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Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

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Bitterman said:
I actually find Novalight to be a more sympathetic character than has been shown, because she never should have been in charge, knows she's not fit to lead, but she has to be in control otherwise it could happen again. (the Susurration)
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So you're telling me that with all her experience she thought New Dawn were the one's keeping a lid on Susurration?
Doesn't sound that great to me either when a) she never made investigations b) she clearly has no means other than using her power for damage purposes and c) she doesn't seem to rely on anything except Cisma's barriers as a countermeasure against another Valkyrie

Actually when I think about it.... How many countries or organizations arE experimenting on Leviathan, The flowers, the Stage, metas or goldnine?
 
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Lets make this an even 10 points for emergency funds. Thanks in advance to Crazyone for the suggestion.
 
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Behind the Hero: The Performa Crafter's - SolarGemX (canon)
  • Apocrypha

    • Behind the Hero: The Performa Crafter's
    By SolarGemX

    Lights, Camera, Action!​

    Movies, games, books, Art! Since ancient times people have created ways to entertain the masses, from classical fantasy, Thrilling novels, spell bounding dramas, riveting story lines and more; the arts have been an ever-expanding field in many different cultures, and modern day continues the trend. With the advent of Metahumans, media has of course shifted to cover the modern-day stars. Hi! Guilty as charged. But that doesn't mean normal media is dead, people will still write books, people will still watch normal tv shows or paint or draw other things unrelated to metahumans. Nonetheless, Superpowers have been shown to help people in even the most mundane of ways, just look at Double Bubble, and speaking of, todays "team" actually falls into the same wheelhouse, not actually doing normal hero work like going out to punch criminals in the teeth. These empowered individuals used their knowledge and powers to make learning the arts entertaining, that's right viewers, were going back to school.

    (AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!)​

    Oh, calm down! Were just visiting. You see, this New York team actually owns a university! The Luminary University of Design and Art (L.U.A.D for short) is a college that concentrates on the different arts. Literature, Music, Painting, Cinematography; the works. While there are a lot of normal professors, some of them are actually metahumans, who sometimes use their powers in their lessons, making them quite popular. While usually you would need to make an appointment to visit the campus if you aren't a member or student, today there is a school festival going on, so the public is free to explore and see what the students are capable of, and I've been granted permission from the Dean to talk about the metahuman faculty members as we explore the campus. So, without any more delay, let us talk about the artistic mentors of New York, we take a bow and introduce to you: The Performa Crafter's.

    The Performa Crafters or PC's, for short, are a 9-member team of faculty members making sure the Uni stays in tip top shape, alongside all the other staff. So, let's start with the leader of this cast of misfits, the Dean of LUAD Osmund Onyx, also Known as Professor Stasis. At 48 years old, Mr. Onyx is actually the oldest metahuman member of the staff, previous to his integration into the staff, he actually worked as a cinematographer in a couple of intermediate level films, before retiring and becoming the school's dean. While he rarely uses his power is his work life, he has on occasion used it on various objects throughout the school. Prof. Stasis has an interesting power, temporal object freezing. In other words, he is capable of freezing an object in time for an unprecedented amount of time, this only works on object no larger than a car. One of the biggest examples of its use is the statue at the foyer of the main campus building, this statue was made from sugar glass by a fellow member and due to how impressive it was, Mr. Onyx used his power to preserve it inside a Glass Box so people can see it, and its easy to see why, over ten feet in length with red scales and heterochromatic eyes, the Visage of a Dragon is quite the impactful first impression. People are still discussing if Sugar Fairy has a secret power because of just how massive her sculpture is, even with multiple supports carrying its weight. The new sugary statue has been around for about 3 years now and has somehow become synonymous with the school.

    The second member of the PC's is the school's sculpting expert, who bakes at the side, Sugar Fairy, or Maryssa Astraud. Well, isn't that a familiar surname? Yup, we found a new Astraud ladies and gentlemen. At 21 years old, Sugar fairy works as a teachers aid at the college, so she is a common sight among the faculty. When she isn't working or doing her own studies, Maryssa is usually sculpting small sculptures using sugar glass, these small works of arts are highly detailed thanks to both her skill as a sculptor and her Metahuman ability, Perception slowing and enhancement. Sugar fairy much like the Hawaiian hero Iron Sight's can enhance her vision to zoom in on objects, but she is also capable of slowing her perception of time to make sure she doesn't do any mistakes while performing her craft, it's the reason why many of her sculptures are extremely detailed, from the scales of a dragon to the individual feathers of a bird.

    Next let us talk about the second in command and the 30-year-old Vice-Dean of the school, Priscilla Parker, or Madame Float. Ms. Parker is capable of levitating objects with her mind, up to an average adult males weight. While her power is useful, just like Prof. Stasis, repeated use over short periods of times lead to massive migraines, so the Vice-Dean uses her power during set periods of time where it is most useful. Examples of her power use include carrying a small cart's worth of documents, carrying a couple of new printers for the school, putting on a show with stuff dolls for visiting children and carrying a student that hurt themselves after a nasty fall.

    The fourth and fifth faculty member's at LUAD are the artistic power couple who works literally come to life, Ink Trail and Smoke Trail or Prof. Sumi Sakanoue and Prof. Maurice Hart while in the classroom. 27 and 28 respectfully, these members of the Performa Crafters specialize in art and literature. Ms. Sakanoue teaches art classes for freshmen aspirants, and on occasion uses her Metahuman power while in class to give students a new perspective on their drawings. For those unaware, Ink Trail can create constructs using ink, paint, crayon, etc… Anything she draws can leap from her canvas and follow simple commands, just as long as it is not larger than a tiger. Not only that, but she can also bring to life paintings she hasn't created as well, sometimes during her classes she takes the drawings of voluntary students and has them move around in the classroom, keeping them small in order to prevent accidents, after a couple of minutes the images return to their original spots, undamaged. Meanwhile, her husband Mr. Hart can blow out a type of smoke that has an interesting effect if it covers a book, written paper or piece of literature, the smoke coalesces into highly detailed figures and they act out whatever is written, these "Smoke simulacrums" are quite expressive too the point of looking real, as long as you don't walk through them that is. Another feature is that the smoke can expand into a "screen" where everything that was written appears as form of movie, with sound included! This was a favorite activity in literature class and Smoke Trail usually used his power whenever one of his students asked, as long as he was free, that is. This little tradition has slightly fizzled due to a… "incident" when a sleep deprived student gave the teacher a set of papers during class in order to see if the play, she was writing would look good. However, she accidentally gave Smoke Trail something else; something…"interesting" *Cough* NSFW Fic *Cough*, this little incident taught both Mr. Hart and the student body to make sure to LOOK at what they are holding, before using the Metahumans ability.

    The next member of the group is apparently a teacher aide that is working behind the scenes for the universities computer design, music and instrumentation courses. The virtual idol of the campus, Trickstar Synth. Nobody knows who Trickstar Synth actually is, since she only helps with online courses, where she uses a Virtual Avatar of her Hero Persona, but from a couple of interviews from some of her students, we at least know her power, Voice modulation. TS can change the tone and sound of her voice at will and even make it sound like a synthesizer, much like a certain musical program we all know. The young heroine uses this power in her free time in order to make music covers of popular songs, including videogames and tv shows. From what she has revealed in her channel and during her lessons she is actually hoping to create a virtual idol group under the Trickstar name and has actually recruited two of her friends into her plan, a female that has donned the name Trickstar Steel Soul (A rock enthusiast) and a boy, Trickstar Ring-a-Bell (wind instrument enthusiast), her channel has a steady following of fans and here's hoping she can reach her goal.

    Seventh on the list is the Campus tech specialist and repairman, Handycraft or Steve Lauvier (age 35) to his co-workers. Handycraft's power is quite simple in execution, he is capable of sensing if a piece of machinery or human level technology is broken, triangulate what's the problem and detail what is necessary to fix the problem. Crowned the "King of Tech Support" by the student body, Mr. Lauvier has helped fix and/or replace a multitude of faulty computer systems, printers, and air conditioners, among other things. (Man, what wouldn't I give for that quick service…)

    The eight member of the team is the spectacled pyrotechnics experts, Firecracker, or Kenna Yaeko. Mr. Yaeko (Age 25) is the only pyrotechnics expert on the campus grounds, and teaches proper safety when managing flammable objects. Students that are interested in his elective learn the ins and outs of fire safety and overseeing dangerous substances that can produce a detonation if mixed. Since this particular course counts as an elective Mr. Yaeko is both strict and lax with his teaching methods. Extremely strict in order to make sure his students understand the dangers of pyrotechnics and lax, since as long as you follow instructions and do your work, he actually gives you extra time to do your work and is less strict during some written assignments (Don't worry about punctuation). His metahuman power is the ability to create colorful sparks from his hands and shape them at will. While he usually keeps his displays to palm sized illustrations, he is capable of channeling additional force to his palms, turning them into platforms that launch his sparks high into the sky, creating awe inspiring fireworks. These "Firecrackers" take a bit to make, giving ample time for students to move away from the detonation zone.

    The final member is another aide, but unlike the previous ones, she actually works at the campus cafeteria and doesn't have a hero name, she is known as Silvia Figueroa. At 18 years of age, Ms. Figueroa is a part-time worker at the college, helping with meal preparation. As she worked in the kitchen, she became more relaxed around the staff, to the point she revealed her, in her own words, "Lame as all hell power," Juice control. Now we've seen weird powersets in Behind the Hero before, but I can honestly agree that Silvias is among the weirdest. She is capable of controlling different types of fruit or vegetable base juices with extreme precision. Not exactly an eye-catching power true, but as she began experimenting during her free time and with encouragement from the head chef, she found out she can mix the juices she controls in... "Weird ways." You see, a mixture of apple, orange, grape, pear, and mango juice would sound horrible on paper, but Ms. Figueroa's power SOMEHOW mixes them perfectly, making entirely new tastes. Some students that have tasted her concoctions describe it as the great-great-great grandson of whatever juice she used, it should not work, but it does. Some weird combos coined by the student body are pe-ma-nana (Pear + Mango + Banana), or Peacher (Peach + Pear), among others. However, her most popular blend is the "Arcanciel mingle" a 7-fruit blend that once mixed, looks like rainbow in a cup. Once the drink is ingested, the flavor profile changes as it enters the mouth and the throat, making quite an interesting experience, especially after one of the cooks suggested making it into a gelatin dessert, which is now served on special occasion in campus.

    Well, that was an interesting collection of powers, some could be considered quite strong under the right circumstances, but their use in the arts is actually much more impressive. I know what my destination would be if I ever wanted to learn more about art. But it does look like its about time to end this little visit and go searching for the next team. Thank you all for watching, this has been Behind the Hero, Signing off.

    Authors note:

    And I do think that's episode 9 of BtH done. Thank you Crazyone for this little suggestion. So, say hi to the Performa Crafters, an art inspired team that owns an art's college in New York. My original plan for this team was a traveling circus type of aesthetic, but as I made more characters, I thought a college with eccentric faculty members would work, that and I had MHA on the brain, so here we are.

    Prof. Stasis was based on Odd-Eye magician, Ozpin from RWBY, and the stasis power from Breath of the Wild.

    Madame Float was based on Witchcrafter Vice-Madame from Yugioh and Glynda Goodwitch from RWBY.

    Ink Trail has a bit of Sai (Naruto) and the FF painter class inspiration, while Smoke Trail has Handsome anime Smoker dad vibes. (…that's a sentence).

    Trickstar Synth was based on V-tubers, idols, Hatsune Miku and the Trickstar Archetype from Yugioh.

    Handycraft was based on crafting… and strangely the skill of similar name in Monster Hunter.

    Firecracker was based on Crossete from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

    Silvia was based on potion crafters, but with a fruity mix. Also, the Rainbow Fruit from Toriko.

    Sugar fairy was based on… well sugar glass sculptures. Also, the Sculpture she made for the school is a totally not Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.

    Extra note: Planned on making a mime character that actually worked as a security officer in campus, miming invisible things into existence like, rope, man sized walls, a bike, a bat, etc…,all of which could stop a normal human, but would be immediately broken by anything resembling a metahuman with a modicum of strength. He would basically be a criptid living in the walls and ventilation shafts of the Uni, making sure everyone was behaving and safe. Ended cutting him out, but if you want to think there's a French clown living in the walls of a college, you do you. Maybe make them help during improv classes.
     
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  • Apocrypha
    • Which does lead one to the thought that Ibis's reality TV date and Scarlet Maturity's 'talk' will be happening in the same restraunt, possibly less than 50 feet apart.
     
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    Issue # 3.1: Largesse
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan Aggressive Stance
    -[X][GLOBAL MISSIONS]
    --[X][MISSION AP 1/2] Break Glass in Case of Emergency (AP 2 , ESP 8, OPS 10)
    ---[X] Request Wolong and Miss Naught for assistance
    --[X][MISSION AP 3/4] Hero Worship (AP 2, HIT 10, ESP 6, REP 10, OPS 4)
    --[X][MISSION AP 5] Mahou Shoujo no Justice Unlimited (AP 1, HIT 5, ESP 3. OPS 1)
    ---[X] Black Swan patrols with New Dawn
    --[X][MISSION AP 6] Meet the Rookies (AP 1, REP 4, ESP 6. OPERATIONS 5)
    --[X][MISSION AP 7] Cenotaph (AP 1, REPUTATION 3, OPERATIONS 2):
    -[X][GLOBAL ACTIONS]
    --[X][GLOBAL AP 1] A Spoonful of Sugar (John Henry Rhodes)
    --[X][GLOBAL AP 2] eTraction!
    --[X][GLOBAL AP 3] Project Prometheus (John Henry Rhodes)(6 tolerance)
    -[X][PERSONALS]
    --[X][LADY LEIZI] The Spider's Web (Monarch)
    --[X][BLACK SWAN] So... How About Them Yankees?
    --[X][MENAGERIE WITCH] Who Doesn't Love a Power Testing Scene?
    --[X][HANDYMAN] Lost Lenore
    --[X][CHATELET] You Live Like This?!
    -[X] Total AP & Hero: 7 AP, HIT 15, ESP 23, REP 17, OP 22
    Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean – S.S. Dauntless – January 5, 2068

    Underneath the water, a predator lurks.

    Unchanged by evolution for 35 million years, nature's perfect eating machine silently stalks its prey. There, up above where the light touches, a pair of legs belonging to a young girl idly kicks as she treaded water. Her friend hovers above the ocean just next to her, a Judas in disguise. Said young girl had recently developed a little bit of an attitude after training and had forgotten her place in the pecking order.

    Menagerie Witch's HIT increases by 1!

    So, she must be reminded.

    "Mona, sharks don't just attack people, dummy! You're more likely to get attacked by a cow than a—aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiie!"

    Menagerie Witch lets out an unearthly shriek as a great, platinum blue megalodon nibbles on her foot. Barkavious Rex woofs from his position on the deck of the ship you've chartered, Mittens asleep on his back.

    "Mr. Rhys! You dickhead!"

    A shrill sound cuts through the air as Miss Naught blows a gym whistle she had found somewhere. She's wearing a bikini with a bullseye pattern while lazing in a deck chair with a lifeguard float across her lap. When she had heard about your expedition to find Rakeem's emergency supplies—and that it involved being out at sea with little to no expectation of danger—she had literally gotten on her hands and knees and begged to tag along. She was "making herself useful" by serving as your lifeguard.

    "Hey, party foul! That's a yellow card!"

    "Exactly, screw you Mr. Rhys!" an irate Menagerie Witch cries. She's wearing a jet-black, one piece swimsuit with a frilled skirt and screaming at the shark which Handyman had transformed into.

    "Not Sharkboy! You little Miss Goth!" Miss Naught cries, "No fucking swearing!"

    "But you just swore!"

    "I'm mad with power!"

    Mona doubles over laughing while hovering mid-air, also in beach attire. She's wearing a long, white sundress with a big, floppy hat.

    Rakeem had hidden his cache in the shipwreck of the ironically named S.S. Unsinkable, which was located on the edge of the continental shelf of Marajó. However, the seismic activity caused by the Leviathan's activity had dislodged it and sent it into the continental slope. Your boat was currently docked at the Unsinkable's last known location as you tried to discern where it ended up. A task that has taken longer than you would have cared for, leading the members of your team to grow bored.

    Hence the horseplay.

    Not that you begrudged them. Things had been tense in the Apiary since Crusade's accusations—for which they would suffer—and it was a relief to see everyone able to relax.

    While the junior members carry on, Châtelet and Wolong diligently pour over bathymetric maps to determine where the Unsinkable had come to rest.

    Châtelet had abandoned her usual costume as well, although she said she wasn't yet comfortable in swimwear. She wears shorts and a lightweight, short-sleeved hoodie in the most casual outfit you had seen her in yet. Her focus was a godsend, and you felt you did very well making her your second. She points at a spot on the map and says something to Wolong, who nods while sweating profusely in his usual robes.

    The poor dear had actually come and apologized to you for Miss Naught's attire when you first boarded. He had wanted to make sure that New Dawn conducted itself "with all due professionalism" during the first joint mission of the alliance. His embarrassment at his subordinate's actions had persisted until you went below deck yourself and changed.

    Then he was embarrassed for an entirely different reason.

    You adjust the angle of your tanning reflector as a cloud partially blocks the sun. You're currently lounging in a deck chair, wearing an elegant swimsuit with a cutout that exposes your abdomen. It is your favorite shade of purple and it has been sitting in your closet for years. Wolong had nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw you in it, Miss Naught had let out a wolf-whistle and cheered, and you've caught everyone but Menagerie Witch sneaking peeks at you.

    You allow yourself a smirk. It's nice to see you still got it.

    * * *​

    The timer goes off, and you sit up and flip over onto your back. You hum in contentment. You still had no earthly idea why Adamant had invited you out here, but it was nice to take an afternoon off.

    Said bore of a man was determinedly facing away from you, attempting in vain to catch something with his fishing pole. You fancied you could see a flush in his skin at some point, but it was hard to tell. Certainly his face gave nothing away—the man was a brown boulder for all the emotion he would show.

    Which was why it was a shock when he invited you to "go fishing" with him in the first place. You half expected this to be an ambush or plot of some sort, but, no, he genuinely seemed to think you would spend the day handling worms and staring at the ocean.

    No, thank you.

    Honestly, you're not even sure why you agreed to come. Adamant was no friend of yours. He had strenuously objected to you joining NuGen on the grounds that you were "an unrepentant criminal." You could have forgiven that—he wasn't exactly wrong—if he hadn't been so arrogantly uptight.

    He and Nora had been butting heads over leadership of NuGen for nearly two months now. Everyone but Adamant seemed to understand Nora was in charge. Apiary and Moon River were fanatically loyal to her, Uiara was in love with her, and The Red Huntress would follow whatever decision Uiara made.

    Wait, was that why he brought you out here?

    "As much as I enjoy working on my tan," you say from the chair, "If you're looking for someone to help you supplant Nora, I'm afraid you've made a miscalculation.

    "Hnn," Adamant grunts, not looking over, "No. Valiant Silver's in charge."

    That makes you sit up. "Oh? Why the change of heart?"

    He reels in his line a bit before speaking. "We had it out in the training room. She put a railgun in her armor and shot me with it. Wasn't much to argue after that."

    "So that's what happened to the Bastion's gymnasium," you muse, "So, that's all it took? She beats you in a fight and you agree to let her be in charge?"

    "No," he says, "She's in charge because she's the best person to lead. The fight was just something I asked for."

    You've already exchanged more words with Adamant than you have since joining NuGen. Despite yourself, you find yourself intrigued.

    "So, if it's not palace intrigue, then why invite me out on this . . . expedition?"

    Adamant goes quiet again, and is silent for long enough that you nearly give up on the conversation. Finally, just as you write of this whole day, he rumbles out an answer.

    "I don't understand you."

    He doesn't follow up. You look at him over your sunglasses.

    ". . . and?"

    "I need to," he says, "Nora does. She understands everyone. It's how she slouched into being our leader by default."

    "Oh?" you say, "So I'm a test for yourself?"

    "That's not what I mean—" Adamant lets out a great sigh, "I don't understand why you would agree to follow the two women who defeated you. I now realize I judged you too quickly at the start. It wasn't fair. There is more to you."

    Oh? Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps there was more to the stoic boy in front of you as well. But, truly, you had to ask—

    "So you invited me to go fishing?"

    This time you can see Adamant flush as he grabs the back of his neck.

    ". . . it worked last time."

    "You've done this before?" you say with a raised eyebrow.

    "No. Yes. What I mean is that, someone once brought me out fishing. My dad."

    He sighs in frustration and abandons his line altogether to turn and face you. You can see talking about himself is unfamiliar for him, nearly painful. Still, with a willpower you can't help but find admirable, he forces the words out.

    "Dad wasn't around much when I was a kid. He and my mom never got married, and I lived with her in the OID. He spent his time with Global Justice in the Foot."

    You nod. You knew Adamant's parents were Dragonsteeth and Steadfast, but you had never really thought about it much before.

    "He still tried to be in my life though," he explains. Then seeming apropos of nothing, he adds, "When I was a teenager, I got into a lot of fights."

    "You?" you snort. You have a hard time picturing it. Adamant was as stiff as the metal that was his namesake.

    "Yeah. People used to talk out of turn about my mom," he explains, "A lot of folks still blame the original New Dawn for the Susurration. That led them to speak with disrespect about the original members. Someone had to teach them that speaking disrespectfully had consequences."

    "Oh? And what would happen?"

    "Lessons would be learned. And I would get arrested. It was after the third or fourth time when Dad brought me out here for a 'real father-son talk.'"

    You find yourself trying to imagine your father doing such a thing, and the image is so absurd you have to stop yourself from laughing in disgust.

    "Well, did your father correct your errant path?"

    "No. I wound up punching him in the jaw. Like I said, I used to have a temper."

    This time you do laugh out loud. "How did your father take that?"

    "Have you ever tried to punch someone who is invulnerable? He barely reacted. He did, however, catch me with a right hook that knocked me senseless."

    "Oh." Your smile disappears. The story suddenly feels too familiar and you pull your legs on the chair and wrap your arms around your knees. But Adamant continues, seemingly lost in the memory.

    "He apologized immediately—he hadn't meant to hit it. He had just done it on instinct. I honestly thought he was about to cry."

    Adamant walks over and sits down at the chair across from you.

    "It was the most emotion I'd ever seen from the old man. He thought I would be devastated, but all I wanted to know was how to throw a punch like that. He signed me up for boxing that night, and I learned a more constructive use for my anger."

    He looks up and stops as he notices your discomfort. He tilts his head and simply says "Hey?"

    "Don't mind me, darling."

    He looks for a second longer, but doesn't apologize or ask any more questions—something you are profoundly grateful for. Instead, he continues.

    "Ever since, I've thought of fishing as a way to get to know someone. It worked once, right?"

    "Hmm," you reply, not sure how to react, "And fishing is an enjoyable activity for you?"

    "No. It's boring."

    That makes you laugh.

    * * *​

    The search for the Unsinkable continues well into the afternoon. The ocean floor had apparently been more altered than anyone anticipated, rendering nearly every map you had useless. If it hadn't been for Wolong, your mission may have been doomed to failure from the start.

    DC 12

    Stat Check: OPERATIONS 25. Justice Unlimited has OPERATIONS 26 + 6 (Miss Naught).

    You rolled: 5.

    Wolong has [    Analytical Precognition]

    Wolong can spare (1) charge of his power for this mission.

    AUTO-PASS

    It is truly amazing to watch this feat of deduction, as Wolong traces every possible path the ship could have fallen and determines which one is the most likely. Châtelet ceases trying to help as Wolong falls into a fugue, and even the swimmers come back to watch. At the end, he has the ship's probable location pinned down to the exact millimeter, and everyone lets out a great cheer as Miss Naught brings him lemonade she had acquired from . . . somewhere.

    "Thank you," he says as he accepts. He has removed his hat and the top layer of his robes and sips as he gives you a sheepish smile. "I supposed I should have gotten into the spirit of today earlier."

    "No time like the present," you tell him. Châtelet heads to the boat's captain to inform him of your destination, and you're moving toward the coordinates in no time.

    "Hell yeah!" Miss Naught shouts, "Now, let's throw my boss into the water!"

    This is followed by more cheers as a sputtering and shirtless Wolong lands in the ocean.

    * * *​

    To your horror, you find that Adamant—Rakeem—is actually fairly charming when he isn't doing his best impression of a statue. What you had initially taken as arrogant standoffishness, you now realize was simply a reserve that was missing from most people. It wasn't that he didn't wish to speak with you. Rather, he just naturally never said more than was necessary.

    It meant he was an excellent listener, and you find yourself opening up to him in a way you never expected.

    "—Father was not gentle. When I displeased him, he would arrange for 'sparring' sessions with opponents ten years my senior. Unfortunately, when I began to regularly defeat them, he began to see me as an 'asset.'"

    "Hnn. Dirtbag," Rakeem hums. He had gone back to fishing, but you had little doubt he heard every word you spoke.

    "Quite," you agree, "However, it did have one unexpected benefit. He decided to have me 'prove myself' in front of his lieutenants by making me fight him. I don't believe any of his men ever forgot the sight of a fourteen year-old girl beating their patriarch into the ground."

    You give a content smile. It's one of your favorite memories after all. "Ah, it was so worth the punishment afterwards. Even if I still must cover up the scars."

    Rakeem looks over at you and meets your gaze. He studies your face and then gives you a single nod before turning his attention back to the ocean. There are no words of sympathy, no pity in his expression, no asking if you need to "talk about it." Just an acknowledgement of what you said and silent promise that he's available if you do wish to talk.

    It's a kind of support you've never had before, and it puts a lump in your throat.

    You two fall into a companionable silence until Rakeem disturbs it.

    "Y'know, I see why Nora admires you now."

    "Come again?" you say, incredulous.

    He shrugs at your tone. "Is it better to be born good or to choose to do the right thing? I'm not sure, but one is harder."

    You're left speechless at that and you fall back into the quiet between you. Then you say, "Oh, so you enjoy admiring me, darling? I thought I caught you taking a long look earlier."

    "That's not what—" Rakeem's words die in his throat as he turns around and looks at you. You've brought your legs up and bent one slightly while twisting your waist, giving Rakeem an eyeful of your bottom. He freezes in place, then flushes and turns to the water with nary a word.

    "Oh, Rakeem, no need to be shy. Please, admire all you wish."

    He says nothing but hunches over more intently. Your laughter rings out in the air.

    Adorable.

    * * *​

    The area on the continental shelf is deeper than nearly all of you can easily travel, so it is just Black Swan—who doesn't need to breathe and is immune to decompression sickness—and Handyman— in the shape of a shark-octopus hybrid—who disappear beneath the surf to find the Unsinkable.

    They're gone for twenty anxiety-inducing minutes, which is only made worse when gigantic blooms of light erupt from under the surface. Eventually, Handyman resurfaces with the corpses of two great creatures in his tentacles.

    DC 10

    Stat Check: HIT 8. Black Swan and Handyman have a collective HIT 19.

    You rolled: 8.

    8 + 5 = 13. Success!

    "Silver-Rank Behemoths," Handyman explains, "A bunch of them swarming around the boat. Look like overgrown cuttlefish. Nothing me an Black Swan couldn't handle though. I swear, thank God she's on our side, 'cuz yeesh did she destroy these things. She stayed behind to make sure she didn't miss any."

    Handyman discards the corpses and joins you on deck.

    "So, yeah, Wolong hit the nail on the head. The boat's down there, all in one piece. We couldn't figure out how it managed to stay undamaged until I went up and touched it—seems like Adamant coated the entire outer layer of the ship in adamantium and sealed it tight as a drum."

    Miss Naught tilts her head curiously as Wolong nods in approval, "Wise of him to ensure nothing leaked out."

    "Yeah," Handyman agrees, "But the issue now is: how do we get in? The boat's balanced on a rock—any blasting and the whole thing is bound to fall."

    Rakeem's final words to you echo in your ears, "Just be warned—you'll need someone who's either invincible or able to level a building to get to it."

    Someone who is invincible or able to level a—you sigh. You need either someone who can cut through the adamantium shell or could survive delivering a bomb to break through it. Of course. However, Rakeem never anticipated this complication.

    "Hmm, troublesome," Wolong says examining the data packet Rakeem had included in his final message, "We'll need to be careful—"

    DC 15

    Stat Check: OPERATIONS 25. Justice Unlimited has OPERATIONS 26 + 6 (Miss Naught).

    You rolled: 16.

    16 + 3 = 19. Success!

    "Just blow it up," Miss Naught interrupts.

    ". . . excuse me?" you ask.

    "Just blow it up, guys. Come on. If I'm reading this thing over Wolong's shoulder correctly, the stuff we care about is in the captain's cabin. So, blow up the rest of the ship, send Châtelet down to keep the part we care about from sinking, have Handyman squeezes inside, he grabs the goods, and everyone gets out. Duh."

    "Hmm," Wolong says, stroking his chin, "The Unsinkable is just at the edge of the continental slope, but that's still much deeper that is safe for most divers. We have the miniature submersible from Allard-Kelso, so it's not impossible. . ."

    "It's . . ." you start, ". . . probably the best idea we have."

    "Yeah. That's why I said it. Duh."

    Menagerie Witch brings Miss Naught a glass of lemonade with shining eyes, "I would like you to take me on as your student in the way of sass."

    "Of course! Rule #1: Become Ungovernable."

    You ignore the very, very foreboding thing that's happening in front of you and turn to Handyman and . . .

    "Where is Châtelet?"

    Said mistress of gravity walks up from below deck, already wearing diving gear and carrying the keys to the submersible.

    "If I die—" she squeaks, and then coughs into her hand, "Sorry, still working on vocal training. Ahem. If I die under there, make sure Gwen doesn't get any of my stuff. Or Ophèle's stuff. Or speak at my funeral. And please make sure they get my name right on my death certificate—I'm still waiting on the judge's order to make everything official."

    "Of course, darling. Anything else?"

    She narrows her eyes. "I want a raise . . . ?"

    "Should be doable after our bounty today."

    ". . . and I want a pony."

    "Do you? Do you truly?"

    "Levithan's Blood, no," Châtelet says, shivering, "Horses are godless killing machines. Now, stop being so nice to me all the time—it's throwing me off."

    * * *​

    ". . . there's something about being completely exhausted that makes it easier to think. Clarity."

    "Absolutely," you agree, "Part of the reason I took to combat arts so keenly as a child was to keep my stress from overwhelming me. That it deterred those who would do me harm was merely a bonus."

    After your little prank, Rakeem had steadfastly refused to look at you. So you were now conversing with his very chiseled back, muscles visible even through his jacket. Despite this, the conversation flowed naturally as you both realized you had a number of things in common. Among them:

    "Nora and Yazmin have been sleeping together."

    "Is that news, darling? I assumed everyone knew. They're hardly subtle."

    "Yes, but they're sleeping together again     after their last breakup."

    "My goodness," you laugh, "Did I miss an entire "breakup and get-back-together" cycle? They're positivity accelerating."

    "Hopefully they'll wait until after this upcoming trip to the QZ to fight again," Rakeem says, "Yazmin always rushes out of formation, when she's upset."

    "Does she now?" you say, genuinely interested, "I can't say I've noticed."

    "Yes," Rakeem says, "I suppose I'm the only one of us who has experience fighting along other metahumans. You have to keep a certain level of battlefield awareness, if only so powers don't interact in an unexpected way."

    "Is that why you always stay so close to me in fights?" you ask, "I had assumed it was because you didn't trust me."

    " . . . that's part of it," he admits. You give him points for honesty. "But the other part is because of how vulnerable you are."

    "Pardon?"

    "Don't take offense," he sighs, "But on our team? Nora has her shields, Yazmin and I have invincibility as part of our powers, Red Huntress turns invisible and gets stronger over time, Rosemary has back-up bodies, and Moon River isn't even there."

    He ticks each of you off with his hand as he speaks. "You're the only one who is as durable as a normal person. So I have to be there to take the hits."

    "You've been protecting me?" you say in disbelief, "I don't believe I've ever asked or indicated I wanted such a thing."

    "Doesn't matter. I'll get back up again. You won't. We're teammates. We all have jobs. Mine is making sure everyone comes home. That means I watch your back, and you watch mine."

    The lump comes back and you feel a strange warmth in your stomach. He just admitted to not even liking or trusting you . . . and he had been thinking about your safety this whole time? Just . . . because?

    "Why?" you ask. You don't elaborate.

    You don't need to. He replies. "Because I want to."

    Suddenly what was a dreary fishing vessel bobbing in the ocean becomes the place you've felt the safest since your mother was alive. A knot that has been coiled in your chest for over a decade comes loose and you nearly gasp in relief. Rakeem hears everything, you're certain. But, as always, he lets you work it out on your own until you want to come to him.

    The emotions are intense and you curl up into a ball as your eyes water. Eventually, at some point, you drift off to sleep.

    The sun is low in the sky when you awake, and Rakeem has draped his jacket over you. He still hasn't caught any fish.

    You feel a rush of embarrassment, but you're too warm and relaxed to care. Rakeem is as motionless as ever, and you smile as a wicked idea comes to mind. Impulsive? Maybe. But so was your decision to follow Nora onto NuGen.

    "What a gentleman," you say as you stand up, "Taking care of a vulnerable girl as she slept. But are you sure you didn't take a small peak?"

    "I would never," he growls, sounding genuinely offended for the first time today, he whips around and stops as his eyes go wide.

    "Pity," you say as your swimsuit pools around your feet, "Well, there's no time like the present to make up for lost opportunities."

    His pupils dilate as he drinks you in. Then his brain reactivates and he looks away.

    "Now, none of that," you say, walking over and moving his chin back to face you with one finger. "Why don't you come over here? Fishing is so terribly dull, don't you agree?"

    That night was the first of many between you and Rakeem. It wasn't a permanent arrangement —you two preferred to leave things unsaid and eschewed regular labels. Goodness knows, everyone didn't need the drama of two intra-team couples. Sometimes you two were close, sometimes you drifted apart, but Rakeem was always there.

    You even met his mother on a few occasions. Rebecca was a delight.

    Still, sometimes Rakeem's gaze would linger or his touch would be particularly delicate. Sometimes you hold him tight for just an extra second, trying to take all from the moment you could. He never pressured you or expected anything. He was happy with what you were and waited for if and when you wanted something more. For you to decide you can be more.

    It was just a pity you waited too long.

    * * *​

    The actual execution of your plan is somewhat anticlimactic, as you're not able to directly observe it yourself. There is another pair of blooming, blinding lights, and then another dimmer, but steadier, glow that lasts for some time before winking out.

    DC 15

    Stat Check: HIT 15. Black Swan, Handyman, and Châtelet have a collective HIT of 26.

    You rolled: 19.

    19 + 5 = 24. Critical Success!

    Châtelet radios immediately to tell you that the recovery was a total success. Also, apparently there was a Gold-Rank Behemoth hiding in wait that was inadvertently killed by the ship's destruction. She tells you they're securing enough of the body to collect the bounty and then returning to the surface immediately.

    +1000 Income!

    Miss Naught approaches you as you stare at the water.

    "Heck of a team you got here, Double L. Especially that Maddie. She's going places."

    You raise an eyebrow at the mention of Menagerie Witch's civilian name.

    "Ah, we bonded! Don't worry LL, I'm on the up and up." She gives you a wink before her expression fades to something more serious, "Especially with whatever big plan you have in the works."

    You keep your face perfectly neutral. "I haven't the faintest—"

    "Come on, don't bullshit me. Gabe was keeping a stiff upper lip, but we all knew it was losing battle. Now, suddenly he's smiling again and has time for fishing trips? Right after you come and Maddie kicks him in the verbal crotch? Something is up. Something big that's given him hope again."

    "Quite the deduction," you say, sincerely. You then turn back to the waves.

    "Look, I get it. I'm not gonna demand all the answers now. I just wanted to say: thanks."

    There's a sniff and you turn to realize Miss Naught has teared up.

    "Thanks a lot. It's nice to know there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

    You hum again and, perhaps stricken by the memories this trip has evoked, you pull Miss Naught into a hug.

    "Hey," she says, "I got a kid. He's eight. If anything—"

    "The Apiary's doors are always open to him. And you. Always."

    "Thank you," she whispers, "It makes me mad how hot you are."

    "I've been told before."

    * * *​

    Horizon, the City of Leviathan's Rest – The Apiary – January 5, 2068

    You sit alone in your room, tired after a long day at sea. Menagerie Witch fell asleep on the way back, unable to even say goodbye to her new "mentor", and was quickly shuffled off to bed. Black Swan helped cut through the adamantium-lined safe, and she, you, Handyman and Châtelet categorized the contents within.

    + 3000 Income!

    +1 healing symbiote!

    +3 shield generators!

    +1 goldnine!

    Name: Fast Track, David Rhodes
    Keywords: Self-Enhancement, Ally Enhancement, Enhanced Speed
    Faction: Independent hero.
    Potency: 3
    Creator: SaberFail
    Ibis' Notes: Fast Track was a relatively unknown figure, mostly due to the fact he had only been active for a few weeks before the Movement. He could project an invisible, two-foot tall and long field around himself, which would rob anything that entered it of its "speed". The "speed" would be transferred to Fast Track, who could in turn use it to increase the speed of himself or allies and objects he could touch.
    His power kept him safe from the effects of his increased movement, but nothing else. If he struck someone at sonic speeds, his hand would shatter and so forth. Hence why he mostly sped himself up to escape rather than attack.
    In order to steal the speed of an object, that object had to be fully inside of the field. If any part remained outside of it of the field, then it would continue as normal. This limitation led to his death as he died during the Movement when a Behemoth ran him through with its arm—the creature was too large to fit inside the field.
    There is no relationship between him and my best friend, John Henry. I checked!

    Name: Golem, Samson Road
    Keywords: Elemental Manipulation, Invulnerability, Enhanced Strength
    Faction: Independent
    Potency: 5
    Author: wing101r
    Ibis' Notes: Ah, Behemoth Hunter Golem. Golem primarily specialized in hunting the odd Behemoth that escaped the QZ. He tended to avoid contracts within boroughs, although, like all heroically-inclined metahumans, he could not resist combating villainy when he happened upon it. In any case, he debuted shortly before The Susurration occurred and survived the events in the QZ, though it appears to have soured him enough on New Dawn that he remained independent throughout his whole career.
    Golem's power allowed him to cover himself in an armor of earth and rocks. Doing so granted him a level of enhanced strength and invulnerability, and the more material he used in the creation of the armor the more powerful he became. He could also separate from his armor and remotely control it. While Golem could freely control any earthen material he could touch, he could not produce it ex nihilo. Thus his preference for contracts outside of Horizon proper. He died at the QZ taking down the Named-Rank Behemoth Endlessly Explosive Armordillo, sacrificing himself to use his armor to contain the explosion when it turned its entire body into a bomb.

    Name: Frostbite, Randolph Lindstrom
    Power: Elemental Manipulation, Enhanced Strength, Invulnerability
    Faction: Independent
    Potency: 3
    Author: ScorpioSting
    Ibis's Notes: I must say, this one does not surprise me in the slightest. Frostbite was a prickly hero at the best of times. One could say he had a cold heart, even! Hahahaha!
    . . .I digress. Frostbite was a cryokinetic, able to create ice with a thought. An odd facet of his power was that it was self-focused. He had quite a bit of range, but attacks had to extend out from him. For example, a ranged attack would cause a slick of ice to slide along the ground before spiking upwards. He was unable to freeze anything without some point of contact back to himself. Frostbite was also stronger than average, though nothing to write home about. He used his strength to wield a blade of ice he created as a melee weapon, and he'd often stab it into the ground to freeze things at range. He also used it to create an armor of ice around his body, which was more resistant to cold than average.

    Name: Féth Fíada, Saoirse Brennan
    Power: Elemental Manipulation, Clairvoyance, Invisibility, Ally Empowerment, Mental Manipulation
    Faction: Independent
    Potency: 6
    Author: Suleverf
    Ibis' Notes: Féth Fíada was a fairly free-spirited metahuman who chose to do hero work or petty crime on a whim rather than for any specific goal. Her refusal to join any metahuman organizations or stay firmly in the civilian world was well-known, though it left her with few friends in the end.
    She had fine control over fog in a wide area, though what exactly qualified had a hazy definition, including mist and even smoke at times. Ha! Get it? Hazy. Dr. Mammoth Ibis is truly a great mind and wit.
    Anyway, for sunny days she was capable of generating a special fog that shrouded her and slowly filled her zone of control. Unlike natural fog controlled by her, this shroud couldn't be dissipated by external forces like strong winds or hydrokinetics.
    Inside her fog, she could turn herself and others invisible to light, including infrared and radar. Scents and sounds coming from them could also be masked selectively, and other clairvoyant abilities trying to peer in the fog became fuzzy. On the flip side, she could perceive anything inside her fog, but couldn't bestow that power to allies.
    It was rumored that she could also turn into mist to dodge attacks, but, as you can clearly see in this report, that is not the case. The rumors were likely the result of her most bizarre ability: she could "curse" those in her fog, causing torpor and hallucinations the longer they spent in it. It wore off outside her fog, and she mostly only cared to use it to terrorize tourists in accordance with urban myths.

    Name: Solferina, Linh Nguyen
    Power: Energy Manipulation, Ally Empowerment, Mental Manipulation
    Faction: Independent
    Potency: 4
    Author: Kermie
    Ibis' Notes: This is an interesting one—a metahuman who did the opposite of most. Unlike the average metahuman, who might find a normal job after their hero career (like Chauncer! Hey, I remembered that!) she became a metahuman after 10 years of being a successful street and stage performer. Even so, she and Crimson Soprano weirdly never held any enmity towards one another— they were even seen having a friendly coffee with each other once. She perished in the QZ, fighting a Behemoth and punching it in the eye while she was on her way out.
    During her short time—5 years—as a metahuman, she proved how well a weak power could do in the hands of the right person. She could either weaken someone and make them depressed or apathetic, or strengthen someone and lift their spirits. If only I had gotten her expertise on my serotonin implant… ahem. These effects would be implanted based on the mood of whatever she was singing, as long as any person she was aiming to affect was within hearing distance and as long as they could understand the words. Notably, anyone who would hear her song would be affected unconditionally, so she used her services to hunt down a few Behemoths as an independent hire, and managed to get both of her kids full rides to their preferred universities before her death.

    But there was still one item unaccounted for. The special one, meant specifically for you. After you dismissed everyone else, you brought it to the privacy of your room and opened it.

    You had sighed. It was such a Rakeem thing. As was his note:

    "Zixuan, hopefully I dove back down here and retrieved this so I could give it to you myself. If not, I just wanted to make sure you had no questions about how I felt."

    You hold up your hand and admire his gift on your hand.

    A diamond ring, sized to perfection.

    Hot tears burn in your eyes as you wonder if things could have been different. Or would you have not grown into the person you were now without the Movement forcing you to? The person who was ready to say yes?

    Ah, regrets. They'll do you no good now.

    Still, as you smile and admire the sparkle in the light, you can't help but feel that it tells you nothing that you didn't already know.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Your next mission involves investigating someone claiming to be "Justice Unlimited". Also, magical girls(?). Black Swan will be on patrol with New Dawn and unavailable. You have 4 shield generators and 1 symbiote. You may assign up to one symbiote and one shield generator to each person. We've already done the rolls for the next update—no one was in a position to really get hurt. However, that may change in the following update. Assign as you wish:

    [ ] Lady Leizi

    [ ] Handyman

    [ ] Menagerie Witch

    [ ] Châtelet


    Additionally, you now have enough goldnine for one dosage of Ambrosia. I've decided to let you make heroes more quickly—Dr. Ibis' personal action this Issue will give you the ability to either make a new hero at the start of an Issue, or two new heroes at the end of an Issue. However, that leaves John Henry. Technically, if I moved up eTraction! You would be able to do Project Prometheus before the end of the issue.

    However, this feels unfair because of how much planning was based on the idea that he could not be empowered until the end of the Issue. So, I'm gonna leave it to a vote. The current order is:

    1. Break Glass
    2. Mahou Shoujo
    3. Cenotaph/Meet the Rookies
    4. Hero Worship
    5. How 'bout Them Yankees?/eTraction!
    6. Lost Lenore/You Live Like This?!
    7. Project Prometheus
    The new order would be:

    1. Break Glass
    2. Mahou Shoujo
    3. How 'bout Them Yankees?/eTraction!
    4. Project Prometheus
    5. Cenotaph/Meet the Rookies
    6. Hero Worship
    7. Lost Lenore/You Live Like This?!
    You would have John Henry for Hero Worship. Which would people prefer?

    [ ] Change Order

    [ ] Keep Order the Same
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Man, I get why OOC we get rewarded with DNA Profiles and all, but it's definitely weird and kind of funny to think about in universe.

    Rakeem: I've squirreled away some money, shield generators, and even a healing symbiote as my emergency stockpile. Lastly, some goldnine and the proof of my feelings.

    Rakeem: Also, some random hairs and blood and other unnamed biological components of some metahumans. Have fun!
     
    ...now that I think about it:

    Is the order of power tags left-to-right, in accordance with how strong the power is in the sample, leftmost being strongest, rightmost being weakest? And thus, more-likely-to-show-up vs less-likely-to-show-up?
     
    TheGrape said:
    Man, I get why OOC we get rewarded with DNA Profiles and all, but it's definitely weird and kind of funny to think about in universe.

    Rakeem: I've squirreled away some money, shield generators, and even a healing symbiote as my emergency stockpile. Lastly, some goldnine and the proof of my feelings.

    Rakeem: Also, some random hairs and blood and other unnamed biological components of some metahumans. Have fun!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I almost backed out of the DNA samples when I realized that exact thing, but eh. Metahumans are weird, man. What can ya do?
     
    I'm fine with the change Socialite is dangerous that I'd want everyone tehre. Also we get to figure out what that synergy Wulong has near completed is.

    [X] Change Order

    Wolong has [Analytical Precognition]
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    BTW I want the above so much. We need more autocrits.

    ScorpioSting said:
    ...now that I think about it:

    Is the order of power tags left-to-right, in accordance with how strong the power is in the sample, leftmost being strongest, rightmost being weakest? And thus, more-likely-to-show-up vs less-likely-to-show-up?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Had the same Idea yeh. It makes maddie interesting in that her synergy Powers is Ironically her weakest power.
     
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    ScorpioSting said:
    And here I was thinking I had data to back this up, because you said before "Memoria is way more likely to give Teleportation than Clairvoyance in a combo, it's much more focused on the former than the later", and Teleportation is further left than Clairvoyance, but now that's shot down.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    If anything, its in the order that I think of first, so usually it's the main component of the power because that comes to mind first?
     
    Mostly I'm mildly annoyed that wing and I accidentally created heroes with the exact same tags. Though, between different elements and other minor differences that make it into our sets, hopefully they won't be too similar in our cocktails of choice.
     
    Great chapter as always Bitterman! Also... I want to give Lady Leizi a hug, she really needs it.
    As for the order vote... Im neutral honestly. But having more allies never hurts, we just need to see what fresh hell John is gonna get.
     
    ScorpioSting said:
    Mostly I'm mildly annoyed that wing and I accidentally created heroes with the exact same tags. Though, between different elements and other minor differences that make it into our sets, hopefully they won't be too similar in our cocktails of choice.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    My OG Powerset was more Giant Armor/Mech to punch behemoths in the face.

    While yours was Elemental Warrior so even aside from Potency how the powers work are different enough to still make it interesting.
     
    [X] Power In Numbers
    -    [X] Change Order
    -[X] Everyone gets one shield generator each. Menagerie Witch gets the Symbiote.

    Good Enough I suppose Maddie is our most fragile member, while also having a mechanic that Makes her take damage for power. Symbiote would let us have maddie use Chimera on both MG and Hero worship safely if needed.
     
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