The "Amalgam Universe" RPG IC thread

[Logan Howlett]

Wow,ok that was weird, even for me.

"Yes dinner in the dining room, please follow me."

I escort her to the large dining room and walk her to the end of the very long table. I pull out her chair, and she sits down almost reluctantly. I walk to the other end of the table and take a seat. Chuck has already prepared the plates and silverwear. Out from behind the kitchen door Charles apears with a platter full of foods. He sets down a plate in front of our guest and then walks down to my end of the table a places mine in front of me. Its one hell of an asortment on this one plate alone. Chcuk walk over to the other end of the table agian and asks,

"Would you care for some wine madam?"

 

[Noon]

Wow,ok that was weird, even for me.

"Yes dinner in the dining room, please follow me."

I escort her to the large dining room and walk her to the end of the very long table. I pull out her chair, and she sits down almost reluctantly. I walk to the other end of the table and take a seat. Chuck has already prepared the plates and silverwear. Out from behind the kitchen door Charles apears with a platter full of foods. He sets down a plate in front of our guest and then walks down to my end of the table a places mine in front of me. Its one hell of an asortment on this one plate alone. Chcuk walk over to the other end of the table agian and asks,

"Would you care for some wine madam?"

"Oh, no thank you, water will be fine."

I look down at the plate of food before me and my heart sinks. Meat.

"I'm very sorry, but I uh.....don't eat meat."

The butler looks a little heartbroken and imiediatly I feel guilty.

"Don't worry though, these vegetables looks wonderful, I'll just eat around the meat." I shine him my warmest smile and he seems pleased.

The table is long and we sit at either end so Mr. Wayne seems very far away, it feels like I have to shout to speak to him.

"So, Mr. Wayne, do you know a lot about...what did you call us, Metamutants?"

 

[Logan Howlett]

"Well......yes...and no. I know that metamutants are all born differnt from the rest of humanity. Speacial powers or features, and that there are those out there that wana see us wiped offa the face of the planet. As far as who we got these gifts......we......no ones realy figured that out yet. Some say chemicals, some say radiation, I even heard someone say that we're the next step in human evolution. I don't have the answers, but I can tell ya there are ALOT of us. Just most folk choose to hide it, and for good reason. There was a report on the local news a while back, a twelve year old kid was revealed to be a metamutant and......he was killed savagely by sevral classmates and a teacher. This town aint nice. This world aint nice. But there are those of us doin what we can.......which reminds me......Supersoilder. Chuck, he called me today on my com link, says he's back in action, I didn't have time to listen carefully. Could you call him for me?"

"I will do my best at reaching him sir."

I return my atention to Ororo.

"Thanks Chuck. Now.....Explain to me why exactly yur here again?"

 

[Noon]

"Themyscira is not a large island, while I never experienced any such violence or hatred from my fellow Amazons, I have always been aware of my differences. I felt the need to explore beyond my home, I could feel the expanse of the atmosphere and you could say it...called to me. I suppose mainly it was sheer curiosity, but now I can see that those who live in man's world need more warriors for justice. I mean no offense, but from what I have seen your world is a barbaric and violent place. It needs hero's."

I carefully place a baby sweetcorn piece from the edge of my plate on the end of my fork.

"And what with my powers, I've never been one to stay grounded in one place for long. I long to travel as the wind does, and it brought me here."

I place the food in my mouth delicately and wait for his reaction.

 

[Logan Howlett]

"Yur right ya know. This world, Man's world as you called it, its a real screwed up place. Lota sickos, lota psychos. As far as it needin heroes you maybe right, as far as me bein one, you may be wrong. Listen i don't know what defines a hero, but certainly some one who used to kill for the government doesn't fit into that scheme. I just do what I do now to try and balance the scales. Inocent people like my parent don't deserve that kind of fate, and I just aim to do whats right, does that make me a hero? I dono, but what I do know is that for the most part all we got are a bunch of showboaters flyin around tryin to make a buck off there gifts, not realy tryin to help anyone! I wana.......I wana help people......but I doubt I'll be enough."

 

[Noon]

"If one person can set the example for good, then they have made all the difference in the world."

I get a familliar feeling in the back of my skull, the one that always comes when the weather shifts. He silently contemplates my words and I feel the need to fill the silence that grows in the expanse across the huge table.

"Hmm, a storm is on the way..."

 

[Logan Howlett]

"Ya I know I can smell it a few miles awa......Hey....How do you know that? Aint exactly visable from here, and I just hapened to be gifted with speacial sences. Whats yur story?"

 

[Noon]

"Ya I know I can smell it a few miles awa......Hey....How do you know that? Aint exactly visable from here, and I just hapened to be gifted with speacial sences. Whats yur story?"

"The weather is my gift..." I always find it hard to explain my powers, that are of a sort that is more easily shown than explained.

 

[blah]

What a beautiful and sunny day. The sky is clear and the birds are singing and my uncle is getting buried six feet under.

This is the perfect way for him to die, as cheerful and happy as he lived. God rest his wonderful spirit.

Auntie May and I went to our family's lawyer to find out what Uncle Ben gave us in his will. I got the house and a $100,000 in the bank, and Aunti May got $300,000 in her bank and a $600,000 donations to her clinic. Auntie May's clinic was known as the Rat's nest before she came along and made it acceptable for human use. She did wonders on it and to the people of Grove street A.K.A. heart of Crime Alley. It never ceased to amaze me the great love and dedication she pours into saving others, she was a real inspiration for countless patients she saved from life and death situations.

After our visit to our lawyer I suggested spending the day together, we hardley see each other anymore. Uncle Ben and Auntie May have been divorced for almost five years now, they had the cleanest break up I have ever seen. They both decided that they wanted to pursue different paths, they didn't fight or nothing, they just shook hands and went to a divorce lawyer. They still talk to each other and they're still good friends, even if they sometimes regret that decision.

"Aunti May, why do you always help people like that? Why do you always sacrifice a lot for people whom society have forgotten?" I asked her over a hot coffee at a quaint little cafe.

"You just answered your own question, young man", She said sipping her coffee, "Just because society have forgotten about someone does not mean they ain't human."

I smiled, "Heh. You said 'ain't'."

She smiled back, "I did, didn't I? I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Which is part of why I chose my line of work. You might think you know a lot, when in fact just admitting that is a sign of ignorance"

The evening I came back home and worked on a new costume. I decided to take the combined advice of Uncle Ben and Auntie May: I have to do something with the power I posses, but I must not let it elevate me from others. I may be able to lift cars, Leap wide streets in a single bounds, and stick to walls, but I'm still human. Bound by human limitations.

There, done!

It is a nice costume, very modern yet classical. I think it'll start billions in merchandising rights. So, I have to claim it first. I'll change the name and appearence of my new unpublished web comic to match the costume I made for my new alter ego: Blue Sbyder. Then I'll publish it on the web. Gotta make sure this preceedes Blue's first appearence, that way people we'll know the name and the look are my creations. Which in turn will make me fortune in ad revenues from ad companies and possible merchandising contracts.

This will be great!

Now to test drive my new look. I headed out the window, aimed at a nearby lamppost, and pushed that nerve on my palm....but nothing happened?

Geez....yeah... I meant to tell ya...When I merged the Totemic powers of a Scarab and a Spider, I had to sacrifice one spider attribute. So I got rid of the webs.
Are you crazy??!??!?!? I had my whole schedule planned on web swinging instead of taking the friggin' bus! What am I gonna do now?
You're a genius, you figure it out. Later.

That little Bastard! "You're a genius.... Me-me-me-me-me". Wait a minute, I can duplicate that web! I once created a super strong glue in 4th grade for a science fair. I bet I can strengthen it to massive proportions using special crystalized substances! It shouldn't take long!

Finally I finished it! I put it into a special device I invented that triggers the same way my previous organic webs did. Finally I can get some sleep. Wait...it's morning already!

DAMN YOU, APOLLO!!!! YOU AND YOUR INCESSANT CHARIOT RACE AROUND THE EARTH!!!! ALTHOUGH THAT's technically iszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

 

[Sachsmachine]

We used to be normal... I used to be normal. It seemed like so long ago since I was awake, how long had the other been in control? We close our eyes... my eyes. It's a constant struggle for control how many people had we killed? A half dozen transients, no one would miss them, but they were barely sustaining us... We need more...

We stagger down a dark alley, it's abandoned except for the odd rat... hardly a even a snack, the other whips out a tendril and envelops it anyways. We can feel the hunger like a knife in our gut... We must feed...

A few yards ahead the back doors of a seedy nightclub open and a group of bouncers drag out a guy who tried to pull a knife on someone. They start laying a beating on them... 5 muscular men and a boozed up thug. The bouncers look down the alley at us and pay no attention. Who would care about a ragged bum staggering down the alley in New Gotham, no one that's who.

Before I know it the other seeps to the surface of our skin and coats us in it's purple ichor. They have no chance. Before they even have time to react tendrils stream out towards their targets enveloping their faces and pulling them up off the ground, all that is heard are muffled screams and the dull thud of bass from the music inside the club.

We can feel their energy as we drop them to the ground, their faces look like they've been melted with acid and their bodies are withered and frail.

We rip the doors off their hinges and the last thing I hear before the other takes over completely are screams and the sound of our own voice.

"A buffet and I wasn't invited? Mmmm brains... my favorite!"

 

[Demon Machine]

Let me tell you all something up front. A lot can go through a mans head when he is two feet away from an angry mutant freak with swords for hands and a look of utter madness. Of all the things that I could have imagined, I never dreamed of the opposite. I guess in some ways I had considered before what a complete silence of thought would be, but I had not percieved what the feeling would entail. A complete silence filled me. Not one thought. It was not the silence of a day out on the beach, alone with a beer in your hand, sun on your face, it was nothing of the sort. It wasn't relaxing. It was a feeling of emptyness, of complete nothingness. Only now do I truly understand death for what it is. There may be a devil, but there is no hell other than our own. There is no heaven, no rebirth, no afterlife. There is nothing but complete emptyness. That day, I felt it. I have not forgot the feeling. In fact I have grown used to it, for it was not the last time the nothing had taken me. It is in a way a drive of need. Essential need. I figure, something like an animal feels. No thought, no feeling, just the drive of need and instinct to act when faced with action. It was not fear that drove me there, it was need. I consider it the second of my powers as I am sure that it was part of the package. To this day I believe that it is the most useful of powers.

What this man was doing here was the least of my concerns at this point. He was looking for a fight, and I was about to give it to him. Why, didn't matter. How...well that was priority number one. Beating up petty, unarmed thugs is one thing. Taking down a man with obvious strength and weapons was a different story. After fully getting back up he was charging me, swords in hand, literally. As the first swing came down on me, I made a gesture I had not made in a long while...

I cracked a smile...

 

[Demon Machine]

As the sword fell, my body rolled to the side. It felt as if I was not in control, as if this hell body was moving for me. I suspect that to be true, and it's no surprise to me either. This body was a gift, and I was sworn to that it would do the job...job? I forgot a long time ago what the reason for my suffering was. I believe that one day I will remember. Something about being stole from. What is not important to me now though. I have a sence of purpose.

After rolling to the side, away from the initial swing, I used my oportunity to get back and stand my ground. I ran across the room and turned to face him. To my avail, he was already charging at me full tilt. With one arm raised and one arm down ready to jab me I figured to only way to dodge this blow was to disorient him. Staring straight forward I concentrated on making this man feel my essence. Feel the very everything and nothing I was. I needed him to feel fear. The flames that engulphed me rose up and burned blue. My face went black and paint on the walls began to melt. The heat was almost too much for him to take, it slowed him down and he began to sweat. This was not good enough for me though. I kept going. At this point even I could start to feel it. The very insides of my eye sockets were now fully burning with a thick blue flame. It was at that moment that I felt the fire reach all the way into me.

So I did the first thing that I could think of...I let is all out. I was as if I was a dragon. The flames shot forth from my mouth and melted him into a pile of mush. A single stream of pure heat. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing I could do either. I wasn't in control. I never am. At least now I can influence it.

There was no sound that came from him. No scream, no cries. Just the sound of burning flesh. A head so concentrated was dangerous. As quickly as the fire came, the flames subsided into nothing. My skull burned a light orange and the room was completely still. His melted corpse was left smoking but that was all. It was quite the experience. At least now I knew there was something that was completely menacing that could protect me.

It wasn't until after that I realized I knew nothing of who this guy was, or what he was doing. Later I learned, but it was just by chance and was a bigger concern to me then. This time I didn't care.

I decided that this would be my home. So I kicked him body out of the way and took a seat to think about what just happened. My thoughts were my only salvation anyways.

 

[blah]

HOLY CRAP! WHAT'S THE HELL IS ALL THIS!
Numbers EVERYWHERE!!
NAMES, stuff, places, all around me! I can't take it!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
It's too much!!

I'm sorry! I'm Sorry! Oh my goodness gracious! I'm so sorry! I'll log off!

And just as suddenly as it started, it vanished. I lay shivering in my bed. The alarm clock's fluorescent numbers say it's 5:00 AM.
What the Hell just happened?

I'm so sorry, Ted. I failed to activate the firewall before logging on to the EtherealNet. The information overload must have been brutal for your primitive brain capacity, you are lucky to even survive.

Scarab, stop talking in riddles. What’s an "EtherealNet", and why didn't you put up that firewall that I would assume would keep me unharmed by that barrage of Information?

Please, Ted, call me Sbyder. I didn't go through a horrible merging process and not change my name.
As you know the Totems are spirits like me who perform certain duties using a host body. Our duty is collecting, organizing, and processing information about our assigned realm. Spider totems however tend to use the emotions of the hosts and their surroundings to evaluate danger levels. Then they alert the hosts using an extra-sensory impulses to your brain, I heard a moronic host on another realm calling it a "Spidey-sense".

"Spidey-sense"? That's so catchy! Why didn't I use that?

Actually, you did.
Anyway, A Spider totem weaves a web of intricate events based on those emotions then force the host to go through them usually by using guilt, fear, or love.

But why do they do that? What would they gain from that?

Two very important things.
First, they survive on devouring those wayward emotions. Especially the most extreme form like unconditional love and paralyzing agony.
Second, they thrive on being remembered. They may not be visible to the natives of the host's realm, but the natives know who gave that host his powers.

Silence filled my mind for a second. One. Long. Second.

Hey, Sbyder...

Yes?

You can retrieve any type of information from that EtherealNet of yours, right?

Yes, I sure can. What are you thinking of, Ted?

New Gotham is afraid of all those heroes coming to the scene at once. Back in Uncle Ben's day, there were so many heroes: Captain Lantern, The Human Flash, Super-soldier, Blue Scarab, etc. Any one can know about them from newsreels and biography books. But now those heroes and villains of today are new and powerful. An aura of fear is forming; the public must familiarize themselves with those characters before meeting them in a dire situation. They don't need to know who they are under the mask, just what they do and if they are indeed heroes.
Sbyder, I need you to gather all and any information except anything compromising the identities of all the Heroes and villains in the past 50 years. I want it organized in a database.

What will you do with that info?

What else? Sell it to a great Metropolitan Newspaper.

 

[Victor Creed]

Moments later, elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Researchers flood the great halls; all heading toward Magnus’s laboratory. He must be finishing up some of the Sentinel Prototype enhancements. The researchers clear a path as they notice me walking toward them. I knock on the laboratory door. Magnus looks up and motions for me to come in. I open the door and walk inside, drawing the blinds along the windows to give us privacy.

How are things coming along with the Sentinel construction, William?

Quite well actually Victor. I have managed to dismantle the original Ultra-Metallo and collect a few key components for reuse. Most of the robot’s internal equipment was rusted from all of the salt water.

What have you managed to salvage?

Well, it wasn’t easy, but I managed to keep the original hard drive, which logged Super Soldier’s fighting styles as well as locations of strategic Nazi bases. I also managed to salvage most of the metal, although I will be replacing most of his body with adamantium.

Sounds good. Did you ever finish the metamutant tracking device?

Yes, I have managed to develop a sort of scanner that can detect the mutation. It can also identify individual targets. Almost like a headhunter of sorts.

Perfect. This tracking device will work perfectly with my legacy virus. It will allow me to contain both viruses within the robot’s remote delivery systems and choose between the two based upon the target’s species. I look over the pile of steel and wires, all that remains of Ultra-Metallo, savoring the fact that Magnus is building me an even deadlier ally.

What have you managed to assemble so far?

Magnus motions over to the table across the room. I look to see a few small machines wired together and whirring. His main computer seems to be uploading some sort of information onto the hard drive.

Well, right now all I have is the basic internal components, which are downloading basic programming from my computer. It took a lot of calibration to bring the targeting systems and hard drives back online, so I decided to finish these components and move onto the adamantium shell.

Good. It sounds like everything is coming along quite nicely, William. Oh, and one other thing, have the coordinates of the Wenceslas facilities sent to my personal jet. I am going to make a visit to our old research labs and recover an item that may be very useful for the Sentinel project.

Magnus nods and goes back to fiddling with his computers and I walk out of his office. It seems as though the crowd has subsided and everyone is back to work. I look at my watch, it is 7:00 pm and the main levels have been closed; the corporate employees have gone home. I flip the intercom switch next to the elevator and alert the security team that I will be leaving for the evening and will be back in the morning.

I will return early, but be on your guard tonight. There is some very important research going on in the sublevels, so you must protect them at all costs.

Yes, Sir!

I flip the intercom off and sit down in one of the golf carts used to get around in the underground labs. The lowest level facilities are massive; with 50 foot ceilings, they could support the whole city if given enough supplies. I ride the cart for a few minutes down a long tunnel. Up ahead my jet comes into view and I pull up next to it.

Engines on.

The jet engines begin charging. This is no ordinary jet, it runs on anti-gravity engines that make no more noise than a ceiling fan; and although the engines are quiet, they provide smoother, quicker handling.

Open hatch.

The hatch opens and I crawl inside the cockpit, securing myself with belts that strap across my chest in an ‘x’ shape.

Close hatch.

The hatch closes and I place my hand on the console in front of me. It checks my vitals by extracting a small amount of DNA and verifies my identity so that even when I am dead my own handprint cannot be used to control it. If anyone but me tries to operate it, it goes into automatic self destruct. Once it verifies my identity, a map is projected onto the screen in front of me. The coordinates of the Wenceslas Mine are marked on the map, so I touch the coordinates on the screen and set the jet on autopilot.

Autopilot on.

The engines rev, only a slight whirring noise to a normal human’s ear, and the jet blasts down the tunnel, easily topping 300 mph within a second. I come to the end of the tunnel that leads to the street and the jet makes a complete 90 degree angle turn, blasting out an offshoot of the tunnel that leads into the drainage tunnels that empty into the sea.

I sit back, stretch out, and enjoy the night skies as I burst out of the drains, heading toward Poland.

 

[TheTurtle]

I wake up. The sound of machines all around me. I keep my eyes closed, listening to the beeping. Hospital.

I open my eyes and look around. I put my hand up to my face, still swollen. Three new bullet holes in my chest, I can feel them. I've been shot so many times I can almost tell what type of gun they were fired from.

I remember it all.

**

After beating my information out of the rat I headed straight to where the While Whale was meant to be arriving. I was so confident - stupid more like. While sneaking up, climbing the crates I hit a sheet of metal, it rang out. Silence for so long after that - I figured they must not hve heard it. I kept climbing.

When I reached the top I saw the bastard, arranging a shipment of his filth... I aimes my sniper-rifle...

And got hit in the *****ing back with a sledge hammer. I fell all the way down, hit the ground... something broke. My arm - I look at it. In a cast. They wasted no time in kicking the living crap out of me...

 

[Logan Howlett]

"The weather is my gift..." I always find it hard to explain my powers, that are of a sort that is more easily shown than explained.

"Your gift?? Oh...you mean...your abilities. Hmmmm, that sounds interesting.....Show me."

 

[Noon]

"Your gift?? Oh...you mean...your abilities. Hmmmm, that sounds interesting.....Show me."

"Well..." I look around at the luscious room "OK, I'll keep it outside though"

I close my eyes and concentrate. At the window the light drizzle and smog clears away revealing a clear, bright starry sky, a rare thing in gotham.

"I can create or disipate almost any weather condition, it's easier outside but I can also do it indoors."

To demonstrate I call up a small swirl of wind, lifting a salt shaker from my end of the table and dropping it neatly next to his plate.

 

[blah]

The offices of The Daily Planet Bugle: A monument of history and architecture in the heart of a bustling city called New Gotham.

I read that it used to be two separate newspapers sharing only a long history of bitter rivalries ever since the colonization of America. They merged during the depression to share the expenses and just barely surviving bankruptcy. With the combined resources and various experiences, The Daily Planets’ Bugle earned the right to be labelled “A Great Metropolitan Newspaper.”

I went inside passing through pushy Gothamites. I almost dropped my recently bought briefcase containing the biggest market positioning strategy since Microsoft, I hope. My comical attempts at walking seemed to amuse an elderly man I assumed to be in his 60’s. His hearty laugh sounded like a child’s rather than a senior citizen; the Archie-freckles and colourful bowtie added to that illusion.

I’m glad you’re having fun, pops. I addressed him, Because I’m sure I’m not.

Sorry, sonny. It ain’t that often I see a Gothamite who don’t know how to act like a Gothamite He wiped his laughing tears and extended a hand, Benjamin James Ulrich. Nice to meet ya, kid.

I was astonished!

The Jimmy Ulrich? The wonder teen shutterbug who took all the top quality action pics of war-time superheroes? My God! I’m Theodore Parker III, pleased to meet you!

Hehe. I guess I got me a fan boy, eh? Funny, I think I remember a fellah by the name of Ted Parker Jr., but you’re too young to be his son.

That’s my grandpa, our family was so proud of Ted the first that any Ted born have a number after him. Sorta like the kings and queens of old times. Heh. You must think we’re egotistical, huh?

Nothing’s wrong with having a little pride in yer family’s history, kid. Just don’t let it go ta yer head, dig?

I dig. Man! This is guy is fun, kinda reminds me of uncle Ben. Thanks for the pep-talk, old timer. It made me less nervous about this interview I’m having with the publisher.

You landed an appointment with “Saint” J. Jonah Jameswell?!? I thought the chief was booked solid for 5 years at least. He joked with a hint of truth to it.

No. But I have a revolutionary idea, it just needs someone to lift it off the ground. I wanted to go in and…

…make him an offer he can’t refuse?

……………..yeah.

He gave me a strong pat on my back; he’s strong for an old coot.

HAHAHAHAH! You got Guts kid, you’ll need it to deal with this crazy bastard!

I thought he was a “saint”….

He is, As in St. Lazarus. You’d think he’s down for the count, but he’ll come back from the dead and eat your face off. He’s kinda new here, younger than me by a good ten years. I used to date his older sister when he was a little squirt. He used to make all these rules about how not to make “kissy-face” when he’s in the room. So I called him “chief” ever since, he loved that. Hehehe. He was so ambitious when he started working here, nothing could keep him down.

Well, I’m not backing down either. I have to meet him.

Who says you won’t? I’ll back you up, kid.

Really? Thanks, Mr. Ulrich. You didn’t even hear my idea, though.

Hey, kid, anyone crazy enough to go in on the chief’s den without an appointment deserves my thumps up. Let’s go. Time is like my wife’s kisses, rare and precious.

 

[Logan Howlett]

"Well..." I look around at the luscious room "OK, I'll keep it outside though"

I close my eyes and concentrate. At the window the light drizzle and smog clears away revealing a clear, bright starry sky, a rare thing in gotham.

"I can create or disipate almost any weather condition, it's easier outside but I can also do it indoors."

To demonstrate I call up a small swirl of wind, lifting a salt shaker from my end of the table and dropping it neatly next to his plate.

"Impresive......Got some power there darlin. I'm sure you could help alot of people if ya wanted to. But......ya can't just walk around all the time as a costumed hero......gota have some downtime.....gota have a way infiltrating the rest of society. I find it helps when yur tryin to get the dirt out a city's nails."

At that moment Charles walks into the dining room.

"Telephone for you sir. I belive its a Mister Harvey Osborn."

"Alright....Excuse me ma'am, I gota a phone call, it'll just be a minute."

I walk over to Charles and take the phone.

"Hello?"

"Logan ol' pal. Hey I got some big new for ya, you remeber when Earle came in with all that anti-mutant crap?"

"Ya, what about it?"

"Well I just got word from a friend of a friend, that Mr. Earl Trask just sold his crap to a higher bidder!"

"Who?"

"Well that part is a little unclear.....but as far as I know, it has something to do with Magnus Industries."

"Magnus? But what would he want with mutant killing robots?"

"Beats the hell outa me, but I can assure you, my sources don't lie."

"Well this is just great......first the psycho brings in government stiffs without a priceline, and now he flips them over to the one company that can actualy compete with Wayne-Howlett! This aint good pal....this aint good at all!"

"I hear ya, but theres nothing we can do about it right now, but hey I'm sorry to rush off, but I have to take my son Harry to school, its a PTA thing......I dono, they make us do these things sometimes......I'm gona check up on their science department, make sure these kids are learning everything the need to. I'll give you a list of things you can donate later!"

"Hehehe, ya sure thing PAL! Why don't I just hand you my check book! Hehehe, I'm just kiddin....anything I can do to help."

"Your the man L.!"

"Heh....get goin, and tell Harry I said hi, ok?"

"Will do! you take care of yourself."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I turn back to my new house guest,

"Just a friend of mine......aparently......metamutants are in trouble......BIG trouble."

 

[Logan Howlett]

**1942**

"OH GOD! Angelhawk this is Supersoilder come in, come in, do you hear me?"

<This is Angelhawk, what can I do ya for Cap?>

"There is a giant.......MACHINE!...Headed right at the White House!"

<What? ARE YOU JOKING?!>

"We're not that lucky! I'm gona need you to do a sweepover and try and see if you can find anymore of these things, or if there are any invading ground troops!"

<Rodger that!>

This is just what I need, a giant robot with a shwastika drawn across his chest making a B-line for the White House! What can I do???? Guess I have to try something!

I take off at superspeed in the direction of the robot, running right past him and right in front of him.

I yell,

"STOP!"

The robot stops......but only for a moment, its next movement.......sends me into the air

BOOM!

It hit me! ME! And it hurt! How? How is that possible? HOW?!

While falling back to the earth I catch myself in mid air and hover. I look down at this monstrosity continuing on its rampage, slaming automobiles left and right, tearing through gates and fencing. i have to do something. I fly fast and hit the thing under it legs, nocking it into the air, then I fly at it again, it turns and plants a jab into my face!

"AAAAAAARGG!"

That realy hurt! The thing falls from the sky and lands back on the ground, almost perfectly, almost like a cat lands on it feet!

<Angelhawk to Supersoilder, there doesn't appear to be anyone else down here sir! It looks like its just that robot! But um......>

"What? What is it? Whats wrong?"

<Its just that....um....well I got a report of some possible activity on the east coast, I was just called to check on it but.....I don't wana leave you alone with this robot thing...>

"It......its fine Angelhawk, go, I can take care of this thing myself."

<Are you sure? I mean....If you need my help...>

"I'm sure, I'll be fine, just go!"

<Sir yes sir!>

Great, now i have no support, its just me and........"Iron Man" over there! DAMN HE'S PERSISTANT! Not even phased a bit! I fly down and land in front of him, this time I'll be more cautious!

"Now I'm not gona ask again! STOP! Or I'll make you stop!"

He takes a swing at me, I dodge, he takes another, I barely get away. I blast his chest with my heat vision.......but nothing! Not even a scratch! Ok, time for a differnt tactic! I speed up behind him and dig my hand into the metal plating on his back and I begin to fly into the air. I get about I mile up before I feel it..........I'm getting slow......feeling weak.......I look down at the robot......its glowing! Through the holes I made with my hands! A green aura, its making me sick! I can barely hold the damn thing!........then I look down.....see the soilders on the ground.....One has a bazooka, AND HE'S AIMING AT US! I feel realy weak, don't know if I could take a blast from a bazooka!

"NOOOOOOO! STOP! DON'T FIRE!"

I say that a little to late, the rockets already in the air, and before I know it......

KABOOOOOOM!

I wake up on a beach shore......the damn thing blasted us all the way to the coast! I look up, the Robot is charging at me through the Ocean water, seems he was blown a few hundred feet in. I don't have to much time to respond, gota think quik! I charge at superspeed, and then burts into flight. I hold my shield out in front of me to brace the impact, nailing him dead center in the chest. It sends us halfway across the ocean. My shield is now stuck in his chest, I can't get it out! I keep fighting.....and fighting......but I know if I don't do something big, that he's gona beat me, and then make another B-Line for Washington! I keep fighting on.....for thext hours we trade punches, leaving marks across us both! My uniform is torn, my mouth tastes blood, and I feel myself growing weaker everytime the holes in his back reach my sight......I look to the sky, airplanes passing by.....I see a young man leaning over the edge of a carrier taking pictures.....if I succed than this will only be a news story, if I fail....than it may never reach the press........now I have to act.....has to be no or never........I remember the oath I took.....to protect my county....from all inavaders, foreign and domestic......with my very life......I swore to God and country!

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHGGH!"

I grab hold of the robot by the throaght, and start swirling around, causing a whirlpool that takles us deeper and deeper into the ocean. I keep going......regaurdless of how weak I feel.....I keep going......I feel colder......colder...................colder.........................



**1985**

(A small subamrine makes it way down to the ocean floor. Several divers are sent outside the ship wearing protective gear and imediately start to penatrate the ice beneath them. Slowly but surely the figure of Supersoilder starts to appear......)

**14 hours later**

(Supersoilder lies unconsious still in a state of suspendid animation, the ice has been melted away, yet he has not yet gained conciousness........that is until this very moment....)

"HAAAAAW!"

I wake up to a small starnge room. The only thing I can remeber are those last few momentsbattleing that robot.......but...what is this place?? How did I get here?! I look around and quikly jump off of the table, the door opens and an armed guard rushin in at me,

"STOP!"

I move at superspeed into his shoulder and grab hold of his weapon......its strange, nothing I have ever seen before.....maybe its German.....maybe he's a Nazi! I bend the gun around his wrists as he begins to yelp. I hoist him into the air and ask angrily,

"WHERE AM I?!"

"I....uh.....oh god....please don't kill me!"

"We'll see......just tell me where I am!"

Before he can respond another man walks in the room....

"Your in New Gotham City. You were frozen under the ocean from your battle with Ultra Mettalo. We rescued you."

"You.....rescused......ocean.....Ultra Metalo?"

"Take it easy, sit down. Your still gona be a little groggy, thats understandable."

"So.....your American.....your not Nazi's!"

"Nazi's?.......Oh yea......no.....we're not Nazi's........"

"So.....I see your a Colonel......Whats your name...."

"Colonel Wayne.......Colonel Bruce Wayne. And I'm the leader of a new team the american government put together. We're called shield."

"Shield? Why does the government need another "secret orginization?"

"Because theres a war going on out there..."

"Tell me about it.."

"No.......not that war......I'm afraid......your war......is long over my friend."

"Long over? You mean........we beat Hitler? We stoped the Nazi's?........How long ago.....how long was I under......a couple of days, a week?"

"No........."

".........WELL?!"

".......43 years...."

".......43.........years........You telling me......that it took the American government 43 years to find me! Your telling me.......that its....what......1985?.......No......no.....thats......thats.....IMPOSIBLE!"

"And a man who can take slugs to the chest and fly is what......an every day occurance?.......Listen....Clark....."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! You.....you.....your a kid to me....I'm what.....70 something? I mean.....what.....come on......."

"Calm down Clark......its ok......your gona be fine.......just relax.....We need you Clark, we have a war out there, a "Secret War" that only you can help us win! They call it a cold war, they think its done with espionage and information only, but thats only because we havent let them see the battle field. We're dying out there Clark, we have a few guys out there that are barely holding it together, and they need a leader! I wish I could do it, but I'm not like you, like them. You all have gifts......i'm just a man.....I work off skill and prep time! Thats it! But you.....you have real power Clark. You people.....you....Superpeople....your the only ones that can save us now........Please Clark......your country still needs you......WE need you."

Before I can respond another man comes through the door. He's short, stocky, and has a cigar in his mouth.

"So.......your Supersoilder?.........Guess i expected you to be bigger......."

"And you are?"

"Excuse me......this is Logan.....Logan Wayne.......he's my cousin."

"Your cousin?"

"Yes.....and an ex-member of Weapon X......just like you....He's been called in because of his own unique gifts."

"The government does love to jerk ya back whenever they need you...........right Supes?"

"Logan....if it weren't for me.....you'd be in a cage....probobly receiving memory implants.....but because of me.....your the figurehead for a multibillion dollor company........so I wouldn't nitpick to much. Were forming a new team......we have to strike hard, and fast.....if we don't......we may lose the war......unfortunatly I can't give you time to think it over.......so I have to put myself, and you, in the awkward position of asking you to say yes........right now."

"..........For my country.......I say yes......."



**1987**

The war is over.......the fighting.....has finaly stoped......the governments want to play the charade of their "Cold War" a little longer.......but the threat has been nuetralized.....and no one will ever know.......they'll never even know I cam back at all. I wonder the streets of New Gotham, it never ceases to amaze me how much things have changed.......the world has gone to hell, but it seems to like it that way. It seems America isn't what it once was......I've read about Veitman, I even know who realy killed JFK thanks to Bruce.....None of what I see here and now is ANYTHING that I stood for......even if I came back......I would just be a political joke......nothing more. I walk for hours along the New Gotham roads until finaly I hear a voice.....

"So whats eatin you bub?"

"Logan?"

"Don't tell me.....you were just on yer way to see me?"

"Actualy......no."

"Well......then what are you doin out here?"

"I was just wondering the same thing my self."

"Come on man......when are you gona stop lettin all the past stuff get to ya?"

"Its not the past that bothers me Logan.......its the present.....its the here and now........"

"Listen.....if anyone understand gettin screwed over, its me.....but.....ya can't just give up..."

"Can't I?.....Isn't that my right? Or did I lose that right too?.....Come on Logan, look around......this isn't America anymore.....I can't stay here...."

"Where ya gona go?"

"I was thinkin......maybe up north? Maybe Canada.....i remeber you always said it was nice up there.....peacfull......maybe.....maybe I'll find what I'm looking for, but I can't stay here."

"Well.......I understand."

"You do?"

"Ya I do.....But you gotta promise me two things.......one......you WILL eventualy come back......and two.....you gotta call me Darkclaw the next time we talk.....what good is that nickname you created if I never get to use it?"

I can't help but laugh,

"Ok.....deal.....Goodbye old friend."

I reach out my hand, he looks at me stangely.

"Put that away..."

Suprisingly he walk towards me and gives me a big bear hug.

"Yer the only man sides my Papi and my Uncle that I ever huged. That had better freakin mean something!"

My eye almost tears up....

"It does.....goodbye..."

As I walk away I hear Logan say,

"I'm stayin right here though.....gota lota work to do......someones gotta save the world ya know!"

I laugh again, but I keep walking.....



**Present Day**


Now its time I find that shield! Logan sounded like he was busy.....Guess maybe my first stop should be New Gotham.......but.......I can't just walk in as Supersoilder.....probobly shouldn't even look the same. Hmmmm......i look through the old box with my uniform. I find an old pair of glasses and some black shoe polish.....hmmmm....I pu the glasses on my face, looks a little differnt, but whos gona be so dumb as to just not see Supersoilder in glasses?! I reach down and pick up the shoes polish, i rub it through my hair, making it jet black.

"Now we're in busness!"

I put my old uniform on, and then a buisness suit on top of it. I walk out the door, and jump into the sky! I fly almost all teh way in, right next to the shoreline. As i aproach I make sure no one sees me, and I land behind a building. I walk up to the street and hail a cab....

"TAXI!"

A cab pulls up close by.....I open the door and sit down inside,

"Where to chief?" the caby says,

"Um......do you know where Logan Wayne lives?"

"Who doesn't? He's only the richest man in the whole freakin city! What, were you born on another planet or something?"

"Not as far as I know....but anythings possible.....can you take me there?"

"Listen chief, thats pretty far out into the hills, so unless you got a lota cash on ya......."

Oh right, money.....how could I be so stuipd!

"Um......"

I search my pockets franticaly,

"Yes sir....I have.......23 dollars...and 67 cents.....how far will that take me?"

"$23.63??? OY! for that.....I can take you as far as The Daily Planet Bugel! And thats pushin it!"

"Geez....remeber when you could see a movie for a nickle and 3 bucks would take ya across town......"

"Huh?....."

"I mean......my.....grand mother....always said....that......ya its fine."

"Whatever!"

The caby puts the car into drive and takes us down the road, probobly no more than fibe blocks.

"Alright, we're here, pay up!"

"A-alright.....that was an awfully quik ride......must have been goin realy.....fast...."

"Try 45 miles an hour...now, money."

"Ya, ya. Of course.....her you are...."

I hand him the money and step out of the cab, he imediately drives off. I stare at the building blankly......its even bigger that I remeber.....I walk inside, peopel pushing past me with every step. I enter the Lobby to see a young man with a breif case talking to a more elderly gentlemen. They appear to be of a kinder more gentle sort, so I aproach the hesitantly...

"E-excuse me gentlemen.......I was wondering if you could help me.....You see I'm new in town and.....well i'm tring to find an old friend....."

 

[TheTurtle]

I pull all the drips and crap out of me, it hurts but I've felt worse in my life.

I get up, head still pounding from the beating I took. I run my tongue across my teeth, couple missing. Three... one of them is freshly gone. Lost the other two in a fight a long time ago.

I walk out of the hospital. All the Doctors and nurses don't even bother to stop me - the looks I give them see to that. I'm Trevor Castle. No one *****s with me, and they can tell even if they haven't heard of me before.

A few look like they're going to try, but don't, instead they carry on pushing the man in the wheelchair or the woman who's about to give birth. The people I'm out there protecting. I steal some clothes, a leather jacket from the cloak room. Then I get out, and go straight to the newspapers. The Punisher, that's what they're calling me now. I like it. There's vague mentions of still trying to get the identity of the man who's been taken to hospital after trying to take out a drug lord.

I start home. Got to get back to work.

 

[Noon]

"Impresive......Got some power there darlin. I'm sure you could help alot of people if ya wanted to. But......ya can't just walk around all the time as a costumed hero......gota have some downtime.....gota have a way infiltrating the rest of society. I find it helps when yur tryin to get the dirt out a city's nails."

At that moment Charles walks into the dining room.

"Telephone for you sir. I belive its a Mister Harvey Osborn."

"Alright....Excuse me ma'am, I gota a phone call, it'll just be a minute."

I walk over to Charles and take the phone.

"Hello?"

"Logan ol' pal. Hey I got some big new for ya, you remeber when Earle came in with all that anti-mutant crap?"

"Ya, what about it?"

"Well I just got word from a friend of a friend, that Mr. Earl Trask just sold his crap to a higher bidder!"

"Who?"

"Well that part is a little unclear.....but as far as I know, it has something to do with Magnus Industries."

"Magnus? But what would he want with mutant killing robots?"

"Beats the hell outa me, but I can assure you, my sources don't lie."

"Well this is just great......first the psycho brings in government stiffs without a priceline, and now he flips them over to the one company that can actualy compete with Wayne-Howlett! This aint good pal....this aint good at all!"

"I hear ya, but theres nothing we can do about it right now, but hey I'm sorry to rush off, but I have to take my son Harry to school, its a PTA thing......I dono, they make us do these things sometimes......I'm gona check up on their science department, make sure these kids are learning everything the need to. I'll give you a list of things you can donate later!"

"Hehehe, ya sure thing PAL! Why don't I just hand you my check book! Hehehe, I'm just kiddin....anything I can do to help."

"Your the man L.!"

"Heh....get goin, and tell Harry I said hi, ok?"

"Will do! you take care of yourself."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I turn back to my new house guest,

"Just a friend of mine......aparently......metamutants are in trouble......BIG trouble."

"What kind of trouble, perhaps I can help?"

I straighten out my dress a little

"But perhaps, I should repair my original clothes, yes?"

I smile a little, I find myself becoming more comfortable in this man's company, something which surprises me as I have always been taught not to trust any man. Perhaps our Amazon ideas were not entirely correct...we shall see.

 

[TheTurtle]

I'm back at the warehouse, allready I'm working out.

The treadmill gets me off to a good start - I have to work through the pain, I can't afford to waste any more nights in recovery, not when all kinda of crap is happening out there. I finish the hour on the treadmill and move straight over to my weights.

Half an hour of that, I'm not tired yet, but I'm feeling the pain - I'm benching a hell of a lot more than I normally do to make up for lost time.

As soon as I'm showered I walk over to a lousy cupboard, falling to bits. I take out another skull shirt. Since I knew I would be needing lots of them I bought plenty of them.

I run my hand over the white skull, remembering how I had hated my son wearing it when he went out, all that show...

I pull the shirt on, and my black combat trousers and a pair of decent boots. I walk over to my guns and pick up a sawn-off shotgun, grab my leather trenchcoat and hide it away in there.

**
​

I kick the scum in the face, a few of his teeth go flying - mixed in with blood and vomit. I pull another gun, my Walther out of my pocket again and crouch down to the guy, still on the floor, coughing up more blood.

I put the gun to his head.

"Listen. I know you sold me out to the Whale. You being my grass didn't last long you fat piece of *****! So you're going to tell me now where the hell he is and how I get to him"

"Go to hell Castle!"

Wrong answer. I kick him again, lift him up and give him three good punches to the face. I've beat this guy up so often it's almost not fun anymore.

Almost.

I put my gun to his head again.

"Tell me"

He moves quickly, I wasn't expecting it. The guys fat, and I've knocked so many lumps out of him its shocking he's still in one piece, but he sends the gun flying from my hand, and hits me in the face before I get a chance to do anything. I stagger back a little, and he comes charging at me, slamming himself straight into me.

He staggers back, looking at the knife I've planet in his huge gut. He looks up at me blankly, eyes wide.

"So, are you going to tell me or not"

"He's got a place... *cough* on the edge of Town. Huge mansion, can't miss it"

I turn to go. But the fat guy seems to have developed a backbone since last time.

"They'll tear you limb from limb"

I turn around, pulling the shot gun out from under my coat. I aim it right at his head...

BLAM!​

 

[Logan Howlett]

"What kind of trouble, perhaps I can help?"

I straighten out my dress a little

"But perhaps, I should repair my original clothes, yes?"

I smile a little, I find myself becoming more comfortable in this man's company, something which surprises me as I have always been taught not to trust any man. Perhaps our Amazon ideas were not entirely correct...we shall see.

"I don't think that we're gona have to play dress up just yet darlin. But I doubt we'll have to wait to long........No the trouble is that a man who used to work for me.....realy wish I could say otherwise....he has plans to build giant....machines, that will hunt down, and KILL, metamutants.........He left my company yesterday after my board voted the idea down.....but obviously it didn't take him to long to find a new buyer. But the worst part of it is.....the government is backing him.......and I aaint exactly someone they'll listen to on the matter, in EITHER presona. As Logan Wayne, I'm just some rich kid with a company to them.......and as Darkclaw, I'm an outlaw, a vigilanty..............But there is something else that could require my attention, and maybe you could help with.......If ya like.......A man, a cop, he and his entire family were killed not to long ago. Aparently it was a mob hit, gangsters that didn't like his efforts to put a stop to their crimes, they shot and killed them all........But aparently some one got their feathers ruffled, theres some guy out there.......their calling him "The Punisher".....he's been offing these guys like flys! Whether he is actualy retaliating for what was done to the Castle family or not is unclear, but I can't let this wacko go around killing people in my city.............Its strange......I've even heard some poeple are swearing up and down that its Castle himself come back from the grave, and that a skeleton jumps right off of his chest to finish them off........world is full of crazies.....but ya never know in this town........I've got the info in the other room, maybe between the two of us we could figure out this guys pattern?"

 

[spartin2008]

"I am honoured to be by your side, Lord Thanoseid."

(Thanoseid)

"Who, wouldent be. Now is the time, you take care of the Green Lantern, if we get his technology we will be unstopable."