I get to be a hero?

It was just another average day at the office. The city spanned out for miles from the 52nd floor window, the sun setting as the day was slowly reaching it's end. The orange sun glowing over the horizon it was gradually falling down into. Marshall always enjoyed this time of day, the colour of the sky and the city, the calm of it all.... it was peaceful and serene. This particular night was different as well, the major difference of today was that Mr. Baxter was actually in the office, rather than being out on business. Marshall was actually headed into his office right at that very moment, a stack of papers in hand. He made his way into the office after a very gentle knock on his superior's door.

"Mr. Baxter, sir.... I have those files you had requested. Took a good bit of digging to find them all, what was this for again?" Marshall asked curiously, approaching his boss' desk to set the papers down.

Mr. Baxter- "Actually, it's for a renovation of the subway after the recent train disaster. Remember when that tunnel bomber tried to blow that train? Really left some serious structural damage, and it'll take some time to repair. I appreciate this though Marshall, thank you."

Marshall felt like there was something off about tonight, he couldn't quite place it. It was a simple gut feeling that made him want to remain close to Mr. Baxter. Marshall was still unsure if his superior had any idea of his abilities, and more often than not he thought about revealing himself..... however he wouldn't want to risk the job by being too openly honest with him about himself. Marshall kind of faded off in his own mind, thinking about talking to Mr. Baxter while at the same time thinking about that gut feeling he couldn't seem to shake. It was like the universe was trying to tell him something was off.....

A flash of black out the window was the all the warning they would get before a crack of thunder and the lights went out. Were they capable of seeing in the dark, they would notice the culprit; three black knives, carving through the walls and snuffing out all power to the room. As it were, even the blindest would notice the pulsing red light on the ceiling. It blinked once, twice, and then suddenly exploded, a ball of fire erupting outwards; the positioning of it wouldn’t put anyone in particular harm, short of blowing a hole in the ceiling; however, the pillar of smoke it released caused the fire alarms to go off, and with it the sprinkler system, water raining down upon the pair.

And then, in the flashing lights of the klaxon, a figure appeared; small, feminine, with long hair that swayed in the wind, she seemed to stand on a wavering platform of gold, a throwing star in her hand. The gold disappeared, replaced by an angry red hue and suddenly, there was a small explosion as the shuriken was released at speeds faster than sound. But Marshall couldn’t concern himself for his boss’ health or safety; no, because this woman was rushing towards him, red script crawling up her neck, sword in hand and droplets of water scattering from her presence like miniature bullets.

Mr. Baxter had no time at all to react to the situation, a light flashing in an instant and putting the man down for the time being. He was no weakling, however the small explosion did propel him back towards the wall with enough force to knock him unconscious. The suited body lied their, only minor cuts and bruises, nothing too serious or lasting. Luckily enough the explosion had no effect on Marshall, save for a few torn bits of clothing, busted glasses, and some residue that was quickly washed away with the now raining sprinklers, all while the fire alarm wailed due to the bomb.

After a moment, something that seemed to happen both extremely fast and extremely slow, Marshall was able to focus his attention on the woman. So many thoughts were running through his head..... who was she, why did she want him.... what were those crazy lights around her? His mind raced, trying to put together the situation... however his train of thought was interrupted by the shuriken he never saw coming. It felt like an explosive impact as the bladed weapon made contact with his skin. It ripped through his shirt with ease, however the moment it hit his skin the blade would simply bend, stopping the force of the blade almost immediately. It all happened so fast that it took him a moment to pull the blade form his chest. The pain associated with it was far more intense than anything he had felt before.... almost as if it were different than normal weapons. The lights must be increasing their force in some way. Best not to let them hit him again, the first one already shredded the muscles in his left pectoral. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his chest, he managed to focus on the woman.

The woman moved so fast and efficiently, Marshall had no chance to catch her.... he was heavily relying on his ability to take a beating. The blade he pulled from his chest hadn't even hit the ground yet before the small woman was right on him with her sword. Instinctively he put one hand up to catch her wrist with the sword while his other hand wiped away the water from his face while the sprinkler system continued to rain down over them. If anything, his pure strength would keep him from potentially getting stabbed again. He just hoped this wasn't some super villain he knew nothing about..... it would really suck to die in his bosses office..... but it was pretty exciting to Marshall as well. This was definitely a step up from stopping muggers and vandalism.

"Wait... who are you!?" Is all he could utter, almost as if he were asking the assassin to stop and explain herself. Perhaps his mind was too new to the concept, so he honestly thought that he could try and speak to her.

He was tough, she had to give him that; a warning sign she took to well. Stopping her headlong charge, red turned to gold and she flipped backwards. The swords were held loosely, the cold, sharp blades gathering droplets of water, beading across the engraved edge. A deep breath stretched her chest, and a wind picked up, swirling across their wet skin, sending a chill up the girls spine. It tossed her hair, tied back in a long ponytail, streaming like a ribbon over her shoulder. All that could be seen of her features was her eyes, sharp crystal things, piercing and hard as glass. They narrowed, focusing on the face, flicking once to the mangled shoulder and back again to his face.

It appears as if he can be hurt indeed.

A burst of green color and a pillar of green fire burst from the tip of her sword, enveloping the room, leaving a trail of sand behind it. Though the emerald flames licked at his skin, it did nothing but leave him pleasantly warm; however, the same could not be said for the floor underneath him. The rushing of sand, the sound akin to that of a large hourglass, and suddenly the floor disappeared, turned to grains of sands. Gravity claimed them, crashing to the floor below, but a burst of gold and the assassin was jumping from grain of sand to grain of sand. She landed graceful, not a hair out of place, swords at the ready again. Once more a burst of color, red this time, and she pointed her blade at Marshall.

”Marshal Lovi. This is a test. Prepare yourself to fight or to die. Your choice.”

A sweep of her sword to flick the water off, a crack like thunder and the water particles broke through the wall, shattering the wood and brick. A small demonstration of her power, but effective nonetheless. Sand and water combined in a messy soup around their ankles, but Katey paid it no mind. Typically, she wouldn’t be so callous in her actions; in and out, no witnesses, the epitome of efficiency. However … her eyes narrowed once again, and she was darting towards him in a shallow arc, swords out to strike him again. This wasn’t most situations.

Marshall was taken aback by all that was happening, the lights, the gadgets, it was all so..... exciting. The lights she shot out of her swords caught him off guard as he felt the warmth overtake the room with them in it. He was not afraid of fire, so he didn't brace until the sand began to give beneath them both. Marshall had no time to react, falling through the floor to the room below with a rather loud and heavy thud. The young man pulled himself up, just to find the small woman now dancing on the sand grains before landing ever so gracefully.

When she spoke, it took him by surprise, the voice coming from her not what he expected. Test.... this was a test.... for what, and to what end. She was destroying the building and harmed his boss for a test? Perhaps this was Marshall's fault.... being a super in secret looked a lot easier in comics, he surely felt as if this was his fault. He had to find out what this whole situation was.... but he had to be careful.... she was obviously skilled and he knew she could hurt him. He knew that thanks to the throbbing pain that shot through his left pectoral and up into his shoulder. The young man pulled himself up to his feet and faced the woman once more.

"Test.... why am I being tested?" His voice was confused, but the excitement was something he couldn't hide.... because face it, he was in a super hero battle right now.

Marshall flinched lightly, shocked by the sheer power of what seemed to be nothing but water shooting from the edge of her blades. He had to wonder, was the power in her weapons, or was it coming from her herself. It definitely involved those lights because they kept changing colours. He steadied himself, ready to do what was necessary to protect the other people in this building. The moment she leapt up to deliver another strike, he was ready as he gripped the nearest desk with his uninjured arm, and with one seemingly effortless lift he hoisted the solid oak piece up to deliver a mighty swing with it. To any normal person the desk weighed 250 easy, but to Marshall it was no heavier than a piece of styrofoam as he swung it with titan like strength at the incoming threat.

His reaction was quick and swift; good. Improvisation was good, too. He showed promise. Still, he left himself wide open. He lacked training, and that could be deadly. It was obvious he relied on his superior physical skills to keep him out of danger. Must’ve rarely faced a foe that could actually harm him. But … she knew her shuriken did, damaged him, that is. It didn’t bounce off him like was expected. And she could see it, a certain tightness in movement that was the telltale sign of injury. Still, the potential was there. Now it was time to see his powers in action.

Analysis over, she went to work. One blade lashed out horizontally, slicing through the wood like butter, and the second in an arc over her head, cutting the separated desk in half. A blast of force vibrated the desk and a flash of light, and suddenly the desk was sliced in two, then again, the pieces falling to either side of the masked girl, the wind whipping her hair around. Her eyes stayed focused on her target, however. Swords held loosely in hand, each about an inch from the floor. Her demeanor and cold, unflinching eyes were unfazed by his show of strength.

”You’re strong, Marshal.” Her words were sharp, cutting, but held within a core of pride. ”Let us see how strong.”

And then, a flash of color, blades flying past him in every direction, her hand a blur. Metallic blades ripped through the building, their force destroying the support structure of the building; and the building began to fall. It was slow, and deliberate, but there was no saving it by now. The sheer power behind these projectiles was astonishing, and it was doubtful Marshal could save every last one. As a piece of debris plowed through the floor, there was a flash of gold and she was gone, only a single black hair left behind and the blades, dug into the walls.

”Don’t die on me, Marshall.” The words were just as cold, but slightly warmer. ”And don’t worry about your coworkers. They’ve been evacuated by now. This fight is only you, now.”

Her voice echoed, projected from the buildings speaker system. She had left by now, watching the collapsing building from across the street. Her troops had closed off the street by now, keeping any civilians from accidently wandering into this impromptu testing ground. If he survived this, the test would ramp up another level. She wasn’t hiding; all Marshal would have to do is look and she’d be seen, illuminated by a spotlight, framed dramatically with the stars as a backdrop.

To herself, she whispered, “Don’t die on me, Marshal …”[/color]

Marshall was astounded by the woman's skills, having never been confronted by someone who was not only able to hurt him.... but destroy the structure around them with such ferocity and ease. He barely had time to keep up, the flashing lights, the crumbling debris as the building began to collapse around him. His first thought was just that, the civilians.... but the woman had put that to bed by stating that she had evacuated them all during their tussle.

With one problem gone, he just had the one currently happening... the collapsing building with him in it. Marshall knew he was extraordinarily resilient to damage... but his mind was playing tricks on him as he had been injured by a bullet like shuriken that shredded the muscles in his left shoulder. Pushing through the obvious pain, the dust rising and the wind doing nothing to help it, he got to his feet and began to make his way towards the crater in the floor. What if she were lying.... what if she had rigged the building to collapse and their were civilians still caught in the rubble. He couldn't live with himself if their was even one soul left.

Due to the dire situation, he did what he could to traverse the building before it began to collapse entirely. Unable to find anyone in his somewhat meager search, he let out a sigh of relief.... at this point accepting that he would either surprise himself.... or die. Instinctively Marshall covered his face as the building finally fell entirely, an enormous cloud of dust blowing outward as the debris crashed to the earth with a mighty tremor. Even in the face of mortal danger, Marshall's thoughts were with the civilians.... just hoping that nobody was in the radius of the demolished building.

There was a few moments of silence that befell the area, the dust beginning to clear as the rubble of the once impressive skyscraper came into view. There was no sign of Marshall, paramedics and police lining up behind the militaristic zone they had set up for this apparent 'test'. In a silent moment, the troopers all looked to Katrina with solemn faces.... everyone fearing the worst for the young man she was testing. When the situation felt as if it was hopeless, there began a small rumble that got louder and louder. After a few moments, a pile of heavy slabs of concrete shifted before rolling down the decrepit pile and from beneath it emerged a slightly injured, but alive Marshall.

The young man pulled himself from the rubble, the only clear injury he has sustained was to his shoulder from her shuriken attack. His clothes were tattered and torn, caked with plaster and dust as well as his hair and exposed skin. He seemed a bit worn, fatigued by the sudden event.... but alive and uninjured as he slowly made his way to the line she had set up for her test. As he approached Katrina, a look of frustration in his eyes as he scanned the area.... slowly putting together that this was not a terrorist attack or super villain.... but in fact a military sanctioned.... test. The young man inhaled deeply before exhaling a sigh of relief/frustration.... gathering his thoughts before he spoke up to the group of military types as a whole.

"So..... do any of you happen to have a banana on you? I have a bit of a muscle cramp in my left shoulder...."

She released the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. He had survived; a little worse for wear and interestingly enough, his clothes ripped and torn. Seemed his superhuman endurance didn’t extend past his skin. The wind tore at her clothes, framing her across the moon, tugging her long hair across the sky. Intangible fingers tore the black strands from the band that tied it back, freeing it to streak across the sky, adding to her dramatic silhouette. Almost thoughtfully, she stepped out of view, disappearing behind the lip of the building. Next to her, a woman stepped up, close enough to almost be her twin. The wind didn’t bother her, merely blowing through her intangible skin.

”As I said, he is tough, and good. He’ll be a useful addition.”

Her words were clipped and precise, but they could only be heard by her near-twin, who seemed to take them in stride, glancing down at the boy through the rubble. Cars swarmed around the rubble of the building, each SUV painted pitch black with a red symbol on the side; two crossed spears over a shield. A dozen individuals poured out of the vehicles. Each were dressed in expensive-looking armor, a thin sheen of energy hovering over them, carrying weapons with the same sigil. These guns were leveraged at the demititan in the rubble, each soldier - for that is unmistakingly what they were - working as a team. From the top of the car, spotlights surrounded them, lighting up the area like a football arena. The Praetors surrounded Marshall, none within distance to be grabbed, staring down at him through mirrored visors.

And then from the inside of a car there stepped a women. Tall and curvy, with a frankly outrageous bust, and long, wavy green hair that did little to cover her chest. Long legs ended in heels that glittered in the light cast from the spotlight. She was taller than average, almost as tall the soldiers in the area, made worse so by the heels. Glittery blue makeup surrounded eyes as green as her hair. She bounded forward like a kitten, pushing through the throng of soldiers as easily as a fish breaks through the surface of the water.

”Guys, stop. You’re gonna scare the poor kid!”

The soldiers exchanged a look, before pulling back. Up close, it was obvious she with them; if getting out of the same car as them wasn’t proof enough, she was wearing a white lab coat with a symbol on it; different than those he had seen already, a snake wrapped around a rod with an open mouth, and within the mouth was the taijutsu (the yin-yang symbol). But she spoke with authority despite the almost-childish way she spoke, and they listened to her, too, stowing the rifles away and instead proceeding to sweep the area for anybody who might have escaped the efforts of their boss to ensure it was empty. The green-haired women watched them walk away, a slight frown on her face, before spinning around (making her ever-thankful that her bust was contained), and offered a painted hand to Marshal. Despite her ditzy air, her eyes were calculating, watching him.

”Oh, you’re hurt.”

From within the pocket of the coat, she pulled out a patch; seemingly just a green length of material with a sticky side, it nonetheless seemed to contain a slight glow. With a tug, she ripped his shirt off, exposing his wound to the air. A simple slap, and it was stuck to his skin. The second the material touched him, his wound started to knit together; a terrible feeling, like an itch under his skin, but it was over in seconds. A bright smile lit up her face and she offered her hand again for him to shake.

”Heya, Marshall. I’m Dr. Tina Madarame, nice to meetcha.”

As they grasped hands, a shadow fell over them, and Tina turned to look, only to squeak and stand upright in a salute. An individual, shorter than average, pretty in a pointy sort of way, though with an air of command and authority typically not seen in people outside of the royal palace. Blue eyes seems to shine with intensity as she gazed at the individual encased in the rubble and cocked an eyebrow. Not very impressive. She looked almost identical to the women who just assaulted him, but different also, like siblings. Her outfit was different, a black suit of armor like scalemail, clinging to her like a second skin. Over this was an armored coat cinched at the waist and thick combat boots.

”At ease, Doctor. Marshall.” Her eyes stared into him, as if evaluating him. ”I come here representing Olympus. I have a proposition for you, if you’re willing to hear it.”

Marshall was taken aback by everything that just happened. He had never experienced anything like this before.... something straight out of a comic book. His blood was pumping, that's for sure. During the set up of the overwhelmingly obvious military coordination, the young man would take a moment to catch his breath and take in his surroundings. This included the structure of said military, it's apparent leader whom just assaulted him and destroyed his place of work, and the new woman who arrived by van. The woman didn't look anything like the rest, donning a lab coat and sporting green hair, while the rest are armoured up and now pointing rifles towards him.... as if that's even necessary. His focus remained on the green-haired woman however.

"Yes, I am...."

He wasn't able to finish his sentence before she pulled out an odd looking wrap with an even more odd looking glow to it. After what happened, he flinched instinctively, however the moment she placed it, a stream of soothing relief flowed through his body, all originating where his shoulder wound had been. His lips part as he let out a sigh of relief, the pain soon subsiding as his wound disappeared almost immediately upon application of the wrap. The moment was brief, but satisfying as the calmness of a healing touch overtook him for a moment. Marshall had to admit, this was much better than any OTC drugs or salves he was able to get his hands on. Pharmaceutical doctors, eat your hearts out.

"....whoa.... that is some really good stuff. Where did you pick that up?"

Now suddenly full of life once more, Marshall happily shook the miracle doctor's hand and gave her a big, child like smile accompanied by his grateful, and youthful disposition. It was at this point where he would realize just how tall she was, even a little taller than him.... just a little. He allowed his excitement and gratitude to get the better of him as he shook her hand, giving her a little bit more of a firm squeeze than intended. Had he not released the moment the other woman approached, he would have accidentally crushed her hand.... that would have bad press coverage for a brand new hero. When the doctor suddenly went formal and saluted, he realized that the woman was obviously an authoritative figure to her and the others. He then realized that she looked almost exactly like the woman who had just physically damaged him, the first one to ever do something like that to him.

"An opportunity? Olympus?" He paused for a moment, unsure if this was a good idea. However, a glance to the rubble pile that was the remainder of his work place provided the incentive to his almost immediate decision. "Well.... given that you guys kind of leveled my place of work, I suppose I have no choice but to hear you out. However, if this proposition doesn't work for me, you have to help me find a new job. Deal?"

”Deal.”

Katrina could not help but laugh at this kids gumption. He was so … casual about everything, as if having a building dropped on him was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. A gesture from her and two chairs were delivered by several of the soldiers, placed on a relatively clear area of ground next to them. This she went to sit down, sighing slightly at the sensation of sitting. It had been a long stressful day, and already she was daydreaming about a nice glass of wine in front of her fireplace. A throbbing headache was already beginning to form, one of the side effects from utilizing her powers so freely.

”First, please accept my apologies for destroying your place of work. I am sure you had a well-paying job. You should know, however, that the owner sold this place three months ago and it as slated for demolition to build yet another strip mall.” Katrina scoffed at this, rolling her crystal eyes. ”So I bought it to test you. And must I say, you passed with flying colors.” Yet another gesture and another soldier, with a look on his face that said he did not appreciate being used like a butler, brought two cans of name brand soda. One was handed to Marshall, the other to Katrina.

”So this is the offer I have for you.” She popped the top on the can, taking a sip. ”Olympus is a multinational organization dedicated to preserving world peace. We need someone like you, Marshall. A … moral compass, as it were, if you’re interested.” Seemingly like magic, a card appeared in her hand, which she tossed, the cardstock slicing through the air and landing gently on his lap. On the golden-colored card was embossed in black ink the words Olympus: Ancient Values with Tomorrow’s Technology. ”Consider this a job offer. Working for me is dangerous, yes. You might not survive to retire. But the benefits are exquisite. Handsome pay, complimentary housing and vehicle, if you desire. And, so long as you’re an active agent, you possess a certain amount of diplomatic immunity” This was only the tip of the iceberg, but the rest was a secret; he’d have to accept to learn the true benefits.

”I need your answer soon, Marshall. My time is very limited.”

Marshall was, admittedly, intimidated by the young woman in front of him. She seemed to be around his age, at least in looks, yet she had this tough and firm demeanor about her. His perception of her was probably due to the fact that she literally hurt him, and leveled his workplace. She would notice how careful he was to sit down in his chair, seeming to take more care in such a simple task than most others would. Unbeknownst to her, this was to avoid simply crushing the chair beneath him with the careless use of his strength.

"Oh, well thank you sir. I would thank you properly, but I don't know your name. Still, cheers." Marshall popped open the can and refocused his attention on her as she began to explain the situation. He listened carefully, however his mind was wandering to the spectacle prior to this conversation. He had seen and read stuff about heroes and such in the news and in reports while working at his old job. However, he had never met anyone in person... and she was incredible! It was surprising that she couldn't notice the excitement and anticipation building in his core. He shook the event from his mind for the moment, returning to the voice that was explaining everything that had just occurred and the reasoning behind it, also finally taking a drink from his can.

"Ugh.... grape, that's gross." He places the can on the ground and looks to her again. ".... test and what not, huh? I admit I've never met anyone super like you. Did you know that I haven't had someone hurt me like that since I was 15? I thought I was invulnerable or something..... I guess it's cool to know that I'm not some weird, undying god or something, haha." He paused for a moment, listening to the rest of her explanation. When she finally began to mention the real reason for her test, and also provided a very impressive card for said organization, Marshall found it impossible to hide his excitement. The young man would jump out of his chair, knocking it back as he did so, as he looked down at her with childlike wonderment and a shining smile.

"I GET TO BE A HERO!?.... of course I'll join in, this is what I've been dreaming of!! Are their other heroes!?"

Her eyes wandered, the soft smile she had been wearing this entire time fading, leaving only the severe sharpness of her face. The kid was excited, and he was undoubtedly powerful … but he was so young and naive. Was it right, she wondered, to bring children into her war? As her eyes roamed the rubble, rapidly being cleared by the armored soldiers, her frown deepened. She made no attempt to hide it; her initial assessment of Marshall didn’t determine any particular refined ability to determine social cues. In fact, just the opposite, he was quite socially dumb. He couldn’t pick a context clue out of a lineup with a step-by-step guide in front of her. Someone like him would be impossible to take to a state dinner or take undercover.

The loud shifting of rubble drew her gaze, a group of soldiers yelling at each other and placing blame. Seeing they have drawn her gaze, they stiffened; before Katrina could do anything more than raise an irate eyebrow at them, the green-haired girl came from seemingly nowhere, picking up one of them and bodily throwing him at another. A lazy salute at her and she yelled, her high-pitched voice echoing shrilly across the busy courtyard. The sight brought a smile to her face once again.

”Yes …” She finally said, tearing her gaze from the men clearing the rubble and back to Marshalls face. He was attractive, though certainly not Katrina’s type; she preferred her men to be a bit more rugged. Still, a girls got eyes, and the fact that he was not wearing a shirt showed the muscles lying underneath his skin. ”There will be other heroes. Fantastic paragons of might and justice.” She stood, the dust accumulating on her clothes failing to diminish her presence. ”Yes, Marshall. I think you’ll fit in just fine. I’ll be in touch.” She started to walk away before stopping, a thought striking. From within the pocket of the utility belt, she pulled something out.

”Figured you could use this.” The twinkle in her hair spoke more than words could as she placed a cell phone in his hand. She was gone nearly instantly, but as he held it, the screen would flash; “Recognized: Marshall Lovi, aka Blackguard Titan.” From the start-up screen, showing the crook that was the symbol for Osiris Mobile, the phone lit up, immediately flashing to the contacts screen; only one contact was currently filled in. “Katrina”, it said, with a cell phone. At that moment, a message appeared.

”I’ll need you in New York day after tomorrow. Instructions to follow.”