Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)
- Location
- Many Places
[X] . . . Nora Kim, a.k.a. Valiant Silver.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
[X] . . . Lei Zixuan, a.k.a. Lady Leizi.
Here's to high espionage and punching villains in their secret lairs before they can get their plans rolling. Also doesn't have any of the personal conflict that will eventually arise between Dr. Ilbis and Valiant Silver when the former is key to Ambrosia research and the latter us head of the org.
Here's to high espionage and punching villains in their secret lairs before they can get their plans rolling. Also doesn't have any of the personal conflict that will eventually arise between Dr. Ilbis and Valiant Silver when the former is key to Ambrosia research and the latter us head of the org.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I in no way want to influence the vote (especially since I inadvertently started a draft of a Lady Leizi POV >.>) but I feel like I should clarify: the rivalry between Mammoth Ibis and Valiant Sliver is entirely one-sided. She has met him maybe twice and only thinks of him as "the monster guy Towarri likes."
Which isn't to say there won't be some level of conflict, but it won't start out as immediately acrimonious should Valiant Silver be chosen. Lady Leizi knows more about Ibis' background, but has never met him.
Which isn't to say there won't be some level of conflict, but it won't start out as immediately acrimonious should Valiant Silver be chosen. Lady Leizi knows more about Ibis' background, but has never met him.
[X] . . . Lei Zixuan, a.k.a. Lady Leizi.
I just like ninja/spy heroes
I just like ninja/spy heroes
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
A big part of why I want Leizi, besides practical concerns, is that superhero stories are a lot about personal growth too, and I think Leizi has a greater avenue for that than Valiant Silver.
Valiant Silver is a well known and beloved heroine in her twilight years who neatly slots into the mentor role, and Leizi isn't. Few know of her, and those that do fear instead of trust her. This is by her own design of course, and I think there's a lot of drama to be had by putting the hatchet woman into a spot where she has to gain people's trust since she serves as the organization's face now. Being forced into a role where she has to gain the trust of both the wider populace and the rookies she has to take under her wing when her now deceased coworkers used to do that for her seems like fertile ground for character development.
Valiant Silver is a well known and beloved heroine in her twilight years who neatly slots into the mentor role, and Leizi isn't. Few know of her, and those that do fear instead of trust her. This is by her own design of course, and I think there's a lot of drama to be had by putting the hatchet woman into a spot where she has to gain people's trust since she serves as the organization's face now. Being forced into a role where she has to gain the trust of both the wider populace and the rookies she has to take under her wing when her now deceased coworkers used to do that for her seems like fertile ground for character development.
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[X] . . . Nora Kim, a.k.a. Valiant Silver.
[X] . . . Lei Zixuan, a.k.a. Lady Leizi.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Don't worry, there will still be plenty of hero-ing! You don't have a choice! If it makes you feel better, this might be my favorite starting world state.
We are back
We have never been more back than we are now
Issue #0.1: Desiderium pt. 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Jacob's Ladder – Justice Unlimited Satellite Headquarters – October 16, 2067
It's been one month since the Movement—one week since you were medically cleared to use your powers—and you've yet to do anything about the world burning around you.
That is unlike you. Hesitation, doubt, ceding the initiative—those are the furthest things from who Lei Zixuan is. Your entire life, you have survived by being one step ahead, being a little more prepared, being that much better informed. Stagnation is death, and to have stopped completely makes you feel like you're no longer yourself.
And yet.
"When we first met, I hated you immediately," you speak into the empty room, "Both of you."
You're in your personal quarters in the Ladder. Securing a base here was a stroke of luck; a subcontractor was illegally using an unmapped area for heavy machine storage during the construction of the ladder and decided to sell its location rather than let it be reabsorbed by a corp. You wasted no time having Yazmin buy the subcontractor out, sending Towarri and Harper to impress upon him the need to not double-cross you, and letting Nora, Rakeem, and Evie turn the area into a functional headquarters. In a matter of months, Justice Unlimited had a secret base on the most coveted real estate in Horizon.
Your room, naturally, was the largest.
"I had worked so hard to escape from Father's grasp. There was only one role for a metahuman in his world, and I did not wish to be an attack dog."
In that largest room, you were kneeling before your bed and speaking to a picture. The dim flicker of candlelight illuminated the world around you. You felt preposterous.
"I had my own men, my own territory, my own organization. My name was becoming something to be feared."
And yet.
"I lost all of that in an instant. Two fools defeated me like an afterthought. The people I thought I had so thoroughly cowed, turned on me, without a moment of hesitation. They fed my location to two amateur heroes, all for the promise of a 'better tomorrow.'"
The faces of Nora and Yazmin, Valiant Silver and Uiara, stared back at you. Technically, you were looking at two photos, both contained in a double frame. The photo on the left was nearly ten years old, showing a much younger version of yourself, Nora, Yazmin, Rakeem, Harper, Evie and Rosemary. The photo on the right was taken a year after Rosemary's death and had Towarri in her place.
"I suspected the truth then, but I needed confirmation. I followed you two relentlessly, determined to learn where I went wrong. I would not be a footnote." Your lips twitch at the memory, so absurd now. "Until, to my surprise, one day you asked me to join you. It always irked you that I was member 003, didn't it Rakeem?"
Adamant's softly smiling face doesn't answer you. Of course it doesn't. The Adamantium Man is dead. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this? You nearly get up, but something tugs the words out of you. They pour from your lips like water from a faucet.
"I joined Justice Unlimited, and, to even my surprise, I stayed. I stayed after we separated from New Dawn. I stayed after we lost dear Rosemary. I even stayed after we turned our backs on our dear leader."
Yours was the only vote against benching Valiant Silver. You understood why she had to keep fighting. Perfection for an instant or mediocrity for a lifetime? That wasn't a real choice at all.
"I forgot about my search. I grew complacent. And now I am alone."
The photographs were The Red Huntress' idea. Harper insisted it would be "cute" to take a yearly photo of the team and look back to see how everyone grew. She insisted you would appreciate it when "Your memory started failing." At age 33, you are—were—the oldest member of Justice Unlimited and that fact was endlessly amusing to Harper.
That bitch. How you miss her. You squeeze your hands and bow your head.
"How dare you? How dare all of you?"
Your voice is a hiss, like gas escaping from a valve.
"It was here! It was here all along and now it is gone."
The photograph does not answer you.
"The truth is," you say, your head still bowed, "Is that there is something wrong with me. Something missing."
In both pictures you smirk behind your sunglasses, partially hidden behind Rosemary in one and Rakeem in the other. Separate from everyone else, yet unquestionably one of them. You look so blissfully relaxed that you can't recognize yourself.
"I can't make people feel the way all of you could," you confess, "I can make them fear me. I can even make them love me. But I cannot make them believe in me."
Everytime you look at the photos, you remember the warmth you felt those days. A warmth you still don't understand.
"And now, Justice Unlimited is mine. How dare you fools die and leave it all to me?"
Your heavy breathing is the only sound in the room. There's something flowing through your veins that you don't understand. It's a heat, a warmth that's foreign and familiar all at once. You try to cling to it, but, as always, it slips through your grasp.
You then tilt the photo over, face down on the bed, and rise. You feel . . . better. Cleansed.
"I cannot remake Unlimited into what it was. I cannot build the future you all saw without you. All I can ever be is myself."
You extinguish the candles to end whatever this ludicrous ritual was. As you begin to leave the room, something turns your legs to lead. The feeling comes back. One more admission then.
"I don't know if there is any love in my heart to give. But if there is, it has always belonged to all of you."
The room does not reply with either contrition or condemnation. You feel cold.
You are Lady Leizi. The world saw fit to take everything from Justice Unlimited, except for its hidden knife. You will make it regret doing so.
When you next walk down the sterile halls of Jacob's Ladder, you do so as a new person. You move with an assured, calculated step meant to convey the importance of your task without any urgency. What little support staff is on site scurries out of your way with nary a word.
You allow yourself a small, satisfied smile and continue on your way to your meeting with Dr. Ibis and Mssr. Chaucer. The meeting that will determine the future of Justice Unlimited, Horizon, and, if a little melodrama can be forgiven, quite possibly the entire world.
Naturally, you come to them not as Lei Zixuan, but as the superhero Lady Leizi.
To that end, you are wearing your uniform. Not costume—you'll leave the spandex to others, thank you—but your outfit that makes your identity clear. A sleeveless, purple qipao-top embroidered with golden flowers, black pants that cinch at the waist and flare at the bottoms for style, pointed, steel-toe black boot heels, and a great, black coat worn across the shoulders.
Mostly because you get cold.
You stop to readjust your fingerless gloves and ensure that not a strand of your long, slicked back hair was out of place. Towarri had once commented that you looked less like a superhero and more like a gangster from a wuxia movie. You told her that was exactly right.
You were never a fan of the "superhero" aesthetic. Too much garish clothing and displaying oneself for attention, like a peacock. You preferred to dress like a coral snake, giving the world fair warning to your danger.
The one allowance to impracticality you indulged were the dark, round sunglasses that covered your eyes. They did nearly nothing to hide your identity the way a mask would. You just liked how they looked.
You waited a moment until you were just late enough to be fashionable—but not late enough to be rude—and entered the cramped meeting room.
"Joelle, dear, it's so lovely to see you!" you call to the burly man sitting at a round table, "What a terrible burden you've been given."
Chaucer stands and you greet him with a quick kiss on each cheek. There are dark circles under his eyes and his clothing hangs noticeably looser than before. But there's a steely glint in his eye and a determined set to his jaw.
"No more terrible than yours, Ms. Lei. Or should I call you . . .?
"Lady Leizi," you affirm, "Today, we are here on business, not pleasure."
"I would say so!" a petulant person pipes in, "There's no pleasure to be had blathering on!"
On the other side of a table is a decidedly unkempt man, wiry thin with spindly arms and long arms, like his namesake.
"Of course, Dr. Ibis," you say with a sharp nod, "We should proceed immediately. Wasting even a moment the time of a man of your brilliance is something the world cannot afford."
"More talking, my—oh." The doctor stopped cold. "Uh, yes, exactly."
"Exactly," you coo, moving to his side of the table. "And just allow me to say, thank you for being a part of Project Prometheus, Doctor. Without your intelligence, it's safe to say that the world would be doomed. Truly, you will be remembered as a man among men."
"Y-yes, of course." Ibis blinked. "Well, it's nice to see someone appreciates genius! Yes, I, Dr. Mammoth Ibis, am happy to move humanity forward!"
"Thank you, Doctor," you say with an easy smile. Goodness. If the doctor puffed himself up any further, his chest would pop.
"No need to thank me!" he said with false modesty, "It was my duty! Who else, but Dr. Mammoth Ibis could complete that dunce, Valiant Silver's, formula? Truly, it was an act of magnanimity."
"Ah." Your smile becomes a trifle fixed. "Did you know dear Nora well, Doctor?"
"Valiant Silver? No. That arrogant buffoon never deigned to speak with me. The gall! The lack of respect for the mind of a generation!"
"I see," you say, moving behind the doctor and placing a hand on his shoulder, "And what a mind it is. But, I feel I must inform you there are currently twenty-three known Algernon-type metahumans active in Horizon."
"Oh?" Dr. Ibis said, nonplussed, "What do they have to do with anything?"
"Because, Doctor," you begin. Your expression doesn't change but your grip becomes vise-like, sparks jumping between your knuckles, "If you continue to insult my former team, I'll be forced to throw you off the top of the Ladder and get one of them to administer the formula instead."
Before he can fully process what you said, you place a hand on his cheek and lean forward, electrical current dancing on your fingers.
"That would be a terrible waste, Doctor. A terrible waste. One that would keep me up at night. Don't do that to me. Please?"
"A-ah," Ibis stammered, "B-but of course."
"Thank you, Doctor," you say with a smile. Then, without another word, you move to the head of the table and sit down.
Chaucer shoots you a grateful expression and then begins pulling up several graphs on the table's holographic display. Ibis remains in a disturbed stupor, but eventually shakes himself out of it.
You allow yourself an insouciant grin. "Shall we begin, gentlemen?"
". . . and that concludes an assessment of available assets," Chaucer says, "We have enough remaining funds to maintain our base on the Ladder for a few more months as well as train and equip exactly one new metahuman. Most of our support staff are more than happy just to have a safe place to stay, but once things hopefully stabilize on Horizon proper they'll be wanting to be compensated as well."
You nod. "More than I feared, less than I hoped."
"I don't suppose you have any funds stashed away, Lady Leizi?"
[REQUIRED: You are Uiara. Requirement not met.]
"No," you shake your head, "My personal funds are meager compared to our needs. And most of them are tied up in investments in the city."
Chaucer sighs, looking resigned. "I anticipated as much. I'm lacking any further liquidity at the moment as well. I suppose we must make sources of revenue a priority, then."
"None of the boroughs are honoring our old contracts?" you ask.
[REQUIRED: You are Radiant Silvergirl. Requirement not met.]
"No. They've all suspended them out of concern of an 'inability to perform.' The representatives from the Worker's Mitt and Old Industrial District at least expressed a willingness to renew if we can demonstrate we have the power to keep them safe."
"Unfortunate," you say, "But not unexpected. From what I can glean, the whole city is in chaos after the Movement. There is a fear the Leviathan might wake up again."
Chaucer looks at you desperately. "Can we be certain it will not? Do you understand anything about what happened a month ago?"
[REQUIRED: You are Valiant Silver. Requirement not met.]
You sigh in genuine frustration. "Only that there was some sort of psychic event that Nora put a stop to. How and why are beyond even my knowledge."
"Then Project Prometheus truly is our best hope."
At that, the dozing Dr. Ibis snaps to attention. "Yes! As I have been saying. We should be mass-producing metahumans before word gets out and every government on the planet comes after my Ambrosia!"
[REQUIRED: You are Lady Leizi. Requirement met.]
"That's nothing we need to worry about in the immediate future." You hadn't been entirely idle this last month. "As far as the world at large knows, Dr. Ibis is dead and an imposter is using his identity. They also believe that I've contacted the cartels on the mainland seeking metahumans in exchange for an alliance."
"What?" Dr. Ibis said.
"Brilliant," Chaucer replied at the same time, "We'll have to make an effort to hide our recruits' civilian identities, but this will buy us some time from discovery."
"Speaking of which," you say, tapping the data slate in front of you, "I've reviewed our candidates and added my own observations."
"Aha, so we can finally begin then!" Dr. Ibis shouted, his eyes gleaming, "At last!"
"Yes, Doctor," you agree, "I believe the first member of our new Justice Unlimited will be . . ."
[ ] . . . Rhys Gardner.
[ ] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
[ ] . . . John Henry Rhodes.
You are Lady Leizi, the spymaster of Horizon. As Lady Leizi, you will receive extra intel for every potential metahuman candidate. Additionally, because of your extensive spy-network, you may once per turn mission reduce the difficulty of any ESPIONAGE check for yourself or others by 3.
[X] . . . Lei Zixuan, a.k.a. Lady Leizi.
It's been one month since the Movement—one week since you were medically cleared to use your powers—and you've yet to do anything about the world burning around you.
That is unlike you. Hesitation, doubt, ceding the initiative—those are the furthest things from who Lei Zixuan is. Your entire life, you have survived by being one step ahead, being a little more prepared, being that much better informed. Stagnation is death, and to have stopped completely makes you feel like you're no longer yourself.
And yet.
"When we first met, I hated you immediately," you speak into the empty room, "Both of you."
You're in your personal quarters in the Ladder. Securing a base here was a stroke of luck; a subcontractor was illegally using an unmapped area for heavy machine storage during the construction of the ladder and decided to sell its location rather than let it be reabsorbed by a corp. You wasted no time having Yazmin buy the subcontractor out, sending Towarri and Harper to impress upon him the need to not double-cross you, and letting Nora, Rakeem, and Evie turn the area into a functional headquarters. In a matter of months, Justice Unlimited had a secret base on the most coveted real estate in Horizon.
Your room, naturally, was the largest.
"I had worked so hard to escape from Father's grasp. There was only one role for a metahuman in his world, and I did not wish to be an attack dog."
In that largest room, you were kneeling before your bed and speaking to a picture. The dim flicker of candlelight illuminated the world around you. You felt preposterous.
"I had my own men, my own territory, my own organization. My name was becoming something to be feared."
And yet.
"I lost all of that in an instant. Two fools defeated me like an afterthought. The people I thought I had so thoroughly cowed, turned on me, without a moment of hesitation. They fed my location to two amateur heroes, all for the promise of a 'better tomorrow.'"
The faces of Nora and Yazmin, Valiant Silver and Uiara, stared back at you. Technically, you were looking at two photos, both contained in a double frame. The photo on the left was nearly ten years old, showing a much younger version of yourself, Nora, Yazmin, Rakeem, Harper, Evie and Rosemary. The photo on the right was taken a year after Rosemary's death and had Towarri in her place.
"I suspected the truth then, but I needed confirmation. I followed you two relentlessly, determined to learn where I went wrong. I would not be a footnote." Your lips twitch at the memory, so absurd now. "Until, to my surprise, one day you asked me to join you. It always irked you that I was member 003, didn't it Rakeem?"
Adamant's softly smiling face doesn't answer you. Of course it doesn't. The Adamantium Man is dead. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this? You nearly get up, but something tugs the words out of you. They pour from your lips like water from a faucet.
"I joined Justice Unlimited, and, to even my surprise, I stayed. I stayed after we separated from New Dawn. I stayed after we lost dear Rosemary. I even stayed after we turned our backs on our dear leader."
Yours was the only vote against benching Valiant Silver. You understood why she had to keep fighting. Perfection for an instant or mediocrity for a lifetime? That wasn't a real choice at all.
"I forgot about my search. I grew complacent. And now I am alone."
The photographs were The Red Huntress' idea. Harper insisted it would be "cute" to take a yearly photo of the team and look back to see how everyone grew. She insisted you would appreciate it when "Your memory started failing." At age 33, you are—were—the oldest member of Justice Unlimited and that fact was endlessly amusing to Harper.
That bitch. How you miss her. You squeeze your hands and bow your head.
"How dare you? How dare all of you?"
Your voice is a hiss, like gas escaping from a valve.
"It was here! It was here all along and now it is gone."
The photograph does not answer you.
"The truth is," you say, your head still bowed, "Is that there is something wrong with me. Something missing."
In both pictures you smirk behind your sunglasses, partially hidden behind Rosemary in one and Rakeem in the other. Separate from everyone else, yet unquestionably one of them. You look so blissfully relaxed that you can't recognize yourself.
"I can't make people feel the way all of you could," you confess, "I can make them fear me. I can even make them love me. But I cannot make them believe in me."
Everytime you look at the photos, you remember the warmth you felt those days. A warmth you still don't understand.
"And now, Justice Unlimited is mine. How dare you fools die and leave it all to me?"
Your heavy breathing is the only sound in the room. There's something flowing through your veins that you don't understand. It's a heat, a warmth that's foreign and familiar all at once. You try to cling to it, but, as always, it slips through your grasp.
You then tilt the photo over, face down on the bed, and rise. You feel . . . better. Cleansed.
"I cannot remake Unlimited into what it was. I cannot build the future you all saw without you. All I can ever be is myself."
You extinguish the candles to end whatever this ludicrous ritual was. As you begin to leave the room, something turns your legs to lead. The feeling comes back. One more admission then.
"I don't know if there is any love in my heart to give. But if there is, it has always belonged to all of you."
The room does not reply with either contrition or condemnation. You feel cold.
* * *
You are Lady Leizi. The world saw fit to take everything from Justice Unlimited, except for its hidden knife. You will make it regret doing so.
* * *
When you next walk down the sterile halls of Jacob's Ladder, you do so as a new person. You move with an assured, calculated step meant to convey the importance of your task without any urgency. What little support staff is on site scurries out of your way with nary a word.
You allow yourself a small, satisfied smile and continue on your way to your meeting with Dr. Ibis and Mssr. Chaucer. The meeting that will determine the future of Justice Unlimited, Horizon, and, if a little melodrama can be forgiven, quite possibly the entire world.
Naturally, you come to them not as Lei Zixuan, but as the superhero Lady Leizi.
To that end, you are wearing your uniform. Not costume—you'll leave the spandex to others, thank you—but your outfit that makes your identity clear. A sleeveless, purple qipao-top embroidered with golden flowers, black pants that cinch at the waist and flare at the bottoms for style, pointed, steel-toe black boot heels, and a great, black coat worn across the shoulders.
Mostly because you get cold.
You stop to readjust your fingerless gloves and ensure that not a strand of your long, slicked back hair was out of place. Towarri had once commented that you looked less like a superhero and more like a gangster from a wuxia movie. You told her that was exactly right.
You were never a fan of the "superhero" aesthetic. Too much garish clothing and displaying oneself for attention, like a peacock. You preferred to dress like a coral snake, giving the world fair warning to your danger.
The one allowance to impracticality you indulged were the dark, round sunglasses that covered your eyes. They did nearly nothing to hide your identity the way a mask would. You just liked how they looked.
You waited a moment until you were just late enough to be fashionable—but not late enough to be rude—and entered the cramped meeting room.
"Joelle, dear, it's so lovely to see you!" you call to the burly man sitting at a round table, "What a terrible burden you've been given."
Chaucer stands and you greet him with a quick kiss on each cheek. There are dark circles under his eyes and his clothing hangs noticeably looser than before. But there's a steely glint in his eye and a determined set to his jaw.
"No more terrible than yours, Ms. Lei. Or should I call you . . .?
"Lady Leizi," you affirm, "Today, we are here on business, not pleasure."
"I would say so!" a petulant person pipes in, "There's no pleasure to be had blathering on!"
On the other side of a table is a decidedly unkempt man, wiry thin with spindly arms and long arms, like his namesake.
"Of course, Dr. Ibis," you say with a sharp nod, "We should proceed immediately. Wasting even a moment the time of a man of your brilliance is something the world cannot afford."
"More talking, my—oh." The doctor stopped cold. "Uh, yes, exactly."
"Exactly," you coo, moving to his side of the table. "And just allow me to say, thank you for being a part of Project Prometheus, Doctor. Without your intelligence, it's safe to say that the world would be doomed. Truly, you will be remembered as a man among men."
"Y-yes, of course." Ibis blinked. "Well, it's nice to see someone appreciates genius! Yes, I, Dr. Mammoth Ibis, am happy to move humanity forward!"
"Thank you, Doctor," you say with an easy smile. Goodness. If the doctor puffed himself up any further, his chest would pop.
"No need to thank me!" he said with false modesty, "It was my duty! Who else, but Dr. Mammoth Ibis could complete that dunce, Valiant Silver's, formula? Truly, it was an act of magnanimity."
"Ah." Your smile becomes a trifle fixed. "Did you know dear Nora well, Doctor?"
"Valiant Silver? No. That arrogant buffoon never deigned to speak with me. The gall! The lack of respect for the mind of a generation!"
"I see," you say, moving behind the doctor and placing a hand on his shoulder, "And what a mind it is. But, I feel I must inform you there are currently twenty-three known Algernon-type metahumans active in Horizon."
"Oh?" Dr. Ibis said, nonplussed, "What do they have to do with anything?"
"Because, Doctor," you begin. Your expression doesn't change but your grip becomes vise-like, sparks jumping between your knuckles, "If you continue to insult my former team, I'll be forced to throw you off the top of the Ladder and get one of them to administer the formula instead."
Before he can fully process what you said, you place a hand on his cheek and lean forward, electrical current dancing on your fingers.
"That would be a terrible waste, Doctor. A terrible waste. One that would keep me up at night. Don't do that to me. Please?"
"A-ah," Ibis stammered, "B-but of course."
"Thank you, Doctor," you say with a smile. Then, without another word, you move to the head of the table and sit down.
Chaucer shoots you a grateful expression and then begins pulling up several graphs on the table's holographic display. Ibis remains in a disturbed stupor, but eventually shakes himself out of it.
You allow yourself an insouciant grin. "Shall we begin, gentlemen?"
* * *
". . . and that concludes an assessment of available assets," Chaucer says, "We have enough remaining funds to maintain our base on the Ladder for a few more months as well as train and equip exactly one new metahuman. Most of our support staff are more than happy just to have a safe place to stay, but once things hopefully stabilize on Horizon proper they'll be wanting to be compensated as well."
You nod. "More than I feared, less than I hoped."
"I don't suppose you have any funds stashed away, Lady Leizi?"
[REQUIRED: You are Uiara. Requirement not met.]
"No," you shake your head, "My personal funds are meager compared to our needs. And most of them are tied up in investments in the city."
Chaucer sighs, looking resigned. "I anticipated as much. I'm lacking any further liquidity at the moment as well. I suppose we must make sources of revenue a priority, then."
"None of the boroughs are honoring our old contracts?" you ask.
[REQUIRED: You are Radiant Silvergirl. Requirement not met.]
"No. They've all suspended them out of concern of an 'inability to perform.' The representatives from the Worker's Mitt and Old Industrial District at least expressed a willingness to renew if we can demonstrate we have the power to keep them safe."
"Unfortunate," you say, "But not unexpected. From what I can glean, the whole city is in chaos after the Movement. There is a fear the Leviathan might wake up again."
Chaucer looks at you desperately. "Can we be certain it will not? Do you understand anything about what happened a month ago?"
[REQUIRED: You are Valiant Silver. Requirement not met.]
You sigh in genuine frustration. "Only that there was some sort of psychic event that Nora put a stop to. How and why are beyond even my knowledge."
"Then Project Prometheus truly is our best hope."
At that, the dozing Dr. Ibis snaps to attention. "Yes! As I have been saying. We should be mass-producing metahumans before word gets out and every government on the planet comes after my Ambrosia!"
[REQUIRED: You are Lady Leizi. Requirement met.]
"That's nothing we need to worry about in the immediate future." You hadn't been entirely idle this last month. "As far as the world at large knows, Dr. Ibis is dead and an imposter is using his identity. They also believe that I've contacted the cartels on the mainland seeking metahumans in exchange for an alliance."
"What?" Dr. Ibis said.
"Brilliant," Chaucer replied at the same time, "We'll have to make an effort to hide our recruits' civilian identities, but this will buy us some time from discovery."
"Speaking of which," you say, tapping the data slate in front of you, "I've reviewed our candidates and added my own observations."
Candidate #1:
Name: Rhys Gardner
Age: 28
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 5, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: Mr. Gardner is a member of the support staff on Jacob's Ladder. He's something of a floater apparently; they have him doing a bit of everything including maintenance, security, and administrative work. He's been on the Ladder for five years and has never had a complaint lodged against him—a rare feat indeed given the, ah, exacting clientele that frequent the Elysium Station. By all accounts, he's got a solid head on his shoulders and is well-regarded by nearly everyone we've interviewed.
Unfortunately, he is almost certainly an American intelligence asset. We know because he told us that was the case when he first approached us. Word somehow got to him that we were recruiting civilians for a potentially dangerous project, and he wanted in. He claims to be willing to flip his allegiances as he now considers Horizon his true home. It speaks well to his cunning and observation skills that he managed to find us, the results of his military-training speak for themselves, but I can't help but call his loyalty into question. Every organization in Horizon has had to deal with agents from AGL trying to infiltrate their ranks, and we would be potentially inviting one into our midst. He claims to be a collaborator of yours, Lady Leizi, but I'll leave that to you to verify.
Lady Leizi: Yes, Rhys is one of mine. I can also confirm that his change of allegiance is genuine. He was in a relationship with Vulcan of SLAYERS before his passing. By all accounts, Rhys is looking for stability, which we could very well provide him and secure his loyalty. However, I must say Rhys is not much for leadership material. He's more comfortable taking orders than giving them. He would be a wonderful subordinate—a good soldier if that is what we are truly looking for.
Candidate #2
Name: Mona Merola-Morales
Age: 19
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 1
Tolerance: 10
Chaucer's Notes: Mona is not a conventional candidate. She was an intern at the Apiary, Justice Unlimited's now-abandoned base in Horizon proper. She's been with Justice Unlimited for three years—apparently they were one of the only agencies in Horizon that had paid internships. She's never distinguished herself outside of winning the annual bake-off two years in a row and being a notably large fan of Justice Unlimited. Word is that her collection of branded merchandise is quite a sight to behold.
Honestly, I would not even be considering her for Project Prometheus if it were not for two things. First, she has the highest Ambrosia tolerance level we've ever recorded. Dr. Ibis threatened to jump off the Ladder if we didn't at least consider her as a candidate. Second, she somehow found us and demanded to participate. I'm not sure how she managed to get onto the Ladder, let alone find our base—her explanation involves exchanging gossip with at least seven different people and begging her way past three sets of guards—but she managed it all the same. Perhaps there is hidden potential in young Mona in more ways than one.
Lady Leizi: I remember Mona well. She reminds me of a damselfish; she shows the world a false face to hide the real on beneath. She appears to be little more than a ditzy teenage girl, but she has the idealism and nose for trouble that all good heroes have. Eminently moldable, but we must be very careful to not break her.
I'll also note that if we are to use Ms. Merola-Morales potential to its fullest, she will be more powerful than I. For good or ill, she will be one of the faces of Justice Unlimited.
Candidate #3
Name: John Henry Rhodes
Age: 41
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 4, REPUTATION 5, OPERATIONS 6.
Tolerance: 4
Chaucer's Notes: John's name should be familiar to you. He was one of the most senior members of Valiant Silver's research staff. He's been with Justice Unlimited from the start, back when it was just an offshoot of New Dawn called "NuGen". While he was not a field operative by any stretch of the imagination, he would routinely assist Valiant Silver with maintaining her armor and repairing damaged equipment. He's a brilliant man without question.
I took the liberty of discussing Project Prometheus in depth with John. I apologize for the indiscretion, but he is married with several young children. I did not want him to volunteer if he did not fully understand the risks involved. John understands the chance he is taking if he is selected as a candidate and insists on submitting his name. Speaking frankly, I think he feels some level of survivor's guilt at Justice Unlimited's decimation. He's a decade older than all of you were, and he watched you grow up. No doubt, he feels that joining is his duty.
Lady Leizi: Oh, dear John. I'm afraid his motives might not be so pure. His oldest daughter, Natasha, was killed in an attack from the Demon Flamez in the Old Industrial District following the Movement. I have a feeling revenge is as much behind his desire to join as duty.
John has been here from the beginning and would provide excellent continuity for us. However, he is a middle-aged man, and is who he is. He'll be easy to work with, but he'll do things his way.
Name: Rhys Gardner
Age: 28
Stats: HIT 3, ESPIONAGE 5, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 2
Tolerance: 6
Chaucer's Notes: Mr. Gardner is a member of the support staff on Jacob's Ladder. He's something of a floater apparently; they have him doing a bit of everything including maintenance, security, and administrative work. He's been on the Ladder for five years and has never had a complaint lodged against him—a rare feat indeed given the, ah, exacting clientele that frequent the Elysium Station. By all accounts, he's got a solid head on his shoulders and is well-regarded by nearly everyone we've interviewed.
Unfortunately, he is almost certainly an American intelligence asset. We know because he told us that was the case when he first approached us. Word somehow got to him that we were recruiting civilians for a potentially dangerous project, and he wanted in. He claims to be willing to flip his allegiances as he now considers Horizon his true home. It speaks well to his cunning and observation skills that he managed to find us, the results of his military-training speak for themselves, but I can't help but call his loyalty into question. Every organization in Horizon has had to deal with agents from AGL trying to infiltrate their ranks, and we would be potentially inviting one into our midst. He claims to be a collaborator of yours, Lady Leizi, but I'll leave that to you to verify.
Lady Leizi: Yes, Rhys is one of mine. I can also confirm that his change of allegiance is genuine. He was in a relationship with Vulcan of SLAYERS before his passing. By all accounts, Rhys is looking for stability, which we could very well provide him and secure his loyalty. However, I must say Rhys is not much for leadership material. He's more comfortable taking orders than giving them. He would be a wonderful subordinate—a good soldier if that is what we are truly looking for.
Candidate #2
Name: Mona Merola-Morales
Age: 19
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 2, REPUTATION 2, OPERATIONS 1
Tolerance: 10
Chaucer's Notes: Mona is not a conventional candidate. She was an intern at the Apiary, Justice Unlimited's now-abandoned base in Horizon proper. She's been with Justice Unlimited for three years—apparently they were one of the only agencies in Horizon that had paid internships. She's never distinguished herself outside of winning the annual bake-off two years in a row and being a notably large fan of Justice Unlimited. Word is that her collection of branded merchandise is quite a sight to behold.
Honestly, I would not even be considering her for Project Prometheus if it were not for two things. First, she has the highest Ambrosia tolerance level we've ever recorded. Dr. Ibis threatened to jump off the Ladder if we didn't at least consider her as a candidate. Second, she somehow found us and demanded to participate. I'm not sure how she managed to get onto the Ladder, let alone find our base—her explanation involves exchanging gossip with at least seven different people and begging her way past three sets of guards—but she managed it all the same. Perhaps there is hidden potential in young Mona in more ways than one.
Lady Leizi: I remember Mona well. She reminds me of a damselfish; she shows the world a false face to hide the real on beneath. She appears to be little more than a ditzy teenage girl, but she has the idealism and nose for trouble that all good heroes have. Eminently moldable, but we must be very careful to not break her.
I'll also note that if we are to use Ms. Merola-Morales potential to its fullest, she will be more powerful than I. For good or ill, she will be one of the faces of Justice Unlimited.
Candidate #3
Name: John Henry Rhodes
Age: 41
Stats: HIT 1, ESPIONAGE 4, REPUTATION 5, OPERATIONS 6.
Tolerance: 4
Chaucer's Notes: John's name should be familiar to you. He was one of the most senior members of Valiant Silver's research staff. He's been with Justice Unlimited from the start, back when it was just an offshoot of New Dawn called "NuGen". While he was not a field operative by any stretch of the imagination, he would routinely assist Valiant Silver with maintaining her armor and repairing damaged equipment. He's a brilliant man without question.
I took the liberty of discussing Project Prometheus in depth with John. I apologize for the indiscretion, but he is married with several young children. I did not want him to volunteer if he did not fully understand the risks involved. John understands the chance he is taking if he is selected as a candidate and insists on submitting his name. Speaking frankly, I think he feels some level of survivor's guilt at Justice Unlimited's decimation. He's a decade older than all of you were, and he watched you grow up. No doubt, he feels that joining is his duty.
Lady Leizi: Oh, dear John. I'm afraid his motives might not be so pure. His oldest daughter, Natasha, was killed in an attack from the Demon Flamez in the Old Industrial District following the Movement. I have a feeling revenge is as much behind his desire to join as duty.
John has been here from the beginning and would provide excellent continuity for us. However, he is a middle-aged man, and is who he is. He'll be easy to work with, but he'll do things his way.
"Aha, so we can finally begin then!" Dr. Ibis shouted, his eyes gleaming, "At last!"
"Yes, Doctor," you agree, "I believe the first member of our new Justice Unlimited will be . . ."
[ ] . . . Rhys Gardner.
[ ] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
[ ] . . . John Henry Rhodes.
* * *
You are Lady Leizi, the spymaster of Horizon. As Lady Leizi, you will receive extra intel for every potential metahuman candidate. Additionally, because of your extensive spy-network, you may once per turn mission reduce the difficulty of any ESPIONAGE check for yourself or others by 3.
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Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
Let's go gambling. We lower the dose down to 8 and then pray.
As for what her powers could be… I want either something similar to Radiant Silvergirl or a speedster. If we can't deploy multiple people to different locations, we can have one person that could reasonable go between 2-3 in a day.
Let's go gambling. We lower the dose down to 8 and then pray.
As for what her powers could be… I want either something similar to Radiant Silvergirl or a speedster. If we can't deploy multiple people to different locations, we can have one person that could reasonable go between 2-3 in a day.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You'll decide the possible powerset of your candidate next vote. You won't exactly get to pick what the powers are, but you can ballpark it and I'll take the thread's purpose for its decision into account.
TimEd
Meteor maker
[x] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
I think this is the best choice. Highest risk but highest reward. Putting Rhys as the face of our new group would be us giving up on the dream from the get go, and John Henry Rhodes is disqualified in my eyes.
Edit: I say we still give her the full dose. Crippling her dosage would only make our gamble less good, while not really doing much to mitigate the downsides (PR wise).
I think this is the best choice. Highest risk but highest reward. Putting Rhys as the face of our new group would be us giving up on the dream from the get go, and John Henry Rhodes is disqualified in my eyes.
Edit: I say we still give her the full dose. Crippling her dosage would only make our gamble less good, while not really doing much to mitigate the downsides (PR wise).
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LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
I really loved that opening scene with Leizi talking to the pictures of her teammates and reflecting on what her relationship with them was like exactly. Set the tone quite well.
That said, seems like we have quite a lot of time before people figure out that we've unlocked the secrets to granting superpowers to people. Shame we don't know why and when the Alien God will move, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. The best we can do is pray that we're prepared enough for when it happens.
[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
Gacha time. Pray to god that dose 8 or 9 works out because she's going to need that much power to stand up to the many veteran supervillains that will target her.
Justice Unlimited needs a fresh face, one the people can empathize with and harkens back to the idealism and enthusiasm of the old guard in their heyday especially at a time when all hope seems lost.
Mona is bright young girl dedicated to superheroes and what they represent. She's perfect for the job. Her youth and being a superhero superfan should allow us a measure of control over her too, even if she does grow more powerful than anyone else here.
She likes supers by a lot, and Leizi is one of the founders of Justice Unlimited so she should be willing to listen to one of her idol's advice and guidance. Even if not, Famine Slayer and Dr. Elbis are here, though I imagine the former makes for a more charismatic mentor figure.
Also, it just kind of fits as a superhero backstory? Young girl who admires superheroes by a lot sees her idols fall and the world turn for the worse, and rather than fall into despair, actively seeks out how she can help the world and inevitably turns into a superhero herself to serve as a shining beacon of hope for others like how her idols were for her. It's very romantic, and I feel like there's a lot to be said between her and Leizi considering Leizi will now have to guide this young girl through a path she has only ever seen her friends walk. In a sense, they'll both have to explore the trail that Justice Unlimited's original superheroes blazed for them, and it is perhaps through this experience that Leizi comes to understand what her friends saw in her in the first place.
That said, seems like we have quite a lot of time before people figure out that we've unlocked the secrets to granting superpowers to people. Shame we don't know why and when the Alien God will move, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. The best we can do is pray that we're prepared enough for when it happens.
[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
Gacha time. Pray to god that dose 8 or 9 works out because she's going to need that much power to stand up to the many veteran supervillains that will target her.
Justice Unlimited needs a fresh face, one the people can empathize with and harkens back to the idealism and enthusiasm of the old guard in their heyday especially at a time when all hope seems lost.
Mona is bright young girl dedicated to superheroes and what they represent. She's perfect for the job. Her youth and being a superhero superfan should allow us a measure of control over her too, even if she does grow more powerful than anyone else here.
She likes supers by a lot, and Leizi is one of the founders of Justice Unlimited so she should be willing to listen to one of her idol's advice and guidance. Even if not, Famine Slayer and Dr. Elbis are here, though I imagine the former makes for a more charismatic mentor figure.
Also, it just kind of fits as a superhero backstory? Young girl who admires superheroes by a lot sees her idols fall and the world turn for the worse, and rather than fall into despair, actively seeks out how she can help the world and inevitably turns into a superhero herself to serve as a shining beacon of hope for others like how her idols were for her. It's very romantic, and I feel like there's a lot to be said between her and Leizi considering Leizi will now have to guide this young girl through a path she has only ever seen her friends walk. In a sense, they'll both have to explore the trail that Justice Unlimited's original superheroes blazed for them, and it is perhaps through this experience that Leizi comes to understand what her friends saw in her in the first place.
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[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
Go big or go home
Go big or go home