Tag Archives: Brisa Gan

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #041

Duard’s luxurious black Qian Fission slipped through the air with the speed of the best military stunt crafts.  This multilevel aircraft was his home away from home. It was as soft on the inside as it was intimidating on the surface.  Soft tan cushions and carpeted floors made this craft a flying apartment. The envy of all but the elite.

He sat comfortably in a rear compartment of the craft viewing West Drop’s city cameras and reading stories of semi-current happenings in the city.  He didn’t drive. He didn’t need to drive. The Fission, like most elite level air cars, could fly itself. He only gave the destination and speed. After that, eventless flights were all but done.  

There was an interesting news feed about some criminals ambushing fighters bound for a tournament.  Duard’s only wish was that Jaquan was one of the unfortunates. It would serve the ignorant ruffian right.  An arrogant prize fighter fooled and slain by thugs? He’d be revived of course, but with the loss of his pride and hopefully, some of his precious gear.  Brisa, of course, would be safe from that threat entirely. However, she had probably found herself a whole other set of problems.

What ditch could his sandwich-girl possibly have found herself in?  Lost?  Of course; and broke no doubt.  So, hungry too? Possibly.  She obviously didn’t have enough money to manage a call to headquarters.  And since she needed money for a call, her handheld must be out of power, broken, or stolen.  It was slim odds that she’d find and cling to him as he searched the city for Jaquan. But, if Brisa was lucky and begged correctly, she’d be allowed to follow along again.  Of course, he’d ditch her unless she had gathered some useful information in her misadventures.

Duard’s focused went back on the news story and he couldn’t help but chuckle.  It was shamelessly biased toward the “brave” and “intuitive” actions of West Drop’s Security force.  The animated photos clearly showed a different story. The intuitive security forces waded cluelessly through the huge pile of stolen equipment.  A pile too large for an intuitive police force to allow.

As the police waded through the gear, they separated some of the more impressive items into a second pile.  The reputation of the West Drop Police Force suggested that this pile would be the “lost” equipment that would later be “found” on the black market.

Two familiar looking people stood in the background looking incredibly bored.  Not at all surprised at the scene, they obviously had been there the longest. Possibly, giving their testimony to a tired detective.  If any intuitive work was done, it would have been through them; the ‘helpful citizens.’

Duard took a quick glance through a window.  The sun was setting quickly as his airship flew over the ocean.  In a few short minutes, the ship would prepare for the final leg of the journey.  

Duard headed for the showers and then to the supply closet.  There was work to do. He’d need to be rested and clean to withstand West Drop.

#1 – Opportunity #40

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #040

The night was uneventful as far as Brisa could tell.  She slept like a rock.  With a warm comforter, the fresh air, and fanned wind, she only could sleep this well in her apartment back in South Coast.  As she woke to the soft music of an alarm clock, she was certain she was in her apartment.  Her comforter, her fan, everything she owned was in its place.  The events of the last few weeks were dismissed as a weird, vivid, escalating dream until she spotted the missing window… and her armor piled in the corner.

What is going on here.

Looking around with this new revelation, she noted the walls and furniture changing.  The wild bright assorted colors and weird decorations she associated with the Casting and Kin-Po school returned.  At the same time, the alarm clock’s music became more and more annoying until it sounded like a random series of beeps.

Enchants.  They are everywhere.

She made her way to the showers and prepared for another lesson.  In mirrors, she saw a stronger face and body than she was used to.  The fact that it was also much easier to move testified that she was getting stronger.  Perhaps the enchants on her armor were having a permanent effect.

She made her way out of the lower floors and met again with Vangie who was already prepared and waiting with her bubbly smile.

“Ready to continue your training?” she asked.  Her hair was bright pink as she clapped and smiled.  

“Sure,” Brisa said, unable to share in her excitement.  She was being ripped off.  She knew it, but she needed rest and didn’t have enough money or defensive skills.  She had to sleep in a safe place and the terms of her night rest “discount” demanded that she continue her training the next day.  It didn’t matter what she learned as long as she completed a lesson.

Whatever she learned, it had to be fast.  For all she knew, Jaquan was already in Bear Gate.  That city was known to be large and confusing.  She’d have to start the search from scratch.

Why did I leave.  I shouldn’t have let my emotions get to me.  Should have followed along with Jaquan.  Hmm… lesson learned I guess.

The past was in the past.  She could only work with what was in front of her at the moment.  Right now, a lesson as good as any other was waiting to be finished.  She conceded a sigh and said, “What do you have planned?”

“Well,” Vangie started, “What are your other Talent Sets?”

“I went to the Sword Master school not that long ago.”

“So, you only have two.   Would you like to learn Casting as well?”

“Sure.  Is it useful?”

Vangie’s eye’s widened and her hair turned to a bright color in the blue and green family.  They were near the entrance so the main desk was nearby.  She picked up a pencil making and held it out in a stiff motion.  Her expression told Brisa that she had a lot to learn, but was going to learn something soon.

Vangie pointed to a chair behind the desk and motioned Brisa out of the way.  In a quick throwing action she sent a ghostly blue pencil speeding into the chair.  The ghostly item stuck there a few seconds.  When it would have fallen out of place, it disappeared instead.  Brisa watched this short demonstration.  Her mouth opened slowly as she noticed that the pencil was still in Vangie’s hand.

It wasn’t a trick.  There was a definite hole in the chair where the ghost pencil had been.

Giving Brisa ample time to see what had happened, Vangie repeated the action never having let go of the pencil.  She then sent a flurry of ghost pencils with what looked like a dance of death.  By the time she was done, the chair was riddled with holes and the bright glow of dozens of ghost pencils.

As they slowly vanished Vangie added, “It works with bullets too, but I don’t use guns.”  

That could be useful.

#1 – Opportunity #39 – Opportunity #41

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #037

“How did you know to come to this particular alley?”  Detective Coye Han asked about the alley scene but not as a sympathetic investigator.  His skin was a dark eggshell color, almost an off grey.  Large light violet patches crept up to cover a large portion of the left side of his face.  

His clothes were not in disrepair, just very well used.  A dark green hat and matching wind coat with the proud symbol of the yellow West Drop Sunflower just under his left collar.  His eyes were keen but struggled to stay open.  He had rushed into this scene as a response to their call.  His flashing communicator spoke that he would be rushing off to another scene soon.

“I was checking all the alleys,” Catlin replied, “We stopped when we saw this.”  She pointed to all the bloodstains and slash marks in the alley.

Catlin had been separated from Neely who was around the alley’s corner talking to another detective, basic procedure.  However, this was the third way these same questions were asked.  While waiting for original questions, Catlin’s focus shifted to more important matters.

She had a wonderful view of guards searching through the stolen gear and the guards were acting strangely because of it.  Initially, each item was so light that the guards couldn’t help but lift the items high enough for Catlin to see.  Strangely, each item gained its original weight after Catlin was convinced that she didn’t make it.

“Who was it you say you were looking for again?”

“Oh, a friend I met on the shuttle.”  

The detective caught the bit of hesitation.  “If she is your friend, why did she run away from you?”

“She didn’t run away from me she ran into the city.  Loads of people saw her run this way, with someone else.”

“Someone that wasn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you followed?”

“Only after I learned that she may be attacked.”

The detective tried but couldn’t find any way to refute her response.  As such, there was no reason for him to hold her, yet.  He had the statement stored well in his mind and on a recorder.  “You’re free to go but stay around for a bit,” the detective added in a mock tour guide voice, “See the sights.”

Catlin shifted her attention to the detective just in time to catch the dismissal, “Sure.”  

She didn’t hear everything he had just said but it wasn’t important.  She was quite done with the alley; satisfied that none of the gear she had made was here.  

Catlin’s gear products were good, really good but were not the best.  Trolls that would steal armor from Champions would only keep the best items and discard the rest, in a pile.  She released an audible sigh following the logic that Brisa had not met with these gankers.  That was almost enough info for now.

Neely could be right again.  Brisa could be doing fine but it’s better to be sure.  

Catlin walked around the corner where Neely’s interview was finishing as well.  At the news of her finding, she expecting to see his common “I told you so” face.  What she saw instead was a face that renewed concern.

Neely was emotionless and stared through Catlin’s eyes as she spoke.  His tone was unusually stone cold as well, “We should head to an inn.  It’s getting late.”

From past experiences, Catlin knew not to argue with Neely when he got like this.  Instead, she followed his cue, “Are there any nearby.”

In response, Neely revealed a keypad under the armor on his arm.  After a little button pushing, a 3D hologram of the city projected from his armor into the space between them.  Solid skyblue and crimson dots marked their current location in the city and the places they had visited in the city appeared in much greater detail.

Hotels throughout all of West Drop were shaded in green standing out among the hollow grey buildings they had not gone near.  Each hotel was named and a set of rankings were represented by lines of gold, blue, and black dots just above the roofs.  Catlin knew that in a city like this the safety of the hotel was the most important value.  

Catlin ignored the gold dots; price was not an issue.  She looked for blue dots as the hotels needed to have available rooms.  However, she focused on the hotel’s black dots.  Also, a high top floor was a must.  She naturally chose the hotel with the least black dots and a high top floor.  

Not questioning her choice at all, Neely shut down the image and started running through the city again.  Catlin followed but her thoughts went elsewhere.

Catlin immediately worried about Brisa again.  She needed to know if Brisa was doing well.  The inability to know burned in her mind.  Sure, Brisa hadn’t run into these gankers but there were other threats to be had in a city such as West Drop.  

However, these worries had to wait for another day.  Catlin had seen Neely in this mood many times since he had learned his Holy Talent Set.  She had ignored Neely exactly once when he was like this.  She was going to follow him this time.

#1 – Opportunity #36 – Opportunity #38