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.
And it's also probably gonna get taken over by POWERS. Time to move out.
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
Yeah, that's gotta be annoying.
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 someone 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.
Damn, that's a crazy base.
and Uiara had someone gotten PubTrans to add a stop nearby
You mean somehow?
Finally, Menagerie Witch has volunteered to make constructs capable of carrying everyone and practically begged to do so . . .
I feel like this is a bad idea somehow.
DC 8.
Stat Check: OPERATIONS 15. Justice Unlimited has a collective OPERATIONS 19.
You rolled: 2.
2 + 2 = 4. Failure!
It's a bad idea somehow.
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.
There's a few more secrets to the Apiary, it seems.
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.
Ew. Nasty!
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.
Named-Rank Behemoths are like Kaiju. Got it.
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.
Oh. This is a trauma flashback, isn't it?
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
Nuclear force? Well, that's interesting.
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.
Skynet but big! Cool!
Anyways, here's the trauma.
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.
Oh. That's… yikes.
DC 10.
Stat Check: HIT 5. Black Swan has HIT 9.
You rolled: 9.
9 + 2 = 11. Success!
Blast em.
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!
And we get some medium info on what it is!
The creature's appellation flashes through your mind: Floating Venom Morpheme.
"Don't touch the bubbles!" you scream.
We are now using our heads. Yay!
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.
Psychic field sensitivity… only makes sense a Named Behemoth would trigger that kind of thing,
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!
What did EternalObserver do to get this extra point again? I forgot.
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."
Ouch. They'll be ok tho.
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."
Oh, I like Medicant already!
"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!"
And she's a socialist (I think). Incredible.
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.
Are we on the stage or something?
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.
Ok, I understand red huntress, but what did Adamant do to deserve this slander?
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 . . .
Cool.
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!"
Wait, is this the Contingency? How did Mona get here?
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."
Lmao.
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."
Cute warrior of justice. Yeah, that's Mona.
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.
"Provisional Member" is some crazy disrespect, lmao.
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."
Psychic (read: incomprehensible) to psychic (read: incomprehensible) communication.
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?
Yep. It's the contingency. Which has Apiary's soul in it.
How.
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."
Oh, yikes. Everybody wants the healer.
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?"
Enby icon, everybody!
Do they get to go to pride parades when that rolls around? (In disguise, of course?)
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
I… weird Freudian slip, there. At least we know who got the people into the Apiary in the first place.
"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 mean, they're entirely correct and valid for that, but what?
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."
So that's how we get the alliance. Interesting.
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."
Tiny adorable witch child is a perfect way to describe Maddie.
Also, yikes. Mendicant's both got a complex about their powers (little freaks of nature) and about the people that want those powers (rich and entitled and greedy people)
[X] Plan:
Squid Rings