Meeting For Heroes... Or Something... [Nilo, Charles, and Jack]

It was a snowy day as winter days usually where. It was lightly cloudy and the snow came down steadily. A light breeze could be felt occasionally but if one wore thick clothing, it'd be hard to notice. The students carried along with their daily lives as the school bell rung ending today's studies. One of those students was Nilo Lockwood.

He wore a thick black coat along with jeans and his black scarf; sneakers adorned his feet. He held his book close to his chest, an air of distraction about him. He heard her voice in his head... But he couldn't hear it... It was like a murmured humming. He didn't care regardless, most of his attention on the humming as he made his was towards the dorms.

He had planned to meet Jack at the 'ranger base,' having sent a text to him before hand. He needed to know if Jack knew anything about the persona... Maybe that's why he acted so heroic? He didn't know but he had to find out.

He walked passed the dorms and to the hidden hut, looking around to see if Jack was going to pop out and do poses. He was prepared for such a feet of course, bracing himself for poppers and smoke machines again. He laughed quietly to himself, breathing in the cool crisp air; awaiting for Jack's arrival.

Jack paced the inside of his shed-er... Secret base of justice... It had been a few days sense Jack's most recent run in with Charles, and to be frank... he was shook up... Never before had Jack questioned himself or ever had second thoughts about a decision he had made, but something about Charles and how he handled the situation made him question himself. Jack was worried he had jumped in to fast, he could have gotten hurt or worse. Then there was Nilo...He knew that Nilo was skittish, if he dragged Nilo into something that even he wasn't sure about... Jack wouldnt be able to live with himself.

Speak of the devil.... Jack peeked out his window to see Nilo approaching. Ok... Jack had to handle this carefully... He slowly opened the door to his shack and pushed his way through the bush, with a deep breath Jack leapt from the bush with a heroic shout.

"AH! Ranger Black! I got your text and came as soon as I cou-.... huh?" Jack eyed Nilo strangely.... He... he was different... he looked the same, but... Jack could tell something was different... He hadn't gotten this kind of feeling sense.... Sharaku.... No no... That couldn't be. This was Nilo! Ranger Black... But... Jack was no fool. He had an eye for this, something was different.

"You uh... get a hair cut or something... You seem different..." Jack smiled slightly and waited for Nilo to answer.

Charles picked through his pocket, finally pulling out a fist full of change. It was a snowy, windy afternoon. Three days have passed since he last met Jack. He has made his decision now, though. Why else would he be walking down the road towards a nearby phone booth in San Malarus during a snowy afternoon?

Anyhow, he let the machine swallow several of his coins, after which he dialed the phone number Jack left him with and put the phone next to his ear.

As soon as someone answered the phone, Charles would have spoken: "Greetings, this is Charles speaking. Who am I talking to?" If the person on the other end identified itself as Jack, Charles would've followed up with a question: "Where are you situated? I have arrived at the conclusion regarding the conversation we had few days agp and I must discuss it with you, but I was unable to locate you." After getting the answer, Charles would've ended the call, saying "I am on my way."

Nilo didn't seem to focus much on what was being said before shaking his head and forcing himself to focus. He looked up and tilted his head to Jack's question, going to twist a strand of his white hair. "No... I rarely get my hair cut... Unless it starts covering my entire face..." he said slowly, obviously distracted by the humming in his head. It wasn't annoying but its presence was enough to keep him distracted enough to silence. He would stay quiet if Jack answered the phone and listen to whatever was being said, before thinking out a response.

"... Who was... That?" he would ask as soon as Jack ended the call. He didn't seem to over all care but his entire demeanor screamed distracted... Why did he come here again? He didn't quite remember... He sighed and shook his head, trying to clear the humming out of it. He seemed slightly flustered before returning to an aloof and distracted demeanor. If one looked closely, they could see the book he always gripped so tightly was very loose in his hands, almost to the point of slipping to the ground.

Jack stood slightly stunned by Nilo's strange behavior... come to think of it... he had been acting strangely for the past couple days... reserved, shy, not very talkative... Well that was just Nilo... But something about this was different, and as Nilo's self proclaimed leader and comrade Jack new it was up to him to figure out what it was,"Nilo... Bud... is something wro-" Jack stopped mid sentence as his phone began to wring. He quietly cursed his misfortune and answered it.,"Hello?........ Oh Charles! Yeah this is Jack,.....That's great! I'm in the coart yard behind the dorms! Just check behind the bushes on the far side. There should be a small wooden shack there. Just knock once you find it and I'll let you in."

Jack hung up after saying good bye to Charles and turned his attention to Nilo,"Sorry, that was Charles, remember that evil emperor I told you about? Well he's the emperor... Well not exactly... Turns out I was wrong. But I'm pretty sure he's an intergalactic bounty hunter.... I offered to help him find the guy he was looking for, provided he's not evil. This actually works out perfectly sense I wanted you two to meet." Jack's expression became worried as he noticed Nilo's lose grip on his book... that was a very bad sign...,"C-Come on in... You seem cold and I just finished setting up the space heater...." Jack would drape his arm around Nilo's shoulder and lead him into the shack, closing the door behind them.

Charles made his way towards the school. It didn't take long, as he wasn't far away and the snow didn't faze him, so he was already at the gates in several minutes. Searching the premises took a bit longer since Jack hadn't realy specified the location. He just said 'behind the dorms' and mentioned some bushes on the far side. Still, Charles eventually found the shack.

Now, some people might've been discouraged by the looks of the place, or question why did Jack even decide on this place as the place where they were supposed to meet. Of course, Charles wasn't 'some people' so he simply walked over to the door and knocked once, just like Jack told him to.

"I-I'm okay..." Nilo muttered as he was led into the shack, not sounding to convincing as his focus returned to the humming again. He didn't put up a fight though, seeming to be easily guided as he entered the shack. He didn't quite do anything but sit down next to the heater, his knees close to his chest as he hugged them; his book in between his legs and body. He was obviously distracted, but at what couldn't be deduced as of yet.

He stayed quiet until the knock on the door commenced, and for the first time sense his Awakening, the humming stopped. He blinked, looking towards the door with a tilted head. He could hear her curious mutters as User and Persona focused on the presence behind the door. It felt... Odd... But neither of the two could deduce what it was...

"... Who's that?" he would ask Jack before the latter opened the door. It would be obvious now his distracted nature was over for the moment.

Jack didn't believe that for a second... He knew something was wrong. More then the usual stuff. Nilo just seemed... distracted... and a little weak. Jack would help Nilo sit by the heater and drape a blanket around him. Jack was beginning to worry, this was quiet... even for Nilo. Jack was determined to get to the bottom of this.,"... Not talken huh... I don't know what I expected... you've been Kinda distracted recently." Jack placed a hand on Nilo's shoulder and smiled as best he could in spite of his worry,"I don't know what you're going through right now and I wont ask... but if you need to talk about anything... I'm here for ya Nilo. You're the best friend I've got around here and if there's anything I can do to help just let me know,"

Jack jumped slightly when he heard the knocking[color=#00cc00],"Oh man he's here early! Hm? Oh that's Charles, the bounty hunter. Now brace yourself Nilo... This very well could be our very first real mission as Rangers!"ood and walked to the door. He took a deep breath and opened the door and offered his biggest brightest smile,"Charles! Good to see you again! Come in, come in! Meet Nilo, he's my partner."

Jack would step aside and let Charles into the room.

Another one, huh. That changes the plan slightly. Charles's eyes quickly blazed the room as soon as he entered it without saying anything, his clothes and hair (as he wore no hat) white from snow and his boots dripping all over the floor. He left a wet trail behind himself as he silently walked to the middle of the room, directing his gaze at the third boy. He didn't seem like much, safe for this odd atmosphere around him, but, nonetheless, it was still unwise to proceed with the initial plan. Perhaps it would be fine to ask Jack about the Persona infront of this Nilo, but it wouldn't be safe to reveal his true identity... But then Jack maybe won't believe him. I mean, what proof does would he have in order to arrive at the conclusion that Charles is indeed telling the truth.

He decided to take one step at a time and try to evaluate Nilo through some stimulating conversation. That was the best way to get to know somebody, or so his database said.

"I am Charles, pleased to meet you." He offered his hand to the boy sitting infront of him. "I came here to discuss something with Jack, but your very presence disrupted my plan." He tried to put on an awkward, fake smile, which quickly faded from his face.

Agh, that made no sense! Maybe he should just cut to the point instead of just blabbering and sounding silly. Like he'd be able to evaluate this child through some talking, especially in these conditions.

Charles fowned as he pulled his hand back. He was going to ask them directly, no matter the consequences. If it came to that, he was ready to kill the boy here and now. So he turned around so he could face Jack. He paid no attention to what Nilo might've said at his previous remark. "Let us cut the chase. I am about to show you my true identity." His left hand moved to the scarf tied around his neck, clinging from it as he swayed during the motion. "This might appear odd to you, but I ensure you it is all the truth." He blinked. "Have you ever... heard of the power called 'Persona'? What I am looking for is someone who already posseses this power. As you see..." His hand froze in motion as he began pulling at the scarf. No, he couldn't reveal it just yet, he had to keep it a secret for now. "This is... Nevermind. The important thing is that I need to find a way to fight the beings known simply as Shadows. But, for that purpose, I need to acquire the ability to summon a Persona. It is crucial as, without it, I am unable to travel to places where Shadows reside and my combat capabilities are limitied. Since you yearn to beome what people tend to refer to as a 'hero of justice', I believe we might have similiar interests in fighting the Shadows." He reached out with a hand towards Jack. "So, will you join me?"

It was done. All he had to wait for now was a reply from Jack.

Nilo blinked and jumped up once Charles said the word ‘Persona.’ He was speechless as he continued talking but shook his head, quickly opening up his book to a passage that detailed his Awakening. The humming in his head finally went silent as she decided an aligned goal was at hand. She simply gave Nilo the peace of mind he needed to tackle the subject at hand.

“How do you know about Personas and Shadows? And to prove my case; look.” Nilo held up his book for Charles to read. Its contents consisted of the Alternate Zela Academy as well as the other him and the fight that commenced during his Awakening. It spoke of his Persona as well and how she came to be. “I have the power you speak of… It looks like we came here today for a similar reason…” he said, quickly shaking his head and flipping to another page; this one retelling what Akumu has taught him about Persona and Shadows.

“’Shadows are entities created from the negativity of human hearts. When the negativity in a human builds to a bursting point, the shadow leaks out and consumes the flesh leaving behind different forms of darkness that seeks out other negative energy or weaker shadows to consume so it can grow stronger.’” he recited, looking up at Charles with an unreadable face and stern eyes. He didn’t know who or even what Charles was but he had to drive his case hard to prove his point. “’Persona, they too are shadows, but unlike the ones that attack, these are tamed shadows under the control of their wielders; however, to wield such power, there are tests that occur in various forms. One such test is facing one’s own Shadow.’” he recited after a while, looking up to see Charles reaction. He sighed though, closing his book after that point.

“But… Something isn’t right with that… What I know about Shadow Selves contradicts what happened to me… Maybe this is why you do not have access to your Persona?” he asked with an edge of caution. He had to be careful who he shared this knowledge with. Akumu had been an extremely reliable and helpful source of information… But Charles could be dangerous; he couldn’t assume everyone with the power of Persona was a good person… Or in this case, someone who simply knew about them.

“… My name is Nilo “Red” Lockwood, and I am a Persona User…” he said, his book in one arm as he looked up at Charles sternly. “Now… How do you know about Persona and Shadows?”

Jack had been floored by what Charles said to him... both figuratively and nearly literally. His words struck him like a frat train. Jack stumbled back as Charles's words filled the air and clung to the small table he kept in his shack for decoration. He felt it really tied the room together, Jack being a closet interior decorator. It wasn't a big table mind you, just big enough to WAIT DID HE SAY SHADOWS? Sh-Shadows? The heck is a shadow!? Jack stared wide eyed as Charles finished his speech and stood there for a moment... just letting everything sink in... S-Shadows?... Persona?... Special powers?... this was every Jack had been waiting for! Here someone was asking for Jack's help in saving the world, offering a hand of partnership in defeated ACTUAL shadows that plague the world at ever turn... convenient... and yet... he couldn't keep his hands from trembling... his heart raced and his head spun... This was Jack's moment! His call to action... and instead of grasping it with the determination and power that he knew he had inside him, the strength of will and heroic flame that he so prided himself on... He just stood there starring at Charles' hand,"That is... quite a lot to take in... I... I don't..."

Then Nilo stood...

Nilo stood with such a burning determination, as if something had ignited within him. A roaring fire that threatened to burn everything in Jack's tiny shack to the ground and replace it with a pillar of flames that would burn for an eternity with the white hot intensity of Nilo's will... wait... he came here today for the same reason as Charles?... Nilo.... Nilo could use one of these persona things?... and he never told Jack?... Jack couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed for this... but... he had come here today to do just that... tell him... Jack's over analyzing mind began to come up with crackpot theory after crackpot theory, but he chose to simply let Nilo talk and absorb all the information he could...

As Nilo droned on about Shadows and Persona Jack  did his best to understand every bit of what he was saying... A shadow is concentrated negative emotion...Ok not to hard to understand. They were made of evil. The more negativity in a person's heart the more powerful the shadow... got it! Also easy to fallow... Persona are tamed shadows... That very well may be the coolest thing Jack had ever heard Nilo say... The more Nilo spoke of Persona and Shadow's, the more excited Jack became... Slowly his fear and uncertainty was lost. As Nilo finished his piece Jack smiled and let out a hearty laugh,"Well Charles, it looks like your long search is over... my buddy Nilo here is exactly what you are looking for... However that doesn't seem to be an issue right now... dose it?..."

Jack, now steady enough to walk, moved over to the rack of wooden weapons on the far side of the wall and took down his favorite boken, inspecting it slightly."What is an issue however... are these shadows you two speak so highly of... I wish I could say I knew exactly what you were talking about... That I to was a... Persona User?... but I can't... This is the first time I've heard of anything even remotely... like... this..."Jack thought back to his last conversation with Sharaku... and how he had warned Jack not to get involved in this... to late now... heh...

"What I can say is this... I get the feeling that you need persona users to fight shadows... And... Nilo is one.. what ever one is. Unfortunately for you Nilo and I are a package deal. As useless as I'm sure I'll be without one of these "Persona"... I'm not about to let the best friend I've got walk into battle without his Red Ranger... I promised to have his back and now I plan to deliver on that promise! Where he goes I go!" Jack turned to Nilo and smiled a warm friendly smile that he hopped conveyed  what he was feeling at this moment.

"Not entirely sure what the heck is goin on here... In fact I'm pretty lost... But I noticed something different about you today. Now that I know what it is... I couldn't be more proud of you Ranger Black. You have the power to help save the world!... If it were anyone else I'd be so jealous right now I might do something I'd regret... But sense it's you Nilo... Well I'm willing to offer any help I can! We're partners Nilo, and no matter what happens here on out, we stick together,"

Jack turned to Charles and offered a similar friendly smile...once again.. he was wrong about Chales... Two strikes..."Charles... as ranger Red of the Feathermen: Zele Force... I accept your offer to help you save the world."... Man Jack had waited a life time to say that!

This guy... had a Persona!? Charles turned around when Nilo spoke up. He was no longer his calm and emotionless self, even more so... he appeared completely stunned, as if something had bitten him all of a sudden. He did not avert his gaze off the boy for as long as he spoke. He knew it all, Shadows, Personas, alternate Zela academy? That was a new one. Did Shadows reside there? Apparently, he received his Persona there, but how exactly? The answer evaded Charles as the boy soon flipped over to another page, not giving Charles the opportunity to read all that had been written inside. "You..." As Nilo began reading, a weird sensation flew through Charles's body. Resent, jealousy. Why was he still unable to summon a Persona? At that moment, he was almost ready to snatch the book from the boy's grasp and run away with it. But was it really the wisest thing to do? Was he really so sure of his ability that he believed he would've been able to fight them on his own? No, he needed someone to back him up, other Persona users. It was the reason he decided to reveal the truth to Jack in the first place. He had to calm down now... and reply to Nilo's question. He waited until Jack was done before speaking up. "I apologize, Jack, but what I about to show you might confuse or bewilder you even more, but revealing this truth is crucial in gaining Nilo's trust." He paused for a while before speaking up again. "I... am no human. There is no point in hiding this fact now that we all here know the truth." With a determined swipe, he pulled off his scarf, revealing the white cloth which served as his skin. "As you can see, this is no skin. That is because I am a robot, designed solely for the purpose of fighting Shadows. That is how I know about the Shadows and Personas. Do not be alarmed, though. I shall not hurt you and I shall not disobey my principles, as I have a mind of my own. Ther is nobody in control of me at this point." He stood, facing both Jack and Nilo. His cool exterior returned and he was gazing at them with a piercing glare. It was the only way to achieve what he was searching for, or so he said to himself. The truth is, he was dying to tell somebody. Maybe it was a malfunction in his programming, or perhaps his human psyche, the papillon heart, but he felt such relief after telling them all that. A smile danced on his lips. He didn't even feel it, but it happened. He was happy, but why exactly? What was the driving force of these feelings?

"I am Unit 53, codename 'Charles'. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Nilo glanced over to Jack during his speech of sorts. He smiled lightly, reassured that he had his back. She returned to humming once everything was said and done; both Persona and User where happy at the turn about. He turned his head towards Charles, his eyes only quavering at the sight of the now robot. A robot who was designed souly for the purpose of shadow killing... Nilo tilted his head to the side, opening his book towards another page.

"I wasn't aware robots had the ability to use Persona... In fact... I hypothesized that only humans could... What gives you the power of Persona? Maybe it has malfunctioned? Or... Maybe your Persona manifested into your Shadow Self?" he asked, flipping his book to the correct page. "'Shadow Selves react according to negativity. The more one hides the negativity, the more time the shadow self has time to potentially gain power from taunting the original, who gives it strength with denial.'" he looked up at Charles, a confused look on his face.

"Again... What I know of Shadow Selves contradicts what happened to me... But I'm not sure..." he shook his head, smiling lightly towards Charles. "... Regardless of what has happened to your Persona... I want to help you. If you would allow me... I will do whatever I can to aid you." he said with a compassionate smile.

Jack nodded to Nilo before turning his full attention to Charles... wait... did he say... Oh... oh man! No mere human! Jack knew it! He knew it! OH OH! Is someone going to answer that phone? Why? CUS HE FREAKING CALLED IT! WOOOT! Oh yeah! This is the real deal! Jack tryed to contain himself as Charles began to unravel his scarf... is that... cloth? Jack was bewildered for a moment until Charles began to explain...

A... Robot? Ah come on! That was his next guess! Promise! But... From what Nilo said it sounded like Persona could only come from people. Could that mean that at one point in time Charles was human? Or did that mean that persona could be made as well? Jack turned to Nilo who rattled off his own confusion while reading from that book of his. Darn... Nilo was turning out to be the go to guy on this and even he didn't know anything.

"Well you were right Charles... I am utterly confused! I would have guessed alien before robot. Ether way, I'm with Nilo on this one. Even if I don't have a persona I'll do my best to help you find yours. The Featherman rangers have your back the entire way!" Jack let a large toothy grin work it's way onto his face as he patted Nilo on the back and laughed heartily. He shot Nilo a sly glance as his grin became mischievous.,"That said... If he's gunna join the club, he'll need the uniform... Don't you think so Nilo?"

Charles nodded. They took it better than he expected and they even offered their help to him. "I am grateful for your offers. I will gladly accept your help." He whispered to them with a faint smile. They really did accept it rather quickly, especially Jack. He hadn't experienced any of this strange occurences yet, but he chose to believe in it only because of what Nilo and Charles have said. Even more so, he was getting ready to fight them even without a Persona. Was that... trust? Anyhow, he had a few questions to answer. "Before proceeding..." His face became stale again. "I understand your doubt, it is strange for something considered an 'object' to have the ability that requires it to posses a psyche." He turned to Nilo as he spoke. "However, I and the others like me were given an artificial psyche crafted in a special part implemented into our bodies, the papillon heart. One could compare it to your human concept of the soul. I would show it to you as proof, but I mustn't, as it is the frailest part of my body, as well as the most important one. You say that it might be malfunctioning. Perhaps so..." He did not remember anything from before he woke up in the middle of a street a month ago, so he could not give an conclusive answer to that. It worried him a little, though, since he was unable to repair it on his own, so if his papillon heart was indeed malfunctioning... No, that wasn't the case, that mustn't be the case! He would have felt it, right? Then, perhaps it was his evoker that was broken? No, he would have still been able to see the Shadows even if it were broken. Whatever the case, he felt he could find his anser by teaming up with them.

After letting it all settle in, Charles turned to Jack. "Now allow me to pose a question. What is this 'club' you are speaking of? And an 'uniform'? I am afraid I do not understand what you are talking about."