Proper stories are supposed to start at the beginning. It just ain't easy saying what the beginning is. The series of events, decisions and coincidences that led the characters of this story here though, do you really want to know them?

At the end of the day, what matters is that two unlikely partners pissed off the wrong people, and now they've got a reward on their heads and two equally unlikely partners on their heels. A hot pursuit that began by the edge of the Tangled Green led them to the outer reaches of the foresty verse, where the hunted find themselves standing at the edge of a large area filled only with whitened, dead trees that. The sporadic patches of grass and the dry, cracked ground, hardened from excessive exposure to the sun, indicate that this area was a battlefield before. Whether it was a battle of living beings who destroyed the forest as they clashed time and time again, or a battle of the elements where a forest fire had tried to consume the trees whilst the rainwater had struggled to extinguish it, remains unsolved. It's not like either party would have the time to conduct much research on the matter, though.

As Undyne attempted to run forward, into this zone of death and decay, Amber held her back. "The grounds are treacherous here! If we charge through we'll get our feet stuck, or worse."

"What do you suggest we do then?" the fish asked, baring her teeth. "Are you finally agreeing on that we should fight?"

"No, but if we go through or around this we're going to lose a bunch of time. Can't you let me try to reason with Carmelita?"

Undyne showed her the scorch mark on her shoulder where she had narrowly avoided getting hit by one of their pursuers's projectiles. "You may be able to get your head out of the noose, but I'm a stranger. I'm not giving them another chance!" Besides, she was annoyed from running away. Wanting to pursue her mission without delay, she had agreed with Amber to try and run for now. Apparently the Faunus had similar reasons to not engage their opponents, besides that one of them was apparently an acquaintance. But they were tenacious pursuers, and her patience wore thin. Why not just bash their heads in a little bit? Enough to scare them off from pursuing. 



Far closer than they realized, their pursuers were hard on their trail, following the very obvious footprints along a mud-path. Carmelita's field experience paid off here, allowing her to identify fake prints made to throw them off whilst Erik used what he could in psychic powers to track the lingering traces of mental auras of the ones they were hunting. Had this been a city neither of their skills would have been useful for long, but out here in the Omni-forsaken parts of the Tangled Green there was not an intelligent living soul to mess with their perception.

"They've stopped", remarked Erik. "I sense that they're not moving anymore."

"A trap?" asked Carmelita.

"No idea. Maybe they're summoning, or one of them's got their leg injured. Are you sure that your shocker-"

"Yes. I fired it by accident so it wasn't properly aimed", the fox responded, cutting Erik off. "I didn't catch where it hit her but it couldn't have been the legs. Either way, if they're summoning a vehicle we have to catch them right now, before they can complete it."

"Understood. So, I leave the one in armor up to you?"

"I'll see if I can stealth up and handcuff her. Amber can detect me so I can't surprise her. For the fish one, go ham. She seems like the aggressive type."

"Right", murmured Erik, still wondering how he got roped into all this.

Carmelita loosened the stun gun in her holster as they slowed to a walking pace. Through the foliage they could see Amber and Undyne, facing in their general direction with their weapons drawn. Did they want to fight? "Sorry Amber, but I'll have to subdue you before I have you tell me how you managed to be branded as a criminal."

Quote:OOC thread: http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=9546

To recap, the terrain is mostly barren with some patches of grass and rocks sticking out of the ground. The burnt area, about half a kilometer in diameter, has trees that are... well, burnt, mostly black or white and very brittle. The ground is dry and equally brittle, so watch your step if you don't want to get your feet caught in a cavity! The rest of the area is medium to dense temperate forest, just like most of the Tangled Green, allowing for fancy tree-top battling and sneaking or ambush tactics.

“Halt!” the King of Knights bellowed, her voice booming across the field, the Camlann hill visible in the distance. Atop it, Artoria could already make out several banners, likely a few units, the hill concealing whatever remained behind it. She knew not if her forces would be enough for this battle. But it was all she had. “Kay, rea--....” her command faltered in her throat.

Kay, like many others of the round table, had abandoned their cause short few days ago. Steeling her resolve, her knuckles grew white as her grip over Rhongomyniad tightened. The King of Knights sat atop her steed, her cape flowing in the wind along with its pelt-lined collar and the fur of her lion-head shaped helmet. Honestly, the knight had never had full faith in anyone except Kay, when it came to their rearguard. But the time for pickiness had long passed.

“Bedivere! Take the rearguard! Gawain! Handle the main body!” the knight called out commands to her subordinates and whatever few hundreds of knights her forces had left. Their conquest to chase Lancelot had depleted most of her forces, and now that Camelot had been conquered by Mordred and her associates, there was little left for her to do, but to try and retake the capital with what little of her forces still remained.

Her boot came down hard to the side of Hengroen as the steed kicked forward, flying through the ranks of soldiers. From their faces she saw but one thing. A faltering hope. A lack of faith that they would truly come out victorious and alive from this battle.
That Camelot would survive another day.

Hengroen skidded to a halt on the grassy plain as Artoria pulled on the reins. Turning the stallion to face her army, she called out, her voice booming over what little loyal soldiers she had left.

Men! Today, we face insurmountable odds! She knew their odds were slim, a blind beggar could see such. There was no use lying.
Today, we face our own kin, those who’ve turned their back on us!
Today, we raise our swords and spears against those whom we trusted our lives with yesterday! Artoria didn’t like this, yet her voice carried without faltering. For if their King lost hope, the army would be doomed.
It is not a good day, nay!
But if we stand down, it would be the end of our lives!
Aye!
Our homes!
Aye!
Our loved ones!
Aye!
Today, we fight to protect the future of Camelot!
Aye!
So march with me, knights of Camelot to protect your homes, your loved ones! And live to see tomorrow!
Aye!
For Camelot!
AYE!
As was customary, the front row lifted their blades into the air. Artoria jabbed Hengroen into a calm canter, riding to the edge of their frontline, before the King rode along it. As the King rode, the tip of her spear touched every blade and spear alike, granting the warriors of the frontlines the blessing of their King.
Eventually, the King of Knights returned to the frontlines of her army, bellowing out one final order.

CHARGE!

Hi there, everyone. So, I'm a former frequent user here, used to play Jupiter if that rings a bell. I've been gone for a while now, and that's been due to a lot of factors. Some of which are more important than others. But, uh. Hi. I'm back in some regard. I just thought I should explain a few important details regarding things.

Disclaimer: I just woke up, so some things may seem a bit disjointed. Hopefully this makes sense more as I go.

1. Absence
Long story short, my writing wasn't feeling up to snuff. I was constantly worrying over whether I was adding up to everyone else, always concerned that I was never going anywhere because of my lack of skill. So I left, to take a break and relax for a while. On top of that, details such as my house being a son of a bitch, 2017 Problems™, and more kept me away. But hey, now I have some motivation. Now I have some reason. Now I have time. So I feel like now would be a good time to make my return to the site.

2. Priorities
Secondly, I'd like to point out that I've been more occupied with more important matters, such as family stuff, working on music-related stuff, and striving to improve my own writing in a more stress-free environment. And now, I think I've reached that point. I've officially hit the mark where I feel more comfortable with my style. I'm definitely not the best writer here, but I feel like I've advanced a bit. Here's hoping that's true.

3. An Adventure
This is the big one. The main reason I've been gone for a while is that I've been struggling to come to terms with myself. I haven't talked about this, but I deal with a lot of mental problems. Depression, ADHD, social anxiety, et cetera. It's not fun, but I'm working through it. And actually, some things have gotten better over the time I've been gone. I've come to terms with part of myself that I was too scared to put any thought in, and I've come out much better for it. Long story short, Apollo died during my absence.

Hi. My name's Nicole, the Omniverse's newest and most mediocre player. Pleasure to remeet you all.

I noticed something wrong with the new reply box. When typing something in, to me it was invisible unless highlighted. The same thing happened when I transferred my work from a word document to the box, I was unable to see it without highlighting it. It might just be on my side, but I have no idea how I could have done something like this.

Quote:Dust, Moon Knight, Dick, and Marcus VS Centurion VS Issac?
Rules of Fight: 1 Post each, 1500 words. Randome Elements: ON (SP use Allowed)
Prize? Bragging rights. - Winner Take All
Posting order: Dust, Marcus, Issac, Dick, Moon Knight, and then Centurion

OoC: http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=9553

Quote:Tier 2 Power-Up: Wolf
[spoiler]Dust goes through a painful transformation, bones snapping, cracking, and popping right out of place, bulking up and growing in various ways, before popping back in place. Short dark reddish-brown fur covers the majority of his now 8-foot werewolf body. Whatever clothing he was wearing has a chance to rip during this transformation.
-The cost for this is a simple kiss that lasts 15 seconds at least. (Has to be done before transformation.)

ATK: +2 >>> 8
DEF: +4 >>> 6
SPD: +4 >>> 6
TEC: +0 >>> 2[/spoiler]

Quote:Word Count: 1,500 according to WordCounter.Net
SP Used: 2 x 2 = 4; Round Long T2 Transformation.

Dust’s moves that he used. - Ignore the fact that they are the only moves. xD
A Pup’s Claw:
[spoiler]Dust’s basic attack is partially transforming by elongating his nails. The nails become harder and black, growing out to only about an inch longer than normal. This happens over a matter of seconds and lasts until he uses another ability.
-The cost for this is a simple kiss that lasts 3 seconds at least. (Can be done before, during, or after a fight.)[/spoiler]

A Pup’s Bite:
[spoiler]Another basic attack of Dust’s, partially transforming his teeth. They become sharp but no bigger than his normal teeth. This happens over a matter of seconds but only lasts for a bite. Hit or miss, he only has a moment to take advantage of the new chompers.
-The cost for this is a simple kiss that lasts 3 seconds at least. (Can be done before or after taking a bite out of someone.)[/spoiler]


Also Used in Fight:
Centurion's Might (Area of Attack, Physical Strength)
 [spoiler]A testament to the Centurion Apparatus' strength and versatility, Centurion's Might is often used when overwhelmed or if an enemy is particularly resilient. This move combines the raw strength and concussive blasts of the Apparatus to produce a singly strike that can put distance between a Centurion and his opponent(s). It takes 2 seconds to wind up and charge the punch. If this melee strike is thrown at a single target, the concussive force will be uni-directional, sending the target and only those directly behind them flying backwards up to a dozen feet. This strike is much more damaging than its environmental variant, but lacks in radius. If used on the environment, this move has an explosive effect. Centurion can strike the ground he stands on, producing an omni-directional shock-wave that can ripple out in a 10 foot radius around him, damaging enemies and the environment. This shock-wave is notably weaker than the targeted strike, but excels in clearing the immediate area of aggressors, throwing them off balance and tossing them up to 10 feet up and away. This ability can be used in conjunction with most movement abilities, allowing Centurion to leap into battle, drop from above, or finish a series of blows in a combo-like fashion. This move draws on both physical strength and energy, draining the Centurion Apparatus heavily. It is not often used more than once in combat unless absolutely necessary. [/spoiler]

EDIT: I forgot a character :woah:
Alexyana has been added to my list of potential picks.

Soooo... after clearing up questions and calculating some maths, I notice that I am gradually approaching that 4th character (I'll be donating, but that's besides the point now). I am 99% sure that even if the Omniverse were ever to get a rule allowing for 5 or even more characters I would not pick more though, so... this is a choice that matters to me!

And I need some help to make the "right" one. And you friendly folks are gonna help me, right? :zany: 

So, summing up my 3 characters so far:

-Amaterasu is the 'big goals' character. With her I aim to fulfill the big ambitions I have in the Omniverse, the high-level stuff, the "Unlock all void gates", "Kill the Tarrasque", "Gain Ascendancy", "Reach the top of the rankings" stuff. She's just the right amount of serious.

-Undyne is the 'fighting' character. I should do more events with the Fishknight, but seriously - she's a great fit for all storylines that are about bumping heads, preferably those of your enemies against each other. While she may have some big goals, she's not going to be going beyond verse recognition.

-Malon is the 'All in one' character. I aim to extend her focus on shapeshifting, mimicking and mind-hive'ing (not hive-mind'ing!) even more. She will be the one who explores all the verses, meets all the people, learns as much as she can and absorbs knowledge and appearances like a sponge. Basically filling out all the cravings for non-human characters I may have and whatnot. Big goals in a way, but very different from Amaterasu.


So, this fourth character I want to be someone who can either fill a gap I don't know I had yet (perhaps a 'fun' character? Perhaps an 'evil' one? Perhaps a 'make friends with everyone' one?), or something fundamentally different from everyone else.
Most importantly, this character will not be human. Maybe not even humanoid. Maybe not even an animal or plant. I have a few ideas, but as always I welcome any and all suggestions!

A few questions for you:
-What "cravings" do your characters fill for you? I'm very curious to hear why you made the ones you have :awesome:
-Are there any characters that you could see me play? Go ham on this one - source, gender, powers, personality doesn't matter.
-What are your comments/criticisms on my list? Do you see anything differently than I do?

My current list:
[spoiler]
-Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes). Scrapped. This wasn't an easy decision but after some back and forth I've decided that the Black Spirit can do what Hobbes can, and more (turn into a plushie to look less creepy, for instance). Hobbes would also have no real goals or drive besides maybe smooching girls, and he's way too innocent and nice for a horrifying universe such as Omniverse.

-Black Spirit (Black Desert Online). The Black Spirit is... well, you don't really know what he is. He's always with you, acting as your friend and yet there's a creepy undertone like he's actually your enemy. You help him grow stronger during the course of the game. What if he just drifts along with some other Prime, seeking out arcane energies as they roam the verses and never quite giving away if he's friend or foe, yet too useful to leave behind? He would be almost symbiotic to the Prime or Secondary he chooses to accompany. (Image: The various forms the Black Spirit takes as he grows stronger)


-Drone (Starcraft 2/WH40k). Yes, yes, I know - WH40k Tyranids don't have drones, leave me alone. I'm shamelessly stealing the idea from Dark Link's thread for this one. At the risk of summoning an angry mob of fans, here's my thoughts: a Zerg Drone, or perhaps an Infested Protoss Probe, finds itself in the Omniverse. Shortly after its arrival it consumes a Tyranid and combines into something new. Its goal is to grow. Assimilate. Adapt. Simple-minded, yet it wields a Prime's power.


-Grimm Dragon (RWBY). Scrapped. The simple-mindedness of the Grimm (they're little more than animals attracted to negative feelings, they have no conscious thought as far as I know) makes this character very unsuited to be anything but a mindlessly rampaging beast, which would not be fun to play as. Besides, if I want Grimm characters, I can give some forms to Malon :frogbon:

-Alexyana (Original). Scrapped. I decided to scratch her from the list because I came to the conclusion that a fresher character would be more fitting, and I don't see Alexyana fitting in nearly as well as the other characters.

-Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord). A fresh addition. I know I am riding the hype wave as of when I am writing this, but it is a character that I could see fitting into my roster. Ainz is on the lawful evil side, which is my favorite type of evil, and brings a good amount of comic relief to the table because MMORPG antics. He's also an intelligent thinker and has a lot of upwards potential (and I mean a lot), as well as goals. On the other hand, it may be a serious character with big goals who demands more attention than I can give him. I'll have to think this one over, once I am done with the hype wave.


-A Dragon or someone/something that can turn into one. Shyvana would be an example I juggled for a while but neither do I want to steal her from Wyatt who might return someday, nor do I think she's the one I want. She's too similar to Undyne. This one is open really, if you guys know of good dragon characters let me know![/spoiler]

Almost immediately as the Templar crossed into the portal of the Dunes through the Nexus, the man felt an uncomfortable thin layer of sweat forming beneath his padded gambeson. Of course, the man and woman in front and behind him respectively were doing much better, their clothes slightly more accustomed to the terrible heat of the desert skies, but Shay had more reasons than just the weather to feel anxious and worried. 

Looking down, he could hear the extremely loud revving of the strange automatic carriage the so-called Emperor of Mankind was riding in, Erik Vrell of New Babylon sitting in the uncomfortable back-seat. It certainly looked more reasonable than the sight of a priest, a privateer and a mage sitting on a single horse however. The intricate machinery reminded Shay of his first trip to the great city of Coruscant, and the memories of the strange place seemed to calm his nerves of the coming storm. 

On the horizon, the Templar could see the train tracks that led him to Nippur so many months ago. At this point, the man questioned if it even had been months, or days, or weeks, or maybe longer than any measurement of time that would be considered reasonable in this situation. Still, as much as he wanted to dwell over how long it's been, the cuirassier directed the man in charge where him and his new allies were headed.

"Anderson, follow the tracks," Shay shouted, hoping his message reached through as he continued, "It'll lead us directly to Nippur!"

The priest nodded in response. At that moment, Shay knew the men (and woman) he was riding with were dedicated to his cause, and the reasons for this seemed to confuse Shay slightly. Of course, this was a more personal endeavor for the man, but he had to wonder the lusts each of these Primes had, excluding Erik. Honestly, their motivations were about as unclear as what might have happened to the city itself. A small part of Shay hoped the city was still standing with the few guards still alive at their posts, but... With no leadership, and even less pay, the Templar affirmed the hard truth that there was no way Nippur was at any point considered a civil city now. 

Looking down, a solemn sigh escaped the man's lips, masked by the stamping of hooves and roaring of engines beside him. Still, as the Templar looked back, Marisa looked at his ever so slightly troubled face, she couldn't help but share a troubled look herself.

Concern?  Perhaps not, but something was bothering the man, and that alone let the girl know this wasn't going to be easy. Her curiosity piqued, and her lips moved. 

"Hey, Cormac!" 

The privateer in question jumped in slight surprise, Anderson in front eavesdropping with as little hints as he could possibly drop regarding such. 

"Ma'am?" Shay seemed timid to respond, despite how uppity the mage talked. 

"Where we heading off to, anyways?" Marisa forced a smile, trying to ignore the fact that she wasn't even aware of the name of this grand city that was being hyped so much. Or, well... if she was told, she'd have definitely forgotten by now. 

Shay didn't even bother with a sigh. The man admittedly didn't know where to begin, so he started with himself instead.

"Nippur. I went there expecting to find purpose. A tyrannical king, malnourished citizens, bandits looming at every corner; it was almost too easy. Of course it was."

Marisa's mouth had suddenly left itself open ever so slightly. At this speeds, she might have caught some sand in her throat with how mesmerizingly vague the Templar's descriptions were, but thankfully she was safe to listen.

"Everybody seemed safe, and I had found purpose doing a job for that king with a single girl and a few... loosely loyal followers. Gilgamesh. He had an ego, but he kept his men and women safe."

"Ohh?~ Which one of them were you crushing over, ze?" Marisa teased at the man, honestly not caring too much about how much pain this seemed to cause him.

Still... The Templar had enough energy in him to give a chuckle. He continued, not intending to entice a reaction like that from the mage again. "Things seemed alright, up until the point we were raided multiple times. By the mere second time, everything crumbled."

Marisa Kirisame gulped at the description. Crumbled was a strong word, and she'd soon find out the man used it for good reason. 

"A faction of Primes invaded us. I only realized later they went by LAW. Lords of the Arid Wastes. Wiped out almost all the forces we had, and all of my allies vanished. Gilgamesh included. All of them were gone."

"Oh, shucks. Yeah, I can see how that's a bit suckish..." Marisa had to admit, it didn't sound too bad if you ignored the tone of voice Shay had spoke in at that moment. The slight pauses in his voice was enough to tell the woman that whatever had happened clearly scarred the Templar in front of her, if not traumatized.

No, if Shay could reassure her, it didn't traumatize him. It only further jaded his experience having any notion of allies, or "family." 

In the time the two conversated, Anderson and the founder of the Imperium rode onto a lone dune of the desert beneath them. On the horizon, they spotted what seemed to be ruins. The priest's steed and the gilded vehicle nearby stopped, halting with great anxiousness. 

All of the Primes looked over to Shay. The look in his eyes answered them their questions.


Nippur was near. It was time to liberate.

CHARACTER NAME:
Ava Delano

CHARACTER SOURCE:
World of Darkness, Original

CHARACTER HISTORY:
Ava comes from an earth somewhat like our own, with many of the similar problems. There's still bloodsucking leeches at the top of the social hierarchy causing most of the world's problems, it's just that the description is very literal in this universe instead of a joke to make light of a bad situation. The supernatural exists, things like vampires and ghosts lurk in the dark, and humanity (for the most part) is none the wiser. Those that are in the know, like Ava, do their best to fight back. She was plucked from her world during a suicidal battle, the details of which she cannot remember.

That's the short version. As for the long one...

[spoiler]For many people in Ava's universe and even this one, College is one of the most challenging things they'll ever do in their lives. She was no exception, working her ass off for an engineering degree with a minor in history just like everyone else around her. Taking solace where she could, becoming not-so-quietly obsessed with anime in the process, one night she learned that midterms were the least of her concerns. It was supposed to be a quick stop at office hours, ask a few questions about the latest lesson, then get back to study and maybe binge-watch something. Precisely zero of these things happened when her teacher turned out to be an honest-to-god vampire, and attacked her halfway through an explanation about calculus.

In re-tellings of this story, Ava claimed to have kicked his ass and left nothing but a pile of ash in his office. The truth is that her tale nearly ended before it began, and only incredibly quick thinking and a stroke of pure luck saw her win that life-or-death struggle. That night at the dorms was an awkward and very sleepless night, but she took solace in knowing there was no class tomorrow. No body to find and a suspicious, conspiracy-theory-inducing lack of evidence surrounding the teacher's disappearance saw her get off scot-free for this incident. Perhaps the most unbelievable part of her tale, however, was the fact that she finished school in spite of it all, and left with her degree.

With new knowledge in hand, in more ways than one, Ava saw the old world through a very different lens. Reading between the lines in newspapers, staring just long enough into the darkness at the end of an alleyway, and suddenly everything came into focus. What had happened to her wasn't a one-in-a-million chance. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people just like her that met their ends or found a fate worse than death at the hands of these things infesting her world. Unlike most of her graduating class, Ava found herself a job right out of college: gratuitous, nonstop slaughter of anything and everything threatening humankind.

One action-horror movie marathon and a trip to the hardware store later, and the Ava that now walks the Omniverse was truly born. She leveraged every tidbit and useful piece of knowledge from her experiences at college to give her an edge over the supernatural, building, customizing, and pushing her tools well beyond the limits of reason in the name of a better tomorrow. Her experience grew, and with it came something of a name for herself, both among the monsters she slew and those like her, fighting with all their might to make sure their brothers, sisters, friends and families could sleep soundly in the night.

Things went on like this for years. Ava further refined her craft, fighting vampires with molotovs, slaying changelings with her chainsaw, and in a tale she's embellished and modified so many times there's no telling where the lies end and the truth begins, fighting off a werewolf with nothing but a silver wedding ring and a machinist's hammer. As hard as she fought, she was just one woman against an entire world of darkness. And yet, she lit a mighty blaze in that black world, and for a time she had a little corner of the world she dreamed of; free from the nightmares she woke up to for her, her compatriots, and everyone that didn't know any better.

For a time.

There is an old saying by Lao Tzu, "The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long," and Ava's mark on the globe was a raging inferno. Her perfect world simply couldn't last, drawing the ire of some very powerful things that ultimately saw the light she spread thrown back into blackness. It didn't happen overnight, but months of grueling back-and-forth fighting saw days and weeks blur together in a losing battle for Ava and the company she kept. Everything came to a head when Ava took anyone that would follow her in a suicidal mission to cut off the head of the proverbial snake poisoning everything they had built. Her departure was the last time anyone saw her, and it's the last thing she remembers for certain.[/spoiler]

A run down warehouse on Tier One was where Warren now found himself. After a long talk with Ricky the two of them had agreed to reconvene here. When Ricky arrived with a pizza for him, Warren knew the information he was about to have to ask was not going to be easy to get the answer to. Savoring the delectable and not entirely nutritious cheese pizza, a cheese lovers, to be exact Warren sighed. "So, someone has been going around, and masquerading as me here in the Omniverse, right?" asked Warren, as he tried to figure it out. Someone was masquerading as him, and that someone apparently was very powerful - much to his annoyance because Warren had been reduced in strength quite a lot. Even his NFL-R was likely not to be enough, to allow him to triumph over whoever it was. 

"Well. The nature of the Omniverse is that someone named Omni essentially brought us all here,"  began Ricky, trying to avoid letting any irritation or anger into his voice. With how agitated the man he was trying to calm down seemed it would not be a wise idea to let him know they were trapped. "He is essentially using us for what amounts to "cheap entertainment" Warren. I know you don't like me because I betrayed you, to join the Guardians. However, we must work together. We can't afford to do anything else here in the Omniverse. Primes must unite our forces if we are to survive here in this place. Plus, you don't have a working NFL-R do you?" asked Ricky, trying to persuade Warren to work with him. Reforming Wild Card was not going to be an easy task. Yet it really was the only option because Ricky refused to waste a potential resource here in the Omniverse. 

How did Ricky know that he didn't have an NFL-R?

Things had gone to seven different kinds of hell lately, around here... All that chaos and trouble about Nebula or something. What were people getting their pants in a knot about stars for? The old sea dog just didn't get it. He hadn't really devoted much effort to getting it, really; but it didn't much bother him either way. It was a mess, and it was interrupting his peace and quiet, but that was all it was.

Besides...he was getting a little sick and tired of the whole 'peace and quiet' thing, anyway.

He was a prime, now. Stronger than he'd ever been since he came to the Omniverse; and growing pretty close to being able to use his whole bag of tricks from before he came here, too. Still a little weaker, still had a few more bits and bobs of his old equipment to scrounge up...but he was getting there. It was a good feeling, to be so close to being back on his A-game. It was inspiring enough for him to get up to his old tricks again.

That was precisely the reason he stood where he did now. At the helm of his (almost) newly-made ship, moving ahead full sail with the wind at his back. The crew was alive and active below, working at this and that to keep the ship running properly. It did his heart good. Chaos was running wild, the verse was seemingly alive and at war with something, but this was where he belonged. All was right and well with his personal world, even if the wider one it formed a piece of was on fire and falling apart around it.

"Cap'n." The voice broke him out of his reverie, drawing the old sailor back to the waking world. At his side there was his quartermaster. Hayden Carlyle; a right beast of a man. Seemed like was made of solid rock, and with a determination to match. "Closin' on the last location o' that distress call we picked up," the man noted. "Should be catchin' sight of who or whatever sent it out any minute now."

Crow let the trace of a grin creep onto his face. "Well, that certainly be some good news, eh, Mister Carlyle?" He let out a short cackle, packed with an eerie mirth. "Make sure every last one of this bunch is ready fer whatever we find. Want no surprises 'cause of laziness, not on my ship."

"Aye aye, cap'n." With a smart salute, the giant of a man turned and lumbered off, down the steps to the deck proper. A piercingly sharp whistle brought all focus on him, and orders were barked left, right and center. The crew went from their disorganized milling and lazy operation of the vessel into an ordered, if somewhat frantic, scramble. Rushing and dashing about; belowdecks, and up into the rigging above, readying for anything and everything.

Some might have called such a thing silly. Captain Crow called it being ready. And being ready was one thing that he very much preferred to be. After all, they might get there and find nothing at all. They might very well come across an all out war, unlikely as it was with so many occupied with that whole star and constellation nonsense. Might just run across an old derelict ship, abandoned or ruined and left to rot in the waters.

Whatever it was, there was bound to be something of interest just waiting to be found. And with any luck, it would leave to a sharp dose of the adventure the old man had been seeking. A good old fashioned ship to ship combat would even be welcomed, much damage as it might do. The thrill of it — and the resulting treasure and supplies, for that matter — would be very, very well worth it, in the end.

Those merry thoughts were what roamed through his mind as he heard the call from above; the lookout, perched in the crow's nest, called out: "Sail, ho!"