What is this? Something ancient and powerful. What are you? Are you...like her? Like us? Kindred? No. You are somehow more, yet lesser, strong, yet base. This is unforeseen, an interloper, this could jeopardize everything. Too long have I languished on this desolate rock. For all that I have wrought to be undone by some high breed of worm? This cannot stand.-The King of Nothing
Of Gods, Heroes, and Monsters
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1,1 Chrysalis
Shhh, don't say it, I know. Chimera Rising will be finished before this actually becomes an active project, but I just had to get this outta my system.
I do not own Worm or Risk of Rain 2-and whatever small crossover elements may be present within.
(Inspired by Worm-In-Waiting)
X.X.X.X.X.X.X
His whole body was tense. Teeth clenched, shoulders hunched, muscles tight. He was coiled; ready to spring loose at the slightest touch. Dark thoughts swirling inside his head as he set his face in a determined glare.
The burning throb in his arm from the needle-which he quickly threw away in the bathroom-and its contents was an ever present reminder as he trudged through the halls, surrounded by the wandering bodies of the other students. He swallowed thickly, feeling his heart beat painfully in his chest as a cold sweat started to build on his brow. He could feel the drug coursing through his veins, filling his body with an unpleasant heat the more he held it in. This wasn't the kiddie shit they let potential recruits toy around with, this was the REAL deal, the ones full members got when they passed selections. Johnny had said as much, the potent stuff just wasn't the same as the diluted mixes-it was more primal, dangerous, got you more worked up and ready to wreck some shit.
It was just what he needed.
Of course, he wasn't anywhere close to being officially 'IN' the gang yet, so he was forced to swipe a syringe from his cousin's personal stash. Asshole owed him anyway, this'll make them square.
He groaned quietly as the warmth inside him began to grow.
Only downside was, once you injected it, you needed to use it immediately or else it'd start burning you inside out. But he didn't wanna use it yet, he needed to wait for the right moment. But he didn't know how much longer he could hold on; God it was getting worse with every second!
Clutching his shirt in a white knuckled grip he came to a halt; his blood boiling, his skin sizzling, his organs melti-FUCK!
A flare of pain across his whole body caused his vision to go hazy, bright spots and darkness creeping around the edges.
He hunched over, face scrunching up, head spinning, tears forming in his eyes from the strain and agony.
A few annoyed murmurs met his ears as they were forced to walk around him-'merchant wannabe' 'retard blocking the hall' 'little pest'-every word fueling the growing storm within him, the world falling away as a silent rage began to grow in volume and intensity, filling his head with sounds of thunder and violence.
A heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder just before a petulant voice from behind demanded, "Move!" and shoved him aside, his body smashing into the locker with an echoing slam-the air leaving his lungs on impact. The act was met with a small round of chuckles and chortles as he slid down to the floor. He didn't look up, instead curling into himself, squeezing his eyes shut and raising his hands in surrender, all the while quietly muttering curses and visceral hatred as more people walked past him: he seethed as they all pointed, and insulted, and laughed, laughed, laughed, and laughed!
"Fucking druggie."Someone sneered before his cheek flared in pain when the sole of their sneaker smashed into his cheek. His head bouncing off the metal door and leaving a dull throb in his left ear.
His eyes snapped open; a momentary pause freezing the world around him. No thoughts, no nothing, just a still ominous quiet that lasted forever and ended too soon. And suddenly, it was over. A snap; like a stiff branch in a windstorm, a thin rope lifting an anvil. His body went dead, blood soared through his ears. His eyes glowed and he exploded.
A blinding white flash.
The sharp crackle of power ringing through the halls.
Horrified cries and gasps of fear as bodies crumbled into charred piles of flesh and fabric.
There was a half-second pause before the dam broke; a flood of bodies pushed and shoved each other in a panic as arcs of electricity thrashed through the air. A single voice rose above the clamor-angry and hurt-roaring as he spewed bolts of power from his body. From his hands, chest, feet and throat, bursts of lightning pounced outward in erratic spears of light that burned and pierced anyone he saw-felling half a dozen people with each swipe through the air. Through tear stained eyes, he watched with grim and dark satisfaction as they ran away. Afraid of him, of what he could do. Finally, finally it was their turn to be helpless!
All the jerks who hurt him. Everyone who watched and did nothing, who laughed and called him a loser.
No more! He'd show them, he'd show them all!
Amongst the stampede of people, a girl ran with her bag clutched possessively to her chest-mindful of the treasure she had packed inside. Her heart raced as frightened tears burned her eyes while she ran for her life. The electricity in the air prickling her neck and causing some of her hair to float. She yelped as a stray streak gouged the locker to her right, the metal blackening and twisting from the hot energy. The momentary distraction caused her to collide with another student, the two of them falling to the floor and curling up into tight balls to avoid being trampled to death by the scared teens rushing through the hallways.
While the rest of the student body rushed for the exits, the two lay groaning on the ground, bruised and bleeding from the heavy footfalls of the others. The girl grit her teeth in pain and lifted her throbbing head inches off the floor, her glasses hanging limply on her face as the left temple had been bent awkwardly. Through blurred vision, she looked over at the other fallen student. She knew him; Eric Stromer. They had worked on history and art projects together. He used to be a quiet and shaky kid, but after getting jumped and robbed by ABB one too many times, he started hanging out with the E88 to feel safe. Soon he was wearing their colors, shaving his head and adopting their language; spewing visceral insults to anyone who was dubbed 'a threat to innocent people'. She felt sad seeing him change and never doing anything about it-especially remembering those talks Chad had shared with the others about how the Empire used people's anger and desperation to guide them over to their side-but she had figured he was too far gone for her to do anything about it. Yet as she looked at him now, all she saw was that same scared boy she had known from art and history, who now had his ankle twisted from a particularly hard stomp from someone's boot. He looked back at her too, his eyes sharing equal amounts of pain and fear as they both recognized the dire situation they were in.
The two turned-the both of them letting out quiet whimpers as they beheld their attacker as he stepped forward, static dancing and coiling through the air around him. His scrawny, pimpled, unwashed face and stained baggy clothes made him look like he belonged with the Merchants. His veins bulged, pulsing with light, shining eyes glaring down at the two of them, his ugly sneer worsening as he focuses on the boy beside her-more specifically his Empire colors.
A desperate plea escaped her dry lips, begging for mercy and asking to be spared. His eyes flicked over to her, regarding her for a moment-his face slackening slightly, causing a miniscule flare of hope to spark within them. But when he turned back to Eric, what brief compassion was there immediately evaporated-a hate filled snarl grotesquely curling his thin lips, the storm of lightning reacting to his emotions and becoming more erratic and violent.
Eric blubbered for his life, lifting his hands up placatingly, not noticing the fingers on his left hand broken and bent.
His begging did nothing to save him.
The girl turned and ducked away as the boy turned killer reared back his arms and blasted the Empire member with searing white hot bolts of plasma-filling the abandoned hallways with his agonized screams. The air turned sick with the smell of burnt flesh and leather, the boy's cries slowly losing volume as he was fried alive by the primal power of lightning. The girl could only hiccup and cry, beyond scared as she listened to the sickening gasps of the dying boy-silently begging for either a quick death or the faint hope that she would be spared.
What happened next, no one would have predicted.
As the boy let out his final choked cries, a single bolt writhed across the floor-the electricity striking the girl's bag that had been discarded a little ways away. The bag split open-being easily torn apart by the intense heat that ate away at the fabric and striking the contents within.
A piercing metallic screech echoed through the hallways-getting the attention of the electrically powered boy and the thin girl who looked to her bag with growing dread and despair for what was potentially lost; only to be shocked stiff at the sight she was met with.
Surrounded by the burning remains of her bag; her mother's necklace was bombarded by a continuous stream of lightning bolts. The strange, heavy, and deeply entrancing set of beads shined ominously from the accumulation of power-the sky blue and black orbs gleaming with a serrated sheen of light.
The cry of the beads grows louder and sharper with every second, causing the girl to wince and cover her ears from the drilling pain. The superpowered boy was in a similar state of agony, howling as the energy in his body was being forcefully siphoned away by the strange necklace, his lack of control over the storm making it easy for the beads to steal the power coursing through him.
As the light grew brighter and the terrible wail became deafening-a crack appeared on the largest black bead.
The screeching ended; replaced with something far more sinister.
A cruel cackling laughter erupted from the bead's fractured surface-blue light flaring into existence, washing the two students in a wave of cold heat; burning frost eating away at their flesh and causing them to cry out and shiver.
The bead continued to crack, the boisterous chuckle rising in pitch and reverberating in their minds, filling them with a fierce and unknown sense of primordial dread. The light turned blinding, the cold numbed their bodies; if it was possible to go mad at the brink of death, they were both sure that they were on the cusp.
Eventually, the laughter reached its peak: the bead shattered, the light broke.
Their screams turned silent.
Sensations became lost in the echoing quiet, the impossible stillness drowning them in a feeling unspeakable. Soon, they were swallowed in a sea of eternal darkness, floating islands, and sharp blue crystals.
A realm of cracked time.
A frozen infinity.
A Moment Fractured.
It was here, in the dim light of the half moon, floating among the sea of drifting clouds, that she felt the most at peace. It was the silence and isolation that she adored, there was nothing in the entirety of the world that she would trade for this momentary respite from the enormity of her life. Hers was a chaotic existence, at all times, she was constantly moving, reacting to one thing or the other. And this was expected of her, for multiple reasons. Chief among them, she was a bastion, a symbol to not just her countrymen, but to the world as a whole. And she made sure to properly represent herself as such. She was stern and determined, many who got to know her would say she was fierce and unshakable, a nigh unstoppable force of nature that plowed through her enemies like a bullet through sheet paper-and her power certainly helped to solidify this image-as such, she made it a point to maintain that persona at all times, even among friends and allies. It helped give hope to the masses, morale for her comrades, and was even useful in helping her subdue criminals with her sheer presence. Honestly, it was hardly even a mask anymore-she had grown into this face so thoroughly that she could hardly tell when to let her defenses down. Perhaps it was telling that she didn't particularly mind that fact, and that a small part of her partially preferred it that way.
But when she was up here, hovering alone in the dark sky, her ink black cape waving in the gentle breeze-she could admit to feeling more relaxed. Less guarded. There was freedom in this solitude.
Up here, there were no masses looking at her with adoration and trust.
Up here, there were no blood starved criminals, seeking to test their mettle against one of the strongest capes in the United States.
Up here, there was no need to hold up a facade to hide her face...and she could let fall the tears that so desperately ached to escape from her lone eye.
Now that she was alone, her defenses down and her body loosened, she could feel it. A raging storm bubbling and writhing within her, held at bay by an ironclad will and practiced control. If she dared to look closer, she would find in it everything she wished to destroy. Those stubborn hideous things, spitting and hissing at her. Badgering and constantly reminding her of their presence. A lifetime of routine and application had shown her how to shackle and drown them. Sometimes they survived, sometimes they died-either way, she would find a moment of contentment, and if she was lucky it'd last for a while. But the worst ones that refused to be silenced always made their way to the surface-either by brief remembrance or momentary pondering-they'd mock her with their continued survival. And so, ready or not, she would be forced to confront them.
Of all the battles she fought, those were the ones she rarely won.
A light tremor began to pass through her, the cruel voices of her deeds beginning to struggle and fight against their restraints as they broke through layers of her heart so that they could be heard once more. In a mingle of voices they screeched, some sounding random, and others very very familiar.
She watched their young faces-stained with tears and pain-as the apathetic scientists around them injected them with burning serums and stabbed them with large needles for their experiments. Being done for the day, they were led away to a cold dark room. Test Subject 22-a crying little mousey girl with a shaved head-caught sight of her down the hall as she was being led away. Her sobbing abruptly cut off, face crumpling into a hateful glare; no doubt remembering her promise of safety, comfort and warmth as she rescued them from underneath piles of rubble. With her glowing yellow eyes locked on her, she screeched in a scratchy wavering voice,'Liar!'
She swallowed.
PRT Troopers were grabbed and hoisted away by Junta Fighters. They fought against their bonds, punching and grappling only to be overpowered by their numbers. A couple looked to her for aid, for a rescue that they knew wasn't coming-desperately hoping they were wrong. She stood impassively as they were lined up and pushed to their knees, a line of gunmen taking aim at them.
Her teeth grinded against each other.
She carried on, snatching the dying man from his family as malnourished and desperate hands hung off her leg, begging and crying out to leave him alone. She kicked the wife away, hearing a loud pop as the woman was launched into a table. Her four children shouted for their mother, piling around her and watching as she carried their father through a glowing white portal-all the while she never looked back.
She flinched, her fists tightening.
Her hand rose up, dripping with blood as a voice called out,'You monster!'
'There has to be another way!'He frantically struggled, unable to stop them as she held onto his arms before stomping and breaking his leg to keep him down.
'Please help me!'The beaten and broken Ward begged before she flew away, letting the ring of gangsters enclose around the young heroine as guns and knives were brandished threateningly.
Deranged and bloodshot eyes fell upon her and her comrades as they floated above the large tank. The body within began to dissolve, melting into a pool of black ink as their molecules liquified. With the last vestiges of sanity, a wrathful and garbled voice rang out,"You'll remember what I'll do, I swear! I'll make you and everyone suffer!"
Surrounded by the smoking remnants of their battle, she stared down the agonized and desperate trembling man kneeling before her. Blood and tears leaked from his eyes, taking quick shallow breaths as he beheld his killer.
"Rebecca…please…"He wheezed painfully.
Her heart squeezed, her lips pressed together so tightly they may have hurt, a few tender droplets seeped from beneath her shut eyelid, the fragile glow of the moon catching onto the tears, a diamond like sheen appearing over them as they slid down her cheek, rapidly cooling and evaporating in the cold air and wind-the evidence of their existence erased as soon as they were conceived.
Her head wrenched back, a pain filled cry rippling through the cloudy night.
She wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing in a grip that would've squished solid steel as her chest heaved with stuttered gasps and loud hysterical sobs. She didn't know how long she cried for-choking and convulsing on air as she squirmed and twisted from internal agony-it could've been minutes, it could've been hours: yet the result was still the same. No matter how many tears she shed, it never eased her conscience-not even for a moment. And so, she did the only thing she could; she suppressed her guilt to keep herself sane.
It took a few minutes to gather her composure, after which, she wiped her face clean and began to re-chain her memories, tightening their bindings and listening to the fading defiant cries as she pushed them down to lay in the dark places she never dared to venture.
With the deed done, a deep sigh burst from within her as tension began to flow out of her body. Her hands unclenched, her face softened, and a weight lifted itself off her shoulders, allowing her to straighten her back. She reached out, absorbing the tranquility of her surroundings; the sound of the wind, the pale light of the moon, the tickle of clouds as they brushed over her. Then, she focused in. Feeling and enjoying the steady pound of her heart as it beat in her chest, the flow of her blood spreading warmth throughout her body. In this stillness, she found stability, a drop of happiness and release from the torment of her heart and mind.
A white light flared into existence behind her, casting her shadow across the rolling clouds.
"We've been called. Emergency Council Meeting.''A low voice called to her.
She didn't turn around, not acknowledging the presence behind her, instead soaking in the last few vestiges of harmony before she subconsciously slipped into her guarded persona.
"What's the situation?"She asked, mentally calculating any and every threat or situation she could think of that would warrant an immediate summons to the Tower. On the optimistic side, they could've gotten a new lead on Manton and a few of the stolen Vials and Artifacts, or a New World may have been discovered that held great promise for their goals. Pessimistically however, The Red Mother could have awakened herself and was now making her move with her army of War Daughters or one of the aforementioned Artifacts was now in the hands of a dangerous enemy.
"On the east coast, Brockton Bay; there's been an incident that's garnered The Council's attention."
She turned, her interest piqued, to stare at her teammates's silhouette against the bright light.
"I remember hearing about that earlier. What about it warrants The Council's attention?"She inquired.
"If what I read about it is true, then we're looking at something we've never encountered before."
X.x.X.x.X.x.X
And the results...were Electric~
I do not own Worm or Risk of Rain 2-and whatever small crossover elements may be present within.
(Inspired by Worm-In-Waiting)
X.X.X.X.X.X.X
His whole body was tense. Teeth clenched, shoulders hunched, muscles tight. He was coiled; ready to spring loose at the slightest touch. Dark thoughts swirling inside his head as he set his face in a determined glare.
The burning throb in his arm from the needle-which he quickly threw away in the bathroom-and its contents was an ever present reminder as he trudged through the halls, surrounded by the wandering bodies of the other students. He swallowed thickly, feeling his heart beat painfully in his chest as a cold sweat started to build on his brow. He could feel the drug coursing through his veins, filling his body with an unpleasant heat the more he held it in. This wasn't the kiddie shit they let potential recruits toy around with, this was the REAL deal, the ones full members got when they passed selections. Johnny had said as much, the potent stuff just wasn't the same as the diluted mixes-it was more primal, dangerous, got you more worked up and ready to wreck some shit.
It was just what he needed.
Of course, he wasn't anywhere close to being officially 'IN' the gang yet, so he was forced to swipe a syringe from his cousin's personal stash. Asshole owed him anyway, this'll make them square.
He groaned quietly as the warmth inside him began to grow.
Only downside was, once you injected it, you needed to use it immediately or else it'd start burning you inside out. But he didn't wanna use it yet, he needed to wait for the right moment. But he didn't know how much longer he could hold on; God it was getting worse with every second!
Clutching his shirt in a white knuckled grip he came to a halt; his blood boiling, his skin sizzling, his organs melti-FUCK!
A flare of pain across his whole body caused his vision to go hazy, bright spots and darkness creeping around the edges.
He hunched over, face scrunching up, head spinning, tears forming in his eyes from the strain and agony.
A few annoyed murmurs met his ears as they were forced to walk around him-'merchant wannabe' 'retard blocking the hall' 'little pest'-every word fueling the growing storm within him, the world falling away as a silent rage began to grow in volume and intensity, filling his head with sounds of thunder and violence.
A heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder just before a petulant voice from behind demanded, "Move!" and shoved him aside, his body smashing into the locker with an echoing slam-the air leaving his lungs on impact. The act was met with a small round of chuckles and chortles as he slid down to the floor. He didn't look up, instead curling into himself, squeezing his eyes shut and raising his hands in surrender, all the while quietly muttering curses and visceral hatred as more people walked past him: he seethed as they all pointed, and insulted, and laughed, laughed, laughed, and laughed!
"Fucking druggie."Someone sneered before his cheek flared in pain when the sole of their sneaker smashed into his cheek. His head bouncing off the metal door and leaving a dull throb in his left ear.
His eyes snapped open; a momentary pause freezing the world around him. No thoughts, no nothing, just a still ominous quiet that lasted forever and ended too soon. And suddenly, it was over. A snap; like a stiff branch in a windstorm, a thin rope lifting an anvil. His body went dead, blood soared through his ears. His eyes glowed and he exploded.
A blinding white flash.
The sharp crackle of power ringing through the halls.
Horrified cries and gasps of fear as bodies crumbled into charred piles of flesh and fabric.
There was a half-second pause before the dam broke; a flood of bodies pushed and shoved each other in a panic as arcs of electricity thrashed through the air. A single voice rose above the clamor-angry and hurt-roaring as he spewed bolts of power from his body. From his hands, chest, feet and throat, bursts of lightning pounced outward in erratic spears of light that burned and pierced anyone he saw-felling half a dozen people with each swipe through the air. Through tear stained eyes, he watched with grim and dark satisfaction as they ran away. Afraid of him, of what he could do. Finally, finally it was their turn to be helpless!
All the jerks who hurt him. Everyone who watched and did nothing, who laughed and called him a loser.
No more! He'd show them, he'd show them all!
Amongst the stampede of people, a girl ran with her bag clutched possessively to her chest-mindful of the treasure she had packed inside. Her heart raced as frightened tears burned her eyes while she ran for her life. The electricity in the air prickling her neck and causing some of her hair to float. She yelped as a stray streak gouged the locker to her right, the metal blackening and twisting from the hot energy. The momentary distraction caused her to collide with another student, the two of them falling to the floor and curling up into tight balls to avoid being trampled to death by the scared teens rushing through the hallways.
While the rest of the student body rushed for the exits, the two lay groaning on the ground, bruised and bleeding from the heavy footfalls of the others. The girl grit her teeth in pain and lifted her throbbing head inches off the floor, her glasses hanging limply on her face as the left temple had been bent awkwardly. Through blurred vision, she looked over at the other fallen student. She knew him; Eric Stromer. They had worked on history and art projects together. He used to be a quiet and shaky kid, but after getting jumped and robbed by ABB one too many times, he started hanging out with the E88 to feel safe. Soon he was wearing their colors, shaving his head and adopting their language; spewing visceral insults to anyone who was dubbed 'a threat to innocent people'. She felt sad seeing him change and never doing anything about it-especially remembering those talks Chad had shared with the others about how the Empire used people's anger and desperation to guide them over to their side-but she had figured he was too far gone for her to do anything about it. Yet as she looked at him now, all she saw was that same scared boy she had known from art and history, who now had his ankle twisted from a particularly hard stomp from someone's boot. He looked back at her too, his eyes sharing equal amounts of pain and fear as they both recognized the dire situation they were in.
The two turned-the both of them letting out quiet whimpers as they beheld their attacker as he stepped forward, static dancing and coiling through the air around him. His scrawny, pimpled, unwashed face and stained baggy clothes made him look like he belonged with the Merchants. His veins bulged, pulsing with light, shining eyes glaring down at the two of them, his ugly sneer worsening as he focuses on the boy beside her-more specifically his Empire colors.
A desperate plea escaped her dry lips, begging for mercy and asking to be spared. His eyes flicked over to her, regarding her for a moment-his face slackening slightly, causing a miniscule flare of hope to spark within them. But when he turned back to Eric, what brief compassion was there immediately evaporated-a hate filled snarl grotesquely curling his thin lips, the storm of lightning reacting to his emotions and becoming more erratic and violent.
Eric blubbered for his life, lifting his hands up placatingly, not noticing the fingers on his left hand broken and bent.
His begging did nothing to save him.
The girl turned and ducked away as the boy turned killer reared back his arms and blasted the Empire member with searing white hot bolts of plasma-filling the abandoned hallways with his agonized screams. The air turned sick with the smell of burnt flesh and leather, the boy's cries slowly losing volume as he was fried alive by the primal power of lightning. The girl could only hiccup and cry, beyond scared as she listened to the sickening gasps of the dying boy-silently begging for either a quick death or the faint hope that she would be spared.
What happened next, no one would have predicted.
As the boy let out his final choked cries, a single bolt writhed across the floor-the electricity striking the girl's bag that had been discarded a little ways away. The bag split open-being easily torn apart by the intense heat that ate away at the fabric and striking the contents within.
A piercing metallic screech echoed through the hallways-getting the attention of the electrically powered boy and the thin girl who looked to her bag with growing dread and despair for what was potentially lost; only to be shocked stiff at the sight she was met with.
Surrounded by the burning remains of her bag; her mother's necklace was bombarded by a continuous stream of lightning bolts. The strange, heavy, and deeply entrancing set of beads shined ominously from the accumulation of power-the sky blue and black orbs gleaming with a serrated sheen of light.
The cry of the beads grows louder and sharper with every second, causing the girl to wince and cover her ears from the drilling pain. The superpowered boy was in a similar state of agony, howling as the energy in his body was being forcefully siphoned away by the strange necklace, his lack of control over the storm making it easy for the beads to steal the power coursing through him.
As the light grew brighter and the terrible wail became deafening-a crack appeared on the largest black bead.
The screeching ended; replaced with something far more sinister.
A cruel cackling laughter erupted from the bead's fractured surface-blue light flaring into existence, washing the two students in a wave of cold heat; burning frost eating away at their flesh and causing them to cry out and shiver.
The bead continued to crack, the boisterous chuckle rising in pitch and reverberating in their minds, filling them with a fierce and unknown sense of primordial dread. The light turned blinding, the cold numbed their bodies; if it was possible to go mad at the brink of death, they were both sure that they were on the cusp.
Eventually, the laughter reached its peak: the bead shattered, the light broke.
Their screams turned silent.
Sensations became lost in the echoing quiet, the impossible stillness drowning them in a feeling unspeakable. Soon, they were swallowed in a sea of eternal darkness, floating islands, and sharp blue crystals.
A realm of cracked time.
A frozen infinity.
A Moment Fractured.
A measured shallow breath released a tiny cloud of air from her nose, disappearing to soon be replaced by another cold wisp. After a long complicated career as a Hero, Alexandria had gotten used to breathing in the frigid thin air of the upper stratosphere.
It was here, in the dim light of the half moon, floating among the sea of drifting clouds, that she felt the most at peace. It was the silence and isolation that she adored, there was nothing in the entirety of the world that she would trade for this momentary respite from the enormity of her life. Hers was a chaotic existence, at all times, she was constantly moving, reacting to one thing or the other. And this was expected of her, for multiple reasons. Chief among them, she was a bastion, a symbol to not just her countrymen, but to the world as a whole. And she made sure to properly represent herself as such. She was stern and determined, many who got to know her would say she was fierce and unshakable, a nigh unstoppable force of nature that plowed through her enemies like a bullet through sheet paper-and her power certainly helped to solidify this image-as such, she made it a point to maintain that persona at all times, even among friends and allies. It helped give hope to the masses, morale for her comrades, and was even useful in helping her subdue criminals with her sheer presence. Honestly, it was hardly even a mask anymore-she had grown into this face so thoroughly that she could hardly tell when to let her defenses down. Perhaps it was telling that she didn't particularly mind that fact, and that a small part of her partially preferred it that way.
But when she was up here, hovering alone in the dark sky, her ink black cape waving in the gentle breeze-she could admit to feeling more relaxed. Less guarded. There was freedom in this solitude.
Up here, there were no masses looking at her with adoration and trust.
Up here, there were no blood starved criminals, seeking to test their mettle against one of the strongest capes in the United States.
Up here, there was no need to hold up a facade to hide her face...and she could let fall the tears that so desperately ached to escape from her lone eye.
Now that she was alone, her defenses down and her body loosened, she could feel it. A raging storm bubbling and writhing within her, held at bay by an ironclad will and practiced control. If she dared to look closer, she would find in it everything she wished to destroy. Those stubborn hideous things, spitting and hissing at her. Badgering and constantly reminding her of their presence. A lifetime of routine and application had shown her how to shackle and drown them. Sometimes they survived, sometimes they died-either way, she would find a moment of contentment, and if she was lucky it'd last for a while. But the worst ones that refused to be silenced always made their way to the surface-either by brief remembrance or momentary pondering-they'd mock her with their continued survival. And so, ready or not, she would be forced to confront them.
Of all the battles she fought, those were the ones she rarely won.
A light tremor began to pass through her, the cruel voices of her deeds beginning to struggle and fight against their restraints as they broke through layers of her heart so that they could be heard once more. In a mingle of voices they screeched, some sounding random, and others very very familiar.
She watched their young faces-stained with tears and pain-as the apathetic scientists around them injected them with burning serums and stabbed them with large needles for their experiments. Being done for the day, they were led away to a cold dark room. Test Subject 22-a crying little mousey girl with a shaved head-caught sight of her down the hall as she was being led away. Her sobbing abruptly cut off, face crumpling into a hateful glare; no doubt remembering her promise of safety, comfort and warmth as she rescued them from underneath piles of rubble. With her glowing yellow eyes locked on her, she screeched in a scratchy wavering voice,'Liar!'
She swallowed.
PRT Troopers were grabbed and hoisted away by Junta Fighters. They fought against their bonds, punching and grappling only to be overpowered by their numbers. A couple looked to her for aid, for a rescue that they knew wasn't coming-desperately hoping they were wrong. She stood impassively as they were lined up and pushed to their knees, a line of gunmen taking aim at them.
Her teeth grinded against each other.
She carried on, snatching the dying man from his family as malnourished and desperate hands hung off her leg, begging and crying out to leave him alone. She kicked the wife away, hearing a loud pop as the woman was launched into a table. Her four children shouted for their mother, piling around her and watching as she carried their father through a glowing white portal-all the while she never looked back.
She flinched, her fists tightening.
Her hand rose up, dripping with blood as a voice called out,'You monster!'
'There has to be another way!'He frantically struggled, unable to stop them as she held onto his arms before stomping and breaking his leg to keep him down.
'Please help me!'The beaten and broken Ward begged before she flew away, letting the ring of gangsters enclose around the young heroine as guns and knives were brandished threateningly.
Deranged and bloodshot eyes fell upon her and her comrades as they floated above the large tank. The body within began to dissolve, melting into a pool of black ink as their molecules liquified. With the last vestiges of sanity, a wrathful and garbled voice rang out,"You'll remember what I'll do, I swear! I'll make you and everyone suffer!"
Surrounded by the smoking remnants of their battle, she stared down the agonized and desperate trembling man kneeling before her. Blood and tears leaked from his eyes, taking quick shallow breaths as he beheld his killer.
"Rebecca…please…"He wheezed painfully.
Her heart squeezed, her lips pressed together so tightly they may have hurt, a few tender droplets seeped from beneath her shut eyelid, the fragile glow of the moon catching onto the tears, a diamond like sheen appearing over them as they slid down her cheek, rapidly cooling and evaporating in the cold air and wind-the evidence of their existence erased as soon as they were conceived.
Her head wrenched back, a pain filled cry rippling through the cloudy night.
She wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing in a grip that would've squished solid steel as her chest heaved with stuttered gasps and loud hysterical sobs. She didn't know how long she cried for-choking and convulsing on air as she squirmed and twisted from internal agony-it could've been minutes, it could've been hours: yet the result was still the same. No matter how many tears she shed, it never eased her conscience-not even for a moment. And so, she did the only thing she could; she suppressed her guilt to keep herself sane.
It took a few minutes to gather her composure, after which, she wiped her face clean and began to re-chain her memories, tightening their bindings and listening to the fading defiant cries as she pushed them down to lay in the dark places she never dared to venture.
With the deed done, a deep sigh burst from within her as tension began to flow out of her body. Her hands unclenched, her face softened, and a weight lifted itself off her shoulders, allowing her to straighten her back. She reached out, absorbing the tranquility of her surroundings; the sound of the wind, the pale light of the moon, the tickle of clouds as they brushed over her. Then, she focused in. Feeling and enjoying the steady pound of her heart as it beat in her chest, the flow of her blood spreading warmth throughout her body. In this stillness, she found stability, a drop of happiness and release from the torment of her heart and mind.
A white light flared into existence behind her, casting her shadow across the rolling clouds.
"We've been called. Emergency Council Meeting.''A low voice called to her.
She didn't turn around, not acknowledging the presence behind her, instead soaking in the last few vestiges of harmony before she subconsciously slipped into her guarded persona.
"What's the situation?"She asked, mentally calculating any and every threat or situation she could think of that would warrant an immediate summons to the Tower. On the optimistic side, they could've gotten a new lead on Manton and a few of the stolen Vials and Artifacts, or a New World may have been discovered that held great promise for their goals. Pessimistically however, The Red Mother could have awakened herself and was now making her move with her army of War Daughters or one of the aforementioned Artifacts was now in the hands of a dangerous enemy.
"On the east coast, Brockton Bay; there's been an incident that's garnered The Council's attention."
She turned, her interest piqued, to stare at her teammates's silhouette against the bright light.
"I remember hearing about that earlier. What about it warrants The Council's attention?"She inquired.
"If what I read about it is true, then we're looking at something we've never encountered before."
X.x.X.x.X.x.X
And the results...were Electric~
1,2 Chrysalis
Don't get the wrong idea, this story is not currently 'active' and will not receive any regular updates, I have Chimera Rising to finish and this is just to clear my head. You have been warned. Now that being said, I'm surprised that only one chapter got 12 follows already-thank you to those people.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
She floated through the portal, Lance stepping aside so she could silently land next to him. The two began a steady walk down the stark white hallway.
"You said it's something we've never encountered before, how so?"She asked.
"I don't know all the details,"He admitted, running a hand through his blonde hair,"But from what little I heard and saw, it could be a way to restart talks about The Exodus Initiative."
She jerked to a halt, Lance doing the same as her eyes widened and mouth opened slightly in a rare display of surprise as she looked at him.
"Yeah,"He nodded, a small smirk gracing his face at being able to surprise her.
"Someone found a way off world?"She asked, skepticism leaking into her tone.
"Eh,"He shrugged with a so-so motion of his hand,"Something like that, like I said, I don't know all the details. All I know is that there's some kind of gate or portal that leads to another dimension."
"And you're sure it's not just another Earth?"
"Pretty sure, the pictures I got certainly didn't look like any Earth I've seen."
"Hm,"She says as they begin walking again."And you think The Exodus Initiative could be put back on the table?"
"Honestly? I don't know. Not enough details to go off of just yet. But it's possible, and you and I both know that's more than enough reason for some people to bring it up. And since this happened on Bet…"
"We're sure to get a lot of attention tonight,"She acknowledged,"I'll look at the full report before we leave."
"Already sent it to your inbox!"He said with a snap. She nodded her thanks.
Eventually they came up to a side door that slid open with a quiet hiss as she came closer. This was one of several spare rooms she would use when she needed to change either in or out of costume. While she entered, Lance stopped at the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. The room itself was sparse, nothing more than a double bed, a desk/dresser, and a bathroom off to the side.
"We can expect a few opportunists to try and use this,"He commented,"From the usual trouble makers no doubt."
"Naturally."She agreed as she unclasped and folded her cape, gently placing it on the bed. Removing her helmet, she shook her long dark hair out before setting it down next to her cape before pausing to think.
"Senators Kane, Harkow and Smythe will be the ones to watch out for."She mused while pulling off her gloves,"The Heads of The Andromeda Party are always lobbying for the most control in any big Cauldron affairs. Until this is confirmed to be a waste of time, they'll be pushing for oversight."
"Which will then force Babylon to try to get first dibs before them or block their efforts.''He scoffed,"Greedy bastards the lot of em. It's pointless anyway: doesn't Andromeda already provide the most funding for R&D?"
"Yes. As well as Vial Production, Artifact Studies, Planetary Terraforming, A.N.S Development, and lately, S-Class Requisition."
"Lotta pies, lotta fingers."He frowned."No matter where you go it's always the same."
"Politics is politics, no matter how grand the scale."She drawled, unbuckling her belt and throwing it to the bed.
"I'm gonna shower first, that should give you plenty of time too…"She looked him up and down, taking in his black wife beater, gray sweatpants, and brown slippers,"...get dressed up."
He looked down at his attire, snorted, then looked back up.
"I won't be long, I should be ready by the time you,"He copied her down and up gaze,"Get dressed down."
With a roll of her eyes she turned around, hearing his chuckle alongside the quiet hiss as the door shut, encasing her in a soft darkness, barely illuminated by the short lamp on the desk.
As she continued to undress, her mind lingered on what they talked about.
The Exodus Initiative.
Such an early and outdated idea. Turned around and dissected for all it was worth until it was eventually dubbed a waste of time. As optimistic as the idea was, it just couldn't be done. Besides the fact that The Agents subtly sabotage any strong efforts to leave the planet, they had nowhere to evacuate to. Maybe there was a planet light years away that could sustain all of the complexities and nuances of human life, but again, they had no real way of reaching it. Even if they somehow could, trying to replicate that monumental effort across dimensions was all but impossible. So the idea, while innocent and well meaning, was thrown away and never brought up again. The hope for an easy and effective solution swept away with it. And yet…
She finished undressing before stepping into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Five minutes later she was out and drying herself down with a fluffy white towel before she began to dress herself in her trademark black suit and jacket, a simple pair of flats completing the outfit.
Now fully dressed, she sat down at her desk, the mirror's image reflecting the features of a young hispanic woman well within her twenties. Internally sighing-as she did every time she had to do this-she picked up the small bag in front of her, digging out the foundation and the correct brushes before she began to gently apply her make-up, slowly but effectively making herself appear older with each brush stroke and dab of powder.
It didn't take long before she was done, her skin a little darker, face more angular, a few lines exaggerated around her eyes. What was once a young woman in her twenties was now the seemingly forty year old Chief Director of The PRT, Rebecca Costa Brown. Just another mask for a different purpose.
The acknowledgement didn't even stir a response anymore.
Pushing aside the make-up bag, she opened a side drawer and pulled out a black tablet with the Cauldron Omega symbol on the back.
Entering her identification password, the screen came to life in a flash of white light. She tapped the red number one protruding from the mailbox icon at the bottom and her messages popped into view. She opened the highlighted message at the top and began to read the report. If there was one thing she appreciated about Emily, it was that her reports were always clear, concise and straight to the point, no unnecessary details or God forbid some flowery pleasantries to flatter her into increasing funding for their sector.
After seven minutes, she had read the email multiple times and analyzed the pictures that were sent-finding herself agreeing with Lance that it certainly didn't look like any alternate Earth they had encountered-and mentally formulated multiple questions and answers that would no doubt be thrown her way by the other Senators.
A knock on the door interrupted her thinking. Turning off and putting away the tablet she stood up and walked over to the door. The door slid open revealing Hero standing there clad in his iconic gold and royal blue power armor. His helmet tucked to his side by one arm. He cast an inspecting look over her before nodding in approval.
"You clean up well. You look like an entirely different person."He joked with a winning grin and a thumbs up.
"Thanks."She said dryly. Internally she noted, not for the first time, that there was very little difference between Hero and Lance. Unlike herself, who switched faces like she switched clothes, and unlike David who barely existed outside of being Eidolon; Lance seemed to be in perfect harmony between his hero and civilian persona. It wasn't surprising, afterall, he was the best of them.
"So,"He began,"Are we going straight to our seats or are we gonna mingle for a bit."
"How long ago was The Call sent?"She asked.
"About half an hour ago."
"We'll head straight to our box, I'd rather not have to be forced into the spotlight just yet."
"You got it!"He said, placing his helmet on his head, the gold visor shielding his eyes,"Door to, Box 131-Council Chamber."
The bright light of the Doormaker portal flared into existence before them, together they stepped through into their box-one of the hundreds that lined the walls of inner sanctum for The United Earth Leagues' meeting ground.
Gray boxes were snugly pressed together in the wide tower that rose 680 meters high into the air, all of them surrounding a rectangular podium with a long mahogany table with five slim black microphones jutting out. Just behind it hung two flags, one white with the black Cauldron Omega symbol, the other with a white Earth stamped over the black fabric, the letters U.E.L just below the planet.
She took a seat at her desk-Hero standing to her left-folding her hands across the top and casting a glance around the chamber, seeing multiple portals blink into existence to deposit other senators into their designated seats.
"Rebecca, Hero,"said a voice to her right. She turned and nodded her head.
"Markus,"She acknowledged at the same time Hero gave his greeting.
The black haired man took a seat as his portal closed behind him. Red Death-a woman in a blood red cowl and lower face mask-stood to his side, giving them both a silent greeting.
"The Call went out so suddenly, I had to clear my afternoon schedule for the rest of the day,"The Senator of Earth Sif grumbled while running a hand through his thick beard,"Any idea what this is about?"
"We're not entirely sure,"She said easily.
"Not entirely?"He inquired with a narrowed eyed assessing look in her direction.
She shrugged,"We'll just have to wait and see."
"Hm."He answered, turning his stare briefly to Hero for a few more seconds before turning away.
It was another half an hour before the rest of the seats were filled. Just as the last senator took their seat, a wide door slid open between the two flags. From the darkened hallway strode a pair of guards in large bulky white and black trimmed NEXO 12 Brute Series Power Armor, their red visors glaring out into the gathering of senators and cape escorts in silent warning, before they stepped forward followed by a retinue of the top brass in the U.E.L/Cauldron coming out in a single file line.
Doctor Mother-The Head of Cauldron
Number Man-Chief of Finances and Funding
Balminder-Current Lead Developer/Distributor of Vial Production
Glass Maker-Director of Research and Development
Academic-Administrator of Artifact Studies
All five of them came in, followed by two more of the towering armored guards, and ascended the podium to take their seats, placing files and briefcases onto their spaces. Doctor Mother draped her lab coat across the back of her chair in the middle before she too sat down. A tap of a button in front of her activated the holo-screens on all the desks in the chamber, her stern and focused expression appearing across the screens.
Her clear Côte d'Ivoire accent chimed through the chamber speakers, sharply grasping everyones' attention as she spoke,"This council is now in session."
'And so it begins,'Rebecca thought.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
Remember what I said; no regular updates, if any at all until Chimera Rising is finished. Thank you and have a good night.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
She floated through the portal, Lance stepping aside so she could silently land next to him. The two began a steady walk down the stark white hallway.
"You said it's something we've never encountered before, how so?"She asked.
"I don't know all the details,"He admitted, running a hand through his blonde hair,"But from what little I heard and saw, it could be a way to restart talks about The Exodus Initiative."
She jerked to a halt, Lance doing the same as her eyes widened and mouth opened slightly in a rare display of surprise as she looked at him.
"Yeah,"He nodded, a small smirk gracing his face at being able to surprise her.
"Someone found a way off world?"She asked, skepticism leaking into her tone.
"Eh,"He shrugged with a so-so motion of his hand,"Something like that, like I said, I don't know all the details. All I know is that there's some kind of gate or portal that leads to another dimension."
"And you're sure it's not just another Earth?"
"Pretty sure, the pictures I got certainly didn't look like any Earth I've seen."
"Hm,"She says as they begin walking again."And you think The Exodus Initiative could be put back on the table?"
"Honestly? I don't know. Not enough details to go off of just yet. But it's possible, and you and I both know that's more than enough reason for some people to bring it up. And since this happened on Bet…"
"We're sure to get a lot of attention tonight,"She acknowledged,"I'll look at the full report before we leave."
"Already sent it to your inbox!"He said with a snap. She nodded her thanks.
Eventually they came up to a side door that slid open with a quiet hiss as she came closer. This was one of several spare rooms she would use when she needed to change either in or out of costume. While she entered, Lance stopped at the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. The room itself was sparse, nothing more than a double bed, a desk/dresser, and a bathroom off to the side.
"We can expect a few opportunists to try and use this,"He commented,"From the usual trouble makers no doubt."
"Naturally."She agreed as she unclasped and folded her cape, gently placing it on the bed. Removing her helmet, she shook her long dark hair out before setting it down next to her cape before pausing to think.
"Senators Kane, Harkow and Smythe will be the ones to watch out for."She mused while pulling off her gloves,"The Heads of The Andromeda Party are always lobbying for the most control in any big Cauldron affairs. Until this is confirmed to be a waste of time, they'll be pushing for oversight."
"Which will then force Babylon to try to get first dibs before them or block their efforts.''He scoffed,"Greedy bastards the lot of em. It's pointless anyway: doesn't Andromeda already provide the most funding for R&D?"
"Yes. As well as Vial Production, Artifact Studies, Planetary Terraforming, A.N.S Development, and lately, S-Class Requisition."
"Lotta pies, lotta fingers."He frowned."No matter where you go it's always the same."
"Politics is politics, no matter how grand the scale."She drawled, unbuckling her belt and throwing it to the bed.
"I'm gonna shower first, that should give you plenty of time too…"She looked him up and down, taking in his black wife beater, gray sweatpants, and brown slippers,"...get dressed up."
He looked down at his attire, snorted, then looked back up.
"I won't be long, I should be ready by the time you,"He copied her down and up gaze,"Get dressed down."
With a roll of her eyes she turned around, hearing his chuckle alongside the quiet hiss as the door shut, encasing her in a soft darkness, barely illuminated by the short lamp on the desk.
As she continued to undress, her mind lingered on what they talked about.
The Exodus Initiative.
Such an early and outdated idea. Turned around and dissected for all it was worth until it was eventually dubbed a waste of time. As optimistic as the idea was, it just couldn't be done. Besides the fact that The Agents subtly sabotage any strong efforts to leave the planet, they had nowhere to evacuate to. Maybe there was a planet light years away that could sustain all of the complexities and nuances of human life, but again, they had no real way of reaching it. Even if they somehow could, trying to replicate that monumental effort across dimensions was all but impossible. So the idea, while innocent and well meaning, was thrown away and never brought up again. The hope for an easy and effective solution swept away with it. And yet…
She finished undressing before stepping into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Five minutes later she was out and drying herself down with a fluffy white towel before she began to dress herself in her trademark black suit and jacket, a simple pair of flats completing the outfit.
Now fully dressed, she sat down at her desk, the mirror's image reflecting the features of a young hispanic woman well within her twenties. Internally sighing-as she did every time she had to do this-she picked up the small bag in front of her, digging out the foundation and the correct brushes before she began to gently apply her make-up, slowly but effectively making herself appear older with each brush stroke and dab of powder.
It didn't take long before she was done, her skin a little darker, face more angular, a few lines exaggerated around her eyes. What was once a young woman in her twenties was now the seemingly forty year old Chief Director of The PRT, Rebecca Costa Brown. Just another mask for a different purpose.
The acknowledgement didn't even stir a response anymore.
Pushing aside the make-up bag, she opened a side drawer and pulled out a black tablet with the Cauldron Omega symbol on the back.
Entering her identification password, the screen came to life in a flash of white light. She tapped the red number one protruding from the mailbox icon at the bottom and her messages popped into view. She opened the highlighted message at the top and began to read the report. If there was one thing she appreciated about Emily, it was that her reports were always clear, concise and straight to the point, no unnecessary details or God forbid some flowery pleasantries to flatter her into increasing funding for their sector.
After seven minutes, she had read the email multiple times and analyzed the pictures that were sent-finding herself agreeing with Lance that it certainly didn't look like any alternate Earth they had encountered-and mentally formulated multiple questions and answers that would no doubt be thrown her way by the other Senators.
A knock on the door interrupted her thinking. Turning off and putting away the tablet she stood up and walked over to the door. The door slid open revealing Hero standing there clad in his iconic gold and royal blue power armor. His helmet tucked to his side by one arm. He cast an inspecting look over her before nodding in approval.
"You clean up well. You look like an entirely different person."He joked with a winning grin and a thumbs up.
"Thanks."She said dryly. Internally she noted, not for the first time, that there was very little difference between Hero and Lance. Unlike herself, who switched faces like she switched clothes, and unlike David who barely existed outside of being Eidolon; Lance seemed to be in perfect harmony between his hero and civilian persona. It wasn't surprising, afterall, he was the best of them.
"So,"He began,"Are we going straight to our seats or are we gonna mingle for a bit."
"How long ago was The Call sent?"She asked.
"About half an hour ago."
"We'll head straight to our box, I'd rather not have to be forced into the spotlight just yet."
"You got it!"He said, placing his helmet on his head, the gold visor shielding his eyes,"Door to, Box 131-Council Chamber."
The bright light of the Doormaker portal flared into existence before them, together they stepped through into their box-one of the hundreds that lined the walls of inner sanctum for The United Earth Leagues' meeting ground.
Gray boxes were snugly pressed together in the wide tower that rose 680 meters high into the air, all of them surrounding a rectangular podium with a long mahogany table with five slim black microphones jutting out. Just behind it hung two flags, one white with the black Cauldron Omega symbol, the other with a white Earth stamped over the black fabric, the letters U.E.L just below the planet.
She took a seat at her desk-Hero standing to her left-folding her hands across the top and casting a glance around the chamber, seeing multiple portals blink into existence to deposit other senators into their designated seats.
"Rebecca, Hero,"said a voice to her right. She turned and nodded her head.
"Markus,"She acknowledged at the same time Hero gave his greeting.
The black haired man took a seat as his portal closed behind him. Red Death-a woman in a blood red cowl and lower face mask-stood to his side, giving them both a silent greeting.
"The Call went out so suddenly, I had to clear my afternoon schedule for the rest of the day,"The Senator of Earth Sif grumbled while running a hand through his thick beard,"Any idea what this is about?"
"We're not entirely sure,"She said easily.
"Not entirely?"He inquired with a narrowed eyed assessing look in her direction.
She shrugged,"We'll just have to wait and see."
"Hm."He answered, turning his stare briefly to Hero for a few more seconds before turning away.
It was another half an hour before the rest of the seats were filled. Just as the last senator took their seat, a wide door slid open between the two flags. From the darkened hallway strode a pair of guards in large bulky white and black trimmed NEXO 12 Brute Series Power Armor, their red visors glaring out into the gathering of senators and cape escorts in silent warning, before they stepped forward followed by a retinue of the top brass in the U.E.L/Cauldron coming out in a single file line.
Doctor Mother-The Head of Cauldron
Number Man-Chief of Finances and Funding
Balminder-Current Lead Developer/Distributor of Vial Production
Glass Maker-Director of Research and Development
Academic-Administrator of Artifact Studies
All five of them came in, followed by two more of the towering armored guards, and ascended the podium to take their seats, placing files and briefcases onto their spaces. Doctor Mother draped her lab coat across the back of her chair in the middle before she too sat down. A tap of a button in front of her activated the holo-screens on all the desks in the chamber, her stern and focused expression appearing across the screens.
Her clear Côte d'Ivoire accent chimed through the chamber speakers, sharply grasping everyones' attention as she spoke,"This council is now in session."
'And so it begins,'Rebecca thought.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
Remember what I said; no regular updates, if any at all until Chimera Rising is finished. Thank you and have a good night.
Last edited:
1,3 Chrysalis
Alright I'm compromising a little with this. This chapter came out longer than I intended, but oh well, it was fun.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
The Inner Sanctum was deathly silent as the faces of hundreds of Senators and their Parahuman Bodyguards stared into the screen before them, patiently watching and waiting for the news that had brought them together so urgently. Large meetings such as these weren't rare per se-they all needed to touch base and make sure everyone was on the same page every few months-but for such a sudden call with no warning, the news had to be important.
"Before we begin, I ask all delegates to reserve questions until the end of the briefing."Doctor Mother said, her crisp clear voice sounding natural and unfiltered through the speakers,"A new development has come to our attention, one that could very well reshape a lot of our plans moving forward."
Rebecca could practically feel the intrigue in the conclave increase as those around her sat straighter, leaned in closer, focusing in on the dark skinned woman's face on the screen. She herself remained as still and stoic as ever, not bothering to react in any visible way; something that Markus seemed to observe as he glanced in her direction and slightly narrowed his eyes. She pretended not to notice as Doctor Mother continued.
"Earlier today, we received news about an incident that took place on the East Coast of the Continental U.S. The incident in question is not what has brought us here however, but more so what it has led us to; the discovery of an alternate dimension, one that is seemingly not Earth."
The very air itself seemed to shift as the room surged with surprised gasps and whispers, the Senators within the chamber exchanging looks with their neighbors and murmuring amongst themselves from the news. Markus had begun to glare at her-no doubt pondering how she had gotten a hold on this information beforehand-but still, she didn't give him any attention.
"Order everyone!"Doctor Mother commanded,"I realize the nature of this is astonishing, and we will have much to discuss in the coming weeks, but calm yourselves."
The room settled down, but just barely, the chamber now thick with restless energy.
"Now then,"She continued,"I understand how you would doubt the validity of this claim, however, we were able to receive a few images from what was on the other side of the portal with the use of a few Wyrm Drones."
Doctor Mother's image blinked out, replaced with a black screen before it flickered and then a video of a highschool hallway popped up, a red dot blinking in the upper corner as the drone circled the area, taking in everything around it. Discarded books and backpacks lay across the floor, trampled and flattened as the students seemingly neglected whatever they were carrying in lieu of running away. The drone zoomed in on the lockers, focusing in on the black streaks that were burned across several of the metal doors. A quick rotation upwards showed the same erratic dark scars across the ceiling, a glance down showed a few on the floor as well.
The drones' camera tracked the marks further down the hallway before it twisted around and came to a halt before a tall oval shaped light blue portal. It hovered in place for a few seconds before it drifted into the glowing fissure in reality. There was a brief moment of blinding light before it faded and the camera suddenly died in a splash of static. The page paused before rewinding and freezing on the brief image that had been transmitted from the drones' footage. Everyone leaned closer, eyes focused as they beheld the photo of a dimension of expansive darkness, large islands brimming with sharp blue crystals floating within the consuming black.
"We were only able to scrounge up these few seconds,"Doctor Mother explained,"Wherever this new dimension is, the Wyrm drones can't seem to function there. But from what the sensors could tell us-as well as what you can plainly see-what we're observing is something unlike anything we've seen before. And unless something went very very wrong, this does not appear to be another Earth-as such we are temporarily naming this dimension Enigma."
A new wave of whispers emerged, this one more subdued but no less excited and intrigued as they all beheld the image on screen with guarded scrutiny and enthusiasm.
Doctor Mothers stern image reappeared on the screen.
"What this means for our future goals, we shall soon decide, but no hard plans will be formalized for quite some time until we can study and understand the nature of this phenomenon. Now then, let us discuss how we shall move forward."
The quiet chatter ended as a tense silence settled within the chamber, stealing the breath of everyone in the tower. Backs went rigid, hands were firmly clasped, and glances and glares were exchanged between neighbor and ally, rival and enemy, as they all waited for someone to end the standoff. Hero shifted on his feet, trying to remain nonchalant while Rebecca herself was seemingly cut from stone for all the reaction she gave, yet even she felt a part of herself internally coil with anticipation for what might happen next.
A minute almost passed before a new voice, one wizened and immaculate, sounded over the speakers,"Councilors, if I may have the floor."
A new face popped up alongside Doctor Mother on the screen; a lean man with a pale round face and a brown suit stared forward, his squinted gaze parentally stern yet always with a smidge of fatigue around his eyes. A man covered in Tinker Tech gadgets and equipment standing just behind him.
"The Council recognizes Senator Henson from Earth Res."Doctor Mother answered.
The room deflated-sighing in relief as the tension slowly bled from the once strained atmosphere. Even Rebecca felt herself relax from the broken deadlock.
Eric Henson from Earth Res; moderate temper, stalwart, patient. Good standing among the League for his professionalism and rationale-his voice was a good moderator for when the more radical voices needed to be dissuaded or curbed before they gained too much traction-but above all else: he was Neutral. Besides working with a few like minded acquaintances with whom they exchanged Capes, Vials, ANS Troops and Information with, Earth Res and its Senator were one of the most Independent Powers here; without the influence or backing of Babylon, Andromeda, Arcturus, or any other Major Party to push him in any direction.
The perfect person to open discussions.
"Thank you Councilors,"Senator Henson nodded in appreciation,"As exciting as this prospect no doubt is to us all, we'll need to be absolutely sure if this is indeed a new dimension, I'd hate for us all to be worked up over a misunderstanding. Assuming this portal is stable and wont spontaneously collapse, I suggest we have Survey Teams from the Terraforming Division to go in and take note of any and all geological and biological specimen they can find-if this is a new dimension, they should be able to find noticable differences between Enigma and common Earth samples."
A smattering of muttered agreements rose from the Senators, and many now focused more intently with the discussion now having a clear direction to follow.
"A good start."Doctor Mother nodded approvingly,"Glass Maker, how many Survey Teams can be spared?"
To the right of Doctor Mother's image-pushing Senator Henson to the bottom of the screen-a thin bookish woman appeared, long curly brown hair framing her olive toned freckled face and large circular glasses enhancing her dark brown eyes.
"Teams One through Nine are currently deployed on their Survey Campaigns at the moment, leaving just Team Ten available. They are unfortunately understaffed at the moment due to a landfall Incident on an excursion from last month, so they will need to be augmented with members from the others. Protocol usually frowns upon suddenly switching assignments in the middle of a survey, but these are extraordinary circumstances. I'm sure the Team Leaders will understand."
'Maybe, but they'll definitely be very inconvenienced.'Rebecca dryly thought.
With teams of hundreds of thousands of analysts, geographers, excavators and meteorologists per Team; survey campaigns were expensive, time consuming, and-if you were particularly unlucky-dangerous. Team Ten had their manpower and supplies cut nearly in half from their accident and were, for all intents and purposes, benched for however long it would take to replace all they'd lost. Not that Number Man was going to be willing to share that data. With all that to consider, the idea of undermining Survey Teams neck deep in their campaigns by suddenly 'borrowing' a portion of their people and equipment would not be appreciated, not by them, or the Earth's/Senators who sponsored their expeditions. By the way a few of her neighbors clenched their jaws, that was likely the exact sentiment.
"A full expeditionary force won't be necessary."Number Man was saying, his clean shaven face inserting itself to the left of Doctor Mother,"Besides the fact that the only portal to Enigma is in a very public location-a High School of all places-but the sudden upheaval of personnel and equipment will put a strain on the Terraforming Division's productivity. The logistic losses of Team Ten, while not substantial, were still enough to set us back on our quota for last month's survey data."
Glass Maker's mouth thinned and her face gained a bit of color on her cheeks, making it apparent that she didn't appreciate being reminded of that. She regarded her colleague with a cold glance.
"So what do you suggest?"She asked, her tone polite, yet thinly hostile,"As previously stated, we don't know if the portal is stable-we can't afford to be slow in our response."
"I only suggest that we don't stretch further than we already have."He answered with a placating(condescending) smile,"From what we've seen, Enigma is expansive, yet seemingly desolate: It would be best if a small survey team dealt with this-samples and analysis shouldn't take long anyway. Light equipment, a dozen personnel-two at most-and a base of operations on our side of the portal to catalog everything discovered."
Glass Maker mulled over the idea, her face partially souring as she silently came to agree with it.
"It would probably be for the best."She begrudgingly admitted, a sneer trying to fight its way onto her face."Though I advise caution, we've only seen a very small fragment of Enigma, we've no idea what else could be lurking there."
"A few squads of ANS Troopers should cover security,"Number Man plainly stated.
Glass Maker grunted noncommittally.
"All in favor of sending a small survey Team to study Enigma?"Doctor Mother asked.
Discreetly, all Senators reached under their desks to push a small button to cast their vote. Doctor Mother looked down at her own Monitor before nodding.
"Majority rules in favor,"She proclaimed,"Glass Maker, send a message to the Leaders of Team Ten and have them prepare for a light excursion, we'll brief them before they're shipped out. Number Man, draw up figures for the expedition and how much a protracted study will cost. "
Both Councilors nodded their assent, Number Man with a small smirk while Glass Maker still seemed lightly cross at having to take a suggestion from him.
"Councilors, a word, please."A new voice chimed in.
A handsome young man with a light complexion, tan suit and a thin beard appeared on screen, appearing in a box below the three Councilors. Beside him stood a woman with long red hair clothed in a tight blue and gray suit that hugged her impressively muscled physique.
"The Council recognizes Senator Driver from Earth Khaf,"Doctor Mother announced.
Adam Driver of Earth Khaf. A good enough standing Rebecca supposed, even as some in the convocation rolled their eyes or groaned quietly. Integrous, genuine, though embarrassingly naive at the worst times-the face and spokesman of the small yet ever persistent Polaris Party. Hopefuls, the ones who didn't have the stomach for the darker aspects of Cauldron affairs-Rebecca suppressed a twitch and a shiver respectfully-and tried to steer things in a more ethical, above board direction. Admirable, yet they acted as a hindrance when they argued against the majority's action. Droll she admitted, but still a safe voice so far.
Though if he was speaking, Rebecca knew what would probably be said.
"Thank you Councilors,"The young man said with a charming white toothed smile,"I'll cut right to the point and ask; Councilors, if Enigma is indeed a different dimension, then if we could find a way to replicate what opened the portal, would this be enough to restart talks of the Exodus Initiative?"
Rebecca glanced backward and shared a look with Hero as a mutterings-both annoyed and uncertain, and a few interested and encouraging-rose from the gallery.
'Told you' His smirk seemed to say.
'I didn't refute it' She replied with a raised brow before turning back around.
Idly, she noted that Markus had forgone keeping his eyes on his screen and was now steadily staring at her out the corner of his eye. She tilted her head slightly in question which didn't garner a response besides the narrowing of his eyes. Shrugging, she turned back to her screen, going back to ignoring Markus' heated gaze.
Doctor Mother appeared pensive before she carefully replied,"Hypothetically speaking, if Enigma proves to be an alternate dimension as we believe, plans for the Exodus Initiative could potentially be opened and discussed once more."
Scattered voices rose after her statement, some calling out in agreement, others scoffing loudly and dismissing the idea entirely, Rebecca stayed quiet and listened to it all, not diverting her gaze from her screen. Senator Drivers' smile lengthened and more energy seemed to have been injected into him at what he heard was an affirmation.
"However,"Doctor Mothers sharp voice echoed, instantly silencing the rambling of the assembly,"As we've all gone over before; finding a way to move humanity isn't the only thing to consider."
Balminder's face appeared for the first time, sliding in next to Glass Maker, his middle aged features were long and fatigued with graying hair at his temples and lower beard, crow's feet stretching at his eyes. His voice-a low and pleasant South Indian accent-was firm, yet patient as he explained,"There were plenty of complications already; not only with the mass undertaking itself of shifting humanity to a different plane of existence, but also with finding a place suitable for humanity to live. If Enigma is anything to go by, our current options aren't anything to get excited about."
"I've come to understand all these points, Councilors,"Senator Driver affirmed, his blue eyed stare fixed and ecstatic,"All of them are true, but we have something we didn't have before; a start. The discovery of Enigma has opened up an opportunity that we didn't have before, and very well might not have again-"
"An opportunity that has come too late,"Number Man announced, eyes squinting in annoyance,"While a fine enough suggestion in our earliest days, we are far too along with several other endeavors now. Opening up talks for the Exodus would simply be a waste of time-the planning and work we would have to put in to make the plan feasible would upend decades of progress."
"Hmm, agreed,"Glass Maker commented after a pause,"Stalling or God forbid terminating our existing ventures at this point in time would be disastrous. Especially for a plan that has too many things working against it."
"Councilors you misunderstand me,"Senator Driver gently reproached with a soft frown,"I'm not saying we drop everything and suddenly throw all our efforts into this, I simply wish to bring the idea back onto the table. To give us the option-the real option that we've never had before now because of all the reasons you've said."
"To what end, Senator Driver?"A vexed voice suddenly jumped in,"Would you have us waste time on a scrapped project that we've all agreed was infeasible at best? Or is this some way to try to make things difficult for the rest of us?"
More voices shouted up in agreement-much more and much louder than Rebecca would have figured-causing Senator Drivers' frown to deepen, even as others still called out in his defense.
"Quiet,"Doctor Mother ordered, her face hard as iron as she silenced the rabble,"Senator Ellen, you do not have the right to speak at the moment. You will keep your outbursts to yourself or be banned from speaking for the rest of the session."
Senator Ellen, Rebecca knew her face-bright eyed, willowy with blonde hair and tanned skin-and very little else, so meager was her presence in the assembly. But it didn't matter, she said what others were no doubt thinking. Senator Driver, and Polaris as a whole, had made enemies in their stint among the League. Always the Tenth Man, always the naysayers; when Cauldron had to get its hands dirty it was always them who stood in opposition. And while some appreciated a voice that acted as a conscience, reminding them of the humanity they all vowed to save, others only saw a constant source of unnecessary discourse. Rebecca wasn't necessarily moved to one side or the other-in the end majority always ruled first despite anyones best efforts, so Driver and his lot couldn't necessarily do much if they were outvoted. Even still, on one hand, she agreed that their constant unbending morality made things harder than they needed to be. But on the other hand, deep down-in dark places that stirred her worst and most horrid fears and abominations-she needed that voice of pure and uncompromising right and wrong. If only to give her hope that it still existed somewhere.
Rebecca came out of her musings to hear Senator Henson ask for permission to speak again, she figured he would. While not a harshly radical voice to the degree of some others-like the Ubermensch Party who were one of the most aggressive in their stances, demanding they not wait for Scion to attack and instead take the fight to him. Or the Atlas Party, who stressed their idea of containment, striving for some kind of Tinker Tech device or some other medium that can permanently trap Scion and avoid the fight all together-Polaris' presence and views could rattle others enough to derail discussion. And while they usually meant well, sometimes they needed to be cut off. Senator Driver seemed to realize this was happening, and didn't seem to appreciate it as Hensons' face popped up beside his.
"Senator Driver,"Senator Henson began placatingly to the suddenly tense young man,"We all know of your enthusiasm for the Exodus Initiative, we all hold the idea in high esteem, but such a lofty goal isn't in the best interest for us at the moment. Should Enigma prove to be an alternate dimension, we will have more to say on the matter, but as of now, let us hold off on the idea for now until we understand more."
Senator Driver looked like he would say something, but quickly caught himself and closed his mouth, the look on his face telling how he was contemplating the merit of trying to argue with Senator Henson-a man far more favored than him-in front of a live assembly of people, some of whom eagerly want to see him silenced. For a moment, his pride urged him on, as he didn't want to look weak in front of his adversaries, but the more he thought about his current position-talked down by the Councilors, violently rebuked by a larger majority of people than he was used too, and finally being unfairly settled down by Senator Henson-he could feel the fight, the fire that burned with stubborn indignation, start to flicker and die as he realized how trapped he had become. He held for a few more seconds before he finally gave in, his face telling his choice as he sighed despondently, his cheeks seemingly shrinking in and his eyes losing their impassioned sheen while he sunk into his chair.
"I…concede to this Senator Henson,"Senator Driver said, his voice sounding a pained and frustrated,"It would be best to wait and see what happens before deciding anything."
Hero clicked his tongue in disappointment from behind her while the vocal detractors among the crowd smiled, satisfied that the wind was taken out of the young Senator's sails. With only a small ember of pity, Rebecca regarded the defeated man. If this meeting hadn't been so sudden, she would have thought the past few minutes were planned in some way to make him look bad in front of the assembly. But then again, maybe it was.
Senator Henson nodded, looking both appreciative and apologetic,"Thank you Senator Driver, your passion is an inspiration to us all, but we must stay focused on what matters in front of us first."
Senator Driver didn't say anything, his image looking like a chastened youth before simply disappearing from the screen.
"Poor bastard."Hero muttered to himself. Rebecca silently agreed.
"Getting back on topic,"Doctor Mother began, her voice snapping everyone back into focus,"Until we can properly ascertain this new dimension's nature, information on Enigma will be on Level 9 Security Clearance. Any and all information found will be handled through the Terraforming Division under Glass Makers' supervision. If anyone has questions before a formal update, they can be funneled through her department."
Hmm, looks like R&D was about to get a sudden boost in funding Rebecca figured as she listened to the briefing start to wrap up. And anyone not already providing adequate investments were about to get much closer with those who were.
"Does anyone have anything else to add?"Doctor Mother asked.
"I think,"A pleasantly calm voice interjected, causing Doctor Mother and the other Councilors to start and turn to face the speaker with surprised expressions,"That no matter what the outcome, this will be a very unique experience."
The final Councilor, Academic, appeared on the screen, her image shuffling to appear below the others. The upper half of her face was obscured in the shadow of her royal blue and gold hood of her cloak, the lower half only showed her thin pink lips and narrow porcelain chin.
"However, I agree with Glass Maker in her assessment. In all this excitement we must not blind ourselves to whatever danger might be lurking in this new dimension,"She spoke soothingly,"As such, I would offer the services of the Artifact Division to ensure our friends in the Survey Teams undergo their mission as safely as possible."
A heartbeat passed before new whispers broke out, these ones shocked and just a tad bit nervous. Rebecca felt a small spike of surprise that she didn't allow to show on her face, even as she heard Markus mutter something to himself and Hero shuffle uneasily behind her.
"I-we…"Glass Maker stammered in uncertainty before she cleared her throat and schooled her expression,"I appreciate your consideration. I'm sure the Survey Teams would appreciate having extra protection during this excursion. We will speak in detail on what exactly you wish to provide for us after the brief."
Academic's lips languidly stretched into a serene smile as she regarded her colleague.
"I look forward to it."She softly sighed.
A twitch in her cheek broke through before Glass Maker regained control and nodded in confirmation. Many senators, and even her fellow Councilors, were impressed that Glass Maker kept it together so well under the strange woman's attention.
Academic, and those who worked under her in Artifact Studies were an…odd bunch, to put it nicely. Secretive, even by Cauldron standards, and fairly isolated for such an important aspect of the Cauldron/U.E.L dynamic. They hardly got involved in anything that didn't involve their tests and experiments, and even then they'd only work behind closed doors and shadowed conversation. So for Academic to come out and publicly offer her and her peoples services to help with a matter that didn't have anything to do with them…
Well, if there wasn't enough buzz around Enigma before, there certainly was now.
"Well then,"Doctor Mother began after a moment of silence,"If no one else has any questions, then I think we're do-"
"A moment, Councilors,"An old crackling voice spoke up.
'Well shit.'Rebecca thought dryly as the room descended into an uncomfortably tense silence,'So close.'
After a few seconds of stewing in the choked stillness Doctor Mother responded.
"The Council recognizes Senator Kane of Earth Ven."
Academics' face disappeared to be replaced with a beige toned old man with hard dark amber eyes and a neatly trimmed stark white beard, clad in a black suit with a red tie. His cape escort a gray armored figure with an ivory cape draped over one shoulder.
Senator Daniel Kane, one of the Heads of the Andromeda party. One of the absolute worst voices that could have spoken up.
"Thank you,"He nodded before speaking,"Councilors, there is something that is bothering me in regards to Enigma-or more precisely, its whereabouts. You say that the portal was opened on the East Coast of the Continental U.S-but have actually neglected to mention on which Earth exactly it was found. Considering we're all here being told about this, I can only infer that one of us holds the location of the portal on their world."
This observation sparked a whole new round of whispers-these ones laced with suspicion and shifty glances at everyone around them. With that one statement alone, Senator Kane had pointed out something that nobody had thought of until that moment; whoevers world the Portal was on would have first class access to any and all discoveries and information related to Enigma. Forget going through the channels with the R&D division, all someone had to do was get cosey to whomever had Enigma on hand at all times.
Just like that, Rebecca felt a target being painted on her back.
Another glance backwards at Heros' severe frown told her that he felt the same.
'Ain't this grand.'He mouthed, the sarcasm somehow bleeding through.
'At least we were prepared for it.'She discreetly replied.
Markus-being the smart man that he was-now turned to her and was full on staring openly. No doubt he already knew, and was now just waiting for confirmation.
The Councilors leaned towards each other and whispered amongst themselves, hiding their mouths behind their mouths as they discussed how to press forwards. A minute passed before they separated, reassuming their positions and staring straight ahead. Doctor Mother spoke first.
"The portal to Enigma was opened earlier today at 11:57 AM following an incident at Winslow High School in Brockton Bay, located on Earth Bet."
All sound ceased to be. It was in that moment that an entirely different silence descended on the chamber-unlike before, it was not tense, it was not nervous, it was not excited. If it had to be described in one word, and only one exactly, the closets that could be used to describe it; Hostile.
Rebecca's posture was perfect as she sat in her chair, staring straight ahead at the figures on her screen with an almost bored expression on her face-watching as Senator Kane's face settled into an very displeased frown-not keen to acknowledge that every person in front, beside, and behind her were now staring at her with open distrust. While she kept up her uncaring appearance: Hero, bless his heart, was brave(cheeky) enough to look around and jubilantly wave at their neighbors. None of them seemed to appreciate it.
"Earth Bet, Councilors?"Senator Kane asked, his voice calm yet peeking on incredulous,"Then if I am to understand, oversight of Enigma will be overseen and managed by Earth Bet and Senator Costa-Brown?"
"You understand correctly,"Doctor Mother replied evenly. Senator Kane's frown deepened.
"Senator Kane, if I may take the stand,"A distinguished woman's voice chimed in.
Senator Kane nodded and his image was switched with the picture of a sandy skinned lady in a form fitting black dress, warm brown shoulder length hair, and piercing green eyes. A man with shining crystal skin in military fatigues stood at parade rest just to her left.
Jane Harkow. Wonderful. Just like she said, it seems all of Andromeda's major players were gonna get in on this.
"Councilors, with all due respect, is it wise to leave such an important task in the hands of Earth Bet?"She began, her prominent cheekbones accentuating her frown,"They've already proven in the past that they cannot be trusted to handle such matters. Their competence is not to be trusted."
'Wow.'Rebecca thought, just a touch impressed with the gall,'No soft ball approach I see.'
"Wise or not, Senator Harkow, the portal is on Earth Bet. You may not like it, but that is where it resides. There is nothing we can do about it,"Doctor Mother said.
"Hmm, perhaps not,"Senator Harkow acquiesced,"But I again must stress that Earth Bet cannot be trusted with this."
"The portal is on their world Senator, what do you suggest we do?"Number Man asked with a raised brow.
"Simple,"She answered plainly, her green eyed stare pointed and harshly honest,"Hand over direct oversight of Enigma to someone else, someone who can be trusted to supervise the portal with the League's best interests in mind."
There was a moment of stunned silence before the assembly erupted in hissing whispers and sneering accusations. Rebecca herself could only think one thing.
'Bold. Very very bold.'
She heard Hero scoff behind her, but didn't turn to look, instead keeping her attention on the Councilors reaction. Their eyes darted in between each other-some looking more bemused or annoyed than others-but beyond that there was no way to tell what they thought of the suggestion.
"And do you believe,"Balminder said with a slightly amused tone,"that you are the one for this position?"
"Only if the Council deems it so,"She answered tactfully.
"Absolutely not!" Someone bellowed out from one of the rows just above the Council podium.
The voice was instantly recognizable to anyone who paid enough attention to these meetings. Senator Alexander, one of the heads of Babylon: Andromeda's biggest and most direct opposition. When one side wanted something, the other would do its damndest to ensure they didn't get it.
"And there it is,"Hero muttered unsurprised,"Let's see how far this goes."
"Senator Alexander, you have not been permitted to speak,"Doctor Mother lightly warned.
"Apologies, Councilors. May I have the floor?"He humbly asked.
"Senator Harkow?"Doctor Mother asked.
The brown haired woman nodded, her expression carefully neutral before her image was replaced with that of a tall hefty man in a green and black suit, his face mostly concealed by a long orange beard. The man's girth was so large, that his cape escort could barely be seen over his shoulder.
"Apologies again, Councilors,"Senator Alexander said, his face red and shining with sweat,"but I cannot endorse Senators Harkow, Kane, or Smythe to have oversight over Enigma."
"Who said anything about Senators Kane or Smythe?"Number man asked with a smirk. Senator Alexander seemed to stutter for a moment, his eyes momentarily darting around before he recomposed himself and carried on.
"Where one resides the others are not far behind,"He said the words with an air of grumbled simmering familiarity, as if he remembered growling them over a hard drink with acquaintances and coworkers."I make no secret of the rivalry that me and my colleagues have with them and theirs, but in this I sincerely must protest their involvement in this. They will use any and all findings to their advantage while handing over only poultry knowledge for the rest of us until they've got a solid enough lead over everyone."
"Hmph! Then what? You think you should be the one to oversee this project? You think that you would do better than them?"Glass Maker sneered.
"No."He answered plainly, surprising everyone."As I said, our rivalry is no secret. I'd be under the same scrutiny of them if I took control-and honestly, It'd be rightly earned, as I'd more than likely try to hoard my own secrets to get a leg up over them."
He let everyone absorb his words for a moment before he continued.
"The main point I mean to accentuate is that neither Andromeda nor Babylon can be trusted to act in the League's best interest. Enigma is too big of an opportunity to let old rivalries get in the way of progress. As such I suggest someone else be put in charge of Enigma's investigation."
Everyone muttered in confusion, while the Councilors looked between each other once again. Meanwhile, Rebecca felt a corner of her mouth momentarily quirk up.
Without saying it, Senator Alexander had admitted that he agreed that Earth Bet shouldn't be in charge of the portal, and that Andromeda and Babylon would both take advantage of a potential chance to get ahead of each other. While blocking themselves from getting access to Enigma, it didn't matter so long as Andromeda didn't get it either. Which is exactly how the two parties went about their rivalry, Andromeda probably would have done the same. Interesting to note that they weren't so different from each other at the end of the day. Such as both doing everything in their power to make sure Earth Bet wouldn't be getting oversight on its own soil.
"If I may offer a suggestion,"A strong male voice spoke up. Senator Alexander begrudgingly nodded his head, allowing him to speak.
Richard Smythe appeared next to Alexander. A tall well built man with slicked back hair and golden jewelry across his neck and fingers. A woman with a shining red Tinker Tech helmet stood just behind him.
"Earth Bets involvement cannot simply be ignored, we cannot simply invade on the sovereignty of their world. So I suggest a compromise, if not a complete oversight, then a partial one. Someone at least working in tandem with Earth Bet so that they can be overseen along with the portal."
Hero snorted at the 'compromise'. Well, it was a compromise, but not for Earth Bet. It was like Alexander said, their rivalry couldn't get in the way of progress. So now they're gonna try to work around each other at the very least.
Senator Alexander contemplated the proposal, no doubt working out how he could bend it to his benefit. Which wasn't hard to think about. Babylon and Andromeda had a lot of friends and favors to use, they could just as easily get one of their own people in place to take over the project. If not one of them, then an unofficially associated member to take the spot and report back to them in secret. It wasn't a hard decision to make really.
"Yes,"Senator Alexander mumbled, nodding his head,"Yes, I do believe that would be for the best in this situation."
"Well as interesting as it is to see you both reach this conclusion, I do believe you're forgetting to include Senator Costa-Brown in this discussion,"Number Man said amused,"After all, you just agreed not to impede on her world's sovereignty. It would only be fair that you ask her permission if all this was alright with her."
That seemed to startle everyone, as if they just now realized that Rebecca had a say in this.
"Senator Costa-Brown,"Doctor Mother addressed,"What do you have to say?"
Rebecca pressed a button on her console and saw her own image appear in a small box on the upper right of her screen, and she knew her face was now projected all across the chamber.
"If it will ease the nerves of everyone present, then Earth Bet is willing to adhere to the terms set by our fellow Senators."She began diplomatically.
A few mutterings rose up in agreement and she could see Markus glaring at her from the corner of her eye and wondered if he earnestly thought she was giving in or was just tired of her act.
"However,"She said, her voice slicing through the air and silencing everyone,"As this would be an operation taking place on Earth Bet, it would be best if our partner was someone who I believed would act not only in the best interest of the League, but also someone who would work best with us. Therefore I must insist that I be allowed to choose for myself, whom I will allow to work alongside us in the study of Enigma."
A choked laugh from behind her told her what Hero thought of the suggestion. Doctor Mother simply nodded her head,"These terms are agreeable."
And it was with the pained faces of both Alexander and Smythe that she knew she had them. They honestly didn't expect Rebecca to be able to have a say in how this would go, so when she was allowed to set the terms of this 'oversight', she did so in a way that effectively locked them out of the end decision. Since they both unofficially admitted to not being trustworthy, there wasn't a way for them to be directly involved, and since she was allowed to choose for herself, they were also locked out indirectly as well since Rebecca knew who they were associated with and so could carefully choose someone not in their pockets. And the choice of wording was important too-since all council meetings were recorded-her saying the word 'partner' and working 'alongside', eliminated any sense of oversight on the other parties' part, meaning that whoever she chose, they would effectively be 'equal' in this venture.
So in the end, Earth Bet came out of this with a better standing then they had any right too.
"Senator Costa-Brown, be sure to confer with Number Man and Glass Maker when you've made your choice so we can properly begin planning with the Survey Teams."Doctor Mother informed.
"Of course,"She nodded, keeping the victory off her face.
"Good. Now then, I believe we're done here,"Doctor Mother proclaimed,"This meeting is adjourned."
With a press of a button, the holographic screens disappeared and the Councilors packed up their equipment and began to make their way out of the Chamber, their guards following behind them. Doormaker portals began appearing as senators called for a way home.
"Rebecca!"Markus barked as he hastily stood up from his chair,"A word, please."
Rebecca turned to regard her neighbor, seeing his determined face and decided it would be best not to keep him waiting. She nodded and told him she would be out in a moment. He thanked her and turned around, his box's door sliding open to release him and Red Death out into the hall.
"Well, that went better than I thought."Hero remarked with a grin.
"You go on ahead, I'll be back later."She told him plainly.
"Alright, don't let the sharks bleed you too much."He joked.
"I'll do my best."She dryly promised. He nodded, stepping through a glowing white portal a second later.
Standing up, Rebecca straightened her suit, mentally preparing herself for the onslaught she had opened up for herself. Idly dusting her shoulders, she turned around and stepped out into the hall as the door slid open.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
Tell me what you think, stay safe and have a good night.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
The Inner Sanctum was deathly silent as the faces of hundreds of Senators and their Parahuman Bodyguards stared into the screen before them, patiently watching and waiting for the news that had brought them together so urgently. Large meetings such as these weren't rare per se-they all needed to touch base and make sure everyone was on the same page every few months-but for such a sudden call with no warning, the news had to be important.
"Before we begin, I ask all delegates to reserve questions until the end of the briefing."Doctor Mother said, her crisp clear voice sounding natural and unfiltered through the speakers,"A new development has come to our attention, one that could very well reshape a lot of our plans moving forward."
Rebecca could practically feel the intrigue in the conclave increase as those around her sat straighter, leaned in closer, focusing in on the dark skinned woman's face on the screen. She herself remained as still and stoic as ever, not bothering to react in any visible way; something that Markus seemed to observe as he glanced in her direction and slightly narrowed his eyes. She pretended not to notice as Doctor Mother continued.
"Earlier today, we received news about an incident that took place on the East Coast of the Continental U.S. The incident in question is not what has brought us here however, but more so what it has led us to; the discovery of an alternate dimension, one that is seemingly not Earth."
The very air itself seemed to shift as the room surged with surprised gasps and whispers, the Senators within the chamber exchanging looks with their neighbors and murmuring amongst themselves from the news. Markus had begun to glare at her-no doubt pondering how she had gotten a hold on this information beforehand-but still, she didn't give him any attention.
"Order everyone!"Doctor Mother commanded,"I realize the nature of this is astonishing, and we will have much to discuss in the coming weeks, but calm yourselves."
The room settled down, but just barely, the chamber now thick with restless energy.
"Now then,"She continued,"I understand how you would doubt the validity of this claim, however, we were able to receive a few images from what was on the other side of the portal with the use of a few Wyrm Drones."
Doctor Mother's image blinked out, replaced with a black screen before it flickered and then a video of a highschool hallway popped up, a red dot blinking in the upper corner as the drone circled the area, taking in everything around it. Discarded books and backpacks lay across the floor, trampled and flattened as the students seemingly neglected whatever they were carrying in lieu of running away. The drone zoomed in on the lockers, focusing in on the black streaks that were burned across several of the metal doors. A quick rotation upwards showed the same erratic dark scars across the ceiling, a glance down showed a few on the floor as well.
The drones' camera tracked the marks further down the hallway before it twisted around and came to a halt before a tall oval shaped light blue portal. It hovered in place for a few seconds before it drifted into the glowing fissure in reality. There was a brief moment of blinding light before it faded and the camera suddenly died in a splash of static. The page paused before rewinding and freezing on the brief image that had been transmitted from the drones' footage. Everyone leaned closer, eyes focused as they beheld the photo of a dimension of expansive darkness, large islands brimming with sharp blue crystals floating within the consuming black.
"We were only able to scrounge up these few seconds,"Doctor Mother explained,"Wherever this new dimension is, the Wyrm drones can't seem to function there. But from what the sensors could tell us-as well as what you can plainly see-what we're observing is something unlike anything we've seen before. And unless something went very very wrong, this does not appear to be another Earth-as such we are temporarily naming this dimension Enigma."
A new wave of whispers emerged, this one more subdued but no less excited and intrigued as they all beheld the image on screen with guarded scrutiny and enthusiasm.
Doctor Mothers stern image reappeared on the screen.
"What this means for our future goals, we shall soon decide, but no hard plans will be formalized for quite some time until we can study and understand the nature of this phenomenon. Now then, let us discuss how we shall move forward."
The quiet chatter ended as a tense silence settled within the chamber, stealing the breath of everyone in the tower. Backs went rigid, hands were firmly clasped, and glances and glares were exchanged between neighbor and ally, rival and enemy, as they all waited for someone to end the standoff. Hero shifted on his feet, trying to remain nonchalant while Rebecca herself was seemingly cut from stone for all the reaction she gave, yet even she felt a part of herself internally coil with anticipation for what might happen next.
A minute almost passed before a new voice, one wizened and immaculate, sounded over the speakers,"Councilors, if I may have the floor."
A new face popped up alongside Doctor Mother on the screen; a lean man with a pale round face and a brown suit stared forward, his squinted gaze parentally stern yet always with a smidge of fatigue around his eyes. A man covered in Tinker Tech gadgets and equipment standing just behind him.
"The Council recognizes Senator Henson from Earth Res."Doctor Mother answered.
The room deflated-sighing in relief as the tension slowly bled from the once strained atmosphere. Even Rebecca felt herself relax from the broken deadlock.
Eric Henson from Earth Res; moderate temper, stalwart, patient. Good standing among the League for his professionalism and rationale-his voice was a good moderator for when the more radical voices needed to be dissuaded or curbed before they gained too much traction-but above all else: he was Neutral. Besides working with a few like minded acquaintances with whom they exchanged Capes, Vials, ANS Troops and Information with, Earth Res and its Senator were one of the most Independent Powers here; without the influence or backing of Babylon, Andromeda, Arcturus, or any other Major Party to push him in any direction.
The perfect person to open discussions.
"Thank you Councilors,"Senator Henson nodded in appreciation,"As exciting as this prospect no doubt is to us all, we'll need to be absolutely sure if this is indeed a new dimension, I'd hate for us all to be worked up over a misunderstanding. Assuming this portal is stable and wont spontaneously collapse, I suggest we have Survey Teams from the Terraforming Division to go in and take note of any and all geological and biological specimen they can find-if this is a new dimension, they should be able to find noticable differences between Enigma and common Earth samples."
A smattering of muttered agreements rose from the Senators, and many now focused more intently with the discussion now having a clear direction to follow.
"A good start."Doctor Mother nodded approvingly,"Glass Maker, how many Survey Teams can be spared?"
To the right of Doctor Mother's image-pushing Senator Henson to the bottom of the screen-a thin bookish woman appeared, long curly brown hair framing her olive toned freckled face and large circular glasses enhancing her dark brown eyes.
"Teams One through Nine are currently deployed on their Survey Campaigns at the moment, leaving just Team Ten available. They are unfortunately understaffed at the moment due to a landfall Incident on an excursion from last month, so they will need to be augmented with members from the others. Protocol usually frowns upon suddenly switching assignments in the middle of a survey, but these are extraordinary circumstances. I'm sure the Team Leaders will understand."
'Maybe, but they'll definitely be very inconvenienced.'Rebecca dryly thought.
With teams of hundreds of thousands of analysts, geographers, excavators and meteorologists per Team; survey campaigns were expensive, time consuming, and-if you were particularly unlucky-dangerous. Team Ten had their manpower and supplies cut nearly in half from their accident and were, for all intents and purposes, benched for however long it would take to replace all they'd lost. Not that Number Man was going to be willing to share that data. With all that to consider, the idea of undermining Survey Teams neck deep in their campaigns by suddenly 'borrowing' a portion of their people and equipment would not be appreciated, not by them, or the Earth's/Senators who sponsored their expeditions. By the way a few of her neighbors clenched their jaws, that was likely the exact sentiment.
"A full expeditionary force won't be necessary."Number Man was saying, his clean shaven face inserting itself to the left of Doctor Mother,"Besides the fact that the only portal to Enigma is in a very public location-a High School of all places-but the sudden upheaval of personnel and equipment will put a strain on the Terraforming Division's productivity. The logistic losses of Team Ten, while not substantial, were still enough to set us back on our quota for last month's survey data."
Glass Maker's mouth thinned and her face gained a bit of color on her cheeks, making it apparent that she didn't appreciate being reminded of that. She regarded her colleague with a cold glance.
"So what do you suggest?"She asked, her tone polite, yet thinly hostile,"As previously stated, we don't know if the portal is stable-we can't afford to be slow in our response."
"I only suggest that we don't stretch further than we already have."He answered with a placating(condescending) smile,"From what we've seen, Enigma is expansive, yet seemingly desolate: It would be best if a small survey team dealt with this-samples and analysis shouldn't take long anyway. Light equipment, a dozen personnel-two at most-and a base of operations on our side of the portal to catalog everything discovered."
Glass Maker mulled over the idea, her face partially souring as she silently came to agree with it.
"It would probably be for the best."She begrudgingly admitted, a sneer trying to fight its way onto her face."Though I advise caution, we've only seen a very small fragment of Enigma, we've no idea what else could be lurking there."
"A few squads of ANS Troopers should cover security,"Number Man plainly stated.
Glass Maker grunted noncommittally.
"All in favor of sending a small survey Team to study Enigma?"Doctor Mother asked.
Discreetly, all Senators reached under their desks to push a small button to cast their vote. Doctor Mother looked down at her own Monitor before nodding.
"Majority rules in favor,"She proclaimed,"Glass Maker, send a message to the Leaders of Team Ten and have them prepare for a light excursion, we'll brief them before they're shipped out. Number Man, draw up figures for the expedition and how much a protracted study will cost. "
Both Councilors nodded their assent, Number Man with a small smirk while Glass Maker still seemed lightly cross at having to take a suggestion from him.
"Councilors, a word, please."A new voice chimed in.
A handsome young man with a light complexion, tan suit and a thin beard appeared on screen, appearing in a box below the three Councilors. Beside him stood a woman with long red hair clothed in a tight blue and gray suit that hugged her impressively muscled physique.
"The Council recognizes Senator Driver from Earth Khaf,"Doctor Mother announced.
Adam Driver of Earth Khaf. A good enough standing Rebecca supposed, even as some in the convocation rolled their eyes or groaned quietly. Integrous, genuine, though embarrassingly naive at the worst times-the face and spokesman of the small yet ever persistent Polaris Party. Hopefuls, the ones who didn't have the stomach for the darker aspects of Cauldron affairs-Rebecca suppressed a twitch and a shiver respectfully-and tried to steer things in a more ethical, above board direction. Admirable, yet they acted as a hindrance when they argued against the majority's action. Droll she admitted, but still a safe voice so far.
Though if he was speaking, Rebecca knew what would probably be said.
"Thank you Councilors,"The young man said with a charming white toothed smile,"I'll cut right to the point and ask; Councilors, if Enigma is indeed a different dimension, then if we could find a way to replicate what opened the portal, would this be enough to restart talks of the Exodus Initiative?"
Rebecca glanced backward and shared a look with Hero as a mutterings-both annoyed and uncertain, and a few interested and encouraging-rose from the gallery.
'Told you' His smirk seemed to say.
'I didn't refute it' She replied with a raised brow before turning back around.
Idly, she noted that Markus had forgone keeping his eyes on his screen and was now steadily staring at her out the corner of his eye. She tilted her head slightly in question which didn't garner a response besides the narrowing of his eyes. Shrugging, she turned back to her screen, going back to ignoring Markus' heated gaze.
Doctor Mother appeared pensive before she carefully replied,"Hypothetically speaking, if Enigma proves to be an alternate dimension as we believe, plans for the Exodus Initiative could potentially be opened and discussed once more."
Scattered voices rose after her statement, some calling out in agreement, others scoffing loudly and dismissing the idea entirely, Rebecca stayed quiet and listened to it all, not diverting her gaze from her screen. Senator Drivers' smile lengthened and more energy seemed to have been injected into him at what he heard was an affirmation.
"However,"Doctor Mothers sharp voice echoed, instantly silencing the rambling of the assembly,"As we've all gone over before; finding a way to move humanity isn't the only thing to consider."
Balminder's face appeared for the first time, sliding in next to Glass Maker, his middle aged features were long and fatigued with graying hair at his temples and lower beard, crow's feet stretching at his eyes. His voice-a low and pleasant South Indian accent-was firm, yet patient as he explained,"There were plenty of complications already; not only with the mass undertaking itself of shifting humanity to a different plane of existence, but also with finding a place suitable for humanity to live. If Enigma is anything to go by, our current options aren't anything to get excited about."
"I've come to understand all these points, Councilors,"Senator Driver affirmed, his blue eyed stare fixed and ecstatic,"All of them are true, but we have something we didn't have before; a start. The discovery of Enigma has opened up an opportunity that we didn't have before, and very well might not have again-"
"An opportunity that has come too late,"Number Man announced, eyes squinting in annoyance,"While a fine enough suggestion in our earliest days, we are far too along with several other endeavors now. Opening up talks for the Exodus would simply be a waste of time-the planning and work we would have to put in to make the plan feasible would upend decades of progress."
"Hmm, agreed,"Glass Maker commented after a pause,"Stalling or God forbid terminating our existing ventures at this point in time would be disastrous. Especially for a plan that has too many things working against it."
"Councilors you misunderstand me,"Senator Driver gently reproached with a soft frown,"I'm not saying we drop everything and suddenly throw all our efforts into this, I simply wish to bring the idea back onto the table. To give us the option-the real option that we've never had before now because of all the reasons you've said."
"To what end, Senator Driver?"A vexed voice suddenly jumped in,"Would you have us waste time on a scrapped project that we've all agreed was infeasible at best? Or is this some way to try to make things difficult for the rest of us?"
More voices shouted up in agreement-much more and much louder than Rebecca would have figured-causing Senator Drivers' frown to deepen, even as others still called out in his defense.
"Quiet,"Doctor Mother ordered, her face hard as iron as she silenced the rabble,"Senator Ellen, you do not have the right to speak at the moment. You will keep your outbursts to yourself or be banned from speaking for the rest of the session."
Senator Ellen, Rebecca knew her face-bright eyed, willowy with blonde hair and tanned skin-and very little else, so meager was her presence in the assembly. But it didn't matter, she said what others were no doubt thinking. Senator Driver, and Polaris as a whole, had made enemies in their stint among the League. Always the Tenth Man, always the naysayers; when Cauldron had to get its hands dirty it was always them who stood in opposition. And while some appreciated a voice that acted as a conscience, reminding them of the humanity they all vowed to save, others only saw a constant source of unnecessary discourse. Rebecca wasn't necessarily moved to one side or the other-in the end majority always ruled first despite anyones best efforts, so Driver and his lot couldn't necessarily do much if they were outvoted. Even still, on one hand, she agreed that their constant unbending morality made things harder than they needed to be. But on the other hand, deep down-in dark places that stirred her worst and most horrid fears and abominations-she needed that voice of pure and uncompromising right and wrong. If only to give her hope that it still existed somewhere.
Rebecca came out of her musings to hear Senator Henson ask for permission to speak again, she figured he would. While not a harshly radical voice to the degree of some others-like the Ubermensch Party who were one of the most aggressive in their stances, demanding they not wait for Scion to attack and instead take the fight to him. Or the Atlas Party, who stressed their idea of containment, striving for some kind of Tinker Tech device or some other medium that can permanently trap Scion and avoid the fight all together-Polaris' presence and views could rattle others enough to derail discussion. And while they usually meant well, sometimes they needed to be cut off. Senator Driver seemed to realize this was happening, and didn't seem to appreciate it as Hensons' face popped up beside his.
"Senator Driver,"Senator Henson began placatingly to the suddenly tense young man,"We all know of your enthusiasm for the Exodus Initiative, we all hold the idea in high esteem, but such a lofty goal isn't in the best interest for us at the moment. Should Enigma prove to be an alternate dimension, we will have more to say on the matter, but as of now, let us hold off on the idea for now until we understand more."
Senator Driver looked like he would say something, but quickly caught himself and closed his mouth, the look on his face telling how he was contemplating the merit of trying to argue with Senator Henson-a man far more favored than him-in front of a live assembly of people, some of whom eagerly want to see him silenced. For a moment, his pride urged him on, as he didn't want to look weak in front of his adversaries, but the more he thought about his current position-talked down by the Councilors, violently rebuked by a larger majority of people than he was used too, and finally being unfairly settled down by Senator Henson-he could feel the fight, the fire that burned with stubborn indignation, start to flicker and die as he realized how trapped he had become. He held for a few more seconds before he finally gave in, his face telling his choice as he sighed despondently, his cheeks seemingly shrinking in and his eyes losing their impassioned sheen while he sunk into his chair.
"I…concede to this Senator Henson,"Senator Driver said, his voice sounding a pained and frustrated,"It would be best to wait and see what happens before deciding anything."
Hero clicked his tongue in disappointment from behind her while the vocal detractors among the crowd smiled, satisfied that the wind was taken out of the young Senator's sails. With only a small ember of pity, Rebecca regarded the defeated man. If this meeting hadn't been so sudden, she would have thought the past few minutes were planned in some way to make him look bad in front of the assembly. But then again, maybe it was.
Senator Henson nodded, looking both appreciative and apologetic,"Thank you Senator Driver, your passion is an inspiration to us all, but we must stay focused on what matters in front of us first."
Senator Driver didn't say anything, his image looking like a chastened youth before simply disappearing from the screen.
"Poor bastard."Hero muttered to himself. Rebecca silently agreed.
"Getting back on topic,"Doctor Mother began, her voice snapping everyone back into focus,"Until we can properly ascertain this new dimension's nature, information on Enigma will be on Level 9 Security Clearance. Any and all information found will be handled through the Terraforming Division under Glass Makers' supervision. If anyone has questions before a formal update, they can be funneled through her department."
Hmm, looks like R&D was about to get a sudden boost in funding Rebecca figured as she listened to the briefing start to wrap up. And anyone not already providing adequate investments were about to get much closer with those who were.
"Does anyone have anything else to add?"Doctor Mother asked.
"I think,"A pleasantly calm voice interjected, causing Doctor Mother and the other Councilors to start and turn to face the speaker with surprised expressions,"That no matter what the outcome, this will be a very unique experience."
The final Councilor, Academic, appeared on the screen, her image shuffling to appear below the others. The upper half of her face was obscured in the shadow of her royal blue and gold hood of her cloak, the lower half only showed her thin pink lips and narrow porcelain chin.
"However, I agree with Glass Maker in her assessment. In all this excitement we must not blind ourselves to whatever danger might be lurking in this new dimension,"She spoke soothingly,"As such, I would offer the services of the Artifact Division to ensure our friends in the Survey Teams undergo their mission as safely as possible."
A heartbeat passed before new whispers broke out, these ones shocked and just a tad bit nervous. Rebecca felt a small spike of surprise that she didn't allow to show on her face, even as she heard Markus mutter something to himself and Hero shuffle uneasily behind her.
"I-we…"Glass Maker stammered in uncertainty before she cleared her throat and schooled her expression,"I appreciate your consideration. I'm sure the Survey Teams would appreciate having extra protection during this excursion. We will speak in detail on what exactly you wish to provide for us after the brief."
Academic's lips languidly stretched into a serene smile as she regarded her colleague.
"I look forward to it."She softly sighed.
A twitch in her cheek broke through before Glass Maker regained control and nodded in confirmation. Many senators, and even her fellow Councilors, were impressed that Glass Maker kept it together so well under the strange woman's attention.
Academic, and those who worked under her in Artifact Studies were an…odd bunch, to put it nicely. Secretive, even by Cauldron standards, and fairly isolated for such an important aspect of the Cauldron/U.E.L dynamic. They hardly got involved in anything that didn't involve their tests and experiments, and even then they'd only work behind closed doors and shadowed conversation. So for Academic to come out and publicly offer her and her peoples services to help with a matter that didn't have anything to do with them…
Well, if there wasn't enough buzz around Enigma before, there certainly was now.
"Well then,"Doctor Mother began after a moment of silence,"If no one else has any questions, then I think we're do-"
"A moment, Councilors,"An old crackling voice spoke up.
'Well shit.'Rebecca thought dryly as the room descended into an uncomfortably tense silence,'So close.'
After a few seconds of stewing in the choked stillness Doctor Mother responded.
"The Council recognizes Senator Kane of Earth Ven."
Academics' face disappeared to be replaced with a beige toned old man with hard dark amber eyes and a neatly trimmed stark white beard, clad in a black suit with a red tie. His cape escort a gray armored figure with an ivory cape draped over one shoulder.
Senator Daniel Kane, one of the Heads of the Andromeda party. One of the absolute worst voices that could have spoken up.
"Thank you,"He nodded before speaking,"Councilors, there is something that is bothering me in regards to Enigma-or more precisely, its whereabouts. You say that the portal was opened on the East Coast of the Continental U.S-but have actually neglected to mention on which Earth exactly it was found. Considering we're all here being told about this, I can only infer that one of us holds the location of the portal on their world."
This observation sparked a whole new round of whispers-these ones laced with suspicion and shifty glances at everyone around them. With that one statement alone, Senator Kane had pointed out something that nobody had thought of until that moment; whoevers world the Portal was on would have first class access to any and all discoveries and information related to Enigma. Forget going through the channels with the R&D division, all someone had to do was get cosey to whomever had Enigma on hand at all times.
Just like that, Rebecca felt a target being painted on her back.
Another glance backwards at Heros' severe frown told her that he felt the same.
'Ain't this grand.'He mouthed, the sarcasm somehow bleeding through.
'At least we were prepared for it.'She discreetly replied.
Markus-being the smart man that he was-now turned to her and was full on staring openly. No doubt he already knew, and was now just waiting for confirmation.
The Councilors leaned towards each other and whispered amongst themselves, hiding their mouths behind their mouths as they discussed how to press forwards. A minute passed before they separated, reassuming their positions and staring straight ahead. Doctor Mother spoke first.
"The portal to Enigma was opened earlier today at 11:57 AM following an incident at Winslow High School in Brockton Bay, located on Earth Bet."
All sound ceased to be. It was in that moment that an entirely different silence descended on the chamber-unlike before, it was not tense, it was not nervous, it was not excited. If it had to be described in one word, and only one exactly, the closets that could be used to describe it; Hostile.
Rebecca's posture was perfect as she sat in her chair, staring straight ahead at the figures on her screen with an almost bored expression on her face-watching as Senator Kane's face settled into an very displeased frown-not keen to acknowledge that every person in front, beside, and behind her were now staring at her with open distrust. While she kept up her uncaring appearance: Hero, bless his heart, was brave(cheeky) enough to look around and jubilantly wave at their neighbors. None of them seemed to appreciate it.
"Earth Bet, Councilors?"Senator Kane asked, his voice calm yet peeking on incredulous,"Then if I am to understand, oversight of Enigma will be overseen and managed by Earth Bet and Senator Costa-Brown?"
"You understand correctly,"Doctor Mother replied evenly. Senator Kane's frown deepened.
"Senator Kane, if I may take the stand,"A distinguished woman's voice chimed in.
Senator Kane nodded and his image was switched with the picture of a sandy skinned lady in a form fitting black dress, warm brown shoulder length hair, and piercing green eyes. A man with shining crystal skin in military fatigues stood at parade rest just to her left.
Jane Harkow. Wonderful. Just like she said, it seems all of Andromeda's major players were gonna get in on this.
"Councilors, with all due respect, is it wise to leave such an important task in the hands of Earth Bet?"She began, her prominent cheekbones accentuating her frown,"They've already proven in the past that they cannot be trusted to handle such matters. Their competence is not to be trusted."
'Wow.'Rebecca thought, just a touch impressed with the gall,'No soft ball approach I see.'
"Wise or not, Senator Harkow, the portal is on Earth Bet. You may not like it, but that is where it resides. There is nothing we can do about it,"Doctor Mother said.
"Hmm, perhaps not,"Senator Harkow acquiesced,"But I again must stress that Earth Bet cannot be trusted with this."
"The portal is on their world Senator, what do you suggest we do?"Number Man asked with a raised brow.
"Simple,"She answered plainly, her green eyed stare pointed and harshly honest,"Hand over direct oversight of Enigma to someone else, someone who can be trusted to supervise the portal with the League's best interests in mind."
There was a moment of stunned silence before the assembly erupted in hissing whispers and sneering accusations. Rebecca herself could only think one thing.
'Bold. Very very bold.'
She heard Hero scoff behind her, but didn't turn to look, instead keeping her attention on the Councilors reaction. Their eyes darted in between each other-some looking more bemused or annoyed than others-but beyond that there was no way to tell what they thought of the suggestion.
"And do you believe,"Balminder said with a slightly amused tone,"that you are the one for this position?"
"Only if the Council deems it so,"She answered tactfully.
"Absolutely not!" Someone bellowed out from one of the rows just above the Council podium.
The voice was instantly recognizable to anyone who paid enough attention to these meetings. Senator Alexander, one of the heads of Babylon: Andromeda's biggest and most direct opposition. When one side wanted something, the other would do its damndest to ensure they didn't get it.
"And there it is,"Hero muttered unsurprised,"Let's see how far this goes."
"Senator Alexander, you have not been permitted to speak,"Doctor Mother lightly warned.
"Apologies, Councilors. May I have the floor?"He humbly asked.
"Senator Harkow?"Doctor Mother asked.
The brown haired woman nodded, her expression carefully neutral before her image was replaced with that of a tall hefty man in a green and black suit, his face mostly concealed by a long orange beard. The man's girth was so large, that his cape escort could barely be seen over his shoulder.
"Apologies again, Councilors,"Senator Alexander said, his face red and shining with sweat,"but I cannot endorse Senators Harkow, Kane, or Smythe to have oversight over Enigma."
"Who said anything about Senators Kane or Smythe?"Number man asked with a smirk. Senator Alexander seemed to stutter for a moment, his eyes momentarily darting around before he recomposed himself and carried on.
"Where one resides the others are not far behind,"He said the words with an air of grumbled simmering familiarity, as if he remembered growling them over a hard drink with acquaintances and coworkers."I make no secret of the rivalry that me and my colleagues have with them and theirs, but in this I sincerely must protest their involvement in this. They will use any and all findings to their advantage while handing over only poultry knowledge for the rest of us until they've got a solid enough lead over everyone."
"Hmph! Then what? You think you should be the one to oversee this project? You think that you would do better than them?"Glass Maker sneered.
"No."He answered plainly, surprising everyone."As I said, our rivalry is no secret. I'd be under the same scrutiny of them if I took control-and honestly, It'd be rightly earned, as I'd more than likely try to hoard my own secrets to get a leg up over them."
He let everyone absorb his words for a moment before he continued.
"The main point I mean to accentuate is that neither Andromeda nor Babylon can be trusted to act in the League's best interest. Enigma is too big of an opportunity to let old rivalries get in the way of progress. As such I suggest someone else be put in charge of Enigma's investigation."
Everyone muttered in confusion, while the Councilors looked between each other once again. Meanwhile, Rebecca felt a corner of her mouth momentarily quirk up.
Without saying it, Senator Alexander had admitted that he agreed that Earth Bet shouldn't be in charge of the portal, and that Andromeda and Babylon would both take advantage of a potential chance to get ahead of each other. While blocking themselves from getting access to Enigma, it didn't matter so long as Andromeda didn't get it either. Which is exactly how the two parties went about their rivalry, Andromeda probably would have done the same. Interesting to note that they weren't so different from each other at the end of the day. Such as both doing everything in their power to make sure Earth Bet wouldn't be getting oversight on its own soil.
"If I may offer a suggestion,"A strong male voice spoke up. Senator Alexander begrudgingly nodded his head, allowing him to speak.
Richard Smythe appeared next to Alexander. A tall well built man with slicked back hair and golden jewelry across his neck and fingers. A woman with a shining red Tinker Tech helmet stood just behind him.
"Earth Bets involvement cannot simply be ignored, we cannot simply invade on the sovereignty of their world. So I suggest a compromise, if not a complete oversight, then a partial one. Someone at least working in tandem with Earth Bet so that they can be overseen along with the portal."
Hero snorted at the 'compromise'. Well, it was a compromise, but not for Earth Bet. It was like Alexander said, their rivalry couldn't get in the way of progress. So now they're gonna try to work around each other at the very least.
Senator Alexander contemplated the proposal, no doubt working out how he could bend it to his benefit. Which wasn't hard to think about. Babylon and Andromeda had a lot of friends and favors to use, they could just as easily get one of their own people in place to take over the project. If not one of them, then an unofficially associated member to take the spot and report back to them in secret. It wasn't a hard decision to make really.
"Yes,"Senator Alexander mumbled, nodding his head,"Yes, I do believe that would be for the best in this situation."
"Well as interesting as it is to see you both reach this conclusion, I do believe you're forgetting to include Senator Costa-Brown in this discussion,"Number Man said amused,"After all, you just agreed not to impede on her world's sovereignty. It would only be fair that you ask her permission if all this was alright with her."
That seemed to startle everyone, as if they just now realized that Rebecca had a say in this.
"Senator Costa-Brown,"Doctor Mother addressed,"What do you have to say?"
Rebecca pressed a button on her console and saw her own image appear in a small box on the upper right of her screen, and she knew her face was now projected all across the chamber.
"If it will ease the nerves of everyone present, then Earth Bet is willing to adhere to the terms set by our fellow Senators."She began diplomatically.
A few mutterings rose up in agreement and she could see Markus glaring at her from the corner of her eye and wondered if he earnestly thought she was giving in or was just tired of her act.
"However,"She said, her voice slicing through the air and silencing everyone,"As this would be an operation taking place on Earth Bet, it would be best if our partner was someone who I believed would act not only in the best interest of the League, but also someone who would work best with us. Therefore I must insist that I be allowed to choose for myself, whom I will allow to work alongside us in the study of Enigma."
A choked laugh from behind her told her what Hero thought of the suggestion. Doctor Mother simply nodded her head,"These terms are agreeable."
And it was with the pained faces of both Alexander and Smythe that she knew she had them. They honestly didn't expect Rebecca to be able to have a say in how this would go, so when she was allowed to set the terms of this 'oversight', she did so in a way that effectively locked them out of the end decision. Since they both unofficially admitted to not being trustworthy, there wasn't a way for them to be directly involved, and since she was allowed to choose for herself, they were also locked out indirectly as well since Rebecca knew who they were associated with and so could carefully choose someone not in their pockets. And the choice of wording was important too-since all council meetings were recorded-her saying the word 'partner' and working 'alongside', eliminated any sense of oversight on the other parties' part, meaning that whoever she chose, they would effectively be 'equal' in this venture.
So in the end, Earth Bet came out of this with a better standing then they had any right too.
"Senator Costa-Brown, be sure to confer with Number Man and Glass Maker when you've made your choice so we can properly begin planning with the Survey Teams."Doctor Mother informed.
"Of course,"She nodded, keeping the victory off her face.
"Good. Now then, I believe we're done here,"Doctor Mother proclaimed,"This meeting is adjourned."
With a press of a button, the holographic screens disappeared and the Councilors packed up their equipment and began to make their way out of the Chamber, their guards following behind them. Doormaker portals began appearing as senators called for a way home.
"Rebecca!"Markus barked as he hastily stood up from his chair,"A word, please."
Rebecca turned to regard her neighbor, seeing his determined face and decided it would be best not to keep him waiting. She nodded and told him she would be out in a moment. He thanked her and turned around, his box's door sliding open to release him and Red Death out into the hall.
"Well, that went better than I thought."Hero remarked with a grin.
"You go on ahead, I'll be back later."She told him plainly.
"Alright, don't let the sharks bleed you too much."He joked.
"I'll do my best."She dryly promised. He nodded, stepping through a glowing white portal a second later.
Standing up, Rebecca straightened her suit, mentally preparing herself for the onslaught she had opened up for herself. Idly dusting her shoulders, she turned around and stepped out into the hall as the door slid open.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X
Tell me what you think, stay safe and have a good night.
Ok now one question: was Taylor killed by the portal being opened?
Hmmm, good question indeed...
Looking forward to where you take this story!
Sachertorte
The Twilight of Boredom
Huh, that's a new take on Cauldron.
Sadly one that I've not encountered before so I just said, fine, I'll do it myself.