[X] Plan: Exotic Specimens
-[X] [MISSION 1] Fear and Panic
-[X] [MISSION 2] The Contrabulous Fabtraption of Doctor Mammoth Ibis
-[X] Total AP: 3
-[X] TOTAL HERO: HIT 10, REPUTATION 5, OPERATIONS 7
-[X] Personal Actions:
--[X] Lady Leizi: Pieces of the People We Love
--[X] Black Swan: Who Doesn't Love a Power Testing Scene?
-[X] Global Actions: Project Prometheus
Power-Testing of Codename "Black Swan"—Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis—Log #1:
Commence recording. Thank you, Rhodes. Oh? You hold a doctorate as well? From where? Roswell? Oh. Respectable! I didn't take for a Horizon native, Rhodes. Dr. Rhodes? Pah, as you like.
We are here today to commence with the testing of the powers of our first Ambrosia subject, codename "Black Swan." Following the area-annihilating event that was the initial administration of her dosage of Ambrosia, Lady Leizi has chartered a shipping vessel to take us where the Marajó Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.
I must confess, it is unnerving seeing the Leviathan from behind, even separated as we are by the naval blockade. Still, given the magnitude of Black Swan's powers, I see the wisdom in testing them in as deserted a location as possible. Never let it be said that Dr. Mammoth Ibis cannot give accolades when he feels they are due! Never!
For the same reason, we are testing in the middle of the day. Far from ideal for operational security purposes, but Black Swan produces enough luminosity when she uses her powers that it is preferable than testing during the night. It could be said she is . . . a bright kid! Ha!
That's a good one! I should add that to my set.
Power-Testing of Codename "Black Swan"—Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis—Log #4:
After repeated attempts, Black Swan has finally found a way to reliably limit her energy attacks to non-lethal levels. Her block appeared to have been mental; she had such trouble conceptualizing using her extremely powerful blasts in a non-destructive capacity that she was unconsciously firing them with enough power to kill anyone without any form of invulnerability.
The solution was for her to center her magnetic fields around smaller parts of her body, like her fingers. I attempted to explain to her that narrowing the width of a relativistic particle accelerator would not slow the speed at which it ejects mass, but she insisted that, "No, it's smaller so it's weaker. Duh!"
I despise the fact that she was somehow right. I've decided to attribute it to the axiom "powers are weird" before my day is further ruined.
What this now means is that Black Swan can fire blasts that will burn and cause impact damage to her targets, but are extremely unlikely to kill them. Lady Leizi will be pleased, I suppose.
Testing of full-strength blasts was suspended after Black Swan evaporated enough seawater that clouds formed. We were yet to hit her upper-limit, but it is some order of magnitude greater than the explosion that destroyed the administration facility. I imagine even King would struggle with a fully-powered attack from Black Swan. Lady Leizi will be pleased again, I suppose.
It is worth noting that producing attacks of any magnitude causes Black Swan's eyes to glow bright enough that her pupils cannot be observed. Her body similarly produces light while during blasts, but in proportion the strength of her attack.
Power-Testing of Codename "Black Swan"—Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis—Log #16:
Testing the limits of Black Swan's invulnerability took more time than expected, simply because we ran out of things to hit her with. Small arms fire is totally ineffective, as are most conventional explosives. Chemical attacks fail to interact with her construct-body, and all the concussive forces we could produce were unable to do more than push Black Swan backwards. Even then, she could resist being moved with enough focus.
We eventually flew Lady Leizi in to test her lighting strikes. I regret that we don't have a wider range of metahuman powers to test on Black Swan, but we are limited to the two on Justice Unlimited's roster. For now!
We initially thought Lady Leizi's attacks were effective at harming Black Swan. I had all kinds of theories prepared about metahuman power interaction, but what were thought to be cries of pain were, in actuality, Black Swan squealing at how "cool" she thought Lady Leizi looked. I don't know why Dr. Rhodes seemed so amused—we wasted a whole hour.
After further testing, we concluded Lady Leizi's electrical blows were no more effective at harming Black Swan than anything else we had tested. Finally, after numerous safety precautions, Lady Leizi hit Black Swan with a maximum-power plasma strike. This finally caused visible disruption to Black Swan's construct-body that said "tickled", but did no damage to her core. Still, given that Black Swan is effectively incapacitated when reduced to her core until her construct-body regenerates, it is a useful data point.
Power-Testing of Codename "Black Swan"—Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis—Log #28:
Testing the limits of Black Swan's regeneration took exactly as long as I feared due to the fact that we had to wait for her construct-body to fully reconstitute after every round of testing. I was forced to watch twelve episodes of ♥️Moe Moe Kyun Magical Girl-Maid Monica♥️ while we waited. It was agony! I'm only going to finish watching season one later, and not any of the spin-offs.
As previously noted Black Swan fires her attacks by accelerating the mass in her construct-body through magnetic fields (tangent: is her construct-body made of mass or energy? I don't know. And neither do you!), which means that every attack depletes a part of her construct-body. For weaker-attacks, the depletion of mass is negligible. For stronger, more prolonged attacks, she will lose parts of -construct-body, starting with her fingers and toes, then limbs, then torso and head in that order. If her construct-body is totally depleted, she will enter into a "hibernation state" where her invulnerable core will remain in stasis until a critical mass of her construct-body regenerates.
Black Swan reports no discomfort when missing a part of her body, though she expressed hunger because she skipped breakfast. It was unclear if this was related to the testing.
Her core regenerates the construct by absorbing electromagnetic radiation. We tested this by exposing her to radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet light, and x-rays. I was vetoed on testing gamma radiation—cowards! The shorter the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the quicker the regeneration.
Dr. Rhodes pointed out the energy exchange rate made no sense; the amount of energy provided by ambient light shouldn't recharge anywhere near the amount of energy expended by Black Swan. I told him, "Powers are weird! Shut up, nerd!"
He did not appreciate my attempts at bonding through "joshing" him. He asked me to not speak to him like that in front of his daughter.
I guess we hired Natasha as an intern.
Using just ambient solar radiation in atmosphere, we observed that it took ten minutes to regenerate a finger, an hour for a limb, and four hours for her torso. We know from the incident during the initial administration of her dose that it takes a full day to regenerate after being reduced to her core form. Part of that was spent on Jacob's Ladder in the thermosphere however; the full-recharge time may take even longer on the surface.
Power-Testing of Codename "Black Swan"—Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis—Log #32:
Finally, testing Black Swan's flight went relatively quickly. Her "flight" is actually a complicated manipulation of the gravitational anomaly at her core. She is able to essentially change the direction the gravity of her core pulls, meaning she "falls" more than she "flies". Why her core's gravity doesn't just constantly pull into the center of itself is another mystery for the ages. Despite this, Black Swan's control is instinctual and very fine; if I hadn't been measuring it myself—and seen gravitational powers in other metahumans—I never would have observed this.
Her acceleration is something to behold, and she can easily reach speeds beyond the sound barrier. I suppose this shouldn't be surprising; part of her DNA profile came from Novalight, who was theorized to be able to reach these speeds but unable to do so without destroying her body. Black Swan has no such concerns.
It is even possible Black Swan could reach speeds near that of light. However, during testing, she reported being "unable to see" as she approached relativistic speed. It's likely her senses don't work in non-Newtonian settings. Unfortunate, but at a certain point being able to go that fast is like putting a hat on a hat—who needs it? Not Dr. Mammoth Ibis!
This concludes the power testing. Natasha has been reminding me to apply sunscreen and providing me with lemonade. I suspect I am being "managed".
Dr. Mammoth Ibis doesn't need to be managed—oh! This batch is half iced-tea, you say? Dr. Mammoth Ibis will try it!
Author's Note: I'm bored right now, because I'm on a bus. Extremely bored. So with the power of a offline google doc, I'm going to write and post up two possible candidates for Ambrosia, in the form of AU versions of my own Quest protags. @Bitterman, you're perfectly permitted to add these two girls to the random candidates table.
One last thing of note: while I'm pretty sure about the stats, I'm still shaky on the whole "Ambrosia to stat ratio", so that might be wrong. Candidate X: Name: Shelley Marie Age: 27 Crossover: Space Oddity (MrKermie's Honkai: Star Rail Quest)
Stats: HIT 2, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 5, OPERATIONS 3 Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: Ms. Marie is known for being a notable figure in the Worker's Mitt. She works as a music teacher, and advocates for strong unions and fair pay in the Mitt and music industry. She managed to find us through a long web of connections, since she's friends with a teacher, who's friends with a grocer, who's friends with Mona's mother. I do believe that while her Ambrosia power might not be as strong as Mona's, she has the social connections to make sure that the Worker's Mitt contract stays strong. Lady Leizi: I've heard of Shelley before— she occasionally made large donations to the construction industry in the Mitt after some of the tougher battles my team had over the years. She's involved not just in the multiple unions in the Mitt, but also the government as the woman who shows up to every town hall, without exception. Shelley is an extremely well positioned candidate to reassure all the civilians of Horizon that the new Justice Unlimited can do well, using her natural charisma.
Candidate Y: Name: Rei Maruki Age: 20 Crossover: Perhaps For Love, or Maybe Justice (MrKermie's Magical Girl & Kamen Rider Quest)
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 1, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 4 Tolerance: 8
Chaucer's Notes: Just like Mona, Rei is the opposite of a conventional candidate in almost every way. Apparently, she recognized Black Swan on the news as Mona, since she allegedly went to the same high school as her. And after "exchanging gossip with at least seven different people and begging her way past three sets of guards", just like what Mona did, she came here to ask to be part of the "whatever secret initiative" we have up here. And of course, she has an extremely high tolerance for Ambrosia, so Dr. Ibis is actually considering her. She lists her experience as knowing a decent amount of karate (brown belt) and being a quick thinker.
God help us, it's almost too perfect. Lady Leizi:It seems that after graduating from high school, Rei went to find a job at The Foot, which explains how and why she managed to find us so quickly. She does have the same aptitude and extreme idealism that all good heroes should have, and she has other strengths as well. Mona has also personally told me that Rei is quite good at scheduling, up to the point where she can plan her whole week out in advance. Perhaps choosing someone who both has experience with combat already and experience managing the logistics of a team could pay off later.
Chaucer's Notes: Registrations only starting to appear at the age of 5, Akira and Akane Asutoraru (They get their name from their deceased mother Monica Asutoraru Raybrandt) are the Adopted Twin children of Chief Captain Maximiliam Howard (age 54) of the C.H.A.I.N (Capture, Hold, Ascertain, Incarcerate, and Neutralize) police force stationed in Workers Mitt and it surrounding areas. CHAIN is composed of several individuals equipped with some of the more "advanced" civilian force made technology, including the Modular Baton system, a type of baton than can lenghten to the size of a bat, or change its chape to become handgun or taser after some inputs from the user. 20 years ago the 34 year old Lieutenant Maximiliam found the twins in the ruins of a city near the Leviathan QZ alongside his wife Monica Raybrandt (she was a Disaster Medicine Specialist). After searching for the twins birth parents and not finding any bodies, young Miss Raybrandt convinced her husband to adopt the two orphans, and the rest, is as they say, history. Young Akira and Akane were raised with much care and soon decided to follow their father footsteps joining C.H.A.I.N and rising through the ranks hoping to reach the same level of skill as their retired father. The Twins found about our "initiation" by stringing several cases of individuals hired by Horizon and the occasional appearance of new superheroes afterwards, following their instincts they decided to venture into Horizon and after a pleasant talk with the staff and sweettalking some guards they are now aware of our movement, and they want in. Dr. Iblis has run some tests and they seem to have a acceptable level of tolerance to Ambrosia. Lady Leizi: Ah yes, the mercurial Police Twins of C.H.A.I.N, Ive heard rumors of a duo of Wonder Twins rising through the ranks of the Police force with ease, becoming some of their more experienced members even at their young age. Never thought Maximillian would retire, the old dog, back in my more "adventurous days" my crew ended up in the crosshairs of that man more times that I would like to admit, some idiots actually got captured, but nothing a bullet couldn't fix.... until it Didn't *sigh*. But that's in the past, from what I've gathered the twins share the same amount of training but differ in some of their specialties. Akane seems to be a bit of a social butterfly in the force and has a better time blending in with crowds, making her more adept at covert operations and getting information, while Akira is a more stubborn by the books person, while that seems to limit his amount of contacts outside of the force, his dedication to training and learning from past cases make him one of the best field operators and investigators in C.H.A.I.N's payroll. The two do seem to have potential, it just a matter of time if that potential will bare fruit.
NO idea if this works, but hey here is my addition to randoms profiles, maybe it works, maybe its trash. Ill let chat decide.
Name: Aleister Smith
Age: 19
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 3, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 4
Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Note: A Recent Graduate of a College Cookery and Hospitality Course, Aleister Smith, Jokingly Called Crowley by friends for his name and love of the occult. They moved to Horizon to set up a Bakery and Magic shop to combine their Hobbies in the Border between the Workers Mitt and the more Business focused area A month before the Awakening of the Alien god that caused Project Prometheus to be required. They Learned of the Project by Magic*, By Following the Extrapolation they made With the Tarot cards they drew after the explosion that was Black Swans power Manifestation, they managed to learn of the project, seeing a chance to do some good, they promoted their Best Employee to Head Baker and took a less strenuous role in their store to approach us about Project Prometheus. It should noted that they are frustrated by loud noises, especially during night, which usually has them find out why and chew the person out if it is from their Neighbours.
Lady Leizi's Notes: Not much to say, Even if he wasn't foreigner, Aleister Smith wears his heart on their sleeve.
Horizon, City of Levithan's Rest – 20 Miles Outside the Old Industrial District – November 4, 2067
The first mission undertaken by your fledgling Justice Unlimited was one with an eye to the future. Dr. Ibis continued to insist that he could improve your doses of Ambrosia with the materials from his lab, and, given that you currently only had one dose remaining, it felt prudent to put the doctor's money where his mouth was, so to speak.
Dr. Ibis had given you a long list of equipment and supplies to recover—too much for you and Black Swan to carry on your own. Some of the machines would require entire teams to safely disconnect and transport. No, until you were able to reclaim Dr. Ibis' lab as a proper base, he would have to satisfy himself with the bare necessities.
Unfortunately, he had been rather cagey about what those "bare necessities" were. After whittling down much of his list, he finally, grudgingly, admitted the equipment in his lab could stay put for now. What he needed were samples from a refrigerated storage unit in his main lab, items in a safe hidden in his sleeping chambers, and the "contents" of incubator #3384.
Dr. Ibis refused to disclose what was in any of those containers . . .
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: REPUTATION 5. Lady Leizi has REPUTATION 3.
You rolled: 17.
17 - 1 = 16. Major Success!
. . . until you, ahem, made him see reason. A cowed Dr. Ibis admitted the safe were "items of personal interest" with "little worth aside from simple sentimentality." He requested that you retrieve them for him, but wasn't going to raise a fuss if you didn't. Or, at least, more of a fuss than usual.
Incubator #3384 was of more interest, but still not particularly salient. Dr. Ibis had been experimenting with creating animal-like creatures with enhanced intelligence—something between a dog and three-year old—and #3384 was by far his most promising candidate. You said you would secure it if you could, but it was not your main goal.
No, the true prize, according to what Dr. Ibis told you, was what was in his lab: refined goldnine. Not goldnine in its base form, but a processed version without its characteristic self-replicating properties. Useless for making Ambrosia from scratch, but apparently valuable in altering and modifying new doses, and something you will want for Justice Unlimited's next hero.
So, to that end, you were on a roadtrip with Black Swan.
After the umpteenth time one of his "children" had escaped and terrorized the OID, Dr. Ibis had wisely decided to move his lab somewhere more remote. Well, that and after Valiant Silver had threatened to "move it herself" unless he did so first.
The lab was located about twenty miles out from the northern border of the OID, in a deserted, swampy area; it was still about fifty miles or so from the QZ, but that was closer than the average person was willing to tolerate.
You hear Black Swan humming in the seat next to you as you whip down the road. You had taken away her radio privileges after she played the theme song to some children's show—what a "magical girl-maid" was, you didn't need to know—and now she was sticking her head out of the window like a dog.
She seems to feel your eyes on her, because she pulls her head back in and gives you a sheepish smile.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be flying, darling?" you ask as you turn your eyes back to the road.
You see Black Swan shake her head out of the corner of your eye.
"No way! I've never been in a car before. This is great!"
"Ah yes," you chuckle, "I forget how you Horizon native's prefer to take PubTrans everywhere."
Black Swan sticks her tongue out at you. "Hey! Trains are great! And a driver's license costs way too much money! I can go wherever I want without stupid wheels."
"Well, then you're free to depart from these 'stupid wheels' and meet me outside Dr. Ibis' compound."
"Naaaah, a car's great when I don't have to pay for it," Black Swan says, stretching her arms. Her cape blinds you for a second, but thankfully there's nothing to hit on these roads. "Why do you have a car anyway?"
You chuckle again; driving always puts you in a good mood. "How do you think I got around the city when Justice Unlimited was needed?"
"No!"
"Of course. I couldn't exactly afford a delay on the subway, and I can't fly," you say, "So naturally, I had to find other means."
"But a car?"
"And a helicopter. And a small plane. I got my pilot's license when I was a girl."
"What?" Black Swan says, hitting the center console in disbelief, "No way! How did I never hear about this?!"
"Well, we didn't exactly advertise it. And most of us didn't need to use vehicles. Eve could be anywhere she wanted, Towarri could fly, Harper could run faster than a car, and Nora had some sort of telekinetic module in her armor that let her leap great distances . . ." Your voice trails off, lost in memory, "Yazmin had her own motorcycle she was rather proud of. Which just left dear Rakeem and I to carpool."
"Whoa!" Black Swan leans forward, her eyes sparkling. It would be endearing if she wasn't almost poking you with her visor. "So you guys would just take a car, just like this?"
"When we had to." You smile at the memory. "I would always drive. Adamant, the metal man, had something of a lead foot."
Black Swan tilts her head. Then she flicks her eyes side to side before raising her visor and leaning even closer to you.
"Hey . . . were the rumors true about . . . y'know . . . ?"
"Myself and Rakeem?" You raise an eyebrow. "Hoping for a torrid tale of secret romance, deep, burning passions, of constantly breaking up and getting back together because we couldn't live with each other but also couldn't live without?"
Black Swan is so excited that she's vibrating. She bites her lip and eagerly nods.
"No," you say, watching Black Swan deflate, "You're thinking of Nora and Yasmin. Rakeem and I were adults."
Black Swan gasped. "But you were . . . ?!"
"No." Black Swan deflates again and you hide a smile. She is entirely too easy to tease. "We were more of . . . accomplices."
"What does that mean? What does that mean?! What does that mean?! I must know!"
But you do nothing but laugh for the rest of the trip.
* * *
When you arrive, you can immediately recognize Dr. Ibis' lab by the riot of colorful vegetation that surrounds it. Distinct from surrounding palm swamps, the invasive jungle-like ferns and flowers mark the lair of a mad, biological genius. It was alarmingly like how his laboratory looked back in the OID—perhaps he simply enjoyed the aesthetic.
You pull your car over a distance away and send Black Swan to scout head. She rockets into the air with a force that shakes the trees and sends birds scattering. You hold back a sigh—more espionage training for Black Swan it is. She hovers above the building for several minutes before landing back near you.
"So, I think some of Dr. Ibis', uh, children got loose. At least, I'm assuming they're what made the big hole in the side of one of the buildings. There's a bunch of . . . animals? They're all over the place."
You nod. Not unexpected. The good doctor had issues cleaning up after himself—as soon as he finished one project, he forgot about it and moved to the next. It was why "break-outs" were so common.
"I did manage to find the square building that he said was his main lab though!" Black Swan adds, "I can just fly us over there and we can grab everything, real quick!"
"I don't think so," you say, staring at the complex, "No offense, but you're hardly subtle in the air. I don't relish drawing attention from his 'children' and having to fight our way out of here. Better we travel on foot and try to remain unnoticed."
"Yes, ma'am!" Black Swan says entirely too loud with a salute. At your unimpressed look, she grimaces and whispers, "Yes, ma'am . . ."
"Then, by all means, lead the way."
* * *
Dr. Ibis' "lab" was actually three buildings arranged in a "U" shape. A long rectangular building on the right was his living quarters and storage—more of the latter than the former you would guess, based on what you know about the doctor. In the middle, adjacent to the northern side of the living quarters, was a heavily reinforced square building that held the main laboratory. Then, on the other side of the lab, and parallel to the living quarters, was another long, rectangular building that housed the incubators.
Black Swan takes you on a rather circuitous route around the back of the incubator building that she insists is the best way to move undetected. It seems most of the doctor's creatures had made their homes in the living quarters. True to her word, you approach the building unhindered.
That is, until you hear a peculiar sound that sounds like a mix between a honk and a roar, matched by a cry resembling clucking hiss.
You instinctively grab Black Swan and pull her behind some nearby foliage to hide. Urban environments are more your expertise, but you know a thing or two about woodcraft.
Slowly, painfully slowly, the two of you inch towards the source of the noise. They're becoming more frequent, accompanied by the occasional squeal or bark of pain. You can feel Black Swan straining at your grip—not quite disobedient enough to tear away, but clearly lacking the patience for a truly invisible approach.
Thankfully, you see your quarry before they see you. And, oh my, do you see them.
On the ground is what looks like a mix between an ostrich and bearded dragon, with long, powerful digitigrade legs beneath an ovular body. It's covered in scales with a reptilian head and a thin line of spines. The creature on the ground looks wounded, red blood sluggishly leaking from a wound on its torso. Above it stands another one of the same creature, warningly flaring its neck spines at its opponent.
Across from the two reptile-ostriches is a large, knuckle-walking, animal covered in brown fur. Its hind-legs resemble hooves, while its front two legs terminate into what look like three-fingered hands. It moves with surprising grace and speed given its size; its bulging muscles defy reason with biceps larger than your head. However, more disturbing than its musculature is what's on top of it. Instead of a primate or animal skull, instead a long, thin noodly neck drifts out a with head that looks like nothing more than an angry—
"Goose!" the heroine next to you hisses, "The natural enemies of swans!"
You look at her.
"What? They are! Look it up! And—whoa!"
The scaled avian suddenly leaps toward the gorilla-goose with a long, wicked spur jutting from its leg. It slashes the gorilla-goose across the chest and draws blood, but the primate doesn't react. It continues toward the wounded creature, who is unable to resist. It takes a massive, three-fingered hand and wraps it around the wounded animal's throat and lifts it into the air. A second hand wraps around the animal's legs, and it starts to pull.
"Oh no!" Black Swan gasps, one hand over her mouth.
You look at her again.
"Someone has to do something!" she wails.
". . . why?"
But before Black Swan can justify herself, you hear a loud, three-note trill. You're looking to find the source of the new noise, when, with the sun to its back, a figure dives and strikes the gorilla-goose with a mighty kick. The gorilla-goose roars in outrage and drops the reptile-ostrich. It goes to attack its new foe, but, before it can, the newcomer jumps up to head-height and kicks the crime against nature with all of its strength. The gorilla-goose roars in pain and collapses backwards.
As newcomer lands, you confirm that, no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. In front of you stands a two-foot tall, bipedal beetle wearing sunglasses and a long, fluttering scarf.
You rub your eyes. The beetle is still there. It's still there.
The beetle moves with incredible speed and catches the gorilla-goose's neck with the pincers atop its head. It pulls backwards, and there is a mighty crack!
And the gorilla-goose goes still.
"Whoa," Black Swan whispers relevantly, "Sooooo cooooooool!"
"Is it?"
The beetle walks over to the wounded reptile-ostrich and bows. Said wounded creature gives the beetle a grateful lick and its mate (?) returns to its side.
"He's humble too!" Black Swan sounds on the verge of tears.
"What in the world has Dr. Ibis been creating?" you wonder out loud. Wait. Bipedal beetle? Why does that sound familiar . . .?
DC 5.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 2. Lady Leizi has OPERATIONS 5.
You rolled: 2.
2 + 1 = 3. Failure!
You can't place it. You try to think harder, but Black Swan's fangirling has not gone unnoticed. The reptiles are hissing at your location in the bushes, and the beetle crouches, preparing itself for battle. You're not totally exposed yet, so you and Black Swan can sneak away and try a different approach—
But Black Swan gets up and marches toward the beetle, her arms outstretched.
"Oh, protector of this place! My ally and I come not in war, but in peace, and, um stuff!"
What is she doing?
"We were set here by the master of this place, Dr. Mammoth Ibis! He tasked us with retrieving a might, um, relic, a, err, sacred . . . box, and the contents of incubator #3384!"
What is she doing?!
"Please! We beg your aid in completing this task! Forgive us our trespasses, um, as we forgive those who trespass against us!"
What is she doing?!
DC 10 - 2 (Ibis told you about Incubator #3384) = DC 8
Stat Check: REPUTATION 6. Black Swan has REPUTATION 8.
You rolled: 7.
7 + 1 = 8. Success!
And why was it working?!
The beetle falls to his knees and bows his head repeatedly before lifting his carapace to the sky with all his arms outstretched. It's the very image of a drowning man being thrown a life preserver.
The beetle then waves off the other two animals who had been warily eying you, and rushes toward the compound. It stops about thirty feet away to turn around and furiously waves all four of its arms back at you.
Black Swan gasps and pounds her fist into her palm. "I get it! He wants us to follow him!"
"I am well aware!"
* * *
You follow a sentient, two-foot tall beetle—what has your life become?—toward the living quarters. Your fears about having to fight the doctor's strange creatures are allayed by your new ally—all sorts of chimeric abominations give you passage when the beetle gestures for them to move.
"Valiant Kabuto is well-respected by his community," Black Swan whispers, "We were lucky to run into him."
You can't let that slide. "Valiant . . . Kabuto?"
"Yeah! Like, 'Kabuto' as in 'beetle'? Look at him! He looks just like Valiant Silver and Valiant Red."
Your lips twitch, your expression trapped somewhere between amusement and outrage. The beetle just had sunglasses and a scarf . . . which you supposed, is all one would need.
Goodness, if Nora could see this now. That thought does make you smile.
The beetle—Valiant Kabuto—eventually takes you to the end of the incubator building opposite the lab. It jumps nearly twenty feet into the air and enters through an open window on the second story. Black Swan follows without a word and, after much too much time, sheepishly goes downstairs and unlocks a door when you don't follow.
You shoot her a cool look as you walk past, into the building. Someone will be receiving a great deal of remedial training.
The beetle's guidance ends in a large room, dominated by a large, rectangular machine with a shattered glass panel revealing its innards. Stamped across the side is a label that reads "Incubator #3384".
"Aww, looks like whatever was in here got out," Black Swan pouted before gasping, "Wait—!"
"Yes, the beetle—
"Valiant Kabuto!"
—Valiant Kabuto is clearly the enhanced-intelligence creature the doctor told us about. Do try to keep up, Black Swan."
"Sowwy!" she says a faux-high voice while lightly hitting herself on the head.
Wait. Is she doing this on purpose?
Black Swan is spared your wrath by Valiant Kabuto clicking its mandibles at you and, when it has your attention, pulling aside a hanging cloth to reveal . . . something.
In the center of the wall is a picture of Dr. Ibis, surrounded by images of crowns, halos, and wings drawn with all colors of marker. Valiant Kabuto lays a freshly-plucked flower in front of it before bowing and directing your attention to the pictures next to it. They're impressive for a beetle, which is to say you're having a hard time understanding them . . .
DC 10.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 7. Lady Leizi has OPERATIONS 5. Black Swan has OPERATIONS 4.
You rolled: 10.
10 + 2 = 12. Success!
. . . but you and Black Swan managed to piece it together. The first image shows an idealized depiction of Dr. Ibis, surrounded by all of his creations in harmony. Then, in the second image, a great monster appears in the distance. Dr. Ibis leaves to fight it. The third image shows a lone beetle hatching from an incubator, and the fourth shows the beetle attempting to care for the Doctor's creatures in his absence.
Finally, in the last two images, the tone changes. A terrible creature resembling a man with an owl's head approaches Dr. Ibis' domain. He asserts that the lab now belongs to him and the creatures must serve him. The faithful of the doctor resist, but a traitorous faction, the gorilla-geese, join the owl-headed man and begin to take over. Valiant Kabuto continues to protect what the doctor left for him as best he can, living in hope that one day the doctor will return to set things right.
Valiant Kabuto prostrates himself before you, the message clear: "Save us."
"W-we have to do something," Black Swan says through tears, "This is awful! Earthen Owl can't be allowed to get away with this!"
You sign in frustration, reaching the end of your patience with Black Swan. Some silliness can be forgiven, given her age, but, honestly, she—huh?
"You recognized Earthen Owl?" you ask, incredulous.
"Well, duh. Who else has an owl-head and would come all the way out to the boonies to rule over a bunch of animals?" Black Swan is now giving you a look. "He's one of the ranking members of Powers—I studied all of the rosters of the other heroic organizations in Horizon."
"That's . . . very impressive."
"Nah, it's the bare minimum," she says with a dismissive hand gesture, "Now, let's go kick him in the nuts!"
She bends down so her face is level with Valiant Kabuto.
"Can you tell us where Earthen Owl is, o' mighty protector of the Lands of Ibis?"
Valiant Kabuto surries off, and quickly returns with a marker in each of his limbs. He draws you a crude map. Earthen Owl and his gorilla-goose army had taken residence in the center of the compound. Between the living quarters and incubator building, south of the lab.
You purse your lips. Going directly to the lab would no doubt draw attention. And, given what you know of Earthen Owl's disposition, a fight would be inevitable. You try to recall everything you can about Earthen Owl's abilities . . .
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 5. Lady Leizi has OPERATIONS 5.
You rolled: 6.
6 - 0 = 6. Minor Success!
. . . you're able to recall the basics. "Earthen Owl is a dysmorphic metahuman," you tell Black Swan, "But not as severe as he looks. If I remember correctly, he grows bark and vines from his skin. His head is just a mask."
Black Swan nods at you. "He's super strong or something?"
"Or something. He's stronger than the average person, but he couldn't budge Adamant when they fought. His real powers are his healing factor and his ability to move through soil like it was water." You recall the after-action report you read about Justice Unlimited's encounter with him. "When Adamant and The Red Huntress fought him, they initially struggled to pin him down. Then, The Red Huntress managed to tag him with her mark, and they tracked him to where he was hiding under ground. Adamant flooded the area with adamantium and trapped Earthen Owl. He surrendered quickly afterwards."
"Whoa!" Black Swan says, "But we can't do that."
"No, we can't. And I could very well see us struggling to find him in this environment, on top of whatever creatures he has serving him." You sigh. "We can't risk damaging the samples in the lab during the fight."
You rub your chin and think.
"It might be better to circle around and enter the lab from behind," you say, tracing a path on the map with your finger, "We'll have to be exceptionally careful, but we should be able to get to the lab undetected."
"But what about Valiant Kabuto and the other creatures? And the doctor's personal stuff?"
"We'll have to forgo it. There's no way into the living quarters without being seen."
Black Swan frowns. "I dunno. I'm pretty sure I can blow him up before he notices us . . . though, I might, um, miss."
Valiant Kabuto moves his head from side to side, following your conversation without fully understanding it. You admit, the idea of abandoning him and the other creatures is unfortunate. But, your priorities are clear . . . vexing.
You take a deep breath. You suppose this is a part of leadership.
"Black Swan, here is what we're going to do. We shall . . ."
[ ] . . . engage and defeat Earthen Owl (DC 12. HIT Check of 6.) (Other rolls to follow. Bonus HIT may be awarded for good plans.) (Will retrieve all requested items and free Lab from Power's control.)
[ ] . . . sneak into the lab, undetected. (DC 7. ESPIONAGE Check of 5.) (Will only retrieve refined goldnine from the lab.)
Our first in-mission vote! Remember, as Lady Leizi, you may lower the DC of any ESPIONAGE check by 3, once per mission.
Failing the HIT check on option 1 will not automatically lose you the fight. You may take injury levels and be at greater risk of damaging the samples.
If you vote option 1, you may include a plan on how to engage Earthen Owl that is three sentences long. Format your vote like this:
[ ] . . . engage and defeat Earthen Owl (DC 12. HIT Check of 6).
-[ ] Kick
-[ ] In the
-[ ] Nuts.
Han Yu's slippered feet made no noise as she gently landed on the roof.
The meeting location was on top of a skyscraper in the southern end of the Corporate Playground. It was the middle of the day; if anyone with binoculars had looked up, they would have seen New Dawn's Heavenly Astrologian looking annoyed.
Heavenly Astrologian wore a black bodysuit decorated with stars like the night sky. Over her shoulders was a green half-cape connected to the hood she wore that fluttered in the high winds. Her face was entirely covered, with white lens over her eyes that adjusted to match her expression.
Said expression was a frown.
Yu hated when Catherine did this. She always put the strangest entrances in the strangest places. Good for remaining unseen, but irritating when you didn't know what it was you were looking for. Yu felt extremely foolish until she spied what she it—a refrigerator box walking around on a pair of chicken legs.
Yu bit back a sigh. Baba Yaga did love committing to a theme.
She approached the box and nodded at it. The box-on-legs considered for her a moment before inclining its top back at her and crouching down. Yu looked around to make sure absolutely no one was looking at her, before opening the box and climbing in.
The sudden change in gravity was disorienting. Yu used her power to keep herself from toppling over and repositioned herself into a standing posture.
She was in a richly-decorated antechamber complete with plush chairs and a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Yu pulled back her hood and took off her mask as she looked for a pair of indoor-slippers to put on.
"Now, none of that! You know my Domain's don't get dirty unless I want them to! And I don't want them to! Cleaning? Ha! Who has the time?"
A squat, older woman walked in from the main room with her arms spread. Catherine Hawkins, Baba Yaga, always had a style all her own. Which is to say: all of them. She wore an evening gown beneath a frump sweater with a picture of a cat. Overtop was a fluorescent, fuschia blazer that clashed horribly with her red, horn-rimmed glasses. Every finger had a different, chunky ring, and she wore high-top sneakers on her feet. The only thing that marked her as a superhero was the black, pointed witch's hat atop her head and a certain glint in her eye that warned of danger.
She gave Yu a quick hug and dragged her from the antechamber.
"Come, come, you're the last to arrive! Lloyd just beat you here."
"I'm late?" Yu said dumbfounded, "I'm nearly a half-hour early!"
"Yes, as I said, late! But no worries! We didn't start the meeting without you. Now, come, come make yourself comfortable before we begin the haggling."
"I'm certain it won't . . . be that . . ." Yu groaned. She couldn't even finish the sentence. Today was going to be a disaster.
"Yes, yes, have a croissant."
Somehow, Catherine had steered to a table where another man was waiting. Lloyd Morgan, Lightstep, was munching on a pastry when she sat down.
"Look who the Cat dragged in! Heavenly Astrologian! Y'know, good thing you're here. Novalight's been complaining about you being late for over an hour now."
"I'm a half-hour early!"
"Yeah, well you know how Dear Leader gets. 'Early is on-time, on-time is late, and late is unacceptable!'" Lloyd said in a passable Russian accent, "Besides, you had to know she has an ax to grind with you. Where have you been?"
Yu signed and picked up a croissant.
"I was dropping Noelle off at camp. Novalight knew I had to do that when she scheduled the meeting for now." Yu took a big, angry bite. "Three more weeks until school starts up again and I have more time during the day."
"Ah, single mothers. The real heroes!"
Lloyd flashed her an insouciant grin and leaned back. The problem with New Dawn's public relations manager was that she could never tell when he was being sincere.
Lloyd was also in costume, wearing an open, blue and white bomber jacket over a jet-black athletic shirt. Even in his early forties, Lloyd was still in fantastic shape from his days as a professional boxer. His salt and pepper hair was styled in a haircut you could set your watch to, and he drummed his hands, covered in red, studded, fingerless gloves, in a staccato beat atop the table.
He noticed Yu observing him and his grin grew wider.
"See something you like?"
"I'm reporting you to HR."
"Oh!" Lloyd cried, clutching his chest, "You're breaking my heart, Yu!"
"Catherine, I am reporting Lloyd to HR."
"Report received," Catherine, head of Human Resources, said, picking up the plate of cookies. "Now, come, you two. I think Yelena's grown tired of waiting."
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Lloyd said, rising to his feet, "Time to get a move on."
Yu shoved the rest of the croissant into her mouth and got up as well. As they followed Catherine to a door in the ceiling, Lloyd leaned over and whispered to her.
"Y'know, everyone expects you to just be Wolong's mouthpiece during this meeting?" His easy grin was still plastered on his face. "What do you think of that?"
"I think," Yu whispered back, "You have nothing to worry about if you stick to your end of the deal."
Lloyd's cheshire grin grew by inches. "Ma'am, yes ma'am."
* * *
The next room in Catherine's Domain lacked all the warmth of the antechamber and living room. It was a black, featureless void filled only with a round table occupied by two other people.
One was Maria Banderies, the metahuman known as Cisma. They were out of costume, in a smart blouse and blazer. Maria gave Yu a small smile and gestured for her to take a seat at the table next to them and another woman.
Said other woman was stark, like the side of a mountain. The woman radiated power, a slight light glimmering from beneath her pearlescent costume. Her domino mask was on the table, her crystal blue eyes burning a hole into Yu. Not a strand of her long, blonde hair was out of place, pulled into a ponytail.
Yu could count on one finger the number of times she referred to Yelena Sokolova as anything other than "Novalight."
"Heavenly Astrologian. You're late."
"I'm early actually. And early is on-time, isn't it?"
There was a frisson of tension as neither Yu nor Novalight broke their gaze. Finally, Maria interrupted them with a cough.
"Now, none of that, ladies," she said, "We're all friends here. And Catherine, wonderful croissants as always!"
"The secret is butter!"
"And what a secret it is!" Lloyd agreed as he sat down, "Now, can we start this meeting before I get cancer or my bones exploded?"
That broke the stand-off as both Yu and Novalight glared at him. Then Novalight sat back and inclined her head toward Maria.
"Cisma, set up a room."
"Really?" Lloyd asked, "We need that in here?"
"I quite agree," Catherine said, "No one is in here without my permission."
"And yet," Novalight said, "Cisma?"
Maria signed and stood up. They placed their hands together, forming a box which she looked through with their thumbs and forefingers. Then, in a second, there was a burst of energy and everything changed. The area outside their table became desaturated and lifeless. Yu knew that someone looking into where they were would see the same thing. No sound could pass in either direction, nor could someone inside Cisma's area interact with the outside world and vice-versa.
It was a perfect form of separation, the very power that made Wonderland possible.
Maria sat down and then, and only then, did Novalight begin.
"You are all here because you were chosen to be on the Selection Committee for the NuGen Initiative," she said without preamble, "It has been brought to my attention that metahuman recruitment rates for New Dawn have fallen to all-time low. It seems the new generation would rather act as mercenaries on Hero for Hire rather than join an organization with exacting standards."
Or, you're too paranoid to let anyone join New Dawn proper, Yu thought, but didn't voice out loud.
"NuGen will be a satellite team affiliated with and supervised by New Dawn," Novalight continued, "Made of the best and brightest of the new generation. To that end, we are here to decide who that is."
Novalight stared each of them down, as if demanding to know why they thought they could decide who was "best and brightest."
"I now open the floor. Cisma?"
Yu kept her face blank as Cisma activated the table's holographic display and launched into a well-rehearsed speech. No doubt, Novalight had scripted out every word she was to say down to the letter.
"I nominate Rakeem Wade, also known as Adamant."
The display showed a tall, dark-skinned young man, built like a greek statue.
Lloyd let out a low whistle. "Lamar and Becca's kid, eh? Sends one hell of a message."
"Yes," Maria agreed, "One that bridges New Dawn's past with its future. The child of Steadfast and Dragonsteeth, Adamant possesses an extremely powerful defensive power that lets him turn his body to metal. He's an educated young man who is well-regarded by everyone he has worked with. He would be a perfect leader for NuGen."
"I'm told he can be a little stiff . . ." Catherine mused, "A member, sure? But leader? We should let them decide that for themselves."
"Well, I like it!" Lloyd said, "And maybe he'll help us pry Lamar back from Global Justice?"
"Steadfast is unneeded," Novalight said, "And I approve of this choice. Heavenly Astrologian?"
Novalight was staring her down again, but Yu affected indolence. "No objection. Rakeem seems like a wonderful young man."
Novalight eyed her suspiciously, but the motion passed without issue.
"Alright, me next!" Lloyd rubbed his hands together. "I got a doozy for ya!"
The image changed to a tall woman with dusky skin and wavy hair, dressed in a blue costume.
"Uiara! The Amazing Aquatic Amazon! But, get this! Her real name? Yazmin Oliveria. As in Oliveira Pharmaceutical Concerns "Oliveria". The granddaughter of Ọsanyìn himself!"
Yu attempted to act as surprised as everyone else.
"Are you sure?" Maria said with wide eyes, "Ọsanyìn granddaughter is a metahuman? Why hasn't his company snapped her up?"
"She apparently had a nasty falling out with daddy," Lloyd said, clearly enjoying the reaction he was getting, "And now she's striking it out on her own. Controls water, tanks bullets, and looks good doing it. Perfect clay to be molded, I'd say."
"I dislike you speaking of a person like that," Catherine sighed, "But you're right."
Novalight disagreed. "No. Even if she is estranged, she's too close Ọsanyìn Industries. No doubt they'll lean on her to influence New Dawn. I have no doubt her allegiances could be swayed."
Yu saw Maria exchange a look with Novalight before deflating. "I'm afraid it's a 'no' from me as well. I wish her the best, however."
Yu took a moment before answering.
"Yes."
She said nothing else as Lloyd whooped and cheered. Catherine pursed her lips and Novalight shot another look at Maria. They frowned and spoke.
"I would like to hear your reasoning, Yu?"
"Yes," Novalight sneered, "What is Wolong thinking?"
"I wouldn't know," Yu said levelly, "You didn't invite Gabriel."
And wasn't that just a snub? Wolong, Gabriel Kwan, was on New Dawn's council, but was politically isolated and powerless. Novalight and Cisma formed one faction, Arc and Lightsep the other. Normally that would make him the kingmaker in disagreements, but no one ever really disagreed with Novalight. The only reason Yu was even invited to this committee was to show Wolong that he hadn't been chosen.
What a mistake.
"Now," Yu said, "My nomination."
Lloyd nodded at her. Good. He was keeping up his end of the deal.
The image changed to someone radically different. She was eight feet tall, covered in a bluish chitin and gray hair. An insectoid abdomen hung behind her digitigrade legs, and all four of her hands were nervously twiddling with a rosary around her neck. Her head was . . . unfortunate with bulbous, compound eyes directly over red, humanoid eyes with no sclera. Mandibles split her jaw apart, showing-still human teeth.
"Rosemary Ward, also known as Apiary."
The room was silent for a moment before Novalight spoke.
"No," she said, "Absolutely not."
"I wasn't aware you had a veto, Yelena," Yu shot back.
"She is a monster."
"She is a twenty year-old girl! Who has lived her whole life dealing with comments from people like you!"
Novalight slammed the table. "She is a self-replicating abomination!"
"Her power—"
"Her power," Novalight interrupted, "is to change organic matter into more of the material her body is made of, which shecan remotely control."
Yu was equally incensed. "That's no reason to lock her away in Wonderland forever!"
"If we release her onto the street, she could subsume the city in a month! New Dawn may as well douse Horizon in goldnine!"
"No problem then! I believe someone already tried, under your leadership!"
Yu didn't remember standing up. Novalight was on her feet as well. For a terrible moment, Yu thought they would come to blows. But they didn't.
For all her photokinesis, Novalight's energy blasts were useless before Yu's power. Yu could control her own inertia and the inertia of anything she could see. Novalight's bolts of power would sizzle helplessly in the air, robbed of all movement.
By the same token, Novalight could melt the flesh from Yu's bones with unseeable radiation above the visible spectrum. But not before Yu sent her head and body rocking in opposite directions.
It was a stalemate. From the moment they met, Yu knew she and Novalight would always be enemies. One day, they would settle the score.
"Ah, unless today is the day, I suggest the two of you cease with this posturing," a filtered, metallic voice said.
Yu blinked. She had been so focused on Novalight, she hadn't realized the holographic display changed to an image of a metal head adorned with two red, blinking eyes and a blinking circle for a mouth.
"Steelheart," Novalight bit out, "You're interrupting."
"I'm sure. But ensconced as you are in two different pocket dimensions, taking control of your table's projector was the only way to contact you. Have you seen the news, perchance?"
"No," Maria said, "What's happening?"
"The Defiance Unit attacked Roswell University forty minutes ago."
Yu felt her heart freeze in her chest. Noelle's camp was being hosted by Roswell University.
"We have to go, immediately," Yu choked. Her mind was going a mile a minute.
"Calm yourself, Yu. The threat has been subdued. And your daughter is safe; I checked on her personally."
Time resumed flowing as suddenly Yu was able to breathe again.
"What, you called just to brag? Good job, old man," Lloyd called, "Could you let us know without the heart attack next time?"
"Ah, it was not I. Observe."
The image changed to a young, twenty-something reporter talking to a familiar metahuman: Uiara. Uiara stood proudly as a Chinese woman in sunglasses smirked and a person in metal armor hovered awkwardly behind her. The report was speaking excitedly:
"I'm speaking with Watery-Warrior, Uiara herself! Uiara, you've been on the rise in ranks of Heroes for Hire, and you just drove back the Defiance Unit! How are you feeling?"
"I'm just glad nobody got hurt," Uiara said in an honest tone, "And I couldn't have done it without my friends."
"Yes! Who are these other mysterious heroes behind you?"
The Chinese woman approached the microphone first, "I'm Lady Leizi, darling. If you haven't heard of me, you will."
The armored woman was more reluctant to speak, but Uiara pulled her forward.
"Um, I'm new. I don't have a name yet."
"Well that's fantastic armor you have there!" the reporter gushed, "So sleek!"
"Thanks? I made it myself."
The reporter gasped. "You did?! Do we have another Valiant Red on our hands?"
Uiara laughed, "A Valiant Silver, maybe!"
Half the table exploded into smithereens and Novalight shoved her hand through it and blasted.
"She dares?"
"She should," Steelheart's emotionless avatar said, "An unhavested Algernon-type? What an opportunity. I've taken the liberty of letting the media know they are the first three members of 'NuGen' our new satellite team."
"You did what?" multiple voices in the room demanded.
"He who hesitates is lost. I require this 'Valiant Silver' and her assistance. The other two are promising newcomers. You should be thanking me."
"Retract your statement," Novalight demanded, "Now."
Steelheart snorted. "I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears rookie you can bully, Yelena. This Algernon will be a member of NuGen. As will Apiary."
"Never."
"You'll find that never is now, Yelena. I did not build Wonderland for you to lock children away. If you don't like it, you may maintain it without me."
Light erupted from Novalight's hands, and she looked at Steelheart's image with a glance of pure hatred. But she didn't say anything.
[X] Plan: EVIL DOER BEWARE
-[X] . . . engage and defeat Earthen Owl (DC 12. HIT Check of 6).
--[X] Black Swan and Valiant Kabuto very loudly announces their intention to challenge Earthen Owl to a fight, taunting him all the while for his evil deeds and how Justice Unlimited has come to put him behind bars like they did last time, or is he too chicken to face her after his last butt kicking?
--[X] While Lady Leizi is in hiding, let Earthen Owl think Black Swan is a overconfident newbie and wait until he decides to use his vines to grapple either Valiant Kabuto or Black Swan.
--[X] Once his vines are around someone, or if he looks to be planning to escape, Lady Leizi springs her ambush, and Black Swan and Valiant Kabuto can assist her in knocking Earthen Owl out with all they can muster.
"Denizens of my kingdom! Rejoice! For thou art free of the false idol, the so-called 'Mammoth Ibis' who so cruelly abandoned you!"
Earthen Owl stands in the courtyard between the buildings. He's standing on top of an elevated mound of dirt with his arms spread wide, like a shepherd guiding his flock. A description that is, you realize, somewhat literal.
"Thy enemies loathe and envy you! For they have no Earthen Owl to protect them!"
His pronouncement is greeted by honks of agreement and wonder. Or just honks. The gorilla-geese in front of him amble about aimlessly with all the intelligence of a beast or someone stuck at the DMV. A few are even pecking at the ground.
Earthen Owl doesn't seem to notice. "Today! Today is the most highest, most glorious day of all days! For today is the day our borders shall be secure and our kingdom made whole!"
One gorilla-goose punches another in the arm and then gets punched back in turn. This starts a game and, soon, every gorilla-goose is punching or being punched.
"The vermin shall be extinguished! Their vile protector's carapace made a decoration on our walls! And then, all shall know of thy master, the Earthen Owl!"
"Earthen Owl? More like, Earthen foul-smelling! Pee-ew! You stink!"
Earthen Owl squawks in outrage, and looks up to see Black Swan hovering just overhead. On her shoulder is Valiant Kabuto, the sunlight glinting off his glasses.
"I've heard how you've treated these poor creatures, like they're your playthings! No more! Valiant Kabuto has done everything he can to keep this place safe, and now Justice Unlimited is going to help him take out the trash!"
DC 2.
Stat Check: REPUTATION 1. Black Swan has REPUTATION 8.
You rolled: 10.
10 + 3 = 13. Success!
"Justice Unlimited!" Earthen Owl sneers, "Those vainglorious fools? They threw their lives away struggling against the Looming God! Pah! Their time is over! The time of Earthen Owl is now!"
"What did you say!? How dare you! Fudge you, ugly!"
Earthen Owl drops his arms. "H-huh?"
Black Swan drops closer to the ground. "That's right! Ugly! You're ugly and your costume's theme makes no sense! Why is an owl going underground?!"
Valiant Kabuto waves an arm in agreement.
"B-burrowing owls are a thing! They're super cool and badass!"
One of the gorilla-geese honks in support.
"You stay out of this!" Black Swan snapped, "Justice Unlimited kicked your butt before and it's gonna happen again!"
"Pah! I say 'pah' again! Thou is not the first to lay false claim to that name, usurper! And my kingdom knows the just punishment for usurpers!" Earthen Owl declares, mugging to the crowd.
The punching game has started again. Only the gorilla-goose from earlier makes a sound.
"Kiss-ass!"
"Brown-noser he may be, but he knows the truth of my kingdom. The punishment for false witness is . . . death!"
In an instant, Earthen Owl emerges from the ground behind Black Swan. He fires vines from his body, which ensnare Black Swan and begin to drag her towards the earth. The "Earthen Owl" she had been talking to dissolves into a mass of vines.
You raise an eyebrow. Since when was he able to do that?
"Do not struggle, sweetling! Is this all 'Justice Unlimited' is capable of? Ha! Thou is not fit to do no more than lie forever in the gentle embrace of our loam!"
"What? Ewwwwwww! Gross, you sicko!"
"Wait, what?" Earthen Owl says, breaking kayfabe, "That's not what I meant! What did you think I meant?"
"I don't want your 'gentle embrace', perv! I'm nineteen! You're like, what, fifty?!" Black Swan shouts as Valiant Kabuto clicks his mandibles angrily.
"I'm only forty-three! A-and I didn't mean anything inappropriate! I was just gonna drag you underground and beat you up a little!"
"You do understand how that doesn't sound any better, don't you darling?" you say from directly behind him.
DC 10 - 3 (You are Lady Leizi) - 2 (Earthen Owl Totally Distracted) = DC 5.
Stat Check: ESPIONAGE 6. Lady Leizi has ESPIONAGE 8.
You rolled: 6.
6 + 1 = 7. Success!
Earthen Owl had been so busy losing an argument to a teenager, he never saw your approach. And now that he was tied up, he was vulnerable.
"L-lady Leizi?" he stutters, looking back and forth between you and Black Swan, "Then that means, Justice Unlimited really is back?"
"Naturally. It seems your type has forgotten about us. Allow me to remind you."
DC 12.
Stat Check: HIT 6. Justice Unlimited has a cumulative HIT 14.
You rolled: 18.
18 + 4 + 1 (Good Plan) = 23. Critical Success!
Your fist hits Earthen Owl's face so hard that his goggles shatter and the metal beak in his mask breaks his nose with a loud crunch! If it weren't for the lightning imbued in your strike, you would have broken every bone in your hand. As is, Earthen Owl lets out a wet gurgle as his body convulses and his vines erupt into flame.
But that is nothing compared to what happens next. Valiant Kabuto slides off Black Swan's shoulders, down the burning vines before they snap, and bounces off your shoulder into the air. He then dives forward, delivering a devastating kick directly between Earthen Owl's legs.
Even you wince as Earthen Owl hits the ground, letting out a high-pitched squeal of agony. You nod to Valiant Kabuto, who is posing on Earthen Owl's chest. Not exactly your style, but effective, nonetheless.
"He kicked him in the nuts. . ." Black Swan whispers reverently.
"Surrender," you tell him, "You're outmatched. The citizens of your kingdom are too busy roughhousing to notice their 'leader' lies defeated."
There is a lone honk of protest before another gorilla-goose punches the sycophantic creature in the head. It seems none of them are willing to jump to Earthen Owl's defense now that he's writhing on the ground.
"It's over," you repeat.
DC 15 - 3 (Earthen Owl Decisively Defeated) = DC 12.
Stat Check: REPUTATION 8. Justice Unlimited has a cumulative REPUTATION 11.
You rolled: 9.
9 + 1 = 10. Failure!
But Earthen Owl's spirit isn't broken. "You . . . you'll all pay for this!" he roars. As he does, vines burst from his body, ensnaring you and Valiant Kabuto. They move and lock your limbs together before splitting off his body.
Something is definitely wrong. He absolutelycould not do that before.
In a flash, Earthen Owl dives into the ground and moves away from you as fast as possible, a spray of dirt following his wake. He's traveling in the opposite direction of the lab, into the palm marshes where you'll never find him.
You flex and a burst of electricity frees you. But Earthen Owl is already gone, faster than you can catch him.
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: HIT 5. Justice Unlimited has a cumulative HIT 14.
You rolled: 14.
14 + 4 = 18. Major Success!
But not faster than Black Swan.
"Get back here! Burrowing. Owls. Aren't. That. Cool!"
A second sun blooms in the sky as Black Swan fires a blast of power from both her hands. It carves the ground like a scalpel slicing through flesh, creating a deep burrow. Black Swan maintains the beam, tracking the path where Earthen Owl flees until she catches up with his apparent position. Then she holds her beam steady on that location for nearly five seconds.
When she relents and you can see again, you see a scar in the earth from where Black Swan is flying to well outside of Dr. Ibis' compound. Where the mark ends, you see a deep crater with a figure lying prone in it. Earthen Owl's bark-like skin is singed black, his mask totally obliterated. He's found a white cloth from somewhere, and is furiously waving it from where he lay.
"Black Swan," you say.
"Y-yes, Lady Leizi?"
"Your banter needs work. But an excellent job overall."
* * *
Earthen Owl remainess perfectly still except for his wave of surrender as you, Black Swan, and Valiant Kabuto approach. You gesture for him to sit up.
"S-so Justice Unlimited survives yet," he says, wincing as his movements pull at his burnt skin, "Lady Leizi, we thought thou hadst perished in the struggle against the Leviathan."
"Rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated."
"A pity," he sneers, "T'would be easier thou had gone the way of thy wretched allies—hrrrk!"
Earthen Owl finds it incredibly difficult to breathe as you stand on his throat. You feel something ugly inside of you trying to get out as you lean over Earthen Owl with a snarl.
"They died joining the fight against the monster in the QZ. I couldn't help but notice you weren't there."
You ease off his neck enough to let him answer. And he takes a big gasp of air.
"I-I wouldn't have been able to help! My power is useless when the ground is goldnine!"
"Try again. I wasn't much help either, but I knew to be there. Lightstep was there. City Crier was there. Valiant Silver was there without her armor. Plenty of us were there at great risk to ourselves!"
Earthen Owl tries to answer, but you're pushing down again. You ease up and try to gain control of yourself.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I was just following orders!"
"Orders?" you demand.
"Y-yeah! After Uiara put out the general call for everybody to go to the QZ, I got a message from the boss telling me not to go. I thought it was 'cuz my power sucked!"
"Scarlet Maturity told you to avoid a fight? I find that hard to believe."
"N-not him! The big boss, Faust! President of Dominion! E-everybody on Powers, we work for him! He pays the bills—ugggahk!"
Your foot is on his neck again. "Then it seems you have nothing else of importance to say."
You're so angry you're beside yourself. You want to crush this worm of a man beneath your feet and watch him squirm. You push harder, waiting for a pop, but you feel a hand on your arm.
"Lady Leizi, stop," Black Swan says.
"Stand down, Black Swan!"
"You're hurting him!"
"I'm just crushing a worm."
Black Swan tightens her grip "Stop it! This isn't what Justice Unlimited does!"
She's right. You don't care. "Justice Unlimited is mine now."
"Is this what everyone else would have wanted?!"
"It doesn't matter because they are gone!"
The pain in your voice surprises you so badly that you take your foot off Earthen Owl and stumble away. You hear him gasp for air, hacking and wheezing, as you numbly march away. You hear Black Swan calling after you, but you don't answer.
What were you about to do? Why were you about to do it? You walk a few more feet before bending over and dry heaving. Your hands are shaking so badly you can't hold anything. Something small touches your knee, and you see Valiant Kabuto standing next to you. The sight is so absurd that you laugh, which turns into half a sob, and the pain in your chest eases.
You take a few minutes to collect yourself. You can still taste the bile in your mouth, your throat aches from screaming, but you're confident you're in control.
You march back over to Earthen Owl and Black Swan who have their screens out and are exchanging information.
"Okay! So you pay us, promise to not fight us for a month, and we let you go?" Black Swan asks.
"Yeah, it's standard stuff, kid. I can't believe this is your first time out. I won't be crossing you anytime soon."
"He's right dear. The other option is to imprison him, but haven't the space at the moment," you chime in.
Black Swan throws you a concerned look, but you give a reassuring smile and an remorseful tilt of your head. She nods back, accepting your apology.
"L-l-lady Leizi! I was just showing your new member how we do things! I wasn't trying to jerk her around her, I swear! I-I even threw in a little extra on the bail, just to say sorry. I, uh, went a little too far with what I said earlier and I feel real bad!"
"What are you even doing here, Owl?"
"I-I was told by the boss—Scarlet Maturity, not the big boss—to round up every metahuman I could find and get them to join Powers. I thought Doc Ibis would want in, but I guess he beefed it against the Leviathan."
"Quite. A tragedy."
"Yeah, and then I saw all these guys and I love animals so—hey, wait a second. Why are you guys here?"
"Are people who lose fights allowed to ask questions," Black Swan said tapping her lips, "I think that violates your parole?"
Earthen Owl paled.
"Nevermind! I'll go now! I'll be good, I swear! P-please! H-hey! Get that beetle away from me! N-no! Don't let him kick me in the nuts again!"
* * *
After that, retrieving the Doctor's items is trivially easy. The gorilla-geese prove remarkably docile with Earthen Owl gone; you swear you watched Valiant Kabuto scolding them for the better part of an hour.
Speaking of which, you offered to take him back to Jacob's Ladder with you. But, in his odd, pictogram language, he explained that his place was at the Doctor's lab. Just knowing Dr. Ibis was out there was enough for him. A tearful Black Swan hugged him goodbye and promised to return.
. . . honestly, it wasn't the worst idea. You would have to stabilize the OID first, but Dr. Ibis lab would make an excellent location for a satellite base for Justice Unlimited.
You and Black Swan returned to Jacob's Ladder without issue. However, upon inspecting the Doctor's things, you realized there was a problem.
Which is why you were currently hovering outside of his lab. With a sigh, you pushed the door open.
"Dr. Ibis. I hope I'm not interrupting."
"What? Who?" he said, blinking owlishly, "Oh, Lady Leizi. No, its . . . fine."
You frowned. The doctor was slumped in his desk, furiously typing something into a computer. He looked . . . morose. Less manic than you've ever seen him.
"I've received the samples of refined goldnine I requested," he said as you sat down, "My thanks, Lady Leizi. I'm putting them to good use. And I'm glad subject #3384—ah, Valiant Kabuto—is doing well."
Your frown grows sharper. Something is seriously wrong.
You hold up an envelope and speak, "Thank you, Doctor. There was one more thing. We did manage to recover the personal effects from your room—"
The doctor snatches the envelope from your hand and tears it open. "You did! Blast it, why didn't anyone tell me?! Where are they, where are then . . ."
The doctor pulls out a number of photographs depicting a much younger version of himself with a woman with sandy hair and a little girl in pigtails. He smiles as he flips through them, a sigh of relief escaping from his lips. That is a story you desperately want to know, but you give the doctor his peace. He reaches the end of the photographs before frowning.
"Wait, wait, wait! Where is—"
"Some of them were damaged beyond repair," you say, "Earthen Owl apparently broke into the safe, thinking it contained valuables. He left the photos there, but water got in . . ."
"Oh." Dr. Ibis' grin disappears, "I-I see. Regrettable."
"That's why I wanted to give you this, Doctor."
Out of your pocket you pull out a photograph and hand it to Dr. Ibis. It's a selfie of a young woman with radiant, silver skin and blank eyes. There is the barest ghost of a smile on her lips. Behind her, an indignant Dr. Ibis is being lifted into the air by a girl Towarri's age with brilliant, red hair and a costume the color of fall leaves. Her smile stretches across her whole face.
Dr. Ibis looks at you with wide eyes. "I thought you said it . . ."
"Towarri had the same photograph in her room. She would have wanted you to have it."
Moisture beads at the corners of Dr. Ibis' eyes. You politely pretend not to notice.
"Damn implant. My . . . hormone regulation is a mess without it. Involuntary mood swings, you understand?!"
"Of course, Dr. Ibis. I've had a few of those myself today."
The two of you sit in a companionable silence as Dr. Ibis flips through all of his photographs again. Eventually, he tucks them into his pocket and clears his throat.
"Ahem. As I said earlier, a lesser mind would have no idea what to do with the samples from my lab! But the Dr. Mammoth Ibis has already nearly finished integrating them into the Ambrosia!"
You smile, "How lucky we are to have you."
"Weep for heaven has shown you the greatest of fortune! Now, we have two options. The great Dr. Mammoth Ibis can use the refined goldnine to remove an element of randomness from what power is expressed from a dose of Ambrosia. Thought it will reduce the potency efficiency. Or, the greatest mind in Horizon can use it to raise a candidate's tolerance to Ambrosia over time! It will be slow and expensive, but perfectly effective!"
You applaud, "Doctor, you've done it again."
"Had you expected anything else? Now tell Dr. Ibis what you seek!"
* * *
[ ] Ask Dr. Ibis to eliminate randomness from the power expressed.
(One per dosage, you may guarantee the expression of one keyword in exchange for raising the potency of the dosage by 2. Can stack with potency reductions.)
[ ] Ask the Dr. Ibis to help raise candidates' tolerances.
(Unlocks global action "A Spoonful of Sugar". Costs -2000 income. Will raise a candidates' tolerance by 1. No limit to how often it can be applied to a given candidate. Will take up Justice Unlimited's global action for the turn.)
Justice Unlimited's Collective +1 HIT!
+ 500 Income!
Unlock Dr. Ibis' Lab as a potential base! (requires control of the OID)
NOTE: Additional Bases give +1 Global Actions and +1 AP.
Candidate K: Name: Minami Kobayakawa.
Age: 25 Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 1, REPUTATION 3, OPERATIONS 3. Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Notes: a relative newcomer to Horizon, she appeared around 5 years ago and freely admitted to having changed her name, but has refused to divulge her true identity, managed to enroll on one of the highest level schools and graduated with middling grades, she lived in an apartment on a zone with high crime rates and got a job in a convenience store, she kept a low profile until a year later, she reappeared in command of a group conformed of ex-members of multiple gangs in a sort of neighborhood watch, interfering in gang fights and cooperating with the police, her underlings even accepted to spend time in prison for their crimes and have all been given reduced sentences for good behavior, the ones who don't have a record engage in community service, cleaning the streets and covering up graffiti, during Leviathan's awakening she and her group helped with evacuations, she doesn't fully know what we're doing, but it turns out the mother of one of her underlings was one of the people Mona exchanged gossip with, leading her to make attempts to contact us to see what she can do to further help. Lady Leizi: the reason her past is unknown is mostly because there's not much to tell, born Kagami Izumi, she was the daughter of a somewhat successful couple of real state agents, who had traditional values and expectations of her, she rebelled against them via the usual means most teenagers do, by going to parties, smoking and overall purposely acting in complete opposition to their wishes, the few times she was arrested was mostly for drunkenly fighting handsy people at said parties, it all came to a head when they presented her with an arranged marriage, she punched his lights out and revealed she had been in the process of emancipating herself, her parents accepted on the condition that she change her name and doesn't bother them again, a few days later she changed her name and moved to Horizon, her family is unlikely to be a problem as they have made no attempt to get in contact with her, even after the whole Leviathan event.
Candidate A: Name: Mikayla Anderson.
Age: 32 Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 3, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 4. Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: an ex drug dealer, she was caught by the police around 6 years ago and spent her 3 year sentence in a rehabilitation program, since her release she has gotten a job as a janitor in an office building and regularly volunteers at a soup kitchen, she's Minami's next door neighbor and ended up becoming her second in command, keeping track of their finances and contacting the police when necessary, she was with Minami when she got in contact with us. Lady Leizi: there's two sides to every story and hers is no different, her sentence was supposed to be 7 years but got vastly reduced due to her agreeing to reveal the identities of her clients and providers immediately upon being caught, and her "volunteer" work in the soup kitchen part of her deal with the police, she is to work there and report any signs of other drug deals and criminal activity, her joining Minami's neighborhood watch is by police orders as well, to keep an eye on it's members, while she has so far kept to the conditions of her release and her nose is relatively clean, I hesitate to trust somebody who would sell others out so easily.
Warning: this mission will be a little dark. Nothing extreme, but we've been mostly silly up until now. Adding trigger warnings if you're concerned.
Descriptions of gore, violence, extremely passing reference to violence against children.
[X] Ask Dr. Ibis to help raise candidates' tolerances.
Horizon, City of Levithan's Rest – Worker's Mitt – November 17, 2067
You find that the severity of the situation in the Worker's Mitt was vastly understated.
DC 8.
Stat Check: HIT 7. Justice Unlimited has a collective HIT of 15.
You rolled: 1.
1 + 4 = 5. Failure!
Lady Leizi takes one injury level! Superficial Injury!
Black Swan takes one injury level! Superficial Injury!
That much became apparent the second you stepped foot into the downtown area of the Worker's Mitt. Those new to Horizon might think it odd to refer to a section of a neighborhood as "downtown" but, in a city as disparate as Horizon, it was perfectly natural.
The Worker's Mitt was something of a "blue collar" borough in Horizon; mostly residential with its citizens commuting to work in other parts of Horizon. However, it did have a commercial section with a handful of skyscrapers and office buildings, which is where the trouble began.
Flocks of birds with plumage the color of spilled ink and ruby-red, glowing eyes filled the sky. They were so numerous—the groupings so thick—that you initially mistook them for storm clouds. Their bodies block out the sun and the endless din of their screams made it nearly impossible to think, let alone communicate.
And they were angry. After you and Black Swan passed some invisible threshold, they attacked with beaks and talons as sharp as knives. They screamed bloody murder and swarmed your location, scratching, biting, pecking.
However, furious as they were, they paled in comparison to the might of your lightning. They died in droves; you killed dozens, maybe even a hundred of the odds shadow-creatures. Upon death, they evaporated into a cloud of dust and drifted away in the wind.
But there was no end to them. Eventually, you grew tired, sloppy. You took a nasty gash to the forehead and your arms were bloody messes of scratches and cuts. You eventually had to take cover to prevent being overwhelmed.
Black Swan fared better. As light banishes shadow, her beams of energy melted the avian abominations. For a moment she was making a sizable dent in their numbers, but then larger, more powerful creatures came. Six-eyed crows the size of cars with rows and rows of dagger-like teeth arrived, who could survive Black Swan's blasts long enough to take a swing at her. Eventually, the sheer volume began to wear her construct-body down.
You knit your brow in confusion for a moment before you realized what was wrong. Black Swan had more than enough power to destroy all of these creatures and more. But this battle wasn't in an abandoned stretch of land—it was inside the city proper. Black Swan was heeding the first thing you drilled into her head: not unleash her full power if she could not be absolutelycertain of what she would hit.
And so she was limited to short, low-energy blasts that were not enough to defeat the threat in front of you.
There was something about the way the birds attacked, the frenzy with which they threw themselves to their destruction . . .
DC 10.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 5. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS of 9.
You rolled: 1.
1 + 2 = 3. Failure!
You can't tell. The din is too low, the throng too thick. You click your tongue in annoyance and speak into your screen.
"Black Swan, pull out."
"B-but I can get them! I can!" she protests.
"This isn't effective. We're trying to melt a glacier with a matchstick. We need to pull out and reassess."
"B-but!"
"That is an order Black Swan. Sometimes discretion is the greater part of valor. And even if you can endure these attacks all day without injury, I cannot."
". . . yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."
You hear the same frustration in Black Swan's voice that you feel. You give voice to your shared feelings and tell her, "This is not over."
* * *
"Your mission parameters were somewhat lacking. The infestation downtown is more serious than a 'minor incursion.'"
Your voice is even and controlled even as you attempt to use your mind to set the man on the display on fire.
"Something like this should be no problem for Justice Unlimited," he sneers in a French accent, "Ah, but this isn't really Justice Unlimited anymore, is it?"
Lucien Toussaint had been the Borough Chief of the Worker's Mitt for nearly the entire tenure of Justice Unlimited's contract. He was thin like a scarecrow, never wearing less than a three-piece suit. He was a well-meaning, dependable man whom everyone, including yourself, respected.
He also died as collateral damage in a metahuman brawl a few days after the Movement.
The odious man in front of you was his replacement, Samuel deLeon, and he was decidedly no Lucien Toussaint. His unnaturally smooth face had the characteristic sheen of someone abusing cheap anti-geriatric treatments, and his blonde hair was arranged in a perfectly-groomed coif. He shot you a haughty smile, showing off his too-white teeth, before continuing.
"That's why we had to suspend our contract. No use paying for someone just using the name who can't get the job done. We've been fielding offers from Allied Global Logistics and Dominion Security Concerns, and they've been very competitive. I'm certain Global Justice or Powers will have no issue getting rid of our pest problem."
You hold back a sigh. The fact that he didn't name New Dawn in the list of your possible replacements almost certainly meant those "competitive offers" included bribes.
A corrupt politician. How droll.
"Now, there's also the matter of the former Justice Unlimited's headquarters, the "Apiary". Dreadful name. What were they, bees? Ha!"
"It was named after our departed teammate," you say, breaking your silence.
"A-ah, yes, I think I did know that. Well, irregardless, the land it sits on was granted to Justice Unlimited by my predecessor. But, as we've agreed, since you are not really Justice Unlimited, I'm afraid I will have to withdraw that grant. Which, naturally means any items still on borough property are forfeit—"
"Mr. deLeon?" you interrupt.
"Yes? There's no point in protesting—"
"Oh, you're welcome to whatever you find," you say with a crooked smile, "If you can get past Valiant Silver's defenses, you've more than earned whatever you find."
"O-oh?"
"Quite. But that's not why I interrupted you. I interrupted you to tell you two things."
"And what would those be?"
"First," you say, holding up a finger, "'Irregardless' is a pseudoword. It has the same meaning as 'regardless.'"
You raise another finger.
"Second, your reelection is in two months and eleven days."
He shoots you a wary look. "And what does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing, darling. It's more a reminder for myself as I speak with your constituents."
"Lady Leizi, is that a threat? Who do—"
His voice cuts off as you end the call and begin to seethe. Very well. He does not wish to be of assistance? You would simply have to find someone who would.
* * *
Walking through the residential section of the Worker's Mitt reminds you of how long it's been since you've last stepped foot here.
A little over two months. A lifetime ago.
You're disturbed at how bothered you are by how different everything looks. There was damage throughout the borough from the riots following the Movement, but much of it was long repaired with clearly visible signs of recent construction. The people—once free and easy—walk with hurried and nervous gazes. But the people still walk, going about their days. Despite the hardship, life has still gone on.
You don't know how you feel about that.
You eye Black Swan flying next to you as you walk down the street. Her visor is opaque, hiding her face except for her mouth. You can see her biting her lip.
"Ah, I forgot. You grew up here, didn't you, Black Swan?"
"Y-yeah," she says as you pass past the boarded up ruins of a coffee shop, "I came back here to move Mom out, but that was so fast I didn't . . ."
"Take a look around?" you venture.
"It's so different now," she says, "Everyone looks so scared."
"They don't know what the future holds. Uncertainty makes everyone uncomfortable."
"Maybe." Black Swan looks down at the ground and drags her feet as she flies forward. "Um, so what are we doing here—?"
"We need information about our bird problem," you explain, "But my contacts in the Worker's Mitt have largely gone to ground. I have one more favor I can call in, but I need to know what to ask for. Such is the frustration in approaching a problem blind."
"You mean, you don't know what you don't know?"
"Pithy. But essentially correct. We need a lead." You stop walking before a large, ornate build with a row of ionic columns in the front.
Black Swan looks at the building. "So we're here to. . . ?"
"Why, darling, to participate in local government," you say as you saunter into borough hall.
* * *
The community meeting is already in full swing by the time you and Black Swan enter. The main hall is packed to the gills with all kinds of residents from the Worker's Mitt, their voices blended together in a cacophony of angry voices.
"My body will be cold and in the ground before we sell ourselves to a corp!"
"Who will protect us?"
"Let's just sign up with Dominion! You think there's anybody left in the city who can take Scarlet Maturity?"
"Heavenly Astrolgian could!"
"She's dead!"
"Aw, dammit!"
"Those birds are still everywhere. Nearly ripped off Ol' Jed's leg."
"Things have really gone downhill since Justice Unlimited disappeared. Not their faults of course—the poor dears."
Black Swan gives you an uncertain look, but you just shoot her a confident smile before deliberately, carefully clearing your throat.
Then, when no one can hear you over all the arguing, you silence the room with a literal thunderclap.
There is a stunned silence as every eye in the room turns to you and Black Swan. You drop your hands to the side as you take advantage of the attention.
"Ladies, Gentleman, and other residents of the Worker's Mitt, I apologize for the delay in response. Justice Unlimited is here to help."
At first there's no response, but then someone says, "Lady Leizi . . . ?"
That breaks the dam.
"You're alive! Well, I'll be damned! You're alive!"
"The southside has been flooded up to 34th Street for weeks, can Uiara . . ."
"Where's Valiant Silver? The electrical grind is in shambles—"
"Did The Red Huntress get my marriage proposal? What did she say . . .? No, wait, don't tell me!"
"The birds are everywhere, please, help us—"
Their comments make your smile falter, but just for a moment. You put your mask firmly back and place and speak again.
"I'm afraid that . . . myself and Black Swan here are all that remains of Justice Unlimited. No one else made it out of the QZ."
Stunned silence. And then:
"Oh . . . god."
"Rest assured that you have not been abandoned, however. We are here to deal with your avian problem. But I need some information first . . ."
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: REPUTATION 10. Justice Unlimited has a collective REPUTATION 11.
You rolled: 18.
17 + 0 = 17. Major Success!
At first, everything goes wrong.
"Listen, Lady Leizi," a burly man with a mustache says, "I'm glad you are alive. I truly am. But if it's just you and this Swan person . . . The city's a mess! They say Third Person's is on the loose again."
"What Chester is trying to say," an old, shrunken woman says, "Is that we were meeting here today to discuss voiding our contract with Justice Unlimited and putting another organization on retainer."
"I did not agree to that!" a voice calls out.
"It's inevitable," Chester says, "Look, I remember what things were like before Justice Unlimited. They were real bad. You guys really cleaned this place up and, I'm powerfully grateful, but I don't know if we can trust our safety to two . . . strangers!"
That comment bites deep. You had always known you were not as . . . beloved as your teammates. Yours was the power behind the throne, not the face on the throne. If Uiara or Adamant were here, everyone in this room would be rejoicing. But because it's you they're all wary, lacking confidence and faith.
You can't do what they could.
You may have miscalculated coming here. You look for something, anything to say, when Black Swan says something for you.
"Hey! Screw you Chester! You grew that mustache one year for Halloween and made it your whole personality!"
Chester gasps and clutches his heart.
"And Mrs. Park! Ten years of crowing about how Valiant Silver was from the 'old neighborhood', and now you're the first to turn your back on what she built? Shame on you!"
The old woman narrows her eyes and glares. "I don't know who you are, miss, or why you feel entitled to make personal attacks, but, with respect, you are not from here. You don't understand what this borough has been through."
"What are you talking about?" You see Black Swan hesitate for a fraction of a second before ripping her visor off. "I grew up here!"
Silence again. And then:
"As I live and breathe. . . is that little Mona Merola-Morales?" Mrs. Park's eyes bug out of her head. "What are you wearing, girl?"
Mona looks down, self-consciously.
"It's my costume. I'm, uh, Black Swan!" she says, striking a pose, "I'm the newest member of Justice Unlimited."
"Does your mother know about this?!"
"No, really," Mona whines, "I have powers! Watch!"
Mona flies into the air and begins to radiate light from her body, her eyes glowing white.
"See! I can shoot lasers and stuff! And I'm a black hole? Technically, maybe?"
Chesters twirls both ends of his mustache with both hands—wow, he really does have nothing else going on.
"Mona! You've got powers? How long have you been holding out on us?"
Mona pauses for a second, but you can see her remember her cover story. "Umm, so you know that internship I had with Justice Unlimited? Turns out it was a little more than an internship . . ."
The room crowds Mona as everyone wants a piece of her. To talk to her, to touch her costume, to take a selfie to prove there was still one of their own on Justice Unlimited. Mona handles it with aplomb.
"Your costume is so cool!"
"What does 'technically, maybe' a black hole mean?!"
"Will you marry me? It was love at first sight! The Red who?"
Finally, someone sensible asks, "Hey, wait, was it you who made all that light by the birds earlier?"
"Oh yeah!" Mona says, "I would have gotten them too, but Lady Leizi said I can't use my full power if I don't know what I'm aiming at. Stupid bird-swarms . . ."
"Dang. So you guys really can handle those birds?"
"Naturally," you say, raising an eyebrow, "We're simply trying to do it with a little finesse."
"Yeah! Lady Leizi has been teaching me lots," Mona says.
"Lady Leizi, marry me! I—hrrrgk!"
"Enough of that," Mrs. Park says, hitting the serial proposer, "Now, Lady Leizi, you said you were looking for information?"
Your grin is positively feral. "Just a few questions . . ."
* * *
You leave borough hall with the exact lead you needed and an odd feeling in your chest. Black Swan—Mona—elected to stay behind and continue to reassure everyone, which was just as well. You had no talent for it, and, if Black Swan enjoyed doing it, it made your working relationship all the more fruitful.
No, you think as you walk into a seedy bar, this was much more your speed.
Your contact is already there as you sit down, face buried in a newspaper. He's seated at the end of a table in the corner; you sit at the next nearest table so your back is to him.
The room is quiet except for the sound of jazz music from a sound system and the hum of the ancient ceiling fan.
"Lady Leizi," the man says without taking his face out of the newspaper, "Glad to see you didn't bite the big one in the quarantine."
"You know, if enough people continue to say that, do you think eventually I'll find one I believe?"
He barks out a laugh. "You haven't changed. So what do you need this time?"
"Why, Inspector Du Bois, I can't just be exchanging pleasantries with a friend?"
"Heh. That will be the day."
Inspector Gerome Du Bois was a long-time member of the Worker's Mitt Citizen's Militia. Citizen militias were common in the early days of Horizon, when it was still corporate-dominated. There had been virtually no peacekeeping force outside of corporate security, so enclaves of workers organized their own. In recent times, they had mostly fallen by the wayside as major security companies emerged with specializations in law enforcement. However, the Worker's Mitt clung stubbornly to their anti-corporate pasts and so continued to fund the WMCM.
In your experience, the WMCM had all of the usual corruption of organized law enforcement, but were at least honest about their failings. Inspector Du Bois had been a frequent collaborator of yours in the past, feeding you information when his investigations hit a roadblock in his department.
You decided to get the point. "I'm looking into a problem for an associate. Seems they have an issue with pets."
"Oh?" Du Bois says, "Sounds like that nasty infestation downtown."
"Yes, I do believe it's similar. Only, my associates' problem began in a specific place." You take out your screen and pull up an image before slipping it to Du Bois. "Third North Tower. Have you heard of it? It's supposedly quite the apartment complex."
And also the place where the birds first began to emerge, if what the citizens at borough hall had to say was to be believed.
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: ESPIONAGE 4. Lady Lezi has ESPIONAGE 8.
You rolled: 12.
12 + 2 + 2 (Knows About Third North Towers) = 16. Major Success!
Du Bois takes a look at the photograph before sighing and taking out a cigarette.
"If we're going to talk about this, I'm gonna smoke."
"By all means."
He lights up and inhales. He holds for a second before blowing out a lungful of sweet-smelling smoke, "Damn, syth-cigs. They just don't taste the same."
He takes a few more drags before speaking.
"Okay, Third North Towers. I should have known that's where those damn birds came from. That place is cursed."
"How so?"
"It started a few days after Old Screamy moved in the QZ. We got reports about missing persons from that building. Dozens of them. The city was in chaos—worse than it is now—so nobody thought too much about them. Except, here's the weird part: all of those missing persons came back."
You pause. "They all returned?"
"Like nothing ever happened. They all denied anything unusual occurring; just said they got caught up in the chaos in the city. It was suspicious as hell, but, like I said, everywhere was on fire. There were other things to worry about."
"Strange. But I'm not sure how that makes that apartment complex 'cursed'. Unless . . .?"
"Yeah, there's more. The missing persons thing kept up for another two weeks, right up until it got weird enough that the brass decided to investigate. Then, all reports out of Third North stopped."
"People stopped disappearing?"
Du Bois snorts. "People stopped being people. We didn't get any reports out of there; no complaints at all. There was, what, a few thousand people in that building? You have any idea how rare it is to go one night without someone complaining that their neighbor's speakers are too loud? Or having to break up a fight or two? Let alone nothing for weeks? It was unnatural."
"I don't suppose you'll tell me an investigation was launched then?"
Du Bois takes another drag and puts out his cigarette. "Hell no. The higher-ups loved it. They've got elections coming up and it made the crime rates go way down."
"Inspector Du Bois," you say, "I've known you for some time. I know you have a curious mind. Someone like you could never let this simply lie."
Du Bois taps on the table before swearing under his breath. "You got me. Okay, I'm gonna send something to your screen. You didn't get it from me. Watch it."
True to his word, you suddenly get a notification. It's a video file. You download it and begin to watch. It takes a second, but you realize it spliced-together surveillance footage of what appears to be various floors and common areas of Third North Towers.
It's . . . hard to watch. Piles of bodies, everywhere. Corpses. Bloodstains on every wall. Men, women, people of all ages. It's an abattoir of humanity, but what's more . . .
"Birds didn't do this," you say. The wounds on the bodies—they're not indicative of animals ripping someone apart. They're clean, uniform, and made by tools. Looking closer, you can see some bodies holding weapons. You realize some of the victims had been stabbed, some had been savagely beaten with blunt instruments, and some . . . some had no marks at all.
Those people died with peaceful expressions on their faces.
"Yeah," Du Bois says, "I don't know what happened, but something made all those people kill each other. The next day, the birds showed up."
He's bouncing his leg furiously, chewing on the butt of his cigarette.
"Captain made me bury it. Said it would be an embarrassment to the department. An "unacceptable loss of faith in the Citizen's Militia" given everything we're dealing with."
"And then the birds."
"And then the birds," he agrees, "We lost our chance to figure out what the hell happened there. Maybe you still can."
You nod. This has been valuable indeed. But still . . .
"Is there any other aid your department can give Justice Unlimited?"
"Like what?" Du Bois grunts.
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 4. Lady Lezi has OPERATIONS 5.
You rolled: 1.
1 + 0 = 1 Critical Failure!
You're too embarrassed to admit you can't think of anything.
"We can't exactly help you with the birds," Du Bois says, "We still have some of those shield generators from Vailant Silver, but it's not worth my life to take them out of the armory. Especially with her dead. I'm sorry, Lady Leizi."
"It's alright, Inspector. You've done more than enough." With that, you stand up and leave.
* * *
Armed with the knowledge of what you were facing, you were more prepared to attempt to deal with the shadows infesting downtown. Whatever their source was, it lay in Third North Tower. You simply had to get there.
But that presents a problem in of itself. You could ask Black Swan to distract the swarm while you approach. It would make it vastly easier to get to the building and move undetected. Black Swan would not be at risk either—the swarm could not do permanent damage to her core body.
But then you would be without Black Swan for whatever you found inside the building. You have confidence in your own abilities, but you would be lying if it wasn't reassuring having a girl with the power of the stars at your back.
Ultimately you decide . . .
[ ] to investigate the building on your own, while Black Swan distracts the swarm.
(all checks will be done with only Lady Leizi's personal stats. +2 to ESPIONAGE checks.)
[ ] investigate the building with Black Swan at your side.
(all checks will be done with both Lady Leizi and Black Swan's stats. -2 to ESPIONAGE checks. Any HIT check passed by over 5 will require an OPERATIONS check to ensure that Black Swan does not accidentally damage the building)
Both Black Swan and Lady Leizi have one level of injury.
Descriptions of gore, bloodsport, psychological abuse, brief allusion to the death of an animal.
[X] to investigate the building on your own, while Black Swan distracts the swarm.
Horizon, City of Levithan's Rest – Worker's Mitt – November 18, 2067
The next day, you try again.
Your target is clear: the Third North Tower complex located on the intersection of Third Street and North Avenue. It's not a terribly creative name, but it does make it trivial to find.
That and the nuclear star of gravitational force above you.
Black Swan took to her assigned role of "distraction" with gusto. She seems to have taken your failure the day prior as a personal slight, and is carving through the nightmare creatures with nearly palpable glee.
She even took it upon herself to review footage of some of Novalight's old battles. She was using several of the former leader of New Dawn's tactics, most notably, using her superior speed in the air to maneuver below her targets before firing upwards. From that angle, she does not have to worry about collateral damage and is free to make her blasts as powerful as she wants.
You watch from your concealed vantage point with no small level of awe. Part of you wonders if you even need to infiltrate the building—Black Swan was doing such an admirable job that she might destroy the shadow-creatures before you found their source.
But it would be terribly uncouth of you to sit on your hands and watch your junior do all of the work. So, tearing your eyes from the impressive display of raw power, you slowly approach your target.
Third North Tower is a luxury high-rise apartment building that sticks out in the downtown area like a brick gargoyle. You can tell from the confused mishmash of architectural styles that it was built around thirty years ago; the ground-floor lobby is all brick and warm colors meant to invoke a Hummelstown Brownstone, while the upper part of the building is all glass and curved windows. You can almost see the exact moment funding initially ran out and a corp bought the building to finish construction.
It's an ugly building to be sure, and you idly wonder if you would be doing the Worker's Mitt a favor if Black Swan destroyed it. But, no, you were not a thug and its destruction would take any answers about what happened within its walls.
So, into the breach you go.
The birds race to the beacon that is Black Swan in a steady stream, leaving your approach unnoticed. As you get within a block of Third North, a few things become apparent.
First, every entrance and exit to the building is barricaded from the inside, as if someone were trying to keep something out—or, you suppose, something inside. Second, the fire-escapes are all broken and shattered, shards of metal ladders and platforms littering the ground around the tower. There was no way out of the building except the front. Third, and most importantly, whatever made the shadow creatures was not limited to just birds.
The ground floor of Third North and the surrounding street was patrolled by large, stygian dogs. They were massive—their heads would have been level with your shoulder—with unhinged jaws constantly slathering and blood-red eyes whirling in their sockets. You freeze in place as once passes you and thank your lucky stars you had Black Swan running interference; there was no way you would have had the time to spot the dogs while under attack from the birds.
Still, now you do not have Black Swan to help you fight them. You do not relish your chances in a direct confrontation with them . . . so you decide to—how would Nora put it?—use your fucking head.
DC 10.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 6. Lady Leizi has OPERATIONS 5.
You rolled: 10.
10 + 0 = 10. Success!
And use your head you do—without the swearing, thank you Valiant Silver. On the east side of the building, you spy a bank level with the fourth floor of Third North. Space in this part of town was at a premium, and so the buildings were all constructed in close proximity. The bank was close enough that there were several broken windows in Third North you might be able to reach with a long enough leap. It would certainly get you into the building without having to fight man's best friend.
Sure enough, after scaling to the roof of the bank, you get a running start and leap across the gap and through a window.
You scrape your arm on a shard of glass, but are otherwise unharmed. You see a shadow-dog sniffing the air and looking in the area of your jump, but then lower its head and walk away.
You look around the deserted room and see nothing out of the ordinary. The same cannot be said of the smell. You know what decomposing bodies smell like, and that is definitely the oder that assails your senses. With a sigh, you move into the building.
You suppose the easy part is over.
* * *
As a child, you learned three lessons that still defined you to this day.
The first came when you were four years old. You were too young to understand the concept of "organized crime" and the toll it might take on a person living in a world like that. To you, it was normal. All you knew was that your mother was always sad unless she was with you. So, with all the innocent logic of a child, you decided you would never leave her side.
One night, she came to your room while you were sleeping and told you that you were going on a trip. She had already packed your bag—you just had to follow her and stay very, very quiet.
You got as far as the edge of the borough before your father's men caught you.
You still remember your father coming to you as you sat shivering in your room. It might be your first, real memory. There was no love in those eyes. No mercy. As he explained that you would never be seeing your mother again, the only thing you saw in those eyes was the lesson he was trying to impart.
Disobedience is death.
* * *
Aside from the elderly couple in the apartment, you saw remarkably few bodies on this floor. You suppose Inspector Du Bois may have edited the footage to show you the highlights, not the endless stretches of empty hallway. Not that you were particularly complaining mind you.
The rapturous expressions on the bodies that still held the knives used to cut their own throats were burned into your mind's eye.
You eventually find yourself in a stairwell that terminates on the 11th floor. Sticking your head out, you see that this is some sort of recreational floor with an olympic-sized swimming pool and gymnasium.
Inside the gymnasium you see that all of the equipment and benches have been pushed together to form a crude ring. In the center of the ring were about a dozen bodies of various people holding improvised weapons—dumbbells, knives strapped to brooms, even one man with a sledgehammer. Half were dressed in red, the other half dressed in blue.
And in front of all was a chair piled high on various exercise machines. From there, you would have a front-seat view of the entire ring.
You ill-like what this implies. The beat of your heart nearly drowns out the hum from the fluorescent lights . . .
DC 12.
Stat Check: ESPIONAGE 6. Lady Leizi has ESPIONAGE 8.
. . . wait., That sound you hear is not just the hum of the electrical lights. There is another tone, lower, like a growl. No—like a purr. You look across the room and see, hidden beneath a weight-lifting machine, is a great, shadowy-cat grooming itself.
No. . . it's more a panther with oversized tusks jutting out of its mouth. Were it not for the glow of its eyes and the sounds it was making, you would have missed it entirely. But, as is, you've managed to see it before it has seen you.
You debate ambushing it before, slowly and deliberately, grasping a dumbbell off the ground and throwing it into a haphazard pile of equipment on the other side of the room. You give it a high arc so that, by the time it lands, you have repositioned yourself.
It knocks over the pile with a loud clatter, and the panther silently darts across the room with razor sharp claws extended. Your gratitude to be behind the monster is beyond words as you silently slip away.
* * *
The second lesson came when you were eight.
By that time, you understood what living in your father's world meant: isolation. You had no other children your age to play with, no one who understood what it was like to be a lonely girl. You just had your tutors and the crushing weight of your father's expectations.
Your only friend in the world was an English Bulldog named Macduff who followed you everywhere. Macduff was an ancient dog by any standard—with rotting teeth and only one good eye—but he loved you and that was enough. He was the one bright spot in your world.
Until one night you were forced to attend a dinner with your father and his subordinates. You were bored, tired, and you missed your mother. One of them—you can't even remember who—made a joke about her being gone, and you burst into tears. You cried and cried and couldn't stop no matter how your father commanded you or how hard you tried. Eventually, he had you removed with a promise to punish you for your "outburst".
That time, he made you watch. As he took Macduff from you, as he cut away another piece of your heart, you learned the second lesson.
Love is a weakness.
* * *
As you emerge on the 23rd floor, you know you're running out of time. Through a window, you can see that light still glimmers and blooms in the distance—Black Swan continues her offensive against the birds, but not even she can last forever. You move with as much speed as you can afford while remaining hidden.
The 23rd floor is another common area, one with a great library that is novel in that it actually seems to have a selection of paper books. Equally novel, but infinitely less enjoyable, are the crude gallows erected in the center of the room.
The smell comes back in full force as you eye bodies still dangling from the rows and rows of platforms covering the room. Men, women, all kinds of people were hung with seemingly no regard for how to cut them down afterwards. Around each poor victim's neck is a sign that details their various supposed crimes such as "thievery", "assault on a knight of the kingdom, and "promotion of ill morals."
However, the most common offense listed by far is "sedition".
DC 15.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 8. Lady Leizi has OPERATIONS 5.
You rolled: 16.
16 - 1 = 15. Success!
You've seen this before. Not personally, but in the files back in the Apiary. You once again curse the loss of Justice Unlimited's home. What you wouldn't give to be able to access the information contained there right now.
Still, the handiwork is undeniable—Le Petit Prince had been here. You were fuzzy on the exact details, but he was the rare metahuman capable of controlling other people. He wasn't actually a child, rather, he was a short man in a near-permanent state of mental arrested development. Towarri and Yasmin defeated him nearly seven years ago, and he has been rotting in Wonderland ever since.
Or, "had" been, you suppose.
He had never been considered a major player in Horizon. Word was, his power had some caveats that made it short of true mind control and limited in effectiveness. But, looking at the carnage around, you wonder if that threat assessment had been accurate.
You eye a "sedition" sign. The picture was starting to come together, and you did not care for it even in the slightest. You're distracted enough by the revelations that . . .
DC 15.
Stat Check: ESPIONAGE 6. Lady Leizi has ESPIONAGE 8.
. . . you almost miss the massive snake slithering around the bookshelf behind you. Its head was large enough to swallow you in one bite, and its body was thick as a tree-trunk. You can see its reflection in a shattered computer monitor in front of you as it begins to line up a strike.
Distantly, you can also hear someone sobbing. Or screaming. It's hard to tell, but you have a feeling you've found your target. Now, you just have to get past their final protector.
You slowly move until a reading table is positioned right in front of you. Right as the snake lunges, you fall forward and flip the table so it's standing on its side. The snake rockets past you, tearing through the table like it was made of wet newspaper.
You never expected the table to stop the snake, but now it cannot see you. You roll to the side and pull yourself on the snakes back before it slithers by. You take a moment to find your balance and then race up the snake's back. It's just beginning to turn its head—flickering tongue tasting the air for you—when you reach the junction where its head meets its body.
You aim a knife-hand and, with the power of lightning, strike through the snake's skin, past muscle and sinew, and sever its spine.
You fall to the ground as the snake dissolves into a black storm of dust. You can hear the sobbing getting louder, coming from one of the library's private study rooms. You flip your hair and start forward.
Time for some answers.
* * *
The third and final lesson came on your thirteenth birthday.
You felt the cool grip of plastic and wood as your father slid a gun into your hand. As you eyed the bound and gagged man kneeling with his back to you, your father told you it was "time to join the family business".
The man was helpless. You didn't even know his name. He was just someone who had disappointed your father.
You knew disobedience was death.
You knew that love was a weakness.
And you knew that your father was a monster. But that day, as you wordlessly aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, you learned something else:
You were a monster too.
* * *
"No! No! Get away! Get away! Getawaygetawaygetawaygetawaygetaway—-!"
The creature in front of you is disgusting, caked blood and her own filth. Her eyes are wild; her pupils shrunken, the whites wide, eyes rolling around madly focusing on nothing. You don't even know if she can see you.
She's emaciated—much too thin—like she hasn't eaten a good meal in a long, long time. Her hair is stuck to her face in matted clumps and her clothes are so bedraggled that she would be naked if it weren't for the large crow sitting in her lap. It opens one eye and gives a half-hearted "caaw" before closing it again and snuggling closer to its hysterical master.
You try to speak to her, "My name is Lady Lei—"
"Liar! Liar!LIAR! Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup! SHUT UP! You all LIE! You leave and come back different! You're not people anymore!"
An English Mastiff laying in the corner chokes out a "woof" before going still again. Curled into him is a cat, fainlty breathing. Around the person's neck is a limp snake. You eye the woman . . . girl? The person speaking. She's nearly foaming at the mouth.
"They all leave and come back! And they do things! What HE tells them! You think someone's safe and they're NOT! THEY LIE!THEY ALL LIE! Get away from me, get away from me, just get away, get away, get away—"
You try to think of what to say—what you can possibly say—to this person. You wrack your brain; what would Yazmin do?
"I'm . . . a hero. I'm here to help."
"LIAR!" she screams so loudly a blood vessel bursts in her eye, "They all lie and they hurt! They hurt! They hurt! I won't let them hurt anyone anymore!"
You see her shadow move and begin to crawl over the bird in her lap. She is the source! Her metahuman ability begins to bend the light around the crow and in a moment you will have to deal with another shadow creature.
You couldn't get her to believe you. You couldn't get the people at town hall to believe you. You . . . you can't do this.
But as you look at your hand, sparks dance around it. You could take her out, right now. Before her power manifested. Hard enough she wouldn't be able to do anything.
But would she even survive? Another voice in your mind asks. It sounds like dead friends. Will the great Lady Leizi give up, just like that?
You want to scream back at it to leave you alone. You want to ask how dare ghosts impose this responsibility on you? You want . . . no. You wonder. You wonder if the voice could be right.
You don't have any more time to decide. You have to act now. You know the truth. You . . .
[ ] . . . know that you cannot be anything other than what you are. You strike the girl down.
(DC 5, HIT 1).
[ ] . . . know you can be more. You try to talk to her.
(DC 15, REPUTATION 10. A failure on the check will result in an injury level. The check may then be rerolled with a lower DC and Stat Check. Subsequent failures will result in additional injury levels and further lower the DC and Stat Check).
Lady Leizi has one level of injury!
This is a big one. This choice is important in ways that are both obvious and not obvious.
Please be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.
