First Night [Action]

[cowledcrusader]

[In the middle of the previous night, a note will be left under the door of Clark Kent.  It reads as follows:]

Clark,

There are urgent matters to discuss.  Be on top of Community Housing 7 at midnight.

[The note is not signed and not dated.  Mysterious letter is mysterious.  The only question is whether or not Clark will meet him there at the

Comments

[lookslikeajob]

[The letter is incredibly recognizable to Clark. The handwriting, the timing, even the mystery surrounding it... all classic Batman.

Heading out to the designated meeting spot dressed as his "Clark Kent" persona, he ponders when Bruce got here, what he'll have to say, and just how in general this meeting is going to go. As he makes his way through building seven and on to the roof, he steps out onto the middle of it to wait.

Batman will be there soon enough.]

[cowledcrusader]

[...Or he's already there, lurking in the shadows near the edge of the building. He'll speak up from the darkness, though when he turns to face him, Clark should easily be able to see his outline against the night sky.]

You're early, Clark.

[lookslikeajob]

[Clark doesn't turn to look at Bruce right away, looking up at the sky for a couple moments with a little smile on his face. Good old Batman.]

Guess I am. But what did you expect? [At that point he turns to look at him, typical grin in place.] My schedule's a bit more open here.

[cowledcrusader]

[Same old Superman. As much as it can be, that's something of a relief to the Dark Knight. Not that he'd say as such.]

You're making due. I take it you're well aware of the dangers here.

[lookslikeajob]

I am. Met up with one face to face just a couple days ago, though you probably already know about that.

[He's thinking back to his fight with Aku as he talks, wondering what he can tell Bruce that he won't already know.]

[cowledcrusader]

The demon, Aku. He's one of many. And one of the sloppiest.

[lookslikeajob]

And that's ignoring the external threats.

[cowledcrusader]

The Malnosso are not something we can deal with. As long as they are outside the barrier, we can't touch them. Yet.

Right now our immediate concern is those that do intend to kill and maim the people here. Tell me the ones you're aware of and what you know.

[...Batman probably already knows, but Superman needs to be filled in for anything he overlooked. ...Which was probably a lot, in his opinion.]

[lookslikeajob]

As if there's anything I can tell you that you wouldn't already know.

[He folds his arms in thought, bringing a hand to his chin.] I've heard a lot about a demon named Yuber, who keeps to the forest. There's a man with white hair, I haven't caught the name, who keeps talking about fire and killing, though as far as I can tell he's all talk. Then there are some conflicting reports on a man named Kefka, who if the ones against him are right sounds an awful lot like the Joker. Also a man named Kadaj, been described as silver-haired with a double-bladed sword, with a habit of trying to spread some sort of plague.

[cowledcrusader]

The man whose name you don't have is "Dilandau." He hasn't done anything yet, but he's highly volatile and mentally unstable. He won't be "all talk" if you take your eyes off him.

And Kefka should be of great concern to you. He is a powerful wizard with mastery in several arcane arts. Combined with his mental instability, he makes for a very dangerous opponent. Especially to you.

Yuber attacks his victims in the forest, but I doubt he operates from there. It's too close to the village, especially for one with the ability to teleport at will.

There's also the matter of the self proclaimed "Forest God" Moro. She cannot be ignored either. Though she has not acted in aggression recently, her sheer power and size make her a danger to every person in this village. It would be wise not to agitate her needlessly.

[lookslikeajob]

[He takes in the information quietly and calmly, nodding at the more important bits... his eyes narrow particularly at the description of Kefka as a powerful wizard. A man with that kind of power and a mind like Joker's..]

Trust you to figure that much out in just a few days. And I was already on guard about Kefka, for the record. Any man with a mind like that would put any Leaguer on edge.

What do you think would set Moro off? Just entering the forest?

[cowledcrusader]

No. Moro has not simply attacked any individual who's entered the forest. She's a wolf, she's used to other species entering her territory. It's all about intent. Disturbing or taking anything she deems hers will draw her wrath. She thinks of herself as the alpha here. She'll do whatever it takes to keep that position. For a self-proclaimed god, she's little more than a feral beast that can speak.

There are others who may pose a threat. A man, Major Jin Kusaragi, appears to be of questionable stability. I haven't had enough time to dig deeply enough to figure out why, but I suspect he's a very dangerous man. There's also another I haven't been able to find much about. Someone by the name of Nu attacked a few citizens of the village a few months back. Though Nu has since been quiet, I doubt it will be an isolated incident. Keep your eyes open.

Quite the hornet's nest here.

[lookslikeajob]

So if we were to disturb or threaten the forest somehow, she'd react in kind. Well, at least she's predictable.

Jin Kusaragi and Nu... I'll make note of them.

Very much so. Almost feels like back home, don't you think? [He gives a little wry smile.]

[cowledcrusader]

[His tone will be dry, even for Batman.]

A little too much.

[lookslikeajob]

Bruce, about the external forces I mentioned... what do you think of the ones other than the Malnosso? The so-called "Third Party"?

[cowledcrusader]

I'd think they were fake if there hadn't been so many accounts of their attack here. Though I'm still not prepared to rule out that they are just another diversion created by the Malnosso.

If the Malnosso are telling the truth, they pose a great danger to everyone here. Their obsession with the concept of death is twisted. They've perverted concepts from Buddhist and Hindu philosophy in that they seek a death that is a final release from the torment of life. This combined with a sort of Aztec mysticism that enjoys the concept of ritual sacrifice. And they "save" anyone they can, because they think of themselves as messiahs.

They are the most dangerous sort of fanatic.