"Don't you boys want to get that hero for me?" Rose asked seducing the hostages with her melodic voice.

"Yes, mistress." All three hostages said in unison.

Fuuuuuuck

"So, girlfriend. This is news." Audrey said.

"Not right now. What the hell do I do now?" Jam sent her.

"Same thing you've been doing. Knock her block off."

"It's not her I'm worried about."

"What?"

Jam cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders.

All right. I guess this is happening.

Jam gets up to move further into the room, to prepare a counterattack, but gets grabbed by the leg when one of the hostages throws himself at Jam.

Shit

The other two attempt to grab Jam as well, their eyes almost completely dilated and glazed. Trying to use his legs to keep the one grabbing him contrained, Jam punches one in the stomach hard enough to leave him dry heaving on the ground and salps the other man hard across the face.

[ Skill Level Up: Martial Arts Lvl 1 has becomes Martial Arts Lvl 2 ]

The man at his legs struggled, punching at Jam's leg. Jam picked him up and put him in a chokehold, the man struggled uselessly but what was probably days of harsh treatment caused him to lose consciousness pretty quickly. The man that was slapped recklessly jumped onto Jam's back sending him lurching forward tripping over the hostage still gasping for air on the ground. Jam put his hands down and flippped over onto the guy on his back dropping him into the ground. His grip instantly slacked as he was clearly hurt from the fall.

"You're all such a disappointment." Rose sighed striding through the door. "What do they say about sending a man when a woman is needed?"

As soon as Jam got to his feet, Rose moved to his inside and punched him hard in the stomach, then reeled back and hit him with an uppercut that took him off of his feet. He smacked into the ground hard.

Oh come on. Rose hits way harder than that. No. No, this isn't Rose. Just a simulation. I'm sorry baby.

Jam recovered rolling backward and then got a running start barreling into Rose lifting her. She didn't go easily, spending the whole time he held her elbowing him in the back of the head. He still drilled her into the wall and her back arched in pain. He kept throwing punches, as if trying to put her through the wall, aiming at her chest and stomach to avoid looking at her face; lest he be reminded of whom he was currently assaulting. She wasn't so hesitant, Rose kicked his knee throwing him off balance and tried to bring a knee to his face but he blocked it. Instead he bear hugged her and fell backward dropping her on her head. He dazed her just long enough to roll over her and wrap her wrists in no less than 8 zip ties.

"I've got her." He declared breathlessly getting to his feet.

The simulation didn't end. He breathed out in exasperation.

Come on. How does this thing work anyway.

A tingle in the back of his neck. He called his bow back to his hand and slid an arrow out of his quiver. He turned quickly and shot the arrow into the hand of the crew leader as she went for the laser pistol on the ground.

"Simulation complete," A disembodied voice said.

Suuddenly the room was white again and he was in the middle of it. Everything was gone except the pain in his body. He fell back on the ground.

"Are you dead?" Jam heard.

He cracked his eyes open to see Camilla looking down at him in her civvies with Audrey's silver orb floating above her shoulder. A smile cracked across his lips.

"Of course not, that was easy. Now if I had to fight Thorn, or even full strength Rose, then I'd definitely be dead."

"Thorn doesn't come out until level 9." Camilla pointed out grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet.

"That was interesting. Rather brutal but efficient." Arcturian said leaning in the door frame.

"Brutal but efficient is one of my middle names," Jam said shooting Arcturian a wry grin. "It's not nice to test friends through Arcturian."

"What do you mean?" Camilla asked looking from Jam to Arcturian who averted his eyes.

"Arcturian wanted to see how I'd react to having to fight Rose and Thorn. That's why he chose this one, right?" Jam explained his eyes never moving from Arcturian.

"Yes," Arcturian admitted meekly. "We had it on good authority that Apex and Rose &Thorn were lovers. I needed to know your old allegiances wouldn't be an issue. I trust you of course, but should you freeze up in the middle of a battle because you can't hurt your enemy, then your life would be at risk. I really just wanted to help."

"It's cool big guy. Thank you; I did forget that I am going to have to go against some people I called friends before now. Well, forgot might be the wrong word for it. Maybe it just didn't fully sink in until now." Jam acknowledged, smiling softly, but a layer of reservation coated his words.

A chime rang out and then, through unseen speakers, Might Guy's voice sounded. "Destiny Meeting in 10." He announced.

"Ah, good. You'll be able to attend the weekly Heroes of Destiny meeting," Arcturian said.

"I have to go get suited up. I'll meet you up there." Camilla mentioned; she squeezed his had lightly before finally releasing it and leaving.

"Follow me, I can take you up there." Arcturian requested turning to leave.

Jam walked forward but every step ached.

Show HP

A small green line came up in the lower left-hand corner of his field of vision.

{ HP: 25/150 }

Lock HP and SP

Jam held his hands in front of his chest.

[ Skill Used: Heal Lvl 3 - Successful ]

He watched his HP bar slowly increase as did the number next to it.

{ HP: 75/150 }

Ok. Heal Lvl 3 can heal 50 HP every 20 minutes. Definitely going to have to level that up quickly.

Despite his health at the halfway point he still felt the soreness ease, his fingers were no longer numb as he continued following Arcturian to the elevators.

"I'm thinking about using my power lock token on danger sense. It could be really useful going forward. I want to wait for some kind of recovery power, like a healing factor or something, but who knows when I'll get to that. I just wish danger sense wasn't so vague." Jam sent to the orb floating lazily behind him.

"What do you mean?" Audrey questioned.

"Well, it just tells me that there is danger around. It doesn't tell me where or what's happening. It'd probably get better if I invested more refinement points in it but it still feels like a potential gamble." He explained.

"You have the skill danger intuition. It's basically a weaker version of danger sense. I'd suggest not keeping any power that could be substituted with a skill. If the skill levels up high and you're still not satisfied, then maybe the next time it comes around you can save it."

"There's an endless number of powers though, we don't know when the power will ever show back up. Also, I have no clue how to level up danger intuition. It's a passive skill and passive skills seem to level up whenever they feel like it. I'd like to level up to some kind of ultra instinct state where I can dodge trouble without even knowing it's happening." Jam folded his arms, a trouble expression washing over his features. "This power lock thing is going to be even more complicated than I predicted. I didn't get a single level up from the training; I did level up my skills, but that's only going to get me so far. I need to be able to level up or my skills will plateau soon as well."

"The game isn't stupid Jam, you fought holograms and saves holograms. They weren't sentient, it was a computer program. You can't just run scenarios all day and expect to level up. I would, however, encourage trying to learn new skills from it. Maybe you could even max out the ones you have. That should help you once you do get out there. "

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out what's next from this meeting." Jam sent as he walked toward the meeting hall behind Arcturian.

Arcturian opened the door and let Jam enter first; as Jam walked in, he realized they weren't alone. Two women he hadn't seen before were sitting at the meeting table. As soon as he step foot through the threshold, all the air left his body as he was suddenly slammed into the ground. He couldn't inhale at all, not even a gasp, as a crushing weight pinned him.

[ Skill Developed: Magical Awareness Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Developed: Magical Resistance Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Level Up: Magical Awareness Lvl 1 has become Magical Awareness Lvl 10 ]

[ Skill Level Up: Magical Resistance Lvl 1 has become Magical Resistance Lvl 10 ]

[ Skill Used: Magical Resistance Lvl 10 - Failure ]

[ Status Ailment: Pressure - Time Limit: N/A - You are currently buried under tremendous magical pressure. All stats are decreased by 75% until the pressure is alleviated. ]

"What's happening?" Arcturian kneeled beside Jam, fear and worry clouding his face.

"Dear, you are hurting the boy." One of the women at the table said to the other. putting a hand on her arm.

The other woman wasn't sitting in the chair but actually hovered inches above the seat. She was meditating and her eyes snapped open at the touch before she looked over and saw Jam on the ground. She quickly exhaled and she lowered into the chair.

[ Status Ailment Cured: Pressure - Magical Pressure has been removed. All stats returned to normal. ]

Jam heaved suddenly, taking in as much air in one gulp as he possibly could. Not wanting to move yet, he just lay there on the ground until the world stop feeling like it was spinning too quickly to be natural.

"Very sorry about that." A completely monotone voice apologized from across the room.

He sat up shaking off the daze and attempted to get to his feet. A hand reached out to him and he took it; when he was standing, he found himself staring into eyes that greatly unsettled him. They appeared to be flipped; the sclera, normally white, were a deep black, and the pupils glowed white like neon. The woman tiled her head to the side and Jam realized he was staring into her eyes. Almost like an afterthought he realized it wasn't just her eyes that were black and white but her skin as well. In fact, her skin looked like it was made up of hundreds of black and white jigsaw pieces. He felt the skin of her hand, that he absently realized he was still holding, and noticed it felt as smooth as regular skin. She wore a hooded white mage's robe with long black sleeves that stopped just above her wrists. Even her wavy hair was lined perfect down the middle, one half black, the other white.

"Thank you." He finally responded, sliding his hand away. Arcturian placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before he went to take his seat.

"No need, it's my fault you were in that predicament." The monotone voiced woman continued.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 10 - Successful ]

{ Character Type: NPC

Character Name: Allison

Alias: Voodoo Priestess

Race: Umpiran

Rank: Magic Lord

HP: X

MP: X

SP: 300/300

Powers

Balance

Omni-magic

Death Defying

Status Ailment: Bound }

"You must be Jam. Nice to meet you. I'm Voodoo Priestess." the woman introduced.

Her name definitely threw Jam for a loop. When he thought about Voodoo Priestesses, he thought about black women from Louisiana, who painted their faces and had dreadlocks. The only thing similar to a voodoo priestess he knew of was the staff in her left hand that had four skulls facing four different directions at the top.

Must be a translation error.

"Nice to meet you." He answered.

"You must be really sensitive to magic, no one without magical ability even feels it. Most magic users just find it hard to concentrate. You felt it as a physical thing. Very interesting, Very interesting indeed. " She imparted with a raised eyebrow. yet her monotone never wavered.

"I'm not sure. I've felt magic before but I've never felt anything like that. Was that an attack?"

"Not exactly. I was releasing my excess magical energy. My magic is powerful. If I don't release it in small even bursts then it could become too powerful to be of any use. I go to light a candle in my room. Then boom." She mimed an explosion with her hands. "Half the city is on fire."

"Terrifying."

"Indeed." She agreed, then moved closer to Jam; a little too close, her unusual eyes boring into his. "Would you mind if I tried something?"

"I am not sure that is a good idea dear." the other woman insisted moving up behind Voodoo Priestess.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 10 - Successful ]

{ Character Type: NPC

Character Name: Elena

Alias: Universa

Race: Stardust

Rank: Celestial Being

HP: X

MP: X

SP: X

Powers:

God Magic

Divine Sight

True Immortality

Status Ailment: Bound }

Universa didn't walk up to them, she floated inches from the ground. Long, shiny and flowing back hair waved behind her even when she wasn't moving. Her long black dress, that hung past her ankles, seemed to do the same as if both were acted upon by a wind that no one else felt. Her long deep black dress had glowing white dots shaped like constellations that changed as she moved, like her dress was a telescope that moved as she did. Jam couldn't help but notice how much she looked like a wraith of some kind.

Stardust? She's living stardust? Wait, isn't everything stardust?

Her voice was strangely musical and whispers echoed all her words. "Hello, I am Universa. A pleasure to meet you." She greeted holding her hand out.

Jam took it and noticed that she was pretty short, even floating inches from the ground she was eye level with his 6'1 frame. Her eyes though, were hard for him not to get lost in. Looking into them, they seemed to hold an entire solar system; he could see 5 planets revolving around a pale blue star.

"This is where you talk." Audrey nudged, snapping him out of his trance.

"I'm Jam, nice to meet you." He stammered before looking down at her hand he noticed he was still shaking.

"Don't fall in love, she's mine." Voodoo Priestess teased beside her, snapping Jam back to reality. He slid his hand out of hers and brought it up to nervously scratch the back of his neck. "I'm kidding of course." she quipped, her monotone doing nothing to alleviate the awkward situation.

"So, now that you have analyzed me, I am sure you have questions." Universa expressed.

Jam shuffled uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Universa's unblinking gaze was hard to read, but he couldn't help but feel like she was scrutinizing him.

"How did you know?" Jam inquired nervously.

"I see a lot of things. More things than anyone could imagine. But please, let's have a seat. I feel the meeting will soon commence." Universa insisted, then she took Voodoo Priestess' hand and hovered back to her seat.

Jam took the seat at the far end of the long meeting table next to Arcutiran. As he took a seat, other heroes began to enter.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 10 - Successful ]

Character Type: NPC

Character Name: Osiris

Alias: Cyprus Bleak

Race: Dovaran

HP: 2000/2000

MP: N/A

SP: 3000/3000

Powers:

Psionics

"His powers seem kind of vague," Audrey commented.

"Well, that's because he can use almost any kind of psychic ability. He doesn't just focus on one thing like telepathy or telekinesis instead he works on all of them. Though, spreading yourself out that much would usually be bad, or in most cases impossible, but he's had years of training his abilities. If it wasn't for this thing in my head he probably would have destroyed my brain the first day I was here."

Cyprus Bleak looked different than usual. Gone were his facial piercings and his purple Mohawk was curled down on his head so it looked closer to a pompadour. Instead of his usual black leather jacket, he just wore a blue trench coat with a suit underneath.

"I don't think we were formally introduced. I'm Osiris, but you should know me as Cyprus Bleak." Cyprus said holding his hand out for Jam.

"I'm Jam, nice to meet you. You've changed your look." Jam observed rising to his feet and shaking Cyprus' hand.

"Oh yeah, I'm really experimenting with my look. I like the purple hair but the facial piercings felt a little much. I'm thinking of going with a temporary tattoo, see how I like it. Or maybe war paint." He gushed

"War paint sounds good. Maybe skulls, that works well with your persona."

"Good idea, I'll think about it." Cyprus grinned as he sat down across from Universa.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 10 - Successful ]

{ Character Type: NPC

Character Name: Unknown

Alias: The Inspector

Race: Umpiran

HP: 3000/3000

MP: 25/25

SP: 8000/8000

Powers:

Fighting Prowess

Tech Expert

Forensic Expertise }

No one really knew what the Inspector actually looked like. His outfit was a stereotypical detectives outfit, black trench coat, black vest and pants, and a white shirt and red tie; however, his body was completely invisible. It appeared as if a suit was just walking upright. Invisibility wasn't under his powerset though so Jam knew it had to be a gadget or serum that allowed him his invisibility. He spoke with a voice modulator as well, so no one could pick out what his voice sounded like either. The Inspector hadn't spoken to anyone when he walked in, only making his way to his seat, so Jam made no moves to approach him.

I guess powers that aren't actually superpowers are still considered powers here. Well, I do have 'archery prowess', I guess I can't really talk.

[ Skill Used: Analyze+ Lvl 10 - Failure ]

[ Failure Notice: Please specify which person you're analyzing ]

The Elementwins. Not actually twins. Actually a husband and wife science team that were bonded together on a molecular level and conjoined at the sides. When they were together they could manipulate all four elements, but separate they each got two elements with weaker control. Before Jam could move to speak to them, Might Guy and Kid Mighty entered the room. Might Guy still wearing sunglasses despite there being very little natural light in the room and sporting his usual scowl. Kid Mighty took her seat next to Voodoo Priestess while Might Guy stood at the other end of the table from Jam.

"Alright guys, thanks for coming. Let's get right into it." Might Guy commanded.

Jam held his hand out and Audrey floated into it, he sat absently rubbing his fingers across her surface.

"Where's LionHead?" Cyprus questioned.

"He left out early this morning. One of his usual hunts I guess." Kid Mighty answered him.

"We'll clue him in later. Voodoo, are your team recovered from the summoning yet?" Might Guy cut in.

"They are." Voodoo Priestess answered concisely.

[ Skill Level Up: Calming Touch Lvl 3 has become Calming Touch Lvl 4 ]

"Good, I need them back on the board. I want them in Darlinghurst. There's talk of some castors summoning demons. If the door is open, we'll need your team to be able to close it." Might Guy said pressing a button on the table that caused a 3D holographic model of Darlinghurst to pop up.

"Ok."

"I believe they're somewhere in this area but we can't be completely sure.' He included highlighting a 10 miles radius area on the map.

"All right."

"Do you have any people who can track them?" He interrogated, aggravation growing in his voice.

"Sure."

Universa placed her hand atop Voodoo Priestess' "We will get it done Might." He nodded then switched the map to one of Empire City.

"Cyprus, I want your team patrolling West Empire City. Twins, you'll be taking East and South. Inspector, are you still helping the Central Empire PD?"

"I am." the modulated voice of the Inspecter answered.

"Any news we should know about?"

"There's a new player on the board. No one knows who they but word on the street is they go by the moniker 21. Not your average gun for hire. This person is good. Never leaves a trace and has been able to get into anywhere. 21 never kills more than seven or twenty one people. No children, women only in self defense, unless they're the target. If they don't attack 21 doesn't attack. 21 has killed heroes and villains alike. Anyone for the right price. We have at least 35 confirmed hits by 21 and another 40 suspected." Inspector intoned.

"Stay on top of it, get Gear Freak to scour the systems and find any surveillance info he can. Last thing we need is some new player going to war with you know who, or worse working for him." Might Guy grumbled his eyes locking in on Jam who kept his gaze staring out the window into Empire City. "All right, any other news that needs to be brought up."

[ Skill Level Up: Calming Touch Lvl 4 has become Calming Touch Lvl 5 ]

"I think we should really talk about what steps we're taking to deal with CAS." Kid Mighty spoke up. Mighty Guy and Cyprus groaned audibly. "Hear me out, they're gaining a lot more traction lately. If we don't deal with this soon, then it's going to grow beyond our control."

"What's CAS?" Jam whisper asked Arcturian.

"Civilians Against Supers. It's a civilian group that is trying to ban the use of superpowers." Arcturian answered.

Fantastic.

"They're just a bunch of normal people, what can they actually do against heroes. Don't worry about it right now." Might Guy dismissed.

"Execute yourself." Jam absently stated, still rubbing Audrey's catalyst.

"What!" Might Guy slammed his fists on the table causing it to vibrate and the 3D model to shut off.

Jam looked up surprised to find everyone looking in his direction, surprise dancing across their faces. He turned around to see if there was something behind him but there was nothing.

Shit, did I say that out loud?

"Umm. I was asking what orders were you executing yourself? I wanted to make sure I didn't overlap your area when I went patrolling." Jam recovered.

"You won't be patrolling." Might Guy scoffed.

"Excuse me, what?" Jam blurted, confusion evident.

"You're untested and untrained. You'll be remaining in the Hall of Destiny until we can figure out how to use you."

Jam shot to his feet and gestured toward the window. "No. I need to be out there, fighting bad guys and saving people. That's the only way I can level my skills up." He protested.

"And, until we know exactly how your powers work and of what use you are to the rest of the group; you are remanded to these walls."

"I was given free rein to come and go as I please from Arcturian." Jam nearly shouted. "Also, need I remind you, I'm not a Hero of Destiny. I don't need anyone's permission to go out there."

"Well, you may not know this since you're used to doing everything illegally, but you need to be verified by the city to legally patrol and take down criminals. Without it, you're just a vigilante and the government doesn't take kindly to vigilantes. I'd be more than happy to take you down for them if you try to put up a fight. But, feel free and go do your own thing; while also wearing the face of the most well known villain on Arcturus. See how long that lasts you." Might Guy taunted a sadistic smirk on his face.

Jam deflated into his seat with a thud, his arms crossed in front of him.

"If that's all, then this meeting is dismissed." Might Guy said not bothering to wait before exiting the room. Kid Mighty looked at Jam but he wouldn't look in her direction; she followed behind Might Guy.

"Sorry, Kid. You'll be trained in no time though. I'm confident you'll do just fine." Cyprus consoled with a sympathetic smile before exiting the room.

"What the hell man?" Jam interrogated Arcturian.

"You can still come and go as you please, it's just that you can't start working as a hero until you're authorized. You have to be a part of a team to be authorized. Might is field commander, he has to authorize you. Unless you found a more lax team like Sector 38, but you wouldn't get the training and resources available here. Also, with your appearance, they'd be less likely to approve you." Arcturian answered. "Everyone had to go through some sort of training before they got accepted here. You're not being singled out I promise." He said with a reassuring hand of Jam's shoulder.

"Fine."

"Jam, do you have a minute?" Universa requested.

Jam tapped Arcturian's hand and nodded then Arcturian left the room. Jam turned to face the two women walking up to him. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Well it's about before." Voodoo Priestess said.

"Oh that's right. Universa, you said I analyzed you, how'd you know that?"

"I see almost everything Jam. The past, the present and the future. Your abilities are quite interesting, but worry not, I won't be mentioning it to anyone else." Universa answered.

"Wow, that's impressive. So you can tell the future?"

"No."

"i'm confused, you said you can see everything."

"I can see 'almost' everything, but I can only see. I can not tell anything. I can only tell what I see myself telling you. Like what I am saying right now. I am only following the script of what I see is supposed to take place."

"Is that why your status says bound?"

"It is. I am bound by the rules of the observer. I can watch everything unfold but I can do nothing more than what I see happening. I am unable to change the future, I am unable tell the future. I can only observe and act accordingly."

"That's really confusing."

"It can be. Yes."

"Are you bound the same way Priestess? It doesn't show you as an observer, it says you're a magic lord."

"That I am, but no I'm not bound as an observer. I'm bound to maintain balance. My abilities allow me to see the balance in all things. I'm an agent of said balance. I can't do anything that would obstruct the balance."

"Is that why you can't just poof the Lunar King away?"

"Indeed. It would drop the balance too heavily on the side of heroes. I can teach people magic to raise the number of heroes but I can't subtract the number of villains. Causing death in any manner affects the balance negatively. If I kill one villain, a hero of equal measure would perish. I am bound to inaction much like Universa."

"Weird. It's strange to think that two of the most powerful people in the galaxy are bound by rules."

"You shall soon learn that all are bound by rules, even the most powerful." Universa said then turned her head suddenly looking off in the distance. "You too shall learn that lesson." She lectured seemingly to no one. "You reader will learn that all are bound, whether it be the rules we place on one another or the rules we place on ourselves. None are untouchable by some form of rule."

"What?" Jam questioned.

"Nothing child." Universa answered turning back to him and patting him on the head.

"She does that sometimes." Voodoo Priestess interjected.

"Can you break the rules? Can you act anyway?"

"All rules can be broken, but you would have to deal with the fallout. Being able to break those rules would not make them any less real, and all decisions have consequences." Universa answered.

"You don't have to tell me that, my decision is what wrecked this place."

"And your decisions can be the very thing that fixes it as well." Voodoo Priestess foretold.

"Thanks." Jam responded not very convinced.

"We would like to bestow upon you a gift child," Universa said cupping his cheek.

"What kind of gift?"

"Well, honestly I'd say whether or not it's a gift or a curse is up to you." Voodoo Priestess confessed her monotone voice and piercing eyes sending a shiver down Jam's spine.

"You have potential as a magic user, as shown by the effect Voodoo Priestess' magics had on your body. I would like to unlock it for you." Universa said with a disarming smile.

"That sounds incredible. Let's do it. What do I have to do." Jam said eagerly.

"All I need is permission," Universa said before placing her thumb on his forehead. Jam felt a bit of sizzle but it faded quickly.

"Hmm, is that it?" Jam asked.

"I am sorry child," Universa said her brow furrowing, her lips curving down into a small frown.

"For what?" Jam asked before every cell in his body exploded with power. He let out a piercing scream as he felt as if his body was being set on fire from the inside. Voodoo Priestess shaded her eyes as he began to glow with a bright white light and hovered off of the ground, his body contorting in an unnatural fashion. His screams of agony never wavered.

[ Skill Learned: Scramble Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Type: Active ]

[ Ability Learned: Magical Aptitude ]

[ Skill Learned: Magical Aptitude Lvl 1 ]

[ Skill Type: Passive ]

[ Skill Detail: MP Unlocked ]