Time to enter the Terrible Twos!!!

 June 1st is a special day around the Heroes Rising game.

It marks the birthday/anniversary of world our heroes currently play in. Around here, that makes the day a very important one as it marks the beginning of a new period of celebration, because here in Heroes Rising, the party doesn't go on for one day, but many.

The curtains are drawn tightly closed as to what to expect. Last year, Nova made a special announcement about a new facility for the heroes. 

Nova's June 1st Announcement

League War 3 started shortly after, so maybe there will be a new installment of league war competition.

Dan Peyton might also have more story to go along with the mystery of the Avatars, who the secret organization might be that was after the mysterious tome, and a million other possible stories that might have potential to be explored. Catch up on his latest batch of stories under the Lore Tab. Or catch up on all the tales he has told so far to better understand the world we are playing in. Fighting may be the main draw of the game but the lore gives our character's actions context. 

His stories often signal an approaching RAID. This last year, our heroes have faced several RAID opponents. Skelanimal, The Spirit of Halloween, Krampus, Lady Phoenix, the Giant Robot, and most recently, Arx. I know I will be paying close attention to what will be happening within the game. Will you? Or will you be late to the table and miss out on some of the fun because you were busy mowing the grass? 

Headquarters were introduced over the last year. Several in-game interface improvements were installed. Multiple fiction and art contests were held. Every month, it seems something interesting, exciting, and incredible was introduced, enhancing either the game play or content. 

Perhaps there will be some new opportunities to Patrol. A Cake Walk Patrol? This new feature offers a good deal of potential events. Since Heroes Rising's last birthday, we saw several unique events, such as the Ruby Shard hunt, the Halloween Trick-or-Treat, the Christmas Gift Exchange, Frostuary, and Easter Village. Content in the game has been expanding recently at an increased pace, so there is always possibility for more to come.

What have been your favorite events over the last year? What will be your favorite new addition or event for the new year?

The only way to find out is to log in and have fun with the rest of us. Let's party like it's a SUPER Party.

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Patrols are Active

In the past, heroes have been known to go on Missions

for BADGE, but now they can be found on active Patrols for our communities.

If you go under the Missions Tab, you will find a new option listed beyond Missions and Bosses. If you select the new Patrols tab feature, you have the opportunity to explore a new level of game play.

Currently, only certain options are unlocked, but there are still several that can be engaged to test the waters. Testing is the correct wording as there are a variety of encounters and options that can be found and the in-game text can vary based on activity by other players. Patrols use some aspects of the Missions that are familiar. What is currently offered has tapped into the already present artwork that pops up while completing missions. Potentially, Patrols don't incur as much experience as Missions did but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities or encounters that might award higher XP rewards.

Some of the events triggered on the Patrols pay out Bux. Some Bux and a small amount of experience. Some offer Morphons. I've encountered one that rewarded me with a billiards ball. A few offer options to choose your action during the encounter, similar to old school choose-your-own-adventure stories. There is a Black Market that offers options for purchasing consumables with Morphon Points. There also seem to be triggered options that open up new patrols when discovered.

With Missions, you spent the energy and the action happened. Fast and predictable. Patrols are timed and the outcomes of the patrols are unpredictable. The initial patrol in A Tour of B.A.D.G.E. lasts 4 minutes. All in a Day's Work lasts for an hour. At any point during these time periods, an event may trigger, and in some cases, multiple events. 

It is not necessary to stay actively on the mission page. You can depart the screen and the Patrol will continue, showing Events available to activate with a large red text box that appears in the lower right-hand corner.

So far, I have encountered two Key items on Patrols. A Golf Club and a Golf Ball, and perhaps a Billiards Ball. Nothing has triggered with the Billiards Ball yet, but finding the Golf Club seems to have triggered a special Super Golf Event. In the top right-hand corner, you will see a count on Golf Balls. 

On one Event during the Super Golf event, I had an engagement that caused me to lose one golf ball. In a different Patrol, I found another one. 

With Super Golf added to my Patrols, I have discovered that currently there is a 3 active patrol maximum. 

The Golf Balls seem to be a necessary key to unlock further progress on the Super Golf Mission. Without a ball, a new special encounter (signified by the ? in a box) will not trigger.

The Patrols feature seems to me to offer some affordable variety to the game with new options to introduce and discover. I have enjoyed some of the curious little dialog messages that appear as my character patrols. I like the fact that other players active during a Patrol might be name-dropped in your feed. Nothing game changing, but a nice community acknowledgement.

I don't want to spell out everything I've found in Patrols for you readers, as I think it will be more fun to explore them. If you do find anything of unique interest, share it on the players page. And remember, we are very close to Heroes Rising's second birthday next month. There are likely events and gifts planned for the occasion, but think on this. Gifts are usually given to the person celebrating the day. This might be a good time to share on the Players Page a positive thought with the developers on your experience with the game. 

Everyone knows they hear more than enough complaints.

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How to Submit a Fiction Forum Story

If you have created a character here on Heroes Rising, you more than likely have imagined a scene or two in your mind about what it would be like to be that super-powered person. How they might look in their costume? What they do when they use their powers? Does the laser beam come out of their eyes like Cyclops or does it come out from the tip of a finger like Dazzler? Who is their arch-nemesis? Are they a four-color super-hero, a dark and gritty anti-hero, a high payed mercenary, or a bored villain just out for violence and mayhem?

If you would like to, there is an option for sharing some of these fantastic ideas with other players on the Fiction Forum. Here is a guide on how to effectively post these tales on the page for others to read, to earn the Reality Writer Power Cards (two per worthy submission of at least two paragraphs), and enter the frequent contests offered by Dan Peyton.

Step One: Go to Fiction Forum (https://heroes-rising-forum.2349640.n4.nabble.com/)
If you follow the link posted on the Heroes Rising Lore page or the These City Streets tab for the Fiction Forum, there are often difficulties logging in. Go directly to the web address included above. I highly suggest bookmarking this page on your device for easy access for future posting options. The page should look like this.

The links offered in the game will take you to a page that shows the These City Streets header. If it looks like the image below, you likely will have difficulty logging into it after creating an account.

If you have never shared a story before, you will need to register for an account. This is not the same platform as the game, so you will need to have an email address to use to register and verify your free account, to create a password, and add your Character ID # on the signature line for payments to your in-game character.

2) Creating an account:

Select Register in the upper right corner. That will take you to this page.

Enter the information in the required fields of User Name, Email, Password, and Confirm Password. Select the Terms of Use agreement button, verify (lie if you have to) that you are not a robot, and then press the Register Now button.


An email will be sent to the email account you entered in for verification. Respond to that email to complete registration. Once you have clicked on the confirmation link provided, you are almost ready to begin posting.

When you click on the link, you will be taken automatically to the Nabble site that hosts the Fiction Forum and be informed that registration has been completed. Press continue to add your player ID number to the signature line so each of your posts will contain the information needed for payment if warranted.

3) Adding your Player ID # to the signature line.

Once logged in on the Nabble Fiction Forum Page, the top right corner has a drop-down option for you to select several actions possible for your account.

Select Account settings. You will find an options for adding an image to your posts, adding personal information, or creating a signature that will appear at the bottom of your posts. Choose the option for Editing your Signature.

In the text window, enter in your characters name followed by your player ID#. This number is found on your Profile tab on the Heroes Rising Main Page. When finished, hit the Save Signature button to apply the signature to your posts in the Fiction Forum.

You are now ready to post your stories as a new thread in the Fiction Forum by hitting the New Topic Button.

I look forward to seeing the stories you post and share with the rest of the Heroes Rising community.

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Hero Highlights- Astra

Our subject today, like so many heroes, began her story by overcoming adverse obstacles. The adversity she faced was not of her making, but the determination to rise above those circumstances is, to me, inspiring.
Can you tell us your name, or would you prefer your Hero designation/code name?
A~~ Hi, Krystal, My name is Keri, though most people call me Astra.
Are you working thru B.A.D.G.E. or are you independent?
A~~ I consider myself independent. I do work with B.A.D.G.E.
Are you currently in a League, and if so, would you care to tell us about it?
A~~ I'm in The 5th Precinct: Space Force. They offered me a spot due to my experience with aliens.
Can you tell us a little about your powers? Are all of your powers Morphon-based?
A~~ I have psionic powers, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Astral Projection, and Psychoportation, That's psionic teleportation. My powers are Morphon Enhanced but are not Morphon based.
Do you have a sidekick?
A~~ No, I don't have a sidekick. I do have a mentor, though. My adoptive mother is the retired hero known as Futurina. She teaches me a lot.
Could you tell us a little about your origin?
A~~ My origin? Oh, here's the quick rundown. I was abducted by aliens and experimented on. This switched my gender and somehow unleashed my powers.
What is your favorite piece of gear? Why?
A~~ The stylish shoes are nice,
but I'd say the chakra wristband is my favorite. It's just awesome.
Do you Have any advice for new Heroes?
A~~ Advice? Follow your instincts. What works for some else may not work for you. Most important is to have fun.
Is there anything else you'd care to add?
A~~ Yeah, if anyone could teach me how to teleport without first seeing where I need to go, that'd be great.
Well, first, I’d like to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to speak with us today. Secondly, I can offer you a few tips on teleportation if you have a few minutes once we are finished.
Until next time, my friends.

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Events, Strategy, and Tips

By 20314 Gatekeeper Arosha aka In Hail Hydra 

With the new 150% events around for one the biggest thing is not the event, it's being there for overtime. For starters its giving you a boost to your damage of that type. It's not buffing the stats on the gears of that type just giving you the damage boost. My suggestion if you don't  have the type specific gear, fight them with counter measures. Find where they have gaps in their suit and exploit it forcing them to change to fight you or just fight someone else. 

With the gear going  in every direction and then some, the field to counter opponents grows. Aura damage my suggestion dont even try to resist it smash them with pure damage and wipe the floor with them.  With 2X or 3X damage on the Elemental and Technology cores can be used on replacing other gear used for the multiplies freeing them up for other options.  May thee odds be ever in your favor.  Gear is king!!!

The trick to dealing with Aura damages:

The new Aura damages are handy, but they leave alot of gaps in the suits. Dont just try to use resist try different methods. I found that high stun and high pure damage kills them off before they kill you. If you are a fan of the aura damage you don't want block you want high strike and lots of life to let the aura wear them down while still getting  in base hits in also.

One suit I found works great against Aura builds is actually  under 1000 life. Pushing  700 damages among 2x 3x and alot of stun! It seems to hold up great against those builds but puts me in a bad position against most others. Dont dismiss gear just because you have something better than it. When building suits its not what gear is best it is more what do you need... when I find someone who I cant figure out I start playing with gear over and over each fight to see what works and what doesn't. Sometimes it is the weakest gears I have that actually get me the win, just need to know how to use them. 

Hope this helps a bit if you see this and have any questions look me up pm me #20314 toon ID

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And the winner is...

And now... the winner of the Fiction Contest: Lykos

Congratulations!!!

I sat watching the sun rise in New Amsterdam, sipping my Dr. Pepper as I like to do in the early morning.  I had a long day of delivering fast food to addresses, having lost my grocery delivery job due to an unfortunate mishap involving lost food.

I was still coming into my powers, learning how fast I could fly, testing the limits of my strength, and figuring out why bizarre powers would just pop up out of nowhere and disappear again just as quickly. I had tried fighting against the Krampus and Phoenix things, but I really have trouble wrapping my head around supernatural bad guys.  Give me something normal, something regular, something like a…

“ATTENTION B.A.D.G.E. Operatives! A giant Robot is crashing through Las Vegas and threatening the populace and buildings. Report immediately to Las Vegas and put that Robot DOWN!”

Yeah… Yeah, a giant robot was perfect.

I jumped up so fast that I forgot the Dr. Pepper entirely. Zooming off into the sky I was able to feel that rush of adrenaline you get when you fly, completely on your own with nothing between you and the ground. I love the feeling of the wind, the sound of the wind, the smell of sea salt…

Wait… crap.

I quickly turned around and headed back inland in the proper direction of Las Vegas – I hoped.  I mean, I am not Google or anything. Within minutes I was approaching the city and it was clear where the chaos was.  The Robot itself stood well above most of the buildings.  Clouds of dust and debris rose up around the metal behemoth, while small dots swirled around it. As I got closer, the dots focused into other heroes, already attacking it.

Explosions and flares of light erupted all around the robot. Lightening streaked and load clangs reverberated across the city as the as the more physical heroes punched it directly. Every once in a while, the monstrosity would stop smashing buildings and blast a huge green laser-like beam at one of the supers.  They would get blasted into the next county, and eventually coming flying back in to attack again.

I paused to decide what best I could do and decided to try a straight up assault. I flew in hard, fast, and bounced off the thing like it was made of rubber. Or maybe I was the rubber ball. Hard to tell when your head is ringing like a gong.

Over the next several hours, more and more heroes made their way to Las Vegas.  I kept punching it from different angles, mostly with minimal effect.  I am stupid strong, but nothing compared to this thing. I am not really even sure I was damaging, or even distracting, it.

Director Nova called me off the attack after several more hours. I think he was keeping an eye out for heroes that were losing their stamina, slowing down.  He directed me towards search and rescue, using my hearing to locate buried survivors, my strength to lift the beams or concrete, and my flight to get them out of there to distant hospitals in other cities.

I was surprised Director Nova was sending us so far away to take survivors and refugees.  Until on one of the flights back I dawned on me: Nova is afraid the robot won’t be stopped.  It will keep destroying Las Vegas until nothing but rubble remained.

Anger fueled my speed back to Vegas and I began attacking with renewed vigor. It had been learned that the metallic beast had a countdown on it and we now knew it was going to blow if we couldn’t defeat it.  Every single hero was now hitting as hard as they could. I don’t think anyone was letting up.

Nova wasn’t calling for search and rescue anymore. I guess it wouldn’t matter if the whole place was leveled, so he had us all on assault. I saw a group of heroes trying to push the robot over by all hitting it from one side. I thought maybe I could help by digging under the robot’s feet, causing it to loose its footing while they pushed, but I hit a water main.  A blast of water to the face sent me spinning backwards.

Exhaustion finally took me down before the Robot did. B.A.D.G.E. officers grabbed while I was swinging feebly at the thing and dragged me away. They must have a way to drug invulnerable heroes because they next thing I knew I was waking up in a tent. The first thing I noticed was the silence.  I assumed they must have removed me to another city, but I could still taste the dust in the air.

I sat up and wearily moved to the exit, stepping out from the tent flap into the desert sun.  B.A.D.G.E. forces ran around, yelling into comms devices. I clicked on my own Comms and soon discovered that while I slept, the robot had been defeated.

The city was in ruins though. A lot of people were still missing. I reported for duty and began my work in search and rescue again. It was always gratifying to find someone alive, but heart-breaking to discover you were too late. I was going to need a lot of counselling I think after this one. Luckily B.A.D.G.E. has experts for us Supers to talk to just for cases like this.

Yeah, I am definitely going to need it.

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Surprise Preview of Upcoming Feature: Patrols

Something new is in the works, Heroes Rising Fans...

If you were following the Heroes Rising Player’s Page Thursday evening, you might have seen a post from Nick inviting players to sample a new in-game feature called “Patrols”. For an hour or so, players were able to investigate an upcoming feature to the game with many still unknown activities.

Imagine your hero(or whatever you call yourself. Hero, Anti-Hero, Villain, Mercenary,...) traveling in different zones, searching, or "Patrolling" for action. What might you find? An elderly person needing help getting to the grocery store? A miscreant trying to break into a business? A kidnapping in progress? The potential threats that your character might encounter are countless. 

With Patrols, which is to be found under the Missions tab next to "Bosses", you can choose different areas to search. For instance, for the Preview, "New Amsterdam" and "Free Detroit" were shown.

As shown, your avatar is displayed wandering around with smaller icons on the search area indicating potential encounters. You cannot control the movement of your character. Sadly, the graphics for this sort of reminded me of my character's avatar drunkenly stumbling around the image, but for some players, that might be accurate. There is a pre-set time for each zone. For instance, the Tour of BADGE choice shown has a timer shown on the right hand side of the image.

The two black boxes with indicate when an encounter is available to activate. Similar to when encountering a Boss on the Mission feature, the box will turn red and indicate there is some type of action to be taken. The one I encountered was a fight against an NPC opponent. Others encountered different challenges.

Daryl Danforth had this message appear while on patrol. What +1 Billiards means is unclear at this point, but it does suggest that there might be different layers to the activities in the Patrol feature.

The Patrol encounters also seem to be able to be altered to create "Hard" versions, increasing the difficulty of the challenges encountered. The Time Limit on these patrols vary as well, and perhaps the longer patrols consist of a higher number of encounters that can be explored(as demonstrated by the ?s at the bottom of the screenshot).

 

Todd Goode shared this encounter he discovered:

Thank you Todd for sharing this exclusive update to the players. It will be very interesting to see how many of these consumables are available to collect, and how many will be purchases for Morphon points. It does add an interesting mechanic to the Patrol feature, albeit a costly one.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of this Patrol feature going active. How about you?

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Contest Runner-up: Where was Chained Angel when the Giant Robot attacked Las Vegas?

And now... here are the finalists for the Fiction Contest: What were you doing when... 

Runner-up is the entry by ChainedAngel:

High above the earth, Chained Angel couldn’t spare the time to enjoy the currents of warm air lifting her to the heavens. She needed to reach Las Vegas and help answer the call put out by Director Nova to thwart a large robotic monstrosity that appeared out of nowhere. Her large, powerful white wings swept through the air and thrust her forward, each stroke moving her faster and faster toward her destination.

        We won’t have a hard time finding the site of the battle, her angelic companion thought to her. Having an actual angel bound to her soul made for a unique relationship. Quite literally, she could feel it residing on her left shoulder, guiding and mentoring her in the use of its powers. It doesn’t take much effort to sense the depravity your modern-day Gomorrah exudes.

        “We’re not going there to preach for a better world today,” Angelica replied to him. “The city is being attacked. People are being killed. We have a duty to protect them.”

        Lessons will still be learned while innocents, if you find any, are saved. Perhaps some good might come out of such a vile place being leveled.

        “Vegas isn’t all bad. At some point you’re going to have to understand that what you see on a television show might be embellished a bit to make everything extra dramatic for better ratings.”

        That’s why Hollywood would be my second choice as a city for some wrathful divine intervention to be shown. 

        While the Angel of Death and its powers might rest within her, that didn’t mean Angelica automatically had full access to its consciousness, so she was uncertain (and a tiny bit concerned) if its comment was meant as a joke or not. Its did have a sense of humor, which surprised her greatly when she first heard it tell a joke. Who would expect a divine servant from above to love George Carlin?

        Chained Angel gauged that she would arrive withing the next few minutes to the scene of the battle. Prysmatica and several others of the Star Force league would already be in Las Vegas far ahead of her. She silently prayed that she would arrive before the giant robot fell. Nothing was quite as exhilarating as a good fight.

        A brief chill washed over her, stronger than she normally felt. Recognizing the cause to the sensation, a death knell, she thrust her wings once again, adding more effort to the motion. She couldn’t be sure of the exact cause, but people were dying nearby. The angel inside of her grew restless.

        Faster than predicted, Chained Angel flew high above Las Vegas and surveyed the landscape. Spotting the threat to the city was akin to locating a zit on a teenager’s face. Not only was the robot far more enormous than she expected, but hundreds of heroes milled around it and traded attacks with the monstrosity. Flashes of light from energy blast highlighted the battlefront, making it clear where she needed to be.

        “I’m coming in now. DFA (Death from Above) imminent!” She shouted through her BADGE communicator as she began her dive. It was time for this nail to meet the hammer. As she plummeted, she triggered one of her abilities, aptly named Titanic Fury. She didn’t become as large as the giant robot but large enough to blot out the sun as she approached.

        Sure, it might be a bit risky, but so was a gigantic animated reject from Hasbro walking the streets.

        She descended like a meteor, an elegant streak of red hair sizzling into streaks of flame until she reached the top of the city’s skyline when she tucked her legs up to her chest and flipped so that her armored feet would slam into the robot’s flat head.

        Typical superhero landing.

        The collision rippled kinetic force from her impact out in a circle of destruction. Windows shattered in the aftermath of the shockwave. Buildings shook. Heroes that hadn’t braced themselves from her warning were hurled backwards from the epicenter.

        The giant robot staggered back one step.

        Chained Angel expected her attack to crush the monstrosities head into pieces. She rocked from side to side as she stood up from one knee while the robot moved forward, stunned that she hadn’t even made a dent in the dense metal.

        “Angel, watch out,” Catalyst yelled through her earpiece.

        She forced her wings down, giving her enough lift from the robot’s head to partially avoid one of the long mechanical arms crackling with energy. It singed one of her wings as the electricity arced from the limb while brushing over her feathers.

        The other heroes around her continued their assault. Silver Paladin chopped at the robot’s leg with his enchanted blades, leaving little more than a faint scratch on the surface. Flames hotter than a volcano wrapped around one of its arms as Wyldfyre attempted to melt the robot into slag. Krystal Fae shot at it with mystical bolts of eldritch energy. Heroes from all walks of life, some recognizable and some new, all attempted to disrupt the monstrosities assault on the city.

        None seemed to be making a considerable amount of impact on the robot. It seemed nearly impervious to their attacks.

        “Do we know why this robot is attacking the city?” Chained Angel asked through her communicator.

        “None so far,” Prysmatica replied.

        “It’s been strangely quiet so far,” Arcane Ace added. “Not often that I’ve gotten to fight something that isn’t laughing manically or talking non-stop."

        “It shouldn’t be able to shrug off our attacks so easily. Whatever it is made from isn’t factory standard.” Chained Angel said as she watched a new heroine shooting at the robot with handheld lasers as she flew around in a blue and white skin-tight suit.

        “Arcane Ace and I have been hitting it as hard as we can but haven’t accomplished much. Now we’re trying to simply draw its fire now so the heavy hitters can unleash on them.” Prysmatica said.

        “Keep looking for whatever opportunities you can find,” Starmaster instructed as he joined the conversation. “It has to have a weakness, somewhere.”

        As she drew breath to reply, Chained Angel saw the giant robot pivot to attack the new hero she observed. It grabbed a parked dump truck and hurled it at the young girl’s backside while she passed by the giant robot, strafing it with a volley of laser blasts.

        “Not while I’m here, you big tin can,” Chained Angel soared to the new heroine and spread her wings out to shield the girl before the vehicular missile struck her.

        The force of the impact of the dump truck knocked Chained Angel backward and into the young woman she sought to protect. They tumbled into an off-ramp to the nearby interstate highway, crashing into it with the truck landing on top of them and sending the women through the cement structure to the road below it.

        Bits of rubble fell off Chained Angel as she stood up until a new sensation overwhelmed her. Her body felt as if it were trapped inside of an iceberg, yet she could still move freely.

        “Did you get the number of that truck?”  The girl said from behind her. “Oh, there it is. I see it now. Watch out. It’s getting ready to fall.”

        Chained Angel looked up and spotted the dump truck balanced on the lower edge of a hole in the broken ramp. There was a shatter pattern spiderwebbing across the glass of the windshield, and behind the window, she sensed something else. She didn’t see or hear it, but some previously unknown ability drew her attention.

         You must go to him. I need your aid if he is to be helped. The angel inside of her spoke with desperation in its voice.

         Without reservation, Angelica lifted into the air to driver’s door of the truck as it tilted.

         “Was someone in there?” The young woman asked as she flew slightly behind Angel. “Viewers, I’m taking you first-hand to a rescue in progress.“

          The green door to the cab was still closed as Chained Angel came up alongside of it. She could clearly see a man slumped over behind the steering wheel. What she couldn’t see was a deployed air bag. The cold that gripped her body grew stronger as she came nearer to him and even through the metal of the door, she could make out a glowing white form overlapping the space of his physical body.

An astral form. She shivered, finally recognizing the scene before her. It was only a few years ago she was in the same situation.

         Talk to him. Know him as I knew you.

         “Can’t you get the door open. I’m Kyrie, by the way.” Her new companion said.

         Chained Angel struggled to cope with both voices speaking to her at the same time. “Hold on. Wait. Right, the door.” She reached out and pulled to open the door. Locked. She pulled harder and ripped the door from its hinges.

        “Sir. Sir. Can you hear me?” Chained Angel asked. As she focused on him, a name came to her, as well as a rush of experiences not her own. Hating school. Living alone with his dog. Missing his parents. “Roberto, can you hear me?”

        A gasp came from behind her. “Oh my—”

        “Quiet!” Chained Angel glanced behind her and saw the terror on Kyrie’s face. “Go to the front of the truck and keep it from falling. I… I… I’ll take care… take care of this.”

        “How?” Kyrie said, evoking a soul piercing stare from Chained Angel. “OK. I’ll see what I can do.” Kyrie drifted to the front of the truck and grabbed the misshapen hood and pushed, steadying the truck.

        “Who are you? Why are you here, chica?” Roberto said with a heavy Mexican accent. The lips of his white astral form moved, but not those on his face.

        Chained Angel drew in a deep breath. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes. “You’ve been hurt, Roberto. Badly hurt. But you shouldn’t be afraid. Everything will be alright.”  

        “I hid in the truck. I didn’t know what to do,” Roberto said, his head beginning to turn ever so slightly. “The truck lifted and then suddenly, I was flying through the air.”

        “Yes. That doesn’t matter right now. I have to tell you something that is going to be very difficult for you to understand.” Her mind continued to process the life funneling into her. He was a shy, meek man, but a good one. Loneliness filled most of his life. He had been separated from his family as a child and felt unwanted by those who he grew up with. Fear kept him from doing so much of what he wanted to do. Going to the country his family came from to find his parents. Asking for raises after decades of work with a small construction company. Asking the love of his life out on a date, or any woman for that matter.

        I can’t do this. Angelica pleaded with the angel inside of her. Raw emotion tore at her soul as empathy and understanding bound her to Roberto. Take over. Please.

        I cannot. You are who is here in his moment of need. My powers are yours now, as is the responsibility. Do what needs to be done. Don’t think of yourself. Think only of him.

        “What is it, chica? Is the doctor on the way?” Roberto’s astral body glanced down and saw his mangled hands. “My HANDS. I cannot feel my hands.”

        His panic washed over Angelica. The realization that more happened than he was aware of. “Calm down, Robbie.” Memories of his pleasant familiarity when teachers called him by that name crept into her mind. “I know how scared you are, but it will be alright. It’s going to be alright. You have to trust me.”

        “Who are you talking to?” Kryie shouted from the front of the truck. “Was someone else in there with that poor guy?”

        “Why can’t she hear me? Nobody else is in here. What is going on?” Roberto struggled to move his astral form, trying to rip it free from the body that housed it.

        Chained Angel had fought villain and monsters alike. She lifted semis. She’d been to space and fought in great challenges with BADGE and the Star Force. She had fought to live as the murky Detroit River tried to steal her own life away as she sank into it. She couldn’t do this, even though she knew she had to.

        “Robbie, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, but you’ve died, my friend,” she said as tears trickled down her cheeks.

        Kyrie sobbed as she shouldered the weight of the vehicle, clearly listening as Chained Angel spoke.

        “Died. No, I’m hurt but I cannot be dead. I’m talking to you, Chica. You’re a hero. My angel with bright white wings.” Roberto’s spirit met Chained Angel’s gaze with the eagerness and hope of a child found while trapped in a burning building. “You will save me, yes?”

        “Yes, Robbie. I can save you.” Chained Angel choked back the thick snot filling the back of her throat. She remembered begging the angel to do the same for her as she drowned. “But I can’t heal you. Let me guide you where you will be shown all the love you’ve missed for so long.”

        Call it forth. The angel inside of her instructed.

         Where are the other angels? Why aren’t they here helping him? Angel shouted in her own thoughts.

         We angels can sense when another of us is near. You were too close when his death happened. Being mortal, you are seldom in close proximity to any as they pass. Close enough to hear or answer the tolling of a soul looking to be taken to the next world. Since you responded to this one’s plea, no other angel will answer it. If you don’t do this, he will not find his way.

         “Will I finally see my momma and pappa again?” Roberto said, his thoughts full of his memories with them.

         Chained Angel didn’t know. She only drew on the powers of one of the Angels of Death, or Reapers as they were sometimes called, because of a Morphon power she never even knew she had. She had its strength and other gifts, but not its knowledge.

         Call for the gate to open, and they will be revealed to him if they are present.

         “I’ve called 9-1-1,” Kyrie said. “An ambulance is in route. Should we get the truck down on the ground before they get here?”

          Grateful that the new heroine could manage to hold the dump truck aloft, Chained Angel thought of the warm, white light that bathed over her body as she sunk deeper into the cold river water years ago. She refused to go into it then, fighting with the last of her strength to live and not give into the peaceful beckoning. After being assaulted as she had been before being dumped in the river, a fury inside of her needed to be sated. A fury that needed to feed. That she wanted to feed.

          If she summoned the gate here and now, would she have the strength to refuse passing through it again? Would it call to her once more, or had she forever lost the privilege of that choice when she absorbed the angel into her? So many questions she never thought to ask before rushed to mind.

        “The blue girl, she says an ambulance is coming. I can live yet, no?” Roberto asked. “I don’t see my parents here with me. Please tell me I can stay.”

         CALL FORTH THE GATE. The angel inside her demanded. It is cruel to give him false hope. It will only make his journey harder to accept.

        The battle in the distance raged on. On top of the memories flooding her from Roberto’s mind, his pleas for help, and Kyrie seeking advice, Chained Angel was overwhelmed by the added noise of the angel’s shouting. She wanted to scream and expel the growing pressure within her, but knew she couldn’t, fearing showing her inner turmoil might disrupt Roberto’s transition to the next world. “Everyone, be at peace. Please—,” she said as she closed her eyes and sucked air in through her nose and held it before releasing it through her mouth, “—I can do this. I have to do this.”

        “Who is everyone?” Kyrie asked, looking over each of her shoulders once. “Do you have cameras broadcasting your adventures too?”

        “Kyrie!” Chained Angel shouted with exasperation. “I can’t explain right now, but this is important. Just hold the truck up a bit longer.” With that, Chained Angel reclosed her eyes tightly and focused her thoughts on opening a door she had never tried to open. The frigid cold faded and she grew warmer. The sensation of being surrounded in bed by the softest, thickest blankets washed over her.

        “Chica, I see something. A light. Such a beautiful light as I’ve never seen…” Roberto said, his voice full of wonder.

        She tried to open her eyes but couldn’t. They were somehow sealed shut. Strangely, she could  still view the glorious light shining through the opening she made. It took a second to realize she was seeing it as if watching with Roberto’s eyes, and she could see beyond the world she knew. Beyond even the astral plane she experienced while training with Starmaster and other psychics.

        She could see what came next. Insufficient words played in her mind. They couldn’t describe it or allow her a concept by which to comprehend it. Shaded colors with vaguely humanoid forms crowded around the gap, becoming slightly opaque. Featureless, she could identify them by Roberto’s awareness only.

        “Grandmama. Oh, I’ve missed you so. Yes. I’ve grown since you’ve last seen me.” His mind, no, his soul spoke to the amassing group, welcoming each with gratitude and joy. Each one sent a different message of greetings. Dozen of dozens of indescribable entities waited beyond the threshold.

        Chained Angel felt as if she were Oda Mae in Ghost and couldn’t help but be moved by the divine presences.

        Tell him it is time to join them. Her angel said.

        “Go to them, Robbie. They are all here for you,” she said.

         The loneliness that enveloped him before melted away as his astral form moved to the light. He stopped suddenly, turning to face Chained Angel. “But who will take care of my Carmen? I cannot leave her alone. Nobody is there to care for her, Chica.”

         An image of his dog replayed in her mind. The brown lab doing twists and spinning in wild circles who sought only to greet him every time he came through the door from work played in his mind’s eye. Of all the emotions playing through him, this one bond was the strongest and most unyielding. He couldn’t continue his journey if there was any worry for her within him.

         “I’ll see she is cared for,” Chained Angel said, meaning it with the fullness of her heart. Near the feet of the humanoid shapes waiting for him beyond the gateway, she noticed smaller, blobs with tails and four legs waiting with them. “You will see her again someday, when the time is right.”

          Accepting Chained Angel’s reassurance, he nodded and drew closer to the portal. The essence of his being touched the edge of it and the white light swept forward and enveloped him, and quickly snapped shut.

         His memories faded from her mind, but Chained Angel couldn’t help but to feel she had been forever changed by them. She opened her own eyes, finally able to once more, and saw only a lifeless shell in the seat. The head listed to one side and dangled, clearly snapped by the collision. Blood dripped from fingers that had crashed into the windshield and broken.

         Dangling from the mirror was a pendant with a photo of Carmen, her tongue hanging happily out as her brown eyes twinkled.

         Chained Angel grabbed the frame of the door, bracing herself to carry its weight. “OK, Kyrie, let’s get this down to the ground.”

         “Finally,” Kyrie mumbled not quite quietly enough to be under her breath.

           You handled that well. I’m proud of you. Her angel companion said.

          Not yet ready to speak about the event, Chained Angel thought nothing back to her bound companion.

          Seeming to understand, it departed from the immediacy of her mind.

          Angelica felt very alone but for the lingering memories left by Roberto. Not the alone that Roberto felt. She knew she had people in her life and that her unique companion would be there if she called on it, but she felt her individuality, her soul’s solitary state of being. As if she were the sole viewer of the most fantastic painting in a museum, able to appreciate it undisturbed in her own personal corner of the universe.

          Together, she and Kyrie lowered the dump truck to the ground. Kyrie walked around the cab to Chained Angel’s side. Her voice thick, she asked a single question. “Did he suffer?”

          Reaching forward, Chained Angel brushed her hand over the vacant eyes staring out and closed the lids. “Yes.” Chained Angel bid farewell to Roberto’s spirit in silent prayer. “But if you mean did he feel any pain when it happened, then no. It was quick.”

          A scream of energy echoed beneath the overpass, reverberating off the concrete structure. The battle with the giant robot continued in the distance.

          “What do we do now?” Kyrie asked, turning away from the body and searching for the ambulance she called to arrive. “Do we wait here for the EMTs?”

          Chained Angel wiped her cheeks dry with the soft edges of her white wings. The sound of battle rekindled the fury welled inside of her and her magnificent wings shifted to a dark, raven black. The robot needed to pay for what it had done.

          “There’s nothing more we can do here, except make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Chained Angel said with a sneer, hungry for vengeance. “It’s time to open up that can of soup and see what its insides look like. I hope it’s tomato!”

          As they flew back to the fight, Chained Angel sent a text to Agent Leslie of BADGE, giving her Roberto's address and the events of the collision on the offramp. She then asked Leslie to go there and care for Carmen until the end of the fight with the giant robot. Chained Angel made a promise that nothing would prevent her from keeping.

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Collaborative Fan-Fiction Best of April: The New Arrival

Congratulations to the team of the collaborative fan-fiction thread, "COLLABORATIVE FICTION - The New Arrival"

Each participant of this thread will receive two of the all-new fan-fiction reward card, "Strange Fiction":

Ricochet 25383

Fiona 23251

Highlander 21107

Keep up with the awesome stories!

Reminder: Those who still want to contribute individual (non-collaborative) stories will continue to receive Reality Writer reward cards for their effort, and outstanding contributions may be featured on the blog and home page in-game. Furthermore, various types of fan-fiction contests will be organized from time-to-time, so look out for announcements on the Heroes Rising Players page.

Yours Quackily, 

SQ

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Contest Entry: What were you doing when... - vs Giant Robot

And now... here are the finalists for the Fiction Contest: What were you doing when... 

Placing third is the entry by Macaia's Daughter:

A silver jet approached the city of Las Vegas, its engines at full throttle. The hull shuddered noticeably.

"This baby is going to need an upgrade, I think," said Invincible Frank as he tapped the inside of the fuselage.

"Yeah, the boss man may need to put this in the monthly budget," replied another man, known as Captain Ultra.

The jet banked and dived low.

"Drop zone ahead," came the voice from the cockpit. Immediately, the side panel opened. The heroes inside peered outwards and saw a behemoth of a robot engaged in a battle with must smaller people. Energy blasts rocket in many directions.

"Let's go," said Captain Ultra as he jumped out. Others, some from the 5th Precinct, others from unaffiliated groups, followed suit. Those without flight abilities strapped gliders and or parachutes to their bodies.

Among the group, I hesitated slightly, then stepped out once I saw a clear path.

This wasn't my first time taking a leap from an aircraft - most dives are pretty straightforward - but it felt a bit strange doing this without at least one of my close friends in the vicinity. While my godpa was in transit with another 5th Precinct team and would link up soon enough, Aflima was dealing with an evacuation job in Japan and wouldn't be here for some time. At least my mother was still on the comms -

"Rosa? You're drifting off-course!"

Well, that wouldn't have been great, ending up the other end of the city, would it?

"Sorry, mama," I replied. I twisted my body, and allowed the glider to bring me closer to the planned spot where we could approach the robot and take it down.

A straightforward landing, tuck and roll, and I'm on my way. The others had landed nearby and were already engaging in combat. Guns and magical staffs were blasting away, although they seemed to have minimal effect at slowing the mechanical being.

Can I slow this thing down mentally? I held a finger to my head and pointed with my other hand, hoping to find some kind of central nervous system to target.

"Unnh!"

The robot shot some sort of electrical charge in our direction. It was unavoidable. Worse still, my attempt at a mental lock was totally and completely useless.

My legs steadied themselves as I stood up. A small collection of trash cans and garbage bags helped to cushion my fall, but I was definitely going to need a long shower at the end of this. I ran to my right, weaving between a couple of heroes who were trying to counter with physical strikes. They were strong, but because they needed to get close to inflict damage, wound up especially vulnerable to the robot's swinging arms. I couldn't help but shudder as one backhand attack sent Mighty Grundar crashing into a paint and supplies shop. He's not going to be happy if his rich-blue skin turns yellow and magenta, I think.

Meanwhile, how can I help get this thing weakened? I'm a bit out of ideas at the moment.

Another hero, I'm not sure of his name, hurtled backwards over my head. Instinctively, I try to grab him telekinetically, and managed to slow him in mid-air, allowing him to regain his balance.

"That's it," I say under my breath.

There's a police blockade at the nearby junction and I see some things that could be of use to me. I run as quickly as I can - I'd trade some of my mental abilities for a set of Hermes boots right now - while avoiding another of that robot's energy beams. For a big clunky-looking machine, it's got some sweet maneuvers. Whoever constructed it has to have multiple engineering and robotics degrees, I bet.

My telekinesis has taken a back seat to my mental abilities in recent years, but I know how to levitate a concrete barrier... and throw it!

It's about 2 tons of mass, and unfortunately I can't throw it with great velocity... but it'll make an impact, I'm sure. It strikes the robot right across its front panel.

I smile as I hoist a second barrier. When we come out of this, my hour-long shower is going to feel Mag-Ni-Fi-Cent.

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