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In the year 20XX, the Earth has become a melting pot for aliens from all across the Galaxy. So much so that humans have become the minority on their own planet. Diplomatic engagements and cooperative campaigns managed to successfully merge the currencies of Earth into one singular type of currency known as "Taydens". These changes were coming at us very fast, and there were a few of us that didn't know how to(or didn't want to adjust). But the voice of this faction quickly became drowned out. After all, the aliens had solved our economic crisis by introducing Taydens. Or at least, that's what we believed at first.

Before we even knew it, four Mega-Corporations from beyond the cosmos stationed themselves on Earth. They were Ilum Eidetics, Ad Avernum, Null Versa, and Apex. Upon making contact with our planet, these four companies started a war with each other that laid waste to the majority of Earth's population. It was a planetary siege that not even the Plumbers had the authority to stop, let alone a hero.

Now, almost 60 years later, humans have become little more than wage slaves under the employ of the largest company in the Galaxy, known only as "Apex". And the Taydens that had once saved our pitiful economic situation, were replaced with a type of currency worth little more than USD, called "Credits".

Apex specializes in a multitude of fields, but their best selling product would have to be the Unitrix, a recreated relic of the past that allows the user to transform into a different alien species. Each one comes loaded with a single strand of alien DNA and must be recharged at a docking station in order to limit the amount of power that law enforcement, citizens and wage slaves have. While Unitrices aren't allowed to be used outside of workplaces, there are a few that have managed to jailbreak the devices and introduce new strands of DNA for personal use. These individuals are known as "Burners", and you're one of them...

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>21:00
>Apex Assembly and Receiving Dock #2587

A blinding, orange flare illuminates the welding section as you focus a beam of plasma at a damaged slab of metal.

You call it a slab, but you’re pretty sure this used to be an armored carrier. The ones that Trauma Teams use to get into the grungy parts of D-Junction. And from the looks of these claw marks, the guys inside must’ve been shredded by what you assume to be a mutated Vulpimancer.

You were rather unlucky to get pulled into welding duty, but the chuckle-fucks behind you are lucky that you have some experience with Pyronite transformations. You try your best to ignore the spectators that are sitting behind the plane of tinted glass and slacking off, although their cat calls are making it a little hard to concentrate. If you lose focus for even a moment, the heat will go too high and turn the metal into melted slag. And let's not even mention the possibility of you melting the concrete beneath your feet.

But you have to say, it’s pretty convenient for you since you don’t need to wear any PPE. These Unitrices really speed up the work process, but you’ve been noticing that everyone around you gets lazy once they time out. Even though they can just pop out their depleted core and slap another back in that bitch.

And if there’s one thing Apex has an abundance of, it’s Unitrix cores.

“Yo yo, look out!” screams one of your co-workers with an energy drink in hand.

The moment you take your eyes away from the carrier, the door oozes off the hinges as the plastic and metal polymers turn bright orange from the heat. The fucking thing’s turning into juice!

“Shitshitshit-!” you say as you kill the fireworks and attempt to absorb the residual heat. And that’s when you see it…

“Bruv, is that a fuckin’ cadaver?!” yells another one of your over-excitable workmates as he jumps up and down with his fellow ass clowns.

A melting corpse lay before you, their bones, flesh and muscle fused to the door that just fell onto the stained and cracked concrete. Why the fuck didn’t anyone clean out this carrier beforehand?!

“Oi, the fuck is this?!” you scream as your body flares up along with your temper. But your workmates have no answer for you. All they do is taunt you as they run towards the break room.

“Hey Fidg, you’d better clean up your mess, man!”

You seethe and sigh in frustration while watching the rotting brain of the corpse oozing out of every orifice in his face. And seeing as this situation couldn’t get any worse, you time out in a flash of red light without warning. Absorbing the residual heat from the carrier was a good idea. If you hadn’t, you’d have 2nd degree burns just from standing near this thing. And is it too much to ask for the fucking cryo sprinklers to work?! Just once!

“Bunch of lazy pricks…” you say while muttering insults under your breath. You’re gonna need another Unitrix core to clean this up before your manager shows up. You really don’t need to be fired today.

(Cont.)

>>4110280
Woohoo came in at a good time! ^~^

Finally deciding to bite the bullet, you click your tongue and head over to grab a couple Unitrix cores. Water Hazard and Jury Rigg should be able to fix this mess. If only they had a Lodestone core, then you’d be able to sidestep half of the bullshit that goes on in this facility.

--------

After about 30 minutes of desperately working yourself to death, you drag your aching bones over to the cafeteria and plop them down on a bench. You, of course, sit alone because you can't stand half of these pricks. They think they can slack off and do whatever they want just because they’ve been trapped here for 30+ years. But not you.

You’re a relatively young guy with his whole life ahead of him. Although, that promising future is probably gonna look alot like theirs if you don’t manage to get a raise sometime soon.

“Working for creds is a bitch, innit?” says a familiar curly-haired, freckle-faced man as he sits across from you. This guy’s name is “Grub”, or at least that’s what everyone calls him. It’s annoying to go by a serial number like most wage slaves, so you all have to come up with nicknames for each other. Grub probably got his due to him being...well, a bit pudgy.

You use your spork to poke at your nutrition cubes, clearly losing your appetite from staring at these dull, unappetizing delights. They give you all of the vitamins you need to work your ass off day in and day out.

“I heard what those pricks did to you, Fidg.” says Grub as he unabashedly stuffs his face with nutrition cubes. You have no idea how the man can bear to eat those things without pouring a shit ton of condiments on them.

And yes, your name is “Fidg”. Short for Fidget, because you would bounce off of the walls when you were a little ankle-biter.

“Y’know what I say? Fuck ‘em. Me and you should report their asses someday.” he says with a foolishly noble look in his eye.

>”You know that’s a terrible idea. Corpo’s would just ignore us, and then we’d get our asses kicked later.”
>”Nope. The last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves.”
>”Get your head out of your ass, Grub. New guys always get treated like shit. It’s like a hazing ritual for being younger than 40.”
>”They’ve got cameras everywhere around here. Everybody knows what’s going on. They just ignore it.”
>"Not yet. They'll get theirs eventually, brother."
>”Just shut up and eat…”
>Write-in.

>>4110286
>”Get your head out of your ass, Grub. New guys always get treated like shit. It’s like a hazing ritual for being younger than 40.”

>>4110286
>>”They’ve got cameras everywhere around here. Everybody knows what’s going on. They just ignore it.”
>"Not yet. They'll get theirs eventually, brother

>>4110286
>"Get your head out of your ass, Grub They,ve got cameras everywhere around here. Everybody know what's going on. They just ignore it. The new guys always get treated like shit. It's like a hazing ritual for being younger than 40."

>>4110289
>>4110300
>>4110309
Taking these and combining...

“Get your head out of your ass, Grub.” you say while stabbing a nutrition cube with your spork and shoveling it into your mouth. You were definitely right before. These are barely edible without condiments, which kinda defeats the purpose of the “nutrition” part.

“They’ve got cameras everywhere around here. Everybody knows what’s going on. They just choose to ignore it.” you say with a pessimistic tone. “Besides, the new guys always get treated like shit. It’s like a hazing ritual for being younger than 40 or something.”

You glance over Grub’s shoulder to see the very same group of chuckle-fucks that left you with a shit ton of work to deal with on your own. And right now, they’re pointing in your direction and having a giggle to themselves like a bunch of giddy schoolgirls.

“Well I’m downright shocked that they made it to 40. I thought natural selection would’ve taken care of the likes of them by now.” says Grub with a snarky grin. You can’t help but snicker to yourself at the expense of your workmates. There isn’t much of a point in getting heated about the same old work bullshit. These guys will get theirs, eventually.

“Hey, you uh, still down to hang tonight?” mutters Grub without making direct eye contact. He looks every which way in order to not appear suspicious on camera, but you’re pretty sure it’s having the opposite effect.

“Yeah, I’ll be about.” you say while trying to contain any visible signs of excitement. Seeing as you and Grub are Burners, you have to operate with some level of secrecy in public settings. Most Burners dabble in a bit of shadowrunning and mercenary work, but you find that those lines of work tend to draw too much unwanted attention.

Everyone’s got their vices, and yours just happens to be participating in gladiatorial battles under the moniker of “Firebrand”.

--------

After finishing your "food" and the remainder of the work you had left, you and Grub get ready to clock out and flee this deathtrap of a workplace. The sooner you can get out of here, the better.

“Hey Fidg, can you help me out for a minute?” asks a familiar voice coming from the exit to the break room. It’s the only other newcomer that works alongside you. You think her name’s Mona. She possesses a quiet beauty that most people wouldn’t appreciate around these parts, as well as a head full of light blue hair that travels down to her neck and spreads outwards. Her thin frame is clearly outlined by the tight jumpsuits that they issue to everyone that works here.

“What’s up?” you ask while pulling your boots onto your feet.

“Montez ‘forgot’ to put up a few shipping containers in the west wing.” she says while rolling her eyes. “I was wondering if you could help me throw them up.”

(Cont.)

You and Grub look to one another for a minute, and before you can respond, your pal speaks up in your stead.

“I’ll help you out, Mona.” says Grub while winking at you. “You see, Fidg has a bit of a condition. Can’t use too many transformations in a short amount of time. His body just can’t handle it.”

You’re a little embarrassed by Grub spilling the beans about your weak constitution, but he isn’t exactly lying. That incident earlier with the cadaver cleaning took the wind out of you. You were lucky that you didn’t get a nosebleed. And the last thing you need is to be winded before your big fight tonight.

“Oh...sure, that’s fine.” says Mona while glancing at the floor. She almost looks disappointed that you aren’t coming. “I hope you feel better, Fidg.”

>”Hold up. I can help you out for a bit, Mona. I’m actually feeling pretty good today.”
>”I’m coming too. It’ll be easier with the three of us.”
>”Thanks, Grub. I’ll catch you later.”
>”I promise I’ll pay you back some other time.”
>Write-in.

>>4110425
>”Hold up. I can help you out for a bit, Mona. I’m actually feeling pretty good today.”

>>4110458
+1

>>4110458
>>4110481
Writing...

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“Hold up. I can help you out for a bit, Mona. I’m actually feeling pretty good today.” you say while stretching your arms wide. All the while Grub’s eyes flicker from you to Mona, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. You swear that you’ll kill him yourself if he says anything stupid.

“Oh...cool. I’ll meet you in the west wing, then. Don’t take too long.” she says while slinking away behind the door frame, leaving you and Grub alone with one another.

“So when there’s a girl involved, you don’t bitch and moan as much.” exclaims Grub as he pats your back with a heavy hand.

“Oh shut up…” you say with a groan. You know that you won’t hear the end of this later. “I’ll meet up with you at the usual spot, alright? Don’t wait up.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t think of it. My boy’s working overtime after all!” hollers Grub as he clenches his fists and pulls them back in a celebratory manner. You try your best to ignore him while grabbing an empty Unitrix, along with a Tetramand core.

---------

You spend a few minutes walking to the west wing of the facility, but you try to pick up the pace once you notice the overnight team flooding into the building. You’re risking a write-up by staying this late, but you should be able to make it if you hustle.

Mona spots you and waves you over soon afterwards, and you’re starting to see why she needed your help. There’s shipping containers lying everywhere! Did these guys do any actual work tonight?

“This is fucking chaos…” you absentmindedly express while counting the number of containers.

Mona rolls her eyes and allows her shoulders to slump in a frustrated huff. “Tell me about it. I can’t believe they expect us to clean up after them like this. They’re like children.”

She pulls a Unitrix core from her pocket and sockets it into the device on her wrist. “Big, hairy, wrinkly children.” she says while slamming her fist onto the core in order to secure it.

You do the same, but you manage to equip and secure your Unitrix much faster than she did. It’s just muscle memory at this point.

“Come on, you’re giving them too much credit…” you say while slamming your hand down onto the Unitrix’s core. After a brief flash of emerald light, you reappear as Four Arms! “They’re more like infants.” you say with a cocky grin.

Mona giggles before slamming her hand down onto her Unitrix core, causing her to transform into a Tetramand as well. You know that you’re technically not supposed to be so rough with the equipment, but slamming down the cores is the most enjoyable part of work!

The two of you grab both sides of the shipping container with two hands, while using the other two to climb a set of sturdy metal bars that have been arranged into ladders. You don’t usually work with others, but Mona seems to be very earnest and hard-working compared to everyone else.

(Cont.)

After reaching the top of the ladder, you slide the shipping container into an empty slot with the others, before locking it into place and going down for the next one.

It’s not the safest way to work, but it’s definitely the quickest and most efficient. And so long as you don’t get injured or damage company property, they won’t hold it against you.

--------

After repeating the process several times, you finally manage to get the work done in about 25 minutes. Not bad, if you say so yourself.

You and Mona time out together, flooding the area with crimson light and putting the Unitrices on cooldown. Perfect timing.

“Thanks again. I never could’ve done this without you. Everyone around here always talks about how reliable you are.” says Mona while brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

>”Yeah, I bet they do…”
>”No worries. Glad I could help.”
>"If you ever need anything, don't be shy about coming to me or Grub about it."
>”Hey, us new bloods gotta stick together, right?”
>”Well, just let me know if those guys shove their work onto you again. I know ways to get back at them without getting fired.”
>Write-in.

>>4110726
>”Well, just let me know if those guys shove their work onto you again. I know ways to get back at them without getting fired.”
>"If you ever need anything, don't be shy about coming to me or Grub about it."

>>4110726
+1 but at the start "No worries. Glad I could help."
Do we really know a way to get those lazy bums fired? Hehe

>>4110748
>>4110780
Fidg has been gathering evidence against them for some time now. Also, Writing...

Evidence is good

“Well, just let me know if those guys shove their work onto you again. I know ways to get back at them without getting fired.” you confidently remark while pocketing the depleted Unitrix core.

Mona’s small grin turns into a dazzling smile, and you find yourself a bit bewildered by her friendly attitude. She always struck you as a bit of a loner, but then again, you’re not one to talk.

“Now that’s a tempting offer. Maybe we’ll be able to get some actual help around here.” Mona jokes while nervously rubbing her shoulder.

“If you ever need anything, don’t be shy about coming to me or Grub about it.” you say whilst attempting to sound cool and collected. And for a moment, her expression becomes slightly more serious as she looks into your eyes.

“If it’s fine with you...I think I might prefer coming to you about it. You seem cool.” says Mona with a slightly bashful expression.

“Y-yeah, that’s fine with me. You’re not so bad, yourself.” you say without a hint of shame or regret.

The two of you are so caught up in your moment that you barely notice the forklift flying towards you. You and Mona jump out of the way just in time to avoid being flattened, and the once silent area is now being flooded with the usual workplace chatter, insults and blaring horns from nearby vehicles.

Clearly being at a loss for words, the two of you shrug it off and walk back to break room together. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to stay late after all.

-----

After depositing your jumpsuit and equipment into your locker, you clock out alongside your workmate. Her casual clothes consist of a tan jacket with neon lining along the back.

“So, I’ll see you around?” she asks while slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Yeah, definitely.” you say in a sheepish manner. Who would’ve thought that you’d get along with someone this cute at work?

Afterwards, the two of you go your separate ways to exit the building. But on your way out, you’re spotted by none other than the Corpo Exec that runs this facility. What the hell’s he doing here?! He never comes to this level. Hell, you’ve never even seen him leave his office. And he just so happened to see you leaving 40 minutes after your shift was over.

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to stay late after all…

-------

Upon exiting the building, you’re immediately greeted by the overwhelming smell of grease and exhaust. You seamlessly merge integrate into a crowd of aliens, cyborgs and humans on your way to the tram.

At this point, the traffic regulating holo-displays are completely ignored, as everyone walking along this path is either plugged into the Grid via neural-link, or they’re just distracted by their own problems. Personally, you find the 3D billboards to be much more engaging. So much so that they’ve caused a great number of accidents on both land and sky.

This is what many people call “B-Town”, the place where everything goes down and anything can be found. Good or bad. Tonight, you’re looking for a bit of both.

-------

It took a bit more time than you’d liked, but you finally made it to Duo’s fight club. You really missed when he set up shop closer to your place. Made it much easier for you to get your fix.

You descend down an alleyway illuminated by red and blue neon lights, before stopping in front of a steel door. You lightly knock three times, before slamming your fist onto the door two more times.

Suddenly, a tiny slot slides open, revealing the large, irritated eye of an Opticoid.

“What do ya’ want?” he says with a gruff and gravelly voice. He must want a password. There are a few that you can use if you feel like it.

>”What do any of us want? A chance to cut loose.”
>”Let me in or get stuffed ya’ fucked up Furbee. I know Grub told you I was coming.”
>”The ‘Firebrand’ wishes to be contained.”
>”I’ve got a delivery for you. It’s for a ‘Lorelai’.”
>Write-in.

>>4111149
>>”The ‘Firebrand’ wishes to be contained.”

>>4111162
+1

>>4111162
>>4111168
Writing...

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“The Firebrand wishes to be contained.” you say in a rather cryptic tone. The Opticoid glares at you for a moment, before shutting the sliding panel with a loud thunk. Then, you hear a series of sliding bars, rolling tumblers and shifting cylinders, before the door slowly opens to reveal a mellow looking nightclub.

Inside of it, are aliens ranging from Methanosians to Polar Mandrazill. The music is a bit loud, but other than that, everyone seems rather bored and tame. Even the dancers are unenthusiastic.

The moment the bouncer leads you into the club, a series of eyes shift over to you, seemingly more attentive than they were a second ago. “Right this way…” says the bouncer, clearly trying to get you out of the way in order to speed things along. He leads you down a long, narrow stairway made of stone, and the music from the nightclub begins to fade in the distance. Soon enough, you can’t hear anything. That is until you open up the door at the end of the staircase.

With the turn of a knob, the door swings open, leading you into a pitch black room with no visible texture or detail. The floor is made of some sort of super durable glass that’s used in satellites, or so you’ve heard.

Upon entering pitch black room, the floor beneath your feet shifts ever so slightly as you’re lowered to some basement level within the building.

Powerful vibrations shake the elevator, reverberating throughout your entire body and causing your nerves to become a bit unsteady. So in order to calm yourself, you take a deep breath a few moments before the doors open, while pulling your hood over your head for good measure.

“...It’s Showtime.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiSTkuraf1c

You swagger out of the elevator as soon as it allows you to, the music pounding away at your skull and chest. The once undetectable neon lining of your hood comes to life upon being bathed in the strobe lights that pour down from the ceiling. The Underground looks more like a nightclub than the one up top, but that’s mostly because that one’s just a cover for the real deal.

Your entrance attracts the attention of a few of the spectators for tonight’s match, as well as those of your fellow Burners. They didn’t think much of you at first, but no one can deny that you’ve more than proven yourself as a promising rookie. No one’s shot up the ranks as fast as you have. When you get in the ring, you fight like a man possessed, because that’s the only time you really feel alive.

Just then, Grub approaches you from behind and wraps his arm around your shoulder.

“There he is! Man of the hour and future champion of the Underground!” screams Grub as he chugs a translucent blue drink of some sort.

“I’m not even gonna ask how it went with ‘you-know-who’, but I wanted to let you know that Lorelai needs ya!” shouts Grub as he tries to overpower the music in the background.

And why the fuck does Lorelai need you? Might as well see what all the fuss is about.

(Cont.)

--------

You manage to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Underground, and proceed to the secret lounge that Lorelai arranged for you. There are a few burn-outs making out near your door, but a quick shove gets them to step aside without ever detaching from one another.

“Ugh, they’re like leeches…” exclaims Grub with a disgusted expression. To hurry things along, you pull him inside and shut the door behind you.

“Finally! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?” says a dark-skinned woman sitting in the corner of the room. Her ravishing features are further accentuated by her purple lipstick and smokey eyeshadow. Her long, black hair is tied into a single long, thick braid that slithers down her back. Although the side of her head is shaved to make room for the advanced neural implant that she had installed. Top of the line, really.

You wait patiently as she swishes liquid around in a shot glass, barely holding onto it with her orange fingernail extensions. This fabulous and remarkable woman is known as Lorelai. She’s something like a manager and bookie to fighters that she deems worthy of her skills.

“Sorry. Had to take a bit of a detour.” you say while glancing at Grub.

Lorelai rolls her eyes and places her glass on the table before rising from the sofa. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. As long as you-” says Lorelai, before she stops mid-sentence and walks over to you with a sense of urgency. Suddenly, she grabs your face and pulls you forward in order to get a better look at you.

“For fuck’s sake, Fidg. Have you been tweaking?!” says Lorelai with a frustrated expression.

Looks like she’s noticed that you’ve gone through quite a few transformations before you got here. Everyone refers to the state as “tweaking”, and it manifests in the form of involuntary twitches and a sharp rise in blood pressure. At least, those are the more gentle symptoms.

"Well this is just bloody perfect!" shouts Lorelai as she pushes your face away and clutches her head in frustration.

>”I’m fine. Nothing more than I can handle.”
>”If you wouldn’t mind, I might need a little something to take the edge off…”
>”I do my best work while tweaking. The elevated heart rate helps me focus.”
>”Is it that obvious...?”
>”It’s no big deal. I hear that my opponent’s a chump, anyway.”
>Write-in.

>>4111471
>>”I’m fine. Nothing more than I can handle.”
>”I do my best work while tweaking. The elevated heart rate helps me focus.”

>>4111471
>If you wouldn't mind, i might need a little something to take the edge off..."
Hmm I might change my when I see the other guy vote, I kinda wanted to go with " I work best while tweaking" but i don't know the severity of syptoms of transforming to much and wish/Hope that's it true that we work best cause of elevated heart rate.
+idk if he's just saying that to act cool or what.
And it seems to me that tonigt fight is more than handling a chump due to the reaction of Lorelai. These were My concerns but now that I see the other guy votd,, Let's do this.
>>4111506
Support, changed my vote.

>>4111517
I was writing/ thinking till I saw the other guy vote, not wanting to delete I just put Support hope that doesn't confuse you

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>>4111506
>>4111517
>>4111520
It's all good, brother. I'm picking up what you're putting down. Writing...

“I’m fine. Nothing more than I can handle.” you say while wiping a trickle of blood from your nose. Must be how she found out. You have no idea how you didn’t feel that earlier.

“That’s not for you to decide, Fidg. That’s my job.” says Lorelei whilst pointing to herself. “I’m the one that decides how much you can handle.”

“I do my best work while tweaking. The elevated heart rate helps me to focus.” you say while trying to regulate your breathing. Lorelei, on the other hand, looks absolutely flabbergasted by your statement.

“Do you even hear yourself? You keep pulling this shit and you’ll end up killing yourself. Or worse…” exclaims Lorelei as she picks up her shot glass and chugs whatever was left of her drink. “You might end up like those mutants that you see all over the news.”

The hardcore Tweakers usually either end up dead or getting their DNA spliced permanently. Those that don’t become outcasts, usually become bounty hunters and mercenaries. Not an awful way to live, but not ideal either.

“Don’t worry Lori, I’ll make sure he doesn't go overboard.” Grub says with a scared look in his eye. He can’t help but tremble in front of authority figures, after all.

Lorelei presses a claw into his flabby chest, which scares him even more.

“You’d better.” she says with a grave look. “And don’t call me Lori.”

Lorelei plops down on the couch once more, but this time she invites the two of you to sit across from her.

You do so, and once you’re seated, she pulls up a holo-display of your opponent for tonight. He appears to be a pasty guy with long dreadlocks and the sides of his head shaved.

“Your boy here is named Mantis. He’s got a decent track record. 16 wins and 4 losses.” says Lorelei as she pours herself another glass.

“Mantis?! As in THE Mantis? Super deadly bounty hunter?” exclaims Grub while he undergoes a sudden panic attack.

“Course not. Guy’s a poser.” Lorelei says while chuckling. “He’s had some work done to mimic the genetic and cybernetic enhancements of the real Mantis. None of it measures up to the real deal, but I’m still gonna need you to watch yourself when he’s in his human form.”

This guy’s got reinforced skull plates, retractable arm blades, reactive combat countermeasures, and muscle density enhancers. Either he’s a Corpo’s son or he’s breaking the bank just to win in the Underground.

“And what about his aliens. Does he have any favorites?” you ask while browsing through his match history.

“His top 3 are Rath, Four Arms and Diamondhead. But since Diamondhead’s been banned, he’s probably latched onto another Xeno by now.” says Lorelei with an inquisitive expression.

And while the two of you are preoccupied with figuring out a strategy, Grub mutters “Never trust a Rath main…” under his breath.

Lorelei places a briefcase on the table and enters a pin into a hidden keypad, revealing an assortment of Unitrix cores nestled inside of it. “That being said: Take your pick.”

(Cont.)

This Mantis guy might be a bit of a wildcard, so you’ll have to choose carefully. Hopefully they didn’t set you up with shitty options tonight.

>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Blitzwolfer
>Spidermonkey
>Frankenstrike
>Bat-a-Boom
>Snotrocket

>>4111612
>>Bat-a-Boom

>>4111619
+ 1

I'm gonna have to go to sleep soon, My bed calls for me, So just in case Thx for the run and good night.

>>4111612
>Bat-a-Boom
And if we’re able to scrap some DNA to preform a jailbreak,
Grab
>Snotrocket
Then
>Frankenstrike
Depending on how many we can scrap, if she’ll allow it, In That order.

Two heavy hitters and a containment alien.

>>4111977
Yo, just wonderin you think we are gonna go to gel, Also ya snotrocket is pretty versatile

>>4111984
*Why you think we are going to jail* just curios bout your opinion

>>4111619
>>4111625
Writing...

>>4111977
During this particular match, we won't swapping cores. But that doesn't mean that you won't be able to in another match, or when you're shadowrunning. I like where your head's at, though!

>>4111984
>>4111988
I think they were talking about jail-breaking the Unitrix. Every Burner has access to a jail-broken Unitrix that can accept any form of alien DNA, so you don't have to worry too much about that part yet. A jail-broken Unitrix is essentially a device that can't be tracked, monitored or restricted by Apex's regulations. This resource alone makes Burners very dangerous, as some get their hands on aliens like Way Big and Humongousaur.

>>4111660
Also, I appreciate it! Thanks for playing, everyone! : )

>>4112001
Ah yes now I understand, I just woke up :P
>>4112003
Np man, We wouldn't be here if we didn't enjoy what you do, so Good work

Also good music choice for the ... Ima just call it "Fight club" cause what happens in fight club stays in fight club xD

You grab the Unitrix core for the Volm Chiropteran, AKA Bat-a-Boom! He should be pretty good against most of the aliens that Mantis uses.

As you pocket the core, Lorelei places a finger on her temple and raises her chin. She must be listening to radio chatter.

“It’s time.” she says with an eager smile.

--------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vhB4H3NVr0

As you, Grub and Lori strut down the halls, the thumping of the music intensifies as a way of notifying everyone that the fight’s about to begin. And right about now, you should be getting your makeover.

A crowd of fans, fanatics and spectators begin dipping their hands in a non-toxic neon liquid and smearing it along your clothing as you pass them by. Most rookies get tie-dyed in an assortment of colors as a rite of passage. Rainbow neon means that the audience doesn’t know who you are and they don’t expect you to last long in the Wolves Den. It’s happened to you a bunch of times, but not tonight. Little by little, the myriad of colors disappeared from your clothing, leaving only a bright neon color, symbolizing strength and endurance. And soon after, you earned the name “Firebrand”.

As they cover your clothes with neon, you feel yourself awakening to something new. The REAL you that rarely gets to come out. It’s almost as if they were peeling back layers of your flesh. You feel so free.

Eventually, you reach the end of the hallway, and but the cheers of your fans continues to feed the flames of your ego.

“This is it. This is your moment.” says Lorelei as she massages your shoulders.

“I know. It almost feels unreal…” you say with a feeling of disbelief. But one thing’s for sure. Grub’s ridiculous shadowboxing is starting to ease your nerves.

“Remember to stay light on your feet, brother. Match ‘em blow for blow and then give ‘em some more!” he says while circling you and throwing light jabs at your tense body.

“Oh, and one more thing. Could you close your eyes for me?” asks Grub.

“What? Why?” you ask as you and Lorelei shoot bewildered glances at him.

“Just trust me, alright?”

You roll your eyes and do as he says. You hope it isn’t gonna be terribly weird.

“Fine, but you’d better not try to kiss me or somethin-”

Before you can get the words out, you feel him smearing some sort of liquid over your face with his hand. And to make matters worse, you’re pretty sure one of his fingers slipped into your mouth at some point.

“Oh, that is foul!” you exclaim while spitting on the floor. Whatever he had on his hands tasted even more bitter than soap. ‘What did you even-”

Before you can finish yelling at him, you wipe off a bit of orange neon from your face and smear it between your fingers. Did Grub just pay his respects to you as a fighter?

“It’s for luck, but I know you don’t need it. Because the guy out there doesn’t want this nearly as bad as you do.” says Grub with a proud smile on his face. There’s no way you can be mad at him now.

(Cont.)

File: Bat-a-Boom.jpg (100 KB, 774x1032)

100 KB JPG

“Thanks, bruv. I’ll win this for both of us.” you say while performing a secret handshake of sorts with your best friend.

“So, what about you?” you ask while turning to face Lori. “Do I get anything from you? Maybe a kiss for good luck?”

Grub gasps at your brazen behavior, but even you have to admit that you’re letting all of this hype go to your head a bit.

However, you’re a bit shocked when Lorelei draws her face closer to yours...only to give you a strong push into the elevator!

“Break a leg, Firebrand.” she says while waving at you with neon paint plastered all over her hands. You quickly check the back of your jacket, and it seems that your manager’s been decorating while you weren’t looking.

With one last look, she blows a kiss at you, covering her mouth with orange neon in the process.

Okay, now you’re really pumped!

-------

After slapping on your custom, jail-broken Unitrix, you socket Bat-a-Boom’s core and firmly lock it in place.

“Alright folks, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The main event and the highlight of the season!” shouts the announcer from atop the arena. “In our left corner, we have a fresh, young newcomer. He’s been making strides in his steady climb to the top of the rankings, and let’s face it--we just can’t get enough of him!”

He’s about to introduce you! Here it comes!

“Weighing in at 168 pounds and measuring up to be bigger than life itself, we have everyone’s fan-favorite, feisty little firecracker! Give it up...for FIREBRAND!

As the elevator stops to let you out, the crowd erupts into an uproarious applause, followed by you walking through a gate of flames that shot up out of the ground. Looks like the pyrotechnics team is really working overtime for this one.

Once you spot your face on the big screen, you finally get a chance to see how you look to other people. Covered in smears of orange neon, with your most notable feature being the hand-print spread across your face. You’re even wearing your signature studded, leather jacket. You think Grub may have actually had a positive influence on your image change.

“And in the right corner, we have a Veteran Burner returning to shed some blood!” exclaims the announcer as the spotlights drift away from you. As soon as they leave you, your blood runs cold. Must be the tension.

“You love to hate him! The Bootleg King of Burners has arrived to show this rookie that he doesn’t belong in this world! Give it up for MANTIS!” shouts the announcer as your competitor crawls out of his corner on all fours. At the speed he’s moving at, he looks like a man possessed! And the crowd seems to be eating it up!

As gets closer to you, Mantis rises from the ground in an unnatural manner, displaying his uncanny control of his own muscles. He must be trying to psych you out. Although, those razor sharp chrome teeth in his mouth might be freaking you out a little bit. And the snarling isn't helping, either.

(Cont.)

File: Bashmouth.png (441 KB, 1920x1173)

441 KB PNG

"Who will come out on top? The Promising Rookie, or the Gruesome Butcher of Burners?!" the announcer says in a rather dramatic and overblown inquiry.

Wait...say what, now…?

"Now~~~...LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEE!" shouts the announcer as he rings the Bell, signaling the start of the match.

Did he just say "Butcher"?

Before you can gather your thoughts, Mantis slams his hand down onto his wrist, causing him to disappear into a bright flash of crimson light. And when he reappears, his body has been transformed into that of some sort of humanoid wolf with black fur, red eyes, thick muscles and metal plates sticking out of his arms. You've never even seen that guy before!

He lets out a deafening howl to rile up the fans, giving you enough time to activate your Unitrix.

After slamming your hand down onto the core, you disappear in a flash of orange light. And in an instant, you reappear as none other than Bat-a Boom!

Now that both of you have chosen your aliens, the battle can finally begin!

Without hesitation, Mantis lunges at you with his hands outstretched. What do you do?

>Grab him by the wrists and wrestle him to the ground.
>Scoop up two handfuls of dirt and blow them up in Mantis's face.
>Wait to parry his next move, and create an explosive shockwave near his sensitive ears.
>Hit him with an explosive palm strike to the face!
>Propel yourself forward with a series of miniature explosions, before grabbing hold of him with your feet and tossing him into an obstacle.
>Write-in.

Hmm parry seems to be a good option & to me it seems this alien focus on speed & strength with sharp claws. The dirt move seems to be quite good after the parry then blast to ears. Holding off on my vote, gonna wait to see how othere vote.

Hmm how about a blast to the face as a distraction then a miniature explosion to propell our self to the right to dodge then a explosive shockwave near his sensitive ears and his eyes. Just an idea as an write-in .

Hmm Metal transformation now how can we use that to our advantage not only from various part of his body including arm and teeth aswell
Weakness is similar to Rath, in a sense of instinct + he's quite durable. Pretty tought enemy gotta stay on our toes..

>>4112087
>Create a flash bomb directly at his face then propell yourself to the right dodging while he's stun then creat a explosive shockwave near his sensitive ears.
Did some reesearch just wondering is this like a ring in WWE we are fighting in and if we manage to knock him out of the ting will that count as a loss to Butcher?

If going out the ring counts as a loss, i have plan which is to fly up near the edge of the ring then taunt him by shaking our ass resulting in him lunging at us, predicting this we create an explosion to propell us downwards making him miss us then as a last measure create a powerful blast knocking him out far out of the ring. :3

>>4112204
Shaking our Buttocks like juicy meat cause I know he can't resist the meat due to his instincts haha victory shall be ours, Hopefully.

I'll would like to wait to see the others ideas and to voice their opinion on what to do/How my vote/ idea fares

>>4112087
>Wait to parry his next move, and create an explosive shockwave near his sensitive ears.

>>4112087
>>Wait to parry his next move, and create an explosive shockwave near his sensitive ears.

>>4112859
>>4114132
Roll 1d100, bo3!

>>4112186
It's a pretty huge ring, but getting knocked out of it doesn't count as a loss. However, fighting outside the ring is strictly prohibited on the grounds of the spectator's lives being endangered.

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>4114135

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>4114135
Ahh boo now we just have to beat him.

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>4114135
Time to Brand this beast!

>>4114143
>>4114324
>>4114370
Writing...

>57

You patiently wait out his attack in hopes that you’ll be able to parry it without being injured too badly. You can’t afford to let this guy get the leg up on you right at the start of the match.

Mantis swings his right hand at your head with impressive speed, and his claws just barely manage to graze your fur before you can grab the metal plates on his arm and swing him to the side.

He seems to be thrown off balance by your maneuver, so you attempt to use this time to press the advantage.

Although, it would seem that Mantis’ reaction speed was much quicker than you had anticipated.

Not only was he able to break out of your arm-lock, but he was also able to grab your arm, and pull you into a brutal headbutt. Sometime between all of those actions, he also grew a layer of metal over his head in order to maximize the damage.

The shock from Mantis’ counterattack has rattled you a bit, leaving you stunned and vulnerable. And now Mantis is the one pressing his advantage. So much for gaining a bit of momentum at the start of the match.

Oh well. You knew this wasn't gonna be easy.

Next thing you know, you’re stuck defending against Mantis’ flurry of claw swipes.

“Oh, and would you look at that, folks! There’s Mantis displaying the aggressive and unrelenting fighting style that he's so well known for! Will this rookie even get a chance to breathe tonight?” exclaims the announcer in an overly dramatic fashion.

Pretty soon they’ll be adding obstacles and weapons into the arena. You need to get a few good hits on him before then.

What do you do?

>Flip Mantis over and hit him with a point blank explosion to the face.
>Disorient Mantis by hitting him with a mixed range of precise palm strikes that utilizes your explosive abilities.
>Draw him close and put all of your strength into a “Napalm Nightmare”!
>Take to the skies and rain death from above.
>Write-in.

>>4114404
>>Disorient Mantis by hitting him with a mixed range of precise palm strikes that utilizes your explosive abilities.

>>4114404
>Take to the skies and rain death from above.

>>4114404
Gonna switch to >>4114715
to get the ball rolling.

>>4114715
>>4114827
Roll 1d100, bo3!

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>4114830

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>4114830

Nice roll>>4114835

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4114830

>99!

Eventually, you get tired of being stuck on defense, so you decide to use your species' biology to your advantage.

You duck his next swipe, before launching yourself into the air and building up a massive amount of energy within your hands.

"Get a load of this, folks! Firebrand has taken to the skies, the only place where Mantis can't follow!" screams the announcer.

Now for the fun to begin!

You release the built up energy in bursts, allowing you to rain death down upon your unsuspecting opponent. He attempts to evade your attacks by skipping around the arena on all fours, but even he can't avoid drowning in a sea of explosions. The only problem is the countdown towards your disqualification.

"The Firebrand's really living up to his name, as he smothers Mantis in ash and fire!" the announcer yells. "But if he doesn't get back into the ring before the countdown reaches ten, he'll be disqualified!"

You can't keep this up forever. But you just need to deal enough damage to slow him down within an 8 second time frame.

After the 6 second mark, you manage to corner him near the edge of the arena, pushing him against the concrete wall with the sheer force of your explosions. But sadly, you're forced to land back on the ground by the 8 second mark. You shouldn't try to abuse this rule too often though. Starts to piss the spectators off and risks ruining your rep.

"Ladies and gents, it appears that Mantis has disappeared in a cloud of ash and rubble. Is there even anything left of him after that brutal airstrike?!" questions the announcer. The crowd is back on your side again. Your sensitive ears are picking up their cheers loud and clear.

But just then, an axe comes flying out of the smoke and sheets the side of your stomach. They've deployed the weapons!

A barrage of melee weapons come flying at you in an instant, barely giving you any room to dodge them. And when Mantis' emerges from the smoke, you can see that he somehow managed to shield himself from your airstrike by covering his body with metal plates. His absurdly roar causes you to wince in pain, but you hope he hasn't noticed how sensitive your ears really are.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the gamemaster has deployed a series of deathtraps to trip you up, ranging from saw-blades to flamethrowers.

"Uh-oh! Looks like Mantis has got some new toys to play with." says the announcer as he excitedly jumps out of his seat. "But we all know how Mantis likes to play rough! Will he break his new toys, or will they break the Firebrand?!"

You can't keep avoiding these attacks forever. Either he'll get a lucky hit, or you'll get diced up by the arena's traps.

What do you do?

>Grab a mace and swing it down upon Mantis' thick skull.
>Toss Mantis around the arena, allowing him to take the brunt of the arena's deathtraps.
>Tackle Mantis into the path of the flamethrowers.
>Chuck a weapon at him, while using your explosive powers to greatly increase its velocity.
>Write-in.

>>4115650
>>Toss Mantis around the arena, allowing him to take the brunt of the arena's deathtraps.

>>4115650
>Grab a mace and swing it down upon Mantis' thick skull.

>>4115660
+1

>>4115660
>>4115985
Roll 1d100+10, bo3!

Rolled 20 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4116011

Rolled 88 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4116011

>>4116133
Thank you dice. ¦~¦

Rolled 85 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4116011

>>4116044
>>4116133
>>4116170
Noice. Writing...

>98

You’re sick of dancing to your opponent's tune. Time to cause some chaos!

After evading a rather sizable battle-axe, you fly towards Mantis, shocking him and everyone in the crowd. Before he can react, you grab hold of his fur and pull him off the ground using your superhuman strength.

“What’s this?! Looks like the Firebrand’s going for a frontal assault! He’s taking Mantis for a ride!” shouts the announcer.

Mantis sinks his sharp claws into your rubbery flesh in an attempt to pry you off of him. The pain is unbearable, but you can’t afford to let him get the upper hand again.

Seeing as you have complete control of your opponent’s movement, you think now would be a good time to clean the arena of any pesky deathtraps.

You slam his body into a assortment of spiked rotating logs, causing them to split and splinter from the weight of your bodies. Mantis yelps and hollers from having his body pierced by the small spikes, but you aren’t done yet!

Mantis attempts to cover himself with armored plates in order to reduce the damage being done to his body, so you figure that the spinning saw blades placed around the arena could help you to peel him out of that shell.

While wrestling with him mid-air, you push him in the way of a saw blade and do your best to hold him there. The sound of grinding metal fills your ears, and the fumes from the friction and sparks fill your nose.Eventually, the sound of grinding metal is replaced by the sound of flesh and muscle ripping apart.

“Do you hear that folks?! That’s the sound of an early retirement!” screams the announcer. You hear the crowd groaning and cheering from the gruesome display.

This elicits a deafening howl from Mantis, and causes him to sink his razor sharp teeth into your shoulder. The grind and gnash against your bones in a truly unpleasant manner, and the slick blood that trickles down your forearm nearly causes you to lose your grip on him. However, you’re not gonna let this asshole ruin your chances at becoming Champion!

“OOOH, That’s gotta hurt!” yells the announcer whilst banging on his table. “With a bite force powerful enough to crush reinforced steel, Firebrand’s in a really bad spot here.”

Wishing to end this quickly, you pull Mantis towards a long strip of spikes on the ground. The two of you wrestle for dominance as you get closer and closer to lethal deathtrap. But before you can reach the ground, you grab Mantis by the neck and shove his face into the spikes. The armored plates on his body are easily torn off, along with the flesh they were connected to. And in one final gruesome collision, the two of you disappear in a cloud of dirt and debris.

“And down they go! I knew Firebrand was crazy, but not suicidal!” exclaims the announcer.

Just then, two bursts of light flood the arena. One being green, and the other being blue.

“Their Unitrices timed out! Who will be left standing?! I’m at the edge of my seat here, folks!” the announcer roars.

(Cont.)

And once the smoke clears, your legend begins…

“And it looks like...THE FIREBRAND IS THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING!” the announcer screams. The crowd is absolutely losing their shit. Their cheering is almost deafening, but in a good way. Almost helps to distract yourself from how fucked up your shoulder is.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing! This little rookie has gone above and beyond, taking down a member of the Pro-League and living to tell the tale!” shouts the announcer. “This truly is history in the making!”

Now that you’re standing here before the crowd, taking in your victory, what do you do?

>Let out a war-cry!
>Raise your fist to the air victoriously.
>Just close your eyes and let it sink in.
>Say nothing and walk away. The audience loves those mysterious types.
>Spit on your opponent’s body.
>Write-in.

>>4116652
>>Just close your eyes and let it sink in.
>Say nothing and walk away. The audience loves those mysterious types.

>>4116652
>Raise your fist to the air victoriously.

>>4116652
>Just close your eyes and let it sink in.
>Raise your fist to the air victoriously.

>>4116655
>>4116672
>>4117838
Writing and combining...

Normally, you’d be a bit overwhelmed by the applause and admiration, but for some reason the sound of your blood pumping is louder than their cheers. So for now, you just close your eyes and soak in the atmosphere. Tonight, this isn’t just an arena. It’s all yours. This is all for you! You’ve finally made it!

“I can’t believe my eyes, folks! Tonight, the Firebrand has proven himself to every doubter, every hater and every pro watching from the bleachers!” shouts the announcer. “What will he do next?! I’m practically shaking with anticipation!”

Okay, the time for reflection is over. Time to milk your victory a bit.

You turn your back to the cameras and raise a fist to the air as you walk away. You can’t see their faces, but their cheers have definitely gotten louder. Recognition is a hell of a drug.

As the spotlight follows you to the exit, you spot a few roses being tossed your way. All synthetic of course, but you appreciate the thought.

Before leaving, you take one last look at your opponent’s wet and mangled body. He looks like he’s still breathing, but he’s most likely gonna have to retire. However, it’s entirely possible for him to pay through the nose to get himself fixed up in time for next season.

Security tries their best to keep the fans off of you, but you decide to be generous by handing out a few high fives and silent nods. As much as you wanna bask in the glory of your victory, you’d do best to leave them wanting more. The popularity of mysterious fighters tends to skyrocket after all. So long as they have the skills to back up the act.

----------

Eventually, you manage to escape your fans and lock yourself inside your break room. And the moment you get a minute to yourself, you’re met by your friends, Grub and Lori, who appear to be holding bottles of alcohol. Top shelf as far as the Underground goes.

“You fuckin’ smashed it, man!” exclaims Grub. “Wish I could’ve seen the look on his face after you shoved it into a trail of spikes.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t a pretty sight.” you say while giving the big lug a big hug.

“I always knew you had it in you, Fidg. You’ve got the makings of a champion” says Lori as she pops the top off her bottle and pours a glass for you. You can never thank her enough for everything she’s done for you. If it weren’t for Lori, you never would’ve made it this far.

But the time for deep emotional reflection is over. The time for celebration is now!

-----------

You spend the next few hours partying your ass off with your friends and fans. If there’s anything good about the Underground besides the fights, it’s definitely the after-parties.

You’ve got quite a few ladies willing to show you a good time tonight, especially after that performance you put on. Even Grub’s managed to snag a few groupies. But before you deal with any of them, you need to discuss important matters with Lorelei.

(Cont.)

The two of you sit at a table in the corner of the bar, somehow managing to escape the chaos in the midst of the drunken and drug induced stupor of your fans.

“Hey Fidg, you said you had the weekend off, yeah?” ask Lorelei as her eyes scan the room.

“Yeah. Should give me some time to let this shoulder heal up.” you say while rubbing the area that Manits bit into. Although the drugs that the bookies gave you should speed up the recovery process.

“Well if you’re feeling any better, I’ve got a job for you. Real hush hush. Perfect for a burner such as yourself.” says Lorelei in a hushed tone.

She must be talking about a Shadowrun. Some Burners like to risk their necks by taking high-paying jobs from Corpo slags that don;t want to get their hands dirty, but they’re also highly illegal. Fighting from the safety of the Underground is one thing, but going out on the streets and risking a fight with GenSec, Trauma Teams and just about every rival gang out on the street is straight up madness. Question is, are you stupid enough to actually do it?

>”I’ve told you before, Lori. I’m not big into the idea of getting shot at or caught by the feds.”
>”Just tell me what you need me to do. It’s the least I could do to repay you.”
>”Details first, then I’ll decide later.”
>”Whatever it is, I’m in. I’ve been needing a chance to spread my wings a bit. And the extra cash couldn’t hurt.”
>Write-in.

>>4118174
>>”Details first, then I’ll decide later.”

>>4118225
+ 1

>>4118225
>>4118237
Writing...

“Details first, then I’ll decide later.” you say while taking a swig of your drink. Lorelei doesn’t seem offended in the slightest. In fact, she seems pleased by your ability to exercise caution, despite taking part in such a barbaric blood sport.

“Fair enough.” she says with a small grin. Lori refills her glass before continuing. “The client is an executive from Null Versa. He and his team have been working on a prototype defense system capable of eradicating any non-organic projectiles or weapons that may come in contact with the user. They’re having a bit of trouble with the neural link interface, though. Makes it hard for the device to sync with the user’s thoughts when it decides what’s dangerous and what’s not.”

That sounds fairly impressive. Something like that could really make guns and knives virtually useless. The only threat remaining would be the Unitrices. Though, you aren’t sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. And since guns are already heavily banned and regulated, you haven’t really seen many people using them these days.

“Then what do they need us for?” you ask while tracing your finger along the rim of your glass.

“Here’s where it gets juicy. Turns out that some Apex agent stole the plans for their little project, and now they’re planning on finishing it before them and presenting it before the board as their own idea.” states Lorelei as she leans in close and lowers her voice to a whisper.

You’re not really surprised that Apex is involved in this whole scandal. After all, the biggest Mega-Corp in the galaxy ought to have their fingers dipped into every single proverbial pie.

“Shit. So Apex steals the show, the invention and the cash all in one fell swoop.” you reply. You know Apex is absolutely capable of pulling this off on account of the fact that they have a much larger staff than Null Versa.

“Bingo. I’m personally not a huge fan of Corpo wars, but there’s a fat stack of creds to be gained in this. For a little sabotage, I don’t think it’d be such a bad deal for us to take.” declares Lorelei while tapping a finger on the table.

You aren’t too keen on the idea of trying to screw over the most powerful Corp on the planet, but this might end up being a great opportunity for you. And since it’s Lorelei we’re talking about, she’s undoubtedly vetting the client as we speak.

“So...what do ya say? You in?” Lorelei inquires with a glimmer in her eye.

“I say...I’ll think about it.” you state while finishing off the last of your drink. You weren’t lying before. You heard the details, and now you’ll make your decision later. As in, once you’ve gotten home and slept off this pain in your shoulder.

Lorelei just rolls her eyes at you and leans back in her chair.

(Cont.)

Now that that’s settled, what do you plan on doing with the rest of your night?

>Chat up Lorelei for a bit longer. You’re both pretty buzzed, and your lucky streak doesn’t have to end in the arena.
>Meet up with Grub and a couple of groupies. You’re gonna party the night away!
>Head home to relax. You’ve heard enough noise for tonight.
>Jack into the Grid and let yourself drift through cyberspace.
>Write-in.

>>4118431
>>Chat up Lorelei for a bit longer. You’re both pretty buzzed, and your lucky streak doesn’t have to end in the arena.

>>4118465
+1
Kek to get the "balls" rolling

>>4118465
>>4118478
Writing...

File: Lorelei.png (1.22 MB, 1200x1200)

1.22 MB PNG

You lean back in your chair and put your hand behind your head, revealing some of the muscle that you’ve built up working at that Apex facility.

“So...got any plans after this?” you ask in a rather suggestive manner. Lorelei raises an eyebrow while allowing her lips to curl into a sultry smile.

“Nope, nothing.” says Lorelai with a knowing grin. “But I’m open to invitations.”

For the next hour, the two of you chat and flirt with one another. You talk about the future, and the past. Mostly hers. For one, you never knew that she used to be in a gang. Namely, the Midnight Shifters. They’re a bunch of refugees that came crashing down from Anur Transyl after the planet split in two. You wonder how Lori got wrapped up in a group like that.

Out of everyone you’ve met in the Underground, Lorelei’s always been the easiest to talk to. Besides Grub, she’s been one of your best friends for almost a year now. The two of you have never really thought about becoming an item or anything like that, but you certainly do enjoy each other’s company. And it isn’t a secret to either of you that you both find the other to be very attractive.

“Hey, do you wanna get out of here?” you ask with a hint of hesitation. Getting rejected now would make things kinda awkward. It’s a good thing you’ve had your fill of liquid courage tonight.

Lorelei curls her lips in an effort to hide her excitement, before finishing off what’s left of her drink. “Yeah, it was getting kinda crowded in here anyway.”

The two of you proceed to leave your seats and stagger towards Lorelei’s room. It’s an actual challenge to avoid the dancers and drunkards that are strung about the hallway.

----------

Before you can even enter the room, you and Lorelei are all over each other. Your hands roam along the curves of her full figure. Every now and again, the two of you take breaks from making out to remove your clothes. Her plush, full lips makes you regret letting go of her, but you know that there’s a much greater reward waiting for you if you remain patient for a while longer.

Eventually, the two of you are left only in your underwear, wrestling on her bed and exchanging passionate kisses. The warmth that radiates from her body pulls you closer to her, almost as it was welcoming you with its comforting embrace. And from the way her smooth hands travel along your chiseled and toned body, she seems to be appreciating yours just as much.


All of this stimulation is starting to get you riled up, but you’re not finished yet. In fact, you’re just getting started!

----------

When you wake up, you find that you and Lorelei had fallen asleep while intertwined with one another. She stirs in her sleep, making surprisingly adorable moans as she nuzzles against your chest. Her hair kinda tickles, actually.

(Cont.)

After checking your phone, you notice that there’s a couple of notifications left unread. One is from Lorelei. At some point during the night, she somehow managed to send your payment to your account. With this, you should be able to buy something nice for yourself. Like some chrome-ware or ghost tech.

The second notification is from none other than the Underground’s twin patrons, Duo. What could they want with you?

What do you do?

>Confirm your payment for the fight, collect your things and sneak out without waking Lori.
>Stay for awhile and enjoy the moment. This is nice.
>Wake Lori and Grub up. You’re taking them out to eat to celebrate.
>Go to meet Duo in their lair.
>Write-in.

Good night Galvan i'll vote in the morning Yawn

>>4118904
>Confirm your payment for the fight, collect your things and sneak out without waking Lori.
>Go to meet Duo in their lair.

>>4118914
G'night. Thanks for playing!

>>4118904
>>Confirm your payment for the fight, collect your things and sneak out without waking Lori.
>>Go to meet Duo in their lair.

>>4119063
+1

>>4118923
>>4119063
>>4119613
Writing...

File: XB2_(246).png (268 KB, 1920x1080)

268 KB PNG

You slide out of bed, collect your things and leave Lor’s room without waking her. You know she won’t be hurt if you split without saying goodbye. After all, you might be seeing her sooner than later if you decide to take this job. Now, time to find out what Duo wants so you get out of here and spend your hard-earned cash.

---------

It’s a bit of a chore to step over the drunk and drugged up individuals littering the halls. With how often you see some of these guys here, you wonder if any of these people ever actually leave this place. Theoretically, if you keep betting and winning, you can stay in the Underground as long as you want. But since you’re certain that a hefty amount of people bet against you last night, you probably won’t be seeing them for a while.

Finally, you make it to Duo’s lair, which is a fairly sized and heavily guarded throne room. Two of their guards stop you at the door by lowering an axe and a spear to block your path. They look to be heavily modded, and could most likely fold you in half without breaking a sweat.

“Stop messing around and let him through.” says Bellicus, the male side of Duo.

“Yeah, he’s our guest, so no one touch him!” shouts Serena, the female side of Duo. The guards look to each other for a moment, before grunting and returning to their original positions. You proceed to greet the Underground’s patron, the conjoined Duo twins.

The individuals sitting before you are rested upon a wide, golden throne with enough room for both of their halves to sit comfortably. When you first met Duo, you were a bit thrown off by their bizarre appearance.

Duo consists of two halves of different people. One is a man, named Bellicus, and the other is a woman named Serena. Both halves are linked together by a series of cables running back and forth between them. The tech looks a bit loose and clunky, but you know better than to underestimate Duo. They’ve got one of the most powerful processing units in the entire city, and that’s really saying something. If it weren’t for their financial prowess, skulduggery and underhanded tactics, the Underground wouldn’t even exist.

“So, you’re the Firebrand, huh?” inquires Bellicus as he looks you up and down. “Hmph, you really are just a brat. What’s a punk like you doing down here?”

Serena quickly places a finger over the mouth of her other half before speaking. “What he means to say is: ‘Congratulations on making it this far, Firebrand!’” she says with a bright smile.

“That is now what I meant to say, but your version is preferable as well” says Bellicus with a huff. He swings his leg onto Serena’s lap, and she allows it without so much as looking a little bit bothered.

“Thank you. It’s an honor to hear that from the two of you.” you state while giving them a small bow. Bellicus silently raises a hand in order to tell you to relax.

“We were made aware of the matter involving your...employment.” says Serena with a slightly serious expression.

(Cont.)

“We know you’re working for Apex, kid. We just thought that we’d hear your side of the story info before we decide what to do with you.” Bellicus says in a blunt manner. You weren’t really trying to hide your employment with Apex, but you knew that Duo would go digging around eventually. Actually, why are you working for Apex again?

>”I didn’t intend to hide it from you, but working for Apex is a decent way to stay off the radar and keep the feds off my back.”
>”I’ve got some friends working there. I’m just trying to make their lives a bit easier by helping them out.”
>”I’m not the least bit loyal to Apex. In fact, me and Lorelei were about to screw them over on a run tonight.”
>”I’ve got level 3 clearance to their facilities. Possibly level 4 if I work hard enough this month. Makes it easy to smuggle out Unitrix cores every now and then, you know?”
>”You want me to prove my loyalty or something?”
>Write-in.

Hmmm...

>>4119670
>>”I didn’t intend to hide it from you, but working for Apex is a decent way to stay off the radar and keep the feds off my back.”
>"Don't get me wrong though, besides a friend or two I don't really care much for Apex itself."

>>4119670
>”I didn’t intend to hide it from you, but working for Apex is a decent way to stay off the radar and keep the feds off my back.”

>>4120204
+1

>>4120204
>>4120718
Apologies for the delays. Sleep schedule is a bit garbage right now. Writing...

“I didn’t intend to hide it from you, but working for Apex is a decent way to stay off the radar and keep the feds off my back.” you say flatly.

Duo can’t exactly refute your claim, because there’s a great deal of accuracy involved with it. Those who receive income without having actual jobs are prime targets for GenSec, since they’re the ones most likely to be labeled as Burners. If you want to maintain this lifestyle, you need to play the part of a wage slave. And there's also the fact that a few of your friends work there out of necessity.

“Don’t get me wrong though, besides having a friend or two in the company, I don’t care much for Apex themselves.” you state in a roundabout manner. This seems to please Bellicus, as his usual scowl transforms into a devilish grin.

“Well if you truly feel that way, we have a request to make.” Bellicus says while brandishing a flash drive and offering it to you. “We heard that Lorelei scouted you for a run. If you choose to accept her offer, then you’d also have the privilege of doing us a favor-”

Serena places a hand over the mouth of her other half and smiles apologetically. “Hold that thought, darling.” she says in a sweet tone. “What he means to say is: ‘We would be in your debt if you accepted both our and Lorelei’s offer.”

“Why’s this run so important?” you inquire.

Both Bellicus and Serena glance to one another, seemingly exchanging information without speaking.

“We’ve received word that Apex is working on a separate project. And it may have something to do with the rumors that have been floating around lately.” Bellicus grumbles.

“Rumors?” you ask. “What kind of rumors?”

Serena rubs Bellicus’ leg before continuing. “There have been reports of individuals possessing multiple strands of alien DNA in a single device, without the need to change Unitrix cores.”

What? That’s impossible. There’s no way Apex has figured out something that advanced without you or anyone else catching wind of it. And even if they did, there’s no way they’ll find anyone that’d survive the transformation process.

“Judging from your expression, this is your first time hearing about this.” says Bellicus with a conflicted expression. “And you also seem to be aware of the issue that this project creates. If Apex manages to perfect a Unitrix that contains multiple strands of alien DNA, while keeping its host stable, then there would be no stopping them.”

Man...this is really big. Perhaps too big for you.

“What do you want me to do?” you ask while trying to maintain your composure. Serena hands you the flash drive from earlier, and you hesitantly accept it.

“Just consider our offers for now. If you choose to accept, then I would like you to clone all information on this project onto that drive.” says Serena with a gentle expression.

(Cont.)

File: Cityscape_daytime.png (2 MB, 1920x1080)

2 MB PNG

So you’d be working the same angle, but with a little extra work on the side. If you’ve got your facts straight, you’d be stealing Apex’s defense system prototype, cloning the information on the stolen designs and Apex’s new project, and erasing any data related to both. Relatively straightforward, but difficult to pull off.

“Sleep on it for a while. Think about what you want to do with your life. But don’t take too long…” says Bellicus in an ominous tone. He waves you away, and shortly afterwards his guards approach you from behind to escort you out.

You’re not sure what’s going on in your city anymore, but it can't be good.

--------

After exiting the Underground, you take the tram back to the inner city. The sour smell lingering in the air and the sticky floors beneath your feet make you miss the Underground’s atmosphere, something you never thought you’d admit.

Surrounding you, are an assortment of humans with varying skin tone and nationality, but they’re treated all the same by your alien overlords. In fact, most of the first class citizens on Earth come from alien descent. Even if you’re a half-blood, you’re much better off than the average human.

Eventually, the aura of despair becomes unbearable, so you pop in your earphones and allow your mind to wander.

--------

Once you reach town, you’re confronted by the difficult choice of what to spend your fat stack of credits on. You could always get some chrome-ware, or maybe you can buy a weapon for self defense if you’re ever caught without a Unitrix.

With 60,000 credits left to spend, what do you do?

>Get some shiny new chromeware installed. You might need it later.
>Visit a trustworthy gun-runner that you know. It's more dangerous to own a gun rather than having one pointed at you, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra insurance.
>Buy some Unitrix cores from your local Burnout.
>Buy some food and necessities for the street rats(children) around the area.
>Write-in.

>>4121194
>>Buy some Unitrix cores from your local Burnout.
>Get some shiny new chromeware installed. You might need it later.

>>4121216
+1

>>4121216
>>4121677
Almost done with the write-up...

Your first stop is to your local Burnout, which is a Burner who couldn’t quite cut it and ended up retiring. You hope to never end up like them, desperately clinging to a world and lifestyle that’s abandoned you.

As soon as he sees you, he brushes off his friends and welcomes you with open arms. Quite literally. He usually hangs out in shady back alleys with the rest of his Burnout buddies, but you’re always a bit nervous about doing business out in the open like this.

“Hey, that was a hell of a performance last night! You really showed ‘em what for.” says the ecstatic hoodlum. This here is Liam. His blonde, scraggly shoulder-length hair is neatly tucked under the thermal hat that he wears all year round. His baggy clothes might have been stylish at some point in his life, but they definitely look strange on a man of his age.

“Thanks. Thought I’d celebrate by doing some window shopping.” you say while looking around to make sure that there aren’t any feds hanging around. Liam does the same, and slightly opens his jacket to reveal an assortment of Unitrices.

“Then you came to the right place, bud.” says Liam with a devious grin. You have no idea how he walks around with these things stuffed in his coat all day without being caught, but you aren’t gonna complain.

Back home, you’ve got a few Unitrix cores stashed away. You have some of the more common ones in your possession, like Heatblast, Four Arms, Wildmutt, Spidermonkey and Cannonbolt. But there’s also a few restricted alien cores that can’t be acquired by any other means. At least, not without a bit of finesse and networking.

So, what’re you buying today?

You are currently in possession of 60,000 credits.

>Diamondhead(r) [30,000 credits]
>Grey Matter(r) [50,000 credits]
>Swampfire(r) [25,000 credits]
>Bloxx(r) [30,000 credits]
>Frankenstrike(r) [40,000 credits]
>Try to haggle with Liam in order to lower the price of a Unitrix core. (Roll required)

>>4121811
>Grey Matter
>Try to haggle

Maybe we can build an algorythm to help us trade on the galactic stock market. Not to mention if my guess is right we ought to be able to fuck wit hour Unitrix to be able to run longer, or pull that BS disarmament trick off way easier.

On a side note, I like don't get me wrong but I hate the idea of some corporate fuck bags being able to mass produce Omnitrix tech. Maybe that's just my hate of corporations but the idea of EVERYONE being able to access an incomplete piece of shit-trix, then locking certain basic functions behind a paywall?

It's like if EA got into the galactic military industrial complex.

>>4121847
+1
>>4121923
I get ya

File: XLR8_Animation.gif (6 KB, 52x64)

6 KB GIF

>>4121847
>>4121995
Gonna try to take a nap, so I'm gonna call for rolls. Roll 1d100, bo3!

>>4121923
It's Capitalist bull at its finest, but on a galactic scale. I'll delve deeper into the economical and societal flaws of this world later on in this thread, should the opportunity arise.

Forgot to mention, but good write-ins will lower the DC.

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>4122105

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>4122113
Hmm good to know.
>>4122105
Have a nice nap and rolling.

>>4122147
>>4122148
Noice

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>4122105
>Write in
>Greymatter for 50k? Come on, how many people ACTUALLY choose Greymatter comared to someone like Frankenstrike or Swampfire? You must have like, what, a stockpile in the back? You've probably a huge supply and I've a low demand, really, I COULD just go with any of the other BETTER Aliens for cheaper. How about a discount and I help take it off your hands? Lets say... 35% off?

Man of Action themselves could not write better. Also, rolling.

>>4122393
Hm ok

>>4122147
>>4122148
>>4122393
Finally up and about. Nice Write-in and rolls! Writing...

>>4122518
Had a nice nap hmm?

>85

OH MAN, HE HAS GREY MATTER! This is huge! Not many people can get their hands on this lil’ guy. But 50k is a bit steep for an Underground rookie such as yourself. Maybe you can haggle with him to lower the price a bit.

“Grey Matter for 50k? Seriously? Come on, how many people ACTUALLY choose Grey Matter compared to someone like Frankenstrike or Swampfire? You must have like, what, a stockpile in the back? You’ve probably a huge supply, and I’ve a low demand, really, I COULD just go with any of the other BETTER aliens for cheaper prices.” you proclaim while lying through your teeth. You of all people know how valuable Galvan cores can be to non-citizens such as yourself. And they’re especially valuable to Shadowrunners. “How about a discount and I help take it off your hands? Let’s say...35% off?”

Liam narrows his eyes at you, almost in a suspicious manner, while crossing his arms and closing his coat.

“Usually, this lil’ guy is a popular pick among the more discreet burners, but he hasn’t been getting picked up lately.” he says with a defeated tone. Is he actually buying your spiel? “All these new guys care about is which guy has the biggest muscles. They’ve got no creativity or drive. Just like those rich, Xeno punks.”

You had no idea that Liam was supplying for Xeno’s as well. They must be buying up the biggest and baddest aliens in his inventory.

“Look, I’m with you, Liam. If nobody knows how to appreciate a classic core, then I’m your guy. And it’s not like I’m asking for an Ectonurite core, right?” you ask with a friendly smile.

Liam smiles at your suggestion, clearly amused by your proposal.

“Ha! If I had a few of those, you wouldn’t see me skulking around these parts no more.” he says jokingly. “But I like where your head’s at. Maybe you can make good use of this, after all.” he says while fishing the ore out of his jacket.

“Now I’d better not hear about you sneaking into women’s changing rooms and shit like that.” states Liam before handing over the core.

“Thanks, Liam. You’re the best!” you exclaim as you transfer the funds to his account via Near Field Communication. They shouldn’t be able to trace the purchase back to either of you this way.

So you managed to grab a core containing the smartest alien in the galaxy, and it only cost you 26k! How lucky is that?!

>Obtained Grey Matter core

Now, it’s time for you to grab some Chromeware from the local chop-shop.

----------

You walk for about 15 minutes before arriving at dingy looking parlor, squished between a Cantonese restaurant and scrap shop. You squeeze through the doorway, and descend down the dark stairway with the hanging guardrail. The smell of nicotine and organic oil hang heavy in the air, and mix in a way that makes your stomach turn. Once you reach the bottom of the flight, a large man with a mechanical eye and crab-like prosthetic claw turns to face you while wiping his hands with a dirty rag.

(Cont.)

“Fidg! Been a while since I’ve seen you around these parts.” he says with a heavy Russian accent. “Finally decide to get some work done?”

“Yeah. Figured I’d need some Chrome sooner or later.” you say while observing the list of available modifications.

You have 34,000 credits left to spend.

Arms
>Reinforced Knuckle Dusters(10,000) [Provides a powerful punch in a pinch.]
>Cyberarm!(10,000 each) [BIONIC ARM]
>Mantis Blades(20,000 each) [You’ve got swords in your arms, bro!]
>Concussive Plate(20,000) [If someone you don’t like walks up to you, just give ‘em a shove.]
>Slicer Print(30,000) [Hack cybernetics and security systems in an instant. The world is in the palm of your hands.]

Legs
>Hydraulic Jack(10,000) [Run faster, last longer, KICK HARDER!]
>Hidden Compartments(10.000) [Perfect for smuggling bootleg products.]

Eyes
>Eye-spy(20,000) [Equipped with a microscopic zoom lens, spectrum shifting and 20 vision! *User must pay for the other 20 separately*]
>Light Brite(10,000) [Creates a flash of blinding light in order to stun your enemies.]

Body
>Apex Dermal Plating and Bone Lacing(30,000) [Be unbreakable!]
>Platelet Factory(10,000) [Heal from recent wounds faster.]
>Wired Reflexes with Reflex Trigger(10,000) [Heads up!]

Head
>Neural Link(20,000) [You’ve got a computer in your brain, bro!]

>>4122575
I'm not passing out, so it must be a good sign!

>>4122676
Making some adjustments to make things more fair and accessible.

Price Reductions:

Hidden Compartments (3,000)
Light Brite (5,000)
Eye Spy (7,000)
Reinforced Knuckle Dusters (4,000)
Concussive Plate (12,000)

>>4122688
Nice but now it's mine turn to pass out, Good night. See ya in the morning .

>>4122688
>Eye Spy (7,000)
>Hydraulic Jack(10,000) [Run faster, last longer, KICK HARDER!]
>Wired Reflexes with Reflex Trigger(10,000) [Heads up!]

>>4123101
Backing this one. Better reflexes are always a good thing.

>>4123101
+ 1

>>4123101
>>4123433
>>4123526
Writing...

“I’ll take these.” you say while highlighting your selections. You’ve never gotten any work done before, so it’s making you a bit nervous. But seeing as you’re gonna be an Underground Pro, you might as well have a little extra insurance.

“Very well. Lie down while I get everything ready.” Ivor demands as he directs you to the operating table. But in reality, it’s more like one of those chairs that you sit in when you go to the dentist. Not that you’ve ever been to one, but you’ve heard about them before.

You lie down as instructed, struggling to keep your calm as a series of cybernetic arms hover over your body. One by one, they prick your flesh and inject tranquilizers in order to numb your body and put you to sleep. Normally, Ivor allows his patients to stay awake and watch the process, but since you’re getting an eye removed, it’d probably be a good idea to take a nap.

“Sweet dreams…” Ivor whispers. Darkness clouds your vision, and you find yourself unable to move your body at all. And the next thing you know, you’re out cold.

----------

When you awaken, you find that your body is a tad bit sore from being dissected. But the dull pain behind your eye is a bit more intense than what you were prepared for. It takes a moment for your right eye to focus properly. Everything looks so blurry, and your depth perception is all kinds of fucked up.

“Hold on. Stay right there.” yells Ivor as he runs across the room to grab a thin metal tool and a supply kit of some sort. He then pushes you back down forcefully, but you don’t have the strength to fight him off at the moment.

“Hold still, or you’ll be sitting in this chair for a much longer time.” Ivor jokes. That thin, metal tool of his inches ever closer to your eye, causing you to panic and struggle a bit. But seeing as you’re trapped beneath the weight of Ivor’s claw, you have no choice but to grit your teeth and bear with it.

Finally, his metal tool touches your eye, and you’re surprised to find that you don’t feel a thing. It’s an awkward and unpleasant feeling, but not at all painful.

And with a sharp twist, everything on your right side goes red, and Ivor now looks to be hanging from the ceiling. That dull pressure from before becomes even more intense, and it’s now accompanied by a prickly numbness.

“Just a little while longer. That lens wasn’t a good fit, but this one should work just fine…” explains Ivor as he drops the iris lens into an antiseptic cup and replaces it with another. As soon as he locks it in place, everything goes back to normal, and the discomfort from before is gone. Now your eye feels like it really belongs in your head. And you swear that you were able to see an assortment of stat readings in the corner of your eye for a second there.

(Cont.)

“There. Good as new!” Ivor proclaims. He raises your chair and lowers down a mirror in order to show you how you look. You’re shocked to see that your iris lens is a different color from your natural eye, but after blinking a few times, it quickly adjusts itself to appear identical to the other.

“Now it may take a while to adjust to your new implants. Disorientation, Nausea and Vertigo are very common symptoms of those who undergo this procedure.” explains Ivor. However, you disregard his statements and try to get back on your feet.

You nearly stumble at first, but your newly installed Hydraulic Jacks compensate for the shift in weight in order to help you balance yourself. And having the Reflex Wire Trigger makes it much easier to get used to the shifts in weight and perspective. Despite having Chrome installed in your body, you feel light, and your scars are barely visible. Those skin grafts were top notch.

“You caught on quickly. That’s good.” says Ivor as he cleans his tools and examines a diagram of some sort. “I installed a small neural link to help you control your new eye. It should allow you to focus only on the things you wish to focus on. Everything else is shoved into background processing. It’s no supercomputer, but it should be enough to keep you from falling over or passing out.”

You transfer the payment to his account, and he hands you a set of stimpacks and adrenals.

“Take these if you are feeling extreme discomfort or loss of balance. If your chip feels like it’s overheating, come back for a checkup and I’ll get you sorted.” says Ivor. During the time that he’s confirming the payment, you grab his claw and shake it firmly.

“Thanks, doc. Don’t know what we’d do without you.” you say with a grateful tone. The doctor just smiles and lets out a hearty laugh.

“You be safe out there, young man. I’d hate to lose a new customer so soon.” jokes Ivor. As you turn to leave, Ivor waves at you with his claw. You proceed up the staircase slowly and carefully, just in case your new modifications decide to behave unpredictably. But so far, you haven;t been experiencing any problems.

It seems that two hours have passed since you’ve entered, but you’ve still got most of the day to yourself. Time to head home and relax for a bit.

---------

Once you reach your apartment complex, you make a steep climb up six flights of stairs to reach your floor. You really wish they invested in an elevator for this cheap ass apartment, but that would probably break like everything else around here. The paint on the walls is chipped, the tiles are broken, and you basically have to provide for yourself services to yourself since the landlord is a lazy slob. But on the bright side, it’s dirt cheap to live here, which has allowed you to save up money to sustain your Burner lifestyle up until now. Maybe one day you’ll make enough to move out and obtain citizenship. Assuming that's what you really want.

(Cont.)

Just then, you’re distracted by the presence of a boy sitting outside his apartment door. Sounds like the neighbors are arguing again. You really wish the walls weren’t so thin. You can hear them arguing every night, as well as their bi-weekly makeup sex. Can’t imagine what this kid must be going through. Doesn’t even look like they’re feeding him properly. And you’re pretty sure his cheek is swollen.

His eyes meet yours for a moment, but you quickly avert your gaze in order to avoid having to get involved with his drama. What do you do?

>Offer him a few credits to buy himself something to eat.
>Knock on your neighbors door and tell them to pipe down.
>Ignore it. You’ve been doing so for years now.
>Go into your room and test out your new Grey Matter core. You’re gonna use your neighbors to alleviate some stress.
>”Hey kid, you doing alright? You don’t need to go to a med-center or nothing, right? Because I don’t have that sort of money.”
>Write-in.

>>4123669
"Work and learn kid, it's what i've been told if you want to survive and remember those who treat you right cause you can do the same.Some motivation and offer a few credits to buy himself something to eat. Also don't do drugs, it's a waste of money.

>>4123826
Oops forgot to link.
>Work and learn kid, it's what i've been told if you want to survive and remember those who treat you right cause you can do the same. Some motivation and Offer a few credits to buy himself something to eat, Also don't do drugs it's a waste of money and time.You can do better if you put your all into bettering your life.

>>4123669
>>Work and learn kid, it's what i've been told if you want to survive and remember those who treat you right cause you can do the same. Some motivation and Offer a few credits to buy himself something to eat, Also don't do drugs it's a waste of money and time.You can do better if you put your all into bettering your life.

>>4123840
>>4123987
Writing...

You open your front door and consider stepping inside, putting this entire ordeal behind you. But some part of you feels for the little guy. After all, you were in a pretty rough spot when you were his age.

“Alright kid, listen up…” you say while turning around to face him and rolling your eyes. “If you want to survive out here, work your ass off and learn everything you can. The more you know, the longer you'll live.”

You kneel down to meet him at eye level, and the boy watches you with cautious curiosity.

“But I’m not telling you to be one of those cynical assholes, either. If someone treats you right and actually gives a shit about you, then you keep ‘em close. But you’ve gotta make sure that they’re not working an angle. It’s a complicated process, but you’ll get the hang of it.” you say in a rather fast paced manner. The boy simply stares in silence and blinks every so often to remind you that he's alive. Geez, this kid is a wreck.

“God you’re killing me, kid. Here.” you say while handing him a few credits. “That should be enough to get you something good to eat.” you state as you correct your posture. But before you straighten your knees, you kneel back down to address a very serious topic.

“Do. Not. Buy. Drugs. With. That. Money. You got me? Drugs will ruin your life and make you go broke.” you proclaim while wagging a finger at him. “I’m serious. You’ll end up in a shittier apartment than this if you do.”

Finally feeling satisfied with the advice that you gave him, you open your door and close it behind you. Hopefully some of that got through to him. You couldn’t tell if he was quiet or stupid.

You decide to put the issue out of your mind, and catch some Z’s. But before you can do so, your phone chirps loudly. Upon checking it, you see a message from Lorelei.

It reads: “Hey killer, thanks for last night. Really needed that. Just wanted to know if you were down for that job I mentioned earlier. Got a solid crew together, and I just thought I’d dangle the proposition in front of you one last time. So you in, or nah?”

>”Yeah, I’m in.”
>”Not this time. Just gonna relax for tonight.”
>"Still don't think it's a good idea to hit Apex on this run. They might snap back on us for this."
>”What kind of crew did you slap together this time?”
>”As long as I don’t have to do too much legwork, I’m down.”
>”Might as well. Duo gave me a bit of a task to carry out on this run.”
>Write-in.

>>4124789
>>”What kind of crew did you slap together this time?”
>”Might as well. Duo gave me a bit of a task to carry out on this run.”

>>4124854
+1

>>4124854
>>4125425
Writing...

File: mirsad-agic-tramway.jpg (367 KB, 1400x639)

367 KB JPG

“What kind of crew did you slap together this time?” you inquire.

“Our decker/slicer is Preacher. He doesn’t take jobs very often, but when he does, they’re usually meant to screw over Corpos. I hear he’s a slam poet as well. Real interesting fellow.” says Lorelei with a hint of a chuckle lingering in her voice.

“So long as he does his job, I don’t care if he starts singing show tunes on the tram.” you say while trying to stifle a laugh.

“We can only hope.” Lorelei says, her voice brimming with amusement. “Our next guy is Riot. Real tough guy with a penchant for martial arts and martial weapons. Real undisciplined. Was probably raised on cheesy Kung-fu movies.”

“Sounds like a risk. Sure we can trust him?” you ask.

“Nothing the Firebrand can’t handle, I’m sure.” Lorelei says. You’re nearly certain that her lips curled into a smile just now.

“And last but not least, we’ve got a new guy.” says Lorelei, barely managing to contain her excitement. Usually it’s the other way around when you hire a rookie Burner. “Calls herself Valerian, and get this, she’s a mage!”

“Now that’s a recipe for disaster.” you proclaim while socketing your Unitrix cores into your portable charger. “Rookies and Magic don’t exactly go well together. I say we drop her from the crew.”

“Relax, Fidg. It’s a decently easy op, so we’re just gonna take it slow.” Lorelei explains. “And besides, you can always pull out if it gets too hot.”

But that means no pay. All play with no pay doesn’t exactly lead to an enjoyable lifestyle. At this rate, you’ll end up like one of those Burnouts.

“So...you in?!” she asks for a final time with a sense of urgency.

“Might as well. Duo’s given me a job to do on this run.” you say in a nonchalant manner.

“Duo?! Oh fuck…” Lorelei whispers. “In that case, pulling out of this op might not be an option. I’ll let you fill me in on the details when you meet up with the crew on the tram. But for now, just get some rest. You’re gonna need it.” she says in a slightly panicked tone.

“Will do.” you say.

After hanging up, you flop down onto your bed, set an alarm and slowly close your eyes.

--------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzX38W3AYfI

The sound of your alarm pulls you back to reality and forces you out of bed. You spend a bit of time throwing on your Firebrand disguise before heading out. Can’t let any cameras ID you on this run.

You grab your portable core charger, along with your assortment of Unitrices. They should definitely come in handy tonight.

After you’ve gotten everything that you could possibly need, you exit your apartment and lock the door behind you. As you walk down the hallway and make your way down the stairs, you spot the kid from before. He looks much better than he did before. Less pale and skinny. And he even seems to be reading a book of some sort. He must have had some money left over.

You give him a brief nod, and he responds with a quick wave.

(Cont.)

--------

On your way to the tram station, you carefully plot out routes to travel down in order to avoid being spotted by cameras. Last thing you need is for Apex to track you back to your apartment. Lorelei didn’t mention this part over comms, simply because you’re so used to this by now. This ain’t your first rodeo.

The hustle and bustle of B-Town only aids in masking our presence among the wage slaves and Xeno citizens, Luckily, none of them try to pick a fight with you during your commute.

--------

Upon arrival, you walk along the tram station’s platform, searching for a very particular tram with a wizard graffitied on the side. A bit of a difficult task considering that all of these trams are absolutely covered in graffiti. But once you actually manage to find it, you quickly scan a point-card, causing the doors to swing open for you with a discreet squeak.

Once inside, you notice that there aren’t many people at all in this tram. Should be safe to talk shop in here.

Your eyes search the inside of the tram, and you immediately notice a burly, purple-haired man waving at you in the corner. Something tells you that must be Riot. And sitting across from him is a man with dark skin and an Anarchy symbol painted on his face.

You look for Valerian, but it appears that she hasn’t arrived yet.

“Red Rover, Red Rover, come on over! Don’t be shy now.” says the burly man with an Australian accent. Something tells you that you probably won’t like this guy.

With a sigh, you approach the two, taking a seat next to Preacher. Crazy how the anarchist is the most mellow out of the two.

“That’s Preacher, and I’m Riot.” says the loud individual. “I’m guessing your Firebrand. Big fan, mate.”

“Thanks. Any idea where our fourth is at?” you ask while looking around.

‘She’s getting on at the next stop. But in the meantime, you wanna hear some of Preacher’s slam poetry? Guy’s a major conspiracy nut! You’ve gotta hear it.” says Riot with a shit-eating grin.

>”Sure, why not?”
>”Nope. None of that. Why don’t we just play the quiet game until Valerian shows up?”
>”Maybe next time. Why’d you guys take this job, anyway?”
>”I think you guys are gonna want to hear what I’ve got to say first. Got a job from the big boss. We can’t afford to screw this shit up.”
>“What do you know about this Valerian character?”
>Write-in.

>>4126423
>>”I think you guys are gonna want to hear what I’ve got to say first. Got a job from the big boss. We can’t afford to screw this shit up.”
>“What do you know about this Valerian character?”

>>4126449
+1
Info !!

>>4126449
>>4127544
Writing...

“I think you guys are gonna want to hear what I’ve got to say, first.” you say, ignoring Riot’s proposition. “Got a job from the big boss. We can’t afford to screw this shit up.”

Preacher’s eyes open wide upon hearing you mention your boss. “Duo? I thought this run was small-time. What’s he want from us?” he asks with a raised eyebrow. Riot uncomfortably shifts in his seat after hearing the importance of this mission.

“Apex is developing more than one dangerous prototype. Duo says that they’re trying to make a Unitrix that can contain multiple strands of DNA. Possibly hundreds...or thousands.” you state with a grim tone. Sometime during your explanation, the tram begins to move.

“While that might be possible, there’s no one in the galaxy that could survive that many transformations. There’d be no point to it.” proclaims Preacher, who’s now invested in the conversation.

“That’s what Duo’s afraid of.” you state while folding your hands and staring at the floor.

“Then let’s hope it’s just a hoax, eh?” mutters Riot. The three of you fall silent for the remainder of the ride, preparing your minds for the mission to come, until finally, the tram comes to a screeching halt. This must be Valerian’s stop.

“What do you guys know about this Valerian character?” you inquire while looking around the tram’s interior. Seems like you and your team are gonna be alone for this ride. Just the way you like it.

Riot olds his arms and breathes out through his nose. “Dunno. Lorelei just told us that she was one of them scholars.”

Your confusion must be obvious, because Preacher jumps in to follow up on Riot’s explanation. “Scholars are obsessed with those ancient, dusty old books. Most people go mad from reading them, so GenSec tries to crack down on them Gypsy marketplaces that pop up every now and again.” he says with an excited grin. “Magic’s one of the only things that Apex can’t control, and it downright pisses them off.”

Before you can process this information, the tram’s doors slide open, and the only one to board the vehicle is none other than your crewmate. She wears black jeans, a baggy coat that cuts off just above her slender waist, and a neon lit medical mask around her mouth. But her most distinct feature is her light blue hair that peeks out of her hat.

She sits directly across from you and folds her arms together, revealing an assortment of charms wrapped around them, as well as a small totem dangling from her hip.

“And you must be Valerian.” you flatly say while examining her appearance. She does the same for you, but only offers a slight nod in response. For some reason, you feel as if you’ve seen her before.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” asks Riot as he examines her with a lecherous gaze. Valerian looks like she’s starting to regret sitting next to him, but decides not to vocally her concern.

“That’s fine. We’ll be the ones doing the talking, anyway.” you proclaim, hoping to draw Riot’s attention to you. Seems like it worked.

(Cont.)

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For the remainder of your trip, you explain your purpose on this mission, and your crewmates explain their capabilities. Preacher is your Decker, so he’ll be dealing with security and tech related obstacles. Riot is your Street Samurai, so he’ll be your muscle if things get hairy. And judging from Valerian’s totem, Lorelei failed to inform you on what kind of mage your crewmate was. She’s a Shaman, which is the most unpredictable kind.

But since you’re the group’s Burner, you’ll be picking up the slack. It’s abnormal to see more than one Burner per team, as the frequent transformation signals tend to attract GenSec’s attention.

----------

Once the tram drops you off, you and the rest of your crew walk the rest of the way to the facility. The streets are lightly populated tonight, but you decide to put a bit of distance between yourselves just to be safe. After about 20 minutes, you arrive at the site of the Apex facility, and just as you expected, it's heavily guarded with a ton of automated defenses. Guard patrols cover most of the entrances to the facility, and rotations seem to be frequent between them.

“This ain’t small-time no more…” whispers Preacher. “Those turrets at the front are gonna make a direct confrontation almost impossible, but I might be able to disable them.” he says while scratching his chin. He's right, though. This place looks more like a military base than a lab.

“But won’t that put the whole facility on high alert?” you ask, being the only one present with an accurate knowledge of Apex’s defenses.

“Not if we get rid of them real quick without raising too much of a fuss. That way, we can make it seem like the turrets and cameras just malfunctioned.” Riot says explains with a surprisingly decent suggestion.

“You don’t need to worry about the cameras. I’ll handle them.” says Valerian. You notice something moving around in her coat, which makes you and the others back away from her. However, you’re surprised when you see a small coyote peak its head out. How’d she smuggle that in here without any of you noticing?

Everyone looks to you in order to get your approval. They must think that you’re in charge because Duo sent you here for a purpose.

You hate to admit it, but their reckless plan has some merit. The crowded parking lot should hide you until you decide to reveal yourselves.

(Cont.)

You’ve got a hacker, a meathead and a mage. What do you want to do?

>Approve of the direct attack on the front gate. It’ll be the last thing they’d expect. Strike fast and hard! (Cannonbolt or Four Arms)
>Propose that you sneak inside through the sewers. It might be messy, and it might take a while, but it’s your safest bet.
>Transform into Bat-a-Boom and blow the roof open. That should draw some attention away from your team for a while.
>Sneak around the back and carve a hole through one of the walls with Heatblast.
>Sneak inside with Grey Matter and disable the security systems from the inside.
>Use Spidermonkey to stealthily take out a few guards before you enter the base.
>Use Wildmutt to carefully predict guard rotations and sneak inside.
>Order the others to do something. (Write-in.)
>Write-in.

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt
>Spidermonkey
>Wildmutt

>>4127659
>>Sneak inside with Grey Matter and disable the security systems from the inside.

>>4127683
+1
>Others take out those in the way before they can notify others and to be as stealthy as possible

>>4127659
>Approve of the direct attack on the front gate. It’ll be the last thing they’d expect. Strike fast and hard! (Cannonbolt or Four Arms)
>Cannonbolt

>>4127732
Forgot my stealthy approach.
Changing to >>4127737
Let them do as plan.Hope this doesn't backfire.

>>4127659
>>4127749
Changing to
> Approve of hacker and valerian to deal with the security system to slip inside without notice, turn into Wildmutt to sneak inside & to predict rotations. Meathead stick close to us.

>>4127915
Gonna switch to this.

>>4127915
>>4128481
Writing...

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You pause to think of your next course of action, and you feel as if it’d be easier for you and the others to split up at this point. Traveling in a group would be even more dangerous if you were planning on sticking to the stealth routine.

“If you think you can get it done without causing a fuss, then be my guest. But we don't break radio silence for the next 20 minutes. Are we clear on that?” you ask with a demanding tone. Since there’s no protest, you take that as a yes.

“Valerian, Preacher, do your thing. Riot, you’re with me.” you order. All of them nod and move into their positions.

“We’ll cause some chaos to divert their attention. Stay safe, brother.” says Preacher with a salute. Valerian silently nods in confirmation, and you do the same.

“Lead the way, chief.” whispers Riot in a hushed tone. The two of you then split off from the others as you attempt to find a quiet corner to hide the flash of your Unitrix.

---------

Once you’ve transformed into Wildmutt, you take a minute to adjust to your surroundings. The buzzing of fluorescent and neon lighting fills your ears, as well as the pounding heartbeats, thundering footsteps and fuzzy radio chatter of nearby guards. All of which will be very important to the success of your mission.

A few guards uncharacteristically rotate towards the front of the facility, and you notice that there are a few of them that have unusually low heart rates. Must be unconscious. Sounds like Valerian and Preacher are doing their job. You aren’t exactly sure how, but it seems to be working so far. Let’s hope it stays that way.

“We all set?” asks Riot in an impatient manner as he paces back and forth. Due to your speech limitations, you simply lower yourself to the ground and signal him to hop on your back. Riot does so with a hint of excitement, but you just hope he can contain himself enough to refrain from screaming.

Once he gets settled onto your back, you break into a full sprint towards the main facility. With the use of your radar sense and sonar, you carefully avoid any spotlights or nearby guards while vertically scaling a wall with your claws. You can feel Riot’s grip tightening on your back, but you try to ignore it.

Upon reaching the roof, you silently tear off a vent grate and allow Riot to climb off your back. Despite you doing all of the work, he seems worn out for some reason. Maybe he’s not good with heights.

With a snort and a small shove, you signal Riot to quickly climb down the vent. He does so with a look of agitation. You follow him shortly afterwards, but you quickly find that the vents are becoming cramped for your large body. So for now, you decide to time out and pop the core into your portable charging station.

Doesn’t matter anyway. You’ve pretty much memorized the guard’s rotation patterns. So long as nothing unexpected happens in the next few minutes, you should be fine.

(Cont.)

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------

You crawl through the warm and dusty vents for about 4 minutes, before finding something that resembles a lab. But you aren’t sure if it’s the lab you’re looking for.

You and Riot take a peek, and you see an assortment of science staff and robots crawling around the area. But it looks like the robots are mostly there to clean, micromanage, and record data. No guards in sight.

One of the lab techs leaves the room in a hurry, followed by another after they receive a seemingly important message, leaving only one lab tech in the room.

How do you want to play this?

>Transform into Spidermonkey and subdue the lab tech while Riot deals with the robots.
>Transform into Grey Matter and attempt to access the computer’s database without anyone noticing.
>Slide the grate open, jump down into the lab and subdue the lab tech before she can even scream. Your mods should make you fast enough to pull this off.
>Transform into Spidermonkey and disable the cameras in the room.
>Transform into Heatblast to activate the sprinklers in the room. That might scare her off.
>Transform into Grey Matter and rewire the robot’s circuitry to make it go haywire.
>Continue your search through the vents. You might find something even more interesting.
>Give Riot an order.(Write-in.)
>Write-in.

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt
>Spidermonkey
>Wildmutt

>>4128896
> tear off a piece of cloth enought to cover one's face and give it to Riot to cover his face, Transform into Spidermonkey and disable the cameras then subdue the lab tech with webbings, while Riot deal with the robots.
Want to cover riot face so lab tech can't identity him later on when we "Interrogate" for info then knock them out.

>>4129025
>> tear off a piece of cloth enought to cover one's face and give it to Riot to cover his face, Transform into Spidermonkey and disable the cameras then subdue the lab tech with webbings, while Riot deal with the robots.

>>4129025
>>4129181
Writing...

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You consider tearing off a piece of fabric from your shirt, but you feel as if the process might just be too painful for you to bear. After all, your Firebrand getup isn’t cheap.

However, it seems that Riot’s gotten the gist of your gesture, as he; already equipped a bandana to wrap around his face. The two of you nod to one another, before you socket in your Spidermonkey core and slam your hand down onto the Unitrix. In a brief flash of orange light, your body transforms into that of an Arachnachimp. And it seems that the lab tech was too absorbed in her work to notice any of that.

In an instant, you and Riot slide the grate open and leap down into the lab. And before the lab tech can properly react, you web her mouth shut and wrap her body in said webbing. With light tug from your four arms, the scientist comes flying towards you, where you catch her body and roll her into a proper cocoon. Meanwhile, Riot seems to be making a game out of smashing the remaining robots in the lab. Can’t have any witnesses, after all.

Once you’ve tied up the loose ends, you stick the lab tech to the ceiling and make your way over to the large computer that sits in the corner of the room. Looks like she left it unlocked too. What a score!

With your four sets of nimble fingers, you quickly browse through the facility’s database. Most of the information is encrypted, but you manage to gather some relevant data during your search.

The info surrounding their “Omnitrix” project contained a bunch of peculiar notes. They kept mentioning the words “Headmasters”, "Galvan Prime" and “Tennysons” but you don’t know what any of it means. Might as well copy it to your drive to show it to Duo later. He’ll want to check this out.

You have Riot toss you the hard drive that he’d been carrying in his pocket, and you insert the datajack into the proper socket. Seems like the info is being copied over without any problems.

But in the corner of your eye, you spot a black and white scanner laying near the edge of the table. It looks alot like the device that was displayed in the Omnitrix project. If you understood it right, they said that it could be used to detect the perfect candidate for their little Omnitrix project. Whoever this scanner approves will be chosen to rule the world…

Might as well snag it too. Could be an interesting thing for Duo or Lorelei to inspect later.

You pass the device over to Riot, who appears to be confused by your interest in this device.

“Hey, what’s this for?” he asks.

“Just hold onto it.” you say flatly. “This isn’t the lab that holds the Null Versa prototype. That one’s buried deeper into the facility. And we’re gonna need some security clearance to even get close to it.”

“Figures.” Riot says with a huff. “So we need to snag a key-card? Well where are we supposed to-” Riot pauses before finishing his sentence, and both of you look up to stare at the keycard precariously dangling from the subdued lab tech’s neck.

Jackpot!

(Cont.)

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----------

After mapping out the path to the main lab and copying Apex’s files, you hide the debris from Riot’s scuffle and stuff the lab tech into a closet. That webbing should dissolve in a couple of hours anyway.

The biggest challenge is going to be sneaking through the facility without the convenience of having air vents placed everywhere. But a private message to your crew’s Decker should make your job much easier.

You click your communicator on and off a couple of times, simulating a type of Morse Code known only to Burners and Runners. It’s a series of brief, but repetitive transmissions that won’t immediately tip anyone off, but it’ll most likely seem strange to them once you’ve robbed them blind and made a daring escape.

It takes a minute, but Preacher responds to your message with a long beep, meaning that he understands your request. Your transmission revealed your location to him, as well as your predicament. So he decides to solve the problem by entering the Grid and crippling their systems.

All of a sudden, the lights in the building go out all at once, putting the entire facility on high alert. It was a risky play, but at least it’ll allow you to move freely for a while.

You grab hold of Riot and crawl along the ceiling once more, allowing several guard squads to pass you by in the hallway. You encounter several locked doors, which you bypass by lowering the key card on a webbed tether and touching it against the scanning plate. This continues to work for every door except the lone leading to the main lab. Clearance must not be high enough, and you don;t have time to look for another key-card.

You message Preacher in order to see if he can get the door open, but you do not receive a response. At least, not a discreet one.

“We’re pinned down here boss! They’ve found us!” shouts Preacher from the other end of your communicator. Seems like his and Valerian’s luck has finally run out. The sound of gunfire and carnage can clearly be heard in the background.

“We don’t got time for this, boss-man. Just pry the door open and let’s get this shit over with.” Riot proposes. The only problem with his plan is that these doors most likely have sensors installed in them. If pried open by force, they’d trigger an alarm, alerting the guards and just about everyone in the facility. They’d be on top of you in no time.

You think you can see the prototype from where you’re standing, but there’s also a few guards standing between you and your prize.

The objective for this run was to grab the device, erase the research data, and trash the lab. Alternatively, you can destroy the prototype, erase the data and trash the lab. Either way, Null Versa’s main goal seems to be getting the prototype and the data out of Apex’s hands. But you’re not sure if you can access the database without Preacher’s help. That is unless you use Grey Matter.

(Cont.)

What do you do?

>Force the door open with Spidermonkey and quickly switch to Grey Matter in order to avoid being detected.
>Transform into Grey Matter and try to find an alternative entrance. It might take a while, which could endanger your crew.
>Transform into Four Arms, smash through the doors and attack the guards head on!
>Transform into Bat-a-Boom and blow the doors open, creating a smokescreen in the process.
>Send Riot to help the others.
>Pull back and save your crew!

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt
>Spidermonkey (Currently in use)
>Wildmutt (Recharging...)

>>4129512
>>Force the door open with Spidermonkey and quickly switch to Grey Matter in order to avoid being detected.

>>4129623
+ 1

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“You’re right. Wait here.” you demand. Using your four muscular arms, you wedge your fingers between the crack of the electronic doors, causing the metal to creak and bend. Sparks begin to fly onto your fur from the strained machinery that struggles against your superhuman might. However, you didn’t plan on an alarm going off as soon as you pried the door open, and you certainly didn't plan on the door giving you this much resistance.

And as a result of these miscalculations, the nearby guards become alerted to your position and raise their guns to fire upon you and Riot. Before they can pull their triggers, you fire a string of webbing at a heavy metal grate on the floor, and with a strong yank, you pull it up just in time to block their bullets. For a research facility, they sure do have a lot of firepower. But you’re surprised that you haven’t encountered anyone wielding a Unitrix yet.

“Shit! Now look at what you did.” shouts Riot as he bobs and weaves between cover while firing at the guards with his modded submachine gun.

“Just keep them suppressed and buy me some time.” you reply. At first Riot appears to be a bit confused by your order, but his eyes go wide with shock when he witnesses you slap your Unitrix symbol in order to time out early. As soon as the flash dissipates, you pop the core out, swap it with your Grey Matter core and slam your hand back down onto it. Within about five seconds, you managed to time out and swap aliens. Your Reflex trigger is really coming in handy on this mission.

Now that you’ve shrunk down considerably, you hop out of the way of the incoming hail of gunfire, evading both their projectiles and their attention for the time being. Riot seems to panic when the enemy starts making attempts to flank him, but you trust him to get the job done while you handle the important part of this mission.

You hop from corner to corner, until you finally make it to the lab’s main computer. The researchers within the room are currently cowering in the corner, allowing you to work your magic without interruption.

It takes you about 30 seconds to figure out the three encryptions that the staff use for every single file in their database, and by the sounds of the fight going on behind you, Riot is doing a decent job of holding his own.

Now that you have full access to their paydata, you begin downloading all of the relevant information relating to the prototype, including some files you found containing info on this whole Omnitrix project.

You’d like to stay and obtain more information, but you fear that your teammates wouldn’t hold out that long. For now, you’ll have to settle with the paydata that you’ve managed to copy onto a nearby hard drive.

After the process is complete, you grab the drive and go to check on Riot.

(Cont.)

While you were absorbed in your work, it seems like Riot got overwhelmed and pinned down by the brunt of this facility’s security team. You notice that two of them have Unitrices as well.

You’re team’s in quite the pickle here, and it might be tough to pull them out. You already have the majority of the paydata, and you've got the prototype within your line of sight at the moment.

It appears to be a gold bracelet composed of a synthetic material similar to electrum. However, judging by its exposed circuitry and wiring, it appears to be unfinished.

If you really wanted to, you could grab the prototype and leave now, saving you a ton of time and trouble. After all, your crewmates are about to be collapsed upon by GenSec and whatever else Apex has to throw at them. But are you really that heartless?

"Firebrand, what are you waiting for?!" screams Riot with a desperate plea.

"Preacher's been hit! We need to pull out!" shouts Valerian from Riot's communicator.

>FUCK IT! Pull out with the prototype and paydata!
>Transform into Cannonbolt, grab Riot and barrel through the security team.
>Transform into Bat-a-Boom (or Heatblast) and destroy the lab with everyone inside. You get paid extra if you do!
>Transform into Four Arms, grab Riot and smash through the facility's walls until you're outside.
>Write-in.

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter (Currently in use)
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt
>Spidermonkey (Recharging)
>Wildmutt (Recharging...)

>>4130715
>Transform into Bat-a-Boom destroy the lab, then get out by exploding the door with enough force to blast it into the enemy, then create a stun/Flash grenade, grab Riot and create a smoke grenade to escape, tell preacher & valerian to pull out.
Leaving escape route to you galvan, since we really don't know the layout of the place.But firebrand should know a way out from using Wildmutt
Leaving escape

>>4130715
>>Transform into Cannonbolt, grab Riot and barrel through the security team.

>>4131018
+1
Preacher & valerian pull out

>>4131018
>>4131129
Apologies for the delay. Been out all day preparing for a trip. I'll be out of state for a few days, but I will still try to update to the best of my ability. here's hoping I don't get banned.

Writing...

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You utter a low grunt as you prematurely end your transformation in a flash of azure light, returning yourself to your human form. The flash draws the attention of nearby guards, and you begin to panic as they point the muzzles of their guns in your direction.

But due to your enhanced reflexes, you are able to pop out Grey Matter’s core, socket it in the charging station, draw Cannonbolt’s core and pop it into your Omnitrix within a relatively short time-frame. And right before they pull their trigger, you slam your hand down onto your watch, bathing your body in a burst of orange light.

When the light fades, you’ve been reborn as Cannonbolt!

You curl up into a ball and roll in front of Riot, blocking any bullets that may have been headed for him a second ago. His expression is one of relief, but his legs are still shaking so bad that he can barely stand.

“We’re getting out of here. Take this.” you say while handing him both the prototype and the secondary drive that you swiped. You then spot a brief flash of green light in the corner of your eye, only to find that two of the guards have transformed into aliens. One is a Tetramand wielding a minigun, and the other is Sphoeroid with an oversized helmet protecting his bulbous head.

Without warning, you snatch up Riot into your arms and curl up into a ball once more,before rolling backwards into the security force. Most of them attempt to jump out of your way, but they do so to no avail as you barrel through the brunt of their forces, knocking them into the air and flattening others beneath your dermal plates.

Due to your close proximity with his squad mates, the Tetramand is forced to throw away his gun and confront you head on. He attempts to grab you in an attempt to get you off of the ground.

Roll 1d100+10, bo3!

Rolled 25 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4131787

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>4131787

File: Ben Prime.jpg (334 KB, 1920x1080)

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Gonna sleep before my flight, but I'm gonna drop a link here while we wait for another roll.

https://discord.gg/v9GCGm

This is the Discord server that I frequent for fellow QM's and quest enthusiasts. Highly recommend joining if you want a solid group to pal around with or a neat quest to follow. You can find me in there, as well as the channel I use for my quest. You can't miss it!

If you need the link to be reposted later, then let me know. I will be posting these links at the beginning of new threads from now on.

Rolled 89 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4131787

Rolled 58 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4131787

File: Spoiler Image (64 KB, 728x724)

64 KB JPG

>99!

The Tetramand grabs both sides of your body, and with a single mighty lift, he liberates you from the ground in a fantastic display of superhuman strength.

However, you continue to spin around, even while he holds you, giving the large red alien friction burns on all four of his hands.

He lets out a deafening cry, which is slightly muffled as the sound passes through your shell.

Eventually, he lets go of you, allowing you to roll him over and trap him beneath your weight. Meanwhile, the Sphoeroid spits a torrent of green slime in your direction.

However, all it takes for you to avoid the projectile is a slight deviation in your path. And lucky for you, the slime projectile hits the Tetramand and glides him to the floor.

For a moment, the Sphoeroid looks remorseful, but a moment is all you give him before you plow through him and the rest of the security force.

Next stop, Valerian and Preacher!

----------

You roll your bulbous body through the halls of the research facility, deflecting bullets and rolling over anyone unlucky enough to stand in your way.

Eventually, you plow through a crumbling wall, allowing you to exit the building and bypass a good chunk of their automated defense systems.

You unfurl your body and set Riot on the ground as you take a moment to observe your surroundings.

"I think I'm gonna hurl…" mutters Riot as he doubles over and places his hand over his mouth.

"Get it together. We need to find the others." you demand with a stern glare. Then suddenly, a massive explosion rocks the entire facility, causing a plume of fire to rise high into the sky, before dispersing into embers under the pale moonlight.

"Huh. Found 'em" Riot remarks with a sky grin.

---------

After grabbing Riot and rolling towards the sounds of carnage, you find your missing crew members pinned down by a large group of soldiers.

But this isn't just any old military group. From the looks of their uniforms and the top of the line chromeware mods that they've been outfitted with, this is GenSec.

GenSec, short for "Genetic Security", consists of cherry picked soldiers that are in charge of taking down Burners and Burnouts. If there's ever an issue with Unitrices involved, you can bet that GenSec's gonna stick their noses in your business. Not much is known about them besides the fact that they whore themselves out alien contractors in order to get in their pockets and score a fat stack of creds. But you definitely know that they're bad news.

Valerian seems to be holding her own, just barely, but Preacher seems to be gravely wounded from a nasty bullet wound to the side of his stomach. This whole situation just got a hell of a lot more hairy.

(Cont.)

What do you do?

>Drop off Riot and roll into GenSec!
>Try to grab your friends as Cannonbolt and roll them to safety.
>Transform into Heatblast and roast these guys alive!
>Transform into Bat-a-Boom, blind them with a flashbang and fly your friends out of here.
>Transform into Four Arms and start throwing cars at them!
>Write-in.

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter (Recharging...)
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt(Currently in use)
>Spidermonkey (Recharging...)
>Wildmutt (Recharging...)

>>4132642
>>Try to grab your friends as Cannonbolt and roll them to safety.

>>4132669
+1
How long per se does it take for the aliens to recharge?

>>4132669
>>4132720
Each Unitrix core can only be used once every hour due to Apex mass producing them as cheap imitations of the real thing. Making them crappy keeps Burners from becoming too powerful, and they charge much slower if they aren't being charged with an Apex brand charging station. Writing...

Without hesitating, you grab all of your crew members and attempt to make a hasty retreat as you curl up into a ba,, and roll away as fast as you possibly can. You try your best to avoid jostling Preacher too much, but you can’t afford to slow down right now. At this point, GenSec has stopped firing blindly, and they’re currently coordinating their efforts in order to prevent you from retreating.

You overhear a gargled mess of a language from one of the mercenaries, which is what you assume to be a language that they adopted from the cluster-fuck that is known as the Xeno-Galactic Aristocracy. They often use it to communicate with one another in order to prevent outsiders from learning their secrets.

Up ahead, you notice a group of them jabbing an assortment of metal rods into the ground. They seem to be setting up a Disruptor Gate, which is a device capable of forcing you out of your alien form if you pass through it. It’s nothing more than a precise shock meant to disable your Unitrix, but GenSec have often used it to fry their victims instead of pacifying them.

You narrowly manage to avoid the Disruptor Gate as it erects before you, giving you the opportunity you need to hop the facility’s fence without losing momentum. For now, it looks like GenSec isn’t pursuing you. Which means you’re free to fly down this empty street until you time out, and you plan to do exactly that.

------------

Once you time out, you toss your Cannonbolt core into a trashcan bonfire in order to dispose of it. GenSec will be chasing an Arburian Pelarota signal tonight, but they won’t find it on you.

Meanwhile, Riot’s busy throwing up in some alleyway, and Valerian is using a healing spell on Preacher. The pale, green light emanating from her hands seems to flow through the air like living creatures as they sew Preacher’s damaged flesh together.

“We’re so fucked!” shouts Riot as he wipes his mouth and smooths out his graphic tee with his hands. “Lorelei said this was supposed to be a milk run. A real piece of cheese.”

“She never said anything about that. You just assumed it.” Valerian says while rising to her feet. Looks like Preacher’s stable...for now.

Riot scoffs at Valerian, before snatching her scarf from her face in anger, revealing her to be...your co-worker Mona?!

Mona quickly snatches the scarf back in a desperate attempt to preserve her identity.

“Some mage you are. You’re supposed to pull us out of trouble, not make more!” shouts Riot.

However, Preacher interrupts their petty dispute by staggering to his feet and putting an arm between them.

“Not her fault...I took a risk in the Grid...got my ass handed to me by a Rogue Program. Gave me the worst case of Dump Shock I’ve ever had in my life...and triggered the alarms.” Preacher whispers through labored breath.

He nearly collapses from the stress, but Riot manages to catch him in time before he hits the ground.

(Cont.)

“So what now? GenSec’s on our asses now, and they won’t stop until we’re all dead, or worse.” states Mona without bothering to cover her face up again. There's not much of a point anymore now that you've all seen it.

So, what are you going to do?

>”Let’s split up and lay low for now. We’ll all get paid, and we won’t be killed. Hopefully…”
>”We can go to my place to recoup for a bit. But not for too long.”
>”Let’s go back to the Underground to hand this stuff in. I’m sure Duo would understand if we explained the situation to him.”
>”We stick together and squat in some hole until we’re completely sure that GenSec isn’t on our tails.”
>Write-in.

>>4133103
>>”Let’s split up and lay low for now. We’ll all get paid, and we won’t be killed. As long as we don't start up trouble.”

>>4133114
+1

>>4133103
>”Let’s split up and lay low for now. We’ll all get paid, and we won’t be killed. Hopefully…”

Hope Duo doesn't backstab us. It's not like anyone saw our face right?

“Let’s split up and lay low for now. That way, we’ll all get paid and we won’t be killed.” you declare in a pessimistic tone. “So long as we don’t do anything stupid, I mean.”

“Fine by me. I’ll make sure Preach gets home without bleeding out all over the streets.” says Riot as he tosses three items to you and Mona. You’ve caught the Prototype and the drive, and Mona’s got a hold of the scanner that you snagged earlier.

“Well, I’d say it’s been fun, but that’d be a bold ass lie.” Riot shouts as he drags Preacher into an alleyway and disappears. Now that you and Mona are alone, you’re tempted to confront her about her shadowrunning hobby, but that would be pretty weird coming from a “Stranger” such as yourself.

Finally, she turns to you and hands over the scanner that she’d been holding.

“Guess I sorta fucked up my first run, huh?” she says with a defeated tone and somber expression.

“As long as you’re still breathing by the end of it, any run can be considered a ‘good run’.” you joke while delivering a light punch to her shoulder. Mona smiles sheepishly and brushes a lock of her hair aside with her hand.

“Hope I’ll be seeing you around then, Firebrand.” says Mona as she wraps her scarf around her mouth and begins walking down the street. “Stay safe.”

And just like that, she disappears within the dense fog created by the fumes of surrounding factories. You might as well make yourself scarce before GenSec catches up with you.

-----------

The walk home is absolutely brutal, mostly due to the fact that you’ve begun to experience the symptoms of tweaking. The thumping music and flashing neon lights now wear on your senses, making them nearly unbearable to look at or listen to. Your limbs feel heavy, and your head feels incredibly light, despite the pounding headache that you’re fighting. You wipe a trickle of blood from your nose every now and again, which is only hidden by the orange glow of your jacket.

Thankfully, you manage to board a tram before you collapse. It’s far away enough that GenSec shouldn’t be able to follow you. At least that’s what you’re hoping on.

The rhythmic thumping and clicking of the rails nearly puts you to sleep, but the pain of your headache makes it much easier for you to fight off drowsiness.

------------

Once the tram let’s you off, you drag your tired bones over to your shitty excuse of an apartment. Some runners and burners feel the need to change on the tram so as to avoid detection, but you've never felt the need to make an effort to blend in with the crowd. In this city, it's not exactly difficult to remain unnoticed.

As you walk up the creaky steps of your apartment building, you curse yourself for not choosing a complex with a functioning elevator.

(Cont.)

Somewhere along the way, you take out a stim hypo and inject the contents into your neck. Your muscles tense up as you feel the burning liquid coursing through your veins. But eventually, you calm down, and you exhale deeply as if welcoming an old friend.

Once you reach the floor that you live on, you groan and grumble with each step towards your front door. But before you reach it, the scanner in your pocket begins to chirp rapidly for some reason.

Puzzled by its sudden activation, you take the scanner out and look for a way to silence it. You thought this thing was only supposed to go off if it was near someone with potential to wear the Omnitrix without dying. And you know it isn't reacting to you. You're still tweaking from that last mission.

And out of the corner of your eye, you notice that kid from before, standing outside his apartment like he always is. And upon getting closer to him, the scanner's beeping gets louder and more frequent.

What do you do?

>Bring your scanner into your room and try to deactivate it with Grey Matter.
>Call Lorelei about this newly acquired information. This is huge!
>Call Lorelei and tell her about the success of your mission, but leave out the part about the kid.
>Ignore all of this and sleep off this headache. Whatever all of this is, you'll deal with it in the morning.
>Write-in.

>>4134422
>>Call Lorelei about this newly acquired information. This is huge!

>>4134484
+ 1

I've finally finished catching up with the archive and oh boy was it a blast, i gotta say fighting with the other heroes like Birdie, goose, and the batman like guy was fun. (Forgot his name :P) Also liked our family movie night, that movie was interesting.
Still need to solve our vilgax and red pill issue also the Gourment guild from the Halloween special i think, liking to see how we solve the Eon problem, can't wait for the next thread.
Great job Galvan!

Also liked the Aku part although leaving Olumar and gwen in that future left a bitter feeling, but it was enjoyable nevertheless.

Without uttering a word, you walk into your apartment and shove the scanner inside one of your drawers.

No time to think. Gotta tell Lori!

You dial Lori's number on your cell and wait for her to answer. It rings twice before she finally picks up, and you struggle to formulate your thoughts for the debriefing.

"Hey chief, how'd the run go?" She asks with an optimistic tone.

"Could've gone better, but we got the job done." You quickly remark in an attempt to summarize your adventure. "We got the prototype, acquired the paydata and got the thing that Duo asked for."

"You did all that and you're still not satisfied?!" Lori asks with a bold laugh. "I wouldn't want to see what your idea of a bad run is."

You chuckle nervously while running the mission's details through your head again. "Preacher got shot, and we had to split since GenSec showed up."

"GenSec?! Shit…" Lori mutters as she pauses for a moment to mull things over. "Burners hit Apex facilities all the time without a peep from those whores. Why'd they get involved this time?"

"Actually, I was getting to that part." You say with bated breath. "We found a scanner that relates to Duo's request. It can detect those that are capable of using a device called the Omnitrix."

"Omnitrix? Sounds ominous…" Says Lori with what you can only assume to be a shit-eating grin.

"It's like a Unitrix, but with hundreds of thousands of alien DNA samples loaded into it." You say in a panicky tone. "And I think my neighbor is a candidate. The scanner reacted to him a minute ago."

"Holy shit...you're serious. If you're right, then that kid could rule the world if he wanted to." She says with a tinge of excitement in her voice. "If we can get that kid on our side, then that'd be a huge win for us. We'd be invincible!"

>"I'm not kidnapping a kid for your cause. He's got a shitty life, but it's still a better life than this."
>"I'll bring him to Duo. He'll want to see this for himself."
>"Let's just pretend this never happened. As long as we don't drag him out into the spotlight, Apex will never find him."
>"Let me talk to him for a bit. I don't know shit about this kid besides the fact that he likes to read.
>Write-in.

>>4135210
>>4135214
Glad you like it! The Omnivore and the Gourmet guild will definitely be a problem for later. And I hope to involve more of the characters from the Superhero community in the story.

Also, Jack managed to save that alternate future, so they're all good!

Hope you continue to enjoy the quest from here on out!

>>4135394
>>"Let me talk to him for a bit. I don't know shit about this kid besides the fact that he likes to read.

>>4135421
+1

"Let me talk to him for a bit. I don't know shit about this kid besides the fact that he likes to read." You say after sighing deeply and running a hand through your hair.

You hear the clink of a glass being placed upon a wooden countertop, so you assume that Lori is currently drinking. "Fine by me. Just don't take too long, yeah? Duo's getting antsy." Says Lori, sounding slightly drained from having to moderate multiple jobs at once.

"Will do. Be seeing you, Lori." You announce, before wiping a trickle of blood from your nose.

Now the only thing you have to worry about is somehow tricking a child into following you back to Duo's place. Easy peasy.

--------

You change out of your Firebrand getup and make yourself presentable. Even though he's already seen you wearing both your casual wear and Burner gear.

His beady little eyes follow your every movement upon seeing you exit your apartment. He's still reading that book that he bought with your credits too. Looks like he's almost finished.

You approach the boy in a stiff and uncomfortable manner, grappling with the moral ambiguity of your actions. You know that Duo would want to use this kid to fight Apex and GenSec, and your enemies likely have similar plans for the boy. But if you really wanted to, you could take him under your wing. Either way, this kid is gonna cause one hell of war

What do you say?

>"Hey kid, how would you like to make some real money? I could take you away from all this."
>"If you could rule the world, what would you do with it?"
>"You know in the 3 years I've known you, I've never heard you say a word. Why is that?"
>"Come on, kid. I'm gonna get you something to eat."
>"You like books? I know a girl that has a ton of books. Wanna meet her?" (Call Mona)
>"Do your parents bother you? Do you want me to take care of them? Because I can. Bet it would make your life easier."
>"Alright, listen up. I'm gonna give you a fat stack of creds. I want you to take them, go to the guy on this address and ask him to make you disappear. I don't ever want to see you again, you hear me?"
>Write-in.

>>4136139
>>"You know in the 3 years I've known you, I've never heard you say a word. Why is that?"
>"If you could rule the world, what would you do with it?"

>>4136139
>"You like books? I know a girl that has a ton of books. Wanna meet her?" (Call Mona)

>>4136159
+1
>>4136362
Aswell

Lol Galvan saw you in That super Dc quest, seems interesting huh?

>>4136597
Yeh, a buddy of mine is running it. It's turning out to be really interesting so far.

>>4136645
that's cool, Have a nice vacation man!

"You know, in the 3 years I've known you, I've never heard you say a word. Why is that?" You ask.

But he simply shrugs his shoulders and counters with "I dunno…"

What an awkward kid. Trying to get a read on him is gonna be like pulling teeth.

You sigh deeply and lean your back against the same wall that he's leaned up against.

"Let me ask you something, kid. If you could rule the world, what would you do with it?" You demand with a slightly serious expression.

Before he answers, the boy is interrupted by his bum of a Stepfather breaking something inside of his apartment and shouting at the top of lungs.

The boy then turns you with a deadpan expression and says "I'd get rid of all the bad guys."

That could mean alot of things. He's either a psychopath in training or a naive kid with childish notions of being a hero.

But you don't comment on his ambition. You provide neither encouragement or beratement. You provide only a silent nod while rubbing the back of your neck.

"You like books?" You inquire in an attempt to cut through the heavy silence. "I know a girl that has a ton of books. Wanna meet her?"

The corner of his lips curl into a big grin as he nods furiously with excitement. This is probably the first time you've ever seen him smile. Although your a bit worried by how he's willing to follow a complete stranger at the drop of a hat.

"Alright. Come on." You announce while motioning for him to follow you. He does so without protest, and the sound of his enraged guardians arguing fades into the background.

---------

You fight through your migraine and try your best to hide the obvious shaking in your hands. You don't mind if strangers notice, but it'll be trouble if GenSec spots you. You can always use your Apex job as an excuse, but you'd rather not draw attention to yourself in the first place.

After calling Mona and boarding a tram with the kid, you make an excuse saying that your apartment got wrecked during a streetside Burner brawl and you need a place to crash.

She was, of course, hesitant at first due to the heat that GenSec's putting on your crew, but she ultimately agreed to let you stay over for a short while.

During the tram ride, the kid had his nose stuck in that book that you gave him, but you notice that he's reading through pages that he'd already passed last time you checked. He must have finished the book a while back. You'll have to remember to buy him another.

-------

You manage to track down Mona's place before she provided her address, mostly due to the fact that you remembered the station she boarded the tram from. Doing so gave your alibi a bit of legitimacy, since you told her that you were already in the area.

Once you find her place, you notice that it's significantly smaller than yours. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she had the building all to herself.

(Cont.)

Besides the dirt and graffiti caked on the stone walls, you feel as if it looks much nicer than the hole you squat in. It looks similar to a parking lot, but it's only three stories tall.

You pull out your cell and ring up Mona to let her know that you're there. She answers within three rings.

"You're outside already?! It's a good thing you were in the area, eh?" She states with a bit of a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, lucky me." You retort with a similarly amused tone."Where's your place? Or is all of this 'your place'?"

"Just go through the front and take the elevator to the third floor. I'll meet you there" She declares while rushing to clean her room.

You hang up and follow her instructions to the letter, ducking underneath the toll gate and entering the derelict lot with caution. The kid follows close behind you, clutching tightly at your jacket so as not to lose you amidst the horde of abandoned cars.

When you make it to the elevator, you notice that the sign next to it reads "Level 9". Once you enter the lift and tap the button for the third floor, you quickly descend down into what you assume is an underground parking garage.

The lighting inside the lift dims with each passing floor, until you finally arrive at the third floor, where an out of breath Mona meets you with eager eyes.

"Hey, Fidg." She says while glancing over to the kid. "Who's the brat?"

You brush the kid's hand off of your jacket and gently place your hand onto his back in order to move him along. "I'll explain later." You state while walking out if the elevator. Mona shrugs off your suspicious behavior and opens up the sliding door leading to her room.

It's just how you imagined the room of a scholar to be. Filled with musty old books, creepy totems and tons of other voodoo shit that you can't even begin to identify.

Apparently, you were staring far longer than you thought, because Mona approaches you from behind and loudly clears her throat in order to attract your attention.

"Yeah, sorry about the mess. I collect things. It's kinda my hobby." She says while shrugging. You notice that her arm is wrapped in a bloody bandage. It's most likely a wound that she'd gotten from the last run you did.

When she notices you looking, she covers it up by placing her hand over it.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stare." You say while playing with a taxidermied pufferfish.

"Nah, it's cool. Just…didn't know you were bringing a guest." She mutters while scanning the room for the little guy.

>"If you want me all to yourself, I could always just tell the kid to scram."
>"What happened to your arm?"
>Reveal yourself as the Firebrand. It'd make things much easier to explain.
>"You're not just a collector, are you? You're a scholar."
>"I brought him because I need your help. This kid might have the power to rule the world, and I want to make sure he's on our side."
>Write-in.

>>4139918
>>"What happened to your arm?"

>>4139918
>I brought him because I need your help. This kid might have the power to rule this world, and I want to show this to the kid to see what he wants to do.
Let's see whatt the kid want atleast

>>4140020
I mean tell

>>4140020
Changing to >>4139932

File: Spoiler Image (416 KB, 1024x778)

416 KB PNG

“What happened to your arm?” you ask while pointing at her blood soaked bandage. Mona gingerly traces the curve of her shoulder with her index finger, but she stops abruptly upon reaching the injured area.

“Oh this?” She asks in a disappointed tone, almost hoping that you’d overlook it. “Ran into some trouble earlier. Bunch of Xeno brats jumped me in an alley. I gave them a few licks before they ran off, though.”

Mona confidently flexes her tiny bicep upon boasting about her battle. Occurrences such as these aren’t at all uncommon. Most wage slaves try to steer clear of aliens, since they always stir up trouble.

“Really now? Didn’t know I was in the presence of such a badass.” you retort with a sly grin.

“Hells yeah! And don’t you forget it.” she hisses back.

Just then, a loud crash echoes throughout Mona’s home, prompting you and her to check out the noise. Once you enter the neighboring room, you see the kid hovering over a broken flask that he most likely knocked over. The guilty look on his face says it all.

“You break it, you buy it.” Mona declares with a sarcastically stern expression. However, the kid seems to take her claim seriously. His face contorts into a terrified frown, inciting a chortle from Mona.

“Relax, I’m joking.” she says while waving her hand back and forth. “I’m Mona. What’s your name?”

You’re also pretty curious to find out what his name is. Since he never speaks, you’ve never had the opportunity to know. But before he can open his mouth to utter the words, a slight buzzing noise interrupts your conversation.

Upon closer inspection, you notice that a monitor in the corner of the room is flashing red. Mona moves to examine the screen, only to find that something is covering the lens of the camera that she’s set up somewhere in the building.

“Now that’s a bit fuzzy…” she states with a worried expression. And if that wasn’t strange enough, all three of you notice that Mona’s breath is becoming visible.

It doesn’t take long for you to feel the drastic drop in temperature afterwards. There’s something highly unusual going on.

“The hell’s going on?” you inquire while shivering.

Just then, you notice a faint silhouette fading into view behind Mona. And from the looks of it, you think it’s a…

OH SHIT!

You quickly shove Mona out of the way, just in time for her to avoid a gust of cryogenic breath. The figure behind her momentarily reveals itself to be a Necrofriggian. Must be GenSec! How’d they even find you?

Before you can turn around, the ghostly figure has disappeared once more. The three of you sit in silence, carefully watching your surroundings for anymore attacks. You have no idea where the assailant is...or how many there are in the room for that matter.

(Cont.)

What do you do?

>Transform into Cannonbolt, grab the others and roll out of here!
>Transform into Wildmutt and use your enhanced senses to pinpoint their location before they strike again.
>Transform into Bat-A-Boom and create a smokescreen in order to escape.
>Transform into Heatblast and offer to hold off the Necrofriggians while the other two escape.
>Scan for life signatures with your Eye Spy, and right before they show themsleves, use your reflex trigger to deliver a devastating kick before they can expel their breath.
>Write-in.

Alien Roster:
>Heatblast
>Four Arms
>Grey Matter
>Bat-a-Boom
>Cannonbolt
>Spidermonkey
>Wildmutt

>>4142648
>>Scan for life signatures with your Eye Spy, and right before they show themsleves, use your reflex trigger to deliver a devastating kick before they can expel their breath.

>>4142648
> Transform into Heatblast and offer the Necrofiggian while the other two escape.

>>4143334
Changing to >>4143001

>>4143001
>>4143344
Roll 1d100+10, bo3!

Rolled 16 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4143379

Rolled 14 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4143379

>>4143513
>>4144206
Dam

Rolled 88 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4143379
The firebrand is bringing the heat!

>>4143513
>>4144206
>>4144229
Nice save! Writing...

>98

Slowly, you stand up and spread your arms warily. You have no idea where these guys are, or how many there are in the first place. But you think you have a way of finding out without transforming.

“The hell are you doing?!” inquires Mona with a panicky tone. You brush her off and activate your Eye Spy, allowing you to perceive multiple color spectrums at once. Eventually, you notice that your thermal imaging camera has picked something up. Several cold spots drift around the room, just waiting for you to make a sudden movement.

You try not to alert them to the fact that you know where they are, but as you’ve stood up, they’ve gotten much closer. Three of them...not a bad match-up with your new mods.

The first one reveals himself to your right. The sound of him inhaling is enough incentive for you to activate your reflex trigger, empowering you with the ability to move at superhuman speeds.

Before he can exhale, you plunge your right foot into his gut, causing him to forcefully expel the cryogenic vapor in the face of his ally, and sending him flying into a bookshelf. While the other one’s distracted, you deliver a crippling roundhouse to the side of his face with your heel. Yo watch as he crumples into the corner of the room, shards of shattered teeth clattering on the floor. These leg mods are putting in work!

“Look out!” screams Mona while pointing behind you. As you turn to face your foe, you notice that her coyote is already on top of him, clawing away at his face.

You take this opportunity to stomp on the side of his knee, shattering it with a sickening crunch and forcing him to the ground. By now, the fox jumps off his face, allowing you to clinch his neck and launch a powerful knee strike to his abdomen. This attack takes the wind out of him, but you deliver another to his face just to be sure. Pink blood and shattered teeth fly through the air as the GenSec agent passes out, and soon enough, all three of them time out.

Well...that was surprisingly easy.

Just then, you feel a hand press down onto your shoulder, but you quickly notice that it’s just Mona trying to get your attention. Not a great method considering the amount of adrenaline coursing through your veins.

“We don’t have much time before more of them show up.” she says. She looks like she has a thousand questions, but you don;t have time to answer them.

>”Let them. I have an idea.” Transform into Grey Matter and make some major alterations to your Unitrix.
>”I know a place we can go. We’ll be safe there.” Retreat to Duo’s palace.
>”I’ll take the kid and hoof it out of here. My mods should get where I need to go. You should hide before they come for you too.”
>Call Grub. You need reliable friends watching your back right now.
>Give the kid a Unitrix. If he’s as important as Apex says he is, then you need him fighting for you.
>Write-in.

>>4144417
>>”I’ll take the kid and hoof it out of here. My mods should get where I need to go. You should hide before they come for you too.”
>"I know a place we can go too, we should split up and meet up there." head to Duo's