"Think of this as a chance at revenge," Sweeney said.
​
Revenge.
​
What a moronically quaint idea.
​
This jumped up little shit had come into my home, interrupted my retirement and here he was talking to me about revenge, as if he knew the first thing about what I’d seen, what I’d been through, why I’d quit.
​
Looking into his eyes, I knew he didn’t understand. I knew he couldn’t.
​
I've been hunting vampires for most of my life. I've killed more of them than I can count. But Clementine Di Cesare was no ordinary vampire. Hell, none of the Di Cesares were ordinary vampires, but even among them Clementine was… unique. She was the one all the others quietly feared. The one who was even spoken of with reverence by the Di Cesares masters, those twin Immortals who could not be killed by any weapon of this world. Seeking revenge against her was like seeking revenge against death itself.
​
“Revenge?” I repeated, with a dismissive scoff.
“You’re really going to tell me that after what she put you through, you don’t want revenge?” Sweeney asked.
“If you knew what she did to me, you’d know why I don’t want revenge,” I replied.
“Really? Sorry Franklin, but I don’t buy that. Look, I get it if you’re reluctant to jump back into the fight. I do. You of all people know just how dangerous the Di Cesare’s are. Especially ‘La Morte’.”
​
I looked over at him as he said that name. It rolled off his tongue so irreverently. To him, it was just a name. An alias assigned to some vampire he’s only heard of stories. He didn’t utter it with the respect it deserved, and I almost couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Any words spent on this small minded glory hound were probably wasted.
​
“Yes, I do know.”
“Which is why I need you,” Sweeney said. He almost sounded as if he were pleading with me. “Think of this as an opportunity to set things right… to put that vampire bitch in the ground where she belongs, and save God only knows how many lives in the process!”
I sighed.
He just didn’t get it.
​
“Mark my words, Mr. Sweeney, if you chase after Clementine Di Cesare, you’ll end far more lives than you save. She didn’t get a name like ‘La Morte’ for nothing. She earned it. Purchased it with the blood of the tens of thousands she’s sent screaming into the maw of Hell. She is not something you chase, Sweeney.”
“She’s a vampire,” Sweeney said dismissively. “She’s another enemy to destroy.”
“That’s what George Bundy said,” I replied. “Then not too long after, he died.”
“I’m not George Bundy,” Sweeney said.
“No. You sure as hell ain’t,” I agreed, before looking the kid in the eye.
​
He thought he was an up and comer, climbing the ranks of the Brethren. He probably thought of himself as some sort of badass vampire hunter too, when in reality he could never have so much as dreamed of holding a candle to the likes of Bundy… or hell, any of the men who’d died in Brazil.
“You should watch your tone with me,” Sweeney warned.
“Or you’ll do what?” I asked, “You ain’t going to frighten me with vague threats, boy. I’ve walked through Hell, trying to kill the Devil. What have you done?”
​
Sweeney bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will intimidate me,” I said, before lighting myself a cigarette. I stared at the road outside of my porch, old memories flooding back to me before looking over at Sweeney again. He sat in his chair beside me like a sulky child. This was the man who wanted to destroy the Di Cesare family? Pathetic.
​
“Exactly how much do you know about the Brazil Job?” I asked.
“I know it was a failure. Clementine Di Cesare killed most of the men the Brethren sent out… all except for you. You were the only one good enough to beat her.”
“Good enough…” I repeated with a huff, “Hardly… whatever picture you’ve got in your head of some glorified battle, throw it away. Trust me, the Brazil Job was anything but glorious. It was a two hour long trek through Hell. And I didn’t beat Di Cesare at the end of it. I survived her. They’re two different things entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sweeney said.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” I sighed and took another drag on my cigarette.
​
This kid wasn’t going to leave until I made him understand… so I told him my story. I told him everything even though I knew he’d learn nothing from it.
​
***
​
I’d joined up with the Brethren Knights of St. Fontaine back in the 1980s to hunt monsters. Back then, it seemed like the best use of my skills. I’d done my tours with the army, but even after I got out, I was still looking for an enemy to fight. So naturally, once I found out that vampires were real, I set my sights on them. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the time.
​
The Brethren Knights fancied themselves the descendants of the Knights Templar, and they insisted that their God given mission was to protect mankind from the things that lurked in the shadows. I didn’t really have much love for God at the time, but if the Bretheren were the ones fighting the monsters, then I was happy to tolerate the Jesus freaks in their ranks.
​
It was 1988 when we first heard whispers of the Imperium. A supposed cabal of vampires, trying to get them organized. At the time, it’d seemed too crazy to be true. Vampires generally went their own way, in my experience. At most, they might have a partner but other than they they didn’t really socialize with their own kind. But supposedly someone out there had the big fucking balls to keep them in line, and whoever they were, they scared the shit out of the Brethren.
​
They’d started targeting high profile vampires, trying to find someone who was involved in this ‘Imperium’, hoping that maybe they might get someone to talk. And it wasn’t long until they found someone who did.
​
From my understanding, the vampire they captured didn’t seem to know much about who was actually running the show. But they knew who their second in command was… and that was when I first head about the Di Cesare family.
​
The name was familiar to some of the higher ups in the Brethren, and I’d heard some stories. Not sure which were true, but the long and short of it was that the Di Cesare’s and the Brethren shared a bloody history, and didn’t particularly like each other too much.
​
George Bundy explained it to me like this at one point: ‘The Di Cesare’s are an old family. Most of them used to be witches, up until their Matriarch turned them into vampires. Now they’re a whole new kind of nasty. Far as I know, the only time anyone’s actually managed to kill one was about 200 years ago. Anyone who’s tried since has ended up dead, so most folks don’t even bother anymore.’
​
I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising they’d be involved in the Imperium, but the mere mention of their name ruffled some feathers higher up on the chain of command, and eventually they put out a kill order on them. Most of the Di Cesare’s were generally pretty hard to track down, but the top brass had a pretty good line on their matriarch, Bianca Di Cesare. Supposedly, she’d been spotted near the family’s private estate in Brazil and rumor had it that most of her daughters were there too.
​
Normally, the brass wouldn’t have sanctioned any kind of attack on them. The Di Cesare’s were already considered off limits, and attacking them at their private estate was considered damn near impossible. The estate was located in a small mining town outside of Manaus called Refugio de Julia, or just Julia for short. The town was fairly remote, being only accessible from a few backroads and most folks tended to avoid it, claiming they’d had various strange encounters in the area. Their accounts described unsettling pale figures with dark hair and large green eyes working in the mines, although some of the more disturbing stories we heard involved sightings of other creatures in the jungle surrounding the town. Massive spiders with humanoid faces, tending rotting corpses filled with stinging bees, giant howling beasts who tore through the forest, hunting prey, and beautiful women who would appear in the nearby towns, betwitching men into coming away with them only to reveal themselves as monsters who fed on the blood of their victims. Some had even claimed the Di Cesares themselves were such beasts… although those claims weren’t taken quite as seriously.
​
A skeptic might say the stories that surrounded Julia seemed like little more than just local superstition… but the Brethren had been dealing with the supernatural for long enough to recognize when something was probably real, and when it was probably fake and they knew damn well that most of the stories about Julia were probably true. None of them had ever dared set foot in Julia to find out for sure, since doing so would probably be suicide, but the theory was that the Di Cesares had created Julia as something of a refuge for other creatures. Other vampires, werewolves, arachne, karah and all sorts of other hellspawn. They offered them a home and safety in exchange for their labor in the mines. Hell, the name of the town more or less spelled it out.
​
Refugio de Julia
​
Julia’s Haven.
​
Julia had been the name of the only member of the Di Cesare family that the Brethren had ever killed, so I guess it was only fitting they named the town after her.
​
I honestly think using other creatures like them as a workforce was a bit inspired… since it made Julia damn near impenetrable. Reaching their estate at the far side of the town would have been impossible without being noticed by every creature of hell living in that town, and odds are they’d tear anyone apart long before they even reached the gates of the Di Cesare estate. And if one had the bright idea to approach the estate from another angle, they’d be trudging through miles and miles of rainforest to do so, only end up face to face with a massive stone wall that kept the rainforest out.
​
In effect - the Di Cesare estate was a fortress. Getting in would be no easy feat, to say nothing of confronting the vampires within. But with the fear of the Imperium gnawing at the back of their minds, the Brethren had finally set their minds to trying.
​
George Bundy had been the one in charge of planning the operation out.
​
I’d known Bundy before I’d joined up with the Brethren. Hell, Bundy was the whole reason I’d joined the Brethren. He’d been my CO a number of years back, and he’d earned his reputation as a hardass just about ten or twenty times over. Bundy was a gruff looking man with a bushy moustache and intense eyes. During the years I knew him, I don’t believe I ever once saw him so much as crack a smile. He only ever seemed to speak when he felt there was something he needed to say. Otherwise, he was usually dead silent.
​
He was somewhere in his late fifties back in 88. By all rights, he ought to have retired years ago. But he refused.
“I’m a soldier,” He said, when I asked him about it once. “That’s all I am. I don’t know what else to be.”
​
Bundy’s initial plan had been to hit the Di Cesare estate from the air. Come in fast and loud with a couple of helicopters and see how those vampires stood up to some good old American flak. The idea got shot down pretty quickly, so to speak. Apperantly, most if not all of the Di Cesares had cursed their own bodies, causing whatever wound one inflicted on them to appear on whoever it was who had wounded them. Going in guns blazing would have ended in a bloodbath… and not for them. There were also some concerns about drawing attention from Julia. With no conclusive data on just what they had living in that town, there was no guarantee we’d be safe in the air. A few eyewitnesses had described seeing giant nests in some of the trees in the jungle, supposedly consistent with the nests made by harpies.
​
Flying in guns blazing was out. So Bundy went back to the drawing board and what he came back with… well, it was ballsy, but it almost seemed like it just might work. During his reconnisance of the Di Cesare’s estate, he’d noticed a large but shallow tributary flowing into the amazon river that led right through the Di Cesare’s estate. Along the tributary was an abandoned water mill, that connected to the Di Cesare estate.
​
He’d suggested using the water mill to gain entry to the grounds, and from there, move on the Di Cesare’s. That plan had been approved, and Bundy had been allowed to handpick his team for the operation. He’d chosen fifteen men, all of them ex military, most of them having served under him before.
​
He’d told us we would be dividing into three teams of five men each. We would leave Manaus by boat, and land at three different areas near the tributary before making our way to the mill on foot, where we would regroup, before moving on the Di Cesares. The reason for the division was to ensure that if any of our teams ran into trouble upon making ground, the entire operation wouldn’t be compromised.
​
Team 1, led by Bundy himself would depart first and land to the west of the tributary. Team 2, led by a man named Ferdinand Hernandez would make land about fifteen minutes later near the mouth of the tributary and Team 3, to be led by me would land fifteen minutes later to the east.
​
On the day of the operation, I sat in my boat, watching as the other two left. It was twilight when we set out, and I remember that as my team and I carried out our final checks on our equipment, the only thing I felt was a familiar anticipation.
​
I’d hesitate to call it fear. Fear is what came later. Anticipation is the better word. I knew we could be walking into a tough situation… but I trusted Bundy. I trusted he’d run a smooth op. God knew, he’d done it a thousand times before.
​
The team assigned to me wasn’t anything particularly special. They were competent enough, but none of them would’ve been my first choices. Jack McMullen, for instance, who was about the same age as I was at the time. We’d both served under Bundy before, although while I respected Bundy, Jack was wholly devoted to him. I swear, if the man had told him to stuff a live grenade up his ass, Jack would’ve done it without a moments hesitation. I dunno if Jack simply saw him as the father he’d never had or what, but he damn near worshipped Bundy.
​
I can’t quite say the same for the other guys we had with us, though. One of them, some greenhorn by the name of Pearce Wilson struck me as an airheaded pretty boy who’d never actually had his boots on the ground before, while the other one, Scott Barber had left a bad taste in my mouth last time we’d worked together. Barber was capable… but he was violent. This was a kid with a hell of a chip on his shoulder, and it looked a hell of a lot like that Confederate flag patch he wore on his jacket. He wanted an excuse to shoot something, and I don’t think he cared what. Under most circumstances I’m not sure I would’ve fully trusted him with a gun.
​
The last one though, Joseph Feng… him I trusted. Feng was the one I knew the least about, and he didn’t seem much for conversation. But he handled himself competently enough and seemed to know when to sit down and shut up.
​
When Team 2’s boat was far enough away, we got the radio signal to follow. Barber was the one steering the boat, so I gave him the order to cast off and we ventured out into the twilight, unaware of just what was waiting for us out there.
​
***
​
We landed in our designated area fifteen minutes after Team 2 confirmed they’d touched down at theirs. Our landing was fairly uneventful. Feng, Barber, and I secured the boat before we radio’d Bundy to let him know we were in position. After that, it was just a matter of making it to the tributary.
​
As we ventured into the jungle, the world around us was quiet. There was wind, the whisper of the river behind us, and the sounds of animals. But little else. The river fell away behind us as we moved in single file toward the tributary, maintaining radio silence as we did.
​
It was about a half hour before we heard the gunshot.
​
Just one, echoing through the twilight. But it was enough to give us pause.
​
“The fuck was that?” I heard Barber ask. Immediately, the kid was on high alert, with his gun raised as if he were expecting every monster in Julia to come charging at us from all angles.
I just listened, waiting to hear if there was anything else. I half expected my radio to come to life, but it didn’t.
“Team 1, status?” I asked.
The radio crackled with static, but there was no response.
​
I tried it again, but still with no success. The radio was working, that much I was sure of. Something had to be blocking the signal.
“What’s going on?” Feng asked.
“Dunno,” I replied. “Comms are down.”
“Down?” Wilson asked, “So we’re flying blind out here, then?”
“More or less,” I replied.
“What do we do? Do we go back… if the comms are down…”
“Just because something’s jamming our signal doesn’t mean we’re made,” I said. “Relax. We keep moving for now. You keep your eyes wide open, and your head on a swivel. We’ll make it to the tributary and see if we can’t meet up with the other teams.”
I could tell Wilson wasn’t a fan of my answer, but I didn’t much care. We had a job to do, and I aimed to do it.
​
I pressed on without a further word and the others followed. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of running water and picked up the pace. I figured the tributary had to be close… and I was right.
​
I emerged from the brush into the stream, only to pause when I saw what was waiting for us in the water.
​
In the dying sunlight, it was impossible to mistake the bodies sprawled out on the rocks as anything else… and all I needed to do was look at their uniforms to know they were our people.
“Jesus…” I heard Wilson say under his breath. He froze up, lingering by the bank as I cautiously approached one of the bodies.
​
It belonged to a somewhat heavyset man with a thin mustache who I recognized as Hernandez. His eyes were still open, although lifeless and staring in different directions, and there was a clean hole in his forehead where a bullet had ended his life. The gunshot we’d heard earlier had likely been the sound of his death.
​
Looking at the bodies around him, I knew they had to be the rest of Team 2… although it was a little harder pinning down their cause of death. Some sort of bladed weapon, perhaps, judging by the state of them. I realized the odds were that they walked into some sort of ambush.
“What about Bundy and Team 1?” Jack asked, “Any sign of them?”
“No,” I said. “These bodies are all from Team 2… Bundy could still be ahead of us.”
“Then we need to keep going!”
​
Jack turned, heading up the stream and Barber was right behind him. Feng paused for a moment, thinking this over before following. Only Wilson remained.
“How do we know we’re not walking into a trap?” He asked.
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it,” I said before moving to follow the others.
“With all due respect, Sarge… that doesn’t sound like the best course of action!” Wilson argued, finally following me. “It sounds just like a good way to get killed!”
“Yeah?” I asked, “I’m gonna tell you an ugly truth, kid. That’s the job. Make your peace with it, and it’ll go a lot easier.”
​
Wilson didn’t like that answer either and trailed off behind me, watching as I continued upstream. For a moment, I half expected him to go back to the boat… but no. I dunno if he found his balls or just didn’t want to get left behind, but he started to follow us again.
​
I kept trying to raise Team 1 on the radio while we walked, although I still had no luck. The light above us slowly faded into darkness as we trudged through the water in silence, guns sitting comfortably in our hands and mosquitos biting at our necks.
​
It wasn’t until we lost Feng that I heard anybody so much as make a sound, and when we lost Feng… it happened almost instantaneously. One minute, he was at the head of the group, walking just ahead of Jack and I. The next, he was gone, only barely having the time to let out a scream as he fell into the river ahead of us.
​
The rest of us paused. Jack seemed to freeze and I pushed past him, calling out for Feng as I did. As punishment for my compassion, I almost went down after him. I only barely stopped myself from stepping on the slippery rocks that had helped send him to his demise.
​
I could see Feng’s body in the water, and I could see the blood pouring out of him. He twitched a few times, but I knew he was dead. The sharpened wooden spikes jutting out of him confirmed as much.
“What the hell…” Jack said under his breath, staring at Feng’s corpse in disbelief. “That’s a fucking spike trap!”
​
Yeah.
​
It was indeed a fucking spike trap.
​
I could see other spikes jutting out of the water ahead of us, just past a small dam of rocks that were just slippery enough to make it difficult to stop yourself from falling. Some of those spikes had other bodies on them… likely members of Team 1. I only counted two, although that still didn’t exactly bode well.
​
“They put a fucking spike trap in the goddamn stream…” Jack said, “Who the hell does that?”
“Somebody who’s expecting us to use the stream,” I replied.
“So they know we’re coming?” Barber asked.
“Clearly…” I replied. “And they’ve got a good idea on what our route is too.”
​
“Yeah, no shit!” Barber snapped. “Christ… let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s probably more fucking traps upstream!”
“Bundy’s orders were clear!” Jack argued.
“Bundy’s probably dead by now!” Barber replied, before looking at me. “Sarge, come on. You have to know this is suicide!”
“Suicide was part of the job description, was it not?” I asked.
“The job is to kill those fucking vampires, not to die in the goddamn process! We need to get out of the stream and into the woods!”
​
“Judging by the fate Team 2 met, I’m not sure the forest is someplace we want to be right now,” I replied.
“Excuse me?” Barber asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Sarge?”
“Five men dead, but only one gunshot. How did the rest die?”
​
Barber didn’t seem to be able to answer that.
“By now… yes. It’s clear we’ve walked into a trap. And yes, I understand that it makes sense to try and leave that trap… but I don’t know if we’ll be safer in the jungle. Something jumped Team 2. Cut them apart, and then shot Hernandez as a warning. They didn’t have to shoot him. They did it so we’d hear.”
“Your point being?” Barber asked.
“I don’t think this is just a trap, Barber. It’s a game. Stop playing, and you might just end up like our friends downstream.”
“A game?” Wilson asked, “Sarge, you can’t be serious!”
​
“From where I’m standing, we have a better chance of surviving in the stream,” I said. “Look, we’re at least halfway to the rendezvous point, and there have to be at least two members of Team 1 left. The safest thing to do right now is to follow them.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, Sarge,” Barber spat, locking his eyes with mine. For a moment, I thought the boy was going to try and fight me. But no. He was wise enough to stand down.
“If you wanna get yourself killed, go right the fuck ahead. Just leave me out of it! Wilson, come on,” Barber said before trudging over to the edge of the stream. Wilson didn’t even hesitate, just looking back at Jack and I quietly before he disappeared into the forest with Barber.
​
“You’re not gonna stop them?” Jack asked.
“No,” I replied. “God willing, there’s a chance that pigheaded asshole is right… dunno how much of a chance, but a chance.”
“Then how come we’re not following him?” Jack asked.
“There’s also a chance he’s wrong.”
I turned, before making my way around the spike trap.
“Keep a slower pace,” I said. “Watch for traps.”
​
Jack hesitated for a moment, but he followed me without any further questions and we walked in silence for a little longer.
​
We heard nothing from the trees. Nothing that told us about the fate of Barber and Wilson. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.
​
In fact, I don’t think we heard a thing until about a half hour later, when we heard the explosion.
​
It came out of almost nowhere, but ahead of us I could see a flash of light and hear the screams of men. On instinct, I found myself picking up the pace and could hear Jack behind me. In the low light, I saw a shape float past me in the stream. It took me a moment to realize that it was a severed human arm.
​
In the water ahead of us, I could see a figure clinging to one of the rocks and trying to pick himself up. I recognized him as George Bundy.
​
Jack was at his side almost immediately, trying to help the old man to his feet.
“Sir! Are you alright?”
Bundy just wheezed, before his legs gave out from under him. I helped Jack drag him to the shore so he could sit and rest for a moment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, looking back at the stream.
“Grenade trap… I think…” Bundy panted, “Fucking tripwire… Popkov tripped it, I think…”
​
Popkov… odds are he was one of the two mangled corpses lying in the river a few feet away from us. It seemed they’d taken the brunt of the explosion, although Bundy still had some shrapnel in his arm that Jack was tending to.
“Christ… whole fucking ops gone to shit…” Bundy spat. “Team 2 got taken out just about as soon as they landed. Someone killed them and dumped them in the goddamn river. Lost half my boys to the fucking spike trap and half to this…”
​
He looked up at us, before spitting onto the ground.
“Guess you two haven’t done much better.”
“Hard to say,” I replied. “Two of ours took off into the woods, trying to avoid the traps.”
“Then they’re dead,” Bundy replied. “I’ve seen her watching us… always just up ahead, always from a distance… she’s seeing how far we’ll go. How much we’ll take…”
“She?” I asked.
“La Morte. Should’ve figured she’d be the one to greet us.”
“La Morte?” I asked.
​
“It’s Italian. Supposedly, she earned that name around the time the Di Cesares fled Venice. It’s funny, the Brethren like to act like the Di Cesares leaving Venice was some big victory of theirs, since before they did, they finally killed one of them… hard to call it a victory though, considering how many corpses they made before they fled. And most of them came from La Morte…”
Bundy winced in pain as Jack bandaged his arm before he continued talking.
​
“See… when the Di Cesare’s left Venice, one of them stayed behind. Clementine, the Scorpio sister. Guess she was unwilling to leave the fight unfinished… and according to the stories, the death toll she personally amassed in the years after the Di Cesare’s left Venice make the bodies they claimed during the Venetian Massacre a hundred and fifty years prior look like a pittance. The Brethren still occupying the city started to call her La Morte. Death. Cuz wherever she went, death followed in her wake… and it seems we’ve walked right into her open arms, haven’t we, boys?”
​
“You’re sure it’s her?” I asked.
“She’s a Di Cesare… and the shit we’ve seen out here… I don’t see any other Di Cesare setting those traps. It’s her. I’m sure of it. She’s watching us. Seeing how far we’ll go. Seeing if we’ll turn tail…”
“Should we?” Jack asked, and Bundy finally seemed to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Should we? Look, sir… I’d follow you into the mouth of Hell, but right now, we’re down from fifteen men to three. Can’t say I’m optimistic about our chances right now. If this woman is half as bad as you’re saying she is, maybe it’s time we took a step back!”
​
Jack looked at me, hoping I might back him up, but I remained silent.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bundy asked.
“What I’m hearing here, is that as of right now, the vampire out there could kill us at any time. She hasn’t. Far as I’m concerned, that’s mercy. Maybe we should be taking it while it’s offered.”
Bundy stared at him, before chuckling. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh.
​
“Just walk away, then?” He asked.
“Walk away, and come back better prepared!” Jack corrected.
“Walk away,” Bundy said again. “We walk away now, and there won’t be a chance to come back better prepared. We get one shot at this. One. Failure is not an option. We go in there and we kill them or we die. End of discussion.”
“And how exactly are we even supposed to kill them?” Jack asked, “That curse they have… bullets aren’t gonna do shit, sir!”
“Yours won’t, mine will…”
Bundy pulled his pistol from his holster. I noticed some sort of pattern crudely engraved on it.
​
“I’ve been doing some research… studied the curse they put on themselves… and I think I’ve found a way to break it. Not sure if it’ll work yet… but we get one chance to test it.”
Jack stared at the gun, then back at Bundy.
“Sir… do you hear yourself?” He asked quietly, “You can’t be serious… right now, even with that gun we don’t stand a chance in he-”
​
The gunshot echoed through the forest and made me jump. Jack’s voice died in his throat as he hit the ground.
​
Bundy stared at him for a moment, before huffing and holstering his pistol again. He draped his coat over his shoulders, before looking over at me.
“No room for failure, Frank,” He said calmly.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I stared down at Jack’s body, my mouth hanging open slightly. When I looked back at Bundy, he was already back in the stream.
​
There was a tense silence between Bundy and I as I followed him along the final stretch of the tributary. He trudged on ahead, covered in sweat and straining with every step, but I could sense the quiet determination he had to see this through. Looking at him, you could’ve told me that George Bundy could wipe out the Di Cesare’s all by himself and I would have believed it in a second.
​
The night around us was full of sound, and each one drew my attention. I watched the forest, expecting to see some sign of La Morte watching us. But I saw nothing, except for what she wanted me to see.
“Mill’s just up ahead,” I heard Bundy say as we pressed on, although I noticed his steps faltering as he seemed to notice something in the trees above us. I stopped behind him, looking up before seeing what he saw, and when I saw it I felt my stomach turn.
​
I’d seen death before.
But what Di Cesare had left out for us… that was something else.
Pearce Wilson and Scott Barber weren’t dead.
But if they could have spoke, I’ve got no doubt they would have begged us to kill them. Wilsons pretty face was covered in blood and his pouty lips were parted as more trickled out of him. His curly blond hair was matted and I could see crimson there. Tree branches portruded from his ribs, while the loops of his entrails dangled out of his opened stomach. And Barber was in just about the same state, only he seemed to at least have the ability to turn his head to look at us.
​
I think he might have tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a pained whimper.
“Jesus Christ…” I said softly.
“He had nothing to do with this,” Bundy replied. He took one last look at the two dying men hanging from the trees, before moving on.
“We should put them out of their misery, sir,” I said.
​
Bundy paused, before looking back at me.
“Don’t waste the ammo, Frank,” He replied. “They’re already dead.”
“Not yet they’re not!”
“Give them time. They chose to go into the woods. They can live with the consequences… for however long that lasts.”
​
With that, he left them. If I were a more compassionate man, I would have put them out of their misery. But no. Bundy moved on and so did I.
​
He approached the water mill, before examining it. It was an old building, made of stone that had long since been overgrown by moss, and sat right on the wall that separated the Di Cesares estate from the amazon. It hardly looked secure, even if the only entrance hadn’t just been an old wooden door secured with a padlock, finding a way in wouldn’t have been difficult. And it didn’t take much for Bundy to break through that door. All he needed was a couple of well placed kicks and it swung right open.
​
Drawing his gun, Bundy strode inside and I followed him.
“The Di Cesare’s will be in the main house,” He said. “We should find a way in through the back, try and catch them off guard. Main target should be the matriarch, Bianca. Her we should prioritize keeping alive… the rest are expendable.”
​
“Much as you are, I’m sure.” A voice called from deeper in the mill, and both Bundy and I froze.
I noticed movement on the floor above us, and through the shadows, I saw a tall woman watching us. She was dressed all in black, with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and the intense eyes of a soldier.
​
This had to be Clementine Di Cesare.
​
Bundy aimed his pistol at her, although she only barely seemed to notice.
“Only two of you left… I’m not sure the odds are in your favor,” The woman said. Her voice was low, calm and quiet.
“Only one way to find out,” Bundy growled.
“And only one way to walk out of this place alive,” Di Cesare countered. “You can put the gun down, turn and walk away. I won’t stop you. There’s no shame in living.”
​
“All the bodies you’ve left in your wake… that’s rich,” Bundy said.
“I don’t relish what I’ve done. I simply don’t know how to do anything else,” She replied. “Think about this, Bundy. Over my lifetime, there have been countless thousands who have come to kill me. All of them are dead, but I am not. Even if you could kill me… you could not kill my sisters. Not all of them. Not before they came for you.”
“Just you, would be enough…” Bundy said, before pulling the trigger.
​
I knew he’d hit her. I knew the bullet pierced her shoulder. But that woman… she didn’t even flinch. She simply dove out of the way before he could shoot again, taking cover and avoiding his next shot.
“Frank, upstairs!” Bundy snapped, “Flush her out!”
I went, trudging up the old wooden steps with my rifle drawn. Only to see Di Cesare vaulting over the railing and back down to the ground floor as soon as I made it up there.
​
Bundy shot at her again, only to miss for a second time. I saw Di Cesare’s arm move, and heard him cry out in pain. In the low light, I could see a dagger protruding from his shoulder. He stumbled back a step, leaving himself open for only a split second.
​
That second was all it took for Di Cesare to raise her own gun and fire just one shot.
​
George Bundy hit the ground without so much as a final scream. There was just a simple hole in his skull where she had shot him.
​
I felt my heart start to race faster. My eyes settled on Bundy’s gun, and I ran for the railing, vaulting it and dropping to the ground below with a thud. Di Cesare shot at me, and I felt the bullet tear through my leg. I reached out for the fallen gun and grabbed it before turning it on Di Cesare, only to find myself staring down the barrel of her own pistol. My finger rested on the trigger, but I didn’t have the guts to pull it.
​
"Kill me, and you will not see the sun tomorrow." She said, her voice still cold and calm.
“Killing you is part of the job…” I replied, but my finger still couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
“And is it worth your life?” Di Cesare asked. “You fail your mission either way.”
“And die with some goddamn honor…”
“There’s no such thing as honor. There is alive and there is dead. Choose.”
​
I knew what I was supposed to choose.
​
But my hands were shaking, as I stared into the face of death. My finger couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
​
The gun collapsed to the floor and Di Cesare kicked it away from me, before huffing and lowering her gun.
“Do not return,” She said softly. “Or next time, I will unleash a hell upon you that will make you beg for simple traps.”
​
She picked Bundy’s gun up off the ground, and then she was gone. After I finally picked myself up off the ground, I was gone too.
​
As I walked back along the stream… I passed the corpses of the men we’d left behind. Barber and Wilson, Jack, Feng, Hernandez, and his team. The flies were already feasting on them. Animals had already torn at them. And as I looked down at their cold corpses, I knew I had made the right choice.
​
I filed my report with the Brethren. Told them that Di Cesare had wiped us out, and a few months later I quietly retired. I never looked back.
​
***
​
“You walked away from her?” Sweeney asked in disbelief, “You had her dead to rights and you walked away from her?”
“I chose to live,” I replied. “Can’t say I regret the decision either. Because of the choice I made, I met my wife and had my kids. I’ve lived the life I had because I chose not to throw it away on some vampire.”
​
Sweeney just shook his head.
“You could have gotten the first confirmed kill on a Di Cesare in two centuries, and you threw it away you fucking coward! I could execute you for that!” I noticed his hand hovering over the gun on his hip.
“You could.” I replied, before quietly unholstering the pistol I kept at my side. I aimed it at Sweeney’s head.
​
He stared at me like a slack jawed idiot.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
“W-what…?”
“Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Sweeney? Or would you like to see the sun tomorrow?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, and I already knew what his choice would be.
​
Sweeney took a step back. I saw his hand move away from his holster, and I lowered the gun with a huff.
“Thought so,” I said.
Mr. Sweeney left me without another word.
I knew he would not return.

Hello everyone I would much appreciate if you could help me find this anime I watched many years ago
its where their is this guy who seems to be living in somewhere which looks like tokyo/normal society but it looks a bit futuristic (maybe tokyo just looks like that in animes, anyways their is this guy who is involves in his life either landlord or roommate (probably roommate who is obsessed with beautiful girls) anyways the mc somehow meets this girl she is either a magic girl or some demon since I remember she fought with someone which knew her which had a rank so some kind of special person. Anyways I mostly remember this scene where it happens in the middle of the anime where this girl and the mc the guy go into a shop where she is like a VIP member or something where they weapons and I think the mc gets some weapon or item(I think a knife) and that item can somehow summon this girl which has light blue/light green hair to protect him and she feels no emotions or anything just like an item and she tries to help him train somewhere. For a fight I remember it being the final fight and all I remember is them fighting some main villain looking guy at the middle of some forest or park and them winning. Their might of been one more good person fighting I think female but I don't remember.
​
Also, the anime appears to be fairly new since the art style isn't old such as berserk or baki and also according to my excessive searching also chatgpt couldn't find it lil so potentially could of been made after September 2021.
Thank you all for reading this and I appreciate this very dearly.

Hold your horns, here comes Spyro!

Spyro the Dragon is, as the name suggests, a young dragon. Over the course of the series, he goes on many adventures. That's basically everything.
This RT only covers the classic timeline, and not The Legend of Spyro or Skylanders.

Dragon Breath

General Strength

• Breaks a sign
  
• Breaks urns
  
• Breaks chests
  
• Breaks barrels
  
• Breaks small windmills
  
• Breaks dune buggies
  
• Breaks flying beds
  
• Breaks boats
  
• Breaks planes
  
• Breaks a crystaline enemy
  
• Breaks a cage
  
• Blasts a metal container until it explodes
  
• Blasts a hedgehog into a stone statue hard enough to destroy it
  
• Blasts enemies into the air
  
• Blasts a sheep high into the air
  
• Blasts Ripto high into the air, SINGING his CAPE
  
• Knocks out some large sea serpents
  
• Knocks out an elephant
  
• Knocks bombs into the air
  

Fire Breath
One of Spyro's most notable abilities is breathing fire. Metal enemies are resistant to fire, but can be defeated by charging, while enemies that are too big to be charged can be knocked down with a fire attack (as seen here)

• Sparx states that Spyro's fire is at least 7800 degrees Fahrenheit
  
• Ashes Toasty's costume, scorching the grass underneath
  
• Ashes a haystack
  
• Ashes a large pencil
  
• Ashes some tents
  
• Ashes a painting
  
• Ashes a cuckoo clock
  
• Ashes a large mushroom
  
• Ashes thick thorns
  
• Ashes a gear
  
• Ashes Rhynocs, killing them
  
• Burns a tree black
  
• Burns a cactus black, which then explodes
  
• Burns a large, magic plant, causing it to revert into a seed
  
• Melts candle wax instantly
  
• Melts a block of ice a fairy is trapped in without hurting the fairy
  
• Melts a large block of ice
  
• Vaporizes a snowman
  
• Destroys two sausages and fries a dragon's facial hair
  
• Scorches Dr. Shemp's rear, sending him fleeing in pain
  
• Scorches Bianca
  
• [Burns N. Tropy, N. Brio, and N. Gin]()
  
• Fires a cannon
  
• Fires a rocket
  
• Lights a large candle
  
• Lights lighthouses
  
• Keeps "sun seeds" lit, from which a new sun can be grown
  
• Regrows a tree, somehow
  

Ice Breath
Originally, Spyro could only breathe frost with a superfreeze powerup, or altering the magic that lets him breathe fire, but in later games he gained the ability to breathe it naturally.

• His ice breath freezes monsters that are only weak to sub-zero temperatures
  
• Can freeze enemies in blocks of ice
  
• Freezes cats in large blocks of ice (along with a hockey player) while playing cat hockey
  
• Freezes a monster and his metal periscope solid, then shatters it
  
• Freezes Hunter solid
  
• Freezes a firefly that was too hot for Bianca to touch
  
• Freezes a water fountain into an ice sculpture
  
• Shapes a puddle of water into a platform
  
• Freezes a jet of water into a pole to swing on
  
• Chills a giant glass of lemonade
  
• Uses a powerup to boost the power of his freeze breath to freeze large amounts of shallow water
  
  • In later games can do this with his regular freeze breath

Electric Breath
Originally, Spyro could only use electric breath (also known as "lightning breath") with a powerup, but later gained the ability to breathe it naturally. It's effective on metal enemies and objects

• Shocks and overloads a robotic enemy
  
• Breaks the lock on a gate
  
• Starts up a navigational system
  
• Powers an energy cannon
  

Wind Breath
Spyro has the ability to breathe out powerful gusts of wind.

• Propels himself on a large frozen block of ice
  
• Can create miniature tornadoes
  
• Can charge up lightning-powered tornadoes
  

Water Breath
Spyro has the ability to breath out a spray of water. Unlike his other breath attacks, he cannot injure enemies with this, only push them back

• Pushes a water wheel
  
  • Spins a much larger wheel with a short blast

Other

• Spyro can use bubble breath to catch dragonflies and send them home
  
• Spyro can shoot bombs based on his breath types
  

Magic and Equipment

Superflame
With a fairy's kiss, or another special powerup, Spyro temporarily gains the Superflame ability. This allows him to breathe fire which is more powerful than his regular flame breath. It can either be breathed like normal, or be shot like a projectile, depending on the game.

• Capable of destroying metal spiders that Spyro could not defeat before
  
• Capable of destroying ghostly metal knights and large metal doors, as well as destroying chests which normally require alternative methods to open
  
• Capable of destroying chests which Spyro cannot break open normally
  
• Capable of destroying UFOs
  
• Capable of destroying large planters
  
• Capable of blasting large animals high into the air
  
• Capable of shooting fire underwater, strong enough to destroy metal sharks
  

Supercharge
Spyro can supercharge on special supercharge ramps (or with the help of special gates), allowing for a much faster and more powerful charge. Spyro runs so fast in this form he burns with red, then purple fire, and can smash a type of chest which he is incapable of charging through normally

• Spyro is invincible during supercharge
  
• Spyro can cross great distances by supercharging
  
• Charges through metal spiders which he could not before
  
• Charges through large metal doors
  
• Charges through cars
  
• Charges through several stone podiums
  
• Charges through a small windmill
  
• Charges through a large metal pumpkin
  
• Charges through a thick, cracked wall of ice
  
• Can charge through reinforced steel doors which can only otherwise be broken by a cannon shell
  
  • Demonstrated here

Wing Shield
Spyro has the power to shield himself with his wings and reflect attacks. It can reflect blunt objects but not piercing attacks

• Deflects a boomerang

Shadow Amulet
The Shadow Amulet is a powerful artifact which can refine and focus Spyro's magic

• Allows him to travel between the "real" world and the shadow world by standing on specific portals
  
  • He can use this to pass through barriers- but not if they are made of iron
• Can move objects with telekinesis
  
  • Opens a gate
  • Moves a stone block
  • Moves a platform
  • Moves a large platform
• Can cast a shock spell to shoot electricity
  
  • Demonstrated here
  • Knocks out the powerful dragon Red in one hit
• Can cast a cyclone spell to attack multiple enemies
  
  • Demonstrated here
• Can banish shadow creatures
  
  • Demonstrated here
• Can turn into an egg
  
• Can concentrate to divine the location of people in trouble
  
• Can teleport between teleport pads
  

Weapons

• Throws Molotov cocktails at Crash Bandcicoot to damage the wall he is on and can repair parts of his own wall
  
• Uses a bouncy ball to take out some enemies
  
• Picks up bullets from Bentley and shoots them out by spitting them, in normal and acidic explosive varieties
  

Vehicles

• Operates a weaponized vehicle
  
• Pilots a UFO
  
  • Another UFO
• Rides a magnetic contraption
  
• Rides a trolley around a dangerous track with no trouble
  
• Rides a roller coaster with a cannon attached
  
• Performs sick skateboard tricks
  
• Rides a rocket skateboard that gains fuel the more tricks he performs
  
• Rides a demolition hovercraft
  
• Rides a speedboat with a missile launcher
  
• Rides a weaponized manta ray underwater
  
• Rides a missile-launching submarine that can move through acid
  
• Rides a turret on tank treads courtesy of Agent 9, as well as a hovercraft with energy blasters
  
• Borrows Moneybags' shark-proof submarine
  
• Takes a ride on Hunter's remote-controlled plane with machine guns
  
• Rides a tank
  
• Rides a honey tank
  
• Flies a military plane
  
• Rolls around in a giant ball
  

Other

• Can spit fireballs
  
• Chases an evil spirit out of a statue by torching it
  
  • Defeats other spirits by blasting them with fire
• Can use chi attacks by flapping his wings, which can break magical shields
  
  • Demonstrated here
• Can free dragons that have been encased in crystal by Gnasty Gnorc
  
• Can temporarily fly freely with a flight powerup
  
• Can jump high into the air with a spring powerup
  
• Has a powerup which temporarily makes him invulnerable
  
  • Can walk across lava unharmed with an invulnerability powerup, as well as walk on acid
• Can spit plasma balls with a plasma ball powerup
  
• Drops a cage on Nina Cortex
  
• Can see hidden teleporters with special glasses
  

Sparx

Sparx is the dragonfly that follows Spyro, helping and protecting him, usually by collecting gems for him. His color changes depending on his health. He can also point in the direction of nearby gems.
Shooting

• Defeats some crawdads
  
• Blasts some starfish
  
• Shoots an electric eel
  
• Blows up a giant crawdad with sustained fire
  
• Defeats a large spider with sustained fire, then a giant spider
  
• Destroys a large insect with sustained fire
  
• Destroys a large bee with sustained fire
  
• Destroys a large, regenerating centipede with sustained fire
  
• Defeats a large manta ray with sustained fire
  
• Destroys a large, metal-covered beetle with sustained fire
  
• Destroys metal robots
  
• Destroys some kind of light fixture
  
• Destroys an anthill
  
• Breaks a flowerpot
  
• Blows up a box
  
• Pushes a propeller with his shots
  

Butterflies

• Eating butterflies can restore Sparx's health, but eating certain butterflies will give him special powerups
  
  • Rapid-fire powerup
  • Spread fire powerup
  • Homing firework powerup
  • Splitting powerup
  • Shield powerup

Abilities

• Can attack by charging, doing essentially anything he can do with a shot
  
• Can attack with bombs
  
• Can attack with missiles
  
• Sparx will flash to let Spyro know that he is near a portal
  
• Capable of speech
  
• Keeps up with Spyro
  

Strength

Charging

• Charges poles to knock gems off the top
  
• Charges coconut trees to shake coconuts out of them
  
• Charges a monster into a gong, knocking it out
  
• Charges a sheep into the air
  
• Charges enemies into the air
  
• Charges through heavily armored enemies, breaking their armor
  
• Charges through snowmobiles
  
• Charges through a robot
  
• Charges large, armored enemies backwards on slippery ice
  
• Charges large, stone Earthshapers backwards a fair distance
  
• Charges the large monster Buzz back repeatedly
  
• Charges the large Ineptune backwards, pushing her through water and shattering the structure she hits
  
• Charges into charging bulls, sticking their horns into the ground
  
• Charges into a birdcage, breaking it apart
  
• Charges rolling metal barrels, knocking them backwards
  
  • Charges a metal barrel across an arena
• Charges bombs across an arena
  
• Charges a giant bomb into the water
  
• Charges through large wooden crates
  
• Charges through metal chests that cannot be broken with fire
  
• Charges through Metalhead's power poles
  
• Charges through a stump
  
• Charges through a large shell
  
• Charges through a pile of rocks
  
• Charges through a large door
  
• Charges through a wall of wood planks underwater
  
• Charges through a brick wall
  
• Charges through a stone wall
  
• Charges through a large, cracked crystal
  
• Charges through a cracked stone wall underwater
  
  • Another one
• Charges through thick, cracked stone
  
  • Another one
• Charges through thick rock
  
• Charges through a large rock
  
• After having a spell cast on him to make him stronger, Spyro can charge through rocks that he could not break before
  

Headbashing

• Headbashes the ground, breaking a large rock and a metal vase without even touching them
  
• Headbashes a metal covering
  
• Headbashes rock shells that some hippos were trapped in
  
• Headbashes a boulder to pieces
  
• Headbashes an Earthshaper to pieces after Hunter stuns it with a magic arrow
  
• Headbashes a stuck elevator to get it moving again
  
• Headbashes a thick layer of ice
  
• Headbashes a thick layer of stone
  

Spitting

• Eats and spits out a projectile hard enough to defeat an enemy
  
• Spits out a baseball hard enough to activate a dunk tank
  
• Spits a rock at a target hard enough to make it explode into pieces
  

Other

• Butt-stomps a TV to crush it
  
• Body-slams a large stone "R" statue
  
• Turns a cannon
  
• Wins a tug of war against an enemy
  
• Balances three stone slabs on his head
  

Agility

Mobility

• Can double jump
  
• Can charge for an extra burst of speed
  
• Can glide and hover, as well as fly freely in certain areas.
  
• Can swim and charge underwater indefinitely
  
• Can swing from horizontal poles
  
• Can kick off walls to wall jump
  
• Can climb and jump up ladders
  
  • Dodges falling lava rocks while climbing up ladders

Movement

• Keeps up with Sparx
  
• Outruns collapsing floor
  
• Catches up to and flames Bianca
  
• Jumps out of the way of Ineptune's breath attack
  
• Jumps out of the way of Nina Cortex's charge
  
• Can jump over blasts from paintball guns
  
  • Of note, in the original game, these are real guns that fire bullets
• Can jump over gatling gun fire from enemy dinosaurs
  
• Can jump over energy shockwaves from Crush's jumps
  
• Can jump over the shockwaves of force from Gulp's jumps
  
• Can jump over gusts of wind blown by Rhynocs
  
• Dodges a surprise energy bolt
  

Other

• Quickly turns a crank to shred up a block of solid ice
  
• Quickly cranks a device to put out a fire
  

Durability

Blunt Force

• Is barely phased by charging into an unyielding object, or even supercharging into walls
  
  • Is unphased by headbashing through large rocks
• Unhurt by being shaken and thrown by a large snowman
  
• Gets stomped on by a woolly mammoth and is fine later
  
• Falls an unclear distance
  

Explosive

• Withstands an explosion that destroys a gate
  
• Unhurt by firing himself out of a cannon
  

Temperature

• Can swim in water covered by thick ice
  
• Unhurt by running through a burning campfire
  

Swallowing and Spitting

• Can swallow and spit out burning lava rocks without injury
  
• Can swallow and spit out acidic, smoking rocks without injury
  
• Can swallow and spit rockets out of his mouth
  

Other

• Resists a magic-draining magic that even the Dragon Elders were powerless against

Skill

Hockey Skill

• Perfects a two-on-two hockey game by eating and spitting out the puck
  
• Beat a Rhynoc in cat hockey so badly that he retired from hockey permanently
  

Combat Skill

• Learns dragon-kata from a martial arts expert and is described as having a natural talent.
  
  • He learned it quickly enough to impress his teacher
• Can target weak points on an opponent's body for increased damage
  
• Defeats ninja Rhynocs
  

Misc Skill

• Carries a live duckling in his mouth without injuring it
  
• Shreds electric guitar
  

"I thought that dragons had all been dead for a thousand years, or something."
"Well, the rumors about our extinction were slightly exaggerated."

Had a blast completing the campaign with an Incinerate Sorceress. After learning the boss mechanics, which I think are some of the best in the ARPG genre, I couldn’t help but wish for my true love - a sword-and-board, battle-tank character.
Aesthetically, I’d be happy with anything, whether it’s a Paladin, Crusader, Black Knight, Hoplite, whatever. Mechanically, I hope for a class emphasizing staying power over mobility, with build diversity styles ranging across negation abilities with significant cooldowns, parry-and-counterattacks with tight timing windows, and regenerate/maintain temporary health to tank incoming damage.
What do you other sword-and-board fans want to see?
Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Passive skill tree option to turn the dash into a block with a longer invincibility window
  
• Ultimate skill that creates a large invincibility bubble for the party and buffs damage output slightly for those standing in it
  
• Parry skill with a short cooldown and small invincibility window that deals damage and/or high stun as a counterattack to a single target that was successfully parried
  
• Stance-dancing between a high defense/lower damage state and a more standard state
  
• Temporary health buff that can be charged/recharged by channeling the skill, I.e. replenishes quickly over time by holding the skill button
  
• An attack that reduces enemy damage dealt by their next attack if it lands during the enemy’s attack animation
  
• Self-buff (active or passive) that reduces damage of the same type that last damaged the character, I.e. was just hit by physical damage and next sources of physical damage are reduced, then gets hit by fire for full damage and the reduction switches to fire-type damage
  

Comparing Orochimaru-style characters: Marvel: Loki (Marvel Comics) - Like Orochimaru, Loki is a cunning and manipulative character with a thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals and are known for their shapeshifting abilities. DC: Ra's al Ghul - Ra's al Ghul, an adversary of Batman, shares similarities with Orochimaru in terms of their immortality-seeking goals and their willingness to experiment on themselves and others. Both characters are skilled in combat and possess vast knowledge. Dragon Ball: Frieza - Frieza, a major antagonist in Dragon Ball, bears some similarities to Orochimaru in terms of their obsession with power and immortality. Both characters are known for their ruthless nature, willingness to betray allies, and their ability to revive or transfer their consciousness. Bleach: Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayuri, a captain in the Gotei 13, possesses a similar scientific and experimental mindset to Orochimaru. Both characters enjoy experimenting on others, pushing ethical boundaries, and have a lack of empathy towards their subjects. One Piece: Caesar Clown - Caesar Clown, an antagonist in One Piece, shares Orochimaru's scientific experimentation and desire for immortality. Both characters are willing to sacrifice others for their own gain and have a knack for manipulation and deception. Digimon: Piedmon - Piedmon, a villain in the Digimon series, shares Orochimaru's penchant for manipulation and desire for eternal life. Both characters are skilled in illusionary techniques and are willing to use others as pawns to achieve their goals. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Jessie and James - While not as dark as Orochimaru, Jessie and James from Pokémon exhibit similar traits of constant scheming and a desire for power. Both characters are known for their persistence and willingness to employ any means necessary to achieve their objectives. Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine - Emperor Palpatine, the primary antagonist in the Star Wars saga, shares Orochimaru's thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are highly manipulative and use others as pawns in their grand schemes. Star Trek: Khan Noonien Singh - Khan, a genetically enhanced superhuman from the Star Trek franchise, exhibits similarities to Orochimaru in terms of his ambition, thirst for power, and disregard for ethical boundaries. Both characters are driven by their desire for superiority. Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort - Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, shares Orochimaru's quest for immortality and his willingness to perform dark magic and experiments to achieve it. Both characters are feared and known for their ruthlessness.
Comparing Danzo-style characters: Marvel: Alexander Pierce - Alexander Pierce, a character from the Marvel Comics and portrayed by Robert Redford in the MCU film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive and manipulative nature. Both characters operate behind the scenes, pulling strings to achieve their desired outcomes. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, also known as "The Wall," is a character from DC Comics who is often portrayed as a ruthless and morally ambiguous government official. Like Danzo, Waller is willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for what she believes is the greater good, even if it means resorting to morally gray tactics. Dragon Ball: Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero, the creator of the androids in Dragon Ball, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their willingness to sacrifice others and manipulate events for their own goals. Both characters operate in secret and are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their objectives. Bleach: Sōsuke Aizen - Aizen, the main antagonist in the Bleach series, shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive nature and manipulation of events from behind the scenes. Both characters are highly intelligent and have a knack for planning and orchestrating complex schemes. One Piece: Spandam - Spandam, a high-ranking member of the World Government in One Piece, shares traits with Danzo in terms of their power-hungry nature and willingness to use others as pawns. Both characters are known for their underhanded tactics and lack of empathy towards their subordinates. Digimon: Machinedramon - Machinedramon, a villainous Digimon, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their authoritarian and manipulative tendencies. Both characters seek to control others and are willing to use force and coercion to achieve their goals. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Giovanni - Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of his secretive nature and manipulation of events. Both characters operate from the shadows, using their organization to achieve their personal ambitions. Star Wars: Grand Moff Tarkin - Grand Moff Tarkin, a high-ranking Imperial officer in Star Wars, exhibits similar traits to Danzo in terms of his authoritative nature and willingness to make ruthless decisions for the sake of the Empire. Both characters prioritize order and control over individual freedoms. Star Trek: Section 31 - Section 31, a clandestine intelligence agency in Star Trek, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their secretive operations and willingness to operate outside of standard protocols for the sake of security and control. Harry Potter: Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of her authoritarian and manipulative nature. Both characters seek power and control and are willing to suppress others to maintain their authority.
Comparing Naruto-style characters: 1. Marvel: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Spider-Man shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their youthful energy, determination, and sense of responsibility. Both characters face personal challenges while striving to protect their loved ones and maintain their moral compass. 2. DC: The Flash (Barry Allen) - The Flash, known for his superhuman speed, mirrors Naruto's energetic and optimistic personality. Both characters have a strong sense of justice and use their powers to help others. 3. Dragon Ball: Goku - Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, exhibits similar traits to Naruto, including his determination, strong moral compass, and the desire to protect his friends and loved ones. Both characters have an unwavering belief in their own potential and a never-give-up attitude. 4. Bleach: Ichigo Kurosaki - Ichigo shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their impulsive nature, strong sense of justice, and the willingness to protect their loved ones at all costs. Both characters undergo personal growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy - Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, has a similar carefree and optimistic personality to Naruto. Both characters have a strong sense of loyalty, fight for their dreams, and gather friends to support them on their journeys. 6. Digimon: Tai Kamiya - Tai, the leader of the DigiDestined in the Digimon series, shares Naruto's determination, bravery, and willingness to protect his friends. Both characters grow as leaders and develop strong bonds with their companions. 7. Pokémon: Ash Ketchum - Ash, the main character of the Pokémon anime series, embodies Naruto's enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering spirit. Both characters strive to become the best in their respective fields and form deep connections with their Pokémon partners. 8. Star Wars: Luke Skywalker - Luke Skywalker, the iconic Jedi Knight, exhibits similarities to Naruto in terms of their journey from a naive and inexperienced youth to a powerful and compassionate hero. Both characters face personal struggles and ultimately become symbols of hope. 9. Star Trek: James T. Kirk - Captain Kirk, the charismatic leader of the Starship Enterprise, shares Naruto's passion, resourcefulness, and willingness to take risks. Both characters inspire and lead their teams through challenging situations. 10. Harry Potter: Harry Potter - Harry, the titular character of the Harry Potter series, mirrors Naruto's courage, determination, and desire to protect his loved ones. Both characters face overwhelming odds and learn valuable lessons about friendship and sacrifice. Comparing Sasuke-style characters: 1. Marvel: Wolverine (Logan) - Wolverine shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of their brooding and solitary nature. Both characters struggle with their inner demons and carry a deep sense of pain and loss. Additionally, they possess extraordinary abilities and are formidable fighters. 2. DC: Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Batman, known for his dark and driven personality, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of their intense dedication to their goals and their willingness to operate outside the norm. Both characters seek justice but are haunted by their past traumas. 3. Dragon Ball: Vegeta - Vegeta, a Saiyan prince in Dragon Ball, exhibits a similar personality to Sasuke in terms of his pride, desire for power, and intense rivalry with the main protagonist. Both characters undergo personal growth and develop a sense of redemption. 4. Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakuya, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of his stoic and aloof demeanor. Both characters have a complex past and struggle with conflicting loyalties. They prioritize personal missions and can be seen as anti-heroes. 5. One Piece : Roronoa Zoro - Zoro, a swordsman and member of the Straw Hat Pirates, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his serious and determined nature. Both characters possess great skill in combat and have a strong desire to become stronger. 6. Digimon: Ken Ichijouji - Ken, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his initial coldness and desire for power. Both characters undergo a journey of redemption and eventually find their place among friends. 7. Pokémon: Silver - Silver, a rival character in the Pokémon games, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his abrasive and driven personality. Both characters are initially antagonistic but later show growth and develop a sense of purpose beyond their rivalry. 8. Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) - Kylo Ren, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his internal conflict, desire for power, and struggle to find his identity. Both characters walk a fine line between light and dark. 9. Star Trek: Spock - Spock, the Vulcan science officer in Star Trek, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his logical and reserved nature. Both characters grapple with their emotions and have internal struggles that impact their relationships with others. 10. Harry Potter: Severus Snape - Snape, a complex character in the Harry Potter series, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his brooding and secretive personality. Both characters have a tragic past and their actions are driven by a desire for revenge and protection. Comparing Sakura Haruno-style characters: 1. Marvel: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) - Black Widow shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their intelligence, strategic thinking, and combat skills. Both characters are determined, independent, and capable of holding their own in dangerous situations. 2. DC: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) - Wonder Woman can be compared to Sakura in terms of their strength, resilience, and determination. Both characters are skilled warriors and possess a compassionate and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18, a powerful fighter in Dragon Ball, exhibits traits similar to Sakura in terms of her physical strength, determination, and the ability to hold her own in battles. Both characters display a balance of strength and femininity. 4. Bleach: Rukia Kuchiki - Rukia shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their growth as characters and their initial underestimation by others. Both characters possess inner strength, intelligence, and a desire to protect their loved ones. 5. One Piece: Nami - Nami, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, can be compared to Sakura in terms of their resourcefulness, intelligence, and ability to think strategically. Both characters contribute to their teams with their expertise and support. 6. Digimon: Sora Takenouchi - Sora, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her strong-willed nature, determination, and willingness to step up and protect her friends. Both characters evolve from initially being more reliant on others to becoming self-reliant. 7. Pokémon: May - May, a Pokémon Coordinator in the Pokémon anime series, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her growth as a character and her development of her own skills and abilities. Both characters strive to become stronger and more independent. 8. Star Wars: Leia Organa - Leia, a central character in the Star Wars saga, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, leadership skills, and ability to handle herself in difficult situations. Both characters are strong-willed and have a compassionate nature. 9. Star Trek: Seven of Nine - Seven of Nine, a character in Star Trek: Voyager, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her determination, intelligence, and growth as a character. Both characters show resilience and adaptability. 10. Harry Potter: Hermione Granger - Hermione, a central character in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, determination, and loyalty. Both characters are driven, capable, and play crucial roles in their respective stories. Comparing Hinata Hyuga-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jean Grey (Phoenix) - Jean Grey shares similarities with Hinata in terms of their shy and reserved nature, as well as their hidden inner strength. Both characters develop into powerful forces and exhibit unwavering loyalty to their loved ones. 2. DC: Raven - Raven, a character from DC Comics, can be compared to Hinata in terms of their quiet demeanor and internal struggles. Both characters possess hidden depths of power and exhibit a gentle and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Gohan - Gohan, the son of Goku in Dragon Ball, shares traits with Hinata in terms of their initial shyness and gentle personality. Both characters possess immense power and show tremendous growth and courage when pushed to their limits. 4. Bleach: Orihime Inoue - Orihime, a character in Bleach, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her kind-hearted nature, shyness, and unwavering loyalty to her friends. Both characters find strength within themselves and show tremendous growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Nico Robin - Robin, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece , shares traits with Hinata in terms of her reserved and introverted personality. Both characters have a tragic past and gradually open up and find their place among their friends. 6. Digimon: Kari Kamiya - Kari, a character from the Digimon series, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her quiet and caring nature. Both characters possess inner strength and provide support and encouragement to their friends. 7. Pokémon: Eevee - Eevee, a popular Pokémon known for its multiple evolutionary paths, can be compared to Hinata in terms of its shy and gentle demeanor. Both characters exhibit a quiet strength and have the potential to evolve and grow. 8. Star Wars: Rey - Rey, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her humble beginnings, inner strength, and loyalty to her friends. Both characters undergo personal growth and discover their true potential. 9. Star Trek: T'Pol - T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her reserved and introspective nature. Both characters provide a calm and rational presence within their respective stories. 10. Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood - Luna, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her quiet and unique personality. Both characters possess a kind and caring nature, with a touch of eccentricity, and offer unwavering support to their friends. Comparing Jiraiya-style characters: 1. Marvel: Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Tony Stark shares similarities with Jiraiya in terms of their charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. Both characters possess a playful and confident nature, while also being skilled in their respective fields. 2. DC: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of their adventurous and wise-cracking personalities. Both characters have a knack for getting into trouble and possess a deep sense of loyalty to their friends. 3. Dragon Ball: Master Roshi - Master Roshi exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of their perverted and eccentric behavior, as well as their mentorship roles to younger characters. Both characters are powerful fighters with a mischievous side. 4. Bleach: Kisuke Urahara - Urahara shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his playful and enigmatic nature. Both characters are knowledgeable mentors who provide guidance and support to the main protagonists. 5. One Piece: Silvers Rayleigh - Rayleigh, a former pirate and mentor to the protagonist, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and carefree demeanor. Both characters possess vast experience and provide crucial guidance. 6. Digimon: Gennai - Gennai, a recurring character in the Digimon series, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and wise demeanor. Both characters guide the protagonists and possess hidden depths of knowledge. 7. Pokémon: Professor Oak - Professor Oak, a character from the Pokémon series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and adventurous nature. Both characters provide guidance and encouragement to young trainers. 8. Star Wars: Qui-Gon Jinn - Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master in Star Wars, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and unconventional approach to the Force. Both characters possess a deep understanding of their respective worlds. 9. Star Trek: Jean-Luc Picard - Captain Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his charismatic and wise leadership style. Both characters inspire and guide their teams. 10. Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore - Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his wisdom, playful nature, and mentorship role. Both characters possess immense knowledge and provide guidance to young heroes. Comparing Tsunade-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jessica Jones - Jessica Jones shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their strong-willed and independent nature. Both characters have a no-nonsense attitude and possess remarkable physical strength. 2. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, a character in the DC universe, exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her authoritative and no-compromise attitude. Both characters are strong leaders who make tough decisions for the greater good. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18 can be compared to Tsunade in terms of their strength, resilience, and no-nonsense personality. Both characters are fierce fighters and demonstrate determination and power. 4. Bleach: Unohana Retsu - Unohana, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their healing abilities and calm demeanor. Both characters possess immense skill and are respected leaders. 5. One Piece: Boa Hancock - Hancock exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her assertive and strong-willed personality. Both characters command respect and have exceptional combat skills. 6. Digimon: Yolei Inoue - Yolei, a character from the Digimon series, can be compared to Tsunade in terms of her determined and assertive nature. Both characters are strong-willed and play crucial roles in their respective groups. 7. Pokémon: Cynthia - Cynthia, a powerful Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and formidable abilities. Both characters are respected figures in their respective worlds. 8. Star Wars: General Leia Organa - Leia Organa, a central character in the Star Wars saga, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her leadership skills, resilience, and determination. Both characters are strong women who command respect. 9. Star Trek: Kathryn Janeway - Captain Janeway, the captain of the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and determination. Both characters face challenges head-on and inspire their crews. 10. Harry Potter: Minerva McGonagall - McGonagall, a professor and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership, no-nonsense attitude, and dedication to her students. Both characters are formidable and respected figures in their respective institutions.

I admire your luck, Mr...?
Bond. James Bond.

Special Agent 007, James Bond is the star agent of MI6. Always cool under pressure and licensed to kill, James is sent to infiltrate enemy organizations and destroy them from the inside. Over the decades, James Bond has gone from serious to campy and back again, but always manages to get the job done through wit, physical ability and superior equipment.
Bond generally wields a sidearm with lethal efficiency, along with a number of incredible gadgets developed by the geniuses at Q Branch. With his remarkable physical ability and ever-changing bag of tools, there isn't an international crime organization that Bond has failed to take down. The only thing that could possible distract Bond are his own vices: women or booze, both of which have gotten one over on him in the past.
James Bond Respect Threads by Actor
Sean Connery- 1962 to 1967, once more in 1971. Physically strong, numerous gadgets disguised as everyday items. Adept in traditional spy skills, like infiltration and observation.
George Lazenby- Once in 1969. Very similar to Connery in his craftiness, skilled specifically in winter sports.
Roger Moore- 1973 to 1985. Downright campy, making use of almost cartoonish skills that actually work in-universe. Skilled driver and pilot with a variety of gadgets.
Timothy Dalton- 1987 to 1989. Colder and more quick to become violent than the others. Usually carries a firearm and a lethal gadget to kill enemies.
Pierce Brosnan- 1995 to 2002. Best variety of gadgets of any Bond. Great feats of endurance and athletic ability.
Daniel Craig- 2006 to 2021. The most realistic Bond, yet has some of the most impressive physical abilities in any of the movies. Low variety of gadgets, but excels in gunfights.
Hover over a feat to see the film it’s from. Additionally, the name of any gif on Gfycat contains the last name of the actor that accomplished it.

Physicals

You have a nasty habit of surviving.
Well, you know what they say about the fittest.

Strength
Striking

• Breaks a wooden board with a downward strike
• Tackles a man through two bathroom stalls
• Barrels through a temporary construction wall
• Punches through drywall and wood to access a hidden room

Lifting/Throwing

• Picks up and throws a chair at a man, knocking him out
• Fights off an attacker with a couch
• Picks up and slides a man across a table
• Tosses a chain onto a low-flying helicopter to cause it to crash
• Holds a man above a ledge by the hair

Grip

• When he’s held underwater by two women, Bond surfaces and holds both of them underwater with one hand each
• Holds onto a small plane while the pilot tries to shake him off
• Catches a rope on a blimp and holds on even after it rises high into the air
• Holds onto the top of a speeding car, even when the driver attempts to shake him off
• Avoids falling out of a plane’s airlock by grabbing onto some netting
• Holds onto the outside of a moving seaplane, even after the pilot attempts to shake him off
• Holds onto the bottom of an elevator car as it rises up a skyscraper

Pushing

• With one other guy, Bond rolls this large concrete column
• Knocks over a large bookshelf

Other

• After being buried in snow by an avalanche, Bond climbs out and is relatively okay about a minute later
• Wrestles with a large constricting snake before killing it with a poison injector

Endurance
Blunt Force

• Keeps fighting after getting a wooden chair broken over his back
• Stays conscious after strikes from Oddjob
  • Oddjob RT
• Fights on through hits with a fireplace poker
• Jumps from a bridge to a passing boat, falling through the roof and onto a wedding cake
• While hanging onto a blimp, he’s smacked into the Golden Gate Bridge and quickly starts climbing up
• He’s knocked down a ladder, but recovers by the time he gets to the bottom rung
• Continues fighting Stamper after a number of blows to the face
• Falls from a low hot air balloon onto a domed structure, and he recovers by grabbing some nearby cables
  • Bond suffered a dislocated collarbone after this fall, however
• When jumping off a low crane, Bond stumbles, falling into a metal air vent. He’s up and running moments later.
• Recieves cock and ball torture by Le Chiffre’s rope, at first barely responding, then laughing in his torturer’s face
• Falls one or two stories onto the top of a bus, but gets up quickly
• Fights on after being hit across the back with a metal pipe four times
• Keeps fighting through repeated strikes from Hinx, like getting thrown into walls or getting thrown through thin walls
  • Mr. Hinx Respect Thread found here
• [Limit] Has a recurring weakness to blunt force trauma to the back of the head

Piercing/Cutting

• Keeps running despite being shot in the calf
  • He’s later seen patching up his calf in the bathroom, so he was definitely hit by a bullet
• Keeps fighting after being cut across the chest and being shot up by a nail gun
• Gets shot in the shoulder by a handgun, but operates mostly unimpeded

Other

• Resists being garroted long enough to grab a knife, stabbing his attacker and turning the garrote wire back on him
• Takes over 12 Gs of force before destroying the machine with an armor-piercing dart
  • Real-life astronauts are typically trained to withstand up to 9 Gs of force.
• Gets electrocuted with a gauntlet that can output 100,000 volts, which leaves him writhing in pain but conscious
  • Scene describing the electrical weapon, where the 100,000 volt figure is from
• Bond is shot by a sniper rifle and falls off a high bridge into water. After three months, Bond is mostly physically able again, although his aim is more noticeably affected.
• Endures having a small surgical drill bore into the back of his skull and into the part of the brain that deals with recognition, seemingly to no negative neurological effect

Agility
Movement

• Chases down an assassin, tackling him
• Takes a running jump up to a rising platform
• Catches up to an aircraft taking off on the runway
• Runs and jumps into a closing metal door
• Catches up to an airplane during takeoff, jumping into the plane through the landing gear
• Catches up to a fleeing truck on a runway, although it obviously hasn’t accelerated to full speed
• Escapes a CIA squad with just a moment's warning
• Runs away from a fireball caused by a house-sized explosion

Reflexes

• While on the ground, he dodges katana swings
• Dodges a thrown knife, then pulls it out of the wood behind him to kill the assassin
• Dodges a dune buggy at close range
• Evades shotgun fire from a pursuer
• Evades rifle fire, then shoots the enemy gunman
• Evades handgun fire with a roll, then avoids some distant machine gun fire
• Dodges a harpoon underwater
• When a man attempts to shoot Bond’s knees from nearly point blank range, Bond moves his legs to avoid the shots
• Uses an enemy to block gunfire
• While sitting in the passenger seat, Bond grabs the driver’s arm before they can shoot him
• Rolls away from an incendiary grenade’s detonation moments after noticing it

Combat Skill

Problem solver?
More of a problem eliminator.

Unarmed Combat
Quick Knock Outs

• Judo flips an attacker, then punches him
• Dispatches a guard with a neck strike
• Silently KOs a man, then steals his equipment to blend in with a scuba crew
• KOs a guard with a judo chop
• Stealthily KOs a guard from behind cover
• Knocks a man out with one kick to the head
• Ends an attempted fistfight with an elbow and then slamming the man on a table
• Knocks out a man by slamming him into the walls of an elevator twice
• Punches a guy out in two strikes
• Consistently one-punches goons
• From a sprint, Bond jumps and kicks a man in the face to knock him out

Against Individuals

• Breaks a hold from behind by a man who wrestles alligators
• Fights evenly with Grant in a train car, with both men getting in hits before Grant begins garroting Bond with a concealed wire
  • Grant is a trained Russian assassin who no-sells strikes to the stomach with brass knuckles
• Sweeps Pussy Galore to the floor, then reverses her judo throw attempt
• Wrestles with Hans before flipping him into a piranha pond
• Flips a man with judo throws twice
• Defeats a strong, tough guy in the hotel
• Has an awesome fistfight with a heavyset henchman, ending with Bond punching him off a rooftop
• Fights an assassin while dangling outside of a moving plane
• Has an extended fistfight with Alec Trevylyn, former agent 006, ending with Alec grabbing a handgun to hold Bond at gunpoint
• During a fight, he breaks a man’s arm, then punches him off a ledge
• Brawls with a martial artist on the outside of a crane

Against Multiple Attackers

• Knocks out six men when fleeing on a rooftop
• Starts thrashing technicians until one pulls a gun
• Defeats four guards in hand-to-hand combat
• Knocks out two attackers who ambushed him
• Drops about four men in a bar fight
• While handcuffed, Bond knocks out four surrounding MI6 agents in an elevator
• Drops two guards with one strike each

Against Armed Attackers

• Kicks away a gunman's gun, then beats him up in the ocean
• Disarms an armed woman with one hand
• While unarmed, Bond fights with a knife-wielding villain, with Bond disarming him and tackling him into water
• Disarms a woman and puts her in a painful armhold
• Disarms a gunman and knocks him down some stairs
• Has an extended fight with a man with a machete while in a confined space. Bond himself was unarmed, although he did ball up his jacket to block some strikes.
• Takes out a CIA riot officer with an elbow to the face
• While completely unarmed, defeats a man wielding an axe, even tricking him into slicing his own foot
• Brawls with an assassin armed with a sniper rifle before dropping him out of a skyscraper
• Intentionally breaks the ice on a frozen lake to bring a gunman down into the water, then Bond chokes him to death with his leg

With Weapons
Blades

• Kills a man with his own knife in one maneuver
• In just a few moves, Bond defeats a henchman in a machete fight, throwing him into a container full of snakes
• Steals a man’s knife, then pins his tie to a nearby counter
• Swordfights with a trained fencer, eventually switching to broadswords, where Bond draws first blood from the torso
• While being held at knifepoint, Bond turns and kills the man with his own knife after a struggle

Blunt Objects

• Breaks a man’s neck with a fireplace poker
• Disarms a diver, then uses the harpoon gun to shatter their goggles
• Using an oar, Bond fights off a man with a large hook
• Uses a ski to knock a man off of a cliff, then kills another man after a struggle
• While unarmed, Bond is attacked by an assassin with a knife, but manages to kill the assassin with a pair of scissors
• Spots an attacker in the reflection of a bronze decoration, then uses the decoration to bludgeon them
• Fights off four men who were beating him with a bat moments before, making heavy use of furniture and blunt items

Unorthodox Items

• Defeats three men in the confined space of a cockpit
• Throws flammable alcohol onto an assassin, igniting him
• Beats down a guard with a door, then five strikes
• Takes out two motorcycle-riding assassins with a long plank of wood
• Uses a ski pole to set a trap for a motorbike-riding assassin
• Knocks out a prison guard while handcuffed, at one point using the cuffs on the man's face
• Defeats two men in a crumbling building, using exposed wiring and a nail gun to dispatch them

Environment Focused

• Brawls with an assassin in a hotel room before throwing him into a bathtub and knocking a fan into the water, electrocuting him
• Kills Oddjob by using exposed electrical wiring on a metal cage that Oddjob was touching
• Tricks Jaws into hitting a wood column, knocking a wooden structure over himself
• Brawls with Jaws atop a cable car
• Fights off three hockey player assassins in a hockey rink, taking one out with the zamboni
• Judo throws a goon onto a bed of spikes
• While pinned to a wooden door by knives, he opens the door and kills an assassin with one of the knives
• Smacks a henchman with a plane’s antenna, throwing him off the plane
• Tosses maggots at a gunman, then knocks him out and judo throws him into the maggots
• Bond drags a guard into water and drowns him
• Bond ties a rope around Mr. Hinx’s neck and attaches it to a weight, then kicks that weight off the train to pull Hinx away

Accuracy

You wouldn’t kill me. You’d miss me.
I never miss.

Pistols

• Grabs Goldfinger’s gun and fires on an airplane window, sucking the villain out of the plane
• Shoots a gunman despite their being behind a column for cover
• Right after waking up, he shoots a ninja in the dark
• Poses as a wax figure and shoots Scaramanga
• Shoots three soldiers with his Walther P5, two of them being headshots
• Accurately hits a gunman from a moving speedboat
• Shoots a gunman through a wooden floor
• Uses a human shield to block bullets, then returns fire, killing a gunman
• Turns and fires on a man before he can fire
• Shoots a man while hanging upside-down by the leg
• Disarms and shoots two policemen
• Disarms the man holding him at gunpoint, then kills four other armed men in seconds
• Shoots two fire extinguishers to obscure the room and allow hostages to safely escape
• While handcuffed and at gunpoint, Bond steals the gun to shoot his captors

Against Vehicles

• Uses the Walther PPK to shoot out a dune buggy’s front tire
• Fires a Taurus PT92 into the engine of an oncoming Jeep, disabling it
• From a speedboat, Bond accurately hits a helicopter’s engine enough with a handgun to cause it to crash

Rifles/Submachine Guns

• Using a sniper rifle, Bond shoots a man in a helicopter, causing him to drop his grenade inside
• Fires a rifle, killing three goons, while sliding down a bannister
• Kills at least 8 men with a submachine gun in a short timeframe
• Turns around and shoots a gunman before he can kill his hostage. Note that Bond turns and fires right after the gunman receives orders to kill the hostage.
• Spots a sneaking soldier dressed in black and kills him with a rifle
• Fires on a guard before the guard can fire his weapon
• From a speeding hovercraft, Bond hits small land mines to detonate them on his pursuers
• Uses a Sa vz. 58 Compact to escape Blofeld’s facility, killing nearly a dozen guards, even at extreme range

Other Firearms

• Turns and immediately shoots a harpoon gun, killing a stealthy assassin
• Takes out a distant sniper by firing a shotgun
• Accurately shoots a sniper’s rifle with his own, rather than kill her
• Escapes a crowd of divers by stealing a harpoon gun and firing it into a nearby seaplane, pulling himself away

Non-Firearm Accuracy

• Throws three scalpels into a man’s arm and chest
• Throws a knife into a specific date on a calendar from across a room
• When the auto-targeting system fails, Bond manually shoots down a capsule full of viruses with a laser cannon
• Kills a man with a climbing spike

Other Skills

I always enjoyed learning a new tongue.
You always were a cunning linguist, James.

Athletics

• Dives off an oil rig into the ocean below
• Avoids machine gun fire while skiing
• Continues skiing after losing a ski
• While skiing, Bond jumps and twists to smack two gunmen with his skis
• Goes rock climbing on a nearly vertical rock wall
• Temporarily outswims the pull of an industrial fan before destroying it with his air tank
• Performs a HALO jump into water, then immediately begins scuba diving
• Swims outside of a submarine, scaling the surface until he can re-enter the vessel on the other side. He had to hold his breath for almost two minutes while scaling the outside of the submarine.
• Infiltrates North Korea by simply surfing onto the coast of the country
• Parasurfs off a collapsing iceberg
• Leaps from a crashing plane, catching up to his partner and using her parachute to save them both

Driving/Piloting
Driving

• Weaves around a parking lot, causing a dozen cop cars to crash into themselves, walls or parked cars
• Briefly drives on two wheels to slip through a narrow alley
• Drifts a double decker bus, causing a couple cops to crash their motorcycles
• Jumps over a river in a car using a broken bridge as a ramp
• While driving, he knocks over barrels onto enemies, then drives on two wheels to block bullets
• Drives a car over a ramp, onto a bus, then back to ground level

Piloting Aircraft

• Picks up a villain's wheelchair with a helicopter, then drops him into a smokestack
• Avoids a heat-seeking missile while piloting a small plane, redirecting it into an enemy hangar
• Dodges a stinger missile by driving a semi-truck on only the left hand wheels
• Starts a helicopter in midair and lands safely
• While flying a much less maneuverable plane, Bond tricks a fighter jet into crashing into a mountainside by producing smoke from a damaged engine
• Ejects a pilot from a helicopter, then pulls the helicopter out of freefall

Other

• Jumps a speedboat over a small patch of land
• Drifts a tank, then drives through a building to cause untold property damage

Traversal

• Performs a front flip off a ledge
• Traverses a ski lift wire with nothing more than a pair of mittens
• Traverses the underside of an oil rig by swinging on a rope, then walking a tightrope
• Jumps on the back of a couple alligators to escape a swamp
• Swings on vines like Tarzan to escape pursuers
• Traverses the side of a moving train
• Uses a long pole to safely travel down a building, then releases the pole to smack a pursuing officer
• Performs a combat roll down stairs to avoid handgun fire
• Runs up a crane to reach the top of a building under construction
• Climbs up a vertical I-beam
• From the top of a moving truck, Bond runs and flips through the open windshield
• Jumps down a story onto stone, rolling to avoid impact damage

Stealth

• Uses a hollow reed to hide underwater from guards and dogs
• Hides in plain sight by pretending to be making out, but it’s actually just his own arms wrapped around himself
• Evades a crowd of police
• Lowers his heart rate to trick medical staff and an EKG, then dispatches the staff and escapes the hospital
• Broke into M’s house to use her computer

Other

• [Observation] Notices an attacker in the reflection of a woman’s eye, then uses her as a human shield to block a strike
• [Foreign Language] Learned several Asian languages at Cambridge
• [Alcoholism] Can tell the temperature of alcohol after one sip
• [Deception] Poses as a genealogist under the pseudonym Sir Hillary Bray. After a few days, Blofeld sees through the ruse and has Bond captured.
• [Underwater] Ties a boat to a large rock with the rope he’s bound in, causing the boat to break the rope, freeing Bond
• [Sleight of Hand] Switches out a priceless Faberge egg for a fake copy
• [Animal Commanding] Commands a wild tiger to sit, and it actually listens
• [Gambling] Wins a quarter of a million dollars at a high stakes gambling table
• [Invention] Descends a tall building with some rope and an unconscious body
• [Seduction] Seduces a married woman to learn more about her husband’s criminal activity
• [Preparation] Puts shotgun shells under the floorboards in order to fire on intruders when they step on them
• [Observation] Identifies a hidden door based on a tiny sliver of light through the crack

Equipment

Right, now pay attention 007. I want you to take great care of this equipment. There are one or two rather special accessories.
Q, have I ever let you down?
Frequently.

Weapons
Firearms

• Carries a Walther PPK, a discreet pistol with excellent stopping power
• A collapsible Armalite AR-7 sniper rifle with an infrared sight, allowing for use in the dark
• Bond carries a S&W model 29 revolver in early Moore films, then later switches to his iconic Walther PPK, then, finally, uses the Walther P5
• Carries a very small firearm, the Beretta 950 Jetfire
• Has a firearm disguised as a camera. Additionally, the device is programmed to Bond’s own palm signature, meaning only he can fire the weapon.
  • The camera gun can be outfitted with a scope and tripod for long range fire
• A suppressed UMP-9, used to fire on Mr. White’s leg at range
• A Walther PPK with a palm-print sensor coded to Bond’s hand, meaning only he can fire it
  • Sure enough, when someone else tries to use it, it just doesn’t fire
• A heavily modified Glock 17, with laser sight and microphone attachment

Other

• A combat knife
• A projectile launcher disguised as a cigarette, gifted to Bond by a ninja master
• A grenade disguised as a ballpoint pen
  • By tossing the grenade pen into a pool of fuel, an explosion and destructive fire is formed
• A grenade disguised as a lighter
• A flashbang explosive disguised as a handgun, used to stun three gunmen, allowing Bond to dispatch them

Gadgets
Mobility

• A grappling gun and cord that attaches to his pants, allowing him to scale the outside of a skyscraper
  • Can be outfitted with metal projectiles and used as a firearm instead
• Briefly wore a ninja outfit with suction cups on the palms and knees, used to scale down metal walls
• Flies away from a fight with a jetpack
• A belt with a hidden high-tensile cord, enough to support Bond’s own weight
  • Using the belt cord, Bond swings Spider-Man-style across a room and out a window

Reconnaissance/Infiltration

• A small explosive, used to blow a lock off a cell door
• Has a small safe-cracking device disguised as a cigarette case
• Special glasses to see through tinted glass
• Photocopier disguised as a checkbook
• A digital skeleton key disguised as a gift card
• Binoculars built into a pair of glasses
• Sunglasses with built in X-ray vision, allowing Bond to detect concealed weapons and see through women’s clothing
• A powerful camera, used to identify the faces of high profile criminals with just a few pixels
• A cell phone that acts as a fingerprint scanner, a powerful taser and as a remote control for a BMW

Continued in Comments

If anyone else is like me then when playing Final Fantasy VIII, they LOVE to assign specific GFs to specific characters, they feel that they fit best with. Over the years and through multiple times playing this game, I’ve always come back to doing this and given it a LOT more thought than I care to admit, to see if I was wrong about any or if one meshes up better with another character. As such, I figured I’d finally publish my list for anyone who either wants to use it or who wants to challenge my perspective and thinks I’m wrong about one of them. This will run a bit long, but it’s meant to be fun and comprehensive, so enjoy how much I’ve nerded out on this game for your benefit, lol.
Quezacotl – I associate Zell with ThundeWind, mainly due to the second GF I decided to give him and his energetic personality. In my opinion, the first 3 GFs should be divided amongst the first 3 characters, and everyone should have at least 1 by the end of disk 1. The next 2 are much stronger fits, which explain why this one is assigned to Zell as his first GF, along with his other GF below. If I had to connect it to something else though, I’d point out how Quezacotl’s wings and body look tattooed like Zell’s face and how if someone is going to goof off slightlyduring battle to turn enemies into collectable trading cards, it’s definitely going to be Zell.
Shiva – Many would say Squall because of his personality, but I disagree which I’ll explain further below. I associate Quistis with Ice/Water, and Shiva even kind of looks like her with the yellow pigtails. Seeing as how it’s obtained from the computer in her classroom or gifted to Squall for the exam by her, it should go back to her as her first GF. Since she’s also Squall’s support during the exam when obtaining Ifrit, it makes perfect sense she would have the trump card as his support and teacher, in the event he got in trouble. It’s refine ability also pairs well with another GF we’ll give to her further down, due to the fact it refines both Ice and Water magic and groups them together.
Ifrit – Many people want to pair this with Zell, but I think that’s wrong. It’s basically a flaming lion with horns. Who better to give it to than to Squall? After all a lion is his motif, it was the first part of his SeeD exam and the first GF he obtained on his own, that wasn’t given to him. I also personally associate Squall with the element of Fire. After all, he uses it in Kingdom Hearts which came out shortly after this, one of his swords is called the Flame Saber and pretty much every promotional image of the Gunblade or Greiver symbol has it on fire. Sure, Squall’s personality might by icy, but if you pay attention, he’s a mirror of Seifer. They use the same weapon, so preferring the same magic type, makes perfect sense. It also serves as an excellent juxtaposition against Edea’s Ice. In addition, Ifrit’s compatibility item Red Fang, is needed for Squall’s Gunblade, Twin Lance. Also, to obtain Rinoa’s card, Squall also must lose Ifrit to General Caraway and to get it back, he has to beat the only other Headmaster we meet, Martine: fitting for both the leader of our party and Rinoa’s love interest and Knight. Finally, it has the ability to refine ammo, which even though we don’t use it in game, would be necessary for Squall’s Gunblade.
Siren – I initially had the hardest time with this one and Carbnucle, as one had to go to Rinoa and the other to Selphie, both because it fits thematically and for balancing issues as I want everyone to have at least 1 GF by the end of the first disk. Despite the angelic appearance, and the fact it’s a musician and singer like Rinoa’s mother, I chose to give this one to Selphie as her first GF. In the game, Selphie shows more musical interest than Rinoa does, and the GF is obtained in Dollet, shortly after meeting Selphie and as part of her field exam. As such, I felt it should appropriately go to her. Finally, its ability to refine life magic fits in well with Selphie’s White Mage role in the game.
Brothers - Irvine seems like an Earth elemental sort of person to me and the Brothers are found right next to Galbadia Garden, shortly after acquiring Irvine. Seeing as how the tomb is also a requirement for the assassination mission, other Galbadia students failed to conquer it, and how the motto of Galbadia Garden is "Keep on Rockin'", it seems only fitting for him to claim them as his first GF. In addition, their attack is called Brotherly Love which fits in with Irvine being the only character to remember his family from the orphanage. They also perform a move called Mad Cow Special during their boss battle, which aligns with Irvine being a Cowboy. Finally, to obtain Irvine's Triple Triad card, you must lose Brothers first, and if you refine the card, you gain Dino Bones which are necessary for Irvine’s ultimate weapon, while also being Brother's compatibility item. In other countries this GF is also named Taurus, after the zodiac sign of the bull, something cowboys are known for riding.
Diablos – This GF is a gift from Cid, and as such I think it pairs best with Squall, as a gift from one SeeD Commander and Sorceress’s Knight to another. Diablos also specializes in time refinement magic, which I feel aligns perfectly with both his sister, Ellone’s abilities, and that his is destined to fight against Ultimicia who is trying to enact Time Compression. It’s also the only GF you can obtain as Laguna which kind of adds in a generational aspect to it. Finally, I think the concept of the magic lamp makes for a really cool Bootstrap Paradox. Perhaps Squall lost it at the end of the game and Edea gave it to Cid, to give back to him.
Carbnucle – As I said I initially had trouble with this and Siren for Rinoa and Selphie. Ultimately though, I decided to give this to Rinoa as I feel it fits better than Siren. Carbnucle is obtained in Deiling City, her hometown from the Iguions sent to kill her by Edea. As such, I feel it’s only appropriate that she get this as her first GF, as it has the ability to protect her from magic, through Reflect. Seeing as how it also came from Edea and Rinoa end up being a sorceress, this seemed to fit well as her other GF. In addition it has the ability to refine recovery medicine and it’s card is held by the Card Club Member, the Queen Heart, matching with her last name.
Leviathan - As mentioned above, I matched Quistis with the element of Ice/Water. Leviathan is held in Balamb Garden by Norg, one of her former bosses. To me that says it should go to another faculty member of Balamb Garden, so either Squall or Quistis. Squall in my opinion has much better GFs that align with him, but even without that fact, Quistis is still a stronger candidate. After all, it pairs perfectly with Shiva above, as Shiva refines water magic, not Leviathan. This GF is also responsible for support magic and GF Recovery medicine which seems fitting for your former teacher, making sure both you and your GFs stay healthy. In addition, the Levithan card is held in the training grounds by the Card Club member immediately following her, Joker, and if you refine it, you get Doc's Codes which pairs well with the fact she gained the Card Club Master King position from Dr. Kadowaki.
Pandemona - As I said at the start, I associate Zell with ThundeWind. Pandemona is obtained in Balamb Town, Zell's hometown where he is idolized and seen as a bit of a hero. It's drawn from Seifer's sidekicks on the disciplinary committee that Zell is always getting in trouble with and as such, it seems poetic to me that your sidekick gets to stand up to his bullies, save his hometown, and steal their GF in the process. Finally, the Pandemona Card is also held by hotel owner involved in Zell's Love Quest with the Library Girl, as that’s their “love spot” in the compatibility quiz and where she awards him with a Combat King magazine.
Cerberus - Cerberus is found in Galbadia Garden during the Battle of the Gardens. From what we can tell they had likely started experimenting with GFs. As such, if it's going to go to someone in our party, it should likely go to the only person from said Garden, Irvine. Giving Irvine Cerberus, also mirrors the only other non-SeeD member Rinoa, having both a dog and the only other non-combat GF, Carbnucle. Finally, the Cerberus card modifies into Lightweight, an item drop from another GF related monster, we'll be assigning to Irvine further down, helping tie his GF choices together.
Alexander - Rinoa best fits with the element of Holy in my opinion. After all, she has angel wings on her back, as part of her limit break, and even her on ultimate weapon. She's also constantly surrounded by white feathers and shooting stars throughout the game and in promotional images. Not to mention this Gf is acquired as Ultimicia is defeated in Edea and transfers her powers and consciousness into Rinoa, so it seems only right that the GF should be transferred as well. Besides it's a robotic castle that looks like a knight and I'm sure Squall wouldn't mind the extra help. Alexander can also take transform other spells into the most powerful forms of magic and naturally learns revive, which is fitting for our new sorceress. Finally, the Alexander card is also held by Piet up at the Lunar Base where Rinoa is possessed, unleashes Adel, and shortly after also obtains Adel’s powers, tying further into the fact it should go to a sorceress.
Doomtrain – This one should be obvious. There’s one person in the game who constantly talks about trains and their love for them and that’s, Selphie. A demonic train who inflicts your enemies with poison and every negative status effect imaginable is right up her alley. If we also divide the elements of the game, Poison is left for Selphie, which is fitting as she’d easily be the one most likely to kill you with it. Plus, Doomtrain’s refine ability allows you to refine forbidden medicine which also fits in with Selphie’s White Mage role. To add in a nod to Selphie’s other GF’s the ring is also obtained under a statue of a girl holding a harp like Siren and the Doomtrain card is obtained from the pub owner in Timber, the same exact location, another GF related card below is found.
Bahamut - Known as the Great GFs according to Squall. This is the King of GFs and as such I feel it’s only proper that it should go to him. After all, his father played Zefer in the movie, The Sorceress’s Knight, and before you face Bahamut, he throws multiple Ruby Dragons at you, so in a way it’s a bit poetic that Squall should obtain the dragon GF, while being Rinoa’s Knight. In addition, Ultimicia also has Tiamat as her ultimate monster before Greiver is pulled from Squall's mind, so it seems only fitting Squall should have its counterpart. The fact you can also obtain the highest magic in the game from him through his refine ability and that he serves as the test to make your way to Eden, only cements this choice further. Finally, his move Megaflare matches up somewhat with Ifrit, as in games where Flare has an element, it's fire.
Cactuar - Cactuar has no clear ties to any of the characters at first glance, however a cactus fits in with Irvine’s whole cowboy & western motif if you think about it. I also noticed at the start of its summon animation, when it jumps in front of the stylized sun, that image of the rays is nearly identical to the circular pendant Irvine wears, and if we look at the bottom of his necklace, it resembles the 3 quills on Cactuar's head. His name is also taken from the word pretender in other languages, which I feel aligns with Irvine, pretending to not know the others until later in the game. Finally, it attacks by shooting 10,000 needles, something fitting for the only person with a gun.
Tonberry - Tonberry at first glance doesn't display any obvious ties to our characters, however if we dig a little deeper, we can see a connection. If we go to Trabia Garden, a cadet mentions the Tonberry GF in his sleep. We also know that as a child, another member of Trabia Garden, Selphie, obtained a GF during an outdoor training session, that she found inside a monster, after defeating it. If we happen to find a secret Timber Mechanics magazine, it adds an entry on the computer which shows a younger Selphie taking a trip to the Centra Ruins as a child. If we connect the dots, this leads me to believe that IF it's one of the GFs we encounter in the game, Selphie's childhood GF was likely Tonberry. In addition Tonberry has numerous shopping related abilities such as, Sell High, Familiar, Haggle, and Call Shop, that all pair thematically well with Selphie’s other GF, Doomtrain, and his Junk Shop ability, tying everything together. Tonberry King even attacks you with Junk while you’re battling him. Plus when it comes down to it, who else do you realistically get cute and borderline psycho killer vibes from? Finally, while you obtain the Doomtrain card from the pub owner in Timber, you can get the Tonberry Card from the drunken drifter nearby, further tying them together.
Eden - The ultimate GF. The only 2 people it could logically go to is either Squall or Rinoa. Of those, I think Squall is a better fit as you obtain it from the 2nd most powerful monster in the game, and if you miss it, it's obtained from Tiamat, Bahamut's counterpart. It's also a mobile garden after all, and who better to go to than our protagonist and the creator of both Garden and SeeDs. Eden also contains a few angel wing motifs throughout its design which adds in a nod to Rinoa and nice thematic imagery with Squall being her knight. Finally, it has an attack called Eternal Breath which alludes to time, and the fact both Squall and his archenemy Ultimicia are bound to it. It's refine ability also allows you to teach all other GFs abilities which is appropriately fitting for the Garden Commander.
Additional Notes – Some may ask why Irvine and Selphie got 3 and everyone else except for Squall got 2. This is mainly due to Cactuar and Tonberry as there’s really no one they pair better with in my opinion than Irvine and Selphie. If you want an in-universe reason though to keep with the theme, I feel because Trabia and Galbadia are not as experienced with GFs, Squall may want to help get them up to speed. This does not need to be done for Rinoa cause by this time she’s a Sorceress. I think it also works well as those 2 are our B couple in the game. It could also be cause the other 3 have been using GFs longer, so by giving it to them, it could help Squall, Zell, and Quistis slightly combat the effects of memory loss.
Rinoa and Irvine got the support GFs cause they’re not SeeD and cause I saw Squall wanting them to practice before they were allowed more powerful summons. The exception to this was Brothers and only because necessity demanded it with Irvine being involved with the assassination mission against the Sorceress. It was also nice to be able to give Irvine a dog, since Rinoa already had one.
ThundeWind and Ice/Water are paired up in this game with Quezacotl and Shiva, so I did the same with Zell and Quistis. I feel these fits well as they’re the original Balamb SeeDs along with Squall, while Selphie is technically a transfer. This means the Final Fantasy trifecta starting elements of Fire, Thunder, and Ice are divided amongst the original Balamb Members.
So that’s everything. If I messed up on something, missed something I could’ve added, or someone else fits better with a specific GF, feel free to comment below and give me your analysis.

I went on a late night drive yesterday and it was so much fun. The empty roads and clear skies make one of the best combination ever. Do you go on night drives or walk often? What makes you happy? What about night shower or baths?
Also I recently watched run on Netflix and it was a good one imo before that I watched The last black man in San Francisco. What kind of stuff do you watch or listen to??
I love watching it rain from the window of my room, especially when we have thunderstorms and lightning, it just makes it better.
Anyways I love nature and animals and birds. I wanna see a tiger from up close, I wanna hold an eagle or at least try to cause they’re sooo huge. Wby? What do you have on your bucket list? Has it become so big that it’s become a well-list 😂. Well that sounded funny in my head. Also I love horror and crime movies. Although I watch all genres but those are my favourite. Not a big reader but I try sometimes. If weather permits I go play tennis in the summer. So yea I’m just looking to chat with some interesting people and talk about interesting things or dumb things or whatever lol . You’re free to talk about anything . Everyone’s welcome

Do you guys and gals agreed with the ChatGPT?
Comparing Orochimaru-style characters:

1. Marvel: Loki (Marvel Comics) - Like Orochimaru, Loki is a cunning and manipulative character with a thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals and are known for their shapeshifting abilities.
2. DC: Ra's al Ghul - Ra's al Ghul, an adversary of Batman, shares similarities with Orochimaru in terms of their immortality-seeking goals and their willingness to experiment on themselves and others. Both characters are skilled in combat and possess vast knowledge.
3. Dragon Ball: Frieza - Frieza, a major antagonist in Dragon Ball, bears some similarities to Orochimaru in terms of their obsession with power and immortality. Both characters are known for their ruthless nature, willingness to betray allies, and their ability to revive or transfer their consciousness.
4. Bleach: Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayuri, a captain in the Gotei 13, possesses a similar scientific and experimental mindset to Orochimaru. Both characters enjoy experimenting on others, pushing ethical boundaries, and have a lack of empathy towards their subjects.
5. One Piece: Caesar Clown - Caesar Clown, an antagonist in One Piece, shares Orochimaru's scientific experimentation and desire for immortality. Both characters are willing to sacrifice others for their own gain and have a knack for manipulation and deception.
6. Digimon: Piedmon - Piedmon, a villain in the Digimon series, shares Orochimaru's penchant for manipulation and desire for eternal life. Both characters are skilled in illusionary techniques and are willing to use others as pawns to achieve their goals.
7. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Jessie and James - While not as dark as Orochimaru, Jessie and James from Pokémon exhibit similar traits of constant scheming and a desire for power. Both characters are known for their persistence and willingness to employ any means necessary to achieve their objectives.
8. Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine - Emperor Palpatine, the primary antagonist in the Star Wars saga, shares Orochimaru's thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are highly manipulative and use others as pawns in their grand schemes.
9. Star Trek: Khan Noonien Singh - Khan, a genetically enhanced superhuman from the Star Trek franchise, exhibits similarities to Orochimaru in terms of his ambition, thirst for power, and disregard for ethical boundaries. Both characters are driven by their desire for superiority.
10. Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort - Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, shares Orochimaru's quest for immortality and his willingness to perform dark magic and experiments to achieve it. Both characters are feared and known for their ruthlessness.

Comparing Danzo-style characters:

1. Marvel: Alexander Pierce - Alexander Pierce, a character from the Marvel Comics and portrayed by Robert Redford in the MCU film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive and manipulative nature. Both characters operate behind the scenes, pulling strings to achieve their desired outcomes.
2. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, also known as "The Wall," is a character from DC Comics who is often portrayed as a ruthless and morally ambiguous government official. Like Danzo, Waller is willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for what she believes is the greater good, even if it means resorting to morally gray tactics.
3. Dragon Ball: Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero, the creator of the androids in Dragon Ball, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their willingness to sacrifice others and manipulate events for their own goals. Both characters operate in secret and are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their objectives.
4. Bleach: Sōsuke Aizen - Aizen, the main antagonist in the Bleach series, shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive nature and manipulation of events from behind the scenes. Both characters are highly intelligent and have a knack for planning and orchestrating complex schemes.
5. One Piece: Spandam - Spandam, a high-ranking member of the World Government in One Piece, shares traits with Danzo in terms of their power-hungry nature and willingness to use others as pawns. Both characters are known for their underhanded tactics and lack of empathy towards their subordinates.
6. Digimon: Machinedramon - Machinedramon, a villainous Digimon, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their authoritarian and manipulative tendencies. Both characters seek to control others and are willing to use force and coercion to achieve their goals.
7. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Giovanni - Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of his secretive nature and manipulation of events. Both characters operate from the shadows, using their organization to achieve their personal ambitions.
8. Star Wars: Grand Moff Tarkin - Grand Moff Tarkin, a high-ranking Imperial officer in Star Wars, exhibits similar traits to Danzo in terms of his authoritative nature and willingness to make ruthless decisions for the sake of the Empire. Both characters prioritize order and control over individual freedoms.
9. Star Trek: Section 31 - Section 31, a clandestine intelligence agency in Star Trek, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their secretive operations and willingness to operate outside of standard protocols for the sake of security and control.
10. Harry Potter: Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of her authoritarian and manipulative nature. Both characters seek power and control and are willing to suppress others to maintain their authority.

Comparing Naruto-style characters:

1. Marvel: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Spider-Man shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their youthful energy, determination, and sense of responsibility. Both characters face personal challenges while striving to protect their loved ones and maintain their moral compass.
   
2. DC: The Flash (Barry Allen) - The Flash, known for his superhuman speed, mirrors Naruto's energetic and optimistic personality. Both characters have a strong sense of justice and use their powers to help others.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Goku - Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, exhibits similar traits to Naruto, including his determination, strong moral compass, and the desire to protect his friends and loved ones. Both characters have an unwavering belief in their own potential and a never-give-up attitude.
   
4. Bleach: Ichigo Kurosaki - Ichigo shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their impulsive nature, strong sense of justice, and the willingness to protect their loved ones at all costs. Both characters undergo personal growth throughout their respective stories.
   
5. One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy - Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, has a similar carefree and optimistic personality to Naruto. Both characters have a strong sense of loyalty, fight for their dreams, and gather friends to support them on their journeys.
   
6. Digimon: Tai Kamiya - Tai, the leader of the DigiDestined in the Digimon series, shares Naruto's determination, bravery, and willingness to protect his friends. Both characters grow as leaders and develop strong bonds with their companions.
   
7. Pokémon: Ash Ketchum - Ash, the main character of the Pokémon anime series, embodies Naruto's enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering spirit. Both characters strive to become the best in their respective fields and form deep connections with their Pokémon partners.
   
8. Star Wars: Luke Skywalker - Luke Skywalker, the iconic Jedi Knight, exhibits similarities to Naruto in terms of their journey from a naive and inexperienced youth to a powerful and compassionate hero. Both characters face personal struggles and ultimately become symbols of hope.
   
9. Star Trek: James T. Kirk - Captain Kirk, the charismatic leader of the Starship Enterprise, shares Naruto's passion, resourcefulness, and willingness to take risks. Both characters inspire and lead their teams through challenging situations.
   
10. Harry Potter: Harry Potter - Harry, the titular character of the Harry Potter series, mirrors Naruto's courage, determination, and desire to protect his loved ones. Both characters face overwhelming odds and learn valuable lessons about friendship and sacrifice.
    

Comparing Sasuke-style characters:

1. Marvel: Wolverine (Logan) - Wolverine shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of their brooding and solitary nature. Both characters struggle with their inner demons and carry a deep sense of pain and loss. Additionally, they possess extraordinary abilities and are formidable fighters.
   
2. DC: Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Batman, known for his dark and driven personality, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of their intense dedication to their goals and their willingness to operate outside the norm. Both characters seek justice but are haunted by their past traumas.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Vegeta - Vegeta, a Saiyan prince in Dragon Ball, exhibits a similar personality to Sasuke in terms of his pride, desire for power, and intense rivalry with the main protagonist. Both characters undergo personal growth and develop a sense of redemption.
   
4. Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakuya, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of his stoic and aloof demeanor. Both characters have a complex past and struggle with conflicting loyalties. They prioritize personal missions and can be seen as anti-heroes.
   
5. One Piece
   

: Roronoa Zoro - Zoro, a swordsman and member of the Straw Hat Pirates, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his serious and determined nature. Both characters possess great skill in combat and have a strong desire to become stronger.

1. Digimon: Ken Ichijouji - Ken, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his initial coldness and desire for power. Both characters undergo a journey of redemption and eventually find their place among friends.
   
2. Pokémon: Silver - Silver, a rival character in the Pokémon games, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his abrasive and driven personality. Both characters are initially antagonistic but later show growth and develop a sense of purpose beyond their rivalry.
   
3. Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) - Kylo Ren, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his internal conflict, desire for power, and struggle to find his identity. Both characters walk a fine line between light and dark.
   
4. Star Trek: Spock - Spock, the Vulcan science officer in Star Trek, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his logical and reserved nature. Both characters grapple with their emotions and have internal struggles that impact their relationships with others.
   
5. Harry Potter: Severus Snape - Snape, a complex character in the Harry Potter series, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his brooding and secretive personality. Both characters have a tragic past and their actions are driven by a desire for revenge and protection.
   

Comparing Sakura Haruno-style characters:

1. Marvel: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) - Black Widow shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their intelligence, strategic thinking, and combat skills. Both characters are determined, independent, and capable of holding their own in dangerous situations.
   
2. DC: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) - Wonder Woman can be compared to Sakura in terms of their strength, resilience, and determination. Both characters are skilled warriors and possess a compassionate and caring nature.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18, a powerful fighter in Dragon Ball, exhibits traits similar to Sakura in terms of her physical strength, determination, and the ability to hold her own in battles. Both characters display a balance of strength and femininity.
   
4. Bleach: Rukia Kuchiki - Rukia shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their growth as characters and their initial underestimation by others. Both characters possess inner strength, intelligence, and a desire to protect their loved ones.
   
5. One Piece: Nami - Nami, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, can be compared to Sakura in terms of their resourcefulness, intelligence, and ability to think strategically. Both characters contribute to their teams with their expertise and support.
   
6. Digimon: Sora Takenouchi - Sora, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her strong-willed nature, determination, and willingness to step up and protect her friends. Both characters evolve from initially being more reliant on others to becoming self-reliant.
   
7. Pokémon: May - May, a Pokémon Coordinator in the Pokémon anime series, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her growth as a character and her development of her own skills and abilities. Both characters strive to become stronger and more independent.
   
8. Star Wars: Leia Organa - Leia, a central character in the Star Wars saga, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, leadership skills, and ability to handle herself in difficult situations. Both characters are strong-willed and have a compassionate nature.
   
9. Star Trek: Seven of Nine - Seven of Nine, a character in Star Trek: Voyager, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her determination, intelligence, and growth as a character. Both characters show resilience and adaptability.
   
10. Harry Potter: Hermione Granger - Hermione, a central character in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, determination, and loyalty. Both characters are driven, capable, and play crucial roles in their respective stories.
    

Comparing Hinata Hyuga-style characters:

1. Marvel: Jean Grey (Phoenix) - Jean Grey shares similarities with Hinata in terms of their shy and reserved nature, as well as their hidden inner strength. Both characters develop into powerful forces and exhibit unwavering loyalty to their loved ones.
   
2. DC: Raven - Raven, a character from DC Comics, can be compared to Hinata in terms of their quiet demeanor and internal struggles. Both characters possess hidden depths of power and exhibit a gentle and caring nature.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Gohan - Gohan, the son of Goku in Dragon Ball, shares traits with Hinata in terms of their initial shyness and gentle personality. Both characters possess immense power and show tremendous growth and courage when pushed to their limits.
   
4. Bleach: Orihime Inoue - Orihime, a character in Bleach, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her kind-hearted nature, shyness, and unwavering loyalty to her friends. Both characters find strength within themselves and show tremendous growth throughout their respective stories.
   
5. One Piece: Nico Robin - Robin, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece
   

, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her reserved and introverted personality. Both characters have a tragic past and gradually open up and find their place among their friends.

1. Digimon: Kari Kamiya - Kari, a character from the Digimon series, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her quiet and caring nature. Both characters possess inner strength and provide support and encouragement to their friends.
   
2. Pokémon: Eevee - Eevee, a popular Pokémon known for its multiple evolutionary paths, can be compared to Hinata in terms of its shy and gentle demeanor. Both characters exhibit a quiet strength and have the potential to evolve and grow.
   
3. Star Wars: Rey - Rey, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her humble beginnings, inner strength, and loyalty to her friends. Both characters undergo personal growth and discover their true potential.
   
4. Star Trek: T'Pol - T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her reserved and introspective nature. Both characters provide a calm and rational presence within their respective stories.
   
5. Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood - Luna, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her quiet and unique personality. Both characters possess a kind and caring nature, with a touch of eccentricity, and offer unwavering support to their friends.
   

Comparing Jiraiya-style characters:

1. Marvel: Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Tony Stark shares similarities with Jiraiya in terms of their charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. Both characters possess a playful and confident nature, while also being skilled in their respective fields.
   
2. DC: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of their adventurous and wise-cracking personalities. Both characters have a knack for getting into trouble and possess a deep sense of loyalty to their friends.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Master Roshi - Master Roshi exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of their perverted and eccentric behavior, as well as their mentorship roles to younger characters. Both characters are powerful fighters with a mischievous side.
   
4. Bleach: Kisuke Urahara - Urahara shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his playful and enigmatic nature. Both characters are knowledgeable mentors who provide guidance and support to the main protagonists.
   
5. One Piece: Silvers Rayleigh - Rayleigh, a former pirate and mentor to the protagonist, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and carefree demeanor. Both characters possess vast experience and provide crucial guidance.
   
6. Digimon: Gennai - Gennai, a recurring character in the Digimon series, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and wise demeanor. Both characters guide the protagonists and possess hidden depths of knowledge.
   
7. Pokémon: Professor Oak - Professor Oak, a character from the Pokémon series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and adventurous nature. Both characters provide guidance and encouragement to young trainers.
   
8. Star Wars: Qui-Gon Jinn - Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master in Star Wars, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and unconventional approach to the Force. Both characters possess a deep understanding of their respective worlds.
   
9. Star Trek: Jean-Luc Picard - Captain Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his charismatic and wise leadership style. Both characters inspire and guide their teams.
   
10. Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore - Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his wisdom, playful nature, and mentorship role. Both characters possess immense knowledge and provide guidance to young heroes.
    

Comparing Tsunade-style characters:

1. Marvel: Jessica Jones - Jessica Jones shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their strong-willed and independent nature. Both characters have a no-nonsense attitude and possess remarkable physical strength.
   
2. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, a character in the DC universe, exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her authoritative and no-compromise attitude. Both characters are strong leaders who make tough decisions for the greater good.
   
3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18 can be compared to Tsunade in terms of their strength, resilience, and no-nonsense personality. Both characters are fierce fighters and demonstrate determination and power.
   
4. Bleach: Unohana Retsu - Unohana, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their healing abilities and calm demeanor. Both characters possess immense skill and are respected leaders.
   
5. One Piece: Boa Hancock - Hancock exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her assertive and strong-willed personality. Both characters command respect and have exceptional combat skills.
   
6. Digimon: Yolei Inoue - Yolei, a character from the
   

Digimon series, can be compared to Tsunade in terms of her determined and assertive nature. Both characters are strong-willed and play crucial roles in their respective groups.

1. Pokémon: Cynthia - Cynthia, a powerful Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and formidable abilities. Both characters are respected figures in their respective worlds.
   
2. Star Wars: General Leia Organa - Leia Organa, a central character in the Star Wars saga, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her leadership skills, resilience, and determination. Both characters are strong women who command respect.
   
3. Star Trek: Kathryn Janeway - Captain Janeway, the captain of the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and determination. Both characters face challenges head-on and inspire their crews.
   
4. Harry Potter: Minerva McGonagall - McGonagall, a professor and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership, no-nonsense attitude, and dedication to her students. Both characters are formidable and respected figures in their respective institutions.
   

[By the studio that brought you !] Minjun Kim, an ordinary high school senior in Korea, was suddenly summoned to another world, where he became a dark mage. Determined to return home, he overcame all sorts of hardships and saved the other world with black magic before leaving all his wealth and glory as a hero behind to return to Earth. However, before he could fully enjoy his life, a problem aros ... Read The Dark Mage’s Return to Enlistment - Chapter 16 - MangaPuma. Read more at https://mangapuma.com/the-dark-mages-return-to-enlistment/chapter-16

"Be excellent to each other... and party on dudes!"

He is Bill S. Preston, Esq.! And he is Ted "Theodore" Logan! And together, they are Wyld Stallyns!
To everyone else in late-80s/early-90s San Dimas, California, Wyld Stallyns may look like the impossible dream of two slackers with no skill in anything else. But in truth, the music of Wyld Stallyns is so bodacious, so non-heinous, so excellent that it brings about an era of prosperity, both across the earth and to the stars beyond, and technological advancement so advanced that even time can be accessed as freely as a 10-digit phone number from the nearest payphone. Because of this, agents from the future utopia have sent back a time-travelling phone booth as well as information about the future to make sure that Bill and Ted are able to continue having most excellent adventures and fulfill the destiny of Wyld Stallyns.

Key

Movies:
^EA = Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
^BJ = Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
^FtM - Bill & Ted Face the Music
Shows:
^CSxEy = Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (DiC Animated Series); Season X Episode Y
^LAEx = Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (Fox Live Action Series); Episode X
Comics:
^M#X = Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book (Marvel Comics) Issue #X
^BVx#y = Boom! Studios Comics; Volume X, Issue #Y

Vol. 1 = Bill & Ted's Triumphant Return
Vol. 2 = Bill & Ted Go To Hell
Vol. 3 = Bill & Ted Save the Universe
BV1#xS = Boom! Studios Comics; Side Story

^DH#X = Dark Horse Comics (Face the Music Compliant) Issue #X
Games:
^AL = Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Atari Lynx)
^NES = Bill & Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure (NES)
^WS = Wyld Stallyns (Mobile Game)
Live Show:
^EHAyy = Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure; 19YY/20YY

Bill and Ted

Strength

• Twist around several amps while running as a blur. ^CS1E7
  
• Run straight through several tentpoles. ^CS1E7
  
• Hold themselves against the winds created by a giant monster that toss around buses and tanks. ^CS2E5
  
• Push around large stone slabs. ^AL
  
• A version of Bill and Ted from a bad future become super jacked and help curbstomp a robot. ^FtM
  
• [Limitation] Struggle to do push-ups. ^BJ
  

Speed/Agility

• Dodge a stone discus launched hard enough to embed into a marble pillar, and a falling chandelier. ^CS1E2
  
• Dodge around weapons swung by Roman gladiators. ^CS1E3
  
• Dodge a speeding horse and a flying coffin. ^CS1E9
  
• Able to dodge a frog mid-jump. ^CS1E11
  
• Run off fast enough to kick up a trail of dust. ^CS2E1
  
• Intercept a cannon shot. ^CS2E1
  
• Dodge a cannon shot just before it hits. ^CS2E3
  
• As babies, able to run off hidden behind a cloud of baby powder. ^CS2E7
  
• Duck underneath a swinging pendulum. ^AL
  
• Very good at jumping really high. ^NES
  
• Dodge a booth as it falls from time jump. ^LAE2
  
• Disguise themselves as a doctor and a cadaver in the time it takes for a woman to leave a room. ^LAE3
  
• Scale up the snout of a large, metal dragon. ^BJ
  
• Attempt and almost succeed at intercepting a bullet, moving a good distance in the time it takes to go from a gun to a person feet away. ^EHA08
  
• Outrun several species of dinosaur. ^M#2
  
  • Outrun a T-Rex running fast enough to kick up large rocks in its wake. ^BV1#3S
• Dodge a superhero sent flying hard enough to leave a comet trail behind him. ^M#10
  
• Dodge around machine gun fire. ^M#11
  
  • Again. ^BV1#5
• Able to see the two drivers in a high speed chase. ^BV1#2S
  
• Hit a button that causes the spaceship they're in to lurch forward fast enough to send everyone inside tumbling, then run off before anyone else can catch their bearings. ^BV3#1
  

Durability

• Get tossed across a bar, their heads smashing through a thin wood wall. ^EA
  
• Fall from a second floor balcony into some bushes and walk it off. ^FtM
  
• Has Death thrown at them bodily and get back up. ^DH#3
  
• Crushed under a mountain of falling china. ^CS1E1
  
• Are sent flying back by their amplifier's exploding to little ill effect. ^CS1E1
  
• Have a stove dropped on their heads. ^CS1E2
  
• Launched through a window and fall a story down into a stone fountain. ^CS1E2
  
• Fall from the top of a three-story building into some bushes. ^CS1E4
  
• Get slammed into a brick wall hard enough to indent. ^CS1E7
  
• Get launched into the air by their inflatable shoes and then fall back down. ^CS1E9
  
• Get kicked out of a stadium hard enough to send them flying, toppling a food cart. ^CS1E9
  
• Get blasted high into the air by a jet of water strong enough to blow away a stone statue, then land in a river. ^AL
  
• Get blasted back by the explosion from this huge gun. ^M#8
  
• Punch themselves. ^M#11
  
• Get zapped in a clash between Darth Vader and Gandalf and walk it off. ^EHA02
  
• Fall down a trap door a dozen feet and get up fine. ^BV3#1
  
• Hit a button that causes the spaceship they're in to lurch forward fast enough to send everyone inside tumbling, then run off before anyone else can catch their bearings. ^BV3#1
  
• Take hits from the Death Quills of Koloko IV, the Lightning Web, the Fire Bones of Kykartian Dragodon, the Cyberwasps of the Robot Zoo Planet, and the Lavaspin of Sector 487. ^BV3#2
  
• Roll into a snowball then crash into a building hard enough to demolish it. ^DH#3
  
• [Limitation] A long fall from the top of this cliff is enough to instantly kill them. ^BJ
  

Skill

• Easily bat in a baseball game one-handed while focusing on other things. Ted even throws the bat so that it spins hard enough to hit the ball without him holding it. ^CS2E3
  
• Jump from an upper banister and swing down on ropes, knocking out two guys and stealing their weapons in the process. ^LAE6
  
• Briefly hold their own in a duel, despite neither having any dueling experience. ^M#1
  

Intelligence
Yes, really.

• Can comprehend and utilize stable time loops. ^EA
  
  • Leave a recording device hidden in the corner of a room with a timer to use as a distraction. ^EA
  • Leave a typed message for themselves at a printer with instructions to duck at just the perfect time. ^EA
  • Sets up a trash can to fall at the right time to trap Ted's father. ^EA
  • Outwit De Nomolos, setting up not only a sandbag and cage to fall at just the right time and place to disarm and trap him, but also set up a key for the cage and fake gun to trick him into believing that he would win the encounter. ^BJ
  • When they don't have access to a booth, they go back in time to ask Station to build one so that he's done in time for them to go back and ask. ^BV1#1
  • Loosen a chandelier just so that it falls on Vlad the Impaler's head while he's cornered them. ^BV3#1
• When they're being pursued by versions of them from a bad future, who remember everything they're about to do, they do something they can't possibly remember doing to escape. ^FtM
  
• Able to somewhat fix the booth's broken antennae with some fudge cans and a large wad of chewed gum. ^EA
  
  • Able to somewhat fix the booth's broken antennae with a magazine and a shoelace. ^LAE1
  • Able to more or less fix the booth's broken numpad by copying what they remember Station doing to fix it. ^BV1#3S
• Survive a long fall from within the booth by jumping at the last second. ^CS1E8
  
• Rig up a lever to launch Dracula out of the booth and onto a bed. ^CS1E9
  
• Make functional guitars out of laundry and string. ^CS1E12
  
• Make a castle display out of water sealant cans and boxes. ^LAE2
  
• Rewire a jukebox to play music from a walkman. ^LAE5
  
• Their advice helps their music teacher move on from heartbreak and live peacefully where before she was bitter and angry at everyone. ^LAE7
  
• Outwit Einstein, tricking him into delivering his speech about the Theory of Relativity instead of his bad stand up routine. ^LAE8
  
• Able to escape from Death with a Melvin. ^BJ
  
• Trick Evil Robot Bill and Ted into thinking they're the real good Bill and Ted. ^M#7
  
• Escape from a future prison by starting a fire to set off the fire alarm. ^M#8
  
• Impress Socrates with their philosophizing. ^EA
  
• Are able to convince Hyper-World, a planet who's entire society is predicated on comic book violence, to stop fighting... for a few seconds. ^M#10
  

Rockitude
Skill

• Wyld Stallyns' music eventually becomes good enough that it ushers in interplanetary peace. ^EA
  
  • Their music apparently brings about post-scarcity, or at least post-the need for money. ^CS1E12 ...NOT! ^M#8
  • Post-training and with full band backing, a televized broadcast of their performance is able to cause people of multiple different cultures around the world to jam. The newspapers of the following years also state that their touring schedule causes crops to grow in the American midwest and peace to come to the Middle East, that rumors of their split cause the stock market to plummet and when those rumors are disproven the stock market surges. ^BJ
• Seduce a pair of medieval babes with some off the cuff lyrics. ^EA
  
• Jam with Little Richard and a young Mozart. ^CS1E2
  
• Rock with Angus Young. ^EHA01
  
• Shred with James Hetfield. ^EHA06
  
• Tear it up with Fall Out Boy. ^EHA13
  
• Demolish with Axl Rose and Slash. ^EHA14
  
• Fuck it up with Kurt Kobain. ^EHA15
  
• Play the guitar very well with Freddy Mercury. ^EHA17
  
• Play a pocket organ well enough that the surrounding Roman guards are too busy dancing to notice them. ^AL
  
• Can play basically any instrument placed in front of them. ^FtM
  
• Calm an agitated baby dinosaur. ^BV1#3S
  
• Able to build guitars out of random debris in a gladiatorial death pit in a matter of seconds, then play well enough to pacify a rampaging alien monster who is also the most esteemed music critic in the galaxy. ^BV3#3
  
• Able to rouse a crowd of people from a society so downtrodden that the ability to smile has atrophied out of the gene pool. ^BV1#5
  
  • Writing one song is enough to uproot the entirety of said society and motivate Death to bring them back after dying even though he had lost the ability to do so. ^BV1#6
• Even God and Satan are fans. ^BV2#4
  
• Alien cultures that don't even speak English and who's entire cultures are predicated around war are brought to peace by hearing their music. ^BV3#1
  

Power

• Consistently blow out their amps while playing. ^EA
  
  • Blow out an amp and cause it to catch fire. ^LAE1
• Defeather a bird. ^CS1E1
  
• Shatter a porcelain cup. ^CS1E1
  
• Knock dozens of objects off of a nearby shelf and shatter windows. ^CS1E7
  
• A single resonant note is enough to knock out the Black Knight. ^CS1E7
  
• Even when hooked up to a boombox, are able to blow away people and tables. ^CS2E5
  
• After Bill rewires the amp, it causes Ted's guitar to melt through the floor. ^CS2E7
  
• After Station alters the amps a little, cause any avalanche. ^DH#4
  
• Destroy robots with their riffs alone. ^WS
  

Ghost Bill and Ted

• People can pass right through them, though it causes some unnerving (though not totally unpleasant) sensations. ^BJ
  
• Can possess the bodies of the living. ^BJ
  

Other

• Build the Great Wall of China in a couple days. Although not particularly well. ^CS1E1
  
  • They arrive in China on Saturday and have finished and leave before Monday. ^CS1E1
• Summon rain with an Incan rain dance. ^CS1E3
  
• Play a single player game co-op and one-handed. ^CS2E7
  
• Are able to beat Death at Battleship, Clue, Electronic Football, and Twister. ^BJ
  
  • And Monopoly. ^M#5
  • And Rock, Paper, Scissors. ^EHA17
• Can fly after being zapped by the F-Ray, which only convinces the brain that it is capable of flying, thus allowing it to fly. ^M#10
  
• Spend a week without sleeping and only eating snack foods trying to devise a plan to save Abraham Lincoln. ^M#11
  
• Are temporarily given God's divine enlightenment, able to see everything past and future, and on a micro and macro scale. ^BV2#4
  
• Surf on a black hole. ^BV3#3 They're obviously going through some form of spaghettification, but also given the size of the black hole, the audience, and the official helping them do it, it's likely that this black hole has been altered to be safe to surf.
  
• Have sex. ^BV1#1
  
• Do drugs. ^EHA00
  

Bill

Strength

• Knocks over the Liberty Bell with an elbow. ^CS1E5 The Liberty Bell weighs over 2000 lbs.
  
• Easily pitches and bats cannon balls that Ted had difficulty handling. ^CS1E9
  
• Knocks Ted into the air with an accidental headbutt. ^CS1E9
  
• Floors Monomonop with a yo-yo. ^M#8
  

Speed/Agility

• Pulls Ted out of the way of a flail. ^CS1E3
  
• Snatches a flying chip bag out of the air. ^CS2E2
  
• Bats a baseball pitched hard enough to leave a trail of flames. ^CS2E3
  
• Escapes from being grappled by swinging on a noose while the floor is dropped from under him. ^EHA92
  
• Ducks a bullet at close range. ^EHA08
  

Durability

• Takes a punch from Evil Robot Bill. ^M#7
  
• Takes a punch from Ronda Rousey. ^EHA16
  

Skill

• Spars with Joan of Arc. ^EA

Other

• Strong poker face. ^EA
  
• Folds a paper hat into a to-go box. ^CS1E1
  
• Rewires an amp which causes it to melt Ted's guitar through the floor. ^CS2E7
  
• Beats up the Invisible Woman using dark force powers gained as Darth Bogus. ^EHA05
  
  • Force chokes a man to the ground in an instant. ^EHA05
• Save nearly 70 people from being used as a virgin sacrifice. ^EHA13
  

Ted

Strength

• Knocks out a man in a leather helm with one strike. ^EA
  
• Accidentally sends Marco Polo flying with the swing of a broom. ^CS1E1
  
• Flicks a paper football hard enough to knock an apple into the air. ^CS1E2
  
• Breaks a wooden plank off on the T-800 Terminator, then knocks him into a well using a skateboard. ^EHA92
  

Speed/Agility

• Takes a tumble down the stairs hard enough to knock him out of his metalplate suit and somehow hides before anyone notices. ^EA
  
• Flip jumps to the top of the booth. ^CS1E5
  
• Dodges a swipe from behind from Vlad the Impaler. ^BV3#1
  

Durability

• Takes a tumble down the stairs hard enough to knock him out of his metalplate suit. ^EA
  
• Takes a headbutt to the chin that knocks him off of his feet and into the air. ^CS1E9
  
• Takes a full punch to the gut from Officer T. J. Hooker and brushes it off. ^EHA98
  
• Gets tackled to the ground and waled on by General Thade. ^EHA01
  
• Doesn't seem bothered touching a lightsaber with his bare skin. ^EHA05
  
• Gets smashed over the head with a guitar hard enough to crack it in half. ^BV1#4
  
• Thrown across the room onto the coffee table and is back on his feet shortly. ^BV2#1
  

Skill

• Flicks a paper football in such a way so that it flies around and knocks an apple off of Bill's head from the side. ^CS1E2
  
• Lassos the Black Knight while he's riding a horse full speed. But then forgets to keep a hold on the other end of the rope. ^CS1E7
  
• Briefly holds his own against an Italian fencer. ^LAE6
  

Other

• Reads the time and place text. ^CS1E1
  
• Starts a fire by rubbing George Washington's wooden teeth. ^M#8
  
• In a bad future where Ted was sent to military academy, he was able to double bust a corrupt cop by posing as a drug dealer. ^LAE4
  
• Kicks the Sith out of Darth Bogus. ^EHA05
  
• Gets with Taylor Swift. ^EHA13
  

Good Robot Bill and Ted

Robots created by the most brilliant mind in the universe, Station, to combat the powerful Evil Robot Bill and Ted. ^BJ

• The can be controlled via remote control but also seem to be capable of autonomous movement. ^BJ

Strength

• Punch through a brick wall. ^BJ
  
• Decapitate Evil Robot Bill and Ted with a punch, then cause their bodies to explode with a second punch. ^BJ
  
  • Evil Robot Bill and Ted no sell a punch to the chin from Bill and walk off crashing through a window and into a brick chimney. ^BJ
• Chew up a phone reciever. ^M#3
  
• Punch out the demonic Colonel Oats when the princesses couldn't faze him with their strikes. ^BV2#1
  
  • The princesses were smashing up musical equipment and sending other women flying with their strikes. ^BV1#6S
• High five each other hard enough to destroy each others' hands. Keep the Evil Robot Bill and Ted scaling in mind. ^DH#1
  
• Walk through a wall. ^DH#4
  

Durability

• Still functioning while demolished down to just their heads. ^M#7
  
  • Or arms. ^BV2#3
• Robot Ted gets blasted through several brick walls. ^BV3#4
  

They Run On Car Batteries

• They do. ^BV1#1S
  
• Electrocute two men to death when they try to stab them with rapiers. ^M#1
  
• Cause the booth to randomly jump when they electrocute it after touching some slushie material. ^M#12
  

Other

• Have tape recorders built in. ^M#3
  
• Can receive temporal emails, and promptly get a virus from this. ^BV1#1S
  
• Their code is written in a form of binary compose of "Bill"s and "Ted"s. With a source code constructed entirely of Van Halen references. ^BV1#1S
  
• Become presidents of the United States. ^BV1#2
  

Mecha Bill & Ted

• Rocket away from San Dimas to Scandinavia. ^DH#4
  
• Transforms from houses into humanoids form, piloted by Good Robot Bill & Ted. ^DH#4
  
• Beat up and send flying giant mountain trolls. ^DH#4
  

Mobile Suit Bill & Giganto-Ted

• Burst out of the sewers and through the streets, creating a massive tremor that could be felt from blocks away. ^BV1#6
  
• Disarm an entire crowd of guards with powerful magnets. ^BV1#6
  

The Time Booth

Time Travel

• A time machine that can travel to any place and time on earth after dialing a specific number. The number for each time and place is listed in an attached directory which catalogues most important points in history. ^EA
  
  • If Bill and Ted don't know what time or place they're looking for, they can ask the operator for help identifying a landmark. ^CS2E1
  • Can travel all the way back to the big bang. ^M#2
  • Is able to travel to and from "the center of time" which seems to exist outside of the regular timeline. ^M#6/7
• It is stressed multiple times throughout the series that even while time travelling, the clock in San Dimas is running, so Bill and Ted still have a limited amount of time to accomplish their goals while time travelling. ^EA This isn't well supported by other events and usages of the booth in the series, but it is a consistent concern regardless.
  
• Bill and Ted can use the Phone Booth to interact with themselves in the past, giving themselves needed equipment or advice. ^EA
  
  • Find a note of advice from themselves and then go back and leave the same note without having to even write it. ^AL
  • Get called to go forward from a few minutes beforehand to help out their future selves. ^EHA06
• Allow Bill and Ted to leave and then return to the exact same point in time, with 16 months of training in between. ^BJ
  
  • Further emphasizing that they can return to any point they want and San Dimas time doesn't matter. ^CS2E1
• A trip through spacetime can be cut short and will cause the booth to reappear at a median point. ^CS1E2
  
• A trip can also be reversed, allowing the booth to return to from where it just came. ^CS1E9
  
• A trip can be rerouted mid-stream without too much issue. ^CS1E10
  
• While this is not usually the case, as most time travel trips result in loops, drastically changing past events can lead to alternate present timelines. ^CS2E5
  
  • Bill and Ted use the booth to go back 15 minutes and redo a botched conversation resulting in a different outcome. ^LAE1
  • A closer to canon example. ^M#11
• Time travel 2 seconds into the future to catch an evil robot off guard. ^BV1#3
  
• Falling into the wormhole behind the phone booth can let someone travel through the circuits of time with it. ^EA
  
  • Rufus is able to follow a different phone booth using a grapple electric guitar, despite not being anywhere close to it when it time travels. ^BJ
  • The black knight and his horse are able to follow the booth. ^CS1E7
• Able to travel and be gone in the time it takes for a killer robot to aim and fire a vaporization beam. ^FtM
  
• Can travel to a point in time and space selected by an actual phone number in use at the time. ^CS1E8
  
• Can travel to a different point in space without changing time. ^CS2E8
  
• Elizabeth and Joanna apparently use the booth to travel to alternate timelines, though this mostly happens off screen. ^FtM
  
• Can travel to alternate dimensions entirely. ^M#10
  
• Travels to heaven. ^M#11
  
  • And hell. ^BV2#1
• Teleports from heaven to the earthly timeline, all the way to the Boomerang Nebula, and back in a matter of seconds. ^BV2#4
  
• Using the infinity button, allows the occupants to be multiplied infinitely to interact with all points in space and time simultaneously. ^FtM
  
• The booth can't travel if all of the circuits of time are currently occupied. ^CS2E5
  
• Travelers through the circuits of time can see other travelers in the same area. ^M#2
  
• The booth can seemingly track individuals in a specific time frame as shown by the fact that the future Bill and Ted were able to trick Bill and Ted into thinking they were rich and successful by being in the right place at the right time. ^FtM
  
• Rufus gives Bill and Ted a new booth that can trace the calls of other booths, though it tends to show up a little late. Also it's a rotary phone. ^M#2
  
• Rufus gives Bill a mobile phone which can call back the booth with the correct number. The first time its used however, it calls Doc Brown's Delorean instead. ^EHA92
  
  • Shown here actually working. ^EHA96
• When Ted uses a magazine to try and fix the antennae Bill and Ted end up going inside of the world of the magazine by accident. ^LAE1
  
  • By connecting the booth to a cable box, they're able to enter the worlds of television broadcasts, though it's entirely dependent on what the tv is currently turned to. ^LAE3

The Squint System
An upgraded directory that allows the booth to travel to fictional settings, including books, CDs, movies, and games. ^CS2E2

• Use the booth to enter an episode of Leave It to Badger. ^CS2E4
  
  • Can also use the booth to skip around within the episode. ^CS2E4
  • Once the episode ends, every person in it, including Bill and Ted, disappear. It looks like this. ^CS2E4
  • Foreign objects can persist between episodes, if they're plot relevant. ^CS2E4
• Can bring characters from the fictional world to the real world. ^CS2E4
  
• Characters in the fictional world are fully aware that they're fictional. ^CS2E4
  
• Altering the interior of the fiction does change how the fiction appears in the real world. Also might cause that fiction to become unavoidable? ^CS2E4
  
• Showing places that aren't supposed to be there reveals static. ^CS2E4
  
• Shrinks Bill and Ted down to smaller than a bottlecap when they forget to put the 1 in front. To reverse this effect, they simply dial 9. ^CS2E2
  

Durability

• [Limitation] When the booth's antennae get smashed by a knight's flail it can still travel fine but where and when it lands becomes uncontrollable. ^EA
  
  • [Limitation] A thrown frisbee knocks out the antennae, preventing the booth from time travelling. Ted is able to partially fix this with a magazine and a shoelace, though it causes the jumps to become uncontrollable again. ^LAE1
• Crash lands upside down and works perfectly fine. ^CS1E2
  
  • Tears through the roof of a tent, crash lands upside-down, and then falls onto its side. ^CS1E5
• Slides along the ground, crashing into a horse hard enough to launch it into the air, taking no damage. ^CS1E2
  
• Gets knocked off a crow's nest with a cannonball and tumbles to the deck of the ship without damage. ^CS1E4
  
• Gets run over by a train. ^CS1E8
  
• Tanks a fall from the top of Big Ben's clock face. ^CS1E8
  
• In a cabin as its demolished by a cannon, and protects the people within. ^CS1E9
  
• Smashes up the wooden walls of a log flume. ^CS1E11
  
• Takes several blasts of energy weapon fire and isn't damaged until one hits the antennae. ^LAE4
  
• Gets shot up by Billted 1.0's machine gun arm and has enough in it to make a trip before collapsing. ^BV1#4
  
• Vlad the Impaler has trouble breaking the glass with the hilt of his sword. ^BV3#1
  
• [Limitation] The floor breaks falling onto a bear's head. ^CS1E13
  
• [Limitation] Destroyed by a large boulder falling on it. ^BV2#3
  

Landing Strength

• [Limitation] While operating normally, it doesn't land hard enough to seriously harm an old man. ^CS1E5
  
  • But it did harm this guy. ^LAE1
• While malfunctioning however, digs a hole into the earth in a second. ^CS1E5
  
• Still while malfunctioning, crashes up through some wooden floorboards, knocking aside a dresser. ^CS1E5
  
• Demolishes a small kennel. ^CS1E6
  
• Smashes through a thick wooden roof. ^CS1E10
  
• Smashes through the deck of a ship. ^CS2E3
  
• Sends Columbus ricocheting around the Santa Maria. ^CS2E5
  
• Sends two cowboys a distance away flying from the shockwave. ^EHA92
  
• Smashes Billted 1.0 which is capable of flying straight through walls and windows without damage. ^BV1#3
  
• While malfunctioning, lands hard enough to crater concrete. ^BV1#4
  
• Smooshes a pair of demon spawn. ^BV2#4
  

Other

• Can still make a trip while on its side and is able to land normally. ^CS1E11
  
• It also works while water-logged. ^CS1E1
  
• Sideways AND waterlogged. ^S1E12
  
• It hovers in the air for unsaid reasons while malfunctioning. ^CS1E4
  
• Has some video recording and playback functions, though seemingly a preset one for display purposes. ^FtM
  
• When their regular booth gets blown up, Rufus lets them use a payphone on a stand to much the same effect. ^EHA02
  
• Can sometimes require coins to make calls with. ^NES
  
• It can also make regular calls. ^EA
  

"Catch ya later Bill and Ted!"

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some suggestions for anime/manga/light novels that have a power fantasy as a major component of the plot. I’m after ones that are enjoyable and have a reasonable degree of quality to them. I’ve seen/know about the following:
The Eminence in Shadow The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat Parallel World Pharmacy How Not to Summon a Demon Lord High School DxD The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Suggestions can be isekai or not.

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Patreon Arxur POV of the Cradle Series wiki Official subreddit Discord
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Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, United Nations Fleet Command
Date [standardized human time]: January 15, 2137
It wasn’t my imagination; our triangular shuttle was sinking like a stone. Water bobbed up against the cockpit windows, entombing us beneath the waves. Hull integrity would eventually give out and allow water to flood the compartment. The predators were just watching it happen, with not nearly enough panic showing in their binocular eyes. They made no attempt to inflate a life raft and escape, while we could still get the doors open.
The craft had tipped forward at a slight angle, and the airborne vehicle began to sink nose-first toward a watery grave. A feeling of immense claustrophobia gripped me, as the nightmare scenario came to fruition. My claws wrapped around Samantha’s arm before I could stop myself; the human looked at me with sheer disbelief, and pushed me away. Her nose was scrunched in an obvious sign of distaste. Carlos would’ve definitely been more amenable to my desperate outreach for support.
Samantha heaved a sigh. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just fucking do that, but it better not ever happen again.”
“Please! We’re sinking!” I croaked.
Onso snickered. “Sinking? You don’t feel the engines running? It’s a submersible aircraft.”
Upon closer listening, I could feel the quiet hum of the engines. Somehow, the combustion drive was still running underwater, and pushing us in a controlled manner further into the ocean. There were no signs of leaks seeping through the walls, despite being encased in the depths. I’d never heard of a plane that could fly underwater, but I should’ve gleaned our safety from the predators’ calmness.
If a human is running or terrified, that’s when it’s time to assume our deaths are imminent.
Sam wasn’t the least bit amused by me latching onto her arm, but Tyler and Carlos were both masking smirks. I dipped my head in shame. How had the Yotul known of technology which was unfathomable to the wider galaxy? Until today, I wouldn’t have thought such devices would ever have a use. It was embarrassing that the primitive kept his head better than me around novel technology, though I tried to push that egoistic thought out of my mind.
“Do the Yotul have this kind of technology, Onso?” I prompted the reddish-furred marsupial to answer, though I knew the reply would be in the negative. “I’ve never heard of such things, so I’m surprised it’s old news to you.”
“Well, I took it upon myself to read up on the specs; they were included with our briefing notes. Never know when shit’s gonna break, and someone’s gotta fix it. The Yotul have a saying, ‘Everything can break, so assume it will do so today.’”
“That’s valid. Every spacecraft crash is due to a ‘one-in-a-billion’ mechanical failure; unlikelihood upon unlikelihood. Uh, anyhow, I’m a little out of my element here, clearly nothing like you.”
“I don’t mind the water, Sovlin. Mama had a sailboat, which she’d take around the harbor. It was a little disappointing to hear human water activities involve hunting. There’s so many beautiful things to see; it’s the last untamed frontier. Even after space is explored, the oceans still hold so many mysteries and unique lifeforms!”
“Plenty of humans agree with you, even ones who enjoy fishing like Tyler. We’ll go snorkeling or scuba diving just to explore reefs and view marine life,” Carlos chimed in. “No boat, nothing but a basic breathing apparatus.”
“There’s water sports too. Surfing, where you try to ride massive waves on a board.” Samantha made odd gestures with her hands, as though conveying a series of hills. “Parasailing, up in the sky tied to a boat. White water rafting, where you go down turbulent, rocky rapids in an inflatable.”
I groaned. “Why…are any of those not mortally dangerous?! What is wrong with you predators? I thought you evolved from the fucking trees!”
“It’s all in the spirit of fun, a memorable experience. Don’t tell me none of it sounds like something you want to try once.”
“No, those stunts sound horrible. This is horrible. I can see the depth meter going up…it’s double digits! I can’t see the sky!”
“Quit being a baby.”
“Quit being a predator! I hate humans; I can’t stand you! Onso, back me up.”
“The surfing sounds totally badass. I can imagine riding a wave up to its crest, and trying not to fall,” the Yotul answered. “We should try it together, old man. Conquer your fears, do things you think you can’t.”
“I am not doing that. No way on the cradle.”
Tyler sported a devilish grin. “Hey, it could be worse, Sovlin. You could be doing shark cage diving.”
I offered the blond human a blank stare. Through the cockpit behind him, I noticed orange-striped fish swimming clear of the aerosub. There was a dark shadow in the murky depths below, which filled me with palpable unease. What if it was some sort of massive predator which hid in this oceanic range? Chewing at my claws with anxiety, I tried to parse through what he said.
Cage diving? That can’t be what it sounds like; locking yourself in a cage and jumping into the water…not trying to escape. What’s a shark?
We moved closer to the ambiguous shadow within the turquoise ocean, which I tried to ignore. The humans would freak out if there was reason for alarm; I couldn’t make a fool of myself again. Plastering a look of confusion on my face, I flicked a claw at Tyler for an explanation. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, and my former guards watched with interest.
“Ah, you’re wondering what that is.” Officer Cardona tapped his fingers against his holopad, and noticed that his Yotul exchange partner was intrigued too. He showed a picture to Onso first. “I’d say it’s self-explanatory. Oh, and, yes, they have side-facing eyes, but sharks are predators. Humans have movies about them eating us, even though that’s uncommon in reality.”
Tyler turned the device toward me, and I flinched away with disbelief. Sure enough, a pack of Terrans were suspended in a metal cage below the water. “Sharks” circled them with predatory intent, serrated teeth visible. From what I’d learned about Gojids being omnivores, I’d trust the primates on binocular eyes not being necessary to eat living food. However, deciphering human behavior was a maddening endeavor. Was this some twisted way of reasserting their dominance as apex predators, against animals that dared to prey on them?
“You just said it was in fucked-up human movies…it’s CGI! That’s not a real fucking thing!” I screamed. “I thought we were keeping it professional, huh? You all are definitely saying, and making up, predator nonsense on purpose, at this point!”
Tyler flashed his teeth. “It’s real. We don’t need to make anything up; humans will go to great lengths for thrills.”
“That seems to be tempting fate. I’ve always believed in respecting nature, though it would be cool to see these animals up close,” Onso said.
“Good news: you can see them in aquariums too.”
I thought humans would think water decorations were stupid…wait, what did he just say?!
My spines were bristling. “You have aquariums, like the Kolshians on Aafa?”
“Yep,” Tyler affirmed.
“And instead of sea plants, you keep dangerous predators in them?”
“Yeah? They’re cool to look at, man.”
“Protector, I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the ocean. I want off this sinking boat!”
Carlos stifled a laugh. “Well, your wish is about to be granted. This puppy isn’t meant to dive deeper than 100 meters. The UNS Deep Core is up ahead.”
The foreboding shadow had grown larger in my periphery, and my eyes swiveled back to the viewport. It was a submersed ship, but one that was so large, its breadth faded into the murky distance. There was no way this wasn’t in the triple digits of meters long; the all-black, undecorated exterior would cause an observer to mistake it for a shadowy patch of water. There was a tower affixed to its spine, which perhaps housed an equivalent to a bridge.
“The humans must’ve snuck this ship here days ago. How long has it been lurking?” I murmured to myself. “They couldn’t have airdropped it from too high up either…I don’t think.”
Samantha rubbed her hands together. “If you think this is the only one sent, think again. We’re told as much as we need to know, Sovlin, but it’s a blast to fill in the blanks.”
Our aerosub glided down to the bottom of the Deep Core, before flipping over and latching onto to a watertight door. It was similar to how a spacecraft would dock for boarding; my concerns were assuaged a little, noticing some familiarity. Packing such a large crew into a metal tube must be stressful for any land-dwelling species, but the humans were insane enough to tuck their senses aside. There could be enough predators aboard to compose a small village.
I disliked the fact that I was hanging at a ninety-degree angle, though I didn’t voice my complaints. The humans awkwardly dismounted, with Tyler helping Onso down. Carlos hoisted me to my own two feet, and I took a steadying breath. Our own watertight hatch, which I mistook for an emergency exit when I thought it was a sane vehicle, was on the right exit. There was a click, as human personnel opened the circular door from the other side.
The five of us were helped up through the threshold into the submarine, and we admired the metal inner workings of our surroundings. The tunnels were narrow, with small doorways leading between compartments; many required a slight step up to clear. One Terran greeted us at our docking point, though he wore a different uniform than the getup I was used to. I wasn’t sure what to expect from land predators who operated underwater, but the ample facial hair checked out with my mental image.
“Welcome aboard the Deep Core. I’m Commander Fournier; your presence is requested on the bridge,” a gruff voice greeted us.
I blinked in confusion. “May I ask why…sir?”
“First aliens to step foot on a submarine. You’re VIPs; it’s a good photo-op, you could say. Follow me.”
Of course, the humans are worried about optics as we’re descending to an outlandish location. Sometimes, they’re awfully predictable.
Claustrophobia threatened to flare up, with the cramped passages and lack of direction. Onso showed no such uneasiness, forcing Tyler to ensure that the Yotul studied objects with his eyes, not his paws. The primitive seemed enamored with any machinery or design quirks, even basic things such as hinges. I was really trying not to look down on him, but when he was gawking at simplistic nails, it was difficult. At least his dimwitted curiosity was a distraction from our present environment.
The bearded commander led us to a steep stairway, and communicated for us to follow his lead. There was a thunderous bark of “up ladder!” before the human-in-charge popped open a hatch. Tyler waved a hand at me and Onso, signaling for us to climb after Fournier first. I ensured that my balance was steady, hustling up the rungs. There was a railing surrounding the hatch, along with a safety chain that our guide was unclipping.
“Sir, may I ask how much air we have left?” I couldn’t resist asking, despite being out of breath from the short ascent. “I presume you’ve been submerged a few days. Even spaceships can only carry a few weeks of oxygen, and I don’t see any tanks, um…”
Fournier issued a throaty laugh. “Scared of submarines, Gojid?”
“A little, uh, yes…sir.”
“Don’t be. We have as much air as there is water in the ocean.”
Onso bounded after us. “The Terrans use electrolysis to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in seawater they collect, then use that O2 to ventilate the ship.”
“Why, I like this one!” the commander bellowed. “Read up on subs, haven’t ya?”
“It drew me in…like a vortex of knowledge. I always liked machines.”
“Then I take it you’re an engineer? I can see that kid-like glee in your eyes.”
“A rocket engineer. The unchanging rules, the complex order, the concreteness and the planning: it speaks to me. Having a new class of machines to study really lit that fire, for the first time since the Federation killed my passion. Not even studying your weaponry truly scratched that itch. It’s just, I never dreamed I’d discover a new alien boat!”
“Well, well! I’m no engineer, but I’ll be happy to share what I know. Feel free to ask any questions; we love talking about what we do, to someone who really wants to hear it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Commander Fournier led us into a stout compartment, where a vast array of gadgetry and screens covered a wall. Humans were examining a green circle on display, with a rotating line and labeled angles. Data feeds were also listed there, which led me to conclude it was a sensors equivalent. Navigations was at the front, at least from the appearance of several control columns. Some predators appeared to be acting as officers or supervisors, peering over others’ shoulders and issuing commands.
This isn’t that dissimilar to a starship, but where is the viewport? How can they see?
I cleared my throat. “Sir, where is the viewport? There’s no windows!”
“We don’t need windows,” Fournier explained. “We use sonar, because sound travels further in water than light. Glass or transparent materials are just a weak point in the hull, and a potential source of leaks if we take a hit.”
“Okay. Then why did the submersible craft we took here have windows?”
“Because it needs to be a spacecraft too, and you need to see when you’re flying. It’s useful enough to outweigh any concerns,” Carlos chimed in.
“This is so cool!” Onso bounced on his digitigrade hindlegs, and the commander fortunately didn’t take offense to his excess excitement. “The sonar doesn’t need to see at all. It just…listens.”
Fournier nodded. “Precisely. I saw you examining the bearings on our machinery, and I’ll impress upon you the importance of noise reduction down here. We keep everything detached from the hull frame to avoid vibrations…even dropping a wrench can give you up to an enemy. Sonar receptors pick up the slightest vibration, and then, they know you’re there.”
“That explains why your engines have to be so quiet. I was reading about how you try to avoid cavitation…you know, where the vacuum pressure caused by the propeller makes water boil. The bubbles pop and give off noise.”
“You don’t need a rundown at all, Yotul; you already know everything. We have a speed range where we can operate silently.”
I was growing bored of the technical explanations, and Onso, a primitive, was outshining my knowledge to the humans. Perhaps the Yotul was desperate to prove himself as an academic equal, but he didn’t need to prattle on about science like he was reading a textbook. While there were impressive feats of engineering on display here, I agreed with Samantha’s assertion of naval obsolescence. What good was fighting in the water, except in this extraordinary circumstance?
The predators can hide far away from any targets or locations of value forever. How ingenious. They’d be unseen altogether if the other human tribes realized this theater was irrelevant in a war.
I suppressed an irritated huff. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”
“Granted,” Fournier replied, a curious twinkle in his eyes.
“Respectfully, sir, I do not see the purpose of putting all this time into submarine development, at least for military aims. You’re a spacefaring species, and you’re incredible at ground assaults. What use is it to hide so far away from civilization…from the action? Maybe you sink a few ships that are using an outdated method of moving resources, but I don’t get it. You have better weapons.”
“You really don’t know? To use your word, these ships are masterful predators; nearly undetectable, capable of hearing the slightest sound, and able to surface anywhere in the world. But it goes far beyond that. The destructive power housed here is a hell of a deterrent. That’s why we’d never actually trade nukes like ya Feddies thought we did.”
“Nukes? I’m not following.”
“There’s tens of nukes stuffed onto just one of these things. We can hang off the shore anywhere, and fire missiles while underwater. Not that we have to be close to our target; we can shoot ICBMs halfway around the world. You never know where we are, if it’s right down your neck or prowling distant shores. We’re waiting to strike, anywhere and everywhere, with the technology to end civilization itself, even after command is destroyed on land. Obsolete, my ass.”
I gulped with discomfort, wishing I could recede into the ship walls. That declaration was so calm yet predatorily destructive; there were chilling implications for the extent of human aggression. It suddenly made sense why Earth tribes were intent on sniffing these predators out of the ocean’s recesses, and why the subs tried to remain undetectable at all costs. Should the current battle go awry, Talsk could be devastated by an unseen arsenal of epic proportions.
As Commander Fournier took his post, I tried to understand why humans would devise such machinations, for use against their own civilization. The Federation’s “irradiated Earth” could’ve been a reality; these capabilities shouldn’t exist in any culture. I didn’t understand why my kind-hearted friends would even think of such predatory weaponry. Surely, understanding the apocalyptic consequences of these vehicles should’ve convinced them not to build them.
My therapist could’ve elaborated further on the full heights of Terran aggression. Humans didn’t enjoy killing, yet they brainstormed and actualized the optimal ways to kill every human in existence? It was a paradox. Perhaps their predator nature factored into their decision-making in a manner they didn’t understand. Orders were issued to begin our descent, and for all sailors to report to battle stations. I felt the submersible tilt down, so I tried to clear my head of what the primates were capable of.
I have to believe that they will never actually do something like that…that their goodness will prevail. They didn’t snap after Earth, right? I trust their better judgment.
“W-well, if there’s really a base at the bottom of the ocean, the Farsul are fucked,” I murmured to my posse.
Samantha’s fist tightened, as her smirk returned. “I’d say they are.”
The numbers on the depth meter continued to escalate, as the submarine navigated the ocean which spanned below us. Locked inside a steel tube with predators, and knowing the potential of its onboard weaponry, my nerves were anything but quelled. The submarines somehow eclipsed even the worst starships in its dastardly capabilities. The Farsul wouldn’t be prepared for this predatory contraption, should we stumble across any of their flotilla.
I was glad that the humans were on the same team as me; there was no telling where their capacity for annihilation ended.
---
First Prev
Patreon Arxur POV of the Cradle Series wiki Official subreddit Discord

Animate blastbones allows you to ressurect 3 allies and turn 3 corpses into blastbones. But do you have to ressurect people in order to summon the blastbones?

Hi modding experts, I need your help organizing and figuring out the best set up of my current load order and which of my mods are obsolete, useless/broken(and why) or in a wrong position or lack of a required file.
The game keeps crashing every 20-30 mins (also with new saves I do for testing) even though I partially copied this LO from orders labeled as stable online.
Here's my LO as I read it on the console

1. USSEP
2. Unofficial CC content patch
3. RW2 resources
4. EOSI
5. Patron carriages/innkeepers (I like the expensive travels & inns but I still don't know if this conflicts with EOSI, need testing)
6. Debug menu
7. Realistic ragdolls and force
8. Immersive Leveling
9. Character Creation Overhaul AIO
10. Craftable Telvanni robes
11. Craftable Hold guard armor
12. Ars Metallica
13. Undiscovered Skyrim
14. Open Civil War
15. Paarthurnax Dilemma
16. Become a whiterun guard
17. Destroy thieves guild
18. Thugs Not assassins
19. Jenassa fix - bosmer armor
20. Bosmer armor pack
21. Realistic AI detection - LITE
22. Dangerous Skooma
23. Summermyst
24. Narrative loot
25. Smithed equipment in loot
26. Face masks of skyrim
27. Morrowind imports
28. 360 walk & run - standalone
29. Fire HD
30. Enhanced Blood texture
31. Unique uniques
32. Frost white glass armor
33. Black and gold ebony armor
34. Black and gold ebony weapons
35. Royal armory - New artifacts (don't know if this conflicts with CRF or other, it's the version that only replaces a few vanilla weapons of the important characters)
36. Beyond skyrim Morrowind- Bonemold weapons
37. Bones for a crow fix (don't know if this is obsolete with the Unofficial CC patch or the USSEP but last lime I checked I still needed this because the corpse of the npc didn't appear, a common bug)
38. Special edition followers (this one only alters some followers AI and combat styles)
39. More tavern idles
40. CRF (I can't figure out where to put this, I fear it overwrites something I move it higher)
41. RDO
42. Serana expanded dialogue add-on (do not confuse with the most famous meme-like serana dialogue add on, this is the one that uses most vanilla features of serana)
43. More to say 9.0.2
44. Civil War lines expansion
45. RDO + CRF + USSEP patch
46. Bosmers have antlers
47. Vanilla hair remake NPCs
48. Vanilla hair remake replacer
49. Brighter torches
50. Spells light dynamic shadows (i saw it can be used with other lighting mods I just don't know if is better above or below elfx)
51. Updated ELFX (...and here comes the mess)
52. ELFX fixes
53. ELFX enhancer
54. ELFX exterior fixes
55. JKs interiors AIO (...where do I put this?)
56. Simply Darker Nights (by the same author of "brighter torches" above, these two work well together)
57. Enhanced skyrim nights
58. Lush aspen fall trees 2k - gamerpauly
59. HD birch bark (for the above, simply retexture the bark of rift trees)
60. Lush Vanilla trees 1K - gamerpauly
61. Improved terrain LOD meshes (...where do I put this?)
62. Capital of winterhold
63. Solitude docks (need testing if it conflicts with JKs or something else)
64. Arthmoor Practice dummies
65. Arthmoor Provincial Courier service
66. Arthmoor Oakwood (and all the Artmoor villages in a non particular order EXCEPT Keld-Nar and Telengard)
67. Arthmoor Storefront
68. Environs - Whiterun watchtower
69. Environs - shrines of talos (maybe it conflicts somewhere with JKs skyrim but I don't know yet)
70. Quaint raven rock
71. Quaint raven rock - ELFX exterior fix
72. Better Tel Mithrtyn
73. Books of skyrim (...where do I put this? It seems not conflicting with anything at the moment)
74. JKs skyrim AIO (...where do I put this?)
75. JKs windhelm outskirts (I can't understand if the windhelm exterior that look super cool in this mod is already present in the Jks skyrim AIO, is this repetitive? it seems not but I need to know where to put this in LO because it crashes sometimes in this area)
76. Bells of skyrim
77. Bells of skyrim - JKs skyrim patch
78. Bells of skyrim - Immersive citizens patch
79. ( ...and here comes the other mess below)
80. JKs skyrim CRF + Arthmoor's mods patch
81. JKs skyrim Storefront patch
82. JKs skyrim ELFX exterior patch
83. Jks INTERIORS ELFX patch
84. JKs INTERIORS- JKs skyrim AIO patch
85. JKs INTERIORS ELFX fixes patch
86. Jks INTERIORS USSEP patch
87. Jks INTERIORS ELFX Enhancer patch
88. JKs skyrim - Immersive citizens patch
89. JKs INTERIORS- Immersive citizens patch
90. JKs windhelm outskirts- USSEP patch
91. JKs windhelm outskirts- CC ebony plate armor patch
92. JKs windhelm outskirts- NO snow under roof patch
93. JKs windhelm outskirts- Immersive citizens
94. NO snow under the Roof
95. The Marshlands by Tesfiend
96. Wildcat injuries animations DAR
97. Immersive movement
98. Wildcat
99. Wildcat patch Immersive movement
100. Mortal Enemies patch Immersive movement (the mod M.E. is included in a mod below, so I don't need to re-download it but still need this to converge between ME effects and Immersive movement right? I'm confused about this)
101. Hardcore Dragons difficulty
102. Better Auriel Bow
103. Vanilla Plus v5.1.1 (this is the mod that contains Mortal Enemies which compatibility is needed between it's changes and Immersive movement, right?)
104. Vokrii
105. EOSI - vokrii patch
106. Immersive citizens- AI overhaul (...where do I put this?)
107. Immersive patrols (large battles)
108. Populated land roads path
109. Lightly populated settlements
110. Lucien (...where do i put this guy in my LO?)
111. Lucien Anniversary
112. Taliesin elf follower
113. Dominion's more high elves
114. Immersive Winterhold NPCs (there are two of this exact same mod which one is the most up to date? I have the one with the argonian mage in the thumbnail)
115. Erandil thalmor follower
116. Notice board - better solstheim
117. Notice board
118. RW2 (with it's resources file up at the top)
119. JKs skyrim - RW2 patch
120. Imperial rewards
121. Immersive hunting
122. Mammoth pelts (don't know yet if it conflicts with Immersive hunting)
123. Heliomancy Spells
124. Bound Shield
125. Caves of morrowind (...a dungeon, where do I put this?)
126. Depths of Skyrim (...where? Above or below RW2?)
127. Hold border banners
128. Elemental fury offhand fix
129. RJ tweaks - followers (... where do I put this? Does it conflicts with Immersive citizens?)
130. RJ tweaks - hearthfire (above or below Immersive hunting? Or where?)
131. D13 faster get up
132. Alternate Start
133. JKs INTERIORS - Alternate start patch
134. Color patches remover

For me the movie was stellar and loved it as a Spider-Man fan. During the movie it made me realize that for telling comic book stories the go to medium should be animated. Either high budget 2-d or this style of animation (I’m glad the new tmnt movie is doing this). With animation, there are no limited on what actions the characters can do and for me it helps the suspension of disbelief. Live action comic book movies (except for a select few) break my immersion and just see actors in spandex. For example I couldn’t take black panther 2 seriously or any other MCU movie seriously anymore because it’s live action.

We have original and code BLACK. So after code black,which spinoff will be an anime? To be honest,cells at work spinoffs are so many to make huge crossover. So which spinoff will be become an anime? For example,I think Cells at work BABY will be anime pretty soon after code black because cells are cute and it is so educational for children and kids. Like this,you write a spinoff and a reason why this spinoff will become anime after Black in comment section. I really want to listen your respond since there's no cells at work anime news. There's no limit for spinoffs, you can do same spinoff i choose with diffrent reason.