Pious

((Woo-hoo! Sounds great. IC missions ftw. I'm on summer holiday already so I'm free most of the week. What you got in mind? What level missions?.. BTW. You been on test server yet? It's crazy good fun. The thug MM.))

Pious Hunter. Illusions FF. Lvl 40. Will do Numina's but can't make Manticore's 2pm Sunday.

What is BST? I'm only aware of GMT.

((see ya Hoplite))

Worst enemy? Pious thought. Worst enemy?! Oh dear god, Devouring Earth will eat me alive! However, to his surprise, right before him, spawned an illutionist of the Carnies.

"What. The. Heck. Are. You?"

"A nightmare" suddenly, Pious was struck with pain, seemingly from all directions. He clamped at his head, and fell to his knees, shaking in anguish. His eyes burned, bleeding from spectral wounds. Yet, he forced them open, determined to examine this strange foe. A female, clothed in a brightly coloured gown which flared extravigantly from the waist down. As he gazed, she manufactured from light, a mighty entity, bright and white. "The Phantasm" she whispered. And Pious was blinded.

* * *

~ She's been programmed to haunt you until you are no longer conscious. ~

Dirigente! Thank god you're there. Help me, please. I can't see.

~ All you have to do is kick her, quit playing the whimp. ~

Pious fell silent. He was scared, all this was new to him, yet, he felt compelled to simply endure.

Okay. He released himself, rose to his feet and tried to overcome the pain. "These are illusions.. Dirigente, this woman.. she is an illusionist. Like me."

~ Just kick her already ~

His vision came back, the image of the illusionist and her summon stood before him. The Phantasm was blasting streams of energy but Pious simply absorbed it as mere illusion. The pain was gone, quickly replaced by fury.

Enough. A suddenly flash and the foe was sent flying vertically through the air. Pious had dealt a forceful uppercut. He now leapt high over the foe, and with his hands clamped together, brought down his arms onto the foe, knocking her directly to the ground. The power of the blow sent the illusionist through the floor. She climbed out. Pious assumed a battle stance.

"I picture you flying through that wall at the speed of light" a streak of force and the illusionist was indeed sent crashing. Pious had dealt an astounding palm-heel strike.

~ Trainer asked for a kick ~

Sorry, I can't lift my legs. Pious replied. Let alone swipe it.

I'm free all day Tuesday, Wednessday, Friday and would like to do some Task Forces.

I'm using my new empath defender, who has invisibility and recall friend for "ghosting" the Transcendence Trial, if you can call it that. I'm level 14. Thought I might start with Positron.. anyone else here interested? Then we can set a time.

Global is @Atlantic

Encouraged by his astonishing performance in the first test, Pious raced away towards the flashing blades. Most of the other students were already beyond the riddles, some were clinging from the ropes, aparantly afraid of hieghts.

Dirigente.. help

~ An obstacle of flashing blades huh? Piece of cake Pious. Focus on the timing, there will inevitably be many routes through the course. Find one. ~

Easy for you to say. These are large blades, and I'm already bleeding.

No response. Pious sighed, he felt pressured, everyone else was already several tests ahead. A boy appeared at his side, who without pausing, charged head first into the mayhem of knives. He lept over a low hanging blade, and dived through the centre of a scissoring pair. Pious was impressed, he would copy this boy. Suddenly, the boy howled in pain. He had mistimed the final play of blades; and was diced by rolling columns of swords. He faceplanted the training room floor, vanishing through the school's medical teleportation matrix.

Pious gulped. I might just sit this one out..

Oh dear.. that didn't come across funny at all!

The class initiated with a small test. Ice blocks lined the room. Pious simply froze. He witnessed several experienced students blowing blocks in all directions. To his amazement, Myrtyl herself was flying through blades and hopping onto ropes. Were he not the only one transfixed, he would have felt very embarassed.

I can do this. It's just frozen water. Pious examined the crystal clear cube, searching for cracks. He found one.

~ Force, Pious. Use the force ~

I can't use my powers. Even my jeans are gone, people can see my underwear tights.

~ Good thing I bought them for you then. Mighty embarassing it would have been, were you bare to the boxers. ~

Tell me about it.

~ You need no fields to break the ice, just strike it with force Pious. Trust me. ~

Okay.

Pious hesitated. After several deep breaths, he took one large step backwards, bending low into a long squat. Right hand clenched into a fist, he struck with all his might. At first, the ice absorbed the impact.

"Oh well. At least I tried" said Pious, noticing his fist was actually bleeding, coated with frost. He wheeled around and made towards the sidebench, but was blown across the room as his block suddenly erupted at a frightening magnitude. It seemed every single particle of the ice was shattered into smitherines before vaporizing completely. Pious was dumbfounded. Mouth gaping.

Having noted Acenra in his all so adorable costume, Pious hugged the door to the trainging room, gasping deep breaths.

This. Is. Gonna. Be. Hilarious he thought, here goes nothing. Suddenly, the blue jeans and t-shirt shimmered from view, revealing Pious' true appearance; plain white spandex overall which streatched down and covered the sole of his feet like shoes. Suddenly, the image was replaced by a newer, more deceitful image; a perfect copy of Acenra. Costume and all. With great confidence, Pious marched into the NRVS training room, wondering how the true Adam would respond.

"Pious. Pious!"

"Mum no, no, please"

"Wake. Up.." cried Myrtyl, through gritted teeth. "You're mumbbling."

"Wake up. With Pro-plus"

"What?!" asked Myrtyl. Pious was talking in his sleep. She sat on his bed and heaved him off it. Giggling loudly as he rolled onto the floor.

"Hey. What's wrong with you? How dyu get in here?" screamed Pious, embarassed to be seen in his spandex overalls.

"Same as last time" she smiled, playfully. "You've been sleeping for long enough, lunch time is over. The famous Acenra is starting class."

Pious stood to his feet, reluctantly. "Who the hell is that?"

"You know.. the elf boy."

"Adam? I knew it! I asked him if he was famous but he didn't really answer directly."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing him. I love his costume."

A sense of jealousy swept over Pious so suddenly he almost toppled over.

"Whats so special about some costume?"

"The lightning bolts! I've always wondered what they represented. And that bright star, proudly lit on his chest."

His heart was deflated with every word. "Whatever," he spat. "Gettaouta my room Myrtyl.. I.. need to get dressed" he lied, trying to hide his growing jealousy.

"What's gotten into you?" She looked hurt. "Fine, whatever" with that, she bolted for the window ledge, squating like a cat, she threw Pious a second glance before disappearing amidst orange glitters.

Pious was annoyed.

"Oh, the folts! meh-meh-meh. The fighfening folts" he mimiced, exagerating Myrtyl's otherwise indistinguishable lispe. "Pftt. What a day. First she kisses me, then she watches me suffercate, now she dreams of some stupid elf.." His words trailed off as an idea, a practical joke, cruel as it was funny, materialized before his eyes.

"Well, well, well, lets see what our gallant Acenra makes of this"

((Pious and Myrtyl are here and ready. I'll get them over to class after this mission. ))

Part Seven: 'Cursed' is now on the Creative boards.

Part Seven: ‘Cursed’

Jackson landed with a loud thud. The forest floor shook violently under his massive feet. His vision had gone cloudy, his muscles arched painfully. He staggered from side to side, collapsing under a tall tree. The force of his collision sent loose braches crashing down. Dry leaves fluttered earthwards in the autumn breeze. Jackson grunted, clutching at his chest. He struggled back onto his feet, limping on through the woods. He arrived at some parting of trees and caught sight of the river. He quickened his pace, tripping over at the riverbank and falling face-first into the water.

Slowly, the black substance washed away into the waters, carried by the current. Skinless, Jackson shrunk back to size, his entire body was deformed, muscles were exposed, blood vessels and veins began to decompose, yet at random, his organs shifted, receding behind skin. It seemed Jackson was reconstructing himself.

“How was it?” came a voice. It was Lord Crytek himself, a mastermind in robotics.

Jackson, fully reformed, rose to his feet, naked as the sunset. He cackled. Moments later, after he was done laughing, he turned to Crytek, a look of pure evil dancing in his eyes.

“How do you feel?” the man asked again.

Silence

“Like a god.”

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Arachnos’ base, Lady Striker climbs out of the water, heaving her body onto dry iron.

“Three years since I last shed skin.” She moaned, “God, that ******* is going to pay.”

Some crude looking villain wearing green tights over monstrous hooves; fashioned with similarly hideous medieval chest plates dropped from the skies, landing right next to Lady Striker.

“Ma’am are you okay?”

“Get lost, earthworm Jim”

“Hey, I love that cartoon…”

“(Censored) Off”

“Gee, talk about anti-social” he muttered, wandering off.

“Arachnos must be getting desperate, the kind of nutbags they break out of prison these days.”

* * *

“Crytek, you cannot begin to imagine the power. Not only can I deal double the damage, but my very muscles become something out-of-this-world. I can leap buildings, chase at incredible speed, I felt so free, so invincible, Crytek, I became invisible! This liquid bends light in some way.”

“Indeed”

“It is extraordinary. I have become the ultimate predator.”

“At a cost”

“Tell me, what magic has this crystal?”

Silence, Crytek hesitated.

“I… Jack, I… since we found the crystal yesterday, in that very cave, we have been trying to decipher the markings on the walls… but only so much we know: the diamond belonged to some kind of demon. It became cursed that ‘he who beholds it shall die at the sight of fire, less he wears it. And should he wear it, it shall absorb his heart and consume him from within... quite literally, it seems.” Jackson was frozen. “I am sorry. However, this explains the events of yesterday, when you wore the crystal. It means all who has seen it shall die upon encounter with fire, including me.”

Silence, the two men exchanged a look of foreboding.

“Well, bad curse” said Jackson. “Very bad curse”

“Yes, the crystal kills by forcing the body inside out, but you, you can resist this.”

“But the liquid, after it coated me… after exploiting it’s magic, it tried to suffocate me.”

“Indeed, from what I understand, it is alive; a symbiotic substance that eradicates the heart and replaces the flow of blood. The question is, why did it not attack yesterday? What triggered it?”

“Striker, she struck me.” Jackson replied. Crytek remained silent, contemplating.

“I must return to the cave. Come with me, and resume your station.”

Jackson hesitated. “Dude, if what you’re saying is true, then I am a victim of this diamond?”

“Yes”

* * *

Love the colour! Very rich, and the quality of texture is impressive. There are some errors in perspective, it seems, unless of course these are on purpose? Good shading.. how did you get such a photographic quality on the hair?

OOC: [quote] '...screaming obscenities and blowing forceful winds down people´s chimneys... [end quote] Who do you call? Ghostbusters!

BIC: Pious awoke in the hospital bay. His new friend at his side.

"You fainted, lack of air" said Myrtyl.

"You was there. The whole time." Pious sighed, annoyed.

"Hey, you're learning the hard way," Myrtyl held his hand. "But on your first day, you've already discovered so much."

Pious yanked free his hand. "I could have died. What kind of person stands and watches a student sufercate?"

"Firstly, Dirigente did not know you put up a detention field, from where I was standing, it looked like another personal force field."

Pious was angry, yet pleasantly surprised at the news that he had in fact generated a new type of field. "Either way, that was no way to educate. I'm off to bed."

I have a friend who's current coursework suddenly requires her to construct a flash website, she asked me for help but I dont use flash.. and I thought of you lot and Mr. Marvelous.

Are there any (links to) tutorials/guides/advice that could be of help?

~ Pious! Your brother has alerted me of your... situation ~ Dirigente was speaking telepathically to Pious. ~ Answer me in thought, why are you trapped in your own field? ~

Well, I was... headmaster, I can't breath, please. Where is Mrs. Alexis? She'd usually be here to help.

~ Mrs Alexis will not be saving you Pious, I've told her not to. You must learn to control your fields, and to be trapped in a simple force bubble? ~

Headmaster.. Pious was loosing conciousness, the interiors of the sphere was completely depleted of oxygen. He closed his eyes.

~ Concentrate Pious. I believe in you, just calm down, focus on the force itself, you generated it and you can remove it. ~

Please, I have no air! Headmaster!

~ You're panicing Pious, clear your mind. You are not afraid. You're in complete control of the situation. ~

Pious paused. He forced open his eyes and could make out a girl materialize from bright orange glitters. Myrtyl. Everything faded and went black.

~ Pious? ~

~ Myrtyl, how is he? ~

He's okay dad, but it wasn't a personal force field... it was a detention bubble.

Part Six: "Black Diamond" is now on the Creative boards.

Assassin's Claws Continued

* * *

Part Six: "Black Diamond" Censored Version

Twelve months had past since the deaths of Xyneohp, Y.Freeza and Delta T. During which time their killer, Jackson Hunter (known now as Claw) escaped from the Ziggursky Penitentiary and allied with Lord Crytek of the Dark Nemesis, the corrupted ninja Sapparo Black and the infamous assassin Lady Striker.

“Claw” she said, “you display potential as an assassin; you know that?”

“Stryker, I am an assassin” said Jackson, condescendingly.

The two were standing guard outside a cave deep within the Forbidden Forest. Although the entrance was already concealed, Lord Crytek felt extra security was needed, for in Bloody Bay, heroes from the neighbouring city had a habit of showing up uninvited.

“You are weak. You do not know the shocking power of a true assassin’s strike.”

“I am warning you...”

“Don’t take offence you big dog. I have known you for months and never have I seen you assassinate a target without being seen.”

“You underestimate me”

“Allow me to demonstrate.” Without warning, Striker’s scales changed colour. It camouflaged with the surroundings and seconds later, she was fully hidden.

“Impressive” Jackson lied, “how can you do that?”

“Never have I told anyone this, but I trust you can keep a secret; I am in fact, a hybrid of the snakes. Scythios is my father; he preyed on a young woman called Lily, somehow impregnating her. I could go into detail, but believe me; it’ll just gross you out. Lily died of my father’s poison shortly after giving birth; I am part snake, part human.” Jackson was completely unaware as the hidden Striker squatted low beneath him.

“Oh, okay” he replied, pretending to be interested. “I just assumed your snake-like features where a muta-“, Jackson’s sentence was cut short by a searing pain from the groins. He howled in rage and instinctively clamped at his thighs. He had been impaled by Striker’s toxic fangs.

“Assassin’s impale” she said, flatly, “a devastating technique, especially to a male target.” She smirked.

Jack was silent. He lay, clumped on the forest floor, bleeding heavily.

“Claw, you okay?” asked Striker, now visible. For several seconds, Jackson remained silent. The bleeding however, had stopped. “I was merely proving my point, and besides, you’ll heal. Right?”

Striker had left a large gaping hole across Jackson’s back, but it wasn’t closing, neither was it healing. Instead, it opened further. The muscles of his back parted like a book, revealing a blood-drenched spinal cord. The man was inside out, yet alive. He rose to his feet and slowly turned to face the wide-eyed snake-woman. A diamond crystal, black in colour, glowed in the place of a heart. It seeped dark matter which climbed across Jackson’s body entire, sinking into every crevice of the exposed brain, forming a new skin.

Lady Striker was frozen in her knee-high socks, jaws agape. Jackson’s eyes were always a deep red, but never had they glowed so bright. He had transformed into something completely new; a monster, larger in size, horned and unclothed. At the blink of an eye, the dark liquid simmered and Jackson was gone, hidden.

“Oh no, no…” before she could camouflage, Jackson struck with his mechanical blades, stabbing the snake-woman under the ribs.

“I…warned…you” came a hoarse voice. This thing was more animal, darker and more dangerous, it grunted before leaping skywards and out of sight.

* * *

"Bro, what are you doing?"

"Hey Sinn. Chillin' in the bubble, what does it look like?" Pious' face was blue from the lack of oxygen.

"You're stuck are'nt you?"

Pious was silent. "Er.. yeah, could you get Dirigente for me please?" he whimpered, embarassed.

"Real speedy" said Sinn, as he supersped off and out of sight.

Pious sighed. Several students giggled as they past his table. He thought he heard one utter the word "loner" and covered his face in shame. A sense of alienation washed over him, followed by sadness, he shrunk into a squat in his bubble.

Dear Diary,

Stephanie Peebles asked me to investigate a cargo ship today, aparantly the Council had kidnapped a few researchers.

On the boat, I scanned the first group with an inspection spell that placed them all at the threat level of twenty-one. Now, my security at that time was twenty-three so they all posed little harm.

I was free to exploit the powers of the ocean. Video Log: The Atlantic.

Swissy buddy, you have a good attention to detail and a polished understanding of perspective. I personally need to improve on shading, shadows, I find hard to place.. looking forward to more of your work so I can copy 'em.. I mean learn from them.

EDIT: Oh look, someone gave you a five-star. Well deserved me thinks.

((Dude.. you're late. Are you gonna show up?))

A slight possibility that my sidekick duo Alpha Joshua of UNIT ALPHA 01, crimson vigilante level sixteen, will be joining us.

"This is only the second time, first time was in the NRVS and either the simulation, or Dirigente disabled the force field. I dunno, it certainly wasn't of my doing." Pious sighed. "To be honest, I didn't think it'll be any more difficult to dissolve as it did to create.

"Anyway, I'm the boy from the library. You remember?" Without pausing for an answer, he rushed on. "Say, I got some kind of mail saying you're holding lessons later today. Are you like a celebrity student?"

"Mirror effect hey?.. Hmm, thanks I'll give it a try. See you later." Pious closed his eyes and thought hard about the bubble degenerating. He openned his eyes and was still encapsuled. He sighed. Jesus Christ, wheres Mrs. Alexis when you need her. Busy with Jason I expect.