Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

[Bitterman]

Spoiler: Trigger Warnings

Descriptions of gore, violence, emotional abuse as a superpower.

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] . . . know you can be more. You try to talk to her.

You know you can be more.

Disobedience is death.

Then why did you run away from your father?

Love is a weakness.

Then why was Justice Unlimited so mighty?

You are a monster.

Maybe. But you can choose not to be. Or, at least, you hope you can.

The smartest, kindest people you ever knew saw something in you. Something that made them ask you to be one of them. It might be the foolish dream of a little girl sitting alone in the dark, but, if it is a dream, then you will make it real.

In the space between heartbeats, you make your choice. You don't move toward the girl—you don't strike her down. Instead, you sit down, legs folded under you and hands on your knees.

"I'm not going to hurt you, darling."

From the girl's lap, her shadow envelops the bird in front of her and then bubbles like tar. From the shadow emerges a monster-bird as large as you are with three eyes on each side of its face. The girl huddles behind it and screams.

"LIAR!"

"Yes," you agree, "But not about this. Never about this."

The girl's eyes are still crazed, but you aren't currently being savaged by a monster. You take that as permission to continue.

"My name is Lei Zixuan. Well, that's the name that was given to me. Honestly, I've been "Lady Leizi" of Justice Unlimited for so long that it feels more like who I truly am."

You keep your voice soft and steady, like you're speaking to a spooked horse. She's clutching the monster in front of her with a white-knuckle grip, but she's listening.

"I was once in a dark place. So dark and so deep and so cold that I couldn't see the light above me. I didn't think there was any way for me to climb out of where I was." You close your eyes in remembrance. "I blinded myself to the pain of others. I hurt them with abandon. I made myself content with being who I was and let myself believe there was no other option."

You take a second to collect your thoughts. You feel your throat get tight.

"Then I met some of the most wonderful people in the world. People who could see the light. People who not only guided me out of the dark place I was in, but wouldn't let me go back."

Your eyes sting and it's even harder to talk. But you push through.

"And now they're gone. And I am alone and lost. But, when I look at you, I see someone who is as alone and lost as I am."

A peculiar feeling blossoms inside of you, filling you with warmth and giving you the words you need. "I want to be for you who my friends were for me. I don't . . . I don't know if I can. But I know you need help. I know that, if I could escape the dark place, so can you. So please, please, let me help you."

You see the humanity return to the girl's eyes as she listens to you. You can feel your words getting through to her. So you make a mistake.

You extend a hand and lean forward.

Spoiler: Stat Check

DC 15.

Stat Check: REPUTATION 10. Lady Leizi has REPUTATION 3.

You rolled: 17.

17 - 3 = 14. Failure!

Lady Leizi takes one level of injury! Severe Injury!

"Get away from me!" the girl shrieks, and her bird takes a swipe at you with talons as sharp as blades. The attack cuts deep into your arm until it hits bone, sending a brilliant red spray of blood across the room. You pull your arm back with a startled cry you strangle in your throat.

You can't show weakness here. This girl needs someone to be strong. She needs you to be strong.

"A-apologies, darling," you manage to say, "I suppose I was getting over familiar."

Her eyes are wide, starting numbly at the blood on the ground. The sight of your injury seems to have shocked her out of the manic state she was in.

"I-I didn't mean to—I'm s-sorry. . . i-it was an a-accident . . ."

She starts hyperventilating. You take your coat and wrap your arm—as much to hide the blood as to stop its flow—and continue speaking to her.

"Don't think twice about it. I've been hurt much worse in the past."

Unfortunately that was true.

"We have top notch medical facilities back on Jacob's Ladder. A quick stop over once I'm back and I'll be right as rain."

"J-Jacob Ladder?" she stutters. That seems to mean something to her. "You've been there?"

You seem something in her eyes and seize on it. "Yes, Justice Unlimited maintains a headquarters there. The view is spectacular. Have you ever been?"

"N-no. Going to Elysium is too expensive. Mom said—"

You can see the moment in her face when she realizes her mother is no longer alive. You keep talking; you can't let her dwell on it just yet.

"Who are your lovely friends there? You have quite the menagerie."

She snaps back to reality and cuddles the crow in her lap closer to her chest. She's quiet for a very, very long time before she mumbles into its back, so faint you can barely hear her.

". . . this is Nevermore. He's not a raven, but he's just as cool. My snake is named Apep."

"Oh?" you say, genuinely impressed. "Poe and the Egyptian god of Chaos. Quite a theme you have going on."

She looks up. "You've heard of them?"

"Naturally. You must be a bright girl to pick such elegant names. What about your furry friends in the corner?"

". . . that's Barkavious Rex and Mittens. Mittens' isn't mine she's my neighbor—" the girls eyes fill with tears again.

"It sounds like she's lucky to have you now. And what's your name? If I may be so bold." Your breathing is labored. You can feel the blood soaking into your jacket—it's going to be ruined.

She's quiet again before mumbling, ". . . 'm Maddie."

You smile at her. "Well Maddie, you've been here a long time. When's the last time you've eaten? When's the last time you've had a bath? Be honest."

She doesn't answer. You try a different approach.

"Maddie, you friends don't look so well. I'm not certain Apep has moved since I've been here. Have they been eating? Drinking?"

She says nothing and huddles closer in on herself.

"I know you've been using your power continuously for the better part of . . . three weeks? Your power must take a toll from you, but does it take a toll from them?"

Maddie's eyes widened in horror. You can see that thought has never crossed her mind. She desperately starts to rub Apep, who barely twitches in response.

"Maddie, come with me, please. I can help you, help your friends, I can get you away from here. Do you want to live like this forever?"

She's shaking. You slowly stand up.

"I'm going to approach you, okay Maddie? I'm not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you."

You take a step.

"N-no—!"

You take another.

"Stop, stop, please!"

A third.

"If you're a liar too—I won't . . . I can't take it!"

"I'll never lie to you, Maddie, I swear. I just want to help you."

You're inches from her now. You slowly reach out with your good arm. Maddie is trembling so badly she can't sit still. Just as you touch her—

"Get away from me!"

Spoiler: Stat Check

DC 10.

Stat Check: REPUTATION 5. Lady Leizi has REPUTATION 3.

You rolled: 14.

14 - 1 = 13. Success!

Lady Leizi takes one level of injury! Critical Injury, Adrenaline!

You feel something sharp and invasive piece your back as you pull Maddie into an embrace. She's stock-still, unresponsive.

"I will never hurt you, Maddie. I will never let anyone hurt you. Especially that man. There is a special place in Hell for those who harm little girls."

Something pulls out of your back and you feel your blood leave your body. You feel lightheaded.

"Y-you can't . . ." Maddie whispers in your ear.

"I can," you say, "I'm a hero. We make the impossible real."

Darkness bites at the edge of your vision as you slump forward.

"It's not your fault Maddie. Hang on to that. You didn't deserve what they did to you."

You try to keep talking, but your mouth won't move. Distantly, you hear Maddie screaming.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please! Please don't go! Please!"

You want to say something, anything, but the words won't come. There's a rattle and a burst of light as Black Swan rockets through a window into the library. She's beautiful—like an angel—her silvery hair infused with a brilliant halo of light.

Someone—Maddie?—is begging for help. You lose time for a second, and when you come to you're in the air being carried by Black Swan. You're too far away to thank her or ask where Maddie is, but you try to smile to let her know everything is okay. Everything is wonderful.

You feel so warm.

* * *​

Jacob's Ladder – Justice Unlimited Satellite Headquarters – November 19, 2067

You are Black Swan.

Lady Leizi is alive. You can see her breathing from outside her room in the ICU. You're not in the room with her, but her peaceful expression is clearly through the polarized glass.

It . . . it was close. She had lost a lot of blood. If you had been a little slower, or if the strike had been a few inches higher . . .

Well, you're not gonna think about that! Take that, impending panic attack! Lady Leizi is alive and you still have time to learn! All the crushing responsibility of leading Justice Unlimited isn't on your shoulders.

Yet.

She's hooked up to one of those Ọsanyìn "cellular-regeneration" pods that are worth, like, a hundred million dollars or something. You have no idea how Justice Unlimited got their hands on one, but it's spooky to watch in action. You can see Lady Leizi's muscle and skin regrowing.

Yuck.

You only stare for a little longer to make sure Lady Leizi is still okay, and then turn to look at the reason you're not in the room with her.

"There ya go kid. Like I told you: small bites." Rhys' voice comes from an intercom on the wall. He's inside Lady Leizi's room, sitting next to the person in the bed opposite Lady Leizi.

Maddie.

The room is cramped as it is filled with three people, a snake, a crow, a fully grown Mastiff, and an adorable kitten. Maddie wouldn't let any of her "friends" out of sight nor could she tolerate being separated from Lady Leizi for even a second.

You haven't even gotten to talk to her yet. All she did yesterday was stuff her face, vomit, eat a smaller meal, and then go to sleep. Natalie Rhodes managed to convince her to bathe, but even then they had to wheel a tub to the medbay.

She looks a lot smaller, now that she's clean and not crusted in crud. She says she's fourteen, but she looks eleven years old.

You don't know how you feel about her. When you flew into that building . . . you thought Lady Leizi was dead. You were so angry and upset and scared. You might have destroyed the entire apartment if Maddie hadn't been screaming for help. You would have killed Lady Leizi and this little girl.

Maybe you're not a very good hero.

"See?" Rhys says, "I know you're starvin', but you were starving. Your stomach shrank, so you can't eat too much too fast or you'll make yourself puke."

Rhys volunteered to try to talk to her. You all agreed it was better to not overwhelm her, so you, Mr. Chaucer, and, surprisingly, Dr. Ibis are secretly watching through two-way glass.

Maddie doesn't reply and continues diligently eating the sandwich in front of her. There's a burning look in her eyes that wasn't there yesterday.

You also don't know how you feel about that.

Rhys scratches the dog's ears and smiles. "Aww, who's a good boy? He's a real good boy, kid. What's his name?"

Maddie continues to eat and continues to not say anything.

Rhys sighs. "Hey . . . kid. I know this is the last thing in the world you want to talk about. I don't blame you. But I have to ask you about what happened in that place, in case that guy is still around. I understand . . . some real bad stuff went down."

Maddie stops chewing for a moment and looks down, her face shadowed. You think you hear her mutter something, "You don't understand."

"What was that kid?"

Maddie looks up with tears in her eyes, "Stop saying you understand! You don't understand!"

Rhys flinches and grimaces. Even you realize he made a mistake in his wording. You sigh and resign yourself to having to try again tomorrow—or wait for Lady Leizi to wake up—when the medbay door opens and someone walks in.

It's Dr. Ibis.

He doesn't say anything at first. He somehow wiggles himself to the wall display and changes it to a view of the Earth. He stands there for a long time, silent, before speaking in a far-away, detached tone you've never heard from him before.

"It starts slowly. It's an intrusive thought or feeling. Like a mental splinter you can't quite get out. Maybe it's a feeling of shame that you've let someone down. Or anxiety that you're disappointing someone powerful."

Dr. Ibis turns around and looks at Maddie, his eyes so, so sad.

"Or, in one particular circumstance, it's the feeling of someone trusted telling you that everyone is laughing at you behind your back."

Maddie doesn't say anything, but she turns white as a sheet.

Dr. Ibis turns back to the screen. "It goes away as quickly as it came, and you pay it no heed. But, eventually, it comes back. Stronger this time. It happens over and over and over again until you find yourself subconsciously believing it. Bracing yourself for it."

"Oh God, no," Chaucer breathes, "Dr. Ibis . . ."

"Eventually, you notice him. He's positively repugnant—a disgusting, rude, toad of a man. No, a little boy in the shell of an adult. He's revolting, but for some reason, you feel drawn to him. Like he's the friend you let down, or the boss you've disappointed, or the trust friend telling you that they. Are. Laughing."

Dr. Ibis spits out the last few words.

"So you talk to him. And, wonder of wonders, the feeling stops! It's euphoric. Never mind how you despise this creature, you feel better!"

No one speaks. No one even dares to breathe.

"But the feeling is getting worse. It follows you home, taints every interaction you have. With your friends, your wife, your child. You can't stop the feeling that they're laughing at you!"

Dr. Ibis' slams the wall, his breathing heavy.

"And then you go back to the man, but relief doesn't come. He wants something from you now. At first, it's small things. Easy things. But then asks for more. Expensive things. Humiliating things. Things you would rather die than do, but, if you don't, the relief won't come!"

Dr. Ibis shouts, "He doesn't care about sex or power or wealth. Just control. So you eventually stop thinking and just obey because it's easier, less painful, than having to feel."

There's a terrible mania in his eyes as he walks over to Maddie and grabs both her hands. "But you have to feel Madeline. You can't go numb. You have to remind yourself that they're all lies. It's the only way out."

He touches a scar on his neck and laughs without mirth. "It's that, or shove an implant into your head."

Maddie is shaking. You want to go in there. You want to wrap her in a big hug and tell her it's okay and the bad man will never bother her again. You want to find him and reduce him to atoms so he never can. But Rhys covertly signals you to stay put. Dr. Ibis is onto something.

"I promise you, if there is anyone who understands exactly what you've been through, they are in this room. So, please, don't be afraid."

And Maddie's story comes out.

A few days after the Movement, people in Third North Tower started to disappear. They would just vanish into thin air one day. People looked for them and even called the WMCM, but nobody could find them.

Then, one day, they just came back. But they were different.

Some were odd, staring into space before suddenly snapping back to reality. Others were manic, constantly insisting everything was wonderful. And others were twitchy, lashing out and screaming at everyone.

Maddie's neighbor, Mitten's original owner, was one of the manic ones. She would walk around decorating the building with flowers and singing, but, as soon as her door was closed, Maddie could hear her sobbing.

Then more people would disappear and come back different. It happened for maybe a week before he showed up.

A short, squat man wearing a crown and proclaiming himself Le Petit Prince—the Little Prince. He arrived with the six members of his "court" and declared Third North Tower his "kingdom."

People tried to leave, but his "court" were all metahumans. And everyone who disappeared? They swore undying loyalty to him. Some shaking with terror, some with the hazy demeanor of a drug addict, and some with a fervent, religious devotion. But the end result was this: no one could leave Third North Tower.

Then, Le Petit Prince began to play.

He would have his subjects cook him and his court elaborate, multi-course meals. If anything wasn't to his taste, no one in the building would eat that day. He demanded access to the penthouse rooms and tossed the families who lived there out of the building—literally. He held a parade in his honor and made everyone attend. Anyone who didn't would be "punished".

And his punishments were elaborate. At one point he had the 'genius' idea of creating a fighting pit and having his 'subjects' combat the 'foreign elements'. He would make his followers fight people chosen at random, and the losers were executed. He did this for over a week before growing bored, but by then, something else caught his attention.

People began to fight back. They organized a resistance, made plans to escape the building and get help from the outside. Le Petit Prince loved this. Nothing gave him more joy than hunting down "dissidents" and holding show-trials. It became an obsession, the stink of corpses filling Maddie's beloved library.

But then he made a mistake. He killed Maddie's mother.

Maddie's power first manifested a few years ago. At first, she thought she could just move her shadow—amusing, but nothing spectacular. Then, she realized she could make copies of living things that her shadow covered. She dreamed of growing up and joining Justice Unlimited or maybe, maybe, New Dawn, but when her mother died, she snapped.

She made clone after clone of Nevermore, Apep, and Barkavious and hid them in the empty apartments. There were a lot of them by this point. When she found Mittens, she made copies of her too. Then, when Le Petit Prince was sleeping, she attacked.

It didn't work. His court was very powerful. But it made him realize there was another metahuman in the building, and he wanted her for his court.

Maddie stole a bunch of food and barricaded herself in the library with her friends. She made clone after clone after clone until no one could get to her. Everyday, Le Petit Prince would come by and make her feel things. Guilt. Shame. Despair. Anxiety. Fear.

But nothing was stronger than her hatred of him.

So he tried something else. He would start killing people and told her he wouldn't stop unless she came out. He started making them fight. He told her it was all her fault. Sometimes he would leave, not come back for days, but he would always come back.

He'd send her old friends, neighbors, people she had known her whole life. They beg and plead and cajole, trying to get her to come out. But she wouldn't. They weren't the same people. They were liars.

And still Le Petit Prince always came back.

By the time Lady Leizi found her, she had been out of food for days. She was too scared to go out and find more. She just made clone after clone and readied herself for the finale with Le Petit Prince.

By the time Maddie finishes her story, she has sobbed herself to sleep. Rhys and Dr. Ibis are holding her hands. Your eyes aren't dry either. Dr. Ibis gently strokes the sleeping girl's forehead, and then extracts himself from the room.

You don't know what to say to him when he comes out.

"Dr. Ibis," Chaucer breathes, "I had no idea . . . I'm so sor—"

"Ha! You believed that! Dr. Mammoth Ibis is not only the world's greatest scientific mind, but an oscar-worthy actor!"

"Doctor, you can't be serious!"

You see how Dr. Ibis smile doesn't meet his haunted eyes and you interject, "Wow! You sure had me going! Great job, Doc!"

"Yes, well . . ." Dr. Ibis coughs into his hand before turning serious again. "We're all in grave danger. That's not how Le Petit Prince's power is supposed to work."

"W-what do you mean?" you say.

"His power was effective, but slow. It took him months to establish any kind of control over a person. It's why he was able to fly under the radar for so long. The fool tried taking control of Uiara and moved too fast. She caught onto what was happening and she and The Red Hunteress infiltrated his "kingdom" and freed his victims. Then, Radiant Silvergirl threw him off the top of the Apiary."

He adds that last bit with a vicious smile.

"What Madeline described was much too quick. Control over that many people? In the span of a few weeks? That's something that would have had him hunted down and killed before."

"Why was someone like that even allowed to live?" Chaucer wonders.

"Bah, why else? Someone thought he might be useful one day. So they threw him into Wonderland and lost the key. As much as it would rankle Lady Leizi to hear, that facility did do some good."

"So , what do we do now then?" you wonder, looking at the tiny, sleeping girl surrounded by all that remains of her old life.

Dr. Ibis sighs. "If anyone had the paranoia and expertise to prepare something for Le Petit Prince's return, it was Valiant Silver. We should try to raid her lab. But beyond that?"

He fixes you with the stare of a man with nothing left to lose.

"We prepare."

* * *​

Jacob's Ladder – Justice Unlimited Satellite Headquarters – November 20, 2067

One more thing then.

"Soooooooooo, Mr. deLeon, could you please say that again? I didn't hear you," you say in a sing-song voice.

"I said, Ms. Merola-Morales—"

"Black Swan!"

"Excuse me, Black Swan—"

"Ms. Black Swan! No wait, Ms. Black Swan, ma'am."

"As I was saying, Ms. Black Swan . . . ma'am. The people of the Worker's Mitt would be thrilled to resume our contract with Justice Unlimited."

"Oh?" you say, not bothering to keep a straight face, "So quickly?"

"Yes. Your handling of the crisis downtown restored the faith of our citizenry. And they were quite insistent that we show our commitment to Justice Unlimited."

"I think I can hear them protesting outside your office!"

"Claus! I told you to disperse that crowd! Ahem, nothing like a little civic engagement to show that Worker's Mitt spirit! So, can I rest assured Justice Unlimited will patrol our streets again?"

"Of course! As soon as you pay the penalty clause."

"Penalty—! Now, see here—"

"No, you see here! It's clearly spelled out in not-even-fine print. You violated the contract. You pay the penalty, or we'll void and renegotiation with the next Borough Chief of the Worker's Mitt. When is your re-election, hmmmmmm?"

". . . very well, we'll pay! We'll pay! Now, can I please tell everyone you've renewed?"

You tap your chin and pretend to think. "Okie! And we thank the Borough Chief for his personal donation to Justice Unlimited."

Spoiler: Stat Check

DC 5.

Stat Check: REPUTATION 1. Justice Unlimited has a collective REPUTATION 11.

You rolled: 5.

5 + 5 = 10. Success!

"You. . .! Alright, alright, just call them off!"

"Done!" you say hitting a button on your screen and sending a message. "Okay, bye-bye until next time!"

"Wait—!"

But you cut off the screen and grin.

"Well done, darling," Lady Leizi says from next to you. She had finally woken up this morning. She was still weak, but was giving you an approving smirk.

You didn't have to lead Justice Unlimited yet. There was still time, for now.

But now, you know about the kinds of monsters waiting for you.

Dr. Ibis' words ring in your head.

Be prepared.

______________________________________________________________________________

Gain control of The Worker's Mitt! +1000/per turn!

You gain + 1500 Income!

New metahuman recruited: Madeline du Marseille!

You get + 1 AP!

 

[Kermie]

MrKermie's Ambrosia Candidates - Issue #2

I'm back on it, as promised. Here we go.

Part 1 here.

Candidate Alpha:
Name: Fran Marie
Age: 27
Crossover: Space Oddity (MrKermie's Honkai: Star Rail Quest)
Stats: HIT 6, ESPIONAGE 1, REPUTATION 4, OPERATIONS 5
Tolerance: 4

Chaucer's Notes: Fran Marie is the twin sister of Shelley Marie, and has been personally recommended by Shelley. She's a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, advanced in both Karate and Wrestling, and teaches both child and adult classes in the Worker's Mitt. She's also involved in the Mitt community, but not to the degree that Shelley is. Though, to be fair, nobody's as involved as Shelley. While Fran's combat capabilities are already decidedly lethal, one thing does worry me: she and the rest of her family only moved to Horizon a few years ago. Before then, Fran worked as a private bodyguard for multiple American politicians and representatives of Global Justice.
Lady Leizi: It took me a while to research it, but it does seem like Fran does genuinely love Horizon. She only became a Global Justice bodyguard to try and "make up" for gang activity in her high school and college life. She is also extremely accomplished in close quarters combat. While not to my extent of expertise, she has won a few minor and major tournaments already. The only thing that might be concerning is her unusual amount of obviousness and bluntness— villains might manipulate her, and she's not our most certified candidate when it comes to the espionage and stealth that we might need to do.

MrKermie's Notes: Hey there. This section is just me, @MrKermie, talking OOC. Fran in my Quest is Shelley's split personality. However, here I decided to make them fraternal twins to simplify things a bit. As such, this sheet is written assuming that Shelley has already been picked up as a candidate or become a hero. Fran's stat spread is a reallocation of John's, while her specialty (HIT) is designed to mirror her sister Shelley's specialty (REPUTATION). Her past as a bodyguard for the American government was because I couldn't internally find a way to make her a cop and give her such a good HIT stat.

---

Candidate Beta:
Name: Akemi Kaneko
Age: 21
Crossover: Perhaps For Love, Or Maybe Justice (MrKermie's KR/MaGi Quest)
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 4, REPUTATION 3, OPERATIONS 1
Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Notes: A friend of Rei Maruki's, Akemi was reached by our call for new applicants for Project Prometheus. She's a college student, working on her doctorate in psychology, but she's willing to work as a hero provided she gets a small salary once our Worker's Mitt and OID contracts are working again. She has extremely good grades, and is decently known in her community as a budding socialite with a pleasant personality.
Lady Leizi: Akemi reminds me a lot of a lioness— underestimated, yet cunning all the same. While she doesn't do it often, she's been seen in disguises in the shadier parts of Horizon scamming criminals out of their money with cons, and more recently, card counting in blackjack. (I imagine college still must cost a lot, and it's one way to dodge student loans…) She shows a great talent for espionage and intrigue. Being a psychologist in training also helps, since the average psychologist doesn't have as much experience with metahumans working as heroes. Akemi could be an invaluable asset on the front as well.

MrKermie's Notes: Akemi was introduced literally in the most recent chapter in my Quest. (Along with the talking cat that isn't a cat, but we don't talk about that!) For the rest of the characters in this post, their names will be written in American order (first names written first) to stay in line with the naming conventions of the other Candidates.

As for Akemi herself, even without being an assassin, she's still a schemer to the end. I believe that my questers wrote in her personality as, and I quote: "Pleasant, Yet Scheming."

---

Candidate Delta:
Name: Himari Kuromi
Age: 25
Crossover: Perhaps For Love, Or Maybe Justice (MrKermie's KR/MaGi Quest)
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 5, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 5
Tolerance: 5-7 (I'm unsure)
Chaucer's Notes: While we were putting our advertisements for Project Prometheus, this young lady managed to find us and figure out that we wanted civilians for something dangerous. She's sent her application up to us at the Ladder, and lists an extremely impressive selection of programming languages and tech expertises as her prior experience. From what we've gotten, she was just a normal college student who loved video games and was somewhat interested in superheroes, though I'll leave the rest up to you, Lady Leizhi.
Lady Leizi: Himari here has a history of being an underground hacker who will work for anybody as long as they pay enough. Her autism (which I think she has, I'm unsure). likely compounded with the fact that the Kuromis are known to be a rich family made her into a recluse who just wanted to make enough money to live in seclusion alone. However, she is quite passionate about working for causes she believes are just, and she is extremely prodigious with just about any form of technology. I imagine that she might have wanted to see what it's like up here at the Ladder or talk to Dr. Ibis for fun.

MrKermie's Notes: Hey. remember when I said this?

My guy, the last time I rolled for my quest, you fuckers Rider Kicked a recurring mini boss so hard that she ended up becoming a good guy in training. The dice rolled so hard in my quest that I had to go back to my prewritten plans for the entire arc and change them up.

I think I just have a dice curse/blessing. If I had rolled 1 less, we would have hit exactly 100 with that +15 effect modifier.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Himari's that mini-boss. While she was supposed to be younger than Rei, Akemi, and the upcoming Jun, I decided to make her closer to Rhys's age to make up for the lack of magical bullshit in her backstory. Also, we already have a lot of teenagers (Mona, Maddie, Rei if she comes up.)

I imagine that she'd get extra bonuses to OPERATIONS when dealing with hacking or internet safety, but aside from that, she's only a little bit better than Ibis when it comes to socializing. Oh dear. At least she doesn't have to worry about any implants or too much trauma.

---

Candidate Gamma:

Hm.

…

Actually, you know what…

Metahuman Gamma:
Name: Jun Akimitsu
Age: 26
Codename: Broker
Crossover: Perhaps For Love, Or Maybe Justice (MrKermie's KR/MaGi Quest)
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 7, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 7
(All stats are liable to change)
Powers: Akimitsu has the power to write up what he calls Contracts. With these documents which he can generate, write, and sign out of thin air, he can manipulate anybody's strengths and weaknesses. He can help normal humans use their natural talents to their fullest, and alter metahuman's powers. However, this comes at a cost— for Contracts that he's giving to himself or allies, he has to take away more than what he gives.

For example, he could give Mona much easier regeneration while in direct sunlight… at the cost of capping her flying speed at the speed of a decently fast runner. Or he could give a programmer amazing hacking skills for an hour… at the cost of making them lose proficiency in one of their programming languages when done. As such, he prefers to use Contracts that effect memory (he can just record the person while they're doing their thing) or stacking Contracts as debuffs on enemies.

He can have a large number of Contracts on others, but he starts having to exert himself after 4. His max (without Contracts affecting his limit) has been 8. He generally has two Contracts on himself at all times— he can place Contracts on enemies without their consent but he has to touch them and exert himself a good bit. The other one is mentioned below.

Origin: Jun, also known as Broker, discovered his power at a young age. Naturally, it was extremely confusing at first, but eventually he signed up as an intern for a small department in POWERS, managing some of their money. He rose through the ranks quickly, by using contracts that erased his and his coworker's memories (and then keeping said memories on tape or on a document). However, after seeing… something… he chose to make a contract that would erase his memories of his time working in POWERS permanently, in exchange for giving him the skills to GTFO out of there. (Hence the high ESPIONAGE.) He is quiet yet extremely thoughtful. He's also surprisingly honest for someone with his particular motif— if he has to lie, he does it usually by omitting details or using exact words.

He likely would try to join the new Justice Unlimited after they make any moves against POWERS that are noticeable in the underworld— probably by making a cold call to Lady Leizhi or Chauncer.

MrKermie's Notes:
Surprise! Didn't expect that, did you? In the canon of my Quest, Jun is the "guy in the chair": he's the dude making sure that Rei, Akemi, and Himari don't get stabbed in the back or shot in the head by a sniper during their civilian lives.

But he didn't have any powers, just a decent knowledge of programming and a nice startup budget. Here, I decided to have him already have powers just for kicks (and to save on Ambrosia, but you didn't hear that from me.)

His powers were inspired by two characters that you may already recognize: the Stoneheart Jade from HSR, and Pluto, AKA Yesterday's Promise from Library of Ruina. The contract with the Devil motif has always interested me, and I wanted to explore what a "force multiplier" hero in the vein of Wolong could do. As for power quality, I see him hovering high to mid B-class.

And one last thing before I go: here's what all these characters look like.

• Fran, illustrated by @King_Rule.
• Akemi, who we got a faceclaim for.
• You can find Jun and Himari here, if you scroll a bit. Both their appearances were made in Picrew by me. (Please ignore Himari's terrifying blank eyes, there's a plot reason for that in my quest.)

Thank you for reading!

 

[Dinfinity]

Candidate Storm
Name: Peter Drake (noted to be in the process of changing name)
Age: 17
Stats: Hit 2 Espionage 1 Reputation 2 Operations 1
Tolerance: 7-10 (Some sort of high number)
Mr Chaucer's notes: Peter found out about the project when we sent out "fliers for job opportunities" ( Project Prometheus candidates) and was a generally genial person and noted as one of in horizon at HEMA, Specifically using a glaive, despite only having done it for a year, noted to be in the process of changing their name to "Petrichor" as part of their realization of being Non-binary , other wise they are quite the good candidate if not that good with book learning, commonly being called a "corgi in human form" and a "Himbo" by his classmates
Lady Leizi's notes: Not much to say about the Child except for the fact he sometimes goes into fighting rings to help his mother with bills and to fulfil his need for "Excitement"( Fights) .
another candidate, this time a former character of mine from a discord server ttrpg, they were generally like nemona, only interested in fighting people and friendship, was a dog boy in that world (Referenced by the corgi in human form quote) and had dragon powers (high tolerence) also learned how to make ruby characters and felt the need to use them for the context of implications.

 

[Bitterman]

Jacob's Ladder – Justice Unlimited Satellite Headquarters – November 24, 2067

"Y-you sure I don't look weird?" Maddie asks.

"No!" Black Swan interjects, "You look darling!"

"Yes, you look spectacular, dar—" You pause and look at Black Swan who sticks her tongue out at you. My, my. Mocking your vocal tics? Someone has gotten comfortable.

Barkavious lets out a "woof", and Maddie pets him with a slight smile. The poor girl was doing much better, but was still something of a nervous wreck. Black Swan had taken it upon herself to mentor Maddie and approached the task with zeal. You must admit, her idea to make Maddie a costume was a stroke of genius, as is the final product.

"So, have you decided on your name, Madeline?"

Maddie stands up straight and fiddles with her hat before admitting, "I . . . I'm gonna be called 'Menagerie Witch.' I-if you think that's a good one?"

Spoiler: Menagerie Witch

"I think it's darl—" You do not respond to Black Swans teasing grin. "Wonderful. It's wonderful, Menagerie Witch."

The smile on Menagerie Witch's face makes it all worth it.

Spoiler: Menagerie Witch Powers & Stats

Name: Menagerie Witch, Madeleine du Marseille
Keywords: Construct Creation, Energy Manipulation, Autonomous Creature Creation
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 7
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 6, REPUTATION 4, OPERATIONS 7
Dr. Ibis' Notes: Menagerie Witch's powers are exceptionally well-developed for someone her age. Fourteen years old and already she's reached full-maturation as a metahuman.
Clovis Laurent will burn in hell.
Ahem. Regardless of the circumstance, Menagerie Witch's power affords her amazing flexibility, if not direct combat ability. She's able to freely move her shadow and use it to "clone" any non-sapient living creature. Her clones are solid energy constructs that resemble shadows with red eyes. She's able to pour more energy into the creature during creation to make it stronger, larger, faster, more durable, or in any shape she can imagine. Her only limitations are the amount of time she has to create a creature, the energy she can spare, and the energy taken from the cloned subject.
Menagerie Witch should not use her power to the extent she did during the Third North Tower Incident. A physical revealed she is severely malnourished with a bone density only witnessed in those with osteoporosis. Her pets are not doing much better. It will take time for the damage to heal, if it ever fully does.
Once created, her constructs display a shocking degree of autonomy, by all accounts acting the same as their living counterparts including a loyalty to Menagerie Witch. They can understand and follow verbal orders from Menagerie Witch, though she cannot control them directly nor share senses with them. Once created, they appear to be able to persist for several weeks if left unharmed.
The only drawback is the constructs must remain within several hundred yards of Menagerie Witch. Once that threshold is exceeded, they will automatically disperse.

"Now, come on!" Black Swan shouts, grabbing Menagerie Witch, "We're gonna go do cool poses in front of the big viewscreen and take pictures!"

"N-no! I'm not going to that. T-that would be so lame," Menagerie Witch says unconvincingly.

"Enough you! Then we'll eat dinner. My mom made lasagna!"

"Lasagna . . ." Menagerie Witch whispers reverently with wide eyes. She begins to follow Black Swan before looking back at you with a guilty expression.

"A-ah. . ."

"Don't mind me, dar—love. Don't mind me, love. I have something I need to do that I've put off for much too long."

Menagerie Witch wavers, despite being dragged by both Black Swan and Barkavious.

"I'll be right here when you get back," you promise. You gesture to your hospital bed, "You know exactly where I'll be."

Menagerie Witch bites her lip before nodding and allowing Black Swan to drag her away.

You don't miss the big smile on her face. You hum in contentment before turning yourself to your delayed business.

Seven years ago—was it only seven years?—Rosemary died during the last gasp of The Defiance Unit. She had left wonderful, long, personal notes to every member of the team and sealed them, only to be opened on her death.

You still have yours in your room back in the Apiary. It helped everyone heal after the incident.

A few years ago, someone, probably Harper, had the idea that you should all leave messages to one another "just like Rosie!" Your line of work was dangerous, as were the fights and stances you were picking. Even Towarri saw the wisdom in not leaving things unsaid.

You've had the messages waiting for you for over two months now. You haven't been able to bring yourself to watch them. You haven't felt like you've deserved to. But, seeing a little girl walk away happy after going through hell, you feel like hearing your friend's voices again.

You take a deep breath and begin.

Yazmin

As the recording begins, you see Yazmin pull her wavy hair back before letting it drop. A nervous tic that, once you were aware of it, was impossible to not see. She's wearing her costume—blue spandex with white highlights and a stylized swirl of water on her chest—and clears her throat before speaking.

"Hello, Zixuan. If you're watching this, then I have died."

You refrain from speaking to a video, but can't control the roll of your eyes. Of course she's passed—that was the impetus for you to watch this recording in the first place.

"I guess that's a silly way to start. Of course you know I'm dead—why else would you be watching this?" Yazmin's blue eyes have a glimmer of amusement in them. "No doubt you're rolling your eyes and scoffing to yourself."

. . . well played, Yazmin. Well played.

"The first thing I have to say is, I'm sorry," she says, bowing her head, "I've left everyone when there's so much to do. I just want you all to know . . . I love you and I would be there if I could."

You can feel the sincerity of her words through the screen. A pang of bitter resent wells in your throat. Why was that so easy for her to say?

"You're going to have to pick up the slack in my absence. Pick up Nora too—umm, assuming we're back together by the time you see this. I'm sorry. Those are burdens that are unfair to leave you with."

She pauses for a long while.

"It's . . . hard thinking that life will go one without me. That you all will go on without me."

There's unshed tears glinting in her eyes, but her smile is brilliant and painful and terrible in a way that reopens the wound in your heart.

"Hey, Zixuan, this is going to sound messed up, but I always envied you, you know that?"

W-hat? Preposterous. Why would she envy you? You were the one—

"I know little bits and pieces of what your life was like growing up. I know what you were like before Justice Unlimited. You . . . you haven't had it easy, have you?"

She self consciously pulls her hair back before catching herself. She leans forward and forces the words out.

"Your life is like a recipe on how to make a villain. The stuff you dad did, leaving the Triads, you even had a superhero nemesis. But . . . you're not a villain. You're not a bad person. I know we disagree all the time and I've called you 'heartless,' but . . ."

Yazmin bites her lip and looks down.

". . . if I had your life, I don't think I would be here. I wouldn't have the strength to make the choice you did. I would be a monster."

You sit there, stunned at the admission. Yazmin? A monster like you? The idea is absurd on its face; so ludicrous you instinctively dismiss it out of hand. But Yazmin sits there, her eyes magnetic even in the past. You know she believes it at the very least.

"You are the strongest person I know. Every day, you get up and choose to try to be a better person. I . . . I'm not a good person, despite what everyone thinks. I've done things I'm not proud of."

She sits up and pulls out a screen, which displays a long legal document.

"There's going to be a copy of this embedded in this message. It's my will." She sighs. "You know that I've that I cut ties with my father and all of Ọsanyìn, right? Well, that's only part of the truth. My father would have never left me alone unless I had leverage over him."

She sighs and tugs at her hair again. "Which I do. In the form of control of 8% of the shares of Ọsanyìn Conglomerated Industries."

It's a second before you realize your jaw has dropped. Yazmin owned 8% of Ọsanyìn? Even in it diminished state, Ọsanyìn was still the largest corporation in the world. The amount of wealth 8% represented was . . . was this why Nora never seemed worried about finances?!

"I told my father that if he didn't leave me alone, I would sell my shares to AGL. He only has 40% of the company, you see. It would ruin his dream of taking back control of Ọsanyìn."

Yazmin gives a tight smile.

"It's the only thing he cares about," she says, "But . . . it was a bluff. Vovô left me the shares, sure, but with a stipulation that they could not be sold or transferred to anyone outside of my family. So, now that I'm dead and you're watching this video, that means my shares have gone to my sister, Yara."

You involuntarily open your mouth again. Her sister's name was—

"Yes, yes, my hero name is a different version of my sister's name. I was trying to let her know I hadn't forgotten about her or something—I don't know."

You narrow your eyes. Were you really so predictable that she could guess your reactions?

"Anyway, she already has 3%. So, do the math, she gets my 8% and that gives her 11%. Which, if my father takes from her, will give him a controlling interested in Ọsanyìn. Which would be terrible for everyone."

Yazmin leans forward, toward the camera.

"I'm telling you this because I know you won't say no. Help my sister. Once my father figures it out, he will stop at nothing to get them."

Yazmin barks out a bitter laugh.

"I told you I wasn't a good person."

(You have unlocked the mission: Hero Worship.)

Towarri

Next you, watch Towarri's message. Her silver form fills the screen and she begins speaking immediately.

"Lady Leizi. Or should I say Zixuan? We were never that close, but I think it is acceptable to pretend we had greater intimacy if this is going to be my final words to you."

You can't help but chuckle. Towarri was never afraid to say what she meant.

"I have included instructions on how to maintain all of my terrariums and continue my beetle breeding programs in my stead. I expect you to adhere to all of my instructions precisely or I will return from the dead as a spector and disrupt your sleep patterns."

You see a knit form in her brow.

"I don't understand how that is supposed to be an effective threat. We both know ghosts are fictional. Still Ophélie insisted I say it."

The reminder of Automne's death sends a pang through your heart. That's right, Towarri would have no way of knowing when she recorded this, would she?

"Speaking of Ophélie, I insist you help her find a new relationship after an appropriate period of mourning. A year is customary, but if Ophélie wants to start looking for someone around the nine-month mark so she can start dating as soon as the year has ended, I will not punish her with post-mortem spectral visits."

Her face doesn't change but she stares at the camera for nearly ten seconds.

"That was a joke. I assume you are done laughing now."

She looks side to side self-consciously before leaning forward and whispering.

". . . could you also help Ophélie find someone . . . normal?"

You feel your heart break at that. You want to reach out to her—whether to reassure she's being foolish or hit her for being so incredibly foolish you don't know.

"I've always liked you Zixuan," she says suddenly, "You're like me. We both don't get whatever everyone is talking about when they speak of 'a better tomorrow.' I have the best 'today' I can imagine. I know you feel the same."

Your throat feels dry.

"I'm going to tell you a secret because you're good at those. Do you see this mark on my ankle?" Towarri immediately flips upside-down, her flying to keep her body level in the shot. She slides down her dress and awkwardly raises her left leg in front of the camera.

On her ankle is the image of a star.

"People think I got that because of Valiant Silver, but I had it before. They gave it to me in the place where I grew up."

Her eyes become distant in memory. "There were a lot of kids like me. Kids with powers, I mean. We all got different marks put on us. If you ever see anyone with a sun, lanturn, star, key, or a moon over a crown, they probably came from the same place I did."

Towarri leans closer to the video, still upside-down.

"Be nice to them? I tried to go back to them a few years ago. I got in trouble for it, and the place I grew up is gone now. No one is there anymore."

She minutely frowns. "I hope my instructors are dead. I hope the other kids got out like I did."

Towarri floats flipped in the air, her hands folded in her lap. She's silent for a moment before adding one last thing.

"Oh, and keep an eye on Dr. Mammoth Ibis? He's lonely and we're his only friends, but he has the potential to be the greatest beetle-battler of all time if he can stop cheating."

With that she reaches out and turns off the camera.

Rakeem

You take a breath to steady yourself. This one will be . . . difficult.

Rakeem appears on screen in his human form. He is impeccably groomed as ever—dark hair styled back, goatee and mustache trimmed, his eyebrows meticulously plucked.

You smile. You can almost hear the low rumble of his voice on one of your many road trips. If someone can't be trusted with their eyebrows, how can they possibly be trusted with anything else?

He wears a black turtle neck stretched across his large frame, muscles threatening to burst out. You let your eyes linger for a moment before looking at the gold necklace around his neck. Rakeem sits in a lounge chair—he's the first person you've seen to not just record their message at their desk.

"Zi," he says, "I'm sorry I failed. I am happy, however, that you're okay."

You sigh. Rakeem, ever to the point. He and Towarri were alike in that way.

"With me gone, there will be a great number of responsibilities that will fall to you. Do not let Nora try to take them on. We both know there's too much on her plate already."

Ah, yes. Rakeem recorded this before the vote, didn't he? He didn't know at the time Nora would be "retired."

"If things are bad enough . . . initiate Project Prometheus. Only you, Nora, and I are aware of its existence and, of the three of us, you are best suited to lead it."

You instinctively open your mouth to protest, but Rakeem from the past interrupts you. "No. I can picture your face right now. Stop it. You are."

Rakeem says those last words with such force that the speakers make your bed rattle.

"You have never been able to see yourself the way others see you. But you have it in you to be the greatest of us all. Yaz knows it, Nora knows, and I know it. So don't doubt yourself."

Rakeem lip curls, just a little, and he smirks. "Still doubt me? What? Do you think I'm stupid?"

You laugh. Yazmin once earnestly said that to Nora during one of their many fights. It became something of an inside joke between you and Rakeem—a way to signal that you weren't interested in further arguing a point.

He continues, back to business. "To help you with Project Prometheus, I've hidden a cache of supplies at coordinates attached to this file including. . . the main ingredient. Just be warned—you'll need someone who's either invincible or able to level a building to get to it. I'm sorry about that. Might be difficult."

You chuckle. If only Rakeem knew . . .

"Oh and Zi?" He sits up straight and glares at the camera. "There is a package in there that is marked for your eyes only. Do not let anyone else see what is inside."

You sit up as well. What could possibly be in there that had Rakeem, of all people, so . . . emphatic?

"Zi." Rakeem grabs his neck and looks away. "If I could have one more day. . . I'd go on another road trip with you. One last time."

He turns back, his gaze as sure as the metal that is his name.

"You are enough, Zi. You always were."

The recording ends. It's a long time before you move again.

(You have unlocked the mission: Break Glass in Case of Emergency.)

Eve

Eve is not dead. You will find her and bring Moon River back to Justice Unlimited. You leave the message unwatched.

Nora

When Nora's message begins, you're immediately struck by how recent the recording is. Nora looks the same as the day before the Movement. She also looks terrible, with dark bags under her eyes, her hair unwashed, and her movements frantic. You've seen Nora coming down off using her power, and the signs are unmistakable.

As are the tremors in her hands. They're so bad that she uncontrollably shakes the camera as she readjusts it. She sits in an oversized office chair with her feet pulled up to the seat and addresses you.

"Hey, Zi. I probably look like shit, huh? Well, shut it. I died and I get to look like shit during my last will and testament if I want to."

You smile despite yourself. Leviathan's Blood, she was always so Nora.

"I'm recording this the day after the vote. The night? I have no idea how long it's been actually,: she says, looking for a clock, "Wait, it's been three days? No wonder I smell so bad. Yeesh."

She shakes her head and folds her arms to her side self-consciously.

"You're getting the most recent goodbye from me. I don't know if I'll update everyone else's. I don't know if I have anything to say to them."

Nora looks down, a twisted expression on her face. You can only imagine what she's feeling, if she knows herself.

". . . why'd they do it, Zi? Have this vote behind my back. I wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't told me," she says. She sounds hurt. "They couldn't tell me to retire to my face? They didn't have the courtesy to strip me of the chairmanship while I was in the room?"

You see moisture glisten in her eyes. Nora furiously scrubs her face; she hated crying, especially in front of others.

"How come you understand me? Why can't Yazy?"

For once, you're glad she can't hear your responses. You don't know what to say. You've never known. Every time Yazmin and Nora would break up, every time Nora would disappear into her lab for days, every time she tried again to get her girlfriend to understand the burning need to grow, improve, be better . . . it never changed.

Nora sniffs and keeps going, "So, yeah. They can have the crap I recorded a year ago. If you must, call me pueri. . . uh, puril. . . um. Fuck. What's the word?"

Your heart sinks. There's an all-too familiar blankness to her face as she struggles to remember something.

"Pueri—what? What's the word? Fuck. Puella? No. What's the word?! Shit. What's the fucking word?!"

Nora puts her head in her hands and furiously rubs her face, hands on her temples.

"I . . . shit, what was it?" she looks around the room, like she's never seen it before, "Wait, what am I even doing? What's going on?"

Your heart shatters into a thousand pieces. Nora . . .

She stands up and looks around, shaking her head. "Wait, am I recording? I was . . . gonna tell Zi stuff. Wait, is this already happening? Did . . . Did I forget?"

"God fucking dammit!" she screams, slamming her desk. A number of items fall to the floor with a loud clatter, including a wrench that lands on Nora's foot.

"Ow, fuck—!" Nora starts hopping around the room, cursing furiously. "Great job, idiot! Your power is turning your brain into Swiss-cheese and now you're breaking the rest of your body too!"

She stumbles around the room, in and out of frame, unsuccessfully trying to walk off the pain. It's so absurd—all of it—that you can't help but laugh.

"Shut up, Zi!" Nora shouts from off-camera, "I know you're laughing at me! Yeah, well, I bet you're wearing your stupid sunglasses indoors right now; you can't judge me!"

Nora hops around a while longer before sitting down. So that's how she broke her foot.

"Okay, speed round then. Before I just Rebound-out altogether."

She looks at the camera, her demeanor changed. And like that, there sits Valiant Silver.

"Something is going on with the Leviathan. Its psychic signature has gotten deeper, lower. . ." she sighs, "Okay, bear with me. This is some woo-woo New Age shit that would get me laughed out of a scientific conference but . . . imagine that everyone's, everything living creature's mind is connected to the same place. Like a grand stage. Most of the time, you aren't aware of it. You're in the back, behind the curtain. But if you're a powerful enough physic, if you're in touch enough with the collective unconscious, you can peek past the curtain."

She grabs her arm, tracing the sleeve of roses that tattoos her skin from biceps to wrist.

"I've done it a few times. When I've used the EXCEED armor. You know what I see when I look on stage?"

She closes her eyes and smiles gently.

"A symphony. Everyone's mind drifts in unison. Distinct, but connected. Its . . . beautiful."

She opens her eyes, and her smile is gone.

"But there are four voices louder than everyone else. One is the Leviathan. It's not alive—at least, not alive like we are—but it sings all the same, low, deep, and meaningless. There's another voice, sweet and wrathful. It's coming from Wonderland. From the most powerful psychic in the world."

You don't breathe. Valkyrie?

"There are two more voices, but I can't make them out. They shift and hide and, if I'm being honest, are disgusting. One's like a wax figure of a man that's melted. The other's like if you tried to remake a figure of a person out of the melted wax. But they're getting lounder. And so is the Leviathan."

She grits her teeth and squeezes her arm so hard, her nails draw blood.

"Do you think I want this? Does everyone think I'm trying to Rebound? I knew from the day I learned I was an Algernon-type I would never grow old, but I'm not stupid. I'm doing this because I'm the only one who can see that we're running out of time and I can't make the people in the world I love the most understand that."

Leviathan's Blood and Bone . . . Nora. You had no idea she felt this way. That she was going through all this. Why . . . why didn't she tell you? Did she try and you didn't understand? You feel a wetness drip down from your face and land on your arms.

Nora clears her throat. "Which is my way of saying that I've finished it. The EXCEED-BEYOND armor. It's done."

You freeze in place.

"I know what I did wrong the first time. I'll never be able to use the armor—no metahuman will ever be able to. It will be waiting for you in the Apiary."

Valiant Silver fixes you with a gaze from the past and gives you a command with all the weight of the world.

"Initiate Project Prometheus. It's time."

You exhale and smirk to yourself, the tension broken. Well, in that regard, you're already one step ahead.

"And if you already have and you have that stupid smirk on your face—you smug bitch—then have you figured out another source of goldnine? 'Cuz the R-Train won't let you take any without a fight."

. . . yes, that will be a challenge after your next dose of Ambrosia. Nora could be kinder about it however—that smug bitch.

"I have a lead on that," she says," The R-Train isn't a purely mechanical construction. If it was, then Eve would have been able to take control of it. It's partially biological with its own psychic field. Which means, if you have someone who's sensitive to those or you use equipment from my lab, you might be able to talk to it. Then cut a deal or trick it, or whatever sneaky shit you want to do."

Nora leans back, satisfied expression on her face. "There, cleaning your messes even from the grave. Ain't I the best?"

She luxuriates in the moment before growing serious again.

"There's more I need to tell you, Zi. A lot more. But it's not safe to do it like this. I'll have another message waiting for you in my lab. My real lab, in the deepest part of the Apiary with the Contingency. You'll have to convince it to let you in."

She leans forward, eyes sharp. "You can do it, Zi. Let it know I'm gone. And trust yourself. Remember, the Apiary doesn't just have Rosemary's name. It has her heart."

She looks down at her trembling hands before sighing and looking back up.

"Now, if he's still alive, can you please finally bang Rakeem? We all know what he's into and, as much as it pains me to admit it, your butt is like an 11 out of 10."

You preen at that. You do love compliments.

"I love you, Zi. You smug, fucking bitch. Now, goodbye."

Nora lowers her head and the video ends. You bow your head as well and say farewell to your best friend.

(You have unlocked the mission: Train Kept a Rollin'.)

Harper

You save Harper's video for last. You have no particular reason. You suppose you weren't very close to the woman called The Red Huntress, and perhaps this will be a less emotionally-taxing experience.

You are wrong.

Harper was a bubbly, silly woman who could turn vicious and ugly at the drop of hat. The woman who appears on your screen is neither of those things. Harper's blonde hair is disheveled and her eyes . . . they looked like Maddie's eyes did. She's bit her nails bloody and is constantly scratching at her skin.

You can tell from the window it's nighttime, but every light in her room is on at maximum luminosity.

"Leizi", she spits, "I know you don't really like me. I don't care."

You are taken aback. You and Harper never got on, but you didn't dislike her. Whatever gave her that impression?

"I'm telling you this because I know you're the only one who will do it. You're not scared like the others."

She leans forward, her blue eyes wide and filled with madness.

"I need you to kill my sister."

* * *​

As the video ends, you sit back in your bed at a loss for words.

A power-copier. Harper's older sister was a villainous power-copier.

You suppose it's no wonder you've never heard of her. The last metahuman who could duplicate powers was Copycat nearly ten years ago. He was found three days after his public debut. Everyone knew the threat a person who could copy the powers of other metahumans could pose. No one wanted to give a threat like that time to realize itself.

And Harper's sister had been active for nearly twenty years.

It was a nightmare. "Touch-based cloning of human beings, including metahumans?" "Total subservience?" It was like a funhouse mirror version of Maddie's power. That the clones were short lived was no comfort when she could just make more.

Apparently Harper's parents had been dead for years, and her sister just had puppets parading around pretending to be them. You've met Harper's parents! They were . . . odd. Simple even. But you never for a second thought. . .

You realize that is yet another threat you will have to get ahead of if you are to stabilize the city. At least, now, you have a name.

Socialite Butterfly.

_____________________________________________________________________________

You unlocked mission: Hero Worship!

You unlocked mission: Break Glass in Case of Emergency!

You unlocked mission: Train Kept a Rollin'!

 

[Bitterman]

Jacob's Ladder – Justice Unlimited Satellite Headquarters – November 30, 2067

Between yourself, Chaucer, Dr. Ibis, Black Swan, and Menagerie Witch with her namesake animals, your meeting room has become delightfully crowded.

Black Swan and Menagerie Witch have become thick as thieves in the last few days, and you notice the young girl humming the theme song to Black Swan's favorite television show.

You watched an episode. It was fine.

Chaucer clears his throat and begins. "Justice Unlimited. We are here to discuss the next implementation of—"

"The future of humanity!" Dr. Ibis interrupts, practically vibrating with excitement. "We have enough goldnine for one more dose of Ambrosia! It's going to get turnt as the children say!"

He turns to Black Swan and Menagerie Witch for approval. Menagerie Witch grimaces and Black Swan pats his arm. "You almost got it."

Chaucer pinches the bridge of his nose and tries again. "Yes, the doctor is correct. This is our last dose of Ambrosia for some time. We must make it count."

Menagerie Witch tugs on Black Swan's arm and whispers something in her ear. Black Swan nods and says, "Yeah, Maddie's right. We need someone who punches-good."

"Excuse me?" you say, not knowing if you should be offended or not.

"Not like that, Double-L," Black Swan clarifies.

". . . Double L?"

Black Swan acts as if she can't hear you. "You sneak-good and you can punch in a pinch, but you wouldn't be our first option going head to head against someone super strong or anything. We don't want you fighting someone who could really hurt you. I blast-good, but I'm more effective at range. Maddie thinks-good in a fight, but sometimes you just gotta to deck someone in the schnoz."

She illustrates the point by punching her fist into her hand.

"Maddie was just saying we need somebody like that."

Menagerie Witch nods furiously and blushes at your approving smile.

"I see her point."

"Yes, well, first we'll need to select our candidate," Chaucer says, giving up on orderly directing the meeting altogether, "And since we've undertaken zero recruiting efforts, our options are . . . limited."

Spoiler: Candidates

Candidate #1:
Name: Rhys Gardner
Age: 28
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 5, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: Mr. Gardner is a member of the support staff on Jacob's Ladder. He's something of a floater apparently; they have him doing a bit of everything including maintenance, security, and administrative work. He's been on the Ladder for five years and has never had a complaint lodged against him—a rare feat indeed given the, ah, exacting clientele that frequent the Elysium Station. By all accounts, he's got a solid head on his shoulders and is well-regarded by nearly everyone we've interviewed.
Unfortunately, he is almost certainly an American intelligence asset. We know because he told us that was the case when he first approached us. Word somehow got to him that we were recruiting civilians for a potentially dangerous project, and he wanted in. He claims to be willing to flip his allegiances as he now considers Horizon his true home. It speaks well to his cunning and observation skills that he managed to find us, the results of his military-training speak for themselves, but I can't help but call his loyalty into question. Every organization in Horizon has had to deal with agents from AGL trying to infiltrate their ranks, and we would be potentially inviting one into our midst. He claims to be a collaborator of yours, Lady Leizi, but I'll leave that to you to verify.
Lady Leizi: Yes, Rhys is one of mine. I can also confirm that his change of allegiance is genuine. He was in a relationship with Vulcan of SLAYERS before his passing. By all accounts, Rhys is looking for stability in his, which we could very well provide him and secure his loyalty. However, I must say Rhys is not much for leadership material. He's more comfortable taking orders than giving them. He would be a wonderful subordinate—a good soldier if that is what we are truly looking for.

Candidate #2
Name: John Henry Rhodes
Age: 41
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 4, REPUTATION 5, OPERATIONS 6.
Tolerance: 4
Chaucer's Notes: John's name should be familiar to you. He was one of the most senior members of Valiant Silver's research staff. He's been with Justice Unlimited from the start, back when it was just an offshoot of New Dawn called "NuGen". While he was not a field operative by any stretch of the imagination, he would routinely assist Valiant Silver with maintaining her armor and repairing damaged equipment. He's a brilliant man without question.
I took the liberty of discussing Project Prometheus in depth with John. I apologize for the indiscretion, but he is married with several young children. I did not want him to volunteer if he did not fully understand the risks involved. John understands the chance he is taking if he is selected as a candidate and insists on submitting his name. Speaking frankly, I think he feels some level of survivor's guilt at Justice Unlimited's decimation. He's a decade older than all of you were, and he watched you grow up. No doubt, he feels that joining is his duty.
Lady Leizi: Oh, dear John. I'm afraid his motives might not be so pure. His oldest daughter, Natasha, was killed in an attack from the Demon Flamez in the Old Industrial District following the Movement. I have a feeling revenge is as much behind his desire to join as duty.
John has been here from the beginning and would provide excellent continuity for us. However, he is a middle-aged man, and is who he is. He'll be easy to work with, but he'll do things his way.

"Shall we flip a coin?" Dr. Ibis sneers, "Or will be the man who sciences-good or the man who solider-spies-good?"

He again turns to Black Swan and Menagerie Witch for approval. Menagerie Witch again grimaces but Black Swan doesn't pat his arm this time.

"Maybe you should stick to your own thing, Doc."

______________________________________________________________________________

Who will be the next subject of Project Prometheus?

[ ] Rhys Gardner

[ ] John Henry Rhodes

 

[Bitterman]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Rhys Gardner

The decision on who to give your last dose of Ambrosia is both simple and complicated.

"Dr. Rhodes!" Ibis demands, "I think our relationship is ready for the next step! I'm going to ask him if wants to go bowling."

"That's . . . so very, very sad, Doctor," Chaucer says, "And I'm not sure we should base the next subject of Project Prometheus on who your friends are."

"Wait, did John Henry say we're friends? Did he talk about me? What else did he say?!"

"Umm, Mr. Rhys is nice . . ." Menagerie Witch says so softly you almost don't hear it.

You hold up a hand to forestall Chaucer and Ibis' bickering. "What was that, Menagerie Witch?"

She freezes up and attempts to hide behind her hat. "N-nothing, nothing!"

But Black Swan won't let her. "Come on, Maddie! You're a member of the team now! Your opinion counts too!"

"That's right," you add, "I, for one, would love to hear your thoughts, darling."

You won't let Black Swan take that word from you. You won't.

Menagerie Witch squirms in her seat awkwardly, but Black Swan's encouragement and your approval squeezes the words out of her.

"I think we should pick Mr. Rhys! He has a higher tolerance to Ambrosia than Mr. Rhodes, which means he can be given a stronger power. We're still dealing with threats on all sides, so we need more heroes with versatile power sets—which Mr. Rhodes won't have if he can only take a low-potency dosage. Also! With Dr. Ibis' recent breakthrough, we'll be able to raise Mr. Rhodes' tolerance over time to ensure we get the most out of him."

Menagerie Witch says all of that in one breath and is left gasping for air, but she isn't done. "B-but also! Mr. Rhodes is well-known to the metahuman community at large as Valiant Silver's former assistant. It would be weird for him to reveal he had a power now, especially if it's a powerful one. We could hide his identity, but it would look odd if we relaunch Justice Unlimited with only one anonymous member. Nobody knows Mr. Rhys very well, so we're free to invent whatever backstory we want for him."

Menagerie Witch takes another deep breath, and smiles flushed. Everyone in the room is staring at her.

"You go, Maddie!"

"What a bright young woman . . ."

"Fine, fine . . . ruin my social life, why don't you?"

Black Swan pats his arm. "I'll tell John Henry you really fought for him, Doc."

"You will?! Okay! Also tell him I'm a size 10 bowling shoe. . . if he wants to know!"

You rub the side of your head. Why does a meeting this chaotic feel so . . . nostalgic? You sign and tap the table.

"There's another aspect in favor of Rhys. My contacts know he's an agent of mine. It wouldn't be terrible to have a metahuman who knows the underworld of Horizon."

[HIDDEN BONUS: Rhys is already plugged into Lady Leizi's intelligence network! Rhys will gain +1 to ESPIONAGE regardless of the results of administering Ambrosia.]

"Fine . . . I guess this is acceptable," Dr. Ibis says sullenly.

Black Swan leans over. "Don't mind him. He's just mad his web-serial's last update didn't get very many comments."

"It was a lore-heavy update with lots of revelations and hints about future danger, and all anyone wanted to talk about was the vote at the end!"

Black Swan mouths the word "cranky" at you and sits back.

You plaster a smile to your face and turn to the grown man throwing a tantrum. "It's time to discuss the formula we wish to use in this dose of Ambrosia. But, Doctor, I believe you have a few words you wanted to say first?"

That perks Ibis right back up.

"Yes, yes! Power synergies! I'd nearly forgotten!"

"Power . . . synergies?" Chaucer repeats.

"Yes! I, the great Dr. Mammoth Ibis, discovered them after we administered Black Swan's dosage. Tell me, what is her primary power?"

Chaucer frowns, thinking, "Some sort of energy manipulation, I'd assume."

"You'd assume wrong, Chaucer!" Dr. Ibis shouts, "That's a side effect of her gravity powers. Her 'fundamental force manipulation' if you will."

"Huh," Black Swan says, "I never thought about it, but I guess you're right."

"Of course I am! But here's the fascinating part: neither Novalight, Steadfast, or Crimson Soprana—the donors for your sample—had such a power! So where did it come from?"

"I dunno!"

"Well, I do! Don't interrupt me! Ahem. It came from a combination of Novalight's energy and elemental manipulation abilities and Crimson Soprano's ability to absorb solar radiation. The powers combined in some way to grant a stronger ability!"

Dr. Ibis stands.

"Think about it! This means there could be countless synergies of powers available that will produce stronger, unanticipated abilities! We should experiment, combine powers that may not immediately seem to fit together, and who knows what we'll find?"

Menagerie Witch, having seemingly found her courage, raises her hand. "B-but Doctor, w-what if we don't get an optimized resulting power and waste a dosage of Ambrosia?"

"No such thing!" Dr. Ibis shouts at the top of his lungs, "Creativity will always be rewarded! Do something cool! Have fun with it! Really go wild! Don't be boring! No such thing as waste!"

His voice booms through the room as he spreads his arms out wide. Menagerie Witch promptly bursts into silent tears.

"Aww, it's okay, Maddie! He's just having one of those days!"

"Doctor! Some decorum!"

"Dr. Ibis . . ." you sigh.

"Um, yes, Lady Leizi?"

"Perhaps rein it in a touch, hmm?"

Spoiler: DNA Profiles

KNOWN SYNERGIES:
[Energy Manipulation] + [Elemental Manipulation] + [Solar Absorption] = [Fundamental Force Manipulation]

C-Class Powers

Name: Soldier X, True Name Unknown
Keywords: Fitness, Regeneration
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Justice Unlimited would have samples of The Defiance Unit's DNA on file. They were the first villain organization defeated by Justice Unlimited. Soldier X was a Jane Doe, thought to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo based on her accent. Regardless, she acted as the field commander of The Defiance Unit.
It was a matter of debate whether she had powers at all—a debate now put to bed by Dr. Mammoth Ibis! She possessed peak human physical capabilities—fitness, coordinate, agility, eyesight, etc. It appears her body naturally maintained this state without upkeep, although she did not have a healing factor.

Name: Daggermaw, Christian Soler
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Senses
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: Daggermaw was an auxiliary hero of New Dawn. He was one of the better-known dysmorphic metahumans in Horizon—a metahuman whose power has caused some sort of permanent transformation or physical mutation. Many are uncomfortable with dysmorphic metahumans—lesser minds unable to appreciate the beauty of science.
While alive, Daggermaw resembled a bipedal reptile. He was something like a mix between a crocodile and an iguana, I would say. He had enhanced strength, though nothing extraordinary, and stronger senses than the average human. In particular, he could sense vibrations through his skin from great distances away.

Name: Crimson Soprano, Balduína "Bidu" Rios Barroso
Power: Flight, Solar Absorption, Energy Manipulation
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: Another member of the Defiance Unit, this was one of their heavy strikers. Crimson Soprana was the rare metahuman who could fly. That coupled with her devastating energy blasts made her a feared presence on the battlefield. However, her power relied on her absorbing solar radiation—too long without sunlight and her powers waned. It explains why they only ever struck on sunny days, I suppose. Her name referred to her tendency to "announce" each Defiance Unit attack with an operatic serenade—she was a failed opera singer as it were.
Ironically enough, she was contralto.

Name: Steadfast, Lamar Thompson
Power: Invulnerability
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: One of the founding members of New Dawn, later turned lackey for Global Justice, I was surprised to see his DNA on file. It only made sense when I learned he was the father of Adamant. I suppose that was something they kept quiet. Steadfast was in every way a baseline human except in one regard: he had the most potent form of invulnerability on record. He simply could not be injured in any way. He could not be stabbed, struck, crushed, or burned; he couldn't even starve or drown. To be honest, if his death wasn't confirmed multiple times over from direct goldnine exposure, I wouldn't believe he was dead.

Name: Adamant, Rakeem Wade
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Regeneration
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: One of founders of Justice Unlimited and the day-to-day commander. I suppose I owe the man my life. Honestly, I'm surprised at the lack of potency of his power—a testament to a keen mind over a superior might, I suppose.
Justice Unlimited's internal notes describe Adamant as less a person who could turn their body to metal and more of an endless fount of liquid metal wrapped in human skin. Adamant's body, when he transformed, was made of hereto-unknown metal "creatively" called adamantium. It was non-ferrous, had a melting point greater than tungsten, and was extremely durable. When Adamant touched or extruded adamantium it took the property of liquid and hardened at his command. He was able to slowly heal injuries over time by remaining in his metal form and replacing the damaged parts of his body with new metal. Upon transforming back, it would revert to uninjured flesh.

Name: Dragonsteeth, Rebecca Wade
Power: Energy Manipulation, Construct Creation
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: Another original member of New Dawn and the other parent of Adamant. I'm beginning to sense nepotism. Dragonsteeth had retired from life as a public hero after the Susurration, but apparently she came to stop the Leviathan's awakening nonetheless. Pity.
Like in the myth of the Argonauts, Dragonsteeth could seed the ground around her with energy, which would slowly grow into solid-light constructs. The constructs were not under her direct command, but were capable of following limited orders. She had a set energy "limit" she could spend at once. She could concentrate it all into one powerful construct, or spread it out around many different ones. While she most commonly made armored soldiers, the shapes her autonomous constructs could take could be as varied as her imagination.

B-Class Powers

Name: Memoria, Marcos Medeiros de Canto
Power: Teleportation, Clairvoyance
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: Memoria's death marked the downfall of The Defiance Unit, so imagine my surprise to learn that he was very much alive until recently. It seems Uiara spared him and Lady Leizi helped him disappear. He was working as a "free agent" until his (real) demise in the QZ.
Memoria had the ability to take pictures of a location that would display what was happening in that location in real-time, like a fixed video feed. He could then freely teleport himself and others to any location of which he had a photograph. His file shows he could only maintain five such photographs at once. An extremely useful utility power, even if he himself was vulnerable to attack.
As an aside, I don't see DNA profiles for Nox Esurientem or Zeno—the heavy-hitters of The Defiance Unit—so I have to assume they either don't exist or are kept in the Apiary on Horizon.

Name: The Outsider, Kwame Davis
Power: Transformation, Energy Manipulation, Invisibility
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: I'm honestly not certain how DNA could be acquired for The Outsider. They were an affiliate hero of New Dawn—known more for their social advocacy than any heroics. Their power turned them into a spherical biological nucleus surrounded by an energy "body" they could freely shape and control. This included the ability to turn invisible, change their relative size and mass, and shoot blasts of energy. The Outsider was something of a spook for New Dawn and a frequent collaborator with Lady Leizi. I just . . . where did the sample come from? Their nucleus? How? Why? Why do I only get to know this after they have died?! Think of what I could have done with this knowledge!

Name: Deadman, Richard Michaels
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Regeneration
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 5
Ibis' Notes: Deadman dressed like a noir detective and apparently smoked like one. I'm glad I never met him; he sounds exhausting and I despise smoking! He was a probationary member of New Dawn—probationary because he did not trust their leadership and constantly had them under investigation. It appears he was feeding information to Justice Unlimited. He's noted to have been an excellent detective, his commitment to questionable gimmicks notwithstanding, but that had nothing to do with his power.
Speaking of which, his power didn't activate until his biological functions ceased. Upon "death" his body would self-immolate and then reform itself. During that time, his blood appeared to turn to magma which he could manipulate and control. Likewise, he could summon magma from the ground, even if there was no source of such near him. Like Adamant and Steadfast, his power met its match surrounded by goldnine, and Deadman met his end.

Name: The Red Huntress, Harper English
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Senses, Fitness, Speed, Invisibility, Energy Manipulation, Clairvoyance
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 6
Ibis' Notes: Well. It seems Justice Unlimited had its own secrets. The Red Huntress always seemed something like a legacy admission to me—she was an ally of Uiara and Valiant Silver before they formed Justice Unlimited. She had a great number of powers, all loosely organized around the concept of "predation", but none were particularly powerful. She had keener sense than the average person, but not that much keener. She could run faster than a non-metahuman, but not as fast as, say, a car. She could turn invisible, but it was an imperfect optical camouflage. She was a true "jack of all trades, master of none."
Or that's how it appeared. The Red Huntress had one more power that was not publicly known—she could place a "mark" on any living creature that was unremovable. The mark would let her know where the marked creature was at all times, and her body and powers would "scale up" to match the threat posed by the marked creature. She would get faster, stronger, her invisibility would improve, and so forth. How a creature's level was quantified is unknown, but the file shows The Red Huntress undergoing some dramatic transformations into a feline creature to combat particularly strong metahumans. In that form, she would gain the ability to extend blades of energy that would grow stronger to injure her prey.
Her power is . . . frightening. The Red Huntress was always the smiling face of Justice Unlimited along with Uiara, so it is disturbing to know her true capability as an assassin.

A-Class Powers

Name: Automne, Ophélie du Arceneaux
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Flight
Faction: The Four Seasons
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Ah. Automne. I actually liked her. She and Radiant Silvergirl. They were . . . dating? Best friends? It was a weird little relationship. But the two of them are some of the only other people with the ability to appreciate the art of my children. They would make sure to take every job that would impact my work, and, even when they opposed me, they showed due respect. They even invited me to participate in their competitive beetle-fighting league! I was disqualified for creating a bipedal stag beetle the size of a housecat, but I appreciated being included.
Automne was too young for how powerful she was. She was an aerokinetic, one of the most powerful in the world. She could create tornadoes, generate hurricane-force winds, move the clouds themselves, and so forth. She was always present at every major crisis on Horizon, often trying to prevent collateral damage. Despite all that, her favorite thing to do was to just fly freely on the winds.
I . . . I actually think I will miss her. Goodness. I need to fix my implant immediately.

Name: Novalight, Yelena Sokolov
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Flight
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Now, this is explosive. Novalight was the leader of New Dawn and a hard woman to say the least. Some would say paranoid, but I always respected refusal to compromise her beliefs. She was the architect behind Wonderland—the detention facility for metahumans too dangerous to allow to go free. She controlled New Dawn's territory in Horizon with an iron fist, but the University District was among the city's safest for it.
Her relationship with Justice Unlimited was strained. Both Justice Unlimited and New Dawn were heroic organizations, but they were bitter rivals. Justice Unlimited started as a junior team under New Dawn, and Novalight never forgave them for going independent. She would have taken them keeping her DNA profile as an act of war.
Novalight was one of the three strongest metahumans in the city. She was photokinetic, radiokinetic, and capable of supersonic flight. Her energy blasts were capable of leveling the city, and nearly did during the Susurration. She would end many a fight simply by appearing and glowing too brightly for anyone to be able to see. With her radiokinesis, she could generate heat intense enough to melt even adamantium. Her weakness, if she truly even had one, was that her power gave her no defensive capabilities. But she ended fights quickly and decisively enough that it didn't matter.
I can think of several reasons why her DNA is here, and none of them are charitable. It's not my concern, but perhaps we should keep this one quiet.

______________________________________________________________________________

Now is the time to create your next dose of Ambrosia. Please refer to the first informational post for the rules of Ambrosia creation. Please format your votes like the following:

[ ] Plan Dr. Ibis Totally Once Hit a 7-10 Split, for Real Guys
- [DNA PROFILE 1] (POTENCY)
- [DNA PROFILE 2] (POTENCY)
- POTENCY REDUCTIONS (- POTENCY)
- TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: X

If you want to throw in the number of keywords or side-effect odds, please do so separately from the vote-block.

The vote will be open for 48 hours, longer if necessary.

TWO HOUR MORATORIUM ON VOTING.

 

[ScorpioSting]

Gonna have some fun and just make up a guy for the recruit table. this has no connection to any character in my own Quest, The Zodiac Squadron.

Name: Song Yu-Jin (reverse order, Yu-Jin is given, Song is family)
Age: 61
Stats: HIT 4 (knows martial arts and is fit for his age), ESPIONAGE 4 ("kindly old man" facade goes farther than you'd think), REPUTATION 6 (a trusted pillar of the community, basically runs a daycare too) OPERATIONS 5 (manages his own business and is knowledgable in quite a few areas)
Tolerance: 2
Chaucer's Notes: Mr. Song hails from the Old Industrial District, where he ran a small local martial arts dojo. A widower with a college-age son who's working abroad, Yu-Jin has thrown himself into the local community to fill his empty nest, becoming an almost grandfatherly figure to a lot of children. He has a good reputation, takes part in local community events, is appreciated by the parents of working-class families for taking their kids and helping them learn discipline and focus, and is quite skilled as a martial artist- a strong basis for a hero, if not for being less neuroplastic than younger candidates.
Lady Leizi: He's not as strong of a martial artist as me, but ultimately I feel like that says more about my upbringing than anything. His reputation is rock-solid. The real problem is that he's too well-known and too old-he might make a good recruit at the moment when Project Prometheus has to go public, however (or, worse-case scenario, is made public by enemy force).

 

[SaberFail]

Here's a new candidate!

Candidate Noire:
Name: Jonathan John Johnson.
Age: 74.
Stats: Hit 1, Espionage 3, Reputation 3, Operation 2.
Tolerance: 8.

Chaucer's Notes: he's a P.I who worked closely with Justice Unlimited back when it began, I'm surprised he's still active honestly, he's well known for two reasons, his work ethic and his eccentric personality, he has never let case go unsolved, and the ones he can't solve he uses as motivation for the rest, as for his personality, one word, Noire, the man breathes and lives for that aesthetic, always dressing like a old school detective, complete with an ever lit cigar, due to a mistake when his initials were added to the door of his office in the industrial district (the smoke from the factories gave the area a dark cloudy day aesthetic that he really liked) he decided that the only sensible thing to do was legally change his middle name from Taylor, to John to fit the JJJ initials on his new door, he was investigating a case outside of Horizon during the Leviathan event, and the first thing he did upon coming back was send his condolences and a gift basket for everyone here before sending us his resume, my basket had a matrioshka doll shaped like a banana inside of it.

Lady Leizi: ah Jonathan, I remember him, quite a strange man, he actually gave some of my father's men quite a bit of trouble back in the day, he has actually changed his name (all of them) quite a few times due to mistakes like the one in his office, he insists in sending his requests via handwritten letter, and his handwriting is atrocious, hence why they keep mistaking his initials, even I don't know what his original name was, he apparently talked to some of my contacts to find out what my favorite wine was, obviously they told him nothing, but his basket for me had a taxidermied pigeon with a removable head and a hidden space inside of it, there was a small bottle filled with sour grape juice inside of it and a handwritten note, I think it says that he requests whatever power we give him be shadowy and mysterious, or I think that's what it says.

 

[Wing101r]

Ive been having some real fun with this quest so let me write up some candidates.

Name: Alice Braidwood
Age: 23
Crossover: Counterside
Stats: HIT 5, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 3, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: A Firefighter in Workers Mitt. After completing a 2 year training course she began working as a Firefighter. Headstrong but dedicated to her job especially in rescuing people she has gain some recognition in Workers Mitt for her work and sociability. She has a well trained physique needed for her job and knowledge needed for search and rescue with potential to become a great leader as she gains more experience. With her High tolerance she could become a Powerful hero and that will be do her best to protect people.
Lady Leizi: As a child Alice was victim of a fire but was save by a firefighter which is why she decide to become one. That said shes been noted to be frustrated whenever she fails too save any lives. I agree that she would make a Good hero one with focus in saving lives even if it could mean her death.

Name: Hearth Alam
Age: 21
Stats: HIT 4, ESPIONAGE 1, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 3
Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Notes: A Horizon Native but one that left and returned. As a child Hearth was born and grew in Horizon until his fathers job required the family to move out into the Philippines in order to stay together. While there he picked up Karate and keep practicing it in order to maintain a fit body after completing a Literature course, he returned back to Horizon and started looking for a job about a month before the Movement. With the chaos after the Movement Hearth focus more on ensuring his safety, which is where he learned about Justice Unlimited seeking to hire people, with him volunteering even concluding that working for Justice Unlimited be best to keep himself safe. While his Incredibly high Tolerance is tempting I'm not sure if he has what it takes to be a Hero.
Lady Leizi: Hearth is a follower someone who take the words and beliefs of those he respects and does his best to answer their expectations. He live his life answering his parents expectations while enjoying the few things his come to love for himself such as Martial arts and Literature. While its true that he might not seem like he would make a good hero at a glance, a deeper look shows a firm belief in kindness and Justice. Furthermore he has a great admiration and respect for Heroes which is why he had no hesitation in applying to be a Candidate. While he would need guidance upon being a hero I believe that he wont hesitate in being one and dedicate himself to the ideals of Justice Unlimited. Furthermore being new to Horizon means we can make everyone believe he merely lack the courage to debut alone as a Hero.

Name: Pedro Miguel
Age: 24
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 3, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 6
Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: A Computer Prodigy Pedri works in a store that sells cellphone & laptop parts and accessories along with being responsible for repairs. But in truth she is a hacker under the employ of Lady Leizi helping handle information that can be gained from the web, spreading misinformation as needed and of course attempt to hack databases in order to gain information. Despite his relatively young age he is dedicated to Justice Unlimited due to his College fees being payed by his work for Lady Leizi. Apart from his work with Leizi, Pedro has lived what can be considered a normal life in Horizon. While his loyalty most likely without and his skills valuable I'm unsure if it would make him a good Hero.
Lady Leizi: Ah Pedro I met him when he was young and she attempted to hack into a site managed by Eve, he failed of course but she impressed her upon learning that he was just a Teenager working with programming knowledge he could gleam from books and the net. After a few investigation it was easy to learn that his family was involved in a Villain accident that required extensive surgery for them to live, which their family paid for with the funds meant for Pedro's Schooling. To his credit he never felt any resentment for this and simply attempted to gain a scholarship, even Sending thank you letter to Justice Unlimited when we cought the Villain responsible for the incident. I can assure you of his loyalty and while he might need combat training could become a very effective hero if given the chance.

Name: Geo Road
Age: 22
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 1 , REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 3
Tolerance: 7
Chaucer's Notes: A child of Samson Road Golem. Geo was a former Intern of Justice Unlimited who resigned once he hit 20 yrs to both focus on his studies and his own words spread his Wings working as an Assistant instructor in a dojo. He's known to be a great fan of Heroes even if he personally and understandably considered his own father as his favorite. After the death of his father in The Movement he claimed to return in order to help JU and help protect the city in anyway he can. His previous work experience show in knowledge protocols of JU and being known as the son of Hero.
Lady Leizi: Ah Geo I remember him, he interned in hopes of making it easier to Join Justice Unlimited if he developed powers. Once it was clear he was not a Metahuman he quit. It seems his admiration of Heroes made him seek to prepare himself as much as he can if the oppurtunity to be one arised which is why he has decent combat training. Making him into a Metahuman would easily make his Loyalty ironclad as It would allow him to accomplish his dream of being a Hero like his father was to him. His former preparation alteast showed he takes being a Hero seriously and have steel that would make him a good one.

 

[Bitterman]

The regimented nature of life in Global Justice could grate on some, but Silvio Serra Fernandes, also known as Stockpile, thrived on it.

Take this for example: when there was a knock on his dormitory's door, his uniform was already pressed, his boots were already shined, and his bed was crisply made in an instant. He was fully dressed and awake in under a minute flat.

"Sir!" Silvio said, opening his door, "Good morning, First Lieutenant Thompson!"

The officer in front of him was like a block of obsidian carved in the shape of a person. Lamar Thompson, Steadfast, the unkillable man, was massive, towering over Silvio. He gruffly acknowledged Silvio's salute and jerked his head over his shoulder.

"At ease," he said, "Captain wants to talk to you. Talk to both of us actually."

"Yes, sir!" Silvio said. If the Captain wanted him, he was there! But before he could say that, there was a loud growl from his stomach.

The First Lieutenant gave him an unimpressed look. "Hungry?"

Silvio tried not to blush. "Y-yes, sir. I was up late last night trying to make sense of the equipment our techs recovered from Justice Unlimited."

Steadfast look at him for a moment before walking down the hall. Silvio followed him without a word.

Or, at least, without a word for a few seconds.

"Sir? The Captain's quarters are in the opposite direction. . . "

"We're going to the mess hall," Steadfast said without looking at him, "You're still growing. You need to eat."

"B-but the Captain—"

"Can wait. Kaitlyn will keep. Now, come on."

Silvio was so thrown off at the First Lieutenant using the Captain's first name that he lagged behind. He had to jog to keep up with the larger man's long strides.

As he did, he walked by a group of enlistees changing shifts. They immediately snapped to attention as he raced by, and Silvio threw a sloppy salute back at them. It always weird him out that he was considered an officer by dint of being a metahuman. That there were non-powered security agents—all of whom were older than him—who would show him respect, of all people, was always a trip.

Eventually Silvio caught up right as the First Lieutenant arrived at the mess hall. Already there were several of the other metahumans of Global Justice. Indemnity was in the corner, sitting by himself as usual. At the table in front of them, Joules was loudly regaling Perspective and Shutdown with the same story he had been telling for weeks. Plasticity sat at the same table, ignored and grinding his teeth.

"—so I get there and Valiant Silver's on the ground, lying in a pool of her own blood with her armor in pieces everywhere. So I think to myself, 'finders keepers!' and I start collecting it. Then that chump Adamant and his girlfriend Leizi show up and they're all 'what are you doing, stop' and I go 'maybe if you leader didn't want to share, then she should take better care of her stuff?' and then—"

"Hadn't Valiant Silver just beaten thirteen of the Catch-22?" Perspective said, determined to not make eye contact."

"Only 'cuz I hadn't gotten there yet!" Joules said, throwing a wink at Shutdown. "Ain't that right, babe?"

"I'm gay, Finley. I don't know how many times we have to have this conversation."

Plasticity snored and continued eating. Joules narrowed his eyes.

"What's that, tough guy? Something funny?"

Plasticity looked at his sister, who shook her head. For a second, he looked like was going to heed Perspective, but then he blurted, "I just don't know you're so proud about scavenging someone else's armor after a fight."

Joules slapped him in the back of the head and leaned over, "The point, trench monkey, is that Adamant and Leizi backed off because they were too scared to rumble with yours truly."

"Or they wanted to take their teammate to the hospital."

"Wait," Silvio interrupted, "That's how we got parts of Valiant Silver's armor? We stole it?"

Every head in the room turned to Steadfast and Stockpile in the entryway. Joules got up from the table and approached them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the pipsqueak and Chump Sr.! You grace us with your presence."

"Chief Warrant Officer," Steadfast rumbled in greeting.

"Tch." Joules made a sound at the reminder of the difference in their rank. "I still can't believe they promoted a turncoat like you over an ace like me. What? You leave the service to go run around in colored underwear, come crawling back, and they fast-track you to Lieutenant? Bullshit."

"Jesus Chirst, it was twenty years ago, Finley. Give it a rest!" Shutdown called, "And the First Lieutenant doesn't have a dozen complaints filed against him with HR!"

Joules ignored her and continued, "It's a shame I didn't get to throw-down with Chump Jr. I would have sent him running home to daddy and then showed Lady Leizi what it's like to be with a real man."

He illustrated his point with a wiggle and thrust.

"Eww!"

"Disgusting!"

"Chief Warrant Officer Finley Sharp!" Indemnity shouted as he slammed his table and stood up, "You have crossed the line!"

"Hey, go back to the infirmary, Doc!" Joules shouted back, "I'm having a little chat with the traitor, here!"

Joules got in Steadfast's face, and Silvio grew worried that he wouldn't stop until he provoked a reaction from the First Lieutenant. But, before the situation could escalate, a new voice joined the conversation.

"What appears to be the problem here, everyone? This isn't true to the Global Justice spirit!"

Everyone except Steadfast grabbed their ears at the explosion of sound. First Lieutenant Xander Mars, City Crier himself, had a power that turned his voice into a sonic weapon. It also meant that he did not have an "indoor" voice.

"Nothing!" Joules protested, "I was telling the traitor here—"

"First Lieutenant Thompson."

"Ah, shit—!"

"Language!"

"Okay! Okay! Jesus Christ. I was telling First Lieutenant Thompson that . . . um . . . the omelet bar is about to close so he better get a move-on."

"Ooh, thank you for the tip! I can't start my day without spinach and goat cheese folded in eggs!" City Crier turned to Steadfast, "First Lieutenant, wasn't Captain Meyers-Williams looking for you and young Warrant Officer Serra Fernandes here?"

"He hasn't eaten," Steadfast said, pointing to Silvio, "We're here for a quick meal and we'll head over."

"Yes, well, do be prompt! Early is on-time, on-time is late, and late is unacceptable!"

"Indeed." As City Crier walked away, Steadfast leaned over to Stockpile and muttered, "I used to know someone else who was fond of saying that. She was an asshole too."

* * *​

The Captain's quarters were a massive room in the center of Global Justice headquarters. The building they were in was owned by AGL, and parts of it connected to the American Embassy. Silvio, being a citizen of Horizon and not the United States, had never been there. But as he and the First Lieutenant walked forward he was again struck by the size of the complex. It could house thousands, but only played host to a few hundred soldiers and a dozen metahumans.

As they approached, a voice rang out in Silvio's mind:

"EDICT: ALL CITIZENS ARE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES BY TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED HOURS. PUNISHMENT: VIOLATORS TO BE RENDERED INSENSATE FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS."

The words reverberated through the world and Silvio knew instinctively, somewhere deep down in his bones, that he would suffer if he did not comply.

"A curfew?" Steadfast questioned, "With such a harsh penalty? Something must be happening."

"W-what do you think it is, sir?"

"I don't know," Steadfast said as he opened the doors to the Captain's chambers, "But I intend to find out."

The Captain's room was filled with hundreds upon hundreds, maybe thousands, of cameras showing surveillance footage all over the Foot of Ladder. In the center of the room sat Justiciar, Captain Kaitlyn Meyers-Williams, in a chair that fed a great number of needles connected to tubes into her skin. On her head was a red, winged helmet that covered her eyes and that she would occasionally operate by twitching her neck.

The great secret of Justiciar was this: she could set down Edicts that could instantly inflict a punishment on anyone who broke them, but with two conditions. One, she had to know a person had broken an Edict for the punishment to take effect, and two, her power was only active while she was awake.

The screens fed her information from all over Global Justice's territory. If a violation of any of her edicts was flagged, she would instantly toggle over and confirm the violation and trigger the punishment. The tubes running into her body provided her with nutrition, removed waste, and delivered into her blood a specialty cocktail of stimulants made by Lethal Anodyne. Silvio knew for a fact that the Captain slept less than two hours a day, and only in the dead of night.

Silvio had once approached Mendicant about a safer alternative than a drug made by Delt Death. When they found out what it was for, Mendicant had just said, "Holy shit, kid," and "Fuck no, that sounds like Hell, what is wrong with you people?"

Silvio understood their perspective. But what people didn't understand was that this was a sacrifice that the Captain willingly made. The Foot of the Ladder was the safest place in Horizon. Not even the Defiance Unit had dared attack here. The people could live in peace, and they lived that way because they had Justiciar to protect them.

Silvio stood proudly at attention while they waited for the Captain to acknowledge them. After a long while, she stopped twitching her neck and the visor on her helmet raised. She blinked for a second before seeing him and the First Lieutenant.

With a papery-smile, she said, "At ease. Thank you for joining me. I hope I haven't kept you too long?"

"No, ma'am!" Silvio barked, "It is our pleasure, ma'am!"

"Don't worry, Kaitlyn," Steadfast added, "I made sure the boy ate first."

"Good. I'll get directly to the point in a moment, but first, Stockpile, I have a question for you."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Why did you join Global Justice? You're not from the States. As an Algernon-type, you could have had your pick of corporate job or even joined New Dawn if you wished. Why us?"

Silvio frowned. Why was she even asking? "Because I wanted to serve the people directly, ma'am. Global Justice stands for peace, not profit. We're not like corps, and we don't need money like Powers or even New Dawn. We're here to help, and that's it!"

The Captain studied him for a long, long while before blowing out a breath. Then she chuckled. "You're really as straightforward as you seem, aren't you?"

"Ma'am?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it. It's just . . . nostalgia. I once thought like you."

The Captain stared around the room, taking in each screen, before looking at her arms. "Do you know why I agreed to live like this? Why I let them hook me into this machine?"

". . . to help people, ma'am?"

"That's exactly right. I wanted to make up for the sins I committed in the name of my country. I thought it was a just punishment that would let me do what little good I could at the same time." Her smile turned sour. "Tell me, Stockpile. Do you know what I spend my days doing?"

"N-no, ma'am."

"I watch over people who have no regard for anyone but themselves. Who live safe, comfortable lives and who have forgotten what it is like to not have a parent hovering over their shoulder."

The Captain let out a bitter laugh that turned into a long, hacking cough.She grabbed a thermos of water with shaking hands and drank greedily. Once she soothed her parched throat, she continued.

"I can issue three Edicts at a time. Every day, I am petitioned to change them. 'My neighbor's children play too loudly. Make them be quiet.' 'My wife is spending us out of house and home. Stop her.' 'My rival intends to humiliate me. Could you make it illegal for her to host her party?' Petty complaint after petty complaint. That is my existence."

Silvio felt cold, "M-ma'am? Why are you telling me this . . .?"

"I'm sorry, Stockpile. I didn't mean to upset you," the Captain said, "I actually summoned you here for a different reason. Have you had much luck understanding Valiant Silver's armor?"

Shame made the back of Silvio's neck feel hot. "No, ma'am. It's . . . amazing. I don't even know where to start. I could probably make headway if I could use my power—"

"Absolutely not," the Captain interrupted, "Not for this. Never for this."

"What is this about, Kaitlyn?" Steadfast asked, "What was with that last Edict?"

The Captain nodded. "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room."

"Ma'am!"

"Understood."

After the acknowledgements, she wet her lips and said, "Our informant has told us that Valiant Silver believes someone is attempting to disrupt the Leviathan's slumber. We have been given orders if that comes to pass."

Silvio broke out in a cold sweat, "But . . . the Leviathan is dead. I-isn't it?"

He looked around for confirmation and found none. Steadfast didn't break eye contact with Justicair.

"Reliable, this source?"

"They have been, in the past."

Steadfast merely grunted. "I see."

"S-so what do we do?" Silvio asked.

"We? Global Justice has been given orders should the Leviathan awaken," the Captain said, "Which is why, as of today, I am placing you on a leave of absence, Stockpile."

"Ma'am!?"

"That's an order," she said, "Whatever comes to pass, you must not be part of it."

"What exactly are the higher-ups thinking?" Steadfast growled.

"Something very foolish."

"Ma'am, I—"

Whatever protest Silvio had on his lips, died forever as every screen in the room changed to the same image of a silvery hologram of a girl with short hair. The image flickered before changing again to a heroine dressed in blue.

Uiara.

"The Leviathan has begun to arise," she said, eyes burning, "Justice Unlimited is moving to the QZ to intercept it. To every metahuman in the city who wants to live to see tomorrow—join us. Today is the day the promise of the Looming God comes to pass. We will not fall. One day the world will end, but today is not that day."

Then the image winked out.

The Captain rose to her feet, for the first time in months. "First Lieutenant, summon Global Justice and our emergency response team, STAT!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Steadfast demanded, "What good are you going to do against that thing?"

"I have my orders," Justiciar said, closing her eyes, "They're no more than I deserve."

Silvio was breathing fast, his body cold. "B-but what does this mean, what do we do?"

"We? As I said, this is a matter for Global Justice. You are on leave, Stockpile."

"You can't—"

"You can't die!" she shouted, silencing Silvio's protest, "I won't have the blood of any more children on my hands!"

"B-but . . . ma'am. Please."

"No, Silvio. You stay. We will return."

But they never did.