Jump to content

What Happened in Edmonton


Comatose

Recommended Posts

Kije5gRiq_zps9304d280.png

“Oh, there she is,” Kokichi said, pointing towards the plume of smoke.

Looking towards it, Megan could just make out a familiar, blonde figure, hanging in the air, arm outstretched towards someone else, projectiles flying out from her fist towards it. The expression on her face was different, as was her bearing. But the features were as familiar as ever, almost exactly the same features on her own face.

"Allison." Megan whispered, before taking off in a sprint towards the battle. Liam and Kokichi forgotten behind her.

5f79363e-06f7-45f2-91bb-11bdf3a915d5_zps

The other Epic seemed unfazed by the rapid bursts of metal that flew towards him, even going as far as plucking one out of the air.

So he is the source of the slowing field. Maybe not even a speed Epic at all, just able to slow others perceptions?

But at that moment, the exact mechanics of the power were less relevant than their effects. As the Epic approached she felt the waves of dizziness renewed, causing a brief flashback to her fight with Deathwish above the Dalles. The last time she'd experienced the symptoms of blood loss, although this time she wasn't bleeding.

Slowness must be affecting internals as well then.

She fed a tiny trickle of power into her veins, keeping the slightest bit of flow. Pushing on her internals was not something she liked trying, the danger if she fed in too much power was extreme, and it took constant concentration to feed it like this. But the dizziness wasn't getting any worse now, though neither was it growing better.

She smiled towards the oncoming Epic, even that movement of facial muscles was difficult, almost like muscle stiffness but somehow different.

"An impasse then?" She said.

I'm going to rupture every organ in your body. She thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.bbcd39f7e611c38dad217498aaa75405.jpgEpoch.jpg

Jacklyn was thrown off her stride by Epoch's comment. Her facade momentarily slipped.

"What Epic?"

"The third epic," Epoch repeated. "Surely you don't think I would believe this was coincidence. They were drawn to the same place by something."

Jacklyn thought rapidly. A third Epic? Maybe she could use that somehow? Fake a coincidence power of some sort? Or maybe this Epic was chasing her?

"I did not know there was another. But I can't say I'm surprised. If you tell me more about this Epic, I may be able to clarify."

“Oh, the fire epic,” Epoch said casually. “I thought you knew.”

It probably was unrelated, but it could be her...

"What gender was this fire Epic?" Even if the Epic was female, it still probably wasn't her. Jacklyn tried to not let her nervousness show in her voice. Her expression was fine to let show. Epoch wasn't there to see her.

"How is that related?" he wondered, skepticism bleeding into his voice.

"She was female," he conceded. Belatedly.

Sparks.

"I... met a female fire Epic once. She... we didn't get along. She might have followed me here."

"Ah."

Epoch was momentarily at a loss.

"I can assure you this is not the same epic."

.  .  .

This is the first half of a collaborative post with @The Young Pyromancer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.bbcd39f7e611c38dad217498aaa75405.jpgEpoch.jpg

"I can assure you this is not the same epic."

He exhaled a sigh.

"Look, I'm getting the picture that you have secrets from the past. This is hardly uncommon for epics," he explained. "I am merely interested to know of your connection to events at the border, and what you are capable of."

"It would be easiest if you would show me," he added.

"My powers are... subtle. They aren't easy to demonstrate."

"I see. What are they?"

"Coincidence manipulation. And a few other weak ones."

Jacklyn hoped Epoch would buy it.

"Well, that explains a lot," he mused.

"To what degree can you control these coincidences?"

“Not very much.”

"Right. That makes things... Difficult. No offense, but if you are being truthful, I would prefer you steer clear of my territory. Many of my rivals will doubtless be more welcoming."

He paused to let the words sink in.

"I will be taking measures to ensure that you are being truthful where it counts. Barring complications, you will be released with free passage to another part of the city of your choosing. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Jacklyn slumped in the chair, visibly relaxing. She managed to hold back a sigh, which might be audible over the mobile, but she was certainly relieved. "That would be fine. No apologies necessary." Jacklyn had never actually heard someone say that, but she read it in a book once, and it sounded respectful.

“They might become necessary in retrospect, but I appreciate your understanding.”

This is the second half.

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canada-Shield.png.4329af55b53bf09e20f9949e0d0b4d3e.png

“Oh, there she is,” Kokichi said offhandedly, gesturing to the two Epics in the middle of the fray. One wore a dark trench coat that rippled around him and had ruffled dirty blonde hair. The other, flying a few feet away from the first, had flowing blond hair and, when she shifted, bore an eerie resemblance to Megan.

Allison,” Megan whispered, Liam just only catching the first syllable as she sprinted towards the dueling Epics. Liam almost dropped his gun. Sparks. Her sister is an EPIC?! Gripping the gun tighter, he glanced around. Though the fighting had drifted away from the highway and the little checkpoint complex in the background, the epicenter was still too far from the bulk of the neighborhoods. Sparks, no clear cover aside from a row of scraggly, untamed trees lining the road. Once, they had been decorative landscaping, but it seemed like there was no longer an administration to bother with that. Still, he bolted for the small cover they provided.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Liam ran for the scrubby trees on the end of the road, so Kokichi followed. The fight was turning into a total mess, with people yelling and running all over the place. Apparently that other blond Epic was indeed Allie— Alison— and that meant... something. Whatever. 

Megan clearly wasn’t going to be joining their party after all. That was cool. She could go hang with her sister. Kokichi wasn’t at all betrayed by a lame fetch quest without even two new besties. They’d settle for Liam. And by settle they meant focus on because Liam— Lee now— was cool. He had a shotgun.

They pulled their hood over their hair as they scooted behind the plant that was barely clinging to life. The two probably looked like they stuck out like a sore thumb, but nobody would be able to see them, even if they had enhanced perspective abilities.

Well, unless they were out of range but they’d be too far away to effect the situation anyway. If they came closer or tried to tell someone inside, the message would be lost. An arrow or sniper bullet would land everywhere but on their bodies. The only thing Kokichi wasn’t sure they’d survive was a full on nuke, but like, nobody had those these days.

Whatevs. The technical details of their abilities could be left to puzzled lorists hiding in their nerdy cubbies hiding from the rest of the world like nerds. 

“So wanna go kill Karabiner now?” Kokichi’s jump cuts got less accurate the further away they were from the target, but if Karabiner was in anywhere Edmonton, then they’d probably manage under a dozen of blocks at worst. What abilities did the guy have anyway? Unless it was anything funny, Kokichi could probably one shot the dude.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.56d2202aa25bb6764867b5772cb5a16d.jpg

Next to Kokichi and Liam, a piece of old-fashioned parchment appeared, floating in midair.

Hello.

 

Blank didn't know why they did it.  They had a plan earlier, but they were really tired.  It was hard to maintain a normal sleep cycle when you could black out the lights when you got tired.  One of these days, they were going to find out that Epoch was making varying time zones around the place just to mess with them.

Oh right!  The reason they made the message was because they needed more visitors!  Blank smiled.  The plan was going well.

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rachel Notley.jpg

"Premier Notley?" 

Rachel looked up from the mound of reports she had been about to open after being busy with conference calls practically all morning.  Frowning, she turned on the microphone on her headset.  "This had better be important Louise."

"There's an Agent Rook here to see you.  From the Circle of the Shield.  Normally I'd tell her to come back when she has an appointment, or to speak with someone else but given our recent conflict with that last agent . . ."

"Just send her in Louise.  I'll hear what this Agent Rook has to say.  Get some security to come in here with her, will you?  And check her with a dowser first.  If's she's an epic, or packing any motivators, I'd like to know that before inviting her into my office."  Had Margaret sent this one too to clean up the first agent's mess?  Or was there something else going on?  Rachel didn't like surprises, and today had already had several.  This time, if she met anyone, she would be better prepared.  

Euphoria.png

"So, you two were both bureaucrats in Corvallis?"  Euphoria nodded, but let Charlene do the talking for both of them.  A few feet away, other members of their party were being similarly interrogated by the Albertan Government's border control.  Skinsaver looked like he was holding things together, at least, likely boasting about his illustrious, and fantastical, medical career.  Peregrine kept glancing over at her, obviously nervous.  Calamity, if he gets us caught... Bringing Peregrine along had been a risk, given his lack of allegiance, but it was a calculated one on Euphoria's part.  His abilities, though not very strong, would be highly useful.  

"All right, that's everything, I guess.  I can't promise you jobs, of course, but if you are interested, you should head over to one of the government offices and see if they have any openings.  We don't give out their locations to everyone who comes through, but if you ask around you should be able to find one."  

"Thanks, Officer Brooks."  Charlene smiled, and Euphoria resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  Noticing things were getting a little heated over at Peregrine's station, Euphoria gave the officer interrogating him a small dose of happiness, just enough to diffuse the situation without being noticeable.  Peregrine narro wed his eyes as a smile spread across the guard's face, and the man who had been glaring at him moments before ushered him through.  

"I thought we weren't supposed to use our powers," Peregrine hissed once they were together again.

"We aren't unless it's absolutely necessary.  You were going to blow it for all of us.  It was absolutely necessary.  I. . ."  Euphoria trailed off as Brandon, Ian, and Grant rejoined the group.  Adding more vanillas to their party had seemed like a good idea to blend in, but it was quickly becoming an annoyance.   

"Brandon!"  Euphoria did roll her eyes that time.  Honestly, couldn't Charlene hear how obvious she was with that tone of voice?  It was sad.  "You boys get through immigration okay?"  

"Yup, no problems."  Of course there were not problems for you, pretty boy.  Euphoria had known many men like Brandon in her life - overgrown children so used to coasting through life because of their appearance and charm, but utterly lacking in personality or intellect.  

"So, I guess you'll be off to visit that friend of yours, right Ian?"  Charlene spared a glance for Ian before returning her attention to Brandon  "The lorist?"

Euphoria could see the wheels turning behind Ian's eyes as he quickly assessed how much Brandon had exposed, and how little he could get away with saying.  "More of a hobbyist than a true lorist, really.  I think we'll be heading there now actually.  How about you?"  Had she still had her vast intelligence network at her disposal, Euphoria would have set a tail to follow Ian, but she was loath to split up her small group so soon after entering a new city.  Even still, the fact that Ian was likely a lorist, and that he had been living in Corvallis for a time, made her nervous.  How much does he know?  

"We'll track down some place to stay, I guess, and then start the job hunt in the morning.  One of you guys has a mobile, right?  We should exchange numbers, just in case we need to get in touch." 

Ian bit his lip, no doubt considering whether he could get out of giving away that he had a mobile, when Grant stepped forward. "Sure, I have one."  As Grant and Charlene exchanged numbers, Euphoria caught sight of Ethereaon, and waved him over.

"Leila, darling.  How dare you leave me to waste away in that dreadful line.  It was positively aweful!  Really dear, I don't suppose you know of a functioning 5 star hotel in this region?  This needs a little beauty rest to maintain."  Ethereaon's glanced over to where Charlene and Grant were using their mobiles, and then shifted to Brandon and gained a slightly hungry expression.  Are you kidding me?  

"Exchanging numbers are we?  How droll!   Brandon darling, you wouldn't happen to have a mobile, would you?  I'd hate to become strangers since we've grown to know each other so well."  

T-Swift.jpg

Taylor walked through the southern checkpoint of her choice without being stopped.  It was child's play, shifting between forms at opportune moments, and utilizing the face and badge of a guard she passed to get through a staff entrance.  Once she was out into Olypmia Polaris proper, she almost shifted back into her true magnificence, but something stopped her.  

 "Your . . . weakness.  We . . . we texted it t-to every Reckoner in range.   The Reckoners of . . . of O-Olympia Polaris.  They know you are . . . here.  They've killed D-Doubletake.  And . . . now . . . they . . . will . . . kill . . . y-"

If the Reckoners really were in Olympia Polaris, and knew to watch out for her, Taylor would need to be careful, especially if she wanted to catch her prey unaware.  If they had her weakness, she couldn't afford to give them time to prepare for her assault.  Though it pained her to dim her natural brilliance, Taylor chose a different form, similar to the epic Emma she met in the Dalles, but with lighter hair and longer eyelashes.  

She left her lips cherry red in a moment of indulgence, and began to sing quietly to herself.

I hit you like bang
We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't
And I bury hatchets but I keep maps of where I put 'em
Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy
I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me
And I can't let you go, your hand print's on my soul
It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold
You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks
So here's the truth from my red lips

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mac strode through the streets of Olympia Polaris, one beefy hand clutching half a pizza, the other feeding it steadily into his mouth as he walked. People scattered as soon as they saw him, running as they saw his huge figure or heard his heavy footsteps. 

"Heh. Look at the little rats scurry." He drawled, wiping a piece of bacon that was caught on his lip.

"Yeah. Well they'll be hurrying even faster after today." Hover said next to him. The contrast of his tiny body compared to Macs was almost comical as he moved across the pavement, hovering an inch off the ground.

"Nah." Hover said back, stuffing another large section of pizza into his mouth and talking around it. "After today none of them will be brave enough to run, they'll stick around and roll out the carpets for us."

He licked the remaining grease off his fingers, relishing the last of it. He felt it begin to change as soon as it entered his body, felt it give him power, strength.

"Well that should be enough for now. Pity there's nowhere good to eat around here." Mac lamented, idly kicking a bin as he passed it.

The concrete underneath it cracked as the bolts ripped free and the bin careened across the street, slamming into the back of one older man who was hastily attempting to escape.

The Epics from the Minor Epic Coalition laughed, a few exchanging high fives with Mac as they saw the man collapse, struggling to get up as his legs no longer seemed to move. This wasn't their section of the city so most of them would have passed unnoticed unless they were obviously using their powers. But Mega Mac stood out like a sore thumb, obviously an Epic and visible from blocks away. Most people seemed to have the sense to clear out of the way as they all approached.

But then they saw one other man who didn't seem to notice them, walking in their direction but paying more attention to the windows of shops than to them. Their target, Nicroburst had been found.

Mac leaned forward, a hand the size of a gorillas reached out to grab Nicroburst and arrest his movement.

As soon as the two made contact, a shock seemed to pass between them, Mac's body seized up, and for a brief moment he grew even larger, towering over all present. But as soon as the sudden burst of size came about, it vanished and instead Mac seemed to deflate, shrinking back to normal, then shrinking still further. Shrinking to merely overweight, then average sized, then skinny.

He continued to collapse in on himself, all muscle and fat seeming to dissolve off of him as his powers rapidly ate through them.

Finally he collapsed onto the ground, little more than a skeleton with skin loosely hanging off of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canada-Shield.png.bc09a4f52a28a637c07031793bcfda31.png

Liam watched Megan run towards her sister, still locked in battle, for a few moments before Kokichi spoke. “So, wanna go kill Karabiner now?” He glanced over at them, who had followed him to the tree. Kokichi was right; they had technically accomplished their task of reuniting the twins, so they could return to their main mission. He glanced back at the duel going on. He’d rather not have to face two Epics at once.

“Yeah, sounds good,” he told them. Checking their surroundings again, he ran back to the alley with the van. There were a few soldiers who were watching the fight but had wisely decided to keep their distance. Megan would be enough of a distraction to provide cover for the two of them. Once back at the van, he set the shotgun back in its compartment and pulled up the map of Edmonton. Kokichi’s jump had thrown off the van’s position tracking, so Liam had no idea where they were. As he scanned the road patterns for a clue of their position, his stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since the night before, and what time was it, past noon?

“Hey Kokichi, there’s a minifridge behind the sofa. It’s the black box, not the red one. It’s got food in it. Could you grab me something from there?”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“Yeah, sounds good,” he agreed and they headed back to the van. Kokichi’s run/walk would’ve probably attracted attention, normally, but the fact it didn’t was funny. Oh, and the steadily increasing congregation of Epics duking it out around the corner. They were pretty distracting.

Their walk was a combination of hand waving and kicking. Kokichi ran for a few steps, then leaped up and posed mid air, peace signs flashing. They flapped their arms, dancing up and down around Lee. 

The duo of fun and mischief but mostly mischief made their way to the van relatively easily. Lee put his gun away and Kokichi slid into the seat with jazz hands a waving. 

“Hey Kokihi, there’s a mini fridge behind the sofa. It’s the black box, not the red one. It’s got food in it. Could you grab me something from there?” 

“Sure!!” They clambered into the back seat, finding the fridge easily. Before opening it, they turned back to Lee. “What’s your fav to nom on?”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canada-Shield.png.4329af55b53bf09e20f9949e0d0b4d3e.png

“Sure!!” Kokichi replied, hopping in the back. “What’s your fav to nom on?”

Liam took a moment to decipher that. Favorite food. He rubbed his beard. “I think there’s some shawarma in there, last I checked. At least I’m pretty sure I put it in beside the—” He was cut off as Kokichi plopped a shawarma into his gesturing hand. “Oh,” Liam said, pausing before taking a bite as he turned back towards the map.

Since Kokichi could get them pretty close to wherever Karabiner was lurking, Liam reflected on he knew about the Epic. Karabiner runs a black market called ‘the Fence.’ It’s mobile, to some extent at least, but stays within the vicinity of Edmonton. He can copy the powers of an Epic and attach them to an object, making it ‘Linked.’ Liam thought about the trilby and red ball that they had snatched from the research facility. He wondered what would happen if Karabiner got ahold of Kokichi’s powers. What would that look like?

Liam set the half-eaten shawarma down and backed out the van. It was time to get this done with. Shotgun ready, van fully operational, and if things got hairy, he had his “surprise” in the back for emergencies. He turned to Kokichi, who had gotten something for themselves to eat.

“It’s go-time.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“It’s go-time.” 

Kokichi finished their onigiri, which they’d taken out of the fully stocked minifridge. The advantages of their powers were numerous, but the best one had to be the infinite snacks. 

Even if they’d long since stopped tasting them.

Pieces of the rice stuck to their hoodie,  which they pushed off. They’d drop out of existence the moment Kokichi stopped paying attention to them, leaving no mess behind. Didn’t work the same way with food people actually ate, for some reason. Whatever. Wasn’t their job to question it.

”Sounds fun. Want a dramatic countdown or something?”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5b80801a05adb_Bloodlightsemifinal(2).png.18214b54002685ae5ead5ffc094e6515.png

Nate continued driving, glad to be out of that accursed Fast-Zone. Though he had never before experienced tunnel vision, he had quickly decided that he hated it. Driving with it was especially bad. Of course, he would survive anything this town could throw at him, but others could be hurt. He would not allow that to happen on his watch.

He heard his stomach rumble. "Sparks!" He exclaimed. "I'm on schedule! That means I'm out of food!"

That was definitely bad. If he got too hungry, Bloodlight would take over to keep him alive, and would probably kill him several times in the process. He needed to find food, and fast.

Nate had no idea where he was going, but he eventually found an indicator of food through his rolled-down windows; he smelled the bread even before he saw the bakery. He could feel the hunger almost gnawing at his insides when he got to the door, and he didn't even pause to roll up his windows or check for a sign. He didn't have to. The angel of baking bread did not come so strongly from anywhere but a bakery.

Inside were a man and a woman, neither of them young, probably his parents' ages or thereabouts. He wasted no time with the typical politeness of a happy, expectant customer, getting straight to the point.

"I have money and I need food right now or something bad will happen!"

 

Karabiner(1).thumb.jpg.417db0e782535d2d1fa305cae14f8345.jpg

Karabiner nudged a blue wire slightly to the right so he could see to the other side of the box he was working on. To his surprize, the entire wire swung around, one end scraping the outside of the enclosure.

"Soldering iron." He said.

"Here," said Charles the Virtual Assistant as the tool rolled across the long workbench to Karabiner's open and gloved hand.

Solder in one hand, iron in the other, Karabiner quickly reattached the stray wire to the Imager's   main circuit board and closed the enclosure.

With the Imager back up, he would once again have reliable eyes throughout the city. What was more, he would be able to beam himself or others to and from the Picket with greater accuracy, meaning he could get back to power stealing.

"Karabiner?" A raspy voice inquired over Charles' speakers.

"Skeet. What's open?"

"What color did you say that Saab was?" The voice returned.

"Red." Karabiner didn't bother to ask if the kinetic Epic had seen a car that matched the Blackweb's description. Instead, he flipped on the Imager, sending a spray of light across the room. Some angles showed seriously distorted images of buildings, but the far wall was fairly clear, despite the Imager being calibrated for a different room.

It sped across the city to a bakery Karabiner had never visited. Sure enough, there was a red Saab 9000 Aero parked on the street in front.

"Thank you, Charles." Said Karabiner.

"Your welcome, I'm sure," replied Charles. "Calibrating now."

Karabiner saw the back corners of the room slide into focus as Charles connected to it and echo-located the walls with his advanced microphones and mini-speakers.

"Pro, Conn, Boomerang, please connect." Charles called their Mobiles from Karabiner's own, and Karabiner waited for them to pick up. He had needed to manually connect Charles to his Mobile, as Charles's seventh Link couldn't interfere with the evident Motivator to hack the device.

"Sir." Pro's voice. His power had some small effects that made him sound extra professional over calls.

"Wait for the others."

Soon, Boomerang and Conn had joined the call.

"We've located Bloodlight. Initiate Operation Stalemate."

"The bait is ready to move, sir," Boomerang's hard, feminine voice informed him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.56d2202aa25bb6764867b5772cb5a16d.jpg

Blank suddenly realized that their message went awry.  They quickly dismissed the image that had popped up in front of the flying Epic, hoping that no one had noticed.  Interesting.  Some sort of redirection power?  Blank tried again, this time directly in front of the van.

Hello.

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5b847e59eb58e_ArachnerdFinal(3).thumb.png.f93d0221995403418af29c2cb3a08255.png

“...whatever it is wouldn’t yield heat, I can still take it. Theoretically, I can create absolute zero, though I’ve never tried it." Arachnerd's breath caught. Absolute zero? That's sparking cool! Her face in no way concealed her thoughts.

Riley burned a pattern into the handle of his crutch-broom as he spoke. Something about it was off. Most Epics expended an insignificantly small amount of effort to use their powers, but he seemed... Clunky. It was the oddest thing to notice, but he was playing it too cool. That probably... Means something... Something was seriously wrong with her brain. She had probably stayed up till 1:00 AM that morning, but she had made up for it by sleeping in, she was sure. There was no way she should have been this tired.

“Normally, I’d go my merry way and you yours. However, since you seem lost and more than a little tired, I’m willing to offer some assistance. Coffee?”

She was taken aback by that one. I meet a guy in the street, and he's suddenly offering me coffee. She was surprised, certainly, but she couldn't make any sense of basically anything just then. Observant as always, Arachnerd was lost without her usual ability to actually process the information she gathered.

"That would be great, actually." Her voice sounded so bored that "great" was the last thing a random passerby would think she thought of it, but Riley had been there for the whole conversation, so he probably didn't think so.

"Lead the way, uh... Riley." She wished he had some cooler sounding name so she didn't have to use such a personal one. It just felt wrong to use a personal name for someone who had a life beyond their personal one, like Epics. She wanted to call him Frostburn, or Kelvin, even Ganungagap for Calamity's sake!

She realized she was muttering all three name candidates as she moved to follow him. Whoops...

Edited by Sazedezas
Fixed an embarrassing typo.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before Lee responded to the question, a piece of paper appeared in the air between them. That was strange. Kokichi shouldn’t have been able to do something like that, especially not without triggering any emotional cues. 

Maybe it had the countdown they’d joked about on it? No, only a single word: Hello. Probably another Epic, then.

They examined it, popping up from a bunch of strange angles around the edge of the frame, but finding nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for a floating piece of paper dangling in front of them. 

“Yo, whoever’s doing that,” they said. “We were about to go tots murder this guy who prob had it coming. Whatcha want?” Kokichi found a pen in their pocket and copied the question into the sheet, if that was what the (probably another) Epic wanted them to do. 

They let go of the pen. It was a golden gel pen, which looked absolutely fabulous like all the time. Except on a yellow background, because then it just faded in. Purple was best because contrasting colors and what were they thinking about again? 

Kokichi signed their name and, grabbing a sparkly purple gel pen from probably nonexistence, added (they/them pronouns or i tots murder ur face off lol) beside it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5b6266618c232_RileyIcon.jpg.df0db2c9f1dc3e11a89728dc7a0a558f.jpg

“That would be great, actually,” Arachnerd droned. If she hadn’t been speaking in the same semi-bored voice the whole time, Riley would have wondered if something was wrong. Thankfully, it seemed in line with everything else, and Riley offered silent praises for not botching his impromptu pickup.

“Lead the way, uh… Riley,” Arachnerd said, gesturing down the road. Sparks, Riley thought. He had no idea where they were. There’d have to be a coffeeshop somewhere, though. He put on a smile and strode down the street, newly-decorated crutch supporting him. Frostburn. Kelvin. Ganunga—what? Riley nearly stumbled. What was that? He could have sworn he heard something. Frostburn… it was a good name idea. He mentally added that one to the long list of other Epic name ideas. None of them had stuck so far, though. Maybe Kelvin?

He shifted the broom under his arm and set course for nowhere in particular, secretly hoping that Arachnerd would be too fatigued to make smalltalk.

Canada-Shield.png.bc09a4f52a28a637c07031793bcfda31.png

Suddenly, a piece of paper manifested above the console, suspended in the air between them. Liam glanced at it. It was marked by a single word: Hello. Before he could do anything about it, Kokichi snatched it from its place and began to turn it around, examining it.

“Yo, whoever’s doing that,” they dictated as they wrote on the paper with an extravagant gold pen, “we were about to go tots murder this guy who prob had it coming. Whatcha want?” After stopping to consider it for a moment, Kokichi signed their name and tweaked the message a bit.

Liam opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He probably wouldn’t have described his current activity as “about to go tots murder this guy,” even if he “prob had it coming.” Still, it didn’t make much difference anyways. Kokichi had gotten the essence of the mission in a nutshell. The van continued to speed down the road as more writing began to materialize below Kokichi’s flourishing signature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.56d2202aa25bb6764867b5772cb5a16d.jpg

Blank leaned back, startled, as the Epic wrote on an illusion.  Blank’s mind exploded with questions.  What in the…  Another illusionist?  Maybe a person gifted Typhon’s powers? Was the pen a motivator?  Was that even there before? But what about the shifting of the original message?  

 

Or could this Epic be a power manipulator?  That seemed more likely, explaining both of the noticed effects.  Or maybe they were an infokinetic?  Blank had seen stranger things.  They leaned back in their chair, stroking their chin in thought.  Blank had always liked swivel chairs, especially ones that were loose enough to lean back in.  An infokinetic or power manipulator would be worrisome.  A power manipulator could collide with others in the city, such as Nicroburst, and start a dangerous chain of events.  An infokinetic, on the other hand, depending on strength, could possibly undermine everything Blank and the others had worked for, not to mention playing havoc with Typhon and the mobile system.  

 

Blank decided to deal with the matter directly.

How are you able to write on this?

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The paper’s response made for a rather awkward moment. Kokichi looked from Lee to the paper and back to Lee again, a sheepish grin on their face as they raised their arms in a shrug. 

Unsure of whether they’d actually be able to write on the paper again, knowing it was supposed to be impossible, they raised their pen. It phased through what had clearly been an illusion. Dang. Inconvenient. 

“I’m an Epic,” they said out loud instead. “Duh.” 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

                                                                         Image result for end of the world

Armageddon was spreading his word when he noticed the large spider with a letter on it’s back come up to him. A message from Arachnerd? Hopefully not bad news. He opened the envelope of silk and read the letter.

Your observations are interesting, at the least, and I believe they hold done real merit, but cannot join you. There is, however, a matter that I believe we can agree on, which should be of help to both of us if we can cooperate.

Please realize, before I continue, that a time will come when we will be, of necessity, enemies.

But for now, we have at least one common interest: An Epic named Bloodlight. As far as humans go, there are certainly more despicable beings than he, but his unique powers grant you an easy catalyst. Some revolutions need martyrs, but yours need something greater, closer. Your vendetta against humanity is clear, but many people are simply too human to rally behind it. These need an immediate common enemy.

Bloodlight possesses a quasi-temporal power that allows him to kill a person hundreds of times in as many seconds. I believe this is exactly the kind of power you can claim is an inherent danger to the community of Olympia Polaris, especially given your highly persuasive nature.

What I propose is this: Warn the people of Bloodlight's coming, prepare them against him. When Nate Snyder reaches the city, he ought to be hated so thoroughly that his immediate danger will force him to reveal himself. You’ll get more followers and a display of what they can do, and I’ll get a gain significant enough for quick backup from Karabiner, which will make Bloodlight much easier to neutralize and find. After that, this city will be rid of two or three Epics you don’t really want around, and well all be satisfied or dead.

With all in mind,

Arachnerd.

Well then. That is interesting.

This “Bloodlight” sounds like he has some kind of history with Arachnerd. It seems that killing him would be a loss of a potential asset rather than a victory. Especially as Arachnerd says herself that we will eventually end up as enemies.

This warrants more than a letter.

"Lieutenant! Locate about six people to act as bodyguards for me. I’m heading to the Webrinth.”

"Yes sir!”

Ten minutes later, Armageddon started walking with five bodyguards tagging along. In normal time, it would take about three and a half hours to get there. Who knows how long it would take with the boundaries set up by Epoch. It’s far too hard to keep track of where those stop and begin.

Edited by Kidpen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

alder.jpg

Most of the other enforcers had dispersed. Alder was still watching.

He peered around the cover of a long-derelict minivan, safely removed from the skirmish. Smoke filled the street. Projectiles ripped through the area, a staccato of impacts on their surroundings. Chaos.

He had experienced a real firefight, once before. This was nothing like that.

Suddenly, the curtain of smoke was pushed back. There was stillness. Almost tranquility. It was disconcerting. The two epics faced off, both showcasing grins that were more akin to predators baring their teeth at each other than any human facial expression. The blond woman hovered several feet above the road in the epicenter of the clearing, every muscle taught, coiled up like a snake poised to strike. Quietus stood planted on the ground, his coat flapping behind him in slow motion, whisps of smoke gradually breaking free from his skin where they had been held.

It was probably treasonous, but Alder hoped Quietus would die in the fight.

"An impasse then?" The blond woman asked. Her voice was muffled, echoing, as if heard from a very long distance.

Quietus didn't respond for a while, continuing to watch her with a disturbing intensity. They were thus engaged in a staring contest when the van arrived, and so Alder spotted it before either epics did. A van pulling up on the scene, and several figures filing out. One of them looked mostly average; one of them was painfully, painfully colorful; and one of them looked very much related to the flying bond woman, sharing the same blond hair and even similar styles of outfit.

The last arrival, the relative, rushed headlong towards the conflict. Quietus finally noticed.

"My god," he commented. "Whoever told me that imitation is flattery was seriously mistaken."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rook.jpg

Taya tried to look composed and poised as a contingent of security escorted her further into the building. She wasn't so sure how well she was succeeding.

They made a show of scanning her over with some sort of device. A metal detector? She tensed for a second, but it didn't go off. A metal detector would probably have gone haywire near the contents of her pack. Whatever it was, she noticed that pinpricks of crimson light appeared to be leaking from it. That probably meant something important... But it was so hard to think clearly; she didn't have the mental effort to spare.

She was directed into the Premier's office. It was a tidy affair, showcasing several government emblems that were long since eradicated in most cities. She wondered if this group even still counted as government.

"Premier Notley," Taya greeted with a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Epic technology, she realized belatedly. The scanner was epic-derived, and the glowing was Taya's own gifted ability kicking in without her realizing. That they owned such a device spoke volumes about what these people were capable of.

"Agent Rook," Taya introduced herself, crafting the illusory insignia on her hand for a second time.

She had to force out the words quickly without faltering. Better get to the point, or she might get arrested or something.

"I would like to offer sincere apologies on behalf of the Circle for recent events. I strongly suspect our agent may be compromised by the influence of an epic currently traveling with him. In any case, it was not our intention to cause an incident like this. I am prepared to make amends, and have been authorized to pay restitution for any damages incurred. The only caveat is that I intend to join our other agent as soon as possible, both to ensure the success of the mission and to keep his activities in check, and therefore I cannot linger here for overly long."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.56d2202aa25bb6764867b5772cb5a16d.jpg

Blank frowned.  They had learned how to lip read, of course, but they liked to pretend they couldn’t.  The Epic changed his message.

You can trace with your finger and I will make it change to reflect that.                                                                                                     I repeat my question.

Outside the van, a crow started to follow along overhead.

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After a brief pause, maybe for the Epic on the other side to think, the paper formed words again. Each previous answer was wiped back to white when a new one formed. Some sorta illusionist, clearly, since their power wasn't supposed to be able to affect it. Key word being supposed to. They'd never been one for following the rules. 

You can trace with your finger and I will make it change to reflect that. 

I repeat my question. 

Kokichi rolled their eyes and reached out for the paper again. At least the lines beneath their finger turned gold, which was a rad color. They weren't sure whether it was them or the other Epic doing that part, but that was the fun part. 

me: epic.

Unsure of whether or not they could see them, they added, *eyeroll* beneath the words. 'Cause seriously. They leaned back, interlacing their hands as they stretched their arms above their head, and waited for a response. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

download.jpg.56d2202aa25bb6764867b5772cb5a16d.jpg

Blank didn't draw the next words, they just appeared.

*So that Epic was able to write on the paper again.  Interesting.  Perception based?*

They then noticed what words were actually written.  They ground their teeth.  It was pretty obvious they were an Epic.

But what KIND?

The High Epic was going to consider recruiting them, but now...

It all depended on what happened next.

Edited by The Young Pyromancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...