'Whelp... here goes nothing...' I mused, taking a deep breath as I drew my fist and let it loose on the brick wall before me, holding nothing back as I put my muscles to full use.
"Holy shit..." I muttered under my breath, unmindful of the pain, as I alternated my gaze between the hole in the brick wall and my bloodied hands with widened eyes.
I frowned as I watched my hand heal, flesh and skin forming over my exposed bones as they, too, mended themselves at an alarmingly visible rate right in front of my eyes.
Although I can now use 100% of my muscle strength thanks to my new perk, my body wasn't tough enough to handle that kind of force, as evident by how my hand looked like a chewed-up dog toy that belonged to a particularly vicious rottweiler.
Luckily, my Accelerated Healing took care of that particular downside, but damn, does it hurt like hell. Good thing it healed quickly, and I didn't have to endure the pain for too long.
"Good thing I didn't have this when I punched Robin..." I remarked, chuckling as I flexed my fingers, turned my palm to inspect it, and found no signs of lingering damage.
I was currently in an abandoned building in the Narrows, where no one sets foot, especially in the morning. I also had the pigeon drone flying overhead, scouting the area, so I could let loose and test my strength here without worrying about any prying eyes.
I still had a warehouse full of gangsters to clear out, and there was no way I'd be going in without testing my new abilities and toy first.
'Speaking of the new toy...' I hummed as I equipped my new pair of boots as I approached a flat wall, hesitating for a second before I raised my right foot and gently planted it into the wall.
My eyebrows raised as I felt the boot pull my foot towards the wall when it was an inch away. I kept it still and reached with my hand to pry it off the wall, but it didn't move, making me nod.
Then I wiggled my foot and moved it away from the wall without any effort as I felt the boots loosen and let go of the wall. I also tried sticking to the ground instead of the wall, but it didn't work.
Feeling intrigued, I began moving my foot in different ways to see if I could make the boots stick to the ground too, and I discovered that simply digging my heel into the floor seemed to do the trick.
'Only one thing left to do...' I mused as I turned to the wall, slowly approaching it. I raised my left foot and placed it on the wall, giving a few experimental tugs with my hand to see if it'd still stick.
"Whoa..." I intoned, lifting myself off the ground as I placed my other foot on the wall, my point of view turning upwards like I was falling with my back facing the floor, which I wasn't.
It was a strange feeling, and I waited for a couple of seconds to get used to it before I started walking as effortlessly as one would walk on the ground.
Of course, that wouldn't be possible for average humans, as their muscles wouldn't be able to support the weight of their bodies or resist the gravity pull.
The only outcome for anyone stupid enough to try it is pulling a muscle and getting a mean cramp in the back that would stick with them for the rest of their lives, or even worse.
Luckily, I wasn't exactly what you'd call an average human, and my enhanced physique allowed me to maintain my balance and support my own weight on the wall without falling, and even walk or run if I wanted.
So I walked and then ran until I reached the top. I only hesitated for a second before shifting my feet to the ceiling. My view turned again, causing me to feel slightly dizzy as the blood began rushing toward my head.
"Look at me... I'm the Spiderman now..." I muttered to myself, gesturing at my eye as I made a reference for no one in particular, and chuckled. I might as well make my own fun, you know?
I kept alternating between walking on the ceiling and walls until I got used to it and pushed myself down, landing on the ground with a flip.
'I don't have training with Richard, so I might as well go on a bike ride or something to pass the time until it gets dark...' I shrugged my shoulders, storing my gear into my inventory as I made for the abandoned building's exit.
I'll have to wait until dark before I go and scope out the warehouse at the docks, and I finally realized that I didn't have anything to do during the day other than training with Richard.
'Man... I need friends or something...'
Gotham City's East End
The back of an electronics shop near Crime Alley
"Do ya wanna start talkin', or do I need to break all yer bones first?" Harley asked, grinning while looking at a tied-up man, brandishing a baseball bat and smashing it into his knee.
"Where did ya bunch a' losers take my babies? I'm getting sick of scoopy-doo-in' this shit!" she added, kicking the man in the gut, causing him to scream even more intensely.
The man exclaimed in agony and started spouting gibberish while squirming his body and wildly flailing his head up and down in dismay.
"Wat's that?" Harley asked, smashing the baseball bat into his other knee, to which the man could do nothing but indignantly scream and keep squirming on the ground.
"Oh! Silly me, let me take that off yer chops!" Harley exclaimed in realization as she finally remembered she had gagged the man's mouth and that he couldn't speak with a rag jammed into his maw.
The man didn't know whether to cry or laugh as the crazy blonde removed the gag out of his mouth and took a step back, gesturing for him to start speaking as she rested the baseball bat on her shoulder.
"It's- it's Black Mask! We sold them to Black Mask!" the man immediately exclaimed as he tried to crawl away from the crazy blonde. "Black Mask is the one you're looking for, I swear. He got your hyenas locked up in his warehouse in the docks for auctioning," he added, the words rapidly shooting out of his mouth in between heavy breaths.
"Was that so hard now?" Harley asked, grinning as she nodded after hearing the man's words. "Shoulda just said so from the start an' saved yerself the pain," she added, ignoring the fact he was gagged and unable to speak even if he wanted.
"Now, say goodnight!" Harley concluded, raising her baseball bat, causing the man's eyes to widen as he hastily raised his hands in a panic to shield his face, but he was too slow
"Wha-" and that was all he could say before the baseball bat smashed into the side of his head, knocking him out instantly.
"Yer ass is sooo mine, Black Mask," Harley cheerfully exclaimed, resting the baseball on her shoulder as she skipped away with spring in her step and a grin on her face.
Gotham City's Docks
'Gangsters... a shit ton of them, all packing...' I mused as I lay on top of a stack of ship containers, a respectable distance away from my target, peeking through my cheap binoculars.
The supposedly abandoned warehouse was crawling with gangsters, and every one of them was carrying a gun. Some even had automatic submachine guns and assault rifles as they hauled craters into and out of the warehouse.
'Does my great teacher even understand the meaning of moderate escalation?' I sighed, scratching my head in frustration as I turned to observe possible entry points for me to sneak through.
Richard said I could do this however I liked, and I'm not nearly dumb enough to charge the warehouse head-on with the gangsters packing that kind of firepower.
I might have a bulletproof coat and the ability to heal, but I'd be damned if I let a bunch of gangster fuck-tards use me for target practice.
'The guard looks a little lax on the north compared to the rest of the perimeter... I could probably sneak through that side of the fence If I'm careful...' I noted, turning to the warehouse itself to find the best place for me to sneak through.
Unfortunately, my cheap ass binoculars couldn't give me a clear view of the warehouse, causing me to sigh as I moved my pigeon drone to hover over the building.
"Is that...?" I suddenly froze as I caught the sight twin-tailed feminine figure climbing into a container not far from me, holding a bazooka and grinning while looking in the warehouse's direction.
...
'How the hell did it come to this...?' I bitterly mused as I swung away from the docks, looking down at the giggling, demented blonde clinging to me like a particularly deranged octopus.
Harley looked too giddy for someone who could be dropped to their death by my whim, and that pissed me off to no end.
The crazy bitch insisted I'd give her a ride when we reached the edge of the docks with the gangsters hot on our tail, or she'd go back and topple the warehouse on her own, and I had no option but to oblige.
Honestly, I had no idea how that twisted mind of hers worked and how she could trust me not to drop to her death, and that's why I wanted nothing to do with her, aside from, you know, her demented, gets-off-on-kicking-babies boyfriend.
My entire encounter with her had been one weird learning experience, and it reminded me why I despised DC and comics in general in my past life and why I was right.
Other than her habit of returning to the Joker only to get beaten, maimed, tortured, and abused by the demented clown, which we already established, I hated with a passion. Harley was one of those non-powered characters who'd pull tricks out of their asses to thrash people they had no business beating.
It's this kind of shit that turned me off and made me stop reading DC comics, where someone like Darkseid, who could causally bitch-slap Superman, would win, only for some unpowered, baseline human schmuck from the Justice League to show up and best him somehow.
I mean, I was no Darkseid, and Harley wasn't really without powers, since her movement speed and reflexes suggested some physical enhancement. But the idea that she could take out a gas that conveniently bypassed my gasmask (which really wasn't cheap, I know, since I stole the damned thing) and my healing factor, even briefly, was pure bullshit.
I call bullshit, and no amount of Batman fanboy-ish arguments over the internet could convince me it was only natural for someone to beat people at least two or three times stronger than themselves with a bunch of gadgets because of preparation.
'I wonder if I should just knock her ass out and let her fall...'
I noncommittally hummed as I looked down at the crazy blonde who wasn't giving me the time of her day and was merely enjoying the ride and the sights, but I shook my head and pushed down the urge.
"Ouch!" I heard Harley exclaim in pain, and my expression darkened under my mask as I turned to her, finding her holding her jaw after she tried to bite my shoulder through the bulletproof trench coat.
"Ya were just thinking o' doin' something funny, weren't cha?" Harley exclaimed with a scowl, genuinely looking offended as she noticed me looking down at her.
"Maybe I was, but what made you think biting me would change my mind?" I asked, my eyes twitching under the mask, and I had to resist the urge to headbutt her and send her flying to the ground.
"Do I look like the thinking type to ya?" Harley said, grinning without a hint of shame, as if taking pride in her natural air-headedness, and I could do nothing but sigh in exasperation as I steered us into the nearest roof, having made enough distance away from the docks.
"Whoa! That was fun! We should totally do that again! " Harley exclaimed as she loosened her death grip on me, jumping up and down in excitement.
"Don't count on it," I replied, shaking my head as I heaved a sigh, happy that I managed to pull through without losing my patience and just letting the crazy blonde fall to her death.
I might have seemed more than willing to kill her and be done with her nonsense, but I was actually hesitant to do it, despite trying to do it twice now.
I knew I'd have blood on my hands sooner or later, but I always thought I'd kill some monster like Killer Croc or some seedy low-life gangster in self-defense first and not to silence someone for my own convenience.
Harley was a monster in her own right, in more ways than one, but she wasn't trying to kill me as far as I knew, and she wasn't trying to screw me over either, yet I honestly couldn't get over my paranoia.
"Awe... yer no fun, Gray," Harley said, pouting as her shoulders dropped in disappointment. "So, what were ya doing there? Ya got a bone to pick with Black Mask, too?" she asked, surprisingly choosing to get straight to the point, and I had no reason to not oblige.
"So those were Black Mask goons?" I asked, and Harley gave me a confused look, tilting her head. "I was in the middle of scoping out the place when you showed up with a bazooka," I added, my eyes twitching in annoyance at the smug look she gave me while patting the bazooka slung over her shoulder, which she didn't forget to pick up before we left.
"Anyway, I have my own reasons for targeting the warehouse, but that's not what we're here to talk about," I explained, gesturing to the side before the crazy blonde could start asking questions.
"We're here to make a plan before going back to attack the warehouse," I added, unmindful of Harley's pout, which I did not think looked cute. Yup, definitely not cute at all.
"I don't enjoy being shot at, so we should do this with some subtlety until we get in, at least," I added, as I took out a pen and a piece of paper, ready to make a plan and explain it to the crazy blonde, but she quickly cut me off.
"Look at me, pal. I'm wearin' bright red, an' my hair is two different colors on each end," Harley said, raising an eyebrow as she interrupted me before I could even say another word. "I don't do subtlety," she concluded, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Well, if you want a couple of dozen goons shooting at you with machine guns, then, by all means, be my guest," I said, sighing as I scratched my head. "Just wait until I sneak into the warehouse before you start going crazy. I'll have a better chance of getting what you want from inside that way, "I concluded, shrugging my shoulders.
"An' hog all the fun for myself?" Harley said, rubbing her chin as she displayed what I would imagine to be a rare thoughtful expression that few people have even seen. "Sounds good to me," she added, giving me a thumbs up and a radiant smile.
"You said something about your babies being in the warehouse?" I asked, nodding without bothering to question why she'd agree to a plan that put her in the crossfire of several dozen trigger-happy thugs with machine guns.
"Bud and Lou, my two adorable spotted hyenas!" Harley exclaimed, eagerly nodding her head, a fond, loving smile splitting her face. "They're just the cutest pair o' furry murder machines!" she added, spreading her arms to the side.
"Some losers stole'em off the zoo, an' they're plannin' on sellin' em in an auction," Harley explained, her fond smile disappearing, replaced by a pissed-off expression. "The bat sends ya off to Arkham for a month, and suddenly every loser an' their mother thinks it's ok to fuck with ya!" the crazy blonde remarked with a huff, giving me an indignant look.
"They sound charming," I said, suppressing a sigh."I'll clear the inside of the warehouse, and you can come and get them yourself," I added, shrugging my shoulder. Yeah, I'm not dealing with a pair of spotted hyenas myself.
"Sounds good to me, so what are we waitin' for?" Harley asked, eagerly nodding as she held my sleeve and started walking, trying to drag me back to the docks, but I stood unmoving.
"Not right now," I replied, shaking my head as I held her wrist and removed her hand from my sleeve. "I still have to take care of some things first," I added, shrugging my shoulder, much to Harley's annoyance, as she gave me an impatient look.
"Whatcha mean, not right now?" Harley asked, putting her hands on her hips, not bothering to hide her impatience and annoyance. "They've got my babies, and mama's got a reputation to keep!" she added, raising an eyebrow.
"Like I said, I have some things to take care of, so we can go tomorrow," I remarked, turning my character screen and eyeing the level 9 Acrobat class. I only needed one more level to max it and unlock that archetype thingy, which would probably give me a power boost.
"We'll have a better chance of getting your babies out that way," I concluded, shrugging my shoulders as I observed Harley's expression that began shifting.
"Fine, but we do it tomorrow, and no later than that!
...
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I slumped into my chair after several hours of patrolling and breaking into every gang hideout I managed to find.
I needed to increase my class level, and the only way to do it was to level up my skills. I chose the Brawling skill because I only needed to level it up once to max out my Acrobat Class, so I went into a frenzy, beating up any thugs I could find.
It took several hours, but I managed to max out the Acrobat class thanks to that, and now it's finally time to see what this thingy archetype is all about.
[1+ level to the Brawling Skill]
[Brawling (level 26)]
[+1 level to the Acrobat class]
[Acrobat (level MAX)]
[You have maxed out three basic classes]
[You have unlocked the archetype function]
[Would you like to choose an archetype now or continue to the starter class selection menu?]
'Would I still be able to select the starter classes after choosing an archetype?' I questioned after a second of hesitation. I didn't need the Gunman and Duelist class, but more classes meant more skills, and more skills meant faster level-ups.
[Choosing an archetype will unlock more specialized classes based on the host's choice, but the basic ones will still be available]
'Then I'll choose an archetype first...' I shrugged and quickly decided without much hesitation.
[Understood]
Available archetypes: [The Occultist] [The Mad Scientist] [The Warrior] [The Mercenary] [The Trickster]
...
The Occultist:
Properties: as an archetype, an occultist is a powerful sorcerer or sorceress, witch, warlock and wizard, or even a human practitioner that has studied the supernatural, the mystic arts, sorcery, alchemy, astrology, séances, folklore, and mythology.
These studies of occultism are considered taboo and can lead the archetype into the forbidden arts in various circles. And although the study of the occult is neutral by nature, it can lead to corruption on occasion if one is ignorant or not careful enough.
Possible flaws/weaknesses:
-The Occultist may be limited in knowledge.
-Some knowledge may be considered forbidden.
-The Occultist may accidentally gain the attention of certain beings.
-Ignorance may lead to disastrous consequences.
-The Dark Arts may prove to be troublesome or tempting.
The Occultist archetype comes with the following classes: [Alchemist] [Astrologer] [Dark Mage] [White Mage] [Potioneer]
...
The Mad Scientist: as an archetype, the mad scientist is a scientist that dabbles in pseudoscience or performs very unethical/crazy experiments.
The main reason most consider such people "mad" or "insane" sometimes is their dangerous habits of attempting to play God with their science, which can break the laws of physics/nature.
Possible flaws/weaknesses:
-The Mad Scientist's creations and experiments may rise against them.
-The Mad Scientist may develop a god complex.
The Mad Scientist archetype comes with the following classes: [Mechanic] [Programmer] [Surgeon] [Chemist] [Biologist]
...
The Warrior:
Properties: as an archetype, the Warrior is a brave and experienced fighter, specializing in combat, battles, and warfare. Warriors are familiar with many weapons and combat strategies as they are known for other expertise in more than just combat, such as hunting, riding, and leadership.
Possible flaws/weaknesses:
None notable.
The Warrior archetype comes with the following classes: [Tactician] [Gladiator] [Barbarian] [Hunter] [Monk]
...
The Mercenary:
Properties: as an archetype, the Mercenary takes various dangerous jobs in exchange for large sums of money, such as killing people, fighting as soldiers in an army, finding treasure, stealing items, delivering messages, acting as bodyguards, etc.
The methods Mercenaries employ to complete their tasks range from something complex and finesse-based like mastery of stealth, strategically and tactically planned scenarios, expertise in martial arts, and proficiency with weaponry to using brute strength and speed.
Possible flaws/weaknesses:
None notable.
The Mercenary archetype comes with the following classes: [Bounty Hunter] [Treasure Hunter] [Demolitionist] [Soldier] [Tracker]
The Trickster:
Properties: as an archetype, The Trickster can be anything from a god of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to a master manipulator who uses cruel ploys and sadistic choices.
They can also be heroes (or more likely anti-heroes) who make up for their lack of strength or bravery with manipulation, planning, or outright cheating. Tricksters are often masters of disguise and may have magical powers.
Possible flaws/weaknesses:
The Trickster may be unable to trick those with Reality Perception.
People may find the user untrustworthy due to their nature of causing mischief and manipulating others.
The Trickster archetype comes with the following classes: [Con Artist] [Gadfly] [Illusionist] [Trapper] [Insurgent]
'Wow... so I wasn't wrong to assume an archetype was a theme for the available classes to follow...' I mused as I began reading through the finer details of the five available archetypes.
Right off the bat, the Occultist archetype was the most appealing to me, especially with the Potioneer and Alchemist classes, but it also came with the most warning labels and flaws.
While slinging spells, creating potions, and transmuting shit was incredibly tempting, the warning labels were a huge turn-off because I was as ignorant as you could get, and the idea of gaining the attention of "certain beings" doesn't sound like a good time to me. I was decidedly unsure about the archetype.
Then there was the Mad Scientist class, which seemed like nothing more than an average auxiliary, production type class (or archetype, in this case), but it was probably the second most powerful and most versatile.
The Mad Scientist classes may sound like everyday jobs, incredibly mundane and not particularly outstanding. But the truth was far from it, and what got my attention the most was the programmer and the mechanic classes.
The mechanic class likely covered stuff like creating and developing any technology related to the field, like weaponry, transportation, and even robotics, which was a great way to make money and gadgets for me to use.
That was just the Mechanic class. Combine that with programming, and you get robots and artificial intelligence. In other words, an army of intelligent, heavily armed, and armored soldiers.
However, the Mad Scientist's best selling point was also its worst downside, because whatever I created might rise against me if I wasn't careful enough and gave it more autonomy than needed.
And the Warrior archetype, on the other hand, was by far the blandest one out of the five archetypes. It was just your typical meat-headed choice, where your only option was to bash your head against the proverbial wall until it broke.
It was by far the least appealing, simply because I only needed to keep training the same way I've been since I picked my first class. And I'd eventually get the same results as choosing the warrior archetype, even if it took longer.
'Yeah, no thanks. Moving on...' I shrugged my shoulders, immediately dismissing the warrior archetype as I moved on to the next.
The Mercenary wasn't that different from the Warrior, other than offering some versatility. And even though it was much more appealing than the latter, it still paled compared to the Occultist and the Mad Scientist, so it was another automatic no.
The Trickster looked like a well-rounded archetype with some combat-specialized classes and others that relied on tricking and misleading people, making it a decent choice, but it still didn't have the potential of the first two.
'So it comes to a choice between Mad Scientist and Occultist...' I sighed, feeling hesitant to choose between the two.
Occultist was the more powerful option, but I couldn't risk fumbling in the dark without someone guiding me. And I don't think the system-given knowledge would be enough to prevent me from making ignorant decisions or giving in to temptation.
The system wouldn't include the warning labels in the archetype description otherwise, and I honestly didn't trust myself enough to guarantee I won't make reckless or ignorant mistakes on my own.
Risk-wise, the Mad Scientist Archetype was the safest choice, and its potential wasn't far from the Occultist, maybe even matching it with the ability to create advanced weapons, armies of robots, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and physical enhancements, etc.
'Wait... system, is it possible to choose another archetype later, or will I be locked into the one I select now?' I paused, deciding to ask the system.
If I could only choose one, I'd bite the bullet, go with the Occultist archetype, and let the consequences be damned. But If I could choose another one, I'll go for the Mad Scientist and change to Occultist when I find a mentor or something.
[The host may choose a second Archetype after maxing out the current one]
'Oh! And how do I max out an Archetype?'
[For every 15 class levels, the archetype would go up in level once, up to a maximum of 10 (Archetype specific classes have a maximum level of 30)]
'It would take a lot of time and effort to max out an archetype... but it's better than being locked into one, at least...' I mused, nodding my head and preparing to make my choice.
'System, is there anything else I need to know before choosing an archetype?' I asked, shooting my shot. I didn't know if the system would answer or give me anything of value, but it was worth a try.
[Due to the specialized nature of Archetypes, it will probably affect the awakening of the host's metagene and imprint it with the same theme]
...
'If I remember correctly, metagenes awaken under stressful situations, and they need a substance or a form of energy to imprint on...' I mused, thoughtfully rubbing my chin as I read through the notification.
It goes without saying that said substance or form of energy will define the metagene's power, so there's a high chance that whatever archetype I choose, especially the occultists and the Mad Scientist, would expose me to something that would awaken the metagene.
And since the archetypes seem to specialize in one field over the others, then whatever my metagene would be, it would match the theme of the archetype I choose now. There is also the chance of a freak accident imprinting my metagene with something random.
'In other words, I'll likely excel in whatever archetype I choose first over the others...' I sighed, scratching my head.
Occultist was the more powerful option, and specializing in it over other archetypes would give me a clear path towards power. But it also came with the most risks unless I found a mentor, which isn't happening anytime soon.
On the other hand, Mad Scientist could be just as good an option and much safer to boot. Specializing in it could give me more versatility than magic, but it required more work and preparation and no immediate power boost.
'Yeah... I'll just go with the safe option then...' I sighed as I made my decision and selected the Mad Scientist archetype.
[You have selected the Mad Scientist archetype]
[Mad Scientist (level 0)]
[You may now select a new class]
[Available archetype specific classes: (Mechanic) (Programmer) (Surgeon) (Chemist) (Biologist)]
[Available basic classes: (Gunman) (Duelist) (Artist) (Scholar) (Linguist)]
...
[Mechanic (MAX Level 30)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Mechanics skill, and the Machinery Scan power]
[Mechanics: if it's broken, this skill can fix it. If it's not broken, it can improve it (sometimes making it worse). If it just isn't, it can build it. Mechanics covers all technical and craft skills, from carpentry to mechanics to roadie work. It is what you need if you want to rebuild the engine of that mean machine you're tricking out or to make sure the rock concert comes through loud and clear]
...
[Programmer (MAX level 30)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Computers skill, and the Network Crash power]
[Computers: the nerdy art of keyboard slinging for fun and profit, and with this skill, you can make computers do what you want, including programming and hacking. People don't need this skill to use a computer. Anybody can find the on-switch and use a mouse. The Computers skill lets you do fun things like breaking into confidential databases, writing your own programs, programming your VCR, and other cool stuff]
...
[Surgeon (MAX level 30)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Medicine skill, and the X-ray Vision power]
[Medicine: After a tough fight, it pays to know some first aid. This skill covers the ability to heal injuries, and diagnose and cure diseases through modern medicine. A full-fledged doctor has a skill level of four or higher. Anything below that represents some training in first aid or emergency treatment]
...
[Chemist (MAX level 30)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Chemistry skill, and the Chemical Detection power]
[Chemistry: whether you want to create poisons and acids that hiss and dissolve the ground for dramatic effect, explosives that would obliterate it all together, or just a solution to get rid of that one stubborn blood stain on your favorite shirt, this is the skill for you]
[Biologist (MAX level 30)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Biology skill, and the Weakness Detection power]
[Biology: as a skill, the Biology skill covers everything from the study of plants and animals all the way to the what turns on microscopic organisms and their breeding patterns]
...
[Artist (MAX level 10)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, and the Art skill]
[Art: have you ever wanted to create some masterpiece for the ages or have your CD go platinum? All you need is a high enough level in the Art skill. The skill covers music, painting, sculpture, creative writing, and everything in between]
...
[Scholar (MAX level 10)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Knowledge skill]
[Knowledge: the skill covers all non-scientific disciplines. History, sociology, psychology, and the like are part and parcel of this skill. Knowledge can be helpful in identifying the background of supernatural creatures, helping with occult research, and allowing you to say cool stuff like this gauntlet is Late Medieval, probably from Florence; the markings are unmistakable. Chicks really dig that shit]
...
[Linguist (MAX level 10)]
[The class comes with three stat points, three stat points for every level, the Language skill]
[Language: If you want hablar Español, sound good ordering at a French restaurant, or read the Old Church Latin edition of the Necronomicon, you need to learn a few languages. This skill covers any language other than one's native tongue]
...
'So the archetype classes are not different in their max level capacity, but they come with powers too...' I mused as I read through the archetype-specific classes.
The powers weren't anything fancy or groundbreaking. But they would either come in handy when applying the skills they come with, like having X-ray Vision while performing surgery, or are merely related to the class, like weakness detection, which translates to insight into biology.
'And I've got a couple of new basic classes too...' I scratched my head, turning to the three new classes: Artist, Linguist, and Scholar. They were niche and had no direct combat application, and I could learn the skills they offered on my own, but maybe I'll find a use for them in the future?
I shrugged and immediately picked the Programmer class without much hesitation, as it was the best option for me right now because I could use it to make money, and it helped me gather information.
Another good first class might have been the Mechanic class, but I'll need to have some money and a workshop to create anything of use or value, so it'll have to wait until then.
[You have gained a new class: Programmer]
[You have gained the skill: computers]
[3+ stat points]
[You have gained the power: Network Crash]
[You have unlocked the archetype powers tab]
[Network Crash: the ability to negate or destroy protected networks by injecting energy into them through physical or wireless contact. The Network Crash power is dependent on your programming skills, and you will not be able to salvage any information from any network you may destroy]
[Spirit attribute unlocked]
[Spirit 1]
[The spirit attribute represents the supernatural side of the host's being. It includes, but is not limited to, the host's affinity and potential for arcane and natural energies, the capacity to apply supernatural skills, and luck, among many other things (average humans have a spirit score of 0)]
'Does that mean I need spirit to activate powers?' I questioned after reading through the spirit Attribute's description. If that's the case, it's a good thing I've been saving some stat points.
[Correct]
I sighed, shrugging my shoulder as I turned to my available stat points, hesitating for a minute before I dumped 24 points into the Spirit attribute, raising it all the way to 25.
[Due to reaching a milestone in your Spirit attribute, your soul has evolved, and you have unlocked a new perk: (Energy Detector)]
[Energy Detector: the ability to detect the presence of energy, whether electromagnetic (magnetic/infrared), psionic, magical, spiritual, or other, and possibly gain a detailed understanding of the power you are sensing, including the amount/size of energy they are perceiving depending on the target and your own energy]
I felt weightless for a second, feeling something course through my entire body, and a slight headache before it all disappeared, and I felt normal again. I didn't feel much different. The world, however, not only felt different, but it looked the part as well.
It's not like I suddenly began seeing colors. It was more like a field surrounding me, and then there was another field surrounding mine, and as I turned to inspect it, I felt the hairs rising all over my body, sending chills down my spine.
It was a presence, dark and chilling, the likes of which I've never felt before, and it was coming from the very ground Gotham stood on, the soil, and the earth, seeping into every single brick and cinder block of every building, including my apartment.
I immediately deactivated the ability and collapsed to the ground, gasping for air and clutching my chest in pain.
"No wonder this fucking city is rotten to the core..."
...
Name: Grayson Whitlock
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Archetype: [The Mad Sceintist (level 0)]
Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer Level 2]
Stats:
Body: 50
Mind: 50
Spirit: 41
Stat Points: 0
Skills:
[Brawling (level 26)] [Crime (level 25)] [Acrobatics (level 8)] [Computers (level2)]
Perks:
[Dormant Metahuman] [Silent Step] [Eidetic Kinesthesia] [Superhuman Stamina] [Perfect Recall] [Accelerated Healing] [Energy Detector]
Archetype powers:
[Network Crash]
I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the zero next to my available stat points on my character screen. Had anyone told me there would come a day when I had zero stat points, I would have laughed it off since I used to hate using the damned things.
I still wasn't wholly comfortable with using stat points, but I can't let that hold me back anymore. My fight with Killer Croc had been a wake-up call for me.
Even though I didn't exactly lose that fight, I didn't win either, and under different circumstances, I might have ended up as the lizard's lunch. The realization removed the last traces of hesitance I had towards using stat points.
It made me realize I've been living in comparative optimism, also known as the "well, I'm going to pull through somehow" mindset. And almost "not pulling through somehow" completely removed that line of thought from my mind.
And all it took was one angry humanoid lizard wanting to rip my head off and chew my bones to make me get over. Quite the bargain, am I right?
So the first thing I did after choosing the Programmer class was to break into an electronic store and steal the most expensive laptop I could find to start grinding the Computer skill.
And grind the Computer skill I did, but the laptop I got wasn't anything special, and the best I could do with it was to create a worm game. It still leveled up my Computer skill once, but I'll have to find something better if I want to grind it faster.
'Maybe I should talk to Selina about where I'd find something like that?' I mused, making a mental note to do just that as I turned to my quest tab.
[Enter The Dragon III]
Your teacher has given you the mission of clearing out a warehouse crawling with heavily armed thugs.
Primary Objective: clear out the warehouse.
Bonus Objective 1: take out all opponents.
Bonus Objective 2: don't get shot.
Bonus Objective 3: ?
Rewards:
Primary Objective: +5 skill levels to the Brawling Skill
Bonus Objective 1: ?
Bonus Objective 2: ?
Bonus Objective 3: ?
I got the notification prompt shortly after I arrived near the docks and started scouting the area with my pigeon drone, but I ignored it after accepting to take the quest to finish scoping out the place.
'There are three bonus objective's this time, and one of them is question marks... I wonder what that's all about...' I mused as I read through the quest and noticed that the number of objectives wasn't the only difference.
'The second bonus objective was don't get shot instead of the usual don't get hit..' I observed, scratching my head. I had a bad feeling about that particular change since it could mean anything, and it sounded like a red flag.
But I didn't get to overthink it as Harley showed up, skipping her way towards me with her trusty bazooka slung to her shoulder, making my eyes twitch under my mask.
"Do you go everywhere with that thing?" I asked, raising my eyebrow under my mask as I turned to the crazy blonde and gestured towards the bazooka on her back.
"Only when I'm out to party," Harley replied, striking a pose as she turned the bazooka and put it over her shoulder, her finger carelessly resting on the trigger, with not a shred of respect for safety guidelines.
"Whatever, just don't point that thing at me," I muttered, rolling my eyes and deciding that quipping with the crazy blonde about her bazooka was not worth the effort.
"So, we gonna do this or what?" Harley asked, grinning as she turned to the warehouse. She impatiently gestured towards it, clearly itching to get things started.
"I don't see why not. Get in position and wait for the first gunshot, then blast the warehouse doors," I replied, shrugging as I got up and cracked my fingers. I'd come early to scout the place, and I already had a plan, so there was no point in delaying any further.
"Don't take too long. I get bored easy," Harley said, grinning as she watched me leave and began moving towards a vantage point where she'd have a clear view of the warehouse herself.
I merely shrugged as I took a deep breath and climbed down the roof to start jogging toward the docks, while sticking to the shadows to make sure no one would notice me.
I inspected the area with my pigeon drone one last time as I stopped, taking cover behind a stack of containers right in front of my target before running towards the fence surrounding the warehouse.
I quickly scaled the fence and dropped, making my way towards the nearest cover I found. I took cover behind a dumpster next to the railing as I heard two people approaching and peeked over the dumpster to see two gangsters patrolling the area and heading toward me.
"You know I've always wondered why GCPD never bothered with this warehouse..." Thug A remarked in a bored tone. "We've been here for how many months now? And I haven't seen a single badge snooping around the place..." he added, scratching his head.
"That's the boss' doing..." Thug B, who was causally carrying an assault rifle, replied with an equally bored tone. "Pigs are either on his payroll or too afraid to report what they see here..." he added as they finally reached the dumpster.
I immediately acted, slinging my wire towards the thug with the assault rifle, wrapping it around his neck as I charged the other. I caught his head before he could react and drove my knee right into his nose, unphased by the resulting crunch.
I let go of the thug's head, letting him fall to the ground in a heap as I pulled at the steel wire wrapped around the other's neck, making him stagger towards me. I caught his head from the side and bashed it against the dumpster, picking him up and throwing him inside in one swift motion.
Looking around to see if anyone else was coming, I loaded the other thug into the dumpster after disarming them and depositing their guns into my inventory.
I had no intention of using said guns, but I didn't want to leave them there to be used against me if they woke up before I concluded my business here, either.
Taking one more look around and checking my pigeon drone video feed, I quickly made my way to the next cover, a large, empty wooden crate with four thugs standing around a barrel near it, warming themselves and chatting.
I could sneak around them, but that wasn't the task Richard gave me. Every single ass on everything that moved needed to be kicked for me to complete my mission.
Wrapping my arms around the crate, I took a deep breath as I picked it up and threw it at the thugs. It hit one of them in the back, making him fall to the ground, taking another with him as he grasped his friend's clothes to stop himself from falling.
I charged before the thugs could make sense of the situation, dropping another one with a flying kick and using him as leverage to jump towards the other, knocking him out with a punch to the temple.
I moved on to the other two before they could get up, knocked them out with two kicks to the side of each of their heads, and began hauling the unconscious thugs somewhere more secluded where they wouldn't be found too quickly.
I was not under the illusion I could take out everyone in the warehouse unnoticed, nor was that my intention. But I'd prefer to be inside the building where I could find cover before the thugs knew I was there, since the outside didn't have much in the way of places to take cover.
Quickly hiding the unconscious thugs, I made my way towards the warehouse and started scaling the walls from the outside, making my way to the roof.
I peeked through a window in the ceiling, and raised an eyebrow at the sight of dozens of people hauling crates full of drugs all over the warehouse.
'Luckily, they're not all armed...'
...
I took a deep breath as I opened the window and attached my steel wire to the edge, slowly descending toward the warehouse's exterior after spending a minute memorizing the layout of the area and the number of people inside, armed or otherwise.
Not everyone inside the warehouse was armed, and they weren't all thugs either. Most of the people hauling the crates and moving them around the warehouse were just regular people who do odd jobs like this for gangsters to earn some money.
'I'll steer clear of the poor bastards unless they get in my way...' I mused as I slid down my wire into the warehouse, taking cover behind a shelf packed with crates and barrels.
I had no intention of going out of my way to harm those people, but I won't hesitate to beat the crap out of them if they interfered, and I won't try to save them if they were stupid enough not to run once shit hits the fan either. I don't know them, and their well-being isn't my responsibility.
'Time to get to work...'
I let out a deep breath as I started climbing onto the shelf. There were five gangsters wielding machine guns and assault rifles on vantage points across the warehouse, and I needed to take them out before I took out everyone else.
Their strategic high ground positions allowed them to look over almost every possible piece of cover, and they'd be able to pin me down with a hail of bullets if I didn't take them out before making my presence known.
I stuck to the ledges, jumping from shelf to shelf until I reached the first lookout. I sneaked behind the thug and wrapped one arm around his neck, the other reaching for his rifle.
Storing the rifle into my inventory, I squeezed his neck with my wrist until he fell unconscious, but I didn't let go and eased his fall to avoid making any noise.
I only let go of the lookout once he was on the ground and moved on to the next target, quickly managing to take out two more in the same way, but one of the thugs patrolling down below noticed me before I could get to the last two near the entrance.
"There's an intruder!" the thug shouted, quickly taking out his gun to shoot at me, alerting the rest of his friends. Everyone turned to me, and I immediately ran toward the last two lookouts as fast as I could.
I sprinted, swung, and jumped from cover to cover towards the last two lookouts, dodging bullets while shielding my face since it was the only part of me that the trench coat didn't cover.
However, I was only halfway through before the warehouse gates exploded with a loud bang, sending a shock wave of searing heat that sent the two lookouts tumbling to the ground from their vantage points.
"Attention, losers...! Ya'll gone done messed with the wrooooong gal! So says Harley Quinn...!" I heard Harley's voice echo across the warehouse, accompanied by a loud, cheerful cackle. "And I'm gonna show ya why ya don't mess with Harley's babies!" the crazy blonde exclaimed, and there was no accompanying mad cackle this time. It was the deafening echo of gunshots instead.
I shrugged and immediately jumped into the action while the gangsters were still in shock, charging the nearest thug and tackling him into the nearest shelf, causing it to fall on two other gangsters nearby.
I head-butted the thugs I'd tackled into unconsciousness and jumped on top of the collapsed shelf, stomping with all my might to make sure the two gangsters underneath it stayed down. The gangsters quickly got back into their senses and immediately turned to me with their weapons, while the hired labor began running in all directions to steer clear of the danger.
My eyes darted around, my brain going overdrive, noting the gangster's locations, the trajectory of their bullets based on where they were standing, and the way they held their guns as I quickly planned a route and began running.
I picked up a metal barrel while sprinting and raised it to my left to block several bullets fired at me by the only gangster who had a clear shot at me and immediately hurled it at him once he ran out of bullets and stopped firing.
Have I mentioned how convenient having superhuman strength was? I'm hurling barrels at people like I'm Donkey Kong or something, for fuck's sake!
I turned a corner around another shelf and found myself staring at two gangsters, who immediately reacted by aiming their guns at me once our eyes met. I put my 100% muscle usage to good use and closed the distance with one leap before the gangsters could fire, ducking as the first gangster leveled his gun at my head and fired.
Slapping the gun away, I kicked the other gangster before he could fire and sent him flying towards the large wooden crate, which he smashed into headfirst, sending wood shards flying.
I turned to the other one and punched him in the throat, holding back so as not to crush his windpipe. I finished him off with a kick in the stomach and sent him flying to join his friend in the now-demolished wooden crate.
I kept weaving throughout the warehouse, from one cluster of thugs to the other, dodging bullets while trying to avoid using my steel wire as much as possible since it wouldn't be much of a training mission otherwise.
Richard gave me the task of clearing the warehouse, so I could gain experience and learn how to deal with large groups of enemies and relying on my steel wire too much would make the whole thing pointless.
It took almost thirty minutes of moving from cover to cover, breaking bones, and knocking people out until the gunfire ceased, and I could hear nothing but grunting.
I inspected the area and saw no one standing or moving other than a few gangsters trying to crawl away, causing me to let out a drawn breath as I quickly knocked out the few remaining thugs that didn't stay down.
'Well... that's that...' I sighed in relief as I turned to my quest tab, frowning when I saw the quest wasn't over. 'Maybe I need to take care of the gangsters outside too...?' I mused as I made for the exit.
I frowned under my mask as I exited through the demolished warehouse doors, watching as Harley smashed her baseball club into the knee of the last standing thug, forcing him to his knees as she put a bullet in his head.
'She's not taking any prisoners... Richard will be pissed...' I sighed as I looked around and saw nothing but unmoving corpses strewn around the vicinity, all with gunshot wounds or bashed skulls.
There were a couple of "lucky" gangsters, who weren't killed by the crazy, but looking at their crushed, deformed limbs, they might have been better off dead.
I came here fully knowing I might have to kill, if need be, so I didn't really care for the lives of Black Mask's goons. I didn't know whether they were full-fledged psychopaths or just people who turned to crime because they had no other choice, and I didn't care either.
I might sympathize with such people, but if it came to a choice between my life and theirs, I wouldn't hesitate for a second before putting them, down, so I had no moral ground to judge the crazy blonde, even if she might have taken things too far.
Still, seeing so much carnage did make me feel uncomfortable, and it brought back memories of Firefly's massacre flashing in my mind. I pushed down the discomfort and inspected the area with the pigeon drone.
'What's going on...?' I wondered as I found no one still standing, inside and outside the warehouse, and turned to my quest, seeing no quest completed prompt.
"There ya are!" Harley said, spreading her arms apart as she approached, and I had to grit my teeth and push down the urge to attack her after seeing her bloodied appearance and demented grin.
"The losers inside give ya any trouble?" Harley asked, peeking past me into the warehouse, but I didn't pay her any attention, focused on the pigeon drone's video feed as I was. "Are ya listening!?" Harley exclaimed, sounding extremely offended at how I ignored her as she stood in front of me, waving a bloody hand in front of my face to get my attention.
"Look out!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I spotted some movement in the shadow of a container nearby through the pigeon drone, causing me to push Harley to the side as I lunged away.
I adjusted my posture mid-air and landed on my feet two meters away as I heard a loud bang, and a wave of searing heat hit my back.
Quickly turning around, I saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with bulging muscles walk out of the container's shadow. He wore a tight black and red sleeveless spandex suit with a similarly colored mask, and his most distinguishing feature was the large gun on the end of his left arm.
"I am not remembering you. You must be a new face. No worry I be killing you anyway."
...