A few things:
John has an incredible advantage in that he is here right now, so not giving him a Serum is losing us tempo; we'd perpetually be one metahuman short of what we could have as long as we get a steady supply of Goldnine.

And on that note, talking with R-Train is something I consider mandatory for next turn. We need powerful allies, he's the closest to Leviathan so he can help clear Nora's name, and of course he controls access to Goldnine. We have to lock in an alliance ASAP, especially since he's on the shortlist for "world's strongest" and I deeply suspect White Hawk is on it too.

We should try to be proactive in dealing with Crusade, beyond just PR. We need to investigate this organization to see where the fault-lines are and find any way we can to boot them off the Foot of the Ladder, which seems to be the main concern of Elysium. If we can make them choose between actually garrisoning the Foot and supporting Crusade, I heavily suspect they'd go for the former. So we need to make holding the Foot untenable somehow.
 
Here's my call:

Cenotaph and Meet The Rookies, because we gotta work on clearing our name and the air.

Break Glass -> Heroing John up, so we have more manpower.

Hero Worship, because getting Yara in our court gives us an angle to investigate Osayin's investment into Crusade, plus Bella, Yara as a candidate, a finance boost, and other perks.

Magical Girls, so we can recruit Noelle and get some more steady Goldnine.
 
+1 yeh now that ND mission are 2 ap and with the rep fight we need PR and Strong Candidates to take on Crusade.

Theres No way Crusade isnt gonna interfere when actually go for monarch. So have to get our aces ready quick.
 
There's also the matter of Old Industrial District control. We need 5 to take it back, and Noelle and Demon Flamez are our only known vectors at this point.
 
I kind of want to ask why Stockpile decided to use the name of someone he thinks is a monster. Doesn't add up when you think of it.
 
VJ is trchnically supposed to be Valiant red white blue. Its just too much of a mouthful that its shortened to valiant justice which is proabaly part of there pr war.

Though ad wulong said its pretty much all stolen.
 
Here's my call:

Cenotaph and Meet The Rookies, because we gotta work on clearing our name and the air.

Break Glass -> Heroing John up, so we have more manpower.

Hero Worship, because getting Yara in our court gives us an angle to investigate Osayin's investment into Crusade, plus Bella, Yara as a candidate, a finance boost, and other perks.

Magical Girls, so we can recruit Noelle and get some more steady Goldnine.
I think Breaking the Glass can wait. For me, meeting R-Train and sorting out the Magical Girl shit are the only two mandatory missions for me. Between the two of them it's likely we can get more goldnine for now and so don't need to get Adamant's stash yet. Plus the goodies will just sit there, while other missions are more suseptible to changes over time.

There is some narrative sense on doing the Glass mission at the same time we do Cenotaph, but I wouldn't sacrifice the R-Train action for it in a million years.
 
Here's the thing: We know we get a free +1 Ambrosia on the moment we establish a connection for Goldnine. Free sample, before Noelle lets us buy off her, or R-Train lets us take some.

Both Noelle and R-Train say "EVENTUALLY" for their sources. That means we aren't getting any for completing the first Magical Girl mission or Train. The follow-up missions will get us them.

Break Glass gets us one Ambrosia, right when we finish it. Plus, Shield Generators and a Mendicant Symbiote, good things to have for our riskier endeavors, more DNA, and something for Leizi-closure on her relationship with Rakeem, maybe a more material benefit as well.

(A bo staff made of his Adamantium, which was conductive, would be fucking rad to be honest)

I'm not saying I don't see your point. I'm doing Noelle for Goldnine, too. I'm just saying, taking the short-term boost right now makes sense, to cover our asses and get John up to speed, so we can get more AP and do more shit.
 
We have seven AP but I don't think Châtelet's stats have been added yet, so if she has at least REP 3 OPS 3 we can do Meet The Rookies, Cenotaph, Magical Girls, R-Train and Glass. This seems likely so I'm voting for that in time, but if not I'll sacrifice whatever is necessary for to contact R-Train; I think it's that important.

Edit:REP not HIT.
 
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We have seven AP but I don't think Châtelet's stats have been added yet, so if she has at least HIT 3 OPS 3 we can do Meet The Rookies, Cenotaph, Magical Girls, R-Train and Glass. This seems likely so I'm voting for that in time, but if not I'll sacrifice whatever is necessary for to contact R-Train; I think it's that important.
Opale is Hit: 7, Esp: 3, Rep: 7, Op: 6. Source: End of 2.5.

-----------------------------------

[X] PREVAIL (Wolong, Crusade, ?????? ???, ?????, ??? ????)

Just now realizing that the question marks scan exactly to "Valiant Red, White, And Blue".
 
Crazyone47’s Candidates
Name: Jensen Toller
Age: 24
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 0, REPUTATION 1, OPERATIONS 4
Tolerance:
6

Chaucer's Notes: An engineer with a recent doctoorate from Zurich in electronical engineering with a somewhat tragic history. Mother was a runaway teenage prostitute who died giving birth to him. Neurological condition known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease which leads to problems with muscle coordination. Grandparents raised him and indeed put all their money into his education after he demonstrated an impressive intelligence and interest in machines. Has worked on several projects involving high end military gadgets, most of which are classified, throughout university due to introduction from one of his professors. Actually moderately wealthy due to childhood hobby of picking stocks to invest in (Technically half of that is his grandparents). Hobby of video games and watching TV. Despite lack of muscle coordination has made efforts to exercise with help from his Polish fiancee a physical trainer named Adelie Zeknaya. They met when Jensen was in France on a "consulting" program (We think it was a joint French-German military initiative).

Overall a fine candidate for the project especially considering Jensen's talent for fixing electronics and data analysis.

Lady Leizi: Somewhat of a concern but also too valuable to not recruit if not as a Prometheus Candidate then at least staff. Jensen would be ideal to work on maintaining the Apiary's facilities. His manner however... it just can't be seen as anything but difficult to work with. The man does not respond well to social gatherings or interactions even when he wants to socialize. Indeed asides from his fiancee he can barely stomach interactions with anyone not even his grandparents (although the feeling is mutual as while respectful his grandparents readily admit that growing up Jensen always was difficult at socializing).

He is also a spy sent by Dominion. Now he flat out told me that in a dead drop book that he left with Chaucer. He wants out however as he is also smart enough to know Dominion doesn't have good intentions and has voluntarily offered to be a double agent feeding back false information and to be isolated until we can trust him. Part of this is also because Dominion used Adelie Bernard's past (See Adelie's File) as a way to keep ahold of his loyalty. If we recruit him we will also have to isolate his family (grandparents and fiancee) along with him in the Apiary.


He is a contact of Moon River. Apparently he came across her on some computer forum when he was researching programming as part of a project he was working on and she made him a contact. They apparently only talked about engineering with Jensen not even knowing her identity and she sent him evidence of Dominion using his fiancee to pressure him to spy on Justice Unlimited. We know it was Moon River due to her sending a piece of info on Rosemary know one else knows about along with the evidence that Jensen turned over to us.

Finally we have to be concerned about Jensen's .... mercenary inclinations. While loyal to his fiancee and loved ones Jensen has a kind of greed to him. He desires not money or fame but to be of impact in the world around him and views the Leviathan and the recent Movement as an opportunity to make that kind of impact. The Dominion greymail to access Justice Unlimited is just another opportunity to him and if another opportunity to make an impact comes there will remain the possibility of even betraying us to get the opportunity to make an impact. Fortunately for us he is aware he lacks the instincts or ability to be much of a spy.

He is good enough to analyze and deduce from information but actual information gathering, interrogation, and deception are frankly beyond him.

Name: Adelie Zeknaya
Age: 22
Stats: HIT 2, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 5

Chaucer's Notes: Adelie Zeknaya is an ideal candidate. Idealistic, loyal, and hardworking she would make an excellent hero. Her parents were however criminal drug dealers so she has picked up a modicum of street smarts. Apparently they owed something like roughly 100,000 euros to a very nasty gang in Poland before dying in a drug buy gone wrong so she relocated to France. Dominion dug it up and threatened her fiancee Jensen with it to spy for them. Even if we don't hire her we can still use her against Dominion.

Lady Leizi: Somewhat better at being a spy than her fiancee. While physically fit has no combat training and is better at street fights. Very sociable and gregarious with a gift for gettig along with those who aren't as good as socializing. She certainly would be a good friend for the less socially inclined among our number.

Of note is her capability for remaining positive despite losing her parents at 19. As she puts it everything in life is just a reminder to cherish the good and tomorrow. She is an avid reader with Don Quixote being one of her favorites. As she puts it she interprets the work to be a reminder that even when knocked down good will always get a decent person to stand back up.
 
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Valiant Red, White, and Blue takes the podium and removes his helmet, revealing a face you know. It's Stockpile, the young Algernon-type metahuman that Justiciar was protecting. He sets his helmet down next to him, a manic light in his eyes.
Poor Stockplie is going to have to experience a quote from one of my favorite wrestlers

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Oh, it was live. Which is why they had to rush Valiant Justice off-stage after he lost his temper.
Yeah it appears the young lad is on a hair trigger this is both dangerous for us and him but can also be used to our advantage
I do hope that it was Key, and not the rogue power copier that we need to hunt down.
So the power copyer was also my thought but as pointed out might not be

The Crusading age lead to religjous wars that lead to lots of people dying, Liek I'm pretty sure cities were depopulated and even had crusaders commit cannibalism at the top of my head in atrocities of that time.
Speaking as an American the Crusades are one of those things that are failers but sit in a spot where they are technically claimable to cultural identities like Alexander the Great.
Let's assume that the scraps of the original EXCEED were laundered or doctored in some way, in addition to Stockpile being fed bad faith information.

Let's also assume that, because of his fears and incorrect data, PREVAIL has no Stage connection, because Stockpile things the Stage is the Leviathan, in total.

What *is* PREVAIL running off of, then?
May happens Stockpile is the short to think it's better to burnout than to faid away
Actually they must be pretty strong to get hired to guard elysium and probably trained but uh do they really have much experience against villains?
Ah to quote a themeing from an anime I like
"What's stronger a junkyard dog or a kept wolf"

But also while we do have one of the strongest beings to graice this earth I think (just based on story telling ) their bird might be able to keep up with ours plus I imagine that the rest of their team might be based on pure power. So I would still feel comfortable getting more big guns
4 makes sense. It's a talent scouting and development program, aimed at finding young heroes like Black Swan who might be good and taking them under our wing that we had to put into practice earlier than we anticipated.
I also think 4 is best because we have already have it set up with Black Swam in her neighborhood
Though ad wulong said its pretty much all stolen.
Wonder what he's dead pesduo military mommy would say about the stolen valor
 
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Finally read the update in more detail

So here's my thing, unless Hero Worship immediately recruits Belle, which I find unlikely since she comes as a package with Yara, OR this Issue has caused Yara's mission to shorten its deadline, I feel like I have to commit to my decision to delaying Hero Worship to turn 4. I'm paranoid on what's going on with Socialite Butterfly and I want Lady Leizi's hand on her info, which she can't do immediately since she promised to do Monarch intel first.

Break Glass is a no-brainer. We already spent money on John Henry, so we may as well commit. And like I get that he may turn rogue because of his revenge and stuff, but like....it ain't like the other members are stupid. We aren't stupid as well most of the time and at this point, whether the Demonz Flame mission turn into something unfavorable than not, I feel like we should just commit cause like....there's barely much breathing room between those missions.

Meet the Rookies is still an auto-pick; it seems like Chihiro is still on our side based on the update. Cenotaph, I'll wait till the update itself before I decide whether it's a good idea to pick it. Mahou Shoujo is a hmmmm. The New Dawn missions are also a hmmm, tho I'm not a fan of delaying it especially now that it costs 2 each. Monarch and her Wonderland group are probably a bit more guarded after that announcement, along with increased chance of Crusade showing up (fucking stupid name, who tf thinks naming themselves after a religious group that massacres innocents is a good idea, even the freaking logo holy shit)

For other personal actions, while I still lean towards Maddie improving her Ops, I'm not against going for Rep instead as a short term shore-up. Mona I say should still go Ops tho. Rhys...I think I still want to go for his Gus mission.
 
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The optimal play would be to get Rhys his +1 Rep, but he almost died on his last mission so I'd rather he get some closure with his personal matters first.
 
Delaying Hero Worship does seem viable to prep for socialite Butterfly.

If we do that we can atleast go after Shroud, probalby means having to tangel with Crusade immediately which sucks but we do have ND support, and Shroud is a serial killer so its a primarily espionage mission, whihc is why Handyman is ace in it along with shapeshifting.

By the way Crusade looks their a Hit Team meant to force us to reveal cards as puppets by the Philosphers.

Edit: That said Doing Hero worship and tehn just doing Intel of Socialite for the follow up mission would be fine too.

Edit: Tangling with Crusade immediately does atleast were not scared of them.
 
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We do have cavalry incoming in the form of Arc at the... End of Issue 4? Start of 5? She's strong defensive support and she can reflect insults so slander will make Stockpile cry.
 
We do have cavalry incoming in the form of Arc at the... End of Issue 4? Start of 5? She's strong defensive support and she can reflect insults so slander will make Stockpile cry.
Arc is healed issued 5 Yeh and considering they know Monarch, Crusade probably has a clue in on arcs real state. So her healing up and active again would deter them since shes a top tier hero.

That said arc just got crippled and I'm not sure if shes viable in combat by issue 5, so she might only be able to help by 6.

Edit: Oh yeh concpetual counter means any slander she can help counter. Okay even if not in combat thad be great for PR war.
 
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Huh....... 5 metahuman healers..... I wonder...... what the remaining 2 are

Okay thinking about it .... Experimenting on the Leviathan isn't necessarily limited to Nora Kim.....
 
Actually what was the voter query he was responding to in the first place?
He was just musing to himself. There actually a hint as to what the power is.
@Bitterman what was the plan if Wolong just blatantly lied and said it was a fake
They would have asked how and then pressed him. They knew it wasn't fake in a doctored way, so they figured they could maneuver him into a corner.
Omake: The Urchin's Dining Table by chickenbouillon
Excellent! +1

We need powerful allies, he's the closest to Leviathan so he can help clear Nora's name, and of course he controls access to Goldnine
The R-Train is less of a "he" than an "it" or maybe a "they".
I kind of want to ask why Stockpile decided to use the name of someone he thinks is a monster. Doesn't add up when you think of it.
Regardless of how he feels, the title "Valiant" carries a lot of weight in Horizon. Taking it is a massive PR coup.
 
Hey there guys! It's me, Kermie. Uh, just Kermie now. I realized that gender is a fuck and I can slay wearing a dress.

Long story!

Anyways, after way longer than I wished, I'm back with the commentary!


You are Gabriel Kwan, better known as the hero, Wolong.

You're currently surrounded by a display of opulence that has you feeling distinctly out of place. Your team feels it as well. Gentleman James is taking care to be extra polite and has been double-checking his appearance in every reflective surface he passes. Miss Naught is almost manically cheerful, and Palisade is tense as if she expects an attack at any time. Only Dreamcatcher seems at ease, but that might be because he's grabbing every tray of hors'devours he can reach.
Dreamcatcher continues to be best boy. He's shown up like two times now.
You had to concede that Dreamcatcher had a point. You were in the Praça do Orixá, the open air plaza that opened to the Ọsanyìn headquarters on one side and the first checkpoint to enter Jacob's Ladder on the other. The weather, for once, was cool and dry, though many Horizon natives like Gentleman James found it chilly. The Ọsanyìn staff had gone all out on the decorations and entertainment—not a single surface was free from garlands, flowers, depictions of Ọsanyìn as Santa clause, and all other kinds of seasonal decorations. The massive screens on the sides of every building played selections from different holiday movies, and food and drink flowed freely while sounds of live music drifted on the air.
I see what you meant about Qsanyin now, Bitterman.
It was nearly a regret that you would have to miss it to make it back to the Apiary in time for Justice Unlimited's celebrations.

Nearly.
Wolong: This place is great! It's great! When can I get back to the Apiary.
It was . . . staggering. Valiant Silver was truly the mind of your generation, and you cursed the fact that stopping the Movement cost her life.

Project Prometheus was elegant, engaging, and—if you were being honest—a little fun. With your power, you easily could see how different metahumans could combine and synergize—and it was even entertaining when you were wrong. How Novalight, Crimson Soprano, Steadfast, and Soldier X created a sentient black hole was still something you puzzled over in your spare time.
He's just like us, fr fr.
Speaking of which, there was something about [Enhanced Strength] and [Clairvoyance] that fit together. It was missing something, but it nearly felt familiar . . .
Uh… huh?

I have no idea how "punch harder" and "see things better" go together, but go off.
"I confess, I don't know," you say, "Some announcement of some sort. If I had to venture a guess, with the recent revelations about Powers, there are some elements of the Foot and Elysium Station that feel they have no protectors. Likely, today is about projecting strength as much as anything."

"I don't like it," Palisade says, "It feels off."

"Booo! Grinch!" Miss Naught sticks out her tongue.

"I'm serious," Palisade says, "Moon River's been airing Dominion's dirty laundry for over a week, but they haven't said anything? Not even a denial? Something is brewing."

You hum in agreement. That's your read on the situation as well.
Everyone knows that The Horrors are coming. Makes sense.
"Mr. Oliviera was clear in his request. The young Miss Oliviera has a place of honor on the stage. She is to join him. Alone. No metahumans."
Jeez, what a jerk of a dad. No wonder that's a timed mission.
"So of course, I rushed off to grab my friends here. Only to find her here with another man!" He clutches his heart. As he brings his arms up, he "accidently" breaks the man's grip on the girl's arm. "Why meu anjo? Why is love so cruel?"
If Gentleman James played D&D, he'd be either a Warlock or Bard. High Charisma.
"She's hysterical," the suit says to you, "Surely New Dawn will help return a girl to her father?"

Said girl looks as terrified at that idea as Dreamcatcher was at the sight of Menagerie Witch's new tarantula.
I mean, Shelob is very frightening.
The first suit looks like he might protest, but the one speaking grabs him and pulls him away. "Very well. I'll personally make sure Mr. Oliviera hears about how helpful New Dawn has been."
Well! That's going to have consequences later.
"Please, do forgive her. We've . . . not been certain who to trust lately."

Your brows go up at that, but you keep your tone light.

". . . New Dawn is always listening if you need help."
Wolong has an admirable stiff upper lip.
They're . . . simple," Belle Sabreuse says, "They can manage complex tasks, but speaking? Improvising due to an unexpected attack? Impossible. The veneer of humanity peels away. It's the only reason they haven't taken her yet."

She lets out a breath, but she quickly inhales and continues speaking as if a great burden was coming off her chest.

"They're getting smarter. The last batch nearly passed for human. And . . . I recognized one of them. I know I rammed him through the heart with my sword during a previous attempt. So how did he return? I'm holding, but just barely. If metahumans get involved . . ."
Uh oh. Clones? It's either Catch-22 or Socialite. That must be the consequences for the time running out on Yara.
Wonderful! She is such a fan. She says this may be an odd request, but could she shake your hand?

You frown. That is an odd request. But before you can protest, she takes off a glove and takes your hand in hers. She then goes down the row and shakes hands with Gentleman James, Miss Naught, Palisade, and Dreamcatcher. She is very enthusiastic, sometimes even grabbing a forearm or shoulder. She goes for Yara, but she hides behind Belle Sabreuse.
…this feels like Wolong's getting poisoned.
She flinches before visibly steeling herself. "J-just call me Yara, please. And, um, you knew her, right? My sister?"

You nod. "Uiara? Of course. I daresay there isn't anyone in the metahuman community of Horizon who didn't at least know of her."

"W-what was she like?"

You pause and think. "Uiara . . . was one of the most genuinely heroic people I've had the fortune to meet. She was always the first to put herself in danger for others, and the last to retreat."

You stroke your beard in thought. "Hmm, how to say this? Uiara was . . . direct. There was never any doubt she said what she meant and meant what she said. She had this uncanny knack of finding the good in people and willing it to the surface. It was she who convinced Abarimon to turn himself in, and I know she kept up regular correspondence with him while he was in Wonderland. There are a thousand stories like that about her; there was a reason the whole world came running when she called for the heroes of Horizon to resist the Looming God.
She was the likable person. The Yin to Leizhi's Yang, essentially.
"O-oh," Yara says, looking down.

"But," you add, "If anyone would know, it would be Lady Leizi. I'll make sure to ask her personally the next time I see her."
Wolong's very nice. A real stand up guy.
Ladies, gentlemen, and good citizens of the City of Leviathan's Rest, thank you for joining Ọsanyìn Conglomerated Industries for a special Christmas celebration!" a voice booms. On stage, a tall, bronze man with immaculately styled hair walks forward to a podium. Behind him is a row of mostly empty chairs with three people sitting on the far right end.

"I am Juan Bonfim, and I will be your master of ceremonies this evening!"
I wonder if we've seen this guy before. Probably not.
However, what truly stuck out to you was his eyes. They were dark brown, but with a fire burning in them. It was as if he saw the world both for what it was and for what he desired it to be.

A man to be wary around for sure.
Average CEO nepo baby… but evil. Terrifying.
"You deserved better. You all deserved better. We have failed you, and from the bottom of my heart, I apologize."

He raises his head and continues.

"There is not a person here who has not felt the ravages of the so-called 'Movement'. Horizon is in disarray, failed by its former protectors."

"Aww, crapbaskets. Here we go," Miss Naught mutters.
I can guarantee you that if Miss Naught could stand up and run, she would.
He looks at you directly.

"I mean no disrespect to brave men and women who now hold the line against impossible odds. You can hardly be blamed for Novalight's failure."

You keep a neutral expression but give a slight nod back. Is this why you were invited here? You have an inkling in your mind where this was going, and it did not bode well.
Wolong doesn't need to use his power to recognize the Incoming Bullshit.
He gestures to a tall woman with long, raven hair and a red blazer, sitting behind him. "Which is why I invite Gertrude von Goethe, acting CEO of Dominion Security Concerns, to join me."

The woman rises, and gracefully walks next to Jair, who moves aside and lets her take the podium. She's wearing a pair of dark, horned rim glasses that she readjusts before speaking.

"Thank you, Jair," she says, "And yes, I am Gertrude von Goethe, the acting CEO of Dominion Security Concerns. 'Acting' because this morning, effectively immediately, Christopher Mason—'Faust'—has tendered his resignation."
???
"Likewise, Scarlet Maturity has been relieved of his leadership role in Powers and indefinitely suspended. He is cooperative with our requests."

If your eyebrows go any high, they're going to fly off your head. You feel your power whirling behind your eyes, this is the only move to make. The proof was too irrefutable.
???

What's happening?
Which is why, I'm pleased to announce a new, joint-venture between Dominion Security Concerns and Ọsanyìn Conglomerated Industries!"

If the noise before was loud, it is now deafening. Your mind is awhirl. It's a new metahuman team. Ọsanyìn largely stayed out of the metahuman race—everyone else had too much of a head start. Ọsanyìn was left leaderless after their namesake's death. It's a match made in heaven, Ọsanyìn gets the foot in the metahuman market they've always craved, and Dominion gets to launder their reputation.
Oh shit! That's… horrendous. Yara's mission is now top priority.
Which is why it is my pleasure to introduce our next speaker, former Brigadier General in the United States Army and current CEO of Allied Global Logistics: General Oliver Bringham."
And yeah. That one was expected.
"We lost too many good soldiers when the Leviathan moved. Global Justice can no longer secure the front. AGL was approached by Ọsanyìn and asked to participate in this initiative. We agreed, as it was the best way to protect the people who depend on us."
"Soldiers"? Really, man? Screw you.
Jair leans forward, the fire in his eyes burning bright. "Today, I announce Crusade!"

Every screen in the plaza changes to show a logo of a white sword pointed downward over a blue Jerusalem Cross.
Oh my god.

Our first boss was Satan.

Our mid-boss is going to be the Church.

And we might end up fighting a god!

This is just gonna be a JRPG!
"Next, from Powers: Ronin, The Brass Shield, new member Été—"

Été arrives looking terrible. There are dark circles around her eyes, she's noticeably lost weight, and her presence is diminished somehow. She keeps her head down, makes eye contact with no one, and quickly takes her seats. You don't miss the black armband she wears, the only person on stage to do so.
…black armband? Someone, scan that for symbolism.
DC 20

Stat Check: OPERATIONS 20. Wolong has (3) charges remaining on his power.

AUTO-PASS

Success! -1 charge!
Auto-pass? On that??? That's crazy.
You've known Sunny since she was a girl. Dick brought her specifically to you, after he realized what her power was. Deadman knew how corporations and organizations would use up an Algernon-type until there was nothing left but an empty shell. He didn't want that life for his little sister. Novalight had gnashed her teeth and protested, but here you held firm. Sunny was allowed to develop her specialization safely and only used her power when absolutely necessary.

She was a bright, happy girl who became a bright, confident young woman. She matched her name perfectly. She was the voice in the ear of every metahuman in New Dawn, friendly rivals and gaming partners with Moon River, and the only person keeping her brother tethered to reality.

But after the Movement, she disappeared off the face of the Earth.

There's shame on her face, but there's something else too. Confusion. Longing. Sunny wants to be sitting with all of you. Sunny doesn't understand why she ever left New Dawn.

Her defection made no sense, as did her total lack of communication afterward. She's ashamed of her actions she doesn't understand, and that shame is making it impossible for her to talk to you. It's making it impossible for her to ask for help. Even now, she has to try to justify her actions to herself or it means she's losing her mind. But why did she leave? Not even she knows.
Ok. So, few things.

Deadman and Anansi are siblings.

Anansi is addicted to LA's serums.

Anansi is too ashamed of the above fact to come back to ND or JU.
The people of Elysium Station live in comfort and security, protected by the Horae Guard."

He drops his hand.

"But your cries of suffering have reached their ears. The people above the world can longer remain ignorant of their fellow humanity's pain. I now introduce three new members of Crusade, hand-selected from the Horae Guard!"

You . . . you weren't sure that Horae Guard was actually real. Rumors abound of an elite organization of metahumans, whose sole purpose was to protect the Elysium Station. The story was that powerful metahumans would disappear into the night, promised a place in Elysium if they would devote their life to protecting the station. They were never heard or seen again—they could never return to Earth—but why would they? It was paradise. Supposedly it was the Horae Guard who drove back The Defiance Unit during their assault.

To have their existence confirmed in a manner like this . . . Ọsanyìn was truly sparing no expense. Jair was determined to make a move. Determine to retake control of Horizon.
…I have a feeling that we're going to see them if we take that Beach Episode. Yikes.
"But I'm not sure if I agree with the distinction between Elysium and Earth. It feels . . . a little overwrought?" He gives a self-deprecating laugh. "We're all just people. I was just fortunate to grow up with a better view than most."

He draws a polite chuckle at that.

"As a child, I used to gaze down on Earth and dream about what the surface was like. It seemed so magical to me, the place where all life started. It was only seven years ago, when Elysium was attacked by the vile Defiance Unit, that I understood that not all places were as fortunate as Elysium. Not everyone had the safety and security I had so taken for granted. On that day, I swore I would return to the Earth and not rest until every person could walk without fear. And so, that is what this Crusade shall be for."
All the crusades failed, idiot!
Oh no. You realize what's happening a second too late. They need to draw attention from the failure of Powers. They need to draw attention elsewhere—fight a battle where their clientele can watch and be reassured that someone is "doing something". Somewhere that won't actually affect the people they serve—
Wolong is actively realizing how cooked everyone is.
He steps aside as a hydraulic lift raises someone onto the stage behind him. It's a person in armor.

Armor that is all too familiar. A white bodysuit, overwhich lay countless interlocking plates of armor. A helmet with a black visor over the eyes. A double crest on the forehead, and thicker armor across the back and shoulders. The amor plates have been planted blue with red highlights, and the word "PREVAIL" has been emblazoned down the side of one arm.
Silvio!
As the figure walks to the podium, White Hawk announces, "Please meet the leader of Crusade, the inheritor of the will of Global Justice and Horizon as a whole, Valiant Red, White, and Blue!"

"That name is terrible," you breathe at the walking insult in front of you. You know that armor. You know that title.

All of it stolen.
Wolong's right— bro looks dumb rn.
"The armor I wear was recovered from Valiant Silver," he says, examining his hand, "Inside of it, I found a terrible truth. This armor is a psionic siphon, designed to draw raw psychic energy from elsewhere to empower the user."

He squeezes his fist.

"And Valiant Silver found a practically unending source of power, one many thought long dead. Yes, Valiant Silver stole her power directly from the Leviathan itself."

Someone gasps in horror. Your eyebrows go up. Is it possible . . .?
Nah. Can't be. Or at the very least, there's more to this story.
Strength of Alliance with New Dawn: Wolong is fully committed.

No change.
Thank god we put in those 31 points.
A voice cuts through the speech. To your surprise, it's coming from next to you. Dreamcatcher is standing with one hand raised, using the other to continue eating a sandwich of some sort.

"I was at the Movement—I was fighting on a dragon, it was super rad—and I don't think I saw any of you there?" he says pointing to the metahumans on stage, "The Leviathan only stopped moving after VS showed up. She had some gadget that put it back to sleep. I'm pretty sure she didn't cause it, she, uh, opposite-caused it?"
Dreamcatcher continues to be best boy! Nice.
"Yes," you agree, standing up, "Valiant Silver very clearly stopped the Movement. Silvio–" you refuse to call him by his stolen moniker, "Is it possible you just misunderstood the purpose of her armor? It's by all accounts the masterwork of an unparalleled mind."

"I'm certain," he says. There's a gleam of victory in his eye and you realize you've walked into a trap, "But you don't need to take my word for it. Valiant Silver's crimes would have gone undetected, but for a warning sent directly to Ọsanyìn Conglomerated Industries."
Silvio must think he's like, L rn. Or Light Yagami.
I can't . . . I can't stop her. I can't get anyone else to listen to me either. They don't know her the way I do. They can't see how far gone she is. She's planning something tomorrow, some kind of grand project. I'm going to do what I can to stop her, but if I fail then you need to protect the rest of the city. You're a worthless father and a terrible human being, but, if you have an ounce of goodness in you, you will heed my warning.

Be ready. I pray this amounts to nothing and I have to spend the next year ignoring your calls again
Oh damn… hopefully she was just hysterical during this video?
Not only is it real, but the Uiara in the video sincerely believes every word she is saying. You feel a spike of agony in your temples as you overextend your power. Distantly you're aware of Yara desperately whispering to Belle Sabreuse.
Hopefully there's more to this video.
"Justice Unlimited? Why's she here?"

There's a susurration of anticipation that falls to silence as Black Swan simply hangs in the air, slightly higher than the stage but above the audience.
It seems that Mona won't be having any Fill-In dreams tonight— she stayed up late to make a surprise appearance!
Her words seem to reverberate in the air. You remember Black Swan as a bubbly, young girl. Here floats a powerful, young hero.

"What was that?" Valiant Red, White, and Blue says, "If you're here to intimidate us or threaten these innocent people—"

"The armor doesn't belong to you. You stole it. Like you stole the name."
Silvio gets 0/10 on originality.
"Black Swan, is it?" White Hawk says, stepping in, "It's a delight to meet you, although I wish they were under less alarming circumstances. Perhaps we can have this discussion in private—"
If I had a nickel for every bird-themed superhero rival Black Swan had…
"So what?!" Valiant Red, White, and Blue snarls, "The Captain is dead! Steadfast is dead! Global Justice burned for no reason, and that madwoman's work continues. Tell me this: what is Project Prometheus? If you have nothing to hide, then surely you can share the details. What is it?"

Black Swan stares at him and then starts to drift back up into the sky. "I think it's the thing you actually care about. I hope you really meant everything you said about protecting people."

"Where are you going? Come back here!" he screams, "If Justice Unlimited won't stop, then we'll stop you. We'll destroy you utterly! We will come to blows!"

Black Swan actually stops for a moment. With genuine confusion she asks, "Why? We're heroes. Are you bad guys or something?"

Then she takes off into the sky and disappears with another sonic boom. Valiant Red, White, and Blue swears another oath of revenge, but he's shuffled off the stage. Crusade's debut has been thoroughly derailed.
Silvio (I'm not calling him that other name) must be looking dumb rn.
You are Black Swan. You return to the Apiary faster than any other living thing in Horizon could, save perhaps one particular orangutan.
Quick Gorilla mention!
"You're right! It's a mouthful for sure. The folks online have already dubbed him "Valiant Justice", much catchier I think—"

"Not that either. He stole her name. Black Swan was right."

"Listen, Chichi—"

"Don't call me that."
Every day that we don't recruit/save Chihiro is another day of her getting a migraine.
"Come on, Lady Leizi. We still have to do White Elephant. Don't pick Maddie's gift. It's a box filled with clones of Shelob."
I'm glad Maddie isn't a villain. She's one of our scariest members.
"You . . . you're right, darling. How embarrassing of me." She stands up and runs her hand through her hair, immediately smoothing it over with nary a hair out of place. It's bullshit.
Incredible, almost fantastical masking abilities there.
and Opale and Rhys sang a kickass duet of "Judgement". The air was uneasy, but confidence returned to the Apiary.
Woah Breaking The Law~ Breaking Za Worlllddd~
-5 to Justice Unlimited's Global REPUTATION!

Alliance with New Dawn Remains unchanged!

All missions with Wonderland Inmates will cost +1 AP and have additional HIT requirements!

Crusade may appear during missions! They're not super friendly!

Every turn, Crusade will continue their PR campaign against Justice Unlimited. A REPUTATION roll will decide any reduction to global HIT if any. This will continue until Justice Unlimited submits to an audit or clears Valiant Silver's name!
Aw damn. Looks like we've gotta get Chihiro on…

And 2 AP PER WONDERLAND MISSION??? Aw hell, there goes the dreams of AP Heaven…
 
While we're theorycrafting and the like on the future plan stuff, its kind of hampered by not seeing whatever new pops up soon for it. So I'm going to go over potential builds to try and take advantage of the knowledge we learned for a potential synergy.

Some counts of Enhanced Strength, Clairvoyance, +1. We do not know what it is though people are theorizing its some form of telekinesis (tactile?), we don't know the third tag (though if telekinesis people are theorizing Energy Manipulation), and we do not know if the two tags we do know are 1 use or 2. Given those constraints, these theorycrafts are inherently just kinda restacking the same things since we don't know the 1-2 tag choices even before we get into the third.

Our high cost Enhanced Strength powers are Lightstep/Man-O-War/Giant Slayer/Nox, with lower costs in Adamant and Daggermaw.
Our high cost Clairvoyance power is Red Huntress, with a mid tier in Chatroom/ISpy/Memoria, and a low cost in Mr. Hunch.
Our high cost energy manipulations are Novalight/Red Huntress/Nox/Nephthys, with midcosts in Bulwark/Outsider/Dragonsteeth/Miss Conception/Antaneus, and low costs in Crimson Soprano and Millions Minefield.

Keep in mind that the energy manipulation section is a guess still, and even if correct one of these only needs one tag and we just don't know which. But while building up for 2 tags for all of these, if using any of the high cost characters we need Nox or Red Huntress due to their overlapping areas as otherwise the minimum costs would be over the limit.

Red Huntress (6) grabs Crimson Soprano (2) and Millions (1) for cheap and to coordinate the blades, leaving 4 points remaining. At which point Adamant (3) and Daggermaw (1) are the requirements for hitting 2 there. Nox (6) grabs Millions (1), 5 cost from the Clairvoyance end (Mr. Hunch + Memoria likely due to Teleport stacking), leaving 1 cost for Daggermaw. Both of these are 13 cost due currently guessing on the third tag and if each one is one or two tags.

If avoiding the higher cost end you do 5 cost from Clairvoyance (I'd probably do Chatroom or Memoria personally?) and are locked in on Adamant and Daggermaw, leaving 4 points to kill. That leaves things just shy of being able to grab one of the 4 costs + 1 if doubling up so you get locked into Crimson Soprano + Millions again, leaving this at 9 tolerance. Where at that point I'd probably just stack on Soldier X or Hydrocity for just going for the synergy stack attempt? Since those could grab FFM or Autobiokinesis with what else is going on there and we know tags can potential stack even if used in multiple synergies per Bitterman.
 
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