The Stryke Zone
 

You are now entering the Stryke Zone,for maximum enjoyment of these short stories and bios, please take these opinions into account.

My chemical romance,Green day and Nirvana suck.Avatar is the most boring cartoon on the face of the earth along with that overrated load Invader Zim. Lynyrd Skynyrd can kiss my ass and so can Johnny Cash's music. Pirates of the carribean was mediocre at best. I'd rather buy a PS3 than watch people jizz themselves over Nintendo outselling the PSP with DS lite units. Pro Wrestling is PRE-SCRIPTED, Not fake.

Punctuation is in the eye of the beholder. You are NOT better than anyone...even if you're goth and so forth, We all suck equally so get your black dyed head out of your ass. UFC is for stupid rednecks who got bored of boxing. People who say they like "Old School Rap" but not the new stuff are just saying that so they don't get beat up by the brothas. Nightmare before christmas was a load and so was Edward Scissorhands.

You can't stop The Takeover.

http://www.allstates-flag.com/images...onal/ghana.gif

Welcome to the Stryke Zone....Wipe your feet.

Heres a introductory "Promo" by one my future key characters.

Homicide

"Brooklyn, New York's little black-eye. Our home isn't filled with whiteys and rich buisness bitches and that excludes us from all of the travel pamphlets. Don't matter much none...We don't want austrailans wandering around our hood anyway.

I go by the name of Homicide, I am the leader of a small group that runs pretty much everything down in the bushwick area of Brooklyn. Julius Smokes and Low-ki are my colleagues but when push comes to shove...They're the ones getting killed. If theres anything I can't stand...it's disrespect, You can be a little yellow store owner or a stupid wetback selling oranges on the corner..You disrespect me, You getting your ass kicked.

Now I hear ramblings of these other gangs rising up in the city and rumors of them expanding down to Brooklyn, That ain't happening...I'll fire the first shot and kill their leader with a bullet to the skull before they even THINK of coming down here....You get in my buisness...I'm gonna f*ck you up."

Homicide will be appearing in: Sun Vs. Moon with Benvenuto

Wow....he's a pretty angry guy :(

Poor Ben....gonna have to be careful with this wacko hanging around...

I ain't neva scared!:x

This is REALLY intersting, K-Stryker. But... it's basically Quickies.:P

Not that its a bad thing, though. Keep it up, my man.

BRING ON THAT HOMO-CIDE!

Sure it's quickies but I like to view it as a HQ thread for me...you know, all of my "art" will be posted here along with assorted short stories and character bios.

ANYWAY, Sun Vs. Moon will be on the board by....later today

Chris Hero

A man with long blonde hair stands on a city sidewalk, He looks up at a building and laughs slightly. "You people reading this may not know me, but you will soon enough...My Name is Chris Hero and I am sick and tired of a place known as The Technodrome." Hero takes his hands out of his pockets and brushes his hair back.

"Yeah, The Technodrome..the damn forum and place of friendship and ninja turtle conversations. Wholesome place right? F*ck that and f*ck everyone involved." Hero takes out a picture of Krang and burns it. "All of these rules and judgements passed on by the almighty mods...hypocrites in my eyes and in the eyes of anyone with a brain."

"I represent another place...A place with actual freedom. Not simulated freedom like you have here, I come from The Combat Zone and I am sending out a challenge to any Technodrome member that has the balls to fight me...until then...you're gonna be seeing a lot more of me around here...I'm gonna make Krang's life a living hell until this place gets shut down."

Hero shakes his head and smiles. "Who's gonna stop me?"

*takes off rose colored glasses*

what? someone doesn't like our wholesome good clean fun site????

*throws the glasses down shattering them into a million pieces*

War!! War on them all I say!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: We must liberate the poor ignorant citizens of this hostile state and show them the path to true (read our way or the highway) happiness!!! :evilgrin: Fight fight fight!!!!!

:P

Interesting concept Stryker

“Alright, I have been hearing some ramblings from the Dromers saying that I don’t have the balls to come in and mess with their system. To those people I say....watch me.” Hero stands in front of the Combat Zone logo and shakes his head. “I come from a different place...The combat zone. A place that isn’t for pussies like 90% of the population in the Technodrome. Thats right I’m saying it You guys are all a bunch of little girls that cry when a giant rat dies in a comic book ”

“Oh and if you think you’re all going to outnumber me with your ninja weapons...think again I’m not coming alone. I have assembled an elite force from the CZ, Ladies and b*tches from the technodrome....I give you...Necro Butcher.” A man with long scraggy hair and beard steps out from behind the CZ logo. “This is a man that is known for his violence, A man that feels no pain and doesn’t even know the word fear existed ” Hero pats Butcher on the back and then motions over a man in a mask, wearing all black with a dragon symbol on his chest.

“Super Dragon, A warrior that doesn’t care about honor and glory...He just wants to f*ck up whoever gets in his way, He’s not some wuss in a metal suit prattling about how he’s going to kill the evil turtles.” Hero smiles and puts his arms around Butcher and Dragon.

“I’m not going to reveal ALL of my cards just yet but I do have a message for one person in the technodrome specifically...Claudio Castagnoli...You were my friend, like a brother...why you decided to come to this place I’ll never know but I’m offering you a place in the Combat Zone brotherhood....I expect an answer.” Hero sighs and then puts on a smile again.

“Thank you for listening Technodrome...See ya real soon.” The Camera turns around and zooms in on Alex Shelley’s face. “Yeah Catch ya later ” The screen fizzles to static and then blacks out.

The Technodrome

Chris Hero rolls into the Technodrome ring and grabs a microphone. "So this is the big ol' technodrome? this place oughta be built out of toilet paper!" Hero kicks over a statue of Leonardo and laughs a bit.

"I got a message for the owner of this place, Krang! You really thought I didn't have the balls to show up? well look at where I'm standing...in your backyard and I'm calling your b*tch-ass out." Hero looks around for a few seconds and nothing happens.

"Ok...Ok, I figured you wouldn't come out, you all just figure that I'm gonna burn myself out. Well...I'm not that stupid..I don't foolishly play around with stingrays like some people." Hero takes a can of yellow spraypaint and proceeds to paint "CZ" over The Technodrome banner.

Katie and Masked Ninja step out and smack the spraypaint out of his hand. "Oh ho, speaking of no balls...this the best you got? two little girls?" "Stop this and go away...now." "Oh? hello? Katie is it? you're from alabama is that right? well..I'm quite suprised to see you here...shouldn't you be home...F*cking your brother?" Katie smacks Hero and then Hero punches Katie down.

Hero kicks Masked in the face and then bops her with the microphone. "I can't be afraid to hit women because then I wouldn't be able to lay a hand on any member of this board! ha!..consider this the first shot in this war Mr. Krang."

Hero spits on Katie and walks away.

O.o


*wipes spit off and dabs at my bloody wounds* :evil:


Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....you guys gonna let him get away with hitting us girls???? :-?



:D ;)

Response to a Snake
 

Claudio Castagnoli walks through hallways and stops when he is almost tackled by a group of technodromers. "What is this Hero guy talking about?! what do you have to do with him?" Claudio looks at the group and sighs.

"Listen, I was friends with Hero...me and him were pals for many years but that's over alright? Now he's trying to rip all of you apart from the inside by planting this phony mole idea." Benvenuto pushes the group away and looks at Claudio.

"I've been through too much this year for your buddy Hero to come here and destroy my home...I'm watching you." "Be my guest turtle-boy...I have nothing to hide! I'm Technodrome for life man!" Ben walks away and Claudio shakes his head. "Damn you Chris..."

a mole!!!!!!!!!!??????!!!!!

*shifty eyes* I wanna keep an eye on this guy anyways. Dern spies...they should all be dragged out in the street and.....oh....but I'm a lady. I should not think thoughts like that ;)

Message from the Combat Zone Newswire posted this morning.

uh-oh! interesting things are afoot :evilgrin:

Krang's Office

"Good Evening, I came here to deliver a message to the population of the technodrome. We all know about the so-called 'Hardcore Warrior' Chris Hero coming here and starting trouble...So I have come to the conclusion to fight fire with fire.

They want to fight us? then they'll fight us...I sent Ryona to their home a few days ago to give that message to those creatures and it seemed it has worked....and it is all signed and authorized. In a few weeks, In the technodrome arena it will be Benvenuto fighting CZ's Chris Hero one on one.

Thank you all for reading and Good Luck Hero."

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


Good luck hero? He'll need it cuz Ben's gonna make short work of him!!! YAY Ben! yay Technodrome!!! :evilgrin:

"How dare you!? you damn pathetic bitch! let me ask you a question...does owning this place make you feel like your dick isn't small? Hm? You think that you're so damn smart placing me in this fight with that poser friend of yours Benvenuto. Well, I got news for everyone...I have a pretty big ace in the hole and all you have is a joker in a white bandana."

Hero sighs and tapes up his fists. "Good luck for me? Luck is for losers."

____________________________

The Technodrome Arena

The lights dim in the arena and Bonnie Tyler's "Holding out for a hero" plays over a PA system. A side door opens and Chris Hero walks into the arena surrounded by security in Combat Zone shirts.

Hero walks slowly through a path surrounded by Technodrome members, Hero looks at them and smirks alittle before waving off their insults. Hero climbs into the ring and laughs as he opens his arms and soaks in the loud boos from the crowd.

The music stops and Hero sits in a corner and listens to a loud "F*ck you Hero" Chant, then the lights dim again and the theme of Benvenuto plays over the PA system. Green and white lights flash on and off around the entrance gate.

Ben steps through and looks straight at Hero, he points at him and shakes his head. "You sorry bastard." Hero flips off Ben and tells him to get in the ring already. Ben jumps into the Ring and starts punching Hero again and again.

Hero quickly pushes Ben and runs to another corner. Ben chases after him and eats a high kick to the face by Hero. Hero grabs Ben by the back of his Bandana and slams him down.

Hero smiles again and poses for the already angry crowd, Ben tackles Hero from behind and throws him to one corner of the ring. Ben runs at Hero and lands a hard stiff running kick to the face. Hero staggers out of the Corner and Ben steps back and then lands a kick to the chin of Hero.

Ben covers Hero. 1....2... Hero turns Ben over and pins him 1...2...3! Hero quickly jumps off of Ben and out of the ring. "Ha! ha! in your own yard! bitches!" Hero backs up and then grabs a microphone.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be one of the ninja turtles? hmm? where did all that skill go?" Stryker punches Hero in the back of the head and throws him back in the ring. Stryker looks at Ben and shrugs. "What? I do nothing!"

Stryker is about to climb in the ring when he is smacked upside the head with a chair carried by someone in the crowd. The person jumps over the gate and takes off his hood revealing the mask of Super Dragon.

Dragon pulls Stryker up by his hair and slams him face-first into the metal security guard-rail. Ben turns around and is hit with a Barbed-wire wrapped baseball bat held by Necro Butcher. Hero smiles and talks into the mic again.

"See? You see? all of the censorship and locks have turned you all into little bitches who can't defend yourself worth anything! Lift him up." Butcher holds a bleeding Ben up. Hero smacks Ben then backs up and delivers a hard kick to the face.

Super Dragon passes a can of spraypaint to Hero and he shakes it up. "You can't stop us, I'm talking to you Krang! When you think you have all the answers...we change the questions and this is one of those times!" Hero spraypaints a yellow CZ over the Technodrome logo.

Claudio Castagnoli hits the ring and stands across from Hero and Butcher. Hero looks at Claudio and opens his arms "Claudio!" Claudio shakes his head and smacks the spraypaint out of Hero's hand. "No more of this..." "What are you gonna do to stop me?" Claudio punches Hero in the face and then hits a hard forearm to the face of Necro Butcher.

Hero quickly leaves the ring and runs back up the backdoor path. Butcher looks at Claudio and laughs before slowly walking away as well with Super Dragon. Claudio sighs and helps Ben to his feet. Ben looks at Claudio through the blood and then shakes his hand quickly before falling down again.

It Begins....

O.o

No one calls me a pathetic bitch. NO one. :evil:


You got what was coming to you ZERO. Ran away like the pansy you are. I'm sure round the next time will be even better. *doctors Ben and Stryker's bloody wounds* and I still don't trust that Claudio

That's the 25th time this month my head got bloodied.

I must have Ric Flair's genes.:P

*comes to*

Yow... Dang, what's up with this? Whoopin' on the girls?

Looks like a certain Hero has something to prove, or he wouldn't even bother with the 'Drome. And Ben, you do have horrible luck. Barbed-wire-baseball-bat'd! You'll be able to boast more scars than Raph soon. ;)

Blasphemy! :x

Benvenuto shakes his head and grunts as he walks down the hallway in the back area, He rubs the bandage now on his head as Raph's Girl stops him."Ben! Ben! sorry to stop you but I just want to ask something that I'm sure a few people are wondering. Chris Hero just beat you in a matter of minutes...what happened to all that training?"

Ben pushes RG out of his way and continues walking. "Um...Ok, whats happening in the parking lot? what?!"

Parking Lot

Necro Butcher grabs Sewer Bull by his hair and throws him into a wall hard, Necro punches him in the stomach repeatedly before hitting hard right and left hooks to the face. Butcher then takes his forearm and drives it into Bull's throat.

"Thats right! bleed the life out of him!" Hero and Dragon watch Butcher's attack on Bull and laugh. Dragon holds Bull's arms as Butcher continues to attack violently. Hero looks at the camera and shakes his head. "You've just opened the biggest damn can of worms in this goddamned world you know that?...Throw him over there!"

Dragon and Butcher throw Bull into the grill of a parked car. "This isn't about equal rights and being held down anymore...You bastards turned my best friend...my brother against me! This is no longer a turf war! this is the Drome's Armageddon!" Hero punches Bull in the head and then grinds his face against the car grill.

"No more of this peasant stuff, I don't want your little errand boys...I want that little twat of a admin you have here. I want Krang and I don't care who I have to go through to get to him!" Hero kicks Bull in the face.

"If you have the balls to come and face me, make it soon....got that?!" Hero, Dragon and Butcher leave Bull on the concrete floor beaten and bloody.

uh oh :(

nice update as usual

w00t! I made a cameo... as a beaten and bloody steak on the grill!

Thanks buddy! :)

The Combat Zone

Hero stands in a Combat Zone ring with Super Dragon and Necro Butcher by his side. "My....People!" The other members of the CZ cheer wildly for Hero. "Thats right, we took the fight to those little girls and quite frankly, they got their asses whooped! But this fight is far from over....me and the Combat Zone will not stop until that place is dead and buried."

Hero takes out a Technodrome T-shirt and attaches it to a flag pole, Super Dragon pulls out a lighter and sets the shirt on fire, The crowd goes crazy as the Drome logo melts into oblivion. "Who the hell is gonna stop me?" Sewer Bull jumps the guard rail and slides into the ring.

Necro Butcher tackles him and punches him in the face violently but then Bull hits Necro in the skull with a cowbell, Bull pushes Necro off and proceeds to hit Hero and Dragon with the cowbell. Bull kicks the two out of the ring and gets pelted with trash from the CZ crowd. Claudio attacks Dragon on the outside while Bull puts out the Shirt.

Necro attacks Bull from behind and lands hard punches to the ribs, Necro then wraps his fist in barbed wire and punches Bull again. CZ security rushes the ring and throws Bull and Claudio out of the arena. Hero takes the mic again and holds up a tampon.

"Hey...are you two forgetting something?" Hero throws it at the two of them and laughs as they are thrown out.

*watching from the dark, eyes slitted into mere slits*

Hmmmm....what about me? I love to take on jerks who think they know everything.... *irritatedly chewing on something in her mouth, spits it out*

*boiling blood*

Still messing with my friends, huh. Hero, you are wearing thin, son...wearing thin.

Wha? I thought I was going to choke to death with my own blood.

The Technodrome

Stryker plays with a balloon in the middle of the ring as Mars and Katie carry a birthday cake and put it on a table. "Happy Belated Birthday thingy!" Masked looks at the cake and laughs a bit. "You spelled my name wrong." Ben and Stryker look at eachother and then look to opposite corners innocently. "You said it was spelled with three C's." "Don't blame me! my head still hurts!"

Bull sits in a corner holding a bat in his hands, he watches every exit and entrance in the large show room. Claudio sits next to him and nudges him a bit. "Whats wrong man?" "Just keeping a eye out...Hero isn't done with us." "Oh come on, we can handle him...it's a party! get in the party mood!" Claudio puts a birthday hat on Bull's head and pushes him a bit.

Jester steps into the room from the entrance furthest from the party, he waves and smiles nervously. "Uh...Guys?" Stryker waves back at Jester and holds up a cup. "We have PUNCH!" "Uh, yeah...thats nice." Jester gets hit in the back of the head with a chair and Super Dragon steps out and flips off the party. Bull see's this and runs towards the door with bat in hand. "Aw sh*t, not now."

Claudio holds Masked back. "Stay back, no need for you to get hurt on your birthday." Claudio smiles and pets Masked before following the rest of the group after Super Dragon. Masked sighs and throws off her birthday tiara. "Atleast the cake was kinda good."

Hero walks up behind Masked and laughs. "Happy Birrrrrthday....and F*ck you." Hero grabs Masked from behind and punches her in the throat. "Hello there! having a good day? because I'm having a great one!" Hero kicks Mask in the face and then takes a blindfold out of his pocket. "We're gonna play a little game....I put this blindfold on you and you stay quiet."

Minutes Later...

The group come back into the room and find Mask on the ground covered in blood, she's barely breathing and a note is taped to her chest. Claudio quickly gets on his cell to call a ambulance. Stryker takes the note and all that is written on it is "CZ" written in Mask's blood.

oh gosh! Mask!

somebody call an ambulance!!! We have GOT to stop these guys!!

*dails up ambulance...yes, an Ambu-lance, and waits for it to come....:lol: *


((Inside joke, PM me for it))

:dead: :dead: :dead:

Man, getting beat up sucks.

If only I didn't have the strength of a chihuahua. :P

Krang's Office

Sewer Bull sits at Krang's desk with his hands folded. "Hello, My name is Sewer Bull...Krang called me from the hospital today to tell me what to do, Therefore...He has named me the Admin of the technodrome for the time being." Bull shakes his head and sighs.

"As my first act, I swear to take down the bastards that did this. You want a fight? you'll get one at the next Technodrome gathering..... I'm putting Stryker, Benvenuto and Myself against Chris Hero, Necro Butcher and Super Dragon. Let's see how you do when it's a even playing field." Bull waves over Claudio and he stands behind Bull.

"Also, Claudio Castagnoli will be at ringside to make sure no more of these Combat Zone roaches crawl into our turf...Thank you and Good night."

*heavy sigh*

ohhhhhhh...be careful guys :cry:

*takes some painkillers and wishes them well* :tsick:

I'll get them for you, Mask. I swear it. :x

It's the Konami Kode of Kombat.:P

Technodrome Arena

The lights dim in the arena and the intro for the Foot theme plays, then there is a gunshot and the music of Benvenuto plays over the PA. Stryker pokes his head out of the curtain and then walks out slowly. He holds his hands up and is followed by Claudio and Sewer Bull.

Ben walks out of the curtain carrying chairs in both hands, He throws both in the ring and then climbs in. Claudio paces around the ring as the lights dim again and "Down with the sickness" plays over the PA. Super Dragon walks in through a back entrance surrounded by CZ security, He walks right up to the ring and stares down Claudio before looking straight at Sewer Bull.

"Oh yo yo yo!" Chris Hero steps out of the back entrance with Necro Butcher holding a mic. "The savior of the technodrome is back in the house!" Hero looks at Mask in the crowd and waves before spitting at her. Ben grabs Hero and throws him face first into a ring post.

Super Dragon stands on the outside and doesn't move, all he does is stare at Bull. Stryker kicks Necro Butcher in the head, He steps back and punches Butcher in the face twice before going to the stomach with more attacks. Butcher stops Stryker with a hard thumb to the neck. Bull hits Necro with the bat and knocks him down.

Ben throws Hero into a guardrail and runs towards him at full speed, Ben kicks Hero in the head and sends him over the guardrail into the Technodrome Crowd. Super Dragon gets into the ring slowly and faces off with Stryker and Bull. Bull attacks Dragon with the bat but Dragon catches it and pulls Bull in. Dragon chops Bull in the neck repeatedly before stomping him down.

Dragon lifts Stryker up but eats a knee to the face. Stryker then drives Dragon into the mat face first. Stryker throws Dragon out of the the ring and then jumps over the top rope onto Dragon. Hero pushes over random technodrome members in the crowd before making a break back towards the ring.

Hero jumps over the guard rail and bumps into Claudio. "Agh! wait! wait! i didn't do anything! you can't touch me!" Claudio smirks and throws Hero towards Ben, who hits Hero with a stiff kick to the jaw. Ben looks at Hero and kicks him a couple of times before Butcher and Dragon grab him from behind and throw him into the guardrail.

Necro grabs a chair and hits Ben upside the head. Dragon pulls Ben into the ring and sits him down on a chair. Butcher runs towards Ben with the chair and is about to knock his head off when Bull jumps off the ropes and dropkicks the chair into Necro's face.

Super Dragon stuffs a chair between the turnbuckles and tries to throw Stryker head-first into the chair but Stryker reverses it and throws Dragon into the chair. Stryker, Bull and Ben stand in the ring and hold up a bloody Necro Butcher to the loud cheers from the crowd.

Hero staggers to his feet and sets up a table on the outside, He always falls over on it but stands back up to look in the ring. "Sh*t..." Hero slides back in the ring and immediately takes a beating from all three Technodrome fighters. Super Dragon grabs Bull from behind and lifts him high into the air before dropping him on his head on the mat.

Hero pokes Ben and Stryker in the eyes and throws both of them over the ropes and through the set-up table. Butcher pulls a small stapler from his pocket and Hero pulls out a couple of CZ ads. Necro staples the CZ logo into Bull's head as Dragon holds him in place.

Dragon punches Bull in the head, driving the staples in deeper. Hero backs up and kicks Bull in the head. Butcher sets-up another table in the ring and tells Dragon to put Bull through it. Dragon climbs to the top rope and waits for Hero and Butcher to drag Bull's limp body over.

Ben climbs back up and jumps onto the top rope, Ben grabs Dragon and hits the BKO from the top, through a table. Bull hits Necro in the balls and Staples a CZ logo to his forehead, Bull then passes out from the blood loss. Hero backs up and is about to run away when Claudio hits him with a barbed wire wrapped chair.

Hero rolls on the floor in pain and then stands on his knees, he begs to Claudio as Claudio advances on him with the chair. Claudio grabs Hero by his hair and then turns around and hits Stryker with the chair hard. Hero stands up and looks at Claudio. Claudio smiles and the two hug in the middle of the ring.

Hero covers Stryker 1...2....3! Hero celebrates with Claudio but then stops and sets up a table on the outside. "Let's kill these motherf*ckers!" Butcher sets-up another table and pours lighter fluid on it. Super Dragon picks up Bull and punches him violently before dragging him to the ring apron.

Dragon holds Bull on his shoulders and then drives him headfirst through the table and onto the concrete floor. Claudio takes out a lighter and sets Necro Butcher's table on fire. Butcher lifts Ben up in the ring and throws him out of the ring and through the flaming table.

Claudio spraypaints CZ in yellow in the middle of the Technodrome ring, Hero stands in the middle of the ring and puts his hand on his heart as the Combat Zone theme plays over the PA of the Technodrome.

:evil: Sheez, gang....are you going to let him do that?!

And now, A Message from Chris Hero.....

Hero sits at a desk in front of a banner with the CZ logo, he smiles and looks at the camera. "Hello again Technodrome, no need for introductions you all know me by now...I've only whipped your collective asses not once but twice!" Hero turns and Claudio walks into the frame. Claudio shakes hands with Hero. "This is Claudio Castagnoli...My best friend, He's like a brother to me and you people actually thought that a pussy ass board with Ninja turtles was gonna turn him against me?!"

Claudio smirks and snaps his fingers. "I did what I had to do for the good of the Combat Zone, sure I was here at first for a good time but then my buddy here made sure that I didn't drift too far into the dark...Oh yeah, Masked Ninja? how's your head?" Hero laughs. "Thats right...theres two new Kings in this town and their names are Hero and Claudio!"

Necro Butcher punches the camera and breaks it.

Dragon's lair

Super Dragon slowly guides his hand over a large line-up of sharp weapons, he stops and grabs a sickle off of the table. Dragon turns and throws it at a picture of Sewer Bull hanging on the wall.

Dragon turns on a small tv and watches footage of himself driving Bull head-first through a table. he takes the sickle out of the picture of Bull and throws it at the TV, breaking it. "Not...Enough."

MN glares... but says nothing, only touching the bandages with a slight wince and reaffirming her hatred for testosterone-driven jerks as she turns off the TV set and then throws the remote across the room.