Alex smiled at mention of a test. His Aura fully detached again and unzipped his bag, handing him cactus over his shoulders. He took it from himself, then remotely reached into a second bag, handing off the chain.

"Here, lemme just thread this on and we can get started then." Alex snapped the chain into the chainsaw's shaft, then slid it down the length and snapped it around on the other end. "Then you can see me in action, ma'am." He hefted up cactus a little and grinned back at Lu. "You into whips, ma'am? Dual action?" The Aura slid partially back onto Alex, then reached back and twirled his twin pistols in its hands. "As far as versatility goes, nobody beats cactus."

Maria gave a little shrug, pronouncing her lower lip. "Hm, he's pretty nice still. Really working his way up the Dust business ladder." She looked up at Talia and Richter. "So where's this T&A Room already? I've got a date tonight."

Veronica's Apartment

When Veronica had gotten the message from the Queen herself she at first wandered if the government was finally sick of her shit and had come to take her in. So you can imagine her surprise when it turned out to be for a job. A high paying one too. But Veronica wasn't stupid enough to simply take it at face value. There weren't a lot of people in her field of work and the guys up top wanted to make sure those talents weren't being put to use for the wrong people.

"So they wanna put me on a leash huh?" She clucked her tongue and looked around at her current state. It was all she could really afford just going from contract to contract. On the one hand she could finally get out of this stinkhole, but on the other she'd essentially be property of the royals.

"Dammit they're not gonna give me choice." It was true the message sounded more like a command than anything. Oh well, its not like she was particularly attached to her current life.

In what seemed like moments she had packed her things and got ready to head head out. But a knock came, a particularly hard one. She knew who that was. It usually filled Veronica with dread, but this time a mischievous smile crept across her face as she opened the door. Three suited men not even bothering to conceal their arms stood at the door. The lead one in particular seemed to have his face permanently stuck in an ugly foreboding scowl.

They were part of the illegal hunter faction. The one that ran this town and many others, and her current "benefactors". "What can I do for you nice men" she said with a cheery attitude.

That seemed to catch them off gaurd but the tell was only subtle. One that perhaps only Veronica could see after dealing with these men over and over. "We have a job for you, Veronica we need you to—"

"Let me stop you there honey. See I'm quitting you, got a better offer somewhere else."

"What?" now that seemed to anger the men.

"Did you go deaf? You poor thing."

The man in the lead didn't respond but instead looked over the Dragon faunus' shoulder to see the packed bags. His expression somehow got even grimmer.

"You're not going anywhere." the men raised their weapons, but Veronica wasn't scared. The only reason she even put up with these people was because they were essentially keeping her afloat but not any more. Now she could cut lose. She gave them a toothy grin and bared her claws.

If you would blinked, you would have missed it. In an instant, one instant filled with screams of terror and the sound of tearing flesh, the men were on the ground twitching and imobilized. "Good talk boys." she taunted as she picked picked up her bags and sauntered off to the designated rendezvous point where a helicopter awaited.

Briefing.

Veronica slipped right into the briefing room just in time for Richter's little speech. She raised her hand. "Yeah I got a question. We gonna be stuck out here in the desert the whole time or...what? Too much sun's killer on dragon skin you know."

edited 1st May '15 9:39:08 AM by Azure

"I'm with the redhead," Feros said, finally taking off the helmet, revealing his navy-blue hair and dark red eyes. "When do we start?"

"Ummmmm... controlled by a computer system you say?" The fox queried, thinking to her self about just how easy this was going to be.

Group Briefing

The lamprey began to stir from his drug induced haze, his slimy skin making the faintest of squelches as he sat up. Damn, that had been a good batch. Right now, he felt like he might even treat the others cordially. His dead eyes looked from side to side, just before he started talking at Alisa.

"Can't ge seeing ny noves so soon. Got to save it for narraige, right?"

His voice was an odd combination, soft and raspy yet high-pitched for an adult male. He seemed perfectly comfortable about speaking, even with his odd impediment. The lamprey's medical mask didn't move when he addressed. His smile was all eyes, creepily enough.

"Hretty, for an agonination. You hunans don't look too gad, at least when I'n dohing...."

Talia blushed and squirmed at everyone continuing to say the lewd name, and she got surprised and began to stammer once Kasumi chimed in. "U-um, well, yes it is technically run by a computer b-but um...it is manually operated, and the simulations are determined and built in my own software..."

Richter turned to Veronica. "During off hours, you may request direct transport to virtually anywhere in the world, within reason."

"Are you serious!?" said Dahlia. "That's amazing. There's no limit to what you can do with that." she said.

Briefing.

Looks like that things were quiet with idle chatter for the moment, questions being asked and more faces showing up. Definitely looking like a small army at this point.

"...simulators, huh. Makes sense that our 'employers' would have that much in terms of resources..." Archie muttered, glancing at that lamprey faunus and the rest. Odd. Very odd.

Anywhere in the world?, Lilac thought to herself, They must have some fast transport all around Remnant.

"So, will we be assigned into teams after the T&A? Or will different people be grouped together before each mission?", she asked Talia.

The Lab

Once introductions and briefing was over, everyone was led into the T&A Room, a huge multilevel high-tech room that could change shape and also beam virtual simulations that look, sound, smell and feel real. Everyone was separated into different columns and large rooms in the huge arena, arranged in a vertical section of blocks that were some kind of transparent material, so everyone was able to see each other in the immediate area, but unable to interfere.

Richter and Talia were speaking to them through the intercom system, safe in the lab. Kasumi was also there. This would be her test. Talia would instrust her in the capabilities of each of the categories, and she would have to use the console to create the scenario.

Talia took a seat next to Kasumi, blushing at seeing another girl use her chair. "O-okay so um...you just use this system to create any potential scenario. We can create enemies of all varieties...And um..distractions...We can shape the layout of the arena. But for these tests, we should keep everyone seperate. So...the first category we will be testing will be Strength. K-kasumi, please create a scenario that you think will accurate test everyone's strength."

Richter smirked, putting a hand on her assistant. "Good luck everyone~"

Imca will be creating the scenarios for each of the categories, one by one, and every player should have their character respond with how they would handle the scenario, in one post. You can succeed or fail, as you feel is appropriate for your character. Some skills are applicable to multiple or different categories. Feel free to have your character notice or comment on other character's successes or failures, as they can all see and each each other.

Lab

Kasumi had honestly been expecting to be shoved down there with every one else, and had been planing to just hack the system offline and walk her way out, honestly however this seemed a bit more fun as she looked down from the overlook, then back to Talia "You want me to test there strength? Do you mean physical strength or combat aptitude because those are two very different things that could both meet that definition" The fox queried.

She then looked around her workstation forming various ideas for the people down below.

Talia yelped a tiny bit in surprise at her questioning. "O-oh um..There physical strength and/or weapon strength. Both work for this category."

Lab

"In that case your all going to take out some targets~" the fox said tapping the intercom, making sure they could hear, she then looked around to the controls around her and in-front of each and every applicant attempted to simulate a solid brick wall, behind which would be multiple armed opponents, 2 melee and one ranged.

"Three of them in fact"

She then rigged up a bit more coding so that attempting to go around the wall would deliver a painful electrical shock, but kept this one quite to herself.

Alex stared down the wall; he'd imparted a tenth of his Aura to Duality, giving himself plenty of defense while also allowing for a wingman over his shoulder, packing his pistols. Now, looking at this wall, and knowing he'd be testing Strength, demonstrating his specific strength was clearly paramount. Instead of going around, Alex hacked away at the wall with cactus, cleaving cleanly through the brick. With a few slices the wall was compromised and he slammed a leg into it, kicking himself a hole in the wall. In the confusion he jumped through and pounced the melee goon. He took a bullet each from the ranged guys, but Duality followed shortly after and popped them both under a hail of gunfire. He stood up, ears ringing and a little dizzy, but the job was done.

Test

"Only three enemies?" Lupa said as she drew Wax and Wane, keeping both in a reverse grip as she walked towards the simulated enemies, before slowly picking speed and going into a straight out run. He first move was to fire off her left blade, creating a recoil powered jab to crack and weaken the wall before slashing with each weapon to break it away before bursting through to the other side.

Modern technology was certainly amazing; he'd have to buy this sort of thing whene the job was finished.

Leonado marvelled at the brick walls for a few more seconds before walking up to one and knocking on it. Seemed solid enough. He took out on if his swords, Colada, and strapped it to his arm, hilt first. He then brought his arm back and wound up for a punch.

As he threw the punch, just before he hit the wall, the hilt of the sword shot out and impacted the wall for him, breaking it apart violently.

Leonado stepped through the wall, then immediately noticed the simulated enemies. He reached up and pulled Tizona from his back, then rushed the two closest to him. He slashed at one with an aurically-charged burning Tizona, and punched the other with the pile bunker that was currently Colada.

The third enemy was a bit farther away. He rushed in, but was shot several times as he tried to approach. With his semblance he managed to redirect a few bullets, but a significant amount still connected.

Making a small 'tch' of irritation, Leonado pulled out his revolver, El Cid, stood still for an instant, then fired a single shot straight through the simulated enemy's head.

Prospa pulled out a small handful of low denomination change and threw it in a wide arc in front of her. The witch saw it bounce off the wall as expected but caught the electricity dancing off the ones that fell to the side. Figures, everyone uses electricity for their defense.

The mage quickly returned Ariel and Miranda to their combat holsters and held Antonio and Caliban in her hands. She held Caliban out in front of her like a ward as she stepped around the wall and why she did so became apparent as electricity started coursing into the wand. Prospa quickly conducted the power away from herself and defeated the trio of targets with three quick fireballs.

Dahlia nodded rolling up her sleves before entering the simulation. She charged ahead with her horns out, destroying the wall. Thankfully her thick wooly hair and horns did soften the impact significantly.

Dahlia began quickly by tossing one of Thunderclap with enough force to cut through the flesh and bone of one unprotected by Aura.

Dahlia had long ago realized that the tech in her chakrams wasn't cheap she couldn't have like dozens of these hanging around. So at one point she just decided to settle with two magnetized rings. Activating her semblence allowed her to create a weak magnetic feild, enough to draw in the already magnetized ring but nothing more.

After this she decided to move in close to the melee sims. She thrust the two Thunderclap rings together creating a sonic boom at close range.

edited 2nd May '15 11:05:37 PM by RhymeBeat

Though he felt that Mason or Charlie Thistle could handle this situation much better and faster than he could, Mike figured he'd keep them on backup until things got really desperate. With Cactus in both hands, Mike assessed his situation before taking what he deemed to be the route that made the most sense.

Walking around the wall, Mike felt the electricity run through his body for a good five seconds before letting Hardcore kick in, dulling the pain, and continuing onwards.

The first Melee opponent would find itself being brutally assaulted with Cactus and beaten until it stopped moving.

The second melee opponent would be downed by a flurry of blows from Sanity, filling it with thumbtacks and taking it out of the fray.

Unfortunately, Mike would find himself taken down by the ranged fella before he could reach it.

Red Badger had failed the test.

"Alisa" just stood in front of the wall for a good few seconds, seemingly just looking bored. Her left foot tapped to a beat she was humming.

In reality, Lucretia was analyzing the situation. While in a real situation, she could use her Semblance to scout out, these things were constructs, and thus had no mind to read.

Sighing softly to herself, the Queen flared her Semblance...and looked into the minds of the people on control, only for a tiny bit, and only to see the enemy placement before immediately turning her Semblance off.

With a small smile hidden underneath her mask, "Alisa" drew her sword Cordelia and inserted an Earth Dust Crystal into the chamber.

She then walked up to the brick wall and tapped....the ground right next to it.

Earthten tendrils then appeared on the other side of the wall, impaling and neutralizing the enemies without "Alisa" even getting near them or going through the wall.

"Alisa" flashed a victory sign towards the others.

"Yay, me!"

Prospa shot an annoyed glare over at "Alisa" after seeing her dust use. "Remarkably uncreative. Anyone can use artificial mixtures to get the job done!" She called out, her competitive side acting up. She better not have Time mixture, that cheating royal. The mage thought to herself jealously.

Training Sim.

Archie glanced around the dimly-lit simulation. Basic observation showed there were no three targets in sight, just a large brick wall in front of him. ...Alright, so the enemies had to be hiding behind it for cover and while there were ways to get around, it'd most definitely blow his cover and alert his targets, even if they weren't actually 'alive'.

...There's always a Plan B, some other way to get past a locked door or an 'invincible' opponent. It needed an outside of the box approach as the 'human' calmly put Lights Out together, looking for the shadows on a wall before vanishing completely and melding with the shadows. Being on a surface that'd ground electricity and technically not being flesh and blood at the moment.

None of those targets seemed to be none the wiser as he moved into a more favorable position, appearing behind the long ranged target with blinding speed, sniper rifle raised and lining up before pulling the trigger, the bullet going right through the enemy's skull, the velocity still enough to pierce through one of the melee foes.

As the case of the round hit the floor and sent out a small echoing sound to alert the last target, Archie had already adjusted his sights and fired one last bullet, dealing with the problem in the blink of an eye.

"...targets eliminated."

Testing

So this was what they would be tasked to do. While it didn't seem like much, Francesca knew this was the first test. She clenched her fists as she approached the wall, placing her hands at a lower brick. With a mighty heave she uprooted as much of the wall as she could and hurled it at the trio of enemies, striking them all and crushing them beneath its weight. Afterwards, Francesca simply dusted her hands off and turned to watch the others.

Training Simulation

After breaking through the wall, Lupa rushed down the ranged fighter first, cutting them off at the legs with one blade before driving the other threw the stomach, then pulling the trigger and ripping the gunblade out with a recoil

Racking the gunblade that had fired, she immediately shot the two melee units, before dashing and slashing through both, racking both this time, and firing again, landing the kill shots.