Story Over the years of advancing technology, the United States and the United Kingdom came upon an agreement to create a shared domain in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: New Atlantis. Originally designed to be a vacation destination, it eventually grew into a huge metropolis with permanent residents. The residents of New Atlantis lived peacefully and without worry for many years, until some residents began having strange symptoms. Unknown to them, an ancient Atlantian device was emitting powerful energies and causing some of the residents to gain superpowers. In addition, the power source attracted the attention of those of other realms: from outer space and other dimensions. This source has created a stir, and New Atlantis has become a prime target for those who desire its unlimited power. With New Atlantis under siege, the citizens can only hope that someone will come to their rescue, to defend their great home and stop those who desire the ultimate power of ancient Atlantis. Gameplay Play will be a combination of mission and free play. The GM will introduce obstacles through various means (newspaper headlines, news reports, roleplaying a villain, etc.). Players will react to situations, while interacting with one another and protecting the city of New Atlantis. Players are not required to have superpowers. They may play as ordinary citizens as well, though some interesting choices could be news reporters, technical jobs, etc., which will give them opportunities to interact with the heroes. EXTRA NOTE: This is not intended to be a straight-line RPG. Just because there is a villain or situation present does not mean every character must be dealing with it. Feel free to go about day-to-day activities, and stray from the mission. Rules 1- No controlling other characters without permission. (Exception: if a player has not responded in more than a week and is prohibiting another player from continuing, the missing player will further be considered an NPC until the missing player returns). 2- First post: character template in the Discussion Forum. 3- Before posting character, send to GM for approval. Do NOT post until you have received approval. 4- Read all prior posts before posting. 5- All questions directed to GM. 6- Length rule: at least two or three paragraphs, enough to progress the story. 7- No killing off other characters without permission from the player AND GM. 8- FLAMING, INSULTING, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF HARSHNESS THAT IS DELIBERATELY USED TO HURT SOMEONE ELSE’S FEELINGS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AT ALL, NOR ACCEPTED ANYWHERE ELSE AROUND THE FORUM. 9- No GOD-MODING 10- Discuss issues, out of character posts, and questions in the Discussion Thread. 11- Edit before posting, and be sure your post is not difficult to understand. 12- GM’s word is law, and GM has final say on all problems. Character Template Name: Age: Gender: Family: Appearance: Typical Clothing/Costume: Description: personality, style, etc. Occupation: (aside from hero) Hobbies: Superpowers/equipment: (if applicable) Extra info: (such as info on your home planet, if not from Earth)
Sue McCormik I kneeled before my tomato plants, swiftly and deftly pulling out the few scraggly weeds that had snuck into my garden. The day was bright, warm, and a light summer breeze drifted over the land. All in all it was a beautiful day in my comfortable home nestled on the outskirts of New Atlantis. Almost like every day, in fact. I reached up an pulled off a ripe cherry tomato and popped in my mouth. Mmmmm, delicious. I think I will pick some for the sweet children at the daycare. Getting up was getting harder for my knees to handle, but that doesn't stop me from trying. I just despise the idea that I may not be able to care for myself eventually. I do not want to burden my daughters with my aching frame. "Hello there Mrs. McCormik!" I turned around and waved at the post man, "Hello yourself, scamp! Back to steal more of my strawberries?" I laughed as a red blush slipped over the post man's face, such a sweet man. "Just a couple, Mrs. McCormik. You should know that your produce is the best in New Atlantis!" As he said this he popped my mail into my mailbox and snatched up more then a couple of strawberries from the plants along my fence nearby. I just shook my head smiling, "Scamp! Run along and go snatch some one else's produce. Be sure to say hello to that wife of yours for me!" I called out to him waving him on down the road. "I will, see you tomorrow Mrs. McCormik." Still smiling I went into my house for a little wicker basket of mine that I use to hold some of my produce when I want to give some away. Looping it over my arm I went back outside and started picking a few of the ripe cherry tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and beans. I then went over to my fruit trees and picked some apples and cherries. Whistling, "Whistling while you work" as I was working. When my basket was filled I pulled off my gardening gloves and apron and laid them on a white bench in front of my house. Still whistling, I made my merry way out the gate and down the road to the daycare. Such a beautiful day, I thought smiling brightly.
Alica Jennings "April, don't chew on your sock!" Alica grabbed the 2 year old and swung her into the air. The toddler laughed and shrieked happily. "Snack! Snack!" April yelled clapping her hands. Alica laughed and handed the child off to another care taker who was feeding the other toddlers. A small tug on her purple t-shirt caused her to look down. Matt, a chubby 6 year old, held up a red truck. "Play with me, Ally!" All the children in the day-care called her that. She smiled and followed the young boy over to a pile of trucks he had gathered. Alica grabbed a blue one and started racing it with Matt. She chuckled happily. Being out of her aunt's dull house was so nice. Her aunt meant well, but she was...well boring. The red truck flew before her eyes as Matt pretended it was flying. "Carefull there." She called. The kids were so cute though some of them had obiedience issues. Thankfully Matt wasn't one of them. She was amazed at how well old Mrs. McCormik handled the children. She wasn't sure she could be so paitent at that age. And the veggitables that woman brought! They were indeed the best she had ever eaten. Her thoughts began trailing and suddenly it happened. She felt her mind leave her body and race across the town. In her mind's eye she saw Mrs. McCormik whistling happily and pulling apples and cherries off the trees. She put them in a basket and began walking back towards the house. The scene lasted a few more seconds and her mind raced back across the town towards her body. She gasped heavily and found herself staring into the chubby face of Matt. He was poking her cheek with a worried expression. "Ally, why did you hold your breath and why did your eyes turn grey?" He asked the question so sweetly that she pulled him into a hug. "I don't know, Matt. It happens sometimes. Now, why don't you go get your snack." The young boy forgot all about Alica and raced over to the snack table. She sighed with relief. At least, I didn't pass out this time. This weird ability freaked her out. She had seen both her aunt and Mrs. McCormik like that a couple times in the past few months. The first few times her mind had traveled like that she had passed out. The first time had been in supermarket trying to figure out what her aunt would like for her birthday. The clerk had almost called the ambulence but Alica had managed to convince her that her blood sugar was simply too low. Alica had heard of people with strange ablities popping up around Atlantis but she never thought she'd be one of them. Though, when she was a kid she wished she was. What kid didn't want to have powers? But now, all she wanted was for them to go away.
Monsoon He stood atop the Grand Fountain, a mile high tower in the center of New Atlantis, where, if you could get to it and had the courage to stay, you could see the entirety of the city. He walked confidently over the small, ten foot round top of the tower, which was always wet from water dribbling out of small holes. That water lapped gently over the edge, and down the small waterfalls and babbling creeks that were etched into the tower. Then, there was the main fountain, the jet propelled fountain that shot water nearly fifty feet into the air, causing a mist to form around the top of the tower, and water to land in an area around the bottom of the tower. It was New Atlantis' greatest creation, and Monsoon felt at peace here, a home of water more soothing than the ocean itself. Looking out, he watched the citizens go about their business, tiny specks on the roads and sidewalks, talking to one another, unaware of things that were really going on. Of course, some of them probably knew what was going on. It wasn't every day you woke up and found you could do something extraordinary that make you shake your head back and forth, and even pinch yourself to make sure you were actually awake. All Monsoon could do was wait to see who revealed themselves to be empowered. He lifted his head, feeling the breeze pass by him and the mist of the fountain showering him. Some people might have been scared of being in the water, especially since it was so cold, and it was a rather long fall. Monsoon didn't care though. The water was his home, he WAS the water. His powers gave him that comfort. "Well, let us see who shows up." With that, he melded into the water and allowed himself to dribble down the waterfalls, feeling the comfort of the stone and the water around him.
Cold grey concrete slabs towered over the denizens of the Milk Quarter as they milled about, each person going his or her own way to trying to survive. Bright lights and festive music played in the streets, but this was only a ploy to fool the tourists into squandering their ill-gotten fortunes. To the true natives of this artificial Atlantis, this pseudo paradise was a hardship brought upon them by their middle and lower caste families. A twisted dream world which would entrap them for generations to come. No one could ever save the money to leave, being unskilled workers, prostitutes , tradesmen, and so on; none could hope to achieve the true wealth needed to get away and establish themselves in the Old World. While everything, EVERYTHING in New Atlantis was legal, Vice casinos and Pleasure manors numbered in the hundreds, its citizens and tourists were heavily taxed, and being the den of depravity that it was, formal religion had been banded. The Bible, Quaran, the Talmud and all other religious texts were considered contraband, with viollators being carted off to the Sadist's Pit for ten years of hard labor. Most never return, just one of the harsh realities of the inner life of New Atlantis. Ruddyman stood in his psychodelically decorated booth on the corner of Hell and Handbasket, in the Milk Quarter. He sold hallucinagens, some so potent they would change a worlds' man and open him up to all the 'good' things the island had to offer. People walked passed his booth, some pointing excitedly, some hiding their faces in shame. Ruddyman had served them all and they all remembered their first experience with his concoctions. He smiled his signature big toothy grin and ran his sun baked hand through his thick wooly locks as a customer approached, eyes dialated, clearly already high off qualudes. The girl staggered over his booth, movements stiff and mechanical, her face had it not been overly applied with make up would have been comely. As she leaned against the counter Ruddyman removed a spliff from his jacket pocket and proceeded to light it. Taking his fill of smoke into his lungs he offered her the smooth fragrant drug. "Whaddaya nid Girfan? I see ou havna brouh me money back like ou say ou was gwan to." He exhaled a thick plume of smoke right in her face. "I wan me money righ now, no play witchu." She looked at him as if she'd lost her mind, which she had, but was still sane enough not to directly ask Death himself to take her. Glancing at the long jagged machete at his waist she reached into her satchel and grasped a wad of high marked bills. Now she drug the spliff as she set the money on his counter, her head already spinning with heady illusions before the bills left her hand. Ruddyman counted slowly, twisting his braid this way and that. When he was satisfied with the amount he gestured for the spliff. What the girl saw was a well dressed Komodo Dragon raking its claws at her. She screamed and tossed the drug at Ruddyman, turning on heel to run passed startled on lookers and out of sight.
Hugh Killian Hugh sat in a quiet corner of the restraunt a beautiful woman sitting opposite him. The restraunt was one of the finest in Atlantis and Hugh always got the seat he wanted. This seat had a view of the docks. Far below were the slum areas, where all the poor and filth of Atlantis congregated. The richer members lived up in the higher areas, in the towers and platforms away from them. The richest owned the towers. The richest such as him and his date. They had just finished their main course and were waiting for their desert when his phone rang. A gruff voice spoke on the other end. "We have the package ready." "Excellent I'm on my way." Hugh replied, voice like silk. He gave his appologies to his date before paying the bill and leaving. Quietly he slipped out of the restraunt and headed to the lift. The lift took him down past the rail platforms and to the ground floor. A rail car would allow him to avoid walking but his building was so close it wasn't worth it. His walk took him along the lower platforms, just above the slums. The people here worked decently paid jobs. They were the cleaners, taxi drivers and waiters of Atlantis. He walked down the highstreet people bustling about with shopping. A beggar sat out side one of them cap in hand. Hugh pulled a roll of notes from his pocket, pulling a few hundreds out before dropping them in the cap. A look of astonishment passed over the beggar as he walked off. His personal building and head quaters of Electricorp loomed up infront of him as his journey ended. Passing through the lobby he entered the lift. He took out his card and scanned it onto a sensor, the lift heading up to an unlisted floor. The doors opened onto a dimly lit corridor, it got darker as he stepped out into it. Doors lined the corridoor but only one had light coming from it. Inside the gruff voice on the phone stood next to two hooded figures tied on the floor. "Why are there so many? I asked for one." Hugh said keeping his voice level. "It was easier to just grab the lot of them." The man replied. Hugh sighed. "Very well. Put her on the chair and remove her hood." The man did as he was ordered. Beneath the hood was a red haired woman with a bruised face. Hugh smiled as she recognised him. "Hello Solaris, or should I say Maggie. Such an amature hero. And yet you had so much potential. Pity it's to late now." He removed the gag as Maggie squirmed. "What do you want with me and my family?" "I don't want anything with your family but your little super hero act was becoming a nuisance. So I'm going to put your powers to a better use. Hugh raised his arm as a metal sphere was wheeld towards them. His arm started changing, growing darker until Maggie couldn't look anymore. "I'll never let you use my power for yourself!" Maggie said squirming again. "I'm not going to use it for myself," Hugh replied, "What I'm going to do is put your life force, and all its fire infused lovelyness, in this bomb." "Mom." Came a shout from the other hooded figure. "It's ok sarah," Maggie said, "Do what you want with me but don't kill my daughter." Hugh chuckled and walked over to remove sarahs hood. Long bright red hair matted with blood fell out. "Oh I'm not going to kill your daughter, I have a far better use for her." He said stroking her face. "For now she can watch you die." Hugh dropped her to the floor returning to Maggie and the device. Placing one hand on the bomb he slowly lowered the other towards Maggie. "This is going to hurt. Alot." As Maggie's screams slowly stopped echoing around the room Hugh removed his hand from her. The bomb next to him now glowed a dull red colour. He smiled. A normal life would have given a fair sized explosion but the life of someone able to create fire? It would take out more than just the hospital it was intended for. The man picked up Maggies body, his jaw widening, then swallowed her. Licking his lips he started to wheel the bomb out of the room. Hugh picked up Sarah as she struggled against her bonds. "You watched all that and didn't faint? We're going to have a lot of fun." He said taking the lift to his personal room.
Papers pilled on the desk. Papers piled on the floor. Papers were everywhere as Piper entered her desk area, why were there so many? The detective put her coffee down on the one spot that wasn't covered and looked over at the adjoining desk. "What is all this?" Piper asked her partner, Neal Caffrey who was leaning back on his chair, feet on the desk, as he read over some files. "That is our new case." Came his smooth reply as he threw down the folder. "Apparently this is an ongoing investigation." Piper chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked at the papers, "No sh.." She began but there was a loud bang as a door was shut very loudly. "THE LOT OF YE! YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" "Looks like Joe is back." Joe is well known in the Police Department because he's there all the time. He's crazy as anything, a hobo and is always screaming about the death of the world. Piper walked over to the commotion, as two officers tried to calm him down but he was hearing nothing of it. Joe started swinging and that was when Piper came in. She stepped forward, ducked a wild blow and pushed the flailing man into the wall, face first. "Joe, you're under arrest for assaulting an officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do, can and will be used against in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be given to you by the city of New Atlantis." Piper said as she slapped the cuffs off him and gave him to the officer who wasn't bleeding profusely from his nose. She gave a small sigh then, out of her nose, before she walked back to her desk and sat down in her chair, opening the first file which was a profile of the suspect.
Dara White A few strands of hair escaped from her ponytail, whipping across her cheek. She held onto the hood of the speeding freight truck, beaming her wide smile. It was such a beautiful day in New Atlantis; a shame she couldn’t enjoy the day doing much better things. Her afternoon would consist of the usual, greeting people and typing names into a computer. If she were lucky maybe Mr. Hunts would let her wash sport equipment or pick up towels. No matter how boring she thought it was though, she desperately wanted the extra cash. A cheerful song blared from her jacket pocket. Dara sighed, pulling out her cellphone with one hand. She didn’t even need to look at the caller ID, it was close to noon; she was right on time. Dara held the phone up to her ear, trying to keep her tone neutral. “Hey Mom, how’s your day?” “It’s going fine dear, but you were supposed to call me fifteen minutes ago. I thought something might have happened. There’s a report of a motorcycle accident on the news.” Dara remained silent for a moment, while ducking under a low bridge. Afterwards she couldn’t help laughing. “Mom, I had to pick up some lunch, I can’t go to work starving. And, I’m a safe driver. That couldn’t possibly be me.” “I trust you Darleen, but…you do have your helmet on right?” “You know I do Mom,” Dara bluffed with ease, while watching the city zoom by. “Now, go make some tea and stop worrying. Anything else?” “Can you pick up my prescription on your way home? I called it in.” “Sure thing, have a good day Mom.” Dara flipped off her phone, shoving it back into her pocket. Mothers. Why did she get one that worried so much? Dara knew she was an exception, not being the most normal daughter in the world. But, her mom never got on her sister Charis about anything, and she went out with her friends every night. Dara quickly shook away her brimming annoyance, swapping it out with sympathy. Her mom had a tough time with not having a husband to check up on anymore, she only needed the security. The truck took a sudden turn, and Krato’s Gym came into view. Removing her other hand from the truck, Dara held on with her feet, readying herself for the jump. She extended her right arm to grab hold of the large gym sign, swinging herself towards the building. While hanging on in mid-air, she stretched her torso, landing feet first on the sidewalk below. A few strangers gave a blank stare at the woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere, but Dara gave them a bright smile in return. “Hi there! Do you have a gym membership? If you walk inside with me, I’ll gladly assist you.”
Stacy "Tag number 41231", Stacy recited to herself as she typed it into the computer program. "Cause of death....unknown. Well that makes more work for me", she sighed as she closed the program she was working in. She quickly pushed the media cart out of her was as she looked at the body. She put some gloves and prepared herself to perform the autopsy. It wasn't a fun job, but it was one that someone had to do, and she preferred the quiet. At least here she didn't have to be forced into some awkward social stigma, or have to talk about the weather...or worse sports... She quickly started to work, starting from the head down. Stacy put in the lab write up to do a full workup, which included tox screens to determine a cause of death. The victim had amazing crystal blue eyes, which Stacy couldn't help but stare at. The sound of the phone ringing quickly brought Stacy back to reality, startling her, and causing her to jump slightly. "Hello?" "Hey Stacy, I just got your request for a full work up on #41231, unfortunately we are really backed up, so it could be a week or so before the results come back." Stacy recognized the voice, and sighed in frustration. "Dale, we go through this all the time, and each time it ends the same so could you just do the work up without giving me the run around, or must I contact Sam?" Silence "Ok, fine....but one of these times you will actually have to wait in line just like everyone else!" The sound of the phone slamming down caused Stacy to jolt, but a smug smile came across her face because she new she won...little did Dale know, she would never have to wait in that line...
George Riza/ DaVinci George sat quietly at his computer, clicking here and there, watching square blocks disappear and reappear on the screen. Within seconds, the screen flashed with "CLEARED" in the middle. Such a surprise... This series of puzzles were easier than the previous day's. He was growing bored. It had been some time since he had a challenge. "Sir," a female voice sounded over the speakers in his house. They were placed, one in each room of the house, so his computerized creation could talk to him anywhere. "Yes Mona," he responded, moving on to the next puzzle but not paying much attention. "Sir, police call down in the southern district. Domestic disturbance. According to the 911 call, very loud yelling and screaming, and things smashing, possibly glass dishes or other similar objects." He sighed. "Mona, you know I don't deal with simple disturbances." He wished he had thought of that when he created Mona, but she was designed to process all police calls just in case he had a feeling in his gut. "Shall I ignore it then?" "Yes, that will be fine." George continued through a few other puzzles before Mona sounded again. "Sir, police call from the eastern district. This one you may be interested in." "Go ahead." "Department store calling in distress. They say there is a man in there shattering mirrors." George sat up, looking up at the speaker. "Shattering mirrors? Just breaking them?" "It would seem that way. Should I hack their cameras?" He turned around in the rolling chair and looked at the large sized television that covered one wall of the room. "Put it on screen." The television turned on and began feeding live footage from the department store. Some months ago, after dealing with Mona's primitive processing of 911 calls, he hacked into every camera and audio system in the city that wasn't in a private residence, to get a better feel of the situations happening so he knew whether or not to let the police deal with it alone. "I managed to get audio as well sir." He nodded. "I'll never go back! Never! You can't make me!" George sighed. "Interesting. Why mirrors?" He rubbed his chin. "All right. You got my attention Mona." "Your suit is being readied." "Good," he said, turning off the television. "Let's see where this guy is so scared to go."
Piper sighed and finally put the last of the files down and stood up. "Come on Caffrey, we're going to the morgue to look at our victim." She said, grabbing her jacket from her chair and slipping it on. "And no flirting with Stacy this time." Piper said, smiling slightly at her partner. She knew Caffrey was something of a lady killer, but she'd prefer it if work and pleasure stayed separate. The pair left the station and got into Pipers 67 Chevrolt Impala and began the short drive to the morgue. It was only plausible that the morgue not be far from the station and within five minutes the pair had arrived. Getting out, she closed the door and cast a wary glance around. Piper was a paranoid person most of the time, always ready to be attacked, and always ready to fight back. They had not been followed though, so everything was good. Entering the morgue, Piper just had to flash her badge at the attendant, who recognized her immediately. "Stacy's in there" He said, gesturing with his head to the hallway. He didn't say a specific room but Piper already knew where Stacy worked. "Thanks." Piper walked down the hall a little ways then entered in through some double doors. "Stacy? You in?"
Ruddyman Moist steam mixed with acrid smoke filled Ruddyman's make shift labratory. Beakers boiled while burners sizzled, all making ingredients for his newest formula. The lab was situated in a subbasement of one of the many mum and pop resturaunts that dotted the Milk Quarter. It was little more than a glorified meat locker. Ruddyman had made a lot of money for the owners so they allowed him to use the facility for experiments, granted they got a cut of the profit. He stood at a workbench, notes in hand, wearing a sterile smock and a grimace that could kill. Something about the mixture wasn't right. He had envisioned it reacting differently to temperature, and turning different colors, altogether this experiment was a failure. Rechecking his equations he shook his head in disappiontment. The proper amount of each chemical had been measured out and mixed with care, yet the reactions were improper. Unwilling to concede defeat he took a a dropper and petri dish from the shelf and placed them on the counter. The solution of one mixture boiled pale blue, the other purplish. Taking a small amount of the blue liquid into the dropper he squeezed it into the petri dish and waited. Immediately the liquid cooled and began to soldify into a silvery orb. He prodded the orb curiously with the end of the dropper and found that it was gelatinous. Excited now at his discovery he grabbed to two more dishes and droppers for the shelf and placed them on the counter. Then taking the purplish liquid into the dropper he squeeze a portion into a clean petri dish. This solution did not solidify, but begain to separate it's self into tinier droplets. It's color faded from purple to dazzling amber as the droplets became smaller. Baffled by this reaction, Ruddyman was willing to combine the two solutions. He moved the samples of the seperate solutions aside and prepared the last sterile petri dish and droppers. The camera mounted on the wall behind him served as a device he record visual results of his findings, he would show his small successes to potential investors. Now it was again time to use it to keep a record of this experiment. He checked its memory, then turned it on, stepping out of the way so there was a full view of his labratory. Quickly and confidently he strode over to his work table and grabbed both droppers, plunged their tips into separate liquids and drew from them. Then once both had their fill he squeezed their contents into one petri dish. The result was immediate as the two mixed, the solution lost its color and liquid consistancy and became transparent and rigid. Like a crystal it began to expand and grow in its center a gold substance that seemed to pulsate. Ruddyman stared transfixed at its core as the solution began to harden and cool. A sensation at the base of his brain seemed to allow him to fall away from himself. All the years of anger, hunger, stress, and fear seemed to simply melt away, forgotten as if he had gotten caught in a deep drug trance....
Monsoon Monsoon had easily heard the call. He passed through the pipes of the police station several times a day in order to keep track of things. He had figured it would only be a matter of time before he got a call for someone like this. Sure, there was history of supervillains in New Atlantis before Monsoon had gotten here, but this was a new era, without the old heroes. It was time for someone to pick up the slack, in case more heroes were needed. New Atlantis had been fairly quiet, which Monsoon knew could end in an instant. The police received a call from a department store, with someone destroying all of the mirrors they had on display. Monsoon quickly jumped into the main line of New Atlantis, heading for the store. He knew where it was, and he'd easily beat any officers there, unless they were already on that block. It wouldn't matter though. They would be there, but they'd take their time getting into the store. Monsoon would jump into the sprinklers and drop in, surprising the man. As he passed through the water lines of the store, he sent a bit of himself ahead to check the pressure on each pipe, trying to find the one with the most, which would be the one that wasn't running yet. He found it, and forced himself down, putting all his power behind it. He easily bypassed the sprinklers and forced them open, raining down on the room with the mirrors, as well as other house furniture such as couches, chairs, lamps, and tables. Monsoon rained down on all different furniture, trying to find a location of the man. Sending drops of himself all over the room, he found the man in a corner, surrounded by shards of reflected glass. Aware of where his target was, Monsoon began to gather himself a few feet away, behind a couch which would conceal him and grant the element of surprise. As he finished reforming, he overheard the man yelling. "I'll never go back there again! Never never never!" Monsoon smiled as he stood up. "Go where?"
Shoshanna Underwood (Galatea) Shoshanna paused when she noticed Dr. Stevenson’s name plaque was missing from his office door. A feeling of dread washed over her. He had been her psychiatrist for many years and was the closest thing she had to a friend. Now he was gone. Even though he had told her last Friday would be his last day on the job, it all felt so real now. Regardless, her weekly psych evaluations had to continue, with or without Dr. Stevenson. He wasn’t the only licensed psychiatrist at Pleasant Acres Mental Hospital. But he was her favorite and would be dearly missed. Shoshanna mustered some courage and knocked lightly on the door three times. “Come in. It’s open,” a man said from the other side. She twisted the knob and stepped into the office. It was the same psychiatrist’s office she had visited every week for the past decade, but the man behind the desk was new. He was middle-aged and slightly chubby, with a shaved head and tiny glasses perched low on his nose. “Ah, Miss Underwood. I’m Dr. Lawson, your new evaluator. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said, his eyes taking her in from head to toe before settling at her bosom. His brows rose slightly. She was wearing a very conservative blue dress, but he clearly had an active imagination and a filthy mind. “You’re bigger than I expected,” he said with a smirk. “Taller, I mean. Come, have a seat.” He gestured to a chair and she took a seat in it. A plain metal chair. She usually sat on the couch during her sessions with Stevenson. It felt more personal that way. He had made her feel like a human being, not like an object. With this man, she felt like a weapon being brought in so he could check if the safety was still on. She felt a slight itch beneath her shock collar, but couldn’t scratch it. “Would you like some candy?” he said, gesturing to the dish on his desk. “No, sir,” she said quietly, with her hands clasped in her lap. Shoshanna noticed the candy dish was Stevenson’s. She glanced around; many of Dr. Stevenson’s things were still around. His pen. His notepad. His favorite mug. Other than the name on the door, this was still his office… it was like he hadn't left at all. Something strange is going on, Shoshanna thought. “The nurses tell me you’ve been getting along well,” Dr. Lawson said. “I keep to myself, sir.” Maybe if she kept her answers short he’d end the session early… “You’re not getting out early,” he said with a grin. “I’m your new shrink, Miss Underwood. You may as well accept it. And I do things differently from Dr. Stevenson… he was too… soft…” Dr. Lawson opened his desk and pulled out a small device: the remote control to her shock collar. Most of the hospital staff had one. The police had one as well. Anywhere she went in Pleasant Acres there was always someone nearby capable of giving her 75,000 volts if she so much as looked at them the wrong way. Lawson stood from his seat and slowly walked around the desk until he was standing behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke into her ear: “Stevenson was too kind. We’re now moving into a new phase of your rehabilitation.” He caressed her arm. His thouch made her skin crawl. “You haven’t been tested, Miss Underwood. Things have been too good for you, don’t you agree?” “Yes, sir,” she lied. His hand made its way down to her lap and stroked her thigh. She was trembling, not because she was afraid of what he would do, but because she was afraid of what she would do to him. The office had a very large window... big enough for a body to go through... it was five stories to the pavement. The doctor removed his hand from her and took a step back, still wearing a sadistic grin. “You like that window, don’t you?” he asked as he took a seat on the edge of the desk, right in front of her and stared deep into her clear blue eyes. She averted her gaze. He continued, louder now, practically yelling at her: “Let me tell you what’s going to happen, Miss Underwood. Dr. Stevenson thinks you’re cured. He thinks you’re ready to be reintroduced to the world. I think he's an imbecile.” He laughed. “I'm here to test you. Over the next six months I’m going to get under your skin and in your head. I will break you." He pause for a moment before continuing: "Look at yourself, so calm and collected with your ‘yessirs’ and ‘no sirs.’ You don’t fool me, woman. I can see right through you. You’re still as evil as the day they hauled you in here! If there’s even one villainous thought left in your pretty little head, I’m going to drag it to the surface, pull it out for all to see, and-” There was another knock at the door and one of the male nurses burst in. “Pardon, sir, but Miss Underwood is needed right away! The police just called. There’s some guy making a scene in a department store.” "They'd call in a superhero for that!?" Lawson said. "This is nonsense! Get out of my office, you're interrupting my patient's therapy." "But, sir, it's court ordered. She has to go," the nurse said, looking to Shoshanna, who was just sitting there calmly as if this conversation didn't concern her. "The man might have superpowers. They're calling her in, just to be safe." Dr. Lawson was red in the face. He looked like a puffed-up blowfish. "Safe... there's nothing 'safe' about this woman..." Shoshanna calmly stood and nodded to him. “I’m sorry, sir, we’ll have to finish this another time,” she said pleasantly. “I’m needed elsewhere.” “There’s a cop waiting downstairs to drive you to there,” the nurse said quickly. “You should hurry and get changed right away.” The disgruntled psychiatrist finally gave in. “Same time next week, Underwood. And don’t you dare be late or I'll write you up,” he grumbled. She tried to hide her smile as she followed the nurse out.
Ruddyman The video feed recorded five hours of Ruddyman staring into the crystallized solution. There were no external changes, but internally he was a different being entirely. His unblinking eyes which had shown no sign of sentience for since the beginning of the experiment suddenly broke into an expression exuberance as he was released from his trance. He awoke with a clear mind, he was renewed, a new person entirely. Memories of his life we pristine but seemed to be walled off as if they were someone else's. Energy flowed through him beginning in his loins and shooting all the way up to the crown of his head the circulating to his fingers and toes. His mind was fully awakened to all of it's potential, the latent power that hid just beneath the surface had now unleashed itself upon him. He unbuttoned his lab coat and let it fall to the ground, flexing his slight muscular form. No extra physical strength hagd been gained, but the full potential of his body was understood. He turned to the camera and flashed his signature toothy grin and willed it to shut down. The flashing red light died instantly and a tape ejected itsself. Willing the tape to float to him, Ruddyman lifted his hand to recieve it but it would not comply. Shugging, walked over to retrieve it. The information on this tape, coupled with his notes, could save the entire world if he were to release it. But he had no interest in saving the world, turning a profit was his aim. Ruddyman pocketed the tape and his notes in his corduroy trousers and scanned his lab. It would have to be destroyed... He would have fake his death. With his new found abilities he would need to cut all ties with the New Atlantean underground and start anew. Possibilities entered his mind instantly, flashing one after another until one struck him. He went to the hydrogen nozzle twisted it on, disconnecting the hose and letting it spew out into the open air. Then he grabbed the crystal, though its core still pulsed didnt have any effect on his mind. He wrapped the fist sized globe in rags so no one could see its hypnotizing glow. In his hand he could feel its life force probing him. Next he walked out the door and secured it firmly behind him as to not let any gas out. Making his way up a short flight of wood stair, passed the kitchen and into the managers office where a large man of asian descent sat typing noiselessly at his computer. The man looked up and squinted through thick glasses, regarding Ruddyman with eagerness. "So I say you were successful? My main man Ruddy gonna make big bank for me, huh?" He asked in a thick vietnamese accent. Ruddyman focused a bit of energy in his throat, "Nah, me die in de fire. Matta fac de whole place bout to go up!" He said in a voice like silk, effectively convincing the man he was dead. An explosion rocked the resturant just as he finished his sentence, causing the man to scramble for important documents and run for the door. Ruddyman, unperturbed, strolled out casually with his power source in hand. All around the resturaunt there were flames and workers and patrons alike scurrying to flee. No one took notice of the Deadlocked dealer leaving the seen, and there was sure to be one unfortunate soul caught in the blaze that would be mistake for him... But just in case... A man tried to rushed passed him carrying an armload of dirty money. Ruddyman made sure he conviently fell into the stairwells' inferno as he ran passed it. It wasn't that that he meant to kill that guy, it just so happened that he "tripped". As he made his way to the buildings exit there was no sign of fire engines, no one he knew that could identify him, nowhere in particular for him to go. So he walked, right out of the Milk Quarter and into an new life.
Hugh Killain / Bellphim "Just over there Gruff." Hugh said swatting a nurse across the ward before pinning another against the wall. "Anyone else want to play hero?" He said taking a look around. The few patients that were conscious shook their heads. "I didn't think so." Picking up the nurse he carried her towards the bomb now standing in the middle of the ward. It still glowed a dull red. heat rising off of it. Smiling menacingly he cuffed her to the bomb before punching in some numbers. "Just be a dear and watch this for me. If you do manage to get out of the cuffs you still won't be able to out run the blast so I would make peace with any demons you have." He didn't wait for her response. Sitting on the roof of Electricorp Hugh looked towards the hospital. He couldn't see much of it from here, just the very top of one of the wards but it would do. Taking a sip of his cocktail he picked up a remote on the table. There was a thud behind him as Gruff dropped a body on the floor. "You're just in time Gruff, I'm about to press the button." Gruff grumbled before taking a place next to Hugh's seat. Hugh smiled looking at the building one last time before pressing the button. There was a moment of silence before the explosion ripped through the building. The blast wiped out the hospital and kept going, fire eating the area around it. He chuckled, the sight of fire on the city excited him. Hugh headed back inside going back to his personal rooms. He turned his TV on before giving Sarah a slap. She had spent the morning unconscious and tied to a chair and didn't seem to happy about being woken up. "Wakey wakey. Take a look at what your mothers done." He chuckled as lay down on the bed. Tapping his phone he brought up his to-do list and checked off "Get rid of Solaris" and "Destroy hospital" before scrolling down for the next to-do. "Destroy school" it read. This would be a fun one, Hugh could find a nice creative way to check this one off. He put the phone down getting off the bed and going to Sarah. "Now, where did we leave off with your training?"
Shoshanna Underwood (Galatea) Shoshanna changed into her costume as quickly as possible. It was a dark blue body suit that hugged her curves, with a thin white stripe down the sides -- the same colors as New Atlantis’s police uniforms. A split cape of dark gray Kevlar trailed behind her as she exited her room and stepped into the elevator. Within a minute, she was on the ground floor and walking toward the visitor’s area. Her spiked metal heels clacked on the polished tile floors. A very anxious police officer sat nervously checking his watch in Pleasant Acres’s waiting room. He immediately sprang up when Galatea appeared at the door. The security guard swiped his key card, unlocking the gate for her to get through and quickly re-locked it behind her. She was out. She was… free. The officer approached as if prepared to say something, but he just stood there for a moment and stared. He was a young lad, probably a little more than half her age. Galatea looked down on him. Her six inch heels put him eye level with her nose. He looked up at her like a mortal before a divine goddess. But Galatea just smiled. She was no one’s deity. They were all equals here. In fact, she’d still be locked up inside, being grilled by that stupid psychiatrist if it weren’t for him. Finally, the officer snapped out of his stupor. “I... uhhmm…” he nervously cleared his throat and blushed slightly, “sorry, ma’am, I’ve never seen a superhero up close before. We should probably go. They’re waiting.” He turned to leave, but she caught him by the shoulder. “We have to sign out first,” Galatea said with a polite smile and led him over to the security desk where she added her name to the list of check-outs. ‘Galatea,’ in fancy script with a big stylized ‘G.’ “Oh… right, I knew that,” the cop said with a nervous smile as he quickly signed his name beside hers, before hustling out the door. “We should hurry. It’s an emergency. If I put the lights on, we can get there in five minutes.” He had already reached the door of his police car before he looked back and realized she was lagging behind. Galatea was taking her sweet time, gingerly strolling down the front steps of Pleasant Acres. He should have known she wouldn’t run in those heels. He went around to the passenger side and opened the car door for her in a very gentlemanly fashion, but she waved him off. “No thank you,” the woman said with a smile. “I prefer to ride in the back…. It’s a nice reminder. Helps me stay focused.” He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he just shrugged and hopped behind the wheel. “I’m Officer Cooke, by the way,” he said as he turned on the sirens and they pulled out onto the road. “Dan Cooke. I’ve only been on the force for about a month, so all of this is still pretty new to me. I’m not entirely sure what we’re heading into. All I know is some guy walked into a department store and started wrecking mirrors and… ” He glanced in the rearview mirror and realized she wasn’t listening. In fact, she seemed to be asleep. Her head was bowed, her eyes closed, and her hands clasped in her lap. “Miss Underwood?” he said. She didn’t answer. “Shoshanna? Hello…?” Her only response was a gentle smile. She raised a single finger to her lips and whispered. “Shh… I’m meditating. It helps me focus.” “Oh, right… I knew that,” he said with a slight blush. “And it’s Galatea,” she whispered. “Shoshana’s not here… they don’t let her out… ever.” She returned to her meditation as they sped through another intersection, sirens blaring.
Draco Draco sat in the diner scarfing down his breakfast, random modes of light danced around his shoulders like fireflies. A mother and daughter walked past his table the daughter transfixed by the lights stopped and watched. The mother tried to pull her along. Draco smiled and reached out a hand the lights around him rushed to gather in his palm and formed a gold and silver bracelet in the shape of wrapped vines. He smiled and handed it to the girl, the mother shook her head slightly smiled at him and hurried off. Sheila looked up from the counter "Oi where are my shiny bracelets Draco" Draco stood and threw his napkin at her " i pay you £200 a day for breakfast buy your own bracelets. " Draco smiled and put down two hundreds on the counter. Sheila leaned on the counter "You know if you are going keep helping people your going to need a better costume then some old tracksuit bottoms." Draco smiled "Im not much for costumes," he paused for a second "how about this" he stood straight and put his fists on his hip, stylized medieval armor formed around his frame and a gold cape floated down from his shoulders. Sheila laughed "maybe a bit too much". The armor and cape dissolved back leaving Draco in his trousers "even the bottoms are too much for me Sheila i only wear them to stop you jumping me" a laugh echoed from the kitchen Sheilas husband "Try her out Draco i don't think you could handle her" Draco grinned "I don't doubt your wrong" Draco winked at Sheila and walked out the door. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Draco walked down towards the gym and slipped inside. He walked to the counter and threw a roll of notes onto the counter "private room and a punching bag" the girl seemed startled and stammered "you need trainers sir" Draco lifted his hand above the counter showing pair of brand new nikes the girl looked shocked "you didnt have those a minute ago" Draco chuckled "dont read into that". "Still sir this is way too much for a private room" Draco turned and walked towards the double doors "that's for the replacement bags you will need." Draco stood in the room facing the bag his eyes began to glow and the skin along his arms rippled. His skin morphed and golden scales covered his arms, his fingers thickened and talons grew out of the end of his fingers. He looked at his arms and sighed. He looked at the bag and punched the bag. The bag buckled and swung up to hit the roof before swinging back towards him. Draco caught it in one taloned hand. He reigned himself in and began to lay punches into the bag with less force.
Dara White The strangers she had spoken to shied away from her without an answer. Dara frowned, she’d admit her persuasion skills weren’t the best. There’s always next time, she thought, shrugging off her defeat, as she walked through the Gym’s sliding doors. The strong smell of sweat and disinfectant lingered in the air, but after a few months she’d grown used to it. Her boss, Mr. Hunts, liked to call it the 'smell of money being made'. Dara went to punch in her employee ID before pinning on her name tag, and making her way to the front desk. Jill was already there who she shared her afternoon shift with. Dara noticed that she was shuffling through a wad of bills, looking at them intently. “Hey, what’s up with you? Someone tip you well?” Dara asked, moving beside her. Jill looked up, with a surprised expression on her face. “A man…he barged right in and asked for a private room with a punching bag. He paid me all this for it,” She held up the bills, “And he made shoes appear out of nowhere, I don’t understand…” she trailed off, still mesmerized by the money. “Well, it’s not uncommon that we get some demanding people around here,” Dara said, “I’ll go see if he needs any help.” Dara left the counter, heading towards the private rooms. She’d been in some of them before to clean up during a night shift and it was plain to see that only the extremely wealthy could afford to use them. It didn’t take Dara long to find which room the man had chosen. She walked halfway down the hallway when there was a sudden thump, and the floor vibrated beneath her. With a quick reflex she extended her arms behind her to prevent herself from falling on her back. Dara steadied herself, turning to the room the force had come from. Grunts and more punching sounded through the open door. “Sir, would you like someone to assist you?” Dara called from the doorway. She walked inside, but stopped abruptly when she made eye contact with the man.
Draco Draco hammered flurrys of punches into the bag, the clip holding the bag to the roof snapped and the bag crashed to the floor sand spilling out onto the floor. As Draco bent down to pick it up the door opened “Sir, would you like someone to assist you?” Draco turned and his eyes met hers, she stopped abruptly. "My appearance tends to have that effect on people" Draco smiled at the girl. The scales and talons morphed back into his skin, Draco turned and laid his hand on the burst bag, Modes of light gathered around the clip and tear and it reformed perfectly. Draco picked up the bag and hung it back onto the clip on the roof. Draco turned back to the girl "Im okay here, though i would prefer to spar if you know any fencing or martial arts much more interesting then punching something that cant fight back" Draco flicked his hand and his trainers disappeared in modes of winking light. "My day is free today, if you don't want to spar has this gym got anything else half interesting to do?"
Shoshanna Underwood (Galatea) The scene was utter chaos. Atlantis-Mart was a large department store chain exclusive to New Atlantis. They sold everything from food and toys to furniture and clothing, all under one roof. When Officer Cooke’s patrol car pulled into the huge parking lot, there were people everywhere. The store had been evacuated and there were policemen keeping the crowd away from the entrances. “All this because of one guy?” Cooke muttered as he parked the car and got out. He went around back to open the door for his passenger. Galatea stepped out and looked around. She seemed confused or bewildered and he began to wonder if she really did belong in the crazy house. “I don’t like crowds,” she commented, her voice barely above a whisper. At least the media wasn’t around. She couldn’t see any news trucks or cameras. Those were worse than crowds; the media was always looking for new ways to ridicule her. Officer Cooke led her over to an armored truck, where a SWAT team was waiting. They had rifles and body armor. One even had a riot shotgun. The men were just standing around, awaiting orders. In a nearby police van, there were men huddled over computer screens, watching video feeds from the store’s cameras. One on them looked up, very angry. “Godammit, Cooke! What took you so damn long!?” the man said. He was Chief Thompson, the man in charge. Shoshanna felt he belonged in the military, not on the police force. He needed a job where yelling in someone’s face was appropriate. Here, it just made him look like a loud-mouthed hardass and a bully. “Sir, what’s the situation?” Galatea said, sparing Cooke a tongue-lashing. Thompson immediately turned on her. She had redirected the bull and was about to get the horns… “Sit down and shut the hell up!!” Thompson barked, pointing to where the other SWAT members were standing around. “Some asshole just firebombed a hospital on the other side of town!! I don’t have time for this shit!! We should be there, not here!!” That sounded like a job for the fire department or bomb squad, not SWAT, but Galatea kept her mouth shut. Thompson was on a warpath. He should try meditating sometime, she thought. He looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. He had a remote to her shock collar clipped onto his belt, next to his handgun. “I didn’t even want you here, you dimwitted bimbo!!! It was Bradley’s idea. He seems to think working alongside superheroes is ‘good for morale.’” Thompson gave her a death glare and moved closer. Was he trying to intimidate her? Galatea just smiled. “FUCK MORALE!!!!” he screamed in her face. She could feel hot saliva on her cheek, but didn’t flinch. “Yes, sir,” she said kindly. Officer Cooke cut in. “Sir, she could fly over to the hospital and-” “WHAT!? Have you lost your mind!?” Thompson barked, immediately turning on him. He prodded Cooke in the chest with a thick finger. “I. Am. Not. Letting. Her. Out. Of. My. Sight. For. One. SECOND!” He pointed at Galatea. “What if Funbags over there goes on another rampage and wrecks half the damn city? Guess who’s head’s gonna roll: MINE!!!” "But, sir, that was a long time ago," Cooke tried to explain. Thompson drowned him out with more yelling. He wasn't even using complete sentences anymore, just long strings of expletives. He had finally lost it and Officer Cooke just stood there and took it all, like a sapling enduring a hurricare. Galatea simply smiled and walked away. “I’ll take a seat over here, sir,” she said pleasantly and sat down on the pavement, with her back to the SWAT truck. “Call me if you need anything.” In the corner of her eye, she was watching the video screens in the other van. The madman was smashing mirrors in the housewares department. Another figure was lurking behind a couch. He stepped out and they seemed to talk, but she couldn’t hear. The audio was routed through headsets, so only the men in the van could hear. Thompson finished emasculating Cooke, went back to his place in the van, and put a headset on. Galatea wanted to know what was going on, but she didn't dare approach him.
Alica Jennings Alica walked briskly down the sidewalk to the department store she was supposed to meet her Aunt at. Her phone gave her a happy chime and lifted it to her ear. "Hey Aunty. Yes, I'm on my way. I'm running a little late because Tasha, who was supposed to cover for me at the daycare, was a little late." Alica listened to her Aunty excitedly talk about the furniture she was deciding between. Alica was going to reply when there was a crash in the background and some guy yelling. "Aunty what's going on?" "There is some mad man in here destroying mirrors and ranting about something. Why don't you stay outside until the police have it under control." Her Aunt replied. Alica tried to protest but her Aunt hung up. Alica picked up her pace into a jog. There was no way she was going to let some crazy person accidently hurt the only family she had left. She was going to give that guy a peice of her mind. Granted, she had no idea what she was going to say but she'd figure out something. Alica was concentrating so hard on what she was going to do that she didn't notice the police officer right in front of her. She collided with the man. Alica took a step back. "Excuse me." She said in a much smaller voice then she intended and began moving towards the entrance of the department store. "Hold on," the police officer said. "Someone is making a scene in there. You'll be safter out here until it's taken care of." "My aunt is in there. I need to make sure she's ok," Alica said. "Don't worry. Everyone has been evacuated. I'm sure she's in the crowd somewhere." He replied before turning to another worried civllian. Alica opened her phone and dialed her Aunt's number. It rang several times before going to voicemail. Alica tried a few more times, all the while searching the crowd for a sign of her aunt. She didn't see her aunt but she did she a SWAT officer screaming at seemingly everyone. She wondered why he was freaking out so bacdly. She also noticed a woman sitting calmly on the pavement with her back to a SWAT truck. She wore a superhero suit with the colors of the Atlantian police department. Why wasn't she doing anything? They made eye contact for a brief moment before Alica looked up to scan the crowd again. No sign of her Aunt and it was a big crowd. How was she going to find her without her Aunt answering her cellphone. Maybe she was still trapped inside, being held hostage. The idea freaked her out so badly that she thought about asking the superhero to go inside and look but she didn't. She needed to make sure her Aunt was really in trouble before bothering a superhero. Alica hated using her powers on purpose as she always felt queasy afterwards but this was an emergency. She took a deep breath and concentrated on a memory of her Aunt's face. Seconds passed and just when she thought it wasn't going to work her eyes turned grey and she felt mind race through the crowd stopping at the face of her Aunt. She pulled away to get a better veiw and watched her Aunt push through the crowd to the outer edge and then begin to pat her pockets. "Dog-gone it!" She said. "Where's my phone!" Alica relaxed with relief and felt herself pull back to her own body. She gasped for air and breathed deeply several times as her mind registered her body. That was for you Aunty.
Dara White Dara watched in amazement as the man’s scales and talons vanished into his skin. He smiled at her and she felt her cheeks grow hot. She couldn’t help but stare at his bare muscular chest that had strange golden symbols tattooed on, then at his unique metallic eyes. She was around men all the time, but never one like this. The man ignored her for a second, to lower himself to his destroyed punching bag. He touched the bag with one of his large hands, and small particles of light floated in the air. The bag suddenly changed back into how it looked before. She watched his arm muscles contract as he lifted the restored bag, setting it back on the ceiling hook. Dara could barely believe what was happening. So, this man was one…one like her? She felt her heart flutter when he turned back to her. "I’m okay here, though I would prefer to spar if you know any fencing or martial arts much more interesting then punching something that can’t fight back,” He flicked his hand and the shoes he had been holding, disappeared in modes of winking light. "My day is free today, if you don't want to spar, has this gym got anything else half interesting to do?" Dara flashed him a smile back. How had she randomly encountered a handsome man with superpowers like her that enjoyed sports as well? She secretly hoped she wouldn’t blurt out anything stupid, but spoke up anyway. “Yeah, this gym is mostly for amateurs. I only work here for the pay; the stuff around here is boring compared to the outside world. But, you’re talking to the right girl. I’ve done almost every sport under the sun, fencing and martial arts included. I’ve got to work the front desk, but I think I can do a quick match of sorts,” her eyes twinkled mischievously, “That is…if you’re ready for it. I'm pretty tough to catch.”
Jason Farrenkothen The boots started to hum and vibrate softly. Approaching the edge, he exhales slowly before planting a foot on the side of the building. Jason Farrenkothen's stomach lurches only slightly as he tilts over the edge and plants his other foot securely on the humming sign displaying in large appealing letters ELECTRICORP. The neon images of the screen lights up his profile as he surveys the sleeping city before him. New Atlantis pulsates in all its vibrant splendor, a true rich-man's playground, pulling out all the stops in its quest to lure in and satisfy its customers as well as to drain them of all their money. But I have seen this city's true colours, he thinks to himself as the walks down the side of the building towards a sercive door five storeys below. Reaching the door, he fidgets around in his coat for a couple of moments before pulling out a small palm sized device decorated with only a small screen and a button. Digging his fingernails under the panel by the security lock he manages to pry back the metal to reveal the mechanism beneath. He chuckles quietly to himself. These guys are complete morons. Its like they WANT somebody to break in. The device quickly bypasses the system and the door springs open. Jason starts counting down in his head, he knows he's only got more or less five minutes before security will be hot on his trail and that he needs to be quick; very quick. darting down two flights of stairs brings him to the Engineer's quarters which, after bypassing two more security doors, he enters to find a small room littered with papers and strewn with spare computer parts. Frantically rummaging around in the shelves for about a minute, he finds what he is looking for. He seizes the converter box from the shelf and stuffs it in his coat before making a hasty exit. as he passes the Engineer's desk he spies a strange device, half built, lying next to two standard issue fuel cells. Hesitating only for a moment to scoop up the device and both fuel cells, he hastens out of the room. Two minutes and counting. Instead of retreating the way he came, Jason makes his way to the eastern side of the building until he comes to a large work area crammed with cubicles. The blood drains from his face when he hears the security guards racing up the stairwell. Cursing his underestimation of their responsiveness he turns due east and bolts straight towards the widows. Without breaking his pace he rips a chair from a nearby cubicle and hurls it at the window, shattering it. Forcing his legs to exert even more force onto the ground, he rapidly accelerates to a blur just before launching himself into the air. For a moment, there is just the sound of rushing wind in his ears as he is propelled across the gap between the two buildings. Bracing himself for impact, he rolls deftly to diffuse most of the momentum before he can grind to a halt. Hesitating only to catch his breath, Jason slips away through the night to his apartment. He barely makes it to his place above the department store before blacking out from exertion. The last thing he can recall was the faint sound of breaking glass in the store below.
