Futuristic Defenders of Earth: A New Generation of Hero

[Sour Diesel]

The Hero Association sent notifications to its newest members that they were to report at the top of Sword Inc. corporate building in Manhattan. How they got there was completely up to them. The Questmaster was very insistent on their timely arrival at exactly 1700 Hours.

One of the founding members of the organization, Questmaster had the appearance of a young 20-something with heterochromic gold and white eyes. His power was related to time manipulation by popular acclaim. Someone like him knew the importance of every moment. He waited on a courtyard overlooking New York City. A city that barely resembled how it looked at the start of the 21st century. Countless bombardment and chaos during the Rift Riots required the entire city be rebuilt.

The Sword Inc skyscraper was a 30 story office. The world’s leading technology company worked in tandem with the Hero Association. Nobody would bother a member of the Association if they used the office’s facilities, within reason.

The fresh new heroes were coming in for their first briefing. They already proved themselves at the Intake Evaluations. It was essentially a fitness exam to weed out the hucksters. Their true mettle as potential defenders of earth was yet to be tested. That was the purpose of tonight’s briefing.

 

[JDizzle383]

Kid Lightning was excited about the notification as soon as it got to him. Mostly because he hadn't really done anything except help the local the cops up to now, since police wanted a reliable and unsuspecting kid to help them with their stakeouts in locations where his electric powers could cause blackouts to get the jump on criminals. boring stuff like that. It hadn't been real danger because just hanging around in the slums out of costume wasn't suspicious enough to get you shot.

Even if you were the equivalent of a high-voltage battery and an obnoxious chatterbox.

I mean how was a crime boss gonna find a 14-year-old who looked like he hadn't eaten in a week and go, "Kill that EMP!"

Anyways, back to why he was finally in costume and bolting—no pun intended—at high speed over and over, appearing every few miles across the countryside. he had to go around the long way to get there due to all the lakes and rivers, but, with his speed having been enhanced by his electrically charged muscular structure, he was about ten minutes away from the Sword Inc. in no time. (don't ask him how voltage in your muscles speeds them up, it just does. He learned not to question it, though it would hit him like a truck if he didn't eat later)

Once he arrived, he looked up at the tower. yes, he stopped because even if he could move quickly gravity would affect him much quicker than he'd be able to move up the side of a solid glass panel. walking to the door, he looked for someone who would allow him to enter... that was the hard part. a 14-year-old body that screamed "feed me" wasn't a great idea...

"I've got time... where's a hot dog vendor..." he found one and ate 9 hotdogs, then paid the man and came back just in time to see the doors close behind some other hero that had beat him to it.

"I really hope they don't throw me out... where's my ID... ah here we go... hope the New Ampshire ID is valid here..."

As the name implied, New Ampshire was his hometown, and a largely new part of Texas, sitting right at the state's top center. it supplied a lot of power to the southern half of the continent and had been built about ten years after the Rift Riots had started. the city itself was full of technological wonders and he stayed there most of the time he needed to recharge due to the amount of the grid this meant Kid Lightning could access. he loved messing with computers, which is what had gotten the attention of the police more than a few times, but he didn't do anything illegal with the knowledge of code that he possessed, so they let him off the hook. Or at least he thought they did until the hero assassination broke down his door, but that is a story for later.

But that was a long ways away right no- "Ooops, sorry..." He had been lost in thought as he took in the lobby, and had accidentally run into someone.

Well crap...

 

[Solaris_]

Jade sighed in frustration as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stave off the worst of the motion sickness that usually accompanied her travels, as the glowing portal behind her closed with a soft humming noise. After her head stopped spinning, she opened her eyes and registered her surroundings as the lobby of Sword Inc’s skyscraper.

It was impressive. The solid glass panels that stretched high above her head seemed to be one-way and the lobby was tastefully decorated. Important people dressed in expensive-looking clothing hurried around her to whatever Important business needed attending.

She felt out of place in the posh building with its posh employees and self-consciously smoothed the wrinkles in her shirt. But soon after her evaluation of the building, she collided with an excitable, brown-haired boy.

After regaining her balance, she registered his hesitant apology and shrugged in response. She thought she recognized him from the Intake Evaluations, but she couldn’t be sure. There’d been so many applicants and she’d been focused more on passing the tests than making friends. “I’m Jade,” she finally volunteered as she eyed the stairs with disdain. “Are we really expected to go all the way up to the roof? Jeeze, I knew this thing was tall, but thirty floors?! Seems like overkill. The view better be worth it,” she said with a grimace as she spotted the elevators. Definitely the least painful option of the two.

 

[JDizzle383]

"Call me Kid Lightning... KL works too I guess?" James didn't give away his civilian name for... reasons, even if he wasn't exactly in disguise, work and social life were still considered separate things.

"Wait, don't they have an elevator?" he spoke when she asked about the floors to the top. "I mean it would only make sense if there are private floors only supers can access right?"

His logic was only sound because of all the TV shows about how Superhero hideouts and such were portrayed, but he had never actively had a base of operations, so this was just his gut telling him that an elevator would only be a logical conclusion. Speak of the devil, a small dinging noise sounded out as he saw one open, and comically, as if Jade was already his best friend he grabbed her by the hand and rushed the both of them inside, hitting the button for floor 30.

"C'mon! can't keep the higher-ups waiting!" He grinned broadly as if he hadn't just yanked a fully grown woman across a busy office building into an elevator with him.

Hooray for social awkwardness.

 

[Solaris_]

Oh. Right. They were supposed to go by super aliases. She doubted “portal factory girl” was a good alias. She’d have to think of something.
She wasn't used to this whole superhero thing, and she was still surprised that they’d chosen her at all, given the small amounts of havoc wreaked by the demons she’d accidentally let loose during her first few weeks after the rift.
She didn’t feel “super”, like this kid clearly felt. His energy was relentless and she felt tired just watching him chatter about exclusive private floors.
Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her across the lobby and into an elevator. Surprised, Jade stumbled after him into the elevator. She shook her head in amazement.
“You’re practically bouncing off walls,” she said bluntly. But she was grinning. Something about this kid was entertaining.
“So…KL…do you shoot lightning bolts out of your eyes or something?”

 

[Hiuly of Starmoon]

„248…249…250…“, she said out loud to no one in particular. Kiera was out of breath and her muscles burned like fire and breathing hurt just as much - and the worst part: she wasn’t even half-way through yet. But almost.

She pushed on. After all, she had to be at the top of a 30 story building soon. Besides, if she were to stop now, starting again would be a lot harder. „257…258…259“, half way. She was half way. Kiera looked at the door of floor 15. What if she did take the elevator? Today her powers might not act up. Kiera shook her head as she turned toward the next set of stairs. It was not worth the risk. If she misses a step here, worst case, she‘ll only fall down to the next floor. If the elevator breaks down, they all might plummet to their death. Slow, steady, and absolute hell will have to do. And so, she pushed on.

(Trigger warning: mention of vomiting)
Only 10 minutes late to the meeting point she finally made it up to the roof. She grabbed the door to open it and let herself fall to the ground on her back. Her legs were shaking out of tiredness, and she couldn‘t decide whether she wanted some water to calm the burning sensation in her throat and lungs, or for someone to hold her hair as she was
throwing up today‘s lunch. She was also too tired to care much at this point. Why would they even have to meet at the top of a 30 story building. Were they insane?

 

[JDizzle383]

"That's a good one! not out of my eyes. that would fry my corneas. I can use my fingers to discharge electricity like those old sci-fi movies though," He smiled, and continued, "I'd show you, but we're kinda in an elevator so... oh... we're here."

The elevator door swung open to someone puking on the top floor. "Is she gonna be okay?" KL asked as he zipped around the top floor like a hyperactive child. It was in his nature to be a carefree always half-full kind of guy, even if it annoyed other people.

"Nice robes. Where'd'ya get 'em?" he asked, suddenly running up to the Questmaster and poking him like someone who had way too much sugar in their system.

 

[Sour Diesel]

The sight of the young woman vomiting up her lunch made Questmaster grimace. He waved his hands around in the air. Kiera would notice an aura of glittering dust surrounding her. She would feel her nausea disappear, as well as the grittiness on her teeth. The stain on the ground was also gone.

“Apologies, dear. I had to make sure you’d be far enough from the main server room. Feel better?” He asked once he was finished reversing time locally on Kiera.

Kid Lightning sped up to him and touched the frills on his robe. It was royal blue with stars and moons embroidered on it. Their leader smiled with a warmth that KL would recognize on his grandfather.

“You like it? We have a few fashion designers on the payroll. We can make costumes for all of you. However, that will come later, once you’ve proven yourselves worthy of the cowl.” Questmaster spoke with grace and kindness.

 

[JDizzle383]

“I’m not really sure what I would want out of a costume.” Kid Lightning rubbed his chin. Technically he was already wearing the costume he used, a bike helmet and t shirt with red athletic shorts, “I mean I don’t think I would ever wear a cape or a mask in the first place.”

There was a loud growling noise and he fell down to the floor “Sorry, I ran all the way from home… my powers require a lot of food,” he chuckled nervously as he looked at questmaster with an apologetic expression.

 

[Solaris_]

Jade nodded. She definitely wanted to see that. She wasn’t a huge sci-fi fan (she was more of a horror movie kind of girl), but the electric fingertips power sounded cool. She filed away the information and made a mental note to ask about it later as they finally reached the last floor of the building.
She stifled a laugh as KL practically flew around the top floor before noticing the girl who’d thrown up. She grimaced as she stepped out of the elevator, wondering why in the world someone would put themselves through the torture of using the stairs. But then, to her disbelief, the old man in the beautiful robe made her vomit…disappear? In a puff of glitter? Jade blinked and comically rubbed her eyes, amazed. So this guy had…wizard powers? She felt shortchanged now.

She turned her attention back to the old man and KL as they discussed costumes and food. Her own stomach growled and she found herself agreeing with the hyperactive kid. “I wouldn’t mind something to eat as well,” she chimed in. If nothing else, just to let them know she was there. She had a tendency to blend in with the shadows if she forgot to remind people of her existence.

 

[Hiuly of Starmoon]

She was feeling really bad, until she wasn’t anymore. That’s also when Kiera noticed that she was practically sparkling and then also the old man looking directly at her.

Thanks to him, she was now feeling a lot better than before - but unfortunately for her, feeling better also meant she now cared what other people thought again. At least somewhat, which is why she now wished that the earth would swallow her whole, so she could disappear for the rest of her life. She mentally kicked herself also for her first impression. She‘d get to meet a group of like-minded people for something and this is her first impression on them.

She started moving towards where the others were and tried to use her hair to hide her embarrassment a bit. In moments like these, she wished she wore some kind of hood or hat. That would be much easier to use than her hair. Nevertheless, she hoped that the others wouldn’t mind too much and tried to occupy her thoughts with something else.

Kiera walked into the conversation of them talking about food. She decided that she’d join the others if they went out for food - or at least ask them if she could join. Food wouldn’t hurt now, all things considered. ”What was that?“, she asked the old man as soon as she stood in front of him. „Either way, thanks though“, she didn’t want to seem impolite. He did, after all, help her. And also got rid of the gross feeling in her mouth, and that was worth a thanks.