Overview

Introduction

"When Zarathustra arrived at the nearest town which adjoineth the forest, he found many people assembled in the market-place; for it had been announced that a rope-dancer would give a performance. And Zarathustra spake thus unto the people:

I teach you the Superman. Man is something that is to be surpassed. What have ye doe to surpass man? All beings hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and ye want to be the ebb of that great tide, and would rather go back to the beast than surpass man?"

The year is 2026 and humankind is coming upon a new age of technological revolution. Though once wasteful, humans have developed biotechnologies from microbes for cleanup to mental linkages between a pet and its owner. At the peak of these developments have been viruses that work not only to combat disease, but to alter genomes for the better (think GMOs). It has extended life expectancies, prevented deathly illnesses, and made people happy. It should have dawned a new golden age for civilization right?

Well not exactly.

Mankind became greedy and became so dependent on the virus that the very technology that they thought a convenience became an addiction. If you wanted blue eyes? Embed the blue eyed gene into the virus. You wanted an Olympic athlete for a baby? A bit more costly but still doable. The black market became especially keen for this, developing their own equivalent of the virus and selling it to the highest bidder. It changed the face of crime since now people could be injected with the virus to enhance their strength and go from ordinary bank robber to body builder in days.

Worse yet was when they came.

We called them Synths after the shorthand for "Synthia" (the name of the virus), but really it didn't matter what they were called because they were powerful. Some suspected that they were lab rats from the military and some said that they were black market alterations. The truth is that Synths were mutants, people whose viral injections went wrong. Some could erupt in flames and some could shatter people with just their touch. Others though? They became tumorous, scaly creatures who couldn't leave the house without police brutality. They became the face of Synthia, but also its scar for Synthia's creators who thought that they were the root of the increasing crime rates of the city.

The Synths said "to hell with humanity" and started wreaking havoc upon Metropolis. They wanted retribution and they wanted anarchy.

But how would I know that? Because I'm their leader.

Rules

Whatever side you're on, fight true and proud.

1. Be literate, be kind, and be active.
2. Don't god-mod, troll, or start out of character drama.
3. Give everyone a chance of reply before posting! I'm fine with people having conversations, but don't do it to the point that no one can keep up.
4. If you have to be away for a while, just send me a PM or say so in the OOC thread, otherwise I will assume that your character is frozen.
5. Try to write in third person, not first because it can be a bit confusing if everyone's posts are in different POVs
6. I am fine with having characters other than for the role listed, but I'm prioritizing the roles given.
7. Don't be afraid to PM me to discuss characters or any ideas you may have!
8. This is a bit of a personal rule, but if you are going to use art that isn't your own I'd rather you credit the original artist/ask for their permission. While I can't control this, I think it's good to give credit where credit is due. Otherwise, real life photos are good as well!

Background

"What is the ape to man? A laughing-stock, a thing of shame. And just the same shall man be to the Superman: a laughing stock, a thing of shame. Ye have made your way from the worm to man, and much within you is still worm. Once were ye apes, and even yet man is more of an ape than any of the apes. Even the wisest among you is only a disharmony and hybrid of plant and phantom. But do I bid you become phantoms or plants?

Lo, I teach you the Superman!

The Superman is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: The Superman shall be the meaning of the earth!"

As the introduction suggests, we are in the year of 2026, which means the world is distinctly in the future. The focus of this roleplay is in biotechnologies (microbes, viruses, etc), but in terms of vehicles we're still leagues away from hoverbikes and such, but everything is emission free and solar-powered and yes, holograms are a thing. Smartphones are still as big as ever, especially since they now project holographic keyboards and screens. Otherwise, things remain mostly the same as in our current year of 2014.

Moving on, the Synths are your basic X-Man/Superman/Heroes bastard child except that the villains are the majority of the super power holders. Obviously there will be outliers, but the majority feel betrayed by humanity due to the support of Synthia Corp.'s actions by the police. What "Leader" hasn't told you is that not everything is so black and white. There are those who seek peace between the two factions, mainly normal humans who want a third solution. These humans have dubbed themselves as the "heroes" of metropolis, but are often times inexperienced citizens who either wish they had powers or didn't make the cut into the police. Nonetheless, they are growing in the wake of the two-faction fight so both The Synths and Synthia Corp. must rethink their plans if either one of them want victory.

Characters

The Synth are a loose collective of mutants who are vying for revolution (if not full blown dominion) of the nation. On the outside, they appear to be criminals who just want anarchy, but the dedicated members know that their destructive methods are a means to an end of controlling Metropolis, the center of Synthia Corp. There are a total of four leaders within the organization who plan the tactics and battles to come.

The Leader | Every rebellion needs a leader and this one is no exception. You will be the one that leads the Synths, whether it is to their death or their victory. You have a great burden on your shoulders, but Synth's future means you have to take it.
The Strategist | You've got the wits and power to make the wildest plans come true. It's no coincidence that the leader sought you out first.
The Spy | Your power isn't as flashy as everyone else's, but you make up for it in stealth and directional knowhow. You've been Synths inside (wo)man for a long time know, whether it's infiltrating Synthia Corp or the latest ragtag group of wannabe heroes.
The Artillery | While everyone else is busy in their own world you are on Earth, planning the logistics of everything that happens. You are the one managing the soldiers, the vandals, and the supplies for every situation. Some might argue you'd make a better leader, but you're far too humble for that.

This is the most well known of all the factions. Synthia Corp. was the first organization to successfully come out with and sell a "safe" GenMod (Genetic Modifier) for human use. Though other companies (such as Monosanto) have tried, they never got passed the plant or animal stage and were eventually bought out until Synthia Corp. monopolized the entire genetic engineering market. They opened up branches all over the United States, but Metropolis was their home from their inception to now, their biggest hurdle yet. Though backed by the police and mayor, they know that they must fight fire with fire.

The Command | You are the leader of the task force and unknown to everyone else, you are no ordinary human. You were given a power by Synthia's CEO to ensure that if you were ever to face the leader in combat you would be able to subdue them.
The Oracle | You were recruited by Synthia Corp. from The Synths due to your ability to tell the future. Staying ahead of the game is necessary, even if it's hard to tell what's a vision and what's a simple dream. But why do you work for this corporation when it means everyone calling you a traitor?
The Frontline | You are a beast of a policeman who, in their heyday, could lift cars even without the aid of Synths. You act as the muscle amongst the rest of Synthia's Corp.'s soldiers.
The Shadow(s) | Synthia Corp.'s mysterious duo of leaders. What exactly do you have planned? Why did you unleash this upon the world?

THE OTHER GUYS

Unlike Synthia Corporation or The Synths, they have no fancy logo or huge following. This group is a handful of normal humans who are fighting against both sides. Though barely any of them have powers, what they do have is a whole lot of spunk an an iron will. As a ragtag team, they wage their own war against Synth related crime as well as Synthia brutality. Working in masks, they all have something to lose if their identities get out, but they won't let that stop them from holding Metropolis together by its seams. Their policy is to avoid killing people, but it's never worked out well.

The Synth Slayer | You have a reputation for being the one who killed the last leader of The Synth. The Synth want your head while Synthia wants your body. Just how did you get past his defenses that last time? TAKEN BY COWS GO MOO
The 9-5 Guy | You sure are interesting. Was it a midlife crisis or just the sense of crisis calling to you? No, that's all miniscule compared to the fact that you have a family. You can't let them die for a war that you never asked for.
The Golden Boy/Girl | You naively thought that you would be the hero. You would be Superman right? Well you were wrong. You realized too late that you were headed down a dark path and though you try to remain optimistic you aren't sure how much longer you can survive without killing someone.
The Defect | You aren't really sure where you belong. You aren't strong enough to be a hero. You aren't smart enough to be in Synthia Corporation. You don't have the mutated gene. No matter where you go, you're a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. You've had a foot in every organization, but ended up floating here, to the heroes.

"Zarathustra, however, looked at the people and wondered. Then spake thus: Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman--a rope over an abyss. A dangerous crossing, a dangerous wayfaring, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting. What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal: what is lovable in man is that he is an over-going and down-going."-Also Sprach Zarathustra