Issue #01 - C-Day Celebrations

[Ganurath]

Jordan / Relentless

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +12 | FORT: +10 | WILL: +10

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Never Slow Down

CONDITIONS: None

---

Jordan had been curious as to why Nick had wanted to save seats, and blinked in surprise as he noted a familiar face leading the pack. It wasn't until the name drop that Jordan knew that it was the same Edward as from the dojo, though. Leaning forward a bit, he held up a hand in a wave to him. "Long time, no see, man. Did you find a dojo that fit you?"

Then what Edward and Nick had been saying to each other caught up to Jordan's brain, and he looked at Edward in a new light. He was the source of Nick's tidbit? And he knew it? Was there power stuff going on that he'd missed? Or was there just more to Nick's bat powers than Jordan knew about? He wanted to ask, but... Jordan decided against pursuing the topic. As much as he'd like to have a familiar face to compare notes with, there wasn't a way to broach the topic that didn't run into the eavesdropping problem. Edward bringing friends along didn't make that any easier.

On the other hand, Edward had friends! Jordan made a point of waving to them as well before the show proper got started.

Seeing the Centurions in person was a treat, even as part of the crowd. Of the two, Jordan liked Halogen better, on account of her having better people-person vibes. Orion was much more formal, which in Jordan's mind translated to less fun. Still, they were both great heroes in terms of the good they accomplished, so Jordan was eager to cheer along with the rest of the crowd... although he did quiet down and glance toward Nick. If his secret conversation with Edward had involved bat hearing in any way, Jordan didn't want to contribute to whatever discomfort the crowd might cause.

[Khakhan]

The duo on the stage continue to talk, sharing some of the smaller details of the day, including itineraries of various celebrity showings and meet-and-greets. Among the various timetables, Halogen mentions special signings and a couple times throughout the day that both Orion and herself will be available for autographs and photographs and "perhaps a special treat or two".

As the group in the audience have their conversations, various lulls give way to turning their attention back to the stage in time to catch the next section of the speech. Halogen steps forward, replacing Orion in stage prominence.

"And now, I would like to introduce to the stage, Ms. Gwendolyn Knight... CEO of Cobalt Cybernetics."

There is a slight pause in the murmuring of the crowd, and then a polite applause breaks out. Gwendolyn Knight was the daughter of Thomas Knight, former CEO of Cobalt Cybernetics, and the Ultramarine.

Gwendolyn walked across the stage towards the microphone, she looked out at the audience, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Approaching Halogen, she shakes her hand, saying something too low for the microphone to catch, before turning to Orion and shaking his hand as well. A quick exchange between the three occurs before she moves to the microphone to address the gathered crowd.

"Hello Cape City." Her greeting feels a little forced, although anyone thinking about it, knows the glut of misfortune she has experienced within her life, let alone the past few years. Really, was all that surprising that she wasn't in a good mood, days away from the anniversary from her father's death?

Clearing her throat, she continues. "My father loved this city and the people of this city. He believed, no matter how bad it got, everyone was capable of helping make a better tomorrow." She pauses and blinks hard. "Which means that today, I have the utmost pleasure to announce the creation of the Thomas Knight Foundation. In the words of my father, For a Brighter Tomorrow."

The awkward energy in the crowd begins to disperse slightly, into a murmur of approval spreading throughout. The catchphrase had been a commonly heard one from Thomas Knight, a play on the man's name and his genuine drive to help people, with dozens of charities and foundations calling him their biggest donor.

"Though hardly the first attempt for aid done in my father's name, this will be the first to bear his name. As many may know, he was a graduate of MIT. Their mission is to generate and preserve knowledge, and to bring it against all the world's challenges. With the Knight Foundation, it is my hope that my father will get to finally live out his true dream, and share knowledge and creativity with everyone, with no restrictions.

The Foundation will monitor a grant, gifting scholarships and funding research all throughout the country, and enabling people to take a step forward into a better, easier, safer future. Starting with, effective immediately, any student debts owed by any resident of the city have been fully paid off or forgiven-"

The rest of her sentence is cut off by massive cheering in the gathered crowds, which continues for a solid minute before petering out to a more tolerable level. Gwendolyn watches the crowd, a sad smile on her face. When the volume drops enough to be heard again, she clears her throat and continues speaking.

"I can't say I disagree with the sentiment, heh. But, celebrate, have fun, and then together, we'll step into a brighter tomorrow. Now-"

She is interrupted a second time by another rumble, but this time, it's underfoot. A tremble and shudder, and then the ground feels as if it jumps underneath you. Then, in further away, an explosion, a gout of fire followed by a massive pillar of smoke pouring into the sky. Then another, deeper into the city, then a third, on the outer edge of the park.

Chaos took the crowd, Halogen and Orion cast a quick glance at each other before taking to the sky, and Gwendolyn, her face pale, grabs the microphone and speaks into it, her voice tight but steady.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please stay calm, everything will be fine."

But as glass and stone and wood rain down from the sky, "fine" seems to be the furthest thing from the truth...

[Rayth]

Mikaela Garrett - Psion

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +4 | FORT: +8 | WILL: +12

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Mental Shields

CONDITIONS: None

Mikaela pays special attention to Halogen mentioning autographs and photographs, and is intrigued by these "special treats"; what could that even be?

As Ms. Knight takes the stage, Mikaela expects some kind words about her father and vague details about her family's continued business dealings. She's surprised, then, when she mentions that among grants and scholarships offered by the Thomas Knight Foundation, it's also using some of it's funds to wipe out all student debt in the city.

The wave of euphoric relief that passes through the crowd is almost intoxicating; it releases the tension in Mikaela's own shoulders, even though she doesn't have any student debt. The expression on Ms. Knight's face is strange, though. She seems almost... sad, maybe. She's too far away for Mikaela to pick up any direct emotions, so it's hard to say for sure. Something to think about.

As she continues speaking, Ms. Knight is interrupted by some manner of disaster beginning to unfold. A deep rumble through the earth; Mikaela hasn't ever lived through an earthquake, so she isn't sure if that's what this is. But she has her doubts, as explosions sound out through the city. Two in the city itself, and one closer to the edge of the park.

Mikaela grits her teeth as panic sweeps through the crowd; it burns at the edges of her mental defenses like licking flames. But she holds firm; she can either use her talents to help or to make things worse. There's only one choice, really.

The crowd leaps to their feet once the chaos starts, so Mikaela follows suit so she can properly survey the surroundings. Finding this a little insufficient, she hops up on her chair and stretches, trying to get eyes on the incoming danger.

She sees the falling debris; rock and wood and shards of broken glass, tumbling through the air towards the fringes of the crowd. Did a building explode? She assumed the explosions came from underground based on the tremor; maybe some kind of gas main caught fire?

Didn't matter, for now. First things first, make sure no one gets squashed.

As Mikaela manifests her talent, there is no outward sign; at least, not on a plane that is visible to normal humanity. She doesn't even make any dramatic gestures. She grew past that sort of thing years ago.

The construct starts from a pinprick, and then grows in a way that seems almost mathematic, inorganic. It's small, and then suddenly it's massive, hundreds of feet in diameter, forming a rough circle. It's transparent, nearly translucent, but it warps and distorts light passing through it in a way that makes it look like a surreal pane of tinted glass.

Mikaela interposes the construct above the crowd, aiming to catch the falling debris just as she practiced. As she makes sure it's in place, she sends a thought toward Nellie.

<Stay near me.>

[Zen Gypsy]

Phoenix Fist, aka Tsu Yang Zhou

DODGE: 8 | PARRY: 8 | TOUGHNESS: 6 (12) | FORTITUDE: 8 | WILL: 12

PERCEPTION: +12 | INSIGHT: +12 | HERO POINTS: 1 | CURRENT: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Resplendent Phoenix Stance; Enduring Breath

CONDITIONS: None.

---

Zhou watched the display before them with a scrutinizing gaze, his brow had the slightest of furrows across it, as he kept his gaze focused towards the stage, but his awareness diffused around him. He was still uncomfortable with the ostentatious nature of the north american infatuation with their heroes, nor the, obvious, pandering towards the assembled crowds. It was, in his opinion, too much spectacle, there was little humility, even modesty, in it for Zhou to appreciate, or even respect. Still, this was not why he was here, in Cape City, the crowd, even his new found companions, seemed to be lost in the moment, and who was he to impose upon their elation at being in the presence of figures whom they admired for so long. Perhaps it was because he was an outside observer, someone not born to Cape City, and so he had no, or little, knowledge of the figures before him, their history with the city, their connection to it, or their gratitude for heroism and sacrifice.

As Gwendolyn Knight spoke, he thought, for a moment, of his own father, of legacy, how, with his passing, an indivisible wedge had been driven between him and his sister, as they fundamentally disagreed on how one should honor that legacy, or grieve that loss. It was, unpleasant, that reflection, but he did not wish to ruminate upon it, or unpack those emotions, not now, not here. Instead, he closed his eyes, centered his breathing and listened, it was ... incredible. The emotions of the crowd, exhibited through the conversations, the noise, the cheers, that rippled through the crowd. It was, as if, it were a singular creature, each hanging on Knight's words, responding to them, a living being made of hundreds, perhaps thousands of individuals, yet, reacting at one as the daughter of their idol spoke. Stripped of sight, he could see the movement of energy, of spirit, through the crowd, excitement, empathy, gratitude, and respect. A soft smile came to his lips, perhaps his connection to this creature that surrounded him, that engulfed him, that he, himself, was a part of.

A look of consternation crossed his face in a flickering shadow, the crowd, it's ... feel ... was off, there was something that was tainting it. Fear ... panic ... from the fringes. Then his eyes snapped open as Gwendolyn paused, not for the elation of the crowd, but because of shock ... his head whipped around, as his eyes snapped open, gouts of flame, plumes of smoke. He paused for a moment, this, he thought to himself, was not Sho-ming Xio, it was too brazen for the Nine Serpent Master, nor was it his sister's style, while she was not adverse to lethal force, the use of explosives was too, clumsy, too, impersonal, if she had a target, she would wish to see the look on their face when she took them at the moment they thought they were most secure. Not, this was ... something else.

As a tesseract of force appeared over the crowd, unfolding like some heavenly origami, shielding the crowd from falling debris, Zhou's legs coiled beneath him, before hurling him into the air, seemingly, without effort. His thin, hoodie drifting lazily to the ground, as the crowd looked up, towards the explosions, the rain of debris that threatened their very lives, some would remember a young man, coal black hair, arms raised above his shoulders, bare to the chest, packed with lean, corded muscle, his hands, fingers splayed, curled into talon like hooks, right leg cocked, knee to his chest, his left leg straight down, having thrown him sixty feet into the air. A massive tattoo of a dragon and a phoenix seemed to flare to life, as it's ancient magics protected him, as his poisoned chi began to move through his body. He landed on the, now, unfolded barrier, a moment's hesitation, it was hard, smooth, similar to glass, however, it bore his weight despite it's fragile-looking nature. A curious thrum travelled through it, moving upwards from the soles of his feet to his calves, it was a curious sensation, but something for later consideration.

Halogen and Orion already streaked towards the heart of the city, high above, like two arrows loosed from a master's yari. He bent low, his arms behind him, like the wings of a falcon folded behind it as it dove for it's prey, he moved quickly across the hardened thought form, moving quickly, and without obstruction, above the heads of the crowd, alighting this way and that to avoid the debris that the barrier shielded the crowd from. Once at it's edge, he dropped low, sliding across the curious surface of the barrier, before dropping off of it's edge and landing in a low crouch at the small gate which marked the boundary between the park and the city proper. He took a moment to breath, allowing his peripheral to pick up on any threat to himself, or to the crowd, searching for clues as to the nature of the crisis, while scanning for citizens who had been injured in the explosions.

[Streetrat]

         Edward - Harbinger

---

Edward was about to respond to Jordan, yes that was his name when Halogen and Orion stepped up to the microphone.  So he motioned that they could speak after and turned his attention to the stage…as much as he could without his mind scanning the crowd in front of him, the heroes.

• The gravel in Orion’s boot is similar to that on Fourth and Broadway where the road work is taking place and they brought in gravel for the construction equipment before it was repaved.
• A girl two rows ahead of them had recently been crying and the boy next to her was not paying any attention to her though she was turned slightly toward him in difference.
• Three teens were engrossed with something on their phones three rows back and to his right.
• A man to his left was taking off his wedding ring and placing it into his pocket.
• A small child squealed in delight when Orion “Landed” on the stage

The information flowed over him and his brain began to sort and stow.

His focus narrowed when Ms. Gwendolyn Knight took the stage.  Was she about to announce the return of the Ultramarine? When the roar of approval washed over him when it was announced that all student debt was absolved, Edward was…indifferent. His schooling had been taken care of by the trust, but many of his classmates would be removed from a future of crippling debt.  It was a good thing and he was happy for those who just had a burden lifted from their shoulders. Perhaps if the generosity continues, Julia can have her education taken care of.  This would allow him to help direct the Trust to put something better down for a place to live.  This was certainly a good thing no matter how it plays out.

Then something happened.  There was an explosion and everything began to slow down.  The heroes took to the sky flying toward danger, the new girl stood on her chair, and rubble and debris falling from the sky began to be deflected, this may be connected and he would need to inquire about it later. Zhou jumped into the air and…landed on the air, or a shield blocking debris, and began running toward danger.

Right now there were two dangers. Whatever caused the explosion, and the crowd. The explosion could be a diversion, it could be an attack, it could be a robbery, it could be an invasion. Edward knew that his first duty would be to the innocents. But his voice would not be heard over the din, but Nick…

Edward reviewed the best exits from this venue in his mind and worked out the best exits. “Nick,  I hope your voice can extend to loud in addition to soft and pointed.  But if you could, direct people to remain calm and in the spirit of C-Day be a Hero and help those around them in this time of crisis.”

Hopefully appealing to the citizens of Cape City’s heroic nature would help people turn from fear to courage. Panic was infectious and would only cause more harm and collateral damage. Courage could change that and reduce further injuries.

Now Edward stood on his own chair and began to look about, see the people, look to the damage done, and work out why. An explosion could be an act of terror, robbery, or distraction. With this knowledge, he would be better able to direct others to help.

---

Passive Insight 24 - Passive Perception 24 - Passive Investigation 27

Edited November 16, 2023 by Streetrat (see edit history)

[Ganurath]

Jordan / Relentless

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +12 | FORT: +10 | WILL: +10

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Hit 'Em Hard, Never Slow Down, Never Stop

CONDITIONS: None

---

Jordan nodded at Edward, looking forward to catching up after the show. There were lulls that may have presented openings, if they'd been willing to talk across Nick, but Jordan thought that that'd be a bit much. At the mention of special treats, Jordan wondered what that could mean. Being vague like that was just teasing the audience. Probably the point, actually. Get people excited.

At the announcement about student loans, Jordan couldn't help but laugh and nudge Nick with his elbow. While they hadn't discussed student loans earlier, Jordan would be surprised if the Mile High alumni didn't have any. Well, if he hadn't had any. He definitely didn't have any now.

Then the ground moved.

Jordan's heart pumped and his mind processed at superhuman speeds as he shifted focus to being aware of potential trouble. Relatively speaking, though, it didn't take long for the first of the explosions to grab his focus. He itched to get out, to help, but navigating the crowd, in a way that didn't reveal his powers?

One of the girls that Edward had brought with him started making some cool crystal shield thing, and that seemed to be grabbing enough attention- Slipping out of his seat, Jordan stepped into a crouching level where Nick's wings provided decent visual cover from the audience behind them, and blurred into a whirlwind of motion. His costume had been inside jacket pockets, and the costume itself had a sort of integrated backpack for his normal clothes. In a fraction of a second, he became Relentless.

That done, Jordan hurried to get into the main aisle, running as quickly as he could to clear it so he could get past the people under the shield so that he could get to the people closer to the blast, and start bringing them to the safety it seemed to provide. Thankfully, sensei's earliest lessons had focused on how to not hurt people with superspeed, so he knew the proper precautions. He didn't want to give anyone whiplash, after all.

[LeonineWolf]

Nick - Ruckus

---

Nick clapped politely as the professional looking lady stepped out on stage. The Knight name definitely had some weight to it, and the CEO looked like it was weighing heavily on her as she took the mic and started her speech. Since Nick had expected another superhero, he was only half-listening to her, but he definitely perked up when the talk about debt relief came up. That was definitely something to cheer about, and he was swept up in that euphoria. And then he heard it.

 

The deep rumble was coming below them, followed closely by that shudder of something beneath them. The explosions came next, and soon everyone was panicking. Nick stood up, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people rushing around, not knowing what he should do. It was one thing to stop a mugger when he was doing a bit of vigilante justice in his community, but this was on a whole different level and he didn’t know what he should do.

 

It was that calm voice of Edward’s that finally made him focus. Glancing over at him, he could almost see the gears turning in the man’s face, as he assessed his surroundings in a calculated manner. Nick nodded to show he got the message, unfurling his wings and launching himself into the air, a few strong wingbeats getting him above the crowd. Whirling around, he took a deep breath, his vocal cords already warming up before he shouted, knowing the acoustics of the amphitheater would help his voice carry through the crowds. “Attention Cape City! Stay calm! Orion and Halogen is already on the case! Do your part and stay safe!" A few more flaps of his wings carried him up a little higher, and he tried to scan the area, to see if he could get a better idea on what actually was happening.

[Khakhan]

The attendees leapt into action remarkably quickly, given their general novelty to actual heroing. Mikaela's field of telekinetic force expanded over the crowd, the blooming of the barrier a thing of beauty if anyone had been in position to actually watch it. At nearly the same time, Zhou exploded into the air, landing gracefully atop the field at almost the same time it unfolded into being beneath his feet.

He moved to the edge of the park and cast around, looking for clues. He spotted them just before Edward did, even caught back in the thick of the crowd as he was. Ripples in the pond, but moving in the wrong direction, against the flow of the river. Given the precious seconds needed to process the facts, it couldn't have been plainer if there were a neon sign directing his attention to it. The locations of the explosions, given bridges and streets and their spacing, weren't necessarily meant for damage. However, if one considered the day and the timing, the locations would be better served as distractions, or potentially temporary chokepoints into a particular block of buildings.

As he puts this together, he notices two more things. Firstly, as he scoped out the scene, patterns kept changing, blinking, warping faster than they should, something against the so-called chaos of mass panic, which still spilled out in orders. The second thing he noticed was less puzzling, but far more pressingly important. Amidst all the movement and swirl from the press of people, was several groups moving not away from the explosions, but towards them. An action that was not necessarily against the norm, even for the situation, but something in the way they moved tickled something in Edward's brain, the way things normally did when he had a Hunch.

Nick rose into the air and called out over the crowd, shaping the sound to carry over a greater distance. The sight of the flying young man gave enough people pause to shake them from the initial stupor of terror and they began to slow. Moving more calmly, some of them even began to slow others and make concentrated movements to exits, and the crowds followed, slowly at first, but the movement began to calm and flow more smoothly as time moved on.

Jordan managed to move a few folks out of the way before they were hurt, either by debris not caught by the force field or by being caught in the rush of people. As he maneuvered them into safer positions, he also caught sight of the groups of people moving in towards the explosions. Not counting the group Jordan himself had been a part of, all of the others were dressed the same, dark clothing and glasses. They weren't clustered tightly, but loosely scattered throughout the crowd.

As those who had seen them watched, they noticed that the group was moving in a way that pulled them all together towards one location, but it wasn't quite where the explosion had occurred. Instead, it was a bit further down the block, and around a corner as some of the people in the lead began to disappear out of sight.

[Streetrat]

         Edward - Harbinger

---

Edward watched as the good people of Cape City heard Nick's call and broke free of desperation and fear and began to think again, to help each other, to spread this courage and altruism. It was this last part that put Edward at ease. As people encouraged each other to help people the likelihood of injuries and death from trampling diminished greatly. Edward looked up at Nick in appreciation, the kid did good.

With this concern mostly resolved, he could put the crowds out of his foremost thoughts, still keeping them in his perception, but not a part of his active thoughts. Instead, the crowd dressed in dark colors with sunglasses began to take Edward's attention.

Edward looked over to the new girl and Nellie. With the new girl standing on the chair, perhaps being the one who summoned the shield, which if she is Edward would need to give her great credit for, that perhaps as much or more than Nick saved many people this day, she was the one with powers and perhaps was the one who fostered the communication between the two.

It was a gamble, but he had to take it. "Excuse me, I know that we just met, and I still do not know your name, and I believe that you may be the one sustaining this," Edward waves to the impressive shield, "protection for the people, and you have no reason to listen to me, but perhaps, you might have the ability to speak directly to another's mind? If so, could you contact Zhou, the fast kid Jordan, and the flying bat kid Nick? Let them know that this is a distraction and that something is going on," Edward pointed, "Down that street. Once the people are out of danger, that is where we need to focus our attention. Something is going on down there." Then Edward remembered the most important part. "And perhaps we should go together as there is safety in numbers."

He trusted Zhou to wait for him and others, but he had not trained with the others to know how they would move or act. And going off solo was a recipe to be ambushed.

---

Passive Insight 24 - Passive Perception 24 - Passive Investigation 27

[Rayth]

Mikaela Garrett - Psion

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +4 | FORT: +8 | WILL: +12

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Mental Shields

CONDITIONS: None

As Mikaela manifests her barrier above the crowd, she braces both physically and mentally for the falling debris. The plane of force grows rapidly, starting as a pinprick before tessellating outward, cohering into a solid shape right before impact. As the pieces of broken building hit, they send vibrations through the structure. Mikaela feels phantom sympathetic vibrations through her arms down at her sides; holdovers from the mnemonics she uses to focus her powers.

As her attention returns to her surroundings, it seems that she was far from the only one who'd sprung into action. Nellie's friend Zhou had apparently seen fit to show the whole crowd his gains in the gym, throwing his hoodie to the ground. She realizes belatedly that he dropped his top just before catapulting himself into the air as though he'd been tied to a rocket, but evidently borne aloft solely by his chiseled musculature. He flies through the air gracefully before landing on top of her construct, his footsteps sending out small vibrations of their own. He then takes off, running across it like it was his own personal highway.

The word "highway" was apt, because he was sprinting at what had to be superhuman speeds.

Turning to the others nearby, she sees Bat Guy take to the skies as well, using his wings and power over sound to attempt to calm the crowd. The other boy who'd been with him was nowhere to be seen; and she meant nowhere, he disappeared quickly enough that it was a little strange.

Once she sees Zhou dismount, an effort of will causes the plane of force to tilt slightly, sending the debris sliding off onto an empty patch of grass. After making sure that there weren't any more falling objects incoming, she dismisses the barrier; it folds inward, becoming a pinprick again before dissolving.

Dimly at first, Mikaela becomes aware that Edward is speaking to her. Events had unfolded so quickly, and her mind had been so submerged in the ambient fear and desperation, that she didn't realize at first. But as courage and camaraderie spread throughout the crowd, she felt that strain ease.

Which let her feel Edward's trepidation as he said his next words.

A flash of fear hit Mikaela; how did he know? Was she that obvious?

Luckily, she picked up that hesitance he felt, and that cooled her anxiety. He was stepping out on a ledge too, knew that he was breaching some amount of trust by broaching this topic so hastily. But the situation had likely forced his hand. She remembered what she'd learned about his own abilities; his superhuman ability to analyze his surroundings likely gave him all the clues he needed to figure out she was behind the barrier. He likely knew that she'd been in telepathic contact with Nellie, too, which led him to his request.

She looked at him almost dourly. Sure, things were a little dire. But she was still a little childishly sore about her secret being found out.

With but a thought, she opens a channel between her mind and his. The feeling isn't painful, but it is likely mildly uncomfortable at first. She's got a heavy hand, or so she's been told. There's a brief, tight pinch in the back of his head as the connection is established. Afterward, her presence can be felt peripherally in his mind. Not obtrusive, but simply present.

<I might indeed. You're very clever, aren't you? My name's Mikaela.>

The words ring in Edward's mind in Mikaela's own voice, but arrive at great speed; it takes her barely a moment to say the whole thing.

<I guess it was a matter of time before I'd have to blow my cover; I had hoped that it would be in front of fewer people, though. Give me a second, and I'll bring the others in.>

Scanning about the crowd with her third eye, Mikaela sees the minds of each of Edward's targets, luminous on the astral plane. Nick and Zhou were easy; they weren't exactly hard to find, and well within her range. Jordan was a little more difficult. He'd blended into the crowd so quickly! But he'd only been sitting a few seats away from her; she was pretty confident she was able to recognize his mind telepathically.

The same sensation hits each of them, a quick pinch of discomfort before the connection was made, and then a presence in the back of their thoughts. She quickly relays a message to the group, almost as if she's practiced how to explain herself very quickly.

<Sorry for the intrusion, but better to ask forgiveness than permission. Hi, friendly neighborhood psychic here, doing a favor for Edward. He saw you dashing young men spring into action, and worked out that I had my own special talent. Wanted me to set up a group chat for all of us.

First, some guidelines. I've connected us telepathically, so you can do more than just hear me. You can all speak to each other as well, just by sending thoughts along the astral tethers I've made. Things move at the speed of thought in here, much faster than speech; it can be a little disorienting at first, but ride it out, you'll get used to it. And before you ask, no, I can't read your minds like this; you only send what you intend to. Since it can take some getting used to, I'll get you all up to speed, and you can reply once you figure out how.

Edward has discovered, using that big brain of his, that this is all a distraction. Something is going on down that street. Edward might know the name off the top of his head, so I encourage him to share. I can't see it from here, and can't exactly point it out to you like this. Halogen and Orion are otherwise occupied, so we're likely the most suited for the task. Once we make sure everyone is safe, we should go check it out. Together, that is; safety in numbers, and all. Not to mention, my range is only about a mile or so. If you get beyond that range, I have to pick up your mind again before I can reestablish the connection, which can be a real hassle.

Any questions?>

The words arrive in the minds of each of the others at incredible speed; it takes about ten seconds for Mikaela to transmit what would've taken over two minutes to say aloud. Usually, she wouldn't bombard newbies with this much this quickly, but she trusted them to be able to handle it. She keeps Nellie in the network, but spares her the explanation; she's heard this all before, after all.

[Streetrat]

         Edward - Harbinger

---

"Thank you, I am sorry for the intrusion, I appreciate how you are taking it. If it means anything though, in this crowd, your presence is most likely minimal and will most likely only be noticed by our select few" Edward said aloud, before entering the mental "chat room".

It was a new experience speaking telepathically. Edward was not sure if he would want this as a full-time thing or not. Already his mind was awash with information, to have the thoughts of others to be added to this chaos was not something he wanted to linger on. Edward was amazed at the control that she must have to be able to create a communication connection without reading their whole mind. He feared what he might inflict upon her should she read his unprepared.

<Thank you, as our friendly resident Psychic here has passed along, the patterns are wrong, and it seems that something is going down on University Boulevard. There are a large number of small groups heading in that direction. And as expertly stated, I feel that it would be better that we investigate as a group>

"Mikaela, is there a name you would prefer me to use in group chat, or would you be alright with your civilian name be used?" Edward was already known to everyone as Edward, it was easiest to just keep that for the time being, but he was already asking a lot from this woman and wanted to let her keep as many boundaries as she was comfortable with.

---

Passive Insight 24 - Passive Perception 24 - Passive Investigation 27

Edited December 12, 2023 by Streetrat (see edit history)

[Rayth]

Mikaela Garrett - Psion

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +4 | FORT: +8 | WILL: +12

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Mental Shields

CONDITIONS: None

As Mikaela picks up the empathetic vibrations coming off Edward, she feels almost bad about her sour expression. He seemed to be feeling some actual guilt for pushing her to expose her talent like that; she was a little sore about it, but not that sore. She gave him what she hoped was an understanding smile, and shrugged. She followed his lead, speaking physically rather than psychically; the connection allowed any participant to speak privately to her as well as group-wide, but it was a skill that one developed. Let him adjust at his own speed.

"Nah, it's fine, it's fine. I feel like we clocked each other as 'special' earlier; I can't blame you for making use of the knowledge in a time of crisis. Like I said, I always figured there'd be a time when I'd have to get flashy in front of people. Now's as good a time as any, given the circumstances."

As Edward's telepathic missive went from him, through her, to the rest of the group, Mikaela was mildly impressed by how quickly he'd figured it out. Maybe it wasn't that big a deal; her sample size was herself and Nellie, both of whom had taken a little time to manage to send complete thoughts like that. Mikaela herself had the benefit of being taught how to do so by an expert, which helped speed her along. Maybe a benefit of Edward's analytical mind. Or maybe she'd been a little young when her talent had first manifested.

At his question, Mikaela thought a moment, and then shrugged again. "Just Mikaela is fine." She already knew each of their names; it was only fair that she share hers, too.

It was kind of him to ask, though; the more she actually talked to Edward, the more she realized he wasn't that bad of a guy. Their initial meeting, and the feeling of his gaze putting her under a microscope, had been alarming and a little invasive. But it seemed that Edward knew that, but didn't have a lot of control over it, and so did his best to let people impose their own boundaries. It spoke to his character.

[Zen Gypsy]

Phoenix Fist, aka Tsu Yang Zhou

DODGE: 8 | PARRY: 8 | TOUGHNESS: 6 (12) | FORTITUDE: 8 | WILL: 12

PERCEPTION: +12 | INSIGHT: +12 | HERO POINTS: 1 | CURRENT: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Resplendent Phoenix Stance; Enduring Breath

CONDITIONS: None.

---

Zhou noticed the ripples in the current, fragmenting the current, causing eddies, predictable in their chaotic nature. He moved towards them, noting a fire escape that led to the roof of a three story tenement. He timed his approach, matching steps to the rhythm of his breath, leapt, grabbing the first rail with one hand, using his forward momentum, he swept his legs up parallel to the rail, vaulting over it to alight, gracefully, on the first landing. On landing he immediately transitioned to a second vault, tucking his legs to keep them from hitting the rails, landing on the top of the stairs to the second landing, before leaping out to the void, grabbing the top of the rail at the bottom of the third landing, allowing his momentum to rotate his legs to a vertical position, feet towards the sky, he released his grip, twisted, and landing on the low wall surrounding the roof of the apartments. He then began to move in the direction of the anomalies, pausing only when he felt a presence push itself towards the surface of his thoughts, interrupting his flow like a stone thrown into a placid pool. He stopped, crouched, looked around apprehensively for the source, before the young woman's voice echoed in his thoughts ... it was ... unnerving, given how much of his training was devoted to the mastery of one's mind, one's thoughts. Still, the voice was recognizable, the young woman from the celebration, he nodded, though non-verbal communication was useless in this, bizarre, medium.

<Understood. Group in sight. University Boulevard, progressing north.>

The information relayed via the network was curt and Zhou had little desire to elaborate. He was unsure of the intentions of the psychic or of who else was in the network. He had little desire to expose his thoughts to any of them, his thoughts were his, and his alone, and a psychic connection, established without his knowledge, or consent, was something to be wary of. At least until such time as he had the opportunity to determine the thought-weaver's character, her intentions, assuming it was the same one who created the shield were at least, selfless.

He continued moving towards the smaller group, he could use the mind-strand to communicate with the others, Edward had urged caution, but if this was Nine Serpent Song, or her Master, it could well be beyond the means of Edward, Zhou, or this mysterious mind-weaver. He vaulted from rooftop to rooftop, clearing alleys, using fire escapes, power lines, and scaffolding to stay above his prey, moving with the practiced ease of an urban acrobat.

[Ganurath]

Jordan / Relentless

DODGE: +8 | PARRY: +8 | TOU: +12 | FORT: +10 | WILL: +10

HERO POINTS: 1

ACTIVE EFFECTS: Hit 'Em Hard, Never Slow Down, Never Stop

CONDITIONS: None

---

Relentless needed a moment to pause and reassess once the worst of the falling debris had stopped coming down. Checking to make sure that the abrupt relocation hadn't been too disorienting to the last civilian he'd helped, he was about to give a reassuring pat on the should when he noticed The Suits. He frowned thoughtfully; the way they were moving relative to the explosions didn't give him "official security personnel" vibes. Looking at how calm they seemed-

Further thought on the matter was cut short by voices in his head. He spared a brief glance back toward the people he'd been sitting with, mentally connecting voices to faces. Mikaela, Ed - Nick hadn't chimed in yet - Jordan guessed that the jumping guy was the third voice. Nodding to himself, he takes a more direct route across the park ground. He wouldn't wear this much yellow if he wasn't willing to grab attention, and he'd be surprised if there was anyone who could take a bullet better than him.

...Hopefully they wouldn't have to find out anytime soon.

As Relentless moved, he tested his capacity for mental communication. <I'm taking the direct approach. I've got super speed, but so long as I stay within a mile, we're good?>

He didn't think he'd have even a quarter of that to go anytime soon, but with a way to communicate that could keep up with him it seemed smart to ask.

[Khakhan]

ISSUE #01

C-DAY CELEBRATIONS

---

The psychic switchboard activated among the group with very little fuss, a testament to Mikaela's strength and skill.

Despite not being a speedster, Zhou quickly found himself in the lead, with his path taking him more or less as the crow flies, or perhaps a phoenix. Quickly maneuvering out of the press of bodies allowed him to gain a fair bit of distance from the others. He watched, concealed for the moment by the angle created by the difference in elevation between him and his quarry.

Coming around the corner at subsonic speeds, Jordan slowed to a stop a short distance from the group, just as the group came to a halt about halfway down University Boulevard. As they had the opportunity to examine them in a little more detail, they noticed that the outfits were a little more unusual than they first appeared. Rather than simply cloth, they seemed to be a glossy form-fitting fabric, with portions covered in a hard, almost glass-like substance over the chest, forearms and legs. Each member had a number on their chestpiece and adorning the plate on their left shoulder.

The foremost members in the group pause a moment, appearing to confer with one another briefly, before breaking apart and directing a couple different groups to various activities. One separates to begin establishing a perimeter, forcing Jordan to duck away with his enhanced reflexes.

As Zhou continued to watch from above, he saw the other two groups begin to unload several containers that some of the members had carried between them. From one container, a couple members handed out a series of devices to their fellows. These people moved quickly and began to spread among the various cars spread up and down the street. The third group began to assemble an item from a couple other containers. Moving with a practiced efficiency, they began constructing some strange device mounted upon a tripod. All too quickly, something even a layman could gather to be a weapon began to take shape. A tripod mount, topped with a long barrel with a strangely forked aperture at one end, all connected to some sort of control array. 

The three members who seemed to be in charge of the groups gathered around this object and began to operate the control array, adjusting the aim of the thing. A spot of brilliant white energy springs to life, suspended in the center of the aperture. It grows for a few seconds, tendrils of energy lashing out, before it fires. The light is so bright it forces Jordan and Zhou to look away for a second, even as stars and spots dance in their vision.

A strange sound accompanied the blinding light. A loud, grinding, crackling noise like broken ceramic thrown across ice. When their vision cleared enough to see again, they saw a single file formation dart forward towards the new entrance in the building face that had appeared. A massive hole, seemingly drilled straight through the facade of the architecture, clouds of rock dust drifting across an opening nearly eight feet across.