[b]The Last Word[/b] [i]His room was dirtier than he had imagined it to be, and far, far dustier than he remembered. His predecessor had been rambunctious, certainly, but it was unlike him to leave such a cluttered mess: casual clothes were strewn about the room he had phased into, and closed curtains leaked but a sliver of light onto the large bed. He had few belongings here--he had only stayed for days in between missions--and he collected only one hard-drive before he walked out of the room that was once his, closing the door behind him. It was a reminder that this was once his home, nothing more, though it was likely the only place he would recognize. This entire residential sector had largely been abandoned, and names like Thomas Weiss, August Phantyme, Freddy Tedford, and even Luis Franco sat upon doorsteps covered in dirt and rust. Matthew Hallwinter never broke stride. The gates of the new Dojo had been erected long ago, but he had been here even longer than that, and it took a good hour of hiking through unfamiliar places to reach the imposing gates. He had once tested himself at a place like this, had once strolled through those gates with the confidence of victory, but those memories were not his own, and this place was not the same as it was. No matter: he was here for one purpose, and that alone. He stood several meters away from the gate, the worn black and orange armor neither shining nor deflecting the light that shone upon him, his massive shadow imposing itself upon the gate. When he spoke, his voice was crisp and deep, and it carried to all the members of the Dojo with elegant ease,[/i] "People of the Dojo, I am Matthew Hallwinter, and this place was once my home. We took oaths when we joined, oaths that we would have to keep for the Dojo's sake. We swore neutrality in all conflicts, for any fight that we participated in was ours, and ours alone. Even during the worst days of the Sovereignty, we knew better than to tarnish the Dojo's reputation with bloodshed on foreign soil. Now, I have heard allegations of tension, between you, and the group you collectively call the Extragalactics. Some of you may know us by other names: the Empire, The Bastion, Venom, Castle, the Adeptus Astartes, even, and more. Any conflict existing between us and you is nonexistent, at the moment, but should tensions further... And I put this as simply and as frankly as I can: Don't mess with us, and we won't mess with you. Do you agree to those terms, Warriors of the Dojo?" (Open to all)