Hal Henderics

"N-no." New person in his personal space, that sleeping woman from before. "I was in training to become one." He pauses, thinking carefully about whether to reveal his weakness to this woman. Well, in for a penny. "But I have not graduated." She likely would have figured this out sooner or later, regardless of his confession. Quickly, Akihiro considers what the best thing to say in this situation would be. Information gathering is his specialty, he supposes, even though most of his interogee's are usually less animate and more scroll-shaped. "And you are?"

Akihiro finds himself confused and conflicted at Mercenary God-Queen's words. "I-" "Is it not possible for a deity to also be of lower standing than a peon? I would assume even a celestial pantheon of beings has useless members, like smokers and those who do not return books to the library." Akihiro interjects. He's PRETTY sure gods aren't all that, at least according to the books he's read.

[Mount Ebbot, 201X, Monday, March 2X] The Bus lands somewhere on a grassy, mountainous trail, thick with trees and humid forests in all directions. The sun has just started rising. A sharp, acrid feeling fills the air, as, those who choose to exit the bus at this point spot a cavern in the distance, embedded into a cliff. Those who remember the vision instantly recognize the mountain in question. Someone with more humor might have put up a sign saying "here be monsters", but no such people have come here. In fact, it seems almost like there's nothing alive here at all. It's roughly around this moment that the more perceptive members of the party would start noticing right around now. There aren't any birds singing.

"Uhh... right." So stupid. He follows along, lamenting his own idiocy.

They pause. What's a diplomatic way to utterly lie about it? "I store things by..." Turning them into data? Technically correct, but also a bit too on the nose. Technology? No, they might ask too many questions... Magic? No, they might demand he prove that he can do magic stuff. Having noticed he's paused for WAY too long thinking about what to say, he blurts out "...Magic." Shit, no. "Space Magic." stop blurting out stupid shit scout "It's perfectly safe." why would you claim that, you have no idea if it's entirely safe, and it just SOUNDS stupid to make a statement like that.

"I... uhh... I could probably hold it? I have a place I keep my stuff that... I don't think metal detectors can see?" Scout posits, trying to subdue their abilities.

"Scout Skipper. You can call me Scout, Skipper, or uhh... Scout Skipper." The heavily robed individual says, not offering a handshake. "Wait, what signs? I didn't know there were, uhh... signs."

Akihiro, meanwhile, just stares. He's in utter rapture at the sight of the planet, of properly seeing space FROM space. While presumably, there are few who would be willing to kill to see a sight like this, to Akihiro, that's the only thought that can fit in his mind right now, excluding thoughts of interstellar beauty. The thought being that he would be willing to kill, if it meant seeing sights like this. He's never killed a person before, but eh, he doesn't think about the obvious consequences of doing so. He has to be prompted to get on the ship, which he does, looking back at the windows once or twice. There's so much he could learn here.

"..." "Oh yeah! Gozer, go for it!" "I'll try." Gozer says, not looking at either of them. He attempts to draw a bridge out over the gap.

Sokolov shrugs. "We are not yet under attack. Ergo, the situation is as good as we can hope." Where is the finger pointing? Check that out.

"I could try and throw us across." Cap proposes, as though his idea had any serious merit, while Gozer remains obtuse and unhelpfully silent.

He nods, smiling like that's a glowing achievement of camaraderie. Considering that the act of two strangers working together in his world is perfectly capable of ending with one of them dead, to him, it probably is. Akihiro fails to realize that she could be lying, instead taking her statement at face value.

"I have a bloodline limit, an ability that I inherited at birth, which grants me these eyes, the Byakugan." "Supposedly, I will potentially be able to see several kilometers away, and magnify my vision to the cellular level, all while seeing through all obstacles and illusions." "Right now, however, my field of vision is nearly three hundred and sixty degrees, I am able to see through any obstruction, and can read closed scrolls at a range of roughly 50 meters without fail." "My eyes also afford me the ability to see Chakra, if you are aware of what that is." Everyone here is from another world, they might not even know what Charka is. He considers to himself the fact that this woman doesn't even know about the Byakugan, and that's... a very well known thing. "I suppose it's unlikely, considering I do not see any chakra in anyone other than myself." Left unsaid is the utterly foreign things that he sees in place of it. Something that almost disturbs him. That disturbation however, is immediately overshadowed and washed away by a burning, overwhelming pang of curiosity. He collects himself and continues. "This all said, I do not necessarily blame my village for the precautions they took. The Caged Bird Seal, in addition to being able to cause pain and death on command, also automatically renders my eyes inert upon my death, with my seal negated or removed, an enemy could harvest my valuable eyes and use them against the village." He pauses. He can't help but wonder why on earth he is even DEFENDING the village, all things considered. Some twisted sentimentality, maybe. He decides to clarify. "My desire to not die simply outweighs my respect for the village and it's safety. Nothing more, nothing less."

He thinks to himself. Well, his current age is perfectly respectable for his skill level, he's even a bit more skilled than some others his age. "I'm ten years old. Most Shinobi graduate at twelve to become Genin." "Because I had committed it. I stole forbidden scrolls in an attempt to subvert my clan's Caged Bird seal." Akihiro pulls up cloth wrapped around his head, revealing some kind of purple tattoo. "I decided at an early age that I disliked it's ability to cause my death if a member of the main house decided so, and began using my Byakugan to steal classified information to negate or otherwise prevent it's activation." "According to the ninja sent to capture me, I am referred to as "Thief Walker" internally. This may be in reference to my method of walking past secure areas, and using my Byakugan to read closed scrolls through the walls." He says, as though reading off a report. It would be best if she understood his history and some of his capabilities accurately, if they were going to work together. Considering the scrolls he lacks now, it's unlikely that anything he shared at this point would be worth much in a betrayal. His skills and knowledge are simply too impacted. "Obviously, allowing my eyes to fall into enemy hands is unacceptable, and my covert theft of secure scrolls would lend credence to the theory that I meant the village harm, and that I was prepared to divulge clan secrets to outsiders, or worse."

Suddenly, everyone in the bus and the weatherlight are assaulted with strange visions, flashes of light and noise that resolve into scenes of images and sound. Clouds part to reveal an eerie moon that casts light down a grand mountain peak. At the base forest slowly parts for a huge city, half built and abandoned. Just above is a castle tower, ancient and crumbling. Further up a large building reminiscent of eastern construction perches on a smaller icy foot. A large cave looms near the peak, something best left forgotten lay just inside. The vision shifts. The sun shines over the horizon in early morning, depicting a towering mountain buried in a thick forest. Inside a hole in the side of the mountain, near a cliff, a Barrier stretches forever in all directions in the cave entrance as the vision passes through, entering a cavernous hall. Then, a glade of flowers, tended to by a strange, goat-like man, then, a grey house, rooms dusty and untouched. Then, a caldera of lava, filled with the pillar that is a titanic machine, then, rivers and lakes of glowing water, glowing mushrooms and plants, glowing stones set into blackened ceilings, then, a snowy village filled with strange, inhuman creatures, then, a door, and behind the door, a yellow house, rooms dusty and untouched, then ruins, then a glade of flowers, above, sunlight is shining down through The Barrier, which has stretched from there to here. Above, a cavernous entrance, a deep hole into this underground civilization. A child, walking forward with a glazed look in their eyes, and a confused look on their face, stumbling forward, vines catch their feet and. The vision shifts. In a haze of smoke, ozone, and recycled air voices call out, familiar and foreign. Shapes move past, some are humanoid others...not as much, some wear polished uniforms others beggar's rags and others everything in-between. People call out pushing goods and services trying to get passers by to bite. The pounding of drums in a backroom. The flash of a plasma cutter in a nearby stall. Finally though the high vaulted ceilings and two catwalk levels of the marketplace give way to the great void beyond, stars twinkle and flicker through the massive reinforced window on the south side of the space station. The vision shifts. Next visible are two men sitting down: two men sitting down, and just about nothing else, barren land stretching far into the distance behind them. The sun hangs low in the sky. The men have bowler hats. “Didi?” “Yes, Gogo?” “I thought of something.” A silence follows, which just manages to turn distinctly awkward. “…and what did you think of, Gogo?” “Are we maybe in hell?” “In hell? No, can’t be.” “Can’t be?” “We’d have to have gone there.” “Oh, yeah.” Another silence. (It's also awkward.) “We could go, maybe, Didi.” “We’ve spoken about this before, you know.” “What? No, I don’t think we did.” “We did.” “We didn’t.” “We did.” “We didn’t!” “We did.” “We didn--” “We can’t go, anyway.” “We… we can’t? Why not?” “Well, we still don’t have a rope since we spoke about this last and don’t interrupt I’m not finished-- And besides, that would be leaving. We should, but we can’t. Because we’re waiting. For Godot.” “Maybe he’s down there?” “No, that would be Godot waiting for us. I’m sure it’s still us, waiting for Godot.” The vision shifts. A strange looking fellow, dressed in a skintight red suit, covered in what look like white webs pulls up his mask to reveal his mouth and nose. Suddenly, he starts sneezing, once, twice, a third time. He keeps uncontrollably sneezing until the vision ends. The vision ends.

"I was about to be captured for committing high treason. According to Handsome Jack, I'm here to work for him instead of being executed." "I was only a little bit away from completing my academy training, given time, I know I can become combat ready..." He says, somewhat subtly ashamed. "I just need time. Or a weapon. I am able to use kunai and shuriken." He says, blathering a bit in an effort to shore up his wounded pride. He clenches his hands behind his back. If he just had more TIME, he would have been practically immortal, and amassing jutsu at a frightening pace. He already had been, if he just hadn't LOST them all, at what had to be the worst possible time, considering his now present circumstances. Well as much as the bitter burning feeling around his cheeks argues otherwise, bellyaching changes nothing, nor does his age. He'll just have to be useful enough to this "Mercenary God-Queen" to continue benefiting from her protection.

Akihiro's metaphorical, entirely-human-in-reality-but-not-in-this-metaphor ears perk up at something she said, which prompts him to look directly at her. That helps develop came-, camy-, camaraderie among teammates, he remembers... What the hell is a Zoe, though, and how does one become a walker of it? "Secrets?" "They... called... me Thief-walker. But my name is Akihiro. What is a Zoe?" Someone as strong as a hundred soldiers will make an admirable ally to keep himself near. He nods in a perfectly reasonable way at that thought. And if she's comparing this pairing of them to what is probably some sort of myth, it must be a bond stronger than mere... coworkerhood. He will need to research this "turtle-myth" to ensure she's not using the story to hide some sort of veiled threat in her words. "Your assistance is appriciated, Mercenary God-Queen." He's read stranger titles, so he supposes he should be respectful and use it.

Akihiro slowly stumbles to his feet, a stroke of fortune. He, quite frankly, should be dead. So many ANBU, so many Ninja, all bursting into his secret library at once. Different worlds? Then... no Hyuga. Or at least, none that know where he is. Who could track him across WORLDS, when Missing-nin often enough escape to places within his own unmolested? He looks around at the others, his unsettling white eyes unmoving in their sockets. He can't help but wonder whether it would be more disturbing to his new allies if he intentionally turned his head to look at them, or intentionally avoided doing so. "I... see." He feels so naked without his scrolls. He never even mastered the academy taijutsu, much less memorized the various scrolls he stole copies of. Without even a kunai to his name, he'll have to rely on the most basic of jutsu. Hopefully his... coworkers... won't leave him for dead. He should probably say something to... help ensure that. They will appreciate a straightforward approach..? "I am not a skilled fighter. My talents lie elsewhere. Do not leave me for dead." he says, sweeping his head across the room to express his statement to the room, before nodding. There. That's straightforward.

Joseph "Clownback" Grimaldi

"Indeed." Mar says, looking around. The food here sure smells bland. Hopefully he won't need to stay long.

"I mean, people usually still try to choke you, even if you're talking in their head. It's a pretty classical response to someone pissing you off." Tattletale shrugs. "My sole goal right now is to avoid being shot at, and avoid suffering the consequences of being shot at." "Not everyone I interrogate is going to be handcuffed with substances not found in classical physics." It's around this time L33t's voice blurts out of a speaker. "I need a favor. Could one of you guys ask that spooky computer for some advanced battery blueprints?"

"I'm not sure you'll have the data I need, but thanks." WaveImpmon tells Alan, looking at his... "Spell" with interest. "I had a focus. But now I don't. I'll get it back when I digivolve, probably." He then explains to Leo. He creates a tiny arrowhead like structure from mana, which dips in and out of visibility. "I'm still plenty magical though." He explains, the arrowhead seemingly materializing in his hand as it slips back into being visible again, before puffing apart into tiny rings of data. - "Sure." "I've got a few ideas of my own. Stronger throat, stronger legs. Faster legs. Running away and talking are my two most potent abilities." She winks.

"Sadly, you're exactly the same." He grins back at Arminius. - "I do this, o young initiate." He summons up a cloud of flaming frozen mist around his hands, which charges up and arcs lightning between them. - "I'm good. Don't worry." He responds to Alan. "A bit smaller than I want, but there's no fixing that yet." - "That trick works on other people, yeah. I wouldn't trust it against extrasensory abilities." Tattletale says, grimacing with a small pang of pain. "I'll consider it."

"Not very often. It isn't like the Digital world back home. There's not as much of a point to going into some dinky cyberspace when Alan's around." He answers Leo honestly. "Well, "Particularly Intelligent Animal" describes humans a lot more than it does me, I assure you." He retorts to Alan's line of questioning. "I've heard of XCOM, but mostly in the context of, like, buying stuff from them? They don't hate our guts like Earth Bet and Fenrir." - "It's been maybe a half hour since I used up my power. You'll just have to wait." "I'm more interested in not getting punched, but sure."

Sokolov checks for a water source. Long shot, maybe there's a water fountain?