"An immobilizing foam grenade."
"Yep."
"Sticky."
"Yep."
"Not only does it need to be able to stretch, but it also needs to hold people with super strength, be easy to dissolve with a special solution, and help prevent accidental suffocation."
"Yep."
"Why the hell didn't you ask me this a few hours ago? I can easily make a prototype in maybe half a day, but to hold people with super strength? Other supernatural abilities? I can't complete that in time. It'd be a lot of trial and error to improve the formula."
"Well, if you can't complete it now, can you start working on it? I'm not sure how long this mission will last, and I can teleport to my lab and back."
"Suppose I need something to do while Emerald takes a nap. Fine, fine. You can pay me later. Guess it's time to take a better look at those gel bullets…" Samuel hears her hang up and blinks.
Right, he never figured out what those were, did he?
The trio sits around the Shadowspire, Static floating on his disc that he calls the "Static Shocker," and trade stories. Various villains they have fought, who or what Whistleblower has exposed, including the repercussions of such knowledge, and Samuel's own explorations of the area. However, he makes sure to exclude any mention of alien technology, at least for now.
The last thing he needs is Whistleblower or Static picking a fight, going to check it out and getting shot, or ruining his relationship with the only alien tech merchant he found before he can get the invitation to buy it all on his own.
Samuel, in turn, does share some of his gear and what he can do, including the new core that allows him to fly and the entire fight with that cyborg cop. Static lays on his side, staring down at the duo, "Man, that's one heck of a story. They had already captured some of the guys I fought. The multibody thing sounds… weird, I'll admit. Like, what, they somehow figured out how to transfer memory from man to machine? That's a cheap man's version of immortality."
Whistleblower shrugs her shoulders, "Must have some flaw if the rich aren't using it yet. Could also be a more private thing that only certain individuals get like famous scientists or other people the country can't afford to lose."
Samuel sighs, "Trust me. Be glad you two haven't run into them yet. I know Whistleblower will be fine, but you might be a target of theirs sooner or later, Static."
He goes to open his mouth, but Whistleblower takes out a scrap of paper, scribbles on it with a pencil, and hands it to him. "Here, my personal number. Hermes trusts you, and I know what you've been doing around town. Try and get a burner phone or something, and I'll contact you if that cyborg is trying to hunt you down."
Static shoves it into a pocket on his suit and grins, "Alright then. Now that we know that the Star Chamber is up to no good. Either of you two got a plan?"
Whistleblower snorts, "Not currently, no. Pretty sure Hermes' general idea is to knock them out."
"Listen. If it works, it works. The fewer combatants we have to fight, the better. I've always been better at planning on the fly."
Static nods his head, "Yeah, I'm the same. I tend to rush in with a general plan and adapt from there."
The female of the trio glances between the other two men and shakes her head, "Why is it that I am the only planner of the group?"
"Because you are the most reasonable/You seem like the smart one."
"Well, from what Hermes has told me, the people in this Star Chamber are likely evil? I mean, it is possible they were tricked, but it is best to run with the general assumption. We don't really know of anyone besides two teleporters, each in a different way. I think we just throw Hermes at them."
"Just because I can teleport doesn't mean I am also not petty. Give me a reason, and I'll start punching whoever I see."
Floating off the side of his disk now, Static looks at Samuel, "I didn't take you to be the violent one."
"I don't have many other ways to use my powers currently. Not a good talker like Icon is."
Samuel talks to the duo for a bit longer before his eyes land on a familiar face—one near a man he was also quite interested in earlier. Taking a second to formulate his thoughts, he begins walking over to the famous hero.
"Icon." The alien turns to face Samuel.
"Hermes. Did you need something?"
"You don't seem the type to join something like this blind. Anything you are willing to share about this mess between the two sides?"
"Can't say I know much. I know just about as much as you currently, except that Rocket is on the side of Star Chamber. I agreed as I could tell that they were not lying about what was going on and that it was for the good of the world even if their actions were never brought to light."
"So, why did you join then?"
"As I said. They did not lie to me. As such, I figured I would lend my assistance. It might even give me new leads into what I was looking into that you requested of me. I was going to contact you after, but someone named Onslaught attacked me when I went to question the Mayor about it directly."
"Onslaught?"
"A large bulking person wearing what I assume was power armor. It could have been a robot itself, but they seemed too human for it to be a simple AI."
"Like that cyborg cop?"
"I checked that out as well. I can confirm that while they might work for similar people, they have had no contact with each other. Their technology is also vastly different. Onslaught seemed much more off the books."
"I… see. Anything else, Icon?"
"Not at the moment, Hermes. Have you discovered anything new?"
"Have a few leads. Nothing substantial at the moment except the Government has a hand in with the Cyborg cop."
Icon considers that before nodding, "I'll look into it. If I find anything I can use your help for, I'll seek you out."
"I'll hold you to that then. Give me a holler if you need me."
At that point, Samuel begins to walk towards the man whose head is now back to normal—someone that Samuel instantly marks as a Shapeshifter.
"Hey there, you can call me Hermes." Samuel holds out his hand to shake, which he grasps.
"Like, nice to meet you." The outdoorsman gives Samuel's hand a firm shake. "You can call me Sideshow."
"Nice to meet you as well. So, can I ask what was with the dolphin head earlier?"
"Nah... that's totally cool. It's one of my thinking animals. Things are just easier to process when your head is a dolphin, ya know?"
"So you are a shapeshifter of some kind?"
"Yep. Any animal on Earth, even if I like, have my favorites. In combat, I can mix and match them as I want. Super useful for all sorts of things."
The power itself fascinates Samuel, and he wonders if he can do something similar once his control gets better. He has control over Biokinesis, or rather, the ability to manipulate the biology of living organisms. It's going to take a lot of work, but he is confident he can do it if given long enough.
"Then, can I ask a question?"
"Sure! Anything you want."
"Any tips for using animals in a power set? I can use my own biology as a weapon." Samuel has no issue revealing this. It's commonly known at this point and would be soon, even if it wasn't.
"Hmm…" Sideshow thinks for a few seconds, "Not really, man. Like, whenever I want to learn a new animal, I just read up on it a bit and observe it in person if possible. My power likely works a lot different than your own. I'm not one of you… Bang Babies, I think you were called."
"Observing the animals, huh… that could be useful. Thanks for the advice."
"No problem, dude; come back if you need anything else."
He takes a few moments to think over the next people to talk to. His eyes land on the giant nearby, and he walks on over towards Bifrost. The hall is thankfully empty at this time, and he approaches them. He raises his voice a bit so he can be heard: "Bifrost! Up for a chat?"
They look down for a few seconds and lower their hand onto the floor. Bifrost alone has to be 45 feet tall at a minimum. Samuel steps onto their hand and is promptly raised up as they sit on the floor, back against the wall. Bifrost's voice itself is quite cold according to Samuel's suit, not to a lethal level but a pleasant chill, despite this he can't tell their gender, even with their curious tone.
"Hermes… right?"
"That's me. Figured I'd come on over and talk to you. Seems you got a rough hand, huh?"
"Better than the alternative. I was going to die when the gas was released… and then I wasn't. Can't see my parents anymore, can't see anyone I used to anymore. I don't mind, though. I know they are safe."
"... Nah, I get that. I really do. Was homeless before the gas hit. Lost my parents months before that. As long as you know they are safe, that is all you can do. I gotta ask, though, how do you remain hidden?" Samuel does feel for Bifrost a bit here, and he truly understands what they mean.
"I can alter my size at will, even if it can get exhausting. I tend to stick towards the outskirts of town, though. It was hard at first… but I made do."
"Want any help then? I don't mind lending a helping hand if you need it."
"Um… sure?" They do seem a bit unsure. "Not sure how exactly."
"Food, shelter, misc items. I know some people who can even keep to a schedule."
"I'll… think it over. Thank you, Hermes."
"Anything Bifrost… by the way, can I ask your gender? I know it might seem rude."
Amusem*nt fills the giant's voice, "If you must know. I am female."
Samuel talks with the surprisingly gentle giant for a few more minutes about random topics, getting her caught up on current news before deciding to hop off and talk to the next person on his mental list.
Tinks-A-Lot.
Upon approaching, Tinks begins to speak, "I gotta ask, how the heck is your armor built."
"Not sure myself. I pay someone else who is much better than technology than I am to upgrade it."
"Ahhh… lucky." He doesn't even sound disappointed, more intrigued, "So what systems you got?" Samuel shares some of the things his armor can do, the more regular things at least, including his regular laser blasts. Still, he keeps things secret as well, such as his power source or his giant laser that takes his entire energy reserve.
"What about you, Tink?"
"Well, my power is a lot more focused. Deals with prosthetics mainly." He taps his right leg where the metallic foot can be seen. "I figured out that technically, power armor counts as a prosthetic for my power if I think about it the right way. It has many definitions, and by definition, my giant arm gloves count."
"How the hell does that work?"
"A lot of imagination about gorillas and construction equipment and sometimes both at the same time."
"No body armor?"
"Not that you can see! I developed a few tools; don't you worry about me. Should be able to hold my own in a fight." Tinks at that throws a few punches that Samuel quickly knows are sloppy. He's still new to fighting, but if he hits… it's gonna hit hard, a lot harder than most can deal out here.
"You need to learn how to throw a punch better. You can hit hard, but your punches are sloppy. What the heck are you even practicing?" Samuel would recognize boxing, but this isn't it.
"I just copy what I see on TV!"
"Considering your prosthetic leg, I would normally tell you to go to a gym. Instead, I am just going to tell you to find an isolated place and train on your own after watching a proper fighter in combat."
"It's that bad?"
"Worse than you can imagine."
The man seems to slouch a bit. "Shoot. I thought I had something. Any advice?"
"With your style… do you want to hit hard or hit often?"
"Uh…" The inventor stops for a moment to consider, "Both? If I can't, then… hit often."
"Swarmer then. Right, just copy what I do."
Samuel drops into an all-too-familiar stance and lets loose a flurry of punches at base human speeds. Shadowboxing against no one except himself. Tink observes with a tilt of his head, watching each movement and how Samuel moves with a purpose in mind.
He keeps this up for about a minute or so before looking back at Tinks-A-Lot. "How about that?"
Tinks-A-Lot rolls Int. Total of ???. Success.
"Yeah… yeah. I think I get it. Alright, thanks for this, Hermes."
"No problem. Just keep at it, and it'll all make sense sooner or later."
He perks back up as if remembering something, "Hey! If you ever want something, come around the Square. I've set up shop in the old firehouse on 44th and Erickson. Maybe you can be my first customer."
"I'll think about it, Tinks."
The man gives Samuel a small salute with his enlarged arms and begins trying to practice. Samuel shakes his head in amusem*nt before glancing between his last two targets, knowing that Faust has been running the whole time.
Next up… Samuel notes that Mister Brightside is free at the moment and saunters on over to the man. The older man smiles brightly at Samuel, "Hermes! Welcome, welcome. What can Mister Brightside do for you?"
"Just wanted to talk, really. See how everyone is settling in, among other stuff. Are you adjusting to this well?"
The man's smile doesn't fade from his face. "Why, of course. A showman must always be ready to perform at a moment's notice."
"You perform then?"
"Just for villains, to mystify the mind and pull the wool over their eyes. All before I release the grand finale and end it all in one fell swoop."
"Bet you are popular then."
The man chuckles but nods, "I suppose that is one way to look at it. I travel across the city and stop any crimes I can find. If it's a particularly large one? I make sure to plan everything out to the smallest detail, just in case. I'm no young man or woman like most of you, after all."
"Any tips for planning then?"
"Information gathering is key. Sometimes, you need to let a little fish get away to catch the group in a much wider net. Other times, you might need to just spy instead of acting and learning even trivial facts that can save you in a pinch. After all of that? It is a matter of putting it all together."
Samuel thinks it over and has to admit the man has a point. He is… still fresh to this, and he isn't sure when to act or when to spy. It'll give him something to think about then. Brightside, as he prefers to be called, talks with Samuel for a few more minutes before excusing himself to find a bathroom.
Finally, Samuel approaches Charon. The man is calmly drinking a bottle of water despite having no visible mouth. He knows better than to question it, and Charon stands at attention as he approaches.
"Hermes. Come to see me at last?"
"I've been talking to people when I see them alone. You were just the next person I saw that I hadn't exactly interacted with. I'll admit it is a bit funny to find another person with another Greek-based name."
"Well, the stories are popular for a reason. I am quite curious about this place and how it was built, much less the funds needed to acquire it. Such a building, much less the technology… the place is on Earth, I know that much at least."
"Perhaps we'll get answers sometime soon. I'm itching a bit to get moving, if I am to be honest."
"A bit impatient, but I understand it all too well. Especially how we were all gathered here without even a chance to do some last-minute tasks if your vocal friend was to be believed."
Samuel has Construction Journeyman… insight gained.
"The way the roof and walls are built is meant to support heavy weight. I mean heavy weight. Beyond what a normal building should support. If I had to take an educated guess, I would place us underground, though I can't say where."
"You are well versed in construction?"
"Well, it is just something I picked up along the way. Not my specialization; that'd be more medically and biologically focused."
"Ah, a doctor then."
"Can't quite call me that, not yet. Not even sure if I'll go for a PhD."
Charon hums, "Well, I can't blame you for that. The fact we are underground… this place, at the very least, should be secure. Any estimates of how heavy of a weight?"
"Zero idea. Can't tell that without seeing the blueprints for the place."
"Shame. I was hoping to calculate where we were on the planet. Regardless your information has been quite useful regardless. Please don't hesitate to come see me again, Hermes. I believe we can benefit from each other. You can find me in Lower Crawford; just keep an eye out for the symbol on my face." At that, Charon walks away.
Samuel blinks at the sudden departure but shakes his head. He calls up Jackie to see her progress on his new idea after five hours.
QM considers the DC for a useable form of it that would actually stop a Superpowered individual. Jackie rolls for five hours. Total of 30,447. It is useable, but nothing that'd work on anyone above 50. She is trying to refine the formula currently.
Sadly, nothing he can use for now. It'll be a good thing to have later on, but not for the current moment.
As for Faust… well…
Faust attempts to find the Star Chamber's Data. DC ???. Failure. Faust simply doesn't have enough time or processing power at the moment to search the entire globe's internet. He will continue to search on his own time, unless told otherwise.
Safe to say, nothing yet, but he isn't sure if they have a tech expert, but it's a matter of time until Faust finds something.
While he sits around, he does notice two more people show up. The first is a
woman, and he wonders if monochrome is popular or if it's a result of the gas. All he knows is that she is of Asian descent or is a fan of the culture. That, and her giant needle, looks painful. She seems to introduce herself as Wakahirume.
The second one seems to be a
priest, or at least he is dressed as one. His smile would be creepy to most, but Samuel lives with Logic. He has seen much, much creepier from that cat mask-wearing Loci. Or is it his face? Samuel still isn't sure, and he is afraid to ask. Calmly, the man introduces himself as Spirit.
As Hardware enters Shadowspire, clearly a bit disoriented, the lights begin to dim. A projector turns on at the back of the room, stating "Welcome to Shadowspire" in giant text. A woman wearing metallic armor and wings flies across the room, and a voice speaks from an aged
face.
"Good afternoon. You're probably wondering why I called you all here." He walks a bit closer, and Icon begins to speak, gesturing towards the man.
"Indeed. Your video presentation, though impressive, was-"
He is cut off, Dharma speaking, "-Incomplete, lacking any information concerning your origins and purposes. Fair enough. I shall explain that our "Purposes" remain flexible. They have to. For example, we never thought to include "Chasing our own wayward operations" in our charter." The picture on the screen changes, showing the portal maker on the screen alongside a bunch of other people Samuel doesn't recognize.
Static chimes in here, "I don't get it. What makes these guys worse'n, say, the blood syndicate? Or the Rush Limbaugh Fan Alliance?"
The screen changes once more, this time showing a lab with a man working on something. Dharma speaks once more, "Their knowledge of this man—Dr. Nathan Flack. He's developed a substance called "De-Quantified Plasma." That radically alters the laws of physics wherever it is deployed."
Hardware shouts out of nowhere, speaking rapidly, "Those're System Agents!"
Confusion takes over most of the people in the room. "System?" Asks Icon.
Dharma once more takes over, explaining, "System. A malevolent international conspiracy is currently in possession of the only stockpile of the substance Scientists have nicknamed "Quantum Juice." The Star Chamber intends to seize the stockpile and Flack, who has "disappeared" probably for his own security. The effects of this substance are unthinkable. If deployed-" The image now shows an image of that night at the docks, the gas being deployed everywhere. Images of that fateful night flicker in his head, and how many would die if even a singular canister was released in a populated area. He can't let that happen, not again.
"And our mission, Jim?" Hardware interrupts Dharma, but he doesn't seem to mind.
"Stop them, Hardware. Stop them cold." The man takes a moment to breathe, "Now, not all of you will be focused on the frontlines. If I call your name, you shall be staying behind." He only calls out Whistleblower's name alongside Bifrost and Brightside. "The rest of you get ready to head to Las Vegas."
Samuel double-checks his equipment before nodding his head. He's ready to go and made sure not to spend too much energy doing anything else. Samuel moves towards the respective teleportation area alongside others, following the woman who calls herself "
Iron Butterfly."
The moment he appears, the only words he hears are "-thing's moving. Over in the shadows." A safe behind the group seemingly melted through, leading into an area deeper within.
Samuel is already kicking off the ground, ready to fight the first person he sees as Static speaks up and quips at the ready.
"Hey, guys! It's… the Kitchen Cabinet! Or something like that."
One of them shouts though Samuel doesn't pay attention to who at first shouts. Various different names are used to notify people of what is going on, but Samuel isn't sure who is who.
Pick up to five targets. Samuel will fight them from top to bottom in votes in forms of priority.
[][Large Fight]
-[] A
wearing all red and yellow.
-[] Samuel sees that portal maker. He's about to beat them as fast as he can.
-[] A
that Samuel isn't sure what to make of.
-[] A
further into the vault fire already sprouting from his hands.
-[] A storm of
seems to surge forward towards the group.
-[]
. Icon's sidekick.
-[] A
quite literally on fire.
-[] Some figure wearing a
. Samuel can't even see their face.
-[] … What seems to be an
? No mask, no armor. Just wearing regular clothing and a trenchcoat.
-[] An…
. Similar to Ribbet Jones. The exact species he is unsure of.
-[] A rather intimidating
. Bandages cover his hands while an unsettling grin rests on his face.
-[] Some strange…
with a black rabbit's head. They have some strange weapon.
-[] Shadows wrap around this
and he gives off a rather ominous vibe.
-[] …
-[] What Samuel thinks is a
woman, the strange symbols on her helmet, if not head, confuse him.
-[] A
who is wielding a walk sign on a metal stick.
-[] Samuel can't exactly speak when someone says
has too many weapons but this is ridiculous. He wonders how proficient she is in all of them.
-[] … Honestly she looks like a tall gloomy
-[] A
small figurewith a sword way too large for their body.
[][Battle Plan]
-[] Write-in.
