Email: Interview Requested

[Ezrihel]

from: talentrecruitment@vengefulspirits.org
reply-to: mengaurora@logistics.pbmil
to: anarchyinthegalaxy@nomorehero.com




Dear Mr. Touchdown,



We hope that this correspondence reaches you well. We at the Phantom Blossom saw your performance in the latest Carnivale Rosa Games and noticed your follow up Multwitter post, and decided to reach out to you with a unique work opportunity we feel will fit your experience and style.

The Spirits of Vengeance are a loosely bound network of bounty hunters seeking to root out the repugnant evils infesting the greater Crossroads. This may range from battling back the forces of Darkseid's Unmade malice, to chasing down various terrorists and high-profile public enemies to restore peaceful order to a region. Besides experiencing the pleasure of knocking dire villains off their pedestals and keeping the common decent folk safe, there are a few choice benefits that come from working with us, including but not limited to:

↠ Access to one of the most focused bounty hunting organizations in the Crossroads,
↠ Frequent job opportunities with the greatest heroes of the Crossroads,
↠ Extensive networking with various governmental bodies,
↠ Subsidized* travel! See all of the various worlds and experience what they have to offer!
↠ Flexible work hours that YOU choose!


If you are interested, please follow this link↗ to set up an appointment time for your video interview.




*Subsidized travel dependent on availability of relevant funds. For questions regarding the Riders of the Crossroads program, please place an inquiry with the Travel & Logistics Department.​

 

[Ezrihel]

Congratulations! You have been invited to complete a recorded video interview with the Spirits of Vengeance. We understand that this process may feel daunting or confusing, so to remedy that we have provided below several tips to help ensure your recruitment goes as smoothly as possible.

Make sure to have an available and working webcam. You are free to use any smartphone, tablet or computer, or other device with an operational camera and microphone. You will have the opportunity to test your camera and microphone before starting the interview.

Plan for the interview to last about 30 minutes and ensure that you are in a quiet, distraction free location with as little background noise as possible. Once you are ready to begin your interview our recruitment officer will ask you a series of questions and record your answers. Be authentic, relax and allow for your true skills to shine. Once completed, your responses will be reviewed and our recruitment officer will contact you in three to five business days with further instruction.
​

Start Interview↗

​

The Interview

Quest Giver: talentrecruitment@ vengefulspirits. org ( NPC @Ezrihel )
Quest Length: 1,000-2,500 words
Quest Location: Communications Boards
Quest Prerequisites: Receive Invite to Interview
Quest Reward: Standard + Admission into The Spirits of Vengeance
Repeatability: Upon success, no longer repeatable​

Upon clicking the link you are taken to a webpage in a new window. The interface of the website is sleek and sophisticated, the UI stripped down to an elegant minimalist style in white and blue. In the midst of the blank white page sits a large black box that asks for permission to access your camera and microphone to record audio and video. When your scheduled interview begins you will be greeted by your recruitment officer, a fair skinned woman with neatly tied back black hair, and dark brown eyes. Her nametag reads 'MENG' in full capitals and she is in a burgundy red formal military suit known as a Dress Red uniform, with several ribbons and metals decorating the left breast of her jacket.​

Objectives:
- Answer all of the Recruitment Officer's questions sufficiently

 

[Serial Designation N]

Travis was on his computer waiting for any responses to his Multwitter post. His motel room was a lot crappier than the one back from where he is from. And it doesn't even have nearly as many collectibles as he had. He had to start from scratch to make ends meet—one of the many downsides of being isekaied into a new world.

He finally got an email from some group of bounty hunters interested in him called the Spirits of Vengeance. By their badass name alone he is already hooked even if he is more of an assassin than a bounty hunter. Yet if this was going to allow him to get more work and get paid doing it then so be it. He gets chased after bounties and all that, but he has no idea who the Hell Darkseid is or what the Unmade is. He goes to search it and search it online.

And apparently, Darkseid and the Unmade is very bad news. Now he has faced some overpowered baddies not too long ago that were freaking aliens. Yet he is not sure if he wants to deal with that. Probably better to let the professional and more experienced people in this organization handle it. While he goes after lesser threats.

He clicked the link and read the invite before getting everything set up. Throwing away trash off of his desk. And getting an Eastern-style folding screen for the background so that the interviewer wouldn't have to see his shitty motel room. Gets his mic set up which he bought to use for his podcasts.

He makes sure that the camera is aligned correctly. Giving them both a quick test and sure enough they worked just fine. Finally, he clicks the link to the interview.

 

[Ezrihel]

[The app connects you to the recruitment officer, a dull ringing sounding. It takes them all of five seconds to answer, saving your ears from the noise. As the video cuts on a fair skinned woman with neatly tied back black hair and dark brown eyes appears on the feed. Her nametag reads 'MENG' in strict capitals and she wears a burgundy red military suit known as a formal Dress Red uniform, several ribbons and metals decorate the left breast of her jacket. A braided golden cord wraps around her shoulder. Not a single hair or seam is out of place as she smiles cordially at you.]

[Aurora Meng:] Good evening, Mister Touchdown. I am Aurora Meng, Chief Warrant Officer of Logistics on the Phantom Blossom. I trust that all is well for you today? ... ... ... That's good to hear. As you know, today we will be doing your talent interview with the Spirits of Vengeance. As stated in the preceding emails, please plan for this session to last at least thirty minutes, and make sure that your environment is calm and noise-free. Would you like to take a moment to check? ... ... No? Alright, we'll get started then.

[Meng leans forward in her chair, typing something out on her keyboard before straightening back out.]

[Aurora Meng:] Let's start this out nice and easy for you. We've already seen you in action, but why don't you go ahead and tell us more about yourself as a person, Mister Touchdown? What is it that drives you to take on the work that you do?​

 

[Serial Designation N]

"Well I've certainly had better days," he responded to the question about his day.

Luckily the place he was living in was quiet at the moment, hopefully, his neighbor's pet doesn't start barking or anything like that. The only background noise is the humming of the light fixtures in his room. He is then asked what exactly drives him as a person. And that's honestly a difficult question for him to answer.

"That's a tough question, back home it was originally just money, being the best, and getting the girl. Then it was just for revenge. Then it was helping someone revive someone I killed. Then I just decided to save the world from aliens just because I felt like it. Mostly at the moment, it's to make money just to get by, but I've been picky with the assassination requests like no women for instance, or like anyone innocent who didn't deserve it, definitely killed too many like that in the past and one time it bit me back in the ass something fierce." Travis said.

He still regrets taking those Pizza CEO assassination jobs, otherwise, Jaspar Batt Jr. wouldn't have made him go through that hellish revenge plot of his. Then of course there were some other fellow assassins he regretted killing in the ranked battles. Also, he left out the fact that his wife promised him something "very special" for him after he killed Prince Fu and his gang. Though she probably would've given it to him anyway in hindsight and that wasn't the sole reason he decided to take care of the so-called "Galactic Superhero Corps". Not to mention Fu also hurt one of his friends and killed another which made things personal besides the fact one of his buddies bombed the city he lived in.

"Frankly I just want to go home, but until I can somehow find a way back I might as well keep on doing what I do best, and unfortunately for me, that is killing people," Travis said.

 

[Ezrihel]

[Aurora Meng:] Unfortunately? Hardly. Not every life is strictly deserving of such 'merit' and mercy, so to say. What better than to be the precision tool meant to cut out their toxicity?

[She chuckles rather blithely over the statement, and notes something down at her console.]

[Aurora Meng:] Sorry. You'll have to pardon the casual approach, we work with hitmen and assassin types pretty regularly. But I very much doubt that you'll find yourself put in a situation where you'll have to murder any innocent people when it comes to jobs from our organization. Ultimately, we work to save innocent people and protect them. If your concern is a lack of coin or credit then I can assure you there is no shortage of opportunity in that regard either. Those who do good are always looked after.

[Meng clears her throat softly.]

[Aurora Meng:] Anyways, on to our next question. You mentioned that you once worked simply for the sake of revenge. Would you elaborate on that situation, Mister Touchdown? What happened to cause this, and what lengths were you willing to go to in order to achieve your revenge?​

 

[Serial Designation N]

It still was unfortunate for him. For most of his life, Travis has been stuck in a perpetual cycle of violence. He's numb to it at this point, but even then he hopes to rest someday. Then he was asked about his quest for revenge. And for the lengths he went to to do so.

"Well, first off it all started when I took some extra assassination jobs and killed these CEOs, and it turns out they were the brothers and father of this one rich bastard named Jaspar Batt Jr. He teamed up with another guy for revenge against me cause I killed that dude's brother too, and while I was distracted Jaspar sent some goons to kill a best friend of mine named Bishop. He didn't deserve to die nor he needed to be roped into shit I've done so Jaspar made things personal. Hang on, I will need a drink for this I hope you don't I'll be right back," Travis said.

He then walks away from his computer and the camera to the fridge to grab a cold frosty beer before coming back and start drinking from the can.

"You see Jaspar bought this company called the United Assassins Association, where assassins are ranked and forced to fight each other to go up in the ranks. I was familiar with this before but this time he televised the whole thing, no different than that cocky masked red dude's own Death Games. Jaspar made himself number 1 which means to kill him I had to kill everyone ranked below him. I don't know if he thought I would be killed by one of the lower ranks. Or if he knew I would reach the top again so he could do the job himself," Travis said.

After drinking the rest of his beer he crushes the drink in his hands.

"Now a lot of these assassins were no saints, Hell I am not a saint either, but there were a couple that didn't deserve to be roped into his games. This one guy, Ranked 3rd Captain Vladimir, was a psychic Russian cosmonaut who didn't even realize he was back on Earth and mistook me for an American enemy so we ended up fighting, while he was dying he finally realized he was back and died content, but I felt sorry for him so I prevented his body from being disposed of and incinerated like how most other assassins bodies were and wanted his body to back with the Earth where it belongs." Travis said.

He then looked at his beer can remembering another. One he swore never to forget.

"And then there was Alice, Ranked 2nd and was sick of the UAA and the spectator sport it was. She wanted me to free her from this endless cycle of violence. She told me to never forget her and I kept true to that promise. And you want to know the worst part of it all? At the end of the day, my revenge against Jaspar felt hollow and gave me no joy. All of that killing, and all of that death, and for what?!" Travis explained.

He then threw the crumpled beer can to the side offscreen as it bounced off of the fridge and into a trash can placed next to it.

"Well, you wanted to know the lengths I was willing to go for revenge. Hope that satisfies you." Travis solemnly said.

He was willing to accept at this point that those answers were probably what cost him a chance to join this group.

 

[Ezrihel]

[Aurora Meng:] You could find solace in knowing that he never again had the opportunity to hurt anyone again. One less evil in the world is still a net positive...

[Meng pecks a short note into her console and dips her head in a sharp, bird-like nod. If she has been made uncomfortable by his answers or drinking she hides it flawlessly behind a mask of militant professionalism.]

[Aurora Meng:] Speaking of ends, great philosophers across many periods and cultures have arrived at the conclusion that it is immoral to use a fellow sophont as merely a means to the end, and yet sometimes we find ourselves facing tough choices. You have already shown that you are willing to put yourself in the line of danger to achieve your goals, but to what extent do you allow your ends to justify your means?

[Aurora Meng:] Say the population of a local city-state has been struggling in recent years due to poor management and interference from corrupt officials. Poverty and crime rates skyrocket and infrastructure falls into disrepair at the hands of an apathetic government. You have taken on a job to assassinate the crooked politicians responsible for this misery, and you just happen to get a tip to where the person, or people, running the state will be hosting an event: a very well guarded upscale mansion complete with perimeter security in the inner districts. You need to find a way in, handle the targets, and get out before the event ends.

[Meng sits back in her chair, hands folded neatly in her lap.] How do you approach your task? Tell me the plan.​

 

[Serial Designation N]

Well, that reaction was better than he expected. She didn't get sick of him yet which is a relief. Of course, the interview is still going and he was met with a difficult scenario. One that required a lot of thinking. As this would be handled differently than he normally does things.

Usually, he just brute forces his way through a bunch of guards and thugs trying to kill him. Then he finds the person he's looking for/sent to fight and then boom dead. However, this would require a more delicate touch. Something he is not used to.

"This perimeter security, you mean like one of those big fancy walls gated communities tend to have right? I bet I could cut a hole through it with my Beam Katana, slip in, sneak past the guards, and kill any who spotted me before they reported me to the others. Then when the crooked politicians are backstage or taking a bathroom break or whatever that's when I surprise them and one slice and they're done like that. I wouldn't want to traumatize the audience of the event by doing the job in front of them, they might have some sympathizers in the audience who would try to pick a fight with me for killing their beloved candidates, and I take it this group wouldn't want to kill any civilians am I right? Then I'd just find my way back to the hole I made earlier, drive away on the parked motorcycle that I would have set next to the said hole, and that's that" Travis explained.

This plan was probably filled with a lot of holes. Especially considering his bright outfits and attire he sticks out like a sore thumb. Though it's the best he could come up with on the spot. And it's true he wouldn't kill people who aren't in the way of his target. Especially when after he's already done the job so it would be pointless picking a fight with those people even if they're the reason said politicians got into power.

Some people can be incredibly misguided and stupid. Especially where he came from. He can't entirely fault them or kill them because of that. Even if then he could just wrestle them to take them down nonlethally if it came down to that scenario. Speaking of which he still needs to look up Wunya the Green Mountain in action.

 

[Ezrihel]

[Aurora Meng:] Say you come upon your target in the bathroom, as you said, and execute them. You're tucking the body away in a stall when a civilian enters and catches you red handed. They scream and begin bolting back down the hall to find a member of the security detail. Should they summon security the entire venue will begin to go into lockdown, and unless you have a way to quickly escape a veritable platoon of guards will be looking to accost you and put you down with extreme prejudice. If you act fast you might be able to catch the fleeing civilian before they manage to get far enough to alert anyone.

[Aurora Meng:] If you catch up to the civilian, they will beg for their life in a panicked plea. There is no way to know the extent of the civilian's moral corruption, aside from the fact that they are in attendance at this closed event and must have been comfortable and influential enough in some regard when supporting the current regime to be invited. They will agree to whatever terms imposed on them in the moment if it means saving their skin, but there is no way to know beyond a shadow of doubt that they will not report your crime and description to the local law enforcement called to investigate the assassination, resulting in a bounty placed on you. They might even renege as soon as they get a reasonable distance from you and no longer feel imminently threatened.

[Aurora Meng:] What do you do?​

 

[Serial Designation N]

Of course, he would be given a question on top of his answer to make things more difficult. He wouldn't want to kill the guy. Not because it would be the wrong answer. Generally, because he wouldn't want to kill anyone who has nothing to do with his target, but sometimes a complex answer has a simple solution and Travis thought of one. It would be hard to sell her on this solution though.

"Now this may sound crazy and or very stupid but bear with me here. You see I have been trained in the art of wrestling and if someone does spot me I'll just quickly suplex them or body lock high them to knock them out. Hell, I could do that to all of the guards I come across too especially if my contract says to only kill the target and only them. If the civilian remembers me or my face so be it let them have bounties on me. I have had to deal with bastards coming after me in the past trying to get a piece of me and had to hide away from my family for a while, and I'll do it again if I have to." Travis explained.

He keeps himself cool and collected to show that he is dead serious with his answer. It was the most unorthodox of answers to such a question. Yet Travis is an unorthodox assassin. He's usually not the type for stealth so to be thrown into a scenario where he is forced to be stealthy is not his strong suit. A lot of people bullshit on their job resumes and interviews anyway. Why shouldn't he as well especially if it gives him this sweet gig?

 

[Ezrihel]

[Aurora Meng:] Seems adaptable... Possesses some semblance of morality... Values clean work at scenes, minimizing witnesses and conflict where necessary...

[Meng nods, typing out her notes with inhuman speed and accuracy. She gives no visual sign of approval or disapproval over his answers, face a blindingly neutral expression of indifference.]

[Aurora Meng:] You're a real hitman turned noble, Mister Touchdown. Violence is seldom a pure line of work, but at the very least you do right by the people and try to minimize harm unto those innocent of greater crimes. Though I have to wonder, why the particular aversion to dealing with feminine targets?
​

[... ... ...]​

[Meng pauses, glancing off to the side to read something as she listens to his answer. After a moment she looks back into the camera, her keen dark brown eyes scanning his countenance as if visibly inscribing his answers to her memory.]
​

[... ... ...]​

[Aurora Meng:] I see... Okay.

[Meng clears her throat and proceeds to the next question.]

[Aurora Meng:] While we at the Spirits of Vengeance do not strictly enforce teams or squads during all assignments, I would like for you to describe your teamworking abilities to me using past examples where possible, Mister Touchdown.​

 

[Serial Designation N]

Well, he is surprised that that answer went by smoothly. Now he is being asked about any times that he has worked in a team in the past. He can think of only a few examples off the top of his head. However, he has had recent experience of course in the Crossroads. So he should go with that first.

"Usually I am a lone tiger I normally don't get help from others. However, in the Death Games, I did end up forced to work with the people there. Even valiantly went and held off one of the Man in Red's many experiments gone wrong by myself to buy time so that the others could get to safety. Lost an arm for it and I was unable to put the thing out of her misery. After that I teamed up with Flak to do a combo move, he spun me around and we were like a whirling top of death and managed to slash our way through victory. I am pretty sure the whole thing was televised so if you don't believe me you can just watch footage online," Travis said.

Now for his more outlandish tales of teamwork.

"Now these tales are more out there but believe me they happened. There was the time me and this dude called Bad Man got sucked into this game called the Death Drive MK 2. Whoever played through the games and won would get their wish granted and of course, I let Bad Man take the wish for his daughter Bad Girl to be brought back to life. And then there was me and my friends against FU, this jackass prince from space who styled himself as a superhero but his definition of superhero seemed to be doing whatever the fuck he wanted. I did most of the work yeah but my friends each managed to help take potshots at him before they all rushed him and finished him off. " Travis then looks down solemnly as if remembering a tragic detail "Bad Girl managed to get a piece in too after what FU did to Bad Man, the poor bastard got his head ripped off by that asshole,"

It still hasn't been long since Bad Man died but he still can't get over it. FU came rushing in after he killed one of his pals. Ripped off Shinobu's arms. And killed Bad Man before leaving and he was unable to stop him.