- Pronouns
- He/Him
...I'm still working on that street-level omake but i had a second idea for what criminal law looks like in a world of superpowers that's much vaguer that's actually making me want to apply a support staff lawyer like Chihiro
Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)
hmm so need to find out if Demon flamez deserve it and how natasha died then.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sparksurfer will give us the details when we start the mission and meet them, I assume.
yeh and bringing john probably clears up how natasha died. Instead of it not being part of the meeting.
Issue #2.2: Hiraeth pt. 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest – The Worker's Mitt– December 9, 2067
Your base on Jacob's Ladder has served you admirably, but it never meant to be a long-term solution. It was a bolthole, for use during an emergency. Now, between yourself, the other metahumans, the support staff, and miscellaneous guests like Black Swan's mother, you've hit the limit of what the base can support. The wait time for the bathrooms alone have made the situation untenable, let alone the fact that someone is going to notice if you divert any more water or power from the Ladder.
No, you need more space among many, many other things. Which means, it's time to go home: to the Apiary.
The base was named for the first member of Justice Unlimited to fall in the line of duty—the only member to fall until recently. It is a gargantuan building, a white dome on the surface that extends deep underground. It lay on the outskirts of the Worker's Mitt in the untamed areas that were still rich with vegetation. A great reflecting pool lies in front of the entrance of the building with a statue of Rosemary at the opposite end. Around the building there was a manicured garden open to the public, and Uiara had somehow gotten PubTrans to add a stop nearby. The end result is that the outside of the Apiary was always teeming with people coming and going, and you made a hefty profit renting out the nearby land to shop-owners.
Not too hefty, however. Nora had a thing about being "a goddamn landlord."
From your vantage point overhead, the area around your old home is unrecognizable. The garden is overgrown, there are no people around, and the area feels . . . abandoned.
You've been gone too long.
You are currently in the air, riding on the back of one of Menagerie Witch's shadow birds. It is roughly the size of your car and seated yourself and Menagerie Witch comfortably. Handyman was heavy enough to warrant his own bird, and Black Swan was flying along under her own power.
Planning on how to get to Apiary had initially been something of a problem—the roads still hadn't recovered so your car was out, and PubTrans was no longer servicing the stop. Finally, Menagerie Witch has volunteered to make constructs capable of carrying everyone and practically begged to do so . . .
. . . and you had seen no reason to not take her up on her offer. After much cajoling, Menagerie Witch finally agreed it wasn't safe to fly Barkavious Rex and left him behind with Black Swan's mother, Marisa. She contented herself with Apep and Mittens on her hat and Nevermore flying nearby.
"Woah," she says looking down, "It's so big."
"Yes," you say fondly, "I lived there for ten years and I'm certain there are parts I never stepped foot in."
You had definitely never been in the room with the Contingency. Or Nora's true lab, which she guarded jealously. Harper's room either—she never let anyone in for reasons that you understand all too well now. You're idly wondering if your room is in the same condition as you left when you see it: a colossal scyphozoa monster floating overhead.
Floating Venom Morpheme looks like an unholy combination of a squid and jellyfish, drifting on the wind. Its body was a transparent, umbrella-shaped mass filled with a shifting liquid. Through its body, you could see the hazy impression of organs inside. On the edges of its main body were twelve symmetrically placed tentacles that streamed behind it, layed with rows and rows of sharp-toothed mouths.
Its very appearance fills you with a deep revulsion. You've always hated Behemoths, but that hatred has only increased exponentially after the Movement. Behemoths came in four varieties: Bronze-rank Behemoths were little more than animals. Silver-rank Behemoths were bigger, larger, and often had odd mutations. Gold-ranks were larger still, but smart. And Named-Rank Behemoths? Bigger, stronger, smarter, and stranger with metahuman-equivalent powers.
It was Named-Rank Behemoths that one must be wary of. For, despite all the horror of it so much as twitching, the Leviathan itself did very little damage when it tried to awaken. No, nearly all of the deaths came from the Behemoths that were whipped into a frenzy.
What you remember most is the noise of the fight, a combination of screaming, challenges, barks, growls, roars, squeaks, squeals, burbles, and every sound in between. There were thousands upon thousands of them, creatures changed and warped into something twisted and alien. They moved across the ground like a living tide and darkened the skies. You were worse than useless, actively distracting other heroes who would try to save you. Though it ripped your heart in two, you pulled back to FOB to help with overwatch. That's why you had a view of everything.
Only King, Scarlet Maturity, and Towarri seemed to be able to make a dent in their numbers. King would have his hands and legions of them would scatter into dust or explode with nuclear force. Scarlet Maturity would let them bite into him and then annihilate them with titanic blows that made the earth shake. Towarri created the largest black hole you've ever seen, the orb of anti-light hungry and swallowing Behemoth after Behemoth.
Then the R-Train came, and for a second you felt hope. The titantic myriad arrived, synthesizing unit after unit. A platoon of bipedal robots the size of skyscrapers marched forward in a swath of destruction in defiance of the square-cube law. Wicked drones in the shape of a sphere with cruel, whirling blades reduced living creatures to red mist. Tripods taller than the Leviathan raided death down from the heavens. And then the tide reversed. You were pushing them back, moving ever closer to the Looming God who sought to re-enter the world.
Then it all went wrong.
Two voices screamed in your head with the low boom of the Leviathan, one high and sweet, full of rage, the other confused and hurt and trying to still troubled waters the way you smoothed out wrinkles on a sheet. There was a fourth, too disgusting to remember. Then, King was suddenly gone. The left flank collapsed and the last time you ever saw Towarri was behind a swarm of beaks and flesh as Automne tried to keep her safe in vain. A creature that was little more than maw with hands crawling out of it dragged Uiara underneath goldnine-tainted waters. And Nora, Nora who should have never been there, might have saved you all but disappeared, surrounded by a frenzy of rampaging monsters for her trouble.
"Lady Leizi . . . are you okay?" Menagerie Witch's worried voice shakes you out of your reverie. Oh. It appears you were gripping your arm so tightly you drew blood. How embarrassing.
"I'm alright, darling. I just find the sight of that thing disgusting," you reassure her. Then, over your comm, you add, "Black Swan. Remove it from my sight."
"You got it boss-lady! One order of fried calamari, coming up!"
Black Swan fires a blast that streaks across the sky and strikes Morpheme directly where one of its tentacles connects to its body. The abomination has nothing resembling a mouth, but you can tell that hit did damage as it turns cherry red and begins pumping its body to get away. As it does, a jetstream of effervescent bubbles erupt behind it.
The creature's appellation flashes through your mind: Floating Venom Morpheme.
"Don't touch the bubbles!" you scream.
Thankfully, the rest of your team is as aware of the obvious as you are. Black Swan effortlessly weaves through the bubbles as she approaches Morpheme. Menagerie Witch brings Nevermore close and has her shadows take a route to circumvent the stream—you won't be with Black Swan, but you'll be safe. Thankfully, of everyone here, you have the least worry for Black Swan's ability to remain safe.
And then it all goes wrong again.
As Morpheme gets closer to the Apiary, just above the very top, Black Swan suddenly seizes in the air. She grabs her head with a prolonged scream before going limp and falling.
"Kid!" Handyman yells. You try to tell him to focus—the impact won't harm Black Swan after all—but before you can he jumps from his bird and into the sky. As he falls, he stretches his entire body into a wing-shaped glider to control his falls with only his head poking out the top indicating he was ever human.
As Handyman glides, he accidentally clips a bubble with one of his wings. The bubble turns the same shade of red as Morpheme before detonating with the force of a bomb. As it does, it releases a silvery mist that is carried away by the wind and triggers all the bubbles near it. They in turn detonate, setting off the bubbles near them and soon the sky is filled with a deafening chain of explosions.
Handyman narrows his body and accelerates to catch up with the falling Black Swan. Just as she is about to hit the ground, he grabs her and shields her fall with his body with a terrible splat.
"Down," you tell Menagerie Witch who is shaking with wide eyes. You grab her shoulder and speak in a steady, calm voice. "The fall can't hurt them, Maddie. However, it can hurt us. Down please. And gently."
Menagerie Witch steadies herself and nods. It's an agonizingly slow process, taking care again to avoid the fleeing Morpheme, but as you get closer, you see someone has beat you to the unconscious forms of Black Swan and Handyman.
It's a tall, willowy figure, wearing a white lab coat, white slacks, a red blouse, and a red and white mask over their mouth. Atop their head is an explosion of brown curls. Your jaw drops as you recognize them.
"They're fine, if you are wondering. I am too, not that you asked," grumbles Mendicant, the greatest metahuman healer in the world, "Now, have you figured out your mistake? Was approaching the Named-Rank Behemoth head on an eensy-tiny bit stupid? Maybe? Yes. I'll answer my own question: yes it was and you're stupid."
"Uh . . ." you say, too stunned to form a coherent thought.
"Oh good, you actually are stupid. I was gonna feel bad calling you that if you weren't, but you are, so I don't. Now, follow me!" they say walking toward the Apiary, "Hey everyone! The fucking landlord is here!"
You are Mona Merola-Morales.
You have no idea where you are. It's a room of some sort? Okay, it's definitely a room—come on, Mona!—but it looks like a child's bedroom. It would be cozy with its warm colors, comfortable-looking furniture, and many, many toys. Would be, that is, if it hadn't looked like it had been destroyed. The wallpaper was all torn, the bed and desk were in tatters, the toys shattered like they were thrown against the wall. The curtains were all drawn and the room was so dark you could hardly see. It felt like a crypt, or a funeral.
Like someone was mourning.
In the center of the room is a figure. A golden silhouette, fuzzy around the edges that is hunched over and playing with seven dolls.
You, uh, try to leave. Why do people in horror movies never just leave?! But the door won't open and you'll have to walk by the figure to get to the windows. So you hold your breath, get on your tip-toes and try to sneak by.
As you do, you notice the dolls the figure is playing with. Two are set off to the side, lying on their backs, untouched. One is of a woman in red leather with a cat-inspired mask, the other a muscular man made of a bronze-orange metal.
Wait. You stop and look closer at the other five dolls. The figure is actively moving them around, posing them as if they were about to speak. It holds one up to it's . . . ear? Face? And says still for a moment. Then, after a moment, it pounds its fist in frustration and moves onto the next doll.
You look, and yep, you totally called it. There is a doll of a woman in silver armor, a doll in blue spandex, a doll of a silver woman in a dress, a doll of a translucent, green figure with short hair, and a very familiar doll of a Chinese woman with badass sunglasses and a killer outfit.
It's the original line-up of Justice Unlimited. Or, almost, wait . . .
"Where's Apiary?" you say out loud.
The figure's head whips toward you.
"Aww, crapbaskets," you breathe, "You're not gonna get all existential and spooky on me, are you? Come ooooon, I'm cute!"
The figure covetously clutches its dolls closer and shies away from you. You consider making a dash for the window but, no, you should probably see wherever this is going.
"Hey," you say drawing closer, "I like your dolls. Is that Justice Unlimited? They're my favorite too! I owe alllllll their merch!"
The figure looks no less wary, but releases its grip a bit.
"Yeah, that's Uiara, Vailant Silver, Radiant Silvergirl, Moon River, Lady Leizi . . . and Adamant and The Red Huntress all the way over there. Are you having fun playing with them?"
The figure looks down and slowly shakes its head.
"Aww, bummer! Why not? You want me to play with you? Can I be Valiant Silver?! She's my favorite . . . umm, don't tell Lady Leizi."
The figure tilts its head and holds out the doll of your boss.
"Yeah, Lady Leizi . . . um, okay, I have a secret, but don't tell anyone," you say looking side to side. The figure leans in slightly, "Ummm, I'm a member of Justice Unlimited."
The figure recoils and shakes its head in disbelief.
"No, it's true! Lady Leizi's my boss and everything! My name is Black Swan, cute warrior of justice!" you say, posing extra adorably, "I'm new after . . . after everyone else died."
The figure clutches the five dolls to its chest and looks sadly at the two sitting to the side. Then, suddenly, it leans very, very, very close. It smells like honey and sunshine. It studies you then nods its head. It leans back and gets up and goes to a drawer where it rummages around for a second before pulling something out and shoving it in your hands.
It's a security badge on a lanyard. It reads "Black Swan — Provision Justice Unlimited Member."
"Wait, provisional?!" you say, indignant, "I'm a full member!"
The figure crosses its arms and tilts its head. If it had a nose, it'd be looking down it at you.
"Fine, fine, whatever. You'll be sorry when I do a press conference or something!"
The figure silently snarks at you for a second more before sitting back down with its dolls. It looks at them for a long second, before lifting the one shaped like Lady Leizi and pressing it into your hands.
It isn't looking at you.
"Do . . . do you want me to take care of her?"
It nods.
You smile and hug the figure. It tenses for a second before melting into your embrace. "I promise."
The figure bobs its head twice and then gets up. It pulls out a broom from . . . somewhere and starts tidying up.
You look at the doll of Lady Leizi. It's surprisingly accurate, right down to the glasses. "Do you want me to help?" you ask the figure.
It shakes its head.
"Okay! Guess I'll just wait here until I wake up or something." That lasts about a minute before you get bored. "Hey, can I ask a question?"
The figure makes a gesture that somehow conveys, "You already did."
"Hey, don't be a smarty-pants with me! I wanted to ask, where is Apiary? You have everyone else."
The figure tilts its head in confusion and scratches the side of its face.
"Y'know Apiary! Rosemary Ward. Where is Apiary?"
The figure tilts its head further and then walks over and grabs your wrist. It drags you to the window and pulls the curtains, temporarily blinding you. When your vision clears, you see the shining dome of the Apiary in the distance.
The figure points to the building then back to itself. Then it points to the building again and then back at itself.
You pause to consider this.
"Wait, what the fudge?"
You awaken to the sounds of voices.
"—so, yeah, I was at the QZ, doing my part, and good thing I was because when I got home someone had wrecked the place. My security system took most of them out, but they were still there and all 'Mendicant we will exploit your ability to heal for profit' and I was all 'I'm gonna blow up the house with you in it'. Then I did."
You look around and realize you're laying a cot in a massive room with a very, very high ceiling. There's hundreds of people around you, talking, playing, eating and otherwise living normally. Next to you, however, are rows and rows of other people in cots, unmoving. Some are pale with black veins running under their skin, so still they might be dead. You feel a hand on your shoulder.
It's Handyman. "Hey, kiddo. Hell of a way to come to our new home, I guess?" he says, "Guess it's our fault for 'dropping in' uninvited?"
He looks a little rough—literally he's jagged around the edges—but otherwise fine.
"Wha . . . what happened?" you ask.
"You were going after Morpheme when you grabbed your head and started screaming. Then you fell. I tried to catch you but you're, uh, heavier than you look."
"Rude!"
"Hey, I tried to save you. And then got chewed out by LL because apparently a fall from that height can't hurt you. So, hey, live and learn!"
You look around. "So we're in the Apiary?"
"Yeah, but this is just the–"
"The atrium, I know. I used to intern here, remember?"
"Aww," Handyman says, deflating, literally, before perking back up, "Okay, but do you want to know something else that's really crazy?"
"Is that Mendicant?!"
"Dammit!"
Said metahuman hears you and comes over, Lady Leizi and Menagerie Witch in tow. They pull your eyelid open and take a peak, before grabbing your wrist to take your pulse.
"Hello, hello. Yes, I am Mendicant. Pronouns: they/them. Yes, yes, it's nice to meet me. No, I don't do autographs, photos, or birthday parties," they say frowning minutely, "And you're . . . someone with an energy construct body. The hell am I doing?"
"Falling prey to your better instincts, darling," Lady Leizi says. Then she gives you a little smile. "And Black Swan, I'm glad you are alright."
"Don't think you can call me darling just because I kind of want you to spit in my mouth!" Mendicant cries, "Look, back to what I was saying. Old V.S.—God rest her shining, sapphic soul—always told me the Apiary was a safe haven if I needed it. And I needed it. And on the way, I ran into a few hundred of my closest friends who also needed a place to crash while the city burned. So we set up shop here. Only, all the people in one place attracted the attention of the squiddy-fish and now we can't leave."
They look around at the people and their eyes soften.
"It's . . . nice being around people again. People who don't want anything. But it can't last forever. We're gonna run out of food eventually. Umm, we owe you for raiding your fridge, I guess. Put it on my tab. On top of that, Floating Venom Morpheme is venomous. A lot of these people are sick, and I can't do anything about it without a sample from it."
"What are you trying to say then?" Lady Leizi says, raising an eyebrow, "Do be direct. I hate beating around the bush."
"Step on me, mommy. Ahem. What I'm saying is this: let these people stay here, kill Morpheme, and get me a sample of its tissue so I can make a symbiote with a cure, and I'll sell my creations to you. Direct."
Lady Leizi's eyebrows nearly go off her head. "That's . . . generous."
Menagerie Witch has wandered over and tugs on your arm. "What does that mean? Why does that matter?"
"It matters, tiny adorable witch-child, because I don't sell directly. To anyone," Mendicant says, overhearing her, their brow stormy, "I tried when I first got started. Three attempted kidnappings and four riots later, I realized that would never work. You make something that can heal any injury? Stop aging? Yeah, people will do anything for that shit. So I teamed up with Powers and would only sell my little freaks of nature at auction."
Their expression gets darker.
"But now Powers is playing some sort of game. Made it clear that membership with them was mandatory. So I cut bait. Now, I'm willing to work with you. If you make it worth my while."
"Yes, I see your point," Lady Leizi says, "However, I have a counter-proposal. We'll have to find our way deeper into the Apiary and past any defenses I can't deactivate, but the Apiary has a shield-net we could reactivate that would drive Morpheme away for good. No need to fight him at all."
Mendicant thinks for a moment. "I see what you mean. No fighting means no collateral damage. But I don't know if I can make a cure without a sample."
They run their hands through their hair and sigh. "Look, I like you, I really do. But you have to give me cover if I'm gonna team up with you now. If word gets out that I'm selling to you without you doing anything for me? I'm gonna get a lot of visits from very interested parties who want the same arrangement. Also, dozens of people will die from the venom, hero."
"Yes . . . but challenging a Named-Rank Behemoth is no meager task. Especially with my team already injured." Lady Leizi throws you a glance. You shake your head and silently indicate you're fine and will talk to her in private later.
"Tough tittes," Mendicant says, looking at Lady Leizi challengingly, "Those are my conditions. So what's it gonna be?"
______________________________________________________________________________
[ ] Agree to fight Floating Venom Morpheme.
-[ ] How? (subject to veto by QM. Good plans will result in bonuses to HIT checks)
(HIT 20 Check. Other checks to follow. Will collect bounty on Floating Venom Morpheme. Mendicant will agree to sell to you directly. Will commit to letting refugees live in the Apiary (-500 Income per turn)
[ ] Refuse. Activate the shield-net instead.
(OPERATIONS 12 Check. REPUTATION check to keep Mendicant from leaving. Have the option of evicting refugees later. Will not collect bounty.)
Your base on Jacob's Ladder has served you admirably, but it never meant to be a long-term solution. It was a bolthole, for use during an emergency. Now, between yourself, the other metahumans, the support staff, and miscellaneous guests like Black Swan's mother, you've hit the limit of what the base can support. The wait time for the bathrooms alone have made the situation untenable, let alone the fact that someone is going to notice if you divert any more water or power from the Ladder.
No, you need more space among many, many other things. Which means, it's time to go home: to the Apiary.
The base was named for the first member of Justice Unlimited to fall in the line of duty—the only member to fall until recently. It is a gargantuan building, a white dome on the surface that extends deep underground. It lay on the outskirts of the Worker's Mitt in the untamed areas that were still rich with vegetation. A great reflecting pool lies in front of the entrance of the building with a statue of Rosemary at the opposite end. Around the building there was a manicured garden open to the public, and Uiara had somehow gotten PubTrans to add a stop nearby. The end result is that the outside of the Apiary was always teeming with people coming and going, and you made a hefty profit renting out the nearby land to shop-owners.
Not too hefty, however. Nora had a thing about being "a goddamn landlord."
From your vantage point overhead, the area around your old home is unrecognizable. The garden is overgrown, there are no people around, and the area feels . . . abandoned.
You've been gone too long.
You are currently in the air, riding on the back of one of Menagerie Witch's shadow birds. It is roughly the size of your car and seated yourself and Menagerie Witch comfortably. Handyman was heavy enough to warrant his own bird, and Black Swan was flying along under her own power.
Planning on how to get to Apiary had initially been something of a problem—the roads still hadn't recovered so your car was out, and PubTrans was no longer servicing the stop. Finally, Menagerie Witch has volunteered to make constructs capable of carrying everyone and practically begged to do so . . .
DC 8.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 15. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS 19.
You rolled: 2.
2 + 2 = 4. Failure!
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 15. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS 19.
You rolled: 2.
2 + 2 = 4. Failure!
. . . and you had seen no reason to not take her up on her offer. After much cajoling, Menagerie Witch finally agreed it wasn't safe to fly Barkavious Rex and left him behind with Black Swan's mother, Marisa. She contented herself with Apep and Mittens on her hat and Nevermore flying nearby.
"Woah," she says looking down, "It's so big."
"Yes," you say fondly, "I lived there for ten years and I'm certain there are parts I never stepped foot in."
You had definitely never been in the room with the Contingency. Or Nora's true lab, which she guarded jealously. Harper's room either—she never let anyone in for reasons that you understand all too well now. You're idly wondering if your room is in the same condition as you left when you see it: a colossal scyphozoa monster floating overhead.
Floating Venom Morpheme looks like an unholy combination of a squid and jellyfish, drifting on the wind. Its body was a transparent, umbrella-shaped mass filled with a shifting liquid. Through its body, you could see the hazy impression of organs inside. On the edges of its main body were twelve symmetrically placed tentacles that streamed behind it, layed with rows and rows of sharp-toothed mouths.
Its very appearance fills you with a deep revulsion. You've always hated Behemoths, but that hatred has only increased exponentially after the Movement. Behemoths came in four varieties: Bronze-rank Behemoths were little more than animals. Silver-rank Behemoths were bigger, larger, and often had odd mutations. Gold-ranks were larger still, but smart. And Named-Rank Behemoths? Bigger, stronger, smarter, and stranger with metahuman-equivalent powers.
It was Named-Rank Behemoths that one must be wary of. For, despite all the horror of it so much as twitching, the Leviathan itself did very little damage when it tried to awaken. No, nearly all of the deaths came from the Behemoths that were whipped into a frenzy.
What you remember most is the noise of the fight, a combination of screaming, challenges, barks, growls, roars, squeaks, squeals, burbles, and every sound in between. There were thousands upon thousands of them, creatures changed and warped into something twisted and alien. They moved across the ground like a living tide and darkened the skies. You were worse than useless, actively distracting other heroes who would try to save you. Though it ripped your heart in two, you pulled back to FOB to help with overwatch. That's why you had a view of everything.
Only King, Scarlet Maturity, and Towarri seemed to be able to make a dent in their numbers. King would have his hands and legions of them would scatter into dust or explode with nuclear force. Scarlet Maturity would let them bite into him and then annihilate them with titanic blows that made the earth shake. Towarri created the largest black hole you've ever seen, the orb of anti-light hungry and swallowing Behemoth after Behemoth.
Then the R-Train came, and for a second you felt hope. The titantic myriad arrived, synthesizing unit after unit. A platoon of bipedal robots the size of skyscrapers marched forward in a swath of destruction in defiance of the square-cube law. Wicked drones in the shape of a sphere with cruel, whirling blades reduced living creatures to red mist. Tripods taller than the Leviathan raided death down from the heavens. And then the tide reversed. You were pushing them back, moving ever closer to the Looming God who sought to re-enter the world.
Then it all went wrong.
Two voices screamed in your head with the low boom of the Leviathan, one high and sweet, full of rage, the other confused and hurt and trying to still troubled waters the way you smoothed out wrinkles on a sheet. There was a fourth, too disgusting to remember. Then, King was suddenly gone. The left flank collapsed and the last time you ever saw Towarri was behind a swarm of beaks and flesh as Automne tried to keep her safe in vain. A creature that was little more than maw with hands crawling out of it dragged Uiara underneath goldnine-tainted waters. And Nora, Nora who should have never been there, might have saved you all but disappeared, surrounded by a frenzy of rampaging monsters for her trouble.
"Lady Leizi . . . are you okay?" Menagerie Witch's worried voice shakes you out of your reverie. Oh. It appears you were gripping your arm so tightly you drew blood. How embarrassing.
"I'm alright, darling. I just find the sight of that thing disgusting," you reassure her. Then, over your comm, you add, "Black Swan. Remove it from my sight."
"You got it boss-lady! One order of fried calamari, coming up!"
DC 10.
Stat Check: HIT 5. Black Swan has HIT 9.
You rolled: 9.
9 + 2 = 11. Success!
Stat Check: HIT 5. Black Swan has HIT 9.
You rolled: 9.
9 + 2 = 11. Success!
Black Swan fires a blast that streaks across the sky and strikes Morpheme directly where one of its tentacles connects to its body. The abomination has nothing resembling a mouth, but you can tell that hit did damage as it turns cherry red and begins pumping its body to get away. As it does, a jetstream of effervescent bubbles erupt behind it.
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 10. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS 19.
You rolled: 10.
10 + 4 = 14. Moderate Success!
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 10. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS 19.
You rolled: 10.
10 + 4 = 14. Moderate Success!
The creature's appellation flashes through your mind: Floating Venom Morpheme.
"Don't touch the bubbles!" you scream.
Thankfully, the rest of your team is as aware of the obvious as you are. Black Swan effortlessly weaves through the bubbles as she approaches Morpheme. Menagerie Witch brings Nevermore close and has her shadows take a route to circumvent the stream—you won't be with Black Swan, but you'll be safe. Thankfully, of everyone here, you have the least worry for Black Swan's ability to remain safe.
And then it all goes wrong again.
As Morpheme gets closer to the Apiary, just above the very top, Black Swan suddenly seizes in the air. She grabs her head with a prolonged scream before going limp and falling.
"Kid!" Handyman yells. You try to tell him to focus—the impact won't harm Black Swan after all—but before you can he jumps from his bird and into the sky. As he falls, he stretches his entire body into a wing-shaped glider to control his falls with only his head poking out the top indicating he was ever human.
Minor Success: DC 5. Moderate Success: DC 10. Major Success: DC 15.
Stat Check: HIT 8. Handyman has HIT 7.
You rolled: 4.
4 + 0 + 1 (EternalObserver) = 5. Minor Success!
Handyman takes one injury level! Superficial Injury!
Stat Check: HIT 8. Handyman has HIT 7.
You rolled: 4.
4 + 0 + 1 (EternalObserver) = 5. Minor Success!
Handyman takes one injury level! Superficial Injury!
As Handyman glides, he accidentally clips a bubble with one of his wings. The bubble turns the same shade of red as Morpheme before detonating with the force of a bomb. As it does, it releases a silvery mist that is carried away by the wind and triggers all the bubbles near it. They in turn detonate, setting off the bubbles near them and soon the sky is filled with a deafening chain of explosions.
Handyman narrows his body and accelerates to catch up with the falling Black Swan. Just as she is about to hit the ground, he grabs her and shields her fall with his body with a terrible splat.
"Down," you tell Menagerie Witch who is shaking with wide eyes. You grab her shoulder and speak in a steady, calm voice. "The fall can't hurt them, Maddie. However, it can hurt us. Down please. And gently."
Menagerie Witch steadies herself and nods. It's an agonizingly slow process, taking care again to avoid the fleeing Morpheme, but as you get closer, you see someone has beat you to the unconscious forms of Black Swan and Handyman.
It's a tall, willowy figure, wearing a white lab coat, white slacks, a red blouse, and a red and white mask over their mouth. Atop their head is an explosion of brown curls. Your jaw drops as you recognize them.
"They're fine, if you are wondering. I am too, not that you asked," grumbles Mendicant, the greatest metahuman healer in the world, "Now, have you figured out your mistake? Was approaching the Named-Rank Behemoth head on an eensy-tiny bit stupid? Maybe? Yes. I'll answer my own question: yes it was and you're stupid."
"Uh . . ." you say, too stunned to form a coherent thought.
"Oh good, you actually are stupid. I was gonna feel bad calling you that if you weren't, but you are, so I don't. Now, follow me!" they say walking toward the Apiary, "Hey everyone! The fucking landlord is here!"
* * *
You are Mona Merola-Morales.
You have no idea where you are. It's a room of some sort? Okay, it's definitely a room—come on, Mona!—but it looks like a child's bedroom. It would be cozy with its warm colors, comfortable-looking furniture, and many, many toys. Would be, that is, if it hadn't looked like it had been destroyed. The wallpaper was all torn, the bed and desk were in tatters, the toys shattered like they were thrown against the wall. The curtains were all drawn and the room was so dark you could hardly see. It felt like a crypt, or a funeral.
Like someone was mourning.
In the center of the room is a figure. A golden silhouette, fuzzy around the edges that is hunched over and playing with seven dolls.
You, uh, try to leave. Why do people in horror movies never just leave?! But the door won't open and you'll have to walk by the figure to get to the windows. So you hold your breath, get on your tip-toes and try to sneak by.
As you do, you notice the dolls the figure is playing with. Two are set off to the side, lying on their backs, untouched. One is of a woman in red leather with a cat-inspired mask, the other a muscular man made of a bronze-orange metal.
Wait. You stop and look closer at the other five dolls. The figure is actively moving them around, posing them as if they were about to speak. It holds one up to it's . . . ear? Face? And says still for a moment. Then, after a moment, it pounds its fist in frustration and moves onto the next doll.
You look, and yep, you totally called it. There is a doll of a woman in silver armor, a doll in blue spandex, a doll of a silver woman in a dress, a doll of a translucent, green figure with short hair, and a very familiar doll of a Chinese woman with badass sunglasses and a killer outfit.
It's the original line-up of Justice Unlimited. Or, almost, wait . . .
"Where's Apiary?" you say out loud.
The figure's head whips toward you.
"Aww, crapbaskets," you breathe, "You're not gonna get all existential and spooky on me, are you? Come ooooon, I'm cute!"
The figure covetously clutches its dolls closer and shies away from you. You consider making a dash for the window but, no, you should probably see wherever this is going.
"Hey," you say drawing closer, "I like your dolls. Is that Justice Unlimited? They're my favorite too! I owe alllllll their merch!"
The figure looks no less wary, but releases its grip a bit.
"Yeah, that's Uiara, Vailant Silver, Radiant Silvergirl, Moon River, Lady Leizi . . . and Adamant and The Red Huntress all the way over there. Are you having fun playing with them?"
The figure looks down and slowly shakes its head.
"Aww, bummer! Why not? You want me to play with you? Can I be Valiant Silver?! She's my favorite . . . umm, don't tell Lady Leizi."
The figure tilts its head and holds out the doll of your boss.
"Yeah, Lady Leizi . . . um, okay, I have a secret, but don't tell anyone," you say looking side to side. The figure leans in slightly, "Ummm, I'm a member of Justice Unlimited."
The figure recoils and shakes its head in disbelief.
"No, it's true! Lady Leizi's my boss and everything! My name is Black Swan, cute warrior of justice!" you say, posing extra adorably, "I'm new after . . . after everyone else died."
The figure clutches the five dolls to its chest and looks sadly at the two sitting to the side. Then, suddenly, it leans very, very, very close. It smells like honey and sunshine. It studies you then nods its head. It leans back and gets up and goes to a drawer where it rummages around for a second before pulling something out and shoving it in your hands.
It's a security badge on a lanyard. It reads "Black Swan — Provision Justice Unlimited Member."
"Wait, provisional?!" you say, indignant, "I'm a full member!"
The figure crosses its arms and tilts its head. If it had a nose, it'd be looking down it at you.
"Fine, fine, whatever. You'll be sorry when I do a press conference or something!"
The figure silently snarks at you for a second more before sitting back down with its dolls. It looks at them for a long second, before lifting the one shaped like Lady Leizi and pressing it into your hands.
It isn't looking at you.
"Do . . . do you want me to take care of her?"
It nods.
You smile and hug the figure. It tenses for a second before melting into your embrace. "I promise."
The figure bobs its head twice and then gets up. It pulls out a broom from . . . somewhere and starts tidying up.
You look at the doll of Lady Leizi. It's surprisingly accurate, right down to the glasses. "Do you want me to help?" you ask the figure.
It shakes its head.
"Okay! Guess I'll just wait here until I wake up or something." That lasts about a minute before you get bored. "Hey, can I ask a question?"
The figure makes a gesture that somehow conveys, "You already did."
"Hey, don't be a smarty-pants with me! I wanted to ask, where is Apiary? You have everyone else."
The figure tilts its head in confusion and scratches the side of its face.
"Y'know Apiary! Rosemary Ward. Where is Apiary?"
The figure tilts its head further and then walks over and grabs your wrist. It drags you to the window and pulls the curtains, temporarily blinding you. When your vision clears, you see the shining dome of the Apiary in the distance.
The figure points to the building then back to itself. Then it points to the building again and then back at itself.
You pause to consider this.
"Wait, what the fudge?"
* * *
You awaken to the sounds of voices.
"—so, yeah, I was at the QZ, doing my part, and good thing I was because when I got home someone had wrecked the place. My security system took most of them out, but they were still there and all 'Mendicant we will exploit your ability to heal for profit' and I was all 'I'm gonna blow up the house with you in it'. Then I did."
You look around and realize you're laying a cot in a massive room with a very, very high ceiling. There's hundreds of people around you, talking, playing, eating and otherwise living normally. Next to you, however, are rows and rows of other people in cots, unmoving. Some are pale with black veins running under their skin, so still they might be dead. You feel a hand on your shoulder.
It's Handyman. "Hey, kiddo. Hell of a way to come to our new home, I guess?" he says, "Guess it's our fault for 'dropping in' uninvited?"
He looks a little rough—literally he's jagged around the edges—but otherwise fine.
"Wha . . . what happened?" you ask.
"You were going after Morpheme when you grabbed your head and started screaming. Then you fell. I tried to catch you but you're, uh, heavier than you look."
"Rude!"
"Hey, I tried to save you. And then got chewed out by LL because apparently a fall from that height can't hurt you. So, hey, live and learn!"
You look around. "So we're in the Apiary?"
"Yeah, but this is just the–"
"The atrium, I know. I used to intern here, remember?"
"Aww," Handyman says, deflating, literally, before perking back up, "Okay, but do you want to know something else that's really crazy?"
"Is that Mendicant?!"
"Dammit!"
Said metahuman hears you and comes over, Lady Leizi and Menagerie Witch in tow. They pull your eyelid open and take a peak, before grabbing your wrist to take your pulse.
"Hello, hello. Yes, I am Mendicant. Pronouns: they/them. Yes, yes, it's nice to meet me. No, I don't do autographs, photos, or birthday parties," they say frowning minutely, "And you're . . . someone with an energy construct body. The hell am I doing?"
"Falling prey to your better instincts, darling," Lady Leizi says. Then she gives you a little smile. "And Black Swan, I'm glad you are alright."
"Don't think you can call me darling just because I kind of want you to spit in my mouth!" Mendicant cries, "Look, back to what I was saying. Old V.S.—God rest her shining, sapphic soul—always told me the Apiary was a safe haven if I needed it. And I needed it. And on the way, I ran into a few hundred of my closest friends who also needed a place to crash while the city burned. So we set up shop here. Only, all the people in one place attracted the attention of the squiddy-fish and now we can't leave."
They look around at the people and their eyes soften.
"It's . . . nice being around people again. People who don't want anything. But it can't last forever. We're gonna run out of food eventually. Umm, we owe you for raiding your fridge, I guess. Put it on my tab. On top of that, Floating Venom Morpheme is venomous. A lot of these people are sick, and I can't do anything about it without a sample from it."
"What are you trying to say then?" Lady Leizi says, raising an eyebrow, "Do be direct. I hate beating around the bush."
"Step on me, mommy. Ahem. What I'm saying is this: let these people stay here, kill Morpheme, and get me a sample of its tissue so I can make a symbiote with a cure, and I'll sell my creations to you. Direct."
Lady Leizi's eyebrows nearly go off her head. "That's . . . generous."
Menagerie Witch has wandered over and tugs on your arm. "What does that mean? Why does that matter?"
"It matters, tiny adorable witch-child, because I don't sell directly. To anyone," Mendicant says, overhearing her, their brow stormy, "I tried when I first got started. Three attempted kidnappings and four riots later, I realized that would never work. You make something that can heal any injury? Stop aging? Yeah, people will do anything for that shit. So I teamed up with Powers and would only sell my little freaks of nature at auction."
Their expression gets darker.
"But now Powers is playing some sort of game. Made it clear that membership with them was mandatory. So I cut bait. Now, I'm willing to work with you. If you make it worth my while."
"Yes, I see your point," Lady Leizi says, "However, I have a counter-proposal. We'll have to find our way deeper into the Apiary and past any defenses I can't deactivate, but the Apiary has a shield-net we could reactivate that would drive Morpheme away for good. No need to fight him at all."
DC 15.
Stat Check: REPUTATION 20. Justice Unlimited has a collective REPUTATION of 18.
You rolled: 11.
11 - 1 = 10. Failure!
Stat Check: REPUTATION 20. Justice Unlimited has a collective REPUTATION of 18.
You rolled: 11.
11 - 1 = 10. Failure!
Mendicant thinks for a moment. "I see what you mean. No fighting means no collateral damage. But I don't know if I can make a cure without a sample."
They run their hands through their hair and sigh. "Look, I like you, I really do. But you have to give me cover if I'm gonna team up with you now. If word gets out that I'm selling to you without you doing anything for me? I'm gonna get a lot of visits from very interested parties who want the same arrangement. Also, dozens of people will die from the venom, hero."
"Yes . . . but challenging a Named-Rank Behemoth is no meager task. Especially with my team already injured." Lady Leizi throws you a glance. You shake your head and silently indicate you're fine and will talk to her in private later.
"Tough tittes," Mendicant says, looking at Lady Leizi challengingly, "Those are my conditions. So what's it gonna be?"
______________________________________________________________________________
[ ] Agree to fight Floating Venom Morpheme.
-[ ] How? (subject to veto by QM. Good plans will result in bonuses to HIT checks)
(HIT 20 Check. Other checks to follow. Will collect bounty on Floating Venom Morpheme. Mendicant will agree to sell to you directly. Will commit to letting refugees live in the Apiary (-500 Income per turn)
[ ] Refuse. Activate the shield-net instead.
(OPERATIONS 12 Check. REPUTATION check to keep Mendicant from leaving. Have the option of evicting refugees later. Will not collect bounty.)
Last edited:
- Location
- Canada
Wait, can King affect the strong and weak nuclear forces?!?!
Uhhhhhhhh-
Ignoring that, getting a doctor who can make healing/immortality symbiotes is crazy.
Also, Mona got another Justice Unlimited™ Vision. At this rate she's gonna gaslight me into thinking she really was the intended legacy.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, I'm in favor of fighting, not just for the Mendicant supplies, but also because helping these people is the right thing to do.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Ugh, no, that's an unfortunate typo. I'll double check to clear them up.
EDIT: Okay, I think I got them. Lemme know if you see anymore.
Last edited:
ReaperofInterest
Herald of Disaster
I also am of the opinion that we should fight the Behemoth. Now does anyone have any good ideas on how to actually do that?
Handyman and swan are basically immune to the venom, right, just being avle to be effected by the concussive force of the bubbles exploding. If we keep menagerie inside, she can run support with shadow animals. Maybe use handyman as bait, if there'd be a better place for that thing to end up?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No. If they have the [Regeneration] tag, they heal one injury level between missions. Otherwise, injury levels are cumulative between missions. [Invulnerable] characters cannot be killed.
All injury levels heal between Issues.
They/Them, not She/Her.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It can't be hurt by it's own explosions, one would think, but I feel like between Nevermore clones flying directly into it, lightning blasts, gravity beams and Rhys's bone-launching capabilities, we all have some way to detonate them remotely.
Mona needs to take point. She's tougher than Rhys, and she can maneuver around them.
Leizi and Maddie are definitely gonna be ranged support. Leizi can get in shots where she can, Maddie should make smaller but more numerous clones to distract and harrier it.
Rhys should stay with Mona, but stay a little at range. He's already hurt, we don't want to exacerbate it.
Mona needs to take point. She's tougher than Rhys, and she can maneuver around them.
Leizi and Maddie are definitely gonna be ranged support. Leizi can get in shots where she can, Maddie should make smaller but more numerous clones to distract and harrier it.
Rhys should stay with Mona, but stay a little at range. He's already hurt, we don't want to exacerbate it.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Leizi's powers are all contact based. Part of the reason she hates fighting Behemoths so much.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I thought she could fire ranged lightning bolts!
Okay, she's purely on information support via the comms.
Okay, she's purely on information support via the comms.
- Location
- California
Is this also apiary?
More importantly, Mona's sensitivity must be off the charts if she's able to detect apiary's mindsoul when *Nora's lab* couldn't.
TimEd
Meteor maker
We have a healer at hand, so maybe we can incorporate a Murder swarm to see if they can deal damage to that big stupid jellyfish.
Otherwise, Mona seemed to have been doing fine before the psychic brain blast, so yeah.
edit: ah, I guess it's just that VS picked up on the heart of Apiary and just kept it Top Secret.
Otherwise, Mona seemed to have been doing fine before the psychic brain blast, so yeah.
It might not be from mere sensitivity, but another case of the wibbly wobblyness of the psychic realm.
edit: ah, I guess it's just that VS picked up on the heart of Apiary and just kept it Top Secret.
Last edited:
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Something to note: had I not volunteered to spend point, Rhys would have a much more grievous injury. While he can take hits, remember that he has limits.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rhys's Autobiokinesis combo has Regeneration inside it, so he will heal, right?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
He counts, yeah.
does he only heal 1 injury? since autobiokinesis should a more powerful form of regeneration.