COLLABORATIVE FAN-FICTION IMPORTANT UPDATE

The month of August has been a productive month for collaborative fan-fiction. There were many high quality entries on different threads, making it difficult to acknowledge the outstanding effort of many contributors. 

As such, from the month of August and forward, rewards given to contributors of the winning thread will be based on the quality of their respective posts in that thread. 2 or more "Strange Fiction" cards will be given to contributors at my discretion based on merit. Obviously, those who put in more effort in that thread stand to receive more reward cards.

In addition, outstanding contributors in *other* (non-winning) threads may also receive a "Strange Fiction" card for their effort if deemed appropriate.

🙂🦆🙂

For the month of August, the winning thread is:

Madam Marvelous: Chapter Two -- Morphon High (Collaborative)

Congratulations! 

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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New Patrol Now Open for Business: Neo Utopia "The McGuffin Clock"

 by Chaz Hamilton

It was the last day of the month of August, when cool breezes became more precious that most anything else this city offered, especially down by docks where heroes started a new patrol.

Private Investigator Peyton is back, the gumshoe who helped defeat Rotkowski and his goons when Gar was abducted. This continues the story started there, bringing your character back to Neo Utopia, or as it might better be known, Retro-Neo Utopia.

What is there to do in this unstable metropolis?

That is what you are going to have to help to uncover. Similar to the "Super Golf" mission, this mystery needs to be solved and your hero is smack dab in the middle of the case.

Titled "The McGuffin Clock", bring your hero back to a simpler time. Where space-faring shuttles transform into simple airplanes. And if you don't know what a McGuffin is, I looked it up for you. A McGuffin is an object or device in a movie or a book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot. I figure you all know what a clock is, so I won't bother explaining that one.

Level 15 or above is the suggested requirement, but lower level heroes have seemed to slip in with ease. 

So if you haven't already hit the ground running, head to Neo Utopia (found on the bottom of the Patrol tab), and help uncover the new story. It could be a real page turner. Let us at the Sentinel know if you find anything interesting. We're always looking for more good people to keep our readers informed.

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Put your Skills to the Test by Challenging the Best!!! New Patrol Feature

by Chaz Hamilton
ID# 22349

While Patrolling in the New Amsterdam area, new businesses have made an appearance all over the place. Pushup Gyms, Pinball Arcades, and Ping Pong Halls have opened up and are available to heroes who need a brief distraction from the battles against villains and encounters with seedy black market operators.

These businesses can be found by using an Access Token, which many heroes found while battling against Rotkowski and his goon, Steelfist.

If you have an access token, you can go to the list of available Patrols in New Amsterdam and press the Gyms button and a speedy New Amsterdam Uber will transport you to one of the available locations. Otherwise, due to the popularity of secret lairs with capes, you must find a site while actively patrolling.

While there, you have options to challenge the owner of the gym for ownership, or build your skill.

Now, while this is a new feature to the New Amsterdam scene, there are challenges to participating in them. First, you must make yourself aware of what type of "gym" you are in. While there is a featured "gym" that handles contest with push ups, all of the other locations are also described as being "gyms" as well. 

For instance, the three "New Amsterdam Gyms" pictured to the right are each for different skill challenges. The first is a push up gym controlled by Shinobi, named Shinobi's Dojo. The second is a ping pong location named Spiker's, owned by Viper. The third is a pinball arcade. Each "gym" utilizes a different skill, but you must make sure to pay attention to the one you choose to use. As time goes on, hopefully greater clarity is given to each type of skill a location uses.

Second, when choosing to challenge the owner of a "gym", you can choose either the owner, one of three different members, or to simply practice on your own. If you encounter a "gym" on a random patrol, it doesn't clearly identify what type of skill challenge you will face. It is advisable not to go into a gym and immediately think you are the best of the best and will win automatically. If you lose the challenge, you gain nothing. It is advisable to not assume it is a push up "gym" and use skill enhancers only to discover that while you were ready to push up, your opponent was playing ping pong.

Third, by owning a "gym", the pay-off is earning some Morphon Points and the chance at Power Cards designed to represent the skill used. 

 I don't know how the exact mechanics work, but the art is cool I hope to be able to collect some over time.

Overall, this could be an exciting new development for future play experiences, but more clarity needs to be provided as to what "gym" a player encounters. It seems that without knowing what skill is being used when selecting which random gym activity you encounter, there is a fair amount of wasted effort involved.

***New Flash*** This just in. "Gyms" have been seen in other patrol areas. Please check local listings for their special appearances.

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Neo Utopia RAID Fan-Fiction: Girls just want to RAID

by Madam Marvelous (PID# 26130)


When Arx threw his hissy fit in Hollywood a while back, I couldn’t go because my parents wouldn’t let me. Now, as a probationary BADGE agent, they couldn’t stand in my way.

Or so I thought.

Imagine this. My parent’s kitchen. Last night. We had just finished dinner and were getting ready to talk more about my attendance at the new Sagan Academy when my comm unit chirped.

CALLING ALL HEROES TO NEO UTOPIA

“What’s going on, Kitt’n?” Dad asked as he carried a stack of dirty plates to the dishwasher.

“Director Nova is calling for all heroes to go to Neo Utopia,” I replied. “I better get ready.”
“Of course dear, just as soon as your chaperone gets here,” Mom said calmly.

Chaperone?!

Mom’s cool demeanor accepting my summons raised a red flag.

“She’s not my chaperone, Mom. At least, Ms. Fae hasn’t told me yet that she will be my Training Officer.”

“I’m not talking about Ms. Fae, dear,” Mom said.

“We’ve talked to Director Nova and we thought that for BADGE outings, it might be handy for you to have a dedicated companion to be at your side.”

“You arranged for me to have a SIDEKICK?”

I didn’t know if this was progress as far as them seeing me as a real hero or some type of ploy meant to discourage me. “Who is it?”

“If there is a call from Director Nova out for all heroes, then she should be here any moment.
She will also be transporting you to wherever the Director… directs.” Dad said.

He leaned forward and peered out the kitchen window. “In fact, I think she is arriving now. Better go and get ready.”

Not wanting to miss out, I raced up to my room and gathered some of the gear I had collected since joining BADGE. My Modified Hazmat Helmet, a Null-Field Generator, Chrono Ring, and other items that went well with my Technocrat core. By the time the doorbell rang, I was halfway down the stairs, ready to go. “Don’t get the door. It’s for me. It’s for me!”

“Rules, dear,” Mom said from the archway connecting the kitchen to the foyer. “No running in the house.”

“MOM!” I rushed up to her as she leaned down so I could give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Knock. Knock, KNOCK.

“I’ve got to go.” I rushed to the front door and opened it, desperate to see who would be taking me to Neo Utopia. Would it be Ms. Fae? Futurina? The Sword of Gerraxia? Macia’s Daughter? I turned the knob and swung the door open.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A doting, lovable elderly woman with grayish hair, thick granny glasses with a chain, white ruffled shirt, plaid skirt, and amethyst broach waited at the door for me.

“Well HELLO, poppet.”

Yes. You’ve got it.



My driver and chaperone to the big event outside of Neo Utopia was none other than Mrs. Doubtfire.

Well, not an exact match for her. Her face was wider, her nose a bit more pointed, and a less pronounced chin, but she could easily have been Robin Williams’s stunt double.

“You can’t be serious,” I said as I glared back at my parents.

“Don’t be rude, dear. Invite her in,” Mom said.

I looked back to the lady at the door. “We need to go, don’t we? Can’t have Director Nova waiting on us.”


“Oh, no, dearie. You must be Blossom,” she said. “It’s only polite if I come in and meet your lovely parents before I cart their little cherub away. And you may call me Eggie.”

“Eggie,..” I repeated as I held the door open for her as she shuffled into the foyer. Once she was in, I closed the door behind her. “What kind of name is Eggie?”

“I’m E.G., or if you say it fully, Electric Grandmother,” Eggie said.

“I’ve been programmed to transport you to and from your BADGE duties while still providing you with a sound cover story to protect your identity. Who’s going to question a young lady going out to spend some time with her loving grandparent?”

“Are you a robot?” I asked.

“Oh, what a question. I do so admire an inquisitive mind,” she cooed. “Yes, I am an artificial intelligence, but more than a plain old robot. If you ask my builder, you would find that I was almost given the name Anne for that very reason. He finally decided that Anne Droid was a bit too on the nose.” With that, she tapped the tip of her nose and giggled merrily.

“Hello, Eggie,” Mom said. “It’s very nice to meet you. Director Nova said you would be capable of protecting her if things become too dangerous.”


“Of course, dearie,” Eggie said. “I come fully functional with a NANNY defense system.”

“NANNY defense?” Dad cocked his head.

“’ No Adversary Near or I Nuke You’ system. I am prepared to evacuate her from danger while using the most powerful tech available to send her assailants to…,” she covered her mouth slightly with a hand and even managed to look embarrassed a bit as she spelled out, “-h…e…double hockey sticks.”

“Can I see that in practice?” I glared at my chaperone. How was it going to look with me showing up to a battlefield with her knitting over my shoulder the whole time? “You’ll actually blow up when that happens?”


“Let’s hope we never need to find that out dearie,” Eggie said. “It’s been lovely to meet you, but we have been summoned to duty and must be off.”

“You’ll have her back by curfew?” Mom said.

“Of course. Every box will be checked and double-checked when it comes to her probationary duties.”

“Have fun fighting evil, Kitt'n,” Dad said as he and Mom waved goodbye.

Part of me didn’t even want to answer the summons anymore, but that would make my parents even happier if I missed another major event. I was caught in a trap of my own making. I’d agreed to their terms, now I had to live with them.

Eggie and I headed out of the house and to her tiny, yellow car. I don’t know much about car brands, but the name Volkswagon Bug came to mind when I saw its rounded dome ceiling and curved body.

“Do you mind getting the door for me, dearie?” Eggie asked as she paused outside the driver’s door. “A young lady should always help their elders with doors. We suffer from all sorts of ailments, such as arthritis and brittle bones.”

“You don’t have either,” I said while pressing the silver button on the handle and pulling the door open for her.

“We must think of your cover, dearie,” she said. “The practice of good manners is a valuable tool in the hands of any hero.”

Great.


Not only did I have an animatronic chaperone, but it was going to be one of those full of helpful tidbits of Emily Post’s top 1000 factoids.

She got in, slowly, and I closed the door behind her.

By the time I got into the car, she had just managed to open her handbag and started to search for her keys.

“Don’t we need to get there soon?” I urged her to move more quickly.

“No need to rush, dearie... Buckle up,” she said as she pulled out the keys and started the engine.


“Safety first in everything that we do. Accidents happen more frequently when we allow caution to go to the wind.”

I clicked my seatbelt and relaxed into my seat.


If I had really wanted to, I could morph into a falcon and leave her in the dust, but I decided best to let my parents have this moment of peace and ease at my leaving them.

And every ounce of frustration I felt would be released on whatever threat I was being summoned to fight outside of Neo Utopia.

“And here we go, dearie,” Eggie said as she put the car in motion. “Off like a herd of turtles, as my father used to say.”

“You’re father?”

“Yes, dearie... A lovely Macintosh PC. Oh, I have such fond memories of he and I playing the Oregon Trail together,” she said.

I glanced at the speedometer... 15 MPH...

Well played, Mother… Well played.

Continue the Story

How to Float

Chaoren

ID#26465

I have observed a number of people who stay in roughly the same place while growing tougher and have considered how to do this. I am currently experimenting with it on Chaoren, as he needs to fill in his powers a bit before rising.

Here are my thoughts on the best way to do this.

1. Fight only level 1 characters in the standard fights. This will let you get most victories for least experience, so you can eventually win Morphons.
2. Run Fight clubs from most likely to win to least likely to win. This nets you most morphons for least experience, though you get less crystals than playing from the top down.
3. Play patrols frequently. Patrols give you less experience in general, but give you better chances of getting cards, gear, and morphons.
4. Log in daily for the daily rewards
5. Finish the daily missions for the free morphon and the bux.
6. If you have friends, harvest crystals daily from them.
7. By doing these things, you will get Bux, gear, cards, crystals, and morphons while keeping your experience low. Eventually, you will grow stronger than most others your level without having to spend real money.

These comments added by the Sentinel Staff -- What additional tricks and methods do other players use to help your leveling efforts? Share them with your fellow readers by passing them on to members of the Sentinel staff and having your ideas added to this article. And when submitting articles, please include an image of your character or picture related to the topic to help grab your reader's attention.

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Raidette: Neo Utopia Player Review

by 21161

M@D M@X

Smashing the mini raid was actually kinda cool had better drops then ever before with this tiny toon. I didn't care I didn't get gear to be honest because I got quite a few cards that were much needed to fill up my card deck. Honestly tho, I am waiting to see more now like it just to see what tweaking they do to it in the future.

One thing I would like to put out here as a idea for the raid gear drops would be different stats more for next raid like multipliers and pure damage nothing else. Not huge stats that compare to shuffle gear but smaller stats and more feasible to get them to drop. This way the ones who are constantly trying in raids will eventually be Hitting harder as long as they participate. Even one gear at 100% each raid it would still be years to build a whole set at the rate raids come around just saying. From most of the people I talked to they l said the same thing No Gear dropped... I honestly liked the idea of bigger smaller raids and will hit another now when it comes around. Hopefully the tweaking you guys do to it gives some incentives for raiding harder and putting on the experience. Until next time hope you all enjoyed the raid.

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(Belated story) Dedication meets Victory

 (Note: This was meant to be published in July. I, Dan Peyton, forgot. Sorry to the author. Here it is.)

Author: Welcome to My House id#20314

Congratulations Carnage on the Push-ups contest taking not only 1st but the highest amount in the game among the divisions. Dedication to the new Patrols are paying off. At 1st I thought it was glitched until asking and learning how the missions played into the event. In my opinion if I were you I'd be writing a short story or asking a friend to set up an interview for the record books that's an accomplishment that should be recognized. To everyone else let this sink in some, missions and patrols are bringing a new curve ball that can change the course of battle at times I'm stoked. Mad respect that was one heck of a feat you push up artist . Congratulations and cheers to the grand slam home run!

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Daily Login Truths

by Chained Angel

ID# 20570

We've had the new option of participating in Daily Logins for just around a month now, which has given everyone a chance to try them on for size. Get a little every day, let the experience pack on, and every so often, you receive a gift. This runs for a total of 50 consecutive days and then finally, you should receive a new core piece that isn't available in the Armory.

Just like most things, there are lessons to be learned while engaged in the Daily Login process.

1) The experience gains are not equal between all participants. The first five day period, 10XP a day, then 20XP, 30XP, so on and so on until the final 5 day period is 100XP per day. Totaling that up, (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, +500) 2750XP earned will be what many will accumulate. If you are over level 100. 

If you are below level 100, it seems that the daily experience levels out to whatever your current level is as a maximum. A Level 10 player would earn 10XP per activation, which would eventually put them into Level 11 range, increasing the XP amount to 11XP per day. 50 days at Level 11 would accumulate 550XP, which, is the exact amount of XP needed to reach Level 12.

So, for those who want to start fresh or would like an alternate character to play, you could pace yourself to advance solely through participating in the Daily Reward program, saving your MP as you go through the process and get one core for free by doing Daily Rewards while collecting 105 additional MP over less than 2 months of play. And the amount of experience is going to vary below that 2750XP total if you are below level 100.

One thing to remember as you do the Daily Login is that YOU MUST ALWAYS VERIFY THAT YOU HAVE DONE THE DAILY LOGIN!!!

2) There is no forgiveness for missing a day. If you participate, check and double check your activation. There is no going back and requesting a correction for a missed day of checking in. There are logs kept of activity, to the second. (These aren't times for the Daily Logins, but one method used to verify game activity)

| 2021-08-28 01:40:48 | 20570 |

| 2021-08-28 00:53:02 | 20570 | 

| 2021-08-26 23:39:28 | 20570 | 

| 2021-08-26 18:20:08 | 20570 |

Even though I thought I logged in every day to collect the reward, the time stamps disagree. Effort was put into checking the logins, but without proof of a login, no alteration will be made and you will need to begin again. So, to avoid accumulating unbeneficial XP while participating in the Daily Login Program, verify that you have checked in each day and don't miss one without activating the vacation mode if you are going to be away.

Taking advantage of the Daily Login Program is optional. It will be interesting to revisit this topic after the first cycle and see how the new gear is competitively. Many should receive their new gear potentially just before League War 10. Will it make a difference for some participants? Time will tell. Keep logging on until then.

Until then, blessings to you all,

Chained Angel

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dial N for Nova Part 4

 Steelfist swung hard as he punched hero after hero. However, he was on the receiving end of most of the blows. Chase led a team directly toward him. She materialized her throwing blades, but found that they were two nail files instead.

“Stupid altered reality!” Still, she threw. They met Steelfist’s tiny glasses and his spectacles went flying.

“YA STUPID DAME!” He bellowed and came down hard to smash Chase.

Der Engle pulled Chase aside just in time and the fist plowed into pavement and stuck.

Zombie Ex Girlfriend grabbed Steelfist by the other arm and yanked him out of the ground as she flipped him over and slammed him, face first, into the pavement.

Silver Paladin took advantage of the enemy’s inglorious position and blasted him with a powerful beam of light. Steelfist crashed through a building, across a street, into the mast of a ship, and down into the harbor.

Chase and the others paused when they saw this and waited a moment. Finally, Painless said, “I doubt someone with a solid steel fist would float. He’s a goner.”

Silver Paladin came up. “The fight against Rutkowski and his men isn’t going so well.”

Suddenly, Der Engle yelled, “What the hell!” He stumbled back as his color drained.

Chase huffed, “the reality altering is still happening.”

Silver Paladin asked, “what do we do now?”

“We move. We have to help them bring Rutkowski down. It’s a long way across this city. We have to move fast or be sucked into this reality.”

The heroes launched themselves into the streets and over the buildings. All were heading toward the smoke and fires of the fight on the north side of town.

Private Eye Peyton punched two goons in the face and then pulled his gun and fired, nailing another in the leg.

Heroes were fighting against not just one man, but Rutkowski’s entire regiment of mobsters.

Midgardsomr punched the ground, creating giant potholes in the pavement. Rutkowski was quick enough to evade being smashed.

“GET OVER HERE, YOU STUPID LITTLE MORTAL!” Midgard yelled.

Five goons rushed in, each firing Tommy Guns. Heroes dodged and protected themselves from the bullets.

Rutkowski laughed, “Nice try, capes. You ain’t got nuth’n on my crew. Surrender.”

“Like hell!” Skelanimal rushed between Midgard and the goons. He dodged bullets and grabbed one Tommy gun. He used it like a bat to slam into the side of another mobster and then used his fist to gut-punch a third. Lumpsum dashed over him and clotheslined the last two mobsters.

“Take that!” Lumpsum stomped one gun, destroying it.

Private Eye Peyton grabbed his walkie talkie, “heroes, focus on Rutkowski. His goons are endless. Cut the head off the snake…” he saw that glare from Midgard. “Rutkowski, not the giant scary monster fighting with us.”

Heroes poured over the buildings and converged on the seemingly unstoppable crime boss.

Rutkowski merely laughed and his eyes created a burst of white light that spread over the incoming heroes. People rained down, falling to the ground and curling up on the streets. Their color instantly drained, their clothing changed. The mob boss laughed, “welcome to my world, capes.”

Peyton saw even Midgardsomr was colorless and shrinking down to a human size. No one had a reason to fight. They didn’t know why they were even here.

Rutkowski strolled up to Peyton. “See, it’s over. You and I, we both love this time. This here reality, it was the best and can be again. Booze, jazz, and flappers.”

Peyton nodded. “Your right, I loved this time. It was my favorite era. The curse of living for so long means fewer and fewer people are around to remember what we remember, to enjoy what we enjoyed. Life is too damned fast now.”

“See. Now yer talk’n.” Rutkowski grabbed him around the shoulders and walked him away from the suffering heroes. “Give me a few days. This world will be mine. You join my gang, and it’ll be swinging speakeasies every night.”

Peyton nodded, “sure. It’ll be the world I once loved. But, this world ain’t mine to decide how it works, and it sure ain’t yours.” There was a loud bang and Rutkowski stumbled away. Peyton pulled his gun from where he had tucked it at his side. The crime boss held his ribs where he had been shot.

“You stupid gumshoe. I offer you the world and this is what ya repay me with. KILL HIM!”

Peyton ran, ducking as the guns fired from the goons still around the parameter. He dove behind several of the changing heroes and found the man he wanted. “Please be the one.” He grabbed the man’s hands and pulled him back to reality.

“What the!? What just happened to me?” The man asked.

“No time. You that wizard guy?”

“Yes, The Wizard...HEY, SOMEONE’S SHOOTING!” He ducked when bullets flew past.

“Just help me out. I need someone to give my power a kick in the pants. Think you can do it?”

“I’ll certainly try.”

Peyton grabbed his hands again and when The Wizard gave him a signal, he focused his powers with all his strength. A fresh wave of energy exploded out and this time even the color came back to the heroes. Their clothing remained changed, but they were all instantly aware of their real life.

“Don’t just stand there, STOP RUTKOWSKI!”

Chase picked herself up off the ground and looked to see that the others with her were in the same state.

“What just happened to me?” Silver Paladin asked.

“We were all changing to this reality. I know the feeling.” She answered.

Der Engle ran by, “I hear fighting!”

They gathered themselves and dashed around a corner. Skidding to a stop, they found all the goons on the ground and Rutkowski being held by a furious man in a green suit.

Moments later, the local police arrived with a herd of ambulances. They strapped Rutkowski to a stretcher, heading for the nearest hospital to remove the bullet. “This aint over ya flatfoots! You can’t hold Rutkowski. I’ll be back on the streets in no time. Nuthin has changed, I’LL STILL WIN!”

Chase spoke with Silver Paladin and Hotwings, “Get the heroes out of this city. The reality is still altered, and I don’t want any more problems.”

Silver asked, “what about Gar?”

Peyton came over. “Chase and I’ll get him. I know where Rutkowski keeps his favorite hostages.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll get Gar and get back to BADGE.”

Hotwings and Silver Paladin left to gather the heroes.

I walked with her into the belly of the beast. Well, maybe not so dramatic. But this place stunk of old bathtub gin and cigars.

“You’re narrating yourself again.” Chase said.

“Sorry, force of habit. Besides, it just feels right.”

“You can keep narrating to your strange little heart’s content. I want Gar.”

I led her through the maze of rooms and tunnels. This place looked innocent, but it held lots of hiding places. It was at the end of a dark hall, inside a dimly lit room, that we found a strange statue.

“Can you shut up long enough to see if you can change him back?”

“Change him? Look, dollface…” a blade was aimed at my throat by this vixen, and she didn’t like me calling her a vixen neither. “Sorry, but I ain’t no sculptor.”

“He isn’t a statue. Well, he is, but he lives. It’s a long story. Just change him back.”

I wasn’t sure if this dame was daft...ooh, there’s that blade again. Taking hold of the stone hands on this thing, I used my powers. You couldn’t have paid for better shock treatment than what happened next. That statue grew in size and then lifted its wings and said thank you. Yes, I almost wet myself.

“Chase, why is he talking like that?” The statue asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Ignore him. Gar, are you okay?”

He stretched his wings and rolled his shoulders. “I think so. What happened?”

“I’ll explain later. We both need to get out of here.”

They followed me back out of this maze, that statue staring at me the whole time. We got through town and back to the airstrip where a BADGE airplane waited.

“Why are we getting into an airplane?” the statue asked.

Chase shoved him toward the door. “Just get in, it’ll be a shuttle soon enough.”

Finally, it was her and I. A fog blowing across the tarmac, a soft piano playing in the background...who was playing is anyone’s guess.

“So, when will this world turn back into a modern city?” She asked.

“Soon enough. I’ll be here to help protect it. Glad you and BADGE were around though, it was a tough job.”

She smiled in a way that I liked. “Well, even though you were annoying, you saved us. So, I suppose you are capable.”

“I’ll take that as a high compliment from you. I just hope we get to work together someday. I like you, you have moxy.”

She stepped up the ramp to the plan. “Don’t count on it. But, if you need us, you can…”

“I know how to reach you, I just dial N for Nova.”

Continue the Story

Holy Dynamic Duo, We're getting not ONE, but TWO Raids!!! At the Same Time!!

Things have gone the the birds, I tell you, To The Birds.

How do you work this dag-blamed thing? I'm sorry, Sentinel readers. We're having a bit of technical difficulties here on the battlefronts. Our reporting equipment has somehow transformed to ancient radio technology. Cell phones have been replaced by portable radios and my laptop is now a pad of paper and pencil. 

The entire world around Neo Utopia is a crazy, mixed up place. I feel like I've been swept up into a holodeck program on the fritz from that old Star Trek show. What was new is now old school. The clothes are kind of snazzy, in a retro-vibe way, but other than that, well, the best I can say is this isn't Pleasantville.

It all started yesterday after we received the first confirmed report on what was happening outside of Neo Utopia after Director Nova summoned the heroes to the outskirts of the city.

Captain Ultra ID #15926

"This just in. Currently there are two major Evil Forces at Odds with our Heroic Defenders. They include, an evil Mob Boss with Reality Warping Powers, called Rutkowski, with a desire to return reality to North American Mobster Glory Days, and his fellow mobster, Steelfist. The majority of Super Heroes have chosen to engage what appears to be the greater threat, Rutkowski, while many untested yet valiant rookie heroes have engaged Steelfist.
At this time, further information is not availale, but we will try to keep you updated as we can."

After his report, the heroes began a battle on two fronts. The goal was to drive the mob boss and his brute squad back into hiding in the city. The most powerful heroes went after Rutkowski, the cause of the warping of time/space. A 'Junior' Force of heroes was instructed to combat one of his crew, Steelfist.

As of the time of this report, Steelfist has been defeated by the heroes sent to fight him. Rutkowski is proving more difficult. I can't say much on the exacts of the fight, as BADGE field scientists have lost use of much of their advanced technology. There fancy devices have transformed to binoculars, radio transmitters, and Geiger Counters.

I'm waiting for some words from the field...

"I started slow at first but was inspired by a strange-looking zombie and a weird silver guy to try harder. Then I found that I had other mental manipulation abilities under my sleeve that Steele's couldn't take.

In the end, somehow I was at the lead of all the heroes battling him but them I fell asleep and others had the final blow.

That was the best little raid ever (for me). I actually won two pieces of gear. The wrist is especially nice. Can we have another?" -- Der Engel ID#11301

Tabulators with BADGE have handed me some notes on the data they were able to observe during the fight against Steelfist. It seems that even while going analog, the scientists at BADGE have been able to find ways to give us meaningful information. Here are the top ten combatants from the Junior squad's efforts. The count we have at this time is that 193 heroes fought in this challenge.

Name:                         Damage    # of Hits    Average Damage
Der Engel                     58,753         289                203

~\\\\ SADIST ////~        57,778         182                317

TH€ PAIN£€$$            45,092         156                289

zoмвιe eх-ɢιrlғrιeɴd 5¹ 44,895         176                255

Silver Paladin                37,361        162                231

~//// INFIDEL \\\\~        33,856        152                223

street fighter                   30,379        107                284

Rïñg M姆êr                  27,278        129                211

Flashman                        25,571        218                117

Dame Echidna                25,560        198                129

The battle against the other villain, Rutkowski, is still ongoing with the advanced heroes fighting him. I hope to be able to be able to bring you some good news in the hours to come. For now, I'm going to head off and find me a bar and have me a gin and tonic. Maybe I'll find me some nice dame to whistle at me, wanting me to join her. Yeah, that would be top drawer. Top drawer, I say.

...

Um, yeah, ignore most of that last bit. Heroes, save us, please. I don't think the world would survive for long if we went back to those days, although the ladies did have some nice gams back then...

Continue the Story

League Wars Aquatic is over. What now???

Every time we complete a league war, raid, or other event, most everyone needs a day to decompress, step away from our devices and take a deep breath. 

… deep breath in … deep breath out …

Well, that's done. Now what?

#1) Are you paying attention to the three new chapters posted to the latest Heroes Rising story?

Dial N for Nova: Chapter One

Dial N for Nova: Chapter Two

Dial N for Nova: Chapter Three

In honor of Dan Peyton's efforts to bring you an entertaining story, I'm not going to tell you what is happening in the tale so far, but smart players will have read them to be aware of future events in game. Not that the tiny mob characters popping up in the corner of our screens haven't hinted at things to come.

Do yourself a favor and catch up on his story. Knowledge is power, people.

#2) League War 9 is over. That means League War 10 is right around the corner!!!

Number 10 is going to be a big one. It is a milestone, and with most milestones, that means celebration and extras. Can I guarantee this??? No, of course not. Based on past events, I feel pretty confident that we will see something exciting happening when next our heroes head to the arena. We had an outstanding 10 divisions in League War 9. Will this hold true for LW10?

The one thing I am certain of is that now is the time to start preparing...

#3) Collaborative Fiction stories are looking for your participation

Fuma Hanzo has begun one. Madam Marvelous just started a new chapter as well, but if those story arcs aren't your cup of tea, start one of your own. Help expand the Heroes Rising Fan Fiction universe with stories of your own heroes, villains, or whatnot.

Rewards start at 20MP worth of re-sellable Power Cards for worthwhile posts (At least a paragraph or two). The Best of the Month Collaborative Fan Fiction typically receives TWO Strange Fiction Power Cards, re-sellable or keepable Power Cards worth 120MP. Team up with your league mates and/or friends to spin a superhero yarn and if it is found worthy, you might just walk away with the duck. The StRAnGe DuCk, that is.

Collaborative Fiction: Pirate Nation

Collaborative Fiction: Madam Marvelous - Morphon High

(If you create a fiction forum thread for a collaborative story, let us at the Sentinel News know and we can make sure to help spread the word on the game main page.) We play the game because we love our superheroes, their powers, and their adventures. Help keep that tradition alive.

#4) Speaking of strange, Halloween is just around the corner

For the past few years, there has been a Dress as Your Character Halloween Costume Contest held for Heroes Rising Players. Time to get out your duct tape, hot glue guns, paints, and cardboard and create your best version of you as your hero.

The prizes for this event have traditionally been more that generous, so use this time wisely to prepare to bring your best efforts. You can find images of previous year's entrants on the Heroes Rising Players page under Media and then Albums (2019 and 2020 available).

#5) Comic Book Covers  

Also under the Media tab on the Heroes Rising Players page, you can find player made Comic Book covers. Create on of your own or just look at the talented entries already made. If you have the time and talent, come up with one of your own and share it with the community.

In case you have forgotten, please use the Community Tab on the Hero Rising main page to locate and use them.

Until the next crisis, fellow capes...

Continue the Story

Player Advice -- Free and Friendless: 11 Rules for an Effective Character

by Chaoren ID#26465

I created Chaoren as a placeholder, someone to let my league, Time's Arrow, take part in the League War IX without dragging my average league strength up enough to make winning nearly impossible.
It has been 4 weeks since I created him, I have reached level 50 and gotten 2105 wins in battle. It required a lot of play, something I will probably not do quite so much of in the future, but it also requires playing smart.

There are a few basic rules I have followed for play.

#1) Save your free cards. You are not going to be able to afford full Bux powers constantly, so having a placeholder that actually gives you some benefit is better than having nothing in the slot.

#2) Play Fight Club Daily. Start as high up the roster as you have Stamina for. You get Crystal and Morphons...and if you get any victories they are as valuable in terms of Crystal and Experience as possible. Always start from the ones you are most likely to lose to and work down to those you have the best chance of beating. This maximizes your return from the stamina you use, as the amount you win is 2 crystal and 1 XP per stamina point invested...so fighting a character LAST for a 30 stamina investment gets you 30 XP and 60 crystal if you win, while defeating the same character first would get you only 1 XP and 2 Crystal.

#3) Fight everyone at your own level. This shows who you can beat, you can go back and challenge those again.

#4) Do Patrols and Missions. Patrols give you Bux, cards, crystals, occasional gear, and Morphons, even if not usually XP. Missions give you Bux and XP, and sometimes other things. You will need the Bux to keep your powers up.

#5) Keep your career up to date. The More your income the stronger the Bux powers you can afford. At low levels, most of your powers will be Bux.

#6) Maximize your Bux and Crystal powers: You are better off with slightly fewer maximized powers than you are with more lower powers in most cases.

#7) Use Morphons wisely. Chaoren is not connected to Facebook, so I have to spend 30 MP every 10 levels to get Henchmen. That means I have very few Morphons from leveling to use. I spent a number getting some basic Morphon powers in batches of 5 for the discount...that way I would be strong enough to win my early fights and some later duels. I spent others buying 4 pieces of gear (morphons I got by completing quests and by writing articles here). Everything else Morphon I have, I got from patrols and missions. There are a number of ways to gain Morphons, ranging from fiction stories (personal or collective) to articles (like this one) to drawing/coloring pictures, to costume contests(upcoming for Halloween). Participation in building the universe of Heroes Rising is the main point, just do what you can for the game world and you will be rewarded.

#8) Do the daily missions. Early on you will need the Bux, later on you need the XP and Morphons you get more.

#9) Bank your Bux. I have to thank all of you who do not do so for contributing to my bank account, without all the boney gathered from others I would not have done as well in the LW as I did.

#10) Fight those you know you can beat:  As often as you have time for, so you level up.

#11) Increase your speed (Movement Skill). When you have Skill points to spend, spend half of them on Speed. Speed lets you hit and dodge better. I have split the others between Stamina so I can complete more missions and fight everyone in Fight Clubs, and HP so I can survive attacks.

By following these rules, I have successfully beaten at least one person twice my level and a number of other characters higher level than I am.

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dial N for Nova Part 3

 

It was 3 in the afternoon when she walked into my place. The sky was dark, rain soaked the streets. Why is it this dark at three you might ask, the ambiance required it. Still, the mood was right for her to walk into my life.

I could hear my secretary stating. “Mista Peyton not seeing no one today.”

Then I heard her voice. “I must see him, it is important. He’s the only man in this city who can help me.”

“I tell ya, he ain’t seeing no dame today.”

My secretary was dead wrong. I always make time for a good look’n dame. And, I could tell by her voice that she was one I didn’t want to miss. Her shadow crossed the frosted glass of my door and I knew my instincts were right.

“Eva, let her come in!” I called out.

“Alright, boss.”

The door opened and the shadow was only the sampler of the incredible dish served. She stood there, lips that glimmered in the dim light of the room, smoky eyes that beckoned every male with a heartbeat, and legs that wouldn’t quit. She would be wearing red if this story wasn’t noir and everything was in this blasted black and white.

“Private Eye Peyton?” She asked in that sultry tone.

I took my feet off the desk, tossed a toothpick in the waste bin, and gave her as good a smile as I could muster. “Who’s ask’n?”

“I… I can’t really recall. I think I murdered some guy and that I was making fried chicken, or was it pies?”

“Mildred?”

“No, that’s not it. Chase.”

“I don’t have time for any car chases.”

She came around and sat in the chair in front of my desk. “No, Mr. Peyton. My name, it’s Chase. I’m so confused.”

“You need a doctor, not a gumshoe.”

Using her silk gloved hand, she drew out my buisness card from her purse and placed it in front of me. “I woke up on the street and couldn’t remember anything. I had nothing on me except this card, and I knew you could help.”

I picked up the card and realized what this meant. My past was coming crashing to me, my present reality about to shatter. I was enjoying the story so far, but now things were going to get serious.

“Mr. Peyton, why are you narrating everything?”

“Oh, sorry. Force of habit. Moves the story along and is cliché. Fortunate for you, I’m the only person who can help you, and you’ll be able to help me.”

“How can I help you? I don’t even know how I ended up in the street.”

I stood and turned to the window. Opening the blinds slightly, I let in the light, cutting in stark slats across the room.

She asked me. “why did you do that?”

“Mood lighting. We need smoke or dramatic lighting and I don’t smoke.” I turned and came around the desk to her. “Look, Chase, I need to take your hands.”

She drew back like I was about to mug her. “Mr. Peyton! I’m not that kind of girl… at least I don’t think I am.”

“No, I aint gonna do anything like that. Just, take my hands.”

She took hold and I used a gift that I rarely let anyone know about. In moments, she was dazed and finally woke to reality.

Looking at her arms in shock and then touching the dress and large hat on her hand, Chase stood up. “What the hell is going on! Where am I? How...WHO ARE YOU?”

I tipped my hat to her, “Private Eye Peyton.”

“What? Why did you narrate yourself and who… wait, Private Eye Peyton? That card!”

I held the card up to her, “yeah. Only one guy I know has a card from me. Director Nova. If you had this, then he sent you. I tried calling to warn him, but the phone disconnected.”

“Gar pulled it out of the wall, he...GAR! They took Gar!”

“Someone stole your car?”

“Not car, Gar. My friend, he came to help. Something happened to him, he froze and became a statue and was dragged off. They called him the Maltese Gargoyle...which makes no sense.”

“Makes perfect sense to me, sweetheart. Those thugs are just as brainwashed into this as you. They was changed. But, if they thought he was some item, then he’s probably safe.”

“What’s going on? Why am I dressed like it’s 1940..”

“1930.”

“WHATEVER! Who changed my clothes and how did I get in here?”

I knew she was one serious dame…

“STOP NARRATING AND IF YOU CALL ME DAME ONE MORE TIME!”

“Sorry, sorry, part of the shtick. I’ll try to control it, no promises though. Anyway. Here’s the deal. There’s this lowlife named Rutkowski who operates the local product delivery service. Big business, but just a front. He’s really a seedy gangster boss who has super powers.”

“What kind of powers?”

“You look’n at em dollface.” He held out his hand to the window, showing the city.

“The gray?”

“More than graying everything. He alters reality. Rutkowski has a goal, turn the world into his permanent gangster kingdom, with him as king. He has a massive army of thugs and lowlifes that are as loyal to him as they come, including a few superpowered villains. I have kept him in check for decades, but he tries this once in a while. Something, though, is giving him on hell of a boost. He altered the whole city in a matter of moments and it’s already spreading. The burbs are almost over come.”

Chase went for her communicator, “we have to call BADGE and...what the hell?” her communicator was now a compact with blush and a mirror. “Makeup? Who needs makeup when everything is gray?”

“Part of the problem, doll. Reality is bent, everything here is genre specific. Your clothes weren’t changed, just altered. If you call in the BADGE’s little army, they’ll end up just like you, memory wiped and adjusted to this reality.”

“How are you not altered?”

“Same thing that gave him gave me powers. Our first struggle happened over that?” I showed her a beautiful grandfather clock.

She walked over and examined it. “McGuffin Clock Company, what is it?”

“A device that lets someone change reality to any time they want. It don’t work no more, but the power was given to each of us. He can change reality, I can unchange it. However, he’s stronger than me.”

“We need to find a way…”

The phone rang and both knew by the change in musical tempo that it wasn’t a cheerful call.

I picked up the phone. “Private Eye Peyton here.”

Rutkowski’s voice came through loud and clear, “Peyton, I know that dame from BADGE is in yer office. Tell her that I got her buddy, the stony guy. If she don’t want me to have my boys smash him to bits, I suggest you keep outta my business.”

Chase, who could hear all of this, said, “Gar’s indestructible. BADGE is gonna have your hide…”

I stopped her, “you heard that. Your threats are empty. Give up, you can’t stop both me and BADGE.”

“All I’s got to do is wait fer the alteration to cover the world, Peyton. Your buddy might be indestructible, but he can sink and I’m feeling like go’n fish’n. Now, my boys are gonna keep this city secure, till reality is done chang’n. You keep your nose outta my business and we’ll all be kosher, capeesh?”

“You’re in over your head, Rutkowski.”

Rutkowski laughed as he cut off the call.

Chase asked, “What are you going to do, Mr. Peyton?”

“What I have to, dial N for Nova.” After a few moments and a load of connections, I heard the voice of a man I knew never wanted to hear my voice again.

“Oh, god, you’re narrating yourself again. This must be serious.” Nova was his chipper self.

“Sorry. Yes, it’s happened. We need your help. The city is being held hostage by hoards of thugs led by Rutkowski’s head henchman. We can’t even begin to find out how to stop him without getting them outta the way. Think you can send me some help?”

“Yes. I will send the leagues in…”

“Not in, just to the outskirts. The moment they get in the city, they’ll be taken by the reality change. Just have them scare the thugs and Steelfist back into hiding and let me do my job.”

“Fine, but I’ll still send in more help. Just a few, think you can handle them?”

“Alright, we’ll do it your way. But, only send in a few. My power only works so much.”

“Agreed.”

Continue the Story

League War Fan-Fiction: The Crucible

by Madam Marvelous (and Midgardsormr)
ID# 26130 and ID#11112

The match we fought during Round 3 was the most tense round of battle I could imagine. I don’t know if it was because the rest of my league, Lothlorien, and I fought more than we had in any of the previous rounds or if it was because of the invitation to the WMD Black Order suite to watch their fights. I was grateful for two things. (Well, three, if you count the invitation Midgarsormr had sent me.) The rest of my league fought alongside me and they all agreed to accompany me to the viewing Layak and I were invited to.

Not that their presence would make any difference if the WMD planned on maiming, murdering, or kidnapping us.

Unfortunately, our fights didn’t go as well as I hoped for. I sort of imagined at least winning a bronze medal with Lothlorien, but the NWO fought hard and won 109-48. They challenged us repeatedly. They fought like they wanted the win as badly, and maybe even a bit more, than I did. And I’m a girl who wants things, so for them to outdo me meant they had drive as well as talent. Oh well, at least I would have a shiny participant’s badge for my first efforts during a league war. Somehow it helped, focusing on the fact the only way to go was up for next time.

We traveled up to the WMD suite as a group. I tried to stay in the middle of the pack, not drawing too much attention to myself. Technically, I should ask my chaperone, Angelus, for permission to go, since it was the WMD. They had a reputation for being pretty fierce and aggressive. If I asked him, he might say no, so I went with the old proverb ‘better to ask for forgiveness than permission’.

There were security agents outside of the corridor leading to their suite. Not only did they face outward to the crowd, but also toward the suite itself. Considering that Skelanimal was in the WMD, it made sense that precautions might be made in case he went rogue again.

“This area is off limits,” a BADGE security agent said.

Layak stepped to the front of the group. “We were invited. Midgardsormr messaged us and asked us to join them for the final round.”

“Yeah, right,” the agent said.

Pulling out a printout of Midgardsormr’s invitation, Layak handed it to the woman. “Call them and ask. I’m sure they won’t be at all upset by you holding us up at the front door. We all know how patient they are.”

I giggled. I don’t know if I could have kept a straight face like he did.

She chatted for a moment into her shoulder-mounted walkie-talkie. She wore some type of goggles, but through the tinted glass, I think I saw her roll eyes. “Go on through. I’ll pray I see you again.”

Layak nodded to her and we all proceeded into the booth.

The suite wasn’t at all like I expected. I pictured it as being lair-like, with all sorts of flashy trinkets, flaming braziers, and filled with thick smoke. Instead, there were comfortable chairs, a table full of trays of sliced meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. It was clean, spacious, and the large plate glass window gave us full view of the competition grounds and water-filled arena. The most unusual thing in the room is what captured my full attention. The Wizard’s dragon/familiar. It was napping in the back corner, not fully asleep, as I could see one of its glittering eyes beneath a heavy eyelid watching us cautiously.

The WMD themselves were on the field, spurring each other on with boisterous calls to arms. “Rip his head off!!”, “Tear him apart.”, “Don’t forget what he did to your mother last night!”, and of course “Kick her A$$” were all shouted out to inspire their fighting league mate on the field of battle. After the fight, with WMD members winning challenge after challenge, they patted one another on the back, and sometimes butt, with camaraderie and friendship.

Sometimes the world surprises you. Even bad asses can have their bonds of friendship.

The others in my league, except for the two ghosts, raided the buffet table. I also have to admit I had my fill of the various goodies put out. The croissants were divine, and with a piece of swiss cheese and peppered bacon, made for a great sandwich. I also made a small plate of meats and set it before the dragon, being cautious to not get to close. Its nostrils flared and a large tongue wound out from its maw and wrapped around the pieces of charcuterie I chose for it. He might not have been our host, but it is always a good idea to respect their pets while in their home.

WMD decisively destroyed their opponents, one of the three 5th Precinct leagues in the division. They say that some wins are so easy, that the winner didn’t even break a sweat. That wasn’t true for WMD. They won easily, but held no quarter while they fought, giving the 5th Precinct no quarter or false sense of going up against a lesser version of WMD. They fought like they loved the fight. And they fought well.

After the cheering at the end of the match, WMD entered their suite and introduced themselves to my league-mates. Midgardsormr made his way over to me. “I SSSEE YOU TOOK ADVNTAGE OF OUR HOSSSSPITALITY HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT NOW FOR SSSOME FUN COME DOWN TO THE ARENA FLOOR LET'SSS SSSSPAR”

“You want to spar with me?” My body started to ache with just the thought of fighting against him.

“I WILL UNGEAR AND PROMISSSSE NOT TO END YOU I WILL USS NO VENOM NOT TAIL WHIP MY RATTLESSS CAN CRUSSS THROUGH THE BREACTIVE TUNGSTEN BATTLE ARMOR OF A B.A.D.G.E. HELIDREADNAUGHT I WILL CRITIQUE YOUR PERFORMANCE”

I was being offered a training session with one of WMD’s elite fighters. How many people ever got an offer like that? “Ah. OK. Thank you.”

“FEEL FREE TO YAKE ASSSEKFIE VOVID BETTER YET OUR DRONE WILL TAKE 32K 3D SUTTOUND SOUND AS A MEMENTO SHOW IT OFF AT YOU LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS OR AT HOME JUSSST NO SSSOCIAL MEDIA IF YOUR EGG LAYER (MOM) EVER GETSS UPSSSSET SAY I SSURVIVED A FIGHT AGAINST MIDGARDSORMR I CAN SSSSURVIVE ANYTHINK LET'SSSS GO SSSSNAKLING”

Take a selfie video of the fight to show my mom?! Telling my mom was the last thing on my mind, but it was a very thoughtful gesture nonetheless. “That would be awesome.”

I headed down to the arena floor with him slithering behind me. “REMEMBER USE THAT IN BATTLE USSE MY IMAGE ONCE IN AWHILE WHILE YOU CHANGE THAT SSSHOULD SSSCARE THE HELL OUT OF ENIMIES NOW DOWN TO THE ARENA FLOOR TIME FOR A LESSSSON”

Sparring Video of Midgardsormr vs Madam Marvelous 

Needless to say, despite all he did to make the fight as non-lethal as he could, I still got my everything handed back to me. He was a force of nature and I was no more than a mosquito to be swatted. I gave it my all, but to be honest, I learned a fair bit more in my one round vs him than I did in my matches during the actual league war.

I collapsed into a pile after my impromptu challenge with Midgardsormr, but when he saw I was finished, he offered me a hand up from the mat. “WELL DONE LITTLE ONE YOU HAVE GREAT POTENRIAL FEW LASST 4 ROUNDSSS WITH ME EVEN WITH NO GEAR NOW GO LEARN SSSSOW YOUR PARENTSSS NOT TO WORRY SSSHOW LEAGUE MATESSSS NEVER FEAR THE BATTLE JUSSSST TRY YOUR HARDESSST”

I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll remember that, and your generosity. Thank you, Midgardsormr.”

At the end of the day, I didn’t win a gold, silver, or bronze medal, but I proved I could handle being a part of league war and I hoped I had made a new friend. Thinking on it, the friendships mean more than any prize in reality, don’t you think? I may not have won, but I certainly didn’t leave a loser.

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dial N for Nova Part 2

 

“What is Neo Utopia?” Gar asked

Chase checked their ETA on the nav console in the shuttle and then answered. “Neo Utopia is a city built back in the twenties to bring cultures across the world together. It worked, there are a lot of different people all working nicely together there. It grew a lot over the past century. However, with growth comes crime. Loads of nasty people and even some gangs and mafias have set up shop in that city. It’s the most technologically advanced city on Earth, but it is also a...wait, something doesn’t look right.” She leaned over.

The pilot said, “we’re coming in for a landing. Something must be wrong with my sensors. The sky doesn’t look right.”

“Just get us down.”

The sky was gray, tarmac was gray, every building, car, and tree was gray. The world… was gray. Chase and Gar walked across the open airfield, a breeze rushing around them. When Chase turned to see the source of this breeze, she saw an old Ford Trimotor plane with BADGE emblazoned on the side.

“That’s weird? What happened to the shuttle?” Chase asked.

Gar gasped, “what happened to you!”

She looked down and realized that her arms were just as colorless as the rest of this strange environment. “I’m… gray?”

“AH! ME TOO!” Gar yelled.

Chase said, “you were always gray.”

“Oh, right.”

“Come on, let’s go check out this bank and get the hell out of this before it gets any worse.” She pushed onward, with Gar close behind her.

Walking down the streets of Neo Utopia led them backward in time. Old cars rumbled down the road, boys hawked news papers from the street corners, some women dressed like flappers while others were in smart pantsuits clutching small purses.

“What happened here?” Gar asked.

Chase watched a police officer walk by, giving her a stern, disapproving look. “I don’t know. Oh, there’s the bank.”

First National Bank of Neo Utopia had police all around it with newspaper photographers snapping pictures with over-sized cameras and massive flashbulbs.

“Looks like the scene of the crime.” Gar said.

Chase walked him over and moved aside police tape to get nearer the Bank. A man in a suit rushed over to her, shoving her back.

“Woah, woah, woah, there. No citizens allowed, darlin.”

Chase flashed her BADGE credentials. “I’m here to gather details for Director Nova.”

The man snorted and chuckled. “A dame a police officer, that’s rich. Go, play with yer strange winged friend outside this police line before I have to take you in for indecent exposure.”

“Indecent exposure!?”

Several men on either side of the police tape whistled suggestively at Chase. Gar threatened them with a severe look.

“Move it, sweetheart, yous mak’n a scene. Now….YEOOOOOW!” He was poking her with a finger and now that finger was just about bent off his hand by her grip.`

“Back off before I break it off.” She shoved him away. “Come on, Gar, let’s see what we can find. These bozos won’t be of any help.”

Halfway up the steps, Gar stumbled and fell to his knees. “Chase… I don’t feel so well.”

“You don’t feel well? How is that possible?”

He jerked and his arms came closer to himself. “I. . . am. . . going stiff. . . I can’t…”

“GAR!” She watched him shrinking slightly.

There was a strange wave of energy that boomed out and stumbled her back for a moment. The world went hazy. There came the loud report of guns blazing from around a far corner. Dozens of suited men carrying Tommy Guns descended upon them, showing the cops with bullets. The cops dove behind cars and returned fire. Oddly, it seemed no one hit anyone else. They just kept each other at bay.

The gunfire stopped, and the gangsters strolled up the steps. A large, mustachioed man held up a metal fist. “When will you realize, coppers, this city is ours now? Neo Utopia is now Rutkowsky city!” He fired his weapon into the air, causing the citizens to dive, or scream, or run.

The suited officer that Chase had injured yelled out, “What are your boss’s demands?”

The tall gangster laughed. “I’ll get back to you with a list. HA!”

“Hey, Steelfist! Lookit this!” A goon ran over and examined the now solid statue that was Gar, which had become only three feet in height.

Steelfist laughed, “wouldja look at that! The Maltese Gargoyle! Rutkowsky’s gonna be happy ta see this. Get it, boys!”

Chase blacked out just after watching them dragging Gar away.

This room, it smelled of sweat, anger, and cigarettes,… mostly cheap cigarettes to be honest. Men swore, laughed, and threatened each other around over turned boxes and ratty old tables. Playing cards were thrown around, littering the ground, the remnants of each brawl over poker. Everyone cheated, and no one liked to be cheated, which was a dangerous mixture among thugs and henchmen.

Suddenly, the dimly lit haze was set afire by the light coming from the freshly opened doors. Shadowy figures came in by the dozen. A scraping, grinding sound followed them as they dragged Gar’s frozen form inside this abandoned warehouse.

“HEY, BOSS! WE GOT SOMETH’N FOR YA!” Steelfist yelled out.

The gathered thugs and miscreants rushed to see the loot. This, again, instigated fights between members wanting to get more of their unfair share.

“BOYS! ENOUGH!” A voice yelled out.

What power, what presence! This voice put every greasy gangster down. They shut up and backed away as their leader strode through the smoke.

A short man wearing most of a suit with the arms torn to reveal his muscular arms appeared. With an unlit cigarette dangling out the side of his mouth and a two-bit floozy hanging off his left shoulder, he cut a commanding figure. Everyone held their breath as he approached. No one moved. He snatched a match out of his pocket and struck it across the bottom of his shoe. Lighting that cigarette, he finally approached the statue.

“So, what do we have here?”

Steelfist timidly answered, “the Maltese Gargoyle, it’s worth a fortune. And, it’s all yers boss.”

“commere.” Rutkowsky wiggled a finger at Steelfist.

The brute leaned over. “What?”

With a sudden slap, Rutkowsky sent the behemoth reeling. “You worthless piece of gutter trash! It’s the Maltese Falcon, not Gargoyle. I wanted a mcguffin. This ain’t no mcguffin you moron! Now I’m gonna have BADGE flatfoots after me!”

“BADGE? Who the hell is that, boss?” Steelfist asked.

Rutkowsky waved a hand. “Nevermind. Jus get this here statue in the back, outta the light. I gotta figure this out.”

The gangsters dragged poor Gargoyle through the abandoned warehouse while their boss postulated a plan. The gangsters playing cards slowly returned to their rowdy games, coming to blows more than dealing new hands.

“Whatcha think’n bout Mr. R?” the floozy asked.

Rutkowsky smiled, “nuthin ta worry ya pretty little head. STEELFIST!”

In a matter of seconds, the brute and his closest thugs rushed to their bosses beckoning. “What?”

Rutkowsky slowly walked back through the fog in the room. “Take the guys and go mess up the city real good. North side and South side, don’t let nobody through from the outside. This city is ours and till I get my hands on the real mcguffin, I don’t want any problems.”

“Right away, boss.” Steelfist slammed his steel fist through a card table, scatting shards and cards all over the warehouse. This grabbed the attention of every gangster in the room. “Yous guys heard the boss. Get yer tails in gear! MOVE!”

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League War 9 Fan-Fiction: "Round Three Girl Talk"

By Chained Angel (ID#20570) 

Chained Angel walked over to Astra while Round 3 went on at League War Aquatic. "Hi Astra. I wanted to check in on you after last round. No hard feelings?"

Astra realized that Chained Angel of the Star Force must have been referring to the defeat she and her league suffered during the previous round. "No hard feeling. You fought hard. We fought hard. I got in a few good psychokinetic punches here and there."

"I figured as much," Chained Angel said. "Some of the guys were worried you might have felt targeted. We've worked together a bit over the last year and they hoped you didn't feel like they took advantage of their knowledge of your capabilities."

"Kind of the point, isn't it," Astra said. "Using the knowledge you've gained of your opponent so you may better defeat them. That's how I knew to hit Wyldfyre just as he started to take a deep breath. He always does that just before he creates a fiery construct."

"Smart girl. I wasn't going to tell anyone he did that, but I'm glad you picked up on that nugget as well." Chained Angel said. "I told the boys I would follow up with you. Even though we clearly are strong women, they sometimes still think we are made of glass."

Astra pondered on Chained Angel's statement. Having been a young boy before becoming a morphon-powered girl, she was acutely aware of the awkwardness of social dynamics between the genders. She had memories of thoughts as a boy that seemed strangely alien to her now. "It's nice they care, I guess. Unnecessary, but nice."

"I figured as much," Chained Angel said. "We're having an after LW party at the HQ when everything is wrapped up. You're more than welcome to join us. Bring Futurina. It looks like the Star Force Junior League may be bringing home our first league family win."

Astra nodded. "I saw that. They are doing well against L.U.S.H. this round, but seem to have a slight advantage. L.U.S.H. took round one to OT, so I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch though."

"We're going to have a party either way." Chained Angel smiled. "Starmaster is doing well with his league in Division four. He will have a either a gold or silver. Our match in Division 6 against the Freaks of Nature has been promising. I'm hoping we will win silver there, and the Junior League under Arcane Ace has done an excellent job. We have a lot to celebrate. And the more the merrier is how the old saying goes. Who am I to argue with tradition?"

"I'll check with Futurina and get back to you. We will try," Astra said.

"Just so you know, whether it is official or not, we consider you and her part of our family. You're more than welcome whenever you want to drop in." Chained Angel looked up as a cheer echoed throughout the chamber from spectators watching the current round of LW9. "There will probably be lots of parties going on over the next few days."

"I think you are right. There are several matches that are going surprisingly well for underdog leagues," Astra said. "Division One is assuredly going to WMD, but Avengers51 vs Villains Inc. in Division 2??? It is still a very close fight. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they go at it full steam in the last few hours."

"Agreed. Division 3 is down to the Avengers51 and Legacy of Spawn once again. Krystal does her best, but lord knows the Avengers51 isn't a league to be brought down by one person." Chained Angel said.

Astra pointed over to the Starbux kiosk. "Want one?"

Chained Angel nodded and the two of them moved over to the short line to the coffee stand. 

"Division 5 is going to be another one to watch. Black Winter and Mystical Mayhem were with us a few wars ago, and they are tough competitors, and their current league, Merc Babes and Bastards, is holding their own decisively against the Avengers51 team there." Chained Angel chuckled. "Look at us, discussing sports and knowing what we are talking about. My grandmother would roll over in her grave if she heard me right now."

Krystal Fae wandered through the crowd, as if summoned by her name being mentioned in conversation earlier, and waved at Chained Angel and Astra. "Greetings. How are the two of you doing today?"

"Doing fine. Want to join us for a coffee?" Chained Angel asked.

"Not a coffee. Little Gem doesn't need to caffeine-," Krystal's hands went to her slightly bulging stomach,"-but I wouldn't mind a bit of conversation and a decaf iced tea."

"Then join us, please," Astra said. "How is the pregnancy doing?"

"Not like I expected, not that I expected to be expecting, if you can follow my derailing train of thought," Krystal said. "I've never been more aware of my body than I am right now, and something changes about it every hour or so. My feet swell, my back starts to ache. Cravings for strange foods. My magic hand handle that, under normal circumstances, but I'm encountering moments of auto-magical pregnancy."

"Auto-magical pregnancy?" Chained Angel exchanged a confused glance with Astra.

"Magic can happen both through deliberate effort or spontaneously. I've always prided myself by being able to control the random byproducts of my Fae-ri nature, but while my pregnancy advances, there have been some unusual side-effects."

"Times change," Astra said. "Your body is changing. With enough effort, anything can change. We were just talking about some of the recent shifts in league wars."

"Such as?" Krystal asked.

"Look at Division 6. Pain has always been a noteworthy opponent, but they are tussling against an Avengers51 league and winning." Astra said.

"And in Division 8, the Villains Inc league has taken a lead over the Avengers51 as well. It wasn't that long ago that the Avengers51 won wherever they were." Chained Angel moved up to the counter at the Starbux kiosk. "A decaf iced tea, an iced Polar Bear Mocha, and... Astra, what would you like?"

"Polar Bear Mocha? What's that?" 

"White chocolate and raspberry." Chained Angel grinned. "I probably shouldn't, but it is my favorite."

"I'll try one." Astra said. 

Chained Angel raised two fingers to the barista. "Two Polar Bears, please."

Krystal seemed a bit saddened. "It does sound good, but I better not."

"I'm sorry," Chained Angel said with an empathetic frown. "I'll get you one after you've had your baby. When are you having your shower, by the way?"

"I haven't set the date yet," Krystal said. "With my luck, it will be interrupted by a giant hydra crawling out of the Mediterranean Sea and threatening to eat Greece."

"Wow," Astra said. "When you come up with worst-case situations, you aren't playing." 

"I don't think that exact event will happen, but something will come up, I'm sure," Krystal said as she took her tea. The dripping dew on the glass instantly froze into tiny ice crystals that fell off to the ground. "See what I mean."

"As long as it doesn't happen while you are on the battlefield," Chained Angel said as she watched the last shard explode upon landing. She picked up the other two beverages and handed one to Astra. "Let's grab that table over there. We haven't talked about what some of these heroes call costumes yet. Hey, there's Crossroads. wave her over."

The three heroines motioned for their other friend to join them, as soon they were joined by a fourth as they walked off and laughed together, enjoying a small, friendly respite during the ongoing challenges of League War Aquatic happening all around them.

 

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League War 9 Fan-Fiction: Round Three. Civil War in Division 4

by Starmaster

ID#14716

League War Aquatic. Round Three.

So far, Starmaster's time with Penguins Inc. had gone very well. During the first round, the Penguins Inc. league faced the Scottish Claymores - Stewarts!! and done very well against them. Better than very well. They scored 94 wins vs the S.C.'s four. The opposing league fought valiantly and did honor in the name of their ancestors. They were certainly to be commended on their efforts.

The second round put us in competition with 5th Precinct: Kung Fu Hustle. They too came out with 4 points against our 87. Starmaster's disdain for the leader of the 5th Precinct (Soloman, the Closer, whatever he wanted to call himself) color his admiration for the efforts of Kung Fu Hustle. They were not bad combatants. Their efforts were to be commended. Just as Starmaster wanted to compete, these individuals did as well, and they did it with gusto.

 As the days went on, he came to a realization. His league wasn't perfect, but it was strong. The support the Avengers51 showed one another was genuine. They laughed, had fun, and worked hard. These were good people, often sharp-tongued and boisterous, but also generous and passionate. 

The question of the last day was how would Round 3 go? Division 4 put two Avengers teams against one another. Starmaster would combat his new friends and teammates in The Avengers51:EAD. They had some very powerful members. Slayer B.A.S., a familiar face in the KOTM battles. Blue Dragon and Moonrider had kept Starmaster out of many top finishes during event competitions. Going up against them in league war was not going to be the cakewalk the previous two rounds were. This was going to be a fight. 

Neither side asked for quarter. There were no back-room bargains or manipulations to place one league over the other, as Starmaster often feared happened when the myriad leagues of the 5th Precinct repeated ended up in rounds vs their own family. It didn't take a genius to see how certain individuals and league leaders within large organization might take advantage of building teams to benefit some few (or themselves only) at the cost of others. Every discussion had between the Avengers51 was the same. "We fight. May the best come out on top."

Before the final round started, all the Avenger51 associates came together and shook hands with one another, wishing each other good matches and best of luck.

Slayer B.A.S. stepped over to Starmaster. "Good luck, newbie. If you hit me during our match, you better buy me a drink afterwards."

"Same goes for you," Starmaster said as he offered her his hand to shake. "I still can't believe we're fighting against one another. I joined so I didn't HAVE to fight against you anymore. I still have bruises"

"We're heroes. We're always going to have bruises," Slayer B.A.S. said. She rolled up her skirt a bit and showed off a big black-and-blue welt on her thigh. I was sparring for practice earlier with Jiggs and I pivoted when I should have blocked. I wish Giles were still around to help me with my training."

Several people commented on how this would be a legendary fight. Avenger51 team vs Avenger 51. Zen's Penguins vs Moonrider's Avengers. It was almost like a civil war. Starmaster hoped there wouldn't be any hard feelings afterward. 

In less than a day, he would know if he would earn his first Gold from league war participation after a year or another silver. While he hoped for the Gold, he wouldn't be disappointed if he didn't earn it this time around. The challenge was the true fun and rewarding on its own. 

But it would look nice in his trophy case...

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