PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Aug 21, 2020 20:40:58 GMT
“Need to talk before I leave.”
Bertha's message had been as short as the first one, but even with all they'd done together, he still wasn't sure of Bertha. She was a Viper, after all. As noble and pragmatic as she presented herself to be, she was still someone that he was sure would cut his throat without hesitation, if it was in her best interests - and he wasn't the sort of person that could come up with or pick apart plans as easily as she could. Nevertheless, despite the fear that she might turn on him or Akuma and tie off some 'loose ends,' he decided to go. If she had something important to tell him about in person, he couldn't afford to miss that either.
The meeting place was that same park again. While they weren't exactly in danger from the Vipers proper any more, letting anyone catch wind of her stabbing Goliath in the back - especially so soon after his downfall - would throw one hell of a wrench into her plans. Hyousuke showed up with his hood thrown over his head, eyes scanning about the place from the entrance, trying to catch a glimpse of her before she made her appearance. He had no doubt that she'd be hiding somewhere different from last time, and far too well for him to catch with just his eyes alone, but he couldn't help but try.
He was hesitant to go in. He knew that whatever she wanted, it'd be important, and he didn't think that there'd be any benefit to her in doing anything but leaving him alone for the time being - with her team in disarray and needing to be taken back to Tokyo, she'd have enough on her plate without dealing with a hero and whoever decided to investigate whatever happened to him. But even so, that darkness seemed more like some predator's maw, ready to swallow him whole the moment that he stepped forward.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jun
N/A
quirk Small Object Control
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N/A
alias Akuma
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Post by Kyou Kazumi (Akuma) on Aug 22, 2020 0:52:22 GMT
Kyou wasn't amused by the summons again. He felt like there wasn't much to talk about, but there he was, costume and all, with Vanish at his side. Kyou was leaning against the backside of the vending machine when he heard the noise. Even though he was hooded, he saw that it was Hyousuke. So she summoned him as well. Well, whatever she wanted, it better be important. Once he showed up, both him and Vanish showed up around the vending machine. With a small friendly wave, both boys waited, along with the hero wannabe, for the new Queen of the Vipers to arrive. Or she might already be here. Even she showed up with four people, he wasn't going complain about it this time.
When she showed up, Kyou, with his voice modulated, spoke. "How did things turn out? Any stragglers I should be aware of?" Probably several, but it was kind of an offhand comment. He more hoped that their performance really sold everything. By the initial reports, they had. But sometimes it's just best to get the news directly from the source.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Aug 22, 2020 2:15:13 GMT
Once again, Bertha emerged from the shadows, her form - and that of one bodyguard - slowly being unveiled from the shadows. She looked between the two of them, quickly scanning them over in case there was anything for her to take note of, before turning her attention to Akuma once he spoke. Her stony expression didn't change once, nor did her guard's - though she was at least a little pleased that he was dispensing with the pleasantries. None of them were there on a social call, and the sooner that they concluded business and she could go back to her own, the better. "No need to worry about them." She stated flatly, though her voice was tinged by annoyance. "Most of them are out, and the rest are just finishing up making plans to. Give it a few days, and the only Vipers left in this town'll be the ones in prison, or the ones too stupid to cut it in my crew. However..." Her expression shifted a little, moving to one somewhere between irritation and anger. "There's a different problem that I wanted to warn you about before I went back to Tokyo."It was evident that she wasn't pleased by the development - and rightly so. Having something else to deal with when she was busy enough was hardly what she wanted. "When Goliath came here, he didn't just rely on the Vipers he brought with him. He started recruiting people. Individuals him and his goons took a liking to, as well as some tiny gangs that were more like a group of delinquent friends than anything of note. But when he took them in, he made it a point to make them acknowledge that he was the one in charge. And since they haven't been in the group long enough to recognise me as any kind of authority, I don't exactly have a lot of sway with them now that Goliath's behind bars."She wasn't quite sure what sort of reaction Akuma would have to what she had to say next, but she'd come too far to back out now. "And now that there's nobody around to keep them in line, you've got all these little groups running about the place trying to make a name for themselves. Between the heroes and the police, I don't see them getting far - and that's if they just don't decide to quit because it's too hard. Without Goliath there to keep them going or give them any kind of direction, I'd put money on them falling apart too long. Still... Since I can't tell them to go back to Tokyo, it's going to have to be something that needs to be dealt with directly. I'll help once things are stable back home, but until then, this isn’t something I can do much about."
Hyousuke, his arms crossed, didn't seem to be especially pleased by the news either. "From the way you're talking, it doesn't sound like they're that much of a threat."
"In case you forgot, hero, you didn't hide your face when you went up against Goliath. Not that I'm complaining - people had to know who you were for all this to work. But you've made a name for yourself as the guy that beat Goliath into the dirt. If someone gets the chance to, they might start getting ambitious, and try to be the one to take you out. So don't get cocky. You start taking any midnight strolls or go wandering somewhere you shouldn't be, you might be leaving with a few new scars."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jun
N/A
quirk Small Object Control
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N/A
alias Akuma
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Post by Kyou Kazumi (Akuma) on Aug 25, 2020 23:09:22 GMT
Akuma listened as Vanish faced her guard, almost meekly poking his head out from behind Akuma. "Oh yeah, those like poor Saito-kun, the guy that the two Suzuki's captured and kickstarted this whole thing. I almost forgot about them. They probably at least know of my group, and if they don't, they sure will now. Though between police and the fact that Firebrand is coming back soon, I don't see them lasting too long or getting scared back into the shadows. That hero is known to go after groups like that or investigate them heavily. I'll definitely will have to be more careful with that teacher back in town." It was no secret that the fire Robin Hood was gone for a while due to a large scale case from across the country. And that he was done with it and was returning to continue teaching at UA. The man was primarily a second and third year teacher, from what little those outside of the school knew.
Looking at Hyousuke, Akuma continued. "I'm not too worried though. I'm more worried about how you're going to be affected. Self-defense is tried and true to stop you from being branded as a vigilante and black marks because of it. Finding ways to escape and get police or a hero involved, perhaps even reporting to Firebrand himself, would mitigate consequences a good deal. I doubt you'll be getting a new scar, given most of these losers' combat ability. Though there's always some jewels in there...still be cautious, and look to escape first. That's what police and heroes are going to want to know first. Try to get them to throw the first punch, preferably when there's video evidence or more witnesses than just their goons. I can't think of anything more than that off hand..." Vanish was putting something in his phone and showed it to the blond.
"Don't inherently trust all officers or heroes. Try to figure out which ones are really trustworthy, and who aren't. Do a little bit of research, preferably a lot since some things are covered up, I can give you some sites that keep track of such things..."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Aug 26, 2020 19:16:56 GMT
Hyousuke took a glance at the screen, eyes briefly scanning it over to take the message in - but didn't linger for too long. They could talk about it in-depth when the time was right. For the time being, making sure everyone parted ways knowing how to handle the future was his priority.
"I'll keep it in mind." He said sternly, his gaze slowly drifting from the screen to Vanish, then back to Bertha. "I think the last thing any of us want is more trouble to deal with." He was addressing Vanish as much as he was Akuma - while he didn't much trust either after knowing what they'd hidden from him, he at least believed that much of what they said.
Once she was sure he'd finished, Bertha spoke up again.
"Speaking of getting into fights, we need to talk about what happened at the end of yours, Suzuki." Her tone grew darker, as did her expression. The seriousness with which she spoke shook even Hyousuke himself a little, quieting him and forcing him to pay attention. "I don't like people like Goliath any more than you do. I know you two have a history. But what happened back there - what you came so close to doing - that's not your place."
"Why the hell do you care? You just said you hate him as much as I do."
"You're missing the bigger picture."
She let out a breath, and affixed him with a withering glare. "Whether I like it or not, you've got admirers in the Vipers. You got out. You made something of yourself. And now you've kicked Goliath out of his own gang. You're breaking the hold Goliath had on those people, and you're inspiring them to do better things with themselves than join a gang. You showed them that there are other options. But that'll only keep if you can prove that you're better than him."
Hyousuke furrowed his brow, and made no attempt to hide both his confusion and his annoyance.
"Now you're making even less sense. The Vipers are your crew now, why do you want to lose members?"
"I don't want to lose members. But I'm not in this for power or to have a legion of people be tricked into kissing the ground I walk on. Unlike Goliath, I actually believe in what the Vipers are supposed to be - a place where people rejected by the world can find somewhere to belong. A place where society's outcasts and downtrodden are welcome. I want to give my people a better life, not brainwash them into thinking that they can't have a life outside of what I give them. Maybe that means they leave, but if it's because they want to rise above the hatred and be better than the people that tried to keep them down, then so be it."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jun
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quirk Small Object Control
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alias Akuma
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Post by Kyou Kazumi (Akuma) on Aug 29, 2020 16:03:02 GMT
Akuma stood back and listened. Was she worried about her power? She claimed she didn't do this for the power, but it seemed like she was, seeing as she was super worried about what Hyousuke represented. It was a little disappointing, to be honest. "What difference does that make? You claim that you're not in this for the power, but it sure sounds like it since you're so worried about what Hyousuke represents now to some of your Vipers. Don't get me wrong, it's great that you're doing this for the outcasts and the downtrodden, but shouldn't you be glad that they then get inspiration to become good people and stand up and make something of themselves? What you're saying and claiming why you're doing this is a bit contradicting. Not that I mind, I'm a little bit of a walking contradiction myself, especially if you compare my past actions with my ideals..." And it certainly wasn't something that he was proud of. But that was also why he was reorganizing his gang and everything.
"Nevertheless, you should probably think long and hard about how you want to reorganize the Vipers, assuming you even want to keep the name, and why you're really doing this. Not to mention how you want the group to be united. Depending on what you decide my just decide on our future interactions. Is this all you really want to discuss? Give Hyousuke a warning about how some of your members may get the idea to leave and learn skills and abilities to help them get a better life because of him? That's a mark of a true hero if you ask me, and tells me that you're afraid of him, of what he'll become." Akuma's eyes narrowed dangerously, wondering how she would react to such accusations. He might be missing something, but it didn't seem that way to him.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Aug 29, 2020 17:17:28 GMT
As Akuma went on his tirade, an increasingly concerned look began to cross Bertha's face. Every word that came out of his mouth seemed to go against what she'd been saying - either she'd not been clear enough in what she wanted, or perhaps he wasn't as smart as he liked to believe himself to be. No matter the case, it was clear to her that along the way, there'd been a miscommunication, and she'd have to spend more time around them than she particularly wanted to in order to clear up any misunderstandings. While she could simply brush him off and never once speak to him again, burning bridges was never a smart idea to her, especially when she could use them later on down the line.
"I'm not sure what you think I meant when I said my piece," She started, her cold tone tinged by annoyance and anger at having to correct him, "But it seems that I haven't quite made myself clear. I don't fear Suzuki being a hero. I encourage it. Him following the path of a true hero means that the brainwashing is undone faster, and I have less to worry about in the future. More to the point, while I certainly wouldn't be pleased with my people leaving to pursue something similar, I assure you that I am far from discouraging it. Think about it - without anyone reinforcing what Goliath did to them, they would either leave after being convinced by someone else, or after realising their dissatisfaction at their lot in the Vipers. If they're to leave no matter what, it makes sense to at least let them do so on good terms, no?"
"So, what," Hyousuke asked, not concerned about whether he'd cut her short or if she'd indeed finished, "You just came here to give us both a warning about some stragglers deciding that they want a piece of me? I know I'm not exactly the strongest student in there, but I got into UA. I know how to handle myself."
"If you'd been listening," Bertha continued, that twinge of annoyance growing in her tone, "You'd have picked up on what I'd said at the start. I came here to warn you, and to offer my help cleaning things up. I am loathe to leave business unfinished, and as it's Goliath's fault that people are thinking of making a name for themselves in less than desirable ways, I think it only natural that I offer assistance in fixing this. I don’t know where either of you got the notion that I’m in this for power or to feed my own ego, but do us all a favour and put it to rest. I’m trying to make sure that this… transition… is as easy for all of us as possible."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jun
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quirk Small Object Control
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alias Akuma
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Post by Kyou Kazumi (Akuma) on Aug 31, 2020 23:19:34 GMT
"That wasn't clear at all. Might work on your delivery when offering help or know when to skip the lead up or continue on and get to the point of the lead up. I don't think it'll be necessary. Besides, you have some work to do in reorganizing your group, you really don't have that much time to help with something so minor as this. The offer is appreciated, but between everything here, I think it's covered. They'll last a month, tops. Far as I'm concerned, you have no unfinished business here or loose ends you need to deal with. Anything else you need to mention or discuss?" Yeah, she needed work on guiding people through her logic. Or just get to the point so much sooner. That was awful. She shouldn't get annoyed or pissed that the he jumped to the wrong conclusion. It didn't matter how smart you are, you talk circles like that, and no one but you will understand what the hell it was about.
Hopefully that was all she really needed and they can all go back to their lives. It wasn't a bridge burned far as Akuma was concerned.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Sept 5, 2020 3:49:23 GMT
Regardless of who was right or wrong, Bertha had little interest in dwelling on the subject - doing so was clearly only going to make them more hostile towards each other than was strictly necessary, and she had little interest in sparking another conflict right after she'd hauled her Vipers out of another.
"I'll keep all that in mind, then." Was all she said in response - she had plenty to say, of course, but none that she thought would be worth the trouble it would cause. "Either way, if you're sure about this, then I don’t think that there’s much else we need to discuss. Goliath might come back, but we’ll be ready if he tries.”
Hyousuke cocked a brow. Despite Bertha continually lambasting him or making cutting remarks in response, he seemed too stubborn to know when to stop. Whether it was a quality or a detriment was anyone's guess.
"Goliath coming back doesn't sound like it's something to just brush off."
"Hardly." Bertha replied, her tone flat and matter-of-fact. "Whether it's here with the few accomplices that can avoid getting rounded up, or back in Tokyo, there's a chance he'll try to build himself back up. This life seems to be all he knows, and I doubt his ego'll let something like this go. But he won't last long. With his reputation ruined and his loyalists sent running, it'll be easy to crush him if he rears his ugly little head again. Even if he learns from his fight with you, he's no match for a full-fledged pro hero. Besides... You're not just going to be satisfied with how you are now, are you?"
She paused for a moment, looking like she had something to say, before letting a slow, quiet, breath out through her nose, and looking between the two with that familiar, stony, gaze. "Either way, just remember - the offer's always there. Now, I'm sure neither of you like long and sappy goodbyes much, so unless there's anything else you want to ask, that should be all. Before I go, though, one last thing - for what it's worth, thank you. It's good to work with people that know what they're doing for a change."
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Jun
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quirk Small Object Control
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alias Akuma
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Post by Kyou Kazumi (Akuma) on Sept 6, 2020 19:14:15 GMT
"No one's keen on him coming back, but while he's stagnating in prison, we all will be getting stronger. Assuming the authorities don't try to put him through rehab of some sort...we'll be ready for him either way." Then Kyou listened to the last bit. Nodding he walked up to her and put out a hand for a handshake. "I'm not one for sappy goodbyes either. But I'm also not one for burning bridges when we've worked at least okay together either. Not without extremely good reason at least. Good luck, and until next time. I'll keep the offer in mind." He'd give her a firm handshake, and then turn and start walking away. Vanish followed him like a good little puppy.
Hopefully that'll be the end of that. Well, kind of. Kyou would imagine that Hyousuke would have some questions for him...but that was sure to come later. And in a way, he was dreading that confrontation.
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY MrGuy
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quirk Dynamo
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alias Dynamism
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Post by Hyousuke Suzuki on Sept 6, 2020 19:45:41 GMT
Bertha was quick to shake his hand, doing so firmly before she pulled away, and slipping back into the shadows with her guards, not once looking back at either Hyousuke or Akuma. Her business in Musutafu was concluded - besides dragging a few stragglers kicking and screaming with her back to Tokyo, there was little that she had to do there, and that was how she wanted to keep it. Even so, she couldn't help but spare a thought for the two - she wasn't quite sure what would happen between a hero and a villain working together like they had, but whatever the case, it was hardly any of her business.
Try as he might to move, Hyousuke could do little more than look on as they went their separate ways. Bertha, to rebuild the Vipers into what she'd hoped they'd be. Akuma, to continue with whatever his mission was. But he had no idea where that left him. Goliath had been put down, and left to rot in a cell. Hush had been decimated, his fighting days brought to an abrupt halt. And though he still hadn't much affection for Bertha, he had little cause to confront her with justice exacted on the loyalists. He'd had his revenge. He'd taken what he wanted - so what was there left to do?
It was a question for another time, though. He turned around to head away from the park, from the Vipers, and from Akuma. Justice was done, and if nothing else, he could take some solace in that.
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