Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest– Old Industrial District – January 5, 2068

A nondescript truck travels on a highway through the Old Industrial District of Horizon. The OID had seen better days. With Justice Unlimited reemerging and resecuring the Worker's Mitt, most of the criminal element high-tailed it to the not-as-of-yet protected OID. Many citizens were resentful of the influx of crime, and had been grousing that the borough never should have suspended the contract with Justice Unlimited. However, the common consensus was that it was necessary at the time and was now better to not provoke the Demon Flamez.

However, there was one part of the OID that no one had heard anything out of for months now. It was a small section, maybe a dozen and a half blocks or so, but it shared a border with The Frozen Throne. The area had been steadily emptying out for years, with the only remaining people being the many who didn't have the means or inclination to move. If a curious person were to approach that section, they would find regular checkpoints patrolled by armed men wearing the cyan helmets of the United Nations peacekeeping force. The very organization that nominally chartered and controlled Horizon.

One such checkpoint is where the truck is stopped by two gentlemen with very sour dispositions.

"Hey, no entry or exit! Move it, geezer!" one man shouts. He looks unusual for a soldier as he wears sunglasses and has tattoos visible all over his neck.

"Wha?" a very old man shouts, "Toll? I have the EZ pass! Lisa helped me set it up! She's my granddaughter!"

"Not a toll! I'm telling you to turn. Around. You can't come this way!"

"I have to deliver the fish!" the man replies, "They won't be fresh forever!"


Play dumb. They're stupid but not that stupid.

"Fish? What kinda fish? I like fish . . ."

"Levithan's Blood, shut up, Shitong," the second soldier said, "Listen, the area ahead has been condemned by order of the United Nations. The Frozen Throne is acting up. You don't want to get too close to that do you?"

"The Frozen Throne! Yikes! But what about the fish? Will it keep them cold? The Dockworkers need to eat!"

The two men exchange confused glances.

"Dockworkers . . .? Where do you think you are exactly?"

While the two men stationed at the checkpoint try to help give directions to a very confused old man, the back of his truck opens. If someone had been watching the scene, they may have noticed three human figures, a dog, a cat, and a crow sneak out of the back of the truck and disappear into the OID. If that same someone had continued watching after the truck left, they may have noticed an unusually large bird flying overhead and land in the OID.

But no one was watching, so no one noticed that.


Family is a terrible thing.

It's been eight years to the day since your father died, and the man and his legacy is still haunting you.

As you wait with Châtelet and Menagerie Witch for Handyman to rendezvous, you find yourself resisting the urge to pace. You need to focus. Your mind has been racing for days, ever since you followed up on your promise to trace the source of Monarch's funding. The paper trail was well-hidden, disappearing outright in places where money was turned into luxury goods like fine art and gold bullion. But everything leaves a trace if you know where to look, and eventually you found the money's origin point:

Yōulíngshé Industries. A shell company for the Ghost Dragon Triad.

You find that you're chewing your lip again and stop immediately. It's a nervous habit that used to egregiously give away your feelings to everyone until Rakeem told you that you did it.

Your father is dead. You keep reminding yourself.

You watched Ronin slit his throat. You sent her a bouquet and charcuterie platter as thanks. You made sure his body was cremated and then locked his ashes in a lead-lined safe which you buried in the QZ. He was gone and his criminal empire was all but gone as well.

Except now it wasn't.

It's a relief when Handyman lands and you have something else to think about. You gesture for him to stop approaching you and give you half of your check-in phrase. It's a little extra security you put into place after the revelation of Socialite Butterfly. He gives his half of the code, and, once his identity has been verified, the four of you proceed.

The section of the OID you find yourselves in is eerie. Black Swan was currently patrolling with New Dawn and unable to join you. Normally, you would delay your investigation until you were at full-strength, but the total information blackout here had worried you enough that you decided to come immediately.

Walking around, you wonder if you waited too long. There's not a soul on the streets—no people going about their daily business, no children playing, there aren't even any animals. The town is eerily quiet without the sound of birdsong.

It's frustrating to say the least. The deposits to Monarch were coming in regularly delivered, small amounts. It matched an organization extorting "protection" money from a populace and using it as payment. You just had no idea what it was that Monarch was selling. And now, there appeared to be no one to start asking.

"Hey, is it just me, or is this creepy as shit?" Handyman asks. He's currently in the shape of a quadrupedal velociraptor, with Menagerie Witch on his back. After Chaucer had given his blessing for her "mentorship" with Miss Naught—and had even gone so far as to invite the archer and her son to the Apiary for dinner—Handyman had been feeling competitive for the young summoner's affection.

"I've been to this part of the OID a lot," Châtelet says, "Sure, it's a little close to the Throne, but I've never seen it like . . . this."

She gestures to the emptiness everywhere. "We stick out like sore thumbs. I mean, more than we usually do."

She says that last part with a sheepish gesture to your costumes. You're disconcerted enough that you don't even protest your sensible outfit being lumped in with a "space knight", "naked clay man", and "steampunk witch".

What's bothering you is that you are certain the men at the checkpoint were members of the Ghost Dragon Triad. The first soldier hadn't even properly hidden his membership tattoos. Yet, they've taken the time to secure the border here, but aren't doing anything inside? No protection rackets, no extortion for access to food, no human trafficking, nothing?

Why are they here? Where is the money coming from?

You're saved from your spiraling thoughts by the sound of an explosion.

In an instant, your team is in formation. Menagerie Witch has left Handyman's back to mount a clone of Barkavious, Châtelet has launched herself to the rooftops to gain a bird's eye view, and Handyman has grown to ten feet tall with a chitinous, armored body. You feel a glow of warmth at their quick action—those drills you've been conducting have paid off.

Honestly, you feel a tad superfluous. You'll need to take John Henry up on this offer to build you a weapon—there's just been no time lately.

Châtelet scouts ahead and directs you toward the source of the explosion. As you rush, you hear what sounds like the groaning of metal and a woman scream. You hurry faster.

As you round the corner, it takes you a moment to figure out what you're looking at. A frozen creature made of ever-expanding ice—like a living fractal—is slowly peeling off the roof to a midsize SUV. It's shaped like a pear, narrow at the top and large at the bottom, with sharp blades of ice for legs and arms. It's odd enough seeing a car, but seeing an ice golem treating it like a can of tuna is a new experience for you.

What isn't new is the expression of terror on the face of the woman in the car. She screams, fumbling with her seatbelt as she tries to get free. The ice golem reaches a limb toward her and makes an odd, wet gurgling sound that is close to being language as a lightbulb is to being the sun.

You and Handyman rush to save the woman, but, before you can, a loud cry splits the air.

"Get back, monster!"

A teenage girl, somewhere between Black Swan and Menagerie Witch's age, rushes forward and throws a backpack at the golem. It bounces off harmlessly, but the golem pivots around and swipes a limb at the girl. But she's already diving under it, grabbing a spot on her chest that is emitting a shining, blue light.

"Pretty Justice Soldier! Unlimited Max, Cyan!"

As she shouts, she explodes with cyan light. Her clothes dissolve into a web of threads that quickly reconfigure themselves to preserve her modesty. They change into a pleated skirt, a short-sleeved, white blouse with a large, blue ribbon, blue boot heels, and white gloves that go up to her elbow. Her hair expertly braids itself into twin pigtails, and a silver tiara marks her brow.

She stands in her new costume and strikes a pose with her arms crossed, the index and pinky finger on each hand extended.

There's some issue where your senses are perceiving something, the information is reaching your brain, but your mind refuses to process it.

"I'm Pretty Soldier Cyan! And I'm gonna kick your butt!" she cries. As she does, a wand of blue light appears in her hand. She waves it with a flourish and flicks it at the golem, sending a bolt of energy that knocks it back.

While this is happening, Handyman gallops forward and grabs the screaming woman out of the car. He wraps an arm around her and then armors it, keeping himself between the golem and the woman as he retreats.

Meanwhile, the golem is steadily advancing on Cyan as her bolts of light prove unable to do more than inconvenience it. It jabs at her like a fencer, but she takes to the air and flies above it.

This proves to be a mistake. The ice golem swells and explodes like a pufferfish, sending spines of ice everywhere. You dodge out of the way and Handyman weathers the blow, but Cyan is sent ragdolling through the air and hits the ground with a thud.

You notice that the icicles have frozen the area around where they landed, and that the ice is slowly spreading from the point of impact. Handyman swears as he splits off his arm before it is frozen solid.

You again curse your lack of a weapon. A hand-to-hand specialty is fine, but you don't want to touch this creature.

Cyan is still on the ground as the golem slowly lumbers forward, not toward her, but in the direction of Handyman and the woman. He's close enough that he passes the woman to you and grows to over ten feet tall to fight the golem.

But, again, he's interrupted.

Two more girls arrive, around the same age as Cyan.

"Liz!" The one with short hair shouts, "Beth and I are here to help!"

"Lizbeth!" the third girl with long hair shouts, "Less talking, more action!"

"Right!" She grabs her chest which is now also glowing, "Pretty Justice Soldier! Unlimited, Max Navy!"

The other girl does the same. "Pretty Justice Soldier! Unlimited Max, Teal!"

The girls also transform. "Lizbeth" changes into a navy version of their . . . uniform (?) with boots up to her knees, while "Beth" gains a teal uniform with high heels.

You try to ignore the fact that they all apparently have the same name.

"Stop, villain!" Cyan shouts, rising to her feet, "Or Justice Unlimited will stop you!"

"Boss, what the actual fuck-ass-balls?" Handyman whispers over your comm.

You're too stunned to scold him for his language. This . . . this was the last thing you were expecting. You assumed the "magical girls" described in the report you received as some sort of costume theming. Not a literal description.

Menagerie Witch is recording everything on her screen, quietly cackling to herself as the rescued woman looks on with wild eyes. "Mona's gonna be soooooooo maaaaaaad she wasn't here for this . . ."

Meanwhile, the girls engage the ice golem. Beth flicks her wrist and a ribbon spirals out and solidifies into a blue spear. She tries to run the golem through, but her weapon bounces harmlessly off its natural armor. Lizbeth is right behind her and has more luck with a hammer made of blue light, cracking the golem chest. However, it's not enough to stop the creature.

It moves deceptively quickly, and pirouettes while failing its arms. Neither girl can get out of the way in time, and both are sent flying onto the ground. The monster charges through the air and tries to tackle the girls when a pillar of white light surrounds them—Châtelet—and it bounces off harmlessly.

You ready yourself to spring in, when Cyan—who you now know as Liz—joins the fray. She takes to the air and fires dozens of bolts of energy from her wand. They impact the golem, sending it spinning and flipping it onto its back like a turtle where it futility tries to roll over.

Beth and Lizbeth get up, and Lizbeth hits the damaged section of its armor with her hammer again, widening the crack. Beth is right behind her and drives her spear into the center of the monster's chest. She gets leverage with her foot and, with a mighty twist, shucks the monster free of its armor like an oyster from its shell. Then, Liz is there, and the battle goes on.

But, honestly, what's left isn't much of a fight. The three girls surround the diminished golem and savagely attack it with their weapons, every hit sending out a spray of ice. It now looks like a silhouette of a person made of ice, and every hit makes it look less and less defined.

Finally, the golem rolls over and tries to crawl away, reaching one arm out towards you and the woman. It makes a long mournful sound, only to have Cyan charge a large orb of energy and fire directly into it.

"Cyan Crash!" she shouts.

The orb detonates and shatters the creature like glass, dispersing it entirely. Then, the fight is over.

"Anyone else feel bad for the ice-thing?" Menagerie Witch mutters, "I feel like I'm seeing something messed up. And not in a fun way."

The three girls cheer at their victory, while the terrified woman hugs herself and shivers.

"Are you alright?" you ask gently, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I-I was just looking for my daughter," the woman cries, "She's been gone for weeks, but I got a message. She was supposed to be in the area."

"I understand" you say soothingly, "Can you tell us her name? Perhaps we can help. We're Justice Unlimited."

You hope that name will elicit some response in the woman, and it does. However, it's not the reaction you hoped for, and it is the one you feared.

"T-that's okay," the woman says, backing away, "I'll . . . I'll see if she's back home."

The woman turns and flees in obvious terror. You let her go. As you watch her disappear, the three girls approach you while speaking loudly among themselves.

"It is better she go home," Beth says, "But what is she so scared of?"

"Well, we did just save her from one of the Freezies," Lizbeth offers, "She's probably just spooked!"

"Or she was lying about her daughter? Maybe she's one of the spies we're supposed to look for!" Liz shouts, in what appears to be her default speaking voice, "Girls, we need to investigate—ohmigosh, Leviathan's Blood and Bone, is that Lady Leizi?! Eiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"


You wince at the scream the girl lets out as she flies over, stars in her eyes.

"It's you! It's really you! I knew you were busy beating Scarlet Maturity, but you finally came here! Ohmigosh, everyone is going to be so jealous I met you!," she shouts. Then she inhales and bellows, "I love you Lady Leizi!"

The other two girls also rush over.

"Liz, calm down and be normal! Please," Beth hisses.

"Lady Leizi, will you sign my forehead?!" Lizbeth shouts at the same time.

"Lizbeth!"

"Beth, be cool!" Liz hisses. You still refuse to accept the fact that they all apparently have the same name. You simply do. "You're embarrassing me in front of Lady Leizi! And—woah! Who's this guy? And the witch—eeiiiiiiii! She's so cute! I just wanna hug her!"

"Do so and die," Menagerie Witch warns.

"Darlings—" You wince again as the screams start again—"She said the thing!"—but push through anyway, "Darlings, what exactly is going on? Why are you dressed like that?"

"You . . . you don't know?" Beth says, tilting her head in confusion.


"Come on, kid, it's basic infosec," Handyman says, having shrunk down to his usual size, "We don't know what you know. We can't risk accidentally spilling the beans on anything secret."

"I-infosec?" Liz says looking overwhelmed.

"'Information security', don't worry about it," you say, smoothly inserting yourself, "Now, just tell us everything from the start so we know what's safe to discuss with you. We've been out of the loop on this operation for some time."

As you speak you subtly gesture for Châtelet to remain hidden in the buildings above you. These girls seem harmless enough, but appearances can be deceiving.

"Oh! Well that makes sense!" Liz says, "Sure thing, Lady Leizi!"

"She actually prefers to be called 'Double L'," Menagerie Witch adds from her mount, "But only if you're really close."

Liz gasps so hard she gets lightheaded for a second. "C-can I . . .?"

"Of course . . . you may," you say. Your face stays placid. You're going to have words with Miss Naught about what she's teaching your junior members.

"Well, Double L, so, umm, Vermillion Bird approached me like two weeks ago?" Liz says, thinking, "I mean, everyone here already knew about MAGICAL, so it wasn't a total shock?"

"Tell us about MAGICAL," you coax, "What is publicly known?"

"Oh, I know!" Lizbeth chimes in! "It's Justice Unlimited's new spinoff team! It had been in the works for a while, but you guys debuted it to protect everyone's smile after the Movement!"

You feel a sharp spike of something in your chest at that. "Yes, very good, go on."

Beth interrupts, seemingly not wanting to be left out, "The senior girls came and said we had to fight The Frozen Throne and they needed help! So they've been giving everyone the powergems Valiant Silver made!"

"They're amaaaaazing!" Liz says. She undoes her ribbon and top button and points to just below the hollow of her throat, "See, look!"

Embedded in her chest is an opal made of ice so cold and so pure it freezes the air around it. On the opal is a glowing character for "power" in Chinese. You can see tendrils of ice extending out from it that have dug their way deep under Liz's skin and into her veins. There is a subtle shine to the gem, a pulse of power that is nearly imperceptible, but you can see reflected in Liz's eyes.

It's one of the most disturbing things you've ever seen.

"Ah. . . they just gave you one of these, did they? And you accepted it being . . . placed into you?"

"Yep!" Liz chirps, "I was scared at first, but then Black Tortoise came to talk to me."

Liz clasps her hands over the opal in her chest and closes her eyes. "She was really nice. She even invited me for tea. She said I could refuse if I wanted, but I had been chosen by my gem. She told me to close my eyes and see if I can hear it. So I did!"

Liz opens her eyes, and they're now sparkling with the strength of the memory. "I couldn't hear anything at first, but then I focused really hard. And then, I heard a voice! It was telling me that the world was wrong. It needed to change, and it needed champions to change it. If I would just open my heart, then I too could gain the power of a metahuman. No, of a real agent of change!"

She gives you a large grin, "Then, I could hear the cry of justice! I could hear The Frozen Throne cackling while planning its dastardly plot! And I could feel the power of my gem! I let it into my heart, and now I can channel justice-power!"

"Then the ice creatures we've seen . . .?"

"Servants of the dastardly Frozen Throne, here to conquer Horizon! Or so they think!"

The three girls cheer at her pronouncement. You don't say anything in response. It is rare you are rendered speechless. It is even rarer it happens multiple times in one day.

"Leviathan's Blood, you have to be fucking kidding me," Menegerie Witch breathes. You give her a sharp look and exchange glances with Handyman. He's thinking the same thing you are.

Her story is deeply, deeply concerning. On the surface, it's patently ridiculous. She also sincerely believes it.

The Frozen Throne is an ineffable entity. Its plans are opaque to even the sharpest mind—if it is even sapient enough to plan. Certainly it did not "cackle" like a republic serial villain. And sending creatures to attack the world outside of it? If that were true, all of Horizon would leap action. It would be the Defiance Unit or the Movement all over again.

You think of how to phrase your next question. Namely, who are the "senior girls" of this "MAGICAL"? But, before you can, all three girls' screens let out a shrill beep.

"Oh, no!" Lizbeth cries, looking at her message, "It's a Rampage! And a big one!"

Handyman rubs the bridge of his nose. "Kid, please stop saying normal words like they're proper nouns. It's—"

"Get down!"


Châtelet's voice crackles over you comms as Handyman extends his arm and grabs all three girls across the shoulders, pulling them down and out of the way of incoming blades of ice. You and Menagerie Witch have already hit the ground as barriers of light provide cover for all six of you.

You're able to see three more ice golems firing shards of ice at you from the rooftops above you. Their ice has the same effect as their cohort; it seems to spread wherever it lands.

"Oh no!" Liz says from underneath Handyman, "We'll have to Purify this whole area!"

"Stop it!"

Another pillar of light knocks the golems off the rooftops, and Châtelet's voice comes over the comm again.

"There's a horde of these things. Maybe two dozen or so all converging in one place."

"The Apiary Jr.! Oh no!" Lizbeth wails.

". . . did someone just say 'Apiary Jr.'?" Châtelet says, "Y'know what? I'm happier not knowing. Lady Leizi, orders?"

You have a feeling where you'll find answers. "We'll join the defense of this . . . headquarters."

The girls cheer, but you're already mounted on the clone of Nevermore that Menagerie Witch has created and is astride. Châtelet uses a barrier to bounce Handyman on to the rooftops with her, and the two of them race in the same direction while using Châtelet's barriers for footing. The Elizabeths follow you in the air, shouting after you.

"Double L, wait up! Look out for the Dark Lady!" Liz shouts, "She controls the monsters! She must be leading them to destroy the Apiary Jr.!"

An explosion of fire punctuates her sentence and then you can see the main host of golems, surging like an icy tide. However, directly opposed to them is a thirty-foot, flaming woman in a red bodysuit with an emblem of a phoenix on it. She punts one of the golems like a football, sending flying into a building in a burst of icy mist.

"Vermilion Bird is so cool!" Bethan squeals.

In the air are eight magical girls, all wearing uniforms like the Elizabeths in different shades of blue. They all carry different weapons, and are battling the golems to different degrees of success.

However, it is Vermilion Bird who is doing the most damage by far. Until the golems change tactics.

They begin to move to places she can't reach, like roofs and alleyways. A large number of them fire shards of ice at her, standing in rows of three. The front most golem fires ice until it is exhausted, and then rotates to the back of the line. The next golem immediately steps up and begins to fire, so there is no gap in coverage. It doesn't seem these creatures are mindlessly battling.

Nor does it seem the golems are attacking indiscriminately. They seem to be targeting Vermillion Bird's legs and eyes, blinding her and freezing her feet in place. She roars a challenge to them, but the constant spray of ice is wearing her down.

"We have to help!" Liz cries, "But I don't know what to do. . . wait! There's Black Tortoise! She'll know."

Liz points to a woman standing with a number of other magical girls. All of them seem overwhelmed and are looking to "Black Tortoise" for guidance. She's—

—wait just a blasted second.


That's Foxglove.

You rub your eyes to make sure that you're not seeing things. You aren't. There is a thirty-nine year old woman in a frilly, black tutu surrounded by panicked teenagers. She's tall and thin with a long face and prominent nose.

It's Foxglove. Her life is now forfeit.

Foxglove was a member of the Ghost Dragon Triad who followed you when you left to escape your father. She was a loyal subordinate, but opportunistic. You knew her loyalties lie with whoever she thought would most benefit herself. She made it clear she had no desire to a live as an honest citizen when you joined Justice Unlimited, and so you gracefully released her from your service with two caveats:

First, if you encountered her in your capacity as a hero, you would treat her like any other criminal. Second, if she ever rejoined your father or his organization, then you would kill her yourself.

There is no question that it is Foxglove. She is involved with whatever is going on here.

You look over at Liz, who a moment ago was so certain she had been chosen by some mystic force to be a hero.

Convincing hallucinations, is it?

"Uhh, Lady Leizi?" Menagerie Witch says, her eyes wide at your expression, "I mean, Lady Leizi, ma'am? Any orders, ma'am? Have I mentioned what a wonderful leader you are, ma'am?"

You don't respond. You're too focused on the person in front of you. The soon-to-be-short-lived person in front of you. Foxglove must be able to feel your killing intent, because suddenly she looks up and stares you in the eyes.

She sees you. You see her. She sees you see her. You see that she's seen you see her.

It does matter that you can be more. Even if you were the most, you're still going to snap her neck.

Foxglove pales and then sprints away. The girls around her shout in confusion, but Vermilion Bird tears her feet free of the ground with a mighty roar that drowns out all other noise. She stomps around searching for golems to destroy, but is unable to find any. As quickly as they came, they've left.


You're really gonna need to focus up.

"Lady Leizi, this attack was a distraction," Châtelet says over comms, "They made enough noise to draw attention and then withdrew after these "magical girls" committed to a counter-attack."

"I agree, Châtelet," you say through gritted teeth, "Nonetheless, we must confront the members of this 'MAGICAL' organization immediately."

"I respectfully disagree," Châtelet says instantly, drawing you short. There's a pause, like she can't quite believe she just openly questioned you and that you're not reacting by screaming or belittling her. After a second of silence, she goes on, "If these creatures truly are from The Frozen Throne and are smart enough to plan multiple ambushes and distractions. . ."

"Then they're an existential threat," you finish, closing your eyes. Foxglove is right there. Your father's legacy—that which you thought destroyed—is right there, mocking you. You want nothing more than to burn every hatful remnant of the Triad to the ground and salt the earth so nothing will grow from the ashes.

But you can be more. And your second is right.

"Very well," you say, finally, "You're right, Châtelet."

"Y-yeah. I mean, I hope. I, uh, thanks for listening to me, Lady Leizi."

You make a mental note to firm up Châtelet's confidence and turn to your escorts.

"Liz, Beth, Lizbeth, do you know where else the golems could be targeting if this," you gesture to the battlefield, "Was merely a distraction?"

"Umm, a distraction?" Liz says, "I dunno . . ."

"The warehouse. They're after the mana!" Beth shouts.

"Omigosh, you're right! If they destroy our mana supply, then everyone will eventually run out of magic! We have to stop them!"

You have so many questions, but time is of the essence. "Can you take us there?"

"Yes! Follow me—wow you're fast!"


The warehouse's name proves to be literal. It is a large industrial warehouse, the kind that litter the OID. Châtelet's instincts also prove dead-on, as the building is under attack by a swarm of blue, frozen creatures as you arrive.

"In through the roof! Go above!" you order. There's no sense fighting through a sea of ice if you can just circumvent them. Châtelet bounces herself and Handyman onto the roof, where Handyman finds a skylight and punches through it. He dives down, followed by Châtelet, with you and Menagerie Witch not far behind.

As you arrive, you see a number of ice golems moving heavily reinforced crates onto a truck bed, while a figure dressed in all black and wearing a bandolier and balaclava directs them.

"The Dark Lady!" Liz cries, giving away your position.


All at once, a group of golems turn and fire at you. But this time, they're not as smooth in their actions. There's a great deal of crossfire, and between Châtelet and Handyman there is enough cover that no one is injured. The only loss is a few of Menagerie Witch's clones, which she seems to take personally.

"By the beating of my heart, my pretties shall rip you apart!" she shouts, swallowing Barkavious and Mittens with her shadow. From it, springs a tide of great, shadowy dogs and jungle cats the color of spilled ink that quickly engulf the golems.

The . . . "Dark Lady" fires a gun at you and Châtelet. Her shots are all wide and well over your heads, but it buys her enough time to sprint away through a doorway.

"Get over here!" Handyman cries as he extends his arm and catches her. He reels her in, but, as he does, she pulls the pin on something on her bandolier and tosses it at Handyman. It explodes with a terrible noise and blinding flash of light.

"Flashbang!" Handyman shouts, shielding his face, "Don't let her get away!"

Châtelet follows her as she jumps through the doorway, with you just a hair behind.


You almost see them too late.

"Tripwire!" you shout. You stop yourself, but Châtelet barrels through and cuts two tripwires. Thankfully, your warning gives her the time to surround herself with a barrier before four more stun grenades go off.

You're nearly deafened yourself, but you see the Dark Lady double back and climb onto several stacked boxes to get by you. You attempt to take a swing at her as she passes by.


Your kick is swift, but the boxes are just a little too high for your blow to land true. The Dark Lady jumps over your leg and rolls onto the ground, back near where Menagerie Witch is. As your shadowy summoner turns to face her new foe, she's greeted by the sight of a gun in her face.

The world freezes. Nora's shields should protect Madeline. And she's carrying one of Mendicant's symbiotes. She should be perfectly safe.

But.

But if the Dark Lady empties the clip, if she overwhelms the generator, if one bullet should prove immediately fatal, then it doesn't matter how well-equipped Madeline is.

You see the same fear in your young charges face. For a terrible second, you wait for the sound of gunshots.

But it never comes. The Dark Lady freezes and then viciously yanks her gun away from Madeline's face. You can see that her breathing is heavy and her hand is shaking.

You feel your own breath return.


Then a white barrier has surrounded Menagerie Witch, providing an extra layer of protection. Handyman roars in defiance as he engulfs the Dark Lady with an enlarged hard, pinning her arms to her side. As you kick her legs out from under her, Handyman hardens his hand and detaches it. The Dark Lady is trapped on the ground, unable to move.

"Mad—Menagerie Witch, status report!" you bark.

"I think I just peed a little," Menagerie Witch whispers. Then, louder, "F-fine! I'm okay!"

You hear the sound of her constructs doing battle with the golems, and you approach the Dark Lady. She's fighting with every inch of her strength to get free, to no avail. You reach over and pull off her balaclava.

The face that greets you is not what you expect. It's a young girl with Asian features, somewhere around Black Swan's age. She's pretty with long hair tied in a bun, her face a rictus of concentration as she tries to wriggle free.

To your surprise, she speaks before you do.

"Call them off," she says, "You win. Stop your monsters."

You blink. "I believe you've taken my line, darling."

"My girls will stop if you do. Call them off, now," she demands. Her tone and the hardness to her eyes are not what you would expect from someone currently trapped. Handyman looks murderous, but you nod at her.

"Very well, we'll both give the signal together. On three?"

You gesture to Menagerie Witch and begin the countdown. "One. Two. Three!"

Menagerie Witch lets out two shrill whistles to call off her clones, while the girl makes a sound like a bird call.

Suddenly, the sounds of battle stop. All except the sound of three voices.

"Cyan Crash!"

"Teal Thrust!"

"Big Hammer Hurty!"

Explosions follow the pronouncements.

"You said you'd call them off!" the girl says, fixing you with another glare, "Call them right now! I'm warning you!"

"An oversight," you admit, "Liz! Beth! Lizbeth! Enough! They've surrendered."

The three girls fly over, and Liz gasps again with stars in her eyes again. "Woooooow! You captured the Dark Lady?! You're the best, Double L! No wonder you're in charge!"

The girl stiffens and goes back to struggling. "Knew it."

"Knew what, exactly?" you ask.

The girl doesn't respond. She continues fighting with all of her strength to crack the hardened hand of Handyman, who watches her like a hawk.

"Who are you?" you ask, "Why do those creatures listen to you?"

No response. She accidentally cuts her arm on a jagged edge, but pays it no heed as she manages to loosen her bonds enough to rotate slightly.

"Tell me what you're doing here," you say, trying a different tactic, "Perhaps I can be of aid?"

She shoots you a dirty look, remains silent, and keeps struggling.

You sigh. "Darling, you're going to have to talk eventually."

"No, I won't. I don't like you and I don't trust you."

"Wait, doesn't that count as saying something?" Châtelet wonders aloud.

The girl stops for a second. "No."

Then she goes back to struggling.

"I'm pretty sure it does," Menagerie Witch adds, sitting down in front of the girl and watching her with her chin in her hand, "And I thought I was stubborn. . . sheesh."

"I like you all even less now."

"The feeling is mutual," Handyman says darkly.

"What exactly can I do to convince you to answer our questions?" you say, feeling foolish. You've never had to negotiate with someone you've captured before. But this girl genuinely seems determined to burrow herself free before she compromises.

"Are you Justice Unlimited?" she asks.

"We are."

"Then nothing," she says, "This is all your fault."

She manages to crack the shell holding her and yanks her shoulder free, only for Handyman to pin her in place with hardened clay again. This time, she has even less wiggle room.

She lets out the smallest of sighs and starts struggling again.

"I can do this all day," Handyman warns.

"That makes two of us."

"Can we just smash her and call it a day?" Handyman demands, turning to you.

"Yeah!" Lizbeth shouts, "I'm great at that!"

"Lizbeth, that's murder!"

"Not if they're bad guys, Beth! Come on, smashy-smashy!"

"She's stiiiiiiill trying," Menagerie Witch mutters, poking the struggling girl in the forehead, "Look at her go. . ."

You can't help but be impressed. You recognize the burning look in the girl's eyes: she'll never give up. Either she'll accomplish her goal, or the heat death of the universe will occur. Whichever comes sooner.


Be patient with her. A heart forged in isolation forgets how to trust.

"No, Handyman, Lizbeth. That's not who Justice Unlimited is."

Perhaps you need yet another approach. Perhaps taking an "approach" is the issue here all together.

"Listen to me," you start. You're not sure where you're going with this, but you let the words come naturally. They're halting and awkward, but sincere. "I don't know what's going on. We received a report that someone had gone around calling themselves 'Justice Unlimited' and giving out powers to prospective members. Then, we arrive here to find it positively filled with Triad members and ice creatures fighting . . . magical girls. And somewhere in the middle of it all, is my father's old Triad. Please, we're just seeking the truth."

You can see your words sinking in, as she slows down her struggles for a moment.

"Why . . . why ask me? Go ask 'Justice Unlimited' if you want to know what they're up to."

"I can't trust them. Too many lies. Too many red flags. But you . . . you didn't shoot Menagerie Witch when you had the opportunity, did you? Why?"

She doesn't say anything.

You examine her face. "You couldn't bring yourself to do it, could you?"

She looks away from you.

"You've never killed anyone before, have you?"

There's a long pause, and then:

"No. But I will if I have to."

That much you believe. You can see the will in her eyes. You make a call and gesture for Handyman to let her go. He sputters a protest, but you silence him with a look that could peel paint. Now is not the time for petty grudges.

The girl sits up and rubs her bleeding shoulder. She mutters, "Thanks."

You couch in front of her, but not so close as to alarm her. "What is your name, darling?"

". . . Ellie."

"I see. Well, thank you, Ellie. Now can you tell us what is in these crates that's so important you would risk a battle with metahumans over it?"

". . . the girls need it. Without it, they'll . . . change."

"Girls? You mean the golems?"

She doesn't say anything for a long time. Then, "I can't trust you yet. I need something from you first. Two things"

"And what would that be?" you say with a raised eyebrow.

"Let my girls take a few crates. I need to know they have a safe supply before I commit to anything."

"No way!" Liz protests, "That's our mana! You can't just steal it!"

"Please," Ellie says, "I can't tell you what it is, because there's no way you'd let us keep it. Please just trust me when I say it's for the best."

You can feel Handyman, Menagerie Witch, and Châtelet's eyes on you. Everyone feels the same way you do: uncertain.

But, well, nothing ventured . . .

"Very well," you agree to the Elizabeths' dismay, "And is the second thing you require?"

"Get me close to Yellow Qilin," she says immediately, "She's the leader of . . . um, not-Justice Unlimited."

"And what precisely will you do when you're close to her?"

". . . I just want to talk to her," she lies. Her poker face is atrocious.

"I'm certain," you say. You turn to the magical girls, "Do you know where I can find this Yellow Qilin?"

"The big-boss?" Liz says, wondering, "Umm, I've only met her once, but she's usually at the Apiary Jr.? I'm certain she'd want to talk to the Lady Leizi, but, um. . ."

Her voice trails off while staring meaningfully at Ellie.

And there is the complication. You could no doubt arrange a meeting with Yellow Qilin, but doing so with the leader of her opposition in tow would be all but a declaration of enmity. On the other hand, the trust Ellie is showing you is fragile. Talking to her hated enemy without her would be a surefire way to make her paranoid. It's a vexing conundrum.

Unless . . .

Unless you were to "capture" Ellie and bring her as a hostage. A piece of tribute to satisfy the leader you're cozying up to. Ellie would be present for all of your conversation, but your allegiances would not be immediately obvious. She would have to agree, but she has a mind for strategy. Surely, she could see the advantages to this approach. And should it be that Ellie is not being honest with you . . .

Well, decisions, decisions. You'll . . .

______________________________________________________________________________

[ ] . . . meet with Yellow Qilin alone. You've shown Ellie some trust, she'll have to reciprocate.

(DC 15, REPUTATION 12 Check to get Ellie to agree with no ill feelings.)

[ ] . . . meet with Yellow Qilin with Ellie as your guest.

(DC 12, REPUTATION 15 Check to get Yellow Qilin to agree to speak with you.)

[ ] . . . meet with Yellow Qilin with Ellie as your "prisoner".

(DC 8, REPUTATION 8 Check to get Ellie and the Elizabeths to agree. Failure will result in you attending the meeting alone. DC 10, ESPIONAGE 20 Check to fool "Justice Unlimited" as to her status. Failure will result in "Justice Unlimited" potentially taking hostile action against you.)