The Create-A-Hero RPG Season III IC Thread!

[Hound55]

Suffer the little children… – Continued


Red glowing lights flickered through the base boards of the hall and a whooping alarm further emphasised the point to the black garbed Guardian.

[BLACKOUT]“S***!”[/BLACKOUT]

"Time is short, they know you’re here. There’s little to no chance of walking out the front door now, so may as well run deeper. Find out what’s happening and if they catch you so be it, figure that out if and when it happens."

Elsewhere within the Tartarus facility

A man in orange with a large navy ‘H’ across the chest has stopped dramatically, raising his head with twitching ears and nostrils flared.

“This way!”

The rest of his team; two men in tactical gear and one of the silver and black robot the less mature guards had called Butt-bots (after it’s ill-thought out acronym of A.S.S for Autonomous Security System), followed as closely as they were capable.

“He’s trampling these halls like an elephant and he’s damp, making his scent even more pronounced! Come on!”

Nearby

Just as Hyperman could hear Isaac, Isaac pulled up short and was made aware of his running pursuers. Looking around frantically for some kind of shelter, he quickly came up with a method to best make use of his limited means, took his pack from his shoulders and waited…

A Few Halls Away...

Hyperman was growing increasingly frustrated with his “team”; he could easily trace his quarry but due to orders had to wait for them to catch up for support. Patently unnecessary of course, but orders are orders. Still, it gave him a chance to stop and focus on his senses to be sure the Vigilante hadn’t doubled back on him. He didn’t understand at all why Chief Warden Hank Patton had told him to be careful and that the Vigilante was a wily one, he hadn’t tried anything yet and was just a powerless man. There were no tricks he was just running blindly down the halls of the facility like a desperate wounded zebra pursued by lions.

“Hurry up!” Hyperman hissed back down the hallway to his lagging cohorts.

“We’ll be able to see him soon and you’re going to cost us the element of surprise, lagging behind like that.”

Just as his three associates caught up he sprinted down the hall again.

"Damn it, can't he wait up for half a minute..?"

"Come on man, b****ing isn't gonna get us there any faster!"

Hyperman came to another hallway intersection and once again stood with nostrils flared and ears twitching. He was close. Really close. "So close I should be able to see him soon." he thought to himself while waiting for the other three.

Then he heard a different sound. A scraping along the floor, bold and unobscured, as a black disc like a hockey puck slid along the floor and bumped into his feet. "Surely too brazen to be some form of an attack" he thought, the disc piqued his curiosity more than instilled any type of fear.

"No! Leave it alone! Get out of there!"

And as Hyperman bent over, head only two feet from the disc at time of detonation, the calls of the other guards were the third to last thing he'd ever hear.

BANG!

The second to last was the explosion that came from the flash-bang grenade the Vigilante had sent his way. Then everything filled with white noise, which resonated and would be the final thing he would ever hear... for the rest of his life.

A man in black stepped through the white, white in both noise and vision. But the white was so bright that even in the darkest black the three living guards couldn't see him. Hyperman had dropped to his knees and was howling, the flash-bang had hit him worse than even the man in black could have imagined. His heightened senses and the proximity of the blast combining for maximum effect. The Vigilante put him out of his immediate misery first with a heavy swing of a night-stick to the meta-human's jaw knocking him out with a one-shot. He then cleaned up the other two officers in quick succession with the night stick as well.

The A.S.S bot did not handle the flash-bang grenade particularly well either, it's sensors struggled to adjust to the extreme light and noise and subsequently the blast knocked it's calibrations around. Unable to rely on any input data from it's camera or mic, the bots were designed to be non-combative as a fail-safe to ensure that the system would never threaten their user. The Butt-bot stood inert, it's camera just going in and out of focus, providing visuals for those in the security booth.

The Vigilante disabled the bot with a heavy kick and then looked straight down the barrel of the shifting camera lens and gave a threatening leer before smashing the lens with his nightstick. The black chrome of the Monadnock PR-24 that Gunny had given him, along with the flash-bang grenades, proved as devastating on jaws as it was on the glass of the camera lens. No time to waste, he ran back to the door arch he left his pack in and delved further into the complex. They wouldn't come with light force a second time, they'd bring the house, and he still had no more answers than he did before he got here.

Security Central

The room was filled with silence, stunned at what they'd just seen on the monitor courtesy of the A.S.S bot, until Hank Patton shattered it.

"What the f*** just happened!"

"It looks like the Vigilante just took down the unit, sir..."

"Not another word... I thought I told you to get me Anderson on the phone! Make it happen... and phone it in, I want all personnel meta personnel to assemble here within 5 minutes for briefing. He's going into the centre of the complex, there's no way out there so we have time. If he wants to play around with metas then we'll give him all he can take and then some."​

 

[Eddie Brock]

"This is so totally Batman."

I'm perched on the ledge of the Carver PD building, overlooking the city. It's nighttime, and that godawful heat wave is finally lifting, but it's still unseasonably warm. I glance over my shoulder at Sergeant Hampton. He's fumbling with a cigarette and a lighter. Hmm. Didn't think he was a smoker.

"You know, Commissioner Gordon never smoked," I say.

Sarge finally gets the cigarette lit and takes a big drag. He drops the lighter back into his pocket, replying, "Yeah, well, good for him." His tone isn't malicious or anything, but it gets the point across that this topic should be dropped. Sarge clears his throat and continues, "Since you're going to get involved in this gang war, I figured you should be briefed properly."

I frown when he says "gang war." Hearing it directly from the mouth of a cop makes it seem that much more real. I've been hoping that if I just work extra hard, and if God's feeling generous, this whole messy business can be avoided. But with each passing day, the hostilities grow more open. Factions are forming, and it's only getting worse. And I'm losing valuable patrol hours to Burgers and Such. Ugh.

"Let's start with the Devil's Rejects. They're simple enough," Sarge announces. He walks over to the ledge and hands me a file. I open it to a picture of a man who clearly missed the memo that horseshoe mustaches are not stylish. "They started out as a biker gang, led by that man, TJ 'Bulldog' Morris. Innocent enough - by biker standards, anyway - until Bulldog decided to expand the business. See, the bigger gangs and crime syndicates located on Central Island needed a way to move their product in and out of the city. So Bulldog helped them filter it through Carver."

"And it all went downhill from there?"

Sarge nods, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Once the Rejects got into the business, they saw how lucrative it could be. They started producing their own product. Drug trafficking leads to theft, extortion, racketeering. You see how it all snowballed."

"How do the Diamondbacks figure in?"

"Well, like I told you last time we talked, they're something of an enigma. We don't get a lot of organized crime here in Carver, so what little we do get draws attention. Somewhere along the way, these guys realized that and decided to take it underground." Sarge shifts his weight and flicks some of the ash off his burning cigarette. "They took to calling themselves 'the Diamondbacks' because every time we got close to nailing them, they'd shed their skin and disappear further."

"Huh. I figured they just had a thing for snakes," I remark.

"The competition presented by the Rejects has forced them to show their hand, but we still don't know a lot about them," Sarge explains. "Still, what we do know is that the Diamondbacks are run by an elite group known as The Five - a collection of the most influential would-be crimelords who put aside their differences in the goal of creating a stronger syndicate. We can't identify all of them, but we suspect their ringleader is Nelson Rivers."

I turn the page in the file to find a picture of another man - one who couldn't look any less like Bulldog. He's an older man, well-dressed, quite "Mafia-like." "Who is he?"

Sarge looks a bit surprised. "Nelson Rivers? He's the CEO of GeneCo, the multi-million dollar biochemical and genetic engineering research facility. Their headquarters are on the edge of town." GeneCo. Now that Sarge mentions it, I think I have heard of them. "Rivers is on any number of watch-lists. His rise to fortune was as meteoric as it was suspect, and more than one GeneCo 'test subject' has ended up in a STRIKE facility."

"Oh, great. He runs a metahuman factory." If that's true, and Rivers really is one of The Five, that means that the Diamondbacks have unrestricted access to as many metahumans as GeneCo's scientists can produce. Which is going to make my life a whole lot more miserable.

"Rivers' son, Warren, is a person to keep an eye on as well," Sarge says, just as I turn the page to Warren's picture. What an unholy *****e. Although, I guess he's into charity, considering he seems to be single-handedly keeping the hair gel companies alive. "By all accounts, he's nothing more than a womanizing screw-up, but it's possible Rivers Sr. is grooming him to be his successor."

From the looks of his picture, he's probably a threat to loose women, but not much else.

"On top of these two groups, we're receiving word that the Triads are trying to get a foothold in Carver. They must sense that a war is coming, and they're going to try and pick up the pieces when it's over. And new gangs are popping up every day, so there's something to keep an eye on as well."

I close the file, content with my briefing and ready to face these clowns. "Don't worry, Sergeant. Once we've got Bulldog and The Five behind bars, we can all sit back and enjoy the summer," I announce as if it's going to be that easy.

"I hope you're right." He stomps out his cigarette and takes the file from me as I get ready to leave. "Oh, by the way, we found your friend, Miles Hardy. He's working with the Rejects now."

"Is he?" I say curiously. "Well, I'll have to track him down and pay him a visit."

Sarge smirks. "Tell him I said 'hi.'"
​

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - MID-TOWN, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

​

"WHAT ABOUT LIBERTY?”
That is what the proposed return issue cover of New York Now! Magazine displayed, the first since the Alien attacks on New York almost four months ago now.
It showed a picture of the Statue of Liberty still laying partially in New York Harbor, charred and severely damaged.

​

Heather Douglas, Secretly the blue and white costumed super heroine Ultra, as well as, Both owner and senior editor of ‘New York Now!’ magazine shook her head no.
Not so much due to a factor that she felt it was bad. It was actually very poignant.
She just hated to foster more depressive images on New York.
There had been enough of that.
“Kayla, It I looks awesome. Please don’t take that the wrong way. It is perfect for the article. I am just concerned about how New Yorkers… let alone the rest of the U.S. that are still able to subscribe to us, might feel about it.” As she continued to stare at the very moving cover.
Kayla Davis, Senior Art Director of New York Now! A slim, almost model looking blond girl in green baggy clothes turned her head sideways. “Well you said you wanted a proposed shot of it that would be striking. Would you rather push the image back into the Article and place a stock photo of the Statue of Liberty on the cover?”
“I’d rather there was a decent budget left anywhere to at least put her back on her pedestal.” Heather said, with a somber tone.
Kayla just nodded. “Well. We have three days before we are suppose to go to press. I can have my people mock up some more. Give you a variety.”
Heather nodded absently. “Yes. Unless some miracle happens.”
Kayla patted Heather on the shoulder. “Come on, Boss. Buck up! We have helped the City of New York, by putting our magazine on standby, while we ran and distributed those fliers and maps to help out with the reconstruction. Time to get back on the saddle, report the New York news.”
Heather nodded again. Thinking to herself. “Miracle…”
“Space case… Hey! You hear me?” Kayla said to Heather.
Heather turned laughing. “Yes… I heard you. Do that and your right. Saddle up!”
Kayla walked away laughing at her boss, shaking her head in amusement.
Heather smiled at her, until she glanced once more at the image. Grimaced and walked towards her office.
She was stopped by Martin Hayes, lead writer of the Health section and became distracted by his issue.
Twenty minutes later, having straightened out the mess with him, Heather finally made it to her office, telling her secretary Barbara Nelson she did not want to be disturbed.
She sat, looking out the massive glass window which overlooked Central Park and the Moon Crater impact zone, It was only a mild hit and if the piece had been larger it likely would have devastated this portion of Manhattan.
As it was, every window surrounding Central Park was shattered, including the one she was looking out of.
Her vision, being better than most normal humans, She could see figures flitting about beyond the construction workers on the ground.
Even at this distance she could tell it was the red and blue, triple threat hero, Tri-Force, as they had been helping with a lot of the reconstruction here in New York as well as L.A and what little remained of Paris, France. How they got to those three places so quickly was a mystery.
All the heroes that would help the city of New York, were, even now.
So too has Heather in her other identity of the mostly blue clad Ultra.
Though her super strength and flight made her nice for cleaning up debris or being a human wrecking ball. It didn’t actually lend itself all that well to helping rebuild, except in the area of heavy lifting flight.
Tri-Force with his ability to split into three forms and each one having a separate ability, Becoming even more powerful when they combined. They have the power sets that worked well for that sort of endeavor.
Searay too, in some inexplicable way was repairing massive amounts of damage to some buildings deemed condemned.
In some way she was actually repairing them, including straightening out bent support girders.
Heather had no idea how she was doing it.
Though, the most invaluable hero of those active in New York, had to be the hero Terran.
With his Geokinetic powers, he had even helped successfully repair the seriously damaged Chrysler Building. Though many rumors floated about at first, of its utter destruction. Which of course was false.
He had cleared and repaired every single one of the city streets of middle Manhattan and all the subway tunnels, increased the structure strength of the tunnel walls to an unnatural degree.
He had been given not one… but four medals for helping repair New York, both above and below ground.
Then it hit, Heather. “I could assemble everyone and we could at the very least right the Statue of Liberty, that would be a great story and be such a boost to American Moral.”
Excited at the potential prospect, Heather got up from her chair. Threw her coat on and rushed past her secretary Barbara Nelson. “Barb. I’ll be back in a little while, No… scratch that. If something dire comes up call me. I have something incredibly important to do. I will try to be back later.” with that she disappeared into the Elevator
Barbara Nelson continued to look up at the closed elevator doors above the rim of her antique looking glasses, an older, dark haired woman, Who has been Heather’s secretary for nearly five years, which makes her very accustomed to Heather’s nearly abrupt exits.
“We’ll do, Ms. Douglas.” Barbara smiled to herself, as the phone rang and she answered it.

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - CENTRAL PARK, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

​

Tri-Force stood looking at the pit the moon fragment had caused.
He had already lifted the hundred foot moon chuck back up into space, to be joined with the puzzle that was now the Moon reconstruction effort.
He had been contacted by a NASA Rep. to see if maybe they could get his assistance in the ‘Moon Effort‘ as the papers called it, since he could survive in space, unaided.
They had to say ‘No’ for the moment.
Tri-Force or the Franklin Brother Triplets, Dave, the oldest, Alex and Michael, the youngest felt that they were already stretched too thin as it was with all they’re obligations.
Not declining to help. Just placing it on the back burner.
Now he looked at the impact crater the small moon fragment had left behind.

​

It was a whooper of a hole and though they could have easily filled it with debris. It appeared that both Terran and Searay were using the debris to rebuild objects within the city for the last four months.
Heck from what Tri-Force heard. Searay was even requesting that the glass be collected and placed in dumpsters.
Must be some ‘Green’ thing with her, As brother Andy put it.
So with the landfill aspect curtailed, the City Council deliberated and decided to turn it into a lake.
Today was the day.
Inspectors had finished assessing any potential problems involving the water they were looking to place in the spacious hole.
He pulled his glove back to check the time, then noticed someone flying in from the south.
Tri-Force smiled and an internal conversation started between the three brothers.
“Ohh Its Ultra. She is one hot babe and tough like me!” said Andy or the heavy hitter of the trio, Block.
Astrally or in the zone the three inhabited while combined into the form of Tri-Force, they could somewhat, ghostly see one another and younger brother Mike rolled his strange energy eyes. “She wouldn’t give you the light of day with your backwoods mentality!”
Dave Franklin. The oldest of the triplets shook his head astrally. “Knock it off both of you. Before you affect Tri-Force.”
Heather Douglas had changed into her Ultra costume and decided to check something out. Though the look on Tri-Force’s face made her unsure if she had come at a bad time. “Hi guys!”
“Hello! Ultra.” said Tri-Force. “How are you?”
“I’m fine guys. You all look pretty busy. Ever figure out what to do with her yet?” As she thumbed towards the crater.
“Yep… I mean yes, We are about to fly to the Arctic Circle and pick out a glacier to fill it.” Tri-Force said, His normal thought processes being an amalgam of the triplets that formed him, though he was still being disrupted by the overly excited Andy portion, Which made him tend to speak like him.
Ultra smiled. “Wow! Okay, paint me impressed!” Heather made a mental note to make sure her people were on this.
Tri-Force nodded. “It is not a that big of a deal. We are close to having things back to normal… well as normal as they can be for the city.”
Ultra nodded. “Speaking of that…”

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - UPPER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.

​

Unicorn had picked up a break in call on a special scanner located in his costume ear receivers.
A break in at the Museum of Ancient and Modern Wonders.
With his speed, He and the fact that he was so close, practically flew across the rooftops as he bound his way in the direction of the crime scene.
So far none of New York’s Finest had gotten there from what his receivers picked up.
Unicorn skidded to a stop at the final building’s edge and peered at the Gothic looking four story Museum.

​

He trailed halfway around the building from rooftops, then happen to glance up and saw what looked like a sleek floating, gray metallic boat, which he originally mistook for a part of the building rooftop. “Ah… Hovercraft. This may have moved into the big leagues.” He spoke out loud to himself.
He stepped off the ledge and teleported to the building across from him.
He saw a white masked man with his back to him, in a dark trench coat… with a big sword.
No make that two swords. The other one was hidden behind him.
“I SUGGEST YOU GIVE UP...” Unicorn said in a voice that was not his own. It was commanding, harsh and primordial.
The man turned, both swords pointing at him, a look of shock on his face. “Uni.. Unicorn? Oh man am I glad you’re here. I’m new at this and I wasn’t quite sure what to do.”
The dark trench coat covered what looked like white robes and he wasn’t wearing a white mask. He was wearing a blindfold.
“New?” Unicorn said. His voice normal sounding now. “You’re a super hero… with swords?”
“Yes. I’m Deuce.” As he held up both swords.
“Yeah… umm look. You might want to stand back. While I deal with this.” cautious. Unicorn thought to himself. “Never heard of anyone called Deuce. But then again no one had ever heard of me before I showed up my first time.”
“Can I at least help. I promise not to get in the way.” the blindfolded swordsman said as he walked towards Unicorn.
All at once Unicorn’s senses went crazy. Something was deadly wrong. He sensed evil magic.
His eyes trailed to the set of swords the man held.
It was them.
The man slowly started to grin arrogantly. “I am surprised it took you that long…” and launched himself at Unicorn, swinging his swords in arcing circles with blinding speed.
Unicorn concentrated and rammed the man with his Unicorn Might Power. Which was a sort of telekinetic forward burst.
It slammed the swordsman, calling himself Deuce, backwards towards the roof edge.
Unicorn took off at super speed to catch him before he went over.
Deuce surprised him. He slammed both swords into the rooftop, pulled his left arm further down, digging the sword in and swung himself completely around as if on a pole.
Using his momentum, he kicked Unicorn squarely in the chest and knocking him backwards.
Unicorn skidded to a stop, Never falling. “All right. You get one!”
Deuce grinned that arrogant grin of his. “Technically that is two. I fooled you as well.”
Unicorn glared at the guy. He was starting to piss him off.
Again he took off at super speed and wound his way towards the man’s back.
The man whirled with incredible speed himself and Unicorn teleported behind him, pulling his punch, he struck him on the back of the head hard enough to knock out most normal men his size.
The man crashed to the gravel-like black rooftop, rolled, flipped up and was on his feet again.
Unicorn had to admire the man. He had skills and could take a punch.
Wouldn’t happen a second time.
Deuce shifted both swords to one hand. Flipping Unicorn the bird. “Bye Bye…”
He heard her before he saw her. It was a woman. Actually, three women.
All were in various dresses, one was in a dress of yellow, the second one red and the final one was in all white, each one had something gold and shiny in their hands.
Before he could move, he was hit by a massive spout of water coming from the woman in white. He flew backwards and off the roof of the four story Gothic building.
Has he tumbled through the air he waited until his spin moved him so he could see the rooftop and teleported once again. This time it was a stain, he was pushing his ability too far, by rapid over use.
He landed on the roof and saw the sleek looking hovercraft leaving the ground. Deuce yelled down at him. “There is a bomb in the building. I suggest you hurry!” and he started laughing.
Suddenly a man came running out of the building in a red and black uniform with what looked like a spiked motorcycle helmet… He was in flames.
Unicorn felt an odd sensation in this man’s presence, He felt a swirl of almost ‘Déjà vu’ nausea.
Unicorn thought he was in for another fight. He was wrong.
Suddenly, more fire burst from the man’s sides, trailed up his arms and out to form wings of flame, the man launched into the sky, soaring up into the clouds.


CONTINUED....

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - UPPER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.

​

Unicorn frowned, his eyes trailed back to the spec of a hovercraft. “Next time…” He said to himself and looked back up into the sky.
There was an explosion. Of yellow and orange flames.
Slowly the flaming winged figure descended to the rooftop keeping his distance from Unicorn.
Again he felt a minute wave of ‘Déjà vu’ nausea. He recognizing it now, thinking to himself. “Magic. The man is easily magical in some manner. Old Magic.” Though he sensed no evil.
Flamehawk stood across from Unicorn on the roof. He extinguished his flaming arm wings.
Flamehawk was mad at himself. He drowned it down and started walking towards Unicorn.
Unicorn put his hands forward. “Whoa, partner. That is close enough.”
Flamehawk stood there wondering what to do or say. “Umm… they got away. Sorry… I tried to stop them. I was trying to protect the Museum from damage. I had to choose which was more important.”
Unicorn could hear sirens rolling up around the building’s exterior beneath them. “Right. Let me guess. New Hero?”
Flamehawk nodded at the more seasoned hero. “Yeah. I’m Flamehawk, Not a good first showing though, I suppose.”
Unicorn felt sorry for this guy. He had tried, He had stopped a bomb. That was something.
With his act, this new hero was obviously on the up and up. “Don’t be hard on yourself, No one was hurt and nothing was damaged. Let’s get down below and chat up New York’s finest. Let me lead, they can be trigger happy with costumed people they don’t recognize since the invasion.”
The two walked up to the edge of the building and Unicorn leaped down. He struck the concrete with enough force to crack it. Oddly it didn’t.
Flamehawk followed in his spectacular fashion, his wings of flame catching everyone’s attention. He landed next to Unicorn.
Unicorn waved at one of the police officers and stopped. “Let them come to us. Makes them less jumpy.”
Flamehawk nodded.
A seasoned officer walked up. “Hello Unicorn. Who’s your fiery friend?”
Unicorn nodded at him. “Goes by Flamehawk. Betting you’ll see more of him. Who’s got the lead with you Shields?”
“Detective Sergeant Frank Dixon.” The officer who’s badge read. Kirkland said nonchalantly.
Unicorn smiled. “Hardy Boy huh?” He said in reference to Detective Frank Dixon, who’s name was the same as the ‘Hardy Boy’s Author, Which only enhanced what a fine detective he is. Unicorn considered him a friend as the two had worked together quite a bit.
Officer Kirkland laughed on the Hardy Boy crack. “He should be near the front entrance.”
The two heroes started walking in the direction indicated. Unicorn glanced over at Flamehawk “So quick… What’s your story?”
Absently absorb in his own thoughts, Flamehawk was acutely aware of his looks, the tight black and red costume made him feel somewhat awkward in front of all of the Police and Spectators that had gathered.
Flamehawk didn’t return the look. “Kind of a long story. I am not sure how much I should actually tell anyone. Umm no offense.” as he did a grimace smile at the famed hero.
Unicorn nodded. “Fair enough. It is one of the few ways us super types can get to know one another though.”
Flamehawk had thought Unicorn had said ‘super tights’ not ‘types’ which made him blush. “Umm yeah. Like I said. Kind of new.”
Unicorn started walking up the steps nodding at the officers standing guard, noting the closed for renovations sign on the front door and smiled back at Flamehawk. “That‘ll change fast”
Unicorn was finding this guy hard to read. Other than outward body language. He could only see the man’s mouth. His eyes were covered by that strange, if not cool, red and black helmet. He could tell the guy was feeling a little out of place.
Unicorn internally decided to take this Flamehawk under his… so to speak, wing.
Suddenly, a big framed Police Officer with a fat mustache and a pissed look on his face blocked their way. “Back out on the street, fairies. The real law has this now.”
Unicorn looked up into the familiar, much taller, though certainly out of shape obnoxious Mid-Manhattan NYCPD Officer named Ken Strassburg eyes. “Where’s Dixon?”
Officer Ken Strassburg poked Unicorn in the chest. “Are you deaf? Maybe you should take those earmuffs off, so you can hear. Back out on the street. Now!”
Flamehawk was a bit taken back. “What is this guy’s problem?” he thought to himself.
Unicorn stood his ground and simply smiled at the hero hating Strassburg. He had thought about saying something smart, though it would serve no purpose other than to annoy. Which might prove amusing.
“Stand down, Ken.” came the familiar voice of Sergeant Frank Dixon.
Unicorn stuck his hand out to Detective Dixon. “Hello Frank.” He inclines his head towards the costumed figure next to him. “This is Flamehawk. New Kid on the block.”
Dixon shakes Unicorn’s hand back, then shakes Flamehawk’s. “Either of you have any idea what happened here before we arrived?”
Unicorn nodded. “Rooftop break in. Used a Hovercraft of a design I have never seen before. Guy in white, with a blindfold and a couple of swords calling himself ‘Deuce’, I‘ll tell you now… He‘s dangerous.”
“With him were three women in long flowing dresses, A brunette in White, Blond in Red, The last was a red head in Yellow. The one in white used some kind of water powers on me.” Unicorn said flatly.
“They then hopped in their hovercraft and sped away in the direction of New Jersey, Then the kid here showed up and flew off with a bomb which detonated high above New York.” Unicorn finished.
Dixon nods, raising his eyebrows at the last part, as he jots down notes. “Any idea what they were after?, we didn’t spot anything missing or damage. Yet.”
Unicorn thumbs towards Flamehawk. “Rookie here confronted the girls inside.” He smiled at Flamehawk. “Okay, kid. Your show.”
Flamehawk stepped forward. “Well… I heard the alarm and decided to investigate. I… ah… flew in via an open window on the third floor. I found them in the ‘New Acquisitions’ room. All three of them attacked me with strange goblets that shot water or something like fog.”
He paused trying to recollect and Unicorn interrupted him. “What did they steal?” and caught Unicorn glaring at him as if in warning.
Flamehawk hesitated as Dixon looked at him suspiciously. “Well… it was some kind of large bluish stone. It was…”
Unicorn interrupted him again. “Do you know what it was?” and without anyone noticing he flared his eyes at the young hero as if in some kind of warning.
“Umm… not really. I would think it might have been labeled. But I didn’t get a chance to check. I was too busy trying to prevent those girls from hurting the museum.” said Flamehawk.
“Then one of them threw some kind of bomb. I grabbed it and chased them to the roof, but figured I had better get rid of the bomb first. So I flew it up and out of the city, where it exploded.” Flamehawk finished.
Dixon seemed to stare at Flamehawk for a second. “Right. What about Security? Did you see any of them?”
Flamehawk caught Unicorn do a kind of minor no headshake. “Umm no. I didn’t get a chance to look.”
A couple of other uniformed police officers walked up just then. They let them know that they had found the two security guards unconscious near the stairs on the third floor landing off near some displays.
Dixon nodded. “Wish you guys could have caught them. Any way either of you could be able to be contacted in case we have more questions?”
Unicorn shook his head no. “We have told you everything we know, Frank. I can give you a further description of the Hovercraft if you want.”
“Sure.” Dixon said and Unicorn gave as detailed a picture as he could.
Unicorn nodded to Detective Frank Dixon. “Well. We are going to bail. Maybe my new friend here and me can spot those guys.”
Unicorn half saluted Dixon and was quelled to flip Strassburg the bird. Then thought better of it.
Flamehawk ignited his wings, grabbed one of Unicorn’s hands and flew up into the air. “Which way?”
Unicorn pointed in the direction New Jersey was and Flamehawk sped off, carrying him.
Once out of sight, Unicorn said. “Hey Hawk. Land on that building over there.”
Flamehawk did as he was asked. “Do you see something?”
“Nope. Just need to talk to you.” said Unicorn.
Flamehawk knew it had something to do with talking to Detective Dixon. So he landed.
Unicorn made kind of a brave face smile at Flamehawk, Who’s body language spoke exactly how uncomfortable he was. “Hawk. You have to be a bit more guarded by what you say to the police. Especially guys like Dixon.”
Flamehawk looked a little confused. “I was just telling him what I saw. What did I say that you were trying to warn me about?”
Unicorn smiled. “Try this on for size.” as he paused for drama. “You work there. Those Girls busted in and you suited up. You confronted them near the Museum’s acquisition room. You were going to tell the good Detective exactly what it was they stole… Which would have cast suspicion on you. Possibly compromising your Secret Identity.”
Flamehawk shook his head and looked down. “Wow… you got all of that? I suppose that is a total ‘Rookie’ move of me?”
Unicorn patted Flamehawk on the shoulder. “Don’t fret it buddy. Could happen to anyone that is trying to juggle a lot on their plate for the first time.”
Flamehawk nodded. Thinking that Unicorn was being exceptionally cool to him. “So do you think that Detective Dixon was sharp enough to catch all of that?”
Unicorn nodded. “Maybe. Your in luck with him. He is one of the truly good guys. You can trust him not to spill the beans on you if he put two and two together.”
Flamehawk felt nervous about the prospect of his identity being compromised on his first outing, Though Unicorn seemed confident in the Dixon guy. “So what now?”
Unicorn rubbed his chin looking in the direction of New Jersey. “Not sure. They are out of my range so sense magic. I am tuned into the Police Radio bands, If someone sees the hovercraft I am sure they will call the police screaming about it.”
Flamehawk nodded. That had been the case anytime something unusual was seen in the sky since the invasion on New York.
Flamehawk wondered what was happening at the Museum of Ancient and Modern Wonders.
In his real identity of Steven Harris he is assistant curator of the Museum. He had taken the last two days off as the place was finishing being renovated and the newest and most expensive addition was placed on display.
The Egyptian exhibit.
Which Steven had overseen from start to finish. Including, selecting the objects to be purchased for it.
It was during that time that he had gained his powers that made him Flamehawk… The power of the supreme Fire elemental being, The Phoenix.
He had no sooner figured out how to transform the Egyptian Armor that seemed to appear each time he used his powers into the present costume he now wore.
The fun part about the armor was he could transform it into normal street clothes, but it took more time than it was worth. It was better just to transform back to his human from his hybrid Phoenix mode.
“Hey kid. Didja hear me?” Unicorn was saying.
Flamehawk shook his head no. “Sorry… lost in thought.”
Unicorn nodded. Kid was still kicking himself he thought. “What was it that they stole?”
Flamehawk brightened. “An unusual piece of Moon Rock that had been part of the larger piece that struck Central Park.”
Unicorn then said. “Unusual how? There is Moon Rock all over the planet now, what makes that one more special.”
“There seemed to be some kind of engraved symbol on it. Possibly a mixture of Egyptian and old Greek.” stated Flamehawk.
Unicorn nodded. “Any idea what the symbol meant?”
Flamehawk shook his head no. “We had only just gained it last week. One of the Archeologists I work with was very excited over it. Though he never explained why.”
Unicorn smiled. “Maybe we should ask?”
Flamehawk tilted his head to the side. “Not unless we can get to Hong Kong. That is where he is at.”
Unicorn made a surprised face. “What is in Hong Kong that would draw an Archeologist from the States? There isn’t much left of it.”
Flamehawk shrugged. “I don’t know. His specialty was Greek and Roman field exploration.”
Unicorn nodded, puzzled. He thought better. Maybe he was making a bit much about it. It just seemed if anyone would possibly know why someone might be interested in a piece of Moon Stone… it would be the one person who seemed to show the most interest.
Unicorn reached into his belt, after removing the ‘U’ covering it. He pulled out a small flat card about the size of a playing card. “This is a spare flat-comm device. It was given to me by Searay so that us heroes here in New York could stay in touch. Take it.” He handed it towards the Red and Black hero.
Flamehawk took the device and examined it. It was a plain silver metal. It had odd neon blue lines running up it and across. Forming small raised squares. “How does it work?”
“Hold it like a Cell-Phone.” As he slid open a secret slot on the opposite side of his palm of his left glove, He lifted out a similar one he had to unplug. “This one links up to my ear shield radio array.” As he showed Flamehawk how to operate it.
Unicorn put his up to his face like a Cell-Phone and all at once the card vibrated in Flamehawk’s hand.
He pressed the receive button and Unicorn said “Hello” to him, which he could hear loud and clear.
Flamehawk pulled the Flat-Comm away and marveled at it. “What an incredible piece of technology. It is so thin. It has to break easy.”
Unicorn smiled. “Actually no… the little buggers are virtually indestructible. I don’t know what Searay made them out of… but whatever it is, Its like nothing I have ever seen before.”
Unicorn smiled at the young hero as he continued to look over the ‘Flat-Comm’. He linked his back to his Ear shield array. He pressed a series of buttons, Across the breadth of Manhattan , both near and far a signal went out.
He held his left hand out so it was aimed directly at his face. “Hey People. Need a moment of your time.”
Suddenly on Flamehawk’s card was a image of Unicorn speaking. It was small, but the image was very clear. “Cool…”
Unicorn’s eyes trailed over at the left portion of the card hidden in his glove to see who was listening.
Ultra, Tri-Force, Searay, Thunderstar and Terran all were. He could also see the indicator listing him as well. Which was the spare card that he had handed to Flamehawk.
Before Unicorn could get into why he called everyone.
Ultra spoke first. “Sorry to butt in on your call Unicorn. But, is there any chance everyone can meet in Central Park near the north side of the crater? I have a something I want to propose to everyone.”
All the heroes symbols on the Flat-Comm went from neon blue to neon orange. Meaning they were responding to Ultra. So too did Unicorn as he touched the ‘Send’ button. “On my way… and I am bringing a friend as well.”
Ultra nodded on her end of the card. “Thanks Unicorn… See you shortly.”
Unicorn glanced at Flamehawk. “Care to meet the other heroes of New York?”
Flamehawk smiled. “Sure… I would love to!”
They were right next to Central Park so it was only a hop, skip and a jump away. Especially with Flamehawk doing the driving.

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - NORTH BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

​

Andrea Bennett was thought to be in her rather spacious office of her company called Bennett Enterprises, Which made all manner of high end technologies.
She was really in a sub-basement of the building, Actually a hidden alcove within the basement.

​

An array of computer banks chirped and bleeped, as a myriad of neon rainbow colors chimed in the room like a Christmas tree.
The mighty wings of her Searay costume were spread to their fullest length inside a chamber made specifically to test them.
She sat down at the main computer console of the room and once again engaged the wind velocity machine within the chamber.
Using a relay to the flight wings, she intensified their strength using the special modified electrical wavelength to allow the wings to tap ions, giving the wings the ability to fly, as the wind speed steadily grew.
The wings were performing beautifully, so Andrea increased the wind velocity even more.
She was inching it near the upper limits of all the other tests she had performed on the most essential portion of her suit.
She watched as it clocked first one mile per hour beyond the highest and finally got it to five miles an hour beyond that. Inching ever closer to three hundred miles per hour.
Sensors indicated that they were nearing the point of buckling. She hit the kill switch and frowned.
Leaning back in her chair thinking to herself, her eyes intensely locked on the dark blue and pale green flight wings. “I just don’t get it, All the test indicate it should be able to sustain itself at upwards to three hundred and fifty miles per hour. Why is it still buckling just below three hundred?”
Andrea stood and walked over towards another, smaller control panel.
She cast a dirty look back at the wings, as she tapped a few keys and picked up a headset, slipping it on.
She waited for the person on the other end to answer.

CONTINUED...

 

[Guardian7]

continued from last time.
​

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - NORTH BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

Andrea Bennett waited for the person on the other end to answer.
“Hello. Engineering and Design.” said a somewhat high pitched voice, though obviously a man.
“Hey, Pete. Andrea, I did as you said, Though as you also said the wings were going to buckle. I am at a loss as to what to do at this point. Suggestions?” Andrea said as she stared at the Manta Ray shaped cloak-wings.
“Andrea… I told you this was going to happen. The material is too thin, Unless you figure out a way to amplify the ion field surrounding it, your never going to get that special cloth to perform the way you want… UNLESS… you thicken it.” Said the man named Pete.
Andrea shook her head. “That still isn’t an option. I don’t need the suit to be heavier than it already is. That would be pointless, it would slow me down physically.”
There was a pause, while the person on the other end seemed to be thinking. “Well there is a solution to that, Amp up the suit’s exo-skeleton. Then you could thicken the wings.”
“That would mean pulling the suits apart and completely refitting them again.” Andrea said with a slight bit of exasperation to her voice.
“Are you sure there is no way we can add more compound-T to it and just shield it with something new? That way it doesn’t mess with the suit’s systems by refracting the electrical energy?” Andrea said as her brain raced on the prospect of how she would refit the exo-skeleton.
“Andrea… You know that is a dangerous prospect. The refracted energy could leech into your suit systems and electrocute you. I told you before I wouldn’t be party to that.” said Pete on the other end.
Andrea made an unseen face at the person on the other end. “Well then I am at a loss to a solution.”
“I told you the solution.” Pete said on the other end. “Just increase the suit’s exo-skeleton strength."
“Alright. If I set up the materials and take the old Exos out. Will you help me make sure it is melded more firmly to the suits?” Andrea said.
“Andrea… I am tired… You already have me running all over the city with you, fixing the damage to New York. It has been a long time since I used my powers to this extent and I won’t say it doesn’t scare me a little. I’m afraid suddenly I am going to hurt myself again.” said Pete in total earnest.
Andrea suddenly felt she was being selfish. She was so absorbed in her work on the suit, she didn’t even consider how much using his powers affected him. “I’m sorry Pete. It slips my mind at times what your abilities can do to you if unchecked. That was really selfish of me.”
“Andrea… Hon. I am not saying no. I just need to pace myself. You know how I feel about anyone finding out about my powers.” Said Pete on the other end.
Andrea nodded absently. “I know. I am sorry. I have asked so much of you and you can’t even take the credit for all your hard work.”
On the other end the man named Peter Garrett “I don’t mind. New York is getting back to normal with my little bit of help and it is making people feel better.”
Andrea smiled. “I just don’t want you to feel forced about any of this.”
Pete smiled. “I’m good. If I was you, I’d take the damage suit from a few months ago during the Invasion. That should be easy to modify. You had to get around to seeing the extent of the damage anyhow.”
The two hung up. Pete sat with a small greenish ball of metal in his hand.
He had finally perfected it… Robustium.
Andrea walked over to a wall and touched a floating blue screen suspended in the air.
The wall to her left slid open into what looked like a wide all.
She walked in and six Searay suits lined the walls on either side. Straight ahead of her was the original black and blue suit.
It looked so awkward now. With it’s non-retractable wings.
She walked towards it when suddenly her Flat-Comm rang out.
She lifted it up and saw Unicorn…

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - NORTHERN EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.

​

Dwayne Johnson is a Chemical Engineer for World Labs. His job is to produce whatever chemicals are ordered by the various staff members.
Dwayne has worked for World Labs for approximately two years, It is a new budding Research Facility that has been in business going on three years.
They’re close association with various College Campuses and the Government has been a boon for them.
Much of their recent research has involved the study of all aspects of the Arlaaekians and anything involving them.
The contract that enables them to do such a vast amount of studies is granted by the U.S. Government itself. Everything involving the operation is wholly Top Secret and thus the already heavy security has tripled.
The one other thing that World Labs is known for is robotics, cybernetics and nano-technology.
All of this extra amped up security has of course made it that Dwayne Johnson has to use all new security protocols just to get to his work station.
It also means leaving is more scrutinized.
That is the part that is proving the most difficult for him.
Dwayne Johnson has a secret. One that would likely both startle his co-workers and likely make him a near instant celebrity.
He is the hero known as Terran.
He has the ability to manipulate all forms of earth and stone via a process termed Geokinetics. Which is an unusual form of telekinesis.
Now with the increased security. His ability to simply run off and deal with whatever threat may come, is limited.
Fortunately he is walking to his car when he receives the signal from Unicorn…

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.

​

Alex Thunder had just returned from examining the reconstruction of the moon and walked on the rather large cloaked satellite he used almost all the time now.
It had become his new home.
The beings called the Triad, Triumvir or Triumvirates that had given him his cosmic power and his charge to watch over Earth, had also supplied him with a base of operations to do this job from.

​

The massive satellite was cloaked by a strange alien technology that Alex could hardly even begin to understand, It was located on the southern half of the planet.
Alex was still learning how to operate most of the controls. Though fortunately the advanced alien technology was mostly voice operated.
Apparently all of the Triumvir ‘Wardens’ were given them to work from.
Alex learned that he was one, of quite a number of ‘Wardens’ enlisted to protect young worlds that could fall prey to menaces as Earth nearly had, several months back.
Though little did he know the true reason he was chosen as a Warden for this particular world… That would be discovered later.
He had recently told his parents about his abilities, though not his siblings and had asked them to keep it to themselves.
They were quite concerned about what sort of dangers he was putting himself in, Most especially his mother Ann.
Fortunately his father Herman was there to run interference for Alex.
The biggest bomb was oddly enough that he felt forced to quit school for the time being, while he figured out his present duties as a Warden.
Monitoring the space ways for any signs of Aliens possibly returning to the Sol Sector.
Both his parents could not understand why he couldn’t use his powers and go to school.
Alex knew that explaining the truth would cause more problems than what he felt for the time being it would be worth.
So in the months following the invasion. Alex had been learning his way around the satellite, Helping repair New York where he could and mostly pushing large moon chunks back towards the gravity of the three pieces of the shattered moon that had been somewhat reassembled.
He stepped off the landing strip of the station and floated away from it.
Glancing back as he slowly drifted in the cold silence of space, The Satellite faded from view.
Alex shook his head in amazement.
He took off in flight at such an incredible speed, any normal human would have been hard pressed to see him.
He could have used the Satellite’s transport system or teleported. But he preferred to fly.
Besides… Alex still wasn’t good about locking in the coordinates in order to make his transports work correctly. As his first attempt placed him squarely in the Atlantic.
Fortunately the teleporter automatically displaced the water he teleported into, Otherwise it might have had deadly consequences.
Alex had named himself Thunderstar, which of course was a play on his own name.
Though, from what he could ascertain, Most simply called themselves ‘Warden’, or whatever the equivalent was in their own alien languages.
He wondered what the other Aliens looked like.
Were they humaniod looking, such as the Arlaaekians were?
Alex wondered just how Alien looking they would get.
He glanced down and saw the New York area and dropped with a fierce speed.
Fortunately for him, His suit seemed resistant to most human radar technology. He would hate to be mistaken for a missile.
As he banked down towards Manhattan, New York, He breezed over Union City, New Jersey.
That particular state had seen little damage.
Though Thunderstar’s virtual one man war with the Alien Invaders in Washington D.C. had been quiet a thing to see.
He remembered telling his father about what he was forced to do.
His father being a war veteran himself had explained to Alex that sometimes you have to brutally fight for things such as freedom or battling against an oppressive force.
As most certainly had been the case with the attacking alien Arlaaekians.
Still… Alex knew he had dealt more harsh than he wished he could have with the Aliens.
Just as he was starting to feel a little guilty about what had occurred, the card the New York area heroine Searay had given him chirped. He glanced at it and saw the hero Unicorn…

CONTINUED... AGAIN... LOL

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - CENTRAL PARK, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.

​

She moves through the woods of Central park nearly invisible.
Her golden eyes peer at the spot where a large piece of the moon struck the earth.
She sees what looks like those costumed heroes she has read about gathering together.
The caped one (Tri-Force) she has seen many times in Central Park as he has been working on fixing the damage to the park caused by the moon fragment.
Many media sources have noted the unusual re-growth of plants that she has been causing in Central Park.
No one knows it is her.
Though reports abound about a green woman seen amongst the various thick brush and tree areas.
Mysteriously trees would be righted or completely moved.
Grass would be grown in spots originally made barren by either the Moon Fragment or the Alien Invasion.
She had even heard there was a special team seeking her out of wanna-be investigators.
With her ability to camouflage herself in any thicket of growing things. They were never going to find her.
These people who know gathered in their brightly colored costumes and masks. They were like her.
Gifted with unusual abilities.
Some could even fly, of which she found herself envious of.
She continued to watch them, moving in closer so she could hear what they were saying.

---------------ASSEMBLED HEROES--------------

The various active heroes of New York stood next to the impact zone of the removed Moon fragment.
The last to arrive was Terran and he walked up waving to the other assembled heroes.
Making the heroes present, Ultra, Searay, Thunderstar, Terran, Tri-Force, Unicorn and Flamehawk, for a total of seven heroes all standing in one place, technically nine since Tri-Force was made up of three people… Ten if you counted the hidden Green Flora.
Terran said. “Been a long time since all of us heroes stood on the same spot together. Last time was when we all took out those Alien forces in Harlem, then whipped on them over in Brooklyn.”
Though it was deadly serious during the time of the Alien Invasion. As with most people they had adjusted to the hard facts of what had occurred. So they, pretty much as a group smiled.
Unicorn turned to Terran, Introducing Flamehawk and the two shook hands.
As the heroes mingled, Unicorn turned to Ultra. “Okay enough of the niceties. Why did you bring all of us together Ultra?”
Ultra wasn’t sure if this would work. But she felt she had to do it irregardless. “I want us to put the Statue of Liberty back on her pedestal.”
Everyone froze and stared at Ultra. “We have enough raw power and skills to do it.”
Unicorn started laughing. “No we don’t. My god, Ultra… do you realize how heavy that statue is?”
Ultra shrugged. “I never said it was going to be easy. But Tri-Force here lifted up a hundred foot chuck of Moon debris and hefted it back into outer space. With us helping him we should be able to do something like this.”
Tri-Force, mostly urged on by the Block brother responded with. “I can certainly try.”
Unicorn frowned. “We don’t even know how damaged her base is. She might not be able to be righted.”
Searay shook her head. “The base is fine. I checked it out one day, But she has some extensive damage on her left side, where the kamikaze Alien craft smashed into her.”
Ultra frowned. “Would it be a hard fix?”
Searay tilted her head to the side examining her memories of it. “She is intact, just kind of peeled open. So she might be able to be bent back to a more normal shape. BUT… she is badly scuffed up and scorched. I most certainly would have been worse if she hadn’t fallen into New York Harbor.”
Flamehawk stood there in almost awe of what they were proposing.
He couldn’t believe they were considering doing something so grandiose as to lift the Liberty Statue out of the water and stand her upright.
He had read about proposal plans from civil engineers to do a similar. But the cost would be phenomenal, With reconstruction still a major issue from both the Moon fragments and the Alien Invasion. The money simply was not in the U.S. budget.
Still, Flamehawk felt it would most certainly be something that would go a long ways towards making Americans feel better. If only on an inspirational level.
He nodded to himself. “I’m in. I can help heat up and weld what is necessary. Though someone might have to direct me in how to do it. Also, I am pretty strong… not like Tri-Force here. But I can lift about ten tons.”
Ultra smiled at the Flamehawk. “Good… that’s three.”
Terran shrugged. “I am not as strong as these other guys. But I am betting I can help lift her via my earth powers. I can certainly push her upwards and out of the water more, I will be hard pressed to both lift and stabilize her.”
Unicorn shrugged. “Maybe we should call Icon.”
Ultra shook her head no. “This is our turf, not his. I think we should be the ones to do it in our own town, if we can.”
Thunderstar watched them, He thought about suggesting using the large spacecraft in the Triumvir space station. But feared an alien looking craft might revisit horrors on New York it simply did not need. So he kept silent. Maybe he would get a flash of cosmic insight that might assist them.
Though that only usually seemed to happen when he himself was in danger.
Sudden a voice washed across the grass they were standing it. It seemed to come from all around them. “I can help you stabilize it.”
All of the heroes looked around, though they saw nothing.
Then from out of the tree line walked a gorgeous woman… A green woman.

​

Unicorn smiled. “Well I’ll be damned. People reported the “Green Woman” and there she is.”
Green Flora stood off to one side. Wary but still wishing to help. “I can use my plants to help hold the statue in position.”
Searay stepped forward. “You’re the one who has been fixing all the greenery here in Central Park?”
Green Flora nodded as she leaned down to touch the grass beneath her. “Yes, It has suffered much. As much as the other citizens of the large city.”
Unicorn smiled. “Then it was you that was reported defending Chinatown during the invasion?”
Green Flora nodded again. “I can help if you but give me a chance. America has done so much for my family and me. I figure it is the least I can do to give something back.”
Terran said then. “That is very admirable. What name do you go by?”
“Green Flora.” she said.
Ultra walked up to her and shook her hand. “I really appreciate this Green Flora, Plus all you have done to re-beautify the city.”
Green Flora shrugged shyly.
Tri-Force stepped forward. “Okay… once we get her up and welded back together. How do we go about fixing her exterior.”
Searay smiled under he full mask and said. “I think I have the solution for that. Let’s get her upright and I will see what I can do about the rest.”
Tri-Force half raised his hand. “Ummm if we are going to do this. We had better be quick. I am suppose to pick up an Iceberg from the Arctic Circle sometime today.”
Everyone looked over at Tri-Force, who pointed at the empty crater, shrugging.“I have clearance to fly one in and place it in the hole.”
Everyone laughed at how nonchalantly Tri-Force had said that.
Terran said to no one in particular. “Only in New York.” As he reached out with his Geokinetic powers and pulled up a sizable boulder from within the pit.
“Anyone need a ride?” He said.

A few minutes later New York was treated to one of the most spectacular sights of Super Human activity it had seen in a while.
As Ultra, Tri-Force, Searay, Thunderstar, Flamehawk flew in a formed pattern around the Geokinetically flown boulder, on top of was Terran, Unicorn and Green Flora.
They raced over Battery Park and flew out and over New York Harbor to the devastating sight of Lady Liberty...

CONTINUED (LAST TIME!)

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO - LIBERTY ISLAND, NEW YORK.

(Continued) A few minutes later New York was treated to one of the most spectacular sights of Super Human activity it had seen in a while.
As Ultra, Tri-Force, Searay, Thunderstar, Flamehawk flew in a formed pattern around the Geokinetically flown boulder, on top of was Terran, Unicorn and Green Flora.
They raced over Battery Park and flew out and over New York Harbor to the devastated sight of Lady Liberty.
She was listing sideways in the water with her torch pointing towards New Jersey.
He face was still charred black and brown from the fiery impact of the Alien kamikaze hit.
All the buildings on Liberty Island had been destroyed in the impact. How the Statue of Liberty had survived so intact was anyone’s guess.
The eight (ten) heroes landed on top of her former pedestal. Which was also damaged.
Searay looked over at Terran. “Can you fix it?”
He nodded. Looking over where someone had collected all the busted concrete and masonry from it.
He concentrated and all at once pieces started to fly over to the top of the dais. Not all at once, though quite a few.
Searay nodded. “Good. I’ll check out the statue and see if there is anything I missed.”
Thunderstar launched into the air with her. “I’ll help. My suit allows me to survive in nearly any environment.”
Searay nodded. “Good to know and all the help is appreciated, Thunderstar.”
The two flew off the massive liberty pedestal and plunged into the dark waters of New York Harbor.
Ultra was still floating in the air and she looked down at Green Flora. “Is there anything you need that we can help with?”
Green Flora shook her head no. “I can do the rest." As she stepped off the ledge of the dais and just before she struck the ground a massive vine-like tentacle erupted from the ground to catch her.
It glided her over to a spot near the water and she looked around, suddenly smaller versions of the vine that had caught her started to form and then stopped.
She walked back towards the huge pedestal and as she did more smaller vines began to pop up out of the ground.
Flamehawk and Tri-Force flew over to the grim looking Lady Liberty.
Tri-Force said. “Old girl has had better days.”
Flamehawk nodded. “Makes me sad to see her like this. I haven’t really thought of her a whole lot. But now seeing her like this…”
Tri-Force nodded as well. “We had thought about doing this shortly after it happened. We were just so busy with the main body of the city we really didn’t have time.”
Flamehawk looked up and down her, or at least the portion that was showing. “I don’t remember her being so big.”
Tri-Force said. “She’s a big girl alright. That is why I don’t think she minded waiting. She a tough American broad.” That last part being the brother Any or Block again.
Flamehawk laughed. These costumed heroes didn’t seem much different than himself. Probably all had somewhat regular jobs like him as well.
Searay and Thunderstar shot out of the water, neither appeared the least wet.
Searay ushered the other two to follow them.
As the four flying heroes landed on the massive dais. They all saw that Terran had made short work of the reconstruction. It was nearly flawless from the original.
Searay patted Terran on the should. “Beautiful work… Your powers are truly amazing, Terran.”
Tri-Force nodded as he leaned down to inspect the work.
Brother Michael or Optic’s powers came into play. As they scanned the work looking for flaws. “What did you do to it? The stone isn’t even natural anymore?” he smiled.
Terran smiled himself. “I took time to impact or compress all of the surrounding stone to become more dense. It shrank the overall pedestal by about four inches. But that is nothing and leaves ample space for Lady Liberty to stand proud once more, Tri-Force.”
Tri-Force said. “Alright. Now that is cool.”
Ultra landed as she carried Green Flora up from below. “I am all ready for when you start to lift it.” said the bright green heroine.
Ultra turned to Searay and Thunderstar. “So what is the prognosis?”
Searay looked over at the assembled heroes. “The damage is exactly as I said. Her lower portion remains entirely undamaged. So she will stand.”
Thunderstar nodded. “She is pretty intact. The rent in her side is more like a peeling. I believe from what I could see she is completely whole except for some unavoidable scaring.”
Searay smiled under her mask. “I have a friend that is coming to take care of the damage. He is very private so don’t ask him a lot of questions… and try not to mention his height. He is kind of sensitive about it.” As she looked over at Unicorn.
Unicorn put his hands up. “Alright, no humor.”
Ultra smiled brightly. “Searay, That is wonderful you have a friend that can repair the damage. I so appreciate you all helping do this.”
Terran walked to the edge of the dais. “We still have the hard part left. Let’s get a move on people.”

Ultra flew Green Flora down to the ground, where she stood ready to use her tremendously mutated vines to anchor the fallen Statue when the Flat-Comm Searay had just given her buzzed.
Ultra herself angled to the right of the Lady of Freedom and hovered in place. Like Green Flora awaiting Searay’s call via her Flat-Comm.
Searay herself plunged into New York Harbor and was directly where Terran was about to work his magic.
Terran floated on a large chunk of stone and slowly started to push up the bedrock clear at the bottom beneath the statue of liberty, slowly she lifted as he leveled the ground beneath her.
Dwayne was nervous about this.
The last thing he wanted to do was damage the statue any further and he started to think if maybe this was a bad idea.
Suddenly the rock swayed as Unicorn leaped out and landed on the floating stone next to him. “What the hell Unicorn? You trying to make me loose my concentration?”
Unicorn smiled. “No… I am actually here to help.” He reached out and touched Terran’s shoulder and it was almost like for the first time Dwayne’s powers seem to crystallize in his head.
Unicorn spoke in a strange voice. “TRUST ME TERRAN… THE LAND IS MY DOMAIN…” His voice was like two people speaking at once. Only there was something primordial about it.
Everyone looked at the Unicorn strangely, as everyone had heard him.
Flamehawk, Who was only fifteen feet from the pair, felt a sudden wave of nausea. He was staring at Unicorn and thought to himself once the world stopped momentarily swimming. “…Land is his domain? Golden Pharaoh called Fire my domain… is there some kind of similarity between us? Him with land? Me with fire?”
In the back of Flamehawk’s mind he could almost hear the sound of a single bird singing. As his wing flames seemed to intensify momentarily.
Tri-Force hovered in the air just feet away from where Unicorn had landed on Terran’s floating stone. The three brothers started to have an internal conversation between on another, locked in the single form.
Michael/Optic looked at his ghostly appearing brothers “What the heck is up with Unicorn?”
David/Jet shook his astral head. “I don’t know. Does he look taller or larger to you?”
Andy/Block peered harder through Tri-Force’s eyes. “Yeah he is, I’d say he has grown about three inches and he definitely picked up some body mass from somewhere.”
David/Jet said. “It doesn’t matter, he seems to be either increasing Terran’s powers or his moral. Let it rest for now.”
Both the younger brothers nodded in unison.
Thunderstar’s universal awareness suddenly surged the moment that Unicorn spoke. There was something bigger about the medieval named hero than appearances would have one believe at first glance.
Then suddenly his awareness flared again. He turned, looking at the fire winged Flamehawk.
For one brief second he thought he saw the form of a real bird mingled in with the flames. “What is going on with those two?” He thought to himself as he had the feeling there was some sort of kinship between the two heroes.
Searay was in the water directly behind Terran’s gravity defying boulder.
She had seen Unicorn in a similar way once before.
During the Alien Invasion she had moved up the Hudson River on Manhattan’s west side and was stopping another kamikaze alien craft from striking another building,
After she had dispatched it, she had seen the fighting, due to the bright flashes of the alien energy weapons and assumed it had been more aliens firing on innocent civilians.
What she found was not what she expected.
At first it looked almost like something from Greek Mythology surrounded by blazing red debris… A sort of seven foot tall, Satyr looking creature.
It had the legs of a horse with cloven hooves and a single glowing silver blue horn protruding from his forehead.
It was wearing Unicorn’s costume.

​

He was attacking the invaders in nearly a primal rage. Savage and lacking any mercy.
Searay was drawn away by people trapped in a building fire and never inquired.
At this moment it wasn’t so much the way he looked visually… it was the sound he made.
It was unmistakably the same as the creature Unicorn had obviously transformed into when Manhattan was an Alien battlefield.
It was obvious to Searay that they barely knew one another and some less than others.
Searay shrugged the thoughts off. “Okay. Let’s get Lady Liberty on her feet. Everyone ready?…”
Under the full mask Searay smiled. “Do it Terran!”
Terran flexed his powers.
A pillar of earth and stone rose up underneath the Statue of Liberty and lightly touched her back.
Terran flattened the end making it almost like a mushroom. He strained as he pulled more earth upwards to increase the overall volume of the pillar…
…and pushed.
Slowly she started to rise upwards as her torch made its way skyward.
Unicorn smiled. “You got her now buddy. She’s all yours!” and he back flipped onto Liberty Island.
Searay said. “Go Tri-Force!”

​

Tri-Force snapped into action and with amazing speed flew around just up from the column of earth and used his incredible strength to help Terran lift her forward.
Thunderstar shook his head. “Absolutely incredible!” he said in wonder of the two heroes.
She rose fast now.
“Ultra… Your turn!” said Searay.
Heather in her Ultra costume, shifted towards the Lady Liberty’s book arm and started to push as well, as Searay had surmised that was where the water steadily grew deeper and if she was going to list. It would be in that direction.
It did and Ultra corrected it.
Searay hadn’t told them the weight of the Statue of Liberty.
Which is 156 tons of copper and steel combined.
She knew this was well beyond Tri-Force’s apparent strength levels.
She was both right and wrong at the same time as slowly Tri-Force began to lift it much to her surprise.
Flamehawk took the initiative and added his strength to the play as he moved upwards and grabbed the base of her torch, lifting upwards.
She rose even more as she neared her hundred and fifty one foot plus one inch height. Though, most of her still remained submerged.
Searay watched knowing the crucial part was coming as Tri-Force started to lift it upwards.
“Flora… go!” commanded Searay.
Green Flora stood twenty feet from Unicorn, who turned to watch her.
Her hands extended out as she stared at the massively rising statue and her eyes flared from gold to green.
The vines she had initiated grew in mass and size, extending out across the open water to tentacle around Lady Liberty.
More and more vines flew forward and their overall mass seemed to be increasing.
Unicorn could see the strain on the young girls face as she both stabilized and lifted the statue.
He felt sorry for her and then heard what almost sounded like the sound a whale makes deep in the ocean.
It was coming from within him. He could feel that part of himself that was attached to the Unicorn of myth coming forward.
Chosen King of Beasts… He is the sacred first element… the guardian of the living essence of earth… he is now until death… Protector of the Unicorn.
He walked forward and touched Green Flora’s shoulder. “Let me help you…” and his voice changed. “THE LAND IS MY DOMAIN.”
Suddenly, Tia or Green Flora felt nutrients rush into the plants she was creating. Strengthening them.
They grew larger than she knew was possible, they encircled the massive statue and this time they truly lifted.
Up out of the water rose the Lady of Liberty.
Tri-Force lifted.
Terran pushed earthen stone upwards and forward.
Ultra struggled to maintain balance as it kept threatening to sway, pushing her strength to unknown levels.
Flamehawk lifted with all his might.
Searay shot out of the water. Spiraling around massive vines which like a gigantic octopus, pulled the now airborne scared statue across the first beginnings of Liberty Island.
Water from the harbor rained down on Unicorn and Green Flora as it slowly passed overtop of them, leaving them in it’s massive shadow.
Terran said in a strained voice. “I have to set up some more pillars… slow it down.”
Tri-Force both lifted upwards and tried to pull back as one of his hands dug into the copper and it began to tear. “Ummm It is starting to tear on me. I can’t move my hands.”
Ultra lifted harder from her end, her arms were burning like they were on fire.
Thunderstar grimaced. It was slipping from their grasp as two new columns of earth burst from the ground between massive vines and braced the underside.
Thunderstar had the ability to carry people in his gravity defying sparkling star field trail and he wondered if maybe it could help.
He banked out across the New York Harbor and came in fast.
Alex felt a sudden telepathic voice in his head. It was his patron lead alien Triumvirate. “Mo’shar?” He thought.
“I can aid you in your endeavor if you wish.” said the alien who had made him a Warden. “This is not something we typically do. So therefore this favor will only come once. Do you wish to use it?”
Alex knew this would mean a lot for helping restore moral to America and possibly the world, the choice seemed a no brainer, considering how his new friends were straining with all of their might. “Yes…”
Alex felt power flood into him as his star field trail sparkled insanely.
He flew up the back of Lady Liberty, past Tri-Force and the star field trail grazed the statue.
Suddenly it lifted up into the air, ripping free of Green Flora’s vines on the ground and breaking the earthen pillars of Terran.
Alex was lifting the entire thing alone.
He trailed up to the top of Lady Liberty’s head and glided her to the spot where she would stand.
Gently he lowered her to the massive pedestal and the power faded as suddenly as it had come.
All the heroes stood there staring at the sparkling cosmic hero.
Thunderstar shrugged, smiling.
Searay flew up. “I didn’t know you could pull a power stunt like that?”
Thunderstar smiled at the gracefully flying manta ray caped woman. “I can’t… someone helped me.”
Alex figured with her disposition. She was looking at him questioningly. “It is something that is really hard to explain… but trust me… it was a one time deal.”
Alex also thought that these heroes might be a bit leery of someone consorting with Aliens from beyond.
So he kept it to himself. “Come on.” He said to Searay.
The two heroes flew down to where everyone, except Green Flora was standing on the Liberty pedestal.
Green Flora slowly shrank the massive plants down and repaired the ground Terran had upturned.
Beautiful green grass spread about everywhere as small yellow and red flowers popped up.
She used one of her tentacle vines to gain access to the upper portion of the pedestal.
Everyone was patting Thunderstar on the back or admiring what they had all done.
Ultra was nearly crying. Even though Lady Liberty was still damaged. She now stood tall again.
She turned to everyone of them. “I so appreciate you guys helping do this with me.”
Unicorn grinned from behind them all. “Why should it end here? Look what we did. Imagine what we could do together.”
Searay contemplated it. “He is right. There have been plenty of situations I could have used a hand. I was lucky. But why be lucky when I can have a nice backups?”
Ultra lifted her Flat-Comm card out and looked at it. “You gave these to us back during the invasion. They would certainly come in handy for calling for help to one another.”
Flamehawk felt uncertain about joining some kind of club. Though, he was more than willing to listen to what they had to say.
Terran shook his head. “My job keeps me quite busy. I am not sure I would be available all the time for something like this. Besides what are we talking about here? Evening patrols or something?”
Unicorn shook his head no. “This can be whatever we want it to be. If people want to patrol New York together. Then so be it. But the most important thing, as our astute Searay already said. At least someone would have our backs or we would have each other’s backs.”
Ultra felt she was terribly busy as well. So she wasn’t exactly sure if this could work for her. Though the Guardians of New Haven had been pretty successful.
Thunderstar had remained silent. He felt the need to say something as doing something of this nature might help him as a Warden of the Sol Sector. “Look… I know everyone has lives. Loved ones, etcetera. But remember, Earth was recently caught off guard by invaders from beyond. Now it could easily be something more terrestrial. But a threat to any place on Earth is still a threat. We all did great during the invasion… but imagine how great we could be… if ever and when something like that or similar occurs again?”
Unicorn nodded. “Kid has a point. Instead of being caught off guard… we like our big ole Lady Liberty here. Will be on guard.”
Green Flora, though she spoke English very well. It still was not her first language, Which was Chinese. “So we are this Onguard?”
Unicorn heard her say it as one word. “Sure… that sounds great to me Green Flora. That is what we will be…”

​

 

[Guardian7]

SORRY... last piece!! HEH!

​

EPILOGUE I: News Cameras flooded the sky around the raised Statue of Liberty. The Heroes of New York were filmed from a distance recovering the prized American statue. It was a boon New York and the rest of the nation needed then.

Two days following the union of Heroes in New York with the raising of the statue of Liberty… the burned, battered and scarred Lady Liberty one morning stood gleaming green… Her damage mysteriously gone.

Heather Douglas or the Heroine known as Ultra looked down at the revised cover for the return of her “New York Now!” Magazine… and smiled fully.

​

But that was several months ago now…

Things had been pretty slow when they formed as a team.
Crime had dropped quite a bit as they made their presence in New York more well know.
The latest issue for them was where to meet...
Thunderstar had the solution...

Continued into the now...

 

[Rain Dog]

"Jesus, you don't know when to shut up."

Pierce pulls a pair of cuffs from his belt and begins walking to Madlove. "Pierce, no!" I shout as I try to get between them. "Cayce, get off me!"

Pierce pushes me and I stumble backwards. Time seems to crawl by as I fall. I can feel the psychic energy attracting me, beckoning me to something behind me. Whatever it is that powers....whatever is that I do, wants me to touch something really badly. I fall back and touch exactly what whatever the hell this is want me to touch.

Madlove.

Pierce's shove sends me into him and my hand brushes across his face as I fall. My eyes begin rolling into the back of my head and I'm lost in my vision by the time I hit the floor.

*********​

Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year. I've stole many a man's soul and faith.​

I have a name. No, I have several names. Several names, several shapes and forms. I've been countless races, talked in many languages. Each and every time, it ends the same way.​

Death. Not death for me, though. Death for others. I am always reborn, a new location and a new body.​

But my true form? It's not worthy to be glimpsed by such lowly lifeforms. I am a being capable. You want to see me? You sure? Alright, take a look...​

Pleased to meet you. hope you guess my name. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game.​

*********​

​

My eyes stay rolled back into my head, my body shakes and shutters as the seizures course through my body. I can hear voices, but they're distant and far away. Someone calls for an ambulance, while another voice tries to pry open my mouth. It all might as well be happening two hundred miles away. I don't care about them, all I care about is It. All I can see, all I can hear is It.​

Madlove's true form.​

My God, what have I done? What have I seen?​

This is...interesting.

I step back from the convulsing investigator and glance up at his partner.

"I suggest you get him out of here, officer," I say as I slowly retreat into my office.

"And I'll be sure my lawyers hear about this!" I shout before shutting the door behind me.

Earlier he said he was a meta-human...something about a touch....was that what caused all this? Skin contact sent him into a seizure? Seems more like a disability than a power. I can only hope this incident keeps them out of my hair for a while. They were becoming far too much a nuisance and I have greater problems to deal with.

 

[Eddie Brock]

It's Saturday. The heat wave has all but lifted. I'm not scheduled to work today. Brooke, Abby, Vince, Jim, and I are all going down to Carver Lake to take advantage of the beautiful day outside. This is exactly what I needed. A carefree summer day with my closest friends, in what some might consider the last summer before our adult lives. No gang wars, no murderous metahumans, no Burgers and Such. Being a superhero is great and all, but it can't be a 24/7 job. I think you'd probably lose your mind or something.

"Miles Hardy?" I've just finished bringing Brooke up to speed on the status of the "gang war" in Carver. "Wow. Now, there's a name I haven't heard since...sophomore year!"

I laugh. "Yeah, back when he decided to pick a fight with me and the Blue Blur for no particular reason." Also the day I fought a dinosaur, but that's not particularly relevant. "I've visited him from time to time. And by visited, I mean went to his cell and gloated about my victory over him."

Brooke just smiles and shakes her head. "I'm sure he's not looking for revenge or anything."

"Why would he?" I say coyly.

We approach the lake and find that Abby and Vince are already there. They're sitting on the edge of the dock, with their backs to us, dangling their legs over the water. I put my finger to my lips. Brooke and I set down our stuff quietly, and I tiptoe towards the dock. Once I'm close enough, I run full sprint and topple Vince into the water.

"You son of a--!"

SPLASH!

Abby smacks me on the leg after failing to repress a laugh. "Hey! That's my boyfriend!" She stands up and gives me a push. Next thing I know, I'm falling towards the cool lake water.

SPLASH!

When I surface, Brooke announces, "Hey! That was my boyfriend!"

Something hits me on the arm, and I turn to see Vince treading water next to me. "Dude. Chick fight." He holds his hand above the water, and I give him a high five. Seconds later, Brooke and Abby push each other into the water simultaneously. Pretty soon, the whole thing devolves into an impromptu splash fight. By the end, we're all laughing and out of breath.

Yep. Just what I needed.

We all float over to the shore and climb out of the lake. I start to take off my soaking wet shirt - which feels like I'm wearing chain mail - when Brooke gives me a look. I glance down and see a few conspicuous scars which haven't fully healed yet. I let go of my shirt. Better keep it on.

"So, where's Jim?"

"Uh...right there," Brooke says, her face frozen in a stunned stare.

I look in the direction of the pathway leading to the lake, and I immediately see what's grabbed Brooke's attention. Jim's coming alright, but he's not alone. Walking side by side with him is some blonde chick I've never seen before. The two of them are laughing and pushing each other, apparently oblivious to all of our staring.

Interestingly enough, of all the people to speak up, it was Abby who finally asked, "Who's that?"

"No idea," I reply distantly, never taking my eyes off Jim and his "guest." When they finally acknowledge us, I take it upon myself to start the talking. "Hey, buddy. What's up?"

"Oh, hey, Sean," Jim says. 'Oh, hey, Sean'?! Like it's no big deal that he has some blonde friend that he never told me about? Like it's no big deal he brought her to the lake, when he knew Abby and Vince were going to be here? Like it's no big deal that this girl fills out her bikini well - and I mean well!

Brooke slaps me on the leg. Guess that last one was written on my face. I don't feel too bad, though, because Vince receives the same treatment moments later. Knew I couldn't have been the only one thinking it.

"Oh, everybody--" There he goes with the "Oh" again, like he's Mr. Casual and this happens every day. "--I'd like you to meet Teresa. Teresa, this is everybody."

Teresa waves to all of us.

Oh, this is going to be interesting.
​

 

[NiteMare Shape]

​

Several hours after seeing the initial news reports, Scott goes back into his quarters and changes into his familiar costume. Once he is ready, he returns to Kayla who is still sitting on the couch watching as hundreds of people are loaded into black vehicles and taken to who knows where, and he is taken aback for a moment by the pain in the young woman's eyes.

"Is that what they were going to do with me?" She asks without looking away from the television, her voice shaking slightly.

"I'm not sure. But probably." Icon says as he steps behind the sofa, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She looks up at him and gives a weak smile.

"Get ready, I'm getting you out of here for alittle while."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to San Diego, there's somebody there I want you to meet."

 

[Hound55]

Previously:

Spoiler

Suffer the little children… – Continued

Red glowing lights flickered through the base boards of the hall and a whooping alarm further emphasised the point to the black garbed Guardian.​

[BLACKOUT]“S***!”[/BLACKOUT]​

"Time is short, they know you’re here. There’s little to no chance of walking out the front door now, so may as well run deeper. Find out what’s happening and if they catch you so be it, figure that out if and when it happens."​

Elsewhere within the Tartarus facility​

A man in orange with a large navy ‘H’ across the chest has stopped dramatically, raising his head with twitching ears and nostrils flared.​

“This way!”​

The rest of his team; two men in tactical gear and one of the silver and black robot the less mature guards had called Butt-bots (after it’s ill-thought out acronym of A.S.S for Autonomous Security System), followed as closely as they were capable.​

“He’s trampling these halls like an elephant and he’s damp, making his scent even more pronounced! Come on!”​

Nearby​

Just as Hyperman could hear Isaac, Isaac pulled up short and was made aware of his running pursuers. Looking around frantically for some kind of shelter, he quickly came up with a method to best make use of his limited means, took his pack from his shoulders and waited…​

A Few Halls Away...​

Hyperman was growing increasingly frustrated with his “team”; he could easily trace his quarry but due to orders had to wait for them to catch up for support. Patently unnecessary of course, but orders are orders. Still, it gave him a chance to stop and focus on his senses to be sure the Vigilante hadn’t doubled back on him. He didn’t understand at all why Chief Warden Hank Patton had told him to be careful and that the Vigilante was a wily one, he hadn’t tried anything yet and was just a powerless man. There were no tricks he was just running blindly down the halls of the facility like a desperate wounded zebra pursued by lions.​

“Hurry up!” Hyperman hissed back down the hallway to his lagging cohorts.​

“We’ll be able to see him soon and you’re going to cost us the element of surprise, lagging behind like that.”​

Just as his three associates caught up he sprinted down the hall again.​

"Damn it, can't he wait up for half a minute..?"​

"Come on man, b****ing isn't gonna get us there any faster!"​

Hyperman came to another hallway intersection and once again stood with nostrils flared and ears twitching. He was close. Really close. "So close I should be able to see him soon." he thought to himself while waiting for the other three.​

Then he heard a different sound. A scraping along the floor, bold and unobscured, as a black disc like a hockey puck slid along the floor and bumped into his feet. "Surely too brazen to be some form of an attack" he thought, the disc piqued his curiosity more than instilled any type of fear.​

"No! Leave it alone! Get out of there!"​

And as Hyperman bent over, head only two feet from the disc at time of detonation, the calls of the other guards were the third to last thing he'd ever hear.​

BANG!​

The second to last was the explosion that came from the flash-bang grenade the Vigilante had sent his way. Then everything filled with white noise, which resonated and would be the final thing he would ever hear... for the rest of his life.​

A man in black stepped through the white, white in both noise and vision. But the white was so bright that even in the darkest black the three living guards couldn't see him. Hyperman had dropped to his knees and was howling, the flash-bang had hit him worse than even the man in black could have imagined. His heightened senses and the proximity of the blast combining for maximum effect. The Vigilante put him out of his immediate misery first with a heavy swing of a night-stick to the meta-human's jaw knocking him out with a one-shot. He then cleaned up the other two officers in quick succession with the night stick as well.​

The A.S.S bot did not handle the flash-bang grenade particularly well either, it's sensors struggled to adjust to the extreme light and noise and subsequently the blast knocked it's calibrations around. Unable to rely on any input data from it's camera or mic, the bots were designed to be non-combative as a fail-safe to ensure that the system would never threaten their user. The Butt-bot stood inert, it's camera just going in and out of focus, providing visuals for those in the security booth.​

The Vigilante disabled the bot with a heavy kick and then looked straight down the barrel of the shifting camera lens and gave a threatening leer before smashing the lens with his nightstick. The black chrome of the Monadnock PR-24 that Gunny had given him, along with the flash-bang grenades, proved as devastating on jaws as it was on the glass of the camera lens. No time to waste, he ran back to the door arch he left his pack in and delved further into the complex. They wouldn't come with light force a second time, they'd bring the house, and he still had no more answers than he did before he got here.​

Security Central​

The room was filled with silence, stunned at what they'd just seen on the monitor courtesy of the A.S.S bot, until Hank Patton shattered it.​

"What the f*** just happened!"​

"It looks like the Vigilante just took down the unit, sir..."​

"Not another word... I thought I told you to get me Anderson on the phone! Make it happen... and phone it in, I want all personnel meta personnel to assemble here within 5 minutes for briefing. He's going into the centre of the complex, there's no way out there so we have time. If he wants to play around with metas then we'll give him all he can take and then some."​

Suffer the little children... Continued.
The dark vigilante known as Isaac Fontaine races through the labyrinthine hallways of the Tartarus Island prison facility. He no longer is concerned with stealth, it’s no longer an option. The multitude of cameras he runs past in every hall are doubtless pinpointing his location to the security centre whose responsibility will be dispatching guards to stop him. If the call from above is that they want him dead (quite possible, because they’ve no way of knowing how much he knows, and the heavy duty lead construction of, chances of survival are slim to none.
As he rounds a corner, spiralling deeper and deeper into the centre of the Exceptional Security Facility (the name they had to give Tartarus metahuman detention facility, because where do you go from “Maximum security”?) the whooping alarm and red lights are once again activated.
“I guess they’ve realised I know they’re onto me…” he thought to himself.
“… only question is; how long do I have before they react and respond?”


Security Central

A room full of metahumans in various distinctive uniforms, each individually selected to make them stand out from one another and the black drones who made up the regular human security staff, stand at attention in a room too small for this kind of assembly. They hang on Patton’s every word, as other soldiers did for his namesake in the second World War. Patton stands at the front with an overhead projector showing a still of a map of the Tartarus facility over a whiteboard.

“We take no chances with him. If you give this man an inch, he will take a mile. You will listen to the plan, you will understand the plan, you will follow the plan. You WILL NOT deviate from the plan. If you think that this only applies only to other people you will either join Cummings on lesser detail or you will join Hyperman in the infirmary. Any questions?”

“Uh… yeah… What is the plan?”

A few metahumans snickered at this, a few of the braver ones laughed openly. Patton looked to rein in control gently by buying into the humour and ignored his inner irritation with the dissenting comedian. There’d be time for that later.

“Good. If nothing else, it shows you’re paying attention to the importance of the plan…”

“… at last glance the Guardian known as the Vigilante was seen trespassing on the premises in this region here, by cell block F. He was heading in this direction, towards the centre of the facility. Once he gets past this hallway, there is no obvious escape route. So we’re going to let him box himself in to this point HERE and begin to move in HERE.”

To emphasise his point, Patton marked the spots on the whiteboard with red “x”s.

“Once he’s here, he shouldn’t be able to retreat to a hallway. You will have his location and movements, tracked from here in security central courtesy of the surveillance cameras, patched through to you by myself or another officer.”

“Do we know what his objective is?”

“At this point I’d suggest it’s most likely to evade capture. But why he chose to infiltrate the facility is still unknown.”

“Well, what’s in the middle of the facility that he might want to see, get or know about? What could be worth cutting off his own escape route and risking capture?”

“As I said it’s unknown.”

“Unknown or classified?”

“Does it make a difference?”

With this the metahuman stopped speaking. Patton was right, it didn’t matter. But something was going on here that was making him uneasy. It had made him uneasy for some time. He, along with most of the other metas, had never been granted clearance to the very centre of the complex. “Access restricted above your pay grade” they said. He began to wonder if things had happened differently, whether the roles may well have been reversed between himself and the Vigilante.

 

[Hound55]

Back in the hallways

Isaac has doubled over panting, he’s reached the limit of his aerobic capacity and his body desperately needs more oxygen, regardless of how much he tells it to push on. Unbeknownst to him, it was his own physical limitations that saved him. If he had another 10 or 15 metres in him before needing to suck in air he’d have passed the intersection which was chosen as the trigger to close the trap. He hid himself in full view of a surveillance camera in a door arch, leaning against the wall and inhaled deeply in fast gasping gulps until he was ready to start again.
How was it possible he’d made it this far without further interference? They certainly knew he was here… “They’re letting me box myself in...” he thought to himself. Still, despite the few tricks he still had up his sleeve he doubted whether his own escape would still be possible. In fact, he thought it would take a miracle. So given that his own escape was unlikely anyway, his fate resting largely in hands other than his own, he may as well complete his mission while he’s still here. Find out what S.T.R.I.K.E is up to. Worry about how he’ll handle that information later if he survives to do something with it.
He’d caught his breath now. Time to get back to it.
He started running down the halls again, the red illuminated baseboards flashing and blurring in his weary vision as he raced to the facility’s core…

Security Central

“He’s moved past the marker. Move in.” Patton gave the order with a hidden sense of relief. The Vigilante had stopped to catch his breath just before the marker and Patton was feeling pressure from others to move in early, this he couldn’t allow, both to maintain his own sense of order over the situation at hand and also because he truly believed that a firmly set plan was the only way to carry out the task at hand.

Still, he’d even begun to second guess himself and worried he may have turned around prior to reaching the marker. But now was when his patience would pay dividends. He still had been unable to contact Anderson, but he began to feel that if he could resolve the situation without him he may be rewarded for his initiative, maybe be given a more lucrative position and be transferred out of heading the God-forsaken hell-hole that was Tartarus. It was mainly thankless work and they’d been getting increasingly busy of late for some reason he was sure Anderson knew, but also knew he shouldn’t ask about.

He had a slight nervousness about him still which would only dissipate on the Vigilante’s capture, but was surely unsupported. Surely the Vigilante couldn’t know about Project Omega… How could he..? Sending the metas down to the core risked them seeing something they shouldn’t, but he had to be certain of the Vigilante’s capture. He was too much of a threat to throw anything less than everything they had at him until he was taken out, but that was still a risky move… No point worrying about that now though, the decision was made.

“I’m sure he doesn’t know… How could he..? It’ll all be over soon.” Patton kept repeating in his head.

 

[Hound55]

Back in the Hallways

Isaac sprinted through the hallways. He was close to the middle of the facility by now and was certain that people would move in on him in any moment. He knew he had to be close to the centre since the cells had increased in severity as he passed them on his right. From time to time he’d pass a cell where a prisoner was chained or pinned down under a massive weight and he was now beginning to pass prisoners encased almost entirely in metal blocks with only their heads, wrists and ankles protruding. These prisoners still had collars on them, obviously they weren’t able to inhibit all powers in some metahumans or their results had a varied impact. He imagined that Ultima would likely be in a similar cell, possibly up ahead or maybe he’d just passed him somewhere along the line, but this wasn’t the time to make a visit.
Prisoners like these were limiting his escape options; they were the reason why he hadn’t cut the power to take out the security cameras electronic eyes he could feel all over him at every second. He couldn’t be sure of what grid the cameras operated on so he’d have to shut them all down and regardless of how bad S.T.R.I.K.E could be, he still couldn’t justify freeing some of the most nefarious powerful metahumans on the planet just to increase his chance for escape.

He ran past the last cell and the hallways darkened as both sides became concrete walls, no longer being partially lit from the right in the cells behind the multiplex “glass”. So it came as a surprise when he saw the small lit section up ahead, but this didn’t get his attention as well as what he heard.

Sobbing. He could barely hear it, because it was light, but the room up ahead looked like a converted cell anyway, and the cells had been designed to cancel out sound coming into the cell, but to amplify any coming out. This was so that people could whisper outside of the cells without as much risk of the prisoners hearing something they shouldn’t, also so that any muttering to themselves, possibly conspiring to escape, could be heard.

The outside of the room was set up differently from the cells though. It had a “swipe-card” access system next to the door and unlike the cells which had inmate numbers on slide-tabs, so that they could be easily swapped over when prisoners changed cells, this door was marked with a permanent symbol “Ω”.

The Greek symbol omega, Isaac noted. The last letter of the Greek alphabet. “Often used to mean ‘the end’” he thought, causing him to approach the door with caution. It made him all the more surprised when he saw what was behind the door as he peered through the multiplex viewing portal. What he saw led him to fumble for the pocket which kept the passcard he stole from one of the S.T.R.I.K.E officers he knocked out earlier.

[BLACKOUT]“Holy s***!”[/BLACKOUT] he exclaimed, not taking his eyes off the sight which brought out this response. It took two failed swipes of the card, before he slowed down and carefully ran the magnetic strip in the card along the electronic receiver. Finally it accepted the read, flashing green and granting him access where he burst into the room.

The occupant was a little girl, probably around eight, definitely no older than ten, who looked back at him with frightened brown eyes. She had one of those damned meta-dampening collars wrapped tightly around he neck and attached to a chain, the other end to the wall like a spurned dog, and was covered in wires which lead away through a patch in the wall to places unseen.

“N-n-no… I don’t want to play those games anym- anymore…”

Isaac’s own problems temporarily forgotten he only had one train of thought. “What crime could an 8 year old girl commit to get her sent here… She didn’t have a prisoner number, she’s off the books… They’re taking anyone now. I’ve got to get her out of here…”

[BLACKOUT]“Don’t worry…”[/BLACKOUT] Isaac said through teeth gritted in disgust at the depravity of this place. [BLACKOUT]“You’ll never have to play those games ever again…”[/BLACKOUT]

 

[NiteMare Shape]

In a matter of minutes after leaving Lost Haven, Icon and Kayla arrive at their destination, San Diego California. Icon smirked to himself, thinking of how much faster he could have gotten there if he didn't have to slow down for Kayla.

However, the thoughts fade as he flies over the streets of the city, and sees the destruction still visible that had been wraught from the opening salvo of the invasion. Although the city had been devestated by the massive wave that hit much of California after a large piece of the moon crashed into the Pacific, the people of San Diego, as well as those of all the affected areas of the West Coast had come together, and rebuilt.

Although the scars were still visible, the city was healing.

Icon leads the way, taking he and Kayla into a small alley behind several businesses that had never reopened after the city had started to recover from the disaster. There he locates a bag of clothes left for him by his contact. After a quick change of attire, he leads Kayla out of the alley and into the streets of San Diego.

They walk for several blocks, to anyone looking, they look like a normal couple taking in the sights of the still recovering city. Eventually, they find themselves a small eatery, The Seaside Diner and they make their way inside.

Once inside, Icon looks around the diner until he sees the familiar form of someone he hadn't seen in far too long. He begins making his way toward the pretty young waitress and motions for Kayla to follow.

He stops just behind the girl before announcing himsellf.

"Hello Chrissy, it's been a long time."

The girl stops in her tracks for an instant before turning to meet his gaze.

"Scott. It's so good to see you." She says as her eyes meet Kayla's.

"I guess you were right, we do have alot to talk about." She says as she motions for them to follow her into the back.

 

[trustyside-kick]

OOC: Previously...

The Grand Shrine of Ise
Honshu, Japan

I cross the Isuzu River, flying to my destination. Of all the places in Japan to look for Kensei, it is a wild guess but at the same time I think I made a good one. I'm not completely familiar with the Shinto beliefs but I've come to understand that this shrine I am heading to is of great importance. The Japanese Government considers the area to be a National Treasure.

That said, it is also a huge tourist attraction. Tourists from all over the world of from within Japan itself. Many people travel here as a pilgrimage so I've got to try to blend in. Finding a discrete spot to land safely, as I land softly on the ground I transform out of the Archangel State and walk towards the paved walkways.


S.T.R.I.K.E. Headquarters
Dr. Weather's Laboratory
Location Unknown

Agent Cody Washington walks into the test chamber, and as he takes a deep breath he gives Dr. Weathers a thumbs up. Dr. Weathers presses a button on his control panel, and speaks into the microphone so that Cody can hear him within the chamber.

"I wish I could say that this was going to be painless, Cody. But I'm afraid that this procedure will induce more pain than when we first gave you your powers."

Waiting to see if perhaps the S.T.R.I.K.E. agent has changed his mind, Dr. Weathers takes another look at his chart of calculations for the procedure. But before he can look at it for more than a few seconds, Cody's voice from within the chamber emits through the speakers outside of the chamber.

"Whatever you gotta do, Doc. Whatever you gotta do. I don't want to die."

"Ok. What I need you to do, Cody, is unleash as much radiation from your body as usual. We warned you when giving your powers that the only safe way was to focusing your release through your hands...for this procedure I am going to need you to know try to channel and harness it. I've come to the conclusion that there is no way to stop your powers from becoming unstable, and let the recording show that I have abided by all agreements of The Watchmen Project under code-86C of S.T.R.I.K.E. Regulations to--"

"Just get on with it, Doc. I'm scared enough as it is."

Dr. Weathers takes a deep breath, and nods his head.

"Activating Stasis Field. When you're ready, Cody..."

The S.T.R.I.K.E. agent doesn't hesitate, immediately unleashing his powers like never before. The test chamber lights up with an illuminating orange, red, and yellow wave of light like never before. As Cody's might increases, flowing out more and more energy within the chamber, Dr. Weathers notices that the strength of the Stasis Field seems to be waning; he only hopes that the field will hold on long enough to--

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"Cody!"

One last burst of orange, red, and yellow light, and Agent Cody Washington explodes within the test chamber.


The Grand Shrine of Ise
Honshu, Japan

I've been walking here for over half an hour now. Man, really thought that this was going to work. That I'd find Kensei here. Though, now I'm standing before a torii and a crazy idea hits me. Then again it shouldn't be that crazy. Kensei is a champion, chosen from the Japanese Deity Izanagi. And I'm chosen by my respective God. The torii is a very important symbol in this religion; very sacred, actually. Some think it is a way into the Spirit World. So maybe if I--

"You always did amuse me, Michael."

I turn around, and there's Kensei standing just a few feet away.

"Heh, well I thought that maybe--"

"If you passed under the torii you'd somehow access the Spirit World and see if you could somehow find me there. Very clever, Michael. But wouldn't have worked for you."

"So you knew I was trying to find you. This was the first spot I looked in Japan to be honest. Guess Art History class in college was more beneficial than I thought. I read about these shrines and just thought 'hey, maybe Kensei was making a pilgrimage'. Looks like you are. I...do not mean to disrupt you if you are. I was just hoping that you could help me."

"A visit from The Archangel a disruption? Not at all, friend. It has been too long since I had been amongst you and the rest of The Guardians. I could sense that there was something of spiritual origins nearby, hence how I found you, and very much relieved it was not some demon trying to purge sacred grounds."

"Yea...this place really is beautiful."

We both just look at the torrii towering us, and the lush and amazing landscape of the general area. Definitely got to take a mental picture to paint this sometime.

"So tell me, how can I be of assistance?"

 

[Mr. Majestic]

Spartan and the rest of the Executioners were sitting in the office. They had just returned from dropping off the creature they apprehended in Washington. Lately Spartan and his team have been putting in overtime. A certain chain of events have put some well wanted things in motion. Spartan has been waiting for this day to come.​

A fellow S.T.R.I.K.E agent walks through the door with a file in hand. He goes to approach Spartan who is resting in the corner but is cut off by James also known as Sentry.

“I wouldn’t disturb him if I was you, he doesn’t like being woken when he is relaxing.”

“My apologies sir, I was sent here to give him this file. It is your next assignment.”

James then takes the file from the agent. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”James says as he turns around and walks back to his seat.

At his chair James goes over the file and was shock at what he was reading. The folder didn’t just hold their next mission it had a list of missions for them. But the first one is one James is pretty sure Spartan will like indeed.

“Spartan I think you’re going to want to see this.” James tells him as he slides the file on the table in Spartan’s direction.

Spartan places his hand on the table and opens the folder. As he gives the papers inside a quickly glance, a sense of excitement began to overwhelm him. He then closes the folder and stands up.

“Executioners, be ready in five we are going to California.”

Spartan then walks out of the room without telling the others what the mission was and he didn't plan on inform them. He has been waiting for this mission to come to him for months and now that his wish has been granted he doesn’t want anyone to interfere.

“That’s it? We are just going to California and he’s not going to tell us why? He is very leader like.” Heat-wave had no problem explaining how he felt to the others about the matter. He never liked Spartan's I tell you what to do and you don't question it attitude.

“Because he doesn’t want our help on this one, he would rather do it alone. He has been waiting for this mission for sometime. The only thing is he is now on a team and it’s new to him.” James says.

“Well don’t you leave us in the dark to, what is the mission? Is he finally getting his shot at Icon?”

“Oh no it’s not Icon, if it was believe me when I tell you he would have flew out of here without us to fight that man right now. This person we are going after is a God.”

“God, like thee God?”

“No not God a God, a Norse God to be exact. Spartan has fought this person before and it ended in a draw last time. I’ve heard talks about this since it happened. People didn’t know what was greater, the fact that someone could go toe to toe with Spartan or the fact Spartan went toe to toe with a God. I think he has been dying to see if he can beat her and now he will get that chance.”

“Wait, did you say she?”

“Yeah, I didn’t say who it was?”

“No man you didn’t.”

“Oh sorry, well the person is no other than the daughter of Thor, the new thunder God, Thora.”

“Ms. Foster is there a reason to why you’re not paying attention to my lectures?” Mr. Jensen questioned his student as she seems to be distracted.

After hearing her name she quickly responds to her teacher.

“My apologizes Mr. Jensen I have a lot of my mind I didn’t mean for it to interrupt your class.”

“We all have problems just try to make it seem like your paying attention okay Jane?”

“Yes sir.”

As Mr. Jensen went back to teaching his class Jane did exactly what was asked of her. She had to much going on in her life at the moment to be worried about the trouble of high school life. Lately in her neighborhood crime has began to increase and a dear friend of hers had got hurt and she doesn’t know how to quite deal with it.

A couple have hours have pass and Jane’s school day had finally came to an end. While heading to her car she was approach by her friend Byron.

“Hey Jane, how are you holding up?” He asks as he begins to walk beside her.

“I’m doing a little better it’s still taking its toll on me.”

Byron was the only person that Jane really let into her life he knew everything about her because she told him everything. There are no secrets between them.

“Jane you can’t still think it was your fault. It wasn’t like you wasn’t around because you were on a date of something you were off helping others.”

“What good is it to help people if I can’t help the ones that means the most to me?”

“You have to stop blaming your self if you where there I’m pretty sure you would have did everything you could of to make sure this wouldn’t have happen. You have to realize no one is to blame but the ones who put Jessica in the hospital.”

“Maybe your right it’s just this is just hard for me.”

“I know it is that’s why I’m here to help you get threw it.”

Byron has always been a good friend to Jane. They have been together since they were kids. The way they are together you would think they were brother and sister.

“So did you talk to your father about what happened?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

“Exactly what we thought he would. He told me he is not allowed to interfere in the world of man in that manner. I went back and forth with him but with no prevail.”

“It got to suck knowing your dad could do something about it but he decides to do nothing.”

“Byron he is not my dad he is my father there is difference. My encounter with him made me realize that we can’t count on the Gods to help us.”

Both Byron and Jane end their conversation and enter Jane’s car to head home.

While on the road Jane’s phone began to ring. She reaches in he pants pocket pull out her phone and looks to see who’s calling but it only has unknown on the caller ID. She answers the phone anyways.

“Hello?”

“Jane it’s me.” The mysterious caller says.

“And who exactly is me?” She questions.

“It’s ME!” The person says with a darker tone.

“Why are you calling me?” She asks as she finally realize who it is on the other end.

“S.T.R.I.K.E has found out your location, they are on their way to you now.”

“How did they find out who I am?”

“From what I can tell your identity is safe. Most likely what they did was gathered a list of information on the areas you have been seen the most to find your base of operations.”

“Even if they did that it shouldn’t work I’m seen all over the world.”

“That’s what I did and it worked just fine for me. I believe they are probably back to get you to join them again.”

“Let them try the outcome will be the same as last time.”

“This is not the time to be a lone hero. We need to gather information and found out why they want you and what they plan on doing with you.”

“If answers are what you seek I shall go and ask the questions.”

“Don’t do any…”

Before he could get the last few words out Jane hung up the phone. She then pulled her car over to the side of the road. Once the car came to a stop she gets out, Byron not knowing what’s going on fallows her lead.

“Jane why are we standing out here?”

“There is something I have to do Byron. Take my car and drive to my house I’ll met you once I’m finished, okay.”

“Oh one of those moments huh? Okay do what you have to do try not to take so long I hate having to come up with lies to tell your parents.”

Jane did nothing but smile as Byron quickly ran to the drive side of the vehicle then took off.

“If S.T.R.I.K.E is looking for me I shall not disappoint them. COME TO THEE MJOLNIR!” Jane screams as he holds her hand towards the skies.

The clouds above parted and the mythical uru hammer enchanted by Jane’s grandfather fell from the heavens into her hand.

“ODIN!” she yells out as she strikes the hammer on the ground and brings it back above her head right as a lightning bolt strikes the hammer turning Jane Foster to the now Thora daughter of thunder.

 

[Carnage27]

Cerberus
~Revelations~
​

"Well, you certainly do seem happier than you have been in a while," Mom smiles as she and I walk Sirius in the park near our house. The sun begins setting over the skyline as she continues, "As much as I do worry, I think what you're doing is good for you. And with Chiron watching over you, I think you'll be fine."

It's been too long since Mom and I hung out together. Her work and my school and extracurricular activities have kept us apart for a little too long. And when you're as close as we are, it's way too long.

I smile at her and toss a ball for Sirius to chase, "Thanks, mom. And I know you worry about me. But I'll be fine. I've got enough training."

"I know," she sighs. "And I always thought this would happen. I mean, your...father did mention you may have some special abilities. And that you'd naturally crave adventure. Something about it being in your blood."

The mention of Hades sends an odd sensation through my body. I don't know whether to feel sad or something because I've never met him, or whether I should be angry that he's never made an attempt to see me. But mostly, I don't feel anything at all.

"Yea...what's he like?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

"Oh...thoughtful, poetic," she smiles. "He actually was quite a charmer."

Before I can respond, Sirius begins to growl and snarl by our side, "What is it, boy?"

I don't have to wait long for my answer. In a cloud of black smoke, five decomposing warriors appear in a circle around us. I focus, and my armor and sword appear in a similar black fog, and I drop into a defensive position in front of Mom, and Sirius does the same, backing up towards us and baring his teeth.

"Tartarus," I growl under my breath. "Mom, get down. If you see an opportunity, run."

The circle begins to close in on us, and rather than get trapped, I summon a fire ball that circles my family, driving them back slightly. Forcing the fireball to open a path, I turn to mom, "Mom! Go!"

Mom runs, and Sirius lunges at the nearest warrior, tearing off his head, causing it to turn into dust.

I press the advantage by charging the two closest to me. One slashes at me with his sword, which I turn away, and retaliate with a blast of fire. The second one drives his broadsword towards me, and I block it with a shadow construct. The sword manages to smash through the shadow, but I roll out of the way and decapitate the zombie. The final two dance around me, but I'm in no mood to play around. I toss my sword at on, embedding it in its chest and destroying it. The final foe I grab with a shadow construct and slam it against a tree, sending it back to the Underworld.

Picking up my sword, I find Mom hiding behind a tree, "Are you okay?"

"Fine...what were they?" she asks, obviously shaken.

"Warriors from the Underworld," I respond, scanning the area for anymore. "Come on, I'm taking you to the Eye."

**********

"But I thought you controlled the Underworld powers?" Mom asks as we sit in the Eye's command room with Nysus and Chiron.

"Unfortunately," Nysus starts, "there's more than one son of Hades running around the city. And this one is a meanie."

"Which is why you're staying here from now on," I respond firmly. "Ask if you can work from home. Or tell them you're really sick. But I don't want you wandering. Tartarus is here for me. And he'll do anything he can to get to me. Even going after you."

"I think it's a smart move," Chiron nods. "It's not like we're hurting fo space here."

"The dog needs to stay out of my room," Nysus says, eying Sirius.

"Shut up," I respond without and walk towards my room. It's a little harsh, but I'm not in the mood for jokes.

Pacing back and forth, I decide that it's time to start looking for my half-brother. He's targeted my family, and that's something I'll never allow. They're all I have in this world, and I'll show him he's messed with the wrong guy this time.
​

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
Near the CHRYSLER BUILDING, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.
​

A gold armored figure stands on top a building adjacent to the Chrysler Building looking downwards at the daytime teeming masses of people and cars beneath him. His blue cloak drifting this way and that on the winds high above the city.

​

His name is Paladin. *
He has been operating in the city for many years.
Even being coined the city's symbolic guardian, Though that is mostly by Newspapers or magazines trying to sell issues.
Paladin himself never felt he deserved so lofty of a position above the others.
New York has had it’s share of many heroes in this World renowned American City.

​

He had never officially met most of the other protectors of the city, with the exception of the blue and white heroine, Ultra, the unusually powered Tri-Force, The boy called Midnight Man and the unprofessional members of the so called, Justice Crusade, with the exception of the kid who called himself Gecko, the only decent one of the lot.
Unlike a lot of heroes, Paladin usually did not linger at a scene, He did what he felt he had to and left.
He always had a no nonsense sensibility about his costumed career, the magical armor he wore and the weapons he bore.
His powers had been fluctuating since the Invasion of New York after he was caught in the back draft of an exploding engine of one of the largest Alien Crafts that he had chased up above the Earth from New York Harbor.
The ship that dropped all of those sleek fighter and hover crafts on New York, which deposited all of the foot soldiers that if not for the other heroes of New York, most certainly would have murdered more than they did.
He had tried to demolish the huge carrier ship as it fled towards space and Paladin had pursued it just out of the atmosphere, finally bringing it down.
The explosion had knocked him back into the atmosphere and hurled him back down to Earth.
The power of his magical armor had seemed to have been knocked out and he plunged unharmed into the Atlantic. Fortunately the power of protection the Armor had granted him had not ceased to work.
Figuring his sudden power loss was a fluke of the explosion, Paladin had flown back to New York, deducting that he was needed mostly in Brooklyn as it seemed that none of the city’s defenders had made it that far yet. They were all still caught in ‘battle ground Manhattan‘.
He had waded into the battle and fought like a true warrior… the sword of Excalibur devastating the alien forces.
Absently, He patted his left side where the invincible sword hung invisibly.
He looked over the city. Smiling and could see the Statue of Liberty off in the distance standing proudly these last few months since the unofficial team of combined heroes of New York, who called themselves ‘Onguard’ had raised it.
He was impressed and proud of them for picking up whatever slack was left behind by his disappearance, continuing to surge forward to help the City that never sleeps as all of them had for years.
The building he now stood on across from the restored Chrysler Building, which was a testament to what they had accomplished. He remembers seeing how badly it was damaged. Now it looked completely unscathed.
He knew that the heroine Searay had been involved in it’s restoration, wondering just how Searay had done it and felt the urge to find fly over and ask. If only from simple curiosity.
The team called ’Onguard’ had been unofficially using the upper four stories of the Chrysler Building in some as yet unknown deal with the owners.
Though it was apparent that the present ninty percent owners of the Chrysler building called the Abu Dhabi Investment Council were obviously grateful enough to allow ‘Onguard’ to use the upper levels of most of the building’s unused spiral, free of charge.
Paladin’s thoughts slid back to the dark place he had been gone to for several months, only a month ago now.
Where he and the lost Justice Crusade, along with that brave kid Carson Knight, who called himself Midnight Man had been trapped. *
For months, trapped beyond the veil of this dimension, they had battled the sinister otherworldly forces of Warren Schmidt * or at least the dark-being that was masquerading as him which called itself Zoridane.
A black scaled creature of incredible power and might.
It had finally fallen to the brutal stroke of the mighty Excalibur and the powers of Midnight Man.
Destroyed forever.
The price had been four members of the six member team of previously over rated Justice Crusade.
They had fallen valiantly distracting the inhuman creature and his minions, Which utterly redeemed themselves of their corrupt ways in Paladin’s eyes.
Their sacrifice made it possible to defeat the powerful creature Zoridane or formally the man called Warren Schimdt.
For a brief second, Paladin’s eyes saddened. Carson Knight or the Midnight Man, had willingly remained in the other dimensional space in order to seal it from that side from this world.
Only three of them had made it back due to Midnight Man‘s forcing them through the gateway, The two remaining members of the Justice Crusade, the spunky hero Gecko, along with his team mate, the ‘chip on his shoulder’ Rampage and Paladin himself.
He had only been back a month himself and had found it difficult to return to his original ordinary life, As there were so many questions about his disappearance.
Norman had finally broke down and told his only remaining family member that he had, His sister Samantha James Osborn. who and what he was, as well as what had happened.
Fortunately, Samantha understood to the best of her abilities and many of his past actions made more sense, once the truth was known to her.
Norman then decided to walk away from his old life and job after his return. As the world seemed much smaller to him than it ever had previously due in any of his years of experience.
Seeking direction, purpose and an explanation of his faltering abilities, he sought out Merlin’s spirit in the ruins of hidden Camelot.
The first part was easily repaired a the magical armor had been damaged in the explosion of the Alien craft.
Though, Merlin felt that as Paladin, Norman could serve the world better if he were able to loose himself of the normal constraints of everyday mundane life and embrace the hero he was, particularly since he wielded Excalibur.
So to aid him, Merlin gave the whereabouts of a hidden cache of medieval English gold and precious items. His recovery and reward for the items by the British Government was substantial.
Thus as Merlin had stated. Loosened himself of his responsibilities as an average working man and allowed him to fully take up the mantle of Paladin in a manner he had not been able to in the past.
Merlin had stated that like much of the world. England too had it’s fair share of damage due to the Alien Invasion. That as a reward and exchange for giving him unparalleled freedom and economic status.
If he would stay in England and help do repairs there, to the places most in need.
This he had done. Now he was to divide his time between both England and America.
This was his first time back to America from England.
Norman was startled out of his inner thoughts.
“Paladin…”
His eyes trailed upwards to the dark blue and pale green costumed heroine Searay, who floated approximately forty feet up and out in front of him.
Her massive almost lethal looking wing-cape outspread as she watched him curiously.
“Hello, Searay.” He said.

---------------LOCATION--------------
UPPER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.
​

The months since the Museum of Ancient and Modern History had remodeled had been good for business. Plus dropping entry prices had as well.
New Yorkers still needed to be cut some slack as rebuilding New York still continued even half a year later.
The initial job loss and destroyed business would have been devastating to the economy if construction jobs hadn’t risen nearly a hundred fold.
New York City had more blue collar workers in construction than any other job opportunities in any sector.
Steven Harris was one of the lucky ones as he retained his job as assistant curator of the Museum.
The only dark shadow that the employees of this particular workplace had experienced was the disappearance of Archeologist Thom Warner, when he had mysteriously requested going to the destroyed Hong Kong to supposedly see if any of the relics of that town still survived and the odd Moon Stone that interested him so much which was stolen from the Museum by those three women he had faced, along with the blindfolded Swordsman.
It was then that Steven, as his alter ego of Flamehawk had first met one of his team mates in the loosely teamed Onguard.
All of the evidence pertaining to the Moonstone was considered either stolen or lost. Less likely on the latter thought. Especially when you consider that three women stole it.
One of the employees had come across a hardcopy of the documentation involving the Moonstone, along with a few photos.
He sat examining the photo of the strange almost unearthly stone and the odd cut into its surface.
He turned it round and round, still unable to determine exactly what it was.
It looked like a half circle with two jagged lines underneath it, or above it, possibly beside it. Pretty difficult to determine.
The notes were only accusation documents and held no evidence of how something of that nature with obvious writing from earth, could have ended up on a moon fragment.
Though Steven doubted that "Concrete Forrest Investigations" run by Aaron Forrest or the New York hero called Unicorn would stand much of a chance to make heads or tails of it.
Aaron had told him if he came across anything pertaining to the piece. To inform him.
Steven actually figured that Aaron only had a bone to pick with the Blind Swordsman. Which made him smile.
Unicorn was tenacious and blunt. He essentially said it like it was.
All of which amused Steven to no end.
In the months since they had restored the Statue of Liberty and formed the team ‘Onguard’ at her feet.
The team had not had a lot of reason to get together except usually in pairs.
Though, they did switch it up a lot.
As Flamehawk, Steven had worked with Ultra, Searay, Terran and Unicorn quite a bit, becoming fast friends with the four of them.
He had not personally seen Green Flora or Tri-Force since the Statue of Liberty raising a few months back, though he knew they were active in the city from reports and from what the others had said. Such as the continued restoration of the greenery in New York or Tri-Force’s Arctic Iceberg in Central Park’s new ‘Crater Lake’ as people were calling it.
Thunderstar was a bit more of a mystery, Though news programs showed him helping with the United Nations’ Moon Restoration Platform in space where they were trying to not only reassemble the Moon, they were trying to put it back in it’s correct orbit.
Pretty amazing goal Steven thought.
Though, if anyone could help accomplish it. Steven would bet on Thunderstar.
After all, he watched first hand as Thunderstar had all on his own, lifted up the Statue of Liberty and placed her back on her dais.
Steven shook his head at how simply incredible a sight the entire thing had been, How the media had gone crazy over the entire deal.
He remembers Searay saying that Tri-Force said he saw Thunderstar flying near the ruins of Paris, France. Though he was too busy to inquire.
Then of course the team ‘Onguard’ had been formed during that eventful day involving the Statue of Liberty.
Granted, the name came from a misunderstanding of what was said by Green Flora, Though the name was certainly telling.
So a team they were.
Mostly though it had been Unicorn, Searay and himself.
Steven dialed Unicorn or Aaron Forrest’s business phone for ‘Concrete Forrest Investigations’, which almost immediately went to his answering service. Steven left a message about what he had found and give a brief description.
He was puzzled as to why Aaron had not answered. Which was odd.
He made a mental note to check later and resumed going over Museum paperwork.

* former New York based characters of True Mastermind’s - with mild alternations. Paladin in particular was redesigned.

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.
​

Heather Douglas looked out over Central Park and the place many people were dubbing the Park’s Crater Lake. Even though there already was one in the United States.
She remembers being there as her super heroine identity of Ultra, when the multi-formed hero Tri-Force had flown in the iceberg from the Arctic Circle and deposited it in the crater left by a large moon fragment that crashed into New York City.
Fortunately the Moon fragment damage had been minimal as the earth shaping hero called Terran tried to slow it’s descent. It still hit hard, bu the impact could have been much worse.
Her eyes trailed to the proposed article about St. Louis, Missouri tragedy. It wasn’t so lucky.
A girl named Melissa Newton from High School that she considered a friend of sorts, Pretty girl, brown hair, lived there with her husband and two children. She and her family did not make it out.
It pulled at her heartstrings to have the powers she did and be utterly unable to help those in need.
People like Melissa and her family.
Just trying to cut their piece of the American Dream, only to have their lives cut short.
She shook her head in total disgust of what the alien race called the Arlaaekans or Arlaaekians had done to earth.
Barbara Nelson, Heather’s secretary for over five years stood in the doorway. “Your dwelling…”
Heather started and turned, laughing a bit. “How do you get in this room without me ever hearing you?”
Barbara looked at Heather over her antique looking glasses, an older, dark haired woman with a sometimes sever look about her. “A good Secretary does her job, ruffles no feathers and gets paid well for doing so.” She smiled. Which broke that sever look.
Barbara had closed the door and stood with her hands interlaced in front of her. “You can’t save the whole world, Heather. Just the pieces that are handed to you.”
Heather nodded. Looking out the window at the ‘Crater Lake’. “I know."
Barbara had discovered Heather’s dual identity during the Invasion.
They had both been in the office working late when it had started.
Heather had sent her to take any employees or anyone she could find to the subbasement and had simply told her who she was. Having no time to debate the situation.
Barbara was not as shocked at Heather thought she might be.
The only request that Barbara made was if Heather could get her husband Phil and bring him back to the building.
Heather was unable to as she had to almost immediately engage the attacking Arlaaekan Alien Forces.
Phil had survived and Barbara had understood due to the sheer magnitude of what had happened.
She looked upon Heather as the child she never had and was more protective of her than anyone knew.
Even Heather.
Barbara walked across the room, to look at the board layouts of the St. Louis article. Her eyes softened at the before and after images, then she steeled up, pointing at the piece. “There was nothing you could do and you can’t continue to punish yourself for not being available to everyone. Even the Blue Blur couldn’t help everyone and he can be almost everywhere at once, Heather.”
Heather leaned back in her chair putting her hands up over the top of her head. “Yes… I know. I just wish…”
Barbara leaned down and said. “Hush!”
She stood and started walking across the room. “You make a wonderful owner of your Magazine, your editorial skills are some of the best I have ever seen. Look at what you did and what could have with your editorial sensibilities Heather. You will see you could only do what you could do!”
In a rather blasé voice she said. “I thank you, Phil thanks you, the staff thanks you, New York thanks you… Oh and Mr. Toris from accounting is on line two.” She winked at Heather.
Heather smiled, picked up the phone and punched line two.

---------------LOCATION--------------
THE UNITED NATIONS’ MOON RESTORATION PLATFORM, EARTH VIEW
​

Alex Thunder dressed in his cosmic heroic garb of Thunderstar sailed through the void of space directing a vital piece of equipment to the massive platform, which was starting to look like a small town of unique buildings designed for outer space.
He could see the only other hero helping at the moment standing on the main body of the platform’s receiving dock.
Mother Russia stood in her space suit, which had actually been designed based on reverse engineering of the some of the captured Alien equipment. Essentially giving her a suit she could operate for incredible lengths of time without having to return for oxygen. As the refitted oxygen processors recycled the air within the suit she was wearing.
Mother Russia was a very tall, muscular, stern looking woman. She seemed to have no sense of humor at all and was all business.
She is brutally tough and massively strong.

​

Though older than him by quite a few years. Alex found something exotically attractive about the Russian Heroine.
Though, he would be hard pressed to say anything of that nature to her. He figured she might simply punch him for mentioning such a thing.
*“CAREFUL! Comrade!!”* she shouted through the communications headset he wore.
*”Oops! Sorry about that.”* Alex said as he had pushed it a little too far to the left and almost hit the side of the Hanger.
*”Oops… You Oops in space? Mind where it belongs, American.”* She said and Alex almost thought he caught a smile.
Mother Russia reached out and grappled the huge piece of equipment, shifting it with accuracy and ease.
It was some sort of stabilizer that in some manner was suppose to cause a bit of artificial gravity.
Yet another piece of quickly designed reverse engineering. This one coming from the Chinese.
Alex flew up and around to watch Mother Russia lock the machine in place. His suit of bright, yellow, red, blue and black making him stand out like a beacon in the darkness of space.
He flew down and landed next to her, She towered at least four inches above Alex. *”Looks good!”*
*”Unless you decide to Oop! Again, comrade.”* and she bumped him with her elbow which sent him spiral out into space, that time she did laugh.
Alex corrected himself and wound down towards her again as she made her way to the Airlock. *”Any idea what they want to do next?”*
The airlock hissed shut. There was a momentary feeling of being pulled as the chamber flooded with air. She pulled off her helmet to reveal a very regal looking face, Her charcoal hair tied back into a tight braid. “I was told nothing. They will find much to do. Do you have business somewhere?” She said in her good, but somewhat halting English. Her Russian accent always overpowering her sentences.
“I have a few things to check on. Nothing pressing at the moment.” Alex said as the two strolled into a small metal hallway, which forced Mother Russia to stoop down a little as she walked.
“Ah. I was wondering. I will check with my superiors and see if I can return home, We have much work, such as your America does. Damage is still everywhere and the people they suffer. If I could get a ride with you back down to Russia that would be excellent.” She said sternly smiling.
The two walked into the operations room. A massive gymnasium sized room with more computer banks and screens than Alex knew was possible.
The two got a thumbs up from the Moon Restoration Platform commander from Britain named Alec Desmond.
Mother Russia simply nodded back, Alex waved.
“Sure. It isn’t that far out of my way.” Less than seven months ago the thought of Alex saying that would have floored him.
Now with him having the powers of a Star Warden, given to him by the alien Triumvirate , travel to anywhere on the planet seemed simpler than taking a cab somewhere.
He was not bound by the Earth, which made it that much smaller.
Space on the other hand. Was vast and as the Earth had learned. Filled with peril.

---------------LOCATION--------------
CHINATOWN, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.
​

Mia Nah Chog sits at her little store called simply “Chog’s Herbs, Plants and Flowers” in Chinatown. Business has been extremely good since the Invasion of New York for her six months ago.
So much foliage, trees, plants and flowers were destroyed that the demand has been extremely high to replace them.
Mia has never failed to have an order ready for a client.
They are the most exemplar and exquisite of whatever species of plant a purchaser could want.
In the many months since the destruction in New York. Mia has become decently wealthy due to this.
Only four people know her true secret.
Her Father Matsui Ry Chog, along with her Mother Hidemi Doi Shim Chog.
As well as her best friend in America, Setsma Chin and her younger brother Ichiro Chin. Both work at the store she owns and that she has expanded by not just one store next to hers. But on either side.
Which has forced her to hire more delivery people, which has made her a little uncomfortable. Because of how she makes such, as already stated exemplar and exquisite greenery.
Though, She is truly happy for the first time in her life and thinks little about her dark in her youthful past.
Mia is a Chinese Mutant who had kept her power over all forms of plant life a secret here in America.
The invasion of aliens from beyond our solar system changed that, when she was forced to defend not only her home, but do her part at defending the world in general.
Her back story seems less complicated now after the tragic events of that invasion.
When she as a very young girl, along with her parents, they ran away to America.
They ran away from a Secret Chinese Government Organization that wished to use her powers in defense of China, They ran away due to what they were trying to force her to become… An Assassin.
She can mutate plants on a cellular level and cause them to be manipulated by her, Grow or shrink.
She can puppet as many plants as she deems necessary and is extremely skilled and powerful at doing so.
She is incredibly strong, easily pressing two thousand pounds and her durability is amazing. Also her ability to heal wounds is unnaturally fast.
The downside of using her powers is that she turns green from the moment she starts using them. Her hair literally transforms to small leaf-looking vine-like strands.
She has a costume that was devised for her from when she was with the Chinese Government. Though she doesn’t wear it, as she opts to use one that she unmistakably grows herself.
She is the mysterious and powerful… Green Flora of Chinatown.
She met the other heroes of New York while she was continuing to repair the almost overwhelming damage to Central Park.
Mostly she did this at night, but on that particular day. All of her Work orders had been filled and she had been so busy she had neglected the park.
Able to do things hidden to the point of virtual invisibility in the foliage surrounding her. She had watched the other heroes of New York assemble together.
Before long she found herself volunteering to aid them in raising the Statue of Liberty from her fallen perch.
Mia had never intended to do so or reveal her location, as most likely the Chinese Government, or more correctly the Secret Chinese Organization that wanted to use her. Now knew of her location.
Mia never really thought about the fact that the Chinese Government could do little to make her return. As she was raised in a society where the Government could and would do things of that nature.
If they had been looking for her. They had not bee successful in finding her or they did and were keeping their distance.
For they knew exactly how dangerous she could be when pushed to anger.

 

[Guardian7]

---------------LOCATION--------------
NORTH EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK.
​

The fantastic architecture of the World Labs building was an amazing sight to see.

​

Dwayne sat outside of work and ate the remainder of his lunch from earlier. He was tired but had promised the City of New York yet another favor.
He finished up his lunch and went to his car. Shortly pulling out into traffic.
He parked near a demolished building that had been fenced in and locked up his car. He strolled into the lot.
He stepped inside of an empty shed, reached out with his power and from under the ground boiled up a large metal box. Inside was his Terran outfit and helmet. He changed quickly.
He returned the box with his street cloths in it to be once more submerged in the ground.
Then he opened the ground up and slid down to a connecting tunnel to the subway system. This line was still not in operation as it still had some electrical problems. He closed the hole above him and stuck his hand out towards a chair sized boulder.
The boulder floated in the air and shifted near him, He stepped up on it. Then slowly sailed down the subway tunnel. He passed by a few construction workers who stood and watched him wisk by them. Some waved. Terran nodded.
He came out near a gaping hole that had been caused by a crashing alien ship. The city had been unsure exactly what to do with it. So had forestalled Terran from securing and filling it.
He shot out of the massive hole into the air on his floating boulder. He looked down and saw onlookers who were waiting for him to appear.
They waved at him, though he couldn’t hear at the height he was at, what exactly they were saying.
He banked the large stone northwards and soon was over the Bronx near the Major Deegan Expressway, It had also been repaired by him.
Though, Now he was preparing to do something he dreaded, as his flying boulder sailed over East one hundred and sixty first street.
The destroyed remains of Yankee Stadium. A massive crater where the ball field had been.

The Aliens must have considered it some kind of prime target. Maybe the Stadium looked like some kind of outpost or base. Dwayne was never sure and likely never would be.
Suffice to say… they had demolished it utterly.
As Terran, Dwayne could have filled the hole and pulled the walls back up. But that would have taken months and it was not the most pressing thing that needed Dwayne‘s attention. Though his love of both the Yankees and baseball made him dread what he had to do now.
It had been six plus months since the destruction of the fairly new Stadium. A city official had approached him while he was repairing damage to some of the buildings in the financial district.
They asked him to finish leveling the Stadium. Dwayne really wasn’t that pleased at the prospect and had put it off.
Even demolishing it was going to take a lot of work as both metal and non-earth items were strewn in the debris. Plastic and stuff of that nature.
Dwayne saw the construction detail assigned to the site waiting for him. Regrettably and slowly he descended towards them.
Landing, he stepped off his favorite boulder, as a foreman named Brian Whitman, a stocky, balding Italian man, started walking his way.
Dwayne and Brian had worked together before. On the freeway south of here.
“Eyyy buddy!” as Brian stuck out his hand to Dwayne which he took and shook.
“Hi Brian, so we are going to finally do this?” Dwayne said depressingly.
“Fraid so. Ain’t got no choice, City financiers can’t do anything with it and even with the huge donations from the Ball League, they figure they should simply start from scratch. Can’t say I blame them.” As he looked over the unrecognizable place.
Dwayne nodded. “This sucks. I liked this place.”
Brian patted Terran on the back. “Yeah, I understand, buddy. Gotta do what ya gotta do! We sure appreciate your help again.”
Dwayne smiled at the stocky man in the yellow hardhat. “So where do we start?”
Brian Whitman walked with Terran as the rest of the crew slowly joined the two of them. He pointed at two areas and looked over at Terran. “Your choice. Start there or over there. We got the trucks all ready to load the excess trash and stuff.”
Dwayne looked at the ruins of the former Stadium and walked to his left.
He reached out with his power and the earth around that portion of the stadium began to tremble…

---------------LOCATION--------------
RUINS of ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

​

Ground Zero for a massive Moon fragment.
Many tried to escape and didn’t make it.
This place in particular is crux of one of the saddest events to ever hit America.
The twisted carnage of the outskirts of St. Louis makes it look like something from a science fiction movie.
The Moon Fragment didn’t directly hit St. Louis, it fell about a mile from the city.
That was close enough to level it and wipe out America’s fifteenth largest city.
For anyone that doesn’t know.
That is 356,587 thousand residents, not including travelers.
Unicorn stood looking at what remained of the enormous St. Louis Arc. Tri-Force looked on from behind him.
A right part of it was toppled on it’s side, still connected, it's tip in the river, with the left portion still sticking somewhat up in the air.
It is a restricted zone now.
The only reason Unicorn and Tri-Force have access is because Tri-Force had flown them in.
Tri-Force walked up past Unicorn, He had already seen the destruction here. It mirrored what had happened to Paris, France.
Also an indirect hit. Which was enough.
Unicorn’s eyes trailed back to the triple threat hero. The three super powered brothers who became one immensely powerful form. “I just wanted to see it with my own eyes. My Mom liked St. Louis… she said she used to have fun at it’s Mardi Gras. My sister used to live here as well… she moved away less than a month before the moon fragment hit. Her ex-husband Dave, never made it out.”
Tri-Force nodded. “Sorry… but our time is pressed as it is.”
Unicorn brightened. “Ugh… me the gloomy one. I need to see the crater.”
Tri-Force said “Understandable, we have all been through it.” He reached out and grabbed Unicorn’s hands and started flying towards the impact crater.
They flew in quite fast, which felt like a wild roller coaster ride to Unicorn. They landed on the far edge and the initial touch down center of the fragment.
The fragment had been shattered into smaller chunks, which had been hauled back into outer space to join it’s broken siblings by a little know heroine called ‘Toughwoman’ She was from LA and word had it, her name also marked her personality.
Tri-Force said. “What exactly are you looking for?”
Unicorn hopped down the edge, with grace and speed he maneuvered his way down the craggy crater. “A strange piece of moon rock. Something that looks like it doesn’t belong.”
Tri-Force floated into the air. “Tell us your kidding? Do you have any idea how many Moon fragments are in this area alone?”
Unicorn nodded absently smiling. “Yeah… but if it is here… I can find it. It gives me a weird feeling when I am near it.”
“What is it?” Tri-Force said, as there was a crack like a whip and the triplets separated to fan out.
Unicorn shook his head. “I think it is something magical. But I have only been near two pieces. One in New York when I first met Flamehawk and the other near Boston. There was something on the Moon, Something someone here is collecting. I don’t know what it is, it has some strange writing on it. My gut is telling me it isn’t good, particularly after those three chicks, that double sworded man called Deuce, compound that with the old man with what seemed to be a magical staff.”
Tri-Force:Jet or Dave Franklin, the oldest triplet, launched into the air and sped up next to Unicorn. “So the plan is… snatch a piece and let them come to you?”
Unicorn winked at Jet. “Bingo!”
“So you want unknown potential foes to come knocking at your doorstep?” Jet said amused.
Unicorn caught how it seemed funny to Jet. “Got a better plan?”
“Not really. I was just asking.” Jet replied. “Let me lend you a hand, if I fly you around maybe you’ll catch wind of it. What makes you think a piece is here?”
Unicorn shrugged. “Gut feeling.”
Jet looked down at the more experienced hero. “That is cool, You have us for an hour then we have to head back. We are still doing clean up in Paris.”
Several hundred feet away the other two of the triplets, examined the ground near them.
Block or Andy, the middle triplet and the strength behind Tri-Force stood with his arms folded. “This is stupid. I can’t believe we are looking for a piece of Moon Rock.”
Optic or the youngest triplet, Mike used his formidable and various optical powers to scan the ground near him. “Shut up Andy. You’re a tool.”
Block threw a tiny stone, hitting Optic in the back. “Shut your hole, crybaby Mikey!”
Optic turned and his eyes glowed white, energy drifting off from them in the steady wind within the crater.
Block put his hands up. “Are you going to really fir…”
ZORK!!!!
Block bounced across the shattered terrain. Saying ouch with each hit. Even though he wasn’t truly feeling a lot.
Optic turned back to the job at hand, continuing to scan under the ground with his super powered vision.

Unicorn and Jet had stopped doing what they were doing, watching as Block bounced across the crater.
Jet shook his head. “Those to are such idiots.”
Unicorn laughed. “You all seem pretty alright to me.”
Jet shook his head. “Try growing up with them.”
Unicorn laughed again. “Well obviously you all are doing something right. I certainly appreciate your taking time off to help me.”
Jet smiled. “Well fortunately we for some reason don’t require sleep, so we can go all day, When we combine together, Our energy levels are restored and Tri-Force is much more powerful than any of us are alone.”
Unicorn continued to look for the piece. He knew it was here. “You all speak about Tri-Force as if he is a different person. I have heard each one of you mention it in the past. I thought he was just the three of you combined.”
Jet scrunched his face a little. “Unnn kinda hard to explain. He is like all of us combined, We are kind of like spectators. We can influence him, but he is his own being… because he is all of us in one.”
Unicorn didn’t look up from his search. “Does sound bizarre. No offense of course.”
“To someone standing on the outside looking in. That may well be the way it appears. It really isn’t as bizarre as it may seem.” Jet said smiling. “Well… unless Optic and Block start arguing. Which is pretty standard. So if you ever see Tri-Force looking confused. It is usually do to a disagreement with at least two of us.”
Unicorn smiled. “Good to know.”

Block had walked off on his own, figuring Optic would call him if any heavy lifting was required.
He was singing ‘Master of Puppets’ by the band Metallica to himself. When he heard a faint voice.
“Umm” he turned around to see what remained of a large upside down advertising sign that had been sucked into the crater when the air that was blown out had drifted back in.
He reached down and pulled the big sign aside, There was a hole near the center, He aimlessly tossed the sign aside with his incredible strength. Peering down into the hole.
“help us… we’re trapped.” came a voice from the hole.
There was a woman and a boy down there. Along with another man, who’s legs seemed to be tied to a board. “Hold on! I’ll get help.” As he prepared to call his brothers through the telepathic link they shared.
“No… please help us now!” the woman pleaded.
Block looked back in the pit. “What the #u[x!”. They seemed to be closer.
The woman with the young boy clinging to her, She reached down and pushed him up towards Block.
He leaned down to take the boy’s hand and the boy’s eyes darkened. “Folly comes to those who help a fool!” The kid was now a wavy haired blond man in a green and yellow costume with flowers on it. He grabbed Block’s hand, yanking him down into the pit.
Block hit the ground and rolled, coming very close to the bound man at the back of the hole. The man said. “Help me…”
“Don’t worry buddy, I won’t let anything happen to you.“ Block reached out with his mind, but felt nothing, Somehow the link between his brothers and himself was cut off.
The boy who had become a man laughed. “No one helps a fool…” as he grinned and started laughing insanely. Block noticed the sparkling around the clownishly costumed man.
His anger welled. “I’ll show you who is the fool!” launching himself into the air at the laughing man.
Suddenly he was caught by the foot. A rope that lead to the bound man was wrapped around his foot. “What the hell?” Block said.
He was jerked through the air by the rope and smashed into the walls over and over.
Slowly the bound man rose into the air hanging by his feet. Suspended by a rope which seemed to be tied to the wall further up and extended down to grapple Block like a tentacle.
The woman walked up and ran her fingers through the upside down man’s hair. “Very good. You can’t knock him out doing that. But keep him off balance and he is yours to smash into whatever your heart desires.” a sinister grin played across her beautiful innocent looking face. “That is until we have what we want and are ready to leave.”
She looked over at the man who was clapping his hands in amusement to the beating that Block was enduring. She smiled. “Wonderful.” She thought.
She walked past Block as he hurled across the pit on the rope smashing brutally against the far wall.
She took the laughing man’s hand and they walked up stairs from the pit. “Come. We have more fools to deal with.”
The man clapped his hands and ran up the steps practically pulling her.

Optic stood examining the ground. His vision penetrating it and finding nothing unusual.
Suddenly a small dog ran up to him. He blinked in surprise.
He thought for a second that his brother Andy had found a dog and set it near him.
He turned around, not seeing Block. Though he saw a woman and a young boy approaching.
“Hey Mister! Can you get my dog for me?” the kid yelled.
Optic looked at the two, thinking. “What the heck are they doing all the way down here?”
The boy started running his way, tripped on a stone and fell down. “Ow!!”
The woman ran up to him.
Optic jogged over. Then for one brief second he thought he saw a woman in blue, with white and the boy was not such a boy.
“Whoa!” He stopped and started backing up.
The woman cradled the crying boy. “Why are you just standing there?”
Optic stared. Unsure.
The boy’s head rolled to the side. His eyes darkened. “Only a fool hesitates!!”
Optic pulled back. “What?”
The noise of growling came from behind him and it sounded like more than one dog.
Slowly Optic turned to see a pack of vicious looking wolf-like creatures.
The boy smiled his malicious smile. “Sic em Fido!”
Suddenly the dogs launched themselves at him. His optic beams lanced out and he swept it across the lot of them sending the vicious canines flying in every direction.
The woman now in a dress of white and a draping cloak of blue, an odd golden tiara or hat of sorts on her head, stepped towards Optic. “I’ll handle this one. You have one more task to do my brave laughing boy and then we can go home.”
She turned towards Optic who continued to blast at the canines as they continued to get up, seemingly immune to his powers. “If you had resolved to do an action, if you had not hesitated and even when you did act, in your conceit of your own abilities you thought could so readily dispatch the boy’s dogs. Sadly, You might have actually won. Your brother is a sacrificial fool… you are a conceited hesitant one… I wonder what the older one is?”
Optic continued to blast as the woman laughed.

Unicorn stood searching for the moonstone. As Jet floated some forty feet away from him scanning the horizon.
Unicorn turned and was surprised to see a walking stick with a leather bag attached to the top.
He stepped towards it examining it. It couldn’t have been here after the impact. He thought that maybe one of the various researchers had left it here.
He reached towards the bag’s clasped cap. Thinking maybe some form of I.D. might be inside.
As soon as he opened it. The bag expanded and swallowed him. It contracted on him in what felt like a death grip.
From outside the bag he heard a voice say in a near laughing manner. “Only fools peer into the unknown without actually looking!”
Unicorn struggled inside of the bag.

CONTINUED...

 

[Guardian7]

CONTINUED FROM LAST POST.
​

Forty feet away Jet was oblivious to his brothers or Unicorn’s plight as he searched the ground.
Suddenly, he came upon a man standing in white robes, with a large sleeveless red coat that seemed more a partial cape.
The man grinned at him as he held out a candle that was lit at both ends.
He turned his head slightly to the side as he drew a symbol in the air, which seemed to be sustained by the smoke from the candle.
Jet recognized it. It was the symbol for infinity.
He glanced back and for the first time the background had noise.
He could see what must be Unicorn trapped in some bag, A man dressed in a flower covered shirt stood over top of him mockingly egging him on to escape.
In the background stood from his vantage point, A woman in a blue cloak with her back to him, His younger brother Michael or Optic was firing his energy beams from his eyes at what seemed like a pack of invincible wolves.
He saw his other brother Andy or Block and the final part of the being called Tri-Force fly up out of a pit, A rope or strip of cloth was attached to his foot, slamming him against the ground and walls.
Jet went to fly and jump the man in the flowered shirt, figuring he and Unicorn were the closest.
He could feel himself traveling through the air towards them, but it seemed like it was taking him forever to get there.
The man with the double lit candle continued to hold it up in Jet’s direction. “There is an infinite amount of space between you and your companions… you will never reach them in time.”
The man in the red and white yelled over at the flower shirt man. “Go fetch the stone. I’ll handle these two.”
“Yes… we need the stone, then we can have a birthday party!!” Giggled the flowered man.
Jet looked down at the still struggling Unicorn. There had to be a way out of this, As he watched the Flower shirted man run across the crater.
Then he had it. He turned and yelled at his brother Andy. the one of them that had formed Tri-Force this time and brought them from across the nation or from across the globe to be together in one form.
“ANDY!!… release us from Tri-Force!!” Jet yelled.
Andy or Block was smashed against the wall of the pit so many times, he had lost count. He was starting to feel it and bled from several places.
He heard his older brother yell out for him to release them from Tri-Force.
He knew it wouldn’t do him any good to be released from Tri-Force. But his brothers would respectively return from where he had called them from when he formed Tri-Force.
Totally unaware of what was happening with his brothers and assuming they were in trouble too. Andy disengaged the power and released both Dave and Michael.
They both teleported.
Michael was returned to San Francisco.
Dave reappeared where he had been summoned from in the ruins of Paris, France.
Andy reached out on a downward swing from the bound man, He grabbed the rock ledge and held on.
He felt the bound man pulling with all his might as Andy strained to hold on to the bedrock.
Suddenly, he felt the power of Dave or Jet calling him to form Tri-Force and he vanished in thin air.
In Paris, France, it was unrecognizable, A half mile away lay what little remained of the Eiffel Tower, A twisted mass of girders, though not all of them.
The three were merged into one again, and spoke to one another with the composite being of Tri-Force.
Dave/Jet: “Are you two alright?”
Michael/Optic: “I am fine. Are we going back?”
Andy: “I have a debt to settle with that tied up guy!”
Dave: “Unicorn is bound up in some enormous leather bag. We have to rescue him.”
Michael: “Good idea, Dave. Disengage Andy then reform us!”
There was a snap as the brothers broke apart again, This time it was more of a strain.
All three knew what they were in for, This final pulling together was going to hurt.
Once they reformed this time, There would be no more chances if they broke apart again.
The strain of doing a fourth formation might very well kill all three of them.
Andy popped back in the pit and slid down the wall as he was no longer clutching it.
He reached up and grabbed the side of the pit and peeked over. “That bound guy is heading towards Unicorn, so is that chick in the blue cape and some guy in a red one.” He thought to himself.
The woman in the blue cape turned and looked directly at him. “One of them is still here!” She yelled.
Andy braced himself and summoned his brothers, He screamed out as the power embraced his form and in a flash of burning light. Tri-Force stood there.
Dave: “That hurt like nobodies tomorrow guys!”
Andy: “I already had a headache… now it is worse!”
Michael: “Unn guys… Unicorn!”
All three unfocused and let Tri-Force take over.
They rocketed out of the pit.
The man with the two candles started to draw something in the air again. Wasting no time Tri-Force struck him hard with white optic force beams, the man slammed backwards across the debris. “I don’t know what you people are up to and frankly I don’t care for the moment!”
The idiot that kept calling them fools was cart wheeling towards the bag that held Unicorn, with a large blue stone in his hand.
The woman in the blue cape raised her hands, A crescent moon shape seemed to appear resting on her head and Two Pillars rose up near her. One was black and the other was white. Further behind her is a strange gray curtain, with odd flower patterns of yellow, green and red.
Michael/Optic: “Unn oh… don’t like the looks of that!”
Tri-Force lands hard on the ground and tears loose a piece of already broken debris. He twines it around in a sweeping circle and hurls it at the woman.
Andy/Block: “Good God! Dave… why did you order Tri-Force to do that? You could kill her!”
The debris flew and was suddenly rebound back at them.
Tri-Force reached out and shattered the debris and started firing white hot optic beam at the curtain behind her.
She screamed out as the curtains burst into flames. “Hurry everyone… before the gateway is destroyed!”
“Gateway?” Tri-Force said aloud. “I don’t think so.”
He burst rapidly towards her, he dipped downward and dug his hands in pushing a ton of debris towards her. “Let’s see how much she can block…” and the debris rained forward.
Suddenly the man who seemed to be suspended by absolutely nothing by that rope or cord had his rope start forming a net or web of it. It weaved faster than the debris flew and they bounced against it. “We have to go. He is too much!”
The woman stood fully with her arms raised, She reached up and pushed the crescent moon off the top of her head and it flew towards them, Almost like a boomerang.
Tri-Force arced upwards and blasted at it with optic beams meant to destroy.
“No Fool… Leave him!” Tri-Force heard the blue caped woman say. “We can’t take a chance on them tracking us!”
With that the fool opened the bag and hurled Unicorn out of it.
This happened just as the crescent moon struck Tri-Force, both knocking and pinning him to the ground.
The moon thing was still pushing downward into the ground, threatening to guillotine them.
Tri-Force braced his hands and pushed backwards, leaning his head back and firing his white optic beams.
The ground shattered and he flew into the earth burrowing and exploded out of a hole fifteen feet away.
The curtain was closing and the red cloaked man with the candle lit on either end said to them. “We will meet again Tri-Force… rest assured.”
Then they were gone as soon as the curtain closed, Everything faded, Pillars and curtain both.
Tri-Force flew over to where Unicorn lay, slowly getting up. “Unicorn… You okay?”
“No I am not…” Unicorn stood brushing dust off from him. “I had to fight the entire time I was caught in that kid’s knapsack. Otherwise I think I would have been crushed.” He said bitterly.
Tri-Force put his hands up. “We were getting our butts whipped too! We had to divide and reform in order to get away from the traps they put us in.”
Unicorn looked over at the collected brothers. “Tell me everything.”

 

[NiteMare Shape]

In a matter of minutes after leaving Lost Haven, Icon and Kayla arrive at their destination, San Diego California. Icon smirked to himself, thinking of how much faster he could have gotten there if he didn't have to slow down for Kayla.

However, the thoughts fade as he flies over the streets of the city, and sees the destruction still visible that had been wraught from the opening salvo of the invasion. Although the city had been devestated by the massive wave that hit much of California after a large piece of the moon crashed into the Pacific, the people of San Diego, as well as those of all the affected areas of the West Coast had come together, and rebuilt.

Although the scars were still visible, the city was healing.

Icon leads the way, taking he and Kayla into a small alley behind several businesses that had never reopened after the city had started to recover from the disaster. There he locates a bag of clothes left for him by his contact. After a quick change of attire, he leads Kayla out of the alley and into the streets of San Diego.

They walk for several blocks, to anyone looking, they look like a normal couple taking in the sights of the still recovering city. Eventually, they find themselves a small eatery, The Seaside Diner and they make their way inside.

Once inside, Icon looks around the diner until he sees the familiar form of someone he hadn't seen in far too long. He begins making his way toward the pretty young waitress and motions for Kayla to follow.

He stops just behind the girl before announcing himsellf.

"Hello Chrissy, it's been a long time."

The girl stops in her tracks for an instant before turning to meet his gaze.

"Scott. It's so good to see you." She says as her eyes meet Kayla's.

"I guess you were right, we do have alot to talk about." She says as she motions for them to follow her into the back.

"Chrissy, this is Kayla. She's...well, let's just say she isn't from around here."

"I see..."

"The thing is, S.T.R.I.K.E. is finally making their move, I'm just not sure what that is yet. When I found Kayla, they were after her. Lost Haven isn't safe for her, and I don't think she'll be safe at Guardian's Headquarters. In fact, I'm not convinced any of us are."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure, it's probably nothing...but I just have this sinking feeling..."

"Do you think she can stay with you for a couple of weeks, just until they've focused on something else?"

"Of course, but...are you sure San Diego isn't exactly the paradise people expect since the invasion."

"But they won't be looking for her here, and I think she'd learn alot working with you. Besides, I think you gals have alot to talk about."

 

[Hound55]

[BLACKOUT]
Isaac Fontaine - Vigilante[/BLACKOUT]
Suffer the little children (continued...)​

Cell Room Omega

Isaac approached the frightened girl who recoiled in terror as he offered an outreached hand. Isaac looked down at his gloved hand and it finally occurred to him just how intimidating he might look to this girl; dressed all in black, face hidden, practically no skin showing and bursting into the cell.

[BLACKOUT]“It’s… It’s OK. I’m not one of them. I came to get you out of here. I’m a Guardian… like Icon!”[/BLACKOUT]

He tried his best to be upbeat and give a warm smile to her through the acrylic mask. The girl looked confused but forced a smile herself. To a third party it would have been clear that neither Isaac nor the girl were accustomed to wearing their current facial expressions, but both wanted to believe the other’s was sincere.

“How the hell am I going to get her out of here..?” Isaac thought to himself, then he had the solution. He removed his pack and sized the girl up… too big to be comfortable but it’ll have to do. He’d need his hands free to give them every chance at escape and couldn’t risk the girl straying too far away. He quickly unpacked items, trinkets, and devices onto the floor until the pack was empty and then started going through the things stuffing the most important items in the deep pockets of his cargo pants first, then attaching other things to the side pockets of the pack and abandoning the superfluous objects.

[BLACKOUT]“We’re going to have to be very fast and very quiet.”[/BLACKOUT] He said to the girl, smiling all the while. [BLACKOUT]“Can you do that for me?”[/BLACKOUT]

“Yes.” The little girl uttered at a barely audible level so quiet Isaac couldn’t hear, but could tell she agreed to by the movement of her mouth.

[BLACKOUT]“Good start…”[/BLACKOUT] he replied.


Some time earlier – A non-descript secure location in the core of Tartarus Island Facility

A scientist in a white overcoat is speaking into a phone. He is Jimmy Carroll, he is a rarity, since his field of expertise is small and limited to some of the brightest minds in his industry. Few are given security to gain the knowledge he has and as such it’s limited to the best and brightest.

“Sir, this is Carroll, yes sir, heading the development of the Omega project, Warden Patton. No sir, I think you’re going to want to take this call now…”

“Well, we began the physical testing of her capabilities and she is just an astounding little girl. What? Oh, sorry sir. Yes, absolutely. ‘The Project’ is performing wonderfully… sorry sir.”

“How well? Well as you know the beta is still not finished so we’ve only been doing physical simulations which will obviously slow her down… Yes sir, I will get to the point. We just clocked her doing a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle in under 40 minutes.”

“No, sir. Calm down. No, we’re not crazy. We DID have her in the dampener at the time. It seems that this aspect of her power is mental and a result of the meta-gene rather than the constant steady product of the gene. So if anything, this is good news because it means we should be able to safely test her…”

“Do we have any expectations for the results once the beta is done..? Well, I’ve got to be honest, sir. I’m quite familiar with Brickowski, who’s one of the lead programmers on the beta and he told me that most of the functional aspects of the program are complete… They’ve got finishing touches for the algorithms to give us raw data, the stop watch feature and just basic presentation aspects that they left til last… So I asked Brickowski if we could have an early run on it. Now as you know their role is to create an effective working ‘thought screen’ interface; much like the touch screen except the user wears a pair of ‘glasses’ which recognise retinal focus and are able to trace where the eyes are viewing on screen, and a puzzle program for that hardware to use. We want to see the raw capacity of her mind and her ability to recognise how things are put together in that fashion.”

“Yes sir, I know I don’t need to tell you about assignments that you’ve approved.”

“Yes, I know we didn’t have clearance yet…”

“Well sir, as I said, the stopwatch feature and data measuring features are still yet to be completed…”

“Well, I started her off on a 10,000 piece…”

“No sir, a bit better than 20…”

“I clocked her using my wristwatch at five…”

“No sir, not minutes. Seconds.”

“Yes, I expected that you might want to come down here immediately… I’ll see you then…”

 

[sabetoonth]

​

-4 Months Ago-
​

It'd been months since the old man had talked to Elijah. He had gone back to the job market looking for a new one, a less dangerous one. He hadn’t found anything yet and he was borrowing money left and right to stay afloat, taking odd jobs when he found them, there hadn’t been anything weird going on for a very long time, no old man, no more black outs.
And then last night he had a nightmare. Last night Elijah would have sworn he was in hell, it was hot, and it was cold. There were screams, there were demons. And one in particular stood out, he introduced himself as Lucas. But something told Elijah, his name was not Lucas, but Lucifer. A bright white light however, pulled him out, the only thing Elijah could assume it was would be an angel, or maybe even God.

He’d spent this morning window shopping for jobs basically, looking for HELP WANTED signs in windows and on doors. Mitch had been pretty helpful in it all, lending money when Elijah needed it to pay rent, and paying the bill when they went out to eat and El had developed quite the appetite too. However, now Mitchell was out of town for a family function, Elijah needed a job for money, for food, for rent.

He was about to round a corner when…

“Hello again Elijah.” The half asleep (hadn’t have his morning cup of joe) Elijah jumped at the old man’s sudden presence.

“Jesus!”

“Not quite.”

“Where do you come from?”

“That’s a long story.” He answered. “Right now however, there are far more important things that need to be taken care of.” When they met, and walked, and then talked in that basement, Elijah was told his father was not human, that his father was in fact Satan. Not Lucifer, Satan, them being two very different but similar beings. Satan a clone created through black magic, one who could walk among men while Lucifer could not. Elijah didn’t take it well at all; he was being told he was the son of the devil. He hadn’t seen the old man since.

“You’re insane right? You told me I was the son of the Devil; people usually don’t take too well to that.”

“Would you have taken it any better if I had told you I am the Grim Reaper?” For the old man this was business, important business, things were going to happen. Dangerous things. “You have great power, and therefore a great responsibility to use this power. Your father and the forces of the damn and dark would prefer you joined them and attempt a hostile take over of the world that would bring about untold suffering.” It was then that Elijah realized now they were back in that subterranean basement den, the fire still roaring and warm. “But that is not the only thing you can use your powers for. There is good in you Mr Stokes. Half of you is human. Half of you is good.” He was dressed in a fine black suit. And he walked over to the hearth.

“So what do I do?” He really had pretty much skipped over that he had claimed to be the Grim Reaper.

“Become what you were born to be.” He turned his face from Eli, the light of the flames dancing across his old features. “A creature of the inferno.”

“And how do I do that?” Okay, so Elijah was still very uncertain of all of this, but if he did have power, if he was the son of Satan, that meant there were some big evils out there that needed fighting. All the heroes in this world can’t be in two places at once right? Fight fire with fire maybe? Nah, that wasn’t for him. Was it? The old man gave a smile, the light of the flames still dancing on his face, only the side now being that he had turned his head to face Elijah. This was good, this was very good, there would be a fighter for man, powered by hell. Similar to the Archangel Michael, a superhero with heavenly powers.

-Present Day-

For months Elijah had been living, learning, and training in the building the old man (who had revealed himself that day to be the Grim Reaper, who actually legitimately owned the building under the alias Ashley Duster, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, get it?) had brought him too. It was rigorous exercise of body and mind, and more recently, they had started to work on making Elijah’s powers manifest at will.

“Come on Elijah, focus harder.” Grim, as Elijah had come to call him, walked around a series of circles, they were designed to allow someone to harness power more easily, to focus on that power. Right now Elijah was trying to focus on his pyrokinesis, since the training had begun his hands had started secreting this sweat-like flammable substance. If he ran his hands together roughly, just right, he could ignite it. His hands where sore and red. But he kept it up; he needed to get a hold of this. He had learned it was easier to do this when he was transformed, he could run his claws against his palms and the armor would spark and ignite the stuff.
He continued until it ignited, his hands engulfed in orange flame. His eyes lit up with excitement. Yes! He had finally got it. Grim smiled proudly, Elijah was coming along well. He had gone out every few weeks and taken on crime in this city at night, in the light of the moon. His methods were not pretty, most of the criminals who survived the beatings he gave them would remember what happened when they attempted to rape, murder, and mug in this city. Elijah didn’t show the criminals anymore mercy than they would show their victims. In the heat of it he just moved, he didn’t think about the damage being done, he just thought about doing damage. But looking back at it, especially recently he was bugged by that. Lately trying to restrain himself more, thinking out the fight before jumping into it.

“Very good Elijah, very good. You’ve come a long way in these past months.” He was proud of his pupil’s progress; he had known other cambion who had taken much more effort to make his progress in far more time.

“We’re done for today. You’re mother is in town, might want to stop by and say Hi.” He left Elijah there with his thoughts, he was Death, he had other business to attend to, like separating bodies from souls, Azrael couldn’t do that job all on his own.

Elijah had left the building, locking up behind him. He called his mother from a pay phone in the library not far from there, inviting her to a dinner funded again by “Ash”.