AU: Hammel Royale (Open to everyone)

[Event !]

((OOC: There will be blood and fighting and power abuses. Please remember to keep it within the TOS. Otherwise, have fun!))


Nobody knew how the phenomenon of meta-humans began. There used to be none, and then there were a couple. A couple turned into a handful turned into more than that, and then suddenly there were hundreds and then a few thousand. Several hundred manifested worldwide every year these days, and the general baseline population feared them for what their powers could do. Non-powered humans didn’t know what to do with meta-humans, and so they took a page from history and set up the arenas.

Now meta-humans fought. However, they fought each other, thus distracting them from any potential plots to destroy the rest of humanity by banding together. Instead, the young ones fought, and they were preoccupied with keeping themselves safe, healthy, and alive to see the next fight, and, hopefully, their passage into full adulthood. If they made it to the age of thirty, they were free to go and integrate into regular society. Many did not reach the age of freedom.

The arenas were gargantuan stadiums, better befitting charity concerts or team sports, but had been converted into the chambers for the bloody battles. Bets were placed on different fighters; some were favorites while others were never expected to last very long.

There were different types of battles: one-on-one, partnerships, free-for-alls. Today was a federal holiday, which meant that the battle would be the melee free-for-all. Many young metas had been taken to the arena in Burlington for the fight.

There would be no weapons, only powers. Occasionally, the Overseer might choose to interfere for entertainment, otherwise, it was up to the meta teenagers to use their abilities and their ingenuity to leave the arena conscious, whole, and alive. Anyone knocked unconscious or who lost consciousness due to blood loss or injuries was removed in disgrace. The last one standing would receive a reward.

Once all of the participating metas were brought out to their starting posts, the Overseer declared, “Let the battle begin!”

[Carleigh Davidson]

Carleigh stood on her starting post, legs quivering as she scanned all of the other metas in the arena. At the age of sixteen, this was her first fight. She'd managed to hide her power until government officials came by her house one, conducting tests and discovering her ability. Now, she had to fight for her life, like every other meta. Except, her god damn ability was useless in a fight. Subliminal hypnotic suggestion. The girl didn't have to look at the stats to know she wasn't favoured to do well, even make it out alive.

This battle was her deathbed. Carleigh knew she was most likely going to die here. She'd heard about the terrible, bloody fights. Meta against meta. The compassionate sweethearts never made it far either. Those who emerged victorious were bloodthirsty and concerned for their own well being. Her eyes glanced around her surroundings, trying to find a weaker link. Someone who would go down before her.

Let the battle begin!

Vertigo hit the blonde like a bus. Shit.

[Aryana Darcy]

Five years. It had been five years since she had first manifested. And it wasn't in such a good way, either, so the manifestation was clearly visible. Within those years Rya had learned quite a bit about her surroundings, and how to exploit every aspect of her meta-humaness even when water wasn't around. If there were plants, she had a way to drown.

It didn't make her proud to do what she did. But she was doing it to survive. She was doing it so that she could make it until she was thirty. And that was still another twelve years. But she was going to live. She'd be sure of it.

And once again, she was in an arena with other meta's all around her. She had not a clue of what powers they possessed. She only knew that she wouldn't allow them to show off before either she ran, used her own to kill them off, or hindered them.

When the battle started, Rya ran.

[Jade Parrish]

Jade was utterly pissed when she was found out. Being a meta-human was supposed to be her secret and hers only. Nobody would find out unless they pissed her off enough to trigger her power. Needless to say, she was finally found out and now she had to participate in this shin-dig like everyone else, which meant risking her life just so that she wouldn't paralyze all of humanity which is apparently what she was going to do. The government seemed to think they were all monsters and they treated them like it by making them fight each other to death.

She'd just turned 20 which marked the ten year mark. Ten more years and she'd be allowed to live without this obligation. Too bad it fucking sucked and sometimes she just wanted to refuse to kill anybody and hope that everyone else would follow, although they were probably too full of blood lust and desperation to consider fighting back.

She took off, grateful her power wasn't useless.

[Zxaine Fisher]

She'd hidden her powers well at first, though her temper had finally given her away. Now here she was, stuck in this 'game' or perhaps 'sport' was a better term. And she trembled a bit as she was led to her starting position. The pyro looked around with dark eyes, licking her lips nervously, and at merely 16 she could tell that the older metas were going to have the advantage. All she had to do was survive... anything else was negotiable. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she had skills, she was raised as a military brat and so she knew a bit about survival tactics from her marine father. Her coppery red hair was pulled back in a severe braid, pulled tight and pinned close to her head, couldn't have the length getting in the way, and her fingers clenched and un-clenched alternately. She could see how they could be afraid of her, but she didn't posses a violent personality in the least, in fact she was so passive it was disgusting. She was disgusted to even find herself here. She perched on her starting spot delicately, muscles coiled and ready to bolt at the first moment of release. Adrenaline pumped wildly through her and she let her eyes look for the stronger metas, knowing who she'd have to avoid until absolutely necessary was imperative. She remembered her father's advice. Trust no one, you have the skills you need, and don't hesitate because they surely won't. 

At the start of the games she jumped backwards towards the cover behind her, spinning on her heel when her feet touched down and narrowing her eyes, a bit of flame curled in her palms and she hid it against her chest as she ran for cover, her eyes narrowed and her expression cool as she settled in for the task. Now that the waiting was over, ruthlessness could take over. 

[Brilliance Gideon]

While everyone else resorted to running there was one contestant who didn't bother moving an inch. For the most part it was undeniable that there were some with advantages and some with disadvantages. The remaining party who didn't want to bother exerting energy by running certainly suggested that they either were supremely confident or simply stupid. Both conclusions could be reached for this person who had the tendency to underestimate anyone who didn't bear either the same age or were younger. Alas, not everyone ran. Some remained behind. This person took that as a challenge. This person absolutely adored challenges. Many scientists do.

"I think I need some appropriate music. This sounds more like a Pokemon battle than anything else. Soooo," a female voice said. This woman pulled out a music player and hung the ear phones around her neck. The music blared loudly or at least would have in her ears had the earphones not been hanging around her neck. She played a heavy metal version of a Pokemon battle song. Nothing could be more appropriate for her ability. Many described her as powerful yet she didn't think of herself as so strong. Her ability could have been seen as quite unfair to some but that ability would have been much more powerful had it not been attached for such a ditsy woman

Unlike the others here Brilliance Gideon brandished her lab jacket. Showing up for battle with red high heels, a black skirt and a white shirt covered by that jacket didn't seem like appropriate battle attire. A smirk went across her face and her lips showed her red lipstick. She wasn't stupid. She knew what had to be done. That was why the other part of her appearance may have been potentially intimidating to those who are not used to what she can do. Four very large constructs surrounded her. These were Brilliance's signature blockmen. These creatures protected her.

That was weird because she couldn't control them. However, like most humans, they understood the need of survival. If Brilliance was knocked out or died she could never materialize them again. Therefore she had no need to control them because she knew they'd understand that if she goes that would also be the end of them. This was only possible because they take on Brilliance's personality. She is only ditsy in certain areas but with her degrees of education and researching abilities being ditsy doesn't suggest stupidity. She never had a need to control these things because they thought like she did. They would be strategists. Not to mention that each one of them individually carried a personality trait that Brilliance has.

These blockmen took on personalities though and varied in size and physical capabilities. The Red Titan as she called it was the largest and physically strongest as it projected her anger. Second up was the Blue Runner who wasn't very fast but latest the longest out of all the blockmen in terms of remaining out without disappearing as it projected her determination. Green Sage was the tactitioner of the group as it projected her intelligence. Then there was White Noise that had the highest endurance as it projected her mental fortitude. The thing about the blockmen were that they were not superhuman in terms of abilities. However, it was the teamwork they used that made them tough to deal with.

They disappeared? Brilliance was wide open. Why show off her ability to only make them ago away? It was meant to be a threat. She assumed that, thus far, she was up against those who were not as old as she was. Brilliance also assumed that nobody researched powers like she did. From that standpoint she was absolutely confident that this was going to be a one sided battle tipping in her favor. Just like her powers Brilliance had a streak of being unpredictable.

[Deleted]

Brooke's manifestation had been especially public, so there was little chance that she could avoid being taken and thrown into the meta-battles, forced to fight against her kin. She started out terrified, but what saved her was the mind of the animal she shifted to: the cougar. It's instincts made her very territorial, a ferocious fighter, a natural some had praised. And it was because of that that Brooke rarely tried to restrain the large cat inside her anymore. It had overwhelmed her, even in her human form, and that made her playful, arrogant, feisty, and above all, alive.

She was nearing her 18th birthday and Brooke had rarely lost a fight. Losing a fight was no matter, unless it killed you. And she'd been good enough to lose while taking enough out of her opponent that they couldn't deliver a finishing blow without it ending with no winner at all.

Brooke stood, hand on her hip, and clothed in something skimpy, yet loose enough to fall off with ease when she finally decided to shift from a 120lb brunette into a 90lb mountain lion. But she didn't like the mountain lion, it was cute, but terribly inconvenient. That's why she opted to warm up in her half-shifted form. Claws and teeth were her weapons, her slim form gave her agility, her tail gave her balance to maneuver that agility.

That kept her alive.

But she was also a calculated fighter. And there was a sliver of compassion too, a remnant of the old God-loving soul that had been swallowed up by the cougar. Go after the weak ones first, it said. Get them off the field, get them out of the way so you can go after the big fish.

The announcement signaling the start of the fight sounded throughout the arena. Brooke immediately shifted into her claws and took off running for the first weakling she could find. There! Brooke's cat-eyes focused in on a lone person standing scared. She could smell the fear on them. She came up from behind and chopped the paralyzed combatant swiftly on the back of the neck.

[Walther Ebersbacher]

Walther didn't know why he had to do this. He was too young for this, or so he thought. It was sick. Absolutely sick. As he looked around at the other contestants, before the start of this whole -- thing, he saw nothing but older teens. He was beyond a shadow of a doubt, the youngest, smallest person here. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that he was deadly. He didn't know about most of these people. But there were a lot of impractical powers among Hammel's roster. Or at least, less practical.

Walther got an idea for how infrasonic energies worked as an introduction to his training. He was told it was so he wouldn't be as much of an accidental threat, so he had more control. But today, he'd have to ditch that idea. It hurt him to think about, he'd very nearly panicked while he was still standing still within the arena.

"I'm the outside bet... Nobody's going to target me until it's too late..." He kept repeating to himself. He had to keep telling himself that while the arena was still dark, while his eyes were still shut. In a few minutes, he'd be in the biggest life-or-death situation he'd ever have to face. He just wanted to be innocent, pass his training, and go back in to the world.

Many thoughts spun around in his head in the down-time. Germany, his mother, his father. And all of the people he knew in his young life. How he'd miss all of those things. How even if he survived, even if he was crowned the sole winner of this, he'd never be able to look these things in the eyes again. He'd be a monster, they'd never forgive him.

Or would they be hoping he stay strong and survive, so that he may speak to them again? Optimism... He had to keep having optimism throughout this. He felt like he was going to vomit.

Let the battle begin!

All doubt was removed, and instead replaced with the immediate instinct to run to cover. Already, he heard plenty of sounds, plenty of shouts. He was very sensitive to them, so luckily nobody would be sneaking up on him right away. He could be nice and quiet. The collar around his neck jingled, the red light keeping a solid color. That was good, he thought. That meant it wasn't going to explode.

He hid behind a little obstacle, breathing heavily, kicking up plenty of dirt. People were already fighting, people were already dying. And he needed to not be one of them... As he readied and steeled himself, as he told himself it was necessary, that he had to do this to get out alive, Walther found his breaths pacing out... He was relaxing. He didn't like that he was relaxed in this situation, but he was slowly getting better.

He perked his head, hearing a little crunch of a footstep. Someone was prowling. Someone saw him. Walther tucked his knees in close, his own feet sliding to do so. Whoever was on the other side, a person he didn't recognize, jumped over, fire flickering in their palms. They were ready to kill him.

As they flexed the muscles in their arms, they stopped, their head was ringing with a very loud, but low sound. Their very skull rattled. Walther created a second tone from within, the soft tissue and brain couldn't take the magnitude he was giving. The built-up pressure caused his eyes to pop. Blood pooled as he fell over.

Closing his eyes and looking away, Walther scrambled for another set of cover. He'd never done that. It hurt him physically and emotionally... Maybe it would have been best to just wait. Wait until he was warned for not killing anyone. Then he could renew his time and hide again. If he was going to win, he'd only kill when the immediate need presented itself...