Showing results by author "William D. Arand" in All Categories

In a world full of superpowers, Felix had a pretty crappy one. He has the ability to modify any item he owns and to upgrade anything. Sounds great on paper; almost like a video game. Except that the amount of power it takes to actually change, modify, or upgrade anything worthwhile is beyond his abilities. At least, that was until Felix leveraged a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give himself a great deal of points. Investing in, owning, and using Super Heroes and Super Villains, Felix built up an empire: an organization by the name of Legion.

Ryker only has one goal in his life right now: Turn a certain adventuring guild into a flaming wreck while dancing merrily through the smoldering ruins. All for the chance to get back at a handful of people. It isn’t as if they didn’t deserve it either. They had driven him from his home. Chased him physically from the very guild house itself. Simply because he wasn’t as strong as they expected him to be. As strong as he’d expected himself to be. He’d returned the next day and left with something he’d hidden away and told no one about when he found it in one of his few Dungeon Dives.

An existence spent being forced to kill others to satiate a monster. Where the only thing to look forward to was the blessed, if brief, period of time between paying that bribe. Except that very same monster is and isn’t Rene. It just happened to live inside his own mind and force him to do what it wanted.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life had been a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. That was before Melody, a contractor, more or less blew his life up as if it were a building packed full of C4. Then she pranced around the ashes of it like it was the end of the world and was conjuring up the end times herself.

At the best of times, Jeremiah could be described as a vengeful man. In the worst of times, one could call him a monster. The reality, though, was that he was a monster hunter. Or that's how he liked to style himself. In a world of creatures that went bump in the night, few fought for humanity. Fewer still put humanity first. Fighting with sword, blade, or word, their numbers were insufficient. Those who did did so from places and situations that the world didn't appreciate or condone. That they'd actively disavow and ignore.

Felix would like nothing more than to take a vacation. A long one. One where he didn’t have to wake up every morning and worry over casualty lists for the day. Ever since he and the Legion had been forced to flee their headquarters four years previous, nothing had gone quite right. In fact, Felix and the Legion have been locked in a shadow war with enemies unknown. Ones with magic that could carve through their technology easily.

An existence spent being forced to kill others to satiate a monster. Where the only thing to look forward to was the blessed, if brief, period of time between paying that bribe. Except that very same monster is and isn’t Rene. It just happened to live inside his own mind and force him to do what it wanted - rather than him being an actual monster. That was Rene’s entire life until a fateful day changed that. A day that his career as a hitman for hire built on the monster’s needs will end. Where Rene will be forced to atone for his actions. To be held accountable and judged.

In a world full of super powers, Felix had a pretty crappy one. After learning to harness his ability to modify any item he owns, he now runs a corporation that is rapidly expanding - Legion. After tangling with the local Heroes guild they’ve finally settled into a semblance of stability. Sounds great on paper. Run your company, make money, be your own boss, settle down. Except that with running a business, comes an inordinate amount of responsibilities. Like making sure everything keeps running and your people are paid.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life was a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. A detective in the paranormal investigations department. A job he could work day in and day out in relative peace. One cold and forgotten cup of coffee at a time. It was an environment that made some sense to him. At least in comparison to civilian life where almost nothing did. On top of that, it gave him a chance to hide what he was from the rest of the world.

An existence spent being forced to kill others to satiate a Monster. Where the only thing to look forward to was the blessed, if brief, period of time between paying that bribe. Except that very same Monster is and isn’t Rene. It just happened to live inside his own mind and force him to do what it wanted. Rather than being an actual Monster. That was Rene’s entire life until a fateful day changed that. A day that the career as a hitman for hire built on the Monster’s needs will end. Where Rene will be forced to atone for his actions. To be held accountable and judged.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down, organized crime syndicates to break. Gus’ life had been a tedium. That was before Melody, a contractor, more or less blew his life up as if it were a building packed full of C-4. Then helped him make a new life, which he himself ended blowing up. A cushy new job with the FED, thrown out the window with a single gunshot. All based on an assumption of who was working for who, and that he’d been on the wrong side of the equation.

Warner’s life had changed when his daughter had been nearly fatally injured, plunging Warner into a world of paranormal creatures, monsters, and magic that he’d never known existed. Then he came out the other side as the arbiter of Retribution. He now personally hands out justice to any and all he comes across.

Runner has a problem. He and 499,000 men and women are trapped in a game. He also just happens to be the only person from IT who could log everyone out safely. And he doesn't remember his password. He, like everyone else in this nightmare, had his memory scrambled or lost in the process of being loaded into the game. A single garbled message is his only clue to how to save everyone. The problem is that whoever loaded them into the game loaded their minds completely.

Warner spent his days like no one else. He got up, went to work, forced people to balance their scales - either through taking lives or forced penance - went home, spent time with his daughter, slept with one of his girlfriends, and went to sleep. Only to repeat the pattern over and over and over. Life was the furthest thing from mundane that it could ever be.

Warner spent his days like almost anyone else. He got up, went to work, answered phone calls in a call center, went home, spent time with his daughter, and went to sleep. Only to repeat the pattern over and over and over. Life was as mundane as anyone could ever fear it to be. Today was the day that all that would change. On this day, his daughter Maya would be nearly fatally injured, plunging Warner into a world of paranormal creatures, monsters, and magic he’d never known existed. The only consolation is that he discovers he’s not quite human, either.

Ryker only had one goal in his life right now: turn a certain adventuring guild into a flaming wreck while dancing merrily through the smoldering ruins. All for the chance to get back at a handful of people. It didn’t work out that way though. At all. He’d died, been forced into the body of an avatar, absconded with the queen as her castle fell to betrayal, kidnapped a little kid who is obviously more than he seems, and to top all that off, he killed his undead father. The smoldering ruins of the queendom have cooled, and Ryker has a task that is more than likely too much for him.

Runner and his team managed to bring peace to Tirtius, successfully log the crew out, and have begun settling in to make a home on the isle of Vix. Fate isn't going to let them go that easily though. She clearly hasn't decided on what to do with him. Plots are in motion. Threats local, divine, and abroad scheme to exterminate Runner and the threat he represents. The possibility of what he could become.

Ryker only had one goal in his life right now: Turn a certain adventuring guild into a flaming wreck while dancing merrily through the smoldering ruins. All for the chance to get back at a handful of people. It didn’t work out that way though. At all. He’d become the Count of Dungeon, made a hostage, married off to the false queen’s daughter against his will, and had his county made ground zero for a religious war. To top all that off, the Dark Lord of the North wants to see Ryker personally.

Runner and company have safely left the city ahead of the siege. Completing their class promotions with barely any time to spare. Unfortunately Runner hasn't discovered the password he needs to begin the logoff process to save the 400,000 or so crewmates left alive in this game where dying truly means death.