Opening File: Quickdraw McGraw
A horse Mobian born in the Wildlands of America that extends into a few states the future Huntsmen that would come to be known as Quickdraw learned how to shoot a 'primitive' pistol at a young age and was trained rigorously due to the dangerous land his family lived in. He learned rather quickly and learned how to fight and survive against Grimm and bandits. Soon enough Quickdraw became sheriff of the town he was born in but realized that he alone could not hope to keep the people safe. With an idea in mind Quickdraw sought many people ranging from disgraced Huntsmen to warlords with the idea of forming a group to bring order to the Wildlands.
It was not easy but Quickdraw proved himself to not only be a powerful Hunstmen in his own right but also a charismatic leader as many people who lived in the Wildands away from civilization were impressed with his will to fight and began to follow him. A militia known as the Guardsmen was formed and rose quickly in numbers as scattered villages in need of protection called on them for aid. The Guardsmen gained powerful reputation and grew in strength over the years, acting as leaders, peacekeepers and mediators. As their reputation spread the Guardsmen soon gained the notice of powerful people who sought to hire them.
The only missions the Guardsmen accepted would be dealing with bandits, slave trades and Grimm.
The number of the Guardsmen has steadily increased over the years, especially after rumors of their leader meeting with mayor of GrimmFall, Phil Ken Sebben. Since then the Guardsmen has gained access to many resources, including an old airship they have kept in perfect condition.
Close File
Xxx
"The thing about running a government is that not everyone is going to like it. Some people prefer having rules, some people couldn't care less. Some prefer to move away and live in isolation where they can treasure their independence. An interesting word isn't it?" TOM mused as he closed the file. "Independence, the whole concept around it is the idea of freedom. But not everyone likes it even though they would claim not to be slavers or tyrants. This is how some wars start, one side claiming to be fighting for freedom while the other labels as them as violent extremists. So in your world, what is your idea of freedom, what makes a freedom fighter in your eyes and what actions to you consider to be tyranny?"
Xxx
"I can't believe this."
"What?"
"That he'd actually call you here."
"And why not? You know he recognizes skills and potential."
"Those are not words appropriate enough to describe you."
"Now, now dear general. No need for such uncouth behavior."
"Your head is still attached to your body, isn't it?"
The two speakers were waiting next to a pair of steel doors, outside the main hall of the dark sanctuary they had been called to. One resembled a Human, but his skin was pale with vein markings colored red, black and purple traveling down his face and neck. He wore a dark blue hat and a dark blue uniform with black gloves and boots. He had a left glass eye and just underneath it was a red lightning bolt shaped scar while his other eye was piercing red.
He was not a Human; he was like his master, a Fallen.
His acquaintance was a cat Mobian with red fur, thin limbs and a long body. He has yellow eyes with small pupils and purple highlights on the lower lids, as well as purple-tipped ears, a purple-tipped nose and three purple stripes across his back. This particular Mobian was extremely dangerous with warning to all that only Huntsmen having Class V skills were allowed to engage him. A dangerous killer with a terrifying Semblance it was no wonder he had gained the attention of the one who had summoned him.
"Really now, general. You must calm down. I doubt our employer will be happy to see you so…agitated." The cat Mobian spoke with a British accent, checking his claws.
"Be silent or I will skin you alive. Know your place." The man snarled.
The Mobian simply smiled. "Of course, general." His voice boarded on sarcasm.
The doors finally opened and both saw their host, the Fallen known as Sammael approaching them slowly.
"Katz." Sammael spoke, looking directly at the Mobian. "I see you have retained your sense of humor. Though, so as long as you are here I expect you to remain cordial to everyone."
"Of course." Katz nodded, his demeanor respectful in Sammael's presence.
"And Skarr." Sammael looked over to his fellow Fallen. "Despite your opinion Katz has proven himself useful and powerful enough to be here. I fail to see the point of your anger."
"My apologies, sir." Skarr replied, straightening himself up to show his military training.
"Good, now I have mission for the both of you. Katz, your skills and powers have convinced me you would be a worthy as a member of the Invisible Hand. Until you have a proper team you will be working with General Skarr." Sammael said, watching as the two nodded their heads. "This mission involves an old friend…Joseph 'Dracon' Matthews, better known as the Dragon of Denver."
Both Skarr and Katz looked very eager now, all previous enmities forgotten.
Xxx
SIGN UP:
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Please enter your name: Steven Universe
Email: stevenuniverse
Password: *******
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Please enter web name: Esteban Universidad
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Welcome Esteban Universidad
Steven looked over the contact list that had been offered up to his new profile on the social net site that had been recommended for him.
This list of contacts was composed of young people expressing interests in becoming Huntsmen.
Snowflame
Queencandy
Wreckem
Skyking
B10(which Steven knew was Ben's online name)
Dragonkiller
Babelover
Vampqueen
Edloverofmonsters
Rad
DJfireball
And so much more.
"Well, here I go." Steven started typing.
'Hi, my name's Steven Universe. I'm new here and my home town has been through a lot lately. I am not sure how to exactly explain it in a way that anyone but a few friends I know that like this net site might understand. All I know is that I am learning a lot of things about the world we live in that's not all it seems and I find it hard to sort all of this out on my own. I can't say I am interested in becoming a Huntsmen but I do want to help make this world a better place.
The kind of world my mom believed in. There's not much else about me aside from looking Cookie Cats, Crying Breakfast Friends and music.'
Steven finished his message and posted it, waiting to see if anyone would post back.
He was surprised by the numbers of views he got and the offer of friend requests he got, all of them replying to welcome him.
'I guess I'll start with when I was born…' Steven started but was cut off when a noise from the TV made him look up from his laptop. "Oh no, not again."
Xxx
Amethyst hadn't been keeping track of time when she had finished ranting about her problems to Johnny while both of them pigged out over fresh pizza. All she remembered was ranting followed cheesy goodness and then…
"These two buffoons ate out half the restaurant!" Someone complained.
"Oh Amethyst…" Another voice followed, sounding like Pearl.
"Just like Fridays backs at my restaurant." Came a third voice, sounding like Pops. "Always partying and making a fool out of himself."
"Just like Amethyst."
"Ohhhh….My stomach." Lying next to Amethyst on the ground was Johnny who was experiencing a very bad stomach and feeling like he was about to throw up.
"Have a fun night, Johnny?" Pops asked, looking down at his idiot apprentice with crossed arms. "I see you had a friend this time."
Amethyst finally sat up, revealing a face covered in cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni. "Ugh…Who turned on the sun?"
"Amethyst, did you seriously eat all the food here?" Pearl asked crossly.
"She also ate a table." The owner said, pointing to where the table that two had been sitting at used to be. "That's coming out of your tab."
"We'll pay but we have trouble." Pearl looked back down at Amethyst. "Peridot's repaired the communication hub again."
Amethyst groaned, feeling a little sicker. "Great…"
As if things weren't bad enough.
Xxx
Danielle had been beyond impressed with the interior of the Sanban compound, especially when she was led to the training area that had been cleared from the time she had last seen it.
It was here Kuki had made a surprise suggestion.
"Want to spar with me?"
It had caught Danielle off guard and she tried to stutter an excuse but Kuki had insisted, saying it would only be a friendly spar. Soon enough both girls were wearing training gi and were standing in the middle of the grassy part of the training area with Sayoko acting as referee. As soon as the maid started the match Kuki was on the move, launching a series of fast jabs at Danielle who had been surprised and struggled to duck or dodge. Strangely enough Danielle seemed to get a little better as Kuki pushed her back, performing a little better but was obviously far below Kuki in skills.
Up above Genki was watching with Kani and Mushi, all of them curious to see how the match would go. Genki seemed to notice a flare from Kuki's Aura as she sparred with Danielle. Since she was little Kuki had been trained extensively since she was the heiress of a very powerful company and thus would be the target of many enemies that could use her for blackmail and extortion. She was employing a form of pressure point combat that she had learned and was showing great use in it. Danielle on the other hand had no formal training but seemed to be experienced in basic self-defense and slight off-hand techniques as she blocked and dodged as best as she could, showing above average strength.
However she still left herself open to a karate chop to her left side that made her grunt but she remained standing and her eyes flashed green for a second. Genki picked that up quickly and could tell that Kuki perhaps was trying to see if Danielle remembered her powers. She was moving faster enough, seemingly getting used to Kuki's style as she moved faster and improved her defense, utilizing quick punches at Kuki easily blocked or dodged while at the same time seemingly shrugging off the blows she felt when Kuki had scored a hit. Obviously Danielle's unique nature allowed her to withstand many blows that would have knocked anyone else her age.
Still when Kuki tripped her up her legs and flipped her over her shoulder it appeared to be over…
Just as a white ring appeared around Danielle and changed her into her ghost form. Acting on instinct Danielle landed on her feet and lashed out with a kick that knocked Kuki to the ground. Luckily the heiress had her Aura engaged so the blow didn't hurt her. If anything she was smiling as she sat up and looked at the now surprised Danielle as she stared down at herself, looking like she had just remembered something extremely important.
"So that's your spirit power." Kuki said as she stood up.
"Yeah…" Danielle looked back at Kuki. "You knew about my powers?"
"Yeah. You remembered yours?"
"Yeah…" Danielle stared at her hands and then shifted back to her human form. "I know I have had them as long as I can remember. I think this might be my Semblance."
"It's a cool one. You have all the powers of a spirit." Kuki commented with admiration.
"Spirit…" Danielle chuckled a bit. "I was thinking more of a phantom. So, ready for more?"
"I am."
Up above Genki and her husband listened to their conversation. So Danielle did remember her powers and how to activate them but believed them to be her Semblance. So her theory of Danielle remembering almost everything was correct. She just seemed to have forgotten about her true origin, her creator and the circumstances of her being here. It made Genki wonder if the spirit Sensei Splinter had used had simply taken all the memories that had been associated with anything bad in Danielle's life but that shouldn't have been the case.
And yet she had a feeling there was more to it.
Danielle seemed to move even faster in her ghost form but Kuki was able to keep up, both of them now seemingly even now. Danielle floated off the ground and started to flying around Kuki, moving to attack from behind. However Kuki closed her eyes and her Aura seemed to pulse as she spun around and grabbed Danielle by the arm, attempting to throw her down again. Danielle turned intangible and Kuki's hand slipped through her arm.
"Nice try, Kuki. But you can't grab what you can't touch." Dani taunted as she floated down and turned invisible. "And you can't fight what you can't see."
Kuki remained calm though, focusing herself as her Semblance activated. Kuki's Semblance was centered around detecting and negating danger to herself, acting as a sixth sense while preforming such feats as enhancing her speed and reaction time to even preforming amazing feats such as stopping an attack with telekinesis. So when her Semblance flared she felt that thread she had seen before on the day she had seen Danielle screaming. She grabbed onto the thread like before with one and lashed out with her other hand, grabbing a surprised Danielle as she became visible and changed back into her human form.
"Wha-What?" Danielle stuttered, seeing herself back in human form. "What happened?"
"My Semblance…I can detect and negate any form of danger, even in a simple spar with someone who can turn invisible." Kuki answered, smiling as she let go of Danielle. "I also think it can…Deactivate a person's Semblance if the situation calls for it."
"Wow!" Danielle marveled. "That's amazing!"
"Not as amazing as changing into a spirit…I mean phantom." Kuki giggled, both of sharing a laugh as Sayoko officially ended the spar.
Up above Genki shared a look with her husband upon seeing the results of the spar. Kuki's Semblance was a powerful one, even more powerful if it could deactivate the Semblance she perceives as an enemy. The fact it could force Danielle to shift from ghost form and back into human form was even more astounding. It was also likely the reason why her Semblance worked so well against Danielle is because even if Kuki considered Danielle a friend her Semblance recognized her ghost powers as a potential threat, even in a simple spar.
It made Genki and Kani wonder though if perhaps it also meant something else. When Danielle had awoken during the spirit's attempt to remover her memories of Moloch she had awoken and her powers had become very dangerous in her emotional state until she suddenly fell asleep again and shifted back into her human form. They didn't know what happened for sure, only that something had calmed Danielle down enough for the procedure to be finished but now both of them suspected that the reason was their eldest daughter. If she had sneaked into the room and her Semblance had activated, perceiving danger from Danielle in her emotional state…
Both shared a look as Mushi ran off to meet the girls but said nothing.
Though both might be annoyed with their daughter for sneaking in when she wasn't supposed to but she had and was still helping Danielle cope it seems. It'd be best to simply watch and see how things would develop for now. Their daughters and guest were getting along and Danielle was settling in nicely.
That was the best news they could have asked for at the moment.
Xxx
"He was big and ugly with a mechanical hand." June relaxed on her bed while telling her family what had happened. "Called himself a spectral exterminator."
"Hoss Delgado." Jasmine scowled. "I shouldn't be surprised that nut case showed up here."
"You know this dude, Ah-Mah?" Ray-Ray asked, sitting next to June.
"Just be reputation. He's like H.A.M., a magic-phobic human with an obsession to destroying all things related to magic. He doesn't just hate magic though. He also hates Grimm, Faunus and Mobians." Jasmine explained. "He's been on magic community's danger list for years but he's never come close to Orchid Bay."
"He wasn't too tough." June remarked.
"Only because he didn't think you'd be a threat." Jasmine replied stoically. "Now that he's faced you once he'll be better prepared next time and there is still the matter of Cipher's fanatics. Our list of problems just keeps growing."
"So what do we do now?" Dennis asked.
"We need to find out how Cipher is planning to enter this world. Obviously he's going to have someone set up some form of dimensional portal." Jasmine explained. "Find and destroy that portal and Cipher loses any chance of reaching this world."
"So how do we find the portal?" June asked.
"The creation of such a machine would affect the town at a dangerous level. Trust me, the moment that thing turns on we'd know." Jasmine answered. "June, from now on you don't go alone. Lila will be with you in case those Blind Eye freaks or Delgado shows up again."
"All right." June nodded.
"For now we wait and see what happens next."
Xxx
"So what do you want?"
Gideon had to keep himself from smiling when Jack Spicer arrived to his house, demanding answers from him. As skilled and smart as he was he knew he was outnumbered compared to the number of worshipers Bill Cipher had, including Pacifica Northwest who might as well be Bill's meat puppet. When he had been forced into the Blind Eye Society by his weak parents Gideon had chosen to learn all he could before one day bringing the society down and end the influence his 'master' had over him.
No one commanded Gideon Gleeful and they would all learn the hard way soon enough.
"I need a way to get the deed to the Mystery Shack. Once I have it I can show you what you are here." Gideon answered smoothly.
"And what if I say that's not good enough?" Jack asked rhetorically.
"Very well…You've met Bill Cipher, right?" Gideon said, deciding to use clarity as the best tactic. "He's got big plans in the works and he's nervous with all the Huntsmen and Grimm in the world he's not going to get his chance. So he's been making deals with people for the last few million years, the Northwests being the most recent of them, offering money and power in exchange for their services. They even went as a far as to perform a ritual that bound the soul of their daughter to Cipher on the day she was born, using her mother as a sacrifice."
Jack scoffed. "Now I know you're just spewing hogwash. You really expect me to believe you?"
"Ask yourself this one question: what are the odds you along with three others come here after meeting talking triangle in your dreams? Did you really think it was coincidence?" Gideon continued.
"What are you getting at?"
"They knew you'd answer because all have something in common. You are geniuses with little to no drive for anything in life aside from a goal you have no idea how to carry out. The other red head wants to make a scientific breakthrough that will outshine anything his family has ever done, the neat freak pursues knowledge for the sake of knowledge and the walking sandwich simply wants answers for the death of his father. And you? You want to destroy the Grimm, something nearly everyone else has wanted for centuries but what do you have that everyone else doesn't?" Gideon questioned.
"There's never been anyone like me." Spicer retorted.
"You sure about that?"
"I am enough to walk out on you right now." Jack turned to the door.
"Enough to forget what might be under the Mystery Shack?" Gideon asked, smirking a bit as Jack stopped. "Help me get the deed and I will show you everything."
Xxx
If there was one thing a restaurant owner needed in a world where people had super powers and fought off legions of monsters it would be insurance.
CRASH!
Luckily Jean-Bon had insurance to cover the damage the basement of his restaurant would soon suffer.
"HAHAHA! This new body is perfect!" Skulker, possessing Dracon's body, experimented with his new weapons by shooting the walls with Dracon's shoulder mounted Vulcans. "It will serve me well until I can repair my original suit."
The gathered Huntsmen had taken cover as Skulker aimed his magnum. "But first I will start with mounting your skulls on my temporary wall."
Quickdraw McGraw quickly loaded his pistol as Skulker prepared to fire and aimed at metal pipe. He pulled the trigger and the bullet he fired ricochet off the pipe and hit the magnum's trigger, knocking it out of Skulker's hand.
"Wha-" Skulker exclaimed, having been caught off guard.
Scotty took advantage of Skulker's surprised and immediately slammed into the possessed Gundam, aiming one good punch amplified by his Semblance into Dracon's chest. Skulker grunted as he felt the force of the punch slam his body across the room and into the wall so hard it shook the restaurant.
"All right, get out of Dracon's head, ya little parasite!" Scotty shouted as he prepared to punch Skulker again. "I'm only asking once!"
"How about…NO!" Skulker pulled out Dracon's Hyper Beam Sword, which he remembered from his earlier fight with Dracon and slashed at Scotty.
The Scotsman unsheathed his claymore and to Skulker's surprise the sword actually blocked the beam saber.
"You think you're the only spirit or whatever you think you are that I've faced? I've faced Grimm, Celtic Demons, Banshee singers and so much more!" Scotty barked, able to hold Skulker back with his own considerable strength. "A little pipsqueak like you ain't worth scraping off my boot!"
"We'll see about that!" Skulker shouted, preparing to shoot Scotty with his Vulcan cannons.
However Quickdraw loaded two bullets into his pistol and fired, hitting both cannons before they could fire. "Here's a little fact: if you can't hit someone with one bullet don't bother with a thousand."
"I am not done." Skulker said as Dracon's body turned intangible and passed through the wall.
"Oh no you don't!" Scotty shouted as he tried to slash the fleeing possessed Gundam but Skulker was too quick and vanished. "DANG IT!"
"He can't have gotten far." Quickdraw holstered his pistol. "Possessing Dracon was an act of desperation. He'll need time to work out all the kinks."
"We better hurry then." Nancy said as she hoisted her club over her shoulder. "A mad Gundam running around is the last thing anyone needs."