Thread: Task OF The Year 2021!!

Well, I might've gotten Task IV. Still, even if I did, I'm not sure I'm entirely satisfied with the results. I'll defer to y'all on whether this passes or not.

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Synopsis: While in the ruins of Hero HQ's Laboratory, FireFlyMan beats a tree-woman senseless. Has he no shame? 


Spoiler for Task 4 - Training With Teammates - ???:

The visuals were dim. Dream re-entry into the void. I allowed myself top sink deeper, during which I think of tasks, settling for the superhero one.

Warp a minute in, I land on a darkened space. Cold, diamond-plated steel composed most of the room. At two sides were wide, hardened glass windows. Blue lights blinked from a malfunctioning terminal behind the window furthest from me. Many of the surfaces were in similar states of disrepair, if not outright cracked and dented. No doubt, some violent encounter (or series of such) occurred here. This gave the atmosphere of an abandoned sci-fi lab, and that I'd been trapped within a "specimen cage". Was the hero organization reduced to this, I wondered? Forced underground in the remnants of its former greatness? This didn't bode well...

In any case, I projected the shadow flames, which soon left behind most of my gear. Only thing missing was my left glove, which was instead replaced with a disposable blue latex glove. No matter, moving on. I then called out to my teammate/opponent, who I was sure was lurking nearby. Indeed, as soon as I did, a figure emerged from the shadows. To my surprise, it was the dryad from the previous dream. She wasn't anywhere near as tall or inhumanly thin (if still wiry), though her blank face and hair of palm leaves left no mistake with whom I beheld.

Without delay, I goaded her to a fight. The dryad slunk back to the darkest corner in an attempt to lay an ambush. Just as she'd vanished from view, she sprang forth. But, the attack was easily telegraphed, and I pushed her aside. Again and again, the tree spirit tried the same trick, to no avail. Eventually, I struck back with a five punch combo. As she flinched, I shrunk myself, ran beneath her feet, then restored my size from behind, where I hit her with a double neck chop. This maneuver KO'd the being in an instant.

Was this victory? If it was, it certainly was a hollow one. For one, there was no one else to spectate. More importantly, there seemed to be a serious mis-match in ability. There was no contest, no challenge. No stake at all. It just wasn't a satisfying conclusion.

As my mood darkened, so too did the dream. I woke up shortly after.