curls, revealing a pale heart-shaped face. She curled her fists. The air began to shimmer.
Jack scrambled away from Wayne, who was beginning to stir.
“REGAN,” Jack screamed. “GET AWAY!”
The air heated, a blast of warmth. Regan’s eyes widened. She spun on her heel, whipping two pinwheel blasts of force into the pavement, causing an isolated collapse around where Zok's mutated appendages lay, burying them for a moment. She propelled herself to the side.
Amber opened the air in a pure cone of flame. Regan hit the ground and covered her face. The fire seared, with its hotness, and her extreme proximity. There was a charred mound where Zok had once been. Amber stood, panting heavily, eyes glowing red. The ground still burned freely. Regan slapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
“Time to go—” Jack pulled Regan to her feet. Amber turned, stepped away from the destruction.
Regan came for Amber, clamping her hand in her own. It was cold and clammy, with zero indication of the inferno released a seconds ago.
Above them, Jack and Regan heard the whine of the NEST shuttle as it approached. Blue lights lasered Amber used her free hand to shield her eyes as the ship settled, trying to find a free space to lower a platform amid all the burning.
Jack dashed past, beckoning them as the landing platform lowered. Amber stumbled. Regan caught her. They hurried into the shuttle. As the door began to shut, Regan turned and looked behind her at the wasteland of a street. She saw Wayne’s lithe form darting around the diminishing flames, searching for his partner. The hatch closed, the heat cut short.
Regan reached up and grabbed hold of the holding room handles as the thrusters hit full power, propelling them into the sky. Amber buried her head into Regan’s stomach. Regan used a free hand to press the girl to her.
The lights in Holding were bright red and blinking as they made their ascent. Everyone’s ears popped. Then, the floor lighting changed to yellow briefly, then green. The pressure in the cabin equalized.
"You're okay, honey," Regan murmured, stroking Amber's hair. Her skin pricked at how close she had come to being barbequed. She made eye contact with Jack, who gave her a grimly knowing look. "You're okay..."
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