Fan-Fiction: Pax Dystopia: An Islanders' View Day 3

Day 3

"Seems like comms are restored," said Agent Tasha.

The group holed up at the airport had managed to scrounge up an above-decent meal to start the morning out, but it didn't take long for tempers to start flaring when the discussion topic became that of the vast number of unconscious people around them and across the island. Half of the contingent had wanted to try to reach their families now that the main threat to their safety appeared neutralized, however there was a vociferous section that preferred to stay isolated until BADGE, the police, the military, whoever, showed up. At one point, several demanded for Tri-blade to come clean on some conspiracy theory involving subjugating the populace for the meta humans to take over the world, but Tri-blade quickly disarmed the thoughts by correctly pointing out that BADGE certainly would have appointed more well-known or at least more notorious heroes in this area. Eventually, they decided to wait a little while longer. The appearance on the TV screens of a live broadcast - from the island of Barbados, not too far away - was a surprise, but met with cheers and joy.

"Maybe whatever Ren Tech had schemed up got overwritten," said Tri-blade, "and hopefully that Chorad fella or whatever his name is, will be getting their just desserts soon."

"Something we haven't thought of," said Agent Tasha with worry in her face, "these people, they're unconscious, but not in suspended animation or anything like that. We have no idea what their vitals are. They're going to need hydration and who knows what else?"

Tri-blade nodded, then called out to everyone, "Any doctors, nurses, anybody with any medical knowledge?" Three people stepped forward, hands raised.

"We're all based at Victoria Hospital nearby," the oldest of the three nurses said, "and you're right on treatment. But we can't go out to every comatose person and give them IVs, feeding tubes and ventilators. It's impractical and close to impossible."

"I have a hunch," said Tri-blade, "that the Ren-tech may be keeping their brain functions active. Remember how they were acting before they shut down. That probably also means they're keeping the breathing and blood circulation going as well."

"That still means they need some kind of feeding tubes, no to mention preventing skin infections. Even if we had a full staff of medical professionals... getting equipment out to everyone? Impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible! After all, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" called a voice. Everybody turned to see a blue-skinned creature wearing a black dress, a 1950's style beehive wig, and holding a novelty cigarette holder to his mouth.

"Nice dress, Audrey?" asked Tri-blade, torn between laughter and confusion.

Strange Quark snapped his fingers and the dress and cig holder disappeared instantly, revealing Quark's regular outfit. The wig, however, remained present.

"Well scored, Tri-blade. Ten points to Gibbendorr!" Quark said as he strutted out to the group.

"Appreciated, Quark." He gestured to the others. "Everybody, Quark. Quark, everybody. Formal introductions on pause, for now..."

Quark nodded sadly, suggesting to Tri-blade that things were truly in a rough patch.

"What can you tell us?"

"Firstly... do not try to remove the RenWear. While it's sort of kept the brain functions active, removing it will sever everything. They'll be lost forever."

"Oh my lord," said Agent Tasha, covering her mouth.

"Secondly, everybody will starve if we don't keep them going. How many people do we estimate are in St. Lucia?" Quark continued.

"Probably in the two hundred thousand range," said Tri-blade. "and that's just one island in this chain. We have no idea how many conscious people are in the other islands..."

"We've yet to have contact with any other agents in the region," Agent Tasha added.

"If we can get as many people together in one area as possible, it'll save us a ton of time," replied Tri-blade. "Quark I already know you're required all over the planet... how much time can you give us to help teleport folks over?"

"Not much, Tri. Torrik's working non-stop state-side, and I'm supposed to be at the India-Pakistan border 985 seconds ago. If I hurry I can get anybody I see in the eastern part of the country -"

"No, go south, please. The Grenadines. Anybody there will be isolated. Get as many as you can to Victoria Hospital. If you happen to land in St. Vincent, please do a check-in and let us know the situation. Everyone here who can drive will try to collect people and bring over here. C.F., Quark."

Quark's eyebrow raised, then he nodded. "Two other things of note, Tri."

"Yes?"

"Thirdly, based on availability, we're going to send at least two BADGE robots to assist. You and Agent Tasha should be able to command them accordingly."

"And lastly,... we've got Nova."

Surprising Tri-blade and Quark alike, a cheer went up from the crowd who had gathered around to listen in on the dialogue.

"It'll take some time for him to get fully up to speed, but with him alive, we know we have a shot at this," Quark smiled as he vanished in a spark of light.

After the group divvied up assignments to head out and gather as many of the unconscious as they could to bring to the area hospitals, Agent Tasha took Tri-blade aside.

"Um, what's C.F.?"

Tri-blade puta a hand on his friend's shoulder as he softly said, "Children first."

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

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Fan-Fiction: Pax Dystopia: An Islanders' View Day 2

Day 2

The journey was deliberately slow. Agent Tasha had been directing the bus driver to take the routes where there were more likely to be masses of people, but after around an hour everybody noticed that the initial din of chaotic behavior had dropped significantly. The vast majority of people that they had come across frantically charged towards the bus, waving Ren Wear glasses in outstretched hands, but there were a few extremely scared locals who had the good fortune to lock themselves in their homes.

While Tri-blade projected an energy shield between the houses and the marauders, Agent Tasha scampered towards the residents and quickly ushered them to the bus. It was no small feat for Tri-blade to retreat to the bus without getting overrun or risking harm to the bus itself.

As they continued their journey, Tri-blade periodically tried to call his allies, his leaguemates, and the other St. Lucia-based heroes. No responses. Could they all have been overrun? Has the BADGE communications network been disabled? He put the negative fears aside as they approached a gas station to refuel.

"They're unconscious," remarked Agent Tasha as she stepped out. Tri-blade cautiously went inside the gas station with her to get the pump activated while the driver grabbed the pump. Three people - each wearing Ren Tech glasses, laid on the floor. The woman behind the counter - an employee, was gripping the glasses tightly, as if resisting them being placed on her until she collapsed.

"What do we do?" asked Agent Tasha.

"I'm not sure," replied Tri-blade. "I'd rather get Director Nova's advice before anything... but one thing's for sure.

He looked at the bus outside. The bus was nearly jam-packed with worried passengers.

"We're going to need another vehicle soon."

-

Their final destination - the capital city of Castries - had both a seaport and airport in close vicinity. Tri-blade, who was now in a separate bus driven by one of the Lucians they rescued, called out to Agent Tasha in the lead vehicle. They had driven throughout the night, and most people were running on pure adrenaline at this point. The sun rose on a quiet landscape, with only the chirping of birds to be heard.

The two buses pulled over next to each other. Passengers slowly exited to stretch their legs and share their stories with each other, while the two drivers, Tri-blade, and Agent Tasha surveyed the scene.

"Nothing's moving at all," remarked the first driver.

Agent Tasha added, "Probably a good thing where the airport's concerned. Glad no planes have been in the air during all this."

"I would ordinarily say we should try to fortify in case we have another surge," said Tri-blade, "on the other hand we have to consider if we're isolated from the world in general." He scratched his chin in frustration.

"Let's go to the airport, but carefully. Our first priority has to be keeping these guys safe. Second priority is reaching BADGE... or anybody. If our comms are out, maybe the computers or radios there will be of help.

"Any objections?"

The others shook their heads, and after a quick conversation with those gathered around the buses, they made their way to the airport, their spirits lightened, and their hope boosted.

Three hours later, and the group was just finalizing their fortification of the airport main hall, when the comms of Agent Tasha buzzed.

"Oh my god, it's BADGE..." she muttered to herself in disbelief. She tried to keep her composure as she answered the call.

"Agent Tasha, St. Lucia, Castries, check."

"Good to hear you," came the calm voice of Gar. The others, on hearing the well-known voice of Gargoyle, started muttering sounds of gratitude. "We haven't been able to reach most of our field agents so far."

"How about the other leagues?" Agent Tasha asked, motioning Tri-blade to approach.

"Even fewer," he said sadly. "Of all hero groups only Ice Ray Academy has evaded the swarm."

"Gar, this is Tri-blade," Tri-blade called out, "What about the senior BADGE officials - Nova, Chase, Justin, EB?"

"Chase has fallen, as has Justin. Nova too, but we haven't located him. EB, he's still with us. Strange Quark and him are teleporting all over the place trying to locate people. Right now, we don't have a full strategy on any of this."

"Stay strong, big fella. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do with the people with the RenWear. Does BADGE have a position?"

"Not yet, Tri-blade. Until we know for sure where Nova is, EB may be the senior person to advise..."

"Oh..." said Tri-blade and Agent Tasha in unison.

"Wish I could advise myself," said Gar sheepishly.

"You're doing great, Gar. We'll wait and analyze on this end. If Quark contacts you, can you ask him to pop over?"

"You got it, Tri," said Gar, his voice slightly more cheerful.

"We're just glad to hear from others. It's been a day," said Tri-blade.

"Ditto!" cried Agent Tasha.

"I have to reach out to the next set of Agents now, so stay safe," said Gar.

They said their good-byes, then Tri-blade pulled Agent Tasha aside.

"We're not alone and that's the best news we've heard so far. Next steps, keep our crew hydrated, find some food and get at least a little bit of rest. We have a lot to plan for if we're going to help everybody else on this island."

Agent Tasha nodded, concealing her worry for the moment.

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

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Fan-Fiction: Pax Dystopia: An Islanders' View Tryangle

Day 1

It was the sort of hot and humid day where anybody with the freedom to do so, was either at the beach or in an air-conditioned building. However, for many people in the open-air market at Gros Islet, selling fresh produce and freshly caught fish was a necessity of life. Vendors called out to every man, woman, and child walking in the vicinity - claiming to have the best apples, mangoes or guava from the entire Caribbean.

"We got bananas, fresh as the morn!" called out an elderly lady, gesturing at a group of teenagers, all of whom were wearing grey jackets and wore large knapsacks. This unusual combination of clothing was capped by each of them wearing RenWear glasses.

Suddenly, the group of teenagers burst into a run. Their faces were blank, although their mouths were slightly gaped. The vendors and their prospective customers were too stunned to even run, and the first scream only began when the elderly lady was tackled to the ground by one assailant. The woman no sooner had struck the ground when a set of arms affixed another set of Ren Wear glasses to her head.

The commotion grew from there, as people began to run, dropping their purchases. However, they were soon surrounded by another group of people, this one of varying ages. They each wore Ren Wear glasses.

"STOP!" called a voice. The vendors and customers turned to face the source of the booming voice, but the Ren Wear-wearing people ignored the call, instead running towards the market.

"Ah dang it," muttered Agent Tasha, a diminutive woman in her early 30s and a third-year field officer of BADGE. She pulled out her comm. "TRI! Need you, now!"

"Less than a minute, Tash," was the reply.

Agent Tasha opened another channel on her comm. "Agent Tasha to BADGE HQ! We have -" Static was on the other end. "Dang it," she muttered. "Something's interfering on the global BADGE channel or something."

Agent Tasha pulled out her batons, and activated the low-level electric shocks. She didn't have time to wait, and charged at the assailants as they drove other people to the ground. She successfully struck three young men in succession, knocking them down. A woman screamed, then suddenly went silent as a set of Ren Wear glasses was placed on her face.

The woman quickly rose to her feet, then made a beeline towards a stunned Agent Tasha.

"Um,... what?" whispered Agent Tasha as she backed away, momentarily forgetting her batons.

A large mass crashed into her side, knocking her down. She lost control of her batons, and suddenly a man was straddling her chest. She moved to strike, but her arms were pinned down by the woman. Her head twisted left, only to see another person reach out with a set of Ren Wear glasses.

"I. Don't. Think. So," called a nearby voice. The weight on Tasha's chest was yanked off, as the hero named Tri-blade appeared. He shoved away the woman pinning Tasha's arms down, then helped Tasha to her feet. She quickly located and grabbed her batons, and stood back-to-back with her friend.

"What are we going to do?" asked Agent Tasha, concern in her voice.

"Right now, defend anybody not yet wearing those devices," replied Tri-blade stoically. He pointed at the crowd at the market. "Bad news, that number of people is dropping by the instant. We need a safe zone, away from anybody wearing the Ren Tech!"

Agent Tasha held her head in her hands. "That's the schools out, the hospital, the supermarket..."

"We'll have to make our own, then," said Tri-blade. He shouted to anyone within earshot, "Follow me!" He raised one of his mystical daggers and shot a burst of energy from it. They shuffled quickly towards a bus parked nearby, no passengers onboard and the driver sitting at the wheel, bewildered at the scene.

"Driver, you wearing Ren Tech?" asked Agent Tasha.

"No way, gal. Thing ugly and duncy," the driver sneered.

"Good enough, driver." She stepped in and took the seat opposite the driver. "BADGE will take care of your fare today."

"Sounds good to me. Where to?"

"Drive through the town. We gathering anybody in need of protection, then we get out of here."

Tri-blade dashed towards the bus door, holding the hand of a young girl. He helped her in, then stepped in the doorway.

"Let's go, driver," he commanded. As the bus slowly made its way forward, Tri-blade shouted again, "Everyone! Come with me!"

"... if you want to live," he thought sadly.

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

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Fan-Fiction: A post-Antaeus saga tale: Climb Too High

Many years ago, there was a group of baboon families that lived at the edge of the rainforest, near a great river. Predators were rare in the area, and food was relatively plentiful.

One of the younger baboons, he had very strong arms and legs - and all of his friends knew that he was poised to become one of the dominant males when he reached adulthood. The thought of being the troop alpha excited the youngster greatly. He loved to show off. Every day, he would dash to the largest rock, climb to the top and shout at the top of his lungs. He would only stop when one of the dominant adults approached and bared their teeth. The youngster would retreat, but secure in his budding position.

There was a small cluster of fruit trees - some call them omwandi - and the fruit was known to be juicy and nourishing. The trees grew tall, however most of the baboons could only climb to the first few sets of branches to claim the reward.

The youngster baboon, he would boast to his friends that he would climb to the top, grab the best fruit, and prove himself the greatest among all in the troop. Some of his friends laughed, as if the alpha males couldn't get to the top, how could he? Others wailed in sorrow. They suggested that the risk of falling and dying wasn't worth it, especially if perfectly fine fruit was available at the first set of branches.

The youngster bared his canines menacingly, then pounded the ground in unbridled rage. He'll show them. He was the best among them.

He scaled the tree effortlessly, reaching the second set of branches without stumbling once. The young baboons stopped chattering and gawked at their seemingly fearless comrade.

The youngster in the tree was overjoyed. He looked upwards, and with determination, scaled his way to the next tier. He was exhilarated on reaching the thick branches. He looked down and across the plains. He squealed with delight.

The surprise among the young baboons slowly changed to worry. They started to scream, beating their chest. They wanted him to come down, do not climb any higher.

However, the baboon in the tree heard the calls as an exhortation. He pounded his chest and yelled fiercer than he ever had before.

He stretched forward, then leaped up. His arms found purchase and in a matter of seconds, the baboon swung his way to a branch never reached before by any baboon in the troop.

Wild with joy, the young baboon screamed and danced along the branch. He was too excited to even grab the luscious fruits all around him. He had done it. The world was all his -

A loud noise, then the baboon slowly teetered, before it fell from the tree and crashed to the ground. The hunter's bullet had struck the baboon with precision. The other baboons scattered quickly, knowing that death followed the sound of gunfire.

-

"The higher monkey climbs, the more he exposes himself," said the local man, head bowed slightly.

"Well, that story took a sad turn," grumbled Agent Michelle.

Tri-blade put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's more about the moral, than an actual event." He turned to the local man. "Probably not an Anansi story, but it's not an unfamiliar tale. Thanks for sharing."

The man smiled, nodded, then walked away.

"Come on, Meesh. After this task, we have to go to Bongor, then circle north. There are a few other villages along the way. As I said earlier, Chad is one big ol' place. And people are counting on us."

"Aye-aye, captain," Agent Michelle said as she gave a mock salute.

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

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Fan-Fiction: A post-Antaeus saga tale: Climb Too High

Everyone on the workcrew was offered a choice of protective hats before taking on the daunting task. Tri-blade readily accepted a blue broad-brimmed one ("Hey, it matches my suit," when his friend and colleague started to chuckle at him) and donned it quickly before heading to the drill site.

"It's great that BADGE is putting more resources into digging wells and creating reservoirs for everyone here, Meesh," Tri-blade said as he lugged a set of pipes behind him. "The best part of it is that this could be seen as easy P.R. but everyone's genuine in helping out."

Agent Michelle nodded. "If anyone needs help, it's the people of the nearby villages. The Antaeus encounter left a big scar on many fronts. This is just one step in getting everyone back on their feet."

Tri-blade and a group of assorted BADGE agents and a few super-powered persons began the relatively quick work of clearing the designated area of brush and debris, then a set of drill rigs were wheeled in. Expert crews began the process of drilling, while the others started setting up fencing and the foundation for an accompanying rainwater catchment system.

"Africa is massive. Chad itself is large. Each individual location is worthy of focus and detail and we've got a long way to go, even in this pocket of land," said Tri-blade as he wiped sweat off of his brow.

Michelle added, "That man who became Antaeus, sigh. Was it a case of someone getting power, then getting too boasty about it?"

Tri-blade began to reply, but was interrupted by a local villager. Middle-aged and very slender, he sighed a bit loudly, yet was smiling.

"I have a good tale about getting too high and mighty. You want to hear it?" he said in a quiet, yet stern voice.

Eyebrow raised, Tri-blade looked at the man, then at Michelle.

"I've heard one or two tales from the Mythic Anansi while here a while back, I suspect this may be one of them. But go on, friend, for my friend's benefit. We're always willing to learn more oral stories, after all, this continent is renowned for them."

The man nodded, then stood tall. As he began to speak, Tri-blade noticed that he immediately appeared younger and more spritely.

(To be continued)

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Fan-Fiction: The Glutton!

by Furious Squirrel #12351



The holidays are hard for those who don’t have a family. Furious Squirrel has a good life, but it is difficult at this time of the year. His family all passed away a century ago. Because he was thrown forward in time and now lives in this period, he cannot visit any immediate family for the holidays. The other heroes of his league, they have family to visit. So, Furious always takes the volunteer position to watch things while everyone else is away.

The wheelhouse of his new battle dirigible was quiet. Well, it wasn’t so quiet. The engine is noisy and there is always the sound of cranking gears and hissing steam. But there were no other voices chatting.

Out the window, he could see the world around him. His assignment was near Purgatory Penn, in Australia. With many heroes taking vacation time, this would be the perfect time for someone to break out. BADGE had a unit of their best soldiers and a few training bots watching over the prison directly. Furious was the hero in the sky.

“Furious Squirrel, come in.” The Warden’s voice piped through the horn.

Furious pulled down the tube with the horn on it. “Furious here.”

“We have a minor situation. Someone sent in radioactive food and our sensors didn’t pick it up in time.”

“Radioactive food? Why would they do that?”

The Warden said, “Not sure. There are villains in here that some on the outside would really like dead. Unfortunately, a few people got into the food before our special thanksgiving dinner, and they are now very sick. Alert BADGE HQ about this. I want to know who sent this...buzz...sss.”

“Warden? Come in... Warden?” Furious pulled a lever and punched a button on his controls. “Purgatory, come in!” No sound. “This can’t be good.”

He flicked two levers and pulled out his BADGE comm unit, “BADGE station, this Furious. We have a situation at Purg Penn. Not sure what it is, but their comm just went dead and they were reporting radioactive food on site.”

Arx came through, “Did you say radioactive food?”

“That’s what the warden told me.”

“I’ll alert Nova. But, he’s with Santa and Chase.”

“Great. Well, I’ll go down and check this out. You send out the alert. This may be nothing.”

“I hope so. Arx out.”

Furious piloted his dirigible down and landed near the entrance to the prison. He held up his BADGE key card to get through the intense security system. The first gate opened, then a wall slid down. Then he walked through a tunnel that scanned him with fifty-seven different sensors to determine that he wasn’t an impostor. Finally, he was at the last door. He had to present his BADGE id card again. A security robot checked it out through a video screen.

“Furious Squirrel confirmed. Enter.”

The last metal doors opened. There was a rocking explosion and screaming. The doors stopped moving when the power flickered.

“Aw crap.” Furious pulled out his ray gun and blasted one side of the doors, which forced it open. He ran through while the entire structure rocked. The power flickered on and off, and people were screaming. People’s pounding feet echoed through the structure. He got to the walkway that led around the interior of the prison. The window looked down to the central dining hall. A table flew up and slammed into the reinforced glass, cracking it. A wet roar followed.

“What the hell?” Furious ran hard, pulling out his other ray gun.

He slid to a stop at the top of a set of metal stairs that led down into the dining hall. Prisoners and BADGE agents ran up the stairs in a mad frenzy. The villains had collars and cuffs on that negated any powers they might have, but they weren’t the threat right now. Another long table flew toward them. Furious shot with both rayguns and destroy the table before it crashed into the people.

“HEY, YOU!” He grabbed a BADGE agent by the arm. “What’s going on?”

“The Glutton! He’s alive!” She pointed back.

Furious looked out to see a giant blob of a man who looked half made of food, and half dead. He shoved something into his mouth and swallowed it whole. The monster reached down and grabbed at a lizardman who was running. He got the tail; the man screeched and his tail fell off. The Glutton ate the tail while the rest of the lizardman ran for his life.

Furious shot with both his rayguns and hit the giant man, which only staggered him back. The Glutton crashed into the side of the dining hall and fell on his sizable rear. This gave time for people to get away. Furious, the only hero available, had to do the right thing. He ran into the room.

Five BADGE agents held large energy weapons, directing the others away.

“Hey! Furious! Good. We need help. He’s going to eat everything.”

“Then fire!” Furious took aim and fired.

They did not.

The Glutton stumbled again, but showed little reaction.

“Why aren’t you firing?” Furious stepped back as The Glutton got back to his feet, grabbed a chair, and ate it.

The BADGE agents said, “Last time we tried, it did little good, and I think he ate the beam of Susan’s weapon.”

“Ate the beam?”

“Well, it hit inside his mouth and he seemed to enjoy it.”

Furious slowly lowered his guns, “Oh, this isn’t good.”

The Warden, battered and bruised, arrived. She said, “Get the prisoners to the underground bunker! We have to hold this thing at bay until more hero support arrives!”

The BADGE agents split up and ran to help move the prisoners to safety.

Furious kept shooting the body of this beast, stumbling it, but hardly doing any actual damage. “Where did this come from?”

“That was The Glutton, a villain that we arrested years ago. He could eat just about anything. His thugs here in the prison got into the food and brought him a meal.”

“It was radioactive.” Furious realized where she was going with this.

“Yes. He died... at least we thought he died. But, he broke out of the morgue, ate two metric tons of radioactive food and turned into that thing. I don’t think he’s alive. I think that is some kind of mutant zombie.”

Furious watched as The Glutton ate a door like it was a graham cracker. “How do we stop that?”

“I don’t know.”

Furious looked around, his back almost to the wall as The Glutton continued to consume and throw things randomly. “It looks like that thing isn’t trying to be evil, just consuming. What if we feed it something it can’t handle?”

They watched it eat half a table and a chair. The Warden said, “I doubt we have something that can hurt it.”

Furious suddenly asked, “What did you say about the Thanksgiving Dinner here?”

“That we have one? What about it?”

“Was it that food that was poisoned?”

The Warden threw a chair at the beast. “No. It was the regular food. The Thanksgiving food is fine. What about it?”

Furious pointed his rayguns at the ceiling high above. “We need to stall it.” He fired and brought down some steel beams and glass to cover the Glutton.

“That won’t stop him. Listen, I can hear him crunching on the glass.” It sounded like someone eating really large potato chips.

Furious said, “I have a plan. Where’s your Thanksgiving food?”

“Back here. He’s heading this way because the kitchen storage is back here.” She led him back into the kitchens.

“Tell me you have turkeys.”

She nodded. “Sure, several hundred, in fact. We have a lot of mouths to feed.”

“Good. Let’s feed just one mouth.”

“Why?”

Furious smiled. “Tryptophan coma.”

“You can’t be serious.” She stopped in her tracks. Furious said, “It’s all I got.”

She said, “It might work, actually. But only with a little help.”

They both heard debris moving and loud moaning. Furious opened the freezer and started pulling out turkeys. “We have to move before he brings this place down to get to this food.”

“Here.” she grabbed a cord attached to the wall and yanked on it. It opened a hidden panel that had dart guns and dozens of darts inside. “This is a last resort for prison breaks. “These darts are filled with Styericol,” she said, “one of the most powerful sedatives in the world.”

“Why didn’t you shoot him with these already?”

She pulled out the darts and started jamming them into the turkeys. “What makes you think we didn’t? His skin is half made of food and half dead. I’m not even sure this will work inside him, but it is our best bet.”

Furious filled the turkeys with the dart fluid as the sound of chomping and guttural roaring grew closer.

“That’s all of them.” Furious said.

The warden grabbed a cart and piled the turkeys onto it. “Come on, we have to get these birds air born before he brings this place down on our heads.”

Furious got another cart and piled turkeys on it. Together they raced out and started pitching the birds at The Glutton. Its dead eyes seemed to brighten up at the sight of the food, and he ate with gusto as they pelted him with frozen poultry.

They were five hundred birds in when The Glutton fell on his butt as he ate. Then, he slowly sank backward and crashed on the ground, sprawled out like a bloated whale on the beach, half masticated turkeys dribbling out of his mouth.

Furious, a frozen turkey in his hands, paused. “Did we do it?”

She cautiously walked over and poked the beast with a stick. “He’s out cold.”

Three hours later, BADGE arrived with several of the volunteer heroes, as well as Dr. Henderson and her special crew. The prisoners cleared out the mess, and someone moved the behemoth.

“Well, it looks like a case of Post-Morten Morphonic Radioactive Symbiosis,” Dr. Henderson said.

Furious replied, “I speak English.”

“Sorry, that means that the radiation had a strange effect on the morphon powers within the corpse of a dead person. It activated their cells, but only at a superficial level. The Glutton is dead, was dead the entire time. But, the radiation reactivated his system and caused his latent morphon powers to go into hyper mode. I’ve seen nothing quite like this. I’m eager to study it.”

The Warden said, “Glad we can help you advance science. Wish it didn’t cost half this building.”

“Thankfully, there were no other deaths, only injuries that we are tending to right now. BADGE will send out a repair crew ASAP.”

“Good. Thank you,” The Warden nodded to the doctor. Then turned to Furious, “Thank you as well. Without your help, this might have been much worse.”

“Just doing my job.”

“We still have some turkeys and plenty of sides. Why don’t you join us for Thanksgiving dinner? I’m sure you can spare a little time during your patrol.”

Furious frowned, “Dinner with prisoners?”

“Today, they are your biggest fan. You saved us all.”

Furious thought about that and then said, “Sure, why not?”

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SENTINEL AWARDS AND ON-GOING FAN-FICTION CONTEST

HAPPY QUACKTOBER 2024!

The monthly bonus for Sentinel editorials and Fan-Fiction continues this month with the usual editorial bonus for reviews, commentaries, game guides, gear talk, and origin stories.

This month's fan-fiction theme (prompt) is "MY ORIGIN STORY"
What is the background of your toon? How did you come to be? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe? What are your powers and how did you get them?

You are free to interpret it in any way you want. Just be sure to post your entries to the Fan-Fiction forum with the following in the title: "FAN-FICTION CONTEST: MY ORIGIN STORY" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

REWARDS:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe?
(And any other Fan-Fiction.)

REMINDER:

Post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the Fan-Fiction forum with the following in the title: "FAN-FICTION CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

Continue the Story

Fan-fiction: Continued tales of a Visionary

While a Visionary is Unaware

"Chandra!"

She slowly looked up and at the approaching woman. Agent Chandra smiled pleasantly, pushing aside her sorrow.

Devra, a doctor, scientist and one of the few non-supes not an official BADGE employee to have reasonable access to the area, had a wide grin on her face.

They embraced warmly, then Chandra motioned Devra to take a seat next to her while she finished her admittedly low-quality lunch. She tried to chew on something resembling mashed potatoes, then gave up and drank more water instead.

"When's the last time we saw each other? Diwali?" queried Devra.

"Probably Diwali of two years ago," sighed Chandra. It's nice to see you again, really. Been too long.

"Oh yes. The food was sooo good too," chuckled Devra. "Far better than what you were attempting to digest."

Chandra laughed softly, as she absent-mindedly twirled her fork in a pile of mushy vegetables.

Devra frowned, but Chandra didn't appear to pay it any attention.

"Um, your head seems to be in the clouds there, sweetie?"

"Oh, sorry. Just in thought. Sorry about that."

"Mm-hmm. Chandra, I don't have your ability but I can tell you're not all here. What's bothering you?"

From there, Chandra slowly told her friend about her boyfriend, a man who relatively recently came into his powers, before forging his path as a superpowered hero. She said that despite his efforts and will, he had been unable to unlock whatever history or other memories laid deep in his mind. She was nearly at the point of tears when she explained how he was now in a coma - and nobody could tell when he may be coming out of it. Devra clasped her friend's hands at the revelation.

"Stay firm," Devra said sternly. "When - not if - he comes out of it, and has time to recover, things will be better than ever."

Chandra smiled.

"We can double date! The guys can exchange hero stories while we girls go and watch some cricket. The CPL promises to be epic this season," exclaimed Devra.

"There probably aren't too many heroes around here who're any good at cricket, much less know anything about it," laughed Chandra, her prior worries taking a backseat.

"That's the spirit. Don't let me see you in the dumps anytime soon, now."

"Promise, promise," said Chandra.

Continue the Story

THE WEIRD on his first league war

(ID: 37145)



My first weird league war!

It's been a whirlwind of a time since I started in Heroes Rising not long ago. I've had a few solo events, Fight Club battles, and KOTM climbs, but this is my first LW with my league, Freaks of Nature.

Our first round is with an NPC league, Stormbringers, and boy, do they look stormy indeed. Their leader, the Conductor, looks like some kind of electricity wielding power nut, or a crazy lightning-making dude. The rest of his team look normal enough, but who knows what secrets they hide.

Our other opponents include ♆SOB♆SOCIETY OF MEMBERS OF DISMEMBERED ♆SOB♆. No idea what they're going to be like, but I'm pretty certain ~\\\\ PAIN inc. ////~ is going to be a pain to deal with.

Going to need a lot of physical (and mental therapy) after all this!

I am, and will always will be, The Weird

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction Contest: My Multiverse - Late to the party

Vol Kana (ID: 11074 aka AJ Slade) Multiverse Prime

Prolog:
I have an older sister (really my first cousin). It’s up to “Dark Mourning” to tell you that story.

As a child I spend before and after school with my Nana and Pop Pop. One day Pop Pop said "Let's build something. You got any ideas?". I replied "A volcano." When it was time to make the volcano to erupt, I mixed red paint with the baking soda and vinegar to make red lava.

Later I became a volcanologist. I traveled world-wide to study volcanos. My team and I were at Kilauea when we became trapped by a lava flow caused by Firebrand. The latent power of the Morphons and the high levels of adrenaline gave me the power to dispatch Firebrand and to save my team. I adopted the name “Vol Kana”.

My red hair assuredly confirms my quick to anger nature. Some say that age has NOT mellowed me at all. My reply “That’s good!”

Into the Rift:
Recently "Dark Mouning" hounded me to visit a parallel world. I went looking for the rift but couldn’t find it. Then one day doing laundry, a swirling vortex appeared in my washer. It sucked me in and dumped me out in my other self’s world.

Alpha “Vol Kana” and I have a lot in common (I’m calling her Alpha). Mainly, we read our father’s Silver Age Marvel comics as pre-teens and had a heavy crush on Johnny Storm. We obtained our powers the same way. While she didn’t have an older sister, but does have a close relationship with her cousin “Four Ever”.

Since I was late to the party, Alpha and I had a lot of catching up to do. Since this would be a short-term assignment, we set many goals knowing that some would not be attained. Gathering Hatoraide and More-Fun Bars were high on our list. We set our sights on making the 15,000-fight goal to collect those MPs. We would buy only Elemental gear. Extra powers were scrounged from every Fight Club and special KOTM events that we entered. Doing Missions, Patrols, and the Atlas events were vital to garner additional rewards. Harvesting Crystals should be a daily ritual. “BOR-RING!” remarks Alpha.

“Dark Mouring” and “Four Ever” shared some of their mistakes which Alpha and I avoided. We joined the Multiverse Freaks League which took the Silver Medal in the League War.

I had things to do back in Prime, like the Olympics. Alpha kept things going in her world. Her Atlas stats astounded me with 6 Golds, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze.

It was time to prepare for the Boss Raid and the concurrent Explosion Days weekend. We purposely conserved our resources during the last Atlas event. We bought extra fights and energy in the BADGE Shop. We also bought some XP boosts as we wanted to level up quickly to get the most Multiverse Points possible. Our goal was 175.

Prior to the Saturday 11 am start time of the Raid, we used our limit of fights and Stimpacks to get the most out of our level-up effort. Just prior to 11 am, the XP and energy boosts were engaged. As we leveled up, we applied the skill points to energy. Progress was slow toward our points goal.

“Four Ever” deliberated with us and it was decided that Sunday morning we would respec our skills and put everything into energy. With the extra MPs from leveling up we would spend 5 MPs to refill energy as needed. We replenished any boosts from the Shop. When the Raid ended on Monday, we did 780,576 damage on 2443 hits.

With our points just shy of 250, and there was plenty of time to continue to level up. Using the same strategy as the Boss Raid, we started doing raids. We began applying our skill points to attack, defense, movement, and life. By Tuesday morning, we were exhausted, with most of our consumables used up, we had 287 points. The 13 points to 300 looked tempting but I had this story to write.

I had a good time with Alpha, and she allowed me to take back some nice goodies. Maybe we’ll meet again.

The combat and gear effects should come to Prime. The Flash Sales were a little annoying at first, but I found if I kept some cash, crystals and MPs in reserve, it was useful to do some ad-hoc buying and powering up.

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction Contest: My Multiverse - Cracked Mirror

by Dark Mourning aka Kyra Slade (ID: 10894)  Multiverse Prime

Prolog:
I was an orphan by the age seven. My father was killed in a war and my mother overdosed on drugs. I lived with my maternal grandparents until my grandmother passed. Shortly afterwards I was adopted by my father’s brother and his wife. They invited my maternal grandfather to live with us. While AJ (aka “Vol Kana”) and I were raised as sisters, she is really my first cousin.

My first supernatural encounter occurred when I was nine. Shortly after my maternal grandfather passing, I walked down the hall to my bedroom and through his ghost. He was cold as ice. I helped him to transition to the other side.

As a member of B.A.D.G.E, I became known as “4 Ever” based on my forever DNA aberration research.

Eighteen months ago, I felt a temporal shift which triggered visions and the manifestation of another entity. These events changed my appearance, turning my blonde curls to black and my skin to a whiter shade of pale. I still consider myself as “4 Ever” but there is a place where they call me “Dark Mourning”. Whether “Dark Mourning” is a past reflection, future incarnation, or from a different reality, I do not know. I adopted the name “Dark Mourning”.

Three months ago, I had a dream of another “Four Ever”. She is like my “4 Ever” but also so much different.

Across the Multiverse: I step into the rift that takes me to “Four Ever” and her world.

“Four Ever” was waiting for me. She tells me she had a recent dream that explained my background. After we complete our conversation, she gives me a hug. Her supernatural origins echo mine with her maternal grandfather’s ghost. Also, with her work at BADGE with the DNA research.

The most significant change in Alpha was that “Four Ever” was not on orphan. After meeting her parents, the despair welled up inside me. Something dark remains deep inside, and I cannot reconcile my feelings. I truly became “Dark Mourning”. I wonder if the events of 18 months ago foreshadowed my despair.

It’s not that I resent “Four Ever”, she has the life I would have liked to have had. I recall something my childhood therapist told “You are greater than the sum of your experiences. No one else has had these experiences in the same order and at the same point in time in their life that you have had. That makes you unique. And never let one single event define you “. I realize if I had her life, I would be her, and not me. And I am very comfortable with me.

My mind was muddled and my assistance to “Four Ever” was filled with errors. The most significant was assigning our early BADGE points to monthly MPs Perk. In hindsight, increasing the Consumer Perk would have provided daily boosts with fights and energy. Another thing was that I was hung up about was the Movement Skill. It took a few days to fully understand the new combat changes where Attack and Defense are now more meaningful. There were also some changes to the Equipment Effects.

I heartily support that the new combat system and effects changes make it to the Prime Multiverse.

We hooked up with many of my friends from Prime to create the Multiverse Freaks League. We took the Silver Medal in the League War.

For MP powers, we sold any dropped MP Laser Eyes and kept everything. Any MP powers with a Level 1 primary score of at least 150 was trained to Level 5. Most Crystal and Bux powers were leveled-up as well. I relied heavily on Crystals in order to conserve and build my cash balance. "Four Ever" was not keen on harvesting Crystals.

“Four Ever” and I made the mistake of not conserving our energy consumables during the last Atlas. They would have been helpful during the Boss Raid and Explosion weekend.

Heading into the last weekend events, my goal was to collect 200 Multiverse points. My last mistake was not having the foresight to stockpile various consumables from the BADGE Shop earlier. It would have made things easier. Better late than never.

Late Saturday, “Four Ever” suggested “Let’s respec our skills all to energy.”

“There’s no return from that move, once they move, they're there forever. Pun intended.” I replied with a smile.

She talked to Alpha “Vol Kana” and both would respec skills on Sunday morning.

When the dust settled on Monday and the goal exceeded, “Four Ever” wanted to see how far we could go. We continued shopping at BADGE and plugged away at raids.

In the end, my foibles did not impact “Four Ever” too seriously. She became a strong and viable Supernatural superhero. If I ever get back to Alpha, I would like to get to know her parents better. I probably should bring that up at my next therapy session.

I’m happy with the results. I got to play in ways that I never imagined and had oodles of fun doing so. I am not telling what I brought back from Alpha.

Continue the Story

FAN-FICTION CONTEST: MY MULTIVERSE

MY MULTIVERSE: call for entries!

As a bonus this month until end July, all fan-fiction centred along the theme: "My Multiverse" gets EXTRA Strange Fiction cards (in addition to the usual rewards stated below):

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Post your entries to the Fan-Fiction forum with the following in the title: "FAN-FICTION CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

Continue the Story

A Ballad of Balances

ROSA

Rosa completed her second lap, her tracking device held in front of her. She looked up and down at the series of buildings that she passed, watching for anything out of the ordinary. The device's buttons flashed green, and the numeric display remained at a steady 1.0. So far, nothing either visual or otherwise, to suggest any presence of what she was looking for.

"I honestly think they've been fully rooted out and disbanded," came the voice of her godfather on Rosa's comms.

"You're probably right," Rosa sighed. She continued her slow paced walk. The only trace of anything World Corps-related over the past couple months was the rare discovery of an old bunker, sometimes containing AMA parts, but more often than not, completely gutted and an empty husk. Justifiably, BADGE resources were laser-focused on the threat from Echidna; but there were several independent groups - Rosa's among them - that continued to investigate the remnants of any World Corps forces. The last thing anybody needed was to see their resurgence.

"If they're gone though... then what?" asked Rosa. "If Trailene was among those entranced by Lady Echidna, what next? Do we get the band back together?"

"I've thought on it a lot, Rosa. As has your mother, as has Aflima," came the soft response.

"I... trust you guys completely," said Rosa, trying to hide her doubts.

"Yes, but you're also a grown woman now, Rosa, and your insight is just as valuable. Don't think of yourself as a kid always needing guidance. You've found your niche, your role. And not too long ago, you proved you're fully capable of handling your own business. What do you think?"

Caught off-guard, she paused.

"I think I'm not going to rest easy until we know the truth of Trailene. Preferably alive, and locked away," she shrugged.

"I'm happy you're honest with yourself, although I'm sad this burden still weighs on you. Just don't let it send your anxiety and stress levels sky high," said the voice on the other end.

They soon said their goodbyes - with a promise to meet up soon. Rosa disconnected and continued onto her third and final lap of the course she plotted out. The tracking device showed zero change.

She soon sensed the presence of someone nearby, then smelled a faint aroma. It was oddly pleasant. She turned around, smiling.



"Hi, Krystal!" Rosa said, delighted.

"I was in the area and spotted you across the bridge," said the red-haired female, known to most as Krystal Fae and once known in another realm as Acidburn, to her friend. "You look well, but you were certainly the picture of concentration and determination a minute ago."

Rosa shrugged, but her smile didn't dissipate. "Krystal! How is baby Guinevere?"

"Baby?" laughed Krystal. "My word, she is definitely not a baby anymore. Her growth is that of a raging river. One day you'll have to see her in person."

"I'll hold you to that promise. Meanwhile you look young still, maybe younger! Almost too young to be a whole mom!"

"That's very kind of you, Rosa. To be fair though, the aging process of fae is somewhat different than of humans. People have speculated and theorized on the differences for centuries, but even among us, there are differences and variations."

"Back in S.H.C. I don't think you were much older than me, but even though you look young, you still are miles more mature... and wizened. I wish I was wiser," Rosa confessed.

Krystal snapped her fingers gently. "Wisdom isn't some finite marker in one's life. It's ever growing and I wouldn't want you or anyone to fix themselves on trying to get wise before their time. Remember that."

Rosa smiled, then hugged her friend. "I promise I won't rush."

---

Quite a distance away, Sticks had a long-range scope focused on Rosa's ongoings. His sniper rifle was slung across his back in plain sight, but there was nobody in the vicinity to notice the potential assassination.

"Do not engage," came Trailene's voice. "Just monitor. Let her complete her task then report back."

"Ten-four," Sticks replied calmly. His smirk was huge.

-----------------------------------------------------

OOC: The memory of Chris Evans, creator of Krystal and Alex, will long remain an inspiration to myself and I believe many of the other current RP and fan-fiction writers in this forum. I wish we could have chatted more about the things that unite us when it comes to story-writing, art and the games in which we interacted over the years. Rest well.

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction: Easter Village... or Groundhog Day?

It was a beautiful, brisk and sunny day outside the training dojo. Tri-blade wasn't usually one to stop and smell the proverbial roses, but the atmosphere felt so pleasant that he took a more leisurely walk towards his training site. For the past couple of weeks, he took at least one day a week to walk a couple of miles to this tucked-away location not far from New Utopia City but not particularly well-known. He was on good terms with the manager, and it was easy to book morning sessions, without interruption from fellow metahumans or the paparazzi.

His comms buzzed just as he entered the dojo. He smiled but continued to set up the workout equipment.

"Aye, what's up?"

"Oh, it's that time of year, huh. Guess I better not settle down too much, that rabbit has a habit of whisking people at the strangest time."

He looked at his weapon holster, currently mounted on a set of hooks on the wall, then resumed wiping down a bench.

"I don't know how that bunny is able to tag every BADGE-registered person, but at least nowadays the veterans among us are expecting it and can prepare accordingly."

"Yeah, it's a bit inconvenient to say the least,... but he means well. And the children love the hoopla about the eggs and chocolate... what's that?!"

Tri-blade whirled around at the sound of rustling behind him, arms already held forward defensively. Tri-blade looked at a man, clad in a silver-coloured helmet, battle gauntlets and light metal boots that covered his lower legs. Around him, energy crackled mightily, and was most heavily concentrated in loops around the set of claws he wielded in each glove.

It was an unfamiliar look, but there was no doubt as to who the interloper was.

"Um, Shinobi?" he asked. He ignored the voice on the other end of the comms asking what was going on.

Shinobi nodded, then dropped one of his claws, only to pick up a bamboo basket.

"Glad I found you so quickly. Now. LET'S DUEL!" He lunged in, quick as a mouse, and Tri-blade barely avoided a strike from the swinging basket.

"Shinobi, what the devil, I'm not even -"

A basket materialized in his right hand.

Realization hit him quickly. "Oh."

They engaged, but the battle was not at all what Tri-blade expected. Over the past year, Shinobi's strength had surged while Tri-blade's held steady. Ordinarily, his one-time rival would have flattened Tri-blade 99 times out of 100 without breaking a sweat, but Tri-blade found himself holding his own, albeit with baskets replacing their usual weaponry. After a few minutes, Tri-blade struck a decisive blow, sending Shinobi tumbling against the wall. He collapsed, then rose to his feet, giving a ceremonial bow.

"Until next, time, friend," said Shinobi, before throwing a Flash Bomb to the ground.

Tri-blade groaned, but the smoke cleared quickly and he found himself alone again.

"Sorry, you still here?" Tri-blade called out to his comms unit. "I fear this is going to be one of those kinds of days -"

Tri-blade whirled around at the sound of rustling behind him, arms already held forward defensively. Tri-blade looked at a man, clad in a silver-coloured helmet, battle gauntlets and light metal boots that covered his lower legs. Around him, energy crackled mightily, and was most heavily concentrated in loops around the set of claws he wielded in each glove.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Tri-blade.

Shinobi already had a basket in his hand. "Glad I found you so quickly, Tri-blade. Now. LET'S DUEL!" He lunged in, quick as a mouse, and Tri-blade barely avoided a strike from the swinging basket.

Tri-blade looked quickly at the basket still in his hand, and sighed. "Guess I'll have to talk to you later, this is definitely going to be one of those kinds of days."

They engaged in battle again, this time Shinobi's movements were a little different, but Tri-blade found himself parrying and countering with ease. After a few minutes, Tri-blade delivered a solid strike with his free hand, sending Shinobi tumbling to the ground.

He quickly rose to his feet, giving a ceremonial bow. "Until next, time, friend," said Shinobi, before throwing a Flash Bomb to the ground.

Tri-blade immediately dropped his basket and ran in the direction of the smoke, to no avail. Shinobi was gone yet again. Tri-blade had no idea how much time had passed during those two battles, but he didn't feel any real fatigue. It was an unusual situation, to say the least. Scratching his head, he started to walk back to the bench.

Tri-blade whirled around at the sound of rustling behind him, arms already held forward defensively. Tri-blade looked at a man, clad in a silver-coloured helmet, battle gauntlets and light metal boots that covered his lower legs. Around him, energy crackled mightily, and was most heavily concentrated in loops around the set of claws he wielded in each glove.

"SHINOBI!" cried Tri-blade.

Shinobi already had a basket in his hand. "Yes, it is I, Tri-blade. Now. LET'S DUEL!" He lunged in, quick as a mouse, and Tri-blade barely avoided a strike from the swinging basket.

"I. Am. Getting. Too. Old. For. This..." grunted Tri-blade as he swung, already feeling the basket in his hand.

Despite being made of bamboo, the baskets clashed with each other as though they were blunt weapons, and each of the warriors felt the impact of their strikes. Empowered, Tri-blade stopped trying to parry, and simply exchanged blows with Shinobi, who didn't seem bothered by the unusual tactic. Eventually, Tri-blade's bludgeoning attack sent Shinobi sprawling to the ground. The ninja-esque character shook his head rapidly, then rose to his feet.

"Until next, time, friend," said Shinobi, before throwing a Flash Bomb to the ground.

"Oh dammit..."

The smoke cleared.

Feeling trapped, Tri-blade only had one intention.

"EEEEEEEEEEE! BEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Wow, that's one heck of a summon, usually only Chase or Nova, or sometimes Agent Justin, can call my name that loudly," said Easter Bunny as he materialized in front of Tri-blade. "Well of course the Snake fella was louder than all of you guys put together, but now that he's moved to parts beyond, the competition for loudest caller is probably back up for grabs. That reminds me of this reality show where a bunch of bikini-clad people do crazy stunts for -"

"Bunny," said Tri-blade, walking away, not willing to endure the soliloquy.

E.B. caught the hint and hopped towards Tri-blade. "How are you enjoying the Eastertown - wait, I haven't even put up the egg-painting..."

"Bunny."

E.B. looked on silently.

"Am I in some kind of temporal loop with Shinobi? What's going on?"

"Well," E.B. stammered, "someone offered a business opportunity to get the flowers-and-chocolate market to reach new heights, and it's a win-win for everyone involved, Tri-blade. You'll love it! Your D.W. numbers will skyrocket, blank eggs will ooze out of the wazoo, and the guys in Vegas are going to be super psyched!"

"Why me, though?"

"Word is you have a really strong chin?" offered E.B.

"Bunny."

"Let's just say some people are able to max out their scores against you, as long as they avoid defeating you."

Tri-blade nodded. "I get it now. Well, I suppose I better try and get something out of the weekend, then."

"That's the spirit!" yelled E.B., his hindleg tapping the ground rapidly.

"But please don't interfere anymore. I still have things I want to do this weekend, don't want to be battling nonstop the next 72 hours."

"Okay. I won't add any more people to your hit list this time out," said E.B.

"Wait what now? More -"

E.B. dashed away quicker than a speeding bullet.

"I wonder if curried rabbit is a thing," Tri-blade muttered before hearing a rustling behind him.

Tri-blade whirled around, a basket already in his hand.

"Aha! Face me!" called a voice.

"And then, me!" called another.

Tri-blade blinked. In front of him was a man, clad in a silver-coloured helmet, battle gauntlets and light metal boots that covered his lower legs. Around him, energy crackled mightily, and was most heavily concentrated in loops around the set of claws he wielded in each glove.

"Hi Shinobi. But who's that..."

"Um, hey, Tri," was the sheepish voice in response.

"Mage? What the -"

"LET'S DUEL!" shouted Shinobi as he charged in.

Tri-blade sighed, then engaged in battle. To a side, Ability Mage absent-mindedly twirled his basket, whistling a tune.

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction: The Furious One

Furious Squirrel #12351



Furious Squirrel raced over the clouds of strange black fog that rolled across the earth. From here, he could hear the odd noises below. People were hollering and playing like it was a giant party, yet there were monsters moving around in the darkness.

“Furi...” a voice rattled through the comm with a lot of fuzziness around it.

Furious pulled a lever back and then used a switch the push more power into the comm system. He yanked down a pipe with a horn on the end and spoke into it. “This is Furious, who is this?”

Clearer now, the voice of Harry Freak came through. “Furious, we need help! We have this monster pinned down, but it won’t die. We need your cannon!”

“On it!” Letting the pipe go, it zipped back up to the ceiling of the pilothouse. He put his goggles on and grabbed the wheel. “Don’t fail me now, old girl!” He pulled back on the entire steering system and then pushed it forward. The Dirigible’s engines turned up, speeding him along quickly.

A red light flashed on the dash, and he slapped it to shut it off. It was warning him that the power levels of the old engine were at critical. He turned hard and zoomed toward a battle happening in the sea near a large city. The monster, Charybdis, was being held at bay by heroes attacking it. But they weren’t making any headway.

“I hope you can handle this, old girl!” He grabbed another lever and pulled it down, clicking it into place and then disconnected a cable from one place and plugged it into another port. He slowed the ship down and pulled out a switch and smashed it down.

Under his dirigible, the large electro-canon descended from its holding bay. The crystal structure on the inside was already white hot, with power surging through it. He sped toward the monster, the sides of his dirigible rattling, the engines turning his pilot house into a sauna.

“TAKE THAT!” He slammed the button again and a bright white beam of light came from his cannon and nailed the Charybdis right in the face. As its body split in two, it screeched and lashed around. With a great crash, the mighty carcass landed in the middle of the bay, never reaching the city. Heroes on the ground created barriers quickly to stop the ensuing tidal wave from causing any damage.

Harry Freak’s voice came over his comm. “You did it! It’s dead!”

Furious replied, “We did it. But this isn’t over. Lady Echidna is still out there. Justin needs us in Antarctica before it’s too late.” With that, he led the way across the ocean as heroes gathered from across the planet.

The battle with Lady Echidna was ethereal. Furious flew his dirigible over hoards of heroes against one villain. She was no giant monster or possessing thousands of demon slaves. She was alone, and yet she was nearly unbeatable. Blast after blast, Furious used all the weapons at his command to bring her down, and in the end, it was his dirigible that crashed into the snowy fields of the bottom of the world.

When the day was darkest and life seemed to be over, a beacon of hope arrived as an angel. Nova fought her in a battle that rivaled anything in all the myths. Then the monster to beat all monsters stomped through, crushing the icy continent as he set his eyes on the woman of nightmares. Midgardsomr joined the fight. Furious was certain that the snake hero had been destroyed, but there he stood, possessing a god-like power.

The Battle was over, and the day was done. Midgard had finally defeated the enemy that seemed unbeatable. Even better, Nova had returned. What was he? No one was certain any longer.

Furious stood near his crashed ship, sad eyes looking at the wreck that has been his tie to his past and his tool of heroism. Arctic winds made this even more painful. A hand reached out and held his shoulder.

“You did well.” The deep voice of Santa said.

Furious nodded. “I pushed her beyond her limits and made this real. But she’s gone. I don’t know what to do. I have crashed her before, but never like this. There is no coming back from this.”

Santa examined the wreckage and then asked the strangest question. “You’re not from this time, aren’t you?”

“No. I traveled from the 19th century to here. Why?”

“Seems like I owe you a century’s worth of Christmas gifts.”

This was not what Furious expected. “I guess... you don’t need...”

“I think I can make it up with this.” He waved his hand and magical reindeer appeared all around the wreck. Golden cords attached to them and the remains of his ship. In moments, the magical reindeer lifted it off the ground and flew it away.

Furious asked, “What are you doing?”

“You’ll see.” Santa touched the side of his nose and vanished.

A month later, Santa's Sleigh made a special visit and brought Furious up north. He zoomed over arctic north and then dove into what appears to be a giant ice berg only to find that the ice was an illusion hiding a large docking bay. The sleigh lands and he steps out. Santa joined him. Both looked out into the vast open bay that was currently without a ship.

“What did you need?” Furious asked.

“Merry Christmas!”

Furious looks at his watch, “It’s March.”

“Are you going to quibble about that when you are getting a centuries’ worth of Christmas gifts from Santa?”

Furious smiles, “This is about my ship?”

“Yup.” Santa clapped his gloved hands three times, and the elves pulled ropes attached to large doors at the far end of the bay.

Furious’s mouth hung open and a giddy smile affixed to his face as he watched a gorgeous boat float in on the water with a large armored balloon on top. The boat had beautiful bright wood with gold and silver accents. It had a small propeller in the front, and an enormous gold spike on the tip of the balloon.

Santa said, “Say hello to your new ship, the Furious One. It comes with magically infused engines that will give it twice the speed your old dirigible had. There are six turrets, three on each side, that are built in and will extend on command. The weapons are all powered by the same magical core the ship has built into it. However, the most powerful weapon on this baby is the lightning cannon on the front.” He pointed to the spike at the front of the balloon.

Furious watched as the incredible boat floated toward him. “Is it like the electro cannon on my old ship?”

“Better. The same unique crystal that your old weapon had powers this baby. It will give it as you move and charge the power in it. One shot from this will do more than twice the damage as your old weapon, and will not overheat.” Santa leaned in and said, “Wanna take her up for a spin?”

“YES!... ahem... I mean, yes I would.” Furious was a giddy as a kid on Christmas morning.

Santa walked him up a plank that met the ship’s top deck. “Unlike your first ship, this one has an open deck and living space. In fact, this ship has three decks, with guest rooms, a mess, and storage. Your hero league can use this as a mobile base, if you want.”

“I think they would appreciate that.”

Santa walked him into the new pilot house, this room as elegant as the outside of the ship. All the dials and controls were exquisite Victorian style, glistening like a new car. Luckily, Santa made the design similar to his old ship, so he knew the controls well.

“Taking us out.” Furious said as he stood behind the wheel and pulled down levers.

The Furious One sailed out of the hidden docking bay and out into open waters. Once clear, the engines buzzed louder, and the ship sped forward. The propellers on the back and front whipped into high gear and the ship lifted out of the icy waters. They gained altitude for a long climb sailing high into the sky. Breaking through the cloud layer, the ship leveled off and soared along as though it were sailing over a placid ocean. The mountains of clouds around it basked in the glorious sunlight, which glittered against the shining gilded hull of this ship.

Santa asked, “So, what do you think?”

Furious was bursting with emotions. “Thank you. I feel at home again.”

“If you need a tuneup, don’t hesitate to call.” Santa said and touched the side of his nose, vanishing away.

Furious finally cried out in joyful noises as he played with his new toy. The Furious One was ready for the world, but was the world ready for the Furious One?

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Fan-Fiction: Continued Tales of a Visionary

A past vision of a Visionary

The feeling was uncomfortable, but it wasn't painful. Elijah saw fast-moving clouds of grey but nothing else - not a bird, plane, or even the ground. He wasn't quite sure of where he was, only that he felt somewhat disoriented. He tried to turn but everything was the same, seemingly floating along an endless current of grey clouds in an even greyer sky.

He wasn't dead, he was nearly certain of that. Ever since discovering his ability, he had done enough studies on other people with abilities to appreciate that there were others who reported feeling as though they were in another plane of reality, whether it was a mental sensation, or a physical move like teleportation. Elijah tried to close his eyes, but the grey seemed all-encompassing. He began to count, but couldn't make it to six before he lost track of the next number. Thoughts flickered and fluttered.

An aircraft scarcely larger than a large jeep tumbled towards ground, its small engine engulfed in flame. Behind is sped a fierce-looking demon, wings peeled back and amber eyes burning with rage. It shrieked as it was intercepted by a bolt of brilliant fire, shot out from the fists of a man wearing a white top and red trousers. The man immediately raced towards the now downed vessel, then proceeded to tear the roof off. A shorter woman leapt out and ran to a comparably safe location on what was clearly a battlefield.

As Elijah scoped his environment, he realized that it was no ordinary battlefield, but a complete and total warzone. Men, women, creatures, vehicular armaments and giants littered the area haphazardly. He found himself running in the direction of a young woman with a pixie-cut hairstyle, wearing a yellow bodysuit with blue trim, who was generating a large reddish energy shield to protect against a volley of explosive blasts. Without blinking, Elijah shot an energy wave of his own, and was surprised to see that it was a totally unfamiliar colour, shape and style. He thrust his other hand out, to the same effect. The enemy forces retreated, allowing the young woman to draw back her shield momentarily.

"Valina! The prince -" Elijah found himself shouting.

"He's alright!... for now!" the woman shouted back. "But we need to get the others away, he's surrounded on all sides..."

"I'm right behind you! Go!" he called out.

Valina motioned to the other man, the one with the fire-generating ability, and he immediately jumped forwards, trails of fire left in his wake. Valina quickly took flight, flanking the fire-wielding man.

Elijah ran, quicker than he thought he could ever run, but was trailing his allies by some distance. He looked left and right, observing the continuing carnage without pausing his dash. Eventually, he reached the others who were in the midst of a melee.

Valina had engaged a grotesque, extremely large creature. She fired energy beams which drove the creature backwards. It snarled and cursed in a strange language, before opening its mouth wide and emitting a white energy blast. Valina ducked quickly and rolled to her left.

Another large behemoth, slightly taller and stronger-looking, slashed with muscular yet jagged arms, at a young man who wore a navy blue battle suit. This man wielded a pair of short swords, and used both to deflect the brutal swing of the monster. It reared up as if to jump in the sword-wielder's face, then was struck by a barrage of fireballs. It stumbled backwards as the fire-wielding man charged in.

Elijah ran towards the centre of the melee, only to see a man wearing red armour and blue armoured trousers along with a blue cape, reeling under an onslaught of energy beams from a towering figure, its suit fully black and face enclosed by a black helm. Elijah sensed that this was the most evil force in all of existence.

The black-helmed figure turned and fixed his gaze on Elijah. The caped warrior dropped to a knee, trying to catch his breath.

It spoke slowly, sinisterly. "You... You and your warriors are done."

"We will never be done," Elijah said with pride.

"They call you the Visionary," it replied, "But after all these centuries, your end is here. Your vision ends here. Your cycle of renewal will fail today."

It charged, quicker than light. Elijah, transfixed by the words of his assailant, tried to raise an arm.

It was futile. His world went white, then he saw himself falling to ground. He saw sky overhead, but could not move a muscle.

Voices around him.

"Stop him now!"

"We will triumph!"

"Macaia, try and keep him alive!"

Elijah groaned.

He blinked. He saw a fire trail, bright as the sun, as the man in white and red soared above him. Elijah thought, I got us some time.

His vision darkened. He had felt pain, but it was receding.

---

Somewhere in Antarctica, a man, covered in warm blankets, was quickly hauled onto a gurney and taken to a BADGE shuttlecraft. His life signs were faint, but his pulse appeared to be picking back up. On the other end of his comms, a female voice was pleading for someone to talk to her.

--- Visionary

--- ID: 35977

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Fan-Fiction: The Day Dew Bee Became A Superhero!

Chapter 1

25104

It was a regular Wednesday afternoon. Dew Bee was busy with his chores as the Chaos Theory janitor. It wasn't the most prestigious job, but it did get him rubbing elbows with the world's most powerful super team, Chaos Theory. The pay was basically non-existent, but he got other perks like access to the gym. If only he had the power some of his employers had, he could be a hero too, like them! But that hadn't been his fate. No, he was merely a lowly janitor in their meager employ. His only super power was being super ugly. He was so ugly, he had a face even a mother couldn't love.

As he mopped the floor, he daydreamed about what it would be like to be a real hero. Not the kind that risked their lives daily, like fire fighters, disaster rescue volunteers, or law enforcement. Those guys had no powers. More like the kind of heroes who didn't risk their lives saving people because their powers negated any risk. That was more up to Dew Bee's liking. The thought of potential death or maiming is why Dew Bee wasn't out there risking his life to save people already.

But what if he had an Infinity Stone, like Neo, or the strength of entire forests, like Woody? What If he had the money to design hyper advanced tech like Super Rakly or Avenger? What If he had the size of Midgardsormr, or the fighting skill of Heretic? Oh the possibilities! Everyone would know his name! Pretty girls would faint when he walked by, and blush when he smiled at them. Little old ladies would bake him cookies and pies! The guys at the YMCA would give him high fives instead of wedgies. Oh, if only he had the means.......

Punlork was walking down the hall Dew Bee had paused to day dream on.

"Hey, Dew Bee! I was just checking the mail. You got a letter."

"Really????" exclaimed Dew Bee. "No one ever writes me. Is it my birthday?"

"I don't think so, Dew Bee." answered Punlork. "It's from the Sentinel. Maybe they want to interview you about how great it is being behind the scenes at Chaos Theory. You know, without you, this place would fall apart. While we're out there saving the world, you're here making sure we have a comfortable place to come back too."

"Oh yeah!" replied Dew Bee. "This is a glorious job! I can't think of anything better or more fulfilling to do than pick up after you guys."

Dew Bee rolled his eyes a little as Punlork continued on his way, oblivious to the sarcasm in Dew Bee's voice. Putting his mop down for a minute, he turned his attention back to the envelope Punlork had given him. It's probably another rejection letter for one of his freelance articles he kept sending them. He wasn't much of a writer, but if he was going to ever be a hero, he had to start somewhere. Who better to emulate than Superman, and that's how he got his start.

Fumbling a little as he opened it, Dew Bee nervously pulled the letter out and unfolded it.

Dear Mr. Bee,

We are happy to inform you that we have accepted your latest article for inclusion. Along with this message, we have included a check as your payment. Thank you, and we look forward to contributions in the future from you.

~Kravnos~

As he looked at the check enclosed with the message for payment for one of his articles, Dew Bee's eyes bulged out of his head as his jaw dropped to the floor.

"WOOOOOOOOOOO DOGGIE!!!!" he screamed as he danced and ran like a madman out of the Chaos Theory Gym.

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SENTINEL EDITORIALS AND FAN-FICTION BONUS

HAPPY NOVEMBER 2023!!!

The month of October was an eventful one. We had a few excellent editorials and all have been rewarded. CONGRATULATIONS!

As it was with last month, ALL SUBMISSIONS TO THE SENTINEL PAGE that have been published will be assessed and given bonus rewards based on merit as follows:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe? (And any other Fan-Fiction.)

Just post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the Fan-Fiction forum with the following in the title: "FAN-FICTION CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

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LW FAN-FICTION: Round 1 - Heard Around the Horn

LW Round 1 - Heard Around the Horn:

[Message overheard from Aflima's comms device - the auto-record functionality possibly accidentally triggered, and diverted to the live feed of KHRA's sports studio. We believe the victim of the beating was undergoing hallucinations at the time and hope he gets the medical attention he needs]

Oh, Dev,... Got drafted as a floater... only to take inhumane levels of beating in the Orbital Arena. Yes it's not my first time duelling among heavyweights but never before has the disparity been as immense. Think of it as a zebra foal being tossed around by hungry crocs. Scratch that, nobody needs that image in their head.



My left eye has almost swelled shut, but I did take a look at the notice board. CT and WMD remain a class of their own and while my current colleagues are certain to hold fort to claim bronze, it will be difficult for myself to maintain footing by the time Round 3 begins.

Elsewhere, I see WMD's Outlaws branch pretty much having as easy a path as you could imagine, to a division title. The 5th Precinct has two teams together but you could take an all-star crew among these two and Brute Squad, and still Outlaws would be expected to dominate.

My right eye is a bit blurry now. I called Burning Daylight Labs to get a tech over here... BADGE med teams are apparently overwhelmed. The Divison 3 scorelines suggest Fortress of Solitude should have a path to another title, with a decent clash for silver in prospect between AoS and SFS.

Division 4 is probably settled after another Outlaws team claimed a low-scoring Round 1 win. SOB and Aussies put up big numbers but are probably in for a world of pain (I'll get to PAIN later) in later rounds.

Can probably speak the same in D5 as Avengers 51 Walking Dead look to march to yet another belt. These middle divisions are as rock chalk as you can get, no matter the format. Infected, despite their loss, would expect to waltz to silver.

Ouch... Shinobi tried to pat me on the back in a show of encouragement but I think it only helped to shift my scapula down a couple of inches. Must remember for Round 2 to pack some kind of nano healing capsules in my belt. Waiting for help is excrusiatingly long. Meanwhile, the D6 scores rolled by and there's PAIN as mentioned... Stacked Deck is historically a quality outfit but I'd imagine they can't stop the PAIN just yet.

Holy tamale, Freak Frequency put up 214 in their first match in D7. Bomb Squad of course the class of the division and will take the trophy at a canter. In D8, Suffering has a strong chance to go undefeated although Meat Locker won't let them go unscathed, I think. D9 is the other Bomb Squad's for the taking and Pride of Lions aren't going to miss out on silver. Wonder if a Champions Cup should be considered for the Pains, Bomb Squads and Walking Deads of this event. They hardly break a sweat in regular tournament play.

Teams are getting crushed at love in D10 and 9Planets... I don't think they're the same people as that 9 Planets crew from that other realm, although they're just as tough on a pound for pound basis... would be expected to continue to fill their trophy cabinet. There's a good SOB squad in that division that may press them a little.

D11 may not have the combined scores for all three rounds even approach that Freak Frequency first round number, as Raiders and Surfers each won while scoring under 10 points. This is the section of the competition where teams are trying to minimize points in order to avoid 'graduating' to the tier where 9Planets and Bomb Squad reside.

Another set of thrashings at love in D12 with Spirits with the weird spelling looking for yet another trophy and Nest of Vipers carrying that SOB banner proud. It can't be easy business for the betting shops though, the teams expected to win are always heavy favourites.

I hear footsteps, I really hope it's the BDL tech and not another CT guy. I like some of the CT guys no problem, but they hit hard and with little mercy... and in this arena I can't outspeed any of them. Arrgh. The D13 scores are up, though. 'Shocking', more zeroes on the board. Lost Souls and Dueling Duo are poised for a clash for all the marbles. Might make for a good contest compared to some of the others here. I think Lost Souls has a longer track record but it's really hard to recall the names and faces of these competitors.

Division 14 has teams actually putting up points. Maybe guys here are enticed more by the new Triumph points than the dreaded XP? And whoa, a tight match between Trident Tempest and Free City... and a wild comeback? Free City were probably favourites as they have previous titles to their names. We may yet have a first-time champ after all? D15 on the other hand is probably Team Cobra's to win without much fuss, the chase for silver may be more interesting.

The last division up for grabs, 16, has both victorious teams putting up 37 in different circumstances. This division is probably going to Sins if only because they have a more well-known trope. That other realm had a bunch of Sins too, although they were definitely much higher level than these folks. These guys are more like micro-Sins... hmm, wonder what Citizen Sin has been up to...

[the audio fades at this point, replaced by some inaudible mumbling and muttering. We believe the defeated warrior was injected with a tranquilizer at this point, and wish him well for the remainder of the tournament]

(ID: 10898)

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Fan-Fiction: Continued Tales of a Visionary

Decisions for a Visionary

Snow and bitter cold wasn't a situation that Elijah was experienced in by any stretch of the imagination, and he struggled to maintain his composure as his team descended into the New Meta City outskirts. His shivering arms and chattering teeth seemed a perfect representation of his feelings at the time.

"Let's go!" called out the BADGE officer assigned to marshall the combination of heroes from various leagues to the area where the dimensional rift had formed. With a shout, Elijah leapt forward and ran towards the fray.

It did not take long for Elijah to get the gauge of what these particular enemies were. Goblins and orcs, creatures he had read of as a teenager, swarmed around his group. Despite the missive to disable where possible without harming them, he knew that if they couldn't accomplish it within minutes, they'd have little choice but to use more dangerous methods. A club swing aimed at his head nearly made Elijah's concerns moot, but he was able to dodge the blow and deliver a heavy energy blast, sending the creature tumbling away.

He heard a stern, if not angry voice nearby. Turning his head, he saw in the distance the creature known to many as 'Midgard'... and seeing such a renown force only a few yards away yet larger than he imagined, made him stare in awe for a moment.

Midgard appeared to be in an argument with a satyr-looking person, who for his part seemed to have some ability to conjure vines from the icy ground, and Elijah inched a little closer, inadvertently.

The satyr thrust a bolt of magical energy at Midgard, and Elijah wondered if this skirmish was going to turn into a free-for-all melee.

A pair of tiny-yet-menacing goblins smacked Elijah in his knees, temporarily sending him to the ground. He turned to face his assailants, who quickly dashed off in the direction of other heroes. "They really got all kinds down here," he shrugged as he rose to his feet.

A portal opened and Midgard fell through, only to reappear a short distance away. Elijah looked on as another human-like creature appeared, sealing the portal. He didn't yet know this character, but could sense that he had amazing abilities of his own. Still perplexed by what was transpiring, Elijah nevertheless was forced to re-engage in the skirmish as larger orc-like creatures dashed towards him. Above, he saw a pair of wyverns target the giant Serpent.

These strange new worlds, literally right next door to us,... imagine that, he thought.

Beams of light flew over and around him and everybody else in the vicinity. He flinched, but felt no ill effect from the strange wave. The horde of goblins and orcs, however, stopped in their tracks and stood as if in a bewildered trance.

He turned, and saw the satyr, flanked by the portal-summoning person and a woman that appeared to look like Chase from BADGE. He began to slowly walk towards them, seeing if there was anything he could help with.

He was interrupted by a voice in his comms. It crackled, as if the connection was intermittent.

"Chandra?"

"Hey! You're on your feet, good. How are you handling -"

"I'm actually feeling great! Don't even feel the cold anymore."

"That's good news. I don't have any good news of my own to share though..."

Elijah stopped walking. "What is it?"

Chandra's voice betrayed her mood. "The study... is closed. We have no leads on any of the visions."

Elijah's mouth clenched.

"What this means though, is that you're fully free to pursue any path you want though. You can even apply to join BADGE in an official capacity - a taskforce, even... although the risks associated with it are quite high these days."

"I'm quite happy with my league," Elijah said pointedly. "Sorry, for being abrupt," he added quickly, feeling immediately sheepish.

"If your visions return, maybe they'll guide your next steps. Your barbering career though, might be on permanent hiatus," she joked.

"Not your best effort, Chandra," replied Elijah.

"I know."

"As long as you aren't reassigned to the Orbital Arena permanently or anything like that, I'm okay," he smiled.

"Promise."

"Talk soon," Elijah said as he resumed surveying the landscape. The sky was clear and cloudless. It was bright, although there was practically zero warmth. He looked a little to his left and saw a human flying in the air. He wore a white-and-red outfit and flames trailed from his limbs. The man waved at everybody below.

Elijah stared.

Then, he blinked rapidly.

---

"What the -" said a BADGE agent as he saw one of the heroes start to spasm rapidly. He ran quickly, catching Elijah before he collapsed. He looked at Elijah, and saw a man with his pupils shrink to pinpricks before expanding to a silvery-white. They began to flash rapidly and a spiral-like shape briefly appeared in each pupil before they returned to normal size. The agent slowly lowered Elijah, allowing him to rest in his lap.

As the agent began to initiate a call for assistance, he didn't notice as a small, faint scar appeared just above Elijah's left eyelid. It was in the shape of a four-pointed star.

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