IN THE ROOM with ???Justin Towe???

Good day, Sentinel readers. Today, I’d like to share a very unusual experience I recently had. I was walking down a flight of stairs and heard a loud squeak as I lost my footing. As I fell, I noticed I had been tripped by an errant rubber duck left on one of the steps. I tumbled head over heels to the next landing and seemingly lost consciousness for a moment. When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing on an immense keyboard with a black screen with a flashing cursor hovering before me, as if waiting for me to type a message. Although I couldn’t see or hear anything else around me, I felt as if I was not alone. Another presence was there, waiting to converse with me. I leapt from key to key, typing in a simple message.

Chaz: Hi?

JT: Hello Chaz. I am Justin Towe. I’ve read some of your past interviews and would like to have you help introduce me to the Heroes Rising world.

Chaz: Heroes Rising? What is that?

JT: The world you exist in has existed in many forms. Some you have heard of. Some you may not have. Krystal can explain it all to you, if you want specifics. I’ve been around watching over the HR universe, but recently the stars have aligned in a new way for the denizens of this realm. My influence has grown, and I am now, well, kinda in charge of it all.

Chaz: So, does that make you the big G now? Do we need to start sacrificing virgins to you or some other type of tribute?

JT: Let’s not get into that right now. How about we simply say I worked as part of a team under an individual we will call The Chef.

Chaz: That sounds familiar somehow. I think I’ve heard of that group. I believe your previous superhero name was Mr. Fix-it or more precisely, Mr. Fix-It-Right-NOW. Is that correct?

JT: Hah! Well, I do ascribe to that belief of “fix it right now”, but it was never my superhero name!

Chaz: And now you have recently garnered a new position in the HR-universe. Do you have a preferred title?

JT: Oh boy, I dunno. Architect? King? It all seems so ostentatious, just Justin is fine.

Chaz: OK, Justin. I assume from what you’ve said that you’ve been paying attention to the heroes of our world for a while now. I know that there is at least one of them who has spoken highly of what you do while calling on you frequently for aid. What is the most messages you have received in one day from Hanzo about a problem? You can round it off to the closest hundred if needed.

JT: The most? I don’t know if I can’t count that high, I usually make computers do that for me… But If I can round it to the closest hundred, I’ll say a hundred.

Chaz: Onto something a bit more serious. Why did you decide to take on the new position?

JT: I love the work, I love the community, and there was/is lots that needed/needs to be done. I was afraid of what the future may hold for both myself and for the HR-universe if things didn’t start changing, and I felt that only by unleashing my full potential could I make any meaningful change quickly.

Chaz: What is your favorite thing about Heroes Rising?

JT: The community. I love the passion and dedication so many players have – the drive to play the game, the desire to help others play the game to their full potential, the camaraderie and the rivalries that have been created over the years. I think one of the most awesome aspects is the close ties the players have with the developer(s) in order to create something together to try and make the best experience for everyone to enjoy. I love adding that personal touch to the game, and giving the players life inside the Universe, where their story has an impact in some way and the tasks they take on daily are just a little more super. How many games out there have entirely new modes created because a player made a post on Facebook?

Chaz: What are you most excited about changing?

JT: Honestly, there are so many small-to-large sized things I want to change and add, it is hard to choose something specifically. Overall, I am just excited to give players more and varied fun things to do, which is ultimately what all of my changes bring about. I am pretty excited about Player Summonable Raids though, I’ve wanted them myself for a long time.

Chaz: Yes, I think many people have. Speaking of Player Summonable Raids, could you hear Mayor CJ cry out like a little girl when you first slipped in the Raid Token for summonable raids?

JT: I was washing the dishes when it happened: a loud, high-pitched squeal, echoed in my heart, and burst through my ear drums... and caused me to drop the plate I was cleaning.

Chaz: What do the players bring to the game that you enjoy the most?

JT: Oh, I guess I kind of answered this a few questions ago, but to go on further about how great ya’ll are: it’s the ideas that everyone brings to the table that I love the most. Just so many good ideas for ways to improve the game or fix things or add things, and generally make it more fun. It makes my job much easier, cause I pretty much just read what ya’ll have to say, maybe add a few of my own ingredients, and bake away (baking being a metaphor for coding).

Chaz: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

JT: Spacetime manipulation, like Hiro Nakamura from the TV show Heroes (who was also a computer programmer).

Chaz: That’s a cool power. Will that be offered anytime soon for heroes here to have?

JT: I wouldn’t want to think about trying to code that into HR. Poison damage is giving me enough headaches right now.

Chaz: You have communicated a lot since your inheritance of Heroes Rising. Are there any secrets you haven't shared with us yet, and if there are, what are they?

JT: Oh yes, of course there are – I love secrets and putting foreshadowing for things in what I write. For example, I hinted at the Under Mountain in my Facebook post about the KOTM changes. I am working with Dan to ensure that there are hints about future story elements and game modes within the lore that is being released. Some of it might be subtle, but an astute reader may pick up on some secrets of things to come. So, I won’t just come outright and give away my secrets. Did I drop a secret or two in my responses to you though? Maybe. I’ll never tell.

Chaz: Being that it is nearly Halloween, how about some seasonal questions. What is your favorite candy?

JT: Swedish Fish or Charleston Chew

Chaz: What will you be dressing up as for Trick-or-Treating?

JT: Computer Programmer

Chaz: Will we ever see more of Legion in HR, or does your taking over mark a new beginning for the heroes?

JT: You might see a bit more of them, but that is more of a question for Dan Peyton.

Chaz: Who? That private eye in Neo Utopia?

JT: I’ve said to much. The only way to find out what will happen next is to stick around. I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

Chaz: Finally, one last question. The game is called Heroes Rising, but often some players seem to prefer being villains, or at least, villainous. Will we ever see a Villains vs Heroes Tug of War event?

JT: <jots down some notes> Uhm, yeah, probably…

With that, the vision of the large screen and keyboard faded away and I found myself faceplanted in an artificial hasta on the bottom landing. Was it all a dream, or did I actually communicate with one of the elusive developers of the world we live in?

Take the content of this interview as you will. Did it happen? Was it all a result of my hitting my head? I can’t say for sure, but stranger things have happened. Happy Halloween, Sentinel Readers, and best of luck, Justin Towe, if you really do exist…

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Halloween Contest Entry Madam Marvelous

Halloween. Without a doubt, Halloween has to be a shapeshifter’s favorite holiday. It isn’t the candy or the trickery. The parties and decorations are fun, but they aren’t what make it either. And it isn’t even our ability to change into other creatures, shapes, or people. That’s fun every day.

Halloween is the day of the year where the rest of the world can really get a taste of what it is to be us. They can create or copy other identities. They can become something or someone else for a little while and enjoy the freedom of being… other.

At least for one night a year, people are unlocked from being rigidly stuck in their lives as themselves and can discover other facets of who they could be. And it is encouraged! Children and adults both can become what they fear, what they secretly desire, or both at the same time, and are accepted warmly. Heck. Businesses make big bux off selling costumes, wigs, fake teeth, and gazillions of other accessories to help with the transformation.

Shapeshifters like I don’t need all those gimmicks. With a thought, I can become pretty much anything I want. And finally, BADGE has recognized that about me.

This year, I, Madam Marvelous, will be patrolling the streets of New Amsterdam as a fully sanctioned member of BADGE. No more probationary membership. I was on my own, well, except for Eggie, my electric grandmother. Being a minor there were still policies and regulations about me being off on my own without supervision but having Eggie around wasn’t a nuisance anymore. Not after everything we had fought over the last year. I saw her (technically ‘it’, being a robot, but disguised as a nearly perfect Mrs. Doubtfire) as one of my closest allies, if not an actual grandmother.

“Well, Kitt’n,” Eggie asked as she walked alongside of me carrying her typical oversized purse and dressed as a… what did she call it… a woman’s footballer. Over-the-knee, long striped yellow and burgundy socks, bulky shorts, and a thick sweater with a collar that could have doubled as a neck-brace. “How does it feel to be on your first unsupervised mission?”

I shrugged, playing coy and dismissive about the excitement bubbling inside of me. “It’s alright, I guess. I’ll miss working with some of the others, I think, but I’m sure they have their own exciting tasks to attend to. I’m determined to make Director Nova proud, though.”

“I’m sure you will dearie,” Eggie said. “Have you spotted anything unusual yet?” “No,” I replied as I surveyed the mass of costumed children walking alongside their parents or in small groups scattered on both sides of the street. Everything seemed as normal as a typical Halloween should be. Lots of laughter, a few pretend screams or overly dramatic shouts as people disguised as popular monsters or spooks attempted to jump-scare the visitors to their doorsteps, and repeated parental chides of ‘Get out of there! No eating candy until we get home!’

“Relying on psychics for tips seems slightly foolhardy. They are like weatherpeople,” Eggie said as she bent down to pull up one of her socks that had fallen below her knee. “Eventually, they will call for rain on the right day at the right time.”

Knowing several precogs in my time with BADGE, I knew some were more reliable that others. I missed working with Astra and Futurina, two of the best in the business. I wish I knew where they had disappeared to. Same with Miss Fae. She had become nearly unreachable of late, but then so had I. My parents insisted I take some time off from being a hero, believing I was getting burned out on juggling so much between my schoolwork and heroics. “I think that since Halloween is such an occult, paranormal kinda holiday, the psychics are more apt to be on point.”

We wandered further down the street as I went door to door, collecting candy while making sure nothing strange was happening. I had disguised myself as a miniature Maleficent, from the second movie, and sauntered up to each benevolent home as if I owned it. Full sized candy bars earned a full display of my majestic wings. I don’t think many of the adults at the door ever considered I might be a superhero in disguise. They ‘ohh’ed and ‘ahh’ed to my face, but I could hear them behind me commenting on the fact my parents made far too much money for me to be coming to their door.

I did have to wonder how many heroes out tonight were heroes or children of heroes? I hoped to see baby Gem out trick or treating one day. That would be fun, if Miss Fae ever let me babysit for her, not that her kid would need watching. Gem probably would have the same logical mindset as her mother.

Eggie and I worked our way through the densest portion of the street with homes and began to approach one of the many parks in New Amsterdam. The decorations around one of the parks pavilions blew my mind as it came into view. Someone cashed out their entire bank account to be able to afford all the spectacular displays. An enormous 30 ft. tall Frankenstein monster. Drones shaped as bats circling the building from above. Dozens of zombie statues marching toward a door with a sign over the door saying “MENSA Meeting Inside”. The song Thriller 2999 played on loudspeakers and thousands of tiny lights recreated horror film scenes on a blank wall to the sound of the music.

I had to go in. This place would give away the best candy. I was sure of it. A line over twenty people long already had formed that led into the building. People could be in trouble inside.

“Well, isn’t this just the bee’s knees,” Eggie said. “Look at that wee one in the duck costume. How cute.”

My heart stopped for a moment as my mind flashed back to last year. A giant space duck had come to Earth the previous Halloween and I ended up fighting it one-on-one. I could still feel its beak tearing into the marshmallow peep body I changed into in order to fight it. Ever since, I’d had a fear of ducks, even though I never spoke of it to anyone. A hero should never show fear, right?

“Are you ok, dearie?” Eggie asked.

I shook my head, pushing the memories of that huge yellow bill out of my mind. “Yeah. I’m good. I’m going in.”

“Should I come in with you?” she asked as she adjusted her goalie mask. “Put me in coach, if you need me.”

“No, but something does seem odd to me,” I said as I continued to watch the people coming in and out of the pavilion. “It seems to me that more people are going into the building than are coming out. There might be a party going on inside that people are hanging out at. I need eyes out here in case I’m wrong.” “Maybe it’s bigger on the inside,” Eggie said coolly.

“Your British is showing,” I replied, rolling my eyes and my r’s while I headed toward the line. “I’ll be back after I’ve checked it out.”

With that, Eggie remained outside as I got into line, keeping a few people between myself and the kid in the duck costume. After roughly fifteen minutes, I made my way up to the entrance and was met by a mysterious figure in black. Their only defining feature was an oversized pair of hooker-red lips and white teeth. Against the dark background and being dressed in black clothing, the figure could have passed for a mouth floating midair without a body.

“My, aren’t we a sweet little one,” the mouth said as the person bearing it bent down to eye level with me. A pink tongue swept over the teeth inside the perverse smile. “I can practically taste you already.”

I gave her my best Maleficent face. You know, hard, unimpressed eyes, crossed arms, and pursed lips. “I bite back, so unless you wish to be a bloody lip, you’ll shut up and leave me alone.”

The person in the bodysuit jumped back, failing their will save against my intimidation check. “Wow. Head on in, kid. Stick to the left.”

The door had been covered by torn pieces of black vinyl which hung down to create a curtain. The greeter pulled a couple dangling strips away so I could enter. They might have just been trying to play a spooky character, but my nerves were afire the closer I came to entering the building. It was as if the eyes of the entire world were pressing in on me. There was something definitely odd going on inside.

Maybe I should call for backup…

That’s what I should have been thinking. Instead, I walked in alone, ready to handle whatever came next.

To be continued...

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