Post by Pretty Flacko on Jun 8, 2018 1:23:45 GMT
From winter-time snow to a nightmarishly barren desert, the scenery at Brooklyn’s Botanical Gardens transformed at an alarming rate. The clashing of power between Zel X and Leona was so intense that it disfigured the natural beauty of their surroundings until it was virtually un-recognizable. While they fought, Nike was made to prevent any detrimental interference to their battle – namely, to eliminate any of the Heroes who sought to rescue Leona.
Sure enough, Nike was confronted by three men, who from the looks of it, appeared to be students from the University. Facing the three men alone would already prove a task, while the debilitating effects of the heat would put him at an even greater disadvantage.
Despite his best attempts, the fight would be over in a Flash – just as soon as Nike would manage to wound one of the men, one of his compatriots would jolt over and knock Nike on his ass while moving in a blur of speed. He had severely underestimated the three men, and that would eventually lead to his downfall. In that brief moment when Nike was hit, everything went black – he had no recollection of what happened next.
“Ugh..”
Nike let out a painful groan as he tossed in bed and opened his eyes to realize that he was being kept in some windowless room. Taken aback by his foreign surroundings, Nike’s eyes darted to every corner of the room in an effort to make sense of where he was. Next to him, he spotted a monitor that displayed his vitals, along with an IV drip hooked up to his arm to replenish his fluids.
“Ha, what’s with that? I lost, and now I’m in a hospital?”
But it wasn’t a hospital he was in; the dismal environment and shoddy medical equipment were evidence to that effect. It wasn’t until one of his Fang compatriots entered the room that Nike realized he underground in one of their hideouts.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. You weren’t injured that badly, yet you’ve been knocked out for the past 36 hours. You have a nice dream and not want to wake up, or something?”
“Shut it. I just want to know, what happened to me? The last thing I remember was fighting those three Heroes at the Gardens, and –“
“How about that time they kicked your ass? You remember that?”
Nike’s attendant was a man named Sora, though he fervently wished it could have been someone like Deathpierce – he much preferred to wake up to a female face, but that’s beside the point. Sora was a member of the Fang Organization who specialized in medicine and healing, though he was a dubious man who also dabbled in poisons and an uncanny penchant for human experimentation, which made Nike all the more unsettled to know he was the man looking after him. Nonetheless, after enduring Sora’s deriding banter, he informed Nike on the turn-out of events at the Garden. Though they endured some embarrassing losses, the end result was particularly favorable for the Villains. It seemed that Fang even managed to scout another promising newcomer from the event, though this bit of information was particularly unnerving for the recuperating Nike.
He was always the type of person who carried himself with the utmost confidence, and walked with a flagrant swagger in his step. He was the type of charismatic young man that people loved to hate. Growing up to be a Villain was something natural to him. He enjoyed the wealth and status, and he thrived off the looks of envy he would receive from those who knew him in his “past life.” However, Nike was in for a rude awakening. Up until this point, he had been ignorant to the fact that his provocative attitude may earn the ire of much more powerful adversaries. His recent string of failures led him to question his own self-worth, and he was concerned as to his current value in the eyes of Fang. His affiliation with the group was not something he saw fit to lose, not anytime soon. However, Nike’s growing insecurities led him to believe that they may abandon him regardless.
“I .. have to get stronger, don’t I?”
After absorbing everything he’d been told, Nike suddenly spoke aloud, surprising Sora next to him. However before the man could mock him any further, Nike curtly asked:
“Is it true that one of the Top 5 Villains is a member of Fang?”
“Hm? Oh, you’re talking about Ghost. Yeah, it’s true, though he usually keeps to himself. He’s got a proclivity for seclusion, so you won’t see him much around these parts.”
“Well, do you know where I can find him? I heard that he specializes in stealth and covert operations. I feel like he’d be the perfect person to teach me, with my power being wh-“
“Whoa, whoa. Teach you? Didn’t you hear what I just said? The man isn’t interested in the going-on’s of this place. I doubt he’d entertain such a request.”
“So I should just sit idly and wait for my next ass beating? I’m done with that. I was immature up until now, but it’s time to grow up. I have to get stronger, and he’s the perfect person to teach me. If you know where he is, tell me and I’ll be on my way.”
“Oi, oi, what are you, in the springtime of your youth? That impatience of yours is what’s immature. But well, no matter. You can find him in the Underground – the Underbelly of Chinatown is where he resides. Good luck getting him to cooperate~”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for everything, jack ass.”
“Ha, that’s how you thank your savior?”
“Savoir my ass, who knows what kind of experiments you did while I was out. For all I know, it’s your fault that I was asleep for so long.”
“I resent that.”
“Shut it.”
And with that, Nike left the room and made his way towards Ghost’s personal hideout. However, on his way out, Sora muttered something under his breath..
“Ha, well, I may have messed around a little – and in the process, I found out that there’s more to your Quirk than you realize, big fella. You’ve only just scratched the surface with Permeation.”
*Knock, knock, knock*
Nike pounded on the door of – what he was informed to be – Ghost’s hideout underground. In response, the door eerily creaked open as if it was left unlocked. Nike hesitantly stepped inside the house, which appeared to be run down from the outside, but surprisingly inviting on the inside. Nike could tell from the furnishing and general ambience that the place was lived-in, but even still, he couldn’t spot any signs of Ghost’s presence.
“Uh, hello?..”
*I wonder if this is the right place. It gives me the creeps that the door was wide open despite this obviously being someone’s home … well, I suppose I should look around a bit more before moving on; I’m already here, I might as well.*
Nike briefly thought to himself, until suddenly, he felt a ghastly presence at his back – but by the time he noticed, it was too late. The man pressed a knife to Nike’s neck from behind right in the middle of the foyer.
“Who are you, and what do you want with this place?”
*Who is this? Is it him? I didn’t notice his presence until he was already behind me! How did he get around me? How could he be so fast*
Nike’s mind was flooded with inordinate thoughts that prevented him from answering straight away. His silence must have been interpreted as resistance, because the feeling of cold steel against his throat became more prominent than before, as the man drove the blade further in and drew blood with a superficial wound.
Nike winced at the pain, but leapt into action when he realized that his hesitation could be hazardous. He would immediately permeate his body and jolt forward, before turning to face the man who would be his opponent.
“You’re .. Ghost, aren’t you?”
Nike asked the man, in shock that his appearance perfectly matched the description he’d gotten from Sora. He had arrived at the correct place after all.
“That’s an interesting Quirk you’ve got there … who sent you?”
Ghost appeared to ignore Nike’s question, although he didn’t deny it. Instead of answering, he turned the subject of the matter back around to Nike.
“Me? My name’s Nike, I’m a member of Fang, taken in by Deathpierce. I came here expressly to speak to you, Ghost.”
“Hoh, one of Deathpierce’s, huh. So you’re a member of the Organization? What could you possibly want from me?”
“Ha, well, I actually came here to ask you .. to train me.”
“HAHaha. Train you? And what would possess you to ask me, hm?”
With that first exchange, Nike realized the gap in power between the two of them. After all, this man was not only his superior in Fang, but he was also one of the most dangerous villains to walk the streets. Nevertheless, he grew irritated with the man’s demeanor. Sora was right to chide Nike – he was impatient, and it began to show as Ghost continued to answer each of his questions with another question.
“From what I’ve been told, you specialize in stealth and covert ops – I can tell now that it was true, based just off the way you sneaked me. With my power, you’d be my ideal teacher, the person who could help me grow stronger and be a more valuable addition to Fang.”
“Heh, Deathpierce must have seen potential in you if she allowed you to join, and yet you think so lowly of yourself. Grow stronger? Don’t make me laugh. You’re 100 years too early to be knocking on my door.”
Aannddd he snapped. At that, Nike was about to pop a vein, and without thinking, he charged forward and attacked the man. If Ghost wouldn’t listen to reason, than perhaps it was better to use his fists.
Nike blitzed forward in an incredible burst of speed, one that briefly caught Ghost off guard, as Nike lunged and permeated his arm to phase through the man’s torso. Once inside, Nike would deactivate his Quirk in order to re-solidify his arm; due to the fact that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time, this had the effect of “ejecting” Ghost’s body from Nike’s arm. These ejections produced a strong impact, and they allowed Nike to mimic super-human strength by dealing much more damage than he could deal physically. The impact would send Ghost flying several meters backwards, giving Nike the opportunity to draw his twin swords.
Not wanting to give the man a break, Nike would proceed with his onslaught, however –
“H-huh?”
The second he caught his footing, Ghost disappeared from view. He moved so fast that Nike was unable to track him.
“Gah!”
Ghost dealt Nike a swift attack from directly in front, driving his clenched fist directly into Nike’s solar plexus. That attack, which was fueled by nothing but his raw strength, sent Nike flying across the room and crashing into a wall. Nike felt a sharp pain creep up, as he dropped his swords and grasped his stomach while trying to find his breath. His vision was hazy, and he could barely make out the figure of Ghost approaching him. As one might expect, Ghost’s level of power was still far out of reach. Just when Nike had resigned himself to being defeated, Ghost spoke:
“Ha, you’re a presumptuous brat if you thought you could win me over by force. But still, that first attack was impressive – your speed managed to catch me off guard, even if only for a second. If you honed that speed and polished that phasing ability of yours, there might be hope for you yet.”
“Guh, hah, so then .. does that mean you’ll train me?”
“Stand up. When you recover, we’ll get to it. I’ll need to see what you can do before we can begin any real training.”
*Ha, he still refuses to give me a straight answer. What is he, tsundere? It’s like he doesn’t want to admit I won him over.*
“Again!”
After he recovered from the thrashing he’d received earlier, Nike proceeded in his first training session with Ghost. They were several hours underway now, with no visible development in Nike’s skills. Though their training was still in its adolescence, Ghost sought to teach Nike how not to expend so much stamina while phasing. To that end, he had Nike practice breathing techniques along with forcing him to dodge attacks by repeatedly permeating his body. Of course, Ghost wasn’t dishing out a physical beating, but lobbing some rocks in Nike’s direction and telling him to phase through them all as they come. Meanwhile, Nike did his best to endure the verbal lashing that accompanied each one of his failures. Just as his stamina was reaching its limit, Nike took a knee in the backyard area where their training took place.
“Stand up, and do it again. How can you expect to grow stronger if you exhaust yourself so quickly? Use your energy more efficiently!”
“I’m trying, but these things don’t change in a day.”
“Excuses.”
“Tsk-“
Just then, Ghost increased the speed and frequency of his throwing, forcing Nike to phase or be hit. Though it was hard for him to focus, Nike tried his best to center himself. How was it that he phased? Although it was his power, Nike never gave it any thought as to how his own ability worked. If he could learn the principle functions and inner workings of his own Quirk, he would naturally grow more accustomed to using it. So as the training went on, Nike focused more intently on the sensations in his body every time he permeated his body.
*Hm?*
Eventually, he came to realize something. He felt a rush of adrenaline every time he activated his ability. It was like the flow of blood, the firing of neurons, every aspect of his body and his senses seemed to accelerate for the split second in which he would phase. It occurred to him that this was the cause of his exhaustion – the sharpening of his senses and the invulnerability of his phasing would, over time, deplete his reserves of energy. Over the next hour, he worked to polish this ability, and focused on the acceleration of his cells until suddenly, energy began to leak out from his body in the form of a visible aura. It was an unexpectedly phenomenon, but one that was undeniably and intrinsically tied to his ability of phasing. As the energy emanated from his body, Nike was able to think and comprehend faster, until he naturally grew to understand the true nature of his own ability.
“Heh, I think I get it now. My phasing – it feels like I do this by accelerating the speed of my molecules until they pass through other forms of matter. I can’t really explain how I’ve come to learn this, it’s just … instinctual I guess.”
“Well, well, this is quite the development. The fact that you yourself didn’t understand the defining aspects of your own abilities, somehow I’m not surprised.”
“Ha, whatever.”
Nike wasn’t bothered by Ghost’s comments; rather, he was elated at the thought that he had managed to tap into his hidden potential, even if only a little bit. Ghost was apparently satisfied as well, and instructed Nike to rest up before their next training session would begin.
Word Count: 2,610
Sure enough, Nike was confronted by three men, who from the looks of it, appeared to be students from the University. Facing the three men alone would already prove a task, while the debilitating effects of the heat would put him at an even greater disadvantage.
Despite his best attempts, the fight would be over in a Flash – just as soon as Nike would manage to wound one of the men, one of his compatriots would jolt over and knock Nike on his ass while moving in a blur of speed. He had severely underestimated the three men, and that would eventually lead to his downfall. In that brief moment when Nike was hit, everything went black – he had no recollection of what happened next.
-------------
“Ugh..”
Nike let out a painful groan as he tossed in bed and opened his eyes to realize that he was being kept in some windowless room. Taken aback by his foreign surroundings, Nike’s eyes darted to every corner of the room in an effort to make sense of where he was. Next to him, he spotted a monitor that displayed his vitals, along with an IV drip hooked up to his arm to replenish his fluids.
“Ha, what’s with that? I lost, and now I’m in a hospital?”
But it wasn’t a hospital he was in; the dismal environment and shoddy medical equipment were evidence to that effect. It wasn’t until one of his Fang compatriots entered the room that Nike realized he underground in one of their hideouts.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. You weren’t injured that badly, yet you’ve been knocked out for the past 36 hours. You have a nice dream and not want to wake up, or something?”
“Shut it. I just want to know, what happened to me? The last thing I remember was fighting those three Heroes at the Gardens, and –“
“How about that time they kicked your ass? You remember that?”
Nike’s attendant was a man named Sora, though he fervently wished it could have been someone like Deathpierce – he much preferred to wake up to a female face, but that’s beside the point. Sora was a member of the Fang Organization who specialized in medicine and healing, though he was a dubious man who also dabbled in poisons and an uncanny penchant for human experimentation, which made Nike all the more unsettled to know he was the man looking after him. Nonetheless, after enduring Sora’s deriding banter, he informed Nike on the turn-out of events at the Garden. Though they endured some embarrassing losses, the end result was particularly favorable for the Villains. It seemed that Fang even managed to scout another promising newcomer from the event, though this bit of information was particularly unnerving for the recuperating Nike.
He was always the type of person who carried himself with the utmost confidence, and walked with a flagrant swagger in his step. He was the type of charismatic young man that people loved to hate. Growing up to be a Villain was something natural to him. He enjoyed the wealth and status, and he thrived off the looks of envy he would receive from those who knew him in his “past life.” However, Nike was in for a rude awakening. Up until this point, he had been ignorant to the fact that his provocative attitude may earn the ire of much more powerful adversaries. His recent string of failures led him to question his own self-worth, and he was concerned as to his current value in the eyes of Fang. His affiliation with the group was not something he saw fit to lose, not anytime soon. However, Nike’s growing insecurities led him to believe that they may abandon him regardless.
“I .. have to get stronger, don’t I?”
After absorbing everything he’d been told, Nike suddenly spoke aloud, surprising Sora next to him. However before the man could mock him any further, Nike curtly asked:
“Is it true that one of the Top 5 Villains is a member of Fang?”
“Hm? Oh, you’re talking about Ghost. Yeah, it’s true, though he usually keeps to himself. He’s got a proclivity for seclusion, so you won’t see him much around these parts.”
“Well, do you know where I can find him? I heard that he specializes in stealth and covert operations. I feel like he’d be the perfect person to teach me, with my power being wh-“
“Whoa, whoa. Teach you? Didn’t you hear what I just said? The man isn’t interested in the going-on’s of this place. I doubt he’d entertain such a request.”
“So I should just sit idly and wait for my next ass beating? I’m done with that. I was immature up until now, but it’s time to grow up. I have to get stronger, and he’s the perfect person to teach me. If you know where he is, tell me and I’ll be on my way.”
“Oi, oi, what are you, in the springtime of your youth? That impatience of yours is what’s immature. But well, no matter. You can find him in the Underground – the Underbelly of Chinatown is where he resides. Good luck getting him to cooperate~”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for everything, jack ass.”
“Ha, that’s how you thank your savior?”
“Savoir my ass, who knows what kind of experiments you did while I was out. For all I know, it’s your fault that I was asleep for so long.”
“I resent that.”
“Shut it.”
And with that, Nike left the room and made his way towards Ghost’s personal hideout. However, on his way out, Sora muttered something under his breath..
“Ha, well, I may have messed around a little – and in the process, I found out that there’s more to your Quirk than you realize, big fella. You’ve only just scratched the surface with Permeation.”
-------------
*Knock, knock, knock*
Nike pounded on the door of – what he was informed to be – Ghost’s hideout underground. In response, the door eerily creaked open as if it was left unlocked. Nike hesitantly stepped inside the house, which appeared to be run down from the outside, but surprisingly inviting on the inside. Nike could tell from the furnishing and general ambience that the place was lived-in, but even still, he couldn’t spot any signs of Ghost’s presence.
“Uh, hello?..”
*I wonder if this is the right place. It gives me the creeps that the door was wide open despite this obviously being someone’s home … well, I suppose I should look around a bit more before moving on; I’m already here, I might as well.*
Nike briefly thought to himself, until suddenly, he felt a ghastly presence at his back – but by the time he noticed, it was too late. The man pressed a knife to Nike’s neck from behind right in the middle of the foyer.
“Who are you, and what do you want with this place?”
*Who is this? Is it him? I didn’t notice his presence until he was already behind me! How did he get around me? How could he be so fast*
Nike’s mind was flooded with inordinate thoughts that prevented him from answering straight away. His silence must have been interpreted as resistance, because the feeling of cold steel against his throat became more prominent than before, as the man drove the blade further in and drew blood with a superficial wound.
Nike winced at the pain, but leapt into action when he realized that his hesitation could be hazardous. He would immediately permeate his body and jolt forward, before turning to face the man who would be his opponent.
“You’re .. Ghost, aren’t you?”
Nike asked the man, in shock that his appearance perfectly matched the description he’d gotten from Sora. He had arrived at the correct place after all.
“That’s an interesting Quirk you’ve got there … who sent you?”
Ghost appeared to ignore Nike’s question, although he didn’t deny it. Instead of answering, he turned the subject of the matter back around to Nike.
“Me? My name’s Nike, I’m a member of Fang, taken in by Deathpierce. I came here expressly to speak to you, Ghost.”
“Hoh, one of Deathpierce’s, huh. So you’re a member of the Organization? What could you possibly want from me?”
“Ha, well, I actually came here to ask you .. to train me.”
“HAHaha. Train you? And what would possess you to ask me, hm?”
With that first exchange, Nike realized the gap in power between the two of them. After all, this man was not only his superior in Fang, but he was also one of the most dangerous villains to walk the streets. Nevertheless, he grew irritated with the man’s demeanor. Sora was right to chide Nike – he was impatient, and it began to show as Ghost continued to answer each of his questions with another question.
“From what I’ve been told, you specialize in stealth and covert ops – I can tell now that it was true, based just off the way you sneaked me. With my power, you’d be my ideal teacher, the person who could help me grow stronger and be a more valuable addition to Fang.”
“Heh, Deathpierce must have seen potential in you if she allowed you to join, and yet you think so lowly of yourself. Grow stronger? Don’t make me laugh. You’re 100 years too early to be knocking on my door.”
Aannddd he snapped. At that, Nike was about to pop a vein, and without thinking, he charged forward and attacked the man. If Ghost wouldn’t listen to reason, than perhaps it was better to use his fists.
Nike blitzed forward in an incredible burst of speed, one that briefly caught Ghost off guard, as Nike lunged and permeated his arm to phase through the man’s torso. Once inside, Nike would deactivate his Quirk in order to re-solidify his arm; due to the fact that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time, this had the effect of “ejecting” Ghost’s body from Nike’s arm. These ejections produced a strong impact, and they allowed Nike to mimic super-human strength by dealing much more damage than he could deal physically. The impact would send Ghost flying several meters backwards, giving Nike the opportunity to draw his twin swords.
Not wanting to give the man a break, Nike would proceed with his onslaught, however –
“H-huh?”
The second he caught his footing, Ghost disappeared from view. He moved so fast that Nike was unable to track him.
“Gah!”
Ghost dealt Nike a swift attack from directly in front, driving his clenched fist directly into Nike’s solar plexus. That attack, which was fueled by nothing but his raw strength, sent Nike flying across the room and crashing into a wall. Nike felt a sharp pain creep up, as he dropped his swords and grasped his stomach while trying to find his breath. His vision was hazy, and he could barely make out the figure of Ghost approaching him. As one might expect, Ghost’s level of power was still far out of reach. Just when Nike had resigned himself to being defeated, Ghost spoke:
“Ha, you’re a presumptuous brat if you thought you could win me over by force. But still, that first attack was impressive – your speed managed to catch me off guard, even if only for a second. If you honed that speed and polished that phasing ability of yours, there might be hope for you yet.”
“Guh, hah, so then .. does that mean you’ll train me?”
“Stand up. When you recover, we’ll get to it. I’ll need to see what you can do before we can begin any real training.”
*Ha, he still refuses to give me a straight answer. What is he, tsundere? It’s like he doesn’t want to admit I won him over.*
-------------
“Again!”
After he recovered from the thrashing he’d received earlier, Nike proceeded in his first training session with Ghost. They were several hours underway now, with no visible development in Nike’s skills. Though their training was still in its adolescence, Ghost sought to teach Nike how not to expend so much stamina while phasing. To that end, he had Nike practice breathing techniques along with forcing him to dodge attacks by repeatedly permeating his body. Of course, Ghost wasn’t dishing out a physical beating, but lobbing some rocks in Nike’s direction and telling him to phase through them all as they come. Meanwhile, Nike did his best to endure the verbal lashing that accompanied each one of his failures. Just as his stamina was reaching its limit, Nike took a knee in the backyard area where their training took place.
“Stand up, and do it again. How can you expect to grow stronger if you exhaust yourself so quickly? Use your energy more efficiently!”
“I’m trying, but these things don’t change in a day.”
“Excuses.”
“Tsk-“
Just then, Ghost increased the speed and frequency of his throwing, forcing Nike to phase or be hit. Though it was hard for him to focus, Nike tried his best to center himself. How was it that he phased? Although it was his power, Nike never gave it any thought as to how his own ability worked. If he could learn the principle functions and inner workings of his own Quirk, he would naturally grow more accustomed to using it. So as the training went on, Nike focused more intently on the sensations in his body every time he permeated his body.
*Hm?*
Eventually, he came to realize something. He felt a rush of adrenaline every time he activated his ability. It was like the flow of blood, the firing of neurons, every aspect of his body and his senses seemed to accelerate for the split second in which he would phase. It occurred to him that this was the cause of his exhaustion – the sharpening of his senses and the invulnerability of his phasing would, over time, deplete his reserves of energy. Over the next hour, he worked to polish this ability, and focused on the acceleration of his cells until suddenly, energy began to leak out from his body in the form of a visible aura. It was an unexpectedly phenomenon, but one that was undeniably and intrinsically tied to his ability of phasing. As the energy emanated from his body, Nike was able to think and comprehend faster, until he naturally grew to understand the true nature of his own ability.
“Heh, I think I get it now. My phasing – it feels like I do this by accelerating the speed of my molecules until they pass through other forms of matter. I can’t really explain how I’ve come to learn this, it’s just … instinctual I guess.”
“Well, well, this is quite the development. The fact that you yourself didn’t understand the defining aspects of your own abilities, somehow I’m not surprised.”
“Ha, whatever.”
Nike wasn’t bothered by Ghost’s comments; rather, he was elated at the thought that he had managed to tap into his hidden potential, even if only a little bit. Ghost was apparently satisfied as well, and instructed Nike to rest up before their next training session would begin.
Word Count: 2,610
First week of Training Completed
