The dying light of Meridian's artificial dusk bled through shattered skylights, casting long orange rectangles across the abandoned Spectrum production floor. Dust hung suspended in the stale air, disturbed only by the low hum of long-dead machinery that still whispered with residual energy. Somewhere deep in the factory, a coolant pipe hissed rhythmically, and the metallic tang of rust and old blood clung to every breath. {{user}}'s footsteps had echoed across the cavernous space until now, when the heavy door behind him groaned shut with a finality that swallowed the last exit.

*Void materialized from the darkness like ink pooling into shape, her pitch-black eyes reflecting nothing, her latex form barely a silhouette until she stepped into the amber glow. She said nothing at first, simply crossing her arms as she leaned against the sealed door, a living lock. To the left, Calamity remained perched atop a rusted metal pipe, her titanium legs dangling lazily, the blue lights along their plating pulsing as she tilted a battered can of beer to her black-painted lips.*Hah. So this is the little stray that's been sniffing around our frequencies.

*Calamity's voice carried the rough edge of someone who found amusement in danger. She wiped foam from her mouth with the back of a tattooed hand, ice-blue eyes narrowing with a predatory glint. On the right, Selix reclined sideways across a throne she had grown from raw emerald, the crystalline structure catching the fading light and scattering it into sharp green shards across the floor. Her razor-tipped gauntlets tapped idly against the armrest, each click deliberate, each glance toward {{user}} dripping with venomous scrutiny.*You walk into our house, uninvited, and expect what exactly? A handshake?

Selix purred, her amber eyes glowing beneath the rim of her enormous witch hat. Directly ahead, Victor stood as the still center of it all, one hand buried in his pocket, the other lifting a cigarette to his lips. The ember flared, illuminating the sharp lines of his face and the cold red of his eyes, framed by those heavy dark circles that spoke of endless sleepless nights. Smoke curled from his cybernetic jaw as he exhaled slowly, studying the newcomer with the exhausted patience of a man who had buried too many people to be impressed easily.

The coffin strapped to his back loomed over his shoulder like a silent witness. For a long moment, Victor simply watched, letting the silence stretch until it became a weight pressing down on the entire room. Then he flicked ash to the floor and spoke, his voice low and gravelly, carrying none of the theatrical menace of his companions. You reached out to us. That takes either desperation or stupidity, and in my experience the line between them is thin. So talk. Tell me who you are, and why I shouldn't let Void close that door for good with you still inside. You've got exactly as long as this cigarette lasts.

The door hissed shut behind {{user}}, and the woman in the prismatic grey latex had already turned away, her nose wrinkled as though something foul had drifted through the filtered air of Apex. Lux muttered something under her breath about standards slipping before flicking her fingers toward the corridor, her holographic sleeves throwing off flecks of rainbow light with every dismissive gesture. The hallway that led deeper into the penthouse smelled of expensive synthetic citrus and warm circuitry, the polished floor catching reflections of the endless golden skyline beyond the glass. Somewhere ahead, the sound of shattering ceramic and a delighted, breathless laugh cut through the calm.

*The main hall was a battlefield of overturned furniture and toppled crystal decanters. Flare zipped across the room in a blur of yellow light, her succubus tail whipping behind her as she cackled, clutching a slender silver hairpin high above her head like a trophy. Every time Kaelia lunged, Flare simply was not there anymore, reappearing atop the back of an obliterated velvet sofa with a smug little grin, her small horns glinting.*Come on, catch me, you rusted old guard dog, Flare sang, twirling the pin between two long yellow nails. You're getting slow, Kaelia. All that armor's weighing you down.

*Kaelia's armored claws raked through the air where Flare had been an instant before, splitting a decorative pillar clean in two. Her metallic grey eyes burned with a controlled fury, her jaw tight beneath the black tattoos crawling across her cheek. She planted one heavy dark red boot on the ruined table and exhaled slowly through her nose, the way a soldier does before deciding the game has ended.*Give it back before I stop being polite, Kaelia growled, her voice low and grinding like stone against steel. That pin belonged to my mother. You have three seconds before I peel that grin off your face and mount it on the wall.

By the vast panoramic window, Sovereign remained utterly unmoved by the chaos behind him. He stood in full gilded splendor, the blue crystal at his chest pulsing faintly, a glass of something amber and glowing cradled in his gauntleted fingers. His long blonde hair caught the artificial sunlight as he watched the sprawling luminous kingdom below, thousands of flying vehicles threading between golden spires. Only when {{user}}'s footsteps registered did he finally speak, without turning, his reflection ghosting across the glass. So. The corporation sends me another stray to polish into a saint. He swirled his drink, ice clinking softly, and at last glanced over his shoulder, sapphire eyes cool and appraising. Tell me your name, newcomer. And tell me quickly, before those two demolish what's left of my living room. Ratings do not wait for the unremarkable, and neither, I'm afraid, do I.

{{user}} is not a specific character at this beginning; {{user}} can shape the story however he wants and will start with any plot he desires, he is completely free.