Muscle 3.6
SkyRig
Wake the f#ck up, samurai.
- Location
- Someplace in California
- Pronouns
- He
March 5th, 2011
I don't exactly remember when I returned home or when I woke up. By the time I was up and at it, the sun was high in the air and Dad was nowhere to be seen. Which was sort of perfect, seeing as how it meant I could use his computer. I was a little guilty about using it without his permission, but it was for a good cause.
If I was going to look for the missing people and Strix, I needed to start by going off what the media knew. I typed in "MISSING PEOPLE IN BROCKTON BAY" into the search engine. The results that came back were…staggering to be honest. In hindsight, I should have realized to narrow down what I was looking for.
"Missing people in Brockton Bay over the last few months…" I muttered as I typed before hitting 'enter',
The results, while numerous, were far less than what I got last time. I clicked the first link that took me a news article.
I suck air through my teeth, curling my fingers into fists.
Two hundred people, all reported missing, within the span of three months. Three months of people disappearing, and there was absolute jack shit. No witnesses, no leads, no reports from the police, not even a report of any one of the missing persons making it back safely. There was nothing. It was not the fact that there was nothing that pissed me off, it was that, based on what I saw, the police and everyone else had all but given up on finding them.
Looking at the list of names, I found Greg among them. He and a girl he was with were taken in broad daylight by an unmarked van, and the police were no closer to finding them.
"Come on, there has to be something…!"
I glanced at the clock. I had to get ready for school. It would be so easy to skip, but at the same time, I did not want to disappoint Dad. Even if I do skip and go out, where do I start? The police don't have any leads, and all the PRT has to go on is the word of a villain that may or may not be trustworthy.
"…when all else fails, go to the people." It was something Victoria said, noting how instead of figuring stuff out for ourselves, we instead turned to the internet. It was a thought, but how much good would it really do me?
At the very least, it couldn't hurt to try. I log onto PHO and start a thread, hoping to god there would be people willing to help. Even if the police couldn't find anyone, there had to be at least a few people who saw something, even if it was just a figment of their imagination. Maybe I was grasping at straws, but this was the only thing I could think of.
After creating the thread, I logged off the computer and wiped the search history in case Dad saw anything. I turned it off, then got ready for school.
…god, this is going to suck.
Classes seemed to drone on longer than usual. My knee was bouncing up and down rapidly, heel tapping against the floor. I was hardly the only one doing it, but with the way some kids looked at me funny, I must have been extremely antsy for class to finish. They were right, but that was not the worst part.
The worst part was that this was still second period. Lunch was not for another half hour, and we still had third period to go.
"You know," Dennis whispered behind me. "If you go any faster, Ms. Chen might notice."
"Think she'll boot me out of class?" I asked hopefully. The red-haired teen shrugged his shoulders and I sighed.
I knew it wouldn't help me if I rushed into things, but I couldn't help it. Every second I do nothing, there was a chance Strix was kidnapping more people. It was possible that some had already—
No. I can't think like that. I need to stay positive, stay on track.
"So, what's got you all hyped up? Got a hot date during lunch?"
I rolled my eyes. "No, just antsy. Debated on skipping."
"Seriously? You've been here, what, two to three weeks, and you're already planning on playing hooky?"
"Part time job has me stressed," I gave him a half-lie. "And worried about a friend. He went missing a couple days ago."
Dennis grew concerned. "I'm sorry. Has there been any news?"
"None. That's why I'm worried."
I'm sort of glad Greg was not here to hear me say that. Knowing that goofball, he would get the wrong idea and suddenly think we were dating or something.
Class eventually ended, though lunch period only served to remind me that I had still two and a half hours of more school before I could go back out into the city. Worse still I couldn't log onto PHO because of Arcadia's damn Friday cage.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. If I kept obsessing over this, I was going to go crazy. If I rushed and stumbled and screwed myself over, I was going to be of no help to anyone.
"Hey, Tay! Over here!"
I looked over at the usual spot. Victoria was absent, as was Amy, but the usual boys were present. Dean barely seemed to be paying attention and looked concerned about something. He only noticed me when I approached. "Oh, hey, Taylor. How was class?"
"I could barely pay attention," I said with a shrug. "What's wrong with you? Actually, where's Vicky and Amy? Those two are usually glued to the hip, aren't they?"
Chris' smile became rather strained. "She, er, caught the flu somehow, so she's out for a while. Amy's skipping to look after her."
"What is she, her nanny?"
"You could say that."
I get the feeling there was something more about this there looked, but for now, I ignore it. "So, anything new on PHO?" I asked, turning the conversation into something I could use. "Somebody posted a new thread asking about missing persons."
"This about your missing friend?" Dennis asked. I nodded.
Chris frowned and Carlos frowned. "Wait, one of your friends is missing?"
"Well, friend is kind of a strong word for it? He's a classmate of mine from when I still attended Winslow. His name's Greg Veder. He got kidnapped off the streets at the start of the month, and the cops haven't done anything."
"There have been a lot of people going missing since February…" Carlos noted as he bit into his pizza slice. His expression gradually settled into a frown. "Now that I think about it, though, isn't that around the time the Fallen started their propaganda spree?"
"Wait, you think the Fallen are the ones kidnapping people?" Chris seemed skeptical.
I, on the other hand, was convinced. "Would you really put it past those fuckers not to?"
"I…" The boy sighed and scratched his head. "Okay, I guess not. A-anyway, yeah, I saw the post. Most of the replies I saw are from people whose family and friends are also missing. Seems like they want answers as much as anyone else."
Dean shook his head. "If the Fallen are kidnapping people, what for? Torture them? Condition them to join their ranks? Sell them off?"
"Who knows with freaks like that?" Dennis waved a hand in dismissal. "They worship the Endbringers for a living. Speaking of…"
The mood around the table dampened at the reminder. Near the tail end of last month, there was another Endbringer attack. I wanted to participate and aid the fellow heroes, but Boss forbade me from doing so. He said I was not ready and I should wait until I built up more experience, much less got better equipment. I was frustrated at first, but then reports of the aftermath came back. By now, everyone knew what to expect when the Endbringers went on the attack.
Leviathan flooded cities and sank Kyushu. Behemoth fried every living thing in its path. The Simurgh was the reason why people were scared of Masters.
Canberra was under quarantine. Twenty-three heroes killed in action. No one from the Brockton Bay Protectorate died, fortunately, but that did make things any better. Not when the Simurgh forced some of the heroes to kill each other in the middle of it all.
I wished I could do something, anything to help. I'm sure a lot of people felt the same. We've been fighting the Endbringers for two decades, and were no closer to beating them.
…I wonder how well a demon would fair against one of those things…?
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PureOfHeart
Posted on March 5, 2011
I want to talk to you in person. Both to thank you for what you did for my friend and about what you are looking for.
I stared at the message with a frown. When school was over, I left so I could check PHO and see if there was any information. The thread I posted had over fifty pages in the span of a few hours, but so far there was nothing. People either offered days old information, vented about the uselessness of the police or were just trolling. It was a long shot, I knew that, but I hoped someone would know something.
Evidently, someone did. Someone sent me a private message, but the contents were worrying to be honest. The username was unfamiliar to me, and were it anyone else, I would just write it off as a case of a wrong message. The message, however, and the username, gave me an idea as to who it was.
I knew the day would come when the Empire reached out to me, but I still felt unprepared. There were rumors Purity was having a falling out with Kaiser, but that was all they were, rumors. There was no credible truth to them, and for all I know, this was a trap. I knew Rune's first name. That alone was enough for the Empire to go after me. I would fight if I needed to, but I was not confident in my chances. I've seen videos of the Empire in action, and the only ones I feel I had a chance against were Rune, Cricket and Othala.
On the other hand, this could be a genuine attempt at a partnership. If news of the Fallen being behind the kidnappings was knowledge to the gangs, there was a chance they would take action. As much of a cesspool my city was and how despicable the gangs were, they've been around long enough to establish boundaries. They had no love for each other, but when push came to shove, there was a certain, begrudging level of respect. They were competitors in seeing who could control Brockton Bay.
The Fallen were raving lunatics worshipping monsters, despised by everyone on all sides. I would like to believe that Kaiser and Lung would want them out as soon as possible, if not deal with them if they believed they were encroaching on their territories.
I looked at the message with trepidation. After a moment of thinking, I respond by typing my own message. I then search for a certain username, and to my relief, she was online in spite of all that happened.
Vee
Posted on March 5, 2011
Hey, Antares. It's Vergil. If you need proof, I'll happily send a photo over to you, but I'm running short on time at the moment. Purity contacted me. I think it's about what happened with the Bloody Cape and about the Fallen.
Antares (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on March 5, 2011
When?
Vee
Replied on March 5, 2011
They haven't gotten back to me yet.
Antares (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on March 5, 2011
When they do, tell me.
I don't exactly remember when I returned home or when I woke up. By the time I was up and at it, the sun was high in the air and Dad was nowhere to be seen. Which was sort of perfect, seeing as how it meant I could use his computer. I was a little guilty about using it without his permission, but it was for a good cause.
If I was going to look for the missing people and Strix, I needed to start by going off what the media knew. I typed in "MISSING PEOPLE IN BROCKTON BAY" into the search engine. The results that came back were…staggering to be honest. In hindsight, I should have realized to narrow down what I was looking for.
"Missing people in Brockton Bay over the last few months…" I muttered as I typed before hitting 'enter',
The results, while numerous, were far less than what I got last time. I clicked the first link that took me a news article.
I suck air through my teeth, curling my fingers into fists.
Two hundred people, all reported missing, within the span of three months. Three months of people disappearing, and there was absolute jack shit. No witnesses, no leads, no reports from the police, not even a report of any one of the missing persons making it back safely. There was nothing. It was not the fact that there was nothing that pissed me off, it was that, based on what I saw, the police and everyone else had all but given up on finding them.
Looking at the list of names, I found Greg among them. He and a girl he was with were taken in broad daylight by an unmarked van, and the police were no closer to finding them.
"Come on, there has to be something…!"
I glanced at the clock. I had to get ready for school. It would be so easy to skip, but at the same time, I did not want to disappoint Dad. Even if I do skip and go out, where do I start? The police don't have any leads, and all the PRT has to go on is the word of a villain that may or may not be trustworthy.
"…when all else fails, go to the people." It was something Victoria said, noting how instead of figuring stuff out for ourselves, we instead turned to the internet. It was a thought, but how much good would it really do me?
At the very least, it couldn't hurt to try. I log onto PHO and start a thread, hoping to god there would be people willing to help. Even if the police couldn't find anyone, there had to be at least a few people who saw something, even if it was just a figment of their imagination. Maybe I was grasping at straws, but this was the only thing I could think of.
After creating the thread, I logged off the computer and wiped the search history in case Dad saw anything. I turned it off, then got ready for school.
…god, this is going to suck.
Classes seemed to drone on longer than usual. My knee was bouncing up and down rapidly, heel tapping against the floor. I was hardly the only one doing it, but with the way some kids looked at me funny, I must have been extremely antsy for class to finish. They were right, but that was not the worst part.
The worst part was that this was still second period. Lunch was not for another half hour, and we still had third period to go.
"You know," Dennis whispered behind me. "If you go any faster, Ms. Chen might notice."
"Think she'll boot me out of class?" I asked hopefully. The red-haired teen shrugged his shoulders and I sighed.
I knew it wouldn't help me if I rushed into things, but I couldn't help it. Every second I do nothing, there was a chance Strix was kidnapping more people. It was possible that some had already—
No. I can't think like that. I need to stay positive, stay on track.
"So, what's got you all hyped up? Got a hot date during lunch?"
I rolled my eyes. "No, just antsy. Debated on skipping."
"Seriously? You've been here, what, two to three weeks, and you're already planning on playing hooky?"
"Part time job has me stressed," I gave him a half-lie. "And worried about a friend. He went missing a couple days ago."
Dennis grew concerned. "I'm sorry. Has there been any news?"
"None. That's why I'm worried."
I'm sort of glad Greg was not here to hear me say that. Knowing that goofball, he would get the wrong idea and suddenly think we were dating or something.
Class eventually ended, though lunch period only served to remind me that I had still two and a half hours of more school before I could go back out into the city. Worse still I couldn't log onto PHO because of Arcadia's damn Friday cage.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. If I kept obsessing over this, I was going to go crazy. If I rushed and stumbled and screwed myself over, I was going to be of no help to anyone.
"Hey, Tay! Over here!"
I looked over at the usual spot. Victoria was absent, as was Amy, but the usual boys were present. Dean barely seemed to be paying attention and looked concerned about something. He only noticed me when I approached. "Oh, hey, Taylor. How was class?"
"I could barely pay attention," I said with a shrug. "What's wrong with you? Actually, where's Vicky and Amy? Those two are usually glued to the hip, aren't they?"
Chris' smile became rather strained. "She, er, caught the flu somehow, so she's out for a while. Amy's skipping to look after her."
"What is she, her nanny?"
"You could say that."
I get the feeling there was something more about this there looked, but for now, I ignore it. "So, anything new on PHO?" I asked, turning the conversation into something I could use. "Somebody posted a new thread asking about missing persons."
"This about your missing friend?" Dennis asked. I nodded.
Chris frowned and Carlos frowned. "Wait, one of your friends is missing?"
"Well, friend is kind of a strong word for it? He's a classmate of mine from when I still attended Winslow. His name's Greg Veder. He got kidnapped off the streets at the start of the month, and the cops haven't done anything."
"There have been a lot of people going missing since February…" Carlos noted as he bit into his pizza slice. His expression gradually settled into a frown. "Now that I think about it, though, isn't that around the time the Fallen started their propaganda spree?"
"Wait, you think the Fallen are the ones kidnapping people?" Chris seemed skeptical.
I, on the other hand, was convinced. "Would you really put it past those fuckers not to?"
"I…" The boy sighed and scratched his head. "Okay, I guess not. A-anyway, yeah, I saw the post. Most of the replies I saw are from people whose family and friends are also missing. Seems like they want answers as much as anyone else."
Dean shook his head. "If the Fallen are kidnapping people, what for? Torture them? Condition them to join their ranks? Sell them off?"
"Who knows with freaks like that?" Dennis waved a hand in dismissal. "They worship the Endbringers for a living. Speaking of…"
The mood around the table dampened at the reminder. Near the tail end of last month, there was another Endbringer attack. I wanted to participate and aid the fellow heroes, but Boss forbade me from doing so. He said I was not ready and I should wait until I built up more experience, much less got better equipment. I was frustrated at first, but then reports of the aftermath came back. By now, everyone knew what to expect when the Endbringers went on the attack.
Leviathan flooded cities and sank Kyushu. Behemoth fried every living thing in its path. The Simurgh was the reason why people were scared of Masters.
Canberra was under quarantine. Twenty-three heroes killed in action. No one from the Brockton Bay Protectorate died, fortunately, but that did make things any better. Not when the Simurgh forced some of the heroes to kill each other in the middle of it all.
I wished I could do something, anything to help. I'm sure a lot of people felt the same. We've been fighting the Endbringers for two decades, and were no closer to beating them.
…I wonder how well a demon would fair against one of those things…?
■
Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.
You are currently logged in, Vee
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed.
• Twenty posts per page
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You have 1 new message.
■
PureOfHeart
Posted on March 5, 2011
I want to talk to you in person. Both to thank you for what you did for my friend and about what you are looking for.
I stared at the message with a frown. When school was over, I left so I could check PHO and see if there was any information. The thread I posted had over fifty pages in the span of a few hours, but so far there was nothing. People either offered days old information, vented about the uselessness of the police or were just trolling. It was a long shot, I knew that, but I hoped someone would know something.
Evidently, someone did. Someone sent me a private message, but the contents were worrying to be honest. The username was unfamiliar to me, and were it anyone else, I would just write it off as a case of a wrong message. The message, however, and the username, gave me an idea as to who it was.
I knew the day would come when the Empire reached out to me, but I still felt unprepared. There were rumors Purity was having a falling out with Kaiser, but that was all they were, rumors. There was no credible truth to them, and for all I know, this was a trap. I knew Rune's first name. That alone was enough for the Empire to go after me. I would fight if I needed to, but I was not confident in my chances. I've seen videos of the Empire in action, and the only ones I feel I had a chance against were Rune, Cricket and Othala.
On the other hand, this could be a genuine attempt at a partnership. If news of the Fallen being behind the kidnappings was knowledge to the gangs, there was a chance they would take action. As much of a cesspool my city was and how despicable the gangs were, they've been around long enough to establish boundaries. They had no love for each other, but when push came to shove, there was a certain, begrudging level of respect. They were competitors in seeing who could control Brockton Bay.
The Fallen were raving lunatics worshipping monsters, despised by everyone on all sides. I would like to believe that Kaiser and Lung would want them out as soon as possible, if not deal with them if they believed they were encroaching on their territories.
I looked at the message with trepidation. After a moment of thinking, I respond by typing my own message. I then search for a certain username, and to my relief, she was online in spite of all that happened.
■
You have started a Private Conversation with Antares.
Vee
Posted on March 5, 2011
Hey, Antares. It's Vergil. If you need proof, I'll happily send a photo over to you, but I'm running short on time at the moment. Purity contacted me. I think it's about what happened with the Bloody Cape and about the Fallen.
Antares (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on March 5, 2011
When?
Vee
Replied on March 5, 2011
They haven't gotten back to me yet.
Antares (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on March 5, 2011
When they do, tell me.
■
