NEW VINDICATORS: Chapter 1231

[Michuru81]

The sun reseeded over the Manhattan skyline beautifully drawn beyond the window in Maria Espada’s room at the hospital. Now, the pelting of rain drops remained- heralding the coming storm that would hammer at the city. Magnus Loder forced himself to look away from the cityscape. He was the fourth generation’s Lodestone and believed himself to be every bit the hero his father and his father’s father were. It felt so strange to know that the city was under attack and imprisoned under a dome of white hellfire… and all he could do was sit and wait.

Running his fingers through his long, white hair, he found himself still unable to look at Maria. Alexandra and Cassandra had found her in the depths of Patriot Robotics- bruised and beaten and worse. Maria Espada, the woman he loved, had been raped.

At the first sight of her he had moved to embrace her. His touch sent her screaming- she had been traumatized by the events. The medical staff treating her was now limited to women; no man could lay a hand on her without evoking her screams and displays of her geokinetic abilities. The woman he loved was hurting and he couldn’t even hold her.

She had not said what had happened- nor given the name of who had done it. At first, Magnus believed himself confident he knew. Marcos Verón was a student at the New Vindicators Academy of America and he had long harbored a crush on Maria. More than that, the young man was infatuated with the girl. Given what Magnus and Maria had deciphered concerning the Affiliation, they knew that the members were promised the affections of another- unrequited love ceased being unrequited as a sign-on perk. Marcos’ deal had been for Alexandra Hawk. Wasn’t it possible to have his deal amended to include Maria once her betrayal came to light?

Magnus’ eyes went to the television. Every network was running the same footage- all concerning the beast rampaging through New York City. Cameras within the United Nations’ General Assembly pronounced the monster as being Michuru Bradshaw, long considered the most dangerous Neo-Sapien in existence after dethroning Atlas five years prior.

The media had successfully identified the young man at the helm of the Affiliation. It wasn’t but months before that Adonis Skraag’s face had appeared on television sets across the country. The Church of Genetic Purity had, allegedly, murdered Adonis’ parents for the crime of having a Neo-Sapien son. It hadn’t taken anchors across the city long to deduce who the mysterious young man standing at the podium was… and once they knew that, they had figured he was seeking revenge.

The city knew Adonis was seeking revenge against the Church of Genetic Purity, but Magnus knew Adonis was seeking revenge against others as well. Everything clicked now. Why Chienne and he had been abducted from the graduation; how Alicia Gladstone had become pregnant; how Atlanta White didn’t remember being at the scene of Malachi Brown’s death. Adonis was the answer. Adonis was the key.

It stood to reason then that Adonis may have went so far as to turn his powers on Maria. The New Vindicators only had the testimony of Chienne Bedford and Atlanta White to explain Adonis’ powers. His victims suddenly found holes in their memory where time under his spell should have been. Perhaps the reason Maria had not told them who had raped her was because she couldn’t. Perhaps she didn’t know. Perhaps she had suddenly found herself cut and bruised, bleeding and sore?

“I- I never had a girlfriend before,” Magnus said. “Before you… there was just Chienne. I just- I was always preoccupied by other things. I was obsessed with training myself and becoming a hero- a leader… an icon. I didn’t have the time to be a normal teenager.

“Chienne was so beautiful… when she- when she wrote her number on my palms- both of them… I couldn’t believe that someone who looked like she did was paying any attention to me. I’m proud of who I am, but deep down I’m ashamed of what I am. I know what people say about us and I- I guess on some level I never expected someone on the outside to want to have anything to do with- with a freak like me. So, I rode it out and kept praying that she never found out- that I never slipped up and made a paperclip float or anything. It wasn’t really a relationship though. From the get-go, I was lying to her and she… she was just trying to make Adonis hurt.

“And then came you and I…” For several moments, the only sounds that filled the room were the soft pelting of raindrops on the window and the beeps from the hall monitors. Sam White’s voice echoed from the halls, carrying something about Joseph and Tarasque. Magnus pushed the man’s stories out of his mind and brushed his eyes with the back of his hand. “…I really felt like I- I don’t know. I really don’t know. I guess I felt. That’s enough. It’s pretty simple, but it’s enough I think. I think… I think I love you, Maria and… and I am so sorry. This- you getting hurt… Drew and Jacque being in the condition they’re in… Michuru rampaging… this might not have happened if I had listened to you and just told Lex and Jacque what we knew.

“My pride hurt you, Maria. For as long as you’ll be by my side… I’ll never let that happen again.”

His head swiveled and his waist twisted, bringing him around to face the muted television set and images from the United Nations. “Adonis or Coriolis… I swear, I’m going to kill them both, just to be sure.”

A soft rapping at the door brought him around to face Atlanta, her face pale from the revelations granted by Sam White. “M-Magnus… we’re going to be heading out. Samael figures he can break through the armor. From there, we’re going to fight Mistuh Bradshaw.” She gulped, as if terrified of the inevitable truth. “We’re going to bring down Michuru.”

She left the room, leaving Magnus to say his good-byes to Maria. In Atlanta’s mind, there may not have been a coming back from such a mission. Their teacher had martial arts training, coupled with years of experience. His raw power was just one more factor… in Atlanta’s eyes, going up against Michuru at their current level was suicide.

Alone once more, Magnus forced himself to take one last look at Maria. “I have bigger fish…” he said. “I promise you… I’m going to kill them both for what they did to you.”

The Loyal Order of the Flame and the Fall of Deimos...

[Michuru81]

Chapter CXVIII: Cats in the Cradle
The beast’s hand was composed of hellfire energy, of that Roy Bivicci was sure. He recognized the power signature as being close to his own- albeit a different color. At thirty-three, Roy was the eldest manipulator of red hellfire within the Loyal Order of the Flame. That was what made him one of the five chairmen of the clandestine group.

To the outside world, the Loyal Order of the Flame was a private club- a lodge for the exclusively exclusive. Some of New York City’s more prominent residents had petitioned for membership; several pampered celebrities and socialites were incensed upon being curtly declined. Little infuriated them more than the knowledge that they could do nothing to gain entrance to the inner chambers.

Roy had often grinned fiendishly as he watched them stalk away from the building. He loathed that most of them were famous for being famous. He had destroyed several televisions in his Manhattan apartment- blasting out the monitor when hotel heiresses made the news for the absurd. He had smiled his devious smile and shook his head as they ambled back to their expensive cars- watching them from the second story window, third from the left.

From that very window now stood Doctor Jason Pickford; as Roy Bivicci was the chairman of the red hall, Doctor Pickford was chairman of the black hall, due to his being the eldest surviving commander of black hellfire. Of course, what his peers in the organization failed to realize was that Jason was not a Nephilim like they were. No, he was not a Nephilim… he was one of the Fallen.

“Abaddon.”

He turned at the sound of his true name and his eyes locked with those of a mongrel dog. Bugs were crawling over the dog’s eye and it’s fur was matted with blood. It’s chest was collapsed; obviously the beast had been hit by a car. Still, that it was up and about when it should have been dead was hardly was surprised Abaddon. That it was able to speak to him was the true heart stopper. “My children are vanishing from this plane,” the dog said. “You are closest to them, I trusted you to watch over them. What is happening? Is this your doing?”

“Not mine,” Jason said, bowing low out of courtesy to his equal. It had taken a moment to recognize which of the others would do something like this… then it became obvious. Semyazza worked in the shadows- dancing through the minds of men, convincing them they were insane. Astaroth was too aggressive for something so intricate; Leviathan too chaotic for something so organized. This had Asmodeus’ touch all over it. “Samael.”

“Samael!?” the dog gasped. “That traitor?”

“His son, rather,” Jason intoned. “The Vindicator, Michuru? He has lost all his senses and rampages across New York. It appears the boy has an ability none of us could have hoped to conceive. We guessed his hellfire abilities gave him a colossal exo-skeleton capable of sentient thought. Animalistic as it may be, it is sentient… however, the energy… when it touches another hellfire user their consciousness is drained away and their power absorbed by the white. Every so often the beast expands.”

“Is there no way to stop him?”

“I have watched him. The beast failed to pass through the force field containing the city. White hellfire… that is the only shield against the beast.”

“Samael will appear before his son then… to stop him from laying waste to the city.”

“I believe so.”

The dog nodded, as if satisfied with the update, and immediately collapsed. The rotting carcass lay in the great halls of the Loyal Order of the Flame, bringing an unpleasant scent to Doctor Pickford. Still, he could not be distracted from what he was about to witness. If he knew Samael, he knew he would gather in heroes to help him fight his own son. Doctor Jason Pickford's anticipation forced out his smile; his own son would likely be joining the fight…

Everything was in place.

“My lord?”

This voice did not surprise Doctor Pickford. He had been expecting his other son- Michael Connors. “You did as I asked?” Doctor Pickford intoned. “You posed as the assistant principal of that school? Conducted the graduation ceremonies?”

“Yes, yes… and familiarized myself with Jeremy Carlson… committing his face to memory. He looks almost identical to Jeffrey. Still, I am not sure what the interest in him is… though I have my guesses.”

“He is our brother… a Nephilim who goes by the name of Deimos.”

“Deimos, eh? Ironic, given how much he looks like Jeffrey.”

“Listen to me, Michael… Jeremy is carrying a sword- a very special sword that we can’t have fall into just anyone’s hands. Your powers can safely get you close to him without being touched by Michuru. I need you to bring me that sword.” Lightning crackled in the sky and Doctor Pickford’s eyes sought any window into Michael Connors’ soul. “Understand?”

Michael nodded. “I still do not understand why you do not merely have me shadow-walk our brothers out of that mess below.”

“They are pawns… pawns can only move forward. You, Michael… you are my knight. You are able to move any which way you choose, strike from any angle.”

“If left unattended, pawns can become anything they want to be…”

“I can do without the analogies,” Doctor Pickford said. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Samael, teleporting himself and a brigade of teenaged superheroes into the street before Michuru. “He’s here!” he laughed. “Go, Michael! Go and make me proud!”

Michael reached back for his cowl and pulled it low over his face. Clad entirely in black and protected by the armor under his uniform, the Shadow was ready to move… ready to do all he was asked and more.

Deimos' sword is drawn and one of the Fallen will die

[Michuru81]

Samael’s sword blazed in his hands. For the New Vindicators and their allies, it was their first time seeing hellfire of such a color. Deimos’ single eye settled on it and his jaw dropped. White hellfire; it was almost the antithesis of what he wielded. Yet, if he was to believe Samael’s story, any who could channel hellfire were either fallen seraphim or their off-spring. Deimos was not a millennia-old fallen angel, so that made him the son of one.

Samael had told him his father’s name as they prepared to leave for this battle. Abaddon; his father’s name was Abaddon. He was a being who expertly wove threads of hellfire to create illusions. He was an expert at manipulation and loved nothing more than mind games. If he was to further trust Samael, Abaddon had a love for the carnal delights; Abaddon loved mortal women.

That Deimos likely had countless brothers and sisters across the world was news to him. He had always been determined to prove himself… now he had a group to contend with. He trembled with anticipation. He wanted to find them… to hunt them down…

…To kill them, if he had to.

Deimos would have liked to rally them together. He had no delusions of taking his father in a fight. Abaddon was a demon with over six-thousand years worth of experience. The man was undoubtedly more powerful than he could take alone. Then again, if he did his other illegitimate children as he had Deimos… the young man was sure they could be persuaded to join his crusade against Daddy Dearest.

Samael’s sundering the wrist of the beast’s armor brought Deimos back to reality. The cavity revealed a vast nothingness inside the beast. It bled only excess energy off. “No good,” Samael growled, dodging a swipe from the beast’s other claws. “We have to cut through to Michuru!”

“The heart?” Atlanta theorized.

“The brain!” proclaimed Anomaly.

Samael fired a blast of hellfire straight into the chest of the beast- rupturing the exo-skeleton to reveal Michuru hovering within. “Attack him!” He looked to the arm he had cleaved open; the excess energy was knitting the appendage back together.

Lodestone felt out with his power and found a large enough piece of sheet metal. “Lex!” he cried out. Anomaly spun and saw the platform moving towards him. With a nod he had told his teammate that for the time being he would not dwell on what had happened between them. Lodestone’s pride had nearly cost Tripper her life… but at the moment, Anomaly looked past that to what needed to be done. He changed to his true form and leapt onto the metal as it passed him.

Lodestone was thankful Anomaly had enough since to change to his lighter state- he wasn’t sure he possessed the power to heft the man in his dense shape. As he was, Lodestone was able to hurl Anomaly through the hole Samael had created. Flying for the man in the belly of the beast, Anomaly changed shape and collided with his former teacher.

A blast of arctic pressure hammered past Anomaly and pelted Michuru head on. A jet of flame roared over his shoulder. From the ground, most of their companions could do little to help fight Michuru. Captain Canada and Ion were capable of attacking from a distance, but those others with them were more suited for close combat.

Still, they hardly could stay back and do nothing…

Quint had split into five and attacked as one, accompanied by the Gumshoe’s arsenal of explosive toys. Sarah Anderson grabbed hold of Rumble, teleporting the southern belle to Michuru’s level and tumbling into a free fall. Without hesitating, Hourglass warped her body upward to soften her landing.

As Rumble descended she delivered a volley of punches and kicks to the man who had taught her what she knew about fighting. Fathom whipped past her, attempting to suffocate their former instructor. The New Vindicators acted like a team… using all they had spent the last year learning against the man who had taught it to them.

One held back… and made himself the perfect target for their unseen enemy. From the shadows behind Deimos, the Shadow appeared. His hands reached out, grabbing the young man by the throat and throwing him backwards into a wall. Deimos hurried to his feet, but the Shadow was too quick. He slipped past Deimos’ wild swings and deftly avoided the young man’s fists. A scythe constructed from hellfire blazed in Deimos’ hands and the Shadow’s hands fell on a weapon he could use to block.

His hands closed on the hilt of the katana Sanada Yukimura had given him nearly half a year ago.

“It will be used to kill one of the Seven Fallen,” Kirigakure Saizou had said to Deimos, as their group prepared to face the coming thieves. “But it will be broken when it crosses it’s brother.”

The Shadow shifted and blocked Deimos’ strike, then used what swordsmanship he had to push the youth back. Deimos’ eyes fell on that blade- gleaming in the moonlight. It was his- Sanada had said it was destined to slay one of the Fallen. It was his key to defeating his father.

“Give it back!” Deimos snarled, rising to his feet. His scythe swung up overhead, he charged for the Shadow and the man stepped into one shadow and out another- behind Deimos, watching as the youth staggered in surprise.

Samael’s eyes turned from the regenerating hole in Michuru’s chest; his attention had been attracted by Deimos’ cry. The blaze of hellfire brought a wide-eyed look of terror from the fallen angel. He knew his son would be attracted to it- Michuru would be drawn to the released signature. “Deimos!” Samael screamed. “Drop the scythe!”

Too late… the beast was reaching for the young man.

The air rippled around Samael as he displaced himself, teleporting to the young man’s side. If he pushed it, he could save him from having his consciousness siphoned by the beast; he could keep Deimos from feeding Michuru and making him more powerful.

“No, you don’t!” snarled the Shadow, vanishing through one shadow and out another.

Samael’s eyes widened as his own blood sprayed out before him, freed by the powerful slash that shattered his chest.

“Sam!” Ion screamed, sensing his pain through the psionic rapport Lucas had established to better coordinate their forces. Captain Canada hammered at the armor with all her power; Lodestone flung every scrap of metal he could at the armor. All of Anomaly and Rumble’s combined might couldn’t rupture the hulking form.

Samael’s lifeless body crumbled on the ground… and their chances of stopping the catastrophe died with him.

Deimos' fate

[Michuru81]

Deimos’s eye slowly adjusted to the bright light. Blurry shapes slowly came into focus- people standing in a room of burning white infinity. His mind reeled to find some explanation for what had happened… for where he was. The last thing he remembered was seeing the Shadow teleport between himself and Samael and use the katana Sanada Yukimura had given him to kill the Fallen.

The young man cursed under his breath. He knew what this meant. “Saizou said the sword was destined to kill one of the Fallen… it was meant for Samael.” One half of the prophesy had been fulfilled. The sword would not break until it was used against Michuru Bradshaw. In the man’s present state… that event seemed to be quickly approaching.

It suddenly dawned on Deimos that Michuru- or rather, the beast Michuru’s powers had created –had grabbed him. He remembered suddenly feeling as if his head was on fire and as if a dagger was buried deep into the base of his skull. He must have lost consciousness… but how had he gotten here? Had he died? Was this heaven? No… Deimos grinned as he thought such a thing. “I’m hardly heaven-bound,” he muttered.

Suddenly he found a familiar face. Pandora DiMera had been one of the teachers at the New Vindicators Academy of America. She had been the one who stole Stockholm and her friends from their battle with Deimos’ group. From what Deimos had been told, Stockholm was used to turn Michuru into the rampaging monster he had degenerated into.

She had betrayed them…

He reached out for that dark flame that burned in his soul- the very source of his power. He imagined that flame… but found nothing but darkness. Amazed, he looked to his open hand… and found no energy weapon materialized there.

“I wouldn’t bother,” Pandora said. “None of our powers work here.”

“Where are we?” Deimos asked.

“You have only to look around to understand,” Pandora said. She may not have been able to use her powers in this place, but her eyes still burned with an eerie darkness that hinted at her true nature.

Scanning the room, Deimos found others with burning eyes. Some were glowing green and others burned blue. A few were yellow and some red. “Other hellfire users?” he asked.

“Nephilim,” Pandora corrected. “Michuru is one as well, it seems… a being capable of a rare, white hellfire. It seems that he possesses an ability over the rest of us. A touch from that force field and our consciousness and power is drained.”

“So… we’re stuck in Michuru’s head?”

Pandora said nothing, but her silence confirmed the young man’s fears. Michuru’s powers had devoured them- using their own abilities to fuel his own and their consciousness… “What’s going to happen to us?”

A sigh responded. “Michuru lost consciousness when his powers awoke. Every element he manipulates is connected to an emotion. It would seem that hellfire is something of a nexus for his powers and stems from a lack of emotion. When he feels nothing… or when he loses control. His consciousness is gone and… it begins to devour that of his cousins. I think that Michuru’s powers are feeding, Deimos. Michuru isn’t just a chaotic being- he’s sniffing out Nephilim and eating their consciousness to repair his own.”

“That’s a good thing then,” Deimos said. “Right? I mean… if he just sucks out a few more of us, we’ll get out of here and he’ll be back to normal.”

“Deimos… if he reaches the capacity he needs, I think we’ll cease to be.”

Anomaly, Lodestone and Rumble stand alone against Michuru...

[Michuru81]

Anomaly jumped from the fire escape he had scaled and dropped onto the beast’s back. It barely seemed to register his presence, let alone Rumble following his lead. Samael had fallen… but the heroes refused to give up hope. Their instructor was on a violent rampage, destroying the city and endangering countless lives. Worse… the citizens of New York City were trapped with the monster. A force field emanating from Patriot Robotics prevented anyone from getting into or out of the city.

No, Anomaly and his friends had not given up… they had come up with a new plan.

Fathom and Hourglass were two of their more stealthier teammates and both had seen how to get into and out of the skyscraper undetected by the Affiliation- thanks to a chance meeting with Noah Meinstein. They now led a small battalion into the building to shut down the force fields and evacuate the city. Sarah Anderson had joined them, along with the Gumshoe.

Another group had been dispatched on their own mission. Taking Deimos’ unconscious form back to the hospital were Ion, Captain Canada and Quint. Samael had empowered Drew Jenkins with his abilities as a counter-measure for just this very situation. With the Fallen slain, Copycat may have been their only hope to breach Michuru’s shell once more and take him out.

From the ground, Lodestone let out a scream as he stretched his abilities beyond their limits. The ground shook as his magnetic grasp reached for the sewers beneath the city streets. The weight of the roads was taxing him… but he knew what had to be done. Blood tricked from his nostrils as he pushed himself on- tearing up the road and forcing it to curl before Michuru. If they couldn’t break through, they would have to attempt to restrain the colossal beast.

The monster howled as Anomaly and Rumble leapt clear. Rumble’s abilities allowed her to jump to the safety offered by an adjacent building. Anomaly simply tumbled to the earth, relying on his own resiliency to break his fall. He looked up from where he had impacted and watched as the street rose over Michuru and slammed down over him.

The asphalt broke over the being’s back and water sprayed up from the sundered pipes. Water and more…

“Gas lines!” Rumble screamed, leaping down to the street and racing for Lodestone. She tackled him to the ground, shielding him from the explosion the exposed line made.

From the cloud of smoke hurried Anomaly, determined to ensure the pair’s safety. “Everyone in one piece?” he asked.

“Ah’m fine,” Rumble said, sprawled atop her teammate.

“I’m better than fine,” Lodestone said with a wry smile.

“Don’t get used to it,” the southern belle said as she hurried to her feet and smoothed out the skirt her uniform formed.

“You’re not my type.”

“People!” snapped Anomaly. “Did we forget about the hundred-foot-tall monster destroying the city?”

“How could we?” Rumble growled as the white hellfire beast reared its head above the cloud of debris. It was no longer moving about on all fours- it had risen to its hind legs and for the first time since their battle began… appeared to regard them. “Ah think it sees us.”

“Good. We got it’s attention.” Lodestone looked from one to the other. “So… uh, any plans now that we’ve got him?”

“Just keep hitting,” Anomaly said, “and hope to God that the others are able to do their job.”

Fathom, Hourglass, Gumshoe and Sarah make their way into Patriot Robotics... and run into the Affiliation.

[Michuru81]

In her aquatic form, Fathom slithered along the ground of the alleyway. She knew that the exit Noah Meinstein had spoken of was here somewhere. The underground tunnel was hardly air-tight. Any moment now her insubstantial body would make it way through the cracks and she would reform in the hallway.

“We’re nowhere near Patriot Robotics,” offered Sarah Anderson shyly. “Is she sure-”

“When Mister Meinstein was leading us out, he said the tunnel lead out here- in the alley behind Wayridge Industries.” Hourglass sighed as she looked up at the menacing building looming over them. “Odd place for a secret passage though… I mean, isn’t Wayridge the biggest competitor Patriot Robotics has?”

The Gumshoe cleared his throat before answering. He did his best to disguise his voice- to make himself sounded deeper, different. Cassandra Goodman had never paid any attention to scrawny David Meinstein before- but he didn’t want her making the connection between the Detective’s young sidekick and himself. “It’s likely for corporate sabotage,” he explained. “I imagine Mister Meinstein will be building a tunnel to connect himself to Hub Enterprises as well.”

“Hub Enterprises?” Sarah asked. “What’s that?”

“I heard about it this morning… new company, dabbling in the same areas Meinstein and Wayridge are in. Pharmaceuticals, prosthetics, robotics…” He didn’t tell them that David Meinstein sat as the CEO of such a company. His time as Portal had begun to reveal some dark secrets his father and Samson Wayridge were keeping hidden. He had recruited Samson’s son, Phoenix Wayridge, to help him crush the two men. Once Noah and Samson were stopped, they could claim the companies and manage them with the integrity due such legacies- rejuvenating the honor lost by their fathers’ questionable deeds.

The Gumshoe continued to move about the alley, as if thoroughly searching for the fabled secret passage. David Meinstein knew where it was hidden and how to open it- but he couldn’t let them think he had found it by anything but sheer luck. “Bingo!” he said joyously, revealing the portal into the lower levels that ran under the skyscraper. “Ladies first.”

Fathom opted to descend into the tunnels first, followed by Sarah and the Gumshoe and with Hourglass bringing up their rear. “Eyes down, buster!” threatened Hourglass, swinging her stocking-clad legs over the edge and feeling for the ladder rungs. Her form-fitting uniform ended in a mini-skirt, decked with two belts crossed over her hips.

The group slithered down deeper, their only source of light provided by the equipment stored in the Gumshoe’s utility belt. “Bottom!” Fathom called up, her feet hitting the cold, damp floor of the tunnel. She held out a hand to help Sarah down. The Gumshoe dropped to the floor when they had cleared aside, then moved to help Hourglass as she made her way down.

“Watch the hands!” she threatened as he steered her down. He threw his appendages into the air in vexation and peered around the dark corridor, as if expected an attack to come at any time.

“We must be about six stories underground.” It was no estimation- David Meinstein knew the schematics of Patriot Robotics and the adjoining passageways.

“Kind of cold,” Hourglass complained.

“You should wear a cape,” the Gumshoe said, a smirk turning up at the side of his face.

“We need to get moving,” Fathom said. “If we’re under Wayridge Industries, then we have about three blocks to walk.”

Their procession continued in silence- their minds only on the mission at hand. Their group had been chosen for their stealth. It was hoped they could get into and out of Patriot Robotics undetected. Earlier today, the Affiliation had taken the building over and made it their base of operations. While it was impossible for them to have scoured every inch of the complex, David knew the security system. From one room, a single member could keep tabs on their movement through the building.

There was one other factor he dreaded… Amongst the Affiliation’s number was Blitzkrieg, also known as Daniel Meinstein, David’s older brother. He knew the building as good as David, if not better, and had the speed to cover the ground in seconds. If they stood any chase of avoiding a fight, they would have to rely on David’s keen knowledge of the building.

“This was where we left Noah,” Fathom said, dragging her fingers along the walls beside her. “Samael teleported in and… yeah. I hope he’s okay.”

The Gumshoe said nothing. Fathom had told them about the boy she met here- the Prime Noah had raised. Noah had admitted to funding Project: PRIME as well. She knew only a fraction of what was really going on here. On the inside, disguised as the Gumshoe, David had his chance to do some damage to his father’s dark ambitions.

“Which way to that room?” he asked.

“Wait… are we…” Sarah shivered as she thought on what she was about to ask. “Are we really going to kill this little boy?”

“He’s not a REAL person!” exclaimed Hourglass. “He’s a Prime.”

“Gee, thanks, ‘Glass,” grumbled Fathom.

“It’s not that, it’s… that’s not what I meant!”

“It doesn’t matter if he was born in a Petri dish or not,” said the Gumshoe glumly, “this kid is what’s got New York in a containment field. Michuru’s rampage has injured so many people and he’ll only continue to hurt people.”

“But isn’t the field what’s keeping him back?” asked Sarah. “I mean, if we shut down the force field, he can leave the city.”

“Sexy Lexy is confident that Drew can breach Michuru’s own force field and take him out.”

As the Gumshoe rolled his eyes, Hourglass let out a sigh. The young woman’s shoulders sagged as she shook her head back and forth. “Riiight… because that plan worked so well last time around.”

“You have a better idea?” Fathom growled.

Suddenly, Sarah let out a scream that brought the seasoned heroes around quickly. They found the young woman flailing from within the wall beside them. Suddenly, Fathom realized what was happening. She didn’t need Breanne Jordan’s face protruding from the surface to tell her that Rift had pulled her through. “Alexa! Sandy! Power down or I let go of the Girl Scout!”

Hourglass immediately reverted to her natural state, becoming flesh and blood once again. Fathom, however, continued to stare down her former teacher. “Power down, blondie!” Rift screamed. “If I let go of her, she’ll become tangible inside the wall and die instantly. You get that don’t you? I mean… I know blondes are dense but… c’mon…”

The sudden flash of light out of the corner of her eyes told Fathom that Blitzkrieg had arrived. Having someone with Rift’s level of experience as their opponent was bad enough, but the electrical attacks at Blitzkrieg’s disposal had sealed the deal.

Fathom changed back to her natural form… and surrendered.

The Affiliation versus the New Vindicators... and you won't believe who's going to bail the kids out of this one.

[Michuru81]

Blitzkrieg checked the manacles one-by-one, ensuring that each was secured around their wrists. “You realize that I can just change forms and be out of these in no time, right?”

Rift’s eyes went to Fathom and a coy smile slowly metastasized across her dark face. Concerned with her quarry as she was, she failed to notice the lingering look her associate gave the Gumshoe, nor the spiteful glare the young detective flashed back at the man. “Actually, you can’t. Those handcuffs are the same as your uniform is, Alexa. You don’t just fall out of that when you change shape. The bonds will change with you.”

“Big whoop. I’d still be able to suffocate your sorry-”

Sarah gave out a scream as Rift’s phalanges wiggled out the young woman’s chest. “Care to see how I killed Halogen?”

Hourglass’ eyes widened in horror. “You’re lying!”

Rift shrugged. “I’d been itching to test it for a while… rapidly shift from intangible to tangible and back again. I suffer no damage myself, but give the victim a sudden cardiac jolt.” Rift’s hand slid up to now pierce through Sarah’s neck. “I’ve been wondering what would happen if I went further. You know how my power works right? I don’t just phase through solid matter. It’s a lot more complicated than that. When I first met the Vindicators, they called in Atlanta’s daddy to help get me out of the Astral Plane. You’ve all seen what Lucas did to Katie Merrick, right?”

“Most spiritual anomalies can be recorded on electronic devices,” Blitzkrieg offered the young heroes. “The Astral Plane operates on a quasi-electromagnetic spectrum.”

“And the brain is chop full of electronic signals!” Rift exclaimed joyously. “My power is to distort my own electro-magnetic field, letting me slip through solid matter or between planes of existences if I push it. When I was still a Vindicator, there was an odd moment- it was Michuru’s birthday… My powers acted like a lightning rod for Xianbei’s mind swapping powers. The government commissioned Patriot Robotics to build these barrettes for me.” She pointed with her free hand to the two small devices in her hair. “They block out mental abilities, covering one of my few weaknesses. Mostly, it’s to keep accidents from happening.”

“When Rift’s incorporeal body passes through electronic equipment, she distorts it- like an EMP pulse,” explained Blitzkrieg, hauling the Gumshoe to his feet and stripping him of his utility belt and cape. He permitted him the comforts provided by the cowl, however; anonymity was David Meinstein’s greatest weapon, followed by his cunning mind. “She’s been wondering if her powers play on the electrical signals the human brain puts out… if she can scramble synapses.”

“One wave of the hand and she could be a vegetable,” Rift said. Sarah’s bottom lip began to quiver and the Native-American’s hand reached up higher and higher… “Maybe she’ll just suffer a stroke. Maybe nothing will happen…”

“We get your point!” snarled Hourglass. “We’ll… we’ll do whatever you say.”

Rift flashed a warped grin from under her proud nose. “Good girl.” With a nod, the other two used the wall to make their way to their feet. Breanne motioned for them to follow Blitzkrieg past her; she brought up the rear, keeping her hand phased through Sarah’s neck. With a flick of the wrist she could send her arm through either the girl’s brain or her heart. That was if she was rushed. If she was feeling crueler, she could begin to slowly damage the young woman’s internal organs bit by bit. “And don’t even think about teleporting,” Rift grumbled in the girl’s ear. “You take whoever’s touching you, right? I see a change in scenery and I kill- do you get me?”

Sarah couldn’t form words. She could only swallow hard and nod quickly.

Their procession made their way through the lower levels of Patriot Robotics, back towards the elevators that would carry them to the higher levels. “I don’t get it,” Fathom muttered. “What do you have to gain by Michuru rampaging through the city?”

“We thought to stop him,” Blitzkrieg said. “Michuru doesn’t know about Doctor Styles’ death yet. We were going to find Chimera, have it pose as Halogen and try to calm him down.”

“You can’t find Chimera?”

“Chimera has gone rogue,” Rift said through gritted teeth. She had been the one to blackmail the being into working for them in the first place. Either the Affiliation received Chimera’s unwavering loyalty or Rift blew the whistle on Richard Jorgenson’s death and Atlas’ true identity. Granted, it was a gamble- exposing Chimera would have led to the Affiliation’s being exposed as well. “The Leader moved to our new plan… evacuate.”

“Wait- Adonis is going to just flee the city and leave everyone else to pick up after his mess?”

“Some man you’ve got there,” Fathom growled to Hourglass. The young woman appeared astonished her former boyfriend would do such a thing.

“We didn’t count on Michuru turning into that thing,” Rift said with a shrug. The elevator doors opened, to let them off at the penthouse. “It’s a minor setback. The Leader would have us retreat for now, collect ourselves, and try again when things have calmed down.”

“Not if we don’t mess you guys up big time,” Fathom said, baring her teeth at her former instructor.

“Whatever…” Rift grinned as Nor’easter crossed the room to take their captives. “Adonis can deal with you girls easily. We’re taking the Boy Blunder here to see what happened to the Quarterback and Magilla Gorilla.” Nor’easter waved and Fathom led Hourglass off the elevator. The moment Rift’s hand was out of Sarah’s chest, the young girl couldn’t have moved fast enough to get away from her.

“Miss Jordan?” Fathom asked, not bothering to turn around to face her captor. Blitzkrieg’s hand moved and pressed the button for the floor where Silverback and Jack Olsen were kept. “From the point of view of a girl who… well, who likes girls?”

“What?” Rift growled as the doors began to close.

“You’re not even half the woman Doctor Styles was.”

Rift’s eyes flashed open and her snarls trailed off as the doors shut. Her hands phased through the doors- fingertips groping for Fathom’s neck. Nor’easter rolled his eyes as her fingertips receded down the door… the shaft carrying his cohorts down to the makeshift jails.

Inside the elevator, the Meinstein brothers cringed as Rift’s swearing reverberated about the metal box. “Calm down, Bree,” said Blitzkrieg soothingly. “She’s just trying to get at you. You know that. You’re better than this.” Still, Rift was seething with anger. “Sides, it’s- it’s just opinion. Mine is that you’re an incredible woman. You’re smart and funny and… and you’re beautiful.”

Rift rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you, Blitz? I-”

“I know, I know… I- I’m just kidding, you know… You know, just… just trying to make you smile.”

And suddenly, in that frame of time where Breanne Jordan’s insecurities had shown through, David was sure he had found his way out of this fiasco. If he could take out his brother and Rift, he might have a shot at rescuing the girls. “So Halogen is really did?” he said glumly. He wasn’t asking, merely musing over it.

“As of a few hours ago,” Rift said seriously, her impatience returned as she flashed a glare at the blinding numbers- registering which floor they were passing.

“I guess I just can’t believe it,” he said.

“Oh, believe me… she’s dead.”

“No, not that… just that… you actually had a hand in defeating her. I mean, it’s like Fathom said…”

Rift screamed and Blitzkrieg’s eyes widened in horror. “Dave! Davey! You- Breanne, he doesn’t know what he-”

“I’m going to kill him!” she snarled, lunging for the young man.

“Bree! He- he’s my brother! You remember… when, when Adonis said I couldn’t have you, I agreed to work with the Affiliation providing her didn’t get hurt…”

“None of us got what we wanted!” Rift snarled, her fist phasing through the Gumshoe’s chest. David’s eyes widened under the cowl as he fought to throw himself back and out of her grip; still he felt it. He felt the sudden jolt of pain in his chest. His left arm suddenly felt numb… and he knew… he was having a heart attack.

Blitzkrieg’s eyes widened at the sight of his brother falling to the elevator floor. “There- there are only two people in this life I truly love…” Tears glistened on his cheeks as he shook his head, casting off whatever resolve had clung to him. “I’m sorry, Breanne… but I love him more than you.”

“What are you-”

Blitzkrieg funneled all the electrical energy his body had stored up into one strike… and Rift’s screams filled the elevator.

The Meinstein brothers versus Rift!

[Michuru81]

Rift pulled the pair through the floor of the elevator and the duo began to plummet. The young woman let go, knowing her abilities would protect her from a fall of any height. Blitzkrieg tumbled in the air and managed to plant the flats of his feet against the wall of the shaft. It took a little effort on his part to utilize his speed to run straight down the wall. The jog had charged his battery, but it all left him fatigued by the time he had reached the bottom.

He cursed himself for his arrogance; in worrying about saving himself he had easily condemned his younger brother to contend with the young woman alone. The young man struggled to force open the doors of the lowest level, letting himself off in the underbelly of Patriot Robotics. He was quick, but he was hardly capable of the quickness that came with super-speed. With a groan, he quickly found the first available flight of stairs and hurried up to find the battle.

He expected her to be hot on David’s trail, but he had not expected that stories above him, David would have made his way out of the elevator. The Gumshoe threw his tired body around the corner of a cubicle. The electric shock from his brother been a panacea for the heart attack Rift had given the junior detective. Still, he was feeling the effects of the cardiac arrest.

He fought to bring his labored breathing under control- the sound of his panting would be a dead give away to his position. He knew he might have bought some time by sending the elevator up to the floor the girls had been dropped at, but given Rift’s abilities she could easily pass through floor after floor, scanning each as she fell through the ceilings. It wouldn’t take her long to find him, and when she did, he was done.

He fumbled with his utility belt; he had snagged it on his way out of the elevator. His brother had taken it and his cloak when their group had been captured. The elder Meinstein had abandoned them when he assaulted the object of his infatuation. On some level, it was a relief for David to know that Daniel was not so far gone. He was redeemable- no! He had redeemed himself with that one attack.

As if on cue, Breanne Jordan’s feet appeared in the ceiling ahead of him. David ducked around into a small cubicle and watched Breanne’s reflection on the glass of a picture frame, showing one of his father’s devoted employee’s devoted families. In her insubstantial state, the only things capable of harming Rift were mental effects, electrical onslaughts and attacks on her senses. The barrettes his father had helped design rendered her immune to psychic assaults. Without Blitzkrieg or the Portal armor, he had no means of electrocuting her. The utility belt could temporarily strip her of her hearing and vision, but would hardly incapacitate her.

‘Think, David!’ he said to himself. ‘Think! There has to be a way to take her down… Her weakness is electricity, you’re in a lab. How hard can it be to find something to shock her with?’

In the back of his head he urged himself on. Somewhere in this building was the Portal armor- or so Quint had told him. Quinton would know best; Quinton Jorgenson knew everything. With the armor, all his problems could easily be solved. ‘Are you so dependent on your toys? Is a Jedi nothing without his lightsaber? No! He still has his mind and you’ve still go yours so THINK!’

David rushed out of the cubicles upon factoring that Breanne had slipped down to search another floor. His eyes ran wild about the office, looking for anything he could easily turn into a conductor. As he meandered down the halls, he paused, detect an unusual humming. A quick search brought him around to the machine and his eyes bulged at the beauty of it. A homopolar generator, an electrical generator powered by the magnetic field.

Suddenly, his mind leapt to what Lodestone had said shortly after the Outcasts had rescued him from the Affiliation. “Coriolis said they were toying with the magnetic field… distorting it to reverberate back to me. If I used my powers it- it made me sick to my stomach.” The Lorenz force was the key to that, reflecting the waves Lodestone manipulated back to him. A homopolar generator exploited the Lorenz force. This was how Adonis had disabled Lodestone. It was clever… but it was also exactly what he now needed.

“Magnetism induces electric current when a conductor for the current and the lines of magnetic force move so that they cut across each other… so if Rift’s power is distortion of her own electronic field then... it might stand to reason that she could function like a conductor. David’s eyes ran over the generator and he grinned at the sight of a moveable magnet. If his plan worked, he might have had a weapon to use against Rift after all.

After a little tinkering he had removed the disc. Homopolar generators weren’t used anymore, but he might be able to make use of it. It was a gamble, but there was the chance that he could quickly cobble together a device to distort Rift’s intangibility.

With his crudely-constructed defenses, David lumbered out to try and pinpoint where his armor was. He didn’t want to have to test his knowledge of physics if he had to. As much as he hated himself for it, he knew he needed his armor.

Clutching his chest he staggered and leaned against a cubicle wall to support his frail frame. He prayed that his brother was all right. It had been nearly thirty-minutes since the elder Meinstein had been pulled through the floor of the elevator. David wasn’t sure what the extent of his powers was- but he prayed it was enough to save him from a horrific fate. If it was at all possible, he would like to take down their father together and restore the honor Patriot Robotics had lost together.

Running the elevator would have made too much noise- he would have to climb the stairs, no matter how much the tightness in his chest told him not to. He began to climb, not sure which floor to get to. Perhaps if he could liberate the other girls, they could help him.

Suddenly he couldn’t help but chuckle at himself. He had been so intent to keep his secret- his silly little secret identity, and yet he was considering recruiting the trio of girls to help him find the Portal armor? “Because that won’t raise some questions,” he muttered as he gripped the railing, pulling himself up around the bend and looking up at Rift.

“See, I figured you were smart and you wouldn’t trap yourself in the elevator- somewhere I could easily find you. Still, it wasn’t like you were going to fly out the windows… I knew you’d be using the stairs. I just didn’t expect you’ve be coming up.”

“You assumed I’d abandon the girls?”

“Like I said… I figured you were smart.”

Rift phased through the concrete floor and David leapt to the side, knowing full-well she would attempt to pull him through the ground and imprison him there. He was careful not to stay by a wall- he didn’t want to risk being pulled into that as well. This allowed him to watch the floor and wait for any sign of the ghostly girl.

Rift was hardly a rookie though. She hardly expected him to stand still and allow her to kill him. She anticipated his move and appeared in the wall, protruding just enough to peer out and catch sight of where her prey was. David hurled a flashbang at the wall- knowing that she would dodge back into the structure to avoid the attack. Still, it wasn’t to blind so much as it was to herd her.

David took the stairs two at a time- clearing the last four with a leap towards the door. Rift appeared before him, sweeping the air with her arms in a wild attempt to grapple him. He plunged forward with his makeshift disruptor and made contact.

The momentum of his charge pushed Rift back and the former Vindicator cracked her skull against the door. A look of sheer surprise poured over her face as she felt pain. “How!?” she barked.

“You know us science geeks,” the Gumshoe replied, pulling back to punch the young woman. He had managed to make her tangible… but he hadn’t counted on her martial arts expertise in Capoeira. She may have been denied her abilities, but she was far from finished. He had stripped her of her defenses… she still had her offensive abilities.

“Six years of classical ballet!” she snarled. Her mother had pushed her into it as a child and the experience had lent her uncanny agility and endurance, as well as surprising strength. The Gumshoe, David Meinstein, had spent his years playing video games and submerging himself in movies and books. Somehow, his being a level seventy undead rogue in World of Warcraft hardly helped him again this foe.

David struggled to look at Rift from the floor of the stairwell. “I hate PvP,” he managed.

He waited for the finishing blow. It never came. All that came was a blast of electricity flying over his sprawling form. He was thankful he had donned the cape- it protected him from the heat the lightning gave off.

Breanne Jordan collapsed in an unconscious heap besides David and Daniel Meinstein made it up the stairs slowly. “You okay, little bro?” he asked, offering down his hand to help the younger up.

“Red warrior needs food BADLY,” David replied, shaking his head as he got to his feet.

“Yeah…” Daniel Meinstein chuckled a little as he slipped an arm around his brother to support him. “C’mon, lemme take you to that armor of yours…”

You won't believe what Adonis makes Fathom do...

[Michuru81]

Sarah Anderson’s eyes had ceased madly darting about the room with his casual entrance. He put on no performance for his guests; every movement he made was natural and comfortable, and yet at the same time so alluring and captivating. As his well-manicured hands were run through his shoulder-length hair, Sarah found herself forgetting how to breathe.

He pushed his hair back and out of his eyes- shinning blonde strands married perfectly with mouse-brown fire gave way to the sapphires he called eyes. His eyes were oceans and Hourglass found herself submerged in them. It hadn’t been so long ago that she had been dating this man- this perfect Adonis. Adonis Skraag had broken off their relationship, fearing that Cassandra Goodman was only with him to a subconscious use of his power.

The leader of the Affiliation was a Neo-Sapien who had been born with the ability to sap those who would be attracted to him of their cognitive reasoning abilities. Their common sense, their ability to deduce was insidiously drained from their body at the mere sight of him. As such, Fathom could hardly reason what was happening to her. Unlike her companions, she registered Adonis as a threat and tried to will herself to beware his charms. She tried to close her eyes… but there was just something about him.

She wanted to drink him up. She wanted him all to herself.

A smile appeared across his face, forming dimples and pushing up his cheeks. His tongue slithered across his kissable lips, wetting them before he began. “I used to like Smallville,” offered Adonis casually, giving the dirt under his fingernails more interest than he did any of the three girls his subordinates had captured. “Emphasis on ‘used to’. I find that they jumped the shark shortly after season four. Still, that hardly diminishes the genius that is Michael Rosenbaum. Anyway…

“I’ve never believed that Smallville was the story of how Clark Kent became Superman… but the story of how Jonathon and Clark Kent turn Lex Luthor into the villain he would one day become. Was he destined to become what he did? I don’t believe so, no. I don’t believe that any of us are fated to play the roles that we play. We are merely victims of circumstance. All we can do is attempt to overcome and rise up over our influences and reclaim our station in this life.”

Adonis’ feet carried him closer to the large window overlooking this penthouse office. “Make no mistake girls…” His fingers toyed idly with a remote control. From the small panel on the desk the lights, stereo, and so much more was controlled. “This is the story of how Forrest Bedford and Magnus Loder turned me into this.” With a press of a button the blinds were retracted and a view of Manhattan and the adjacent Burroughs was revealed to them.

Thick plumes of smoke rose up from the buildings that perpetually dwelled in the shadow of Patriot Robotics. Sirens had ceased to wail. The riots had silenced the police- the mayor had been forced to authorize the Church of Genetic Purity to quell the Neo-Sapien threat in hopes that such a move would soothe the populace. In the far-off distance a sheet of opaque white was suspended over the city. Adonis’ initial plot had been to attack New York City and cripple humanity with the fear Neo-Sapiens lived with on a daily basis.

Adonis intended to make everyone who had ever hurt him suffer. He would start with humanity- striking back at Forrest N. Bedford and his Church of Genetic Purity. Forrest had painted Adonis as the worst sort of villain and murdered his parents- Adonis was going to become what Forrest had long ago claimed him to be and steal something precious from him…

Chienne. Adonis was more than infatuated with the Bedfords’ daughter- he was obsessed with her. He was so obsessed that he had orchestrated a plot to cause misery and suffering to Magnus Loder- this generation’s Lodestone. Magnus had been Adonis’ roommate at the New Vindicators Academy. On some level, Adonis had begun to think of him and Drew Jenkins as his friends… and then Magnus began to date Chienne.

Through the transparent veil he had erected, Adonis’ eyes could make out stars. Night had come. Night had arrived and signaled that this day was almost over. In less than a day Adonis had disabled one of the world’s greatest teams of super-heroes, shut down New York City, crippled his classmates and unleashing that monster. Michuru was a factor he had not prepared for. Michuru had hindered his plans for the time being. Now, Adonis had returned to tie up a few loose ends before fleeing to regroup and rethink. “I want you three to witness to the others… tell them of what I did and what I am capable of… and tell them why. Tell them that humanity and bigotry- mankind’s prejudice made me do this.

“And then, tell Lodestone that it was all his fault.”

Fathom blinked in surprise, finding herself able to rationalize what he was saying. She looked to the other two- they still seemed apparently yet incapable of thinking for themselves. Hourglass’ behavior even reminded the young woman of a drug addict; for weeks she had been denied the presence of Adonis, something she had been intoxicated with for months. Now, to be drinking that in… “I blame public schools,” Fathom said. “Maybe violent video games… whatever scapegoat people use to disguise the truth. You know why you did this, Adonis? It’s because you’re a psychopath.”

An audible gasp escaped Sarah’s lips and Hourglass’ eyes widened in a blend of shock and rage at the blasphemies she had just heard delivered from Fathom. Still, Adonis seemed the most astonished that Fathom still held some semblance of free will. “What did you say?” he asked, his voice the image of composition.

“I said you’re nuts. You claim to love Chienne-”

“I do!”

“-but if you loved her, you wouldn’t do this. You’d want her to be happy, no matter what. Whether that meant being with Magnus or letting her father get away with murder… you’d want her to be happy.”

“She will be happy! We will be happy!”

“You’re the very definition of that sound you make when you strum your finger up and down across your lips, Adonis.”

“SHUT UP!” Adonis’ hand flew across Fathom’s face. Fathom reeled back from the blow easily enough- Adonis Skraag was hardly the physical specimen Anomaly or Deimos were. As an alternative to hitting, Adonis’ hands slid down and found Fathom’s throat. His fingers closed around her neck and Adonis began to choke her. Still, it was no difficult thing for her to escape such a grapple- even without her powers. With a thought, Fathom transformed her flesh and blood into water and warped out of his grasp.

“Alexa…” A devious grin appeared on Adonis’ face. “Alexa, baby… I need your help.”

Fathom froze. He had used his powers. Not only was Adonis able to drain away common sense, he could command emotions- altering the feelings of those who were affected by his aura. With a look he could turn happiness or fear, sorrow and hate into elated love. It hadn’t taken any effort for Adonis to transfigure Fathom into a fanatical follower.

Fathom reformed and shifted back to her human form. Her eyes were big now and she arched her back, attempting to make herself look appealing to the one person she now had eyes for. “What can I do for you?”

“Lodestone hurt me, baby… he hurt me so badly.”

The doors to the penthouse opened and Nor’easter led the two into the room. James and Jacob Loder were dropped to the floor. “Better hurry,” Nor’easter said. “Someone’s disabled the conductor five floors down. If they wake up-”

“They won’t,” said Adonis softly. “Alexa… baby… I- I want to hurt Lodestone like he hurt me. I just- I just don’t think I have the strength or the power…”

“I’d do anything for you.”

Fathom blinked, unsure what had happened. She was laying on the floor of a penthouse… and not far off she could make out sobbing.

Fathom picked herself up off the floor and scanned her surroundings. Bathed in the darkness, it was difficult to make out much. In a corner, Hourglass was attempting to calm Sarah- the source of the weeping. Fathom’s eyes followed Sarah’s terrified looks to a pair of dead bodies, laying in a pool of water. “Who- what happened?”

“Lodestone… the second and the third,” offered Hourglass.

“What happened to them?”

Sarah’s lip trembled as she anticipated Hourglass’ answer. “You killed them, Alexa. Adonis asked you to kill them… and you did.”

Portal! Blitzkrieg! Silverback! Jack Olsen! Escape from Patriot Robotics...

[smashed247]

Awww! And here I was thinking it'd be something kinky

Boy, Lodestones gonna' be pissed! Assuming Michuru doesn't squash like a bug first

[Michuru81]

Awww! And here I was thinking it'd be something kinky

Boy, Lodestones gonna' be pissed! Assuming Michuru doesn't squash like a bug first

When I first started this campaign, I gave all the players a composition notebook with the promise of an extra hero point per session if they journaled each session in-character. My intent was to first get them to keep track of plot points they might otherwise forget. This campaign was played over the course of six months and there were actually a lot of clues given out. The main point was to get them to think about their characters and really get in their heads...

As Adonis is kind of the main villain here... I kept a journal as Adonis for six months. As such, there's a lot that he's done that didn't come across in the narrative. While skulking around in Japan, we get the following...

Adonis knew their kind. Adonis loathed their kind. For years he had sat back and watched as Jack “the Enforcer” Olsen had wormed his way into Chienne’s heart and life. Jack Olsen was the typical jock incapable of anything remotely resembling monogamy. For years, Chienne had been his and all the while he would ogle and flirt. He was far from faithful. He was only interested in sleeping with as many women as he possibly could. Suddenly, it hit Adonis that he may have been becoming that way… Since his powers had awakened he has used them to seduce five different women- four of which he had slept with.

Chienne is obvious and it's later explained he's Alicia's baby's daddy... you'd guess Cassandra and... you'd be right... but Addison was on that list. Adonis seduced Addison (Avian) Truman before she was killed early on. The fifth, the one he didn't sleep with, would be Atlanta- as Malachi interupted him before anything could happen.

I say all this because... well, because I flat-out consider Adonis to be a rapist. Adonis is a rapist and, despite having already taken him that route I was hesitant to do so again with Fathom- not because Fathom's a PC. As Lodestone's player will tell you, I do not have a problem with torturing a PC along the way.

So what difference would another notch in Adonis' belt have made? Well, there's this thing called Women in Refrigerators Syndrome. Basically, the idea is that in comic books, female characters are reguarly depowered, injured, killed or raped as a plot device. I was already using such a device with Loess/Coriolis (the aftermath of Loess' rape is a huge plot point through New Vindicators #16-23) and was determined not to have a cast of abused females (Of course, Lodestone's player recently pointed out that I DO have an assorted cast of abused females. His arguement is that Rumble [admittedly a bit of a Mary Sue] is one of the few female characters in this story without a fractured past.).

What it came down to was overkill. I thought that by taking Fathom down the same road I'd cheapen what was done with Loess and really overkill an already overused plot device.

As for Lodey... so far his graduation got ruined, his girlfriend was raped, Lex took a swing at him and now his pappy and grand-pappy have kicked that nasty oxygen habit they had going for them. To be honest, things are only getting worse for the little guy during his time with the New Vindicators...

[Michuru81]

“Here it is,” Blitzkrieg said, motioning to the contents of the crate. The Gumshoe looked down at the pieces of his armor and shook his head. His brother had taken the armlet that allowed him to control the armor via remote. Blitzkrieg had been carrying the small electronic device on him ever since and it had been inadvertently destroyed in his skirmish with Rift.

David Meinstein was left with two options… leave the armor here in the sublevels of Patriot Robotics where he might not be able to get to it so easily again or don it now and wear it out. His mind ran over the captives the Affiliation still had. According to Blitzkrieg, Silverback and Jack Olsen were being kept here in the sublevels while Fathom, Hourglass and Sarah Anderson were held in the penthouse.

His mind calculated what he knew about the Affiliation’s remaining threats. Again, he was going off of the information he had gathered from Blitzkrieg: Lodestone had incapacitated many of the clandestine group’s minions in his escape from Patriot Robotics. The heavy hitters such as Professor Incendiary, Doctor Splash and Rift had been taken out by David himself. Pandora had been absorbed into Michuru and Chimera had gone rogue.

All that remained were Coriolis, Nor’easter and the leader himself… Adonis Skraag.

Wearing the armor meant sacrificing the luxury of stealth but gaining protection and power in return. If only three remained to stand against them, David was almost certain such a trade would not be a hindrance. Putting on the armor would enable him to better continue with the objectives his group had been dispatched here to deal with originally. Anomaly had sent the four young heroes to shut down the force fields imprisoning New York City.

Still, he knew Adonis had the girls. While there wasn’t much Adonis could do to them, he could coerce them to do anything. As much as he didn’t like the thought of possibly allowing them to end up in the same situation Loess now found herself in, he told himself that one of the most densely-populated cities on the globe was depending on his mission’s success.

He had to take down the force field first; save the girls second. He had to put on the armor.

“David gained armor,” came the electronically disguised voice from within the Portal suit. “Battery cells seem full. System responds fine… I think I’m set.”

The dark visor built into the helmet focused on Blitzkrieg. The elder Meinstein had a relieved look on his face. Possibly he was concerned for the damage his younger brother’s heart may have sustained from Rift’s attack; the armor’s built in life support functions would protect him against any further damage. Still, there was something else… “Dad built that armor to take me down,” Blitzkrieg finally offered.

“What’chu talkin’ about, Willis?”

“Please, Da- Portal. Electrical auras? Flight speeds and teleportation? Whoever is in there could keep up with me, would be insulated against my attacks and be equipped with everything they’d need to take me out. He- he intended to hunt me down… capture me and…”

“And what?”

“David… you were too young to remember but… mom was killed by a Neo-Sapien. Dad found her dead in one of the labs one morning. The equipment was shorted out and… well, she- she was pretty much smoking when he found her. He always assumed a Neo-Sapien had come after her. The wife of Patriot Robotics’ face kind of made her a big target. He started to hate Neo-Sapiens. He didn’t know she was one. He didn’t know she passed her powers to us.

“Our abilities manifested together and dad… dad assumed the worst. We displayed the same powers that had killed her. Dad was convinced she was in some secret tryst and her lover had come to claim us. He wanted to eliminate any suspicion that we weren’t his children. He found a way to cure Neo-Sapiens. He killed your powers and he… he tried to do the same to me.

“There was never anyone else though. We’re the sons of Noah Meinstein. Dad’s just never been able to accept that mom killed herself. She found out about his funneling obscene amounts of money into Project: PRIME and… well, she couldn’t live with being married to the man he was becoming.”

The armor hid the array of emotions David was feeling. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“You deserve to know.”

“If you believed that, you would have sought me out before now. You would have come to my school or found some other way to get in contact with me. You didn’t though. You didn’t bother. You never even tried.”

“Dave… what dad used to cure you? It’s on the streets.”

“What?”

“Knitter,” Blitzkrieg said sadly. “Dad’s pretty far gone, Dave. We have to stop him.”

Portal said nothing.

With a renewed purpose to match his vigor, Portal led the charge down the halls. Blitzkrieg matched his pace to his brothers- much as it was difficult for the impatient man. The two turned at Blitzkrieg’s commands- he steered him closer and closer to their first target…

The hydraulics built into the armor magnified Portal’s strength and allowed him to tear the door from its iron-clad hinges. The steel crumbled in his hand and his thermal vision quickly found the heat signature of the large form, crouching in the corner. “Who’s there?” came the dry voice of Doctor James Howell, the former villain better known as Silverback.

“A friend,” came the electronically masked voice of David Meinstein from deep within the Portal armor. “Doctor Howell… I’m glad to find you alive.”

The gorilla-eyes were also adjusted to the dim lighting and allowed him to register their party’s third member. “He’s with them!” the normally verbose Neo-Sapien exclaimed, jutting an accusing finger at Blitzkrieg.

“He’s on our side. He helped me take down Rift. He told me about what happened to you…” Portal’s eyes ran over the wound the simian had received hours before. “Adonis took command of Chimera… forced it to attack you…”

“Chimera likely would have, had I put a human’s anatomy. Our resident shapeshifter apparently is not adept with dealing with our genetic predecessors. Our lady Jorgenson is a capable martial artist and trained killer…” Doctor Howell’s large fingers gently traced the wound in his chest. “Still… my form is apparently quite thick… thicker than it was used to.”

“Lucky you.”

Silverback sighed. “Yes… ‘lucky’…”

“Doctor Howell,” explained Portal. “We…” He paused then and knelt down before the gorilla, removing his helmet and revealing his face to the ape. He couldn’t explain it himself, but he trusted the man. Perhaps it was pathos and perhaps just because he was a fellow man of science. Still, there was something inside David Meinstein that told him if he was going to ask Silverback to help him now, he had to show him how serious he truly was. “We didn’t just come here to rescue you. Topside? All hell is breaking loose. The Affiliation took Michuru Bradshaw and they- they’ve unleashed his inner beast. He’s rampaging through New York City as we speak and the Affiliation has it so that no one can get in or out. The key to shutting down the barrier is here, in Patriot Robotics. If we’re to help evacuate the city, we’ll need to find a way to shut this down… trouble is, we believe the only way to do this may be to kill a small child.”

“Quite a moral quandary but still… ‘the needs of the many’ and all…”

“I prefer ‘Wars’ to ‘Trek’, but… I’d like to explore an alternative. I’d like you to see this child… see if you can figure another way to save the city. Will you come with me?”

Blitzkrieg reappeared in the threshold, accompanied by a struggling Jack Olsen. The young man hadn’t believed the former hero turned former villain when he said he was here to free him. He still had his doubts… but everything else vanished as he saw the face of the man in the armor.

“Great,” Portal said, putting his helmet on after registering the audible gasp from the Enforcer. “One secret identity… is that so much to ask?”

“Little- little Davey… is ZERO?”

“Yes, yes he is,” replied Portal. “David Meinstein is ZERO and not Portal. Definitely. Tell your friends.”

“Young men?” Silverback intoned deeply. “Perhaps it’s time to lead me to this child you’ve spoken of…”

The equipment Detective Long had given Portal had been stuffed into a gym bag and had been carried by Blitzkrieg. Now he pushed the bundle into the arms of Jack Olsen, deciding on him as their new beast of burden. Blitzkrieg took their lead, hurrying around corners and waiting at the next turn for them to catch up. It wasn’t much of a march to lead them to the room… but upon turning the corner, they found Blitzkrieg had not only found the boy Fathom had told them of… but Noah Meinstein as well.

“Don’t worry about him,” Portal said, noticing the hesitation in Doctor Howell. “We’ve got a city save. Go look at the boy.”

“The prodigal son returns, eh?” Noah asked, cocking his head slightly as he looked at Blitzkrieg. “And the thief! You’ve made quite a lucrative career out of making a fool out of me. The 000 and the 001 get stolen, the press has a field day reporting your individual careers as vigilantes and my investors slowly pull out.”

Portal shrugged. Jack Olsen, wisely, kept quiet and remained in the shadows. Instead he peered down into the contents of the bag he held… and his eyes widened at the sight of his step-father’s old costume and utility belt.

Noah Meinstein scratched his chin as his eyes darted from Blitzkrieg to Portal, unsure just who represented the worst of what he kept inside. One was a disappointment as a son. The other had turned him into a laughing stock. “We’re just going to shut down the barrier, dad,” came Daniel Meinstein’s calm, collected voice.

“You’ll let those freaks out!” Noah snapped. His hand flew back, throwing up his lab coat and revealing a gun holstered at his side. The visor of the armor hid Portal’s shock as a bullet settled into the chamber and the barrel pointed for Silverback. “Danny, Danny, Danny… Mister Bedford needs time to heal them.”

“What’s he talking about?” asked Jack Olsen, his attention snagged by Chienne’s last name.

“Knitter,” Blitzkrieg grumbled. “I had been investigating it for a while, until Rift recruited me. The Church of Genetic Purity has been funding Patriot Robotics to engineer a vaccine for Neo-Sapiens. Dear old dad had the formula… my brother was the first victim.” Jack’s eyes ran to Portal then. “The CGP approached him about it and he began producing it on a much wider scale. What do you think they’re using to stop any NS’s they find in the riots?”

“I thought Adonis was the one who set up the barrier?” asked Portal.

“He was,” Blitzkrieg said. “It’s why we nested here of all places. Trouble is- dad took advantage of the situation. He must have used the tunnels to smuggle out his cure and now he’s here to ensure the barrier doesn’t drop.”

“Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium!” sang Noah happily. “Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen-”

“Drop the senility act, dad,” snapped Blitzkrieg. “Nobody’s buying it!”

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives!”

Portal began to assess the situation. Blitzkrieg could easily outrun a speeding bullet to intercept it before it hit Doctor Howell, but he was hardly impervious. Portal on the other hand could easily shrug off such an attack… but he lacked the speed to interpose himself on the simian’s behalf. Still, an entire city hinged on being able to shut down the force field being generated by the child incubating within the vat Noah stood before.

Something had to give. Blitzkrieg moved. Portal moved. Noah fired.

The force fields go down...

[Alanshpeal]

This has to be my favorite part of the story so far. So much crap happened in a few short sessions.

[Michuru81]

This has to be my favorite part of the story so far. So much crap happened in a few short sessions.

For the interested, Alanshpeal would be the player behind Frostbite, William Benson (in Illuminati) and Falkenburg over in Vindicators.

[Michuru81]

The helmet of the 001 hid the grin that cut across David Meinstein’s face. He understood what this meant. He knew better than the others present just what had happened.

The collapsible staff whirled out of the smoke and cracked into Noah Meinstein’s jaw. Jack Olsen had not had time to don the full costume of the Gumshoe, but he had acquired what was necessary. The utility belt was plain around his waist as he shifted into position.

Silverback’s massive hands felt at his chest, investigating whether or not he had been shot. Blitzkrieg’s eyes scanned their surroundings as best they could, given the concealment the smoke pellets provided. Jack Olsen shifted through the cloud and his hands slipped under Noah’s arms and around behind his head. With the right pressure he forced the man to drop the gun and easily pinned the industrialist to the ground. “Behave yourself now,” Jack growled, applying enough force to evoke a scream from the man of science. “You guys do what you’ve got to do! A baby could hold him!”

With a nod Portal rushed to Silverback and gave him a nod. Immediately the brilliant simian cast aside his possible injuries and began to look over the tank supporting the child’s life. “Exactly why haven’t we just asked the boy to lower the force field?”

“He won’t,” Blitzkrieg grumbled. “He doesn’t know what threats are and doesn’t respond to them. He won’t do anything he doesn’t want to.”

“What about what he’s told to do?” asked Jack from the floor. Portal turned and his eyes fell on his father; suddenly, he understood what the quarterback was suggesting. The child may not have responded to threats… but perhaps Noah would?

“Call the kid off!” threatened Jack.

“Or what? You’ll hurt me? Son, you’re as much my prisoner as I am yours. You need me to get the field down!”

“Maybe I won’t hurt you physically but functionally? Legally?”

“Please son… I’ve more money than God and the best defense attorney in the nation. There’s nothing you can expose that Bo Vidae can’t get me out of.”

Silverback had cleared his throat, drawing all the attention to him and the child watching him with great interest. “This machine is all that keeps him alive. There is no way to remove him without killing him…”

“But if we pull the plug, the city gets saved?” Jack’s strong hands turned Noah over onto his back and his staff slammed against the man’s throat, beginning to crush his throat. “Sounds like a no-brainer, everyone. My vote goes to killing the kid.”

“It would,” grumbled Portal. “Look… Fathom said this guy was very- very fatherly to this kid. Mister Meinstein… if you don’t give the order… the kid is going to die. Do you understand me? If you don’t have him drop the force field… I will kill this child.”

Noah smiled politely at the armored warrior and nodded in compliance. “Well, all you had to do was ask!” he exclaimed, sliding back into the persona of a demented man. “Be a good boy now!” he called out, turning towards the tank. “Drop the force field for daddy!”

The boy did as he complied and Silverback stepped away from the child. “What are we going to do? Short of killing this child… what do we do? This will only continue. We can’t leave this boy in Mister Meinstein’s care.”

“What choice do we have?” Blitzkrieg said sadly. “For now… all we can do is take him with us.”

Jack Olsen shifted to allow their prisoner up. As the youth rose to his feet he kicked the gun across the room and fixed Noah with a warning glare as if that alone would ensure his cooperation.

Together their group slipped into the halls… and froze at the sound of approaching footfalls. “Watch him,” Blitzkrieg growled to Jack, nodded to Noah. “We’ll deal with whoever…” He cut off as Coach Crag rounded the corner, morphed into his rock form. His wife flitted through the air, a cloud of vapors that accompanied him. With them was Fathom, Hourglass and Sarah; the girls had found the pair held captive by Doctor Splash and had released them.

“So…” Coach Crag said, motioning to crack knuckles he hardly possessed in his altered state, “what’s this I hear about Judith rampaging through the city?”

The end draws ever closer as Alicia and Quint make their way back to the hospital. There's only ten posts remaining before the end of Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas...