We likely won't have Lady Leizi able to participate in combat missions next turn, but she should be able to handle a meeting. If not, Chaucer's there to take over momentarily.

I do plan on next turn being a cooldown turn mainly dealing with PR and meetings, so the loss in combat capability shouldn't too bad.
 
......
*Picks up a glass of wine* It was fun while it lasted Lady Leizi, be proud; we will NEVER Forget you. Now... we make sure Black Swan becomes everything she is meant to be and more. Long live Justice Unlimited!

Edit: or if Im beimg overdramatic, heres a get well soon card, ya did great!
 
......
*Picks up a glass of wine* It was fun while it lasted Lady Leizi, be proud; we will NEVER Forget you. Now... we make sure Black Swan becomes everything she is meant to be and more. Long live Justice Unlimited!

Edit: or if Im beimg overdramatic, heres a get well soon card, ya did great!
You're being overdramatic, I sincerely doubt we'll lose our protagonist and POV character on the very first turn over 1 vote. If it was a string of bad decisions, sure, but this ain't it.
 
Issue #1.3: Eminence pt. 3
Descriptions of gore, violence, emotional abuse as a superpower.
[X] . . . know you can be more. You try to talk to her.
You know you can be more.

Disobedience is death.

Then why did you run away from your father?

Love is a weakness.

Then why was Justice Unlimited so mighty?

You are a monster.

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

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

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

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

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

"LIAR!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You extend a hand and lean forward.

DC 15.

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

You rolled: 17.

17 - 3 = 14. Failure!

Lady Leizi takes one level of injury! Severe Injury!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unfortunately that was true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She says nothing and huddles closer in on herself.

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

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

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

She's shaking. You slowly stand up.

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

You take a step.

"N-no—!"

You take another.

"Stop, stop, please!"

A third.

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

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

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

"Get away from me!"

DC 10.

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

You rolled: 14.

14 - 1 = 13. Success!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You feel so warm.

* * *

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

You are Black Swan.

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

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

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

Yet.

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

Yuck.

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

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

Maddie.

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

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

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

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

Maybe you're not a very good hero.

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

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

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

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

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

Maddie continues to eat and continues to not say anything.

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

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

"What was that kid?"

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

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

It's Dr. Ibis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Ibis spits out the last few words.

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

No one speaks. No one even dares to breathe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Maddie's story comes out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, Le Petit Prince began to play.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But nothing was stronger than her hatred of him.

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

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

And still Le Petit Prince always came back.

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

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

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

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

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

"Doctor, you can't be serious!"

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

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

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

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

He adds that last bit with a vicious smile.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We prepare."

* * *

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

One more thing then.

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

"I said, Ms. Merola-Morales—"

"Black Swan!"

"Excuse me, Black Swan—"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Penalty—! Now, see here—"

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

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

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

DC 5.

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

You rolled: 5.

5 + 5 = 10. Success!

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

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

"Wait—!"

But you cut off the screen and grin.

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

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

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

Dr. Ibis' words ring in your head.

Be prepared.

______________________________________________________________________________

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

You gain + 1500 Income!

New metahuman recruited: Madeline du Marseille!

You get + 1 AP!
 
Last edited:
Did I have to give Lady Leizi that last injury? No. Did I need to ask for that last dice roll? Probably not. But isn't it more exciting that I did?

You will get Maddie's stats before you vote for your candidate for Project Prometheus. Not next update, but the update after.

Fun fact: had this mission expired, Le Petit Prince would have returned and successfully recruited Maddie. He would have had another powerful metahuman under his control, and you wouldn't have know he was skulking around.
 
Hell Yeh 5 AP next turn.

Also fucking Prince. Definately need someone need to die so good thing prison doesnt work so we can just kill him.

Also man no wonder Dr Ibis is so fuckup emotionally.
 
Descriptions of gore, violence, emotional abuse as a superpower.
Uh oh.
You know you can be more.

Disobedience is death.

Then why did you run away from your father?

Love is a weakness.

Then why was Justice Unlimited so mighty?

You are a monster.

Maybe. But you can choose not to be. Or, at least, you hope you can.
Lady Leizhi is locking the fuck in. Her we go.
The smartest, kindest people you ever knew saw something in you. Something that made them ask you to be one of them. It might be the foolish dream of a little girl sitting alone in the dark, but, if it is a dream, then you will make it real.

In the space between heartbeats, you make your choice. You don't move toward the girl—you don't strike her down. Instead, you sit down, legs folded under you and hands on your knees.
Alright. Now she just has to say something like…
I'm not going to hurt you, darling."

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

"LIAR!"

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

The girl's eyes are still crazed, but you aren't currently being savaged by a monster. You take that as permission to continue.
That.
My name is Lei Zixuan. Well, that's the name that was given to me. Honestly, I've been "Lady Leizi" of Justice Unlimited for so long that it feels more like who I truly am."

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

"I was once in a dark place. So dark and so deep and so cold that I couldn't see the light above me. I didn't think there was any way for me to climb out of where I was." You close your eyes in remembrance. "I blinded myself to the pain of others. I hurt them with abandon. I made myself content with being who I was and let myself believe there was no other option."
Nice…
"Then I met some of the most wonderful people in the world. People who could see the light. People who not only guided me out of the dark place I was in, but wouldn't let me go back."

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

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

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

You see the humanity return to the girl's eyes as she listens to you. You can feel your words getting through to her.
Alright, we can almost cinch this— wait.
So you make a mistake.

You extend a hand and lean forward.
Yup. There's the dice.
DC 15.

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

You rolled: 17.

17 - 3 = 14. Failure!

Lady Leizi takes one level of injury! Severe Injury!
Leizhi! BKNK was right, she's taking way too many injuries!
"Get away from me!" the girl shrieks, and her bird takes a swipe at you with talons as sharp as blades. The attack cuts deep into your arm until it hits bone, sending a brilliant red spray of blood across the room. You pull your arm back with a startled cry you strangle in your throat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unfortunately that was true.
Unfortunately, we have no super durability like Uiara. We'll just have to tank it.
"We have top notch medical facilities back on Jacob's Ladder. A quick stop over once I'm back and I'll be right as rain."

"J-Jacob Ladder?" she stutters. That seems to mean something to her. "You've been there?"
Hahaha you wouldn't even believe the shit we've just been doing.
"N-no. Going to Elysium is too expensive. Mom said—"

You can see the moment in her face when she realizes her mother is no longer alive. You keep talking; you can't let her dwell on it just yet.
Yikes…
". . . this is Nevermore. He's not a raven, but he's just as cool. My snake is named Apep."

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

She looks up. "You've heard of them?"
Two very cultured people. I approve!
Naturally. You must be a bright girl to pick such elegant names. What about your furry friends in the corner?"

". . . that's Barkavious Rex and Mittens. Mittens' isn't mine she's my neighbor—" the girls eyes fill with tears again.
…so her power is necromancy? Or clones?
"It sounds like she's lucky to have you now. And what's your name? If I may be so bold." Your breathing is labored. You can feel the blood soaking into your jacket—it's going to be ruined.
Leizhi, I need you to stand up, please.
DC 10.

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

You rolled: 14.

14 - 1 = 13. Success!

Lady Leizi takes one level of injury! Critical Injury, Adrenaline!
Oh thank god.
You feel something sharp and invasive piece your back as you pull Maddie into an embrace. She's stock-still, unresponsive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please! Please don't go! Please!}
If anybody says the Leizhi isn't a hero… they're officially wrong.
You want to say something, anything, but the words won't come. There's a rattle and a burst of light as Black Swan rockets through a window into the library. She's beautiful—like an angel—her silvery hair infused with a brilliant halo of light.

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

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

It . . . it was close. She had lost a lot of blood. If you had been a little slower, or if the strike had been a few inches higher . . .
Oh god. We got hit so hard it forced a POV change.
She's hooked up to one of those Ọsanyìn "cellular-regeneration" pods that are worth, like, a hundred million dollars or something. You have no idea how Justice Unlimited got their hands on one, but it's spooky to watch in action. You can see Lady Leizi's muscle and skin regrowing.
Well, that explains the "injuries repair between issues" thing.
You don't know how you feel about her. When you flew into that building . . . you thought Lady Leizi was dead. You were so angry and upset and scared. You might have destroyed the entire apartment if Maddie hadn't been screaming for help. You would have killed Lady Leizi and this little girl.

Maybe you're not a very good hero.
Well, that's something you'll have to work on, Mona.
"See?" Rhys says, "I know you're starvin', but you were starving. Your stomach shrank, so you can't eat too much too fast or you'll make yourself puke."

Rhys volunteered to try to talk to her. You all agreed it was better to no overwhelm her, so you, Mr. Chaucer, and, surprisingly, Dr. Ibis are secretly watching through two-way glass.
Ok, now we've just got to recruit Rhys.
Rhys scratches the dog's ears and smiles. "Aww, who's a good boy? He's a real good boy, kid. What's his name?"

Maddie continues to eat and continues to not say anything.

Rhys sighs. "Hey . . . kid. I know this is the last thing in the world you want to talk about. I don't blame you. But I have to ask you about what happened in that place, in case that guy is still around. I understand . . . some real bad stuff went down."
See above👆
Stop saying you understand!You don't understand!"
Needs to be a space between exclamations. Also, ouch.
It's Dr. Ibis.

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

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

Dr. Ibis turns around and looks at Maddie, his eyes so, so sad.
Ouch. This one's gonna hurt a lot.
"And then you go back to the man, but relief doesn't come. He wants something from you now. At first, it's small things. Easy things. But then asks for more. Expensive things. Humiliating things. Things you would rather die than do, but, if you don't, the relief won't come!"

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

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

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


What did Bitterman say again?

How much of the trauma pile have we seen???
And Maddie's story comes out.

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

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

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

Maddie's neighbor, Mitten's original owner, was one of the manic ones. She would walk around decorating the building with flowers and singing, but, as soon as her door was closed, Maddie could hear her sobbing.
Oh god.
A short, squat man wearing a crown and proclaiming himself Le Petit Prince—the Little Prince. He arrived with the six members of his "court" and declared Third North Tower his "kingdom."

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

Then, Le Petit Prince began to play.

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

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

People began to fight back. They organized a resistance, made plans to escape the building and get help from the outside. Le Petit Prince loved this. Nothing gave him more joy than hunting down "dissidents" and holding show-trials. It became an obsession, the stink of corpses filling Maddie's beloved library.
PETIT PRINCE! WHEN I FIND YOU! WHEN I CATCH YOU!
But then he made a mistake. He killed Maddie's mother.

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

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

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

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

But nothing was stronger than her hatred of him.

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

He'd send her old friends, neighbors, people she had known her whole life. They beg and plead and cajole, trying to get her to come out. But she wouldn't. They weren't the same people. They were liars.
-WHENWECATCHHIMWHENWECATCHHIM—
"Dr. Ibis," Chaucer breathes, "I had no idea . . . I'm so sor—"

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

"Doctor, you can't be serious!"

You see how Dr. Ibis smile doesn't meet his haunted eyes and you interject, "Wow! You sure had me going! Great job, Doc!"
Wow, that's… yeah, Mona and Rhys are probably the mentally healthiest in the entire building at the moment.

They're also the youngest. Fuuuu…
That's not how Le Petit Prince's power is supposed to work."

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

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

He adds that last bit with a vicious smile.

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

"Why was someone like that even allowed to live?" Chaucer wonders.
FAUST! WHEN WE CATCH YOU AS WELL—
Dr. Ibis sighs. "If anyone had the paranoia and expertise to prepare something for Le Petit Prince's return, it was Valiant Silver. We should try to raid her lab. But beyond that?"

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

"We prepare."
Did Ibis just give credit to VS? Oh damn, he's serious about this.
One more thing than.

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

"I said, Ms. Merola-Morales—"

"Black Swan!"

"Excuse me, Black Swan—"

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

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

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

"Yes. Your handling of the crisis downtown restored the faith of our citizenry. And they were quite insistent that we show our commitment to Justice Unlimited."
Money!!!
DC 5.

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

You rolled: 5.

5 + 5 = 10. Success!
And a thankfully easy win here. Phew.
Gain control of The Worker's Mitt! +1000/per turn!

You gain + 1500 Income!

New metahuman recruited: Madeline du Marseille!

You get + 1 AP!
YEAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOO!!!!!
How does everyone read so dang fast!?
I don't skim. I just chug some coffee, play some Genshin, then go.
 
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Prince found a Power steroid. Either one of his "Court" Is a Metahuman who can boost metahumans, Or its a more literal steroid/device, possibly gifted by whoever helped him out of wonderland (assumption)

Based on what maddie said, we know their are 6 members of his court (not going to discount the possibility that the little toad is keeping a pair of aces up his sleeve, like aforementioned power steroid or a stealthy Protector)
That makes 7 targets, 6 preferably non-lethal, and Prince... well, I don't think their is a judge in the world who wouldn't consider it to be defense of other if we need to speed blitz him.

Also, Him taking control of black swan might be a literal world ending event, so lets make sure that their isn't even a possibility of that.
 
Fun fact: had this mission expired, Le Petit Prince would have returned and successfully recruited Maddie. He would have had another powerful metahuman under his control, and you wouldn't have know he was skulking around.
Oh damn. That makes me extremely glad we stopped that.

Anyways, four Candidate sheets coming out this week, as promised. Looks like I may have cried too early...
 
YES! BLACK SWAN IS NOT THE LEADER FOR ANOTHER DAY! Ahem... ahh that was well... Dr. Iblis needs a hug, Maddie needs a hug, Black Swan meeds a hug (she would probably accept) and so does Lady Leizi (she would probably break my arm if I tried). But hell yeah, 1 more AP, a new hero in training and one smug swan dealing with politics. Good news all round... ya know... if ya ignore the Mind controlling villain that appereantly has gotten a power up... oh fack. Just as the good(?) Doctor said, time to prepare.
 
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