Issue #3.8: Intermezzo pt. 1
New
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Oh God, Who's in Charge Now?
-[X] Lady Leizi
-[X] Châtelet
[X] Ambrosia Dose: Dreamer From Beyond Our World
-[X] [Seraph] (Potency 6)
-[X] [Memoria] (Potency 4)
-[X] [Steadfast] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (Potency 1)
-[X] Potency Reductions (- 3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency Of Dose: 10
[X] Mystery Box
[X] Read them in.
-[X] Lady Leizi
-[X] Châtelet
[X] Ambrosia Dose: Dreamer From Beyond Our World
-[X] [Seraph] (Potency 6)
-[X] [Memoria] (Potency 4)
-[X] [Steadfast] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (Potency 1)
-[X] Potency Reductions (- 3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency Of Dose: 10
[X] Mystery Box
[X] Read them in.
Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—Just Outside the Apiary—February 2, 2068
You are Phillip Evans.
You pull up to the Apiary bright and early, desperate and hopeful at the same time.
You are the boy who wanted to be a hero so badly that you stole a suit of experimental power armor, and you're running out of time. You had been confined to medical after the "Oliveira Incident" for observation, but there is nothing physically wrong with you. You're not wounded, you're not bruised, and even the memory of that pain has been dulled. That . . . person had healed you.
You still don't understand what happened, even after being debriefed over the last three days. Valiant Gold had turned into . . . something? You had been in a courtroom? And there had been a trial? It's still tough for you to wrap your brain around. What you do remember clearly was that you had been judged . . . and found worthy.
Just barely, but still. Worthy. Worthy even after stealing your armor. Worthy even after attacking Justice Unlimited. Worthy even after being a jerk to Ms. Oliveira.
Worthy because you realized those things were wrong and, despite the fact you're a big coward, you tried to fight when it mattered.
Even now, you feel a warm glow just thinking about it. Except . . . yesterday you were cleared to return to active duty. Which means your handlers are expecting new data from The Brass Shield. Which means you have until tonight to fix your armor, or you're going back to jail.
You gulp. Thank goodness Doctor Silver was so nice!
It had been easy to borrow a flatbed truck and drive your broken armor over to the Apiary. Plasticity—Spencer—had helped you. He had been acting weird after having a huge fight with his sister, but, when had caught you trying to, uh, borrow the truck, he didn't rat you out. He even got you the keys, legit! With everyone worried about the massive breakout at the Brig, no one even noticed you leave.
Man, you would not want to be Silvio right now. He's gonna get blamed for that too, probably.
You pull up and park in a small lot outside the Apiary and then . . . you have no idea what to do. Doctor Silver said you weren't allowed inside, but he also didn't tell you how to contact him.
Umm, maybe you can knock on the front door? Man, this place is huge.
You get out and then realize your next problem: your armor is really, really heavy. You're struggling to move it off the truck bed and onto the dolly you brought, when you lose your balance and start to fall.
Oh no! Either your armor is going to break more or it's going to crush you! You make peace with death when, suddenly, you . . . don't fall. In fact, the armor suddenly feels much lighter, how—oh. There's a guy helping you now.
He's a huge Chinese guy in his forties with slicked back hair and a friendly face. He smiles at you.
"Whoa there! You nearly got smashed!" he says as he helps you lower your armor to the dolly, "And—wow—this armor is so cool!"
"O-oh, thanks," you say lamely, "Umm, I'm The Brass Shield."
"Wait, from Crusade?" he says frowning, "I thought you guys sucked or something? What are you doing here?"
"We kind of do," you admit, "But my armor broke in my last fight and Doctor Silver said he'd help me fix it so . . ."
That brings his smile back. "Wooooow. He's going to help you fix your armor even after all the stuff Crusade's been saying?! What a guy. Justice Unlimited really is the best!"
His giddy grin is infectious and you find yourself smiling too. "Thanks again for the help, um . . ."
"Oh, sorry!" he says quickly, "I'm Hu Wei! You can just call me Wei! It's awesome to meet a real live hero, even one from Crusade."
"Y-yeah . . ." you say, unsure how to respond. You don't think he meant to insult you. Before you respond, he starts helping you lift the other parts of your armor. You decided to not press your luck and accept his tacit offer.
"Man, this stuff is heavy!" he says when you finish, "Lucky I was here, yeah?"
"Definitely," you agree, "Thanks again! And, uh, what are you doing here if you don't mind me asking?"
"O-oh," he says, suddenly bashful, "Umm, well, I've been hanging out here the last few days. I, uh, well, you see, it's . . . I want to see if Justice Unlimited will hire me as an intern!"
He blurts out that last part, embarrassed.
"As . . . an intern?" you echo.
"Yeah!" he shouts, "I sorta . . . just got out of prison. So I have no skills or education or anything! But, I love heroes and Justice Unlimited is the best. So maybe they need someone to get coffee or lift boxes or something?"
He rubs the back of his head shyly.
"My mom passed and my sister got a job while I was locked up," he says, a shadow falling over his face, "I missed out on a lot. So, I figure, I better start chasing after my dreams while I still can, y'know?"
". . . yeah, I kinda do," you say. And you really do. Your life's been nothing but trouble since you stole The Brass Shield, but . . . you can't say you regret it. You got to meet people like Ms. Akane and, now, you're finally acting like a real hero. You couldn't do that if you had just stayed Phillip.
The two of you fall into a companionable silence as you walk toward the Apiary and a hopeful feeling blossoms in your chest. Maybe it won't be so hard to get inside!
That feeling lasts until you hit the entrance. As it turns out, getting here was the easy part.
The hard part is: there's kind of a line.
* * *
You are Shelley Marie.
Something is up. You'd bet your bottom dollar on it, whatever that is. You just can't figure out what.
People say you're nosey, but you prefer to think you just pay attention. People like their routines—if they suddenly change, it's usually for a reason. And Justice Unlimited has been out of routine for a week.
Ellie has been in the infirmary, but no one is allowed to see her. But you know she's awake because Mona and Doctor Silver are constantly bringing her food. Handyman has been extra quiet lately, but he's not been spending time in the gym, so he's not frustrated. Meanwhile, Menagerie Witch—who everyone pretends to not know is Mr. Chaucer's adopted daughter, Maddie—has been watching you, and seemingly everyone else, like a hawk.
Something is up.
But the something that is the most up is that no one has seen hide nor hair of Lady Leizi or Châtelet.
This wasn't unusual per se—you could sometimes go days without seeing a member of Justice Unlimited and Lady Leizi was particularly elusive—but what was a red flag was that Châtelet missed her meeting with you and Soraia.
When she had heard that the two of you were going to help her fix Justice Unlimited's accounting, she had burst into tears. She had been bombarding your screen for weeks with schedules and meetings and plans . . . then, suddenly, poof. There was nothing. Nada. Zich. A big, fat zero.
You had, ah, taken a walk to see if you could find some clues about what was going on. Said walk had just so happened to take you right to Lady Leizi's office, but when you opened the door and the walls moved. And the floor. And the ceiling. You had taken the hint and, that night, you dreamed of a golden child wagging a finger at you.
You decided to wait after that.
. . . was this building alive?!
House of Leaves-nonsense aside, now you were on your way to Ellie's room after being invited to a "mandatory meeting". As you reach the infirmary door, you knock before entering. Someone tells you to come in, so you open the door. As you do, you see some familiar faces.
Ellie sits up in her bed looking tired, but otherwise fine. Next to her is Mr. Chaucer, who looks serious, and Handyman, who seems distracted. Then, there's a woman with dark hair and an eyepatch you don't recognize, dressed like a musketeer. Next to her, Doctor Silver looks disgruntled, and Menagerie Witch is acting tough with her arms crossed.
It's cute!
Strangely enough, the anchor from QCN is also here, Takanashi Chihiro. Except . . . wait, didn't she quit and get a new job? Does she work for Justice Unlimited now?!
You're salivating a little from how juicy all of these revelations are.
Soraia nods as you enter the room, and next to her you recognize Mr. Song, the tai chi instructor. What's he doing here, you wonder? But you forget your curiosity about him in the next second when you see who else is in the room.
He's just a few years older than you—and actually younger than Soraia—but his eyes look ancient. Despite that, he lounges indolently in a chair, with his feet up on the window sill. You suppose you should call him "Simão", but it's tough to think of the former spree killer as anything other than his moniker:
Cain.
He gives you a lazy wave and turns his head back to Ellie, who nods.
"Good," she says without preamble, "You're all here. We can begin."
"What is going on?" Soraia demands, "Shelley and I were supposed to meet with Châtelet so we could discuss Justice Unlimited's finances, but she never appeared for our meeting. And Lady Leizi has become even more impossible to track down! And—"
She looks at Cain, her expression complicated.
"—what's he doing here?"
"Putting my feet up," he says with a relaxed grin, "My P.O. can't get mad that I'm not at work if I was specifically asked to be here."
Mr. Song snorts at that, but Soraia still looks conflicted and Handyman grows. Ellie silences him with a hand and continues to stare at all of you.
"That's what we're here to discuss," she says, answering Soraia's questions, "But first: a warning. What we are about to discuss does not leave this room. You tell no one without approval. Not your spouses, not your family, not anyone. Powers sent Scarlet Maturity after us to learn this secret. Crusade was founded to uncover this truth. There are only three people not in this room who know what I'm about to tell you; two of them are hard at work on it now, and Black Swan has left to get the third."
She pauses to let that sink in. Mr. Song is sitting straight up, Soraia slowly nods her head in assent, and even Cain looks more focused.
You? You feel that familiar crackle of excitement when you stumble onto something big. You feel like it's what drives you sometimes—that and helping people. And if you can help people by dragging a dark secret into the light?
All the better.
"If you tell anyone, we will know. There will be consequences," Ellie continues, "If you want out, now is the time to leave. No one will blame you."
None of you move.
"Very well," she says. Leviathan's Blood, this girl is too intense for her own good. She breathes in and then says, "What you are about to learn is this: What is Project Prometheus?"
* * *
You are Gentleman James.
You are probably about to die. Ah, such a shame. You had so much you wanted to do! There were still so many people to charm, things to see, cars to drive! Yet, the Reaper comes for us all eventually. There is no outrunning it.
You just wish your particular end didn't look like a train with a face on it. You feel like a little dignity in death isn't asking too much.
"Gentlemen James, focus," Renee shouts, her barrier flying around her like a frantic butterfly, "Derail that train!"
"If only it were so easy!" you shout back.
Sure, she makes it sound so simple! Alright, you could chain the train to the ground, but it is moving so fast that it may merely rip free of the earth. Still, it's your best bet for slowing it down . . .
You realize it's looking at you as it speeds forward. It sees you looking and then gives you a bloodthirsty grin. You get a sinking feeling in your stomach.
"FuCk, ThAt's CrEePy. I hAtE lOoKiNg At It AnD iT'S oN mY sIdE!"
Warpstar's upper torso emerges from your back, and he covers your eyes with his hands.
"SoRrY aBoUt ThIs, BuT tHe BoSs Is GeTtInG rEaL sIcK oF yOuR sHiT. mE? i LiKe YoU. yOu'vE gOt A cOoL hAt. WaIt! CaN i HaVe YoUr HaT aFtEr YoU'Re CrUsHeD?!"
You fight to move his hands, but his grip is like iron. You hear Renee swear as the train gets closer.
"I'm afraid the hat stays on, even in death, my friend," you reply.
"WhAtEvEr. I'M tOtAlLy TaKiNg It OfF yOuR cOrPsE aFtEr YoU'Re PaStE."
You want to continue arguing, but you're out of time. Dollman and Warpstar had ambushed you and Renee during a patrol on the border of the NID. Monarch had been quiet since the memorial, so the unexpected aggression had caught you off-guard.
It seems she was moving to eliminate New Dawn once and for all. Gabriel's doomsday scenario come true.
You're praying to all the saints you remember from your childhood, when a sound shakes the world. A sonic boom.
"Ah, CrAp. FuNtImE iS oVeR."
Then, Warpstar disappears and you can see. Just in time to be blinded again by a radiant light that sweeps in front of you.
"N-novalight?" you ask, confused, but, when the brightness fades and you see the melted train, you realize your mistake. It's not your departed, former leader. It's Black Swan!
"Meu flor!" you cheer, "You are radiant as always!"
"Oh! Hiya, Gentleman James!" she calls back. She's in her usual costume with a messenger bag slung around her waist. "Wolong sent me over to help! Good thing I came over to talk to you guys about something!"
"I'll hear anything you have to say!" you shout back, helping a panting Renee up, "But first, we deal with our unexpected guests!"
"Right, right, one step ahead of ya!" she says. Then she crosses her hand, one sticking straight up with the other overtop it forming a "T".
"Time out!" she calls at Warpstar.
Dollman climbs out of the remaining part of the train, wearing suspenders, short pants, and a mask shaped like a porcelain doll's head. He pulls out a colorful gun and points it at the descending Black Swan, but Warpstar smacks it out of his hands.
"ShE cAlLeD 'TiMe OuT', DuDe. DoN'T bE a DiCk."
"O-oh. S-sorry," Dollman says, scratching the back of his head.
"Hey-o," Black Swan says, waving, "I gotta talk to New Dawn today, so I need you guys to go away, please!"
Warpstar and Dollman look at each other and then look back.
"W-we're, k-kinda in the m-middle of s-something . . ."
"That's why I brought bribes!" she says cheerfully, reaching into the bag around her waist and pulling out an envelope, "Warpstar, Chihiro's getting back into modeling in her spare time, and she has some headshots she autographed for you—"
"GiMmE! gImMe!" Warpstar snatches the envelope out of Black Swan's hand and eagerly tears it open, "Oh! ThErE'S a PeRsOnAlIzEd MeSsAgE oN tHe BaCk! 'DeAr WaRpStAr, ThAnK yOu FoR aLl Of YoUr SuPpOrT. yOu'rE wErE rIgHt, I rEaLlY dId EnJoY tHe BiG o. ThAnK yOu FoR tHe ReCoMmEnDaTiOn. PlEaSe StOp ThReAtEnInG tO kIlL pEoPlE'—aWwWw, My OsHi ReAlLy DoEs CaRe AbOuT hEr FaNs!"
"Yeah, but you need to stop calling OCN! Juan Bonfim hasn't left his apartment in weeks, apparently.
". . . I'M sTiLl GoNnA."
"Whatever!" Black Swan goes into her bag and pulls something else out. "Okay, this one is for Princess. It's just a prototype, but we're starting to merchandise . . ."
Black Swan pulls out an action figure of herself, maybe ten inches tall. She hands in over to Dollman who holds it up to his mask and examines it closely.
"Hmm. G-good sculpt on the f-f-f-faaa . . . head. Lots of articulation . . . w-wire in the c-cape for p-posing . . . o-oh, voice l-lines?"
"No ifs, no butts, no coconuts!"
Black Swan rubs the back of her head, embarrassed.
"I-I need to check f-for bugs and b-bombs, b-but it's a q-q-q-qua. . . good. It's good," Dollman pronounces.
"Gentleman James, we should attack now," Renee hisses in your ear, "While Black Swan has them distracted!"
"My dear, today, I believe discretion is the greater part of valor," you disagree, "I'm not certain either of us will survive if this fight resumes. Your shield has to be nearly depleted."
Renee grits her teeth, but doesn't disagree. Meanwhile, Black Swan is offended.
"Bugs?! Bombs?! It's a toy? What kind of sicko does that to stuff to toys meant for kids?!"
Warpstar and Dollman just stare at her.
"O-oh," Black Swan says, realizing, "I'm sorry, it's—wait, no I'm not! You killed a bunch of kids and your mask is creepy!"
Dollman looks over to Warpstar.
"It's PrEtTy OfF-pUtTiNg, YeAh."
Dollman slumps and looks down, seemingly hurt.
"I-I like it . . ."
"Well, no one else does!" Black Swan retorts, "Why do you dress like a giant kid anyway? Don't you build toys instead of play with them? Can't you be like a . . . old-man toymaker or something?"
"Oh, LiKe A gEpPeTtO tHiNg."
Dollman looks back up and strokes his chin, considering. "I-I don't h-hate that . . . b-but isn't G-geppetto m-more about p-puppets than toys? T-That's M-Marie's thing . . ."
"So?" Black Swan says, "You'll match! Everyone knows you have a thing for her."
"W-w-w-w-what?"
"I tOlD yOu It WaS oBvIoUs."
"Wait, really? I was just making things up! Wow, Maddie was right. It does work . . ."
". . . it makes me angry how likable she is," Renee says as you both stare, mouths open. They banter for a few more minutes about Dollman's crush until he and Warpstar leave and Black Swan flies back over.
"Guuuuuuuuys! Are you okay?!" she says fretting over you both.
"More than okay, thanks to you!" you assure her. Renee says nothing, so you elbow her ribs.
"Shit, Andre!" she hisses, "And, um, yes. Thank you for the assist, Black Swan. But . . . what brings you here?"
Black Swan freezes, and her expression turns serious.
"We've got a tinnnnnnnnsy, little problem. We're going to need New Dawn's help. Ummm, kind of . . . all of your help."
"Oh. I see." That's all you can say. What else can you say to that?
The sinking feeling comes back.
* * *
You are Wolong.
You walk through the Apiary, a small part of yourself still in awe at the sheer size of the complex.
The rest of you is filled with anxiety.
"Need you to come over ASAP. We'll explain more there, but it's a—" Black Swan looked side to side before finishing—"seeeeecret. And Ellie's still in the infirmary, so she can't come over here—"
"Ellie has been hospitalized?!" you exclaimed, sitting up. You had been expressing your gratitude at Black Swan saving your team when she dropped this bombshell on you.
"Who's Ellie?" Juan asked, confused.
You and Black Swan answered at the same time.
"Heavenly Astrologian's daughter."
"Valiant Gold . . . duh?"
"Wait, Heavenly Astrologian had a kid? And she's Valiant Gold now? Cool," he yawned, scratching his stomach. He had been on night duty and you had woken him up.
"Is this about her?" Renee demanded, looking confused.
"Yes, very, and no. Now come on!" Black Swan called, all but dragging you out of the room.
Now, she's leading you and your team to the infirmary, annoyed at the speed you're traveling at.
"And you're certain she's alright?" you ask for the dozenth time. Black Swan bites a nail through her glove.
"She's more intense than usual and keeps asking me to come over and then doesn't say anything, sooooo . . . I guess?" Black Swan says, "She kinda turned into a god for a little bit so—"
"What?!" you exclaim.
"Explain later!"
You round the corner, to find Mendicant pushing a wheelchair containing—
"Arc?!"
"Wolong," Charlotte greets, "I was asked to come as well, and Alice was kind enough to bring me.
"Oh, hey guys, it's just me, Mendicant, world's greatest healer. No, I'm doing great, thanks for asking! I just got to drive Lady Leizi's car to pick up Charlotte here, and I think I saw the face of God in the process, that's all!"
"You drove Lady Leizi's car?!" Gentleman James says eagerly, "What was it like?"
"Like riding a unicorn naked through a field of flowers. I think I peed a little."
"Glorious."
Normally you would be amused by the byplay, but there's only one thing on your mind as Black Swan bursts into the infirmary and you follow closely.
But as you walk in, you realize the room is already crowded. There seems to be a different meeting already ongoing.
"You can't be serious!" a Brazilian man in his 30s laughs, looking incredulous.
"You can't be serious!" a dark-haired woman shouts at the same time, looking stunned. She looks over at the man. "He—"
"This isn't a debate," a stern voice interrupts.. Everyone here has been screened, but the final decision belongs with Lady Leizi. However, we may not have the luxury of—"
The voice cuts off and you look to the head of the room. There, in a bed looking tired but otherwise okay, is Ellie. You feel something in your chest unclench.
She gives you a nod, before turning back to the woman. You also notice an older man and a woman with a bright red shock of hair sitting next to the other two. They also look stunned.
"Well . . . that's the real purpose for bringing everyone here today. Now that the rest of our guests are here, we can get to the pressing matters."
Black Swan flits to her side. Also around Ellie is the rest of Justice Unlimited, Joelle Chaucer the Famine Slayer, a metahuman with an eyepatch you don't recognize, and an orange-haired woman who looks familiar but you can't place. Ellie's expression softens for a second before she turns back to you.
"Thank you for bringing Arc, Alice. You can stay for this meeting as well, if you wish, or you may leave."
"And miss all this hot gossip?! Hell no! I'm here to stay!"
"Very well," Ellie nods. Then she greets each of you in turn. "Gentleman James. Miss Naught. Palisade. Dreamcatcher. Arc. Wolong. Thank you for coming. Everyone please sit wherever you can."
You can almost hear the unspoken Uncle Gabriel in the air. You feel sad all of the sudden. Ellie looks so grown up now in this moment—she's become an adult while you weren't looking. But more than sadness, you also feel pride.
Pride and regret that you're just "Uncle" Gabriel to her.
"It's our pleasure," Charlotte says, once Mendicant t has wheeled her in, "While the history of our teams has been acrimonious, the new era of cooperation between New Dawn and Justice Unlimited has been nothing but a boon for us all. You need but call and we will come."
"Yeah," Juan says. He's unable to find a chair, so he just sits on the floor. "Hey, quick question? I thought Lady Leizi didn't lend out her car to anyone? Like anyone."
You pause. That . . . that is unusual.
"And where is she anyway? And Châtelet? Did something happen and that's why you're in charge right now?" Juan asks, "Does it have anything to do with that messed up dream I had where you turned into Red Iustitia, Blind Judge of Heaven and fought a giant flesh-mountain- thing?"
There's a stunned, confused silence in the room as everyone stares at Juan. Then, the four people who were here before, the woman with orange hair, and the Famine Slayer turn to Ellie.
". . . I'll start from the beginning."
* * *
That you're shocked when Ellie finishes her story would be an understatement.
There has been an active metahuman cloner for over twenty years? Who had copies of you and your entire team serving her? Justice Unlimited went to war with Crusade? Valiant Justice was using other people to fuel his armor? Yara Oliveira, Lady Leizi, and Châtelet are missing?
And that's not even touching the true power of Ellie's armor or this "Hand" monstrosity. Ellie was very light on details about what happened aside from that they fought and, as a result, Yara, Lady Leizi, and Châtelet disappeared. You're certain there's more to the story, but you decide to hold your peace for now.
Virginia, however, does not.
"Wow-wee, girl!" she cheers, slapping Ellie on the back, "I guess bad-guy-butt-kicking runs in the family! You're a regular chip off the ol' block!"
"Noooooooo, don't say thaaaaaaaat . . ." Black Swan murmurs. Ellie grits her teeth and sets her jaw, but doesn't otherwise react.
"That is . . . astounding," Charlotte says, eyes shining, "But, then, why bring us all here? To warn us of this 'Hand of the Mysteries'?"
"Nah," Juan says, snacking on a donut he found . . . somewhere, "They need us to help find Double L and Châtelet, duh. Wolong's got the power for it."
He points to you.
"Of course I'll help," you say immediately, "But . . . you didn't need all of New Dawn here just to ask me for aid, did you?"
"No, we didn't," Ellie agrees. Doctor Silver harrumps, but doesn't say anything further. The woman you now know is Belle Sabreuse moves to place a hand on his arm, before thinking better of it and pulling back. She sits with the rest of Justice Unlimited, but also seems apart from them, somehow.
Ellie shifts in bed before continuing.
"The chain of command for Justice Unlimited is . . . limited. Lady Leizi is in charge, and Châtelet is her second. Between the two of them, they have more experience as heroes than the rest of us put together."
She points at her team.
"Black Swan has had her powers for four months. I've been Valiant Gold for even less than that. Doctor Silver was with Justice Unlimited for a long time, but as a non-combatant researcher, not a hero or someone who was involved in the organizational hierarchy—"
She says that last bit sharply and seemingly waits for Doctor Silver to say something. He doesn't, but this has the feeling of a well-trod argument.
"—Menagerie Witch is fifteen, and Handyman isn't comfortable being in charge. Justice Unlimited has no leadership when we need it most."
". . . I think you're doing very well right now, Valiant Gold," you say gently. Black Swan beams at you.
Ellie grips her blankets with a white knuckle-grip. "Maybe as a field commander. But I can't keep this organization running."
She looks at Black Swan.
"We can't. Not alone."
"Then what are you trying to say?" Renee says, narrowing her eyes.
"We need experienced leadership to keep Justice Unlimited running while we look for Lady Leizi. And . . . and if we can't find her."
Ellie sighs.
"Someone with experience organizing patrols, maintaining day to day operations, managing information networks, and, most importantly, someone we can trust."
Your team is smiling at you, Virginia and Andre beaming. Juan is watching with rap attention, while Charlotte gives you a proud nod. Only Renee has her brow scrunched.
"You, Wolong. We need you to lead Justice Unlimited."
You feel a torrent of emotion. Flattery, pride, apprehension, fear, but mostly shock that Justice Unlimited trusts you this much—
"Justice Unlimited wants to join New Dawn?" Renee says, confused, "You want to come back after all these years?"
Andre shakes his head. "My dear, that's not what they're saying."
She looks around at everyone. "Then what . . . ? Are we supposed to join them?"
"Not yet," Chaucer says, speaking for the first time, "There's much to discuss, much to do, none of it without Lady Leizi's consent . . ."
"Are you serious?!" she shouts, "Why would we join you?"
She looks at the rest of you for support.
And she finds none.
Virginia rubs her head, guilty, and doesn't make eye contact.
"Ollie has friends here . . ." she mumbles.
Juan just shrugs and Andre puts a hand on Renee's shoulder.
"Perhaps we should hear them out . . ."
"You can't be considering this!" she shouts, pulling away, "Why?! We're New Dawn! The first hero team! Why would we join them?!"
She points at the quartet from earlier.
"And what are they doing here?!"
"Palisade," you say gently, "I think I know. But it's not my secret to share."
You look to Ellie. She looks to Black Swan, then Doctor Silver and the rest of her team. They reach a consensus as a group, and she looks back at you.
She gives a single slow nod.
Renee watches the whole exchange. She looks to you for answers, begging for you to help her make sense of this.
You look at her. You look at your whole team. Honestly, it's been . . . difficult keeping this from them. They trust you absolutely, with their lives. It's wrong you would keep something of this magnitude from them, but, again, it was not your secret to share. But now that you've been given permission . . .
"The honest truth is . . . the era of New Dawn is over. Justice Unlimited has proven themselves to be worthy successors. No, more than successors. They have inherited the original promise of New Dawn and surpassed it. The founders of Justice Unlimited have left us a gift valuable beyond imagining. Before her death, Valiant Silver—"
You're interrupted by a loud knocking at the door.
"Occupied!" Menagerie Witch shouts, "Fuck off!"
The knocking continues.
"I'm sorry!" a voice calls from the other side of the door, "But this is an emergency!"
"Natalie?" Doctor Silver asks, confused, he looks over to Handyman who shrugs and opens the door. A dark-skinned woman in her twenties with braids stumbles in.
"Uh, Ms. Rhodes," Doctor Silver says to the woman who is obviously his daughter, "Whatever seems to be the problem?"
"Scarlet Maturity is outside the Apiary, right now!"
You forget to breathe. As does everyone else, judging by the silence in the room. Everyone, that is, except for Black Swan.
"Oh, poop!" she says, bopping her forehead, "That was today?"
* * *
You are Phillip Evans.
Suddenly, you don't feel very much like a hero. Instead, you feel like someone who has jelly-legs and who really needs to use the bathroom.
Scarlet Maturity is right there.
He's even bigger in person than he looks in pictures. Photos don't do someone thirteen feet tall justice. His arm is bigger than your torso, his horns as long as your leg. He's tapping his foot impatiently at the Apiary's entrance which has disappeared and turned into a blank expanse of wall. The casual motion makes the ground rumble.
"Whoa . . ." Wei says, mouth agape. Then his eyes start shining and he looks at you and says, "Wait! Do you think Black Swan is going to come out and chase him off?! Oh man, that would be so cool!"
"What was that?"
You let out a yelp as Scarlet Maturity turns to face you and Wei. Wei instinctively backs up, but then squeezes his fists and holds his ground. He takes one step forward and points at Scarlet Maturity.
"Evil-doer!" he shouts, "Justice Unlimited will punish your wicked ways! Black Swan has already kicked your butt once, hasn't she?"
"A charitable interpretation of events."
"You're just mad because it's true!"
"Wei, what are you doing?!" you hiss at him.
"Buying time!" he whispers back, "Justice Unlimited will come out any second now. Just watch!"
"I agree with the dumb guy!" another voice whispers. You leap a foot in the air as a man with shaggy brown hair and square glasses is suddenly next to you and Wei. He's holding a copy of The Great Gatsby.
"Where did you come from?!" you yelp as Wei jumps back too.
"That's not important!" he shouts, "What is important is that fat guy over there in the suit with the briefcase!"
He points and you follow his finger. Sure enough, there's someone who matches that exact description standing outside the Apiary with you. You look back to question him about why the guy in a suit is important, but, when you look back, he's gone.
Which is probably smart of him, because the ground shakes even more as Scarlet Maturity walks over to you. He's somehow even bigger up close and your knees nearly give out from fear. He crouches down and makes his head level with Wei's.
"I'm memorizing your face for later," he says matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, well, that's very frightening!" Wei shoots back, not flinching, "Because you're very scary."
"Wei that doesn't sound tough!" you cry.
"I know, man! I panicked!"
Scarlet Maturity gives a smile filled with dagger-like teeth and you're sure that you and Wei are about to die when a voice rings out.
"Scarlet Maturity, where are you?" Black Swan shouts from the air, looking around, "If you're scaring people I'm gonna kick your butt!"
"This proves nothing," he growls as he pulls back. He stands up and shouts at her, "Your building won't grant me access. Rectify the situation before I take you up on that offer to fight."
Black Swan drifts down with her hands on her hips, frowning, "Weeeeeell, you're definitely not allowed in the Apiary. Buuut, I'm kind of in the middle of an emergency meeting and I can't just leave you here . . . Umm, I guess letting you into the food court should be okay?"
"You want me to wait around for you in a food court? Are we children at the mall?" Scarlet Maturity says, disgusted.
"There's a Burger Burger with the impossible burger-stack challenge! You get your photo on the wall and a free t-shirt if you finish it all!"
". . . do they have a size 25XL?"
"What? I don't know! I don't care! Go eat your burgers!"
Black Swan drifts toward the Apiary with Scarlet Maturity in tow. The wall opens up, but you swear it's almost reluctant about it.
You look at Wei once they disappear, and he shrugs at you.
"Burgers sound good?" he offers.
"S-sure," you say, still dazed. You walk toward the entrance to the Apiary.
It slams shut in your face.
* * *
You are Shelley Marie.
Your head is still spinning, even as Black Swan pulls you, Soraia, Mr. Song, and Cain down a hallway in the Apiary that you're pretty sure didn't exist until just now. You still can't process what you were just told. The purpose of Project Prometheus was to give regular people superpowers?! They wanted to turn you into a superhero?!
You would be lying if you said you didn't dream about having powers as a child. You let go of those idle fantasies when you turned twenty and it was clear you weren't a metahuman, but, hearing what you just did, those feelings have come back in force.
Would you be able to fly? Shoot lasers? Teleport? You'd make a pretty nifty vampire with your red hair. Or maybe something music-based? That thought excites you. Solferina had powers based on her songs, right . . .?
Suddenly, you feel very guilty, thinking of Linh. Your powers could partially come from her, couldn't they? How would Addie take that?
. . .would Justice Unlimited be willing to consider the daughter of a departed hero as a candidate? Ugh, now you understand why it has to be so secret. Just the possibility is a frightening level of responsibility.
You shake your head. You're getting carried away. You're just a candidate. And while Justice Unlimited seems to be on the up-and-up, some of the other candidates give you pause . . .
Cain notices you looking and shrugs. Seems like he's confused why he was selected too. You look away, feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught. Besides, it's not your place to judge. Cain—Simão. Simão has apparently been a model parolee. Perhaps he's truly reformed and, if he has, who would know better than Lady Leizi?
You look back at Simão and give him a smile. That seems to baffle him and he nearly trips over his own feet. He quickly catches himself, and gives you an odd look, but there's no time to decipher that right now.
You're arrived.
The hallway opens up, and Black Swan leads you to her "super-special, sudden emergency mission". You're a little rueful you can't witness what appears to be Justice Unlimited subsuming New Dawn, but she seemed desperate. As you look around the food court, you can see why.
Scarlet Maturity is sitting at a table with a truly absurd number of food wrappers in front of him and a much-too-small t-shirt stretched around his neck.
You're not the only one staring. Mr. Song is rubbing his eyes like they're deceiving him.
"Okay everyone, special mission!" Black Swan announces, pointing at Scarlet Maturity, "Keep Mr. Grumpy Gus here entertained until I get back!"
"And you!" she shouts at Scarlet Maturity, "No murder, no maiming, no hurting while I'm gone. Or I'm not hanging out."
The horned beast rolls his eyes, but doesn't argue. Black Swan nods, seemingly satisfied, and then zip away.
Leaving the four of you alone with someone who out-masses all of you combined. Someone is making a high-pitched keening sound. It might be you.
No one says anything for much, much too long. It's beyond awkward. It's awkwarder. It's awkwardest. Time isn't a flat circle, it's a Möbius strip of uncomfortable silence.
Then Simão gets bored and sits down across from Scarlet Maturity, feet up on the table.
"Huh. A carbon-fiber nanoweave. Kelso-Allard if I'm not mistaken," he says looking at Scarlet Maturity's legs. He gives a little grin. "Space-pants?"
Scarlet Maturity leans over, his eyes narrowed.
"Do you know what it looks like when someone's head is squeezed until it pops?" he growls, demonstrating the motion with one hand. Soraia involuntarily makes a little sound.
"Yes!" Simão says cheerfully, "I crushed a man's head in a doorframe once. It was amusing to see how his eyes popped out of his skull as it was smashed! Would you like to hear the story?"
Scarlet Maturity tilts his head. He then leans back and crosses his arms.
". . . I'm listening."
* * *
You are Wolong.
You would be lying if you said you weren't slightly amused by the open-mouth expressions of shock on your teams' faces. Keeping Project Proemetheus from them had been difficult—if understandably necessary—and you're almost giddy with relief at finally being able to loop them in.
The idea that Justice Unlimited wants you to lead them, however temporarily, is a stunning revelation of your own that you'll deal with in time. One you'll process once everyone has recovered. Or at least once Renee has closed her mouth.
"You're all new heroes?" she says to Justice Unlimited, "And all of your powers were created?!"
"Tiny, adorable witch girl is au natural," a smirking Mendicant says, "But the rest? Oh yeeeeeah, Justice Unlimited is on that fairy godmother shit!"
Menagerie Witch narrows her eyes at that, but there's an undercut of amusement to her. The rest of your team is similarly losing their minds.
"Meu deus," Andre swears, his hat pulled over and over his heart, "This changes everything—"
"For the better!" Virginia interrupts, "I can't tell you how annoying it was watching every half-decent metahuman get scooped up by a corp. If we can make them on demand—!"
"I know, think of the merchandise!" the orange-haired woman cries, "T-shirts, posters, keychains . . ."
"Bedsheets, backpacks, action figures—" Virginia continues.
"Marketable plushies!" they finish in unison.
Charlotte is crying, but they're happy tears. She's too overcome with emotion to speak.
Only Juan doesn't seem to have a major reaction.
"Wait, you guys just figured this out?" he says looking around, "Really?"
"No," Virginia calls, "Bullshit, you did not know—"
"No, it's obvious, right? They get all of these super-powerful, unknown metas out of nowhere, they asked for our medical records for seemingly no reason, they asked you and 'Dre to scout non-metas with 'heroic dispositions', and doesn't Black Swan just have Novalight's powers?"
No one answers him.
He rubs the back of his head. ". . . I'm the only one who noticed?"
"She does just have Novalight's powers . . .!" Renee says, turning around slowly, "But Black Swan was on the scene before our alliance. So how—?!"
Menagerie Witch and Handyman shrug in unison. Ellie and Doctor Silver don't react, and Chaucer doesn't make eye contact.
"You stole it?!" Renee demands.
"Yes," Ellie says without contrition, "It was useless until after her death and did not harm her in any way. If you have an issue with it, take it up with Lady Leizi after we find her."
"Did you know about this?" Renee says, turning to you.
"Yes," you admit, "I've reviewed all of Project Prometheus' files. Along with Novalight, Black Swan's powers were created with the DNA profiles of Steadfast, Soldier X, and Crimson Soprano."
Juan lets out a low whistle. "Sweet."
"Take this seriously! Can we even trust them now?"
"Well, duh," Juan says, "They're asking Wolong to be in charge, aren't they? Plus, isn't Black Swan basically the most likeable person ever?"
Just then, Black Swan bursts into the room, closing the door behind her. "Okay, I left the rookies to babysit Scarlet Maturity. He's finished his burgers, but now they're all watching videos online. I figure we got maybe an hour before he gets bored again . . . why is everyone staring at me?"
"See, that!" Juan says, pointing, "Hilarious!"
"W-wolong, come on," Renee says, almost pleading, "We can't give up . . ."
"Palisade," you say gently, "No one is giving up. But we must be honest with ourselves. We've only held back Monarch this long with Black Swan's help. Now, with Ellie—Valiant Gold? We could actually make progress freeing the NID from her grasp. Not to mention, Justice Unlimited is mightier than it's ever been after a scant three months. How strong will they be in another six? After a year? This is where our hope is."
You look down searching for the words. But Charlotte finds them first.
"They've also not been weighed down by the same infighting and paranoia that has defined New Dawn since the Susurration. All they've done, they've done to help people. They're what New Dawn should have been . . . n. They've embodied Valiant Red's ideals better than we ever have."
Charlotte gives a rueful smile. You follow up on her words.
"It's time to give up the reins, Palisade," you say with a touch of sadness, "The future is coming with or without our consent. We can only be grateful that those shepherding it still respect us enough to give us a voice."
Palisade doesn't respond, but her stance relaxes. Doctor Silver crosses his arms and mutters under his breath, "Okay, yeah, he's pretty good . . ."
Before you can interrogate that, there's another knock on the door.
"Hi, sorry, it's Natalie again. Umm, I mean Ms. Rhodes," Doctor Silver's daughter calls from the other side of the door, "I'm sorry to interrupt again, but there's another emergency. A different emergency."
"Jeez," Handyman says, exasperated, walking for the door, "What is it this time?"
He pulls the door open to reveal the young woman from earlier standing with another person. It's a man with messy, brown hair, frameless glasses, a suit jacket, and who is sipping on a coffee and holding a brown paper bag with his right hand. In his other hand is a copy of The Grapes of Wrath.
"Umm, sorry again," Natalie says, "But this man here has asked to meet with you. I tried to keep him away, but he sorta . . . kept getting in somehow. He says he's 'the Eighth Hour of the Horae Guard'.
* * *
You are Shelley Marie.
". . . so, yeah, this guy's plan was flawed from the start. Banks don't actually keep that much cash on hand these days, and safety deposit boxes are small enough that you'll destroy what's inside if you blow them. The thermal lance was a nice touch, but getting in vault doesn't mean much if there's nothing good in the vault—"
Simão sits back at the table, arms crossed, with the air of someone who has just bestowed a great gift upon the world. He gives a proud smile as you're all crowded around Soraia's laptop, watching his vlog.
He apparently had a channel where he did nothing but "review" other crimes, rating them based on their effectiveness, creativity, and "panache". He had suggested watching it after he had run out of stories to entertain Scarlet Maturity. Or, at least, run out of stories he could share in "mixed company".
It was . . . umm, something?
"The presentation in these videos is terrible," Soraia says, "You're just sitting in a chair and talking to a camera."
Simão starts, looking genuinely offended for the first time you can recall.
"Agreed. And it's clear that the 'expertise' that qualifies you to rate many of these crimes is just research you did on the internet," Scarlet Maturity grumbles, getting bored again. "Your insight into gang dynamics and assassination is worth something, but you clearly know nothing about battles between metahumans."
"And you could do better, could you?!" Simão sputters.
"Yes."
"Hmm, then why don't you?" Mr. Song says, with a twinkle in his eye, "I know they upload brawls between metahumans to the StarWorld board on Hero for Hire . . ."
"Why would I—hmm," Scarlet Maturity pauses, rubbing his tiny chin with a massive hand, considering, "That's not a terrible idea. Maybe I won't squish you all."
"I-I'll get my tripod!" you say, not running away. You're just gonna need it to film is all!
". . . I'll create the account," Soraia sighs. Although, you can tell she's interested despite herself.
She looks up at the terror of Horizon and future streamer.
"I'm beginning to figure out what parts of what you say to ignore."
* * *
You are Wolong.
The Eighth Hour of the Hoare guard sits in a chair in the middle of the room, spreading cream cheese all over a bagel. He ignores the hostile stares from Justice Unlimited as he lets out a great yawn. Ms. Rhodes has since fled the room.
"Don't be too hard on the kid," he says biting into the bagel, "She really did try to keep me out, but it's pretty tough to stop me from going wherever I need to. Especially once I convinced your Apiary to at least hear me out."
He lifts up a hand holding nothing, but you see Ellie, Black Swan, and Doctor Silver squint and lean forward.
". . . 'day pass' . . ." Black Swan says, seeming reading thin air, "We have those?!"
"Apparently!" The Eighth Hour says brightly, taking another bite of bagel, "Oh, Leviathan's Blood that's good. I usually can't stay stable in one place long enough to actually eat anything, and, man, this bagel is like sex right now."
"Gross," Juan says at the same time as the woman you now know is Takanashi Chihiro. They make eye contact and then nod at each other.
"Did you two just become best friends?" the Horae Guard asks, "That's so cute!"
"What. Do. You. Want?" Ellie demands, having hit her limit.
"Oh, sorry! Right, right, I'm the Eighth Hour of the Horae Guard, also called the Penitent Scholar. I don't know you well enough to give my real name. I'm here on behalf of the Horae Guard, kinda."
He takes another bite of bagel.
"But I also don't know you well enough to get into that!" he says, "Anyway, I got tasked with finding Yara Oliveira, which I did."
He stops talking and keeps eating.
"And?" Ellie demands.
"Well, I got good news, and I got bad news. Good news is that she's safe. Bad news is that this is a real generous interpretation of the word 'safe'."
Ellie doesn't visibly react, which you know means she's contemplating acts of extreme violence. You cut in.
"Will you tell us where she is? Are you seeking some kind of exchange?"
"Bingo," he says pointing at you, "My terms are simple. I give you what info I can, and you don't take the next guy up on his offer."
"Information first," Ellie says immediately, ignoring the bait about who this "next guy" could be.
"Man, y'know what? I like you," the Penitent Scholar says with a lazy smile, "You and that other woman rattling around in your head? You're like a Valiant Lesbian matryoshka doll!"
You tilted your head at that comment. What did that mean?
"Hey, Wolong," the Penitent Scholar calls over his shoulder, "Baba Yaga missed her last check-in from Neo-Wonderland, didn't she?"
Your blood turns to ice in your veins.
"Yeeeeeah, there are only a handful of places in the world I can't go whenever I want. Your Apiary when it's not cooperating is one of them. Another? The Frozen Throne."
"Y-you're saying . . ." The horror sticks your throat shut.
"Yeah," the Penitent Scholar says, his expression sober, "That's where they ended up, best I can tell. It was good luck they landed near Neo-Wonderland, so at least they're safe for now."
"Leviathan's Blood, Bone, and Brain," Doctor Silver swears under his breath.
That . . . pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?
"So, obvious question, but how do you know that?" Juan says, raising his hand, "You said it yourself, you can't go there right? So how do you know?"
"Oh easy," the Penitent Scholar replies, "I stole the information from someone who does know and raced to beat them here."
There's yet another knock on the door. The Penitent Scholar scowls.
"And there's the asshole now."
"D-dad?" Natalite Rhodes, calls from the otherside of the door, "I need you to open the d-door. P-please."
Doctor Silver nearly barrels you over racing to the door. When he opens it, Natalite is standing there with a short, portly man in a suit with a briefcase. Tears stream down her cheeks.
"What did you do to her?!" he roars.
The portly man holds up a hand. "Nothing, Dr. Rhodes. And might I say, Sandra is looking lovely today? She's driving Nathan to school—terribly inconvenient that there's nothing in the Apiary for him to attend at the moment—and it would be such a shame if their car were diverted to a road closer to the NID. Why, she could be caught in traffic just as a mine planted by Acid Rain misfires and accidently melts them and every other motorist on the freeway."
He turns to you.
"That one is free from my employer, Mr. Kwan. We, of course, have already closed that road. I'll forward you the location of the faulty mine, though we recommend sending Black Swan to disarm it."
He walks into the room, pulls a card out of his pocket, hands it to you, and then sits down. On the card is an emblem of a lituus.
"My name is unimportant. I am a middle-man for my employer: the one known as 'Augur'."
You look at the card in your hand. It reads, "You left your reading glasses in your other robe pocket."
Sure enough, you feel around and they're there. So . . . so that's where you misplaced them this morning. Ellie leaps up, transforms into her armor, and then staggers. The effort apparently is a strain for her.
"Man, you see what I mean?" the Penitent Scholar calls, "I hate this guy."
* * *
You are Shelley Marie.
"Footwork! Footwork! Keep your guard up; you know better than that!"
You put a hand over your mouth to stifle your laughter; you had no idea Mr. Song could ger worked up like that.
"Kei—Counterstrike, he's a boxer! He's only going to throw punches above the waist! Above, you fool!"
"It's why it's important to not be limited to one fighting style. Your power dictates your technique, not the other way around," Scarlet Maturity says, scornfully, "No wonder this 'Can't-Stop-It Ali' has never been more than a small-time robber. Look at how wild his eyes are. He's terrified to be fighting another metahuman."
"How much do you think is even in that woman's purse?" Simão asks, idly, "A few thousand, if he's lucky? What a stupid thing to risk your life over."
Oh, goodness. What else can you do but shake your head? Scarlet Maturity took to idea of critiquing metahuman fights with gusto, and Mr. Song and Simão had surprisingly good rapport with him. You were currently filming their commentary while Soraia managed the livestream.
"How are we doing, anyway?" you whisper to her, "Any one watching?"
She answers by just turning her laptop to face you, her face pale.
"Let's see, that's . . . how many hundreds of thousands?!"
Your eyes go wide too and the mind-boggling number of people watching, holy shit.
The boys continue commentating, oblivious.
"See, another amateur mistake. Counterstrike builds up energy based on how much damage he has taken. Can't-Stop-It Ali thinks he's wearing him down with all these jabs, but he's just playing into Counterstrike's hands."
"How is he supposed to win, then?" Simão asks.
"His waist, strike below his waist! He thinks you're operating by the same rules he is, you fool boy!" Mr. Song shouts at the video.
"He needs to end it with one decisive blow. And, if that fails to take Counterstrike out, he needs to bait him to expending his saved energy. He's doing neither of those things right now."
"How much money are we making?" you hiss at Soraia.
Luck Check: 4. Unlucky!
"Well—"
"Yes, yes, hit him! Well done, my boy!"
"Hmm. Less terrible than expected."
"Wow, that's a compound fracture. How much bone is sticking out of Ali's arm?"
"—we just got demonetized," Soraia says, face in her hands.
You look at Scarlet Maturity and then back to Soraia.
"Well, I'm not telling him."
* * *
You are Wolong.
The man in the suit takes out a handkerchief to mop the sweat at his brow, then tucks it back into his pocket.
"Ah, Ms. Cunningham, Ollie isn't enjoying his time at Beldumview Prep, is he? He should be starting his Earth Sciences class right now, I believe? And Ms. Han, how was meeting the shade of your mother?"
You whip your head over to look at her, but you can't read El—Valiant Gold's face in her armor.
"Oh, and Mr. Gardner? Attempting to follow me and assume my form will only result in Jessica's death back in the United States. Though, given the state of her marriage, that might be a blessing."
"Jess is married?!" Handyman says in shock, "You stay the fuck away from her—"
Valiant Gold holds out an arm.
"Don't. He's not Augur. He was just told to say these things to us to send a message."
"Quite," the portly man agrees, "I do as instructed, exactly as instructed, and my employer provides a good life for me. It's not my place to ask questions."
He stands up, opens the briefcase, and hands you another envelope with a lituus.
"With that, I must take my leave."
And then he departs. No one moves to stop him. The Penitent Scholar flips him off as he goes.
You look at the envelope and feel the weight of it in your hands.
"Well?" the Penitent Scholar asks, "Don't leave us in suspense. I would recommend throwing that thing in the trash, but, if you must read it, do it now."
You open the envelope to see that it's a message written on a single sheet of paper. You beckon Justice Unlimited over, and they and your team crowd around you to read the message over your shoulder. It reads:
Lady Leizi, Châtelet, Yara Oliveira, Dr. Catherine Hawkins, and an unexpected fifth party are currently trapped in The Frozen Throne. I can provide a sure way to locate them, as well as forewarnings about any unexpected dangers. I will assure you that there are many.
My price is simple: a dose of Ambrosia, designed to the specifications below. Deliver it to the location below at the specified time and in the specified manner.
Any attempts to locate myself or determine my motivations will be considered a breach of our accord and invite immediate retaliation.
Sure enough, below that is a formula for Ambrosia. It's even written in the style you've all been using internally on the project.
Augur already knows about Project Prometheus.
"Whoo, he must have written something important!" the Penitent Scholar says, "The look on all your faces! And the Apiary started paying attention again so I couldn't even take a peek."
The Penitent Scholar sits in the same place, but now his glasses are now round, he's snacking on a knish instead of a bagel, and his book reads The Age of Innocence.
How?!
"Don't worry about it," he says, "You'll burn out your power trying to figure it out. I'm your natural predator in a way, but I'm not your enemy here. I'll help you out instead of Augur, but I'll do it for free."
"What's in it for you?" Menagerie Witch says, arms still crossed, "Why help us? Don't you work for the Horae Guard? What's your beef with Augur?"
"Ha!" he laughs, "Well, besides the fact I kind of like you guys now? It's a long story."
"We're not going anywhere," Valiant Gold says, deadly calm.
"Well, okay. The short version is: fuck all of those guys. The medium version is: I have a personal interest in Yara Oliveira's safety. I've already failed her sister, and I want to make good. The long version?"
He holds up a finger dramatically.
"I'm not telling you!" he stands up with a shit-eating grin and stuffs the rest of the knish into his mouth. He pulls out his own business card and hands it to you.
"Call me if you decide to take my offer," he says through a mouthful of food, "Or don't. Whatever. Just don't trust Augur. I know that 'omniscient' act he just pulled was scary, but it was just that: an act. No one can see the future."
His eyes look sad for a moment.
"No one."
He rummages around his jacket and pulls out a grenade. Before anyone can react he pulls the pin and drops it.
"Well, tootles!"
The flash grenade detonates. When your vision clears . . . he's still there.
"Fuck! The stupid Apiary is still watching. Umm, pretend I disappeared in a really cool way."
He sprints out the door.
Handyman starts after him, but Valiant Gold grabs his arm.
"He's going to fight his way out if he has to. Let him go for now."
Handyman grumbles, but he relents. He sits back down, crossing his arms mulishly.
The atmosphere in the room has changed. Everyone is fretful, looking around, spooked. No one knows what to do next.
This is why Ellie came to you.
"None of this changes anything," you say, "Both of them have Augur as their source. We need to verify this information before we make any kind of decision. But, before even that, we need to get organized."
"R-right," Black Swan says, recovering the fastest, "Ugh, I'd better go hang out with Spacepants before he starts eating people or something. I'll be back soon?"
"I think that's a wise course of action," you say, smiling, "And Black Swan? I don't know of anyone who has spent any time with Scarlet Maturity outside of battle in years. See what you can discern about why he is willing to spend time with you."
"Riiiiiight, it's a mission now . . ." She perks up. "Okay! Super-spy Black Swan, on the case!"
She flies away. You turn to Ellie.
"Valiant Gold, can you get me up to speed on—"
There's another knock.
"Oh, you gotta be shittin' me!" Handyman says, "Who is it now?! King? Shitpile? The fuckin' Leviathan?!"
He rips the door open, and Natalie Rhodes is there. She still looks shaken, but her color is better.
". . . yeah, I know. I'm sorry, but, um, Doctor Silver—"
"Everyone knows he's your dad," Chihiro interrupts.
"Yeeeeeeeeah . . . Dad, there's a kid who's been here all morning. Says you need to help him fix some power armor or he's going back to jail?"
"Oh, dammit," Doctor Silver swears, "That was today?"
"You guys really need to get a calendar or something," Juan says.
"My boy, you have no idea," Chaucer agrees.
Doctor Silver gives everyone an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I . . ."
"Say no more," you tell him, "Well, do, actually. But later."
"You got it, chief," he says. He turns to go, but stops in the doorway. "And Wolong? You were the right choice."
He leaves before you respond.
You flush and cough into your hand. "Yes, well, Valiant Gold—"
"Sorry Uncle Gabriel, not tonight," she says. She points at Handyman, "This guy and I have dinner to go to."
Handyman jolts. "That was today?!"
"Seriously! Calendar!" Juan shouts.
"Yes," Valiant Gold says, "And you're not backing out of it. It's been delayed three times already. I rested up to make sure I could go. Now, we are going to dinner whether you like it or not."
She grabs a protesting Handyman by the arm and drags him out of the room. She, too, stops at the door.
"Uncle Gabriel. Thank you."
"Of course," you say. There's so much more you want to say but . . . now's not the time. That you might have the chance in the future fills you with warmth.
Valiant Gold and Handyman leave, Virginia staring after them.
"Wow. She wanted to go to that dinner . . ." She turns to Menagerie Witch. "They datin' or what?"
Menagerie Witch freezes in place, and then a smile of pure delight forms on face. It's as if Christmas has come early.
"Yes," she says quickly, "Yes they are!"
"O-oh," you say, slightly poleaxed. Well, Ellie is a grown woman. She is of course free to see whoever she wishes . . . It's just not what you expected is all.
Chaucer rolls his eyes. "Well, Wolong, I can show you to Lady Leizi's office and help get you familiar with our structure. It's little more than an intelligence apparatus stapled to the skeleton of a real organization . . ."
You follow Chaucer, your mind racing. You tell the rest of your team to resume patrols, and ask Renee to get Black Swan to deactivate Acid Rain's mine before she disappears with Scarlet Maturity. Renee gives you a look and you silently agree to talk later.
As you follow Chaucer, he again apologies for the state of Justice Unlimited's affairs. You tell him it's unnecessary.
After all, how bad could it be?
* * *
You are Shelley Marie.
"Demonetized?! 250,000 concurrent viewers and we were demonetized?!" Scarlet Maturity bellows.
"Is that a lot?" Mr. Song asks.
". . . I should have cross-promoted my channel," Simão says shaking his head.
"I'm writing them an angry email, right now," Soraia snarls, "I've read their content policies; they're just trying to pocket our ad revenue."
"Yes, yes . . ." Scarlet Maturity agrees, reading over her shoulder, "But this 'Chris from Customer Support' is but a pawn. Our true target lies elsewhere."
"Hey! I thought I said 'no bullying'!" Black Swan shouts, flying back into the room.
Scarlet Maturity grunts. "I had to do something to pass the time while you dawdled."
"It's not my fault! Things kept getting weird," she protests, "So what are we doing anyway?"
"I've found a suitable location for our battle—"
"Ugh, no thank you," Black Swan says, crossing her arms in an "x", "Don't you know how to have fun?"
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Weeeell, the second season of Magical Girl Gang: War just started airing and—"
"No."
"Well, I'm going to the open-air market in the Praça do Orixá," Simão chimes in, "Alfonso's birthday is coming up. Why not come along? If you get bored, you can just fight there."
". . . intriguing."
"Fiiiiine. Oooh, I can look for a get-well-soon gift for Ellie!"
"Very good! Anyone else wish to join?" Simão says looking at the rest of you.
"I have to teach a class soon," Mr. Song says, waving his hand, "Next time."
"I'll pass too," Soaria says, "Even if Châtelet's . . . busy, I want to start looking over those books."
"Oh, good idea!" Black Swan says, "Actually, I think Wolong's looking at them now. He, uh, will probably need help . . ."
You and Soraia look at each other. You feel a chill run down your spine.
"Well, see ya!" Black Swan says, and then she, Simão, and Scarlet Maturity walk off.
You stand there with Soraia for a second.
". . . is everyday going to be like this if we become superheroes?" you ask.
"Leviathan's Blood, I hope so," Soraia says, "My oldest is starting middle school soon, and I need something to get me out of the house and out of her way."
* * *
Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest–A House in the Worker's Mitt– February 2, 2068
You are Handyman.
You're sweating bullets and pulling at your shirt collar. Jeez, when did looking like your old self start to feel uncomfortable? You're wearing slacks and a nice, button-down shirt, carrying a bottle of wine to dinner with your dead boyfriend's parents.
Your dead boyfriend's parents who don't know that the two of you were dating.
Oh, and you're bringing a friend. Ellie is wearing a dress for the first time you've seen . . . ever. She looks nice actually, even if her gaze could bore holes through concrete.
"We don't have to do this," you say for the thousandth time, "There's so much going on and I don't even know what to expect from Gus' folks and—"
"Stop it." Ellie looks at you with those eyes. You snap.
"Why do you even care?!" you shout, "Seriously?"
"Because you're always sacrificing yourself for everyone else. You act like your feelings don't matter," she says, "Well, they do. I . . . I saw everyone's heart when I was Iustitia. I saw what they wanted. It made me realize I don't know what I want."
She looks away.
"I think you're the same. Sorry . . . I guess this is about me as much as it is about you."
"Yeah, well, thanks," you say, looking at the wine, "You're right. I don't know what I want. I'd probably run away if you weren't here. So . . . again, thanks."
You both arrive at the door. You take a deep breath.
"You ready?" Ellie asks.
"No. But let's go anyway."
You knock.
* * *
Somewhere Else—February 2, 2068
You are Yara Oliveria. At night, you dream.
But in your dreams, you don't feel the cold of The Frozen Throne. You don't feel the scratchy sheets on your skin or Katie sleeping next to you. You don't feel the anxiety that won't go away despite Lady Leizi and Châtelet's assurances.
You feel safe.
You . . .
[ ] . . . hear the sound of crashing waves.
[ ] . . . feel the warmth of a well-tended hearth.
[ ] . . . breathe in the scent of flowers.
VOTING WILL OPEN TOMORROW EST.
Last edited:
