The Purpose?

((OOC: This will be the thread where Black Steel is recruited by an O.C.E.A.N member.))

Ell walked through a small village somewhere in a tropical area, having no idea where he was or why he was here. Even though the calming beach nearby lifted his spirits slightly, he couldn't help but feel like he was missing something. A purpose? Maybe...after he had been frozen in time, the world seemed to not have changed at all, the village was exactly how he remembered places like this to be. Maybe he could settle down here, become one of them, he wondered. Ell had little time to think about it, as he heard a man screaming in their native language, which was foreign to him.

As he turned to look, Ell saw the man standing in front of his woman near the beach. The man was yelling something at the ocean, and, looking closely, he saw a young boy trying to swim back to shore. It seemed like he was running from something that was in the water, "I wonder...do they need help?" Ell walked over to the scene cautiously, trying to not to draw attention to himself as of the moment. He had a closer look at the boy, he looked very young, like he was just learning how to swim, but he was pushing away for his life from a...a shark?! Steel quickly stripped off his armor, and jumped into the crashing surf, swimming towards them. Ell reached the boy just in time to kick away the shark before it took a chunk out of him. The boy's eyes were swelling up with tears, and he started to say something in a different language, probably thanks for his heroics.

"It's no problem, go back to your parents now, ok?"

The boy pointed behind him, and Ell realized that the kid was trying to warn him, not thank him. He pushed the boy away and quickly hardened his skin, taking a large bite to his left shoulder. No damage came to his body, but he was sinking fast from his weight. He held his breath and grabbed the shark, putting him into a choke hold as they sank to the edge of the sand bar. The shark wiggled away, and Ell gave him a quick punch to the snout, scaring it off. He unhardened his skin and felt himself float upwards, breaking the surface and gasping for breath. He crawled to the edge of the beach, flopping down next to his armor, soaking and winded. The family was nowhere to be seen, they had probably fled as soon as the son had made it to the shore.

"Well...that was interesting. Maybe the world hasn't changed that much."

(OOC: Sorry didn't see this thread until now! I'll be more then happy to recruit you : )

The Black Angel was in a tropical paradise, though it most certainly wasn't on holiday... She'd cleaned up some from her normal appearance, as she was taking the role of being O.C.E.A.N's primary recruiter quite seriously. Gone was the leather jackets, leather pants, rock band t shirts, and expensive Italian boots... Okay well the expensive boots remained. But the Black Angel was now wearing a perfectly fitting business suit, which she had tailored for her by one of the Philippines finest tailors. She bought a wardrobe full of the trendy looking black on black suits, which she complemented with a white blouse. She wished to give a professional appearance, as O.C.E.A.N needed to change, needing to become less about the individual and more about the collective. She needed to recruit operatives who understood this and who were willing to live by that philosophy. The Black Angel admitting that her first few months in O.C.E.A.N she had been more individualistic then was good for the organization.

This Black Angel who was watching what appeared to be a teenage boy rescue a small child from a shark, was certainly different in appearance then the one who'd been recruited by Saileyra in Chicago. Though at times in her mind she certainly felt the same, yet different.... Stronger.... More volatile.... In the times between now and then she tried to remain cool, calm, collected, and most importantly professional. Which she was remaining as she impassively watched the teenage boy grabbing the small child from the death grip of a Great White, while she sipped on a tropical drink at the bar overlooking the beach. The scene playing out in front of the tinted lens of her trendy sun glasses was the reason she'd come to this beach.... A powerful meta.... And a chance to gain an operative...

The teenager grabbed the boy away from the shark, kicking the infamous man eater in the nose with a strong kick. When things appeared safe, the teenager looked to tell the boy to run away, yet the boy stayed yelling in Polynesian. The Black Angel chuckled, saying "Well that's his first mistake...". That mistake becoming apparent as the Great White returned, catching the teenager by surprise. The teenager and the shark went underwater, as the boy ran to his family on the beach. As the teenager struggled with the Great White, the family and boy fled up the beach, clearly scared of the teenager who'd survived the death grip of a Great Whites awesome jaws. The Black Angel only shook her head as the family escaped, saying "How typical....".

Eventually the boy seemed to gain the upper hand and drove the shark off. As this happened, the Black Angel turned to the large, long haired, Polynesian bartender, who looked like he had a place on an NFL line and said "Alright... I think this covers it...". The Black Angel placing a hundred dollar bill on the counter, she then smiled at the man saying "Keep the change.". The grateful bartender smiled, saying "Thank you Ms... Thank you!". The Black Angel nodded, then started walking towards the boy, who was looking winded and slightly worse for wear.

About halfway to him, the Black Angel realized her several thousand dollar, black D & G boots weren't made for traversing sand. So she took them off, walking barefoot towards the young teenager. Once she reached the winded boy, the Black Angel said "Pretty ungrateful people if you ask me.... You know you're lucky... Shark like that could kill most ordinary men. But then again.... You're not ordinary are you?". The Black Angel emphasizing that last sentence, so the teenager knew clearly what she meant. That she knew he was a Meta....

Black Steel jumped as he was taken by complete surprise, he looked up from where he was laying and noticed a stunning woman in a professional looking suit. Getting up, he cracked his neck and rubbed where the shark had bitten him, thinking to himself, "Damn that thing, woulda chomped my arm right off." When his arm was feeling more relaxed, he bent over and picked up his armor, strapping it on as he talked, "Listen, if you're with the government, tell them I'm not interested in whatever they have planned for me. Honestly, I'm surprised you found me out here." Looking down as he strapped his staff to his back, he noticed the woman was barefoot, not exactly the most professional thing.

Steel sat back down on the sand and started to pull his boots on, thinking of what the woman had said to him, "Not ordinary? Heh. Lady, you don't know the half of it. I don't want to bore you with the details..." He got back up, then quickly distanced himself a few feet with a quick movement, and pointed his Springfield at the woman, slowing his breath and aiming straight for the heart, "You'd better have some answers, and fast." To be completely honest, Black Steel was scared out of his mind, but a good leader never showed his fear. There was no way he was going back, not after what he had been through.

"So tell me, who are you, and why'd you take an interest in me?"

((OOC: Sorry for the hostility, but he's pretty paranoid, y'know? ))

(OOC: Oh ya! I was planning on some hostility! At least at the start.)

The Black Angel, who was holding her leather boots in her hands chuckled at the mention of the government, saying "I can assure you I'm not with the government... And I think you'll be interested in what I have to offer.... It's certainly something that someone with your talents can appreciate, not to mention excel, all while living a most comfortable existence.". Then as if she forget to mention something, she said "You were difficult to find.... But not impossible. No one is truly beyond our reach.".

When Black Steel said "Not ordinary? Heh. Lady, you don't know the half of it. I don't want to bore you with the details..." it made the Black Angel inwardly laugh, mostly because she knew more then the half of it... Sometimes she felt like she knew to much. The Black Angel took her sunglasses off, placing one of the arms on the first button she had buttoned in her blouse, letting the tinted sunglasses hang from it. Looking straight at Black Steel, the Black Angel said "Trust me.... We specialize in knowing the half of it." as a grin came across her face.

It seemed she'd spooked Black Steel however, as the man quickly put some distance between himself and the Black Angel. Quick drawing a Springfield at the Black Angel, Black Steel took a defensive stance, saying "You'd better have some answers, and fast." as his revolver was pointed directly at the Black Angel's upper half. Sighing heavily, the Black Angel said "If I wanted you dead.... You'd be dead already...". She then pushed back her suit jacket, revealing two holstered, custom made Glock's.

Black Steel said "So tell me, who are you, and why'd you take an interest in me?". The Black Angel nodded, saying "My name is merely the Black Angel... But I represent an organization called O.C.E.A.N, which specializes in knowing the other half of things. We're affiliated with no government, no nation, only ourselves. We make it our responsibility to stop the forces of evil.... By whatever means necessary... I don't think I need to tell you that the world is constantly in danger Black Steel... And I don't think I need to tell you that an organization like ours would be a perfect fit for someone of your... Particular skill set...".

The Black Angel then walked up to Black Steel, until she was right in front of the barrel of his gun, which was pointed directly at her heart. Standing only inches away from Black Steel's face, the Black Angel said "We keep the balance... And we fight the evil that disrupts that balance without conscience, without reservation. I'm offering you the chance to be a part of O.C.E.A.N.... I'm offering you a chance to be a keeper of the balance. If you refuse... I'll simply leave this beach and you'll never see me again. However... This offer is only extended once and you'll never hear from us again. If you want to be something more then a vigilante.... Now is your chance.".

Black Steel kept his hardened expression, staring down the woman as she pulled out her own weapons, which looked much more advanced than his own. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the village people running inside and closing their windows and doors, and thought, 'Lot of help that's gonna do...' He listened to the Black Angel as she told him what she was, and who she was involved with, 'O.C.E.A.N, huh? That sounds promising...hmm...but what if she's tricking me?'

That's when she began to walk closer to him, putting herself right on the barrel of his gun. It'd be a real shame to kill a woman like this, he was sure that she couldn't harm him with those guns of her's...but still, what of this O.C.E.A.N? Steel shook his head slowly, making up his mind and taking the gun off of her chest, "Alright then, I'll trust you for now. But don't betray my trust, you don't wanna cross me." He was about to replace his springfield in its holster, when it suddenly broke apart, the old wood crumbling into splinters.

Cussing out loud in anger, he pulled out a couple of chunks of wood from his fingers, "Goddammit...I guess it couldn't handle 90 years..." He sighed and pulled the pistol from his holster, then he quickly pulled it apart and checked the inside, "Rusted...figures. Even my staff is frail now..." Black Steel looked up and blushed slightly, "Eh, sorry, I forgot you were there...anyways, where's this O.C.E.A.N, and how do you know so much about me?" Suspicious, he kept his senses alert now, ready to use his only defense at the moment in case he needed it.

The Black Angel couldn't hide a laugh as Black Steel's Springfield collapsed in his hands, especially seeing as he sounded super serious only a minute ago, saying "Alright then, I'll trust you for now. But don't betray my trust, you don't wanna cross me.". Once she stopped chuckling, the Black Angel said "I'd be more worried about my equipment betraying you then me!". She flashed a momentary friendly smile at Black Steel, which she hoped would let his guard down a little. Being untrusting was only natural, god knows she remembered how she was... What seemed like a thousand centuries ago. These were different times however, roles were reversed, and the Black Angel was now the one doing the recruiting.

Black Steel swore, possibly from the pain of the splinters, possibly from embarrassment. The teenager saying "Goddammit...I guess it couldn't handle 90 years...". Looking around the tropical paradise she'd found the teenager in, the Black Angel said "It's the humidity as well... Murderous on old guns, especially ones that use wood. It's a shame... That was a lovely pistol. We have a splendid armory at O.C.E.A.N and you can find nearly any type of firearm you could desire there. From the custom stuff, to the standard, and the vintage. It's a shooters dream...".

When Black Steel said "Eh, sorry, I forgot you were there...anyways, where's this O.C.E.A.N, and how do you know so much about me?" the Black Angel simply said "Lets take a walk.". Then turning her back to Black Steel, she began to walk off the beach, still clutching her boots. She did this in part to make Black Steel realize she wasn't going to betray him if she turned her back to him, as well as to show she clearly wasn't afraid of him. As she knew both of them had similar skills, as opposed to Black Steel, who only had limited knowledge of the Black Angel's abilities. The pair walked in silence off the beach, as they did so the natives seemed to relax, reopening their doors and coming outside once again.

At the top of the beach, the Black Angel said "Our location is secret.... Revealed only once you join O.C.E.A.N. I will say it's some place not so different then this. Beautiful weather, nice beach, and beautiful locals. I can take you there... Or give you one of these...". The Black Angel reached into her jacket, pulling out a locator. She then said "This has the coordinates if you'd prefer to find us on your own.". The Black Angel smiled as she answered how she knew so much about Black Steel, saying only "You don't travel to every continent without hearing some stories....".

Black Steel blushed and crossed his arms in slight frustration when she laughed playfully, "I'd be more worried about my equipment betraying you then me!" He looked up at her to see her smiling, and couldn't help but snicker a bit. "It's the humidity as well... Murderous on old guns, especially ones that use wood. It's a shame... That was a lovely pistol. We have a splendid armory at O.C.E.A.N and you can find nearly any type of firearm you could desire there. From the custom stuff, to the standard, and the vintage. It's a shooters dream..." A shooter's dream...? Man, this place was sounding better by the minute.

"Lets take a walk." Why not? Angel looked trustworthy, or was he just thinking with his primal instincts? Well, he'd never seen a woman like her before, with an air of command around her... He shook his head slightly and followed behind. She had her back to him, as if she trusted him, or she felt like she could handle him either way. Either way, he had no intention of hurting her, and to show it, he started to walk right next to her, giving her a warm smile.

When they reached the top of the beach, she turned to him, "Our location is secret.... Revealed only once you join O.C.E.A.N. I will say it's some place not so different then this. Beautiful weather, nice beach, and beautiful locals. I can take you there... Or give you one of these...This has the coordinates if you'd prefer to find us on your own." Steel crossed his arms and thought for a moment, he could probably get through the jungle no problem, the thing was...would she wait for him?

"You don't travel to every continent without hearing some stories...." Stories? So people had been talking about him while he slept...hopefully nothing bad. Being a war dog already gave him a bad image, but he didn't need even more bad publicity... Making up his mind, he turned to Black Angel, "I'll do it. I'll join O.C.E.A.N. If I try to make my way there by myself, will you wait for me there?"

The Black Angel nodded when Black Steel asked "I'll do it. I'll join O.C.E.A.N. If I try to make my way there by myself, will you wait for me there?". No sooner had the last words left Black Steels mouth, when the Black Angel responded, saying "We're always around... If I'm not one of my.... Our fellow operatives.". The Black Angel handed Black Steel the locator, saying "This will provide you with everything you need to find us...." flashing a friendly smile at Black Steel as he took the locator. From what she'd read and heard of Black Steel he possessed a similar skill set then her and was even a former mercenary like her. If anything it would be a good thing to have another former "Soldier of Fortune" around... Especially seeing as the Black Angel was concerned about O.C.E.A.N's lack of trained guns.

The Black Angel was ready to turn and leave, heading back to her transport which she'd landed in a field nearby. She bent over putting her expensive Italian leather boots back on, while giving Black Steel a nice view. "Nothing wrong with a little extra motivation to make it in time for our training session?" the Black Angel thought as she slipped her delicate looking feet into the black boots. With the training session in mind she said "Ohh... And Black Steel... We're having our largest training session in the organizations history in a week... I'd recommend making it to O.C.E.A.N before then.... Besides I'm training the class... And you wouldn't want to disappoint teacher would you?" the Black Angel playfully said.

The Black Angel then took one lat look at the paradise around her, saying "Well I better be off now... If you change your mind about joining O.C.E.A.N it's best you forget this conversation ever took place... Because we won't...". With that the Black Angel was ready to return to her transport and fly back to O.C.E.A.N Headquarters. She enjoyed flying, but with things as they were back at headquarters she knew she was needed back straightaway. Paradise, social visits, and recreational flying would have to wait for another... Less trying time.

Black Steel looked down at the locator, "This will provide you with everything you need to find us...." After she gave another friendly smile, she began to put her boots back on. Steel couldn't help but notice her...being more flirtatious than he was used to. Crossing his arms, he blushed and looked down, "Tch..." He looked back up when she said, "Ohh... And Black Steel... We're having our largest training session in the organizations history in a week... I'd recommend making it to O.C.E.A.N before then.... Besides I'm training the class... And you wouldn't want to disappoint teacher would you?" God...this girl was trying a little too hard to be persuasive. A training session did sound interesting, though, it'd be a great way for him to "fit in".

After the Black Angel had left, Steel looked back to the tracker she had given him. The locator pointed straight towards the jungle, probably suggesting that the headquarters was across the entire thing. "Great, this'll be fun...without any real weapon, as well. Might as well get started, though, no use standing around here." The sun was setting on the beach, light touching the edge of the waves, making it a beautiful sight for someone who was about to traverse a dark and dangerous jungle. After taking in the sight for a few seconds, he sighed to himself, then turned to the jungle.

A half an hour into the night, Black Steel was cutting through vines and brush that was in the way with a slightly larger than normal combat knife. It was tough, and this was just the beginning of his troubles, without a weapon, anything could sneak up on him and take him completely by surprise. Deciding to get a little bit creative, he looked around for a durable branch that he could use. After finding a suitable one, four feet long and as straight as a branch could be in the wild. He twirled the knife in his hand and smiled to himself, "Time to get to work." After a couple of minutes, he had a semi-decent weapon in his hands, way better than the weak, flimsy staff he had on his back. Replacing it for his new weapon, he continued onwards, unsure of what he would find.

((OOC: I don't know what you want to do, but if you want to write a short thing about Angel coming back to O.C.E.A.N HQ or something, then go ahead. Otherwise, we can end it here and timeskip his jungle adventure))

(OOC: I'll just have Angel be gone. I don't have time to respond today and don't want to slow your posting down! GL going through the jungle : )