HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100/100

As much as Taro scoured the city's underground for jobs to do, the fact of the matter was either there weren't many people offering, or he just wasn't good at finding them. Gangs usually kept to themselves and didn't want to bring on outsiders who could turn on them at a drop of a hat - which, fair, he didn't have a sense of loyalty towards any of them - and the ones that do just wanted one thing to be done before they send him away. There was the ENKI system, which had been good for hires, but even those had died down a bit once the services were no longer free. To most it would've been enough, but for him?

He'd have plenty of free time since he can't sleep.

So now he was in the dark web, given access by a hacker as thanks for the work he'd done for them in the past. Not nearly as notorious as his boss, but they still gave him new knowledge. And new knowledge meant an opening to new opportunities.

Taro scrolled through the forums until eventually he came across an ad for a heist, making him raise a brow. No hurting people? That was new. But he was strong, and had experience taking care of adversaries. He also hadn't killed anyone. At least he didn't think so. Maybe that might help his case. So he clicked on the message button on the person's name and sent a reply.

player one: hey, i saw your ad.
player one: im in.

crow

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100/100

Ever since the announcement was made that all services in ENKI were free for the next 24 hours, there was chaos. And why wouldn't there be? Chumps of the food chain were given a chance of a lifetime. For 24 hours even the smallest of villains had free reign to achieve their wildest dreams, lack of resources no longer holding them back from succeeding in their goals. Some used it to take territory from their competition. Others called for an escape vehicle and forged documents for when they were done with their crime. No small percentage took advantage of the savings to get even more money in their pockets.

Nothing like a good ol' bank heist to make that happen.

Taro was one in a group of grunts hired to raid the institution, ensuring that the mission went smoothly by keeping the civilians inside in line. One wrong move and it's game over for them, the client would tell the digital being. It got a small chuckle out of him. He always appreciated a good videogame pun.

One at a time they made their way in the bank, some lining up at the ATMs while others sat in the seats that littered the main area. Taro took to leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone and looking totally not suspicious. Time passed as he entertained himself with cat videos and for a moment he wondered when it was all going to start.

Until that thought was answered in the form of his boss pulling out a gun. "Get down on the ground! This is a robbery!"

Screams from those who noticed his weapon overtook his voice, and three shots were fired in the air to bring attention back to him. "I said get down!" And just like that the patrons crouched on their knees, hands on their heads as they cried. Wow, it's just like in the movies. The guy really was living his dream. He made his way to the bank teller, flanked by two more henchmen with bags. "You, take us to your vault! Now." She didn't need to be told twice, not with the gun being pointed at her.

As they were led inside, Taro took his place in the middle of the crowd, sword drawn as a more silent threat. He was pretty sure some of them cried even louder from seeing it. Maybe this job will be easier than he thought. A shame if that were the case though. It would mean he couldn't break anything.

Oh well, there'll be more chances in the future.

Ghouligan

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100/100

Contrary to popular belief, Taro never knew how much life he had at any given moment. There was a threshold of abuse he could endure before just expiring, that much was obvious, but there was no indication on his person of what that amount would be. At best he could guess his current HP given the damage he received already.

Which was a long-winded way of saying he might not have much left. The digital being could tell from how long it was taking the static to subside, and well, bombs just weren't something people should survive point blank. So once his body righted itself he could finally register what Retsu said and agree to it. "Nah, think I should go for a reset." It wouldn't do to test another of her creations if he could just die from a toothpick at this point. The results wouldn't be accurate.

With this in mind, Taro stood from his spot and wandered over to the rest of her bombs, taking a small one in his hand. She probably wouldn't miss this one. Making sure he was a good distance from the woman, he pulled the pin. "See ya tomorrow." And with a wave, Player One ceased to be with a bang, offering a light show to boot for his latest death.

At least temporarily.

---

Taro would find himself crouched down to stare at a pair of shoes one day. It was very different from what he knew Retsu to make; seemingly having more use than to just blow up the wearer. Auburn eyes turned to the engineer curiously. "So what are these?"

Bakiri Retsu

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100/100

There were lulls between Taro's jobs. With his inability to sleep and lack of need for sustenance, he could accept work at any time when others would need some minutes for things such as "lunch". All hours of his day could be used for heists even, save for the time needed to travel between locations. He didn't exactly have a ride to call his own.

But contrary to popular belief, or because his name didn't reach enough places yet, crime did sleep. There were gaps in his days where he had nothing to do that he needed to fill with something, because he wasn't a fan of being idle. Luckily for him, Tokyo was still a massive city even when he wanted to extend his play area beyond it, so he could take some time familiarizing himself with its nooks and crannies.

One such nook would be a house tucked away, rumoured to be abandoned because it was haunted.

Did Taro believe in ghosts? Yes. After seeing everyone's collective experiences online when it came to them, how could he not? It'd be a huge waste of effort to make such an elaborate lie otherwise.

Besides, if there were no ghosts in the house, that just meant he was free to destroy it.

Once he reached the address - after losing his way for a couple turns, GPSs were confusing - Taro tested the knob on the front door. If it was unlocked, he'd let himself in. If it was locked, he'd still let himself in by kicking the door down.

Yukine Kobayashi

HP: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 100/100

The Flukes were a gang made from former members of more notorious groups, exiled for one reason or another. Maybe they were too weak. Maybe they broke a rule they didn't know existed. Maybe they just didn't fit the aesthetics the leader had with their crew. So it resulted in this hodge-podge gathering of ne'er-do-wells, looking for their place in the pecking order after being left behind.

The Flukes weren't named after the luck they had - of which there were none really. They were named after the parasites, seeking to annex the territories of the cliques who kicked them out.

That was what Taro was told when he was briefed on his mission when he accepted at least, along with anyone else on ENKI who wanted in. He was to join them in taking over some derelict amusement park, currently home to the Hummingbirds. Maybe a Fluke was an old member of theirs? He didn't know, but knowing didn't seem necessary.

His job was just to cause mayhem and wreck some shit.

So when one person on the other side - Hummingbirds' leader maybe - addressed him specifically, he couldn't help but blink at the notion before giving a smile. "Nah." With a bottle in one hand and a lighter in the other, he lit the cloth poking out of the drink. A molotov cocktail. "I'm just the guy who acts first." With all his might he threw the bottle at the roof of the ticket booth, cracking it and spreading flames against the wood of the entrance. Members behind him followed suit with their own molotovs and they too soared, setting more fires. It was when one attacker controlled the flames so it rushed towards the awaiting opposition that the others began to rush through, himself included.

Let the games begin.

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[attr="class","likedoinfo"]DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF YOUR REQUEST: The name of Taro's quirk, Avatar, is missing from Who Plays Who!

RELEVANT LINKS: Who Plays Who

OTHER: Thank you in advance!